NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Euro Manganese Inc. (TSX-V / ASX: EMN) (the "Company" or "EMN") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of 8,738,312 common shares ("Shares") and 401,888 CHESS Depositary Interests ("CDIs", with each CDI representing one Share), at a price of C$0.11 per Share or A$0.13 per CDI, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $1,005,300 (the "Offering"). Net proceeds of the Offering will be used by the Company to further advance its Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic, including advancing the feasibility study and preparation of the Environmental Impact Assessment submission, and for other general corporate purposes. The Offering is intended to close in two or more tranches with the first tranche, comprising of 4,477,170 Shares and 227,273 CDIs for aggregate gross proceeds of C$517,4891, expected to close on or about April 3, 2020. The second tranche of the Offering (the "Related Parties Tranche"), consisting of subscriptions by related parties of the Company (consisting of directors of the Company and companies controlled by directors of the Company) of 4,261,142 Shares at a price of C$0.11 per Share and 174,615 CDIs at a price of A$0.13 per CDI for aggregate gross proceeds of C$487,7801, is expected to close on or about May 5, 2020, subject to and following approval by the Companys shareholders as required by Listing Rule 10.11.5 of the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX"). The Company expects to call and hold a special meeting of shareholders of the Company in early May 2020 (the "Meeting") to approve the issuance of Shares and CDIs under the Related Parties Tranche. The Company expects to file a management information circular in connection with the Meeting in due course. The Offering is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"). Story continues Fees payable by the Company in connection with the Offering will consist of a management fee, payable in cash, of 1% of the aggregate gross proceeds from the Offering. Shares issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period. The issuance of Shares and CDIs to insiders of the Company pursuant to the Offering is considered to be a related party transaction under Canadas Multilateral Instrument 61-101. The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 on the basis that participation in the Offering by insiders does not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company's market capitalization. The Shares and CDIs to be issued under the Offering have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. Persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States, nor will there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Euro Manganese: Euro Manganese Inc. is a Canadian mineral resource company focused on the development of the Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic. The Project will recycle historic mine tailings that host Europes largest manganese deposit and result in an environmental remediation of this site. The European Union is emerging as a major electric vehicle manufacturing hub. EMN's goal is to become the preferred supplier of sustainably-produced ultra-high-purity manganese products for the lithium-ion battery industry and for producers of specialty steel, high-technology chemicals and aluminum alloys. Authorized for release by the CEO of Euro Manganese Inc. Contact: Euro Manganese Inc. Marco A. Romero Fausto Taddei President & CEO Vice President, Corporate Development (604)-681-1010 ext. 101 & Corporate Secretary (604)-681-1010 ext. 105 E-mail: info@mn25.ca Website: www.mn25.ca Company Address: 1500 1040 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6E 4H8 Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as may, would, could, will, intend, expect, believe, plan, anticipate, estimate, scheduled, forecast, predict and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking information or statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the completion of the Offering, the anticipated closing dates of the tranches of the Offering, including the Related Party Tranche, receipt of TSXV and ASX approval for the Offering, the holding of the Meeting and the use of proceeds of the Offering. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed under Risks Notice and elsewhere in the Companys MD&A, as well as the inability to obtain regulatory approvals in a timely manner; the potential for unknown or unexpected events to cause contractual conditions to not be satisfied; unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the Company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in the Risks Notice section and elsewhere in the Companys MD&A for the year ended September 30, 2019 and its Annual Information Form. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), or the ASX accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 1 Based on the Bank of Canada Canadian dollar to Australian dollar exchange rate of 0.8394 on March 23, 2020. Authorities in the Chinese capital have indicted an Australian academic and writer for espionage after holding him incommunicado for seven months with no access to a lawyer or family visits, prompting sharp criticism from Canberra. Yang Hengjun, an outspoken Australian writer and political commentator who formerly held Chinese nationality, was taken to Beijing by state security police on arriving at Guangzhou Airport on Jan. 19 and placed under "Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location " (RDSL), a form of forced disappearance, for six months. The Australian government said it "strongly objects" to the move, which paves the way for a trial, and said Beijing hadn't responded to its requests for information through formal channels. "The Australian Government is very disappointed that the Chinese authorities have not yet provided formal advice on Dr Yangs indictment," foreign minister Marise Payne said in a statement on her official website. "Since his detention over a year ago, the Australian Government has repeatedly expressed its strong concern about the treatment of Dr Yang," Payne said. "It is not in the spirit of mutual respect and trust that our continued advocacy for Dr Yang has not been acknowledged," she added. Payne said there are concerns that Yang's poor health makes him especially vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic. "Dr Yang has had no access to legal representation and has been held in harsh conditions that have been detrimental to his physical and mental health," she said. "In our most recent representations, we appealed for humanitarian considerations to apply to Dr Yangs situation." "We deeply regret that for over a year, our requests have not been taken up." No consular visits since late 2019 Yang, 54, was transferred to the Beijing State Security Bureau Detention Center after initially being held in RSDL. Payne said Australian officials had repeatedly called on Beijing to apply "basic international standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment" to Yang. But consular officials haven't been allowed to visit Yang since Dec. 30, and requests for contact by phone or in writing had already been denied, Payne's statement said. "This is unacceptable treatment of an Australian citizen," she said, calling for Yangs immediate and unconditional release. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Yang was suspected of engaging in criminal activities that endangers the national security of the People's Republic of China." He said Australia should "cease interfering by any means in China's handling of legal cases according to law." Consular visits would be arranged after the epidemic situation has improved," Geng told a regular news briefing in Beijing. The Chinese Embassy in Canberra said Payne's statement was "deplorable," and said the Australian government should stop interfering. "The Chinese relevant authorities are investigating the case in accordance with Chinese law, an embassy statement said. We urge the Australian side to respect Chinas judicial sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the legal process in any form. Many foreigners detained The indictment of Yang comes after China has detained or jailed a number of foreign nationals in recent months. On Feb. 25, a court in the eastern city of Ningbo handed down a 10-year jail term to former Hong Kong bookseller and Swedish national Gui Minhai for "illegally providing intelligence overseas." A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman also said the case had been "handled according to law" by the Chinese judiciary, in language similar to that employed in Yang's case. Gui was one of five Hong Kong-based booksellers detained by the Chinese authorities for selling "banned" political books to customers across the internal border in mainland China in 2015. He disappeared under murky circumstances from his holiday home in Pattaya, Thailand, in , only to reappear in China "confessing" on video to a decade-old alleged drunk-driving offense. More than 10 Canadians were detained in China after the ruling Chinese Communist Party vowed to retaliate for the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who is wanted for questioning by investigators in the U.S. over alleged bank fraud linked to the breach of sanctions against Iran. Both the U.S. and Canada upgraded cautionary advice to any of their citizens traveling to China, amid growing calls for the release of former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and consultant Michael Spavor, who were detained on suspicion of "endangering state security" shortly after Meng's arrest at Vancouver airport at the request of U.S. investigators. Reported by RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. The Nationwide Foundation has announced that it is making $5 million in contributions to local and national charities to support the coronavirus response. The foundation is a private non-profit to which Nationwide companies are donors. As communities experience impacts related to the pandemic, many non-profit organizations stand on the front lines, providing basic necessities, wellness services and support to those in need, said Kirt Walker, CEO of Nationwide and chairman of the Nationwide Foundation. Finances, staff, programs and resources are being stretched as these non-profits not only serve their communities but feel the impact themselves. During these challenging times, we each have a responsibility, when we can, to lift those around us. MANILA, Philippines The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Wednesday urged business owners to process payrolls online for the duration of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine. In a resolution dated March 24, the IATF said it strongly encourages companies to process wages online amid the 30-day community quarantine. But for those who cannot process their workers salaries online, the IATF said one payroll manager for each company is allowed to travel on March 26 and 27 for the purpose of processing their company payrolls covering the period until April 15, 2020. Most businesses were forced to shut down, and their employees to work from home after the government ordered the suspension of business operations and public transportation, except for essential services, to arrest the spread of coronavirus in the country. The enhanced community quarantine in Luzon is effective until April 12. The post Govt task force urges business owners to process payroll online during quarantine appeared first on UNTV News. Carol Nolan, Independent TD for Laois/Offaly, has said she supports the urgent calls being made by local radio stations for the broadcasting levy, paid to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), to be waived for the full calendar year. Deputy Nolan went on to say that while the decision by the Minister for Communications, Richard Bruton, to suspend payment of the levy for the next 6 months was welcome; it is entirely insufficient given the level of financial strain that local radio and papers have come under since the Covid-19 crisis erupted. We know that local radio and local media have suffered a significant and dramatic fall-off in commercial advertising revenue since this current crisis began. "This has only compounded the challenges that the local media sector already faced-such as Google and Facebook taking an estimated 73% of advertising revenue. "That is why it is absolutely critical that the Minister supports the calls that have been made for an extension of the broadcasting levy waiver beyond the next 6 months. I have written to the Minister asking him to take immediate action to extend the waiver. "Without this measure, local broadcasters such as Midlands Radio 3 and Tipp FM will not be able to overcome the financial shock that has hit the sector. "We also have to remember that local newspapers and online media platforms here in Offaly and Laois provide an invaluable public service and are trusted platforms within our communities. "They also need to be considered and included in any rescue package that might emerge. "We need to maintain these services, especially as many people are having to cope with so much fake news from unreliable sources. "I am a passionate believer in keeping things local and supporting our local jobs and enterprises. Now more than ever this approach is vitally important, concluded Deputy Nolan. VAUGHAN, ONT.York regional police have arrested and charged a 54-year-old man from Mississauga with sexual assault and for holding a woman against her will. It is reported that police got a call from a concerned man on Feb. 19, around 4:20 a.m., after a woman ran in front of his vehicle asking for help in the area of Major Mackenzie Drive West and Dufferin Street in Vaughan, police say. The victim told the police that she met the suspect at a bar in Fort Erie on Feb. 8, after which he took her to a hotel in that area where she was held against her will for several days. She reported that the suspect drove her to a wooded area off of Dufferin Street, near Teston Road, where she finally escaped and flagged down a vehicle for help, police say. The victim said she had been assaulted and sexually assaulted multiple times between Feb. 8 and Feb. 19. She was taken to a hospital as a result. On Monday, around 5:30 p.m., the accused was arrested in Richmond Hill and is facing several charges in connected with this incident. David Kenneth Pressman, 54, of Mississauga, has been arrested and charged with sexual assault, assault, forcible confinement, theft under $5,000, and uttering threats. Police are asking any additional victims, witnesses, and anyone else with information to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to call York Regional Police Special Victims Unit at 1-866-876-5423 (ext. 6800), or contact Crime Stoppers Anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS. Read more about: AMHERST Officials at the University of Massachusetts are suspending further move-out plans due to the statewide stay-at-home advisory issued on Monday. Most students were away on spring break when University officials announced concerns about the spread of the coronavirus would delay students return for another week. Soon after, officials decided students would not return to campus and all classes were to be conducted online for the remainder of the semester, as did most colleges. But most students left most of their belongings in their dorm rooms as they were only expecting to be gone for a week, said Ed Blaguszewski, UMass spokesman. The University sent out a notice on Tuesday suspending the move-out process, the day after Gov. Charlie Baker issued an emergency order that calls for all public schools and most businesses, with the exception of grocery stores and others that provide essential goods, to be closed until April 7. He also urged people to stay at home and not congregate in groups larger than 10. In response to Governor Charlie Bakers emergency order announced yesterday, implementing a stay-at-home advisory in Massachusetts until April 7, the campus has suspended further move-out plans at this time, the notice said. Once the stay-at-home order is lifted, University officials will assess guidelines for a sequenced move-out process for remaining residents, the notice said. Related Content: House of Penance review: 'an inspired and creepy take on one of America's lesser-known eccentrics' If you like Crimson Peak, you'll love House of Penance Hofmeister has shown the type of bold, clear and decisive leadership we expect of elected officials. She made the decision despite pushback from skeptics of the pandemics reality. This is not likely to be short-term, but I do want people to remember this is temporary, Hofmeister said. It is not permanent and is 100% worth the struggle to keep our families safe and communities safe to reduce the community transmission of the virus. Oklahoma is just now seeing the uptick of the spreading virus as tests become available and symptoms emerge. The state has been in reaction mode, going week to week, waiting for things to get worse. Schools cannot operate that way. Teachers plan lessons weeks at a time, and parents need clear directions and expectations. Hofmeister knows this and wants to give districts time to make the switch to distant learning. Education is not as simple as throwing lessons on a website. Few teachers depend wholly on online technology. Many work in classroom lectures and discussions. Elementary ages still have a good amount of worksheets and in-class activities. Democrats declared victory early Wednesday morning in their effort to realign the coronavirus relief bill to prioritize workers over corporations, but at least one Republican senator is now claiming that their central purported contribution greater oversight over $500 billion in corporate relief was never actually opposed by Republicans. During a Wednesday conference call, Senator Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) pushed back on Democrats claims to have achieved stricter controls on the provision of credit to American big business by delaying for some two days the passage of the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package. Senate Democrats blocked a procedural vote to fast-track the legislation on Sunday night, accusing Senate Republicans of turning the $500 billion Exchange Stabilization Fund designed to extend credit from the government to big business into a slush fund by resisting oversight over its allocation. In making their case that Republicans were catering to corporations at the expense of workers, Democratic leadership cited the fact that the original bill did not require Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to disclose the corporate loan recipients until six months after the loans were disbursed. Were gonna give $500 billion in basically a slush fund to help industries controlled by Mnuchin with very little transparency? Is that what we ought to be doing? Senator Mazie Hirono (D., Hawaii) questioned. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) added that were not here to create a slush fund for Donald Trump and his family, or a slush fund for the Treasury Department to be able to hand out to their friends. After the standstill was resolved late Tuesday night, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) highlighted Democratic contributions, saying that Democrats have succeeded in making the bill substantially better on many counts, and explicitly mentioned strict oversight, transparency, and accountability of all loans made to corporate America. Story continues We need oversight, we need transparency every loan document will be public and made available to Congress very quickly so we can see where the money is going, what the terms are, and if its fair to the American people, Schumer said, pointing to an oversight board, as well as an IG, to make sure things are done on the level. But Toomey pushed back on that characterization of Democrats contributions during the call, telling reporters that in the days of negotiations, allegations that the corporate relief funds lacked oversight were not a major topic of discussion. According to Toomey, Democratic leadership didnt raise the point until after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) flew back to D.C. to advise Schumers negotiations. I dont associate any particular Democratic senator on the negotiating team that I was participating with that was mentioning this, I really dont remember it coming up very much, Toomey said. And then Senator Schumer, when he decided to take down the bill, both he and Pelosi had devised this and thats when I recall this thing emerging. There wasnt a lot of Republican objection conceptually to this idea, the concern was just that it be properly targeted. Toomey added that, prior to Pelosis arrival, Republicans were already in agreement on following the approach pioneered by the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in 2008, which established a Congressional oversight panel and an Inspector General to review large corporate funding, and it was in fact Democrats who pushed for an extremely expansive lending program. The governance piece came together pretty quickly, and we thought that rather than the extremely expansive version that our Democrat colleagues were pushing for, we ought to follow the model of the TARP approach, where we would focus on the specific transactions, he stated. So it was somewhat narrowed in scope, to what we thought was appropriate, but that really didnt take all that long. A GOP Senate staffer echoed Toomeys account of the negotiations, saying that while Democrats slush fund characterization was way over the top, Republicans were a bit uneasy with the amount of discretion that the Treasury had. Republicans were never against oversight of that amount of money, my understanding is that what Schumer and Pelosi were pushing for was a brand-new way of doing oversight that would have encompassed not just the Treasury piece, but the entire administrations piece, the staffer told National Review. The Republican counter was basically like look, theres a model that you have all supported before lets just use that model. HuffPost appeared to confirm the staffers description of events on Wednesday, reporting that Democrats wanted to create panel that would have had sweeping oversight authority over the whole of the administrations pandemic response, not just the $500 billion allocated to corporations. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) has also dismissed the notion that Democrats stalling tactics resulted in significant alterations to the bill. I will leave it to others to compare the bipartisan Sunday bill to the final version we will pass today and determine whether the last few changes really required or merited three days of delay, McConnell said on the senate floor Wednesday. Toomey also slammed Democrats for suggesting they were opposed to bailing out big business, saying that Democrats were insisting that we give away money to airlines and never get it back and have no opportunity to get it back, while Republicans insisted it all had to be paid back. It was really quite a remarkable display, to go down and attack us for what we were not doing, while they were in fact trying to do exactly that which they were attacking us for, Toomey said. That was what did take a while, was negotiating how that would work mechanically, exactly what we would do for the airlines, a big Democrat ask was just write them really big checks and make sure they then comply with a bunch of mandates, and we were not comfortable with that. More from National Review The number of positive COVID-19 cases continued to rise in Kenosha County Wednesday to at least 19. The Kenosha County Division of Health reported five new positive cases by 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Public health nurses have identified 114 people who may have been in contact with the previously confirmed 14 positives. Those contacts are asked to take their temperature twice a day and call the public health nurse back if they have any signs or symptoms. Ric Schmidt, of Froedert South, said two people are hospitalized for treatment related to COVID-19. One has been released and the other is expected to be released soon. The following statistics on the COVID-19 coronavirus as of March 24 were provided by Froedtert South: 35 admissions of tested patients who came to Froedtert South hospitals since March 11 2 positive; one remains hospitalized 17 negative 16 pending (11 remain hospitalized) 450 tests performed No data was available from Aurora Hospital Wednesday. Round-the-clock effort As you can imagine, this is a very long process, Freiheit said. It takes anywhere from four to seven days to completely get through a contact list. Freiheit said the staff has been working around the clock for the last several weeks. It takes two nurses to begin the initial investigation when a positive test is received and a team of 16 nurses to follow up with those who were in contact with those individuals. For example, Freiheit said the department received word of three positive cases late afternoon Sunday. Were statutorily required, through communicable disease statutes, to follow up on any Category 1 communicable disease, Freiheit said. This is not something that can wait until a Monday morning. Freiheit said it is also the job of a public health nurse to make sure those who are asked to self-quarantine have the resources they need. She said they have even delivered thermometers to those who do not have them. Supplies arrive Freiheit said county emergency manager Horace Staples worked with Wisconsin Emergency Management to get much-needed personal protective equipment, such as masks and gowns, delivered to the county. I was not personally expecting it to come this fast, but it sure did this week, Freiheit said. Four in-home personal care agencies, five long-term care facilities, five emergency medical services and one of our hospitals all received a small stockpile of personal protection equipment. She said another request will be made again Wednesday for more supplies, and she thanked the community and schools for stepping forward with donations of masks as well. Help flatten the curve Freiheit said the general public can help flatten the curve by following the Safer at Home guidelines. It is not a shelter in place, Freiheit said. This is not like what you are seeing in Europe where people are policing the streets so nobody can walk the streets. This is an order to basically say all nonessential functions should not be happening. Based on epidemiological modeling, Freiheit said scientific researchers predict 40 to 70 percent of people around the world will be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 within the year. This is not a scare tactic, Freiheit said. This is not to say that everyone will have a severe illness. Many will only have mild symptoms, and some will show no symptoms at all. A handful of stone-throwing youngsters tried to prevent ambulances from transferring 28 elderly coronavirus patients to a residence in their town in southern Spain, police said Wednesday. The incident occurred as the virus death toll soared to 3,434 in Spain, overtaking China, with elderly people bearing the brunt of the outbreak. Police said the protest occurred on Tuesday afternoon when a convoy of ambulances tried to enter La Linea de Concepcion, an impoverished city in Andalusia which flanks Gibraltar. The protesters hurled stones and shouted insults at the ambulances and even tried to block their path by parking a car in the middle of the road, police said, indicating two men aged 32 and 25 were arrested. The pensioners were being transferred to alternative accommodation in La Linea where they could receive medical treatment because their care home in Alcala del Valle near Malaga "was being disinfected", a police source said. At the residence, around 50 people, "mostly youngsters" stood outside, "threatening and insulting the police and those who had brought" them, warning of further protests if more sick pensioners were brought in, he said. Further disturbances flared up later in the evening with protesters throwing objects from nearby rooftops, including "flammable material", police said. Despite an unprecedented national lockdown to curb the outbreak, the virus has now infected 47,610 people in Spain, with the vast majority of fatalities elderly. Over the past week, Spain has been rushing to try and protect its elderly population after a dozens of deaths at care homes across the country, with the army sent in to conduct a massive deep-clean operation. A sprawling city with high unemployment, La Linea is located in the southern Cadiz province and is notorious for being a haven for drug trafficking and tobacco smuggling. "There is a tense atmosphere in the city because those involved in illegal activities like smuggling tobacco or hashish can't do anything, they can't leave their home without justification," the police source said. "And when they try to go out, we catch them straight away because with no-one in the streets, the patrols can move much faster because there's no traffic. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Retailers and eateries are reducing their use of plastic products and increasing the use of environmentally friendly products in an effort to ease pressure on the environment. In 2019, many Vietnamese enterprises successfully developed biodegradable products. Starch-made straws and paper bags are becoming more common. A young Vietnamese man found a way to make straws from co bang tree (Lepironia articulate), which is common in the Mekong Delta. The straws can be used one time in restaurants and shops, and many times at home. Hoang Minh Tien, the inventor, said he plans to organize mass production for export. Nguyen Van Mao in the central region makes bamboo straws which cost several times more than plastic varieties. They can be used for six months with proper preservation. Consumers, aware of the danger of the use of plastics, have shifted to green products. Retailers and eateries are reducing their use of plastic products and increasing the use of environmentally friendly products in an effort to ease pressure on the environment. Supermarkets have made a great contribution to familiarizing consumers with a new habit using environmentally friendly bags. They organize green shopping days, set up specific areas for green product display. Restaurants and cafes have drawn up long-term plans to replace traditional plastic products. Highlands Coffee has stopped using plastic bags and shifted to use completely biodegradable bags. The Coffee House, Trung Nguyen Legend Cafe, Cheese Coffee and Starbucks Coffee have replaced disposable plastic straws, bags and spoons with bioproducts. Schools have also begun saying no to plastic products. The HCM City Open University in 2019 decided to spend VND90 million to give a cup and water jug to each officer. Disposable plastic cups and straws have not been used at the schools meetings since May 5. To encourage customers to use environmentally friendly bags, especially completely biodegradable ones, retailers often organize promotion programs. VinMart deducts VND1,000 directly from the bills if customers dont ask for plastic bags. Big C and An Phat Holdings, which produces AnEco biodegradable products, and several agencies organized Earth Day Compostable in order to minimize the use of disposable plastic bags and encourage the use of biodegradable bags. Lotte Mart specifically reserves an area for displaying environment friendly products, including bags and utensils fully biodegradable, starch and bamboo straws. It strives to become the first supermarket in Vietnam without plastic bags by 2025. Big hotels including Daewoo, Lotte, Bao Son Hospital and Vinpearl Resort also use biodegrable bags instead of disposable plastic bags. Environmentally friendly products are more expensive than traditional plastic products. However, enterprises understand that the benefits they can get will be more sustainable. Vo Duy Phu, marketing director of The Coffee House, said the coffee chain plans to reduce 80 percent of plastic waste discharged into the environment. Thanh Lich Vietnam builds public private collaboration to address plastic waste A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build public private collaboration towards circular economy in plastic waste management was signed in Hanoi on February 19. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic has rippled across the world, with nearly 423,000 people now infected. Many countries have imposed lockdowns and strict quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. Now, a new study by a team of researchers at the University of Sydney has revealed that social distancing should be practiced by 80 percent of the population in Australia to halt the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The new report sheds light on the importance of social distancing and how it can significantly help combat COVID-19, which has so far taken nearly 19,000 lives worldwide. The Australian government has reiterated its stance on social distancing measures and preventing large crowds in an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus. They recommend that people should stay at home. Image Credit: EamesBot / Shutterstock What is social distancing and why is it important? Most countries shaken by the coronavirus outbreak have implemented social distancing measures, with schools shut down and public places closed. Social distancing means reducing contact of people, with a distance of at least one meter from one person to another. Social distancing a method to avoid direct close contact with others, therefore reducing the chance of coming into contact with infected persons. A person can also get infected by touching surfaces or objects that are commonly used, such as doorknobs, and tables, and touching the mouth or face without washing the hands. The more space between people, the harder it is for the virus to spread. At home, social distancing can be practiced by practicing good hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene, avoiding kissing, handshaking, and hugging, and increasing the ventilation in the home. In public places, the government recommends using tap for paying for goods rather than money, avoiding crowds, and sanitize the hands whenever possible. Calibration of AceMod parameters to the expected growth rate of cumulative incidence C (d), while varying scaling factor (i.e, reproductive number R0), with incidence (a), prevalence (b), and cumulative incidence (c). The study findings In the study, published online at Arxiv, the team developed an agent-based model for a simulation of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. The team studied the transmission of the virus, accounting for the length of the incubation period, the reproductive number of the virus, and age-dependent attack rates. The researchers unveiled that if 80 to 90 percent of the population will adhere to social distancing compliance, the COVID-19 pandemic will under control in 13 to 14 weeks. However, compliance of below 70 percent will not succeed for any duration of social distancing. If we want to control the spread of COVID-19 rather than letting the disease control us at least eighty percent of the Australian population must comply with strict social distancing measures for at least four months, Professor Mikhail Prokopenko, a Complex Systems academic and pandemic modeling expert, said. However, if ninety percent of the population complies, then the duration could be as short as thirteen to fourteen weeks meaning if we began tomorrow, we could expect control of COVID-19 by July, he added. He added that if less than 70 percent comply with strict social distancing, it will be a fruitless effort. More stringent measures imposed earlier can reduce the negative impacts of the illness. In comparison, lax rules will mean a more prolonged and ineffective battle against COVID-19. Early and strict measures The study also underlined how crucial early measures are in fighting a pandemic. The team found that for every day the stricter social distancing measures are delayed, the community would need to sustain many more days under a more extended suppression policy. Theres good reason for imposing tough measures early on. The longer we delay the peak, the more time our healthcare system has to prepare for it by accessing more resources such as ICU beds, ventilators, antivirals, and trained health workers, Professor Prokopenko said. Further, the study highlighted that though school closure is vital in reducing transmission of the virus and it can compensate for 10 percent of a lack of social distancing compliance, it would only delay the peak of the pandemic by about two weeks. It is still important to focus on all age groups, especially adults who still go out despite social distancing measures. In Australia, the NSW government asked parents to keep children out of school while Victoria has moved to close schools early. Still, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said schools should remain open. There are confusing mechanisms in the spread of the virus, and it is still unclear how the virus affects children. Australia has reported 2,318 cases and eight deaths linked to COVID-19. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A civic worker direct a jet of sodium hypochloride on prominent buildings in Town Hall in Bengaluru as part of efforts to arrest the spread of the coronavirus Covid-19 on Martch 24, 2020. (DC Photo: Satish B) Bengaluru: The COVID-19 count in Karnataka went up by 10 on Wednesday, reaching 51. The 10 new positives included two girls aged seven and nine who contracted the infection from their father. The 34-year-old man had returned from Amsterdam on March 19 and tested positive as the 17th confirmed case in Karnataka. Though his family were kept in isolation and under quarantine in their house, the children developed a cold. They were confirmed for COVID-19 infection while their mother is still negative. The government remained tightlipped over whether or not a 70-year-old woman from Gouribidanuru who was put under house quarantine and died on Wednesday morning, tested positive for COVID-19. Government officials would neither confirm nor deny anything on the results of tests on the woman. This evenings bulletin issued by the Karnataka health department continued to indicate the strong correlation of coronavirus infection and foreign travel. Among the positive cases identified today were A 63-year-old Bengaluru man and his 59-year-old wife, with a history of travel to Brazil and Argentina. Two 26-year-old men with a history of travel to Spain and arrived back in Bengaluru via Dubai. Two others, a 63-year-old woman and her 69-year-old husband, had a history of travel to Athens and London. A 34-year-old man, a resident of Udupi, who returned from Dubai A 37-year old woman, a resident of Chitradurga, with a history of travel to Guyana and arrived back in Bengaluru via Delhi Speaking to the media, medical education minister K Sudhakar said health officials were apprehensive the positives may go up tonight. Of the corona positive cases detected in Karnataka so far, three have been discharged after quarantine, and 47 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals in a stable condition. There has been one fatality. As per a recommendation by the high-level health committee, the government has decided to convert the Bowring Hospital into a coronavirus treatment hospital facility along with the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital for Chest Diseases and Victoria Hospital. The number of positive cases are growing at an alarming rate and the government needs more treatment facilities. The government is for burning of COVID-19 death cases. However, due to some religious practices, it has been decided they would be buried in 8 ft deep pits,'' Dr Sudhakar said. The results must be correct, which means the process cant be rushed, even as the world begs for positive news about how to fight the coronavirus pandemic. A researcher at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst says his research is not a magic bullet, but it does provide hope that one aspect of the crisis a shortage of face masks may be mitigated if its found that N95 masks can be safely reused. Rick Peltier expects initial results to be available within days. He cautions of the limits attached to these findings, but he also provides reason for optimism that medical workers and others who need these masks will be able to sterilize and use them again which would be a major breakthrough in the testing and treatment of situations related to COVID-19. Peltier is a UMass professor of environmental health sciences in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences. His research is restricted to N95 masks, which are worn over the mouth and nose. Once the coronavirus scourge is over, the heroes will likely not be our usual brand. They will be the medics, researchers, scientists and university professors who took on the daunting challenge of this pandemic from a science perspective, against the obstacles of elusive answers and time. Peltier doesnt describe himself that way, but knows the significance and potential of work spawned by crisis. Necessity is the mother of invention, and its driving the science community now. In the case of this research, masks must be sterilized after use. Peltiers testing is designed to see whether they can remain effective after one or two sterilizations. "While promising, we have to limit our conclusions to the (N95) masks that were testing, and cant make the same conclusion about other manufacturers of masks,'' Peltier told The Republican. This is certainly a limit to this study, but Im trying to get these results out to the public as soon as possible, even if they means were just testing one type of mask at a time," he said. "If I could test every make and model of mask, I would. Thats currently impractical. Any progress would be significant, though and encouraging, at a time the public yearns for positive signs of progress. "I agree there isnt much positive news these days on COVID-19, but if reusing masks seems to work, then this will be one small success in this very messy, and still unfolding, story. We are pretty sure there is a global shortage of N95 masks right now for clinical workers, and this will only become worse when COVID is even more widespread, and the general public clamors for these masks,'' Peltier said. In other words, even successful test results are no reason for anyone to let their guard down or think the crisis is on the verge of being solved. "Like everyone else, I still have to observe social distancing and staying safe. There also arent any students on campus to help, so Im the only one who is available to do the work. We will release results as they become available because its important for public health,'' Peltier said. The coronavirus outbreak has pushed Peltier and other researchers into action on previously unexplored territories. "This is pretty new work, in part because weve never really had a need to consider reusing these masks,'' Peltier said. The N95 masks, which protect us from particles (including droplets that might carry infectious agents like COVID-19) are considered one-time use and disposable. In the past, we havent really had such intense national or even global demand for N95 masks, so reusing masks hasnt really been needed. Until now, of course. The shortage of N95 masks caught the attention of Apple, Inc., which donated 9 millions masks to health-care workers. Apple CEO Tim Cook pledged on March 21 to donate millions of masks to health care workers in the United States and Europe. Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged the donation on Tuesday and thanked Apple for the action. Facebook has donated 72,000 masks and Goldman Sachs pitched in with 100,000 each to New York and New Jersey. Why do these corporations have stockpiles of masks? According to Business Insider, they built up supplies to protect employees from other risks, such as wildfires. Because face masks havent changed much in the past 20 years, there isnt a lot of new science that can be learned. "But, my lab group did some work a few years ago on the use of inexpensive cloth face masks one might find being used in developing nations, and we evaluated whether they work well or not,'' Peltier said. The challenge for clinicians is twofold: they need to wear these masks to be sure they are not infected by sick patients. But at the same time, these masks do capture and retain infectious agents and there is a risk of transmitting these infections to others. So, the normal procedure is to throw them away but normal procedures dont work if you dont have adequate replacements. Peltier is partnering with Dr. Brian Hollenbeck, chief of infectious disease at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, on this project. Peltier and Hollenbeck had not partnered on any previous works. Peltier was enthused by the opportunity. "One of Dr. Hollenbecks research assistants, Jenny Lanza, was a classmate of a former undergraduate student who worked in my lab doing the original cloth face mask work in 2016,'' Peltier said. Jenny reached out to me late with this idea. As Peltier described the testing process, the research begins with a foam mannequin head in a small box. This mannequin has been fitted with a tube extending from its mouth, and the face can be covered with different kinds of face masks. "We flood the mannequin box with air pollution that we create in the lab either from an abrasive on a slab of wood or from burning incense in a small metal chamber, as both are effective at producing air pollution. This pollution is pumped into the mannequin chamber, and then we use pumps to make the mannequin breath, drawing air through the face mask,'' Peltier said. New England Baptist Hospital performed the sterilizations using a standard medical method for sterilizing equipment. If Peltiers results looks positive, New England Baptist will consider starting a sterilization and reuse protocol for their clinicians. Related Content: A 24-year-old man was arrested almost three years after he allegedly killed his paramour in Maharashtra's Nagpur district, police said on Wednesday. The Nagpur rural police arrested Jitesh Waman Kumbhre for allegedly killing Aishwarya Chavan, who was reported missing in 2018, an official said. There were no leads in the case for the last three years and the matter was reopened by the Missing Persons Cell recently, he said. On examining the victim's call records, the police found that she had received several calls from Kumbhre, who is married and lived with his family in Mangli (Arab) village in Chandrapur district, the official said. On interrogation, the accused confessed to having an extra-marital affair with the victim, who was forcing him to marry her, he said. The accused allegedly conspired with two others, killed the victim and buried her body near his farm, he added. Following his arrest, the accused tried to commit suicide by consuming a disinfectant, but was rushed to a government hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment, the official said. A case has been registered against the accused under section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To ensure sufficient supply during the lockdown, the government on Thursday decided to increase monthly quota of subsidized by 2 kg to 7kg per person through for 80 crore beneficiaries. A decision in this regard was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The government has decided to provide 7 kg per person of to 80 crore people under the Public Distribution System (PDS), which the world's largest food security system," Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told media after the meeting. The cost of wheat is Rs 27/kg, which will be provided at a subsidised rate of Rs 2 kg, while the cost of rice is about Rs 32/kg but will be supplied at Rs 3/kg through ration shops, he said. All states have been asked to take from the Centre in advance for distribution through the PDS, he added. Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government is supplying 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80 crore people at a highly subsidised price. The decision to allocate additional foodgrains through the PDS has been taken as state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI) is saddled with wheat and rice stock. With some foodgrains stock kept in open space, the FCI is under pressure to clear stock before monsoon. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MORAGA, Calif., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CloudHauz LLC, a provider of disaster-resistant dwellings, announced today it has formally launched the company months earlier than anticipated in order to address the emergency dwelling situation worsened by COVID-19 outbreak. The company in conjunction with strategic partners, have queued up its East Coast manufacturing facility and are ready to accept architectural drawings and begin mass producing structures immediately. CloudHauz will begin manufacturing any and all types of structures needed in this crisis including: homeless shelters, ADU (accessory dwelling units), medical facilities, warehouses and more. The factory is exempt from the quarantine, and will remain open for business as usual, as this manufacturing is considered essential for building emergency dwellings to support the crisis. CloudHauz uses a patented steel-composite construction technology that has been used around the world for over 30 years and is currently in 70,000 dwellings in 28 countries. Its steel and composite structures are more durable than wood which doesn't stand up in fires, earthquakes, hurricanes and is prone to molds and dry rot. CloudHauz is launching the company based on a superior durable, construction technology to promote its ability to build fast, safe, long-lasting and eco-friendly dwellings that use less wood, which also reduces deforestation. "CloudHauz dwellings will absolutely shelter us from the storm in these chaotic times," said Lisa Copass, CEO and Co-Founder of CloudHauz. "With CloudHauz we can build for the next disaster giving ourselves the best chance of survival." "We're all in this together," said Chip MacDowell, COO and Co-Founder. "And CloudHauz is here and ready to help." Hazard-Resistant: CloudHauz dwellings are remarkable in that they are: fire-resistant; earthquake-resistant (up to 9 on the Richter scale); hurricane resistant (winds up to 200 mph) and have high thermal values (R-59). Because CloudHauz uses wood-less structures (only steel and composite) there's no food source for mold, termites, fungus, dry rot or rodents to thrive on, thus destroy. Fast and Easy Assembly: The structure of a CloudHauz comes in pre-fabricated, lightweight panels which save an enormous amount of time in labor. The structures assemble in an inter-locking tongue and grove style and require two tools an electric screw driver and hot knife/saw. The pre-fabricated panels reduce project completion time by 50%, reduces labor costs by 75% and cost of materials by 50%, compared to wood construction projects. Certifications In addition to being Title 24-compliant and Net Zero-Approved, the structure of a CloudHauz meet certified building codes in the state of California and every state in the US. Other certifications include: HUD-approved and ASTM International-certified. Eco-Friendly CloudHauz dwellings are extremely eco-friendly, made from recycled materials and are 100% recyclable. The structural materials are manufactured in an entirely green facility with no waste and no environmental pollution and does not produce off-gasses or toxins. Specifications and Assembly To get specifications on the structures of a CloudHauz dwelling. Download the brochure here. To see how easy it is to assemble the structure click here to watch a video. To watch how fire-resistant the structures are click here to watch a video. Experience CloudHauz and its strategic partners have built multiple homes in California and have many more under development. The company has a combined experience of over 600 years in the areas of: construction, architectural design, electrical and HVAC engineering, real estate development, solar power, city planning, government relations, marketing and finance. What Does A CloudHauz Look Like? CloudHauz dwellings look like any other dwelling. One would not know it was a CloudHauz unless the exterior cladding and interior walling was removed the steel beams and composite foam would be visible. The structure of a CloudHauz can be cladded (exterior finish) with virtually any cladding material including; brick, Hardie Board, vinyl, synthetic stucco and more. Procuring CloudHauz Dwellings. The company has spec drawings and is ready to mass produce and manufacture virtually any dwelling needed. Prospects can also submit their drawings to CloudHauz for quotes at [email protected]. Structures can be manufactured and delivered in 30-90 days depending of specifications and features. Made in the USA CloudHauz structural materials are 100% made in the USA. As well, the company supports and is offering priority jobs to US disabled veterans. The company will provide training on how to assemble CloudHauz dwellings. Opening California Manufacturing Facility CloudHauz is planning to open a manufacturing facility on the West Coast which will take approximately 9-15 months once funding is secured. In the interim, the East Coast factory will be operating 24/7 in order to help meet the great demand on the West Coast. It's estimated the company needs to raise approximately $7 million for the West Coast factory and is looking to build on Mare, Island in Vallejo, CA which is an opportunity zone, helping to build jobs and restore the community. About CloudHauz Dwellings for a New Planet: Formed in June 2019 and headquartered in Moraga, CA, CloudHauz is a leading provider of hazard-resistant dwellings that save lives. The company's primary goal is to help people and the planet. We do that by manufacturing, designing, and building dwellings that offer best chance of survival. CloudHauz and its strategic partners have built multiple homes in California and have many more under development. Of equal importance to the company is the concern for our planet. CloudHauz promotes building with less wood and timber construction. Instead using an alternative of steel and composite. The weaning off of wood will reduce deforestation which is a major cause of climate change. Forests are the lungs of the planet and thereby absorb much of our CO2 emissions. By using steel and composite construction structures, we lighten the load on our forests and allow them to flourish again. Contact: Kelly Greenwell [email protected] 925-388-9082 Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/12815847 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE CloudHauz As the number of reported COVID-19 cases in Western Australia continues to rise, some of Perth's most prestigious schools have switched to online learning in a bid to stay ahead of the curve. All Saints' College principal Belinda Provis announced the independent school would switch to online lessons from Friday, with Tuesday set to be the last day students sat in class. Elite schools across Perth are switching to online learning amid COVID-19 fears. Credit:dotdot72@yahoo.com Under the new online program, students will have to check in at the beginning of every school day and take part in timetabled lessons, although lesson-by-lesson attendance would not be monitored. While all classes will be online, parents will still have the option to send their children to school, where they will be monitored by on-campus staff while they follow the curriculum online. A Sikh gurudwara was attacked in Afghanistan's capital city Kabul by gunmen and suicide bombers. At least 11 people, including a child, have been killed in the attack. Eleven more have been injured. Security forces have already locked the area and are in a battle with the militants. Ministry of Interior spokesman Tariq Arian said the attack began at 7:45 AM local time. There were around 150 people inside the gurudwara at the time of the attack. Arian shared photographs showing Afghan special forces are rushing out children from the Gurdwara. The terrorist group ISIS, also known as ISIL, has claimed responsibility for the attack. This is the second terrorist attack by the group this month. They attacked a Shia Muslim gathering in Kabul and killed 32 people. The Taliban has distanced itself from the attack. It signed a deal with the USA after 18 months of talks but hasn't been able to reach an agreement with the Afghan government. The Sikhs are a minority community in Afghanistan. The ISIS in 2018 had attacked the Sikh community with a suicide bombing and killed around 12 people in Jalalabad. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has condemned the attack saying that the attack on a place of worship of a minority community during the time of the coronavirus pandemic was "reflective of the diabolical mindset of perpetrators and their backers." A farmer was allegedly punched 15 times after he told a walker in the Peak District to follow coronavirus guidance and "go home". Derbyshire Police have launched an investigation after the farmer from Edale said he was assaulted while disinfecting his gates at around 9.45am on Sunday. Despite calls from the government urging people to stay at home in a bid to stop the coronavirus from spreading, the farmer said "hundreds of people" were walking through his gates. A message posted on Facebook on behalf of the farmer read: I am a farmer in Edale I went out at 9am to feed my sheep on the side of the footpath, I was spraying the gate handles with disinfectant due to the hundreds of people that went through them yesterday. Derbyshire Police shared a picture on Twitter of drivers heading to the Peak District despite being told to stay at home by the government. / Derbyshire Police I got a very funny look of a man walking and said to him there are too many people here will you please just go home! I have just had to phone the police as my thanks was to be punched about 15 times then kicked in the ribs as I hit the floor. Please, please, please, leave us alone. Addressing the incident, Derbyshire Police said in a statement: The victim was left shaken and bruised but did not suffer any serious, life-threatening or altering injuries. The offender was white, aged about 40, with fair hair and glasses. He wore standard walking gear, a hat and a snood. The force has asked all those considering a trip to the Peak District in the warm weather to stay at home. Boris Johnson urges British public to stay at home Were seeing a lot of confusion over whether people are allowed to travel to the Peaks to undertake daily exercise while the Government are asking us to stay at home," said Derbyshire Police in a Tweet. While we have this fantastic space in our county, right now is not the time to be using it. Daily exercise should be taken locally to your home. Under government guidance all travel is limited to essential travel only. This is to help ensure that our emergency services arent put under even more pressure during this time. Should you trip, fall or have a road traffic accident while you are travelling to, or are out in the Peaks, then this will add additional pressure to an already stretched service. The Happy Monk, a North Side bar, said it is suspending operations to keep its staff safe during the coronavirus pandemic. The bar was offering to-go orders after restaurants were asked to shut down their dinning rooms last week by the city to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news with mySA.com: On Monday, however, the Happy Monk said in a Facebook post it tried "very hard" to save jobs in the kitchen and serve its food to the community, but ultimately realized staying open wasn't worth risking the health of its staff. "We are not convinced the above sacrifices are worth it in the grand scheme of things," the post said. "I do not want us to continue putting our health and your health on the line. This is a game not worth playing right now." RELATED: South Park Mall to close temporarily amid coronavirus pandemic Since the order that all dinning room shut down, restaurants and bars across the city have attempted to stay afloat with take out and delivery options. Some have even turned into mini markets, selling toilet paper and eggs. The Happy Monk said it's doing its best to take care of its staff during this difficult time. "To those on our team who kept fighting this week, showing up to war and putting yourselves in harms way, I thank you from the bottom of my heart," the bar wrote on the post. "To those of you in our community who kept supporting us and encouraging us, we frickin love you!" READ ALSO: H-E-B assures customers its stores will remain open during stay-at-home order The bar said it hopes to open after the threat of virus diminishes. "For now, we will retreat with our loved ones," the bar said in the post. "We will learn how to bake bread. We will pick up that music instrument we have been curious about. We will take care of our mental and physical health. And we will go read some good books. Long Live The Hoppy Monk!" Priscilla Aguirre is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Once upon a time, there was a very clear definition of venture capital. It was used to fund many of the largest technology companies you know, like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, which received funding from venture capital firms by the names of Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners and Benchmark Capital. These firms put in millions of dollars in supergiant rounds for a percentage of equity and got up to 1,000 times returns with an IPO that occurred in less than 10 years. If these venture capitalists (commonly called VCs) got lucky, they would have one, two or three of these moonshot successes in their fund portfolio. This would then give them the return on investment they needed to fall in line with their investors expectations. Thats it. That is how VC evolved until today, when the startup explosion. The startup explosion in the last decade changed the trajectory of venture capital. Although big, successful deals in companies like Airbnb, Lyft and Uber still happened, there was a major increase in the number of startups being created around the U.S. and the world. In particular, there was a huge influx of startups in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Thats where the majority of risk-taking VCs were, after all. Often in the last decade, you could try to raise funding as a startup founder anywhere else and run into risk-averse investors who were yet to understand the open-eyed model of venture capital. These investors wanted to see more revenue and startup investments heavily derisked in order to understand and evaluate them. It used to feel like as soon as you left California and went east, your investment terms gradually got worse from New York to London to Europe. In many places, it was nearly impossible to raise any funding at all with the same model that worked in Silicon Valley. Thats why it has the reputation it does today. The heyday of venture capital Silicon Valley is still known for innovation, but San Francisco has become the hotbed of startups and venture capitalists.Many VCs kept their offices or homes in Silicon Valley cornerstones on Sandhill Road in Menlo Park or Palo Alto or Mountain View but opened up hip new offices in the city to show face to the changing tide. Twitter, Uber, and Lyft decided to keep their offices in the city instead of moving to the valley like Facebook and Google. Coupled with the increase of startups moving to San Francisco from around the world, the spike in technology jobs, and a huge swath of new VC funds entering the fray, the model, and the city, started to change. Startups now could get funding more easily. The supply of capital was high. There were a plethora of new investors, including accelerators, incubators, angels, angel networks, dumb money, old money and more VCs than you could count. In many ways, this accelerated new technology services and products. It also started the rise of San Francisco becoming a cost-prohibitive place for many people and businesses, including many startup founders. But startup founders, being the entrepreneurs they are, found a way, whether that was funding or couch surfing. There was such a huge increase in funding mechanisms for startups, in fact, that many companies got funding that might not have otherwise. Diligence on startups in Northern California at this time was not intense like it still was in markets nearby on the East Coast or Southern California. Usually, just a pitch deck, a well-explained plan, novel technology, experienced founders, or a signaling investor could raise a $1 million seed round. No problem. The first evolution Amid all the startup world hullabaloo, the venture capital model started to take on different faces. AngelList and FundersClub saw the structure of a venture fund as an opportunity. A fund is made up of investors with a general partner who raises the money and does the due diligence on the startups in order for an investment to be made. Angel networks had already formed around this structure without forming VC funds, so it made natural entrepreneurial sense to simplify the fund creation process. These were the first online equity-based fundraising platforms. At the time, raising funding for a private company publicly still had its legal restrictions. Without the right permit, it was illegal to fundraise online for equity. Kickstarter made its way around that by calling the investment donations and rewarding donors with gifts, but no equity traded hands. AngelList called their first online investment vehicle appropriately Invest Online. Then later, Syndicates. Syndicates exploded in number as the startup world had for venture funds and tech companies. This was a huge breakthrough, and democratization of startup investing occurred. Almost anyone could not only invest,but form a syndicate of investors that looked to them to bring interesting deals. The FCC still required accreditation by investors, but enforcement online was a different story. In 2019, AngelList reached nearly $1.8 billion in assets under management, which is on par with most major VC funds. The venture capital scene would never be the same. Even though AngelList and other equity crowdfunding platforms improved on the fluidity of the model, the model was still mostly the same an investor needs a big exit in order to return their fund. This left the door open to new styles of funding startups, and not just different size funds like Nano or Micro VCs. The excitement in startups was still rising, and so was the funding. At the same time, many startup founders had been sucked in and chewed up in the traditional venture capital model. If their company wasnt on a trajectory of rocketship growth, often founders were forgotten by their investors. Their VCs had to focus on the top 1 percent of the portfolio that they needed to scale and bring the multiples for their fund. The startup that was pushed to scale so fast it broke was left behind. Thus began a revolt. The revolution begins The revolt began slowly and quietly. It started with startup founders who had moved to San Francisco and become disenchanted or disenfranchised, leaving the city or becoming tired of the traditional VC model. Many of these entrepreneurs had raised early-stage funding and burned out on growing at a rate that is extremely hard to maintain. Often the push to grow the company that fast would kill the company outright. Some founders started different types of businesses in the Bay Area or back in their home city or country. Some built investment models to support their homegrown founder friends. Some looked to cryptocurrency and ICOs. Some might even have started revenue-stable lifestyle businesses, a type of business not favored in San Francisco until more recently. Venture capital had become a stamp of approval. Your funding amount was your success. How could it be any other way? Founder friendly was starting to be heard on the streets of San Francisco more. Y-Combinator and 500 Startups launched new convertible notes for early-stage investing called the SAFE and KISS respectively to give better terms to founders. Stripe built Stripe Atlas to help founders with the legal and financial requirements of starting a business. Financial institutions that had built their profits in different ways decided to be more helpful to the lucrative startup scene. So it began. Many founders who wanted to still build successful tech companies in and outside of San Francisco demanded new terms, or flat-out avoided traditional venture capital. They wanted to build healthy revenues naturally. They wanted to maintain ownership and not give up 20-25 percent of their company for a seed round. They wanted acquisition optionality and to not be forced to only sell or IPO at a $1 billion valuation. They wanted flexibility and fairness most of all. Then the stories of companies doing this started to become public. Tuft and Needle was a big one. It had considered venture capital but ended up building a smart, profitable business that sold for around $450 million with the founders still owning most of the company. Buffer was another sweetheart of the no- or low-funding company crowd who grew to 82 employees, is profitable and serves 75,000 customers. Countless other startups started to take notice, and so did the investors. The funders become the innovators The culmination of this pushback from founders was to create more solutions for the 99 percent of entrepreneurs. The unicorn outliers were too rare of a case study. There was a missed opportunity here. One of the first innovators on the venture capital model was Indie.vc. Known by its burning unicorn image, Indie.vc has tested multiple versions of its fund with three different investment models. Currently, it's a 12-month program that supports entrepreneurs on a path to profitability. It invests between $100,000 and $1 million and always takes an equity stake. In addition, it takes a percentage of gross revenue. Indie.vc Founder Bryce Roberts calls their model Permissionless Entrepreneurship. Another early innovator with a similar model is Earnest Capital, which created the Shared Earning Agreement. Also, called an SEA or SEAL (for cuteness' sake), a venture investor model built upon a combination of equity and annual cash payments. Shared Earnings is equity-like, explains Earnest Capital founder Tyler Tringa, and only a percentage of profits (technically Founder Earnings) is paid to the investor after everybody, including the founders, are compensated. In between Earnest Capital and Indie.vc you have TinySeed, which describes itself as the first startup accelerator designed for bootstrappers. The program is a 1-year, remote accelerator with 10-15 companies going through it at the same time. It based its terms on how Rand Fishkin raised venture capital for his company SparkToro: a 10 to 12 percent equity stake with a cut of dividends. For that, TinySeed invests $120,000 for the first founder and $60,000 per additional founder. Alternative VC models are even expanding internationally, where these models are needed the most, with one of the first examples being Pick & Shovel Ventures in Australia, which sets an up-front multiple with the founder and takes 5 percent of monthly recurring revenue (MRR) after a 12-month holiday period. The founder then pays back the venture funding either through revenue or an exit. Its all about optionality, explains Pick & Shovel Ventures Founder Matt Allen. "Our business model works for profitable companies, companies that choose to raise and companies that exit early and create a windfall for the founders. I really want the founder to do what they feel is right and will support them in all aspects of that. The thought behind these new forms of venture capital is that they can attract revenue-generating startups with interesting technology or a novel product with founders who want to continue thoughtfully growing their company while maintaining ownership. That doesnt mean the company wont be a $1 billion unicorn in Silicon Valleys eyes, but it does mean that their investors venture capital model doesnt require them to be in order to make a return on investment thats favorable to all involved. Its still an experiment. Another experiment is AI-backed investment firms like CircleUp. CircleUp uses proprietary algorithms to evaluate and identify consumer startups to which it should offer equity investments and working capital loans, typically to companies with $1 million to $15 million in revenue. Corl is another example that uses an artificially-intelligent platform to finance businesses in the digital economy and shares in their future revenue. Their pitch is a no-brainer: 30 percent of businesses don't have the assets necessary for debt financing and 98 percent don't meet the venture requirements for equity financing. This has led to a $3 trillion global funding deficit. The model they use is RBF or revenue-based financing. Revenue-based financing firms have also sprinted onto the scene in order to give other non-dilutive alternatives to startups. Most of these firms focus on earning commissions on revenues, so the startups they fund need to have a minimum level of annual revenue somewhere between $100,000 and $10,000,000. Not surprisingly, this is often ARR, or annual recurring revenue, that comes via predictable-revenue SaaS businesses. Although this suits a portion of the underserved startup scene, it doesnt address the majority of it and is one of many solutions a founder can choose from. The future is flexible In all senses of the word, alternative venture capital is flourishing. 2020 will be a year of major expansion. New methods and models are already launching in startup ecosystems across the globe in the footsteps of the first movers. These new founder-investor relationships seem to already be in a more empathetic, stable and healthy place than they often were before. As the model continues to evolve, the important thing to remember is that businesses can be built in many different ways. A founders appetite for scaling culture can vary widely from high-growth blitzscaling to lifestyle living to slow-build big business. Its up to the founder and investor to strike a deal that supports the true mentality, cultural values and mission for both. Related: The Rise of Alternative Venture Capital Dubai Startup Hub's Startup Panorama Edition 8.0: Funding Your Startup In Dubai [Funding Alert] Spacetech Start-Up Agnikul Raises INR 23.4 Cr In Round Led By pi Ventures Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved As borders close one by one in efforts to contain COVID-19 and more and more countries impose travel bans, some tourist boards have launched campaigns asking visitors to stay away. Stay away. Stay home. It sounds harsh, but tourism boards are warning visitors who may be thinking of maximizing the sudden drop in travel activity that they're not wanted. In a post titled "Plea to tourists to refrain from traveling to the Faroe Islands," the tourism board implored visitors, in all caps, "to NOT TRAVEL" to the islands until April 13 at the earliest. This does not apply to Danish and Faroese citizens. Similarly, Visit Estonia used more colorful and forceful language on a Twitter post that read "Visit Estonia...later." Hashtags included #stayhome and #staythef***home. Some of the countries that have imposed blanket travel bans to all foreigners in recent days include Poland and Latvia. The device which can be worn as a pendant comes with a sensor which glows in case someone breaches the user's safe space of one metre and a 'hand wash reminder'. IMAGE: People practise social distancing, by standing in freshly painted circles, six-feet-apart, in Denver, Colorado. The World Health Organisation and health experts also state that social distancing is a useful tool in preventing the spread of coronavirus. Photograph: Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images Are you finding it difficult to maintain the mandatory one metre distance from other people to avoid coronavirus infection? Do you forget to wash your hands regularly? Don't fret as an engineering student in Punjab has found a solution for all such problems. Prabin Kumar Das of Lovely Professional University has developed a device named 'kawach' (shield) which vibrates and glows in case someone breaches the user's safe space of one metre. The device which can be worn as a pendant comes equipped with a 'hand wash reminder' feature that beeps every 30 minutes to remind the user to wash his/her hands. It also has a temperature sensor that sends an alert to the user through SMS in case his/her body temperature crosses the prescribed limit. "Kawach is a low cost and easy to carry device that comprises of an LED, vibrator, controller, battery, human body temperature sensor, ultrasonic sensor, switch and a storage card," Das told PTI. "I noticed that people were finding it so difficult to maintain safe distance despite knowing how important it is. I thought the reminders we are giving each other are not enough and we need a constant reminder, hence I worked on the pendant," he added. The device once commercialised will be available at a price of around Rs 500 and if produced in bulk can be a made available at Rs 400. According to the ministry of health and family welfare, social distancing is a non-pharmaceutical infection prevention and control intervention implemented to avoid or decrease contact between those who are infected with a disease-causing pathogen and those who are not, so as to stop or slow down the rate and extent of disease transmission in a community. "While the whole world is grappling to find a vaccine for COVID-19, 'kawach' is our effort to contain the spread of this deadly virus," said Lovi Raj Gupta, Executive Dean of Science and Technology at LPU. "We have already tested it internally and are now looking for the right partners to commercialise it," he added. Das was supervised by faculty members at the university including Rajesh Singh, Anita Gehlot and Varun Panwar. The number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 562 on Wednesday while the death toll due to COVID-19 in the country was revised down to nine, according to the health ministry data. The ministry in its updated figures on Wednesday morning, stated the second death reported in Delhi was COVID-19 negative, thus bringing down the death toll to nine in India. NWS Weather Alert NOTE: This information is provided by the National Weather Service. Forecast may differ from local information provided by our own 69News Meteorologists ...AIR QUALITY ALERT IS IN EFFECT FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 13... The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued a code orange air quality alert Thursday for The Lehigh Valley/Berks County area. A code orange air quality alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include children...people suffering from asthma... heart disease or other lung diseases...and the elderly. The effects of air pollution can be minimized by avoiding strenuous activity or exercise outdoors. For more information on ground-level ozone and fine particles...visit http://www.depweb.state.pa.us Australia's Deputy Chief Medical Officer has said harsher restrictions are not needed to stop coronavirus. Professor Paul Kelly, who previously warned up to 15million could be infected, said on Wednesday there was no need to be alarmed. He insisted it was still to early to see the results of current shutdown measures brought in by the Federal Government on Sunday and extended on Tuesday. His comments came as the number is cases increased to 2,146 on Wednesday, and amid growing calls for a full lockdown to prevent the virus from spreading. The nation's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly says 'there's no need to be alarmed' as Australia grapples with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic 'We need to know what we're dealing with here. It's an infectious disease, it's spread from person to person,' Dr Kelly told A Current Affair. 'It takes at least a week usually for someone to get sick after they've been affected and because of that some of the things that we're doing will take time to show an effect. 'Our advice at the moment is, we've already made a lot of decisions at a national level and whilst we've seen the cases go up there's no need to be alarmed.' Dr Kelly said the approach being taken by the federal government is working to weed out positive cases and remove the risk of them passing the virus on. 'At the moment we are really finding cases and their contacts quickly and isolating them from the rest of the community,' he said. A shortage of diagnosis kits meant the government was struggling to test everyone showing symptoms, focusing its efforts on Australians who had recently returned from overseas or made contact with known cases. An additional 1.5 million testing kits have since been ordered to get ahead of the spread of COVID-19. Professor Kelly said changes to the way testing occurs are likely have a significant impact on health authorities' ability to prevent community transmission. But he couldn't elaborate on issues around identifying positive cases of coronavirus for sufferers who weren't displaying any symptoms. Dr Kelly said the focus was on those with symptoms, because they were most likely to be infectious. Prime Minister Scott Morrison launched stage two restrictions on Tuesday night, extending bans on the operations of certain businesses and social outings in public. Poll SHOULD AUSTRALIA ENTER A TOTAL LOCKDOWN AMID CORONAVIRUS CRISIS? YES NO SHOULD AUSTRALIA ENTER A TOTAL LOCKDOWN AMID CORONAVIRUS CRISIS? YES 1254 votes NO 373 votes Now share your opinion But the announcement included indications state authorities were looking to forge their own plans to tackle the growing number of cases. As of Wednesday night the number of confirmed cases in New South Wales surged to 1029, and the number of cases in Victoria to 466. Ahead of the Prime Minister's announcement Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews outlined further restrictions were likely for Victoria. 'We said there would be a Stage 2 and thats what were doing today. But Ill be up front with you, there will also be a Stage 3,' Premier Andrews said. 'I know this is stressful and I know this is scary.' 'The measures we already have in place are difficult, and these will be harder again,' he said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison launched stage two restrictions on Tuesday night, extending bans on the operations of certain businesses including limitations on how long customers can stay at hairdressers UK banks are stepping up fraud prevention measures to protect customers from scammers eager to exploit the coronavirus pandemic with a whole range of new tricks, including fake sales of medical supplies and bogus government relief schemes. With British households effectively on lockdown, some banks said customers had already been caught out by fraudsters posing as banks, government and even health service providers to persuade victims to hand over passwords or other sensitive data. Fraud is also on the rise in the United States, where regulators have warned about investment and data theft scams. In the UK, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland have launched social media campaigns to flag ploys. Metro Bank said its fraud team was still operating a 24-hour, seven-day service to help affected customers. The banks said scammers were using a range of methods to prey on people. Common phishing emails, authorized bank transfers and schemes involving fake buying or selling of goods or services are on the rise, alongside more sophisticated payment diversion frauds, designed to coax businesses to part with large sums of cash. One such example flagged to Reuters called on business owners to make a 25,000 pounds ($29,370) payment to a fake government support initiative called The Central Employers Scheme set up to cover sick pay during the outbreak. A UK banking source said another victim made a significant payment to a COVOID Bond, also fraudulently linked to the UK government. The banks said such typographical errors were often made deliberately by scammers to lend authenticity to the request, particularly if the sender was posing as a chief executive or colleague demanding the recipient took quick action. The UK banking source said another customer was persuaded via email to send a cross-border payment to a scam account after fraudsters said the legitimate account had been frozen by the Greek Government. This virus wont stop bad actors and fraudsters, if anything, it will encourage them. I am much more nervous about this today than ever, Richard Meddings, chairman of retail bank TSB, told Reuters. People will be at home, receiving phone calls and texts from people who claim to be their banks, asking them about canceled events and travel plans and offering refunds. Fraud can only go up under these kinds of circumstances, he said. Figures published earlier this month by trade body UK Finance showed around a quarter of the 456 million pounds ($535.2 million) of authorized bank transfer fraud was returned to victims across the industry last year. TSB, the only UK bank to offer a Fraud Refund Guarantee, has returned 99% of losses to its customers since April. In the United States, the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the regulator which insures customer deposits, last week said fraudsters were exploiting popular anxiety and confusion to steal personal data, such as birthdays and Social Security numbers, through texts and social media. Many U.S. banks have cut branch hours or are pushing customers to use online banking to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. That has created opportunities for scammers who, impersonating FDIC officials, have urged depositors to hand over their data, saying their current lender is about to collapse. During these unprecedented times consumers may receive false information regarding the security of their deposits or their ability to access cash, the FDIC said. Bank Warnings British banks said they are working hard to get the word out. We have increased our warning messages across all of our communication channels and as the situation evolves we continue to review and update these warnings, an RBS spokeswoman said. We also ask that customers spread the word amongst family and friends, especially the more vulnerable in our society. A tweet from Lloyds warning customers of the dangers had over 1 million views by Sunday evening, in a sign of the level of public concern. Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting center, said the majority of reports it had received in recent days related to online shopping scams where people have ordered protective face masks and hand sanitiser which have never arrived. The advice is simple, think very carefully before you hand over your money, and dont give out your personal details unless you are sure who you are dealing with, said Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Economic Crime Centre said. In the United States, lenders including United Bank, Citizens Bank, and Fifth Third Bank are alerting customers to fraud-related schemes and encouraging them to protect their personal information. Northwest Bank is also providing customers with information and tools to help spot tactics aimed at obtaining customer financial information. Some European banks are also concerned their workforces could fall foul of fraudsters. A staff memo sent by Italys UniCredit earlier this week warned of ongoing campaigns against the banks IT security and urged staff to be extra vigilant of incoming email, SMS and WhatsApp messages that referred to coronavirus. Customer data safety and security is UniCredits top priority. As always, we continue to take and apply all the necessary measures to protect our customers and systems, the bank said. ($1 = 0.8512 pounds) (Additional reporting by Valentina Za in Milan and Clara Denina in London and Katanga Johnson in DC; editing by Jane Merriman and Jonathan Oatis) Topics COVID-19 USA Fraud Gov. Noem lauds state economy, but big legislative fights are coming Noems speech flowed between business and economic development, lifestyle issues and social issues that were united by their conservative themes. The Minister of Health of Libya's UN-backed government, Ehmid Bin Omar, on Tuesday announced the first novel coronavirus infection in the country, Trend reports citing Xinhua. "On Tuesday, the first infection of the novel coronavirus has been recorded in Libya. It has been confirmed through tests," the minister said in a statement. "The Ministry of Health will take all measures and provide healthcare to the patient. We ask the citizens to commit to precautionary measures issued by the Ministry of Health and the National Center for Disease Control," Bin Omar added. The minister provided no further details about the new infection. The UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj recently declared state of emergency and mobilization against the virus. The government's measures against the coronavirus include closing airports, border crossings, education institutions and mosques, banning large gatherings, and imposing curfew. KHNs ICU bed tally does not include Veterans Affairs hospitals, which are sure to play a role in treating coronavirus victims, because VA hospitals do not file cost reports. The total number of the nations ICU beds in the cost reports is less than the number identified by the American Hospital Associations annual survey of hospital beds, which is the other authoritative resource on hospital characteristics. Experts attributed the discrepancies to different definitions of what qualifies as an ICU bed and other factors, and told KHN both sources were equally credible. The fork was certainly one of my favorites to research, Azzarito says. This thing that we interact with every single day of our lives was once deemed immoral and unhygienic. It didnt help that the early two- or three-pronged fork looked so much like a devils pitchfork. Although the first forks were used in the middle of the Byzantine Empire, between 330 and 1453, they werent socially acceptable by the rest of the world until sugary, syrupy dried fruit was all the rage with Renaissance Italians. It was impossible to eat while keeping hands and ruffled sleeves clean unless you used a fork. When does the fork get adopted? Azzarito asks. It gets adopted when theres a craze for a new sugary treat. Even humans hundreds of years ago had a sweet tooth and were willing to risk their dance with the devil for dessert. And thats how the fork comes back in. New Delhi: Amid concerns over availability of essential supplies and services after Prime Minister Narendra Modi decreed a 21-day nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said the government has taken all steps to ensure that supply chain of basic need goods is not broken. Speaking to CNN-News18, Kant said the home ministry guidelines on what all essential services will remain operational during the lockdown were absolutely clear in an appeal to people not to panic. I have spoken personally to chief secretaries of states to make sure supply chain of essentials is not broken. We will keep speaking to district administrations to ensure basic needs like milk, food are provided to citizens, he said. The Prime Minister, while announcing the lockdown, did not make clear how people would get food, water and other necessities during these three weeks. Soon after the televised address, crowds had quickly mobbed stores in Delhi and other cities in a scramble for supplies. Shops in several cities had also shut down, fearing action by the police amid confusion over what can stay open. The Home Ministry then issued a statement after Modi spoke saying that food shops, banks, gas stations and some other essential services would be exempt from the lockdown. The NITI Aayog CEO admitted that initially there was a lack of clarity, but said that the guidelines now are very clear that grocery stores and e-commerce will continue to operate. E-commerce deliveries stopped on Wednesday as the likes of Flipkart, Grofers and Big Basket have shut shop. While Amazon is still offering what it claims are essential items, chances are you wont get them either as delivery dates have been pushed back several days and many orders are being cancelled. I have no doubt in mind that the situation will improve and day-to-day essentials will be provided to citizens, Kant told CNN-News18, adding that warehouses and cold storages will be allowed to function so that supply chain is not broken. Despite the assurances, there have been reports of long queues on highways of trucks carrying essential goods and commodities, including medicines, milk, fruits and vegetables. Confusion at the lower levels about exemptions has also led to freight trains getting stuck even though goods trains are in exempt category. European shares surged on Wednesday following a strong rally in the previous session, as investors bet on unprecedented stimulus measures to ease the economic pain on businesses and households from the coronavirus pandemic. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was up 4.2pc, with energy, autos, insurers and financials jumping between 5.4pc and 6.7pc. With an 8pc surge on Tuesday, swings last seen at the height of the 2008 financial crisis, the benchmark index has recovered its losses from mid March, but remains more than 25pc below its record high last month. On Wednesday, US officials reached a deal on a $2tn package to aid small businesses and Americans hit by layoffs due to the health crisis, but with growing evidence of a breakdown in economic activity, analysts said a global recession was looming. "It's very good that authorities came up with monetary and fiscal co-ordination, but that's only damage limitation and it doesn't necessarily help to stimulate the economy yet because we're still in a lockdown," said Stefan Koopman, senior market economist at Rabobank. "Over the course of the summer, economic activity can pick up a little bit, but even then we're still way behind growth rates from 2018 and 2019. It will be a very very long year for Europe." European airlines, one of the worst hit sectors from travel restrictions and evaporating passenger numbers over fears of contagion, have appealed to governments for bailout packages to prevent a collapse of the aerospace industry. Air France-KLM, Aer Lingus-owner IAG , Ryanair and EasyJet gained between 7.2pc and 13.2pc amid the broader rebound. German shares jumped 3.7pc after posting their best day since 2008 on Tuesday, while Europe's fear gauge fell for the fifth day in a row as a modicum of calm returned to financial markets. "The Vix ... most certainly needs to fall below 30 and only then the real buyers return," said Stephen Innes, a markets strategist at AxiCorp. "Ultimately none of that will happen until the data has bottomed and signs of life emerge around the world." With the pandemic still far from contained in Europe, several more companies have warned of lower profits, layoffs and a halt in business activity amid widespread national lockdowns. German conglomerate Thyssenkrupp said it would cut 3,000 jobs at its steel unit by 2026 as part of a wage deal it struck with powerful labour union IG Metall. Its shares rose 22.7pc and were among the biggest gainers on the benchmark index. Pest control company Rentokil Initial slumped 9pc and was one of the biggest drags on the STOXX 600 after withdrawing its 2020 forecast and saying it was clamping down on spending to deal with the collapse of some business. Coronavirus in India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned discrimination with doctors and nurses, and said people in white coats are like Gods right now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, during a video conferencing with people of Varanasi (his constituency), described nurses and doctors, who have been working 247 in hospitals to eliminate COVID-19 aka coronavirus, as Gods in white courts. PM said today health workers are acting as front line fighters against coronavirus and saving others lives by putting their own lives at risk. The deadly virus has infected more than 512 people in India, off which, 9 people lost their lives. Globally, COVID-19 has hit more than 4,92,000 people and over 19,000 have died so far. While answering peoples questions Prime Minister also raised issue of discrimination with medical staff. PM said people harassing medical staff will face stringent action. PM said he felt pain when got to know about harassment with nurses living on rented houses. Taking the matter at foremost priority, PM Modi directed senior police officials about the cases. It is a very grave issue for me. I have already told all state DGPs (police chiefs) to take the most strict action against those harassing them, said the Prime Minister. Further PM Modi, in his address, said, the battle of Mahabharata was won in 18 days, the battle of coronavirus will be won in 21 days. A day ago, Prime Minister had also briefed and described owners and editors of media houses about their roles in spreading right information and awareness about the disease. However, the Centre and state governments made it clear that essential and emergency services will continue to run and door step delivery of ration will be provided. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Five small boats carrying around 80 migrants on a desperate journey across the English Channel have been intercepted by the Kent coastguard, as the UKs coronavirus lockdown entered its second day. A further boat, reportedly in distress and carrying a dozen adults and two children, was also rescued by French authorities at around 4am after a helicopter search. Believed to have been suffering mild hypothermia, those packed aboard the tiny vessel were taken to Bolougne-sur-Mer and handed over to border police, the PA news agency reported. Passengers in the five other boats were taken to Dover, where they are expected to be monitored for coronavirus. There are fears that coronavirus poses a high risk to the estimated 3,000 refugees and migrants living in northern France, many of whom are suffering with respiratory issues after sleeping rough throughout the winter months. But Care4Calais founder Clare Moseley said she did not believe fear of the virus, or the possibility of monitoring or treatment, was a motivating factor for the crossings. People in Calais are always, and always will be, trying to cross to the UK, thats why theyre here. Its not because of the virus, she told The Independent, positing the attempted crossing was likely due to better weather conditions. Ms Moseley was not aware of any cases of Covid-19 within camps, and said campaigners had been advised it would likely take longer to hit refugee populations around Calais because most new arrivals travel there on foot. Our problem is going to be when it does arrive, it is going to be bad not so much it arriving here quickly, she said, adding refugees in Calais have no places to wash their hands, and no ability to self-isolate. You can imagine how frightening it is for them. Everything that people are being told to do, they cant do. They cant take any measures to protect themselves. Everybody in the world is frightened right now, but for these people its particularly scary [because] the methods that other people are putting in place, they dont have any control over. Ms Moseley said she did not think those in Calais felt they would be safer from coronavirus in the UK than in France, adding that coronavirus lockdowns and travel restrictions appear to be slowing the arrival of new refugees to northern France. Priti Patel wrongly claims there are 8 million economically inactive Brits who can replace immigrants She warned refugees are being left out of coronavirus protection efforts, describing this as a problem for the whole of society. The only way were going to beat [coronavirus] is if we protect society as a whole, she said. If we leave some people out, then were not all protected are we? Campaigners have also warned the mass detention of migrants is a risk to public health, with a woman held at Yarls Wood having recently tested positive for Covid-19. In an open letter, 10 organisations called for those held in immigration detention centres to be released as a result of coronavirus, and monitored using bail conditions and electronic tagging instead. Mass detention without adequate healthcare is a risk to public health, and detention is only lawful if there is a prospect of imminent removal, said Bella Sankey, the director of Detention Action. The shadow immigration minister, who backed this call, on Wednesday warned the governments immigration policies may be discouraging migrants from seeking NHS assistance. The hostile environment remains a powerful barrier to people coming forwards for medical assistance, said Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Streatham. The government has stated that coronavirus testing and treatment will be free for migrants but has done nothing to publicise this fact. There are many reasons people from migrant communities might be reluctant to come forwards for treatment: fear that their status might be exposed, confusion over possible treatment costs, or even the knowledge that they could be charged if it transpires they require treatment for something other than Covid-19. Above all, what puts many off is the general mistrust and fear instilled by the Home Office over a number of years as they consciously tried to made life miserable for migrants. The Home Office confirmed the Border Force was dealing with ongoing small boat incidents and had not responded to Ms Ribeiro-Addys comments at the time of publication. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 16:36:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, March 25 (Xinhua) -- As a bus left its departure station at Hankou Railway Station at 5:25 a.m. on Wednesday, Wuhan started to resume bus service after nine weeks of lockdown. Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei Province and the former epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, resumed a total of 117 bus routes starting Wednesday, around 30 percent of the city's total bus transport capacity, the municipal transport bureau said. Apart from a driver, a safety supervisor was also on each bus, whose duty was to make sure all passengers scan a QR code using their mobile phones to certify their health status before boarding. "For those who do not have health codes, they should bring with them a health certificate issued by their residential community," said Zhou Jingjing, a safety supervisor aboard a bus departing from Wuchang Railway Station complex. The bus drivers and safety supervisors should be screened for fever every day, wear masks and gloves during the trip, open windows for ventilation and disinfect the buses after each trip. Zhou said all passengers must wear masks and sit apart from one another to reduce the risk of cross-infection. Bus passenger Shao Xuefen, a supermarket worker in Wuhan, spent around three hours commuting to work by bike every day since the supermarket resumed business on March 10. "I am excited that the bus service has been resumed. It helps a lot. I hope more bus routes can return to normal," Shao said. Having worked for 12 years as a bus driver, Zhou hopes to get back to the driver's seat soon. "I'm looking forward to the day when the epidemic is over and life in Wuhan returns to normal," she said. From Saturday, six metro lines are expected to reopen to the public in Wuhan. The service time will be published at the stations, the municipal transport bureau said. According to a spokesperson of the bureau, passengers must wear masks, have their temperatures checked, register with their real names and scan a QR code before taking buses and subways. To minimize the infection risk, people who are vulnerable to the virus including those aged above 65 are not recommended to take public transportation. On Jan. 23, Wuhan declared unprecedented traffic restrictions, including suspending the city's public transport and all outbound flights and trains, in an attempt to block the spread of the epidemic to other areas. Similar restrictions were soon introduced in other areas in Hubei. Hubei provincial authorities ended restrictions on outbound traffic starting Wednesday, with the exception of its capital city of Wuhan, which is expected to lift outbound travel restrictions on April 8, according to a provincial government notice issued Tuesday. No new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported Tuesday in Wuhan. The health commission of Hubei said Wednesday the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wuhan and Hubei remained at 50,006 and 67,801 by Tuesday. ESSEX State Sen. Norm Needleman, D-Essex, has released a collected list of food resources available in the 33rd Senate District as the coronavirus spreads in Connecticut. With the COVID-19 outbreak causing business closures and disrupting finances for many families, the need for local individuals to know where they can receive food if necessary has never been higher, Needleman said in a press release. He asked members of the public who can give back to their communities to consider donating to local food banks. Community support during difficult times can help support those in need, the legislator said. We need to support those in our communities who may have been recently laid off or had interruptions in their businesses. If you are in trouble in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, please utilize these services. If you can give back, please make donations and help those less fortunate in your community. This will pass, but while we are dealing with it, we need to support each other, Needleman said in a prepared statement. Food pantries include Chester Food Pantry has pre-bagged food at Chester Town Hall, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon. Call ahead at 860-526-0013, Ext. 213. Deep River Food Pantry has pre-bagged food at Town Hall, 56 High St., Tuesday, 9 a.m. to noon, and Thursday, 1 to 4 p.m. Call ahead at 860-526-6033. Colchester Food Bank has pre-packaged food bags. Call 860-537-7255 to arrange a pickup time through drive-ups. The pantry is not able to accept donations as Town Hall is closed to the public, so staff are encouraging donations of gift cards to local stores and general donations through a drop box outside Town Halls front doors at 127 Norwich Ave. East Haddam Food Bank is open Tuesday, 10 to 11:50 a.m. and 2:30 to 5:25 p.m. Donations can be made at the food bank at 488 Town St., from 8 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5:30 p.m. Donations can also be made at bins located at Liberty Bank in Moodus and the East Haddam and Moodus post offices. More information is available at 860-891-8100. East Hampton Food Bank operates Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon at 43 West High St. Call 860-365-5978 for information. Haddam Emergency Food Bank supplies support to families for up to three weeks in a row, then monthly if a family is still struggling. Normal hours are Mondays by appointment only, Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursdays from noon to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon. Call 860-345-4621 for information. Haddam Social Services is located at 11 Jail Hill Road. Portland Food Bank operates Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon in the basement of 7 Waverly Ave. It provides nonperishable foods, toiletries and other items for families in need. Call 860-342-6795 for information. Grab-and-go options Grab and go lunches are available at Chester, Deep River and Essex Elementary schools weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Estuary is offering grab and go lunches with pickup sites in Clinton, Old Lyme and Old Saybrook for anyone 60 or older. Reservations are required, and volunteers will assist with paperwork for first-time attendees. Call 860-388-1611 by 11 a.m. the day before pickup, dialing zero to speak to staff members or leaving a full name, phone number, pickup location and dates. Drive-through service Clintons Town Hall Annex, 48 E. Main St., Tuesdays, 10:30 to 11 a.m. Clients will receive two meals per reservation Old Lyme / Lyme Senior Center, 26 Town Woods Road, Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Clients can pick up five meals per reservation. Old Saybrooks Estuary Senior Center, 220 Main St., behind the 210 Plaza, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Clients will pick up two meals on Mondays and Wednesdays and one on Fridays. There is a suggested donation of $3 per meal. Essex Social Services has grocery gift cards for residents at 29 West Ave., by appointment only. For information, call 860-767-4340, Ext. 201. Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries remain open, with prebagged food available, at: St. Marks Roman Catholic Church, 222 McVeagh Road, Westbrook, Tuesdays 1 to 2:45 p.m.; First Church of Christ in Saybrook, 366 Main St., Old Saybrook, Tuesdays, 3 to 5 p.m.; First Church of Christ Congregational, 55 Church Road, Clinton, Wednesdays 5:45 to 7:45 p.m.; St. Johns Episcopal Church, 400 Main St., Niantic, Thursdays 5 to 6 p.m.; and First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Road, Old Lyme Saturdays, 9 to 11 a.m. PARIS (Reuters) - France will roll out a 4 billion euro ($4.33 billion) liquidity support plan for start-ups in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, junior minister Cedric O said on Wednesday. Investments in early stage digital companies have boomed in France in recent years, helped by tax cuts and business-friendly measures put in place by President Emmanuel Macron, who has vowed to turn the country into a "start-up nation". "We're announcing a specific plan to support the liquidity of start-ups," O told French radio station Radio Classique. "In total it will be a plan for 4 billion (euros)." The money injected by venture capital funds into French start-ups jumped 30% over the first three quarters of 2019 from a year earlier to 3.9 billion euros, according Dealroom, a data provider. The French government's liquidity plan for start-ups includes a short-term refinancing scheme (160 million euros), the early payment of some tax credits (1.5 billion), the accelerated payment of already-planned investments in the sector (250 million) and guarantees over cash flow costs (2 billion). "Given the global economic situation, there's a risk that some investors may become wary," O said, adding that he would meet some venture capital funds this week in a bid to shore up their support for French startups. (This story corrects third sum to .. 250 mln euros ..not.. 150 mln euros in paragraph 5) (Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain, Editing by Dominique Vidalon and Andrew Heavens) King Felipe VI of Spain moved Sunday to distance himself from his scandal-hit father, stripping him of his palace allowance and renouncing what he was due to inherit from him. The announcement came after reports earlier this month in the Swiss daily Tribune de Geneve that former monarch Juan Carlos had received 100 million dollars (90 million euros) from Saudi Arabia via an offshore account. The money was lodged in a Swiss bank account in the name of a Panamanian foundation, the paper reported, according to which $65 million of that sum was given by Juan Carlos to his former mistress, Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. A later report in Britain's Daily Telegraph said that 52-year-old King Felipe was also a beneficiary of the fund, which it said had been set up when Juan Carlos was still on the throne. In the palace statement released Sunday, the reigning king said that in April he had made it clear to a notary that he would accept no money from the foundation in question. He also said he had absolutely no knowledge of having been named as a beneficiary to another foundation, which according to press reports paid millions of euros towards his father's flights in private jets. The statement said King Felipe was renouncing any assets, shares or investments that might be either illegal or compromise the royal family's integrity. Spanish media reports say Juan Carlos has until now received an annual allowance from the state of more than 194,000 euros ($216,000). - Growing pressure from the left - The reaction from leftwing parties Sunday evening suggested that for them, at least, it was not enough. On Twitter, economist Carlos Sanchez Mato of the United Left party, called on the king to renounce everything he stood to inherit from his father -- including his role as head of state. On Tuesday, the Spanish parliament decided against launching an investigation into suspected money laundering by the former king. Spain's hard-left Podemos party had called for it after reports earlier this month that in 2008 Juan Carlos received $100 million from Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah via the Swiss account of an entity listed in Panama. Podemos, which is part of the ruling coalition with Pedro Sanchez's Socialist Party, is avowedly republican. Juan Carlos, now 82, came to the throne after the death of the military dictator Francisco Franco in 1975 and is widely respected for having favoured a transition to democracy. But he lost his immunity from prosecution after handing power to his son, Felipe, in June 2014 following a 39-year reign. He resigned from public life last year after a series of scandals about his private life. In 2012, he outraged Spaniards by going elephant hunting in Botswana at the height of the country's recession. But he is not the only Spanish royal to have been caught up in a scandal. In 2018, King Felipe's brother-in-law Inaki, the husband of Princess Cristina, was jailed for more than five years for siphoning off millions of euros from a foundation he ran in the island of Majorca. A container vessel from Hong Kong caused a flutter when it arrived at the city dock of the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) here on Wednesday, as apprehension grew after some of its crew members were reportedly spotted without safety gear, officials said. The vessel -- XING PING -- arrived at the Netaji Subhas Dock (NSD) Berth 3. "It was reported that some of the Chinese crew in the vessel were without gloves," INTTUC-backed National Union of Waterfront Workmanship (I) general secretary Asim Sutradhar told PTI. He claimed that KoPT's mooring workers, too, did not have adequate number of gloves. "The vessel was allowed entry as it might have stock of masks and medical supplies... but we demand proper steps for the safety of the workers," Sutradhar said. The port must ensure proper supply of protective gear like masks, sanitisers and soaps, he added. KoPT Chairman Vinit Kumar, however, said vessels have to obtain clearance from the port's health officials before arriving. "Our doctors check every person on board each vessel. We provide adequate number of gloves, masks and sanitisers to our staff at the field level," Kumar said. The Kolkata Dock System (KDS) comprises three docks - Netaji Subhas Dock (NSD) with 10 berths, Kidderpore Dock (KPD) with 18 berths and Budge Budge (BB) Jetties with six berths. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Newser) A New Jersey man described as a "knucklehead" by Gov. Phil Murphy is facing serious charges after allegedly coughing on a supermarket worker. Authorities say that after the Wegmans employee expressed concern that George Falcone was standing too close to her and a display of prepared foods, he moved even closer, purposefully coughed, then "laughed and said he was infected with the coronavirus," NJ.com reports. He also told two other employees at the Manalapan store they were "lucky to have jobs," authorities say. A police detective working security at the store refused to let Falcone leave until he had identified himself, the Daily Voice reports. story continues below "There are knuckleheads out there. We see them and we are enforcing behavior," Murphy said at a news briefing Thursday. Falcone, 50, has been charged with making terroristic threats, harassment, and obstruction. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal says authorities will "respond swiftly and strongly whenever someone commits a criminal offense that uses the coronavirus to generate panic or discord." "These are extremely difficult times in which all of us are called upon to be considerate of each othernot to engage in intimidation and spread fear, as alleged in this case," Grewal says. (Read more New Jersey stories.) Kabul: A lone Islamic State gunman rampaged through a Sikh house of worship in the heart of the Afghan capital on Wednesday, killing 25 worshippers and wounding eight, Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said. The gunman held many of the worshippers hostage for several hours as Afghan special forces, helped by international troops, tried to clear the building. At least one of the dead was a child. Within hours, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. Afghan police arrive at the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. Credit:AP As the siege ended, the Afghan special forces rescued at least 80 worshippers who had been trapped inside the Sikh house of worship, known as Gurdwara, as the gunman lobbed grenades and fired his automatic rifle into the crowd, the ministry said. Gandhinagar, March 26 : Ignoring all the health concerns and precautions and the sealing of state borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Gujarat government on Wednesday facilitated hundreds of migrant labourers, who could be prospective carriers of coronavirus, to return to their homes in Rajasthan in state provided buses. "Our Chief Secretary Anil Mukim called up his Rajasthan counterpart this morning and told him that labourers from Rajasthan are quite in numbers in Gujarat and they want to return back home. So we are sending them and you will have to accept them. After he said yes, we just facilitated these workers and labourers to return to Rajasthan in buses," state Labour and Employment Minister Dilip Thakor told IANS. Asked if this wasn't a thing of concern and against the lockdown's intentions that such prospective careers of virus be herded in crowds to Rajasthan, Thakor said: "What can we do? They don't understand. It is the same situation everywhere, whether it is Gujarat or whether it is Rajasthan. What can the government do? If we do this, then they will complain, if we do that then also they will complain." "We facilitated buses for them and before sending them, arranged for their breakfast and lunch. After they had lunch, we sent them in large numbers in buses facilitated by us to Rajasthan border," he added. The minister was unable to reply as to how many buses were facilitated for the purpose, only saying "many". Around 5,000-6,000 construction and other workers and migrant labourers, despite any sort of transportation means, walked back to their home, unaware of the fact that they might be taking along with them the dreaded coronavirus "We tried to make them understand and convince them that the state government will look after them and they need not move anywhere from their present dwellings but these labourers, being uneducated and having a typical mindset, were not ready to listen. They just started moving home. Even right now, many of them have started evacuating their present accommodation and started moving towards their homes," said Vipul Pandya, the general secretary, Bandhkam Majdur Sangathan, Gujarat. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low 26F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%.. Tonight Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low 26F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%. Chennai: Working from home may be a hassle or a convenience, depending on various factors. But now that most of Indias white collar workforce has had to shift base to their homes, here are some important points to keep in mind while using the home network. 1) Use a VPN to protect your home WiFi network. This will help you keep your companys sensitive documents safe from hackers. Most companies have assisted their employees to set up VPNs. But dont worry if youre on your own, search for safest VPNs and download one. The setup is usually self-explanatory 2) Some offices have installed the work desktops at the homes of employees. But if you are using your own personal computer for work, you must open a separate folder and save work files only in that destination. If your office IT department is allowed remote access to your system, ensure that only the work folder is accessible. This is to protect your privacy. 3) Use a separate browser for personal use. Never use the work browser for personal browsing. It avoids embarrassing searches from showing in the auto-fill bars once you return to office. Alternatively, clear all browsing history, auto-fill forms and cookies every day before shutting down. 4) Ensure that you follow all data-handling protocol that you do while in office, such as where to save documents. Saving on personal gmail drives or dropbox could leave the office data vulnerable to leaks. 5) Do not use personal social media accounts while working, if your job involves managing social media for your company. Remember what happened with the PIB twitter accounts recently. Some porn showed up on the English and Hindi handles, presumably because the person handling the accounts liked the content under the impression that the personal handle was being used. To avoid such a fiasco, use your personal social media on different browser, if you must. 6) Lock your computer even if youre stepping away for just a minute, especially if you have children around. What if one of the kids presses the wrong button and deletes some important file, or ends up on video chat with your unsuspecting boss? 7) Be very careful about what you share on social media. Never reveal anything about your work from home experience, as you might inadvertently compromise the data safety of your sensitive official files. For the same reason, dont discuss work on a public forum or crack even seemingly innocent jokes about it. 8) Never post photographs of your home work station on social media. You never know what detail is seen and mined for information by hackers or competitors trying to get a peek at your companys confidential files. 9) You may work different shifts from your spouse, and yet you should not share the same computer system, so that either of you dont end up deleting important files or cluttering up the desktop. 10) Use the option to create separate desktops on the same system for work and personal use. This helps you keep a clean desktop without mixing up files. The work desktop can be cleared at the end of each day, whereas the personal desktop could have longer-term content on it. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Ghanaians nationwide observed today, Wednesday, 25th March as a day of prayer and fasting. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday, while updating Ghanaians on the Coronavirus pandemic, declared today as a national prayer and fasting day. He pleaded with Ghanaians to pray whilst adhering to the measures outlined to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Whilst we continue to adhere to these measures and ramp up our efforts to defeat this virus, I urge all of us also to seek the face of the Almighty. So on Wednesday, 25th March 2020, I appeal to all Ghanaians Christians and Muslims to observe a national day of fasting and prayer. Let us pray to God to protect our nation and save us from this pandemic, he said. Despite Media was not left out as it invited renowned men of God and Muslim clerics both on phone and into the studios to lead Ghanaians in prayers. All the programmes on air had one or two pastors praying to God to deliver the nation from the coronavirus scourge. Among them were the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Nuru Sharubutu, Apostle Chief Addai of the Word Palace International, Dr. Boadi Nyamekye of the Makers Chapel International, Apostle Professor Opoku Onyinah, former Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Rev. Dr Paul Frimpong Manso, General Superintendant of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, and many more. Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In a video conference with reporters on Wednesday, Iran's Deputy Health Minister said coronavirus spread in Qom by Chinese workers and students, and in Gilan by Iranian students coming back from Wuhan. Alireza Raeesi said an epidemiology team has been studying the source of the outbreak in Iran since the first cases surfaced in Qom. "The spread of the disease was clearly in connection with the Chinese nationals living in the said province. There were a number of Chinese workers as well as some Chinese students in Qom," he said. The "students" that Raeesi referred to were Chinese students of theology studying in Al-Mustafa International University of Qom, a state-funded university-style Shiite seminary with branches in many countries. Many of the Chinese students studying in Qom were apparently Sunni Uyghurs. The first to point out the role of Chinese theology students in spreading the coronavirus was the head of Medical Sciences University of Mashhad. Apparently, under pressure from authorities and clerics who did not want the disease to be associated with their activities, the official had to retract his statement. Later, Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi, a Sunni theologian and spiritual leader of Iran's Sunni community, in a video message charged that the Chinese students of Al-Mustafa University had spread the virus in Iran. Abdolhamid and many others believe that the university-seminary has an aggressive propaganda agenda against Sunnis. The Health Ministry Deputy also said despite the earlier theories of Qom being the original single epicenter of the outbreak, there is now evidence that the virus spread independently from Qom and Gilan Province. According to Raeesi the virus may have been transferred to Gilan by Iranian students who were studying in China and returned home prior to the lockdown on the city of Wuhan repatriation of Iranians from the city. Iran evacuated 56 Iranian nationals from Wuhan on February 5 and quarantined them for two weeks, after which all of them tested negative for the virus. The usual pomp that marks Ugadi festival was clearly missing as people of Andhra Pradesh remained confined to their homes and quietly conducted the festivities on the occasion on Wednesday. There was no official celebration of the Telugu New Year's Day this year as well because of the lockdown enforced due to the threat of the coronavirus. The traditional reading of the almanac, the highlight of the Ugadi celebration every year, was conducted in a quiet manner in the Kanaka Durga temple atop the Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada. State Endowments Minister Velampalli Srinivasa Rao and Brahmin Welfare Corporation Chairman Malladi Vishnu attended the event. As temples remained closed for devotees in view of the coronavirus spread, people stayed away while the priests performed the rituals. The Andhra Pradesh government has been imposing a 21-hour lockdown daily, allowing people to come out only from 6 am to 9 am daily for essential purchases. As there was no exception given on Ugadi, people rushed back home, leaving no festive atmosphere on the streets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Speaker of South Africas Parliament, Thandi Modise, could land herself behind bars if she fails to appear before the Potchefstroom Regional Court on March 31. The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA), supported by Advocate Gerrie Nel and AfriForum, has taken Modise to court on charges of animal cruelty after animals suffering from neglect and starvation were found on her farm in 2014. According to the NSPCA, it instituted legal proceedings after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) declined to prosecute the Parliament Speaker in 2017. The Speaker of Parliament is accused of leaving her farm in North West, leaving behind unattended more than 50 pigs and other animals, including geese, ducks, sheep and goats in 2014. Modise claims that she was unable to attend her latest court date because of her involvement in the COVID-19 lockdown plan, which summoned her to Pretoria at the request of President Ramaphosa. The court, however, has issued Modise with a warrant of arrest, which has been reserved for 31 March. If Modise fails to appear before the court, the warrant becomes active. However, the national lockdown, which only allows for essential services to operate until 16 April, may prove to be a caveat in the courts action. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) As the whole world battles the COVID-19 pandemic, more challenges and roadblocks pile up for the medical community including the Philippines' own health sector. The COVID-positive cases in the country are rising by the day, prompting some hospitals to close their doors to patients after reaching their full capacities. In line with this, some medical groups and physicians have opted to open online consultation services to help decongest medical facilities. Here are some online consultation services that you can avail of whether it's for a physical or mental health inquiry: COVID AskForce The Lung Center of the Philippines recently launched the "COVID AskForce" an online portal for all your inquires regarding COVID-19. The group, set up in partnership with students from the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, has been doing thousands of online consultations with over 600 volunteer-doctors. "It's a way of limiting or decongesting our frontlines," Dr. Virginia Delos Reyes, founder of the Lung Center COVID AskForce, told CNN Philippines' The Source. "Our countrymen, they've been disconnected from our doctors for a long time, with this online platform, we'll be able to reach out to them, give them the information, and allay somewhat their fears," she added. Coalition for Peoples Right to Health The Coalition for People's Right to Health can be reached both through landline (02 8806-1306) and online (via Faceboook Messenger.) UP Diliman Psychosocial Services The University of the Philippines Diliman Psychosocial Services is offering "telepsychotherapy" to university students, faculty and staff. COVID-19 frontliners can also avail of the services for free. MindNation Mental health organization MindNation is also offering online psychologist consultations for Philippine-based employees. For more details, click here. Manila Doctors Hospital Pulmonology Postgraduate also launched a free online consultation portal for COVID-related symptoms. Several doctors have also started individual consultations through their social media pages, including a veterinarian, who welcomed concerns on vet-related issues. Please refresh page for updates. SPAIN: A man in a face mask looks out from behind a partially closed store gate. (Bernat Armangue / Associated Press) Its clear that the coronavirus outbreak represents an extraordinary global threat to both public health and global economies. The coronavirus has spread to at least 194 countries, and the disease it causes, COVID-19, has claimed more than 20,500 lives and infected over 450,000 people. The speed of the crisis and the change to our everyday lives, as well as the threat to our most at-risk citizens, is astonishing and has many reflecting on their values and way of life. These 21 photos reflect the new normal around the world. SPAIN: People walk past a poster by artist Tvboy amid a lockdown in Barcelona. (Felipe Dana / Associated Press) MEXICO: A worker sprays disinfectant on a man's hands during a campaign to sanitize public spaces in Guadalajara. (Ulises Ruiz / AFP via Getty Images) RUSSIA: A young woman wearing a playful face mask walks on Red Square in Moscow. (Alexander Nemenov / AFP via Getty Images) JAPAN: A woman uses hand sanitizer before lining up to see the Olympic cauldron in Tokyo. It was on display a day after the Tokyo Games were postponed. (Clive Rose / Getty Images) ENGLAND: A man wears a religious placard on Market Street in Manchester, England, on Wednesday. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced lockdown measures Tuesday. (Anthony Devlin / Getty Images) NEW YORK: Local personality the Naked Cowboy plays his guitar recently in a mostly empty Times Square. (Victor J. Blue / Getty Images) COLOMBIA: Jaime Ramirez feeds son Gabriel in Chia on Monday while on lockdown. (Ivan Valencia / Associated Press) NEVADA: Dr. Elissa Palmer stands on a ladder to test a patient in a truck at a drive-through testing site in Las Vegas. (John Locher / Associated Press) SAN DIEGO: The Navy hospital ship the Mercy leaves port in San Diego. The ship will begin taking patients who do not have COVID-19 from area hospitals a day after it docks in L.A. (Gregory Bull / Associated Press) FRANCE: Plush bears are installed in a line outside a Paris shop to encourage social distancing. (Francois Mori / Associated Press) BRAZIL: A boy peeks from the doorway of his home in the Rocinha slum of Rio de Janeiro. (Leo Correa / Associated Press) VENEZUELA: A man in Caracas attends customers through an opening with a sign beneath that says "Pharmacy on duty." (Ariana Cubillos / Associated Press) ITALY: A volunteer nurse wearing a mask tends to homeless people in Milan. (Antonio Calanni / Associated Press) EGYPT: Municipal workers sanitize the areas surrounding the Giza pyramids. (Nariman El-Mofty / Associated Press) KIRKLAND, Wash.: Pat and Bob McCauley self-quarantine at their home in Kirkland, a city hit hard by the coronavirus. (Karen Ducey ) PAKISTAN: A health official checks the temperature of a woman at the Lahore railway station. (Arif Ali / AFP via Getty Images) SWEDEN: Two men clean and disinfect a taxi in Stockholm on Tuesday. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP via Getty Images) ITALY: A pallbearer takes a picture of a coffin for relatives of the deceased at a cemetery in Grassobbio. (Piero Cruciatti / AFP via Getty Images) THAILAND: On Wednesday, monks wearing masks chant an ancient prayer intended to ward off the plague. (Lauren DeCicca / Getty Images) As coronavirus outbreaks ripple across the United States, President Donald Trump faces mounting pressure to use emergency powers to compel American manufacturing firms to produce much-needed medical equipment. Dwindling supplies of respirator masks, gowns, gloves and other basic protective equipment are pushing the nations front-line medical workers toward a breaking point. The nations stock of life-saving mechanical ventilators, used to help critical COVID-19 patients breathe, is dangerously low, experts warn. A growing chorus of politicians, medical professionals and hospital officials are pleading with the president to ease the deepening crisis by using his authorities under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to mobilize U.S. private production capacity to manufacture the supplies. Trump did initially invoke the act a week ago, but he has yet to harness the acts powers to its fullest extent: nationalizing production lines to crank out mechanical ventilators and other medical equipment. The Defense Production Act is in full force, but havent had to use it because no one has said NO! Millions of masks coming as back up to States, he said Tuesday in a Twitter post. Instead, Trumps strategy is to persuade the private sector to do more. Its part of the job that he has come to enjoy, playing businessman for the American people. He has involved big name corporations in his Administrations response to the COVID-19 pandemic from the start, bringing in executives to assist in the effort, which has thus far achieved limited results. But the presidents unyielding drive to play dealmaker, even in the case of a pandemic, could be the deciding factor in whether states can get supplies into the hands of its medical professionals, according to governors, mayors, lawmakers, doctors and nurses. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter by clicking on this link, and please send any tips, leads, and stories to virus@time.com. Story continues Even the best hospitals could run out of personal protective equipment and ventilators. In anticipation of the looming disaster, governors from the hardest-hit states say theyre locked into counter-productive bidding wars with one another to acquire the supplies from distributors. The CDC has advised doctors and nurses to use household items like scarves and bandanas as protective measures, if necessary. And a grassroots mobilization is underway inside small T-shirt factories, kitchens, basements and garages across the country to produce makeshift protective gear for medical professionals. Time is running out. The American Hospital Association, American Medical Association and American Nurses Association jointly wrote a letter to Trump that described the pressing need for supplies. Americas hospitals, health systems, physicians and nurses urge you to immediately use the DPA to increase the domestic production of medical supplies and equipment that hospitals, health systems, physicians, nurses and all frontline providers so desperately need, it said. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has requested 20,000 ventilators in anticipation of the coming crush of severely ill patients in emergency rooms. The state is now the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. with more than 25,000 casesand the rate of new infections is doubling every three days, Cuomo told reporters Tuesday. Asking businesses to for voluntary commitments is too risky of a strategy, he said, especially if human lives are at stake. Volunteerism is nice. It is a beautiful thing, he said. That is not going to get us there, and I do not for the life of me understand the reluctance to use the Defense Production Act. Only the federal government has that power and not to exercise that power is inexplicable to me, Cuomo said. Without Washington at the controls, the free market is working against the states, Cuomo said: Masks that we paid 85 cents for, were now paying $7. Hes not alone. The same criticism has been levied by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, who say suppliers are taking advantage of states as they vie for the same equipment. Mike Schiller, senior director of supply chain for the Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management, says a big factor in the shortage is that many of materials come from China, which saw its production capacity ravaged when COVID-19 first broke out there in December. Its also important to remember that there is a global demand for these supplies. Its not just a U.S. need, he says. The Defense Production Act has been authorized, but I dont know that were taking full advantage of it. Initially signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1950 in response to the Korean War, the DPA is historically based on the War Powers Acts of World War II. Its sweeping authorities allow the president to demand businesses and corporations to prioritize and accept government contracts for materials during natural disasters, terrorist attacks and other national emergencies. The president can incentivize the U.S. industrial base to produce the needed goods through loans and high-dollar contracts. During World War II, Detroit became known as the Arsenal of Democracy, after automakers transformed their manufacturing plants to assemble warplanes, tanks and other heavy equipment. While the DPA is primarily associated with nationalizing parts of the economy for national defense, it has been invoked for a range of emergencies in recent years, including restoring power and distributing food and water in Puerto Rico in 2017 after Hurricane Maria. Presidents have felt most comfortable using the DPA in that limited role, says Jerry McGinn, who oversaw DPA programs in the Pentagons Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy. The provision to control the distribution of materials in specific industries has always been controversial and rarely invoked, he says. Having the government nationalize an industry wont necessarily solve the problem. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the business community has not warmed to the idea of being forced to manufacture products and prioritize government contracts. After Trump invoked the Act, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in a statement that the DPA isnt a magic wand to immediately solving medical supply shortages, and wont result in producing highly specialized manufacturing equipment overnight. Trump, a career businessman who often preaches about the perils of socialism, is receptive to that argument. Invoking the DPA, he admitted Sunday, sent tremors through the corporate community. Were a country not based on nationalizing our business, Trump said. Call a person over in Venezuela, ask them how did nationalization of their businesses work out. Not too well. The concept of nationalizing our business is not a good concept. Trump is convinced that the best way to meet demand for equipment is by cajoling automakers, medical device manufacturers and other industrial firms for voluntary commitments. In some cases, its worked remarkably well. After Vice President Mike Pence made a high profile visit to 3M, a manufacturer of respirator masks, the firm said it will nearly double production to an annual rate of 2 billion masks worldwide. Honeywell also committed to boosting its capacity to make masks. Pence said Tuesday that tech giant Apple was planning to donate 9 million of its masks. However, attempts to broaden that effort are less conclusiveat least in the near-termas the number of cases across the country climbs. General Motors is exploring the feasibility to build ventilators at an Indiana facility by partnering with Ventec Life Systems. Ford said it would lend its manufacturing and engineering expertise by joining forces with companies like 3M and GE Healthcare to produce medical supplies, such as face-shields and respirator masks. Hanes will also begin making FDA-approved face masks, but not the medical grade N-95 masks that are most in-demand. Nevertheless, the White House believes its strategy will meet hospitals fast-growing demand. Were getting what we need without putting the heavy hand of government down, White House adviser Peter Navarro told reporters Sunday, claiming the Administrations actions have resulted in the greatest mobilization in the industrial base since World War II. He provided two examples in how the Administrations strategy of private-sector volunteerism compares the most notable civilian-military partnership in American history: French company Pernod Ricard, which has retooled its American facilities from producing alcoholic beverages to hand sanitizers and Honeywell, which has promised to open another mask-making production line within 30 days. Navarro, who counsels Trump on trade matters, has a staff of 10 on the first floor of the Executive Office Building across an alley from the West Wing of the White House. He is now spearheadingalong with Larry Kudlow, the director of National Economic Council, and Rear Adm. John Polowczyk, who recently came over from the Pentagon where he led military logistics for the Joint Chiefs of Staffthe effort to persuade businesses into joining the pandemic response. The team is now trying to figure out how best to help the medical manufacturing industry, which is globally connected and complex. They are also coming to find that its difficult to track the constellations of suppliers and distributors widely disbursed around the world. They are running short on time to catch up. Nobody has one sight picture for that supply chain, Polowczyk told reporters Monday. We have a team of people that are searching the globe for personal protective equipment, figuring out where it is, figuring out if we need to buy it or just transport it and get it here faster. With reporting by Brian Bennett/Washington LONDON (Reuters) - The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and several major banks that trade gold have asked U.S. exchange operator CME Group Inc to allow gold bars in London to be used to settle its contracts to ease disruption to trading, sources said. The gap between gold futures on the CME's Comex exchange in New York widened above London spot prices by as much as $70 per ounce or 4% on Tuesday. The two usually remain within a few dollars of one another, and the gap skewed trading in the London market, causing activity to fall. Traders feared shutdowns of air travel and precious metal refineries due to the coronavirus outbreak will make it harder to ship bullion from London to the United States to meet contractual requirements. London is a key gold storage center, where thousands of tonnes of metal underpin trading, but it uses 400-ounce bars which must be melted down and recast as 100-ounce bars to be accepted by Comex in New York. The LBMA and executives at major gold-trading banks asked CME to allow 400-ounce bars to be used to settle Comex contracts, said the two sources, both of whom were involved in the discussions. No one was immediately available for comment at CME after Reuters contacted the company via phone and email. The rule change would obviate the need to reshape and transport metal, meaning it could remain in vaults in London while ownership is transferred. If this happened spot and futures prices could converge and markets trade normally, sources said. "It's totally logical," said an executive at a gold-trading bank. "In London there's no shortage of metal." The sources said the CME had not yet made a decision, and any change to its rules would likely take several days to implement and require regulatory approval. The LBMA, which oversees the London trade hub, said it stood ready to support the functioning of the market in any way it could, without commenting further. It earlier said it had "offered its support to CME Group to facilitate physical delivery in New York." Popular Nigerian dancer, Kaffy took to social media to blast market traders for hiking the prices of their goods and blaming it on coronavirus. The enraged dancer shared a video of food items donated for the less privileged as she complained bitterly about how the price of ginger went up 5 times the normal price. The mother of two also accused Nigerians of being their own problem. In her words, You people already make enough profit on the goods. This is not just an economic let-me-make profit situation, this is a we all can die. When you save all the money, I want you to chop it in heaven because you will die with it. God is willing to help us when we help one another. We are the ones in this country causing problems for ourselves. The profit youre adding more is actually making someone else die because they cant afford to buy food items. Youre worst than the government. Read Also: Davido Mocks Fans For Not Showing Up At His House Due To Coronavirus (Video) Watch the video below: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday over coronavirus situation in the capital. The meeting between the two will be held at 11 am at the LG Secretariat. It will be followed by a joint press conference by the Delhi chief minister and the Lieutenant Governor. Yesterday, the Chief Minister had reassured people that Delhi did not record any new case of coronavirus in the last 40 hours. He also said that due to curfew, several people were not able to get food, and urged the public to send such people to the nearest shelters of Delhi government, where food was being arranged. " Right now we have only 23 positive cases in Delhi. But I want to tell you that this is good news but there is no need to cheer yet because the number of cases can increase any time if we do not put proper restrictions or if you do not follow the restrictions," he said. "We are trying our best because we understand that these restrictions have brought many difficulties in your life but this is something we have to do because we want to save you, your family, your neighbours and every resident of Delhi," he added. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that it is vital to break the chain of the disease and experts have said that at least 21 days are needed for it. The Prime Minister, who had also addressed the nation last week, said the lockdown has drawn a "Lakshman Rekha" in every home and people should stay indoors for their own protection and for that of their families. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Equipment shortages, scarce beds and poorly-paid doctors and nurses: Africa is finding that it has few means to protect itself as a feared coronavirus tsunami looms. Earth's poorest continent has so far confirmed around 1,800 cases and 57 deaths -- a tally that is low compared with Europe, the Middle East and Asia, but is now ratcheting up quickly as testing remains patchy. In Nigeria, the region's most populous country, doctors complain that years of underfunding and neglect have debilitated the health system. "No country is really prepared for this -- even countries with very developed healthcare systems are crying out for help," Yusuf Tanko Sununu, the head of the health committee in Nigeria's lower house of parliament, told AFP. "In a low-resource country like ours, the healthcare system is already facing serious problems." While the government has been setting up more isolation wards and insists respirators are on its "shopping list" -- it has not said how many machines there are and Sununu insists the capacity is "grossly inadequate". "We need to move faster -- but one major drawback is global travel restrictions mean the ability to get in equipment is seriously limited," he said. Francis Faduyile, head of doctors' union the Nigerian Medical Association, complained that the majority of health facilities across the country do not even have clean running water. His organisation has told medics to call off strike actions over unpaid wages after they staged a walkout in the capital Abuja last week -- but he insists the government needs to do more to provide protective equipment. "We don't have proper masks, or at least, we need to assess how many we have," he told AFP. "We are doing our own background work and getting ready." - Intensive-care crisis - Figures for critical care facilities in Africa are hard to find and the World Health Organization (WHO) itself said last week it was still trying to assess the continent's capacity in this area. The global body's Africa director Matshidiso Moeti said that intensive care beds were in "very short supply" and even countries with the most advanced systems like South Africa would struggle. "They are recognising too that looking at the evolution in terms of the number of cases if the situation explodes in numbers, and large numbers of people have severe disease and are critically ill, this will indeed be a challenge," he said. In many places the situation is already far more precarious. A Kenyan health ministry official speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP that across the country of some 50 million there are no more than 100 intensive care units that "are operational at any given time". In Cameroon, which has recorded over 50 infections, an aid worker said the country "has no capacity to deal with serious cases". The central African nation -- like many others in the region -- is already facing armed conflicts that have displaced people into camps vulnerable to the spread of other diseases like cholera. Like strife-torn Central African Republic and Somalia, both of which have recorded infections, it boasts less than one doctor for every 10,000 citizens. "If the epidemic spreads then it is going to be serious," the aid worker said on condition of anonymity. - Ebola experience - Decades of economic misrule have brought the health service in Zimbabwe to its knees. "Unfortunately, the system itself is overstretched and inadequate to deal with a coronavirus epidemic," warned Norman Matara, secretary general of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights. In West Africa, which dealt with the devastating Ebola epidemic from 2013-2016, health services are falling back on the facilities put in place to cope with that outbreak. Ivory Coast, which managed to avoid the spread of Ebola by closing its border with neighbouring countries, already has isolation units set up at its frontiers, said health ministry official Albert Ossohou Edi. "Personnel have training and there are some stocks of protective equipment but we still need more," he told AFP. But in the economic hub of Abidjan the infectious disease unit at the main hospital is still looking to bolster its intensive care beds from just 20 to 70. "We are checking with all regions to evaluate their capacity, personnel and equipment needs," he said. "But many regional hospitals have been undergoing refurbishment since 2019 and aren't set to open until 2021." In the Sahel, Mali has 56 ventilators in a country of around 19 million people, according to the latest health ministry figures. "We are preparing for the worst," Prime Minister Boubou Cisse said, cautioning: "The means at our disposal do not enable us to be behind every Malian." burs-spb-del/ri A day after Prime MInister Narendra Modi announced nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure to tackle the rising coronavirus cases, Ashwani Kumar, Secretary of Information and Broadcasting Department in Gujarat announced that all students from class 1 to 9 and 11 to be promoted without examinations. Here are services that will remain operational and suspended under the 21-day lockdown PM Modi announces 21-day pan-India lockdown amid Coronavirus Amid the rising Coronavirus cases in India, PM Modi, on Tuesday, announced a 21-day curfew throughout India starting at midnight on Tuesday. He said that 21 days were necessary for breaking the transmission cycle of the pandemic. The 21-day curfew is applicable to all states, districts, and villages - irrespective of whether they are currently under curfew or not. Currently, India's positive cases stand at 519, with nine deaths. Coronavirus outbreak: PM Modi announces 21-day pan-India lockdown starting from midnight Coronavirus crisis in India As of March 25, 536 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) with Maharashtra reporting the highest at 106 and ten deaths have been reported. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and shut down over 32 states and Union territories. Complete lockdown imposed in India from March 25: Here are the guidelines India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. The government is monitoring all suspected cases and issued preventive advisories with states declaring the disease an epidemic shutting down all educational institutions, monuments, parks, gyms, swimming pools, pubs and banning large gatherings. All domestic airplanes and trains have ceased operation. Visit the official government here: MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE Microbiologist Charles Gerba, a battle-scarred virus veteran, earned the sobriquet Dr. Germ based on his experience and expertise in researching and eradicating germs. He comes to the novel coronavirus crisis steeped in fighting such deadly viruses as Ebola and SARs, and hes now using his microscope and petri dishes for a new challenge. While other scientists look for cures, vaccines and rapid-fire tests, he and colleagues at the University of Arizona are turning their attention elsewhere the use of disinfectants to battle COVID-19, the deadly disease caused by the novel coronavirus. As the virus has upended life around the world closing schools and restaurants and emptying grocery store shelves Gerba discussed how cultural differences can spread the virus, how some disinfectants work better than others, the magic of microfiber and whether an Arizona summer could slow or kill the coronavirus. This March 9 interview has been edited for clarity. Germ harborers A UA study found that the typical employee office desk has hundreds of times more bacteria per square inch than a toilet seat in the same building. From our studies, believe it not tabletops, childrens desks at school, tables in a coffee break room ... why? Because thats where your hands are moving around, so thats where we see the greatest exposure, Gerba said. Smartphones are not any better. Studies have found streptococcus and E. coli lurking on screens. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 80% of all infections are transmitted by hands. T IDJANE THIAM remained one of the best paid bankers in the world last year, despite a spying scandal that shocked the Swiss financial establishment and led to his departure from Credit Suisse. The former Prudential chief executive was paid 9.2 million, the annual report revealed, down from 10.9 million a year earlier. While his short-term bonus was down 50% to 3.3 million Swiss francs (2.8 million) he got a long-term incentive award of 3.9 million Swiss francs, in shares, deferred for three years. He has kept another 9.2 million in Credit Suisse shares. Thiam was ousted after a bitter battle with chairman Urs Rohner. Revelations about surveillance carried out on departing senior employees, such as wealth management boss Iqbal Khan, damaged confidence in his leadership. An inquiry found no evidence that Thiam had done anything wrong. Board member Kai Nargolwala claimed: Mr Thiam has taken accountability for the events and accepted a reduction of his non-financial assessment score because the observation matter had a significant impact. Pierre-Olivier Bouee, the chief operating officer who carried the can, was dismissed for cause at the end of last year. He got no bonus for 2019. Rohner has reportedly tried to extend his tenure as chairman but seems not to have persuaded shareholders to back him. He will leave at the 2021 annual meeting a replacement is being sought. Rohners own pay is not insignificant. He has been paid 3 million or 4 million a year over his tenure. Credit Suisse made its highest profit for a decade in 2019, seeming to credit Thiams strategy of pulling back from investment banking to focus on wealth management. Thiam, 57, will shortly join the board of Kering, the French luxury group. His former rival Khan now works for UBS. Credit Suisses new chief executive Thomas Gottstein will initially be paid less than Thiam. Observers of the Swiss financial scene say the establishment will be more comfortable with Gottstein, a local. @SimonEngStand The cancellation of schools in most states and work-from-home edicts have left many families unfettered by offices or primary residences, free to work wherever they can find Wi-Fi. The influx has drained local supermarkets, and fueled fear that a continued onslaught could cripple towns with tiny police forces and few hospitals. Just try to get chicken, said Pete Byron, the mayor of Wildwood, N.J. You cant get chicken. At Red Horse Market, a gourmet food shop in East Hampton, part of Long Islands East End, some customers are phoning in to ask for personal shoppers or for delivery to their cars, so they dont have to walk through the store, said Jeff Lange, one of the owners. At the moment, he said his 30-person staff is too busy to accommodate such requests. We had people showing up to buy a lot of meat, Mr. Lange said, and there were moments where we had to step in and say, Thats too much. Theres no hard line on the meat, for example, but if it seems like more than what is fair, we say so. A liquor store in Sag Harbor, another Hamptons town, is selling cases of wine and spirits through a half-opened door. Its like the Fourth of July out here, said Robin Farnam, a clerk at the store. The number of known coronavirus cases in the United States continues to grow quickly. As of Thursday morning, there have been at least 81,578 cases of coronavirus confirmed by lab tests and 1,180 deaths, according to a New York Times database. Close to half are in New York State and most of these are from New York City an easy drive to some of the wealthiest enclaves in the nation. (This story has been updated with new information.) GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- County government services are restricted during the COVID-19 emergency, but here is a complete list of what is and isnt available, according to the county Board of Commissioners. Genesee District Court Genesee District Court is continuing to provide arraignments of jailed defendants in both felony and misdemeanor cases at the McCree Health and Human Service Building in downtown Flint. It is also providing issuance of search warrants, arrest warrants for jailed defendants at the McCree building, and processing of criminal extradition matters for jailed defendants. Civil matters involving filing fees are only being accepted only by mail, and the court will return copies through regular mail. All court buildings are closed to the public. Emergency motions must be filed by email at 111.67thdc.com or mailed to the appropriate court locations. Evictions are suspended until April 17 or further order of the court. Animal Control Department The Animal Control shelter is closed to public for license sales, but volunteers are still being admitted. Adoptions, stray dog admissions, owner surrenders and owner-requested euthanization are on hold. All fosters and shelter-to-shelter transfers are being utilized to fullest extent possible. Field operations are limited to police calls for dangerous animals or other public safety issues and injured animals. Stray animal pickups are not available. Community Corrections Department The Community Corrections Department will not be open to the public, but will continue pre-bail reporting for arraignments. Supervision of defendants is being monitored remotely through Google Voice. Friend of the Court The Friend of the Court office is closed to the public but is still providing arraignments on bench warrants, recording child support orders, initiating income withholding notices and implementing national medical support notices. Additional information is available by calling 1-810-257-3300 for more information or by messaging the offices Facebook page at facebook.com/geneseecountyfoc. Genesee County Community Action Resource Department The Meals on Wheels program is continuing. Additional information is available by calling Director Tamitha Taylor at 1-810-730-2942. Food distribution is continuing with modified drive-through pickup and home delivery on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Additional information is available by contacting Director Jason Jones at 1-810-259-4561. Clerks Office The entire Clerks office is closed to the public. Staffing is reduced and working on a rotational basis to conduct minimum basic operations. In the Legal Division, employees are processing daily mail, maintaining Genesee Circuit Court files, providing court coverage for the hearings that are taking place, processing outgoing orders for the public and answering phone calls. New case filings are being accepted by mail only. Personal Protection Order petitions are being accepted and processed through the Circuit Court, and a deputy clerk will be stationed on the first floor of the county courthouse in the Juvenile Records Department. In the Vital Records Division, the office is processing all incoming birth and death records from hospitals and funeral homes. Funeral homes must use online services or the mail to place orders for death certificates. After payment is received, orders will be mailed. Birth, death and marriage certified copies are available to the public online. Eligibility requirements and costs are available at https://www.gc4me.com/departments/county_clerks1/vital_record_division.php. Order requests can be made by mail to: Genesee County Clerk Vital Records Division, 900 S. Saginaw St., Flint, Mi., 48502. Assumed name certificates and co-partnership certificate applications are accepted by mail only. No new concealed pistol license applications are being accepted. Renewal concealed pistol license applications are not available in person, but renewal applications can be mailed to Michigan State Police or submitted using MSP online services. No notary public applications or applications to marry are being accepted. In the Elections Division, candidate filings are being done by mail, and candidate campaign finance filings are being handled by mail or email. Drain Commissioners Office Facilities are closed to the public but imperative drainage maintenance and emergency functions such as drain repair, essential inspections, and resident intake services are continuing. Members of the public with emergency drain issues should call 1-810-732-1590. Health Department The Health Departments McCree Building location is closed to the public through April 6. Staff from all departments are still working to cover services via telephone at 1-810-257-3612. The departments Burton location is providing immunizations, family planning, sexual health and Women, Infants and Childrens clinic services by appointment only through April 6. Each person will be screened for fever and travel history prior to entering Health Department buildings. Those feeling ill should reschedule appointments. Parks and Recreation Department All buildings are closed to the public but day parks and trails remain open. Park police and maintenance employees remain on duty. Changes in the status of park operations will be listed on the departments website at Geneseecountyparks.org. Questions can be directed to Director Barry June at 1-810-249-3817 or by messaging the departments Facebook page at facebook.com/GeneseeCountyParks. Prosecutors Office The county Prosecutors Office is continuing warrant review remotely if the suspect not in custody or on-site if the suspect if in custody. Staffing of court hearings is continuing as permitted by the Michigan Supreme Court order. Remote appearance is being used unless a victim is to be present to address the court pursuant to the Michigan Crime Victims Rights Act and Michigan Constitution. On-call services to police are continuing. Paternity Establishment paperwork processing is continuing on site as access to state system cannot be done remotely. One attorney is staffing the program per day. Assistant prosecuting attorneys in the Trial Divisions are continuing to work as remotely as possible. Genesee Valley Regional Center The GVRC is operating as normal but closed for all visitors. All hearings are being monitored remotely through Zoom. Probate Court The Probate Court is handling petitions for mental health treatment and emergency guardianship petitions involving the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on an emergency-only basis because they require the court staff to be on-site. Register of Deeds Office Employees are time-stamping all mail but not processing mail or E-Files. Issues concerning online records should be addressed to ahamlin@co.genesee.mi.us. All other issues should be addressed to rwebber@co.genesee.mi.us. Office of Senior Services The office is closed to the public but is returning all voicemails and emails with questions and requests for information. All centers are open for phone support and to-go meals. Please call each senior center directly for further information and services offered. Transports are available through Flushing, Krapohl, Eastside, Grand Blanc, Carman-Ainsworth and Montrose senior centers. All questions may be directed to Lynn Radzilowski at 1-810-424-4478 or by messaging the offices Facebook page at facebook.com/Genesee-County-Office-of-Senior-Services. Treasurers Office The office is closed to the public. Online services and payments are still accessible. Any payments may also be mailed to 1101 Beach Street Flint, MI 48502. Foreclosures and extensions have been postponed until May 29. The office can be reached by email at Treasurers-Web Group@co.genesee.mi.us. Veterans Services The department is closed, but staff is working remotely. The office can be reached by calling 1-810-237-6173 or 1-810-237-6179 during business hours. Genesee County declares state of emergency for coronavirus outbreak Tuesday, March 24: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan A Queensland man has become the ninth Australian to die from coronavirus after he was infected with COVID-19 on a cruise ship docked in Sydney. The Toowoomba man had been aboard the Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas cruise ship. Garry Kirstenfeldt (far right, red and blue shirt) pictured with family. "The 68-year-old man had a serious underlying medical condition before contracting the virus," a Queensland Health statement read. "Queensland Health offers its sincere condolences to his family. The mans family remain in isolation as close contacts." Dover Gareth Fuller/PA Images via Getty Images The UK logistics sector pleads with Boris Johnson to extend the Brexit transition period. The prime minister has insisted that he will not delay the next stage of Brexit, despite the COVID-19 virus crisis. The Freight Transport Association on Wednesday said: "Our industry needs the support of government, not to be broken by it." The sector said companies cannot plan for new trading arrangements with the EU while dealing with the "emergency situation" created by the outbreak of the coronavirus. British hauliers are under huge pressure to deliver essentials after public demand rocketed. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The UK logistics sector has demanded that Prime Minister Boris Johnson extends the Brexit transition period, due to end in December, warning that the "once in a lifetime" coronavirus pandemic must be dealt with first. The Freight Transport Association, which represents UK logistics, on Wednesday called for the Brexit transition period to be extended so they can "concentrate on the serious issues which the COVID-19 pandemic is placing on the industry." The transition period is due to expire at the end of December. Until then, the UK will follow all EU trade and customs rules, in order to give businesses on both sides of the border time to adapt new trading arrangements. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus across the continent has derailed negotiations over a new UK-EU free trade agreement, with talks postponed and the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, testing positive for the virus. Johnson has insisted he will not extend the transition period, despite the outbreak. However, Elizabeth de Jong, the FTA's policy director, on Tuesday urged the prime minister to change his stance, warning: "Our industry needs the support of government, not to be broken by it." De Jong said: "Logistics is facing unprecedented challenges, both in terms of keeping the UK economy supplied with all the goods it needs to function, as well as coping with the increased disruption to staffing levels caused by sickness and self-isolation and concerns about the viability of their businesses." Story continues Hauliers have come under increased strain in recent weeks as demand for food and essentials in supermarkets has rocketed. Brits have been forced to eat at home after the UK government closed restaurants, cafes, and other non-essential businesses. A senior figure in the food & drink industry told Business Insider that one major retailer saw demand for one line of goods increase by 1,000% last week. Empty supermarket OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images "Our first priority is always to deliver for our customers, and there is simply not enough capacity available to plan the major structural changes needed to implement a successful departure from the EU, as well as the myriad of other planned legislation changes on the horizon, as well as dealing with unprecedented pressures caused by COVID-19," de Jong said. "In addition to the administrative, practical and financial difficulties experienced by our sector, the pandemic will undoubtedly have a significant impact on supplies of new equipment, technology and vehicles in the coming months, as well as the industry's ability to recruit and train new staff." "Add in the challenge of adapting to new trading arrangements with the EU which are yet to be formalised and the situation is placing logistics under huge and unnecessary pressures." She added: "Logistics is a flexible industry, but such significant change cannot happen overnight, and there is simply not the capacity for planning and delivery of new legislation at present within the system. "COVID-19 has created a once-in-a-lifetime emergency situation which needs the full attention of the whole sector adding in a host of new legislation would place untold, unnecessary pressure on a supply chain that is already stretched." At a meeting of around 20 logistics companies last week, there was unanimous agreement that the industry should urge the UK government to extend the Brexit transition period. The FTA says that companies are focusing completely on maintaining the movement of goods, and do not have the bandwith to also prepare for leaving the EU's single market and customs union. Naomi Smith, CEO of Best For Britain, the cross-party campaign for close ties with EU, said: "UK hauliers are right to demand support from the government to extend transition. The logistics industry should be able to focus solely on ensuring the economy is supplied with all the goods it needs to weather the COVID-19 outbreak. We cannot fight a war on two fronts. "We support calls on the UK Government to think again and give the country and vital services enough time to deal with one crisis at a time. Only then can we secure a relationship with Europe that protects our people, our jobs and our futures." Read the original article on Business Insider BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 10 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: The first plenary meeting of Azerbaijan's Parliament of the 6th convocation was held on March 10, Trend reports. The chairman, vice-chairmen of the Parliament, as well as chairmen and vice-chairmen of parliamentary committees will be elected at the meeting. As a result of the voting, Ali Huseynli was elected First Vice Speaker of the Parliament. Born in 1968 in Baku, Huseynli graduated from secondary school No. 135 in the Binagadi district of Baku city in 1985. Huseynli entered the law faculty of Kalinin State University in 1987. In 1993 he graduated from the Law Faculty of Baku Slavic University (BSU). In 1991-1995, Huseynli worked in the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan, in 1995-1996 - in the Executive Office of the President of Azerbaijan, 1996-2000 - in various positions in the Azerbaijans Parliament. He was Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy and State Building, and a member of the Judicial Legal Council. Azad Huseynli is Doctor of Law, and Member of the Anti-Corruption Commission. Top Chef Masters star Floyd Cardoz has died from coronavirus at the age of 59, his company has confirmed. The reality TV chef passed away on Wednesday at Mountainside Medical Centre in New Jersey after complaining a week ago of a high fever. The news was shared by a spokesperson for his Hunger Inc. Hospitality Group. The star, who owned the NYC restaurants Tabla and Bombay Bread Bar, had recently traveled from Mumbai to Frankfurt then on to New York City on March 8. He was in Mumbai with comedian Aziz Ansari, where they were filming the second season of Netflix series Ugly Delicious. Cardoz checked into a New York hospital with a fever a week ago and shared on social media he was doing so as a 'precautionary measure.' Sad loss: Chef Floyd Cardoz of Top Chef Masers fame has died from the coronavirus. The 59-year-old reality TV star passed away on Wednesday at Mountainside Medical Centre in New Jersey after complaining a week ago of a high fever; seen in 2013 In the hospital: He checked into a New York hospital with a fever a week ago and shared on social media he was doing so as a 'precautionary measure' 'Sincere apologies everyone. I am sorry for causing undue panic around my earlier post. I was feeling feverish and hence as a precautionary measure, admitted myself into hospital in New York,' he said as he shared a photo from his hospital bed. The foodie added that he 'was hugely anxious about my state of health.' Cardoz tested positive for COVID-19 soon afterwards. With a close friend: He appeared to be in Mumbai with Aziz Ansari. In this Instagram post from earlier this month he said, 'On location with @azizansari while shooting @uglydelicious season 2 in India. Glad we get to tell the story of our passion with Indian food. Thanks @davidchang for letting us crash this party!' Cardoz competed on Bravo's Top Chef Masters season three in 2011, taking home the top prize In an Instagram post from earlier this month he said, 'On location with @azizansari while shooting @uglydelicious season 2 in India. 'Glad we get to tell the story of our passion with Indian food. Thanks @davidchang for letting us crash this party!' Ansari, a 37-year-old actor and stand-up comedian who best known for Parks And Recreation and Master Of None, has not yet publicly complained of any symptoms of coronavirus. Chang is an American restaurateur, author, and television personality. He is the founder of the Momofuku restaurant group, which includes Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssam Bar and Milk Bar. Soon after Cardoz's death was announced, tributes rolled in for the beloved chef. She was a fan: Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi wrote on social media: 'Floyd made us all so proud. Nobody who lived in NY in the early aughts could forget how delicious and packed Tabla always was' His former business partner Danny Meyer tweeted, 'Love you so much @floydcardoz. Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi wrote on social media: 'Floyd made us all so proud. Nobody who lived in NY in the early aughts could forget how delicious and packed Tabla always was. 'He had an impish smile, an innate need to make those around him happy, and a delicious touch,' she noted. Cardoz (pictured left in 2016, and right with chef Girish Nayak) checked into a New York hospital with a fever a week ago and shared on social media he was doing so as a 'precautionary measure.' 'This is a huge loss, not only for the professional food world, but for the Indians everywhere.' Priya Krishna said, 'Floyd did so much to advance the cause of Indian food and Indian people in America. He was generous, funny, and warm, and I've always wished I could turn back time and eat at Tabla. Sending love to his family.' Pete Wells added: 'Floyd Cardoz was an exceptional talent, a chef equally at home with undiluted Indian flavors as he was with the delicious union of French, Indian and American food, a personal idiom that he invented..' Cardoz was born in Bombay, India, then settled down in New York City to work in restaurants. The chef was a fixture at Tabla, North End Grill, Paowalla and Bombay Bread Bar. He also had The Bombay Canteen and Bombay Sweet Shop in Mumbai, India. Cardoz also competed on Bravo's Top Chef Masters season three in 2011, taking home the top prize. The restaurateur is survived by his wife and business partner, Barkha, and their two sons, Peter, 27, and Justin, 22. There are now 30,000 cases of coronavirus in the state of New York, including 17,000 in the city of New York. Across the state, there have been 285 coronavirus deaths, including at least 192 in New York City. The initiative doesn't concern the next scheduled meeting that will go at the Verkhovna Rada HQ, as planned. The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's Parliament, is considering holding future meetings at an open venue, like a stadium or a large concert hall, says MP with the leading Servant of the People faction, Yevhenia Kravchuk. She specified that it wasnt about the next Parliament meeting set to be held March 28, hromadske reports. According to Kravchuk, on Saturday, if there is a meeting, it will be held at Parliament premises, but with additional protection involved face masks, goggles, and gloves. Read alsoNational emergency and quarantine extension: how new moves by Cabinet will affect everyday life of Ukrainians The deputy also reminded that in order to move the session to another location, a procedural decision must be passed. Sessions and voting via video link are less likely to be considered as the Constitutional Court earlier ruled that members of parliament shall physically attend Rada meetings. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 22:51:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close ACCRA, March 25 (Xinhua)--Ghana on Wednesday received a consignment of medical supplies donated by China's Jack Ma Foundation. The consignment included 100,000 medical masks, 20,000 test kits, and 1,000 protective suits, and face shields to support the country's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation is making similar donations to all 54 African nations in support of the continent's fight against the virus. "Getting these donations to all 54 African countries, with diverse geographic conditions and different levels of infrastructure, is a great logistical and transportation challenge," the foundation said in a release accompanying the consignments. Nonetheless, the foundation said it was working around the clock to make the delivery as fast as possible. "The faster we move, the earlier we can help." Ghana's Minister for Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, who was at the airport to receive the consignment ferried by Ethiopian Airlines, thanked the foundation for the support for Ghana and all other African countries in these critical times. For Ghana, the donation comes at a critical time when frontline health workers and hospitals have complained about the shortage of medical supplies to aid their work and protect them against contracting the pandemic. Albany, N.Y. New York is making progress boosting its health care system ahead of the expected coronavirus peak, but plenty of work remains, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today. So far, the state has plans in place to raise its hospital bed total from 53,000 to over 119,000. The plans include temporary hospitals set up in several downstate locations, beds supplied by the U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort and actions by hospitals across the state to increase available beds in their current facilities. Cuomo also mentioned taking over dorms at multiple college campuses downstate. A slide from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's press briefing on Wednesday breaks down the state's effort to add more hospital beds.Andrew Cuomo YouTube All those actions still leave New York short of the maximum of 140,000 beds it'll need when the virus peaks. Cuomo said he's exploring adding the rest of the needed capacity by working with hotels to house some patients and converting existing buildings, like former nursing homes, to temporary health care facilities. Syracuse hospitals free up hundreds of beds to make room for coronavirus patients The state will also need up to 40,000 intensive care unit beds, compared with the 3,000 it had before the outbreak began. The state has learned in the past few days that the virus high point will come sooner and hit harder than earlier estimates indicated. That makes the moves to add beds, staff and equipment even more critical. Staffing The state has been reaching out to retired health care workers and others to ask them to sign up for possible reserve duty. To date, 40,000 have responded. They'll help relieve current health care workers who get sick or need a break amid long hours. "That's a big deal," Cuomo said of the progress on staffing. "You can create beds. You can find the equipment. You have to have the staff." Coronavirus: Former doctors, specialists answer the call to help with pandemic In addition, 6,000 mental health professionals have signed up to help provide online services for people struggling emotionally amid the outbreak. The number for an appointment is 1-844-863-9314. Equipment Authorities sent out a major shipment of supplies yesterday, including masks, gloves, gowns and more, Cuomo said. It should meet the immediate need and give hospitals across New York enough equipment for their staffs. But the facilities could find themselves short again three or four weeks from now. The state is still shopping for more gear. Ventilators The biggest need remains ventilators, Cuomo said. While most people recover from coronavirus infection on their own, some end up seriously ill and need breathing help. The state expects to need 30,000 ventilators to confront the peak of the outbreak. It had about 4,000 before the crisis began and has bought another 7,000. The federal government is sending 4,000, but more are still needed. New York is exploring splitting ventilators so theyll support two patients instead of one. Its experimental, but theres little choice, Cuomo said. New York now has over 30,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Onondaga County rolls out coronavirus map: Has your town been hit yet? Coronavirus stimulus payouts: When will I get my check? How much money? As CNY day-care workers prepared for a coronavirus surge, they often got layoffs Welch Allyn owner Hillrom ramps up medical device production in fight against coronavirus Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 The Gujarat Congress on Wednesday demanded cash doles for the poor and smooth supply of essential items as part of efforts to provide relief to people affected by the massive coronavirus-induced lockdown. A delegation of the opposition party met Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and discussed issues related to the outbreak of coronavirus in the state and the subsequent lockdown. The Congress demanded that the poor people be given cash doles and said the government should ensure smooth supply of essential items and make arrangements for return of people of Gujarat stranded in various parts of the country due to the 21-day-long lockdown. Seven leaders of the Congress, including state unit president Amit Chavda and Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani, met the chief minister on Wednesday evening, said a statement by the opposition party. "In the discussion with the chief minister they demanded that cash doles be given to BPL ration card holders as they are able to earn their daily wages due to the 21-day- long lockdown, it said. The state government should ensure that supply of essential commodities continues uninterrupted so that people do not face hardship due to the restrictions, the release said. Many tourists and pilgrims from Gujarat are stranded at various places, including Haridwar in Uttarakhand, due to the lockdown which has led to disruption of rail, road and air services, the Congress leaders said. The Congress demanded that the state government make arrangements to bring them back to their homes. The Congress, in a separate release, said that each of their 68 MLAs will give Rs 10 lakh from their MLA grants to fight the coronavirus outbreak. So far, 39 COVID-19 cases have been found in the state, where one person has died due to the disease. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Virgin Australia flight attendant has given an emotional message to passengers on her final flights before thousands of staff are stood down due to coronavirus. The airline on Wednesday announced it would cut domestic travel by 90 per cent and ground 125 planes, with 8,000 staff members to be stood down without pay. Domestic travel cuts will come into effect from midnight on Friday while all international flights will be cut off from Monday onward. Virgin Australia cabin supervisor Cassy Appleton left a heartfelt message for passengers on a flight landing in Dunedin in New Zealand on Wednesday and thanked guests for choosing to fly with them. Virgin Australia announced it would cut domestic travel by 90 per cent and ground 125 planes, leaving 8,000 staff members to be stood down without pay 'I'd like to just say that there's every chance possible that this can be our last operating flight and most certainly is the last for the foreseeable future,' Cassy said. 'As crew we've called the skies our home for so long it's a little surreal knowing we've come back down to earth this one last time. 'On behalf of the entire Virgin Australia team, we wish you all the best during these testing times. Please take care of yourselves, your neighbours and stay safe.' Ms Appleton elaborated on her final sign off on her Facebook page. 'Today we received confirmation that Virgin are shutting down our NZ bases. Emotions are undescribable,' she wrote. 'Having this opportunity was the best thing that happened to my life and to say I'm beyond grateful is an understatement. Virgin Australia cabin supervisor Cassy Appleton left a heartfelt message for passengers landing in Dunedin on Wednesday 'Whilst I'm hurting for my loss I'm also counting my lucky stars to have been so blessed with this incredible opportunity.' Virgin Australia's international and domestic flights are not expected to resume until at least the middle of June, with all Tiger Air flights also suspended. The airline has maintained the remaining 10 per cent of domestic travel to allow for essential services, critical freight and logistics operations to continue. The majority of staff will be stood down until at least the end of May but the airline group will help them seek out job options for temporary work to fill the gap. Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah said the mass closure was unprecedented. 'There has never been a travel environment in Australia as restricted as the one we see today and the extraordinary steps we've taken have been in response to the federal and state governments' latest travel advice,' he said. 'We are now facing what will be the biggest grounding of aircraft in this country's history. 'We plan to return Tigerair Australia and Virgin Australia to the skies as soon as it's viable to do so, however I am mindful that how we operate today may look different when we get to the other side of this crisis,' he said. Mr Scurrah applauded the actions of staff who had worked tirelessly to help passengers get home before states around Australia shut down their borders. Those with flights booked with the airline between Wednesday and June 30 are entitled to claim back the cost of their flights as credit to use when service resumes. World Bank chief says COVID-19 likely to hit poorest countries hardest People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:12, March 24, 2020 WASHINGTON, March 23 (Xinhua) -- World Bank Group President David Malpass said Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely hit the poorest countries the hardest, urging stepped-up international support for these countries. "These are difficult times for all, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable," Malpass made the remarks at the Group of Twenty (G20) finance ministers and central bank governors' conference call on the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis will likely hit hardest against the poorest and most vulnerable countries, those roughly 25 poorest countries drawing on the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA), he said. "Many were already in a difficult debt situation, leaving no space for an appropriate health and economic response," said Malpass, adding that the World Bank is ready to front-load the recently replenished IDA with up to 35 billion U.S. dollars and identify additional resources. Making a call to action to the G20, Malpass urged all official bilateral creditors of the poorest countries to act with immediate effect to help IDA countries through debt relief, allowing the countries to concentrate their resources on fighting the pandemic. "I'm calling on the G20 leaders to allow the poorest countries to suspend all repayments of official bilateral credit, until the World Bank and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) have made a full assessment of their reconstruction and financing needs," said Malpass. The World Bank president also noted that the multilateral lender has identified a range of rapid procurement modalities leading to bulk purchases, and it is working together with other multilateral development banks and the IMF to assess needs, implement the new system, and develop co-financing. "We are in dialogue with China among other key countries to obtain help with the rapid manufacture and delivery of many of these supplies and are grateful for their positive responses so far," Malpass said. The World Bank president said countries need to move fast to boost health spending, strengthen social safety nets, support the private sector and counter financial-market disruption, urging them to implement structural reforms to help shorten the time to recovery and create confidence that the recovery can be strong. Last week, the World Bank announced an increased 14 billion dollars of fast-tracking financing to assist companies and countries in the wake of the rapid spread of COVID-19, up from the previously unveiled 12 billion dollars. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Apple AAPL is likely to reopen its retail stores in coronavirus-hit areas outside Greater China as early as April on a staggered basis. Per a Bloomberg report, which cited an internal memo from Deirdre OBrien, senior vice president of people and retail, the iPhone-maker expects to reopen some stores in the first half of April. Moreover, Apple extended remote working facilities and flexible working arrangements to its employees who dont need to be onsite at least through April 5. Notably, Apple operates approximately 500 stores worldwide. Of the total, 52 are located in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, which are currently open. The company closed 458 stores outside Greater China on Mar 13 to slow down the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Apple Inc. Price and Consensus Coronavirus Hurts Apples Near-Term Prospects Apples shares have been down 15.9% on a year-to-date basis, primarily due to the coronavirus impact. Management in mid-February stated that it might not be able to meet its quarterly revenue expectations issued on Jan 28, 2020 due to iPhones supply-chain disruption. Earlier projections for the tech giants second-quarter fiscal 2020 revenues were between $63 and $67 billion. The coronavirus pandemic that originated in China also dented iPhones demand. Citing data compiled by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, Reuters reported that Apple sold 494,000 iPhones in China during February, reflecting a 61% drop from 1.3 million in the year-ago period. Moreover, the company has been sluggish enough not to revive its production level to normalcy, which is impacting the global iPhone supply. While factories in China have resumed operations, Apple is facing weakening demand as the countries around the world enforce social distancing. For instance, Apple suppliers Foxconn and Wistron Corp. suspended production at their Indian plants, which primarily caters to the domestic markets, following nationwide lockdown until April 14. Although India is not a huge market for Apple, the production shutdown is expected to upset its iPhone supply in the near term. The supply-chain disruption apparently prompted Apple to limit online purchases of iPhones and other devices, last week. However, the company lifted its purchase restrictions early this week. (Read More: Apple Lifts Online iPhone Sales Limit Amid Coronavirus Woes) Can Non-iPhone Devices Drive Growth? Apple recently strengthened its non-iPhone portfolio with the announcement of new iPad Pro and new MacBook Air upgrades. Moreover, the company recently received a waiver from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), which excluded its smartwatch from tariffs imposed on exports from China. Notably, a solid uptake of Apple Watch also helped the company boost its presence in the personal health monitoring space. Moreover, Apple is currently dominating the wearables and hearables markets owing to strong adoption of Watch and AirPods. Although supply-chain disruption is expected to mar Apples prospects in the near term, we believe, non-iPhone portfolio strength and the growing Services business will bode well in the long haul. Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider Apple currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector are Microsoft MSFT, SAP SE SAP and Garmin GRMN, all three sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Long-term earnings growth rate for Microsoft, SAP and Garmin is currently pegged at 13%, 9.5% and 7.4% each. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. #3 Click to get this free report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Garmin Ltd. (GRMN) : Free Stock Analysis Report SAP SE (SAP) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Its rare that doing laundry feels life a lifesaving mission, but in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, washing your clothes properly could be vital to your familys health. Laundering clothes and linens safely is particularly important if youre living with someone who has a suspected or confirmed case of the new coronavirus, someone with a compromised immune system, or someone who works in a hospital or another place where there may be exposure to the virus. To make sure youre cleaning clothes, towels, and sheets effectively, see these tips from experts. Keep Contaminated Laundry Separate While experts dont know exactly how long the new coronavirus (officially called SARS-CoV-2) remains infectious on clothes and other fabrics, early research shows that the virus can survive on cardboard for no longer than 24 hours and on metal and plastic for up to 72 hours, says Jaimie Meyer, M.D., an infectious-disease specialist and assistant professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. So its possible that the virus may remain infectious on clothes for hours to days, though there is no data available on that yet. If youre caring for someone in the house who is sick or youre cleaning the clothes of a family member who may have been exposed to the coronavirus, consider those clothes contaminated and keep them in a separate laundry bin until its time to do the wash. Also, if you can, place a washable or disposable liner in that laundry bin so that you can either launder it or throw it away after you remove the dirty clothes. As a healthcare worker myself, I change clothes immediately after coming home and sequester them with other exposed clothes, says Koushik Kasanagottu, M.D., an internal medicine resident at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. Handle Soiled Items With Care When you handle the dirty laundry of someone who is sick or has been exposed to the coronavirusespecially if there are bodily fluids on the itemswear disposable gloves if possible, and throw them away after each use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Story continues You could also wear reusable gloves, but be sure to wear them only when cleaning and disinfecting items or surfaces that have been exposed to the virus. Then keep the gloves in a separate bag. After taking off the gloves, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds in soap and water. If you dont have gloves, do the laundry with your bare hands, and wash your hands thoroughly after youre done touching contaminated items. Also be extra mindful to keep your hands away from your face throughout this process. While transferring items from the bin to the washer, dont shake the laundry, which could disperse the virus through the air, according to the CDC. But it is okay to wash the laundry of someone who is ill along with the laundry of other members of the household, Meyer says. As long as you take measures to safely handle contaminated items, theres no need to do a separate load for those linens and clothes, according to the CDC. Use Your Detergent of Choice Wash contaminated clothes and linens as you normally would, but launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely, the CDC says. While the CDC does not specifically recommend using a detergent plus bleach, the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene states that bleach may help inactivate viral microbes in the wash. So if youre washing whites and light colors, you could add bleach to the load. Or you could use a detergent that contains a color-safe bleach if its appropriate for the fabric. Also, while more research is needed to determine what temperature may inactivate the virus, Don Schaffner, Ph.D., a microbiologist and distinguished professor at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., explains that the entire washing process should rid fabrics of the coronavirus. Its the combination of detergent, warm water, and physical agitation in the rinse and spin cycles that removes, inactivates, and washes away viral microbes. Once the washing is done, using a dryer may be better than hanging the clothes to dry because the heat may also help inactivate any viral microbes. In addition, dry fabrics are less likely to transfer germs than wet ones. Sanitize High-Touch Surfaces After you put the dirty laundry in the washer, disinfect surfaces in the laundry area that may have become contaminated by the virus, such as the knobs and the door pull on the washing machine. Also clean the laundry bin with bleach or other household disinfectant after youve removed the dirty clothes. Shop Household Cleaners on Walmart Practice Social Distancing in Laundromats If youre using a shared laundry facility, whether thats in an apartment building or a laundromat, its also important to disinfect handles and other surfaces before you touch the machines so that you dont pick up any viral microbes that may be present. But the most crucial thing to keep in mind when in a shared laundry space is to stay at least 6 feet away from anyone else who is there. If you go to a public laundromat, the riskiest thing there is other people, Schaffner says. The virus is much less transferable and infectious on a surface than it is if someone with coronavirus coughs near you. So practice social distancing, and dont linger in the laundromat while your clothes are being washed. Then use hand sanitizer or wash your hands after you leave. Additional reporting by Kimberly Janeway More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2020, Consumer Reports, Inc. Police in Armenia stopped cars and pedestrians and warned other citizens to stay at home on Wednesday as they began enforcing a nationwide lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus. Unprecedented restrictions on peoples movement imposed by the Armenian government late on Tuesday mean that people are only allowed out to buy food, receive medical care or briefly exercise near their places of residence. The curfew does not apply to a limited number of public and private sector employees allowed to continue to go to work. As is the case in France and other European countries, all citizens must not only carry valid IDs but also fill out a form specifying their reasons to leave their homes. The form must contain the carriers name and birthdate. It can be downloaded from a government website or drawn by hand. As police began patrolling the largely deserted streets of Yerevan it emerged that many passersby did not fill out such forms. Some of them instead showed police officers their bags filled with groceries bought in supermarkets. One elderly woman claimed to be unaware of the requirement. Who is supposed to issue such papers? she said. I dont know who and what should be written there, said another pensioner. There seemed to be greater compliance with the rule in the center of Yerevan. Im taking my grandchild home, one woman there said after showing policemen a form which she said was filled out by her daughter. A deputy chief of the Armenian police, Hayk Mherian, said in the morning that officers will avoid fining or briefly detaining people in the first hours of the lockdown. But we will be fully enforcing the law after 4 p.m., he told reporters. Under a government bill passed by the Armenian parliament on Monday, citizens defying quarantine or self-isolation orders issued by health authorities will face not only heavy fines but also up to five years in prison. There were more than 3,000 quarantined people in Armenia as of Tuesday evening, according to the authorities. Another lockdown rule bans private cars from carrying more than one passenger at a time apart from the driver. Mherian said police ordered 92 people out of cars for this reason at the start of the emergency street patrols across the country. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 17:06:31|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, March 25 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's COVID-19 cases surged to 709 on Wednesday as a national lockdown is about to be implemented, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said. This was an increase of 155 from Tuesday's announcement, the highest rise in a single day since the country reported its first confirmed case on March 5. Mkhize said two of the patients are in intensive care while the others are in stable condition. Three doctors in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Free State provinces have tested positive, said Mkhize. There is no reported death so far, the minister said. The tendency is changing from imported cases to local transmissions, he said. At least 50 new confirmed cases have been registered from a church in Bloemfontein, the Free State province, according to Mkhize. The cases were all linked to the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast hosted by the Divine Restoration Ministries in Bloemfontein, he said. Five COVID-19 positive foreigners from the United States, Israel and France took part in the breakfast, said Mkhize. He said health workers were still looking for 300 people who attended the service in defiance of a government ban on a gathering of more than 100 people. Mkhize voiced concern that more and more confirmed cases Are not traceable due to incomplete information. Hospitals and laboratories are under increased stress to test a growing number of suspected patients, according to the minister. "We're not doing test on demand. We're doing tests on the basis of symptoms," Mkhize said. He warned that clinicians and pathologists who fail to provide full details of coronavirus patients would be criminally charged. The minister said the national lockdown, to take effect on midnight Thursday, is expected to discourage people from moving around, congregating in large numbers and taking public transport, activities that spread the virus back and forth. The lockdown, declared by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday night, will last until April 16. Under the lockdown, most shops will be closed except for pharmacies, laboratories, banks, essential financial and payment services including the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), supermarkets, petrol stations and health care providers. Individuals will not be allowed to leave their homes except under strictly controlled circumstances, such as to seek medical care, buy food, medicine and other supplies or collect a social grant. Mass panic-buying has been going on for days across the country as the lockdown draws near. Mkhize said South Africa will have enough food to go around, and pharmaceutical production has been ramped up for over-the-counter medicines. Also on Wednesday, Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Lidiwe Sisulu identified high-risk areas that require immediate interventions: public areas with limited or no access to water and sanitation services, overcrowded settlements, informal settlements, rural settlements and water-scarce towns. Sisulu said her ministry is drawing up a plan to provide water and sanitation to such communities. "With regards to water and sanitation, our interventions' focus is on water services infrastructure, with an intention of improving water supply, access to sanitation and sanitizing of public spaces," Sisulu said. She warned that if the virus were to reach densely populated areas, it will find fertile ground to spread. "We will need to urgently move some of our people for the de-densification to be realized. Land parcels to relocate and decant dense communities have been secured," she said. A medical staff with a protective face mask and a French soldier talk during a training session at a military field hospital at Emile Muller Hospital in Mulhouse, eastern France. AFP/SEBASTIEN BOZON Jerome Salomon told reporters that 22,300 people had tested positive for the virus in France, with a total of 10,176 hospitalised of whom 2,516 people are in intensive care. Officials believe that the published number of those infected largely underestimates the real figure, as only those showing severe symptoms are usually tested. Salomon also emphasised that the death toll of 1,100 includes only those recorded to have died of the coronavirus in hospitals and not those who pass away in old people's homes. He said that the hospital deaths were only a part of the total toll and vowed to give data on mortality in old people's homes in the next days. FIELD HOSPITAL A military field hospital set up by the French army began operations on Tuesday seeking to take the pressure off intensive care units in an eastern region badly hit by the coronavirus. The field hospital, a temporary structure of tents usually employed to assist the wounded in a war zone, has been erected in the eastern French city of Mulhouse where the intensive care unit of the main hospital has been overwhelmed by coronavirus cases. Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told parliament that the field hospital could admit up to 30 patients in intensive care and had now already admitted its first patient. Construction of the hospital began on Saturday in a parking lot next to the main hospital in Mulhouse. It will be reserved for severe coronavirus cases that need respiratory help. The construction of such a facility, usually used in war, in mainland France during peacetime is unprecedented. The Haut-Rhin region in eastern France where Mulhouse is located has been one of the worst hit in the country by the coronavirus, after an evangelical church meeting in the city in February where many people were infected. In another hugely unusual move, France will on Wednesday use a specially set-up TGV high speed train to evacuate 30 coronavirus patients from the east to other parts of France, Health Minister Olivier Veran announced. Smaller numbers have already been evacuated from the overwhelmed hospitals of the east by air to other locations in France and also over the border into Germany or Switzerland. Theyre perfect for your desk too. If youve been looking for simple ways to spruce up your small space, plants might be the answer. Adding a little greenery is a low-maintenance way to not only decorate your home, but also to bring a little nature insideand what better time to do that than the start of spring? Wed guess thats why Bloomscape, an online plant shop that delivers a variety of species right to your home, dropped its newest line of cacti today. The companys Mojave Collection features three mini-cacti that are ready to camp out on your windowsill or desk thanks to their extra-small size. Additionally, Bloomscape released two larger cactus plants, one medium (up to 32 inches) and one large (up to 40 inches), for those seeking something bigger to occupy the corners of their home. RELATED: 5 Indoor Plants That Are Almost Impossible to Kill All three mini-cacti arrive in clay pots, hail from varying locations across the globe, and are no more than 12 inches in height. Each plants care instructions are low-maintenance enough for beginner plant parents; cacti require notoriously little water, so these varieties just need plenty of bright light, making them ideal companions for light-filled windows and areas. And since cacti work to remove toxins from their surroundings, they provide a healthier breathing atmosphere. Learn more about each cacti in the Mojave Collectionthey were selected by Bloomscapes very own in-house Plant Mom, Joyceplus see more info on the new large plants below. Mojave Collection: Fairy Castle Cactus As its given name suggests, this dwarf cactus plant that can naturally be found everywhere from Florida and Texas to South America has many small branches that stem out at varying heights to create the illusion of a castle. Within each branch are even smaller white spines that grow across its five sides. Requiring lots of sun and little water, this tiny plant keeps things easy, yet it must be kept away from pets. Story continues Mojave Collection: Bullwinkle Cactus From the coastline of northwestern Haiti, this little cactus thrives in dry and warm conditions. The pet-friendly plant has large pads that typically grow with few spines, if any. Plop it in the bright sunlight and watch it flourishif youre lucky enough, the plant might even produce tiny red flowers. Mojave Collection: Golden Barrel Cactus The most low-maintenance of them all, this circular cactus plant is native to the deserts of central Mexico. It doesnt grow very quickly indoors, but if it sees enough bright light, it has the potential to grow small yellow flowers. The Golden Barrel is considered pet-friendly, but both you and your furry friend should be wary of its sharp spines. To buy: $80; bloomscape.com. Prickly Pear This prickly bright green cactus features paddle-shaped pads and requires the least upkeep, making it ideal for those with little time on their hands. The medium-sized plant will thrive in a warm, sunny corner due to its hot, dry desert origins. In its pot, the plant sits between 13 and 20 inches tall. To buy: $80; bloomscape.com. Hedge Cactus The largest of all the options (between 32 and 40 inches tall), this pet-friendly blue-green plant only requires water when its soil is completely dry. Hedge cacti have a history of being pollinated by bats, afterwards producing edible fruits called pitaya that serve as food for desert birds. In your home, the cacti will be an eye-catching feature that may even grow little white flowers. To buy: $175; bloomscape.com. What is the president waiting for, and why is he hoarding or lets be charitable and say husbanding his resources? Must the death toll in New York prove so calamitous he needs no further proof? Is he trying to make an example of his former home? I will take personal responsibility for transporting the 20,000 ventilators anywhere in this country that they want, once we are past our apex, Cuomo said. But dont leave them sitting in a stockpile, and say, Well, were going to wait and see how we allocate them across the country. Thats not how this works. It would be one thing if other states were in the same dire position as New York. But they arent. We have 10 times the number of cases as Washington and eight times that of California. New Yorkers are now locked in place, waiting for the wave to come. As of Tuesday night, Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, recommends that New Yorkers self-quarantine if they leave the state. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is ordering anyone flying in from New York to self-quarantine for 14 days upon landing. I guess Trump likes the numbers where they are. I have news for him: They wont stay that way. The idea that New York is an exception rather than a harbinger is madness. The rest of the country may regard New York as a black hole of need. But in fact the opposite has always been true; were forever sweeping more into the federal till than we receive in services. In 2018, according to the state comptrollers office, we gave $26.6 billion more to Washington than we got back, ranking us dead last for federal benefits. Now, we finally have a native New Yorker in the White House to do something about this discrepancy. Instead, hes the worst offender, and this time the consequences will be lethal. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 09:36:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting with his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, June 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) The mutual support between China and Kazakhstan, Xi said, reflects the high level and uniqueness of bilateral relations, and has set an example for international cooperation against the pandemic. BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday night that in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic the urgency and significance of building a community with a shared future for mankind have become even greater. He made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Xi pointed out that the coronavirus disease broke out with a vengeance and constitutes a big test for all countries. At the most difficult moment in China's battle against the epidemic, the Kazakh government and society offered China strong support, recalled the Chinese president. People wearing masks walk on the street in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, March 16, 2020. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua) Noting that now Kazakhstan is witnessing a spread of the contagious illness, Xi said China highly appreciates the fact that under Tokayev's leadership, Kazakhstan has taken swift and decisive measures, which demonstrates a responsible attitude towards all the people. As a friendly neighbor and permanent comprehensive strategic partner, China sympathizes with Kazakhstan's current situation, and will actively provide support and assistance, Xi said. The mutual support between China and Kazakhstan, he added, reflects the high level and uniqueness of bilateral relations, and has set an example for international cooperation against the pandemic. Viruses recognize no national borders and epidemics do not discriminate between races, Xi stressed, adding that in the battle against the current global public health crisis, the urgency and significance of building a community with a shared future for mankind have become even greater. Only with solidarity and cooperation can the international community prevail over the pandemic and safeguard the planet, the Chinese president pointed out. Firefighters gather to prepare for disinfection works at the Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 24, 2020. (Photo by He Hanqiu/Xinhua) China, he said, stands ready to work with Kazakhstan and all other countries to strengthen international cooperation against the pandemic and safeguard global public health security. The epidemic is temporary, but cooperation is everlasting, Xi said, noting that while posing challenges to bilateral cooperation, the disease also creates new opportunities. The two countries, he suggested, should unswervingly cement political mutual trust, expand cooperation in such areas as digital economy and health care, and foster new sources of growth for bilateral relations. Xi said he is confident that after the COVID-19 storm, China-Kazakhstan cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will bear more fruits. For his part, Tokayev said that under the wise leadership of Xi, the Chinese people have made outstanding achievements in COVID-19 prevention and control, bringing confidence and hope to people around the world. Nurses hold hands to cheer up for Wuhan at the makeshift Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, March 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Yuguo) The entire world has witnessed the superb performance of China's health care system and the great dedication of Chinese medical workers, and China has once again demonstrated its governance capacity in tackling complex and difficult challenges with high efficiency, said the president, expressing Kazakhstan's high appreciation and congratulations. At present, COVID-19 is spreading around the world, and Kazakhstan is not immune to it, said Tokayev, adding that Kazakhstan hopes to strengthen cooperation with China to overcome the epidemic at an early date. The Kazakh side, he said, is committed to deepening the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and promoting BRI cooperation, which fully serves the common interests of both peoples. Kazakhstan also stands ready to strengthen communication and cooperation with China within the frameworks of the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, he added. TORONTO, Canada, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian General Investments, Limited (CGI) (TSX: CGI) (TSX: CGI.PR.D) announced today that as a result of ongoing concerns related to the spread of COVID-19, in order to mitigate potential risks to the health and safety of its shareholders and other stakeholders, and taking into account the protocols that the federal, provincial and local governments have imposed and may impose going forward, CGI is advising shareholders and others not to attend in person CGIs annual general meeting of shareholders to be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 9:00 am (EST). Due to the circumstances, we will not be able to accommodate in-person attendance by eligible shareholders intending to do so. Shareholders are strongly encouraged to vote on the matters before the meeting by proxy, and to attend the annual meeting by way of a conference call. Registered shareholders should be sure to have their proxy form on hand in order to identify themselves to the meeting. Conference Call Details Please join the meeting by following the dial-in instructions noted below: Dial-in number: 1-800-747-5150 When prompted for the 7-digit access key, enter 6102582# and follow the remaining prompts. Please note that under the current circumstances, CGIs annual meeting will consist of a formal, business meeting only and there will be no investor presentation following the meeting. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Jonathan A. Morgan President & CEO Phone: (416) 366-2931 Fax: (416) 366-2729 e-mail: cgifund@mmainvestments.com website: www.canadiangeneralinvestments.ca Gage County is joining the growing list of Nebraska counties closing its courthouse to the public. The Board of Supervisors added an emergency item to the agenda of its regular Wednesday meeting to discuss closing the courthouse after the first presumably positive case of COVID-19 was identified in Gage County earlier this week. Board chairman Erich Tiemann said the doors would be locked to the public effective as soon as staff could put signs on the doors, though walk-in traffic would be allowed with an appointment. All business will still be conducted as usual, although with limited interaction with the public face to face, he said. The drop box is available, the internet is available, phone is available and we still have appointments ahead of time, if you need face to face contact to do your business. Special Services Sgt. Bryan Davidson, who heads courthouse security, said a station will be set up at the east entrance on the first floor of the building for those who need access to the building. For example, the treasurers office has dealers that bring in titles that need to be done, he said. They can call and prearrange to meet somebody at the entrance. (A courthouse employee) can take the titles back up there, call and tell them when theyre ready and meet them back down there so were limiting access to that one small area instead of having people come around. Both county and district courtrooms will remain open and continue to hold hearings. Outside the courthouse, the county road department and sheriffs office have also closed to the public. It was announced last week that that the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles will no longer be conducting driving tests statewide until further notice. Other counties in the area have decided to close their courthouses, including Saline County, where the courthouse was closed as of last Wednesday for everything except court proceedings. It was also announced that the Jefferson County Courthouse was closing to the public until further notice, also with an exception for those scheduled for court hearings. We were one of the last courthouses in our immediate area that was completely open to the public, Tiemann said. We switched last week to encouraging people to do things by phone and internet. This is just an additional step. Everyone is still at work, we can still process things, it just may be a little more inconvenient. Hopefully it protects staff and the public coming into the building. Theyre strange times were in right now. The closure has no scheduled end date, and the County Board plans to reevaluate the closure as it continues to hold regular meetings. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. March 24 (Reuters) - Bombardier pulled its 2020 outlook on Tuesday and said it would halt all non-essential work at most of its Canada-based operations until April 26 to help slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The Canadian company also said the suspension includes its aircraft and rail production activities in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Reuters had reported on Monday that Bombardier would suspend Canadian production of its corporate jets to comply with restrictions imposed by provincial governments. (Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a formal recommendation that public gatherings be postponed or canceled for the next eight weeks. For organizations that serve high-risk populations, the threshold is 10 people, though most churches arent even doing that. Easter worship (April 12) as weve known it is doomed. Early on, many pastors probably presumed that preaching to cameras rather than congregations wasnt going to encompass a whole season. Events are moving quickly from bad to worse. No doubt pastors worry that two months of canceled worship services will provide the proverbial straw to break the camels back of congregational decline. For years we preachers told our congregations how coming to church doesnt make you a Christian (usually followed by the tread-bare analogy about how being in a garage doesnt make you a car). We never really meant to be taken seriously. Fewer and fewer adults already report attending church in America. Whats going to happen when this last remnant gets used to spending Sundays at home? Like everything in this anxious moment, its too soon to tell. The first Easter found the most faithful huddled away from their congregations, hiding out with a different fear. Instead of a pandemic, the disciples were afraid of the religious and political authorities whod crucified Jesus and were likely coming after them too. Perhaps they also feared Jesus. After all, theyd sworn never to deny or disown him, but when everything went south, theyd scrambled and fled, leaving a small group of women to keep the faith afloat. And now Jesus was loose! The disciples socially-distant hideout proved a bad barrier. Jesus appeared in their midst (John 20:1921) to forgive and to bless and, a few weeks hence, to empower with his very Spirit. It is this same Holy Spirit who has empowered Christians to serve and to love through every crisisfrom pandemics to natural disasters and world wars. Researcher Lyman Stone reminds us how Christians historically sacrificed for others during epidemics and plagues. Christians built the first hospitals where caring for the sick could happen safely. Their courageous conviction to love and care for the least and the poor bore witness to the Spirits power. The result was more an expanding than diminishing church and the spread of the gospel. Controversially, Stone goes on to advocate for congregational worship for the sake of community. To be the body of Christ on earth requires we meet together as physical bodies. Stone adds that seeing one another in gathered space is not only a matter of supporting one another but a way to keep tabs on each others well-being. However, even if we do practice stringent hygiene and social distancing, coming together as congregations in the face of this pandemic actually mars our witness. Rather than looking courageous and faithful, we come off looking callous and even foolish, not unlike the snake handlers who insisted on playing with poison as a proof of true faith. Better the recent encouragement from Wheaton Colleges Esau McCaulley: The churchs absence, its literal emptying, can function as a symbol of its trust in Gods ability to meet us regardless of the location. The church remains the church whether gathered or scattered. The church remains the church online, too. During a season of illness when I couldnt attend church in person, I benefited from what theologian Deanna Thompson calls the virtual body of Christ. Relying on digital church during her own deadly illness, Thompson writes, I received a prayer shawl from my local church community on the day I was diagnosed, [but] through the spreading of my story digitally, five more prayer shawls arrived in the mail from church communities across the country. Its possible to read this as a (most wonderful) digital extension of the local church. In northeast Minneapolis at the beginning of the pandemic, pastor Stephanie OBrien reported that her congregation designed a flyer to distribute throughout the neighborhood offering childcare help, transportation, grocery shopping, or anything else to love their neighbors. Though not coming together as a large group to worship, they can, assisted by social media and virtual reality, provide physical hands and feet to people in critical need. This is happening all across the country. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we might expect other unexpected blessings during this pandemonious Lent: extra alms to donate to the poor, time to meditate and to pray, and a growing concern for the needs of the world and even the planet, the imposition of self-denial and silence. Turn to the Easter story proper and you find remarkable silence, the greatest in all Scripture. Nowhere does the Bible offer a description of the Resurrection itself, no language telling us how exactly how it happened, no speculation as to what went on in the tomb that first Easter morning. Instead, the risen Jesus simply and shockingly shows up to his disciples huddled in fear. In time, this merry band of uneducated fishermen, outcasts, and losers upended the Empire. Salvation arrived for all believing humanity. Read to the end of the New Testament, and this same gospel redeems the entire cosmos. All of this emanates out of a glorious emptiness we celebrate Easter morning, whether gathered or scattered. Daniel Harrell is Christianity Todays editor in chief. Advertisement A makeshift morgue has been set up outside a Manhattan hospital in a bid to handle any possible surge in coronavirus victims as the New York City death roll rose to 192 and officials warned the city's morgues were nearing capacity. Armed military personnel, NYPD and NYC Medical Examiner's Office employees were spotted outside Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital on Wednesday as crew members erected huge white tents as part of the makeshift facility. In addition to the dome-like tents, multiple refrigeration trucks were also lined up at the site in Midtown along 30th Street and the FDR Drive parkway. The coronavirus death toll in New York City has risen to 192 and there are now 17,000 confirmed cases, accounting for more than half the cases in the hardest-hit state in the nation. More than 2,800 people in the city are hospitalized because of the virus - double the figure from three days earlier - and more than 600 are being treated in intensive care. In New York state, there are now 30,000 coronavirus cases and the death toll is currently 285. There are currently about 53,000 beds and 3,000 intensive care unit beds in the state's hospitals. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state could need 140,000 beds and 40,000 ICU beds to cope with the outbreak. New York state currently has a 12 percent hospitalization rate in relation to coronavirus, according to Cuomo. A makeshift morgue was set up outside Bellevue Hospital in New York City hospital on Wednesday in a bid to handle any possible surge in coronavirus victims Multiple refrigeration trucks were lined up at the makeshift morgue site along 30th Street and the FDR Drive parkway near Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan It comes as health officials said morgues in New York city were expected to reach capacity within a week, Politico reports. Sources said some morgues had already hit capacity within the past seven days. Morgues run by the Medical Examiner's office, which stretches across all five boroughs, have the capacity to hold 900 bodies. New York has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for emergency mortuary assistance as the pandemic worsens. The federal government sent emergency mortuary assistance following the 9/11 attacks in NYC. Cuomo said state measures to control the coronavirus appeared to be working as the rate of hospitalizations has slowed in recent days. 'Now that is almost too good to be true,' he said. 'This is a very good sign and a positive sign, again not 100% sure it holds, or it's accurate but the arrows are headed in the right direction.' He had earlier predicted the state could be as close as two weeks away from a crisis that sees 40,000 people in intensive care. Such a surge would overwhelm hospitals, which now have just 3,000 intensive care unit beds statewide. 'We are not slowing it. And it is accelerating on its own,' Cuomo said. 'One of the forecasters said we were looking at a freight train coming across the country. We're now looking at a bullet train,' he said. White House officials said Tuesday that anyone who has recently been to New York should self quarantine for 14 days. Dr Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House task force, warned that people leaving the hardest hit area of the US might not be sick but could have been exposed to the virus. 'We remain deeply concerned about New York City and the New York metro area. About 56 percent of all cases in the United States are coming out of the NY metro area,' she said. New York City hospitals have become the war-zone-like epicenter of the nation's coronavirus crisis as the number of cases continue to increase. Faced with an infection rate that is five times that of the rest of the country, health workers are putting themselves at risk to fight a tide of sickness that's getting worse by the day amid a shortage of needed supplies and promises of help from the federal government that have yet to fully materialize. 'You're on 100% of the time no matter what,' said Dr Jolion McGreevy, medical director of The Mount Sinai Hospital emergency department. 'It's been a month of full force, and that's certainly very stressful.' Armed military personnel, NYPD and NYC Medical Examiner's Office employees were spotted outside Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital on Wednesday as crew members erected huge white tents as part of the makeshift facility Crew members erected huge white tents on Wednesday as part of the makeshift facility Workers were spotted fitting out the inside of the white tents that were erected as a makeshift morgue outside the Bellevue Hospital The dome-like tents were set up in Midtown along 30th Street and the FDR Drive parkway on Wednesday as crews worked to set up the site Medical Examiner trucks were spotted outside the hospital on Wednesday as the makeshift morgue facilities were constructed Refrigeration trucks are in place as workers build a makeshift morgue outside of Bellevue Hospital to handle an expected surge in Coronavirus victims Military personnel and members of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner wore masks as the morgue facilities were built outside the hospital on Wednesday Patients initially showed up with fairly mild symptoms, ranging from a runny nose to a mild fever, concerned they contracted coronavirus. That shifted over the past week, McGreevy said, and now hospitals are receiving far sicker patients in need of life-saving intervention. 'These are people in severe respiratory distress, needing to be intubated and needing the intensive care unit,' he said. 'We knew it was coming. We saw it in Italy and other places so we were prepared for it, and now we're seeing it.' Dr Craig Spencer, who survived a bout of Ebola in 2014 and now is director of global health in emergency medicine at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, tweeted on Tuesday of a 'cacophony of coughing' in the ER, saying nearly every patient he encounters has the same symptoms, regardless of age: a persistent hack, shortness of breath and fever. 'You're afraid to take off the mask,' he said. 'It's the only thing that protects you.' Smith said hospitals in the New York-Presbyterian system are burning through about 40,000 masks a day amid the crisis - about 10 times the normal amount - and have begun issuing staff members just one each day. Mayor Bill De Blasio said about 2.2 million masks were delivered to hospitals Monday, with additional supplies en route from the state and federal governments. But he said there would have to be a lot more where that came from. New York City hospitals have become the war-zone-like epicenter of the nation's coronavirus crisis as the number of cases continue to increase Military personnel and Medical Examiner employees worked alongside each other wearing masks at the site on Wednesday Armed military personnel and NYC Medical Examiner's Office employees were spotted outside Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital on Wednesday as the facility was erected A tent is under construction as workers build a makeshift morgue outside of Bellevue Hospital on Wednesday Dozens of workers could be seen early Wednesday erecting the white, dome-like tents at the site near the hospital Workers moved around medical supplies and construction equipment on Wednesday in preparation for a potential surge in coronavirus victims 'If we run out of it, it's like sending a soldier into war where everyone else has armor and we don't have armor,' said Dr. Joseph Habboushe, an emergency room physician at NYU Langone Medical Center. The city's health department last week advised health professionals to continue working after exposure rather than self-quarantining unless they show symptoms. 'The more we hear about doctors and nurses getting sick, the more we get nervous,' said Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, director of global health at Northwell Health. 'It's definitely on the mind of every health care worker in America. We don't want to be in a position where we're making decisions based on resources rather than the clinical care of patients.' Cioe-Pena has been following what he calls a 'decontamination routine' after every shift, in which he wipes down his phone and washes both his scrubs and street clothes. 'We've ventured into a battle,' he said. Across the city, health care workers, hospital administrators and public officials were scrambling to preserve precious gear and find more treatment space before they were overwhelmed. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center was being converted into a 1,000-bed hospital, and a fully staffed and equipped Naval hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, was expected to arrive within two weeks to provide another 1,000 beds, not for coronavirus patients but to provide relief to hospitals dealing with them. UPDATE: The new way to file a complaint is by submitting it through an online form on the states website. Less than an hour after Gov. Phil Murphy provided a phone number to file complaints against employers in New Jersey violating his executive order to combat the coronavirus, the phone line became overloaded and was redirecting emergency calls, officials said. During his daily press briefing on the outbreak, Murphy said some non-essential businesses have been defying his order for employees to only come in if they are deemed essential or to work from home. It is an order, the governor said. No one, and I mean no one, who can do their job from home should be going to the office. Murphy shared a phone number for people to report the businesses. By 3:30, the call line was overwhelmed with phone numbers, and people found their calls redirected to other state offices. Shortly after NJ Advance Media posted the story with the telephone number, a State Police official asked the number to be taken down because the phone line was getting overloaded and it was interfering with emergency calls. The number of calls was inundating a line thats dedicated to other purposes, Sgt. Lawrence Peele said, noting several of those were law enforcement sensitive calls. One reporter who called the original number said she was redirected to the states Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness tip line. A spokesman for Murphys office said theyre working to put a new link on the website where employees can file complaints. On Tuesday, Murphy announced the state has at least 3,675 known cases of COVID-19 the illness caused by the virus including 44 deaths throughout the state. That makes New Jersey the state with the second most coronavirus cases in the country, after neighboring New York. The number of confirmed cases in New Jersey has skyrocketed in recent days as new government-run testing centers draw large lines of people seeking to discover if theyve contracted the virus that has spread across the world. State officials say they expect the numbers to keep increase thanks to more testing and more evidence of community spread of the virus, which causes the illness COVID-19. Murphy has taken dramatic actions to limit human interaction in an effort to slow the spread of the virus by closing all schools in the state, ordering people to stay at home except for necessary travel, banning social gatherings, and ordering non-essential businesses to close until further notice. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Gandhinagar, March 26 : Gujarat saw its second death due to coronavirus on Wednesday, as an 85-year-old woman died following health complications due to Covid-19 infection. The 85-year-old woman from Danilimda, Ahmedabad was admitted in the Ahmedabad Civil hospital on March 22 after returning from abroad on her complaint. She was a co-morbid patient having many complications and succumbed on Wednesday. A 67-year-old man, who was also co-morbid, had died in Surat on Sunday. He had been infected locally. The state has had a total of 38 positive cases as on Wednesday - 14 in Ahmedabad, seven each in Surat and Vadodara, six in Gandhinagar, three in Rajkot and one in Kutch. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 14:00:39|Editor: zyl Video Player Close BANGKOK, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Effective from Wednesday, all commuters using all rail systems, including the sky train and underground trains, are required to wear masks, according to the website of the Thai Ministry of Transport on Wednesday. It also said that face masks will be available for sale at entrances to train stations for those who need them. The ministry said the measure announced is in compliance with the Ministry of Public Health's guideline on prevention of transmission of the COVID-19. However, train passengers are also required to maintain space while in the train and passengers must have their temperature taken at station entrances. The measure applies to all rail services. The Ministry of Public Health on Wednesday announced 107 new cases of the COVID-19, tallying a total of 934 cases. The ministry said 860 cases are under treatment, 70 have recovered and been discharged, and there have been four deaths. PHILADELPHIA, March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Berger Montague is investigating securities fraud claims against Aaron's, Inc. ("Aaron's" or the "Company") on behalf of all purchasers of Aaron's common stock (NYSE: AAN) between March 2, 2018 and February 19, 2020 (the "Class Period"). If you purchased Aaron's shares, have information, would like to discuss this investigation, or have any questions concerning your rights or interests, please contact our attorneys Michael Dell'Angelo, Esq. at (215) 875-3080 or Andrew Abramowitz, Esq. at (215) 875-3015, or visit www.bergermontague.com/aarons-inc. This lawsuit alleges that Aaron's falsely portrayed its compliance and disclosure procedures, and that those deficiencies came to light when certain of the Company's business segments were deemed in violation of the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC"). On February 20, 2020, in announcing its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2019, Aaron's reported that its Progressive segment had reached an agreement with the FTC regarding a Civil Investigative Demand made on the Company in July 2018. That proposed agreement entailed a payment in the amount of $175 million, as well as a host of enhanced compliance measures. On this news, shares of Aaron's dropped 19%, or $10.70, to close at $45.45 per share. If you purchased Aaron's common stock during the Class Period, you may seek Court appointment as lead plaintiff to represent other injured investors in a class action. The lead plaintiff appointment deadline is April 28, 2020. You do not need to be a lead plaintiff to share in any potential class recovery. Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Aaron's should consider their options to help Berger Montague's investigation. Berger Montague, with offices in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and San Diego, has been a pioneer in securities class action litigation since its founding in 1970. Berger Montague has represented individual and institutional investors for five decades and serves as lead counsel in courts throughout the United States. Contacts Michael Dell'Angelo, Managing Shareholder Berger Montague (215) 875-3080 [email protected] Andrew Abramowitz, Senior Counsel Berger Montague (215) 875-3015 [email protected] SOURCE Berger Montague Related Links https://www.bergermontague.com New Delhi, March 25 : More than 200 students stuck at the Almaty airport in Kazakhstan following curbs in that country against the coronavirus pandemic are desperate to return home. Forced to live in rented rooms near the Almaty airport, a student told IANS that local authorities were "harassing" them. "They are misbehaving, heckling and abusing us... they are not giving us a clear answer and continuosly telling us to leave the airport. It's becoming very difficult as we are short of funds and live in rented rooms near the airport," Shaikh Zarinuddin Quraishi, a fourth year MBBS student at Semey Medical University, told IANS. Narrating the scene at the airport five days back, Quraishi said, "When we reached the airport, there was a huge crowd of Indian students from different universities of Kazakhstan... there was a complete chaos. Airport officials and security persons guarding the airline's office were miserable; security people were misbehaving with us and weren't allowing us to go to the airline's office to know about our ticket and flight schedule status. We were completely helpless." "We were trying to board the last flight. But the airlines, instead of rescheduling our tickets, demanded huge amounts -- Rs 50-60 thousand for an economy ticket and 1.20 lakh-1.50 lakh for an upgrade to business class. Even after paying up, the boarding officer refused to issue boarding passes to some of my friends, saying seats were unavailable. They were cancelling pre-booked tickets and issuing new tickets to make a fast buck," he said. "One of my friends started crying as his ticket purchased a week before was cancelled at the boarding counter," he said. Quraishi said the Indian embassy was cooperative, but the officials were unable to intervene as the embassy is in Astana (Nursultan) and the students were stranded at Almaty. "They were taking our calls and secretary Ramalingan was always there to answer us," he said. He said noe of them has so far been tested for COVID-19, saying it would happen once they land in Delhi. "We would definitely undergo all security checks and medical inspection for COVID-19. We are studying medicine here and we are future doctors, so we are aware about the spread of the disease. And above that, we all are humans and we care for our health as much as for our family and others around us. We are ready to go for quarantine if required," Quraishi said. Another desperate MBBS student from Semey University said, "Take us back from here to India. We are not safe here, our lives are at risk." "We are living in groups in different places near the Almaty airport. The officials have told us to take up our case with our government," he added. He alleged that even renting rooms is a big problem because of discrimination. "We were turned out from our rented accommodation at night and the owner charged us heavily the next day when we left," he said. Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court directed the the government to appoint a nodal officer from Indian embassy in Kazakhstan to ensure the safety and well-being of Indian students stranded at Almaty airport due to corona outbreak. A division bench of the High Court presided over by Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh asked the government to communicate the details and other necessary particulars of the nodal officer so appointed, including his name and telephone number, to the students stranded there. The bench asked the authorities to expeditiously provide students with basic amenities and humanitarian assistance in terms of food, medical care and lodging and transportation, as may be necessary. The court also directed the Centre that the details can also be uploaded on the official website of the Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan as well as on the website of the Ministry of External Affairs. The court was hearing a petition filed by Sehla Saira through advocate Fouzia in which the bench was informed that several Indian students, who are enrolled for higher studies,including MBBS, at Semey Medical University in Kazakhstan are stranded without food, water, transportation and medical aid. A South Jersey cop who was fired for allegedly using excessive force against a man who ran from a traffic stop is suing his former employer to get his job back. The man he is accused of beating up has also filed a lawsuit. Eduardo Diaz worked as a Clayton police officer for 13 years before he was fired last month over his treatment of Richard L. Rolle during a March 2018 traffic stop. Rolle claims he suffered serious injuries in the incident. Diaz was accused of punching Rolle and dropping his body weight onto the man after he had been handcuffed, according to disciplinary charges filed by the borough against the officer. Rolle was apparently moving around after being handcuffed and Diaz was accused of failing to consider that Rolle may have been trying to move because he was unable to breath due to positional asphyxiation. The officer was accused of ignoring or failing to hear Mr. Rolles pleas that he could not breathe, according to one of the disciplinary charges. The borough also alleged that the officer used "unprofessional speech toward Rolle, by saying You want to run and fight, this is what the f you get. Another charge referenced a prior incident in which Diaz had been disciplined. Ptlm. Diaz also failed to realize that it was improper to strike a handcuffed man. Even after a previous incident where he had received discipline and remedial training, according to the preliminary notice of disciplinary action. Diaz was found guilty on 17 of 20 disciplinary charges and a hearing officer recommended his termination. He filed suit in Superior Court on Feb. 18 seeking dismissal of the charges against him or a modification of the excessive and disproportionate penalty imposed upon him. The hearing officers findings were against the weight of the evidence and should be overturned for a lack of evidence, the suit states. Obviously, we want to overturn the finding that he did anything wrong, said Diazs attorney, Timothy J.P. Quinlan. I would certainly hope that anybody who listens to the audio that the one officer had on his body camera would say that he didnt do anything wrong. The arrest of Diaz could have saved lives, the attorney argued. Five minutes in a cornfield a little after midnight trying to arrest someone If he hadnt been pulled over, God knows he could have killed someone and heres Diaz losing his job over it. Its a disgrace. Court records indicate that Rolles original charges included disorderly person offenses for illegal possession of Xanax, but those counts were dismissed. Rolles lawsuit, which was also filed in Superior Court, claims he was beaten by two cops in the incident. Clayton Special Officer James D. Langlois stopped Rolles vehicle on March 25, 2018. After Langlois requested Rolles license and registration, he requested Diaz report to the scene to assist with the stop. At some point, Rolle got out of his vehicle and ran into a nearby farm field. As Diaz arrived on the scene, he drove into the field to pursue Rolle, then chased him on foot, according to Rolles suit. The officers tackled Rolle and without necessity to arrest him, beat him with their hands, fists and feet all over his body and continued beating him after he was handcuffed, according to Rolle. He suffered a fractured vertebrae, rib and orbital bone, his suit states. Rolles attorney, Kenneth D. Aita, said the incident has left his client physically and emotionally traumatized. The officers involved brutally beat Mr. Rolle both before and after he was secured in handcuffs, Aita said. He is extremely lucky to be alive and not paralyzed. Rolle was charged with a number of offenses, Aita said, including aggravated assault on police officers and traffic violations. He entered a plea to obstruction and all assault charges were dismissed. Rolle was sentenced to time in county jail and has since been released. Diaz was also cited by the borough for failing to turn on his body camera during the encounter. Audio of the incident was captured via Langlois camera. In addition to the officers, Rolles suit names the borough, the police department and Clayton Police Chief Andrew Davis as defendants. The suit alleges excessive force, violation of the New Jersey Civil Rights Act and failure to train, supervise and discipline the officers. Rolle seeks compensatory and punitive damages. Borough officials declined to comment on the lawsuits, but issued a statement confirming Diaz was fired. "The actions of Officer Diaz in no way reflect the professionalism of the Clayton Police Department or its dedicated officers who proudly serve the Borough on a daily basis. The Borough has terminated this officers employment. Diaz had four recorded uses of force between 2012 and 2016, according to NJ.coms Force Report, which chronicled statewide police use of force incidents during those years. He used hands and fists in one incident, compliance holds in two others and hands/fists, leg strikes and a compliance hold in the fourth case. The average incidents per officer who used force over that four-year span in New Jersey was 4.1. The Gloucester County Prosecutors Office reviewed the case involving Rolle and declined to charge Diaz with criminal offenses, but referred the matter back to the borough for consideration of administrative charges. Langlois was placed on administrative leave following the incident and left the department while still on leave. He was not disciplined over the matter. The lawsuits were first reported by open public records advocate John Paff. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. SIU using innovative ways to recruit new Salukis by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. Southern Illinois University Carbondale Chancellor John M. Dunn likes to say, Its personal; were here to serve our students. The message holds true for future students, as well. Personal contact is at the heart of student recruitment, and were elevating it even further, said John Frost, director of undergraduate admissions. While were observing social distancing, were connecting with our future Salukis in multiple ways. Staff available to help in any way Recruiting is still very much continuing even with on-campus tours and campus visit programs temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Frost said. For the students, planning their future hasnt stopped. Were here to help them through the process of getting where they want to go, Frost said. Were doing everything we can to let students and families know were here to help. Some things havent changed. Phone calls are answered and returned, and its still easy to contact the admissions staff via email all are checking and responding to their campus email addresses. They are also readily accessible via various types of social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Activity has ramped up on the SIU Class of 2024 Facebook page as well. Admissions personnel are also maximizing usage of a new constituent relationship management system that coordinates communications, applications and other functions, she said. Informational emails are being sent to keep future Salukis informed. Video outreach The admissions team has added personal video messaging to their outreach toolbox. Prospective students who have already been in contact with SIU recruiters are getting special video messages from their recruiters letting them know how to stay in contact and reminding them that registration begins April 6. Theyll also be reminded of timelines for signing University Housing contracts and other relevant deadlines. The recruiters are young and relatable, said Jennifer Phillips, associate director of undergraduate admissions. And they are very interested in helping future Salukis. That means they are accessible, available and ready to chat one-on-one. They form connections and relationships with the students they talk to, she added. They really care about the students. Future Salukis and their parents have been responding very positively to the videos and contacts from SIU representatives, Frost said. Connecting to other resources But the message doesnt end there, according to Frost and Phillips. If incoming or prospective students have questions about virtually anything they need to know before starting college, admissions staff can be the place to start the quest for answers. Were really good at being conduits for other departments and offices too, Phillips said. The staff connects student and family inquiries with the appropriate personnel in the financial aid and registrars offices, University Housing or any other campus office or department that can assist with student questions or needs. Making new contacts Reaching out to new prospective students or others who havent yet been admitted is also being done in new and innovative ways, according to Frost. Virtual connections, videoconferencing calls and other avenues for connecting have been put in place or are being explored. And while on-campus visits and tours are temporarily suspended, prospective students can still see SIU for themselves thanks to a virtual tour available online at siu.university-tour.com. They can also explore what SIU can do for them via personalized viewbooks, which they can easily create online based upon individual interests. A quick email to admissions@siu.edu will get a prompt response, too. Prospects can also learn more about SIU online and explore academic programs at siu.edu/academics. Admissions staff are also continuing to work with personnel from community colleges to connect with transfer students who are prospective Salukis. Fall will come The one upside to the current situation is that with stay-in-place directives enacted in Illinois and many states, high school and transfer students who are often typically very busy and hard to connect with are now more reachable, Phillips said. Frost and Phillips encourage people to remember one thing: SIU will be there for them. August is still going to come. Were still going to be here, Phillips said. This is a trying time but getting ready for college is an exciting time. We are here for you! We are looking at this as an opportunity instead of a setback an opportunity to be inspirational as well as informational, Frost said. The Australian government has announced full restrictions on all beauty therapy, including tanning, waxing, nail salons, spas and tattoo parlours, beginning from midnight on Wednesday. The only services exempt from the new 'draconian' measures are hairdressers and barbers, who are permitted to continue so long as they strictly manage social distancing and the patrons only stay on the premises for 30 minutes. However, this isn't necessarily long enough for women to get their roots touched up or colour applied - it's just enough time for a simple cut. To help Australian women (and men) navigate these new rules, beauty experts have revealed to FEMAIL just how long you can last without getting your nails, cosmetic treatments and laser hair removal done - and how to conduct some of those treatments at home. Scroll down for video NAILS If you've just had varnish applied to your fingernails or toenails by a technician, fear not, this can simply be taken off with alcohol-based nail polish remover when it starts to chip. The bigger problem is for those who have had SNS or acrylic nails applied in recent days and will require a top-up in the coming weeks. According to Good Housekeeping, SNS - otherwise known as a dip powder manicure - can last two or three weeks without chipping or fading, making them comparable to gel-applied nails in terms of staying power. USA Nails salon in the affluent Sydney suburb of Double Bay was crammed with women early on Wednesday, desperate for one last beauty treatment before new coronavirus regulations come into force Despite being seated in their usual positions, the store manager claimed they were complying with social distancing regulations A full set of of acrylic nails - which are created by brushing a combination of liquid (monomer) and powder (polymer) onto your nails before shaping and air-drying them - can last six to eight weeks but ordinarily you'd need to head into a salon every three weeks to 'fill in' the growth. As this will no longer be possible under the new rules it's important to know how to safely remove the nails while at home. A nail technician posted in The Makeup Social with a foolproof method, with many saying they had tried it on gel, acrylic and SNS - and it had been successful. To start with you must hand file the top clear coat of nail varnish off first. Then fill a metal or ceramic bowl with just enough acetone to cover your nails. Just around the corner at Le Nails Day Spa, women - young and old - were allowed to sit next to each other in massage recliner chars, or at tables while receiving a manicure A nail technician posted in The Makeup Social with a foolproof method, with many saying they had tried it on gel, acrylic and SNS - and it had been successful Soak them in the mixture for a minimum of 15 minutes. When you pull them out the nails should look 'gooey' and melted, if they don't, you haven't taken enough of the clear top layer off. 'Now buff the nails as much as you can until it becomes too hard to get off,' she said. Repeat the soaking and buffing procedure until there is no acrylic, gel or SNS lacquer on your nail, although it's important to buff slowly to reduce the damage to your natural nail. Once you're satisfied ensure you moisturise your fingernails and nail beds as much as possible because the alcohol from the mixture will dry them out. It is possible to apply your fake nails at home but it is a delicate process and requires a number of products - including a lamp, chemical powders, nail primers and cuticle removers - so for the sake of your natural nails, this is not recommended for amateurs. Repeat the soaking and buffing procedure until there is no acrylic, gel or SNS lacquer on your nail, although it's important to buff slowly to reduce the damage to your natural nail LASER HAIR REMOVAL Even if you managed to schedule in a visit to your laser hair technician on Wednesday evening you are still going to have to re-visit them in four to six weeks if the hair was on your face, or eight to ten weeks for top ups on your body hair. If you miss your appointment beyond the 10-week mark you'll likely need more treatments to remove the hair in general because the growth phases have been interrupted. Hair grows in three stages: the anagen (growth) stage, the catagen (transitional) stage and the telogen (resting) stage. Dylan Mullan is the inventor of Happy Skin Co Professionals space out treatment sessions to target hair follicles in the growth (anagen) stage but not all hair follicles will be in the same stage at the same time. For this reason, skipping an appointment could lead to increased hair regrowth post treatment due to missed hair follicles, or a longer treatment period, Glow med spa reported. A simple way to continue removing hair is to invest in a portable machine, like the $299 device created by entrepreneur Dylan Mullan called Happy Skin Co. Australian-owned and made it's the first company to launch an at-home Intense Pulsed Light laser hair removal handset. His $299 device works in the same way the in-clinic laser treatments do but can be done at home (Tammy Hembrow pictured) The handsets work because the light energy from IPL is absorbed by the melanin in the hair, which then turns to heat and destroys the hair cells The handsets work because the light energy from IPL is absorbed by the melanin in the hair, which then turns to heat and destroys the hair cells. 'Most people will see complete results by the time they've completed their 12th session, so long as they zap the area once a week. At this point, hair generally stops growing completely however this doesn't mean it will never grow back,' Mr Mullan told FEMAIL. 'You actually have to be careful when anyone claims "permanent" laser hair removal as all forms of laser hair removal will require maintenance or eventually the hairs will start growing back. 'After completing your initial session, you would only have to use your handset about once every three months to maintain smooth, hairless skin.' BROWS National Brow Artist Hannah Mutze While brow services are a luxury - and tend to be booked in every four to six weeks for a tidy up - National Brow Artist for Benefit Cosmetics Australia Hannah Mutze said we can certainly survive with fluffier, less defines brows if we have to. She told FEMAIL that it's 'actually quite easy' to maintain your shape at home by avoiding tweezing every couple of days, because it interferes with the natural growth cycle, and instead setting aside time every two to four weeks for a full tidy up. 'At-home waxing is risky business, DIY tweezing/plucking is a much safer and easier option,' Miss Mutze said. Tips for keeping your eyebrows in shape at home: * Avoid magnifying mirrors and opt for natural light when you're tidying them * Don't tweeze every few days because it interferes with the natural growth cycle * Invest in a quality pair of slant tip tweezers by Benefit or Tweezerman * You'll also need a spoolie brush, a brow pencil and cosmetic scissors to create shape Advertisement 'Invest in a quality pair of slant tip tweezers (Benefit have a great pair as do Tweezerman) and use these to maintain your brows. 'You'll also need a spoolie brush or similar, a brow pencil to trace your shape and if you have long/curly or unruly brows, get yourself a pair of small nail/cosmetic scissors for some at home tweezing.' Use your brow pencil to draw an outline around the shape of your brows and exaggerate the thickness of your brows to make sure you don't take a couple of hairs too many and keep the lines straight as opposed to curved. 'Use this line as a guide when tweezing and only remove hairs that sit outside these lines,' she said. For precise lines, align the flat edge of your tweezers with the straight line of your brow outline, this will also make gripping the hair a little easier. Remove hairs one by one, and always pull in the same direction the hair grows in (this will change depending on what area you are working on). Support the skin by gently pulling it tight with your non tweezing hand. 'If in doubt, resort to brow products to keep your brows looking groomed,' she said If you do decide to tint, these are Miss Mutze's tips: At home tinting is easier than you think. * Follow the instructions on the box/packet completely * Do a patch test * Use Vaseline or pawpaw ointment to outline around your brow shape to prevent staining your skin Advertisement To trim, use your spoolie to brush your brow hairs up, then with your scissors trim away the excess length that extends above the natural line of your brow. Go slowly, and snip hairs one-by-one or a couple at a time to prevent blunt edges. 'If in doubt, resort to brow products to keep your brows looking groomed,' she said. 'Tinted brow gels like Gimme Brow+ are the easiest way to fake a brow tint, just brush through and you're good to go. 'Curly/unruly brows will love a clear brow gel like 24hr Brow Setter to set hairs in place, the strong hold will prevent any hairs acting out throughout the day.' WAXING If you're used to waxing your underarms, legs, arms and bikini line every four to six weeks you'll need to turn your attention to at-home treatments after midnight tonight. But a seemingly 'crazy' hack video shared on the Facebook group Five Minute Crafts reveals how you can make your own body wax using sugar, water and lemon juice. The clip suggests combining a cup of sugar, a quarter of a cup of water and a quarter of a cup of lemon juice in a hot saucepan. Regular trips to the salon for a wax can be a costly business - but there may be a cheaper way to banish your unwanted leg hair: a DIY sugar wax After giving it a good stir, let the concoction boil for five to seven minutes, at which point its texture changes into a thick, honey-like substance After giving it a good stir, let the concoction boil for five to seven minutes, at which point its texture changes into a thicker, honey-like substance. Pour the mixture into a bowl and allow it to become cool to touch - which usually takes between 10 and 20 minutes. Then smear it onto an area and pull it back off against the grain of the hair. Known in the beauty industry as 'sugaring' it is said to be a safe and natural way of removing body hair using at-home ingredients. It should prevent hair from growing back for the same amount of time that regular waxing would do. Pour the mixture into a bowl and allow it to become cool to touch - which usually takes between 10 and 20 minutes No sooner had the volunteer in the video spread the thick golden gloop across their skin, they then rapidly ripped it off, taking the hair with it TANNING Those who like to look bronzed all year round have the least to worry about in the beauty department, because there are a range of faux tanning products you can apply at home. While you'd normally spend $25-$30 visiting a professional salon, you can purchase products like Isle of Paradise ($39), Bondi Sands ($17-$20) and Eco Tan ($34.95) that can be used upwards of eight times over. British-born Jules Von Hep has bronzed the likes of Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and Lily James before starting his own brand, called Isle of Paradise, which is available in Australian Mecca stores. British-born Jules Von Hep (pictured) bronzed the likes of Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and Lily James before starting his own brand called Isle of Paradise The successful beauty guru told recommends a tanning schedule of two weeks 'on' and one week 'off', giving your skin time to breathe between treatments. Otherwise you'll constantly be reapplying over tan residue, causing a build up and not-so-clean looking application. When it's your 'on' week, start by exfoliating two days before you're going to apply the product, as well as the night before. The successful beauty guru recommends a tanning schedule of two weeks 'on' and one week 'off', giving your skin time to breathe between treatments What are Jules Von Hep's best tanning tips? 1. Don't tan every week. Instead have two weeks 'on' and one week 'off' to allow your skin to breathe and prevent tan residue from building up. 2. Exfoliate two days before applying fake tan and the day before as well. 3. Have a cold shower before applying your tan to close your pores. 4. Wait five minutes after getting out of the shower before putting fake tan on. 5. Moisturise 'dry patches' before application and after to reduce the risk of any orange areas. 6. Always remove deodorant before applying fake tan to stop your skin turning green. Advertisement So if your tanning night is Friday use an exfoliating glove to scrub away dead skin on Wednesday night and then try a chemical exfoliant on Thursday evening. Before you swipe the brown mousse down your leg, have a cold shower to ensure any open pores have been closed and wait at least five minutes after getting out of the water before putting it on. This is because freshly washed skin isn't hydrated enough to soak up the tanning chemicals, so you'll want to put on a light coating of moisturiser to help with the process. His favourite moisturiser to use on your wrists, feet, ankles and knees ahead of a tanning day is Vaseline's Intensive Care Body Lotion Aloe Soothe ($12.99). Finally, remove all manner of deodorant and and fragrance from your skin before a treatment because the ingredients will cause the area to turn green. Shani Grimmond (pictured) posed with the bottle of fake tan as she showcased her transformation using Bondi Sands at-home products HAIR Michael Piastrino from Ibiza Hair Hairdressers and barbers are allowed to remain open for the time being, so long as they have a four metre square radius around each patron and only allow them to stay in the premises for 30 minutes. This isn't enough time to colour, tone and tint your strands, but some pros have lended their expertise to help you master your favourite look at home. Revlon Professional and hairdresser Michael Piastrino from Ibiza Hair in Victoria said he would normally encourage a client who was unable to attend their next appointment to use the Eksperience Color Protection range for coloured and treated hair because it creates a protective barrier to maintain colour. Hairdressers and barbers are allowed to remain open for the time being, so long as they have a four metre square radius around each patron and only allow them to stay in the premises for 30 minutes Hairdresser Jaye Edwards shares his best tips for at-home treatments: As Australia braces for an avalanche of business closures and weeks - if not months - of social distancing, Mr Edwards says this is the perfect opportunity to let your hair rest and breathe. He shared these tips with Daily Mail Australia. Jaye Edwards blow drying a mannequin 1. Avoid heat styling: Take the chance to air dry your hair and leave straighteners, curlers and crimpers to the side until this is all over. 2. Invest in a good leave-in conditioner: Mr Edwards' favourite is the $42 'Refresh and Purifying Leave-In Conditioner' from Virtue Labs. 3. Start bonding your hair: Bond building products are designed to prevent damage and protect your hair from chemicals found in permanent dyes. High quality bonding products repair hair and reconnect damaged strands, making hair softer and stronger. Mr Edwards' go-to bond builder is Redken's pH Bonder which costs $33 for 150ml. 4. Treat yourself to a mask: Hair masks are famous for adding shine, softness and moisture to dull, lacklustre locks. They also reduce frizz and hydrate the scalp, making it healthier and less inclined to flake. Mr Edwards recommends the $30 Restorative Treatment Mask from Virtue Labs, which should be left on for five minutes for best results. Source: Jaye Edwards Advertisement 'Using the hair cleanser and sealing mask adds extra colour protection, which in turn preserves colour,' Mr Piastrino told FEMAIL. To ensure your hair looks well looked after - even in isolation - he recommends eating protein-rich foods, avoiding heat styling tools where possible, skipping the daily shampoo to prevent breakage and frizz and finish your shower with a cool rinse. 'I recommend using the UNIQONE SUPER10R Hair Mask to strengthen, nourish, and repair hair that is damaged or has split ends,' he said. 'Also, we encourage using a microfiber hair towel to soak up water quickly so minimal damage is caused when rubbing hair into a frizzy state to get it dry.' For men with a fade it's important to use a nourishing conditioner to help maintain it. 'Conditioners give your hair extra moisture, protect your hair from drying out and losing too many oils,' he said. 'The American Crew Daily Hair Shampoo and Conditioner is a gentle, natural cleanser and conditioner that doesn't strip natural oils from the hair. Well cared for hair will grow healthier and the haircut will last longer. THE BEST SUPERMARKET HAIR DYES IN AUSTRALIA For all hair colours: Clairol Natural Instincts -$28 AUD For blondes: Brilliant Silver White Hair Toner For brunettes: Revlon ColorSilk - $19 AUD For black hair: Clairol Nice 'n Easy - $43 AUD For red hair: Revlon ColorSilk -$19 AUD For highlights: L'Oreal Superior Preference Glam Lights - $22.50 AUD Source: Good Housekeeping Advertisement Jaye Edwards, owner of Edwards and Co salons, has already transferred much of his business online, creating 'home colour kits' which clients can use to treat their own hair until restrictions are lifted. He told FEMAIL he is already shipping dozens of kits to clients across the country, providing them with their choice of dye, brush and mixing bowl, towel, gloves, foils to prevent colour transfer and detailed instructions on application. Basic kits start from $119.95 with free shipping and contain enough dye and equipment to colour hair three times, making them an purchase for anyone practicing social distancing or living in self-isolation. Mr Edwards and his team are also offering $25 FaceTime consultations for new customers to help them find their perfect colour match. LASHES Eyelash extensions are applied by a technician who hand-glues the extensions on top of your natural lashes, under normal circumstances. As their personal services will no longer be required - but need to be put back on every six to eight weeks after they fall out like your natural lashes do - it's worth having another option in mind. You can purchase individual lashes, like those from Ardell for $10 at Priceline, or an entire strip of lashes for $28, like that sold by Huda Beauty. Eyelash extensions are applied by a technician who hand-glues the extensions on top of your natural lashes, under normal circumstances You can purchase individual lashes, like those from Ardell for $10 at Priceline (pictured) Otherwise a good quality mascara and eyelash curler can do just as good a job, for a temporary time, like the Covergirl Lashblast Mascara Waterproof Very Black ($15.99). Experts don't recommended that you try and expertly apply extensions at home if you don't have the professional glue or application tools. COSMETIC INJECTABLES Founder of The Manse Clinic in Sydney, Dr Naomi McCullum, understands that her patients will miss their regular cosmetic injectables, which will cease from midnight on Wednesday. 'Patients will last about three months after their last botox and from 6-12 months after their last dermal filler,' Dr McCullum told FEMAIL. 'Cosmetic clinics are going to be very busy after this pandemic calms down. Beauty lovers will be so unhappy without their regular fixes. It's their pleasure, a hobby and such a calming ritual for them.' Dr Naomi McCullum (pictured), who works out of her exclusive Sydney clinic called The Manse, said part of her job is 'weeding out' people who aren't going to be happy with their end results 'Patients will last about three months after their last botox and from 6-12 months after their last dermal filler,' Dr McCullum told FEMAIL While the pandemic is in full force her clients will be 'all about DIY and looking after their skin at home', she said. 'Our clinic is creating skincare and beauty device offers on our social media every week for patients to use at home. For example, our next offer is a hand-held home LED with some active skincare.' She said that 'beauty achievers' will not give up and that's what she loves about them. While a focus on skincare is paramount - particularly given the amount of time people have at home now - you won't be able to get injections until personal services are over. While a focus on skincare is paramount - particularly given the amount of time people have at home now - you won't be able to get injections until personal services are over SKINCARE Most reputable skincare companies will already have a website that sells their products - or have made one now that the coronavirus pandemic is upon us. You're still able to purchase online goods and have them delivered to your door. The only change now is that Australia Post will no longer be asking for a signature and will simply leave your things in a 'safe place'. For those who are used to getting a facial, Sephora Australia has some suggestions on how to create an at-home spa at home. Sephora Collection's Glow Peel Pads ($24) will keep your skin glowing when your microdermabrasion's have been put on temporary hold. Sephora Collection's Glow Peel Pads ($24) will keep your skin glowing when your microdermabrasion's have been put on temporary hold Skin Gym's Face Sculptor ($119.00) The peel pads contain natural glycolic and peptides to exfoliate skin easily. Skin Gym's Face Sculptor ($119.00) is designed to mimic the effect of a professional massage by fitting the contours of your face to lift, firm and tone, leaving you with a radiant glow and rejuvenated appearance. The brand's Goldie device ($118) is studded with non-invasive peaks, so the roller refines pores and stimulates collagen production, renewing skin to allow deep absorption of products. SKIN INC's Goldie mask, which is also $118, combines a blend of botanical and vitamin C extracts, enhanced with purifying charcoal and previous pure gold to help your face shine in isolation. Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr.'s allegiance isn't faltering. President Trump spent the first few weeks of COVID-19's spread downplaying the seriousness of the risk and Falwell has taken up the charge. But the difference between Falwell and your average pandemic skeptic is he runs the largest Christian university in the country, and he has decided to use that position to make a potentially deadly political point. While other universities, including private, Christian schools, have closed their campuses and emptied their dorms of all but the few students who truly have nowhere else to go, Falwell has taken Liberty in a different direction. Virginia's prohibition on gatherings of more than 10 people prevents most classes at the Lynchburg school from meeting in person, so the bulk of Liberty's instruction has moved online. But the dorms, normally housing about 16,000 students, remain open and ready to welcome residents back from spring break. "Most of the students, from what we can tell, are coming back, and they're gonna live in the dorms, and they're gonna do their classes online," Falwell said in a radio interview on March 18. "They don't want to sit at home in the basement and have to do their own laundry," he added, laughing with his host. In the same conversation, Falwell referred to the novel coronavirus as "this flu," said he's "not worried about it," and declared the media response to be "just politics," an effort to "destroy the American economy just to hurt Trump." Falwell's estimate that "most" students would return isn't quite accurate the school actually anticipates around 5,000, a third of the residential student body but that number is still far higher than those housed by comparable schools. In Lynchburg, for example, other universities' remaining on-campus population is in the double or even single digits. Liberty is also keeping its fitness center open, operating dining halls on a take-out or limited seating basis, and requiring faculty without a health exemption to hold in-person office hours and teach online courses from campus instead of in their homes. (In an unfortunate slip of the tongue, Falwell initially resisted moving to online instruction because, he said, the school's extant online classes, which instruct about 85 percent of Liberty's student body under normal conditions, are "really not the same quality of education" as residential courses.) Story continues Falwell has never been coy about his politics and priorities, and here he has mostly stayed true to form. Though in his official capacity Falwell cast his decision as a way to let students "enjoy the room and board they've already paid for and to not interrupt their college life," he has elsewhere made his political rationale inescapably clear: Liberty's dorms are open because Falwell wants to own the libs. Thus recent posts on his personal Twitter account, which models Trump's feed in its intemperance if not its pace, see Falwell repeatedly using the pandemic as an occasion to praise the president, critique former President Barack Obama, and accuse the media and Democratic politicians of making the "corona flu" an excuse to "destroy the U.S. economy." Liberty University professors outside of the law school do not have tenure, a fact Falwell has touted as a "sound business decision" to suppress dissent from administration decisions. It is rare for current faculty to disagree with Falwell publicly, as doing so puts their livelihoods at stake. Thus it is not surprising that Marybeth Davis Baggett, the faculty member who spoke out against Falwell's coronavirus policy, first on Facebook and then in a Religion News Service article picked up by The Washington Post, has already secured employment elsewhere for the fall semester. "Falwell cavalierly assumes no responsibility for at least an enabling and at most an incentivizing the students' decision to return," Baggett wrote. "Rather than provide the steady leadership needed at this sober time, Falwell has chosen to indulge and endanger the students." On her Facebook post, she shared dozens of private messages from Liberty faculty, staff, students, and alumni expressing dismay that the campus is open and that work which could be completed remotely is required to be done on campus. (I've received an unsolicited off-record message from a Liberty employee to similar effect.) Baggett concluded her article with a call for the decision to close Liberty's campus to be taken out of Falwell's hands by Liberty's board of trustees. Falwell responded by calling her "the 'Baggett' lady" on Twitter, linking to a new statement reiterating his plan for the school that often seems to function as his personal fiefdom. As classes resume at Liberty this week, Falwell shows no sign of backing down, evincing a pointedly lackadaisical attitude about the risks of continuing campus life. He told the Lynchburg News & Advance he wants to "to give [students] the ability to be with their friends." And in the statement Liberty published Monday, Falwell described himself walking around campus, meeting and joking with returning students (a bid to be Liberty's own Typhoid Jerry, perhaps). A petition for the university board to fire Falwell will almost certainly go unheeded unless, as Baggett warns, his plan leads to a "disaster for which he would be primarily to blame." Like Baggett, my hope and prayer is that the risk Falwell's choice courts will never come, that the campus will not become a grim experiment in what happens when the intemperate right's pandemic imprudence is allowed to set policy for thousands. Firing may be the comeuppance Falwell is due for his politically motivated recklessness, but it would be a comeuppance bought at a tragic price. Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here. More stories from theweek.com Elton John to host 'Living Room Concert for America' with stars performing from home Family of ex-FBI agent who vanished in 2007 says U.S. officials believe he is dead Doctors describe life at a New York hospital hit hard by coronavirus: 'It's apocalyptic' The logo of Kia Motors is seen during the 2019 Seoul Motor Show in Goyang SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's Kia Motors Corp <000270.KS> is considering making face masks at its Chinese factory to help battle the spread of the coronavirus, a spokesman said on Wednesday. The announcement follows a similar move by Fiat Chrysler , whose CEO Mike Manley said earlier this week that one of the group's plants in Asia would be converted to produce face masks for healthcare workers and would reach a target of one million masks per month in coming weeks. Kia could make masks at its Yancheng plant after the Chinese government encouraged carmakers to do so, the spokesman said. He declined to comment on possible timing or any manufacturing target. Kia has suspended production at its Georgia plant in the United States, its Slovakia site and operations in India due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Pravin Char) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 16:51:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of 21,046 medical personnel from across China aiding central China's Hubei Province had left the province as of Tuesday as the novel coronavirus outbreak is subdued, according to local authorities. There are still 16,558 medical workers belonging to 139 medical teams who are fighting the virus in Wuhan, the former hardest-hit city. The first batch of 41 medical assistance teams left the city on March 17, after working in 14 makeshift hospitals and seven designated hospitals. The medical teams that took high-speed trains to leave the province were provided with a free ride and free dining services by China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. Courier companies including SF Express provided free delivery services for the medical staff. As of March 23, SF Express had delivered 929.4 tonnes of luggage and waived about 6.69 million yuan (about 946,000 U.S. dollars) in delivery fees for the medical staff. "Many medical workers were touched when residents in the province saw them off and said thanks to them spontaneously," said Jiao Yahui, an official with the National Health Commission. "It is expected that the peak of medical assistance teams leaving will come by the end of March," Jiao added. Four countries led by war-ravaged Mali on Wednesday joined the lengthening list of African countries hit by the novel coronavirus as Kenya ordered a curfew and unveiled tax breaks in the fight against the pandemic. Mali, mired in an eight-year-old conflict, said two nationals who had returned from France had tested positive for the virus. Libya, another conflict-torn country, as well as the volatile West African state of Guinea-Bissau and Uganda in East Africa also reported their first cases of COVID-19. More than 2,400 cases were recorded in all of Africa as of Wednesday, according to an AFP tally, with 64 deaths. Although Africa's toll is far lower than in Europe, the United States and the Middle East, health experts say the world's poorest continent is especially vulnerable to the virus and the figures likely fall far short of the reality. "We must prepare for the worst (because) we have no idea of the scope of the propagation" in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2018 Nobel Peace laureate Denis Mukwege said Wednesday. Mukwege called for "large-scale" testing across the vast former Belgian colony of 80 million inhabitants, which reported 48 cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday, with three deaths. Poor healthcare infrastructure, weak governance and crowded slums present ideal conditions for the respiratory disease to spread. Conflict, in particular, is a major factor in aggravating the risk. Mali is struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that erupted in the north in 2012 and has since claimed thousands of military and civilian lives. The government earlier banned commercial flights from virus-stricken countries. The UN on Wednesday put the spotlight on the Central African Republic (CAR), also gripped by conflict. CAR "is one of the least prepared countries to face a COVID-19 outbreak, with 2.2 million people already in need of health assistance and about 70 percent of health services provided by humanitarian organisations," the country's coronavirus Global Humanitarian Response Plan warned. - Pay cut for Kenyatta - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta meanwhile ordered a nighttime curfew to curb the spread of the coronavirus, while taking a massive pay cut and unveiling tax breaks to ease the economic impact of the crisis. In a lengthy address to the nation, Kenyatta warned he would not hesitate to take "more drastic measures" if Kenyans did not make efforts to limit the spread of the virus, which has sickened 28 in the country. African states have been adopting increasingly restrictive measures against the invisible peril. Senegal and Ivory Coast have declared states of emergency and ordered nighttime curfews, similar to South Sudan, which has ordered a nightly lockdown from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am. South Africa, the continent's largest economy, is set to enter a lockdown from Thursday. Ethiopia announced Wednesday it would free more than 4,000 prisoners to help prevent an outbreak in overcrowded prisons. The measures will apply to those jailed for "petty crimes" and drug offences or have less than a year remaining on their sentences. Conditions in Ethiopia's prisons are "harsh and in some cases life-threatening," marred by "gross overcrowding and inadequate food, water, sanitation and medical care," according to the latest annual human rights report on Ethiopia from the US State Department. - 'Panic mode' - In the Nigerian capital Abuja, meanwhile, fears spread of coronavirus infection among senior politicians. A number of state governors as well as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo were in self-isolation after coming into contact with two individuals infected with COVID-19. According to the president's office and local media, one of them is President Muhammadu Buhari's chief of staff, Abba Kyari, one of Nigeria's most influential figures. The political elite "is in panic mode following the confirmed case of the chief of staff,"a source close to the presidency said. burs/eml/gd/bmm NEW HAVEN If President Trump carries through with potential plans to quickly restart businesses, downplaying social distancing, Mayor Justin Elicker said New Haven will continue with the current rules in force. We will not change course given the erratic response from Washington to the outbreak of this pandemic, Elicker said in response to a question Tuesday at his daily virtual press conference. I think our local governments need to stay the the course, focus and not be distracted by leadership that is making light of a situation that is wreaking havoc on communities around the world, including our nation, Elicker said. The federal governments 15-day shuttering of many businesses is set to expire on Monday if it is not renewed. In other news, several New Haven firefighters and police officers are being tested for the coronavirus either because family members have tested positive or they themselves are showing symptoms. Elicker also announced that the number of New Haven residents with COVID-19 had reached 16, up from 13 on Monday. The number in Connecticut was more than 600 Tuesday, with 12 deaths. Fire Chief John Alston Jr. said 4 firefighters have been relieved of duty as they are being tested for the coronavirus, while Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said one officer is symptomatic and a second is suspected of having the virus. He said if a firefighter is symptomatic, they will run a roster of the calls where they may have treated patients, as well inform firefighters on the shift and the following shift. Alston said the department a few weeks ago acquired an AeroClave, probably the only one in New England, that disinfects gear, people, rooms and vehicles to hospital grade and is certified to kill the coronavirus on contact and in the air. The mayor also said that 84 homeless individuals have now been moved out of the shelters, up from 48, into hotels to help lessen the number of persons there so they can practice social distancing. He said the state Department of Housing assisted in this effort. He thanked his staff across all departments for the work they have been doing in response to COVID-19. We have an incredible group of people that have been working round the clock for many days now and I am so appreciative of the leadership, the selflessness, the focus on the responding and making sure we are preparing New Haven for whats to come, Elicker said. In addition to the donation of personal protective equipment for first responders from the Regional Water Authority and Litchfield Builders and WalMart, Elicker said 500 masks were found in city schools, as well as 1,000 rubber gloves. Anyone who wants to make a donation can bring it to any of the citys firehouses. Elicker also said there continues to be a big response to the bagged breakfasts and lunches handed out since the schools were closed. By Tuesday that number had risen to 6,400 individuals representing more than 3,000 families. The mayor said in his report from Yale New Haven Hospital that a total of 1,419 persons had been tested there for COVID-19 mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 An inmate who escaped from a mental health treatment facility in Conroe on Tuesday was captured about two hours later at a corner store, authorities said. Royce Ikenna Amaonwu, 21, is being charged with escape from custody, a third-degree felony. Amaonwu was being held at the Montgomery County Mental Health Treatment Facility, 700 Hilbig, where he was awaiting a mental health evaluation, Conroe Police said. He was sent to facility after being charged in Denton County with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Police were dispatched to the facility about 6:18 p.m. after he eluded staff there and escaped. How long he had been missing is unclear. Wellpath, a Nashville-based company, manages the secured facility. Officers set up a perimeter as they searched for Amaonwu. A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter was used in the search. The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office and Precinct 2 Constables Office also helped and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice had a K-9 unit en route. A Montgomery County Sheriff's Office deputy responding to an unrelated call spotted Amaonwu about 8:55 p.m. at a convenience store near FM 1484 and Willis Waukegan Road, about 6 miles east of the facility. The deputy took him into custody. Police are investigating the incident. As of early Wednesday, Amaonwu was being held on a $100,000 bail, according to jail records. MCMHTF provides evidence-based, trauma-informed behavioral health services to individuals found incompetent to stand trial, a statement on its website reads. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said that Russia is ready to help the United States in the fight against a new coronavirus, if necessary. "The speculation about the failure of our diagnostic system is unacceptable. Especially, from commentators who position themselves as experts in healthcare," the diplomat stressed. "Our test kits showed their high quality in China and Iran and were transferred to Italy," TASS cited him as saying. "Ordinary Americans should know that Russia will be ready to help the United States too, if necessary," Antonov said, noting that Russia had has repeatedly offered assistance in extinguishing fires in California. People are seen lining up at Centrelink in Flemington on March 23, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) Welfare Applicants in Australia Told to Register Online Tens of thousands of sacked Australian workers are being told to apply for welfare payments online. Services Australia boss Hank Jongen is urging people not to line up outside Centrelink offices. Once you log in to MyGov you can simply click on An intent to claim, he said on Wednesday. That will give permission for MyGov to give us your personal details and we will then contact you. That locks in your date of eligibility. Tens of thousands of people are seeking welfare after losing their jobs amid the economic fallout of coronavirus. MyGov has had more than three million logins in less than a day, with the website crashing on Monday. People have been told it will take more than two weeks for their applications to be processed. Centrelink will boost its workforce by 5000 people to deal with the influx of Jobseeker benefit applicants and extend call centre hours. Various income tests apply for the coronavirus supplement but the prime minister says these thresholds could be changed. When we get the feedback we will take action and then well get the system in place to support that, Scott Morrison told 2GB radio. The mutual obligation requirement has suspended until the end of the month, so people already on welfare dont have to report their income or attend appointments in order to get Jobseeker payments. Meanwhile, Government Services Minister Stuart Robert admitted the government hadnt planned on so many people trying to access the MyGov site. Robert apologised for claiming MyGov had been hacked on Monday when it had actually crashed due to overwhelming demand. Labor frontbencher Kristina Keneally says the government should have expected the huge wave of welfare applicants, as hundreds of thousands are also predicted to lose jobs in coming week. The fact there are queues around Centrelink offices is an indictment of the social service support system. Yes its unprecedented demand but it was not unexpected demand, she told reporters in Sydney. There are parents who had jobs last week who could provide food and pay rent, and now they are wondering how they are going to do that next week. Labor wants the government to make the coronavirus supplementwhich is a maximum of $550 a fortnight on top of the current payment available now instead of late April. An international team of scientists studying lifespans of wild mammals have found that, just like humans, females tend to live significantly longer than their male counterparts. The researchers looked at the lifespans of 101 different species, from sheep to elephants, and found that females lived an average of 18% longer than males for more than 60% of the species studies. In humans, females tend to live around 7.8% longer. The study, led by scientists at University Lyon 1 and published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found this was not due to the sexes aging at different rates but that females had an average lower risk of mortality in adulthood than males. It was unclear from the data as to why females survive longer than males, however the authors suggest that it could be due to complex interactions between the local environmental conditions and sex-specific costs of reproduction. Professor Tamas Szekely, from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, was one of the authors of the study. He said: 'We've known for a long time that women generally live longer than men, but were surprised to find that the differences in lifespan between the sexes was even more pronounced in wild mammals than in humans. "This could be either because females are naturally able to live longer, or that female mortality drops compared with males. "For example, lionesses live at least 50% longer in the wild than male lions. We previously thought this was mostly due to sexual selection -- because males fight with each other to overtake a pride and thus have access to females, however our data do not support this. Therefore there must be other, more complex factors at play. "Female lions live together in a pride, where sisters, mothers and daughters hunt together and look after each other, whereas adult male lions often live alone or with their brother and therefore don't have the same support network. "Another possible explanation for the sex difference is that female survival increases when males provide some or all of the parental care. This is also true in birds. Giving birth and caring for young becomes a significant health cost for females and so this cost is reduced if both parents work together to bring up their offspring." The researchers plan to compare the data on wild animals with that of captive zoo animals, which do not have to deal with predators or competition for food or mates. This will allow them to measure the extent to which biological differences between the sexes have an effect on life expectancy. "By affecting males and females differently, harsh environmental conditions such as a high prevalence in pathogens, is likely to cause sex-differences in lifespan. "Comparing the sex gap in lifespan and aging across several populations of the same species is definitely full of promises," said Jean-Francois Lemaitre from the National Centre for Scientific Research (University Lyon 1, France) and coordinator of this study. At some Guitar Center stores, employees are still allowing customers to try out models of guitars. Dillards, a department store chain popular in the South, is still welcoming shoppers looking for clothing and makeup. And Michaels, the arts and crafts chain, says it is keeping many of its stores open to provide supplies to parents teaching their homebound children. We are here for the makers, the retailer said in an email to one concerned customer. In states hit hard by the coronavirus, like New York and California, governors and mayors have mandated the closure of all but the obviously essential stores, like supermarkets and pharmacies. And the Department of Homeland Security has laid out guidelines for businesses across the country to follow when deciding whether to stay open, even in regions not known to be hot spots for the virus. The agency is careful to note that its definition of a critical work force is not an official standard, leaving it up to corporations to decide for themselves. Given this latitude, retailers have kept thousands of stores open, even as health experts warn that the virus is likely to spread more widely across the country in the coming weeks. Several retailers like Sears, Kmart, and Joann Fabric and Craft Stores have provided employees with letters they can share, arguing that their businesses are essential. That some retail stores are staying open while other businesses have closed reflects the piecemeal approach to combating the pandemic in the United States. There are emergency orders limiting business to essential retailers in about half the country, but much of the South and West has no such government restrictions. The diorama of Peninsula Club resident Vince Harris, 92 times smaller than life size, on HMS Liverpool. A story about model warships in Hibiscus Matters February 5 issue created a connection between model maker Graham Beeson of Gulf Harbour and ex-Royal Marine Vince Harris, who lives at the Peninsula Club retirement village. Hibiscus Matters put the pair in touch after Vince read the story and told the paper that he had spent several years on two of the warships featured HMS Vanguard and HMS Liverpool as a Royal Marine bandsman. As a result, an exhibition of the model ships was to be held at Peninsula Club, but this was not possible due to Covid-19 restrictions. Instead, Graham and fellow model maker Brian Henman brought their models of Vanguard and Liverpool to Vinces home so he could have a closer look and share a tot of rum with them. Vince, a bassoon player, joined the Royal Marines as a band boy at the age of 14 in 1945, and progressed through the ranks to bandmaster. He says all battleships and cruisers had their own band. In 1950 he joined Liverpool, which at the time was the flagship of the Mediterranean fleet. For two years he sailed the Mediterranean Vinces photos are of suntanned men on the deck, looking relaxed. The band played at trade fairs and exhibitions, dinner parties and receptions in the ports they visited, marching as well as doing sit down concerts. Band members see a lot more of the places that the ship visits, Vince says. HMS Liverpool returned to the UK and was scrapped a few years later, in 1956. Now promoted to corporal, Vince joined Vanguard in 1954 where he was band sergeant as well as drum major. The ship sailed around Scandinavia, including to Norways most northerly seaport. At the end of that year it went into reserve and was scrapped in 1958. In peacetime, Vince said he was acutely aware of the ships history and the men who had gone before including bandsmen. In fact, he says, musicians played a critical role in the war effort, helping to guide naval gunfire. When Vince was on the warships, he sat around the plot table used for this purpose in wartime. In two World Wars, it was small groups of musicians who were in charge of the accuracy of naval gunfire, Vince says. The Navy command considered that musicians, with their deft fingers, would be the best people to operate the dials of the a hand driven computer which had information fed into it about range, course, speed of the target, wind and the earths rotation. This was crucial to plotting the details needed to train the guns. He said bandsman also lost their lives under fire, as they were often located in the bowels of a ship. Later, Vince taught bandmaster courses in the UK and moved to New Zealand in 1971 when he was appointed Director of Music of the Royal NZ Navy a position he held for five years. He says you grow fond of a ship after spending years on board, and seeing scale models of them, which he describes as superb, brought back a lot of fond memories. Graham added a tiny figure of Vince to his model of Liverpool, based on Vinces advice about the bandsmen congregating on deck in a particular spot, just to get out in the fresh air. Graham says he is enjoying picking Vinces brains and hopes to borrow photos. He is working on making a full band to place on the deck wearing the correct uniform and with their instruments. The new coronavirus has now spread to all areas of Montgomery County with health officials confirming eight new cases Wednesday afternoon, bumping the total to 31 from 23. The Montgomery County Public Health District is urging residents to stay home and increase hygiene practices. We would like to emphasize the importance of staying home if you are able and social distancing, health district officials stated. Regardless of exactly where these patients reside, it is spreading in the community. Increased hygiene practices, like frequent hand washing and surface disinfecting, are imperative. The health district has been notified of 241 negative and 31 positive test results of county residents with results pending for another 149 residents. Here are updates on all of Montgomery Countys current cases: Case 1: A man in his 40s, who lives in northwest Montgomery County, is still hospitalized. He remains in critical condition, but is stable and showing some improvement. He was believed to have become infected with the virus as a result of community spread. Case 2: A woman in her 40s who lives in southeast Montgomery County. She remains in a hospital in Harris County in critical condition. Her only travel was to New Orleans. Case 3: A man in his 40s who lives in northwest Montgomery County. He is at home, recovering well. His only travel was to Florida. More Information Keep clean Wash hands often for 20 seconds and encourage others to do the same. If no soap and water are available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue away. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Disinfect surfaces, buttons, handles, knobs, and other places touched often. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. For more information, please see www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus. See More Collapse Case 4: A woman in her 40s who lives in northwest Montgomery County. She remains at home, doing well. Her case is connected to Case 3. Case 5: A man in his 50s who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. The man had recently traveled to California. Case 6: A man in his 40s who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. The man had recently traveled to California. Case 7: A woman in her 60s who lives in northwest Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. She has no recent travel history and no known contact with other patients. Case 8: A woman in her 40s who lives in southeast Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. She had recently traveled to Germany. Case 9: A man in his 50s who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is hospitalized in critical but stable condition. His travel history is under investigation. Case 10: A woman in her 50s who lives in southeast Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. She attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo March 8. Case 11: A man in his 90s who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is currently hospitalized and has no recent travel history. Case 12: A man in his 50s who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home and recently traveled to Brazil. Case 13: A woman in her 30s who lives in northwest Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. She has no recent travel history. Case 14: A woman in her 40s who resides in southwest Montgomery County. Her case is connected to a Smith County where she recently traveled. She at currently at home in isolation. Case 15: A man in his 40s who has been in northeast Montgomery County for a work-related purpose. He is currently in isolation at his residence. His only recent travel is to Houston. Case 16: A female teenager, 13-19 years old, who lives in southeast Montgomery County. She is in isolation at her home. She has recently traveled to New Orleans. Case 17: A woman in her 20s, who lives in northwest Montgomery County. She is in isolation at her home. This is believed to be a case of community spread because she was in close contact with a suspected case. Case 18: A man in his 50s, who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at his home. He has recently traveled to Chicago. Case 19: A man in his 50s, who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at his home. He has recently traveled to California. Case 20: A man in his 30s, who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. He has recently traveled to New York. Case 21: A woman in her 60s, who lives in northeast Montgomery County. She is hospitalized. No recent travel. Case 22: A woman in her 30s, who lives in northeast Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. The only recent travel is to Houston. Case 23: A man in his 50s, who resides in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. He has recently traveled to France, Germany and Spain. Case 24: A woman in her 30s, who lives in southeast Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. No recent travel. Case 25: A man in his 40s, who lives in southeast Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. He has not traveled outside of Texas. Case 26: A woman in her 80s, who lives in southwest Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. No recent travel. Case 27: A man in his 50s, who livs in southwest Montgomery County. His case is still under investigation. Case 28: A man in his 50s, who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. Recent travel to Salt Lake City, Denver, Baltimore and Oakland. Case 29: A man in his 50s, who resides in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. Recent travel to Los Angeles. Case 30: A man in his 60s who resides in northeast Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. This case is connected to Case 21. Case 31: A woman in her 40s, who resides in southwest Montgomery County. Her case is still under investigation. Recent travel to Utah. cdominguez@hcnonline.com File image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The 21-day lockdown, cancellation of visas and social distancing will hit all sections of the Indian economy, including hospitals. The roping in of private labs and hospitals for testing and treating COVID-19 patients was a clear indication that there could be a rise in infections, Edelweiss said, referring to the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. In India, infections have risen to 562 from 280 cases four days ago and nine people have died. The situation points to twin near-term impact for private hospitals, said Edelweiss. One, social distancing and localised curfews have delayed elective surgeries (60-70 percent of volumes). Two, visa cancellations have led to a hiatus in medical tourism (10-12 percent of revenue), it said. Medical tourists, who choose India as an affordable destination for elective surgeries, contribute almost 10-12 percent to private hospitals' revenue. Visa restrictions had dried up this channel, Edelweiss said. As more people resort to social distancing, healthy individuals are likely to avoid visiting hospitals for routine check-ups and postpone elective surgeries by a couple of months, if possible, it added. If lockdowns extend through a large part of Q1FY21, the research said, private hospitals' EBITDA would be impacted at around 10 percent for the quarter and 3-4 percent for FY21. According to the brokerage, the disruption will last till Indias brings infections under control. "There is no accurate way to guess timelines on that, but suffice to say that business as usual for hospitals may be a distant scenario," it said. Edelweiss expects this to dent Q4FY20/Q1FY21 earnings of companies and said revival may be slow as surgery pipelines dry up due to lower out-patient (OP) to in-patient (IP) conversion amid challenged OP occupancy. OP occupancies, particularly for elective surgeries, are now at an all-time low. Hence, it believes, procedure pipelines are likely to remain dry through H1FY21 and earnings will remain subdued through FY21. With the uncertainty, the sector is likely to remain under pressure over short to medium term. It feels onco-specialist Healthcare Global Enterprises has a lower component of elective surgeries and only 5 percent exposure to medical tourism, making it the least likely to be impacted. Hence, it has a buy call on the stock. Apollo Hospitals is likely to get impacted by social distancing, visa cancellations and curfew. The stock, however, remains a top pick, led by earnings resilience and structural growth in diverse businesses, the brokerage said. : The above report is compiled from information available on public platforms. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Landlords will be blocked from evicting tenants in a rental rescue package aimed at protecting people who struggle to pay their rent during the coronavirus crisis. State governments are working on extraordinary interventions to protect up to eight million Australians in rented homes, as the property sector warns of a "disastrous" outcome if rental payments come to a halt. Landlords will be blocked from evicting tenants under a plan being worked on by the state and federal governments. Credit:Peter Rae A separate plan is underway to help small business owners stay afloat when they cannot pay the rent because their stores and services have been closed down by government edict to slow the spread of COVID-19. The measures do not include a federal bailout to pay the rent for residential or small business tenants, given the states and territories are responsible for tenancy laws and are taking the lead on stronger protections for renters. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Trump administration policies on Iran, Iraq and use of force on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28, 2020. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) Pompeo Says China Still Withholding Coronavirus Information WASHINGTONU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sharpened on March 24 his criticism of Chinas handling of a coronavirus pandemic, saying its ruling Communist Party was still denying the world information needed to prevent further cases. Pompeo had repeated previous charges that Beijings delay in sharing information about the virus had created risks to people worldwide that had truly put thousands of lives at risk. My concern is that this cover-up, this disinformation that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in, is still denying the world the information it needs so that we can prevent further cases or something like this from recurring again, he added. Pompeo also accused Iran and Russia of waging disinformation campaigns about the virus. The disinformation campaign from Russia and Iran as well as China continues, he said. Theyre talking about it coming from the U.S. Army and theyre saying maybe it began in Italy, all things to deflect responsibility. The time will come for recriminations, he said, but added it was important for the world to know what was really going on. This is an ongoing global crisis, and we need to make sure that every country today is being transparent, sharing whats really going on, so that the global community, the global health care, infectious disease community can begin to work on this in a holistic way. Pompeo, a persistent critic of Beijing and the Communist Party, said very important decisions would have to be made in future about how the U.S.-China relationship was structured. He added that supply-chain challenges faced in the United States were due to companies operating their supply chains out of China but not here in the United States. Pompeo did not elaborate, but U.S. officials said last week the White House was preparing an executive order to help relocate medical supply chains from China and elsewhere overseas to the United States amid the pandemic. The proposed U.S. push has sparked concern in China and elsewhere, although it is unclear when Trump might act. The United States should never be reliant on a foreign country for the means of our own survival, Trump said at a daily briefing of his coronavirus task force. Our goal for the future must be to have American medicine for American patients, American supplies for American hospitals. By David Brunnstrom Businesses and organizations from throughout Oregon have come to the assistance of the Lebanon veterans home as the staff members at the facility have faced the challenge of the COVID-19 outbreak. Tyler Francke, a community and media relations coordinator for the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, said this support has been very meaningful for everyone at the Edward C. Allworth Veterans Home. I know the community support from local businesses and organizations has been incredibly encouraging for the residents and staff at this time. It has been a difficult time for the residents, not only dealing with the fear and uncertainty that many are facing in these unprecedented times, but also the loss of many things they look forward to (in-person visits from loved ones, group activities and outings, even communal dinners). The many ways that the community has shown that they still care and are behind our veterans has been nothing short of life-giving, Francke said. Over the past couple of weeks the Lebanon Soup Kitchen has worked to provide food for the staff at the home. The organization has done this at a time when it us unable to serve meals to its own clients because of social distancing requirements. In addition, family and friends of current employees, and even former employees, have been shopping for residents to make sure they still receive some of the special items their families would normally provide. Lebanons Flowers on Vine delivered over 150 flowers after learning that one of the veteran residents had asked what the flowers looked like outside. Recreation and nursing staff helped deliver a flower to every resident. Oregon State Police has sent cards for residents and staff and has asked for a list of requested items which they are going to provide. Eight Elks Lodges from around the Willamette Valley delivered a large quantity of chips, cookies, energy bars and coffee. A Girl Scout troop in Eugene is donating cookies to staff and the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce has been organizing meals for staff. One of the partners of the veterans home, HealthStream, has also joined in the effort, bringing in 50 pizzas for staff last week. Albanys American Legion Post 10 worked together with Southpaws Pizza in North Albany to provide meals for several days. Commander David Solomon of Post 10 said he received a phone call letting him know that the canteen had been shut down at the veterans home and the volunteers and staff need food. They dont have time to go out and theyre having a difficult time eating, Solomon said. I went and I got a friend of mine, Chris Reese, he owns Southpaws Pizza in North Albany. Chris is a retired Marine colonel and when I told him what was going on, no questions asked, he said Ill give you two days worth of food. Solomon said that in addition to Southpaws Pizza helping feed volunteers and staff two days last week, American Legion Post 10 volunteers prepared a full turkey dinner with all of the trimmings. Solomon said the Post will continue to support the veterans home as long as is necessary. The veterans and the staff, they deserve only the best, Solomon said. As long as they need us, were going to be there. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Punjab Police on Wednesday distributed food to the poor in many parts of the state and also ensured home delivery of essentials to daily wagers and slum dwellers amid a country-wide lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus, officials said. The humane action comes a day after several videos purportedly showing the police personnel slapping and hitting those defying prohibitory orders went viral on social media. The police personnel organised 'langars' (community meal) to feed those who can barely manage a meal without their daily wage, the officials said. In Amritsar, police made arrangements at Ghah Mandi and Ram Bagh area for distributing food to daily wagers. After making announcements from police vehicle, food was given to the poor while maintaining social distance, said Amritsar Station House Officer Neeraj Kumar. We have distributed over 300 packets each of milk and fruit to the needy people. We have a list of people to whom food items will be distributed, he said. In Tarn Taran, police distributed chapattis and other items to the poor. At Nakodar in Jalandhar, police with the help of residents distributed ration to 300 households, which included rickshaw pullers, slum dwellers, daily wagers within and on the outskirts of the city, the officials said. Videos showing police personnel delivering essential items at doorsteps of houses of slum dwellers and daily wagers were also widely circulated on social media. On Tuesday, police had registered 232 FIRs and arrested 111 people for violating prohibitory orders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ICE Detainee Tests Positive for COVID-19 in New Jersey A 31-year-old Mexican national being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has tested positive for COVID-19, authorities said. ICE said in a statement that the infected individual was being cared for after being put into quarantine at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, New Jersey. Officials said that people who came into contact with the detainee have been identified and are being monitored. They said that no new inmates would be accepted into the facility until further information is available. This is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 infection in ICE detention. Andrea Flores, deputy director of policy in the Equality Division at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said in a statement following the ICE announcement that the dire warnings of health experts about the risk of COVID-19s rapid spread in detention centers are now even more urgent. She said specialists cautioned that detainees are sitting ducks for the spread of the virus and an outbreak among detainees would spell disaster. The suffering and death that will occur is unnecessary and preventable, Flores wrote. ICE must take immediate and drastic steps to reduce the number of people in detention. If it doesnt, it will be to blame for a humanitarian crisis. Currently, ICE has over 37,000 detainees. Quarantine On-site On Sunday, the Hudson County Corrections and Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey went on lockdown after two inmates tested positive for the CCP virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mishandling allowed the virus to spread throughout China and spark a global pandemic. James Kennelly, Hudson County spokesman, was cited by NorthJersey.com as saying that two inmates tested positive for COVID-19. He added that no staff or ICE detainees remanded at the jail tested positive for the virus. The inmates have been placed in quarantine within the Hudson County Corrections and Rehabilitation Center, he wrote in an email, the publication reported. They will be treated according to guidelines established on March 13th for the possibility of infection which are: quarantine on-site and then medical care at an outside facility if required. The Hudson County jail lockdown came the same day that New York City suffered a COVID-19 outbreak at its Rikers Island prison, with at least 38 people testing positive. ICE said it has taken steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 among detainees. ICE is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal, state, and local agencies to facilitate a speedy, whole-of-government response in confronting Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), keeping everyone safe, and helping detect and slow the spread of the virus, the agency said on its website. Comprehensive protocols are in place for the protection of staff and patients, including the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE), in accordance with CDC guidance, ICE said. ICE has maintained a pandemic workforce protection plan since February 2014, which was last updated in May 2017. This plan provides specific guidance for biological threats such as COVID-19. As Nigeria battles to contain the coronavirus outbreak, the Catholic Church has given an indication that church services will continue in most parts of the country except Lagos and Abuja. The secretary of Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Zacharia Samjumi, on Wednesday, told Premium Times that bishops are to take decisions in their various diocese. After the meeting held by the Catholic Bishops in Nigeria, each Bishop was advised to talk to their faithful how the social situation is in their environment, he said Holy Mass Suspension The Catholic Diocese of Abuja has, therefore, directed the suspension all kinds of religious mass gatherings to contain the coronavirus ( CORVID -19), pandemic. This directive is issued to all Catholic churches in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This is coming three days after the Lagos Archdiocese suspended the public mass attendance by the faithful. The Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Martins, gave the directive on March 22. The decision is as a result of the advice by the Nigerian government to Abuja and Lagos residents to stay at home and also in line with the bishops conference agreement. The Archbishop of the Dioceses, Ignatius Kaigaima, disclosed his decision in a statement he signed on Wednesday. On the account of the stay at home order especially for Abuja and Lagos, we hereby temporarily suspend the common celebration of the holy mass, benediction, stations of the cross amongst others, it said. The government had advised citizens of both states to stay at home and avoid mass gatherings until further notice. Mr Kaigaima said the suspension will be reviewed in two weeks. He advised priests to celebrate live masses and have them streamed on the internet. Parishioners should be encouraged to participate at masses aired on EWTV, CTV, Lumen Christi, AIT, and other television channels,it said. Priests should explain clearly to the faithful that being unable to participate physically at communal liturgy function is also an opportunity to seek alternative ways of living our faith, it added. The statement encourages families to pray together and celebrate the word of God. It requested that priests hand out daily reflections, prayers and homilies to their parishioners using text messages, Whatsapp and Twitter. Priest should make known to their parishioners the telephone number of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC),0800 9700 0010, he said. As more Texas cities and counties enact stay-at-home orders, frustration is growing among conservatives who say the government is crossing a dangerous line. After Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins became the first to announce a mandatory stay-at-home rule, conservative groups including Empower Texans began ringing alarms in opposition to Jenkins and to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who they say paved the way for the move. Abbott had said he would applaud local leaders who felt they should issue stay-at-home orders for their communities. Im extremely concerned about what Dallas Co just did, and Abbotts apparent sanctioning of it, Empower Texans president Ross Kecseg wrote on Twitter. So far, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is the highest-ranking state official to echo those concerns. CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust What Im living in fear of is what is happening to this country, Patrick said in a Fox News interview. I dont want the whole country to be sacrificed. Patrick, who turns 70 next week, went on to say hed be willing to risk his own life and well-being to help preserve the way of life for other Americans a statement that drew harsh rebukes on social media and inspired hashtags such as #DieForTheDow. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, asked on Tuesday about comments such as Patricks, fired back: "My mother is not expendable, and your mother is not. Human life is not disposable. We are not going to put a dollar figure on human life." Critics of the stay-at-home orders are contradicting the advice of public health authorities at every level of government, from the World Health Organization to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to local health officials. Epidemiologists have stressed that keeping people apart is the best way to fight back against a new virus for which there is no vaccine, and that aggressive early steps are the only way to get ahead of COVID-19. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox The discord in Texas mirrors what's going on at the national level with Republican governors showing more reluctance than Democratic ones, like Cuomo, to shutting down their states, said Timothy Callaghan, assistant professor of health policy and politics at the Texas A&M School of Public Health. "On the one hand, they certainly want to protect the public health, but they are also afraid about hindering the freedoms of their citizens and they're also concerned about the economic impact of having society in many ways shut down," Callaghan said. "It's a tricky balancing act for many politicians on the conservative side." Not only does that send Texans a mixed message but Callaghan said it could also reduce the effectiveness of the orders. "If you want to see a true impact of flattening the curve throughout the state of Texas, it's important for it to be a statewide policy," Callaghan said. "Certainly in those areas that choose to enact some sort of shelter in place policy, you're going to see some effect, but we don't know if it's going to be a smaller effect than if the entire state had chosen to do something." Freedoms taken away Some Republicans at the city and county level have been more willing to embrace stay-at-home orders, such as Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley and Fort Worth Mayor Betsey Price, who enacted their orders Tuesday. Republican Collin County Judge Chris Hill sought a middle ground by issuing a stay-at-home but allowing most business to operate as long as social distancing practices are followed. Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough is among those resisting taking actions that they believe would infringe on the rights of their constituents. The Tea Party-backed judge said Tuesday that the more that residents self-regulate, the less the government will have to intervene. It is incumbent upon us as a county, as people, to self-regulate to keep from having our freedoms taken away, Keough said. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, was issuing warnings Tuesday as Harris County enacted its stay-at-home order. He called for Harris County and other governments to try other measures before enacting something as economically calamitous as a county-wide shutdown. These are real economic losses and job losses for our local residents, said Bettencourt, who called for a "targeted, measured, data driven approach to achieve better social separation results." Bettencourt said the lack of traffic in Houston suggests to him that social separation and previous orders were working, and that he did not see the need to take such an extreme step at this time. For subscribers: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is pushing for seniors to make sacrifices for the economy Meanwhile, nearly every Democrat serving in the Texas House signed on to a letter to Abbott, joining a growing chorus of state and local leaders calling for more assertive action from him. The mayor of Dallas and health care executives sent a similar letter to Abbott on Saturday requesting a statewide stay-at-home order. The Texas Hospital Association sent one on Monday. The Democratic lawmakers wrote that a broad, statewide approach would slow the rate of new infections faster and protect all Texans, regardless of where they live. The ranchers in West Texas deserve the same protections as doctors in Houston, they wrote. The farmers in Laredo are every bit as deserving of protection from COVID-19 as the bartenders in Austin. Facing pressure both from the left and the right, Abbott is keeping his options open for a statewide order, though he said he was surprised by the number of cars on the road that he saw on his way to an afternoon news conference in Austin. It's clear to me that we may not be achieving the level of compliance that is needed, Abbott said. That's why I said before, I remain flexible in my statewide standard. Emily Foxhall contributed reporting from Houston. jeremy.wallace@chron.com; taylor.goldenstein@chron.com Sixty-five Democratic Texas House members penned a letter Tuesday urging Gov. Greg Abbott to issue a statewide stay-at-home order in the face of the intensifying coronavirus crisis. We recognize a statewide order of this magnitude will have an unprecedented impact on Texans and their livelihoods; we did not come to this decision lightly, the letter reads. Each and every one of us are fully prepared to provide employees, employers, and families the necessary relief and support such an order will require. However, despite the hardship, the best science we have is clear that this is the best way forward for our state and our country. Abbott, who is scheduled to give an update on the state's response at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon, has resisted calls to do so, saying the decision needs to be up to local leaders and pointing to parts of the state that have not yet been hit hard with infections. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Local officials have the authority to implement more strict standards than I as governor have implemented in the state of Texas, "Abbott said Sunday. "If they choose to do so I would applaud them for doing so, but at this time it is not the appropriate approach to mandate that same strict standard across every area of the state, especially at a time when we are yet to see the results coming out of my most recent executive order." Pressure has been mounting, however, as more and more of the states largest cities and counties make the move. In the last few days, cities and counties in the Austin, Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth and San Antonio areas have issued orders requiring residents to stay home. For subscribers: Hidalgo orders stay-at-home for Harris County, closing most businesses through April 3 The Texas House members join a growing chorus of state and local leaders calling for more assertive action on the part of the governor. The Dallas and Forth Worth mayors and other officials and health care executives sent a letter to Abbott on Saturday asking for the same. The lawmakers wrote that they agreed with them and other hospital officials who say the state is ill-prepared to handle an influx of COVID-19 patients in addition to the regular flow of emergency patients. They said the state needs more time to acquire more COVID-19 tests, personal protective equipment, ventilators and hospitals beds and to do more research and ultimately to protect Texans and health professionals lives. In order to flatten the curve and give us time to win this war, we need to take immediate action, they wrote. We know that this can work if we act appropriately. The deadline to pay Portlands annual arts tax has been pushed back to July 15 due to the coronavirus outbreak, city officials announced Wednesday. The news comes after the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced last week that the federal income tax filing deadline would be extended from April 15 to July 15 and Gov. Kate Brown announced Wednesday that Oregon would delay the state income tax due date three months. Brown said businesses who file estimated taxes are still required to do so by April 15. Portland revenue division officials said they are still waiting for formal guidance from the state before making a decision on city business and other taxes. The arts tax was passed by voters in 2012 and assesses a $35 charge per adult living in Portland annually for schools and nonprofit art and music programs. The arts tax deadline extension is one of several financial relief measures announced amid the coronavirus outbreak. Portland Chief Administrative Officer Tom Rinehart said Tuesday during a news conference that the city has temporarily stopped pursuing collections on past-due taxes. -- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. [March 25, 2020] Demotech Affirms Financial Stability of Title Insurance Industry in Light of Precautions Related to Mitigating the Spread of COVID-19 COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Demotech, Inc., the first to review and rate Title underwriters countrywide (1992), has concluded that the nation's Title underwriters are financially healthy and possess the means to address time gaps in Title insurance coverage associated with the closing or limited hours of county recorder offices from coast to coast, Alaska and Hawaii. The precautionary effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 has created an operating environment in which few businesses are operating at full capacity. However, the Title insurance industry has had in place, for decades, procedures and practices to mitigate purchaser and lender exposure associated with unknown title matters emerging in the period subsequent to examination of title. Joseph Petrelli, President and co-founder of Demotech, who developed Demotech's review and analysis process of Title underwriters says, "Gaps in protection are unavoidable. Backlogs at recorder offices and intervening matters subsequent to a search include the time commitment to process, record or index information. The effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and the resultant closings or limited hours at recorder offices has exacerbated the situation; however, this industry is well-positioned and possesses the capability to address gaps." "During the temporary COVID-19 estrictions, the practical protection available to stakeholders is gap coverage at the transaction level. Gap insurance practices vary by state, size of transaction, and the parties involved. Given that the professionals focused on finding and addressing matters impacting title to real property may be unable to discover all matters of record, there may be an additional premium associated with gap coverage," says Douglas Powell, Senior Financial Analyst at Demotech. "A Title underwriter's response to consumers and lenders is a financial commitment as well as the vetting of the marketability of title. With more than $11 billion in net admitted assets and more than $5.6 billion of statutory net worth at year-end 2019, Title underwriters are positioned to address the needs of the property owners as well as any stakeholders that might rely on that real property as collateral," added Paul Osborne, Senior Consultant at Demotech, and Editor-in-Chief of Demotech Performance of Title Insurance Companies. About Demotech, Inc. Demotech, Inc. is a financial analysis firm specializing in evaluating the financial stability of regional and specialty insurers. Since 1985, Demotech has served the insurance industry by assigning accurate, reliable, and proven Financial Stability Ratings (FSRs) for Property & Casualty insurers and Title underwriters. FSRs are a leading indicator of financial stability, providing an objective baseline of the future solvency of an insurer. Demotech's philosophy is to review and evaluate insurers based on their area of focus and execution of their business model rather than solely on financial size. Visit www.demotech.com for more information. For over 30 years, Performance of Title Insurance Companies has assisted in analyzing the Title insurance industry and its competitive landscape with industry-wide benchmarks, along with underwriters and group level analysis for competitive assessment. Representing more than 99% of the Title industry, Demotech Performance of Title Insurance Companies is the most complete and thorough industry analysis available. Order today at www.Demotech.com/PTIC in either print or electronic format. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/demotech-affirms-financial-stability-of-title-insurance-industry-in-light-of-precautions-related-to-mitigating-the-spread-of-covid-19-301030003.html SOURCE Demotech, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The largest single day of fatalities in the coronavirus pandemic occurred Wednesday, with seven more deaths bringing the state total to 19. Connecticut has 875 cases with 106 people hospitalized, Gov. Ned Lamont announced during his daily news briefing Wednesday. The latest fatalities, including the first in New Haven, West Haven, Stamford and Easton. The rate of infection is up, Lamont warned. We added another field hospital today, at Danbury Hospital, since its our Fairfield County hospitals that tend to be by far the busiest right now. The good news is we still have a lot of capacity in our other hospitals. Dr. Matthew Cartter, the chief epidemiologist for the Department of Public Health, said he was pleasantly surprised that the virus has been very slow spreading into the eastern half of the state. The state plans for 10 percent of the states 3.5 million to become infected. Slowing the spread and also social distancing, should decrease the total number of cases, he said. Nobody knows by exactly how much for either one of those. While the Trump administration has issued a call for people who have recently visited New York City to self-quarantine for two weeks in the coronavirus pandemic, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Lamont on Wednesday dismissed the advice and reiterated residents and officials should abide by existing federal guidelines, including six-foot social distancing at staying at home if they feel sick. Lamont, noting that train ridership to New York has dropped off by as much as 95 percent, agrees social distancing and the current closure of non-essential businesses, combined with tens of thousands of employees working from home, is the key to slowing the spread of the virus. Im going to push everything I can on a voluntary basis before I try and do anything on a mandatory basis, Lamont said at the news conference in the State Armory in Hartford. I think youre going to find the coronavirus right now is focused in and around the greater New York is Josh Geballe, Lamonts chief operating officer, said about 88 percent of the state workforce is working remotely at least part of the time, if not all the time. Joe McGee, vice president for public policy and programs at the Business Council of Fairfield County, said Wednesday that he checked out the Stamford train station during the morning rush hour and it was uncrowded. Mass transit is an issue, McGee said. Most of the large companies have their people working from home. There was nobody was on the highway this morning, either. White-collar people are working from home. Keeping people in place makes sense because we want to bend the curve. The White House advice came Tuesday, after New York state leaped into the national lead in coronavirus cases, with the epicenter in New York City. In reaction, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order requiring visitors from the New York area quarantine themselves for two weeks or face criminal penalties. It was unclear how it would be enforced penalties. I think youre going to find that the people of Florida are going to have a high infection rate over the next couple of weeks as well, and maybe well be asking people who come up to Connecticut to self quarantine as well, Lamont said. Im saying I think people should self-quarantine in Florida and in New York and in Connecticut. I think there should be a lot less travel because travel just tends to take the virus across borders. So I am urging everybody in any of these states to stay close to home for the near term. Maybe Florida thinks theyre a little more impervious now, but theyre not, so I would urge everybody to stay close to home. Cuomo, in a morning news conference in Albany, had a polite but New York-style answer to a reporters question, asking that since Cuomo was in New York City on Tuesday, announcing the need for tens of thousands of hospital ventilators, would he self quarantine for two weeks. Stress on social distancing In New York state? Cuomo replied. No. If you were in New York City, you must quarantine in New York state. Im going to quarantine in New York state. I dont know medicine. He deferred to a top medical aide, who cited that the CDC guidelines on social distancing are sufficient. The federal government isnt saying we mandate anything, Cuomo said. They saying were offering guidelines. Theres no doubt that New York has a different and bigger problem than anywhere else in the country, right? The federal government has done guidelines. They call them guidelines because they are guidelines and then states can follow the guidelines. Connecticut officials agreed that social distancing, maintain six feet from others, is a best-practice. Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said the city does not have the power to issue any sort of shelter-in-place order for residents who have been to New York City. Its situational, Rilling said. If you're working in the city and thats pretty much ground zero for the number of coronavirus diagnoses in the country you need to evaluate with whom you may have and contact. If someone was diagnosed in your office building, thats one thing, but traveling to New York and coming back, thats situational. If someone feels more comfortable (self quarantining), thats something they can do. Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo noted the differing views between the president and the governors and urged people to use common sense. We have to remember, we share a border with New York and as someone mentioned today, we breathe the same air, Camillo said during a news conference. Were just asking people again to be very, very careful because there is a lot of concern because of our location. Camillo did not recommend people start questioning where others are from. He said people, whether they just came from New York or Berlin in suburban Hartford, should continue to practice social distancing and keep at least six feet from others as well as thorough hand washing. People are going to have to do the right thing and they need to continue to be responsible and do the right thing for themselves and others, Camillo said. Staff writers Erin Kayata and Ken Borsuk contributed to this report. In a scathing commentary, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell posted on his official blog said, "The point for Europe is this: we can be sure that perceptions will change again as the outbreak and our response to it evolves. But we must be aware there is a geopolitical component including a struggle for influence through spinning and the 'politics of generosity'." Borrell's comments assume significance in view of China's strategic offer to help several countries with medical supplies to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. "There is a global battle of narratives going on in which timing is a crucial factor," Borrell said, pointing out that the focus had shifted from Europe helping China to now China helping Europe. France and Austria had sent aid to China when people began dying due to the infection in Wuhan in December. In the last two weeks, while China has been claiming that it is successfully containing the pandemic, the novel coronavirus outbreak has taken a heavy toll in Italy and Spain. Soon after the US suspended travel from Europe on March 12, China began sending medical aid to some of the European countries -- Italy, Hungary, France, Austria, to combat the outbreak. Chinese billionaire Jack Ma has also sent aid to countries like Belgium, Spain and Ireland. "China is aggressively pushing the message that, unlike the US, it is a responsible and reliable partner," Borrell, the foreign policy chief of EU said. "In the battle of narratives we have also seen attempts to discredit the EU as such and some instances where Europeans have been stigmatised as if all were carriers of the virus," he added. Borrell called on EU countries to stand ready for a "struggle for influence" in a "global battle of narratives. (Aarti Tikoo Singh can be contacted at aarti.t@ians.in) --IANS aat/sdr/rs As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta, the country's body responsible for issuing religious edicts, said on Tuesday that any calls for gathering in the streets are religiously prohibited. The statement came one day after dozens of people took to the streets in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria on Monday night, chanting religious slogans including God is Greatest and asking Allah to "lift the affliction of the coronavirus pandemic. The march, which covered several streets in the coastal city, has sparked ridicule and memes on social media mocking the behavior which could potentially contribute to the spread of the highly contagious virus. Earlier this month, the government banned mass gatherings as part of measures to stem the spread of the deadly virus. Any call for people to gather in the streets anywhere and under any slogan or pretext is a malicious call that is religiously prohibited, Dar Al-Ifta said in a brief statement on Tuesday. Dar Al-Ifta said it is a duty under the Islamic Sharia Law to comply with official decisions to protect people from epidemics and diseases. Egypt declared on Tuesday a set of stricter measures to help slow the spread of the virus, including a two-week overnight curfew starting Wednesday. It has also extended a suspension of schools and universities and prolonged a halt of air traffic. To limit gatherings, all coffee shops will be completely shut down and restaurants will only be allowed to run delivery services. Search Keywords: Short link: The Niger State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Makunsidi Muhammad has disclosed that seven people in the state are currently on quarantine for coronavirus. Briefing newsmen in Minna, Makunsidi said that out of the seven people, one is in Suleja while six others in Minna. He explained that the one in Suleja is exhibiting the symptoms of coronavirus and had to be taken into quarantine while one of those in Minna just returned from the UK. The other five cases, Makunsidi said, had contact with someone that has a confirmed case of coronavirus and they had to be quarantined. The other five cases confirmed that they had contact with someone who has been confirmed to have coronavirus and was in Minna. After he was confirmed, they decided to submit themselves for quarantine. The Commissioner said that the government remains resolute in the curfew of 8am to 8pm saying that it would go a long way in reducing contacts with individuals. We know we live in close proximity with Abuja and since we cannot stop people from coming into Minna, this is the only preventive measure we can take to ensure that the spread of coronavirus in Niger state does not occur. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Jussie Smollett has reemerged on Instagram with a soulful song, as he awaits trial for allegedly staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in Chicago. The 37-year-old actor, who has not posted since June, shared a rare video of himself singing to Stevie Wonder's A Place in the Sun on Wednesday. 'Quarantine day 421...' the Empire star wrote, referencing the exact number of days since he first told cops that two masked men made racist and homophobic remarks to him before tying a noose around his neck in January 2019. Back online: Jussie Smollett, who has not posted since June 2019, shared a video on Wednesday of himself singing to Stevie Wonder's A Place in the Sun In the new footage, Smollett appears unshaven with tousled hair, as he serenades his 4.8 million Instagram followers. 'Hope yall are staying safe. Spread love and kindness not Rona,' he wrote in the footage of himself wearing a black t-shirt and trousers and encouraging others to practice social distancing. On March 6, the Illinois Supreme Court rejected Smollett's request to throw out the charges against him, which include six counts of disorderly conduct following an investigation into the alleged phony attack he told police took place. Jussie Smollett has reemerged on Instagram with a soulful song, as he awaits trial for allegedly staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in Chicago Smollett's lawyers had argued in an emergency petition that Cook County Circuit Judge Michael Toomin overstepped his authority and misinterpreted the law when he ordered the appointment of a special prosecutor. The court did not explain its decision to reject the arguments by Smolletts lawyers. Smollett was initially accused by Cook County prosecutors of falsely reporting to police that an alleged phony attack in January 2019 was real. Sixteen counts of disorderly conduct originally filed against him were dismissed and Toomin found Smollett's first prosecution was invalid. 'Hope yall are staying safe. Spread love and kindness not Rona,' he wrote in the footage of himself singing and playing the piano The charges stemmed from a supposed incident that occurred January 29, 2019, when Smollett, who is black and gay, told police that two masked men attacked him as he was walking home in the early hours of the day. Smollett said the men made racist and homophobic insults, beat him and looped a noose around his neck before fleeing, and that at least one of his attackers was a white man who told him he was in 'MAGA country,' a reference to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan, 'Make America Great Again.' Weeks later, police alleged Smollett paid two black friends to help stage the attack because he was unhappy with his salary as an actor on Empire, a Fox series filmed in Chicago that follows a black family as they navigate the ups and downs of the recording industry. As coronavirus cases multiply across Louisiana, health care workers have been sharing their stories about managing patient influxes, rationing supplies and trying to keep themselves healthy with reporters from The Times-Picayune | The Advocate. The newspaper has interviewed many Louisiana health care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The newspaper is withholding the workers names at their requests, as most hospitals prohibit staffers from speaking directly to the media. Are you a health care worker with a story to share with us? Fill out our confidential form here. ICU nurse, Ochsner An Ochsner nurse says she has spent years working in the ICU, but nothing prepared her for the waves of coronavirus patients shes been seeing. In less than a week, her unit went from having a handful to having only coronavirus patients. The first night I worked where the entire unit was COVID patients, I got into my car and started bawling, she said. When I tell you it's like a war zone up there, that's kind of putting it easy. There are so many patients and so few nurses that the recommended ratio of one nurse for every patient on a paralytic drug has already fallen by the wayside, she said. The hospital network is putting scores more nurses without ICU experience on a crash course to learn how to treat coronavirus. Nurses try to minimize their contact with their desperately ill patients, because the hospital is already experiencing a shortage of protective gear, especially masks. The ICU nurse said goes home every day exhausted. But she sequesters herself on a couch, watching Netflix and scrolling through social media, rather than go anywhere near her loved ones. We're superheroes when were in our yellow gowns, and the second we get home, we just crumble to pieces, she said. I've never seen such heartache, and it kills me. Its been disturbing for her to watch people she knows post pictures of house parties on Instagram. It feels like shes living in a different reality. I want to shake them, she said. Come step one day in my shoes, and I bet you next weekend you're not going to have that pool party. Ochsner said that while doctors and nurses are being asked to conserve masks and gowns, they are issued new ones when the protective gear becomes wet or soiled. The hospital chain also said that protective gear isnt used across units containing cohorted coronavirus patients and the general hospital population. ICU nurse, New Orleans area Another New Orleans ICU nurse has been battling her own case of COVID-19 while bracing to return to work to help handle the outbreak. She believes she acquired her infection outside the hospital. And while she has what experts might deem a mild coronavirus case, one that doesnt require hospitalization, she said it still drained her. I cannot express how severe the headache and bone and joint pain was. Severe and terrible, she said. Now I am dreading going back to work. If were down to reusing masks today, in a week are we going to have any left at all? Pregnancy during pandemic: How providers are rewriting birthing care standards amid coronavirus At this point, the medical procedure that Lacy Smith has scheduled for Friday at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans could hardly be put off Her hospitals protocol quickly switched from one mask per patient to one mask per nurse. The hospital is also reusing protective goggles by scrubbing them down with disinfectants, she said. The same things that you would have been in a lot of trouble just a few weeks ago if you did are now OK, she said. They are backing down from what should be done to what can be done. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, photos of spring breakers enjoying Florida beaches infuriated her. I dont think people have been taking this seriously nearly fast enough. That whole spring break thing? Thats crazy, she said. You go to spring break, and you bring that home to your 52-year-old dad who doesnt realize he has an underlying lung condition, youre going to feel really great when hes on a ventilator. Those ventilators are the only hope for keeping some COVID-19 patients alive. But the ventilators are nothing to look forward to. She remembered a short experience on one when she wasnt sedated. It was the worst 90 seconds of my entire life. You ever get choked on a grain of bread or a piece of chip goes the wrong way? she said. Sometimes you cant hardly sedate people enough. Its uncomfortable. Its like breathing through a straw. Patient care tech, Touro Infirmary Its been over a week since a patient care tech at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans has changed her N95 face mask or her gown, even though she said she should be changing them each time she works with a new patient in the hospitals quarantine units. Health care workers at Touro can only receive new masks if the ones theyve been wearing are broken or soiled from patients, though the masks arent meant to be used for more than eight hours. The tech works 12-hour shifts, meaning her mask was potentially ineffective by the end of her first day. Shes now been wearing it for five days. She said the hospital is also short on gowns, with workers being told to preserve them unless they rip, get wet or soiled. Short on supplies and feeling unprotected from the spread of COVID, she said her job has become increasingly stressful. Theyre short of everything, she said. Everybody is scared to be in the [patient] rooms for a long period of time. It seems like were not caring for the patient, and that adds stress. +2 Louisiana hospitals could be overwhelmed by surge of coronavirus patients: 'Its frightening' The spread of the coronavirus across the U.S. and within Louisiana could dramatically overwhelm the capacity of hospitals to care for patients She described three quarantine units in the hospital, one where the worst-off patients are mostly on ventilators. And she said theres increased pressure to discharge patients quickly because beds at Touro are filling up rapidly. She worried, though, that people who are potentially positive for coronavirus but who get discharged after 24 hours without a fever could still be spreading it once they leave the hospital. Asked to respond to this story, a spokeswoman for LCMC did not answer reporters questions Tuesday about the shortages workers described. A statement from Dr. John Heaton, president for clinical and system operations for LCMC, said patients are given proper guidance for self-quarantining when they are well enough to be released, and that LCMC was adding resources to manage employees stress. Nurse practitioner and primary care provider, St. Bernard Parish One of the best parts of the day for a nurse practitioner in St. Bernard Parish is when she gets to take off her N95 mask at lunchtime. After wearing the mask so much with a second mask over it she finally has mastered how to make it fit right on her face with her ponytail, but it still hurts her ears so much that they feel like they might fall off. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up She described elaborate attempts to find more masks, having friends slip envelopes with sets of masks into her mailbox as she promises to send them money through the app Venmo. Its scary, its really scary, its miserable, she said. You go to work every day playing Russian roulette. Suddenly, patients shes known for years are asking for malaria medicine after President Donald Trump touted it on TV. And while shes treating people for routine health problems, shes constantly trying to monitor whether theyre also exhibiting coronavirus symptoms, taking temperatures and handing out masks. Of the 11 patients she saw Monday morning, five had a cough. Coronavirus testing is still limited, but could CT scans work? Some say yes. A man came into the St. Bernard Parish Hospital on March 11 with all the symptoms of the novel coronavirus: fever, dry cough and shortness of It was shortly after Mardi Gras, when people were returning from trips to Disney World and cruises, that she kept seeing patients who seemed sick but tested negative for the flu. She thought there was something wrong with the swabs, but now believes she was exposed to coronavirus back then, as she treated those patients without wearing the extra protective gear that shes wearing now. She hasnt exhibited symptoms so far, and takes many precautions to keep it that way: three pairs of shoes that she rotates and leaves outside of her door before she goes home, and showering immediately after work before she socializes with her family. Physician assistant, major Baton Rouge hospital A physician assistant at a major Baton Rouge hospital is increasingly worried about the number of people who are relatively healthy but show up in the emergency room just to get checked out. It takes time and resources away from others who are far sicker, he said. He suggested Baton Rouge implement a better system for people to get screened over the phone and to be able to get tested for COVID at a non-Er location, as Lafayette is doing with Cajundome screenings for people who have called a COVID hotline. In Baton Rouge, drive-thru testing is still only available for people with a physicians order. He also wished his hospital would devote more resources to telemedicine, which he said could keep unnecessary patients out of the ER. Meanwhile, his hospital is low on testing supplies, trying to preserve them for the sickest patients who are being admitted. And its also running low on personal protective equipment. In Baton Rouge, we dont have any N95s (masks) available unless you are the one intubating the patient or doing a swab in the back of the throat, he said. At least to have one per shift would be fantastic. Nurse, New Orleans-area hospital When one New Orleans-area nurse looks at patients on ventilators lying in their hospital beds, her anxiety ratchets up that she or her spouse could have the next severe case of COVID-19. Being young and healthy is of little solace, as some of her hospitals severe cases have affected people with no underlying conditions. I think really the thing could go after anybody, she said. Really, anybody should be scared they could be in that 20% that has a severe case. She doesnt blame her hospital for supply shortages, but rather poor political leadership in planning for the pandemic. She has tried to manage her anxiety by accepting the idea that she will at some point become sick, and praying she can easily kick it off when she does. She also tries to spend time walking her dog in the park and avoids visiting even grocery stores. She said her nursing team is used to working with infectious diseases even tuberculosis but that the coronavirus presents too many unknowns, whereas others have a known course of treatment. When I signed up to become a nurse, this virus didnt even exist, she said. Doctor, New Orleans hospital One New Orleans ER doctor said her hospitals staff has burned through several months worth of masks and gloves in one week. Those precious supplies personal protective equipment, or PPE are now under lock and key at her hospital because patients and employees were stealing them. Theres just not enough hours in the day to think about fear, she said. Im too tired to really think about it. Its taking four or five days for some tests to return, she said. That means if a patient is admitted, staff must use PPE when interacting with them even if they arent sure the person is positive. If the tests came back sooner, theyd be able to preserve the scarce PPE. She said coronavirus has not discriminated based on the age of patients coming to the hospital: Theyre young, theyre old, theyre middle-aged. Nurse, UMC and Ochsner Its not older people who are filling up ICUs in hospitals, said another nurse. The people on vents are 40 and 50 years old, she said. Its not the elderly. Its scary. Like others, she said being asked to reuse protective gear thats normally seen as disposable makes her worry for the family she goes home to every night. We didnt sign up to be soldiers, she said. We didnt sign up to die, have our families die, so we should be taken care of. If were told we dont have any (protection), a lot of nurses are not going to be working. Provider, the VA hospital in New Orleans Guidelines for the proper use of protective gear from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been loosening as supplies run low, one provider said. Without protective equipment, the fear is that health care workers will get sick, leading to a shortage of providers and exposing patients. At this rate, we wont have enough doctors, let alone vents and masks, the employee said. They have not provided testing for employees who have symptoms. They told us if you get sick, you have to take your own leave or dont get paid. Doctors are being asked to risk their lives. Asked to respond to this story, a VA hospital spokesman denied any supply shortages, said the hospital has been screening both patients and employees for coronavirus and that the VA has added counseling and other resources for employees to manage their stress related to COVID-19. Connecticut colleges, having moved classes online and sent students home because of the coronavirus, are trying to figure out a refund plan for room and board payments. UConns Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to authorize administrators to issue refunds for student housing and dining fees, which have been repeatedly requested by students since the campus closures were announced. The refunds will total about $30 million, Executive Vice President Scott Jordan said. About 12,000 students live on UConns Storrs and Stamford campuses. About 1,200 students are remaining in residence halls in Storrs and 63 in Stamford because they are unable to return home or do not have a safe place to go. The refunds will be calculated by prorating housing and dining costs for the remaining seven weeks of the semester, starting March 23 through the end of the academic year. The amounts will be credited to students accounts through the university bursar by the end of the semester, Jordan said. Graduating seniors, students leaving the university or others who request it will receive cash refunds, while returning students will have that amount carried over to the next semester. Amounts will range from about $1,600 to $3,200 for housing and $1,200 to $1,400 for dining for Storrs students while Stamford students will receive about $2,800 to $3,100. Board Chairman Dan Toscano said the university needed to act quickly, and has not yet assessed the impact on UConns budget or how to make up for the financial loss. We hope, and hope very loudly, that there is federal and state assistance with this, but we couldnt afford to wait and find out, he said. Connecticut State Universities, including Southern, Western, Central and Eastern, were directed by CSCU President Mark Ojakian to credit student accounts for unused room and board by next week, said spokesman Leigh Appleby. If there is a credit balance, students will get a refund. Each institution is in the process of reaching out to students to outline the timeline and procedures. The refunds are projected to be about $24.5 million, Appleby said. Amounts will vary based on university, type of housing, and other factors, but students who paid room and board fees should expect a credit covering the period beginning with the closure of residence halls through the end of the spring 2020 term, Appleby said. This is a complex process, but our universities are working to issue credits and refunds as expeditiously as possible, Ojakian said in a statement. We understand that these housing refunds are important monetary sources for our students as they begin to adjust to a new normal of online learning. Prorated refunds are also planned for students at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Quinnipiac University in Hamden and Yale University in New Haven. In an email to the University of Bridgeport community, President Laura Trombley said she would address the topic of room and board fees in a message this week. At Fairfield University, President Mark Nemec said in an online message to students that the university intends to make certain equitable adjustments for room and board to families as a result of the pandemic. SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- A Springfield woman is asking the public's help to get the word out about her friend, a fellow Oregonian, trapped in Cusco, Peru, because of the coronavirus. Dene Benton said her friend Holly Marie-Cook, from Oregon City, has been trapped in Peru since March 12 with her son Phoenix. Marie-Cook told Benton she and Phoenix have been stuck inside their residence, unable to leave to get food or water. She said police are patrolling the streets, keeping everyone indoors. They have been living off two eggs a day and rationed water. Benton said she and others have been reaching out to Oregon's congressional representatives for help but have not heard back. "She's making the best of a situation that she didn't foresee," Benton said. "I wouldn't say its necessarily bad because they are all in good health. They're doing okay that way. But give it a week, give it two weeks, we don't know that." Benton said she is hoping Marie-Cook will be rescued soon because winter is approaching and the two are using a single space heater to stay warm. The U.S. State Department said they are working overtime to evacuate thousands of Americans trapped overseas. However, one senior official at the department told ABC News they cannot guarantee they will be able to reach every American. People who lose their jobs because of the coronavirus will get four months unemployment pay in addition to a government play to send out individual checks to everyone earning under $95,000. The checks could be in people's bank accounts in the next three weeks, according to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. 'Our expectation is within three weeks we will have direct payments out where we have depository information, and we're looking to get a lot more information and we have procedures to do that. I would say three weeks,' Mnuchin said at the daily White House coronavirus briefing. The relief money for Americans is part of the $2 trillion economic aid package negotiated by President Donald Trump's administration with Congressional Republicans and Democrats. The amount is half the size of the entire $4 trillion annual federal budget. It is the largest stimulus package ever produced by Congress and third such legislation passed to give economic relief in the wake of the virus, which has shuttered businesses and strained the economy. There have been over 59,000 cases of the virus in the United States and more than 800 deaths. But the legislation came under threat Wednesday after a trio of Republican senators dug in against a provision to provide a boost unemployment insurance. If they follow through, the package could be stalled for days as to give time for further horse-trading, as more lawmakers and staff get the chance to pore over detailed legislative language. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said individual checks could arrive to Americans within three weeks Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell gives the thumbs up after lawmakers came to an agreement on $2 trillion package for those hurt by coronavirus Democrats in the Senate, led by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, held up a final vote on the proposal until more safeguards were put into place to watch money being given to companies and additional guarantees for workers were included Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to fast-track it by getting unanimous consent from senators. Without unified support on the bipartisan deal, he would have to schedule a procedural vote wait for time to tick off the clock. 'When our nation comes through this and takes flight again on the other side, it will be because American heroes won this fight. All the Senate can do is to give them the resources to do it. So that's exactly what we are going to do today,' said McConnell of the measure. The stock market responded positively to the news that cash is on hand for Americans, many of whom were put out of work as a result of closures made to combat the spread of the coronavirus. 'To all Americans I say: Help is on the way, big help and quick help,' said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer late Tuesday night. And on Wednesday he added there was more to come: 'This is certainly not the end of our work here in Congress, rather the end of the beginning.' Under the terms of the agreement, there is $250 billion to expand unemployment insurance. The payments would increase by up to $600 per week per worker and laid-off staff would get those payments for up to four months under what is being called 'Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.' Those provisions will be in place for four months instead of the three originally proposed. Additionally, self-employed workers, like Uber drivers, are covered for the first time. The legislation will also include $500 billion in direct payments to people in two waves of checks. The money will be distributed through the IRS and not require any action on people's part to receive the check, which will be based on 2019 tax returns. 'For the vast majority of Americans, no action on their part will be required in order to receive a rebate check as IRS will use a taxpayers 2019 tax return if filed, or in the alternative their 2018 return,' according to the bill's text. The funds include $1,200 per adult making up to $75,000 a year before phasing out and ending altogether for those earning more than $99,000. That would result in $2,400 to a married couple making up to $150,000, with $500 payments per child. Republicans pushed for the inclusion of the "employee retention" tax credit that will provide $50 billion to companies that retain employees on payroll and cover 50 per cent of those workers' paychecks. Additionally, businesses would also be able to defer payment of the 6.2 per cent Social Security payroll tax. And there may be more to come as fourth and fifth economic packages could follow if the virus continues to spread. The final package is the result of around the clock negotiations between McConnell, Schumer, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin over the past five days. Democrats in the Senate, led by Schumer, held up a final vote on the proposal until more safeguards were put into place to watch money being given to companies and additional guarantees for workers were included. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin led negotiations for the administration and said President Trump would sign the measure Patients wear personal protective equipment while maintaining social distancing as they wait in line for a COVID-19 test at Elmhurst Hospital Center in New York Questions remain about how the House will pass the measure. While Senators are in Washington D.C., the more than 400 House members are scattered throughout the country in their home districts. Pelosi has been holding regular calls with her Democratic lawmakers to keep them updated as has the Republican House leadership for their side. 'House Democrats will now review the final provisions and legislative text of the agreement to determine a course of action,' she said in a statement Wednesday morning. The speaker has floated the idea of passing the package by unanimous consent - a legislative procedure usually used for non controversial measures. It only takes one lawmaker to voice an object on the House floor for that to fail. Mnuchin, representing the administration, said the president would sign the measure. An international team of scientists has for the first time identified the conditions deep below the Earth's surface that lead to the triggering of so-called 'slow motion' earthquakes. These events, more commonly known as slow slip events, are similar to regular sudden and catastrophic earthquakes but take place on much longer timescales, usually from days to months. By drilling down to just over 1km deep in water depths of 3.5km off the coast of New Zealand, the team have shown that the fault zone areas in which slow slip events occur are characterised by a 'mash up' of different rock types. The results, published today in the journal Science Advances, showed that the areas are comprised of extremely rough sea floor topography made of rocks that varied markedly in size, type and physical characteristics. The lead author of the paper, Dr Philip Barnes of New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), described that 'some rocks were mushy and weak, whilst others were hard, cemented and strong.' This has given scientists the first-ever look at the types and properties of rocks directly involved in slow motion earthquakes and begins to answer some of the major outstanding questions surrounding these unique events, such as whether or not they can trigger larger, more damaging earthquakes and tsunamis. Co-author of the study Dr Ake Fagereng, from Cardiff University's School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, said: "This was the first effort to sample the rocks that host slow slip events, and the striking, immediate observation is that their strengths are hugely variable. One can therefore visualise the slow slip source as a mixture of hard and weak rocks, and use this as a starting point for models of how slow slip occurs." First discovered on the San Andreas fault in California, but since 2002 found to occur in several other locations, slow slip events remain a relative mystery to scientists, who are endeavouring to find out how, where and why they occur and what drives their behaviour. As part of their study, the international team undertook two International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions aboard the JOIDES Resolution research vessel to the Hikurangi subduction zone off the east coast of the North Island in 2017 and 2018. This was the first time that scientists had studied, and directly sampled, rocks from the source region of slow slip events using ocean floor scientific drilling methods. The Hikurangi subduction zone is New Zealand's largest earthquake fault and is one of the best places in the world to study slow slip because here these events occur close to the sea floor which makes drilling to collect rock samples a lot easier. For instance, Laura Wallace of GNS Science, New Zealand, describes that the 2016 Kaik?ura earthquake triggered a series of major slow slip events on the Hikurangi subduction zone - where the Pacific Plate dives beneath the eastern North Island - and was the most widespread episode of slow slip seen in New Zealand since they were first discovered in the country. These slow slip events following the Kaikoura earthquake released a large amount of built-up tectonic energy and lasted over the weeks and months following the earthquake. During the expedition the team drilled two boreholes to obtain a sequence of rocks and sediments on the incoming (Pacific) plate approaching the North Island. The drilling data were interpreted together with seismic reflection profiles - or pictures of the layers under the surface of the earth which are created at sea by sound waves. The study has indicated that the co-existence of these contrasting rock types in the fault zone may lead to the slow slip movements observed offshore from Gisborne, and perhaps elsewhere at subduction boundaries around the world. Indeed, Dr Barnes says that the research will have direct relevance not only to New Zealand, but to areas like Japan and Costa Rica, which sit on the Ring of Fire - the perimeter of the Pacific Ocean basin where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. "We now know that a highly variable mixture of rock strengths is part of the recipe for slow slip. This opens for new studies of how such mixtures deform, why they can generate slow slip, and under what conditions (if any) they can also generate damaging earthquakes. This may help address the outstanding question of how earthquakes and slow slip events interact," continued Dr Fagereng. ### The study was led by jointly led by researchers from NIWA, GNS Science, The University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Auckland. The International Ocean Discovery Program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation in the USA, the Natural Environment Research Council in the UK, and other participating countries. Notes to editors 1). For more information, please contact: Michael Bishop Cardiff University 02920874499/07713325300 Bishopm1@cardiff.ac.uk 2). Cardiff University is recognised in independent government assessments as one of Britain's leading teaching and research universities and is a member of the Russell Group of the UK's most research intensive universities. The 2014 Research Excellence Framework ranked the University 5th in the UK for research excellence. Among its academic staff are two Nobel Laureates, including the winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Medicine, Professor Sir Martin Evans. Founded by Royal Charter in 1883, today the University combines impressive modern facilities and a dynamic approach to teaching and research. The University's breadth of expertise encompasses: the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; the College of Biomedical and Life Sciences; and the College of Physical Sciences and Engineering, along with a longstanding commitment to lifelong learning. MILFORD A homeless man from New Haven who has the coronavirus and fled quarantine in that city and was found in Milford is staying put in quarantine at an undisclosed location, in constant touch with health officials, Milford Health Director Deepa Joseph said. Joseph said her department is in constant touch with the man, who is cooperative and compliant, so there was no need to issue a legal quarantine order. Such quarantine orders are rare, Connecticut Association of Directors of Health past president Shane Lockwood told the Register Monday, noting in 27 years as a health director he had never issued one. The man is being connected with local social service resource providers regarding his overall situation, Joseph said, but said she does not know the details of that work. As to whether the homeless man came in contact with anyone else in Milford and required testing, Joseph said she could not comment. He has agreed to stay where he is and in constant touch with the health department until he is no longer contagious. Police in New Haven said Monday that the man, after being located in Milford, was being held under quarantine order and police guard. Milford officials painted a softer picture. Police Chief Keith Mello said the homeless man wasnt legally detained in any way. New Haven officials told the Register Monday they want to know how the unidentified 50-year-old was able to walk out of Yale New Haven Hospital and be found in Milford eight hours later. Yale New Haven Hospital Senior Vice President Vincent Petrini issued a statement Monday saying the hospital is working with the city on creative ways to discharge patients who dont require hospitalization, but lack an appropriate home setting. However, under current Connecticut law, quarantine orders are issued to individuals and we do not have the authority to hold persons in the hospital against their will, Petrini said. New Haven Health Director Maritza Bond said the man was close to being discharged when he just left. Bond had legally ordered the mans quarantine, but since it was specific to Yale New Haven Hospital, that order does not apply in Milford, New Haven health officials told the Register Monday. New Haven is activating Hill Regional Career High School as an emergency shelter for homeless people who have COVID-19 and no home setting in which to isolate themselves. Yakima Valley education developments YAKIMA: The Yakima School District is closing its school grounds including playgrounds and sports fields following state and local state-at-home orders. GRANDVIEW: The Grandview School District is launching child care for health care workers and first responders Monday at McClure Elementary School. Care will be provided by district staff and be available for children in grades K-5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Breakfast and lunch will be served, and state Department of Health recommendations for social distancing, keeping groups of students apart and staggering arrival times will be followed, said Elena Olmstead, district communications director. Children's temperatures will be checked upon arrival to ensure they are healthy. Parents should first call Child Care Aware at 800-446-1114 for the quickest access to open and available care, including extended-hour and weekend care options. Grandview will have a registration website for families set up Wednesday. To finish the process, parents should call 509-882-8500. THIS WEDNESDAY morning (Irish time) two overjoyed Limerick girls are heading to Perth Airport to fly home. Aimee Landers, aged 27, from Murroe, and Aine Ryan, aged 26, from Corbally told their story to the Limerick Leader after their flights were cancelled on Monday. https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/528619/limerick-girls-stranded-in-australia-appeal-to-irish-government.html They - along with many other young Irish people - were desperately trying to get home. Their original flights on Tuesday had been cancelled after Emirates announced they would be suspending all flights from Wednesday, March 25. This resulted in their Dubai to Dublin flight being cancelled. They tried to get out earlier but to no avail. However, Aimee said this Wednesday morning that it had all been sorted by the Irish Embassy. "We are flying Perth to London and London home! We are delighted, heading to the airport soon!" said Aimee. It is costing them around 1,500 each. But while they are over the moon with the news, they say are thinking about all the other Limerick and Irish people still stranded in Australia and not so lucky. "We want to thank the Irish Embassy, Qantas and everyone who helped us over the past few days," said Aimee. A new coronavirus testing site will open for Essex County residents Thursday as cases of COVID-19 continue to increase exponentially, especially in the northern part of the state. The new drive-through testing site at Weequahic Park in Newark will be by appointment only and will not be open every day, county officials said in announcing the site Wednesday. The numbers of tests will also be capped at either 100 or 150 depending on the day. Essex County will continue to administer the virus screening as long as supplies of test kits, gowns, facial masks and gloves last, the county said in a statement. The testing site will be open Thursday and Saturday this week, with 100 tests per day. Next week it will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, when 100 tests will be administered each day, the county said. While other countries have been testing tens of thousands of residents, testing in New Jersey and across the country has been limited since the virus first hit American soil. As of Tuesday, New Jersey had only tested approximately 12,000 people with a positive rate higher than most of the country at 27%. More testing sites have opened in the last week, including two FEMA-supported sites at Bergen County College in Paramus and the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel. Both have closed early each day due to an overwhelming demand and a supply of tests expected to run out before the end of the week. Some hospitals and medical centers have opened their own testing centers, including two in Secaucus and one each in New Brunswick, Morris Township and Cherry Hill. The Essex County site opening Thursday, in addition to mandating appointments and county residency, is also requiring people to arrive by car, which could bar many of Newarks residents who do not have access to a vehicle. The test will be free regardless of whether the person has health insurance, the county said. Only people who are symptomatic with a fever of at least 99.6 degrees and respiratory symptoms including shortness of breath will be given appointments, the county said. People will have to be screened to get appointments, either online at www.essexcovid.org or, if they dont have internet access, by calling the Essex County Office of Emergency Management at 973-324-9950 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Anyone who qualifies will get a confirmation number that they must bring to the testing site, officials said. Essex County has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the state with 342 cases and eight deaths as of Tuesday. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said Saturday that three neighborhoods within the city are coronavirus hotspots and people in those areas should avoid even walking on the street when others are around. The areas are Bloomfield Avenue to Verona Avenue and Lake Street to Route 21; Springfield Avenue to West Market Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South 12th Street; and Avon Avenue to Clinton Avenue and Irvine Turner Boulevard to South 12th Street. Medical personnel from RWJBarnabas Health System, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, University Hospital, Hackensack Hospital, Essex County Hospital and nurses from public schools in Essex County are staffing the testing sites and call-in center. The Essex County Sheriffs Office and Newark Police Department are providing security at the site, the county said. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips BAKU -- Azerbaijan has arrested a prominent opposition politician, Tofig Yagublu, in what Human Rights Watch (HRW) calls "another disturbing example of the government's contempt for free speech and political critics." The New York-based rights group said on March 25 that Yagublu was arrested on spurious hooliganism charges, days after President Ilham Aliyev suggested he would use anti-coronavirus measures against the country's political opposition. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/25/azerbaijan-opposition-leader-arrested Azerbaijan's government has "a long-standing pattern of pursuing trumped-up charges against government critics in order to silence them," said Giorgi Gogia, HRW's associate director for Europe and Central Asia. "The case against Yagublu falls squarely in that pattern," he said. Yagublu is a member of the Musavat Party and a senior politician in the National Council of Democratic Forces, a coalition of opposition parties and activists. He often raises concerns about human rights in Azerbaijan. On March 23, a Baku court ordered Yagublu to be held for three months in pretrial custody pending an investigation into charges of "hooliganism committed with a weapon or an object used as a weapon," HRW said. According to the Interior Ministry, Yagublu is accused of using a wrench to inflict bodily harm. Yagublu denies the charges, which are related to a car accident that HRW said, "appears to have been staged to provide grounds for a bogus case." If convicted, Yagublu could face up to seven years in prison. HRW also noted that in a recent speech about challenges posed by the coronavirus, Aliyev described Azerbaijan's political opposition as traitors, enemies, and a fifth column that might try to destabilize the country. The rights group said Aliev "strongly implied that he would use the fight against the virus to crack down on the political opposition." Gogia said, "Instead of providing essential information and addressing public concerns on COVID-19, the government is shamefully trying to usurp this pandemic to continue its relentless crackdown against its critics." HRW said the Azerbaijani authorities had "periodically arrested Yagublu, subjected him to ill-treatment, and warned him to stop his political activism and criticism against the government." From dancing to playing musical instruments to exercising... balconies across the world have become the hospot as people continue to quarantine and self-isolate themselves at homes to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Danny Wertheimer, a resident of Oakland in California, plays his guitar and sings to his neighbours after California's Governor Gavin Newsom implemented a state wide "stay at home order" directing the states 40 million residents to stay in their homes for the foreseeable future. Photograph: Kate Munsch/Reuters DJ and event producer Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof during the outbreak of coronavirus disease in Brooklyn, New York, US. DJs from Spain to US are live-streaming their sets to spread some positive vibes across these times of panic and constant worry. Photograph: Caitlin Ochs/Reuters Residents clap and bang utensils from their balcony to cheer for emergency personnel and sanitation workers who are on the frontlines in the fight against coronavirus, in Ahmedabad. Last Sunday, following similar scenes in Italy and Spain Indians stood in their doorways and on balconies applauding, ringing bells and blowing conch shells, heeding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to express gratitude to those who have been on the front line. The applause reverberated through the deserted streets of India. Indians of all ages joined celebrities, soldiers and politicians in thanking caregivers. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters Uruguayan cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her department during the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Panama City, Panama. Photograph: Erick Marciscano/Reuters In Budapest, Hungary, musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony. The Hungarian government declared a state of emergency on March 11. Photograph: Bernadett Szabo/Reuters Women dance to a song on their balcony, as radio stations across the country play music to raise spirits while Italy remains under lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease in Rome, Italy. Photograph: Yara Nardi/Reuters Worried about your health and fitness? Personal trainer Antonietta Orsini carries out an exercise class for her neighbours from her balcony while Italians cannot leave their homes due to the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Rome, Italy. Photograph: Remo Casilli/Reuters Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye has rebuked the Minority over its handling of a memo recommending to Parliament the adoption of a bipartisan national response plan to help combat the Coronavirus pandemic. Although the memo was addressed to the Speaker, Oquaye insisted that, at the time the document was circulating on social media, his office had not been served. Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu who signed the said memorandum had recommended among other things a joint national effort. For Parliament to move forward on a bipartisan basis it will be necessary to debate a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, national response plan. The moment in which Ghana finds itself calls for a proactive plan that goes beyond occasional lists of reactionary measures. We will need to review the underlying epidemiological and statistical analyses that inform the proposed interventions, and the same applies to the strategic plan for executing those interventions. The national plan must prioritize and cost responses over a realistic analytical horizon that reflects the epidemiology of the disease and the projected therapeutic timelines. The best available information suggests that this pandemic will only truly end with the discovery of a vaccine or a cure, and the present estimates of either product range from 12 to 18 months. The underlying strategy must be costed with this timeframe in mind and must be accompanied by a detailed rationale for the specific appropriations. It must also be clear on any and all additional powers that Government may need that are not enshrined in Act 851. Our caucus is committed to approving the justified legislation, borrowing and spending within that temporal and constitutional framework, the memo added. The Minority also suggested that the national plan must address the requisite behavioural and medical interventions needed to contain the spread of the virus and to mitigate its consequences for affected persons. Speakers concerns In response, Oquaye in a statement through the Parliamentary Service reiterated that although the said memo was reportedly sent last Friday, March 20, 2020, his office received it at 12.40 pm on Tuesday afternoon. The Speaker argued that the Minority Leader knows the appropriate procedures for handling all matters in Parliament and it would have been most appropriate if these in-house channels had been explored rather than circulating the information in the media, especially since it is an internal memo. Given the seriousness of the matter, the Speaker expected an expeditious action where the Minority Leader would have approached and conferred with the Speaker for necessary action, the statement added. According to the Speaker, he had not seen the Minority Leader because he [Minority Leader], has been absent from the leaders meeting and chamber on Saturday and Monday. The statement concluded by saying that: the issues contained in the said memo are issues that have to be dealt with using due process. The interest of the citizens and the nation should remain paramount. Sam George boycotts Parliament Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George has excused himself from sittings in the House over non-COVID-19 deliberations. In a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, the Ningo-Prampram legislator said he was of the view that the House has failed to live up to expectation in times like this. It is my considered belief Rt. Hon Speaker that, the august House of Parliament is failing to exercise its truly intended mandate in crisis times like this. I hold the strongest conviction that we are pandering whilst the flames that may engulf the state are being stoked. Sam George also added that for the past two weeks, the House has met to deliberate on the Imposition of Restrictions Bill and the approval of some loans which do not directly deal with the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. ---citinewsroom About 150 Portland small businesses impacted by coronavirus will receive $1 million in aid, city officials announced Wednesday. The money will come from a pot of $3 million the Portland City Council reallocated Wednesday from the citys reserves to support the citys response to coronavirus. Portlands emergency coordination center will use the other $2 million for other city actions to coordinate responses to the virus. Businesses throughout the city can begin applying starting Monday for grants up to $10,000. The city will prioritize women- and people of color-owned businesses that have seen at least 25% decline in revenue and have continued to pay their employees or provide employees health care and other insurance while they are furloughed, said Kimberly Branam, executive director of Portlands economic development agency Prosper Portland. Branam said the grants are meant to help the businesses stay open and keep their employees. Prosper Portland will manage the application and selection process, she said, and the plan is to get the funds to selected businesses no later than the second week of April. CORONAVIRUS IN OREGON: THE LATEST NEWS Some examples of the kinds of businesses that might benefit from this fund include a black-owned food cart in North Portland, a neighborhood coffee shop in Rosewood, a Native American-owned catering company with 25 employees or a neighborhood serving restaurant with only 16 days of operating reserves in the bank, Branam said during a Portland City Council meeting. Officials at Prosper Portland are also mulling whether to use $1 million from the citys enterprise zone tax abatement program to fund small business loans. That could happen Thursday. The money would also be prioritized to businesses owned by women and people of color and located in underserved areas of the city, according to a city memo. There is a risk that business relief fund loan pool borrowers will not repay their loans; staff have mitigated this risk by providing a five-year term at zero percent interest to give businesses ample time to increase revenues and meet the repayment timeline, the memo said. Spending of the funds set aside for the emergency coordination center will be tracked and some could be reimbursed up to 75% by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Jessica Kinard, Portlands city budget director. Dylan Rivera, a city spokesperson, said after the city council meeting that the $2 million would go toward emergency expenses related to coronavirus, including some that have been ongoing. Everything from shelter beds and handwashing stations for the public to masks and other protective gear for first responders, Rivera said in an email. Other examples include the cost of specialized deep cleaning of city facilities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and posting signs at parks and other facilities to implement the governors order on social distancing. Branam said during the council meeting that the city is also in talks with other private, public and philanthropic partners to fund more grants and loans. Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said city officials are also talking with banking leaders about ways to invest in local small businesses. She and other council members praised the work of city staffers and officials for what theyve accomplished and prioritized so far. Hardesty cited as an example the first city-sponsored small business grants were announced last week to be prioritized to Asian-owned businesses in parts of the city. Nearly $200,000 is being made available in grants to aid businesses affected by COVID-19 in Southeast Portlands Jade District and Northwest Portlands Old Town Chinatown. Both areas are home to many Asian-owned businesses that have seen their revenue drop by as much as 60% in recent months due to xenophobia, according to city officials. I am very proud to be part of this council, Hardesty said. I am very proud that we are being thoughtful and leading with our values. -- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Newsfrom Japan Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Japan is set to advise its people to refrain from nonessential travel to anywhere in the world amid the ongoing global spread of the novel coronavirus, it was learned on Wednesday. The Foreign Ministry plans to raise its travel alert for the entire world to level 2 for the first time ever, informed sources said. The move comes as many countries are tightening border controls to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus. "If you leave Japan now, you may be unable to return home, because of measures (implemented by other countries) against the new coronavirus," a senior ministry official said. In Peru, about 230 Japanese travelers are now stranded, after the Latin American country closed its borders in the fight against the coronavirus. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] UPDATE: Coronavirus cases reach 5 in Kalamazoo County KALAMAZOO, MI -- A fourth case of coronavirus was confirmed in Kalamazoo County on Tuesday, March 24. The update comes one day after Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department confirmed the first cases in the county. The number of people diagnosed with the coronavirus in Michigan increased 34% in one day, reaching 1,791 on Tuesday, March 24. This latest update is up from 1,328 the day before. Much of the spike can be contributed to increased testing within the private sector. The statewide death toll also increased from 15 to 24. On Tuesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said gear is so scarce during spread of COVID-19 that medical staff are reusing face masks. She encouraged the public to donate much-needed supplies. As an increase of coronavirus patients looms, Ascension Borgess and Bronson Healthcare have asked the public to donate supplies like N-95 masks, hand sanitizer and goggles. Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller, along with Kalamazoo County Health Officer James Rutherford and Kalamazoo County Medical Director William Nettleton, held a news conference on March 23 to talk about the first cases and the Governors Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order. Fuller announced that a Kalamazoo County deputy is one of three people in the county with confirmed cases of COVID-19. We need to take this very seriously, Fuller said. Because this virus were dealing with is moving rapidly, and we want to do everything we can to keep people safe. Per the executive order, other essential health services will stay open, Rutherford said. For at least the next three weeks essential services that sustain and protect health and life will continue at the county health department, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to a press release. No evening clinics will be held on Thursdays. Basic public health needs must continue for our residents in Kalamazoo County, even during this global pandemic, to protect the health of all, Rutherford said. The public should know if they are visiting our building there will be hand sanitizer available and social distancing in practice. Essential Services Remaining Open at HCS include: Area Agency on Aging Region IIIA: this includes the Information & Assistance Hotline at 269-373-5173 and the Long Term Care Ombudsman at 1-866-485-9393 Clinic: by appointment only, limited STD testing and immunizations services. There will be no TB Tests including QFTs, titers or travel immunizations Environmental Health: Land, water, and wastewater, food safety, and laboratory services WIC: by appointment only Veterans Service Office: by appointment only Maternal Child Health: community workers and programs are available by telephone and email. Processing referrals continues. Patients should be aware that calls from county health employees may come from a number that says private or blocked in order to protect the privacy of employees personal numbers while they work remotely. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. Its not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season. MORE MICHIGAN CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE HERE. Below is a county-by-county map of Michigan tracking confirmed COVID-19 cases, followed by a map of possible exposure sites and a chart based on the states daily reports. The maps will be updated as more reports are released. If you are reading this story on mobile and cant see the map, click here to view it on the web. Reported coronavirus cases: More coronavirus coverage on MLive: First coronavirus case reported in Van Buren County Mann+Hummel in Portage lays off 377 workers during coronavirus shutdown Western Michigan University employees face uncertain future during coronavirus closure Meijer suspends bottle and can returns in Michigan amid coronavirus pandemic YWCA Kalamazoo stays open, says abuse will not end during COVID-19 outbreak Sheriff, mayor urge Kalamazoo to heed governors order to stay at home during coronavirus outbreak Cebu (CNN Philippines, March 25) Governor Gwen Garcia announced on Wednesday that Cebu province will be placed under enhanced community quarantine or lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. "We are moving towards a total lockdown... But we need to put needed measures first," Garcia said in a media briefing. The governor said she will meet with all mayors of Cebu on Thursday to discuss the procedure for implementing the enhanced community quarantine. They will make the announcements after the meeting at the provincial capitol. The province so far has one positive case, in Mandaue City. However, Department of Health Region 7 Director Jaime Bernadas said there are eight"presumptive" coronavirus cases in Cebu. Swab samples have been sent for confirmatory tests to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City. Initial testing was done at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in the province. Garcia said she has already asked the Provincial Board to hold an emergency session on Thursday to declare Cebu under a "state of emergency." This would allow local authorities to access emergency funds for COVID-19 response. The official noted that there are several factors that needed to be prepared before a lockdown can be enforced, like food supplies, transportation, quarantine passes, among others. By Friday midnight, Garcia also said that the province will no longer allow the entry of passengers from abroad. She will be issuing another executive order on this measure. "I am doing this for the protection of the Cebuanos and for the interest of the Province of Cebu," Garcia said. Duterte earlier placed the entire country under a state of public health emergency as more COVID-19 cases have been confirmed earlier this month. This was upgraded to a "state of national emergency" by Congress when it passed the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act this week. The thirteenth death caused by the coronavirus was recorded on Wednesday morning in Romania, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS) informs. "It is about a woman from Caras-Severin county, 72 years old, transferred in the evening of March 24 to the Timisoara Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases from the County Emergency Hospital Resita, the ICU section, where she was admitted on March 21. The patient had no travel history and no positive contact has been identified," the source said. The woman was pronounced dead on Wednesday morning. Major industries hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic are almost certainly going to need government bailouts, say experts and business organizations. The question is when, and just how much money is needed. Most notably, the airline business has taken a massive hit. WestJet will be cutting its nearly 14,000-person workforce in half through a series of early retirements, and voluntary and involuntary leaves. Some of the leaves will be temporary. Air Canadas pilots union has said that up to 600 pilots will go on unpaid leave in the coming months, while the airlines flight attendants union has said just over 5,000 flight attendants will be temporarily laid off. Both major airlines have also dramatically reduced their flying schedules. Theres no doubt about it that the aviation industry is going to need to some help, said John Gradek, faculty lecturer and program coordinator in aviation leadership at McGill University, and a former Air Canada executive. In Gradeks view, the industry could do with two things from government: an order shutting down Canadian airspace and a bailout. All expenses would be shut down. That will provide them some breathing room, Gradek said of an order closing the airspace. But they will also need money to get back up and running again. He estimated that the airline industry would need between $5 billion and $10 billion, but said the ultimate amount will depend on how long the pandemic prevents the business from being fully operational again. And it also remains to be seen whether such help would come in the form of loans or grants or both. (Meanwhile, in the United States, the airline industry has been asking for $50 billion (U.S.).) If I were in the shoes of the government, I would want as much money as possible flowing to the actual employees. So how do we ensure that? Gradek said, arguing that if it provides a bailout, the government would likely want to get more involved in the business, such as having a few seats on the airlines board of directors. Financial relief should be coming soon for people out of work, including in the airline industry, after the federal government unveiled a program Wednesday to provide $2,000 a month to people who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19. Payments would last as long as four months. Help is on the way, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says in announcing the emergency response benefit that will provide $2,000 a month for four months for people who have lost their income because of COVID-19. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit combines two benefits announced last week to streamline application process. Tae Hoon Oum, a professor in the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia and an aviation and transportation expert, said government should be thinking about financial assistance for the industry given that its the federal governments advisory against non-essential travel worldwide that has partly led to a reduction in demand for the airlines. We may be able to control COVID-19 in a quicker way, he said, but the airlines will suffer financially, and there is a need to help them out both for society and the airlines. He said the industry is suffering disproportionately large losses and some airlines, particularly the smaller ones, will likely go bankrupt without financial help. So far the federal government hasnt said if it will be bailing out any specific industry. Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced almost two weeks ago a $10 billion credit line to loan money to businesses, but organizations have said far more money is needed, and fast. Aside from the airlines, other industries hit especially hard by the pandemic include the energy sector and transportation companies. Bombardier announced this week that it is halting all non-essential work across the country, including plane and rail production, putting more than 12,000 employees on unpaid leave. The Business Council of Canada called on the federal government Wednesday for significant new measures to help companies across various sectors. The organization said a rescue package of at least $75 billion is required beyond the $10 billion already announced, pointing out that companies must remain intact if the economy is ever going to recover once the worst of the pandemic is over. There needs to be a much greater sense of urgency, said Brian Kingston, the Business Councils vice-president of policy. (Companies) are going to need support, it needs to come quickly and we urge the government to act immediately. What the government has announced so far is a good first step, but its simply not enough. Correction - March 31, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version that misspelled the name of the University of British Columbias business school. With files from Star wire services Read more about: [March 25, 2020] OfferUp and letgo Combine US Marketplaces to Deliver A Better Buying and Selling Experience For More Than 20 Million Monthly Users SEATTLE and NEW YORK, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OfferUp and letgo, two of America's most popular apps to buy and sell locally, have announced their intention to combine their US businesses. OLX Group the classifieds business of Prosus and letgo's majority investor - will own 40% of the combined entity. The combination will create a leading mobile marketplace supporting more than 20 million monthly active users, with complementary product capabilities and a national footprint across the United States. The agreement includes a new $120 million investment round led by OLX Group along with existing OfferUp investors, including Andreessen Horowitz and Warburg Pincus, to support continued growth, product innovation, and monetization efforts. OfferUp and letgo have quickly grown in popularity thanks to innovations that make it easier for their communities to buy and sell, and both are consistently ranked as top shopping apps in the App Store and Google Play Store. OfferUp and letgo users will now have access to a larger network of buyers and sellers, which will significantly increase their trading opportunity. Users will also benefit from nationwide shipping and advanced trust and safety programs, and automotive dealers will have access to a meaningfully larger potential customer base. The deal leaves the new company well-positioned to tap into a larger share of America's significant online classifieds sector. "My vision for OfferUp has always been to build a company that helps people connect and prosper," said Nick Huzar, OfferUp CEO. "We're combining the complementary strengths of OfferUp and letgo in order to deliver an even better buying and selling experience for our communities. OLX Group has unparalleled expertise and clear success with growing online marketplace businesses, so they'll be a great partner as we continue to build the widest, simplest, and most trustworthy experience for our customers." "letgo and OfferUp have always shared the same core vision for how large America's secondhand economy can become harnessing tech innovation to bring about an extraordinarily positive impact on consumers' wallets and also on the environment," said letgo cofounder Alec Oxenford. "Bringing our appstogether moves us much closer to that vision." The deal is subject to regulatory approval. The combined businesses will be operated by OfferUp, which is headquartered in Bellevue, WA. Mr. Huzar will continue to be the CEO of OfferUp and Chairman of the Board. letgo's business outside of North America will remain separately owned and operated as part of OLX Group. Mr. Oxenford will join the Board of OfferUp and also serve as senior advisor to OLX Group and Prosus. Allen & Company LLC is acting as financial adviser to OfferUp, and Perkins Coie LLP is acting as OfferUp's legal advisers regarding the transaction. OLX Group and letgo Global are advised by Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, and the management team and minority shareholders of letgo are advised by Morrison & Foerster LLP. About OfferUp OfferUp is dedicated to building the simplest and most trustworthy way for people to buy and sell in their communities. OfferUp's iOS and Android apps have been in the top five most popular shopping apps lists for more than three years. The privately held company is based in Bellevue, WA and backed by top investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Warburg Pincus, GGV Capital, and Coatue. For more information, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook . About letgo letgo's free app makes it simple to buy and sell locally. With over 100M downloads and 400M listings worldwide since its 2015 launch, the secondhand marketplace is filled with everything from electronics, cars, and collectibles to housing, clothing, and furniture. letgo was founded by Alec Oxenford, Jordi Castello, and Enrique Linares. For more information, visit letgo.com . About OLX Group and Prosus OLX Group is among the world's fastest-growing marketplace networks, serving more than 300 million people every month. Building leading destinations for buying, selling, and exchanging products and services, it operates more than 20 consumer brands including Avito, letgo, and OLX. OLX Group's technology is designed to enable safe and convenient transactions, encouraging reuse to help give items second, third, or even fourth lives. It's estimated to facilitate approximately 17 million trades every month, ranging from cars and furniture to electronics and clothing. The Group is powered by a team of 6,000 people working from 35+ offices around the world. For more information, visit www.olxgroup.com . OLX Group is the online classifieds business of Prosus, a global consumer internet group and one of the largest technology investors in the world. Prosus has a primary listing on Euronext Amsterdam (AEX:PRX) and a secondary listing on the JSE Limited (XJSE:PRX), and is majority-owned by Naspers. For more information on Prosus and its companies and investments, please visit www.prosus.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/offerup-and-letgo-combine-us-marketplaces-to-deliver-a-better-buying-and-selling-experience-for-more-than-20-million-monthly-users-301029334.html SOURCE OfferUp [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] | By SOM Office of Public Affairs Dear UMSOM Community: As we continue to move forward in these challenging times, I would like to bring you a message of encouragement and hope. First and foremost, please be assured and confident that we are, and will continue to do, everything we can to ensure the health and well-being of all within our SOM community. Significant steps are being taken by the state of Maryland, the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), and the School of Medicine to ensure that everyone is healthy and safe. Second, I want to encourage each of you to use this time when you are working remotely to advance the mission areas of the School of Medicine research, clinical care, education, and community impact. I am convinced that if we focus on these priorities, when we resume our normal schedules, we will quickly be able to realize that there was little or no "lost time." As you will see below, much work is being done by members of our academic community to focus on this COVID-19 pandemic. New Executive Order Gov. Hogan Gov. Larry Hogan has issued a new executive order that closes all non-essential businesses in the state of Maryland. The new restriction reflects the growing number of cases in the state and the need for residents to stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary to go out. As we continue to implement Step 2 activation level for all of our employees, it is critical for everyone to follow all of the state and federal laws that are now in place that restrict travel and social distancing. The governor's office has created a new website that provides official information for the state of Maryland at https://governor.maryland.gov/marylandunites/ Update from UMMS Dr. Suntha As part of the latest announcement, Gov. Hogan reiterated that all health care workers including those employed by the University of Maryland Medical System are essential and will continue to serve the health care needs of the people of Maryland. Other health care-related businesses that will continue to operate include pharmacies, home health care companies, manufactures and distributors of medical equipment and supplies, senior living facilities, diagnostic facilities, rehab facilities, and offices of health care providers. UMMS President and CEO Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, has acknowledged this as a further indication of the vital role our Medical System plays in caring for the communities we serve. Our patients and communities are counting on us and we will be there to answer the call. Update from UMB/UMSOM Dr. Jarrell UMB Interim President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, announced on March 23 that the campus will now move to an elevated level for our research activities, from Moderate Research Restrictions to Severe Research Restrictions. In sum, as stated in the Basic Science Research policy document issued last week, Severe Research Restrictions means that "we expect that you will curtail all activities not critical to maintaining animals, unique reagents/cell lines and essential equipment, at which point only 2-3 essential personnel (designated by the Principal Investigator) will be allowed in the lab and should be according to a defined employee schedule that ensures appropriate staggering." UMSOM is supportive of the UMB decision to restrict research in accordance with the governor's mandate. UMSOM is working with the campus and has developed further guidelines regarding the use of laboratory research. The new guidelines, which were sent to all principal investigators, describe further restrictions as well as exceptions for certain laboratories. These exceptions include laboratories involved in COVID-19 research, critical ongoing experiments, and those that have equipment requiring maintenance. As previously noted, all UMB grant support services will continue to operate as is. New grant submissions should continue to be a priority. Faculty Research and Involvement in COVID-19 Dr. Neuzil Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH, FIDSA, the Myron M. Levine, MD Distinguished Professor in Vaccinology, and director, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD), is part of a leadership team working with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to test vaccines and therapies at sites across the country. CVD is part of NIAIDs Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit Network, one of nine sites researching vaccines and other therapies for COVID-19. The first Phase 1 trial of a vaccine began last week in Seattle, and Dr. Neuzil continues to work with infectious disease experts on the launch of additional trials. In addition, CVDs Karen Kotloff, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Head of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Division, and Justin Ortiz, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, are the principal investigators on a trial to study the efficacy of an antiviral therapy for treating COVID-19. Dr. Chen Wilbur Chen, MD, associate professor of medicine and an adult infectious disease specialist, and David Marcozzi, MD, MD, MHS-CL, FACEP, associate professor of emergency medicine and head of the Incident Command for UMMS, are both serving on Gov. Hogans COVID-19 response team. They are advising top state officials about the illness, treatment, and containment. Dr. Gallo Robert C. Gallo, MD, the Homer and Martha Gudelsky Professor in Medicine, co-founder and director, Institute of Human Virology at UMSOM, and co-founder and chairman of the International Scientific Leadership Board of the Global Virus Network, helped facilitate the delivery of 1,000 coronavirus tests to Baltimore. The tests, approved last week for marketing and use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration, were donated by a company in China and arrived in Baltimore on Saturday. On Monday, Dr. Gallo was making arrangements for their distribution through the Maryland Department of Health. Dr. Bale A new UMSOM study looks at the health toll of stress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tracy Bale, PhD, professor of pharmacology and director of the Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health & Brain Development at UMSOM, published her study in the journal Nature Communications. It outlines a biological mechanism for how a fathers experience with stress can influence fetal brain development in the womb. She and her research team found the effects of paternal stress can be transferred to offspring through changes in the extracellular vesicles that then interact with maturing sperm. The news release on Dr. Bales research provides important tips for managing stress while we are all working at home and maintaining safe social distancing. Dr. Frieman Matt Frieman, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology at UMSOM, continues his important work on testing potential new therapies to treat COVID-19. He and his colleagues published a paper on Monday in the journal Nature Nanotechnology that provides insights from the field of nanomedicine into the efficacy of chloroquine to treat COVID-19. He also continues to be quoted extensively in the media on his coronavirus expertise and his work studying this novel coronavirus. Here are his latest insights in The Atlantic. A complete listing of UMSOM faculty appearances in national media can be found at https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/news/coronavirus/UMSOM-Faculty-Expertise-Involvement--Media-Coverage/ In closing, I want to reinforce my points of encouragement and extend my best wishes to each of you to remain optimistic. I am confident that each of us can continue to demonstrate the courage and relentless spirit that I have seen countless times in the UMSOM community when we are faced with adversity. Thank you again for everything that you do. E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UMB John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine RouteOne These measures will help ensure that a dealers consumers can complete as much of the transaction as possible from the convenience of their home or location of choice. RouteOnes top priority is the health and safety of their employees, customers, partners, and surrounding communities. We remain committed to supporting dealers with tools to enable remote vehicle purchasing experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic. An elevated measure of economic support is now being offered to assist with business continuity. RouteOnes core credit application and eContracting solutions have always been and will continue to be offered at no charge to dealers. Additionally, RouteOne offers supplemental subscription products. These products are on a month-to-month basis, and a dealer can cancel and reactivate at any time, as circumstances change, allowing dealerships to administer their business as needed if forced to close because of mandates or business conditions related to COVID-19. Outlined below are the additional actions RouteOne is taking, now through May 31st, 2020, to further support dealers ability to transact with consumers online and from remote locations: Online Credit Applications - All RouteOne Digital Retail subscriptions reduced by 50%. These tools help engage with customers remotely, allowing them to submit lead information, apply for credit, and provide customer quotes. Menu Presentations - MaximTrak GO is available at NO CHARGE to MaximTrak Menu subscribers. MaximTrak GO allows dealer users to deliver a menu presentation to a consumers mobile device for the selection of protection products. Remotely eSign Contract Documents - Remote eSigning fees are waived. And, as always, RouteOne never charges for access to its base eContracting solution. Remote eSigning allows a consumer to securely review and electronically sign an eContract, along with associated RouteOne-generated ancillary documents, at a time and place of their choosing. RouteOnes eContracting product is integrated to 100+ finance sources, with 25+ offering Remote eSign support. These measures will help ensure that a dealers consumers can complete as much of the transaction as possible from the convenience of their home or location of choice. RouteOne tools allow for self-administered flexibility for dealership staff to access the consumers information from RouteOnes Deal Manager, either from the dealership or home office. RouteOne is also offering bi-weekly web training sessions on remote tools along with our general eContracting training sessions. Digital Retail and Remote eSigning economic relief will automatically be reflected in a dealers RouteOne billing statement. No action required by the dealer. MaximTrak Menu subscribers interested in enabling a remote menu experience with MaximTrak GO can reach out to support at support@maximtrak.com. RouteOne will continue to monitor and address the situation as needed. RouteOnes primary objective is to help their customers and partners with business operations during these extraordinary times. Dealers, finance sources, and partners can reach out to RouteOne leadership, by contacting their RouteOne Business Development Manager or reaching out to the Support Desk at 866.768.8301. ### About RouteOne RouteOne was formed in 2002 by Ally Financial, Ford Motor Credit Company, TD Auto Finance, and Toyota Financial Services to improve the F&I process for automobile dealers and their customers. Connecting thousands of dealers and finance sources in North America for vehicle financing, RouteOnes platform delivers a comprehensive suite of F&I solutions across multiple channels: in-store, online, mobile, and via third-party solutions. Its product line-up includes digital retail, credit application, eContracting, menu, and compliance solutions. In addition, RouteOne enables dealer choice across a wide variety of best-in-class providers through open integrations with over 200 DSPs. More information is available at http://www.routeone.com. Marts across Ireland are to close as a result of Toaiseach Leo Varadkar's announcement yesterday March 24. Farming groups are said to be in talks with the government to find new ways farmers can get support during this tumultuous time and to reconsider pre-existing time sensitive policies. The Irish Cooperative Organisation Society (ICOS) have stated that "any farmer wishing to buy or sell livestock to contact their local mart manager as we can still arrange for the marketing of animals, albeit as the Government has decreed, we cannot market them through the physical auction sales ring." Farmers have compared this closure, to that of a stock exchange. Many rural communities across Ireland rely on the agricultural industry to support their economy. The closure of all non-essential outlets, including marts, will have a serious effect on other policies and retention periods. For the farming industry, this will affect the ANC retention period as farmers will struggle to comply with the seven month retention period. According to the ICOS the reconstruction of the retention period would "allow farmers a longer timeframe to purchase the animals needed to comply with the stocking density requirements of the scheme, greatly assisting their economic viability." Hyderabad, March 25 : Even as disciplinary action has been initiated against a senior police officer in Telangana's Bhadradi-Kothagudem district, over violating COVID-19 quarantine regulations, authorities are working overtime to contain the damage. The Deputy Superintendent of Police, a primary contact of his foreign-returned son, tested positive on Wednesday. Earlier, his young son who had returned to Hyderabad on March 18 from London had also tested positive. A domestic help in the police officer's home has also tested positive. Earlier on Monday, Telangana state authorities had booked the father and son for not complying with the self-quarantine regulations prescribed for foreign returnees. A number of police personnel who had come in direct contact with the police officer have also been taken to Hyderabad for COVID-19 testing. The 23-year-old man had also visited neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to attend a family gathering . At least 65 persons who attended the function have been tested for COVID-19. Entry has been restricted to the village and the villagers have been advised to stay away from outsiders. On Tuesday, Telangana Chief Minister had warned of serious action against defaulters of quarantine regulations and said that such persons stand the risk of losing their passports too. A child's Mothers Day card: simple but potent with yearning. Five-year-old Gabriella Ratcliffe drew a red plane with a flower on its wings for her mum. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was freed last week for a fortnight from an Iranian jail. Could any words express more eloquently a small childs hope that her absent mummy ankle-tagged and now confined to her parents home in Tehran would soon fly back to London to be with her and her dad? The poignancy is not lost on Nazanin, who spent Mothers Day with her own mother but separated from her only child, whom she spoke to remotely on Skype. While she saw Gabriellas handmade card, the hug she longs to enfold her daughter in is still a long way off. It is traumatic not being able to really see or hold Gabriella, says Nazanin, speaking exclusively from Iran through her husband Richard. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her daughter Gabriella. Five-year-old Gabriella Ratcliffe drew a red plane with a flower on its wings for her mum on Mother's Day On Tuesday Nazanin, arrested in 2016 on spying charges, was freed under a temporary furlough, but will not be permitted to move more than 300 metres from her parents home. It has been really good spending time with my mum, she says, talking for the first time about her release. I cooked noodles for my parents lunch, Gabriellas favourite, but I dont want to talk about things related to her. It makes me feel too vulnerable. Nazanin explains that while she cannot bear to speak about Gabriella the exhumation of memories is just too painful her mum finds solace in chatting about the granddaughter she adores. Shes proud of her granddaughter. She wants to talk about her memories as she is missing Gabriella so much. Its hard for me, though; hard when we were organising a clear-out of some of her toys yesterday; painful to be around all those memories. My defence mechanism is to switch off and not dwell on her absence. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella Five-year-old Gabriella Ratcliffe drew a red plane with a flower on its wings for her mum on Mother's Day She adds: I know she is happy in England. Thats all that matters. And who knows? This might soon really be the end. I am so happy to be out [of prison]; even with the tag. Being out is so much better than being in if you knew what hell this place is. It is mental. Lets hope it is the beginning of coming home. It is a fervent hope Gabriella and her father Richard Ratcliffe share. On Sunday Gabriella wished her mum a Happy Mothers day but spent most of the call explaining about the movie night shed be having at home in her pyjamas, he says. Nazanin, meanwhile, said she had been going through Gabriellas outgrown clothes. Dual British/ Iranian national Nazanin, 41, was arrested in Tehran as she prepared to board a flight to the UK with Gabriella after a holiday with her parents nearly four years ago. The charity worker was imprisoned for five years over allegations, which she strongly denies, that she plotted to overthrow the Iranian government. Gabriella remained in Tehran in the care of her grandparents visiting her mum regularly in jail until last October when she flew back to her father in London to start school Richard was never granted a visa to visit. Gabriella remained in Tehran in the care of her grandparents visiting her mum regularly in jail until last October when she flew back to her father in London to start school. It has all been too much for a child of five to understand. The experience, however, has made her resilient. She has a wide smile, a capacity to charm all she meets and an indomitable spirit. Since her mums release, the little girls emotions have swung from joy to regret. Last Tuesday, she had her first chance since her return to London to Skype-call her mum from the familys flat in Hampstead. Richard recalls their shared excitement; the thrill of that first conversation. The first thing Nazanin wanted to do was speak to Gabriella after school, he says. Gabriella was giddyingly excited. She had been resisting speaking by phone to her mum in prison. She found it too upsetting. It was much easier to call this week when she was able to see Nazanin again. Gabriella took the phone off and went round the flat, showing her mummy her bedroom with her new big girl bed. Nazanin was admiring her world. Gabriella showed her her dollies and ran a bath for them. I had to intervene! There was a real exuberance. For Richard, the sight of his wifes smile was long overdue. Its been lovely to see her with a big grin. Shes been catching up with old friends and its so nice to see her doing normal things and feeling like a person again. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe pictured with her mother and her daughter Gabriella For Gabriella, to be able to talk to her mother outside the confines of a prison cell was happiness itself. I dont recall Gabriella asking too much except, When are you coming back home? says Richard. But on her second Skype call to Nazanin, Gabriella asked, Why are you at Mamanys [grannys] and not with us? She was disconcerted. I told her, Were hoping Mummy will be coming home soon. Sometimes she asks, When? Tomorrow or the next day? and I say hopefully soon, and she normally accepts that. The night before we speak, Gabriella painted eggs over Skype with her Mum; a tradition of the Iranian New Year. Afterwards, Richard confides, his daughter was upset: Gabriella was reminded that she was away from her mummy. She wanted to be in Iran with her for the celebrations. I explained that Mummy had been allowed out of prison for Iranian New Year and we told her that it was because people were poorly [with coronavirus] in prison and that Mummy has been poorly as well. Richard is pretty sure that Nazanin has had coronavirus and recovered: She had symptoms that lasted a couple of weeks and felt horrible, but they wouldnt test her. The Covid-19 death toll in Iran has soared to more than 2,000 and more than 27,000 have been confirmed as infected. Nazanins temporary release is due to end on April 4, but the family holds on to the hope that it will be a prelude to her permanent freedom and return to England. My feelings have been all of a mix pleased at the happiness for Nazanin and Gabriella, but fear this is a new drawn-out game of chess, says Richard, who has run a tireless campaign to secure his wifes freedom. The 45-year-old accountant admits his parenting skills were rusty when Gabriella a sweet-faced, affectionate child whose confidence is bolstered by a steely determination bounded back into his life five months ago. Speaking only Farsi, she arrived to find her bedroom frozen in time; unchanged since she left it as a toddler four years earlier. It still had her baby cot in it and she came back determined to get a big girls bed. We finally agreed on one, with a Little Mermaid duvet set, Richard recalls. There were, of course, more profound changes for her to adjust to. It was daunting traumatic for her to come over here, build new relationships and learn a new language from scratch, says Richard. We had quite a few nights when shed cry herself to sleep because she wanted Mummy or Mamany and not Daddy. There was a time when she wouldnt sleep on her own. Shed wake up in the night sometimes, crying, but she hasnt recently. She is adjusting to a completely different world. To begin with, she wondered why women were not wearing head scarves. She knew all about surveillance and wanted to know what the CCTV cameras were watching. Despite this awareness of a dark world she encountered in Iran, she remains an innocent little girl with a childs preoccupation with cuddly toys. She still takes a teddy bear and rabbit to bed that Nazanin made her in prison and has a pair of toadstool tights her Mamany gave her that she uses as a snuggle blanket. Shes surrounded by a family of animals. Now a teddy she got from my mum and sister has made the grade and is on her bed. And for me, being a real dad instead of a dad campaigning for her mums release is a rediscovery. Theres a sensitivity Ive had to re-learn. Nazanin was always concerned about how Gabriella was feeling. She was thoughtfully focused on things shed need. Im more reactive, behind the curve in my parenting at the moment. Ill say, Of course, youre irritable because youre hungry, while Nazanin would have food prepared. Theirs is a warm, mildly chaotic household washed crockery drains by the sink; finger-paintings adorn the walls; hyacinths bloom on a side table and Richard has the slightly distracted air of a solo father newly grappling with the mysteries of parenthood. Gabriella is at school when we speak it is her final day there before its closed due to coronavirus and I ask if he is prepared for the onslaught of child-related mayhem. Well muddle our way through, he smiles. He charts the huge strides his little girl has made in confidence, language skills and adapting to a new and wildly different culture in just a few months. When she came to England shed been taught to say, Hello Daddy, I love you, and How are you? Otherwise she spoke only Farsi, which Nazanin still tends to speak to her. But when Gabriella is describing her life here to the family in Iran, shell speak in English now even if the person on the other end of the phone doesnt understand. She picked up lots of words quickly. Now I read her My Naughty Little Sister at bedtime and she doesnt need me to explain it to her. Shes perfectly happy in her English-speaking environment. School which she began after Christmas made a huge difference. Shell run into her classroom on her own now, thank you very much, without Daddy cramping her style. He laughs. Its good that shes gained such independence. Its almost an embarrassment for her to have me around. School is her space and she presumes I wouldnt get it. Her young life, though, is compartmentalised: theres Mummy, absent in Iran, Daddy at home and school. I feel she copes because the areas are separate, says Richard. But she still likes the comfort of knowing Im next to her when she goes to sleep. It makes her feel safe. Sometimes, even now, I sleep on the floor by her bed. And she wants to be in the same bedroom with her cousin Dylan, who is eight, when she stays with my sister although he doesnt necessarily want a wriggly little five-year-old in his room. This new life, with its safety and happy family routines, contrasts with her life in Iran. There, she made regular visits with her grandparents to her mum in Evin jail, where political prisoners are held. When Nazanin was in solitary confinement, Gabriella visited just with her grandparents. Extended family were not allowed. Youre driven to places inside the prison compound in a vehicle with blacked-out windows to disorientate you. Sometimes Gabriella saw her mother being blindfolded. An interrogator stayed in the room during the visits. It was menacing. The visits were traumatic for the whole family. There came a point when Gabriella didnt like going any more, she didnt want to go to the prison. There were times when she saw Nazanins mum collapse once when Nazanin was on her first hunger strike in October 2016. On day six, she was looking so rough. Then Granny was interrogated and it was all overwhelming and distressing for Gabriella. Nazanin was moved out of solitary in 2017 and visits became more tolerable for Gabriella, who would sit on her mums lap, draw and eat with her in a room with other female inmates and their families. In Iran, it was taboo to talk about prison. Here, she knows theres an inconsistency; that Daddy talks about it, says Richard. In England, some parents try to protect their children from the fact that Nazanin is in prison, but some are keen to reach out in a kind, community way. Certainly, Gabriellas confidence has grown enormously. Sometimes shell say, Youre not the boss of me! She thinks of grown-ups instructions as advisory, at best, laughs Richard. But as she gets better at English, she is less assertive, less apt to say, Im not eating this. Shes relaxing into being mischievous. Shes affectionate and determined to make a place for herself, to be one of the gang. Shes quite sensitive to exclusion and will battle to be included. She also palpably adores her mum and dad. It is a fierce, protective love. I got some old placards out the other day; one drawn by my nephew Dylan, recalls Richard. Gabriella was keen to add her own drawings to it. When I suggested that Dylan might object she was quite indignant. She said, Shes my mum, so! She holds tightly onto her dads hand with a similar sense of ownership. And although they may be separated by oceans and continents, it is her most fervent wish that they will soon all be reunited. Sorry! This content is not available in your region The sun sets over the Katembe-Maputo bridge on Sep 1, 2019, in Maputo, Mozambique. (Photo: AFP/Gianluigi Guercia) "A truck transporting illegal immigrants from Malawi, suspected to be Ethiopians, was stopped at the Mussacana weight bridge in Tete, and 64 people were found dead. Only 14 survived," the official, who asked not be named because he does not have the authority to speak to the media, told AFP. "The cause of death is presumed to be asphyxiation." The victims were discovered in a blue cargo container loaded on to a haulage truck, according to pictures seen by AFP. Mozambique is generally seen as a smuggling corridor for migrants seeking to make their way to South Africa. South Africa - the continent's most industrialised country - is a magnet for poor migrants not only from neighbouring countries such as Lesotho and Zimbabwe, but even nations further afield, such as as Ethiopia. Illinois consumers have filed more than 700 price gouging complaints accusing stores of raising prices on household goods during the rush to stock up because of the new coronavirus. The city of Chicago received 175 price gouging complaints between March 1 and Monday. The state received 526 complaints during the same period. Most of the complaints filed with the city involved toilet paper and hand sanitizer, but a few also cited price increases on food and beverage products, said Isaac Reichman, a spokesman for the citys Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Department. While a reasonable price escalation due to increased demand or decreased supply may be acceptable, egregious price gouging, particularly for essential items, will not be tolerated and BACP is encouraging consumers to call 3-1-1 to report cases. We will investigate all complaints and take action where necessary, which can lead to fines of up to $10,000 per offense, Reichman said in an emailed statement. Reichman also said the agency is warning consumers to be aware of false advertising related to COVID-19, such as claims that a product can cure the disease. State investigators who are working from home because of the coronavirus are conducting phone interviews with consumers who file price gouging complaints with the Illinois attorney generals office, said Tori Joseph, a spokeswoman for that agency. We are handling these using our authority under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. We are contacting businesses directly some businesses say they have only increased prices in response to suppliers increasing prices. We ask for information on suppliers so that we can follow up with those entities. We have not taken any enforcement actions to date, Joseph said in an emailed statement. Reichman said price gouging complaints are normally low in the city. Last year, the city received two complaints. Its not common, Reichman said. In Illinois, the price gouging law only applies to petroleum and fuel products. But Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an executive order March 16 that extends the states authority to police price hikes on household products and medical supplies. Attorney General Kwame Raouls office announced last week it will look into complaints regarding the price of essential medical supplies, including protective gear, and other products like toilet paper and food. State investigators also are monitoring products on websites like Amazon, eBay and Facebook, and the department is contacting companies regarding ads or offers that may be misleading. German industrial conglomerate Thyssenkrupp on Wednesday announced it was scrapping 3,000 jobs in its troubled steel unit as part of a coronavirus "crisis package". The elevator-to-submarines group said it had reached a deal with Germany's powerful IG Metall union to cut 2,000 jobs over the next three years and another 1,000 by 2026. "Forced redundancies will be avoided," it said in a press release. The job cuts in Germany were necessary to respond to "the enormous challenges in the steel sector" as the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc on the global economy, it added. The latest figure raises the total number of job losses in Thyssenkrupp's steel division by 1,000, after the group said earlier that 2,000 of a planned 6,000 job cuts group-wide would affect steelworkers. Thyssenkrupp also said it had agreed an immediate "corona crisis package" with IG Metall that would see many German workers at the group's Steel Europe unit switch to reduced hours in the coming weeks, receiving 80 percent of their usual pay. "Even when we run out of work, we try to keep everyone in employment. So we can get back on track after the crisis," said personnel chief Oliver Burkhard. Thyssenkrupp is in the throes of a major restructuring following years of crisis. Its woes deepened after European competition authorities blocked its steel unit's merger with India's Tata Steel. To turn the tide, Thyssenkrupp now plans to sell its highly profitable elevators unit for 17.2 billion euros ($18.6 billion) and use the cash to shore up its other divisions, such as construction materials and car parts. Thyssenkrupp on Wednesday insisted it remained committed to its historic steel operations, which have long grappled with oversupply and fierce competition from China. The group plans to invest some 800 million euros in the steel unit in the next six years, the statement said. Hit hard by plunging demand and supply chain shocks over the coronavirus crisis, Thyssenkrupp on Monday ditched its 2019/2020 financial targets. The group reported a loss of 304 million euros in the previous year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan on Wednesday appointed a nodal officer to assist Indian students reportedly stranded at the Almaty airport for the past two to three days without food and medical aid due to travel restrictions on account of the coronavirus pandemic. "All Indian students in Kazakhstan (outside of Almaty) who arrived in Almaty to take a flight to India but were not able to leave and require boarding, lodging, food, medicine etc. may contact Martin Cyriac Clemense, Second Secretary and Officer in Charge," the Indian Embassy said in an "important" announcement. According to news agency reports, the development came hours after the Delhi High Court asked the authorities to expeditiously provide the students basic amenities and assistance with regard to food, medical care, lodging and transportation. The court was informed that several Indian students, who are enrolled for higher studies, including MBBS, at Semey Medical University in Kazakhstan are stranded including at the Almaty Airport without food, water, transportation and medical aid. A bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh, which conducted the hearing through video conferencing, directed the nodal officer to expeditiously facilitate, secure and provide these students will all basic amenities and humanitarian assistance. Oil/Chemical Tanker Vacamonte refuels the MSC Magnifica while berthed at Fremantle Passenger Terminal on March 24, 2020 in Fremantle, Australia. (Paul Kane/Getty Images) Australia to Quarantine Cruise Passengers on Tourist Island as CCP Virus Spreads Australia said on Wednesday it would force passengers on a ship into quarantine on a tourist island and refused entry to another vessel as authorities slapped heavy curbs on peoples movement to stop the rapid spread of the CCP virus. NTD refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Both ships are currently off the coast of Western Australia, where the state government was desperate to avoid repeating an incident on the other side of the country where 2,700 cruise passengers entered Sydney without health checks, including more than 130 who had the virus. The MV Artania, owned by Germanys Phoenix Reisen, was scheduled to dock in Perth and called ahead for medical assistance after 25 of its 800 passengers reported respiratory problems, the West Australian state government said. The authorities refused to let it dock and sent local health professionals onto the ship, which had no Australians onboard, for checks. Another cruise ship, the Vasco da Gama, was due in Perth on Friday with 800 Australians and 109 New Zealanders on board. It will now be forced to dock at Rottnest Island, a former prison outpost that is now popular with day-trippers, where a makeshift quarantine station was being set up. Foreigners would be flown home, while Australians would be let back into the country after 14 days of quarantine. We have seen what has happened in Sydney Harbourit was a complete and utter disaster, West Australian premier Mark McGowan told reporters. Phoenix Reisen, the MV Artania owner, was not immediately available for comment. Australians are now adjusting to life under extraordinary restrictions intended to stop the spread of the illness that has so far infected about 2,500 people and killed eight nationally, including one passenger from the Ruby Princess cruise, owned by Carnival Corp, which docked in Sydney. The federal government on Wednesday limited wedding gatherings to five people and funerals to 10 and ordered beauty clinics, gyms, pubs, and food court dining areas to close. Local authorities have introduced measures to enforce bans on social gatherings, including fines. The government also banned most elective surgery to free up hospital beds and staff for a projected influx of coronavirus-infected patients. Officials warned an accelerating number of patients could overwhelm intensive care units, tracking developments in other countries. These are very difficult changes that were asking Australians to make, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a televised media conference. Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews said if the same long queues appearing outside offices of the main welfare agency, Centrelink, started forming at hospitals, there would be fatal consequences. If this gets away from us, our health system will be overrun and people wont just be queuing for Centrelink payments, theyll be queuing for heart, lung machines, and ventilators and intensive care beds and we know what that means you cannot queue for intensive care, Andrews said in Melbourne. Morrison also unveiled a corporate taskforce to be led by Nev Power, former chief executive of iron ore miner Fortescue and a host of high-profile business figures, to redeploy workforces and equipment, and protect supply chains. Australian leaders have become increasingly frustrated with breaches of social distancing measures that saw thousands flock to beaches and pubs in recent days before new restrictions were implemented. Andrews said 500 Victorian police were checking on thousands of people who had returned from overseas to make sure they obeyed isolation orders. In neighbouring New South Wales (NSW) state, police will fine individuals A$1,000 ($604) for breaching social distancing rules that include limits of 10 people in outside gatherings, spaced 1.5 metres apart. Western Australia will impose a limit on alcohol home purchases to lighten the law enforcement load for alcohol-related offences and minimise the health effects of drinking. Artists and arts organisations will be able to apply for a slice of $5 million in emergency funds to support their livelihoods and operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australia Council has announced. But in response to the crisis more than a dozen other funding programs have been suspended, including Australia Council Fellowships, project funding, touring and travel funds, and the National Arts and Disability Awards. Australia Council CEO Adrian Collette. Credit:Nick Moir The Australia Council on Wednesday revealed some details of its first "response package" to the crisis, saying in a statement the cultural and creative sectors have already suffered enormous damage. "The rapid disappearance of Australian creative work from our lives will have a major social and cultural impact on the Australian public in both the short and long term," Australia Council CEO Adrian Collette said. "We have freed up funds as much as we are able to immediately respond to the critical situation." Sorry, we are currently running some maintenance and will be back shortly. Connect with us on social media for updates. To continue aiding the Las Vegas community during this difficult time, Station Casinos donated over 120 pallets of food from ten valley properties to Three Square Food Bank yesterday and throughout the weekend. Station Casinos Food Donation To Vegas Community The generous delivery contained a variety of nutritious foods including over 3,000 dozen eggs, 2,800 pounds of watermelon, 2,800 gallons of orange juice, 1,000 cases of fresh vegetables, 249 cases of fresh fruit, 150 cases of potatoes, and much more that will be further distributed to individuals and families in need. In addition, Station Casinos donated over 200 gallons of milk and an assortment of bakery items including brownies, cakes, pies and more to various local charities including The Salvation Army and Veterans Village. In addition to its direct food donations to Three Square, Station Casinos also partnered with the charity to distribute food at its Sunset Station, Boulder Station and Palace Station parking lots to those in need. (More information here: https://www.threesquare.org/help) Station Casinos remains committed to a Doors Closed, Hearts Open philosophy to serve the Las Vegas community. The company recently announced that despite the statewide mandated closure of its properties, Station Casinos will continue to offer regular pay and health benefits to all of its hourly and salaried full-time team members through April 30, 2020. ERLC urges Congress to incentivize charitable giving amid COVID-19 scare Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention is calling upon the federal government to boost incentives for charitable giving amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has shaken the globe. In a Thursday letter to Congressional leaders of both chambers, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore noted the harmful impact the virus was having on the economy and how that, in turn, proves damaging for the nonprofit sector, particularly charities that serve the most vulnerable people in society. "The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 doubled the standard deduction, which means that most Americans no longer itemize their deductions. Under the federal tax code, people can only claim a deduction for charitable contributions if they itemize their deductions," Moore explained in the letter. "Since the amount of people who itemize deductions has shrunk, many nonprofits are concerned there would be a drop in donations, because of the lack of incentive to give. The Charitable Deduction is the only deduction for which the taxpayer receives no other material benefit (compared with the mortgage interest deduction or tuition deduction)." Thus, he said, Southern Baptists object to any tax policy that could chill the ability of citizens to contribute to charity, emphasizing that the federal legislature should extend the Charitable deduction to everyone for two years, not just those who itemize their deductions. Such a two-year universal charitable deduction, he argued, will mitigate the harm done to the economy. "Our government should welcome the generosity of all citizens at all levels of income who desire to help their neighbors through religious associations, educational institutions, and any organization that relieves poverty," he said. The letter comes as many churches have closed their doors and moved their services strictly online, leaving pews and offering plates empty. Other Southern Baptist entities have taken steps to ensure their stability in light of the pandemic. The North American Mission Board has implemented cutbacks and budgetary freezes so that its missionaries can remain serving on the field. These are not business as usual times and we will not be conducting business as usual, NAMB President Kevin Ezell said in a Thursday staff conference call. We are all praying that things will bounce back quickly, but we are not taking anything for granted. The stock market has plummeted dramatically as the pandemic has unfolded and Congress is presently considering various economic relief packages. Current proposals have hit partisan roadblocks amid disagreement over how relief should be distributed. Five senators, all Republican, are self-isolating due to exposure to the virus, one of whom, Rand Paul of Kentucky, has tested positive for it. "The scale of the package which has grown by over a trillion dollars over the course of several days and by more than $500 billion just during Saturday's negotiations alone," CNN reported Monday, noting that it "underscores the recognition of the urgency brought on by the accelerating spread of the coronavirus pandemic that has all but shuttered the American economy over the last week." Around the world, countries afflicted by the virus are practicing what is known as "social distancing," avoiding large gatherings of people and some places have effectively been locked down in order to prevent further spread of the disease. The Structures of Computation and the Mathematical Structure of Nature Michael S. Mahoney Introduction In 1948 John von Neumann expressed the need for a theory of automata to take account of the possibilities and limits of the electronic digital computer, but he could not specify the mathematical form of such a theory might take. Over the next two decades, theoretical computer science emerged from the intersection of the research agendas of a wide range of established fields, including mathematics. By 1970 theoretical computer science had its own rubric in Mathematical Reviews, its own textbooks, and its own research agenda, and its concepts and techniques were becoming a resource for other sciences. The talk will describe the main lines of this process, which took place in two stages corresponding to a continuing division in the subject. Beginning in the late 1950s, automata theory took shape as the quasi-algebraic study of formal languages and the machines that recognize them, and of computational complexity as measured by bounded Turing machines. From the early 1960s formal semantics grew out of concern with extensible programming languages, which brought out in striking form the defining characteristic of the stored-program computer, namely that functions and values occupy the same data space. In the process, theoretical computer science gave meaning to the seemingly paradoxical notion of applied abstract algebra, as it brought the most advanced concepts of twentieth-century mathematics to bear on what has become the defining technology of our time. In 1984 Springer Verlag added to its series, Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics, a work with the seemingly oxymoronic title Applied Abstract Algebra, by Rudolf Lidl and Gunter Pilz. To the community of practitioners the work may have seemed, as the cliche puts it, long overdue; indeed, it was one of a spate of similar works that appeared at the time, evidently filling a perceived need. To the historian of modern mathematics, it appears remarkable on several counts, not least that it was meant for undergraduates. Less than fifty years earlier, Garrett Birkhoff's father had asked him what use his new theory of lattices might possibly have, and many non-algebraists had wondered the same thing about the subject as a whole. Applied Abstract Algebra opens with a chapter on lattices, which form a recurrent theme throughout the book. Subsequent chapters present rings, fields, and semigroups. Interspersed among those topics and motivating their organization are the applications that give the book its title and purpose. They include switching circuits, codes, cryptography, automata, formal languages: in short, problems arising out of computing or intimately related to it. Although the particular topics and treatments differed, Lidl and Pilz were following the lead of Birkhoff himself, who in 1970 together with Thomas Bartee had assembled Modern Applied Algebra, and explained its purpose right at the outset: The name modern algebra refers to the study of algebraic systems (groups, rings, Boolean algebras, etc.) whose elements are typically non-numerical. By contrast, classical algebra is basically concerned with algebraic equations or systems of equations whose symbols stand for real or complex numbers. Over the past 40 years, modern algebra has been steadily replacing classical algebra in American college curricula. The past 20 years have seen an enormous expansion in several new areas of technology. These new areas include digital computing, data communication, and radar and sonar systems. Work in each of these areas relies heavily on modern algebra. This fact has made the study of modern algebra important to applied mathematicians, engineers, and scientists who use digital computers or who work in the other areas of technology mentioned above. That is, by 1970 the most abstract notions of twentieth-century mathematics had evidently found application in the most powerful technology of the era, indeed the defining technology of the modern world. Indeed, the development of computing since 1970, both theoretical and applied, has repeatedly reinforced the relationship, as one can see from titles like The Algebra of Programming; Categories, Types, and Structures: An Introduction to Category Theory for the Working Computer Scientist; and Basic Category Theory for Computer Scientists, to name just a few. The problem of applied science and applied mathematics That strikes me as a remarkable development, all the more so for a discussion that followed a paper I gave a couple of years ago at a conference on the history of software. Computer scientists and software engineers in the audience objected to my talking about the development of theoretical computer science as a mathematical discipline under the title Software as ScienceScience as Software. The matters at issue were not technical but professional, philosophical, and historical. My critics disagreed with meand with each otherover whether software (i.e. computer programs and programming) could be the subject of a science, whether that science was mathematics, and whether mathematics could be considered a science at all. There was much common wisdom in the room, expressed with the certainty and conviction that common wisdom affords. Two arguments in particular are pertinent here. First, the computer is an artifact, not a natural phenomenon, and science is about natural phenomena. Second, as a creation of the human mind, independent of the physical world, mathematics is not a science. It is at most a tool for doing science. Modern technoscience undercuts the first point. How does one distinguish between nature and artifact when we rely on artifacts to produce or afford access to the natural phenomena, as with accelerators, electron microscopes, and space probesall, one might add, mediated by software? We need not wait until the twentieth century to find technology intertwined with science. In insisting that Nature to be commanded must be obeyed, Francis Bacon placed nature and art on the same physical and epistemological level. Artifacts work by the laws of nature, and by working to reveal those laws. Only with the development of thermodynamics, which began with the analysis of steam engines already at work, did we discover that world is a heat engine subject to the laws of entropy. A century later came information theory, the analysis of communications systems arising from the problems of long-distance telephony, again already in place. Information could be related via the measure of entropy to thermodynamics, and the phenomenal world began to contain information as a measure of its order and structure. According to Stephen Hawking, quantum mechanics, relativity, thermodynamics, and information theory all meet on the event horizons of black holes. There's a lot of physics here, but also a lot of mathematics, and a lot of artifacts lying behind both. Now, with the computer, nature has increasingly become a computation. DNA is code, the program for the process of development; the growth of plants follows the recursive patterns of formal languages, and biochemical molecules implement automata. Stephen Wolframs A New Kind of Science is only the most extreme assertion of an increasingly widespread view, expressed with equal fervor by proponents of Artificial Life. Although the computational world may have begun as a metaphor, it is now acquiring the status of metaphysics, thus repeating the early modern transition from the metaphor of machine of the world to the metaphysics of matter in motion. The artifact as conceptual scheme is deeply, indeed inseparably, embedded in nature, and the relationship works both ways, as computer scientists turn to biological models to address problems of stability, adaptability, and complexity. Embedded too is the mathematics that has played a central role in the articulation of many of these models of naturethermodynamical, informational, and computationalnot simply by quantifying them but also, and more importantly, by capturing their structure and even filling it out. The calculus of central-force dynamics revealed by differentiation the Coriolis force before Coriolis identified it, and Gell-Mann's and Ne'eman's baryon served as the tenth element needed to complete a group representation before it appeared with its predicted properties in the Brookhaven accelerator. One can point to other examples in between. Applied to the world as models, mathematical structures have captured its workings in ways thinkers since the 17th century have found uncanny or, as Eugene Wigner put it, unreasonably effective. Is mathematics a science of the natural world, or can it be? Computational science puts the question in a new light. Science is not about nature, but about how we represent nature to ourselves. We know about nature through the models we build of it, constructing them by abstraction from our experience, manipulating them physically or conceptually, and testing their implications back against nature. How we understand nature reflects, first, the mapping between the observable or measurable parameters of a physical system and the operative elements of the model and, second, our capacity to analyze the structure of the model and the transformations of which is capable. In the physical sciences, the elements have been particles in motion or distributions of force in fields described in differential equations; in the life sciences, they have been organisms arranged in a taxonomy or gathered in statistically distributed populations. The scope and power of these models have depended heavily on the development of mathematical techniques to analyze them and to derive new structures and relations within them. Developed initially as a tool for solving systems of equations that were otherwise intractable, computers have evolved to provide a means for a new kind of modeling and thus a new kind of understanding of the world, naming dynamic simulation, which is what we generally mean when we talk of computational science. But with the new power come new problems, first, to define the mapping that relates the operative elements of the simulation to what we take to be those of the natural system and, second, to develop the mathematical tools to analyze the dynamic behavior of computational processes and to relate their structures to one another. In short, understanding nature appears to be coming down to understanding computers and computation. Whether computer science, broadly conceived, should be or even could be a wholly mathematical science remains a matter of debate among practitioners, on which historians must be agnostic. What matters to this historian is that from the earliest days, leading members of the community of computer scientists, as measured by citations, awards, and honors, have turned to mathematics as the foundation of computer science. I am not stating a position but reporting a position taken by figures who would seem to qualify as authoritative. A look at what current computing curricula take to be fundamental theory confirms that position, and developments in computational science reinforce it further. So, let me repeat my critics line of thinking: computation is what computers do, the computer is an artifact, and computation is a mathematical concept. So how could computation tell us anything about nature? Or rather, to take the historians view, how has it come about that computation is both a mathematical subject and an increasingly dominant model of nature? And how has that parallel development redefined the relations among technology, mathematics, and science? Applied mathematics and its history Garrett Birkhoff Garrett Birkhoff 2 The answer is tied in part to a shift in the meaning of applied mathematics that took place during the mid-20th century. It shifted from putting numbers on theory to modeling as abstraction of structure. The shift is related to Birkhoffs differentiation between classical and modern algebra: the latter redirects attention from the objects being combined to the combinatory operations and their structural relations. Thus homomorphisms express the equivalence of structures arising from different operations, and isomorphism expresses the equivalence of structures differing only in the particular objects being combined. From functional analysis to category theory, algebra moved upward in a hierarchy of abstraction in which the relations among structures of one level became the objects of relations at the next. As Herbert Mehrtens has pointed out, mathematics itself was following in the direction Hilbert had indicated at the turn of the 20th century, beholden no longer to physical ontology or to philosophical grounding. The new kind of modeling followed that pattern and fitted well with concurrent shifts in the relation between mathematics and physics occasioned by the challenges of relativity and quantum mechanics, which pushed mathematical physics onto new ground, moving it from the mathematical expression of physical structures to the creation of mathematical structures open to, but not bound by, physical interpretation. A shift of technique accompanied the shift of ground. As Bruna Ingrao and Giorgio Israel observe in their history of equilibrium theory in economics, ... one went from the theory of individual functions to the study of the collectivity of functions (or functional spaces); from the classical analysis based on differential equations to abstract functional analysis, whose techniques referred above all to algebra and to topology, a new branch of modern geometry. The mathematics of time, which had originated in the Newtonian revolution and developed in symbiosis with classical infinitesimal calculus, was defeated by a static and atemporal mathematics. A rough and approximate description of the ideal of the new mathematics would be fewer differential equations and more inequalities. In fact, the new mathematics, of which von Neumann was one of the leading authors, was focused entirely upon techniques of functional analysis, measurement theory, convex analysis, topology, and the use of fixed-point theorems. One of von Neumann's greatest achievements was unquestionably that of having grasped the central role within modern mathematics of fixed-point theorems, which were to play such an important part in economic equilibrium theory. Ingrao and Israel echoed what Marcel P. Schutzenberger (about whom more below) had earlier signaled as the essential achievement of John von Neumanns theory of games, which he characterized as the first conscious and coherent attempt at an axiomatic study of a psychological phenomenon. In von Neumanns theory there is no reference to a physical substrate of which the equations will serve to symbolize the mechanism, nor are there introduced any but the minimum of psychological or sociological observations, which more or less fragmentary analytic schemes will seek to approximate. On the contrary, from the outset, the most general postulates possible, chosen certainly on the basis of extra-mathematical considerations that legitimate them a priori, but accessible in a direct way to mathematical treatment. These are mathematical hypotheses with psychological contentnot mathematizable psychological data. Such an approach, Schutzenberger added, required that von Neumann fashion new analytical tools from abstract algebra, including group theory and the theory of binary relations, thus making his application of mathematics to psychology at the same time a new chapter in mathematics. The physical world thus became an interpretation, or semantic model, of an essentially uninterpreted, abstract mathematical structure. Von Neumanns agendas: The formation of theoretical (mathematical) computer science John von Neumann John von Neumann 3 John von Neumann first turned to the computer as a tool for applied mathematics in the traditional sense. Numerical approximation had to suffice for what analysis could not provide when faced with non-linear partial differential equations encountered in hydrodynamics. But he recognized that the computer could be more than a high-speed calculator. It allowed a new form of scientific modeling, and it constituted an object of scientific inquiry in itself. That is, it was not only a means of doing applied mathematics of the traditional sort but a medium for applied mathematics of a new sort. Hence, his work on the computer took him in two directions, namely numerical analysis for high-speed computation (what became scientific computation) and the theory of automata as artificial organisms. In proposing new lines of research into automata and computation, von Neumann knew that it would require new mathematical tools, but he was not sure of where to look for those tools. This is a discipline with many good sides, but also with certain serious weaknesses. This is not the occasion to enlarge upon the good sides, which I certainly have no intention to belittle. About the inadequacies, however, this may be said: Everybody who has worked in formal logic will confirm that it is one of the technically most refractory parts of mathematics. The reason for this is that it deals with rigid, all-ornone concepts, and has very little contact with the continuous concept of the real or of the complex number, that is, with mathematical analysis. Yet analysis is the technically most successful and best-elaborated part of mathematics. Thus formal logic is, by the nature of its approach, cut off from the best cultivated portions of mathematics, and forced onto the most difficult part of the mathematical terrain, into combinatorics. The theory of automata, of the digital, all-or-none type, as discussed up to now, is certainly a chapter in formal logic. It will have to be, from the mathematical point of view, combinatory rather than analytical. Alice and Arthur Burks Alice and Arthur Burks 4 At the time von Neumann wrote this, there were two fields of mathematics that dealt with the computer: mathematical logic and the Boolean algebra of circuits. The former treated computation at its most abstract and culminated with what could not be computed. The latter dealt with how to compute at the most basic level. Von Neumann was looking for something in the middle, and that is what emerged over the next fifteen years. It came, as von Neumann suspected, from combinatory mathematics rather than from analysis, although not entirely along the lines he expected. His own research focused on growing automata (in the form of cellular automata) and the question of self-replication, a line of inquiry picked up by Arthur Burks and his Logic of Computers Group at the University of Michigan. This is an important subject still awaiting a historian. The story of how the new subject assumed an effective mathematical form is both interesting and complex, and I have laid it out in varying detail in several articles. Let me here use a couple of charts to describe the main outline and to highlight certain relationships, among them what I call a convergence of agendas. Agendas At the heart of a discipline lies an agenda, a shared sense among its practitioners of what is to be done: the questions to be answered, the problems to be solved, the priorities among them, the difficulties they pose, and where the answers will lead. When one practitioner asks another, What are you working on?, it is their shared agenda that gives professional meaning to both the question and the response. Learning a discipline means learning its agenda and how to address it, and one acquires standing by solving problems of recognized importance and ultimately by adding fruitful questions and problems to the agenda. Indeed, the most significant solutions are precisely those that expand the agenda by posing new questions. Disciplines may cohere more or less tightly around a common agenda, with subdisciplines taking responsibility for portions of it. There may be some disagreement about problems and priorities. But there are limits to disagreement, beyond which it can lead to splitting, as in the separation of molecular biology from biochemistry and from biology. Most important for present purposes, the agendas of different disciplines may intersect on what come to be recognized as common problems, viewed at first from different perspectives and addressed by different methods but gradually forming an autonomous agenda with its own body of knowledge and practices specific to it. Theoretical computer science presents an example of how such an intersection of agendas generated a new agenda and with it a new mathematical discipline. Automata and formal languages As the first chart suggests, the theory of automata and formal languages resulted from the convergence of a range of agendas on the common core of the correspondence between the four classes of Noam Chomsky's phrase-structure grammars and four classes of finite automata. To the first two classes correspond as well algebraic structures which capture their properties and behavior. The convergence occurred in several stages. First, the deterministic finite automaton took form as the common meeting ground of electrical engineers working on sequential circuits and of mathematical logicians concerned with the logical capabilities of nerve nets as originally proposed by Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts and developed further by von Neumann. Indeed, Stephen Kleene's investigation of the McCulloch-Pitts paper was informed by his work at the same time on the page proofs for von Neumann's General and Logical Theory of Automata, which called his attention to the finite automaton. E.F. Moore's paper on sequential machines and Kleene's on regular events in nerve nets appeared together in Automata Studies in 1956, although both had been circulating independently for a time before that. Despite their common reference to finite automata, the two papers took no account of each other. They were brought together by Michael Rabin and Dana Scott in their seminal paper on Finite Automata and Their Decision Problems, which drew a correspondence between the states of a finite automaton and the equivalence classes of the sequences recognized by them. Marcel-Paul Shutzenberger Marcel-Paul Shutzenberger 5 These initial investigations were couched in a combination of logical notation and directed graphs, which suited their essentially logical concerns. Kleene did suggest at the end of his article that the study of a set of objects a , ..., a under a binary relation R, which is at the heart of the above proof [of his main theorem], might profitably draw on some algebraic theory. Rabin and Scott in turn mentioned that the concatenated tapes of an automaton form a free semigroup with unit. But neither of the articles pursued the algebra any farther. The algebraic theory came rather from another quarter. In 1956 at the seminal Symposium on Information Theory held at MIT, Marcel P. Schutzenberger contributed a paper, On an Application of Semi-Group Methods to Some Problems in Coding. There he showed that the structure of the semigroup captured the essentially sequential nature of codes in transmission, and the semigroup equivalent of the word problem for groups expressed the central problem of recognizing distinct subsequences of symbols as they arrive. The last problem in turn is a version of the recognition problem for finite automata as defined and resolved by Kleene and then Rabin and Scott. Turning from codes to automata in a series of papers written between 1958 and 1962, Schutzenberger established the monoid, or semigroup with unit, as the fundamental mathematical structure of automata theory, demonstrating that the states of a finite-state machine, viewed as a homomorphic image of the equivalence classes of strings indistinguishable by the machine, form a monoid and that the subset of final states is a closed homomorphic image of the strings recognized by the machine. Reflecting the agenda of Bourbaki's algebra, he then moved from monoids to a semi-rings by expressing the sequences recognized by an automaton as formal power series in non-commutative variables. On analogy with power series in real variables, he distinguished among rational and algebraic power series and explored various families of the latter. Initially he identified rational power series with finite automata, and hence finite-state languages, but could point to no language or machine corresponding to the algebraic series. Noam Chomsky Noam Chomsky 6 That would come through his collaboration with linguist Noam Chomsky, who at the same 1956 symposium introduced his new program for mathematical linguistics with a description of Three models of language (finite-state, phrase-structure, and transformational). Chomsky made his scientific goal clear at the outset: The grammar of a language can be viewed as a theory of the structure of this language. Any scientific theory is based on a certain finite set of observations and, by establishing general laws stated in terms of certain hypothetical constructs, it attempts to account for these observations, to show how they are interrelated, and to predict an indefinite number of new phenomena. A mathematical theory has the additional property that predictions follow rigorously from the body of theory. Following work with George Miller on finite-state languages viewed as Markov sequences, Chomsky turned in 1959 to those generated by more elaborate phrase-structure grammars, the context-free, context-sensitive, and recursively enumerable languages. The technique here stemmed from the production systems of Emil Post by way of Paul Rosenblooms treatment of concatenation algebras. Of these, the context-free languages attracted particular interest for both theoretical and practical reasons. Theoretically, Schutzenberger determined in 1961 that they corresponded to his algebraic power series. Practically, Ginsburg and Rice showed that the syntax of portions of the newly created programming language Algol constituted a context-free grammar. They did so by transforming the Backus Normal Form description of those portions into set-theoretical equations among monotonically increasing functions forming a lattice and hence, by Alfred Tarskis well known result, having a minimal fixed point, which constituted the language generated by the grammar. At the same time, Anthony Oettinger brought together a variety of studies on machine translation and syntactic analysis converging on the concept of the stack, or last-in-first-out list, also featured in the work of Klaus Samelson and Friedrich Bauer on sequential formula translation. Added to a finite automaton as a storage tape, it formed the pushdown automaton. In 1962, drawing on Schutzenbergers work on finite transducers, Chomsky showed that the context-free languages were precisely those recognized by a non-deterministic pushdown automaton. Their work culminated in a now-classic essay, The algebraic theory of context-free languages, and in Chomskys chapter on formal grammars in the Handbook of Mathematical Psychology. By the mid-1960s, Schutzenbergers work had established the monoid and formal power series as the fundamental structures of the mathematical theory of automata and formal languages, laying the foundation for a rapidly expanding body of literature on the subject and, as he expected of the axiomatic method, for a new field of mathematics itself. As his student, Dominique Perrin, has noted, the subsequent development of the subject followed two divergent paths, marked on the one hand by works such as Samuel Eilenbergs Automata, Languages, and Machines (la version la plus mathematisee des automates) and on the other by the textbooks of A.V. Aho, John Hopcroft, and Jeffrey Ullman, in which the theory is adapted to the more practical concerns of practitioners of computing. In that they follow the personal bias of Rabin, who opined in 1964 that ...whatever generalization of the finite automaton concept we may want to consider, it ought to be based on some intuitive notion of machines. This is probably the best guide to fruitful generalizations and problems, and our intuition about the behavior of machines will then be helpful in conjecturing and proving theorems. The subject would be fully mathematical, but it would retain its roots in the artifact that had given rise to it. John McCarthy John McCarthy 7 Formal semantics From a mathematical point of view, formal semantics is the story of how the lambda calculus acquired a mathematical structure and of how universal algebra and category theory became useful in analyzing its untyped and typed forms, respectively. The story begins, by general acknowledgment, with the work of John McCarthy on the theoretical implications of LISP, as set forth in his 1960 article Recursive Functions of Symbolic Expressions and their Computation by Machine and then in two papers, A Basis for a Mathematical Theory of Computation and Towards a Mathematical Science of Computation. In the article, he outlined how the development of LISP had led to a machine-independent formalism for defining functions recursively and to a universal function that made the formalism equivalent to Turing machines. To express functions as object in themselves, distinct both from their values and from forms that constitute them, McCarthy turned to Alonzo Church's -calculus, preferring its explicitly bound variables to Haskell Curry's combinatory logic, which avoided them only at the price of lengthy, unreadable expressions for any interesting combinations. However, Church's system had its drawbacks, too. The -notation is inadequate for naming functions defined recursively, McCarthy noted. To remedy the problem, he introduced (on the suggestion of Nathaniel Rochester) a notation label to signify that the function named in the body of the -expression was the function denoted by the expression. It was a stop-gap measure, and McCarthy returned to the problem in his subsequent articles. It proved to be the central problem of the -calculus approach to semantics. The two articles that followed built on the system of symbolic expressions, in which McCarthy now saw the foundations for a mathematical theory of computation. In Basis he set out some of the goals of such a theory and thus an agenda for the field. It should aim to develop a universal programming language to define a theory of the equivalence of computational processes to represent algorithms by symbolic expressions in such a way that significant changes in the behavior represented by the algorithms are represented by simple changes in the symbolic expressions to represent computers as well as computations in a formalism that permits a treatment of the relation between a computation and the computer that carries out the computation to give a quantitative theory of computation ... analogous to Shannon's measure of information. The article focused on two of these goals, setting out the formalism of symbolic expressions and introducing the method of recursion induction as a means of determining the equivalence of computational processes. In the second paper, presented at IFIP 62, McCarthy defined his goals even more broadly, placing his mathematical science of computation in the historical mainstream: In a mathematical science, it is possible to deduce from the basic assumptions, the important properties of the entities treated by the science. Thus, from Newton's law of gravitation and his laws of motion, one can deduce that the planetary orbits obey Kepler's laws. The entities of computer science, he continued, are problems, procedures, data spaces, programs representing procedures in particular programming languages, and computers. Especially problematic among them were data spaces, for which there was no theory akin to that of computable functions; programming languages, which lacked a formal semantics akin to formal syntax; and computers viewed as finite automata. Computer science, he admonished, must study the various ways elements of data spaces are represented in the memory of the computer and how procedures are represented by computer programs. From this point of view, most of the current work on automata theory is beside the point. Whereas the earlier articles had focused on theory, McCarthy turned here to the practical benefits of a suitable mathematical science. It would be a new sort of mathematical theory, reaching beyond the integers to encompass all domains definable computationally and shifting from questions of unsolvability to those of constructible solutions. It should ultimately make it possible to prove that programs meet their specifications, as opposed simply (or not so simply) to debugging them There was no question in McCarthys mind that computing was a mathematical subject. The problem was that he did not yet have the mathematics. In particular, insofar as his formalism for recursive definition rested on the -calculus, it lacked a mathematical model. Alonzo Church Alonzo Church 8 McCarthy's new agenda for the theory of computation did not enlist much support at home, but it struck a resonant chord in Europe, where work was underway on the semantics of Algol 60 and PL/1. Christopher Strachey had learned about the -calculus from Roger Penrose in 1958 and had engaged Peter J. Landin to look into its application to formal semantics. In lectures at the University of London Computing Unit in 1963, Landin set out A -calculus approach to programming, aimed at introduc[ing] a technique of semantic analysis and ... provid[ing] a mathematical basis for it. Here Landin followed McCarthy's lead but diverged from it in several respects, in particular by replacing McCarthy's LISP-based symbolic expressions with applicative expressions (AEs) derived directly from the -calculus but couched in syntactic sugar borrowed from the new Combined Programming Language (CPL) that Strachey and a team were designing for new machines at London and Cambridge. More important, where McCarthy had spoken simply of a state vector, Landin articulated it into a quadruple (S,E,C,D) of lists and list-structures consisting of a stack, an environment, a control, and a dump, and specified in terms of an applicative expression the action by which an initial configuration is transformed into a final one. But Landin was still talking about a notional machine, which did not satisfy Strachey, who embraced the -calculus for reasons akin to those of Church in creating it. Where Church sought to eliminate free variables and the need they created for an auxiliary, informal semantics, Strachey wanted to specify the semantics of a programming language formally without the need for an informal evaluating mechanism. In Towards a Formal Semantics, he sought to do so, and to address the problem of assignment and jumps, by representing the store of a computer as a set of R-values sequentially indexed by a set of L-values. The concept (suggested by Rod Burstall) reflected the two different ways the components of an assignment are evaluated by a compiler: in X := Y, the X is resolved into a location in memory into which the contents of the location designated by Y is stored. Strachey associated with each L-value two operators, C() and U(), respectively denoting the loading and updating of the content of the store denoted by . C() applied to yields the R-value held in location , and U() applied to the pair (, ) produces a new with now located at . One can now think of a command as an operator that changes the content of the store by updating it. Grafting these operations onto Landins -calculus approach to evaluating expressions, Strachey went on to argue that one could then reason about a program in terms of these expressions alone, without reference to an external mechanism. Stracheys argument was a sketch, rather than a proof, and its structure involved a deep problem connected with the lack of a mathematical model for the -calculus, as Dana Scott insisted when he and Strachey met in Vienna in August 1969 and undertook collaborative research at Oxford in the fall. As Dana Scott phrased it, taking S as a set of states , L as the set of locations (i.e. L-values) l, and V as the set of (R-)values, one can rewrite the loading operator in the form (l) E V. A command is then a mapping of S into S. But is also located in the store and hence in V; that is = (l) for some l. Hence, the general form of a command may be written as () = ((l))(), which lies an insignificant step away from ... p(p). Scott continued: Dana Scott Dana Scott 9 To date, no mathematical theory of functions has ever been able to supply conveniently such a free-wheeling notion of function except at the cost of being inconsistent. The main mathematical novelty of the present study is the creation of a proper mathematical theory of functions which accomplishes these aims (consistently!) and which can be used as the basis for the metamathematical project of providing the correct approach to semantics. The mathematical novelty, which took Scott by surprise, was finding that abstract data types and functions on them could be modeled as continuous lattices, which thereby constituted a model for the type-free -calculus; by application of Tarskis theorem, the self-reference of recursive definitions, as represented by the Y-operator, resolved into the least fixed point of the lattice. By the mid-1960s proponents of formal semantics had articulated two goals. First, they sought a metalanguage in which the meaning of programming languages could be specified with the same precision with which their syntax could be defined. That is, a compiler should be provably able to translate the operational statements of a language into machine code as unambiguously as a parser could recognize their grammar. Second, the metalanguage should allow the mathematical analysis of programs to establish such properties as equivalence, complexity, reducibility, and so on. As Rod Burstall put it in 1968, The aims of these semantic investigations are twofold. First they give a means of specifying programming languages more precisely, extending the syntactic precision which was first achieved in the Algol report to murkier regions which were only informally described in English by the Algol authors. Secondly they give us new tools for making statements about programs, particularly for proving that two dissimilar programs are in fact equivalent, a problem which tends to be obscured by the syntactic niceties of actual programming languages. Ultimately, the two goals came down to one. [I]n the end, argued Dana Scott in the paper just mentioned, the program still must be run on a machinea machine which does not possess the benefit of abstract human understanding, a machine that must operate with finite configurations. Therefore, a mathematical semantics, which will represent the first major segment of the complete, rigourous definition of a programming language, must lead naturally to an operational simulation of the abstract entitites, whichif done properlywill establish the practicality of the language, and which is necessary for a full presentation. For the time being, mathematical discourse and working programs were different sorts of things, whatever the imperatives of theory or the long-term aspirations of artificial intelligence. The difference is evident in McCarthy's two major papers. Basis is about a mathematical theory of computation that enables one to talk about programs as mathematical objects, analyzing them and proving things about them without reference to any particular machine. Towards concerns machines with state vectors and the changes wrought on them by storage, with or without side effects. Peter Landins applicative expressions in whatever notation similarly served mathematical purposes, while the SECD machine occupied the middle ground between proofs and working code. One could say a lot about the mathematics of programs without touching the problem of assignment, but one could not write compilers for Algol or CPL, and a fortiori one could not write a semantically correct compiler-compiler. Hence, the work stimulated by McCarthy and Landin followed two lines of development during the late '60s. One line probed the power and limits of recursion induction and other forms of reasoning about programs. Investigations in this area struck links with other approaches to verifying programs. The second line concerned itself with the mathematical problem of instantiating abstract systems in the concrete architecture of the stored-program computer. The two lines converged on a common mathematical foundation brought out by the work of Scott and subsequently pursued in the denotational semantics of Scott and Strachey and in a new algebraic approach proposed by Burstall and Landin. Computer science as pure and applied algebra From the start, McCarthy had looked to formal semantics not only to give definiteness to the specification of languages but also, and perhaps more importantly, to provide the basis for proving equivalences among programs and for demonstrating that a program will work as specified. While subsequent work considerably furthered the first goal and revealed the complexity of the programming languages being designed and implemented, it continued to speak a creole of formal logic and Algol. In the later 1960s, Burstall and Landin began to consider how the enterprise might be couched more directly in mathematical terms. As they wrote in a joint article published in 1969, Programming is essentially about certain 'data structures' and functions between them. Algebra is essentially about certain 'algebraic structures' and functions between them. Starting with such familiar algebraic structures as groups and rings algebraists have developed a wider notion of algebraic structure (or 'algebra') which includes these as examples and also includes many of the entities which in the computer context are thought of as data structures. Working largely from Paul M. Cohn's Universal Algebra (1965), they expressed functions on data structures as homomorphisms of -algebras, linking them via semigroups to automata theory and thereby extending to operations of higher arity on data structures the conclusion reached by J. Richard Buchi a few years earlier: If the definition of finite automaton is appropriately chosen, it turns out that all the basic concepts and results concerning structure and behavior of finite automata are in fact just special cases of the fundamental concepts (homomorphism, congruence relation, free algebra) and facts of abstract algebra. Automata theory is simply the theory of universal algebras (in the sense of Birkhoff) with unary operations, and with emphasis on finite algebras. By way of examples, Burstall and Landin set out a formulation of list-processing in terms of homomorphisms and a proof of the correctness of a simpler compiler similar to the one treated by McCarthy and Painter by means of recursion induction. Their approach can perhaps be summed up by one of their diagrams. Category theory did not lie far beyond -algebras and over the course of the 1970s became the language for talking about the typed -calculus, as functional programming in turn became in Burstalls terms a form of electronic category theory. As automata theory, formal languages, and formal semantics took mathematical form at the turn of the 1970s, the applications of abstract algebra to computers and computation began to feed back into mathematics as new fields in themselves. In 1973 Cohn presented a lecture on Algebra and Language Theory, which later appeared as Chapter XI of the second edition of his Universal Algebra. There, in presenting the main results of Schutzenbergers and Chomskys algebraic theory, he spoke of the vigorous interaction [of mathematical models of languages] with some parts of noncommutative algebra, with benefit to mathematical linguist and algebraist alike. A few years earlier, as Birkhoff was publishing his new textbook with Bartee in 1969, he also wrote an article reviewing the role of algebra in the development of computer science. There he spoke of what he had learned as a mathematician from the problems of minimization and optimization arising from the analysis and design of circuits and from similar problems posed by the optimization of error-correcting binary codes. Together, [these] two unsolved problems in binary algebra ... illustrate the fact that genuine applications can suggest simple and natural but extremely difficult problems, which are overlooked by pure theorists. Thus, while working for 30 years (19351965) on generalizing Boolean algebra to lattice theory, I regarded finite Boolean algebras as trivial because they could all be described up to isomorphism, and completely ignored the basic shortest form and optimal packing problems described above. Earlier in the article, Birkhoff had pointed to other ways in which the problems of computing are influencing algebra. To make the point, he compared the current situation with the Greek agenda of rationalizing geometry through constructions with ruler and compass (as analog computers). By considering such constructions and their optimization in depth, they were led to the existence of irrational numbers, and to the problems of constructing regular polygons, trisecting angles, duplicating cubes, and squaring circles. These problems, though of minor technological significance, profoundly influenced the development of number theory. I think that our understanding of the potentialities and limitations of algebraic symbol manipulation will be similarly deepened by attempts to solve problems of optimization and computational complexity arising from digital computing. Birkhoff's judgment, rendered at just about the time that theoretical computer science was assigned its own main heading in Mathematical Reviews, points to just one way in which computer science was opening up a previously unknown realm of mathematics lying between the finite and the infinite, namely the finite but intractably large. Computational complexity was another. In 1974, acting in Scotts words as the Euclid of automata theory, Samuel Eilenberg undertook to place automata and formal languages on a common mathematical foundation underlying the specific interests that had motivated them. It appeared to me, he wrote in the preface of his intended four-volume Automata, Languages, and Machines, that the time is ripe to try and give the subject a coherent mathematical presentation that will bring out its intrinsic aesthetic qualities and bring to the surface many deep results which merit becoming part of mathematics, regardless of any external motivation. Yet, in becoming part of mathematics the results would retain the mark characteristic of their origins. All of Eilenberg's proofs were constructive in the sense of constituting algorithms. A statement asserting that something exists is of no interest unless it is accompanied by an algorithm (i.e., an explicit or effective procedure) for producing this something. In addition, Eilenberg held back from the full generality to which abstract mathematicians usually aspired. Aiming at a restructuring of the material along lines normally practiced in algebra, he sought to reinforce the original motivations rather than to eradicate them, arguing that both mathematics and computer science would benefit from his approach. To the pure mathematician, I tried to reveal a body of new algebra, which, despite its external motivation (or perhaps because of it) contains methods and results that are deep and elegant. I believe that eventually some of them will be regarded as a standard part of algebra. To the computer scientist I tried to show a correct conceptual setting for many of the facts known to him (and some new ones). This should help him to obtain a better and sharper mathematical perspective on the theoretical aspects of his researches. Coming from a member of Bourbaki, who insisted on the purity of mathematics, Eilenberg's statement is all the more striking in its recognition of the applied origins of deep and elegant mathematical results. In short, in the formation of theoretical computer science as a mathematical discipline the traffic traveled both ways. Mathematics provided the structures on which a useful and deep theory of computation could be erected. In turn, theoretical computer science gave physical meaning to some of the most abstract, useless concepts of modern mathematics: semigroups, lattices, -algebras, categories. In doing so, it motivated their further analysis as mathematical entities, bringing out unexpected properties and relationships among them. It is important for the historian to record this interaction before those entities are naturalized into the axiomatic presentation of the field, as if they had always been there or had appeared out of thin air. The structures of computation and the structures of the world As noted earlier, in seeking a theory for the new electronic digital computer, John von Neumann took his cue from biology and neurophysiology. He thought of automata as artificial organisms and asked how they might be designed to behave like natural organisms. His program split into two lines of research: finite automata and growing automata as represented by cellular automata. By the late 1960s, the first field had expanded into mathematically elegant theory of automata and formal languages resting firmly on algebraic foundations. At this point, the direction of inspiration reversed itself. In the late 1960s, Aristid Lindenmayer turned to the theory of formal languages for models of cellular development Although he couched his analysis in terms of sequential machines, it was soon reformulated in terms of formal languages, in particular context-free grammars. His L-systems, which soon became a field of study themselves, were among the first applications of theoretical computer science and its tools to the biological sciences, a relationship reinforced by the resurgence in the 1980s of cellular automata as models of complex adaptive systems. During the 1990s theoretical chemist Walter Fontana used the -calculus to model the self-organization and evolution of biological molecules. Most recently the -calculus, initially designed by Robin Milner by analogy to the -calculus for defining the syntax and operational semantics of concurrent processes, has become the basis for analyzing the dynamics of the living cell. As the introduction to a recent volume describes the relationship, The challenge of the 21st century will be to understand how these [macromolecular] components [of cellular systems] integrate into complex systems and the function and evolution of these systems, thus scaling up from molecular biology to systems biology. By combining experimental data with advanced formal theories from computer science, the formal language for biological systems to specify dynamic models of interacting molecular entities would be essential for: (I) understanding the normal behaviour of cellular processes, and how changes may affect the processes and cause disease ...; (ii) providing predictability and flexibility to academic, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical researchers studying gene or protein functions. Here the artifact as formal (mathematical) system has become deeply embedded in the natural world, and it is not clear how one would go about re-establishing traditional epistemological boundaries among the elements of our understanding. Mathematics and the world Over the past three decades, computational models have become an essential tool of scientific inquiry. They provide our only access, both empirically and intellectually, to the behavior of the complex non-linear systems that constitute the natural world, especially the living world. As Paul Humphrey notes concerning the massive quantities of data that only a computer can handle, Techological enhancements of our native cognitive abilities are required to process this information, and have become a routine part of scientific life. In all of the cases mentioned thus far, the common feature has been a significant shift of emphasis in the scientific enterprise away from humans because of enhancements without which modern science would be impossible. ... [I]n extending ourselves, scientific epistemology is no longer human epistemology. In other words, our understanding of nature has come to depend on our understanding of the artifact that implements those models, an artifact that we consider to be essentially mathematical in nature: it is the computation that counts, not the computer that carries it out. Thus, our epistemology retains a human aspect to the extent that mathematics affords us conceptual access to the computational processes that enact our representations of the world. And that remains an open problem. In 1962, looking ahead toward a mathematical theory of computation and back to the standard of a mathematical science set by Newton, John McCarthy sought to place computing in the scientific mainstream: It is reasonable to hope that the relationship between computation and mathematical logic will be as fruitful in the next century as that between analysis and physics in the last. The development of this relationship demands a concern for both applications and for mathematical elegance. The relationship between analysis and physics in the 19th century had borne more than theoretical fruit. It had been the basis of new technologies that transformed society and indeed nature. Implicit in McCarthys exhortation, then, was a mathematical science of computation that worked in the world in the way that mathematical physics had done. McCarthy had in mind, of course, artificial intelligence and its practical applications. During the 1970s the new sciences of complexity changed mathematical physics. In 1984 Stephen Wolfram similarly looked to past models for a mathematical science of a decidedly non-Newtonian world. In laying out the computational theory of cellular automata, he noted that: Computation and formal language theory may in general be expected to play a role in the theory of non-equilibrium and self-organizing systems analogous to the role of information theory in conventional statistical mechanics. Table one, derived from his article, reflects what he had in mind. Cellular Automata and Formal Languages Qualitative characterizations of complexity Patterns generated by evolution from initial configuration Effect of small changes in initial configurations Information of initial state propagates Formal Language representing limit set 1 Tends toward a spatially homogeneous state Pattern disappears with time No change in final state Finite distance Regular 2 Yields a sequence of simple stable or periodic structures Pattern evolves to a fixed finite size Changes only in a region of finite size Finite distance Regular 3 Exhibits chaotic aperiodic behavior Pattern grows indefinitely at a fixed rate Changes over a region of ever-increasing size Infinite distance at fixed positive speed Context sensitive? 4 Yields complicated localized structures, some propagating Pattern grows and contracts with time Irregular changes Infinite distance Universal But with the power of computational modeling came a new challenge to mathematics. Traditional models enhance understanding by mapping the operative parameters of a phenomenon into the elements of an analyzable mathematical structure, e.g. the mass, position, and momentum of a planet related by a differential equation. Computational models, in particular computer simulations, render both the mapping and the dynamics of the structure opaque to analysis. While the program may help to discern the relation between the structure of the model and that of the phenomenon, the process determined by that program remains all but impenetrable to our understanding. As Christopher Langton observed, We need to separate the notion of a formal specification of a machinethat is, a specification of the logical structure of the machinefrom the notion of a formal specification of a machine's behaviorthat is, a specification of the sequence of transitions that the machine will undergo. In general, we cannot derive behaviours from structure, nor can we derive structure from behaviours. In the concluding chapter of Hidden Order: How Adaptation Builds Complexity, Holland makes clear what is lost thereby. Looking Toward Theory and the general principles that will deepen our understanding of all complex adaptive systems [cas],he insists as a point of departure that: Mathematics is our sine qua non on this part of the journey. Fortunately, we need not delve into the details to describe the form of the mathematics and what it can contribute; the details will probably change anyhow, as we close in on our destination. Mathematics has a critical role because it along enables us to formulate rigorous generalizations, or principles. Neither physical experiments nor computer-based experiments, on their own, can provide such generalizations. Physical experiments usually are limited to supplying input and constraints for rigorous models, because the experiments themselves are rarely described in a language that permits deductive exploration. Computer-based experiments have rigorous descriptions, but they deal only in specifics. A well-designed mathematical model, on the other hand, generalizes the particulars revealed by physical experiments, computer-based models, and interdisciplinary comparisons. Furthermore, the tools of mathematics provide rigorous derivations and predictions applicable to all cas. Only mathematics can take us the full distance. In the absence of mathematical structures that allow abstraction and generalization, computational models do not say much. Nor do they function as models traditionally have done in providing an understanding of nature on the basis of which we can test our knowledge by making things happen in the world. In pointing to the need for a mathematics of complex adaptive systems, Holland was expressing a need as yet unmet. The mathematics in question [will have to] depart from traditional approaches to emphasize persistent features of the far-from-equilibrium evolutionary trajectories generated by recombination. His sketch of the specific form the mathematics might take suggests that it will depart from traditional approaches along branches rather than across chasms, and that it will be algebraic. But it has not yet been created. If and when it does emerge, it is likely to confirm Schutzenbergers principle that it is again a characteristic of the axiomatic method that it is at the same time always a new chapter in mathematics. References Birkhoff modestly omits mention here of his textbook, A Survey of Modern Algebra, written jointly with Saunders MacLane, which played a major role in that development. How and why the shift came about is, of course, another question of considerable historical interest; see Leo Corry, Modern Algebra and the Rise of Mathematical Structures (Basel; Boston; Berlin: Birkhauser, 1996, 2nd. ed. 2004). Garrett Birkhoff and Thomas C. Bartee, Modern Applied Algebra (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1970), Preface, v. A preliminary edition appeared in 1967. On the computer as a defining technology, see J. David Bolter, Turing's Man (Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 1984). Software as ScienceScience as Software, in Ulf Hashagen, Reinhard Keil-Slawik, and Arthur Norberg (eds.) History of Computing: Software Issues (Berlin: Springer Verlag, 2002), 25-48. See, in addition to the usual suspects, the illuminating argument for a material epistemology of science by Davis Baird, Thing Knowledge (Berkeley: U. California Pr., 2004). Paul Humphreys offers a counterpart for computational science in Extending Ourselves: Computational Science, Empiricism, and Scientific Method (Oxford: Oxford U.P., 2004). Francis Bacon, The New Organon [London, 1620], trans. James Spedding, Robert L. Ellis, and Douglas D. Heath in the The Works, vol. VIII (Boston: Taggart and Thompson, 1863; repr. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1960) Aph. 3. On the last, see Ehud Shapiros contribution to the conference, What is a Computer? The World is Not Enough to Answer, describing computers made of biological molecules. In recent articles and interviews arguing for placing computer science on a par with the natural sciences , Peter Denning points to recent discoveries that nature is based on information processes. Murray Gell-Mann and Yuval Ne'eman, The Eightfold Way (NY; Amsterdam: W.A. Benjamin, 1964). Eugene P. Wigner, The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences, Communications in Pure and Applied Mathematics 13, I (1960), Cf. Mark Steiner, The Applicability of Mathematics as a Philosophical Problem(Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1998). On the seventeenth-century origins of the structural notion of algebra, see Michael S. Mahoney, The Beginnings of Algebraic Thought in the Seventeenth Century , in S. Gaukroger (ed.), Descartes: Philosophy, Mathematics and Physics (Sussex: The Harvester Press/Totowa, NJ: Barnes and Noble Books, 1980), Chap.5. For subsequent developments, see the book by Corry cited above. Herbert Mehrtens, Moderne Sprache Mathematik: eine Geschichte des Streits um die Grundlagen der Disziplin und des Subjekts formaler Systeme (Frankfurt am Main : Suhrkamp, 1990). For a more nuanced analysis of Hilbert's thinking on the relation of mathematics to the physical world, see Leo Corry, David Hilbert and the Axiomatization of Physics (18981918): From Grundlagen der Geometrie to Grundlagen der Physik (Dordrecht/Boston/London: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004. Bruna Ingrao and Giorgio Israel, The Invisible Hand: Economic Equilibrium in the History of Science (trans. Ian McGilvray, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1990), 186-87. M. P. Schutzenberger, A propos de la cybernetique, Evolution psychiatrique 20,4(1949), 595, 598. For an overview of von Neumann's work in the first area, see William Aspray, John von Neumann and the Origins of Modern Computing (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1990), Chapter 5, The Transformation of Numerical Analysis. John von Neumann, The General and Logical Theory of Automata, Cerebral Mechanisms in Behavior, (Hixon Symposium Hafner Publishing, 1951), 1-41 See in particular Computer Science: The Search for a Mathematical Theory , in John Krige and Dominique Pestre (eds.), Science in the 20th Century (Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers, 1997), Chap. 31, and What Was the Question? The Origins of the Theory of Computation , in Using History to Teach Computer Science and Related Disciplines (Selected Papers from a Workshop Sponsored by Computing Research Association with Funding from the National Science Foundation) ed. Atsushi Akera and William Aspray (Washington, DC: Computing Research Association, 2004), 225-232. For all the public fervor surrounding Andrew Wiles's proof of Fermat's last theorem, it was the new areas of investigation suggested by his solution of the Taniyama conjecture that excited his fellow practitioners. Huffman, Moore, McCulloch, Pitts, JvN John McCarthy and Claude E. Shannon, Automata Studies (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1956). Michael Rabin and Dana Scott, Finite Automata and Their Decision Problems, IBM Journal of Research and Development 3, 2 (1959), 114 Stephen C. Kleene, Representation of Events in Nerve Nets and Finite Automata, in Automata Studies, ed. C.E. Shannon and J. McCarthy (Princeton, 1956), 37. George A. Miller dates the beginnings of cognitive science from this symposium, which included a presentation by Allen Newell and Herbert Simon of their Logic Theory Machine, Noam Chomsky's Three Models for the Description of Language, and Miller's own Human Memory and the Storage of Information. Ironically, for Chomsky and Miller, the symposium marked a turn away from information theory as the model for their work. M.P. Schutzenberger, Un probleme de la theorie des automates, Seminaire Dubreil-Pisot 13(1959/60), no 3 (23 November 1959); On the definition of a family of automata, Information and Control 4(1961), 245-70; Certain elementary families of automata, in Mathematical Theory of Automata ed. Jerome Fox (Brooklyn, NY, 1963), 139-153. In 1955 Chomsky began circulating the manuscript of his Logical Structure of Linguistic Theory, but MIT's Technology Press hesitated to publish such a radically new approach to the field before Chomsky had exposed it to critical examination through articles in professional journals. A pared-down version of the work appeared as Syntactic Structures in 1957, and a partially revised version of the whole, with a retrospective introduction, in 1975 (New York: Plenum Press). Noam Chomsky, Three models of language, IRE Transactions in Information Theory 2,3(1956), 113-24; at 113. Noam Chomsky, On certain formal properties of grammars, Information and Control 2,2(1959), 137-167. Paul C. Rosenbloom, The Elements of Mathematical Logic (New York: Dover Publications, 1950; repr. 2005). In a review in the Journal of Symbolic Logic 18(1953), 277-280, Martin Davis drew particular attention to Rosenblooms inclusion of combinatory logics and Post canonical systems, joining the author in hoping the book would make Posts work more widely known. To judge from citations, Rosenblooms text was an important resource for many of the people discussed here. For example, it appears that Peter Landin and Dana Scott first learned of Churchs -calculus through it. M. P. Schutzenberger, Some remarks on Chomskys context-free languages, Quarterly Progress Report, (MIT) Research Laboratory for Electronics 63(10/15/61), 155-170. Seymour Ginsburg and H. Gordon Rice, Two families of languages related to ALGOL, Journal of the ACM 9(1962), 350-371. J.W. Backus, The syntax and semantics of the proposed international algebraic language of the Zurich ACM-GAMM Conference, Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Processing (Paris: UNESCO, 1959, 125-132. Backus later pointed to Posts production systems as the model for what he referred to here as metalinguistic formulae. Alfred Tarski, A lattice-theoretical fixpoint theorem and its applications, Pacific Journal of Mathematics 5(1955), 285-309. Samelson and Bauer, Sequentielle Formelubersetzung, Elektronische Rechenanlagen 1(1959), 176-82; Sequential Formula Translation, Comm.ACM 3,2(1960), 76-83. Noam Chomsky, Context-free grammars and pushdown storage, Quarterly Progress Report, (MIT) Research Laboratory for Electronics 65(4/15/62), 187-194. Noam Chomsky and M.P. Schutzenberger, The algebraic theory of context-free languages, in Computer Programming and Formal Systems, ed. P. Braffort and D. Hirschberg (Amsterdam, 1963). Originally prepared for an IBM Seminar in Blaricum, Netherlands, in the summer of '61, the published version took account of intervening results, in particular the introduction of the pushdown store. Dominique Perrin, Les debuts de la theorie des automates, Technique et science informatique 14(1995), 409-43. Michael O. Rabin, Lectures on Classical and Probabilistic Automata, in E.A. Caianiello (ed.), Automata Theory (New York: Academic Press, 1966), 306. John McCarthy, Recursive Functions of Symbolic Expressions and their Computation by Machine, Part 1, Communications of the ACM 3,4(1960), 184-195; A Basis for a Mathematical Theory of Computation, Proceedings of the Western Joint Computer Conference (New York: NJCC, 1961), 225-238; republished with an addendum On the Relations between Computation and Mathematical Logic in Computer Programming and Formal Systems, ed. P. Braffort and D. Hirschberg (Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1963), 33-70; Towards a Mathematical Science of Computation, Proceedings IFIP Congress 62, ed. C.M. Popplewell (Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1963), 21-28 McCarthy cited Church's Calculi of Lambda Conversion (Princeton, 1941) but did not name Curry nor give a source for his combinatory logic. McCarthy, Basis (1961), 225. McCarthy, Towards, 21. As Anil Nerode pointed out in Mathematical Reviews 26(1963), #5766. P.J. Landin, A -calculus approach, in L. Fox (ed.) Advances in Programming and Non-Numerical Computing (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1966), Chap. 5, p.97. The main body of the lectures had already appeared as The mechanical evaluation of expressions, Computer Journal 6(1964), 308-320. In The Next 700 Programming Languages, Communications of the ACM 9,3(1966), 157-166, Landin expanded the notation into a family of languages called ISWIM (If you See What I Mean), which he noted could be called Church without lambda. On CPL, see D.W. Barron, et al., The main features of CPL, Computer Journal 6(1964), 134-142. Christopher Strachey, Towards a Formal Semantics, Formal Language Description Languages for Computer Programming, ed. T.B. Steel, Jr. (Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1966), 198-216. That is, at each step of a computation, is the set of pairs (, ) relating L-values to R-values, or the current map of the store. Dana Scott, Outline of a mathematical theory of computation, Technical Monograph PRG-2, Oxford University Computing Laboratory, November 1970, 4; an earlier version appeared in the Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Princeton Conference on Information Sciences and Systems, 1970, 169-176. Semantics of assignment, Machine Intelligence 2(1968), 3-20; at 3. Outline of a mathematical theory of computation, Princeton version, 169. In Recursive Functions, McCarthy used an abstract LISP machine, leaving the question of its implementation to a concluding and independent section. R.M. Burstall and P.J. Landin, Programs and their proofs, an algebraic approach, Machine Intelligence 4(1969), 17. Cf. J. Richard Buchi, Algebraic Theory of Feedback in Discrete Systems, Part I, in Automata Theory, ed. E.R. Caianello (New York, 1966), 71. The reference is to Birkhoffs Lattice Theory (New York, 1948). Burstall and Landin, 32 (redrawn). Rod Burstall, Electronic Category Theory, Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science 1980 [Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium - Springer LNCS 88], (Berlin: Springer Verlag, 1980), 22-39. Paul M. Cohn, Universal Algebra, 2 ed. (Dordrecht: Reidel, 1981), 345. The chapter was reprinted from the Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society 7(1975), 1-29. Garrett Birkhoff, The Role of Modern Algebra in Computing, Computers in Algebra in Number Theory (American Mathematical Society, 1971), 1-47, repr. in his Selected Papers on Algebra and Topology (Boston: Birkhauser, 1987), 513559; at 517; emphasis in the original. Automata, Languages, and Machines(2 vols., NY: Columbia University Press, 1974), Vol. A, xiii. Aristid Lindenmayer, Mathematical Models for Cellular Interactions in Development, Journal of Theoretical Biology 18(1968). For subsequent development of the field, see Lindenmayer and Grzegorz Rozenberg (eds.), Automata, Languages, and Development (Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1976) and Rozenberg and Arto Salomaa, The Book of L (Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1986). On the -calculus, see e.g. W. Fontana and L.W. Buss, The Barrier of Objects: From Dynamical Systems to Bounded Organizations, in: Boundaries and Barriers, ed. J.Casti and A.Karlqvist (New York: Addison-Wesley, 1996), 56116; on the -calculus, see A. Regev, W. Silverman, and E. Shapiro, Representation and simulation of biochemical processes using the -calculus process algebra, in Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing 6(2001), 459-470, and Regev and Shapiro, Cellular abstractions: Cells as computation, Nature 419(2002), 343. Corrado Priama, Preface to Computational Methods in Systems Biology, Proceeding of the First International Workshop, Rovereto Italy, February 24-26 2003, LNCS 2602 (Berlin: Springer, 2003). Paul Humphreys, Extending Ourselves: Computational Science, Empiricism, and Scientific Method (Oxford: Oxford U.P., 2004), 8 McCarthy, Basis, 69. Stephen Wolfram, Computation Theory of Cellular Automata, Communications in Mathematical Physics 96(1984), 1557; at 16. Repr. in his Theory and Applications of Cellular Automata (Singapore: World Scientific, 1986), 189-231 and his Cellular Automata and Complexity: Collected Papers (Reading: Addison Wesley, 1994), 159-202. Christopher G. Langton, Artificial Life [1989] in Margaret A. Boden (ed.), The Philosophy of Artifical Life (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996), 47. John H. Holland, Hidden Order: How Adaptation Builds Complexity (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1995)161-2. Ibid. 171-2. Schutzenberger, A propos de la cybernetique (above, n.14), 598. Illustration credits Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Beijing Wed, March 25, 2020 20:03 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d64daf 2 Science & Tech space,China Free China aims to launch an experimental spacecraft without a crew in April, as part of a broader spaceflight program to shuttle astronauts to its future space station, state media reported on Tuesday. The new-generation spacecraft is scheduled to launch on the maiden flight of the Long March-5B carrier rocket, China's largest carrier rocket, from the southern island province of Hainan, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The launch is set for mid- to late April. The spacecraft is being developed for the operation of China's space station and future manned space exploration, Xinhua said. It will be larger than China's current Shenzhou spacecraft, and also will be reusable, the news agency said. Read also: China launches gigantic telescope in hunt for life beyond earth "The mission will test key technologies of the new manned spaceship such as the control of its re-entry into the atmosphere, heat shielding, and recovery technology," said Yang Qing, a designer of the spacecraft at the China Academy of Space Technology. The mission will lay the foundation for the development of transport for future astronauts to China's space station, Yang added. With a length of 8.8 meters and a takeoff weight of 21.6 tons, the spaceship will be able to carry six astronauts, more than the maximum three-person capacity of the Shenzhou. China aims to complete a multi-module, inhabited space station around 2022. China has made space exploration a top priority in recent years as it tries to catch up with Russia and the United States and become a major space power by 2030. Topics : space China Lufthansa is operating a 'repatriation' flight to India on Wednesday night from Frankfurt to fly back German nationals, who are stuck here due to the ban on international flights in the wake of COVID-19. The Airbus A380 flight has already departed from Frankfurt at 12:45 pm CET (Central European Time) as repatriation flight--LH9912-- and it is scheduled to arrive at around midnight at Indira Gandhi Airport in Delhi, Lufthansa said in a statement to PTI. The return flight, LH343 to Frankfurt, will depart from Delhi at 1:30 am local time. It will bring German citizens back home at a time when no international flights are operating to and from India and most air traffic worldwide has come to a halt, the airline said. Lufthansa, however, did not disclose the number of Germans it will be flying back on the repatriation flight. A Lufthansa A20 can accommodate more than 500 passengers in first, business, premium economy and economy class, according to the airline's website. Carrying out repatriation flights and bringing people back home is the responsibility that Lufthansa Group airlines bear being part of the critical infrastructure in the home countries of Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium," said Lufthansa Group Senior Director for South Asia, George Ettiyil. For Lufthansa being able to operate the repatriation flight on Wednesday with the A380, it was very helpful that Indian authorities decided to extend visas of foreigners in India last week, he said. These are challenging times for everyone - we are in this together with the Indian people, said Ettiyil. Since March 14, Lufthansa Group airlines, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa and Eurowings have flown about 220 special flights back to the home countries of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium, involving more than 40,000 holidaymakers, the airline said adding over 70 further flights are already in preparation. Wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747, A380 and Airbus A350 are being used to provide as much capacity as possible on these return flights, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The M25 in Surrey is closed after a lorry overturned and caught fire in a massive crash on Day Two of Britain's coronavirus lockdown. Fire crews from Surrey, London Fire Brigade, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service attended. They were joined by Highways England and Surrey Police. All traffic was halted clockwise between J6 (Godstone) and J7 (M23), while motorists were diverted away from the accident. Travel news website Inrix said: 'All traffic being temporarily held and stationary traffic due to vehicle fire on M25 clockwise after J6 A22 (Godstone). 'All traffic has been held while emergency services attend to the blaze.' The M25 in Surrey is closed after a lorry overturned and caught fire in a massive crash set to cause mayhem on Day Three of Britain's coronavirus lockdown South East Coast Ambulance Service were at the scene of the fire, but have since left. They said that no one has been taken to hospital. Surrey Fire and Rescue said that crews are putting foam blankets onto the LGV involved, in a bid to contain the fire to the clockwise carriageway. They said: 'We received a call this morning around 10.50am to a report of a vehicle fire on the M25 between Junctions 6 and 7. 'In total six fire engines were sent alongside some specialist vehicles, with the first arriving around 10.55am. One lorry was alight. 'This is an ongoing incident and units remain at the scene.' Surrey Police said the M25 will be closed for 'several hours'. A spokesperson added: 'We were called to Junction 6 on the M25 at around 10am this morning following reports of a lorry on fire. Officers remain on scene with Surrey Fire and Rescue and the junction is currently closed. We ask members of the public to remain in their vehicles and follow Government guidelines around social distancing.' Anticlockwise has since reopened, and trapped traffic has disappeared. Fire crews from Surrey, London Fire Brigade, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service are currently in attendance Cancer Biomarkers Market Analysis The Cancer Biomarkers Market size is projected to grow at a healthy CAGR by 2023, reveals the new Market Research Future (MRFR) report. Cancer biomarkers, simply put, are processes or substances that are indicative of the prevalence of cancer in the human body. Imaging, glycomic, proteomic, epigenetic, and genetic biomarkers can be utilized for the diagnosis, prognosis, as well as epidemiology of cancer. Numerous factors are adding to the global cancer biomarkers market growth. Such factors, according to the recent MRFR report, include the development of specific drugs, investments through private and government funds in research that is cancer-related, improved precision as well as speed of diagnosis, encouragement by the FDA for biomarker development, extensive research and development of cancer biomarkers, and adoption of western lifestyles especially in developing regions. The increasing usage of biomarkers in tumor profiling and the rising prevalence of cancer is also adding to the cancer tumor profiling market growth. On the contrary, favourable reimbursement and regulatory scenario are factors that may limit the global cancer biomarkers market growth over the forecast period. Request Free Sample Copy at: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5378 Cancer Biomarker Market Segmentation The scope of the report includes an inclusive segmental analysis of the global cancer biomarkers market based on end users, applications, and types. By type, the cancer biomarkers market is segmented into genetic biomarkers, protein biomarkers, and others. Of these, protein biomarkers will lead the market over the forecast period. By application, the cancer biomarkers market has been segmented into therapeutic, prognostic, and diagnostic. Diagnostic is again segmented into non-imaging and imaging. Of these, diagnostic will dominate the market over the forecast period. By end users, the cancer biomarkers market is segmented into clinical laboratories, healthcare IT/big data companies, diagnostic tool companies, and pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies. Cancer Biomarkers Market Regional Analysis By region, the global cancer biomarkers market covers the growth opportunities and recent trends across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East & Africa (MEA), and the Asia Pacific (APAC). Of these, North America will dominate the market over the forecast period for the huge investments made on cancer detection and diagnosis and rising prevalence of cancer. The US is the key contributor in the region for growing medical tourism, growing cases of cancer, and increasing demand for investment in R&D. Besides, increasing use of biomarkers both in drug discovery as well as development by the regions leading pharmaceutical companies, the use of omics technology for biomarker discovery, demand for personalized medicine, and increasing support from the government for the discovery as well as the development of biomarkers are also adding market growth. The cancer biomarker market in Europe is predicted to hold the second-largest share over the forecast period for the sufficient accessibility of funds for research and the rising number of clinical trials. The UK, France, and Germany are the key contributors in this region for the growing demand for advanced diagnostic devices and tools in these countries. The cancer biomarker market in the APAC region is predicted to grow at a quick pace over the forecast period for the accessibility of skilled experts such as diagnostic specialists and technicians. The increasing population in India, as well as China, increase in medical tourism, taking into consideration the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, rising prevalence of cancer, and increasing investments by private and public sectors in diagnosis & treatment of cancer are also adding market growth. The cancer biomarker market in the MEA will have a small share during the forecast period for limited accessibility of medical facilities and funds and a low incidence of cancer. The market in the Middle East has a big share for the presence of developed countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. Meanwhile, owing to huge opportunities for market development, the market in Africa is predicted to have healthy growth. Cancer Biomarkers Market Key Players Eminent players profiled in the cancer biomarker market report include Illumina Inc. (U.S.), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (U.S.), Novartis AG (Switzerland), QIAGEN N.V (U.S.), GlaxoSmithKline plc. (U.S.), Pfizer Inc. (U.S.), Merck & Co., Inc. (U.S.), Eli Lilly and Company (U.S.), Bio-Rad Laboratories (U.S.), Bristol-Myers Squibb (U.S.), PerkinElmer, Inc. (U.S.), Abbott Laboratories (U.S.), Becton Dickinson (U.S.), and F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Switzerland). Browse More Details at: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cancer-biomarker-market-5378 Cancer Biomarkers Industry News Researchers at Wageningen University and the University of Twente have created a nanosensor that can detect biomarkers for cancer accurately in a wide range of concentrations ranging from 10 particles/microliter up to 1 million/microliter. Browse Related Research Report at: Bile Duct Cancer Market Research Report Global Forecast Till 2023 Oral Cancer Treatment Market Research Report Global Forecast till 2023 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact: Akash Anand Market Research Future +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 11:29:14|Editor: zyl Video Player Close WELLINGTON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- As New Zealand is heading into winter, the influenza season may compound the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, a New Zealand epidemiologist has said. "The northern hemisphere is getting warmer and viruses don't tend to like the warmer climate as well," said David Murdoch, dean of the University of Otago (Christchurch), who specializes in epidemiology, specifically diagnosis and prevention of respiratory tract infections. However, the big worry is the influenza season coming in winter, he told Xinhua in a recent interview. "What we don't know is what happens if coronavirus corresponds with influenza and at least it would confuse things which means more people are unwell." "I don't know whether there's a risk of somebody having both infections at once. Getting the influenza vaccine this year is very important," said the professor, who is on the Ministry of Health's advisor group. After all, the expert expressed confidence that the New Zealand medical system could handle the pandemic. "The country has had a pandemic plan for quite a few years. So there has been preparation." Noting that influenza was the most likely virus compared with coronavirus, Murdoch said, this sort of pandemic potentially can overwhelm any system if it is really bad. As to prevention measures, he said a mask is certainly effective at preventing the spread of a respiratory infection, and physical distancing should always be effective. Joint patrol starts on Mekong River PLA Daily Source: Xinhuanet Editor: Chen Lufan 2020-03-24 20:43:26 KUNMING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The 91st Mekong River joint patrol led by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand began Tuesday, as three Chinese vessels left the Guanlei Port in southwest China's Yunnan Province. In a bid to safeguard the security and stability along the Mekong River, the four countries will carry out joint visits, inspections and an anti-drug publicity campaign during the four-day patrol, according to the Yunnan provincial department of public security. The mission will cover areas including the "Golden Triangle," an area notorious for drug production, with five vessels in participation. Affected by the coronavirus epidemic, law enforcement authorities of the four countries will jointly direct the operation by remote video command system for the first time. A remote video conference was held by the four sides before the patrol to share information. The law enforcement will send a publicity team to promote knowledge about the epidemic prevention and control. The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping among China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Police roadblocks were rolled out at Queensland's Gold Coast at precisely 12.01am on Thursday as the state shut down its borders for the first time in more than 100 years. Cars heading north on the M1 towards Brisbane were directed off the highway and questioned by police, although most vehicles with Queensland registration plates were waved through. Police set up a road block near the Queensland-NSW border on Thursday morning. Credit:AAP The last time the state restricted its borders was in 1918, during the Spanish flu pandemic. "Of course the traffic was a little different back then, it wasn't cars, it wasn't trucks; it was probably horse and buggy on a track," Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said. The Urban Harvest farmers market on Buffalo Speedway was open for business as usual this past weekend or as usual as possible, under the circumstances. Hand-washing stations were set up at the entrance to the weekly market, held at St Johns School. A sign directed patrons to limit visits to 15 minutes. There was no music, or anywhere to sit: vendors were still selling tacos, empanadas and popsicles, but only to-go, as is the case for chefs across the city. The coronavirus was on everyones mind, although not, one would hope, on anyones sanitized and gloved fingertips. Were really committed to trying to create some normalcy for our customers and our farmers through these unprecedented times, said Tyler Horne, the farmers market manager for Urban Harvest. That will be a challenge for everyone over the coming weeks and months, as the pandemic reshapes every aspect of our daily life and disrupts even the most deeply entrenched habits. We shut our store this week so I could kind of wrap my head around the whole deal, said Patricia Te iken, who farms with her husband at Shiner Pork and Beef. Nobody knows what to do; nobody knows whats gonna happen, how long its gonna be Its tough. Its tough, she continued. And, of course, we all wanna do whats best, to kind of slow it down so we dont overwhelm the hospitals, but at the same time, its hard to wrap your mind around all of it, to watch a booming economy just go whoosh. More Information The Houston Farmers Market has posted a list of COVID-19 food resources. They can be found at: www.urbanharvest.org/farmers-market/COVID-19/ See More Collapse Since then, Teiken explained, the couple has made plans to re-open the store at their ranch, for curbside pickup only. And shell be baking bread every day, for the time being, rather than just Saturdays; customers in the area have been coming up short-handed at traditional grocers. It was a busy morning at the market, though more somber than usual. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on March 17 ordered bars closed for 15 days, and restricted restaurants to take-out and to-go orders. Public health experts considered it a prudent decision, but it was obviously a painful one for Houstonians involved in the citys extraordinarily dynamic food scene. That includes the many small farmers and ranchers whose wholesale orders have abruptly dropped off a cliff. Well, I aint got it yet, said Mike Atkinson of Atkinson Farms in Spring, when asked how hes handling the coronavirus. Farms okay. That was a bit stoical on his part. We sell to restaurants of course, most of that restaurant business is gone now, Atkinson continued. I asked if the business, in which hes worked his adult life, will survive the pandemic. Well, we dont know. We dont know, Atkinson said. What are we gonna do? Weve kinda been left without a choice. Its like all these people who work in the restaurants and all they dont have a job. Sales at farmers markets have been buoyed, at least, by consumers looking for ways to shop without going indoors, standing in line, or sharing carts with other people. Some patrons are stocking up, too, said Caleb Yowell of Wagyuru beef, based in Edna at least on ground chuck, for example, and on other cuts that can be easily stored in frozen stockpiles. Were offering delivery, and theres a lot of people who dont want to go to stores, he said. Thats enabled his family to keep up deliveries to the restaurants they supply, Yowell added, even if the owners cant pay for their shipments at the moment. A, its just a nice thing to do, but B, theyve helped keep us afloat. Rice farmer Daniel Kirkham, whos based in Anahuac, said that hes also doing well, all things considered. Our sales here have actually been up the past week or so because of the corona scare, so from that point its actually helped us a little bit for now, he said. Jeannie Kirkham, his sister, added: I think the restaurant people have been hit the hardest. There is no doubt about that, according to Tim Smith, a chef whose 9-to-5 job is in the glass business. He said that he and a few friends had kicked around the idea of providing meals to restaurant workers who are out of work, for the duration of the crisis. Next thing you know, we got a website and, like, partners and all this it snowballed fast, Smith said, with a laugh. The website is called HoustonShiftMeal.com. So did the coronavirus, tragically. As of Tuesday evening, there were 134 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Harris County, including one death. Officials were forecasting a steady rise in cases. The economic disruption that its triggered wont be resolved anytime soon. On Tuesday, Hidalgo and Fort Bend County Judge KP George each announced countywide stay-home orders that expanded restrictions on daily activity, and a statewide order to that effect may be coming soon. But Urban Harvest plans to be open this coming weekend from 8 a.m. to noon, Horne said, with proper social distancing protocol enforced by a volunteer equipped with a six-foot-long bamboo measuring stick. And the vendors who work there will be plotting, on the side, for ways to support the workers and consumers discombobulated by the pandemic. What Im hoping is that we all, most of us, will come out better people on the other end, and really try to help each other out, Teiken said. erica.grieder@chron.com The rising spread of coronavirus has led complete lockdown in India. All companies except those in essential services have told employees to work from home. Even mutual fund houses are operating with minimum staff in the office. Last week, Association of Mutual Funds in India informed the market regulator SEBI the likely difficulties in mutual fund daily operations. However, MF houses are doing their best to ensure seamless services amid trying times. Business Today reached out to mutual fund houses on what implications lockdown may have on them and thus on your investments: If you are running systemic investment plans (SIPs) in mutual funds and do not want to do much in the current market scenario, you shouldn't bother as the operations will get back to track within few weeks. Only those who wish to make redemptions, switches, new investments or profile or account related changes should take note of operational part of mutual funds. In case you have used digital platform you can do most of the activities unhindered as before. However, if you are an investor still doing physical transactions, you may face some inconvenience. Also note there could be delays in publishing net asset value (NAV). "As long as telecom networks are fully functional we don't see any issues in servicing our investors' requirements. Investors are urged to use website and mobile app for transactions. We have also recently passed an addendum to enable investors to e-mail their transactions to us and we will have them processed," says Aashish Somaiyaa, MD & CEO, Motilal Oswal Asset Management Company. Note that it can be done only with the registered e-mail id. ALSO READ: Is it right time to bottom fish on Dalal Street? Nippon India Mutual Fund has informed its customers about digital alternatives. The fund house has empowered its distributors with an internal platform - NIMF Business Easy Platform - that can be accessed round the clock. "Investors can get in touch with their distributors who in turn will advise them on suitable digital mediums to transact or meet their service requirements. They can also initiate transactions on behalf of investors after latter approves the transaction using weblinks triggered on SMS or e-mail," says Sundeep Sikka, ED and CEO, Nippon India Mutual Fund. L&T Mutual Fund had been testing remote access of its various critical functions for the last few weeks to ensure smooth functioning of all teams across India. It launched two new mutual funds - Nifty50 and Nifty Next50 index funds - on Tuesday in line with what it had planned before coronavirus-led carnage disrupted daily operations. This was done despite most employees working from home, which shows how IT systems and processes are evolving for good. "The markets today, with a steep correction since January 2020, provide an opportune platform for investors to invest in a well-diversified portfolio of fundamentally strong, highly liquid and well-known companies. With advanced technology along with company's well-defined structure and robust processes, the company was able to launch the funds without any hiccups," says Kailash Kulkarni, Chief Executive, L&T Mutual Fund. ALSO READ: Sensex, Nifty hit by coronavirus: Here's how to buy right stocks in falling market Dealing with redemption pressure Nippon India MF and L&T Mutual Fund say they are not witnessing any unusual redemptions in the equity funds. Fixed income funds, however, are seeing comparatively higher redemptions in Nippon India MF. "Some of these could be due to year-end considerations," points out Sikka of Nippon India MF. He advises investors to give utmost importance to liquidity. "If an investor is running low on liquidity in his overall portfolio, he or she should redeem from funds and create the required liquidity, regardless of market levels. On the other hand, if the investor has sufficient cash to tide over these uncertain times, could consider fresh allocation, while being prepared to withstand further volatility for some more time to come." Fire sale is going on, says Somaiyaa. "If you are fearful then you will not be able to take advantage of it. At 12,000 Nifty, everyone wanted to be a fund manager in their own right, at 7,500 Nifty, now don't become a risk manager," he advises. If you have been careful in selecting quality MFs in your portfolio then there is no reason for you to make an exit. Therefore, unless you need money urgently, it's better to continue with the investment. The industry is well prepared to protect your interests even as the virus-led crisis prolongs. ALSO READ: Do you invest in mutual funds via Yes Bank? Here are your options One doctor shut down his clinic after an Italy returnee tested positive Mumbai: With reports coming in that medical establishments were refusing to treat coronavirus patients, the Maharashtra government today threatened to suspend the licences of such private hospitals and dispensaries. Minister of state Rajendra Patil-Yadravkar issued a circular stating that the government had received complaints that some private dispensaries and hospitals were refusing to treat patients. Patil-Yadravkar appealed to the trustees and doctors of private hospitals to provide medical assistance to people in need. He said, If the hospital finds any infected patient, they should immediately inform the local government health officer. With corona cases rising with each passing day, there have been reports of doctors shutting down their clinic. One doctor closed his clinic for an indefinite period after an Italy returnee who had come in for treatment later tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Dr Abdul Khalique, who runs a clinic in the Kalina area of Santa Cruz, told media the man had landed in Mumbai on March 18 and came to his clinic the next day. I asked him to get himself checked at the Kasturba Hospital. He came to my clinic again on March 20 and March 21, complaining of cold, cough and body pain, the doctor said. His ill health continued and he got himself tested and he was found to be infected with the novel coronavirus. I got a call from the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) today inquiring about this patient. I have now shut my clinic, but am worried thinking about whether he has spread the virus to people he met in the last few days, he said. In an important development, the Indian Defence establishment has come forward to fight against the invisible enemy, the Covid-19, which is threatening to invade India. The Indian Ordnance Factories under the Kolkata headquartered Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), which primarily make arms and ammunition for the Indian armed services, has informed the Government its readiness to supply protective equipment and masks required for the healthcare professionals battling on the ground to defeat the virus. Pilot orders have been placed by the Government a couple of hours ago, sources told Business Today. "The information is true and today we have placed a pilot order of 5000 personal protection equipment (PPEs) or coveralls, five lakh surgical masks and 500 litres of sanitisers with the OFB. They have experience of over two centuries in facing and responding to such crisis including medical emergencies and have manpower, technological expertise and have a huge infrastructure," a top-level source with HLL Lifecare Ltd, the designated single-window procurement agency for the hospitals and healthcare organisations under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. "Other than arms and ammunition, they make so many products for the armed forces and may have to re-align some manufacturing lines for this purpose to meet the quantities we require," said another official. Started in 1775 by the British to make arms and ammunition for the army, today OFB is a giant industrial network which functions under the Department of Defence Production of the Ministry of Defence. It has 41 factories in 24 locations, 9 Training Institutes, 3 regional marketing centres and 4 regional controllers of safety. The factories have a broad and versatile production base with multi-technology capabilities. All its manufacturing units conform to ISO 9000 standards, said sources. As reported by Business Today, efforts are on by the Government for huge procurement of 50 lakh N95 masks, 20 lakh nitrile gloves, 15 lakh PPEs, 15 lakh goggles, 2 crore surgical masks, 20 lakh sanitizers and 10 lakh VTM kits. The Government, which could not find international manufacturers for PPEs and other emergency kits, has again floated a new global tender. Efforts are also on to co-ordinate with various embassies abroad to identify and rope in manufacturers and suppliers. Also Read: Sensex logs biggest session gain since 2009; What triggered the bull run on D-Street Also Read: Flipkart, Big Basket, Grofers to restart deliveries today Also Read: Funds crunch post-Corona may force start-ups to shut shop Police have identified the man who shot himself after carjacking someone and leading authorities on a chase across town last week, according to the Albuquerque Police Department. Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesman, said 45-year-old Domingo Lage died from a self inflicted gunshot wound March 18 as officers closed in on him outside the Macaroni Grill at Uptown Mall. Officers were following Lage earlier that afternoon as he drove around in a stolen vehicle and authorities, both APD and Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office, began pursuing Lage when he carjacked someone on the West Side. Lage evaded officers multiple times before reaching Louisiana and Interstate 40, near Uptown, where he allegedly killed himself and crashed into the parking lot of the Macaroni Grill. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) They refer to themselves as "alay" or sacrifice. They are emergency room nurses at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila City who have been treating people suspected of having coronavirus disease. One of them, Jill Banares said that for one shift, two to three nurses are assigned at the persons under investigation (PUI) zone. When they are on duty, it is like they are already offering their lives, exposing themselves to the risk of contracting the viral disease. 'Pag hindi ikaw ang 'alay,' natatakot ka para sa buhay ng mga isasalang. 'Pag ikaw naman ang 'alay' sa loob, natatakot ka para sa buhay mo dahil may pamilya kang nagmamahal at kailangan mong uwian once lahat ito matapos at siyempre may mga pangarap ka sa buhay, she wrote on her Facebook page. [Translation: When you are not the chosen one to go in, you are worried about your colleagues. When you are sent in, you are worried about your life because you also worry about your family. And, of course, you still have your dreams.] In an interview with CNN Philippines on Wednesday, Banares said that during their shift, no one leaves the PUI zone for 8 hours. If they go out, they would have to remove their personal protective equipment or PPE, then change to a new set before going in. She said this is not only to ensure they wont get contaminated, but also because since supply is limited, they try to only use one set of PPE per shift. Yung pag-CR po, pag-kain, pag-ihi 'yung mga ganoon po hindi po namin nagagawa dahil ayun po takot din po kami tanggalin yung PPEs namin since nandun kami within the zone. And, ayun po, dahil nagtitipid, hindi po namin alam kung meron pa po kasi hindi namin alam kung gaano katagal itong krisis na to sa Pilipinas, she said. [Translation: We have to forego going to the restroom or eating during our shift because we are scared to take off our PPEs since we are in the PUI zone. We are also trying to maximize its use because of the limited supply, because we don't know how long this crisis will last. The 24-year old Banares said this is all new to her, despite being a nurse for almost three years. She revealed she didn't even know how to properly put on her PPE, so she and fellow nurses watched donning and doffing tutorials on YouTube. Wearing PPE is also not that easy. She said its hot and hard to breathe, due to the goggles and the full headgear making sure no part of the body is exposed. While inside the zone, they only communicate through handheld radios. With all the challenges, the young nurse received encouragement from one of the PUIs she was monitoring. Sabi nga po sa akin ng isa kong pasyente, Kaya mo 'yan, iha.' Habang nagbibigay ako ng meds, nagluluha mata ko sa hapdi ng bawat pagpasok ng pawis sa mata ko, Banares said. [Translation: One of my patients told me, You can do it, while I was giving medication. I was teary-eyed because sweat was getting into my eyes.] PGH as a referral center As of Tuesday, there is one COVID-19-positive patient confined at the PGH and 21 PUIs, according to spokesman Dr. Jonas del Rosario. PGH has been named by the Department of Health as one of three COVID-19 referral centers in Metro Manila. These centers will take in patients from other hospitals with suspected and confirmed cases. Banares thinks PGH may not be ready for to operate as a referral center, Nakakafrustrate po kasi talaga yung system kasi kahit anong ayos po ng institusyon namin - ng sistema, ang realidad po ay kakaunti lang po ang aming resources. Ang facilities po namin ay hindi handa. Kokonti lang ang aming empleyado. Tapos ho ang PPEs po namin ay hindi rin ganoon ka dami. Tapos po pati rin po sa mga testing kits, may available po, pero limited din po yun, she said. [Translation: Its frustrating because no matter how good the institution is the system, the reality is we have limited resources. Our facilities are not ready. We only have a few employees. Even our PPE is scarce. We have available testing kits, but these are limited too.] Del Rosario however told CNN Philippines preparations are being made and that PGH can start operating as a referral center by Friday or Saturday. He said the health department is also expected to beef up the hospitals medical equipment and other needed supplies with the expected increase in patients. Up to 130 beds will be available for COVID-19 patients. Thats the reason kung bakit di pa kami nag-uumpisa. Kasi ayaw naman namin isabak ang aming mga tauhan hanggang hindi kami ready. Dahil responisibilidad din namin na poroteksyunan di lang iyong mga pasyente, kundi iyong mga doktor, nurses at iba pang healthcare workers na frontliners sa sakit na ito, Del Rosario said. [Translation: Thats the reason we havent started operating. We dont want to deploy our staff until we are ready. We have a responsibility to protect not just the patients but the doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who are the frontliners in the fight against this disease. Frontliners fears PGH Director Gerardo Legaspi, in a briefing Tuesday said almost a hundred of its personnel were considered as PUIs. The hospital has 4,500 employees, more than half are doctors. Banares explained since they were assigned at the PUI zone, they were required to go on duty for 7 days straight, then rest for 14 days also as a way to self-quarantine. But she said their mindset for now is that any one of them sooner or later may become a PUI, too. Banares said medical workers are not asking for any recognition or praise because they will continue to perform their tasks, no matter what. All they want is this: Mag-cooperate po kayo. Iwasan po ang lumabas dahil makakatulong po kayo ng sobra-sobra sa aming mga health care workers na hindi na po kayo dumagdag sa mga aalagaan pa po namin. [Translation: Please cooperate. Stay in your homes. This will be a big help for health workers, if you do not add to the number of patients that we have to care for.] The U.S. Constitution guarantees your right to a speedy trial. State law says that trial should begin about six months after youre charged with a serious crime. But since the coronavirus led state and federal courts to suspend jury trials throughout New Jersey, people in jail waiting to defend themselves have been thrown into limbo. I could see there being significant constitutional concerns, said Kim Yonta, a criminal defense attorney and president-elect of the NJ Bar Association. Any time taken from my clients life is significant. Nobody has suggested that protecting potential jurors from crowded waiting rooms is a bad idea, but lawyers said they were worried about a suspension that could last weeks or more. Depending on the length of the delay, defendants could challenge the prosecution on speedy trial grounds, John Farmer, a former state attorney general and director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, wrote in a message. There were 5,018 people in jail awaiting trial at the end of January, according to a judiciary spokesperson, although less than 100 of those are expected to ever face a jury. I am primarily concerned about people who are in the county jails who dont need to be there, said New Jersey Public Defender Joseph Krakora. Public defenders are both working with prosecutors and filing motions to release some of those people, according to the public defenders office. Freeing some non-violent residents, especially those who are elderly or with serious health issues, could protect both inmates and officers by lowering jail populations, officials said. I can only imagine how scared our clients are, thinking about how scared and panicked people are out here, said Jennifer Sellitti, an office spokesperson. The state is releasing hundreds of people already convicted of some low-level crimes, and the number of new defendants may slow since the state attorney general recommended some criminal charges be delayed. Normally after an arrest, you must be indicted within 90 days and wait no more than 180 days for a trial, according to state law. A judge may grant extensions for a long list of reasons, including a natural disaster. New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner issued an order Thursday saying more than two weeks of March would not be counted toward that 180-day limit. More extensions could be on the way, although stopping the clock was not intended to prevent the parties from making every effort to continue to resolve cases prior to indictment and trial, Rabner wrote. Prosecutors are relying on guidance from the judiciary about what extensions will be allowed, said Angelo Onofri, the Mercer County Prosecutor and president of the states county prosecutors association. Were in uncharted territory, Onofri said. Other countries and states, from California to New York, have also halted jury trials. Louisiana, which pushed back trials last week, experienced a much more catastrophic judicial shutdown after Hurricane Katrina. The similarities are the total discombobulation ... of the criminal justice system," said Kevin Boshea, a criminal defense attorney in New Orleans who worked in the floods aftermath. Delays can make it harder to find witnesses, organize evidence and keep clients and their families healthy, he said. As soon as the court system opens, for the first weeks there will be this avalanche of cases that were backed up, he said. However, the experience prepared him and his colleagues to better handle this delay, he said. Lawyers in New Jersey continue to work with clients and the courts, although much is being moved to phones and video since jails are restricting visitors. Some also said the reforms that established time limits eased pressure on a system that could be in much worse shape. The longer we go, the harder its gonna be to recover, said Joseph Mazraani, a defense attorney with Mazraani and Liguori in New Brunswick. But before the reforms, he said, people were sitting a lot longer in jail than theyre sitting now." Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. health-trends Coronavirus wrap March 25: Here's all you need to know about the day's developments Death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak in India touched 10, even as the Prime Minister announced a nationwide lockdown in his March 24 address. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown used her daily media briefing Wednesday to call out federal authorities for the ongoing shortage of protective equipment for healthcare workers during the coronavirus outbreak. The question is, whats the barrier? From our perspective, from what were seeing, its frankly the federal government, Brown said. Federal authorities have been too slow to authorize production of personal protective equipment by other than medical manufacturers, Brown said, and to insulate such producers from potential liability claims. She suggested President Donald Trump should use his emergency authority to repurpose private factories to make the protective gear, a step he has been reluctant to take. Voluntary production will not fix this problem at this time, Brown said. The governor said every state is facing the same shortage and theyre all competing against one another and the federal government for equipment to protect their healthcare workers. This outrageous lack of action will result in lost lives, Brown said. Other highlights from Wednesdays call: The governor said she has instructed the Oregon Health Authority to release more data about the people who test positive for the coronavirus. Newly available data will include age ranges, hospitalization status, available hospital beds and available ventilators to treat patients with lung disease to help health officials and the public to better understand risks and trends. The governor said she expects at least $1.2 billion in assistance for Oregonians and the state from the federal rescue bill poised for passage in Congress. Oregon will delay the state tax filing deadline for personal income taxes from April 15 to July 15, matching earlier federal action. The governor said she expects an additional 1,000 coronavirus tests per day soon, which could give a much clearer picture of the state of outbreak in Oregon. Amid continued complaints about unsafe working conditions during the outbreak, Brown said Oregons Bureau of Labor & Industries will begin fielding employee complaints. On Tuesday, the governors office directed complaints to a different agency: Oregons Occupational Safety and Health division. If employers are inherently unable to maintain a six-foot distance between employees in the workplace, Brown said, Then those businesses should shut down. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. After fueling romance rumors with Olympic gold medal-winning snowboarder Shaun White, Nina Dobrev took a solo stroll in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Amid California's shutdown orders, the 31-year-old Vampire Diaries star stepped out for some much-needed fresh air, while walking her rescue pup Maverick, who has more than 352k Instagram followers. The brunette beauty put on a leggy display, as she flaunted her legs in a pair of pastel tie-dye shorts and a matching sweatshirt. Walking buddies: Amid California's shutdown orders, Nina Dobrev stepped out for some much-needed fresh air in Los Angeles on Wednesday, while walking her rescue pup Maverick, who has over 352k Instagram followers Rather than holding onto her pooch, she attached the leash to her waist and strutted down the block in a pair of white Vans trainers and over-sized black shades. Despite growing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic in California, she appeared at ease without wearing a mask or gloves, despite urging her followers to 'wear gloves' and practice social distancing. 'Hoping everyone is is stocked up, quarantined up and is taking the necessary measures to protect themselves and be safe,' she told fans last week on Instagram. She added: 'Its scary out there. But theres no need to feel helpless. You are not alone.' On Sunday, Dobrev was seen out for a bicycle trip with White, in Malibu, despite Governor Gavin Newsom's request for residents to stay indoors. The two looked very happy and content as they rode off in the rain together, with Shaun holding her adorable dog on his lap. This isnt the first time the pair have been spotted together Nina and Shaun were reportedly seen at a party together a few months ago. New man: On Sunday, Dobrev was seen out for a bicycle trip with White, in Malibu, despite Governor Gavin Newsom's request for residents to stay indoors Adding more evidence to their romance, on Tuesday Shaun showed himself animatedly playing a Game Of Thrones edition of the famous board game Monopoly, which Nina was spotted purchasing a day prior. Dobrev was most recently linked to screenwriter-director Grant Mellon, before she ended the relationship in November of last year. In the past, the Run This Town starlet has also dated Liam Hemsworth, Derek Hough and her Vampire costar Ian Somerhalder, among others. As for White, he was in a long term relationship with Sarah Barthel of the band Phantogram, having dated her since 2013. STRONGSVILLE, Ohio Scam concern: Glenmar Way On March 10, a woman came to the police station after receiving a call from Florida that her son was in the hospital. The savvy Glenmar Way resident, having read about scammers calling people with fake accounts of loved ones being in jail or the hospital, asked police to check into the veracity of the claim. An officer quickly discovered that the residents son was indeed in a Florida hospital. Alarm: Progress Drive On March 10, police were dispatched to a Progress Drive office building due to a north entry front door alarm. An arriving officer discovered that employees were working late and had accidentally set off the alarm. Suspicious situation: Driftwood Court On March 10, a Driftwood Court resident woke up after hearing car alarms going off from both of her vehicles, which were parked in the driveway. The resident didnt see any suspects. An arriving officer confirmed that nobody was in the area. However, there were deer roaming around. The officer believed the animals may have been the culprits. Lost wallet: Royalton Road On March 10, a resident called police after losing his wallet somewhere after working out at the recreation center and driving to Target. The resident and officer were unable to find the brown leather, front pocket-style wallet with a money clip. Lost phone: Southpark Center On March 10, a woman called police after discovering that she had left her Samsung phone in the public restroom at the mall. The woman said her grandson called the phone, which was answered by someone who said she would turn it in to mall security. However, the phone was never turned in. Police are investigating. Suspicious school bus: Howe Road On March 10, a concerned passerby called police about a school bus seen jumping a curb on Howe Road. The officer then contacted the Board of Education about the incident. Read more from the Sun Star Courier. The home ministry has indefinitely suspended the exercise to update the NPR and collection of data for Census 2021 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The decision comes on the first day of a 21-day lockdown announced by the central government and amid repeated demands from the opposition to suspend the two exercises which they have often seen with suspicion and alleged that it could be used along with the CAA and the NRC to take away the citizenship of the minorities in India. The government, however, has rejected this fear as baseless on several occasions. Several states and politicians had also requested for the suspension of the two exercises citing the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the need for channelizing all government efforts in combating it. According to earlier official release, the two exercises were to be conducted between April 1 and September 30, 2020. The home ministry had recently said after a conference of the Directors of the Census Operations that the preparations for the two exercises had intensified. The states which have been opposing the NPR include Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. However, most of them also said they will cooperate with the house listing phase of the Census. The objective of the NPR is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. The Saigon Department of Industry and Trade has devised three scenarios to provide food and necessities to residents as Covid-19 infections increase. If Saigon manages to keep the number of patients below 100, people are anticipated to change from shopping every day to only on the weekends, said the department. Hoarding of food and necessities could cause shortages of certain products in certain time frames, it said. In such a case, the department would monitor the market and cooperate with businesses and other entities to make sure enough goods and products are provided. The HCMC Market Management Department and local authorities would make sure there would be no price gouging, hoarding or withholding of products, it stated. To stabilize the market, businesses would need to increase products by 30-40 percent. They would also be requested to prepare enough raw materials so the amount of products provided could be increased by 50-100 percent if necessary. In the second scenario, with the number of patients across the city no more than 300, supplies would be increased by 30-100 percent to help stabilize the market, said the department. In the third, worst-case scenario, when the novel coronavirus begins to spread widely among the community, the department would present city authorities with multiple product mobilization and distribution policies. The export of raw materials and products, like food and necessities, would be restricted as well, it added. In the ongoing fight against Covid-19, the amount of products used to stabilize the market in Saigon currently accounts for 35-50 percent of the city's demand. Several food products, including eggs, sugar and poultry, have increased production by thousands of tons a month to help stabilize the market, said the department. Additionally, the city has no shortage of masks, with 23 businesses producing around three million a day, of which one million are given to hospitals, said authorities. The city's industry and trade department is also looking for other countries and territories with raw materials to produce surgical masks in April. Saigon has so far confirmed 34 Covid-19 cases, of whom three have recovered and been discharged. As the number of infections continue to rise in the city, the southern metropolis has adopted several measures to help combat the spread of the disease, including closing down bars, clubs, gyms and restaurants. Vietnam has confirmed 134 Covid-19 cases so far, of whom 17 have recovered and been discharged. Many of the currently active cases are Vietnamese nationals retuning from Europe and the U.S. and foreigners visiting from the same regions. The Covid-19 pandemic has killed close to 19,000 people globally. Nimmi, the doe-eyed star of 1950s and '60s Hindi movies such as "Aan", "Barsaat" and "Deedar", died on Wednesday after prolonged illness. She was 88. The actor was brought to a suburban Juhu hospital after she complained of breathlessness. She died in the evening, family sources told PTI. "She was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon after she complained of breathlessness. She passed away this evening. She had been unwell for quite sometime. She had been in and out of hospital this year," the source added. Nimmi will be buried at a cemetery in Reay Road in Mumbai on Thursday afternoon. The actor, born as Nawab Banoo, came to be known by her screen name 'Nimmi', which was given to her by filmmaker Raj Kapoor, who first spotted her as a shy teen on the sets of his film "Andaz". Raj Kapoor cast her as the second lead in "Barsaat" in 1949. The film had three popular songs -- 'Barsaat me hamse mile tum', 'Hawa me udta jaye' and 'Meri Patli qamar hai' -- picturised on her. After the success of "Barsaat", there was no turning back for Nimmi. Though the often played the second fiddle to the popular heroines of her era, she established herself in the roles of ill-fated lover or the feisty village belle. Such was her popularity that an extended dream sequence was added in "Aan" as distributors felt her character dies too early in the film. Inspired from William Shakespeare's play "Taming of the Shrew", the film had Nadia and Dilip Kumar in lead roles but Nimmi as village belle Mangala left a lasting impression on viewers mind. The film released with the title 'Savage Princess' in England and in France as "Mangla, fille des Indes" (Mangla, the daughter of India). Nimmi worked with top actors of her era, including Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Ashok Kumar in films "Sazaa", "Aan", "Uran Khatola", "Bhai-Bhai", "Kundan", "Mere Mehboob", "Pooja Ke Phool", "Akashdeep", "Love and God", which was her last film. She left movies to get married to writer-director S Ali Raza, who passed away in 2007. Mourning her death, actor Rishi Kapoor said, "RIP. Thank you Nimmi aunty for all the blessings and love for Bobby on its premiere release. You were part of the RK family. Barsaat was your first film. Allha aapko Jannat naseeb kare. Ameen." Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said, "You may win your hearts desire, but in the end you are cheated of it by death. Goodbye Nimmiji". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ALEXANDRIA, VA / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2020 / Solei Systems, Inc. (OTC PINK:SOLI) announces it has filed a Schedule Pre 14(c) to begin the process to change its corporate name to CareClix Holdings, Inc. on March 19, 2020. Company management believes the CareClix name has greater name recognition which is an important factor for an emerging growth company. Also, the CareClix brand is already closely associated with the telemedicine industry. The company's business model is focused on telemedicine and the CareClix brand is well respected among our strategic core customers: physicians, hospitals, and medical services providers. The company also will request a symbol change from SOLI to a symbol more closely aligned with its new corporate name. According to company president, Josh Flood, "The name change is something management has desired for 11 months. It became a higher priority after a recent meeting at CareClix between management and a managing partner of a top 5 Wall Street investment bank. The banker, and his firm, have been following CareClix since 2018, yet he was unaware that CareClix was a wholly-owned subsidiary of a publicly-traded company named Solei Systems. He literally asked us for the name of the symbol." The board of directors is acutely aware of the role Wall Street must play in order for the company to actualize its ambitious growth goals. Upon hearing the aforementioned story, they subsequently voted unanimously for the name change. The board of directors and majority shareholders believe the net impact of the name change will be positive for all stakeholders. Management, sales, and marketing divisions welcome the name change, especially considering the enormous amount of media attention the CareClix name has received as a result of leading the narrative on the essential role of telemedicine in the global healthcare strategy of social distancing and voluntary isolation. The name and symbol change cannot take effect unless and until it is approved by FINRA. SOLI intends to apply to FINRA for review and approval of the proposed name and symbol change after ten days has elapsed following the filing of its Schedule Pre-14C, which was posted to SEC.gov on March 19, 2020. FINRA's review process is expected to take at least a few weeks, and SOLI will provide further updates when available. About CareClix CareClix is a leading virtual telehealth platform. The company provides software applications coupled with medical services enabling patients to receive care anytime at anyplace. CareClix's suite of services is transforming the way hospitals, doctors, and clinical care providers can interact with an increasing number of patients. Trusted by some of the best names in healthcare, CareClix has an established track record of success partnering with organizations and customers. More than 20 million individuals in the U.S. in over 60 countries are currently utilizing CareClix's services. CareClix Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Solei Systems Inc. (OTCPINK:SOLI). Learn more about CareClix by visiting our website: www.careclix.com. About Solei Solei Systems, Inc. is a fully reporting, fully audited public holding company in the health and wellness field with its primary focus on telemedicine. Currently, Solei Systems, Inc is comprised of two wholly-owned subsidiaries: CareClix, Inc. and Clinical & Herbal Innovations, Inc www.soleihealth.com Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of Solei Systems Inc, and its wholly-owned subsidiary CareClix, Inc. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are often identified using forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects" or similar expressions, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although Solei Systems, Inc believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Even if a Name and Symbol Change is affected, some or all of the expected benefits discussed above may not be realized or maintained. The market price of our Common Stock will continue to be based, in part, on our performance and other factors unrelated to the Company s name and trading symbol. Solei Systems, Inc's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Solei's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to Solei Systems or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements. CONTACT: Solei Systems, Inc 206 N. Washington St. Suite 100 Alexandria, VA 22314 T: (703) 832-4473 www.soleihealth.com SOURCE: Solei Systems, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/582451/Solei-Systems-Announces-Plans-to-Change-Name-to-Careclix-Holdings Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 13:19:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- International coordination is required to ride out the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, an Australian economist has said. "Tackling a crisis that knows no borders demands a truly global response," said Peter Drysdale, head of the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research at the Australian National University, in a recent interview with Xinhua. On Tuesday, no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Wuhan, the former hardest-hit city in central China's Hubei Province. Drysdale believes that the progress in China will bring hope to other countries combating the pandemic, as well as the global economy. "But it will require more than that," he noted. Drysdale stressed that international cooperation required to overcome the current crisis should be driven by the Group of 20 (G20). A special G20 leaders' video summit on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic will be held on Thursday, hosted by Saudi Arabia, the G20 Presidency in 2020. "The first priority is for G20 leaders to agree on coordinated action to ensure access to essential medical supplies everywhere in the world," he said. "Leaders must reverse and commit to avoid export bans or limits on the free flow of all necessary medical supplies, medicines, disinfectant, soap and personal protective equipment," he said. The economist suggested that national leaders "reduce the costs of necessary medical supplies, for instance, by lifting import taxes, quotas and other government-imposed costs." Meanwhile, Drysdale pointed out that the pandemic has also dealt a heavy blow to the global economy. "The impact on the world economy will be big, as industrial economies take a big hit," he said. "The structural impact of the coronavirus on labour intensive activities and small businesses around the world make this a particularly difficult economic crisis to manage," the economist added. Drysdale cited some estimates suggesting a 5-10 percent fall in output next quarter globally, despite the substantial fiscal and monetary stimulus packages being rolled out across the world. "How long this lasts depends not only on success in stemming the spread of the coronavirus but strategies to staunch its economic impact," he said. "Coming through this crisis will demand ramping up international cooperation rapidly." Therefore, Drysdale said that there are three economic fronts on which the G20 needs to address. "Leaders should announce a coordinated fiscal stimulus package to address the demand shock...re-commit to their long-standing agreement to avoid competitive exchange rate devaluations... and there must be a collective commitment to keep global supply chains open to address the supply shock," he noted. "Additionally, leaders must agree to not introduce any new restrictive trade or investment measures, including under the guise of a health response," he said. "Resorting to 'beggar-thy-neighbour' policies during a global health crisis inflicts much more than economic pain on other countries, and ultimately would be a self-inflicting wound." Dealing with the crisis alone would incur only deeper health and economic costs, the professor noted, emphasizing that "the most effective and legitimate way to do that is through the G20." Drysdale expressed his belief that while many countries sought to deal with the immediate health crisis with inadequate knowledge and without immediate initial regard and attention to the economic consequences, the G20 needs to task the health and economic ministries with building stronger cooperation arrangements. Nebraskas latest cases of the coronavirus disease include two residents of an assisted living facility in Blair, one of whom has been hospitalized. Four new cases were reported Tuesday, bringing the states total to 66. Also Tuesday, Douglas County announced that another case of community spread has been found in the county. In Washington County, a woman in her 90s is self-isolating in her room at Carter Place, an assisted living facility in Blair. A man in his 70s from the facility has been hospitalized. Enlivant, which runs Carter Place, 1028 Joann Drive in Blair, said in a statement: "We have two Carter Place residents who have tested positive one is offsite at the hospital and another is isolated in their room. We are coordinating with local and state health departments. The safety and health of our residents and employees is our top priority." In a statement late Tuesday, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said, "The facility is aggressively responding to the situation and is working with local and state health officials to ensure the safety and care of all residents. F or so long, Boris Johnson has waited for his Churchillian hour his June 1940 and now it has come. He stands at the helm of a nation struggling to keep at bay a deadly pathogen: a campaign in which, as he said on Monday evening, we are all enlisted. He expected the implementation of Brexit to be his greatest test. But, plainly, it is not. The measures he announced were rewarded with 93 per cent public support in a snap YouGov poll. On BBC Newsnight, a few hours after more than 27 million people watched his statement, the shadow attorney general, Shami Chakrabarti normally the first to rail against curtailment of civil liberties offered firm support of the PMs lockdown of the country. Yet Johnson knows that even his role model overstepped the mark on occasion and suffered accordingly in the court of posterity. In the PMs best-selling book, The Churchill Factor, he fiercely defends the then home secretarys decision in 1910 to send in the 18th Hussars to deal with the striking miners of Tonypandy, a town in the Rhondda Valley of Wales. Yet his defence is laced with unease Churchill was actually attacked by the Tories for being too soft and the reader is left with the clear impression that the author is squirming. That unease reflects a tension between what might be called the two sides of Johnsons political identity. He yearns to be remembered by future schoolchildren as a strong leader the Prime Minister who declared, in the face of national emergency, that he was willing to do whatever it takes. Matthew d'Ancona Yet, that yearning is matched by an instinctive reluctance to impose restrictions, narrow liberties, ruin the fun. For years, he has played the laughing Cavalier, ever-scornful of the nations Roundheads. During the BSE beef crisis in the Nineties, his response was: Pass the mustard. When a Labour Government tried to extend the period of detention without charge for terror suspects, he and I engaged in a reasonably amicable public spat. I supported the measures, which I thought were tough but necessary. Johnson replied by writing in The Daily Telegraph about how grim it was to be locked up, citing his own overnight experience in Oxfords cells after a jolly Bullingdon Club jape ended in a brush with the law. The PM is often described as a libertarian, which is a grand way of saying that he doesnt much like rules. A belief in the right to do pretty much as you please is at the heart of his Toryism and, indeed, his personal psychology. During Sundays disastrous press conference against the backdrop of flagrant public resistance to the initial advisory measures on social isolation and distancing Johnson was visibly torn. Yes, he wanted people to stay at home. But he also said he completely understood that they also longed to be out in the parks and enjoying the normal rights of free-born citizens. Bring in the police? he asked in response to a question about tougher measures. Just 24 hours later, he did just that. Johnson is confronting the hardest part of government, that great leaders cant simply appease the public I do not believe for a second that the Conservative Partys longtime Lord of Misrule has undergone a sudden conversion to authoritarianism and social control. Rather, circumstances have given him no option but to act as he has. When this crisis is over, there will be many official inquiries and a pitiless audit of what was done, and whether it should have been done sooner. For now, suffice it to say that Johnson has acted correctly but from a swirl of inner confusion. It is no accident, I think, that there were still so many loose ends yesterday morning, which Michael Gove was sent in to tie up on the BBCs Today programme. Could electricians and plumbers still enter peoples homes? Could the children of separated parents visit both households? What sorts of exercise is permitted? Such basic questions should already have been answered. There is much left to do. Patently, too many employers believe they are exempt from the lockdown and are forcing their employees into work and onto (limited) public transport. The strictures will soon begin to chafe against the collective psyche, and the Government must be prepared for that and ready to give the police clear and unambiguous guidance on how to handle those who persist in defying the new rules or (worse) burst forth from their homes in a fit of cabin fever. The PM knows all this. You can see it in his face. He is confronting, at last, the hardest part of government: the fact that true leadership by definition, and especially in a crisis means marching ahead of public opinion, rather than simply appeasing it. Hundreds of people rushed to shops to stock up on food and vegetables in Odishas Bhadrak district on Wednesday amid a national lockdown and despite repeated appeals by chief minister Naveen Patnaik to residents to stay at home in a fight against Covid-19 disease. The 21-day countrywide complete lockdown was clamped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evening to enforce social distancing to stop the spread of coronavirus. The panic buying continued even as Ranendra Pratap Swain, the state food supply and consumer welfare minister, said Odisha had enough stocks. Let me assure that we have adequate stock of essential commodities to meet the demand of at least 10 days. Also, the movement of essential goods has not been restricted to ensure smooth supply, Swain said. We have been holding discussions with traders and oil company representatives to maintain stock of essential goods, he said. Before the Prime Ministers announcement, chief minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered the closure of 16 more districts in the state and issued a video appeal. He had asked people to take a pledge in the name of their children and parents that they would not go out of their homes. In the last 20 years of service to Odisha, I have requested you all many times to follow certain regulations and you have never disappointed me. However, the request that I am placing before you today, is the most important one of my life. Our safety is in our own hands, he said. Whether coronavirus enters our home or not, depends on our behaviour. If you are alert and watchful, this virus cannot enter your home. Let us read this pledge on a daily basis: I promise in the name of my children and parents that I will not go out during these times. If I go out, Coronavirus can come inside my house with me. And it can harm my family. Please keep my request - Stay at Home, Save Your Family, said Patnaik. He also urged people to put a pledge on display on the entrance of their houses that they will not allow the virus to enter their homes. The chief minister said if at all people needed to go out for an emergency task, then after returning, they should wash their hands cleanly with soap for 20 seconds and then enter into the house. He also urged people to make videos of their pledges and send it to him over social media. Numbers will rise A senior official put the numbers in perspective as he said Odisha could see an explosion of coronavirus cases in the state by the end of May. Subroto Bagchi, the spokesperson for coronavirus disease in Odisha, said if people do not adhere to the strict procedures of lockdown then there would be a minimum of 2345 and a maximum of 36,000 coronavirus-infected people. Though we have 519 (till Tuesday) positive cases in India and two cases in Odisha, these are initial days of the virus entering India. The explosive situation is yet to begin. The first one to be affected by this disease would be the old people in our homes. So, we have to change our lifestyle and follow lockdown measures scrupulously, he said. Of the 3861 people who have registered with the state government after returning from abroad, 100 are showing symptoms of the disease and are being watched. Of the 110 persons tested so far, only two have tested positive. Their health conditions are stable. Of the 57 who came in contact with the two positive patients, 45 have been kept in isolation wards of various hospitals, Bagchi said. Stickers The state government has put stickers on each of the 3861 patients for easy identification as some 100-odd people were reportedly found to be violating the home quarantine conditions. The stickers would have details like their names and address, the period of quarantine and the number of people quarantined. Their neighbours would have to maintain social distance from them without making them feel uncomfortable. It has so far lodged cases against eight such people. Odisha health department officials said the state government is scouting for sites to start two special corona hospitals in Bhubaneswar with more than 2000 beds. The existing seven government medical colleges and hospitals and 30 district headquarter hospitals have more than 350 beds for Covid-19 patients with ventilators. Swami Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research, an autonomous institute in Cuttack district for treatment of people with locomotor diseases, would be used as a coronavirus special hospital. Ranendra Pratap Swain, state minister for food supply, has urged in a letter to the state government to use an abandoned 60-bedded private hospital in Bhubaneswar for coronavirus patients. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Update (4/7/2020): Tax expert Lynn Mucenski-Keck, of The Bonadio Group, answered questions about federal coronavirus relief for individuals and small business. You can find it here: Tax expert on federal coronavirus relief: Aid to small business is huge We asked for your questions about coronavirus, and you sent in a bunch. As we work through them, were posting answers as soon as we have them. Getting a coronavirus test Q: Where can I get tested for coronavirus in Onondaga County? J.M. Q: Are tests only administered if prescribed by a doctor? Or if I have symptoms, can I get tested? Instagram user A: We got quite a few questions about testing, which we reported on extensively a couple of weeks ago when Onondaga County opened its testing site at the Syracuse Community Health Center. Heres a refresher. The main thing to know is that you cant just show up at the testing site or a doctors office. You need to call ahead for approval and to make an appointment to seek medical care. If you are having symptoms (fever, cough, trouble breathing), you are advised to call your primary care doctor for advice about what to do next. If you do not have a primary care doctor or health insurance, call Upstates COVID-19 hotline at (315) 464-3979. If you believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, you can use an online assessment tool on Upstate University Hospitals website to figure out next steps. Heres our March 13, 2020, story with all the details about testing in Onondaga County: Onondaga County to open new coronavirus testing site Monday Flying to Florida Q: The governor of Florida says he will quarantine all airline passengers arriving from the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Does this mean flights arriving from the New York City area, or does this mean the whole state of New York, including Syracuse? P.M. A: The executive order from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis specifically directs travelers from the New York metropolitan area to self-isolate for 14 days once arriving in his state. But several airlines flying out of Syracuse Hancock International Airport including JetBlue and Frontier are interpreting it as applying to the whole state. Airport officials are urging travelers to check with their airline directly. Why are you flying to Florida anyway? Tourist attractions like Disney World and Universal are closed, and New Yorkers are being asked by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel. Planeloads of New York City-area residents apparently arent taking Cuomos advice, and have been fleeing the coronavirus hot zone for second homes in Florida, the Washington Post reported. This is a no-no. The federal Coronavirus Task Force recommended that anyone who recently was in New York City to self-isolate for 14 days. DeSantiss order does not apply to people driving into the state. The Florida governor also has resisted a statewide stay at home order and has been criticized for not closing beaches during spring break. Relief for retirees Q: Will retirees get a $1,200 check from the federal government? R.H. A: Yes if the outlines of a deal between Congress and the White House make it into the final bill. Every adult who earned less than $75,000 would get the full $1,200 payment ($2,400 for couples) from the federal government, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday in a briefing with reporters. If you earned more than that, the check would be smaller, phasing out completely if you earned $99,000 ($198,000 jointly). You would get the check automatically. If your tax refund is direct deposited in your bank account, thats how youd get this money. Otherwise, you would receive a check in the mail. If the bill is passed and President Donald Trump signs it, you should get the money by April 6, Schumer said. MORE CORONAVIRUS NEWS YOU CAN USE: Coronavirus: IRS has extended tax filing deadline, but what about New York? Unemployed in NY? A survival kit for benefits, bills, evictions, mortgages, utilities, debts, help New York launches new mental health services for those struggling amid coronavirus outbreak Scam alert: Fort Drum relief, elderly services, Covid-19 cures,' bogus tests, fake FAQs Open source On March 25, the plane from Rome arrived at Boryspil Airport, carrying 129 passengers, mostly Ukrainians and foreigners, particularly citizens of Moldova, as 112 Ukraine TV channel reported. About 1:00 p.m. the flight from Italy, Rome, landed at Boryspil Airport. 129 passengers were on board. The Italian carrier transferred people to Kyiv. All passengers passed the enhanced control, all passengers passed the temperature screening in the cabin, the message said. Besides, the medical control works at the entrance to terminal B, which offers everyone to pass express tests for coronavirus. One of the Ukrainians, who returned from Italy, said that she was forced to return as her surgery was canceled. Besides, the team of athletes returned as the Olympic Games were postponed. Besides the enhanced control, all passengers got the recommendations on how to protect from coronavirus and what to do if the symptoms appear. They promised to self-isolate. As we reported, 78,592 citizens from all over the world have been evacuated to Ukraine after the air service was ceased. Despite the importance of journalism during a crisis, reporters continue to face challenges to their health and safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. The International Federation of Journalists and the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) call on journalists, media houses and South Asian governments to act collectively against the COVID-19, by supporting responsible journalism. SAMSN is a network of journalists unions from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka who together to advocate for the rights of journalists, freedom of expression and association. The IFJ and SAMSN have documented a number of challenges for journalists health and safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. While some media houses have taken steps to protect their workers by allowing journalists to work from home and encouraging safe reporting, an overwhelming number of journalists are forced to put themselves at risk due to the inaction of employers. It is crucial for journalists and media houses to report responsibly about the pandemic and thus necessary for South Asian governments to create an environment for safe and responsible journalism. Amid the outbreak of COVID-19, the IFJ and SAMSN, a regional network of media unions in South Asia have issued the following recommendations for journalists: Safety is your first priority. Keep yourself safe. If you are classified as a vulnerable person including in an. older age group, pregnant women, someone with an underlying health issue, it is advised not to participate in the field reporting. If you go into the field ensure you are aware of the latest development on COVID-19 in that area. Remember to conduct a risk assessment before you go assignment. Consider bringing supplies such as hand sanitizers, soap, food and personal protective equipment. While reporting, please ensure that you maintain your distance from others, including an interviewee or officials and follow the health protocols. Always cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing. Sterilize your microphone as they may be used by another person. Remember to wash and sanitise your hands regularly. Publish verified and authentic information only. Keep reports truthful and accurate. Do not be guided by hearsay or misinformation. Avoid in-person gatherings and press conferences. Verify information from two sources before publishing to prevent spread of misinformation and panic. While reporting about the affected population, maintain confidentiality and privacy. Do not discriminate against an infected person. Class, caste, region and ethnic bias should not be reflected in your reporting. Gender dimension needs to be considered while reporting and disseminating information on COVID-19. Recommendation for media houses Media houses are advised to manage work from home during the pandemic so far as practicable. Working from home minimises the chance of the staff contracting or spreading the virus. Media houses are advised to provide staff with the necessary safety equipment and protective measures Media houses must prioritise factual reporting. Competition of breaking news is discouraged to minimise the spread of misinformation. Media house are recommended to provide special assistance to employees, including but not limited to the following measures; timely and full monthly remuneration, loan support, medical facilities, health insurance and social support. It is recommended for newspapers to limit circulation of printed newspapers and magazines to minimize the risk of contracting the virus. Newspapers are encouraged to only produce digital copies during the pandemic. It is important to manage pick up and drop facilities for staffs and ensure no public transport are allowed during the lockdown period. Also, all vehicles that are used to transport staff need to be disinfected and sanitized. Media houses are advised to formulate an editorial policy that prioritises news that offers accuracy, positivity, hope and courage. Gender considerations must be adopted when developing reporting strategies and providing protection to staff. Recommendation for governments SAMSN urges governments in South Asia to not organise gatherings for press meeting or conferences during the pandemic. Governments are advised to conduct press conferences online. Governments must ensure the free flow of information during the pandemic. SAMSN urges governments to ensure the population has access to high speed internet. SAMSN said: Media and journalists make a significant contribution in efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19. Self-care, the practice of responsible journalism, clarifying the myths and as far as possible highlight positive news are some of the key strategies steps journalists can adopt to mitigate the negative impact. The IFJ said: The IFJ urges governments to adhere to the recommendations of journalist unions and collectively advocate for safe and responsible reporting during the pandemic. I ts been less than a week since London restaurants were forced to close amid the coronavirus outbreak, but were already missing them terribly. But as you cook up yet another sub-par TV dinner (or settle in for a cheeky takeaway from one of the spots still delivering), the BBC is offering us the chance to live vicariously through the telly. Great British Menu, the cooking competition that sees top chefs from across the country battle it out for the chance to cook at a special banquet, has returned and this week its Londons turn to show its mettle. Four chefs from the capitals restaurants will go head-to-head this week, hoping to take the top spot in this regional heat. But who are they, and just which top restaurants will they have us feeling wistful for this week? From a Michelin-starred head chef to a foraging-focused foodie, these are the London chefs hoping to triumph on Great British Menu this week. Steve Groves at Roux at Parliament Square (BBC/ Optomen Television Ltd/Ashleigh Brown) Who is Steve Groves? Essex-born Groves is the head chef at Roux at Parliament Square, and has held the position since 2013. The restaurant is owned by Michel Roux Jr, the famed television chef and part of the Roux family cooking dynasty, whose restaurants also number Le Gavroche and Roux at the Landau. Groves was given the job after working at Michelin-starred Launceston Place, with previous roles including a stint in the US and restaurants in Poole and Bournemouth. Groves won MasterChef: The Professionals back in 2009, and a decade later in 2019, he was named as the Craft Guilds National Chef of the Year. Where is Roux at Parliament Square? As you can possibly guess, Roux at Parliament Square can be found in Westminster, located on Great George Street, SW1P 3AD right next to the Supreme Court. What kind of food does Roux at Parliament Square serve? Steve Groves spent three years in classical training, making him a suitable fit for the French cooking that the Roux familys restaurants are best known for. The Roux at Parliament Square offers just that but with contemporary twists. Across set or tasting menus only (no a la carte), dishes include Japanese sika venison with white beetroot, red cabbage and comte cheese, and Chalk Stream trout with Oscietra caviar, white asparagus and coconut sauce. Ivan Tisdall-Downes at Native (BBC/Optomen Television Ltd/Ashleigh Brown) / BBC/Optomen Television Ltd/Ashle Who is Ivan Tisdall-Downes? Ivan Tisdall-Downes is the chef-owner of Native. The Greenwich-born chef was largely self-taught before heading to work at the River Cottage HQ in Devon, and then enjoying a stint at two Michelin-starred restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New Yorks Pocantico Hills. At both restaurants, Tisdall-Downes learned to embrace sustainable practices, which he carried through into Native, which opened in 2016. Where is Native? (Nic Crilly-Hargreave) / Nic Crill-Hargreave Native is located on the border of Borough Market at 32 Southwark Street, SE1 1TU. What kind of food does Native serve? Run in collaboration between Tisdall-Downes and partner Imogen Davis, Native is dedicated to showcasing wild food, locally foraged ingredients and sustainable practices. Waste is kept to a minimum for example, every daily menu starts with a snack made from yesterdays offcuts. Dishes look to all sorts of unusual places for ingredients, showcased in dishes like Cornish pollock with a hogseed vadouvan, compost pakora and pickled dulse. Kerth Gumbs at Ormer Mayfair (BBC/Optomen Television Ltd/Ashleigh Brown) / BBC/Optomen Television Ltd/Ashle Who is Kerth Gumbs? Anguillan-born Gumbs is head chef at Ormer Mayfair. The fine dining restaurant is under the ultimate direction of executive chef Shaun Rankin, having opened as a spin-off to his original Ormer restaurant in Jersey. Gumbs has headed up the kitchen for three years, and previously held roles at Tom Aikens Restaurant, Texture and LAtelier de Joel Robuchon. Where is Ormer Mayfair? Ormer Mayfair is part of Flemings, one of Londons oldest hotels. It is located at 7-12 Half Moon Street, W1J 7BH just round the corner from Green Park station. What kind of food does Ormer Mayfair serve? In a substantial nod to Rankins love of the Channel Islands, expect to see a lot of British seafood on the menu at Ormer Mayfair. Standout dishes include Jersey lobster with crab, carrot, coconut and herring roe, alongside Dover sole with smoked salmon, quails egg, caperberry and a seaweed beurre blanc. Karl ODell at Texture (BBC/Optomen Television Ltd/Ashleigh Brown) / BBC/Optomen Television Ltd/Ashle Who is Karl ODell? Peterborough-born Karl ODell is head chef at Michelin-starred Texture in Marylebone, where he runs the kitchen on behalf of chef owner Agnar Sverrisson. Prior to taking the esteemed role, ODell worked as senior sous chef at Gordon Ramsays Michelin-starred restaurant Petrus, as well as at Artichoke in Amersham and Colettes at the Grove in Hertfordshire. Last year, he reached the finals of the Craft Guilds National Chef of the Year competition. Where is Texture? Texture is in Londons Marylebone, located at 34 Portman Street, W1H 7BY. What kind of food does Texture serve? The Ram Lalla idol here was shifted to a temporary new location on early Wednesday morning in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, clearing the site to allow construction of a Ram temple. The idol of Ram Lalla was placed on a 9.5-kg silver throne in the new structure where the idol would remain till the construction of the Ram temple is completed on the site, allotted for it by the Supreme Court in a landmark verdict in November.. After the idol was placed, the chief minister offered special prayers in the presence of Ram Mandir Trust Secretary Champat Rai. Adityanath in his personal capacity also donated Rs 11 lakh for the construction of the Ram temple. The local administration did not allow people to gather on the occasion as a lockdown has been imposed across the country to check the spread of the coronavirus. A few senior leaders of RSS and VHP were present on the occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The publishers of three major American newspapers have written an open letter asking China to reverse its recent decision to expel many of their correspondents working in the country. The letter posted online Tuesday referred to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, saying the expulsions threaten access to information at a time when it is needed most. It was signed by the publishers of The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. This move made in retaliation for recent expulsions by the United States government is one that we would protest under any ... Kensington Hospital opened in 1890, in a former mansion, on Norris Square. It has expanded to include an outpatient clinic on the corner of Diamond and Mascher Streets. Read more The list of the deceased is long and continues to grow: Hahnemann University Hospital. Mount Sinai Hospital. Graduate Hospital. Metropolitan Hospital. St. Agnes. Philadelphia General. Once, every Philadelphia neighborhood had its own hospital, much as it had its own church, its own elementary school, its own library. But after decades of upheavals in health care, and the emergence of sprawling medical systems, only a single, independent neighborhood hospital survives in the city. And it operates out of a handsome Italianate building that was constructed before the invention of penicillin, insulin, or X-rays. Kensington Hospital, which faces Norris Square in North Philadelphia, is no longer a full-service general hospital, but it can be considered a hospital, nonetheless. It cares primarily for people with severe infections related to drug and alcohol use, a grueling treatment that requires intravenous courses of antibiotics to be administered over many days. But Kensington Hospital also maintains a small staff of other specialists, including a gynecologist and podiatrist; provides addiction treatment, and operates its own community health clinic. You can still see the Kensington Hospital sign on its western facade, as well as an old-fashion, backlit commercial sign next to the main entrance. The story of Kensington Hospital is, in many ways, the story of the Kensington neighborhood its ups, downs, and, hopefully, ups again over the last 130 years. According to a Historical Commission nomination prepared by Steven J. Peitzman, a physician who has immersed himself in Philadelphias medical history, the hospitals main building began its life in 1873 as the home of Isaac Stead, a wealthy Kensington mill owner. Stead had commissioned a fine mansion on the south side of Norris Square, which, like the citys other squares, was lined with ornate brownstones and churches. The architects, who remain unknown, gave him a perfect Italianate cube, with a carved stone balcony over the main entrance. Those were heady days for Kensington, which had become the global center of carpet manufacturing. Known as the Workshop of the World," the thriving industrial neighborhood drew immigrants by the thousands. Initially, factory owners and their workers lived in close proximity. That mix didnt last long. By 1880, Stead had sold the house, and the neighborhood was beginning to grapple with the problems of poverty. Enter Howard A. Kelly, a young, Penn-trained gynecologist, who wanted to improve access to health care in working-class neighborhoods. Kelly had been influenced by Robert Koch, who was the first scientist to explain how bacteria caused diseases such as tuberculosis and cholera, and Joseph Lister, who pioneered the use of antiseptics in surgery. Soon after completing his residency at Episcopal Hospital in the mid-1880s, Kelly opened Kensingtons first gynecological clinic, operating out of a small rowhouse. With the help of several philanthropists, he purchased the Stead mansion and opened the Kensington Hospital for Women in 1890. Kelly had big plans for the hospital. In the mission statement, he vowed to treat all women regardless of age or color. The mansion was upgraded to ensure that the rooms received plenty of light and air. But even before the hospital opened, Kelly had developed a reputation as a pioneering gynecologist. He was soon recruited by Johns Hopkins in Baltimore to help start its medical school. Kelly is famous for developing several innovative surgical techniques, including the curved forceps known as Kelly clamps still used by doctors today. Kelly maintained his ties with Kensington Hospital, helping it raise operating funds from big factory owners, such as Disston, Stetson and Cramp. Their contributions allowed the hospital to expand beyond its original mansion. The firm of Watson & Huckel was hired to design the additions. A dormitory for nurses built next door in 1905, in a style that deferred to the original house. They later added a modern stair tower and a mansard-style fourth floor to Steads mansion. At some point, the hospital replaced the deteriorated green serpentine stone on the facade with buff brick. Watson & Huckel helped convert several ordinary Philadelphia buildings to institutional use, including the Banca DItalia on Seventh Street in Bella Vista. But despite Kensington Hospitals steady growth, the institution was hit hard during the Great Depression. The damage was compounded during World War II, when all medical institutions faced a shortage of doctors and nurses. The hospital was on the verge of closing in 1945 when it was purchased by two doctors, Benjamin Ulanski and Leopold Vaccaro, who nursed the institution back to health. As African Americans and Latinos began moving to Norris Square, the doctors began expanding services, dropping for Women from the hospitals name. Philanthropic donations dried up in the 60s, but the hospital soldiered on. In the 1980s, it proudly advertised itself as the only hospital in Philadelphia catering to Spanish-speaking residents. Around this time, it also began developing a specialty in addiction treatment. Still, the hospital was often on life support. The 90s saw a wave of hospital mergers. Those consolidations gave way to the large health systems that dominate the city today. Several attempts to make a match with a better-endowed hospital failed. By 1999, it was one of four independent hospitals operating in the city. Today, despite having its fourth floor boarded up, it is the last one standing. Located just a few blocks west of booming Fishtown, the Norris Square neighborhood has begun to see the effects of gentrification. Several surviving brownstones on the square are being renovated, and the pleasant park is increasingly populated by people walking dogs. The epicenter of the addiction crisis that plagued the neighborhood for so many years has shifted to the north. In 2019, Peitzman succeeded in getting the hospital listed on the Philadelphia Historic Register. For a building that has seen it all, the honor was more than deserved. Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed the design of the Stead mansion to Watson & Huckel. JERRY LARA /San Antonio Express-News A person who traveled through the San Antonio International Airport tested positive for COVID-19 in Del Rio, according to officials from Val Verde County. The travel-related case was the first for the county. Officials said in a news release on Tuesday that the person flew into the San Antonio airport with their family and then drove to Del Rio. It is unclear where the family had flown in from and when they arrived in San Antonio. Romania's president Klaus Iohannis announced the country will go into a full lockdown on Wednesday to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, with the army deployed to help enforce it. "Romanians will face new restrictions," Iohannis said Tuesday in a televised address, citing the "complexity of the situation". Romania had already introduced a state of emergency and a night-time curfew but Iohannis announced that as of Wednesday, the previous "recommendation" to citizens to stay indoors "will become an obligation based on the principle: 'We're staying at home'". For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click here Romanians will only be allowed to leave their houses during the day to go to work or get essential supplies. People over 65 years old -- one of the groups most at risk from complications from the virus -- are to be barred from leaving the house altogether. Police and gendarmes have been enforcing the night-time curfew since Monday evening and will now be joined by the army. Romania reported 762 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, a jump of almost 200 from the previous day, with eight deaths. To make sure that the thousands of people now in isolation or quarantine will respect the rules, Klaus Iohannis said that a system of "electronic surveillance" could be introduced, without giving further details. Under the state of emergency declared last week bars, churches and schools were closed, flights from Italy and Spain suspended and border checks toughened. Bihar has reported its fourth case of Covid-19, the coronavirus disease, as a 29-year-old man tested positive for the virus after coming back from Bhavnagar in Gujarat, officials said late on Tuesday. The man is a resident of Patna City and has been kept in the isolation ward of the Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH), which has now been converted into a special hospital for Covid-19 in Bihar. Sources said the man, who came to Patna on March 9, initially underwent treatment at a private health facility in Patna City and was referred to the NMCH only a couple of days ago. His sample was then sent to the Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS) at Agamkuan in Patna. RMRIMS director Dr Pradeep Das confirmed the man has tested positive for the virus. A 38-year-old man from Munger, who came back from Qatar, died after contracting the virus in the first known fatality in the state linked to the Covid-19 disease on Sunday, when the state reported its first three cases of the fast-spreading contagion. The other two Covid-19 cases are of a 45-year old woman and a 25-year-old manboth from Patna. While the woman, whose son had returned from Italy earlier this month, is undergoing treatment at the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Patna, the man who returned from Scotland, is at NMCH. RMRIMS has screened 192 samples of which four tested positive for Covid-19 so far. The number of cases across the country has risen to 562, including foreigners, people who have recovered and those dead. A former library director has sued Lewiston, Idaho, over her termination two years ago, alleging sexual harassment, a hostile work environment and other charges dating back to when she was hired in 2012. The Library Board of Trustees put Alexa Eccles on administrative leave in April 2018 and later fired her after it said it received increasing complaints about dwindling services and collections at the library and a high employee turnover rate. Eccles attorney April M. Linscott filed the lawsuit Friday in federal court, the Lewiston Tribune reported. Eccles said in the lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by then-City Councilor Dennis Ohrtman, and reported the incident to the citys human resource director. To my knowledge, all of her previous claims have been investigated and discredited, Ohrtman said. The lawsuit also claims employees made derogatory comments toward her and that her rights to due process were violated, including the denial of several procedures like a pre-termination and post-termination hearing and a notice of all claims made against her. The lawsuit comes after an earlier claim for damages exceeding $1 million was dismissed by the Idaho Human Rights Commission in 2019. The city unsuccessfully attempted a mediated settlement with Eccles after the commission concluded its process, city attorney Jana Gomez said. Months had passed between when Eccles was placed on leave and when she was fired, because there was a thorough process that was followed, Gomez said. The city has not yet answered the lawsuit. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Alabamas first victim of the coronavirus pandemic was a resident of Jackson County, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. Gov. Kay Ivey confirmed the death Wednesday night. It is with profound sadness that I confirm that one of our citizens has passed away from the COVID-19 virus. I extend my prayers and deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones during these extraordinary circumstances," the governor said. I continue to urge everyone that this virus is real, it is deadly, and we should continue to maintain social-distancing as much as possible. Together, we will overcome these challenges and difficult days. I appreciate the diligence of the Alabama Department of Public Health for thoroughly investigating this case, which unfortunately was indeed a coronavirus-related death. The patient had underlying health problems and died in a facility outside of Alabama, according to State Health Officer Scott Harris. We express our deepest sympathy to the family and loved ones of the patient who died, as well as to the families of everyone who has been affected by this outbreak, Harris said. The health of our residents and the community is our greatest priority, and we will continue working together to care for the patients, protect the safety of health care workers, and protect the people in our state. Tim Guffey, chairman of the Jackson County Commission, had earlier confirmed in a letter one of the countys part-time employees died of COVID-19. The (Alabama Department of Public Health) has confirmed that the employee passed away after having contracted COVID-19, Guffey wrote. The employee worked in a department at the Jackson County Courthouse that did not require regular contact with the public. All county employees who worked in the same department have been notified and none of them have reported any symptoms associated with the COVID-19 virus. Guffey later told AL.com the employee, a woman, died at a Chattanooga hospital. Her name is not being released. No information was released on the persons age. The employees work area has been cleaned. As of Wednesday afternoon, Jackson County had 2 confirmed cases of coronavirus. There are currently 386 confirmed cases in the state. Opponents of the Oakland As waterfront ballpark have filed suit in Alameda County Superior Court seeking to derail the teams bid for an exemption from state law AB734. An AB734 exemption would mandate that lawsuits challenging the As environmental impact report would need to be adjudicated within 270 days, if possible. Without the exemption, legal challenges to the ballpark development could go on for years. Ballpark opponents contend that the large crowds and traffic generated by the 34,000-seat stadium and adjacent hotel, housing and office development will damage business and operations at the Port of Oakland. The development site is on a piece of port land called Howard Terminal. The suit was filed just as the As and the California Air Resource Board put the teams application for the exemption out for final public comment. Instead of commenting, we are filing suit questioning the entire process, said Pacific Merchant Shipping Association Vice President Michael Jacob, a leader in an anti-ballpark coalition that includes Schnitzer Steel, the Harbor Trucking Association and the California Trucking Association, all parties to the suit. The As swiftly issued a statement calling the lawsuit ill-timed and ill-conceived, even evoking the coronavirus pandemic. At a time when our community is coming together in the midst of a global public health crisis, the decision to file a lawsuit to halt the environmental review process for the new As ballpark reeks of cynicism and desperation, the statement said. To which Jacob responded: Its pretty cynical and desperate for them to try and tie anybodys actions to that public health crisis just unbelievable. The lawsuit comes just as the As and the air board were wrapping up months of negotiations over the waterfront projects greenhouse gas emissions. For the As to receive an AB734 exemption, the team must show that the new waterfront stadium project would not exceed the amount of greenhouse gases generated by the teams current home at the Oakland Coliseum. Ideally, the new project would generate less greenhouse gas emissions than are being created at the Coliseum. In an effort to cut emissions, the As have proposed everything from an overhead gondola shuttling fans between downtown Oakland and Jack London Square, to halving the number of parking spaces at the new stadium. The As and air board staff, however, got into a tug-of-war over how to count the greenhouse gases that might still be generated by the Coliseum once the team left, which could have made the greenhouse total count too high for approval. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Eventually, a settlement was reached, with the next step being a period of public comment, then on to the governors office for approval. Before the lawsuit was filed on March 16. Based on their actions to date, it's clear the team is once again trying to cut corners in the environmental review process in order to align with their wildly unrealistic goal of completing construction in 2023, Jacob said. What impact the suit has on the AB734 approval remains to be seen, but its pretty clear that opponents are digging in for a long fight. The As declined further comment. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Phil Matier appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KGO-TV morning and evening news and can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email pmatier@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @philmatier Doctors test hospital staff with flu-like symptoms for the CCP virus in tents set up to triage possible COVID-19 patients outside before they enter the main emergency department area at St. Barnabas hospital in the Bronx borough of New York City on March 24, 2020. (Misha Friedman/Getty Images) Publishing Community Level Data Can Help to Curb the CCP Virus Outbreak: Expert Publishing community-based data on the coronavirus pandemic for the public can be a useful strategy to fight the outbreak, according to a Boston-based expert. I would say that more granular information would be useful, within the overall view of the virus across this country (and with information about the global evolution of the outbreak), Gerald T. Keusch, an epidemic and global health expert from Boston University, told The Epoch Times in an email. While public information about the CCP virus is available at the country, state, and county level, it is difficult to find reliable information at the municipal level in the United States. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. The Epoch Times reached out to the health departments of the three worst-affected statesNew York, Washington, and Californiabut none of them have municipality or neighborhood level statistics available for the public. We do not drill down to zip code or individual cities, the Washington State Health Department told The Epoch Times in an email. While the New York State Health Department directed the media to the county-based information available on their website, Marty Lipp, the spokesperson of the New York Community Trust, a New York-based charitable organization thats reaching out communities amidst the pandemic through small-sized non-profits, said it has no community-based data. I would imagine the only folks who would possibly have that are the government entities trying to keep pace with spread of the virus, Lipp told The Epoch Times in an email. The media also reached out to the CDC, HHS, and the New York City mayors office for response, but didnt get one at the time this report was written. Working staff are waving their hands to the leaving quarantined passengers who were free of the coronavirus at the quarantine center that is located at Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California, on Feb. 18, 2020. (Provided to The Epoch Times by David) Few Information Projects While the granular data is not collated by the state and federal administration for the public, there are a few projects by non-profits and some scattered efforts by a few local administrations. The San Diego Foundation told The Epoch Times that San Diego county publishes daily COVID-19 reports about each of its municipalities. The latest report from Tuesday (pdf) lists 213 confirmed cases of infection in the county, with the most, 134, coming from San Diego. Another online tracker, COVID-19: Local Action Tracker by Bloomberg Philanthropies, provides nationwide data for individual cities. The project, supported by the National League of Cities (NLC), said on its website that since the global crisis is unprecedented, the scope of the local government response becomes very significant, indicating that city-based data is important. These extraordinary efforts will have far-reaching implications to public health, municipal services, and local economies that we are only beginning to comprehend. Our goal is to ensure mayors, city leaders, and other local decision makers have the information they need to lead their communities through this crisis, said the project on its website. The NLC project also collates the population impacted in each city, the policy area, as well as a description of the policy. The project also encourages local leaders to submit their data and related information. Passengers wear masks to protect against the spread of the Coronavirus as they arrive at the Los Angeles International Airport, California, on Jan. 22, 2020. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images) Need for Caution While the granular information can be significant in developing intervention plans for the crisis, it also demands caution from the public. Behavior varies and for some information that there are fewer cases in their community may promote behavior that is inappropriatefor example people piling in to bars because they dont think they are at risk. Thats a good way to increase transmission and spread, said Keusch. The Massachusetts-based expert said information is important but people should know how to value it and utilize it. I am a believer in the value of information, but people need to be willing to think about the implications for themselves, their community, and beyond, he said. Keusch said its important that the information coming to the public from the president at the community level be consistent, on message, based on public health principles This satellite image was taken January 16, 2018, off the coast of Europe. Pollution from ships creates lines of clouds that can stretch hundreds of miles. The narrower ends of the clouds are youngest, while the broader, wavier ends are older. CREDIT NASA A container ship leaves a trail of white clouds in its wake that can linger in the air for hours. This puffy line is not just exhaust from the engine, but a change in the clouds that's caused by small airborne particles of pollution. New research led by the University of Washington is the first to measure this phenomenon's effect over years and at a regional scale. Satellite data over a shipping lane in the south Atlantic show that the ships modify clouds to block an additional 2 Watts of solar energy, on average, from reaching each square meter of ocean surface near the shipping lane. The result implies that globally, cloud changes caused by particles from all forms of industrial pollution block 1 Watt of solar energy per square meter of Earth's surface, masking almost a third of the present-day warming from greenhouse gases. The open-access study was published March 24 in AGU Advances, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. "In climate models, if you simulate the world with sulfur emissions from shipping, and you simulate the world without these emissions, there is a pretty sizable cooling effect from changes in the model clouds due to shipping," said first author Michael Diamond, a UW doctoral student in atmospheric sciences. "But because there's so much natural variability it's been hard to see this effect in observations of the real world." The new study uses observations from 2003 to 2015 in spring, the cloudiest season, over the shipping route between Europe and South Africa. This path is also part of a popular open-ocean shipping route between Europe and Asia. Small particles in exhaust from burning fossil fuels creates "seeds" on which water vapor in the air can condense into cloud droplets. More particles of airborne sulfate or other material leads to clouds with more small droplets, compared to the same amount of water condensed into fewer, bigger droplets. This makes the clouds brighter, or more reflective. Past attempts to measure this effect from ships had focused on places where the wind blows across the shipping lane, in order to compare the "clean" area upwind with the "polluted" area downstream. But in this study researchers focused on an area that had previously been excluded: a place where the wind blows along the shipping lane, keeping pollution concentrated in that small area. The study analyzed cloud properties detected over 12 years by the MODIS instrument on NASA satellites and the amount of reflected sunlight at the top of the atmosphere from the CERES group of satellite instruments. The authors compared cloud properties inside the shipping route with an estimate of what those cloud properties would have been in the absence of shipping based on statistics from nearby, unpolluted areas. "The difference inside the shipping lane is small enough that we need about six years of data to confirm that it is real," said co-author Hannah Director, a UW doctoral student in statistics. "However, if this small change occurred worldwide, it would be enough to affect global temperatures." Once they could measure the ship emissions' effect on solar radiation, the researchers used that number to estimate how much cloud brightening from all industrial pollution has affected the climate overall. Averaged globally, they found changes in low clouds due to pollution from all sources block 1 Watt per square meter of solar energy -- compared to the roughly 3 Watts per square meter trapped today by the greenhouse gases also emitted by industrial activities. In other words, without the cooling effect of pollution-seeded clouds, Earth might have already warmed by 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F), a change that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects would have significant societal impacts. (For comparison, today the Earth is estimated to have warmed by approximately 1 C (1.8 F) since the late 1800s.) "I think the biggest contribution of this study is our ability to generalize, to calculate a global assessment of the overall impact of sulfate pollution on low clouds," said co-author Rob Wood, a UW professor of atmospheric sciences. The results also have implications for one possible mechanism of deliberate climate intervention. They suggest that strategies to temporarily slow global warming by spraying salt particles to make low-level marine clouds more reflective, known as marine cloud brightening, might be effective. But they also imply these changes could take years to be easily observed. "What this study doesn't tell us at all is: Is marine cloud brightening a good idea? Should we do it? There's a lot more research that needs to go into that, including from the social sciences and humanities," Diamond said. "It does tell us that these effects are possible -- and on a more cautionary note, that these effects might be difficult to confidently detect." Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Vietnam is increasing the application of trade defence instruments to protect the legitimate rights of domestic producers as the country integrates rapidly into the global economy. Vietnam has decided to impose temporary anti-dumping duty on biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) originating from China, Thailand and Malaysia (Photo: thegioitiepthi.vn) The Ministry of Industry and Trade on March 18 issued an initial decision to temporarily impose anti-dumping duty on monosodium glutamate (MSG) products originating from China and Indonesia. Exporters of products originating from China would face tariffs ranging from 2.889 million VND (124 USD) per tonne to 6.385 million VND. A tariff of 5.289 million VND per tonne would be applied to all products originating from Indonesia. The tariff would be in effect from March 25 for 120 days. The ministry initiated investigations in October 2019, which found that despite the imposition of a safeguard tariff of 3.2 million VND per tonne, MSG products originating from China and Indonesia had dumping margin of up to 28 percent, posing significant injuries to domestic production. According to Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam, from 2016, the MSG production industry in many countries saw rising inventories, which might lead to dumping to other countries, including Vietnam. This created difficulty and pressure on local industry. In addition, the US and European Union were imposing anti-dumping tariffs on MSG originating from China and Indonesia, thus, the authority said that producers from the two countries might seek to expand export markets, including Vietnam. Vietnam was the second largest MSG export market of China and fourth of Indonesia. Further investigations were still ongoing for a final decision. Investigations to evaluate impacts to related parties, including end-users, were expected to finish in the last quarter of this year. On the same day, the ministry also decided to impose temporary anti-dumping duty on biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) originating from China, Thailand and Malaysia. The duties would range from 14.99 percent to 43.04 percent for products from China, 10.91 percent to 23.05 percent for Malaysia and 20.35 percent for Thailand. The investigation would be carried out until the third quarter of this year. Starting in August 2019, the investigation found that strong rise in import volume during the investigation process caused injuries to local production, especially drops in output, sale, revenue, profit, and market share. Many local producers suffered losses and went bankrupt, according to the Trade Remedies Authority. In another development, Canada temporarily imposed anti-dumping and subsidy duties on corrosion-resistant steel sheet originating from several countries, including Vietnam. The investigation initiated in November 2019 found Vietnamese exporters had dumping margins from 36.3 percent to 91.8 percent, thus, anti-dumping duty was imposed from March 20. The final decision was expected on June 18. The Ministry of Industry and Trade said it would continue working with relevant agencies to ensure that the dumping margins in the final decision were more reasonable. Exporters of products originating from Vietnam were not subject to subsidy tariff as initial findings showed that the Government did not subsidise them./.VNA Sinn Feins housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin has said he would be happy to sit in the Dail for 24 hours to pass legislation to ensure huge numbers of people are not saddled with rental debts through no fault of their own. We cant have people in substantial rent debt, he told RTE radios Morning Ireland. Mr O Broin warned that many workers who lost their job because of the coronavirus might find themselves at a lower level of wages once the crisis is over. He wants a rental relief scheme that acknowledges the differences between rents. "The average rent in Dublin is 1,700, but the rent supplement would cover only a portion of this," he said. "A person who has lost their job could be racking up debt of up to 1,000 per month for three to four months. "The priority should be rent forgiveness or rent reduction." Meanwhile, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said the countrys ability to think of those in need and the collective ability to do the right thing is at the heart of the health response and economic response to Covid-19. Mr Donohoe told RTE radios Morning Ireland that the government is asking employers who have had to let people go to look at the scheme the government has introduced. He said employees will be eligible to receive 70% of their income (up to a maximum of 38,000 per year) and employers are not obliged to top this up. The Minister said the government wants to put companies in a place which is not about closure and when the crisis is over they will be in a position to re-open again. DUBLIN, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In turbulent times like these, AvaTrade, a leading award winning CFD broker, is not only maintaining business as usual, but also stepping up its game by introducing the most high tech, innovative and user-friendly mobile trading experience seen in the industry for a long time specifically designed for FX and Options traders. AvaOptions Mobile is an advanced new platform, comprising FX and Options trading, risk management, trading signals, custom charting, an economic calendar, and more. The platform is intuitive and educational, with an integrated Strategy Guide for more than a dozen options strategies that can be executed with a few clicks, and a patented GUI that shows the risk and reward of any trade in the context of the past and the future potential outcomes. "Options trading has never been easier, and FX trading has never been clearer", says Mr. Daire Ferguson, CEO of AvaTrade. "We believe our traders deserve the best and with this superior and premium mobile app - we will continue to provide them with many more innovative technologies and platforms". Find out more about AvaOptions at www.avatrade.com or look for AvaOptions in the Google Play and Apple App Stores. About AvaTrade AvaTrade, a regulated, award-winning forex and CFD broker, was founded in 2006 and offers over 1000 financial instruments, on top of a full suite of leading trading platforms, including a cutting-edge mobile app, AvaTradeGO. Clients enjoy personal account managers, a comprehensive collection of educational material and multi-lingual client support. AvaTrade accommodates to traders of all levels and further ensures secured trading with advanced encryption and fully segregated accounts. AvaTrade is regulated across eight jurisdictions and was recently awarded the 2020's Most Regulated Broker Award by one of the world's leading business publications- The European. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1083911/AvaTrade_Logo.jpg Press Contact Orly Garini-Dil Marcom Director +1 646 335 0738 (Ext. 2125) [email protected] SOURCE AvaTrade Related Links http://www.avatrade.com WASHINGTON, March 23, 2020World Bank Group President David Malpass today issued his remarks from the G20 Finance Ministers conference call on the COVID-19 pandemic: These are difficult times for all, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable. For the World Bank Group, our first goal is to provide prompt support during the crisis, based on a countrys needs. Its also vital to shorten the time to recovery and create confidence that the recovery can be strong. PROVIDE SUPPORT DURING THE CRISIS The breadth and speed of our response is critical to its effectiveness. On March 17, the World Bank and IFC Boards approved a $14 billion package to respond to COVID-19. Of that, IFC is making $8 billion available in relatively fast-acting financial support for private companies. IBRD and IDA will be making $6 billion available in the near term to support health care. Were currently restructuring existing projects in 23 countries, many of these through the use of contingent emergency response components. Were also preparing projects in 49 countries in a new fast-track facility, with decisions expected this week on as many as 16 country programs. Our Board will meet shortly, and Im hopeful that this first round of countries will provide a framework to allow us to quickly scale up over the next few weeks. Well be inviting follow-up tranches from other MDBs into April. Importantly, we have identified a range of rapid procurement modalities leading to bulk purchases, and we are working together with other MDBs and the IMF to assess needs, implement the new system, and develop co-financing. We are in dialogue with China among other key countries to obtain help with the rapid manufacture and delivery of many of these supplies and are grateful for their positive responses so far. SHORTEN THE TIME TO RECOVERY Beyond the severe health impact from the pandemic, we should expect a major recession of the global economy. We are working to provide a fast response, utilizing all our available instruments. Countries need to move fast to boost health spending, strengthen social safety nets, support the private sector and counter financial-market disruption. Countries will need to implement structural reforms to help shorten the time to recovery and create confidence that the recovery can be strong. For those countries that have excessive regulations, subsidies, licensing regimes, trade protection or litigiousness as obstacles, we will work with them to foster markets, choice and faster growth prospects during the recovery. The resources to address the problems Ive discussed are substantial. IBRD has recently had its capital increased and IDA has also been recently replenished. The World Bank Group, including IFC and MIGA, could deploy as much as $150 billion over the next 15 months. OFFER DEBT RELIEF TO THE POOREST I need to raise a related concern. This crisis will likely hit hardest against the poorest and most vulnerable countries, those roughly 75 poorest countries drawing on IDA. Many were already in a difficult debt situation, leaving no space for appropriate health and economic response. We are ready to frontload IDA19 with up to $35 billion and identify additional resources. However, we cannot have IDA resources go to pay creditors. Today I want to make a call to action to the G20. I urge all official bilateral creditors of the poorest countries to act with immediate effect to help IDA countries through debt relief, allowing the countries to concentrate their resources on fighting the pandemic. In many cases, this will require comprehensive and fair debt restructuring that includes NPV reductions sufficient for restoring debt sustainability. Im calling on the G20 Leaders to allow the poorest countries to suspend all repayments of official bilateral credit until the World Bank and the IMF have made a full assessment of their reconstruction and financing needs. The WBG and the IMF are ready to work quickly with official bilateral creditors and with other international organizations as partners to finalize a process by the Spring Meetings of our organizations in April. Seen is Hyundai Oilbank's very low sulfur fuel oil facility in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. The company recently announced it will cut 20 percent of salaries of their executives to find a breakthrough in its business slump caused by the coronavirus outbreak. / Courtesy of Hyundai Oilbank By Baek Byung-yeul A growing number of companies are cutting back salaries of their executives as part of their efforts to cope with the worsening business environment as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, according to company officials Wednesday. Numerous companies are suffering from growing uncertainties stemming from the pandemic but it is the airline and oil refining sectors bearing the brunt of it. Hyundai Oilbank said their executives will take a 20 percent pay cut from April to help offset the slump in refining margins. Refiners here have been struggling with a plunge in crude oil prices and weakening refining margins due to travel restrictions. Top management of Asiana Airlines, the country's No.2 full-service carrier, is also increasingly cutting down their wages. The carrier already suspended most of its flights on international routes due to stricter entry restrictions. It recently announced its executives will return 60 percent of their salaries and have all of its 10,500 employees take a 15-day period of unpaid leave in April. Asiana Airlines added it will not carry passengers on its outbound flights from Incheon airport to Beijing from March 31 to April 25. Top government officials including President Moon Jae-in have recently said they will return 30 percent of their monthly salary over the next four months to help fund a nationwide effort to fight the coronavirus. It remains to be seen if the pay cut trend will also happen at other companies. The country's top conglomerates such as Samsung, Hyundai Motor, SK and LG said they have no plan to reduce salaries of their executives, but they noted they are paying keen attention to the changing business environment brought about by the virus. While some firms and high-ranking government officials are returning part of their salaries to help share the burden of what is happening in the economy, officials from the private sector are more cautious to follow the trend because they see the strategy as less important than conducting other measures which focus on management recovery. "It is pretty much acceptable for top government officials to return their salaries to demonstrate their effort to share the pain during these lean economic times prompted by the coronavirus outbreak. However, when it comes to private companies, things are different because the pay cut is not the last line of defense," said an industry official who refused to be named. "Contrary to public organizations, private firms require a different logic. When their business managements are in tough times, companies should work on improving the efficiency of their working process and streamlining their investment plan to preserve the benefit of their investors. Cutting back salaries of employees doesn't guarantee enterprises will get out of the crisis," the official added. As front-line health care workers continue to warn of dwindling supplies, a frantic scrounge has begun across the region for protective equipment that can be pressed into service to keep doctors and nurses safe. One Houston emergency room doctor who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution said he turned to Ebay to buy an industrial respirator meant for mold mitigation crews, as a local community health clinic went begging to nail salons, restaurants and construction companies for heavy-duty face masks. Meanwhile, at a walk-in family clinic in San Marcos that ran out of masks and gowns, staff was forced to pre-screen patients in raincoats and swim goggles. And Envision Physician Services, one of the nations largest emergency physician groups, last week offered $250 to its doctors including thousands in Texas to buy their own equipment, cautioning that traditional hospital supply chains might no longer be reliable, according to an email obtained by the Chronicle. The scramble has at turns frayed nerves and sparked anger among health care workers who wonder how it could come to this. If this is really a war, and we are the soldiers, where are our weapons? asked Dr. Andrea Caracostis, CEO of Houstons Hope Clinic, which serves the citys low-income and immigrant communities. She said on Monday her clinic has only enough personal protective equipment, known as PPE, to last about three weeks without new shipments, which are now becoming increasingly more expensive and for which smaller provider groups are having to compete. By noon Wednesday the number of cases of COVID-19 had risen to 1,070 in Texas, including 13 deaths. To put that in perspective, the number of confirmed cases in the state grew by more than 400 percent in just under a week, according to a Chronicle analysis. In large part, experts said, the rapid increase correlates to a tenfold rise in testing in the past week. Caracostis said her clinic alone has tested two doctors in recent days who are awaiting results. Three Houston doctors, speaking anonymously to the Chronicle for fear of retribution from their employers, predicted that number will rise swiftly because of what they call a dearth of adequate protection. The CDC recently loosened protocol to allow traditional, single-use specialized face masks to be reused, and said the typically less protective surgical masks are an acceptable alternative to the more protective N-95 masks which block 95 percent of airborne pathogens. The public health agency even said scarves and bandanas could be used as a last resort, though it did not recommend it. As news spread of potential shortages, local volunteers have launched sewing efforts to make masks for health care workers. And while the spirit and effort is appreciated, doctors warn that cloth masks may only have limited protection against the virus. They can, however, be used in other settings. I feel like this is a poorly written dystopian novel, said one emergency room doctor, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to a reporter. Despite widespread anecdotal accounts of problems, Houstons major hospital systems said Monday they have no significant shortages. CHI St. Lukes Health, Texas Childrens Hospital, Memorial Hermann Health System, HCA Houston Healthcare and Houston Methodist all said they have adequate resources, although some have begun reusing equipment and allowing less protective masks. Most acknowledged, though, the situation could change. To ensure our caregivers and patients continue to have enough supplies and equipment, we are implementing steps recommended by the Centers for Disease Control to conserve PPE, HCA officials said in a statement. Those measures include appropriate reuse of certain PPE and we are asking our colleagues to conserve these items by following, but not exceeding, the (CDC) guidelines for infection protection the statement said. Memorial Hermann said it was not reusing PPE at this time. It is an option we are exploring but that needs to be further tested to ensure that any potential reusable PPE is safe for our workforce and patients, a spokeswoman said in an email. Texas Children's also said it was not yet reusing masks. Houston Methodist said Tuesday it is allowing the reuse of N-95 masks up to five times as long as they are not damaged or soiled. Other hospitals did not immediately respond to questions about changes in PPE protocol. Still, late last week Dr. Marc Boom, CEO of Houston Methodist, sent an email on behalf of Texas Medical Center institutions to the Greater Houston Partnership asking the coalition of business leaders for help in securing protective medical equipment from non-medical industries such as oil and gas, chemical and painting supply companies. He included a long wish list. This is a very unique disaster in that it is affecting the entire world at the same time, so supply challenges are inevitable, Boom said in an email to the Chronicle. We feel good about the position we are in right now but we continue working on creative ways to address shortages. Dr. Lane Lee, a physician in San Marcos, also found himself tapping an unusual supply chain when he ran out of protective gear last week. His wife sent out an urgent plea on Facebook, and the community stepped up. A local dentist gave him 350 regular surgical masks, and a physical therapy group supplied 150 N95 masks. But perhaps the most unique source came from a local welding supply company, which sold him 150 masks - its entire inventory. If all of my staff goes down with this, we wont be here for all of your other medical needs, Lee said. The doctor, though, is not one to point fingers. Its like nobodys to blame and everybodys to blame, he said. As Americans we all got fat and happy and thought it would never happen here, never happen to us. Dr. Vian Nguyen, chief medical officer at Legacy Community Health, the states largest community-based health care network, agreed. Even if we get supplies tomorrow, the fact that we had to ration and scrounge is unacceptable, she said. It shows our system has failed. jenny.deam@chron.com Nepal border adjoining UP sealed, both countries conducting patrols Siddharthanagar, Mar 25 (UNI) In order to control the spread of the Novel Coronavirus, the 68-kilometer long Nepal international border adjacent to this district in Uttar Pradesh has been sealed and the security agencies of both the countries are jointly conducting a patrol, official sources said on Wednesday. According to sources here, the security agencies are jointly patrolling for monitoring the international border and movement has been stopped completely from both the sides. Security forces have been deployed at all roads, rivers and drains connecting to the international border. AUSTIN, Texas, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pushnami, the top push notification platform built for marketers, will offer its platform for free to all new customers starting today. In response to sudden impacts that online companies face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, these businesses will be able to use Pushnami at no cost for up to six months. Pushnami Running cost-effective and result-generating campaigns is essential for any marketing team or online business. In the current economic conditions, companies are being forced to make hard decisions regarding their channel allocation, overall budgets, and human resources. "Right now, thousands of businesses have been affected by one of the most challenging events to our economy in over a generation. The best way we can help the impacted marketers and businesses is to open up a new marketing channel, completely free, for those that might not be utilizing push technology or those that are simply trying to drive more revenue and engagement without increasing their marketing budget," said CEO Emerson Smith. "Pushnami intends to support these businesses in any way possible over the weeks and months to come." Push technology is used on only three percent of the global top one million websites, according to BuiltWith. This is a channel that most marketers have never tested or even used before. Push notifications can help businesses capture more of their website traffic, deliver a great customer experience by sending highly targeted messages, and increase their conversions and resulting revenue. Pushnami Platform features included in this program: Push notifications that get delivered on all major desktop and mobile devices and browsers. Smart Subscribe prompts that maximize subscriber opt-in rates based on device, browser, and operating system. Detailed campaign analytics with the ability to run A/B/C testing on all creatives. Creative and content automation, including advanced segmentation and personalization. Dedicated account management support. Program details are as follows: A credit card, signed contract or other form of payment will not be required. required. Free services for eligible businesses will be available for six full months after completion of the signup process. The new program is available immediately starting March 25, 2020 , for a limited time and is only valid for new Pushnami customers. , for a limited time and is only valid for new Pushnami customers. Businesses that wish to enroll should visit pushnami.com/free and create an account using a business email address. In addition to supporting online businesses through this announced six-month free offer, Pushnami is donating $10,000 to the Central Texas Food Bank. "We're so grateful to Pushnami for this generous donation," said Derrick Chubbs, president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank. "This will go a long way in helping us meet the increased demand we're seeing right now." This donation will provide meals for up to 40,000 Central Texans and continues Pushnami's charitable mission to donate a portion of its revenue every month to local nonprofits that serve the Austin community. About Pushnami Founded in 2017, Pushnami is the omnichannel subscriber engagement and messaging platform used by 20,000 global sites. Delivering more than 10 billion messages per month across browser-based web push notifications, mobile app push notifications and email, Pushnami enables brands to easily capture more subscribers, intelligently market to them, and grow their revenue. Based in Austin, Texas, Pushnami is the #1 push platform built for marketers, a 2020 CrozDesk Top Customer Engagement Platform and an upcoming member of the Forbes Business Council. For more information, visit pushnami.com. Contact: Emily Jansen Director of Marketing for Pushnami [email protected] (512) 333-2519 Related Images free-push-notification-software-by.jpg Free Push Notification Software by Pushnami Related Links GET Free Push Notification Software by Pushnami SOURCE Pushnami Related Links http://pushnami.com (Natural News) The COVID-19 pandemic should be a wake-up call for a world that has accepted Chinas lengthening shadow over global supply chains for far too long. Only by reducing Chinas global economic influence beginning in the pharmaceutical sector can the world be kept safe from the countrys political pathologies. (Article by Brahma Chellaney republished from Project-Syndicate.org) NEW DELHI The new COVID-19 coronavirus has spread to more than 100 countries bringing social disruption, economic damage, sickness, and death largely because authorities in China, where it emerged, initially suppressed information about it. And yet China is now acting as if its decision not to limit exports of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and medical supplies of which it is the dominant global supplier was a principled and generous act worthy of the worlds gratitude. When the first clinical evidence of a deadly new virus emerged in Wuhan, Chinese authorities failed to warn the public for weeks and harassed, reprimanded, and detained those who did. This approach is no surprise: China has a long history of killing the messenger. Its leaders covered up severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), another coronavirus, for over a month after it emerged in 2002, and held the doctor who blew the whistle in military custody for 45 days. SARS ultimately affected more than 8,000 people in 26 countries. This time around, the Communist Party of Chinas proclivity for secrecy was reinforced by President Xi Jinpings eagerness to be perceived as an in-control strongman, backed by a fortified CPC. But, as with the SARS epidemic, Chinas leaders could keep it under wraps for only so long. Once Wuhan-linked COVID-19 cases were detected in Thailand and South Korea, they had little choice but to acknowledge the epidemic. About two weeks after Xi rejected scientists recommendation to declare a state of emergency, the government announced heavy-handed containment measures, including putting millions on lockdown. But it was too late: many thousands of Chinese were already infected with COVID-19, and the virus was rapidly spreading internationally. US National Security Adviser Robert OBrien has said that Chinas initial cover-up probably cost the world community two months to respond, exacerbating the global outbreak. Beyond the escalating global health emergency, which has already killed thousands, the pandemic has disrupted normal trade and travel, forced many school closures, roiled the international financial system, and sunk global stock markets. With oil prices plunging, a global recession appears imminent. None of this would have happened had China responded quickly to evidence of the deadly new virus by warning the public and implementing containment measures. Indeed, Taiwan and Vietnam have shown the difference a proactive response can make. Taiwan, learning from its experience with SARS, instituted preventive measures, including flight inspections, before Chinas leaders had even acknowledged the outbreak. Likewise, Vietnam quickly halted flights from China and closed all schools. Both responses recognized the need for transparency, including updates on the number and location of infections and public advisories on how to guard against COVID-19. Thanks to their governments policies, both Taiwan and Vietnam which normally receive huge numbers of travelers from China daily have kept total cases under 50. Neighbors that were slower to implement similar measures, such as Japan and South Korea, have been hit much harder. If any other country had triggered such a far-reaching, deadly, and above all preventable crisis, it would now be a global pariah. But China, with its tremendous economic clout, has largely escaped censure. Nonetheless, it will take considerable effort for Xis regime to restore its standing at home and abroad. Perhaps that is why Chinas leaders are publicly congratulating themselves for not limiting exports of medical supplies and APIs used to make medicines, vitamins, and vaccines. If China decided to ban such exports to the United States, the state-run news agency Xinhua recently noted, the US would be plunged into a mighty sea of coronavirus. China, the article implies, would be justified in taking such a step. It would simply be retaliating against unkind US measures taken after COVID-19s emergence, such as restricting entry to the US by Chinese and foreigners who had visited China. Isnt the world lucky that China is not that petty? Maybe so. But that is no reason to trust that China will not be petty in the future. After all, Chinas leaders have a record of halting other strategic exports (such as rare-earth minerals) to punish countries that defied them. Moreover, this is not the first time China has considered weaponizing its dominance in global medical supplies and APIs. Last year, Li Daokui, a prominent Chinese economist, suggested curtailing Chinese API exports to the US as a countermeasure in the trade war. Once the export is reduced, Li noted, the medical systems of some developed countries will not work. That is no exaggeration. A US Department of Commerce study found that 97% of all antibiotics sold in the US come from China. If youre the Chinese and you want to really just destroy us, Gary Cohn, former chief economic adviser to US President Donald Trump, observed last year, just stop sending us antibiotics. If the specter of China exploiting its pharmaceutical clout for strategic ends were not enough to make the world rethink its cost-cutting outsourcing decisions, the unintended disruption of global supply chains by COVID-19 should be. In fact, China has had no choice but to fall behind in producing and exporting APIs since the outbreak a development that has constrained global supply and driven up the prices of vital medicines. That has already forced India, the worlds leading supplier of generic drugs, to restrict its own exports of some commonly used medicines. Almost 70% of the APIs for medicines made in India come from China. If Chinas pharmaceutical plants do not return to full capacity soon, severe global medicine shortages will become likely. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the costs of Xis increasing authoritarianism. It should be a wake-up call for political and business leaders who have accepted Chinas lengthening shadow over global supply chains for far too long. Only by loosening Chinas grip on global supply networks beginning with the pharmaceutical sector can the world be kept safe from the countrys political pathologies. Read more at: Project-Syndicate.org Lawrence Bacow was introduced as Harvard's 29th president at a news conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts, February 11, 2018. Paul Marotta/Getty Images The president of Harvard University, Lawrence Bacow, and his wife, Adele Fleet Bacow, have both tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Lawrence Bacow said Tuesday. Lawrence Bacow said in a statement that they had been social distancing since March 14, one day after the first coronavirus case was confirmed on campus. For seniors at the elite university, and those across the US, the coronavirus crisis has cut short a cherished time of the school year: the last days before graduation. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow and his wife, Adele Fleet Bacow, have tested positive for the coronavirus, he announced Tuesday. The news comes just two weeks after the university shuttered classes and ordered students to leave campus. Days ago, it postponed commencement. "Earlier today, Adele and I learned that we tested positive for COVID-19," Bacow wrote. "We started experiencing symptoms on Sunday first coughs then fevers, chills, and muscle aches and contacted our doctors on Monday." The first coronavirus case on Harvard's campus was confirmed on March 13. A second "presumptive positive case" was discovered three days later. The couple began social distancing on March 14, according to the letter. "The good news if there is any to be had is that far fewer people crossed our paths recently than is usually the case," Lawrence Bacow wrote. "This virus can lay anyone low. We all need to be vigilant and keep following guidelines to limit our contact with others," he continued. "I hope to see as few of you in our situation as possible, and I urge you to continue following the guidance of public health experts and the advice and orders of our government officials." As of Monday, there were at least 777 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, including nine deaths, local media reported. With the Bacows' announcement, the state now has at least 779 positive cases. Story continues College seniors said goodbye early Around this time, fourth-year students are typically found scrambling to submit their capstone and thesis projects before the full bloom of spring. But this year, seniors have had their final semester, and its attendant last hurrahs, cut short. "COVID-19 was meant to produce social-distancing measures," wrote Julie Chung, a Harvard senior, in a recent Harvard Magazine op-ed. "Instead, it brought the students closer." In the week before Harvard shut down, Chung wrote, students hosted "no shortage of parties and gatherings" while trying to keep groups to under 25 students. "Holding my roommates' hands in our common room, I cried because there was no time to cry because I wanted to have pure joy, just joy, without feeling the desperation and loss that had been twisted into our time remaining together on campus," Chung wrote. Read the original article on Business Insider The number of deaths in the UK as a result of the Covid-19 coronavirus has risen to 463, after authorities in England reported a further 28 deaths in the past 24 hours. They included a 47-year-old who did not have an underlying health condition. The others who died, including one person aged 93, did have underlying health conditions, NHS England said. Their families have been informed. It comes as emergency powers to tackle the virus in the UK became law. The Coronavirus Bill 2020 swiftly passed through Westminster, and grants ministers, councils, police, health professionals and coroners wide-ranging powers that are due to last for up to two years. However while being rushed through over the course of three days, concerns were raised over measures that will reduce oversight on some officials while also impacting civil liberties. The changes include reducing the number of doctors required to sign off on sectioning those with mental health issues from two to one, while police would be given authority to force those infected with Covid-19 to self-isolate. Health Minister Lord Bethell expressed his "profound thanks" to those involved with the Bill and ensuring its swift passage through Parliament, including other political parties, who he said had "worked in a collaborative and supportive way during this whole process". He added: "I would like to thank those who work in Parliament and House of Lords who are here today at considerable risk to themselves and have displayed amazing commitment to this remarkable organisation." Meanwhile the Prince of Wales has become the highest profile person to contract the virus in the country, after Clarence House said he had tested positive for the virus. Prince Charles, 71, is displaying "mild symptoms" of the Covid-19 illness but is in good health and spirits as he self-isolates at Birkhall in Scotland, a spokesman said. A source added "medical advice is that it is unlikely to escalate into a more serious case". Israel's parliament speaker resigned Wednesday after seven years on the job rather than complying with a Supreme Court order to convene a vote on his replacement. Yuli Edelstein had suspended parliamentary activities last week, citing procedural issues and restrictions on large gatherings due to the spread of the coronavirus. But opponents accused him of blocking a vote after his right-wing bloc failed to win a majority in March 2 elections. He dismissed a Supreme Court call to explain his delay in convening the Israeli Knesset, or parliament and after being ordered to do so responded that he would not agree to an ultimatum. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The European Union states about the importance of the unhindered access of the OSCE SMM to areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions uncontrolled by Ukraine as Spokesperson of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated. It is crucial that Russia and the armed formations that it backs allow the OSCE SMM, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations and the ICRC freedom of movement across the contact line, the message said. Moreover, the EU reminded that from March 21, the members of the armed formations denied the OSCE SMM in the access to the areas not controlled by the government. Moreover, the UN agencies, non-governmental organisations and the International Committee of the Red Cross also face difficulties in access. In line with its mandate, the SMM must have safe, secure and unhindered access throughout Ukraine, including parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions temporarily outside government control. Its unhindered access into and from non-government-controlled areas is essential for providing reliable information on the developments on the ground, as envisaged in the Minsk agreements, and enabling the implementation of its mandate throughout the country, the message said. It is underlined that the SMM adapted its monitoring activity in accordance with the terms appeared due to the global Covid-19 outbreak to provide the constant safety of all. In the current circumstances, it is even more essential that humanitarian aid to people in these areas continues to be delivered. UN agencies, non-governmental organisations and the International Committee of the Red Cross must have unimpeded access to those in need in the whole Donbas region, Brussels noted. Moreover, the EU noted that a number of important developments took place in the Trilateral Contact Group recently, such as discussions on the prisoners swap and determination of new areas for disengagement. Besides, Brussels assured once more that it remains steadfast in its support to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the implementation of the Minsk agreements, and the work of the Normandy format and Trilateral Contact Group to achieve a sustainable and peaceful political solution to the conflict. As we reported, at the checkpoint in Donetsk region, the militants did not allow the OSCE SMM patrols to enter the areas uncontrolled by the Ukrainian government due to quarantine Earlier, the Trilateral contact group for the solution of Donbas conflict (Minsk talks group) agreed on the creation of an advisory board. It will comprise of representatives of Ukraine and self-proclaimed 'republics' of Donbas (ten from each, with the right for decisive vote), Germany, France and the OSCE (one from each, with the right for conciliatory vote). Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 19:46:22|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TOKYO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo metropolitan government said on Wednesday that 41 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on the day, the highest daily tally for the city since the outbreak began, bringing the total number to 212 in the Japanese capital. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters at a press conference that among the new cases, 11 are related to a hospital in Taito Ward where a nurse and a patient were confirmed infected on the previous day. Koike urged Tokyo residents to refrain from non-essential outings this weekend in an effort to prevent the further spread of the novel coronavirus. Tokyo reported a record number of infections for three straight days through Wednesday. There were 16 new cases on Monday and 17 on Tuesday. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 16:35:39|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The municipal government of Mongolia's capital Ulan Bator on Wednesday launched a campaign to promote urban culture in the city. Within the framework of the campaign entitled "Urban Culture", many activities will be organized to promote urban culture and a healthy living environment. "The participation of every citizen is important in the development of urban culture. Every citizen in the city needs to acquire urban culture," Tserendorj Munkhbaatar, head of the press office of the municipal government of the city, said at a news conference. "For example, not blowing your nose on the street is your contribution to creating urban culture," he added. The campaign is expected to last until the end of this year. Ulan Bator is home to more than half of the country's population of 3.2 million. Golden Globe winner Jennifer Garner took a break from her COVID-19 quarantine to take a sunny stroll with her eight-year-old son Samuel around her Los Angeles neighborhood on Tuesday. The Texan-born, West Virginia-raised 47-year-old was also joined by her 11-year-old daughter Seraphina, and she dressed down in an ombre sweater and blue skinny jeans. Missing from the family outing was Jennifer's eldest, 14-year-old daughter Violet, from her second marriage to former Daredevil leading man Ben Affleck, which legally ended in October 2018. Holding hands: Golden Globe winner Jennifer Garner took a break from her COVID-19 quarantine to take a sunny stroll with her eight-year-old son Samuel around her LA neighborhood on Tuesday Social distancing: The Texan-born, West Virginia-raised 47-year-old was also joined by her 11-year-old daughter Seraphina, and she dressed down in an ombre sweater and jeans 'I think I have the perfect aged kids for this [global pandemic crisis],' Garner said on The Tonight Show At Home Edition last Thursday. 'Because they are big enough to understand and to have the conversations like, "We're built for challenge. We can do this. We're a tough team. Let's learn about a vacuum cleaner." But then they're not so big that they're just like, "Well I don't care, I'm going to go..." 'The hard ones are teens and early 20s people and my parents. My parents [Patricia and William] are the hard ones. I'm like, "Dad, Mom, the world is shut down to keep you safe." And they're like, "We think we're going to go to Sam's Warehouse." Stay home, you have to stay home!' The 47-year-old Oscar-winning filmmaker is currently hot and heavy dating his Deep Water onscreen wife Ana de Armas. She's getting so tall! Missing from the family outing was Jennifer's eldest, 14-year-old daughter Violet (L), from her second marriage to former Daredevil leading man Ben Affleck (R), which legally ended in October 2018 (pictured March 14) Garner said on The Tonight Show At Home Edition last Thursday: 'I think I have the perfect aged kids for this [global pandemic crisis] because they are big enough to understand...but then they're not so big that they're just like, "Well I don't care, I'm going to go"' Plan of action: The Alias alum has been hard at work on Save the Children and No Kid Hungry's #SaveWithStories initative, which she co-founded on March 13 with her Catch Me If You Can co-star Amy Adams (L) As for the Alias alum, she's been quietly dating Cali Group chairman John Miller since May 2018, but the coy couple haven't been pictured on a date since September 20. Jennifer has been hard at work on Save the Children and No Kid Hungry's #SaveWithStories initative, which she co-founded on March 13 with her Catch Me If You Can co-star Amy Adams. Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon, Camila Cabello, Reese Witherspoon, Beanie Feldstein, and Senator Kamala Harris are just some of the famous faces reading children's books for confined families in quarantine. Reading Big Red Barn book: Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon, Reese Witherspoon, and Senator Kamala Harris are just some of the famous faces reading children's books for confined families in quarantine (pictured Tuesday) 'I'm going to try and do them all': That same day, Jennifer uploaded a video of herself tackling five different online challenges, including 10 push-ups from Untamed author Glennon Doyle In honor of former model Molly Sims, the Llama Llama actress held up a piece of paper with her teeth reading: '#IStayAtHomeFor my parents, Victor Garber, and doctors and nurses' That same day, Garner uploaded a video of herself tackling five different online challenges, including 10 push-ups from Untamed author Glennon Doyle. In honor of former model Molly Sims, the Llama Llama actress held up a piece of paper with her teeth reading: '#IStayAtHomeFor my parents, Victor Garber, and doctors and nurses.' Both Once Upon a Time in Hollywood starlet Margaret Qualley and Booksmart director Olivia Wilde challenged Jennifer to wash her hands. 'Challenge accepted!' Both Once Upon a Time in Hollywood starlet Margaret Qualley and Booksmart director Olivia Wilde challenged Jennifer to wash her hands Garner gushed: 'I'll wash hands for you, Margaret Qualley, any day of the week. And I'll wash the backs [of my hands] for Olivia Wilde. I played a doctor on TV too you know' 'I owe you a picture!' The ballet-obsessed beauty then took a selfie in honor of New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck's women supporting women challenge 'I'll wash hands for you, Margaret Qualley, any day of the week,' Garner - who boasts 11.5M Instagram/Facebook followers - gushed. 'And I'll wash the backs [of my hands] for Olivia Wilde. I played a doctor on TV too you know.' The ballet-obsessed beauty then took a selfie in honor of New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck's women supporting women challenge. Advertisement Young people will have to 'take one for the team' and suffer through coronavirus infections to slash Australia's pandemic death toll and save the elderly, a top disease scientist says. Epidemiology Professor Tony Blakely from the University of Melbourne said infection of the young would get Australia toward the 60 percent infection rate that conveys 'herd immunity' and negates the virus. Prof. Blakely also said sealing off hard-hit suburbs would be effective, COVID-19 will spread at schools, the majority of us will have to contract the virus for the epidemic to finally end and 30,000 people could die - and that's the best case scenario. Prof. Blakely also said the public deserves better information than they're getting from the government about the real impact of the pandemic. As the country's total number of cases topped 2,363, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced strict new rules - even for weddings and funerals - the expert shared several home truths about what the government's apparent 'flatten the curve' response to COVID-19 will mean for the nation. Young Australians (stock photos, left and right this week) will have to 'take one for the team' and suffer coronavirus infections in order to stop the disease from killing the elderly, a leading epidemiologist has warned. Above, a jogger and a shopper as the lockdown began this week Sydney's 'red zones': Professor Tony Blakely says an effective option to stop the spread of the virus is by closing some of the country's hotspots. The above graphic shows most COVID-19 cases have been caught in this city's north and south-east Why we 'need 60 per cent' of the country to catch it The PM has been faced with two options in the battle against the virus. The first is the 'eradication' method, Prof Blakely said. If we're wanting to flatten the curve, let's be brutal here -- we actually want young people get infected That would see the wholesale shutdown of the country for weeks, as New Zealand has begun doing. The second option is 'flattening the curve' - the path the Federal government appears to be forging ahead with. That involves the gradual closure of the economy to slow down the spread of the virus until the country reaches 'herd immunity'. Herd immunity is only achieved when 60 per cent of the population have caught the illness. Other than everyone getting sick, the only other thing that could bring that on is a vaccine. But if we all caught the disease now and the virus was allowed to 'run feral', Prof Blakely said as many as 130,000 people could die. But with 'flattening the curve' measures, new drug treatments and more young people getting infected than old people, 'we're down to nearly 30,000 deaths'. Some 21,000 people in Australia die each year from tobacco related illnesses and 1,255 people died from the flu in 2017. Young people will have to 'take one for the team' If Australia is going to 'flatten the curve', the nation's young people will have to 'take one for the team'. 'If we're wanting to flatten the curve, let's be brutal here -- we actually want young people get infected,' Prof Blakely said. 'We actually want the young people to get infected more than the old people. 'That's not talked about - but that's actually what we want.' The professor said if the country is going to aim for 60 per cent immunity in six to twelve months, 'we want that to happen in the least harmful way'. Prof Blakely says experts actually need young people to get infected for 'herd immunity' - unless a vaccine comes into play. Above, a young woman shops at Dan Murphys (left) and (right) exercises in Queens Park after the country's went in lockdown The least harmful way is for as many elderly people as possible to avoid catching the disease. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement At the same time, younger people would need to have a higher infection rate. But that has consequences. Some young people will die. 'There is some risk,' Prof Blakely said.' There'll still be deaths amongst 20s and 30-year-olds at the end of the epidemic, but a much lower rate. 'It's tricky. But this is what is not being talked about.' A suburb-by-suburb lockdown would work Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hinted that major virus hotspots could be shut down, suburb by suburb. That could be a good option, the professor said. 'It would be nearly as effective and far less disruptive (than a full scale shutdown of society),' he said. 'If you have an outbreak of cases in one area, rather than shutting all of Australia down, you could just shutdown areas where the case load is high. Victorian hotspots: The majority of the state's cases are in 'metropolitan Melbourne', but nine are in Geelong. Health authorities in Melbourne have been less forthcoming about the exact location of outbreaks in the community 'You might get 80 or 90 per cent of the benefit by shutting down five or 10 per cent of the country.' Sydney has seen local outbreaks in local areas, including backpackers in Bondi coming down with the illness last week. Three people have died and 11 test positive at Macquarie Park's Dorothy Henderson aged care lodge. And 133 people from the Ruby Princess cruise ship are ill. Health authorities in Melbourne, the country's next most affected city, are yet to share a detailed map of where the coronavirus has struck. Meanwhile, in Queensland, multiple have been struck down with the illness after a birthday dinner at a Noosa restaurant, believed to be on March 14. A mother drops her children off before the government advised parents to keep their kids at home for 'practical reasons' Open schools will 'keep the virus humming along' All schools are closed in Victoria from Tuesday and NSW is encouraging parents to keep their kids home for 'practical reasons'. Prof Blakely said all schools would have closed immediately if the country was going down the 'eradication' method. But if the country is 'flattening the curve', it doesn't matter if they stay open. That's why the government needs to be open with the public about what its approach is. '(Keeping schools open) is actually a way of keeping the infection humming along at a rate that might be sustainable,' he said. 'People don't like it but that's the reality.' He said that was part of the deal of eventually stopping the virus. 'If there is spread happening in schools ... we want them to get herd immunity. We want the people who are most resilient to get infected.' Epidemic could drag on longer than six months The professor's own modelling indicates the epidemic itself may drag on longer than six months. Professor Tony Blakely, an epidemiologist from the University of Melbourne, says the public hasn't been getting enough information about the pandemic - and the government's plans to stop it Mr Morrison has said the drastic measures will go on for 'at least' that long. '(The model) suggests it will take longer than six months to wash through society,' Prof Blakely said, and that is if the number of infections hits 100,000 people per day. 'If we need to pull the number of infections per day to less than 100,000, it's going to take longer than six months.' That number of infections includes about a third who would have no symptoms, and only a small number of those with symptoms would need intensive care. The professor said the Prime Minister's advisers have better models of how the pandemic will play out than his own. The problem is the government isn't releasing its forecasts for where the country is going to be. He said there should be a 'COVID forecast', just like a weather forecast, on the news each night, and where experts say 'if it goes above this number, we'll do this. 'That way people actually feel as though we have some sort of control.' Overall, the professor said he would give Mr Morrison's 'a 7.5 out of 10' for his measures over the past week, and said he was getting 'reasonably good advice'. But the country is only just beginning to realise just how difficult these extraordinary times will be. Tara Moss has experienced the heartbreaking consequences of Australia's social distancing rules firsthand. The model turned author, 46, was forced to greet her husband Berndt Sellheim, 46, and daughter Sapphira, nine, with a contactless 'air hug' as she picked them up from Sydney Airport on Wednesday, amid the coronavirus pandemic. The emotional reunion took place in the airport car park, and saw Canadian-born Tara greet her loved ones by waving her arms around in the air. So close, yet so far: Tara Moss, 46, (left) was forced to give her husband Berndt Sellheim, 46, and daughter Sapphira, nine, (both right) an air hug as they jetted into Sydney Airport from Canada amid the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday Tara poked fun at the extremely bizarre scene by playfully flailing her arms around. Overjoyed Sapphira and Berndt - who had just returned from Canada - opened their arms in response, emulating the action of hugging. It was clear the family were taking no chances when it came to preventing the spread of the deadly COVID-19, as Tara, Sapphira and Berndt all wore protective face masks. No touching! The emotional reunion took place in the airport car park, and saw Canadian-born Tara greet her loved ones by waving her arms around in the air Seeing the lighter side: Tara poked fun at the extremely bizarre scene by playfully flailing her arms around Tara also had a bottle of hand sanitiser on hand, and was spotted dolling out squirts of the liquid to her brood. The tattooed beauty sported her signature pin-up fashion style, wearing a black wrap-around dress and leather knee-high boots. A delicate pearl necklace fell between her decolletage, while a silver wrist watch and diamond engagement ring completed the ensemble. The new normal: Overjoyed Sapphira and Berndt - who had just returned from Canada - opened their arms in response, emulating the action of hugging Staying safe: It was clear the family were taking no chances when it came to preventing the spread of the deadly COVID-19, as Tara, Sapphira and Berndt all wore protective face masks Prepared: Tara also had a bottle of hand sanitiser on hand, and was spotted dolling out squirts of the liquid to her brood Her voluminous brunette mane was left to fall by her shoulders, while a blunt front-fringe framed her face. Meanwhile, Tara's lookalike daughter wore a blue skivvy, jeans and a grey jumper tied around her waist. Berndt, who is a well-known author and poet, wore jeans and a black windbreaker jacket. Always stylish: The tattooed beauty sported her signature pin-up fashion style, wearing a black wrap-around dress and leather knee-high boots Berndt and Sapphira will be in self-isolation lockdown for the next 14 days to comply with the Australian government's rules for stopping the spread of coronavirus. Tara's daughter and husband flew to Canada earlier this month for what was expected to be a short work trip. However, the spread of coronavirus and subsequent closure of international borders almost prevented the pair from returning back to Australia as planned. Primped: Her voluminous brunette mane was left to fall by her shoulders, while a blunt front-fringe framed her face Tara described the stressful situation in an impassioned essay on Instagram over the weekend. 'After a very tense few days - grappling with rapidly developing events, information and options as I know we all are right now, not sleeping, not able to rest until we found a way to reconnect on the same side of the globe as borders shut and flights are grounded - I am (I hope) now set to be united with my little family in a few days,' she wrote on Saturday. 'I'll be holding my breath until that moment happens, and I know for certain that we have succeeded in reuniting. Some of that reunion will be in quarantine/isolation yes, but we will be near each other again and able to deal with this changing world together,' she added. Jet-setting style: Meanwhile, Tara's lookalike daughter wore a blue skivvy, jeans and a grey jumper tied around her waist Unexpected: Tara's daughter and husband flew to Canada earlier this month for what was expected to be a short work trip, but the spread of coronavirus threw their plans into disarray 'Not sleeping, not able to rest': Tara described the stressful situation in an impassioned essay on Instagram over the weekend On Tuesday, Tara updated fans on Instagram by confirming that Berndt and Sapphira were finally en route back home to Australia. 'As some of you may know, for a variety of reasons I was not able to get back to my little family fast enough as international borders closed suddenly, so they are coming to me,' she wrote. 'We organised this so fast, literally having to make decisions by the hour - as I know we all have had to do around the world,' she continued. Tara said she felt 'bloody grateful' that Air Canada could provide an emergency flight for her family to return home. 'Reunion cant come fast enough,' she added. Phew! On Tuesday, Tara updated fans on Instagram by confirming that Berndt and Sapphira were finally en route back home to Australia First came the National Education Association. Then the United Food and Commercial Workers. The American Federation of Teachers came next, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees followed. Joe Biden has racked up endorsements from four of the largest and most politically influential unions in the past 10 days, a show of force that has bolstered his standing as the de facto Democratic nominee for president and dealt a serious blow to Bernie Sanders flickering hopes. Bernie has a real decision to make, AFT President Randi Weingarten said without explicitly calling on Sanders to drop out. Im optimistic that Bernie always finds a way to meet the moment, and Im optimistic hell meet the moment here. Its obvious to me Joe Biden has earned this, Weingarten said. She credited the Vermont senator for his positive tone in campaigning and efforts to pass an economic stimulus package in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The coalescing of major labor support including three of the four large public employee unions behind Biden came as the latest blow to Sanders, a union ally whose progressive campaign is built around helping working people. Absent an unforeseen turn of events, Sanders has little realistic hope of overcoming Bidens sizable lead in the race for enough delegates to clinch the nomination. Sanders, however, isnt ready to quit. Sen. Bernie Sanders' campaign said he was reevaluating his bid, but gave no indication he was considering imminently exiting the race. On Tuesday, Sanders campaign touted its organizing efforts in the ramp up to the New York primary on April 28. His campaign also told The New York Times it plans to participate in the Democratic presidential debate in April, if one is held. But Sanders is refraining from taking shots at Biden, and hes using his campaign and Senate offices to raise awareness of and funds for the response to the coronavirus. Asked about Sanders' decision to stay in the race, Biden told CNN on Tuesday: Thats his decision. And I've been asked that question, as you recall, about all of the other folks who were in the primary before all of whom have dropped out. I think with one exception [all of them] formally endorsed me. Thats a decision for them to make, not for me to make. Story continues The last of the large public unions, Service Employees International Union, hasnt yet endorsed. But according to SEIU officials, its not because of a division in their ranks or a fear of weighing in; its because the coronavirus is requiring it to focus on the safety of its members, many of whom work in health care, custodial, child care and building-security services. The AFL-CIO also has not yet endorsed, which is relatively common in presidential primaries, meaning the past four major endorsements Biden landed are likely the last to come in the race. Certainly, its a signal to Bernie Sanders that progressives and the Democratic Party are consolidating behind Joe Bidens candidacy, said Steve Rosenthal, a top national union consultant and former political director for AFL-CIO. These endorsements are extremely significant and come at an important time when three of the most progressive organizations because NEA, AFT and AFSCME are not just labor unions, theyre three of the most progressive organizations in the United States decide to weigh in, Rosenthal said. Rosenthal said the endorsements should have a tangible benefit for Biden in the general election in the union-heavy swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Minnesota. A poll in those states conducted for a Democratic group in December showed that 68 percent of former union members and voters who model unionlike characteristics viewed unions favorably and 67 percent saw unions as a viable source of information about candidates and political topics. Rosenthal pointed out that all of the unions revamped their endorsement processes to ensure they wouldnt be accused of misrepresenting their support, a charge leveled by some backers of Sanders in his 2016 Democratic bid against Hillary Clinton. The NEA said its looking forward to the general election. With so much at stake in this election, educators are now focused on November, where as a union, we have the ability to reach voters in a meaningful way, unlike any other organization. We will be organizing and using our collective voice to propel Joe Biden to the White House, Lily Eskelsen Garcia, NEA president, said in a statement. NEA kicked off the wave of endorsements on March 14, three days before the last round of states voted and made Biden the presumptive nominee. After that, AFT, AFSCME and the food and commercial workers unions were ready to endorse. But they decided to hold off to see what happened in the March 17 elections. Weingarten said one major factor in delaying the endorsement process was input from members in Florida, where Biden went on to crush Sanders by about 40 percentage points. Three days later, she said, support for Biden over Sanders among members was 2-1. It was a huge shift from its Feb. 20 decision , reflecting the divided membership, to issue a triple endorsement of sorts, backing Biden, Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. We saw a tectonic shift in the March primaries, as did everybody else, in terms of Democrats coalescing behind Biden as well as our own members, Weingarten said. I am always fascinated by edge conditions and the change they drive. Some people use the word margin because its at the margin that things change. A situation or condition exists more or less in equilibrium with the rest of its environment until in one way or another the stresses of the situation become so great that change happens. We have lots of metaphors, like tipping point, the straw that broke the camels back, and many others that describe such situations. Right now, we live in one or more edge conditions personal, business and economic and much blurring. Certainly, the pressures of trying to contain the coronavirus are stressing all of us, and in a broader sense I wonder if capitalism is in an edge condition. Certainly, many younger people seem to have embraced political messages that at least question capitalisms viability because of its fixation on growth. How we respond as a civilization will have much impact on how people view our dominant economic model. Kindler, Gentler Capitalism I am not one of those alarmists who arrive on the scene pointing out the one thing, or small handful of things, that will need to change overnight. I recently wrote that the most logical consequences will be the most affordable ones. So, for instance, dont look for massive changes in our transportation infrastructure or office layouts; those cost fortunes to change. At the same time, watch for improvements in virus screening and vaccine development to prevent a reprise of the pandemic we are living through. In line with this, perhaps a kinder and gentler form of capitalism is in the offing. Companies are beginning to circle back to their customers to offer products to help customers weather the viral storm, either free or at greatly reduced prices. My interest at the moment is watching how Zoho, a CRM supplier, is dealing with the crisis. Easing the Transition A couple of weeks ago, Zoho launched Remotely, a virtual productivity platform comprising 11 collaboration applications. It is providing the solution to all size businesses for free. Its doing that to help ease the transition to remote work for companies in any location around the world. In just two weeks, more than 5,000 new companies are running on the platform, and that number is increasing every day. For instance, Zoho is witnessing 500 percent growth in use of its collaboration apps and 1,000 percent growth in daily new users of Zoho Meeting. Today, Zoho went further when CEO Sridhar Vembu announced the small business Emergency Subscription Assistance Program (ESAP) to assist Zohos small business customers. Like Remotely, its free for a limited time. In discussions with Zoho executives, I was surprised the first time one of them told me that the company didnt care if it left money on the table and that the most important thing it could do was to make a happy customer. Thats in line with a famous maxim from the late business guru Peter Drucker: The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer. I suppose happy goes without saying. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Salvation and Loyalty Now as a practical matter, its doubtful that all 50 million Zoho customers will line up for the free service. There will be enough paying businesses to support keeping the lights on and the disk drives spinning for the cloud software provider. So Zoho might not lose money on this, though it certainly will forgo revenue but in the service of keeping its global business customers afloat. Its a noble endeavor, and thats precisely whats most interesting. In times of crisis, often the official channels become clogged and quit working. Thats when the small and indirect channels can spring into action and make a substantial difference. Governments around the world are trying to formulate rescue packages for their whole economies to help them weather the storm. These are big picture things, though, and theyll likely miss the detailed needs of companies, such as paying for subscription services. So good on Zoho for thinking of this and for reaching out. The company is leaving money on the table intentionally, because it knows that a dead customer pays nothing and a saved customer might end up being extremely loyal. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network. Gal Gadots Wonder Woman 1984 is the latest film release to fall victim to the coronavirus outbreak (Ian West/PA) Wonder Woman 1984 has become the latest film to have its release date postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The superhero movie starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot in the titular role had been scheduled to arrive on screens in June. Instead, it will be released on August 14, Warner Bros said. Responding to the news, Gadot said: In these dark and scary times, I am looking forward to a brighter future ahead. Where we can share the power of cinema together again. Excited to redate our WW84 film to August 14, 2020. I hope everyone is safe. Sending my love to you all. Toby Emmerich, Warner Bros Pictures Group chairman, added: We hope the world will be in a safer and healthier place by then. Warner Bros also scrapped the June release date of In The Heights, an adaption of Lin-Manuel Miranda hit musical, as well as Scoob, an animated film based on the Scooby-Doo characters that was due to arrive in May. Malignant, a thriller from Aquaman director James Wan, has also been postponed. The delays comes as Hollywood continues to adjust to the disruption caused by the pandemic, with billions of dollars set to be lost. Video of the Day Major films to be postponed include James Bond flick No Time To Die and Disney blockbusters Mulan and Black Widow. The Daily Beast Scott Olson/GettyDonald Trump abruptly ended an interview with NPR on Tuesday after he was repeatedly called out on his baseless claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election.A video of the interview, published Wednesday morning, shows Trump becoming increasingly irritated as NPRs Steve Inskeep asks him why hes still pushing debunked conspiracy theories about his 2020 defeat.After Inskeep told the ex-president that his fraud claims have repeatedly been proven false, the reporter a Local growers are taking on the added responsibility of continuing to supply fresh produce to New Mexicans amid the COVID-19 outbreak that has limited restaurants to takeout, strained grocery store supplies and postponed farmers markets. Farms thrive on community, and were all really coming together, said Andrea Romero of Tierra Sagrada Farm in Bernalillo. Working with the earth and having as few hands as possible touch our produce feels good right now. Farms and ranches are among the essential businesses exempt from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams order closing businesses termed nonessential statewide. And Tierra Sagrada is one of many businesses expanding its Community Supported Agriculture services, which allow customers to buy directly from local farms and receive produce by pickup or delivery. Farmers say it is an ideal way to get fresh fruits and vegetables as public health professionals advise limiting person-to-person interactions and crowds. Seth Matlick at Vida Verde Farms in Albuquerque said chefs and restaurants are in survival mode to comply with a state mandate to close dining rooms. That has caused a major decline in restaurant orders from local farms. Were anticipating a surplus of food that weve already invested seeds, time and water to grow, Matlick said. There is a general hesitancy to go to the grocery store, so CSAs are a great way to get healthy food and support a local business. Typical CSA contracts between customers and farmers are annual or seasonal, but Vida Verde is adapting to offer four-week commitments. Several farms and local businesses are starting Better Together, a group CSA that will offer home delivery of fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy products, bread and some prepared meals, so customers can receive the most products at once. Farmers also help provide low-income individuals with fresh, inexpensive New Mexico produce. The states Double Up Food Bucks program allows for use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, dollars for discounts on New Mexico-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Double Up Food Bucks can be used at grocery stores, farmers markets and farm stands. But the virus has jeopardized some local farmers markets. In Santa Fe, the farmers market opened Saturday because it was deemed an essential business. Vendors spread out, wore gloves and masks and did not allow the public to handle produce. Los Ranchos Growers Market postponed its opening date, and the Albuquerque Downtown Growers Market in Robinson Park and the Railyards Market face potential postponements. Albuquerque farmers hope the markets can continue with added safety measures. The Corrales Growers Market is still scheduled for April 5. Local growers are increasing health precautions, including wearing gloves and masks, washing hands before and after tasks and sanitizing delivery vehicles and harvest crates. I really love growing food and feeding our community, Matlick said. Everything feels disrupted right now, and people are looking for stability. Farmers are adaptable, and we will continue to provide food for our community. Other local CSAs offering services now or in the coming weeks include New Mexico Harvest, La Cosecha, Chispas Farms, Loose Leaf Farm, Silver Leaf Farms, Farmshark, Polks Folly Farm, Skarsgard Farms, Bluefly Farms, Western Family Farm and Squash Blossom. Contact the farms by email or social media to sign up for their programs. Updates about markets and CSAs can be found at the New Mexico Farmers Markets Facebook page facebook.com/farmersmarketsnm or by calling 505-983-4010. Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal. Actor Arjun Kapoor seems to be hooked to Instagram during this period of lockdown due to coronavirus. The Panipat actor did not shy away from putting a hilarious comment on girlfriend Malaika Aroras post too. The exchange of comments between Arjun and Malaika happened on a post that comprised of a collage of her BFF gang. In image shared on social media , one can see photos of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Amrita Arora, Mallika Bhatt and herself. The photos were clicked at the time when all of them were sleeping at their respective homes. Read: COVID-19: Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas Interact with Doctors Online to Spread Awareness The photo has got more than 2 lakh 50 thousand likes till now and has been captioned as Friends that nap together, stay forever (sic)." In the comments segment, Arjun wrote, But ur smiling in ur nap also waah (sic), to which Malaika said, But u know I smile in my sleep (sic). Arjun and Malaika were recently seen clapping together in their balcony during the 'Janata Curfew' on March 22 in order to appreciate the people who are combating COVID-19 on the forefront. Read: Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora Observe Janta Curfew Together, Step Out in Balcony to Clap Other Bollywood celebrities, who were seen doing the same at 5 pm on the day of the 'Janata Curfew' included Varun Dhawan and family, Amitabh Bachchan along with family including son and daughter Abhishek and Shweta, daughter-in-law Aishwarya, grandchildren Aaradhya and Navya were also seen following Prime Minister Narendra Modis appeal. Other celebrities who joined the bandwagon were comedian Kapil Sharma, and actors Ayushmann Khurrana, Kangana Ranaut, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan Bhumi Pednekar among many others. Follow @News18Movies for more A man whose life-threatening kidney failure left him three hours from death discovered his wife was a organ donor match to save his life on his 50th birthday. Business manager Stephen Kelsey, 50, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was one of only 40 people in the UK to suffer from ANCA vasculitis, a potentially fatal autoimmune disease which causes the body to attack its essential organs, after being diagnosed in October 2018. His life revolved around gruelling four-hour dialysis sessions three times a week while he waited on a waiting list to get a new kidney from a deceased donor, which he was told would take up to five years. However, he ended up getting a new kidney in just eight months thanks to retail manager wife Tracy, 45, who got tested and found she was a suitable match for her husband of 24 years. Stephen Kelsey (pictured with wife Tracy), 50, from Rotherham in South Yorkshire, had a life-threatening kidney failure which left him three hours away from death Stephen's wife Tracy (pictured with Stephen) discovered she was a match to save his life on his 50th birthday Tracy, who has been married to Stephen for 24 years (pictured at their wedding), revealed she was a kidney donor match to her husband on his 50th birthday After coincidentally getting the phone call confirming she could donate her kidney on Stephen's 50th birthday on January 8 this year, Tracy revealed the momentous news to her husband the same day. Doctors scheduled the nine hour procedure for just over a month later, on February 20, and the couple are now recovering from the transplant at home. 'Before the transplant, my life revolved around dialysis,' explained Stephen. 'It was horrendous. 'I couldn't go on holiday; I couldn't go to work full time; I would come home from dialysis and feel rubbish.' 'I was just existing on a hamster wheel, going round and round. 'I called it "sleep, eat, dialysis repeat". There were times I wished I was dead.' 'So, when Tracy said she was a match on my 50th birthday, I just broke down in tears. I was at the gym and she rang me and told me to come home immediately and when I came home she stood there and said we could have the transplant. Business manager Stephen was one of only 40 people in the UK to suffer from life threatening ANCA vasculitis. Pictured, two days after the operation Stephen's rare condition causes the body to attack its essential organs. He was diagnosed in 2018. Pictured, asleep and on dialysis For five years, Stephen's life revolved around gruelling four-hour long dialysis sessions three times a week while he waited on the list to get a new kidney from a deceased donor. Pictured, Stephen and Tracy post-operation Stephen ended up getting a new kidney in just eight months thanks to retail manager, Tracy (pictured together) 'We hugged each other and cried for a long time. It was 11am in the morning, so when we went out for a birthday meal with my friends later it was like a double celebration.' What is vasculitis? Vasculitisis is swelling or inflammation of blood vessels. Blood vessels in the body carry blood from the heart to all the different organs/tissues, and then back again. Arteries, veins, and capillaries are different kinds of blood vessels. Blood vessels are different sizes depending on where they are in the body- as they get further away from the heart they branch and get smaller. The inflammation in vasculitis is caused by white blood cells attacking blood vessels. White blood cells are cells in the body that are part of the immune system. As part of the immune system, they can help fight infection and can cause inflammation. Many different things can cause vasculitis, including infection and autoimmune diseases. Source: unckidneycenter.org Advertisement Tracy added: 'It was my birthday present for him. It was an amazing thing to do while I'm alive. 'I was a registered organ donor for years, but to be able to help somebody you love while you're alive is even better. 'The decision to get tested and see if I was a match was instinctive. We were just chatting to the doctor and I just said, "I want to get checked. If there's a possibility I can help, I want to find out." 'And for it to be a success, it's such a great feeling.' Stephen's life had been on hold since October 2018 when he was rushed to Rotherham General Hospital after a suspected chest infection took a downward turn and he became unable to eat and drink. Doctors at the hospital carried out blood tests and were horrified to discover his potassium levels were almost three times higher than a healthy person's, and he was suffering from blood poisoning and pneumonia from kidney failure. He was rushed into intensive care and diagnosed with ANCA vasculitis, a rare autoimmune disease which causes red blood cells to double in size and attack essential organs, such as the kidneys. Tracy got tested and found she was a suitable match for her husband earlier this year (pictured, with Stephen) Stephen told how he was 'absolutely mortified' when he watched his wife being wheeled down to theatre, adding: 'I was putting somebody who I love in harm's way.' Pictured, in hospital After getting the phone call confirming she could donate her kidney on Stephen's 50th birthday on January 8 this year, Tracy revealed the news to her husband the same day. Pictured, the couple on holiday As soon as the medic began explaining the option of a living donor, Tracy interrupted him and said she wanted to get tested as a potential kidney donor for Stephen. Pictured, Stephen on dialysis Stephen spent four days in intensive care before being transferred to the renal unit where he had to have four hours of dialysis and four hours of blood plasma transfusions every day for a week and another seven days of daily dialysis the following week. 'It was terrifying,' he explained. 'They were worried I was going to have heart failure because of my potassium levels. 'I later found out that if I had not gone to hospital, I would have only had three to four more hours left to live. 'I felt that my whole world had collapsed. I was empty. I was thinking "why me?" and trying to reason in my head about why it had happened to me. 'I had to learn to walk again because when you are on any bed rest, you lose 1.4 per cent of muscle mass per day - my legs were so weak. He continued: 'It was pretty reality-checking as I had been very fit before, I played lots of squash. So to have that taken away from me, it was like having the rug pulled out from under me.' A doctor told Stephen he was well enough to go on the transplant list in June 2019 during a consultation which Tracy was present at. But as soon as the medic began explaining the option of a living donor, Tracy interrupted him and said she wanted to get tested as a potential kidney donor for Stephen. Stephen (pictured on dialysis) told how the operation was the hardest thing he's ever done as he was 'terrified' for Tracy Stephen added that as soon as he came around, he just wanted to see and talk to his wife. Pictured, on dialysis She underwent blood and tissue match tests and a liver function test before getting the final go ahead to be a donor earlier this year. Today, Stephen and Tracy are at home recovering from the kidney transplant operations which they underwent on the same day last month at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital with plenty of painkillers and daytime TV. They spent five days in hospital following the transplant operation and each have at least three months off work while they recover. Now, the couple are planning to act as kidney ambassadors for the Northern General Hospital, helping other people about to undergo kidney transplants prepare for the operation, as well as raising awareness about living kidney donations, which are the best treatment option for people suffering from kidney disease. With Stephen's kidney function already on the up, they are now setting their ambitions on what will be their first holiday for more than two years next summer to see Stephen's aunt and cousins in Johannesburg. 'The operation was the hardest thing I've ever done,' said Stephen. 'I was terrified for Tracy.' Stephen and Tracy spent five days in hospital following the transplant operation and each have at least three months off work while they recover. Pictured, Stephen on dialysis The couple are planning to act as kidney ambassadors for the Northern General Hospital. Pictured, at the dialysis centre Tracy said that donating her kidney was her birthday present for her husband and added: 'It was an amazing thing to do while I'm alive' (pictured, together) 'They wheeled her away from me and I had to watch them wheel her away down to surgery. I was absolutely mortified because I was putting somebody who I love in harm's way. 'I was making them unwell. To make matters worse we lost our beloved Labrador, Smudge, the day we went in for the operation. It was such a difficult time. 'When I came around, all I wanted to do was go and see Tracy. All I wanted to do was sit with my wife and talk to her. 'I immediately felt better, because I had had such bad kidney function before the operation.' The pair were also thrilled when Peak District wildlife and landscape photographer Villager Jim donated them a canvas of a photograph he had taken of five stags walking towards the camera - which he had taken the same morning as the transplant took place. Stephen added: 'It costs 110,000 a year to keep somebody on dialysis. Transplants not only transform lives, they're also very cost effective. 'I want people to know that you can give somebody their life back, because that's the reality of it with me. I've had a second chance at my life thanks to my wife giving me her kidney.' Stephen explained how he 'immediately felt better' following the operation as he had such bad kidney function before. Pictured, Stephen on dialysis By Express News Service CHENNAI: As the strict crackdown of people under home quarantine began, the Chennai city police have booked four persons within 24 hours for not staying inside their houses inspite of several warnings. Kodambakkam: On Tuesday, a 45-year-old man from Kodambakkam who works as an construction engineer in Dubai was booked under IPC section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and IPC section 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life). Police said he did not stay at home and was roaming on the streets without any concern. "Though the person did not show any symptoms of coronavirus, he was told to stay at home by health staff since he is prone to get the disease," said the police officer. Later he was warned of seizing his passport and sent home for quarantine. Koyambedu: A father-son duo, aged 62 and 27, had returned from Baghdad in Iraq on Sunday. Though the health officials warned to stay at home, the duo had gone to their native place without the knowledge of the health staff. The Koyambedu police registered a case under IPC Sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and IPC Section 271 (Disobedience to quarantine rule. Whoever knowingly disobeys any rule made and promulgated by the Government for putting any vessel into a state of quarantine) with Section 3 of Epidemics diseases Act and Section 51(b) of Disaster Management Act. Thirumangalam: A resident of H Block in Anna Nagar, the person who had returned from China a month ago was in home quarantine. On Tuesday without the concern of the health staff, the person had gone out of the house and had roamed around the city. Based on the complaint from the health officials the police booked cases under Sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), read with Section 3 of Epidemics diseases Act and Section 51(b) of Disaster Management Act Joshua Dufour smiles as he takes home his his adopted cat from the ACCT shelter in North Philly. Read more The stay-at-home order hadnt been issued yet, but Joshua Dufour could feel it coming. Im preparing for them to mandate a quarantine, and I dont want to go through it alone, said Dufour, 25, of Olney. So on Friday just days before Mayor Jim Kenney issued his stay-at-home order to stem the spread of the coronavirus Dufour went to ACCT Philly, the citys animal shelter in North Philadelphia, to adopt his new roommate, a gray cat named Waffles. Along with a home, the regal feline who was found wandering the streets of North Philly also got a new name, one worthy of his important work during these tough times that of the Norse war god, Odin. Over the last few weeks, Philadelphias animal shelters have seen foster applications pour in at extraordinary rates from humans seeking companionship during the age of self-quarantine. People are really stepping up, said Aurora Velazquez, executive director of ACCT (Animal Care & Control Team) Philly. The number of fosters is really unprecedented for this organization. At PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society) the citys largest rescue partner executive director Melissa Levy said they placed 123 animals into foster homes between March 15 and March 24, compared with 38 during the same time period last year. So many people are becoming fosters right now because theyre in such an unusual situation of being home and having time on their hands they dont usually have, Levy said. It is one tiny silver lining in all this that an animal gets to go home from a shelter. PSPCA (Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) foster coordinator Maddie Bernstein usually receives three to five foster applications a week. Now, shes getting about 40 a day. The outpouring of fosters applications has just been insane, in a good way, Bernstein said. The more animals we have in foster care, the more space we have at the shelter to help other animals still in need." But with most shelters doing appointment-only adoptions, or in the case of the PSPCA, none at all right now given heightened distancing restrictions, the adoption rate remains static. The one thing all of Phillys animal shelter workers stress is that as the stay-at-home orders continue and people are forced to surrender their pets because of illness or financial hardship the need for fosters, adoptions, and funding is expected to grow. Nothing is certain, but one thing we can be sure of is that there will probably be more homeless pets in the coming months if this goes on, and we have to save them because thats our goal, said Julie Klim, chief executive officer of the PSPCA. Many of the shelters depend on public and private donations to survive, and with fund-raising events canceled for the foreseeable future, financial insolvency is a growing fear. Were extremely concerned about our ability to meet expenses, which are increasing because of an increased need for cleaning supplies and protective gear for our staff, Levy said. Its a precarious time. Our need for donations is always great, but its even greater now. Even Morris Animal Refuge which placed all its animals, right down to the guinea pigs and gerbils, and was able to close its shelter doors is still seeking donations to pay its employees and care for foster pets in placement homes. Kait Dowling, 33, of Point Breeze, who fosters with Morris Animal Refuge, is spending her mandated stay-at-home days with Diesel, a 2-year-old Staffordshire Terrier-pit bull mix whos proved to be awesome company. As an internal consultant in the financial industry who is now working from home, Dowling said having a friendly, furry face around helps. He sleeps on the job frequently and hes interrupted a couple of meetings, but hes adjusting to work life," she said. Diesel also provides Dowling with a regimen and a reason to get out of the house during these uncertain times. One of the best things is he has a schedule I have to be a part of, Dowling said. Its good for me to get up at the same time, put his food together, and walk him. Several shelters continue to offer additional services as well, despite growing challenges. The PSPCAs walk-in clinic, which usually services 20 to 30 families a day with sick pets, is still operating, but by appointment-only now, to limit the number of people at the facility. And PSPCAs humane law enforcement officers are still responding to animal cruelty calls, which remain on par with average numbers. ACCT continues to maintain a pet food pantry for the public and the shelter is still taking in strays, every day. Last week alone, ACCT took in two pairs of baby pigs, a dog that needed a leg amputation, and a lovable pit bull mix named Whopper with a large mass on his stomach who was found wandering the streets of Philadelphia. On Friday, as Whopper sized up his new surroundings, waiting for surgery, he didnt seem concerned about the large growth on his tummy. He just seemed happy to not be alone anymore. Hes your typically Philly dog, said ACCT director of operations Adam Bates. Hes big and blocky-headed, but willing to roll with the punches. With more people stepping forward to foster pets than ever, Bates said hed like to see the trend continue, long after the coronavirus is gone. I hope this will be a proof of concept to these new fosters," he said, "and maybe, theyll do it again. JISEA Celebrates a Decade of Energy System Transformation Through Analysis Ten Years Since Its Founding, the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis Continues to Provide Critical Insights Linking Energy, Society, and Prosperity March 25, 2020 JISEA brings together "optimistic, future-looking, curious, and creative" experts to jointly solve complex energy problems. In 2009, leaders at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) met to discuss how the creation of an energy institute could help solve important energy problems in the U.S. and globally. Interest in renewables was taking off: Sustainable energy systems were understood to be viable, and renewable electricity was a growing part of the global and U.S. energy supplyalmost 12% of total U.S. installed capacity, mostly hydropower, but solar and wind were starting to increase and interact with traditional energy sources. The group considered many ideas but kept coming back to the need for credible, objective analysis that evaluated the entire energy system, both renewable and non-renewable. The energy system is complicated, with many stakeholders, said Bobi Garrett, former chief operating officer at NREL. We wanted to elevate a credible and objective voice to help guide the energy transition, both nationally and globally. In 2010, NREL leaders decided to launch the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis (JISEA)a partnership between NREL and academiato look beyond individual technologies and consider the bigger picture of how to develop and deploy renewables within an energy economy. As Garrett wrote the proposal for the joint institute, she never imagined it would grow to be what it is today. NREL scientist Garvin Heath works on data from his life cycle greenhouse gas emissions study conducted by JISEA, shown here in 2012. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL Why a Joint Institute? JISEA was founded by six partner organizations: NREL, University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University. By doing research at a cutting-edge national lab and partnering with the best universities in the country, you get the best available information about integrated energy systems, said former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, member of the JISEA Advisory Council and director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University. Sharing complementary expertise and resources, the partners created an ecosystem of technology, tools, and knowledge for taking on the big questions about our energy system. It was such an exciting time, said Doug Arent, who was the founding executive director. Sometimes we are constrained in research, but with JISEA we could consider new synergies among energy, environment, and economy. To get the institute off the ground, they hosted workshops with diverse stakeholders, tapping into Arents robust network. They brainstormed the biggest challenges in energy analysis, from the energy-water nexus to combined nuclear and renewable solutions for decarbonizing the electric sector. Building an institution doesnt happen overnight, said Garrett, who became the executive committee chair of JISEA. We focused on growing our reputation as a thought leader. Soon, financial, legal, industrial, and academic sectors wanted to engage. NREL's Debbie Sandor leads a discussion about trade policies for clean technologies and their supply chains during the Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center (CEMAC) 2018 Annual Meeting. Through CEMAC, JISEA provides industry with critical insights on transitioning to a clean and circular economy. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL Leading the Way in Groundbreaking Natural Gas Research JISEA launched its first major study in 2011 on natural gas, which was beginning to transform the U.S. energy sector. Very few people, even within the industry, anticipated the scale of change. Improved technology, access to capital, and innovative business practices led to historically rapid development of shale gas supply. This caused a dramatic shift in natural gas prices and increased availability from U.S. producers, which prompted many power generation companies across the country to move away from coal power plants to natural gas. That transition, combined with growing renewable energy generation, dropped the U.S. power systems carbon dioxide emissions from 2008 to 2012 by 300 million tons, or 13% of total annual emissions, according to the 2012 JISEA report Natural Gas and the Transformation of the U.S. Energy Sector: Electricity. JISEA convened leaders across industry, government, academia, and environmental organizations to look at every component of the energy ecosystem. The JISEA team visits an electric natural gas drilling rig in Weld County, Colorado, in 2018 as part of their work to reduce emissions from oil and gas operations. From left to right, Jordan Macknick, Jeff Logan, Jill Engel-Cox, Brett Oakleaf, and Garvin Heath. Through those partnerships, JISEA published a series of follow-up publications on largely unexplored topics (at that time) on natural gas, including emissions from natural gas production. Due to a lack of comprehensive data, it had become a polarizing topic nationwide. We synthesized the available data in a novel way, said Garvin Heath, the studys lead researcher, who has co-authored several high-profile articles on emissions from natural gas industry. Our analysis helped to establish a baseline of understanding among disparate literature. The findings were published in the 2014 article Harmonization of Initial Estimates of Shale Gas Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Electric Power Generation. It is still frequently downloaded todayand remains in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric, the major data science company for scholarly literature. JISEA continues to grow this body of work and has to date produced more than 25 publications on natural gas in relation to the environment, evolving practices, synergies with renewables and impact on the U.S. energy sector. NREL's Jordan Macknick (center) moderates a panel discussion with Mike Grundy (left), of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and NREL's Paty Romero-Lankao during the 2019 JISEA Annual Meeting at NREL in Golden, Colorado. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL Fostering Worldwide Partnerships Throughout its existence, JISEA has expanded to look at the (even) bigger picture by establishing worldwide partnerships. This energy transition isnt monolithic, said Jill Engel-Cox, JISEAs current director. Each country has its own set of natural and human resources, energy needs, and social preferences, so every clean energy solution will be unique. JISEA built trusted collaborations internationally as operating agent of Clean Energy Ministerials 21st Century Power Partnership, providing cutting-edge thought leadership reports on international energy questions. In 2015, JISEA co-authored Power Systems of the Future with some of the worlds most influential figures in power systems strategy. They defined three approaches to making policy and technology decisions, as well as viable pathways, for successful power system transformation. The language they created is now the standard terminology worldwide for decision-making around power system transformation. JISEA also established a partnership with the Childrens Investment Fund Foundation to help Mexico, India, China, Indonesia and Vietnam develop sound approaches to secure, reliable, and clean electricity as part of the countrys energy agenda. Most recently, JISEA is working with King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy to explore strategies for renewable energy products and services to be deployed in Saudi Arabia. The world is very complex, said Jeff Logan, a JISEA researcher who recently co-authored a report, among many others, about South American countries options for flexible, resilient power systems. Ive been empowered working with JISEA to think big and creatively about all the people who are impacted by changes in energy systems. Josue Prado presents key findings from the JISEA report Options for Resilient and Flexible Power Systems in Selected South American Economies at the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C., in 2019. Whats in Store for the Next Decade? Today, U.S. renewable electricity has grown from 12% to 20% of total installed capacity. Natural gas now accounts for more than 40% of U.S. electricity generation. Globally, forecasts by the International Energy Agency indicate that renewables and other low carbon technologies will play an even greater role in the future energy economy. As Jill Engel-Cox said, we are at a new tipping point for large-scale renewable adoption. So, much like it did a decade ago, the JISEA team recently met to discuss how they would continue to solve important energy questions in the U.S. and globally. The group of researchers proposed many topics: Energy-water-food nexus, supply chains and circular economy of energy technologies, the natural gas-electricity interface, clean operations for industrial processesand the list continued. As entire communities and sectors worldwide explore how they can adopt dynamic, diverse, flexible energy systems, JISEA analysts will only become more important to the energy solutions of tomorrow. Jill Engel-Cox described the JISEA team as optimistic, future-looking, curious, and creative. Energy solutions will come from systems and not silos, she said. When we engage different voices, they become a part of the solution. Madeline Schroeder Heavily armed gunmen and suicide bombers blasted their way into a Sikh gurdwara in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 25 worshippers and wounding 8 others, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the strife-torn country. The gunmen attacked the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building, authorities said. "At least 25 people were killed and 8 others were wounded in the attack at Dharamshala, a Sikh worship place in Kabul," TOLOnews quoted the Ministry of Interior as saying. "All four suicide bombers who attacked Dharamshala, a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul, were killed after nearly six hours of fighting. Afghan special forces confirmed," it said in a tweet. The ministry said in a statement that 80 people, including women and children, were rescued from the gurdwara. Former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the attack on Sikh worship place and expressed his condolences to the victims' families, the report said. The ISIS terrorist group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the latest attack. The group issued a statement confirming that its members carried out the attack on Sikhs in Kabul city, Khaama Press Agency reported. Photos from the blast scene showed security forces carrying wounded people away on stretchers. Some Afghan media outlets shared videos of the family members of victims waiting outside a city hospital in tears. Police in Kabul said that at least 11 children were rescued from the gurdwara. Sikh lawmaker Nardendar Singh Khalisa told reporters close to the scene that up to 150 people were praying inside the gurdwara when it came under attack. The only representative of Sikhs community in Afghanistan said he received a call from a worshipper inside the gurdwara, informing him about the attack. "I rushed over to help. There were about 150 worshippers inside the gurdwara at the time of the attack," Khalisa was quoted as saying by the official Bakhtar Agency. "Afghan forces have cleared the first floor of a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul. A number of people have been rescued who were trapped inside the building," said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian. Earlier, the country's main militant group, the Taliban, denied involvement in the attack. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the militant group had no link with the attack in Shor Bazar area of Kabul. War-torn Afghanistan is currently mired in a political stalemate with two politicians- Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah - both claiming victory in the presidential election. The US, keen to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, has been trying to break the deadlock and also save a historic deal it signed with the Taliban militant group that is supposed to pave the way for peace in the country. The attack comes a day after the US said it would cut its aid to the government by USD 1 billion over frustrations that the political leaders could not reach an agreement and form a team to negotiate with the Taliban. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Kabul on Tuesday in a bid to resolve a standoff between President Ghani and his rival Abdullah, who also proclaims himself president following a contested election. Sikhs have been target of attacks by Islamist militants before in Afghanistan. In July 2018, ISIS terrorists bombed a gathering of Sikhs and Hindus in the eastern city of Jalalabad, killing 19 people and injuring 20. Awtar Singh Khalsa, one of the country's best-known Sikh politicians then, was among those killed in the attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai, March 25 : With 15 new Covid-19 positive cases detected in Maharashtra on Wednesday, the number of infected people increased to 122, according to state health officials here on Wednesday. On the brighter side, 14 coronavirus positive patients had been cured and would be sent home soon, he said as the country observed total lockdown as part of the 'war against virus'. During the day, five members of a family from Islampur, Sangli district, and 10 people in Mumbai tested positive for Covid-19. All the 15 new patients, which included one each from Thane and Raigad, were undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the city, said an official. Among the positive cases in Mumbai included a 57-year man who is a 'close contact' of an infected person, and three others aged 27, 39 and 38 with history of travel to the USA, the UAE and Trinidad. Fourteen people undergoing treatment in Mumbai and Pune hospitals have been cured, spelling cheers on Gudi Padva, the Maharashtra New Year, being celebrated on a low-key on Wednesday. They will be sent home soon. Mumbai has recorded four Covid-19 deaths, which included two 63-year-old men, a 65-year-old and a 68-year-old Filipino. On Tuesday, 94 suspected cases were admitted to various city hospitals, according to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, state Congress chief and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat and Health Minister Rajesh Tope appealed people to celebrate Gudi Padva indoors, exercising precautions in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. Setting an example, they celebrated Gudi Padva by hoisting the auspicious 'gudi' in their homes with only family members in attendance and circulated photos and videos to inspire the masses. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi: Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Chirag Paswan on Wednesday (March 25) asked his party MPs to contribute Rs 1 crore from their Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme fund to their respective constituencies for assistance in preventive measures for COVID-19. Besides LJP, other parties and their MPs have already declared to extend their contribution. Addressing his party MPs, Chirag Paswan wrote, in Hindi, "As you all know that COVID-19 is impacting the country, besides the whole world, therefore I request you to give Rs 1 crore from MPLADS to your Lok Sabha constituency as soon as possible so that administration does not have to face economic difficulties." The LJP chief further added, "This amount will be used for prevention of COVID-19 and will help in the delivery of mask, sanitiser, thermal scanner, soap or handwash, etc." Meanwhile, YSRCP MP from Machilipatnam V Balashowry has also announced a contribution of Rs 4 crores to the Chief Minister`s Relief Fund for combating the COVID-19 outbreak, while writing a letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. Balashowry said, "I seriously thought, as a Member of Parliament what is that I could do to strengthen your hands in these difficult times to deal with COVID-19 and came out with an idea and decided to contribute Rs 4 crores to CM Relief Fund from my MPLADS Fund, so that you can optimally utilize it to deal with Coronavirus." "I also feel that this gesture will send a good message to the people that we are also trying our best and contributing our mite in controlling and containing this deadly virus. I wish, if each of the 28 MPs contribute Rs. 4 crores each from their MPLADS Fund, it comes to Rs 112 crores," the letter added. On Tuesday, BJP leader and Pataliputra MP Ram Kripal Yadav donated an amount of Rs 1 crore from his MP Local Area Development Fund (MPLAD) to combat COVID-19 in his constituency. He wrote to the District Magistrate of Patna, Kumar Ravi to release the fund. Yadav told ANI, "My constituency consists of several villages and hence my responsibility in a time of crisis like this is increased. The Prime Minister is making all the efforts to deal with the crisis but it is also the responsibility of others to cooperate in this regard." The Pataliputra MP appealed to other public representatives to step up to the challenge of fighting this disease. Another BJP MP Virendra Singh has also released Rs 25 lakh to Ballia and Rs 10 lakh to Ghazipur district for purchasing masks, sanitizers and medicines from his MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund, to fight coronavirus. In a letter addressed to the district administration of Ghazipur, he wrote, "The coronavirus infection has gripped the entire world. Please accept Rs 10 lakh from my MPLAD fund for the purchase of hand sanitizer, masks, medicines etc. Feel free to approach me in case of any need." In a second letter, addressed to the district administration of Ballia, he wrote, "In order to purchase of hand sanitizer, masks, medicines, and other gears to contain the infection, I request you to accept Rs 25 lakh from my MPLAD fund. Please feel free to approach me whenever needed." Hisar BJP MP Brijendra Singh also extended a sum of Rs 1.04 crore from his MPLADS fund to make necessary arrangements to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The amount will be utilised for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, N95 masks, hand sanitizers, triple-layered masks, thermal scanners, spray pumps, air purifiers, consumable for sample collection etc, said Singh in a letter to Deputy Commissioner, Nodal Officer, MPLAd fund, Hisar. Singh, who is also an ex-bureaucrat, said, "I recommend that an amount of Rs 54,00,000 shall immediately be released for purchasing equipment for Covid-19 management under MPLAD scheme. I assign another Rs 50,00,000 for the purchase of ventilators for corona-affected patients, as and when the need arises." Want this delivered to your inbox each morning? Sign up here. The story of Easter President Trump has a new aspiration: to have the country opened up by Easter, on April 12. Its a publicly announced goal that horrifies health experts. Andrew has pieced together how the president came to side with the business-minded we cant have the cure be worse than the problem crowd. It began late last week when Wall Street executives warned the Trump administration of another Great Depression if Americans didnt get back to work soon. Financiers like Lloyd Blankfein and Gary Cohn suggested that, based on reports coming out of China and Italy, younger people might be able to return to work sooner. None of those executives are doctors or scientists. The White House also seized on opinion pieces like this NYT Op-Ed by David Katz, the founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, that questioned the guidelines about flattening the infection curve through extreme social distancing. (Mr. Katzs piece has been rebutted by other experts.) Lucrative opportunities amid crisis The healthcare and pharmaceutical market saw a big bang last week when Viet A Corporation exported the first batches of COVID-19 test kits to Ukraine, Finland, Iran, and Malaysia, marking an important landmark not only for Viet A but also for the countrys medical science as only handful of nations are currently able to produce the same item. The move was made around 10 days after announcement of the successful research of real-time RT-PCR kits for the qualitative detection of COVID-19, and the license to begin large-scale production. As a 100 per cent privately-run business, Viet A is the only company in the country allowed to produce the one-step kit after it and the Military Medical Academy successfully carried out research over two months, with result approval from the national sci-tech council led by the Ministry of Science and Technology on March 3. We have so far made a few shipments abroad for our products. The kit is considered our most successful result because it comes at the right time, Phan Quoc Viet, general director of Viet A Corporation, told VIR. Overnight billionaires According to Viet, each kit is valued at VND400,000600,000 ($17-26), while the threshold in the US doubles or even triples. Viet A thus far has received orders from 20 countries, including those in Europe such as Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany, and Italy, with the highest orders comprising 150,000 test kits. This means that Viet A will earn a huge profit in the upcoming days, and much more in the near future, driven by growing demands on the worsening situation in the region and within the EU. At home, the demand for test kits is also significantly rising as a number of Vietnamese living and studying overseas are rushing to come back home. Hanoi is welcoming about 600-800 repatriates, and sometimes up to 1,000 a day. It took China 12 weeks to control the pandemic, while it is just two weeks for Hanoi since it had the first new infection on March 6. However, there are signals of rising infected cases in the upcoming time, said Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of Hanoi Peoples Committee. Viet A now has a daily production capacity of 10,000 units. If necessary, it can be increased by three times to meet the local demand as well as for exports and international support. With chartered capital of VND1 trillion ($43.47 million) and as a pioneer in commercialisation of high-tech research in the healthcare sector, the company is yet to earn much fame in the market, but that could be about to change. Viet A case is just among many companies well known amid COVID-19, which is creating new medical and biotech billionaires in Vietnam, and globally. In the upcoming time, they will show their faces. For example, private LIFE LAB, in operation since early 2020, is providing healthcare checks and biotech tests with modern medical equipment. With local demand for tests on the rise amid the outbreak, the company expects to realise its dream of becoming a billionaire in the lucrative industry. According to the latest report on the COVID-19 crisis from BIDV Securities, the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry is one of the beneficiaries. Drug firms trading via the over-the-counter channel and those with a high rate of products related to the outbreak will gain as local demands grow. Therefore, Viet A and LIFE LAB are not the only participants in the race. Other giant drugmakers such as Dai Uy Pharmaceutical JSC, DHG Pharmaceutical JSC, Domesco, and OPC Pharmaceutical JSC are approaching a golden opportunity to increase production to serve prevention and fight so as to recover from poor performance in 2019. Together with domestic players, multinational corporations are also earning an advantage to get richer and gain market share, with outstanding names being 3M Vietnam, Novartis, Sanofi, Zuellig Pharma, GSK, and Pfizer, which are the leading producers of medicines and vaccines. While aviation, tourism, and other sectors globally are being hardest hit by COVID-19, companies in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry are seeing their assets and value swell. For instance, in China, Allmed Medical Products Co, Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech Co., Hualan Biological Engineering, and Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting Co are getting richer. And in the US, pharma giants like Pfizer, Sanofi, and GlaxoSmithKline plan increasing drug prices in the US in 2020. They are all among the leaders in the Vietnamese pharmaceutical market with strong expansion plans in the country. In particular, Sanofi Vietnam has three factories in the country, supplying 80 per cent of its products locally. Outsiders join in Because of the advantages, the industry is also attracting many outside businesses. Gauze masks and handwash gel are the most attractive areas, following an insufficient supply. A few days ago, domestically-run Nagakawa Group, famous for refrigeration products, air conditioners, and washing machines, officially joined the race when 100,000 units of anti-bacteria cloth masks produced by KLW Vietnam Garment JSC, one of the groups units, got certified to go to market. Nagakawa said that it is capable of producing 200,000-300,000 units a day. This is a wise solution for the group amid the low season of air conditioner consumption. Similarly, Canifa, one of the countrys biggest fashion stores, has produced 100,000 masks, and sold 10,000 antibacterial cloth masks, since the start of February in Hanoi. Previously, masks were not a popular product for Canifa, which produced just an extremely small number of masks for its stores. Amid the outbreak of COVID-19, the company had been facing a challenge because of a big fall in number of customers. This new development is expected to partly help Canifa survive the difficult period. Elsewhere, other domestic and international giants including electronic giant Foxconn and SAIC-GM-Wuling are also in the start of mask production. In the field of handwash gel, similar competition is heating up. Last month Vietnam Petroleum Institute (VPI) successfully produced VPI-gel, which is now available. Also last month, Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC successfully made handwash gel, while Lifebuoy the worlds top-selling antibacterial soap, also released handwash gel. Last Friday, Iranians all over the world celebrated Nowruz, or Persian New Year, which is concurrent with the advent of spring. This is the biggest and most important celebration of the year for Iranians living in Iran and abroad, as well as for people in 11 other countries neighboring Iran. However, this years celebration is significantly different. People across our planet are fighting the coronavirus Covid-19 which has caused the loss of tens of thousands of lives across the globe, and in many countries the toll continues to rise. The people of Iran are not immune to the ravages of this virus as they fight to meet the challenge. The World Health Organization has called the virus a pandemic. Many countries are spending billions of dollars to confront it. And there is no clear prospect as to when this disease will be contained. For its part, Iran is also struggling to mobilize resources to defeat the virus. However, Irans ability to deal with it in an effective manner is limited due to the unjust U.S. sanctions imposed on the Iranian people. Medics treat a patient infected with the new coronavirus, at a hospital in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 8, 2020. With the approaching Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, officials kept up pressure on people not to travel and to stay home. Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour, who gave Iran's new casualty figures Sunday, reiterated that people should not even attend funerals. It has been more than 22 months since the U.S. withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal the JCPOA and imposed an unprecedented sanctions regime on Iran which has created hardships for ordinary Iranians; particularly the most vulnerable segments of society, such as patients with special diseases who are suffering from a lack of imported medicine. The U.S. maintains that humanitarian goods are exempt from its extra-territorial sanctions. However, that is not the reality. The financial channel required for facilitating transactions, even for humanitarian commodities, is not available, for financial institutions are worried about U.S. vengence in the event that they find themselves in violation of U.S. laws. Exceptions aren't working Even the so-called Swiss Channel, designed to facilitate humanitarian trade with Iran and announced with much fanfare, is not functioning well because of the cumbersome nature of transactions in transferring Irans reserves blocked outside Iran to the designated Swiss bank. Furthermore, as strict U.S. interference in Iranian trade further drains our foreign currency reserves, this channel may actually become redundant in few months. As such, it appears that the U.S. administration is more interested in paying lip-service to the notion of humanitarian needs, and is engaged more in propaganda, than in actually facilitating the humanitarian business with Iran. Story continues Today, the whole world is consumed by the coronavirus. No country can claim to be immune from the threat posed by it. It is an international threat traversing borders and necessitating a well-coordinated, concerted international response. The U.S.s sanctions on Iran, including on its medical sector, is badly impeding Irans efforts to contain the virus. And thus, in comparison with other countries and despite its excellent medical capabilities, Iran, while one of the most severely affected, is actually less equipped to contain Covid-19 than others. Countries today are more dependent on each other than before. The complex challenges the world faces today necessitate more cooperation and coordination at the international level. In this context, one is not able to meet these challenges alone, or deal with their consequences alone. All nations are, ultimately, in the same boat journeying on often stormy seas. Either we will succeed and win together, or we will be hurt and lose together. Iranian people suffer The continuation of the illegal U.S. sanctions on Iran will only negatively affect Irans ability to contain the disease. Consequently, the Iranian people will suffer more as a result of this bankrupt policy, as will the other nations on our interconnected planet. The U.S.s insistence on continuing or even doubling down on its sanctions policy is not only immoral and against international law, but also endangers the lives of many people not just in Iran, but also across the globe. The best thing the U.S. can do right now to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus is to undo its sanctions against Iran. That would allow the Iranian public and private sectors to have the necessary resources to fight the virus. The U.S. is under moral and legal obligations to do so sooner rather than later, and help not just Iranians, but humankind itself. Majid Ravanchi is Iran's ambassador to the United Nations. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Majid Ravanchi: Iran needs relief from U.S. sanctions The State Department has repatriated more than 9,000 Americans from 28 countries amid the coronavirus pandemic, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said Tuesday. The "unprecedented global effort" to repatriate US citizens comes as dozens of countries have shuttered their borders and restricted travel in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus -- leaving thousands of Americans stranded. However, obstacles remain in getting Americans back home, and some of those who are stranded still feel that they are not getting enough guidance. A senior State Department official announced Tuesday that they were "deploying a senior-level official to travel to Peru and support our aggressive repatriation efforts on the ground" after two planned flights to repatriate some of the hundreds of remaining travelers were delayed. 'The numbers are coming in and growing every day' Tuesday's repatriation update marks a significant increase from Monday, when another senior State Department official told reporters they had brought home more than 5,000 Americans from 17 countries. That official said they were tracking 13,500 Americans seeking assistance abroad. A third senior State Department official on Tuesday could not offer an updated number of Americans seeking assistance but told reporters that "at least 40 flights" are scheduled over the next six days and they expect 3,400 identified passengers to be on those flights. That official said that about 9,300 Americans had been brought home on 70 flights, stretching back to repatriation flights from Wuhan, China, in January and February. Asked about the jump in repatriations overnight, a fourth State Department official said that "the numbers are coming in and growing every day." "Just in the next 48 hours we do have three different cruise ships coming in," they said on a call with reporters. "Each of these are bringing in more and more Americans and we're working hard, around the clock, to bring more and more in." Ortagus said Tuesday that the effort to date "has involved close collaboration with the US Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, foreign governments, commercial airlines and other private-sector partners, and NGOs." "The department has never before undertaken an evacuation operation of such geographic breadth, scale and complexity. We are using all the tools at our disposal to overcome logistical and diplomatic challenges and bring Americans home from hard-to-reach areas and cities hardest-hit by the virus," she said. Engagement with 'highest levels' of Peruvian government Those tools included engagement with "the highest levels" of the Peruvian government following the delays of two planned repatriation flights Tuesday. The US Embassy in Lima advised US citizens to "stay in their lodging until further notice." "We are working to seek permission from the Peruvian government to land airplanes arriving from the United States," they said in an advisory. The first senior State Department official said Tuesday that "the Peruvian government declined to approve permits for a charter flight operated by American Airlines that departed Miami with a scheduled arrival in Lima that afternoon. Unable to receive the appropriate clearances, the pilot returned the airplane to Miami." "The Peruvian government also failed to provide the proper clearances for a LATAM flight to pick up Americans stranded in Cusco," they said. "The US Embassy and US Department of State will not rest until we've worked through these issues with Peru to get our people back to the United States," that official said. A House Foreign Affairs Committee aide told CNN, "Our understanding was that State was literally negotiating these things in real time in DC and in Lima and was very open to members of Congress kind of reinforcing the ask, so I think the Peruvian Embassy here has gotten a gentle pitter-patter of phone calls and emails today from members about this." They said they did not believe Peru was denying landing permission out of malice, but rather that "the Peruvians themselves have moved to a much more restrictive posture around air travel and their own airport." Monday's senior State Department official noted that "Peruvian capacity for handling these flights is very limited." "Due to Covid infections in their civil airport in Lima, they've had to close that airport," that official said, noting that they are operating out of "the other side of the airport, which has much, much, much less in the way of capacity, so they are able to process far fewer flights through." However, there is concern among those outside of the cities that even if the flights are approved, they won't be able to reach them. "This is our fear: being left behind once everyone in Lima is able to fly home," said Nicholas Beach, an American stranded in Iquitos, Peru. The senior official said Monday that they were "hesitant to give a guarantee" that they would be able to move every person, noting that "we're hearing about people who are in very remote locations in very remote parts of the world." "It's complicated," they said. "We are moving very large numbers of people and we will continue this effort." Australian Radio Network (ARN) has been forced to shut its Melbourne offices after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. On Tuesday, GOLD104.3 breakfast host Christian O'Connell broke the news on Twitter, revealing that the offices had gone into a 24-hour lockdown. The news was later confirmed by Radio Today, with an ARN spokesperson explaining that an unnamed employee had returned a positive result for coronavirus. 'Safety is our priority': Australian Radio Network have been forced to put their Melbourne offices into emergency lockdown after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. On Tuesday, GOLD104.3 breakfast host Christian O'Connell (pictured) broke the news on Twitter. The identity of the staff member has NOT been revealed 'After contact with a person who recently returned from overseas, late yesterday a staff member of the ARN Melbourne team tested positive for COVID-19.' they said. The spokesperson explained the infected person had limited contact with staff and space in the office. 'This staff member had minimal access within the ARN Melbourne office and all non-essential staff were already working from home,' they said. The spokesperson added that staff health and welfare was of the utmost importance after the exposure. 'The health and well-being of our people is our number one priority,' they said. 'We're in constant communication with any Melbourne staff who may have been in contact with this person.' Brand: Australian Radio Network has a number of brands under its umbrella including Gold, KIIS FM and iHeartRadio. Pictured: The 3pm Pick-Up star, Rebecca Judd. The identity of the staff member has NOT been revealed The network was forced to replay an old show on Tuesday. However, they confirmed they were set-up for future broadcasts. Australian Radio Network has a number of brands under its umbrella, including Gold, KIIS FM and iHeartRadio. As of March 25, COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Australia with more than 2,000 people diagnosed with the virus and eight deaths. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Australian Radio Network for comment. In an editorial published in 1997, I called for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahus resignation. I described his policies as myopic, truculent and regressive. I condemned the expansion of settlements in occupied areas of Palestine and petitioned for an immediate and permanent cessation to the expropriation of Arab lands, a practice rebuked by the international community and seen as a blatant invitation to unrest and violence. I also denounced dastardly alliances with jingoist generals and unholy covenants with religious zealots in Brooklyn and Jerusalem aimed at forcing a theocracy on a largely secular society. I questioned the Likud Partys inexplicable compulsion to scuttle peace negotiations, its wrathful scorn of world censure and its long-standing and savage antipathy toward the Palestinian people all hallmarks of an administration oscillating between incompetence and aberration and posing grave threats to peace and stability in the region. In short, Mr. Netanyahus regime, I asserted, was a calamity and a recipe for disaster. Roundly denounced, my views would be validated by ensuing events. Mr. Netanyahus stern and capricious governance brought not one iota of security perceived or actual. Instead, as successive political crises between his administration and the Palestinian Authority deepened, Jews and Arabs found themselves mired in frustration and endless conflict. Mr. Netanyahus combative style and pugnacious rhetoric exhumed and revived old hatreds, reopened festering wounds, and triggered a new swell of cynicism, misgivings and suspicion. Israelis are demoralized; some are revolted and terrified. Israels friends are exasperated, her enemies galvanized, former negotiating partners are livid. Bitterness and rancor deepen with every stroke of Mr. Netanyahus ministerial pen, every hostile decree, every calculated vacillation, every broken word, every bullet fired at stone-throwing youths. This pernicious alchemy, formulated in the name of national security, has yielded confusion, anxiety, sorrow and, yes, insecurity. Heartened by the short-lived prospect of a peaceful resolution of their protracted dispute, Israelis and Palestinians now teeter between bewilderment and apprehension, defiance and bloody paybacks. Neither side can endure the suspense and agony of military occupation. Spasms of retaliatory violence have since nullified erratic and snail-paced steps toward peace. Last, I warned that myth, paranoia and the corruptive forces of chauvinism had hopelessly tainted Mr. Netanyahus alleged vision of peace and security. Twenty-three bloodstained years later, Mr. Netanyahu, who was re-elected to an unprecedented fifth term amid charges of bribery and fraud, is pushing Israel on a new collision course with the Palestinians and its steadfast and forbearing American ally. Betraying his ghoulish patriotism, his intransigence and lifelong hostility toward Palestinians (he considers them a sinister and divisive element,) have invigorated the religious right, whose enormous financial resources continue to underwrite his campaigns and whose gluttonous territorial expansionist objectives he has vigorously endorsed. His recent oratory, including bombastic threats of annexation, rules out any chance of a modus vivendi. Issued from the sword and resting on some of the Bibles less than endearing passages, his policies have daunted attempts to bring about security and stability. Given these sobering realities, one might infer that Mr. Netanyahu, his titanic ambitions fulfilled, and his acolytes placated, never intended to make peace. His actions and words suggest that his administration, from the beginning, was bent on breaking the spirit of the Palestinian people. Hard line begets harder line. Security by intimidation, repression and economic persecution feeds animosity and delivers insecurity. He who sows the wind reaps the tempest. As I write this, I am painfully reminded of what Gideon Saar, former minister of the interior (and a past information chief at Israels Consulate General in New York, where I worked for a time as a press officer) said at a staff briefing on the prospects of peace and which, for reasons I then attributed to scruples, I failed to include in my 1997 essay. To this day, I cannot say whether Saar was stating policy or relishing a moment of wishful thinking: Israel has no intention of making peace but rather to weaken the resolve of Palestinians by attrition, provocation, psychological warfare, the expropriation and colonization of occupied parcels of land and, ultimately, the absorption of Palestinians into a one-nation Jewish state. Super-hawk Saar is widely considered to be Netanyahus most likely successor. Scandalized, discouraged, I resigned my consular post. Israels actions and the devious aspects of Americas farcical peace plan seem to confirm Saars prophetic avowals. Meanwhile, as the Palestinians, marginalized, strangers in their own land, struggle to preserve fragments of their shrinking patrimony, new synagogues are rising on confiscated land. Born in Paris, W. E. Gutman is a Franco-American journalist and published author. He is a former press officer at Israels Consulate General in New York. He lives in Lake Worth, Fla. A U.S. Joint Forces bearer team carries the casket of Harry Reid into the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. (AP) The former Senate majority leader was remembered as a pragmatic dealmaker who became a political force across two presidencies. The delay of the nationwide vote on changing the constitution is a blow to Putins main project for the year. He first proposed the constitutional changes, including stricter limits on presidential terms, in his January address to parliament. Then, earlier this month, a member of Putins United Russia party proposed that a reconstructed constitution should give Putin a clean slate of presidential terms, meaning he could run twice more for the presidency once his current term expires in 2024. To the Editor, When the chips are down, the cards are revealed. Well, the cornoavirus has the chips down and the GOP had revealed its cards. The cards say Greed over people. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said the elderly should be willing to take the risk of dying of corona in order to keep the economy going while on the Tucker Carlson show. And there you have it; the pro life party has made it clear when corporate profits are involved, lives dont matter. Lives dont even come in second to corporate profits as they are not even a consideration to the party of Greed over people. The GOPs pro life stance is all about keeping the religious right voters on their side; they have no regard for any lives but those of rich people. Some GOP bloggers have said that maybe we should not shut down the economy to protect a small segment of the population that is expensive to maintain and not productive. Wow. Its 1933 all over! When the Nazis (You know, those people the GOP is always saying everyone who disagrees with them are like.) took over Germany one of their earliest measures to restore the German economy (and the first step towards the Holocaust) was to reasonably and calmly suggest that the useless eaters, i.e., seriously ill people, the mentally handicapped, the clinically insane, etc., would be better off relieved of what was called existence without life through gentle euthanasia and pointed out how much better the economy would be for everyone else once those who existed without life were euthanized. When the Democrats struggled to get basic healthcare enacted, the GOP created the death panel lie, implying government death panels would decide people werent (given) treatment and allowed to die for economic reasons. Now along comes COVID and look whos arguing for letting people die for economic reasons. Holy Hypocrisy, Batman! I recently wrote a letter in which an Alton resident said I should be ashamed of myself for attacking the right in America. I am actually proud of the fact I oppose the party of Greed Over People. The letter writer should be ashamed of his hypocrisy in never attacking the rights vicious attacks on everyone else. In fact, possible the GOP oligarchs are licking their chops in anticipation of COVID creating a solution, should I say a final solution to what they see has the problem of the elderly and sick taking up all that nice tasty social security money that could be going to tax cuts for the rich? Theyre tried to kill Social Security forever; now maybe theyve decided letting COVID kill as many people who need it as possible is the next best thing. But you can bet if that fossilized tortoise on the senate, Moscow Mitch, got so much as a sniffle not one cent of taxpayer money would be spared getting him to the best veterinary hospital in America for unlimited treatment so he can keep running the Senate as a tool to effectively shut down democracy and turn America into a one party country, much like the country he emulates, Russia, is. Russ Bullman East Alton Three fresh cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Telangana, taking the total number of people infected with the virus in the state to 39, according to a bulletin issued by the state government late Tuesday night. A 64-year-old woman, a resident of Hyderabad who came into contact with one of the previous positive cases, is among the new patients. A 57-year-old man and another woman from Bhadradri-Kothagudem, both of whom came into contact with positive cases, also tested positive for coronavirus, the media bulletin said. The process of contamination has started in the residential areas of Bhadradri-Kothagudem district and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and Rangareddy district areas, the bulletin said. None of the three patients had recent history of travel abroad. The 39 cases include the very first patient in the state who was discharged after recovery. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office was asked to transfer more than 420 million of its fund to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, a Cabinet official said Wednesday. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles in a media briefing, announced that the PCSO "is hereby directed by the inter-agency task force to transfer 420,585,000" to PhilHealth. "The said amount shall be utilized to cover COVID-19 related packages of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation," Nograles said. He added that the amount corresponds to the remaining 50 percent of the standby fund under Executive Order 201. The order, issued in 2003, set aside an amount not exceeding 1 billion for the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. The government is now using the money to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier assured that patients do not have to pay for the cost of testing, while PhilHealth will to a certain extent cover medical costs associated with COVID-19. This was mandated under the new Republic Act 11469 or the "Bayanihan to Heal As One Act." It states that "the cost of treatment for COVID-19 patients shall be covered under the National Health Insurance Program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation." Each PhilHealth member could avail of a package worth 14,000, Duque earlier said. Those with moderate pneumonia are entitled to a coverage worth 16,000. If the beneficiary develops severe pneumonia, PhilHealth could cover up to 32,000. The Philippines now has 636 COVID-19 cases, including 38 deaths and 26 recoveries. Since Tuesday, 20 new cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in Norwalk residents, bringing the total positive reported cases in Norwalk to 66. In Fairfield County, the number of new positive cases went from 384 to 546. There are now 875 cases statewide, Gov. Ned Lamont said Wednesday, with seven more deaths and 106 hospitalized. The deaths were all in patients in their seventies or older. Parking authority waives parking fees for month of April Last night, the Norwalk Parking Authority voted to halt all parking fees for street, surface lots and garages for the entire month of April. This follows Mayor Harry Rillings March 18 order, which required pay-to-park requirements be waived for all City metered spaces until April 1. Fodor Farm Greenhouse stops selling plots No more plots are being sold at the Fodor Farm Greenhouse due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who have already purchased a space and planted seedlings can still access the greenhouse. There is now a strict one person only rule for those entering the greenhouse until further notice. Those in violation will no longer be able to access the facility. Blood donors needed The American Red Cross has an ongoing critical need due to Coronavirus pandemic. Blood drives are being held in the greater-Norwalk area in the days and weeks ahead. Find out more and schedule an appointment at redcrossblood.org. Mayor urges social distancing in warm weather The weather tomorrow (March 26) appears to be dry and sunny. City officials strongly urge residents to stay home and limit their outdoor activities at public parks and beaches. If members of the public do use these facilities, they must adhere to the strict social distancing guidelines recommended by federal, state, and local health officials. I again ask residents to please be aware of their surroundings and be courteous to one another. We all love our beaches and parks, and at the moment those facilities remain open, but I really need the publics help and cooperation in practicing social distancing and not congregating in groups if they are to stay open, Rilling said. We are all adjusting to this new normal and doing the best we can. Every day brings its new challenges and obstacles, but we will get through this as a stronger community. I thank everyone for their continued patience and understanding. Members of the public are encouraged to sign-up for the Citys CodeRED Emergency Alert Notification System at norwalkct.org/codered. Updates on City services, hours, and community resources will be routinely published at norwalkct.org/citynews. The latest health updates can be found at norwalkct.org/coronavirus. The Bay Area may be largely shut down, but postal workers are out on the streets delivering letters and packages. One problem: there arent enough of them. The U.S. Postal Service said it is seeing spikes in demand for package delivery similar to what it normally expects around Christmas as more people stay home and order things they would normally buy in stores. The postal service is hiring for up to 1,000 jobs in the Bay Area in San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland in particular even as many other companies, particularly in the hard-hit retail sector, close and lay off employees. The agency offers federal benefits including retirement savings and salaries in the $17 to $20 per hour range. Letter carriers are not the only type of opening. Jobs are also available moving mail through processing centers, repairing machinery, operating tractor trailers and working as a custodian. Other delivery companies have also embarked on hiring sprees to keep up with demand. Delivery giant Amazon previously announced it wants to hire 100,000 people, both full and part-time, nationwide. Safeway is trying to hire 2,000 workers while the Raleys grocery chain is hiring shoppers and delivery workers. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Imperfect Foods, Instacart, Farmstead and Good Eggs are also hiring. Delivery service UPS said that it is not currently hiring more than it normally would but is taking precautions to protect delivery personnel and customers from coronavirus infection. Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New York Citys playgrounds could soon close if residents dont start complying with social distancing protocols, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Tuesday. During a press briefing, the mayor said the citys playgrounds may be shut down as soon as next week if residents dont start heeding the advice of health and government officials. If people are not abiding by the rules, if people are not listening to the warnings, we may get to the point in just days when we have to close the playgrounds for the duration of this crisis, de Blasio said. Its not something that I want to do, but its something that Im ready to do if needed. To assess whether or not a complete closure is necessary, NYPD patrol officers will be out in force educating the public on new rules and enforcing social distancing, the mayor said. Were going to make clear through NYPD enforcement, and enforcement by many other city agencies, that we must have real respect for these rules and anyone whos not following these rules will be quickly corrected,'' de Blasio said. "Theyll be warned. Theyll be educated. NYPD will be out making very clear to people... that we need people to deal with this new reality of social distancing. The city will assess residents adherence to the social distancing rules on Saturday evening, at which point the city will decide whether or not to close the playgrounds. If, by the end of Saturday, if it is not sufficiently clear that New Yorkers are following these new rules, at that point well be prepared to shut down playgrounds for the foreseeable future, de Blasio said. OPENING UP STREETS The mayor also said that, starting Thursday, the city will begin a new pilot program that would open up to two streets per borough to pedestrians, with enforcement in place to ensure social distancing. Weve worked with the state and with the City Council on an initial effort to make sure that we can enforce a limited number of streets that will be opened up, de Blasio said. Everyone wants to make sure that there are spaces for folks to get their exercise, to get fresh air. We also are quite clear, there must be enforcement. It has to be places that the NYPD and other agencies can enforce effectively," the mayor continued. While specific locations and exact details of the program have yet to be announced, de Blasio said he expects the pilot to be up and running later this week. Our goal is to get these up and running by Thursday,'' he said. "Details will be announced, but one things for sure: Every site can and will be enforced by the NYPD and other agencies.'' BUDGET REDUCTIONS The citys Office of Management and Budget has been instructed to immediately initiate a savings program that requires city agencies to identify over $1 billion in savings amid growing expenses and declining revenue. That goal -- and I wanted to use these words very, very specifically -- the goal will be at least $1.3 billion and everyone whos listening knows that thats real money, thats a huge amount of money and that process has begun today, de Blasio said. I say at least, because that number may have to grow in the near future as we continue to lose revenue and see massive new expenses because of this crisis, he continued. VENTILATORS During the press conference, de Blasio praised the federal government for finally providing New York City with 400 ventilators earlier this week, with an additional 2,000 (4,000 statewide) on the way. However, he cautioned that much more will be needed in the coming weeks and months. Thats great news, but I need people to understand that that is just the beginning of what we need,'' he said. "The speed with which this disease is growing, human impact, the fact (is) that we could lose a life in minutes if theres not a ventilator, even with the new supplies we have received and will receive this week. With the rate of increase of this disease, we need ventilators to be constantly provided to New York City until we get to the point where were absolutely sure we have an ample supply, he said. DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT The mayor also praised the federal activation of the Defense Production Act, which allows the federal government to control the production and distribution of critical supplies by private companies. We heard the news earlier today that, for the first time, the Defense Production Act had actually been activated in the real world conditions were talking about where its used to guarantee that companies are producing exactly what is needed to protect the American people and those goods will be distributed to where the need is greatest, de Blasio said. We are finally beginning to see the Defense Protection Act being implemented,'' he said. It will have to be used on a much bigger scale to produce not only what New York is going to need ... but this will be a national crisis, all 50 states. We must get to maximum production immediately, he added. I am pleased to see progress, but we have a long way to go. *** CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Latest on NYC school closures: Child care to be available for first responders With restaurant dine-in option halted, Uber Eats waives delivery fees MTA continuing to monitor service levels as coronavirus spreads Amazon warns of slower deliveries, depleted stock amid coronavirus Rumor of a mandated national quarantine is untrue and unfounded, White House says S.I. to be first borough with drive-thru testing for coronavirus Fact vs. rumor: America is not quarantined for coronavirus, National Security Council says Coronavirus: NYC bars, restaurants limited to takeout and delivery Lees Tavern to temporarily shut its doors amid coronavirus outbreak Photos: Bare shelves inside Staten Island stores during coronavirus outbreak Coronavirus court scale-down: No new jury trials starting Monday; other appearances to be limited With NYC schools closing, parents and teachers prepare for new normal How fast is coronavirus growing in New York? Chart shows dramatic rise in cases Coronavirus on Staten Island: Non-essential court proceedings postponed Coronavirus: Executive order will postpone all elective surgeries FATMA Ameir, one of the few female tour guides in the stone town says she is already feeling the impact of coronavirus on her life; We are now idle, this health problem has left us with no job following travel restrictions across the globe. Ms Ameir is among the estimated more than ten thousand people, majority being youth employed directly in the tourism industry who are now finding themselves with no job following restrictions on foreigners coming to Zanzibar in efforts to curb the spread of the deadly COVID-19. Almost two weeks since the travel ban on tourists from Italy, the leading visitors and investors in Zanzibar, most of the hotels, restaurants, foods cafes, tourists sites, tour guides, and tour/taxi operators organisations are now jobless. This is a big blow on us who rely on tourism at almost 100 per cent. Other activities like agriculture (spices) and cloves farming has in the past decade remained behind tourism, Thabit Abdulrazak from Zanzibar Association of Tours Operators (ZATO) said. Mr Abdulrazak says because of multiple effects of coronavirus on the lives of the people, it has proved that they and the country need to have reliable multiple sources of income in the future. He said that people in Zanzibar should now take farming or agriculture serious as alternatives to volatile tourism business. Let us think beyond tourism. It is unfortunate we have few and volatile sources of income. Let us hope the on-going oil and gas exploration project gives positive results. Shortly after announcing the travel ban imposed on foreign flights to Zanzibar, the Minister of Information, Tourism, and Antiquities Mr Mahmoud Thabit Kombo said the effect of coronavirus on tourism is more than 95 per cent. Tourism is Zanzibars leading foreign exchange earners of more than 80 per cent, contributing more than 25 per cent to the Isles GDP. The Zanzibar government and the people here depend largely on tourism for their livelihood. Although we have low season of tourists like at this time, we were still receiving visitors. Let us follow health guidelines to control coronavirus so that the ban does not last longer, said Mr Mussa Abubakar- a hotel manager. Authorities here have imposed an indefinite ban on entry to people travelling from any country with reported coronavirus cases, with the exception of citizens returning home and foreigners with residence permits, who will have to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine. Zanzibar also joined other countries to closedown schools and higher learning institutions, and discouraged avoidable gathering including funerals and weddings as added measures to control the spread of COVID-19. The government is also directing people to avoid or minimize gatherings in hospitals and markets. The safety of our people is our top priority, Mr Khatib Abdulrahman Khatib- Mayorof Zanzibar City says. Mombasa, Mwanakwerekwe, and Darajani central market are famous markets that attract many people including tourists and hotels operators both during day and evenings because of reasonable prices compared with the price in supermarkets. Pemba South Regional Commissioner Hemed Suleiman Abdalla has also called on traders in his region to observe hygiene in support of the global war against the spread of coronavirus as Mufti office (responsible for Muslim affairs) directed Imams (leaders in mosques) to shorten mass prayers. Sheikh Khalid Ali Mfaume- Secretary, Mufti office emphasized that the on-going restrictions on gathering only aim at containing the COVID-19 as directed by health experts fighting the virus. Last Wednesday, the Isles Health Minister Hamad Rashid Mohamed said Zanzibar was joining the global war against coronavirus by suspending learning in all institutions of learning after confirming the first case of coronavirus here. He said one of the three people: A Ghanaian, Germany, and a Tanzanian whose sample were taken to Dar es Salaam for testing had tested positive. The Ghanaian aged 24 entered Zanzibar from Germany on March 11, 2020. UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) statement on the containment of coronavirus covid-19 says tourisms continued growth and unique transformative potential is dependent upon stability and international solidarity. The sector must, therefore, always put people and their wellbeing first. The decision to cancel this years ITB Berlin on public health grounds shows that tourism is living up to its responsibility to put people first, and that tourism is one of the leading economic sectors in the world. It is also a key driver of sustainable development and supports millions of livelihoods worldwide. UNWTO will continue to work closely with its partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), to ensure the tourism sector responds to an evolving situation in a measured and responsible manner. At the same time, UNWTO stands ready to support its members as they plan for the future and harness the power of tourism to drive economic and social recovery. A hazaradous waste management firm is being prosecuted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for breaching its licence. Rilta Environmental Ltd is charged that at Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co Dublin, it failed to comply with a condition of its industrial emissions licence granted by the EPA. Dr Archibald Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, has said three specimen of suspected Coronavirus cases sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute from various facilities in the Region tested negative. He said the Regional Coronavirus Response Team had, therefore, scaled up information sharing measures to contain the pandemic and urged all to abide by the protocols to avoid spreading the disease. Dr Lesta said this on Tuesday when he paid courtesy call on the Regional Immigration Office to acquaint himself with preparedness of officers and men of the Service towards preventing spread of the disease. He warned that any Immigration official who would compromise professionalism for personal gain would be punished by law. The Minister entreated the Officers and men to adhere to the basic protective measures recommended by the World Health Organisation, handwashing, maintaining social distancing, avoid touching one's face, practising respiratory hygiene and stay at home if unwell. He appealed to all and sundry to add the spiritual dimension to the fight against coronavirus as announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to observe the national day for prayer and fasting. Dr Letsa asked the media to avoid spreading fear and panic. Mr Peter Nantuo, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, in charge of the Region, said 40 Nigerien and eight Nigerians, who entered Ghana illegally, had been deported. He said the activities of the foreign nationals were against the national response to contain the Coronavirus disease as their social contacting measures through itinerant or hawking exposed Ghanaians to infections hence their deportation. If any foreign national enters Ghana's frontier through unapproved routes, they have within 24 hours to make themselves available to Immigration to normalise their entry, or render themselves breaking our laws, he said. In a related development, a five-member Immigration Communication Task Force was inaugurated by the Minister to deliver timeous on-the-spot information from its border post. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video On Tuesday, 30 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in 22 different homeless shelters in New York City. Given the still limited testing for the virus in the New York area and the crowded and unsanitary conditions in homeless shelters, the real number of infections is undoubtedly many times higher. Eight of those infected have been hospitalized, while five of the individuals who tested positive have left the shelter system. New York City is currently the center of the coronavirus pandemic in the US. As of Tuesday, New York state had 26,638 confirmed cases, and New York City had over 15,500. New York thus accounts for 7 percent of the world total of coronavirus cases and has an infection rate of 1 per 1,000 residents, on a par with that of Italy. Among those at particular risk of getting infected and dying from COVID-19 is the citys huge homeless population, which is around 80,000 people on any given day. In 2018-2019, 114,000 children experienced homelessness. That is one in ten school children in the city, an increase of 70 percent over the past decade. Around 44,000 of them lived in shelters. A homeless person in the US The particular vulnerability of the homeless population, like that of prison inmates and immigrants in detention facilities, has long been known and medical journals have warned of the spread of COVID-19 to these locations. On March 11, the leading medical journal The Lancet published a report warning that the homeless are extremely vulnerable to the virus for a number of reasons linked to their abject poverty. Accommodations used by the homeless provide perfect conditions for the rapid spread of the contagion. Shelters see high numbers of individuals living in proximity, and many of them have been brought together from various parts of the city and may have interacted with hundreds of people. New Yorks shelters rarely provide adequate access to hygiene supplies and facilities, and placement in them is only available to those listed in the citys homeless database. Those who are not registered are often thrown onto the street. For the unsheltered, the unsanitary conditions of encampments, abandoned buildings, and sidewalks also contribute to the spread of the disease. A 25-year old worker at a family shelter in New York City told the WSWS that the city was not doing anything to alleviate the significant pressures and dangers facing people in the shelters. They're not even giving the families hand sanitizers. My shelter has 70-75 families. Everything is set up in apartment style and people are in each others face. She said that the number of homeless people living in shelters continues to increase. She noted that fewer and fewer people have been leaving the shelters, because the city provides vouchers of only $1,323 for two people, far too little for two people to find a place in New York City, which has one of the most expensive housing markets in the world. On Monday, the City reported that hospitals, already overwhelmed by the surge in cases, are sending homeless people who have tested positive for COVID-19 back to the shelters if they are not deemed to be in need of acute medical care. The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) has been scrambling to set up isolation spaces for infected residents. In addition, the homeless population suffers disproportionately from chronic health conditions that put it at graver risk of death from the virus. Another factor is the prevalence of drug addiction within the population. On the one hand, the weakening effects of addiction on a persons immune system mean that an infection is more likely to lead to death. On the other, the sharing of paraphernalia and needles in drug use provides the highly infectious virus increased opportunity to spread. Between July 2018 and June 2019, a record number of 404 homeless people died in New York City. Taken together, these conditions provide a recipe for a disastrous spread, not only among the homeless population, but also among shelter workers and the population at large. Workers at homeless shelters are under particular threat of infection due to their exposure and shortage of protective equipment. They are deemed essential and in many cases are not allowed to work from home. One shelter worker told the WSWS that the DHS would not follow the executive order to reduce the workforce and are only doing 50 percent staffing this Monday. Nothing is being done to protect us at all. ...We dont have hand sanitizer wipes or other cleaning products, a homemade mixture of water and bleach is being used. Social workers have to buy their own cleaning products. An email from the director states that Our funders want us there. A social worker at a family shelter who is required to go into the office two days a week told the WSWS: When we first heard about COVID-19 my shelter wasnt doing anything. . Now we have resident assistants that are not able to work from home and literally do not wear masks. Now that unemployment is skyrocketing, many [social workers] are at home. Many family members of my colleagues have been laid off. The average income of a social worker in a New York shelter ranges from $38,000 to $55,000 a year. The indifference of the Democratic-led city and state governments in the face of a public health disaster that was predicted if there was no significant intervention has been nothing short of criminal. In response to the initial detection of coronavirus in the homeless shelter system on March 20, a DHS spokesperson simply pledged to explore options in dealing with the crisis. Mayor de Blasios callously stated, Shelters by definition are going to be harder in some cases to deal with physically than others. In February, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced that the city would provide an extra 200 residences for the homeless to confront the looming outbreak. Johnson and fellow Democratic Councilman Stephen Levin also suggested that being on the street may be safer than being in a dormitory-style shelter for the homeless. This policy of malign neglect is putting the health and lives of hundreds if not thousands of homeless people and social workers are at risk. New York City, home to the largest number of billionaires and millionaires in the world, has over 250,000 empty apartments. This means that for every homeless person there are three vacant properties. As the Socialist Equality Party demands in its March 17 program of action in response to the COVID-19 crisis, To the extent that private property gets in the way of emergency measures, it must be swept aside. . office buildings and similar structures, many of which are now empty, must be converted into hospitals and clinics and used to provide emergency housing for the homeless and for students who are being forced to leave college dormitories. While New York is currently the center of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US, without serious containment measures the spread of the disease will assume similarly explosive dimensions in other parts of the country, affecting the homeless population everywhere. On March 17, the governor of California warned that as many as 60,000 homeless individuals could catch the virus. Meanwhile, in Washington state, authorities have used a state of emergency declaration by the governor to evict homeless people from their shelters so that they can be used to care for COVID-19 patients. B ritain is set for an end to the glorious spring weather, with temperatures expected to plunge and snow even expected in some areas of the UK, the Met Office said. The country has seen a week of sunshine and soaring temperatures, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered people only to leave their homes for "very limited purposes amid the coronavirus outbreak. Althought the mercury is set to rise to highs of 18C in parts of England and Wales for the rest of this week, the weekend is likely to see cloud and patchy rain from the north, bringing colder conditions and wintry showers along the North Sea coasts. Temperatures will only reach 11C in the south, with sunny spells on Saturday morning turning to cloud for most of the UK. There could even be snow in higher areas, experts say. Looking ahead to next week, the Met Office said: "Towards the end of March it will be largely dry, however, eastern areas will likely see showers of hail and snow at times, which will accumulate on higher ground and could give some snow and ice to lower levels during the night. A northeasterly wind will keep it cold. "High pressure conditions should dominate through the beginning of April, bringing plenty of dry, fine weather with bright or sunny spells across the UK, particularly in west. "Winds will be predominantly light, with any breezier weather bringing a significant wind chill, indeed it looks likely to remain colder than average with further chance of snow. "Unsettled conditions will tend to gradually become more established from the northwest later, bringing spells of wind and rain." People enjoy the sunshine on the seafront at Whitstable at the weekend / AFP via Getty Images The change in weather is bad news for some workers who have been making the most of this week's soaring temperatures while working from home. But Mr Johnson said people must stay at home except for shopping for basic necessities and medical needs, for exercise but only once a day, and to travel to work only if "absolutely necessary". Former Fairview Township police Officer Tyson Baker is invoking the coronavirus epidemic as he pleads for an early release from federal prison, where he is serving time on a corruption conviction. In an emergency petition filed with U.S. Middle District Court, Baker, 45, claims he is especially susceptible to contracting the virus due to high blood pressure and an autoimmune deficiency. Baker is currently in the federal prison at Gilmer in West Virginia. He is about two years into a 42-month sentence Senior Judge Sylvia H. Rambo imposed after he was convicted in 2017 of stealing drug money, including some cash that was planted in an FBI sting. In the emergency petition, defense attorney Jack McMahon claims that even before the outbreak of the pandemic Baker was informed he was likely to be released to house arrest six to nine months early. McMahon wrote that while in prison Baker received an award for heroism for helping a car crash victim he encountered while working as a driver outside the jail. The COVID-19 pandemic provides an exceptional reason for Baker to be released ASAP, McMahon contends. He noted that Iran has furloughed about 54,000 prison inmates because of the pandemic. The Chinese confirmed 500 virus cases in their prisons and found COVID-19 spreads rapidly among those behind bars, McMahon wrote. Bakers petition does not mention that one of 32 inmates transferred to the Allenwood federal prison in Pennsylvania from an Oklahoma City lockup just tested positive for COVID-19 as well. Due to this increased risk, (Bakers) nonviolent background, (his) excellent conduct while incarcerated and the closeness in time to being released from custody anyway, McMahon asked that his client be immediately placed on house arrest or probation. Court records show no action had been taken on the request as of Wednesday morning. Promotions and Senior Appointments 2020 - General and Flag Officers Backgrounder Promotions and appointments, resulting from retirements, are as follows: Promotions and appointments, resulting from retirements, are as follows: A. Lieutenant-General S.J. Bowes will retire from service resulting in the following promotions and appointments: (1) Major-General D.W. Lowthian will be appointed Canadian Armed Forces Senior Advisor to Veterans Affairs Canada, in Ottawa ON, replacing Lieutenant-General S.J. Bowes (2) Brigadier-General S.N. Clancy will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and will be appointed director of NORAD operations, in Colorado Springs CO, replacing Major-General D.W. Lowthian (3) Colonel F.W. Radiff will be promoted acting while so employed to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed as Deputy Commander Canadian detachment, at joint base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage AK, replacing Brigadier-General S.N. Clancy B. Vice-Admiral D.C. Hawco will retire from service resulting in the following promotions and appointments: (1) Major-General F.J. Allen will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General and appointed as Canadian Military representative to NATO, in Brussels Belgium, replacing Vice-Admiral D.C. Hawco (2) Rear-Admiral C.A. Baines will be appointed as Deputy Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, in Ottawa ON, replacing Major-General F.J. Allen (3) Rear-Admiral B.W.N. Santarpia will be appointed as Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic, in Halifax NS, replacing Rear-Admiral C.A. Baines (4) Major-General J.S.S.D. Fortin will be appointed as Chief of Staff Operations, Canadian Joint Operations Command, in Ottawa ON, replacing Rear-Admiral B.W.N. Santarpia (5) Brigadier-General M. Misener will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and will be appointed as Commander First Canadian Division, in Kingston ON, replacing Major-General J.S.S.D. Fortin (6) Colonel D.J. Cross will be promoted acting while so employed to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed as Commander Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General M. Misener C. Lieutenant-General J.M. Lanthier will retire from service resulting in the following promotions and appointments: (1) Lieutenant-General M.N. Rouleau will be appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, in Ottawa ON, replacing Lieutenant-General J.M. Lanthier (2) Lieutenant-General C.J. Coates will be appointed Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command, in Ottawa ON, replacing Lieutenant-General M.N. Rouleau (3) Major-General J.P.A. Pelletier will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General and will be appointed as Deputy Commander North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), in Colorado Springs CO, replacing Lieutenant-General C.J. Coates (4) Brigadier-General E.J. Kenny will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and will be appointed as Commander 1 Canadian Air Division, in Winnipeg MB, replacing Major-General J.P.A. Pelletier (5) Brigadier-General I.S. Huddleston will be appointed as Director General Air Readiness, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General E.J. Kenny (6) Colonel M.W. Goulden will be promoted acting while so employed to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed as Deputy Commander Force Generation 1 Canadian Air Division, in Winnipeg MB, replacing Brigadier-General I.S. Huddleston D. Major-General S.M. Cadden will retire from service resulting in the following promotions and appointments: (1) Brigadier-General M.H. St-Louis will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and will be appointed Commander Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre, in Kingston ON, replacing Major-General S.M. Cadden (2) Brigadier-General M.C. Wright will be appointed as Commander Joint Task Force impact, in Iraq, replacing Brigadier-General M.H. St-Louis (3) Commodore C.T. Skjerpen will be appointed as Chief of Staff Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General M.C. Wright (4) Captain(N) D.J. Patchell will be promoted acting while so employed to the rank of Commodore and will be appointed as Director General Naval Strategic Readiness, in Ottawa ON, replacing Commodore C.T. Skjerpen E. Rear-Admiral L. Cassivi will retire from service resulting in the following promotions and appointments: (1) Brigadier-General D.C. Aitchison will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and will be appointed Commander Canadian Defence Academy, in Kingston ON, replacing Rear-Admiral L. Cassivi (2) Colonel M.L. Lapointe will be promoted acting while so employed to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed as Deputy Commander US Army Alaska, in Elmendorf AK, replacing Brigadier-General D.C. Aitchison F. Major-General F.J. Chagnon will retire from service resulting in the following promotions and appointments: (1) Brigadier-General Jayne will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and appointed as Chief of Staff, Assistant Deputy Minister Information Management (ADM IM), in Ottawa ON, replacing Major-General F.J. Chagnon (2) Brigadier-General P.C. Sabourin will be appointed as Director General Cyber, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General A.R. Jayne (3) Brigadier-General D.J. Lambert will be promoted to the substantive rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed as Director General Information Management Operations, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General P.C. Sabourin (4) Brigadier-General G.R. Smith will be appointed Director General Intelligence Enterprise, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General D.J. Lambert G. Major-General A.M.T. Downes will retire from service generating the separation of the responsibilities of the Surgeon General from the responsibilities of the Commander Canadian Forces Health Services Group and resulting in the following appointments and promotion: (1) Brigadier-General J.G.M. Bilodeau will be appointed to and assume the responsibilities of the Surgeon General, in Ottawa ON, from Major-General A.M.T. Downes (2) Commodore R.L. Patterson will be appointed to and assume the responsibilities of the Commander Canadian Forces Health Services Group, in Ottawa ON, from Major-General A.M.T. Downes (3) Colonel A.J. Atherton will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed as Director General Professional Military Conduct, in Ottawa ON, replacing Commodore R.L. Patterson H. Rear-Admiral J.A.S. Page retired from service resulting in the following promotions and appointments: (1) Commodore C.S. Earl was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral and was appointed as Chief of Staff, Assistant Deputy Minister material, in Ottawa ON, replacing Rear-Admiral J.A.S. Page (2) Commodore L. Carosielli will be appointed as Director General Maritime Equipment Program Management, in Ottawa ON, replacing Commodore C.S. Earl (3) Captain(N) R.C. Gray will be promoted acting while so employed to the rank of Commodore and will be appointed Assistant Deputy Minister (Material) Project Manager Canadian Surface Combatant, in Ottawa ON, replacing Commodore L. Carosielli I. Major-General J.S. Sirois will retire from service resulting in the following promotions and appointments: (1) Brigadier-General K.G. Horgan will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and will be appointed as Chief of Staff, Assistant Deputy Minister Infrastructure and Environment, in Ottawa ON, replacing Major-General J.S. Sirois (2) Brigadier-General S.M. Lacroix will be appointed as Chief of Staff, Vice Chief of the Defence staff, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General K.G. Horgan (3) Brigadier-General W.H. Fletcher will be appointed as Commander Third Canadian Division, in Edmonton AB, replacing Brigadier-General S.M. Lacroix (4) Colonel R.T. Ritchie will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed as Deputy Commander with XVIII Airborne Corps of the US Army, in Fort Bragg NC, replacing Brigadier-General W.H. Fletcher J. Brigadier-General D.J. Anderson will retire from service resulting in the following promotions and appointments: (1) Commodore J. Hamilton will be appointed Chief of Staff Readiness, Canadian Joint Operations Command, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General D.J. Anderson (2) Captain(N) S.M. Thornton will be promoted to the rank of Commodore and will be appointed Director General Defence Force Planning, in Ottawa ON, replacing Commodore J. Hamilton K. Brigadier-General D.B. Cochrane will retire from service resulting in the following appointment: (1) Commodore M.T.J. Kurtz will be appointed Commander National Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General D.B. Cochrane L. Brigadier-General J.J.M. Girard will retire from service resulting in the following promotion and appointment: (1) Colonel K.E. Osmond will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed as Permanent Representative Mission New York, with the United Nations, in New York NY, replacing Brigadier-General J.J.M. Girard M. Brigadier-General M. Leblanc will retire from service resulting in the following promotion and appointment: (1) Colonel D.P. OReilly will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed as Commander 2 Canadian Air Division, in Winnipeg MB, replacing Brigadier-General M. Leblanc N. Brigadier-General B.W.G. McPherson retired from service resulting in the following appointment and promotion: (1) Brigadier-General J.W. Errington will be appointed as Commandant Canadian Forces College, in Toronto ON, replacing Brigadier-General B.W.G. McPherson (2) Colonel J.J. (Joshua) Major will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed Chief of Staff Army Operations, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General J.W. Errington 3. The following promotions and appointments result from new and continuing service requirements: A. Rear-Admiral J.B. Zwick will be appointed to a one-year temporary assignment as Chief Strong Secure and Engaged Combat Systems Implementation resulting in the following promotions and appointments: (1) Brigadier-General S.R. Kelsey will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and will be appointed as Chief of Force Development, in Ottawa ON, replacing Rear-Admiral J.B. Zwick (2) Brigadier-General C. Ayotte will be appointed Director General Army Capability Development, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General S.R. Kelsey (3) Brigadier-General P. Peyton will deploy as Ministerial Liaison Team Director Operation Impact, in Iraq, replacing Brigadier-General C. Ayotte (4) Captain(N) M.D. Bowen will be promoted acting while so employed to the rank of Commodore and will be appointed as the J7 to United States Cyber Command, in Maryland VA, replacing Brigadier-General P. Peyton B. Commodore G. Bernatchez will be promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral and will remain as Canadian Armed Forces Judge Advocate General, in Ottawa ON. C. Brigadier-General M.H.L. Bourgon will be appointed to a fellowship at Queens University resulting in the following promotion and appointment: (1) Colonel J.D. Smyth will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed as Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Canadian Joint Operations Command, in Ottawa ON, Replacing Brigadier-General M.H.L. Bourgon D. Brigadier-General R. Goodyear will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and will remain as Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance) Director General Budget, in Ottawa ON E. Brigadier-General J.R.P. Laroche is posted to RCAF HQ, in Ottawa ON, resulting in the following appointments: (1) Brigadier-General A.R. Day was appointed as Deputy Director of Operations for the United States Indo-Pacific Command, in Oahu HI, replacing Brigadier-General J.R.P. Laroche F. Commodore B.A. Peats will deploy as Commander standing NATO Maritime Group resulting in the following promotions and appointments: (1) Brigadier-General E.D. Simoneau will be appointed Director General Plans, Strategic Joint Staff, in Ottawa ON, replacing Commodore B.A. Peats (2) Brigadier-General J.P.R. Prevost will be appointed to the Privy Council Office as Director Operations Foreign and Defence Policy, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General E.D. Simoneau (3) Brigadier-General P.K. Scott will be appointed Director General Operations, Strategic Joint Staff, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General J.P.R. Prevost (4) Colonel J.E.S. Boucher will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and will deploy as Commander Task Force Jerusalem, Operation Proteus, in Jerusalem, replacing Brigadier-General P.K. Scott G. For the first time ever, the CAF will be sending a General Officer to the United States Air Force Space Command (USAFSPC). Brigadier-General K.G. Whale will be appointed to a new position as the Deputy Commander Plans, USAFSPC, in Colorado Springs CO, resulting in the following promotion and appointment: (1) Colonel G.M. Adamson will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed Director General Space, in Ottawa ON, replacing Brigadier-General K.G. Whale H. Captain(N) D.A. Charlebois will be promoted to the rank of Commodore and will deploy as Commander Combined Task Force 150 I. Colonel M. Gros-Jean will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed to a new position as Deputy Commander Support, Canadian Special Operations Force, in Ottawa ON 4. The following general officers and flag officers will be promoted from Acting While So Employed (AWSE) to substantive: (1) Brigadier-General F.G. Carpentier will be promoted to the Substantive rank of Brigadier-General and remain Commander, 2nd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force (East) (2) Brigadier-General R.B. Dundon will be promoted to the substantive rank of Brigadier-General and remain Director General Land Equipment Program Management (3) Brigadier-General M.I.N. Tremblay will be promoted to the substantive rank of Brigadier-General and remain Director General Aerospace Equipment Program Management 5. After distinguished service to Canada and the CAF, the following General Officers and Flag Officers retired in the latter stage of 2019 or will retire in 2020: A. Lieutenant-General S.J. Bowes B. Vice-Admiral D.C. Hawco C. Lieutenant-General J.M. Lanthier D. Lieutenant-General C.T. Whitecross E. Major-General S.M. Cadden F. Rear-Admiral L. Cassivi G. Major-General F.J. Chagnon H. Major-General A.M.T. Downes I. Rear-Admiral J.A.S. Page J. Major-General J.S. Sirois K. Brigadier-General D.J. Anderson L. Brigadier-General D.B. Cochrane M. Brigadier General K.R. Cotten N. Brigadier-General J.J.M. Girard O. Brigadier-General M. Leblanc P. Brigadier-General B.W.G. McPherson Q. Brigadier General J.P.L. Meloche R. Brigadier-General J.M. Theriault An armed California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officer escorts a condemned inmate at San Quentin State Prison's death row in San Quentin, Calif., on Aug. 15, 2016. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Californias Prison Costs Rise as Inmates Grow Older, Have Mental Health Issues Graying inmates, aging prison infrastructure, and the increased need for mental health care in prisons have strained Californias budget in recent years, according to experts who advise the state government. Scott Graves, director of research at the California Budget & Policy Center, is one of those experts. At a Feb. 20 senate budget hearing, he said the number of inmates who have mental health issues is on the rise. And the state should consider the costs of that, both financially and sociallyMaybe prison isnt the best place for them, he said. We need to appropriately address the needs of people with mental illness. It is shocking that almost three in 10 state prisoners are receiving mental health treatment, Graves said. Thats more than a 150 percent increase from 2000, according to a Stanford Justice Advocacy Report. Graves added, State prisons are spectacularly inappropriate places for people with mental illness to be housed. Under Gov. Gavin Newsoms proposed 202021 budget, the state expects to spend $800 million on mental health care in state prisons. Thats more than a fifth of the total $3.6 billion projected health-related spending for state prisoners. For at least a decade, California has spent more on prisoner health care annually than any other state, according to multiple Pew Charitable Trusts reports. The most recent Pew report, from 2017, showed Californias health care spending per prisoner was just under $20,000 annually, compared to a national average of a little over $6,000. A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officer opens the gate for a condemned inmate who is leaving the exercise yard at San Quentin State Prisons death row in San Quentin, Calif., on Aug. 15, 2016. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) With COVID-19 affecting health care everywhere, including in prisons, its unclear how that cost may grow. Californias inmates are older by far, on average, than theyve ever been. And its the elderly and people in close-quarters with others that are most vulnerable to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. At least five employees in state prisons, and one inmate, had tested positive for COVID-19 as of March 24. On that date, Newsom ordered a halt to the intake or transfer of inmates in prisons and youth correctional facilities; those inmates will instead remain in county custody for the next 30 days. Rising Costs of Infrastructure In fiscal 201819, each prisoner cost the state about $84,000 total, Graves told The Epoch Times in an email on March 17. The 201920 estimated cost is about $89,000, and the projected 202021 cost is about $91,000, he said. He cautioned, however, that the estimated costs may be inaccurate and are often higher than actual costs. Much of the rising cost can be attributed to an aging prison population that requires more geriatric and mental health care, according to state officials who spoke at the February senate hearing. But another major cost is deteriorating prison infrastructure. The proposed 202021 budget calls for an increase of $74 million over last years $13.4 billion to pay for ongoing and backlogged maintenance of correctional facilities and the purchase of new vehicles. A Feb. 28 Legislative Analysts Office (LAO) report noted that infrastructure at 12 of the oldest state prisons has generally exceeded its expected useful life. These may require over 150 infrastructure projects totaling over $11 billion. The state has 34 prisons, all of which require some infrastructure maintenance, though not as extreme as that needed at these oldest prisons. Newsom has focused on decarceration to cut costs, emphasizing programs to support would-be inmates instead of keeping them in prisons. Part of that plan includes closing a state prison by 2024, reducing the prison population by about 4,300. The LAO report suggested closing two state-run prisons instead of one, to cut back on infrastructure costs. It suggested scaling back on Newsoms initiative to close privately run prisons and instead close another deteriorating state-run facility. Vivek Viswanathan of the California Department of Finance said of the prison-closure plan during the hearing, The governor has announced an intention to close a state prison if current population trends hold but its impossible to say right now which prison might be slated for closure. The state is pushing ahead with its three-year plan to phase out privately run prisons by 2022, he said. A view of San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, Calif., on March 13, 2019. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Graves generally supports Newsoms decarceration plans and his emphasis instead on rehabilitation and community re-entry. But some of those plans have also had vocal opponents, including the California Police Chiefs Association. Plans to Reduce Prison Population Weve done a lot to advance decarceration in California, so kudos to the Golden State. Were one of the leaders, Graves said. Based on research by organizations such as the Rand Corporation and Sentencing Project, Graves said, other states have been reducing the number of correctional beds by tens of thousands over the last decade. Though some prisons have been closed in other states, he said its rare for a large, state-run prison to be shut down. Most of the prisons being phased out are smaller, minimum-term, medium-size facilities, Graves said. Privately run centers, work-release centers, and camps are being closed. Graves cited state propositions, such as 36, 47, and 57 as positive steps toward criminal justice reform. Proposition 36 was passed by voters in 2012, changing the Three Strikes law. Previously, for example, if someone who had been convicted of two serious or violent crimes committed a third, non-serious or non-violent crime, that person would get a life sentence. That third-strike rule no longer applies. Proposition 47 was passed by voters in 2014, reducing penalties for offenders convicted of non-serious, non-violent property and drug crimes. Proposition 57 was passed by voters in 2016, reducing the amount of time inmates serve in prison, primarily by expanding inmate eligibility for release and sentence reduction. But the California Police Chiefs Association (CPCA) has said these penalty reductions have gone too far. CPCA supports a measure, called the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2020, that is expected to be on the November ballot to repeal parts of Propositions 47 and 57. CPCA Chief Ronald Lawrence told The Epoch Times in a Dec. 18, 2019, interview that these propositions have made it harder for law enforcement to keep order in the state. Would-be prisoners are being released onto the street, he said. And with reduced penalties has come increased crime, he said. Graves told the senate committee that nibbling away at these laws could prevent the state from achieving its goal of decarceration and closing a state prison. The Nov. 3 election, he said, will be a test to see if Californians are ready to stay the course on criminal justice reform. New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) In a first, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday while hearing a matter through video conferencing directed the government to appoint a nodal officer from Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan to ensure the safety and well-being of Indian students stranded at Almaty airport due to corona outbreak. A division bench of the High Court presided over by Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh asked the government to communicate the details and other necessary particulars of the nodal officer so appointed, including his name and telephone number, to the students stranded there. The bench asked the authorities to expeditiously provide students with basic amenities and humanitarian assistance in terms of food, medical care and lodging and transportation, as may be necessary. The court also directed the Centre that the details can also be uploaded on the official website of the Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan as well as on the website of the Ministry of External Affairs. The court was hearing a petition filed by Sehla Saira through advocate Fouzia in which the bench was informed that several Indian students, who are enrolled for higher studies,including MBBS, at Semey Medical University in Kazakhstan are stranded without food, water, transportation and medical aid. While the judges joined the video conferencing from their respective residences, the lawyers joined in from their offices. --IANS anb/prs Matthew Lillard's neighbors took to their Californian street to celebrate the return of a family friend after she finished her last round of chemotherapy for Ewing sarcoma. The 'Scream' actor took to his Twitter on Wednesday to share that family friend Coco finished her last chemo treatment on Tuesday, prompting his neighbors to throw an 'impromptu welcome home party.' 'People may need some goodness right now,' the 50-year-old father of three said in his tweet. 'Coco finished her last chemo treatment yesterday. 9 months later and Ewing sarcoma can SUCK IT! 'Our community threw an impromptu welcome home party for our favorite warrior. Leave a comment below...let her know how radical she is! #COCO.' Scroll down for video The 'Scream' actor took to his Twitter on Wednesday to share that family friend Coco finished her last chemo treatment on Tuesday, prompting neighbors to throw a welcome home parade for the child The tear-jerking video shows an unsuspecting Coco quickly getting overwhelmed as she sees the parade of cars. Neighbors and well-wishers could be heard shouting congratulations to Coco as she waves and wipes away tears. 'We love you,' several folks shout out to Coco as Lillard giggles in the background Vehicles line the street, with signs reading 'Welcome Home!' and 'Congratulations Coco' hanging from them. As the father of three drove Coco to their Californian home, neighbors greeted them and celebrated their return Vehicles line the street, with signs reading 'Welcome Home!' and 'Congratulations Coco' hanging from them Coco waves and wipes away tears as Lillard drives down the street Each car is filled with a family as people in their neighborhood do their best with social distancing in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The video comes to a close with the 'Scooby Doo' actor excitingly planning to go back around the block to celebrate Coco's return. Lillard shares three children with wife Heather Helm, who he has been married to since 2000. Matthew Lillard and his wife Heather Helm have been married since 2000 According to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Ewing sarcoma is a tumor that grows in the bones or in the soft tissue. It often starts in the legs, pelvis, ribs, arms or spine but can spread to the lungs, bones and bone marrow. It is the second most common bone cancer among children in the United States, with approximately 200 cases diagnosed each year. It is said to effect more boys than girls and is not inherited. One more person has tested positive for coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh, taking the number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 38, a senior health official said on Wednesday. The official said that 11 of the 38 people have been cured and discharged from hospitals. "One fresh case was found positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. The total number of cases have now reached 38, including eight in Agra, three in Ghaziabad, 11 in Noida, eight in Lucknow , two in Pilibhit and one each in Lakhimpur Kheri, Moradabad, Varanasi, Kanpur, Jaunpur and, Shamli," he said. Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan told reporters here that those cured include seven people from Agra, two from Ghaziabad and one each from Lucknow and Noida, and added that the condition of other people who are undergoing treatment is stable. Elaborating on the arrangements made in Uttar Pradesh hospitals to treat suspected cases, Mohan said the state presently has 6,000 isolation beds and their number will soon be increased to over 12,000 and the state has 6,000 quarantine beds. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) World Health Organization (WHO) officials have warned that the United States could become the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, which broke out late last year in Wuhan, China. On Tuesday, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said the US has a 'very large acceleration' in infections. She noted that 85 per cent of new cases were from Europe and the US within a 24-hour period. Of those, 40 per cent were from the United States. Despite those numbers, Harris said on Wednesday that she believes the US can change its trajectory. 'The potential is there, but you've still got time to turn it around,' Harris told CNN. Scroll down for video On Tuesday, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said the US has a 'very large acceleration' in infections. She noted that 85 per cent of new cases in a 24-hour period were from Europe and the US. Of those, 40 per cent were from the US. New Yorkers wait to be tested on Wednesday Despite those numbers, Harris said on Wednesday that she believes the US can change its trajectory. Medical personnel from BayCare test people for the virus in a parking lot in Tampa, Florida Workers take paperwork from a motorist headed into a drive-thru site to test for the new coronavirus outside Stride Community Health, Wednesday in Aurora, Colorado Harris believes the key is to continue testing people, which ultimately means finding each case and identifying those who may have come into contact with others who have been infected. Then, those individuals who have been exposed to the illness need to be quarantined. 'Finally, getting the people who are ill to treatment - and when you do that, really, really protect your health workers,' Harris said. Italy currently has the highest number of coronavirus deaths in the world with more than 6,000, after abruptly overtaking China - where 3,285 people have died - late last week. But the US is on pace to become the new leader. The virus first started in the US on West Coast with Washington state and California. The virus quickly spread to New York where there are more than 30,000 cases of coronavirus, with 17,000 being in New York City. Last week, New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio called the Big Apple the 'epicenter' of the coronavirus outbreak in the US. But recent reports show that New Orleans is on track to become the next coronavirus epicenter in the US, dashing hopes that less densely populated and warmer-climate cities would not be hit as hard by the pandemic. The plight of New Orleans - with the world's highest growth rate in coronavirus cases and where authorities have warned hospitals could collapse by April 4 - also raises fears it may be a powerful catalyst in speedily spreading the virus across the south of the country. New Orleans is the biggest city in Louisiana, the state with the third-highest case load of coronavirus in the US on a per capita basis after New York and Washington state. The growth rate in Louisiana tops all others, according to a University of Louisiana at Lafayette analysis of global data, with the number of cases rising by 30 per cent in the 24 hours before noon on Wednesday. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump issued a major federal disaster declaration for the state, freeing federal funds and resources. Some 70 per cent of Louisiana's 1,795 confirmed cases to date are in the New Orleans metro area. The state has reported 65 deaths. Last week, New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio called the Big Apple the 'epicenter' of the coronavirus outbreak in the US. But recent reports show that New Orleans (medical personnel pictured Wednesday) is on track to become the next coronavirus epicenter in the US National Gaurd members in hazmat suits performs COVID-19 tests in the parking lot of the Mahalia Jackson Theater in New Orleans, Louisiana on Wednesday Experts believe the rapid spread came from Mardi Gras. 'Mardi Gras was the perfect storm, it provided the perfect conditions for the spread of this virus,' said Dr Rebekah Gee, who until January was the Health Secretary for Louisiana and now heads up Louisiana State University's health care services division. She noted that Fat Tuesday fell on February 25 - when the virus was already in the United States but before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (DC) and national leaders had raised the alarm with the American public. 'So New Orleans had its normal level of celebration, which involved people congregating in large crowds and some 1.4 million tourists,' Gee said. 'We shared drink cups. We shared each other's space in the crowds. We shared floats where we were throwing not just beads but probably coronavirus off Carnival floats to people who caught it and took it with them to where they came from.' Gee said that the explosive growth rate of the coronavirus in the Mississippi River port city means 'it's on the trajectory to become the epicenter for the outbreak in the United States'. Dr Peter Hotez is the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College, a renowned vaccine scientist and an expert on the coronavirus pandemic. He said that the rapid grip the virus is gaining on New Orleans was deeply worrying and a possible harbinger for worse to come across the south and for less densely populated and warmer cities across America. 'There has been some research and data suggesting that warmer, more humid weather could slow this epidemic,' he said. 'The fact that this occurred on the Gulf Coast, which has some of the higher humidity and temperatures in the U.S., is a serious concern.' Hotez noted that more research into how climate does or does not play a role in the spread of this coronavirus needs to happen, but acknowledged that experts hoped that warm weather and the coming summer months in the northern hemisphere would be natural buffers against it. 'If you look at this epidemic, we've not seen much in the hotter parts of the country. Texas has not had a lot. Arizona has not had a lot. Then all of a sudden - bam! - it appears in strength in New Orleans,' he said. 'We have to follow this trend closely.' Having an entirely new coronavirus epicenter kick off means that the US may soon be dealing with multiple hot spots all at once, Hotez said - a worst-case scenario that could cripple healthcare systems. If predictions were correct, the hospitals in New Orleans would struggle to manage past next week, Governor John Bel Edwards told a news conference on Tuesday. New Orleans could well be the first major domino to fall in the south, starting a chain reaction in other metro areas in the region, said Hotez. That is a serious concern for Houston, the fourth-largest city in the country and a major center for the oil industry. The two cities have historically strong links made even more so by an influx of New Orleans residents into Houston following Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. MONTREAL - Shippers are in uncharted territory as the COVID-19 pandemic upends delivery patterns, with surging consumer demand mitigating a drop in corporate orders amid border closures and travel controls. Residential deliveries have gone up at an equal if not greater pace than the drop in business-to-business parcels as house-bound Canadians order items online, Purolator chief executive John Ferguson said. Hoarding of household items has fuelled the uptick. One person ordered six boxes of cereal, Ferguson said. I thought, Who orders six boxes of cereal? It also turned into people wanting to treat themselves, so theyre still buying fashion apparel, for example, he said. They want to maybe decorate a room now, since theyre sitting at home all day. Hospital shipments have also increased up to meet demand for additional medication and diagnostic equipment, even COVID tests and disinfectants, he said. Amazon Inc., the countrys largest online retailer, said Tuesday it is hiring more than 1,000 workers in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta to handle the spike in sales. Business-to-business (B2B) deliveries are decreasing, however, despite exceptions such as grocery store suppliers, said Marc Wulfraat, president of Montreal-based logistics consulting firm MWPVL International Inc. The B2B business which dominates FedEx and United Parcel Service Inc. in terms of their package volumes, thats down, Wulfraat said, noting bulk deliveries tend to yield higher margins than business-to-consumer (B2C) shipments. The B2C, thats up, he said. But in terms of business lines, thats not the lions share of what these companies are doing. Greater labour shortages already an entrenched problem in trucking are looming, adding to shippers woes. When you make the children stay home from school, a lot of people cant go to work. Those are the same people that drive the trucks and go to warehouses and do all the things we take for granted, Wulfraat said. Supply chain disruptions have also tripped up the flow of goods. Youve got ocean and air freight imbalances coming out of Asia, where industrial hubs such as Wuhan in China are starting to ramp up again, Ferguson said. Empty roads and highways across Canada clear a convenient path for drivers, but countering that are businesses that are shuttering or shortening their hours, the Purolator CEO added. We have an internal mantra right now: Keep calm and ship on. Teamsters Canada, whose truckers work for Purolator and UPS, said long-haul deliveries continue in spite of the economic downdraft. Based on the information we have and its changing every minute the package delivery business is doing OK, said Francois Laporte, president of Teamsters Canada. Canada Post, which relies heavily on direct-to-consumer parcels, said volumes remain steady. At Cargojet Inc., rising e-commerce sales have offset a downturn in international deliveries, said Laurentian Bank Securities analyst Mona Nazir. The Mississauga, Ont.-based cargo airline may be a net beneficiary in the current environment. Nazir said Amazons surge in sales has impacted Cargojet, which provides charter aircraft services to move packages from Amazon warehouses to distribution centres for final delivery. Meanwhile, Air Canada has started using its aircraft to operate cargo-only flights to Europe, with other flights planned for Latin America and South America. The planes have no passengers, but instead carry time-sensitive shipments, including medical supplies, the airline said Wednesday. The flights come as Air Canada slashes capacity in response to plunging travel demand due to government measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. The first cargo-only flights departed from Toronto for Frankfurt, London and Amsterdam this past week on Boeing 787 aircraft capable of carrying 35 tonnes of freight. Air Canada said it is also exploring opportunities to offer the service domestically using smaller Air Canada Express regional aircraft. While overall courier shipment volumes remain steady, the general economic forecasts are something that are going to impact all of us in the end and something well have to deal with, said Ferguson. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2020. Companies in this story: (TSX:AC, TSX:CJT) BBC boss Tony Hall told staff today that he is suspending controversial plans to cut jobs in BBC News because of the demands of covering the coronavirus pandemic. The BBC had announced a cull of 450 jobs from Newsnight, 5Live and other news output in cost-cutting plans and an effort to reach younger audiences in January. Staff had been left reeling at the scale of the cutbacks, which were set to see around one in 13 roles go as part of an 80million savings programme. BBC boss Tony Hall (pictured in March 2019 in London) has told staff he is suspending plans to cut jobs in BBC News BBC Broadcasting House in London is pictured in January. The BBC had announced cuts to Newsnight, 5Live and other news output as part of cost-cutting plans But Lord Hall has now told staff that the proposals will be suspended as the BBC deals with reporting on one of the biggest news events since the Second World War. The broadcaster's director-general told staff about the decision during an all-staff call. A BBC spokesman that the restructure had been paused. Its focus is now keeping a continuous news service on-air amid the challenges caused by the pandemic. At a presentation of the cuts by BBC management in January, presenter Victoria Derbyshire had challenged bosses about the way they had handled the decision. Earlier this month Lord Hall defended axing her show, saying it was watched mainly by old men and viewing figures of 300,000 did not justify its cost of 3million a year. At a presentation of the cuts by BBC management in January, presenter Victoria Derbyshire (above, on January 23) had challenged bosses about the way they had handled the decision Activists with face masks of Dominic Cummings and Boris Johnson take part in a 'whack a mole' photo call outside New Broadcasting House during the launch of the 'It's Our BBC' campaign to defend the broadcaster on March 9 Newsnight was among the programmes due to bear the brunt of the cuts, along with radio stations Radio 5 Live and the World Service, which were set to lose 50 roles. UK's public service broadcasters call on the Government to 'work with them' to help support freelancers The UK's public service broadcasters have called on the Government to 'work with them' to help support freelance workers in the broadcasting industry amid the Covid-19 outbreak. A statement from the broadcasters said: 'In a joint letter to the Chancellor signed by all the public service broadcasters, the broadcasters highlight the value of freelancers to the success of the UK's creative industries and urge the Government 'to provide a package of support to freelancers'. 'The public service broadcasters conclude by offering to work with the Government to 'help you identify a package of measures that would provide for a level of income protection and access to statutory sick pay for the freelance community in our industry as a matter of urgency'.' The letter was signed by BBC director-general Tony Hall, ITV CEO Carolyn McCall, Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon, Viacom CBS Networks International president of UK and Australia Maria Kyriacou and S4C CEO Owen Evans. Advertisement The BBC, which has about 6,000 news staff, was set to cover fewer stories and plough more money into its online output following the job cuts. When the cuts were revealed, unions warned of an 'existential threat' to the BBC and insiders hinted that compulsory redundancies could lead to potential strike action. In 2016, the BBC said it needed to save 800million a year from its annual licence fee revenue of 3.7billion, with about 80million coming from the news department. The job losses had been expected to happen between January and 2022 with some happening more immediately than others. Today's suspension comes after the BBC delayed the introduction of means-testing of the licence fee for over-75s because of the pandemic. A review of the number of BBC presenters 'and how they work' was also being launched as part of plans to 'modernise its newsroom'. The announcement also comes as local newspapers are affected by the pandemic. Newsquest is placing a 'significant number' of its staff on furlough while wage cuts will be introduced for remaining staff to 'minimise wider job losses'. Press Gazette said JPI Media is also suspending 12 print titles following a 'substantial reduction in advertising'. The corporation said, in January, that it wanted to 'reduce duplication' while making savings of 80 million, citing the last licence fee settlement. BBC chief Lord Hall is preparing to step down after seven years in the role. New product announcements will be different for every brand, depending on who the audience is and how big of an update or announcement is required. The one thing all product announcements have in common is that they engage existing customers. Initially, this is done with a product announcement email that outlines: You can likely envision the palpable excitement your prospects will have for your new product or feature, but at the same time, it may seem daunting to get the word out. We have some tips, best practices, and templates to help you out. A product announcement is the initial set of marketing activities aimed at promoting a new or updated product. Done well, product announcements bring awareness to the efforts your brand is making to improve or uplevel user/customer experience. The effort that will have the most impact in this endeavor is investing in your product announcement strategy. Your organization spends time and money researching, developing, and implementing a great product. The next (ongoing) step is to bring awareness to that product and its changes. That's where you come in. In the product marketing space, you have three main goals: increase the number of users, improve adoption and loyalty of those users, and reduce churn. As the development team continues to reduce friction by adding or improving features, users must be made aware of these changes so you can fuel your flywheel. Who the new product or update benefits The reason for the change or addition The problems and pains that it solves How best to take advantage of it To set the product announcement up for success, you may also choose to strategize a supporting launch campaign. In addition to the initial announcement email, this may include: A reminder email sequence to keep the product top of mind In-app or in-product tutorials or notifications Social posts and ads to reach users and fans outside of email Product or feature demos for high-profile users and all new customers Demos or promotional materials for tradeshows or other events Blog posts and promotion for large releases and announcements All of the above are examples of how to get the word out about your new product or feature set. Tips for Truly Memorable Product Announcements Here are a few ideas for planning out your next product launch or other company announcements. 1. Know Your Audience As you strategize your product announcement, you'll need to identify your target audience, especially if the product or feature will only be available to a segment of your existing and potential users. Focusing on a single buyer persona at a time will help you craft your strategy, write laser-focused messaging, and help you identify your promotion channels. The key thing to remember is that they are experiencing pains and problems that your new product or feature is likely to solve. 2. Know Your Competition In order to craft great messaging for your product announcement, you'll need to answer the following questions: How does your product compare to your competition? How does your new product or feature factor into this equation? What are the differentiating and positioning factors you can leverage? 3. Demonstrate the Value in Your Messaging When setting pen to paper (or fingers to keys), keep your buyer persona and competition in mind. Across each channel, your messaging should be targeting the pains and problems your customers are experiencing and leveraging your solution in a way that your competition doesn't. Take a stance and add some creativity along with your brand's voice to create your core messaging. 4. Pick the Right Channel for the Initial Announcement Meeting your prospects and customers where they hang out is a critical strategy for a successful product announcement. Many brands have the advantage of a large customer database that they use as a marketing asset, making email an ideal announcement choice for the initial announcement. If this is not the case for you, think about other channels and strategies you can lean into. 5. Strategize the Additional Promotions and Announcements If there is a visual element to your announcement, consider holding an in-person event, scheduling a webinar, or creating an online video. If the speed at which the news spreads is the most important factor, leverage your social media channels. Twitter is an especially great choice for this. If you care most about media exposure, reach out to a journalist you respect and offer them an exclusive. 6. Create Amazing Promotional Materials for Each Channel Email, blogs, and social media all need visual collateral to drive the point home. Think of your promotional materials as the vehicle for your message. Shareable graphics and videos that are aesthetically pleasing will go a long way during your launch. To get the most mileage out of each asset, tailor what you create to each asset, taking care to consider repurposing across channels. 7. Set Goals Unless you have a clear plan for how your efforts impact the bottom line, none of the above tips matter. Set S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals to measure the success and ROI of your campaign: Specific - "Creating awareness about the product" is a broad goal that lacks context. Expand on it. Why are you doing all you're doing? - "Creating awareness about the product" is a broad goal that lacks context. Expand on it. Why are you doing all you're doing? Measurable - Identify what metrics you'll measure and what will signify success. - Identify what metrics you'll measure and what will signify success. Attainable - Be realistic about those metrics and reverse engineer a clear path to achieve them. - Be realistic about those metrics and reverse engineer a clear path to achieve them. Relevant - Focus and ensure that the goal and the actions you're taking support the bigger picture. - Focus and ensure that the goal and the actions you're taking support the bigger picture. Time-Bound - Choose when the campaign ends and when you will evaluate its success. 8. Determine the Right Amount of Hype Theres nothing more deflating than a big build-up for a little announcement. Use suspense tactics to lead into a major product announcement, new partnerships, or big events. 9. Get the Timing Right Dont give too much lead time to your announcement, or your supporters will lose interest. Increase the frequency of hints and sneak peeks as you draw closer to the announcement. 10. Leverage Social Media One of the best ways to drop hints is through your social media channels. Theres nothing more intriguing than a tweet like, Something big is in the works cant wait for the world to see! 11. Tell Your Most Loyal Supporters First For announcements that arent top-secret, seek out a small group of your best customers and brand advocates and provide them with advanced notice. If youre launching a product or service, let them be the first to try it out and provide feedback. If you are throwing an event, host them for an exclusive dinner or give them a space to interact with each other. Fans are your best assets and should be empowered to help shape your product and speak on your behalf. 12. Be Agile You never know how announcements are going to go until you are smack in the middle of them. Be prepared to handle any surprises that could come your way, and react to them. A few plan Bs to have: If the Story Leaks: Try as you might to prevent leaks, sometimes news gets out ahead of time. When this happens, move quickly beyond the surprise and make the most of the occasion. Correct any inaccuracies and prioritize a communications plan to notify your customers as soon as possible. Then, run with the story. Make yourself available to answer any questions and invite bloggers or journalists to spread the story. If you had a launch event planned, turn that event into a celebration. If the Announcement Doesnt Go Over Well: Particularly if you are dealing with a new product or service, theres always a small risk that the public wont like what youve released. If this happens, try not to have a knee jerk reaction. Listen to the concerns youre hearing, and open up more channels for feedback. Communicate any changes you are making in response. If Your Site Goes Down: If you run into technical problems on the day you've released your news, dont panic. Designate a core team to be ready and responsive if there is any trouble with your website. Use every other channel possible to communicate the announcement and the work being done to fix the technical problem. Dont forget to breathe! The most important part is to let your genuine enthusiasm shine through your announcement. Make sure your audience is able to feed off that excitement. Product Announcement Template If you still need inspiration for the initial product announcement, you can use the templates and guides below and add your own flair. Product Announcement Email Consumers don't sit and read novel-length content while checking their email, so focus on the core message you want to convey and stick with it. Here is a template you can follow: Subject Line In the subject line, your goal is to get the email recipient to open the email. For this reason, you'll want to use suspense while setting expectations for what they're about to read. e.g. You asked, and we answered... Headline Write a concise and snappy sentence to draw the reader in. e.g. [Feature Benefit] That Saves 20% More Time First Paragraph Briefly paint a picture of how your prospect will benefit from your new product. What do they stand to gain? How will their life (or business) change? Second Paragraph Expand on the new product (or a key feature) and the main benefit. Call to Action If your prospect takes one action from this email, what would you want it to be? Use a brief imperative statement that tells your reader what to do next and make sure its aligned with the rest of the copy. Third Paragraph Announce any supporting details or information. Feel free to use bullets or icons to present the information in a visual and easy-to-digest way. You asked, and we answered... [Insert Feature] That [Insert Benefit] Hello [Contact Name], If you have been frustrated by [Insert Pains], you're not alone. Based on the feedback of our customers, we have been working on [Insert Product Name] to [Insert Benefit]. In addition to our other exciting [features/products], this addition will [Paint a picture of how their life or business will change]. You'll enjoy: [Insert Feature] for [Insert Benefit] for [Insert Feature] for [Insert Benefit] for [Insert Feature] for [Insert Benefit] [Add offer or incentive for them to purchase or take action now. Use scarcity.] [Add CTA Button] Product Announcement Blog Post Blog posts are a bit different in that you can go far more in-depth about your product announcement than in your email. Just be sure to use heading tags, images, bulleted lists, and other visual elements to break up the text for readability. Blog Title/Headline The blog title is similar to an email in that it is instrumental for getting individuals to open or click into the blog post. However, there's an added element of strategy to making your blog post as discoverable as possible. For this reason, it's best to include keywords in your blog post title that properly describe your product announcement while still maintaining an air of creativity. Keep in mind that a headline should also be under 60 characters. e.g. [Company Name]'s [Product Feature] Has Landed. First Paragraph Your first paragraph should hook the reader by empathizing with the problems and pains theyve been experiencing. Use this space to connect with your reader and prove that you care about their situation. Second Paragraph Make your product announcement. Explain what has changed, the benefits they can expect, and how it's an ideal solution to the pains and problems you mentioned in the first paragraph. Call to Action Similar to the email, if they take one action from this post, what would you want it to be? Use a brief imperative statement as the anchor text to a link where they can complete that action. Third Paragraph Announce any further details or supporting information. Feel free to use bullets, icons, images, and videos to present the information in a visual and easy-to-digest way. Additional Paragraphs Don't be afraid to include a human element to your blog post. Below are some questions to prompt you. What was the journey to this development? How did your team arrive at the conclusion that this product/feature needed to be added or improved upon? What issues did you encounter along the way? Were there any customer use cases you can draw from to provide additional context? People love stories, and stories make ideas resonate. Conclusion Provide a brief summary here and then guide the reader on what next steps to take. Will they need to update their app, upgrade their package, or download anything to get the new features? This is where you can provide those details. Call to Action Most likely, the call to action will have the same goal as the earlier one in the post. For this iteration, though, you'll want to present it in a banner image that draws the eye's attention. When they click the image, they will be directed to the page where they can complete the action. However you decide to make your product launch, always put your customers and prospects first. Understand what it is they want and how you are solving for it. Before making your announcement, make sure you understand the market and have a plan in place to support your launch. SACRAMENTO, Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary to temporarily halt the intake and/or transfer of inmates and youth into the states prisons and youth correctional facilities. Newsom said those inmates and youth will remain in county custody for the next 30 days. The period can be extended if needed. This action builds on the state and local correctional and public safety leaders partnership, to protect public health and safety in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, Newsom said. The emergency authority is granted to the Governor under the Emergency Services Act and to the CDCR Secretary. The State of California is responding in real-time and fighting hard to deploy every resource to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and we are working with our public health experts, corrections system and our local sheriffs departments to ensure proper protocols and procedures are in place to effectively limit risks in correctional facilities, said Newsom. Additionally, the executive order directs the Board of Parole Hearings to develop a process to conduct all scheduled parole suitability hearings through videoconferencing starting no later than April 13, 2020. The process would facilitate remote participation of those typically in attendance, including staff, parole board members, victims, families and their representatives, inmates, attorneys, and others, Newsom said. As many enterprises are considering laying off workers, the unemployment rate is expected to rise in the time to come. As HCM City authorities have asked all bars, discotheques, karaoke and massage shops to close their doors until March 31 to help preventthe spread of coronavirus, thousands of workers in business fields have become very worried. Nguyen Thi N, a worker at akaraoke shop on Suong Nguyet Anh street in district 1, said many workers will become redundant. We live on tips from customers, and we dont have fixed monthly salary. Now as the shop has to close, we wont have income and we still have to pay for rent and daily food, she complained. Nguyen Xuan Ngoc, a tour guide at Aussie Travel, said he has had only two tours, to Thailand and Hanoi, so far this year. As he has been sitting idle for a couple of weeks, his income is just 1/10 of that of the same period last year. As many enterprises are considering laying off workers, the unemployment rate is expected to rise in the time to come. Many tour guides have to shift to other business selling seafood, specialty food and face masks, he said, adding that fixed salaries are low and tour guides live on tips and income from other sources. However, Ngoc still feels lucky as he is a permanent worker of Aussie Travel and has monthly pay. His colleagues from other firms dont have income these days as tours have been cut. A tour guide who asked to be anonymous said that before the epidemic outbreak travel firms had designed many outbound tours, including tours to Japan to enjoy the sakura season and to South Korea to enjoy the cherry season. To prepare for the tours, travel firms had to spend big money to book air tickets for the whole year. So, we understand why the company is in big difficulty now, he said. Real estate sale agents have also suffered heavily. Nguyen Thanh Cuong, who has 10 years of experience, said the market has never been thus gloomy, even in the 2008 crisis. Because of legal problems and Covid-19, real estate firms cannot open new projects for sale. As a result, sales people have become redundant, he said, explaining that sales agents live on commissions and dont receive monthly fixed salary. Song Long, one of the largest restaurants in Phu Nhuan district, has cut the workforce by 50 percent because of the revenue decrease. Thuong, manager of Diamond karaoke shop in Binh Tan district, said he wants to re-open after March 31. If not, the shop will go bankrupt and workers will become redundant. Thanh Lich COVID-19 threatens property brokers with unemployment The COVID-19 pandemic has become a new challenge for property brokers who have been facing many since last year due to the low supply in the market. (Newser) The Arizona Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld Jodi Arias first-degree murder conviction and life prison sentence in the 2008 killing of her former boyfriend. Arias' lawyers had argued that a prosecutor's misconduct and a judge's failure to control news coverage during the case deprived her of the right to a fair trial. But the three-member appeals court, in a 29-page opinion, unanimously concluded that prosecutor Juan Martinez's conduct in the case didn't outweigh Arias guilt, the AP reports. "We conclude that Arias was convicted based upon the overwhelming evidence of her guilt, not as a result of prosecutorial misconduct," the ruling said. However, it noted "an egregious case of misconduct by a highly-experienced prosecutor" who improperly engaged in self-promoting conduct. story continues below The panel condemned Martinez's argumentative phrasing of questions" to defense witnesses, adding that his "aggressive tone and combative, bullying behavior" were recurring issues in the trial and Arias' attorneys moved for a mistrial six times. "We strongly disapprove of his actions, we are compelled to follow the well-established principle that we do not 'reverse convictions merely to punish a prosecutors misdeeds,'" the court said. Arias was convicted of killing ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander at his home in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. Prosecutors have said Arias violently attacked Alexander in a jealous rage. Arias has acknowledged killing Alexander but claimed she acted in self-defense. He was stabbed nearly 30 times, had his throat slit, and was shot in the head. (Read more Jodi Arias stories.) Former KENS-5 anchor Karen Grace is getting creative with her business, Grace Star Media Group, in a time when coronavirus is drastically shifting how San Antonians live. Enter: Grace Star newSource, which launched on March 22. The show streams on Facebook, Reddit, Youtube and LinkedIn. Hosts interview local businesses and nonprofits about their products and missions. In the past, Grace Star Media Group used streaming to reach people unable to attend a particular fundraiser or gala. With so many events postponed or canceled due to coronavirus, a show dedicated to that mission seemed like an obvious next step. Immediately I thought lots of parties and galas will be affected, Grace said. Its time to get creative. Its critical not to put off fundraising, because coronavirus research is needed now for those with health issues. Grace Star Media Group was recently hired to go live from the Pink Gala on March 27th (since postponed), which raises money for Overcomers, a nonprofit that provides therapy to breast cancer patients and survivors. Theres so much that is unknown and uncertain for those affected by breast cancer, heart disease, blood cancer and so forth, Grace said. Since May 2019, the company has cranked out online broadcasts for at least three charities a week, including Wings, SA Threads, Hope Hits Harder, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the San Antonio African American Archive and Museum, whose programming included a special tribute to Kobe Bryant during Black History Month. MORE SAN ANTONIO TV NEWS: San Antonio TV anchors transform their homes into studios amid coronavirus pandemic Grace Star Media Group vice president, Lisa Dell, called Grace a serial philanthropist. I feel like what we are doing has a purpose. We are also giving back to the community through education. Our nonprofits love that they dont have to depend on the traditional news cameras to show up," Dell said. "We are there. And we provide a platform thats working." As for production of the new show amid coronavirus, the hosts of Grace Star newSource stand at least 6 feet apart; guests stay in their cars until it's time to be interviewed; and there are no more than eight people in attendance during production at any given time. Grace said guests are jumping at the opportunity to talk about their businesses. Darren Simmons, president of Biosure North America, introduced on the show a bottle that he says converts tap water into sanitizer. Simmons said it can be used for all surfaces, including the body. Attorney Joseph Hoelscher of Hoelscher Gebbia Cepeda, usually based in a courtroom, spoke about working from home and shifting his focus to help small businesses apply for disaster relief SBA loans. He also touched on the need to protect neglected and abused children in quarantine. Thats a huge concern right now. We know there is going to be less reporting and victims are trapped with their perpetrators, Hoelscher said during the broadcast. We dont have teachers with eyes on children. If youre stuck in a bad situation seek out the Domestic Violence Hotline or go online to the Rape Crisis Center. You can use them without traces on your computer." MORE SAN ANTONIO TV NEWS: 'It's like disbelief': KSAT-12 meteorologist in self-quarantine during coronavirus pandemic Grace said she has noticed an increase in requests to live stream as the quarantine recommendations have become more strict. Businesses are coming out of the woodwork to hold virtual networking events or to advertise their services with us, because TV is too expensive, she said. "Weve been working around the clock to help clients in need of creative ways to keep thriving." In addition to local businesses and nonprofits, Grace Star newsSource has inadvertently helped those who have lost jobs due to coronavirus. Grace and Dell said they received an overwhelming response from quarantined people looking for work. We advertised on social media for freelance writers, sales associates and production editors to simply send a resume and headshot," said Dell. We got applicants from as far as Chicago and even England. Because the company is mostly digital, there are no geographical boundaries when it comes to hiring, "so keep applying and well do our best to find the right fit," Grace said. Grace teamed up with the Little Medical School of San Antonio, a pioneer and leading developer of specialized nursing and medical curriculum for children ages 3-14 years old. Raeme Bosquez-Greer, owner of Transition Services, appeared on Sunday's program to educate viewers about proper hygiene and how families can make their own antibacterial products from home. They plan to produce even more demonstrations online. The debut of Grace Star newSource also raised money for CoronaBands.org, which funds coronavirus disaster relief efforts. An $8 donation will get you a "Join the Fight" bracelet shipped to your house. Candice.Garcia@express-news.net | Twitter @_candicegarcia The Hunterdon Art Museum is joining a growing trend and is now offering virtual exhibitions through its website. This is the first time the museum in Clinton has offered this feature and the decision was made after it became apparent that the museum would be closed for the foreseeable future. "We are all adjusting to a new normal," said Marjorie Frankel Nathanson, Executive Director of the museum, "Just as the community has supported us through the years, we are now doing our part to support them; whether that is bringing a smile to their childs face or giving them a break from the news and returning to a sense of normalcy engaging with something they love art." College, high schools, middle schools and elementary schools across the state have adapted with the physical schools being closed and shifted to virtual learning. Some colleges are even planning for virtual graduations. Meanwhile, the Cape May County Zoo is also offering a "'virtual school' for kids" every day. That's a step the Hunterdon Art Museum felt it needed to take as well, with its own virtual tours, to help its supporters adjust as their lives also change with quarterinines put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. The museum has high-resolution, close-up images of the art available on the virtual tours. Right now, there are four shows available as virtual tours and those will continue to be available after the exhibitions are over. Those exhibitions include "Art + Design," "Young Artists Showcase," "Yael Eisner" and "Explorations in Felt." The museum's "Explorations in Felt" exhibition features works from artists in the United States, Mexico and Europe. Nathanson believes that is a "good reminder for the current times and for people to remember that the world is all in this together." The art museum will also have a virtual tour soon of a display that will focus on work from students at North Hunterdon High School. We hope folks who view our exhibitions are able to take away something from each of them, said Nathanson. Our Young Artists Showcase features work from students in local school districts, and it has a very powerful sense of community, which is something we all need right now. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips. Brandon Gould covers Hunterdon County news for NJ.com and may be reached at bgould@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrandonGouldHS. Find NJ.com on Facebook. (Photo : Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay) Coronavirus: 6 Ways You May Probably Spread COVID-19 Without You Even Knowing Coronavirus is now spreading like wildfire all over the world. Positive cases increase day-by-day, while death tolls follow the same pattern. As of Wednesday, Mar. 25, over 19,000 already died due to the virus, and more than 400,000 positive cases reported globally. Amid this deadly virus, how can you protect yourself from acquiring COVID-19, and how can a virus-positive person easily spreads it? How can a person spread Coronavirus? Here are the six possible ways! The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC and World Health Organization or WHO already issued guidelines on how Coronavirus can be easily spread out from one person to another person. Here are six of the confirmed studies that explain how this virus can be easily transmitted through droplets, feces, and other transmission ways. Sneeze If you have a confirmed case of Coronavirus, one symptom that you might probably encounter is having flu-like symptoms or sneezing. According to CDC, since Coronavirus is a respiratory disease, the droplets from your runny nose can easily transmit the virus once landed on another person. This is the reason why most health experts advise people to use face masks-- if you have confirmed disease-- to protect other people from getting the same virus. Cough Another symptom that Coronavirus-positive person experiences have a dry cough. Just like sneezing, CDC advised that coughing has the same danger with sneezing since droplets from the virus can be transferred through a simple cough. One way of protecting yourself from acquiring this disease is to make sure to observe proper social distancing within 6 feet, as advised by the agency. Feces One unusual way to transfer Coronavirus is through human feces or poop. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and supported by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a common denominator was observed by most of their Coronavirus positive patients in Singapore. Each of their toilet bowls and sinks in the patients' isolation rooms was found with traces of Coronavirus strands. China's National Health Commission also confirms this study saying that there are huge possibilities that once a positive Coronavirus patient takes a dump, the particles from his feces will circulate in the air-- resulting in virus spread. Sweat Human sweat is still being studied as one of the transmitting processes of Coronavirus spread. According to Chris Smith, a consultant virologist, sweat has the least potential of being one of the COVID-19 transmitters. Since this is a respiratory disease, sweat glands may not directly contain the virus but explain that it could still contain limited amounts of the virus. "As sweat is made in sweat glands and sweat glands make the sweat by filtering the liquid bit, the watery bit, away from blood, they're not in direct contact with the source of the virus - because this virus does not to an appreciable level go round in the bloodstream," said Smith. "Therefore, there should be only limited amounts of the virus in sweat, for that is not a means of transmission. Contaminated Surfaces or Items Another confirmation of transmission from the CDC said that non-living things and surfaces could also acquire Coronavirus. Once a person gets a package or touches a surface that was recently held by a positive person, there is a possibility of having the same virus-- especially if the uninfected person touches his nose, mouth, or face after touching the surface. Tears Unfortunately, crying might also get you those irritating virus-- however, these are only for rare cases. As reported via the American Academy of Ophthalmology, tears can also hold viruses that can be first seen if you have a condition called 'pink eye.' Experts advise not to touch the eyes and call doctors for a proper eye examination. ALSO READ: Hantavirus, a New Threat? Man in China Tests Positive and Dies of Virus 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Because everyone, including IT people and Microsoft developers, already has enough to worry about right now, Microsoft is pausing all optional non-security releases for supported versions of Windows and server products. This will allow Microsoft to focus on security updates. Specifically, Microsoft will suspend C and D updates, which are usually released during the third and fourth week of each month, respectively. These include non-security improvements and fixes. But the changes don't go into effect until May, so we can still expect a few last optional non-security releases next month. Microsoft will release its monthly security (B) updates as planned on the second Tuesday of each month, aka Patch Tuesday. We are already waiting for updates to fix two critical zero-day vulnerabilities, which Microsoft disclosed yesterday and that hackers are actively exploiting. Starting in May 2020, we are pausing all optional non-security releases (C and D updates) for all supported versions of Windows client and server products to prioritize security and keep customers protected and productive. More information here: https://t.co/G5NcWtIiEQ. Windows Update (@WindowsUpdate) March 24, 2020 How low and degrading is it for Barbados to show our nationals more mercy than you? How absolutely heartless can you be to lock your own people out and leave them to the mercy of this worldwide threat? Isnt it your job to protect the people? Wherever they may be? Here every creed and race find an equal place. By Chris Kirkham and Jeffrey Dastin March 25 (Reuters) - On his delivery route through Orange County, California, Joseph Alvarado made 153 stops one day last week for Amazon.com Inc, touching the inside and outside of his van, more than 225 packages, and dozens of customers doors and gates. In a global coronavirus pandemic that has infected about 420,000 people and killed nearly 19,000, delivery drivers like Alvarado have become as essential as first responders, providing food and other basics for millions of people who are isolating themselves under government stay-home directives. But unlike traditional emergency workers, todays delivery drivers typically have little or no health insurance, sick pay or job security - and many say they lack even the basics needed to stay safe on the job. Alvarado said the van he drove wasnt cleaned before or after his 10-hour shift, nor were the bins holding packages handled by warehouse workers and delivery drivers. Yet his company offered no gloves or masks, and only sporadically provided hand sanitizer. Under pressure to meet targets for delivery speed and volume, Alvarado and other drivers say they have little or no time to stop and wash their hands. Im being exposed, said Alvarado, 38, who has delivered Amazon packages for three years. I would think that a company like Amazon that is filthy rich, doing great, not going anywhere anytime soon, would want to take care of its employees. Alvarado doesnt actually work for Amazon. He works instead for Pacific Keys Logistics LLC, one of hundreds of companies that compete for coveted delivery contracts with the worlds largest online retailer. The logistics company could not be reached for comment. To keep the work, such contractors must meet Amazons stringent performance standards under compensation schemes that effectively require the delivery companies to keep a tight rein on costs. Often, delivering Amazon packages constitutes their entire business. Such arms-length employment arrangements have insulated Amazon and other companies from liability and the costs of health insurance and other benefits. The business model - also employed by upstart app-based delivery firms such as Instacart, Shipt Inc and Postmates - has proven popular with investors by allowing the companies to avoid nitty-gritty costs like vehicle repair and crash liabilities. Story continues The coronavirus pandemic has revealed the precarious environment that has been a daily reality for these workers as they now take on much greater risks in delivering essential goods, said David Weil, dean of Brandeis Universitys school of social policy and management and a former top Labor Department official in the Obama administration. Its totally laid bare how vulnerable they are, he said. We are seeing there are millions of workers, who have no social safety net protections, who are now on the front lines of delivering food and delivering packages. Contract drivers who deliver for Amazon in the United States are paid an hourly rate starting at $15, according to the company. In written responses to questions from Reuters, Amazon said it requires its delivery contractors to offer healthcare coverage, but didnt specify how much of the cost, if any, the firms cover. Some drivers say they opt out of the health coverage because they cant afford the high out-of-pocket costs. Amazon said it required its contractors to offer drivers an unspecified amount of paid time off, but didnt say whether they were guaranteed sick pay. The company also has a program known as Amazon Flex, where independent contractors sign up for time slots to take groceries or packages to customers' doorsteps in their own cars. Amazon said it is taking extreme measures to protect all workers, including contracted drivers. Such efforts include tripling down on deep cleaning, procuring safety supplies that are available, and changing processes to ensure those in our buildings are keeping safe distances. Amazon said it is giving its contracted delivery companies hand sanitizer and wipes to allow drivers to clean their vehicles. Asked about drivers accounts that such supplies were unavailable, the company said some delivery sites may on occasion see brief shortages. App-based delivery firms have partnered with major retailers such as Walmart Inc, Kroger Co and Target Corp , which owns Shipt. Instacart and Shipt dont provide sick pay to drivers but both have said they will offer two weeks of financial assistance for those who test positive for COVID-19 or are placed into quarantine by health authorities. Reuters interviewed more than a dozen delivery drivers for Amazon, Instacart, Postmates, Uber Eats, a food delivery service from ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc, and others, many of whom said they believe the companies did not provide proper protection or support given the risks they are taking. The lack of sick pay and supplies can also pose a risk to consumers, especially if drivers show up to work sick or cant frequently wash their hands, said Suzanne Judd, an epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birminghams school of public health. Touching gates, touching door knobs, those are all going to be potential points of exposure, she said. Hand sanitizer itself is not enough. Despite the risks, many drivers cant quit as the economy crashes amid relentless daily reports of rising death totals, business closures and government stay-home directives. As the crisis deepened last week, Amazon announced plans for 100,000 new workers to handle surging demand. But those openings will likely be easily filled with the masses of workers laid off from other hard-hit sectors such as restaurants because Amazon is among the few companies that is hiring. The company has temporarily boosted the pay for warehouse workers and contract drivers by $2 an hour in response to the pandemic, but the raises expire at the end of April. Its very sad because three weeks ago we were in a historically tight labor market, said Matthew Bidwell, a professor at the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School who focuses on short-term working arrangements. It was forcing employers for the first time in a long time to offer more perks and more benefits. They no longer have that pressure." Danny Gonzalez also delivers for Amazon in Orange County. After long shifts, his hands are blackened with grime from countless surfaces. Where do you go wash your hands when youre in a vehicle? said Gonzalez, 33, of Anaheim. Dispatchers enforcing Amazon standards track his movements with GPS technology, sometimes questioning the time taken on stops. Realistically, he said, the targets leave no time for hand-washing. He also skips a lunch break and estimates he runs up to 12 miles a day in sprints from the truck to doorsteps. Theres no way you will complete a 280-package route in the eight hours or nine hours they want you to, he said. Were just statistics to Amazon. The Amazon contractor that employs him, which he declined to name, offers health insurance that employees can purchase, but Gonzalez said he opted out because the costs would have eaten up nearly half his paycheck. Neither Gonzalez nor Alvarado have paid sick leave. TREATED LIKE A LEPER After the pandemic hit, Amazon announced it would set aside $25 million for contracted delivery drivers to apply for up to two weeks paid leave if they are diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine by the government or Amazon. Other companies such as Uber, Postmates, Instacart and DoorDash have made similar pledges to help workers. But the criteria make getting that paid time difficult, drivers said. Jonathan Perales, 25, a driver for Uber and Postmates in Texas, started coughing and feeling feverish earlier this month after picking up an ill passenger. The hospital he visited said he had symptoms of COVID-19, but declined to test him amid a national shortage of kits. When he sought sick pay from Uber, the company told him he needed a positive coronavirus test or documentation from a medical professional ordering him to self-quarantine. No one at the hospital or the state health department was willing to submit such documentation to Uber on his behalf - which he said the company required - and another clinic refused to examine him when he showed up reporting coronavirus symptoms. I was stuck in an impossible situation, Perales said. I was trying to get tested, and I was trying to seek financial aid. I was being treated like a leper. Despite the illness, he needed the income to avoid an eviction, so he continued to work for Postmates for another two days. Uber shut down his account after he reported the symptoms, he said, which left him unable to pay his bill at the extended-stay motel where he had been living. He now lives in his car. Uber declined to comment on Perales case but said in a statement that drivers safety is always our priority. Postmates declined to comment. DRIVING 45 MILES FOR HAND SANITIZER Ron Spigelman delivers for Instacart. The company hasnt provided training or offered sanitation supplies or protective gear to wear in crowded stores, he said. He recently drove 45 miles to find hand sanitizer at a Dollar General in the countryside near Tulsa, Oklahoma. He thinks drivers should have access to hand-washing stations. That way we feel more protected, he said, and I think the customers would feel more protected as well. In a statement, Instacart said it would soon distribute hand sanitizer and provide access to cleaning supplies in some stores. The company plans to add an additional 300,000 independent delivery contractors to handle skyrocketing demand. Some drivers have stopped delivering as the crisis worsened. Laura Chelton, 48, drives for Amazon Flex in the Seattle area - site of the first outbreak in the United States. Last week, she noticed that no one was wiping down surfaces in the area at Whole Foods where she picked up orders. When she saw an older woman cough last week as she assembled grocery bags in that confined space - just eight by 10 feet - she decided that delivering groceries just wasnt worth the risk. (Reporting by Chris Kirkham and Jeffrey Dastin Editing by Brian Thevenot) The Mumbai Police drew the lines, literally, on roads and footpaths leading to grocery stores on Wednesday, making sure that citizens rushing to buy essential items maintain social distancing in the wake of the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The demarcation drive began even as a large section of people pressed the panic button following Prime Minister Narendra Modis Tuesday night announcement of a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, and thronged grocery stories to buy essentials. To ensure strict implementation of social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid-19, all 94 police stations in the city have been ordered to make marks on footpaths or roads outside grocery stores. It has been done to ensure safety of citizens who are out to buy essential commodities, said Mumbai Police spokesperson and deputy commissioner of police (operations) Pranaya Ashok. The top brass of the city police held a meeting after the PMs speech and the decision to mark the roads and footpaths for disciplined queues was taken, Mumbai Police officials aware of the developments said. Our teams are present in market areas and are asking people to stand in queues while maintaining a distance of four feet. We have also asked vendors to maintain a fair distance between their stalls. Public announcements are being made to maintain social distancing and to disperse (people) soon after they are done shopping. We have not lodged any FIR so far, said George Fernandes, senior police inspector, Malad police station in Malad (W). Both shopkeepers and citizens welcomed the move. Motiram Chaudhary, 40, the owner of Balaji super market in Andheri Marol pump house area, said: Police gave us this idea for smooth selling of essential items without any crowd or mess. We are following it. Ramesh Shirke, a Jogeshwari resident out to buy grocery items, said, Its a good move by the police to ensure safe distance between the people for preventing the spread of coronavirus. All zonal deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) have been asked to supervise and ensure proper implementation of the drive. All DCPs in the city are also given free hand to come out with other effective measures to ensure minimum inconvenience to the citizens during the lockdown and strict implementation of social distancing, a senior police officer said. Mohankumar Dahikar, DCP zone XI, said: Locals are slowly cooperating with us. We are continuously patrolling places that tend to get crowded, and are ensuring that people are made aware of the consequences. Not only us, even small grocery shops are making announcements to maintain social distancing. DCP Pranaya Ashok said the city police are also coordinating with all e-commerce platforms and super markets to ensure that their home delivery services of essential commodities are not hit. An additional 330 cases of coronavirus disease were recorded in the past day in Illinois, as well as three deaths a Kane County man in his 90s, a Cook County man in his 60s and a Will County woman in her 50s. Douglas and Marshall counties joined Morgan County in joining those reporting cases. The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 1,865 cases in 35 counties in Illinois. Jerri-Lynn here. I have one major quibble with this post, which focuses on high-level maneuevring to get Saudi Arabia to call off its price war. But observers such as Justin Mikulka at DeSmogBlog have shown how the shale oil industry was in deep trouble long before the price war erupted. Weve crossposted much of Mikulkas excellent work. See, e.g., Is the U.S. Fracking Boom Based on Fraud? and To Manys Dismay, Permian Produces More Gas and Condensate Instead of Oil and Profits for just two recent examples. By Julianne Geiger, a veteran editor, writer and researcher for Oilprice.com, and a member of the Creative Professionals Networking Group. Originally published at OilPrice The U.S. is today showing signs of increased desperation as oil prices sink to levels that may pose a threat to the energy independence of the United States by kicking U.S. shale out of the market. Several recent actions taken by the United States indicate that it may be attempting to change the current trajectory of the global oil market, including by showing interest in stepping up negotiations with Saudi Arabia, which is spearheading the ongoing market share war that is fostering ultra-low oil prices. Drastic Times Call for Drastic Measures The United States is facing a national emergency. The Covid-19 pandemic in the worlds largest oil consumer, The United States, has dented demand to the extent that a couple months ago, no one thought possible. The virus struckfirst in the worlds largest oil importer, Chinaat a time when the oil markets were already concerned about a global oversupply. The virus also struck around the same time that another critical oil-market event took place: the end of the OPEC+ production cut agreement and the start of the oil price warwith Saudi Arabia on one side and Russia on the other. The result is that the U.S. shale industry, often touted as the backbone of the U.S. energy independence movement, has found itself caught in the middle between the oversupplied oil market and severely hampered oil demand. And it looks like the government is getting worried. Saudi Envoy On Monday evening, the U.S. made the decision to appoint Victoria Coates as special energy representative to Saudi Arabia. While the United States insists that this was in the works for quite some time, even before the oil war began, the timing coincides rather nicely with the shocking price drop for the US crude grade West Texas Intermediate, which is now trading around $23 per barrel, down from $60-something per barrel at the beginning of the year. This $23 per barrel is not sustainable long termperhaps not even short termcreating a sense of urgency in the United States to address the problem. And who better to address than the perceived perpetrator of the oil price war, Saudi Arabia. At the beginning of the oil price slide, the Trump Administration was singing the praises of the low oil prices. For consumers in the United States, lower oil prices mean an easing of cost of living expenses, freeing up money to spend on other things, and bolstering the economy in the process. This is all positive for consumers. But it became clear rather quickly that oil prices were sinking far too low to be sustainable for the oil industry, and for the economy. Low gasoline prices mean very little when people arent leaving their homes to drive anywhere, as is the case now for nearly half of all Americans, so the single benefit of low oil prices will not be realized. These stay-at-home restrictions and lack of call for gasoline are contributing to the lack of demand and helping to push prices even lower. The government has since shown signs of its panicoil prices are too low, and something must give, and soon. That something, the U.S. hopes, will be Saudi Arabia. Enter Victoria Coates. When United States announced this week that it had appointed a new special energy envoy to Saudi Arabia, the Administration said it was to ensure the Department of Energy has an added presence in the region. Coates was a critical component of the negotiations with Iran and Trumps Middle East policy creation during her time at the White House, which ended in February when she moved to the Department of Energy. The announcement comes about a week after President Trump, at a coronavirus briefing, said the U.S. would intervene in the oil war, stressing the U.S. had a lot of power over the situation and was trying to find some kind of medium ground. Despite the timing, the U.S. is not owning the fact that Coates new assignment and the oil price war have any noteworthy link. Lawmakers Out for Blood But the move comes after intense pressure from U.S. lawmakers and others in the industry in recent weeks, some of who have urged President Trump to take the extreme stance of embargoing Russian and Saudi Arabian oil. Other calls to action include the Texas Railroad Commissions suggestion to use pro-rationing that would force Texas producers to curb productionsomething that is unthinkable in America. Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker and Oklahoma Senator Inhofe asked the Department of Commerce to slap a tariff on foreign oil, citing national security reasons. Other ideas include outright conspiringalbeit in a somewhat unofficial capacitywith Saudi Arabia to coordinate production. These rare developments and proposals all indicate one thing: the oil price war is hurting U.S. shale, and the government is worried. Energy security, energy dependence, and a significant portion of the economy are all riding on U.S. shales ability to outlast Saudi Arabia or Russia in the oil price war. And while U.S. shale was the one to show remarkable fortitude the last time Saudi Arabia tried to squeeze it out of the market, the coronavirus component this time around, combined with what many see as an unhealthy debt load, have led to some question whether U.S. shale has what it takes this time around. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) - Copper Fox Metals Inc. ("Copper Fox" or the "Company") (TSXV: CUU) (OTC Pink: CPFXF) and its wholly owned subsidiary Desert Fox Copper Inc. ("Desert Fox") are pleased to provide its shareholders with the results of a resource estimate completed in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") for the Van Dyke copper project located in the Globe-Miami Mining District, Arizona. The resource estimate was prepared by Moose Mountain Technical Services ("MMTS"). The NI 43-101 technical report disclosing the resource estimate will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days. This news release reports Total Recovered Soluble Copper ("RecCu") using a 90% recovery for Acid Soluble Copper ("ASCu") and variable recovery for Cyanide Soluble Copper ("CNCu"). Highlights: 1) Indicated Resource: 97.6 million tonnes, grading 0.33% total copper and 0.24% RecCu containing 717 million pounds of total copper and 517 million pounds of recoverable soluble copper; 2) Inferred Resource: 168.0 million tonnes, grading 0.27% total copper and 0.19% RecCu containing 1.0 billion pounds of total copper and 699 million pounds of recoverable soluble copper; 3) The 2019 re-assay program and updated geologic interpretation resulted in a significant increase in contained soluble copper within the Van Dyke copper deposit compared to the 2015 resource estimate; and 4) The mineralized envelope of the Van Dyke copper deposit is open to the south and southwest. Elmer B. Stewart, President and CEO of Copper Fox stated, "The 2019 work program has increased the confidence level in the project resources and significantly increased the recoverable soluble copper content of the Van Dyke deposit. The 2019 review of historical exploration data combined with the current resource estimation, indicates the deposit could be open to the south and southwest with a possible strike extension of between 1 and 2 kms. Additional drilling will be required to realize this potential and to define the un-explored portions of the Van Dyke deposit." Resource Estimate The effective date of the updated mineral resource estimate is January 9, 2020. Mineral resources are estimated within both a 0.025% RecCu grade shell and a "reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction" shape. The mineral resources are estimated using criteria consistent with the CIM Definition Standards (2014) and the "CIM Estimation of Mineral Resources and Reserves Best Practice Guidelines" (2019). The Indicated and Inferred mineral resources at the Base Case cutoff (0.025% RecCu) for the Van Dyke deposit are reported in Table 1 which includes internal dilution or all "must take" material within the confining shape. Table 1 also summarizes the 2015 Van Dyke resource estimate reported in the Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") completed in 2015 for comparison. This table shows an Indicated resource an increase in overall tonnage, an increase in the RecCu grade and an increase in RecCu metal for the current resource. These changes are due to the 2019 re-assay program, updated geology, and updated metallurgical review and analyses. The resource Qualified Person ("QP") is not aware of any environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-economic, marketing, political, or other relevant factors that could materially affect the Mineral Resource estimate for the Van Dyke deposit. Table 1: Base Case Current Resource Estimate and Comparison to 2015 Resource Metal (Mlbs) Class Tonnes TCu (%) ASCu (%) CNCu (%) RecCu (%) Recovery (%) Soluble Cu Total Cu Indicated 97,637 0.33 0.23 0.04 0.24 90 517 717 Inferred 168,026 0.27 0.17 0.04 0.19 90 699 1,007 2015 PEA: Indicated 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Inferred 190,669 0.32 0.19 na 0.19 60 802 1,333 (%)= percent, TCu=total copper, Soluble Cu=estimated pounds of recoverable copper, Mlbs=million pounds Sue Bird, P.Eng., an employee of Moose Mountain Technical Services, is the Qualified Person for the Mineral Resource estimate. The Effective Date of the above estimate is Jan. 9, 2020. The "reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction" shape has been created based on a copper price of US$2.80/lb, employment of in-situ leach extraction methods, processing costs of US$0.60/lb copper, and all in operating and sustaining costs of $US1.25/tonne, a recovery of 90% for total soluble copper and an average Specific Gravity of 2.6t/m3. Approximate drill-hole spacings is 80m for Indicated Mineral Resources The average dip of the deposit within the Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource outlines is 20 degrees. Vertical thickness of the mineralized envelope ranges from 40m to over 200m. Rounding as required by Best Practices established by the CIM reporting guidelines may result in slight apparent differences between tonnes, grade and contained metal content. Acid soluble copper ("ASCu") and Cyanide soluble copper ("CNCu") grades were used in estimating the total soluble copper ("TSCu") contained within the resource estimate. The cyanide soluble portion represents a small fraction of the copper mineralization and the metallurgical testwork completed in 2015, shows that a percentage of the CNCu (mainly chalcocite) reports to an acid leach. Cautionary Note to Investors While the terms "measured (mineral) resource", "indicated (mineral) resource" and "inferred (mineral) resource" are recognized and required by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, investors are cautioned that except for that portion of mineral resources classified as mineral reserves, mineral resources do not have demonstrated economic viability. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be upgraded into mineral reserves. Additionally, investors are cautioned that inferred mineral resources have a high degree of uncertainty as to their existence, as to whether they can be economically or legally mined, or will ever be upgraded to a higher category. United States investors are advised that current Mineral Resources are not current Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Resource Estimate Methodology Drill Hole Database The resource estimate was completed using data from 38 historic drill holes, historic channel sampling from underground workings on three levels, re-assays of historical drill core and drill core pulps, analytical results from the 2015 metallurgical testwork and data from 6 drill holes completed in 2014. The total length of core sampled is 13,781.3m from drilling and 1,424m from historic underground channel sampling. Geologic Model The Van Dyke copper deposit is an oxidized portion of a porphyry copper deposit that has been subjected to several weathering/oxidization/enrichment cycles. The copper mineralization at Van Dyke is hosted in altered and weathered Precambrian age Pinal Schist and Laramide age dikes related to the Schultz granodiorite. A "leach cap" overlies the main mineralogical zones mapped within the deposit which are, in descending order, Oxide (malachite, chrysocolla, azurite), Supergene (chalcocite), and Hypogene (chalcopyrite). The geology of the deposit has been interpreted on 23 north-south sections and on 15 east-west sections. Grade modelling and definition of the mineralized shapes is in three dimension using data from 20 east-west sections. The Van Dyke fault has been modelled to constrain the mineralization to the north. The mineralization remains open to the south and southwest consistent with the 2014 and 2015 interpretations. Solids of recoverable copper mineralization were created and used to code the assays, composites and the three-dimensional block model. Surfaces of the faults have been used to create domain boundaries and used to code the assay, composite and block model. The block model has been created to encompass all of the drill holes and channel samples available, within 30mx30mx10m (vertical) blocks. Wireframes used to model the deposit to demonstrate a reasonable prospect of eventual economic extraction were prepared for the total soluble copper (ASCu + CNCu) mineralization based on a 0.025% TSCu grade shell. The shapes created by Lersch-Grossman optimization software used the following parameters: Total recoverable copper = (soluble copper) X Total recovery, where soluble copper =ASCu + CNCu Copper price =$US2.80/lb. Processing costs =$US0.60/lb. within the leach shape Operating costs = $US1.25/tonne operating and sustaining capital estimate Specific Gravity = 2.60. Sensitivity to Mining Cost was run for costs up to $2.80 /tonne with little difference in the confining shape. Density measurements for the mineralized intervals ranged from 2.29 to 3.55 and averaged 2.60t/M3. Grade Capping and Compositing Statistical analyses of the drill hole assay data indicated that capping was required to manage the outliers in the sample population. Grades that exceeded the cap values given in Table 2 below have been assigned the cap value. The drill holes were composited to 5m fixed length composites that honored the domain boundaries. Separate domains have been created for the deposit and the underground mine zone within the 0.025% RecCu grade shell. The table below; summarizing the capping of assays completed prior to compositing and is based on cumulative probability plots. Table 2: Capping Value for Assays Cap Value Domain Item DHS UG TCu (%) 10 1 1 ASCu (%) na na CNCu (%) 1.2 na TCu (%) 2 12 2 ASCu (%) 3 na CNCu (%) 3 na DHS=drill holes, UG=Underground Interpolation Interpolation has been completed using Ordinary Kriging ("OK") within the interpreted 0.025% RecCu grade shell. Interpolation of the RecCu grade into blocks has been restricted to match the Domain of the blocks with the composite codes. Table 3 below is a summary of the variogram parameters used for OK with the ranges used to assist in search ellipses during interpolation. Interpolation was completed in 5 passes with the search parameters relaxed for each pass. Table 3: Variogram Parameters Rotation Total Range 1 Range 2 Range 3 Domain GSLIB-MS Axis Range (ft) Nugget Sill 1 Sill 2 Sill 3 (m) (m) (m) Rot/115 Major 210 30 180 210 TCu DipN/-20 Minor 170 0.1 0.4 0.3 0.2 25 60 170 DipE/-10 Vertical 70 20 50 70 Rot/115 Major 190 100 190 ASCu DipN/-5 Minor 150 0.1 0.3 0.6 50 150 DipE/-10 Vertical 60 8 60 Rot/0 Major 210 30 140 210 CNCu Rot/0 Minor 210 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.4 30 140 210 Rot/0 Vertical 80 20 25 80 Block Model Validation The model was validated through comparisons of grades, grade distribution and tonnage-grade curves of the OK grades with the de-clustered composites (Nearest Neighbour interpolation). The Nearest Neighbour estimate has been corrected for the Volume-Variance effected by the Indirect Lognormal method. Comparisons of the different estimation techniques (Ordinary Kriging and Nearest Neighbor) show similar statistics and spatial distribution. Qualified Person Ms. Sue Bird - P. Eng., (resource estimate) of MMTS is the Qualified Person ("QP") who prepared the mineral resource estimate, T. Meintjes - P.Eng., of MMTS is the QP who completed the metallurgical review and analyses and R. Lane - P. Geo., of MMTS is the QP who compiled and reviewed the QA/QC for the resource estimate disclosed in this news release. Ms. Bird, as the Qualified Person, has approved the scientific and technical content of this news release. Elmer B. Stewart, MSc. P. Geol., President of Copper Fox, is the Company's nominated Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101, Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed the scientific and technical information disclosed in this news release. Mr. Stewart is not independent of Copper Fox. About Copper Fox Copper Fox is a Tier 1 Canadian resource company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V: CUU) focused on copper exploration and development in Canada and the United States. The principal assets of Copper Fox and its wholly owned Canadian and United States subsidiaries, being Northern Fox Copper Inc. and Desert Fox Copper Inc., are the 25% interest in the Schaft Creek Joint Venture with Teck Resources Limited on the Schaft Creek copper-gold-molybdenum-silver project located in northwestern British Columbia and a 100% ownership of the Van Dyke oxide copper project located in Miami, Arizona. For more information on Copper Fox's other mineral properties and investments visit the Company's website at http://www.copperfoxmetals.com. For additional information contact: Investor line 1-844-464-2820 or Lynn Ball, at 1-403-264-2820. On behalf of the Board of Directors Elmer B. Stewart President and Chief Executive Officer Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is generally identifiable by use of the words "believes," "may," "plans," "will," "anticipates," "intends," "budgets", "could", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "projects" and similar expressions, and the negative of such expressions. Forward-looking information in this news release include statements about the mineral resource estimate for the Van Dyke project; the completion and filing of a National Instrument 43-101 technical report related to the Van Dyke mineral resource estimate; potential existence and size of mineralization within the Van Dyke project; additional drilling at the Van Dyke project; and geological interpretations and potential mineral recovery processes. Information concerning mineral resource estimates also may be deemed to be forward-looking information in that it reflects a prediction of the mineralization that would be encountered if a mineral deposit were developed and mined. In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, Copper Fox and its subsidiaries have made numerous assumptions, regarding, among other things: the geological, metallurgical, engineering, financial and economic advice that Copper Fox has received is reliable and is based upon practices and methodologies which are consistent with industry standards. While Copper Fox considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause Copper Fox's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Known risk factors include, among others: the actual mineralization in the Van Dyke deposit may not be as favorable as suggested by the resource estimate; the NI 43-101 technical report that includes the resource estimate may not be filed within the anticipated timeframe, or at all; fluctuations in copper and other commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs, recovery rates, and estimated economic return; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs or in construction projects and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing Copper Fox is disclosed in Copper Fox's continuous disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and Copper Fox disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53799 Customers stand within well-marked areas to maintain social distance as they wait outside a grocery on day one of the 21-day nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic in Mumbai on March 25, 2020. (PTI) Mumbai: Maharashtra reported 15 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, taking the number in the state to 122, the highest in the country. Of these new cases, 11 persons had come in contact with COVID-19 patients who had returned from abroad, while four had overseas travel history themselves, a health department official said. Seven of these patients are from Mumbai, five from Islampur in Sangli district in central and western Maharashtra, one each from Kalyan-Dombivali, Navi Mumbai and Panvel. The Navi Mumbai resident had come in contact with a Philippine national who died earlier this week. The Philippines national had recovered from Covid-19 infection but died because of other ailments, the government had said. A couple from Pune, who were among first to test positive for the infection, were discharged from hospital on Wednesday as they had completely recovered, authorities said. Confirming the fresh cases earlier in the day, public health minister Rajesh Tope tweeted, In Sangli, five people from one family are identified as positive due to contacts and four people from Mumbai are identified as positive due to travel history or contacts. (sic) Detention extension hearing in murder case against history professor set for March 27 RAPSI, Natalya Vaneyeva 14:16 25/03/2020 MOSCOW, March 25 (RAPSI) The Oktyabrsky District Court of St. Petersburg will consider extension of detention for history professor Oleg Sokolov accused of killing his postgraduate student Anastasia Yeshchenko on March 27, the United press service of the citys courts reports. The hearing will be open. The date of the trial beginning will be set after this hearing, the statement reads, Investigation into the defendant was completed, the indictment was approved. In addition to the murder, the historian stands charged with ammunition trafficking. According to investigators, rescuers pulled the 63-year reader out of a local river early on November 9 and hospitalized. Womans severed hands and a nonlethal pistol were found in his backpack. Other parts of her body were found in his flat. The man was arrested when left the hospital the next day. He voluntary surrendered. The victim was identified as the 24-year postgraduate student of the St. Petersburg State University and Sokolovs partner. The professor pleaded guilty. He said that he gunned the woman and broke up her body. Sokolov is a historian and ideologist of reconstruction of Napoleonic period battles. He has been conferred the Legion of Honor, the French national award instituted by Napoleon Bonaparte. ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2020 / Findit, Inc. (OTC PINK:FDIT) owner of Findit.com, a full service social networking management platform that provides a full line of marketing services, is featuring Findit member Carolina Pool Consultants, who is a professional year round pool builder that designs, builds and installs beautiful concrete pools across Greater Denver NC, including Newton, Iron Station, Terrell, Lincolnton and Sherrills Ford. Carolina Pool Consultants is a professional concrete pool builder in Denver NC They design, build and install concrete pools for customers across the Greater NC Area. While homeowners have a choice between fiberglass pools, vinyl liner pools, and concrete pools, homeowners most often go with concrete when CPC Pools goes over with them the advantages that concrete pools have over the other two. CPC Pools offers free in home pool estimates and 3D pool renderings so homeowners know exactly what they can expect when they move forward with their decision to get a brand new pool built in their backyard by Carolina Pool Consultants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9suPjER_VE Findit has been providing online marketing services to Carolina Pool Consultants since March for 2017. The services Findit provides Carolina Pool Consultants includes content creation and social network marketing to increase the overall online presence of Carolina Pool Consultants in search engines and on social networking sites. The content is created within Carolina Pool Consultant's Findit sites that they claimed utilizing Findit's Claim your Name Tool To date, Carolina Pool Consultants has claimed 18 Findit Names. The Findit Names are based off of specific towns that CPC Pools serves along with the type of service that they provide. The purpose of these Findit Sites is to increase overall online exposure and increase the number of search results in search engines that Carolina Pool Consultants has under the town and service that they provide pool building services in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XcHFZ43qLk Visit Carolina Pool Consultants Under Some Of Their Findit Names findit.com/inground-concrete-pool-builder-sherrills-ford findit.com/newton-conover-inground-conrete-pool-builder findit.com/inground-concrete-pool-builder-terrell-nc findit.com/inground-concrete-pools-installed-lincolnton-nc findit.com/inground-concrete-pool-builder-iron-station-nc findit.com/inground-concrete-pools-installed-denver-nc Check Out Some of CPC Pools Latest Findit Posts Lincolnton North Carolina Concrete Pool Installer Get In Touch with The Best Concrete Pool Builder in Iron Station Speak with the Best Denver NC Concrete Pool Builders Home owners can schedule a free in home pool consultation with Carolina Pool Consultants today at 704-799-5236, tell them Findit sent you. Visit Carolina Pool Consultants online at mycpcpools.com Pool builders that are seeking the same tangible online results that Carolina Poll Consultants has achieved with Findit can call Findit for a free quote at 404-443-3224. About Carolina Pool Consultants https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WWa9cCX7_g Carolina Pool Consultants is not a multi-national, conglomerate corporation. Nor do we plan on building thousands of pools per year. In the eyes of those other Charlotte-area pool builders, their own customers are just numbers on a paycheck. We're CPC Pools, and we make pools great again. Our goal is to dominate the production chain so the customer gets their pool done right the first time, in record time, every time. We can proudly say we do most all of the major steps in-house with the exception of steps which require vetted, licensed tradesmen (plumbing, electrical, etc.) The results are disruptive to the industry. No longer does the consumer have to worry about which company did what. No longer does the scheduler live at the mercy of the subcontractors' daily agenda. No longer are there lapses in accountability. It's simple. It's honest. It's how pool building should be. About Findit, Inc. Findit, Inc., owns Findit.com which is a Social Media Content Management Platform that provides an interactive search engine for all content posted in Findit to appear in Findit search. The site is an open platform that provides access to Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines access to its content posted to Findit so it can be indexed in these search engines as well. Findit provides Members the ability to post, share and manage their content. Once they have posted in Findit, we ensure the content gets indexed in Findit Search results. Findit provides an option for anyone to submit URLs that they want indexed in Findit search result, along with posting status updates through Findit Right Now. Status Updates posted in Findit can be crawled by outside search engines which can result in additional organic indexing. All posts on Findit can be shared to other social and bookmarking sites by members and non-members. Findit provides Real Estate Agents the ability to create their own Findit Site where they can pull in their listing and others through their IDX account. Findit, Inc., is focused on the development of monetized Internet-based web products that can provide an increase in brand awareness of our members. Findit, Inc., trades under the stock symbol FDIT on the OTCPinksheets. Safe Harbor: This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), including statements regarding potential sales, the success of the company's business, as well as statements that include the word believe or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Findit, Inc. to differ materially from those implied or expressed. CONTACT: Clark St. Amant 404-443-3224 SOURCE: Findit, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/582514/Findit-Featured-Member-Carolina-Pool-Consultants-Offers-Free-Concrete-Pool-Estimates-Across-Greater-Denver-North-Carolina . , . , , , , , , ... Just a day after getting released from detention after nearly eight months, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday (march 25) appealed the BJP-led government at the Centre to release PDP chief and another former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, and other politicians from detention after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown on Tuesday. "It's callous and cruel to continue to detain Mehbooba Mufti and others at a time like this. There was never much justification to detain everyone in the first place and none at all to keep them detained as the country enters a three-week lockdown. I hope Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release them," tweeted Omar Abdullah. Its callous & cruel to continue to detain @MehboobaMufti & others at a time like this.There was never much justification to detain everyone in the 1st place & none at all to keep them detained as the country enters a 3 week lockdown.I hope @PMOIndia & @HMOIndia will release them Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 25, 2020 It may be recalled that Omar Abdullah was detained on August 5, 2019, along with his father Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and several other politicians after the Centre abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. On Tuesday, when it was announced that Abdullah will be released from the detention centre Hari Niwas in Srinagar, Mehbooba Mufti had tweeted: "Glad he will be released. For all their talk of nari Shakti & women emancipation, seems like this regime fears women the most." Talking to media after arriving at his Hari Niwas residence at Gupkar Road in Srinagar after the Jammu and Kashmir administration revoked the Public Safety Act (PSA) order against him, the National Conference leader said that he would talk about Article 370 and its impact in the region in detail after some time. "Today, I, realise that we are fighting a war of life and death. All our people who have been detained should be released at this time. We must follow govt orders to fight Coronavirus," said the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister. BALLSTON SPA After coming under fire for providing massive pay hikes to essential workers, the county slightly adjusted the plan Wednesday, cutting the number of managers who are receiving time-and-a-half pay and capping such compensation at 35 hours a week. A total of 32 managers will be paid overtime wages for the first 35 hours they work, and will receive regular wages any time after that. However, another 300 essential employees, a Saratoga County official confirmed, will continue to get time-and-a-half for every hour they work. On Monday, the Times Union reported that a handful of elected county supervisors were angry that the county was spending $325,000 a week to pay essential employees and top management overtime wages for every hour they work. They sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors Chairman Preston Allen on Tuesday, saying the county "should strongly consider decision made regarding compensation of employees." Saratoga County essential employees get 50 percent raises Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Moreau Supervisor Todd Kusnierz, one of the supervisors who signed the letter to Allen, said moving forward County Administrator Spencer Hellwig will not get the additional pay, nor will any elected official including Sheriff Michael Zurlo. Kusnierz also said that the Director of Emergency Management Services Carl Zeilman has refused to take any additional pay. On Monday, Hellwig said that he, Zeilman and Zurlo were being paid time-and-a-half. Allen and Zurlo did not respond to the Times Union's request for comment on Wednesday. However, Zeilman said he will not receive additional pay. The county sent out a press release on Wednesday evening in which Hellwig said that the pay decision was based on several considerations. It includes "recognition of their increased risk of exposure, the need to maintain essential staffing, working with our three collective bargaining units and more simply as matter of employee equality, Hellwig said. Nonessential employees who are working from home are being paid their normal wages. Kusnierz said he supports paying extra wages to those who are putting themselves and their families at risk, like public nurses. But he said it is "absolutely outrageous" to be paying, for example, the Director of Human Resources Marcy McNamara time-and-a-half. McNamara is on the county's compensation committee making the decision about the pay, along with Allen, Greenfield Supervisor Dan Pemrick, Saratoga Supervisor Tom Wood and Hellwig. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "I'm whole supportive of our rank and file people on the front lines working to combat and control the spread of the virus," Kusnierz said. "They are working not only to protect our residents but putting themselves at risk, those are the people who should be receiving additional compensation. Not those who I deem highly compensated individuals in management." He said management is not being exposed to the virus on a daily basis and their generous salaries are being paid "by residents of my town and I have residents who don't have a paycheck coming in." Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett said this whole thing got started because the Board of Supervisors wanted to give the county some discretion to do as they see fit during the coronavirus pandemic. However, he said, "we can't get straight answers and solid information no matter how hard we tried to get it. We have buyers remorse." He believes the matter must go to the full board to rexamine the pandemic pay plans. Clifton Park Supervisor Jonathan Schopf agreed. "I did not vote for the compensation schedule being implemented," Schopf said. "I voted to approve a resolution establishing a committee with discretion to make compensation and staffing decisions. I do not believe that the discretion is being used wisely in light of the very real economic effects being felt by our residents and I would like the Board of Supervisors to take this up immediately at a special meeting for review." NEWTOWN BOROUGH >> The Newtown Borough Council welcomes the new year with three new members of council and a new borough mayor. District Court Judge Mick Petrucci was on hand on January 3 to administer the oath of office to the towns new mayor, Republican John Burke, who replaces longtime mayor Charles Corky Swartz who decided not to run for... English Finnish eQ PLC STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 25 March 2020, at 8.30 p.m. eQ Plcs annual general meeting, held on Wednesday 25 March 2020 in Helsinki (AGM), decided upon the following: Confirmation of the financial statements eQ Plcs AGM confirmed the financial statement of the company, which included the group financial statements, the report by the Board of Directors and the auditors report for the financial year 2019. Decision in respect of the result shown on the balance sheet and distribution of the assets from the invested unrestricted equity fund The AGM confirmed the proposal by the Board of Directors that a dividend of EUR 0.55 per share and a return of capital of EUR 0.07 per share be paid from the invested unrestricted equity fund. The dividend and return of capital shall be paid to shareholders who on the record date for the payment, 27 March 2020, are recorded in the shareholders register held by Euroclear Finland Ltd. The dividend and return of capital shall be paid on 3 April 2020. Discharge from liability to the Board of Directors and Managing Director The AGM decided to grant discharge from liability to the Board of Directors and the Managing Director. Remuneration Policy for governing bodies The Annual General Meeting decided to adopt the Remuneration Policy for the governing bodies. The number of Board members, appointment of Board members and the remuneration of the members of the Board According to the decision of the AGM, five Board members, being Nicolas Berner, Georg Ehrnrooth, Timo Kokkila, Lotta Kopra and Tomas von Rettig were re-elected as members to the Board of Directors. The term of office of the Board members ends at the close of the next Annual General Meeting. The AGM decided that the members of the Board would receive remuneration as follows: the chairman of the Board will receive 4,000 Euros and the Board members will receive 2,500 Euros per month. In addition, a compensation of 500 euros per meeting will be paid for all the Board members for each attended Board meeting and travel and lodging costs will be compensated in accordance with the companys expense policy. The Board appointed Georg Ehrnrooth as chairman of the Board in its meeting held immediately after the AGM. Auditors and auditors compensation The AGM decided to elect Authorised Public Accountants KPMG Oy Ab as auditor of the company. The auditor with main responsibility, named by KPMG Oy Ab is Marcus Totterman, APA. It was decided to compensate the auditor according to the auditor's invoice approved by the eQ Plc. Authorising the Board of Directors to decide on the issuance of shares as well as the issuance of special rights entitling to shares The AGM authorised the Board of Directors to decide on a share issue or share issues and/or the issuance of special rights entitling to shares referred to in Chapter 10 Section 1 of the Companies Act, comprising a maximum total of 3,500,000 new shares. The amount of the authorisation corresponds to approximately 9.14 per cent of all shares in the Company. The authorisation is to be used in order to finance or carry out potential acquisitions or other business transactions, to strengthen the balance sheet and the financial position of the Company, to fulfill Companys incentive schemes or to any other purposes decided by the Board. Based on the authorization, the Board decides on all other matters related to the issuance of shares and special rights entitling to shares referred to in Chapter 10 Section 1 of the Companies Act, including the recipients of the shares or the special rights entitling to shares and the amount of the consideration to be paid. Therefore, based on the authorisation, shares or special rights entitling to shares may also be issued directed i.e. in deviation of the shareholders pre-emptive rights as described in the Companies Act. A share issue may also be executed without payment in accordance with the preconditions set out in the Companies Act. The authorisation cancels all previous authorisations to decide on the issuance of shares as well as the issuance of special rights entitling to shares and is effective until the next Annual General Meeting, however no more than 18 months. Helsinki, 25 March 2020 eQ Plc BOARD OF DIRECTORS Additional information: Janne Larma, CEO, tel. +358 9 6817 8920 Distribution: Nasdaq Helsinki, www.eQ.fi eQ Group is a Finnish group of companies specialising in asset management and corporate finance business. eQ Asset Management offers a wide range of asset management services (including private equity funds and real estate asset management) for institutions and individuals. The assets managed by the Group total approximately EUR 11.7 billion. Advium Corporate Finance, which is part of the Group, offers services related to mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions and equity capital markets. More information about the Group is available on our website at www.eQ.fi. Srinagar, March 25 : Four more persons tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday in Kashmir raising the number of infected patients to eight. "Four more persons, all from Bandipora, tested positive today. Preliminary findings suggest they were close contacts of Srinagar patient who tested positive yesterday. All five reported to have participated in a religious event", Rohit Kansal, J&K government spokesman said. With this, the number of positive cases in J&K has risen to 11 of whom eight are being treated in the Valley and three in Jammu city. The domestic travel history of the Srinagar resident who tested positive on Tuesday has become a big worry for the authorities. Reports said he visited some places in Jammu city and then participated in a couple of religious events in the Valley. Authorities have requested all those who might have come into contact with him to voluntarily come forward with the information. The Srinagar businessman who tested positive was part of a religious preachers' group. New Delhi/Kabul, March 25 : Several members of the Sikh community were feared to have been killed in a terror attack on a Gurudwara in central Kabul on Wednesday. Sources said Afghan security forces were engaged in a gun battle with terrorists who stormed Gurudwara in the Shorbazar area Wednesday morning. Around 150 people were worshipping in the Gurudwara at the time of the attack. However, the security forces, sources said, rescued some worshippers from the Gurudwara. The Sikhs constitute a minuscule minority in Afghanistan. The Ashraf Ghani government has blamed the Pakistan-backed Haqqani network for the terror attack. However, the Taliban, has denied involvement in the attack on the Sikh shrine. Though the US and Taliban have signed a peace deal, violence in Afghanistan remains unabated. Reacting to the terror attack, India's Housing and Urban Minister and a former diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday tweeted, "Suicide attack on a Gurudwara Sahib in Kabul needs to be strongly condemned. These killings are a grim reminder of atrocities that continue to be inflicted upon religious minorities in some countries and the urgency with which their lives and religious freedom have to be safeguarded." The White House has reached a deal with leaders in the Senate on a $2 trillion stimulus deal to aid economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The deal was announced just after 1am on Wednesday, after hours of contentious floor speeches in the Senate that appeared to show negotiations teetering on the brink. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that a vote was planned for Wednesday afternoon, with a House vote to follow. The legislation aims to flood the reeling economy with capital by sending $1,200 checks to many Americans, creating a $367 billion loan program for small businesses, and setting up a $500 billion fund for industries, cities and states. It followed days of vicious partisan infighting over what to include, in what ultimately may be the largest emergency rescue package lawmakers have ever passed. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is seen announcing the deal on the floor of the Senate after 1am on Wednesday Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, left, and acting White House chief of staff Mark Meadows step out of a meeting to negotiate the bill on Capitol Hill Tuesday Top White House aide Eric Ueland announced the agreement in a Capitol hallway early on Wednesday. The agreement came after days of often intense haggling and mounting pressure and still needs to be finalized in detailed legislative language. 'Ladies and gentlemen, we are done. We have a deal,' Ueland said. Later, before the Senate gavelled out at around 1.50am, McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered brief remarks saying a deal had been reached, and praising the package. The text of the pact was not expected to be available until later on Wednesday. However, earlier versions of the bill called for a cash payment to most Americans who make less than $75,000 a year, of $1,200 for each adult and $500 for each child. At higher incomes, the checks would get smaller. The money would be deposited directly into people's bank accounts in several weeks, if they have received tax refunds or paid taxes that way in 2018 or 2019. The Tax Foundation estimates that 93.6 percent of tax filers will get a check. It's unclear how the bill will deal with those who do not file taxes, but experts recommend quickly filing for 2019 even for those who owe the government nothing. Earlier Tuesday, President Donald Trump had urged swift action. 'Congress must approve the deal, without all of the nonsense, today,' he tweeted. 'The longer it takes, the harder it will be to start up our economy.' The unprecedented economic rescue package would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home. One of the last issues to close concerned $500 billion for guaranteed, subsidized loans to larger industries, including a fight over how generous to be with the airlines. Hospitals would get significant help as well. Trump had urged swift action. 'Congress must approve the deal, without all of the nonsense, today,' he tweeted. 'The longer it takes, the harder it will be to start up our economy' Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are seen earlier this month Who will be eligible for $1,200 cash payments under the bill? The text of the deal was not expected to be available until later on Wednesday. However, earlier versions of the bill called for a cash payment to most Americans who make less than $75,000 a year. The one-time payments would be $1,200 for each adult and $500 for each child. At higher incomes, the checks would get smaller. The money would be deposited directly into people's bank accounts in several weeks, if they have received tax refunds or paid taxes that way in 2018 or 2019. The Tax Foundation estimates that 93.6 percent of tax filers will get a check. It's unclear how the bill will deal with those who do not file taxes, but experts recommend quickly filing for 2019 even for those who owe the government nothing. Advertisement It followed days of pressure, unusual partisanship in a crisis, and intense haggling over the fine print, negotiators were almost done with the $2 trillion bill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the crisis the bill is aimed to address 'the most serous threat to Americans' health in over a century and quite likely the greatest risk to America's jobs and prosperity that we've seen since the Great Depression.' The final details proved nettlesome as Trump administration officials continued negotiations deep into the night. As negotiations dragged on, Senator Lindsey Graham slammed Democrats, accusing them of 'nickling and diming people who are dying.' Graham, a South Carolina Republican, furiously ripped his Democratic opponents in a speech from the floor, saying: 'This bill is $2 trillion. There's a ton of money in this bill for people who need it, but what we're doing now is, every special-interest group in town is trying to get a little bit more -- nickling and diming at a time when people are dying, literally dying.' 'I think I understand the give-and-take of life and negotiations,' Graham said. 'But I've been called by two good friends on the Democratic side in the last five or six hours wanting more money. End the negotiations.' Senate Democrats had previously blocked the Republican bill, claiming they wanted to add more protections for workers. Republicans meanwhile accused Democrats of trying to draft their own version of the legislation with a hodgepodge wish-list of unnecessary items. 'Listen, we were told we are at the one-yard line last night to get this done,' Senator Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, said on the Senate floor Tuesday night. 'All I've got to say is, the Senate may think it's at the one-yard line right now, but Montanans are getting sacked. In fact, our unemployment claims in Montana since march 17th, we just looked it up 15 minutes ago, 14,350 Montanans have filed for unemployment in the last week.' The deal reached Wednesday aims to cushion the economic blow from a pandemic that has killed more than 660 people in the United States and sickened more than 50,000, shuttered thousands of businesses, thrown millions out of work and led states to order 100 million people - nearly a third of the population - to stay at home. The money at stake in the stimulus legislation exceeds what the U.S. government spends on national defense, scientific research, highway construction and other discretionary programs. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and congressional leaders engaged in final negotiations Tuesday after a tumultuous but productive day Monday. While the two sides had resolved many issues in the sweeping package, some sticking points remained. 'We're trying to finalize all the documents, going through a lot of complicated issues, and we're making a lot of progress,' Mnuchin said earlier Tuesday. Ravaged in recent days, stocks rocketed as negotiators signaled a resolution was in sight. Larry Woodruff would rather exhaust all his vacation days than report to his job at a precision ball manufacturer under a statewide order shutting down non-essential businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 61-year-old Washtenaw County man doesnt want to risk his health as the number of COVID-19 cases increases exponentially in Michigan. Woodruff is thankful that he has enough vacation days to last until Gov. Gretchen Whitmers executive order requiring people to stay home is set to expire but worries his employer isnt taking precautions ordered by the governor to protect his co-workers. Its just all about the money; They dont care about our lives, Woodruff said. I dont want to get sick. I dont want to die or get lung damage from this god awful virus. I dont think our company is taking this seriously. Whitmers order, which took effect Tuesday, requires most businesses and organizations to send their employees home until April 13. However, it includes exemptions for essential employees, jobs related to public safety, health care and other critical industries, their suppliers and other distributors. Businesses that fail to comply with the governors executive order could face a misdemeanor, $500 fine and 90 days in jail for each violation. The Attorney Generals Office -- which initially fielded tips on its consumer hotline -- now urges workers who feel their employer is violating the governors order to contact local law enforcement. That left LuAnn Turnage, 63, in an endless loop of phone calls this week to find out why her husband, a maintenance worker for a Kalamazoo-area property management company, has to work. Turnage asked MLive to keep her husbands employer discrete to prevent retaliation. Local police told Turnage to call the Attorney Generals Office. She spent hours on the phone, only to be told her county sheriffs office is handling complaints. My husbands 53, he has uncontrolled high blood pressure, and he smokes like a fish so I know his lungs arent as good; I am 63 and I have heart failure and asthma," Turnage said. Im scared to death he is going to bring it home here." "Im fully prepared to call the police. Except they keep telling me to call somebody else. Calhoun County Sheriff Matt Saxton, the incoming executive director of the Michigan Sheriffs Association, said police are working to get up to speed on how the order should be enforced. However, he doesnt expect officers to make many arrests during the next three weeks. This whole situation is a fluid situation, it changes by the hour, Saxton said. For the most part, I see law enforcement trying to educate folks on what that order actually means as opposed to enforcement of that." Bob Stevenson, head of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, said law enforcement officials dont have enough information to enforce Whitmers order. Originally the AGs office was going to be handling the complaints; I think they quickly realized by the number of calls they were getting, that they just didnt have the staff to investigate all of them," Stevenson said. Were expecting the AGs office to issue clarification and guidance for interpreting the executive order. Were working with them to get that information and get it out to our police agencies and well get out within a day or so here. A wide range of businesses across the state are justifying their continued operation for a variety of reasons. Woodruffs employer, Industrial Tectonics Inc., could not be reached for comment. Critical" manufacturers are allowed to stay open under Whitmers order, which applies to businesses that create products for medical supply chains, transportation, energy, food and a variety of other industries. The order prohibits work that isnt necessary to sustain or protect life. Attorney General spokesperson Kelly Rossman-McKinney said some businesses have been trying to stretch that definition, including a window replacement company. The employer said they were essential because people need vitamin D, she said. Stevenson said police in one city have been posting cease and desist letters on the doors of businesses that arent complying with the order. This includes some fitness centers, sporting equipment stores, craft and fabric businesses and hardware stores. Turnages husband, the apartment complex maintenance worker, was also designated an essential employee. Meanwhile, office staff for the property management company were sent home. Stevenson said police were called by another employee who argued against being designated an essential employee. Cases like that are much harder for officers to work out while they wait for guidance from the Attorney General, he said. Stevenson urged people to call police stations instead of dialing 911. Emergency call centers have been overrun with calls about the executive order, he said. People call and say my neighbor is violating, theyre outside, they have people over, Stevenson said. Thats not what a 911 call center is for and its putting a burden on them. The Grand Rapids Police Department is asking residents to use discretion before reporting a possible violation. Grand Rapids police Sgt. John Wittkowski said the department is asking for residents to limit complaints the most egregious incidents, such as large house parties, open restaurant dining areas or mass gatherings. Woodruff said he reported his employer to police in his area but was told there wasnt anything that could be done. He tried to call the Attorney Generals Office but the hotline set up to collect consumer complaints experienced technical issues from a flood of calls. I have faith in the governor and attorney general, but they need to know these places are staying open, Woodruff said. Nobody is enforcing it as of now. The Attorney Generals Office closed its hotline to people reporting possible violations after fielding hundreds of calls from confused employers and employees that overwhelmed phone systems Tuesday. I think its a difficult executive order to really wrap your arms around, Rossman-McKinney said. We are working very closely with the governors office. Every instance we get a call asking about whether or not businesses essential is being first reviewed by our office and then shared with the governors office so that we can begin to get some clarity around the executive order. The governors office directed employers and employees confused about whether they should remain open to submit questions via email to LEO-Coronavirus@michigan.gov. A spokesperson did not respond to additional questions about how information is being given to law enforcement officials. The Michigan House Republican caucus released a list of essential services that should remain open under the executive order, and the state also released an online list of commonly asked questions. The coronavirus is an infectious respiratory disease that can cause serious illness or death. It is particularly harmful among vulnerable populations and people with compromised immune systems, but can also affect younger people. COVID-19 is a new strain of the coronavirus that can easily spread from person to person if proper social distancing guidelines are not followed. There is no approved vaccine or cure for the disease. Saxton said police across the state remain focused on educating employers and the public. At the end of the day, the top enforcement official in the state of Michigan is the Attorney General, Saxton said. She would enforce the governors executive orders and interpret the governors executive orders." PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. Complete coverage of coronavirus in Michigan. File photo: AFP By Liu Xuanzun and Guo Yuandan Questions have been raised over whether there will be large-scale novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infections on a deployed US warship after the US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt reported three confirmed cases on Tuesday in what is believed to be the first such COVID-19 case on the deployed warship. While the US Navy likely has contingency plans against biohazards to prevent a large scale outbreak on board, cross infections remain possible if sailors on the carrier did not apply a great deal of caution, but the incident will still deal a heavy blow to the US' military capability and global deployment, experts said on Wednesday. The US Navy announced on Tuesday that three sailors on board the Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier in the Philippine Sea have tested positive for COVID-19, US media outlet The Hill reported on Tuesday. This marks the first incident of COVID-19 presence on a deployed US warship, the report quoted US Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly as saying. The three sailors have been quarantined and will soon be flown from the ship, and people on board who had contact with the confirmed cases are also being quarantined, Modly said. Holding a crew of 5,000 people with dozens of fighter jets and other types of aircraft, the carrier recently visited Vietnam, and then went on a mission to carry out exercises in the South China Sea "in an effort to send a message to Beijing," US media said. Chinese military experts said that sailors live and work in crowded cabins on an aircraft carrier, making it vulnerable to infectious diseases. Some military observers said the Theodore Roosevelt might become the next Diamond Princess or Grand Princess, two cruise ships isolated at sea and seriously struck by the coronavirus. The Theodore Roosevelt is likely equipped with effective quarantine facilities, and the US military is expected to equip its warships with strong anti-biological attack facilities, so a large scale outbreak on board might not occur (as easily as on civilian cruise ships,) Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday. However, if the sailors did not have good awareness of epidemic control, the three people could have already spread the virus prior to their quarantine, Song said, noting that the US aircraft carrier should transfer them via helicopter to a nearby land-based hospital as soon as possible. Vietnamese media previously reported that the carrier's officers and sailors took part in courtesy calls, technical exchanges and sport events, and US sailors on board also went ashore and visited the city of Danang. Reports also said some Vietnamese were allowed to board the aircraft carrier. While there is no evidence to relate the COVID-19 cases to the carrier's visit to Vietnam, all of these activities risked cross infection, analysts said, noting that since COVID-19 has a latent period of one to 14 days and there are possibly asymptomatic patients, time will tell if there will be more cases on the aircraft carrier. Regardless of whether the outbreak on board Theodore Roosevelt will further spread, the incident will definitely have a serious impact on US' military operations across the world, analysts said. Many of the US military's exercises will have to stop, as some soldiers and officers will become infected with the virus and undergo quarantine, resulting in combat position vacancies, Song said. As of Tuesday, the US Navy has announced 86 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 57 active military personnel. The number for the entire US military reached 174 by Tuesday, 41 more than the previous day. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper also admitted earlier that the US military's combat readiness could be affected. Esper said on Monday that the disease has forced the US military to cancel some training exercises, and the virus could affect its readiness to conduct combat missions if it worsens, USA Today reported on Monday. Since the US military follows a global deployment strategy, the COVID-19 will have the biggest impact on its combat readiness, Song said, noting that the US has military bases around the world to exercise its international influence, but now the strategy has backfired and many of its troops must stay where they are and cannot interact with its allies as frequently. The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the US military is also reflected in the conflict between its global deployment and safety of its personnel, Song said. "The Americans must reconsider and make a choice between global deployment and the safety of its personnel. If the US military insists on global deployment, it must have enough measures to deal with crises like this epidemic," he said. YEREVAN, MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The coronavirus response commission of Artsakh has advised its citizens to avoid all but highly-essential travel to Armenia over the COVID19 situation. Due to the nationwide restrictions on movement of people and mandatory self-quarantine in Armenia, the inter-departmental commission regulating the coronavirus prevention measures in the Republic of Artsakh is calling on citizens of Artsakh to refrain from traveling to Armenia in the coming days (minimum 7 days). Travel to Armenia exclusively in highly essential cases, the commission said in a statement released through the Information HQ of Artsakh. So far, Artsakh does not have coronavirus cases. Armenia has announced a 7-day lockdown to help prevent the spread of the COVID19. Citizens are asked to remain in their homes and go out only in the event of strict necessity, such as shopping for groceries or medication. Non-essential businesses have been shut down. The number of COVID19 cases in Armenia has reached 265 as of March 25. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Remarks by Vice President Pence Before a Video Teleconference with Governors on Partnership to Prepare, Mitigate, and Respond to COVID-19 March 23, 2020 Federal Emergency Management Agency Headquarters Washington, D.C. 2:04 P.M. EDT THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, on behalf of President Donald Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force, allow me to welcome all of the governors who are joining us for this video teleconference. And more importantly, thank you. Thank you for the leadership that each of one of you are showing in your states. Yesterday, the President took specific action with regard to California, Washington State, and New York. We'll talk about that in a bit. But I know, in speaking with so many of you myself, the regular contacts that we have had with you, the extraordinary leadership that's being demonstrated by our governors all across the states and territories of this nation. And so, first and foremost, just allow me to say thank you, not just on behalf of the President and our team, but what I know is on behalf of the American people. We're going to speak today about issues that you all continue to focus on and continue to be the focus of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. We'll be meeting later this afternoon. But as you can see, we are here at FEMA. It was now a little bit more than 10 days ago that the President signed the emergency declaration. And it goes without saying that that FEMA is now the hub of all of our efforts. Pete Gaynor will share with you a bit about how we have operationalized the President's vision for a response to the threat of the coronavirus threat that is locally executed, state-managed, and federally supported. It is FEMA's mission. It's what every governor on this call knows they're good at. No one better in the world. And, Pete, I want to thank you and 20,000 strong, the team here at FEMA, stepping up, stepping into the gap, fully integrating HHS and working with the White House Coronavirus Task Force and all these governors. You're doing a phenomenal job. I hope that yesterday's action, where the President signed major disaster declarations; initiated Title 32 authority for three states to stand up your National Guard with full federal support; the deployment of field hospitals in those states; and the deployment of PPE on an ongoing basis gives each of you confidence that that we're going to do whatever it takes to make sure that our states and your courageous local health officials have the support that you need to meet this moment. Dr. Deborah Birx will talk about some progress that we are making on data, understanding what what the circumstances in the ground are, better focusing our resources at the point of the need, and also some very important breakthroughs on ventilators and how we're going to partner with you to expand the capacity of ventilators going forward. But before I dismiss the media, again, let me just say thank you to all the governors. I mean, this it really is what makes America different, that we have 50 CEOs of states and several territories who are with us here today. You are leading the efforts in your states. The federal government is coming along behind you, supporting you, resourcing you with expertise, personnel. And it is a real partnership that is precisely it's precisely how the American people expect us to work. And I just left the President a few minutes ago. He was on the phone with a governor when I was leaving the Oval Office. And I just hope all of you know that while we will continue to use these large forums, not only to share information, but we'll have an ongoing conversation about what you're dealing with at the local level. But I hope you all know that, should any need arise, contacting your regional administrator for FEMA, letting them know what you're specific needs are. But I hope it goes without saying: I'm a phone call away to any governor on this call. And as you go through the ordinary processes, you should not hesitate to reach me, and I think you also know the President the President values the relationship and the leadership represented by everyone here. So, with that, we'll have the media step out. We'll brief them afterwards. Thank you all very much. END 2:09 P.M. EDT NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A global health expert at Maynooth University has warned social distancing during the current phase of the Covid-19 crisis is vital to save lives. Prof Bernard Mahon, a leading immunology researcher specialising in global health issues, said the duration of the current health emergency will heavily depend on measures to reduce infection numbers. Prof Mahon was speaking after large crowds spotted in outdoor Kildare areas triggered warnings from community leaders and local gardai to observe social distancing. Prof Mahon said: Social distancing will save lives. We want to limit the numbers of people infected and delay any infection that does occur for as long as possible. This will prevent the health system from being overstretched. Prof Mahon added: Social distancing will save not only those suffering from Covid 19 but also those with cancer and other conditions who will need the health system at the moment for other illnesses. The expert added that the UK have been slow to limit crowds in public places such as bars and restaurants and may pay a hefty price. Prof Mahon said its currently very difficult for Kildare families to get outdoor exercise while practising social distancing but we have to limit our interactions. He added: For the moment if you have to get a walk then stay local and keep your distance from others. If we dont get the infection under control quickly we may face a more severe lock down for longer. Prof Mahon Professor Mahon joined NUI Maynooth in 1994 and served as Scientific Director at the Universitys Institute of Immunology. He began his early career in the UK where he researched the safety of polio vaccines. He later moved to Ireland and worked on new whooping cough vaccines now entering human clinical trials. Social distancing Popular spots across Co Kildare saw an increase in walkers and families out enjoying the fine weather on what was a very strange celebration of Mothers Day. In Kilcullen, teenagers were urged not to use the local all weather pitch at the Community Centre complex which is closed under the coronavirus restrictions. In Ballymore Eustace, community members were furious to see youths gathering together in the village in groups of four to five. In Naas, it was reported that several groups of teenagers were hubbing along the canal. Separately, Naas GAA club chairman John McMahon has asked people to stay away from the club premises. This follows an appeal from the club officers on social media on Sunday. The post said the club officers were hugely concerned to see a large number of parents dropping children/ teenagers off to the club all day today to play on the pitches. The post added that the club is officially closed and no members should be on the premises and especially not in groups as seen today. It concluded: We are pleading with members to abide by the HSE guidelines of social distancing in order to save lives over the coming weeks. Mr McMahon said: The club and the gates are locked, padlocked in fact and have been since we were told to do so. He said members and non members alike should avoid club property until coronavirus restrictions are lifted. Meanwhile on Friday night last in Newbridge gardai found a small number of people in a licensed premises in the town. The gardai visited the venue but under law they are not permitted to order people to leave. It is thought that the premises was not open to the public and the event may well have been a private party. Three episodes of Coronation Street would be aired a week, rather than the usual six, so it could stay on air until July, a spokeswoman for ITV said in a telephone interview. This would mean the show would fall out of sync with real life, she said. For instance, episodes that reference Easter would air after the holiday, she added, but she hoped viewers would understand. It is absolutely unprecedented, said Lisa Holdsworth, a TV scriptwriter who is the chair of the Writers Guild of Great Britain. In the early 2000s, during an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among cattle, one rural soap, Emmerdale, was forced to change its story lines and stop shooting outside, she said. But they still didnt shut down. This time, though, it was obviously the right thing to do, she added. Fans on social media almost unanimously agreed with the broadcasters decisions to stop filming, and many expressed concern about the shows older stars. Coronavirus felt quite removed from real life until this happened, said Ana Guerra-Moore, 25, a fan of Coronation Street, in a telephone interview. After EastEnders stopped production, I was, like, God, is it going to happen to Corrie? she added, using a nickname for Coronation Street. And a big part of me was hoping it wouldnt, because I wanted it to still be here, to be that comfort and help everyone through. For now, the soaps are one of the few shows on British TV with no mention of the coronavirus: Instead, their story lines focus on the troubles of everyday life, with some dramatic plot twists thrown in. In the past week, Hollyoaks fans have seen characters confront each other over an affair without any hint of social distancing. On EastEnders, the Queen Vic pub has been filled with drinkers, even after Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week ordered pubs, cafes and restaurants to close. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday condemned the "extremely reprehensible" terror attack at a gurdwara in Kabul in which 27 people were killed. He also extended condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the attack. "The terrorist attack on a Sikh Gurudwara in Kabul is extremely reprehensible. My heart goes out to the families of those who have lost their loved ones in this heinous act against humanity. I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," Singh tweeted. The gurudwara was attacked by four terrorists including a suicide bomber. At least 27 civilians were killed and eight others were wounded in the terror attack in Afghanistan. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences to those killed in the terror attack at a gurdwara in Kabul in Afghanistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 1000 Australians waiting for a kidney transplant will have to remain on dialysis after an expert taskforce ruled all surgeries must be "suspended" due to the risk of coronavirus to recipients, meaning some donated organs will be thrown away or not retrieved. Liver, lung and heart transplants will continue only for patients deemed to be "at imminent risk of dying from their organ failure", National Transplantation and Donation Taskforce co-chair Steve Chadban told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Transplant surgeries are being cancelled due to the coronavirus. Credit:AP Health authorities are being forced into an "unenviable dilemma" over who to prioritise for intensive care beds if the coronavirus pandemic begins to overwhelm the health system. It comes as the federal health department consults with the Royal Australian College of Surgeons on which elective procedures should be prioritised, after Prime Minister Scott Morrison ordered all non-essential elective surgeries be cancelled. The pandemic has already forced the cancellation of transplant surgeries in the United States and United Kingdom. A Belfast Airbnb owner is offering his property free of charge to NHS workers fighting coronavirus and has urged other landlords across Northern Ireland to do the same. Charlie Harington (34) and his wife Melanie (32), who live in Holywood with their three children Wilf (4), Lola (2) and eight-week-old Fiabh, are trying to help in the battle against Covid-19. The couple posted on Facebook on Saturday night that their two-bed mid-terrace Airbnb near Belfast City Hospital was available to NHS workers rent free. The following morning the post had been shared almost 3,000 times and that gave Charlie and Melanie the idea to try and co-ordinate a Northern Ireland-wide effort. Two intensive care unit nurses were the first to take up the offer and Charlie, who is originally from London and works for Qubis at Queen's University, Belfast, said the demand from doctors and nurses for somewhere to stay during the crisis was clear. "Even if it's sleeping there for one night or just coming back to the house for an hour or two during their break to get out of the hospital environment," he explained. "NHS workers may also live with vulnerable people, whether that's children or ill parents, and they then can't go back to stay with them. "They're very scared about going home because they don't want to put their family members at risk so there's demand from that side as well. "It's an Airbnb rental, and as you can imagine, bookings have completely dried up as there aren't any tourists coming to Belfast so it's sitting there empty. "I can hit the car park at City Hospital with a stone from the front door so it just seemed like a waste to have it sitting there. "My wife and I physically can't do a huge amount for this effort. We're not frontline staff and we're not teaching key workers' kids so this is our way of doing our bit," he added. Charlie is now hoping that health trusts will co-ordinate a plan with landlords to use vacant properties so they can be used by frontline staff and he has offered to help however he can. With hotels possibly closing in the days and weeks ahead in a major lockdown scenario, Charlie believes these properties will become vital for the NHS. "I just want to get the word out there, in particular to landlords who might want to generously give their homes over to nurses, doctors or any NHS worker who is fighting this at the minute," he added. "There needs to be some coordination between trusts and people like myself who are happy to lend their time. "I'm happy to organise with landlords and be a go-between in my spare time." To get in touch with Charlie or if you have a vacant property that you would like to be made available to NHS staff visit Free Accommodation: Connecting NI landlords to NHS workers on Facebook. Advertisement Boris Johnson is under growing pressure to stop non-essential construction workers heading to building sites as Britain attempts to tackle the spread of coronavirus. The Prime Minister has faced calls across the political spectrum for more stringent rules so workers are not placed at risk, and public transport is not overwhelmed. Mr Johnson, who will appear before MPs today for Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, has so far resisted the pressure. But Conservative former cabinet minister Sir Iain Duncan Smith joined the demands for a rethink, after doubts were also raised by Nicola Sturgeon and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Meanwhile, it has emerged that plumbers, electricians and other tradesmen are still allowed to carry out routine work in people's homes despite the dramatic lockdown announced on Monday. Pictures shared on social media today show workers sitting beside one another in a cramped canteen at the Hinkley Point C site in Somerset. Pictures shared on social media today show workers sitting beside one another in a cramped canteen at the Hinkley Point C site in Somerset Construction workers on a building in Canary Wharf, London, amid the coronaavirus pandemic. Nelson, a self-employed electrician who works in East London, decided not to go into work this morning over fears of spreading the virus Construction workers standing in a circle while working on a HS2 site in London this morning. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced people can only leave their homes for essential reasons or may be fined, to reduce the spread of coronavirus Workers on a construction site in Canary Wharf, London. It follows the government launching a recruitment drive for 250,000 NHS volunteers in good health to help vulnerable people, with Matt Hancock announcing an exhibition centre in London will be converted into a new NHS hospital Construction workers working on a new development in Liverpool city centre this morning amid increasing calls for non-essential construction work to halt during the coronavirus crisis in the UK Construction workers walk around Houses of Parliament in London this morning Woodwharf Canary Wharf, which is one of the biggest construction sites in Europe with thousands of workers, remains open today Wood Wharf is a 23-acre site in Canary Wharf, London. It is currently under construction to provide offices, residential homes and retail space Confusion as shop and office workers are told to stay home amid coronavirus lockdown but builders and delivery drivers can carry on The government has come under pressure to urgently clarify who it counts as a 'key worker' after Britons woke up in a state of lockdown confusion. Last night in his historic address to the nation, Boris Johnson ordered the public to stay at home unless travelling to work was 'absolutely necessary'. It was wrapped into an emergency package of draconian measures to keep people indoors to stem the tide of coronavirus infection, which threatens to overwhelm the NHS. But the wriggle room left by the Prime Minister over exactly who was allowed to travel was seized upon by many workers who continued to commute to their jobs this morning. Construction workers were seen operating in close proximity, causing head-scratching over why they were continuing to work while most of the country was forced to hunker down at home. Responding to claims that details of the lockdown were 'murky', Michael Gove, the minister for the cabinet office, said: 'It is the case that construction should continue on sites. 'People should obviously exercise sensitivity and common sense and follow social distancing measures. But construction sites carried out in the open air can continue'. And Nicola Sturgeon and Sadiq Khan fanned further confusion when they advised construction workers to stay at home. Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey said it has closed its construction sites, show homes and sale sites due to coronavirus. The company said it has a 'large order-book and quality long-term landbank' which provides it with increased resilience. It said UK operations have 'only been meaningfully impacted in very recent days' while its smaller Spanish operations have been disrupted by a nationwide shutdown. Earlier on Tuesday, competitor Redrow said its sites remain open with 'strict precautions in place including enhanced levels of cleaning, additional hygiene facilities and social distancing'. Advertisement As Britain started its second day of mass self-isolation today, it also emerged: London is on a trajectory for a worse coronavirus outbreak than Lombardy in Italy with deaths doubling every two days and it could run out of intensive care beds by the end of the week; Parliament is shutting early tonight 'until further notice'; Coronavirus could have infected as much as half of the population of the United Kingdom, according to researchers at the University of Oxford; FTSE 100 opens up 2% by 108 to 5,555 points after record day of trading yesterday as world markets seesaw; At Hinkley Point, the company has taken certain measures to try to ensure social distancing between workers, including placing plastic bags over every other seat to keep people apart from each other in the canteen. Nelson, a self-employed electrician who works in East London, decided not to go into work this morning over fears of spreading the virus. He told BBC's Today Programme: 'People know of people who are now in hospital and they've called it on site, there seems to be a lot of continued lack of distancing taking place, and obviously the cross-contamination is rife because they're still going to the canteens, they're still logging in the mornings with their finger on the keypads. 'I'm at a bit of a loss of words to be honest and I'm not one who often is at a loss for words. But I'm really not sure where to go from here. 'Everyone's position or situation is unique to them. I've been having online, and on Whatsapp, ongoing arguments all day today as to why I was on site up until now. And personally, like I said, I need to be earning money, otherwise within a month I'm going to feel the pinch.' Earlier in the programme, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick urged employers to be 'sensible' in their decisions to keep building sites open. Radio presenter Nick Robinson asked: 'We take construction workers for example - construction is being stopped in Scotland, the Mayor of London says it should be stopped. 'We're seeing photographs, we're hearing messages from people on building sites up and down the land saying "it's preposterous to claim I can be two metres away, and even if I can be I'm often holding the same bit of scaffolding or bit of kit without having gloves, without having an ability to wash my hands afterwards, it's just not happening."' Mr Jenrick replied: 'Well it depends, there are situations where it is safe to continue to go to work, and the medical advice says that. Public Health England have published further guidance as to how you can operate site, in certain settings, safely. Construction workers pictured working on a building in Manchester today, as the country continues to attempt to tackle the spread of coronavirus. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has urged employers to be 'sensible' in their decisions to keep building sites open and 'take account' of advice from Public Health England Construction workers on a site in Barking, East London, after the government has faced calls to 'take the difficult decision' and ban non-essential construction work. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has urged the government to act urgently and encourage more people to stay at home, following images of packed tube carriages during workers' commutes Construction workers wear face masks as they work on Battersea Park Road, near Battersea Power Station in Wandsworth, south-west London. Works on the Battersea Power station site have temporarily stopped, as of yesteday. It follows the Prime Minister urging people to stay at home Construction workers work on a site in Chester-le-Street, a village in County Durham, as the spread of coronavirus continues. Michael Gove, the minister for the cabinet office, confirmed plumbers could continue to carry out emergency repair jobs so long as they observed the six-feet distancing policy Coronavirus UK: New lockdown measures in full Boris Johnson tonight announced a lockdown plan to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the UK as he told the nation to stay at home. People will only be allowed to leave their home for the following 'very limited' purposes: Shopping for basic necessities as infrequently as possible. One form of exercise a day. Any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person. Travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, the PM has announced a ban on: Meeting with friends. Meeting with family members you do not live with. All weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies but excluding funerals. All gatherings of more than two people in public. The PM said the police will have the powers to enforce the lockdown measures through fines and dispersing gatherings. To ensure people comply the government is also: Closing all shops selling non-essential goods. Closing all libraries, playground, outdoor gyms and places of worship. Parks will remain open for exercise, but will be patrolled. Advertisement 'There are precautions that you would need to take, some of which will prove too difficult for some site operators to adhere to. That's why you have seen a number of companies choosing to close down their sites in the last day or two, and I fully support those decisions. 'Employers need to be sensible, need to take account of Public Health England guidance and make decisions in the best interests of their workers and of wider society, as they would have to with any other health and safety situation.' Responding to claims that details of the lockdown were 'murky', Michael Gove, the minister for the cabinet office, recently said: 'It is the case that construction should continue on sites. 'People should obviously exercise sensitivity and common sense and follow social distancing measures. But construction sites carried out in the open air can continue'. He also confirmed that plumbers could continue to carry out emergency repair jobs so long as they observed the six-feet distancing policy. Updated guidance from the government today states: 'Work carried out in peoples homes, for example by tradespeople carrying out repairs and maintenance, can continue, provided that the tradesperson is well and has no symptoms. 'Again, it will be important to ensure that Public Health England guidelines, including maintaining a 2 metre distance from any household occupants, are followed to ensure everyones safety.' The guidance says work should not be carried out in a household that is isolating or where an individual is being shielded, unless there is a problem that puts them at risk.' Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Ms Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, said of building sites: 'My advice would be to close.' The Mayor of London echoed these sentiments and said: 'I've been concerned about the mixed messages and the lack of clarity.' He added: 'The only people that should be leaving home are those that are essential to look after us. 'In my view the only construction workers that should be working are those that are needed for safety.' Two construction workers wear face masks and maintain social distancing as they continue work on Battersea Park Road, with one holding up a sign that reads: 'Stop works'. It comes as Boris Johnson faces calls across the political spectrum for more stringent rules so construction workers are not at risk and public transport is not overwhelmed Two construction workers at a site on Chester-le-Street, with one operating a digger. The Communities Secretary said this morning that employers need to 'make decisions in the best interests of their workers and of wider society, as they would with any other health and safety situation' Workers wearing masks and social distancing on Battersea Park Road in London. Responding to claims that details of the lockdown were 'murky', Mr Gove said: 'It is the case that construction should continue on sites' A construction worker wears a face mask while continuing work on Battersea Park Road. The government is under intense pressure to set out a financial support package for self-employed workers - measures senior Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith said were soon to be announced Boris Johnson's coronavirus lockdown backed by 93 PER CENT of the public - poll finds Boris Johnson's coronavirus lockdown is backed by 93 per cent of Britons, according to a poll today. But in a potentially worrying sign for the PM, two-thirds believe that the extraordinary curbs will be easy to obey. The announcement by the PM last night mean that everyone must stay inside unless it is absolutely essential. Gatherings of more than two people have been banned in the most dramatic restrictions on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war. But research by YouGov shows the measures have overwhelming endorsement from the public, Advertisement It follows the government launching a recruitment drive for 250,000 NHS volunteers in good health to help vulnerable people, with Matt Hancock announcing an exhibition centre in London will be converted into a new NHS hospital. The Health Secretary said people are needed to assist with the national effort to tackle coronavirus by shopping, delivering medicines and supporting those who are shielding themselves against Covid-19. And he confirmed that a temporary hospital - the NHS Nightingale hospital - would be opening at London's ExCeL centre, with 4,000 beds spread across two wards. On Tuesday, it was revealed that the number of coronavirus dead in the UK had reached 422 - up from 335 the day before and the largest day-on-day increase in the number of deaths since the outbreak began. Northern Ireland later said there had been a further two deaths in the region. In measures announced on Monday, the Prime Minister told people to only go to work if 'absolutely necessary'. But on Tuesday, Mr Hancock said those who cannot work from home, including key workers in the NHS and social care, should go to work 'to keep the country running'. Prime Minister Boris Johnson pictured addressing the nation in the White Room at No 10 Downing Street on Monday, during the coronavirus pandemic. He is under growing pressure to stop non-essential construction workers heading to building sites and will appear before MPs for Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons today The Health Secretary said construction workers were among those who could continue to work as long as they could remain two metres apart at all times. But some builders and construction workers have said they feel 'angry and unprotected' going to work, while others are under pressure from employers to go in. Mr Duncan Smith added his voice to the calls, telling BBC Two's Newsnight: 'So this is the critical question, they need to define exactly what in terms of the construction workers that need to go to work. 'Let me give you an example, there are such things as emergency construction jobs that need to be done, these people will be, as termed, key workers, because they will be doing something that meant something or stopped something going wrong. Those are critical. 'The question is general construction and to what degree is it needed, the economy is part of the whole issue, we've got to keep this running, but there is a balance. 'If you ask me for my view on this it is the balance is now where we should delete some of those construction workers from going to work and focus only on the emergency requirements.' Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, told the programme: 'This decision about allowing non-essential work appears to be taken for economic reasons when actually - when you're in the middle of a global pandemic - health reasons alone really should be guiding all decision making.' London Mayor Sadiq Khan's office said the government must act urgently to get more people staying at home following construction workers reporting to building sites and images of packed Tube trains appearing on social media. His comments came after Mr Hancock said that the London Underground should be running in full so that people are spaced out and can be further apart. The government is also under intense pressure to set out a financial support package for self-employed workers - measures senior Conservative MP Sir Iain said were soon to be announced. 'I believe the government has reached a conclusion about that, the best way to do it is to look back over the average for the year but that does leave out some who haven't been self-employed for over a year,' he told Newsnight. Elsewhere, Mr Hancock said 11,788 recently retired NHS staff had responded to the call to return to the service, including 2,660 doctors, more than 2,500 pharmacists and other staff and 6,147 nurses. 'I pay tribute to each and every one of those who is returning to the NHS at its hour of need,' Mr Hancock said. Some 5,500 final-year medics and 18,700 final-year student nurses will also 'move to the front line' next week. The Deputy Chief Executive of Exim Bank and Chairperson of Patrons of NPP Womens Wing, Nana Ama Poku Kufuor has donated hand washing items valued at several thousands of Ghana cedis to the Ashanti Regional Womens Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The items consisted of 200 pieces of Veronica buckets, 200 bottles of hand sanitizers, 200 bottles of washing soap, 200 boxes of face masks as well as 300 packs of kitchen napkins. Presenting the items on behalf of the Deputy Exim Bank CEO, Andy Owusu, a representative to the banker said the gesture is intended to enable the womens wing respond to the calls on them to help people deal with the threat of the corona-virus disease. Mr Owusu on behalf of Madam Kufuor promised the wing more support as the party also readies itself for the upcoming general election in December. As Chairperson of Patrons of Ashanti Womens Wing Madam Ama Poku feels it is right to support the party deal with the threat posed by the dreaded corona-virus disease so that the public can have items to wash their hands, Mr Owusu posited. Appreciation Receiving the items, Nana Ama Ampomah, Ashanti Regional Womens Organiser thanked Madam Kufuor for the gesture. She noted the timely nature of the presentation, adding that it would aid the party to respond to the calls on it by members of the public. The Womens organiser urged other members of the NPP and government appointees to donate to support the wing to deal with the current crisis. She also appealed to private individuals to show support to the public by donating hand-washing items. On behalf of the wing I want to thank Madam Kufuor for this donation which is a timely one and I also want to use this opportunity to urge other party members as well as CEOS and party sympathizers to give to support the party so as to be able to deal with the corona-virus disease, the Womens Organiser. Determination Madam Ampomah stressed the determination of the womens wing to undertake a vigorous campaign ahead of the 2020 election. The wing, she noted was committed to doing extra work to ensure the party maximizes its votes in the 47 constituencies of Ashanti. The aim, Madam Ampomah who is affectionately called Pretty Giant noted was to secure a first round victory for President Akufo-Addo in the 2020 general elections. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The federal government is limiting access to a vast stockpile of food that New Orleans leaders say is critical for replenishing the rapidly diminishing supply at local food banks. City leaders and food banks are asking for a waiver to speed access to 4 million pounds of food stored in Louisiana and managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The department has so far denied emergency access, citing the need to follow proper procedures and turn in required paperwork. Meanwhile, New Orleans food banks say they may run out of food in a week. The red tape theyve been dealing with is truly frustrating, but were all determined to cut through it, City Councilwoman Helena Moreno said. Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans has seen demand for food more than triple since the coronavirus pandemic swept across Louisiana. Its just gone beyond what we can count, said Natalie Jayroe, the food banks president. With only a few days' worth of donated food remaining, Second Harvest has been trying to buy food from stores and supply companies. But theres a waiting list for that, Jayroe said. +8 By feeding doctors, a Mardi Gras krewe founder builds a lifeline for local restaurants On one day last week, a team of New Orleans musicians shuttled 1,052 freshly-made meals to staff at local hospitals, while a circuit of restau Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Most of the USDA food is already at food banks waiting to be distributed. A large share of it is fresh food, including vegetables, meat and dairy products, acquired by the government to support U.S. farmers during recent trade wars. The food banks are asking the USDA to loosen a requirement that food recipients must fill out forms disclosing employment and income information. They say waiving the requirements will help reduce the spread of coronavirus by limiting contact between food bank staff and food recipients. It would also speed an already overburdened process. Wed just like to hand them a box and not ask questions, Jayroe said. We dont want people touching or signing papers. We want to get food out as quickly as possible. The USDA did not immediately return calls for comment. Moreno said negotiations with the federal agency have been frustrating. Weve been going round and round with USDA for several days, including on a call that lasted until 10 p.m. last night, she said. They told us they are not going to approve the waiver. Moreno, who said another conference call was planned for Wednesday, said it is possible that some people who dont qualify for free food may get some if the waiver is granted. That the USDA is concerned about that is just silly, she said. OK, maybe 30 jerks who shouldnt have been eligible are going to get food they werent entitled to, she said. Who cares? This is an emergency. Downtown parking options continue to grow amid economic stress related to COVID-19 concerns. Following online complaints from businesses with ticketed customers on Monday, city administration issued a 30-day moratorium on parking meter enforcement. "This temporary measure, supported by the Chamber of Commerce and the Rochester Downtown Alliance, is subject to change as necessary to meet the needs of the community," the city stated in announcing the change Tuesday. The city is also encouraging people to limit the use of metered spaces to short-term stays. Downtown businesses providing take-out services already had the opportunity to reserve some spaces by obtaining right-of-way permits from the citys Public Works Department, email pwpermits@rochestermn.gov. ADVERTISEMENT The option follows a statewide ban on in-restaurant dining. Public Works staff reported during a recent Rochester City Council meeting that a typical parking meter generates approximately $1,000 a year. The change follows an earlier decision to suspend residential parking permit zones until the end of March. Seasonal parking requirements also ended early to open parking opportunities near the downtown core. All other parking ordinances remain in effect, including overnight parking restrictions and no parking zones, such as driveways, fire hydrants and mailboxes. Additional changes could be considered. On Monday, Rochester City Council members raised questions regarding a request to suspend contract parking fees in city ramps. "Employers are paying for parking for employees who they are allowing/requiring to work from home to support the general welfare of the community," Kathleen Harrington, president of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, wrote in a letter to the council. "Please suspend these fees now." Harrington said the fees, which are $224 a month for an assigned commercial space, are a significant part of small-business operating budgets in a time when revenue potential is limited. ADVERTISEMENT "During this time, employers must be able to keep their spaces in reserve and not have to go back on to the waiting list," she added. Council members asked for details regarding potential revenue implications for city budgets, as well as options for policy changes. The city has formed an Economic Stability Program planning team, which is expected to review the request and evaluate the potential financial impact. "Its part of a larger effort seeking to address the immediate financial needs of the local business community as a result of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The effort includes representatives from the city, Rochester Downtown Alliance, Rochester Area Economic Development Inc., Destination Medical Centers Economic Development Agency and the chamber. "Success of small businesses is vital to our citys economy," Council Member Steve Rymer said. "We are working closely every day with our community partners to actively explore a range of relief options to help these businesses in need." Select the Somerset County Athlete of the Week for Jan. 3-7 Regulatory News: Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) today released its regular weekly Net Asset Value ("NAV") and performance returns on its website, https://www.pershingsquareholdings.com/company-reports/weekly-navs/. The NAV and returns were computed as of the close of business on Tuesday, 24 March 2020. PSH NAV per share as of close of business on 24 March 2020 was 26.91 USD 22.91 GBP and year-to-date performance was 0.2%. Weekly net asset value ("NAV") is calculated as of the close of business on each Tuesday and posted on the following business day. In the event that Tuesday is not a business day, the Company will calculate the close-of-business NAV as of the business day immediately preceding that Tuesday. The end-of-month NAV is calculated as of the close of business on the last day of the month and posted on the following business day. For weeks that include a month-end NAV report, PSH will provide only the month-end NAV and not report the Tuesday NAV. Monthly NAVs are published in accordance with the Decree on Conduct of Business Supervision of Financial Undertakings under the Wft (Besluit Gedragstoezicht financiele ondernemingen Wft). Performance is presented on a net-of-fees basis and reflects the deduction of, among other expenses: management fees, brokerage commissions, administrative fees and accrued performance fees, if any. The performance figure includes the reinvestment of all dividends, interest and capital gains. Depending on the timing of a specific investment, net performance for an individual investor may vary from the net performance as stated herein. Net performance is a geometrically linked time weighted calculation. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. All investments involve risk including the loss of principal. About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005752/en/ Contacts: Media Camarco Ed Gascoigne-Pees Hazel Stevenson +44 020 3757 4989, media-pershingsquareholdings@camarco.co.uk MADRID -- Spanish soldiers who were tasked to disinfect care homes have found numerous residents in elderly homes abandoned, with some suspected of dying from COVID-19. Authorities said the troops found residents living among the infectious bodies of dead residents on Tuesday after they were brought in to disinfect care homes in Spain. Defense Miniter Margarita Robles said staff abandoned their duties after traces of coronavirus were detected in the care homes. She said several other facilities were also found abandoned but refused to name or say how many bodies were found. Robles also said the government will now observe strict and inflexible guidelines with the way older people are treated in care homes, a statement Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa echoes. Health officials in Spain told a media outlet that cares home patients are often left in their beds when their cause of death is related to the new coronavirus. Properly-equipped funeral staff are then called in to retrieve the body. Meanwhile, Spanish officials designated an ice rink as a temporary mortuary for coronavirus victims. Spanish prosecutors opened an investigation into the grim discovery. Check Out The Latest Coronavirus Reads: There are now 421,367 COVID-19 cases across the globe with a death toll of 18,810. Health officials worldwide have reported 108,388 recovered patients. Nursing homes have easily become breeding grounds for COVID-19 worldwide. A long-term elderly care facility in the US was linked to the deaths of over 37 residents due to the virus. Federal officials found staff members who worked at multiple elderly homes while sick themselves, contributing to the spread of the new coronavirus among the vulnerable patients. Dozens of care homes in Spain are overwhelmed by the rampant spread of the disease---largely due to the lack of personal protective equipment as well as medical equipment and testing kits. The country has seen added 53,000 healthcare workers, 4 million masks and 1,5 million protective equipment. The Spanish government announced it will take over control of senior-care facilities from private companies. An expert said the incident has brought to light the dire conditions of Spain's nursing homes, most of which lack personnel and resources, an issue unaddressed by private investors. Madrid turned two hotels into makeshift hospitals to address the lack of space and the influx of COVID-19 patients. Local authorities said they plan to convert five other establishments. Madrid's local hotel association also offered 40 establishments for the use of medical workers and professionals. Spain, along with other European countries such as Italy and France, has been faced with a staffing shortage since the number of COVID-19 cases surged. Spain, which has 40,000 confirmed cases, has said 14% of the cases (5,400) involved medical professionals. Meanwhile, more than 30 healthcare workers have died due to the coronavirus outbreak in Europe. The World Health Organization recently warned countries to observe stricter defensive measures as the virus accelerates. They also released a campaign in partnership with FIFA in a bid to promote coronavirus preventive measures. Watch the video below: Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 09:38:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRASILIA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from COVID-19 in Brazil has climbed to 46, with a total of 2,201 people infected, the Brazilian Health Ministry said on Tuesday. The figures mean the COVID-19 mortality rate in Brazil is 2.1 percent, health ministry official Wanderson Oliveira told reporters. Southeast Brazil recorded 1,278 cases or 58.1 percent, followed by the northeast with 354 cases or 16.1 percent. Of the 46 fatalities, 40 were in Sao Paulo, the country's most populous state, and six in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil has been working to improve its testing capacity to better control the spread of the virus, said Oliveira, adding that more than 14 million test kits will be made available. Singapore was one of the first countries hit by the coronavirus, COVID-19. The city states early response, which included cash incentives to work from home, chatbots and a national Whatsapp channel to educate and inform citizens, has earned praise from the World Health Organization and in scientific research. The COVID-19 response was greatly helped by Singapores extensive digital transformation work, which has accelerated since the launch of the Singapore Smart Nation initiative in 2014. Singapores digital approach addressed all four stages of an epidemic; surveillance, prevention and containment, diagnosis, and treatment. Digital signatures Disease surveillance is about identifying the source. In Singapore, the government employed extensive contact-tracing using digital technology. Digital signatures or the trail of tech-related crumbs we leave during the course of our daily life, including cash withdrawals and card payments, are being tracked to identify individuals who have been in contact with those infected with COVID-19. However, any such monitoriing must be founded on a commitment to accountability and transparency. Geographic and demographic data of confirmed cases is also published online in order to limit panic, and to encourage those who think theyve been exposed to the virus to seek healthcare. Extensive surveillance isnt always successful; so you must also prevent further transmission, and containment of the infected to stop wider spread. Singapore has introduced a wide range of digital interventions to improve public health. This includes using online tools to direct citizens to locations dispensing government-issued surgical masks (MaskGoWhere) and highlighting healthcare facilities focusing on respiratory illnesses (FluGoWhere). These two sites received more than 1.4 million visits in just a few days. Handling COVID-19 related inquiries A national WhatsApp channel has more than 630,000 subscribers, whilst chatbots for citizens and businesses have answered more than 75,000 COVID-19 related queries. The government has also mandated use of SMS and web-based platforms to ensure that those in quarantine stay at home. Technology has played a key role in COVID-19 diagnosis. The trial of an AI-driven smartphone-based temperature checker, which drastically increases the amount of possible simultaneous temperature measurements, moved to larger-scale trials in major public areas in just a matter of days. The government also targeted research and development to develop their own nucleic acid testing kits which shorten the results processing time, and allows testing of suspected cases at priority locations such as airports. Communication has also been important, particularly in tackling misinformation. Short and long term response Singapores COVID-19 treatment efforts can be split into the short and long term. More immediately, the country is focusing on research into effective treatment options, including remaining alert to novel drug candidates, and potential vaccine candidates. These efforts align with Singapores focus on becoming a global leader in DeepTech, a strategy being driven by the Global Centres partner, SGInnovate. In the longer term, the government is also engaging with the consequences of COVID-19, including relaxing hiring restrictions in manufacturing and services industries, and expanding reskilling efforts into sectors particularly affected by the disease. Theyve even developed a Pacman-esque online game to discourage panic-buying. The UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Sustainable Development, based in Singapore, has seen this response up close. Global implications We are partnering with the Smart Nation Programme Office in Singapore to better understand the fundamentals of Singapore's response plan, and the potential implications for UNDPs work around the world. The real time lessons will continue to shape the global disease response, particularly as the pandemic spreads. Scientific research has highlighted that potentially 2.8 times the number of COVID-19 cases could have been recognized worldwide, and therefore managed better, if all the countries coping with the virus now had taken this approach. Singapores response was built on robust digital foundations. It has also been driven by the incredible efforts of people, start-ups and institutions. Technology is not a panacea in any situation. But when applied strategically it can catalyze human talent, dedication and leadership. Such an approach is important to consider as countries continue to tackle COVID-19, and in future responses to other global challenges. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) Actress Iza Calzado said she has taken a COVID-19 test and is waiting for results as she remains in the hospital battling pneumonia. Calzado talked about her condition on Instagram Wednesday, also thanking the health workers who attended to her. The actress is best known for her stint in the show "Encantadia." "Its been a challenging time for me but it cannot compare to the frontliners who have cared for me and to whom I am so grateful, she said in her post. "My heart goes out to everyone in these trying times, especially those who risk their lives every day to care for their loved ones." Pneumonia is one of the severe symptoms of the viral disease that has already claimed the lives of nearly 40 people in the country. COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, which is related to the virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, but is not as deadly, with the fatality rate standing at around three percent. According to the World Health Organization, 80 percent of patients only experience mild illness and eventually recover. It added that some 14 percent experience severe illness while five percent were critically ill. There are 26 people in the country who have already been cured of the disease. "Over the past few days, the spread of the Covid-19 Virus has transformed the lives of people all over Europe and the World. Across Europe, Governments have imposed unprecedented restrictions on citizen movement, starting with flight bans which have closed Europes skies to all but a tiny number of repatriation/rescue flights. We apologise sincerely for these disruptions which were necessary, and unavoidable, to help EU Governments limit the spread of Covid-19 to protect our citizens. As a Group of Airlines, we expect most of our flights to be grounded from Tues 24th March onwards. We have offered our aircraft to all EU Governments, both for rescue flights and to operate essential flights for the movement of vital medicines, personal protective equipment, and if necessary, emergency food supplies. As Europes borders become congested or closed, its vital Ryanair plays its part to keep vital medicines and food supplies moving. We are continuing to work with EU Governments on rescue flights to return stranded passengers to their home country. In all cases, these flights take place under maximum safety, with daily disinfecting of aircraft, and no trolley service to minimise social contact. The safety and well-being of our crews and passengers is our no.1 priority. Any passenger whose flight has been cancelled as a result of these Government shutdowns, will over the next week or two, receive an email outlining their options. At the same time as we are dealing with unprecedented numbers of flight bans, we have had to reduce office staff by 50% for social distancing reasons and we ask customers to be patient and bear with us; you will receive email communications in due course. Please do not call our phonelines as the reduced staffing will be unable to accommodate anything but the most urgent of cases, which over the coming days, will be rescue flights. At this time, no one knows how long this Covid shutdown will last. The experience in China suggests a 3-month period for the spread of the virus to be contained and reduced. We do not expect to operate flights during the months of April and May at this time, but this will clearly depend upon Government advice, and we will in all cases comply with these instructions. While the immediate future is uncertain, it is important to remember that, like all pandemics, this crisis will pass. Our Governments and health agencies are taking unprecedented action, but they require our support, so by working together we can all help to eliminate Covid-19 and allow our lives to return to normality. In Ryanair, Buzz, Lauda, and Malta Air, we will do everything we can to keep our aircraft, our crews, and our engineering teams operational so that when Europe defeats this Covid-19 pandemic, we are ready to return to flying, to allow Europes citizens to go back to work, to visit friends/family, and to rebuild Europes tourism industry, upon which so many millions of jobs and families depend. Rest assured that we and the 18,000 aviation professionals in the Ryanair Group of Airlines will do everything we can to support our Governments, our people, and our customers during these unprecedented times. Together, lets all take care of ourselves, our families and our communities!" Best wishes, Michael OLeary Group CEO Source: Ryanair Michael Arundel is all about saving lives. The University of Alabama pre-med student has long planned for a career of helping others. He wasnt, however, expecting that service to start so soon. The coronavirus pandemic changed all of that. The 20-year-old Chicagoan worried about a senior family member doing her own shopping and also irked by viral images of other Gen Zers partying it up on the Florida beaches during a pandemic has launched a no-fee shopping service to give access to food and medical supplies for senior citizens in the southwest suburbs where he lives. Leave It To Us has given Arundel and his friends something positive to do during their unexpected down time and, on Tuesday, earned him the title of Hero of the Day on NBCs Today show. I wasnt expecting that, Arundel said in an interview with AL.com. It was a delight. The reason we started this is because you see the kids on the news that are at the beaches and not doing their part in social distancing, he said. We thought there isnt much to do in this time and this is probably the best way to spend our time and were doing it safely and trying to prevent the spread. It all began a couple of weeks ago when Arundel drove from Tuscaloosa to Chicago after learning students would have an extended Spring Break. I was on the phone with my dads cousin who is a senior and she was telling me how worried she was about this whole crisis and she was in the group that is the greatest risk, Arundel said. So I said, When I get home, Ill shop for you, Ill shop for your friends so you dont have to go out to try to prevent you guys from getting sick. University of Alabama junior Michael Arundel has launched a free shopping service for seniors in the Chicago area to keep them safe from COVID-19. (Contributed) As he shopped for her and her friends last week, he thought, Why cant my group of friends do this and provide this service for the whole community? Arundel created a logo, launched a Facebook page and a website, and recruited some friends to help him out for the volunteer work. My friends of course all said yes, he said. We have about 20 of my closest friends doing it. In just five days, the group has completed shopping trips for about 10 people. I know that sounds small, but weve gotten about 50 calls from people outside of our service area who want to place orders, Arundel said. A Chicago television station got word of Arundels good deeds and word quickly spread. He said hes been inundated by other undergraduates in the Chicago metropolitan area that want to volunteer, and even has had students from California, New York and Florida call him and say they want to start chapters in those states. We are in the process of making different chapters of Leave It To Us, he said. We really want to broaden our scope and hopefully provide service nationwide. We dont know the future, we dont know how long this is going to last. The concept is simple. The senior creates a shopping list of groceries, toiletries or prescription medications and calls Arundel with that list and their address. Once the shopping is done, the items are delivered, and the volunteers are reimbursed. The seniors, he said, are so grateful. I was actually on the phone with a few people yesterday that were astonished that we were doing something like this, he said. Theres been a few people who have even wept. Its a great feeling. Im so happy to do this and Im blessed that to have the opportunity to do this. Arundels initial plan for Spring Break was to stay home and study for the MCAT. This has blown up and I absolutely love it and I love servicing people, he said. I still look to take the MCAT but if this gets any broader, and I really hope it does, then I might have to take a gap year and Im totally OK with that. He said he has the full support of his family. Theyre beside themselves in how crazy this has gotten and they just want me to keep pushing forward and expanding, he said. Arundel said hes willing to help anyone who wants to get involved. Our goal right now is to expand and service as many people as possible, he said. This movement will indirectly will help save lives and were all about that. ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- It was John Pagliarinis first day on the job as former Providence, Rhode Island Mayor Angel Tavares chief of staff. One of the first people to walk through the door was the then Providence Emergency Management Agency Director Peter Gaynor. Gaynor came bearing gifts for Pagliarini -- a duffel bag with executive one written on the front, filled with emergency management supplies. I look inside and it's a fire suit, emergency frequency radio and all the things you would need for Armageddon, Pagliarini, now in the private sector, told ABC News. After Gaynor was confirmed as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director by the Senate in January, Pagliarinis boss, Tavares, took to Twitter to congratulate his former colleague. Tavares said of Gaynor he is a Marine who has never stopped serving our country. For many, Gaynor is not known, but he is now the head of the agency tasked with leading the nation through one of the worst pandemics ever -- novel coronavirus. Former colleagues and bosses spoke of Gaynor's actions during a time of crisis. A former Department of Homeland Security official who worked with Gaynor, and spoke on the condition of anonymity, told ABC News that Gaynor did not seek out his position, first as acting administrator and then administrator. Instead, when the agency was in chaos with resignations and acting positions, he stepped up. This official said that Gaynors agency was thrust into this, after many of these decisions and some missteps were made, now it's on Pete and FEMA to try to overcome some of those early missteps. The former DHS official told ABC News that Gaynor could have very well thrown the Department of Health and Human Services under the bus but he chose not too when asked some tough questions during Sunday show interviews over the weekend. On ABC News' This Week, Gaynor couldnt give specific details about how many N95 masks are being shipped from the FEMA stockpile. "I mean, it is hundreds of thousands of millions of things that we're shipping from the stockpile. I can't give you the details about what every single state or what every single city is doing," Gaynor said. "But I'm telling you that we are shipping from our national stockpile, we're shipping from vendors, we're shipping from donations. It is happening. The demand is great, Gaynor said in response to questions from This Week anchor, Martha Raddatz. That says more about Pete as a leader than anything. He's willing to take the bullets on behalf of others, this official continued of Gaynors TV appearances. John Cohen, a former acting undersecretary of Homeland Security, who used to work closely with FEMA, said he has been concerned watching a lethargic national response to the pandemic and said he was surprised to see FEMA moving so slowly. "FEMA has developed an emergency-planning and preparedness process that has been successfully used to deal with disasters for decades," said Cohen, now an ABC News contributor. "Theres real concern among emergency management officials that that process isnt being used today to deal with the public health crisis." Democratic governor of Rhode Island, Gina Raimondo, said the response has been slow, but they are getting better. It's getting better, I would say, but they've been slow to respond. It's been disorganized and sluggish at times. And they are just playing a lot of catch up. But, I think the move to centralize the response to FEMA was a very smart move, she said. Before Gaynor was thrust onto the national spotlight, Raimondo was his boss when he was the top emergency management official in his home state. He's the guy that I would call at one in the morning or five in the morning or five on a Saturday, Raimondo told ABC. And when it seemed like we were in a moment of panic, he would always respond. Sometimes leaders get paralyzed in crisis, not Pete, He always responded. If he didn't have a good answer, he will go get some data and come back with a good answer. Gaynors first boss, former Providence Mayor and current Democratic Congressman David Cicilline, called Gaynor a humble public servant and the right man for the job, so long as the President stays out of his way and allows him do his job. Cicilline, who is the chairman of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, the messaging arm for Democrats, added hes the best emergency management professional I know. Those who know Gaynor say that he is a hard worker, but is better behind the scenes than in front of the cameras. He's not a flashy guy, he's a leader, Raimondo said. But he's the guy you want the trenches, calling the shots, building systems, managing the team, motivating people making sure every day he's all about continuous improvement. I promise you with him in charge tomorrow will be a little bit better than today. Allan Fung, the Republican mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island said that Gaynor is prepared and has the respect of many in the state, including myself. Pagliarini recalled that in 2008, there was a snowstorm that was only supposed to be a few inches but turned out to be almost a foot of snow. Cicilline, who was then the mayor, tasked Gaynor to come up with a plan to get all of the students in the Providence School Department safely home. He did and he came up with a great solution and things were much better after he took over, Pagliarini said. Andre Thibault, then director of operations in the Providence school district, remembers Gaynor as being prepared for anything and respectful of the chain of command because of his military experience. He showed the same leadership after Providence was hit with a hurricane, in 2009, Thibault said Before his time in emergency management, Gaynor spent more than 20 years in the Marine Corps. He commanded Marines in Iraq. And that's not something he's ever talked to me about, Tavares continued. I think no doubt his experience in Iraq will be helpful to him as well. Because if people realize, when you bring troops into a country, you basically have to supply them everything. Tavares explained. And so I have no doubt that'll be helpful. So this is a leader and someone who America will look back on and be grateful that he was in command When this is over, I've no doubt about that. When Gaynor was nominated to be the number two at FEMA, he told WJAR-TV it was a big step, big job and lots of responsibility. Gaynor said his approach started at a local level. One of the hardest things to do is to get people to prepare. Whether you are preparing for a hurricane or for floods, it really starts at the individual level, to the neighborhood level, to the city and town, to the state to the federal government, Gaynor said in that same interview. At a federal level, he earned the confidence of people around the country. Pete has the respect of state and local emergency managers, because he was one of them. And, that that mutual respect and those relationships are going to prove critical during the coronavirus response, Daniel Kaniewski, a former Acting Deputy Administrator at FEMA, told ABC News. I think he what he brings uniquely to this role is that understanding of what it's going to take to for state and local governments to successfully respond to this disaster and what he and FEMA and the federal government can do to best support that response, Kaniewski added. Asked if Gaynor is up for the job, former White House Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert said, Damn right he is. He better be, and he has my full, unwavering supportalong with every emergency manager in this great Nation. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded for ABC News' request for comment. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Gov. Phil Murphy isnt wavering on his decision to label gun shops as a non-essential business amid the coronavirus outbreak in New Jersey, riling Second Amendment advocates and some Republicans. A safer society for my taste has fewer guns and not more guns, Murphy said Wednesday at his daily coronavirus press briefing. The guns that do exist are at the hands of the right people, particularly trained members of law enforcement. Crime has been down and lets hope it stays down, but were very comfortable where we landed on that, he continued, referring to his decision not to classify gun stores as essential businesses. To ensure social distancing and slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak in New Jersey, Murphy signed executive order no. 107, which closed many businesses in the state deemed non-essential. That includes, but is not limited to, hair salons, spas and gyms. Essential businesses include grocery stores, liquor stores and restaurants that offer takeout, among others. Gun shop owners, who were experiencing a spike in sales prior to Murphys executive order, believe they are considered essential because they supply weapons and ammunition to current and retired law enforcement. The New Jersey Second Amendment Society has filed a federal lawsuit against the Murphy administration to reopen gun stores, calling Murphys decision an infringement on a residents Second Amendment rights. And the head of that group, Alexander Roubian, has condemned the governors decision during two press briefings this week. I respect the Second Amendment, Murphy told Roubian on Wednesday. I have gotten not one complaint from anybody that they were trying to buy a gun and they couldnt. Prior to Wednesdays press briefing, three Monmouth County Republican state legislators Sen. Declan OScanlon, Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso and Assemblyman Gerry Scharfernberger issued a press statement calling on Murphy to reverse his decision, further politicizing the issue. These are trying times and if a lawful citizen seeks to invoke their Second Amendment right, they should have the ability to do so, the statement said. In instances of national security, people buy gold and buy guns. If a citizen wants to do so, as long as they are practicing social distancing and proper hand-washing, that shouldnt be an issue. At a press briefing on Monday, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said classifying firearm dealers as non-essential is "consistent with federal guidelines, and well defend the governors executive order in court. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Semper Paratus is the motto of the U.S. Coast Guard always prepared. A better motto for the U.S. government, and for the United States at large, might be Nonnumquam Paratus sometimes prepared, or, more literally, not never prepared. Somebody, somewhere, is going to make a stack of money off the coronavirus epidemic, though God help him if the politicians ever discover who he is or how he did it. Some gentlemen of my acquaintance in New York City kept uncharacteristically quiet after making a splendid little fortune off of the financial crisis of 200809. Their play did not require any ingenious act of financial engineering: When real-estate prices tanked in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, there were plenty of investors willing to pick up attractive properties on the cheap, confident that New York real estate was a pretty good long-term investment irrespective of the short-term state of the economy. The problem for some of those would-be buyers is that, with a worldwide financial crisis under way, financing was hard to come by. The investors who had ready cash on hand enjoyed, for a little while, a masterful position in the market. Money in the bank semper paratus. I imagine some of those guys, or investors like them, are making the most of the recent volatility in the stock market. If you have the resources to ride it out, its a pretty smart play: Americans are not going to forget how to make things and do stuff, and either the U.S. economy is going to bounce back and return to form or there will be some kind of economic disaster from which there is no recovering, and well all have far more serious problems than the returns on our 401(k) funds. The latter is something you might expect from an asteroid, not a respiratory virus, serious and deadly though this one may be. But how long that recovery takes is impossible to know, which is why making the most of a downturn requires surplus resources you cant bet next months mortgage payment on an investment that might take two years to pay. Story continues There are good businesses and bad ones getting hammered right now by the epidemics consequent economic shutdown, and that is not only a matter of share prices, which fluctuate for all sorts of reasons. And there are investors and entrepreneurs and angle-players who are spending their days and nights looking for an opportunity to make money from that. Bless them. Talk all you will about vulture capitalists or whatever term of abuse you want to use, but ask yourself this: If there werent investors around to buy on the downturn whether that dip is in Brooklyn residential real estate or in the S&P 500 how would the downturn stop? It wouldnt. In difficult economic times, the usual self-righteous political types and self-interested market incumbents including business executives whose financial interests are not identical to those of the shareholders who actually own the firms lament the vultures and the ghouls, and several predictable lamentations will be heard upon the land. As if on cue, there already are demands for new restrictions on short sellers in the stock market, which is to say, on investors who expect the share price of a given company (or commodity or other investment) to go down rather than up. Of course, prices move both ways but getting a good read on which and when and how is a difficult thing. As Bryan Corbett of the Managed Funds Association wrote in the Wall Street Journal last weekend, The ability to deliver returns regardless of whether the market goes up or down is one of the key reasons these investors turn to hedge funds. Its why theyre called hedge funds. Short sellers are hated because they are the bearers of bad news: Your business is overrated, your story is bulls***, your shares are overpriced, your management is too lazy and too comfortable. The class of investors known as activists are hated for much the same reason. But they perform an invaluable service doubting, testing, scrutinizing, looking for weaknesses. That is how institutions be they businesses, political parties, or governments get better. But getting better can be painful. I like the shorts and the skeptics because of the work they do and because they are eternal underdogs. The powerful people hate the shorts because the ruling class, if youll forgive the term, is in effect long . . . everything: stocks, especially those of major corporations, but also market incumbents from Wall Street to Main Street to Silicon Valley, housing, commercial real estate, etc. By that I do not mean that the members of the governing and financial elites are motivated by personal financial interest in these things (though one assumes that they are, at least in part, from time to time) but that the ruling class is heavily invested in the status quo and that it dreads the one thing that the TED talkers and the voguish intellectuals claim to celebrate and admire: disruption. The ruling class is in the position of Ted Hughess hawk: I am going to keep things like this. I return often to the case of housing prices: High and rising housing prices have been for years treated as a salubrious sign of economic vigor, and rising house prices are indeed a wonderful thing if you already own a house. (Or three, Senator Sanders.) If you are a young person, a renter, a person without a lot of money, and looking to buy your first house, then high and rising house prices are a burden. But the sort of people whose voices matter the most in our political discourse tend to be homeowners, not prospective house-buyers. A steep decline in housing prices would be just the kind of disruption that would help a lot of young people without a lot of money, but it is just the kind of disruption that many of our policies are designed to prevent. The same dynamic holds true across many conflicts involving business policy. The case against Uber and Lyft never has been that these services are unsafe (compared to a Philadelphia taxi?) or unfair (compared to an official monopoly with legally enforced price-fixing?) but that they disrupted the established way of doing things, and in the course of doing so devalued a lot of assets staked to the old monopoly model of taxi services. The same is true of Airbnb and a dozen other Internet-based competitors in complacent markets. But it also is true of activist investors who force changes on self-satisfied corporate managements; it also is true of education reformers who would upend business as usual at those nests of mediocrity we call public schools; it is true of so-called populist politicians from Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders, who have revealed lodes of deep dissatisfaction within their respective political coalitions and shown the party apparatuses to be walking dead. A bias toward high housing prices is understandable if you own a house. In the same way, the status quo bias is understandable from the point of view of the comfortable people who have so much power and so little competition under the current arrangement. Putting a brake on the ordinary dynamism and churn of a market economy and a free society seems eminently reasonable viewed from the top. Hows that working out? Our national response to the coronavirus epidemic has exposed a great many weaknesses in public and private sector alike, in the state and in official action but no less in the culture and in private life. Semper paratus? Hardly. We were caught with our national pants down. A couple of months ago, we thought the big question facing these United States was which of two elderly, decrepit, habitually dishonest, implausibly coiffed dorks should be elected head of the executive branch of our creaky and sclerotic national government. What we have seen and what we cannot unsee is that the ship is taking on water, and that registering our collective preference about who captains it will not prevent its sinking. We might have been better prepared for this there have been warnings, for years, about the specific issue of our lack of national readiness for an epidemic such as this. But there is the more important question of our broader capacity for social action: When we are running $1 trillion deficits in the fat years, we are not preparing for the hungry ones. When we are dedicating the majority of our federal spending to entitlements, we are not dedicating that money to facilities for responding to crises and challenges that are necessarily public in nature. When our politics has been reduced to ritual, it forfeits its ability to engage productively with genuine political problems. Somewhere out there is a guy who has figured out a way to make a buck off of this. And if you are looking for someone who really understands the problem, hes the guy. More from National Review In this post-industrialization age, electricity has become the backbone of our society. However, using fossil fuels to generate it is not the best option because of their limited availability and harmful nature. In the last two decades, significant efforts have been made to develop techniques to foster sustainable energy. Against this backdrop, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have risen as a clean and highly efficient alternative that can generate electrical energy. However, a major drawback of SOFCs is their high operating temperatures, restricting their widespread usage. Various previous studies have attempted to overcome this drawback by improving conductivity at high temperatures using fluorite type oxides like CeO 2- . Normally, these fluorite oxides are available in porous form, and their mechanism of conductivity is believed to be dependent on the surface adsorption of water molecules, which is the process of adhesion of atoms or molecules to a surface. A team of scientists from Tokyo University of Science, led by Dr Tohru Higuchi, took this research one step forward. In their new study published in Nanoscale Research Letters, the researchers explored the effect of "doping," which is the process of adding impurities to alter their conductivity, on these oxides, which are a very good candidate for SOFCs. Researchers "doped" the oxide with a metal called Samarium (Sm). Then, they deposited thin films of this doped oxide on a substrate of Aluminium oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) in a specific direction known to enhance the conductivity. Dr Higuchi considers this an advantage, stating, "When considering practical devices, thin film forms are more suitable than porous or nanocrystalline forms." Then, the research team characterized the crystalline quality and electronic structure of the novel film. They also compared the difference in conductivity between this novel film and thick ceramic oxides commonly used in the industry. Their findings revealed that the ceramic sample exhibited poor crystallinity and had poor proton conductivity compared to the thin film sample. What's more, the "resistivity"--or the resistance to electrical flow--of the thin film was found to decrease with increasing humidity due to the "proton conduction" in fluorite type oxides, as explained by Grotthuss mechanism. A water molecule consists of two atoms of oxygen and one atom of hydrogen. The molecules of water have bonds between them, called "hydrogen bonds." The Grotthuss mechanism (or the "hop-turn" mechanism) allows the water molecules to be split into ions that increase the conductivity, and hence they move from one hydrogen bond to another. The novel film was found to exhibit surface protonic conduction in the low temperature region below 100C. This novel film, with its high conductivity at room temperatures, is sure to have several applications in the future. As far as SOFCs are concerned, Dr Higuchi concludes, "Our study on electrolyte membranes presents radical findings that can help lower the operating temperature of SOFCs, and may be an alternative system for making more practical devices using fluorite type oxides in SOFCs, and open up new avenues for nuclear and thermal power generation in the future." ### About The Tokyo University of Science Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators. With a mission of "Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society", TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field. Website: https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/mediarelations/ About Associate Professor Tohru Higuchi from Tokyo University of Science Tohru Higuchi is a member of the Department of Applied Physics in the Tokyo University of Science. An alumnus of the Tokyo University of Science, his research mainly focuses on functional material science specializing in thin film/surface and interfacial physical properties and Inorganic industrial materials. He has contributed to over 200 papers and is the recipient of received several awards. Most recently, he received the honor of Outstanding Research Achievement and Contribution to GREEN-2019 for his contributions to energy conscious research. The CEO of Murphy Oil is on medical leave after a health scare involving the coronavirus. In a Wednesday afternoon statement, the company reported that CEO Roger Jenkins has pending test results but a presumptive diagnosis of COVID-19. The 58-year-old CEO is expected to recover. While Jenkins is out on medical leave, the company's executive vice president and chief financial officer David Looney will serve as interim president CEO. Jenkins is the first oil company executive to publicly disclose being exposed to or contracting the coronavirus. Oil War: U.S. shale industry braces for pain as budget cuts run deeper Headquartered in El Dorado, Ark., and with 822 employees, Murphy Oil owns and operates oil and natural gas wells in Southeast Asia, Australia, South America, Mexico and the United States. With thousand of acres of leases in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas, Murphy filed for 79 drilling permits for projects in the region in 2019, putting the company among the top 30 drillers in Texas. The company posted a $1.1 billion profit on $2.8 billion of revenue in 2019. There are more than 54,000 coronavirus cases in the United States with 230 of them from Arkansas, figures from the Center for Disease Control show. Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox PHOENIX A nationally known murderer will stay behind bars despite the prosecutor's "egregious" misconduct during the trial, the Arizona Court of Appeals has ruled. The court ruled Tuesday that Jodi Arias, 39, will remain in prison for life for the 2008 first-degree murder of her sometime-boyfriend Travis Alexander. But the court also stated that a "pattern of intentional misconduct saturated the trial" and that it was referring Maricopa County prosecutor Juan Martinez's behavior to the State Bar of Arizona, where Martinez is already facing a formal ethics complaint on other matters. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office moved to dismiss Martinez in February. He is appealing the dismissal. He has faced numerous allegations of sexual harassment inside the office, which he has denied. The appeals court concluded that Arias was convicted based on her guilt, and despite Martinez's actions. "Arias was convicted based upon the overwhelming evidence of her guilt, not as a result of prosecutorial misconduct," Judge Jennifer Campbell wrote in the opinion. Martinez's lawyer, Donald Wilson Jr., told The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, that it is important to not lose sight of the fact that his client achieved justice. "In doing so, the trial court was in the best position to observe the demeanor of the lawyers and their interaction with the witnesses," Wilson said. "Mr. Martinez was never sanctioned, nor was a mistrial declared, as the court had the power to do." Arias was convicted in 2015 for killing Alexander in his Mesa home and sentenced to life in prison. Alexander was found dead with 27 stab wounds, a slit throat and a bullet in his head. The trial attracted national attention with its graphic descriptions of sex and violence. Arias claimed she killed Alexander in self defense. Her attorneys have claimed she didn't get a fair trial because of the publicity and because of Martinez's behavior during the trial. Story continues Arias attorney Cory Engle told the appeals court during oral arguments in October that Martinez's misconduct was "so pervasive and so persistent" that it warranted overturning the guilty verdict. But Arizona Assistant Attorney General Terry Crist said that while Martinez may have violated the rules "occasionally," his actions didn't warrant a reversal of the murder conviction. The Arizona Attorney General's Office and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office told The Republic that they agreed with the court's decision to uphold Arias' conviction. I am pleased with the courts decision to affirm the conviction of someone who committed a brutal murder," county attorney Allister Adel said in a statement. Arias attorney Margaret M. Green could not be reached for comment. Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus: Has 'mild symptoms' but 'remains in good health' 'Trying her case in the press' Arias' lawyers claimed the trial had a "carnival-like atmosphere" and argued to the Court of Appeals that publicity during the trial but not before contributed to her conviction. They noted that the lower court allowed a livestream of the trial to be broadcast and alleged that media coverage influenced the jury. However, the judges noted Arias' own interactions with the media. They listed at least three times when she conducted interviews during oral arguments. Campbell noted in the opinion that Arias participated in multiple national TV interviews before the trial, against her lawyers' advice. "During a pretrial hearing, defense counsel referenced these interviews and expressed frustration that Arias actively sought media attention, complaining that she seemed primarily 'focused on the PR aspects of [the] case' and preferred 'trying her case in the press," Campbell stated. The media had to be seated in the courtroom and stay in the gallery. The use of cameras and equipment was restricted. According to court records, the lower court continuously asked jurors about the media and responded to their concerns about the noise of cameras. Campbell wrote that the court did not find any evidence that suggested the jury was prejudiced by the media coverage. People react to a Jodi Arias' guilty verdict outside of Maricopa County Superior Court. 'Efforts to gain personal notoriety' Arias' lawyers also accused Martinez of courting the media, and cited that as one of the examples of prosecutorial misconduct. Martinez during the trial signed autographs and took photos with fans on the courthouse steps. According to court records, Martinez told the lower court judge that "[w]hat happens outside the courtroom is not misconduct. Campbell wrote in the opinion that a prosecutor's ethical obligation doesn't stop outside the courtroom and that a person in the role must protect the integrity of the trial. "The prosecutor improperly engaged in self-promoting conduct," Campbell wrote. "His efforts to gain personal notoriety were beneath the office he held as a representative of the State of Arizona." Duty to 'police improper conduct' Arias' attorneys claimed Martinez committed several other instances of prosecutorial misconduct, which denied her a fair trial. They included his aggressive behavior when cross examining witnesses, calling defense experts "unethical liars" and insinuating that "jurors would be deemed complicit if they failed to convict," according to the court filings. The Court of Appeals agreed that prosecutorial misconduct was present, stating that Martinez's "belligerent conduct" began before opening statements. "Prosecutorial misconduct undeniably permeated this case," Campbell wrote in the ruling. "Rather than a few isolated missteps, a pattern of intentional misconduct saturated the trial." Arias' attorneys argued that the misconduct was enough to merit giving her a new trial. The court reviewed several legal principles on how lawyers should act, including that "a prosecutor should not engage in abusive, argumentative, and harassing conduct." "Contrary to these legal principles, and in violation of his ethical duties, the prosecutor in this case regularly used aggressive questioning techniques and innuendo to intimidate and malign defense witnesses," Campbell wrote in the opinion. According to court records, a witness asked Martinez while he was cross-examining her, "Are you angry at me?" Arias' attorneys during the trial requested a mistrial several times due to Martinez's treatment and tone toward witnesses. The court denied their requests, but admonished Martinez. The Court of Appeals ruled that the lower court judge's actions were inadequate. "It is the courts job to police improper conduct, and a persistent badgering and combative demeanor is not simply a prosecutorial 'style,'" Campbell wrote in the opinion. "It is prosecutorial misconduct." The Court of Appeals said that Martinez's cross-examination questions '"were so improper that we are compelled to conclude' that he 'either knew or should have known of the impropriety.'" The court called his questions "argumentative" and "disrespectful," and said some questions had "innuendo designed to prejudice the witness." Martinez's lawyer told The Republic on Tuesday that cross examinations are naturally adversarial. "While prosecutors are ministers of justice, ours is an adversarial system, and it is not uncommon for emotions to run high and cross examinations to be rigorous," Wilson said. "Every trial lawyer understands this." The Court of Appeals said it strongly disapproved of Martinez's actions and that an attorney should not escape personal accountability. Prosecutor Juan Martinez appears in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix on Aug. 23, 2018, in the case of Christopher Redondo. But it went on to say that the court would not reverse convictions just to punish attorneys. "Arias is not entitled to a new trial because there is no reasonable likelihood that the misconduct affected the jurys verdict," Campbell wrote. "The overwhelming evidence of Arias guilt, as reflected through her own admissions and as clearly set forth within the record, would not have permitted any reasonable juror to acquit her of the charged offense." 'Inappropriate and unprofessional' Karen Clark, an attorney for Arias who was not involved in her appeal, has filed complaints against Martinez on other matters with the State Bar. In a statement on Tuesday, she said the Court of Appeals "took the extraordinary step" of referring the misconduct issues to the State Bar. Clark said while the court did not order a new trial, "other avenues of challenging Martinezs misconduct exist and this issue will likely be considered by other courts in the future." In a concurring opinion with the other two judges, Judge Kenton D. Jones made an even stronger statement about Martinez, calling his behavior, "persistent, pervasive, inappropriate and unprofessional." He called Martinez's actions, "a clear abuse of his ethical duties" and said he was left dissatisfied by the serious questions raised by the prosecutor's misconduct, "which has previously been raised with the State Bar yet remains unanswered." Arizona Republic reporter Robert Anglen contributed to this article. Follow criminal justice reporter Lauren Castle on Twitter: @Lauren_Castle. Follow investigative reporter Anne Ryman on Twitter at @anneryman. Sen. Rand Paul: Why I didnt quarantine after getting tested Waffle House: 365 of its restaurants are closed This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jodi Arias won't get new trial, despite Juan Martinez's misconduct High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell Fontelles at a press conference in Zagreb, Croatia, on March 6, 2020. (DAMIR SENCAR/AFP via Getty Images) Top EU Diplomat Spotlights Beijings Propaganda Push Amid Pandemic The European Unions (EU) top diplomat recently highlighted Beijings attempts to divert global attention away from its initial coverup of the CCP virus outbreak. EUs chief diplomat Josep Borrell Fontelles, in a March 23 statement, noted the Chinese regime recently began presenting itself as a global leader in fighting the pandemic. He warned that there is a geopolitical component including a struggle for influence through spinning and the politics of generosity.' Amid a global battle of narrativeswe need to defend Europe against its detractors, he said. The regime has recently deployed a massive propaganda campaign to deflect blame for the outbreak by pushing the unfounded theory that the CCP virus originated from the United States, while also claiming that it is an exemplar in global containment efforts. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mishandling allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Borrell described how Beijings narrative has evolved since the outbreak began. In January, the dominant framing was of this being a local crisis in Hubei province, aggravated by the coverup of crucial information by Chinese party officials, he said. At that time, Europe was sending a lot of medical equipment to help Chinese authorities that were overwhelmed, Borrell noted. However, since the virus has spread rapidly overseas, in particular in Europe, the roles have appeared to reverse. China is aggressively pushing the message that, unlike the U.S., it is a responsible and reliable partner, he said. The Chinese regime and its state-controlled media outlets have touted its sending of medical experts and suppliessome of which were actually purchases under export agreements rather than donationsto hard-hit European countries, such as Italy, Spain, and France. Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser for Asia and director of the China Power Project at Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, previously told The Epoch Times that such initiatives formed part of Beijings plan to advance its goal of leading global governance reform and promote the Chinese model as an option for developing countries to copy. If Beijing successfully portrays itself to be handling the crisis effectively, the regime can further undermine the appeal of democracy and capitalism around the world, she said. Bowen Xiao contributed to this report. After his release on Tuesday from nearly eight months in detention, former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah called for the release of all political prisoners of the former state. In this connection he specifically mentioned Mehbooba Mufti, also like him a former CM and head of the PDP, a regional rival of the NC. Like his father Farooq Abdullah, the most senior of the three J&K CMs put behind bars in August 2019 when New Delhi swooped down on Indias only Muslim-majority state to radically alter its constitutional status, the younger Abdullah did not talk any further politics upon his release, although in his brief remarks he did speak of the breaking up of J&K. At the time of his release on March 13, the senior Abdullah had said he would hold back comments on political matters until after the release of his son Omar and Ms Mufti--besides other political prisoners--when he would have a chance to discuss the political situation with them. Thus, whats discernible so far is the desire of the NC to take a clearer view on politics after its leaders have confabulated with the PDP, and this can only happen when Ms Mufti is also set free. When that materialises is a matter of guess, but it is amply clear that the Centre, which has got into a logjam of its own making on Kashmir, must free Mufti without delay if it is keen to see the wheels of politics in J&K moving again. By now it is amply clear that this cannot be brought about on the strength of the pitiful exertions of the quisling outfit, the widely scorned Apni Party--a ragtag bunch of discredited defectors got together by the RSS-BJP brass in conjunction with the think tank at the Union Home Ministry and the PMO, such as these are. The NC and the PDP have been deadly rivals since the founding of the PDP in 1998 by Muftis father, the late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. But the top leaders of these and some smaller parties came together at the residence of Dr Farooq Abdullah on August 4--fortuitously just the day prior to the infamous crackdown of last August--to put their signatures to the 'Gupkar Declaration'. At the heart of this document is the preservation of the identity, autonomy and special status of Kashmir. It is to be seen to what extent this ambition is persevered with by Kashmirs key mainstream leaders in the wholly changed setting. However, if the NC and the PDP are able to show common purpose away from that of the quisling party in Kashmir, any effort by the Centre to degrade the NC after the freeing of its leaders is likely to receive a setback. A sense seems to be developing among some that the NC leaders have done a deal with the BJP. This is likely to be dispelled if the key regional players do not bat on New Delhis wicket. It cannot escape notice that the Abdullahs--father and son--have called for the release of all imprisoned leaders--those detained within J&K and those lodged in jails in other states. It is clear that those associated with the separatist brand of politics are not excluded. Being non-exclusionary in this respect is positive for social cohesiveness in Kashmir and in bridging the generational gap. US senators unveil bill to impose sanctions against Russia EU wants to help Lebanon avoid economic collapse CSTO to approve Kazakhstan peacekeepers withdrawal order German president calls for thorough discussion on mandatory vaccination Andranik Hovhannisyan elected UN Human Rights Council vice-president Aliyev: Peace treaty with Armenia not a guarantee for avoiding war Russian Foreign Ministry: Further NATO enlargement involves risks Aliyev not to let OSCE deal with the Karabakh conflict Ex-Mayor of Yerevan invited to police Boris Johnson apologizes for attending party during lockdown Global COVID-19 cases rise by 55% percent, deaths stable Thailand introduces $9 tourist fee Erdogan vows to tame Turkish inflation as scepticism grows Turkey's Turkic world ambitions face reality check in Kazakhstan Teacher in Baku beats student NEWS.am daily digest: 12.01.22 Turkish FM expresses concerns to Chinese counterpart OSCE Chairman-in-Office speaks on situation along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Iran cancels travel ban on common borders CSTO defense ministers council special session to be held Thursday Dollar loses value in Armenia Which NGOs, extra-parliamentary forces to be included in Armenia Constitutional Reform Council? 4,391 foreign nationals visit Artsakh in 2021 China calls on US to immediately close Guantanamo prison State Department says more progress must be made to salvage nuclear deal Measure ensuring implementation of law on addendum to law on Armenia state border is approved Davit Minasyan is sworn in as new mayor of Armenias Parakar enlarged community World Bank: Armenia economic growth expected to be 4.8% in 2022 and 5.4% in 2023 Azerbaijani Defense Minister receives new commander of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh Biden names Kamala Harris as US president during Atlanta speech Ombudsman: Azerbaijan is launching provocations in Armenia territories where it earlier invaded Russia-NATO Council meeting kicks off in Brussels Serdar Kilic is appointed Turkey special representative for Armenia Armenia ambassador to Georgia informs Switzerland envoy about Azerbaijan's gross ceasefire violation Economy minister: Armenia government was guided by political considerations when lifting sanctions on Turkey goods Turkey defense minister expresses support for Azerbaijan in another military aggression against Armenia Pashinyan, Putin discuss Karabakh, Kazakhstan Toivo Klaar: Deeply worried by reports of renewed incidents and casualties on Armenia-Azerbaijan Germany: A record 80,430 COVID-19 cases detected per day 3 more persons die of coronavirus in Artsakh Criminal case launched into 3 Armenia soldiers killing by Azerbaijan shootings Copper rises in price One of main tasks of Armenia peacekeepers in Kazakhstans Almaty is to prevent water supply system poisoning About 80 Americans cannot fly from Afghanistan Turkey parliament ex-deputy speaker: Armenia must fulfill 4 preconditions Border situation in Armenias Gegharkunik Province was calm at night French FM says talks on Iranian nuclear deal are progressing slowly 289 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Gold slightly rises in price North Korea says it successfully tested another hypersonic missile OSCE calls on Azerbaijan, Armenia to refrain from the use of force Oil is trading without a single dynamic US State Department welcomes announcement on CSTO forces withdrawal from Kazakhstan Newspaper: Ex-ministers are summoned to Hayastan All Armenian Fund parliamentary inquiry committee MOD: Armenia soldiers dead body found at midnight after Azerbaijan provocation Newspaper: Casualties of Armenia PM Pashinyan's 'era of peace' US concerned about EastMed natural gas pipeline project Giant fish sold at auction for over 16 million yen German Marshall Fund: It Is not too early to think about political change in Turkey Armenian Foreign Ministry: We call on Azerbaijani authorities to refrain from provocations Armenia's Geghamasar community head: The situation is stable now Queen Elizabeth II's favorite fast food revealed Human Rights Defender: Azerbaijani troops open fire on Armenian sovereign territory World Economic Forum: Cybersecurity and space pose new risks to the global economy Defense Ministry confirms Armenian side has 2 victims Satanovsky on sending Armenian servicemen to Kazakhstan Unofficial data: 2 servicemen killed as a result of Azerbaijan provocation CSTO and Kazakh Defense Ministry developing plan WHO thinks it's too early to consider COVID-19 pandemic European Commission to require Poland to pay fine of nearly EUR 70 million White House announces $308 million humanitarian aid for Afghanistan Erdogan angry at minister after efforts to strengthen lira failed Armenian FM has phone call with US Assistant Secretary of State India imposes one-week quarantine even for vaccinated tourists Armenian ex-president expresses condolences on poet Razmik Davoyan's death Traction Programme to showcase 8 startups during the Digital Demo Day Azerbaijan uses artillery and UAVs, 3 Armenian soldiers wounded NEWS.am daily digest: 11.01.22 Austrian Chancellor confirms plan for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in February Armen Sarkissian and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discuss situation in Kazakhstan Gulf, Iran and Turkey FMs to visit China 20 pregnant women with COVID-19 die in Azerbaijan in year Armenia hands over wanted US citizen to United States Economy ministry: Organizing of accommodation and public catering increased by 61.1% in Armenia Armenia parliament speaker expresses condolences on European Parliament President death Azerbaijan opens fire toward Armenia village sector, one soldier wounded Shoigu: CSTO peacekeepers deployed in Kazakhstan thanks to Syrian and Karabakh experience Azerbaijan official pledges to remove Armenian toponyms from Google Maps UN offers two plans to help Afghans totaling $ 5 billion in 2022 Armenia attorney general travels to Moscow on working visit Azerbaijan MOD blames Armenian side for soldiers death Dollar drops in Armenia Shirak Province captives families hold protest outside Armenia government building Rolls-Royce sales rise to record high in 2021 Ombudsman: Azerbaijanis directed gun at Armenia residents car in which his wife, 3-year-old child were ANCA urges President Biden and Congress to hold Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable for war crimes Serbia's Orthodox Patriarch tests positive for COVID-19 Brothers, sisters of 2020 Artsakh war military casualties to get compensation in lieu of their deceased parents Turkish authorities sanction arrest of 33 suspected FETO ties Copper rises in price WASHINGTON As much of his government battles the coronavirus outbreak, President Trump is pushing ahead with major reversals of environmental regulations, including a restriction on scientific research that some doctors worry would complicate future pandemic controls. Federal employees across multiple agencies said the administration was racing to complete a half-dozen significant rollbacks over the coming month. They include a measure to weaken automobile fuel efficiency standards, which one person familiar with the plans said would be issued as early as next week. Other efforts include loosening controls on toxic ash from coal plants, relaxing restrictions on mercury emissions and weakening the consideration of climate change in environmental reviews for most infrastructure projects. The aggressive timeline is aimed at shielding the policies from easy reversal if Democrats win the White House or control of the Senate in the 2020 election. While it is hardly unusual to see a push to finalize policies toward the end of an administration, several agency officials said they were surprised that political leaders had shown no sign of letting up amid the pandemic. The tracking of COVID-19 has left Manitoba in a seemingly enviable position compared to what is happening to the east, west, and directly south of the province. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/3/2020 (658 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The tracking of COVID-19 has left Manitoba in a seemingly enviable position compared to what is happening to the east, west, and directly south of the province. As Manitoba continues to flatten the curve for the time being, the province's former chief public health officer says we could further prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus by being more specific about the danger it poses. Former provincial chief public health officer Dr. Joel Kettner says the provincial government has to state as specifically as it can what it is up against and how the strategies it is employing can make a difference. (Trevor Hagan / Winnipeg Free Press files) Dr. Joel Kettner said Tuesday he hasn't seen any such projections, but it's likely Premier Brian Pallister has been informed of various scenarios. Such information would have led to decisions to introduce significant social-distancing measures and the imposition of a state of emergency in Manitoba, he said. "Without trust, I think it's going to be hard to get people to sustain these sorts of limitations and disruptions to their lives," Kettner said. "It's not just inconvenience. It's losing money, losing jobs. It's not being able to visit your loved ones... This is having an enormous impact on people." He added it would be valuable for the government to state as specifically as it can what the province is up against, and how the strategies it is employing can make a difference. On Tuesday, the province recorded its 21st case (presumptive and confirmed) of the coronavirus: a Winnipeg man in his 40s. Officials were still determining whether the case is travel-related. Manitoba's case numbers have so far been low compared to other jurisdictions. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 72 confirmed cases in Saskatchewan, 588 in Ontario, and 34 in North Dakota. The number is not a signal for Manitobans to let their guard down, said Pallister, who has been briefed on "realistic scenarios" of how hard COVID-19 could hit the province. He would not share such details Tuesday. "I would not want our low case numbers right now to be used as an excuse by anyone to ignore the physical distancing advice," the premier said via teleconference. "To do that is a mistake. To protect yourself and to protect those around you is our first and primary obligation." Officials say its difficult to know for sure why a province, such as Saskatchewan, has significantly more cases than Manitoba, despite their similar population and geographic size. One possible factor is Saskatchewans proximity to Alberta, where community transmission has occurred; another factor may be testing criteria varying from one jurisdiction to another. Manitoba's coronavirus cases have thus far been linked to travel, but it will experience community transmission of the virus eventually, chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said Tuesday. The province's first three COVID-19 cases were reported March 12: two men in their 30s and a woman in her 40s. All were travel-related and required to self-isolate and monitor their symptoms. "So in the jurisdictions that were first hit with cases B.C. and Ontario their first weeks looked exactly like ours. (The cases were) all international travel, imported," said Roussin. "As you get more and more introduction of the virus into your jurisdiction, then the more likely it becomes that community transmission will occur." However, it doesn't mean the same exponential rise in the number of cases is inevitable, Roussin said. "We are not helpless. We have measures in place right now that are going to limit the effects on Manitobans." Earlier Tuesday, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said half of all the country's transmissions are now community-based. Assistant Prof. Jason Kindrachuk, with the University of Manitoba's laboratory of emerging and re-emerging viruses, said the province had time on its side and used it to take the threat seriously. "We kind of have this in our hands right now, if we can follow through with these measures and get through," he said in an interview. "In Manitoba and here in Winnipeg and in Niverville, where I live people have really taken this idea of social and physical distancing very seriously. "Were doing the right things we need to do, but we need to keep doing this and find other ways to do even more to help curb the spread of the virus." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Roussin warned "snowbirds" returning to the province after spending the winter in warm countries to self-isolate for 14 days, and not to go out visiting, grocery shopping or running errands once they get home. Once there is evidence of community transmission in Manitoba, expect social-distancing rules to tighten, Roussin said. Testing will need to increase, too, he said, as the Cadham Provincial Laboratory deals with a backlog and prioritizes tests for health-care workers, those in hospital, as well as First Nations. The lab ran close to 300 tests Monday, and is expected to increase that number by the end of the week. "Testing is important, but it is only one piece of our overall strategy," said Roussin. "If you are sick and you stay home, whether youre tested or not, you are not going to transmit a virus." carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca Carol Sanders Legislature reporter After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020. Read full biography Uttar Pradesh government has announced an additional fund of Rs 50 crore for the health department in wake of COVID-19. On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel gave her nod for the declaration of coronavirus outbreak as a 'disaster' in the state. The state revenue department had declared COVID-19 crisis as a disaster. Thirty-seven people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported on Tuesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Shares of CropEnergies AG were gaining around 14 percent in the morning trading in Germany after the manufacturer of Ethanol or alcohol Wednesday said it is expanding the production volumes of alcohol to meet the requirements for disinfectants amid the Coronavirus or Covid-19 outbreak. The affiliate of German sugar producer Suedzucker AG (SUEZF.PK) said it currently produces about 1 million litres of alcohol a day at the Zeitz location in Germany alone, enough to close the current supply gap. CropEnergies produces sustainably produced technical ethanol as well as specially purified, drinkable neutral alcohol for pharmaceutical applications, cosmetics or beverages. The company noted that the production of neutral alcohol is reaching the limits of its capacity throughout Europe. The German authorities have approved technical alcohol for use in disinfectants, subject to certain quality requirements, as in France and Austria. The company said its technical alcohol meets these quality requirements and is therefore suitable as a basic ingredient in disinfectants. Joachim Lutz, Chief Executive Officer of CropEnergies, said, 'This means that sufficient quantities of technical alcohol are now available as a main component for the production of disinfectants which are urgently needed in the German health system, for example in hospitals or doctors' practices.' CropEnergies said it also also asking customers outside the disinfection market to make arrangements in the current situation. In Germany, CropEnergies shares were trading at 8.06 euros, up 13.5 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has announced that all South African restaurants and takeaway businesses will be closed during South Africas 21-day coronavirus lockdown. Kubayi-Ngubane released a statement addressed to the restaurant industry which stated that restaurants, bars, cafes, and coffee shops were not on the list of essential services. Subsequently, these businesses will not be allowed to operate and must be closed during the lockdown period. In addition, in compliance with the nationwide lockdown all food delivery services will also need to be suspended for 21 days with effect from midnight, 26 March 2020 until midnight Thursday, 16 April 2020, Kubayi-Ngubane said. Emergency services, security services, and other essentials services workers will be allowed to continue with their work, along with those involved in the production and supply of food and basic goods. This includes stores which sell food. Up to 554 confirmed cases Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced on Tuesday 24 March that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa had risen to 554. Mkhize said that two patients were in critical condition in ICU in private hospitals and most of the new cases were in Johannesburg, with 302 of the total cases reported in Gauteng. We expect these numbers to increase over the next week, Mkhize said, adding that South Africans must not be shocked if they see the number of confirmed cases continue to climb. It will take a couple of weeks [of lockdown] to turn things around, he said. South Africas 21-day lockdown period will take effect after 23:59 on Thursday 26 March 2020 and will end on 16 April. All South Africans must stay at home during the lockdown and SA military forces will be deployed along with the police to ensure these restrictions are enforced. In addition to supermarkets and basic goods retailers, companies in the energy provision, medical supply, laboratory, essential transport including petrol stations and essential financial services sectors will also continue to operate. Now read: How someone with coronavirus flew from Los Angeles to Cape Town and got into South Africa NASHUA -- A Nashua man died Tuesday in an accident while driving an ATV. The Iowa State Patrol identified him as Larry Moine, 77. The accident was reported about 3 p.m. at 2970 Asherton Ave. at the C&R Railroad in Nashua. He was transported to the Floyd County Medical Center in Charles City where he died. Troopers said Moine was in the railroad right-of-way igniting grass fires on his adjacent property. When he attempted to re-enter his property along a steep embankment, his ATV rolled onto him, causing the fatal injuries. Troopers were assisted at the scene by Nashua Police and Fire, Chickasaw County Sheriff and Rescue, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Department of Transportation. Photos: Morning at Sweet Marsh Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) on Wednesday both threatened a possible delay in voting on the massive $2 trillion economic-stimulus package working its way through Congress. Sanders objected to an amendment proposed on Wednesday afternoon by Senators Ben Sasse (R., Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), and Tim Scott (R., S.C.) that would cap unemployment benefits at a workers previous salary level. I cannot at the last minute allow some right-wing senators [to] try to undermine the needs of workers and think they are going to get away with that, Sanders told the New York Times. He added that he would vote for the stimulus if the group of Republicans dropped their proposed amendment, and called the current draft of the bill far superior to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnells (R., Ky.) original draft. The reason I know Im right is that Bernie Sanders has just threatened me, Graham countered in an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity. This is Bernie Sanders on steroids. . . . He could not win at the ballot box, but hes winning in this bill. Sasse told National Review that the Republican senators worry the text of the bill allows workers to make more money by being unemployed than if the employer-employee relationship were maintained. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez said she may request a recorded vote on the stimulus in the House, which would force House members currently not in Washington, D.C., to return to vote in person. She has said she is worried the stimulus will favor large corporations at the expense of workers. With the health risks of travel, there is no easy choice here, Ocasio-Cortez told CNN. But essential workers are showing up and putting their health at risk every day, and if the final text of a bill is set up to hurt them, [a recorded vote] may be something we have to do. House speaker Nancy Pelosi favors holding a vote by unanimous consent, in which case one House member could block the bills passage by voting against. More from National Review Chief medical officer Tony Holohan has confirmed that the criteria for testing has been tightened and will be limited to those who have a high probability of having the virus. It will now be focused only on a patient with "fever and at least one sign of respiratory disease, such as cough, shortness of breath". He said at least 20,000 people had sought tests in the past 10 days and it was not sustainable to meet this demand. "As we learn more about this disease, we are prioritising who will be tested. If you are not in a priority group, you might not be tested. However, if you have the symptoms, assume you have Covid-19 and isolate yourself." While Dr Holohan said one of the most common features of the illness is fever, not everyone gets a fever. In a letter to the Irish College of General Practitioners and the Irish Medical Organisation, he writes that: A number of factors have driven this increase in the demand for testing, which exceeds the level of testing necessary for the public health management of this disease. Expand Close Retro: A drive-in cinema at Leopardstown racecourse yesterday. Nobody needs to get out of the car, so social distancing guidelines are being adhered to. Photo: Gary Ashe / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Retro: A drive-in cinema at Leopardstown racecourse yesterday. Nobody needs to get out of the car, so social distancing guidelines are being adhered to. Photo: Gary Ashe If we had processed all of the tests that were requested over the past 10 days, we would have been testing at a rate way in excess of any other country in the world. Those who wish to be tested for COVID-19 will now have to display a fever and one other respiratory symptom, such as a cough. Those with symptoms will now have to report a fever and at least one sign or symptom of respiratory disease, e cough, shortness of breath, in order to meet the case definition." The HSE also states that priority will be given to those who may be more likely to infect others and that 15,000 tests a day will be carried out. RTE broadcaster Clare Byrne who tested positive for the virus, told viewers on Monday night she did not display symptoms of fever. The restrictions will mean outdoor gatherings cannot include more than four people, non-essential shops must close and restaurants can only serve takeaways. More park rangers will be deployed to ensure people out walking maintain a two-metre physical distance from each other. All theatres, gyms, bookies, hairdressers, casinos and bingo halls are to close. The State is to take over private hospitals with 2,000 beds and patients will be treated on clinical need as the health service becomes a one-tier system. Private hospitals are expected to be largely treating non-coronavirus patients and the details of the new arrangements are to be worked out in the coming days. It will free up public hospitals, which are braced for a surge of coronavirus patients in the coming weeks. Supermarkets, pharmacies, dry cleaners and phone sales shops are among the retail outlets which will remain open. All existing coronavirus measures, including the closure of schools, will be extended until Sunday, April 19. Mr Varadkar thanked the public for listening to the advice on physical distancing and hand-washing so far. "It's too early to know for sure, but we do believe it's making a difference. However we do believe we need to do more," he said. People should only leave home to go to work, if they can't work from home, to get essential supplies and to take physical exercise. "We can't stop the virus, but working together we can slow it in its tracks and push it back. "These are extraordinarily difficult times for everyone...but no matter what happens, we'll always put your life and your health ahead of any other concern," he said. He said he knows the Irish people will "continue to face this head-on to make the changes in lifestyles that are required and pull through to the other side". Mr Varadkar said that Ireland recently commemorated the centenary of the 1916 Rising and the men and women who won Ireland's independence. "I never believed we would be called upon to match their courage or example, but today we are," he added. He said "our greatest generation was not in the past" and added that "better times are yet to come". Mr Varadkar was asked what he would say to people who are afraid. He replied: "I think we're all a little bit afraid. "It's perfectly natural and normal to be a little bit afraid. We can all see today what's happening in Italy - only two or three hours' flight from here - and that frightens us all." He said Ireland does have a "slight advantage" in that it is further away from the centre of the outbreak and this has allowed time to put in place a "comprehensive strategy". Mr Varadkar said it was a strategy that had worked in places like South Korea and Singapore, which have had lower numbers of deaths than some European countries. He urged the public to "get behind our health service" and help them protect people. Dr Colm Henry, HSE chief clinical officer said: "14,692 samples have been tested at the national virus laboratory of which 93pc returned negative. Ireland is following WHO advice to 'test, test, test' and is in the top quartile in terms of number of tests we have performed per capita. This, alongside physical distancing measures and intensive contact tracing, is deemed best practice internationally." This morning, the nation woke to deserted streets and the loss of simple freedoms today as draconian emergency controls came into force to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said people should "stay at home if at all possible". The severe and unprecedented restrictions could last months and "we are in this for the long haul", he warned. It comes as a seventh patient who contracted the virus, a man in the east of the country with an underlying disease, died yesterday. Another 204 new cases of the virus were diagnosed, bringing the total to 1,329. Nearly one in two people who are now picking it up don't know the source. Balyoun, Syria: Families sifted through the bombed-out ruins of their shops and homes in the frontline Syrian town of Balyoun, using a fragile ceasefire between Russia and Turkey to retrieve their belongings but voicing little trust that it would last. "We will never come back," said Isam Alloush, a flash of sorrow crossing his face. His truck was piled high with mattresses and a galvanised water tank he was taking to a camp near the Turkish border, where eight members of his family are living in a tent. "It's a big lie," he said of the ceasefire. "They have been cheating us for years." An armed resident loads his truck with belongings during a visit to his home in Balyoun, Syria. Credit:Tyler Hicks/The New York Times Balyoun is one of a line of ghostly, battered towns and villages across the southern half of Idlib province, emptied of their inhabitants over three months as Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air power, blasted their way northward in an effort to seize control of the last rebel-held region in Syria. TRUMBULL The religious leaders from St. Theresa Roman Catholic Church extended their pastoral flock to everybody Catholic or not living within the Bridgeport Diocese in a spirit of Lenten goodwill and blessing. For nearly an hour Tuesday, the Revs. Brian Gannon and Flavian Bejan, pastor and associate pastor respectively of St. Theresas, recited prayers and bestowed blessings on those below from a small plane flying over the Bridgeport Diocese. The theme of the mountain is very significant in the Holy Bible, Gannon said after the flight. God meets Moses and other prophets on a mountain, and Jesus Christ is crucified on Mt. Calvary. Instead of approaching a mountain, we took it one step further on a plane to seek Gods divine intervention of healing grace and hope in this coronavirus pandemic. The flight, which took off about 11:15 a.m. from Sikorsky Memorial Airport, passed over the boundaries of the Diocese in Fairfield County. It lasted about an hour. We were able to circle St. Theresas Church where people we knew came out, looked up at us and waved, Gannon said. More information about Tuesdays flight is available here. During the flight, Gannon held a three-foot statue of Our Lady of Fatima donated by Grace Monks of Trumbull and the Holy Monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament. He and Bejan prayed the Rosary, the Memorare to the Blessed Mother and for protection against the virus. The flight was the idea of Lydia Monks DeCastra, whose husband, John, is a pilot and U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant stationed in New Jersey. She had seen a video of a priest in Italy bestowing blessings from a plane and suggested her husband do the same with a priest in their New Jersey Diocese. John DeCastra contacted Kevin Bradberry, a pilot and part-owner of a Cessna 172. They had piloted similar blessings flights over Camden, N.J., and Harrisburg, Pa., and have been contacted to do the same in Virginia. Theres a scientific approach and a spiritual approach that is needed to help stop the spread of this virus and cure those afflicted, said Thomas Monks, Lydia DeCastras father and a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 8103 in Trumbull. Monks reached out to his son-in-law to do the Trumbull flyover and his fellow Knights to foot the $370 cost. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 25, 2020 | PADUCAH By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 25, 2020 | 12:04 PM | PADUCAH In response to social distancing requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the McCracken County Board of Education will join other governing bodies and livestream future meetings. At their meeting Wednesday morning, board members approved temporary changes to their public meeting procedures. Rather than opening meetings to the public physically, meetings will be open to the public via video teleconference and/or livestream. The Kentucky School Boards Association drafted the resolution, and the Kentucky Attorney General approved it in an opinion issued March 18. The amended meeting protocols will be in effect until the conclusion of the state of emergency. Board members also set graduation for the MCHS Class of 2020 for May 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Marquette Stadium. The graduation date is contingent on current restrictions on social gathering being lifted by that time. The Board also accepted $1.96 million in grant funding for 21st Century programs. Hendron Lone Oak Elementary, Reidland Intermediate, and McCracken County High School will each receive $490,000 over the next five years to continue their 21st Century programs. Heath Elementary will also receive $490,000 over the same time period to restart its 21st Century program, which ran originally from 2013 to 2018. 21st Century provides academic, artistic and cultural enrichment for kids, targeting those who wouldn't otherwise have access to such programs, or who are struggling in school. It's entirely free for families, and includes before and after school tutoring, engaging clubs and activities, and an extra meal every day programming is in session. Waller County Judge Trey Duhon says he expected to announce a stay-at-home order for his rural county this week, following the lead of other major counties in the region. But then Duhon studied other localities orders and reflected on President Donald Trumps message about how the country needs to start getting back to work in the coming weeks, a view not shared by many public health experts. It was just the notion that we cant paralyzed by this event, Duhon said by phone Wednesday, referring to Trumps remarks. America is about ingenuity, its about working, its about enterprise, its about free market. People get up, they go to work. They earn a living. They move up the ladder. Thats what we do. Thats what makes America successful. So, if were paralyzed and we do nothing, then everything will just collapse. On Wednesday, Duhon stopped short of issuing a stay-at-home order, reflecting a reluctance among some local leaders to adopt the most stringent rules available to them to slow the spread of COVID-19. While Democrat-led Harris and Fort Bend counties have issued stay-at-home orders, GOP-majority Montgomery County has not. Two other counties led by Republicans Galveston and Brazoria have opted for stay-at-home orders. This action is not being taken lightly, said Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta, a Republican, during an address live-streamed on Facebook on Wednesday. As cases rise, the advice across the board has been to take action (now) to slow the spread of this disease. Duhon offered a window into his decision-making process during a lengthy, late-night post to Facebook on Tuesday. He said he talked with many officials and reviewed the orders coming out in neighboring counties. I considered all of this information and tried to balance all of this with the tremendous economic impact that this will have on our local economy, jobs, and people's ability to pay their bills, Duhon wrote in the Facebook post. I also saw part of the President's address where he emphasized that America must eventually get back to work, or we may never recover, and the economic impact of this virus potentially being just as devastating as the virus itself. Many public health experts have taken issue with Trumps statements, saying the country is still in the grips of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and that lifting restrictions on daily activities could undercut efforts to slow the virus spread and could cost lives. Duhon wasnt calling for restrictions to be lifted in his county of 51,000 residents, but he acknowledged struggling with how far to go in imposing them. His order calls for residents and workers to stay 6 feet apart from one another and for restaurants to remain take-out, drive-thru and delivery only. It discourages gatherings of 10 or more and encourages residents to remain in their homes as much as possible, unless theyre going to work, for example. He advised that trips out of the house should be made for essential items only. Churches and other religious institutions should aim to provide services via video or teleconference. However, they are permitted to hold services outdoors if people are 6 feet apart. If the number of coronavirus cases goes up in Waller County, he said, he would reassess. There were no confirmed cases in the county as of Wednesday afternoon. The order would go into effect at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday and remain in effect until April 3. In his Facebook post, Duhon said it bothered him measures are being taken so easily and without regard to our basic constitutional freedoms. This is NO QUESTION that this is a public health emergency, and there is no doubt about that, but at each and every step, we must always carefully balance the restrictions we put in place with a person's ability to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, Duhon wrote. Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough, a Republican, struck a similar theme this week when he said his county would not be ordering residents to stay at home. It is incumbent upon us as a county, as people, to self-regulate to keep from having our freedoms taken away, said Keough. Keough noted that county officials had already restricted gatherings to 10 people, closed bars and limited restaurants to pick-up or delivery. He said that if residents continued to follow the rules, they would remain free of more government control. If people violated them, he said, the county of more than 500,000 people could end up with a shelter-in-place order. In Duhons Facebook post, he also wondered how Harris and Fort Bend counties were going to enforce their orders given the number of exemptions and exclusions for essential services, and how they were different from the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Gov. Greg Abbotts executive orders. Maybe, that was the right thing for Houston to do, but I cant imagine how theyre going to be enforcing that order all over the city of Houston, Duhon told the Houston Chronicle. I think thats going to be a nightmare. Duhon said he also factored in what a stay-at-home order would do to small businesses. He said the county has a lot of mom-and-pop shops. I know those people personally, said Duhon. They said, Trey, I know you gotta to do what you have to do but if we close, well never re-open. I (have) got to take care of those folks as well, he added. Carissa D. Lamkahouan contributed to this report. brooke.lewis@chron.com Indore District Collector, Lokesh Jatav said that a 65-year-old Ujjain woman who was tested positive for coronavirus died here in Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital on Wednesday. "It was reported that the woman was tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday night. She died today. The woman had some other ailments due to which she was being treated at MY Hospital for the last 3 days. Earlier, the woman was admitted in Ujjain hospital," District Collector, Lokesh Jatav said. "Today, a curfew has been imposed in Indore city from 2 pm after 5 positive cases were reported in the state," he added. The total number of positive coronavirus cases in India has climbed to 606, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's decision to expel American journalists is "uniquely damaging and reckless as the world continues the struggle to control this disease, a struggle that will require the free flow of reliable news and information," wrote the publishers of the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and New York Tiimes in their open letter to the Chinese government. They protested the "growing crackdown on independent media" that "threatens to deprive the world of critical information at a perilous moment." WSJ's William Lewis, WaPo's Fred Ryan and NYT's A.G. Sulzberger wrote: "Journalism bolsters strong, confident societies by providing to leaders and citizens important information and awareness to inform their lives and decisions even, perhaps especially, when it is challenging to governments." We hope the self-proclaimed "wartime president" will declare a ceasefire on his war against the media, which he calls the "enemy of the people." Any federal policy to jumpstart the economy prior to the containment of COVID-19 would result in many unnecessary deaths, according to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. There really is no middle ground, and its very tough to say to people, Hey, keep going to restaurants, go buy new houses, ignore that pile of bodies over in the corner. We want you to keep spending because theres maybe a politician who thinks GDP growth is all that counts, Gates said March 24 during a TED interview. Its very irresponsible for somebody to suggest that we can have the best of both worlds. Admitting that COVID-19 has delivered a big blow to the economy, he said: But bringing the economy back ... thats more of a reversible thing than bringing people back to life. So were going to take the pain in the economic dimension huge pain in order to minimize the pain in the diseases-and-death dimension. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations has spent $100M to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Bank of America received a PR black eye over after a staff backlash at its One Bryant Park head office over its decision to ban them from executing trades at home without management approval. That policy ran counter to competitors like Goldman Sachs and JPMorganChase, which allowed staffers to execute trades from home to allay fears over the COVID-19 pandemic. BofA reversed course on March 24, allowing its global markets staff to work at home. "Fake news" sites love Google, according to the Global Disinformaton Index, which gauges the trustworthiness of 70K websites. It found that European fake sites earned about $75M a year from ads placed by Google. The Financial Times reported that a Spanish disinformation site ran an ad placed by Google on the Amnesty International site that claimed the US blamed Russia for COVID-19. A Google spokesperson blamed the GDI report, saying its definition of disinformation is unclear. India on Wednesday strongly condemned the "heinous terror attack" on a Gurdwara in Afghanistan's capital Kabul that killed at least 11 people and injured as many. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the "cowardly attack" on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at the time of COVID-19 pandemic, was reflective of the "diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers". The Ministry conveyed its sincerest condolences to the immediate family members of the deceased and said that New Delhi stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan. "We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country," the statement read. "India stands in solidarity with the people, the Government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country," it added. Armed men stormed inside a Gurdwara in Kabul's Shor Bazar area at about 7:45 am (local time) on Wednesday and were locked in a battle with security forces. Citing a security source, Tolo News reported that at least 11 people have been killed and 11 other sustained injuries in the attack, adding that "three attackers are still fighting with security forces and one has been shot." No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Afghan MP Nardendar Singh Khalisa had told reporters that up to 150 people were at the Gurdwara at the time the incident occurred. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ABC has outlined a number of steps to help parents and teachers educate and entertain kids during the COVID-19 crisis. Across our broadcast and digital platforms, the ABC will continue providing free curriculum-linked programs and resources for primary and secondary students and teachers, to support them during this unprecedented time. ABC iviews carefully curated collection of educational content for children features informative and engaging programs across multiple subject areas, including BTN: Classroom, The Storybuilding Tool Kit, Ecomaths, ScienceXplosion, Citizen Code, Numberblocks and English on the Go. ABC Education provides access to more than 4000 free videos, interactive resources and fun games mapped to the Australian curriculum, across subjects such as English, mathematics, science, history, geography, media literacy, financial literacy, health and physical education and the arts and technologies, including STEM. Highlights include: BTN educational resources on topics such as Indigenous culture, science, religion and beliefs, STEM, digital technologies, Australian history and environmental issues. Media literacy interactives and teacher tips on issues such as spotting false or fakes news and the difference between fact and opinion War on Waste clips to inspire children to help care for our planet Mixed-up Maths video series that puts the fun back into learning maths My Five Cents video explainers on financial literacy Check out the ABC Education TV website for our full broadcast schedule and further information about all our programs. And sign up to the ABC Education weekly newsletter for more engaging online resources, competitions, news and events to help teachers and parents. ABC ME features daily dedicated education content across multiple subjects to support students and caregivers from 10am-12pm, alongside high-quality online resources to help students navigate and understand COVID-19, including BTN classroom guides on social distancing, the global impact of the pandemic and how to deal with upsetting news. Pre-schoolers are also in safe hands with trusted content on ABC KIDS and the ABCs Early Education website, which provides specially curated shows and podcasts for educators and carers across the five curriculum areas of family, community and culture, sustainability and nature, creativity and self-expression, STEM and health and wellbeing. The ABC KIDS listen app provides a range of music, stories and podcasts for children of all ages to stimulate curiosity, fire imaginations and foster good listening. Highlights include a special episode of the fast-paced, fun-filled ethics podcast Short & Curly to help kids ponder COVID-19 and what it means for them. Stay tuned for the new series of Short & Curly from 9 April. Special collections of learning content and family activities are also available across the newly enhanced ABC KIDS app which includes improved search features, show filters and screen time limits and the ABC KIDS Community Facebook page, including Play School reflective journals, to keep families inspired and entertained. 4K Shares Share These days are getting harder. Today I heard about physicians getting intubated. I heard about physicians having to make the decision to separate from their children indefinitely. I heard about health care workers who officially ran out of PPE. I heard of hospitals that are nearing capacity and many young patients who are intubated. The calls for help at the frontlines got more desperate. Over the last few days, Ive also heard of more and more physician practices shutting down, and consequently, employees being out of work. Those who have asked their insurance companies to stand by their business interruption insurance are being told that the policies dont cover a worldwide pandemic and government-mandated shutdowns. We often forget it, but physician practices are small businesses too and run at high overhead because of all the employees, rental space, and equipment, and supplies they need to provide care. Physician practices are doing the right thing and putting patient care first, by telling patients they are limiting in-person visits to essential services, so that they dont cause more harm than good by exposing healthy patients in their offices. We took an oath to do no harm, and take that seriously. Unfortunately, this also means they cant generate enough revenue to cover expenses, and many practices are worried about bankruptcy, and many health care workers are worried about when their next paycheck will be. This may seem like a minor story in the scheme of everything else, of course. But heres why its also a problem in our fight against COVID-19. What happens when you have a problem you would normally see a physician in person for that cant be solved over the phone, but your doctors office isnt open? You go to urgent care or the emergency room. Which I think by now, we all realize, is problematic given the high risk of exposure to coronavirus, as well as the additional stress on an already overloaded system. And what happens in a few months, when hopefully weve gotten past the worst of this, and you cant get an appointment for months for routine checkups or shots because offices have closed or have less staff, or have to train new staff? Its possible access to care and the physician shortage, which was already an issue before COVID-19, will be even worse. There are big public health issues here as well. I know to the public, it may seem silly to give physicians a bailout, but the fact is that many physician practices will need one. Going back to the stories at the beginning, we havent even hit the peak of what we are going to see. Physicians and other health care workers are giving up so much and risking so much to do what they were trained to do, and for what is a true calling and duty. We are ready to do that, and no matter what, are going to fight this with all that weve got. I just hope that we as a society, though, will also help these same physicians and health care workers maintain their familys livelihoods and their ability to do what they love the most in the long term. As I followed the rollercoaster of debates regarding the health care stimulus package over the last few days, especially in regards to some elements that would further threaten physician compensation, it was hard not to feel frustrated. I hard about airline and casino bailouts (which I understand), but didnt hear much about bailing out physician practices. I know its been proposed, but its hard to know whats going on behind closed doors in Washington, as deals are made in hopes of passing the next stimulus package. Heres hoping it will carry protection for our health care workers, in addition to all of the others that also need it so badly. Lets also hope that the government encourages insurance companies to honor business interruption policies. Its just so hard to watch my colleagues fighting so many battles simultaneously, and scared for their families on so many levels. Lets let them focus on the medicine, and not worry about the financial viability of their practices at this time. Nisha Mehta is a radiologist and founder, Physician Side Gigs and the Physician Side Gigs Facebook group. She can be reached at her self-titled site, Nisha Mehta, MD, and on Twitter @nishamehtamd. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Michigan governor exempts worship services from state ban on gatherings of 50 or more Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stated that worship services are exempted from her recent executive order prohibiting gatherings of 50 or more people due to coronavirus concerns. In an interview with Fox News Sunday anchor John Roberts, Whitmer explained that while she greatly discourages such gatherings in light of the pandemic, she believed the government did not have the right to order churches to close. Well, you know, the separation of church and state and the Republican legislature asked me to clarify that, explained Whitmer, a Democrat. That's an area that we don't have the ability to directly enforce and control. We are encouraging people, though, do not congregate. The governor warned those considering attending church at this time that you yourself can be carrying it and you might not even know it. That'd be the worst thing in the world is to go to church to worship and to sit next to someone and infect them and have them suffer life-threatening consequences because of this decision, she continued. Whitmer also explained that one of the big challenges to fighting the virus in her state was that we need more test kits. It is hard to really make an educated decision and to know what you're really confronting without data and that all is reliant on test kits. We have too few test kits, she said. We've, right now, got to prioritize those who are perhaps the most medically vulnerable for testing and that doesn't really give you enough data to feel like you're making decisions that are based on fact and science. Last week, Whitmer issued an executive order prohibiting "all assemblages of more than 50 people in a single indoor shared space and all events of more than 50 people," but later in the week added an exemption for "a place of religious worship." Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican, took to his official Facebook page to thank the governor for clarifying that religious services were exempted. "People have a God-given right to assemble and worship, and that right is secured by both the United States and Michigan Constitution. While I do not think that that right can be taken away by an Executive Order, I believe that as Christians we also have a duty to love our fellow man and play our role within society," stated Chatfield. "At times, we cancel services because the meteorologist predicts inclement weather. Why do we do this? Because we want people to stay safe." In response to the COVID-19 virus, large numbers of churches have canceled worship services and other gatherings to help curb the spread of the disease. Instead, many churches have offered online and livestream alternatives to in-person, with some congregations reporting a record number of views on their online services. For example, Joel Osteens Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, broadcasted his sermons on Facebook, YouTube, Roku, AppleTV, and JoelOsteen.com. We saw 4.51 million people tune in throughout the weekend across platforms, said the church in a statement shared with The Christian Post last week. This broke our previous record of 4.17 million in November of last year when we broadcast Kanye Wests Sunday service from Lakewood. This number could increase throughout the week. Others, including Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church in Tennessee, have refused for various reasons to close their churches in response to government orders and requests. Here at Global Vision, we do not believe that it is going to fit the context of who we are to close our services. We will continue to livestream but we are going, not in defiance, not in rebellion, we are going to remain open, stated Locke. We will never shame any pastor or any congregation that feels the need to stop their services for now. But we dont want to be shamed for staying open. PerkinElmer, Inc. PKI recently announced that it has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA for its New Coronavirus RT-PCR test. Clinical laboratories that are certified under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) can start utilizing this test kit to detect SARS-CoV-2 (virus causing COVID-19) immediately. Notably, this test is marketed as an in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) device on basis of fulfilling the requirements of European In Vitro Diagnostic Directive (IVDD). The test kit is now available in over 30 countries worldwide. With this test kit, PerkinElmer is likely to boost its Diagnostics business and strengthen presence in the global infectious disease diagnostics market. Significance of the Approval With the coronavirus pandemic showing no signs up letting up, the demand for testing is on the rise posing a crucial challenge. The companys New Coronavirus Nucleic Acid Detection Kit is a real-time RT-PCR test developed for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2 in human oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swab samples. In terms of flexibility, the test has proven to be compatible with a variety of sample types and performance has been verified with case studies from outbreaks point of origin. Per management, the breadth of the companys total workflow solution positions it to rapidly address the needs of its clinical diagnostics customers. Coronavirus Outbreak and Its Impact The coronavirus disease, which was first detected in central China in December, has turned into a full-blown pandemic, and its panoptic impact has left most of the world rattled and shocked. In fact, more than 53,000 people across the United States has been infected with the novel coronavirus with deaths going up to at least 703. Amid this crisis, some key players have made significant progress with regards to testing in order to check the spread of pandemic. For example, Becton, Dickinson and Company BDX, also known as BD, together with CerTestBiotec, recently announced the receipt of CE mark for the VIASURE SARS-CoV-2 real time test adapted for the BD MAX System. Thus, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, utilized for detecting COVID-19, is now available to clinical laboratories. Also, Abbott Laboratories ABT announced the receipt of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA to use its molecular test RealTime SARS-CoV-2 EUA to detect the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Notably, the test will run on the companys m2000 RealTime System.Abbott is on track to ship 150,000 RealTime SARS-CoV-2 EUA tests to existing customers in the United States. At the same time, the company will coordinate with health systems and government authorities to supply additional m2000 systems per requirement. Story continues Market Prospects Per a report published on Grand View Research, the global molecular diagnostics market was valued at $9.2 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $18.2 billion by 2027, witnessing a CAGR of 9% between 2020 and 2027. Factors like technological advancements in molecular diagnostics and the rising prevalence of infectious diseases are likely to drive the market. Hence, the latest development has been a well-timed one for PerkinElmer. Price Performance Over the past year, shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have lost 20.2% compared with the industrys decline of 30.1%. A Key Pick A better-ranked stock from the broader medical space is The Cooper Companies, Inc. COO, which currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Cooper Companies has a projected long-term earnings growth rate of 10.8%. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. Click here for the 6 trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) : Free Stock Analysis Report PerkinElmer, Inc. (PKI) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Cooper Companies, Inc. (COO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Abbott Laboratories (ABT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Abba Kyari, chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, did not self-isolate after an official foreign trip because Germany and the ... Abba Kyari, chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, did not self-isolate after an official foreign trip because Germany and the UK were yet to be designated high-risk countries requiring self-isolation, family sources have revealed. This is contrary to insinuations that he refused to self-isolate on his arrival as advised by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The presidents right-hand man was on Monday diagnosed with the Covid-19 disease which he is thought to have contracted on his the trip. Abba was in Germany and the UK from 8th to 12th of March. He arrived Abuja on the 13th. As at that date, neither Germany nor UK had been designated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) as high-risk destinations requiring self-isolation, a family member, who spoke on the condition that he would not be named, told TheCable. In fact, Germany was designated on the 16th and the UK on the 17th. Both were after his arrival on the 13th. To say he breached the NCDC advisory is evidently inaccurate. Im aware Abba has volunteered to hand over his passports to the ministry of health and NCDC for a verification of his travel dates. Another family member, who also asked not to be named, told TheCable that the chief of staff is in high spirits in self-isolation. I am in touch with Abba by phone and he is very much in high spirits. He is more moved by the messages of goodwill from well wishers than the usual negative stories out there, he told TheCable. Up till now, he has not shown any symptoms apart from occasional coughing, so there is no other treatment other than addressing the cough. He does not have any fever and does not have any breathing difficulty. It is only if he exhibits serious symptoms or becomes seriously sick that he will be moved to the Gwagwalada quarantine centre. Part of the management strategy of the government is that since symptoms can resolve on their own, only those who really need emergency attention will be moved to the quarantine so as not to overwhelm the hospitals. Ironically, he was very active on Saturday and was holding meetings on how to address the outbreak of the coronavirus in Nigeria. Abbas primary concern was how Nigeria can adopt a methodical approach to managing the crisis as health systems even in the most advanced countries are easily overwhelmed. If as good as the Italian health system is they are in this big mess, you can imagine anything near that magnitude in Nigeria. He was more concerned about the number of ventilators and ICUs in the country and asking questions about different scenarios, and what and what is needed. After Kyaris result, Buhari was also tested but he was negative. Newsfrom Japan Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--A team of third-party experts has confirmed in a re-examination that about 70 pct of remains brought from Siberia to Japan are highly unlikely those of Japanese detainees, the welfare ministry said Wednesday. Last year, suspicions arose that remains of 597 people collected as those of Japanese people who were detained in the Russian region after World War II and died there are not Japanese. In their initial DNA analysis, the experts found indications in about 70 pct of the remains that they are not those of Japanese people, while they failed to find any clue for the rest, saying they were unrecognizable. Seven of the nine burial sites where the remains of 597 people were collected were not mainly used as burial sites for Japanese soldiers, the team said. The team also concluded that the remains of 10 people collected in the Philippines in 2010 are likely not those of Japanese, supporting a similar conclusion by other experts. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Kansas, police are investigating a homicide that occurred Tuesday night. KCK police dispatch confirmed to 41 Action News that a man was shot. The shooting took place in the 1300 block of Ray Avenue, according to KCKPD. There is no additional information at this time. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a complete redefinition of the EU beef market in a matter of weeks and represents a market shock of a magnitude that requires immediate response by the EU Commisson according to Des Morrison, Chairperson of ICMSAs Livestock Committee. Mr Morrison said that while the change is temporary and he had no doubt that markets will eventually return to normal, the current situation is that customary market outlets of food service have effectively closed while sales to retail have rocketed. "The result was that certain cuts are in huge demand while sales for other cuts have plummeted. This will settle down but, in the meantime, we have to address an unprecedented market shock and that means taking immediate measures aimed at stabilising the EU beef market and protecting our family farm-based sustainable system of beef production. "As part of these measures, ICMSA is very emphatically of the view that beef imports from outside the EU should be suspended immediately as they specifically target the steak market which is under most pressure at this time in the absence of a food service market, said the Livestock Committee Chairperson. Mr Morrison said that such a suspension is justified based on the exceptional circumstances we find ourselves in and the imperative to protect our own beef sector from this temporary shock until such time as the EU beef market returns to stability. Profitability in the beef sector is already extremely low and the EU Commission must immediately deliver market measures and action that provides farmers with a level of confidence required to continue to produce high-quality sustainable beef, concluded Mr. Morrison. IFA Animal Health Chairman Pat Farrell says the Department of Agriculture changes to the TB programme which allow farmers with COVID19 concerns to defer tests without sanction, is an important first step in recognising the challenges faced by farmers. However, he said this will need to be kept under review and amended as the situation evolves. He said farmers have the additional responsibility of protecting the health and welfare of their animals, which requires 24/7 attention. The Department of Agriculture must continue to take a practical view when implementing the TB Eradication programme. The focus should be on the key trade requirements in order to reduce risks to farmers, their families, farm workers and veterinary practitioners, he said. IFA has made detailed proposals to the Department, which include issues such as the deferment of tests and the removal of the purchase-in prohibition. Access to important medicines and treatments are also key requirements. In this regard the EU Commission confirmation of priority status for Veterinary Medicines is important and should help with continuity of supply of products, he said. In relation to the BVD programme, Pat Farrell said critically, we are passed the peak of testing which has reduced the pressures on labs. However, we must also be conscious of minimising the impact on farmers if delays are to arise with testing in the future. Farmers should continue to take samples and submit them for testing in a timely manner. Any farmers having difficulties in submitting samples can contact their local IFA officers who will provide assistance. He said the Department of Agriculture must be sympathetic given the unique circumstances and fully utilise the Early Warning System in the provision of support in these cases. IFA officers have a proven track record in assisting farmers in these situations and this must be respected and fully utilised by all Department of Agriculture offices. ICSA suckler chair Ger OBrien has said that the necessary closure of all marts on account of Covid-19 is a blow to farmers and hopefully will be for a short period only. Livestock marts play a vital role in Irish farming and are a critical resource in determining a fair price for farmers. ICSA is concerned that prolonged mart closure would lead to a lot of difficulties for farmers who depend on the service they provide. The livestock mart provides a level of transparent and open competition for livestock and it gives farmers a realistic view of what livestock are making. Many farmers who do not finish cattle on a commercial scale are very reliant on marts for selling stock and they offer the advantage of allowing farmers to see what stock are worth. Moreover, cattle are weighed properly and farmers can rely on prompt and guaranteed payment. Farmers need to be very careful of dealing on farm and need to be conscious of the risk of cheques bouncing. While farm to farm sales can still take place, it will be vital that marts are available to weigh stock, to facilitate payment and to update the AIM database. This could be a time for innovation in the selling of livestock and farmers who are new to selling cattle need to look at how to offer stock for sale using social media and internet sites. Good photos and accurate information around weights, and ICBF figures in the case of breeding stock are helpful. However, there is no doubt that the closure of marts even for a short period is a blow to farmers and to the rural communities where they are located. Apart from the important commercial considerations, marts have provided a vital social facility for farming people, some of whom have no other social outlet. It is to be hoped that this is a very temporary measure and that the national campaign to slow Covid-19 succeeds sooner rather than later. SHELTON Eight city residents an increase of three in one day have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to data released by the Naugatuck Valley Health District Wednesday. In all, there are 22 residents in the Naugatuck Valley that as of 3 p.m. March 25 have tested positive for COVID-19. Most of the positive tests have been from Shelton, with eight, followed by five in Seymour, four in Naugatuck, three in Ansonia, and one each in Derby and Beacon Falls. No specific information was available on the Shelton residents. Please remember that this is a rapidly evolving situation and numbers are subject, and likely to change, said Naugatuck Valley Health District Director Jessica Stelmaszek. The health district, in a release Tuesday, stated that community spread/transmission is now occurring in the Valley. People have been infected with the virus, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected. Please practice social distancing and stay home as much as possible. The NVHD states that, of the 22 testing positive in the Valley, two men and one woman are 80 and older; two are men between 70 and 79; three are men between 60 and 69; two women are between 50 and 59; three are men between 40 and 49; six individuals, three men, three women, are between 30 and 39; and three individuals, one man, two women, are between 20 and 29. Statewide, as of March 25, there were more than 800 confirmed cases and 19 reported deaths. Gov. Ned Lamonts executive orders have shuttered all schools until at least April 20, and closed all nonessential businesses, until further notice. Lamont said Tuesday that schools may remain closed until the fall. According to the press release, the NVHD works closely with the state Department of Public Health, local hospitals and outpatient healthcare providers to identify persons under investigation who are Valley residents. The NVHD defines a person under investigation as anyone who has been identified as someone who may have the virus that causes COVID-19 or who was under investigation but tested negative. The state Department of Public Health now publishes a report at www.ct.gov/coronavirus that breaks down positive COVID-19 cases by town. The NVHD release states that the physician who ordered the coronavirus test for the patient and health district staff will contact individuals who test positive for COVID-19. Those individuals will remain in quarantine at their homes, stated the NVHD release. Individuals who reside in the same household as a laboratory confirmed positive case will also be required to self-quarantine at their home. Health department staff will work with the patients to investigate and determine if additional individuals need to be notified or require 14-day self-monitoring periods at home. If an individual is inpatient or in a healthcare facility, that facility will lead the investigation. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com Nine more people in Kerala tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 112. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said though community transmission had not taken place "it is a sword hanging over our heads" and the state was facing a 'dangerous' situation and appealed for vigil. A vicar and two officials of a local church here in Kerala were arrested on charges of conducting a funeral service, defying the government order against mass gatherings in view of the coronavirus outbreak, police said. In a positive development, eight COVID-19 patients tested negative while four persons have been cured earlier and no fresh cases were reported on Wednesday in the worst-affected Kasaragod. Till Tuesday, the district had reported 45 positive cases and was expecting results of 77 samples. Of the nine new cases in the state, two are from Palakkad, three from Ernakulam, two from Pathnamthitta and one each from Idukki and Kozhikode districts, Vijayan told reporters after a COVID-19 review meeting here. While four of the infected had come from Dubai, one each from the UK and France. Three persons had got the infection through contact with an infected person. A taxi driver from Kochi was infected as he had transported a man who had returned from France. "We are facing a dangerous situation. Though community transmission of the virus has not taken place, it is a sword hanging over our heads. We need to be careful and vigilant," Vijayan said. At least 76,542 people are under surveillance and 532 in isolation wards in various hospitals. The government on Wednesday decided to shut the state-run liquor outlets for 21 days in view of the nationwide lockdown. The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister. The opposition Congress-led UDF had asked the government to shut the liqour outlets as large number of people were seen gathering at various places and police had to chase away people as they were not following the mandatory one metre distance. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government also decided to provide all ration card holders, irrespective above or below poverty line (BPL) categories, 15 kg of rice free for a month. The BPL card holders will also be provided a provision kit. Packed food would be given to those in quarantine, community kitchen facility and door delivery of food articles and medicines if needed would be provided to those who are in quarantine at home, officials said. Several people coming from Karnataka to Kerala and stranded at the Madhur check post in Wayanad district since midnight on Tuesday were allowed to cross over into the state after they were screened. They were sent to coronavirus care centres in Wayanad, where they would be placed under quarantine, the officials said. Meanwhile, 1,751 cases were registered in Kerala against people who hit the roads defying the prohibitory orders, taking the total number of the cases in the last two days to 3,612, police media cell said. The highest number of cases had been registered in Kozhikode district - 351 followed by Idukki (214), Kottayam (208) and Kasaragod (10), it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A ldi is rewarding all of its store and distribution staff with a 10 per cent pay rise for their hard work during the coronavirus pandemic. The supermarket giant said it wanted to reward "amazing colleagues who have been working tirelessly throughout this extremely busy time". In a statement on its website, Aldi said its store and distribution colleagues will receive the bonus for hours worked effective from March 9, 2020. Like many UK supermarkets, the coronavirus outbreak has led to a high demand for products such as pasta and toilet roll at Aldi stores. Aldi introduced new social distancing measures on March 24 to protect colleagues and customers from Covid-19. / Aldi In a response to the panic buying, Aldi restricted nappies and paper products, including toilet roll, to two items per customer and the rest of its products have been restricted to four items per customer, with the exception of Easter products and fresh flowers. "As part of its ongoing support for small suppliers, Aldi has today announced it will reduce payment terms so that any supplier with a turnover of less than 1m will now be paid immediately," said the supermarket. "Aldi has made a number of financial commitments to key partners, including Neighbourly, which distributes surplus food and other donations to those in need, Teenage Cancer Trust, and Age UK. "All stores opening hours have been shortened slightly to close at 8pm, instead of 10pm, to give our colleagues some additional rest and allow the stores to be restocked at their best every day." People queue outside a branch of Aldi in south London. The increased demand for food led to Aldi putting limits on certain products for its customers. / PA The supermarket chain also announced yesterday that it would be providing dedicated shopping times for emergency workers. Aldi stores will open between 9.30am to 10am on Sundays solely for key workers in the NHS, the police and fire service. Tesco has also offered its staff a similar 10 per cent bonus. In response to the "unprecedented increase in demand for food" Tesco announced on Saturday a 10 per cent bonus on the hourly rate for staff across its stores, distribution centres and customer engagement centres. The pay will also be backdated to March 9 and permanent colleagues will receive the increased hourly pay rate until Friday, May 1. Jason Tarry, UK and ROI chief executive at Tesco, said: Its been an extraordinary couple of weeks and despite the enormous challenges, its been incredible to see how colleagues have stepped up and responded, doing an outstanding job during this uncertain and difficult time. 25.03.2020 LISTEN The New Juaben South Municipal Assembly (NJSMA) has inaugurated a 20-member Public Health Emergency Response Management Team to help combat the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. The team was inaugurated to implement President Akufo-Addo's directive on coronavirus preventive measures, carry out public education on precautionary procedures and ensure adequate plans were in place to manage any case in the area. Mr Isaac Appau-Gyasi, NJSMA Municipal Chief Executive, in a release copied to the Ghana News Agency said the team would be at the fore front of all measures in the Municipality to curtail the spread through effective monitoring to ensure every citizen adhered strictly to the precautionary measures. According to the statement, the Assembly has suspended all gatherings and programmes entirely and provided handwashing facilities at all vantage points at the Assembly for both staff and visitors. Again, marriage registration and wedding ceremonies at NJSMA have been limited to couples and witnesses, two from both the bride and the groom sides only. The measure is to regulate crowd at the Assembly Hall, which may pose threat to workers and the visiting public. The release also indicated that all public places such as restaurants, drinking spots, and public toilet facilities were instructed to strictly adhere to the directives by providing handwashing facilities and sanitizers as well as observe the social distancing etiquette. It encouraged citizens to frequently wash their hands with soap under running water for, at least, 20 seconds, and use approved hand sanitizers, as well as cover their noses and mouths when sneezing and coughing to avoid the spread of the disease. Mr Collins Aikins Akuffo, NJSMA Public Relations Officer in an exclusive interview with GNA, said the Assembly had purchased about 1000 hand sanitizers and 500 Veronica buckets to distribute to its staffs, market women and drivers. He said the Assembly was doing more radio education to educate the public and tasked Information Centre operators to use their media to keep educating the masses on the disease and its preventive measures. ---GNA Retail sales could decline as much as 5 percent nationally as consumers are increasingly staying home to avoid catching the novel coronavirus, according to a new report. Moodys on Tuesday slashed its forecast for the retail industry, revising its outlook down to negative. The New York credit ratings agency said retailers should expect sales and income from operations to decline by as much as 5 percent, and that only non-discretionary retailers such as grocers, pharmacies and discounters will escape unscathed from the economic fallout. As fallout from the coronavirus overtakes the global economy, the U.S. retail industry is battening down for an unprecedented mix of woes, Moodys said in a statement. These mounting pressures will all weigh heavily on the industry. CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust The retail industry faces its biggest challenge since the Great Recession as consumers deal with stay-at-home orders, temporary store closures and restrictions on travel to slow the spread of the coronavirus. COVID-19, which has sickened more than 375,000 and killed more than 16,000 people worldwide, will compound the challenges facing the retail industry from the rise of online competitors. Its a vicious cycle. Stay-at-home orders will lead to lost sales and inventory markdowns, cutting into retailers bottom lines. Retailers and other companies impacted by the fallout will lay off workers, forcing affected families to pull back on discretionary spending. At the same time, retailer operators must continue to pay their rent, and many have vowed to continue paying salaries and benefits. Although many retailers are counting on online sales to offset brick-and-mortar losses, e-commerce will likely only absorb a fraction of lost sales from store closures. Thats because the vast majority of retail sales still occurs in brick-and-mortar locations. Even prior to the (coronavirus) outbreak, retailers were already fighting hard to shore up market share and margins, Moodys said. The one bright spot for the industry had been a strong consumer backed by a healthy U.S. economy and low unemployment strengths that have evaporated overnight with the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic. On HoustonChronicle.com: Coronavirus delivers another dagger in the heart of malls across the country Department stores, apparel and footwear retailers are projected to suffer the deepest losses, with operating incomes seen falling by as much as 40 percent. These retailers include Macys, Kohls, Nordstrom, Gap, Michael Kors and J. Crew. Moodys previously forecast income growth of 6 percent for these retailers. Even retail sectors that have been outperforming the industry such as off-price, specialty stores and automotive retailers will be hammered with heavy losses. Off-price retailers, such as TJ Maxx and Marshalls, Ross and Burlington could see operating incomes decline by 10 percent to 15 percent. Moodys previously forecast income growth of 5 percent for these retailers. Specialty retailers, such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Bass Pro Shops and Michaels, could see operating incomes decline by 8 percent to 10 percent. Moodys previously forecast income growth of 6 percent for these retailers. Automotive retailers, including AutoNation, Penske and Houston-based Group 1 Automotive, also face sharp but less severe operating income losses of about 3 percent to 4 percent this year. Breaking News: Get email alerts from Chron.com sent directly to your inbox Home improvement retailers, such as Home Depot and Lowes, have kept stores open with limited hours, but have not been considered prime shopping destinations for consumers looking to stock up on food and household essentials. These retailers, which are particularly vulnerable to economic downturns, are forecast to have flat operating income, but it could decline if the fallout from the virus persists. The only sectors seen surviving the coronavirus unscathed will be supermarkets, drug stores, discounters, warehouses and dollar stores. Retailers such as H-E-B, Kroger, Walmart, Costco, Target, Dollar General, CVS Health and Walgreens have been deemed essential businesses by local and state governments, and therefore have been allowed to remain open. They have already seen a rush as consumers, looking to avoid making multiple trips to the store, are stocking up food and other household essentials to ride out the pandemic. If anything, many of these stores are struggling to cope with the strain of panic shopping, which has put a massive strain on the supply chain, Moodys said. Many stores are experiencing out of stocks and bare shelves, prompting them to limit certain purchases. paul.takahashi@chron.com twitter.com/paultakahashi Walmart-owned Flipkart and Amazon India's Pantry have been suspended temporarily as India entered a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. E-commerce platforms have seen a manifold growth in orders on their platforms in India over the past few weeks as people logged online to stock food and household items as well as office items such as routers and cables (for work from home) on concerns around spread of COVID-19 and restrictions in public movement that have now been enforced. "Consequent to the order issued on March 24 by the Ministry of Home Affairs announcing a 21-day lockdown across India to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19, we are temporarily suspending our services," Flipkart said in a blogpost. The blog further said, "We will be back to serve you as soon as possible." Similarly, a note on Amazon India's Pantry web page said, "Dear customers, due to unforeseen circumstances, Amazon Pantry service is temporarily unavailable in your city. We will be back soon". A Snapdeal spokesperson said the company is working region-wise to complete as many deliveries of essential goods to customers as possible as per local operating conditions. "We are also actively supporting central and state authorities to help streamline issues for e-commerce operations in order to effectively serve the needs of consumers," the spokesperson added. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days, asserting that social distancing is the only way out for the country in its decisive battle against coronavirus. More than 500 people have been tested positive for coronavirus in India with 9 deaths. Amazon India had on Tuesday said it has temporarily stopped taking orders and disabled shipment of low-priority products as it focuses on delivery of essential items like household staples, hygiene and other high-priority products. E-commerce players, including Amazon India and Milkbasket, have been facing disruption in delivery of even essential products to their customers. The government, however, in its notification has allowed delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment through e-commerce. Industry watchers have said there is an urgent need for uniform classification of essential items across various states, and that instructions need to flow down clearly to the last mile, where the delivery agents are facing issues. Industry experts also flagged challenges around movement of delivery personnel and staff, as well as interstate movement of goods amid lockdown across the country. Ananth Narayanan, chief executive officer and co-founder of Medlife, said one of its delivery personnel in Delhi was hit by the cops on the way back to the fulfilment centre. "In the process, he was injured and suffered bruises on his face and body. We now also have reports of similar incidents in Bengaluru," he added. Narayanan said the indiscriminate use of force against personnel delivering items specifically exempted by the government during the shutdown, will disrupt services. "The essential services sector has to be free of harassment and violence. We request the state governments and concerned authorities to ensure that strict instructions are given to the police to permit delivery personnel with valid documentation perform their duties in these times of crisis," he said. Some e-commerce players are also urging the government to expand the scope of essential products beyond food items and medicines to include other products, like cable and routers that may be required for customers who are working from home. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haiti - NOTICE : The Embassy of Haiti in Washington closes its doors The Embassy of the Republic of Haiti in Washington DC informs the Haitian community, friends of Haiti and the general public that following the evolution of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic and the number of infected people which is increasing https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30353-haiti-covid-19-daily-bulletin-march-24-2020.html , it will close its doors to the public as of March 25 2020. This decision is in accordance with the instructions received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the recommendations and precautions defined by the American health authorities. As a result, the consular services of the Embassy will now be offered only remotely. As of March 25, 2020, passport issuance requests must be submitted by email to: cons.wash@diplomatie.ht The turnaround time for these documenst will also be extended due to the reduced staff working on rotation. For any other general information, please contact the Embassy by email : amb.washington@diplomatie.ht The Embassy thanks you for your understanding and will keep you informed of developments. Furthermore, it reiterates its call for everyone's goodwill following the recommendations of the competent authorities. HL/ HaitiLibre The nationwide lockdown for next 21 days amid spread of coronavirus will severely impact residential real estate as housing sales have almost come to a standstill, which could affect builders' cash flow and lead to default in repayment of bank loans, according to property developers and consultants. Market experts also fear that existing customers might delay payments of their instalments to developers, who in turn could default in repayment of principal and interest on bank loans. Developers may hold on to apartment rates, but prices in the secondary or resale market could fall, they said. To mitigate the impact, developers and brokers are adopting digital marketing tools to reach out to prospective home buyers. When contacted, realtors' apex body CREDAI President Satish Magar said the lockdown will greatly impact the sales transactions and new launches will be deferred. "There are chances of many customers defaulting on their instalments because of tough economic conditions. These will have a cascading effect on developers-who will be battling with servicing their debts as cash inflows will be strained," he added. NAREDCO President Niranjan Hiranandani said overall sales numbers have dropped. The lockdown has opened up opportunities for digital platforms for sales and marketing activities, as also payments, he said. Bengaluru-based Puravankara MD Ashish R. Puravankara said: "At this point, no property registrations are taking place and all new project launches are postponed". As all construction sites are under lockdown, there will be a delay in completion leading to an increase in the interest cost, he added. "Additionally the lockdown could hamper the cash flow cycle of the developers' balance sheets and could result in bank defaults", said Ashish. Anarock Chairman Anuj Puri said the lockdown will have a negative impact on housing sales and new launches during the auspicious festivals of Gudi Padwa, Akshaya Tritiya, Navratri and Ugadi. "This is a time when AV technology to enable virtual site visits and walk-throughs will gain increased relevance and use," he said. Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO (India, South East Asia, Middle East & Africa), CBRE said: "It is too early to comment on the impact of Covid 19 given that the situation is still evolving ... We are confident that once the situation normalises, sales will resume". Dhruv Agarwala, Group CEO, Housing.com and PropTiger.com, said the lockdown will have an adverse impact on real estate. "We too have begun to see a dip in traffic on all our platforms," he said, adding that the company has come out with innovative schemes for builders and brokers to advertise on its websites. Siva Krishnan, MD (Residential Services and Developer Solutions), JLL India said the lockdown will definitely have an impact on housing sales, but briefly. Shalin Raina, MD- Residential Services, Cushman and Wakefield, said the complete lockdown means lesser sales since most of the transaction closures happen only after site visits. Housing prices have corrected by 15-20 per cent in the last few years and further decline is unlikely, Raina said. Savills India CEO Anurag Mathur said: "Housing sales may see a sharp dip for at least the next one quarter... Even if the situation settles down quickly, it may take time for homebuyers to come back to the market." "Price elasticity is not a concern under the circumstances since the transaction activity is at a standstill anyway. Depending upon the duration and depth of the current crisis, prices may or may not see a downward movement," he said. Omaxe CEO Mohit Goel said the recovery in the housing segment has been halted. "As for real estate prices, there will be no change as transactions are not taking place. The prices will resume at the level it has halted," he said. Gaurs' MD Manoj Gaur said, "The sales are impacted, but it is temporary." Supertech Chairman R K Arora said, "housing sales have completely gone". There are no buyers in the market. Pune-based Gera Developments MD Rohit Gera said, Real estate sales are at a standstill. So far there has not been any reduction or crash in prices of homes." "In the absence of some relief from the government, more real estate developers with debt obligations will default on account of the stop in cash flows thereby impacting the economy and jobs," he added. M3M Director Pankaj Bansal said housing sales would get impacted during this period of crisis, but it would also create a pent up demand once things get back to normal. Experion Developers Senior ED Ananta Singh Raghuvanshi said, "Sales closures are temporarily getting pushed ahead. Prices won't change." Raheja Developers ED Nayan Raheja said the sales and construction are badly impacted and at standstill. ABA Corp Director Amit Modi said the sales velocity has definitely been slow. Gulshan Homz Director Deepak Kapoor said, "People are deferring property buying decisions." PropEquity MD Samir Jasuja said: "For the real estate sector, this is a tough situation as it was just finding green shoots of recovery. We believe for the next few weeks, we will not see any new transactions for housing sales". Ambience President (Sales & Marketing) Ankush Kaul said: "Housing sales will be impacted for the next few weeks." Ekta World Chairman Ashok Mohanani said the lockdown has affected the business cycle deeply. Wadhwa group, Head - Sales, Marketing Bhasker Jain said the lockdown has impacted sales and the company is offering cashback on online bookings. Brokerage firm 360 Realtors Ankit Kansal said the activities have come to a standstill after lockdown. Sales were down by 30-40 per cent during the first three weeks of March. Investors Clinic Founder Honeyy Katiyal said sales would be impacted but not the price. Wealth Clinic CMD Amit Raheja said, "It will hamper sales to a large extent, but we expect a good turnaround once the situation returns to normalcy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A judge has refused to release Julian Assange from prison over the coronavirus outbreak. The Wikileaks founders lawyers had applied for him to be freed on bail because he was vulnerable to the virus inside HMP Belmarsh. He is being held there while awaiting potential extradition to the US on charges relating to the 2010 Wikileaks publications over the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Mr Assange at Westminster Magistrates Court by video-link on Wednesday and was represented by Edward Fitzgerald QC, who wore a surgical mask. The court heard that despite coronavirus being confirmed in other jails, there were not yet an known cases in HMP Belmarsh. But Mr Fitzgerald said that 100 prison officers were off work, adding: We say theres a very real problem, a very real risk and the risk could be fatal. District judge Vanessa Baraitser refused the bail application, telling the court: As matters stand today, this global pandemic does not of itself yet provide grounds for Mr Assanges release. Supporters of Mr Assange said he had a previously reported lung complaint and was in an already weakened medical condition. Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor in chief of Wikileaks, said: To expose another human being to serious illness, and to the threat of losing their life, is grotesque and quite unnecessary. This is not justice, it is a barbaric decision. American and British authorities class Mr Assange as a flight risk because he skipped bail over Swedish sexual assault allegations to flee to Londons Ecuadorian embassy in 2012. Key moments for Julian Assange Show all 9 1 /9 Key moments for Julian Assange Key moments for Julian Assange The situation today Assange was arrested after Metropolitan Police officers were invited into the Ecuadorian embassy on April 11 2019. How did it come to this? Ruptly TV Key moments for Julian Assange The break Assange shows the front page of the Guardian on July 26 2010, the day that they broke the story of the thousands of military files leaked by WikiLeaks AFP/Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Wanted A warrant for Assange's arrest was issued in August 2010 for counts of rape and molestation in Sweden AFP/Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Ruling The UK's Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face trial Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Sanctuary Following the ruling, Assange was given asylum by the Ecuadorian governement over fears that his human rights would be violated if he were extradited, he has since remained in the embassy in London Getty Key moments for Julian Assange A friend in Pam Friend Pamela Anderson delivers lunch to Assange at the embassy in October 2016. She has since spoken against his arrest Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Arbitrarily detained A UN panel found in 2016 that Assange had been arbitrarily detained and that he had not been able to claim his full right to asylum. It urged Sweden to withdraw the charges against him Getty Key moments for Julian Assange The cat ultimatum Last year, the Ecuadorian embassy threatened to revoke Assange's internet access unless he stopped making political statements online and started taking better care of James, his pet cat. Assange accused Ecuador of violating his rights Reuters Key moments for Julian Assange Arrest Assange was arrested on April 11 2019. Ecuador revoked his asylum status and invited the Metropolitan Police in to the embassy to arrest him. Reuters That investigation has been dropped, but he is now fighting to avoid being sent to the US to face 17 charges under the Espionage Act and conspiracy to commit computer intrusion after the publication of hundreds of thousands of classified documents. There are mounting calls for lower-risk inmates to be released from British prisons as coronavirus spreads. Jails in England and Wales have been put on lockdown, with all visits cancelled. Recommended Protesters march on parliament ahead of Assange extradition hearing On Tuesday Jo Farrar, chief executive of the Prison and Probation Service, told the Commons Justice Committee that 13 inmates had tested positive for coronavirus and around 4,300 prison and probation staff were self-isolating. Mobile phones are being made available to inmates to aid contact with loved ones, following deadly riots over restrictions in Italian prisons. But gyms have been closed and activities including education and training suspended. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told the committee quite a proportion of the estate where there is crowding that presents a real challenge and many inmates were vulnerable or had underlying health conditions. He did not rule out considering releasing prisoners but said the risks involved would have to be considered. Additional reporting by PA BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- China will support telecom operators to expand standalone 5G network coverage and capacity, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The standalone 5G network, known as the "real" 5G deployment with the 5G core as its center, makes full use of the 5G mobile network covering high throughput, low latency communications, massive IoT and network slicing. Meanwhile, telecommunication enterprises should further optimize the operation processes of equipment procurement, survey design and engineering construction to seize the construction period and mitigate the impact of the epidemic, said MIIT. The country will also cultivate new consumption models, speed up the migration to 5G, and promote the development of "5G plus medical health," "5G plus industrial internet" and "5G plus car networking." A Chinese couple has been left disgusted after spotting a face mask in their takeaway during the coronavirus pandemic. The Shanghai residents, known by their surname Yang, ordered the food through a delivery app last Friday from a local restaurant. They then spotted a yellow-stained face mask soaked in the sauce while enjoying the dish. A Chinese couple, known by their surname Yang, has been left disgusted after spotting a face mask in their takeaway food during the coronavirus pandemic The restaurant manager offered the diners a full refund but denied that the face mask came from the restaurant. Local authorities, who looked through the restaurant's CCTV footage, said yesterday that they didn't see any abandoned face mask in the kitchen, according to reports. Mr Yang said he immediately rang the eatery after making the shocking discovery on March 20. The restaurant manager, known by his surname Wu, apologised to the customer and admitted it was a mistake made by the chef. The manager also offered Mr Yang a full refund of his order, according to the local press. Mr Yang, who refused the money, asked Mr Wu to investigate the incident and find out what exactly happened. A chef is seen preparing a food delivery order at Wangfujing Quanjude restaurant in Beijing The duty manager offered the diner an addition of 500 yuan (60), but Mr Yang turned down the reimbursement. He asked the restaurant to issue a formal apology. On Sunday, Mr Wu changed his previous statement and said he was 'unable to confirm that the incident was caused by the restaurant.' The restaurant, a franchise of a popular chain 'Yuxin Sichuan Cuisine', also denied they were responsible when approached by the local press. 'We investigated the incident and nothing went wrong,' Mr Wu told Xinmin Evening News. 'We have no idea how the face mask got in there.' Authorities from the Huangpu District Administration of Market Regulations carried out an investigation yesterday after the customer made a formal complaint. The officials looked through the restaurant's surveillance footage and didn't find any face masks left unattended, according to the local press. The Huangpu authorities said they will conduct further investigation on the incident. A man with a face mask dines at a restaurant in Hong Kong during the coronavirus outbreak A cook wearing a face mask prepares a meal at a restaurant in the former epicentre Hubei The news comes as another Chinese restaurant put up a huge banner on Monday to celebrate the fact that the United States and Japan have been hit by the novel coronavirus. The red banner was placed in front of the restaurant and read: 'Huge congratulations to the American epidemic and long live the epidemic in little Japan.' The owner of the local restaurant franchise in north-eastern China's Shenyang has been sacked after the company faced backlash on social media. A red banner was placed in front of the restaurant in northern China on Monday and read: 'Huge congratulations to the American epidemic and long live the epidemic in little Japan' The novel coronavirus has infected over 82,000 people in China and the death roll has surpassed 3,200. Worldwide, nearly 20,000 people have been killed by the contagion and around 430,000 people have been infected. There is a total of 8,077 confirmed cases in the UK and 422 deaths. Chloe Dao never imagined she'd be making surgical masks. But a Florida medical clinic that had its masks stolen is one of her many new customers. The Houston designer and Project Runway winner closed her 20-year-old namesake boutique last week because of the coronavirus and wanted help people dealing with the pandemic. Dao saw the demand for surgical masks increasing, so she began creating her own to give away for free. "It's really been overwhelming, and I don't get overwhelmed easily," Dao said. "But we have had so many people call who really need the masks. People whose parents have cancer, health workers who can't get any. This is just a crazy time." CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust Dao, with her small boutique staff, is making about 150 masks a day and gives them away at no charge. She makes them from 100-percent cotton fabric, with a pocket in which a piece of fabric or napkin can be inserted for extra protection. While her staff uses protective gloves to handle the masks, Dao advises washing masks before use. Certain surgical masks, like the n95 respirator masks used by health care workers, are regulated by the FDA. While Daos are not FDA approved, she said the demand for masks is so great, health care workers just want some protection. According to the FDA, surgical masks may be effective in blocking splashes and large-particle droplets. A face mask, by design, does not filter or block very small air-born particles transmitted by coughs, sneezes or certain medical procedures. The Florida clinic has requested 100 masks, another medical office needs about 300, and then there are the everyday people who also have contacted Dao's store for masks. While Dao continues to pay her staff, people can make $10 donations on her website chloedao.com for the masks. On HoustonChronicle.com: How to keep your mental health in check during social distancing Other local designers are joining the effort. David Peck, for example, has started production on masks made of a non-woven polypropylene fabric. Like Dao's, his version has a pocket inside into which a filter can be inserted and includes a nose wire and elastic at the chin for a snug fit. He said they are designed to fit over an existing #N95 mask. Then there's Magpies & Peacocks, a Houston-based nonprofit fashion house focused reusing old clothing and fabrics, that also has moved from creating fashion to churning out free masks. Founder Sarah-Jayne Smith, a London native and interior designer who moved to Houston more than 20 years ago, said her sewing team will make more than 600 masks from donated shopping bags. They are also made of a non-woven polypropylene fabric, which offers better filtration than cotton, Smith said. Earlier this week, Smith and Magpies Communication Director Ahshia Berry dropped off fabric, elastic and thread to their volunteers across the city. The masks will be donated to local companies, including a senior-care living companyin Texas and Louisiana. We want to do all we can to help, Smith said. joy.sewing@chron.com Renew Houston: Get the latest wellness news delivered to your inbox 09:39 | Lima, Mar. 25. The youth, who arrived on a flight operated by Avianca, had been working in various cities across the United States as part of a summer work and travel program , which allows them to share their culture and ideas with people of the United States through temporary work and travel opportunities. People follow a social distancing at a bus stop, as New South Wales begins shutting down non-essential businesses and moving toward harsh penalties to enforce self-isolation to avoid the spread of COVID-19, in Sydney, Australia, on March 25, 2020. (Reuters/Loren Elliott) Australia Widens Virus Testing as Death Toll Rises SYDNEYAustralia will expand CCP virus testing, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday, as Canberra struggles to contain an outbreak that it said has killed nine people in the country. After a gradual spread in January, the number of cases in Australia appears to be tracking sharper spikes seen elsewhere, prompting warnings that hospitals could be overwhelmed. As the number of cases topped 2,500, Morrison said Australia will expand testing to include people if they present with fever or an acute respiratory infection, as part of a move to help hospitals ready for an expected influx of new patients. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Australia had previously limited testing to people displaying symptoms who had recently returned from overseas. This has been widely criticized and the expansion of testing came as authorities signaled a more aggressive approach. Morrison said high-risk groups to be tested include health workers, employees in care facilities for the elderly, prisoners, boarding school pupils and military base personnel. Doctors will also be allowed to test hospital patients who display CCP virus symptoms. Every extra bit of time allows us to better prepare our health system and put measures in place to protect Australian lives, Morrison said in an emailed statement. Australia also said it would force passengers on a ship into quarantine and refused entry to another vessel amid concern that cruise ships have been a breeding ground for many of the new virus cases in Australia, including it ninth fatality. Queensland state said on Wednesday a 68-year-old man had become Australias youngest person to die from the virus. The MV Artania, owned by Germanys Phoenix Reisen, was scheduled to dock in Perth and called ahead for medical assistance after 25 of its 800 passengers reported respiratory problems, the West Australian state government said. The authorities refused to let it dock and sent local health professionals onto the ship, which had no Australians onboard. Another cruise ship, the Vasco da Gama, was due in Perth on Friday with 800 Australians and 109 New Zealanders on board. It will now be forced to dock at Rottnest Island, a former prison outpost, where a makeshift quarantine station was being set up. Foreigners would be flown home, while Australians would be let back into the country after 14 days of quarantine. Phoenix Reisen, the MV Artania owner, was not immediately available for comment. About 2,700 cruise passengers entered Sydney this week without health checks, and more than 130 have been confirmed as having the virus. Social Distancing Australia has extended restrictions across the country, including limiting the size of weddings and funerals and closing non-essential businesses such as bars, restaurants and cinemas. But Australian lawmakers have been frustrated that some have disregarded warnings to increase social distancing and to self-isolate if returning from overseas. Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews said 500 police officers will be checking to ensure people are complying. In neighboring New South Wales (NSW), police will fine people A$1,000 ($604) for breaching rules that include limits of 10 people in outside gatherings, spaced 1.5 meters apart. Western Australia will impose a limit on alcohol home purchases to lighten the law enforcement load for alcohol-related offences and minimize any health impact. By Colin Packham and Byron Kaye Epoch Times staff contributed to this report The COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh rose to 15 on Wednesday with one more person found infected with coronavirus, a health official said. The latest patient is the father of a 26-year old woman who earlier tested positive for coronavirus, Bhopal's chief medical and health officer Sudhir Deharia said. The other family members of the woman have tested negative, he said. The woman, a law post-graduate course student, returned to Bhopal from London last week and later tested positive for the coronavirus. With her father also testing positive, the number of COVID-19 cases in Bhopal has gone up to two. Earlier, on Wednesday morning, five people admitted in different hospitals of Indore, including a woman from neighbouring Ujjain district, tested positive for coronavirus. The Ujjain and Indore administrations subsequently imposed curfew in the two cities. None of the five patients in Indore have history of travel to abroad, Indore's chief medical and health officer Dr Praveen Jadiya said. "Of these, two men, both friends, recently visited Vaishno Devi in Jammu," Jadiya said. Indore Collector Lokesh Jatav said the condition of all the five COVID-19 patients is stable. All arrangements were being made for proper medical treatment of the coronavirus patients, he said. Till Tuesday, six positive coronavirus cases were reported from Jabalpur and one each from Bhopal, Gwalior and Shivpuri. So far, curfew has been clamped in seven districts - Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Ujjain and Chhatarpur. No coronavirus case has so far been found in Chhatarpur, but the COVID-19 patient from Gwalior had travel history of Khajuraho (in Chhatarpur). Curfew has so far been imposed in Rajnagar and Khajuraho towns of Chhatarpur district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Panicked by several rumours and an irresponsible post from the municipal authorities, which was later removed, several pet parents are abandoning their animal friends, fearing that they play a role in transmitting the dreaded novel Coronavirus. One pet owner even threw a Persian cat out of a window. In this scenario Anushka Sharma has voiced her concern over the threat that pets are facing in the current situation. Anushka took to social media to post Its a humble request for all pet parents to not abandon their pets during these times of crisis. Please instead, take care of them and keep them safe with you. Its inhuman to abandon them. Though there is no scientific study that proves that pets can transmit the virus, online chatter and rumour mongering has built up paranoia about this in society. The actress is a strong animal rights activist and has constantly spoken up against cruelty and atrocities against animals. She is also reportedly working on an NGO for animals. Overnight reports from Jacksonville police: Eric L. Peters, 35, homeless, was arrested at 5:10 p.m. Tuesday on a Morgan County warrant accusing him of possession of methamphetamine. A girl was cited on a charge of possession of cannabis under age 21 after being stopped at 7:27 p.m. Tuesday at Caldwell Street and West Lafayette Avenue. Shawn M. Johnson, 38, of 916 S. Prairie St., Jerseyville, was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of methamphetamine at 7:23 p.m. Tuesday in the 900 block of West Morton Avenue. John M. Martin, 26, of 104 S. Clay St., Griggsville, was arrested at 10:37 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver after being stopped in the 1000 block of West Morton Avenue. Ashley N. Thady, 26, of 315 N. Westgate Ave. was arrested at 10:37 p.m. Tuesday on a possession of methamphetamine charge and on a Cass County warrant accusing her of violating probation after being stopped in the 1000 block of West Morton Avenue. A boy was cited on a curfew violation after being in the 1200 block of Center Street at 12:38 a.m. Wednesday. An irresponsible moron has licked the bars of a subway train in New York, America's coronavirus epicenter, while another commuter can be seen shuffling away. In the latest in a spate of disgusting viral videos uploaded to social media by pranksters, YouTuber Zeeshan Ali, known as Prince Zee, is seen licking a hand rail on the subway. As Ali licks the pole, a commuter sitting down nearby who is wearing a surgical face mask begins to shuffle away from him, concerned by the blatant and foul disregard for contamination. It comes as the number infected by the deadly disease in New York rose to 25,665, with at least 210 dead, as Governor Andrew Cuomo warned COVID-19 was moving faster than 'a bullet train.' The state represents more than half of all infections in the US. Just remember...this is our future and the same ones lecturing us about climate change and politics #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/91kZDnfcwh Vic (@blessedbest7) March 24, 2020 As Ali licks the pole, a traveler sitting down nearby who is wearing a surgical face mask begins to shuffle away from him, concerned by the blatant and foul disregard for contamination British TV anchor Piers Morgan labelled him 'another f*cking moron' Cuomo said yesterday: 'New York is the canary in the coal mine, New York is happening first, what is happening to New York will happen to California and Illinois, it is just a matter of time.' He pleaded for federal help after President Donald Trump said he wanted the US to be open for business again next month. Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan reteeted Ali's video today, labeling him a 'moron' and saying he should be jailed and given no treatment if he tests positive. It comes after a California 'influencer' claimed he had been hospitalized with coronavirus just days after posting a video of himself licking a toilet bowl. Larz, 21, who was also part of a craze which saw youngsters licking tubs of ice cream in supermarkets, revealed in a since-deleted tweet: 'I tested positive for Coronavirus.' The post which includes a video of him languishing in a hospital bed is a far cry from the foul TikTok video he posted five days ago of him licking a public toilet seat, which was captioned: 'RT (retweet) to spread awareness for the Coronavirus.' The post which includes a video of him languishing in a hospital bed (right) is a far cry from the upbeat video he posted five days ago (left) of him licking a public toilet seat, which was captioned: 'RT (retweet) to spread awareness for the Coronavirus.' Larz, 21, who was also part of a craze which saw 'influencers' licking tubs of ice cream in supermarkets, revealed in a since-deleted tweet: 'I tested positive for Coronavirus' (pictured with Billie Eilish) Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan called Larz 'scum' and said that his catching the virus was 'karma.' It comes as the number who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the US soared to more than 55,000, including 784 deaths. It was an imitation - or meme - of a reckless and abhorrent stunt by TikTok sensation Ava Louise. The 22-year-old filmed herself licking the toilet seat on a plane with the caption 'coronavirus challenge.' Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan called Larz 'scum' and said that his catching the virus was 'karma.' It comes as the number who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the US soared to more than 55,000, including 784 deaths. Morgan said this morning: 'Karma is a strange thing. If you behave in such a reckless, moronic, selfless manner, karma will catch up with you. 'I don't take any pleasure, I don't wish illness on people, but this has got to stop. These acts of reckless stupidity. That guy who licked the toilet bowl, did he infect anyone else?' Ava Louise was slammed online for what people called her 'attention-seeking' behavior after the video went viral The influencer's stunt failed to impressed, as countries around the world are fighting the spread of the virus, which has claimed more than 6,500 lives worldwide Larz previously appeared on Dr Phil with another influencer Bameron Kall, 20, where they discussed how they had licked tubs of ice cream and spat mouthwash back into the bottle in viral videos. 'I don't talk to my family,' Larz told Dr Phil 'They're irrelevant. None of them have followers, if they got followers or got rich I'd probably talk to them again.' Larz bragged about he had 'lots of money' from paid sponsorship deals across his social media accounts where he posts pictures with luxury cars and celebrities. It comes amid a worrying spate of similar incidents across the US with younger generations using social media to mock coronavirus and gain 'clout.' Just yesterday, a 26-year-old from Missouri was charged with making a terrorist threat after he filmed himself licking a row of toiletry products at a Walmart. Cody Pfister, 26, of Warrenton, Missouri, uploaded the video to Snapchat on March 11 and was charged on Tuesday with 'knowingly causing a false belief or fear that a condition involving danger to life existed.' Warrenton police said they had received complaints from around the world including the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands and said it takes these concerns 'extremely seriously.' Cody Pfister, 26, of Warrenton, Missouri, uploaded the video to Snapchat on March 11 and was charged on Tuesday with 'knowingly causing a false belief or fear that a condition involving danger to life existed.' Pfister, who has previous convictions for burglary and theft, is the latest to get into trouble with the law in a worrying trend seeing younger generations mocking the deadly virus on social media. UK morning TV presenter, Piers Morgan, earlier this week called for Pfister to be locked up and denied healthcare if he contracts coronavirus. The Good Morning Britain host slammed the 'moron' Monday morning and said a jail sentence might help 'concentrate his mind'. Pfister, who has previous convictions for burglary and theft, is the latest to get into trouble with the law in a worrying trend seeing younger generations mocking the deadly virus on social media It comes as the the number infected by coronavirus in Missouri reached more than 250, including five deaths. Meanwhile the number infected in the US has soared to more than 55,000, with at least 709 dead. Speaking on ITV, Morgan said: 'You know what I'd like to happen to him? I'd like him found, and I'm sure they'll get him, put in prison immediately and then I'd like him deprived of any health care should be then get the virus having deliberately tried to give it, potentially, to lots of other people. 'That might concentrate the minds of these morons. And it might concentrate the minds of these morons here too.' In the US spring breakers have been criticized for still flocking to South Beach and other Miami hotspots despite warnings to avoid mass gatherings. And just yesterday a North Carolina man was arrested after streaming a video of himself walking around a Walmart saying he had tested positive for COVID-19. Justin Rhodes, 31, told viewers in the Facebook Live stream he was largely asymptomatic, except for a 'tickly throat', while claiming that he was breaching a 14-day quarantine and was going to infect others at the store. He shot the video at the supermarket in Albermarle on Wednesday and was arrested on Friday, WRAL TV reported. Definitely tested positive for coronavirus,' he tells viewers, 'Definitely was asked to self-quarantine for 14 to 21 days.' He continues: 'They say it's highly contagious, obviously I'm in Walmart because I've got to eat too. So I've got to deal with it. If I've got it, y'all gone get it too. F**k all ya'll that's how I feel about it.' He continues: 'They say it's highly contagious, obviously I'm in Walmart because I've got to eat too. So I've got to deal with it. If I've got you, y'all gone get it too. F**k all ya'll that's how I feel about it.' Justin Rhodes, 31, told viewers in the Facebook Live stream he was largely asymptomatic, except for a 'tickly throat', while claiming that he was breaching a 14-day quarantine. At another point in the video he says: 'All these old people finna die, I don't understand why they here. They need to have their nieces and their nephews and their granddaughters go get their sh*t.' Albermarle police said in a statement they had confirmed with local health officials that nobody in Stanly County had tested positive for COVID-19. Rhodes was charged with perpetrating a hoax and disorderly conduct. He was handed a $10,000 bond and will next appear in court on March 30. It comes amid an increasing trend of coronavirus pranksters, particularly involving social media and the younger generations, who also happen to be least at risk of the disease. It comes just days after police in Virginia said they had identified two teenagers who filmed themselves coughing on produce in a grocery store and uploading the video. The incident in Purcellville, Virginia, some 55 miles from the White House, took place in a Harris Teeter store on March 18, but police determined that there was no criminal intent involved. The store quickly informed the police and removed the produce involved, taking measures to ensure the safety of their customers from the coronavirus. 'The two juveniles questioned admitted to their involvement, and it was determined that there was no criminal intent,' the police statement read. However, it added: 'With schools closed to allow for social distancing to lessen the spread of the coronavirus, police also asked parents to monitor their children's activities, including activities on social media 'to discourage the promotion of any such fear-inducing behavior. 'With school closures in effect, this allows for more idle time among children, especially teenagers who are often not supervised as closely. 'We have learned that this appears to be a disturbing trend on social media across the country, and we ask for help from parents to discourage this behavior immediately.' Social media searches for #coronaviruschallenge, #coughingchallenge and #grocerystorechallenge reveal similar videos. In one video posted to TikTok, two people are seen inside a grocery store with one coughing and sneezing as he walks past the other shopping. He's eventually handed some toilet paper to deal with the sneezes. Another filmed in a Canadian store jokes at the reaction people have if a person starts to cough amid the current pandemic. As one man pretends to cough, the other runs in the opposite direction down the aisle. Many of those posted under the hashtags are of customers attempting to shop amid the panic with long lines and empty shelves making the normal chore more of a challenge than it used to be. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 19:54:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese medical team experts and Italian doctors pose for a photo in Padua, Italy, March 18, 2020. (Chinese Medical Team/Handout via Xinhua) The G20, which accounts for two-thirds of the world's population and about 85 percent of the global GDP, should lead the way in the fight against COVID-19 as virus knows no borders and no country could win the battle alone. BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- As the novel coronavirus epidemic further extends its global reach, a united and coordinated response is in urgent need. The Group of Twenty (G20) has an important role to play in the fight, just as it did in the global financial crisis in 2008. Virus knows no borders and no country could win the battle alone. When millions of lives and the global economy are in peril, not a second should be squandered. The G20, which accounts for two-thirds of the world's population and about 85 percent of the global GDP, should lead the way in addressing medical and economic problems and restoring confidence. A special G20 leaders' video summit on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic will be held on Thursday. Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend in Beijing. Governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority Ahmed al-Kholifey (L) and Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan (Rear) attend the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Virtual Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 23, 2020. (G20 Saudi Arabia/Handout via Xinhua) The world has seen enough blame game and finger-pointing since the outbreak of the pandemic. The pointless bickering comes at the cost of an efficient and effective response to the pandemic. It is high time for the G20 to build consensus to inject positive energy into global cooperation to fight the common enemy of mankind. In the war against the virus, China has firmly upheld the vision of building a community of a shared future for mankind. China has and will continue to share medical supplies, therapeutic and treatment experiences, and solutions with the world. As the epidemic situation in China eases, China will be able to spare more resources to help other countries within its capacity. The G20 should bring the international community together quickly. Member countries should enhance unity and jointly meet challenges and boost the confidence of the international community. G20 members should make every effort to properly handle domestic prevention and control. China will do its best to provide timely help to countries in difficulties. It is hoped that G20 members will help each other and cooperate closely to jointly safeguard international public health safety. Chinese medical experts discuss with members of academic committee and epidemiologists from Veneto via internet in Padova, Italy, March 18, 2020. (China's Anti-Epidemic Expert Team/Handout via Xinhua) The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the global economy. It is critical for G20 members to strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination, adopt necessary fiscal, monetary and structural policies, promote market openness, and ensure the open, stable, safe and smooth operation of global supply chains. An important lesson the world has learned from past crises is that a global crisis should be met with a global response. Uncoordinated or unilateral actions by a single economy will produce limited effects and could lead to a vicious cycle of "beggar-thy-neighbor" policies. The G20 summit is held at a time when the global fight against the COVID-19 has come to a critical moment. The health of millions of people is at stake. We hope and believe the G20 meeting will inject new confidence and energy into the ongoing anti-pandemic efforts. Video streaming apps like Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video and Tiktok have suspended transmission of high definition and ultra high definition content on mobile networks during the 21-day lockdown period. Sony, Google, Facebook, Viacom18, MX Player, Hotstar, Zee, Tiktok, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have decided to transmit only standard definition content to reduce load on cellular networks till April 14. "The digital industry has decided to act immediately in the larger national and consumer interest and to ensure the robustness of the cellular network, digital companies said in a joint statement. Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here It was unanimously agreed that as an exceptional measure, all companies will immediately adopt measures, including temporarily defaulting HD and ultra-HD streaming to SD content or offering only SD content, at bitrates no higher than 480p on cellular networks, they said. Telecom industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has urged mobile consumers to use data networks responsibly, so critical services can run smoothly on communications infrastructure. Mobile users can also do their bit by choosing to time some of their online activities during off-peak hours, like early morning or late evening, it said. ] "The Prime Ministers call for social distancing and a now total lockdown has led to people staying at their homes. This has caused an unprecedented surge in mobile internet consumption. As a result, the government and the telecom operators are concerned about its potential impact on the cellular network infrastructure," the joint statement said. According to COAI there has been a 20-30 per cent increase in data demand just in the last few days, as the states and union territories imposed lockdowns, and took measures to encourage social distancing and work from home, to check the spread of COVID-19. "The digital industry is acutely aware of this challenge and is committed to ensuring that all citizens are able to access mobile networks wherever and whenever they want," the joint statement said. In a strong statement apparently aimed at a recent barb by US President Donald Trump, Beijing on Tuesday said it was not acceptable and detrimental to international cooperation to label the (corona) virus and stigmatise China, while hoping India would oppose such a narrow mindset. Beijing claimed that in a conversation its foreign minister Wang Yi had with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday, New Delhi had agreed not to label the virus. China said it was of the view that the international community should send a strong signal of solidarity. New Delhis only official reaction to the phone call till late on Tuesday evening was Mr Jaishankars tweet that he had discussed efforts to combat the virus with the Chinese foreign minister. President Trump had recently termed the coronavirus as the Chinese virus since it had originated in the central Chinese industrial city of Wuhan. In a series of tweets, Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidong said: During a phone call with EAM Dr. Jaishankar today, State Councilor and FM Wang Yi expressed sympathy and solidarity with India in fight against COVID-19. China is ready to share our experience, provide assistance within our capacity and open its channel for procurement to India. Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) March 24, 2020 During a phone call with EAM Dr Jaishankar today, State Councilor and FM Wang Yi expressed sympathy and solidarity with India in fight against Covid-19, Wang Yi said its not acceptable and detrimental to international cooperation to label the virus and stigmatise China, hope India oppose such narrow mindset. Dr Jaishankar agreed not to label the virus and the international community should send strong signal of solidarity. The Chinese envoy added: China is ready to share our experiences, provide assistance within our capacity and open its channel for procurement to India Mr Wang Yi said we are confident that India can handle and win the battle against Covid-19. China and India should support each other, and jointly safeguard global public health. Dr Jaishankar thanked China for its sympathy message and assistance of medical materials to India. ChaCha N. Hudson, CEO of the SEWcial Cafe, makes fabric face masks at her fashion coworking space in Philadelphia's Harrowgate section on Friday, April 3, 2020. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Hudson began sewing cloth masks starting the last week of March and estimates she has made about 400 so far. Read more Gov. Tom Wolf now recommends that all Pennsylvanians begin wearing homemade or paper masks when they leave their homes for life-sustaining reasons. Homemade masks limit the spread of infectious droplets in the air by containing coughs and sneezes. When a homemade mask cant be acquired, a scarf or bandana can be utilized. By implementing community use of these homemade fabric or cloth masks, everyone will have a higher degree of protection from this virus, read a statement from the Department of Health. So, how do you make them? And how effective are they? Heres what you need to know: How to make a mask READ MORE: Use our simple template to make your own mask at home There are lots of tutorials online on how to make face masks, including a number of different patterns and recommended materials. The governors office recommended that people making their own masks follow a tutorial provided earlier this week by the New York Times. The Department of Health recommended the use of two pieces of 100% cotton fabric in mask construction, like that of a tea towel, cut to a size of 12 inches by 6 inches for a standard adult size. Other materials needed include a needle and thread or sewing machine, scissors, and pins or clips to keep the fabric being sewed in place. Items to make a mask should be purchased online to avoid exposure in public places, a statement from the Pennsylvania Department of Health said. To create a homemade mask, Gov. Wolfs office recommended a five-step process: Measure and cut two pieces of fabric in a rectangle pattern to fit snugly around the face (size 12 inches by 6 inches is standard for adults) Tightly sew both layers together on all edges Cut fabric ties to fit around the ears Sew the ties to the insides of the mask on the smaller edge, and repeat on both sides Resew the sides to ensure a tight seal between both pieces of fabric and the earpiece Masks, the office said, should fit snugly around the mouth and nose. Should I wash my mask? Gov. Wolfs recommendation is that homemade masks should be washed after each use, and should not be worn damp or when wet from spit or mucus. The best way to wash homemade masks is using hot water and regular detergent, Pennsylvania Department of Health press secretary Nate Wardle said. The masks should then be dried completely on the hot setting as well. Using high temperatures will help kill any germs or bacteria. How effective are they? According to the guidance from the Department of Health, homemade fabric masks are not considered personal protective equipment (PPE). However, homemade masks can be an effective complement to handwashing, social-distancing and other mitigation measures. In a news conference, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said homemade masks shouldnt lull us into a sense of safety. I think its really important that people might not become complacent, that they have a homemade mask on. We want people to stay home. Depending on what material they are made of, they can approach the effectiveness of disposable surgical masks, Fleece said. [But] if you are not using the right material and practicing really good hygiene, these efforts have the potential to make things worse by providing a false sense of security. And, in addition to not filtering particles as well as official gear, masks may actually carry additional risk, especially if were reusing them. A 2015 study published in the medical journal BMJ Open also cautions against the use of cloth masks, noting that moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks, and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection. Nicole Jochym, a third-year medical school student at Cooper Medical School at Rowan University working with the Sew Face Masks Philadelphia organization, says its common sense that some kind of barrier between the ill and the healthy is worth trying, particularly if theyre used safely. If youre in an elevator and someone coughs into your face, would you want something over their face, and would you want something over your own face as well? Jochym said. The organization, whose Facebook group attracted about 1,500 members in the three days after its launch, is dedicated to supplying face masks to both individuals and health-care workers, by both helping people who want to sew masks and also coordinating distribution. The second part is tricky, she said, because she doesnt want to risk exposing the community to the coronavirus in the process of distributing the masks. She is currently seeking to distribute more than 2,000 masks in total. Is there a way to make masks a little better? When it comes to homemade masks, the type of material can influence the masks effectiveness, according to a 2013 Cambridge University study. In that study, items like vacuum cleaner bags, dish towels, cotton-blend T-shirts, and antimicrobial pillowcases were found to be relatively good options for mask-making due to their ability to help stop the transmission of some virus particles from sick people. T-shirts and pillowcases, the study said, were best because of filtration capability. Are homemade masks effective for health-care workers? While fabric masks arent as effective as an N95 mask or disposable surgical masks, Levine said in a news conference that they may be better than nothing. But she did say that theyre not suitable for all health-care workers. For personnel that are directly caring for patients with COVID-19, those are not the right masks to use, Levine said. Ashish K. Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said the recommendation from CDC that providers use bandanas in a pinch has been met with derision in the medical community. Theres no evidence that bandanas protect doctors in the context of a potentially lethal droplet, Jha said. I think in general, weve got to protect our doctors with medical-grade protection. Even the CDC acknowledged that homemade masks are not considered personal protective equipment because their efficacy is unknown. But if the shortages continue, some health-care workers may have little other option. If nothing changes and we continue having as hard a time as we are getting masks and other personal protective equipment, within a matter of a few weeks we will be out of equipment, said David Fleece, chief medical information officer at Temple University Hospital. Unless something changes on the supply side, this crowdsourced, hand-sewn mask alternative may become increasingly used. Are hospitals actually accepting donated masks? It varies. Some hospitals and other health-care providers are taking donations of homemade cloth masks, but it is on a case-by-case basis, so it best to check with your local medical facility before sewing up a batch. Philadelphias Office of Emergency Management, for example, announced this week that the city is in urgent need of equipment like surgical masks but cannot accept homemade items. Penn Medicine is also not currently accepting donated cloth masks, a spokesperson said. Jefferson Health, too, has ruled out donations of sewn masks for the time being. READ MORE: Here are the items hospitals need most right now, and how you can donate Organizations like Masks for Heroes, Masks for Docs, and Deaconess Health Systems in Indiana, however, are helping connect makers with health-care providers that are accepting masks, as is Sew Face Masks Philadelphia. Those interested in making or receiving masks can check database or fill out forms to provide or receive masks via those groups websites. Temple University Health System is among the Philadelphia area facilities accepting DIY mask donations, Fleece said, though plans have not yet been put into place regarding if and how they will be used. Temple Health, he added, is currently registered with Masks for Heroes and Masks for Docs to facilitate donations. The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia will also accept donations of homemade masks. Those interested in donating can drop masks off in the main lobby of the hospital (3401 Civic Center Blvd.) or mail them to the facility. If the supply of personal protective equipment continues the way it is, there is a decent chance we will have to use [them], Fleece said. Staff writers Jason Laughlin and Wendy Ruderman contributed to this article. Nabeel Kanoo, chairman of the Executive Committee of Bahrain Airport Services (BAS), expressed BAS's pride and appreciation for the royal directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, The King of Bahrain, to unite national efforts to counter the effects of the global spread of COVID-19 at the local level. As one of the national companies, BAS, employing approximately 3,000 employees and workers at Bahrain International Airport, has put in place precautionary plans for the operation of the airport in the face of a quiet air traffic in the coming period. He added that the financial and economic package of BD4.3 billion (11.3 billion), will play a positive role in mitigating the negative effects that have caused economic stagnation for many private sector institutions, particularly the aviation sector in the kingdom, and will provide sufficient financial liquidity that will ease the burdens and obligations of the employer. It will also help to provide the right conditions that allow the private sector to resume their activities competitively and to fulfil their responsibilities to contribute in national economy. Kanoo welcomed the report of the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office on Bahrain's measures to combat the Coronavirus, in which he praised the kingdom's handling of the virus by implementing a comprehensive national strategy to contain and prevent the spread of the virus, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Leader, First Deputy Prime Minister. He also praised the directives of His Highness Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, His Majesty's Representative for Charity and Youth Affairs, National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Leading Organization in Humanitarian and Charity Work ,to take steps to overcome the exceptional phase that the kingdom is currently going through due to the coronavirus, including directives by the Central Bank of Bahrain for banks banking institutions to postpone the payment of loans to citizens for six months, which will contribute to creating cash liquidity for every citizen in the kingdom in order to revive the economic cycle in these exceptional circumstances in addition to easing the burden on citizens in this period, especially young ones. He expressed his pride in the support shown by the wise leadership of the Bahraini citizen and the private sector, stressing that this will be reflected in moving the wheel of economic development and maintaining sustainable growth. - TradeArabia News Service WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - A man and two women broke into a house under construction Monday morning in York Township, police said. Deputies responded to a burglary report around 9:25 a.m., March 23 in the 9100 block of Charter Oak Lane in the township, which sits south of Saline and north of Milan, said the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office. The three suspects forced their way into a garage around 2:30 a.m. on Monday and entered the partially-built residence, police said. Surveillance footage captured the suspects at the scene, and the sheriffs office said it was working to enhance the images before releasing them. It was unclear what was taken from the property, police said. No further details were immediately available. The case was under investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office Confidential Tip line at 734-973-7711 or 1-800-SPEAK UP. More from The Ann Arbor News: $500 in watches, jewelry, cash grabbed from unlocked cars near Ford Lake Enraged man kicks hole in wall before leaving Chelsea business An extra 5 things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis in Washtenaw County Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 13:56:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TAIYUAN, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Pingyao, an ancient walled city in north China's Shanxi Province, reopened to the public on Wednesday after being closed for two months due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The scenic area will be open between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and the daily number of visitors will be capped at around 56,800, according to a notice issued by the management company of the tourist site. Visitors are required to book tickets online in advance and have their temperature checked upon arrival. They should also register with their personal information to get a health code, wear masks during their visit, and maintain a distance of no less than 1.5 meters in queues. Visitors who recently returned from overseas or medium- and high-risk areas need to undergo a 14-day quarantine in designated venues before they can enter the tourist site. For the coming year, the ancient city will waive entrance fees for medics nationwide and immediate family members of the doctors and nurses in Shanxi who rushed to Hubei to help treat COVID-19 patients. Pingyao ancient city has been closed to the public since Jan. 25, the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, after health authorities advised the public to stay indoors amid the outbreak. With a history of 2,700 years, Pingyao is famous for its well-preserved ancient architecture. It was named a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1997. On the same day, world heritage site Mount Wutai, one of China's sacred Buddhist mountains also in Shanxi, reopened its outdoor scenic areas to visitors, while its temples remain shuttered. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 Trend: Azerbaijan has extended the closure of the border with Iran until April 20, Trend reports with reference to the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers. The headquarters stated that in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, the decision to temporarily close the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran is being extended on the basis of a restrictive regime until April 20. Azerbaijans state border service closed the border with Iran for two weeks on February 29. On March 12, it was extended for another two weeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Azerbaijan. By AFP JERUSALEM: Israel's parliamentary speaker, an ally of Benjamin Netanyahu, resigned Wednesday, clearing the way for a vote that could see him replaced by an opponent of the embattled premier. Yuli Edelstein, a member of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, had refused to schedule a speakership vote until a new government was formed, but stood down after the Supreme Court set a Wednesday deadline for the vote to take place. "The High Court ruling constitutes crude and arrogant intervention of the judiciary in the matters of the elected legislature," Edelstein said. "I won't allow Israel to descend into anarchy. I won't lend a hand to civil war," he said as the court's deadline approached. "I hereby resign from my position as Knesset speaker." The announcement could pave the way for the opposition, led by the centrist Blue and White party, to take control of the legislative agenda. It also came after a year of political turmoil that has seen three inconclusive elections, and after Netanyahu imposed strict legal and security measures to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak that has infected more than 2,000 Israelis. Anti-Netanyahu forces claimed 62 seats in the 120-member Knesset in the March 2 election, with the premier's right-wing party and its religious allies claiming 58. Blue and White's leader Benny Gantz has been tasked with trying to form a government. That proved impossible following two previous elections last year, given the deep divisions within the anti-Netanyahu bloc, which includes the mainly Arab Joint List and the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party. There was no guarantee Gantz would fare better this time, fuelling widespread calls for a short-term unity government to respond to the pandemic. Netanyahu, in power since 2009, is also facing criminal corruption charges, which he denies. Despite the divides within the anti-Netanyahu camp, the bloc has voiced unity on legislation that would bar anyone under criminal indictment from serving as prime minister. Removing Edelstein as speaker may expedite that legislation. But Netanyahu has made a series of offers to Gantz on forming a unity government, including deals that would see the premier's job rotate between the two men. "Benny Gantz, this is a crucial time for national leadership and responsibility," Netanyahu tweeted on Tuesday. "Let's meet now and set up a government." As he announced his resignation, Edelstein also said Israel needed a unity government "as a pandemic endangers us from without. "We all need to act like human beings, to act, to unify, to rise above," he said. Doctors and researchers have been hard at work learning about the latest viral threat known as the coronavirus and have revealed that the virus can live on various surfaces for various amounts of time. In an interview with the Today show, Dr John Torres explained that people who are receiving deliveries from any company should be careful how they handle those packages. 'Anywhere from copper around four hours to stainless steel and plastic two-three days. Cardboard is right down the middle 24 hours is how long it could live on there and still be what we call viable, meaning it could still pass on coronavirus,' Torres said. Dr John Torres has revealed that the coronavirus can live up to 24 hours on cardboard packages. An Amazon delivery driver is seen handling packages in California on Monday Torres explained that people who are still receiving packages (Amazon delivery person in New York City) should throw away the outside package immediately and then wash your hands Torres explained that people who are still receiving packages should throw away the outside package immediately and then wash your hands. 'With the inside package you can do two things: You can let it sit there for 24 hours. It should go away at that point. 'If you need it now you can disinfect it on the outside which should help to some extent, but the main thing is once you handle that wash your hands before you touch your face,' Torres said. Torres also spoke about what people should do when they are ordering takeout from restaurants. 'If you're getting fruits and vegetables, you definitely want to wash them off like you do with anything else just to make sure that any of those food borne illnesses aren't present. Torres noted that some takeout items come in cardboard containers and explained what people should do if they encounter those. Dr John Torres (pictured) said: 'With the inside package you can do two things: You can let it sit there for 24 hours. If you need it now you can disinfect it on the outside which should help to some extent.' Torres said the key is to make sure you wash your hands How long can the coronavirus live on things like packages? @DrJohnTorres says up to 24 hours and explains the best thing to do once you get a package. pic.twitter.com/nko3RJZSfV TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 25, 2020 'One of the things you want to do is open up the container, use some utensils to pull out the food and put it on a plate and then throw the container out and wash your hands.' Torres said for those who are high-risk should order warm food because it's more than likely to kill the virus. He instructed people to microwave the food for 30 seconds which should kill the virus. According to a study shared by the National Institutes of Health, the virus is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces. The study's researchers found that the virus was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. The results provide key information about the stability of virus and suggests that people may acquire the virus through the air and after touching contaminated objects. Traces of new coronavirus were found on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which had more than 700 confirmed cases of the deadly flu-like illness, researchers say. The vessel is seen docked in Yokohama Port near Tokyo in February The passengers whose rooms were found to have new traces of the coronavirus had showed symptoms or were asymptomatic. Health officials are pictured suiting up in protective gear to treat passengers from the Diamond Princess on March 1 Researchers also made a startling discovery this week that a form of the coronavirus can linger around for more than two weeks. Traces of new coronavirus were found on the Diamond Princess cruise ship on surfaces in cabins where people who were infected with the virus had stayed, for up to 17 days after they had left, according to a study released Monday. How long can corornavirus survive on various surfaces? Aerosols: up to 3 hours Copper: up to 4 hours Cardboard: up to 24 hours Plastic: up to 2-3 days Stainless Steel: up to 2-3 days Source: NIH.gov Advertisement The passengers had showed symptoms or were asymptomatic, researchers of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study say. The latest study from the CDC looked at rooms that were not yet cleaned. Cleaning, researchers have confirmed, is a highly effective way of killing the virus. The CDC also said that the spread of infection aboard the Diamond Princess happened before the ship went into quarantine. Infections among crew members rose after. On the vessels sister ship, the Grand Princess, members of the crew are believed to have contracted the virus and then passed it on to passengers, according to the study. Globally, the coronavirus pandemic has infected about 458,000 people and killed more than 20,800. In the US, there are more than 62,000 confirmed cases with 869 deaths. By Easton Sanders Mar. 24, 2020 | 06:46 PM | WESTERN KENTUCKY West Kentucky Star spoke with Range Safety Officer Nicole Cressler, at Range America. Cressler says they have definitely seen an increase in gun sales, with most of those purchases coming from people who have never owned a firearm before. Cressler says the fear of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was driving the sales. "It just has to do with people being scared." Cressler continued, "You know, if people are that worried about getting toilet paper, maybe they are feeling they're going to need to protect their home in the future, should things get worse." According to Cressler, they have seen an increased interest in concealed carry classes as well, although the classes have currently been suspended due to the restrictions put in place by Governor Andy Beshear. She said, "We hope to be able to resume those again just as soon as possible, because there is absolutely a need." With the increase in firearm sales, Cressler says there has been an increase in delays with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). "They are delaying a lot of people, I would say nine out of ten people are getting delayed. They're just overwhelmed." Benji Stringer, a manager at Kentucky Lake Outdoors, says they have experienced an increase in sales as well, most of which were either handguns or AR-15s. "They are afraid that they're going to be cooped up somewhere and they're not going to be able to get out to buy it anywhere." Stringer continued, "Back in 2009 the same thing happened, people panic. It's a reoccurring thing in this industry." He says at times they have had to limit the amount of ammunition they have sold each person due to how much they were going through. Stringer said, "We do have to limit the amount you can buy when we start getting short on ammo. We need to have ammo to sell with our handguns." You can learn more about Range America and Kentucky Lake Outdoors at the links below. Gun stores across the area are experiencing an increase in sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the Net: If a patient takes NSAIDs routinely, for example, it may be to help manage a more persistent health problem. At the same time, older adults and people with underlying health conditions are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's also likely that patients who have been hospitalized for COVID-19 took NSAIDs to help relieve their symptoms before seeking more advanced care. "And so it becomes pretty easy to see that people who take NSAIDs are more likely to be the people who are sickest with COVID-19. And it's not because the medicines are causing that, Aronoff says. Rather, NSAID use may indicate the patient was more severely ill from the beginning. His conclusion: There's just not enough evidence to show that NSAIDs make a coronavirus infection worse. The Food and Drug Administration on March 19 issued a statement echoing his view. The agency said it is investigating this issue further and will communicate publicly when more information is available. The World Health Organization (WHO) also has weighed in, tweeting, Based on currently available information, WHO does not recommend against the use of ibuprofen. Check with an expert before treating symptoms "As things stands now, Aronoff says, health experts shouldn't advise people against taking a medicine that they take on a regular basis under the supervision of a health care provider like a physician. That said, he recommends anyone with a fever, cough and shortness of breath to alert their health care provider. If you normally take an NSAID or acetaminophen for fever, then it should be perfectly fine to do the same in this case, he says. But it's always wise to double-check and to raise any questions or concerns with a doctor or pharmacist. People with kidney disease or problems with stomach ulcers may be steered toward acetaminophen. And on the flip side, if you have problems with hepatitis or liver trouble, then acetaminophen may not be the best choice. And that's why speaking with a pharmacist or a physician or nurse can be really very helpful, Aronoff says. Anna Wintour has launched a fund for those affected by coronavirus in the fashion community. Every year, the American Vogue editor partners with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to create the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, which typically provides support to emerging talents in the industry. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, Wintour has announced that this years fund will be dedicated to helping young designers, seamstresses and manufacturers pay their bills as coronavirus continues to threaten their livelihoods. Those wishing to benefit from the fund can apply online from 8 April and applicants need not be members of the CFDA. Writing about the initiative on Vogue.com, Wintour explained: There are always things one can do in the face of crisis. So in that spirit Im pleased to announce that Vogue and the CFDA have decided to repurpose the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund to provide support for those in the fashion community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Wintour added that to raise awareness of their efforts, Vogue and the CFDA have also created a video series called A Common Thread, which will tell stories about how American designers and their workers and colleagues are coping, how businesses have been affected, what we all plan to do to move forward. These stories will go behind the scenes to show everyone who contributes to this creative, vibrant, and incredibly important industry. Those wanting to contribute to the fund can do so online here. There is not a simple fix for our industry, I know, Wintour continued in her announcement. The challenges we face are profound. But this fund, I hope, is a step in the right direction, and Im looking forward to telling you more about it in the days and weeks to come. The 5G revolution, American military defense, and even time itself are dependent on this one critical metal that China monopolizes and that the U.S. is desperate to get more of. The metal is Cesium, and its quite possible youve never even heard of it--yet, global dominance, which depends on technological superiority, cant happen without it. In May 2018 Cesium was added to the list of critical minerals by the United States Department of the Interior. In fact, there are 16 metals in total that are absolutely critical to high-tech industries, military applications and telecommunications--and China controls the supply of every single one because it controls 96% of production. That includes cesium, for which China has a monopoly on stockpiles, mines arent really producing anymore, and the United States has none, leaving North Americas only hope in Canada. Of five cesium occurrences in Canadas Ontario province, a small-cap Canadian miner called Power Metals owns 100% of three of them (West Joe, Tot Lake and Marko). Time Is Running Out for This Most Strategic of Metals Cesium is so secretive and obscure that its nearly impossible to track its real market price. Its strategic in and of itself, but its rarity makes it even more critical. The supreme technological war of global dominance cant be won without these metals, so whoever controls them has the upper hand. Cesium is described by the German Institute for Strategic Metals (ISE) as the most electropositive of all stable elements in the periodic table, and the heaviest of the stable metals. Cesium is extremely pyrophoric, ignites spontaneously when in contact with air, and explodes violently in water or ice at any temperature above -116 C. The strategic metals applications in the healthcare industry are expected to soar as laboratories already use cesium compounds in medical imaging, cancer therapy, positron emission tomography (PET) and others. Story continues The latest market analysis by Technavio predicts the cesium market will grow by 1.66 thousand MT between 2020 and 2014, driven by everything from catalyst promoters, glass amplifiers, photoelectric cell components, crystals in scintillation counters, and getters in vacuum tubes. Much cesium demand also comes from the oil and gas industry, which uses cesium formate brines in drilling fluids to prevent blow-outs in high-temperature, over-pressurized wells. In terms of world dominance, the cesium standard is the key. This is the standard by which the accurate commercially available atomic clocks measure time, and its vital for the data transmission infrastructure of mobile networks, GPS and the internet. That means it has serious defense applications as well, including in infrared detectors, optics, night vision goggles and much, much more. A cesium laser has even been invested for use in missile defense and other technological applications. So, imagine China being able to starve manufacturers of something like cesium, which would seriously disrupt U.S. industry and hinder the development of critical military equipment. Thats why, finally, in December 2019, the United States and Canada agreed on a strategy to reduce the need for rare-earth metals mined or controlled by China. Wide Open Playing Field The only company in the cesium supply chain right now is Chinese, and one of the only companies on the radar for potential commercial cesium supplies in North America is Canadian junior Power Metals, which is hoping to prove that its sitting on the worlds fourth deposit of the critical metal. The company discovered the pegmatites at West Joe Dyke in August 2018, intersecting high-grade cesium mineralization in six drill holes when it was targeting lithium instead. So, the focus now is not on what has been lost to China, but the promise of new North American critical cesium. But Dr. Julie Selway, a key geologist for the Ontario Geological Survey during the tantalum boom of the early 2000s, and now VP of exploration for Power Metals, says the three properties the company is drilling are likely to have similar finds as the strategically important Sinclair mine in Australia. They are shipping their resource, which they say is higher than 10% cesium-oxide, and ours have some that are between 12% and 14% of cesium-oxide, Selway--one of the worlds most renowned experts on pegmatites--told Oilprice.com. Power Metals has intersected cesium (Cs) mineralization in 6 drill holes on West Joe Dyke, with exceptionally high-grade Li and Ta intervals. They also found Cs mineralization in drill core in the first new dyke below Main Dyke, as well as in the drill core in Northeast Dyke. On February 20th, Power Metals announced its exploration plans, and will begin stripping and channel sampling on West Joe Dyke in the Q2 of this year already. Thats when theyll expose, sample and assay the cesium mineralization on surface outcrops to find more cesium-bearing pegmatite dykes nearby. This is one big chance to one-up Beijing, which, according to the Wall Street Journal, has tried to manipulate the market so critical metals such as Cesium are cheaper in China than outside the country. What this did was prompt some major manufacturers and tech industries to set up shop in China, where they could get supplies at a lower cost. You might not have heard of cesium before, but you will hear about it soon because North America needs its own supply if its going to win the war for global technological dominance--and the front line of defense could end up being West Joe Dyke, and a junior explorer that not only thinks strategically, but may be sitting on one of the only deposits that China doesnt control. Other companies shaking up Chinas rare-earth dominance: Teck Resources (NYSE:TECK, TSX:TECK) Teck could be one of the best-diversified miners out there, with a broad portfolio of Copper, Zinc, Energy, Gold, Silver and Molybdenum assets. Its free cash flow and a lower volatility outlook for base metals in combination with a potential trade war breakthrough could send the stock higher in H2 of this year. Tecks share price stabilized last year and many investment banks now see the stock as undervalued. Low prices for Canadian crude and disappointing base metals prices weighed on Q4 earnings. Despite its struggles, however, Teck Resources recently received a favorable investment rating from Fitch and Moodys, and will likely benefit from its upgraded score. Having investment grade ratings is very important to us and confirms the strong financial position of the company, said Don Lindsay, President and CEO. We are very pleased to receive this second credit rating upgrade. Turquoise Hill Resources (NYSE:TRQ ,TSX:TRQ) Turqouise is a mid-cap Canadian mineral exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. Its focus is on the Pacific Rim where it is in the process of developing several large mines. The company mines a diversified set of metals/minerals including Coal, Gold, Copper, Molybdenum, Silver, Rhenium, Uranium, Lead and Zinc. One of the fortes of Turquoise hill is its good relationship with mining giant Rio Tinto. Turquoise has seen its share price languish last year, and the successful development of its world-class Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia is of utmost important to the future of this miner. Pretium Resources (NYSE:PVG, TSX:PVG) This impressive Canadian company is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metal resource properties in the Americas. Pretium has an impressive portfolio and if you can catch the stock while the price is right, there could be huge opportunity for upside. Additionally, construction and engineering activities at its top location continue to advance, and commercial production is targeted for this year. With Pretiums variety of assets, this mining giant is a key figure in Canadas resource realm. Investors know a good thing when they see it and have definitely taken note of this companys ambitious and forward-looking drive. Magna International (NYSE:MGA, TSX:MG) Based in Aurora, Ontario, Magna is a global automotive supplier is gutsy and innovative--and definitely tuned to the obvious future--clean transportation. A great catalyst is its development of a combo electric/hydrogen vehicle--a fuel cell range-extended EV (FCREEV). Its not going to produce them (for now, at least) but plans to use the model to show off its engineering and design prowess and produce elements of the electric drivetrain and contract manufacturing. Its insightful, forward-thinking and smart value/low cost for shareholders. Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd (NYSE:AEM, TSX:AEM) Canadian based gold producer, Agnico Eagle Mines is an especially noteworthy company for investors. Why? Between 1991-2010, the company paid out dividends every year. With operations in Quebec, Mexico, and Finland, the company also is taking place in exploration activities in Europe, Latin America, and the United States. While Agnico primarily focuses on gold, it made this list because its a prime example of sustainability and environmental consciousness, and that means everything in a world rapidly shifting away from traditional mining. By. Charles Kennedy **IMPORTANT! BY READING OUR CONTENT YOU EXPLICITLY AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY** Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information which is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this release include that prices for cesium will retain value in future as currently expected; that PWM can fulfill all its obligations to maintain its properties; that PWMs property can successfully mine commercial quantities of cesium; that the three properties the company is drilling are hoped to have similar finds as the strategically important Sinclair mine in Australia; that occurrences and indications of a commercially sized deposit become reality; that high grades found in samples are indicative of a high grade deposit; and that PWM will be able to carry out its business plans. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Risks that could change or prevent these statements from coming to fruition include that aspects or all of the properties development may not be successful, mining of the cesium may not be cost effective, the price of cesium may not stay high and it may never be profitable to mine cesium; PWM may not raise sufficient funds to carry out its plans, changing costs for mining and processing; increased capital costs; the timing and content of upcoming work programs; geological interpretations and technological results based on current data that may change with more detailed information or testing; potential process methods and mineral recoveries assumptions based on limited test work with further test work may not be viable; competitors may offer cheaper cesium; more production of Cesium could reduce its price; alternatives could be found for cesium; the availability of labour, equipment and markets for the products produced; and despite the current expected viability of its projects, that the minerals cannot be economically mined on its properties, or that the required permits to build and operate the envisaged mines cannot be obtained. 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Read this article on OilPrice.com COLUMBIA The number of COVID-19 cases in South Carolina is expected to climb to more than 8,000 by early May, nearly 20 times the confirmed cases so far, according to a forecast released Wednesday by the state's public health agency. That projection could decrease significantly if residents practice social distancing as requested. When cases could peak in the state and, consequently, when restrictions on work and activities could start to be lifted are unknown, agency officials said. "Its hard to predict the future because the future is going to be determined on how we follow the key instructions to help flatten the curve," Rick Toomey, director of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, said. Asked about the likelihood of South Carolinians being back at work by April 12, as President Donald Trump has set as a goal, Toomey said, "It would certainly be a wonderful occurrence for us to have a wonderful Easter Sunday, but its hard to predict." As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 424 known cases of COVID-19 in 39 of South Carolina's 46 counties, including seven coronavirus-related deaths. Kershaw County remains the hardest hit, with 63 confirmed cases, according to DHEC. Based on the spread so far, the agency projects there will be about 2,700 total cases by April 2 and 8,050 by May 2, though Toomey stressed those are cumulative cases that include patients already recovered. Residents should not expect to be notified if they're exposed to a case, said Dr. Linda Bell, the state epidemiologist, who again urged people to stay home, keep 6 feet away from each other if you must go out and wash your hands frequently. A nationally renowned researcher with the University of South Carolina predicts much high numbers. That forecast by James Morris, a USC biology professor, predicts that by March 31, South Carolina will have about 2,500 people who have tested positive. By April 10, though, that number skyrockets to about 40,000. "Right around the first of April, it's going to get dicey. From that point on, it really explodes," said Morris, who has done groundbreaking work on the impacts of rising sea level on marshlands. Morris, who usually studies changes over decades, began tracking South Carolina's cases in mid-March and plugging numbers into a mathematical model he likened to a high school algebra problem. That's the problem with an exponential projection, Bell said. It's based on dramatic rises in confirmed cases from one day to the next, but some of those jumps were due to delayed reports to the state agency from labs processing the tests, not actual day-to-day increases, she said. She noted that Morris' forecast for South Carolina is higher than the current cases in New York, where millions of people live much closer to each other than here, she said. But Morris said he plotted the model's accuracy over the coming days, and the actual rise in cases came close to his forecast. If anything, he said, the model underestimated the pace. Initially, the number of cases in South Carolina doubled every three days. Now it's down to 2.5 days. He wrote a letter to Gov. Henry McMaster earlier this week urging the governor to take stronger actions to prepare for an upcoming flood of sick patients. He believes the state and its universities should consider setting up temporary hospitals in arenas and other large spaces. About 20 percent of people who get the virus are expected to need hospitalization. McMaster has urged people to stay home and on Monday authorized law enforcement officers statewide to break up gatherings of more than three people that pose a risk. But, while he's ordered schools closed and restaurants to stop dine-in service, he has stopped short of officially ordering people statewide to stay home. Morris said his forecast of 40,000 cases in South Carolina by mid-April is based on the assumption that the state's medical infrastructure can test that many people. "Testing capacity is being ramped up dramatically," Toomey said, as there will soon be about 30 labs approved to process tests. Trying to identify everyone is no longer the goal. As the state shifts from containing the disease to lessening the severity, "testing strategies transition from attempting to test all possible cases in a community to testing a reasonable sample of those who are ill," focusing on those at higher risk of exposure or of getting seriously ill, Bell said. "Our goal is to monitor disease spread in a community and not identify every case," she said. That means we don't have accurate numbers of who does and who doesn't have the disease, Morris said. The Delhi High Court has upheld the life term awarded to a man by a trial court for raping his daughter, saying the offence was even more "horrendous and despicable" as it was committed by the one who is viewed as a "shield" or "protector" of her dignity and honour. A bench of Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal said when sanctity of a father-daughter relationship is ravaged "in such a sordid manner" it "shocks the human conscience" as the protector has become the violator. "The father is considered to be the protector and refuge of his own daughter... No doubt that the offence of rape is grave by its very nature but it is more horrendous and despicable when the perpetrator of the crime is one's own father. A daughter always looks up to her father as a shield of her dignity and honour... "It shocks human conscience when the sanctity of father and daughter relationship is ravaged in such a sordid manner and the protector becomes the violator... It is the gravest sin, where the most pure relationship is shattered by an extreme pervert and shameful act," the bench said. The high court dismissed the man's appeal challenging his conviction and the sentence awarded to him for raping his the then 18-year-old daughter in 2017. The convict had also sought reduction of the sentence to 10 years on the ground that he was 56 years old, belongs to a extremely poor strata of society and has the responsibility of two unmarried sons who are totally dependent upon him. The high court also rejected his plea for reduction in sentence saying it found no reasons to differ with the findings of the trial court. The high court also noted in its order that "rape is such a dark reality of the Indian society that devastates a women''s soul, shatters her self-respect and for a few, purges their hope to live. "It shakes the insight of a woman who once was a "happy person'' and had no clue of being a victim of the said horrifying and terrifying encounter where the daughter had been raped by none else but her own father". The bench further noted that offences, particularly sexual assaults, against women are on the rise and it was necessary for courts to "imbibe the legislative wisdom and to respect it because rape or an attempt to rape is a crime not against an individual but a crime, which destroys the basic equilibrium of the social atmosphere, as it not only lowers the dignity of a woman but also mars her reputation". "The torment on the victim has the potentiality to corrode the poise and equanimity of any civilized society. It has been rightly said that whereas a murderer destroys the physical frame of a victim, a rapist degrades and defiles the soul of a helpless female," the high court said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New measures for Covid-19 containment were introduced yesterday March 24, 2020. Amongst these measures include new Covid-19 testing criteria , wherein patients must have a "fever and at least one sign of respiratory disease, for example cough, shortness of breath" according to the government. Additionally, if you have been in contact with a high risk group such as healthcare workers, those with an underlying illness, prisoners, and those who have been subject to long term care, you will be tested. This change comes as HSE staff and laboratories are overloaded with testing and are currently experiencing a backlog of approximately 20,000 people a day. Testing algorithms will now be updated to reflect this new method.Those who have been waiting to be tested and have not received an appointment will now not be tested. Health care workers are waiting on more test kits to arrive due to the unprecedented volume of people getting tested for the virus. A shipment of tests are expected to arrive later this week from South Korea. South Korea are manufacturing approximately 100,000 testing kits per day and has become the world supplier of Covid-19 testing kits. The government also placed a substantial order for protective gear, including gowns, masks, shields and more. MIDDLETOWN Effective immediately, all Middlesex Health service locations are closed to visitors except for those making compassionate visits; to see patients receiving end-of-life care and to see patients in the Middlesex Health Pregnancy & Birth Center, according to a hospital statement. Visitors who make compassionate care visits must be in good health and over the age of 18 unless special permission is granted. When at the hospital, they must wash their hands frequently to ensure their safety and the safety of others. The following is Middlesex Healths revised visitor policy: Obstetric patients may be accompanied by one partner or one birth support person. (No children allowed.) No visitors or designated support persons are allowed in the Emergency Department, on North 7 and in the Crisis Intervention Unit. Patients under the age of 18 may be accompanied by their parents, guardians or one designated support person. Middlesex Health staff members will determine the number of visitors for patients who are receiving end-of-life care. These visitors must stay in their loved ones room for the duration of their visit. No visitors or designated support persons are allowed in any other areas of the hospital. No visitors or designated support persons are allowed for patients having surgery or a procedure. No visitors or support persons can accompany a patient with an appointment at a Middlesex Health facility. This includes all outpatient locations, Middlesex Healths laboratory locations and any radiology locations. All business meetings will be held virtually. No one should visit the hospital for business. One MacDonough Place, a Middlesex Health-owned assisted living community in Middletown, remains closed to all visitorsexcept for visits that are medically necessary. These changes are being implemented to limit the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Middlesex Health believes that further restricting visitors at its facilities is in the best interest of patients, staff and guests, according to the statement. Middlesex Health is committed to caring for members of its community, including those who have, or may have, COVID-19. On March 21, Middlesex began evaluating individuals with respiratory symptoms in a designated area outside of the hospitals Emergency Department front entrance. This is also being done to limit the spread of the illness. In addition, Middlesex Health is now testing for COVID-19 outdoors. Currently, Middlesex Health is only providing COVID-19 testing to members of the public who are seriously ill, exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 and require admission to the hospital and to individuals from congregant housing, such as nursing homes and shelters. For more information about the coronavirus, as well as important updates from Middlesex Health, visit MiddlesexHealth.org/Ready. Those who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever, cough or shortness of breath, should call their medical provider before heading to an emergency department, urgent care center or other medical office. They will help you determine your next steps, which may include just staying home and isolating. Prescription drug cards available DURHAM The ProAct Prescription Drug Discount Card program helps residents save money on their prescription medications any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance. Discount cards are distributed in participating towns, including the Town of Durham and may be used at any participating retail pharmacy. Town residents can also print a card at http://proactrxsavings.com/connecticut-prescription-savings-program Participants can expect to save 52 percent on average. discounts will vary depending on the drug and quantity purchased. Discount cards can also be used to save on medications prescribed to your pet that can be filled at participating retail pharmacies. The cards may be used by all town residents regardless of age, income, or existing health coverage. There are no enrollment forms, no membership fees, and no restrictions or limits on frequency of use. Cardholders and their family members are encouraged to use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance.This program is completely free of charge to both the town and participating residents as a member of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. Simply take the discount card along with a prescription to a participating pharmacy and start saving. Discounts are available on vision, hearing and LASIK services. Arts center, gallery seeks volunteers KILLINGWORTH Counselors and models needed for July summer fashion and art camps at Arts Center Killingworth. No experience is necessary. Teens earn community service credit. Call 860-663-5593 or email artscenterkillingworth@gmail.com. Visit the volunteer page for more information and other volunteer opportunities at artscenterkillingworth.org/volunteer Artists invited to take part in festivals CENTERBROOK Spectrum Gallery is seeking artists and fine artisans for exhibits and festivals, including representational and abstract painters, collage artists, photographers, potters and ceramicists, glass, wood and fiber artisans and jewelry designers. Artists are sought for the Essex Green Summer Arts Festival, Essex Town Green, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., June 20, and 11 am.-5 p.m. June 21. Artists invited to participate on the Green can submit to a 6-week show at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, May 29-July 12. receiving is May 17-22 except between 1-6 p.m. May 18. Early signup is recommended. Artists are also sought for the Autumn Arts Festival on the Madison Town Green (Boston Post Road/Route 1 and Copse Road) 10-5 p.m. Oct. 10, 12-5 p.m. Oct. 11, rain date 10-5 p.m. Oct. 12. Artists participating on the Green can submit to a 6-week show at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook (Sep. 25-Nov. 8; Receiving: Sep. 13-18, 1-6pm, except Mon. Sep. 14). For all submissions, visit spectrumartgallery.org/future-exhibitions or email 3-4 high resolution jpegs of work with titles, medium, and dimensions to Barbara@spectrumartgallery.org. MG Motor India on Wednesday said it will donate Rs 2 crore to government hospitals and health institutions in Gurugram and Halol (Gujarat), where the carmaker's facilities are located, to fight coronavirus pandemic New Delhi: MG Motor India on Wednesday said it will donate Rs 2 crore to government hospitals and health institutions in Gurugram and Halol (Gujarat), where the carmaker's facilities are located, to fight coronavirus pandemic. While Rs 1 crore contribution will come from the company directly, its employees have also pledged to donate another Rs 1 crore, MG Motor India said in a statement. The contribution will come in the form of gloves, masks, ventilators, medicines and beds etc, depending on the particular requirement of the specific government hospitals and health institutions providing medical assistance in Gurugram and Halol (Vadodra), it added. The company's manufacturing plant is located at Halol while its corporate office is in Gurugram. The carmaker said it has also advised its dealers to ensure enhanced insurance cover for around 5,000 employees across the country. Virgin Australia chief executive Paul Scurrah says Australias travel and tourism industry will not survive the coronavirus shutdown without more government support after his airline grounded almost all of its fleet and stood down 8000 workers. The nation's second-largest airline on Wednesday said it would ground 125 aircraft at the end of the week, cut flying in its domestic network by 90 per cent and send 80 per cent of its employees home at least until the end of May. Budget arm Tigerair suspended all its flights on Wednesday. Mr Scurrah said the coronavirus pandemic had caused an unprecedented crisis for the global aviation industry as travel ceases internationally and is severely restricted within Australia. With virtually no new bookings, Mr Scurrah said the airline's almost complete shutdown was necessary to preserve its remaining $900 million cash balance "for a long as it possibly can". The Ondo State Government has issued fresh measures to curb the spread of coronavirus with the immediate closure of all markets, malls and shops in the state. A statement by the commissioner for information, Donald Ojogo, on Tuesday said the decision followed the executive council meeting which held on Monday, March 23, to stem the tide of the rampaging CIVID-19 pandemic. He said under this fresh directive, which is for a period of seven days in the first instance, only the sale of life-saving and sustaining items like food, water and medicals shall be allowed. Similarly, Governor Akeredolu reiterates that the suspension of political gatherings and meetings is still in force, the statement said. In this regard, any form of campaign for the forthcoming Local Government Election in the State should be discontinued for the meantime. And in furtherance of his resolve to deepen efforts under the present circumstances, Governor Akeredolu has equally directed the immediate cancellation of all official engagements. This directive includes courtesy calls and other engagements already approved and scheduled prior to this time; and shall suffice for a period of 14 days in the first instance. The Governor seeks the co-operation and understanding of all residents in the State as he works assiduously to keep the State safe from COVID-19. Enforcement The governor, in his earlier announcements, had directed the security agencies to ensure the enforcement of directive across the state. The police in Ondo State said on Tuesday that it would arrest any persons violating the shutdown order. The immediate closure of the markets differs from that of Lagos which had given until Thursday to allow residents stockpile food items before the closure becomes effective on Friday. However, according to the Ondo State government, residents would still be able to purchase food items during the period of the market closure. Meanwhile, the police spokesman, Tee-Leo Ikoro, advised residents of Ondo State to adhere strictly to the directives of the state government. Mr Ikoro also noted that should there be any suspicion on the health condition of any person living within a neighbourhood calls should be made to the Situation Room Control Centre Hotlines for Covid-19, Ondo State on the following numbers: 0800Covid19 08002684319; 0700Covid19 07002684319; 07001Covid19 070012684319. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 19:02:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- As the novel coronavirus epidemic further extends its global reach, a united and coordinated response is in urgent need. The Group of Twenty (G20) has an important role to play in the fight, just as it did in the global financial crisis in 2008. Virus knows no borders and no country could win the battle alone. When millions of lives and the global economy are in peril, not a second should be squandered. The G20, which accounts for two-thirds of the world's population and about 85 percent of the global GDP, should lead the way in addressing medical and economic problems and restoring confidence. A special G20 leaders' video summit on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic will be held on Thursday. Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend in Beijing. The world has seen enough blame game and finger-pointing since the outbreak of the pandemic. The pointless bickering comes at the cost of an efficient and effective response to the pandemic. It is high time for the G20 to build consensus to inject positive energy into global cooperation to fight the common enemy of mankind. In the war against the virus, China has firmly upheld the vision of building a community of a shared future for mankind. China has and will continue to share medical supplies, therapeutic and treatment experiences, and solutions with the world. As the epidemic situation in China eases, China will be able to spare more resources to help other countries within its capacity. The G20 should bring the international community together quickly. Member countries should enhance unity and jointly meet challenges and boost the confidence of the international community. G20 members should make every effort to properly handle domestic prevention and control. China will do its best to provide timely help to countries in difficulties. It is hoped that G20 members will help each other and cooperate closely to jointly safeguard international public health safety. The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the global economy. It is critical for G20 members to strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination, adopt necessary fiscal, monetary and structural policies, promote market openness, and ensure the open, stable, safe and smooth operation of global supply chains. An important lesson the world has learned from past crises is that a global crisis should be met with a global response. Uncoordinated or unilateral actions by a single economy will produce limited effects and could lead to a vicious cycle of "beggar-thy-neighbor" policies. The G20 summit is held at a time when the global fight against the COVID-19 has come to a critical moment. The health of millions of people is at stake. We hope and believe the G20 meeting will inject new confidence and energy into the ongoing anti-pandemic efforts. 25 Mar After having his parents and his son go into quarantine to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19, Sammy Leung decided to turn his home into a "self-isolation centre". As reported on Mingpao, the radio and TV personality posted a photo showing the said "isolation corner", where a small table was placed in front of son Lancelot's door. On it, Sammy put out several important items for the quarantine, including a container filled with face masks as well as disinfectant. He also used decorative adhesive tape to create a line that should not be crossed by other members of the family. "This is the self-isolation center for my family. Since a member of the family recently returned from overseas, he needed to be isolated in the room. If he is to leave the room to go the bathroom next door, he has to wear a mask," he wrote. "Several tests will be done throughout the 14 days of isolation. The saliva will be sent to the Department of Health, and we will have to take body temperature. You are welcome to provide isolation tips," he added. It was just recently that Sammy's 17-year-old son Lancelot returned to Hong Kong from the United Kingdom as the government began to shut down its borders. (Photo Source: Sammy Leung Instagram) The Telangana Police on Wednesday directed managements of hostels and paying guest (PG) accommodations not to ask occupants to vacate, after it received complaints that those residing in them were being pressured to leave during the COVID-19 lockdown. "Since the lockdown is under implementation, no permission/ no objection certificate shall be granted in this regard for any movement of people across the state till further orders in the overall interest of public health and public safety," Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) M Mahendar Reddy said in a directive. Serious action will be taken against any hostel or PG managements that violate this norm, he said. Police along with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials were directed to hold meetings with hostel managements and ensure compliance. Earlier, hundreds of students and employees of hostels and PG accommodations gathered in front of police stations after boarders were reportedly asked to vacate. Following this, the police decided to give them a one-time pass to go to their native places and some of them were given the passes. However, late in the evening, the DGP clarified that no passes would be issued for inter -state movement. In view of the latest directive, a senior police official also said hostel owners and PG managements have been counselled to provide all facilities to the inmates and now, the hostels are functioning. Earlier, Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali had ordered the police to issue permit certificates on fast-track basis to those students and inmates who have applied for permit certificates to go to their native places. Meanwhile, some people who were found "roaming unnecessarily" on roads were caught by police near check posts in different parts of the city and were asked to hold placards like "Practise social distancing", "Please avoid gathering" and "Often wash your hands" seeking public cooperation to check the spread of coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bill Gates said the US missed its chance to contain COVID-19 without mandatory shutdowns, according to CNBC. We did not act fast enough to have an ability to avoid the shutdown, Gates said during a Ted Connects virtual event Tuesday. While admitting the disastrous economic impact, according to CNBC, Gates reiterated his previous suggestion that the shutdown should last six to 10 weeks. Gates also called on the US to improve its testing capacity and strategy. Visit Business Insiders homepage for more stories. America has missed its chance to contain the coronavirus without mandatory shutdowns, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said in an interview Tuesday, according to CNBC. The US is past this opportunity to control (COVID-19) without shutdown, Gates said during a virtual TED Connects event, CNBC reported. We did not act fast enough to have an ability to avoid the shutdown, Gates added. What COVID-19 symptoms look like, day by dayBusiness Insider Video Scroll back up to restore default view. The US has become the third-worst-hit country in the world, with nearly 600 deaths and nearly 50,000 confirmed cases reported across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and at least three US territories. Those numbers, however, are likely to climb as the US continues to ramp up its testing efforts which have been woefully behind those of other countries. In terms of testing, were still not creating that capacity and applying it to people in need, Gates said, according to CNBC, reaffirming earlier comments Gates made about testing in the US not being organized enough. More state and local governments have begun telling residents to remain in their homes in recent weeks, with one in three Americans now under stay at home orders. But Gates said the time to take such measures was back in January, according to CNBC. Gates also said that, despite a potentially disastrous impact on the economy, the shutdowns should last for six to 10 weeks, CNBC reported. That timeline echoes Gates previous comments about the steps other countries should take to contain the virus. On Monday, President Trump went on a Twitter spree urging the US economy to go back to business as usual within 15 days, despite most public health experts including Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the top officials on the Trump administrations coronavirus task force advising against lifting the containment measures to reopen the economy, predicting that the outbreak could last for several months. The current Canadian contingent arrived in Ukraine in October and was supposed to be replaced by a new group next month. The COVID-19 crisis has left 200 Canadian soldiers in Ukraine and their families back home in limbo as commanders weigh whether they should be replaced with new troops, kept in place for the time being or pulled out entirely until the pandemic subsides. Canada has had military trainers in the eastern European country since the summer of 2015, during which time they have instructed around 17,000 Ukrainian troops in the basics of soldiering as well as some advanced skills such as first aid and explosives disposal, The National Post, Canada's English-language newspaper, reported. Read alsoCanada imposes new sanctions on individuals involved in illegitimate elections in Crimea The mission was launched after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and unleashed armed aggression in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, which resulted in a war that has killed more than 10,000 and left tens of thousands more wounded and homeless. The current Canadian contingent arrived in Ukraine in October and was supposed to be replaced by a new group next month, but those plans are now up in the air because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian Armed Forces "is currently assessing whether the relief in place of forces will proceed as planned given the implications COVID-19 is imposing upon the force," Capt. Alexia Croizer of the Canadian Joint Operations Command told The Canadian Press in an email. "A decision by the CAF is expected shortly and will be communicated to members and families first and foremost." New Delhi: Spain is turning out to the next hotspot of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The death toll in Spain jumped by 738 overnight to exceed that of China, where the disease originated in late 2019. The global toll on Wednesday night (11:30 pm IST, March 25) reached 20,499 with total confirmed cases of 4,51,355, according to the Johns Hopkins University's latest graph. With 3,434 fatalities, Spain now has the second-highest number of coronavirus deaths globally after Italy's 6,820. Spain's medical facilities are under great stress as hospitals across the country have been overwhelmed by cases and a skating rink in Madrid has been turned into a makeshift morgue. Authorities started to carry out mass testing for public workers in a requisitioned fairground in Madrid, one of the worst-hit regions. Spanish medical staff, who themselves account for thousands of infected cases, have taken out lawsuits against the government, complaining of lack of basic protective equipment like masks, scrubs, and gloves, according to a Reuters report. The Spanish Armed Forces Chief Miguel Villarroya was quoted by Reuters as asking NATO for ventilators, protective gear, and testing kits. March 25 is Spain's Day 11 of a 15-day nationwide lockdown which is likely to be extended to 30 days to tackle coronavirus pandemic. Schools, bars, restaurants, and most of the shops are shuttered. Social gatherings are banned. People are confined to their homes. However, the infection rate is still soaring with the number of coronavirus cases increasing by a fifth in 24 hours to 47,610 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Italy's daily COVID-19 death toll shot back up Tuesday, but pieces of evidence have emerged that the coronavirus infection rate is slowing thanks to a painful national lockdown. Health officials across the ravaged Mediterranean country are poring over every new piece of data to see whether two weeks of bans and closures have made a dent in the crisis. Italy's 743 new deaths broke two days of successive declines that had taken the number down to 601 on Monday. It had set a world record of 793 fatalities on Saturday. But the rate of officially registered new infections was just eight per cent -- the same as Monday and the lowest level since Italy registered its first death on February 21. It had been as high as 50 per cent at the start of March, said a PTI report. The slowing contagion rate is offering a ray of hope in the midst of a global crisis that is deepening in parts of Europe and the United States. Scientists reportedly believe that countries such as Spain and France are following in Italy's footsteps with a lag of a few weeks. The numbers from the US are also similar to those of Italy's from about 20 days ago. Most other European nations and some US states have followed Italy's example and imposed their own containment and social distancing measures designed to stop the spread. Italy's daily deaths (7503) are still higher than those officially recorded in China (3163) at the peak of its crisis in Wuhan's central Hubei province. They are also higher than those seen anywhere else in the world. Most big global banks think Italy has already entered a deep economic recession that could be more severe than anything seen in decades. (With Agency Inputs) Mumbai, March 25 : Amid panic reactions in Maharashtra as the 2-day-long national lockdown began, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray assured the people of the state that the state had sufficient foodstocks. Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said later that the state had enough buffer stock of foodgrains for the next six months. The assurances came after the late-night mad scramble by people all over the state, especially in urban centres, to go and replenish home stocks as a 21-day lockdown was clamped from midnight. Even on Wednesday, many anxious citizens ventured out to buy essentials, but most returned disappointed from shops or markets as items were out of stock. Bhujbal also warned of stringent action of upto seven years' jail against anybody found hoarding or blackmarketing foodstuffs of daily use, besides streamlining the movement of essential goods and agro-produce to prevent shortages. In an address over social media, Thackeray said: "We have sufficient stocks of all essentials like vegetables, rice, grain and other items of daily use, and all shops selling these are also open." Attempting to lighten public mood, the CM added a dollop of humour to bring smiles to the gloomy and isolated audiences. "People ask me what I am doing during this lockdow. I reply: 'I listen to Mrs. CM' My advice, you also listen to your home minister (spouse)," Thackeray said, reiterating the need to always remain indoors for the next three weeks. Terming the Covid-19 pandemic a "war-like situation", he warned that in this, "we are not aware of the enemy, but it (Coronavirus) will attack us, so we must be doubly vigilant". In a silver lining to the ongoing pandemic, four Covid-19 patients - two in Pune and one each in Mumbai and Auranagabad - who have fully recovered were discharged. A team of doctors and others gave a warm send-off to the Pune couple - the state's maiden cases found positive after a trip to Dubai, besides one patient each from Mumbai and Aurangabad, with 10 others on the verge of discharge shortly. With the addition of 15 positive cases taking the state's toll to 122, the coronavirus has spread to around a dozen districts - one-third of the state's total - since the past couple of weeks. They include: Mumbai with 48 positive cases and 4 deaths till date, Pune 41, Thane 16, Sangli 9, Nagpur and Yavatmal 4 each, besides patients in Ahmednagar, Satara, Raigad, Palghar, Aurangabad and Ratnagiri. As many as 14,502 are presently in home quarantine and another 932 are in institutional quarantine around the state. Public Works Minister Ashok Chavan said his department has kept ready more than 22,000 rooms in government guest houses where around 55,000 isolation beds can be prepared to keep in quarantine. Meanwhile, on Maharashtra's New Year, Gudi Padva, many state leaders like Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, state Congress President Balasaheb Thorat and others celebrated at home. A visibly cheerful Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar was seen engaged in a game of chess with his grandchildren, but it was not known who was 'check-mated'. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) Airlines in Vietnam have suspended international services due to the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic across the globe. All international flights operated by national carrier Vietnam Airlines through the end of April have been canceled, a company representative said. Its last international service before the suspension landed at Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh on Wednesday morning. The airline will only operate domestic flights during the upcoming period. Similarly, Jetstar Pacific will halt the operations of all international routes until April 30. Bamboo Airways has also closed its only international route between Vietnam and South Korea. Vietjet Air has stopped all flights to Southeast Asian destinations, mainland China, Taiwan, South Korea, India, and Japan. The only international route the airline will operate is between Hanoi and Tokyo. However, flights along this route will only begin operations from March 31. The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 422,600 and killed more than 18,800 globally as of Wednesday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics. Vietnam has confirmed 134 COVID-19 cases, with 17 having already been discharged from the hospital. No death related to the disease has been recorded in the country. From March 21, all incoming travelers to Vietnam would be isolated for 14 days as part of more assertive measures to curb the epidemic. All citizens are now required to fill out health declaration forms when traveling on long-haul buses, trains, tourist boats, and domestic flights. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! If the desperate need for ventilators wasnt already clear, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo brought it to the nation in a speech aired widely Tuesday after the feds offered to send his state 400 of the breathing machines. What are we going to do with 400 ventilators when we need 30,000? Youre missing the magnitude of the problem, Cuomo said. Thats a big gap and theres a simple fix, some would say a hack, to multiply the number of lives docs can save. A few people around the world are working on it, among them, state Sen Saud Anwar, a pulmonologist at Eastern Connecticut Health Network, the hospitals in Manchester and Rockville. One ventilator, made to treat one patient at a time, apparently can still work with four patients at the same time with some quick, cheap plumbing work. It is, as one person called it, a modification right out of Apollo 13. Anwar knew about the technique, described in a paper by two doctors in 2006. As far as he knows, its only been used once in the United States, after the horrific mass shooting at the Las Vegas Strip on Oct. 1, 2017, when a gunman killed 58 people and wounded more than 400. Then in the middle of this month, one of the two who first wrote about the fix Dr. Charlene Irvin Babcock in Detroit posted a video showing how to do it. Anwar moved into action quickly and made it happen at Manchester Memorial Hospital, along with Marvin Bristol, a cardiopulmonary clinical educator at ECHN. The dry run test with four simulated lungs was last week and it went great, Anwar said Tuesday. We are truly building this airplane as we fly, he said. The technique has had some media attention in Detroit and in tech publications. Anwar, who has a large following on Facebook videos, and has been active online in the coronavirus crisis, put it out it out to his network, with as many as 16,000 views. Most hospitals are getting ready to do this. We are using each others experience, he said. Most hospitals may be a bit optimistic. Hartford HealthCare showed a similar technique in an online presentation Tuesday in which a respiratory therapist connected two people to a split ventilator. Gov. Lamont also referred Monday to 2-for-1 efforts. But four? A spokeswoman at Hartford HealthCare, parent of Hartford Hospital, St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport and several other hospitals in Connecticut, said thats not in the works. Likewise, Stamford Hospital isnt looking at a four-way split right now. It may well come to that. So far, the Connecticut hospitals have the ventilators they need to treat the patients they have. ECHN, for example, Manchester Memorial and Rockville General hospitals, has 16 ventilators. But as weve seen over the last three days, the patient numbers are rising fast. On Tuesday, Lamont said he has put out a call for hundreds of ventilators. Anwar, a Democrat from South Windsor who was mayor of that town before he was elected to the state Senate, is an early adapter and is spreading the religion of the 4-way split. Ive been guiding people how to do this, he said. One concern: The technique has not been tested on live humans. In the Las Vegas emergency, the patients didnt need long-term ventilation as they do if they have COVID-19 as one doctor pointed out in a story last week in Vice. Babcock said in that article in Vice, its probably better than nothing in dire circumstances. Anwar seems more confident it would work. One can get four patients on a single ventilator but it has to be done in an extremely focused manner, he said. The catch is that the four patients need to be of a similar size with similar illness and similar lung physiology. It looks simple in a video from Babcock, an emergency room physician at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit. Using three T-tubes and three adapters, tubes are multiplied from the exhalation and inhalation sides. Theres some worry about cross-infection, but the machine has filters to take care of that. The patients need to be heavily sedated, or medically paralyzed, and the tubes need to be the same length. The air flows in the path of least resistance, Anwar said. Will it solve the ventilator shortage crisis that we saw with tragic results in Italy, as doctors had to let people die for lack of machines? Not entirely, but if Connecticut can play a role in early adaption, so much the better. We hope its never needed. If the numbers happen the way epidemiologists warn half or more of the population getting COVID-19, 15 percent of all patients needing hospital care and many of these in intensive care the four-way split will save lives. The pulmonologists in our state and the critical care doctors in our state, they are going to be ready, Anwar said. dhaar@hearstmediact.com The worldwide spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and its associated respiratory disease COVID-19 proceeds at a highly dynamic pace. The Leopoldina has convened an interdisciplinary group of scientists to investigate the current situation. The resulting ad-hoc statement 'Coronavirus Pandemic in Germany: Challenges and Options for Intervention' discusses potential health policy options to counter the coronavirus pandemic in Germany. Measures taken by the German Federal Government and the German Federal States (Lander) to curb the ongoing coronavirus pandemic are urgently required at present and correspond to the threat posed by the pandemic. They consist of three elements: (1) containment of the epidemic, (2) protection of vulnerable population groups, and (3) capacity increase in the public healthcare system and in the public supply of critical goods and services. There is scientific evidence for the effectiveness and necessity of selected measures, while others are proposed on the basis of projections and political considerations. Top priority must be given to the development of drugs and vaccines. With this, medical ethics must be considered. The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina will support and accompany the readjustment and design of measures within the coming weeks in close exchange with the international scientific community. From a scientific point of view, a Germany-wide temporary shutdown (of approx. 3 weeks) with consistent physical distancing seems advisable at this time. Necessary and health-preserving activities must remain possible. All efforts in the next weeks and months should be directed towards making pharmaceutical interventions and protective measures available for the public, and towards assuring testing capacities for cases suspected of infection and for those persons entering the country. During the shutdown period, preparations must be made for the controlled and selective restart of public and economic life. By means of a temporary "shutdown", the working group discussed a stringent nationwide curfew until at least after the Easter holidays. At that point, the situation would have to be re-evaluated. This would not imply a work prohibition, a ban on purchasing food or even a ban on going for walks with the family. The goal is to make consistent use of home office, if possible. A disciplined spatial distance of 2 meters between people is also crucial, especially if they do not live in the same household. ### The detailed ad-hoc statement is available at: https://www.leopoldina.org/en/coronavirus Mame Yaa Aboagye, Deputy Communication Director of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described the NDC's response team formed by former President John Dramani Mahama as needless. To her the NDCs team will cause great confusion and unnecessary countering between government decisions and their own interest. She believes Ghanaians are already satisfied with the measures Government has put in place to deal with the threat of the novel Coronavirus disease. This is very dangerous and will cause the greatest confusion and the masses wouldn't know which one to believe, I dont remember NPP setting up any committee during the Ebola crisis so why response team now . . . do they really understand what they are doing? She rhetorically asked. She urged former President John Mahama to spare President Akufo-Addo and his government with their unnecessary interventions anytime he (President Akufo Addo) makes a serious statement concerning the fight against COVID-19. Mame Yaa Aboagye also doffed her hat for President Akufo-Addo for his rapid response and pro-activeness to curb the spread of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Background The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, has ordered the closure of Ghanas borders from Sunday, March 22, 2020. This is to help reduce further escalation of the Coronavirus infection rate in the country. Anybody who comes into the country, before midnight on Sunday, will be mandatorily quarantined and tested for the virus." He has also banned all public gathering including churches, funerals, and political rallies in the next four weeks due to the coronavirus disease. President Akufo-Addo noted that private burials and weddings are allowed but should just be for a few people at least 25. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video (Natural News) President Donald Trump has set a goal of April 12 Easter Sunday for restarting the economy, stating that hed like to see packed churches all over our country. In a briefing on Tuesday, the president said that he was already looking towards easing the advisories that have sidelined workers and led to an economic slowdown. State governors, who have continued to impose more restrictions in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus, arent as optimistic. Both Republicans and Democrats, who are either struggling with the outbreak or bracing for it, are apprehensive about Trumps Easter time frame for reopening the U.S. economy. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who heads the National Governors Association, stated that the White House was running on a schedule made up of some imaginary clock. He called their messaging confusing as most state leaders are still focused on enforcing restrictions, not on easing them. The governors reaction revealed a striking disconnect between the White House and the state leaders whore closer to the front lines of the outbreak. In most cases, its these state leaders and not the federal government, who are responsible for both imposing and lifting the various restrictions that are meant to stop the disease. The president, on the other hand, looked eager to get Americans back to work as the economy begins to wobble. According to Trump, the economic damage from the virus could be worse than the death toll. In addition, the president is planning to take another look at recommendations about business closures and social distancing as soon as next week. (Related: Major banks forced to close amid coronavirus outbreak.) Governors unwilling to take risks for the economy On Tuesday, New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo pleaded for more federal help as the number of cases in the state surpassed 20,000 with infection rates doubling every three days. I want to make a point on the presidents point about the economy and public health. I understand what the president is saying, this is unsustainable that we close down the economy and we continue to spend money. There is no doubt about that, no one is going to argue about that, Cuomo said. But if you ask the American people to choose between public health and the economy, then its no contest. No American is going to say, accelerate the economy at the cost of human life. Because no American is going to say how much a life is worth. Job one has to be save lives. That has to be the priority, he added. Even Republicans think that public health must come before the economy Even Republican governors, including Trumps usual allies, are continuing to move ahead with tighter restrictions on travel, mobility and commerce, regardless of what the president is saying. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey stated that public health needed to come first, while South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem stressed limiting business activity. Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has endorsed the stay at home orders that have been issued throughout the states largest cities. This situation is not going to be over in a week, said Noem, whose state has over two dozen cases. We have another eight weeks until we see our peak infection rate. Some of the messaging coming out of the administration doesnt match, added Hogan. We dont think that were going to be in any way ready to be out of this in five or six days or so, or whenever this 15 days is up from the time that they started this imaginary clock. Not all state officials disagree with the White House. One of those who publicly endorsed Trump was Texas 69-year old lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, who suggested Monday that people his age could take care of ourselves once Americans go back to work, even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified people over 65 to be at higher risk for the disease. Easter date is still very flexible Other officials working on the presidents coronavirus task force have pointed out that the Easter Sunday date isnt set in stone. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stated that the schedule was very flexible and that they would look at a day by day metric of which areas are getting better. The president himself stated that there was still room to adjust, depending on how the outbreak plays out. Trump also acknowledged that different areas of the country were hit worse than others, acknowledging that New York City was a very hot spot. He also stated that he would be looking at the farm belt sections out West, as well as rural areas in Texas. Trump also said that he would continue to consult with doctors and experts on the task force as Easter Sunday neared. Well only do it if its good and maybe we do sections of the country, the president stated. Sources include: APNews.com 1 APNews.com 2 BusinessInsider.com APNews.com 3 Breitbart.com Netizens in India on Tuesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modis 21-day challenge to fight novel coronavirus, saying if millions can participate in virtual online challenges that gives nothing in return, this is the biggest opportunity for the country to come out a winner against the deadly COVID-19 disease that has devastated the world. Modi announced nationwide three weeks lockdown starting from Tuesday midnight. All states and union territories will come under its purview. Folks, Let us take part in this 21 Days Challenge. The habit, for example, Yoga Practice, Reading, Writing Blogs, Cooking, and/or any creative ones. Are you ready? tweeted one user. Folks, Let us take part in this 21 Days Challenge The habit, for example, Yoga Practice, Reading, Writing Blogs, Cooking, and/or any creative ones. Are you ready? Please share and be part of this.#21Days #21DaysLockDown #21DaysChallenge pic.twitter.com/2t9xnW4Td3 Sai Amruth (@iamvsj) March 24, 2020 Another commented: Dont panic on essential items. They obviously will be exempted in the #CoronavirusLockdown. And India has more than enough supplies of all essentials. Relax & tell friends to relax about it. Dont panic on essential items. They obviously will be exempted in the #CoronavirusLockdown And India has more than enough supplies of all essentials. Relax & tell friends to relax about it.#CurfewInIndia#21daysLockdown pic.twitter.com/CiuHdgoa4Q chandrashmi (@chandrashmi1) March 24, 2020 PM Modi warned that if we dont follow a complete lockdown for the coming 21 days, the nation will go back 21 years and many families will be devastated. He also said many powerful countries in the world have become helpless, regardless of their efforts, reiterating that social distancing is the only way to deal with this deadly coronavirus that has infected more than 500 in India to date. PM has ordered a national #CoronavirusLockdown for 21 days. Lets be responsible for safety of our nation and family, said one social media user. A single biggest lockdown in the history for any country. Its a very bold step. And its need of the hour, added another. Modi later tweeted: Essential commodities, medicines etc. would be available. Centre and various state governments will work in close coordination to ensure this. Together, we will fight COVID-19 and create a healthier India. Even American social media users hailed Modi for the move, asking US President Donald Trump to do the same. Narendra Modi just shut down INDIA. 1.3 billion people. For 21 days. All the science says thats what you are supposed to do. And the US of course wont do it, tweeted a user. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) Former Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle will lead the Catholic faithful Wednesday in praying the "Healing Rosary for the World" in Rome as part of the Church's response against the COVID-19 pandemic. Tagle, who now serves as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Vatican, will lead the prayer at 9 p.m. (Philippine time) from the Pontificio Collegio Filippino, the Manila Cathedral said in a statement. "Because of the overwhelming response of Filipinos who joined our worldwide rosary, we are now initiating every Wednesday night the Healing Rosary for the World," the Church wrote on its Facebook page. The prayer event will be streamed live on Facebook, it added. The event follows the global prayer of the Lord's Prayer (Our Father) to be led by Pope Francis on Wednesday noon in Rome (7 p.m. in Manila) as intercession for all those affected by the infectious disease. The Pope is also expected to give a special Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) blessing on Friday (Saturday 1 a.m. in Manila) at the St. Peter's Square. The said blessing is usually given on Christmas Day and Easter. Italy has been the most coronavirus-affected European country, with over 69,000 cases recorded as of Wednesday. Globally, the disease has infected more than 417,000 people in 169 different countries including China, the ground zero of the pandemic. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 00:52:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China is ready to work with all other parties to step up coordination against COVID-19 and shore up confidence in the international community. Xi made the remarks during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of an extraordinary virtual summit of the Group of 20 (G20) leaders on a coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese president noted that Merkel has expressed to the Chinese side sympathies and support, and the German government and various sectors in the country have extended their helping hand in the early days of the outbreak in China, saying that the Chinese people will remember that in their hearts. Germany is now facing a serious challenge from the epidemic, and the Chinese people feel the same way, said Xi, adding that China firmly supports Germany in its fight against the epidemic and is willing to continue to provide assistance within its capacity. He also said that the Chinese and German experts have already had video exchanges, and German experts have also travelled to China with the World Health Organization expert team, adding that China is willing to share prevention, control and treatment experience with Germany, strengthen cooperation in vaccine and drug research and development, and contribute to the health and wellbeing of both peoples and global public health security. "May you lead the German people to overcome the epidemic as soon as possible," Xi said. Viruses know no borders and are a common challenge faced by humanity, Xi said, adding that no country can stay out of or be immune from the epidemic. In the battle against the outbreak, China and Germany, as well as China and the European Union (EU) have demonstrated the strength of solidarity and cooperation, and displayed positive energy, Xi said. Noting that the extraordinary G20 summit is about to be held, Xi said that the Chinese side is ready to work with all sides, including Germany, to step up coordination and speak with one voice to advocate the spirit of sharing the same boat and jointly fight the COVID-19 epidemic, so as to shore up confidence in the international community. He also proposed that all sides should give consideration to both the present and the long term, coordinate domestic effect and global impact, strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination, stabilize markets, ensure growth, promote employment and people's livelihood, and at the same time push for market opening to ensure openness, stability and safety of the global supply chains. Xi stressed that the two sides should continue to conduct key political agenda planning, further advance communication and collaboration in various fields, guarantee the stability of China-Germany, China-EU production chains and supply chains, and explore the potential for cooperation in emerging industries, so as to mitigate shocks caused by COVID-19. Unidentified gunmen and suicide bombers stormed a Sikh gurdwara in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 11 worshippers and wounding as many, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the country, according to a media report. The gunmen attacked the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. "At least 11 people have been killed and 11 others wounded in attack at Dharamshala, a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul," Tolo quoted a security source as saying. "Three attackers are still fighting with security forces and one has been shot. Foreign troops have also responded to the attack on Dharamshala, a Sikh temple in PD1," it said in a tweet. Kabul police said that at least 11 children have been rescued from the gurdwara. Sikh lawmaker Nardendar Singh Khalisa told reporters close to the scene that up to 150 people were praying inside the gurdwara when it came under attack. "Afghan forces have cleared the first floor of a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul, where suicide bombers are battling security forces," Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian was quoted as saying in the report. "A number of people have been rescued who were trapped inside the building," he said. The country's main militant group, the Taliban, has denied involvement in the attack. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the militant group had no link with the attack in Shor Bazar area of Kabul, Khama agency reported. Sikhs have been the target of attack by Islamist militants before in Afghanistan. Two years ago, the Islamic State group targeted a Sikh gathering in Afghanistan, killing 19 people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Aahana Kumra says the conversation around consent is louder than ever today, with many even in the industry understanding it better post the #MeToo movement. The movement, which began in Hollywood, gained momentum in India in 2018, with women calling out comedians, journalists, authors, actors and filmmakers. Aahana says with many who were outed in the movement facing the music, people are now careful with their behaviour. "I think they people in the industry understand consent better post #MeToo and now more so. After a lot of people have been kicked in the b***, now they're careful and understanding. When no one talks against it, you know there's nothing to fear about. But the minute people start talking, there's fear," Aahana told PTI. The actor says while the awareness and fear has definitely kicked in, there are still places where consent is disrespected. "There are lots of places where there's no consent, a lot of the people feel this is the way to get ahead and may be I have to succumb to a certain pressure. If you really believe you're good at your work, there's nothing which will come in between you and your work." The "Lipstick Under My Burkha" star says consent is such a tightrope and a sensitive issue, she's happy at least there's a conversation about it today. "Movies, web content, these are great platforms for people to understand that 'hey, this has happened with me too, how have I not spoken about this earlier.' It is because you're not aware or feel you're alone in this battle, not realising the whole world is with you." The actor is currently seen on the drama-thriller "Marzi", which streams on Voot Select. The show chronicles the story of dinner date between a surgeon, played by Rajeev Khandelwal, and a school teacher (Aahana) which turns ugly when the former is of accused of rape the next morning. For Aahana, playing the role of a woman torn apart by the trauma and who battles to tell her side of the truth was emotionally exhaustive. "For the two months that I was shooting, I was so unpleasant as a person. Actors who go through such characters really come out strong because when I was shooting for this, I found myself isolated at most times. When you're shooting for a series or filmunlike theatreyou have to give several takes and to do that multiple times. "Emotionally, it takes a toll on your mental health. I often found myself angry and frustrated but by the end of the day I'd also feel fulfilled when the scene turned out well." Official adaptations of the hit series "Liar" starring Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd, the series is written by Radhika Anand and directed by Anil Senior. The 35-year-old actor said she had loved the original and jumped at the opportunity to star in the adaptation as there was immense scope for her to perform. "There are very few shows, especially for women, which make you go through something so intense. Not just web, but also on-screen, which push you to the limits. I thought Sameera's character in 'Marzi' is going to push me and it did exactly that. "I had to take workshops to prepare for this as it was something I had never been through. To understand what the character was going through, I had to break free of patterns which as actors you sometimes get stuck in. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Overview of the Joint Research KAWASAKI, Japan, Mar 25, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., and Quantum Benchmark Inc. of Canada today announced that they will conduct joint research on quantum algorithms using Quantum Benchmark's error suppression technology as they aim to advance the capabilities of current generation quantum computing platforms.Quantum Benchmark, a startup founded by leading researchers from the University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing, is the leading provider of software solutions for error characterization, error suppression, and performance validation for quantum computing hardware. In this collaborative research project, the companies will develop practical quantum algorithms utilizing Fujitsu's AI algorithm development technology as well as its knowledge gained through Digital Annealer(1) applications in finance, medicine and material development. Quantum Benchmark's patented True-QTM software system, which enables optimal performance of current hardware, is a key to this development.Accordingly, Fujitsu Laboratories and Quantum Benchmark will endeavor to solve problems in the fields of materials science, drug development and finance that are intractable to solve with conventional computers.Issues and Development BackgroundQuantum computers are expected to be able to perform a new form of computation by harnessing fundamental properties of the quantum world, such as entanglement and superposition. This is often explained by invoking the idea that they can process both 0 and 1 at the same time, and the continuum of states in between 0 and 1. This advantage comes by performing calculations using quantum bits, called "qubits", which is unlike conventional computers which process conventional bits, that can be only 0 or 1.However, quantum bits are fragile and highly vulnerable to errors and noise, and as time goes on, the effects of noise add up, making the quantum calculation results inaccurate. Since calculations for pharmaceuticals and materials are time-consuming, there is a need to develop error-suppression methods enabling algorithms to overcome the effects of noise.Outline of the Joint Research1. Research PeriodApril 2020 to March 2021 (planned for extension after April 2021)2. Roles and ResponsibilitiesFujitsu Laboratories Ltd.- Development of quantum algorithm for applications such as quantum chemistry and machine learning- Development of performance analysis technology for quantum algorithm in simulationsQuantum Benchmark Inc.- Support implementation of the company's True-QTM error diagnosis technology on current quantum computing platforms- Support implementation of quantum algorithms on current quantum computing platforms- Support custom specific error suppression strategies and performance evaluation for quantum algorithms on current quantum computing platformsFuture PlansFujitsu Laboratories and Quantum Benchmark will expand the scope of their joint research beyond finance, drug discovery, and materials, as they plan to develop quantum algorithms to be implemented in quantum computers for various applications which could not be solved with conventional computers. The companies aim to demonstrate new applications on a 100+ qubit quantum computer by 2023.(1) Digital Annealer Fujitsu's new quantum-inspired architecture that can rapidly resolve combinatorial optimization problemsAbout FujitsuFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 132,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (Code: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.0 trillion yen (US $36 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.About Fujitsu LaboratoriesFounded in 1968 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. is one of the premier research centers in the world. With a global network of laboratories in Japan, China, the United States and Europe, the organization conducts a wide range of basic and applied research in the areas of Next-generation Services, Computer Servers, Networks, Electronic Devices and Advanced Materials. For more information, please see: http://www.fujitsu.com/jp/group/labs/en/.About Quantum BenchmarkQuantum Benchmark is the leading provider of software solutions that enable error characterization, error suppression, and performance validation for quantum computing hardware. The company is led by a team of the world's top research scientists and engineers in quantum computing with the mission of enabling quantum computers to solve real-world problems. Quantum Benchmark is venture-backed, with headquarters in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada. For more information, please see: quantumbenchmark.comFujitsu LimitedPublic and Investor Relations Divisionhttps://bit.ly/3bnZOnfQuantum BenchmarkKatherine BellPhone: +1-519-574-3189E-mail: info@quantumbenchmark.comSource: Fujitsu LtdCopyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. [March 25, 2020] Lucy Security Launches Free Online Resource to Help Remote Employees Stay Secure To address the security risks caused by employees working from home due to COVID-19, Lucy Security, a global provider of cybersecurity training and services, today announced the launch of a free, open educational platform WorkfromHome. The new website offers free professional videos, courses, checklists, quizzes and other teaching materials on safer ways to work from home. Lucy will host a webinar on Thursday, March 26 at 10am CT, moderated by Hacking for Dummies author Kevin Beaver, to introduce the new educational platform. "Our team has seen a tenfold increase in phishing emails since early March," said Colin Bastable, CEO of Lucy Security. "It's no surprise that bad actors are taking advantage of the COVID-19 situation to prey on distracted and unprepared workers. Lucy wants to actively address this acute need for education by giving people free, immediate access to helpful training tools and information." Many companies hav put in place the infrastructure to work remotely, but employees are still unsure how to use private vs. public tools and utilities. Research shows that ninety-seven percent of successful attacks involve some form of social engineering, and over 90 percent start with a phishing email. The FBI recently issued a Public Service Announcement warning citizens of fraud attempts through fake CDC emails and phishing schemes. Lucy's new WorkfromHome platform helps employees identify phishing emails (including new COVID-19 phishing scams), address common BYOD issues such as security, privacy and data protection, and problem solve technical challenges connecting to the Internet. You can access Lucy's new educational platform at https://workfromhome.education Register here for the 30 minute WorkfromHome webinar on Thursday, March 26 at 10am CT. About Lucy Security Founded in 2015, Lucy has transformed the real-world ethical hacking experience of its founder into a comprehensive security training solution that provides a 360o view of an organization's security vulnerabilities. To date, more than 9 million users have been trained in 9000 installations worldwide. Lucy continues to earn numerous industry awards, including the 2020 ISPG Award for Best Cybersecurity Education and Training, and the 2020 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards for Best Anti-Phishing and Best Security Education Platform. The company is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland with U.S. operations in Austin, TX. For more details, go to www.lucysecurity.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005206/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Disbursement also dropped by 6.6% year-on-year to US$3.85 billion, data as of March 20 has shown. In the first quarter, Vietnam licensed 758 foreign-invested projects worth a total of US$5.5 billion, mainly thanks to a US$4 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant in the southern province of Bac Lieu. Such an investment made Bac Lieu the largest recipient of foreign investment and power generation the most attractive industry during the period. Additional pledges to existing projects and capital contributions and share purchases saw steep declines to US$1.07 billion and US$2 billion, respectively. With power generation occupying the top place, manufacturing was the second most attractive sector with US$2.72 billion, followed by wholesale and retail with US$682 million. Ho Chi Minh City was the second largest recipient of foreign investment with over US$1 billion while the southern province of Tay Ninh came third with US$506.8 million. A breakdown of investors shows that Singapore made the largest investment in Vietnam in the January-March period with US$4.54 billion, followed by Japan and China with US$846.7 million and US$815.6 million, respectively. As of March 20, there were over 31,600 active foreign-invested projects in the country with total pledges of US$370 billion, of which 58.3% had been disbursed. He found it difficult to give any exact dates when the service could resume. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko doesn't rule out a subway shutdown extension. "The Kyiv Metro has suspended the transportation of passengers on March 17. Preliminary until April 3. But we have been monitoring the situation. If the virus spreads with such dynamics in future, the restrictions will continue to be in effect," he said at a briefing on anti-coronavirus measures on March 25, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Read alsoMayor Klitschko: Kyiv may see US$35.6 mln in loss over coronavirus The mayor said he could not give exact dates when the Kyiv subway resumes its service, as it depends on the coronavirus situation in the city. According to him, the subway was closed in Kyiv simultaneously with the cities of Dnipro and Kharkiv in keeping with a government decision. Such a measure was introduced in many European cities, he added. "We must limit social contacts as much as possible, protect people's health and life as much as possible. Therefore, today I cannot tell you the re-opening date of the Metro," he added. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, requesting them to facilitate the evacuation of devotees stranded at Nanded Sahib gurdwara. Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Singh posted two letters written to Shah and Thackeray respectively. In the letter to the Home Minister, Singh requested him to consider evacuating the people from Nanded through special trains or flights at the earliest. "I am writing to draw your urgent attention to the issues of around 2000 pilgrims from Punjab who had gone to pay obeisance at the historic gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded in Maharashtra," Singh wrote in the letter. Due to the cancellation of trains some days back and the nation-wide lockdown, there is no possibility of their being brought to Punjab without special approval of the Government of India, he added. The State government has already taken up the matter with the Ministry of Railways to allow plying of special trains to evacuate these stranded pilgrims. "Our officers have been in touch with the District Administration of Nanded and I have also written to CM, Maharashtra for making suitable interim arrangements for their lodging in Nanded," he added. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday confirmed that five people from a family in Sangli and four others from Mumbai tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total count to 116, which is the highest in any state of the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced an order Tuesday closing many businesses and directing residents to stay at home, save for grocery trips, errands and some exercise, to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner took pains to say the Stay Home, Work Safe order was not a shutdown or lockdown. Those terms are better reserved for other emergencies, like hurricanes and mass shootings, they said. What does the order mean for your daily life? Here are answers to some of your questions. When does this start? The order took effect at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday and will remain in place through April 3, aligned with Gov. Greg Abbotts orders closing Texas schools and many businesses. Similar orders have been announced in Dallas County, Bexar County and San Antonio. Several dozen states and several countries have issued similar policies. Can I still leave my home? Yes. You still may go to the grocery store, run other critical errands and even go to the park though the playgrounds there will close. Restaurants, too, will continue operating drive-through and take-out services, so you can continue to pick up meals, too. If you work in an essential business, you still are allowed to travel to your job. Still, officials asked residents not to crowd the parks and said people must maintain a 6-feet distance between themselves and others. Can I see my friends and family? All private gatherings outside of a single living unit are prohibited. Technically, you still are allowed to visit friends or family members. Again, public health officials and elected leaders have asked people to practice restraint. The idea behind the policy is that social distancing and isolation will reduce the risk of spreading the disease to a point where hospitals and emergency rooms are overwhelmed. What businesses must close? The order says all non-essential businesses must stop operations at their facilities, though employees can work remotely if able to do so. Large swaths of industry and businesses, though, were lumped into the essential category and exempted from the order, including grocers and those in the energy and healthcare industries. Others include transportation, financial services, government, news media and information technology. Construction can continue, Hidalgo said, and so can childcare facilities. Among the businesses ordered to close: gyms, fitness or recreation centers, swimming pools, hair and nail salons, spas, licensed massage businesses and tattoo parlors, concert halls, live performance theaters, arenas, stadiums, movie theaters, game rooms, bowling alleys, arcades, indoor/outdoor flea markets, swap meets, indoor malls/shopping centers and bingo halls. Among the businesses allowed to continue: grocery stores, liquor stores, restaurants (takeout and drive-thru only), warehouse and furniture stores, big box stores, auto supply and auto or bicycle repair shops, businesses that provide food, shelter or other necessities of life to otherwise needy people, and more. Where can I read the full order? You can read the full order on the countys website at readyharris.org/stay-home. I dont see my job or business included in the order. Am I essential? Email the county at stayathome@cjo.hctx.net with any questions or requests for clarification. Is this just like Dallas order? The language of the Harris County order matches the Dallas County order in almost every sentence, though Harris County went further when it came to exempting businesses. Among the businesses deemed essential here that were not included in the Dallas County policy: Furniture suppliers, food production (including the production of canned goods, bottled beverages, etc.), yard and maintenance crews, housekeepers, janitorial staff, and pool cleaners; adult care facilities; vehicle manufacturers (and related supply chain businesses); car dealerships; Uber, Lyft, taxis and other vehicles for hire; labor union activities; and insurance and real estate services. With all of these exceptions, has anything really changed? The order enshrines many policies that largely were in place the governors order effectively closed gyms and massage parlors, for example, and many concerts and events with crowds already were canceled before Hidalgo ordered concert halls and stadiums closed. While there are wide-ranging exceptions, the order takes some aggressive new actions. The mandate that churches and other religious congregations cannot hold in-person services, for one, marked a significant change. Still, some wondered if the order went far enough. Tomorrow should be different, just to the extent that folks abide by it, Hidalgo told the Chronicle. The message, in many ways, is the same: Stay home. But we know weve had a lot of people out and about that dont need to be. So, this is us being very clear. This is not a pretty please anymore. What happens if I, or someone in my house, contracts the coronavirus? The entire household will be ordered to isolate itself, and members will not be able to go to work, Hidalgo said. Will police arrest me for being outside? In short, no. Hidalgo said law enforcement will have some discretion in enforcing the order, but reiterated that it is not a lockdown. It is not illegal to be outside. We are not a police state, we are relying on folks to do their part. I trust that they will, Hidalgo said. If folks are willingly violating the order in a way that puts people at risk, then we will work with law enforcement. But I really believe, and I trust, that folks will comply, because this is about the health of all of us. The order allows for a fine and up to 180 days in jail for people who are prosecuted, Hidalgo said. Staff writer Mike Morris contributed to this report. If you have a question youd like answered, email it to dylan.mcguinness@chron.com, and well seek answers for you. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has penned a letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has warned of a 'mass foreign buy-up' as Australia's economy crashes amid the coronavirus crisis. She issued the warning in a letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison amid growing concerns about the coronavirus panedmic. 'Our unemployment numbers are surging, our stocks have been knee-capped, housing prices are set to fall, and our dollar is weakened which places Australia in the most vulnerable position we have seen for a very long time,' she said. 'I wont tolerate China or any other country coming in here and buying Australia up for a song, leaving our people without a say.' 'Whats happening right now in this country and right across the globe should be a wakeup call to all politicians, stop allowing the sell-off of our industries and manufacturing and start investing in ourselves. Water, manufacturing, industry, agriculture, and jobs for Australians.' In 2018, Foreign Investment Review Board Chair David Irvine estimated critical infrastructure transactions totalling more than $40bn had been approved in just three years. Senator Hanson said approval was being granted too freely and was not keeping Australians' best interests in mind. 'Between 2007/08 and 2017/18, the Foreign Investment Review Board reviewed almost 12,000 applications and rejected just five,' she said. 'How can the FIRB, which has one permanent employee and a handful of part-time members, give proper consideration to the sale of so many Australian assets? 'It cant and therefore they arent looking out for the best interest of all Australians and need to be stopped.' She added that Australia's reliance on other countries for goods while selling its own, was responsible for crushing the economy amid the crisis. 'The faith the Liberal and Labor parties have placed in globalisation has been shown up as a failure off the back of this pandemic,' Ms Hanson said. 'Whats happening right now in this country and right across the globe should be a wakeup call to all politicians, stop allowing the sell-off of our industries and manufacturing and start investing in ourselves. Water, manufacturing, industry, agriculture, and jobs for Australians.' It comes as coronavirus-induced lockdowns have forced thousands of businesses to close across the country. Senator Hanson has predicted foreign investors will snatch up Australian properties if house prices drop during an economy slump induced by the coronavirus pandemic Retail, hospitality, transport, personal services, arts and recreation industries have suffered major job losses as government regulations have cracked down on the use of non-essential services. These five industries make up for 3.3million jobs - or 26 per cent of total employment in Australia. Earlier this week, Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus warned Mr Morrison that two million jobs could be lost in two weeks under the current restrictions. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'The severe downturn already occurring in those sectors is sufficient to cause a major recession (destroying 1-2 million jobs in coming weeks),' she said in a letter to the Prime Minister on Wednesday. The Federal Government has introduced two supplement packages this month with a combined total of $189billion in a bid to soften the blow of the economic downturn. The first supplement announced on March 12 will provide a one-off payment to welfare recipients of $750, designed to stimulate economic activity. On March 22, a second cash injection was set-up allowing those facing unemployment to access various Centrelink benefits as well as payments for small businesses to assist with loans and to hold on to their staff. Bracing for a recession, the government has said that more supplement packages can be expected to roll out in coming months. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Prime Minister's Office for comment. More details of the new scheme and some issues arising from it On ConservativeHome today, we provide a link to the Governments new NHS Volunteer Responder scheme, as announced yesterday. Matt Hancock said that 250,000 recruit are sought: people in good health to help the NHS, for shopping, for the delivery of medicines and to support those who are shielding to protect their own health. Volunteers whose applications are accepted will apparently be divided into three categories. First, Community Response volunteers, who will collect shopping, medication or other essential supplies for someone who is self-isolating, and delivering these supplies to their home. Second, Patient Transport volunteers, who will support the NHS by providing transport to patients who are medically fit for discharge, and ensuring they are settled safely back in to their home. Third, NHS Transport volunteers, who will help to transport equipment, supplies and medication between NHS services and sites. We wish the scheme well, though it gives rise to some health-related questions, and some broader ones. The Government is instructing people to stay at home, and there is specific guidance on social distancing, self-distancing (for those who may be infected by the Coronavirus) and shielding (for especially vulnerable people). That first set of instructions takes into account providing care and helping vulnerable people, but there are obviously potential issues in terms of the health of volunteers for the new scheme, and therefore for those that the scheme is intended to help. Volunteers must be 18 or over, and fit and well with no coronavirus symptoms. But as John Redwood wrote on the site recently, there are considerable unknowns about the virus: knowledge is still imperfect about how long it can be in someone before symptoms show, how it is transmitted, why it is sometimes very dangerous but normally not for a younger healthy person, whether it can be caught twice by the same person, and whether someone does build immunity to it by having it. It is surely possible to have a healthy, fit adult who has the virus but is displaying no symptoms. So he or she may infect others if not careful. Similarly, it is possible that some of those that these fit, healthy adults will help will themselves have the virus. It may be argued that healthy, fit adults will both get the Coronavirus and then get over it. But some will be living with or be in contact with other people that are also vulnerable. Furthermore, as Liam Fox pointed out on this site yesterday, there is a large proportion of the population, including younger patients, who may contract the disease and who, although they are more likely to survive, may still require hospitalisation. This could have a severe impact on the capacity of the NHS to cope particularly if it resulted in admission to already overstretched ICU services. So the volunteers will ideally need protective equipment, but it is reported that there is a shortage. If this is so on the front line for doctors, it will be even more so for volunteers. The Community Response Volunteers will not always be able to leave shopping or equipment at the door. Some of those they are helping will be severely disabled, or will have complex needs. The Patient Response Volunteers will be assisting those who are medically fit for discharge, but it is arguable that some may still be infectious. The NHS Transport volunteers will be visiting places and facilities that are hotbeds of the virus, so they will need to be especially careful. None of this is intended to undermine the scheme (were we seeking to do so, we would not be publicising the application form), but it is important to ask these questions and others, and to clarify some of the main issues. It is also worth noting that face-to-face contact wont always be necessary: those in higher-risk groups (including those over 70, those who are pregnant or with underlying medical conditions) will be able to offer support by telephone. Furthermore, volunteers will be given additional employment safeguards so they can leave their main jobs and temporarily volunteer in the event of a UK epidemic. The scheme will be delivered by Royal Voluntary Service, and will clearly criss-cross with the work of local councils, other charities and voluntary groups. Thats inevitable under these testing circumstances. As ever, some councils are proving more go-ahead than others, and as an example we pick out a perhaps obvious one Westminster City Council. The Coronavirus Information and How you can help sections of its website are easy to find. There is advice on how to set up a local group of volunteers, and much else. A final word that looks back, though not all that far. If all this isnt David Camerons Big Society, we dont know what is. Boris Johnson was lambasted for his slow action on coronavirus testing today after it emerged he made an extraordinary plea for research labs to lend the government crucial kit as recently as Sunday. The premier was accused in the Commons of dragging his heels over the crisis amid a growing backlash over the UK's testing capacity, with jibes that he should have made the request 'months ago'. But in bruising exchanges at PMQs, Mr Johnson denied he had U-turned on the approach, insisting it had been a priority for 'weeks'. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other experts have been warning that mass checks are crucial for keeping the spread of the killer disease under control. Countries like South Korea and China have been praised for their wide-scale testing regimes, which seem to have helped limit cases. However, the UK shelved efforts to test everyone with symptoms earlier this month, when the response moved into a 'delay' phase. Instead people who thought they had the illness were urged to self-isolate unless their conditions became so severe they needed medical help. Jeremy Corbyn (right) accused Boris Johnson (left) in the Commons of dragging his heels over boosting coronavirus testing capacity In bruising exchanges at PMQs (pictured), Mr Johnson denied he had U-turned on the approach, insisting it had been a priority for 'weeks' Labour frontbencher says NHS workers should get tests like Prince Charles A Labour frontbencher has insisted that NHS staff must get coronavirus tests like Prince Charles. Shadow Commons Leader Valerie Vaz made the point as she sent her best wished to the Royal in the chamber this afternoon. In exchanges with counterpart Jacob Rees-Mogg, she said: 'Can I start by wishing Prince Charles a speedy recovery and our gracious sovereign who is also in self-isolation. 'It was good that Prince Charles was able to have a test. 'A lot of our frontline staff don't have that test. 'I wonder if the Leader could ensure I know the PM said earlier that he wants to protect the NHS could he do all he can to ensure that tests are available to them.' Advertisement Amid criticism, Mr Johnson then declared last week that there would be a big expansion of tests from under 5,000 a day to 25,000. Ministers now hope a test could be ready soon that does not need to be processed in a lab and will give results much more quickly. At PMQs, Jeremy Corbyn highlighted the email sent by Downing Street to research institutes on Sunday, which was leaked to Politico yesterday. 'Why wasn't this done weeks ago, if not months ago, when the government was first warned about the threat of a global pandemic?' the Labour leader said. 'And what action is now being taken to get testing machines?' Mr Johnson replied: 'He is quite right that testing is vital to our success in beating the coronavirus. As the Health Secretary has explained many times, we are massively increasing our testing campaign, going up from 5,000 to 10,000 to 25,000 a day. 'In answer directly to his question this has been a priority of this government ever since the crisis was obviously upon up for weeks and week.' Mr Corbyn also demanded to know when all healthcare staff will get the PPE equipment 'they absolutely desperately need'. Mr Johnson responded: 'He's absolutely right to raise this issue and I know this has been a concern and we had a long meeting on it this morning, but I'm assured that not only are the stocks there now, the Army is now distributing the supplies to all the NHS staff, all the hospitals that need it and in the last 24 hours, they have distributed 7.5million pieces of equipment.' The message sent to research institutes on Sunday asked to borrow expensive equipment currently needed to carry out tests. 'We urgently need to scale up testing. There is only a limited supply of these machines, so the PM is making an urgent appeal for you to lend us your machine(s) for the duration of the crisis,' the email reportedly said. 'We will meet all expenses and assume all liabilities and requirements associated with the use of these machines for this purpose. We undertake to return or replace the equipment when the emergency is over. We would very much like to collect any machines you have tomorrow (Mon 23) or Tuesday.' An accompanying letter from Mr Johnson said 'there are no machines available to buy' and asked the institutes to cooperate 'in the national interest.' He added: 'if you have any staff who are experienced in using the machines that would also be very helpful.' A source told Playbook 'It's great that they are ramping up testing. But it should have been done weeks ago. This is costing lives every day.' Government sources have denied that the letter was the first time officials had been in touch with labs. Trade Union of Croatian Journalists and Croatian Journalists Association regret that the measures proposed by the Government to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic crisis do not include the media. (originally published on www.snh.hr) We would like to reminded that since the last crisis in 2008, the number of journalists employed has almost halved, and we believed that the Government, aware of this, would propose measures to protect the people whose importance is shown in these difficult times and who are exposing to danger in order to serve the public. Therefore, we asked the Ministry of Culture for measures for journalists and the media: first and foremost, in addition to financial relief or delay for entrepreneurs or publishers, guarantees that are firmly in place to secure job preservation, and to ensure that there will be no layoffs of full-time media employees, no cancellation of co-operation with external associates or freelancers, or reduction of salaries for full-time employees, as well as other employment rights. However, we do not see such guarantees in the proposed measures. The action measures neither provide any relief for freelance journalists in order to give them tax reliefs, nor do they accept the proposal on the possibility of sick pay for part-time associates in case of coronavirus infection. We also demanded that the process of awarding funds secured through the European Social Fund be accelerated, but also to immediately publish a call for tender for the second tranche, the remaining HRK 15 million, and the announcement of payment of funds to the publishers who are beneficiaries of the Fund for the Promotion of Pluralism. This is not a novelty but contractual obligation and regular payment to those who received these funds in the tender in 2018. We do not know what the conversion of these funds means, and it is unclear how it would be distributed. In conclusion, we believe that the Government needs to cover the media sector with current measures in order to save jobs and those who play one of the most important roles in society in the current crisis. Journalism in the health and economic crisis caused by coronavirus epidemic is more needed than ever. The functioning of vital public services from healthcare, through supply, to the financial system and the personal sphere of citizens lives depends directly on timely and verified information, while spreading misinformation can make all crisis scenarios much more difficult. The mass media today has the ability to quickly get to every screen, every isolation or quarantine. However, news is not generated in self-isolation or solely by searching the internet. Quality reporting cannot be ensured without a press presence at numerous crisis sites. This includes increased exposure of reporters to the coronavirus. Therefore, Trade Union of Croatian Journalists and Croatian Journalists Association ask the Government of the Republic of Croatia to provide safeguards and rapid testing for the presence of coronavirus for all journalists, photojournalists, cameramen and technicians on assignments. Should a general quarantine be declared we request that all journalists, all photojournalists and their technical staff who have a proper press card of their media, or a press card from CJA, Union or IFJ be allowed to move freely. Media outlests, but also journalists, photojournalists and other media workers have not yet recovered from the negative effects of the 2008. global economic crisis, and are expected to be further affected by the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The assumptions are that advertising revenues of media companies, which are already ending up in the hands of global digital companies, will now decline further, which will again threaten the liquidity of commercial media, and thus journalists and all media employees. We are extremely concerned about the circumstances and the future development of the situation, which could again lead to the extinguishing of the jobs of journalists and other media employees and the devastation of the media, in particular small and local and independent, non-profit media. Given that there is a problem in the media sector of the unregulated rights of freelance journalists, we express particular concern about their fate, aware that in most media they may be the first to be hit by the effects of the coming crisis, either through layoffs or through stagnantion of new engagements. We recall that, according to the National Media Report (Ministry of Culture 2015.), the global economic crisis of 2008. affected the long-term crisis in Croatian media, which called into question the exercise of the Constitutions guaranteed rights to freedom of expression and the democratic function of the media. From 2008. to 2012., media employment was down 25 percent from 12,500 to 9300 workers. Furthermore, while the decline in the number of employees in the Croatian economy in 2013. was 16 percent compared to 2008., media activities recorded 29 percent drop in employment over the same period, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. According to the same source, the number of journalists reporting in writing decreased by 53 percent at the same time. Such a large decline in journalistic employment has resulted in a decline in media production, media awareness and erosion of previously unprecedented journalistic standards, as warned, according to the National Media Report (2015.), by media workers themselves. From 2004. to 2014., the Croatian Employment Service recorded 5206 entries of media workers into the unemployment register. Given into consideration the announcement that the coronavirus crisis may have lower revenues, the state could respond by providing entrepreneurs in this case, media publishers with certain financial relief or delays, we are asking the Croatian Government to provide for every form of assistance and financial relief to media companies firm and exclusive bound in a clear, written, contractually defined obligation by a media company to guarantee that during the crisis and at least one year after the use of state aid, there will be no layoffs of full-time media employees, as well as cancellation of cooperation with external associates, ie freelancers and freelance journalists. We also ask that financial relief measures be firmly linked to media owners, with the obligation not to reduce salaries for full-time employees and the fees of external associates and freelance journalists. We also request that institutions not only provide measures for companies in action plans and measures, but also freelance journalists must be included in such measures, so that they can be further relieved of taxation, allowing them tax deferrals and benefits, at least up to one year after an epidemic has passed. It is also necessary to provide financial incentives and measures that would allow employers to pay permanent freelancers or freelancers and freelance journalists a remuneration of at least 70% of the monthly contract fees previously paid, or 70% of the last paid fee, in case of need for self-isolation or treatment from COVID-19 for a total of up to three months. We believe that tax breaks can be one possible solution, another may be the creation of a special national payment fund not only for journalists but also for other professions where part-time work is common. Finally, as of 2017., freelance journalists (as well as other professions in which such a form of work is possible) pay contributions, therefore, health insurance contributions, and are not entitled to sickness benefits, and in that case they would lose income. In addition, given that in 2016. the third of media sector (which grew in the post-crisis period) was devastated by the disastrous decisions of the then Ministry of Culture administration, the new crisis would completely destroy it. We are therefore asking the Government to expedite the process of awarding funds (HRK 15 million) secured through the European Social Fund (ESF) for the Community Media Program, but also immediately call for proposals for the second phase of the same program, ie for the remaining 15 million HRK, also secured through the ESF. Furthermore, given into consideration the announcement by the Electronic Media Agency that they will accelerate the disbursement of funds to the beneficiaries of the Fund for Promoting Pluralism and Diversity of Electronic Media, we are requesting that the Agency announces a new two-year call for funds allocation in the third quarter of 2020. Maja Sever, president of Trade Union of Croatian Journalists Hrvoje Zovko, president of the Croatian Journalists Association Maharashtra on Wednesday witnessed a subdued celebration of Gudi Padwa, which marks the beginning of New Year in the state, as people stayed indoors in view of the national lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. IMAGE: A girl dressed in a traditional attire holds a placard for social awareness on COVID-19 as she celebrates Marathi New Year (Gudi Padwa), during a nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, at Girgaon in Mumbai. Photograph: Kunal Patil/PTI Photo Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a tweet in Marathi to greet people of Maharashtra for the festival. "People of Maharashtra are celebrating Gudi Padwa. I wish them success, happiness and good health. May all their wishes be fulfilled this year," he tweeted. Gudi Padwa is the first day of the month of Chaitra and marks the beginning of the New Year as per the Hindu calendar. People hoisted the traditional 'gudi' -- made of a bright cloth adorned with brocade (zari) tied to the tip of a long bamboo stick and a silver or copper pot placed in the inverted position over it -- in their balconies and windows. IMAGE: Residents dressed in traditional attire celebrate Gudi Padwa, during the nationwide lockdown in Mumbai. Photograph: Kunal Patil/PTI Photo But, they could not garland the gudi with flowers, mango and neem leaves as flower shops were shut and markets wore a deserted look. People were also not able to put up the traditional 'toran', a garland of marigold flowers, on their house doors. They also gave a miss to the other traditional ritual of tasting sour 'neem chutney', as markets were closed. The Gudi Padwa processions were also cancelled. Police maintained a tight bandobast to prevent people from crowding the markets. IMAGE: Residents offer prayers as they celebrate Gudi Padwa during the nationwide lockdown. Photograph: Kunal Patil/PTI Photo A medical store owner in Vile Parle area said five of his 27 staff members live nearby, but the police did not allow them to reach the shop. "I have given them passes with stamp of the medical shop which says emergency service. But, the police are not even seeing the passes and forcing them to go away. My staff cannot cross the highway. I am going to the police station now," he said. Despite the lockdown, many people were seen going for morning walk while wearing face masks. Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari appealed to people to welcome the New Year while staying at home in view of the unprecedented situation prevailing in the state and the country. He said the success of the government's efforts depends on complete cooperation of people. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI Some Muskegon and Oceana area school districts have expanded their distribution of free meals for children during the coronavirus shut down of schools until at least April 14. While many school districts are offering grab-and-go meals at designated times and locations, some have developed a delivery meal distribution system along the schools bus route. All meal services are available for children under the age of 18 and students with disabilities ages 18-26 in an active IEP (Individualized Education Program) who either reside in or attend the district. In Muskegon County, an estimated 17,000 students receive breakfast and lunch at school. Gov. Whitmer is committed to ensuring that Michigan students have access to the food they need during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Press Secretary Tiffany Brown in a released statement on behalf of Whitmers office. "Under the governors executive order, K-12 school food services are considered critical infrastructure and should continue. The governor deeply appreciates the vital work that our frontline school employees are doing every day to ensure that our kids have the food they need while the order is in effect. Statewide list of meal sites: How to find free lunch for Michigan kids with schools shut down Many West Michigan school districts are offering meal pick-up at multiple locations. Below is a list of when and where families can find free meals for students over the coming weeks: Fruitport Community Schools When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10-11 a.m. Where: Student parking lot of Fruitport High School, 357 Sixth Street, Fruitport MI 49415; Shettler parking lot; Clover Estates clubhouse, 3239 Clover Pkwy, Muskegon, MI 49444; Country Estates clubhouse, 14700 State Rd, Spring Lake, MI 49456; Crockery Trailer Park by laundry building, 13251 State Rd, Nunica, MI 49448; Broadway Baptist Church parking lot, 2680 S Oak Ln, Muskegon, MI 49444 Hart Public Schools When: Wednesdays at noon Where: Crystal Valley Pour House, 7203 N 126th Ave, Hart, MI 49420; Fenton Trucking, 5655 W 5th St, Mears, MI 49436; Spitler Elementary School, 302 W. Johnson St, Hart MI 49420 Holton Public Schools When: Tuesdays from noon-2 p.m. Where: Meals will be delivered to the homes of students. Families can sign up for meal delivery service through this form and more information can be found at https://www.holtonschools.com/ Mona Shores Public Schools When: Lunch provided Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Dinner provided Wednesdays from 5-6 p.m. Where: Mona Shores High School parking lot, 1121 W Seminole Rd, Norton Shores MI 49441 Montague Area Public Schools When: Tuesdays and Fridays from 10a.m.-noon. Where: Montague High School, 4900 Stanton Boulevard, Montague MI 49437; Rothbury Village Hall, 7804 S. Michigan Avenue, Rothbury MI Muskegon Public Schools When: Meals delivered along bus routes starting at 11 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays Where: At bus stops throughout district. Exact stops of bus route can be found on the Muskegon Public Schools Facebook page here Drivers will deliver meals as well as needed school supplies and worksheets. Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System When: Meals delivered along bus routes starting at 11:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays Where: 2-3 meals will be delivered to students along the schools designated bus routes with 42 bus stops throughout the district. Door-to-door service will be available for special needs students. More information can be found here Oakridge Public Schools When: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Where: Egelcraft Mobile Home Park, 2129 Arrowhead Dr., Muskegon MI 49442; Apple Carr Village, 516 Courtland Lane, Muskegon MI 49442; Maple Island Estates, 7321 White Road, Muskegon MI 49442; Bus loop of Oakridge High School 5493 East Hall Road, Muskegon MI 49442; Holiday Park, 5700 Vine Ave., Muskegon MI 49442; Jibson Immanuel Baptist Church 7960 Evanston Ave., Muskegon MI 49442 Families who are unable to pick up meals from designated sites can email mcorbit@oakridgeschools.org or call 231-788-7525 to request free delivery or other special accommodations. More information here Orchard View Schools Meals will be distributed every Tuesday from 1-2 p.m. at the following five locations: Quail Meadows, 725 Meadow Lane, Muskegon, MI 49442; Arlington Woods, 3785 Evanston Ave, Muskegon, MI 49442; Eastwood Apartments, 2243 E Apple Ave B, Muskegon, MI 49442; Parkwood Apartments, 924 Shonat St, Muskegon, MI 49442; Salvation Army, 1221 Shonat St, Muskegon, MI 49442 Orchard View is partnering with Kids Food Basket to serve sack supper meals to K-5 students from 11 a.m.-noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Adult Education School, 2900 East Apple Ave., Muskegon MI 49442. Ravenna Public Schools When: Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Where: Ravenna High School, 2766 S Ravenna Road, Ravenna MI 49451 Reeths-Puffer Schools When: Wednesdays from 9-11 a.m. Where: Reeths-Puffer High School, 1545 N Roberts Rd, Muskegon MI 49445 Week worth of cold meals will be available for pick-up according to students last names. Students with last names A-L can pick up meals at the schools Roberts Road north entrance, and students with last names M-Z can pick up meals at the Giles Road parking lots. Shelby Public Schools From 10-11 a.m. at Oceana County Early Learning Center, 568 North Oceana Dr, Hart, MI 49420 From 9:30-10 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 5631 Stony Lake Rd, New Era MI 49446 From 9:30-11 a.m. at Shelby Middle School, 525 N State St, Shelby MI 49455 From 9:15-9:45 a.m. at Barnett Station Shelby, 64 S Michigan Ave, Shelby MI 49455 From 10:45-11:30 a.m. at The Ladder Community Center, 67 N State St, Shelby MI 49455 Walkerville Public Schools When: Monday-Friday from 10-11:30 a.m. at school and again from noon-12:15 p.m. at church Where: Walkerville Public Schools, 145 E Lathrom St, Walkerville MI 49459; Bitely Community Church, 1078 N Bingham Ave, Bitely MI 49309 Whitehall District Schools When: Tuesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.-noon Where: Whitehall Middle School, 401 Elizabeth Street, Whitehall MI 49461; Lakewood Club Village Hall, 6681 Automobile Road, Twin Lake MI 49457 MLive has complete coverage on coronavirus COVID-19, including maps of known cases, at mlive.com/coronavirus. PREVENTION TIPS Michigans State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips: What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases: Always cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve. Stay home if you are sick and advise others to do the same. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if soap and warm water are not available. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (computers, keyboards, desks, etc.). Its not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season. For statewide and national information on the virus, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus. More on MLive: Sign up for free text messages about the most important updates on coronavirus in Michigan Wednesday, March 25: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigan health centers get $2.5M in federal grants for coronavirus response Amid a surge in the number of cases, the government has allowed private hospitals to begin admissions of patients with suspected COVID-19 infection. So far, private nursing homes were only allowed to collect throat swab samples for suspected patients and advise them to home quarantine while waiting for the results. While the threat of community transmission looms large, the government has asked the private healthcare centres to identify separate isolation wards to treat patients with coronavirus infection. However, inspite of the government's approval, private hospitals still need Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) green signal to start the treatment of COVID-19 positive cases The centre has also asked hospitals to divide medical staff into two groups so that if one group gets infected, other can work. The biggest challenge before private hospitals is air-conditioning as infection can spread through AC ducts, according to medical experts. So far, Uttarakhand is the only state that has allotted 25 per cent of beds for COVID-19 patients in private hospitals. Yesterday PM Modi sanctioned Rs 15,000 crore to boost healthcare system in order to fight coronavirus epidemic in the country. According to ICMR, coronavirus cases have jumped to 539 and 11 people have died due to it, as of March 25, 10 AM. Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Yoga, exercise no shield against coronavirus, says PM Modi Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: Will banks remain open? Also read: Coronavirus update: Railways suspends services till April 14; assures automated refund of tickets PAWTUCKET, R.I., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PMG Inc., the nation's leading full-service revenue cycle management company dedicated exclusively to FQHCs and CHCs, announces its newest Provider Enrollment & Credentialing client, Shalom Health Care Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. PMG's comprehensive suite of services PMG is providing Shalom Health Center with services including confirmation of the enrollment status of all providers with all payers that have existing contracts, management and maintenance of all organization and provider participating status, alerts of provider certification and licensing renewal dates, and weekly status updates for applications submitted. "The team has been extremely wonderful to work with!" said Andy Nino, CFO of Shalom Health Care Center. PMG Co-Founder Robert Skeffington shared his excitement about the relationship, saying, "The services Shalom Health Care provides are vital to the community, and we are proud to support their mission. Our goal is to ensure that every provider is eligible to bill and be paid for services rendered by Shalom Health Care Center." About Shalom Health Care Center Shalom Health Care Center is a federally qualified health center operating two primary care clinics and 25 school-based clinics in Indianapolis, Indiana. They focus on providing quality, professional primary care services to the communities they serve, and also conduct public outreach through special events to promote health and raise awareness about the services they offer. For more information about Shalom Health Care Center, please visit: https://www.shalomhealthcenter.org/ About PMG PMG offers revenue enhancement solutions built especially for CHCs. These solutions include full-service revenue cycle management and provider enrollment and credentialing. PMG has served the FQHC market for over 20 years, and we share an understanding of your complex billing and reimbursement world. PMG has produced increased revenue for every one of our revenue cycle clients. Why shouldn't you be next? For more information about PMG's services, please visit: https://www.gopmg.com/ SOURCE PMG, Inc. Related Links https://www.gopmg.com/ Two persons who had come in contact with a 38-year old man, who returned from Qatar after contracting coronavirus and died last Sunday, have also tested positive for the virus, taking the number of positive cases to six in the state late Wednesday evening. The two - a 35-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy - tested positive after their samples were sent to Patnas Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS), said its director Dr Pradeep Das. The state authorities had sent a medical team to Munger to track all those who came in contact with the 38-year old man from that town. The team had taken oropharengyeal (nasal swab) samples of the family members as well as those who had come in contact with the man. Das said the two samples, which tested positive, had come from a hospital in Munger. The two did not have any travel history. Earlier, a 29-year old man from Patna who returned from Gujarat, had tested positive on Tuesday. He has been kept in the isolation ward of the Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH), which has now been converted into a special hospital for Covid-19 in Bihar. Follow coronavirus live updates here. Sources said the Patna resident, who came to the city on March 9, initially underwent treatment at a private health facility before being referred to the NMCH on March 22. His sample was sent for test to the RMRMIS on March 23. The other two Covid-19 cases are of a 45-year old woman and a 25-year-old man both from Patna. While the woman, whose son had returned from Italy earlier this month, is undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Patna, the man who returned from Scotland, is at NMCH. According to a health bulletin released by the state health department earlier in the day, 275 samples had been tested of which 268 were negative, while two samples were rejected and one result was awaited. The number of coronavirus positive cases across the country rose to 606 on Wednesday. Kourtney Kardashian has shared some happy throwback photos from before she was stuck at home self-isolating and homeschooling her three children. The 40-year-old took to Instagram on Tuesday with some bikini pics from a recent extended family trip to momKris Jenner's Palm Spring's home. The Poosh proprietor shared the shots were taken on a disposable camera and featured both her kids and sister Kim Kardashian's children too. Hot mama: Kourtney Kardashian set pulses racing on Tuesday when she shared a series of throwback bikini photos 'Palm Springs disposable,' she captioned. Kourtney set pulses racing in her new bikini photos. She stunned in a barely there blue two-piece from Heart of Sun Swim and styled her dark hair back and accessorised with some shades. Stunner: Kourtney accessorised with a wide brimmed hat and pair of shades Bonding time: The mom-of-three was even joined by her youngest son, Reign, five, for some shots Kourtney posed with one foot in front of the other in front of the large pool and picturesque setting. She was later seen laying on a sun bed in a red bikini alongside her youngest child, Reign, five. Reign was dressed in his swimming trunks for a pool day with his siblings and cousins. Cousins: Joining Reign was sister Penelope, seven, and their West cousins, North, six, Saint, four, and Psalm, ten-months. Mason Disick, 10, nor Chicago West, two, were pictured Sweet: Penelope was seen showing her maternal side with baby Psalm Joining Reign was sister Penelope, seven, and their West cousins, North, six, Saint, four, and Psalm, ten-months. Mason Disick, 10, nor Chicago West, two, were pictured. Kourtney joked she was the home-school PE teacher on Monday. And Tuesday saw her share more photos from her outdoor adventure with daughter Penelope. The mother-daughter duo were dressed to match in pink as they pushed a stroller that their Pomeranian sat in. Cutie! Re1ign posed up a storm in his swim trunks Mom and daughter time: Tuesday saw her share more photos from her outdoor adventure with daughter Penelope Kourtney's walk saw her appear quite calm and collected, very different to how she acted in the new Keeping Up With The Kardashians trailer. The Poosh founder was seen in a physical fight with her younger sister Kim, hitting and slapping her across the face. She goes on to call Kim a fat a** and say: 'I will f*** you up, you literal c***.' Keeping Up With The Kardashians returns on E! on Thursday night at 8 pm ET. When it comes to fondant modelling, there are few food artists in the world who can even hold a candle to Zhou Yi, Chinas famous Sugar King. His amazing sculptures are so incredibly detailed that even though theyre edible, they definitely qualify as too good to eat. The first time we featured Sugar King on Oddity Central was in early 2018, just after he blew everyones minds at the International Cake Competition, where he and his team managed to win three gold medals and one bronze, with an incredible cake featuring an awe-inspiring fondant sculpture of Empress Wu Zetian, the only female ruler in Chinas history, as a young woman. It was so detailed that judges could literally count her eyelashes. He was the first Chinese artist to get a gold medal, and even though he was already very popular on Chinese social media, his fame grew even more after being featured in national and international news outlets. Photo: Zhou Yi/Sugar King Zhou Yi claims that he didnt do very good in middle school and high school, so teachers didnt particularly like him. But just because he didnt like studying didnt mean he couldnt find a career, and he somehow managed to find his way in life pretty quickly. He started studying dough modelling under master Wang Long, and discovered that he was really good at making dough figurines. It proved a lucrative skill to master, but despite making more than enough money from it, he eventually got bored with it. Photo: Zhou Yi/Sugar King As a young man, Zhou Yi got bored of recreating the same traditional dough figurines that people wanted to buy; he wanted to do something new, and fondant allowed him to do just that. About a decade ago, the young Sugar King arrived in Suzhou and discovered that fondant was much better suited for modelling into intricate sculptures. However, it took a lot of trial and error to get the material just right. He would work late into the night, fall asleep on the floor, get up and start working again. But it all paid off in the end. Photo: Zhou Yi/Sugar King The major breakthrough came when Zhou managed to shape the fondant into a delicate sheet about as thin as paper, which he could use to create his models clothes, hair and delicate details. He opened his own shop, started posting the result of his work online, and soon Sugar King became a famous brand in China. Today, he is considered not only one of the most talented artists in his home country, but in the whole world. Photo: Zhou Yi/Sugar King Zhou Yis handmade masterpieces sell for small fortunes, and he has legions of online fans who cant get enough of his intricate creations. To pass down the art he learned from Wang Long, as well as his own secrets, the Sugar King has opened his own dough and fondant modelling school. Photo: Zhou Yi/Sugar King Photo: Zhou Yi/Sugar King Photo: Zhou Yi/Sugar King Wetherspoons workers are upset at the lack of support from founder Tim Martin (Jonathan Brady/PA) Wetherspoons workers have described founder Tim Martins lack of support for his chains 40,000 employees as absolutely outrageous. The company closed all its pubs on Friday after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered sites to shut until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Martin sent a video to all staff on Monday evening, telling them he will pay employees until the pubs last opened, but there will be no further payments until the Government fulfils its promise to cover 80% of the wages of workers affected. Today, Tim Martin sent us a video of himself seemingly at home with a drink of something, whilst his staff are left wondering if their jobs are safe. This is our response. #Coronavirus #lockdown #Spoonstrike #TimMartin pic.twitter.com/OXmpeRjo9r SpoonStrike (@SpoonStrike) March 23, 2020 An anonymous student who worked part time for the company told the PA news agency: Its absolutely outrageous. The thing with Tim Martin is that bad press doesnt make him change his tune as he knows that people will always go to Wetherspoons because of the low prices. I do think though that people need to see that he has contacted his staff and not once mentioned staying safe or our health. In Mr Martins video, he suggested staff should find employment elsewhere while the pubs are closed. The consensus is that its just a big slap in the face and that hes acting like its a hard time for himFormer staff member at Wetherspoons He also sent updated information about the companys bonus scheme which was due to be paid out on Friday saying no payments will be made until the reopening of the pubs. The anonymous student said: The consensus is that its just a big slap in the face and that hes acting like its a hard time for him whilst hes sitting on millions of pounds and the majority of us are struggling as we are weekly paid. So to be told that basically we have to wait until the end of April to see any money, when he could very easily cover our wages until then at the very least, is so insulting. Shannon, 23, who has a young child and is pregnant with her second, and also has heart problems and asthma, was a full-time employee but is worried about the livelihood of her young family. Wetherspoons will not pay staff bonuses, which are due on the last Friday of every month, until the pubs reopen (Handout/PA) She said: Im seen as in the high-risk/vulnerable category, I wouldnt get many people employing a pregnant woman in normal circumstances never mind just now. Without my regular weekly pay, itll be almost impossible to keep my house going. It also stops me preparing for a new baby, which is a massive stress as it is, as Ive had a lot of health problems during my pregnancy. I now have to work out what to do to fund for myself and my child. The company said it believes its actions are responsible and sensible in the difficult circumstances and criticised a complete misinterpretation of what Wetherspoon said in press reports. Wetherspoons closed all their pubs on Friday until further notice (Tim Ireland/PA) Wetherspoons spokesman Eddie Gershon said: Wetherspoon sent a video by the chairman Tim Martin, a letter from chief executive John Hutson and other information to all employees. In those communications it made clear that all employees would get paid this Friday for all work carried out until the pubs shut. After that, the company would utilise the Government furlough scheme, which pays 80% of wages, details of which are in the course of being finalised between licensed trade representatives and the Government at the present time. As we understand it, tens of thousands of hospitality workers and others have already lost their jobs, but Wetherspoon is retaining all its employees, using the Government scheme for the purpose for which it is intended. The chair of an academic advisory group which had its recommended strategy to curb COVID-19 rejected by the federal government says there is no perfect solution to the pandemic and those in power should be trusted to make hard decisions during the unprecedented crisis. A 22-member team from the Group of Eight universities called for a rapid, sweeping and costly lockdown to pave the way for a national recovery once the crisis abates, having been convened following a request from Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy. Senior medical academic Shitij Kapur says government decision makers face a complex and unprecedented task. The government has been criticised for resisting the more hardline lockdown and on Tuesday Professor Murphy said the Group of Eight advice was "very seriously considered" but noted the conclusions were not unanimous and the government wanted measures that would be sustainable long-term. He said "harder measures" might be required if community transmission increased. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country was facing both health and economic crises and cautioned against rushing into hardline measures because of the potentially "great toll on people's lives, not just their livelihoods". The wraps have now officially been taken off of a newly redesigned Google Podcasts app UI on the way for Android. For reference, thats the same UI thats appeared in previous reports across the web, delivered alongside a couple of brand new features. Google is delivering the changes to Apples iOS first, this time around. Androids update is scheduled to follow shortly. Google started its redesign by centering interactions around a new bottom-bar interface. When launched Google Podcasts will greet users with an explanation of the new UI, comprised of three tabs. Those include a Home, Explore, and Activity tab. The new home page UI is nothing like the previous iteration. It primarily showcases subscribed podcasts and content. Advertisement Subscribed podcasts themselves are portrayed in a carousel of thumbnails at the top of the page for easy access. Google has moved the prior home page UI, including For you, podcast categories, recommendations, and top podcasts to the new Explore tab. Thats denoted by a magnifying glass-icon and is also where users will find search capabilities. Brand new features are part of this Google Podcasts UI redesign The new Activity tab, meanwhile, houses the interface one of several new features. The first of those greets users immediately upon switching to the tab. Thats the new Your queue feature. Now, with Google Podcasts, users are able to arrange and line up several podcast episodes to watch in succession. Thats as opposed to being forced to watch podcasts one-by-one as in the old interface. Podcast episodes can be added to the new queue via a playlist-style icon comprised of horizontal lines and a plus button. That shows just beneath the title and description for a given episode just next to the play button. Advertisement The Activity tab also provides the essentials for managing downloads, history, and subscriptions. Setting aside the new tabbed UI, Google Podcasts users are getting a couple of other new features too. Google placed each of those in the Settings of the app, tucked behind a tap on the three-dot menu button. The first has been around for some time but is getting a wider rollout. Namely, thats the ability to toggle automatic downloads of new episodes for subscribed podcasts. But Google went a bit further here too, in terms of new episode notifications. Advertisement After the update, users can enter Settings to set up which podcasts will notify them of new episodes. Each subscribed podcast has its own toggle switch, turned off by default. So users can individually choose which podcasts to be notified about. No update needed This is the first major update the Google Podcasts app since the company began surfacing personal recommendations in-app in December. As with that prior update, users shouldnt need to do much to get the latest UI or features either. Instead, Google is rolling out the changes on the server-side. That means that there wont be any need to be on the lookout for an update for the app on the Google Play Store. Android users should see the updated interface automatically appearing sometime this week. YEREVAN, 25 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 25 March, USD exchange rate up by 0.50 drams to 495.93 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.25 drams to 537.74 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.11 drams to 6.40 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 12.98 drams to 593.38 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price down by 1,305.66 drams to 25602.91 drams. Silver price up by 17.98 drams to 217.24 drams. Platinum price up by 982.63 drams to 10906.05 drams. LONDON (Reuters) - British supermarket Sainsbury's said on Wednesday it would help its smaller suppliers during the coronavirus emergency by paying them immediately and making finance available. The country's supermarket sector is facing unprecedented demand during the outbreak as consumers stock-up fearing a prolonged period of isolation, while schools, pubs, cafes and restaurants have been forced to close. Sainsbury's, Britain's second largest supermarket group after Tesco , said its assistance to smaller suppliers will help them to increase production volumes quickly so they can meet customer demand. "We want to support our suppliers and partners because it is vital that we all help each other during this challenging time," said commercial director Paul Mills-Hicks. The group said it will pay nearly 1,500 suppliers who have less than 100,000 pounds ($119,450) annual turnover with it immediately. Earlier this month, Morrisons , the No. 4 player, did similar. Sainsbury's said it would also support suppliers with vital cash flow where needed. The group is also extending its help to tenants and concession partners. As a first step, it is offering all tenants the opportunity to pay rent on a monthly basis as opposed to quarterly in advance. (Reporting by James Davey, Editing by Paul Sandle) Despite the world including India pinning the hope on anti-malaria drugs to treat serious COVID-19 patients, Nevadas governor has ordered to ban use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat new coronavirus patients.(Xinhua/Wang Ying/IANS) Image Source: IANS News Despite the world including India pinning the hope on anti-malaria drugs to treat serious COVID-19 patients, Nevadas governor has ordered to ban use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat new coronavirus patients.(Xinhua/Li Rui/IANS) Image Source: IANS News New York, March 25 : Despite the world including India pinning the hope on anti-malaria drugs to treat serious COVID-19 patients, Nevadas governor has ordered to ban use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat new coronavirus patients. The governor's executive order came after US President Donald Trump termed the drugs as a potential treatment for treating the illness, reports NYPost. A man in US state of Phoenix died and his wife was in critical condition after taking "an additive used to clean fish tanks called chloroquine phosphate, similar to the drug used to treat malaria". According to the governor, there was no consensus among experts or doctors in the US state that the drugs can treat people with the COVID-19 disease. New York hospitals have federal permission to give critically-ill patients a cocktail of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin on a "compassionate care" basis. Trump touted anti-malaria drug Hydroxychloroquine as a possible gamechanger in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, with "very very encouraging results" in early testing. Trump said in a White House briefing last week that he is directing the US Food and Drug Administration to fast track anti-viral therapies for treating patients with COVID-19. The FDA, however, said it has not approved the anti-malaria drug yet to treat new coronavirus disease. The National Task Force for Covid-19 constituted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) this week recommended the use of anti-malaria drug hydroxy-chloroquine to treat the Covid-19 disease in high-risk cases. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 Trend: The mobile operator has refilled balance of doctors and healthcare personnel struggling with coronavirus. Azercell Telecom LLC, the leading mobile operator of the country, has implemented next social responsibility initiative in the struggle against coronavirus (COVID-19)pandemic. This time, the company provided communication support to healthcare staff who selflessly fulfill their duties by risking their lives in the fight against coronavirus in various hospitals and quarantine centers. Thus, Azercell, making no distinction between its subscribers and the subscribers of the other two operators, uploaded AZN 50 to the balance of over 600 medical workers currently at service. The amount can be used for all services allowed by modern mobile communication (on-net / off-net / international calls, SMS, mobile internet). It is worth noting that the list of healthcare workers was submitted by the Management Union of Medical Territorial Units (TBIB) under the auspices of State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance. Notably, the mobile operator allocated 2 million manats to the Fund to Support Fight Against Coronavirus, established by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated March 19, 2020 to contribute to the preventive measures against COVID-19. Azercell is the first mobile operator, which has provided free calls to the Hotline service of the State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance (1542). At the same time, the company uploaded the amount of AZN 50 to the balance of active roaming subscribers who are currently in the countries with limited transport conditions with Azerbaijan. Moreover, Azercell, in cooperation with Regional Development Public Union (RDPU), presented holiday gifts to 5728 low-income families. The project aimed to support the state's social isolation measures to prevent and combat the spread of coronavirus infection. Also, Azercell subscribers gained an opportunity to donate to the Fund to Support Fight Against Coronavirus via Mobile Payment. Furthermore, the mobile operator offered its subscribers aged above 65 an opportunity to benefit from Azercells customer services without leaving home promises. Paid mobile customer services will be provided free of charge for this group of people. Thus, only in necessary cases, such as SIM-card replacement, the issues will be solved by visiting the premises of the citizens. Azercell Telecom LLC intends to continue such initiatives to support our society further on. For more information, please contact [email protected] The leader of the mobile communication industry, the largest taxpayer and the biggest investor of the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. Currently, 4.8 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Mobile operator controls 49% of market share; while its geographical coverage constitutes 99.2% (excluding the occupied territories); and population coverage 99.8%. Azercell was the pioneering mobile operator to introduce a number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, mobile internet services, 24/7 call center service (*1111), 7/7 Front Office service, Azercell Express offices, M2M services, technology and pilot version of 5G, mobile, online customer care services and customer services through social media, mobile e-signature service ASAN Imza etc. Rapidly increasing network of Azercell covers nearly 60 regions of the country, including Baku and Absheron peninsula. According to the results of mobile network quality and wireless coverage mapping surveys by international systems, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan. Azercell is the only company in Azerbaijan and CIS region which has been awarded Gold Certificate of International Investors in People Standard. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Wahyoe Boediwardhana (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya, East Java Wed, March 25, 2020 18:27 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d63160 1 National COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,Surabaya-Mayor-Tri-Rismaharini,surabaya Free The city administration of Surabaya in East Java has made public a map displaying COVID-19 cases down to the subdistrict level to increase peoples awareness about the need to protect themselves. Surabaya Communication and Information Agency head M. Fikser said the city administration had decided to do so to warn the public not to take the pandemic lightly. This is a serious issue. We don't wish to make the public panic, we just hope the public becomes aware that this issue requires the publics active participation to overcome it, Fikser told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. The data of people under surveillance (PDP) and patients under treatment (ODP) as well as patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 in each subdistrict of the city can be accessed through the website lawancovid-19.surabaya.go.id. ODP is the governments classification for people who have traveled recently in infected regions or have come in contact with confirmed COVID-19 patient but do not show any symptoms. The PDP status is given to people who already have symptoms typical of COVID-19 and are under medical care but whose status needs to be confirmed through a test. Read also: Lockdown already in place? NGOs question governments physical distancing policy Surabaya released the map after the East Java provincial administration released its own version of the map, which places Surabaya in the red zone. On March 24, the map showed that 134 people in Surabaya were under observation, seven patients were receiving treatment and 23 tested positive for COVID-19. These people were found across 77 subdistricts in 28 districts of Surabaya. Fikser explained that the data was to be updated by 6 p.m. every day. If the Central administration sends us an update after 6 p.m, we will add it to the next days update. The deadline for uploading national data is at 4 p.m, provincial data is at 5 p.m and regency or city data is at 6 p.m, he said. Surabaya Legislative Council deputy speaker Reni Astuti lauded the Surabaya administration for its transparency with regard to the spread of COVID-19 in the city. She expressed hope that the people would be more diligent in protecting themselves after seeing the map. Read also: COVID-19 spreads among Indonesian government officials We encourage the dissemination [of information] through the map, because it helps the public, Reni said. The Surabaya administration has conducted various measures to stem the transmission of COVID-19, including by using drones to spray disinfectant across the city. Authorities have also extended school holidays and installed hundreds of hand-washing stations. Moreover, the city has prepared a special building in South Surabaya equipped with 30 beds to isolate patients showing mild symptoms. They also installed disinfection chambers at two arrival terminals of Juanda International Airport in Surabaya. These chambers will be upgraded to a tunnel system to speed up the screening procedure for arriving passengers. The administration has postponed three planned events to commemorate Surabayas 727th anniversary Rujak Uleg Festival, Cak & Ning Pageant Grand Final and Surabaya Vaganza which had been scheduled to take place on April 5, 9 and 12, respectively. (dpk) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 20:38:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Construction has resumed on 65 airport projects across China, representing more than 80 percent of the country's airport projects under construction, according to the civil aviation authorities. Among which, 27 airports are the national major airport projects, said the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Airports are key public infrastructures that sustain the continuous and fast growth of China's civil aviation industry. By the end of 2019, China had a total of 238 civil airports. Civil aviation industry is playing its role in the country's fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak, carrying medical professionals and emergency supplies to the virus-hit regions. Meanwhile, the industry faced huge challenges, especially in the air freight sector, due to the reduction of international and domestic flights. China will take further steps to boost the country's international air freight capacity to stabilize supply chains, the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Tuesday. Premier Li stressed that the development of an international logistics and delivery services system must be accelerated to uphold the smooth running of the industrial chain. "We must facilitate both international and domestic air transport services, and keep up our international air freight capacity to avert potential shocks to the supply chains and facilitate the restart of business operations," he said. Existing airports will be modernized and better equipped with cold-chain and parcel sorting facilities, and new airports mainly serving freight needs will be developed, according to the meeting. Enhancing air cargo capacity has been a highlight of the new round of airport renovation and construction. In newly approved airport construction plans of the CAAC, the designed annual cargo capacity of airports in Kunming, Chongqing and Xiamen will each exceed 1 million tonnes. The newly opened Beijing Daxing International Airport is expected to handle more than 2 million tonnes of air cargo in 2025. Major air hubs in Shanghai and Guangzhou will also gain enhanced air cargo throughput capacity. Iran used home-made Fat'h 14 radar system to intercept intruding F-18, media speculate Iran Press TV Tuesday, 24 March 2020 6:14 PM Footage has been released of how the Iranian Army's air defenses locked in on an intruding F-18 fighter jet approaching the country's southern waters and decisively warned it off, prompting military experts and media to speculate about which Iranian radar system was used to intercept the warplane. In the video, the Boeing F-18 Super Hornet is seen receiving several warnings from the Iranian air defenses before changing course and turning away from Iran's southern airspace. The Iranian forces warned the fighter jet that if it maintained its course toward Iran's airspace, it would be targeted by the country's air defense missiles. The footage, which was recently released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), dates back to the first day of the Iranian New Year (started on March 20). Iran's air defense base in the south located near the port city of Bandar Abbas runs a range of radar systems monitoring the skies in that corner of the country, but observers believe the video of the incident appears to have been captured by Iran's domestically-built radar system, dubbed Fat'h 14 (Conquer 14). The interception has a high technical and psychological operation value given that the fighter jet has been detected overnight by the Iranian Army's Air Force, which is equipped with different types of electronic warfare systems, the Persian service of Russia's Sputnik news agency reported on Tuesday. Fat'h 14 radar system, unveiled in 2015, has a range of 600 kilometers and can detect small airborne targets at a high altitude. High agility and swift connection to command and control network are among other features of the semiconductor radar. It is resistant to electronic warfare and is regarded as the best radar for missile systems. The intruding jet reportedly belonged to the US military. Washington has not commented on the reports, but the incident happened just days after The New York Times reported that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had recently pushed for a "tough action" against Iran while the country was busy battling a new coronavirus outbreak. In June 2019, Iran's air defenses shot down the advanced US-made RQ-4 Global Hawk over Iran's territorial waters off the coastal province of Hormozgan after the unmanned aircraft breached the country's airspace on a spying mission. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address TOKYO, Mar 25, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) and Sharp Corporation (TSE: 6753) have agreed to create a joint venture by combining NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (NDS), a subsidiary of NEC, with Sharp.NDS and Sharp are two market-leading brands in the production and development of visual solutions. The Sharp-NEC joint venture will allow both companies to build upon their strengths and address the visualization needs of their global customers.NDS is widely recognized as a leading global provider of visual technology and digital signage solutions for a variety of markets. With a comprehensive, solution-oriented portfolio and reputation as a provider of high-quality displays, NDS has a strong worldwide presence with a large number of global customers.Like NDS, Sharp is a worldwide developer of innovative business products, including professional and commercial displays, and advanced technologies like next-generation 8K-Ultra High Definition monitors."NEC offers one of the broadest visual solutions portfolios in the industry, and with a consultancy-led sales approach, NEC is recognized as a trusted advisor and total solutions provider," said Hisatsugu Nakatani, President, NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. "This joint venture between Sharp and NEC Display Solutions will bring even greater value and benefits to customers and partners by extending our state-of-the-art product portfolios together with a range of professional service offerings. Sharp and NEC Display Solutions follow the same strategic approach to the future of visual solutions, focusing on superior customer satisfaction enabled by high-quality products, sales leadership excellence and committed relationship building.""The combination of Sharp's and NDS' international strengths is mutually complementary," said Fujikazu Nakayama, Senior Executive Managing Officer, Sharp Corporation and BU President, Business Solutions BU. "We expect this agreement to result in a wide range of synergies, including economies of scale and business expansion in new categories, including an 8K+5G Ecosystem. Sharp believes that developing NDS as a joint venture with NEC will contribute to our business growth by enforcing our BtoB business and expanding sales."Under the terms of the transaction, NEC will transfer 66% ownership of NDS to Sharp, and retain a 34% equity stake in the business. The joint venture will continue to provide NEC branded products. NEC will also continue to sell the joint venture's products and solutions to its customers around the world. The transfer is scheduled to be concluded on July 1st, 2020.About NEC CorporationNEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. The NEC Group globally provides "Solutions for Society" that promote the safety, security, efficiency, and equality of society. Under the company's corporate message of "Orchestrating a brighter world," NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.Source: NEC CorporationCopyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae, left, and his elder sister Hyun-ah, a former vice president at Korean Air / Courtesy of Hanjin Group By Jun Ji-hye Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae has gained an advantageous position over a three-party alliance led by his elder sister and group heiress Cho Hyun-ah in a fight for control of the logistics-centered conglomerate, as a Seoul court ruled against the alliance, Tuesday, reducing its shares eligible for voting rights, industry officials said Wednesday. The court ruling came ahead of a general meeting of Hanjin KAL's shareholders scheduled for Friday, during which time a vote will take place to decide Cho Won-tae's reappointment as chairman of the group. Cho Hyun-ah, a former vice president at Korean Air who is backed by local activist fund Korea Corporate Governance Improvement (KCGI) and mid-sized builder Bando Engineering & Construction, has called for the need to replace the current leadership to improve the group's financial status and its shareholder value. The Seoul Central District Court ruled against Bando Engineering & Construction's requrest for an injunction that asked for the company to be allowed to cast 8.2 percent of its votes. The court ruled that the firm can only cast 5 percent of the votes, citing the Capital Markets Act that limits the voting right to 5 percent when a shareholder fails to report justifiable reasons for possessing more than 5 percent to the financial authorities. The three-party alliance had originally secured voting rights for 31.98 percent of the shares, but the court decision reduced their proportion to 28.78 percent. The court also ruled against a KCGI injunction that asked for banning a group consisting of Korean Air employees from exercising their 3.79 percent voting rights. The court said the employees were not the chairman's specially related persons. Given that most Korean Air employees have appeared to support the current leadership, the group is highly likely to vote for Cho Won-tae to retain his top seat. Together with the employees' shares, the Cho Won-tae side is believed to have secured total voting rights equal to 37.49 percent of shares, including those of Delta Air Lines. Following the court ruling, the three-party alliance said in a statement, "We will continue to make every effort to normalize management of Hanjin Group during and even after the shareholders meeting." Hanjin Group also issued a statement, saying it respected the judgment of the court. "We ask other minority shareholders and institutional investors such as the National Pension Service to make a wise decision during the meeting," it said. ELKO The first in-court appearance for a murder suspect was also the first to be broadcast electronically to the public since coronavirus forced the courts to find ways of conducting hearings with up to 10 people in a courtroom. Bryce E. Dickey, 18, was transported from Elko County Jail on Tuesday to appear before Justice of the Peace Mason Simons to set a date for a preliminary hearing. Dickey is charged with open murder with the use of a deadly weapon, or in the alternative, felony murder during a sexual assault or attempted sexual assault with use of a deadly weapon in the death of 16-year-old Gabrielle Britney Ujlaky. The teen was reported missing March 8. Her body was found three days later in Burner Basin. During the 15-minute hearing, Dickey sat shackled next to attorney Gary Woodbury with an Elko County Sheriffs deputy sitting behind them. Dickey said, Yes, your honor three times when asked by Simons if he understood his rights, if he understood what he was charged with in those two counts, and the elements of each charge to be found guilty of those offenses. When asked if he had any questions regarding his rights, he answered No, your honor. According to court documents, Dickey told authorities he saw Ujlaky get into a green pickup truck driven by a male wearing a cowboy hat. Investigators later found contradictions in statements he made to Elko County Sheriffs deputies and Elko Police detectives. On March 19, Dickey was confronted by investigators with evidence from where the girls body was found and video surveillance that contradicted his earlier statements. He was arrested at that time. District Attorney Tyler Ingram reserved the option of seeking the death penalty if Dickey is convicted. Attorney Gary Woodbury was assigned to defend Dickey because of his previous experience with felony trials, including murder and death penalty cases. According to the Nevada Supreme Court, in matters where the death penalty may be sought or imposed, special defense counsel must meet three requirements: The attorney must have been the lead attorney in five felony trials, including one murder trial tried to completion; acted as defense co-counsel in one death penalty trial; and be licensed to practice law for at least three years. It is my understanding Mr. Woodbury meets these qualifications, Simons said as he appointed him to defend Dickey. The court set the two-day preliminary hearing for April 7 and 8, where Dickey will enter his plea to the charges. The hearing could include approximately 15 witnesses, Ingram said. Although the court set a date for the preliminary hearing, Ingram and Woodbury agreed it could be pushed back to allow forensic evidence and DNA testing to be completed. Woodbury called the case complicated and stressed the need to have more evidence to prepare for the preliminary hearing. I have no idea the complexities involved, and I wont until I receive the discovery, he told Simons. Woodbury was district attorney when Elko County prosecuted its last death penalty conviction. Kelly Rhyne was sentenced to death in 2000 for the murder of Donald Lobo Brown outside an Elko bar in 1998. Ten years later, Rhynes sentence was vacated. Woodbury once said the Rhyne case would be the last death penalty case he would ever try, because of the high cost compared with a life imprisonment case. Since then, other district attorneys have prosecuted death penalty cases, but they ended in life sentences under plea agreements. These cases included the 2016 murder of a Spring Creek woman by her husband, and the 2011 murder of a 16-year-old West Wendover girl by two 18-year-old students. The hearing in Elko Justice Court was the first to be broadcast electronically through the Zoom online video conferencing platform since an administrative order was enacted March 19, limiting in-person court appearances to maintain safety precautions to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Essential cases outlined in the order include in-custody criminal hearings and trials, along with protection orders and eviction hearings. Jury trials were suspended and rescheduled for a later date. Simons explained to the Elko Daily Free Press that before Dickeys appearance in justice court, the courts regular video conferencing system had been used to conduct in-custody proceedings from the Elko County Jail to prevent transporting inmates out of jail and to the courthouse. He acknowledged the public interest in the case, saying the court would continue to make future proceedings available to everyone, as well as abide by social distancing guidelines. Similar to what weve done today with the COVID-19 outbreak, we will probably try to transmit proceedings in electronic format, Simons told the court. We want to reduce the possibility of a large group of people congregating together as much as we can while still respecting the right of the public to participate. Although some Zoom plans offer a limited amount of participants, Simons told Elko Daily the court would upgrade to allow as many people to watch remotely as possible. About six people were visible during the hearing, including Simons, Ingram, Woodbury and Dickey. Sheriff Aitor Narvaiza and a sheriffs deputy accompanied Dickey to the courthouse. Dickey remains in custody at the Elko County Jail without bail. Love 10 Funny 5 Wow 6 Sad 8 Angry 37 Please dont think that this doesnt concern me. It concerns everyone, he said. Ignoring that message, he warned, would mean that what is happening today in many Western countries, both in Europe and overseas, can become our immediate future. All recommendations must be followed. It is necessary to protect yourself and your loved ones, to show discipline and responsibility, he added. And believe me, the safest thing now is to be at home. While telling most people not to return to work for the holiday week starting on Saturday, Mr. Putin said the stay-at-home order would not apply to employees of shops, medical institutions, pharmacies, public transportation, banks and government offices. The move suggests that, despite a drumbeat of warnings in recent days about the risks of a health crisis in Russia, the authorities believe they can avoid a dangerous outbreak of the kind seen across Western Europe without shutting down the country. Mr. Putins critics took to social media as soon as the president finished speaking to complain that the partial lockdown did not go far enough and to warn that the weeklong holiday would only send people flooding onto the streets and into parks and shred the already very limited efforts in Russia at social distancing. Mr. Putin left it unclear whether the Kremlin would continue as planned with its biggest event of the year nationwide celebrations on May 9 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Red Armys victory over Nazi Germany. Current plans include a huge military parade through the center of Moscow and large gatherings of spectators. Russia on Wednesday reported a sharp jump in confirmed cases, with 163 new infections taking the total to 658. While those figures are low compared with what is happening in much of Western Europe and the United States, the number of new infections was the largest one-day increase in the country yet, stirring alarm that Russia could be following the same path as countries that have been harder hit. Russias relative success in slowing the spread of the virus has fueled heated debate about whether the official statistics can be trusted, with government critics insisting, without solid evidence, that the Kremlin had hidden the scale of the problem, just as Soviet leaders did after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded in 1986. Not all booze is created equal amid the coronavirus crisis. While Gov. Phil Murphy has deemed liquor stores to be essential businesses that are be allowed to remain open, breweries around New Jersey have been forced to close their bars and tasting rooms. On Wednesday, the breweries hit a new snag in their effort to stay afloat: the state said that Murphys executive order, which allowed for bars, restaurants and liquor stores to stay open for takeout and home delivery, did not allow breweries the same delivery freedom. The executive order was only to allow delivery by entities that were already licensed to deliver, not any licensee of alcohol. And so breweries previously had not been given that privilege, said Mike Roosevelt, co-owner of The Alementary Brewing Co. in Hackensack. The New Jersey Brewers Association is working closely with the governors office to try to see if we can craft some sort of compromise arrangement or emergency legislation that would allow the brewery to have that privilege. New Jersey was put into near-lockdown mode Saturday when Murphy announced a stay-at-home order and closed all non-essential businesses. Liquor stores being deemed as essential was a big plus for New Jerseyans, who can use a little comfort now more than ever. The news was also lifeline for New Jerseys brewery, winery and distillery industry. Delivering to liquor stores and curb-side pickup at breweries is key and still allowed but cutting off at-home delivery is is a blow, especially to smaller breweries. Pickup and [at-home] delivery has been the only thing thats kept us alive, Hackensack Brewing Co. owner Mike Jones said. The fact that the state of New Jersey is allowing us to do pickups and deliveries is the only reason that were still in business right now. And the only reason I had that havent had to layoff any employees so far... If we cant deliver, were going to be shutting our doors." As sanitation continues to be a pressure point in all delivery industries, Jones emphasized that breweries understand sterilization and safety better than most of the population unsanitary practices can ruin a batch of beer in an instant. Alexis Degan, executive director of the New Jersey Brewers Association, added that the last week of breweries delivering to homes is proof the industry is ready to do so safely. Theyll see the last week where home deliveries were happening, that we did it in a responsible manner and, checked IDs and werent running amok, Degan said. Home delivery is something that has helped people stay in their homes and not be out in the world. Its also something that has helped our breweries, cideries, meaderies, distilleries, etc. While Wednesdays development created a hiccup for the New Jersey beer industry, Degan is confident a resolution is coming. Everythings in flux because were in fully uncharted territory. And I know that the governor has been very supportive of the breweries and the small businesses industry, Degan said. I just think that were trying to get this sorted so that nearly everyone can continue to home deliver. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Cho Ju-bin. Yonhap A man suspected of blackmailing dozens of victims, including minors, into performing violent sex acts and selling the videos in mobile chat rooms was handed over to the prosecution on Wednesday for further investigation. At least 74 people, including 16 underage girls, are known to have been exploited in the case, widely known as the "Nth room case," in which prime suspect Cho Ju-bin allegedly lured victims into taking photos and later coerced them into performing more gruesome sex acts. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency sent Cho's case to the prosecution on charges including violation of the act on the protection of children and youth against sex offenses. The 24-year-old, whose name and photo were released on Tuesday, appeared in front of the public early Wednesday as he was being transferred to the prosecution from a detention unit at Jongno Police Station in central Seoul. When a Pennsylvania Republican state lawmaker recently invoked the wrath of God, suggesting that the coronavirus is a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, she echoed a sentiment long espoused by religious extremists. The suggestion offered by Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, a conservative evangelical, parallels similar religious castigation to health and natural upheavals from religious conservatives. In the 1980s, as the HIV/AIDS epidemic claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, some Christian conservatives characterized the epidemic as punishment from God to the gay community. Now, as the coronavirus grips the nation in fear and anxiety, some religious conservatives have once again invoked the idea of an angry God looking to punish humanity for its sins. The Clinton County Republican is calling on lawmakers to designate March 30 as a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer. It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow; and with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, wrote Borowicz in her resolution. Borowicz is far from being alone. Some of the nations most influential evangelical leaders have seized the crisis to invoke the idea that the pandemic is Gods punishment for a sinful world. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at First Baptist Dallas, for instance, last week delivered a sermon suggesting that the coronavirus is a judgement from God. Speaking to his 14,000-plus congregants, Jeffress added: All natural disasters can ultimately be traced to sin. This brand of religious zealotry, however, isnt shared by all faith leaders. Plenty of them have pushed back against the rhetoric and idea that God is vengeful or punishing the human race for its wrongdoing - or that the pandemic is a manifestation of that. Rather, across different faiths, religious leaders acknowledge the laws of the natural world but call on the faithful to keep the faith and turn to it during a time of uncertainty and fear. Many reject the fear-mongering being orchestrated by religious extremists of every stripe. I couldn't preach about a God like that with a straight face. Thats not the God I believe in, said Pastor Trevor Lightner, of the Newport First Church of God in Newport. The church belongs to the Churches of God General Conference, which was founded in the 1820s and identifies as evangelical. Lightner revokes what he describes as a puritanical idea that God is an angry deity upset with humanity for its sins and wanting to punish it. Instead, Lightner invokes John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life God is not interested in humanity perishing but to have eternal life, Lightner said. God did not send his only son to condemn us but to redeem us. The Book of John, he says, offers further assurances to Christians that God is not consumed with punishment or the condemnation of humanity. He also pointed to I John 4:18, which states: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love." The Bible tells us that every good and perfect thing comes from God, Lightener said. God gives us good things. Natural disasters, faith leaders say, are part of the natural order of the physical world - and not an act of God. Rev. Thomas Sweet speaks during a service at the Market Square Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg in August 2018. He rejects the idea of a vengeful God using the coronavirus to punish society. Vicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLive Vicki Vellios BrinerVicki Vellios Briner The Rev. Thomas A. Sweet, senior pastor at Market Square Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg, said that a person of faith needs not ask why certain things happen, but how he or she responds to those things. We respond by continuing in that spirit of God, who is with us and we are with each other and continue to do what our faith tells us to do. Look out for the poor and the most vulnerable and to care for each other, Sweet said. Like faith leaders across the country, Sweet continues to be connected to his church community via the internet. His sermons are also being broadcast live over radio. We use our God-given knowledge and say we can deal with what comes our way, Sweet said. When things like this happen, people are more receptive to their faith and what it means. Are we going to use this as a teachable moment or endure and get through it? In his Sunday service this week, Sweet offered his congregation a lesson in teachable moments from the Bible - making reference to the common belief during the time of Jesus that illness or misfortune was the result of sin and somebody had to pay a price for it. So when the disciples of Jesus encountered the man born blind, they asked Jesus, Who sinned? Whose fault is it that hes blind? The mans or his parents? Sweet told his parishioners. But Jesus scotched that line of reasoning: Neither this man nor his parents sinned. Furthermore, his blindness is an occasion for Gods character and compassion to be seen and experienced. Sweet rejects the idea of a vengeful God. To me the message of the cross is that of wrath transforming into love, and God has endless love, a ridiculous amount of love for us, he said. I dont buy that this is punishment from God. Its part of being alive on this Earth and we deal with it. Bishop Ronald Gainer, head of the Diocese of Harrisburg, said the Catholic faith offers the faithful a sense of confidence and peace at times such as these. Jesus has promised to be with us in every circumstance, Gainer said. He is with us until the end of the world and if we have that faith that he accompanies us in every situation, those of joy and great difficulty, I think that brings a certain confidence and peace as we face trials. It can help us avoid panic and being overly anxious about the greatest danger we face in life. Bishop Ronald Gainer said faith teachers Catholics to be comfortable with unanswerable questions. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com Gainer suggests that people of faith in God can find grace in this difficult time. For example, he said, the order to keep socially distanced from others could be used as a time to rediscover the meaning of the Sabbath and to strengthen family bonds. Maybe during this time one of the graces offered to our families is that we are rediscovering what the Sabbath is supposed to look like....turning more to God and praying together, Gainer said. He invokes the idea of the mystery of suffering both in the forms of natural disasters and human inflicted. God, he said, calls the faithful to become comfortable with unanswerable questions. My faith teaches me that God is with us, with our suffering and that he doesnt inflict it upon us, Gainer said. The cross shows human suffering and death not to give us answers for why we suffer but to use suffering and death as a means to salvation. Rabbi Ron Muroff says religious traditions and communities provide a resource to confront our fears and inspire acts of kindness. The Jewish tradition - like other religious traditions - teaches the faithful to emulate God's qualities of justice and mercy, he said. PennLive File PhotoVicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLive Rabbi Ron Muroff of Chisuk Emuna in Harrisburg suggests that the pandemic forces us to confront our mortality. Even individuals who are not in a particularly vulnerable demographic group must recognize that actions affect their own health and the health of other people. The fundamental duty of many religions, Muroff said, is to preserve life - something accomplished by adhering to the guidelines handed down by medical experts, such as hand hygiene and social distancing. In the midst of all this uncertainty, religious traditions and communities give us resources to confront our fears and inspire acts of kindness - even if those traditions need to be modified to protect ourselves, Muroff said. Jewish tradition - like other religious traditions - teaches that we should emulate God's qualities of justice and mercy. At this urgent hour, there are so many opportunities to act justly and with mercy, including calling those who live alone, picking up groceries and prescriptions for seniors and others who are more vulnerable, and advocating on behalf of those who are most harmed, physically and economically from the devastating effects of this crisis. Too often, Muroff said, society is splintered along religious, racial, ethnic and political lines. Covid-19, the illness caused by coronavirus, reminds us that fundamentally we are human. We are interconnected and interdependent, Muroff said. May God guide our words and actions to strengthen our connections to each other during this crisis and beyond. Text PennLive to 717-745-7532 to sign up to have breaking news and essential updates about the coronavirus delivered right to your mobile device. Data and messaging rates may apply. Tokyo's governor urged residents to stay home this weekend, warning of a possible "explosion" of the coronavirus with a record 41 new cases discovered on Wednesday. Yuriko Koike said the Japanese capital, so far spared the draconian measures seen in other major global cities, was at a "critical stage" in containing the virus that has confined one third of the planet to their homes. "We urge people at all costs to refrain from going out this weekend if it's not urgent," Koike said at an emergency conference. She also encouraged Tokyo residents to work at home during weekdays and refrain from going out at night. "Starting this week, there are increasing concerns that we could see an explosion of infections," Koike warned. The Tokyo metropolitan government said 41 people were confirmed infected with the new coronavirus on Wednesday -- the largest daily figure so far reported in the capital. Nationwide, nearly 1,200 people, including some 200 people in Tokyo, have been infected, with 43 deaths linked to the outbreak. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 25 year old man from Birr in Co Offaly has told RTE radios Morning Ireland about the efforts he and his girlfriend have been making to get home from Australia. Colm Cahill and his girlfriend Andrea are effectively stranded in Melbourne, after arriving in Australia in October. He said that they have spent 4,800 between them on flights trying to get home, all of which have been cancelled. 18 Ukrainians, infected with coronavirus, are being treated abroad at present 78 thousand 592 citizens from all over the world have been evacuated to Ukraine after the air service was ceased. This was reported on the Foreign Ministrys coronavirus page on Facebook. "78 thousand 592 citizens have already returned to Ukraine with the assistance of diplomatic institutions," the ministry said. According to Ukraine's MFA, at this moment, 18 Ukrainians with coronavirus are being treated abroad, five of whom are currently located in Germany. In addition, 152 Ukrainians are quarantined; 106 of them - in Poland. Four Ukrainians have successfully recovered in Japan, one in Italy and one - in Poland. The death toll has not changed - three Ukrainian citizens have died in Italy. As we reported earlier, a special Kyiv-Moscow-Kyiv train will be used in order to evacuate Ukrainians from Russia. The train will depart from Kyiv on March 27, and will arrive in Moscow the next day on March 28. It will depart for the return service from Moscow on March 28, and will arrive in Kyiv on March 29. Several states including Ohio, Texas and Mississippi have ruled that all abortions should be considered nonessential procedures and must be delayed during the coronavirus crisis. In Texas, providers can be fined or jailed for violating the order. Abortion rights groups have criticized the moves, calling an abortion an essential service. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves promised to take action against his state's lone abortion clinic, known as the Pink House, if it continues to provide abortions during the coronavirus pandemic. The Mississippi Department of Health has ordered all elective medical procedures and nonessential medical visits to be postponed as health care providers prepare for what could be a flood of coronavirus cases. Reeves, who has worked for years to limit and end abortion in Mississippi, said Tuesday that he considers abortion elective and unnecessary. "We're doing everything in our power, and have for many years, to make Mississippi the safest place in America for unborn children," he said. The state's top health official appeared less certain about the future of abortions in Mississippi. "That's something I was not familiar with," said Dr. Thomas Dobbs, state health officer, during a Tuesday news conference with the governor. "And before I would make any comments, I think we have to review the situation a bit more." Jackson Women's Health Organization clinic escorts brave an early afternoon rain as they look for abortion opponents that protest daily at Mississippi's only state licensed abortion facility on March 23, 2020 Reeves later appeared to downplay the politics of the issue, saying elective procedures were being shut down "not because we're trying to say anything other than we need to protect our (personal protective equipment), our masks ... and other supplies for anyone who gets infected by this virus." Outside Jackson, Mississippi, the Pink House remains open, according to Kelly Krause, spokeswoman for the Center for Reproductive Rights, a legal advocacy nonprofit that represents the Jackson Women's Health Organization. In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton said Monday that all clinics in the state must stop providing abortions unless a womans life or health are in danger. Story continues He said abortion providers were included under Gov. Greg Abbotts emergency order, issued Sunday in response to the coronavirus pandemic, that banned medically unnecessary surgeries and other procedures to conserve medical supplies. Get daily coronavirus updates in your inbox: Sign up for our newsletter now The abortion industry has been consuming and hoarding medical supplies that are in desperate need around the state including masks, gloves and other protective gear for medical professionals, Texas Right to Life said in a statement. Abortion rights advocates called the ban bad policy and accused Paxton and Abbott of using the crisis to issue a de facto ban on a procedure strongly opposed by the two Republican leaders. Its insidious for anti-choice lawmakers to politicize this time of crisis to restrict abortion and necessary reproductive services and try to control our bodies, said Heidi Sieck, CEO of #VOTEPROCHOICE. Amy Hagstrom Miller, president and CEO of Whole Womans Health, an abortion provider with offices in Austin, said abortion is a time-sensitive procedure and patients wont be able to wait for the pandemic to run its course. Abbotts emergency order in force until April 21 banned surgeries and procedures that are not immediately medically necessary to increase hospital capacity available for an expected surge in coronavirus patients. Few abortions occur in a hospital 87 in 2017, or 0.0016% of all abortions in Texas, state figures show, according to the Austin American-Statesman. But Paxton said Monday that Abbotts order also was intended to extend supplies of personal protective equipment such as breathing masks, face shields and gloves. No one is exempt from the governors executive order on medically unnecessary surgeries and procedures, including abortion providers, Paxton said. He said violators will be met with the full force of the law, " which calls for up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Abortion rights advocates argued that Paxton and Abbott were denying access to essential health care. There are many reasons women decide to have an abortion in the already limited time window state law allows, and a delay means denying them the constitutional right to make those decisions in a safe, timely manner with the help of their doctors, said Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network. In Ohio, the issue has become a political hot potato as Gov. Mike DeWine and Attorney General David Yost seem to have conflicting views on whose role it is to settle the issue. When Ohio Health Director Amy Acton was asked Monday about abortions at the states daily coronavirus news conference, DeWine interjected and said the issue was being addressed by lawyers and Yosts office. Earlier, Yosts office said whether clinics are in violation of Actons order will be decided by the health department and, if so, the attorney general would then take legal action. Last week, Yosts office sent letters to three abortion clinics and a Cincinnati urologists office that said the state had received complaints about the clinics. He also reiterated Actons order and warned that it would take appropriate measures if the clinics failed to comply. Dr. Actons order outlined what nonessential surgeries were. Complaints were forwarded (from the department of health), but our office has not received any violations, said Bethany McCorkle, a spokeswoman for Yost. When asked Monday about abortions, DeWine said Actons state order laid out criteria for non-essential surgeries. He said the four criteria are fact-based, including a threat to the patients life if the surgery or procedure is not performed; a threat of permanent dysfunction of an extremity or organ system; risk of metastasis or progression of staging; or risk of rapidly worsening to severe symptoms. The order does not list specific procedures or surgeries. At Actons request, Yost last week sent letters to abortion clinics in Dayton, Cincinnati and Cleveland, ordering them to follow Actons directive. The health director asked Yost to intervene after receiving complaints that the clinics remained open, but the attorney generals office has yet to receive any orders from the state health department to take legal action against the clinics. Giacomo Bologna and Alissa Zhu report for the Mississippi Clarion Ledger. Contributing: Chuck Lindell, Austin American-Statesman; Catherine Candisky, The Columbus Dispatch This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus abortions: Surgery is nonessential, some states say The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers COPEC is asking Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to communicate details of petroleum prices pricing with transparency so that consumers are in the know and do not harbor suspicions they are being shortchanged. This follows a press briefing to educate some journalists on the petroleum price build-up and pricing of petroleum products organized by the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD). CBOD CEO, Senyo Hosi using the estimates of the CBOD Fair Market Price, Average Actual Market Price and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Benchmark Price from August 2019 to March 2020 explained that the actual average market price was higher than both the CBOD Fair Market Price and the NPA Benchmark Price. Mr. Hosi further explained that in February 2020, the situation changed when the OMCs started pricing way above the CBOD benchmark, they were trying to recover a part of their losses in the past six (6) months, but they were still below the NPA benchmark price. It was only sometime around 5th March 2020 that the OMCs went above the NPA benchmark to recoup losses. OMCs have been selling below market price, which will mean either they or the Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs) are giving away a good part of their margin and taking a hit. It is for this reason that you will be hearing things like theyre trying to recover a bit of their cost. He said that consumers complaints that fuel prices are higher than they should be is fair but not balanced because prior to the OMCs recovering their losses, consumers had been buying at way lower prices while the OMCs were absorbing when prices were higher. The Executive Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah who had previously said at the press briefing that the recent increment of fuel prices was inadequate and unfair to consumers later acknowledged that the data provided by the CBOD to explain the pricing of fuel prices cannot be contested. He charged the OMCs to be transparent with pricing of petroleum products to avert consumer agitation and keep consumers informed. The expectation is that if it has to go up by 20 pesewas (20 Ghp) and you do 15[Ghp] you should let us know but if we do not get this communication and then you suppress prices only to come back to us another day to say youve made certain losses so we should now pay for it then there would always be a challenge. Mr. Amoah called on consumers to be circumspect and look out for OMCs offering value for money. TAIPEI, March 25 (Reuters) - Taiwan doubled down on its criticism of China's handling of the coronavirus crisis on Wednesday, saying the Communist Party cared more about power than its own people, while Beijing described Taipei's allegations of a cover-up as slander. The epidemic has deepened enmity between Taiwan and China, which regards the democratic island as its sacred territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary. Taiwan's government says China has intentionally hampered its efforts to get virus information direct from the World Health Organization. China blocks Taiwan's WHO membership as it considers the island merely one of its provinces. Taiwan has also been angered by stepped-up Chinese military drills near the island in recent weeks. On Tuesday, Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang accused China of covering up the crisis in its early stages and not giving the world early enough warning. Then on Wednesday, Cho Jung-tai, chairman of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), reiterated the cover-up accusation, adding that China had hoodwinked the WHO. "Since the outbreak of the epidemic at the end of last year, China has covered it up and manipulated the WHO to pretend that everything is going well," Cho told a party meeting, according to a statement. "The Chinese Communist Party regime's approach of maintaining stability and neglecting people's lives and health has caused the spread of the epidemic and seriously damaged China's carefully crafted image as a great power," he added. China has strongly denied covering up the epidemic, and has said it ensures the island is provided with the information it needs to battle the virus. The WHO has also praised China's response to the epidemic. In a statement late Tuesday, China's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office said it was "slander" for Taiwan to suggest there was a cover up and that China has sent Taiwan 101 notifications to date, including information about its sharing of virus genome sequences with the WHO. Story continues "The use of the epidemic to stir up cross-Taiwan Strait confrontations at a time when the outbreak in Taiwan is picking up is shameless and disgusting," spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian said in comments carried by the official Xinhua news agency. Taiwan swiftly stepped up checks and closed its borders to most Chinese visitors at the start of the outbreak, but over the past week it has seen an uptick of cases as infected people return from abroad, especially from Europe and the United States. Taiwan now has 235 cases, although that is still far lower than the more than 80,000 cases recorded in China. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; editing by Philippa Fletcher) A large-scale police land, water and air search has ended in tragedy with the missing man at the centre of the search being found dead in the Brisbane River. The 25-year-old disappeared from the boat ramp near the University of Queensland's St Lucia campus about 9.45pm on Tuesday, prompting a search and rescue operation. Water police scoured the Brisbane River near the UQ St Lucia boat ramp before the man's body was found. (File image) Credit:Jorge Branco Authorities were particularly concerned for the man's welfare because his belongings were found near the boat ramp. Water police, officers on foot and a police helicopter scoured the area around the boat ramp on Tuesday night and continued on Wednesday. Americans could face criminal charges for spreading the coronavirus under current US anti-terrorism laws, according to the Justice Departments second highest official. US Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen suggested on Tuesday that the intentional spreading of coronavirus could be considered an act of terrorism. According to Politico, a memo sent by Mr Rosen to Justice Department officials and attorneys nationwide, said that prosecutors and investigators could come across cases of purposeful exposure and infection of others with COVID-19. Rosen warned: Because Coronavirus appears to meet the statutory definition of a biological agent such acts potentially could implicate the Nations terrorism-related statutes Threats or attempts to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated, he added. "Police in Warrenton, Missouri, arrested a man after video emerged of the 26-year-old licking toiletries in a Walmart. The February 17 briefing warned that White Racially Motivated Violent Extremists have recently commented on the coronavirus stating that it is an OBLIGATION to spread it should any of them contract the virus. It follows a warning from FBI Director Christopher Wray that the threat of far-right domestic violent extremism was a national threat priority for 2020. Police in Warrenton, Missouri, arrested a man after video emerged of the 26-year-old licking toiletries in a Walmart. Cody Pfister, 26, who was reported by Snapchat users, was charged with 'knowingly causing a fear involving danger to life existed.' On Sunday, police arrested George Falcone, 50, after he deliberately coughed on staff at a branch of Wegmans in Manalapan, New Jersey. Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said of Mr Falcone: Exploiting peoples fears and creating panic during a pandemic emergency is reprehensible." Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 12:54:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Over 1,000 types of exports ranging from porcelain sanitary, construction accessories and auto parts to farm produce have enjoyed increased tax rebate rates starting from March 20, according to the provincial administration of taxation in China's export powerhouse of Guangdong. The administration lifted the export tax rebate rate for 1,084 categories of exports including porcelain sanitary wares, new plastics, knives and scissors, construction accessories and auto parts from 10 percent to 13 percent, that for another 380 items such as plant growth regulators to 9 percent, and that for agricultural products and fresh meat products from 6 percent to 9 percent. The administration estimates that based on the export situation in 2019, the adjustment of the export tax rebate rates will contribute 1.31 billion yuan (185.5 million U.S. dollars) of export tax exemption funds to 12,000 enterprises in Guangdong throughout this year. The tax rebate adjustment covers export commodities worth 6.17 billion U.S. dollars in Guangdong. The provincial government has learned that export firms have been gravely affected by the delayed production due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has shrunk the export demand. Guangdong Monga Intelligent Kitchen & Bath Co., Ltd., a leading ceramic sanitary ware exporter, said since March, overseas orders have been falling sharply, further intensifying the pressure on the company to turn over funds. "I had been worried about the company's cash flow. I didn't expect the tax bureau to directly increase the tax rebate rate by 3 points," said Zhang Liu'an, chairman of the Guangzhou Xiongxing Plastic Products Co., Ltd. He said the private firm manufacturing plastic products has 30 percent of the exports destined for India. The epidemic situation around the world has brought uncertainties to the company's business. The gunmen attacked the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07.45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building, authorities said Kabul: Heavily armed gunmen and suicide bombers blasted their way into a Sikh gurdwara in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 25 worshippers and wounding 8 others, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the strife-torn country. The gunmen attacked the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07.45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building, authorities said. "At least 25 people were killed and 8 others were wounded in the attack at Dharamshala, a Sikh worship place in Kabul," TOLO News quoted the Ministry of Interior as saying. "All four suicide bombers who attacked Dharamshala, a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul, were killed after nearly six hours of fighting. Afghan special forces confirmed," it said in a tweet. The ministry said in a statement that 80 people, including women and children, were rescued from the gurdwara. Former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the attack on Sikh worship place and expressed his condolences to the victims' families, the report said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the attack. Addressing people of his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi, he said he is pained by the terror attack. "I express my condolences to the families of all those killed," he said. The Islamic State terrorist group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the latest attack. The group issued a statement confirming that its members carried out the attack on Sikhs in Kabul city, Khaama Press News Agency reported. Photos from the blast scene showed security forces carrying wounded people away on stretchers. Some Afghan media outlets shared videos of the family members of victims waiting outside a city hospital in tears. Police in Kabul said that at least 11 children were rescued from the gurdwara. Sikh lawmaker Nardendar Singh Khalisa told reporters close to the scene that up to 150 people were praying inside the gurdwara when it came under attack. The only representative of Sikhs community in Afghanistan said he received a call from a worshipper inside the gurdwara, informing him about the attack. "I rushed over to help. There were about 150 worshippers inside the gurdwara at the time of the attack," Khalisa was quoted as saying by the official Bakhtar News Agency. "Afghan forces have cleared the first floor of a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul. A number of people have been rescued who were trapped inside the building," said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian. Earlier, the country's main militant group, the Taliban, denied involvement in the attack. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the militant group had no link with the attack in Shor Bazar area of Kabul. War-torn Afghanistan is currently mired in a political stalemate with two politicians, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, both claiming victory in the presidential election. The US, keen to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, has been trying to break the deadlock and also save a historic deal it signed with the Taliban militant group that is supposed to pave the way for peace in the country. The attack comes a day after the US said it would cut its aid to the government by USD 1 billion over frustrations that the political leaders could not reach an agreement and form a team to negotiate with the Taliban. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Kabul on Tuesday in a bid to resolve a standoff between President Ghani and his rival Abdullah, who also proclaims himself president following a contested election. Sikhs have been target of attacks by Islamist militants before in Afghanistan. In July 2018, Islamic State terrorists bombed a gathering of Sikhs and Hindus in the eastern city of Jalalabad, killing 19 people and injuring 20. Awtar Singh Khalsa, one of the country's best-known Sikh politicians then, was among those killed in the attack. China Aviation Daily | Mar. 25, 2020 When Emirates, the world's largest airline by international traffic, announced on Mar 30 that it will halt all passenger flights by March 25, US leading planemaker Boeing decided to temporarily shut its assembly lines in the state of Washington. The actions by the two giants are enough to prove the enormity of shock from the coronavirus pandemic, which is virtually crawling into every corner of the global aviation industry. Suspension of Global Airlines According to incomplete statistics, as of March 24, there are more than 20 airlines in the world which have announced an entire suspension, and 14 airlines that have grounded all their international flights. Flight suspension rate of global airlines Aircraft Manufacturers, Suppliers Hard Hit by COVID-19 Boeing Boeing Plans Two-Week Shutdown of Factories in Seattle Area Boeing on Mar 23 said it is shutting down production at its factories in the Seattle area for two weeks as the manufacturer grapples with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Boeing Suspends Dividend, CEO Foregoes Pay after Virus-Related Aid Request Boeing will cancel CEO pay, suspend its dividend and extend a pause on share buybacks, the U.S. planemaker said on Mar 20, as companies eager for government aid to curb fallout from the coronavirus face pressure to cut payouts to investors. Boeing Seeks US$60 Billion in Government Aid for Aerospace Industry Boeing said on Mar 17 that it is supporting US$60 billion in government support for the aerospace industry hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Airbus Airbus Set to Partially Resume Production Airbus announces that it expects production and assembly work to partially resume in France and Spain on March 23 following health and safety checks after the implementation of stringent measures. Airbus Withdraws FY20 Outlook, Dividend Proposal Airbus announced on Mar 23 its decision to withdraw fiscal 2020 guidance and 2019 dividend proposal due to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic. Airbus Signs Credit Facility for EUR 15 Billion Airbus has announced new steps to bolster its financial position as a coronavirus pandemic cripples the travel industry, including the signing of a credit facility for EUR 15 billion. Embraer Embraer Places Employees Who Cannot Work Remotely on Temporary Leave Embraer has announced employees, who cannot perform their job activities remotely, will be placed on temporary leave until March 31, 2020, the company said. Bombardier Bombardier Suspending All Canadian Operations Bombardier has announced it will temporarily suspend work at all Canadian operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shutdown, which will take effect at 11:59 p.m. on Mar 24 and last until April 26, will include the Thunder Bay Bombardier plant. GE Aviation G.E. Aviation Cutting Thousands of Jobs G.E. Aviation is cutting more than 2,500 U.S. jobs as it tries to cope with the airline industry's downturn in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic. MTU Aero Engines MTU Aero Engines to Suspend Some Manufacturing and MRO Operations MTU Aero Engines AG announced on Mar 23 it will temporarily suspend a large proportion of operations across several facilities in Europe in response to the coronavirus pandemic. CAPA: "By the End of May, Most World Airlines Will Be Bankrupt" The aviation intelligence provider CAPA has warned that most airlines in the world face bankruptcy within two months, as carriers struggle to adjust schedules in the light of travel restrictions and plummeting demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Three Major Airline Alliances Make Joint Call for Extra Support On behalf of their member airlines, the three global airline alliances oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance are jointly calling on governments and stakeholders to take action to alleviate the unprecedented challenges faced by the global airline industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Proactive Actions Taken by Governments Worldwide China Announces New Measures Aim to Bail out Aviation Industry China's civil aviation authority rolled out a series of measures to bail out airlines hit hard by the novel coronavirus outbreak and restore much-needed connectivity with the rest of the world. Under the new policy, China will reduce its airport and air control fees by 10 percent for domestic and overseas airlines, as well as those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. US Provides Financial Aid to U.S. Airports A Senate Republican coronavirus stimulus package would provide financial aid to U.S. airports, transit systems and passenger railroad Amtrak, but $50 billion for struggling U.S. airlines would be a loan not a cash payout. FAA Plans to Extend Minimum Flight Requirement Waiver Through Oct. 24 FAA said on Mar 22 it has tentatively decided to extend temporarily waivers of minimum flight requirements at U.S. airports through Oct. 24 to help airlines facing a steep decline in travel demand due to the coronavirus. UK Government Plans to Buy Stakes in Airlines Amid a worldwide drop in the number of people flying due to the coronavirus, the government of the United Kingdom is considering buying a stake in British Airways and other UK based airlines. Norway Government Rescues Norwegian with US$543 Million Loan Guarantee Of the government's proposed crisis package of 6 billion Norwegian kroner (US$543 million), half will be made available to Norwegian. The support is in the form of state guarantees for bank loans. India Mulls Up to US$1.6 Billion Rescue Plan for Aviation Sector India is planning a rescue package worth as much as US$1.6 billion for the aviation sector, which has been battered after the coronavirus outbreak forced countries to close borders and brought air travel to a near-halt. Italy Announces Plan to Take over Struggling Alitalia Airline Italy will renationalize flag carrier Alitalia as part of a larger coronavirus-related economic rescue plan. A police puppy who went missing near Kineton yesterday has been found safe and well. King, a German Shepherd puppy escaped in the area of Fosseway Combrook, Kineton, prompting police to appeal to the public for help. However King has now been found and police would like to thank the public for their positive comments and support. Do you want to know whats new in Social Media for 2020? Join the Social Media Association as Hilary Topper, founder of SMA and Author of the new book, Branding in a Digital World, talks about new tactics that small business owners can use right now to improve their ROI. Discussion will focus on Facebook, Instagram, NextDoor, Yelp, and TikTok. Bring your questions and come hear an informative discussion to help bring your business or agency to the next level! KABUL -- Afghan government officials are set to meet with a Taliban delegation in the coming days to discuss an initial release of militant prisoners, Afghanistan's National Security Council says. After the two sides spoke via video conference on March 25, council spokesman Javid Faisal tweeted, "A Taliban team will meet with the government face-to-face in Afghanistan in the coming days" to further discuss the release of 100 prisoners by March 31. The detainees would be freed on humanitarian grounds "after guarantees by Taliban and the prisoners that they will not re-enter the fight," Faisal wrote. The development could help break a deadlock that has held up negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government under a U.S.-brokered peace process. The video conference "decided that the release of the prisoners will practically start by the end of March," Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter. Shaheen said the Taliban would send a team to the Bagram detention center north of Kabul, where Afghan authorities are holding many Taliban prisoners. U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who attended the "technical meeting," said the sides "agreed prisoner releases by both sides will start March 31." All sides consider the release of prisoners a prerequisite for the beginning of intra-Afghan talks. But Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has said the government would initially free 1,500 prisoners, while the Taliban has demanded 5,000 as a precondition to talks with Kabul. Khalilzad has said a prisoner release has become more urgent because of the spread of coronavirus. An agreement signed in Doha on February 29 by the United States and the Taliban could lead to the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan as part of a peace process aimed at bringing an end to the conflict in Afghanistan. The United States has said it is committed to reducing the number of its troops in Afghanistan from about 12,000 to 8,600 within 135 days of signing the deal. A full withdrawal of all U.S. and coalition forces would occur within 14 months in return for various security commitments from the Taliban and a pledge to hold talks with the Afghan government -- which the militant group so far has refused to do. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on March 25 he had issued an order to the U.S. military halting all travel and movement abroad for up to 60 days in a bid to limit the spread of the coronavirus through the ranks. One exception to the order will be the draw-down under way in Afghanistan, Esper told Reuters. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AIP News, and RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan No one knows how the coronavirus pandemic will unfold. Were in completely uncharted territory, facing an unprecedented challenge to our health and our prosperity. At such a moment, trust is vital. We have to trust each other to behave responsibly, and most important of all we must trust our leaders to act with the public good in mind. The Trudeau government, and the prime minister himself, have done remarkably well on that front. At least they did until Monday evening when they tried to include sweeping new tax-and-spend powers in emergency legislation aimed at rushing out aid to those already hit by the pandemic. This was an enormous and unjustified overreach. Challenged by the opposition, the government immediately back-pedalled. The prime minister dropped the most extreme part of the proposed bill, and promised to uphold our democratic values... and our democratic institutions. Thats fine, but even putting such measures forward chips away at that vital trust. Canadians are being asked to make big sacrifices to contain the spread of the virus. Its not just self-isolating at home. Hundreds of thousands are losing their jobs with no idea when life may start to return to normal. Thousands of small businesses may die. They need to trust the government to focus entirely on fighting the disease and dealing with the economic fallout. Any suggestion that it might seek political advantage is both offensive and dangerous to the solidarity needed for success. The opposition parties, too, need to trust that the government isnt out to manipulate the situation for partisan gain. Canadians have no appetite these days for the usual political antics, and that cuts both ways. The opposition must not unnecessarily block or delay action to fight the pandemic. And the government must focus on the public interest, not outsmarting its opponents. This goes against the grain of our political system. But if ever there was a time for all politicians to work together, and be seen to be doing so, this is it. Canadians should watch carefully who rises to the challenge, and who fails. And vote accordingly in the future. The most offensive measure the government attached to its aid package would have given it the power to raise, lower or alter taxes, without any reference to Parliament, right through until the end of next year fully 21 months from now. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer labelled that a power grab, and so it would be. Theres no reason for any government to arrogate such powers to itself, and certainly not for so long, based on what we know about the threat posed by the coronavirus. Trudeau was right to drop that from the aid bill that Parliament was due to debate on Tuesday, but the politicians were still wrangling behind closed doors on other measures. Whatever the outcome of those negotiations, the principle should be clear. As Scheer (and many others) have noted, Parliament functioned throughout both world wars. Canada has faced down enormous challenges without throwing its democratic traditions overboard, and it should not break with that now. The government may well need extraordinary powers to deal with an extraordinary situation. If thats the case, they should be authorized in such a way that parliamentarians continue to have oversight on the governments actions. Thats the principle behind the Emergencies Act, enacted in 1988 to replaced the outmoded War Measures Act. If the Emergencies Act is invoked, Parliament must approve the move and a Commons committee would oversee how it is used. The idea is to ensure the necessary balance between effective action and respecting democratic institutions, even (indeed, especially) at a time of national emergency. Disagreements over emergency powers should not get in the way of getting help to Canadians as quickly as possible. The aid package announced by the government last week, worth some $27 billion in additional spending, should be quickly approved by Parliament. The opposition has already said its prepared to support those measures. And if the opposition has useful suggestions to make it better, the government should be open to improvements. Thats the kind of cooperation Canadians expect to see from their representatives at this time. Unfortunately, on Tuesday it was being delayed as the government and opposition tried to work out their differences on the issue of emergency powers. Far better to pass the aid package and start getting money out the door as quickly as possible. Debates over what extra powers the government may need, and the conditions attached to them, can be had another day. Anxious Canadians will have little patience with unnecessary delay. They can see an example of how not to handle the crisis south of the border, where Republicans and Democrats are waging their usual partisan warfare over a proposed trillion-dollar aid program. It will take an enormous amount of cooperation between rival parties, different levels of government, and Canadians in all walks of life to get us through this crisis. The last thing we need is an erosion of the trust so important to working together. The government made a mistake this week on that front. It should walk it back without delay. Read more about: WESTPORT The Board of Education voted 6-0 with one abstention to cancel the majority of the scheduled April vacation for schools on Monday. Interim Superintendent of Schools David Abbey said both the teachers union and the administrators union strongly believed it was in the best interest of students and the district to not take the spring break. I spoke several times with the teachers unions leadership and they surveyed their members, and what came back was a strong sentiment, Abbey said during the boards first virtual meeting via the Zoom application. Not unanimous, but a strong showing. The scheduled vacation days from April 6-9 will instead be used to continue remote learning implemented due to the recent coronavirus outbreak. Schools will remain closed on Good Friday, April 10. With the newly approved changes, the school year will now end on June 12, Abbey said. BOE member Vik Muktavaram, who abstained, said he supported plan but was concerned about students who required unique services. I get that the entire country is grappling with this and we are not the exception, but there are also a number of school districts that have actually gone down the path of enrichment activities as opposed to online instruction because they did not want to discriminate against that 10 or 15 percent of students for whom online instruction doesnt work, Muktavaram said, adding he wondered if this opened the district to a discrimination lawsuit. He also questioned if the district had confidence it would not reopen before June. At this point it does seem that we are going to be out for a prolonged period of time, Abbey said. Its possible we could be out for the entire school year, but we will have to see. On Tuesday, Gov. Ned Lamont said schools could be closed for the rest of the academic year. Abbey noted the district is working to ensure support for students who needed special services. We are limited though by not being able to be physically present with them, he said. BOE member Elaine Whitney said she supported canceling the scheduled April vacation to maintain the continuity of learning, but noted she would feel different if she had more optimism about a potential trade-off for in-person days if the district kept the vacation. I do work for a health system and theres reason to be cautious, Whitney said. Public comment received through a Google Doc largely supported the boards decision to keep the momentum of remote learning going, but some parents questioned how remote learning would affect the districts current curriculum. I would love to keep the momentum we are slowly gaining with distance learning, said Sue Hermann, a Spring Hill Road resident. Since we just had a February break and we cant go anywhere right now, it seems like we should just keep doing what we are doing. BOE member Lee Goldstein said she supported the decision to keep the consistency of remote learning, but noted parents had asked the board not to shift the vacation days to school days. For people who feel they need a break or its becoming overwhelming, I think people need to pace themselves in the way they always would and make decisions that are the best for your family and your child, Goldstein said. But in terms of our school schedule, I think we should keep going. The BOE will review the latest results from remote learning at its next virtual meeting on April 2. dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin -- (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 21:24 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d6587e 1 National Joko-Widodo,Mother,obituary,Sujiatmi-Notomiharjo Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo faces a major blow in his efforts to quell the COVID-19 pandemic as his mother passed away at the age of 77 on Wednesday afternoon in Surakarta, Central Java, itself an epidemic center with the city administration declaring an extraordinary occurrence status. Out of 12 positive cases in Central Java, four are being treated at Surakartas Dr. Moewardi General Hospital and the city has had one of three deaths in the province. State Secretary Pratikno urged state officials to stay in Jakarta when praying for Sujiatmi Notomiharjo and refrain from going to Surakarta in large numbers. Ladies and gentlemen, please send your prayers from Jakarta. You should focus on your duties, Pratikno said in a widely broadcast message received by The Jakarta Post. Please tell all broadcast groups not to come in hordes to Solo [Surakarta]. Born on Feb. 15, 1943, Sujiatmi passed away at 4:45 p.m. Jokowi arrived in Surakarta at 5:52 p.m., according to a broadcast message issued by the Presidential Secretariats press, media and information bureau. Jokowi immediately went to the Slamet Riyadi Military Hospital's emergency room where his mother had been treated. Jokowi said that his mother died of throat cancer that she had had in the past four years. Sujiatmi was the daughter of Wirorejo and Sani, the only daughter among three siblings. Her parents were wood traders from Giriroto village, Ngemplak district, in Boyolali regency, which directly borders Surakarta. On Aug. 23, 1959, Sujiatmi married Widjiatno, a friend of her older brother Mulyono. The bride was 16 years old and the groom was 19. Widjiatno, who changed his name into Notomiharjo after he came of age, hailed from Kranggan village in Gondangrejo, Karanganyar regency, some 25 kilometers from Boyolali. Both his grandfather and father had been village chiefs. The marriage resulted in a son, Jokowi, who was the eldest, and three younger sisters, Iit Sriyantini, Idayati and Titik Ritawati. After the marriage, Sujiatmi shifted from being a seamstress and the couple followed her fathers trade in the wood business under the tutelage of Wirorejo and Sani. Jokowi is known as a calm, courteous, humble and hardworking person. Apparently he inherited these features from his mother. The most important thing in raising children is to be honest in all fields, Sujiatmi said in an interview in 2016 for the Education and Culture Ministrys Sahabat Keluarga (Family Friends) magazine. From their young ages, I always told my children, do not take what is not yours, do not wish for others belongings. She said such honesty was the main thing she and her husband taught their children. The couple also imparted the values of good manners, living frugally and being humble to forge the characters of Jokowi and his younger sisters. She said she never thought that her son would become a high ranking official, let alone the president, and she always told him to respect the mandate he received. I always tell him that he no longer belongs to just the family, but to the entire Indonesian nation, Sujiatmi said. You got promoted three times in 10 years. You have to be very grateful. Do not become swayed. Just take a straight [course]. Sujiatmi's remains were kept at her residence on Jl. Pleret Raya in Surakarta and she was to be buried on Thursday at 1 p.m. in the family cemetery in Gondangrejo. Meanwhile, condolences have poured in over social media, such as on Twitter. Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Australian Ambassador to Jakarta Gary Quinlan were among those who expressed their condolences over the popular platform. Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo told Metro TV that Sujiatmi had been active with various social and religious activities in Surakarta. Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nasir also said that Sujiatmi was very active in various Quran recitals held by Indonesias second largest Muslim organization in Surakarta. Erin Hutcheon with her son Henry (7) and daughter Amy Rose (16) on their first day of home schooling A school principal has told how he and his staff are wearing personal protection equipment (PPE) because they are working on the assumption they have coronavirus and do not want to infect others. Michael Allen, from Lisneal School in the Waterside area of Londonderry, said principals across Northern Ireland were working hard to protect staff and their families and be part of the movement that stops the spread of Covid-19. While schools are now closed to the majority of pupils, children of key workers can still attend classes. However, Mr Allen said he still had not been given any clear direction on how to keep children and staff safe. He took the decision that staff should wear full PPE to stop passing Covid-19 to parents and children arriving at his school. Anyone coming into the building must do the same. Mr Allen said: "Some people might think the PPE is over the top, but every surface has potentially been touched by 800 kids and we need to protect the people who are in here. "We are being asked to put ourselves at a higher risk than anyone else at the minute, with the exception of hospital staff. "I am coming into regular contact with healthcare workers, who are at the greatest risk obviously. "My staff and I are working on the basis that we are all infected and we are now doing what we can to prevent ourselves from passing it on. "There is no testing for us, so our mindset is not about not getting Covid-19 - it is about not passing it on." Lisneal College is operating a skeleton staff to accommodate children whose parents are frontline health workers. However, Mr Allen said he was frustrated that he had been left to make difficult choices. He explained: "Schools want to do the right thing and I have a decision to make - do I want to be part of the movement to reduce the spread, help our health workers and do all the right things? The answer is yes. "On the flip side, I have teachers and staff members who have elderly relatives and one staff member who has a relative who is a confirmed case. In fact, (I have) two on either side of the border. "My choice is, do I protect individuals under my duty of care or do I open for the greater good? That is the decision principals are being asked to make. There has been no direction." Meanwhile, parents of children who are continuing their education at home have said they are unsure how the situation will evolve. Erin Hutcheon, from Derry, said the weeks ahead would be a testing time for her, her son Henry (7) and daughter Amy Rose (16). She added: "Our biggest concern is about the level of uncertainty around GCSEs because our daughter Amy Rose was supposed to sit her exams, but now we don't know what's happening. "We don't know whether it will be predictive grades or whether she will sit exams during the summer or even in the autumn. "I would prefer it if they didn't use predictive grades because there won't be any motivation for the kids to keep working. "I am trying to encourage Amy Rose to keep up with her studies. I have to say her school, St Mary's, has been great and has given us a lot of resources. She she is being encouraged to follow her usual timetable." Mrs Hutcheon explained that home-schooling her son was proving more fraught. "My son is only seven and he does need my help. He can't log in and see what work is for him, so I do that, but his school has also been very good," she said. "I am now working from home, so I am doing my own work while trying to make sure their school work is done." You are here: World Flash Nicaragua confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 18, said Vice President Rosario Murillo. The patient is a 40-year-old Nicaraguan man who recently returned from a trip to Panama, Murillo said on national television. The man went to hospital after symptoms such as fever and dry cough and tested positive for the COVID-19, Murillo added. The patient is now in stable condition, she said, adding that health authorities are closely monitoring those who have had close contact or traveled with the patient. The government has applied all preventive measures and urged people to remain calm, said the vice president. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 Trend: A working group created in Azerbaijan to prepare relevant proposals to assess the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the sharp fluctuations occurring on world energy markets and exchanges on the national economy, identify areas of economic activity that may be affected by the pandemic, and reduce the negative impact of situation on the country's business environment in the near future, held a meeting, Trend reports referring to the press service of the Ministry of Economy on March 25. The meeting was held in the format of a video conference, the press service said. The Head of the working group, Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov, informed about urgent measures carried out under the presidents leadership to prevent a pandemic. The state is ready to make flexible operational decisions, Jabbarov said. The minister noted that in the current conditions, a number of the following factors affect Azerbaijan's national economy: the stagnation observed in global economy and foreign trade relations under the direct influence of the pandemic, sharp fluctuations in oil prices on world energy markets, as well as decrease in economic activity in countries due to limiting measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Jabbarov added that all these factors are more evident in a number of areas of economic activity. The minister brought to the attention that in a short time the working group carried out intensive and comprehensive work to identify areas of activity that are more affected by the pandemic in the current situation, and areas that form economic growth and employment, to strengthen the country's economic and financial stability, clarification of directions for supporting measures to be taken by the state. According to the minister, such areas as tourism, hotel business, public catering, transportation, trade, entertainment services and so on (totally, about 12 industries) were affected the most. The state is ready to make flexible operational decisions. Nevertheless, in order to accurately identify the affected areas of activity, first of all, criteria for a clear and transparent assessment should be prepared. These criteria can be superficial, as well as general and specific in subjects, Jabbarov emphasized. During a video conference various proposals were put forward. In order to assess the damage caused, it is necessary to deeply analyze the reports of business entities and indicators available in state structures. This will also be determined by analyzing the financial statements to be presented. Currently, all structures of the Economy Ministry are holding meetings with business entities, representatives of medium and large businesses, public business associations and specialized associations. When establishing supportive measures, the Azerbaijani government will give preference to legal entities and entrepreneurs that adequately respond to state calls, those who avoid cuts in jobs and reduce the wage, work transparently and demonstrate high social responsibility in the current circumstances. Supporting the continuation of economic growth in the country will be a system of comprehensive measures in the following various areas: ensuring liquidity in the economy, providing tax breaks and vacations to entrepreneurs, simplifying access to public lending resources, maintaining the stability of financial markets, applying a system of targeted government orders and others. In order to protect the health of the countrys citizens, and to ensure the safety of the population, the state will take such a compulsory step as reducing economic activity, which can lead to shrinkage of the economy in a short time. The members of the working group were instructed to prepare proposals within 3 days on the methodology of a unified approach and relevant criteria for identifying areas that suffered damage. The deputy ministers of the Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population; Ministry of Culture; Ministry of Energy; Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies; Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources; senior executives of the Food Safety Agency; State Agency for Tourism; State Customs Committee (SCC); State Statistical Committee; Central Bank (CBA) and central executive bodies and representatives of public associations of entrepreneurs are among the groups members. Oslo 25 March 2020: Scatec Solar is closely monitoring developments and is following the respective national authorities advice and recommendations regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The Company is taking precautionary measures at all locations to limit the spread of the virus, keep people safe, and ensure continued stable operations of our power plants. The Company has to date not experienced any impact of COVID-19 on operating assets or on delivery of power to our customers and consider the risk to be low. First quarter 2020 production is expected in line with guidance earlier provided. Scatec Solars projects under construction are close to completion. Travel constraints and local regulations have started to impact construction, commissioning and testing of some of the new solar plants. It is, however, too early to predict what effects this will have on completion dates. All solar plants require few operators and are remotely monitored and supported by the Companys global Control & Monitoring Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. The Company has robust contingency plans in place to mitigate any potential operational issues. As electricity production is a necessity in both normal and extraordinary times, we as a company is shielded from some of the negative effects many other businesses are facing. However, we all have a joint responsibility to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, to protect the health of our employees, their families and society at large. At the same time, we are implementing all necessary measures to ensure continued delivery of much needed power to our customers says Raymond Carlsen, CEO of Scatec Solar. Power supply is generally defined as a critical infrastructure in most countries where Scatec Solar operates and, as such, production and maintenance continues as normal. The Company is selling all production from the global portfolio of power plants to state owned utilities, normally supported by government guarantees, under long term fixed price contracts, with USD, MYR and ZAR being the predominant currencies where long term contracted cash flows amounts to more than NOK 60 billion over the next 20 years. Story continues For further information, please contact: Mikkel Trud, CFO, tel: +47 976 99 144, ir@scatecsolar.com Ingrid Aarsnes, VP Communication & IR, tel: +47 950 38 364, ingrid.aarsnes@scatecsolar.com About Scatec Solar Scatec Solar is an integrated independent solar power producer, delivering affordable, rapidly deployable and sustainable clean energy worldwide. A long- term player, Scatec Solar develops, builds, owns, operates and maintains solar power plants and has an installation track record of more than 1.4 GW. The company has a total of 1.9 GW in operation and under construction on four continents. With an established global presence and a significant project pipeline, the company is targeting a capacity of 4.5 GW in operation and under construction by end of 2021. Scatec Solar is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SSO. To learn more, visit www.scatecsolar.com . This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act HARARE (Reuters) - Nurses at Zimbabwe's state hospitals started walking off the job on Wednesday, saying the government had failed to respond to their demands for protective equipment as they brace for a battle against the coronavirus. Customs officials at the country's biggest airport have also stopped reporting for work, fearing exposure to the coronavirus and a lack of measures to prevent its spread, their union said. The virus has killed one person from three confirmed cases in Zimbabwe, although the opposition and critics of President Emmerson Mnangagwa accuse his government of under-reporting the number of cases. The government denies this and Health Minister Obadiah Moyo says the government has set aside resources for the purchase of protective equipment. "Our members think the government is not taking them seriously. We can't afford to lose nurses to this serious pandemic," Enoch Dongo, secretary general of the 18,000-member Zimbabwe Nurses Association said. Junior doctors at Harare Central Hospital, the country's second biggest, have also withdrawn their services due to a lack of protective clothing to handle coronavirus patients, their union said. Senior doctors at state hospitals said the government should consider a total lockdown of the country and equip all its medical facilities to handle coronavirus cases. Most businesses and informal markets remained open despite Mnangagwa's order on Monday to shut all restaurants and pubs. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority Trade Union said its members at the main airport in the capital Harare came into contact with coronavirus while dealing with the man who died from it, but they were not tested or put into mandatory isolation. "The workers shall not report for duty until proper measures are taken to substantially mitigate the danger," Lovemore Ngwarati, the union's secretary general, said. Faith Mazani, commissioner general of Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, did not respond to calls and messages for comment. Story continues Facing its worst economic crisis in a decade, Zimbabwe is grappling with soaring inflation and shortages of foreign currency and medicines that has crippled its hospitals. Zimbabwe has begun receiving some of the protective and medical equipment donated to African countries by Chinese billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Alison Williams) School District of Philadelphia Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. discusses free meal sites for students during a news conference about the coronavirus at the Fire Department headquarters in Philadelphia on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Read more The wholesale damage that the coronavirus is inflicting is enormous and indiscriminate. No corner of life is untouched, and virtually no system remains undamaged. Our system of public education is especially vulnerable to long-term damage, especially in areas with large pockets of poverty like Philadelphia. On Monday, Pennsylvanias education secretary announced that statewide school closures would be extended to April 6. That means a giant hole not only in the education of our children but in the many other essential services the system provides. There is no age where that wont have long-term repercussions whether its high school juniors, or first graders learning to read, or students with special needs. While many districts around the region were able to seamlessly move to online instruction, only about half of Philadelphia district students have access to technology. That translates to roughly 100,000 students who are not up to speed, and unable to partake in distance learning options. Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. in a press briefing Tuesday said that the district is working on providing Chromebooks and internet access to all students. The district is still figuring out how many will have to be purchased to supplement its existing inventory. Along with distance learning plans, that will take weeks. Equipment is one thing. Internet access is a separate issue, and potentially much more complicated. The district says it hopes Comcast will be a partner in that, but thats not going to happen overnight. Its maddening how much time it is going to take to fix this problem. More maddening still is how long weve already known the extent of the digital divide. The district is also coping with the complications of a large student population 14,000 students with special education requirements. Early confusion over whether schools could offer these students equal education as required by law led some, including Philadelphia, to shut down prior to the widespread school closures. Rulings have since been clarified, but advocates are concerned that the federal response to the coronavirus will alter the rights of special education students to an equitable education. Kids risk falling behind in their education but the disruption of the system means they could also lose critical things like consistent meals, the community that schools provide, and the relationships they have with teachers and other adults. The school system provides a vital scaffolding for many vulnerable lives. But that scaffolding itself is not built solidly. When that fails, the repercussions will be devastating. Thats why Congress should take this seriously when considering the funds it will make available for public education. The initial proposal included $2 billion for all schools and the latest proposals are still not nearly enough. This crisis could provide an opportunity for changing the landscape of educational equity and transforming public education. That not only means money but how the system itself operates. The Philadelphia School District will need to amp up the way it communicates and tap into teachers, parents, and other members of the community for solutions. The weaknesses in our educational system are not new. The coronavirus crisis is an urgent call to take them seriously. What is an essential workforce'? That's not fully nailed down yet AGC of Washington is seeking clarity from Gov. Jay Inslee on what types of construction must stop and what can continue. Journal Construction Editor By BENJAMIN MINNICK Journal Construction Editor Photo by Benjamin Minnick [enlarge] Lease Crutcher Lewis was working yesterday on an addition to the Federal Reserve Bank building at 1015 Second Ave. in Seattle. The contractor didnt say if it planned to close the site. Essential workforce has quickly become a buzz phrase among construction companies as the state goes into a two-week lockdown at midnight to help contain the coronavirus. Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday issued the stay-in-place order that restricts all but the essential workforce from going to work and shuts down all non-essential businesses. The $64,000 question is: Exactly which segments of construction are essential? The order states construction workers can continue working if they support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction) for all essential facilities, services and projects included in this document, and for residential construction related to emergency repairs and projects that ensure structural integrity. Inslee provided a 14-page list of essential industries and critical infrastructure workers that can stay on the job. The list includes plumbers, electricians, exterminators and others who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation and essential operation of construction projects. The list also mentioned those who support projects involving needed facilities, transportation, energy, communications, and solid waste and hazardous waste disposal. The state's largest construction association, the Associated General Contractors of Washington, is seeking clarity from Inslee on what types of construction must stop and what can continue. Obviously, there are more questions than answers in this document, David D'Hondt, AGC of Washington executive vice president, wrote Monday night in a bulletin to members. There are, however, some exemptions currently in place for construction. We are working with the governor's office on clarity, as most states have completely exempted construction. In a follow-up bulletin from the AGC sent yesterday, attorneys Meghan Douris and Ryan Gilchrist of Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker asked what it all means for the Seattle area. Those construction projects for Amazon, Google, Microsoft which are integral to supporting the IT sector, Sound Transit, WSDOT, SDOT, public-utility districts and residential construction (if structural or emergency repairs are involved) appear to be within the confines of the order, they wrote. Commercial construction outside of these specified areas but supporting other essential activities may continue as well, meaning to the extent construction projects for companies such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft support essential work from those owners, appear to be within the activities permitted by the order. Commercial construction outside of the identified sectors and residential construction without ongoing repairs, structural issues and/or emergency' repairs remain in the grey area. Douris and Gilchrist noted that federal contractors are also exempt, although the federal government has been issuing stop work and/or suspension of work notices. Last week, the city of Boston became the first major U.S. city to shut down most of its construction sites. It said only essential construction work is permitted during the suspension, including: emergency utility, road or building construction; new utility connections to occupied buildings; construction of health care facilities and shelters; and work to keep occupied residential buildings habitable. Boston said it will review individual requests for exceptions to the construction moratorium, but only if the projects support increased public health and safety. It's unclear if Washington's statewide moratorium allows for these types of requests. For now, the stay-at-home restriction is in effect until April 8, but could be extended. A survey held last week involving 909 AGC members nationwide showed 28% reported that they were ordered to halt work by the government and 11% were ordered to halt future work as a result of the coronavirus. An op-ed piece that ran yesterday on the Construction Dive website penned by a New York City construction superintendent called for shutting down jobsites. New York state is allowing construction for essential infrastructure, emergency repair and safety reasons. James Lang, who works for a major general contractor in New York City, said, I am a superintendent who works in the field daily and I have seen firsthand how some local construction companies in my area are pushing forward on projects that are far from essential and are putting the health and safety of employees and their families, some of whom are already elderly or have underlying conditions, at risk in the name of schedule and profit. We need government officials, whether at a state or national level, to clearly define what types of construction work should be continuing, Lang said. Having a new coffee shop, stadium or restaurant is not essential right now and we should not be risking the wellbeing of the people we rely on the most such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians, laborers etc. in order to keep owners happy. According to Douris and Gilchrist, companies in Washington state that feel their industry is not clearly defined or missing from the list can address that at the state Business Re-Entry Registration website, at https://tinyurl.com/WA-BRR. In the current climate everyone must work together in order for life to resume in a semblance of what we were all accustomed. But that does not mean that those in the industry can ignore their contract terms and you must track the impacts to sort out where things stand when we do come out on the other side of it all, Douris and Gilchrist wrote. Benjamin Minnick can be reached by email or by phone at (206) 622-8272. The Cabinet of Ministers has authorized the free transfer of confiscated medical suits, gowns, masks, respirators, gloves and glasses to healthcare facilities. In particular, according to the decision adopted, the procedure for disposing of property confiscated by court decisions and transferred to the state executive service bodies stipulates that waterproof laboratory suits, medical gloves, disposable medical insulating gowns, medical masks, goggles, protective shields, respirators of the FFP2 protection class confiscated in the prescribed manner will be transferred free of charge to health facilities. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, left, and acting White House chief of staff Mark Meadows step out of a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 25, 2020. Read more The Senates $2.2 trillion rescue package intended to combat the coronavirus pandemic includes direct payments to individuals and families, money for state governments and hospitals grappling with soaring caseloads, and aid to keep businesses afloat while most economic activity is frozen. It was also a moving target late Wednesday, with the final text still in the works, some senators threatening to block the package, and many lawmakers and aides still scrambling to find out exactly what was in it all against the backdrop of a spiraling national crisis that has killed hundreds and crippled the economy. This is really a monumental undertaking, said Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.), who helped write a major section providing more than $400 billion in loans to businesses. Even as the Senate hoped to vote Wednesday, the measure could still be subject to change there or in the House. Some Republicans were objecting to a proposed increase in unemployment benefits. Here are some key provisions and an early look at how they may affect Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Direct payments to individuals The bill would provide a one-time payment of $1,200 to every adult with income of up to $75,000 ($150,000 for married couples). After those thresholds, the payments would decrease, and go to zero for individuals making more than $99,000. Families would receive $500 per child. So a family of four making less than $150,000 could receive $3,400. The payments could go out as soon as early April and would be wired to peoples bank accounts, Toomey said. But for those who dont have direct deposit information on file with the IRS, it could take up to four months to receive a check by mail, the New York Times reported. Increased unemployment aid Unemployment benefits would increase by $600 per week on top of the benefits each state already provides. I dont know if weve ever had this kind of an investment in unemployment insurance, said Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.). The measure also includes an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits for those who exhaust their state benefits. The unemployment stuff is good, said Rick Bloomingdale, president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. The coronavirus impact on AFL-CIO members varies, Bloomingdale said. He estimated unemployment among hospitality workers was about 90%, but noted a high demand for grocery store workers, many of whom are unionized. The construction industry is starting to shut down, he said. Thatll be a huge number of unemployed people. Three Republican senators, however, were balking at the unemployment increase Wednesday afternoon, arguing that it might pay people more than their jobs did and encourage workers to remain unemployed. Their objections added a last-minute roadblock. Funding for hospitals, states There would be $150 billion for hospitals and other medical providers, and $150 billion for state and local governments. This legislation responds to the urgent needs of states like New Jersey, which has already spent billions of dollars battling the nations second-highest number of COVID-19 cases, said a statement from Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.), one of the top Democratic negotiators on the measure. Toomey said Pennsylvania could see about $5 billion in aid. The amount for states is significantly less than the $100 billion that New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, along with his counterparts in Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut, lobbied for to assist just those four states. Is it everything we want? It is not, Murphy said Wednesday as he announced that 18 more people in the state had died from the virus, bringing the total to 62. But Im in the category of lets not let perfect be the enemy of good." New Jersey had 4,402 infections as of Wednesday, the second most in the country behind New York. We need this lifeline to stay strong through this emergency and help ensure that once it is over, well be able to more rapidly and readily get our state back open entirely, and full-running again, Murphy said. A spokeswoman for the New Jersey Hospital Association said the group was still reviewing details of the package, but in general, this assistance is desperately needed by health-care facilities on the front lines. And as much as we appreciate this funding, the toll this crisis is taking on our health-care system will need further attention from Congress in the days and weeks ahead. Other provisions would pour money into public schools and colleges, which have been forced to largely shift to online learning. Public transit agencies, including SEPTA, could also be eligible for support, Casey said. Sweeping business aid The bill would send vast amounts of support to businesses in the forms of loans and other aid. Menendez put the small business support at $377 billion. Much of that would be in the form of loans that would effectively become grants if businesses use the money to maintain payroll or pay mortgages or rent, Toomey said. The small business program is for those that employ fewer than 500 people. The idea is to encourage these companies to keep workers on the payroll, Toomey said. Another provision would offer tax credits for wages paid by larger businesses, effectively cutting their costs for keeping people employed. Toomey helped write a $454 billion loan program for large employers. He said that money would have to be paid back. Were hoping its a mechanism to keep businesses alive for a few weeks or months until our economy can resume, Toomey said. If you can think of a business in Pennsylvania, it almost surely qualifies," he added later. "The criteria is extraordinarily broad, by design. We advocated much of what was in the approved Senate package on behalf of our members over the past week," Rob Wonderling, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, said in a statement. "We think this is a good start. A separate $46 billion fund managed by the Treasury Department would go to targeted industries, such as airlines and hotels. The combined $500 billion for business worried Democrats who feared it could amount to a slush fund controlled by the White House, but the final bill imposes added disclosure rules and oversight,, and temporary bans on stock buybacks and layoffs. About $17 billion has been carved out for Boeing, the aviation giant that was beset by problems from a deadly engineering error long before the coronavirus struck, the Washington Post reported. Boeing has a plant in Ridley Township, Delaware County. Aid for voting With many states, including Pennsylvania, moving or working to move their presidential primaries, the bill provides $400 million in election funding. Many officials now anticipate that states will have to increasingly rely on vote-by-mail and other options as large gatherings are discouraged or banned. Its very possible that COVID-19 will continue to disrupt American lives through November, and we need to prepare the country to vote if thats the case," said Sen. Chris Coons (D., Del.), who pushed for the election aid. Its on the federal government to safeguard our constitutional rights and make sure that, even while our country faces this pandemic, we still protect our democracy. Whats out Even in a $2 trillion bill, some things are left out. Casey, for one, argued that it should have included student loan relief. And while draft summaries circulating Wednesday said there would be some protections from eviction and foreclosures involving properties with federally-backed loans, Casey said he hoped for more safeguards. Staff writer Pranshu Verma contributed to this article Home Two wheelers TVS Apache RTR 180 BS6 Price Revealed: Rs 6,700 More Expensive Than The BS4 Model oi-Rahul Jaswal Chennai based TVS Motor Company has just about launched the TVS Apache RTR 180 at Rs 1.01 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. The new, BS6 models cost Rs 6,700 more than the models that feature BS4 compliant engines. The price tag also makes its just Rs 7,500 more expensive than the Apache RTR 160 BS6 models. {photo-feature} Most Viewed Videos In a bid to break the cycle of Covid-19 infection in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for a 21-day long nationwide lockdown to fight coronavirus. Before Indias complete lockdown was announced by the PM on Tuesday evening, state governments warned those violating partial restrictions that they would be jailed for up to two years and their vehicles would be confiscated if they didnt stay indoors. Here are key developments. 1. India has reported 536 coronavirus infections, 10 deaths. The 3-week lockdown in India aims to break the infection transmission chain 2. Government to spend Rs 15,000 crores to ramp up healthcare infrastructure to face infection surge in the coming months Also Watch l Type of curfew: PM Modi declares 21-day lockdown over COVID-19 3. Centre has issued guidelines on essential services, what people can and cannot do during the lockdown. Violators will be punished, can face prison time. 4. National Disaster Management Act, 2005 has been invoked for the first time. 5. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced a relief package for businesses, easing tax compliance and bankruptcy rules. 6. For half an hour after trading started on Tuesday, nobody bought or sold a bond on Reserve Bank of India platform. 7. Vegetable prices see a spike in most cities due to lack of connectivity, hoarding and panic buying. 8. Centre has put a ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine with an immediate effect. The agent is used for the prevention and treatment of certain types of malaria. 9. In his nationwide address on Tuesday, PM Modi said the country will have to bear the economic cost of lockdown but saving the life of every citizen is his priority and the priority of the Central and state governments as also of local administrations. 10. Noting that the virus spreads like fire, the prime minister said that if care is not taken for 21 days, the country, a family can go behind by 21 years. Hundreds of people were booked across the country for violating states lockdowns, with many being told to do sit-ups and squats on roads and some being cane-charged. There were also arrests for spreading rumours about Covid-19. by Nirmala Carvalho The National Council of Churches in India and the Indian Evangelical Alliance have taken up the pontiff's invitation. Felix Machado: "People are terrified and anxious; the situation asks us to witness a profound faith". Rev. Vijayesh Lal, EFI secretary general: We ask all communities to pray and take care of the elderly and unemployed people. Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and the Evangelical Fellowship of India, (EFI) have accepted Pope Francis' invitation to pray to the Our Father at 12 hours in Rome (at 4.30 pm in India) to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. NCCI brings together the majority of the Orthodox (Syriac, Chaldean, Malabar, Malankarese, ...) and Protestant (Lutheran, Baptist, Evangelical, Presbyterian, Mennonite, Salvation Army, ...) Churches in the country. The EFI gathers around 50 Pentecostal evangelical denominations. On March 22, Pope Francis invited all Christians in the world to recite the Lord's Prayer together "simultaneously" to respond to the "viral pandemic" with "the universality of prayer". NCCI and EFI will also take part in the pontiff's proposal for a moment of prayer on March 27th at 6pm, when he, from the facade of St. Peter's Basilica, will lead the prayer that can be followed on social media. Due to the isolation imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, it will not be possible for pilgrims to participate physically in it. Announcing the initiatives and inviting all Christians, Francis explained: We shall hear the Word of God, we shall raise our plea, we shall worship the Blessed Sacrament, with which, at the end, I shall give the Urbi et Orbi Blessing, to which is attached the possibility of receiving the plenary indulgence". Pope Francis 'invitation was sent to the NCCI and the EFI by Archbishop Felix Machado, secretary general of the CBCI (Indian Bishops' Conference) and its president Card. Oswald Gracias. Speaking to AsiaNews, Msgr. Machado explains: Pope Francis has invited all Christians to join in prayer with the Our Father to respond to Covid-19. The situation in India is alarming and prayer is the only tool we have in hand at the moment. People are terrified and anxious; the situation demands we witness to a profound faith. This is why I ask all people, individuals and families to join Pope Francis in prayer. EFI and NCCI will join Catholics in praying the Our Father". Rev. Vijayesh Lal, EFI secretary general, explains that the Alliance gathers more than 50 denominations, with over 65 thousand churches, which gather 3-4 million faithful. The EFI- he explains - will join the Holy Father in the prayer of the Our Father today at 4.30 pm and will observe the Day of prayer on March 27th. We want to support every prayer initiative promoted by different denominations. The EFI, in union with the World Evangelical Alliance, Wea, also promotes a day of prayer and fasting on Sunday 29 March. At present there will also be a 24-hour global prayer drive. At the same time, we invite everyone to take care of people, while maintaining the necessary safety distances and precautions. " "The EFI - he adds - asks all communities to promote "Prayer and Care ", encouraging evangelicals to find creative and practical ways to help people, for example day workers; and we ask young people to help the elderly and those who live alone in the face of this pandemic. Asir Ebenezer is the secretary general of NCCI, which brings together 30 Christian denominations and around 14 million faithful. "The NCCI - he said - wants to respond to the invitation of the Holy Father. We have alerted our leaders and faithful to participate in this prayer appointment at 4.30 pm". This weeks question was asked by friends. QUESTION: How did anesthesia come about? ANSWER: The story of anesthesia is a tale of a crook and his willing partner. Before the Civil War, people routinely committed suicide rather than submit to the surgeons knife. Every detail of the operation assured pain; the floor strewn with sand and sawdust to absorb blood, trays of knives and saws and surgical gowns coated with blood. The main concern was speed, not kindness. Charles Darwin quit medicine after witnessing a screaming boy undergoing the dreaded knife. The first hint of what lay ahead for surgery occurred in December 1844. Nitrous oxide, laughing gas, was all the rage for well over 50 years, people inhaling it to get high. A young dentist, Horace Wells, attended a frolic in Hartford, Connecticut. A dentist friend pulled a bothersome wisdom tooth out of Wells mouth and Wells noticed no pain at all. Wells contacted an old business partner, William Morton, who was a real criminal scumbag. His rap sheet included embezzlement, mail fraud, jilting girlfriends and passing bad checks. Morton made the decision to come clean, at least for awhile, and apprenticed himself to dentist Wells. They teamed up for a public demonstration at Massachusetts General Hospital. The tooth-yanking from a volunteer went OK, but the patient let out a groan and the uninspired crowd dispersed. Morton determined to find something better. He did, and it was ether. Ether had been around for centuries. Ether has a very low boiling point, turning from a liquid to a vapor at 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Morton rigged up a mechanical breathing mask, complete with valves and pipes, and teamed with Dr. John Warren to operate on a local house painter who had a large tumor beneath his left jaw. Yes, in the same Massachusetts General Hospital used nearly two years earlier for the tooth extraction on Wells. The operation was successful and witnessed by a houseful of young medical students. A new era of medicine was launched. Surgeons used ether in the 1848 Mexican-American War and the 1861-1865 Civil War. However, chloroform was discovered in 1832 and was used in 95 percent of Civil War surgeries. Chloroform was preferred since smaller quantities were needed and its effect was more rapid than ether. Another drawback to ether is that it is highly flammable and dangerous in an era of gas and candle lighting. Chloroform can be used around an open flame. Chloroform was administered by placing it on a sponge at the top of a cone and putting the other end over the patients nose and mouth. It was administered gradually to avoid shock, averaging about nine minutes before the surgeon went to work. Contrary to popular myth, soldiers did not bite the bullet to endue pain. Queen Victoria (1819-1901) was administered chloroform for the delivery of the last two of her nine children, starting in 1853. President William McKinley was shot on Sept. 6, 1901, while attending a political reception in Buffalo, New York. The president had no bodyguards. He was hit twice at close range by anarchist Leon Czolgosz using a .32-caliber pistol hiding in his handkerchief. One bullet bounced off McKinleys sternum and did not enter his body. The other penetrated the stomach. He underwent surgery using ether as an anesthesia. Doctors probed but could not find the bullet. A host of complications confronted the medical team. There was a lack of good lighting. Gas lighting was ruled out because ether is highly flammable. Sunlight was reflected onto the wound. The president was more than slightly obese. The best doctor for this kind of surgery was attending to a patient a good distance away. The operating doctors sewed up both the entrance and exit wounds to the stomach. McKinley survived, but died nine days later due to gangrene or other infections. The bullet was never retrieved, even after a 90-minute probe during autopsy. The shooter, Czolgosz, was executed seven weeks later. Nitrous oxide, ether and chloroform are all single compounds. Anesthesia today consists of a cocktail of several drugs and each targets a different physiological function. Some paralyze muscles and some slow breathing, while others interfere with memory formation and others relieve anxiety. Anesthesia pushes the pause button on consciousness and permits doctors to do their job. Send questions and comments to: lscheckel@charter.net. Larry Scheckel is a retired Tomah High School physics teacher. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. English Estonian As a vital service provider, AS Tallinna Vesi has implemented measures to ensure the safety of its employees and customers during the global outbreak of new coronavirus Covid-19. The company continues to provide uninterrupted water and wastewater services to its customers and can assure that there is currently no risk to the quality of the services provided. All the security measures are implemented in accordance with the governmental guidelines as well as advice provided by other responsible state authorities. Tallinna Vesi ensures appropriate working regime in strategically important facilities, mainly Ulemiste Water Treatment Plant and Paljassaare Wastewater Treatment Plant as well as water and wastewater networks and pumping stations. Tallinna Vesi has reduced direct social interactions within the organisation, as well as with our partners and customers to ensure their continuous well-being. We have temporarily closed the doors of our customer service office and no face-to-face meetings with partners are currently held. We continue to respond to our customers inquiries by phone and e-mail and continue to carry out all unavoidable emergency works. Constant guidelines are provided to all our employees about latest recommendations to mitigate spreading of Covid-19. Even though Tallinna Vesi is not currently significantly affected by the spreading of the virus, the situation keeps developing rapidly, so the company will continue to carefully monitor the situation and act accordingly. As the situation is uncertain and evolving, we do not consider it practicable to provide a quantitative financial estimate of the potential impact of this outbreak on AS Tallinna Vesi. Our utmost priority will continue to be providing the uninterrupted vital service to our customers. Eliis Randver Head of Customer Relations and Communication Tallinna Vesi (+372) 626 2275 Eliis.randver@tvesi.ee Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Bangkok, Thailand Wed, March 25, 2020 11:45 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d4f4f5 2 SE Asia Thailand,Corona,COVID-19,death Free Thailand has recorded 107 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 934, a health official said on Wednesday. The new cases consist of 27 patients linked to previous cases, 13 new cases including imported ones, and 67 people who tested positive and are awaiting investigation into how they contracted the disease, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a Public Health Ministry spokesman said. Thailand has recorded four death since the outbreak while 70 patients have recovered and gone home. 860 patients are still being treated in hospitals. Thai authorities started to shut some border crossings last week, aiming to close all 91 crossing points with Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia on Monday, allowing only trucks carrying goods to go through. Stern measures, including a 22-day closure of department stores and many businesses in Bangkok and major Thai cities which started on Sunday, have led hundreds of migrant workers to head for the border. A SURGE in the North American business of Co Galway engineering group Ward & Burke contributed to pre-tax profits almost doubling last year to 18m. But company director Padraig Burke has warned that the group is now facing an unprecedented challenge. "The scale of the negative impacts on turnover, output and costs across all jurisdictions is impossible to predict," he told the Irish Independent. New accounts lodged by the Ward & Burke Group show that the business posted a 152pc increase in pre-tax profits as revenues surged 19pc to 272m in the 12 months to the end of last December. The Kilcolgan-headquartered group's best-performing sector was the US and Canada, where revenues increased by 41m, or 46pc, to 130m. The group's revenue here rose 25pc to almost 88m, while the UK turnover fell 22pc to 52m. The number of people employed increased to 687 from 601. Directors' pay rose to 2.7m from 2.1m. The group's pre-tax profits were boosted last year by a 1.4m profit on the sale of assets. The profit last year also takes account of non-cash depreciation of 12.6m. At the end of last December, the group had a very strong balance sheet of shareholder funds totalling 68m, which included cash of 14.2m. Financial director with the group, David Kirrane, said: "Unfortunately, 2020 is likely to present a significant challenge in the context of Covid-19 impacts." He added: "We intend to support our direct labour force and their families during this time of crisis." "Countries will be affected in different measure depending on their individual responses to the Covid challenge," he pointed out. "Tendering opportunities may reduce as the focus quite rightly shifts nationally to managing the crisis." The finance boss said that in response to the Covid-19 crisis, the company has sub-divided its workforce into approximately 100 mutually exclusive groups, working as independently as possible, in an effort to control the spread of the virus. "The group's strategy of substantial investment in high-value specialist plant and equipment in this and prior years, coupled with extensive training and upskilling of all grades of employees, has given us a real competitive advantage in all markets," said Mr Kirrane. He said that these factors as well as others helped achieve "a very healthy 12pc" in earnings last year. Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani (R) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 23, 2020. (Afghan Presidential Palace Handout via Reuters) US to Reduce Afghan Aid by $1 Billion After Pompeo Visits Kabul U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday announced a $1 billion cut in U.S. aid to Afghanistan after the countrys rival leaders failed to agree on forming a new government. The decision was made after Pompeos urgent visit to Kabul on Monday where he met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and former Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. They have both contested the result of Septembers presidential election, raising the prospect of parallel governments as each declared themselves president of the country. Afghanistans Abdullah Abdullah, President Ashraf Ghanis political rival, meets with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 23, 2020. Afghanistans Chief Executive Office (Handout via Reuters) Pompeo had hoped to break the deadlock but was unable to, with Ghani and Abdullah informing him that that they have been unable to agree on an inclusive government that can meet the challenges of governance, peace, and security, and provide for the health and welfare of Afghan citizens, according to a State Department statement. The political feud between the rival Afghan politicians has stalled the selection of negotiating teams expected to be completed by March 10 for intra-Afghan talks based on the two separate agreements between the United States and Taliban and the United States and Afghanistan. The failure to resolve the Afghan government crisis disappointed the United States, harmed U.S.-Afghan relations, and represents a direct threat to U.S. national interests, the statement says. The U.S. government therefore reduced the aid to Afghanistan by $1 billion this year and could also reduce it by another $1 billion next year, with the United States unwilling to support parallel governments, according to the statement. Additional reductions of other programs and projects are also possible. The U.S. government will initiate a review of all of our programs and projects to identify additional reductions, and reconsider our pledges to future donor conferences for Afghanistan, the statement says. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the leader of the Taliban delegation, signs an agreement with Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. envoy for peace in Afghanistan, at a signing agreement ceremony between members of Afghanistans Taliban and the United States in Doha, Qatar, on Feb. 29, 2020. (Mohammad Ismail/Reuters) The statement also criticized Afghan leaders for not being able to establish an inclusive national team for intra-Afghan negotiations, to facilitate prisoner release by Afghanistan and Taliban, and to achieve permanent ceasefire. However, there have not been attacks on American forces since the peace agreement between the United States and Taliban was signed over three weeks ago, Pompeo said after returning from Afghanistan. On Tuesday, in a speech carried by Afghan broadcaster RTA, Ghani said the cut in aid would not affect key areas, and further discussions would be held to resolve the issue with Abdullah, according to Reuters. I met with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and wanted to offer him a central role in the peace process and positions in the cabinet to his allies but he emphasized an amendment of the constitution, Ghani said, adding the amendment was impossible. Pompeo declined to detail how the $1 billion in aid cuts would be apportioned or whether he set a deadline to settle their dispute, or if there is any timeline set for Afghan leaders to resolve the government dispute. The United States is ready to cancel the announced cut if Afghan leaders form an inclusive government that can provide security and participate in the peace process, the statement says. We are hopeful, frankly, that they will get their act together and we wont have to do it. But were prepared to do that, Pompeo said at the press conference. The United States is not abandoning our partnership with Afghanistan, nor our commitment to support the Afghan security forces, but reviewing the scope of our cooperation given the irresponsible actions of Afghan leaders, the statement says. However, the assistance of $15 million provided by the United States to Afghanistan to help the country in its combat with the CCP virus will not be impacted by the cuts and will be provided, the statement confirmed. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Pompeo also said that not only the current administration had been working for a long time with all Afghan leaders trying to convince and incentivize them to start negotiations, the previous administration tried to do it for eight years and wasnt successful. Pompeo also stopped at a military base in Qatar for a 75-minute meeting with Taliban officials, including their top negotiator, Mullah Baradar Akhund. The Taliban had largely reduced violence, as it had promised, and is working toward delivering their team to the ultimate negotiations, Pompeo said. Reuters contributed to this report. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Just when you thought you things couldnt get any worse ... A New Jersey man has been arrested and charged with making terroristic threats for deliberately coughing at a supermarket worker in Manalapan and saying he was infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19), allege authorities. George Falcone, 50, of Freehold, was busted in connection with the 6:30 a.m. incident Sunday in the Wegmans store on Route 9, said New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. Grewal said a worker was concerned Falcone was standing too close to her and an open display of prepared foods. The woman asked Falcone to step back as she covered the food, said Grewal in a statement. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Falcone, however, moved forward to within three feet of the woman, leaned toward her, and purposely coughed, authorities said. He then laughed and said he was infected with the coronavirus, said Grewal. Afterward, Falcone allegedly told two other workers theyre lucky to have jobs, the attorney general said. As it happened, a Manalapan Police Department detective was working a security detail at the store. The detective approached Falcone, who allegedly refused to cooperate or divulge his name or drivers license, said Grewal. Falcone finally identified himself about 40 minutes later and was allowed to go, the attorney general said. Based on an ensuing probe, Falcone was issued a summons on Tuesday requiring him to appear in court on a future date, said Grewal. He was charged with making terroristic threats, obstructing administration of law or other governmental function, and harassment, the attorney general said. The terroristic threat charge carries a potential sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000, said prosecutors. A conviction on the obstruction charge could result in a sentence of up to 18 months behind bars and a fine of up to $10,000. The harassment charge carries a possible sentence of up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. These are extremely difficult times in which all of us are called upon to be considerate of each other not to engage in intimidation and spread fear, as alleged in this case, Grewal said. We must do everything we can to deter this type of conduct and any similar conduct that harms others during this emergency. The attorney general thanked the Manalapan Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office for their work on the case. A spokesman for the Staten Island district attorney said Wednesday the office is not aware of any coronavirus-related crimes in the borough. 53 Fighting the coronavirus: NYC on pause RELATED STORIES: What to know about new coronavirus treatment options approved for trial in New York These companies are hiring in wake of coronavirus Staten Island coronavirus deaths jump to 18; maintains highest case rate in city Carmel Richmond nursing home has one or more coronavirus cases 'Were not slowing it: Governor says coronavirus spreading faster in New York than expected The coronavirus in Italy: Sobering hospital video; signs of progress? Staten Island reaches highest rate of confirmed coronavirus cases in city 129 members of NYPD test positive for coronavirus Airlines stand to lose $252 billion if severe travel restrictions are in place for three months, more than double the International Air Transport Association's projection from earlier this month and 44% below 2019's top-line, the trade group said Tuesday. The economic analysis assumes there will be a global recession during, and after, the COVID-19 pandemic and that travel demand will be slow to recover later this year. Airlines have stopped flying all but a few international routes and have scaled back domestic networks as well, grounding thousands of planes. The Seattle Times reported that Alaska Airlines, for example, will slice about 200 flights per day from its schedule through March, cease most operations to Hawaii and park 30 planes, as it implements downsizing announced last week. The airline group's worst-case estimate on March 5 of up to $113 billion in lost revenue came before countries introduced sweeping border closures. IATA says airlines need an infusion of $200 billion in direct grants, loans and loan guarantees, as well as tax rebates and a temporary waiver of ticket taxes and other government-imposed fees. Congress is debating emergency relief for passenger and cargo airlines worth about $60 billion. The European Central Bank is also expected to enact measures to help the industry. "Airlines are fighting for survival in every corner of the world. Travel restrictions and evaporating demand mean that, aside from cargo, there is almost no passenger business. For airlines, it's apocalypse now," IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said in a statement. "And there is a small and shrinking window for governments to provide a lifeline of financial support to prevent a liquidity crisis from shuttering the industry." U.S. airlines are trying not to furlough workers, but say that without government aid they will be forced to shrink their workforce. Based on their current operations, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have about 60,000 and 40,000 more employees than they need. Delta has said it is burning through $50 million a day to keep most of its staff intact. Story continues The typical airline had two months worth of cash at the start of the year and will run out of money before the recovery starts, according to IATA Chief Economist Brian Pearce. Helane Becker, lead airline analyst at Cowen investment bank, said in a research note that it will take airlines 12 to 18 months to return to previous growth levels. IATA estimates that traffic in 2020, measured by the number of passengers and distance flown, will decline 38% versus last year. Its modeling shows industry capacity 65% below the 2019 level at the end of June and recovering to 10% below last year's total by the end of the year. The trade group singled out several countries for efforts to support airlines through the crisis: Australia has announced an A$715 million (US$430 million) aid package comprising refunds and forward waivers on fuel taxes, and domestic air navigation and regional aviation security charges. Brazil is allowing airlines to postpone payments of air navigation and airport fees. China has introduced a number of measures, including reductions in landing, parking and air navigation charges as well as subsidies for airlines that continued to mount flights to the country. Hong Kong Airport Authority (HKAA) , with government support, is providing a total relief package valued at HK$1.6 billion (US$206 million) for the airport community, including waivers on airport and air navigation fees and charges, and certain licensing fees, rent reductions for aviation services providers, and other measures. Cargo terminal services, for example, will be reduced by 10% to 50% for three to four months. New Zealand's government will open a NZ$900 million (US$580 million) loan facility to the national carrier as well as an additional NZ$600 million relief package for the aviation sector. Norway's government is providing a conditional state loan guarantee for its aviation industry totaling NKr6 billion (US$533 million). Singapore has undertaken relief measures valued at S$112 million (US$82 million) including rebates on airport charges, assistance to ground handling agents and rental rebates at Changi Airport. Sweden and Denmark announced $300 million in state loan guarantees for the national carrier. "It did not seem possible, but in a matter of days, the crisis facing airlines worsened dramatically. We are 100% behind governments in supporting measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. But we need them to understand that without urgent relief, many airlines will not be around to lead the recovery stage," de Juniac said. "Failure to act now will make this crisis longer and more painful. Some 2.7 million airline jobs are at risk. And each of those jobs supports a further 24 in the travel and tourism value chain. Some governments are already responding to our urgent calls, but not enough to make up the $200 billion needed." See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. The entire sixth-grade class at Schaghticoke Middle School in New Milford has been invited to participate in an essay contest. State Rep. Bill Buckbee (R-New Milford) created the contest as a way for New Milford students to express their thoughts on the contributions of historical figures from the town of New Milford, or the contributions from Connecticut women, and how those contributions affect them. "Engaging students to take a look at the historical past of the very town they live in is meant to be enriching for the community as a whole," said Buckbee. "This year, 2020, also marks the 100th anniversary of the women's right to vote in America, he said. I am looking forward to reading the reflections from students as they consider that it took people with courage to challenge and change the previous status quo of our society." Buckbee pointed to the contributions of women across the country who led the women's suffrage movement as a prime example of a good essay topic. He also pointed to the fact that local hero, Roger Sherman, played a significant role in weaving the fabric of a young United States, making him a prime subject for a quality essay. "We have a couple of great topics for the students to think about this year," Buckbee said. "Good luck to all of those who enter the contest, I will be reading them all. Submissions can be emailed directly to SMS Principal Dr Chris Longo at longoc@newmilfordps.org. They are due by April 24. ATLANTA There is no 12th Democratic presidential debate on the horizon now that the nominating process is in a holding pattern due to the coronarvirus pandemic. One of the Democratic National Committees lead debate organizers, Xochitl Hinojosa, said the party has not set a date or secured a television broadcasting partner for what would be the final encounter of the dozen that DNC Chairman Tom Perez promised at the campaigns outset. Identity and access management in 2022 - what will the future look like? As we enter into 2022, there is still a level of uncertainty in place. Its unclear what the future holds, as companies around the world still contend with the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote working has been encouraged by most organisations and the move to a hybrid working system has become business as usual, for the majority of businesses. Some have reduced their office space or done away with their locations altogether. Following best security practices With all this change in place, there are problems to deal with. According to research, 32.7% of IT admins say they are concerned about employees using unsecured networks to carry out that work. Alongside this, 74% of IT admins thought that remote work makes it harder for employees to follow best security practices. This need to manage security around remote work is no longer temporary. Instead, companies have to build permanent strategies around remote work and security. The coming year will also create a different landscape for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Here are some key predictions for next year and what to start preparing for in 2022: The reality of SMB spending around security will hit home SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working, especially in comparison to their size. They had to undertake significant digital transformation projects that made it possible to deliver services remotely, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weve seen a shift in mindset for these companies, which are now more tech-focused in their approach to problem solving. According to our research, 45% of SMBs plan to increase their spending towards IT services in 2022. Around half of all organisations think their IT budgets are adequate for their needs, while 14.5% of those surveyed believe they will need more, to cover all that needs to be done. Identity management spending to support remote work For others, the COVID-19 pandemic led to over-spending, just to get ahead of things and they will spend in 2022, looking at what they should keep and what they can reduce their spending on. Areas like identity management will stay in place, as companies struggle to support remote work and security, without this in place. However, on-premise IT spending will be reduced or cut, as those solutions are not relevant for the new work model. Services that rely on on-premise IT will be cut or replaced. The device will lead the way for security We rely on our phones to work and to communicate. In 2022, they will become central to how we manage access, to all our assets and locations, IT and physical. When employees can use company devices and their own phones for work, security is more difficult. IT teams have to ensure that theyre prepared for this, by making sure that these devices can be trusted. Wide use of digital certificates and strong MFA factors Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication There are multiple ways that companies can achieve this, for example - By using digital certificates to identify company devices as trusted, an agent, or strong MFA factors, like a FIDO security key or mobile push authentication. Whichever approach you choose, this can prevent unauthorised access to IT assets and applications, and these same devices can be used for authentication into physical locations too. Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication. Understanding human behaviour Alongside this, it is important to understand human behaviour. Anything that introduces an extra step for authentication can lead to employees taking workarounds. To stop this, it is important to put an employee education process in place, in order to emphasize on the importance of security. The next step is to think about adopting passwordless security, to further reduce friction and increase adoption. Lastly, as devices become the starting point for security and trust, remote device management will be needed too. More companies will need to manage devices remotely, from wiping an asset remotely if it gets lost or stolen, through to de-provisioning users easily and removing their access rights, when they leave the company. Identity will be a layer cake Zero Trust approaches to security Identity management relies on being able to trust that someone is who they say they are. Zero Trust approaches to security can support this effectively, particularly when aligned with least privilege access models. In order to turn theory into practical easy-to-deploy steps, companies need to use contextual access, as part of their identity management strategy. This involves looking at the context that employees will work in and putting together the right management approach for those circumstances. For typical employee behaviour, using two factor authentication might be enough to help them work, without security getting in the way. How enterprises manage, access and store identity data There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time For areas where security is more important, additional security policies can be put over the top, to ensure that only the right people have access. A step-up in authentication can be added, based on the sensitivity of resources or risk-based adaptive authentication policies might be needed. There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time, so that it aligns more closely with those use cases. Identity management critical to secure assets in 2022 There are bigger conversations taking place around digital identity for citizenship, as more services move online as well. Any moves that take place in this arena will affect how businesses think about their identity management processes too, encouraging them to look at their requirements in more detail. Overall, 2022 will be the year when identity will be critical to how companies keep their assets secure and their employees productive. With employees working remotely and businesses becoming decentralised, identity strategies will have to take the same approach. This will put the emphasis on strong identity management as the starting point for all security planning. Cyber Dive is a free online platform that allows parents to monitor their childrens social media accounts. If youve ever thought about how you can mitigate the risks your children face on social media, weve taken those ideas and created a free, comprehensive, and easy-to-use tool. It helps keep them safeand keeps you in the know about what your child is being exposed to and exploring. Today Cyber Dive, an online platform that connects parents to their childrens digital reality, announced the launch of a free service that enables parents to easily view their childrens social accounts, understand their online activity and achieve peace of mindan increasingly relevant service at a time when children are home from school for the foreseeable future. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Education Week estimates at least 118,000 U.S public and private schools have closed their doors. As Americans' social distancing escalates in an effort to help contain the spread of COVID-19, school closings leave 52.6 million children to their own devicesboth figuratively and literally. Without a clear understanding or timeline of when everyday activities, such as working out of public offices or sending children to school and activities will resume, parents are navigating how to monitor their childrens online activity. For many, this is uncharted territory, as children have increased access to and time available for social media. With Cyber Dive, parents can easily monitor their childs social media activity across popular social media sites including Instagram, Snapchat, VSCO and, by summer 2020, TikTok, Discord, Google, and YouTube. Key features to keep kids safe online include: Word Cloud: Provides a look into the frequency of words used on social media. Vibes Meter: Gives an overview of the emotions surrounding a childs activity. Friends: Showcases the people a child interacts with on social media. Alerts: Displays activity that might require extra attention. Posts: Lists the posts a child makes or is tagged in on social media. Search History (summer 2020): Recent search history across all monitored platforms. COVID-19 directly impacts us in many ways, including hunkering down at home with our kiddos for the time being. Although being able to spend more time with them is a positive, we also acknowledge the nuanced challenges we must traverse as parents of digitally connected kids, said Cyber Dive Co-Founder and CEO Jeff Gottfurcht. As parents of 8- to 15-year-olds, we often wonder, What is my kid doing on the internet right now? Who are they interacting with? What videos are they watching? How is what they are seeing impacting how they feel? If youve ever thought about how you can mitigate the risks your children face on social media, weve taken those ideas and created a free, comprehensive, and easy-to-use tool. It helps keep them safeand keeps you in the know about what your child is being exposed to and exploring. Cyber Dive provides information on whom children interact with, how they feel about what they see, what they are searching, and alerts you to anything needing extra attention. It empowers parents to partner with trained analysts to conduct thorough social media audits (coming summer 2020), which dive deep into a childs social media life to uncover things that might be hidden under the surface. These audits search: Dating Sites Like Bumble or Tinder: Find out whether or not your child is connecting with 18+ men/women on dating websites. Ghost Accounts (If They Exist): Some children create both public and private accounts. Children often allow their parents to only view the public profile because of its appropriate content. Cached & Deleted Data Search: Your child may try to delete searches. Cyber Dive may be able to recover some of that deleted information. Verify Friend Identities: Find out if your child is connected to any fake accounts, which are often created by stalkers or pedophiles to follow and learn about their targets. Reverse Image Search: Find out if your childs images are being used by someone else on the internet. Dark Web Search: Rest assured that nothing associated with your child exists where nefarious people lurk. According to the McAfees consumer research department, 87% of young people have seen cyberbullying online but most do nothing about it. Ditch the Label published in their bullying survey that 47% of cyberbullying victims will develop social anxiety, 37% will develop depression, and 26% will have suicidal thoughts. Weve seen that nearly 9 out of 10 kids avoid telling their parents about the negative things they see happening online. This leaves parents struggling to keep up, and oblivious to whats happening beneath the surface, said Cyber Dive Co-Founder and CTO Derek Jackson. As an intelligence officer, my teams job was to dig through extensive social media data and provide only the most time-sensitive information to the commander to make life-altering decisions. We took that mindset and made you, parents, the commander. We show you whats most important, so you can initiate necessary conversations and directly impact how your child navigates social media. Parents can sign up for Cyber Dive, free of charge, from any device. Offering a simple, intuitive sign-up process, Cyber Dive makes it easy for any parent or guardian to access the innovative technology. Cyber Dive was created by Co-Founder and CEO Jeff Gottfurcht and Co-Founder and CTO Derek Jackson, who set out to get a better grasp on social media for families everywhereincluding their own. Jackson is the father of one and Gottfurcht is the father of three. Jackson, an ex-military intelligence officer and Millennial tech entrepreneur, previously served as a Captain in the U.S. Army, where his intelligence work focused on the social media activity of U.S. adversaries. Jackson worked as an intelligence officer for five years and deployed in support of combat operations with 1st Special Forces Group (airborne) to Kuwait, Jordan and Syria. Gottfurcht, the first person in the world to summit Mt. Everest with Rheumatoid Arthritis, previously worked in Silicon Valley for 14 years as a Vice President at UBS Financial, a global Swiss investment banking firm that provides services in more than 50 countries. Additionally, he was selected as Man of the Year by the United Nations and their International School for the philanthropic work he does speaking around the country, inspiring kids and adults to push through obstacles and achieve success. For more information, visit https://www.cyberdive.co. About Cyber Dive Cyber Dive is a free online platform that allows parents to monitor their childrens social media accounts. It connects parents to an overview of their childs social profiles across platforms like Instagram, VSCO, Snapchat and, by summer 2020, TikTok, Discord, Google, and YouTube. With the ability to see the extent of their childs social media usage, parents can begin to understand their childs online habits, stop and/or prevent inappropriate activity and achieve peace of mind. For more information, please visit https://www.cyberdive.co. Contact April White, Trust Relations 323-216-8589 cyberdive@trustrelations.agency Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 15:42:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A former president of the Higher People's Court of east China's Anhui Province has been indicted on charges of taking bribes, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Wednesday. Zhang Jian, also former secretary of the leading Party members group of the court, was accused of taking advantage of his various former positions and using his power or status to seek profits for others and accepting vast sums of money and gifts in return, the SPP said in a statement. Zhang's case was handed over to the Xiamen Municipal People's Procuratorate in east China's Fujian Province for review and prosecution upon the designation of the SPP after the National Supervisory Commission concluded the investigation, it said. Zhang will stand trial in the Xiamen Intermediate People's Court, it added. The SPP said the prosecutors had informed the defendant of his litigation rights, interrogated him and listened to the defense counsel's opinions. Ever since the outbreak of Coronavirus, Indians have been busy looking up the meanings of several new terms that have become a part of the global vocabulary following the pandemic. A new word has been added to this list soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day-long nation-wide lockdown on Tuesday evening-Lakshman Rekha, an unusual term that many Indians can relate to. While searches for Laxman/Lakshman/Lakshmana Rekha keep spiking time and again, the term has never been Googled as much as since March 24 when PM Modi first used it to explain social distancing. While informing Indians about the curfew and the utmost importance of observing it in order to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, Modi said that India is bound in a Lakshman Rekha" for the next 21 days and that stepping out of it (meaning their homes) would mean setting their families as well as the country back by 21 years. However, while the speech won applause on social media, the spike in Google search on the word told a different story. It appeared that many across India, especially in states like Mizoram and Tamil Nadu, both of which non-Hindi speaking states, did not understand the meaning of Lakshman Rekha". Lakshman Rekha" is a reference to the Valmikis epic Ramayana in which Rams brother Lakshman draws a magical boundary outside the hut in which he stayed along with Ram and Sita to protect enemies from entering and kidnapping her. However, Ravana tricks Sita into voluntarily stepping out of the boundary, thus managing to abduct her while Ram and Lakshman were away. Searches for Lakshman Rekha spiked the most on March 24 at 8.58 pm after the PM mentioned it in his speech. And the maximum number of searches came from Mizoram, followed by Tamil Nadu. Karnataka and Kerala followed, respectively. Many took to Twitter to express their concerns about the PMs speech about such an essential issue being in Hindi. Was PM @narendramodis yesterdays speech translated to all Indian languages and telecast on Doordarshan and broadcast on AIR? Or was it only in Hindi? If not done it is the most irresponsible and insensitive act of GOI. Ganesh Chetan (@ganeshchetan) March 20, 2020 There should be translation scrollers for the PM'S speech. Not everyone understands Hindi. Are we supposed to suggest basic communication protocol of such sort too? In a situation like this , even more important that everyone is taken into consideration. Veeksha (@chestnutmatte) March 24, 2020 In this dire #coronavirus danger, Central Govt continues to play the language politics. Instead of transmitting the PMs speech dubbed in local languages, it rams his Hindi speech down the bewildered & uncomprehending throat of the Nation. L N Roychoudhury (@lokenrc) March 24, 2020 This is not the first time that the government has been criticised for using just Hindi and sometimes English in its public health announcements, both on media and social media. Previously, netizens have complained about several important government advisories on coronavirus on social media being given out in Hindi. (This story was originally published on March 25, 2020) Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here Gisele Bundchen is one of many celebrities finding ways to cope amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 39-year-old Brazilian model is currently self-quarantining with husband Tom Brady and their children in Costa Rica. The Vogue cover girl took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a video of herself and her two children having a heartfelt Bruno Mars singalong. The beauty sang the 2010 song Count On Me with Benjamin, 10, and Vivian, seven. Bruno Mars singalong: Gisele Bundchen took to Instagram Tuesday with a video of herself and her kids having a heartfelt Bruno Mars singalong She wrote in the caption: 'Though we are going through a very tough time, lets try and focus on the present, and live the HERE and NOW. 'Life is a gift. Lets support one another.' Bundchen added: 'Around here, we are singing and sending good energy to all. What about you guys at home? What are you all doing?' She called on her 15.8million followers to post what they're doing during quarantine, sharing some of the photos and videos to her story. Quarantine vibes: The 39-year-old sang the 2010 song Count On Me with Benjamin, 10, and Vivian, seven Here and now: She wrote in the caption: 'Though we are going through a very tough time, lets try and focus on the present, and live the HERE and NOW' How to cope: Bundchen called on her 15.8million followers to post what they're doing during quarantine, sharing some of the photos and videos to her story On the red carpet: Bundchen attends the 2019 Hollywood For Science Gala at Private Residence in February 2019 in Los Angeles The Devil Wears Prada star is preparing to bid farewell to Boston as Brady, 42, leaves the New England Patriots after 20 years. Bundchen took to Instagram last week with a touching tribute to the city she loves, as her husband revealed he's joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She wrote: 'What a ride the last decade has been. Boston has been so good to us and will always be in our hearts. We will forever have wonderful memories. 'Our kids were born and raised there and we have made special friendships to last a lifetime. Ill miss our friends, the beautiful change of seasons and the rides to the stadium to go cheer for Tom and the Pats.' She added: 'Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of my husband and our family throughout all these years. We will miss you!' PEN COVID-19: Information for stakeholders In response to the recent developments regarding the rapid worldwide spread of the coronavirus, the management of Photon Energy NV would like to inform its stakeholders that it has undertaken all necessary measures to ensure the continuation of our business including the provision of services to our customers during these challenging times. Photon Energy closely monitors and analyses the situation and our policies reflect the measures adopted by the governments of the countries in which our business activities take place. Our top priority is to make sure that our employees are safe and to mitigate any infection risk (no employee has been infected to date), while continuing our business activities at the highest level possible given external circumstances. We have taken preventive measures in line with the measures and guidelines adopted by local and national authorities and the World Health Organisation. These include restricted visits to our offices, a stop to international travel as well as hygiene preventive measures. Our staff has been instructed to work from home and we provide all required technical support to enable efficient remote work. As a direct result of our business continuity measures all our major service activities are running smoothly. On the basis of currently adopted measures we expect to be able to continue providing them without major disruptions for the foreseeable future. In the current situation of the global coronavirus pandemic, which has brought many industries to a halt and will undoubtedly lead to an economic contraction, management believes that Photon Energys strong core of diversified and recurring revenues represents a solid foundation to weather the difficult times ahead. In particular, our electricity generation segment with 69 photovoltaic power plants with a total installed capacity of 57.1 MWp is producing electricity as usual and is not impacted by current external circumstances. For all five Hungarian PV power plants with a total installed capacity of 3.5 MWp under construction and to be completed before the end of Q2 2020, all components including photovoltaic modules have been secured and we expect these projects to be grid-connected without significant delays. Our Operations & Maintenance business, which includes plant monitoring, is capable of providing its services from home-offices. The on-site provision of repair work is ongoing as PV power plants are considered vital energy infrastructure, while preventive maintenance is being undertaken to the extent possible under current travel restrictions. Our other business lines such as EPC services, PV component trading and project development are more vulnerable to the impact of measures related to the coronavirus pandemic. The extent of the negative impact will depend on the extent and length of measures taken by the respective governments in the countries where we are active. In all our main markets we have highly skilled teams on the ground and the entire team remains focused on minimizing the impact on our ongoing business as well as our various growth initiatives. New York state's hospital admission rates for Covid-19 infections have declined over the last three days, suggesting the density control plan could be working. Governor Andrew Cuomo updated hospitalisation numbers on Wednesday during his daily press briefing. He offered a glimmer of hopeful news to constituents, saying the hospitalisation rate is now doubling every 4.7 days compared to the rate doubling every two days from data on Sunday. "Evidence suggests density control plan may be working," Mr Cuomo tweeted during his press conference. After Sunday showed hospitalisations doubling every two days, it then went down to every 3.4 days on Monday. Then Tuesdays numbers showed hospitalisations doubling only ever 4.7 days. Declining rates in hospitalisations is important because the state, as well as the rest of the country, is concerned with how the Covid-19 pandemic could impact the healthcare system as the novel virus continues to spread. There are 30,811 cases in New York, up more than 5,000 from yesterday, and 17,856 of these cases are in New York City, Mr Cuomo said on Wednesday. An update on New York state numbers shows 12 per cent of active Covid-19 cases have been hospitalised for the virus. About 3 per cent of cases are in the ICU, which is the area of main concern for people who become infected because that is where the patients need ventilators. Even though the rate of hospitalisation is decreasing, there is still concern about how the virus will impact New York hospitals unless the spread is contained. Mr Cuomo has consistently said there are only 53,000 hospital beds and 3,000 ICU beds currently available. The state has worked to increase its bed numbers by ordering all hospitals increase their capacity by 50 per cent. The state also is receiving beds from FEMA hospitals and the USNS Comfort hospital ship. State dormitories might be transformed to house more patients. An estimated 140,000 hospital beds will be needed and 40,000 ICU beds, with an apex of infections anticipated in 14 to 21 days. Ventilators are also a problem in New York. Our single greatest challenge are the ventilators," Mr Cuomo said. The state currently has 4,000 ventilators already at its hospital and has purchased an addition 7,000 to accommodate future patients. Anticipated need for ventilators is about 30,000, so the state is working with the federal government to acquire more. Mr Cuomo also criticised the US Senate's $2tn stimulus package, calling it a "drop in the bucket" for what the state needs to handle the pandemic. "(The package) gives us $3.8bn," Mr Cuomo said. "How do you plug a $15bn hole with $3.8bn? You don't." "It would really be terrible for the state of New York," he added. The governor thought the House stimulus package was better suited for New York because it would give the state about $17bn in emergency funding. Published on 2020/03/24 | Source Actresses Moon Ga-young (24), Chae Soo-bin (26) and Shin Ye-eun (22) are battling over the position of the next rom-com queen. They star in the MBC drama "Find Me in Your Memory", tvN's "A Piece of Your Mind" and KBS 2TV's "Meow, the Secret Boy" respectively. The fact that the age range, which was tightly dominated by actresses in their 30s such as Son Ye-jin, Gong Hyo-jin and Seo Hyun-jin, has dropped dramatically to the early 20s is also intriguing. Will they renew the rom-com genealogy? Advertisement "Find Me in Your Memory" Moon Ga-young... the fancy king Moon Ga-young comes first as top star Yeo Ha-jin. She draws romance with the anchor character of Kim Dong-wook who has hyperthymesia. Her character is nicknamed the 'sell-out' star, so style is a key point in this drama. From airport fashion to advertisements, she goes through at least 10 changes of clothes per episode. In many ways, the character of a 20-something year-old celebrity, who is similar in nature, is the 'best weapon' in Moon Ga-young's opinion. "This drama allows me to express myself the best", she says. For Moon Ga-young, who debuted in 2006 as a child, this may be her best chance to expand her territory as a romantic comedy actress. Moon Ga-young said, "I am going to work hard to make my name a strategy". "A Piece of Your Mind" Chae Soo-bin... wistful crush Chae Soo-bin takes on the role of Han Seo-woo, who is in love with Jung Hae-in's character, an AI programmer. She's a positive-minded character who is willing to support her crush's romance with someone else. According to Jung Hae-in, it's Chae Soo-bin's bright energy and her consideration of others on the set that allow her to bring out those emotions while she's acting. Chae Soo-bin has been working hard on her romantic experience. Some examples are MBC's "I'm Not a Robot" and "Where Stars Land". This is a reason why her synergy with "One Spring Night" and "Tune in for Love" actor Jung Hae-in is looked forward to. However, there's something else that Chae Soo-bin claims is a key point and that is writer Lee Sook-yeon's writing, who also wrote "Tune in for Love". "Meow, the Secret Boy" Shin Ye-eun... ordinarily unique Known as 'the teenage Jun Ji-hyun', Shin Ye-eun is attempting her first leading role ever. Her debuting drama is the 2018 webdrama called "A-TEEN" which earned her the support of many teenagers. Despite her student-look, she aims at the 20s now by playing a working girl who gets easily hurt by love. Her curiosity allows her to challenge herself in a unique role. "Meow, the Secret Boy" is about a cat who turns into a human and she stars alongside Kim Myung-soo in the role of the cat, Hong-jo. Australia on Wednesday criticized China for formally charging a Chinese Australian writer with espionage during the new coronavirus pandemic. Yang Hengjun was taken into custody upon arriving in China from New York in January 2019 with his wife, Yuan Xiaoliang, and his 14-year-old stepdaughter. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said her government strongly objects to that China had formally charged the 54-year-old spy novelist and democracy advocate. Crises are a time for nations to pull together. It is not in the spirit of mutual respect and trust that our continued advocacy for Dr. Yang has not been acknowledged, Payne said in a statement. China had refused Australia consular access to Yang since Dec. 30 because of COVID-19 concerns. Australia had requested telephone or written contact instead but had been refused, Payne said. This is unacceptable treatment of an Australian citizen, Payne said. Yang's poor health made him especially vulnerable to COVID-19. Australia has appealed for humanitarian considerations to apply to Yang's situation, Payne said. We deeply regret that for over a year, our requests have not been taken up. Dr. Yang has had no access to legal representation and has been held in harsh conditions that have been detrimental to his physical and mental health, Payne said. Australia called for Yang's immediate release and that he be allowed to leave China and travel to Australia with his wife. We have asked repeatedly that basic international standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment apply, Payne said. The Chinese Embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Some analysts suspect Yang has been detained because of Chinese anger over Australian legislation passed by Parliament in 2018 that outlaws covert foreign interference in Australian politics and institutions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday addressed the media over the coronavirus crisis. The press briefing came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day long nationwide lockdown in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak. CM Kejriwal reiterated the need to observe social distancing and urged people to stay indoors at all cost. Both Kejriwal and Baijal clarified some of the pressing queries regarding the lockdown in the national capital. Here are key takeaways for Delhi in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown. Delhi is prepared to ensure essential supplies are available to all during the 21-day lockdown. Important updates on Delhi's effort to contain Covid-19. https://t.co/Ee3qpK28Rm Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 25, 2020 No shortage Kejriwal said there is no need to panic and that there will be no shortage of essential commodities and necessities in the market. People must not resort to panic buying. After PM Modis speech, yesterday people started lining up at shops for essential services. I again appeal to people to not do panic buying, I assure everyone that there will be no shortage of essential services, the CM said. I assure every person of Delhi that there will be no reduction in the supply of essential items for the next 3 weeks. In this difficult time, your every need will be taken care of, he had tweeted yesterday. E-passes for essential service providers We will issue passes for those providing essential services, E-passes will be provided to those who need to open their shops and factories for these services, Kejriwal said adding that grocery, medicines, medical services and other essential services and operations will continue uninterrupted for the citizens. Delhi government provided free meals at a Rain Basera (shelter) on Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Kejriwal and Baijal had assured earlier today that no one will sleep hungry in the city during the lockdown. The e-Pass will be for grocery shops, milk plant workers and others. Kejriwal said once the e-passes are issued, one can open shop related to essential commodities. A helpline number will be activated for that in few hours. Helpline number Kejriwal said that the Delhi Police Commissioner has introduced a helpline number at his office. If you face any difficulty you can call at this number. The number is: 23469536, he said. The chief minister said that a helpline number will issued for those who need to get their e-passes made. Directive to landlords Delhi administration has said that it will strict action against landlords and house owners who force doctors, paramedical staff, healthcare personnel to vacate their rented residences in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.The move comes after receiving complaints from healthcare personnel and medical officials.Such behaviour obstructs amounts to obstructing public servant in discharging their duties, the order read. Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed the landlords to be considerate for 1-2 months and accept rents in installments if the tenant cannot instantly make arrangements. construction 5,000 Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 24, 2020 For those hit by lockdown The lockdown is bound to hit daily-wage earners. Concerning this, Kejriwal on Tuesday made an announcement stating that the Delhi government will give 5,000 to every construction worker in Delhi so that they can make a living. The national capital has reported 31 Covid-19 positive cases so far. One person has died from the infection while 6 patients have recovered. The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Council announced an unprecedented decision March 23 to temporarily deny Muslim worshippers access to Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islams third holiest house of worship. The decision taken by the Waqf Council was a bitter one, according to a statement issued by the council, which is comprised of leading Jerusalemites and appointed by Jordan, the custodian of holy places in Jerusalem. A senior official in Amman who asked not to be identified told Al-Monitor that earlier Israeli attempts to convince Jordan to unilaterally suspend prayers at the mosque failed when Israel tried to link the decision with the end of daily visits by Jewish groups. The idea of equating our decision with that of those who enter the mosque area through an alternative way is rejected by Jordan, the source said. The alternative area is the Mughrabi Gate, which Israeli security alone controls. All other gates to the UNESCO world heritage site are manned by Jordanian Waqf guards along with a member of the Israeli police. As part of their pressure tactics, Israeli police paid a visit March 21 to the house of the head of the Islamic Waqf Council, Sheikh Abdul Azim Salhab, and handed him a 5,000 shekel ($1,400) fine after the council allowed Friday prayers at the mosque the day before. Ahmad Budeiri, coordinator of the Jerusalem Alliance Confronting Coronavirus, told Al-Monitor that efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus were taken by the Islamic Waqf Council. After various discussions and consultations, the [council] agreed that prayers are to be held outdoors and that each worshipper must abide by having a reasonable distance from each other. The Jerusalem Alliance, an ad hoc voluntary organization made up of 72 nongovernmental organizations, has been active in advocating for safety in preventing the spread of the coronavirus by providing online awareness content and organizing volunteers to disinfect the mosque area and other locations in the Old City. The delay in making the decision to end Muslim prayers came as a leaflet by Jewish extremists who are advocating for Jewish takeover of the mosque area materialized. The Hebrew language leaflet states: There are no Arabs on the Temple Mount. Al-Aqsa mosque is locked. The police are strictly implementing the Ministry of Health's instructions, which allow assembling of no more than 10 people for religious purposes and is allowing Jews to ascend to the mount (think for yourselves on the implications). Days such as these create a new reality on the mount. This is the time to ascend to the mount. And as in days of King David to pray that the pandemic stops. There have been widespread concerns among Palestinians that these extremists will use this moment to take control of Al-Aqsa Mosque area, although no concrete attempts have been made. While extremists positions are not Israeli mainstream thinking or even the policy of the government and police, there was worry among the Islamic Waqf Council leaders, Palestinian Muslims in general and the officials in Amman. Because the desires of the Jewish extremists were so public, the optics of any decision to suspend prayers had to be carefully managed so as not to give the impression of a quid pro quo with the demands of Jewish extremists, the senior Jordan source said. The council says that they were careful not to fall into the trap of equating their decision with the halting of Jewish visitors and the solution was finally delivered by the Israeli police. Shortly after the second round of Jewish visits ended, the Israeli police closed the Mughrabi Gate and informed the council of that decision. Muslims continued their outdoor distance worshipping for the afternoon of March 22 and evening prayers, and after a meeting of the council on the night of March 22, a decision was made to temporarily suspend prayers by closing the mosque to worshippers while keeping the Waqf guards and employees on duty. The coronavirus has changed many priorities and forced the Islamic Waqf Council to decide for the first time since the 1967 occupation to close the holy mosque to Muslim worshippers in an effort to protect them and stop the virus from spreading. At the same time, they didnt allow Israelis or Jewish extremists to take advantage of a health pandemic to create newer facts on the ground in Jerusalem. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved Rs 1,340 crore recapitalisation of regional rural banks to improve their capital to risk-weighted assets ratio. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the CCEA approved the utilisation of Rs 670 crore as the Central government's share for the scheme. The decision will provide minimum regulatory capital to regional rural banks for another year beyond 2019-20, that is up to 2020-21 for those which are unable to maintain minimum capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of 9 per cent as per regulatory norms prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). A financially stronger and robust regional rural banks with improved CRAR will enable them to meet credit requirement in rural areas, according to an official statement. As per RBI guidelines, regional rural banks have to provide 75 per cent of their total credit under priority sector lending (PSL)). These banks are primarily catering to the credit and banking requirements of the agriculture sector and rural areas with a focus on small and marginal farmers, micro and small enterprises, rural artisans and weaker sections of the society. The government has initiated structural consolidation of regional rural banks in three phases, thereby reducing their number from 196 in 2005 to 45 now. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vancouver, British Columbia and Denver, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) -Cannabis One Holdings Inc. (CSE: CBIS) ("Cannabis One", "CBIS", or the "Company"), an emerging, premier "House of Brands" in North America, is pleased to announce the appointment of C. Regan Hauptman to its Board of Directors. C. Regan Hauptman is a multi-faceted businessman and is currently CEO of Remington Homes, a single and multi-family residential developer based in Colorado. As CEO of Remington Homes, Mr. Hauptman oversees all entitlements, land development and home building activities of the company's Colorado-based operations. In addition to his role at Remington, Mr. Hauptman is an active private equity investor and has been a significant investor in and supporter of Cannabis One since 2016. "I am pleased to accept a directorship with Cannabis One Holdings Inc. and I look forward to contributing to the Company's growth as it continues to expand its retail footprint and its infused product offerings across Nevada, Colorado, Oregon and Washington," said Mr. Hauptman. As the Company has transitioned to an operationally cash flow positive business, the board has decided to bolster its independence to facilitate the next stages of growth which will include expanding its existing product offering into California and further cementing the Cheech's Stash line of infused products and flower as top-tier branded products. The Company would also like to announce that Mr. Bradley Harris has resigned from the Board of Directors effectively immediately. The Company would like to thank Mr. Harris for his contribution to the Board since Cannabis One's inception and wishes him the best in his future endeavours. About Cannabis One Cannabis One Holdings Inc. (CSE: CBIS) is focused on aggregating and optimizing popular cannabis brands throughout North America. With its unique, franchise-ready retail brand, The JointTM, and through targeted acquisition and partnership opportunities, Cannabis One intends to become the premier, globally recognized, "House of Brands", holding a client portfolio of award-winning products with an extensive market footprint. Through the Company's The JointTM retail concept, Cannabis One intends to leverage the consumer and brand data harvested from its retail locations to bring data-driven analytics to an emerging, branded industry. For consumers, Cannabis One desires to become the definitive source for unparalleled product selection and renowned service in an otherwise fragmented market. Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "potential", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the parties' current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. These statements are only predictions. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the parties are not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. To the extent any forward-looking information in this press release constitutes "future-oriented financial information" or "financial outlooks" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, such information is being provided to demonstrate the anticipated product sales of the Company and the reader is cautioned that this information may not be appropriate for any other purpose and the reader should not place undue reliance on such future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks. Future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks, as with forward-looking information generally, are, without limitation, based on the assumptions and subject to the risks set out above under the heading "Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information". Cannabis is legal in certain States in the United States ("U.S."), however cannabis remains illegal under U.S. federal laws. Cannabis One intends to conduct its U.S. cannabis operations in a manner consistent with the applicable State laws and in compliance with regulatory and licensing requirements applicable in the applicable State. However, the readers should be aware that any change in federal guidance on enforcement actions could adversely affect Cannabis One's ability to access private and public capital required in order to support continuing operations and its ability to operate in the U.S. Unlike in Canada which has Federal legislation uniformly governing the cultivation, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis under the Cannabis Act (Federal), readers are cautioned that in the U.S., cannabis is largely regulated at the State level. To the knowledge of Cannabis One, there are to date a total of 33 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have legalized cannabis in some form. Notwithstanding the permissive regulatory environment of medical cannabis at the State level, cannabis continues to be categorized as a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act in the U.S. and as such, cannabis-related practices or activities, including without limitation, the manufacture, importation, possession, use or distribution of cannabis are illegal under U.S. Federal law. Strict compliance with State laws with respect to cannabis will neither absolve Cannabis One of liability under the U.S. Federal law, nor will it provide a defense to any Federal proceeding, which may be brought against Cannabis One. Any such proceedings brought against Cannabis One may materially adversely affect its operations and financial performance in the U.S. market. Further Information: For investment inquiries, please contact Scott Koyich, Investor Relations at Scott@briscocapital.com or (403) 619-2200. Related Links www.cannabisone.life THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF UNITED STATES SECURITIES LAW To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53785 Shimla: The outbreak of Corona, which has been continuously increasing for the past several days, is hovering over life all over the world. More than 15000 people have died due to this virus. There is an atmosphere of fear among the people of China who are suffering from coronavirus infection after death due to Hanta virus. Already thousands of people have died in China from Corona and meanwhile, after the death of one person in the province of Greece due to this virus, people are afraid of becoming an epidemic. The person suffering from Hanta virus was returning home from the bus from Shadong province. He was found to be Hanta virus positive. After his death, the other 32 people on board the bus have also been medically examined. Curfew imposed in Himachal Pradesh due Coronavirus According to the information, after the death of the person due to hanta virus, the Chinese government newspaper was informed about this incident. Debate has started about this virus on social media. It is also being said that a large number of people on Twitter are tweeting this news and fearing that this virus will not spread like corona anywhere in the world. People on social media say that if the people of China did not stop eating live animals, then such viruses would continue to be produced. Some are saying that this virus is spread by eating rats, while others are saying by eating bats or snakes. CORONAVIRUS: Now Corona will be investigated in these institutions Medical experts say that the hysteria virus is not as deadly as the coronavirus. According to the published report, hanta virus is not spread through the air, rather it is spread by human coming in contact with rat or squirrel. Hanta virus occurs in mice. According to sources, there is no disease in mice due to this virus, but humans die due to this virus. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mice are indoors and out of danger of infection with the Hanta virus. Corona Scare: Man fainted but no one comes forward for help Jeenie pitches Startup of the Year Virtual SXSW Jeenie is humbled to be recognized as Startup of the Year's SXSW Virtual Winner by such an esteemed panel of judges, particularly given the quality of the competing startups. We'll honor our victory by making an impact in healthcare interpreting at this significant time." Kirsten Brecht Baker, CEO Established announced that Jeenie from Washington D.C was selected as their Startup of the Year Virtual Pitch Competition Winner. The online event took place on March 17 and was a successful solution to the canceling of SXSW due to the threat of Coronavirus. The recognition is a part of Startup of the Years 10-month program, produced by Established, that discovers and supports the very best emerging startups from the U.S. and beyond. It is an honor to be named Startup of the Year's Startup Night SXSW 2020 Winner! Established did a remarkable job of organizing the virtual pitch event amid the tumult of COVID-19. We are humbled to be recognized by such an esteemed panel of judges, particularly given the quality of the other startups with whom we competed. We plan to honor our victory by making a significant impact in healthcare interpreting at this significant time. The team at Jeenie thanks Startup of the Year and SXSW, and sends well wishes to our entire startup community! Kirsten Brecht Baker, CEO, Jeenie The winner of the online competition, Jeenie, is a 24-hour digital marketplace that provides on-demand access to live, human language experts for interpreting help and cultural advice. They took home a fast-track spot to the 8th Annual Startup of the Year competition that will culminate virtually this fall, as well the Startup Night SXSW golden microphone trophy. The Top 5 winners (detailed below) will all receive American Airlines Business Extra points and will be featured in a future episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast. The Top 5 Startups were: Jeenie (1st), EarBuds (2nd), CanaAIry (3rd), Collective Liberty (4th), and CarpeDM (5th). The Peoples Choice Award went to ConverSight.ai. Judges of the competition include tech leaders from around the United States: Sarah Kunst, Managing Director, Cleo Capital; Lesa Mitchell, Managing Director Kansas City, Techstars, Brent Wistrom, Senior Editor, American Inno; and Cezara Windrem, Innovation Catalyst, Head of VR, Enterprise Innovation and Product Development for AARP just to name a few. You can view the pitch competition in its entirety online today by visiting: soty.link/03172020 and subscribe to the Established YouTube channel for future live events like this one. Established is accepting applications for the 2020 Startup of the Year competition. Please visit http://www.startupofyear.com for eligibility, fast-track opportunities, and more. ### About Established Established is a consultancy focused on helping organizations with their innovation, startup, and communication strategies. Created by the talent responsible for building the Tech.Co brand (acquired in 2018), Established leverages decades of experience to help collaborators build their brand, engage audiences and accomplish their goals. For more about Established, visit https://established.us. About Startup of the Year Powered by Established, the Startup of the Year program is a global competition, world-wide community, and resource to elevate startup founders. Since 2006, the Established team has discovered and supported the most promising and innovative startups from around the world via this annual competition, its Investment Community, Daily Dealflow newsletter, Startup of the Year Podcast, Activation Events, and more. For more about the Startup of the Year program, visit https://www.startupofyear.com. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Representative Image The Left government in Kerala on March 25 decided to shut down all outlets that sell liquor in Indias booziest state, News18.com reported. This would also apply to the outlets run by Kerala State Beverages Corporation, which dominate sales. The government had earlier decided to close the Beverages outlets as they are popularly knownin Kasargod district, the worst affected in the state, along with bars. The decision was taken a few hours after a complete 21-day lockdown was announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and vehement criticism from the opposition Congress-led UDF and BJP. The decision to down shutters of these outlets was not easy for the state government because a significant share of its revenue is spawned by sale of alchol. In 2018-19, annual liquor sales in Kerala soared to a record high of Rs 14,508 crore, with the government netting Rs 2,521 crore as excise. Visitors to Kerala are familiar with the serpentine queues that form outside Beverages shops through the year. The drinking culture in Kerala is intense, to put it mildly. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The state has 598 bars and 357 beer parlours. Of the 301 liquor outlets in the state, Kerala State Beverages Corporation owns 265 shops across 14 districts in the state and Consumerfed the balance. After an earlier COVID 19 review meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said closing down the outlets will result in social issues. "Beverage outlets will remain open. We have had some bad experiences when the government stopped the sale of liquor. It will create many social issues," he said. He had quoted a tweet from Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who said liquor was part of a list of essential commodities, to defend his decision. This was roundly criticised by the Congress leaders as a ' blunder'. Coming down against the decision, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and BJP state President K Surendran criticised the government. They warned the delay in shutting the liquor outlets would push the state further into a dangerous situation. To catch all live updates on the coronavirus pandemic, click here In many locations, people queued up before beverages outlets in large numbers, perhaps anticipating such a decision. Images of people maintaining safe distance in front of liquor outlets went viral. At Vatakara in Kozhikode, a town close Mahe in Pondicherry, which closed booze shops, there was a huge crowd in front of a beverages outlet and police had to wave lathis to chase them away. A man wears a mask as a precaution against catching the coronavirus as he rides his bike on the Mission Beach Boardwalk in San Diego. Experts say a mask is only necessary in certain circumstances. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase, you may be wondering whether you should be wearing a mask when you leave your home to shield yourself from the new coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions advice is unequivocal: Healthy people who do not work in the healthcare sector and are not taking care of an infected person at home do not need to wear masks . Facemasks may be in short supply and they should be saved for caregivers, the government agency says. Indeed, federal officials have warned that the Strategic National Stockpile contains just 1% of the top-notch N95 respirators that experts predict may be needed throughout the pandemic. Many hospitals are already facing a shortage of these tight-fitting masks that filter out about 95% of small airborne particles. This has forced healthcare professionals to either reuse masks or switch to standard surgical masks, which do not block airborne particles as effectively. Health experts say that the best way to protect yourself from becoming infected with the coronavirus is to practice social distancing, wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face. However, some say there are times when wearing a surgical mask or a homemade mask, or simply putting a bandanna around your face, might be a good idea. Chunhuei Chi , director of the Center for Global Health at Oregon State University, noted that in Taiwan, people are required to wear surgical masks in places such as schools and restaurants and while riding public transportation. On an island of nearly 24 million people just 110 miles from mainland China, there have been only 215 cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday and two deaths. People line up outside a Taiwanese pharmacy to pick up masks they had ordered online. (Paula Bronstein / Getty Images) Although surgical and homemade masks don't filter out particles as effectively as N95 masks, Chi said they can still be useful. He and other health experts explained when it makes sense to wear a mask. Should I be wearing a mask whenever I go outside? Its a controversial question, said Dr. Loren Miller , a physician and researcher at the Lundquist Institute in Torrance. Story continues The CDC's advice against them is motivated in part by a desire to make sure there are adequate supplies for those facing a higher risk of infection, such as healthcare workers. He added that some authorities suggest that people who are likely to become very sick if they are infected older people and those with underlying health conditions might benefit from wearing a mask, if they use them correctly. Chi recommends wearing a mask only if you have to be in close contact with people, such as riding a crowded bus. If you are going out for a hike or walk and there are very few people around, you do not need a mask, he said. Which masks are best at protecting against the coronavirus? N95 respirators provide the best defense against the coronavirus, Miller said. Thats because they filter out 95% of airborne particles and keep them from entering the wearers nose and mouth. These masks are most effective when they are used correctly, he said. That means making sure that your hands are clean when you put it on and take it off, and that you resist the urge to fiddle with it even if it feels uncomfortable. The CDC says it is also important that the mask form a tight seal around your mouth and nose. In the general population, if you dont use it right, it can be worse than not wearing a mask, he said. Chi added that the average person does not need a N95 mask to stay safe. "You only need a medical or surgical mask," he said. What about surgical masks? Surgical masks cannot filter out virus particles, but they can protect the wearer from droplets coming out of a sick persons mouth when they cough, sneeze or talk, Chi said. Miller agreed that surgical masks do provide some benefit for example, when worn by a sick person to prevent others around them from getting sick. Think of a surgeon in the operating room who needs to communicate with nurses and doctors, he said. These masks are designed to protect the patient from droplets coming out of the mouths of those nurses and doctors. Are homemade masks safe? You may know people who are sewing masks for hospital workers, or themselves. Chi said that people working closely with COVID-19 patients need to wear N95 masks to protect themselves from the virus. However, average clinicians not working so closely with people who have known infections could use surgical masks or even homemade masks. Homemade masks ready to be donated to hospital workers. (Joseph Prezioso / AFP/Getty Images) Polypropylene fabric is best to use if you can get your hands on it. It's the material that is used in surgical masks, Chi said. Homemade masks will not block virus particles if you spend a lot of time in close proximity to someone who is sick, but it will protect you from droplets containing the virus. That should be adequate for people who do not need to have close contact with those who are infected, he said. Can masks be sterilized and reused? N95 and surgical masks are designed for one-time use. However, with some hospitals and clinics contending with shortages, researchers are working to answer that question. We are in our infancy of understanding whether they could or should be reused, Miller said. Chi said that using ultraviolet light has been shown to be effective at sterilizing masks. Dry heat works as well. If you have a small toaster oven, you can set the dial for 158 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, he said. He emphasized that dry heat, not moist heat, is essential. Prominent freedom fighter and former MP Bhabani Charan Patnaik was admitted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday following cardiac problems, doctors treating him said. The 98-year-old Gandhian was shifted to the ICU of the Capital Hospital, they said. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed concern and directed the health department to form a medical team to monitor the veteran freedom fighters health condition. Wishing a speedy recovery, the chief minister said the state government will completely bear the medical expenses. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also wished quick recovery of Patnaik. A native of Nimapara in Puri district, Patnaik was elected to the Upper House for three terms in 1961, 1966 and 1978. In 2018, he was given the Padma Shri. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The coronavirus pandemic scuttled South by Southwest and delayed the Cannes Film Festival. Niche releases never got a chance to play across the country and the theaters they would have played at face an uncertain future. But several festivals, theaters and art-house distributors have tried to offer online substitutes. This list should be considered a small sampling. Festivals Tribeca Film Festival Originally scheduled for April, Tribeca has been postponed until further notice. But since March 17, the festival has posted one short each day on its website under the rubric A Short Film a Day Keeps the Anxiety Away. Most of the shorts are made by Tribeca Film Festival alumni, and they tend to allude to the current state of isolation and uncertainty. Lets Not Panic, from 2015, stars Lyle Friedman as a woman with a crush on her therapist a crush that he assures her could only come to anything in the event of a complete breakdown of societal norms. Cue an asteroid, hurtling toward Earth. SXSW 2020 Shorts The email marketing service Mailchimp and the film distributor Oscilloscope have started a web page where viewers can for free watch shorts that would have been shown at South by Southwest. Even without an event in Austin this year, the festival handed out awards, and the streaming titles include some of the winners, like No Crying at the Dinner Table and Regret. Go to mailchimp.com/presents/SXSW. Two Iceland supermarket vans were destroyed in arson attacks hours after Britons were told to stay at home. (PA) Two Iceland delivery vans were destroyed in a sickening attack just hours after Boris Johnson told people to stay at home amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The vans were destroyed in the attack outside an Iceland store in Arnside Road, Southmead, Bristol, on Monday night. Richard Walker, managing director of the retailer, said: "At a time when home delivery is literally a lifeline for some vulnerable people, this is sickening. In a statement, Iceland said the disturbances began at around 9.30pm. "Police riot vans were called out and youths threw missiles at the police as they tried to disperse them," the retailer said. The attacks came hours after Boris Johnson told Britons they must stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus. (PA) "Later in the evening the two home delivery vans parked outside our Southmead store were set alight and the fire brigade attended to put out the fire. "The vans will both have to be written off. We believe this to be an act of mindless vandalism rather than a targeted attack on Iceland. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area Explained: Symptoms, latest advice and how it compares to the flu It added: "While we can and will bring in replacement vans to maintain our home delivery service in Southmead, our entire van fleet is running at absolutely full capacity at the moment, and it is shocking and distressing that anyone would act so callously to put vehicles out of service at precisely the time when they are most needed to deliver food to the most vulnerable people in our society. Patrolling officers came across the Iceland van fire and called it in while officers were flagged down by a member of the public over the car damage in Strathearn Drive. Chief Inspector Mark Runacres said: "Just hours after the prime minister announced that everyone in the country should stay home to save lives, it is beyond belief that anyone would be so reckless and thoughtless. "Officers were already patrolling the area following recent instances of antisocial behaviour and we'll continue to do so. Story continues "We put an order in place last night to give officers extra powers to disperse groups and will continue to use our existing powers to tackle this problem. UK lockdown: the dos and donts "We are working with our communities and partners to identify and take appropriate action against those responsible. If you have any information which could help, get in touch. "We believe that a group of teenagers were involved in these disturbances. I have one message for them, their parents and carers: stay at home. Save lives. Police are also investigating after an empty Asda delivery van was stolen from a depot in Weston-super-Mare and set on fire. "This honor is particularly satisfying because our focus to deliver exceptional value to the client has never wavered," said Bute. "I'm humbled by the unified effort that has produced another successful year to build upon." Representing clients in a variety of industries, Richard Allen, Inc. is a full-service firm specializing in strategic branding, capitalizing on new revenue streams, and penetrating emerging markets. The company favors face-to-face interaction as an effective method of forging lasting partnerships. Richard Allen, Inc. believes in promoting from within and provides team members with ample training and leadership development opportunities. The company actively supports charitable causes, including Toys for Tots, ASPCA, the Salvation Army, March of Dimes, and others. Like Richard Allen, Inc. on Facebook. About Richard Allen, Inc. Richard Allen, Inc. specializes in direct marketing and customer acquisition for the most respected companies in the telecommunications industry. The firm also prides itself in offering a genuine opportunity to its committed staff members by providing the tools, support, and training for a solid career. For more information, call 516-667-6931 or go to www.richardalleninc.com. Contact: Christopher Bute 516-667-6931 SOURCE Richard Allen, Inc. Related Links http://www.richardalleninc.com The coronavirus pandemic continues to cause chaos across the UK and around the world. Heres your morning briefing of everything you may have missed overnight. Massive new hospital to open in London next week A 4,000 bed critical care centre is to be set upin the capitals ExCeL Centre specifically to treat Covid-19 patients. The Nightingale Hospital - which will open at the repurposed conference facility early next week and will be staffed by NHS doctors and nurses, as well as military medics dwarfs the 1,000-bed hospital built from scratch in Wuhan at the height of the epidemic in China. Announcing the plan on Tuesday, health secretary Matt Hancock said: We have the capacity that we need so that everyone can get the support that they need. and another could be created in Birmingham Bosses at the National Exhibition Centre in the West Midlands city have said the venue stands ready" and is "well equipped" to become a second temporary hospital if required. Reports suggest ministers are currently considering the plan after the region emerged as the UKs second coronavirus hotspot after London. In other areas, meanwhile, a number of hotels are also being considered as potential over-spill treatment facilities for if and when if the numbers of people infected with Covid-19 starts to overwhelm hospitals. More than 170,000 sign up to volunteer for NHS A plea for some 250,000 volunteers to help the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in some 170,000 people signing up less than a day after the scheme was launched. The overwhelming response was revealed by the GoodSAM medical group coordinating the effort. The volunteers will mainly be deployed to help shield the countrys 1.5 million most vulnerable people, who have been told to stay indoors completely for at least 12 weeks. Tasks will include delivering medicines from pharmacies, driving patients to and from medical appointments, and helping with supplies. Donald Trump says US will be over virus by Easter The US president has claimed the country could be back to normal by the upcoming April holiday. Speaking on Fox News, the Republican leader said: We're going to be opening relatively soon... I would love to have the country opened up and just rearing to go by Easter." He added later: "Easter is a very special day for me...and you'll have packed churches all over our country." He warned against allowing businesses to stay shut too long for fear of causing an economic depression. If that happened, the 73-year-old said, you're going to have suicides by the thousands. You're going to have all sorts of things happen. You're going to have instability." Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters but New York governor pleads for medical supplies for city Andrew Cuomo has said his state needs 30,000 new ventilators within days as new figures showed some 25,000 people there had been diagnosed with Covid-19. The state currently has just 7,000 of the machines. Speaking at a press conference, the Democrat said: We were looking at a freight train coming across the country. We're now looking at a bullet train. Recommended Listen to the latest episode of The Independent Coronavirus Podcast He added: "New York is the canary in the coal mine, New York is happening first, what is happening to New York will happen to California and Illinois, it is just a matter of time." And he warned that the state's hospital system would reach breaking point within days unless the US government provides more healthcare supplies. Massive $2 trillion pandemic rescue plan announced in US A vast package of aid measures has been agreed by the American Senate and will be passed into law on Wednesday. The plan aims to reduce the economic impact of coronavirus on the US. It includes tax rebates, loans, money for hospitals and rescue packages for businesses struggling because of the epidemic. Pilot of helicopter that crashed heralded for 'miracle' landing The crew of a Hagerstown-based helicopter and the juvenile patient they picked up in Chambersburg, Pa., are OK after a crash near Philadelphia. New Delhi, March 25 : "Bigg Boss 12" contestant and actor Romil Chaudhary is in Karnal, enjoying spending time with family amidst the 21-day coronavirus lockdown. "I'm having fun with my family. It's been long since I saw them. Professional commitments keep you busy and your family keeps complaining and asking for your time. I was here in Karnal. After Holi, I was supposed to return to Mumbai but sudden outbreak of COVID-19 made me stay back. I'm glad to be safe in my hometown with my son and wife," he said. "I request everyone to enjoy time with family and make sure to keep yourselves healthy and listen to the government. Wear masks and wash hands," he added. Romil was last seen in the Star Plus show "Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum", which also starred "Bigg Boss 12" winner Dipika Kakar. Latest updates on Lockdown diaries HARARE, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe on Tuesday received a consignment of commodities to help in the fight against COVID-19 from China's Jack Ma, as the country recorded its third case of coronavirus. The items are part of a donation that was made by co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group, Jack Ma, to African countries. The donation was made through the African Union. The consignment includes 20,000 laboratory diagnostic test kits, 100,000 medical face masks and 1,000 protective suits and face shields. "The ministry (of health) is very grateful to the Jack Ma and Alibaba Foundation for their generosity and contribution to the National COVID-19 response and will ensure equitable distribution of this consignment so that they get to where there is the greatest need," said the ministry of health in a statement. The ministry said the country on Tuesday recorded its third coronavirus case following the death on Monday of a 30-year-old son of a local business man who had recently returned from the United States. "As of today (Monday) the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the country is now three. Today the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory tested a total of 15 specimens, the majority from contacts of the deceased case. One male tested positive for COVID-19, more details to be provided later," the ministry said. The country has so far closed its borders to all traffic except for returning residents and cargo, as well as banning public gatherings and limiting visits to hospitals and informal markets as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus. The media-rights watchdog for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has raised concerns about legislation passed recently in Azerbaijan with the stated aim of fighting against coronavirus disinformation. "I fully understand the need to combat false information during a health emergency," Harlem Desir, the OSCE representative on freedom of the media, said on March 25. But Desir said the amendment to Azerbaijan's law on information "should not impede the work of journalists and their ability to report on the pandemic." "The media has a key role to play in providing important information to the public in this situation and to combat 'fake news' on the crisis," Desir said. The amendment was adopted by Azerbaijan's parliament on March 17. It says the owner of any Internet information resource is required to prevent the publication of false information online. This entails information that "poses a threat to the life, health, and property of the population, or public safety," as well as to "the work of life support facilities, financial, transport, communication, industrial, energy, and social infrastructure." Desir said the legislation was far-reaching because it extends to publication of information unrelated to the coronavirus pandemic that could lead to situations deemed by the authorities as "dangerous to the public." As of March 25, 93 people had been officially diagnosed with coronavirus in Azerbaijan. Ten of them recovered and two died. Azerbaijan is ranked 166th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2019 World Press Freedom Index. With reporting by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service China owns up to 81,218 cases 3,281 deaths so far, which many nations and experts find hard to believe. The coronavirus pandemic is not going to rob China of its DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles or the J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth bombers. But it will most certainly take away a far more potent weapon: Global trust. In the last four months, it has suppressed facts, lied, silenced whistleblowers, bullied its citizens and the world community, and blamed its rival superpower America with wild conspiracy theories involving biological weapons. This despite being the originator and chief perpetrator of this apocalyptic outbreak. There has already been nearly half a million confirmed cases and around 19,000 deaths worldwide. China owns up to 81,218 cases 3,281 deaths so far, which many nations and experts find hard to believe. How can the epicentre of Covid-19 which is 30 times larger and 23 times more populous than Italy have half the deaths as Italy? In spite of that, the United Nations has not asked China to allow independent nspections and the World Health Organisation (WHO) is busy praising it. But once the dust settles, Italy and the rest of Europe, Iran, United States, India, Australia and many other countries who are feeling the corona sting will find it very difficult to believe China or do business with it like earlier. Chinas soft power is at its lowest, restricted to its apologists in the media, academia and tiny Left-liberal cabals whose hate for Donald Trump supersedes all reason. Their dislike of rising nationalism worldwide makes them try to whitewash Chinas wrongs, while ironically China represents truly autocratic, ruthless and amoral nationalism and neo-imperialism. Click here Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates Chinas began its series of mistakes and deceit over epidemics 17 years ago. After the 2003 outbreak of SARS, it promised to ban its wet markets where exotic animals were being slaughtered for food. The Chinese eat bats and pangolins because of superstitious health fads. So, these markets become vectors for transmitting diseases animals to humans. Just a year after the SARS swept East Asia, China quietly let loose these wet markets again despite repeated scientific warnings. It is chilling that a nation that aspires to be the biggest superpower can so nonchalantly put the entire world at risk. From as early as November 2019, men and women in Wuhan started coming into medical facilities with pneumonia-like symptoms. By December, Chinese doctors were flagging the danger of a new epidemic with exponentially rising cases, most likely flowing from the local Huanan seafood market and attributed to eating nearly extinct pangolins which may have been infected by bats. On 25 December, medical staff in two Wuhan hospitals were quarantined with viral pneumonia, a clinching evidence of human-to-human transmission. But from December-end to mid-January, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission and other Chinese authorities kept stating that there was no evidence that the virus was getting transferred from person to person. Vital time was lost, which could have saved thousands of lives later. Not content with lying, China pitilessly muzzled doctors who blew the whistle on the disease. Late December, a physician at the Wuhan Central Hospital Li Wenliang warned his colleagues about the disease. Angered Chinese authorities summoned Li and made him sign a statement regretting his misdemeanour and promising not to commit unlawful acts. At least seven other doctors were arrested on similar charges. Nobody knows what happened to them. Li went back to work, contracted the disease himself, and died in February.' On 2 January, the Wuhan Institute of Virology reportedly mapped the genome of the virus but did not announce the breakthrough till a week later. On 3 January, the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention offered to send a team, but China declined. It gave permission to a WHO team to visit two weeks later on 16 January. WHO lauds China, Preliminary identification of a novel virus in a short period of time is a notable achievement and demonstrates Chinas increased capacity to manage new outbreaks. On 8 January, the New York Times chimes in with Chinas view: There is no evidence that the new virus is readily spread by humans, which would make it particularly dangerous, and it has not been tied to any deaths. WHO goes on to advise against travel or trade restrictions to China. Left-leaning media outlets like The Guardian even praised China for sending planeloads of ventilators to Italy, cleverly concealing the fact that Italys hospitals paid for those and China was merely honouring the purchase orders. On 20 January, nearly two months after noticing the outbreak, China acknowledged the human-to-human transmission. On 23 January, it took the first steps to quarantine Wuhan. All the while WHOs director-general continued to praise Chinas handling of the outbreak, his organisation struck down a proposal to declare Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and the Mayor of Florence urged Italians to hug the Chinese. When the Trump administration started asking tough questions, the Chinese Communist Partys mouthpiece Xinhua warned of unleashing pharmaceutical export controls following which America will be plunged into the mighty sea of coronavirus. China is still trying to brazen it out by saying the outbreak has passed over and it is recovering, but the world finds it difficult to believe the facts and figures coming out of Beijing. Its economy lies in tatters. Goldman Sachs forecasts Chinas GDP to shrink by 9 percent in the first quarter. Wuhan, its buzzing industrial hub, lies paralysed. Robert Bosch GmbH, the worlds largest car-parts maker, shut two factories. Honda and Nissan have also closed their facilities in Wuhan. Key coastal export provinces are in shutdown too. The international community must take this tragedy to bell the cat. It must sit China down and press it to give up bullying and deceit and bring in more transparency. Michael Brendan Dougherty in National Review bluntly sums it up on China: COVID-19 is the greatest act of geopolitical arson in six decades. Every journalist and expert praising the pyromaniac for attempting to save himself, blame others, and cover his tracks has made himself contemptible. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Josa Lukman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 11:11 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d4e6e4 1 Health #health,#healthcare,#coronavirus,#COVID19,#Indonesia,#Jakarta,#social-distancing Free As Jakarta announces a state of emergency because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, millions of the metropolitans denizens are encouraged to stay home to prevent further transmissions. But how are they holding up so far? Despite the deluge of memes imagining zany situations that might arise after days of quarantine, it seems that people are still coping fine at least, for now. For designer and university lecturer Agatha Aprillia, social distancing is a boon, as she is naturally a loner and would prefer to stay indoors. Ive been doing it for a year before I started teaching. This is how my normal life works, she said. Agathas routine to stave off boredom includes endlessly scrolling through Instagram and YouTube, although she said she welcomed the fact that she could now take more naps. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Afifa Ezi found herself with more time to exercise in the morning, which she said boosted her mood because of the endorphins, although her work-from-home had been slightly impacted because she also spent a lot of her time in bed. However, some have found the stay-at-home policy to be rather cumbersome. Nibras Dhia, an employee at a major e-commerce site, noted that it had been an uncomfortable week for her, even though it was only day five of working from home. Indeed, human interaction is a crucial aspect of life. Stories can be found all around the world on how a sense of community is beneficial in keeping up morale, ranging from an entire Italian neighborhood singing from their balconies to neighborhood gatherings with enforced social distancing. Gina Anindyajati, a psychiatrist at the University of Indonesias School of Medicine and Cipto Mangankusumo Hospital (FKUI-RSCM), told The Jakarta Post on Monday that staying in one place for a prolonged period of time could incur a feeling of helplessness and depressive moods, aside from general boredom and loneliness. The feeling of socially isolated with no friends can make an individual feel alienated. If this keeps up, this can drive a feeling of frustration, as well as excessive anxiety and fear, she said via text message. According to Gina, one solution to the issue is by having a channel of information available to lessen the impact of isolation, as well as providing social interaction in a way that does not affect transmission of the virus. What is suggested is social distancing reducing physical interactions but not social disconnecting. Even though the individuals are physically distanced, communication between them should still run normally, she said, adding that online platforms such as social media and messaging apps could also substitute for in-person meetings. Meanwhile, psychologist Vittria Tattiana noted that going online could only be viable for a certain segment, as not everyone can afford an internet bill as well as the device needed. Indonesia is a very heterogenous country, with a wide range of people across socioeconomic and education levels. This is why treatment has to be different and cannot be done in a one-size-fits-all method, she said, adding that education was needed first and foremost. Both Ezi and Dhia agreed that human interaction was sorely needed in these trying times. Two weeks of isolation I think is OK because I honestly get anxious if I go out. Im also at home with my family, so I have someone to talk to, and I imagine it would be worse for people who live alone, Ezi said, adding that so far, she hadnt felt too affected but that could change if the situation continued for more than a month. However, Dhia is of the opinion that phone calls and video chats can never fully replace direct human interaction. There would be a point where it wouldnt be enough. I dont think anything will ever be enough of a substitute to another humans presence, but patience does a lot for me right now, Dhia said, adding that she would eventually have to meet people in person, although she would keep her distance, of course. Laos and Myanmar are so far the only ASEAN countries that have yet to report a single coronavirus case since the outbreak emerged nearly two months ago, while its neighbors such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia are scrambling to contain the disease. Coronavirus cases more than tripled in Malaysia since Friday as infections linked to a mass Islamic religious gathering emerged. Cambodia, Brunei, and Singapore have reported new cases linked to the same event. The Philippines reported seven new deaths and locked down two more cities, while Indonesia has urged citizens to work from home as cases surpass 100. Reported infections also surged in Thailand, where at least 114 people have contracted COVID-19. However, Myanmar has canceled next months New Years celebrations and shops have been cleared out by shoppers unconvinced by the governments insistence the virus hasnt penetrated its borders. Meanwhile people are awaiting the test results of a man who recently visited France and came into contact with a Filipino who later tested positive, the Khmer Times reported. Updates from Coconuts newsrooms in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong: Manila Seven more deaths were reported in the Philippines over the weekend as the number of known infections rose to 140. Among those who died was a 56-year-old Filipino who was hospitalized March 7 before he died Sunday. New cases involve a 13-year-old girl from Quezon City, the youngest Filipino patient so far. A group of 444 Filipinos previously stranded on a virus-hit cruise ship in California returned to the Philippines today. MV Grand Princess was anchored off San Francisco from March 4 after a previous passenger tested positive and subsequently died, becoming Californias first coronavirus death. The Filipinos who returned today comprise 438 crewmembers and six passengers. Two Philippine cities have also been put on lockdown despite having no reported cases of COVID-19. Cebu and Davao City have been under community quarantine since Sunday. The entire Metro Manila has been put on lockdown for a month since March 12 in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19. Story continues Malaysia Coronavirus cases in Malaysia rose to 553 today after Malaysia reported 125 new infections, of which 95 are linked to the mass Islamic religious gathering in Masjid Jamek Seri Petaling in Selangor state. This adds up to 172 cases, after Malaysia on Saturday reported that 77 people from the same gathering had tested positive. At least 12 of Malaysias COVID-19 patients are in critical condition. The Islamic religious gathering took place Feb. 27 to March 1. On Saturday, Malaysia said it identified 4,942 citizens who attended the event, of which 2,932 were ordered to quarantine themselves at home for two weeks. Around 1,600 showed symptoms and their samples have been taken for COVID-19 testing. According to a graphic released by the Health Ministry on Saturday, most of the people infected from the gathering tested positive in Sabah. Pengesanan kes kluster Sri Petaling. Tahniah dan terima kasih kepada pasukan petugas KKM di lapangan. pic.twitter.com/l2MKfMOBKr KKMPutrajaya (@KKMPutrajaya) March 14, 2020 Singapore Coronavirus cases rise to 226 in Singapore over the weekend, involving mostly people who had contracted the disease overseas. This prompted Singapore to tighten travel restrictions further. By midnight, all travelers arriving from any ASEAN country, Japan, Switzerland or the United Kingdom will be ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days. Five Singaporeans who attended the mass Islamic religious gathering in Malaysia have tested positive in Singapore. Singapore today extended the closure of mosques islandwide by nine days. The cluster of infections linked to a private dinner in Jurong has risen to 47. Hong Kong Coronavirus cases rose to 156 Monday afternoon with new infections involving mostly people who traveled to various parts of Europe. The government has issued a red alert against travel to Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Indonesia President Joko Widodo on Sunday urged citizens to work from home and practice social distancing amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Cuts to public transportation services as part of the governments push for citizens to work from home backfired this morning after large crowds of commuters swamped buses and trains. Indonesias transport minister is reportedly recovering from the coronavirus after testing positive. Budi Karya is Indonesias 76th patient and was active in the evacuation of Indonesians from virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. But its not clear when he became infected. Indonesian tourist attractions Borobudur and Prambanan temples have been closed to the public till March 29. Brunei Coronavirus cases rose to 50 over the weekend, with at least 20 new cases linked to the mass Islamic religious gathering in Malaysia. Cambodia Cambodia has reported 12 coronavirus cases as of Monday morning. New patients include a four-month-old baby of an infected French national in Singapore. A Cambodian who was recently in France. Two Cambodians who attended the Islamic religious gathering in Malaysia. Cambodia is tracing more citizens from the same event. Cambodia has banned tourist arrivals for Iran, the United States, and Europes major outbreak centers. Vietnam Vietnam reportedly rejected four river cruises from Cambodia to dock in the country. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered his officials to persuade Vietnamese officials to allow the ships to dock in their waters. Wearing masks in public places is now compulsory in Vietnam. All those arriving in Vietnam from virus-stricken countries will undergo compulsory COVID-19 testing. More foreign nationals are testing positive in Vietnam, where cases have risen to 57. They include people from Latvia, Germany, and the UK. Taiwan Taiwan reported six more cases yesterday, bringing the total number of infections to 59. One of them is a man who traveled to Thailand and Japan. Others had traveled to Egypt, Turkey, Spain, and Greece. Thailand Thailand reported 32 new cases over the weekend, pushing the total number of infections to 114. More members of the public have also outed themselves having been infected with COVID-19. New cases include two people who came into contact with the infected Singaporean expat who runs a restaurant in Bangkok. Related: Coronavirus cases crest 200 in Singapore; 27 imported infections over the weekend (map) Dead foreigner found in Denpasar not killed by coronavirus, police say Infection tally surges as more Thais take reporting into their own hands More than 400 Filipinos return home from coronavirus-struck cruise ship MV Grand Princess Filipina chemist in Quezon City makes disinfectant alcohol to give away for free Jakarta public transportation facilities inundated as reduced operations policy backfires This article, COVID-19 updates: Laos, Myanmar only in ASEAN reporting no infections, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jan Wolfe (Reuters) Washington, United States Wed, March 25, 2020 08:49 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d46e37 2 World US,economy,COVID-19,trump Free US. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he wants the US economy to reopen by Easter Sunday, April 12, despite the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus in some US states and a rising death toll from the disease. Legal experts say a US president has quite limited power to order citizens back to their places of employment, or cities to reopen government buildings, transportation, or local businesses. Here is why. What does the Constitution say about who makes decisions about public welfare? The United States is a federalist system, meaning power is shared between a national and state governments. Under the 10th Amendment of the US Constitution, state governments have power to police citizens and regulate public welfare. In the country's early years, it was up to state and local authorities to lead the response to the yellow fever epidemic, not the federal government. Reflecting these principles, "disaster response and aid is typically state-led and federally supported," said Steve Bunnell, the former top lawyer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and a partner at O'Melveny & Myers. This bottom-up, rather than top-down, approach to disaster relief makes sense from a policy perspective, said John Cohen, a former DHS official who teaches at Georgetown University. "Usually, state and local officials on the ground have the best understanding of the issues affecting people in their states," Cohen said. Can a US president override state-mandated "shelter in place" orders? No. The Trump administration can issue nationwide guidance, but it would be unconstitutional for the president to override stay-at-home orders from governors, said Robert Chesney, a professor of national security law at the University of Texas. Mayors or county commissioners are on the same footing as governors, he said. The social distancing policies Trump announced on March 16 for slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus over 15 days were merely guidelines, and the same goes for any newer, less restrictive policies he unveils, Chesney said. "Those are guidelines. He can change his advice," Chesney said. "He is free to advocate. And that is an important part of the presidency the bully pulpit." Bunnell said many people look to the president for guidance, so Trump's advice will still affect the economy. "The federal government has a role to play in setting recommendations, and the daily press briefings obviously have an effect on how people react," Bunnell said. "But in terms of legal authorities to override health and safety measures, I'm not sure there are any direct tools that would accomplish that." Can a US president order a business to stay open? A federal agency that's a subset of DHS deemed some businesses "essential" on March 19. But the federal memo itself notes that state and local authorities are "ultimately in charge of implementing and executing response activities in communities under their jurisdiction." "That means the president really has no authority to 'order' anyone who doesnt work directly for the federal government to do anything by Easter," said Anthony J. Oncidi, a partner with the law firm Proskauer Rose. The Defense Production Act, which lets the president "expedite and expand the supply of resources from the US industrial base," will be used to procure more tests and other medical equipment from companies, an administration official said on Tuesday. But that represents a fraction of the US's consumer-driven economy. What about a US president's emergency powers? A federal law known as the National Emergencies Act (NEA) gives the president broad powers to respond to national emergencies, including the authority to redirect funds and suspend laws. Trump invoked the Stafford Act and the NEA on March 13, as he declared a national emergency. But the NEA is a poor fit for a president trying to encourage business as usual, Cohen said. "It tends to give the president the authority to be more restrictive, not less restrictive," Cohen said. "It does not let the president say 'disregard the restrictions of your state and local leaders.'" WASHINGTON Anyone who was recently in New York City should self-isolate for 14 days because New York metro area has the highest rates of coronavirus infection of anywhere in the nation, the White House announced Tuesday night. We remain deeply concerned about New York City and New York metro area, said Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. To everyone who has left New York over the last few days: because of the rate of the number of cases, you may have been exposed before you left New York Everybody who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days to ensure that the virus does not spread to others. Individuals should self-isolate for a total of 14 days from the date they departed New York City and surrounding metro area, Birx said. The administration is concerned that New Yorkers who leave the city for other states will cause serious outbreaks in other states. Understandably, people want to get out of New York, said Tony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Theyre going to Florida. Theyre going to Long Island. Theyre going to other places. If you look at the statistics, its disturbing. About 1 per 1,000 of these individuals is infected. Thats about 8 to 10 times more than other areas. Of all confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S., 56 percent are in the New York metro area, Birx said. New York City had 14,904 confirmed cases as of Tuesday afternoon, according to NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while Westchester County had 3,891. Moreover, of all new coronavirus cases being identified across the country, 60 percent are in the New York metro area, Birx said. Also, 31 percent of all Americans who have died from the virus are from the New York City area. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he plans to mandate a 14-day self-quarantine period for travelers coming to Florida from airports in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. His mandate will apply to anyone who has traveled to Florida from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in the last three weeks. Greenwichs Director of Health Caroline Baisely said anyone who has been to New York City recently should monitor themselves for symptoms of covid-19. including a cough, fever, shortness of breath, tightness of the chest, headache and a lack of smell and taste. People should then call their doctor for advice and if their doctors are not available, they should contact their local health department, she said. They should also leave work or not go to work and practice social distancing from everyone in their families. The towns health department has set up dedicated phone lines for resident questions and concerns at 203-622 -7865, 203-622-7703, 203-622-7614, 203-622-7842 and 203-622-7836 . Yale New Haven Health also has a daily hotline at 833-275-9644 and a website at https://www.ynhhs.org/patient-care/covid-19.aspx. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Armenian MPs did not approve the amendments to the law on local self-government. The amendments were supported by 36 MPs and 77 were opposed. The draft law submitted to the parliament would allow the deputy from the Bright Armenia party Ani Samsonyan, to expand the powers of the councils of elders of various communities of the republic. This bill proposed to authorize the councils of elders of various communities to approve donations by their decision, but only if the donor is a community, and the donation cost is 1000 times the minimum wage in the republic, after which only a donation agreement can be considered concluded, and the gift itself is accepted. A garda saw man with his ex A man facing 14 charges, including the serious assault and coercive control of his ex-partner, has been remanded in custody after contacting the alleged victim, a court has heard. The accused, with an address in Dublin, is alleged to have assaulted the woman several times over an 18-month period. The 53-year-old appeared before Blanchardstown District Court yesterday morning charged with three new counts. Detective Sergeant Michael Egan, of Divisional Protective Services Bureau at Cabra Garda Station, told the court he arrested the man at 8.32am yesterday and that he made no reply when the charges were put to him. He now faces a total of 14 charges, including 10 counts of assault causing harm as well as coercive control, assault, witness interference and an offence under the Public Order Act. Det Sgt Egan made an application for the accused's bail to be revoked because of his failure to stay sober and for being in "consistent and constant" contact with the alleged injured party. The garda also said that the woman was currently living in a Women's Aid refuge. As part of the State's objection, a garda gave evidence that he witnessed the accused and the alleged injured party together in Louth last Thursday. The officer said he was travelling through a town in Louth when he saw the man with his ex-partner. The garda said he believed there had been contact between both parties in order for this meeting to take place, that they embraced and that they were walking hand-in-hand. He said he was off-duty at the time and with his family and not in a position to confront the accused. He agreed with defence solicitor Simon Fleming that he did not observe any violence or animosity between the pair. Alcohol Judge David McHugh said he was satisfied the accused did breach his bail conditions when he made direct contact with the injured party on March 19. He also said he was satisfied that, on the balance of probability, the accused breached his bail insofar as not entirely refraining from alcohol use. Judge McHugh revoked the man's bail and also denied bail on the new charges and remanded him to appear before Cloverhill court next Tuesday, Coronavirus Pandemic: Netizens Try To Entertain One Another With Funny Memes Amid 21-Day National Lockdown (Natural News) A New Jersey man received multiple charges after he coughed on a grocery story worker and then claimed to be infected with the coronavirus, state authorities said Tuesday. New Jersey governor Phil Murphy chided the man, saying that he got into a dispute with one of the employees of a local Wegmans grocery store in Manalapan about 50 miles south of New York City a few days prior to the incident. Murphy added that law enforcement is currently taking action against egregious behavior after previously expressing his anger over reports of people ignoring his stay-at-home order. He coughed on the woman and told her, after doing so, that he had coronavirus, Murphy said in a press briefing. There are knuckleheads out there. We see them and we are enforcing behavior. A report by Reuters stated that George Falcone, 50, was issued a summons and was charged for terroristic threats in the third degree among other charges over the incident. However, Falcone denied the accusations in a Facebook message, saying that he didnt cough on anyone and never mentioned corona. According to the office of New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, Falcone was in Manalapans Wegmans branch on Sunday evening when one of the employees observed that he was not practicing social distancing and asked him to step back from the prepared foods while the employee covered them. Instead, Falcone decided to lean toward her and purposefully coughed, laughing and saying he was infected with the coronavirus. Afterward, Falcone allegedly told two other employees that they were lucky to have their jobs. When the Manalapan police officers arrived on the scene, authorities claimed that Falcone refused their requests to identify himself for 40 minutes. We must do everything we can to deter this type of conduct and any similar conduct that harms others during this emergency, said Grewal. Just as we are cracking down on bias offenses and those who use the pandemic to fuel hatred and prejudice, we vow to respond swiftly and strongly whenever someone commits a criminal offense that uses the coronavirus to generate panic or discord. New Jersey goes on lockdown to curb the spread Murphy announced that the state of New Jersey would be put under lockdown on Saturday. Beginning at 9 p.m., The National Interest reported that all residents would be under a stay-at-home order meaning that everyone is required to stay inside their homes and that all non-essential businesses are to be temporarily suspended until further notice. We must flatten the curve and ensure residents are practicing social distancing, said Murphy. However, he also claimed that the public shouldnt panic and that life in the state does not have to come to a complete standstill. The governor declared that all forms of public and private gatherings including parties, in-person services and weddings would be cancelled indefinitely, stating that their goal is for everyone to make it through the global pandemic to enjoy future gatherings. Further, only certain industries will be allowed to open during the lockdown period. These essential businesses include pharmacies, gas stations, grocery stores, banks and other financial institutions. As of writing, the United States currently has over 55,000 cases of coronavirus. In the state of New Jersey, they recently reported 846 new cases, bringing the state total to 3,675 cases with 44 coronavirus-related deaths. New Jersey now has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases across the United States, second only to New York. (Related: New York City becomes the new Wuhan: Big Apple now the new US epicenter of global coronavirus pandemic.) We join their families in mourning these extraordinary lives, said Murphy. And if anyone is looking to me for a reason to justify the steps that I and we have ordered, I can now give you 44 of those reasons. Sources include: Fox5NY.com 1 Fox5NY.com 2 FoxNews.com NJ.com Reuters.com Worldometers.info Whyy.org NationalInterest.org March 24, 2020 News By David Vergun Defense.gov Esper Lists DOD's Top Priorities During COVID-19 Pandemic Protecting the Defense Department's people, maintaining military readiness and supporting the whole-of-government interagency response are DOD's top three priorities amid the coronavirus pandemic, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said. Esper, joined by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Army Gen. Mark A. Milley and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Ramon "CZ" Colon-Lopez, conducted a virtual town hall meeting today to answer questions about DOD's coronavirus response. "I've made protecting our people our top priority," Esper said, referring to service members, DOD's civilian employees and contractors, and their families. Meanwhile, the secretary said, maintaining mission readiness is important so DOD can be ready to fight and win if called upon to do so. DOD is "all in" on supporting the interagency effort to protect the American people, Esper said, noting that the department has deployed thousands of National Guardsmen in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and four territories. The Army is deploying field hospitals to major U.S. cities, and the Navy has deployed the hospital ship USNS Mercy to Los Angeles, the secretary said, adding that the hospital ship USNS Comfort soon will deploy to New York City. World-class researchers at Fort Detrick, Maryland, and other locations are working with researchers elsewhere to come up with vaccines, Esper said, while other DOD efforts include opening up strategic stockpiles of masks, ventilators and other equipment to help the American people. Testing kits and personal protective equipment are available for DOD medical workers, he said, but he acknowledged that there will be shortages, just as in the civilian sector until the private sector can ramp up production. Esper said the department is in close coordination with allies and partners and has even reached out to Iran to offer assistance in battling COVID-19. The secretary also stressed preventive measures people should be taking to slow the spread of the virus, such as social distancing, wiping down surfaces that are touched and hand washing. The best and most trusted guidance can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, which is updated regularly, he added. "This is not the first challenge the United States has ever faced," Milley said. "This is not the first war we've ever been in." As they deal with the invisible coronavirus enemy, military leaders at all levels are expected to follow DOD guidance and to look after their soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, he added. Combatant commanders and leaders at bases and installations have been delegated with a decision-making authority on matters such as determining when service members and their families can move to new duty assignments, the chairman said. "We will get through this through solid leadership, caring for our troops and keeping focus on the mission," Milley said. Colon-Lopez said the mission is clearly understood and that it's "a no-fail mission." The U.S. military will be flexible and adaptable to deal with this challenge, he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A family in Queensland have avoided being slugged nearly $2000 for coronavirus testing after a Sunshine Coast hospital admitted it was wrong to bill them. Testing for coronavirus is at the forefront of Queenslands response to the disease, with the government proudly touting their high testing rate. "Were doing roughly two- to three-thousand tests every day in Queensland, the state is ahead of the nation and the nation is ahead of the world. Testing is such an important tool for us," Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said on Wednesday. Queensland health authorities have been testing anyone who has travelled overseas and subsequently felt unwell Credit:AAP Jeff (not his real name) who spoke to Brisbane Times on condition of anonymity, is an Australian citizen but a resident of the United States where he lives and works with his wife and two children. Advertisement Italian soldiers were once again lifting coffins into army trucks today as cemeteries and morgues are overwhelmed by the scale of the coronavirus crisis. A parish priest in the town of Seriate gave a final blessing to 45 coffins today after they were laid out in neat rows in the San Giuseppe church. The coffins were carried outside by personnel in white protective suits and face masks, who loaded them onto trucks to be taken away in what is becoming a familiar sight in northern Italy. The bodies were destined for a crematorium in Ferrara in the province of Emilia-Romagna, because their home province of Bergamo cannot cope with the mounting death rate. A clergyman looks at 45 coffins in the San Giuseppe church in Seriate today, before they are taken to the city of Ferrara because local authoritiescan no longer handle the number of bodies People wearing white protective uniforms and face masks carry a coffin from inside the San Giuseppe Church into the back of an army truck, as a fork lift truck driver watches on in Seriate near Bergamo today Italian soldiers stand in the road next to some of their army trucks in Seriate today as they collected 45 coffins from a church and prepared to move them to another city The bodies of the people whose coffins were taken away today will be cremated elsewhere, and the ashes later sent back to their relatives via the Carabinieri police. The parish church has enough space for 80 bodies to be laid out in coffins as they wait to be cremated. 'We do not put them in a shed, but in a church, that is, in the house of the Lord,' said parish priest Don Mario, according to Italian media. The province of Bergamo has had more than 6,700 cases of coronavirus - more than many countries - and dozens of people have died. The wider region of Lombardy is the hardest-hit region of Italy, accounting for more than 30,000 cases and 4,000 deaths by itself. There are also fears that the death toll could be even higher, because some people could be dying of coronavirus without ever being tested. The Bergamo mayor's office said earlier this month that 400 people in Bergamo and neighbouring towns had died in one week alone - four times higher than the previous year. Only 91 of them had tested positive for the virus, still leaving a major excess of deaths which suggests that others may have died without being formally recorded as virus patients. A health worker in protective gear examines one of the coffins which were laid out in this church building in Seriate today One of the coffins is lifted on to a platform on the back of the army truck after it was taken out of the San Giuseppe church People wearing face masks prepare to lift one of the coffins into the back of the army truck, where one of their colleagues is kneeling and waiting to receive it A soldier looks on as the truck driver prepares to transport the coffins away, with an Italian flag hanging on a wall nearby Giacomo Angeloni, the local official in charge of cemeteries in Bergamo, said last week that the local crematorium was handling around 24 bodies a day, almost twice its normal maximum. Local authorities in Bergamo had appealed for help with cremations after being overwhelmed by the death toll. The pews of the crematorium church have been removed to leave space to lay out scores of coffins but more have been arriving every day. One Italian who saw a column of trucks leaving Bergamo last week said it was 'one of the saddest photos in the history of our country', while another said it was a 'photo of war'. 'We are Italians and it is at times like these that we bring out the best in us. We will get out of it and we will do it for them too,' one said. Hospitals in Bergamo have also found themselves overwhelmed. Some 134 family doctors out of 600 had fallen sick or were quarantined, Guido Marinoni, the head of the local association of doctors, said this week. In the citys nursing homes, the situation was even worse, with 1,464 health workers infected out of 5,805, he said. Three doctors have died. 'I'm worried about the possibility they could succumb physically and psychologically because if they were to succumb, it would really be a disaster,' cemetery director Angeloni told Italian radio. The team who worked on transferring the coffins today included some in military gear and others in white protective suits An Italian police officer approaches the soldiers working on the transfer operation today, including the truck driver who is wearing a mask and leaning out of a window Figures released by an Italian research institute yesterday showed that some 5,760 health workers had been infected with coronavirus. Nino Cartabellotta, the head of the Gimbe foundation which collected the data, urged that this 'phenomemon' must be 'curbed to safeguard those who take care of us'. The 5,760 medical workers make up around eight per cent of Italy's total cases, which rose from 63,927 to 69,176 in the latest figures on Tuesday. The day-to-day increase of 5,249 marked the second consecutive rise of around eight per cent, lower than at any point since the virus began to spread in Italy. However, officials have cautioned that it is still too soon to say if Italy is about to see a peak in the outbreak. Italy's 743 new deaths yesterday, taking the total from 6,077 to 6,820 broke two days of successive declines that had taken the number down to 601 on Monday. It set an unwanted world record of 793 fatalities in a day on Saturday. Italian soldiers wearing masks stand near some of their trucks today as they work on transporting coffins after the local mortuary and crematorium in Bergamo became overwhelmed by the coronavirus crisis Soldiers wearing masks stand by a line of army trucks on a road in Seriato, a town in Lombardy, which is the hardest-hit region of Italy Last week, a fleet of army trucks drove coffins on a highway in Bergamo, transporting the remains of coronavirus victims out of the city after the local cemetery became overwhelmed by the virus death toll The army vehicles drive along a Bergamo road as seen from the window of a nearby building, taking coffins out of the city Italian army trucks are parked next to a monument in Bergamo last week as they prepared to take coffins out of the city Kateryna Handziuk died in hospital following an acid attack. The Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv on Wednesday extended until July 29, 2020, the term of pretrial investigation in the case of the murder of Kherson-based activist Kateryna Handziuk. That's according to Handziuk family's lawyer Yevhenia Zakrevska. "The prosecutors petition had been granted. The investigation into Katias case where Manger and Levin are being charged was extended to July 29, 2020," the lawyer wrote on Facebook. It should be noted that the hearing on the petition began yesterday, March 24. The defense team's appeal was overruled. As UNIAN reported earlier, UNIAN memo. Kherson activist, advisor to the Mayor of Kherson and acting manager of affairs at Kherson City Council's executive committee Kateryna Handziuk, 33, on July 31, 2018, survived an acid attack. She suffered burns to more than 35% of her body and underwent 11 operations in Kyiv. Handziuk died on November 4, 2018. The immediate cause of her death was a severed blood clot resulting from the acid attack. Police originally qualified the attack as an attempted murder committed with extreme cruelty, then its status was changed to completed murder. Read alsoHandziuk murder: Raids underway in Kherson region in deadly acid attack probe Six suspects were detained, one of whom, Mykola Novikov, was later released from custody as charges against him had been dropped. On May 7, 2019, the Prosecutor General's Office sent an indictment against five defendants in the case of the murder: Mykyta Hrabchuk, Volodymyr Vasyanovych, Vyacheslav Vishnevsky, Serhiy Torbin, and Viktor Horbunov. On June 6, the court announced their sentences. Torbin, the organizer of the murder, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. Hrabchuk, the actual perpetrator of the crime, was sentenced to six years in prison. Accused of aiding, Vasyanovych and Horbunov were sentenced to four and three years in prison, respectively; accomplice Vishnevsky's sentence is four years' imprisonment. Oleksiy Levin, who has a criminal record, as well as Chairman of Kherson Regional Council Vladyslav Manger and Ihor Pavlovsky, who was an assistant to MP Mykola Palamarchuk, are also targeted in the Handziuk murder case. Moreover, public activists believe that former Chairman of Kherson Regional State Administration Andriy Gordeev and former Deputy Chairman of Kherson Regional State Administration Yevhen Ryshchuk were involved in the crime. Read alsoUkraine's PGO chief on Handziuk murder: Prosecutors didn't want to probe case On January 27, Levin was put into custody in Bulgaria's Burgas for a 40-day term after being detained on January 24. On February 22, the court of the city of Burgas (Bulgaria) ruled to extradite Levin to Ukraine. He was extradited on March 16 and is now being held in custody. S ue Perkins has shared her tips for self-isolation, saying she went loco in the Celebrity Big Brother house. The former Great British Bake Off host, 50, signed up for Celebrity Big Brother in 2002, when she joked that Les Dennis was the dark lord of the song and called Melinda Messenger a Vulcan. I went slightly loco, Perkins told The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2. She advised: Routine is pretty good. I normally dont have routine or structure but I suppose work provides it and you have to suddenly provide your own. Perkins told listeners to adopt 'a gentler routine of self-care' / Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Advertising Week Europe Dont punish yourself. Dont go: At 9am Im doing Latin and Im learning Spanish, then Im trampolining for six hours. Its a gentler routine of self-care." Perkins admitted: Im not very good at that and I find myself very dull, so this is a kind of living hell. Celebrities reacting to coronavirus - In pictures 1 /34 Celebrities reacting to coronavirus - In pictures Gigi Hadid with boyfriend Zayn Malik and sister Bella during her quarantined 25th birthday celebration Instagram / @gigihadid Joe Jonas and Sophia Turner have turned their isolation boredom into hilarious TikTok content TikTok Kylie Jenner and best friend Stassie have been very active on TikTok TikTok Gigi Hadid celebrated her 25th birthday with family while in quarantine Instagram / @gigihadid Chrissy Teigen and John Legend have been able to enjoy time with their kids Instagram / @chrissyteigen Katy Perry recorded herself for American Idol in a life sized hand sanitizer bottle Instagram / @katyperry Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were the first celebrities to have a confirmed case and kept us updated on their recovery journey on Twitter and Instagram Instagram / @tomhanks Demi Moore and Bruce Willis in matching pajamas with their daughter and her boyfriend Instagram / @buuski Kaia Gerber adopted a puppy to keep her company Instagram / @kaiagerber Helena Christensen has been having her son take glam Instagram photos for her Instagram Brooklyn Beckham in quarantine with his girlfriend Nicola Peltz Instagram Matthew McConaughey played virtual bingo with seniors The Enclave at Round Rock Senior Living/Facebook Kim Kardashian on a flight wearing a face mask and gloves @kimkardashian Naomi Campbell preparing for a flight @naomi Gwyneth Paltrow wearing a facemask during a plane ride @gwynethpaltrow Bella Hadid wearing a face mask on a plane @bellahadid Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas @sophiet Sebastian Stan on a plane in protective gear @sebastianstan Naomi Campbell preparing for a flight @naomi Nicole Scherzinger with Thom Evans @nicolescherzinger Idris Elba announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for coronavirus @idriselba Robbie Williams greets fans with elbow bumps Getty Images Kylie Jenner and best friend Stassie have been very active on TikTok TikTok Kylie Jenner and best friend Stassie have been very active on TikTok TikTok Joe Jonas and Sophia Turner have turned their isolation boredom into hilarious TikTok content TikTok Katy Perry has taken to dressing up in outlandish costumes Instagram / @katyperry But just give yourself a break if youre struggling. Humans are very sociable and this is a very unnatural time. Get a breather as and when you can, bearing in mind the guidelines, and just try to be decent to yourself and everyone around you as were all in this together. During her time on Celebrity Big Brother, Perkins was the third to be evicted from the house, leaving on day nine. Meanwhile, comedy partner Mel Giedroyc had some advice of her own: watch a David Essex sitcom. Its a little-known sitcom from 1988 called The River, starring David Essex, she said. Ive watched the whole thing back-to-back. Photo credit: Drei Marghitas From Men's Health Drei Marghitas, 27, says he began coughing a few days after attending a friend's birthday party on February 29. At the time, the novel coronavirus wasn't widespread in Arizonawhere Marghitas lives with his six-week old son and fiancebut he self quarantined in a spare bedroom. The Phoenix resident had read about the novel coronavirus spreading throughout the world and wanted to be cautious. Marghitas later says he learned that a friend from the birthday party tested positive for COVID-19, and Marghitas wanted to get tested, too. His experience of trying to get tested in Arizonaand having COVID-19has inspired him to plan the launch of a YouTube page with workout videos for people who have temporarily lost their fitness studios or gyms during the pandemic. The Moment He Got Scared At a birthday gathering in February, Marghitas shook hands with a friend and they both went on about the party that night. But the Wednesday after that, he noticed he was feeling different: I had these mild symptomsvery light sore throat, minimal cough, feverjust anything that you've ever experienced when you have a cold. And, you know, I have a one-month-old son, and he doesn't have an immune system yet. Its just me, my fiance and him. And so I said, I'm going to stay in one of the spare bedrooms. I didn't want to put them at risk. COVID-19 symptoms run the gamut. Some people feel totally normal while others may have trouble breathing and require hospital care. Generally, people experience a dry cough and feverlike in Marghitas' case. The following morning, I went into Urgent Care with a mask and gloves on. I said, "Hey, Im showing some mild symptoms and Im kind of scared of this whole coronavirus stuff." They're like, "Yeah, youre probably fine. I'm sure you just have a cold or flu. Coronavirus is not really here." They took my temperature. They took my blood pressure, and when the doctor came in, they did the regular checkup. I was hesitant to bring up coronavirus because I didn't want to sound silly. It was embarrassing you know? Is this guy crazy? Story continues I brought it up anywaymore as a joke just to get the topic of conversation started. She [the doctor] just laughed and was like, "There's no way. It wouldn't be possible because only one person [here] has it." It really put my mind at ease that everything was fine. I went back home, but I still went back into the room that I was staying in to avoid my family. Later that night, my friend who I shook hands with at the party posted a video saying he was the second one to have it in Arizona. Obviously, I started getting a lot more concerned because I interacted with him, then got sick 3 or 4 days later. The timeline really added up. Coronavirus research is emerging. A recent study indicates it takes about 5 days, on average, for patients to experience symptoms after they've been exposed to the virus. The Hunt for a Test The next day I started calling around to see where I could get a test. I called the CDC and was on hold for 48 minutes. An employee explained to me that I should use soap to wash my hands and an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. I said, "Hey, I feel sick, and I shook hands with somebody who has coronavirus. What do you mean I should wash my hands? I think its a little too late for that." She was very nonchalant and told me to contact the Arizona Health Department. I reached out to them and explained the whole story, and a nurse there said that there's a zero percent to almost zero percent chance that I would get the disease caused by the new coronavirus. At first, I felt at ease. Then as the conversation progressed, I realized she didn't have any of the answers that I was asking for. I started to lose faith in the idea that that I hadn't contracted COVID-19. I don't have a primary care physician, so I called one of the hospitals. They didn't offer a test, so I called another hospital, and another hospital, and another hospital. I eventually called one of the emergency rooms that told me not to go there because I would contaminate everybody. I asked her what I should do. She said, let me ask you this, "What would you do if you had the flu?" I responded, "Well Id probably stay home." "Exactly," she said, explaining I needed to self-quarantine. "Just stay home." And I tried to explain to her that my workplace found out that I was in direct contact with somebody who was confirmed to have the coronavirus, I was banned for 20 days, and they sent everyone to work from home. Schools are shutting down in the United States. I don't think this is like the flu. Across America, there's a shortage of COVID-19 tests. Anyone who experiences mild symptoms should self-quarantine, according to the CDC. State health departments set their own requirements for testing using CDC guidelines. I made 9 or 10 more callsthe CDC, the Arizona Health Department, emergency nurse lines, emergency rooms, and urgent care. Everyone tried to get me off the phone and said to call someone else. I still wanted that test. Finally, when I called the HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center in Phoenixeight days after I had started to feel sicksomeone at the emergency nurse line said, "I think it's fair that you know. I think you deserve these answers. What you're saying makes a lot of sense to me, and I'm sorry nobody has helped you." What Came After When I got to the hospital, they were still hesitant to test me, but eventually they took me to the emergency room. Everyone who came in was wearing kind of hazmat-like equipment: eye protection, arms covered, full gloves on as they're testing me. I had been sick for eight days at this point. They come in with this giant Q-tip looking thing thats like three to four times longer than a Q-tip. They shove it all the way up your nose. Ten minutes later, the doctor came back and told me I tested negative for the flu. He said that he contacted the Arizona Health Department, and they made a decision to get me tested. The test was on a Thursday and on Saturday at 8:30 a.m., I got a phone call from the hospital that I tested positive for the coronavirus. A couple hours later, the Maricopa County Health Department called me and asked how I thought I got it. They sent me an email with follow-up guidelines of what to do. Marghitas traced his case back to the party, which is helpful for monitoring symptoms and getting tested, but some people may develop COVID-19 without knowing when or how. The novel coronavirus is mainly passed to others through close contact. However, it's possible to get sick by touching contaminated objectslike door handleswhich is why experts warn about the importance of hand washing. If my friend didn't publicly announce his diagnosis, I would have never gotten tested. Keep calling and calling and calling. Push the envelope. Know the facts. You're going to get no it's not going to be easy. Limited testing makes it difficult for sick people to get an official COVID-19 diagnosis. If you suspect you have the novel coronavirus, experts recommend self-quarantining. Here's how. You Might Also Like COVID-19 is not only a public health crisis. It is a crisis of household financial security. The vast economic dislocation resulting from the virus is causing very real pain and fear among Canadian families. Even before the crisis hit, Canadians were deeply concerned about their household finances. Affordability, retirement savings, and economic insecurity have ranked among the publics top concerns for several years. Pre-crisis, millions of Canadians households were already financially precarious. More than half were living paycheque to paycheque. A third did not have enough savings to stay above the poverty line for three months. Nearly four in 10 had no retirement savings, and 10 million had no access to workplace retirement plans. The median retirement savings among near-retirement households without pensions amounted to a mere $3,000. Personal insolvencies had reached their highest level in a decade. Consumer debt was at or near historic highs. This financial precarity dates from a period of tremendous economic expansion. The S&P 500 rose 330 per cent in the decade leading up to last fall. Unemployment was at its lowest rate in decades. And yet financial anxiety loomed large. If household balance sheets looked this way during good times, how will they look after months of job loss, social distancing, and economic standstill? How does a freelance photographer with no savings pay the rent when her clients stop hosting events? How does a personal support worker with no emergency fund repair the car she needs to get to work when shes seen her hours cut back due to the virus? How does a senior on a fixed income and no personal savings stock up on supplies when her old age security cheque only comes once a month? How does a recent graduate without parental support make his student loan payments when employers have stopped hiring? How will the millions of Canadians with no pension feel when their retirement savings take a 30-40 per cent hit and their bank continues to charge them fees of 2-3 per cent? Pre-crisis, despite the disturbing data, governments were doing remarkably little to address the precarity of household finances. Faced with widespread public concerns about affordability, governments seemed to regard issues of private savings, workplace retirement plan coverage, and consumer financial protection as secondary concerns. Canadian policymakers have seemed content to lag behind other countries, many of which are taking bold action to tackle household financial insecurity. The COVID-19 crisis could be a wake-up call for governments to finally take household financial security seriously. In that respect, the federal governments initial response has been promising. Last week, in a major statement about the crisis, Prime Minister Trudeau rightly acknowledged that Canadians are worried about their savings. Last weeks sweeping federal economic response package included a number of meaningful measures that will address the immediate financial pain Canadians are feeling. We especially applaud the governments efforts to focus relief on the vulnerable, including modest-income earners (through enhancements to the Canada Child Benefit and GST credit) and precarious workers without access to Employment Insurance (through a new Emergency Support Benefit). Governments should not stop there. In addition to continuing to address pressing short-term needs, policy makers should also take bold action to help households build more resilient balance sheets over the longer term. The right economic recovery package should also serve as a downpayment on the creation of stronger permanent safety net for Canadian workers and families. It should include investments in the creation of a system of portable workplace benefits and supports that are accessible to all workers. It should adjust our tax incentives for saving, which currently favour those with high incomes and high wealth, to advantage those with modest earnings and few if any savings. It should dramatically improve consumer financial protections and show more courage in taking on exploitative practices by the financial sector. With every crisis comes an opportunity for reflection and improvement. Lets not waste the chance the COVID-19 emergency is offering to respond to the pressing financial concerns of millions of Canadian households, and build a safety net that leaves our fellow citizens less vulnerable in the months and years that will follow this challenging period. Former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has revealed that as well as airing his 2005 original pilot Rose, this week the BBC will bring us a previously unseen prequel of the episodes action. The long-shelved bit of promotional material, "Rose: The Prequel" will air on the BBCs Doctor Who website on Thursday (March 26). Davies has also announced plans to live-tweet during the airing of the Rose pilot. Posting on Instagram yesterday (March 24), Davies, whose location is noted as Gallifrey, wrote to his followers: ROSE livestream and tweet-a-long, THURSDAY 26 MARCH at 7pm GMT. Come and have fun! Before that, Thursday daytime, time TBC, we'll release ROSE: THE PREQUEL on the BBC's Doctor Who website - it's a lost piece of history from the 50th anniversary year, 2013. Never seen before! His caption elaborated: ROSE is available in the UK on BBC iPlayer and Netflix; worldwide, check your own resources (don't ask me, I have no clue!). If you can't find a copy, close your eyes at 7pm GMT and feel my psychic link. Yeah. I'll be tweeting along, twitter handle to be named on Thursday! Plus more surprise to come. Oh what a lockdown this is! #TripofaLifetime. Davies plans come after many fans spoke out about using the series as a way to come together during coronavirus self-isolation. The first fan watch-along took place this weekend when Davies live-tweeted along to the 50th anniversary episode The Day of The Doctor. Ontarios COVID-19 death toll has risen to eight after two residents of nursing homes in Oshawa and Stoney Creek succumbed to their infections, officials said Tuesday. And federal officials warn almost half the cases across the country are now coming from spread in the community, not from travel to global hot spots for the new coronavirus. The latest Ontario casualty is a woman in her 80s from Heritage Green in Stoney Creek who died Tuesday morning at St. Josephs hospital in Hamilton, where she had been in isolation for a week. The other victim is a woman in her 90s from Hillsdale Terraces long-term care home in Oshawa, where a cluster of four cases was detected by Durham public health officials several days ago. Authorities initially reported a man in his 90s had died. These deaths speak to the severity of this outbreak, said Long-Term Care Minister Merrillee Fullerton, a former family doctor. The deaths came as the province gave long-term care home operators new emergency powers to cancel staff vacations, transfer employees and volunteers as needed to deal with outbreaks of the novel coronavirus. Hospitals were given similar authority on the weekend. Health ministry officials also issued a directive aimed at stopping families and friends of nursing home residents from taking them out for day trips to reduce the risk they will bring COVID-19 back in. These are our most fragile individuals, said Dr. David Williams, Ontarios chief medical officer of health, who has already restricted non-essential visits to long-term care homes. After her condition deteriorated Hillsdale Terraces, the unidentified woman was rushed to Lakeridge Healths Oshawa hospital where she died Monday. The province saw an increase of 85 confirmed cases Monday, bringing the total to 588 in the last two months. That number includes the seven dead and eight cases that have been cleared after two negative tests at least 24 hours apart. Eleven more COVID-19 cases in Ontario were admitted to hospitals since Monday where seven patients are in serious condition on ventilators and five more health-care workers contracted the virus, bringing that tally to 31. We are seeing this ramp up across the country, Williams told reporters in a briefing by teleconference. He acknowledged a need to do more and more testing but cited a lack of capacity at labs and of chemical reagents used in the tests. A shortage of swabs for taking nasal and throat samples has been solved. Health Minister Christine Elliott said the government is now looking to private labs and university labs to increase the number of tests to better track down people with COVID-19 and isolate their contacts. Nationwide, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported 2,176 cases and a total of 25 deaths Tuesday. Close to 120,000 tests have been administered and tests are averaging about 10,000 people a day. Ontario is now doing about 3,000 tests daily and hopes to reach 5,000 by the end of the week, Williams said. The backlog of tests has now topped 10,000. In an indication of how local public health units are scrambling to track the cause of infection in each case, Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontarios associate medical officer of health, said the source of 40 per cent of Ontario cases remain a mystery. Sixty-five per cent of the solved cases are travel-related mainly from the United States and Europe 20 per cent from close contact with confirmed cases and most of the rest have no travel history or contacts. We can comfortably say they were transmitted in the community, said Yaffe, who has been reluctant to single out community spread as a cause. In contrast, federal government statistics from across the country list community spread as the largest single source of infection at 48 per cent, followed by travel at 42 per cent and seven per cent having close contacts with people carrying the COVID-19 infection. The remaining four per cent is yet to be determined. On Tuesday, 220 passengers repatriated from the cruise ship Grand Princess who were symptom free after a 14-day quarantine were allowed to leave CFB Trenton. Other passengers who tested positive will remain. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas chief public health officer, stressed that about two-thirds of cases overall are in people below 60. While age matters with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancers impacting the severity of the illness, the younger set is not immune. Theyre just not getting as sick but can you get really, seriously sick? Absolutely, Tam said. We need to spread this message to a younger generation so they dont think its just an illness that impacts the older age groups or the people with chronic underlying illness, she said. The federal statistics show 5 per cent of cases have been in people under age 19, rising to 11 per cent for people in their 20s, 15 per cent the 30s, 16 per cent in the 60s, 9 per cent in the 70s and 5 per cent in the 80s. All of us can potentially get this disease. You may not be able to tell whether youre the one thats going to get particularly sick. I think that message ... hasnt been out there enough and some young people may not be taking this very seriously, Tam said. Read more about: Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram has laid the blame on NSW health officials for allowing a cruise ship to disembark in Sydney with a number of passengers on board who contracted coronavirus after reporting flu-like symptoms. Mr Outram said the ABF did not have the responsibility for assessing the health and biosecurity concerns of the Ruby Princess cruise and it was NSW Health that gave the green light for passengers to disembark. Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram has blamed NSW health officials for allowing the Ruby Princess to disembark in Sydney with a number of passengers on board who contracted coronavirus after reporting flu-like symptoms Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He said his organisation only had responsibility for visas and contraband on cruise ships. He also revealed NSW Health didnt tell his organisation there were passengers on board with flu-like symptoms. IRISH citizens stranded across the globe are pleading with the Government to urgently bring them home as countries continue to shut down transport hubs in response to the Coronavirus outbreak. In Peru and Australia alone hundreds of tourists have been left stranded due to flights back to Ireland being cancelled. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is awaiting permission from Peruvian authorities to organise a charter flight home from Lima while a lot of work is going in behind the scenes to assist those stuck in Australia. Irish tourists stranded in city of Cusco are asking the DFA to urgently confirm travel plans following the death of a person from Covid19 in a hostel in the city. There are around 140 Irish citizens in Peru with around half of those in Cusco, near the Andes mountains, and around 20 hours from Lima. Transport closures and road blocks have made internal travel within Peru difficult while outbound flights are only being granted following diplomatic negotiations between Governments. Jayne Ryan and Ronan Carey, from Lucan in Dublin, are currently on lockdown in Cusco where the military are enforcing curfews and restricting large gatherings. Expand Close Jayne Ryan and Ronan Carey / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jayne Ryan and Ronan Carey They said news of the Government organising a chartered flight from Lima was positive but that given that there are no arrangements being made to get them to Lima, they arent getting their hopes up. The situation here is changing by the hour, theres been great positives considering a British airways flight has been allowed land in Lima by the Peruvian authorities. This plane has been reserved for those high risk situated in Lima. Hopefully we can keep pushing for more flights as well as transport for us to Lima. There are high risk vulnerable Irish and UK citizens all over Peru, they said. Today weve been notified that a tourist staying in a hostel in our street has passed away from the virus, this has caused that hostel to be barricaded and military have invoked a 28 day quarantine for all guests and staff. If there is a case of the virus found in our hostel well be on further quarantine for another 28 days, this increases the urgency for us to avoid this disastrous situation. The military are now taking peoples' temperatures in the markets, pharmacy and if youre found leaving your hostel. Military are also following people leaving the hostel to go to the market. The market is a two minute walk for us. Yesterday more hostels in Cusco have been shut down leaving tourists homeless, they added. Meanwhile an Irish couple are stranded in Melbourne because their flight was cancelled after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) banned all transit flights from midnight yesterday. Jack Cleary and his partner Emma Horgan, both from Dun Laoghaire in Dublin, are now stranded in Australia with no income to support them and are urging the Irish Government to help them and others in the same situation. Several destinations used as transit hubs, including the UAE and Hong Kong, have closed their air corridors while other airlines are charging more than 6,000 for a one way economy flight. The couple moved to Australia in July 2018 and planned on extending their stay but decided to return home as the Covid-19 pandemic worsened. We built a life for ourselves over there, Ive a better job than Id ever had in Ireland and a nicer place than I could ever afford, it was a hard decision (to leave), he said. Jack also said that his mam and dad dont have him or his sister back home, and has concerns about them being cared for if they get sick, while also caring for his grandparents. Theres no security over here, were paying a good bit for an apartment but we dont have a job now to pay for it. He said that they contacted the DFA office in Dublin who advised a number of alternative routes including through Hong Kong which has also been closed. Jack Cleary said they are now relying on a Government-led to initiative to get them home rather than commercial airlines. At the Government update on the Covid-19 response Liz Canavan, chair of the senior officials group for the Covid-19 Emergency Response, said that work is continuing in relation to citizens abroad. She said that the Department of Foreign Affairs is continuing work on organising a repatriation flight for Irish citizens stranded in Peru, adding that the date of this flight will be dependent on the relevant permissions from the Peruvian authorities. Ms Canavan stressed that Irish citizens in Australia should contact the Irish embassy in Canberra or Consulate General in Sydney by email to share any concerns they may have. A lot of work is going on behind the scenes in relation to the Australia situation, she added. A DFA spokeswoman said it is the biggest shutdown in global aviation history which eclipses the shutdowns following the September 11th attacks and the volcanic ash crisis, describing the situation as fast-moving and volatile. Currently we are trying to help over 2,000 of our citizens in 86 countries who are seeking assistance to return to Ireland. Many are small groups but the majority at the moment are in Australia with a couple of hundred in New Zealand. We are in close ongoing contact with airlines and aviation companies and are exploring all options. There are still commercial flights, some of them multi stop. The situation is no longer as simple as chartering flights, we need permission to enter airspace and regions on the way back to Ireland. Therefore For the last 24 hours we have been focused on getting every possible Irish citizen on the shrinking number of commercial flights. In the case of Australia, we have a significant group traveling commercially through London today and others will travel through Qatar tomorrow. We need to continue to take every seat possible on commercial flights in the coming days. In cases like Peru, where we have an arrangement in place with Aer Lingus and British Airways for a repatriation flight to go in, internal travel remains heavily restricted and many of our citizens are located hundreds of miles away from the international airport. We are working 24 hours to get the necessary transport and permissions in place to move them, she added. She's a big lover of the outdoors. And the coronavirus hasn't stopped Robin Wright from stepping outside for some fresh air regularly. The 53-year-old beauty was spotted enjoying a bike ride with her new husband, Clement Giraudet, 35, on Wednesday around Los Angeles. The pair were joined by their dog, Jojo, as they rode around the town. All rugged up! Robin kept warm in a dark turtle-neck style jumper for a bike ride around Los Angeles on Wednesday Robin kept warm in a dark turtle-neck style jumper for the outing. She teamed the look with a pair of $115 moss green Alo Yoga tights and a pair of sneakers. The House Of Cards star opted to keep a low profile with a cap on top of her blonde hair and some shades. Everyone's here! Robin was joined by her husband Clement and their dog for the family bike ride Natural beauty: Robin appeared to be wearing very little to no makeup for the outdoor adventure Robin appeared to be wearing very little to no makeup for the outdoor adventure. Clement followed behind his lady love while also taking control of their dog. The Wonder Woman 1974 star began dating the Saint Laurent executive back in 2017 before they secretly wed in August 2018 in France. 'It was very intimate and low-key. Robin wanted it to be about them, not a big production,' an insider shared to People about the ceremony. Multi-tasking: Clement followed behind his lady love while also taking control of their dog Robin's first two marriages were to actors - daytime soap star Dane Witherspoon from 1986 until 1988 and Oscar-winner Sean Penn from 1996 to 2010. Her second marriage resulted in two children - 28-year-old daughter Dylan, who has become a model, and a 26-year-old son Hopper, who is an actor. Following her split from Sean Penn, she began dating Ben Foster in 2012. Dog mom: Robin shared a sweet photo with her dog Jojo earlier in the week Daughter and son: Robin shares model daughter, Dylan, 28, and actor son, Hopper, 26, with her ex-husband, Sean Penn (pictured with her kids in 2013) They were engaged in 2014 before splitting and getting re-engaged in 2015 before their final split in 2017. Robin first rose to fame in the mid-80s for her role as Kelly Capwell in the long-running show, Santa Barbara. She took to social media on Tuesday to share a throwback photo from a shoot she did with her on-screen sister, Marcy Walker, and her on-screen love, A Martinez. '80s FLASHBACK!' she captioned the shot taken about 35 years ago. EAST MEADOW, NEW YORK - MARCH 24: Nassau County police lead a donation drive to collect medical equipment such as N95 surgical masks, nitrile gloves, tyvex suits, antibacterial and disinfecting wipes to battle the coronavirus pandemic at Eisenhower Park on March 24, 2020 in East Meadow, New York. The World Health Organization declared coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic on March 11. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) "Surgical masks or items worn over the nose and mouth such as scarves, T-shirts, and bandannas will not provide protection against wildfire smoke," the rule said. "An N95 filtering facepiece respirator, shown in the image below, is the minimum level of protection for wildfire smoke." In 2019, California's Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted a regulation forcing employers to provide respiratory equipment, including N95 masks, for workers when the Air Quality Index, or AQI, reaches unhealthy levels. In some cases, companies had them in storage because of a California law that was put into place after a recent spate of wildfires. When tech companies including Apple and Facebook announced this week that they'd be donating large numbers of protective masks to health workers around the world, some people may have wondered why they had them in the first place. Masks are in short supply around the world as the coronavirus spreads and threatens to overwhelm health systems in the U.S. Hospitals are concerned that their frontline workers are being jeopardized because they don't have the equipment needed to protect them as infected patients start filling emergency rooms. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that the federal government needs to nationalize the purchase of needed medical supplies and said the shortage of masks and other lifesaving equipment such as respirators is leading to price gouging, as states compete with each other. New York, the hardest-hit state so far, now estimates it will need 140,000 hospital beds in as little as 14 to 21 days. Based on the scale of the crisis, tech companies can only fill a small hole in the massive mask shortage. Facebook is providing 720,000 masks, though not all of them are N95. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company is sourcing protective masks and other pieces of equipment, in part through it supply chain, for health workers in the U.S. and Europe. In a tweet on Wednesday, Cook said Apple has sourced "10M masks for the US and millions more for the hardest hit regions in Europe." When asked how many masks Apple had on hand based on the California requirement, a spokesperson would only reiterate what Cook said in his tweet. tweet At a White House press briefing on Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence thanked Apple and mentioned other companies as well, such as Ford. But federal officials said earlier this month that the U.S. health-care system will need up to 3.5 billion N95 respirator masks over the next year. Ford announced it will partner with 3M and GE Healthcare to begin producing face masks and ventilators to help fill potential shortages caused by the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told health workers last week that they can use homemade masks "in settings where facemasks are not available." Meanwhile, the California wildfires seem like a distant memory given the state of the current health crisis, but fire season is just months away and the intensity of the blazes has picked up dramatically in the last few years. During the Northern California fires of 2018, air quality in parts of the region was the worst in the world at the time, and the AQI has reached harmful levels in three straight years. Correction: Apple said its teams are sourcing masks for health-care workers and isn't confirming whether it had masks in stock after California implemented the 2019 regulation. WATCH: What the ventilator shortage means in the fight against the coronavirus in the U.S. People wave and clap their hands next to a Italian flags, during a flash mob "Una canzone per l'Italia" (A song for Italy) at Magliana district in Rome on March 15, 2020. (Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images) Thousands of Italians Providing False Information on Self-Declaration Forms in Bid to Avoid CCP Virus Isolation Tens of thousands of people in the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo in the northern Italian region of Lombardy are providing false information on self-declaration forms, enabling them to leave their homes amid a nationwide lockdown due to CCP virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Giovanni Bosetti, a 22-year-old University student living in Brescia, Lombardy, which has seen coronavirus cases soar in recent weeks, told The Epoch Times that despite citizens being made to self-isolate, thousands are continuing to leave their homes for non-essential reasons. The student said that many still continue to provide false reasons on self-declaration forms in a bid to maintain normal life, despite an increase in police patrols. As a consequence, officials have raised the price of fines to up to 3,000 euros ($3,254) from the previous amount of up to 300 euros ($325). Authorities said in recent weeks they have caught over 100,000 people leaving their homes without a valid reason or lying on their forms, according to the Italian Ministry of the Interior. Self-declaration forms were introduced into Italy on March 9 in an effort to stem the spread of the disease and clearly stated that a false declaration was a crime. Despite the strict isolation measures, among others, Italy has seen more fatalities than any other country, with the latest figures showing that 6,820 people have died from the infection in barely a month, while the number of confirmed cases has hit 69,176 as of March 25. However, Bosetti said that as a young person living in Lombardy, he is not concerned that he may be at risk of catching the virus, noting that he felt reassured by the government and health experts advice that while the virus is contagious, about 70 to 75 percent of the infected were asymptomatic and only a small percentage of the rest were severe enough to be placed in intensive care. Being fit and healthy with an active lifestyle, the student said his only concern is that if he himself were to catch the virus, he might pass it on to those who are not in good health. Speaking of the impact the virus has had on his daily life as well as that of his fellow students, the young student noted that he now spends all day at home attending online lessons, studying for exams, and trying to do physical exercise when possible and said that he is struggling not being able to socialize with his friends in person. All my working friends are at home because the companies are closed and therefore something must be invented to pass the time, he said, adding that the virus has distorted our daily routine also due to the fact that we now have to pay more attention to personal hygiene. When we leave the house, we put on gloves and a mask, as soon as we return home, we wash our hands. We have to practice social distancing whenever we see someone and almost everyone carries a portable hand sanitizer, Bosetti said, adding that the hygiene precautions are repeatedly being emphasized to Italians a thousand times a day, through TV advertisements, internet notifications, and flyers on the streets. Bosetti said that Brescia has become a drastically different city in recent weeks as the pandemic continues to spread, and explained that when the virus initially broke out, Italians were simply being told to be careful and take precautions such as practicing social distancing and safe hygiene as he thinks doctors did not believe the situation would worsen that much. Back then the politicians hadnt taken the matter seriously and therefore everyone did everything they had always done, paying some attention but not too much. Then around the middle of February they started making decrees that limited the gatherings, but they did it in a non-homogeneous way and therefore without results. Unfortunately, the health situation has continued to worsen, he added. Every day I hear the sound of the ambulance sirens several times and at night I hear even more. Our real problem is that we do not have enough intensive care places to accommodate so many people and as a result, some are not accepted. Bosetti added that younger individuals taken to a hospital are being treated as a priority while the elderly with underlying health conditions are simply being left to die. This is our real problem. By staying at home, we avoid transmitting the virus and therefore do not overload the hospitals, he added. Lombardy is now working to convert unused structures into hospitals and some factories are focusing solely on the production of personal protective equipment such as face masks in order to meet growing demands, Bosetti explained, adding that every individual is responsible (for helping to slow the spread of the disease) and if everyone does his or her part by avoiding social contact, Im sure this will see fewer victims and Italy will recover sooner. Five more people have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen in national capital Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday evening, reiterating his appeal to people to stay at home as part of the nationwide lockdown. Kejriwal did not give any details about the new coronavirus patients except to underscore that only one of the five had a history of foreign travel. The remaining four were either family members of coronavirus patients or had come in close contact with them. Wednesdays test reports that confirmed five cases comes after a 2-day reprieve for the national capital. For the last two days, Kejriwal had been counting the number of hours that there hadnt been an increase in the number of cases. Watch | Covid-19: Kejriwal briefs on essential supplies, e-pass amid nationwide lockdown Just last evening, Kejriwal had declared that no new case had been reported in Delhi and 23 Covid-19 patients remained in hospitals. People are recovering and going back to their homes, he had said last evening. Earlier on Wednesday, the health ministry had reduced the count of the number of people who died because of the disease in Delhi from 2 to 1. The health ministry said the second Delhi patient to have died because of the virus had tested negative in the report that came after the 68-year-old womans death. Kejriwal said the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was necessary to stop the highly contagious disease from spreading as it had in the world and people should abide by the restrictions placed on their movement. At the same time, he emphasised that people would not face problems getting essential commodities or accessing basic essential services. It is the governments responsibility that essential services are provided to all, he said. At the same time, Kejriwal requested people to take care of the needs of the poor and vulnerable living in their vicinity during this lockdown. Dont allow anyone to sleep hungry, he said, urging people to take up this challenge as their pious duty. The chief minister also clarified that people who from their local grocery shops do not need curfew passes. For people who are engaged in delivering essential services or are engaged to carry out permitted activities, can use their ID card issued by a company to travel. It is only people who do not have such an identification that they need to get an e-pass from the authorities. 1Berkshire Providing Resource Links, Updates for Business The team at 1Berkshire is continuing to monitor developments and official guidance, and curate informational resources to share with the business community. Workshop Information AIM (Associated Industries of Massachusetts) and the Berkshire Innovation Center have partnered to offer a 30-minute Video Chat covering important issues regarding the COVID-19 pandemic providing all businesses in Berkshire County access to this critical information from presenter Tom Jones, vice president of AIM HR Solutions: Today, March 25, 2-2:30 p.m. Join the meeting via Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/ 4879552540 Meeting ID: 487 955 2540 Share some information Complete the COVID-19 Berkshire Business Flash Survey to help 1Berkshire assess short- and long-term impacts on regional businesses. If you are in the non-profit sector complete the Flash Survey on Pressing Needs created by the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires. Stay Informed Sign up for our e-news. We will be using our e-news lists for information and resource distribution as we work to support the larger Berkshire business community. Resources Check our COVID-19 Resource Page which we are updating daily as new information and resources become available. Use and share this list of local eateries to find options in your area. We will continue to update it as we receive information and encourage you to use this form to let us know of changes in offerings. Thank you for supporting the local economy during this difficult time. We are working with Mungy Studios to get the word out about Eat Berkshires This will be a great resource for restaurants looking to update their information on a continual basis, and we encourage local eateries to see this as an additional resource. The 1Berkshire Team 1Berkshire is currently operating remotely to service the needs of the community during the States Stay at Home order. Please feel free to reach out to us via email to let us know how you are doing; were here to help. [March 25, 2020] Get a Personal Loan Instantly, Without Leaving Home With Bajaj Finserv Customers can avail the money they need in 20 minutes, no physical verification necessary PUNE, India, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- While it is always ideal to have an emergency fund set aside for the unexpected, many times unplanned expenses come up that require immediate funding. Availing a loan is a smart way to bolster one's finances in times of need. Customers prefer to mitigate their short term, unplanned financial requirements by availing a personal loan. And lenders such as Bajaj Finserv offers personal loans with paperless processing and instant disbursal in as little as 20 minutes right from the comfort of the customers' home. What makes this funding option from Bajaj Finserv attractive is the ease of application and borrower-friendly policies that ensure instant approval and disbursement, easy repayment, and several other benefits, allowing customers to utilise the sum according to their requirement. Offering one of India's fastest personal loans with easy approvals and disbursal within just 20 minutes, Bajaj Finance Limited, the lending arm of Bajaj Finserv, gives borrowers access to instant funds. Customers can get the money immediately without any documentation on availing their pre-approved loan offer from Bajaj Finserv. What's even more attractive is that the customer can avail this at the conenience of their home/office in a matter of a few clicks. Here are some of the features of an instant personal loan offered by Bajaj Finserv 1. Straightforward application process Eligible customers have to key in their name and contact number to check the pre-approved offer for them. They need to review their details in a pre-filled form and provide some additional information, if required; choose an amount up to their pre-approved limit and avail the money immediately. 2. Minimal to zero documentation The documentation process for an instant personal loan is hassle-free and minimal. Depending upon the eligibility and offer customized for them, customers may have to even submit zero documents to avail the loan. The entire process is paperless, thereby giving the customer the comfort of not having to step out of the door. 3. Flexible tenors Customers can repay their loans with ease by opting for a tenor that suits their financial capacity the best. They can toggle between different tenors to find out the EMI payable on the offer. With customized pre-approved loans, Bajaj Finserv brings to customers instant money they need anytime, anywhere at their convenience. Click here to get started and get access to instant funds. About Bajaj Finance Limited Bajaj Finance Limited, the lending arm of the Bajaj Finserv group, is one of the most diversified NBFCs in the Indian market catering to more than 36 million customers across the country. Headquartered in Pune, the company's product offering includes Consumer Durable Loans, Lifestyle Finance, Digital Product Finance, Personal Loans, Loan against Property, Small Business Loans, Loans for Professionals, Home loans, Credit Cards, Two-wheeler and Three-wheeler Loans, Commercial lending/SME Loans, Loan against Securities and Rural Finance which includes Gold Loans and Vehicle Refinancing Loans along with Fixed Deposits. Bajaj Finance Limited prides itself on holding the highest the credit rating of FAAA/Stable for any NBFC in the country today. It is also the only NBFC in India with the international 'BBB' with stable outlook for long-term, by S&P Global Rating. To know more, please visit: https://www.bajajfinserv.in [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Work on the Ara Tuhono Puhoi to Warkworth motorway project will close down tonight for four weeks in line with the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown. Waka Kotahi (NZTA) general manager transport services Brett Gliddon says capital works on state highway projects are not classified as essential services, and contractors and sub-contractors have been advised to make arrangements for the shutdown. Mr Gliddon says some critical state highway maintenance work and emergency works will continue, and staff will also be maintained in traffic control operations centres, to ensure that the state highway network remains safe for essential travel. Waka Kotahi will ensure that all temporarily closed worksites on the state highway network remain safe for road users, and appropriate traffic management measures will be in place. Mr Gliddon says while there will be an impact on the timelines for some projects, the effect of the shutdown on specific projects wont be known for some time. Our immediate focus is on ensuring the health and safety of workers and the wider community during this very difficult time. We are committed to doing our part as New Zealand comes together to respond to this unprecedented challenge. A Waka Kotahi spokesperson says the motorway site will be monitored throughout the closure. Site traffic management, security and environmental monitoring and protection measures will be maintained throughout this temporary closure. At the peak of this 2019/20 season, the Puhoi to Warkworth project has had more than 700 staff working across the project. During the project shutdown, face-to-face metings with residents and the wider project community will be suspended. Dr. Michael Saag, an infectious disease expert at UAB who came down with COVID-19 about two weeks ago, spoke to a video conference meeting of the Birmingham Rotary Club today and praised Birmingham and Jefferson Countys reaction to prevent the spread of coronavirus. I couldnt be prouder of Jefferson County and Birmingham, he said. I think we started early enough. Im hopeful weve done enough, soon enough. City and county guidelines for shelter in place, business closures and social distancing should help prevent spread of the disease, he said. So far, in Birmingham, were doing pretty well, Saag said. You cant abandon the course. UAB Hospital has 56 total cases of COVID-19, taking up two and a half units at the hospital, with 26 in the intensive care unit, Saag said. Its only going to get worse, he said. The morale among nursing staff is really being strained. Weve got to protect each other if were on the front lines. Watch and listen to Dr. Saags talk. Saag, 64, said he and his son contracted the disease on a trip to New York and his son began experiencing symptoms while they were driving back to Alabama. I was doing all the things that they advise us to do, he said. Despite all that, I still became infected. New York has the most cases in the country and its stressing their healthcare system, he said. New York was a little late, he said. They are in a state of emergency. Saag said he is on Day 12 of having the disease and felt better on Tuesday, but then had a terrible night. Last night I had another bad night, he said. Its relentless, this thing. Nobody wants to get it. Weve never seen anything like it. This is a bear and it doesnt want to let go. Saag urged the public to stay the course on remaining home and social distancing. When we talk about backing off restrictions, weve got to be smart about this, he said. We shouldnt just pick a date and say this is when were going to do this. Temporarily halting the economy seems severe, but an overwhelmed healthcare system would be worse, he said. Yeah, theres going to be economic impact, he said. What else can we do? Ignore this? That would be at the peril of the nations safety, he said. How is it better to have the health system overwhelmed? What is the cost of that? Our country, our world, have been invaded by a virus. Asked how much longer the social isolation would be necessary, he said, My honest answer is I dont know, he said. It takes about three weeks to bend the curve of new infections down. In five to six weeks we should be where we want to be, he said. If we get overwhelmed, what about the average case such as a burn victim or heart attack? There wont be a bed for that. None of us want that to happen. It may take three months of social distancing to be safe, he said. Asked if warm weather would help, he said, Possibly. It possibly could. They (viral infections) do seem to have a seasonal quality to them. The virus does seem to thrive and replicate at lower temperatures, he said. Will it come roaring back when the weather turns cold again? he said. Saag noted that one unusual symptom was he lost his sense of smell. He also had a persistent cough, but didnt experience a fever until about day six or seven. Loss of smell is unique to this virus, he said. About 40 percent have that. Saag compared the necessary response of civilians to World War II, when Great Britain was being bombed by Germany. Were at war, he said. This is not something we can play politics with. An unprecedented nationwide lockdown is in place in India to control the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. Experts say that this will only buy time by impeding the spread Covid-19, which could be accelerated again once the curbs are lifted. The government needs to use this time well by augmenting its health care infrastructure on a war footing to push back the virus. 1) BUILD HOSPITALS, BE BATTLE-READY If the government relies only on the lockdown and doesnt take immediate action to build hospitals and have more beds for its citizens, a rapid spread of Sars-Cov-2 when restrictions are lifted may knockout the health care system with surging caseloads and many needing intensive care. Indias overstretched health system is already grappling with shortages of doctors, health workers and hospital beds, especially in rural areas and densely populated states. 1.1mn registered doctors as of December 2019; only 926,000 may actually be ready at 80% availability 2.05mn registered nurses and midwives, most of whom need infection control training 669,600 hospital beds 70,000 ICU beds. India has 20% of the number of South Koreas ICUs 1.36bn Indias estimated population 1:1,457 is the doctor-population ratio, lower than World Health Organizations recommended norm of 1:1,000 1:10,926 is the ratio in rural areas, where citizens are entirely dependent on government facilities GFX: FLATTENING THE CURVE (3 SMALL WORMS): Italy Has good infra but did not lock down; China -- added makeshift infra and locked down swiftly; South Korea Aggressively tested LESSON: CHINA MODEL OVERNIGHT FACILITIES Chinas Wuhan, where the global pandemic is believed to have originated, raised 16 makeshift hospitals within days, adding 13,000 beds and treating 12,000 people. By sending patients to such hospitals in addition to severe lockdown measures, officials were able to reverse the shocking numbers of daily new cases. In the last 72 hours, Wuhan added zero cases of local transmission of Covid-19. 2) VENTILATORS: KEEP THE SYSTEM BREATHING Experts say that the number of ventilators an urgent equipment to support the breathing of severe Covid-19 cases in India are simply not enough. The Sars-CoV2 pathogen attacks peoples lungs, in some cases compromising their ability to breathe as they develop pneumonia. Ventilators, which deliver air to the lungs through a tube placed in the windpipe, are crucial to keep these patients alive. Training medical staff to use ventilators and ensuring there are enough skilled operators to run them 24x7 is a bigger challenge than procuring machines. 40,000 working ventilators, mostly deployed in government medical colleges and private hospitals in metros, state capitals and semi-metro towns 1,200units have been ordered after the Covid-19 outbreak, according to the government 8,510 ventilators valued at 444.74 crore were bought by public and private hospitals in 2019 5% Covid-19 patients require ventilator support in ICU. If these patients do not get the device, they are likely to die LESSON: ITALY HORROR PEOPLE LEFT GASPING Italy, which is now the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak, has reported about 70,000 cases, with 600-700 people dying every day over the past week. The sickest patients are complaining of severe breathing problems but there are just not enough ventilators to go around. Reports say that in northern Italy, the orders are to not allow those over 60 access to ventilators. In a scary choice they have to make, the health care professionals have to pick younger patients with better chances of survival. 3) SAVING THE SAVIOURS: PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT A shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), which includes masks, respirators, eye shields, gowns and gloves, is limiting health care workers ability to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. Doctors and nurses are forced to reuse PPE and in many cases even work without it, putting themselves and patients at high risk. Thousands of workers are reported to have been infected while trying to save others from the deadly pandemic. Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi have flagged heavily depleted stocks of PPE, urging the administration to take immediate action to acquire more equipment. To fight infections in just the next two months, India may need: 700,000 body overalls 10mn three-ply masks 6mn N-95 respirators #GiveMePPE has been trending on social media amid calls by desperate health care workers LESSON: PEOPLE DYING AT THE FRONT LINE Thousands of doctors and nurses have contracted the disease while treating patients across the world. In Wuhan, 46 of the thousands of infected workers have died because of the lack of PPE. In Italy, just before he tested positive for Covid-19, a doctor appeared on TV, holding up a bottle of hand sanitiser and showing his face mask. He, however, said about gloves: They have run out... We were not prepared to face this situation. Marcello Natali died last Wednesday. 4) TEST, TEST, TEST... Unlike the Sars pandemic in 2002-2003, Covid-19 causes mild or no symptoms in some infected people initially. This means that they are capable of spreading the virus unknowingly. Experts say that the only way to stop the disease from spreading undetected is aggressive and random testing of people. Testing has single-handedly defined the effectiveness of the response of several nations. The US government is facing public anger for the slow launch of tests. South Korea, which had the second-biggest number of cases in Asia, has managed to control the outbreak largely through testing thousands every day. 20,864 people tested in India till 10am on Tuesday 10,000/day is the capacity to test samples in India, highly underutilised 300,000+ people have been tested in South Korea, for a per-capita rate more than 40 times that of the US 50 drive-through facilities test patients while they remain in their cars in South Korea 100,000 kits per day are being currently produced in South Korea TEST EARLY AND WIDELY, DONT WAIT FOR CRISIS South Korea has tested far more people than any other country. This way, it has been able to isolate and treat people soon after being infected, leading to a very low death toll. With the aggressive testing, it was also able to trace the pattern and footprints of the virus. 5) ISOLATE, TREAT, DEFEAT Wuhan in February turned an exhibition and cultural centre into a large isolation facility, with dozens of beds. Similar centres in European countries have also been turned into isolation centres so that Covid-19 spread can be stopped and infected people can be identified early and treated. India has set up several isolation centres, with the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police also pitching in. But many more such centres need to come up. The government is said to be looking at dedicated Covid-19 hospitals in the country to isolate and treat patients. LESSON: CITIZENS HAVE A BIG RESPONSIBILITY There is currently no vaccine to prevent Covid-19. The best prevention method is to avoid being exposed to the virus. It spreads mainly from person-to-person; between people who are in close contact with one another. Social distancing is the only effective way to control the pandemic. Indians needs to follow the lockdown guidelines as much as possible. If you develop symptoms, call 1075, the national Covid-19 helpline. Health workers subject a truck driver to thermal screening at the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh interstate border on the outskirts of Chennai on March 24, 2020. (AFP) Chennai: Tamil Nadu reported its first Covid-19 death at the Rajaji Government Hospital in Madurai this morning. The 54-year-old man from Madurai had no history of travel to any coronavirus-affected state or country. However, he did have contact with two Thai nationals who had tested positive for Covid-19 and are undergoing treatment in isolation in Erode. "Despite our best efforts, the #COVID-19 +ve Pt at MDU, #RajajiHospital, passed away few minutes back. He had medical history of prolonged illness with steroid-dependent COPD, uncontrolled Diabetes with Hypertension, Tamil Nadu health minister C. Vijayabaskar tweeted. The patient tested positive for the coronavirus on March 23. Yesterday the minister had disclosed that the patient had not responded well to treatment due to his medical condition. He has a medical history of prolonged illness with steroid dependent COPD, uncontrolled diabetes with hypertension, he said. As of Wednesday morning, the total number of Covid-19 infected patients in Tamil Nadu was 18, including one patient who has recovered. The latest patients include a 65-year-old man who returned from New Zealand and is currently in isolation at a private hospital, a 55-year-old woman from Saidapet who is currently in quarantine Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, and a 25-year-old who returned from London and is undergoing treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. With a recent software update, Apples iPad OS gets support for an excellent feature borrowed from Apple School Manager called Shared iPad for Business. This lets enterprises share iPads between employees much more effectively. What is Shared iPad for Business? Apple first introduced the capacity to share iPads within Apple School Manager. The idea behind this option is that by combining Managed Apple IDs and the cloud it became possible to share fleets of iPads among multiple students. A student would use their Managed Apple ID to sign-in to the machines, which would then be populated by all that students relevant data, apps and resources, including their own personal Mail account, app data, iCloud Photo Library and more. Data is all stored in iCloud and downloaded when required. Apples decision to extend this support into enterprise deployments with Shared iPad for Business makes it possible to find new ways to use Apples tablets across industries, and provides a personalized experience for multiple end users. It should be of particular use in retail, distribution and logistics, where employees frequently make use of mobile devices which can now more easily be shared across teams. It also makes it easier to deploy apps across teams. How does Shared iPad for Business work? Employees simply sign in with a company-provided Managed Apple ID and password. The iPad then becomes their own while they are using it. The employee has their own Mail accounts, their own files, photos, and app data. Since the data is stored in iCloud, employees can sign-in to any Shared iPad that belongs to your organization. Data is cached on the device so employees can choose from a list of recent users to quickly get back to their documents, apps, and content exactly as they left them. In schools, Apple makes it possible to login to the Managed Apple ID using a four-digit code. Youll find in-depth setup and deployment information here. What is a Managed Apple ID? A Managed Apple ID is different from a users unique Apple ID. This protects individual user data and puts the company in control of that account and the data inside it. You use Managed Apple IDs to access Apple services, including iCloud, Notes, iWork, and so on. They are managed and owned by the enterprise, which means the organization has control, which can be particularly useful when dealing with employee churn. Theres an Apple support document that provides details. What about access to apps? Keychain support is part of the system. What this means is that passwords for enterprise-approved apps and online services that you may use are linked to the Keychain that is itself linked to your account. As a result, youll be able to use Apples own password management system to access those apps and services across the devices you share using that Apple ID. It also means other people wont be able to access them using your Keychain, unless they have access to that ID. How does this integrate with my MDM? Jamf has already announced zero-day support for iOS 13.4, including for Shared iPad for Business. If you use other third-party mobile device management systems, then you should check with the vendor, as it is likely these are being or will soon be updated to support the feature. Do you have to download the data each time? When you use a Shared iPad for Business system, youll be presented with a list of recent users whose data may be cached locally on the device. In order to access that information, you will need to enter the credentials for your Managed ID. What about temporary use? The system supports temporary sessions. These allow users to sign-in without an account to use the device, and any data they leave on the device is erased when they sign-out. What other enterprise features are in iOS 13.4? There are some additional enhancements inside the new OS. They include iCloud Drive Folder Sharing, which also works with Managed Apple IDs and new collaboration tools introduced in Pages and Keynote, and enhanced pointer support in iPads. The latter does so much to boost their enterprise usage case. The release also introduces proxy support for Push notifications, which means you can send communications across your device fleet using your MDM system. This will be of particular use within tightly regulated industries that use default-deny network access protections. More info for remote workers Feel free to explore my extensive selection of guides that should help the many Apple-using remote workers and enterprises that employ them: Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolics bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe. A Mahan Air flight carrying 277 Indians evacuated from the coronavirus-hit Iranian capital Tehran, landed at the Delhi airport on Wednesday morning. Subsequently, the 277 evacuees -- 128 male and 149 female -- were transferred to Jaipur via two Air India flights. As many as 273 of those evacuated were pilgrims. Iran is one of the countries worst hit by coronavirus, having reported more than 63,000 cases, while over 6,000 people have died of the infection in the country, as per the latest data available on the World Health Organisation website. Earlier this month, Mahan airlines had offered safe repatriation of Indians struck in Iran without any commercial interest as a humanitarian initiative. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkish Military Vows to Ensure Expansion of M4 Highway Patrols in Syria With Russia Sputnik News 06:48 GMT 24.03.2020 SARAQIB, Syria (Sputnik) - A senior Turkish officer has assured the Russian military that the area of Syria's M4 highway covered by their joint patrol will expand gradually. "We will gradually expand the route, like we did it together in the area of Qamishli. We started small and gradually increased the length of the route. The main thing for us is to ensure security, that is why we will continue to cooperate. Our main goal is to bring peace to this land, " Turkish Col. Ukay Sagir Oglu told Russian military police officers after the second patrol. On Monday, Russia and Turkey conducted the second joint patrol of highway that connects Aleppo and Latakia. The route was initially shortened for security reasons. The Russian military had previously stated that Turkey pledged to neutralize extremist groups and thereby ensure security of patrols along the entire highway as soon as possible. Joint patrols along the strategically important M4 highway, which is currently controlled by militants, are conducted pursuant to a memorandum on a ceasefire in Idlib province agreed by the Russian and Turkish presidents during their talks in Moscow on March 5. The first patrol was conducted on March 15, and was similarly shortened due to provocations by militant groups not controlled by Ankara. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address [March 24, 2020] Bell pays tribute to Canadian telecom pioneer JR Shaw MONTREAL, March 24, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - The Bell team was saddened to learn today of the death of Shaw Communications founder JR Shaw at the age of 85. Mr. Shaw was a pioneer in every aspect of Canada's communications industry, from the early days of cable television to today's advanced broadband networks. "JR Shaw was an inspirational entrepreneur whose vision and determination made Shaw Communications into a competitive force in Canada telecommunications," said Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE Inc. and Bell Canada. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to Brad Shaw, his family, and everyone at Shaw Communications on their loss." From the launch of Capital Cable in Edmonton in 1966, JR Shaw built a Canadian communications icon that today has subscribers to satellite and cable TV, and wireline and mobile broaband, in centres across Canada. His business acumen earned him a place in the Canadian Business Hall of Fame, as well as recognition with the Order of Canada. About Bell Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business communication services throughout the country. Bell Media is Canada's premier content creation company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home and digital media. Founded in Montreal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca. Media inquiries: Caroline Audet 514-391-9794 [email protected] @Bell_News SOURCE Bell Canada Petoskey High School closed for in-person classes until at least Jan. 17 There was no school for high school students on Wednesday, while virtual classes will take place on Thursday, Jan. 13, and Friday, Jan. 14. Since its re-election last year, Narendra Modis BJP-led government has sought to accelerate Indias transition from a state erected on secular principles to one governed by Hindu nationalism. In August last year, it removed whatever remained of Jammu and Kashmirs autonomy and placed its only Muslim-majority state under lockdown. Three months later, the government passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which legally marginalises Muslims and risks stripping them of Indian citizenship. Last month, Hindu mobs targeted Muslims with death and destruction in Delhi, where the police were credibly accused of aiding the attacks. As the world has witnessed a downturn in Indias democratic and liberal standing, some pessimists worry that its unabashed majoritarian turn spells trouble for the burgeoning alliance with the United States. Having witnessed major advances in military, economic, sociocultural, and diplomatic ties over the last 20 years, surely a partnership between the worlds largest and oldest democracies cannot help but be affected by such a shift in values. To the contrary, there is little compelling evidence for the idea that the Indo-US relationship will suffer. Democracy and liberal values matter little when cementing alliances between states, even to those countries that profess otherwise, such as the US. When one focuses on the forest, not individual trees, it becomes abundantly clear that Washington and New Delhis upward trajectory will press on. Alliances rooted in common interests, not democracy The relationship between India and the US is built on the sturdiest possible foundation in international politics: a common long-term rival. In times of peril, nations with very different priorities and governing philosophies may band together to defeat an enemy, such as the US and the Soviet Union during World War II. Even in times less urgent than a global war for national survival, countries will ignore what they consider unsavoury domestic behaviour from others so long as they align geopolitically. This truism is slightly complicated in the case of the US. Unlike most countries, the US does, as a matter of course, expend time and resources in championing democracy, human rights, and other liberal hobby horses abroad. At the same time, however, the same US will look past violations of democratic doctrine and human rights if other, more important, foreign policy goals are met. The probably apocryphal story of Franklin Roosevelt referring to Nicaraguan dictator General Somoza as a son of a b****, but our son of a b**** perfectly encapsulates this dichotomy or less kindly, hypocrisy. Certainly, during the Cold War, the US partnered with murderous dictators and thuggish autocrats everywhere from Latin America to Europe to the Middle East to South Asia and Southeast Asia, all in a bid to oppose the spread of communism. This period saw the US overthrow democratically elected governments six times and intervene in at least 12 other elections. Even after the defeat of communism, the US has been happy to engage with awful regimes in the 30 years since. South Asia itself is no stranger to such US alliances with illiberal leaders and governments. Notably, the periods when the US was most friendly to Pakistan was when it was under military rule: the 1960s, 80s, and 2000s. China the common threat Notwithstanding this record, it is easy to see why some analysts may overrate the importance of democracy when it comes to India. After all, successive American leaders have couched warm ties with it in such language. However, this flowery rhetoric is better thought of as window-dressing for more base motivations. In fact, Washingtons embrace of India is driven by the crystallisation of the view that China is a threatening rival. Up to the 1990s, it was a reasonably open question whether the US would adopt an accommodationist or aggressive policy towards Beijings rise. The last 20 years have ended such a debate: China is considered a rival to be contained, not a friend to be nurtured. The US has consequently sought to orient its foreign policy around this basic supposition. Indeed, Barack Obamas much-ballyhooed pivot to Asia was motivated by the strategic imperative that China and the Asia-Pacific region were much greater priorities than the Middle East, the region where the US spent most of its blood and treasure. It is China, not democracy, liberalism, or constitutionalism that should be credited with the bonhomie marking US-India relations. After all, India and the US were both democracies through the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, but it was only at the turn of the century that their union blossomed. If democracy was the central factor pushing these countries together, it would have happened a long time ago. Furthermore, if the relationship was a product of common liberal values, it would be scarcely imaginable to think of two worse personalities than Trump and Modi to serve as figureheads for it, suffused as the pairing is by authoritarian and nationalist impulses. Indeed, the very fact that Trump and Modi have steadily driven the alliance forward speaks volumes about the relative significance of democracy. Muted US government criticism As such, precisely because democracy or liberalism is not an important contributor to warming ties, the backslide in Indias human rights record will not adversely affect the relationship. Why should it bother Washington that India is not behaving in accordance with the secular and democratic principles enshrined at its birth? Indeed, in the aftermath of its moves in Kashmir, the Modi government would have been heartened to hear the State Department consistently refer to the issue as an internal matter for India. There was slightly more concern evinced after the CAA, but even then, US diplomats did not offer anything approaching criticism, only mild suggestions to India to better live up to its own ideals. Because the US government is a large, unwieldy institution with varying interests and priorities, silence is not a uniform reaction, and one may hear the odd, isolated criticism of Modi and the BJP. Even some presidential candidates in the Democratic Party, including most vociferous Bernie Sanders, unambiguously and unequivocally spoke out against the Indian government. But in the grand scheme of things, Congress and federal bureaucracies such as the State Department and, especially, the Pentagon, are unlikely to ascribe overriding significance to issues such as the constitutional status of Kashmir or the rights and security of Indias minorities. From their perspective, there are bigger fish China, specifically to fry. Indo-US ties: a firm footing Could a relationship on such a firm footing be upended? Logically, there are two possibilities: international and domestic. If, for instance, the US softens its stance towards China, it would imply less urgency in embracing India. This, however, is an unlikely prospect in the short run; China is considered a problem across the political spectrum in the US. Talking up strategic cooperation with Beijing is a losers game for Washington. Domestically, it could be posited that Indian-Americans, mirroring the Cuban-American model, may push Washington to adopt a sterner position against Hindu nationalism in India. Just as conservative Cuban-Americans lobby for hawkish positions against Castros socialist regime in their home country, is it reasonable to expect the largely liberal Indian-American minority to politic for more strident admonishment of right-wing nationalism in theirs? Certainly, this argument would find support in the recent conduct of young Indian-Americans, particularly college students, who have protested against developments in India. More pertinently, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal led a resolution in the House condemning the BJP governments recent actions. But it is striking that Jayapals resolution, despite being a bipartisan one with more than 60 co-sponsors, has essentially come to nothing, dying in committee. Tellingly, it faced political headwinds from more conservative and nationalist Indian-American lobbying groups, leaving it unlikely to be passed by the House even as a nonbinding resolution, let alone one with more teeth. More generally, if last autumns Howdy Modi rally in Houston and other admittedly anecdotal evidence is anything to go by, Indian-Americans are not uncomfortable with Modis brand of majoritarian nationalism as long as it is practised in India, not the US. In this telling, Indian-Americans may resemble the Jewish-American model more than the Cuban-American one: a highly educated, socioeconomically successful ethnic minority which votes for Democrats in a roughly 3:1 ratio, while at the same time extending a reasonably long leash to illiberal behaviour in the country of their ethnic brethren. Indo-US ties were stronger in 2000 than 1990, stronger in 2010 than 2000, and stronger in 2020 than in 2010. It would be a brave individual to bet against the continuation of this trend. It is not that progress between the two parties is unimpeded or that they do not occasionally disappoint the other. Indeed, the alliance would benefit from a dose of realism and tempered expectations about what it can deliver, particularly in the arena of defence and military cooperation. But the relationship is assuredly strong enough to buy New Delhi insurance against American criticism as it descends to a religious-nationalist state. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. - The patient had travelled from Switzerland via Dubai over five days ago and had fever and breathing complications - When he was screened, his temperatures were found to be 39 degrees, higher than normal - The medics refused to attend to him and he was transferred to Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi There was scuffle at one of the isolation centres in Bungoma county after a patient who exhibited coronavirus-like symptoms was rejected, forcing him to be transferred to Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi. Stephen Omukoka who jetted into the country a few days ago from Switzerland via Dubai had high fever, coughing and breathing complications. READ ALSO: Kenyans staring at lockdown if they continue ignoring health guidelines on coronavirus - Cyrus Oguna Governor Wycliffe Wangamati when he visited Webuye Sub County Referral to inspect the facility's preparedness to handle coronavirus. Photo: Governor's Press Service - Bungoma County Source: UGC READ ALSO: Hantavirus: Types of diseases spread by the virus found in rodents The 19-year-old was then rushed to Life Care Hospital in Kanduyi constituency, Bungoma, where the medics said the patient had COVID-19 symptoms as his body temperature was 39 degrees. Confirming the incidence, Bungoma county commissioner Abdi Hassan said the patient arrived safely in Nairobi and is being attended to. "Today we had a patient from a neighboring county who had symptoms of coronavirus in one of our private hospitals and was rushed to Mbagathi hospital in Nairobi," he said. Lifecare medical superintendent Kevin Rombosia said they received the patient who was accompanied by his parents and brother. READ ALSO: Dereva amkimbiza abiria hospitalini baada ya kuzimia wakiwa safarani "He went through screening and we established he had a fever and malaria with corona-virus related symptoms," he said. Rombosia said that the patient had traveled from Switzerland to Dubai, then to Nairobi. "We found out he also had malaria and high fever and he was a student who came nine days in Kenya from Geneva, Dubai, Nairobi," he said. The patient was transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) isolation unit in Mbagathi hospital. Photo: KNH Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Kenyans implore compatriots to stay at home, limit movement as coronavirus risk swells Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Tuesday, March 25, said Kenya had recorded 9 new coronavirus cases bringing the total number to 25. Since the deadly Covid-19 broke yin Wuhan China, over 18,903 people across the globe have lost their lives with Italy and China being the most affected. Story by Enock Ndayala, TUKO correspondent. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Source: TUKO.co.ke Coronavirus cases have increased Tuesday in 12 Arab countries -- Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Tunisia, Palestine, Algeria, Oman, Kuwait, Sudan, Morocco and Jordan. Iraq confirmed four deaths from the virus known as COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 27, along with 316 infections, including 75 patients who recovered, according to its Health Ministry. It said two deaths had been confirmed in Karbala and one each in Nineveh and al-Sulaymaniyah. Meanwhile, Lebanon said the number of cases there rose to 304 with 37 new cases. Saudi Arabian health authorities confirmed its first death and reported 205 additional cases, raising the total to 767. Bahrain reported a new death, bringing the total to three. According to health officials, the new death was a Bahraini national who recently returned from Iran. The number of infections in the country has reached 377. In Tunisia, officials reported 25 new cases, raising the number of infections to 114, including one recovered case. Palestine reported a new case brought the total number now to 60. "A woman has been infected with the coronavirus in the city of Ramallah [central West Bank] from the U.S., bringing the number of infected cases to 60," said government spokesperson Ibrahim Melhem. Algerian health authorities said the death toll reached 19 with two new deaths, and confirmed 264 cases as 34 additional cases were confirmed. Oman confirmed 18 new cases, bringing the total to 84. In Kuwait, a total of 191 cases with two new cases and nine recovered brought the total recovered to 39. Sudan authorities reported the second case in the country. Meanwhile, Morocco reported a new death, bringing the death toll to five, and confirmed another 27 new cases, raising the total to 170. Jordanian Health Minister Saad Jaber also confirmed 26 infections, raising the total coronavirus cases to 153, including one recovered. After emerging in Wuhan, China last December the coronavirus has spread to at least 169 countries and regions. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a pandemic. According to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University, the number of confirmed cases worldwide is more than 409,000 with the death toll exceeding 18,200, while over 106,500 have recovered. Image Credit: AA Williamstown Commons Reports COVID-19 Case WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. A resident at Williamstown Commons' skilled nursing facility has tested positive for COVID-19. In a post on the nursing home's website on Tuesday, Administrator Jodi Ouimette wrote that that the facility will be working with the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and the state and local health departments "to isolate this situation and mitigate any future problems." "Please be assured that we have been preparing for this situation for the last several weeks knowing that the virus is present in our local communities," she wrote. "We are confident that our team of clinicians, nurses, aides and other support staff at Williamstown Commons are well prepared to protect the ongoing health of our residents." Nursing and rehabilitation centers were among the first to have restrictions put in place as the first cases began to appear Massachusetts. Emergency orders put in place by the state on March 12 called for screening employees, vendors and clients and banned visitations. "We continue to assess our residents and staff daily for signs or symptoms of COVID-19," Ouimette wrote. "It was the strict adherence to these protocols that enabled us to identify this case and resulted in a swift response in caring for this patient and putting immediate precautions in place to help isolate the situation." More than 800 Americans have died of the novel coronavirus, including 11 in Massachusetts as of Tuesday afternoon. The infection has affected all ages but is particularly dangerous for older people and those with existing medical issues. An extended care facility in Washington State became ground zero for the coronavirus in February because of an infected visitor. More than 30 residents and staff has since died and the contagion swiftly entered the community. Williamstown Commons says it is more prepared to contain and isolate the affected patient to prevent spread. "Throughout this entire public health crisis, we have been guided by, and consulted with, key federal and state agencies who are involved in the prevention and mitigation of the coronavirus," Ouimette wrote. "Their infection control, screening and assessment protocols have been instrumental in our preparedness for this situation." She said the nursing facility and staff share the same concerns as the community during the pandemic. "We recognize that time-sensitive and candid communication with our residents, families and community is critical to how we all respond to this health crisis," she wrote. Chinese staff members working for US new agencies in Beijing were dismissed as a result of orders by the Beijing Personnel Service Corporation for Diplomatic Missions. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned that the ongoing retaliatory actions against journalists by China and the US will further impede the free flow of information during this critical public health crisis. The Beijing Personnel Service Corporation for Diplomatic Mission ordered at least seven Chinese nationals, working for US news agencies in Beijing, be dismissed from their jobs on March 19 and 20. The dismissals included workers from the New York Times, Voice of America and two other outlets, yet to be identified. Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on March 18 that all US journalists working in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post will have their press credentials revoked. The announcement also demanded that Voice of America, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and Time magazinebe treated as diplomatic missions and declare in written form information about their staff, finance, operation and real estate in China. The latest move to dismiss local staff at these US news organisations appears to be a direct counter-measure to the US governments designation of five Chinese media agencies as government entities, subjecting them to the same rules as foreign missions, which includes a cap of 100 Chinese citizens working at Xinhua, CGTN, China Radio, China Daily, and The Peoples Daily in the U.S. The IFJ said: These retaliatory actions between the US and China must stop. Journalists are being used as scapegoats in these power plays. Asking for the dismissal of local news staff working at US media outlets is a further escalation of an already volatile situation. These actions harm the publics right to information, which is pivotal in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The IFJ urges the Chinese government to stop creating obstacles for journalists and to allow for a free flow of information. ads295 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Rajkot Posts: 43 Thanked: 124 Times Review: Brembo brake pads on my Kawasaki ER-6n I purchased a Kawasaki ER-6n during the BS3->BS4 transition fire sale. Unfortunately I had an accident after 8 months of owning it, in October 2017. The insurance company refused my claim due to some technicalities and the bike was stuck without repair for 2 years. Just a few months ago I started repair myself and now the bike looks like new for a fraction of the cost of the ASC quoted repair cost. Even the bent chassis was straightened. And I'm back to riding after very long. This time I'm being extra careful. Check out the pictures of the bike before and after repairs, couldn't resist although its not what the thread is about. This is my baby in December 2019. Post repairs... As we all know, or at least as all 650cc Kawa owners know, the stock brakes are pretty much mediocre when it comes to stopping power, especially the rear wheel. Most people upgrade to EBC pads well before the stock ones are worn, solely for this reason. After my bike was rebuilt, I felt as if the rear was barely working. It wouldn't even lock unless I applied very high pedal pressure. I bled the brakes and all but to no effect. I was thinking of getting EBC as well, until I enquired about Brembo pads and found that the difference in cost for 3 complete sets (2 front and 1 rear) came to less than Rs 2500 total. Hence I decided to go ahead with Brembo pads. I decided to replace the front ones too as they aren't too good either. There are very few reviews of these Brembo pads online that I can find so I thought of putting the review up myself for others. The total cost including shipping came to Rs 11,175. I purchased them from Orion Motorsports Bangalore. The Brembo website is a bit confusing if you're looking to choose pads for your bike. Balaji from Orion was very helpful and friendly. The final pads I purchased were: Front right: 07KA18.SA - Rs 3919 Front left: 07KA19.SA - Rs 3646 Rear: 07KA16.SP - Rs 3510 Pads from Brembo. One of the pads came in slightly damaged condition. Actually the packing from Brembo is very poor - while Balaji had used bubble wrap and all on the outside, inside the plastic packaging itself the pads were free to move wherever. I had started doubting if the pads were genuine due to the packing alone, however sent a mail to Brembo and they confirmed that the pads are the real deal. It's a wonder that they made it from Italy to India without all being damaged. Kudos to Orion for shipping me a replacement set the very next day, no questions asked. If you're looking to get a detailed idea on how to replace brake pads, you're better off watching videos on YouTube or buying a Haynes manual for your bike - I did both and the resources were incredibly helpful. I decided to replace the pads at the front and back, as my brakes at the back seemed particularly weak, I will rebuild the caliper if the pad replacement doesn't have the desired results. And so I started. You'll need lots of brake fluid, a torque wrench with 12mm hex head and a 6mm Allen head (long), brake cleaner spray, a container for the drained brake fluid and a good amount of patience. Here's the basic steps to be followed for pad replacement. -> Remove the caliper from the chassis (12 hex on the front and 6 Allen on the back). DO NOT operate the brake lever henceforth until the caliper is back on the chassis -> Remove the R-clip (because it looks like an "R") -> Remove the slider pin -> Slide the outer pad off the caliper -> Slide the inner pad off the caliper Old pads have plenty of life. New pads with the old ones. -> Clean the caliper and pin with brake cleaner spray -> Apply grease on the slider pins and the back of the caliper, making VERY SURE not to get any grease on the friction material itself -> Put the inner pad back into the caliper (take care to see that the caliper spring clip is not deformed and that it hasn't shifted from its position) -> Press down against the pad spring and slide the slider pin back in -> Put the R-clip back on -> Slide the caliper back onto the disc, align with the mounting bolts, tighten it to the specified torque (FYI front is 34Nm and rear is 25Nm) Ta-da! New pads are ready. Here's the fine print - 1. Brake systems are self compensating i.e. as the pad wears and gets thinner, the piston will keep pushing the pad further towards the disc and maintain constant braking performance. Due to this, when you replace the pads they may not go back on the disc because your older pads were thinner. One of my calipers slid right back on to the disc but two others didn't. So its advisable to push the pistons back into the caliper after opening the brake bleed valve. This is like a system reset. 2. Brake fluid can strip paint so make sure it doesn't get on to the bike. Personally speaking I've spilled brake fluid on the wheels many times, nothing happened, but why take a risk? 3. Using a torque wrench is highly recommended. Borrow one if you don't want to spend on a new one. (If you're a DIY guy like me, you'll find use for it somewhere) SO after replacing the pads and taking the bike on a test ride, a few things came to light - -> The bike seemed to be dragging a little (I had forced one of the front calipers onto the disc so maybe it was in constant contact rather than only when braking) -> The rear braking performance hadn't improved at all, in fact it had worsened! I had expected both problems to crop up, because forcing a caliper onto the disc isn't what you should do - I was just lazy as it was a lot of effort opening up the whole thing again just to push the piston back in. I confirmed this by touching both front discs after the test ride - one was a bit hot while the other one was scalding hot and couldn't be touched. And with respect to the rear brake, I had expected that as well, as I was prepared to rebuild the rear caliper as it seemed to be sticking. So, back to work. Front: Removed the caliper, removed the pads, opened the brake bleed valve, pushed the piston out, mounted the pads, pushed it back onto the discs (easy this time, it was actually loose, there was a gap between the pads and the disc as the piston had been pushed back all the way.) Rear: This is where I had to nip the problem in the bud. I had to open up the piston due to the sticking issue (or so I thought), replace the seals, inspect the piston for signs of wear, put everything back together and hope for the best. Here's what I did. -> Remove the brake hose from the rear caliper (remove the banjo bolt). Haynes manual recommends one should replace the banjo washers upon removal but these were made of steel so I didn't bother. (Plus I hadn't ordered new ones from Kawasaki) -> Drain the brake system - open the reservoir cap, put a bottle around the opened brake banjo so the leaking fluid doesn't spill, pump the rear brake and drain it -> Remove the caliper, pads as earlier, but this time also removed the caliper frame off the caliper body -> Pushed the piston out of the caliper through the hole where the brake banjo was. This was the hardest part and it seemed really stuck. It took a lot of effort and I was almost afraid of damage. Upon inspection, I did see traces of brake fluid leak as well. -> Cleaned the piston thoroughly with clean brake fluid, and cleaned the opened caliper too with brake fluid (you can see the shiny cavity where the piston slides in and out). Replaced the seals with new spares from Kawasaki. -> Carefully slide the piston back in, taking care not to displace the seals. Rebuilt rear caliper -> Put the entire caliper back together and back on the bike. Tighten both the Allen bolts that mount the caliper onto the chassis, and also the banjo bolt with a torque wrench (25Nm for both). -> Fill up the brake system and bleed it properly to make sure it's free of air. Went on a test ride again. The front was sorted and I noticed a drastic improvement in brake bite and response. Seriously this is miles ahead of the stock pads and I'm sure the performance will improve over the next 160km. I was actually afraid of braking hard with the front earlier because I could never tell if it was going to lock up due to lack of feel, however now it inspires a lot of confidence. Rear - Basically hardly any performance improvement over the stock pads I checked the system for leaks and there were none. It did lock up now, albeit with some effort. I'm now sure that this is the best the rear can be. All said and done, my friend who's into bike racing told me over and over that I should pretend the rear brake doesn't exist and brake only with the front! So I'm going to have to go in that direction now and learn new things. Bottom line - Brembo pads for the front were definitely worth the money and I'm very glad to have made the purchase. However for the rear, swapping the pads didn't make much difference so unless the pads are worn, I suggest users to stick to the stock ones. Objectively I can't compare these to EBC pads since I've never ridden an ER-6n with those. I'll take questions now if y'all have any! Hello all.I purchased a Kawasaki ER-6n during the BS3->BS4 transition fire sale. Unfortunately I had an accident after 8 months of owning it, in October 2017. The insurance company refused my claim due to some technicalities and the bike was stuck without repair for 2 years.Just a few months ago I started repair myself and now the bike looks like new for a fraction of the cost of the ASC quoted repair cost. Even the bent chassis was straightened. And I'm back to riding after very long. This time I'm being extra careful. Check out the pictures of the bike before and after repairs, couldn't resist although its not what the thread is about.This is my baby in December 2019.Post repairs...As we all know, or at least as all 650cc Kawa owners know, the stock brakes are pretty much mediocre when it comes to stopping power, especially the rear wheel. Most people upgrade to EBC pads well before the stock ones are worn, solely for this reason. After my bike was rebuilt, I felt as if the rear was barely working. It wouldn't even lock unless I applied very high pedal pressure. I bled the brakes and all but to no effect. I was thinking of getting EBC as well, until I enquired about Brembo pads and found that the difference in cost for 3 complete sets (2 front and 1 rear) came to less than Rs 2500 total. Hence I decided to go ahead with Brembo pads. I decided to replace the front ones too as they aren't too good either. There are very few reviews of these Brembo pads online that I can find so I thought of putting the review up myself for others.The total cost including shipping came to Rs 11,175. I purchased them from Orion Motorsports Bangalore. The Brembo website is a bit confusing if you're looking to choose pads for your bike. Balaji from Orion was very helpful and friendly. The final pads I purchased were:Front right: 07KA18.SA - Rs 3919Front left: 07KA19.SA - Rs 3646Rear: 07KA16.SP - Rs 3510Pads from Brembo.One of the pads came in slightly damaged condition. Actually the packing from Brembo is very poor - while Balaji had used bubble wrap and all on the outside, inside the plastic packaging itself the pads were free to move wherever. I had started doubting if the pads were genuine due to the packing alone, however sent a mail to Brembo and they confirmed that the pads are the real deal. It's a wonder that they made it from Italy to India without all being damaged. Kudos to Orion for shipping me a replacement set the very next day, no questions asked.If you're looking to get a detailed idea on how to replace brake pads, you're better off watching videos on YouTube or buying a Haynes manual for your bike - I did both and the resources were incredibly helpful. I decided to replace the pads at the front and back, as my brakes at the back seemed particularly weak, I will rebuild the caliper if the pad replacement doesn't have the desired results. And so I started.You'll need lots of brake fluid, a torque wrench with 12mm hex head and a 6mm Allen head (long), brake cleaner spray, a container for the drained brake fluid and a good amount of patience. Here's the basic steps to be followed for pad replacement.-> Remove the caliper from the chassis (12 hex on the front and 6 Allen on the back). DO NOT operate the brake lever henceforth until the caliper is back on the chassis-> Remove the R-clip (because it looks like an "R")-> Remove the slider pin-> Slide the outer pad off the caliper-> Slide the inner pad off the caliperOld pads have plenty of life.New pads with the old ones.-> Clean the caliper and pin with brake cleaner spray-> Apply grease on the slider pins and the back of the caliper, making VERY SURE not to get any grease on the friction material itself-> Put the inner pad back into the caliper (take care to see that the caliper spring clip is not deformed and that it hasn't shifted from its position)-> Press down against the pad spring and slide the slider pin back in-> Put the R-clip back on-> Slide the caliper back onto the disc, align with the mounting bolts, tighten it to the specified torque (FYI front is 34Nm and rear is 25Nm)Ta-da! New pads are ready. Here's the fine print -1. Brake systems are self compensating i.e. as the pad wears and gets thinner, the piston will keep pushing the pad further towards the disc and maintain constant braking performance. Due to this, when you replace the pads they may not go back on the disc because your older pads were thinner. One of my calipers slid right back on to the disc but two others didn't. So its advisable to push the pistons back into the caliper after opening the brake bleed valve. This is like a system reset.2. Brake fluid can strip paint so make sure it doesn't get on to the bike. Personally speaking I've spilled brake fluid on the wheels many times, nothing happened, but why take a risk?3. Using a torque wrench is highly recommended. Borrow one if you don't want to spend on a new one. (If you're a DIY guy like me, you'll find use for it somewhere)SO after replacing the pads and taking the bike on a test ride, a few things came to light --> The bike seemed to be dragging a little (I had forced one of the front calipers onto the disc so maybe it was in constant contact rather than only when braking)-> The rear braking performance hadn't improved at all, in fact it had worsened!I had expected both problems to crop up, because forcing a caliper onto the disc isn't what you should do - I was just lazy as it was a lot of effort opening up the whole thing again just to push the piston back in. I confirmed this by touching both front discs after the test ride - one was a bit hot while the other one was scalding hot and couldn't be touched. And with respect to the rear brake, I had expected that as well, as I was prepared to rebuild the rear caliper as it seemed to be sticking. So, back to work.Front: Removed the caliper, removed the pads, opened the brake bleed valve, pushed the piston out, mounted the pads, pushed it back onto the discs (easy this time, it was actually loose, there was a gap between the pads and the disc as the piston had been pushed back all the way.)Rear: This is where I had to nip the problem in the bud. I had to open up the piston due to the sticking issue (or so I thought), replace the seals, inspect the piston for signs of wear, put everything back together and hope for the best. Here's what I did.-> Remove the brake hose from the rear caliper (remove the banjo bolt). Haynes manual recommends one should replace the banjo washers upon removal but these were made of steel so I didn't bother. (Plus I hadn't ordered new ones from Kawasaki)-> Drain the brake system - open the reservoir cap, put a bottle around the opened brake banjo so the leaking fluid doesn't spill, pump the rear brake and drain it-> Remove the caliper, pads as earlier, but this time also removed the caliper frame off the caliper body-> Pushed the piston out of the caliper through the hole where the brake banjo was. This was the hardest part and it seemed really stuck. It took a lot of effort and I was almost afraid of damage. Upon inspection, I did see traces of brake fluid leak as well.-> Cleaned the piston thoroughly with clean brake fluid, and cleaned the opened caliper too with brake fluid (you can see the shiny cavity where the piston slides in and out). Replaced the seals with new spares from Kawasaki.-> Carefully slide the piston back in, taking care not to displace the seals.Rebuilt rear caliper-> Put the entire caliper back together and back on the bike. Tighten both the Allen bolts that mount the caliper onto the chassis, and also the banjo bolt with a torque wrench (25Nm for both).-> Fill up the brake system and bleed it properly to make sure it's free of air.Went on a test ride again. The front was sorted and I noticed a drastic improvement in brake bite and response. Seriously this is miles ahead of the stock pads and I'm sure the performance will improve over the next 160km. I was actually afraid of braking hard with the front earlier because I could never tell if it was going to lock up due to lack of feel, however now it inspires a lot of confidence.Rear - Basically hardly any performance improvement over the stock padsI checked the system for leaks and there were none. It did lock up now, albeit with some effort. I'm now sure that this is the best the rear can be. All said and done, my friend who's into bike racing told me over and over that I should pretend the rear brake doesn't exist and brake only with the front! So I'm going to have to go in that direction now and learn new things.Bottom line - Brembo pads for the front were definitely worth the money and I'm very glad to have made the purchase. However for the rear, swapping the pads didn't make much difference so unless the pads are worn, I suggest users to stick to the stock ones. Objectively I can't compare these to EBC pads since I've never ridden an ER-6n with those.I'll take questions now if y'all have any! Last edited by ads295 : 24th March 2020 at 15:36 . Reason: Completing the review Launch supports several businesses shifting to work from home and protecting all IoT devices as cyber risks rise exponentially TEL AVIV, Israel, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SAM Seamless Network , the intuitive security system for smart networks, today launched its enterprise-grade cyber solution for small-medium size businesses. The AI-driven platform protects the business network including all connected IoT devices from all types of attacks including malware, phishing, ransomware and others. It can be installed seamlessly on any gateway and managed by an Internet Service Provider remotely. "We believe our enterprise-grade solution is coming to the market at a critical time, when many businesses have moved to remote working for Covid-19 and hackers have gone into overdrive to capitalize on the crisis," said Sivan Rauscher, CEO and co-founder of SAM. "The number of IoT devices in small businesses was already increasing, further expanding the attack surface. ISPs are in a unique position to provide high level security at this critical time, in addition to the already existing business services they offer such as broadband and cloud." According to SAM's Threat Research Lab, home networks have incurred a 25% increase in Corona-themed phishing attacks, with ISPs reporting they have experienced more than 30% increase in network traffic over the last month. Experts have stated that Covid-19 is spurring possibly one of the largest collections of attack types that exploit a single theme in years. The high costs associated with cyber security solutions and services until now have limited the adoption for many small and medium size businesses but the rate of attacks on small and medium size businesses is substantial. 2019 saw a 424% increase in new small business cyber attacks breaches, with 43% of total cyber attacks targeting small business. 47% of small businesses say they have no understanding of how to protect themselves against cyber attacks, and 40% experience eight or more hours of downtime as a result. "The CyberSecurity Industry has always experienced a shortage of qualified talent to defend their enterprises. This is particularly acute in the SMB and SOHO markets, and now exacerbated during these challenging times as secure remote access from home becomes critical," said Dave DeWalt, CEO of Nightdragon and Chairman of SAM Seamless Networks. SAM's SMB Platform is a software-only solution that covers all aspects of network management and security for small businesses, protecting devices and employees without any step-up process or provisioning. The platform enables service providers to offer a unique set of tools to sell and manage new services with an agentless security assessment tool to SMBs, providing live reports of the business' security health status. Remote management for business customers is also a key feature with the option for MSSP and Tier 1 and Tier 2 support and management. Benefits include: Identification of connected devices, providing an adaptive policy with fingerprinting, cyber protection and safe browsing Enabling customers to filter unwanted content and protect their online identity Providing dynamic firewall and password protection Securing remote access points with pre-integrated end-point protection and management For more information on SAMs SMB solution and to sign up for a 1-on-1 demo visit: https://securingsam.com/smb-info-demo/ . SAM recommends the following guidelines on home security here . About SAM: SAM provides a software-based security solution that integrates seamlessly with any platform and protects local area networks by securing the gateway and all of its connected devices. Installed remotely on existing gateways, SAM doesn't require any additional hardware or a technician to provide comprehensive network security. The solution is offered as a service, allowing users to have enterprise-grade protection including virtually patching vulnerabilities such as KRACK and other high-level, targeted attacks. SAM works with leading chipset manufacturers, including Intel, to provide network security from the source. To learn more about SAM, visit www.SecuringSam.com Media Contact: Gina Shaffer US: +1-(707)-533-1504 IL: +(972)-54-649-3485 gina@siliconvpr.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1137523/SAM_SMB_Product.jpg [March 25, 2020] Velocity Global Donates One Percent of 2020 Profits to COVID-19 response Velocity Global, the leading provider of global expansion solutions, announced it will donate one percent of its 2020 global profits to non-profit organizations around the world responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company will apply its contribution as a match to employee donations, doubling the impact for organizations supporting healthcare and community needs. "Velocity Global puts people first in all that we do whether it's our employees, customers, partners or the communities in which we live. Through this initiative we collectively improve the health and wellbeing of our neighbors in the face of this global pandemic," said Ben Wright, Velocity Global founder and CEO. "As global citizens in more than a dozen countries across five continents, we must support local organizations supplying medical supplies and everyday needs such as food, clothing, and shelter." Velocity Global employs more than 200 people in 14 countries acros North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia. Employees are encouraged to identify local organizations that resonate with them personally, and the company matches their donation. "Our employees are active community members, and we're empowering them to choose needs close to their heart. These contributions support and fund tools for healthcare workers, food banks, and shelters; together we'll double the impact," said Wright. Velocity Global was among the first to join the #leadboldly #stopthespread movement that is now more than 1,500 strong. The CEOs and founders that signed on were early adopters of actions in their workplace to stop the spread of COVID-19 as well as to make commitments to support response and recovery efforts. For more information visit: https://velocityglobal.com/covid-19 ABOUT VELOCITY GLOBAL Velocity Global is the leading provider of global employment solutions that has reinvented the way companies expand overseas. With unrivaled expertise in over 185 countries, Velocity Global delivers end-to-end services and best-in-class support to help companies confidently navigate the entire lifecycle of international business. To ensure a compliant, efficient, and flexible international expansion, Velocity Global provides a comprehensive suite of global services that includes International PEO, Entity Setup and Support, Global Talent Acquisition, Immigration, and Consulting. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005138/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 01:31:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian official on Wednesday announced the first death from the COVID-19 in Palestine. The case, a Palestinian woman in her 60s, was recorded earlier in the day and died later in the evening, Ibrahim Melhem, spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, told a news briefing in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The daughter and son-in-law of the woman were also confirmed to be infected with coronavirus in the evening, he said. The number of coronavirus cases in the Palestinian territories has reached 64 since March 5, with 62 in the West Bank and two in the Gaza Strip, according to Melhem. "Palestine must follow the pioneer experience of China in restricting and combating the virus," he noted. Amid the ongoing lockdown to contain the coronavirus epidemic, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday announced an aid of Rs 1,000 for labourers in the unorganised sector. He also announced that beneficiaries of social security pension scheme, widow pension, old-age pension and destitute pension schemes will get two months' pension in advance. Labourers in the unorganized sector will be given financial assistance of Rs 1,000 each through the Sannirman Karmkar Mandal, said Chouhan who took over as chief minister two days ago. Further, an advance of Rs 2,000 per family would be provided to members of the Shariya, Baiga and Bhariya tribal communities, he said. As schools are closed, some 65.91 lakh students do not get mid-day meals at school. Therefore, Rs 155 would be transferred into bank account of each primary schools student and Rs 232 in the account of each middle-school student, adding up to aid of total of Rs 156.15 crore, he said. He has also directed that public distribution system (PDS) shops should distribute the food grain ration of April, he said. Uninterrupted supply of fertilizers and seeds will be ensured for farmers, the chief minister said. Chouhan held a review meeting on coronavirus situation in the state through video conference earlier. So far, 15 persons have tested positive for the disease in Madhya Pradesh. A woman diagnosed with COVID-19 died on Wednesday evening. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo credit: Facebook From Popular Mechanics A curious visitor washed ashore on a beach in North Carolinas Outer Banks. The object was deemed safe by local police, who called the Navy to pick it up. The barnacle-encrusted sphere is actually a simulated sea mine used to train mine hunters. A suspicious object washed ashore on a beach in North Carolina, prompting local police to investigate. The police declared the object safe and contacted the Navy to haul it away. The "mine" is actually a Mark 49 mine warfare target, a simulated mine designed to train minesweepers and other mine-hunting teams. The object, discovered on the beach on the states Outer Banks region near the town of Kill Devil Hills, looks exactly like a sea mine. Black, spherical, and several feet across, the object is encrusted with barnacles and marine algae. According to the Charlotte Observer , military objects periodically wash up on the states coastline. Photo credit: Facebook/Kill Devil Hills Police The Kill Devil Hills police, in a statement released on Facebook, the object is located just south of 5th Street, near the shore break. The police say the object is harmless and that their best guess is that it is some kind of anti-submarine target. The police go on to state that the U.S. Navy had been contacted to remove the object from the beach. The object features stenciled writing on the side, including the words, Target, Mk. 49 Mod 1. The U.S. Navy uses the Mark/Mk designation to refer to everything from handguns to practically anything weapons-related. This particular object is an Mk. 49 Mine Warfare Target. The Mk. 49 is one of 14 different types of inert targets designed to resemble a variety of different mine types. Photo credit: U.S. Navy The Mk. 49 resembles the type of sea mine that goes all the way back to World War I, a spherical mine that has finger-like contact probes surrounding it. A ship at sea would strike one of the probes with its hull, crushing the detonation mechanism and detonating an explosive charge. The Mk. 49 is a slightly simplified model, lacking the contact probes. Story continues Photo credit: Sea contact mine. - Wikimedia Commons Despite its inert nature, the Mk. 49 does pose an indirect danger. Gawkers flocking to the beach could be unideal during an ongoing pandemic, prompting the Kill Devil Hills police to remind people to practice social distancing when taking a peek. You Might Also Like Guwahati/Agartala, March 25 : As lockdown continued effectively across the northeastern region of India on Wednesday, the police detained around 200 people in different states for violating the enforcement, officials said. The authorities, especially the health services officials, have further maximized their efforts and campaigns against the COVID-19, after a 50-year-old man, a Christian pastor from Mizoram, was tested positive for the novel coronavirus, making it the second case in the northeastern region after the a 23-year-old Manipuri woman tested positive. The Mizo man had returned to Aizawl from Amsterdam, Netharland via Delhi and Guwahati on March 16 while the Manipuri girl returned from the United Kingdom on March 21 via Delhi, Kolkata and Agartala. During the lockdown period, the state governments of the seven northeastern states also announced a slew of diverse sops and free rice supply and financial support to the poor, especially the daily wagers, besides medical help. In the lockdown period, banking services, shops and markets dealing with groceries, vegetables, medicine, milk, cooking gas, and petrol pumps would remain open in most of the northeastern states. Most state governments also arranged alternate duty roster for their employees, asking a large number of government staff to come to office alternatively and to work from their homes. However, just before and during the lockdown period, the prices of various essentials, vegetables, meat, rice, and other commodities including soaps and disinfectants are soaring up. Availability of transport fuel becomes scarce. People are facing a tough time to collect their essentials in view of the closures of public transport and various other government restrictions. In Assam, a large number of people came out on roads in Kamrup, Nalbari, Karimganj and Nagaon districts violating prohibitory orders amid the lockdown. Security forces resorted to lathicharge against several lockdown violators. Police and district administration officials through public address systems have alerted the people not to come out on roads and avoid mass gatherings to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who had earlier directed district Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities in the state, said on Wednesday that the state has enough stocks of foodgrains for two-and-a-half months. He appealed to the people to follow the 21-day lockdown to maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. In Tripura, commercial bank authorities announced that the business hours of the bank branches in the state would be restricted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m till March 31. The Tripura Urban Development Department has asked all urban local bodies to set up kitchens for preparing cooked food and distributing it twice a day among the urban poor. "Reputed Self Help Group can be engaged for cooking, packging and distributing packed foods to the urban poor families at their doorstep," Urban Development Department Director Shailesh K. Yadav said in a letter to all urban local bodies across Tripura. The Tripura Newspaper Society, the apex body of newspaper owners and editors, have decided to suspend publication of newspapers till March 31 as the hawkers are reluctant to carry on distribution of newspapers. In a noble gesture, the Tripura High Court judge Arindam Lodh on Wednesday personally donated Rs one lakh to the Chief Minister's relief fund and Rs 50,000 to Tripura Medical College to meet the expenses for fighting coronavirus. The Airport Authority of India has also donated Rs 10 lakh from their Corporate Social Responsibility fund for helping and boosting the fight against the COVID-19. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) (CNN) India's normally bustling streets are quiet. Delivery drivers wear gloves and face masks. Even the country's unrelenting construction has come to a halt. It's all part of India's unprecedented 21-day bid to stop the coronavirus pandemic in its tracks with a nationwide lockdown. India is the world's second-most populous country and has the fifth-biggest economy, with trade connections all over the world. Yet despite its size, the country of 1.34 billion appears to have avoided the full hit of the pandemic. To date, India has only 492 confirmed cases of coronavirus and nine deaths. By contrast, South Korea which has a population only 3.8% the size of India's has more than 9,000 cases. China, where the outbreak was first identified, has more than 81,000 confirmed cases in a population of 1.39 billion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained there is no sign of community spread, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has praised India's swift response, which has included grounding domestic and international commercial flights and suspending all tourist visas. On Tuesday night, Modi ordered a 21-day nationwide lockdown starting at midnight Wednesday. The order, the largest of its type yet to be issued globally, means all Indians must stay at home and all nonessential services such as public transport, malls and market will be shut down. But fears are growing that the country remains susceptible to a wider, potentially more damaging outbreak. Experts have cautioned that India is not testing enough people to know the true extent of the issue and have questioned the viability and sustainability of a nationwide lockdown. In an interview with CNN last week, the WHO's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said India had taken all the necessary steps to prepare for the virus, and had been communicating well with the public. "Having said that, of course, we always have to prepare for a worse outcome," Swaminathan said. "It's better to be overprepared and to be overcautious than to be caught off guard." How bad is the outbreak in India? So far, India has confirmed relatively few cases but the country is also testing relatively few people. In total, 15,000 tests have been conducted, compared with South Korea, where well over 300,000 people out of its 52 million population have been tested. O.C. Abraham, a professor of medicine at Christian Medical College in Vellore in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, said that India should test extensively, just as South Korea did. "The only way you can control a disease like this is that you test early and you quarantine them," he said. But Balram Bhargava, director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, said there is no need for "indiscriminate testing." At a news briefing on Sunday, he said the country has a test capacity of 60,000 to 70,000 per week. By comparison, the United Kingdom a country with 5% of the population size of India says it is hoping to increase its test capacity to 25,000 a day. Although the numbers are comparatively small, Modi has cautioned against being complacent, and said the assumption that the disease will not impact India is incorrect. Like other countries, many of India's confirmed cases have been connected to overseas travelers. The first six cases in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, for instance, were all contacts of the first case reported in New Delhi, who had a travel history to Italy. Overseas, these sorts of clusters often spread into the local community, leading to a wider outbreak. According to Bellur Prabhakar, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Illinois, there are a few reasons why the number of confirmed cases in India do not match international trends. It could be due to a lack of testing, said Prabhakar, noting that "ignorance is bliss." Another possible reason is that coronavirus may thrive in colder conditions, meaning that it might not spread so efficiently in India, where temperatures are often more than 30 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Farenheit). We know that influenza thrives in cold and dry conditions, but we don't yet know if coronavirus follows the same pattern. Experts have cautioned against drawing too many conclusions yet, pointing to the many unknowns that remain about the virus itself and its spread in recent months. But if the spread of coronavirus isn't impacted by temperatures, that could be a problem for India. "Unless the virus goes away because of the heat ... I cannot imagine what could happen in India," Prabhakar said. Why an outbreak could be hard to control Although it's not yet clear why India's case numbers are relatively low, as with other countries, it's clear that an outbreak would be incredibly difficult to control. A growing number of governments are encouraging citizens to self-isolate, and wash their hands to control the spread of coronavirus. But in parts of India, even those basic measures would be extremely difficult. In 2011, an Indian government report estimated that 29.4% of the country's urban population live in low quality, semi-permanent structures, known as slums. Many of the homes here don't have bathrooms or running water. Some slum residents get their water from a communal tap, while others collect theirs in canisters and buckets from tankers that visit a few times a week. This all makes it difficult to wash hands regularly. "Where on earth are they going to find the water and soap that they need?" questioned Prabhakar. "I think it's going to be nearly impossible to implement that plan." It may also prove difficult to maintain the type of social isolation as ordered by Modi. In India, there are 455 people per square kilometer (or 1,178 people per square mile), according to World Bank statistics significantly more than the world average of 60 people, and much higher than China's 148. "Social distancing in a country like India is going to be very, very challenging," Prabhakar said. "We might be able to pull it off in urban areas, but in slums and areas of urban sprawl, I just don't see how it can be done." Countries around the world have launched education campaigns advising people to sneeze into their elbow and avoid touching their face. But sharing that information with a population as large as India's will also be a challenge, he said. The challenge of going into lockdown Every country that goes into lockdown faces a huge economic impact. But in India, telling people to stay home puts millions of jobs at risk. According to official statistics from 2011-2012 the most recent data available there were around 400 million people in India's labor market. Of those, more than half were self-employed, and 121 million were casual workers, meaning they had irregular work and were only paid for the days they worked. Those people India's cleaners, household workers, and construction workers are exactly the people who could be hurt by lockdowns. The Ministry of Labor and Employment has issued a notice to businesses, asking them not to terminate employees or cut salaries. Modi has already expressed his concern for the millions of workers who rely on a daily wage. "In such a time of crisis, I request the business world and high income segments of society to as much as possible, look after the economic interests of all the people who provide them services," he said. "In the coming few days it is possible these people may not be able to come to office or your homes. In such a case, do treat them with empathy and humanity and not deduct their salaries. Always keep in mind that they too need to run their homes, protect their families from illness." Chief minister of northern Uttar Pradesh state Yogi Adityanath said that each of the 1.5 million daily wage laborers in his state will be given 1,000 rupees ($13) via direct transfer to help them meet their daily needs. "That might end up saving lots of lives if the government has a program to basically issue a paycheck to all those daily workers and people who earn below a certain level of income," Prabhakar said. But even if the authorities are able to roll out financial help for daily wage workers, not everyone will benefit. According to government estimates, there are around 102 million people including 75 million children who do not have an Aadhaar identity card, which is used to access key welfare and social services including food, electricity and gas subsidies. Most of these people are essentially undocumented and are less likely to receive a government handout. Other difficulties facing India On top of all of these issues, India also has an overburdened and underprepared health system. "The public health sector is woefully inadequate," said Prabhakar, explaining that there is a lack of medical supplies and trained staff in India. As the WHO's Swaminathan said, the health system across India is quite variable. "There are some states with very well-resourced, well-equipped health systems, and others which are weaker," Swaminathan said. "So the focus really needs to be both in short term and the medium to long term on strengthening the health systems in those states where it is relatively weak and this would involve a number of different actions." According to Christian Medical College's Abraham, there are only about 50 to 60 specialists in India who have received formal structured training in handling infectious diseases. According to the World Bank, India spends about 3.66% of its GDP on health far below the world average of 10%. Although the United Kingdom and the US have struggled to deal with their own outbreaks, each spend 9.8% and 17% of their GDP on health, respectively. At a news conference on Monday, Lav Agarwal, a senior official with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said the government is working with all of India's states to increase the capacity of health facilities. This story was first published on CNN.com "India faces up to potential coronavirus crisis, but is the country really prepared for a 21 day lockdown?" Delhi to ease restrictions, if Covid cases come down in next 2-3 days: Health Minister Lata Mangeshkar health update: Doctor says,'She in ICU with Covid-19 and pneumonia, will be under observation' Coronavirus: Centre asks states to ensure unhindered operations of essential services India oi-PTI New Delhi, Mar 25: The Centre has asked the state governments to ensure unhindered operation of essential services and their seamless availability for the general public during the 21-day lockdown period announced to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. In a communication to chief secretaries and DGPs of all states, the Union Home Ministry said all states and UTs should actively enforce social distancing and isolation for COVID-19 through lockdown and prohibitory measures with exemptions for supply chain and transportation of essential goods and services in and out of the state. #Stayathome and send us your selfie The ministry said while it was imperative to successfully implement the notified lockdown/restrictions, it was also necessary to ensure the unhindered operations of manufacturing, processing, transportation, distribution, storage, trade/commerce and logistics related to all services/establishments and commodities required for the delivery of essential services, which have been exempted under the various prohibitory orders. 'In order to ensure that these provisions are seamlessly available at ground level it would be necessary for each State/UT to set-up a 24x7 control room/office with helplines (at state/ district level) to address any grievance or undue problems faced by the providers of goods/ services including during inter-state movement,' the communication said. The ministry said a nodal officer may be appointed in a state to coordinate with the district administration/police in this matter. This is necessary to ensure continuity of supply chain for essential commodities, several of which may be of perishable nature It may also be necessary to lay down a standard operating protocol for unhindered operation of essential services/establishments and commodities, including appointment of nodal officers at inter-state borders, issue of vehicular passes etc. The ministry said state helpline facilities may be also made available to ensure adequate protection to essential service providers, government or PSU employees/ healthcare workers engaged in providing essential services or requisitioned for administrative exigencies in each state/UT from any unwanted stigmatisation by any local person on any grounds, including their working in an exposed environment (like hospitals, public facilities, essential service facilities etc). 'In view of the above, it is accordingly requested to issue suitable directions to set up a nodal control room/office with helplines in the state and appoint a nodal officer immediately,' it said. Jail term of up to two years for those found violating coronavirus lockdown The details of such helpline numbers may be given wide publicity in the state/UT concerned, the ministry said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown across the country on Tuesday to combat the coronavirus pandemic. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, March 25, 2020, 10:20 [IST] On Wednesday, Senate negotiators announced that they had reached a deal on a $2 trillion stimulus package in an effort to bolster the economy that has been devastated by measures meant to attempt to contain the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Our new big government consensus, though, is as shortsighted as it is striking. Writers and politicians across the spectrum have begun to call for government at all levels to take a major, if not massive, role in combating the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing global recession. All of this is necessary. Advertisement Yet big government cant just mean sending money, the tactic the current stimulus measure is centered upon. The government we forge for this crisis has to have some permanence, has to provide jobs and not just income, and has to have a human face. The increasingly popular plans for universal basic income supportwhether temporary or permanentamount to an income stimulus, not necessarily a jobs stimulus. If everybody saves their $2,000 check and/or spends it on services provided by slender, capital-intensive corporations like Amazon, then employment will not rebound and economic inequality is likely to get worse, not better. Even former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundts laudable call for investment in our health care system largely consists of Congress writing checks without directly creating new jobs. And the current stimulus plan embeds the dangerous policy assumption that once the worst of the coronavirus is over, all American jobs will come back just like they did before the crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An expansion of Americas public service at all levels of government must be central to any counter-epidemic and counter-recession plan. It would provide more durable support for the American economy than a near-term stimulus, and it would also reduce economic inequality while diminishing the scope and effects of corporate lobbying. Lets consider the following short-term and long-term solutions. In the near term, Congress could authorize critical federal agencies to hire essential workers, not just for the next few weeks but for the coming year or more of transition, and could designate block grants to state governments so that they and local governments can do the same. The following public sector jobs will be critical: Advertisement Public health workers (nurses, technicians, physicians, social work and mental health workers). All of these positions will suffer from short supply and exhaustion in the coming weeks and months. Federal and state governments are in the best position to create a surge education, training, and hiring plan. Workers to manufacture and distribute medical supplies. Congress should authorize national and state governments to hire workers to create both temporary and permanent hospital infrastructure. Analysts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, and other federal agencies. If tech and financial firms are laying off their workers, these federal agencies should begin hiring them. From disease modeling to website development to fielding calls, federal and state needs will be great in the months ahead if we are to effectively combat the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unemployment and job training offices. The crush of unemployment lays bare not just the miserly character of our safety net but its organizational weakness as well. State governments are being crippled by the onslaught of unemployment applications, and longer-run job training programs will depend heavily upon state and local programs. Advertisement Advertisement In the short run, the kinds of jobs required for expanding government capacity will be limited because of social distancing requirements. Of course, the need for training opens up the possibility of further job creation, whether by the hiring agencies themselves, by state and local schools and technical centers, or by universities that have repurposed some of their functions. When the first wave of the pandemic subsides and we begin rebuilding our economy, Americans need to think about how to adapt to the later waves, the next epidemic, and a new economic reality. Government jobs in the following areas will be essential. Advertisement Medical supply stockpiling. Sadly, our country does not have enough ventilators for the coming crush of COVID-19-related hospitalizations. That cannot be an excuse for failing to invest for the next wave of this virus, and for the next virus epidemic when it comes. Since any ventilator stockpile would need to be maintained, depreciation monitored, and machines transported around the country, a public program would employ manufacturers, mechanics, programmers, and truckers. There is no reason government itself cannot provide many of these jobs directly. Advertisement Advertisement Local and state public health agencies, including laboratories and mental health. Sadly, as professors Amy Kapczynski and Gregg Gonsalves have documented, our public health capacity has withered in recent decades. Federal and state investments in public health workers, including social workers and mental health professionals, can begin filling that gap. Advertisement Transport infrastructure. For years there has been a call for a major new infrastructure project, yet nothing substantial has come out of Washington in over a decade. A plan for identifying bridges, ports, and roads in need of reconstruction would employ manual laborers, engineers, transport workers, and surveyors. State transportation agencies could hire for these purposes, as could the Department of Transportation. Alternative energy infrastructure development. Call it a Green New Deal if you want to. But planning and rollout for a more expansive grid of electric cars, solar panels, and wind farms necessitates hiring workers. Advertisement Congressional committees and offices. No, Im not kidding. A bipartisan group of scholars and observers has noted that the capacity of our Article 1 branch of government has withered. This would be an excellent time to invest in that capacity, especially in nonpartisan offices like the Congressional Research Service, the Congressional Budget Office, and the Government Accountability Office.* While were at it, bring back the Office of Technology Assessment. And these jobs need not all or mostly be in Washington. We could expand employment in congressional districts and states. Advertisement Advertisement If the economic and health reasons for stimulus through public sector hiring are not enough, consider two other benefits of government hiring. First, an infrastructure plan that relies entirely or largely on contractors will likely exacerbate the social and economic inequality that has torn our country apart. Government jobs provide solid benefits and limit top-level executive pay. Second, the onslaught of lobbying currently witnessed on Capitol Hill is happening precisely because the government is handing out checks. Direct federal employment would be subject to far less lobbying, as the corporate payoffs are not nearly as high. A nation that launched the Works Progress Administration, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the agricultural extension service, and the Tennessee Valley Authority has the precedent to confront a new crisis with true public sector capacity. All thats currently missing is the imagination and the backbone. Stocks of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders are sufficient in Uttar Pradesh as oil companies are working to maintain the supply of fuel and cooking gas despite the lockdown, an official of Indian Oil Corporation said on Wednesday. "All the PSU oil companies are working hard during this tough times to maintain continuous and smooth supplies of fuel and LPG cylinders through their retail outlet and LPG distributers," Executive Director and State HeadIndian Oil cum State Level Coordinator, Oil Industry, UP, Uttiya Bhattacharyya said. Sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are being ensured at all retail outlets and gas cylinders at LPG distributorship end, Bhattacharyya said. Oil companies have also requested for the issuance of necessary passes from the respective district magistrates of Uttar Pradesh to ensure regular availability of these essential commodities, he said. At present, there are total 2178 LPG distributors for catering to around 403 lakh active LPG customers and 7128 Retail Outlets to cater to the various fuel requirements of general public in Uttar Pradesh. PSU oil companies operate 32 Oil terminals and depots for making petrol and diesel available in the state. There are 26 LPG bottling plants in Uttar Pradesh to ensure availability of the LPG to each and every consumer demand of the state, said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) William Campbell/Getty Images En espanol | With the coronavirus outbreak still going strong, Americans eager to vacation safely are turning to national parks to enjoy large outdoor areas that should allow for physical distancing. Yellowstone saw 955,645 recreation visits in July 2020, up 2 percent from July 2019. Acadia National Park had 35 percent fewer visitors (493,000) in July than during the same period last year, but thats still a big crowd considering that the state of Maine requires nearly all out-of-state travelers to show a negative COVID-19 test result upon arrival or opt to self-quarantine for 14 days. (They also need fill out a certificate of compliance, assuring that they will follow the rules, and submit it to their place of lodging.) Visiting a national park is undoubtedly different than it was before the pandemic. Although every park has reopened, some roads or facilities may remain closed or only partially available to visitors. At Shenandoah National Park, for example, theaters and exhibits are closed in the visitor centers, though stores are open to a limited number of guests, and rangers and staff are available to answer questions and provide assistance. And youll want to check each states rules before visiting: some states with popular parks, such as Acadia in Maine, have 14-day quarantine rules for out-of-state visitors (in Maine you can also show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test). The National Park Service (NPS) is encouraging but not requiring visitors to wear face masks in its parks. Yellowstones website asks visitors to wear face-coverings in high-visitation areas and inside visitor facilities. But some third-party vendors, such as Xanterra, which manages everything from restaurants to lodges at parks such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, have implemented mandatory mask requirements at their properties. Health officials consider wearing masks that cover the nose and mouth a crucial infection-prevention measure. NPS officials are also asking visitors to follow social distancing practices, and you may find changes such as plexiglass shields in visitor centers and stores to protect against coronavirus transmission. Social distancing, however, is not guaranteed. Glacier National Park has warned visitors that on some popular trails, passing within six feet of others is unavoidable. Large crowds often not wearing masks have been reported at popular sites such as Yellowstones Old Faithful. Heres more on what visitors can expect at some of the big parks and whether theyre safe for you, for park workers and for communities. Note: Before visiting a specific National Park Service site, be sure to check its web page for updates and alerts. Moy Park has said 100 staff staged a walk out at one of its plants and they returned to work after 15 minutes. Earlier trade union Unite said there had been a mass walk-out by staff of up to 1,000 workers at Moy Park in Seagoe, Portadown, over what it said was a lack of measures to combat the spread of coronavirus. A spokeswoman for Moy Park said the health and wellbeing of its staff was "our most important consideration and we have put new, robust measures in place to keep them safe". "We have thoroughly reviewed our sites and continue to take on board feedback from our team members," she said. "We had already identified seven areas to enhance social distancing. These measures include staggering breaks, respacing workstations and communal areas, as well as installing screens on appropriate production lines. "We also continue to make provisions for those who can work from home to do so using remote technology as well as increased cleaning and the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). We are continually reviewing the situation and taking additional steps where necessary. "Our teams are playing a vital role in keeping food production moving and feeding the nation. We are committed to ensuring they are safe and well to keep providing these essential food products. Food factories have been deemed essential businesses which are to stay open even as others close - but they are required to have social distancing measures in place for their employees. In Lurgan, around 80 staff are reported to have walked out of a factory owned by Irish meat giant ABP, again over health and safety concerns. The company has been asked for comment. Unite regional officer Sean McKeever claimed that Moy Park had failed to provide basic health and safety protections, leading employees to walk out. Unite attempted to secure commitments to ensure a minimum two metre social distancing between workers and other measures to enable infection control in the face of the coronavirus threat but our proposals were dismissed by management," he said. Workers are refusing to return to work in unsafe conditions. This is an entirely foreseeable outcome of both management greed and total inaction from Stormont. Unites Susan Fitzgerald said the 80 workers at ABP had refused to work due to lack of provisions to maintain social-distancing. She said workers are demanding adequate social distancing of two metres be facilitated and enforced and other measures be adopted to keep workers as "separated as possible and deep-cleans are conducted on work stations where workers have self-isolated with coronavirus symptoms". She called for a full lockdown of non-essential factories. Government inaction is going to cost lives. There must be a full lock-down of non-essential companies and where workers are deemed essential every possible measure should be taken and enforced to protect them - or else they shouldnt be there. Making your own hours, wearing what you like and escaping a dreary commute are often the dream. Yet according to experts, working from home - even when it isn't sprung upon you by circumstances out of your control - comes with a host of problems for focus, productivity and health. Figures released this month by global employee performance monitoring company Leesman reported a staggering 55pc of employees have little or no experience working from home. And, of the 140,000 people surveyed, those aged 55 to 64 reported the lowest satisfaction. So, how can we make working from home easier on our minds and bodies? Feeling isolated? Tech helps Dr David Cook, an anthropologist at University College London (UCL), has been researching the same group of remote workers for the past five years. "They all start the same way, with the excitement of the utopian dream. But often after only a couple of weeks that turns into boredom and isolation and they find themselves going into co-working spaces such as cafes," he says. A psychological concept called "co-presence" explains a human need to simply be with others in a workspace. "Co-working spaces are often not so much about being social than about being somewhere you know other people are working." Expand Close Yoga and runninng are also good activities to do / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Yoga and runninng are also good activities to do While self-isolation makes co-working impossible, technology can help, says Anna Cox, a professor in human computer interaction at UCL. "I have been working from home with a remote team for five years and we connect by having a daily stand-up meeting remotely across Slack [team messaging software]," she says. "Everyone then knows what everyone else is doing and gets to see and hear each other." In fact, speaking to people where you can is a key way to break the sense of existing in a parallel universe at home. Cross the boundary into work - remember to change out of Pjs You've probably heard it a million times by now that keeping the same work routine will keep you well. But this isn't entirely right. While the best remote workers indeed have a routine, according to Dr Cook, they change theirs to suit their new circumstances. One of the key parts of that is crossing the boundary into work every morning. You're not commuting but you can't just roll out of bed to your laptop (and if you're working in bed, forget it). "People often say that if they don't get outside in the morning - even if it's only a 15-minute walk - they lose sight of where work starts and their home life stops. "They might end up working all hours in their pyjamas and once your manager/team knows you're available 24/7, it's impossible to wrestle back your own time. Get up, create a new morning routine, meditation, listening to a podcast, a walk outside, then have a shower and get dressed." Get that PlayStation out - it's good for you Likewise, schedule downtime in your diary, whether that's calling people or watching Netflix so you can cross the boundary back into your non-working life. What you might be surprised to find helps is playing video games. "We did a survey of the public and found people who played games recovered from work stress faster than those who didn't. It can also give you some control at a time when there is little. Even if it's just a car going around a track, having control over something has a positive impact on people's wellbeing." Likewise, you can connect with older people in self-isolation by playing Scrabble or Bridge apps with them. Plummeting step count? Take movement breaks In the regular world, your Fitbit will have registered 3,000 steps by the time you get to the office, right? Well, get ready for that to nosedive. Louise Goss, who has been working from home for the last decade and edits The Homeworker magazine, says taking regular movement breaks can help combat this. "If you find yourself taking 3,000 steps during your commute, try taking a walk before work for 30 minutes," she suggests. Take a 10-minute self-care window Goss also suggests taking little self-care windows through the day, which could be 10 minutes stretching or yoga (the Glo app and glo.com website is amazing for online yoga and meditation classes), or a quick HIIT home workout. Search YouTube for 30-day challenges which give you five- to 10-minute workout videos. Use your breaks as a reward There's no proven time after which all humans need a break, but a good way to gauge it is when you start to get the urge to move or feel any niggle, ache or pain, says Ash James, a chartered physiotherapist specialising in occupational health. "Your body is designed to move and those aches and pains are signs that it's been in the same position for too long," he says. Having said that, Dr Cook says you can turn your breaks into rewards using a productivity method called the Pomodoro Technique, designed for tasks you don't want to do. "Break up the task you're dreading into four chunks and allocate a set amount of time to doing each one, say 20 minutes," he suggests. "Set a timer and stop working on each chunk after each 20 minutes, take a break and move on to the next bit," he says. This also stops the element of perfectionism which can blight the life of home workers when there's no extra set of eyes to tell you the job is fine as it is, he says. If you're finding it hard to stay focused, the app FocusMe can switch off your social media when you ask it. Stopping the endless snacking Why is hunger so much more acute when you're working from home? Because, it's probably a need for distraction, not real hunger, says Jenny Tschiesche, a nutritional therapist and founder of lunchboxdoctor.com. "The lack of daylight and unprecedented stress we're under means a lack of vitamin D and increased cortisol [stress hormone] combine to create a drop in the brain's happy chemical serotonin so we crave sweets and biscuits for quick focus and calm." So what to do instead? First, eat proper meals, ensuring they're high nutrient, high protein, low calorie and low-carb. "That translates to lots of fresh vegetables and fruit to ensure you're getting nutrients to keep your immune system strong, without lots of calories, then high protein, low-fat foods such as eggs, tuna, tofu, legumes, white and oily fish, pulses and beans in your meals to keep you satisfied for longer." Focus on serotonin-boosting foods too, such as eggs, cheese, salmon, nuts, seeds and turkey. Crucially, when you want to snack, determine whether you're stomach is (ie really) hungry or just mouth hungry, she advises. "If you could eat a piece of salmon or an omelette, you're stomach hungry but if you crave a bag of crisps or a biscuit, you're probably only mouth hungry." Having said that, you're going to want to snack at some point, says Louise Goss. "Have raw vegetables chopped and ready in the fridge as these will give you nutrients without calories, and then prioritise protein foods such as blueberries and yogurt, boiled eggs or a teaspoon of nut butter on a cracker." That rubbish dining chair - it's not ruining your back Those Eames chairs that were so stylish at dinner parties are not so good under forced self-isolation. But don't blame the chair, says Ash James, the pain you're feeling is because your everyday routine has changed, you're not used to this new way of working and it's exacerbated by the effect of the stress you're under. "Be assured, those hard dining chairs aren't hurting your back but you do need to take movement breaks whenever you feel any pain," he suggests. "Every time you need to make or take a call, move around the house," he says. "Then as soon as you feel a niggle, get up and move again." Back pain is by far most common among home workers, along with neck and shoulder pain. "If you're hunched over a laptop, make sure you regularly break to twist your spine either side and arch your back, and do regular shoulder and neck rotations." But don't elevate your laptop to eye-height as the strain on your forearms will cause more problems than looking down. The best evidence for relieving back pain is taking regular walks. So, until we're under house arrest, head for your nearest park at least once a day - keeping your distance, of course. Companies in India are scrambling to ensure that the millions who staff the back offices of Wall Street banks and take on work outsourced by firms from airlines to insurers can keep going as the nation mandates increased work from home amid a spike in coronavirus cases. UBS Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG and other global giants are working with industry trade group Nasscom to ensure Indian states classify such work as essential services so staff can continue to work from offices if required. Infosys Ltd., Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. and other Indian firms that employ more than four million people in tech hubs such as Bengaluru, are also requesting that their clients relax non-disclosure and other privacy rules so that employees who must stay at home during the lockdown can still do their jobs. Moving millions of desktops to employees homes, configuring software to allow for slower bandwidth and ensuring cyber security its a mind-boggling physical and logistical exercise that our companies are in the midst of right now, Keshav Murugesh, chairman of Nasscom, said in a phone interview. #CoronavirusLockdown | Most of India is under lockdown, total active cases at 492. Catch all updates here: bit.ly/3aggZXQ Sent via TweetDeck. View original tweet. The move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to impose a lockdown Sunday across most of India poses a significant challenge for banks such as JPMorgan Chase & Co. as well as Indias $181 billion outsourcing industry that handles everything from trade settlements to airline reservations for British Airways. Nasscom is asking state governments to grant special exemptions for their industry to ensure some workers can go to the office, where they have access to essential databases and reliable high-speed internet which most workers lack at home. While many states, including Karnataka, where Bengaluru is based, and Mumbais state of Maharashtra have already granted data centers special status, its not across the board. Employee safety is paramount, but we are also focused on keeping operations running without stoppages, Murugesh said. Privacy Concerns Privacy is also an issue, with the prospect of millions of workers processing sensitive data from home. Outsourced work from the worlds largest banks, insurers, airlines and retailers are governed by strict non-disclosure agreements. Many companies dont allow employees to even carry their phones in the workplace for fear of compromising clients confidentiality clauses, and restrict access to certain areas to only those working on the project. Indias data centers are vital for many global finance firms. Barclays Plc has more than 20,000 staff in Indias back offices, tending to all tech solutions globally. Deutsche Bank employs 10,000, while JPMorgan has about three times that many. Barclays has significantly reduced the number of staff working from its Indian offices, while most Deutsche Bank staff are also working from home, according to bank statements. UBS says about 90% of its 6,000 employees in India are working from home. The Swiss bank has drawn up a list of 600 essential staff who can go to the office and will be offered meals, and transport in cars regularly cleaned with sanitizer, according to people familiar with the banks plans. Mumbai-based Tata Consultancy, or TCS, has ordered 85% of its global staff to work from home, including the vast majority of its Indian employees, people familiar said. As part of the business continuity in this critical situation, we have enabled work from home for large number of TCS associates, the company said in a statement, adding its teams are on war footing, to ensure smooth operations. Bengaluru-based Infosys didnt immediately respond to questions on the prevailing situation with clients and employees. Wipro Ltd. said its customers have been supportive of approving work from home arrangements. Cases Spike The coronavirus contagion that has arrived in Indias big cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi is prompting a complete rethink on how work is executed, as experts warn that the densely-populated country of 1.3 billion people with limited health-care infrastructure could soon be hit by an avalanche of cases. The recent spike prompted the Modi government to recommend sweeping lockdowns and transportation curbs. All passenger and commuter trains were suspended until at least March 31. By Monday, the country had reported 415 cases, including seven deaths. Many states began implementing curfew-like restrictions barring more than five people from assembling in public. Indian stocks rose Tuesday [March 24] in a volatile session, following a record fall on Monday triggered by the lockdown. The S&P BSE Sensex Index rose 2.7% as of 11:41 a.m. in Mumbai, erasing an earlier loss of as much as 1.3%. State Approval Indias federal structure of governance has thrown up its own share of complications for companies. While the central government can advise regional governments to classify information technology and back office work as essential services allowing them to be exempt from lockdowns, only regional governments can amend the rules to allow such an exemption. Outsourced work such as the back-end of stock markets, airline bookings and medical insurance claims that cant afford a split-second latency will need to be carried out from offices that already have the necessary infrastructure. Confidentiality concerns around work such as drug development and regulatory needs will also require employees to work from offices. Both the central government and many state governments Karnataka and Maharashtra have been extremely helpful in declaring our industry as essential services, said Nasscoms Murugesh, who is also the group chief executive officer of WNS Global Services. Most IT services and back office services companies based in India have already received the required approvals to work from home, said Sangeeta Gupta, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Nasscom. The remainder should be hearing from their clients in the next couple of days, she said. With assistance from Cathy Chan and Suvashree Ghosh. Photograph: A man walks past shuttered stores near the Khari Baoli spice market in Delhi on March 22, 2020. Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics COVID-19 Aviation India Gardai in Limerick have arrested two people and seized two vehicles in relation to a violent disorder incident in the St Mary's Park area of Limerick. A man was allegedly struck by a car and assaulted with an object on St Munchins Street on Wednesday, March 18. In a statement, Gardai from Mayorstone Park confirmed that they had received a report in relation to a man who had been taken to University Hospital Limerick after he was "allegedly struck by a car and assaulted with an implement at 1.30pm." The man has since been discharged from hospital. "Detective and uniform Gardai from Mayorstone Park carried out an investigation and executed two search warrants at houses in Limerick city this morning, March 24. A man and a woman, both aged in their 30s, were arrested at one of the houses. They were brought to Henry Street Garda and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. As part of the investigation, two vehicles were also seized," a garda spokesperson said. "The woman has since been released and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. The man remains in Garda custody." Gardai are appealing for anyone who was in the St Marys Park area on March 18 between 1pm and 2pm, particularly road users with video footage, to contact Mayorstone Park Garda Station on 061-456980, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111 or any Garda Station. Taiwan holds joint air drill featuring simulated air scramble ROC Central News Agency 03/24/2020 02:35 PM Taipei, March 24 (CNA) Taiwan's Armed Forces held large-scale military exercises throughout the country on Tuesday, with eight F-16 fighter jets from Hualien Air Base conducting simulated long-range intercept missions above Taiwan. The drill was primarily held to test the military's combat readiness against an all-out Chinese aerial invasion, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. Units from all branches of the military took part in the joint exercises starting at 5:30 a.m., with the simulated air attack by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) the main highlight of the day, according to the ministry. The drill came amid recent missions by Chinese warplanes flying near Taiwan's airspace, resulting in Taiwan's Air Force having to scramble its jet fighters to intercept and monitor their movements. On Feb. 10, Chinese military planes briefly crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered Taiwan's airspace, but later retreated to the western side of the line after Taiwanese military aircraft, including F-16 fighters, issued multiple radio warnings. The incident occurred a day after the PLA planes were monitored flying long-distance flights close to the island's southern coast and into the Western Pacific. Other similar incidents also took place on Feb. 28 and March 17. Photo courtesy of the Military News Agency On Monday, the Defense Ministry said the air exercises were also being held to send a strong signal to Beijing that the military will go all out to protect Taiwan's sovereignty and national security. According to the MND, preparations were made by the ground crew at Hualien Air Base before F-16 fighters scrambled in a simulated emergency sortie at the crack of dawn. The air base, meanwhile, also carried out emergency landing drills on its backup runway to simulate its main runway being damaged, the MND said. This training mission, carried out without live ammunition, was also designed to test the Armed Forces ability to handle a joint air defense operation, and make improvements based on the results, it said. (By Matt Yu and Ko Lin) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address "Ladies and gentlemen, we are done," White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland said early Wednesday, after five days of intense talks with congressional leaders about a coronavirus economic rescue bill. "We have a deal." The $2 trillion deal includes money for most Americans, $367 billion for small businesses who continue to pay employees forced to stay home, $130 billion for hospitals, and a $500 billion loan program for corporations, states, and local governments. If passed, this will be the third bill Congress has passed to stem the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also be the largest economic rescue bill ever passed by Congress. The deal was negotiated by Ueland, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who was in frequent contact with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). At the insistence of Democrats, the legislation includes an independent inspector general and an oversight board for the $500 billion loan program, as well as other protections. /2 More: The children, spouses and in-laws of the aforementioned principals are also included in this prohibition. John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) March 25, 2020 Democrats also secured a provision to expand unemployment insurance with broader eligibility, including for gig-economy workers, and an extra $600 a week for four months. As with McConnell's draft, U.S. adults will get $1,200 with an extra $500 for each child. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation swiftly, but the House is on recess and that timeline is less clear. Pelosi, who will shelve the House's more generous package in favor of the Senate bill, is hoping to pass the legislation by unanimous consent, sparing members a trip back to Washington. But any House member can derail that plan, and the likely alternative is a floor vote held open for several days so lawmakers wary of contracting COVID-19 can vote in socially distanced shifts. More stories from theweek.com Elton John to host 'Living Room Concert for America' with stars performing from home U.S. COVID-19 death toll passes 1,000, nearly a third of them in New York City Trump campaign issues cease-and-desist letters over ad highlighting Trump's coronavirus response Are you a current print subscriber? You qualify for online access to the Omak Chronicle. To receive your access, create a website account and then verify your print subscription or e-edition subscription with your subscriber number, which may be found on your bill or mailing label. The Chattanooga-Hamilton Medical Society is asking Governor Bill Lee to do more to "get ahead of the curve" on the coronavirus crisis, including ordering residents of the state to shelter at home for up to four weeks. Dr. James Haynes, president, said, "Most medical researchers project that we only have days to act to flatten the curve of COVID-19, to expand the surge capacity of our health care systems, and to save the lives of many Tennesseans." He also asked that the governor do anything possible to expand the supply of personal protective equipment worn by medical personnel in dealing with patients with the highly-contagious virus. The letter thanks the state for approving $150 million for medical supplies and equipment, but said it is unclear on how to apply for some of the funds. There is a continual shortage of testing equipment, including swabs, Dr. Haynes said. Here is his letter: Dear Governor Lee: We are writing on behalf of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society to urge you to take additional immediate further actions to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Most medical researchers project that we have only days to act to flatten the curve of COVID-19, to expand the surge capacity of our health care systems, and to save the lives of many Tennesseans. First, we urge you to issue an immediate four-week "shelter at home" order, with need assessed on a weekly basis and with the potential to extend as needed. We recognize the difficulty that creates for so many of our citizens, but we also recognize the greater danger from failing in our duty to mitigate the spread of this novel virus as directed by scientists, epidemiologists, the CDC and our President. Second, we urge you to take any actions possible to dramatically increase production, procurement, and coordination of personal protective equipment {PPE). In the absence of federal action, which has not yet been implemented, supplies are rapidly dwindling. It is crucial that we protect health care professionals so that they remain healthy to treat the volume of patients who will contract the virus. Third, we profoundly appreciate the state funding that was approved this week by the Tennessee General Assembly - $150 million. These resources are urgently needed to purchase PPE and other needed resources, such as rapid expansion of ICU/ventilator capacity, but we are not aware of any existing directives on the process to do this. Time is of the essence on this issue. Please direct us on the process to access this critical state funding. Fourth, we continue to experience a shortage of COVID-19 tests and test supplies, such as swabs. If one component (materials, transport, processing, result reporting, or provider's ability to interpret results and educate patients) is missing, testing effectiveness will be severely compromised. Urgently utilize your best influence to obtain tests and ancillary testing supplies in sufficient quantities to meet the demand that we expect in the upcoming weeks and months. Fifth, we support the request by the Tennessee Medical Association asking that all counties in the State of Tennessee be declared disaster areas in terms of making loans available from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Many medical practices are also small businesses, and they will need assistance as they transition practices, as they are doing right now, from regular patient care to full-fledged crisis response. On behalf of our 1,000 member physicians, we appreciate your efforts on behalf of all Tennesseans, and we stand ready to assist you in any way possible. Martini Storyboard Plug-in Martini is an extremely easy-to-use storyboarding plug-in. It is set up for the editor who needs to fill holes, or the director playing with new sequence ideas for a work-in-progress. 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Barely a couple of days after Prime Minister Narendra Modis bartan-banging Janta curfew, the Indian premier returned to the national Doordarshan television network to spread an all-important message concerning the recent Coronavirus outbreak. Taking a moment to appreciate the work of medical personnel on the front lines, PM Modi continued his address, highlighting the following main points: Social distancing is of paramount importance to beat the virus - Social distancing applies even to the Prime Minister, in his own words. The central government will be setting aside a fund of Rs 15,000 Crore to help combat the virus. Finally, the entire nation will be on lockdown for the next 21 days, i.e. until April 15th. While the first point is self-explanatory, Home Minister Amit Shah reached out on Twitter to specify where the Rs 15,000 fund would be used. COVID-19 15000cr testing, self protective equipments, ventilators, Isolation and ICU beds PM @narendramodi #IndiaFightsCorona Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 24, 2020 As stated, the fund would focus on testing, self protective equipment, ventilators, isolation and ICU beds. The lockdown and funds will bring much needed relief to India's medical teams - many of whom have been running constant shifts at constant risk to their lives. With low testing rates and poor rural health infrastructure, the fund couldn't come any sooner for India. Rohit Bhat, research analyst at B&K Securities, a Mumbai-based financial advisory firm, argues however that the lockdown will seriously affect the US, which imports 40-50% of its drugs from India. While we await more details on this, a lot of Indians across the country failed to comprehend the message again, erupting in a short burst of panic, queuing up at shops to stock up on necessities. This is near to my home, people started panic buying! Sad, people are endorsing themselves to coronavirus. #21daysLockdown https://t.co/KF8SI8y1ei pic.twitter.com/Unc7lNT0sn Amar Mukkawar (@AmarMukkawar) March 24, 2020 #21daysLockdown Panic Buying after announcement Only a handful manage to store stuff. Will we experience this for all 21days ??? pic.twitter.com/U7ymEBGIqG Deepam (@Deepu_1234567) March 24, 2020 Soon enough, though, information began to trickle in, beginning with a much-needed document from the Home Ministry detailing what exceptions and rules would be set up for the 21-day lockdown. Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines for the 21-day lockdown, list of essential services that will remain open. #CoronavirusLockdown pic.twitter.com/hwRgWEM88z ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2020 The document highlights several key essentials that many feared would not be available to them by tomorrow morning - ranging from ATM access to necessary groceries and emergency services. PM Modi also returned to assure citizens that centre and state governments would ensure no shortages. My fellow citizens, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED TO PANIC. Essential commodities, medicines etc. would be available. Centre and various state governments will work in close coordination to ensure this. Together, we will fight COVID-19 and create a healthier India. Jai Hind! Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 24, 2020 Unsurprisingly, the much-needed step was welcomed by people on Twitter: Still digesting the scale of India's nationwide lockdown. Largest quarantine in human history (1.3bn people) and a massive live experiment. India has just 519 infections. Edward Luce (@EdwardGLuce) March 24, 2020 Some raised valid comparisons: Fun Fact: India is currently reporting 519 cases with 10 deaths. USA is currently reporting 46,805 cases with 593 deaths. Modi just announced a 21 day lockdown for 1.35 billion people. Trump just announced he wants everyone back to work Monday. Mo Latno Bill Phelan (@MoBill) March 24, 2020 Hope Trump will take inspiration from his friend Modi to lockdown America for at least 3 weeks... Otherwise America may be headed for doom while dreaming of reviving its economy Vishnu Agnihotri (@vishnu_agni) March 24, 2020 A fair number of jokes and memes cropped up in the following hours. Take this dig at Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya for example: Another popular excerpt from Rajkumar Hiranis 3 Idiots also surfaced - given new meaning with the worlds current predicament: Sharman Joshi was ahead of his time in 3 Idiots!#coronavirusindia pic.twitter.com/StT3hvgqL6 The Swacch Surgeon (@viswas_mr) March 24, 2020 Perhaps the most hard-hitting tweet of all came not from India, but way off in the United States, where President Trump has been facing major backlash for not taking a strong stand against the virus. As Financial Times editor Edward Luce puts it: Still digesting the scale of India's nationwide lockdown. Largest quarantine in human history (1.3bn people) and a massive live experiment. India has just 519 infections. Edward Luce (@EdwardGLuce) March 24, 2020 Though much-needed, the outcome of this move is still anyone's guess. Nonetheless, this is the best we could do at the moment - act responsibly and isolate yourself. COLUMBUS, Ohio - As the count of confirmed coronavirus cases in Ohio grew to 564 on Tuesday, more is starting to become known about the trends, from the type of care people need in hospitals to how Ohios case growth compares to New York. Elsewhere, cleveland.com has reported on the eight deaths, as well as provided daily maps showing the growth in cases by county, and looked into why so many of the cases are located along Ohios interstate highway corridors. Here are six other graphics that help tell the story about what is known so far, based on data provided Tuesday by the Ohio Health Department. Officials believe there are many more cases than have been confirmed. Hospitalization Ohio health director Dr. Amy Acton reported Tuesday that 26% of the people known to have contracted coronavirus have been hospitalized. Sixty-two of these 145 cases have required placement in intensive care. About one-fourth of the known coronavirus cases in Ohio have result in the hospitalization.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Available hospital beds Acton said Ohio has 3,600 intensive care hospital beds. Of those, 2,300 are in use and 1,300 are available. This is a special concern for the state as the number of cases grows. About one-third of Ohio's 3,600 intensive care beds are available.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Growth in cases The percentage in day-to-day growth in confirmed cases in Ohio so far has not shot up. In fact, it was below 30% each of the last two days after being above 40% for three consecutive days. This graphic shows the percentage growth in the number of confirmed cases from one day to the next, after the first three Ohio cases were confirmed on March 9.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Growth in number of cases In pure numbers, the cases have been growing each day, including the addition of 122 confirmed cases on Tuesday to raise the total in Ohio to 564. This shows the day-over-day increase in coronavirus cases confirmed in Ohio. The total on Tuesday reached 564.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Ohio vs. New York Acton said of concern to her is that the first several days of case growth in Ohio has followed a similar trend to that in New York. The graphic below shows the first 16 days for each state. New Yorks reported cases started earlier, and since the 16th day - not shown below- the case number has shot up to 25,665 in New York, as tracked by syracuse.com. This chart covers the first 16 days of confirmed coronavirus cases in Ohio and larger New York. New York's first case was on March 1, Ohio's on March 9.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Healthcare workers A big worry is keeping healthcare workers healthy, in part because they are needed to care for others. Acton reported Tuesday that 16% of Ohios confirmed cases involve healthcare workers. Ninety-one of Ohio's first 564 confirmed coronavirus cases have involved healthcare workers.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Read related coverage What businesses should do if they dont have thermometers: Ohio Health Department advice When thermometers are not available, what should Ohio employers do to screen workers for the coronavirus? Essential Ohio Lottery sales will continue, lottery commission announces Latest Greater Cleveland restaurants delivery-takeout guide Respiratory support can mean the difference between life and death for Covid-19 patients. About one in six people who contracts the disease becomes seriously ill and develop difficulty breathing. While this is most likely the elderly and people with blood pressure, heart or lung problems, or those with diabetes, about half of the patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission in Ireland so far are under 50. In those scenarios, with no medical cure for coronavirus, the "superheroes in gowns and scrubs" rely on ventilators and other breathing-support systems to help save lives. Professor John Laffey, of NUI Galway and consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine at Galway University Hospitals, said that when a patient came in with Covid-19, they would have a massive inflammation of the lungs and respiratory failure and, therefore, very low oxygen levels. Respiratory support allows medics to get a supply of oxygen into the lungs, assisting the patient's breathing until they can function normally. But there may not be enough ventilators to deal with demand. Italian doctor Daniele Macchini said recently: "Every ventilator becomes like gold." Doctors in some of the worst-affected countries have had to make very difficult decisions about to whom they offer this life-supporting measure. In Galway, a global hub for medical devices, Prof Laffey is part of a team of academics and industry representatives brainstorming to meet the ventilator challenge, with an idea borrowed from how US hospitals deal with an influx of victims of mass shootings. The group is led by Professor Martin O'Halloran of the College of Engineering, an award-winning researcher in the area of medical devices. One key task they have set themselves is getting each ventilator to ventilate two patients at the same time. "There is a realistic possibility," said Prof Laffey. The approach has been used in mass casualty situations, such as shootings in the US, where a person has normal lung function. "Their lungs are OK, so you can split the lines of the ventilator in two," he said. While this works well temporarily if the patient has normal lung function, it is not that simple when dealing with Covid-19. "It is not sophisticated enough for people with injured lungs, who may need different levels of breathing support. "We need to build technology into them. The idea would be to connect two patients with different degrees of lung injury to a single ventilator and regulate what they get independently. This is a very significant engineering and technological challenge, but we are making good progress towards a solution," he said. The group is also tackling another challenge thrown up by Covid-19, as it develops approaches to minimise the risks to healthcare workers associated with the use of certain forms of non-invasive ventilation. Non-invasive ventilation, usually involving placing a mask on the face or a device in the nostrils, is used for patients with less severe breathing problems, and can avoid the need for a ventilator. But with Covid-19 patients, certain non-invasive supports can potentially expose hospital staff to the virus. These are systems that use pressure to push air into patients, generating aerosol mists that may contain virus particles from the patient's breath. These can leak into the atmosphere when, for instance, a mask does not create a seal around the face. "When someone breathes out, they breathe out moisture particles that potentially contain the virus," said Prof Laffey. Because of these risks, restrictions are placed on the use of these systems and Prof Laffey said they were seeking to make them safer through finding ways to capture the aerosol. By Express News Service NELLORE: With the closure of inter-state borders, prices of paddy (BPT variety) in the open market has dropped by Rs 1,000 per tonne. Normally, paddy cultivated in Nellore district is supplied to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana. Now, the situation has changed and farmers are forced to sell their produce at low prices to middlemen. This season, paddy was cultivated in around 1.2 lakh hectares across the district and the expected produce is about 8.14 lakh tonnes. Middlemen from other States and districts purchase paddy and supply them to other States. There is a good demand for Nellore BPT variety of paddy in those States. Usually, they purchase paddy at Rs 15,000 per tonne. But, after the announcement of lockdown by the government, traders have decreased the price of paddy to Rs 14,000 per tonne. Around 1,750 tonnes of paddy is sent to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana and 30 trucks of paddy to Kerala on a daily basis.As inter-state borders are closed, paddy supply has halted. Cashing in on the situation, middlemen are offering low prices to paddy farmers. "Some middlemen have been getting Nellore BPT variety paddy from farmers by reducing Rs 1,000 for one tonne of paddy. They hoard stocks and sell them at high prices in the open market after a few days. There is no scope for farmers to store their produce as they have to clear the debts after getting cash for the paddy," a farmer from Kovur mandal K Srihari Babu said. Meanwhile, farmers have been rushing to paddy procurement centres organised by the district administration. Hyderabad, March 25 : Southern star Anushka Shetty has set a major friendship goal. A video of her in which she says she can't give up her friendship with Prabhas for work, is trending online. The "Baahubali" stars have often been in news for being close to each other and have been romantically linked quite often. Now a video, posted by a fan of Prabhas and Anushka, has gone viral. It's captioned: "if you have to stop one thing between - friendship with Prabhas Or acting in cinema. Sweety: Definitely acting in cinemas. I can't leave friendship for my work. During a recent interview, Anushka spoke about her link-up with the "Saaho" actor. She said: "I have known Prabhas for over 15 years now and he is one of my 3 a.m friends. We are usually linked up because both of us are not married and make an amazing on screen pair. Had there been anything between both of us, it would have been out by this time. Both of us are the same kind of people who don't hide any emotions if we are involved." The two stars have also acted in movies like "Billa" and "Mirchi". Hadi Al Bahra has accused the regime of creating obstacles to prevent the launching of serious negotiations that lead to a political process writes Asharq Al-Awsat. The co-chair of the Syrian opposition, Hadi Al Bahra, revealed that the Syrian regime is creating obstacles to prevent the launching of serious negotiations that lead to a political process in accord with international resolutions. He pointed out that the oppositions High Negotiations Committee (HNC) had presented eight proposals that were rejected by the Syrian regime. Meanwhile, the Syrian regime had presented a single proposal, drafted differently, three times to the HNC. Bahra affirmed that the regimes proposal falls outside the framework of the HNCs mandate, as it wants to take advantage of the situation created by the coronavirus outbreak, which has distracted the whole world away from the tragic situation in Syria. Under pandemic conditions, no physical meeting can take place, but there are many digital mediums that can be used. For example, this week, the HNCs fifteen members held meetings online, Bahra told Asharq Al-Awsat in a phone conversation. Despite the regimes failure to work continuously, it also refuses to agree on a serious agenda, he added, noting that the Syrian regime is trying to evade its obligations. Time does not mean anything to them (Syrian regime representatives), and the suffering of our people inside and outside Syria does not concern them. We are still acting with full responsibility and patriotism, and the United Nations must assume all its responsibilities, and the countries that have supported and pushed for the success of the formation of the Constitutional Committee must act urgently, Bahra added. Bahra also called on Syrians everywhere to pressure the regime to stop wasting time. We are ready to assume our full responsibilities to end the tragedy and suffering of all Syrians. We want them to be saved and start a new stage that realizes the aspirations of our people, the prosperity of our country, and the happiness and well-being of all Syrians. Are there any partners in the homeland? This is what the coming days will prove, Bahra added. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. [March 25, 2020] TeleSense Canada Gives Canadians Access to Comprehensive Healthcare Services From the Safety of Their Home THORNHILL, Ontario, March 25, 2020 /CNW/ -- Canadians can receive healthcare services from the safety of their home courtesy of TeleSense Canada. The telemedicine platform was designed with the capability to make an accurate diagnosis complete with vital signs, setting it apart from other platforms as a true telehealth solution. The consumer platform from TeleSense allows Canadians to set up their clinic at home, simplify planning, and encourage patients to be more active with their health care by seamlessly integrating into their daily lives. The platform supports active trend analysis, and test compliance alerts via TeleSense Care Central, email, and text. The intuitive, easy-to-use, high-resolution touch screen keeps patients connected to their clinician 24/7, eliminating unnecessary travel, and reducing intervention time. Patients communicate with their healthcare provider via video conferencing once they set up their clinic. The user-friendly video technology connects using the Internet. The Patient or the Physician can initiate an on-demand care session through the intuitive interface making the experience effortless. The platform includes five medical devices: a blood pressure unit, thermometer, pulse oximeter (SPO2), glucometer and scale which allows physicians to analyze real-time comprehensive monitoring data during the virtual exam. The patient's healthcare provider can integrate their electronic health records with TeleSense, further improving their ability to give the patient a comprehensive medical examination without requiring them to leave their home. Patients can rest assured their sensitive data is protected because the technology keeps the data secure by encrypting it. The healthcare provider also has the option to consult directly with a medical specialist if the situation calls for it. Utilizing video, medical devices, electronic health records, and input from specialists, TeleSense acts as the health provider's eyes, hands, and in-office medical instruments. This service ensures an accurate diagnosis from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Patients do not have to expose themselves by sitting in a waiting room, and those who have difficulty traveling or lack access to transportation are spared the extra stress. Canadians can purchase the TeleSense Canada platform online, the platform comes with six free Medical Consultations, and additional consultations can be added. Order your at-home clinic today! About TeleSense Canada TeleSense Canada is a leading telemedicine solution provider helping healthcare organizations, medical professionals and utilities, and energy sector organizations benefit from next-generation technology. TeleSense, Canada is committed to delivering high-quality technology and healthcare services by creating a digital health platform that can evolve and scale to address ongoing needs and demands. The company's solutions empower pharmacies, businesses, medical professionals, and healthcare organizations to take advantage of state-of-the-art telemedicine/telehealth technology. Learn more at https://www.telesense.ca Media Contact TeleSense Canada Michael Haddad [email protected] SOURCE TeleSense Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] At least 27 civilians were killed and eight others were wounded in a terror attack on a Gurudwara in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday. All 4 terrorists have been killed by Afghan security forces. Earlier on Wednesday, Afghan interior ministry reported an attack on the Sikh religious site in Kabul, which included suicide bombers. India also expressed its condolences to the Sikh community of Afghanistan. MEA said, "We convey our sincerest condolences to the immediate family members of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan," The statement further said, "Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID 19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New York state and city officials plan to close some streets in the nation's largest city and may close parks and playgrounds there to contain the coronavirus outbreak as cases across the state surge to 30,811, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. State and local officials are taking a tougher line to enforce social distancing recommendations. He said city residents aren't following the state's guidelines encouraging people to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from each other, which he said was "effective and necessary" to slow hospitalization rates. "The plan is going to pilot closing streets in New York City because we have much less traffic in New York City. We have many fewer vehicles in New York City," he said at a press conference in Albany. He said that by opening the streets, fewer people will congregate in the parks. "People want to walk. They want to go out and get some air. You want a less dense area, so pilot closing streets to cars, opening streets to pedestrians." An empty playground is viewed on March 24, 2020 in New York City. Angela Weiss | AFP via Getty Images The state's hospitalization rate is "moving faster than initial estimates," he said, adding that health officials project that 140,000 people will be hospitalized with the coronavirus over the next 14 to 21 days. The state previously said it would need 110,000 beds for COVID-19 patients by early to mid-May. More than 3,800 people have already been hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state and 888 are in the ICU, Cuomo said. The Army Corps of Engineers is building several temporary hospitals to house up to 4,000 COVID-19 patients throughout the state, which has just 53,000 hospital beds. That still won't be enough., the governor said. He also estimates the state will need 40,000 ICU beds at the peak of the outbreak. It currently has only 3,000. Cuomo encouraged residents to seek out counseling if they are feeling anxious, adding that the state has more than 6,000 mental health professionals on hand and is setting up a mental health hotline for residents. People shouldn't "underestimate" the impact of "emotional trauma," he said. A chart showing the Most Impacted States in the U.S. affected by Covid-19. New York State With the rise of Coronavirus cases in India, diplomats from Germany and France on Wednesday, are preparing to evacuate their nationals from India, according to ANI. 500 German nationals are reportedly going to be evacuated tonight, while French diplomats are currently in talks with the Indian government to evacuate 2000 tourists via special flights operated by Air France. Previously, Russia, Ukraine, Japan had evacuated its citizens from India. Currently, India has 606 active Coronavirus cases of which 43 are foreign nationals. Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India enters Day 1 of 21-day lockdown; total active cases at 553 France & Germany plan evacuation from India Germany to evacuate 500 German citizens from India tonight: German Diplomatic Sources #CoronavirusLockdown https://t.co/WBtiplbFGK ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 Coronavirus Outbreak: Germany hunts for 6 million face masks lost at Kenyan airport Coronavirus in Europe Currently, Germany has reported 35,714 cases - including their Chancellor Angela Merkel - and 181 deaths. Meanwhile, France has reported 22,304 cases and 1100 deaths till date due to pandemic Coronavirus. Since the shift of epicenter of the Coronavirus from China to Europe, countries like Italy, Spain, France, Germany, UK, Austria, Belgium, and Portugal have issued nation-wide lockdown as worldwide cases touch 445,815 with 19,769 deaths till date. China - where the virus originated from has witnessed the highest number of cases at 81,218 and 3,281 deaths. Germany: Virus patients arrive from Italy for treatment Coronavirus crisis in India As of date, 563 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 41 have been discharged and Maharashtra reporting the highest at 122. Nine deaths have been reported till date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and the Prime Minister has issued a 21-day countrywide lockdown starting from 25 March to April 15. France to use helicopters, drones to enforce confinement for lockdown India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. The government is monitoring all suspected cases and issued preventive advisories with states declaring the disease an epidemic shutting down all educational institutions, monuments, parks, gyms, swimming pools, pubs and banning large gatherings. All domestic airplanes and trains have ceased operation. Virus rebels from France to Florida flout lockdown practices DHAKA,Bangladesh (AP) Bangladesh's government on Wednesday released imprisoned opposition leader and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for six months on condition that she stays at home and does not attempt to leave the country. Zia had spent more than two years in the prison cell of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in the capital, Dhaka. Her family and senior party leaders received her as hundreds of supporters ignored calls to avoid gathering to stop the spread of coronavirus. Wearing a mask, Zia came out in a wheelchair and rode a car to her home in Dhaka's Gulshan area. On Tuesday, Law Minister Anisul Huq said Zia, 74, was being released on humanitarian grounds considering her age. She will receive her remaining treatment at home, he said. Zia was sentenced to 17 years in prison in two corruption cases. Her Bangladesh Nationalist Party says the cases were politically motivated. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Zias archrival, denies the allegation. Zias party says she is seriously ill with ailments including respiratory problems and arthritis. In February, the High Court rejected an appeal by Zia seeking her release for medical treatment in the United Kingdom for chronic arthritis. Zia was convicted in February 2018 on charges of misusing her power by embezzling some $250,000 in donations meant for an orphanage trust. She was later convicted in another corruption case. Zia and Hasina are both part of political dynasties. Zia is the widow of Ziaur Rahman, a general-turned-president who was assassinated in 1981. Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the countrys first president and independence leader, who was assassinated in 1975. Bangladesh gained independence through a nine-month war against Pakistan in 1971. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Paris Wed, March 25, 2020 16:00 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d5af3f 2 News Accor-Hotels,Hotel,Airbnb,travel,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free French hotel group Accor and home rental company Airbnb are launching online services to help medical staff fighting the coronavirus epidemic in France find emergency housing. Europe's largest hotel group said on Tuesday it had created CEDA, a platform to centralize housing needs and offer housing and was also working with the government to offer up to 2,000 beds in 40 hotels across France for the homeless. "Access to the CEDA platform will be free for medical staff. Only operating costs will be covered by public authorities," Line Crieloue, executive director of external communication at Accor told Reuters. Separately, Airbnb is launching the "Appartsolidaire" online platform to offer free accommodation to medical staff and social workers in France, following a similar initiative in Italy, currently the epicenter of the Covid-19 crisis. "Each host housing for free a medical or social worker during this operation will receive 50 euros from Airbnb on each booking," Airbnb said in a statement. 263 Shares Share For thousands of years, medicine was an in-person enterprise. Patients with mysterious symptoms or requiring complex interventions traveled days to obtain an expert opinion. At times, Medicine appears to be nostalgic for these days now past; as society braces for the advent of 5G, many of us in medicine communicate via pager and landline telephones. The potential of telemedicine the use of technology to remotely deliver patient care has laid dormant for many years. COVID-19 has urgently summoned telemedicine to the front lines. It is our hope that once the pandemic abates, telemedicine will persist as an accessible way to provide effective medical care. Only by maintaining reimbursement parity will this be the case. The benefits of telemedicine The benefits of telemedicine are obvious. Virtual visits eliminate a costly, uncomfortable commute that is a barrier to accessing care. A nauseated patient will no longer have to get dressed, clamber into the car, sit in traffic, park, walk to the office, wait in the waiting room, wait in the doctors room, see the doctor, then walk to the parking garage, drive to the pharmacy, then drive home. A health care provider sitting in their home office in Massachusetts can care for a patient lying in bed in California. Virtual visits provide a flexible pool of physicians and specialists, available to care for all populations, without geographic limitations, a boon when responding to crises. Effective medical care doesnt have to be a long, painful Odyssey-like journey. It can be practical, efficient like Amazon Prime or Netflix, delivered to the patients couch. The barriers to telemedicine Several barriers have prevented wide-spread adoption of telemedicine. One obstacle is the perceived losses in the human exchange the squeezing of the hand to convey empathy, the information provided by the sacred ritual of the physical exam which is thought to cause substandard care and to erode the patient-doctor relationship. The evidence does not support this. Research shows that telemedicine provides quality care, and in one comprehensive study, 84 percent of patients experienced an improvement in the patient-doctor relationship when telemedicine was made available by their provider. This phenomenon likely related to the patient being reassured that their physician was reachable and responsive if needed, a key feature of attachment formation in human relationships. Another barrier is health insurance reimbursement. Medicare will only reimburse for care when it is delivered through live-video, by an eligible provider, to a patient located in an eligible facility located in a Health Professional Shortage Area as defined by the Health Resources and Services Administration this usually limits eligibility to patients in a health care facility in a rural area at the time of the virtual visit. Notably, a telehealth visit with a patient at home, in a rural area, would not be covered since home is not an eligible facility. Reimbursement by Medicaid and private payers is highly variable and dependent on an individual states policy. Only 20 percent of states require payment parity equal reimbursement between telehealth and in-person visits resulting in many insurers paying less for a telehealth visit. The combination of esoteric, restrictive policies, and often lower reimbursement rates has discouraged the adoption of telemedicine. COVID-19 summons telemedicine The desperate times around the COVID-19 pandemic have favored the adoption of telemedicine as a desperate measure. Initial adoption has had its challenges. Physicians scrambled to find a HIPAA-compliant telemedicine application before President Trump stated he would loosen HIPAA regulations. A surge in the number of users caused several telemedicine platforms to experience outages. Physicians felt uncomfortable and awkward with this new practice and had few mentors to turn to. Telemedicine is being asked to meet our needs in crisis when in a non-crisis setting, we had not incentivized health care systems to develop its infrastructure or use it. In response to COVID-19, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act allotted $500 million to expand Medicare coverage of telehealth services. This includes reimbursement of telehealth services regardless of patient location, including pay for virtual visits with patients seen at home. Many states Medicaid and commercial plans have followed suit, expanding reimbursement for telehealth visits. The public health crisis and monetary incentive have spurred health care systems to develop telemedicine workflows and providers to learn webside manner and to practice safe virtual care. Telemedicine: beyond COVID-19 But this expansion in coverage and reimbursement of telehealth services is temporary. We are concerned that when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, when the toilet paper is back on the shelves, and when our children return to school, we will regress to medicine as usual pagers, landline telephones, and many barriers to care. We must not allow this to happen. Payment parity for telehealth services is the best incentive to develop the infrastructure to increase access to quality care for all, and to better respond to health crises. It is our responsibility to advocate for it. Ashwini Bapat is a palliative care physician. Emeric F. Bojarski is a psychiatrist. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 17:43:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Container trucks loaded with coal wait to leave the Gashuun Sukhait border port in Mongolia, March 23, 2020. Mongolia has resumed coal exports to China, the country's Finance Minister Chimed Khurelbaatar said. The resumption started on March 23 via Gashuun Sukhait border port after the Mongolian government lifted a ban that was imposed in February to curb the spread of COVID-19. (Xinhua) Good Morning, welcome to Information Nigerias Newspaper headlines for today, 25th March 2020. Here are the major headlines. Coronavirus: Cases In Nigeria Tallys To 44 Nigeria has recorded two new coronavirus cases in the federal capital territory (FCT) and Bauchi state, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The NCDC made the announcement on Tuesday evening in a series of tweets via its twitter handle. Coronavirus: I Will Support Total Lockdown If Tinubu The former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revealed that he would support the total lockdown of Nigeria following the coronavirus pandemic if the government observes that simple precautions to contain the spread of the deadly disease are not adhered to by Nigerians. Bauchi State Governor Test Positive To Coronavirus The test result of Bauchi state governor has finally confirmed that he is a carrier of the deadly coronavirus. This was made known by his Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mukhtar Gidado, via a media statement on Tuesday. Coronavirus: Senate Adjourns Plenary The Nigerian Senate has suspended plenary until April 7 over the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Upper Chamber also urged the Federal Government to devote special funds to fight the dreaded disease. Coronavirus Supplies Donated By Jack Ma Arrives Nigeria Medical supplies donated by Jack Ma Foundation to fight coronavirus has arrived Lagos. The supplies were brought into the country by an Ethiopian Airlines Freighter on Tuesday. Coronavirus: Rivers State Goes Into Total Lockdown Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, has declared a total lockdown in the state, as part of measures to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country. FG Orders Civil Servants To Work From Home The Federal Government of Nigeria has directed public servants to work from home in order to stop the spread of coronavirus. The Head of Civil Service, Yemi Esan made this known in a memo released on Monday. Buharis Chief Of Staff Test Positive To Coronavirus Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari, tested positive for Coronavirus on Monday. Borno State Bans Visit To IDP Camps As the world battles the coronavirus pandemic, the Borno State government has banned visitors to all Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the state. Lagos State Orders Closure Of Food Markets, Stores, From Thursday The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the closure of markets in Lagos as efforts to curtail the spread of Coronavirus in the State intensifies. (Getty Images) Ontario is spending an additional $17 billion to step up efforts against the coronavirus. The healthcare systems gets $7 billion while $10 billion goes to people and businesses through taxes and other deferrals. "During this global pandemic, I want the people of Ontario to be focused on their health not worrying about losing their job or how to make ends meet as they deal with unexpected additional expenses," said Rod Phillips, Ontarios Finance Minister. "We are helping make life a little more manageable for every person in Ontario, while providing additional support to those who need it the most." Healthcare investments include more equipment to front-line workers, more beds, a contingency fund, testing, and assessment centres. To the first responders, you have our backs and we have yours, said Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Parents dealing with school and daycare closures get $200 per child up to 12 years of age, and $250 for those with special needs, including children enrolled in private schools. Other incentives include a drop in hydro bills through off-peak hours pricing for 45 days and 6 months of payment and interest relief for from the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). The announcement came during a fiscal update, instead of the previously planned full budget thats been postponed because of COVID-19. New spending measures mean the province projects a deficit of $9.2 billion in 201920, an improvement of $1.1 billion relative to the 2019 budget, but will rise to $20.5 billion in 202021. The $20.5 billion deficit nears financial-crisis levels at 2.3% of GDP, said Robert Kavcic, senior economist at BMO. There are ample contingencies (roughly $5 billion) built into that estimate. But Ford is confident the province will get through this. When we come out of these tough times, we will emerge stronger than ever before, he said. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) welcomes the measures but would like to see the province go a step further. Story continues We wish the government had included more protection for employees from layoffs through a made-in-Ontario wage subsidy, or at least join us in asking the federal government to increase their current wage subsidy of 10 per cent to 75 per cent of wages for all employers, said CFIB in a statement. Jessy Bains is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jessysbains. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. DETROIT - Standing up wasnt even an option. A Detroit TV news anchor is battling the coronavirus. WDIV-TV says Evrod Cassimy has tested positive for Covid-19. Cassimy is a morning anchor at Local 4. UPDATE: Cassimy updates his condition a week later Cassimy gave an emotional plea to viewers in a phone call last night to WDIV. Its hard to even imagine that this is real life, Cassimy said live on the air. "Take this seriously because I would not want anybody to go through what Ive gone through. I took it as seriously as most people are and still got it. Im hurting, but I am going to be OK. Cassimy, who is in his lower 30s, told morning viewers via phone a short time ago the pain was so bad, he couldnt even get out of bed. 'For me, coronavirus has been excruciating pain. I went home after work last Tuesday with a tiny bit of pain. After I slept, it intensified. Thats when the nightmare began. It was crippling pain. I couldnt even roll over in bed. Standing up wasnt even an option. I couldnt get out of bed." Cassimy says he has no clue how he contracted the virus. "Im confused. I havent traveled. I never had a fever. I never had a cough. My breathing has always been fine. Its the worst pain and aches Ive ever had in my entire life. Cassimy also posted this message on Facebook this morning. Please keep praying. For all those fighting coronavirus, Im fighting with you and I know its not easy. To those who have lost loved ones to this disgusting virus, my heart goes out to you. Im gonna take this time to get better. Thank you all for the incredibly kind messages. I love you all and cant wait see you again soon." Cassimy is a Michigan native. He has been with WDIV-TV since 2013. Before coming to Local 4, he worked in TV news in Grand Junction, CO, Madison, WI, Orlando, FL, Richmond, VA and Denver. He is also a musician. WDIV says as a precaution, some of Cassimys morning show co-workers will be working from home for the next week. MORE FROM MLIVE: THE LATEST news headlines on COVID-19 Michigan coronavirus cases now at 1,791 with 24 deaths -- biggest daily increase to date 20 of the best shows on Netflix to binge-watch if youre stuck at home Hi. Welcome to On Politics, your guide to the day in national politics. Im Nick Corasaniti, back in the seat as your host on Tuesdays for our coverage of all things media and messaging. Sign up here to get On Politics in your inbox every weekday. The presidential campaign has largely shifted to the recesses of public consciousness during the coronavirus outbreak. So, too, has political broadcast advertising: Since last Tuesday, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and President Trump havent aired a single ad on television. Its a difficult time for political campaigns to run paid messaging. Calls for unity to stop the pandemic are widespread, and candidates could be accused of politicizing a crisis if they put out attack ads. But campaign rallies have been canceled, fund-raisers have been called off and in-person canvassing has been halted, all while Americans are spending more time indoors. With Mr. Trump on television constantly, Democratic strategists are worried that his unabated free airtime, even amid a crippling national crisis, gives him a messaging advantage. More than $670,000 was awarded to organizations that provide help to Maine's homeless population. It's all thanks to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Senator Susan Collins is the Chairman of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee. Senator Collins says homeless are among those who are most vulnerable during the coronavirus outbreak. The money will be given out to 5 organizations in our state. Kennebec Behavioral Health will receive $43,479. Maine State Housing Authority will receive $409,983. New Beginnings Inc. will receive $164,339. OHI will receive $37,261. Tedford Housing will receive $16,283. The deal would also allow borrowers to defer their federal student loan payments for six months, without penalty and without added interest costs. In a separate move, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced on Wednesday that she would also stop collecting payments and garnishing wages from borrowers who default on their loans. The Education Department will refund $1.8 billion to borrowers who had money seized by the government since March 13. The funding for higher education is significantly higher than the $6 billion first proposed by Senate Republicans, and is closer to the $15 billion proposed by House Democrats. But education leaders are hoping for more relief in additional bills that may emerge in the coming weeks. While this legislation is an improvement from where the Senate started, the amount of money it provides to students and higher education institutions remains woefully inadequate, said Ted Mitchell, the president of the American Council on Education, which represents more than 1,700 colleges and universities. In a memo, the council joined other associations representing virtually every school in the country to request at least $50 billion to help with student housing costs, other student expenditures and the damages that universities are suffering from their shutdowns. They also asked for a separate $7.8 billion to help with the costs of technology needed for digital learning. Colleges were among the first institutions in the country to shut down operations amid the coronavirus outbreak, and shortly after the higher education sectors bond rating was downgraded by Moodys to negative from stable. Universities face unprecedented enrollment uncertainty, risks to multiple revenue streams and potential material erosion in their balance sheets, it said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 02:53:59|Editor: zyl Video Player Close A UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) fighter wearing face mask takes position during clashes with East-based Libyan National Army (LNA) at Ain-Zara frontline in Tripoli, Libya, March 25, 2020. The Minister of Health of Libya's UN-backed government, Ehmid Bin Omar, on Tuesday announced the first novel coronavirus infection in the country. (Photo by Amru Salahuddien/Xinhua) by Mahmoud Darwesh TRIPOLI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Though Libya has detected the first case of novel coronavirus infection, the two rival governments have failed to unite on jointly fighting the virus. Bard-Addin Al-Najjar, director of Libya's National Center for Disease Control, told Xinhua that the infected person is a 73-year-old man who returned from Saudi Arabia earlier in March. "Until the second week of the virus incubation period, the patient did not show any symptoms. He went to a clinic and several tests' results were positive," Al-Najjar said. The director pointed out that the patient, whose condition was stable, was admitted to the Tripoli Central Hospital, assuring that all measures are being taken to test all those who had contact with the patient. The UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj recently declared a state of emergency and mobilization against the virus. The government's measures against the coronavirus include closing airports, border crossings, education institutions and mosques, banning large gatherings, and imposing a curfew. Serraj said that his government has allocated half a billion Libyan dinars (352 million U.S. dollars) to take protective measures against the virus. Mahmoud Al-Shibli, a Libyan respiratory disease specialist, said that the rise in infections, especially among Libyan nationals who came from abroad, was expected, and that the containment efforts should be strengthened in the coming days. "Infections of the novel coronavirus is a matter that should be taken seriously, especially as the medical system in Libya is weak and unable to deal with infection outbreaks," Al-Shibli said. "Eastern and western authorities must unify their efforts and harness all the necessary capabilities to confront any outbreak of the virus in the country. Otherwise, the disaster would be severe and the numbers (of patients) will not be controlled," Al-Shibli said. The Ministry of Health of the UN-backed government confirmed that it is preparing quarantine sites in several cities to meet coronavirus emergencies. "The preparation of quarantine sites in the cities of Tripoli, Zuwara, Zliten and Ghadames is going well in terms of providing all needed equipment, which includes all the facilities for the patients and the medical teams," said Amin Al-Hashemi, information advisor at the Ministry of Health. Seven quarantine sites are being set up currently, Al-Hashemi said, adding that there are plans to add more sites in other cities in Libya. The Higher Committee to Combat the Coronavirus in eastern Libya decided to prohibit movement of people between the cities and regions until further notice. The capital Tripoli has been witnessing a deadly armed conflict between the UN-backed government and the eastern-based army over control of the city since last year. Despite the announcements by both parties to accept international calls for halting all military actions to fight the coronavirus, the rivals have been trading accusations over breaching the truce and targeting the civilians in Tripoli. Villagers protest against the Alpha Cement Plant near Aungthabyae village in central Myanmar's Mandalay region, May 15, 2019. Myanmar police fired their guns during a raid on a village in Mandalay region Wednesday and arrested more than 10 residents who had protested against a Chinese-backed coal-powered cement factory, a community official and locals said. One villager was shot in the leg, and several police were injured by stones and slingshots when officers forcibly entered Aungthabyae village in Patheingyi township to arrest the residents, half of whom are minors, said village administrator Khin Maung Lwin. Severla Aungthabyae residents are being pursued by police for their involvement in a clash with officers and employees of the Alpha Cement Plant during a May 2019 protest. The villagers had blocked factory vehicles from entering the area and demanded compensation for land they say they lost when an 18-foot-wide road was built as part of the construction work at the plant. Some of the dozens of villagers involved in the protest either have been sentenced or are awaiting trial while in detention. Others who fled to avoid arrest are considered fugitives and are being sought by police. The police said they would release the children, so we are going to police station, Khin Maung Lwin said. Villager Shwe Ohn, who had been arrested days after the May protest, told RFA's Myanmar Service that the community had been surrounded by police and Alpha Cement Plant staff before additional arrests were made Wednesday. We were unjustly arrested, he said. I was shot in the leg and suffered a lot of pain. Four policemen were injured in the melee when villagers threw stones and used slingshots against them, local residents said. Police reportedly will now file a lawsuit against the villagers, they added. RFA was unable to obtain comments from police about the raid. The authorities should not resolve the problem this way amid concerns about the coronavirus around the world, said activist Thein Aung Myint from Mandalay. Myanmar had reported only three confirmed case of the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, as of Wednesday. The residents were just trying to get back their confiscated farmland, Thein Aung Myint added. RFA was unable to reach Zarni Aung, acting chief minister of Mandalay region, for comment. Villagers have continued protesting against the plant for months. Some of those involved in the May 2019 demonstration reportedly had set four vehicles and part of the factory property on fire. Roughly 20 people were injured when police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the protesters. On March 20, five villagers were sentenced to five years in prison each on charges of destroying a factory building and vehicles during the May 2019 protest. The construction of the Alpha Cement Plant, a joint venture between Myanmars Myint Investment Group and Chinas AnhuiConch Cement Company, began in December 2017. The plant is slated to produce 5,000 tons of cement a day. Reported by Khaymani Win for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Khin Ei. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Boris Johnson has been accused of letting Brexit ideology dictate his approach to Coronavirus after the government refused to take part in an EU scheme to procure much-needed medical equipment. European countries have banded together collectively to procure bulk orders of ventilators and personal protective equipment, with the first phase now having secured offers of considerable scale on shortest notice. The UK was invited to take part in the scheme, which is leveraging the 500 million-person single markets huge buying power to secure faster and cheaper orders with less admin at a time of extreme global demand. But UK officials confirmed on Wednesday that Britain would not be taking part in the scheme, after previously having said the government would decide which way to go. The prime minister was questioned about the availability of equipment in parliament on Wednesday and said orders were being delivered to UK hospitals where doctors have been warning of a shortage. Dr Rinesh Parmar, chair of the Doctors Association UK, yesterday described the situation as travesty and said the government hasnt kept its side of the bargain with NHS staff by not having enough [personal protective equipment] available to safeguard the health of doctors and nurses. Unions on Wednesday also warned there was a need for more equipment in the social care sector, where workers are looking after vulnerable elderly people most at risk from Covid-19. Care workers and their employers have huge concerns about getting their hands on the equipment they need, said Unison assistant general secretary Christina McAnea. Its too easy for staff to fall through the net given councils are dealing with many different care providers. Supplies for the NHS have rightly been given a lot of attention. But any shortages in social care are equally crucial. Solving this problem could help reassure thousands of care staff that theyre not putting themselves or the people they look after at risk. Boris Johnson was asked about medical equipment shortages at PMQs (Reuters TV) The first order placed by the EU, which will go to 25 of the 27 member states, covers masks type 2 and 3, gloves, goggles, face-shields, surgical masks and overalls all of which are needed in the UK. Britain was invited to participate as it is still in the Brexit transition period and so is still being treated like a member state. Ed Davey, the acting leader of the Liberal Democrats told The Independent: Reports that the UK were offered the opportunity to take part in this scheme and refused are deeply disturbing. The Coronavirus knows no borders. It is a pandemic. International solidarity is crucial to protecting the UK. If working with the EU means we can get access to more protective equipment any sensible government would jump at the chance. The PM must not let Brexit ideology dictate his approach to Coronavirus. Peoples lives must come first. Asked if the UK was taking part in EU procurement schemes, the prime ministers spokesman said: I think the short answer to that is no. In relation to ventilators we have been undertaking extensive efforts, securing ventilators from private hospitals and working with industry on a response to provide more equipment. Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Show all 20 1 /20 Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Top: Nabi Younes market, Mosul Bottom: Charles Bridge, Prague Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Grand Mosque, Mecca Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Nabi Younes market, Mosul Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Basra Grand Mosque, Iraq Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Charles Bridge, Prague Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Taj Mahal hotel, India Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Dubai Mall, UAE Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Gateway of India, Mumbai Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Victoria Memorial, India Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sidon, Lebanon Reuters Commenting on the first order of the EU scheme, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: All over the world, theres right now a tremendous need for protective clothing and medical equipment. It is therefore a success that the Joint European Procurement Initiative has been able to secure on the world market concrete offers of considerable scale on shortest notice. This is EU solidarity in action. It shows that being part of the Union pays off. This material should soon provide considerable relief in Italy, Spain and in 23 more member states. Unemployment claims hit a record high of 3.4 million last week, according to estimates, as unemployment websites around the country are crashing under the weight of applications from newly-jobless Americans. Businesses continue to shutter across the US, with Waffle House and the Big Three Detroit carmakers the latest to announce further closures as the US grapples to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control. Workers who have found themselves out of jobs overnight are now struggling to access much-needed benefits as Labor Department websites can't cope with the sudden spike in demand. Claims for unemployment benefits are on track to reach a staggering 3.4 million for the third week of March, according to analysis from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Claims for unemployment benefits are on track to reach a staggering 3.4 million for the third week of March, according to analysis from the Economic Policy Institute This would mark the highest level of unemployment ever seen in US history, dwarfing the previous record of nearly 700,000 unemployment claims back in 1982. 'This will dwarf every other week in history, as can be seen by comparing the projection against the trend in initial claims back to 1967,' the study's authors wrote. The figures, which will be published Thursday, come after the number of claims had already surged by 70,000 last week. The Labor Department reported last Thursday that unemployment benefits claims had reached 281,000 in the second week of March, up by 70,000. Both the one-week rise and the total number of applications were far above the levels seen over the past year as the country's unemployment rate fell to a half-century low of 3.5%. Unionized hospitality workers wait in line in a basement garage to apply for unemployment benefits at the Hospitality Training Academy on March 13. The Labor Department reported last Thursday that unemployment benefits claims had reached 281,000 in the second week of March, up by 70,000 after bars, restaurants and other businesses closed amid the crisis Since then state-wide shutdowns have escalated much further and industries have all but ground to a halt, with more than a third of Americans now ordered to stay home But since then, state-wide shutdowns have escalated much further and industries including restaurants and bars, hoteliers, automotives and retail have all but ground to a halt. California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin all issued shutdowns over the last week, meaning non-essential workers can no longer go to work and non-essential businesses have had to close. This has left one in three Americans ordered to stay home and many people out of work. Last week, Goldman Sachs predicted that unemployment claims would reach a record 2.25 million in the third week of March, based on the surge in claims across 30 states. However, the EPI count of state-level claims from 35 states and Washington DC has already surpassed that figure. Signage is seen posted on the entrance of the New York State Department of Labor offices on March 20: Unemployment websites around the country are crashing under the weight of applications, as newly-jobless Americans struggle to access much-needed funds In New York state alone, 1.7 million people called New York State's Department of Labor in the last week and it has seen a 1000 percent increase in claims in some areas, according to a spokesperson. As the job market becomes increasingly dire, newly unemployed Americans are desperately clamouring for financial assistance from the state. But they now face the new stress of accessing these funds, with Labor Department websites crashing under the weight of new claims. People who have been left jobless have spoken out of their difficulties in filing claims. First, many Labor Department offices are closed under executive orders banning non-essential businesses from staying open. Then phone lines are jammed with callers. And now websites are crashing. A sign in the window announces the closing of the store at Bergdorf Goodman Department store as it sits closed. Economists have warned as many as 21 states and US territories could see their unemployment reserve funds go into the red if the anticipated recession hits A closed food court in Los Angeles on March 17. The Senate finally reached a deal on the stimulus bill early Wednesday to provide aid for workers affected by the coronavirus outbreak Julianna Calderon worked as a server at a local Long Island restaurant until last Monday when New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo shuttered all bars and restaurants. Calderon told ABC News that when she tried to apply for unemployment benefits online, the website kept crashing. 'You'd get through about two pages of paperwork, and the website would just crash,' said Calderon. 'It took me two days alone to create an account.' When she finally got through on Friday, the website told her to call the department which triggered further issues. 'Sometimes I would call and it would just be like a dial tone -- or it would just hang up on you midway through the automated message,' she said. 'It makes you just want to stop trying, but you can't ... because you need money.' New York was not the only state with its labor department website buckling under the strain of new claimants. Ryan Connolly, a software developer from Tampa Bay, Florida, who lost his job last Tuesday, told ABC he tried to apply for unemployment on the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity website and the pages wouldn't load. 'It would try to load, load, load, and I would get failure messages in my browser, so at that point, reality hit, I was definitely not the only one in this boat,' he said. It was a similar story in Michigan, where Aaron Garza lost his job in the auto industry this week. Garza told Bloomberg he tried to file for unemployment on Monday but gave up after the website was taking so long. A message on the Michigan website Tuesday read: 'Our IT team is making adjustments to restore the system to full capacity. We apologize for any inconvenience.' The state of Ohio also acknowledged technical issues with its own site, with Governor Jon Husted admitting it 'wasn't built for a crisis'. Administrative issues aside, concerns are also ramping up over how states will continue to be able to support residents if the mass shutdowns continue for some time. Christopher O'Leary, a senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute in Kalamazoo, Michigan, warned that as many as 21 states and US territories could see their unemployment reserve funds go into the red if the anticipated recession hits. 'We've already seen some states start to make budget cuts and use their rainy-day funds and reserves,' Brian Sigritz, director of state fiscal studies at the National Association of State Budget Officers, told Bloomberg. 'There is also the possibility of tax increases down the road.' The Senate finally reached a deal on the stimulus bill early Wednesday, though it hangs in the balance as three Republican Senators Lindsey Graham, Ben Sasse and Tim Scott launched a last-minute objection to the package. Under the package, people who lose their jobs because of the coronavirus will get four months unemployment pay in addition to a government play to send out individual checks to everyone earning under $95,000. HARRISBURG Pennsylvania's state corrections officers' union wants the state prison system to stop all transfers of inmates as a preventative measure against potential spread of the new coronavirus from one institution to another. Larry Blackwell, the president of the 11,000-member corrections officers' union, said Tuesday that moving inmates between prisons risks unnecessarily spreading the virus to an institution, where it will be very difficult to stop it from spreading to other inmates and employees. "The governor has called for all non-essential movement to halt, and this isn't essential," Blackwell said. "And the governor has the authority to shut down the movement of these prisoners. The counties, the state, let's just freeze everything until we figure out what's going on." No case of the coronavirus has been discovered in the state prison system where roughly 45,000 inmates are housed and 16,000 people work, prison and union officials say. The Department of Corrections has shut down some routine transfers between prisons, according to prison and union officials. But the department is emptying Retreat state prison in northeastern Pennsylvania of hundreds of inmates by transferring them to other prisons, and it announced Monday that it will use Retreat as the reception facility for new male commitments from county jails and for male parole violators. Other prisons had been used as reception facilities. Retreat, ultimately, is slated to be closed. At the federal level, some members of Congress are calling for the Bureau of Prisons to stop transferring prisoners between institutions, at least until the inmates have been tested for the coronavirus. At a White House press briefing this week, U.S. Attorney General William Barr took aim at price gougers, warning of increased enforcement nationwide as concern grows that the illegal practice is taking a foothold during the coronavirus crisis. But despite social media posts that might suggest otherwise, price gouging hasnt been a serious problem so far during the coronavirus pandemic in Louisiana, officials say. A spokesman for state Attorney General Jeff Landrys office, which is responsible for imposing civil penalties and requiring restitution in case of price gouging, said Tuesday he wasnt aware of any penalties the office has handed down so far. The spokesman, Mike Dupree, did say the AG's office had received 109 complaints of price gouging since Gov. John Bel Edwards signed an executive order declaring a state public health emergency on March 11. Investigations into 68 of the complaints have been closed with no evidence of price gouging, Dupree said. Price gouging is the practice of increasing prices sharply during times of emergency. Price gouging laws went into effect when Edwards signed the emergency declaration. In the New Orleans area, most law enforcement agencies said they hadnt received any reports of gouging. The sheriff's offices in Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Charles and St. Bernard parishes all said they were not aware of any reports. A spokesman for the Plaquemines Parish Sheriffs Office said one potential case came to its attention through a Facebook post, with that information forwarded to Landrys office for investigation. The New Orleans Police Department did not respond to a request for comment, instead directing questions to Landry's office. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up But, despite the lack of reports, some law enforcement officers are taking proactive measures. A spokesman for the St. Charles Sheriffs Office said plainclothes deputies have been visiting stores across the parish every day. While an increase in the price of something might seem by some to be unfair, there are numerous factors during a declared emergency to be considered with respect to the price gouging law in Louisiana, St. Charles Sheriff Greg Champagne said in a Facebook post. I believe our merchants are mostly honest and community-oriented. Dupree also said consumers should keep in mind that companies can charge more as market trends change, saying price gouging occurs only when there is a gross disparity between the pre- and emergency-period pricing. That includes products that are sold online through websites like Amazon, eBay and Facebook, according to Dupree. Of the 109 complaints the office had received, Dupree said 56 concerned general items including hand sanitizer and toilet paper with 49 involving food and drink. Four were over gasoline prices. Dupree said anyone who suspects price gouging should contact a local law enforcement office, as well as filing a consumer dispute report on the state attorney generals website. There's nothing unusual about doctors using medication off-label to combat diseases while waiting for clinic trials to run their course. As everyone knows, chloroquine is being used in the battle against coronavirus and there are mounting reports from doctors on the front lines that it's effective. As of this writing, the medication is being used in New York, the epicenter of the virus. Governor Cuomo has expressed great interest in the drug, and clinic trials are set to begin next week. Mainstream media outlets have blasted U.S. President Donald Trump for touting the anti-malaria drug chloroquine as a possible treatment for coronavirus patients. The media went as far as blaming Trump for the death of an Arizona man who died after self-medicating with a fish tank cleaner that contains chloroquine. Trump's comments about the anti-malaria drug have been in line with scientists and doctors who believe the treatment has shown anecdotal promise in treating people infected by coronavirus while acknowledging that more tests need to be conducted on the risky drug. Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, the U.S. state hardest-hit by the virus, also believes the anti-malaria drugs may be effective in treating coronavirus patients, saying clinical studies will start on Tuesday. The mainstream media has not lambasted the Democrat governor for suggesting that the anti-malaria drug may be used against coronavirus. Now we've learned there are apparently sixty-nine medications and experimental compounds that might be useful against this virus. Countdown to the media praising Cuomo for his vision, compassion, and commitment to doing all he can to help those stricken with this virus while slamming Trump because the list of possible drugs we might use is only 69, whereas it should be at least 70. The governor of Lagos state, the economic hub of Nigeria, has announced that all open markets and shops, except for sellers of food, medicines and life-saving equipment, must close for seven days from Thursday. This is part of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Africas most populous nation, which has 44 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also called for magistrate and high courts to close immediately. Travel to and from Lagos by air and by road should also be avoided and gatherings should not exceed 25 people, he advised. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Williamstown Select Board Praises Community Spirit in Fight Against Pandemic WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. In an attempt to maintain some normalcy, the Select Board on Monday held its regular twice-monthly meeting. But it was clear that things are anything but normal. For starters, the board's five members held their first-ever virtual meeting, taking advantage of the commonwealth's recent temporary exemption to the Open Meeting Law and utilizing the Zoom video conferencing platform. And the discussion focused almost entirely on the topic that is consuming their constituents and most of the nation, the global pandemic that necessitated things like virtual public meetings. The night began with each of the board's members making an opening statement, which they used to praise those who are helping the community cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. "It goes without saying that our community has little experience dealing with these kinds of circumstances," Chairman Jeffrey Thomas said. "There isn't a playbook. On the other hand, we are a strong community, we are well resourced and, in my opinion, we have strong leadership." Jane Patton pointed to the volunteers who raised a weekend fundraiser for the Williamstown Food Pantry and reported that the group raised $2,500 in cash and checks plus "hundreds of pounds" of change that had yet to be counted in a three-day coin drop at the Williamstown Youth Center. "For the last several years, all we did was bash social media and now it's kind of diving in and helping keep us connected, as witnessed by this meeting," Patton said. Andy Hogeland used his time to remind residents watching on the town's community access television station, WilliNet, that they need to continue following social distancing protocols. "I think it's an irony that the best way for us to come together as a community is to stay apart from each other, but that's what we need to be doing," Hogeland said. "We live in a town with a lot of seniors. We need to stay apart from each other for a while and make it clear to people that it's reckless behavior not to obey these rules." Anne O'Connor echoed that sentiment, praising Gov. Charlie Baker's decision earlier in the day to order a closure of all "non-essential" businesses in the commonwealth. "My thoughts go out to our health care workers," O'Connor said. "We know in our area we're not overserved by medical professionals. I care desperately that they all stay healthy and safe as well." Helping keep the community safe and fed is the staff of the town and the local school district, Hugh Daley pointed out. He noted that as of Monday, the Mount Greylock Regional School District's " grab-and-go " lunch program distributed more than 100 meals. "That's something the district has taken on quietly and efficiently and really has had an impact on this pandemic," Daley said. "There are folks right now who need food, and they can get it. "I know there are people among us who favor smaller government. But occasionally government with a big 'G' can help out." That said, local government will look a lot different in the weeks ahead. Town Manager Jason Hoch Monday said that as of Tuesday, all town staff will be working from home unless there are critical operations that require them to come into town hall. "Each department has figured out what the key things are that have to happen on site," Hoch said. "We're reachable by email and still reachable by phone." Hoch said the town fortunately recently began using a new telephone system that allows voicemail to be forwarded, so residents can continue to use the regular Town Hall number to reach whoever they need to contact. And a move over the last couple of years to migrate more town operations to the cloud facilitates the transition to telecommuting for town staff, he said. He used Monday's meeting to deal with one piece of business, asking the Select Board to ratify a decision he made last week to temporarily suspend the requirement to use town bags at the transfer station. Hoch said he made the move in order to reduce the number of interactions for residents who need to purchase the bags either at town hall or one of the area retailers that sell them. Hoch said the bags generate about $60,000 over a 12-month period to support the transfer station under the current pricing system; the bags were scheduled to increase in price effective July 1. The board agreed with the short-term move in a 5-0 vote. Hoch reported that the Council on Aging continues to provide twice weekly transportation to Stop & Shop for its early-morning senior shopping hours (reservations requested), and the COA is again participating in the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts' Brown Bag: Food for Elders program. Two things that likely won't go as scheduled: the annual town election and town meeting. Hoch said it is too soon to make any decisions about postponement, but he is following the progress of a bill in Boston intended to provide flexibility to municipalities, which normally must approve their fiscal year budgets by June 30. "The legislation being considered would allow temporary spending at a 1/12th level," Hoch said. "I would expect that as other towns confront these issues there are towns slightly ahead of our traditional schedule there will be more clarification." Williamstown's election is currently scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, with the annual town meeting one week later. Attorneys are pushing in court to have U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees released from correctional facilities in New York and New Jersey to protect them from the coronavirus. Different legal groups and individual attorneys have separately asked judges in New York and New Jersey federal courts to immediately release their clients, pointing to corrections officers and an ICE detainee who recently tested positive for the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The Legal Aid Society and The Bronx Defenders, legal groups based in New York, filed suit last week to release seven ICE detainees who are at imminent risk of COVID-19 because of their age or underlying health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and lung issues. Three of the detainees are being held in Bergen County jail, two in Hudson, one in Essex and another in New York. Those counties have contracts with ICE each worth millions to hold the agencys detainees. Rather than alleviating the growing public health crisis, ICE has opted to recklessly endanger our clients as the risk of COVID-19 spread in their jails continues to grow, said Suchita Mathur, an attorney on The Bronx Defenders immigration team. Every day ICEs failure to act in a reasonable manner, as recommended by public health experts around the world, brings us closer and closer to disaster. Should a federal judge grant their release, it could set a precedent for other ICE detainees who have underlying conditions, a spokeswoman for the Bronx Defenders said. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations said it could not comment on the pending litigation. ICE has temporarily suspended social visitation at all detention facilities to stop the spread of the illness, according to the agencys website. Coronavirus has already impacted jails in New Jersey. Inmates in Bergen, Hudson and Essex county jails have tested positive for the illness. Only the inmate at Bergen County was confirmed to be an ICE detainee. The illness has also affected corrections officers. A superior officer at the Essex County jail was diagnosed with COVID-19 this week and so was a corrections officer at the Bergen County jail. Individual attorneys have also made separate requests to federal judges asking for ICE detainees they represent to be released for a variety of reasons. Craig Relles, a New York-based attorney, said he has made requests to ICE for 40 immigration detainees to be released due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has shuttered all the immigration courts in New Jersey and Manhattan, meaning detainees have limited due process rights. One of Relles clients, Yacouba Traore, a Mali native, has been detained in Bergen County Jail since December 2017 after being in the country for 15 years. In a letter filed to U.S. District Judge Esther Salas Tuesday, Relles law firm said Traore, who was living in Manhattan when he was detained, should be released because his criminal history is limited and his release would alleviate the congestion which makes the inmate population so susceptible to the virus. Relles said in an interview Tuesday that since a Bergen County Jail correctional officer tested positive for COVID-19 last week, his client was moved from the dorm, where immigration detainees are typically held, to a cell. Relles said his client has said the cell is unsanitary and has no hot water, the toilet is backed up with feces and it is freezing cold. The warning lights are flashing here, Relles said. My immigration clients are just sitting there. It is dangerous. Attorneys for Ousman Darboe, a Gambia native who has been detained in Bergen County Jail since July 2017, have spent the last few months petitioning for his release. Their efforts heated up in February when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pardoned Darboe on a 2014 unarmed robbery conviction, which is the primary justification for Darboes continuing civil immigration detention. Now Darboes attorneys are pleading for his release amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the potential outbreak in the county jail, where a mumps outbreak occurred last summer. His attorneys called the jail ill-equipped to keep detainees safe from the disease, according to a letter recently filed to U.S. District Court Judge John Michael Vazquez. In the letter, attorney Matthew A. Johnson wrote that Darboes prolonged detention is already unconstitutional, but with the threat of coronavirus, these are extraordinary circumstances under which he should be released. The letter says a ruling on whether Darboe, who was living in the Bronx when he was detained, should be deported may not come until 2021 or later. To require Mr. Darboe to sit in detentionduring a global pandemicfor another two months when we know today he will not be deported before that time, is a violation of his due process rights, the letter says. The letter says the court is in possession of numerous letters of support from family members, multiple reentry programs and six members of Congress in the New York Delegation attesting to Darboes character and recommending his release. There has been growing outcry from activists to release immigrant detainees in ICE custody in New Jersey. The American Civil Liberties Union-New Jersey and dozens of other immigrant rights groups called on ICE last week to suspend deportations and enforcement activity throughout the state because of the virus. The groups letter was copied to Gov. Phil Murphy and both U.S. senators that represent New Jersey. The New Jersey Supreme Court issued an emergency order on Sunday that releases inmates serving jail time as a result of probation sentences or municipal convictions. The order impacts hundreds of inmates at county jails, but did not affect ICE detainees. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico. Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow on Twitter @monavage. Australian doctors are demanding the federal government close schools and non-essential workplaces to contain the spread of coronavirus. Tony Bartone, president of the Australian Medical Association, argues it is time for a nationwide, UK-style shutdown. COVID-19 cases in Australia have spiked exponentially in recent days, soaring to 2,368 - up from just 452 confirmed cases a week ago. 'It is a big call for governments to direct the population to cease work, suspend schools, and only leave home for essential needs, but the AMA will back government in making this call,' he said on Wednesday. COVID-19 cases in Australia have spiked exponentially in recent days, soaring to 2,368 - and that number is predicted to continue to rise Tony Bartone, president of the Australian Medical Association, argues it is time for a nationwide, UK-style shutdown Dr Bartone said too many Australians were already flouting existing rules while mixed messaging from federal and state leaders had brought about confusion and anxiety. 'We need strong consistent messages from all levels of government,' he said. 'More people need to be at home to flatten the escalation curve.' Dr Bartone acknowledged stricter measures would affect the economy and people's well-being, saying more fiscal stimulus and mental health support would be needed. The government announced further measures on Tuesday night, including limits on parties, weddings and funerals. Australia's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said whether or not the government brought about stricter measures was dependent on how seriously Australians took the current arrangements. A worker with a face mask walks next to a closed restaurant along Circular Quay in Sydney on March 25 The government has been hesitant to close businesses since the outbreak due to the economic impacts. Some 88,000 hospitality workers lost their jobs on Monday due to social distancing restrictions, overwhelming the Centrelink system CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement In spite of all the new restrictions, the federal government and those of most states agreed schools should stay open, while Victoria opted to shut the gates. Parents have been increasingly opting to keep their kids at home regardless of the official advice. New South Wales seems to have a foot in both camps by urging parents to keep kids at home where possible, but keeping schools open where it is not. While some Australians understand schools are remaining open for the benefit of essential workers who cannot and should not be staying at home - others wanted that to be clearer. Australian Society of Anaesthetists president Suzi Nou said the health system was not up to coping with a massive demand unless more was done to flatten the curve. 'We must drive behaviour, and we must move early,' Dr Nou said. 'Every day without drastic action from now is likely to result in a more severe and extended crisis, owing to the cruel mathematics of pandemic.' People have been told to stay indoors as much as possible during the coronavirus crisis to slow the spread of the disease. Prime Minister Morrison has not restricted exercise in small groups (pictured, two people running in Milsons Point, Sydney, near Luna Park) Pictured: A woman and her baby both wear masks while they wait at Sydney International Airport The Labor party is backing a tighter shutdown. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the government was creating a tension between the economic and health impacts of the pandemic. 'It's time the politics was put aside. It's time to deal with this health emergency,' he told reporters in Sydney. Mr Albanese also said the gradually tightening restrictions were confusing people. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has already warned there would be 'stage three' of lockdowns for the state. The Community and Public Sector Union has also said it is past time for Australian public servants to work from home. National secretary Melissa Donnelly said government departments were dragging their heels and called for the Morrison government to support the transition. 'We must flatten the curve, and this move is critical,' she said. If it were just the station closures, it would be one thing, said Katherine Kortum, a member of Metros Riders Advisory Council, which represents passengers and advises Metro board members. But in combination with the public shaming of people who are still using the transit system, it adds to the sense that [Metro] staff and Board are not in tune with the needs of riders who need to go to work, get groceries or medical help, and take other essential trips and who have no means of doing so other than using transit. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has criticized the response of the Nigerian government and religious leaders to the coronavirus. Over the weekend some preachers in the West African country ignored government directives on social distancing and went ahead with Sunday services - which were attended by thousands of congregants. They have been treated with kid gloves for too longI think there is too much political correctness going on What the government should do in such instances is to take note of these contraveners of common-sense and ensure that they are punished after this crisis is over or at some point or the other," the Nigerian author told the BBC's Charles Mgbolu. We have to take on churches and mosques, religions of any kind including traditional religions that misbehave and let them understand that they are living in very different times than that of their imagination, he said. The Nigerian author said the government should have had enough isolation centres, well-stocked pharmacies and research centres that would have helped deal with the crisis. Prof Soyinka has been in self-isolation for nine days after returning from the United States. Other prominent African personalities in isolation or have tested positive for the coronavirus include the president of the Cameroonian parliament Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, Amason Kingi the governor of Kilifi county in Kenya and Nathaniel Balma, the head of Liberia's Environmental Protection Agency. African saxophone legend Manu Dibango died on Tuesday in Paris after catching the virus. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video WESTPORT The party this month that is thought to have accelerated the local spread of the novel coronavirus could have been attended by 100 or more guests , town officials said Tuesday, despite original reports of only 40 attendees. The party has attracted local and national attention in a Monday story in the New York Times, it was called Party Zero as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases locally, regionally and nationally has skyrocketed in the last week. As of Tuesday, Westport has the most cases 79 with at least 20 believed to be connected with the party of any municipality in Connecticut. We were originally told 40, but it became apparent that there were more probably in the 100 range, said Sara Harris, operations director for the town. And there are rumors that there were more. However, officials warned that, at this point of the pandemic, the number of people in attendance is irrelevant. Because of the cultural, financial and family ties between the region and New York City the American epicenter of the virus the coronavirus spread to Westport was imminent. On Tuesday night, officials said anyone who has visited New York City should be quarantined for 14 days. Harris said the rumors of the partys size began circulating online and came to the attention of town officials in the days and week following Westports first diagnosed case of the virus on March 12, and after learning a South African partygoer became ill after attending the gathering. The man tested positive for the coronavirus in his native country on March 11. I would say the rumor started flowing around probably the next week, but I cant confirm that because there were a lot of rumors at that point, Harris said. There were a lot of rumors across the board. When did we take that rumor seriously? Probably mid to late last week. But at that point, the message is, its in the community, its around us. Its really irrelevant at this point. Westport-Weston Health District Director Mark Cooper said by March 13, hed received unverified reports that the party might have been larger than reported, and even if the number of attendees was not publicly disclosed, it prompted a shift in the towns response. By the following Monday, Cooper said the city shifted from a contact-tracing model wherein staff tried to locate everyone who attended the party and check for symptoms to a containment model placing restrictions on further public gatherings, businesses and public parks. The decision not to release the number of attendees, Cooper said, had to do with state statutes that prohibit the release of potentially identifying medical information. Because of the shift from the contract-tracing model, the exact number of guests is unknown and irrelevant, he said. The town is working on the assumption that, at this point, the virus is everywhere. The focus really shouldnt be on a party, Cooper said. Its really kind of irrelevant. This is a worldwide pandemic. The party has been polarizing on social media and in the comments sections of news articles. Some commenters have left harassing and angry messages aimed at those who attended the party, often referencing the towns affluence. Some have rushed to the defense of the partygoers and questioned the medias focus on the event. Others have been critical of the towns response. Online rancor, some worry, could prevent people with symptoms from coming forward. If theres a stigma, people wont self report. And thats a dangerous thing, Westport resident Darcy Hicks said Tuesday. Hicks said she does not blame those who attended the party, which was held before limitations on social gatherings had gone into effect and prior to the states first confirmed case. Its silly at this point for anyone to point fingers, said state Sen. Will Haskell, D-Westport. I know that people are concerned that this gives Westport a bad name. There happened to be one party, but we need to realize that Westport is just a harbinger of things to come. Still, at least some in town were critical of communication from town officials. Representative Town Meeting member Sal Liccione said he only learned of the party and its potential impact on the town from the local news media. Liccione said it had been difficult to get answers on the virus spread from Town Hall and that, as a result, he had struggled answering questions from his constituents. I felt like we werent notified. We should have been notified a lot sooner, Liccione said. We havent heard anything from the administration, which is very, very disconcerting. Asked whether the town might have been able to enact more stringent containment measures sooner if the party size had been accurately reported from the onset, Harris said by the time the positive results surfaced, the response likely wouldnt have changed. I dont think that if we knew it was 40 people, or more than 40 people, it would have made us respond differently, Harris said. What mattered was that we had the names of the people and who was there, so we knew who to talk to and inform. ... Whether it was 40 or 100, six days later, it was already out there. justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586 Today I gathered materials from my classroom, and met with my principal and teaching partners to begin this journey of @home learning. I wont lie. It felt weird. I looked around at the eight members of my department, all spread out across a lecture hall, and felt sad. I watched my principal explain expectations and procedures and felt empathy. I checked my email and texts and responded to my worried friends and family with simple I dont know answers. Thats what we know for sure right now: nothing. We dont know when school will resume. We dont know if prom will be rescheduled. We dont know how finals will impact grade point averages. We dont know how students will be accountable for learning. We just dont know. And, I want to tell all of us, parents, teachers, and students: Thats OK. Its OK because none of us has experience in this area. None. Sure, I provide online components to my in-person classroom through digital textbooks, Google Classroom and Canvas. However, those components enrich our instruction. They dont provide our instruction. Social closeness is part of how we do school and life, so these new restrictions feel confusing to our bodies and minds. And, thats OK. Its OK to feel confused. Its OK to forget your passwords. Its OK to ask questions even questions you feel silly asking (I did that three times in my meeting this morning!). Its OK to sleep a little later, and create your own schedule. And, its OK to want our old normal back. We all want that. What I do know is that teachers are going to provide instruction, inspiration and communication. Administrators are going to provide leadership. The internet is going to provide laughter. Video-conferencing is going to provide closeness. I know we can adapt to this temporary new normal, and I know we will find success. March 21 marked the first day of spring, signaling a time for new growth, spiritual awakening and a season of celebration. As we move through these months, lets take that message with us. Create an at-home work and school schedule that emulates but doesnt replicate your pre-spring break normal. Yes, we need to complete our tasks, but we have an opportunity to complete those tasks differently. Create time for school, and time for work. Create time for physical health. Create time for creativity. Use the morning or the afternoon or both. Brainstorm new learning objectives like driving a standard (my middle son put this on the list immediately) or cooking a meal. Pull out the crochet needles and ukulele. We have the gift of time something we always want. As I pulled my own hoodlums from their Fornite stupors this morning, I sounded the bell of a new schedule. They didnt express quite the same enthusiasm as I did but were surprised to find a band assignment already posted, and a physics project with new parameters. Teachers will still teach, and parents will still parent. And now more than ever, we will do it as partners. A somber mood filled the lecture hall this morning as my principal discussed expectations for online postings and at-home packets. My peers discussed the reality of our students providing instruction to their younger siblings. Teachers of advanced courses brainstormed how to keep their students challenged as they embark on college courses and AP exams. There are so many avenues of worry, but try to let grace calm your mind. Grace for kids, parents, teachers, doctors, politicians, grocery-store clerks, waitresses, hospital CEOs and grace for those battling their health. What the world needs now is love, sweet love. No not just for some, but for everyone. Jackie DeShannon (1965) Trump became a real household name when he began hosting The Apprentice, but for those of us who lived and worked in the New York City area in the 80s and 90s, it became clear long before then that this was a man who always wanted to be the center of attention. He was a regular fixture on Page Six of the New York Post, and more often than not, he was the source of the stories. The president, however, craves not just attention, but positive attention. It's easy to spot when he's not faring well in the public because he'll lash out at his political rivals or hype his support within the Republican Party. Currently, Trump enjoys good poll numbers for how he's handling the coronavirus pandemic, despite his attempts to downplay the danger a month ago the latest Gallup poll shows 60 per cent of Americans approve. Still, the possibility exists that Trump's approval may be the direct result of two people most Americans hadn't heard of just two months ago, Dr Anthony Fauci and Dr Deborah Birx. Trump sees people who work in his administration and those supportive of him through the lens of celebrity, not job performance. He's described Rex Tillerson, John Kelly, Alex Azar, Sen. Tom Cotton as "stars," and he did the same thing for Dr Fauci, describing him as a "major television star." But there is one thing Trump doesn't like, and that's when his "stars" begin to take the spotlight from Trump. Dr Fauci has grown bolder as of late when it comes to correcting the president or inserting what he thinks is best when it comes to dealing with the coronavirus. Health crisis or not, there's still politics in Washington D.C., Trump is no doubt concerned about how the coronavirus will affect his chance at reelection. Understandably, he's attempting to paint a rosier scenario than Fauci. However, Fauci is a doctor, and he's not at all concerned about the politics, which leads him at times to offer more blunt and sometimes darker assessments than the president would like. At the same time, Fauci, who has worked in every administration since Ronald Reagan was president, retains a high level of credibility among the press corps and Democrats on Capitol Hill. That insulates him for now from any public pushback from Trump. Still, it hasn't gone unnoticed. Maggie Haberman, at the New York Times, reports Trump's patience with Fauci's public disagreements is wearing thin. Enter, Dr. Deborah Birx. Birx has been speaking more at the press briefings as of late and displays a whole lot more diplomacy at times towards the president than Fauci. That's undoubtedly natural for Birx as she is a diplomat coming over from the State Department after having served as Ambassador-at-Large and United States Global AIDS Coordinator since 2014. Serving as a physician in the United States Army, she is the recipient of two U.S. Meritorious Service Medals and the Legion of Merit Award. She is likely one of those "stars" Trump likes, and Birx is adept at dealing with the machinations of Washington D.C. politics. She has a distinct comfort level with the president, as was revealed when Trump jokingly moved away from her after she disclosed that she had a low-grade fever over the weekend, laughing when he did it. Birx also knows how to handle the Washington press corps as she skillfully answers questions and manages to keep herself from being at odds with the president. At the same time, she doesn't feel the need to have lavish him with praise as other members of the administration typically do to stay in his good graces. How long all the goodwill lasts is anyone's guess. Right now, with Trump's approval of his handling of the coronavirus very high as well as his overall job approval increasing, people can expect to continue to see Fauci and Birx sharing the stage with Trump. But if things start to go south, the president will look for someone to blame, and if history is any guide, he won't take it upon himself. Jay Caruso is managing editor at the Washington Examiner The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has introduced the emergency situation regime in the entire territory of Ukraine to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The decision was made at the Cabinets meeting on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. It is planned to introduce the emergency situation regime for 30 days. Accordingly, we also plan to extend all quarantine restrictions for 30 days. Please do not confuse the emergency situation with the state of emergency. The emergency situation does not limit the constitutional rights of citizens but only consolidates the efforts to combat coronavirus, Prime Minister Shmyhal said. He stressed that the regime would be in effect until April 24, but it could be continued in case of need or cancelled. The Head of Government noted that 113 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases had been already recorded in Ukraine and the number of infected patients would further increase so measures should be taken. In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers endorsed the decree to properly equip the checkpoints in emergency situation zones with mandatory sanitary inspection of citizens, allowing to pass only after medical examination of persons and disinfection of vehicles; to involve the staff and technical equipment of the Ministry of Health, National Police, National Guard, State Emergency Service, State Consumer Protection Service in the conduct of activities at these points; to ensure thorough disinfection of all premises, roads and sidewalks; to assist the underprivileged with the involvement of social services, community and volunteer organizations. Earlier, the emergency situation regime was introduced in Kyiv city and Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Zhytomyr, Donetsk, Ternopil, Lviv and Cherkasy regions. As reported, the national lockdown was introduced in Ukraine until April 3 to counteract the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus infection. In particular, educational establishments and all shops except groceries, pharmacies, gas stations and banks were closed. The operation of subways in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro was suspended. The work of city transport is restricted. The intercity and interregional road, rail and air passenger transportation was stopped. In addition, the foreigners are banned from entering Ukraine and the international passenger services are suspended. The mass events in the country are banned. ol Luke Hemsworth soaked up the sun at a Byron Bay beach on Sunday. Sporting red patterned board shorts, the eldest of the actor brothers, 38, appeared relaxed as he sipped on a Stone & Wood beer. Luke added a black cap, and strolled across the sand before taking a quick dip. Sighting: Luke Hemsworth (pictured), 38, enjoyed a beach day at Byron Bay on Sunday Earlier this week, several Sydney beaches were closed, including tourist hotspot Bondi Beach, to reduce the risk of people spreading coronavirus. Byron Bay's beaches have not been closed. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness accompanied by fever, coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath and fatigue. It can produce pneumonia. The spread of the disease, which began in Wuhan, China, has seen over 420,000 cases worldwide and more than 18,900 fatalities. As of the evening of March 25, the total number of people diagnosed with the virus in Australia is 2,431 including eight deaths. Casual: Sporting red patterned board shorts, the eldest of the actor brothers, 38, appeared relaxed Thirsty work: Luke added a black cap and sipped on a cool beverage Luke is the older brother of fellow actors Chris, 36, and Liam, 30. The Westworld star told The Daily Telegraph this month that his famous name meant he had to work 'harder' than anyone else to hit the big time. 'I've probably had to work harder for most of the stuff that I do,' he told the publication. New rules: The sighting comes hours before Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) announced 'his tough new social distancing rules' amid the coronavirus pandemic While he admitted being a Hemsworth did 'open some doors' there was also a 'stigma' attached to the name. 'There's an expectation that you need to conform to some sort of idea of what that is, but I just go about my day and do my work and my preparation, and make sure that I'm on top of my game as much as I can,' he said. Luke currently stars in sci-fi drama hit Westworld, where he plays head security guard Ashley Stubbs. A detainee being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement has tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday, risking the safety of thousands of other people inside the facility. A 37-year-old Mexican immigrant being held at the Bergen County Jail, which houses dozens of other undocumented migrants. The patient has been quarantined and is receiving medical care, according to ICE officials. Bergen County Jail houses dozens of undocumented migrants but ICE says it will suspend transferring detainees to the facility for the time being. Anyone who has been exposed to the virus will be monitored for coronavirus symptoms. A 37-year-old Mexican undocumented immigrant tested positive for coronavirus at Bergen County Jail, which house ICE detainees ICE will stop arresting undocumented immigrants who don't pose a 'threat to public safety' Activists have called on ICE to release undocumented immigrants over age 60, pregnant women, and those with chronic health conditions Currently, ICE has more than 37,000 undocumented immigrants detained, but the agency has not announced plans to release an detainees On Sunday, the Hudson County Corrections and Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey went on lockdown after two inmates also tested positive for coronavirus. This facility also holds ICE detainees but the coronavirus patients are not undocumented immigrants. ICE has already announced it will stop arresting undocumented immigrants unless they present a 'threat to public safety', after receiving criticism from civil rights groups like the ACLU. Currently, ICE currently has more than 37,000 immigrants detained. Medical and legal professionals, along with activists also call for ICE to reduce that number, by releasing undocumented immigrants over age 60, pregnant women, and those with chronic health conditions, to keep them safe from potential coronavirus infection. So far, ICE has ignored that request. But the agency says they have coordinated with government agencies around the country to slow coronavirus among detainees. 'ICE continues to incorporate CDC's COVID-19 guidance, which is built upon the already established infectious disease monitoring and management protocols currently in use by the agency,' the ICE site reads. 'In addition, ICE is actively working with state and local health partners to determine if any detainee requires additional testing or monitoring to combat the spread of the virus.' On Monday, three staff members working at two New York facilities that detain undocumented immigrant children have tested positive for coronavirus, according to CBS News. Overall, the Office of Refugee Resettlement watch after roughly 3,600 unaccompanied minors. Former ICE acting director John Sandweg recently told CBS News, 'It's a vulnerable situation.' He added, 'You have the exact situation everyone is cautioning against. You have a bunch of people contained in a very small environment.' As a precaution to slow the spread of coronavirus, the Department of Homeland Security has delayed hearings for migrants in Mexico seeking asylum in the United States. That includes any hearings scheduled through April 22. An officer at the Bergen County Jail and a medical staffer at an ICE detention center in nearby Elizabeth, New Jersey also tested position for coronavirus. The number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey continue to rise as nearly 3,700 in the state have tested positive for the virus. That includes 44 deaths. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks and takes questions during a press conference in Downing Street regarding the coronavirus outbreak, on March 9, 2020. in London, England. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday that 405,000 volunteers had signed up to help the National Health Service (NHS) cope with the coronavirus outbreak. It follows an appeal announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Tuesday for 250,000 people "in good health" to help the NHS deal with the spread of the COVID-19 disease. "When we launched the appeal we hoped to get 250,000 volunteers," Johnson said at a daily press conference on the coronavirus. "In just 24 hours 405,000 people have responded to the call." The death toll of the coronavirus in Britain now stands at 422, according to the country's health department, while a total of 8,077 have tested positive for the disease. Like many other countries, Britain has enforced a nationwide lockdown. People have been told to stay at home, with the exception of shopping for essential supplies, exercising once a day, going out for medical needs and traveling to work where necessary. Nonessential public buildings, from gyms to places of worship, have also been ordered to close, while social events like weddings and baptisms but not funerals must be stopped. There is panic buying in South Africa as people stock up on food and other essentials ahead of a lockdown on Thursday. The country has the largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases on the continent, with 554 cases recorded. The conditions of the lockdown include: -Individuals will not be allowed to leave their homes except under strictly controlled circumstances -All shops and businesses will be closed except those providing essential services -Temporary shelters will be set up for the homeless -Medical and security personnel will be exempt from the lockdown -The number of new infections - and deaths - is rising fast across Africa, in spite of lockdowns, curfews and travel bans. In Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, all markets and shops have been closed, except for those selling food and medicine. France says it will send special aid to the most vulnerable countries, many of which are in Africa. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Donald Trump and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci (2nd L) listen as Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at the White House. in Washington, March 24, 2020. Lawmakers from both chambers of the U.S. Congress introduced resolutions Tuesday condemning Chinas handling of the outbreak of coronavirus, with the Senate version calling for an international investigation to hold Beijing accountable for allowing the deadly virus to become a global pandemic. Since day one, the Chinese Communist Party intentionally lied to the world about the origin of this pandemic. The CCP was aware of the reality of the virus as early as December but ordered laboratories to destroy samples and forced doctors to keep silent, Republican Senator Josh Hawley said in a press statement. There is no doubt that Chinas unconscionable decision to orchestrate an elaborate cover up of the wide-ranging and deadly implications of coronavirus led to the death of thousands of people, including hundreds of Americans and climbing, said Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, who joined Hawley in introducing the resolution. This Resolution calls for China to provide compensation for the harm, loss, and destruction their arrogance brought upon the rest of the world. Simply put China must, and will, be held accountable. On March 18, Hawley took to twitter to call for an international probe into China's handling of the outbreak, which saw health officials in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, cover up the emergence of the new pathogen in December by suppressing information and by classifying the surge of new cases as "pneumonia." There needs to be a full, international investigation of #China Communist Partys actions that helped turn #coronavirus #COVID19 into a global pandemic, Hawley tweeted last week. Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, Republican Rep. Jim Banks introduced a resolution stating that China made multiple, serious mistakes in the early stages of the COVID19 outbreak that heightened the severity and spread of the ongoing COVID19 pandemic. The missteps include the Chinese Governments intentional spread of misinformation to downplay the risks of the virus, a refusal to cooperate with international health authorities, internal censorship of doctors and journalists, and malicious disregard for the health of ethnic minorities, said the resolution. The lawmakers measures follow war of words between Beijing and Washington over the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. Repeated comments by President Donald Trump referring to the pathogen as "the Chinese virus" have rankled Chinese authorities, who have launched a major propaganda campaign to change the narrative on Wuhan. Chinese health officials initially said they had traced the newly detected coronavirus to the now-shuttered Huanan Seafood Market in the central city of Wuhan, where the epidemic first emerged in December. But the ruling Chinese Communist Party's propaganda machine has ordered officials to start questioning the narrative that the virus came from China. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian tweeted early this month that "patient zero" in the global pandemic may have come from the United States. drawing a sharp complaint from Washington. "It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation," Zhao wrote. He provided no evidence and shared reports from what is widely viewed as a conspiracy theory website. Kylie Minogue is reportedly in talks to release her own range of wine later this year. The Australian pop princess, 51, has been speaking with vineyards about creating her own signature tipple, and hopes it will appeal to her older fans. according to sources. Kylie is no stranger to a business venture outside of her illustrious music career, and has previously put her name on perfume, clothes, and a bedding range. Can't Get You Out Of My Red! Kylie Minogue, 51, is reportedly in talks to release her own range of wine later this year (pictured in January 2020) A source told The Sun: 'She is working with her team to make it happen and is in discussions with lots of vineyards to find the perfect wines. 'Kylie has loads of adult fans and it feels like a good fit for her to put her name to a wine which is sophisticated but fun, just like her. 'She has been working on it for some time but is hoping she will finally be able to put it out there later this year as a treat for all of her fans.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Kylie Minogue for comment. Big plans: The Australian pop princess has reportedly been speaking with vineyards about creating her own signature tipple, and hopes it will appeal to her older fans Kylie is no stranger to delving into other ventures outside of music, as along with her Darling perfume, she also released a fashion line with H&M in 2007, and recently unveiled her own range of bedding. The reports come after Kylie confirmed last month that she was back in the studio to commence work on her 15th studio album. The star hinted that it wouldn't follow the country music style of the last record, Golden, which featured the hit single Dancing. She told CNBC International TV: 'I've already started work in the studio. I don't know quite what it is yet. 'But we feel like, ''That's good, that's good, this is the direction we're heading''. It's probably too early to say what it is, but I'm very excited. 'I won't be doing [country] again, but certainly what I learnt during that period will stay with me, however songwriting pans out in the future.' Chaos reigned in Jordan March 24 as the authorities distributed bread to Jordanians amid a total lockdown and the closure of food stores in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. As of that day, there are 153 cases in Jordan. The government pledged to distribute bread to citizens via municipal vehicles and public transportation buses. After the announcement, hundreds of citizens across the kingdom ran out to meet the buses, jostling each other despite police attempts to keep them apart. The chaos prompted the government to reassess the distribution experience and step up calls to citizens to stay at home and wait for delivery. Work is underway to solve the difficulties that have emerged on the first day of bread distribution to citizens," Local Administration Minister Walid al-Masri said in a March 24 press statement. "The distribution process is ongoing and there is enough stock for everyone, so there is no need for people to leave their houses, as everyone will have their share. Salah al-Lawzi, the director of the Land Transport Regulatory Authority, told Al-Monitor that an agreement has been reached with transportation companies, yellow taxis and ride-share vehicles to distribute bread. On the same day, Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad al-Adaileh promised to rectify errors in the distribution system. There are no ideal solutions in such difficult circumstances," he said in a press conference. "Errors will be made and we will work to improve. Everyone, including citizens, should assume their responsibility in this regard. In the wake of the chaos, Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz decided to allow small district shops to open starting March 25 and to permit large markets to provide delivery services as of March 26. Meanwhile, social initiatives have surfaced to help the needy. Activists in the Husn Palestinian Refugee Camp launched the Poor Pulse Initiative to support families in need of basic food items such as eggs, bread and water. Social worker at the camp Ahmed Abu al-Haifa told Al-Monitor, The food distributed to the poor and daily workers was donated by camp residents and volunteers were able to donate food to most of the affected families. The country's Teachers Syndicate launched the Jordan Virtual School, an online platform to support the government's plan to provide distance education for students. The student will find video classes on this platform, a spokesperson told Al-Monitor, adding that the syndicate donated half a million dinars ($705,000) to the government to fund the delivery of basic supplies to citizens. "We are ready to form teams to serve citizens and provide them with their needs in full coordination with the General Security, Civil Defense and army authorities, he added. On a lighter note, Jordanians, like many other people around the world, are fighting boredom during the curfew by sharing curfew diaries online, showcasing singing and cooking talents and offering rounds of applause from balconies to the medical teams working around the clock. To send a bit of fun to the house-bound, the Jordanian Civil Defense personnel distributed the Snakes and Ladders board game to some homes for families to play together. But despite efforts to make the curfew bearable, some, like head of the Jozoor Center for Human Rights Fawzi Samhouri, think it should be more flexible. Samhouri told Al-Monitor, We all support the measures that the government is taking to limit the spread of the virus, but it must allow one member of the family to go out to buy basic needs. Legally speaking, public health is the responsibility of the government. Imposing the comprehensive curfew is not [the only option], particularly from a humanitarian point of view. The government must learn from the experiences of other countries." The solution is to allow retail sector to work for four hours every day, he added. The Jordanian authorities have imposed a strict curfew based on a March 21 defense order that prohibited movement across the kingdom until further notice. The penalty for breaking it can be one year imprisonment and thousands of police and military forces have been deployed on the streets to stop movement between provinces. According to the Public Security Directorate, 1,657 citizens had been arrested for breaking the curfew as of March 24. A spokesman for the Public Security Directorate said that in cooperation with the Jordanian Armed Forces, two military facilities in the Khoo and Al-Hasa regions will be dedicated to people who are arrested for violating the curfew. Jordanians have rarely known curfews. The kingdom imposed one in 1956 after the rebellion of a group of officers known as the Free Officers Movement." The second time a curfew was imposed was after September 1970 fighting between the Jordanian army and Palestinian resistance organizations. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 19:58 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d64886 1 National COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,coronavirus,economy,Jokowi,pre-employment-card,Family-Hope-Program,low-income-people Free To protect the economy from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has decided to speed up the disbursement of training funds for workers through the preemployment card program, as well as increase the allowance provided to low-income families. Originally slated for April, the preemployment card program's launch has been brought forward to this Friday. Several sectors have started layoffs. [The program will] support laid-off workers as well as day laborers and micro-businesses that have seen a decline in sales. We hope that those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak can learn a new skill or improve their skills," President Joko Jokowi Widodo said in a virtual press briefing on Tuesday. Program participants will receive Rp 1 million per month (US$ 61) for three to four months. The government has allocated Rp 10 trillion for the program, which is expected to provide training to about 2 million people. Earlier, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said online training would be available nationwide while offline training sessions would be available in Riau, Bali, North Sulawesi and Surabaya in East Java during the programs first phase of implementation. The President has also announced an increase in the amount of aid given to families enrolled in the Family Hope Program (PKH) for the next six months. The allowance has been increased from Rp 150,000 to Rp 200,000 for each family. The allocation fund is Rp 4.5 trillion, said Jokowi, adding that the program could cater to around 20 million low-income families. (aly) A 21-year-old woman with no pre-existing medical conditions has died from the coronavirus, her family has said. Chloe Middleton is thought to be the youngest victim in the UK to have no underlying medical conditions. Her mother Diane Middleton posted a heartbreaking tribute to her daughter today on social media. Writing on Facebook Mrs Middleton, who lives in Buckinghamshire said: 'To all the people out there that thinks it's just a virus please think again speaking from a personal experience this so called virus has taken the life of my 21 year old daughter.' Chloe Middleton (pictured above) is believed to be the youngest coronavirus victim in the UK - she is thought to have had no underlying health conditions So far in the UK there have been 435 deaths from the virus and 8,277 confirmed cases. Just days ago it was announced that an 18-year-old man had also died from the virus. Yesterday NHS England said the victims were 33-years-old to 103-years old and all had underlying health problems. The teenager from Coventry was thought to have had 'significant underlying health issues'. Tributes from across the UK poured in for the Chloe this afternoon, who is thought to have attended Wycombe Grange. 'RIP Chloe' is currently trending on Twitter and Facebook users have also come out in support for the family of the young woman. Tributes from across the UK poured in for the young woman who is thought to have attended Wycombe Grange, Chloe Middleton is pictured above Her aunt, Emily Mistry confirmed the youngster had 'no underlying health conditions'. She confirmed her niece had died of the virus and said the family is 'shattered beyond belief'. The reality of this virus is only just unfolding before our very eyes. Please, please adhere to government guidelines. DO YOUR BIT. Protect yourselves and protect others!! The virus isn't spreading, PEOPLE are spreading the virus. Life as we know it has changed dramatically but unless we all act now to protect ourselves and others, the longer this turmoil and anguish will go on.... Chloe (pictured above) was described as 'loving' by her family, who have said they have been left 'shattered' Rest in peace Chloe. Until we meet again....' Ms Middleton's sister, Amy Louise Middleton, said her children 'couldn't have had a more loving, crazy nutcase for an auntie and we wouldn't have had it any other way'. She wrote: 'She went above and beyond for me and was my best friend even though she had a habit of pinching my clothes, so many great memories that I'm so, so, so grateful we got to make and share and that will never be forgotten! 'Her only concern in life was if she looked bloody bloated so please don't take this virus lightly because you never know what's around the corner ... ' She added: 'About time people took this seriously, before too many people end up in this devastating position!' One tribute on Facebook read: 'I can't believe that this has happened... Absolutely devastating. All we can do now and spread awareness so that ALL people stay at home and protect not only themselves but others... A lot of strength to you & your family.' Twitter users also paid tribute to Chloe this afternoon as it was revealed that she had no underlying health conditions Another Facebook user added: 'So sorry to hear this. People in my area yesterday were in places. Like superdrug and boots which have been classified as stores that should stay open due to them selling medications and products to keep clean etc. However people are going in for false. Nails and lashes and fake tan. Where are they going to goto be dressed up? Idiots.' Yesterday was Britain's darkest day yet in the escalating COVID-19 crisis day. Eighty-seven infected patients in the UK died and 1,427 cases were recorded in the biggest daily rise. Official figures show 8,399 Britons have now caught COVID-19 - but Government advisers suggest the true size of the outbreak is likely to be closer to 400,000 - 52 times bigger than figures show. The UK controversially only tests patients in hospital - meaning only a fraction of cases are spotted. Health officials had originally suggested that only people with underlying health conditions were susceptible to the disease, but had said that anyone could catch it. A Mahan Air flight carrying 277 Indian passengers evacuated from Tehran, Iran has landed at Delhi airport today early morning. All the 277 evacuees were then taken to Jodhpur Airport where they will quarantined for 14 days in the Army Wellness Facility established in Jodhpur Military Station. All passengers have been tested negative for COVID-19 in the initial screening. This is one of the two flights to land in India carrying passengers stuck in Iran. Centre earlier gave permission to Iran-based Mahan Air for evacuating Indians stuck in the Middle Eastern country due to the outbreak of Covid-19. As per plans, two ferry flights will evacuate around 600 Indians from Iran. The first flight flew with evacuated Indians from the Middle Eastern country on March 24, and landed on 25th March, while the second flight will be operated March 28. According to highly placed sources, all these Indian nationals have tested negative for Covid-19. Presently, only Mahan Air and Iran Air operate flight services between India and Iran. However, last month, the services of these two airlines to India were discontinued to prevent the spread of the global pandemic. Earlier, Mahan and Iran Air evacuated Indians from the Middle Eastern country on March 13 and 15. With Inputs from IANS Dublin, March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Laboratory Informatics Market, by Component, by End-use, by Product, by Delivery Mode, by Region, Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2019-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Laboratory Informatics Market size is expected to reach $4.1 billion by 2025, rising at a market growth of 6.4% CAGR during the forecast period. The demand for healthcare laboratory informatics is undergoing significant changes and development to manage huge amounts of patient data and improve health outcomes. Due to increased spending on healthcare services, the healthcare laboratory informatics market is projected to exhibit rapid growth in developing countries. The increased burden of chronic conditions along with increasing healthcare infrastructure around the globe is expected to lead to higher acceptance of the laboratory informatics solution in the healthcare industry. The market is dominated by a few of the larger companies involved in developing advanced healthcare laboratory information technology to generate higher revenues. The healthcare laboratory informatics industry is expected to offer high growth opportunities in the near future, with advances in existing technologies. Due to the increased workload, cost constraints and technological advances, the nature of the pathology is rapidly shifting, depending on market needs. New laboratory systems are produced using the best technologies to mitigate the current global demand. New approaches to handling laboratory knowledge are required now to meet the evolving healthcare system requirements. The major strategies followed by the market participants are Product Launches and Acquisitions. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix, Abbott Laboratories, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Agilent Technologies, Inc., and Waters Corporation are some of the forerunners in the Laboratory Informatics Market. Companies such as McKesson Corporation, Autoscribe Informatics, Inc., and PerkinElmer, Inc. are some of the key innovators in Laboratory Informatics Market. Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements Story continues Dec-2019: Agilent Technologies teamed up with MGI Tech. The collaboration was aimed at establishing cooperation in high throughput sequencing for providing a more efficient and reliable high throughput sequencing solution. Apr-2019: Thermo Fisher collaborated with Genovis, a provider of enzymes & technologies for analysis & conjugation of biopharmaceuticals. Under this collaboration, the companies jointly develop advanced end-to-end workflows for the preparation, characterization, and monitoring of novel and complex biotherapeutics through using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Apr-2019: PerkinElmer announced that it has joined Accenture's open partner ecosystem. This ecosystem was designed for helping the solution providers, life science companies, and software vendors in accelerating the drug discovery effectively and improving patient outcomes. Jan-2019: Autoscribe Informatics signed a distribution agreement with Labcom Technology in Bangladesh. Under this agreement, the latter company distributed the Matrix family of Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) products of Autoscribe. Acquisition and Mergers Jan-2020: Waters Corporation signed an agreement to acquire Andrew Alliance, an innovator in specialty laboratory automation technology. The acquisition is expected to broaden the technology portfolio of the company. May-2019: Thermo Fisher acquired Brammer Bio, a leader in viral vector manufacturing for cell and gene therapies. After the acquisition, the latter company became a part of Thermo Fisher's Pharma Services business within its Laboratory Products and Services Segment. The acquisition expanded the company's business. May-2019: Agilent Technologies acquired Genohm, a developer of highly differentiated, on-premise and cloud-based software solutions for laboratory management. The acquisition accelerated Agilent's software portfolio by adding LIMS and workflow management solutions and expanded the company's ELN capabilities. Geographical Expansions Jan-2019: Agilent Technologies opened a new state-of-the-art laboratory in Mumbai. This facility marked the expansion of the company in India and was established for fulfilling the increasing demand for next-generation lean laboratories. Product Launches and Product Expansions Jul-2019: Abbott Informatics launched STARLIMS Quality Manufacturing Solution QM 12.0, a laboratory information management system. This solution supports the integration with different types of platforms and manages data from product concept to consumer. Mar-2019: Thermo Fisher launched TriPlus 500 Gas Chromatography Headspace Autosampler. This solution provides low cost-per-sample and high sample throughput for routine Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) analysis. This solution acts as a reliable and flexible workflow solution for routine laboratories. Feb-2019: LabVantage Solutions introduced LabVantage 8.4, the latest version of its laboratory information management solution. This version has new and updated features that accelerate lab effectiveness and efficiency along with making the work of staff and managers easy. Feb-2019: Waters Corporation launched BioAccord System, a purposefully designed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) solution. This solution extended the access to high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry capabilities to more scientists. Key Topics Covered Chapter 1. Market Scope & Methodology 1.1 Market Definition 1.2 Objectives 1.3 Market Scope 1.4 Segmentation 1.4.1 Global Laboratory Informatics Market, by Component 1.4.2 Global Laboratory Informatics Market, by End-use 1.4.3 Global Laboratory Informatics Market, by Product 1.4.4 Global Laboratory Informatics Market, by Delivery Mode 1.4.5 Global Laboratory Informatics Market, by Geography 1.5 Methodology for the Research Chapter 2. Market Overview 2.1 Introduction 2.1.1 Overview 2.1.2 Market Composition and Scenario 2.2 Key Factors Impacting the Market 2.2.1 Market Drivers 2.2.2 Market Restraints Chapter 3. Competition Analysis - Global 3.1 Cardinal Matrix 3.2 Recent Industry Wide Strategic Developments 3.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements 3.2.2 Product Launches and Product Expansions 3.2.3 Geographical Expansions 3.2.4 Mergers & Acquisitions 3.3 Top Winning Strategies 3.3.1 Key Leading Strategies: Percentage Distribution (2015-2019) 3.3.2 Key Strategic Moves: (Product Launches and Product Expansions: 2019-Jul - 2016-Feb) Leading Players Chapter 4. Global Laboratory Informatics Market by Component 4.1 Global Software Market by Region 4.2 Global Services Market by Region Chapter 5. Global Laboratory Informatics Market by End-use 5.1 Global Life Sciences Market by Region 5.2 Global CROs Market by Region 5.3 Global Chemical Sector Market by Region 5.4 Global Food & Beverage and Agriculture Sector Market by Region 5.5 Global Environmental Testing Laboratories Market by Region 5.6 Global Petrochemical Sector Market by Region 5.7 Global Other Sectors Market by Region Chapter 6. Global Laboratory Informatics Market by Product 6.1 Global LIMS Market by Region 6.2 Global ELN Market by Region 6.3 Global ECM Market by Region 6.4 Global CDS Market by Region 6.5 Global SDMS Market by Region 6.6 Global LES Market by Region 6.7 Global EDC & CDMS Market by Region Chapter 7. Global Laboratory Informatics Market by Delivery Mode 7.1 Global Cloud-based Market by Region 7.2 Global Web-hosted Market by Region 7.3 Global On-Premise Market by Region Chapter 8. Global Laboratory Informatics Market by Region 8.1 North America Laboratory Informatics Market 8.2 Europe Laboratory Informatics Market 8.3 Asia-Pacific Laboratory Informatics Market 8.4 LAMEA Laboratory Informatics Market Chapter 9. Company Profiles 9.1 Thermo Fischer Scientific, Inc. 9.2 LabVantage Solutions, Inc. (TCG Lifesciences) 9.3 LabWare, Inc. 9.4 Abbott Laboratories (Abbott Informatics Corporation) 9.5 LabLynx, Inc. 9.6 Agilent Technologies, Inc. 9.7 Waters Corporation 9.8 PerkinElmer, Inc. 9.9 Autoscribe Informatics, Inc. 9.10 McKesson Corporation For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bxk1ix Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Thanks to the coronavirus, Americans are buying guns. They viscerally understand that in unstable times, the police, who are the front line of the criminal justice system, may be so overwhelmed that they can no longer appear on the scene in time to save citizens from looters and other marauders. Various jurisdictions, however, are responding by foreclosing Americans' right to keep and carry arms. The sheriff in Alameda County, California, forced a gun store owner to shut down because his store was not "essential." The Los Angeles County sheriff closed gun stores as "nonessential." New Jersey's Democrat governor, Phil Murphy, issued an executive order shutting down gun sales. Even in Wake County, North Carolina, the sheriff is stopping new gun applications. Significantly, although Pennsylvania's governor tried to end gun sales, he backed down when the Supreme Court, although generally allowing the executive order, nevertheless held that, as regards guns, he could not block a constitutional right. The court was correct. Nothing good ever flows from allowing the government to deprive people of their right to bear arms. The Second Amendment's origin proves that. Looking back at the American Revolution, it's easy to assume that the result an American victory was a foregone conclusion. Right up until the bitter end, though, the odds favored the British, who had the world's most powerful military. The American advantage was that, because they were far from "civilization," guns were a necessity. One does not go into the frontier unarmed. Too many people had untamed forests pressing against their fragile communities to manage without at least one gun. Because of their circumstances, the American colonists didn't just possess arms; they knew how to use them. While George Washington despaired of turning his volunteers into a well drilled, spit-and-polish military, at least he didn't have to worry about weapons training. His ragtag army knew how to load, aim, and shoot. If the Continental Congress could provide the bullets, many of the colonists willingly provided their guns and know-how. The Revolutionary War had been over for eight years when the Founders enacted the Bill of Rights. It was in that context the aftermath of a small colony's successful revolution against the most powerful nation in the world that the Founders determined that American citizens would never again be subordinate to, rather than in control of, their government. For this reason, the first ten amendments to the Constitution do not define government power; they limit it. More importantly, they limit it not by having the government graciously extend a few privileges to America's citizens, privileges that the government can as easily revoke, but instead by stating rights that individuals automatically possess without regard to the government's powers. The second of these amendments one of only two amendments dedicated exclusively to a single principle refers to every citizen's inherent (not government-granted, but inherent) right to possess arms: A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. If the Second Amendment were written in modern English, the Founders might have phrased it this way: The only way citizens can defend themselves against a tyrannical government is to create their own army (which, obviously, is separate from the government's army). The people, therefore, have an overarching and innate right to have guns, and the government may not interfere with that right. Regarding that "well regulated militia," the revolutionaries' experience had shown them that citizens don't need to have a standing militia that is always ready to fight. Instead, citizens need the freedom to come together as a well regulated militia on an "as needed" basis (the need being the necessity to secure individual freedom against the government). This ability to transform from peaceful citizens into an effective militia when needed requires a citizenry that, on its own initiative, is both well armed and competent with those arms. The Founders understood that every government has the potential to become tyrannical (although they couldn't have predicted in their wildest dreams the mad scope of worldwide government killing in the 20th and 21st centuries). They therefore embedded in the Bill of Rights the ultimate barrier against tyranny: an armed population that, if needed, can instantly transform itself into a citizen army. Yes, some of those armed citizens will do bad things with their guns, but even at their worst, they are insignificant killers compared to rogue governments. As a matter of principle, supported by data, an armed citizenry is safer than an unarmed one when it comes to the biggest, most bloodthirsty, most deadly predator known to man: government. L ondon City Airport is suspending all commercial and private flights from Wednesday night amid the UK coronavirus lockdown. Flights will be suspended from this evening until the end of April. The airport said in a statement: Following the Governments latest instructions in response to the coronavirus outbreak, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily suspend all commercial and private flights from the airport. At this point in this fast moving and unprecedented situation, we think this is the responsible thing to do for the safety and well-being of our staff, passengers and everyone associated with the airport. The statement added: "During this period, we will continue to work with the authorities and follow official guidance. "All our staff will continue to be employed and will return to work as soon as possible." The airport said it has offered its services to the Government in case it needs be used by the emergency services or other agencies to "support the national effort to combat the outbreak of this virus and provide care to people in need". "Supporting the community remains a priority for us," the statement said. "Now, more than ever, we want to help however we can." London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /66 London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures A woman jogging near City Hall, London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast on Sunday to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA A pedestrian walks past a billboard reading "Please believe these days will pass" on Broadway Market in east London AFP via Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge Getty Images Boris Johnson Jeremy Selwyn Sun-seekers cool off in the water and sunbathe on the riverbank at Hackney Marshes in east London AFP via Getty Images Ed Davey is shown on screens as he speaks via videolink during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London PA A herd of fallow deer graze on the lawns in front of a housing estate in Harold Hill in east London AFP via Getty Images A woman wearing a mask crosses a bridge over Camden Lock, London PA An empty Millenium Bridge PA A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images People push to enter the Niketown shop in Londo AP Jo Proudlove and daughter Eve, 9, follow the daily online "PE with Joe" Joe Wickes' exercise class on "Fancy dress Friday Reuters Police in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Waterloo station looking empty PA Getty Images A quiet Parliament Square Getty Images PABest A man walks along a passageway at London's Oxford Street Underground station the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus PA Social distancing markers around the camel enclosure at ZSL London Zoo PA A police car patrols Greenwich Park in London PA The Premier League in action in front of empty stands AP Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed. A deserted Piccadilly Circus PA A general view is seen of a deserted Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Getty Images The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings Getty Images A view of 20 Fenchurch Street (the 'Walkie Talkie' building) in the City of London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus PA A deserted Chinatown PA A person looks at graffiti on a JD Wetherspoon pub in Crystal Palace, south London. Wetherspoons workers have described founder Tim Martin's lack of support for his chain's 40,000 employees as "absolutely outrageous" PA The London ExCel centre that has been turned into a makeshift NHS Hospital and critical care unit to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic PA The Palace Theatre, which usually shows the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA The Sondheim Theatre, which usually shows the Les Miserables musical, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA Two members of a British Army mounted regiment exercise their horses in Parliament Square AP Westminster Bridge is deserted PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA An empty street and bus stop at St James's Park AFP via Getty Images Whitehall Jeremy Selwyn A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn Buckingham Palace looking empty in London, PA London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn London's Carnaby Street empty as shops closed after a lockdown was announced in the latest bid to stop the spread of coronavirus through the UK AP A quiet Jubilee line westbound train carriage PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA Empty Embankment Jeremy Selwyn It comes as Qantas announced today it is to operate the first non-stop flight from Darwin to Heathrow as travellers struggle to return to the UK. Its flagship Sydney to London service usually flies via Singapore but, due to travel restrictions on international journeys, the airline has been forced to find an alternative route. The temporary route will only operate this week, before Qantas suspends all international flights until May 31 at the earliest. Coronavirus in numbers: UK deaths rise to 422 It comes after NHS nurses accused the Government of "turning their backs" on them, as they were left stranded in Australia following numerous flight cancellations. This week, Boris Johnson outlined strict new measures to tackle the spread of coronavirus in the UK, including a ban on public gatherings of more than two people. MONTREAL, March 25, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Confronting the unprecedented situation in connection with COVID-19, Groupe Marcelle has made the decision to prioritize the health and well-being of its employees, consumers, retail partners and suppliers and announces the reduction of its operations for an indefinite period, consequently, implementing temporary layoffs effective March 30. We are taking every possible measure to minimize the impact on our workforce, including job-sharing as well as employees being offered jobs at companies that need manpower (e.g. food industry). "This very difficult decision will allow us to recover after this period of crisis and ensure the sustainability of Groupe Marcelle. We put the health of our employees and our partners, as well as our responsibility to society at large, at the forefront of all our decisions," says David Cape, President of Groupe Marcelle. "I would like to thank our partner, the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), as well as our retailers and many consumers for supporting us during this pandemic." As a Canadian company, we invite consumers who want to support Canadian business to visit our retailers' online platforms as well as our own, which are always available. For Groupe Marcelle, manufacturing its products in Quebec is a great source of pride. Groupe Marcelle is governed by its commitment to consumers and the planet, and in these extraordinary times, to preserving beauty in the world more than ever. ABOUT GROUPE MARCELLE INC. Groupe Marcelle Inc. is a Canadian company whose head office is located in Montreal, Quebec. It's more than 400 employees work in the research, development, production and marketing of more than 1,600 Marcelle, Lise Watier, Annabelle and CW Beggs and Sons products distributed in over 3,500 stores across Canada. Marcelle offers a complete line of cosmetics and skincare products. Lise Watier offers a complete line of cosmetics, skincare and fragrance products. Annabelle Cosmetics offers a complete line of cosmetics products. CW Beggs and Sons offers men's skincare products. SOURCE Groupe Marcelle For further information: Julie Sanchez, Vice President, Marketing, [email protected], 514 231-2547 LONDON Two days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a lockdown on Britain to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the government has recruited an army of more than 400,000 volunteers to help elderly people quarantined in their homes, as well as the beleaguered public health system. The recruiting drive, which drew nearly twice its goal in less than 24 hours, was one of several rays of hope in a country that has been girding itself for an onslaught of infections. Officials also expressed guarded optimism that the National Health Service could cope with the flood of patients now that Britain has adopted the sweeping social-distancing measures of other European countries. This is going to be a close-run thing, Chris Whitty, the countrys chief medical officer, said at a Downing Street news conference with Mr. Johnson. This gap will probably be manageable by the N.H.S., but we cant guarantee that. The statement was a striking turnaround from last week, when officials and outside experts warned that Britain was on a course to be the next Italy, with a growing number of cases that would hopelessly swamp hospitals. It was also evidence that Britain, which only grudgingly accepted the isolation measures of Italy, France and Spain, was pulling together to meet a national challenge. Off-licences and brewery shops were added to the list of vital retailers allowed to remain open during the coronavirus crisis today. In a move that will bring cheer to millions of hard-pressed consumers shut-up at home with pubs closed they will be allowed to sell drinks alongside supermarkets. Licensed shops selling alcohol, including those in breweries, also made the updated list of stores exempted from mass closures in the retail sector. Corner shops, pharmacies, supermarkets, hardware stores, banks, petrol stations and bike shops can also stay open during the pandemic. In a move that will bring cheer to millions of hard-pressed consumers shut-up at home with pubs closed they will be allowed to sell drinks alongside supermarkets Corner shops, pharmacies, supermarkets like this Tesco in west London, hardware stores, banks, petrol stations and bike shops can also stay open during the pandemic On Monday night, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered the closure of all non-essential stores as he plunged the UK into a lockdown to ease the burden on the NHS. Pubs, bars and restaurants had already been told to shut their doors in an effort to prevent the spread on people mixing closely in public. Places of worship must close, apart from for funerals, as must libraries, museums, galleries and bingo halls. Mayor of Philadelphia Jim Kenney talks with reporters at John H. Webster Elementary School while staff packed grab-and-go meals for distribution to students and families in Philadelphia. Read more TL;DR: More than 1,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, and Philly and Delaware County have reported their first deaths. Without paid time off for coronavirus-related health concerns, nurses are using vacation days to be in isolation. And in national news, the White House and Senate leaders reached a deal on a $2 trillion stimulus bill for aid to businesses, workers, and the health care system, though last-minute snags have delayed votes on the package. Make sure you check Inquirer.com/coronavirus for the latest news and please feel free to tell your family and friends to sign up. Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com) What you need to know There is no end date for Philadelphias stay-at-home order. Pennsylvania students wont have to attend school past June 30, regardless of how long the shutdown lasts. The shutdowns have led a record more than half a million Pennsylvanians to file new unemployment claims in the last week, showing a piece of the economic fallout from the coronavirus. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia canceled all public celebrations of Holy Week and Easter Sunday Masses. The White House and Senate leaders reached an agreement on a $2 trillion stimulus bill for aid to businesses, workers and the health care system, but last-minute concerns are delaying votes on the package. Local coronavirus cases As of Wednesday evening, there are hundreds of reported cases in the Philadelphia area. Track the spread here. PHILADELPHIA: 342 confirmed cases (up from 252 on March 24) SUBURBAN PA: 460 confirmed cases (up from 333 on March 24) SOUTH JERSEY: 132 confirmed cases (up from 120 on March 24) The number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the commonwealth surpassed 1,000 today. Meanwhile, Philadelphia and Delaware County have reported their first deaths connected to the coronavirus pandemic. A second Montgomery County resident, an 84-year-old Abington man with underlying health conditions, has also died. Mayor Jim Kenney extended his shutdown of nonessential city government operations in the city from Sunday to April 6. The stay-at-home order remains in effect without a set end date. "The unfortunate reality is that there will likely be more deaths as the number of cases grow, which is why our stay-at-home order is essential, Kenney said. This virus is very real and very deadly. Without paid time off for coronavirus-related health concerns, nurses are using vacation days to be in isolation after contact with a COVID-19 patient, my colleague Jason Laughlin reported. A survey of 23 health systems around Pennsylvania revealed that more than half, including Einstein Medical Center and Temple University Hospital systems, required nurses and technicians to use their own time for quarantine. If I do come back now and I get sick, I have no time accrued, an eight-year nursing veteran said. Other workers are also demanding more protection. Several people have also tested positive for COVID-19 at one Philadelphia nursing home, while another nursing-home case was reported in Northampton County, leading leading long-term care workers to demand more protection. These health workers who care for seniors and people with disabilities called on the state for more masks, hand sanitizer, and paid time off, my colleague at Spotlight PA Cynthia Fernandez reported. No group of people are at higher risk than older adults," representatives from two industry organizations said, and no group of organizations will be asked to support them through both prevention and mitigation more than nursing homes and long-term care providers. Lets take a quick break How much does that doggie in the window want a walk? This family knows. The Eagles have added low-cost, experienced corner Nickell Robey-Coleman, who excels in the slot. She portrays groundbreaking women on the worlds oldest floating steel warship. Social distancing tip of the day: Take care of mental health Social distancing can strain mental health, so my colleague Bethany Ao talked to experts about the best ways to cope. The experts recommend any kind of exercise, whether that is a quiet walk around the block or online workouts, meditation, or an art activity like coloring, painting, drawing, listening to music, or playing music. They also encourage people to create a routine, whether thats an hourly list of plans for the day or picking up a project. If you know one of your friends is vulnerable to mental health stuff, reach out to them one expert said. Call them, set up FaceTimes, watch Netflix with them. Call a friend youve wanted to talk to but havent in a while, and share positive and encouraging tips, or what has worked for you." Have a social distancing tip or question to share? Let us know at health@inquirer.com and your input might be featured in a future edition of this newsletter. What were paying attention to Jessica Lustig writes in the New York Times about what she learned when her husband got sick with coronavirus. The Washington Post writes about how COVID-19 has canceled Philadelphias night life and forced the people found on the citys usually bustling streets into their homes. The Victor Cafe, a Philly Italian restaurant where waiters are classically trained opera singers who perform every 15 to 20 minutes while people eat, was forced to close. But NBC10 shows us how the workers still found a way to sing together. Its not all horrible Animal shelters are seeing people sign up to foster pets at unprecedented rates as humans seek companionship while isolating at home. At the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, known as PAWS, 123 animals were placed into foster homes between March 15 and March 24, compared to 38 during the same time period last year, my colleague Stephanie Farr writes. It is one tiny silver lining in all this," said PAWS executive director Melissa Levy. "That an animal gets to go home from a shelter. Helpful resources News about coronavirus is changing quickly. Go to inquirer.com/coronavirus to make sure you are seeing the newest information. Big Bazaar has initiated doorstep delivery services in Mumbai amid the lockdown. Big Bazaar shared contact details of all the stores on its Twitter handle. We have initiated Doorstep Delivery services in Mumbai. Get your daily needs delivered at your doorstep. Call the nearest store and place your order Delivery at your doorstep. Pay at home. Pass this information to your friends & relatives in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/UekOZFUWyG - Big Bazaar (@BigBazaar) March 24, 2020 Mumbai, however, is not the only city where Big Bazaar will provide doorstep delivery services. These services will also be offered in Ranchi, Uttarakhand, Noida, Ghaziabad, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Punjab, Haryana, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Gujarat and Rajasthan. According to the official lockdown notification, "Shops including ration shops (under PDS), dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, meat and fish, animal fodder" can remain open. The notification also states, "District authorities may encourage and facilitate home delivery to minimise the movement of individuals outside their homes." In his address to the nation on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi announced a 21 day lockdown across the country effective from March 25 midnight to combat COVID-19 spread. Modi also said that social distancing is the only way out to deal with the disease. The Prime Minister also appealed to people to not panic as essential commodities and medicines would be available. PM Modi assured that central and state governments would work in close coordination to ensure the availability of essential commodities and medicines. In another tweet, the Prime Minister urged the citizens to not indulge in panic buying. By converging around shops, you are risking the spread of COVID-19. No panic buying please. Please stay indoors. I repeat- Centre and State Governments will ensure all essentials are available. https://t.co/bX00az1h7l - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 24, 2020 My fellow citizens, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED TO PANIC. Essential commodities, medicines etc. would be available. Centre and various state governments will work in close coordination to ensure this. Together, we will fight COVID-19 and create a healthier India. Jai Hind! - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 24, 2020 Also read: Coronavirus in India: Apparel brands stare at 50-60% loss in first quarter of FY21 Also read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Maharashtra tally 112; 5 more test positive for COVID-19 Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: All that's open, all that's shut for 21 days Medical providers will be required to file daily reports on testing of the new coronavirus and hospital bed capacity to the state health department, under a new executive order Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday. The purpose of this is to ensure that every agency in the state of Texas and, very importantly, every private sector tester of COVID-19 is fully and quickly submitting information to the state of Texas, Abbott said, speaking from the Texas Department of Public Safety warehouse facility in Austin. More than 11,000 people have been tested in Texas, according to the latest numbers from the state. While numbers are starting to pick up, they remain far behind the 15,000 to 20,000 test-per-week capacity that Abbott predicted the state would be at by this time, and Texas still lags behind smaller states. Abbott stopped short of issuing a statewide stay-at-home order, though he said he was surprised by the amount of traffic he saw on his way to the press conference and indicated he hadnt fully ruled out the idea. It's clear to me that we may not be achieving the level of compliance that is needed, Abbott said. That's why I said before, I remain flexible in my statewide standard. For subscribers: Conservative opposition grows as stay-at-home orders are enacted in Texas Standing in front of pallets stacked high with boxes of medical supplies, Abbott also addressed the need for more personal protective equipment for health professionals. Hospitals across the U.S. are facing a shortage of those materials so severe that the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested last week that nurses may need to turn to bandanas and scarves as makeshift masks. Abbott said the states new Supply Chain Strike Force on Monday placed an order for more than $80 million in supplies. Starting next week, he said, the state will be getting more than 1 million masks per week. The state of Texas is competing with other states for supplies and competing with the federal government for supplies, Abbott said. There is more demand than there are available supplies. The good news is the federal government is racing to increase the supplies. Cities across the state have been holding donation drives and other volunteer efforts have sprung up to collect excess gear. Abbott encouraged more of that and told Texans looking to donate medical supplies or to volunteer their time visit www.texas.gov for more information. For subscribers: 65 Texas House Democrats push Gov. Abbott for statewide stay-at-home order The calls for a statewide stay-at-home order have been growing as the states largest cities and counties make the move on the local level. The debate has begun to divide along partisan lines, though Republicans at the city and county level have been been much more willing to embrace lockdown-type orders than conservative state and federal officials. In the last few days, cities and counties in the Austin, Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, San Antonio and El Paso areas have issued orders imploring residents to stay home. Earlier Tuesday, 65 Texas House Democratic Caucus members sent a letter to Abbott urging him to call a statewide stay-at-home, warning that Texas hospitals and health professionals need more time to get the tests and equipment and to prevent them from being inundated. Amazon will double pay for Canadian warehouse employees working overtime, the company says, after a surge in pandemic-related online demand. The extra overtime pay will continue until the beginning of May, and is in addition to a $2-an-hour wage bump currently in place. In an email sent Saturday to employees around the world, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said business was not as usual. This is a time of great stress and uncertainty. Its also a moment in time when the work were doing is its most critical, the email said. Last week, the Star reported on Amazon warehouse workers concerns over the spread of COVID-19 including lack of access to paid sick leave, lack of access to masks, and fears that the new hiring to cope with demand made following social-distancing guidelines difficult. Photos shared with the Star showed packed lunchrooms and crowded work spaces. One Amazon worker at a GTA warehouse, who spoke to the Star on condition of anonymity, said the company has since made pretty substantial changes to social-distancing measures. The new measures include staggering start times and lunch breaks at fulfilment centres, as well as deactivating every other workstation so that the distance between employees processing items is greater. Now theyre letting people wear masks, the worker added. Theres more and more people wearing masks. So theyre allowing it. Gagandeep Kaur, a postal worker and organizer with the Brampton-based Warehouse Workers Centre called the pay increases a step in the right direction for employees, but said shed like to see the measures made permanent. If they are an important part of society and people are depending on them, their wages should reflect that, she said. Two dollars is not a true reflection of that. They deserve much more. Starting wages at Canadian fulfilment centres are around $17 an hour, not including the temporary $2 wage boost until the end of April. In his email to employees on the weekend, Bezos said he was not alone in being grateful for the work you are doing. He added that Amazon had placed purchase orders for millions of face masks we want to give to our employees and contractors who cannot work from home. Masks remain in short supply globally and are at this point being directed by governments to the highest-need facilities like hospitals and clinics, the email said. When our turn for masks comes, our first priority will be getting them in the hands of our employees and partners working to get essential products to people. Amazon is also hiring 100,000 more employees across the U.S. to cope with surging online demand. It is currently advertising warehouse-job openings across Canada. Help is on the way, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says in announcing the emergency response benefit that will provide $2,000 a month for four months for people who have lost their income because of COVID-19. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit combines two benefits announced last week to streamline application process. (These workers) are providing necessary items to the most vulnerable in society. Their role is very important at the moment, said Kaur. But the additional hiring still poses issues, she added especially since seasonal hires do not receive paid sick days. They are adding more of the temporary workforce that will be there with the same precarious conditions, she said. In a statement posted online, Amazon said it has also adjusted our logistics, transportation, supply chain, purchasing, and third-party seller processes to prioritize stocking and delivering items that are a higher priority for our customers. However, the GTA employee said theyd so far seen little change in the kinds of orders being processed. The things that have jumped out of me the last couple of days are childrens books, puzzles, games, video games, the cosmetics (orders) I find are still pretty standard, the employee said. Despite more robust social-distancing measures, there are still some parts of the job that required close interaction with others, the worker added. We should be prioritized for testing. Everybody is absolutely on board for something like that. Overall I would say people are uneasy, the employee said. And I think a lot of people feel stuck. Read more about: Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, has donated N50 million as relief fund to support the fight against coronavirus. Atiku made the announcement in a statement personally signed by him on Wednesday. According to Atiku, the donation will be made by Priam Group on his behalf as part of the stimulus package the federal government should create for Nigerians. Read Also: Coronavirus: Test Result Of Atikus Daughter-In-Law, Grandchildren Released He said: I commend all individuals and corporate organisations who have one way or the other provided some form of relief for the Nigerian people. I further call on more corporations and individuals with capacity, to assist the public in these trying times. To this end, Priam Group pledges N50 million on my behalf as my humble contribution to a relief Fund that will form part of the stimulus package. A mortgage holiday repayment scheme is being welcomed by landlords, but hitting all the wrong notes with some renters who want more relief measures of their own. In a bid to ease financial pressure from COVID-19, the government announced yesterday that people with mortgages will get a six-month break from paying principal and interest. Christchurch man Sean Raddock, who has four children to support and a temporary job at a factory, is among renters for whom the future isn't entirely certain. He says there's a chance his job might be put on hold for the next four weeks, and he isn't quite sure how he will get by - so the news his landlord could be getting a break from their bills isn't warmly welcomed. "I can understand what the government are trying to do. But at the end of the day it's not just those who have a mortgage that are struggling, it's everybody," he says. His sentiment is echoed by another Auckland renter who is on a benefit and says she has been inundated with medical costs for herself and her daughter. The woman, who asked not to have her name used, says the prospect of paying rent over the next four weeks is terrifying. "Why are they having one rule for one set of people, and one rule for another set, just because their name is on the ownership of the house. It's not fair at all," she says. Renters United spokesperson Anna Mooney says the priority for the next four weeks is making sure people are not evicted from their houses. After the government announcement about mortgages, she says Renters United will like to see something that's going to help renters pay their rent. That might mean a little more sympathy from landlords if their tenants can't quite make the rent on time or pay it in full, she says. "Landlords and tenants should be having open conversations now about how they can work together. Whether that means landlords are helping out tenants, or reducing their rent - that would be really good." Finance Minister Grant Robertson also encourages landlords and tenants to discuss how the mortgage holiday would work. He told Morning Report the scheme is effectively a payment deferral. He says the government had announced a freeze on rent increases during the lockdown period and put in protections so tenants could not be evicted during this time unless they were engaged in illegal behaviour. Auckland landlord cuts tenant's rent That is exactly what some landlords are doing, including that of Auckland renter Jess Keating, who was told via text yesterday her rent would be dropping by nearly 40 per cent for the next four weeks. With two young children to support and her husband currently looking for work, the news was welcomed. "I actually had a little cry, because it's really encouraging at a time like this. It's not just what it signifies in terms of literal money in your bank, it's more that ... kindness, and generosity of humans to each other, will help us get through this." But Sean says some landlords will be happy to take full advantage of the scheme and still demand the same rent. In the long run, he says, that would widen the gap between landlords and tenants. "House prices are higher than they ever have been in this country. "I'm 35 years old and still not even close to being able to afford a house yet and I know a lot of people in the same predicament. "It's just going to exacerbate that a lot more, because we're going to have to spend a lot more money because we can't go to work, or have to dip into our potential house savings to try pay rent." National Party leader Simon Bridges says rents should be paid but there should be no increases. "If [renters] can't pay I would expect the government to be doing what it can to help them. "Right now, for a landlord, is clearly not the right time to be putting up your rent in the situation New Zealand faces - we're all in this together." Details about the mortgage holiday repayment scheme will be announced by individual banks in coming days. -RNZ/Katie Todd. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 16:16:49|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Mobile photo taken on March 25, 2020 shows a bus running past the Town Hall in Melbourne, Australia. As of 3:00 p.m. local time Wednesday, there are 2,423 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, according to the country's Health Department. (Photo by Gui Qing/Xinhua) CANBERRA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government announced Wednesday that non-urgent elective surgery will be suspended to allow more capacity in hospitals while the country is combating COVID-19. According to the Australian government, from 11:59 p.m. local time Wednesday, only category one and some exceptional category two surgery will continue in public and private hospitals until further notice. Category one is described as needing treatment within 30 days, with the potential to deteriorate quickly to the point where the patient's situation may become an emergency, whereas category two is believed to be needing treatment within 90 days. As of 3:00 p.m. local time Wednesday, there are 2,423 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, according to the country's Health Department. The Australian government has expanded its crackdown on social gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the new restrictions on "major transmitting events" on Tuesday night following a conference call with state and territory leaders. Amusement parks, public swimming pools, recreation centers, galleries, museums and libraries are among the businesses that will be ordered to close. Funerals will be limited to a maximum of 10 people and weddings to five including the couple and celebrant. Citizens will be banned from travelling overseas from midday on Wednesday. "No-one should be getting on a plane and going overseas," Morrison said. Australians have been warned against attending outdoor events in groups of more than 10 people. "So that means barbecues of lots of friends or even family, extended family coming together to celebrate one year old birthday parties and all these sorts of things, we can't do those things now," Morrison said. "Stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary you go out." "If we do all these things then we are going to be able to put greater pressure on slowing the rate of the spread of this virus." Brendan Murphy, the chief medical officer, said the new measures announced on Tuesday night were draconian but necessary. "We are very worried about the rate of rise in the number of cases of coronavirus in Australia, particularly over the last few days," he said. "It is a very, very steep growth and it's very concerning." "Still, a significant proportion of those new cases are returned travelers or contacts of returned travelers... We will not tolerate anybody putting the community at risk as a return traveller." South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory effectively closed their borders indefinitely on Tuesday, with anyone arriving now subject to a mandatory 14-day self-isolation period. Steven Marshall, premier of South Australia, said on Wednesday that closing the borders and the nationwide shutdowns would save lives. "The clear message to everybody is if we take this seriously and everybody does their part we will really flatten that curve and save lives, it's a simple fact," he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio. Conor McGregor is spending 1m on protective equipment for staff at hospitals in Leinster treating patients with coronavirus. The UFC star revealed the gesture in a message to Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, that he made public on his Twitter page. Mr Donohoe had written to McGregor asking him to encourage his followers to practise social distancing. Thank you sincerely for your message, Minister Paschal Donohoe. Here is my reply. pic.twitter.com/0NcnVgrKaA Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 25, 2020 McGregor wrote: Today I am purchasing myself, one million euro worth of personal protective equipment to be deployed to all the fighting hospitals in the Leinster region. Our most affected region, to this date. St Jamess, Mater, Tallaght, Beaumont, Vincents (hospitals). Where we would be without these brave men and women, I do not know. May God bless over them and keep them safe! McGregor urged Donohoe and the Irish government to go further in their efforts to fight the virus and implement more stringent lock-down measures. Take that, corona virus pic.twitter.com/iz04BXIYjH Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 20, 2020 I feel like we are moving in the right way, it just feels to me like it is not all the way, he said. I urge all the way! All in is the term we must use here. Bit by bit will cost us lives. To see what is happening here in Ireland and all across the globe is heartbreaking to me. I pray. God speed Minister and thank you for the message, and your service to our nation. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] It is almost time for the daily briefing from the White House coronavirus task force. For those working from home or working shorter hours, as their business has declined, the briefings are a welcome chance to get calming, reassuring, and thoughtful information. They are a stroke of genius, demonstrating the leadership of V.P. Mike Pence, his organizational skills, and the professionals he has assembled. Donald Trump uses Twitter to circumvent the press. This tactic and aggressive rallying propelled him to victory over Hillary Clinton. Rallies are not possible now, as social distancing has ended active public campaigning for the presidency. Joe Biden has been reduced to pitiful video appearances on The View (Tuesday) and pronouncements regarding the coronavirus (Monday) lasting only a few minutes. Bernie Sanders has virtually disappeared. Donald Trump appears daily at the briefings, which sucks up all the oxygen involved in this issue. Earlier in the year, the press argued that V.P. Pence and Trump do not respect science. The briefings prove the lie of that statement. Every day, one or more academics or scientists appear at the podium. Though there may be nuanced statement differences between Trump and the doctors, essentially only the media see significant daylight. Recently, Dr. Fauci publicly disavowed rumors of strong disagreements with the president. The briefings have gone a great distance to reassure the public, with rising poll numbers for the president on this issue (5560%). The task force was established on Jan. 29. Many members were added as needed, and Pence assumed leadership on Feb. 26. On Jan. 31, the president declared a national health emergency. As cheerleader-in-chief, Trump often gives positive personal thoughts. The academics tend to be more circumspect in their statements, but then professionals usually are. The citizenry needs hope. People do not get that from NYC mayor Bill de Blasio, who paints the most negative picture, as he claims he must tell the truth. The NYC metropolitan area is now the epicenter of the viral spread, with rapidly increasing numbers of infected persons. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has decried the lack of social spacing within the denser portions of the state by a relatively small number of people. Cuomo does not want to segment upstate and downstate areas; he probably fears that NYC residents will move to other areas spreading the virus. Already, Florida is quarantining visitors from the metro N.Y. area to that state for two weeks. Frustration at the growing numbers prompts unnecessary and destructive complaints from Cuomo regarding ventilators and medical supplies. The governor did not order these materials in the past for critical situations. This cannot be blamed upon federal agents. Governors have much control over health care facilities, but they limit costs to the state, which creates critical shortages in crises. The virtual town hall held by Fox News and the briefings are the way to correct the record falsely pushed by the anti-Trump media. The briefings allow the public to see repeated harassing questions the press poses to Trump. As time has proceeded, Trump has occasionally softened his responses to these negative questions. The public can't miss this. For the squishy middle, this may alter Trump's unfavorability, which will help his re-election. Trump's boasting about progress may annoy some, but task force professionals provide helpful information that reassures. It is rare to hear or read any criticism of the professionals in the media. On Tuesday, Trump indicated a timeline with some desire to begin opening the American economy. This encouraged the stock market with a one-day record rise of over 2,100 points on the Dow. Whether we can start this process by Easter (or mid-April) can be argued. But investors were elated that our leadership are aware of the damage the shutdown has caused. If the Congress can reach agreement on legislation to help individuals, businesses, and localities, then more investors will feel that the damage can be limited. We must balance the public health issues with the economic issues. The task force briefings go a long way to ensuring that the public health professionals understand the balancing process. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The number of coronavirus-positive cases in Karnataka jumped from 33 to 42 on Tuesday. Accounting for positive cases that were reported on Monday night, the state now has four patients from Kerala, two from Uttara Kannada and one each from Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga and Bengaluru. The silver lining in these days of gloom was that two patients, who had tested positive, recovered and were discharged from the Rajiv Gandhi institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) on Tuesday. Patient 34: The 32-year-old man from Kasargod in Kerala had gone to Dubai and arrived in Mangaluru on March 20. He was directly quarantined. Patient 35: A 40-year-old man from Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district, who had travelled to Dubai, arrived in the country on March 31 and was isolated. Patient 36: A 65-year-old resident of Bhatkal had travelled to Dubai and arrived in Mumbai on March 18. He came to Bhatkal by train and is being treated at an isolated hospital. Patient 37: A 56-year-old woman from Chikkaballapur was a family member and co-passenger of patients 19 and 22, who visited Mecca and arrived in Hyderabad on March 14. She is being treated at Chikkabalapur. Patient 38: A 56-year-old woman from Bengaluru and contact of P13 isolated at a designated hospital.Patient 39: A 47-year-old resident of Kasargod in Kerala had travelled to Dubai and was directly quarantined immediately after arrival in Mangaluru.Patient 40: A 70-year-old woman from Kasargod had gone to Saudi Arabia and arrived in Mangaluru. She has been isolated and being treated in Mangaluru.Patient 41: A 23-year-old resident of Kasargod travelled to Dubai and arrived in Mangaluru. He was directly quarantined. Chitradurga recorded its first COVID-19-positive case. The test result of the wife of a diplomat at Guyana in West Indies and daughter of Davangere BJP MP Siddheswhar arrived on Tuesday and it was positive. Deputy Commissioner Vinoth Priya R. said that the samples had been sent to the Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences on March 22. She was shifted to the isolation ward at the district hospital. Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) -Altiplano Metals Inc. (TSXV: APN) (WKN: A2JNFG) ("Altiplano" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has closed its debt financing to raise $800,000 in loans (the "Loans") from certain arm's length investors of the Company (the "Debt Financing") further to its press release on January 8, 2020. Under the terms of the Debt Financing, the Loans were advanced in escrow until a total of at least $1.25 Million was raised pursuant to this Debt Financing, or any other financings of the Company. As announced on March 18, the Company also recently closed an equity financing to raise another $500,000, and therefore the escrow release condition has now been met. Alastair McIntyre, CEO commented "We are pleased to move forward on the next stage of the Company's development. This funding will permit us to further focus on building new infrastructure on site, including a fit for purpose mill and a flotation plant. This will provide Altiplano the opportunity to improve on our costing profile and lead to enhanced returns." To date, the Company has extracted 62,261 tonnes of mineralized material at a grade of 1.68% through the underground bulk sampling process resulting in the recovery of 1.66 million pounds of copper, primarily through toll milling. The expansion of the Hugo Decline began in mid-March and continues on schedule. This work is designed to provide access to an additional mineralized material below the current working levels. As a further update, the Company continues to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 virus in both Canada and Chile and has implemented a wide-ranging set of initiatives to mitigate any risk to our employees, contractors, and stakeholders. John Williamson, Chairman commented, "The well-being of our employees, communities, business partners and stakeholders is our primary priority. A business continuity plan is in place to safeguard the health and safety of our personnel while ensuring our operations remain unaffected. There has not been any disruption to planned work activities, but we are continuously monitoring the progress of COVID-19 developments and will react accordingly for the health and safety of all stakeholders". To support the reduction in the spread of the disease, Chile has implemented a number of national initiatives and directives including closing of borders, quarantine in regions with the highest contagions, controlling the movement and monitoring of people in quarantine. At the moment, COVID-19 has not materially impacted our development efforts on site at Farellon. The state owned ENAMI (Empresa Nacional de Mineria), whose main role is to promote Chile's small and midsize mining sector by carrying out toll milling and processing, recently announced their ongoing support through the current crisis whereby advancing payments on shipments received. The movement of personnel and supplies in the Tambillo and La Serena region remains authorized, however, the Company recognizes that the crisis is dynamic and is monitoring the situation daily. The Company remains supportive of the Chilean and Canadian Federal and Provincial governments aim to protect the health and safety of all Canadians and Chileans and will implement all necessary procedures and recommendations due to COVID-19 measures. Further Debt Financing details The Loans will mature March 24, 2023 (the "Maturity Date"). The Loans will bear interest at 8.0% per annum commencing from today, and will be repayable by the Company in twenty-four (24) equal instalments of principal and interest, commencing March 24, 2021, and thereafter on the first business day of each month until the Maturity Date. The Company expects to repay the Loans by the Maturity Date from cash flow generated from the Company's operations in Chile, conditional upon a positive production decision being made by the board of directors later in 2020. As compensation to the lenders for the risk of repayment of the Loans, Altiplano has issued non-transferable common share purchase warrants (the "Bonus Warrants") exercisable to purchase up to 8 million common shares of the Company (the "Warrant Shares"). The Bonus Warrants will be exercisable at an exercise price of $0.10 per Warrant Share until March 24, 2023, subject to the following acceleration provisions: The number of Warrant Shares exercisable under the Warrants will be reduced by one twenty-fourth (1/24th) of the original total number of Warrant Shares exercisable, on March 24, 2021, and on the first business day of each month thereafter, until reduced to zero by the Maturity Date, and unless such Bonus Warrants are exercised by the Lender before the date of such reduction. In addition, the expiry date of the Bonus Warrants may be accelerated if the closing price for the Company's common shares as traded on the TSX Venture Exchange is equal to or greater than $0.20 per share for any 10 consecutive trading days occurring any time after the expiry of the 4 month hold period for the Bonus Warrants, then the lenders shall have until 4:00 pm (Vancouver time) of the 30th calendar day after the Company's news release announcement of the accelerated expiry date of the Bonus Warrants (the "Accelerated Expiry Date"). The Bonus Warrants shall expire on the earlier of the Maturity Date or the Accelerated Expiry Date. The proceeds of the Debt Financing and equity financing will be used to fund the construction of the Company's own processing facility and the completion of the current exploration and development programs. The Bonus Warrants and any Warrant Shares will be subject to a hold period and may not be resold until July 25, 2020. About Altiplano Altiplano Metals Inc. (TSXV: APN) is a mineral exploration company focused on evaluating and acquiring projects with significant potential for advancement from discovery through to production, in Canada and abroad. Management has a substantial record of success in capitalizing on opportunity, overcoming challenges and building shareholder value. Additional information concerning Altiplano can be found on its website at www.apnmetals.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD /s/ "John Williamson" Chairman For further information, please contact: Jeremy Yaseniuk, Director jeremyy@apnmetals.com Tel: (604) 773-1467 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the (TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53803 As statewide mandated dine-in closures have left Colorado restaurants scrambling to stay afloat and keep their staff employed, ToGoDenver.com offers restaurants free registration to list their current home or curbside delivery and takeout services available. Restaurant seekers can search listings by restaurant name, by neighborhood or by cuisine. "This crisis is creating immense hardship for our local hospitality community, but this new resource gives us all an opportunity to do our part in supporting our local restaurants that have made Denver and Boulder among the finest culinary scenes in the country," said Richard W. Scharf, president and CEO of VISIT DENVER. "Our hope is that ToGoDenver.com will help fill an urgent need to aid local restaurants as they struggle to remain in businesses through these difficult times." VISIT DENVER, which also hosts the annual Denver Restaurant Week, has created an easy portal for restaurants to upload their information. In addition, local media partners including The Denver Post, Westword, 5280 Magazine and 303 Magazine are also lending their support to the effort. Restaurants can submit their information to Westword here, and the Denver Post here. The hashtag #coloradocurbside on Instagram is also a helpful resource. More resources for restaurant seekers can be found at Westword, Denver Post, 5280 Magazine and 303 Magazine. About VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau Celebrating 111 years of promoting The Mile High City, VISIT DENVER is Denver's official marketing arm responsible for promoting the city as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. A total of 17.3 million visitors stayed overnight in Denver in 2018, generating $5.6 billion in spending, while supporting more than 60,000 jobs, making Tourism one of the largest industries in Denver. Learn more about Denver on the VISITDENVER website and at TOURISMPAYSDENVER or by phone at 800 2 Denver. Denver International Airport (DEN; flydenver.com ) connects The Mile High City to more than 200 destinations worldwide. Follow Denver's social media channels for up-to-the-minute updates at: Facebook.com/visitdenver ; Twitter.com/visitdenver ; Instagram.com/visitdenver ; and YouTube.com/visitdenver . With press or photo inquiries, please contact: Jesse Davis, VISIT DENVER: (720) 417-9621 or [email protected] Ashley Geisheker, VISIT DENVER: (303) 854-7767 or [email protected] SOURCE VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau Related Links http://www.visitdenver.com MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2020 / Quebec Precious Metals Corporation ("QPM" or the "Company") (TSX.V:CJC)(OTCQB:CJCFF)(FSE:YXEP) reports today that it has completed the winter drilling activities of the previously announced 25,000 m drilling program to be carried out in 2020 with two drills on its 100% owned flagship Sakami project in Quebec's Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory. A total of 32 holes (7,250 m) have been drilled by QPM since the beginning of the year. Results will be released during the next few weeks. The drilling program was designed to focus on: 1) expanding the La Pointe deposit and the Simon new high grade discovery with results that include 14.20 g/t Au over 2 m, 5.05 g/t Au over 5.06 m, and 4.66 g/t Au over 3.50 m; and 2) testing additional new targets across the 13-km mineralized trend striking SSW-NNE that includes the Apple, Peninsule, JR and Ile showings (with gold mineralization detected in drill holes, grab and trench samples) (see press release of January 14, 2020). QPM is fully-funded for the 2020 drilling program and its exploration activities. The Company has $5 million in cash and no debt . Normand Champigny CEO of QPM, stated: "Following the Quebec government's decision to minimize non-priority services and activities for the next three weeks, the Company has suspended its exploration activities and closed its corporate office. Our top priority is protect the health and safety of our employees and contractors, their families and neighboring communities while also taking steps to preserve long-term benefit to all stakeholders." Qualified Persons Normand Champigny, Eng., Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Jean-Sebastien Lavallee (OGQ #773), geologist, Vice-President Exploration, director and shareholder of the Company, both Qualified Persons under NI 43- 101 on standards of disclosure for mineral projects, have prepared and approved the technical content of this release. About Quebec Precious Metals Corporation QPM is a gold explorer with a large land position in the highly-prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's Eleonore gold mine. QPM's flagship project is the Sakami project with significant grades and well-defined drill-ready targets. QPM's goal is to rapidly explore this project to advance it to the mineral resource estimate stage. For more information please contact: Jean-Francois Meilleur President Tel.: 514 951-2730 jfmeilleur@qpmcorp.ca Normand Champigny Chief Executive Officer Tel.: 514 979-4746 nchampigny@qpmcorp.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Quebec Precious Metals Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/582466/Quebec-Precious-Metals-concludes-winter-drilling-activities-at-Sakami Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) - Crystal Lake Mining Corporation (TSXV: CLM) (OTC PINK: SIOCF) (FSE: SOG) ("Crystal Lake" or the "Company") is pleased to welcome the appointment of Mr. David Watkins to the Board of Directors for the Company and the appointment of Ms. Natasha Chapman as Corporate Secretary. "On behalf of the Crystal Lake Team, I would like to welcome David to the Board of Directors. David has dedicated over 45 years to his career within our industry, having been a part of over a dozen projects from discovery to economic production in a wide range of commodities and deposit types located throughout the world. There are few individuals in the mining industry with the experience and success that David has. His strong technical background, management expertise, and proven business track record will be an asset in our development of the Company's flagship Newmont Lake Project in the heart of Northwestern British Columbia's famed Golden Triangle." commented Cole Evans, Crystal Lake's CEO. Furthermore, the Company is announcing the resignation of Mr. Alphonse Ruggiero from Crystal Lake Mining's Board of Directors effective March 21st, 2020. The Company would like to thank Mr. Ruggiero for his tenure with the Company and success in his future endeavors. David Watkins Appointed a Director of the Board Mr. Watkins is an international mining executive and trained geologist with over 45 years of experience building and managing mining companies. His work throughout the world has resulted in the discovery, development and operation of 15 successful precious and base metal mines throughout North and South America, Australia, and Africa. Mr. Watkins started his career with Newmont Mining and Noranda as an Exploration Geologist working in Canada, Australia, Mexico, and Ecuador. He became Chief Geologist for mining and exploration at Falconbridge Copper in 1977. By 1986, he was Vice President Exploration of Falconbridge Copper, and later President of Minnova Inc., the successor company to Falconbridge Copper until it's acquisition by Inmet Mining in 1993. During his tenure Mr. Watkins and his team discovered and built a number of mines that resulted in five operating divisions producing gold, silver, copper, and zinc. From 1993 to 1999, Mr. Watkins served as the Senior Vice President, Exploration for Cyprus Amax Minerals until it's $1.8 billion purchase by Phelps Dodge, a company later acquired by Freeport-McMoRan to form the world's largest publicly traded copper company. During Mr. Watkins tenure the company produced copper, gold, molybdenum, lithium, and coal. From 2000 to 2011, Mr. Watkins served as Chairman and CEO of Atna Resources, a company engaged in exploration, development, and production of gold projects in the Americas. He continued as Chairman from 2011 to 2016. Mr. Watkins currently serves as Director of Euro Ressources S.A. | Gold Royalties (95% owned IAMGOLD France S.A.S.), Golden Minerals Co., and Commander Resources. Mr. Watkins graduated with a M.Sc. in Geology from Carleton University in 1970, a B.A. in Geology from Queen's University in 1967, and is a graduate of the Executive Business Program at the University of Western Ontario. Mr. Watkins is a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Geological Association of Canada, Geological Society of Nevada, and Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada. This appointment is subject to a TSX Venture Exchange approval. Natasha Chapman Appointed Corporate Secretary Ms. Chapman holds a B.A. from Carleton University in Ottawa in 2007 as well as a Project Management Certification from Universite St. Paul in Ottawa. Previously, Natasha held a position within the Policy division of a Crown Corporation in the Nunavut Territory, which provided her an unparalleled experience at the Board level to Corporate Governance. Natasha replaced Kristine Frost who resigned from the Company effective February 4th, 2020. About Crystal Lake Mining Crystal Lake Mining is a junior Canadian mining exploration company focused on exploration and development of it's 551 km2 Newmont Lake Property in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company has an option to earn a 100% interest in the Newmont Lake Project, which is one of the largest land packages in the broader Eskay Creek region of Northwest British Columbia's Golden Triangle. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, CRYSTAL LAKE MINING CORP. "Cole Evans" Chief Executive Officer Email: info@crystallakemining.com www.crystallakemining.com For further information please contact: Investor Relations Sean Kingsley - Director of Communications Tel: +1 (604) 440-8474 Email: info@crystallakemining.com Forward-Looking Statement This news release may contain certain "forward looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53788 Delhi man has been arrested from the Mukherjee Nagar area of South-west Delhi. The man was alleged by the woman as he misbehaved with her after she objected he spits on a lady and called her corona. Coronavirus lockdown Day 1: A 40-year-old man has been arrested in Delhi for misbehaving with a lady in Mukherjee Nagar. He was on a two-wheeler and misbehaved with a Manipuri woman who went out to buy the grocery. Police arrested him soon after the report registered by the woman. It has been reported that he called the woman corona and spat on her after she objected to him and ran. The lady stated that she went out to buy the grocery from the mear by a shop, when she came near to the shady area a man came and put some glue a comment on her, he misbehaved with her. The lady boldly objected and shouted on him. But the man spat on him which is very harmful during COVID-19 and called her corona. The woman said that before she could follow him or do something he left on his two-wheeler. The incident came into limelight when the lady went to the nearby police station to file a report against him. A 25-year-old lady got disappointed by such behaviour during this phase and she also got scared. The news became bigger and grab the attention when the picture of the lady started going viral on social media. #JUSTIN: A 40-year-old man has been arrested by the @DCPNWestDelhi's team for allegedly misbehaving with a 25-year-old woman from Manipur, in Mukherjee Nagar area. When she objected, he spat on her and shouted corona before escaping on his two-wheeler.@IndianExpress, @ieDelhi pic.twitter.com/tp3lIdmVYM Mahender Singh (@mahendermanral) March 25, 2020 After looking at the incident, Delhi Chief Minister asked Delhi Police to arrest the culprit as soon as possible and to take some strict action against him. Delhi Chief Minister said that we all need to stay united at the time of COVID-19. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App The US said it will cut assistance to Afghanistan by $1bn (927m) this year and threatened more cuts could come as a breakdown in talks over forming a unity government threatened to derail a US-engineered peace deal. Hours after departing Kabul on Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement saying the US "deeply regrets" the failure of President Ashraf Ghani and former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah to form a unity government. He said the US is imposing the $1bn cut in assistance because of the breakdown, which dates from disputed elections late last year. "Their failure has harmed US-Afghan relations and, sadly, dishonours those Afghan, Americans and coalition partners who have sacrificed their lives and treasure in the struggle to build a new future for this country," Mr Pompeo said. He added the US administration could cut aid by another $1bn in 2021. The US has earmarked $4.35bn (4bn) in funding for 2020, according to the latest report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction released on January 30. The inability of Afghan leaders to broker an agreement imperils a peace deal reached between the US and the Taliban last month to bring an end to what has become America's longest war. The deal reached in Doha was expected to lead to talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban starting around March 10, a deadline that has already passed. In a televised address to the nation, President Ghani said the government would ensure the US action won't affect key sectors. "The US has not yet cut the aid, but they made it conditional and we will make efforts to convince them through dialogue and negotiations" to not withdraw that support, he said. Even with Mr Ghani and Mr Abdullah both claiming victory in last year's election, the peace deal called for a team of Afghan representatives that was expected to include more than just government officials. That opened the door to Mr Ghani and Mr Abdullah being represented in talks with the Taliban. But the politics of achieving that have, so far, proved elusive. "They still can't see their way towards putting together the team, an inclusive team," Mr Pompeo said. "We are disappointed they've not been able to do that." ( Bloomberg) New Delhi, March 25 : The All India Manufacturers' Organisation (AIMO) on Wednesday urged the government to support the MSME sector with incentives in view of the ongoing nationwide lockdown. In a statement, the trade body said: "AIMO made a plea to the government that if the right support packages, incentives and measures were not provided to the MSMEs the lockdown could well turn into a 'ShutDown India'." Shrikant Dalmia, AIMO's Zonal Vice President, West said that the organisation acknowledges the steps taking by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman regarding the easing of compliance norms, but noted that several sectors including automobile, aviation, hospitality, apparel, consumer durables, tourism, and construction are among the worst hit by the epidemic and all the MSMEs are either directly or indirectly dependent on these sectors. Sushil Vyas, Secretary of the trade body, said that it has requested the Finance Minister to waive bank interest for MSMEs and instruct banks not to make entrepreneurs' NPAs for lack of interest payment till December 31, 2020. In a rare move, the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday allowed the use of its proprietary indelible ink to mark people who have been quarantined at home in the coronavirus outbreak. The ink, so far used during elections and manufactured by a Mysore-based company only for the EC, will now be made available to the states. The ink mark lasts for over a month. The commission, say senior poll officials, has reached out to the health ministry to standardise a mark that is different from the one used during elections. The move was spurred by a clarification sought by the chief electoral officer of Karnataka after the chief secretary of the state inquired if they could use the ink, an EC official told Hindustan Times. The decision has been taken in public interest keeping in view the demand from states to use an indelible marker on quarantined individuals, election commissioner Ashok Lavasa told Hindustan Times. EC has provided safeguards to ensure that the sanctity of the election procedure is maintained. A notification issued by EC on Wednesday details the safeguards. The Ministry may standardise the mark and the location on the body where the mark has to be applied so that it does not come in the way of conduct of elections anywhere in the country, it stated. The authorities concerned shall be instructed to maintain the record of the persons to whom Indelible Ink is applied. The authorities shall also be instructed to ensure that the Indelible Ink shall not be used for any other purpose, it adds. The health ministry, said a second EC official who did not want to be named, will be allowed to choose how to mark those in home quarantine. The officials who will be using the ink will also be told about the voting mark and asked to not use it. A record of people who have been marked will also be maintained, the official said. According to former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi, the move is a first of sorts for the EC. The ink cannot be used without ECs permission, as it is a proprietary item in a sense, Quraishi said. Requests to export the ink are a commonplace occurrence,he added. The Election Commission is also liberal to a certain extent in granting such permission as long as the electoral procedure is not compromised and the capacity to provide it exists. This is a good decision that the EC has taken. Quraishi added that the ink had in the past been exported to some countries for the purpose of elections and even, at times, gifted after proper approval from EC. Maharashtra has already begun stamping those in 100% quarantine on March 17, after the number of cases in the state spiked. The date of isolation is stamped on the left palm of the individual with ink that would last for 14 days. District magistrate south-west Delhi Rahul Singh said a different version of the same principle was earlier being implemented by the government. We were stamping those coming from abroad with ink that lasted 20-25 days, Singh said. It was important to identify potential carriers so as to avoid transmission of the virus. Singh added that he had not yet received any guidelines on how use to the ECs ink from the government. Singh has also initiated a system to ensure the delivery of groceries and medicines through phone calls for those who have been home quarantined in his district; a move the central government is at present contemplating. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 23:51:15|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The Djibouti Ministry of Health disclosed on Wednesday the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the horn of Africa nation has risen to 11. "33 people were tested on Tuesday, nine were positive, bringing the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country to 11," according to a statement issued by the ministry. "We urge the public to stay in confinement and stay at home," said the statement. Djibouti confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 18. Djibouti had disclosed a Spanish national who arrived in the Horn of Africa nation earlier this month was the first confirmed case of the virus. Djibouti, which lies on a key location connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, hosts a number of foreign military bases and is the main sea outlet for landlocked Ethiopia. India could face between 100,000 to 13 lakh confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus by mid-May if the current trend in the growing number of COVID-19 cases continues, according to a report by an international team of scientists. The report, compiled by COV-IND-19 Study Group, an interdisciplinary team of researchers, said while India seems to have done well in controlling the number of confirmed cases compared to other countries like the US and Italy in the early phase of the pandemic, the country is critically missing a key component in this assessment -- the number of truly affected cases. This factor depends on the extent of testing, the accuracy of the test results, and the frequency and scale of testing of people who may have been exposed but do not show symptoms, the researchers, including Debashree Ray from Johns Hopkins University in the US, said. "So far, the number of people tested in India has been relatively small. In the absence of widespread testing, it is impossible to quantify the magnitude of 'community transmission', in other words, estimate how many are infected outside hospitals and health care facilities," the scientists wrote in the report. "Thus our current estimates are at best underestimates for India based on early phase data," they said. According to the report, it is essential for India to adopt "draconian measures" to act before the growth of COVID-19 infections starts to accelerate in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday a total lockdown for 1.3 billion people in India for 21 days, warning that the nation may go back by 21 years and many families could be devastated if we don't abide by the lockdown rules. In their analysis, the scientists used data on the number of reported cases in India up to March 16, and applied tools of modelling disease transmission. They estimated the theoretical number of infected at any given time, and compared projections for India against the US and Italy. The scientists, including those from Delhi School of Economics in New Delhi and the University of Michigan in the US, noted in a blog post on the platform Medium, that the estimates may change as stricter restrictions and measures are adopted by India. India, according to the researchers, has the most overstretched healthcare system where it is hard to provide care even when the patient volume flowing into hospitals is "normal". Citing World Bank data, they said the number of hospital beds per 1,000 people in India is only 0.7, compared to 6.5 in France, 11.5 in South Korea, 4.2 in China, 3.4 in Italy, and 2.8 in the US. Owing to this, the scientists said, the predicted surge in the number of cases may make it impossible for the healthcare providers in India to support the sheer volume of cases. The report also identified the most vulnerable groups of population in India. Citing multiple studies, the researchers said the number of people in the country without an insurance policy stretched to about 1,100 million as of 2014, with the number of men and women with hypertension, one of the major risk factors for death from COVID-19, being more than 300 million people. Without enforcing any intervention in the country, the scientists predicted that the number of cases may exceed the estimated capacity of hospital beds in India, which stands at 70 beds per 100,000 Indians. They cautioned that the critically ill COVID-19 patients -- about 5-10 per cent of those infected -- will require ICU beds, which make up between 5 and 10 per cent of bed capacity in Indian hospitals. The scientists, however, said their estimates came with limitations, including the uncertainty arising from model assumptions of population size, accuracy of the diagnostic tests for COVID-19, and heterogeneity in the implementation of government-initiated interventions. The number of coronavirus infected cases in India so far is 562, while the death toll due to COVID-19 in the country is revised down to nine, according to Health Ministry data. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 16:51:56|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- India's Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday strongly condemned the suicide attack on a shrine belonging to the Sikh community in Afghanistan's Kabul, which took a few human lives and injured many others. So far there is no official confirmation about the number of people killed in the attack, although reports say at least two attackers were killed and more than a dozen others wounded. "Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID-19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers," said a press release issued by India's Ministry of External Affairs. It added: "We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country." India stands in solidarity with the people, the Government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country, added the Ministry's release. India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan, it said. S weeping emergency powers to help combat the coronavirus pandemic have become law. The Coronavirus Bill cleared the Lords without amendment and was granted Royal Assent. It was rushed through both houses of parliament in just three days as growing numbers of people became infected with the virus. The bill gives the government wide-ranging powers, the likes of which have never been seen before in peacetime. Measures outlined in the 348-page document include allowing police to force people with Covid-19 symptoms to self-isolate and enabling workers to claim sick pay more quickly. London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /66 London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures A woman jogging near City Hall, London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast on Sunday to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA A pedestrian walks past a billboard reading "Please believe these days will pass" on Broadway Market in east London AFP via Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge Getty Images Boris Johnson Jeremy Selwyn Sun-seekers cool off in the water and sunbathe on the riverbank at Hackney Marshes in east London AFP via Getty Images Ed Davey is shown on screens as he speaks via videolink during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London PA A herd of fallow deer graze on the lawns in front of a housing estate in Harold Hill in east London AFP via Getty Images A woman wearing a mask crosses a bridge over Camden Lock, London PA An empty Millenium Bridge PA A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images People push to enter the Niketown shop in Londo AP Jo Proudlove and daughter Eve, 9, follow the daily online "PE with Joe" Joe Wickes' exercise class on "Fancy dress Friday Reuters Police in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Waterloo station looking empty PA Getty Images A quiet Parliament Square Getty Images PABest A man walks along a passageway at London's Oxford Street Underground station the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus PA Social distancing markers around the camel enclosure at ZSL London Zoo PA A police car patrols Greenwich Park in London PA The Premier League in action in front of empty stands AP Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed. A deserted Piccadilly Circus PA A general view is seen of a deserted Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Getty Images The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings Getty Images A view of 20 Fenchurch Street (the 'Walkie Talkie' building) in the City of London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus PA A deserted Chinatown PA A person looks at graffiti on a JD Wetherspoon pub in Crystal Palace, south London. Wetherspoons workers have described founder Tim Martin's lack of support for his chain's 40,000 employees as "absolutely outrageous" PA The London ExCel centre that has been turned into a makeshift NHS Hospital and critical care unit to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic PA The Palace Theatre, which usually shows the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA The Sondheim Theatre, which usually shows the Les Miserables musical, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA Two members of a British Army mounted regiment exercise their horses in Parliament Square AP Westminster Bridge is deserted PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA An empty street and bus stop at St James's Park AFP via Getty Images Whitehall Jeremy Selwyn A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn Buckingham Palace looking empty in London, PA London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn London's Carnaby Street empty as shops closed after a lockdown was announced in the latest bid to stop the spread of coronavirus through the UK AP A quiet Jubilee line westbound train carriage PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA Empty Embankment Jeremy Selwyn The unprecedented legislation cleared the Commons in one sitting on Monday, after Boris Johnson announced a nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of the illness. It completed all necessary stages after Number 10 offered the concession that it would be reviewed every six months. Health Minister Lord Bethell expressed his profound thanks to those involved with the Bill and ensuring its swift passage through Parliament, including other political parties, who he said had worked in a collaborative and supportive way during this whole process. I would like to thank those who work in Parliament and House of Lords who are here today at considerable risk to themselves and have displayed amazing commitment to this remarkable organisation, he said. Opposition frontbencher Baroness Thornton agreed that it had been a perfect exercise in consultation and work across the House." Health Secretary Matt Hancock had previously stressed that the powers in the bill would only be used "when strictly necessary" and would remain in force only for as long as required. The Coronavirus Bill facilitates an increase in the available health and social care workforce and an easing of the burden on frontline staff, to help slow the spread of the virus. It also sets out powers for police to detain people suspected of having coronavirus and send them to be tested. People who fail to do so could be fined up to 1,000. The new law will also allow employers to reclaim statutory sick pay funds from HMRC to help with the burden of increased staff absence due to the outbreak of the disease. Addressing the house on Tuesday, Lord Bethell said: Fundamentally this Bill is about buying time. Time can help us. With each day that passes, the science is getting better. Each day brings us closer to faster, more accurate testing capabilities and ultimately a vaccine. "Each day that we can slow the rate of transmission is a small victory that will lead us to the ultimate defeat of the virus. We need to buy time for the NHS, flattening the infection curve and raising the capacity line, moving the peak away from the most dangerous winter months. For the Opposition, Lord Falconer of Thoroton offered Labours full support for the emergency powers. In normal times it would be utterly unacceptable, he said. These are not normal times. As long as the emergency lasts and these powers are necessary, they should be available to the Government. The coronavirus pandemic has led to a high demand for sanitisers as hand washing is an effective way to keep the infection away. Mumbai: Led by market leader Diageo, the liquor industry is joining hands with state governments to fight the coronavirus pandemic by manufacturing and supplying hand sanitisers. The coronavirus pandemic has led to a high demand for sanitisers as hand washing is an effective way to keep the infection away. Liquor companies like Diageo and Radico Khaitan have decided to stop bottling alcohol at some of their plants and instead make hand sanitisers following an appeal by the government and a promise to give them the needed permits. "We will support the government and the hospitality sector during this pandemic by manufacturing 3 lakh litres of bulk hand sanitisers from our 15 units across the country," Anand Kripalu, managing director and chief executive officer of Diageo India, said. As part of the initiative, the company will also donate 5 lakh litres of ENA (Extra Neutral Alcohol), which is a key ingredient in making sanitisers, to the sanitiser industry, he said in a statement. This amount of ENA can produce more than 2 million units (250 ml each) of hand sanitisers, he added. Diageo is the country's largest liquor maker. The country's second largest liquor maker Allied Blenders & Distillers, which produces the globally largest selling whiskey Officer's Choice, said it has not decided on manufacturing hand sanitisers since there is a tedious licensing process. "We have not taken a final call on this. A liquor company cannot make something that needs a drug licence under the existing licence. Having said so, it does not mean we will not do our bit to help the nation," Deepak Roy, vice-chairman of ABD, told PTI over phone on Tuesday. Smaller player Radico Khaitan said it would start producing sanitisers from its Rampur distillery and has already applied for necessary permissions. It has also chalked out distribution plans. "Being a leading spirit manufacturer, we have decided to extend our support to the country in this worrisome time of the coronavirus outbreak," Radico Khaitan Chief Operating Officer Amar Sinha said in a statement. "Radico Khaitan has kick-started expanding the use of ENA at its mother distillery in Rampur into production of hand sanitiser which will be available at retail stores in a few days," he added. According to Kripalu, Diageo has also announced health insurance cover to on-trade partners and donation of free masks to government public health departments. As part of this initiative, it is offering health insurance cover worth Rs 3 crore to bartenders and would also donate around 1,50,000 masks to the public health departments of five states. An e-mail sent to the All India Distillers Association did not elicit a response on questions about other distillers' efforts towards making hand sanitisers. Last week, FMCG leader HUL cut the prices of its handwash product and also promised to increase production to help alleviate supplies issues in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Beauty products maker VLCC has also started production of hand sanitisers. Some liquor companies overseas are also in the process of making hand sanitisers. "While we advise that you cannot use our standard vodka product as a hand sanitizer, our team at the distillery has been working hard to get all of the pieces in place to begin production on a hand sanitizer that adheres to industry and governmental guidance," American vodka maker Tito's said in a tweet on Sunday. PTI BEN RAM Julian Assange has been denied bail after his lawyers tried to get him out from behind bars because of the increasing risk of coronavirus. The WikiLeaks founder, 48, was told he had to stay inside London's Belmarsh Prison because he couldn't be trusted to be at his next hearing at the beginning of next month if he was allowed to leave. The Australian citizen's US extradition trial began in February after a US grand jury indicted Assange on 18 charges - 17 of which fall under the Espionage Act. These included conspiracy to receive, obtain and disclose classified diplomatic and military documents. WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange leaves Westminster Magistrates Court in London on January 13, 2020. He has been denied bail from Belmarsh Prison in London He allegedly conspired with army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to expose military secrets between January and May 2010. At Westminster Magistrates Court Judge Vanessa Baraitser told Assange the global pandemic was not enough to justify his release. 'I have heard evidence that Assange would consider suicide before being allowed to be extradited to the United States,' she said. 'There is a high risk of extradition. 'No court wishes to keep a defendant in custody, even less so during the emergency we are now experiencing. But Mr Assange's past conduct shows the lengths he is willing to go to escape proceedings.' Assange is currently being held at Belmarsh prison (pictured above) which has housed some of the UK's most notorious prisoners Assange skipped bail and fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in London in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted at the time to answer questions on alleged sex crimes. The allegations have since been dropped. 'Conditions imposed on him last time did nothing to prevent him taking the steps that he did,' she added. 'At the time he made the decision to enter the Ecuadorian Embassy he was subject to a European arrest warrant. He now faces serious allegations in the US.' 'As matters stand today this global pandemic does not of itself yet provide grounds for Mr Assange's release. This is a rapidly changing environment. Asaange appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court (pictured above) over video-link on December 13, 2019. His supporters had previously demonstrated outside court 'It is the government's responsibility to protect all prisoners and I have no reason not to rely on Public Health England to help the government do exactly that. 'No cases of COVID 19 having been confirmed in HMS Belmarsh.' Earlier Assange's barrister Edward Fitzgerald, QC, argued he was not able to prepare properly for his extradition case in a locked-down prison. He added that Assange was unlikely to flee because of the current global travel restrictions. Mr Fitzgerald said: 'There is a real risk he will contract coronavirus and suffer a fatality or a serious illness.' Assange pictured as he is led out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in handcuffs following his sensational arrest by British police last year The lawyer then read out a statement from Assange's unnamed partner who said: 'He's been told all associations in Belmarsh have been cancelled. 'For 23 hours a day he is in solitary. The opportunity for infection of corona are still there because he is exercising with 40 other people in a confined space. All the fears we have have become compounded. 'He may himself die due to increased risk of exposure. All past lifelines of support for him have been shut down. I was told the weekly visits will be cut down and now I'm told they will not take place at all.' Mr Fitzgerald revealed he had been told 100 members of staff were off work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Assange was charged following an FBI investigation on a 'conspiracy to commit computer hacking as well as unlawfully obtaining and disclosing classified information, endangering human sources'. Pamela Anderson pictured leaving Belmark Prison after a visit with the WikiLeaks founder in June last year The court has heard Assange had a 'thermonuclear option' he intended to use if it looked as though he was in danger of being arrested or WikiLeaks shut down. In 2010 he released more than 250,000 unredacted State Department diplomatic cables. The indictment said these 'included names of persons throughout the world who provided information to the US government in circumstances in which they could reasonably expect that their identities would be kept confidential. 'These sources included journalists, religious leaders, human rights advocates and political dissidents who were living in repressive regimes and reported to the United States the abuses of their own government and the political conditions within their own countries at great risk to their own safety.' Manning was imprisoned from 2010 until 2017 when her sentence was commuted, but she is currently in jail for her continued refusal to testify before a grand jury against Assange. Assange was jailed for 50 weeks last April after breaching his bail conditions when the asylum period granted to him expired. Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty collaborated on the musicals "Ragtime," "A Man of No Importance" and "Anastasia." (Brad Barket / Getty Images) Terrence McNally died on Tuesday from complications related to the novel coronavirus. Lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty, who collaborated with the playwright on the musicals "Ragtime," "A Man of No Importance" and "Anastasia," spoke to Times staff writer Ashley Lee on Wednesday, paying tribute to the theater giant in this edited conversation. Lynn Ahrens: There's so many things to remember about him, it's hard to really pick just one. Whenever we got together, he would order bagels and chicken salad, and he'd make coffee Stephen Flaherty: Coffee was the one thing that he knew how to make. Ahrens: Oh, yes, and it was very good! We would just talk about what we'd seen in the theater and the gossip and all of that. It was always a getting together of old friends, which was so, so nice. We'd just be having a great time, and little by little, we would wend our way to the work. He had this beautiful way with words. He was such a great writer for people who write musicals because he would write a paragraph about a character, and when I looked at it as a lyricist, I would say, "Oh my gosh, that should be sung, that should go to music." He was so poetic and lyrical and really had a way of inspiring songs in his musical collaborators. Flaherty: Yes. He was a very generous writer in giving to his collaborators. For "Ragtime," he had written a 60-page treatment of how you might musicalize the novel for the stage. There was a beautiful moment in it when the character Mother was saying goodbye to Father before his expedition, and he wrote, "Goodbye, my love, God bless you. And I suppose, bless America too." We read that and thought, "That must be a lyric for a song." I started writing the music, Lynn developed the lyric further, and it became this beautiful, musical moment. Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald were among the original cast of "Ragtime." ( Catherine Ashmore) Ahrens: He also had Mother just say this one line to Father: "We can never go back to before." I'm like, "Oh my God, that's the song." I wrote the whole song in a night! Story continues He loved that "Ragtime" is still being done all over the country, in schools and regional theaters. It meant a lot to him to have the show recognized, all these many years later. Flaherty: He was also a great lover of music: symphonies, opera, musicals. He was always analyzing musical structure; he was aware of the setups of the great song moments and the crescendos to what would be the arias, and he wrote that way. Ahrens: He cared so much about everything that went on the page, so he and I butted heads all the time. We could get into a fight about a word, really. It never ended! But it was fine. We would have a fight one day, and then the next day, we'd be in love all over again. And he would lecture the cast of actors and say things like, "When I write a comma, I want you to pause. And when I write a period, I want you to stop. And I don't want you to pause when there is no comma or when there is no period." I have been present for these talks with the cast, and I found it so annoying but endearing, because he believed in what he wrote so much. Flaherty: He also insisted that the typeface be 16 or 18 point. Huge. Ahrens: He always wanted everything he worked on to be profound and serious at its heart. Even "Anastasia," which is based on an animated movie, he wanted to explore the history and tell a grown-up story. He wrote so many cogent lines in so many of his shows, but there's one in "Anastasia" that goes, "We never know which goodbye will be the last." We were in Florida last week, doing a show [ "Knoxville" ] at the Asolo Repertory Theatre, and he was supposed to come down to see it. We both emailed him separately and told him to stay home, it's not a good time to travel. The rest is history, but we didn't get a chance to say goodbye. "Anastasia" was the final collaboration for McNally, Ahrens and Flaherty. (Matthew Murphy) Flaherty: He also had a wicked sense of humor. He was really, really funny. And that's what I love about him and his work: one moment, it's very moving, and the next moment, it's outrageously funny. I think he understood that about life: the humor of it, the darker moments, it's all part of the same thing. You find that all through everything he does. Ahrens: There was a little show that we did with him called "A Man of No Importance." On some level, I think that was his favorite show. It was such a quiet show. It was about a gay Dublin bus driver who is in love with a man who is straight. It's utterly a Terrence story. He brought the idea to us. We made a delicate little musical out of it that is not widely known. There's a line in it that we've always used with each other jokingly, but now it's just stuck in my mind: "I'm blessed in my friends." That sums up Terrence: He was surrounded by love and by friends, and he gave opportunities to young writers. He wrote shows for actors who had never had a break and they became stars. He was such a giving person to the people who surrounded him. Flaherty: All of our lives have changed so much because of knowing him, and for the better. Never thought I'd say this, but thank God for Andrew Cuomo. In the midst of a pandemic, Americans need real leadership -- and the New York governor has risen to the occasion. In the face of a feckless, reckless president spreading disinformation by the day, Cuomo has stepped up, using his platform to share accurate public health information and demand action. It makes him, disturbingly, an outlier. And it reveals how the growing right-wing cult of Trumpism is endangering all Americans. With some notable, clear-eyed exceptions -- such as Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine -- too many high-profile Republican governors and other leaders in states that are most affected are still dragging their feet or even actively putting people at risk. Florida Gov. Ron Ron DeSantis' was reluctant to enforce "social distancing," for example, and Jerry Falwell Jr., Trump's conservative Christian ally, invited up to 5,000 students back to campus at Liberty University in Virginia, where he is president, and also told faculty members to show up. Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of Texas, told Fox News viewers that plenty of American grandparents would be willing to die to save the economy for the next generation. "I just think there are lots of grandparents out there in this country like me...that what we care about and what we love more than anything are those children," he said. There's now a creeping, creepy push for Americans to go back to work, despite a deadly virus that is not yet under control. The argument is a dark one: It's worth sacrificing 1 to 2% of the population -- mostly the elderly and immunocompromised -- to avoid plunging the nation into a depression (never mind that wiping out a million or more people and overwhelming our health care infrastructure would probably kill the economy anyway). The party that claims to be "pro-life" and is using this outbreak to roll back abortion rights (Texas Republican Gov. Gregg Abbot, for example is using the crisis to bar "any type of abortion that is not medically necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother," said the state's attorney general Ken Paxton) is also telling us that it's worth sacrificing the lives of our elderly and vulnerable to save money.. It's fascinating and telling: The GOP thinks it's A-OK to tell women we have to give up our bodily autonomy, our financial health and even our physical safety in the name of preserving "life," but God forbid they have to take a financial hit to keep people alive in a pandemic. The financial costs of coronavirus are real, they are painful, and they will get worse before they get better. Our leaders are right to be concerned about the economy. It's true that poverty and starvation may be downstream effects of an economic depression -- coronavirus isn't the only deadly possibility here, even if it's the biggest immediate threat. But in one of the wealthiest nations on the planet, people don't have to die because they're poor, even during a serious financial crisis. In America, people do die because they're poor, but that's because of policy choices we make. Yes, a depression will be crushing to the poor and vulnerable if we stay on our current financial path of incredible inequality and decide that all of our lives actually matter. Cuomo offered the right response. "We are not willing to sacrifice 1-2% of New Yorkers," he said in one tweet. "My mother is not expendable," he wrote in another. "Your mother is not expendable. We will not put a dollar figure on human life. We can have a public health strategy that is consistent with an economic one. No one should be talking about social darwinism for the sake of the stock market." He's also been a leader in pressing the federal government to do something. "FEMA says 'we're sending 400 ventilators,'" Cuomo said at a press conference Tuesday. "Really? What am I going to do with 400 ventilators when I need 30,000? You pick the 26,000 who are going to die because you only sent 400 ventilators." He's right, and he's one of the few voices of reason in this whole mess. But there's only so much power any governor has. To truly combat this thing, we need the White House to step up. We need the leader of our nation to intelligently -- and morally -- lead. And so far, that's not happening. The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas on Nov. 22, 2019. (Angus Mordant/Reuters) US Shale Fights for Survival Amid Growing Pandemic, Oil Price War The sector, which has helped the United States become the largest oil and gas producer in the world, is in dire straits WASHINGTONThe rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, coupled with the price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, threatens the U.S. shale oil producers that are already struggling under large piles of debt. The oil price has suffered from a sharp drop in demand in recent weeks as the CCP virus, commonly referred to as the novel coronavirus, pushes the global economy into recession. On top of this negative demand shock, a standoff between Saudi Arabia and Russia threatens to flood global markets with cheap oil if both sides fail to reach an agreement in the coming days. West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices traded at $23 per barrel on March 25, which was down more than 60 percent since the beginning of the year. And Brent prices, the benchmark price for global crude oil, traded at $29 per barrel, down 57 percent year-to-date. The average break-even price for shale oil producers is about $50 per barrel, according to a Dallas Fed energy survey. Before the virus, the sector was already under significant financial distress as most shale producers are debt-ridden. The steep drop in oil prices is hurting their cash flow and pushing them to the brink of bankruptcy. The shale oil revolution, which refers to the combination of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, has made it commercially feasible for oil producers to recover more oil and gas. Americas energy independence is the result of the shale revolution, according to analysts. It enabled the United States to significantly boost its production over the last decade, making it the worlds largest oil and gas producer. The shale production also helped the country to pull away from the periodic eruptions in the Middle East that threatened energy security. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated that about 63 percent of total U.S. crude oil production in 2019 came from shale oil resources. A Game of Ego Phil Flynn, a senior energy analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago, said the recent price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia has become a game of ego. There seems to be an effort by either one or both parties to try to sink U.S. shale, and theyre doing it at a time when demand destruction is at an all-time high because of the coronavirus, Flynn told The Epoch Times. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, had earlier proposed to cut 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) output in April to cope with the CCP virus outbreak. Moscow, however, refused to support OPECs call for deep cuts. In response, Saudi Arabia stated on March 10 that it would increase supplies to a record 12.3 million bpd in April, well above the current production level of 9.7 million bpd. The United Arab Emirates also announced that it would raise crude supply next month. This price war is going to create a major pullback in the U.S. shale industry, Flynn said, adding that there are talks of oil prices continuing to fall into the single-digit level. So were going to be not only seeing our U.S. shale producers maybe go bankrupt, but were going to be giving up market share back to Russia and OPEC. According to Flynn, Russias main goal is to try to dump cheap oil in the world so they can sink U.S. shale. Goldman Sachs predicts that U.S. oil production will fall nearly 1.4 million bpd in the next 15 months as a result of reduced drilling and completion activity. And capital spending (capex) is expected to drop by 35 percent this year compared to 2019. Chesapeake Energy Corp, which helped pioneer the U.S. shale oil revolution in the late 2000s, recently hired debt restructuring advisers, according to Reuters. The company is struggling with roughly $9 billion in debt, and its shares dropped more than 75 percent since the beginning of the year. Job Losses Tens of thousands of Texans are being laid off as companies shut drilling sites and rigs, a Texas regulator recently told Bloomberg. The companies in the entire oil supply chain are also seeing the effects of the CCP virus and the price war. The worlds biggest provider of fracking services, Halliburton, for example, recently announced that it would furlough nearly 3,500 workers at its Houston headquarters as oil producers cut back on spending. Capital markets access is limited for many U.S. shale producers at current oil prices, Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a report. With many unable to fund updated capex plans organically, and some also faced with a wall of debt maturities that may be tough to refinance, the road ahead is challenging and ample liquidity is key. A senior executive at an investment management firm in New York, who wished to remain anonymous, said its been exceedingly difficult to raise capital for funds solely invested in energy. Institutional investors have been staying away because of environmental, social, and governance issues and to avoid criticism from people like Greta Thunberg, he told The Epoch Times. Its unfortunate. Firms like Chesapeake and Continental Resources are very innovative and revolutionized the oil and gas industry. US, China Buy Oil The U.S. government announced March 19 that it would buy 30 million barrels for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to support U.S. oil producers facing potentially catastrophic losses. The government is planning to fill the reserve to its maximum capacity by purchasing 77 million barrels in total. China is also reportedly buying a record volume of Russian oil. North Dakota, the second-largest crude oil producer in the nation, has already taken a big hit, said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). Were seeing small employers laying off large numbers of people, were seeing capex being greatly reduced by companies like Continental Resources, Hess, and others, he told Fox Business on March 24. I worry a little bit that the president rather likes these low gasoline prices, he said. Low gas prices are great if youre able to drive. Cramer wrote a letter to President Donald Trump on March 18 urging him to embargo crude oil from Russia, Saudi Arabia, and other OPEC nations. Unfortunately, these bullying tactics by Russia have become the norm, but the actions of our close strategic partner Saudi Arabia are particularly concerning, he said in the letter. Trump earlier said that he will get involved at some point to stop the glut of oil in the market. In one way, our consumer is very much helped, Trump said at a White House press briefing on March 19. But, on the other hand, it hurts a great industry and a very powerful industry. He said the low oil price is very devastating for Russia and very bad for Saudi Arabia. They were in a fight on output. And at the appropriate time, Ill get involved. China is asserting itself in disputed waters around Asia this month to look strong after containing the worlds first coronavirus outbreak as the rest of the world grapples with the disease now. The Communist leadership seeks an image boost among its own population that's beleaguered by shutdowns and lockdowns -- measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. The deadly respiratory disease virus was discovered in central China in December and led to about 81,000 cases there. Chinese officials hope to appear strong too around the world against growing resentment that China spawned the coronavirus thats now hurting economic activity in India, Western Europe, the United States and parts of Southeast Asia, scholars say. China is making up as well for any military exercises they may have put on hold to fight the virus, some believe. Priority for China is to protect their national interests, so to step up or to implement military exercises is inevitable, said Andrew Yang, secretary-general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies think tank in Taiwan. South China Sea and Taiwan Chinese military aircraft carried out an anti-submarine drill this month in the contested South China Sea, apparently in response to patrols by U.S. warships, media in China report. The U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell passed through part of the sea March 10 in the U.S. Navys second mission this year to advocate that the waterway remains open internationally rather than coming under Chinese control. In a less expected move, China held joint exercises March 15 with Cambodia despite risk of offending Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries that resent Chinas military presence in the region. A Chinese fishing boat militia that has pestered the Philippines in the seas disputed Spratly Islands never went home in response to the coronavirus outbreak, said Carl Thayer, Southeast Asia-specialized emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Beijing calls about 90% of the South China Sea its own despite competing claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. China has reclaimed land to build up the resource-rich seas tiny islets for military use. Its coast guard vessels periodically pass through the claims of other countries, all of which are militarily weaker. China has time from now until the late-year typhoon season to do even more in the South China Sea, Thayer said. In another show of strength, three Chinese military planes have flown near Taiwanese airspace since February, the defense ministry in Taipei says. China claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan and has not renounced use of force, as needed, to reach its goal of unification. Training for war preparedness will not be stopped even in the middle of the COVID-19 epidemic, Chinese state-controlled news website Global Times said March 25 following an aircraft carrier-based exercise in Chinese territorial waters. Responses to provocation Chinese authorities said they had all but stopped the spread of the coronavirus spread this month. But some overseas, including U.S. President Donald Trump, have pointed at China as the source of the virus that has triggered economically destructive city lockdowns around the world. COVID-19 has killed about 18,900 people including 3,281 in China. The U.S. Navys passages through the South China Sea year to date got China all the more fired up, analysts say. But the U.S. government, in the thick of its own COVID-19 response this month, isnt helping other Asian countries resist China longer term as it has in the past, they add. Annual events where national leaders often discuss Chinas maritime activity have been spiked this year. For China, it will be business as usual if not intensify, Thayer said. China is slapping back (at Washington), and the U.S. is showing no leadership, so its a vacuum for China to step in. China is likely to increase offshore military activity beyond normal levels only with a pretext such as more provocation from the United States, said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Otherwise, he said, Chinas Asian neighbors would get angry. As long as this COVID thing is still running around over the next few months, I dont think they will go to the extent of resuming reclamation (or) being too proactive in sending their coast guard, Oh said. Many countries would sort of at the back of their minds think this virus actually came from China. Now that India is under lockdown for the next 21 days along with the world, Pornhub has decided to give their premium membership for free to everyone. The move comes to encourage people to stay indoors and the adult website even changed their logo to Stay home Hub to get the message across. Pornhub The website was already offering free premium membership to countries like Italy, Spain and France. Now, however the company is extending the offer to everyone. Since this is a situation that continues to impact us all, we've decided to play our part in encouraging everyone to stay home and are launching Free Premium worldwide until April 23, Pornhub said in a blog post. Pornhub Pornhub premium normally costs $9.99 per month and gives access to exclusive adult content in full HD quality. In order to get access to the membership, you will need to visit the new Stayhub website. To get access to the premium membership, you simply need to commit to self-isolation and agree to regularly wash your hands. You will need to have an account in order to progress further. Kyivpost Pornhub is also giving 100% payout to content creators during the month of April We have always been a global community, hosting Models from every corner of the world. So when a global human crisis happens, it is up to everyone to work together to help support the community, and that includes us, too, Pornhub wrote in the blog post. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/25/2020 -- Advance Market Analytics recently introduced Global Hospital Beds Market study with in-depth overview, describing about the Product / Industry Scope and elaborates market outlook and status to 2025. Global Hospital Beds effective study on varied sections of Industry like opportunities, size, growth, technology, demand and trend of high leading players. It also provides market key statistics on the status of manufacturers, a valuable source of guidance, direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. The competition is expected to become even more intense in the coming years with the entry of several new players in the market. To help clients improve their revenue shares in the market, this research study provides an in-depth analysis of the market's competitive landscape and offers information on the products offered by various leading companies. Additionally, this Household Cleaning Tools market analysis report suggests strategies Vendors can follow and recommends key areas they should focus on, in order to take maximum benefits of growth opportunities. Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/5985-global-hospital-beds-market Brief Overview on Hospital Beds: In hospitals, the bed is considered as one of the most essential equipment as most of the patient is not in the mobile condition to receive the treatment. Increasing adoption of a private hospital for better treatment leads to an increasing number of hospital beds in private hospitals. An increasing population suffering from chronic care patients and increasing popularity for home care are the factors that have been supplementing the overall growth of the market. However, decreasing number of beds in government hospitals and continuously fluctuation in the prices of raw material have been limiting the growth of the market Major Key Players in This Report Include: Stryker Corporation (United States), Hill-Rom Holding, Inc. (United States), Getinge Group (Sweden), Invacare Corporation (United States), Paramount Bed (Japan), Hill-Rom (United States), Linet Group (Czech Republic), Stiegelmeyer (Germany), France Bed (France) Market Drivers: - Increasing Demand for Hospital Beds from Private Hospitals - Increasing Population Suffering from Chronic Care Patients Market Trends: - Increasing Popularity for Home Care Market Restraints: - Decreasing Number of Beds in Government Hospitals - Intense Competition among Established Key Players Competitive Landscape: Mergers & Acquisitions, Agreements & Collaborations, New Product Developments & Launches, Business overview & Product Specification for each player listed in the study. The Global Hospital Beds Market segments and Market Data Break Down are illuminated below: by Type (Electric Beds, Semi-Electric Beds, Manual Beds), Application (Intensive Care, Non-Intensive Care), Material (ABS Beds, Stainless Steel Beds, Alloy Bed, Other), End Use (Acute Care, Long-Term Care, Psychiatric and Bariatric Care, Others), End User (Hospitals, Home Care Settings, Elderly Care Facilities) Region Included are: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Oceania, South America, Middle East & Africa Country Level Break-Up: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Russia, France, Poland, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand etc. In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Global Household Cleaning Tools Market are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2018 Estimated Year: 2019 Forecast Year 2019 to 2025 For Early Buyers | Get Up to 20% Discount on This Premium @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/5985-global-hospital-beds-market What benefits does AMA research studies provides: - Supporting company financial and cash flow planning - Open up New Markets - To Seize powerful market opportunities - Key decision in planning and to further expand market share - Identify Key Business Segments, Market proposition & Gap Analysis - Assisting in allocating marketing investments Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Hospital Beds Market: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Hospital Beds market Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary the basic information of the Hospital Beds Market. Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges of the Hospital Beds Chapter 4: Presenting the Hospital Beds Market Factor Analysis Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis. Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region 2013-2018 Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Hospital Beds market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions. Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source Get More Information: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/5985-global-hospital-beds-market Key questions answered - Who are the Leading key players and what are their Key Business plans in the Global Hospital Beds market? - What are the key concerns of the five forces analysis of the Global Hospital Beds market? - What are different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the Global Hospital Beds market? - What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? **Actual Numbers & In-Depth Analysis, Business opportunities, Market Size Estimation Available in Full Report. Definitively, this report will give you an unmistakable perspective on every single reality of the market without a need to allude to some other research report or an information source. Our report will give all of you the realities about the past, present, and eventual fate of the concerned Market. Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. About Author: Advance Market Analytics is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enables clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As. Contact Us: Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA 08837 Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218 sales@advancemarketanalytics.com Connect with us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/advance-market-analytics https://www.facebook.com/AMA-Research-Media-LLP-344722399585916 https://twitter.com/amareport The coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) has already taken a toll on peoples health care across the world. Forty years ago, the world witnessed the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) pandemic that killed 40 million people and left another 30 million HIV+. While Africa bore the maximum brunt of the pandemic then, the epicentre for Covid-19 appears to be the rich nations of western Europe and the United States (US). Initially, Indias response to Covid-19 was quick. The government identified the risk in allowing people from China to enter the country, and adopted quarantine procedures for those who were evacuated from Wuhan and other cities in China, and later from Iran and Italy. India could minimise the initial impact because of these timely steps. However, what followed later was a large influx of people (estimated around two to two-and-a-half million), including students, tourists, pilgrims and residents from India, who returned to the country between January and March 2020 until the borders were closed to international traffic on March 21. They returned from various international destinations and proceeded to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and airports in northern Kerala, among other places. The government introduced thermal screening procedures for those coming from abroad, while others who were asymptomatic or not detected by thermal scanners were allowed entry with an advisory to stay at home and observe quarantine procedures. But many did not follow it strictly. In the intervening period, they have travelled within the country, met people, participated in social functions and infected a large number of people. The rising infections in the last few weeks are mainly reported from among this section of the population and their contacts. The government has done a fine job of sharing the details of incoming passengers with the state governments and district administrations. But how effectively each of them was followed up on and counselled to stay at home is not clear. Some state governments have now started monitoring these cases but that was only after they tested positive. Critical time was lost in enforcing the quarantine instructions until the janata curfew (peoples curfew) and the subsequent lockdown in high-prevalence districts started taking effect. The prime minister has now announced an extended lockdown for 21 days which is very timely. It will provide time and a window of opportunity for the central and state governments to mount an intensified response within a short period of identifying people who returned from abroad and their families and testing them. This testing load is bound to be large and the present testing arrangements will be stretched to their full capacity. The testing procedures until now are built around viral load testing by taking throat swabs. The time taken for the test results is between three to five days. The tests are costly and can be carried out only in specialist institutions. The key to scale-up testing in a large population is to introduce tests that can give results the same day to enable treatment at an early stage of infection. Such tests are based on detecting antibodies in the infected person. Antibody tests are generally more affordable both for patients and government agencies. In the case of HIV/AIDS, the entire testing programme was centred around making available rapid testing to check HIV status. In a short period of time, a large number of HIV positive persons were identified for providing anti- retroviral treatment (ART) and AIDS-related mortality was substantially reduced. This is an opportune time for the government to look for rapid antibody testing for Covid-19 for both symptomatic and asymptomatic travellers and their close contacts. South Korea and Singapore effectively used rapid testing to identify positive cases who were quarantined and followed up on. The United States Food and Drug Administration has recently approved a rapid test for Covid-19. India has the technological capability to produce a high-quality rapid test quickly. In the short-term, the government can import rapid test kits and use them in the testing programmes. This will help in scaling up testing facilities in health care institutions right up to the district level and take the pressure off specialist institutions and laboratories. The battle for control of Covid-19 can be won if the new infection rates can be brought down substantially in the next two to three weeks. And providing testing and treatment facilities to those who are at risk is the key to success. We should not make the mistakes some European countries made in not responding rapidly enough. It will prove to be unaffordable in the Indian context. Prasada Rao is former health secretary, Government of India The views expressed are personal NJ man George Falcone, 50, has been charged with terroristic threats in the third degree for coughing on a supermarket worker claiming he has COVID-19 A New Jersey man has been charged with making terrorist threats after he allegedly coughed on a supermarket employee claiming he was infected with the contagious coronavirus. George Falcone, 50, was charged for terrorist threats in the third degree and other charges over the incident, the office of New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said Tuesday. On Sunday evening Falcone was shopping in a Wegman's supermarket in Manalapan when an employee asked him to step back from prepared foods while she covered them. Instead, prosecutors said, he leaned toward her and purposely coughed, laughing and saying he was infected with COVID-19, the severe respiratory illness wreaking havoc across the globe. Then he approached two other employees and told them they were lucky to have their jobs. When a police officer arrived on the scene, Falcone initially refuse to identify himself. However, in a Facebook message on Tuesday, Falcone denied the accusations, saying, 'Didn't cough on anyone and never mentioned corona.' New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy referred to the charges in a news conference on Tuesday, saying there were 'knuckleheads out there' and that law enforcement was taking action against 'egregious' behavior as the state locks down in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. 'Exploiting peoples fears and creating panic during a pandemic emergency is reprehensible,' Monmouth County prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said. 'These are extremely difficult times in which all of us are called upon to be considerate of each other not to engage in intimidation and spread fear, as alleged in this case,' he added on Falcone's charges. He coughed on a supermarket worker at Wegmans in Manalapan, New Jersey on Sunday claiming he was infected with COVID-19 The third-degree terrorism charge carries a sentence of three to five years in state prison, and the harassment charge a sentence of up to six months. Falcone was also charged with obstructing administration of law in the fourth degree, which has a sentence of up to 18 months. The US Justice Department announced on Tuesday that anyone who threatens to infect people with coronavirus could face federal charges. Nationwide, the coronavirus, which broke out late last year in Wuhan, China, has infected nearly 50,000 people and killed 640, with more than a quarter of the deaths in New York state. As of Wednesday there are over 54,000 cases of the virus in the US and at least 783 deaths This chart shows how the number of COVID-19 cases has dramatically increased over the past month In New Jersey there are 3,765 cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday morning and there have been 44 deaths. As similar coughing incident unfolded in Pennsylvania last week. Daniel Tabussi, 57, of Carlisle, was charged with terroristic threats, simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment. On Friday he allegedly approached an older man in a Karns grocery store who was wearing a medical face mask and gloves because of the potential fatal risk from COVID-19, during seniors-only shopping time. That man was wearing the protective gear also in part because he was recovering from pneumonia. Tabussi allegedly made deliberate coughing sounds near the man then smiled and laughed. He reportedly mocked the man for wearing a mask and claimed he was infected with the coronavirus. Italian-born artist, illustrator, and Asterix co-founder Albert Uderzo has died at the age of 92, informed his family earlier today. Italian-born artist, illustrator, and Asterix co-founder Albert Uderzo has died at the age of 92, his family informed earlier on 24 March. Albert Uderzo died in his sleep at his home in Neuilly, after a heart attack that was not linked to the coronavirus. He had been extremely tired for the past several weeks, his son-in-law Bernard de Choisy told AFP. Uderzo created the comic series Asterix in 1959 with writer Rene Goscinny, and first published it in the French-Belgian comics magazine Pilote. Set in 50 BC, it follows the Gaulish warrior Asterix and his friend Obelix as they try to keep their village safe from Roman occupation. The series was a massive hit with translations in several languages. After Goscinny's death in 1977, Uderzo continued writing and illustrating the series alone, till he retired in 2011. Today, the series has extended to 38 books, the most recent being 2019's Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter; and 14 films, most recently 2018's Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion. Both Uderzo and Goscinny are considered founding fathers of modern comics and graphic novels. The worlds governments are rushing to implement stimulus packages in order to prevent a recession (or depression) at the hand of the Coronavirus pandemic. In the US, the Trump administration and members of Congress are negotiating a substantial impetus package to inject into the economy to ease the impacts of the pandemic. The U.S. Senate is negotiating a nearly $2-trillion emergency bill that hopes to soften the economic blow, but Democrats are pushing back against an initial Republican draft of the bill. That means that so far, we have no stimulus package. House Democrats have put a few of their own proposals on the table, and they include the creation of a "digital dollar" and a "digital dollar wallet" to be distributed to all qualified U.S. residents. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, a member of the Democratic Party, is proposing a digital wallet and digital currency to be issued to facilitate the payments in order to get cash payments quickly to U.S. citizens. A lengthy draft bill titled the Financial Protections and Assistance for Americas Consumers, States, Businesses, and Vulnerable Populations Act, would provide monthly direct payments of up to $2,000 per eligible adult and $1,000 per child for as long as the crisis and potential recession may last. The bill will also give the unbanked access to their funds through a new digital wallet they can open at a financial institution. This would be the first instance of a central bank digital currency in the United States. It also makes it clear there would be no banking charges associated with the plan. As for who these "qualified individuals" are in this digital dreamland, the draft notes that its everyone except "any nonresident alien individual. A Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation report from 2017 shows that 6.5% of the U.S. households were "unbanked, meaning that no individual in the household has a checking or savings account. Another 18.7% of households were categorized as underbanked. This new virtual USD would be used for providing stimulus payments and nothing else. This isnt a plan to create cryptocurrency or a crypto wallet, despite the fact that many pundits have rushed to claim that the U.S. is turning to cryptocurrency in a time of crisis. The move would, however, be viewed as positive sentiment towards cryptocurrency, and it could open up some new doors. Its this kind of news that typically gives a nice sentimental boost to bitcoin. The Federal Reserve bank would be in control of the digital wallets. According to the bill, the payments could be done in two ways: either as a dollar balance made up of ledger entries of a Federal Reserve bank, or as an electronic unit of value that can be redeemed by financial institutions. But there are multiple proposals on the table--so many that the American public is probably wondering if anything will be passed in time. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled her $2.5 trillion spending bill, which also calls for a digital dollar and wallet, and includes measures to support homeowners and renters and $10,000 in loan forgiveness for student borrowers. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has proposed giving to every person in America a U.S. Debit Card preloaded with $2,000 and recharged with $1,000 monthly until one year after the end of the Coronavirus crisis. Elsewhere, Germanys government agreed on a package worth up to $800 billion to mitigate the damage of the coronavirus outbreak. Spain unveiled a $220 billion rescue package with additional measures that the government would provide all capital necessary to prevent companies from going bankrupt. The United Kingdom will back an initial $400 billion in loans for companies. Australia passed a $189-billion coronavirus economic rescue package. On a global scale, based on what the governments have already announced, stimulus packages could grow to more than $10 trillion. By Anes Alic for SafeHaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: Doctor dramas offer up masks They may only play doctors on TV, but theyre giving real-life help to hospitals that have taken a hit from the coronavirus outbreak. The Fox TV medical series The Resident has donated some of its on-set masks and gowns to a hospital in Atlanta, where it shoots, and the ABC show The Good Doctor is moving to do the same in its home base of Vancouver, Canada. To the entire team @theresidentonfox, thank you for this incredibly generous donation of #PPE from your set, including gowns, masks, gloves, and all the things our healthcare workers need to provide safe care for our community during #COVID19, Dr. Karen Law of Grady Memorial Hospital said on Instagram, along with a photo of boxes of the donated gear. Show representatives confirmed that the gear came from them, and representatives of The Good Doctor said they were in talks with government officials in Vancouver about what is needed at hospitals there. I had a serious discussion with the residents about how, though supplies are low, a magical shipment of masks is unlikely to arrive, Law said. And yet, a magical shipment of masks DID arrive, in the form of this very generous gesture. The coronavirus has especially hit home for The Good Doctor. Actor Daniel Dae Kim, who is a producer on the show and appeared in several episodes last year, says he has tested positive for it. Kim said in an Instagram video from his house in Hawaii that while flying home from a shoot in New York where he was playing a doctor helping with a flu pandemic he noticed an itch in his throat, followed by a tightness in his chest and body aches that prompted him to get tested. Kim says he was not hospitalized, and began feeling better within a few days. Im not 100 percent, but Im close, he said. Conans phone will be his crew With iPhones and Skype, Conan OBrien is going back on the air. The late-night host said he will resume putting out new episodes of TBS Conan on March 30. His staff will remain at home, and the show will be cobbled together with OBrien on an iPhone and guests via Skype. This will not be pretty, but feel free to laugh at our attempt, said OBrien on Twitter. The late-night shows have all shut down production due to the coronavirus pandemic to avoid congregating live audiences and large TV crews. Some hosts have pumped out web videos. OBrien, though, is the first to try to remotely mount a full broadcast from home. Associated Press This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (yellow)also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells (blue/pink) cultured in the lab. Pakistan's cement under the shadow of coronavirus 25 March 2020 Pakistan's cement industry has been impacted directly and indirectly by the coronavirus pandemic. The spread of the virus is driving cement manufacturers to reschedule or hold board meetings through video link. Export dispatches to Afghanistan are being suspended, while producers are seeing a fall in local cement demand, with lockdown of the port cities of Karachi and Sindh province. The other three provinces are partially locked down and this is expected to affect local dispatches. However, the industry expects to hear from the country's federal government in terms of providing an incentive package this week for the export and other industries, including the construction industry, which would act as catalyst in more than 40 industries, experts anticipate. The start of the large-scale Naya Pakistan Housing Plan (NPHP) in line with federal government plans will also be a stimulus. The peace process in Afghanistan would similarly be beneficial for the cement industry in the long term. Rescheduled AGM Power Cement Ltd (PCL) and Pakistan International Container Terminal Ltd (PICT) have rescheduled their Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders/Annual General Meeting to avoid public gathering in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The PCL meeting will be held on 28 March through video link. PIBTL will now hold its meeting on 6 April instead of March 25 at a terminal site througha video conference call with a minimum number of top officials. Export to Afghanistan External trade with Afghanistan is suspended to avoid spread of the coronavirus in both countries, except with permission of essential foods items on 21 March through the border in Baluchistan, as a special gesture of Pakistan's government on the directive of the prime minister. Pakistan exported 1.73Mt of cement to Afghanistan in 8MFY20 and about 200,000t in February. If trade halts altogether over the next few weeks, Pakistan's cement industry could lose an estimated 0.8Mt of export dispatches by the end of June. The loss in exports will depend on how long the border shutdown will last. Lockdown of Sindh province Sindh province has been in lockdown following the order of Sindh Chief Ministe, Murad Ali Shah, starting Monday, 23 March for the next 15 days to control the spread of coronavirus. Sindh has the largest number of coronavirus cases in the country with 292 confirmed. Pakistan's tally is currently 645 with four deaths. The other province have called forces to help civil administration in control of virus. Incentive package The Pakistan government is likely to announce an incentive package that is being prepared for industry to help them weather the severe disruptions in demand as well as their operations with the spread of the coronavirus. The construction sector and textile exporters are high on the list of industries that are in focus as the incentive package is to be announced later this week. Naya Pakistan Housing Plan (NPHP) Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated earlier this month PKR100bn (US$629.7m) worth of projects for the construction of 20,000 housing units under the Naya Pakistan Housing Plan (NPHP). This is exactly the good news that cement, steel and other building material manufacturers needed. However, the coronavirus will certainly hurt industrial production whether it is because industries are shut down to protect the spread of the virus or the virus is spread and the economy is in chaos. The uncertainty is definitely setting in. Economic benefits of Afghan peace The continuing spread of COVID-19 has taken the global attention off, among other things, the high hopes attached with the Afghan peace process. With the US committed to withdrawing its troops by the middle of next year, it is expected that sanity will prevail among the factions and a dialogue will eventually take place, as the alternative will be default return to the civil war that had ravaged Afghanistan for so long. If the real peace is achieved in all faction in Kabul, it will lead to a new era of development in Afghanistan, local experts believe. If international players invest big in Afghan mining, agri-business, construction, water and transportation sectors, it can lead to greater demand for Pakistani manufacturing products like cement, steel, chemicals, POL products, trucks and buses. Published under On Thursday, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania to close their physical locations. Enforcement of the order began this week. But businesses that are considered life sustaining by the state have stayed open, provided they follow, "at a minimum, the social distancing practices and other mitigation measures defined by the Centers for Disease Control to protect workers and patrons, the order from the governor said. Below is a list - in alphabetical order - of some of the businesses that remain open. As time permits we will continue to update this list throughout the day. If you own a business that is considered life sustaining by the state and remains open please send address information, hours and any other pertinent information to business@pennlive.com. We do have a separate list for restaurants. The list is below: Advance Auto There are multiple locations. The company is offering curbside pickup. Customers can place their order online, select store pickup, and itll be ready in 30 minutes. When you arrive, give the store a call. The company also offers same day delivery. Aldi Aldi has stores in Lower Paxton Township, Swatara Township and Hampden Township. Aldi stores are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Some stores may have limited hours to accommodate restocking and cleaning. AllBetterCare Urgent Care Center Multiple locations The urgent care center are open. However, AllBetterCare does not offer COVID-19 testing. They advise people that if they suspect they have COVID-19 and are not having high fever or breathing problems, to call their primary care physician or to use their provider or insurers virtual visit options to get initial advice. If you have high fever or breathing trouble, they advise people to go to the emergency room. Amazing Locksmith/Triple A Locksmith Lancaster County The emergency mobile, business and residential locksmith and lockout service is open 24 hours a day/seven days a week. Americhoice Federal Credit Union Multiple locations AmeriChoice has closed its branch lobbies, and continues to serve its members through its drive-thru lanes and by appointment at the branches. Around the Clock Laundry 3990 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township The laundry remains open 24 hours a day. AT&T 4920 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township AT&T has closed many of its stores. Where possible, it will keep at least one retail location open within a 20-mile radius in urban and suburban areas, and just over a 30-mile radius in rural areas. To locate a retail store that will remain open, visit www.att.com/stores. Stores are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time and all stores are closed on Sundays. Auto First 6305 Carlisle Pike, Hampden Township The location is open for service, according to a sign at the property. AutoZone Multiple locations AutoZone says its employees will wear gloves and maintain at lease six feet when performing a service at the parts counter or a free service in the parking lot including installing batteries and headlights or changing windshield wipers. Batteries Plus Bulbs There are locations in Lower Paxton and Lower Allen townships. The stores are open and Batteries Plus Bulbs stores offer curbside pickup. Customers can call their local store to place an order, drive to Batteries Plus Bulbs and staff will deliver the orders to their cars. Battery Warehouse 5399 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township The store is open. If customers would prefer not to enter the store they can call the store once they are parked and an employee can help them at their vehicle. If at any point a stores occupancy reaches 10 persons, they will ask that any additional customers wait to enter the premises until occupancy falls back below 10. BB&T Multiple locations The bank is temporarily adjusting services available at its branches by providing teller services through drive-thru lanes only, in-person visits by appointment only, and is closing some branches. Beer N Cigars 3842 Union Deposit Road, Susquehanna Township The store is open. Big Lots Locations: Susquehanna and Hampden townships The stores are open but also are offering a curbside delivery service where customers will place an order on the company website and then an employee will bring their order out to the car. Bombay Bazaar 6499 Carlisle Pike, Silver Spring Township The store is open. Brain Body Integrative Therapy Spring Garden Township, York County Offering HIPAA compliant video therapy sessions. Centric Bank Multiple locations The bank has limited branch service to its drive-thru lanes only, but will provide in-person appointments for its existing customers. Chocolates by Tina Marie 16 S. Rosanna St., Hummelstown Available for curbside pickup. Order at chocolatesbytinamarie.com, pay and arrange pickup. Citizens Bank Branch hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the week and 9 a.m. to noon at branches that are typically open on Saturdays. Branch lobbies will only be open by appointment and limited to two customers at a time. All drive-ups will remain open. In-store branches will install a plexiglass teller window and will service one customer at a time while adhering to social distancing protocols; bankers will be available by appointment only. City Gas 1541 State St., Harrisburg The business remains open. Concentra Urgent Care Multiple locations The urgent care centers are open. Conrads Quick Clean 1046 W. Main St., Hegins Township, Schuylkill County The location will remain open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Costco Beginning March 24 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Costco will temporarily implement special operating hours for members who are over the age of 60. The pharmacy will also be open during this hour; however the food court will maintain its normal operating schedule. Cricket Wireless 15260 Kutztown Road, Unit 190, Maxatawny Township, Berks County 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday CVS Pharmacy Multiple locations The stores are open and the company is offering free one to two day delivery of prescriptions and other items. DeVonos Dry Cleaning & Shirt Laundry Multiple locations throughout York County Shrewsbury, Queensgate and Red Lion locations are open from 11 a.m. -4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 10 a.m. to noon Saturday; The Manchester location is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday; The Dallastown location is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday; They also offer a pickup and delivery service. Dollar General Multiple locations The retailer has dedicated its first hour of the day to seniors and has reduced hours in the evening. Dollar Tree/Family Dollar Multiple locations. The retailer remains open. Dollys Laundromats Multiple locations. The locations including its location at 2403 N. Third St. in Harrisburg, are operating under normal business hours. Drayer Physical Therapy Multiple locations Drayer Physical Therapy locations are open for business and seeing patients. Hours vary by location, but most are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday. Drayer also offers telehealth physical therapy. Exxon Multiple locations. The locations are open. F&M Trust Multiple locations Drive-up services remain available but the banks lobbies are closed. Fine Line Auto Body 1746 Trindle Road, Middlesex Township The business is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. First National Bank Multiple locations. Most branches remain open. Fulton Bank Multiple locations The bank remains open. Gabes 3851 Union Deposit Road, Susquehanna Township The store is open from 10 a.m. to 8:30 daily with the first hour Giants Food and Giant Gas Multiple locations All Giant stores are open to service only customers who are age 60 and over first from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. daily. Overall hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Gulf Multiple locations Locations are open. Hampden Cleaners Multiple locations. The business remains open. Highland Gardens 423 S. 18th St., Lower Allen township The location is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Hours subject to change Hoffman Ford 5200 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township The parts, service and collision departments of Hoffman Ford are open. All three departments are open Monday through Friday -- Service - 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Parts - 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Collision - 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The dealership will pickup and deliver your personal vehicle and any emergency response vehicles that need service. Parts can be delivered as well. Home Depot There are Home Depot stores in Lower Paxton Township, Swatara Township, South Middleton Township and Hampden Township. All stores will now close daily at 6 p.m., while opening hours have remained unchanged. H&R Block Multiple locations The company is providing in-person tax help but is encouraging clients to utilize its drop-off process to reduce in-person interactions. Bring your documents to an H&R Block office and they will call with any questions and the client can even review and approve the return electronically. The IRS has announced that the tax-filing deadline has been extended to July 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic. International Groceries 3918 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township The store is open. IVX Health Locations in Hampden and Lower Paxton townships. The company has limited center access to patients and essential staff only. Unless for physical or safety reasons, the company will require guests to wait outside the center until the infusion is complete. Jack Williams Tire & Auto Service Centers 3809 Trindle Road, Camp Hill and 4611 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township. The locations are open. The company also has a mobile tire service that will come to your home or office to install or repair your tires - www.JackMobileTire.com. Customers can go to www.JackWilliams.com to order tires and book appointments online. Customers can use the key-drop box and envelopes to limit face to face interaction when dropping off your vehicle. The company can also pick up your car and drop it off. Jiffy Lube Locations on Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township; Carlisle Pike, Silver Spring Township and Kaylor Road, Derry Township. At the store in Silver Spring Township, customers will be given the option to remain in their vehicle from start to finish - although some services wont be available, according to the locations Facebook page. K&W Tire Retail Company Locations in the Lancaster and Gettysburg areas K&W offers a free pick-up/drop-off service. Both locations are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Karns There are multiple Karns locations. Karns has an hour for senior shopping from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and regular hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Kwik Fill 6479 Carlisle Pike, Silver Spring Township. The location remains open. Laynes Careful Cleaners 3980 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township; 3950 Tecport Drive, Swatara Township. The location on Jonestown Road is open from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Saturday and the location on Tecport Drive is open from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. They also offer free pickup and delivery. Lowes There are locations in Lower Paxton and Hampden townships. Lowes has reduced hours and is closing all stores at 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at 7 p.m. on Sunday. M&T Bank Multiple locations All drive-up windows remain open. Branch lobbies are open by appointment only. Members 1st Federal Credit Union Multiple locations All branch lobbies continue to be accessible Monday through Saturday by appointment only. The drive-thru lanes remain open. All Giant in-store branches will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment only and will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays.. Metro PCS Multiple locations The company has closed all mall stores and some of its company-owned stores. Midstate stores that are open, are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Meineke 2236 Gettysburg Road, Lower Allen Township; 4509 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township Store hours may vary during this time. Customers are urged to call ahead. Mid Penn Bank Multiple locations Mid Penn Bank has closed all of its branch lobbies and is using drive-thru only service. Customers will have access to the banks drive-thru lanes during 14 South 3rd St Harrisburg, PA normal banking hours, with certain branches offering expanded hours. Minuteman Press 14 S. Third St., Harrisburg The company is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday for pick up and delivery only. Mobil Multiple locations Mobil gas stations are open Monro Auto Service and Tire Centers Multiple locations The locations are open with reduced hours. More than Tires 901 Walnut Bottom Road, South Middleton Township The location is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Morris Laundromation Multiple locations The laundromats are open. Northwest Bank Multiple locations. Lobby access is by appointment only but the bank drive-thru lanes are open. Starting Monday, the bank will reduce its branch lobby hours and limit in-person banking appointments to 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. during the week and Saturday during normal business hours. NTB - National Tire & Battery 6051 Carlisle Pike, Hampden Township and 4521 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township. The Carlisle Pike location is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Jonestown Road location is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Ollies Bargain Outlet Locations in Hampden Township and Lower Paxton Township The retailer is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The first hour of business is designated for senior citizens. Orrstown Bank Multiple locations The bank has temporarily closed all branch lobbies for transaction purposes. Clients are welcome to utilize any of the banks drive-up facilities. The bank has implemented a by-appointment only process where it will meet with clients face-to-face for critical and essential needs that cannot be serviced remotely or via a drive-up, such as a loan settlement or safe deposit box access request. PA Auto License Brokers 6483 Carlisle Pike, Silver Spring Township The location remains open. Patient First Locations in Hampden and Lower Paxton townships Patient First is open. The company also advises limiting the number of visitors that you bring with you. The company also advises those that are experiencing severe breathing problems or have a medical emergency, to call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency room. At this time, Patient First is not able to evaluate patients or perform testing for Coronavirus. PepBoys The company has locations in Lower Paxton and Hampden townships. The locations are open. READ MORE: Petco Swatara, Silver Spring and Lower Paxton townships. All stores are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Petco announced that all stores will remain open with reduced hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to allow for increased cleaning and restocking. Petco is offering new services like pet hand-off, drop-off and text notifications at select locations to help minimize personal contact. All grooming salons remain open with reduced hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The self-service dog wash is temporarily closed until further notice. No group training classes are being offered at this time and puppy playtime has been postponed until further notice. Vaccinations clinics are closed but in-store veterinary hospitals are open. PetSmart Locations in Swatara and Hampden townships The companys store hours of operation are 9 a.m. 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. 7 p.m. on Sundays.The grooming salons are closed and the pet training group classes have been suspended until May 4. PetSmart offers curbside pickup, where you can order online for in-store pickup. Then, once you arrive at the store parking lot, call and select option "0 from the menu. Provide your name, make, model & color of your vehicle, and an employee will bring your purchase to your vehicle. Pet Valu Multiple locations The store are open and have reduced hours. The dog washes are temporarily closed. All events have been postponed or canceled. Employees will pick out your order for you. They ask that you take a picture or write down the brand and recipe of your current food before you come in so they can find exactly what your pet needs. PNC Bank Multiple locations The company is operating primarily in a drive-up only mode, augmented with select branches that do not provide drive-up capability. About three quarters of its branch locations will remain open. Branches are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. the bank is offering essential appointments on designated days of the week for safe deposit box access, loan closings or other banking services. Price Rite There is a location in Susquehanna Township. The store is open. Quik Quality Car Wash & Lube 3620 Walnut St., Susquehanna Township The location is open. Rite Aid Multiple locations Rite Aid stores are open. Home-delivery service from Rite Aid is available upon request and the company will waive delivery-service fees for eligible prescriptions. Customers should contact their local Rite Aid store for details. Controlled substances and/or refrigerated medications are not eligible for delivery. Safelite Auto Glass Multiple locations. Locations remain open S&T Bank Multiple locations All branches with a drive-up will operate as drive-up window service only and all branches without a drive-up are temporarily closed to the public. Sams Auto Repair & Sales 4220 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township This location is open. Sams Club There are locations in Swatara Township and Silver Spring Township The stores are open and beginning March 26 will offer special hours for seniors from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and the pharmacies and optical centers will be open at that time too. Sams Club is also offering concierge services for seniors. Santander Bank Multiple locations The bank says that it is splitting its network of branches into full service and limited service locations beginning March 23 until further notice. Save-A-Lot 2963 N. Seventh St., Harrisburg The store is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sears Auto Center 4600 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township The location remains open. Sherwin Williams Multiple locations The retailer is using a curbside pick up service for all orders. Customers have to call in their orders and then pick them up curbside. The retailer has temporarily reduced store hours. The stores will open at their regular time but will close at 5 p.m. during the week and 4 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Sheetz Multiple locations The stores remain open. Self-serve coffee, beverages and frozen drinks as well as bakery items have been suspended. Shop N Drive Cigarette Outlet 3050 Canby St., Susquehanna Township The store remains open. Silver Spring Beverage 6485 Carlisle Pike, Silver Spring Township The store is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Speedway Multiple locations The locations are open. Sprint Multiple locations The locations are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Sun Motor Cars BMW The service and body shop remains open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 P.M. Monday through Friday. Sweeet! The Candy Store in Gettysburg 100 Baltimore St., Gettysburg The store is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday for one family at a time. The store is open for carryout, delivery, and shipping. Sunoco Multiple locations The locations are open. Sutliff Volkswagon 1301 Paxton St., Harrisburg The business is open for service and parts from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The sales department is temporarily closed. Sutliff has a loaner fleet and pickup and delivery options are up and running. Target Locations in Silver Spring, Swatara, Lower Paxton and South Middleton townships. Target is open until 9 p.m. daily. T-Mobile 4515 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township T-mobile says it has closed 80 percent of its locations and locations that are open are operating from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The location on Jonestown Road remains open while several other locations in the area are temporarily closed. The UPS Store Multiple locations Locations remain open. Timothy S. Zeiger, Psy.D., PLLC Derry Township Offering telehealth services Tire Mart Harrisburg 4914 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township The location is open for business. Tires Plus There are locations in Hampden, Swatara and Lower Paxton townships. The three locations are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Uniform Place 6520 Carlisle Pike, Silver Spring Township The store is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Uniforms & Scrubs 6005 Allentown Blvd., Lower Paxton Township The store is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to a sign on the door. United States Post Office Multiple locations Of course the U.S. Post office is technically not a business but we included it because its office are open to but stamps and for other shipping needs. Walgreens Multiple locations Most stores are open 9 a.m. 9 p.m. on weekdays and 24-hour stores are drive-thru only overnight. Walmart Multiple locations The stores are open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Every Tuesday, the store hosts an hours to shop for one hour before the store opens. Wegmans 6416 Carlisle Pike, Silver Spring Township All other stores in Pennsylvania are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Market Cafe seating areas are closed. Wells Fargo Multiple locations Some locations are closed. Most drive-thru locations are open while other banking needs are available by appointment only. Weis Multiple locations The stores are open from 7 a.m. 9 p.m. daily. Xfinity 5094 Jonestown Road, Lower Paxton Township The location is open with limited hours. Zips Dry Cleaners 6110 Carlisle Pike, Hampden Township The location is open. Zweiers 505 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon The location is open. Loading --Sign up for PennLives newsletters Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. You can follow Daniel Urie on twitter @DanielUrie2018 and you can like PennLives business page on Facebook at @PennLiveBusiness Description Amid the lockdown and curfew order in force due to the Covid-19 outbreak, a total of 35 000 households enlisted on the Social Register of Mauritius including persons with disabilities, receiving the Carers Allowance and residents of Homes will receive food packs as from tomorrow. The Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection, Mr Yogida Sawmynaden, made this announcement at a press conference held this evening at the New Treasury Building, in Port Louis, where he also reiterated the support of the Government to the population with regard to the food distribution service for the next four days. This initiative, he said, has been taken in the best interest of the low income groups following the decision, yesterday, of complete lockdown of all supermarkets, shops and bakeries till 31 March 2020. With regard to needy citizens requiring food assistance, Minister Sawmynaden underlined that a number of companies have volunteered to provide services for online buying and home delivery. He also appealed to distributors, supermarkets and Non-Governmental Organisations, amongst others, to join in the efforts of the Government so that basic commodities are made easily available to vulnerable families. He reassured the public that there is no shortage in the supply of commodities such as flour, rice, fuel and cooking gas on the market and exhorted each and every one to demonstrate a stronger sense of responsibility during the curfew period. All companies, distributors and supermarkets willing to provide online shopping services are requested to call at the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection on 211 3076. As regards companies requiring access permits for distribution and home delivery of commodities, they can register online or seek assistance by calling on 212 2067. LAUSANNE, Switzerland, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Debiopharm, a Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company announced today having entered into a worldwide, exclusive license & research agreement with 3B Pharmaceuticals (3BP), a German biotechnology firm, to further the development of their radioligand program, now called Debio 0228, which targets the CAIX (Carbonic Anhydrase 9) enzyme to fight the progression of cancer. This agreement extends the radio-oncology portfolio of Debiopharm which currently includes another clinical stage radiotherapeutic and the radiotherapy-enhancing antagonist of IAPs (Inhibitors of Apoptosis proteins) Debio 1143. The collaboration with 3BP, a renowned expert in theranostic peptide discovery and radioconjugates, is projected to advance the program into clinical development phases of development within 2 years. Currently in Lead Optimization stage, the Debio 0228 program is set to identify a Development Candidate with best-in-class potential, designed to selectively destroy tumor cells that express the CAIX target. The selected compound will be developed using a theranostic approach, a combination of diagnostic and therapeutic features with the same compound, allowing the pre-identification of patients who have the receptors necessary to respond to the targeted radiotherapy. These potential responders are qualified for their personalized therapy via diagnostic molecular imaging of target expression in their tumor lesions. This emerging field of medicine implies that only those patients who have the capacity to benefit from the treatment will actually receive the therapy, potentially minimizing the time and cost of clinical trials while maximizing patients' chances of treatment success. "We believe that targeted radiotherapy is an exciting, innovative treatment modality. 3BP's novel CAIX targeted program is in right line with our expanding radiotherapy portfolio, keeping Debiopharm on the cutting edge of research that is focused on the specific characteristics of the patient," explained Frederic Levy, Executive Director of Search & Evaluation and Scientifc Innovation, Debiopharm. "We are delighted to enter into this agreement with Debiopharm, a company with a strong commitment to the development of radio-oncology pharmaceuticals. This agreement highlights the rapidly growing importance of nuclear medicine as a further pillar for the treatment of cancer. We believe this is an ideal partnership to advance the development of CAIX-targeted radiopharmaceuticals for the potential benefit of seriously ill patients," explained Ulrich Reineke, Managing Director, 3B Pharmaceuticals. Debiopharm's commitment to patients Debiopharm develops innovative therapies that target high unmet medical needs in oncology and bacterial infections. Bridging the gap between disruptive discovery products and real-world patient reach, we identify high-potential compounds and technologies for in-licensing, clinically demonstrate their safety and efficacy and then select large pharmaceutical commercialization partners to maximize patient access globally. Visit us www.debiopharm.com/ Follow us @DebiopharmNews at http://twitter.com/DebiopharmNews About 3B Pharmaceuticals 3B Pharmaceuticals is a German biotechnology company developing targeted radiopharmaceutical drugs and diagnostics for oncology indications with a high unmet medical need. As a leader in peptide discovery and optimization, 3B Pharmaceuticals has built a technology platform extending from hit identification to early clinical development. 3BP was founded in 2008 by a team of renowned experts in peptide drug discovery and nuclear medicine from Berlin, Bern and Basel. The company is owned by its founders and management. For more information on 3B Pharmaceuticals, visit www.3b-pharma.com Married At First Sight star Stacey Hampton has vowed to never take travel for granted amid the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, the 26-year-old shared a sultry throwback of her lounging by the pool in a black bikini, while in Santorini, Greece. It comes after the recent announcement Australians will be banned from travelling overseas as the government tries to stop the spread of the virus. 'Never ever will I ever take for granted being able to travel': On Wednesday, Married At First Sight star Stacey Hampton (pictured) shared a throwback bikini picture holidaying in Greece amid the COVID-19 pandem 'Never ever will I ever take for granted being able to travel, explore the world and indulge in everything around me,' Stacey wrote on Instagram. She added: 'The day this virus ends is the day I never take my life for granted.' The reality star finished with the hashtags #santorini, #throwback and #letsgetthroughthis. The day this virus ends is the day I never take my life for granted': Stacey has vowed to never take travel for granted amid the coronavirus pandemic Speaking to Daily Mail Australia earlier this month, Stacey revealed how she has the funds for lavish overseas holidays and designer goods. Her luxurious lifestyle includes a $90,000 Range Rover and a $20,000 designer shoe collection. The mother-of-two inherited a significant sum of money from her father and brother's estates following their tragic deaths several years ago. New vow: 'Never ever will I ever take for granted being able to travel, explore the world and indulge in everything around me,' Stacey wrote on Instagram She put the money into a family trust, which she later used to start several business ventures in South Australia. 'I had my own financial stability [before MAFS] with more than Michael [Goonan] could have provided,' said Stacey, hitting back at claims she's a 'gold digger'. As of Wednesday evening, there are 2,431 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia and nine deaths. 'I have my own financial stability': Speaking to Daily Mail Australia earlier this month, Stacey revealed how she has the funds for lavish overseas holidays and designer goods Touring a vast convention hall that was to be turned into a makeshift hospital, Mr. Cuomo said on Tuesday that the state needed 30,000 ventilators in the coming weeks not months to cope with skyrocketing infections. I dont need ventilators in six months, he said. And I dont need ventilators in five months, four months or three months. After he spoke, Vice President Pence said the federal government would send 4,000 more to New York. Besides the slow timetable, experts on medical devices questioned the wisdom of bringing in an unrelated industry like the automakers to manufacture a sophisticated medical device. Its not like making a sedan or S.U.V., said Dr. Hugh Cassiere, a pulmonologist who sits on a Food and Drug Administration panel for anesthesia and respiratory devices. Sounds good as a sound bite, but the practicalities may be very difficult, added Dr. Cassiere, who is helping oversee care for more than 40 severely ill coronavirus patients on ventilators at North Shore University Hospital on Long Island. Experts in the field say there are other ways to rapidly boost the ventilator supply for overwhelmed hospitals. Most ventilators are sophisticated machines that keep critically ill people alive by delivering oxygen into the lungs through a tube inserted in the windpipe. Full-feature machines can cost as much as $50,000, but doctors say even basic models that cost less than $2,000 can sustain a patient in acute respiratory distress. The most grievously ill may need to remain on the machines for weeks until they can breathe on their own. There are tens of thousands of no-frills resuscitators used by paramedics and the military. Plastic surgeons and outpatient surgery centers also have ventilators in their offices. With elective procedures indefinitely on hold in much of the country, those machines are now sitting idle. I think it will be faster to throw a couple ventilators on a truck and drive them to a hospital than wait for new ones to arrive, said Dr. Adam Rubinstein, a plastic surgeon in Miami who has been compiling a list of doctors willing to loan out their ventilators in a pinch. So far, no one has said no. At a minute before midnight Tuesday, new stay-at-home orders took effect that directed all nonessential businesses in San Antonio and elsewhere in Bexar County to close their doors and have employees work from home. Youre sure to see many businesses still operating today if you venture out, however. Car dealerships, big-box retailers, liquor stores, restaurants, hotels, home builders, construction companies, oil refiners, accounting firms, taxis and ride shares, news media, dry cleaners, trash collectors, banks and insurance companies, childcare facilities and funeral homes are just some of the businesses that can remain open under exemptions in the orders. With so many businesses exempt from the orders addressing the spread of COVID-19, it might be easier to list the ones that have to close. Or maybe not. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio bankruptcies expected to rise with coronavirus Larry Roberson, chief of the Bexar County district attorneys offices civil division, who worked on the orders with city attorney Andy Segovia, had a difficult time when asked to identify businesses that would have to shutter for roughly the next two weeks. Roberson mentioned vaping shops and gyms, which were previously shut down under an earlier order. Hair and nail salons and barbershops also came up. He struggled to name any others, though. It was hard to come up with when we were working on it, Roberson said. He said they didnt specifically discuss which businesses should close. Rather, they came up with 15 employment categories including health care services, transportation, IT services and food, household staples and retail and then listed exemptions under each. The order has caused confusion among some business owners on whether they must close. San Antonio Chamber of Commerce President Richard Perez said Tuesday hes been fielding numerous inquiries from business owners about the orders. Calls, emails, texts. Hey, am I in or I am out? Who do I call? that sort of thing, Perez said with a chuckle. Now the art of it begins, and whos actually in and whos actually out. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Perez offered some examples. A major manufacturer didnt know if it was exempt because it does some government work. It appears it is exempt. Several residential real estate firms called but it doesnt appear that they can stay open, Perez said. Landscaping companies may not be able to operate unless they work as subcontractors for construction firms. Whit Snell, owner of Bike World, wondered if hed have to close his four San Antonio bike shops because of the orders. I was unclear about it, he said. So he emailed the mayors office. Our bicycle shops are essential to people who use bikes for transportation, he wrote. We need to be allowed to stay open. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases The mayors office replied Tuesday that bicycle shops are considered essential businesses under transportation needs and therefore can remain open. Snell, whose shops employ more than 40, was relieved. The mayor says stay at home but he wants everybody to be out exercising and riding bikes, Snell said. Thats a safe activity to do. Its really critical to stay fit right now. Robertson acknowledged the confusion with the orders, saying, Its the best we could do under the circumstances. They modeled the orders after similar ones in other cities, including Dallas and Austin. The order is attempting to encourage voluntary compliance, he said. If businesses can, and they dont fit the exemptions, then they should shut down. The more people that we have to voluntarily comply, the better the outcome. At least according to the medical professionals. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD Graphite India has decided to suspend the manufacturing operations completely with immediate effect at its factories in Ambad (Impervious Graphite equipments division), Gonde ( GRP pipes division) {both in Maharashtra}, Barauni (Coke division in Bihar) and Powmex Steel division (Titilagarh-Odisha). As regards the Graphite electrode factories in Durgapur (West Bengal) and Satpur (Nashik-Maharashtra), since the stoppage of manufacturing activities cannot be done in one go from safety point of view (shutting of furnaces takes time), the same is being taken up in stages. Besides, the Company has also adopted the work from home facility for its employees where ever required, which shall help maintain social distance. The situation will be reviewed and appropriate decisions will be taken in accordance with Central/State notifications/advisories. Please note that these are all temporary measures and the position will be reviewed as per the evolving situation. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) JONKOPING, Sweden, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- We are happy to announce that, on February 17th 2020, Nefab AB and Szkaliczki & Partners Holding Ltd. have signed an agreement where Nefab AB intends to purchase 100% of the shares of Szkaliczki & Partners Plastic Processing Ltd in Hungary. Szkaliczki's leading technology and strong engineering capabilities for thermoformed trays is a fantastic addition to Nefab's global offering of engineered multi-material packaging solutions and logistics services. With the addition of Szkaliczki's capabilities Nefab will be even better positioned to serve customers worldwide in return flows, with engineered solutions that are optimized to lower customers' environmental impact and reduce costs, throughout their supply chains. The transaction is still pending approval by the Hungarian Competition Authority. The approval is expected within a week. About Nefab Nefab, founded in 1949, is a world leading global provider of sustainable packaging solutions and logistics optimization services. Nefab serves global industrial companies in industries such as Telecom/Datacom, Energy, Automotive, Healthcare equipment and Aerospace. Nefab has 3000 employees in Europe, North and South America and Asia. Sales in 2019 amounted to 4,9 billion SEK. Owners of the Group are the Nordgren/Pihl family and FAM AB. For more information about Nefab, please visit nefab.com For more information, please contact: Petrus Jarlsbonde Executive Vice President, Europe E-mail: petrus.jarlsbonde@nefab.com Telephone: +46-70-3219903 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/nefab-ab/r/nefab-intends-to-buy-szkaliczki---partners-plastic-processing-ltd,c3068297 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/8936/3068297/1217639.pdf Press release (PDF) SOURCE Nefab AB To prevent the spread of the coronavirus and avoid any political exploitation of food donations, Moroccan authorities have decided to supervise this operation in order to maintain public order and protect the health of citizens. Thus, philanthropists wishing to make such donations should get in touch with local authorities in their regions to arrange for the distribution of this assistance in a secure, safe and orderly manner, said Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit in a circular note. He also affirmed that the priority will be given to poor families and those affected by covid-19 pandemic. For its part, Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity said all donations in kind received by the Foundation from Moroccan benefactors will be made available to the ministerial departments of Health and Interior, in order to support efforts to fight the coronavirus and reduce the impact on vulnerable populations. The Foundation also recalled that it is imperative to follow the recommendations of the health authorities and to respect the confinement measures put in place for the safety of all Moroccan citizens. In the same vein, Renault Morocco Group has donated 50 ambulances to the Moroccan authorities to help them cope with the coronavirus. Solidarity donations continue to pour in nationwide following the decision by King Mohammed VI on March 15 to set up a $1 billion Special Fund for the Management and Response to COVID-19. Donations to the special fund meant to improve health infrastructure and alleviate the pandemics social and economic impact have so far neared $3 billion, following contributions from major state-owned, private companies, banks, Govt members, MPs, senior officials, and individuals. Total confirmed coronavirus cases in Morocco increased Tuesday to 170 with 5 deaths and six survivors. Meanwhile, the list of countries that decide to confine their citizens grows every day, and although more than 1.8 billion people in the world are subjected to a gigantic quarantine, the coronavirus pandemic continues to kill and advance inexorably as the death toll increased to 19,620 and the number of cases reached 435,382. Recoveries numbered nearly 112,000. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are isolating at Birkhall, their residence on the Balmoral estate Source: Reuters 25.03.2020 LISTEN The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus, Clarence House has announced. Prince Charles, 71, is displaying mild symptoms "but otherwise remains in good health", a spokesman said, adding that the Duchess of Cornwall, 72, has been tested but does not have the virus. Charles and Camilla are now self-isolating at Balmoral. Buckingham Palace said the Queen last saw her son, the heir to the throne, on 12 March, but was "in good health". The palace added that the Duke of Edinburgh was not present at that meeting, and that the Queen was now "following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare". A Clarence House statement read: "In accordance with government and medical advice, the prince and the duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. "The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire, where they met the criteria required for testing. "It is not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks." Analysis by Nicholas Witchell Royal Correspondence The duke and duchess arrived in Scotland on Sunday. Charles had been displaying mild symptoms over the weekend and was tested by the NHS in Aberdeenshire on Monday. The results came through on Tuesday night, showing he was positive. Charles is still working, is up and about and in good spirits. The 71-year-old heir to the throne last saw the Queen briefly on the 12 March. Three days earlier, mother and son had more protracted contact during the Commonwealth Day Service. It is important to re-emphasise the Queen is in good health. She moved to Windsor last week, with the Duke of Edinburgh who came from his usual residence at Sandringham in Norfolk. Given their age, 93 and 98 respectively, there will be particular care taken that they are not jeopardised by this virus. Prince Charles and Camilla will be following governmental advice and isolating separately. It's not a huge house but certainly big enough to isolate yourself within it. They've got a small staff with them - and it's expected Charles will now be in Scotland for a couple of weeks recovering from the symptoms. The prince's last public engagement was on 12 March - the same day he last saw the Queen - when he attended a dinner in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort. However, Charles has also been working from home over the last few days, and has held a number of private meetings with Highgrove and Duchy of Cornwall individuals, all of whom have been made aware. A number of household staff at Birkhall - the prince's residence on the Balmoral estate - are now self-isolating at their own homes. A palace source said the prince has spoken to both the Queen and his sons - the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex - and is in good spirits. The number of coronavirus deaths in the UK stands at 427, with more than 8,000 confirmed cases of the virus. ---BBC Last year, The Oregonian spilled the borlotti beans about Cicoria, a new pizzeria from Submarine co-founder Joshua McFadden Hospitality (Ava Genes, Tusk, Lovely Rita, the upcoming Takibi). The 75-seat restaurant, which was expected to open this spring in the former Roman Candle space, had emerged as one of the most anticipated restaurants of 2020, along with Lazy Susan, the just-opened Bar King and the Han Oak spin-off Pocha. Now, two months before its planned opening date, Cicoria -- or at least a virtual version of it -- is slinging its tavern-style pies to-go from a Southeast Division Street parking lot, available with a few clicks of a mouse and delivered directly to the trunk of your waiting car. Gov. Kate Browns March 16 order banning on-premises dining at restaurants and bars across the state led to thousands of small businesses closing and massive layoffs to the approximately 155,000 Oregonians who work in the service industry. The silver linings are slim, but there are a few. Over the next few days, well explore some of the creative ways restaurants are responding to the coronavirus pandemic, starting with Cicoria. Several days before Browns order, Italian restaurant Ava Genes and its Middle Eastern sister Tusk were already crafting takeout menus, looking to add to-go options for customers who felt uncomfortable eating in their dining rooms. After the dining ban, those restaurants consolidated their operations to Ava Genes. Now, everything from Ava Genes house-made pasta and bolognese sauce, Tusks creamy hummus and whole-grain flatbread or Cicorias party cut pies, are ordered from the same website, cooked in the same kitchen and delivered to customers waiting in the same parking lot just west of 3377 S.E. Division St. With the need to launch a takeout business, we had to honestly consider what people want to eat at home, Submarine Hospitality co-owner Luke Dirks said by phone Tuesday. Pizza is at the top of the list, so why not? Over the past week, nearly 1,000 restaurants made the switch to takeout and delivery in the Portland area alone, with each testing out entirely new business models built overnight from the ground up. With two of Portlands most popular restaurants in Tusk and Ava Genes, McFadden and Dirks group was uniquely situated to take advantage of the pivot. Using Squarespace, Submarines house designer Parker Bowen quickly transformed the groups website into an easy to use online shopping portal, home not just to prepared food, but also merchandise, gift cards and pantry items such as milk, eggs, coffee, salad dressing, chocolate chip cookie dough, beer and wine. I realize not everyone has an in-house Parker, Dirks said, but you can create an e-commerce site pretty quickly. Still, even this better-case scenario involved a catastrophic, disheartening week, including laying off 95 percent of Submarines staff. Last Monday, eight days ago, I woke up, and Submarine Hospitality employed 200 people, Dirks said. By Tuesday evening, we employed 10. Ava Gene's chef Joshua McFadden (left) and Tusk chef Sam Smith work on takeout options in the kitchen at Ava Gene's. In addition to offering takeout menus for their two restaurants, the duo and a small team of kitchen staff are offering tavern pies from Cicoria, a highly anticipated pizzeria that wasn't expected to open until mid-May.Courtesy of Cicoria/A.J. Meeker Now, McFadden spends most days working in the kitchen at Ava Genes, overseeing to-go menus alongside Tusk chef Sam Smith and a team of eight, including Submarine pastry chef Mason Herbert-Suda, who was re-hired to make panna cotta, baklava and Cicorias gelato once take-out began to take off. The layoffs were about salvaging a potential future, Dirks said. People saw what was coming and said, Ill be the best employer if I can get through this and rehire everybody, rather than going broke in a month and not having anything that we can bring people back to. If people are looking for a bright side, its that to-go businesses are operating, though those arent salvaging many jobs, Dirks continued. We have five percent of our employees working on to-go, helping pay monthly overhead, sustain the businesses and keep our core DNA of leadership intact so that when we do get to the other side of this, we can get things going again as fast as possible. -- Michael Russell Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. On February 19, over 40,000 residents of Bergamo flocked to Milan to see their hometown team, Atalanta, take on Spain's Valencia. Atalanta's 4-1 victory had those closely packed residents and thousands more back home hugging in raucous celebration of their upstart team's success. The first leg of Atalanta's Champions League clash with Valencia was played in front of fans at the San Siro. Credit:AP Weeks later, Bergamo is the hardest-hit province in the hardest-hit region, Lombardy, of Europe's hardest-hit country. The spread of the novel coronavirus has swelled the daily obituary section in Bergamo's local newspaper from two or three pages to as much as 10 or 11. Intensive care units there don't have nearly enough beds, and Italian soldiers are being deployed to move coffins from Bergamo's overwhelmed morgues. "Some 40,000 Bergamo inhabitants went to Milan to watch the game. Others watched it from their homes, in families, in groups, at the bar," said Bergamo's mayor Giorgio Gori. "It's clear that evening was a situation in which the virus was widely spread." "If it's true what they're saying, that the virus was already circulating in Europe in January, then it's very probable that 40,000 Bergamaschi in the stands of San Siro, all together, exchanged the virus between them. As is possible that so many Bergamaschi that night got together in houses, bars to watch the match and did the same. "Unfortunately, we couldn't have known. No one knew the virus was already here," the mayor added. "It was inevitable." The head of pulmonology at a Bergamo hospital recently described the Champions League match as "a biological bomb". The Washington Post Edelstein had vowed to defy a ruling Sunday by the high court that he allow Knesset opponents to vote on replacing him. He had refused to allow the vote, asserting that a leadership election would destabilize ongoing attempts to form an emergency unity government. But as the deadline imposed by five Supreme Court justices approached, Edelstein bowed to pressure from democracy activists and some members of his own party not to ignore the court. In the second such operation in two days, the Vile Parle police swooped on a private warehouse and seized 400,000 masks worth around Rs 1 crore hoarded there, an official said here on Wednesday. The consignment stored in 200 boxes was apparently intended for sale in the black market or export since the masks are currently in high demand worldwide due to the coronavirus pandemic. While controlling the crowds at a market last night, Inspector Rajendra Kane got a tip-off of illegal storage of a large quantity of the three-ply face masks near the cargo complex warehouse near the Sahar Airport vicinity. Under directions from Deputy Commissioner of Police (VIII) Manjunath Shinge, a team was set up which raided the Shah Warehousing & Transport Godown near the international airport and seized the masks. This is the second big seizure after yesterday's operation in which 2.50 milion masks including 325,000 N-90 masks were recovered from a godown near the airport and a warehouse in Bhiwandi town in Thane by Mumbai Police Crime Branch. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has lauded the police efforts in detecting and busting the rackets of hoarding or smuggling of masks, considered vital in the war against virus' being waged in the country. Further investigations are under way in both the cases to ascertain whether these were being exported and links to other gangs that may be involved in the rackets. We will get a data point tomorrow that may go down in history as the single worst piece of economic data the U.S. has ever reported. At 8:30 a.m. ET, the Labor Department releases its weekly tally of "jobless claims," i.e. new filings for unemployment insurance. I've always called this my "desert island" economic indicator. If I could only take one data point to tell me what's happening with the economy, this one would be it. Timely; a long track record; a strong record of signaling turning points in the business cycle. Before the coronavirus hit, jobless claims were near historic lows. They've rarely ever dipped below 200,000 per week on a sustained basis (the data is seasonally adjusted). We were hovering around 215,000. But tomorrow, we could see that number hit two to three million. I've never seen any economic indicator report such a shocking change in magnitude so quickly. Even if it's "only" over a million new claims, that's breathtaking. We never got that high even in the depths of the Great Recession. So, expect a ton of coverage, and a ton of terrifying headlines. But...keep this in mind: for some employees, gaining access to these benefits--especially now that they've been beefed up by the "stimulus" bill--is better than being left on payrolls without actually getting paid. Plus, the details of who can file for jobless benefits varies state by state, and for some states, like New Jersey, you can qualify for benefits even if your hours have just been reduced. That's another thing to keep in mind when we see this number skyrocket tomorrow--not all of these workers have actually lost their jobs. Still, it's grim news all around. And it portends a surge in the unemployment rate to upwards of 6% and possibly higher in the months ahead. The hope is that the extremely tight labor market going into this pandemic will help make sure that employees are swiftly rehired once the panic clears. The bulk of these newly unemployed workers will likely come from "small" businesses with fewer than 500 employees. On that note, the stimulus bill's provision for eight weeks of cash flow coverage for such companies--up to $350 billion in total spending--is promising. Companies that retain or rehire their workers will not have to repay those funds, according to reports. So: support for companies to retain their workforces; expanded support for workers who are laid off. It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing. See you at 1 p.m! Kelly P.S. The Exchange is now a podcast! Click to subscribe. Twitter: @KellyCNBC Instagram: @realkellyevans MATSAPHA An undisclosed number of textile factory workers have been placed in self quarantine following that one of their neighbours tested positive to COVID-19. The textile workers were ordered to self-quarantine on Monday, following that one of the people they shared residential accommodation with, had tested positive for COVID-19. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. This step was ordered by one of the factories in Matsapha to their employees. The reasoning behind the implementation of the quarantine was said to have emanated from the fact that the textile factory employees resided with an individual who tested positive. Worth noting is that a majority of textile employees reside in one-room flats popularly known as Titimela. This type of residential accommodation has its tenants sharing lavatories and water taps, among many other things. Alive According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), such surfaces can keep the virus alive for up to eight hours, thus making it easy to contract if after touching the infected surface, one touches ones face mouth, nose or eyes without washing hands with soap under running water. The virus is thought to spread mainly between people who are in close contact with one another and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Meanwhile, it was said while implementing the self quarantine process among some of its employees to avert any possibility of multiple infections, a sense of panic was invoked among some of the textile factory employees. This is because some of the employees were of the view that they had interacted with the quarantined workers. One of the employees said they raised their concerns with management because they feared for their lives. Imagine if we contracted the virus and we are going about our duties without knowing as we are still within the two week period wherein the symptoms are not showing, the employee said. Fear She expressed fear that this would spiral out of control as there were over 15 000 textile workers at the industrial site in Matsapha. A colleague shared the same sentiments citing that there were more employees who could have been exposed to the 31-year-old male confirmed on Saturday to have tested positive to COVID -19. The confirmation of the aforementioned male was made by the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi. Meanwhile, according to an impeccable source within the ministry, the said individual had no history of travelling beyond the borders of the country, which raised suspicion that he could have contracted the virus from a variety of items including surfaces and or public transport. The source further alleged that the said individual could have infected many people unknowingly with the virus. On the other hand, means to get a comment from the management of the textile factory proved futile since the human resources manager referred all questions to the Ministry of Health. Woolworths will reduce trading hours at dozens of its stores so workers can deliver groceries to elderly people and those with disabilities. From tomorrow, the supermarket giant will slash opening hours at 41 stores across Australia to 11am to 6pm. The 'priority delivery hubs' will use the extra closed hours to pick online orders and meet increased demand from vulnerable groups struggling to get to the shops amid the coronavirus pandemic. 'To help support getting basic food and essentials to those that need it most, our teams have been doing everything they can to scale up online and home deliveries to the elderly, people with disabilities or those in mandatory self-isolations,' Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said The 'priority delivery hubs' will use the extra closed hours to pick online orders and meet increased demand from vulnerable groups struggling to get to the shops amid the coronavirus pandemic The move comes a week after Woolworths announced it will open doors to vulnerable groups exclusively from 7am to 8am amid coronavirus panic buying 'Following an extraordinary level of demand for groceries in recent weeks, reducing trading hours in a small number of our stores to turn them into 'Priority Delivery Hubs' will help us assist more people who can't access a store to get products they need.' The move comes a week after Woolworths announced it will open doors to the elderly and those with disabilities exclusively from 7am to 8am due to panic buying. The decision aimed to help the elderly and disabled to stock up without being overwhelmed by the panic buying chaos within some stores. Shoppers must show a government-issued seniors or disability card to be granted early access. Panic buying in recent weeks sparked by the spread of COVID-19 at the beginning of March has seen stores stripped of essentials such as toilet paper, pasta and tinned and other dried food. Some shoppers have even become embroiled in ugly confrontations over the limited stock, particularly toilet paper. Stark photos showed empty shelves and jam packed trolleys as shoppers flocked to supermarkets and cleared the shelves. Last week Scott Morrison urged Australians to stop hoarding food and other essential supplies, as fights between anxious customers broke out at supermarkets around the country. The decision aimed to help the elderly and disabled to stock up without being overwhelmed by the panic buying chaos within some stores The Prime Minister said the panic-buying chaos sweeping grocery stores has been one of the 'most disappointing things' he has seen in 'Australian behaviour' in response to this crisis. Supermarkets have been forced to introduce buying limits on items due to the surge in demand for goods. Coles customers are limited to buying just one pack of toilet paper and two packets of pasta, flour, rice, paper towels, hand sanitizer and other essentials. Woolworths is also enforcing buying limits of one packet of toilet paper, baby wipes and rice per shopper. Angelina Jolie is well-known for many roles throughout her acting career, from the unwell Lisa, in Girl, Interrupted to the badass Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, to the magnificently evil Maleficent. However, in her real life, her role as a mother always takes front and center. Jolie has six children with her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, through a combination of birth and adoption. Now, two of her three daughters have undergone surgeries within the last few months, and Jolie, inspired by their strength and love, penned an essay for Time magazine in their honor. What we know about Angelina Jolies daughters Angelina Jolie: Why girls deserve love and respect on International Women's Day https://t.co/7DneN4IZu0 TIME (@TIME) March 8, 2020 In the essay, Jolie is careful to share that her daughters had been consulted and were on-board with sharing a little bit about them in the essay. Jolie says her eldest daughter had been in and out of surgeries for the last two months, but she did not specify for what purpose. It can be assumed that it is a serious ordeal, as Jolie at one point used the words fighting to survive. She then also wrote that the younger sister had hip surgery. Jolies eldest daughter is Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt, who was adopted by Jolie in Ethiopia when she was just 6 months old. Shiloh Jolie-Pitt is the couples next oldest daughter, and first birth child, born in 2006, followed by Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt, one of two fraternal twins born in 2008. Jolie doesnt specify which of the younger daughters had the hip surgery, but she does mention the youngest daughter later in the essay, leading us to believe the younger daughter is in fact Shiloh. Paparazzi photos showing Shiloh on crutches recently seem to confirm. Angelina Jolie praised her daughters for their selflessness Angelina Jolie | Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images What followed in the essay was a heartfelt and vulnerable account from a mother bursting with love and pride. She described watching her daughters care for each other, even mentioning her youngest daughter specifically studying the nurses moves to help for the next time. Jolie wrote: I saw how all my girls so easily stopped everything and put each other first, and felt the joy of being of service to those they love. She mentioned her sons as well, for being sweet and supportive, but wanted to take the opportunity of writing for International Womens Day to focus on the lessons she has learned from her daughters and other young girls around the world. Angelina Jolie addressed the downside of girls caring for others Despite her pride toward her daughters willingness to serve, Jolie is all too aware of the downsides that come from certain expectations put upon girls and women. Someone said to me, when they saw my daughters caring for each other, that it comes naturally to girls. I smiled, but then I thought of how often that notion is abused. She went on to speak to the fact that girls conditioned to put others before themselves will turn into women who are expected to sacrifice themselves for the sake of caring for others. She urges us to appreciate the softness and openness girls show and to not abuse those gifts. She wrote that girls need to be protected from all types of injustices, from the obvious to the subtle. Jolies words stand on far more than lofty goals. The actress has been involved in humanitarian efforts for years, having supported dozens of foundations and charities, as well as starting her own. The Jolie-Pitt Foundation, for example, is a big supporter of the organization SOS Childrens Villages, which works to provide much-needed support to orphaned or abandoned children. She ended the essay with this sentiment: My message to girls is, fight on, little ladies. Your care for each other will be a large part of your way forward. Hold your nerve. Know your rights. And never let anyone tell you that you are not precious and special and, above all, equal. Last weekend, Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, skipped out on the daily news briefings where she has been a fixture at President Donald Trump's side. Having developed a low-grade fever, Birx, a physician, submitted to a coronavirus test and, though the result was negative, stayed home two days out of caution. Birx offered the anecdote as an example of the kind of personal safeguards she said would help Americans "protect one another" amid the pandemic crisis. But it also served as a reminder of an uncomfortable fact that has underscored the risks of a pathogen that has proved more lethal and debilitating for older Americans. Birx, 63, is among the tableau of public officials mounting the national response to the fast-spreading disease who are squarely within the age range of the most at-risk segments of the population. From Trump, 73, and Anthony Fauci, the 79-year-old head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, at the White House to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who turns 80 on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., 78, and Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., 69, on Capitol Hill to Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden, 77, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., 78, many of the nation's most influential politicians and policymakers could be especially vulnerable to the worst of a viral infection that has ravaged elderly communities in China, Italy, New York and Washington state. As these leaders debate the course of action for an anxious nation, their own heightened risks of exposure have raised questions about the readiness of the nation's political and governing infrastructure to withstand a destabilizing and unpredictable pandemic. "I think that both parties and all branches and levels of government have done a woefully terrible job preparing for a situation like this," said Judd Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management at Brookings Institution. "There should be protocols in place in Congress and state legislatures and within the White House and the Supreme Court for how to handle a viral pandemic. . . . It's a serious national security issue over the continuance of governing." Studies in China, South Korea, Italy and the United States have shown that while coronavirus can sicken people of all ages, the illness is especially dangerous for those in their 60s, 70s and 80s. A report from the Centers for Disease Control of virus deaths in the United States, for example, found that 80 percent of deaths were among people 65 and older. The threat the virus could wreak havoc on American's governing institutions has become more acute in recent days amid news that Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., 57, and Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., 58, and Ben McAdams, D-Utah, 45, have tested positive for coronavirus and quarantined themselves for treatment. Republican lawmakers who recently interacted with them or other confirmed carriers, including four senators and Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., 54, the House minority whip who was severely wounded in a shooting three years ago, entered self-quarantine out of caution - effectively erasing the GOP's Senate majority amid debate over a coronavirus emergency stimulus bill. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., 59, who had crisscrossed the country while running for the Democratic presidential nomination before withdrawing from the race three weeks ago, announced Monday her husband has the virus. The virus is striking "quite close to home," Trump said Sunday, offering support for Paul and Diaz-Balart during a White House briefing on one of the days Birx was absent. "There's a whole series of questions of how this is all going to work assuming we agree that some sort of social distancing will be in place for some time," said Simon Rosenberg, founder of NDN, a liberal think tank. "Will the president even meet with leaders of Congress any longer? Can they have face-to-face meetings to work out negotiations? Will people use video conferencing more? As government adapts to the age of social distancing, it's the nature of Congress to have people packed together, but how will you bring people together if you can't actually be together?" In the House, the average age of lawmakers is nearly 58, while in the Senate it is almost 63. Six of the nation's nine Supreme Court justices are 65 or older, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, who last summer underwent a three-week course of radiation when a tumor was discovered on her pancreas, and Stephen Breyer, 81. After a sluggish start, the nation's governing institutions have ramped up actions aimed at preventing the spread in their ranks. Kathleen Arberg, a spokeswoman for the high court, said the justices held their private conference Friday to review petitions, with an unspecified number of the nine participating by telephone. All are healthy, she said, but there was another change in routine to limit potential exposure to the virus: "The justices are temporarily foregoing their traditional handshake." The court is closed to the public, and the justices have indefinitely postponed two weeks of oral arguments that were scheduled to begin Monday. It is the first time the court has paused its work since 1918, when the 1918 flu pandemic epidemic hit Washington. The 2020 election campaign rallies for Trump and his Democratic rivals have been called off indefinitely. Biden delivered his first set of awkwardly staged remarks from a new, makeshift television studio in his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and he told reporters that aides wear gloves and masks around him out of precaution. At the White House, Trump had been flaunting public health guidelines as recently as two weeks ago with a weekend visit to mingle with hundreds of Republican donors and other guests at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Recently, public tours have been canceled and visitors, including reporters, are having their temperatures taken on a daily basis. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have taken steps to minimize group meetings. Schumer has stopped his weekly caucus breakfast and lunch gatherings, substituting conference calls, and he and other members have stopped going to the Senate gym, where Paul had worked out before learning of his positive test. McConnell last week doubled the voting window from 15 to 30 minutes to try to avoid crowding on the Senate floor. In the House, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., 80, and Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., 79, are based in their home districts, doing most of their work by phone, aides said. Yet the balance between their public responsibility and their own health safeguards has been strained. As the Senate leadership has feverishly worked on the massive emergency stimulus package, top lawmakers have huddled repeatedly with White House officials, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who has shuttled between lawmakers' offices and the White House. "There's a lot of people there who are older by a significant measure who are smart and who are working overtime in midst of this crisis and they are being valorous and courageous and determined in this fight," said Stephen Morrison, a global health policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who emphasized that Congress should set up more remote-work functionality to safeguard its operations. "They are setting aside for the moment some noises in their heads that, 'If I get this, I have a 14 percent chance of dying,'" Morrison added, citing a Chinese study in the city of Wuhan, where the virus originated. "I think people like that are making some sacrifice by putting themselves at a higher risk for the sake of the country." - - - The Washington Post's Robert Barnes, Mike DeBonis, Matt Viser and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report. Mexicos markets are a legendary way to take in the countrys food and culture. The sweet smoky aroma of tortillas cooking over a fire. Freshly pounded moles piled in an exotic rainbow of colors. The swirl of humanity picking out meat, seafood, produce and spices for the days meal. But with the border closed to nonessential travel and all of us locked indoors amid the COVID-19 outbreak, that spring trip to visit the bountiful stalls in Oaxaca, Jalisco or Veracruz is off the table. Fortunately, theres a way to take all of that splendor in without leaving the house. Chef, instructor, ravenous researcher and author David Sterling won two James Beard awards for his 2014 cookbook Yucatan: Recipes from a Culinary Expedition. His second title, Mercados: Recipes from the Markets of Mexico, was posthumously released in 2019 after Sterlings 2016 death, and it deserves a spot on your coffee table or kitchen counter. On ExpressNews.com: How to make your breakfast tacos in the Instant Pot This 560-page behemoth is equal parts tour guide and recipe collection. Lush photography throughout there are nearly 600 images crammed between the covers takes the mind to markets large and small throughout Mexico. Even if you never pick up a knife or pan, its an educational journey anyone can appreciate. For the cooks, Sterling laid out more than 100 recipes for dishes familiar and virtually unknown outside their tiny corner of the country. And while some of the dishes are less well known, San Antonians wont have trouble finding most of the ingredients used in those recipes in Mexican grocery stores across the city. This one deserves a place in your permanent cookbook collection. Look for Mercados: Recipes from the Markets of Mexico (University of Texas Press, $60) everywhere books are sold. Paul Stephen is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen A total 277 people evacuated from the coronavirus-hit Iran arrived at the Jodhpur airport in Rajasthan on Wednesday morning. All passengers are coronavirus negative, said Rohit Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary, health department. The passengers which include 149 females and 128 males arrived in two Air India aircraft. A preliminary screening was conducted at the airport upon arrival and thereafter the evacuees were shifted to the Army Wellness Facility established in Jodhpur Military Station. Defence PRO Col Sombit Ghosh said the Army, in coordination with the Rajasthan health authorities and local administration, has made adequate medical and administrative arrangements to cater for their stay and provide prophylactic medical support. The facility has a dedicated team of Army doctors, who will be constantly monitoring the health parameters of the evacuees for the duration of their stay. On March 15, 236 evacuees from Iran had arrived in Jaisalmer and are in quarantine at the Army Wellness Centre. The Ukrainian government has imposed a nationwide state of emergency because of the coronavirus pandemic for 30 days, until April 24. "We are extending the quarantine and imposing a state of emergency on the state of Ukraine, throughout its entire territory, for 30 days until April 14, 2020," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a government meeting on Wednesday. This measure could be extended if necessary, he said. In particular, the government made amendments to its earlier regulations, which extended the previously introduced quarantine measures from April 3 to April 24. In presenting the draft directive, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said the document had been drawn up by the Interior Ministry, among other things, to designate an official to be in charge of efforts to respond to the natural medical-biological emergency of the national level and to put the unified state civil protection system on the tracks of an emergency situation. In line with the decision, the deputy health minister and chief public health official has been appointed to be in charge of efforts in response to the natural medical-biological emergency of the national level. The decision does not require extra expenditures, Avakov said. "First of all, we have to adopt a stabilization fund," he said. As reported earlier, the government on March 23 imposed a state of emergency on the Donetsk, Ternopil, and Cherkasy regions. A state of emergency had earlier been declared in the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions and in the city of Kyiv. The Osun State Commissioner for Health, Rafiu Isamotu, says 20 Judges from the states Judiciary, who recently returned from Dubai, UAE, are in self isolation as part of measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Mr Isamotu disclosed this while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of a news conference addressed by Governor Gboyega Oyetola on the confirmed index case of the virus in the state on Wednesday in Osogbo. He said the conditions of the judges were being monitored. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Judges were said to have attended an international conference in the United Arab Emirates between March 9 and 13. The Commissioner said since the judges returned from UAE, they had isolated themselves at their various homes as part of precautionary measures to stop the spread of the virus. Mr Isamotu said the government was keeping a close watch on all the judges. On the confirmed case of the virus in the state, Mr Isamotu said the index case was a UK returnee. READ ALSO: He said the index case did not hide himself but rather submitted himself voluntarily to be tested. He said the contact index did not mix up with any of his family members before he was isolated. The Commissioner said government was doing everything possible to curtail the spread of the virus in the state. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had on Wednesday confirmed two new index cases of the virus in Osun and another in Lagos state. (NAN) Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images As the world continues to battle a growing pandemic, the situation in the US is escalating rapidly. There have been more than 55,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the US so far, and in the absence of widespread public testing, the true number of cases is likely to be higher. The projections arent looking good, either even if the US cut its transmission rate in half, about 650,000 people could end up infected in the coming months, according to the New York Times. In the midst of this crisis, Donald Trump spent considerable time comparing the virus to the flu, telling people he wants them back at work as soon as possible and talking about packed churches at Easter. That Trump is not taking the situation seriously enough seems clear. When leading a country through a crisis, optics matter. These photos of other world leaders reacting to the Covid-19 pandemic show the stark difference between how they and the US president view the situation. Italy Italy has been one of countries worst hit by Covid-19, with the highest death rate in the world. But Italians are at least now under state-mandated quarantine, with certification required to leave the house. When people do leave, mayors can be seen shouting at them, calling them idiots and threatening them with flamethrowers. And look, here the Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, can be seen holding a press conference enacting appropriate physical distancing measures. Germany Angela Merkel makes a press statement on the spread of coronavirus on 22 March. Photograph: Michael Kappeler/AFP via Getty Images This week, Angela Merkel restricted German people from meeting in groups of more than two. Here she is, enacting adequate physical distancing policy while making a press statement on Covid-19. She went into quarantine this week, too, after her doctor tested positive for coronavirus. Trump, on the other hand, continued to go untested for days after three infected members of the Brazilian delegation attended a dinner together at Mar-a-Lago. Other politicians who met with the same members of the Brazilian delegation such as Senators Rick Scott and Lindsey Graham quarantined themselves. Story continues Netherlands The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, on 23 March. Photograph: Bart Maat/EPA Here is a photo of the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, and his cabinet also enacting the appropriate physical distancing policy. Notice how focused they all look, and how their behavior speaks to the gravity of the situation. Hong Kong Here, the Hong Kong government attend a Covid-19 conference wearing face masks. Again, health safety is paramount and demonstrated as such. UK Robert Jernick, Boris Johnson and Jenny Harries give a press briefing at Downing Street on 22 March. Photograph: WPA Pool/Getty Images The English are probably closest to Trump in terms of their response to the Covid-19 pandemic. They dont exactly look 6ft apart. The short, capitalized slogans at each pulpit are even reminiscent of the prompts Trump has relied on in the past for his big speeches. And finally, the US Here are pictures of Trumps many press conferences, during which the mandatory physical distancing protocol is not followed. Official stand near each other at a press conference on 13 March. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock A press conference on 23 March. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images If Trump cant demonstrate that he takes social distancing seriously at a press conference about Covid-19, does he really expect anyone else in the US population to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance? The state administration is worried about the growing threat of an outbreak as a huge migrant population returns home from other states. Patna: One person has tested positive for the coronavirus COVID-19 in Patna, taking the number of confirmed cases in the state to four. The person has been admitted to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), Patna. Initial reports suggest that he had been unwell since he returned from Gujarat a week ago. He was referred to NMCH after his condition deteriorated on Tuesday. His test results arrived on Wednesday morning, which confirmed that he was infected with the virus. He has been kept in the isolation ward at NMCH, nodal officer for COVID-19 Dr Ragini Mishra told this newspaper. We are taking all kind of preventive measures and are now trying to track all those whom he has been in touch with after he returned to Patna from Gujarat. Earlier on Sunday, a person with a travel history to Qatar had died at AIIMS, Patna. The state administration has been worried about the growing threat due to the huge migrant population returning home from other states. According to health department officials here, measures are being taken to prevent the surge in coronavirus cases. Railway and bus stations in Bihar have been shut down and thermal screening is being done at Patna and Gaya airports State health department reports said that 194 samples have been tested for the novel coronavirus, out of which 174 were found negative while results for 14 samples are still awaited. HONOLULU, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Central Pacific Financial Corp. (NYSE: CPF) (the "Company"), parent company of Central Pacific Bank, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a change in the location of its 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to a virtual-only shareholder meeting. The change for this year's annual shareholder meeting follows the issuance of a Stay at Home/Work from Home Order by Honolulu City and County Mayor Kirk Caldwell, and proclamation by Hawaii Governor David Ige prohibiting generally the public and private gathering of people in response to the COVID-19 virus. Virtual meeting date: Thursday, April 23, 2020 Virtual meeting time: 11 a.m. Hawaii Time Virtual meeting link: www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CPF2020 Shareholders of record at the close of business on February 21, 2020, are invited to vote their shares and register for the meeting at proxyvote.com using the instructions provided with their proxy materials that were issued beginning on or about March 10. Shareholders may submit questions in advance when they register for the meeting, and they also will have the opportunity to submit questions during the virtual event using the directions on the meeting website that day. All shareholders will need their control number to vote or ask questions; that number can be found on the proxy cards, voting instruction forms or other notices they received previously. Those without a control number may attend as guests of the meeting, but they will not have the option to vote their shares or ask questions during the virtual event. Technical assistance will be available for those attending the meeting. A replay of the shareholder meeting will be available on the Company's website at http://ir.centralpacificbank.com. About Central Pacific Financial Corp. Central Pacific Financial Corp. is a Hawaii-based bank holding company with approximately $6.0 billion in assets. Central Pacific Bank, its primary subsidiary, operates 35 branches and 77 ATMs in the state of Hawaii, as of December 31, 2019. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at cpb.bank. SOURCE Central Pacific Financial Corp. Related Links https://www.cpb.bank The stock has tumbled 33.59% in eight trading sessions from its previous closing high of Rs 1228.05 hit on 13 March 2020. IRCTC was locked in a lower circuit of 5% for eighth consecutive session at Rs 815.60. The outbreak of COVID-19 has made travellers reconsider going on vacation in the middle of a global pandemic, putting pressure on travel and tourism industry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (24 March 2020) called for a nationwide lockdown starting midnight. The duration of the lockdown will be 21 days. Modi said the lockdown was necessary to break the chain of the COVID-19 virus, adding that "social distancing is the only option to combat the virus outbreak". Shares of IRCTC have tanked 59% from its record high of Rs 1995 registered on 25 February 2020. The stock was listed on stock exchanges on 14 October 2019 at Rs 644, a premium of 101.25% to the IPO price. Although Coronavirus started in central China, it is spreading faster in the rest of the world. The epidemic has grown to infect over 423,621 people with over 18,911 fatalities. India has reported 10 deaths and over 562 cases so far. IRCTC, a Mini Ratna public sector enterprise under the administrative control of Ministry of Railways, is the sole entity authorized by Indian Railways (IR) to provide catering services to railways, online railway tickets and packaged drinking water at railway stations and trains in India. IRCTC operates in four business segments, namely, internet ticketing, catering, packaged drinking water and travel & tourism. The Government of India holds 87.40% stake in the company as on 31 December 2019. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Local authorities announced that the center will be ready to receive patients in seven to 10 days. The 2020 New York Auto Show was originally scheduled to open on April 10, but it was postponed to late August due to the coronavirus outbreak. New Yorks Jacob K. Javits Convention Center should have been preparing to host the 2020 New York Auto Show this time of the year, but instead it will be turned into a field hospital for COVID-19 patients. Javits Center to house at least five hospital units The convention center will become home to four 250-bed hospital units, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo revealed during a press conference on March 24. The hospitals will be built by FEMA and will cover 40,000 square feet. Additionally, the Army Corps of Engineers is working on a fifth hospital with 1,000 beds. Overall, the Jacob Javits Convention Center will eventually house at least 2,000 patients. The decision comes after New York has become one of the hardest-hit states by the COVID-19 outbreak. No fewer than 26,376 cases have been reported in the state of New York on March 25, almost half of the total 55,225 cases in the United States. Almost 16,000 cases have been confirmed in the city of New York, as well as 192 deaths. As the number of patients threatens to overwhelm New Yorks healthcare system, the state is looking to set up temporary hospitals in Westchester Countys convention center and at two state university campuses on Long Island. 2020 New York Auto Show postponed until late August The New York International Auto Show has been taking place in April since, well, forever. With the Detroit Auto Show moved from January to June starting 2020, New York was supposed to host North Americas first major car show of the year. But last week it was announced that the event was postponed until August, when the Javits Center is supposed to be able to return to its traditional use. However, as the spread of the novel coronavirus keeps accelerating, NYIAS could be postponed beyond August 2020 or even cancelled altogether. The 2020 Detroit Auto Show, which is supposed to take place in June, could also be postponed (or even cancelled). It remains unclear whether auto shows scheduled to take place this autumn, like the ones from Los Angeles and Las Vegas (SEMA), will take place as planned. Of course, it all depends on how this pandemic evolves over the next couple of months. C oronavirus may have brought Londons property market to a standstill but it has not killed it off altogether. The sectors professional body ARLA Propertymark has been told estate agents do not count as essential businesses and should close their offices immediately. Physical viewings and house moves are also banned following Boris Johnsons lockdown announcement on Monday. But online viewing activity is starting to surge as millions of stay-at-home workers make use of the extra time at their disposal by browsing property portals, in the same way that they do in the days after Christmas. Huge leaps in virtual viewing technology have made it far easier for potential buyers or tenants to be given remarkably realistic walk-through tours of properties. James Morris-Manuel, vice-president of 3D virtual viewing tech company Matterport, which is used by London agents such as Foxtons, Strutt & Parker and Winkworth, said requests for its property scanning service have soared more than sevenfold over the past week. Actual completed scans, which include features such as allowing viewers to take accurate measurements of rooms, are up by more than 80 per cent. He said: People have suddenly realised they need to digitise assets they may not be able to access for quite a while. The UK market was watching Spain and Italy and realised that shutdowns and more aggressive forms of social distancing were coming soon and they needed to get their house in order. Guy Gittins, managing director of London agents Chestertons, said: With most people being responsible and practising social distancing, we have seen a surge in the number of virtual viewings that we are conducting. By planning ahead, we managed to get video walk-throughs recorded for many of the properties we are marketing before the lockdown but we are also now asking landlords and sellers to use video conferencing tools to conduct live virtual viewings in their own property, with the agent talking the interested buyer or tenant through the property. He said the firm recently sold a four-bedroom house in East Sheen to a Dubai-based family for 1.5 million. The buyers committed to the purchase without visiting the property and only seeing it through a virtual viewing. Croatia Airlines has seen its booking numbers and overall demand decrease sharply as the carrier continues to maintain operations to several European destinations in the face of the coronavirus Covid-19 global pandemic. In a statement, the company said it wants to give Croatian and foreign nationals the opportunity to get to their homes as countries across the world introduce entry bans and restrict commercial flights. We share the same fate as the entire aviation industry, which is one of the most vulnerable at this time and is suffering on a daily basis from the effects of the pandemic. Croatia Airlines saw its booking numbers decrease 50% last week when compared to the same period last year, with a 50% decline registered this week too. During the week of March 16 - 22, we saw a 50% decline in bookings compared to the same period last year. We expect the figure to decrease by the same margin this week too, while, based on current data, bookings are down 39% for next week. From the planned 407 flights this week, 196 will be operated, the company said. It added, If we go back to the first half of March, from March 1 to March 15, when the effects of the coronavirus were not as great, Croatia Airlines operated 3% fewer flights and handled 31% fewer passengers compared to the same period in 2019. During the first twenty days of the month, Croatia Airlines has been carrying an average of 2.590 passengers per day. The airline is one of the few in the region still in operation. However, according to broadcaster RTL, there are unofficial reports Zagreb Airport may be closed in the coming weeks to stem the spread of the virus. The Croatian carrier has cancelled nine return flights for today, but will maintain services to Brussels, Amsterdam, Munich, Frankfurt, Paris, Sarajevo and Split. Wuhan. Xinhua-Yonhap The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 460,000 people and killed over 20,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. The COVID-19 illness causes mild or moderate symptoms in most people, but severe symptoms are more likely in the elderly or those with existing health problems. More than 113,000 people have recovered so far, mostly in China. TOP OF THE HOUR: Finland restricts travel to and from its capital city. WHO chief says Trump is taking responsibility for virus response. Tony Awards postponed as Broadway stays dark. ___ HELSINKI The Finnish government says it will block the movement of citizens into and out of a key southern region that includes the Nordic nations capital, Helsinki, to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus to other areas. Prime Minister Sanna Marin said late Wednesday the measure concerns the Uusimaa region including Helsinki and affects the daily lives of some 1.7 million people, nearly a third of Finlands population. The government made the decision as the risk of substantial spreading of the infection from the Uusimaa region to rest of Finland is high through non-necessary travelling, said Krista Kiuru, the social affairs minister. Police are set to enforce the new regulation, which is set to begin March 27 and end April 19. It will cease all non-necessary human traffic to and from Uusimaa, the region that has been hit worst by the virus. Nationwide, Finland has so far confirmed 880 cases of COVID-19 and three deaths. ___ GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The Palestinian Health Ministry says seven new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Gaza Strip, putting the total at nine. The ministry said Wednesday that the seven cases were security workers who made contact with the first two people infected with the virus. Those two men had returned to the Palestinian enclave from Pakistan and tested positive last Thursday. The ministry said the new patients have been in quarantine since the first cases were detected. The Gaza Strip has been reeling under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, raising concerns about the capabilities of its poor health system to handle an outbreak in the overcrowded territory. About 1,500 Palestinians who returned to Gaza via Israel and Egypt have been placed in obligatory quarantine at hastily set-up facilities. ___ LOS ANGELES Los Angeles County officials say they no longer are including a 17-year-old boy in the tally of coronavirus deaths until they do more to determine his precise cause of death. The countys public health director, Barbara Ferrer, said Wednesday that shes asked the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the death of the youth from the desert city of Lancaster. She said that while the child did test positive for the coronavirus, there were extenuating circumstances that pointed to an alternative diagnosis as well. The death is no longer being counted among LA Countys 13 total fatalities from the virus. Gov. Gavin Newsom chided county officials, calling the backtrack a reminder that in this moment its not just speed, its accuracy that must be front and center. A report last week by the CDC found no coronavirus deaths in the U.S. among people 19 and under. ___ ANKARA, Turkey Turkeys health minister says 15 people have died from the new coronavirus in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of deaths to 59. Fahrettin Koca tweeted Wednesday that 561 more people have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the number of infections in the country to at least 2,433. ___ BERLIN The U.S. Army Europe says it has delivered medical supplies and equipment to help fight the new coronavirus in Italys hard-hit region of Lombardy. The move, which was part of the Defense Security Cooperation Agencys humanitarian assistance program, saw the 405th Army Field Support Brigade deliver hospital beds, mattresses, adjustable IV poles and other supplies from the U.S. Army Camp Darby in Livorno, Italy. In a statement Wednesday, U.S. Army Europes commanding general, Lt. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, said the effort demonstrated the U.S commitment to our NATO ally and the people of Italy during this crisis. ___ HARRISBURG, Pa. Pennsylvania lawmakers voted Wednesday to delay the states primary election by five weeks to June 2, potentially past the spike of the states spreading coronavirus cases. The measure passed both chambers of the Republican-controlled state Legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said he will sign it. As a result, Pennsylvania will join more than 10 states in delaying primaries. ___ PARIS President Emmanuel Macron launched a special military operation Wednesday to help fight the new coronavirus in France, one of the worlds hardest-hit countries. As part of the new Operation Resilience, France is deploying helicopter carriers to help transport patients in overseas French territories in the Caribbean, South America and the Indian Ocean. Striking a combative tone on a visit to a military field hospital in the virus-ravaged eastern city of Mulhouse, Macron paid homage to medics who have died, who paid with their lives to save other lives. Macron also promised a massive new investment plan for public hospitals, after years of cost cuts in Frances renowned health care system that have complicated efforts to stem the spread of the virus. Facing criticism that his government was too slow to lock down the country as the virus spread, Macron criticized those who would fracture the country, when we should have one obsession: to be united to fight the virus. Reiterating that France is at war with the virus, Macron warned: We are just at the beginning. But we will make it through, because we will not surrender, because we have the strength. ___ BERLIN Seven German medical associations have published recommendations for how doctors should determine which seriously ill patients with the new coronavirus can be given intensive care treatment when demand outstrips available capacity. The 13-page guide published Wednesday states that according to current information about the COVID-19 pandemic it is likely that despite capacity increases already made there soon wont be sufficient intensive care resources available also in Germany for all patients who would need them. The document, posted on the website of Germanys Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine, recommends not providing intensive care if the process of dying has irreversibly begun, treatment wouldnt result in improvement or stabilization, survival would depend on permanent intensive care or the patient refuses intensive care. The guide, which is backed by six other medical associations, suggests that decisions on allocating available beds may be necessary analogous to triage in disaster medicine. It suggests that survival chances of patients with other serious illnesses should also be weighed and that age alone shouldnt be the deciding factor. About 1,000 of the over 30,000 COVID-19 patients in Germany are currently receiving intensive care. The government aims to double the 28,000 intensive care beds in the country to cope with a predicted increase in cases. ___ ST. PAUL, Minn. Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday ordered Minnesota residents in nonessential jobs to stay at home for two weeks in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent the coronavirus from overwhelming the states health care system. The governors order begins at midnight Friday. He said the restrictions were critical to allow the state to protect its most vulnerable people and give time to build up the states capacity to handle a flood of infections. Im asking for your patience, your cooperation and your understanding, Walz said in a live video message. My pledge to you is to use the valuable time youre giving us. Walz had held off on issuing the order because he wanted to see data and modeling to show whether it would make enough of a difference to justify the disruptions that could last for weeks or months. ___ BOISE, Idaho Idaho Gov. Brad Little has issued a statewide stay-at-home order as the coronavirus continues to spread. Little announced the order Wednesday, saying it would remain in effect for 21 days. Idaho has more than 91 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Idaho has a population of about 1.7 million. ___ GENEVA The head of the World Health Organization commended U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday for taking responsibility for leading the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a virtual press briefing in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the U.N. health agency has called repeatedly for heads of state to lead a whole-of-government response to the new coronavirus. Thats exactly what hes doing which we appreciate because fighting this pandemic needs political commitment, Tedros said, referring to Trump. Tedros has previously warned that countries taking measures to lock down their societies must use the time wisely to implement other aggressive interventions, including widespread testing and efforts to track down the virus transmission chains. WHO and other experts say it could be months before the outbreak peaks and loosening such controls too soon could allow the virus to resurge. On Tuesday, Trump suggested the lockdown measures in the U.S. might be lifted by Easter and predicted there would be packed churches across the country. I know hes doing all he can, Tedros said, noting he and Trump spoke recently. I believe that kind of political commitment and political leadership can bring change or can stop this pandemic. ___ NEW YORK With Broadway shuttered amid the coronavirus pandemic, producers of the annual Tony Awards have postponed this years celebration of American theater. The show was originally scheduled for June 7 but the virus forced all 41 Broadway theaters to go dark and caused turmoil in the Tony schedule. Producers have not yet announced a rescheduled date. Broadway abruptly closed on March 12, knocking out all shows on the Great White Way but also 16 that were still scheduled to open, including Diana, Mrs. Doubtfire and Company. Broadway producers have vowed to resume musicals and plays the week of April 13. ___ BOSTON U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton says he has decided to self-quarantine after experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Moulton, a 41-year-old Democrat and former presidential hopeful from Massachusetts, said in a statement Wednesday that he began feeling unwell Thursday, with a low-grade fever and a tightness in his chest hed never felt before. Moulton said he also had a sore throat, though no serious cough, along with body aches and unusual fatigue. His wife had similar symptoms, he said. Well before experiencing the symptoms, Moulton said, he instructed staff members in his offices in Salem and Washington to work from home, except for two essential workers. The Houses attending physician told him that because the symptoms are minor and a test would not change his treatment, he and his wife dont qualify for tests, he said. Moulton said that he has been steadily improving and that unless his symptoms worsen, he can end his self-quarantine Saturday. ___ ANKARA, Turkey Turkeys president says he believes his country will slow the transmission of the new coronavirus within two or three weeks. In a televised address to the nation, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also expressed confidence that Turkey will overcome the coronavirus outbreak in the shortest possible time with the least damage possible. The country has so far reported 44 COVID-19 deaths and a total of 1,872 confirmed infections after conducting close to 28,000 tests. Erdogan said, however, that the country was monitoring a further 53,000 people at their homes and 8,554 other people in hospitals. ___ NEW YORK A Top Chef Masters winner and beloved restaurateur, Floyd Cardoz, has died of complications from the coronavirus. He was 59. A statement released by his company says Cardoz died Wednesday. He was admitted a week ago to Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, New Jersey, with a fever and subsequently tested positive for the virus. The chef won season three of Bravos Top Chef Masters in 2011. He was a partner in three restaurants in his native Mumbai. In addition, he and famed restaurateur Danny Meyer operated the popular Manhattan eatery Tabla in the early 2000s. It closed in 2010. ___ THESSALONIKI, Greece Staying at home is bad for Greeces drains. Authorities in the countrys second-largest city, Thessaloniki, say residents are straining the drainage system by flushing virus-related items down the toilet. We are advising the public not to dispose of antiseptic wipes, disposable gloves, and even masks products recently consumed for personal safety against the COVID-19 virus, the citys water authority said in a statement. These items combined with fats and oils can cause a blockage in pipes, at pumping stations, and at sewage facilities at a time when the company is operating with security personnel to safeguard the health of its employees. Drainage pipes tend to be narrow in Greek cities, with used toilet paper commonly collected in small bathroom trash bins and not flushed down the toilet. ___ ALMASFUZITO, Hungary Hungarys oil and gas company has refitted a production line normally used for making windshield washer fluid to instead produce liquid hand sanitizers and surface disinfectants. MOL said Wednesday that it is producing 50,000 liters (13,210 gallons) of the fluids daily at its refinery in Almasfuzito. MOL, which operates in 30 countries and has 26,000 employees, says it will also start making similar products at its facilities in Slovakia and Croatia. ___ JOHANNESBURG South Africas police minister says dog-walking is banned during the countrys three-week lockdown that begins Friday to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Bheki Cele also said people cant go running, contradicting the health ministers comments earlier in the day. And Cele warned South Africans to essentially stay sober for 21 days, emphasizing that alcohol sales are prohibited. The military and police will patrol to regulate movement, and all ports of entry are now closed. South Africa has the most COVID-19 cases in Africa with more than 700. ___ LONDON Britains deputy ambassador to Hungary has died after contracting the new coronavirus. The Foreign Office says Steven Dick, who was 37, died Tuesday in Hungary. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was desperately saddened by the news. Dick previously served in U.K. diplomatic posts in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan and had been based in Budapest since late last year. Dicks parents said he had long dreamed of becoming a diplomat and was very happy representing our country overseas. We are devastated by his loss. Main Street and the small businesses that give it life are the heart of our nations economy. With the majority of business in Virginia being considered small businesses, it is essential that we provide a strong foundation for them to grow and prosper. Because of this, Virginia is long overdue for the creation of health care solutions for small businesses to ensure employers can provide their employees with quality affordable health care coverage. I have been a partner in businesses both large and small, and I say from experience that many small business owners regret their inability to provide healthcare as a benefit to their employees. This General Assembly session, we saw significant bi-partisan leadership through the support for Senate Bill 861, which will allow for our small businesses to pool together to reduce costs and obtain lower premium rates than existing small group options. In addition to saving small businesses up to 20% on health care premiums, this legislation also offers strong consumer protections, such as no exclusions for preexisting conditions, as well as requirements to include all ACA-compliant Essential Health Benefits. This is a significant step forward on the pathway to enabling our small businesses to develop, thrive, and expand. This is something that should happen now, and it is my hope Governor Northam will sign SB 861 into law. LEE WILHELM ROANOKE Wilhelm is a past chairman of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and a current board member of the Virginia Chamber Republicans who once decried the Affordable Care Act as a harbinger of death panels are now toying with cutting out the middleman and sentencing the countrys oldest to death without bothering with any panels at all. Yes, the same Republicans who once soberly asserted things like there is a provision in [Obamacare] that anyone over the age of 74 has to go before what is effectively a death panel are now cheerfully suggesting that a few dead elderly people would be a small price to pay to protect the U.S. economy in the coming weeks. Advertisement The poster boy of such stupidity is currently Dan Patrick, Texas Republican lieutenant governor, who told Tucker Carlson on Monday night that he and Americas other grandparents would be willing to risk their own lives if it meant America getting back to work before the pandemic was contained adequately. Those of us who are 70-plus, well take care of ourselves. But dont sacrifice the country, Patrick intoned, heroically. Balking at stay-at-home and shelter-in-place directives, Patrick insisted that he was willing to personally die so the U.S. economy could thrive for his grandchildren: No one reached out to me and said, As a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that America loves for its children and grandchildren? And if that is the exchange, Im all in. He concluded with possibly the stupidest line of the evening: As the president said, the mortality rate is so low. Do we have to shut down the country? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patrick is of course wrong about virtually everything in this statement. He seems incapable of understanding that we cant conclude anything about the virus without widespread testing, which remains unavailable. The U.S. numbers we do have certainly indicate that its not just the elderly who fall ill and die from the coronavirusAmericans between the ages of 20 and 54 represent almost 40 percent of the people who have been hospitalized in this country. They are taking beds, ventilators, and other resources away from young people in Porsche accidents just as much as the elderly are. Doctors and nurses, working with inadequate protective gear, are also becoming infected while treating patients, which means that someday Patricks capitalism-loving grandchildren wont have any physicians when they injure themselves counting their stacks of money. And unless Patrick is saying that he and his other 70-year-old human sacrifices all plan to die painfully alone at home, they would all still be in hospitals infecting other budding young capitalists on their slow honorable death march to that great big stock exchange in the sky. Advertisement While its easy to lampoon Patrick and others who insist that widespread death and suffering is a small price to pay for the myriad glories of, well, something-glorious-to-be-named-later, it bespeaks a few rather terrifying trends of thought that need to be nipped in the bud, stat. The first is the reckless othering of people, be it Asian Americans, or older Americans, or immigrants and asylum-seekers. The virus is many things, but it wont discriminate, and it shouldnt be weaponized to license discrimination. Its true that people older than 70 are more likely to die from this virus and that people older than 80 are terrifyingly likely to die from it. This doesnt mean we give up on them. Our parents and grandparents arent the punchline in some Swiftian joke. They arent negotiable; they are people whose unique vulnerability ought to mandate more robust protection, not less. This isnt something we should make deals over. Also, eugenics-based arguments about which cohorts of Americans are expendable are doubly suspect from those who have wrapped themselves in the mantle of life. (Patrick was, recall, the guy who famously claimed that abortion causes school shootings.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the even deeper problem, beyond the catastrophic failure to understand epidemiology, is the increasingly lethal conviction on the part of at least some Americans thatall medical evidence to the contrarythis is a pandemic that will somehow spare the lucky folk. And that Americans are by definition just too darn lucky to become ill. That was part of the wrongheaded thinking that allowed Donald Trump only a week ago to assure Americans that they needed to just relax because it all will pass. Its also part of the wrongheaded thinking that allowed Liberty University to reopen its doors after spring break, with president Jerry Falwell Jr. insisting that young people cannot catch or spread the virus: I think we, in a way, are protecting the students by having them on campus together, he contends. Ninety-nine percent of them are not at the age to be at risk, and they dont have conditions that put them at risk. Maybe Falwell doesnt understand that his students are all precisely the age to spread the virus and put others at risk. Maybe he cant be bothered to realize that this will overwhelm small regional hospitals and sicken medical personnel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps Falwell believes that Liberty students are not merely immune and super-duper lucky but also on some kind of Godly VIP list. That seems to be the view of the Hobby Lobby empire as well, which carries with it the added implication that maybe Italians just didnt pray hard enough about the coronavirus, perhaps the most vile suggestion of them all. The problem with Trump and Patrick and Falwell and all those who continue to believe that young Americans or Christian Americans or Americans in red states are somehow not susceptible to the same risks as the rest of us isnt just that it continues the sordid trend of pitting people against others that has been so politically disastrous for the nation. It also stands as a substitute for actually doing the many, many things that need doing right now, things that needed doing weeks ago, when they could have saved more lives. Advertisement Advertisement Donald Trump has staked his whole political reputation on trying to solve immigration problems by blaming immigrants, political problems by blaming Democrats, science problems by blaming scientists, and basic factual problems by blaming journalists. Anyone who rejected such framing was disloyal and un-American and accused of tearing us apart. But a pandemic that can be at least blunted by action will not be touched by carving up the nation into the godly and the godless, the young and the old, Republican and Democrat, workers and those whom the economy can stand to put out to pasture. Any solution that depends on working those fault lines will not just fail to stem the oncoming crisis. It will also handily create new classes of unnecessary victims. Youre in a videoconference with your co-workers and suddenly everything freezes and you get the dreaded message: unstable internet connection. What's going on?! Stomping around the house, you realize your kid just started streaming a movie. Sound familiar? In these days of working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, the number of devices on your home network may be draining precious bandwidth and creating other issues. What I'm hearing from clients is bandwidth congestion due to having an entire family now at home, says Beth McCarty, owner of TeamLogic IT of Central Pinellas in Florida, which provides IT support for small- to medium-size companies. You're using a lot more [bandwidth] simultaneously than you normally would. Devices have multiplied As you sit at your kitchen table, survey the scene around you. How many devices are connected to your home network and internet right now? Most likely its at least a couple of computers, a few phones, a smart speaker or two, and a tablet. But perhaps you also have a smart TV, refrigerator, video doorbell, security camera, baby monitor, smart watch, smart speaker, programmable thermostat, or a host of other devices. A 2016 survey by global technology research firm Omdia found the average household has 14.7 connected devices. And four years ago is practically ancient history when it comes to the rapidly evolving world of internet-connected home devices. Could the 'internet of things' clog your pipes? It's "the 'internet of things.' Lots of people have devices that are connected to the internet that are just devices that make life easier, McCarty explains. It's nice to be able to change your light from your cellphone, but do you really need to, especially if you're home? Individually, these items dont take up much bandwidth, but collectively they can. Internet connection speed is measured in megabits per second, or Mbps. A really fast connection sits at 100 Mbps, and anything above 25 Mbps is considered high-speed internet. Video streaming takes up the most bandwidth at 3 to 4 Mbps, with high-definition streaming of your favorite shows hogging 5 to 8 Mbps. A videoconference will use up 1 to 4 Mbps, routine web surfing 1 Mbps, and online multiplayer gaming as much as 20 Mbps. Most [smart devices] don't take that much at all, but the ones that do are streaming devices for your door cam, security cameras, things like that, McCarty says. Most internet-connected devices mostly use bandwidth in bursts. If you send a signal to your [Amazon Echo]say, Alexa, do thisthat device receives the signal and then acts on it, and that's just a burst of use of that bandwidth," she adds. "But if you're streaming security cameras to the cloud all the time, that's constantly using some of your bandwidth. Devices open the door to security concerns But bandwidth isnt the only issue to fret over. Some of the devices actually have few security features at all, so that's another thing to consider when you're adding these things to your network: Can they be secured, and do they really need to be on the internet? McCarty warns. Those don't take up much bandwidth, so in terms of bandwidth it's not that big of an issue; but if they seem to be open to the network and you can't secure them, then you might want to just turn off their internet access. An unsecured smart device could allow a hacker access to not only your network and the connected devices, but also your companys information and network. The bad guys are using these devices to get access to your home network. They don't really want access to the security camera. They want access to your devices, your laptop, your employer's laptop, things like that, McCarty says. So, what should you do? McCarty shares these tips: Use a virtual private network, or VPN. Change the default password on any device to something personal. Update the firmware on any device. Disconnect any device you dont really need, especially if you are home all day. Enable two-factor authentication if possible. Setting up a secondary network could keep your connected devices off the same network as your laptop. This doesnt mean buying a separate internet connection; you just need to create a guest or other network on your router. Nothing will make your network hack-proof, but it will make things more difficult for a hacker. To folks looking for a way into your network, your router acts as the front door. It's like having a security system on your home. You want to be the least attractive target on the block, McCarty explains. So, if you secure your network to begin with, the hacker will likely move on to somebody with an open network. If they really want to get in, theyll get in, but youve just decreased the chances of that by securing that front door." The post Is Device Overload Draining Your Precious Bandwidth? How To Work From Home at Full Speed appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Michael Minasi, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office is asking residents to watch out for scams being perpetrated during the coronavirus outbreak. In a press release, the Sheriffs Office listed tips people can follow to protect themselves. Firstly, the sheriffs office is asking people hang up on robocalls and not press any number as doing so will lead to more such calls. Some robocalls, according to the sheriffs office, are falsely claiming treatments for COVID-19 and work-at-home schemes. Financial hardship during the COVID-19 crisis is likely to force many children out of expensive private schools and into public or low-fee schools, parents and principals predict. School funding experts say there is no historical precedent to suggest how hard the financial downturn caused by the coronavirus crisis will hit the non-government school sector. NSW independent schools believe the impact from the financial crisis could be "significant". Credit:Erin Jonasson "This is territory we haven't been into before," education researcher Chris Bonnor said. The Association of Independent Schools of NSW has said many private schools could be vulnerable by Easter and might need government help, angering public school advocates who say private schools already get more than their share of public funding. First published in 1964, this childrens classic is a study in bullying as much as its a parable of class war. A fleet of trucks and their business-exec bosses are the aggressors; street vendors on the avenues of New York play the underdogs. Because Merrill writes the Pushcart War as a faux history, later editions keep pushing forward the date of the rebellion; todays kids might find unintentional humor in the idea of a 21st-century future with no smart phones or social media. But the battle between Big Business and a newly unionized people feels timely as ever. Bonus: A young Lin-Manuel Miranda loved it so much, he made a video book report while in third grade, which you can enjoy on YouTube. Within this framework, the Head of State thanked the permanent and dedicated efforts undertaken by all ministers to face this disease, which has been affecting the world. Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: Hasta el dia de hoy se han tomado 8040 muestras, de las cuales 480 resultaron positivas. De estas, 38 pacientes estan hospitalizados y 18 en UCI. Estamos realizando el esfuerzo de descentralizar la toma de muestras en todas las regiones del pais. A NEW e-learning project supported by Limerick City and County Council is helping the people of Limerick to identify and record the bumblebees they come across. Whats The Buzz was developed by local bee expert Liz Gabbett in collaboration with the National Biodiversity Database Centre. Limerick City and County Council has funded the completion of the project to mark their designation as European Green Leaf City 2020. To log on to the module visit Limerick.ie and Search Whats the Buzz or click here Under the current restrictions on gatherings due to Covid-19, the planned face to face workshops and visits to pollinator meadows wont be possible for the foreseeable future, so this online module is a great opportunity to learn about bees while maintaining social/ physical distancing. Ireland has 21 species of bumblebees and they are the most abundant and widespread wild pollinator with 80 percent of wild bees being a bumblebee. They are sensitive to the diversity and continuity of pollen and nectar supply from flowers, so are ideal indicators of changes in our environment at local and landscape levels. The module will allow people to actively participate in Irelands Buzzing: International Conference on Pollinator Conservation. The global conference was due to take place in Limerick in May 2020 but has now been postponed due to concerns about Covid-19 until May 2021 in the Limerick Strand Hotel. Coinciding with World Bee Day, the conference will provide an opportunity to learn from international experts about successful pollinator initiatives and contribute thoughts and ideas for the next All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2021-2025. Anne Goggin, Senior Engineer with Limerick City and County Council said: We know that so many people are unable to get out and about and enjoy our wonderful countryside at present, but wed love you to log on and follow the module, so that when we are able to go back socialising with family and friends, you will be able to astound them with your knowledge of Irelands most common bees. On the postponement of the conference Anne said: Ireland Buzzing was planned as Limericks centrepiece of events marking Limerick as European Green Leaf City for 2020. As we face the unknown in relation to Covid-19, organisers decided to postpone the event until next year, where, hopefully, we will be able to have an even bigger conference, with more people, with ideas as to how we can make the environment better for all. For more information about European Green Leaf City 2020 log on to Limerick.ie/European-Green-Leaf-City. Pope calls for global reciting of Lord's Prayer Wednesday; ecumenical bodies pledge to participate Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pope Francis called on Christians worldwide to recite the Lords Prayer, also known as the Our Father, at noon Wednesday in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The head of the Roman Catholic Church took to his official Twitter account on Tuesday morning to announce the call to prayer, asking for participation from Christians of all denominations. Let us stay united. I invite all Christians to direct their voices together toward Heaven, reciting the Our Father tomorrow, 25 March, at noon, the pontiff tweeted. The Twitter post included a short video of Francis giving a prayer that had English subtitles, calling on people to pray together for the sick, for the people who are suffering. I thank all Christians, all the men and women of goodwill who pray at this moment in unison, whichever religious tradition they belong to, Francis said in the video. Let us stay united. I invite all Christians to direct their voices together toward Heaven, reciting the Our Father tomorrow, 25 March, at noon. #PrayTogether#PrayForTheWorldpic.twitter.com/IsZqgssUVE Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 24, 2020 The Conference of European Churches, an ecumenical Christian organization that received the invitation to pray at noon Wednesday via official letter, announced that they were taking part. During these times of global uncertainty, we need signs of unity and hope, said the CEC in a statement released Tuesday. The world today calls us to be united. Not only fighting against this devastating pandemic, but also in order to support one another and to feel in communion, remembering to draw lessons from this crisis. The World Council of Churches has also accepted the papal invitation given to them via official letter, with WCC General Secretary, the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, saying that such observances are a reminder that we are one human family. As people across the globe are in their scattered working places at home, we will have the opportunity to unite our voices in praying to God with the words that our Lord Jesus Christ taught us, he said. In addition to Francis call for global recitation of the Lords Prayer, the World Evangelical Alliance is hosting a Global Day of Prayer & Fasting on Sunday. WEA Secretary General Bishop Efraim Tendero said in a statement released Monday that he believed prayer was still the greatest help that we can give. As we pray for people in this difficult time, let us assure them of Gods love and care for those who are fearful, Tendero said. Lets pray especially for all the frontline medical and government workers for protection, good health, and wisdom in all that they do. Working together with Gods help, we shall overcome COVID-19. STEPHANIE Pemberton has a missionto nurture the next generation of the middle class. And not just in T&T. But in the Caribbean. The way to do that, she reasons, is through the development of entrepreneurs. So she established an entrepreneurship development company, Planting Seeds, which focuses on growing/promoting small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). US Marines to 'Start Fresh', Shed Land Combat Units for Naval Warfare Sputnik News 19:06 GMT 24.03.2020 For decades, the US Marine Corps has served more as a counterpart to the Army than the Navy, but all that's about to change. By 2030, the service wants to shed vast parts of its land combat forces in favor of new naval units in preparation for conflict in the South China Sea. Since the US war in Korea, Marines have more often found themselves fighting land battles alongside Army soldiers rather than storming beachheads from landing craft like in prior eras. However, due to new strategic demands, the Corps is once again remaking itself and returning to its roots as an elite maritime outfit. 'Throw Out Old Assumptions' The Marine Corps commandant's new plan for reshaping the service is due to be released soon, and it calls for cutting about 12,000 personnel, or 7% of the Corps. "The Marine Corps is not optimized to meet the demands of the National Defense Strategy," Marine Corps Combat Development Command spokesperson Maj. Joshua Benson told USNI News for a Monday story. "In the summer of 2019, the Marine Corps began force design activities focused on adapting capabilities to properly shape the Marine Corps' contributions to naval warfare and the joint force. These planning efforts led to a modernized design which incorporates emerging technologies and significant changes in force structure to deliver a Marine Corps the nation needs by 2030," Benson said. In February 2018, the Pentagon announced a new National Defense Strategy that heralded the pivoting away from the War on Terror and toward "inter-state strategic competition" with Russia and China, which the Pentagon and White House accuse of attempting to undermine the "rules-based" post-Cold War world order in which Washington could behave with impunity. The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) transits the waters of the South China Sea. Last October, Commandant of the US Marine Corps Gen. David Berger opined that the Corps is "not optimized for great competition. It is not optimized to support a naval campaign." Given the Pentagon's new priorities, he said it was time to "throw out old assumptions and start fresh." Better Fewer, But Better "I have come to the conclusion that we need to contract the size of the Marine Corps to get quality," Berger, who took over the Corps last summer, told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for a Monday story. According to Benson, the largest cuts will be to heavy ground combat units, but there will also be losses from aviation units. "By the year 2030, the Marine Corps will see complete divestments of Law Enforcement Battalions, Tank Battalions and associated Military Occupational Specialties (MOS), and all Bridging Companies," Benson said, adding that the Corps will cut three of the 24 infantry battalions, 16 of the 21 artillery cannon batteries and two of the six amphibious vehicle companies. The Corps is also slashing some of its V-22 Osprey tiltrotor squadrons, light attack helicopter squadrons and even some F-35s; the service flies both the "B" vertical takeoff version and the "C" carrier-launched versions of the jet. A New Direction Berger told the WSJ that the Corps is experimenting with unmanned vehicles, such as the XQ-58A Valkyrie "loyal wingman" autonomous aircraft currently being developed by the Air Force, and a powerful new hypersonic missile. According to USNI, the restructuring plan also calls for a 300% increase in long-range rocket artillery. Sputnik previously reported the USMC was interested in long-range anti-ship missiles capable of being launched from mobile missile platforms such as the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Marine Corps fondness for the HIMARS system is so high, it tested firing one on the flight deck of the landing platform dock USS Anchorage in 2018. USNI also notes the Corps is interested in a new stern-landing light amphibious warship, as well as larger docking vessels and new weapons systems such as directed energy weapons and loitering munitions. However, Berger noted the Corps will retain three Marine Littoral Regiments in the Pacific, augmented globally by three Marine Expeditionary Units. These will play a key role in any future conflict with China, which strategists in both Washington and Beijing expect to take place along the "first island chain," or the string of archipelagoes running from the Kamchatka Peninsula to Borneo just off the eastern coast of Asia. This region includes Taiwan as well as the South China Sea. "These changes will be accompanied by a reinvigoration of the FMF (Fleet Marine Force) by assigning more Marine Corps forces to the Fleet; putting more Marine Corps experts in the Fleet Maritime Operations Centers; shifting emphasis in its training, education, and supporting establishment activities; and refining its component relationship in partnership with the Navy," he told USNI. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Actress Julie Garner opted to wear a pant suit for the ceremony part of her city hall wedding because she wanted her very own 'Carrie Bradshaw moment.' The Ozark lead, 26, was inspired by the Sex And The City character's iconic fashion moment from the 2008 movie for her own nuptials to musician Mark Foster, 36. 'I love pants suits, and I always thought that if I were to get married in a courthouse, I wanted to wear one,' Julia told Vogue. 'I wanted a Carrie Bradshaw moment.' I do! Actress Julia Garner chose a pantsuit for her city hall wedding to musician Mark Foster because she wanted to have her very on 'Carrie Bradshaw moment' Fairy tale: In the Sex And The City movie, Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie and object of her affection Big (Chris Noth) decide to ditch the drama of wedding planning for a simple one-on-one courthouse affair where she dons a simple white skirt suit with a pair of her signature Manolo Blahnik kicks In the Sex And The City movie, Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie and object of her affection Big (Chris Noth) decide to ditch the drama of wedding planning for a simple one-on-one courthouse affair where she dons a simple white skirt suit with a pair of her signature Manolo Blahnik kicks. After her 'Carrie Bradshaw moment,' the New York-born actress wanted to switch things up for the after-party though, telling the magazine 'Of course for the party, I wanted something more soft and feminine.' Luckily, Julia had the talent of designer Danielle Frankel to help make it happen. 'I started freaking out because I was getting married in 10 days and had nothing to wear,' she explained. 'When I was on a lunch break in my trailer, I went on Instagram, and I got a DM from Danielle Frankel asking me if I had found a dress. I wrote her back, and we exchanged numbers. The next day we spoke on the phone, and I felt like I'd known her forever. It was an Instagram miracle!' The city hall part of their December 2019 wedding was an intimate affair, only attended by the couple's immediate family. Switching things up: She wore a different look to the after-party at Tribeca's Locanda Verde and the Public Hotel explaining: 'Of course for the party, I wanted something more soft and feminine' A day after getting the official part done, Julia and Mark celebrated with friends and extended family at Tribeca's Locanda Verde. Afterwards, everyone got shuttled to the Public Hotel for cake and dancing. There, Mark showed his love for his new bride with a new song called Lovers In A Stream, which she called 'the most beautiful present.' 'Mark wrote, produced, and sang it. It was very surreal, and the most beautiful present I've ever received,' she said. 'It felt like I was floating up in the airit was the most magical moment I've ever had. The only people who heard this song were at the wedding, but it will come out soon. It's a beautiful love song, and I'm excited for the world to hear it.' Julia and Mark became engaged back in May 2019, after just 10-months together. Inner circle: The city hall part of their December 2019 wedding was an intimate affair, only attended by the couple's immediate family Popping the question: Julia and Mark became engaged back in May 2019, after just 10-months together Just the two of them: Talking about the 'surreal and beautiful' proposal, Garner recalled: 'Both of us had a few weeks of quiet before I had to leave for Atlanta to start shooting season three of Ozark, so we rented an RV and took a road trip up to Montana to get away from the city and just be together' Talking about the 'surreal and beautiful' proposal, Garner recalled: 'Both of us had a few weeks of quiet before I had to leave for Atlanta to start shooting season three of Ozark, so we rented an RV and took a road trip up to Montana to get away from the city and just be together.' They traveled to Flathead Lake, where Mark woke her up early one morning to take her to the water and pop the question. 'He read me a poem he had written to me, and when he finished, he dropped to a knee and asked me to marry him.' Julia is best known for starring as Ruth Langmore in Netflix crime drama Ozark and will appear in the third season of the show, to be released later this year. Mark sings and plays keyboards in Foster The People, currently a quartet. Air India will evacuate over 300 Israel nationals from New Delhi to Tel Aviv (Israel) on Friday, amid coronavirus outbreak situation which has claimed over 18,000 lives globally. Boeing 777 AI-139 planes have been deployed for the evacuation operation. This comes after the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai had said that several Israel nationals were looking for a way out from India. "The team @israelinMumbai is making constant efforts to help and find a solution for the #Israelis that want to reach back to #Israel safely. Here are a few of them that were picked up now by special transportation organized by the consulate taking them to the airport," Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai wrote on Twitter on Thursday. Air India has previously performed similar special flight operations to evacuate both Indian and foreign nationals from several countries including China and Italy who were stranded in those countries due to the spread of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, German nationals who are being evacuated from India amid lockdown underwent security checks at Indira Gandhi International Airport. They will take off from India shortly. After India announced country-wide lockdown to contain coronavirus spread, countries like Russia, Japan, Germany, and Ukraine are evacuating their nationals, who are stuck here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) City Council on Wednesday gave Mayor Sylvester Turner the power to negotiate the deferral of some $180 million in payments from struggling airlines, concessionaires and rental car companies hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. The payments normally would have to be made to the city during the next six months. In light of the economic fallout from the pandemic, the Turner administration had proposed to let those companies push off the payments until 2021. That deferral would have a claw-back provision in case the airlines, for one, receive a federal bailout, or if there is an unexpected bounce-back in sales. A deal reportedly reached among federal lawmakers includes tens of billions of dollars in grants and loan guarantees for airlines and industry contractors. The city deferrals are not final, however. Council member Michael Knox introduced an amendment to bring the proposal back to council after the mayor and the companies iron out agreements. Council member Letitia Plummer said she wanted to tag the item, a procedural move that would have delayed the measure a week. She pulled back after Knoxs amendment was approved unanimously. Plummer, a dentist who said she cannot practice until April 21, said she wants to make sure the city is taking a holistic approach to offering help. I dont want to minimize the importance of (helping) our airport system, but there are a lot of industries in Houston that are going to be struggling, Plummer said. The economic impact in the city is going to be detrimental in many ways, and a lot of people are going to need our help. Plummer is working to form a COVID Recovery Committee, a task force with all council members to ensure City Hall is hearing from the private sector businesses affected by closures and the broader economic toll of the coronavirus. She said she is concerned the city will start offering loans and relief, like the package proposed for airlines, without examining the big picture. Thats exactly what I was worried about, Plummer said. Houston Controller Chris Brown, the citys independently elected financial watchdog, also expressed concern over the prospect of deferring airport payments under already adverse budget conditions. We still dont fully understand the financial impact that COVID-19 will have on our airport system. In times of uncertainty, its prudent to preserve cash flow at all costs, Brown said. Should the airport system be low on cash in the future, a scenario exists where the general fund would have to backstop that shortage, which would put added pressure on the citys already strained finances. Browns latest monthly financial report, which covers the month of January, projects the city will spend about $145 million more from the general fund, which pays for most of the citys day-to-day core operations, than it takes in this fiscal year. That projection does not reflect an inevitable drop in sales tax revenue from the temporary closure of most businesses in Houston and the recent nosedive in oil prices. dylan.mcguinness@chron.com jasper.scherer@chron.com WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) More than 40,000 students have shifted their learning online this week at Purdue University. The sidewalks on campus are empty as many are now learning from back in their hometowns. However for hundreds of international students, the coronavirus pandemic is keeping them away from home. They're stuck in rented housing still at Purdue. "Around campus I feel mostly it's international students rather than domestic," said junior Karim El Khoury. " [Domestic students] will come back to move out, but then they go back home." El Khoury is an international student himself studying industrial engineering from Lebanon. He can't go home, and says his West Lafayette apartment complex is full of international students stuck like him. "If I had to put all of this into one word, it's uncertainty," said Khoury. "We wake up, we don't know when we will fly back home. When will the airports open? Will the flights allow us to go from one location to the other? It's been hard. It's been very lonely." Of the nearly 14,000 students staying in University Residence Halls, Purdue reports only about 1,200 needed to stay during this time. Countless other students are staying in various housing across West Lafayette. "Anyway we cut it, this whole process will be hard," said Purdue President Mitch Daniels in a recorded interview to students. "I'll tell you something else that is hard, and that is looking out these windows and not seeing all of you there." El Khoury says he is worried what this pandemic will do to his future. "There's just so much uncertainty for my summer plans and for my after-graduation plans," said El Khoury. "If I'm staying here, will I take courses over the summer or not? Can I graduate early or not?" The university made it a bit easier on students Tuesday. Purdue will allow Spring 2020 letter grades to be switched to "Pass/No Pass." That means any grade higher than a C- can be switched and not counted toward a student's GPA. However, passing grades will count toward a degree. El Khoury says the move will help students out academically, but he's worried about their mental health. He says you see an international student around, say 'hello' or smile at them. He appreciates the community welcoming them in these uncertain times. "We are treated like everybody else, which is so nice." Purdue is closing nearly all of its academic, research and administrative buildings Wednesday. The exceptions include the Stewart Center (Welcome Center entrance only), Hicks Undergraduate Library, Purdue University Student Health Center and the Purdue Memorial Union. According to the university , Hicks Undergraduate Library will be monitored and only open to students without WiFi or computer access. Staff will monitor social distancing and will clean throughout the day. It will be open 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday. The Purdue Memorial Union will have limited lounge seating available from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Food service in the union is closed. There are limited food options at dining courts. Credit cards and meal swipes can be used at Wiley Dining Court, Third Street Market and the food truck at Hawkins Hall for takeout order only. International students can click here for student services. Senator Joe Manchin represents super-red West Virginia but he can't stand up to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Senator Jon Tester represents Montana, but he votes like he is an automatic "yes" for anything liberal that comes to the Senate floor. Both men voted with their party to kill the Senate bill. Why? I am not sure about Tester, but Manchin said that he wanted to see more hospitals. The bill did not die for lack of money to hospitals or support for workers or businesses. Instead, it was a laundry list of liberal ideas that Nancy Pelosi and Democrats did not pass when they had majorities. This is a list of some of the items that Pelosi proposed: ".....mandatory diversity reports on corporate boards, requiring same-day voter registration in all 50 states, a bailout of the U.S. Postal Service, establishing a $15-an-hour minimum wage, and new environmental regulations for airlines." Do you believe this? I expect anything from Pelosi, especially after she cracked over impeachment and let the left force it on the country. At the same time, I expected more from the so-called "moderates" from Montana and West Virginia. Moral of the story: they run as moderates but they follow the party line when they land in Washington. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Sex toy sales are surging by up to 350 per cent after Australians were advised to stay at home due to the coronavirus outbreak. Lingerie label Honey Birdette has seen a record number of toy sales over the past week since Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the government's first round of restrictions. Managing director Eloise Monaghan told The Courier Mail one of its male sex toys, The Easy Beat Egg selling for $15, saw a 345 per cent spike in sales since last week. Sex toy sales are surging by 350 per cent after Australians have been advised to stay home as much as possible due to the coronavirus outbreak (Honey Birdette's Easy Beat Eggs pictured) Lingerie label Honey Birdette has had a record number of sex toy sales over the past week (stock image) Overall the brand has seen a 143 per cent rise in both male and female sex toys and a 50 per cent rise in bondage sales. Honey Birdette also recorded a 70 per cent increase in massage candles, which turn into a massage oil once lit. 'They're huge stats for us because toys and the rest outside of lingerie accounts for 35-40 per cent of business, so it's been a big lift,' Ms Monaghan said. Ms Monaghan said the company has also seen a spike in its harder lingerie sales. 'That's not what we're usually selling around this time of year,' she said. In the lead up to Easter Mr Monaghan said lace, colourful styles were usually the brand's most popular product. Managing director Eloise Monaghan told the Courier Mail one of the male sex toys had a 245 per cent rise in sales. The Easy Beat Egg is a male toy selling for only $15 But people are increasingly purchasing hardcore lingerie, making up for almost half the company's lingerie sales. 'And they're not normally that. It seems really directional, like she wants something hard and close to her body. Like anything that's got some boning in it or anything that's got a hard nature, is selling,' she said. Ms Monaghan said she didn't understand the trends, saying it could be because people are being pushed to stay home. She said the sales have been 'strange' given the global pandemic but admitted people can 'only watch so much Netflix'. The managing director believes there could be a boom in pregnancies when the outbreak is over. Ms Monaghan has even said she has had friends who have chosen not to date during the pandemic. Dating apps are encouraging users to go on 'digital dates' to ensure people stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Singletons who opened the Hinge application were prompted to 'date from home' (pictured) Hinge suggested users could set up a call with their prospective partner on FaceTime or Zoom (stock image) Singletons who opened the Hinge application were prompted to 'date from home' as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase across the globe. Australians are urged to stay at home and exercise social distancing by staying 1.5 metres away from other people. 'There's work from home, and now there's date from home,' the Hinge prompt says. 'In fact, 70 per cent of Hinge members are down for a digital date. 'So ask out on of your matches and set up a call, FaceTime, Zoom, or what makes you comfortable. 'Let's stay safe and keep connected.' The New York-based dating service, which describes itself as the 'dating app designed to be deleted', then linked to the World Health Organisation's safety guidelines. Tinder has also encouraged prospective couples to date online during the COVID-19 outbreak. The app issued safety guidance to users on March 2 by linking WHO's advice. Compass, the real-estate brokerage startup backed by roughly $1.6 billion in venture funding, has laid off 15% of its staff as a result of the shifting economic fortunes created by the global response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to an internal email seen by TechCrunch. Citing economic fallout that has seen stock markets plummet 30 percent in just 22 days, Compass chief executive Robert Reffkin wrote that the company has seen an over 60 percent decline in real estate showings and is modeling a six-month decline in revenue of 50 percent. "We aren't just facing an economic recession, we are facing an economic standstill," Reffkin wrote. As the country's unemployment rate soars to a projected 10 percent, Reffkin wrote that the company had no choice but to cut its workforce. The 15 percent reduction in staffing is being accompanied by an 80% reduction in its concierge business for the moment. As part of the reductions in corporate spending, Reffkin cut his own salary to nothing and reduced the entire executive team's salary by 25 percent. For the employees that are laid off, the company said it would provide an "enhanced severance and COBRA health insurance" along with letting employees hang on to their company laptops and providing tools, training, and networking help so that they can try to get a new job. The news from Compass is just one indicator of a potential reckoning coming for the booming property tech investment category. Earlier today, TechCrunch reported that Zillow was suspending its homebuying activities as a result of the new economic reality. Zillow said it decided to halt its offers to sellers after several states, including California, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, New York and Nevada, implemented emergency orders requiring people to stay home and stopping all non-essential business activities, including some real estate-related activities. Story continues Opendoor and Redfin made similar decisions to pause homebuying. Meanwhile other real estate companies are also laying off staff. The co-working startup Convene laid off staff as well, citing current market conditions. Reffkin is hopeful that the economy will turn around and predicted that the economy could recover in the next 100 days, ending his email saying that he looks forward to a return to normalcy for Compass and the broader market. "I feel hopeful that Chinas apparent success at reducing the spread of the Coronavirus and restarting their enormous economy may provide a blueprint for our future, as well," Reffkin wrote. "And I feel hopeful because of the ways I see people throughout our company and throughout our society stepping up during this challenging time." To date, Compass has raised $1.6 billion in financing from investors including the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, Fidelity, Wellington Management, Softbank Vision Fund, and the Qatar Investment Authority, according to Crunchbase. Australian workers have been forced to board a ship fresh out of China despite concerns its 26 crew had not been adequately isolated or tested for coronavirus. The dozen-person stevedore team on Tuesday night boarded the OOCL Shanghai just hours after it berthed at Melbourne's West Swanson Dock. Daily Mail Australia has been told the terminal's operator, DP World Australia, threatened to sack the terrified team if they refused to board the vessel. The OOCL Shanghai berthed at Melbourne's West Swanson Terminal on Tuesday night. It had just come from Taiwan and China One supporter of the Australian crew took to Facebook early on Wednesday morning after learning that his old mates had been forced to board a risky ship OOCL Shanghai and OOCL Yokohama alongside Sydney Container terminal in 2016. The Shanghai is expected to dock again at Sydney on Friday Documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia show the vessel had sailed from Kaohsiung in Taiwan on March 13 - just 11 days earlier. Days before it had visited Shanghai and Qingdao in China, where the deadly virus was discovered in December. Under tough new border control guidelines, ship crews entering Australia from China must be kept in 14 days isolation from the moment the ship sets sail from its departure port. The vessel is scheduled to arrive in Sydney on Friday before berthing at Brisbane on March 30. Under the new border control guidelines, ship masters must notify Australian border control if any of its crew is showing signs of coronavirus symptoms before being allowed to dock. Under the rules, crew on the OOCL Shanghai must remain in isolation until at least the vessel arrives in Sydney. The OOCL Shanghai arrived into Melbourne just after 9pm on Tuesday night - a little over an hour after the Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced tough new restrictions on all Australians. These include limiting social gatherings to ten people, a blanket ban on overseas travel and closing down more workplaces to curb the spread of coronavirus. According to the World Health Organization, it is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. The revelations come amid a finger-pointing fiasco about who allowed infected passengers loose from a cruise ship that docked in Sydney. More than 100 passengers on the Ruby Princess, which disembarked in Sydney on Thursday, have since been confirmed to have the coronavirus. Some 13 passengers showed respiratory symptoms before disembarkation at 6am on Thursday, with three testing positive to COVID-19. One passenger, a 77-year-old woman, has since died. The OOCL Shanghai is headed to Brisbane (pictured) after a stop in Sydney. DP World Australia operates terminals along Australia's east coast where the vessel will berth Melbourne stevedores are worried they've been forced onto a container vessel infected with the deadly coronavirus DP World Australia in Melbourne operates the terminal where stevedores last night were forced to board the OOCL Shanghai (pictured) that had only 11 days earlier sailed from Taiwan. It had been in China earlier Timeline of the OOCL Shanghai March 6: Vessel departs Pusan, Korea March 9: Vessel leaves Qingdao, China and a day later departs Shanghai March 13: Ship departs Kaohsiung, Taiwan bound for Australia March 15: Prime Minister Scott Morrison introduces tough new laws requiring ship masters to notify Australian border control if any of its crew is showing signs of coronavirus symptoms before being allowed to dock Under the rules, crew on the OOCL Shanghai must remain in isolation until Friday, when it arrives in Sydney March 24: Prime Minister announces tough new stage 2 restrictions designed to stem the spread of coronavirus 9.30pm: The OOCL Shanghai arrives at Melbourne's West Swanson Terminal It is cleared by Australian Border Control to be unloaded 10.30pm: Workers are told they must unload the ship or face the sack 11pm: Wearing masks and gloves they board the vessel Midnight: Workers disembark and continue their shift unloading the containers Advertisement DP World staff told Daily Mail Australia they had felt abandoned by the company, its union and the Australian government. One stevedore, who wished to remain anonymous over fears he would be sacked, said DP World ignored their concerns over boarding the container ship. 'If they quarantined the thing properly we have been happy to have boarded. The thing is a death ship for all we know' he said. The Australian crew donned gloves and masks while on the ship and all went home to their families immediately after finishing their shift. 'We were stood over to work or we would lose our jobs,' the worker said. '"If you dont do the job youll be stood down," was the exact words.' Stevedores claim their union delegate 'took off' hours before the ship docked so he would not have to deal with the fall out. Members pay thousands of dollars a year to be represented by the notoriously militant Maritime Union of Australia, which recently become a division of the powerful construction union. 'They don't want industrial action at the moment, so we just had to cop it,' the source said. The boarding was ticked off by Australian Border Force and WorkSafe Victoria, he said. More than 100 passengers on the Ruby Princess, which disembarked in Sydney on Thursday, have since been confirmed to have the coronavirus. A ship pre-arrival report shows all of the countries the OOCL Shanghai had visited before arriving in Melbourne on Tuesday night 'WorkSafe backed away from it. They were too scared to even come down,' he said. 'Everyone knew this ship was coming in and they've all run for the hills.' One ex-employee of DP World took to social media last night to slam the company. 'If you were in this position what would you do? A container ship has arrived from China which has docked at three Chinese ports in the last 14 days,' he wrote. 'Would you get up on the ship to work it, not knowing if the crew are carrying coronavirus and without measures (being) taken to (guarantee) the workers' safety by the company?' 'Also, how would you react if you were told if you didn't, you would be sent home without pay or possibly sacked?' Daily Mail Australia has been told concerns are also being held for the sea pilot who navigated the vessel through Melbourne's heads into Port Phillip Bay and into the terminal. 'Pilots should be quarantined,' one DP World Australia insider said. 'But the boss is not the Australian government. If the government allows them to dock, why wouldn't the boss? 'The ship is customs checked, the Port of Melbourne lets the ship in, what is the terminal to do about it? We have to unload it.' Maritime industry observer and specialist journalist Dale Crisp told Daily Mail Australia that Australians had nothing to worry about. 'Taiwan is not China - it's exactly the opposite. China wants it to be China but Taiwan is still independent and continues to fight the fight,' he said. Mr Crisp said shipping lines coming out of China had been going to Melbourne first for more than a month so that sea pilots would not need to board vessels until the 14-day isolation period had expired. 'Border Force would not of let it in and pilots wouldn't have boarded it,' he said. Furthermore, Mr Crisp said ships that docked at northern ports were kept out at sea before berthing in Australia and had been doing so for more than a month. 'They have changed the port rotation to ensure these 14 day quarantines are strictly observed,' he said. '(Australia) was ahead of the curve in getting this going.' Mr Crisp said it would be 'madness' for shipping lines to flout the regulations. 'If something like that happened, and that caused the widening and tightening of the bans, they're ruined,' he said. 'I don't know who fired up the wharfies at West Swanson, but the idea that their union has abandoned them sounds like someone has spent too much time in the tea room reading social media.' He said any vessel entering Australian waters had always needed to prove its ship met our strict regulatory requirements. 'The master of the ship has to make a statutory declaration about the state of health about anybody on board ... they just would not have let it in,' Mr Crisp said. On March 1, OOCL stated the company required all crew to undergo temperature checks and to wear masks. Melbourne's West Swanson Terminal where the OOCL Shanghai docked on Tuesday night It further outlined other precautions it had taken to combat the spread of the coronavirus, including 'cancelling leave requests from crew, suspending crew replacement, restricting shore passes for crew in Chinese ports and other ports subject to measures being implemented by local authorities and temperature checking any personnel that board OOCL vessels'. A WorkSafe Victoria spokesman said it was making inquiries into the incident. A DP World spokesman told Daily Mail Australia it was 'working resolutely' to protect its workers and the 'communities in which it operates'. 'Our Covid-19 response focuses on how to keep our ports and terminals operational and this is achieved by prioritising safety,' it said. 'The OOCL Shanghai had been cleared to berth at DP World Melbourne by the Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environments Biosecurity officers who are responsible for all border clearance processes. 'In addition, DP World conducts rigorous safety and quarantine processes on every vessel that visits our terminals. The designated shift worked the vessel, a decision that was supported by WorkSafe Victoria who conducted an investigation into the incident, confirming all appropriate steps had been taken.' OOCL Shanghai said: 'We have been aware that many countries have taken precautionary measures related to COVID-19 and issued guidance to commercial vessels and seafaring professionals to follow when conducting business and operations in their respective jurisdictions. 'Some of these measures include keeping a close watch of the health of OOCL crew members, reporting any health and safety related concerns to the local authorities, as well as maintaining good hygiene in the workplace. 'OOCL takes safety and security very seriously and fully respects the rules and regulations of the local authorities where we operate.' The Australian Border Force and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews have all been contacted for comment. Microsoft this week announced the success of its efforts, jointly undertaken with partners across 35 countries, to disrupt the Necurs botnet group blamed for infecting more than 9 million computers globally. There are 11 botnets under the Necurs umbrella, all apparently controlled by a single group, according to Valter Santos, security researcher at Bitsight, which worked with Microsoft on the takedown. Four of those botnets account for about 95 percent of all infections. Necurs is the named exploit that is most consistently used, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York last week issued an order enabling Microsoft to take control of the U.S.-based infrastructure Necurs uses to distribute malware and infect victim computers. Microsoft figured out the new domains Necurs would generate algorithmically and reported them to respective registries worldwide so they could be blocked. Microsoft also is partnering with ISPs, domain registries, government CERTs and law enforcement in various countries to help flush malware associated with Necurs from users computers. The botnet activity stalled this month, but about 2 million infected systems remain, waiting in a dormant state for Necurs revival. These systems should be identified and rebuilt to avoig leaving them susceptible to Necurs or another botnet, Enderle told TechNewsWorld. They could do a lot of damage if they arent found in time, he said. Microsoft is one of the few companies going after the bad actors and not just addressing the point security problems, Enderle noted. Until the world becomes aggressive with bringing the bad actors to justice, we will continue to be at risk of a worldwide catastrophic computer event. This problem needs to be solved at the source. The Long Arm of Necurs Necurs is one of the largest networks in the spam email threat ecosystem. During one 58-day period in the Microsoft-led investigation, a single Necurs-infected computer sent a total of 3.8 million spam emails to more than 40.6 million potential victims, noted Microsoft Corporate Vice President Tom Burt. Necurs first was detected in 2012. It is known primarily as a dropper for other malware, including GameOver Zeus, Dridex, Locky and Trickbot, Bitsights Santos said. Its main uses have been as a spambot a delivery mechanism for pump-and-dump stock scams, fake pharmaceutical spam email, and Russian dating scams. It also has been used to attack other computers on the Internet, steal credentials for online accounts, and steal peoples personal information and confidential data. The botnet is known for distributing financially targeted malware and ransomware, as well as for cryptomining. It has a DDoS (distributed denial of service) capability, although that has not been activated. From 2016 to 2019, Necurs was responsible for 90 percent of the malware spread by email worldwide, according to BitSights Santos. Necurs is essentially an operating system for delivering bad stuff to infected machines, said Mike Jude, research director at IDC. By itself, it isnt really threatening, he told TechNewsWorld. Its more like an annoying bit of code that works at the root level. But the stuff it can deliver or activate can be devastating. The Necurs operators also offer a botnet-for-hire service, selling or renting access to infected computer devices to other cybercriminals. Necurs is believed to be the work of criminals based in Russia. How Necurs Works Necurs developers implemented a layered approach for infected systems to communicate with its command-and-control servers through a mixture of a centralized and peer-to-peer communication channels, BitSight found. Necurs communicates with its operators primarily through an embedded list of IPs, and occasionally through static domains embedded in the malware sample. It also can use domain generation algorithms. A dummy DGA produces domains to be used to see if the malware is running in a simulated environment. A second DGA fetches hard-coded .bit domains. The .bit top-level domain is an alternative DNS model, maintained by Namecoin, that uses a blockchain infrastructure and is more difficult to disrupt than ICANN-regulated TLDs, Santos said. If none of the other methods can get an active C&C server, the main DGA kicks in. It produces 2,048 possible C2 domains every four days across 43 TLDs, including .bit, based on the current date and a seed hardcoded in the binary. All domains are tried until one resolves and responds using the correct protocol. If all the above methods fail, the C&C domain is retrieved from the always-on P2P network, which acts as the main channel to update C&C servers. An initial list of about 2,000 peers is hardcoded in the binary, but it can be updated as needed. The peers in the list are known as supernodes victim systems with elevated status within the infrastructure. Further, the malware uses an algorithm that converts the IP addresses received through DNS to its servers real IP addresses. The C&C infrastructure is tiered, with multiple layers of C&C proxies, to make discovery even more difficult. The first tier of C&C servers consists of cheap virtual private servers in countries such as Russia and the Ukraine. They reverse-proxy all communications to the second-tier C&C servers, which typically are hosted in Europe, and sometimes in Russia. The communications proceed further up the chain until they finally reach the back end. On normal days of Necurs operation, BitSight detected fewer than 50,000 infected systems daily when there were active C&Cs, and between 100,000 and 300,000 when the C&Cs were inactive. The daily unique observations continue to be an underestimate of the true size of the botnet, Santos remarked. Dropping the Hammer on Necurs Analyzing Necurs DGA allowed Microsoft to make accurate predictions of more than 6 million unique domains the botnet group would create over the next 25 months. Its lawsuit and partnerships with various entities will prevent Necurs from registering and using them. Microsoft has done a stellar job of taking this version apart but these things evolve, and its likely there will be another iteration if this one becomes more or less neutralized, IDCs Jude observed. Code is easy to change and it isnt being developed in a vaccuum, he pointed out. The people behind this are probably already investigating how Microsoft reverse-engineered their approach and are building that into the next version. Malaysia will ban its citizens from travelling overseas and foreigners from entering the country in drastic measures announced by the prime minister Monday aimed at curbing the spread of the deadly new coronavirus. Schools will also be closed under the rules that will be in place for two weeks from Wednesday, Muhyiddin Yassin said. Large gatherings will be banned while shops and places of worship will be shuttered in the country, which has 566 virus cases according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, the highest number in Southeast Asia. Essential services such as supermarkets and banks will remain open. "I am aware that you may feel that this action taken by the government will create difficulties in running your daily lives," Muhyiddin said in a late-night television address. "However, this action must be taken by the government to curb the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak which is likely to take the lives of people in this country." Malaysia has so far recorded no fatalities from the virus. Many of the country's infections have been linked to a global Islamic event held last month and attended by almost 20,000 people. Authorities said participants at the gathering from February 27 to March 1 came from Bangladesh, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Around 14,500 of the participants were Malaysian. The new measures bar foreigners from the country, but citizens returning to Malaysia will have to self-quarantine for 14 days. "We can't wait any longer until things get worse," said Muhyiddin, who was sworn in only on March 1 after taking power without an election, and with support from a scandal-tainted party. "We have seen some countries take drastic steps to control the spread of the outbreak like China, which has seen a significant decline in COVID-19 infection cases." By Oh Young-jin I will only take "your heart" that comes with your kind offer. That would be my response to a 40 percent pay cut President Moon Jae-in made together with top government officials. Moon kindly offered the chunk of his salary to people suffering the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic hundreds of thousands of small merchants and gig workers who have seen their incomes tumble and their jobs gone. Some say Moon's pain-sharing Good Samaritan act is aimed at buying the minds and hearts of voters before the April 15 general election but I don't believe so. I wouldn't point out that the donations would not reach an amount to significantly address the difficulty of so many people. But I would raise an issue over it, for it doesn't address the cause of the current economic dire straits, therefore sending the wrong message to the nation. More bluntly, Moon's pay cut is like a square peg in a round hole. Specifically, Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung is closer to the solution when he decided to provide each resident with cash-equivalent coupons of 100,000 won (about $80) in the disaster-triggered basic income subsidy. First, the current crisis is not like the 1998 dollar crisis, or International Monetary Fund (IMF) crisis, when Korea didn't have enough foreign exchange to cover its debts, so it was put under an IMF-controlled restructuring program. Then, we staged a nationwide gold collection drive to bring in enough dollars while putting our insolvent firms up for fire sale. The 2008 Great Recession was triggered by subprime mortgages in the U.S. The U.S. banks were short of liquidity and cut off cash flows to corporations, spreading the problem like a virus to the rest of the world. The U.S., Europe and Japan flooded financial institutions with trillions of dollars in a series of quantitative easing (QE) moves. China was spared the brunt of the blow and helped the world pull out of it. But this time, the COVID-19 crisis is caused by the suspension of all economic activities in demand and supply. In this economic stasis, people are either telecommuting or simply stuck at home, performing a hint of what they did before the coronavirus onslaught. Factories, schools, shops, theaters, etc, are closed. People have a dwindling amount of income with little work to go around or tend to hold on to whatever precious cash is left to their name. To get the economy going requires people to earn incomes. For that, it would be important to get money to where it is needed to corporations that are short of funds to cover their maturing debts. That is what is happening as the government Tuesday unveiled a 100 trillion won package for corporate bond rollovers and stock markets. It followed half of that amount for small businesses. So the corporations will be able to stay afloat and pay their employees, while the self-employed can continue to do business. Are these big guns enough for this crisis of unprecedented proportions? Maybe, maybe not. We can't afford to under-react only to regret the collapse of the world economy. "Helicopter money," or direct cash payments to people, can have a more direct impact to get them to spend, spend, spend so as to get the consumption-demand cycle going again. Moon's pay cut may cascade down to rank and file government officials and trigger contagion to the private sectors, putting a damper on the spending sprit. We have practiced frugality so long that it is regarded as a virtue without much thought. What we may need most is not a frugal but spendthrift in this new, challenging era. Again, thank you, Mr. President, but no thank you. ) is The Korea Times' director for content. Oh Young-jin ( foolsdie@gmail.com US, Israel Holding Joint Military Exercises Observing Coronavirus Rules of Social Distancing Sputnik News 17:00 GMT 24.03.2020 With Israel already afflicted by 1,650 cases of COVID-19 and two deaths, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the country may suffer as many as 10,000 fatalities, with up to a million people expected to be infected within a month's time. The Israeli Air Force is conducting joint drills with the US military in the country's south, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has announced. According to the IDF, the drills, which kicked off Tuesday, involve F-35 stealth fighter jets, and were approved because of the lack of direct person-to-person contact on the ground between the two militaries. The exercises are expected to run until Thursday, and are part of the militaries' general 2020 training schedule, and not a response to any specific threat, the IDF says. The drills come following the cancelation of two earlier planned Israeli-US exercises amid fears of spreading COVID-19 among military personnel. Earlier this month, the countries cancelled Juniper Cobra, a major biennial five-day combined arms training exercise inaugurated in 2001, and scrapped plans for drills between US paratroopers ordinarily stationed in Italy and Israeli ground forces. Israel has 22 F-35s in its inventory, with 50 more on order. The IDF became the first in the world to use the fighter in combat in 2018. The IDF estimates that about two dozen of its troops are infected with COVID-19. Earlier this month, the military quarantined over 1,260 military personnel amid fears that they may had come into contact with persons infected by the virus. On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told members of his cabinet that the government would be "increasing restrictions on the population" amid concerns that as many as 10,000 Israelis may succumb to COVID-19-related complications. The country's Minister of Health Moshe Bar-Siman-Tov warned that Israel could face a situation similar to that affecting Italy if extreme measures were not taken, including restrictions on all movement not related to vital work or to stocking up on supplies. Israel's response to the crisis has already included shuttering all borders to foreigners, and allowing the security services to use citizens' cellphone data to track suspected COVID-19 patients' movement. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 26 Trend: The return of Azerbaijani citizens from abroad is carried out within the established schedule, Trend reports referring to the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers. Preference is given to families with young children, elderly people, people in need of medical care and women. Those retuning from abroad are quarantined. To date, about 10,000 Azerbaijani citizens have been returned from different countries by charter flights. Depending on the capability of the country's quarantine points to receive citizens, it is planned to return 200-400 Azerbaijani citizens from abroad next week and to quarantine them for 14-21 or 21-28 days. Azerbaijani citizens wishing to enter the territory of Azerbaijan from the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on the land border with Turkey will be placed in the border regions on Turkeys territory and then they will quarantined in groups for 14-28 days in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The quarantine of Azerbaijani citizens coming from abroad is compulsory and all citizens are required to strictly observe the special quarantine regime declared in the country. Coronavirus Cases in World has been the Most Trending and the Most Watched News of the week, as per Chrome News Track. Part of Chrome Data Analytics and Media, Chrome News Track conducts study on News Content aired across India by choosing the Most Aired, Most Watched and Most Discussed News of the week. The automated data is picked from 30,200 Chrome DM Panel Homes across India. It analyses the effectiveness of the News aired on television every week and categorises it through three broad segments namely Most Aired, Most Watched and Most Discussed. Most Aired News in Week 11 According to the Chrome News Track data for Week 11 of 2020, Coronavirus Cases in World was the most Aired News this week, followed by News about Madhya Pradesh Government Crisis. The News about Yes Bank Crisis stood at the 3rd spot, the new about International Womens Day 2020 was next in the list, while news about Holi Celebration 2020 managed to take the fifth and the last spot. Most Watched News in Week 11 The data also unveils that Coronavirus Cases in World was the most watched news for the week grabbing maximum eyeballs, followed by Yes Bank Crisis. The news about Madhya Pradesh Government Crisis, Holi Celebration 2020 and International Women's Day 2020 also generated interest amongst the viewers and are placed at 3rd, 4th and 5th positions, respectively, in the list. Most Discussed News in Week 11 On the other hand, taking a closer view of the Most Discussed News category, the news about Coronavirus Cases in World has been the talk of the nation making it the most discussed news, whereas the news about Madhya Pradesh Government Crisis happens to be the 2nd most discussed news as per the automated data picked from 30,200 Chrome DM Panel Homes. Yes Bank Crisis became the 3rd most discussed news among masses. Holi Celebration 2020 and International Womens Day 2020 are placed at 4th and 5th positions, respectively, in the list. This article is part of David Leonhardts newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it each weekday. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York has received high marks for his handling of the coronavirus. He has remained calm and clear while issuing urgent warnings about the crisis. But there is at least one group of New Yorkers whom Cuomo hasnt done much to protect: elderly prisoners. Without quick action, too many of them will die from Covid-19. Older prisoners tend to be in fragile health, and many lack regular access to doctors. Prisoners also dont have the option to practice social distancing. They live in close quarters, are frequently patted down and often wait in lines. When the virus begins to spread inside prisons, their sentences could quickly turn into a death sentence. There will be dozens if not hundreds of deaths if they are kept inside when the virus hits, Nina Morrison, an attorney at the Innocence Project, told me. The first state-run coronavirus testing centers to open in New Jerseys hardest-hit county reached capacity again Wednesday morning and closed early for the day, officials said. The site at Bergen Community College in Paramus has closed early every day since opening Friday. The second testing site at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Monmouth County remained open at 11:15 a.m. but was nearing capacity and expected to close soon, Lt. Ted Schaefer of the State Police said. The Holmdel site closed early in its first two days. Both locations open at 8 a.m. to administer 350 coronavirus tests a day and have 2,500 kits available per week. Paramus police sent an alert at 8:09 a.m. saying the Bergen Community College site had hit capacity. Asked whether the state will increase capacity at the Bergen site, Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday morning officials need more supplies from the federal government including raw materials to take the swabs." We would love to be South Korea, Murphy said during a radio interview on CBS 880-AM. Because everybody makes the point that universal testing is the best way. ... The problem is: We have limited amounts of supplies, in particular from the federal side. Im grateful weve gotten some. But our ask is enormous. Murphy also stressed that people will be tested only if they are showing symptoms. We know the anxiety is high, he said. We get that. Our job is to be straight with people and lessen the anxiety. But if you dont have symptoms, youve got to step back. For people who have been shut out of those locations, several county-run sites have opened or are preparing to open. There are also several sites run by hospitals or clinics testing for coronavirus. As people line up earlier and earlier for the chance to get tested, both state-run site are hitting capacity at an earlier time. The sites are only open to New Jersey residents who are symptomatic. Health officials have urged the worried well not to get in line since they will be turned away. Although samples are collected at the two state-run sites, they are shipped to labs elsewhere to be tested. Both sites are supported by FEMA the Federal Emergency Management Agency. New Jersey is one of FEMAs 12 priority states and currently has the second highest number of positive tests in the country. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. MIDDLETOWN Another individuals has tested positive for coronavirus in Middletown, bringing the number of those reported to be infected with COVID-19 to two. The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services reported a staff member who works at Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown last reported to work March 10, and called out sick the next day with flu-like symptoms, according to DHMAS Public Information Officer Diana Shaw. The individual, who had a fever and cough, was tested March 14, and DMHAS was notified of the result March 23, Shaw added. Seven other staff who were in close contact with the individual have been out of work on self-quarantine. State health officials told Mayor Ben Florsheim a 57-year-old city man had been hospitalized with coronavirus, however, that result turned out to be a data entry error on the part of the state Department of Public Health. The man is negative for the illness, the mayor confirmed Wednesday night. On Saturday, a 50-year-old Middletown resident also tested positive for the illness. That patient was placed in self-isolation following the diagnosis, Middletown Health Director Joseph Havlicek said in a press release over the weekend. Connecticut Valley Hospital patients who came in contact with the sick employee have been in quarantine, and are being monitored for symptoms of COVID-19 while continuing to receive DMHAS services, Shaw said. Staff on the affected unit are also being monitored for symptoms, taking precautions and practicing infection control to prevent further spread of the virus. I wish our employee a quick and full recovery, DMHAS Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon said of the individual, who is recovering at home. The swift action on the part of the staff at CVH helped contain the exposure, and prevent the spread of the virus to other parts of the hospital. We will continue to monitor staff and patients for symptoms to maintain the health and safety of those on the unit and the rest of the Middletown campus, Delphin-Rittmon said in a statement. Meanwhile, seven more deaths occurred in Connecticut since Tuesday, the Department of Public Health reported Wednesday afternoon. Its the largest single day of fatalities in the pandemic. There are 875 cases and 106 hospitalized, Gov. Ned Lamont said. The fatalities were all elderly people, in their 70s and older. Over at South Fire District in Middletown, Chief Michael Howley said hes intent on keeping everyone staff and those the department serves calm ahead of the inevitable storm. Coronavirus cases are expected to peak in Connecticut over the next couple weeks, according to health officials. We still have fire, car accidents, medical calls. Its hard, but we know what the job is, said the chief, who is meeting with local police, other fire companies and emergency medical workers on a weekly basis to stay abreast of operations. Its pretty much a constant of everyday life. Ours is no different. Well get everybody through it, Howley said. State and local officials, including Florsheim, have been encouraging people to take advantage of the spring weather and continue exercising by taking a walk or hike outdoors. In very small numbers, that is. State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesman Lee Sawyer said there has been heavy usage of Connecticuts park and trails systems. Visitorship rose when nonessential businesses began closing due to the governors executive orders, and schools shut down, leaving many mostly confined to home. The DEEP has placed notices on state property reminding visitors not to congregate in close spaces, Sawyer said. EnConn police are patrolling some of the most frequented spaces in the state, reminding people about practicing social distancing. On occasion, theyll ask large groups to break up, he added. Keeping these places open to the public and not shutting down, as is happening in other states, depends on how well people are following the rules. The DEEP does not want to restrict outdoor recreation. Well be carefully monitoring how other states are reacting in terms of keeping certain ones open, and making tough decisions to close others, Sawyer said. This past weekend, the state had to shut down Sleeping Giant State Park because it was over capacity. There were too many people congregating at the tower there. Some of last weeks most-used places included Sherwood Island State Park in Westport and Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison. With conscientious social distancing, hiking and other outdoor activities can be enjoyed safely. Its important to preserve for peoples enjoyment for years to come, Sawyer said. The open-air Durham Farmers Market, 30 Townhouse Road, continues Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the town Green, rain or shine, according to market master John Scagnelli. Vendors there are following strict guidelines to avoid spread of the coronavirus. Scagnelli has set up guidelines for visitors until the pandemic eases. Please do not come to our market if you are sick. We need to be respectful of others. What you can do is have someone come for you. Please maintain the six-foot recommended distance from others. We are keeping our vendors 10-plus feet away from each other to reduce the foot traffic at each booth, Scagnelli said. He also asked customers not to touch the products, and instead ask vendors for assistance. For information, email farmersmarket@townofdurhamct.org. While Middlesex Community College, like most educational institutions throughout the state, is shut down, the campus community can still find nonperishable food by visiting the Amazing Grace food pantry in Middletown. We were able to transfer credits at the Connecticut Food Bank that were donated to MxCC, to Amazing Grace, to help them replenish their inventory, administrators said in an email. Magic Food Bus shoppers can now go to the pantry at 16 Stack St., Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors should bring their student or employee identification for verification. For the latest information on coronavirus in Connecticut, visit portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus. Editors note: The 57-yr-old individual officials said tested positive for coronavirus in Middletown was, in fact, negative for COVID-19. The mistake arose from a data entry error by the state Department of Public Health. Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu on Wednesday directed Labour and Employment Department to release Rs 1000 to each of 3.50 lakh workers for the purchase of ration during the 21 days lockdown period. Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that it is vital to break the chain of the disease and experts have said that at least 21 days are needed for it. Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in India reached 606, including 43 foreign nationals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Washington: When the White House began regular coronavirus briefings last month, they were sedate affairs. Vice-President Mike Pence was in charge, with public health officials such as Anthony Fauci playing leading roles. The focus was on communicating important facts how many cases had been recorded, where they were located and offering Americans practical tips about preventing the spread of the virus. But, like so much else in American life in recent weeks, the briefings have completely changed. Bit by bit, they have morphed into prime-time presidential open mic sessions that can now last up to two hours. US President Donald Trump's daily White House coronavirus briefings can now last up to two hours. Credit:Bloomberg Deprived of the ability to appear at his campaign rallies, Trump uses the briefings to dominate the airwaves and ensure he remains the centre of national attention. The briefings have attracted daily audiences of 8 million viewers at a time on cable television, as well as airing on the big three free-to-air stations. Christian mother faces court in China for homeschooling her child Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christian parents in China are paying close attention to a lawsuit filed by Chinas communist government against a Christian mother who chose to homeschool her child instead of sending him to a public school. The mother, identified as Fan Ruzhen, appeared in the Yintai District Court in Beihai on China's southwest coast last week, according to the U.S.-based group China Aid. After summoning her several times and threatening to revoke her government-provided subsistence paycheck to punish her for homeschooling or providing a Christian education to her child, the Chinese government filed a lawsuit against her last September. In the first court session last December, Fan recited her rights and defended her competence to educate her child, the group said. In a December hearing, the judge suggested the two parties reach a settlement, but the government wasnt willing. Her lawyer said the government violated the Compulsory Education Law of China by accusing her. And five teachers came out to support Christian education as a solid alternative to public school, but the government has refused to budge from its opposition. Under Chinese law, all children must attend nine years of compulsory education from elementary school to the end of middle school. But homeschooling is now popularly seen as an alternative among parents opposed to the government curriculum or the countrys exam-oriented education system, according to the online magazine Sixth Tone. Last March, Chinas Ministry of Education urged authorities nationwide to deter non-traditional educational institutions from operating, and threatened to punish parents who send their children to such facilities, the magazine reported. Meanwhile, schools in China have been teaching children that Christianity is an evil cult. According to a 2019 report by Chinese persecution watchdog Bitter Winter, children are being taught to oppose religion, encouraged to question the beliefs of family members and report those closest to them to authorities. Although China claims that it allows religious freedom, it has been carrying out a crackdown on underground churches and Christian activists for years. In 2015, more than 1,000 crosses were removed from church roofs and entire church buildings were destroyed across the Zhejiang province. The Chinese government continued its campaign against Christianity during the countrys coronavirus outbreak by destroying crosses and demolishing a church while people were on lockdown. On March 13, a church in Guoyang County, Anhui Province saw its cross removed by authorities. A video shared by the Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness documented the moment when the crane removed the red cross from the churchs rooftop. Another church in Huaishang district of the city of Bengbu, Anhui province also had its cross removed at the beginning of March, according to International Christian Concern. Ms. Yao, a local Christian, said the removal was led by the head of the local United Front Department, a Communist Party organ employed to govern religious affairs. More than 60 million Christians live in China, at least half of whom worship in unregistered, or illegal underground churches. China is ranked as one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to the persecution of Christians on Open Doors USAs World Watch List. In addition to Christians, the communist government continues to persecute and monitor members of various religious minorities, including the detention of over 1 million Uighur and other Muslims in western China over the last three years. WATERLOO The broadcast of Mondays Waterloo City Council meeting resembled the opening credits of The Brady Bunch. It was the trial run for a full electronic council meeting designed to allow council members, staff and even members of the public to participate in their local government while preventing the spread of coronavirus. Zoom Meetings and Chat software allowed all seven council members and several department heads to join the meeting from home, some via video and some just on the telephone. Those viewing on cable television or through a live YouTube feed saw boxes with names and sometimes faces of each participant, while Information Technology Director Chris Youngblut served as moderator and controlled whose audio was allowed to get through. Mayor Quentin Hart and several staff were scattered about the meeting room, along with two members of the public and a media representative. But the gathering never exceeded 10 people, the limit set by an emergency order of Gov. Kim Reynolds. It worked, exclaimed City Clerk Kelley Felchle, when the meeting wrapped up. Felchle and others had been working on ways to continue holding public meetings to keep the city operating while still complying with the Iowa Open Meetings Law and giving residents access and a voice in the decision-making process. While one man still chose to show up in person and speak in the council chambers, two others contacted the City Clerks Office in advance and got access to make their comments via the Zoom Meetings feed. Residents are also allowed to submit comments by emailing comments@waterloo-ia.org before the meeting. Other local governments also have been testing out phone and video systems to conduct their meetings electronically. While thats something private businesses have been doing for some time, the requirement to maintain public access to the proceedings is uniquely challenging to smaller government bodies. The Hudson City Council held its first electronic meeting with the Zoom software Monday night. I believe that this is our new norm, said Hudson City Clerk Chrissi Wiersma, who indicated the system worked well and nobody had a problem getting into the meeting. Wiersma said there were a few issues hearing the public who participated but that the public reported being able to hear the council members well. Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green said his council conducted a special meeting through Zoom last week, which didnt require public participation. Hes working with staff to ensure the next regular council meeting on April 6 will have a method for public comments in real time. Ive done these kinds of (teleconference) meetings now for about six years with grad school, he said. I want to make sure that whatever we do its something Im comfortable with as the meeting facilitator. But he also wants to ensure the system doesnt leave out those without technology skills. How do we make sure we dont shut out their voices and only the tech-savvy can participate? Green said. Thats a big issue to me. The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors is holding a special meeting Thursday primarily to test out its electronic meeting capabilities. Information on how the public can participate in those board meetings is expected to be forthcoming. More than 1,000 travelers from Algeria are stuck inside an Istanbul airport after their country closed its borders to curb the spread of the coronavirus. "The Turkish government has been making efforts for a week now to persuade the Algerian government to grant landing rights for the affected flights, airport operator IGA said in a statement. The operator said that it was providing meals and essentials to stranded passengers waiting to be repatriated. We, as IGA, Turkish Red Crescent, Turkish Airlines and Havas [bus company] have been trying to satisfy the humanitarian needs and requirements of over 1,000 Algerian visitors for several days now, IGA said. More than half the stranded travelers are Algerian citizens, with others from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, a spokesperson for IGA told Reuters. Videos posted to social media this week show tired and frustrated passengers crowding the airport and complaining about conditions. Algerias national air carrier, Air Algerie, announced last week it would be halting all international flights until further notice. The countrys president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, ordered the repatriation of thousands of stranded citizens and called on those stuck to be patient. The North African country has reported 201 cases of the coronavirus, with 17 deaths, the government said on Sunday. The outbreak is centered mostly in the northern Blida province, southwest of the capital, where 17 members of the same family were infected with the virus. According to the Interior Ministry, 7,515 Algerians have been repatriated and sent to quarantine centers in the country upon their return. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 17:35:10|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close LONDON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- An Oxford University scholar has called upon the Group of 20 (G20) countries to be the "anchor in a storm" for the COVID-19 pandemic, which she described as a "wake-up call for collaboration." Major governments should coordinate their policies and measures in the fight against the pandemic and promote economic stability and growth at the upcoming virtual G20 Summit, Fu Xiaolan, founding director of the Technology and Management Centre for Development (TMCD) of the University of Oxford, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "Viruses have no nationality. They are the enemy of human community and no country. Nobody has the privilege to be exempted from their attacks," said Fu. She noted that to cope with such challenges as this pandemic, the international community should focus on the "3-Cs" cooperation mode, namely, "cooperation in scientific research and knowledge sharing; coordination in non-medical intervention in combating the virus; cooperation in stabilizing markets, mitigating the negative impact of an economic recession, and prevention of a global economic crisis." China's anti-epidemic measures, despite initial difficulties, are "effective, as well as widely recognized by experts and governments in many countries," she said, adding that "the sacrifice of the Chinese people and government in preventing the spread of COVID-19 epidemic has won the world one or two months' time." By offering aid, dispatching medical teams, and holding video conferences, China's efforts to help other countries battle the epidemic and share its own experiences with them reflects its sincerity, she said. The scholar praised the Chinese government and scientists for their timely sharing of medical data with other countries, saying that in the face of the unknown virus, China took swift and firm action and innovated treatment by applying both new and traditional methods to patients. Meanwhile, she condemned xenophobia, emphasizing that stigmatizing other countries or communities will not save any lives, nor will it kill the virus. She expects China to "appeal for and co-lead global collaboration with other countries to fight the pandemic, acting quickly and proactively, coordinating policies and strategies, and sharing knowledge and experience" at the G20 virtual meeting. The professor expressed her hope that the World Health Organization (WHO) will play a critical role in "helping low-income countries in the prevention of the virus outbreak." "This global health crisis needs global cooperation," she stressed, adding that this could also be an opportunity for all countries to put aside their differences and pull together. Fu also warned of the risk of deglobalization and regionalism after the pandemic, saying "this is harmful to the global economy." "Therefore, all G20 countries should reach a consensus and clearly declare their support for multilateralism and global cooperation, while reforming the global governance system to ensure a more balanced globalization process," she said. The professor also suggested the G20 issue a joint declaration to show global solidarity in fighting the pandemic and promoting economic growth, protecting the stability of global supply chains and the jobs that depend on them. The Saudi Arabian G20 Presidency will host the virtual G20 Summit in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 26. A video created by inmates in the Etowah County Detention Center in Alabama claims that they are locked inside with others who have COVID-19 began circulating on Friday. The video was apparently recorded by an inmate and shows a pair of inmates with ropes made of cloth around their necks, threatening to hang themselves because of the COVID-19 positive inmates. Were not having no more people come in here with that symptom. Were not trying to put no more lives at risk, one of the inmates said in the video. Another inmate claims that three people with the virus had been brought into the jail and had not been properly quarantined. Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton in the Gadsden Times disputed the claims that there were inmates with COVID-19. Recommended Prison visits cancelled amid coronavirus outbreak Mr Horton said all inmates with symptoms have been screened and that the detention center has not had any cases of positive results. The sheriff said an investigation was launched to determine how the inmate came to possess a phone. Mr Horton claims that people have been trying to use the coronavirus as a means to avoid jail time. He said two individuals told jail staff theyd tested positive for COVID-19 despite there having been no confirmed cases in the county. You ask them where theyre from, and they say Etowah County, then you tell them theres no positive cases in the county and their stories start to change, Mr Horton said. The pandemic has prompted several mass inmate-releases across the country to prevent jails and prisons from becoming viral hotbeds. In Los Angeles, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he planned to release 1,700 inmates, nearly 10 percent of the countys jail population. The Los Angeles Daily News reported that all of the inmates being released had less than 30 days left on their sentences and all of them were convicted on nonviolent misdemeanours. Mr Villanueva said that after this release there wasnt likely to be another, so the jail still needed to prepare for dealing with a potential outbreak inside the prison. He said there are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus inside the jail. In New Jersey, hundreds of prisoners have been released over the last week, and more than 1,000 prisoners are expected to be released in New York City. In Utah, county jails are also releasing around 200 inmates, though the state prison - that the Salt Lake Tribune reports houses 6,500 inmates - said it doesnt intend to release any inmates. Activists have pushed for authorities to release inmates as coronavirus spreads into prison facilities across the nation. CBS News reported that the ACLU sent letters to federal, state and local officials urging them to release any inmates who were at heightened risk of infection. Louis Reed, who worked in a federal prison for 14 years and currently organises with an initiative to decrease the prison population, #Cut50, said pandemonium broke out in jails when prisoners learned about potential outbreaks. When I was on that side of life and I found out about an outbreak, I would literally be shaking in my boots, Mr Reed said. It feels as if youre in a car driving 100 miles an hour with no seat belt on, not knowing whether the car is going to crash. English French NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES MONTREAL, March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Falco Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: FPC) ("Falco") and Golden Queen Mining Consolidated Ltd. (NEX: GQM.H, OTCQB: GQMND) ("Golden Queen") are pleased to announce that Golden Queen shareholders approved the plan of arrangement with Falco whereby Falco is to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Golden Queen (the Transaction) at the special meeting of shareholders held earlier today (the Meeting), approving the Transaction announced on February 11, 2020. The Transaction was approved by 99.64% of the votes cast by Golden Queen shareholders, with shareholders holding 6,033,912 shares or 44.59% of the outstanding shares of the Company present in person or represented by proxy at the Meeting. On closing of the Transaction, Golden Queen shareholders will receive 1.35 Falco shares for each Golden Queen share held. The Transaction is subject to final approval by the TSX Venture Exchange and the Supreme Court of British Columbia (the Court), along with other customary conditions. As disclosed in Golden Queens management information circular dated February 20, 2020 related to the Meeting (the Circular) and provided for in the Interim Order granted by the Court in respect of the Meeting, Golden Queen intended to apply to the Court for the Final Order on March 26, 2020. In light of the suspension of operations at the courts in British Columbia due to Covid-19 the original court date may be delayed. Any Golden Queen securityholder seeking to appear at the hearing of the application for the Final Order must advise Sean K. Boyle of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP by email at sean.boyle@blakes.com . Only those persons who have advised Mr. Boyle of their intention to appear will be provided with notice of the new hearing date and any filed materials. Additional information regarding the terms of the Transaction are set out the Circular which is available under Golden Queens profile at www.sedar.com . About Falco Falco Resources Ltd. is one of the largest mineral claim holders in the Province of Quebec, with extensive land holdings in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. Falco owns about approximately 67,000 hectares of land in the Rouyn-Noranda mining camp, which represents 70% of the entire camp and includes 13 former gold and base metal mine sites. Falcos principal asset is the Horne 5 Project located in the former Horne mine that was operated by Noranda from 1927 to 1976 and produced 11.6 million ounces of gold and 2.5 billion pounds of copper. Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd is the largest shareholder of the Corporation and currently owns 19.9% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Corporation. The Corporation has 207,878,736 shares issued and outstanding. For further information, please contact: Luc Lessard President and Chief Executive Officer 514-261-3336 info@falcores.com Amelie Laliberte Coordinator, Investor Relations 418-455-4775 info@falcores.com About Golden Queen Mining Consolidated Ltd. Golden Queen is a company existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and is a reporting issuer in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. The Golden Queen Shares are currently listed for trading on the NEX under the symbol GQM.H and are quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol GQMND. For further information, please contact: Brenda Dayton Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs Telephone: (604) 417-7952 bdayton@goldenqueen.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved of the information contained herein. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements, and subject to risks and uncertainties. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as plans, seeks, expects, estimates, intends, anticipates, believes, could, might, likely or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results may, will, could, would, might, will be taken, occur, be achieved or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic factors and uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements, including those risks and uncertainties set out in Falcos public documents, including in its most recent management discussion and analysis and annual information form filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and set out in Golden Queens public documents, including its most recent management discussion and analysis and annual report filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, political, economic, environmental and permitting risks, regulatory restrictions, mining operational and development risks, litigation risks, regulatory restrictions, environmental and permitting restrictions and liabilities, internal and external approval risks, the anticipated benefits of the Arrangement to Falco, Golden Queen and their respective shareholders, the exchange ratio and value of the Falco Shares being delivered as arrangement consideration, the timing and receipt (if at all) of the required shareholder, court, stock exchange and regulatory approvals for the Arrangement, the timing and ability (if at all) of Falco and Golden Queen to satisfy the conditions precedent to completing the Arrangement, the anticipated timing to hold the Golden Queen Meeting, the closing of the Arrangement (if at all) and fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to the United States dollar exchange rate). Although Falco and Golden Queen believe that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, Falco and Golden Queen disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The Delhi High Court has asked the AIIMS to provide treatment to an 18-month-old girl who is suffering from a rare disease 'Gaucher', without charging anything from her father. Justice Prathiba M Singh noted that as on date, there is no policy for dealing with persons with rare diseases and how the treatment is to be provided to them. The court directed the Centre to file an affidavit before the next date of hearing, that is April 17, on the current policy of the government on rare diseases. The court, in its order passed on March 23, said a copy of this order be communicated to the Medical Superintendent and Director of AIIMS with the request to commence the treatment of the child immediately. The court was hearing a petition filed by the child's father seeking funds for her treatment and direction for treating her for the disease as repeated representations made to various government authorities had not been fruitful. The counsel for the child's father told the court that the monthly cost of treatment of the disease is about Rs 3.5 lakh. The court was informed that 'Gaucher' has been treated as an 'orphan disease' in the US and the European Union. It is a genetic disorder where fat-laden Gaucher cells build up in areas like the spleen, liver and bone marrow. The court noted that the expense for this treatment is quite steep which the family cannot afford. "Considering the age of the child and given that the policy for rare diseases is yet to be finalised by the government, it is deemed appropriate to direct respondent no. 3 AIIMS to start the treatment of the petitioner (child) without charging anything from her. "Further directions in respect of the expenses towards the said treatment would be passed after the Union of India enters appearance in the matter," the court said. The court was informed that though the central government had come out with a National Policy for Treatment of Rare Diseases, in 2018, due to objections by certain state governments it was reportedly scrapped and a draft policy document for rare diseases was released on January 13,2020. "However, it has not yet come into effect. Owing to this, there appears to be no policy in place at this point for dealing with persons with rare diseases and how treatment is to be provided to them," the court noted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Remarks by Vice President Pence in a Press Gaggle March 23, 2020 THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, good afternoon, everyone. On behalf of President Donald Trump and a grateful nation, I want to say how proud and grateful we are to each and every one of you here at the National Response Coordination Center. Thank you for stepping up for America. Thank you for the efforts here at FEMA to bring together this whole-of-government approach. We couldn't be more proud of each and every one of you. The American people know FEMA. They know that when disaster strikes their communities, and they see that FEMA flag flying, they know that we're bringing our very best. And by having FEMA in the lead as part of this effort, it's built great, great confidence among the American people that we're going to bring all the resources of this nation, we're going to do whatever it takes, and we're going to get through this together. So thank you all for your work. Keep it up. And we're going to make sure that you have the support and the resources you need. And we're going to we're going to do this the way FEMA always does it: We're going to respond to the coronavirus in America in a way that is locally executed, state -managed, and federally supported. So keep up the great work everybody and God bless you all. (Applause.) Well, thank you all. We just completed a conference call with the nation's governors, all of our states and territories. It was a good, productive discussion. We talked about mitigation efforts, talked about the President's decision yesterday to issue a major disaster declaration for New York and California and Washington State to surge resources to those areas, including field hospitals and personal protective equipment. We fielded additional requests today from other states, most especially New Jersey that's feeling the impact of the outbreak in New York State. At this point, our health experts inform us that New York has become, in effect, the epicenter of the coronavirus spread in the country. And so we're going to continue to focus resources there, even as we work through this extraordinary structure here at FEMA to make sure that our states and local communities have the full support of the federal government as they confront the coronavirus. It was a good discussion today. We talked about all the issues, whether it be enabling states to stand up their National Guard with federal support, the specific need for supplies, the progress that we're making on issues from masks to ventilators. And all of it represents the ongoing partnership that President Trump has forged with all of our governors, all of our states and territories, and that dialogue will continue. And we continue to make it clear to our governors that we're going to do whatever it takes. We're going to make sure they have the resources, and the support, and the best guidance from the best health experts in the world to put the health and safety of their citizens first. Questions? Q Sir, you mentioned earlier, at the top of that meeting, that there was a very important ventilator breakthroughs that you were going to be discussing with the governors. THE VICE PRESIDENT: There is. Q What can you describe what that breakthrough is? THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, what we unpacked for the governors today is that when the President engaged leaders of a number of medical associations, we determined that the devices that are used by anesthesiologists could be easily converted to ventilators that could be used for people struggling with the coronavirus. We've worked with the FDA. They issued guidance on the changing of a vent in that piece of equipment. And so we directed all of our governors again today to survey all of their outpatient clinics to identify what we believe are tens of thousands of these devices, which could add to our nation's resources for ventilators for people that might be severely impacted by the coronavirus. But we got a strong response from our governors, but we reiterated again today that because of what the anesthesiologists have stepped forward and told us would be available because of the swift work of the FDA, now our governors around America are going to be able to identify a whole new range of ventilators that could be easily converted, add to their supply, and focused at the point of the need in their states. That's in addition to what we have in the National Stockpile, the ventilators that we have in the marketplace today, as well as extraordinary efforts by American industry to step up and join us in manufacturing more ventilators for the American people. General Motors is working with one other company to begin to actually manufacture ventilators. We're working with them on that contract. And again, it's this is a whole-of-America approach. We're seeing all of America step up. And when we our anesthesiologists made it clear that these devices could be available and converted to treat people struggling with coronavirus, our team went straight to work. And now working with our governors, we're going to identify that resource. Q Are you considering loosening any of the White House guidelines to try to resuscitate the economy at all? THE VICE PRESIDENT: When the President laid out the "15 Days to Slow the Spread," we believe that we had an opportunity early in the progress of the coronavirus across our country to impact the trajectory of the disease. It's significantly lower the number of Americans who would be exposed to it and threatened by serious illness. It's important to remember most Americans, even those who contract the coronavirus, will fully recover. But for seniors with serious underlying health conditions, with people with serious immunodeficiencies, the threat is real. And so the President thought it was important, as we focus on areas where we've had significant outbreak and we support areas like California and Washington State and New York with specific countermeasures, and support the governors in those states, he thought it was important for every American to take action, as tens of millions are, to help us slow the spread. But at the end of this 15 days, we're going to get with our experts, we're going to evaluate ways in which we might be able to adjust that guidance for the American people. But those measures, right now, we're all in the belief that we could impact the trajectory of the curve of the coronavirus in America in a way that would spare many Americans from being exposed or contracting the disease and, of course, save lives. But we'll look at where we are and we'll evaluate, based on our health experts, what steps might be possible. I will tell you I told the governors today that in early March we issued guidance for healthcare workers saying that they could return to work even if they'd been exposed to the coronavirus, if they wore a mask for 14 days. Today we fully expect the Coronavirus Task Force to review recommendations for critical infrastructure workers, first responders, those that play a vital role in public safety, in the life of our communities. We're going to give guidance out of HHS and DHS today about how those workers, even if they've been exposed to someone with coronavirus, as long as they don't have symptoms, would be able to return to work immediately. Wear a mask for two weeks, but otherwise return to the important roles that they play in all of our communities. Thank you. Q Are you confident that the Senate can reach a stimulus deal? THE VICE PRESIDENT: I think this is a very inspiring time across America. You see people coming together as never before in my lifetime. I mean, the American people are rising to the occasion, and it's time for the United States Senate to do the same. I mean, the CARE Act will provide direct support to working families. The average family of four could receive up to $3,000 in a direct payment. There'll be payroll support for businesses for several months that have been impacted by this. There'll be unemployment insurance support as we see the unemployment insurance rolls swell around the country. President Trump and I absolutely believe, for the sake of American workers, for the sake of our economy, for the sake of seeing our country through the coronavirus, the Senate and the House must act to pass the CARE Act and pass the CARE Act this week. It's time they got to work. END NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In 2011, Aamir Khan had wanted to build a bungalow at the Virgo Co-operative Housing Society at Pali Hill, Bandra, which now has two buildings Marina and Bella Vista. Aamir has two flats in Marina and one in Bella Vista. He wanted to buy up 60 per cent of the flats in the complex and construct the bungalow. However, his plan was opposed by a family who owns two apartments at the complex. The 3 Idiots actor withdrew his offer in 2014 and rented out another place after a slab fell on a resident in Virgo, injuring him. Now Aamir is back at Marina. With everyone staying home, residents are now talking to Aamir to try and get him to revive his offer. The other residents are keen to get the building redeveloped, and who better than Aamir to do it, they feel, because they know and trust him. Moreover, in the absence of additional Floor Space Index (FSI), builders are not keen to invest in the redevelopment, which means that Aamir remains their only option. If these talks go well, Aamirs plans for a dream home and office will bear fruit, say sources. Aamir could also build a small post production studio within the premises to oversee the work on his projects, the sources added. Aamir is currently working on the remake of 'Forrest Gump' (named Laal Singh Chaddha in Hindi) co-starring Kareena Kapoor. The coronavirus pandemic has swept through nations, infecting over 420,000 over the course of three months. However, several communities have banded together in a bid to help those in need during the crisis. In many states such as Central Florida and New York, numerous school districts have set up a Grab-and-Go Program which aims to provide free meals to students ages 18 and below. All students are eligible to receive two free meals and a snack. School districts in New York are offering plenty of food options for students such as pretzels, PB&J sandwiches, hummus, apples and more. The program was set up by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to address the fact that thousands of public school students depend on free meals offered at school. In Orange County, students will be served free meals from 10 AM until 2 PM at one of the 50 designated schools. Authorities said no child will be refused a meal. Authorities in Florida also launched a website where families can find the closest school that offers grab-and-go meals. They also clarified families can go to any pickup site. The Grab-and-Go option is available in 8 counties in Florida: Lake County, Flagler County, Orange County, Osceola County, Polk County, Sumter County, Seminole County, and Volusia County. Keep up with the latest coronavirus news: Healthcare workers all over the world are reusing masks and personal protective equipment due to a supply shortage as the coronavirus ramps up. While the government has pushed manufacturers to produce large quantities of medical equipment, some businesses and individuals have taken it upon themselves to sew face masks for medical professionals. In South Carolina, fashion designer Briana Danyele, who originally lives in Italy, has turned the garage of her home in Greer into a mini sewing factory. The masks are embroidered with the message "We Got This!" American Bill Purdue, who makes a living on waterproofing basements, spent days sewing face masks in his friend's upholstery shop in Washington. Other countries also followed suit. In Spain, nuns and members of the Spanish Air Force have joined the cause, making around 500 masks a day. In Belgium, a woman with only 20% of normal lung capacity decided to sew face masks for caregivers after one of her own helpers said they paid 10 euros for one mask. Her Facebook page rallied other Belgian mask makers, successfully producing 5,300 in a week. Belgian medical authorities who took notice of her efforts approved her design and advised her on materials best suited for masks. The movement sparked after health officials posted a how-to video in hopes it could help curb the spread of the coronavirus. COVID-19 causes only mild symptoms for most. For some, especially those with pre-existing health conditions or of old age, the virus causes more severe illness, including pneumonia. A vast majority recovers, while some succumb to the illness. To ensure sufficient supply during the lockdown, the government on Thursday decided to increase the monthly quota of subsidized foodgrains by 2 kg to 7kg per person through ration shops for 80 crore beneficiaries New Delhi: To ensure sufficient supply during the lockdown, the government on Thursday decided to increase the monthly quota of subsidized foodgrains by 2 kg to 7kg per person through ration shops for 80 crore beneficiaries. A decision in this regard was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The government has decided to provide 7 kg per person of foodgrains to 80 crore people under the Public Distribution System (PDS), which the world''s largest food security system," Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told media after the meeting. The cost of wheat is Rs 27/kg, which will be provided at a subsidised rate of Rs 2 kg, while the cost of rice is about Rs 32/kg but will be supplied at Rs 3/kg through ration shops, he said. All states have been asked to take foodgrains from the Centre in advance for distribution through the PDS, he added. Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government is supplying 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80 crore people at a highly subsidised price. The decision to allocate additional foodgrains through the PDS has been taken as state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI) is saddled with wheat and rice stock. With some foodgrains stock kept in open space, the FCI is under pressure to clear stock before the monsoon. Wednesday, March 25, 2020 My latest article, Riding the Populist Wave The Economics of Peace, Justice and Sustainability How can the next world war be averted? System change demands economic changebuilding the Open Credit Network Swami Beyondananda Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard The dangers of 5G wireless technology: Warnings from an industry insider __________________________________ My latest article, Riding the Populist Wave In my latest article I report that capitalists now admit that the system is "rigged" in their favor. I argue that Trump and Sanders represent two edges of the populist wave that is now dominating U.S. politics, that a Sanders win over Trump is entirely plausible, that the New Deal of FDR has been systematically dismantled and needs to be reestablished, and that in the long run people will need to work together in communities to build systems and structures that can circumvent the rigged system. Here is an excerpt, but click here to read the entire article. There, the capitalists are admitting itthe system is rigged. In his latest newsletter, financial advisor, John Mauldin, Co-Founder of Mauldin Economics, acknowledges that the system is rigged in favor of the wealthy and powerful, and against everyone else, including the shrinking middle-class. Mauldin says: The "financialization" of the American economy has led to increasing income and wealth disparity. As much as it pains me to say it, the "system" really is rigged. Whatever the good intentions of the Federal Reserve in particular and the US government in general have been, it has distorted the economic feedback loops that balance a true market-based economic system. The fact is we already have "socialism" today. It's not the socialism we feared in 1974. We have socialized the risks of capitalism, to the benefit of a small portion of the country, while a larger portion struggles. So, Mauldin admits what has been obvious for a long time, that the U.S. economy is characterized by socialism for the rich ruling class, and dog-eat-dog competition for everyone else. He cites this fact as the main reason why political outsider Donald Trump was elected President in 2016 and why "socialist" Bernie Sanders might conceivably be elected President in 2020. I agree. So, what do Trump and Sanders have in common? As I see it, both are viewed by the electorate as "populist," which ostensibly means anti-elite, Trump representing right-wing populism and Sanders left-wing populism. But, except for paying lip service to a plan to shift U.S. foreign policy away from the imperial belligerence of the deep state, Trump's actions as President belie any anti-elite sentiment. In fact, it's been quite the opposite. What people want is something other than the globalist, interventionist, imperialist policies of the past several decades that have wasted enormous amounts of resources, killed hundreds of thousands of people, destroyed communities and nations, and caused political upheaval around the world. People want relief from the economic policies that have favored capital over labor by increasing capital mobility while shifting jobs from the U.S. to low wage countries especially in Asia, and at the same time reduced constraints on banks and corporations, enabling them to more fully exploit people and the environment. More The article has also been published on Medium and republished at OpEd News __________________________________ The Economics of Peace, Justice and Sustainability This video was recently prepared by Ken Freeman based on a presentation I gave at the Economics of Peace Conference in Sonoma, California in October, 2009. My prescriptions for reclaiming the credit commons and creating a new "butterfly economy" remain completely relevant, and their implementation is becoming ever more urgent. __________________________________ How can the next world war can be averted? If you want an answer to that, listen to this interview with Dr. Paul Craig Roberts' on Ellen Brown's podcast, Resolved for 2020: Come Together, starting around 21:20. The most interesting part of the interview is toward the end (at 45:50) where Dr. Roberts talks frankly about the current geopolitical situation and the response to his recent article, Putin's Hour Is At Hand, which has gone viral around the world. If you can put aside any judgments you may have made about Putin and Russia based on the chorus of Russophobic rhetoric coming from the mainstream media you may learn something important. __________________________________ System change demands economic change, by Oliver Sylvester-Bradley In this recent article, Oliver Sylvester-Bradley of the Open Coop, announces the alpha launch of the new web platform for the Open Credit Network (OCN), a cooperative mutual credit clearing system that enables the moneyless exchange of goods and services among its member businesses. The Open Credit Network has the potential to realize the ideals and processes that E.C. Riegel expounded and that I have been elaborating and refining for the past 40 years. https://www.thealternative.org.uk/dailyalternative/2020/1/11/open-credit-network __________________________________ Swami Beyondananda Swami Beyondananda (Steve Bhaerman) makes light of the heavy. An occasional dose of Swami's wisdom can help to keep you sane in this insane world. https://wakeuplaughing.com/. And check out Steve's other website, https://wikipolitiki.com/, "Where left and right come front and center to face the music and dance together, to turn the funk into function and leave the junk at the junction" __________________________________ Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard This book by Chip and Dan Heath, rated at 4.5/5 stars on Amazon.com, is one of the most important books I've ever read. I read parts of it a few years ago and was quite impressed but too busy at the time to finish it. Recently, as I was scanning the shelves at my local public library I noticed the audio version of the book so I picked it up and checked it out. Over the past few weeks I've been listening to it in my car, a few minutes at a time as I travel about town. Whether the change one wishes to make is on a personal level, an organizational level, or the societal level, this book is a treasure trove that provides important insights and basic principles about how change happens, and numerous fascinating stories that illustrate their successful application. Whether your intention is to change yourself or to change the world, this book is essential reading (or listening). Find it at your public library or at your favorite bookseller. __________________________________ The dangers of 5G wireless technology: Warnings from an industry insider who tells it all. In a recent message, long-time correspondent Ben Levi alerted me to a video by Frank Clegg, former President of Microsoft Canada, in which he talks about the dangers inherent in 5G/Wireless Technologies. This is something that must be taken seriously; evertyone's health depends on it. You can view the video here. Ben also recommended an alternative to 5G that he is promoting and is described at http://www.safeg.net. __________________________________ As I write this the drama surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to intensify. Around the world events are being cancelled, people are limiting their movements and interpersonal contacts, and many spheres of routine activity are being disrupted. Can the spread of the virus be stopped or is it destined to become, like the flu, a universal and recurrent cause of disease? What will be its social, political, and economic implications? Is there a silver lining to this dark cloud? Time will tell. Wishing you a healthy and happy Spring season, Thomas Nigerias vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, is currently observing self-isolation, a statement from his office said on Tuesday. Spokesperson of Mr Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, said in a tweet that his principal has continued his work from the home office, as he is in self-isolation in accordance with NCDC protocols. VP Osinbajo yesterday at the office conducted his meetings via video conferencing, while observing social distancing. Today, he continues his work from the home office, as he is in self-isolation in accordance with NCDC protocols. Photo: Tolani Alli pic.twitter.com/dRYqlTL8cc Laolu Akande (@akandeoj) March 24, 2020 The statement also said the vice president on Monday conducted his meetings via video conferencing, while observing social distancing. It is unclear why Mr Osinbajo is in self-isolation but feelers suggest that he might have had contact with top Nigerian officials who have tested positive to the contagion. A number of top government officials and their aides have been reported to have contracted the COVID-19 disease. Apart from the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has also tested positive to the virus. As of now, Nigeria has recorded 44 cases, of which one has died and two discharged. Citizens have been advised to observe high respiratory hygiene and physical distancing while the federal and state governments have rolled out different policies in the past few days to curb the spread of the ailment. The United States could become the next global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization warned, as India announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of the virus. Globally, the COVID-19 virus continued to cause mayhem in many countries and business activity collapsed from Japan to the US at a record pace in March. The highly contagious coronavirus has caused entire regions to be placed on lockdown. In some places soldiers are patrolling the streets to keep consumers and workers indoors, halting services and production and breaking supply chains, a Reuters report said. The global health crisis is rapidly morphing into a global recession, as there is a clear tension between preventing infections and ruining the economy, said Edoardo Campanella, an economist at UniCredit Bank in Milan. Confirmed coronavirus cases around the world exceeded 377,000 across 194 countries and territories as of early Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, more than 16,500 of them fatal. In Geneva, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said infections in the US had greatly increased. Over the previous 24 hours, 85 percent of new cases were in Europe and the US, and of those, 40 percent were in the US. As of Monday, the virus had infected more than 42,000 people there, killing at least 559. Asked whether the US could become the new epicenter, Harris said: We are now seeing a very large acceleration in cases in the US. So it does have that potential. Some US state and local officials have decried a lack of coordinated federal action, saying that having localities act on their own has put them in competition for supplies. President Donald Trump acknowledged the difficulty. The world market for face masks and ventilators is crazy. We are helping the states to get equipment, but it is not easy, he tweeted. Meanwhile, people in India's key cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru rushed to stock up after Prime Minister Narendara Modi decreed the shutdown in a speech televised nationwide, barely four hours before it took effect, one of the toughest such measures worldwide. Nobody is allowed to leave home for the next three weeks, Modi said. Every district, every lane, every village will be under lockdown, he said, warning that Indias development would be set back decades if it did not shut down to fight the virus. But shutting down a $2.9-trillion economy would cause widespread damage and especially hurt the poorest people, some experts said. United Kingdom The health authorities in the UK announced the highest death toll of the COVID-19 in one day with 87 deaths, bringing to 422 the number of deaths among those who tested positive in the country. In a statement, the UK health authorities affirmed that a total of 90,436 people have been tested, out of which 82,359 were confirmed negative and 8,077 positive. SPAIN The number of new coronavirus cases in Spain jumped on Tuesday to 39,673 from 33,089 cases registered on Monday, the health ministry reported, according to Reuters. The number of fatalities rose to 2,696 overnight from 2,182, the ministry said. PAKISTAN The Pakistani authorities announced that the number of cases of Coronavirus in Pakistan rose to 918. According to official statistics issued by the Pakistani Government, the death toll from Coronavirus in all parts of Pakistan rose to seven, while recoverees reached three. MALAYSIA Malaysia's prime minister on Wednesday extended a two-week virtual lockdown to April 14 as coronavirus cases continue to rise in the country, which has the highest number of infections in Southeast Asia. Reuters quoted Muhyiddin Yassin as saying that the country had 172 new coronavirus cases as of Wednesday noon, taking the total to 1796, with 17 deaths. He also said that he will announce a comprehensive people-oriented economic stimulus package on Friday. THAILAND Thailand has recorded 107 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 934, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The new cases consist of 27 patients linked to previous cases, 13 new cases including imported ones, and 67 people who tested positive and are awaiting investigation into how they contracted the disease, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a Public Health Ministry Spokesman said. Thailand has recorded four death since the outbreak while 70 patients have recovered and gone home. 860 patients are still being treated in hospitals. MOSCOW, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ALROSA has launched a digital tender for special size rough diamonds (over 10.8 carats). It allows customers to purchase stones despite current travelling restrictions imposed between countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The auction takes place between March 23 and April 6. Due to the global situation, the company decided to cancel the upcoming special size auctions, simultaneously offering customers an opportunity to take part in a digital tender. Digital tender is based on the technology that provides customers with a full digital scan of each rough diamond for detailed analysis. This allows buyers to thoroughly evaluate the rough and make informed purchasing decisions based on comprehensive data without visiting the company's office. "Health of our employees and customers is of prime importance to us. Therefore, we have decided to cancel the upcoming auctions and shorten those already in progress. ALROSA is in constant contact with customers from various countries and considers different supporting measures. One of the opportunities is a digital tender. It will not replace the traditional trading model, but becomes a solution for those who are ready to work remotely right now. We will provide all the necessary information about our rough diamonds and will negotiate with customers on payment terms and logistics," said Evgeny Agureev, Deputy CEO of ALROSA. Reference Since October 2019, ALROSA has been holding monthly digital tenders, and the results showed customers' interest in such a format in addition to the traditional approach. Digital scans allow selecting rough diamonds the customer wants to purchase before he comes to the office. Customers have been able to ensure that digital scans provide an adequate data about each stone. ALROSA implements this project using various technologies. The information from 3D scanner consists of each rough diamond's external shape, internal inclusions, anticipated color and fluorescence. The data is provided in a Sarine Advisor software, a planning solution for rough diamonds. This allows clients to evaluate various opportunities for cutting, including shapes, sizes and quality of future polished diamonds. Photo: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JWTs5JNp_W3Db-TtFEwmoXjOWy-04tRg/view SOURCE ALROSA The British government acted unlawfully by handing the US information on two suspected Isis terrorists without assurances that the death penalty would not be used, the Supreme Court has ruled. Judges allowed an appeal by Maha Elgizouli, the mother of alleged Beatle Shafee El Sheikh, on one of two grounds after her case was dismissed by the High Court last year. She launched the legal challenge after the UK granted a request for mutual legal assistance (MLA) from US authorities over Mr El Sheikh and another alleged member of the terror cell, Alexanda Kotey. They became the subject of a legal dispute in 2018 as the UK refused to prosecute them, having removed their British citizenship, despite pressure from Donald Trumps administration. Ministers said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the pair in Britain and so the government decided to hand its information to the US. Timeline of the Isis caliphate Show all 19 1 /19 Timeline of the Isis caliphate Timeline of the Isis caliphate ISIS began as a group by the merging of extremist organisations ISI and al-Nusra in 2013. Following clashes, Syrian rebels captured the ISIS headquarters in Aleppo in January 2014 (pictured) AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi declared the creation of a caliphate in Mosul on 27 June 2014 Timeline of the Isis caliphate Isis conquered the Kurdish towns of Sinjar and Zumar in August 2014, forcing thousands of civilians to flee their homes. Pictured are a group of Yazidi Kurds who have fled Rex Timeline of the Isis caliphate On September 2 2014 Isis released a video depicting the beheading of US journalist Steven Sotloff. On September 13 they released another video showing the execution of British aid worker David Haines Timeline of the Isis caliphate The US launched its first airstrikes against Isis in Syria on 23 September 2014. Here Lt Gen William C Mayville Jnr speaks about the bombing campaign in the wake of the first strikes Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Isis militants sit atop a hill planted with their flag in the Syrian town of Kobani on 6 October 2014. They had been advancing on Kobani since mid-September and by now was in control of the citys entrance and exit points AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Residents of the border village of Alizar keep guard day and night as they wait in fear of mortar fire from Isis who have occupied the nearby city of Kobani Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Smoke rises following a US airstrike on Kobani, 28 October 2014 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate YPG fighters raise a flag as they reclaim Kobani on 26 January 2015 VOA Timeline of the Isis caliphate Isis seized the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra on 20 May 2015. This image show the city from above days after its capture by Isis Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Kurdish forces are stationed on a hill above the town of Sinjar as smoke rises following US airstrikes on 12 November 2015 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Kurdish forces enter Sinjar after seizing it from Isis control on 13 November 2015 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Iraqi government forces make the victory sign as they retake the city of Fallujah from ISIS on 26 June 2016 Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Iraqi forces battle with Isis for the city of Mosul on 30 June 2017 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Members of the Iraqi federal police raise flags in Mosul on 8 July 2017. On the following day, Iraqi prime minister Haider Al Abadi declares victory over Isis in Mosul Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Members of Syrian Democratic Forces celebrate in Al-Naim square after taking back the city of Raqqa from Isis. US-backed Syrian forces declare victory over Isis in Raqqa on 20 October 2017 after a four-month long campaign Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Female fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces celebrate in Al-Naim Square after taking back the city of Raqqa from Isis. US-backed Syrian forces declare victory over Isis in Raqqa on 20 October 2017 after a four-month long campaign AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Trucks full of women and children arrive from the last Isis-held areas in Deir ez-Zor, Syria in January 2019 They were among the last civilians to be living in the ISIS caliphate, by this time reduced to just two small villages in Syrias Deir ez-Zor Richard Hall/The Independent Timeline of the Isis caliphate Zikia Ibrahim, 28, with her two-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter, after fleeing the Isis caliphate, on Saturday 26 January 2019 Richard Hall/The Independent The Supreme Court heard that American authorities refused to provide the normal assurance that it would not be used in a prosecution that could lead to the death penalty. After many exchanges, the home secretary - then Sajid Javid - agreed to comply with the request without any assurances in June 2018. He authorised the sharing of 600 witness statements gathered by the Metropolitan Police in a letter to then US attorney general Jeff Sessions, which sparked intense criticism after being leaked to the press. The Supreme Court ruled that the decision was unlawful under the Data Protection Act (DPA) because the conditions of transfer to a non-EU country had not been met. Lord Kerr delivered the judgment remotely because of the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday. The Supreme Court unanimously allows the appeal on the second ground, he said. Such processing is only lawful where it complies with the data protection principles in section 34 DPA the information in question was transferred without being based on sufficient safeguards and without the requisite assessment of whether special circumstances justifying the transfer existed. A separate judgment by Lord Carnwaths found that the British governments decision to comply with the US request was based on political expediency, rather than strict necessity under the statutory criteria. When the case was first heard in the High Court, which rejected the appeal, lawyers for Ms Elgizouli said Mr Javids actions were influenced by the anticipated outrage of members of the Trump administration if the MLA was refused. Isis 'Beatles' militants captured in Syria: 'It is too late for a fair trial' The first ground of appeal, which was backed by Lord Kerr but rejected by other Supreme Court judges, was that it violated common law to facilitate the imposition of the death penalty in a foreign state. Mr El Sheikh and Mr Kotey were transferred into US custody in October following Turkeys invasion of the region of northern Syria where they were being held by Kurdish-held forces. Birnberg Peirce Solicitors, who represented Ms Elgizouli, said: She has always expressed her belief that her son, if accused, should face justice; and that any trial should take place in the UK. She has been asking since November 2018 for the CPS to conduct a review of the claim that there was insufficient evidence for him to be charged and tried in the UK a review that the CPS now says should be completed by April 2020. Originally from London, he and Mr Kotey were declared specially designated global terrorists by the US State Department ahead of their capture in January 2018, with official documents naming them as members of The Beatles and saying the cell had beheaded more than 27 hostages and tortured many more. Surviving captives have told of their brutality, which included waterboarding, electric shocks, mock executions and crucifixions. Executioner Mohammed Emwazi, who became known as Jihadi John, was killed in a drone strike, while the remaining Beatle, Aine Davis, was imprisoned in Turkey. The legal charity Reprieve intervened in the case, arguing that the Mr Javid's decision undermined wider British diplomatic efforts against executions around the world. Director Maya Foa said: This is not only a landmark judgment, but an excellent result for anyone who cares about the rule of law and Britain's long-standing opposition to the death penalty." A Home Office spokesperson said: The governments priority has always been to maintain national security and to deliver justice for the victims and their families. This has not changed. We are clearly very disappointed with todays judgment and are carefully considering next steps. Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. Pune, March 25 : An air purifier manufactured by the Science & Technology Park, here, promises to revolutionise the industry by offering the cheapest and among the most compact such machines that can kill disease causing airborne virus and bacteria, according to a leading scientist, here on Wednesday. The Scitech Airon Ionizer is described as one of the most compact, effective and cheapest in the world for similar products, according to the scientist. It can generate 100 million negatively-charged ions a second that are electrostatically attracted to positively-charged airborne particles or aerosol droplets and attaches to them in large numbers. Then they form clusters around all types of disease spreading microparticles, like airborne mold, corona or influenza viruses, mite allergens, bacteria, pollens and dust, but without harming the atmosphere or human health. "This renders inactive all these disease causing viruses or bacteria through a chemical reaction by creating highly reactive groups called hydroxyl radicals and atmospheric detergents," SciTech Park Director-General and CEO Rajendra Jagdale told IANS. The 9-kg machine is barely 1.5 feet high, 1 foot wide and 10 inches deep making it very compact and easy to use for a 100 sq metre enclosed or confined spaces, like houses, flats, hospitals, clinics, aircraft cabin, trains, buses, railway stations, airports, restaurants, malls and cinemas to make them 'virus-free' zones. The negative ions from the machine surround the hemmagglutinin - or surface proteins that form on organisms and trigger infections - and with chemical reactions destroy them (hemmagglutinins) to deactivate the virus, in about a couple of hours, with minimal electricity used and no recurreing costs, he said. "The machine costs around Rs 40,000 plus 18 per cent GST. Though a similar machine with the capacity to generate 100 million negatively-charged ions can cost around Rs 1 crore. Most important, it doesn't emit any harmful ozone that can damage the atmosphere," Jagdale said. The Pune-based award-winning scientist said besides controlling airborne diseases spread through viruses or bacteria, the machine increases the human's resistance to infections and harmful environmental factors for up to four weeks - extremely beneficial in times of coronavirus, which has 14-day incubation period. Plus, Scitech Airon Ionizer decomposes gaseous pollutants, like carbon monoxide - considered 1,000-times more harmful than carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic components, he said. It activates and enhances body's protective functions, increases OH and H2O2 in the air to act as detergent molecules to kill pollutants, improves quickly a patient's health, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, improves sleep quality and reduce fatigue. The SciTech Park is supported by the Union Department of Science & Technology. After learning about the product, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought a report on the machine to see how it can be deployed for combating the Covid-19 pandemic that has gripped India and most parts of the world with massive afflictions and casualties. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) A man has admitted to coughing deliberately at police officers and claiming he was infected with coronavirus. Darren Rafferty, 45, pled guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to his former partner, Kerry Manning, and three counts of assault on an emergency worker. Appearing in Barkingside Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, Mr Rafferty had been "in drink" and went to Ms Manning's home, said prosecutor Ciro D'Alessio. A "physical altercation" broke out and Ms Manning was struck from behind going down some stairs. The prosecutor told the court that her leg had been stamped on and she was slashed on the shoulder with a knife. During Raffertys arrest, Met Police said he coughed on officers and stated he was suffering from coronavirus. The court heard Rafferty, who wore a white face mask during the short hearing, had been checked for the virus at the police station and the force "did not have concerns". Mr D'Alessio added: "On any reading of the assault you either get someone threatening to give someone a communicable disease or you have someone trying to give it to them." Rafferty was remanded in custody to be sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday, April 1. This is the second such incident in the UK, where fears over the spread of coronavirus have heightened. Police in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, arrested three teenagers last week for allegedly coughing at an elderly couple in the street. When a passer-by intervened, police said an altercation ensued which resulted in a woman in her 70s getting a black eye. She was taken to the hospital for treatment and later discharged. Three males aged 16, 18 and 19 were questioned on suspicion of actual bodily harm, affray and criminal damage after the incident. Similar incidents which could amount to recklessly spreading the coronavirus, which has so far infected 436,481 people and killed 19,643 people globally, have also occurred outside the UK. Teenagers in Virginia reportedly filmed themselves coughing on grocery store produce, prompting the shop to remove the tainted items and take safety measures to protect the public. According to ABC7, Deputy Chief Dave Daily said officers have not yet been able to locate the video on social media, but the group was seen by another patron. Recommended Man arrested after licking his fingers and wiping them on handrail Earlier this month, a man was arrested after he was filmed licking his fingers and wiping them on a handrail while travelling on a train in Belgium. Belgian transport authority STIB-MBIV confirmed the man, who it said was drunk, was arrested and the train was withdrawn from service for disinfection. Additional reporting by agencies We just keep reminding them that we are all keeping our distance from each other with the hope that we can flatten the curve. We are also telling them that this wont last forever, she said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 18:34:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People returning from Hubei arrive at the Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, March 25, 2020. The first batch of over 800 people stranded in virus-hit Hubei Province has arrived in Beijing Wednesday afternoon after Hubei lifted outbound travel restrictions in all areas except the capital city Wuhan starting from Wednesday. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin) BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of over 800 people stranded in virus-hit Hubei Province has arrived in Beijing Wednesday afternoon after Hubei lifted outbound travel restrictions in all areas except the capital city Wuhan starting from Wednesday. The transport of the people was carried out in a well-organized and spot-to-spot way, said Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government, at a press conference Wednesday. There are still more than 20,000 teachers and students from Beijing schools and universities stranded in Hubei, according to Chen. Chen said those who have a fixed residence in Beijing can apply to return to their homes while those who do not still need to wait for further arrangements after the announcement of school and university reopening. PHOENIX The Arizona Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld Jodi Arias first-degree murder conviction and life prison sentence in the 2008 killing of her former boyfriend. Arias lawyers had argued that a prosecutors misconduct and a judges failure to control news coverage during the case deprived her of the right to a fair trial. But the three-member appeals court, in a 29-page opinion, unanimously concluded that prosecutor Juan Martinezs conduct in the case didnt outweigh Arias guilt. We conclude that Arias was convicted based upon the overwhelming evidence of her guilt, not as a result of prosecutorial misconduct, the ruling said. However, it noted an egregious case of misconduct by a highly-experienced prosecutor who improperly engaged in self-promoting conduct. The panel condemned Martinezs argumentative phrasing of questions to defense witnesses, adding that his aggressive tone and combative, bullying behavior were recurring issues in the trial and Arias attorneys moved for a mistrial six times. We strongly disapprove of his actions, we are compelled to follow the well-established principle that we do not reverse convictions merely to punish a prosecutors misdeeds.' Arias was convicted of killing ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander at his home in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. Prosecutors have said Arias violently attacked Alexander in a jealous rage after he wanted to end their affair and planned a trip to Mexico with another woman. Arias has acknowledged killing Alexander but claimed she acted in self-defense after he attacked her. He was stabbed nearly 30 times, had his throat slit and was shot in the head. The case attracted worldwide attention as salacious and violent details about Arias and Alexander were broadcast live. The guilt phase of Arias trial ended in 2013 with jurors convicting her of murder but deadlocking on punishment. A second sentencing trial ended in early 2015 with another jury deadlock, leading a judge to sentence Arias to life. The Maricopa County Attorneys Office moved to fire Martinez this year after suspending him. But the dismissal was stayed pending his appeal under civil service protections. Martinez has been a county prosecutor for 30 years. A call to Martinez seeking comment on the court ruling wasnt immediately returned Tuesday. Peg Green, one of Arias attorneys, declined comment on the appeals court opinion. Nonprofit Center Hosting Online Auction GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires is holding an online auction from March 16-31 to raise money for its educational programs and services for nonprofits. The "Nonprofit Necessities" online auction features items needed by nonprofit organizations as well as things that appeal to the general public. "Our local businesses and consultants are very generous in their support of our programs because they value the contributions of nonprofits to our community," NPC founder Liana Toscanini said. The NPC is accepting donations of products and services through March 31. Nonprofits and their board members are encouraged to bid on practical items they might not normally be able to afford such as consulting, billboard advertising, bylaw review, event photography or marketing services. The public can also bid on everything from local honey to a week on Cape Cod to a "microneedling" rejuvenating skin treatment. Visit npcberkshires.org to learn more and connect to the auction. Vietnam is facing an uphill battle to control tuberculosis (TB), with about 174,000 people in the country contracting the disease each year and 13,000 fatalities. TB patients are treated at Ha Noi's Central Lung Hospital. According to the World Health Organisation, Viet Nam ranked 11th among the 30 countries with the biggest burdens of TB in the world. Director of the Ha Noi-based Central Lung Hospital Nguyen Viet Nhung said that the number of TB cases in Viet Nam was falling slower than expected. Nhung, who is also head of the National Programme on TB prevention and Control, blamed the slight decrease of TB cases in Viet Nam on ineffective control over multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis cases. Other contributors were understaffing, low public awareness on preventing and controlling the disease, and a preference for self-treatment. Most TB patients in Viet Nam were poor with a limited understanding of the illness, which resulted in difficulties detecting and avoiding the infection source, Nhung said. Public discrimination against TB patients made the patients tend to hide their conditions, he said. Hiding the disease is irresponsible to the patients themselves and to the community, Nhung said, adding that it could cause severe consequences including more serious damage to the patients, longer treatment and higher risk of spreading the disease. In the fight against TB, each patient is a soldier who helps control and prevent the disease from spreading among the community. The community should assist them rather than discriminate against them, Nhung said. Improved healthcare facilities In the last ten years, under the National Programme on TB Prevention and Control, Viet Nam has implemented a strategy with four key innovations to fight TB: awareness, technology, approach and investment. Last year, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved the establishment of a national committee to combat TB with the key task of ending TB by 2030. In the national healthcare system, there are 51 hospitals specialising in TB treatment across the country. Of them, 48 provincial-level hospitals have mastered techniques recommended by the WHO. Nhung said the TB prevention and control network had reached grassroots levels in wards, hamlets and villages to deliver early detection and treatment. Groups that are vulnerable to TB like prisoners, those with diabetes, HIV or drug addicts had been involved in a pilot programme for early intervention. Viet Nam had been strengthening research and improving its legal framework to realise its goal of ending TB. At a meeting last week ahead of World TB Day that falls on Tuesday (March 24), Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am asked the Ministry of Health and agencies to develop plans to provide sufficient funding for TB prevention and control to reach the 2030 target. The Deputy PM also asked for further communication to improve public understanding of the disease. TB is a communicable disease but we dont need to fear it. TB is no longer uncurable because now, we have strengthened our financial ability and modern technology to test and treat it, he said. VNS Alana Honey Boo Boo Thompson and Lauryn Pumpkin Shannon are worried about their mom, Mama June Shannon. In a clip from the new season of Mama June: Family Crisis, Alana and Pumpkin share that they havent heard from their mother since she was arrested on drug possession charges in March 2019. Theyre worried that the reality TV star is throwing away opportunities to get her life back on track and that if she doesnt change her behavior soon, she could end up in prison. Mama June was arrested for drug possession in 2019 A year ago, Mama June and her boyfriend Eugene Geno Edward Doak were arrested in Alabama. She was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, while he was arrested on charges of domestic violence and possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. Both were charged with felonies and have pleaded not guilty. In a first look clip from the upcoming season of Mama June: Family Crisis, which premies March 27 on WE tv, its clear that Mama Junes arrest has completely upended her familys life. Alana, 14, is currently living with her older sister Pumpkin, 20, who is now her legal guardian, and Pumpkins husband. The family tried to get Mama June to go to rehab, but she left after less than a day. Now, no one can get in touch with Mama June. Honey Boo Boo and Pumpkin say they cant reach their mom Alana Honey Boo Boo Thompson and Lauryn Pumpkin Shannon | Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images Since fleeing rehab, Mama June and Geno have apparently been living in Alabama. But as the girls explain in the video, if it wasnt for social media, they wouldnt have any idea of her whereabouts, since shes not taking their calls. She doesnt even answer our phone calls, Pumpkin says. It goes straight to voicemail. Genos phone goes to voicemail. Or they say all their phones are dead and they were sleeping, Alana adds. Pumpkin says shes not sure what else the family can do if Mama June does not want to get help. We tried to send her to rehab. The network even gave her the opportunity that anybody in their right f*cking mind would take. She checked out within less than 24 hours. Pumpkin said that her was facing the prospect of years behind bars if shes convicted on the drug possession charges. The family worries that Geno is spending all of Mama Junes money As far as her family knows, Mama June is in Alabama, where she is spending a lot of time at the casino. Why come home when they can go to the casino and Geno can spend all the money? asks Mama Junes sister Joanne Doe Doe Shannon. Thats the thing. How much more money are they going to blow through before shes completely broke? wondered Pumpkin. Mama June says she still isnt seeing her kids After an absence of seven months, Mama June resurfaced on social media in January 2020. In an Instagram post, she revealed that she still doesnt have contact with her kids. Im not saying Im perfect as every day is a struggle [and] some days I just want to disappear, she wrote before sharing that she and her kids arent still seeing each other. She added that she hopes shell resume contact with her children soon and wrote that she wants them to know that she misses them and love[s] them very much. Mama June: Family Crisis premieres Friday, March 27 at 9/8 on WE tv. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova A woman has many roles in a society. A loving mother, a lovely sister, a good friend, an affectionate spouse, this list is endless. Azerbaijani woman is a caring mother, loyal wife, wise public figure, and brave soldier. One such famous woman was Sarah Khatun, whose name entered the history as the first female diplomat not only in Azerbaijan, but also in the entire East. Sara Khatun was a woman of strength, courage and dignity; one who values herself and fights for what she believes in. Daughter of Pirali bey and the mother of the ruler of the Akkoyunlu state Uzun Hasa, she was born on the lands of Bayandur. Sara Khatun was a skilful diplomat and headed embassies to resolve disputed issues.At the most difficult times for Azerbaijan, Sara Khatun displayed courage and wisdom. Negotiations with Mehmed II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire were especially successful. Sarah Khatun, who has great authority in the entire Middle East, brilliantly fulfilled her son's mission. The first round of negotiations with Mehmed II was held in 1463, in Goyluhisar. There she could make peace, according to which Uzun Hassan promised not to impede seizure of Trabzon by the Ottoman Turks, and Ottomans had to leave the territory of the Akkoyunlu. She also persuaded the Sultan that the treasury of Trabzon should belong to his bride Despine Khatun, princess of Trabzon and to bring this wealth to a palace of her son. During these negotiations Mehmed II and Sara Khatun called each other "mother" and "son". Sara Khatun also helped the last Trapezuntine Emperor by providing him and his family with freedom. Mehmed II kept his promise, given to Sara Khatun: the Emperor and his children and young nephew Alexis were graciously accepted by Sultan and were sent to Constantinople on a special ship with courtiers and all private property, except piles of jewelry which were given to Sara Khatun as a reward for her polite intermediation. She was famous not only in the Akkoyunlu state, but also in Western countries as incredibly talented female diplomat. Sara Khatun made a significant contributions to the strengthening her own country. She will stay forever in the history of Azerbaijan as a brilliant diplomat, wise woman and courageous leader. F ollowing the coronavirus lockdown, for many of us, our homes must now adapt to a raft of new round-the-clock needs, often with two or more people sharing the same space. Currently retailers can still deliver electronics and electrical goods, furniture, stationery and lighting if ordered online. Theres been a run on small inexpensive desks not as bad as toilet rolls, but definitely an upsurge, says Robert Pearce, director of the Futon Company, who still has good stock levels. Here, a mini desk costs 99. Equally compact is its oak Zed standing desk good for a multi-tasking parent doing quick screen checks (futoncompany.co.uk; buy a desk and get more office kit half-price). Habitats desk sales, meanwhile, are up 70 per cent for some models in the past two weeks. The Cato, at 150, has proved a big seller. Habitat's Cato desk in Sage Green, 150 1. Designer desks For more serious desks, visit SCP in Shoreditch where featured designers include Matthew Hilton, Sarah Kay, PearsonLloyd and Terence Woodgate with prices from 499 to 2,500. For sheer elegance you can't beat the Brunel range by Rob Scarlett at Heal's (desk, 549). Find dozens of genuine vintage models from 300 at PAMONO (0203 1371 002). For a handmade industrial style in wood and metal, try Steel Vintage in Bristol (01454 413 329). Well-established Office Reality has basic desks from about 110 with corner models at 150. Three-drawer storage units start from 90. Blue Spot Furniture has its own factory in Yorkshire and a website packed with advice. Meticulous measuring up is the mantra: Use masking tape to outline a proposed desks footprint on the floor. 2. Sort out the cables Cables typically are spaghetti junction, so good desks have cable management while printers and keyboards can now be wireless. Find neat ways to organise your cables at Office Reality. A wifi booster/extender can fix poor wifi all is explained at mobilesignalboosters.co.uk. The San Francisco Ash smart charging desk has a QI wireless charger hidden under its white glass top and costs 399 3. Wall storage An affordable icon is the String wall storage system, designed in 1949 by a pair of architects as shelving for a public library. Its minimalist ladders can support storage and a desk (johnlewis.com; utilitydesign.co.uk). Visit stringfurniture.com/build-your-own and find an online planner. 4. Office accessories A half-size classic Anglepoise lamp can plug into a USB port and costs 99 from John Lewis or SCP (as before). Find cordless rechargeable lights and a huge choice of desks at Wayfair. Youll also need a chair which properly supports your body. Inevitably these are not very homely, so add a sheepskin or a small throw. 5. Storage solutions Baskets and boxes can keep things under control. This is your space so you could be creative and decorate with wrapping paper or wallpaper, or adding paint and a postcard. IKEA is excellent for office essentials (order on line at ikea.com, who can do contact-free deliveries if requested). You get style freedom when you work from home, says author Joanna Thornhill, whose 2014 Home for Now, a popular decor manual for renters, was reissued recently with the new title of Insta Style for Your Living Space (9.99, Cico Books). Its packed with creative ideas to negate a soulless cubicle. 6. DIY ideas Ideas for desks include a flush door placed on two trestles, glass on top of it cut to size, perhaps; or an old kitchen table with useful drawers; or a foldaway drop-leaf table. Storage boxes could be vintage or wicker crates, old mini trunks (try Made.com) or big woven shopping baskets. 7. Feel-good artwork Add some artwork. Museum posters are not expensive and plants add a feel-good factor. Helen Maxfield, assistant buyer at John Lewis, gives more tips on its website. 8. Declutter your space Just published is Mad About the House: 101 Interior Design Answers by podcaster/blogger Kate Watson-Smyth (Pavilion, 20). She chats about where to site your home office: in a spare bedroom if you have that luxury. She has ideas about desks to store in a wardrobe, if its not stuffed with clothes. So use this time as an opportunity to declutter. 9. What about your routine? Designing your life is as important as designing your space, says Will Knight, currently consultant to the London Design Fair and previously of London Design Festival and 100% Design. Get up, have breakfast, shower and change into something more than pajamas. Have a routine, with family time factored in. I really would hate now to be tied to an office, though a getaway space is useful. Before you go stir-crazy, get up and stretch regularly and exercise, go the park, go for a run. Sabine Zetteler, whose east London agency is listed this year as a best company to work for by The Dots social network, set up remote working for her five staff two weeks ago. She sent them home with a care package of an office light, stationery, books and coffee. Dont forget that video conferencing puts your home on show. Cara Ward, of PuRe PR, foresaw events three weeks ago, and put IT systems in place for her staff of 20, with home access via VPN, underpinned by WhatsApp, Skype and Zoom. A brand new purse is usually a pricey gift, and realistically, the mom in your life may already be carrying one that she likes. Instead, we love the idea of giving her a little keychain to make that purse feel like new. In addition to the zany squids version, Min & Mon has several other leather keychain options, including fluffy eyeballs and octopus twinswhich Ive been eyeing for my own mother, since Im one of two sets. (Yes thats right, my mother had two sets of twins, and she has so earned this holiday.) The keychains are great to use functionally (like, for keys), but we hope your mom chooses to strap them to the side of her purse so the whole world will know how cool she is. The prospect of an impasse in the Senate appeared to hit U.S. stock indexes at the end of Wednesday's session, as markets closed in the green but off their highs. Investors hoped Congress could quickly approve the legislation, which gives direct payments to Americans, loans to businesses large and small, and resources to states and hospitals to fight the outbreak. Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt., then said he would delay the bill if his GOP colleagues did not drop their opposition, calling it an "outrage" to prevent Americans from getting emergency unemployment insurance. In a statement, he said he is "prepared to put a hold on this bill" to lobby for tighter restrictions on companies receiving aid from a taxpayer pool of $500 billion. Earlier in the day, four Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott of South Carolina, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Rick Scott of Florida threatened to oppose the chamber's push to pass the rescue package through fast-track procedures. They argued a proposal to add $600 per week to unemployment insurance for up to four months, a core provision of the near-final legislation, could encourage companies to lay off workers and Americans to stay unemployed, urging a vote to cap the aid. (Sasse introduced an amendment Wednesday night saying the benefits should not exceed previous pay). Chances for a planned Senate vote Wednesday on a historic $2 trillion relief package in response to the coronavirus pandemic appeared to dwindle as senators threatened to delay it over a key unemployment insurance proposal. Asked about the GOP senators' criticism of the unemployment plan during a White House briefing Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said "I don't think it'll create incentives" not to work. He said state systems were not equipped to assure Americans would only get benefits equal to their previous pay, adding "this was the only way we could assure that states could get money out quickly in a fair way." "Our expectation is this bill passes tonight and gets to the House tomorrow," he said. Lawmakers rushed to put together the stimulus plan, which the Senate hopes to pass by Wednesday night after several false starts during frenzied negotiations in recent days. After Democrats blocked an earlier version of the legislation twice to try to secure concessions, Republicans accused them of delaying aid desperately needed to boost a reeling economy and health-care system. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Wednesday that he would give representatives 24 hours' notice before a vote on the relief package. By about 7 p.m. ET, the Senate had not released the final version of its legislation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told PBS on Wednesday that the chamber could try to pass the bill by voice vote with the vast majority of representatives still out of Washington. If a member requests a recorded vote to document individual responses, lawmakers would have to come back to the Capitol. First, though, the Senate has to overcome its remaining hurdles to approve the package. Pelosi criticized the GOP senators for their opposition to the legislation. "Please don't resent our lowest paid workers in America for getting $600," she said. The emergency unemployment insurance provision, a compromise reached between Democrats and Republicans, including the Trump administration, aims to help workers hit by widespread layoffs as regular businesses in the U.S. ground to a halt to slow the pandemic's spread. Earlier Wednesday, the four Republican senators said some workers would get more money from the insurance than they did from their jobs. "Let's just make sure we make people whole. Let's not increase their salary, because you can't afford to do that," Graham told reporters. In response to the lawmakers' concerns, a senior GOP aide said that "we'll have to do something" to secure their support. Taylor Foy, a spokesman for the Senate Finance Committee, which drafted the unemployment provision, said "nothing in this bill incentivizes businesses to lay off employees, in fact it's just the opposite." He noted that the legislation aims to both make sure companies have enough money to cover payroll and create a stronger unemployment insurance program for those who lose their jobs. "This increase is designed to make the average worker whole. It's also important to remember that nobody who voluntarily leaves an available job is eligible for [unemployment insurance]," he said. The leaders blew that deadline, just as this eras congressional leadership missed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchins Monday deadline for a package almost three times as big. For two weeks in the fall of 2008, House and Senate leaders haggled over how to structure a bailout for Wall Street firms that had placed their own bad bets, including a failed vote that led to a nearly 800-point drop in the Dow. The nine-day Navratri festival and the Hindu New Year on Wednesday began amidst a 21-day coronavirus lockdown in the country with many people preferring to perform the rituals from their homes by sending names and other details to the priest to do the puja on their behalf. Acharya Suresh Mani Shastri, the priest of Gokhle Marg temple, said he alone did the Navratri puja this morning, with with even regular visitors sending their details on phone to do the puja for them. "We have to follow the instructions in such trying times and perform the rituals without harming the interest of the society," Acharya Shastri said. The scene was similar in other temples of the state capital with priests performing the 'kalash sthapna' on the first day of the festival. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had urged people to stay home to break the chain of virus transmission and citizens appeared to adhere to the appeal, even in celebrating festivals. The local markets too were bereft of the usual hustle and bustle common during this period; stalls and shops selling photos and idols of deities, garlands, banners and other puja articles were missing. "We have to follow the authorities in the interest and health of all. If everyone remains fine and healthy we will put up a bigger shop next time," a shopkeeper said. Amidst complaints about disruption of milk supply on the first day of fasting, the district administration issued passes to all shops selling milk and gave instructions to officials to not stop vehicles carrying milk. Lucknow Commissioner Mukesh Meshram said all shops seeling milk will remain open from Thursday and orders have been issued to allow local dairy owners to continue supply milk. Efforts are to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential goods, he said, adding bread and biscuit bakery workers were being issued special passes by the administration. Ration shops and departmental stores are allowed to open with strict instructions to avoid crowding. Newspaper delivery agents have been allowed to work after Indira Nagar, Gudamba, Vikas Nagar, Sitapur Road Nirala Nagar residents complained they did not receive newspapers on Wednesday. "Things will be normal from Thursday," the commissioner said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- City Council President Dan OMalley recently returned from the four-day National League of Cities Congressional City Conference held in Washington, D.C. It was great having an opportunity to meet and talk with other elected officials from cities around the country that are experiencing a lot of the same problems that we are here in Lakewood, said OMalley, who, after returning to Northeast Ohio, self-quarantined after coming into contact with a conference attendee who tested positive for the coronavirus. We were able to share ideas. Also, there were workshops on affordable housing, infrastructure, gun violence, economic development and other major issues that cities are facing. Conference speakers included U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former House Speaker Paul Ryan, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and several members of Congress. Previously a member of the National League of Cities, Lakewood left the national organization about a decade ago, only to rejoin two years ago after watching the efforts of its then president, Cleveland City Councilman Matt Zone. I was very impressed with the work that he did leading that organization, which caused me and other council members to give it another look, said OMalley, who noted that his trip to the nations capital marked the first time the city had sent a delegate to the conference. OMalley hopes Lakewood will not only remain an active member of the National League of Cities, but increase its involvement in what he described as a worthwhile organization. One major takeaway from the conference for OMalley had to do with affordable housing, which he said is a major issue for Lakewood. Because of the ever-changing real estate market, weve been struggling with how to solve that problem of affordable housing, OMalley said. So to be able to see what other cities have done in that arena -- to really be able to preserve affordable options to middle class and low-income residents -- was an invaluable takeaway from this conference. Specifically, OMalley learned about Washingtons recent housing equity analysis, which provided detailed neighborhood-by-neighborhood information on the costs and availability of affordable housing. Hes hoping to eventually replicate the analysis in Lakewood by commissioning a housing equity analysis of the city. The idea is to be able to get a clear picture on where we have affordable housing, where we have some significant gaps throughout the city and what we might be able to do about that, OMalley said. Also, it gave me a better perspective on things like public health and the need for really solid programs for seniors citizens and other vulnerable members of our community. Read more news from the Sun Post Herald. A Carlisle, Pennsylvania, man is facing charges after police say he deliberately coughed near a senior citizen who was wearing a medical face mask in a Cumberland County grocery store on Friday. According to the North Middleton Township Police Department, Daniel Tabussi, 57, is now facing charges of terroristic threats, simple assault by physical menace, disorderly conduct and harassment. Police say the incident occurred Friday at the Karns grocery store on the 1700 block of Spring Road. An elderly man, recovering from pneumonia and wearing gloves and a face mask due to the increased coronavirus risk to older people, was shopping during the senior-only hours. Tabussi approached him and made coughing sounds while smiling and laughing, police say. Tabussi also mocked the older man for wearing a mask and, more than once, told him he has the coronavirus, police say. Read more: Survivalists feel vindicated after preparing for disaster scenarios like coronavirus shutdown. A hearing date has not yet been set. Loading Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The number of victims affected by the COVID-19 virus is rising rapidly in the countries of Southeast Europe. The rapid spread of the disease throws light in turn on the catastrophic social, economic and political conditions prevailing in the region. The states of former Yugoslavia and other Balkan countries have tightened up border controls, ordered quarantine for those entering the region from abroad and have imposed a state of emergency in some regions. Such measures, however, have been initiated at far too late a stage and lack any coordination. In addition, the true extent of infections remains unknown. Hardly any tests are carried out in the region and the number of unreported cases must be very large. Should the COVID-19 pandemic hit Southeast Europe with similar severity as in Italy or Spain, the regions already dilapidated health care system and social infrastructure would be threatened with collapse. Containing the virus would be virtually impossible. Last Thursday, Croatia blocked its borders for all traffic. The state had confirmed 361 infections as of Tuesday. Over the course of a week, the number of people infected has increased more than six-fold including the first fatality, an elderly man who died a week ago. Neighbouring Serbia has registered 249 cases, with three fatalities, and has implemented a general curfew between 8:00 in the evening and 5:00 in the morning. Parliamentary elections planned for late April have been postponed and the European Union has agreed to provide the country with 7.5 million to combat the crisis. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, the number of cases has risen to 137, with one death. A state of emergency has been declared in both parts of the country. Up until 8 days ago Montenegro was the last country in Europe to report no COVID-19 infections. Now at least 27 are infected, including two women who returned from the US and Spain, both of whom have tested positive. The state borders have been closed to foreigners and over 1,000 people are currently in quarantine. The states total population is just 650,000. The government has also banned all meetings. A curfew commenced in Albania on Thursday. Most recently 104 infected and 4 deaths were registered there. The disease hotspot is the capital, Tirana, where over half of those infected live. Twenty-seven cases were declared in Kosovo on Sunday, but due to the states run-down public administration this number has little meaning. The majority of the working population have found employment abroad, so the real number affected is likely to be much higher. In the EU member country Bulgaria, 202 people are infected and three have died from the disease. A state of emergency was declared a week ago. A particularly large number of cases have occurred in Slovenia. The country neighbouring Italy has reported 442 infections and three deaths. The once relatively well-developed public health systems in the region have been systematically dismantled over the last 30 years. The introduction of the capitalist free market, wars in the former Yugoslavia and the privatizations and austerity policies dictated by the EU as a prerequisite for membership have systematically destroyed social networks. In most countries adequate health care is acutely lacking. The situation is dramatic. The German taz newspaper writes, Everything is missing in clinics, not just medication, cleaning agents and, of course, staff. After Germany refused to export protective clothing and face masks outside the EU, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Albania have been left almost defenceless against the coronavirus epidemic heading their way. The New York Times describes a hospital in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, which is one of the citys better hospitals: With its rundown facade, peeling walls and rooms crammed with metal beds, the downtown Belgrade clinic for infectious diseases has for decades been a symbol of Serbias depleted health system that now has to cope with a major virus outbreak. The newspaper quotes Bane Spasic, a newly admitted patient, who said, If coronavirus doesnt kill you, that hospital surely will. In recent years, all countries in the region have experienced a massive emigration of young doctors, well-trained nursing staff and other medical personnel. This exodus is due to the starvation wages and catastrophic working conditions in the region. It is estimated that up to 50 percent of all doctors and nurses have migrated, mainly to Western European countries where there is a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses. Serbia recently terminated a deal the country struck with Germany to prevent the further migration of nursing staff. Now retired doctors, who themselves belong to the main group at risk, along with medical students, are being mobilized to maintain health systems. Bulgaria has increased the monthly salary for health care workers by 500. In Albania, where the average salary is around 400, the government has pledged an increase of 1,000. The right-wing government in Serbia led by Aleksandar Vucic also announced a 10 percent wage increase. In all these countries there have been repeated strikes and protests for increased wages in the health care system. These protests in recent years have been ignored and suppressed by respective governments. In Slovenia, an organisation of young doctors has drawn attention to the precarious situation in the country. According to their calculations, the small state between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea will probably need 500 intensive care beds by mid-April. There are currently just 200 available, which are fully occupied with existing emergency cases. The Croatian Association of Hospital Physicians declared last Friday that health care facilities in Croatia were under-equipped for a COVID-19 epidemic. According to the organisation, there is an acute shortage of protective equipment, medical supplies and staff, endangering health workers, patients and the entire health care system. In Bosnia, the head of a Sarajevo clinic, Zlatko Kravic, told the AFP that the country was expecting an explosion of the infection that would be difficult to control. The two clinics in the capital are not prepared for such a situation. Only 70 respiratory masks are available in both facilities. The right-wing, generally despised governments in the region have responded to the outbreak of the epidemic with a series of uncoordinated measures. In the former Yugoslavia, the various governments are at loggerheads with one another. Conflicts between Serbia and Croatia, Albania and Kosovoand between the rival regions of Bosniadominate political life. Under these conditions, coordinated measures in the densely populated region are rendered impossible, let alone mutual support that could curb the spread of the virus. Instead, governments are trying to divert attention from their own responsibility for the crisis with racist campaigns. In Bulgaria the health system has been completely run down and a large part of the population lives in poverty and misery. Under these conditions the government is stepping up its campaign against the Roma minority in the country on the pretext of fighting the coronavirus. In some parts of Bulgaria, tens of thousands of Roma are already subjected to measures reminiscent of martial law, commented the Euractiv website. Special measures apply to entire districts in Nowa Sagora, Kazanlak and Sliven, which have a total of more than 50,000 Roma. Residents are prevented from leaving the area by massive police force. The government headed by the conservative GERB of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov is following the orders of its fascist coalition partner VMRO, which is demanding the complete isolation of all citizens who lack discipline. As is the case throughout Eastern Europe, the Roma in Bulgaria live under catastrophic conditions. They have no, or only an inadequate, water supply, some have no sewage system and no food supply. If the virus appears here, it will spread unhindered. The criminal political elites in Southeast Europe are also using the crisis to intensify attacks on the working population. In Croatia, far-right-winger Miroslav Skoro, who won 24 percent of the vote in the presidential election at the end of last year and was supported by several right-wing and conservative parties, has proposed that all employees only be paid the minimum wage in order to support the economy. The minimum wage in Croatia is around 500 per month. The Jharkhand government on Wednesday assured the people that it has sufficient food materials stock which can last for several days,and said there is nothing to worry about. The comforting words came from state's Chief Secretary D K Tiwari in the wake of 21-day nationwide lockdown necessitated by coronavirus pandemic. "Efforts are afoot to deliver food grains at home, he said. The officer said that the government was making available necessary commodities to the poor. He also appealed to the people to extend assistance to the poor living in their neighbourhood. The state government has sufficient food materials, which can last for several days, and there is nothing to be worried about," the chief secretary said. Reports of the Jharkhand labourers being stranded in other states are also trickling in, he said, adding the government is establishing contacts with those state governments to enable food and lodging to them. Tiwari inspected a state-level control room to deal with the lockdown situation at the Suchana Bhavan. It will do round-the-clock vigil, monitoring and tracking of calls and passing on the information to the departments or districts concerned, an official release said here. A Palamau report said that on the appeal of Deputy Commissioner Santanu Agrahari, the government officials in the district announced to donate 15 days of their salary in the fight against the virus. Former union minister and Hazaribagh MP Jayant Sinha also announced recommendation of Rs 30 lakh to Hazaribagh and Rs 20 lakh to Ramgarh district from his MPLAD fund to procure items like masks, individual security covers, medical apparatus and ventilators. He sent letters, which were released to the press, to the respective district deputy commissioners for initiating early action. In a tweet, Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Rai Mahimapat Ray said, As lots of people are asking about the way to order groceries and other necessary items. Here we are releasing the VeggiGo app. Soon the app will go live. Till then, you can use the numbers provided on the banner. The first day of the 21-day lockdown saw private vehicles and two-wheelers moving in the state capital before the traffic thinned down as civil and police officials made them aware of the seriousness of the lockdown in the wake of the pandemic and sought their cooperation in the fight against virus. Earlier, during the day, the state government issued rate-chart of essential commodities at the public distribution outlets amid reports of a few ration shops overcharging the consumers while some others selling them in the black market taking advantage of the lockdown prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. It asked the buyers to report to the officials concerned if any ration shop overcharged them. Jharkhand has not reported any coronavirus positive case so far, but the state government is taking measures to prevent COVID-19 outbreak and help citizens during the lockdown period. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 Trend: As a result of instructions of President Ilham Aliyev, and the implemented measures, Azerbaijan was able to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in Azerbaijan, the country's Health Minister Oqtay Shiraliyev said during a TV program, Trend reports. The minister said the country wasted no time to tackle the spread of the disease. "This was a new disease, and it wasn't easy to carry out lab tests," he said, adding that additional testing equipment was brought from Turkey, and those with possible coronavirus infections were taken under control. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Azerbaijan is one of the countries affected by the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The country's official structures are applying necessary measures to prevent any possible exposure of coronavirus. Azerbaijan has also imported necessary medical equipment to carry out coronavirus tests. Azerbaijan's official structures have also set up quarantine centers in the country's districts, which would allow to react faster to the possible outbreak due to joint borders. Azerbaijan shares border with Iran, where coronavirus is currently spreading rapidly. As a contribution to international efforts to prevent the risk of the spread of coronavirus infection, Azerbaijan's government provided voluntary financial assistance worth $5 million to the COVID-19 Fund as part of the WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP). On March 7 World Health Organization officially thanked Azerbaijan for its financial contribution to the global COVID-19 response. Dawn Parker was laid off this week from her job as volunteer coordinator for the Clinton-Gratiot Habitat for Humanity, a casualty of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of non-essential businesses. Since Monday, Parker said shes tried dozens of times to file a claim for Michigan unemployment insurance benefits, to no avail. The online application process isnt working and she cant get through by phone, either. I have been trying every way I can think, at various times of day and night, to get into the system," said Parker, a 54-year-old Ovid resident. When Parker finally was able to access the online system, she got a message that there was an issue requiring her to call the Michigan Unemployment Agency. Shes called the agency more times than I can count, Parker said, but the line is either busy or she gets a message that because of heavy call volumes, the agency cant take her call. With tens of thousands of people laid off in the past two weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak, a system that normally handles 5,000 claims a week has been overwhelmed, state officials acknowledge. To make matters worse, Michigan Works! offices -- where people normally could file an unemployment claim in person -- are only open by appointment because of the COVID-19 pandemic. How to apply for Michigan unemployment benefits during coronavirus crisis That means people must file online or by phone. But reports are rampant that people cant access either. Ive talked to 10 to 11 people, all who say the system is near crashed right now. Its frozen, said Tony Paris, an employment lawyer with the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, a nonprofit based in Detroit. The computer system itself is incapable of handling the number of folks who at have a right to at least know whether theyre eligible for benefits. A total of 108,710 unemployment insurance claims were filed in Michigan last week compared to a normal average of around 5,000 claims, according to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. State officials are urging patience, saying theyre shifting resources to address the problems with filing a claim. Theyre also advising people to use the website between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., when it is least busy, and to look at online information vs. calling the agency to get their questions answered. Workers are encouraged to apply online at Michigan.gov/UIA or over the phone at (866) 500-0017, but due to the tremendous call volume, certain callers may receive a busy signal, said a UIA press release. The UIA is working hard and fast to handle the influx of applications for unemployment benefits as we deal with the COVID-19 crisis. While an unprecedented number of calls and clicks has challenged the system, particularly during peak hours, we want to assure Michiganders that the system is providing emergency financial relief, UIA Director Steve Gray said in the press release. The agency is shifting as many resources as possible to handle the increase in applications and is exploring further solutions to help Michiganders get the assistance they need as soon as possible," the agency said. The agency notes that the online application system is available 24/7, and the best time to access the system is between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., People filing a claim can expected longer load times, the press release said. It may take several minutes for a page to load at this time. Users are asked to be patient and not click more than once to reload a page. Applicants with questions can also access information on the website Michigan.gov/UIA, including frequently asked questions about the process and current challenges due to COVID-19. Checking the website for answers may help alleviate pressure on the phone line. A downloadable handout on the filing process can be found here. The access issues are contributing to the stress of Michiganders who are suddenly finding themselves without a job. Mary Kastl, of Alma, was laid off from her job as a quality inspector at auto parts supplier Ventra in Ionia last week. Then, the bills started coming in. "A lot of us work on paycheck to paycheck," she said. There's still one coming for her because of how the pay periods are staggered. She got on the phone with her auto insurer and mortgage company to come up with a plan. And she went to apply for unemployment insurance, a benefit she says she's lucky to have as a full-time worker. She started trying to apply on Monday, with no luck. That phone is like, nobody can get through on the phone. Its like the phone is off the hook, Kastl said. She went the online route and got through at an off-peak time, 3 a.m., with the help of a friend. At the part where she had to get an authentication code sent to her cell phone, there was another holdup -- it took hours to arrive. Finally, on Wednesday, she got through and put an application in. To other people applying, she said, theyre not alone. Youve got to keep the faith and keep trying. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. MLive reporter Emily Lawler contributed to this report. BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- China Telecom, one of the major telecommunications operators of China, has put about 75,000 5G base stations in operation nationwide, industrial data showed. Actively promoting work resumption amid the epidemic outbreak, the company aims at completing the construction of 300,000 5G base stations by the end of this year. China Telecom will work with China Unicom, another telecom giant, to build 250,000 5G base stations across the country by the end of the third quarter. According to the plan, the two firms will build 16,000 shared 5G base stations in Zhejiang Province in the first half of the year and 30,000 stations in Jiangsu Province by the end of the third quarter, while a 5G mobile gigabit network covering central urban areas and major towns of Shanghai is expected to be built by the end of the year. The country will expedite the construction of "new infrastructure" projects such as 5G networks and data centers, shoring up information services for the new consumption. BA cancels flights between IOM and London City Copyright The Carlisle Kid and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. British Airways has confirmed it will cancel flights from the Isle of Man to London City Airport from tonight. London City Airport has suspended all flights in and out of the airport for the foreseeable future. The airport will stop all commercial and private flights from this evening due to the fallout from the coronavirus. Earlier this week, Easyjet and Aer Lingus also grounded its flights to and from the Island. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are 'in a better space' with the royal family, a source has revealed. Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, are currently living in a waterfront Vancouver Island mansion as they prepare to step back from life as working members of the royal family next week. The source told ET that 'while there have been tensions', the royal family are now 'getting through it.' From March 31, the monarch's grandson and American former actress Meghan will no longer use their HRH styles as they pursue a new life of personal and financial freedom. A source told ET that tensions are thawing between Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, and the rest of the royal family as they prepare to step back from life as working royals next week (pictured, on their final official royal engagement earlier this month) The source explained: 'Things are in a better space now between the couple and the royal family.' They added that while the decision was 'difficult' for the couple, they did 'what they thought was right for their family.' But they said Prince William had remained critical of the way Prince Harry and Meghan had dealt with their decision. The source revealed: 'William was unhappy that things weren't handled privately.' While the source said 'things are in a better space' for Prince Harry and the rest of the family, they added that Prince William was 'unhappy' with how Megxit had been handled publically It follows on-going claims over the past 18 months of a rift between the Sussexes and the Cambridges, first between Kate and Meghan, and then between future king Prince William and his younger brother, Harry. But the two households went on to split, with Harry and Meghan leaving Kensington Palace for Frogmore Cottage in Windsor and appointing their own staff. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to the UK earlier this month for their final engagements before quitting as senior members of the royal family next week. The royal couple carried out their last public royal duty before they walked away from the monarchy at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9. Relations between the couple and the rest of the family are in a 'better space', the source revealed (pictured, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with the Queen) Prince Harry and brother Prince William reunited at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, with royal watchers branding their interaction 'frosty'. Sources have previously spoken about how Prince William and Prince Harry's relationship has been 'forever changed' after Megxit. They told People magazine that the once close brothers will never 'get back to the way they were'. It comes after months of rumoured rifts between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured together in November 2018) Royal expert has Omid Scobie revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan wanted to find places where they 'feel safe, heard and respected' now they've left the UK because 'there hasn't been enough of that recently' Speaking on the Heirpod podcast, Omid said the Duke and Duchess would focus on being with people 'they trust and like to be around' after stepping down as senior royals. The Commonwealth Day service was Harry and Meghan's final hurrah as senior royals before they bow out and embrace their new life in North America - after announcing their intention to quit in January. File photo:Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte By Chen Yang The Philippine media reported that the Department of National Defense of the Philippines recently decided to buy the J/FPS-3air defense radar system from Japan.The radar system will help enhance the Philippine air forces air defense early warning capability by monitoring the stealth fighters and detecting the low-altitude missiles. This is the first weapon export deal of the Abe administration since it lifted the ban of Three Principles on Arms Exports in 2014. Why does Japan choose the Philippines as the first buyer of its arms sale? The military cooperation between the two countries began to warm up during Aquino III administration, but mainly was maintained by free provision of arms. For instance, Japan presented 10 newly built patrol boats to the Philippines in 2016, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) donated TC-90 training planes to the Philippine Navy in March 2018 and agreed in June to hand over the parts of UH-1H Huey helicopters to the Philippine air force for material reserves . Manila may continue to buy other military equipment from Tokyo after the current arms deal. Not merely to strengthen military cooperation with Manila through arms trade, the Abe administration intends to fill Americas military absence in the Asia Pacific. Both Japan and the Philippines are Americas traditional allies in the Asian Pacific region, but after Duterte became president in 2016, Manila began to review its defense relation with Washington. In February this year, it announced to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the US, not allowing American troops to be stationed in the Philippines any longer or American vessels berthed at its ports. This will undoubtedly shake the defense network that the US and its allies have established in the Asia Pacific. Under such circumstances, Tokyo, by strengthening the defense relation with Manila and selling military equipment to it, hopes to fill the security vacuum left by the withdrawal of American troops and retain the Philippines in Americas Asia-Pacific strategic layout. In the meantime, Japan hopes to enhance its presence on the diplomatic front. A major reason behind the US-Philippines tension is that Washington has kept interfering in the Philippines internal affairs through long-arm jurisdiction, which hit Dutertes political bottom line and eventually drove the two countries farther apart. Japan reckons that if it maintains good bilateral relations with both the Philippines and the US and acts as a mediator between them, it will be able to enhance its diplomatic presence in the international community. However, it wont be easy for Japan to play the mediator as its diplomatic policy is under American influence now and then. Besides, Manilas diplomatic policies also change drastically due to the shift of administration. Therefore, Japanwill face a big challenge if it wants to pursue more political and diplomatic interests by intensifying the defense cooperation with the Philippines. The Essex County Board of Supervisors had a message for second home owners and visitors to the Adirondacks on Tuesday: Stay away. Shaun Gillilland, chairman of the board, said the county is seeing a number of visitors using short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo. Second home owners are also flocking upstate as they seek refuge from the increasing numbers of positive coronavirus cases. With four already confirmed cases of coronavirus in Essex County, home of Lake Placids tourism attractions, Gillilland warned would-be travelers of the worst. Essex County is an extremely rural county with only 38,000 residents, Gillilland wrote in a news release. We have few hospitals and those that we do have are not capable of handling an increased number of patients. Gillilland added that the county has no tests to see if someone has coronavirus. He worried about the strain additional people could have on local grocery stores. As a vaccine does not exist, we have no capacity to test, our hospitals are small and incapable of handling additional influx and our stores and infrastructure are incapable of providing supplies to a larger population, we are asking that you respect the integrity of our hospitals and infrastructure and not travel to Essex County from any area at this time, the chairman added. This is in keeping with federal and state mandates that people stay at home and stay put. It is far better for you to stay home and limit your movements. Gillilland also asked property owners to stop advertising any short-term rentals they may have. On Airbnbs website, the rental platform said it is offering guests full refunds and hosts no charge cancellations for reservations booked on or before March 14th with a check in date of April 14th or earlier. The online platform Vrbo is also advertising help with cancellations due to the coronavirus. Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order that went into effect Sunday night, requiring all non-essential businesses to close, or work from home. Hotels, however, are on the states list of essential businesses. Art Lussi, president of the Lake Placid Vacation Corporation and a member of the Adirondack Park Agency board, said his Crowne Plaza in Lake Placid is closed. It did host a blood drive for the Red Cross on Tuesday. We will evaluate week by week as to opening, and all of our hotel guests have departed as of now, Lussi said in an email. We have some of our homes and chalets for rent open for doctors and emergency personnel. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Richard Cambeis II, general manager of Hampton Inn and Suites in Lake Placid, said the hotel is open, but to support essential business in the area. The hotel is running at about 90% lower capacity than usual, and the guests there are mostly people coming to assist with hospitals and nursing homes and state projects like the construction happening at the Olympic Regional Development Authority. Cambeis said one of his goals was to keep the hotel running to support those essential employees, and keep some of his own staff working. While the hotel is open to all guests, Cambeis said most people have canceled their trips. We certainly are not encouraging leisure travel at this time, due to the governors order, Cambeis added. Were obviously monitoring it and as soon as things turn around, and we all get through this, well certainly be here and welcome our guests back with open arms. Hotel Saranac in Saranac Lake, posted on its Facebook page that it remained open for emergency personnel and essential guests only (including military personnel, healthcare workers, parents collecting items from closed colleges, government, travelers, etc.). The Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing on Lake George was closed through May 7, an employee who answered the phone there said on Tuesday. Essex Countys press release asking visitors to stay away for now came just hours after Gov. Cuomo held a press conference with not encouraging news from the Javits Center in New York City. A version of this article first appeared on AdirondackExplorer.org, a nonprofit news magazine covering the Adirondack Park. New Delhi, March 25 : A total 277 stranded Indians have been evacuated from Coronavirus-affected Iran. They arrived at Jodhpur Airport on Wednesday morning. After preliminary screening conducted at the airport upon arrival, the evacuees were shifted to the Indian Army quarantine facility established at Jodhpur Military Station. "The Army in coordination with the Rajasthan State Medical authorities and Civil Administration, Jodhpur has made adequate medical and administrative arrangements to cater to a comfortable stay and provide prophylactic medical support," Indian Army stated. The facility has a dedicated team of Army doctors, who will be constantly monitoring the health parameters of the evacuees for the duration of their stay. Indian Defence forces have set up quarantine bases across the country for 5000 people who are suspected to be affected by coronavirus or are coming from coronavirus-affected countries. The Indian Army has set up quarantine bases for around 4000 people and Indian Navy and Indian Air Force set up facilities for 1000 people. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Ukraine Fan Xianrong discussed the development of trade and economic cooperation between the countries, the presidents press service reports. "During the meeting, the parties discussed the possibility of further development of Ukrainian-Chinese trade and economic cooperation," the report says. The interlocutors noted that China is one of Ukraine's major trading partners, with bilateral trade totaling USD 12.8 billion in 2019 and prospects for further growth. In addition, Zelensky discussed with the Chinese ambassador the possibility of attracting investments from China to Ukraine, in particular for the implementation of infrastructure projects. The president expressed gratitude for China's unwavering position on maintaining Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. ish Watertown, NY (13601) Today Variably cloudy with snow showers. Low near 25F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%.. Tonight Variably cloudy with snow showers. Low near 25F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. A t least 33 Britons will remain in quarantine on a cruise ship after it arrives in western Australia. The Vasco da Gama is due to arrive in the city of Fremantle on Friday, bringing 950 passengers and 550 crew. About 800 passengers are Australian and will be taken to nearby Rottnest Island for 14 days quarantine, western Australia premier Mark McGowan said. The Britons will stay aboard until they can be flown directly back to the UK, he said, adding: Foreign nationals will not be allowed to disembark unless it is to travel directly to the airport or they need urgent medical attention. Tema-based Delhi Public School (DPS) International has introduced online classes for its students. The move is in response to President Nana Akufo-Addos directive that all schools should remain closed due to the outbreak of coronavirus in Ghana. All public gatherings including church services, schools, among others, were banned by the President in his second update to the nation on the enhanced measures his administration was undertaking to contain the spread of coronavirus in Ghana. According to the Director of DPS International, Mukesh Thakwani, the classes started immediately after the Presidents directive. He stated that all classes of DPS International are today conducted online and students, teachers are learning and teaching from home through a well connected digital platform. He noted that the classes will help to keep the students busy in these difficult times. According to him, students, parents and teachers are cooperating a lot, so students are not only occupied but its more like a virtual class. DPSI is always born to deliver the best and in this difficult time also we are here to deliver the best, Mr Thakwani stated. He revealed that authorities of the school are ensuring that their students comply strictly with the World Health Organization and Ministry of Healths directives on how to avoid contracting or spreading the COVID-19. He encouraged all and sundry to care for themselves and care for others by respecting the directives. The principal of DPS International, David Raj, noted that the classes have been well structured, trusting that the students and their teachers would do their best. That notwithstanding, Mr Raj said the classes would be strictly monitored to ensure that they are truly impactful. According to him, DPS International as a world-class learning institution will at all times take steps to promote the welfare of its students, especially in times like this. About DPSI Ghana DPS International Ghana was founded in September 2010 by renowned Indian industrialist and philanthropist, Mukesh Thakwani, under the aegis Delhi Public School a chain of schools all around the globe known for its holistic education. Mr Thakwani's mission is to champion the cause of education in the West African sub-region, by providing a world-class educational system. DPS International Ghana is affiliated to the University of Cambridge International Examinations and Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi (CBSE). Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Press Release 25 March 2020 The extent to which the coronavirus has impacted the global hotel industry is now coming into focus based on new data from HotStats, which provides further transparency in terms of the damaging impact of the disease on travel and, by extension, on hotel profitability. Advertisements Beyond the virulence of the virus, this much is sure: property budgets are rendered useless, guidance is ineffective and market context is all the industry can truly rely on now to gain an understanding of the breadth of the virus' impact. For the hotel industry specifically, picture the coronavirus' influence on hospitality as a jigsaw puzzle: China is the first piece to which all other countries' pieces are subsequently attached. China The initial data point driving the hotel industry's plunge is occupancy, which has been the accelerant for drops in total revenue (TRevPAR) and profit (GOPPAR). In China, occupancy from January to February dropped 40 percentage points. Full-month February data from HotStats echoes this timeline of global events when, toward the end of December, China informed the World Health Organization that an unknown virus was producing pneumonia-like illness in the city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, in the eastern portion of the country. It wasn't until Jan. 23 that Wuhan went into a lockdown in an effort to quarantine the center of the coronavirus outbreak. Wuhan was ground zero for what would become a global pandemic. As the baseline for the spread, the entire province saw a drastic fall off of its key performance indicators in the first two months thereafter. In January, TRevPAR dropped 29.4% YOY, which led to an overall 63.8% YOY decrease in GOPPAR. Meanwhile, labor costs as a percentage of total revenue climbed 0.2 percentage points. In February, when the virus's shadow loomed larger, TRevPAR decreased 50.7% YOY. The lack of revenue came against a backdrop of cost savings, a plausible outcome of hotel closings and layoffs. That month, Hilton announced the closing of 150 hotels in China, including four hotels in Wuhan. Labor costs were down 41.1% YOY, but still gained as a percentage of total revenue, because of the vast revenue drop. GOPPAR dropped 149.5% YOY in the month. The whole of mainland China suffered drastically in February, with occupancy falling to single digits. RevPAR decreased 89.4% YOY, which is in line with major global chainsMarriott said RevPAR at its hotels in greater China plunged almost 90% compared with the same period last year. TRevPAR in February dropped nearly 90% to $10.41 on a per-available-room basis. The minimal revenue resulted in labor costs as a percentage of total revenue jumping 221 percentage points, despite a more than 30% decrease on a per-available-room basis. GOPPAR in the month was negative at -$27.73 on a PAR basis, a 216.4% drop from the same time a year ago. Profit & Loss Performance Indicators China (in USD) Photo: HotStats Limited Predictably, Beijing and Shanghai saw similar results. Profit in both cities plummeted into negative territory, around -$40 on a PAR basis. Across Asia, data trends were as grim, if not modestly better. South Korea, lauded for its early ability to contain the spread of the virus, achieved an occupancy rate of 43% in February, which was 21 percentage points lower than at the same time a year ago. Of note, the country's average rate was actually up 2.1% YOY and labor costs on a PAR basis were down 14.1% (a likely outcome of employee furloughs and layoffs), but the large losses in occupancy resulted in a -107% drop in YOY GOPPAR. Likewise, Singapore, which has also been praised for controlling the spread of the virus because it was quick to trace, detect and isolate patients, saw its occupancy drop, but precipitous drops in rooms revenue and F&B pulled TRevPAR down 48% YOY. Weakened revenue was complemented by overall savings in expenses, but not nearly enough to stave off a decline in profit, which dropped 80.1% YOY. Asia was the first to experience system shocks as a result of the coronavirus. Europe and the U.S. are now feeling the true extent of this, and though February data was down broadly, the expectation is that full March data could mimic Asia's February data. Europe To underscore the virus' shifting impact, total Europe data in February did not display the dramatic negativity that Asia's did. RevPAR was flat, while TRevPAR and GOPPAR actually pushed out positive growth, up 0.3% and 1.6%, respectively. Hoteliers in Europe would gladly take those numbers moving forward, but the reality is that the continent only lagged Asia by weeks, and the data will likely reflect this in March. Profit & Loss Performance Indicators Europe (in EUR) Photo: HotStats Limited According to Johns Hopkins University, Italy currently is behind only China in the number of coronavirus cases reported. The first reported cases in Italy came on Jan. 31. By February, its hotel industry had already felt the weight of the virus's spread. TRevPAR dropped 9.2% YOYnot nearly the violent swing seen through Asiabut GOPPAR decreased 46.2% YOY, the result of revenue shortfall, even as total costs on a PAR basis were down 5.2% YOY. The one silver lining is that February is historically a slow month for Italy, and an end to the virus' virulence would be an anodyne toward the possibility of a more fruitful summer. London data was more in line with total Europe data. Occupancy was down 2.4 percentage points for the month, but average rate was up, resulting in positive RevPAR and TRevPAR growth, both increasing 0.5% YOY. GOPPAR was flat YOY, supplemented by flat to negative expense growth. U.S. Much has been made of the U.S. response to the coronavirus. The first confirmed case came on Jan. 20, just north of Seattle. It metastasized from there. Two months later, the U.S. has more than 50,000 confirmed cases. As it is for Europe, the impact on hospitality is considerable, a sentiment already echoed by hotel company CEOs, who have lamented the precipitous drops in revenue and forced furloughs and layoffs. In the U.S., February data was unexceptionalthe calming before a March storm. RevPAR for the month was down 0.8% YOY, which contributed to a slight 0.2% YOY drop in TRevPAR. GOPPAR for the month decreased 0.6% YOY, even as total overhead costs on a PAR basis came down 0.6% YOY. Profit & Loss Performance Indicators United States (in USD) Photo: HotStats Limited Seattle, where patient zero in the U.S. was identified, had a remarkably strong February. GOPPAR increased 7.3% YOY, as a revenue boost coupled with cost containment buoyed the bottom line. Total hotel labor costs as a percentage of total revenue were down 0.6 percentage points and utility costs came down 8.8% YOY. New York achieved a similarly positive story. GOPPAR was up 15%, but the absolute dollar value was still negative at $-3.38. February is only second to January as the worst-performing month of the year for New York City's hotel industry on a seasonality basis and across top- and bottom-line metrics. Conclusion It is not hyperbole to say that no single event in the history of the world has had a more deleterious impact on the global hospitality industry than the coronavirus. One day the virus' death grip will loosen, but until then, making projections about future performance is a fool's errand. The industry now more than ever needs to consult data to understand present-day context and adjust business accordingly. There are months of hardship ahead, and you'd be hard-pressed to find many Pollyannas among us. But this, too, shall pass. Consider it the resounding end of a prolonged cycle and the beginning of a new one and be ready for the bounce back. Ukraine's Cabinet approves report on fulfilment of 2019 budget 16:15, 25.03.20 1290 The document is yet to be considered by President Zelensky, the Verkhovna Rada, and the Accounting Chamber. Students returned to Liberty University after spring break this week, even as colleges and universities across the country have sent students home to try to slow the spread of covid-19. Earlier this month, Jerry Falwell Jr., the school's president, said on Fox News that people were overreacting to the coronavirus pandemic and that the campus would open as usual this week. A few days later, after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, banned gatherings of 100 people or more, Falwell reversed course and said most classes would be conducted online. Northam has since limited public and private gatherings to 10 people. But the school pressed ahead with a decision to allow students to continue to live on campus if they choose, sparking outrage from students and faculty members who worry that the novel coronavirus could spread rapidly with so many people in such close quarters. Concerned about Liberty University's move, the governor directed his chief of staff to call Falwell on Tuesday, according to Northam spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky. She confirmed that the two spoke but did not indicate that the issue had been resolved. "All Virginia colleges and universities have a responsibility to comply with public health directions and protect the safety of their students, faculty and larger communities," Yarmosky said. "Liberty University is no exception." Some colleges with international students or homeless students don't have the option of telling them to leave campus, the staffer said. But those student populations are relatively small, so social distancing can be maintained. In an interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday, Falwell said Liberty is "abiding by the letter of the law." He said he told the governor's chief of staff that what Liberty was doing was no different from what other schools were doing. "But we're Liberty," Falwell said, "so we get picked on." Falwell said the university is taking precautions in consultation with health experts, including switching to online instruction for most classes, cleaning surfaces hourly and serving meals as takeout only. Signs on chairs remind people not to sit too close together, he said, and students are using only every third computer in the computer center. The fitness center was limited to 10 people at a time, he said, but the school planned to close it Tuesday night. Falwell said 1,000 to 2,000 students were on campus this week, including those renting apartments in town. "I'm guessing," he said. "We really don't know." He said he had heard from students that many were planning to return home to finish their studies because the campus was so quiet. Calum Best, a senior from Alexandria, Virginia, returned to his dorm despite concerns about the virus. He has a job on campus, he said in an interview, and there are opportunities to help people in need. He also was concerned he might put his parents at greater risk if he were living at home. He said he was being careful about social distancing and would stay as long as he feels he can do so safely. His two roommates have not returned, he said. Best, who is a student leader but said he was not speaking for the student government association, said he was concerned because he had seen students hanging out together, throwing "quarantine parties" and game nights off-campus, gathering around study tables, and holding small spontaneous worship sessions in public spaces on campus. They're not being deliberately careless, Best said. "They're just relying on the information they have. And they're not getting good information from leadership." The information from Liberty has emphasized the steps the school is taking, he said, and played down the risk from the virus. Most students are not on campus, said Derek Rockey, a senior from Pennsylvania who is the student body president. Many are taking precautions and staying at home, he said. "It feels pretty empty." Esther Lusenge, a senior from Kansas who is vice president of the student government association, said that as student leaders, she and Rockey are encouraging others to go home. "Like the rest of the nation, we're hurting." She said that they're doing their best to pivot and remain optimistic, and that school administrators were being supportive and helping ensure that students who are on campus are being safe. Ellie Richards, a senior from Pennsylvania who expects to graduate in December, said she returned to her apartment near campus but has been staying inside and leaving only for essentials such as groceries. She's worried about a housemate with an autoimmune disease, and about her father's vulnerability to serious illness if he were infected. "I don't think it's something we can be flippant about, even if the virus doesn't put me personally at risk," she said. Professors have been very caring, she said, advising students to make good decisions, and she hoped they wouldn't have to be on campus for office hours. "It makes my heart hurt for them," she said. "Many students, faculty and staff have health conditions that would make covid-19 difficult to fight," Marybeth Davis Baggett, a professor of English at Liberty, wrote in an opinion piece for Religion News Service. "And of course, Liberty is not a bubble where the virus would be contained. Instead, its population comes into regular contact with those in the Lynchburg community, putting their health and lives at risk as well. It is unconscionable that the leadership of the university is fully implementing Falwell's politically motivated and rash policy that unnecessarily risks an unmanageable outbreak here in Lynchburg." The school took other steps to keep people on campus healthy, according to school officials: The campus is closed to visitors, with "no trespassing" signs posted at entrances. Only students and prospective students, their families, employees and people "doing business with the university" are allowed on campus. A building has been designated as a quarantine site for people with symptoms. We have a great story to tell, Falwell said in a news release. We think Libertys practices will become the model for all colleges to follow in the fall, if coronavirus is still an issue. The fact that you're asking that question I think you realize that it's a delicate balancing act. And it's hard to do because you have to be truthful. You don't want to withhold important information. At the same time, it's frightening for people, understandably so. So here's what you do: You make sure that you always tell the absolute truth and don't hold back data. For example, the one thing that I have been saying that never came across particularly clearly in the way some people and I'm not mentioning names have expressed this: We are in the escalating phase of a very serious pandemic. That is a fact. We have got to realize that and to prepare and respond. It is not, as it were, under control. Because it's still going up. Are we trying to control it? Yes. Are we having an impact? We are doing some rather dramatic things. California shutting down. New York doing the same thing. And for the country in general, the physical separation. So even though the inflection is going up, there's no doubt that what we are doing is having an impact. Americans have more urgent things to do than police another schoolyard fight between President Donald Trump and the media. I get that. But this dysfunctional relationship is everyones concern especially now. Were facing two wars. And the war between Trump and the media threatens to get in the way of fighting the war on the invisible but deadly coronavirus. Trump is right that many in the media especially the White House press corps are dishonest, unfair and agenda-driven. But the media are right that Trump has a gift for snatching incompetence from the jaws of leadership. Given the difficulty that many Americans are having in adhering to the stay-at-home order, why would the president even talk about returning to an open country, an open economy? On Tuesday, the president made clear that he is in a hurry to declare the United States re-opened for business by Easter. Weeks? Itll take that long to get people to stop treating a quarantine like a vacation where they go to beaches and parks. Last week, Trump hit his stride by using daily White House press briefings on the virus to convince Americans to take this global health crisis seriously. Now he undermines those efforts by projecting the image that he himself doesnt take the situation seriously. No wonder I keep having this dream where New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo whose briefings are clear, informative, reassuring and, best of all, not about Cuomo confronts Trump and the Democrat essentially says: Look at me. I am the president now. At the same time, the media keep showing the country how broken they are. A few weeks ago, Michele Norris acclaimed radio journalist, and former host of NPRs All Things Considered was asked by David Axelrod on his podcast what makes a good storyteller. Noting that journalists are mere vessels, Norris responded: Someone who knows how to get out of the way. Exactly. The trouble starts when journalists forget that rule and go from covering the story to becoming the story. You see a lot of that in the toxic relationship between Trump and the media, which like Trump cant seem to stay out of their own way. Journalists, especially those of the anti-Trump variety, tend to make the story about themselves, their colleagues and their profession. Humility is a scarce commodity in the Trump administration, but the shortage extends to the media. Exhibit A: NBC News Peter Alexander. During a contentious briefing last week, the White House reporter asked Trump if he thought his positive spin on how to fight the virus was giving Americans false hope. Lovely. Cant you just see Alexander, in 1933, asking Franklin D. Roosevelt if he wasnt being overly optimistic in saying how Americans had nothing to fear but fear itself? Trump answered the question, and he was polite. He explained that he is an optimistic person, and that he didnt see the problem with that. Then Alexander interrupted a colleague to ask a follow-up question that was more pointed and argumentative. Americans are scared, he told Trump. What would the president say to them? Then Trump got angry and insulted Alexander. And the train went off the tracks. A handful of other journalists rushed to defend Alexanders honor and take jabs at Trump. Why? Because the story is always about us. Heres where the peacock stepped on his tail. After the incident, Alexander claimed in an interview with NBC News that he had tossed Trump a softball that he thought would help the president by giving him the chance to be positive. Ah. Let me get this straight. Alexander claims he was helping Trump do something that he had, just moments earlier, criticized him for doing? Besides, its not the reporters role to help Trump or to hurt him. Just to get information. Heres my advice to fellow journalists, which theyre going to ignore anyway especially if they work east of the Potomac: Do your job, and no one elses. Stay out the way, and dont make the story about you. Steer clear of the arena, because youre not paid to be a combatant. And, if you feel the burning desire to debate a president, resign your cushy job and run for office. Now, these are serious times. So, if Trump and the media think they can play nice in the sandbox, the grown-ups have work to do. ruben@rubennavarrette.com. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Indonesia is imploring its citizens not to panic and to practise social distancing and self-isolation, as the country's health system strains under the weight of rapidly rising infections. The country reported 105 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the national tally to 790, and three new deaths, taking the death toll to 58 people. A member of the Indonesian Red Cross Society takes a break after spraying disinfectant at the Kemayoran train station in Jakarta. Credit:Bloomberg Ascobat Gani, a public health economist, warned that "maybe we will follow Wuhan or Italy. I think we are in the range of that" according to Reuters. A study by the London-based Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases suggested the true number of infections in the country may already be 34,300 people. Relocate desal plant project site away from Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu: MoEF by T.K. Rohit March 25,2020 | Source: The Hindu The Ministry of Environment and Forests Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has directed the Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board (TWAD) to shift its project site for setting up a 60 MLD Sea and Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) plant in Ramanathapuram district away from the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park. Alternatively, the EAC asked the Board to look at the possibility of 100% reuse of the brine water by giving it to authorised salt pan agencies, instead of discharging it into the sea, or set up a salt industry/allied facilities that could consume all the brine generated in case. The TWAD proposal was to set up the 60 MLD SWRO desalination plant at Kuthiraimozhi village in Kadaladi taluk in Ramanathapuram district at a cost of Rs. 670 crore. Once the project is up and running, it would generate 94.52 MLD of brine that would be let out into the sea. The Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority had recommended the project for clearance in January, 2017. The EAC noted that the project site is within the eco-sensitive zone of the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park and approximately only about 25 metres from its boundary. The Committee desired to understand the compelling reason for location of the site in such a sensitive area and decided that the location should be shifted elsewhere. The Committee noted that the justification cited by the project proponent is unacceptable. It was observed that fishermen are dependent on the Gulf of Mannar for their livelihood and the release of brine certainly will impact not only the fish catch but also reefs, seaweeds, seagrass and the overall ecosystem of the area, according to the minutes of the meeting that discussed the proposal. The EAC also found that no detailed marine environmental impact assessment had been carried out for the project and the EIA report that was submitted before it had no information on the impact of the proposed project on the marine ecosystem, including flora, fauna, coral reefs among others. The project did not also have the brine dispersion model results, which are important to understand the fate and dispersion of the brine discharge from the desalination plant. The EAC said the proposal was premature for consideration in its present form. The committee deferred the proposal for reconsideration to a later stage once TWAD submitted information, documents, and actions directed by it to be taken are submitted before it. India's oil production fell 6.4 per cent in February as a decline in output from fields operated by private firms negated a rise in production from ONGC fields. Crude oil production at 2.39 million tonnes in February was 6.41 per cent lower than 2.56 million tonnes output in the same month a year back, according to official data released by the oil ministry here. State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) reported a 4.64 per cent rise in production at 1.67 million tonnes as output from its offshore fields saw a pick-up. However, fields operated by the private sector firms reported a 32.6 per cent drop with those in Rajasthan seeing a sharp 32.3 per cent lower production. Rajasthan fields operated by Vedanta Ltd was lower because of "shutdown during February 5 to 29, for major plant maintenance activities," the ministry said. Crude oil production by Oil India Ltd (OIL) in February was 13.13 per cent lower at 240,260 tonnes. Natural gas production dipped almost 9 per cent to 2.2 billion cubic meters as ONGC logged over 4 per cent lower output on the back of a drop in output from eastern offshore fields. The ministry said ONGC's lower gas output was due to "less gas production from Vasistha/S1 wells in eastern offshore due to sand incursion issues." Also, output was less than planned from Bassein field and Daman Tapti block. India's nearly two dozen refineries produced 7.38 per cent more petroleum products at 21.82 million tonnes on back of higher output from Reliance Industries' twin refineries at Jamnagar in Gujarat. During April-February, oil production was almost 6 per cent lower at 29.4 million tonnes. ONGC reported a 2.2 per cent lower output at 18.8 million tonnes. Gas production in the first 11 months of current fiscal was 4.2 per cent lower at 28.7 bcm. Refinery throughput in April-February was almost flat at 240 million tonnes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ALBANY State Senate Minority Leader John Flanagan joins a number of Republican senators who will not seek re-election this fall. Flanagan, who has served in the state Legislature for more than three decades, said Wednesday the move is "the best decision for me and my family." The timing of the announcement, he said, "is not particularly ideal," but was made in light of the state's political calendar. His announcement follows that of eight other Republican senators who have said they will not seek re-election this fall. Earlier: Flanagan finds own path Flanagan acknowledges struggle with alcohol addiction Sen. Flanagan calls for bail reform moratorium "The gift and privilege of being elected by my colleagues to be the Senate Majority leader is an honor I will always cherish, and I recognize that with that position comes an immense responsibility to work for the betterment of all New Yorkers," he said in a statement. "It is a fact that continues to be the cornerstone of all my thinking and actions as the Leader of the Republican Conference in the Senate today." The Suffolk County GOP confirmed Wednesday that Flanagan was endorsed by the party for the 2nd Senate District, which covers parts of Long Island in the downstate county. County GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia said Flanagan declined the designation by the March 24 deadline, which allows the county committee to fill the vacancy. The deadline to announce the candidate to fill the vacancy is March 30, and Garcia said the party is working with other minor parties to ensure whoever is selected also appears on those lines during the election. "While I was saddened by his decision, I certainly understand it," Garcia said. "We will confer over the next couple of days on potential replacements." The long-time elected official followed in the footsteps of his father, the late John J. Flanagan, taking over his fathers Assembly seat in 1986 after the elder Flanagans death. The younger Flanagan was first elected to the Senate in 2002 and ascended to majority leader in 2015 to succeed Dean Skelos, who was ousted after his arrest on federal corruption charges. Skelos later was found guilty and sentenced to four years and three months in prison on bribery, extortion and conspiracy charges. Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay expressed disappointment over Flanagan's announcement but wished the senator well. "I'm sure that this was an extremely difficult decision for him to reach. Few things were more important to him than serving the people of his district and our state," Barclay said in a statement. "Since joining the state Assembly in 1987, John has always been a tireless advocate for the people of Long Island. Over the years, he earned the respect of his peers on both sides of the aisle. His leadership will be greatly missed in the Legislature, in his district and across New York state." Flanagan has been best known in recent years as chair of the chamber's Education Committee, where his voice has been heard amid the bruising debates over the Common Core and education funding. Two of the fiercest opponents in the current education wars, the New York State United Teachers union and the pro-charter school group StudentsFirstNY, lauded him -- respectively -- for understanding the deep concerns of students, parents and educators, and for being a champion of school choice expansion. In August 2017, Flanagan revealed that he had sought treatment for alcoholism, and went in for additional treatment in 2019. Orders from Other Law Enforcement Agencies in Louisiana, California, Texas and Across the U.S. are Pending LAFAYETTE, LA / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2020 / RedHawk Holdings Corp. (OTC PINK:SNDD) ("RedHawk" or the "Company"), announced today that the City Council for the City of Pomona, California, has approved the installation of the Company's new, portable SANDD mini - FR into patrol vehicles. SANDD mini - FR is a cutting-edge needle incineration device that has been developed specifically for first responders. The device incinerates needles on location, reducing the risk of first responders being injured by needles while on duty. The Pomona Police Department ("Pomona PD"), who regularly appears on the television program Live PD, is the first law enforcement agency in the State of California to receive the SANDD mini-FR devices which are scheduled to be installed into 60 marked and unmarked patrol units. The SANDD mini is recognized by the State of California as the only FDA approved portable, battery-operated needle destruction device that eliminates the use of sharps containers for disposal in both clinical and home settings. Commenting on the installation, Lieutenant Anthony Catanese, said, "While on patrol, Pomona PD officers routinely come into contact with improperly disposed needles. In the field there are limited disposal options and most often Officers drive the needles to the department's property building and for placement into a "sharps' container for destruction. Pomona PD staff conducted research for portable needle disposal equipment that can be used in the field and found that the SANDD - FR is a safe and efficient option for needle disposal. Additionally, utilizing the SANDD mini - FR allows the City of Pomona to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's ("OSHA") regulations regarding the applicability of needle destruction devices under the scope of OSHA's Blood-borne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030." Due to heightened risk of disease and the high medical costs associated with needle stick injuries, law enforcement agencies must take necessary safety precautions for their officers. Workers' compensation cost for a single needle stick injury can easily top $30,000 without the law enforcement officer even contracting a disease. If a law enforcement officer should contract HIV and/or Hepatitis C, medical claims could easily top $1 million. The SANDD mini - FR is a safe, economical and environmentally friendly method for officers dealing with needle disposal while on patrol. "We are currently selling our SANDD mini - FR devices to law enforcement agencies throughout the country. The addition of California-based Pomona PD is an exciting extension of our law enforcement customer base," said G. Darcy Klug, RedHawk's Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer. "We were introduced to Pomona PD by our National Spokesperson, "Dr. Drew' Pinsky. Officer safety is paramount to both RedHawk and the Executive Team at Pomona PD and officers at the Pomona PD are exposed to thousands of needles every year. Over the past few months we have successfully worked with Pomona PD to adapt the SANDD mini - FR to meet the needs of their patrol officers in the field. Sales to other law enforcement agencies throughout the states of Louisiana, California, Texas and across the U.S. are pending" The SANDD mini- FR is a portable, lithium-ion battery operated device, adapted specifically for the unique needs of law enforcement and is extremely easy to use. When activated, the device uses an arc of electricity to heat the needle to about 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit within seconds, completely incinerating the needle, leaving no remaining sharp. The heat also kills off any blood-borne pathogens, and the incinerated needle creates a vacuum in the syringe, meaning nothing left inside can escape. RedHawk, through their revolutionary FDA approved medical device, Sharps and Needle Destruction Device (SANDD), is reducing the risk of needle stick injury and increasing access to safe, economical and environmentally friendly needle disposal for all. For more information, please visit: www.needledestructiondevice.com. About RedHawk Holdings Corp. RedHawk Holdings Corp., formerly Independence Energy Corp., is a diversified holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in the sales and distribution of medical devices, sales of branded generic pharmaceutical drugs, commercial real estate investment and leasing, sales of point of entry full-body security systems, and specialized financial services. Through its medical products business unit, the Company sells the Sharps and Needle Destruction Device (SANDD), WoundClot Surgical - Advanced Bleeding Control, and the Carotid Artery Digital Non-Contact Thermometer. Through our United Kingdom based subsidiary, we manufacture and market branded generic pharmaceuticals. RedHawk Energy holds the exclusive U.S. manufacturing and distribution rights for the Centri Controlled Entry System, a unique, closed cabinet, nominal dose transmission full-body x-ray scanner. For more information, please visit: http://www.redhawkholdingscorp.com Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are all statements other than statements of historical fact. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "may," "can," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "targets," "intends," "likely," "will," "should," "to be," "potential" and any similar expressions are intended to identify those assertions as forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties. In evaluating forward-looking statements, you should consider the various factors which may cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements including those listed in the "Risk Factors" section of our latest 10-K report. Further, the Company may make changes to its business plans that could or will affect its results. Investors are cautioned that the Company will undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Company Contact: G. Darcy Klug, Chairman, CEO and CFO (337) 269-5933 darcy.klug@redhawkholdingscorp.com Investor Relations: Stephanie Prince, Managing Director PCG Advisory (646) 762-4518 sprince@pcgadvisory.com Media Contact: Valerie Allen Valerie Allen Public Relations (310) 382-7800 valerie@valerieallenpr.com SOURCE: RedHawk Holdings Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/582364/Pomona-Police-Department-is-the-First-Law-Enforcement-Agency-in-California-to-Install-New-SANDD-mini--FRTM-Needle-Incineration-Devices-in-Patrol-Vehicles-to-Prevent-Needle-Stick-Injuries Stepping inside Adam Wallacavages 3,500-square-foot Gothic Victorian South Philadelphia brownstone, purchased by the sculptor and lighting designer in 2000, is like being transported into a grand turn-of-the-20th-century Louis Sullivan building crossed with a pirate ship. The 12 overstuffed rooms, spread across three floors, are packed with Victorian and Art Nouveau-inspired details, such as Tiffany-style lamps and taxidermy, that feel in keeping with the buildings ornate crown moldings and pocket doors. But more eye-catching still are the fantastical nautical artifacts he collects, including a six-foot-long fiberglass alligator and a delicate paper replica of a coelacanth fish purchased from an Atlanta flea market. The foam-green and aquamarine painted walls are also covered in works by Wallacavages artist friends in the parlor, inches from the Victorian wainscoting, is an original spray-painted tag by the Philadelphia graffiti artist Cornbread and his own curbside finds. In the kitchen, a mint-condition sign from the iconic local business Bambi Cleaners, fished from the trash, looks down from atop an ivory-painted 1940s-era cabinet. Wallacavages own work he is known for his whimsical octopus-shaped chandeliers stems from his lifelong fascinations with period architecture and the sea, which he traces back to his upbringing in the beachside town of Wildwood, New Jersey. Wallacavage began his career as an artist in his home state, shooting photographs for 1990s skate magazines like Thrasher and Juxtapoz. But after he built a black-and-white octopus chandelier for his living room on a whim in 2000, using hand-sculpted clay and a brush-on latex mold, the aquatic creature just became this unlimited source of inspiration, he says. The chandeliers, which he now hand-sculpts in his third-floor studio, hang in many rooms of his house, including the first-floor living room, where four white versions circle his original black-and-white model. That room, which is also decorated with dried starfish and a 19th-century diving bell, is a homage to the French author Jules Verne, whose surrealist works, including the 1870 classic sci-fi novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, are considered influences of Art Nouveau style. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has asked residents in the state to not use air conditioners as a precaution to stop the COVID-19 pathogen from spreading. He advised to avoid "unnecessary cooling and moisture" in houses and prevent the virus from spreading. Thackeray's statement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on Wednesday of a 21-day lockdown across the nation. "Today, we have received a new advisory from the Centre not to use air conditioners if possible. Avoid unnecessary cooling and moisture," Thackeray said in his address to the state through CMO Maharashtra's Facebook page. He also asked residents to stop panicking and assured that essential commodities' supply would not be disrupted in the state. "Because the danger is huge especially when you cannot see your enemy (novel coronavirus) and where it is going to attack you. Thus stay at home. If you step out, the enemy can enter into your home," he said, comparing it to a war-like situation. He also wished people Gudi Padwa and said, "I wish you all a Happy Gudi Padwa. I pray for your happiness, prosperity, peace and health not just for this year, but for all the years coming ahead." He also shared some pictures of citizens practising social distancing while buying vegetables and other essential commodities. Thackeray spoke to PM Modi after his address to the nation on Tuesday night to ask about how people would get by during the 21-day lockdown. Thackeray said, "There is no difference from the lockdown we imposed on Monday. I have spoken to the Prime Minister. He has assured me... Besides health services, grocery shops, banks and other essential services will continue to operate." Bombardier and Wrightbus, two of Northern Ireland's biggest companies, have closed their sites until April 20 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Yesterday's decision at aerospace manufacturer Bombardier came a day after staff expressed concern about social distancing at work. Some employees at the company's east Belfast site brought their concerns to management on Monday morning. Meanwhile, Ballymena bus manufacturer Wrightbus announced that in light of Government guidance, it would temporarily close its factory to protect its workforce, their families and the local community. This newspaper was contacted by employees from companies around Northern Ireland yesterday claiming that businesses were refusing to shut down in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Elsewhere, First Minister Arlene Foster stated that construction sites should remain open if builders can adhere to social distancing guidelines. The chair of Stormont's All Party Group on Construction, SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone, called on the Government to act on the advice of the Construction Employers Federation to cease work on non-essential construction sites. In an internal memo to staff yesterday, Michael Ryan, chief operating officer of aerostructures at Bombardier Aviation, explained that following announcements from the company on the closure of sites in Quebec and Ontario, all production would temporarily stop in Northern Ireland. Mr Ryan said that Bombardier's decision to close would allow the company to review its factories and office areas to ensure that social distancing guidelines can be met. "We will keep the situation under constant review, given any change in the Government's guidelines and essential business needs driven by any customer requirements," Mr Ryan explained. "Before leaving today, please work with your local supervisor to ensure your work area is left secure, safe and tidy. "On exiting the facility, please leave in an orderly fashion, respecting your colleagues and maintaining social distancing." The memo also said there was a "lot of uncertainty" from the Government and Bombardier's customers and ensured employees that they would communicate with them as frequently as possible. Following the internal memo to Bombardier's employees, the company publicly confirmed the decision to close. "In the current unprecedented circumstances, we want to make the best decisions possible for our people, our communities, the wider Northern Ireland society and the sustainability of our business," a statement read. "As the UK ramps up efforts to delay the spread of Covid-19, and following announcements from Bombardier Aviation on the closure of sites in Quebec and Ontario, Canada, we have made the decision to stop production temporarily at all our Northern Ireland sites until April 20. "These measures will help us maintain as many people as possible in full-time employment. "Critical support will be required to continue during the furlough and therefore some employees will be required to work during this time, obviously continuing to maximise working-from-home opportunities and the safest working practices." Bombardier added that the four-week shutdown applied to all other employees and consists of a furlough of almost three weeks within the Government's job retention scheme guidelines and five days' vacation at Easter on full pay. Wrightbus said last night that the "temporary pause in manufacturing" would commence from midnight and stay in place until April 20. "We will keep this under review and are committed to resuming production as soon as possible," the company said. "We understand this is a difficult time for all concerned and we are seeking guidance from the Government on the measures they will be taking to protect the UK manufacturing industry and its workforce." Meanwhile, Sawers deli in Belfast city centre is planning to deliver as many meals as possible to its elderly customers before closing its doors this Friday. Proprietor Kieran Sloan explained that the store was operating on reduced hours and only providing a takeaway service. Photo taken on March 24, 2020 shows a general view of the Westminster Abbey after the British government placed further restrictions on movement in London, Britain. The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Britain reached 8,077 as of Tuesday morning, according to the lastest figure from the Department of Health and Social Care. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Britain reached 8,077 as of Tuesday morning, according to the lastest figure from the Department of Health and Social Care. A total of 90,436 people have been tested across Britain, of which 8,077 were confirmed positive, while 422 patients who contracted the novel coronavirus have died, said the department. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Tuesday in a press briefing that a temporary hospital will be set up in the ExCeL centre, an exhibition centre in east London, with a capacity to hold up to 4,000 patients. Meanwhile, Britain is also looking for 250,000 volunteers to help National Health Service (NHS) employees with "shopping, delivery of medicines and to support those who are shielded," Hancock said. Asked about Britain's call for retired medics to return, Hancock said more than 11,500 have stepped up, including 2,660 doctors and 6,147 nurses, adding that more than 18,000 medical students will also join the NHS workforce. The latest figures came on the first day of "lockdown" in Britain as more stringent measures were taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared a "moment of national emergency" on Monday evening, bringing Britain largely into line with most big European nations. Johnson announced that starting from Monday night, people in Britain will only be allowed to leave their homes for "very limited purposes," including shopping for basic necessities, for any medical need, for one form of exercise a day, and to travel to and from work when necessary. Meanwhile, all shops selling non-essential goods, such as clothing and electronic stores, are ordered to close, and places like libraries, playgrounds, and outdoor gyms will also be closed. All social events and even gatherings of more than two people in public, excluding people one lives with, are banned. According to British authorities, the measures will last at least three weeks and could be renewed, or even toughened, depending on the spread of the disease. Asked how social distancing rules would be enforced by police, Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, explained on Monday that police will warn rule-breakers before taking action. He said it is "not turning into a position that everyone on the streets is immediately dealt with in an enforcement way." Instead, officers will seek to "talk to people, explain the rules and, if people do not listen to that, then clearly we have to take action", he said. Meanwhile, jails in England and Wales have been put on immediate lockdown with all visits cancelled, according to the union which represents prison officers. British government expects another 5,000 ventilators to be made available in the coming weeks to help those suffering with severe coronavirus symptoms. The prime minister's official spokesman said: "We have over 8,000 ventilators on the front line currently with 5,000 more expected to come online in the next few weeks...We have been working with private hospitals to secure extra capacity and we have also been working to deliver extra capacity from international manufacturers." Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 11:57:49|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close File photo taken on Oct. 14, 2018 shows the campus of the Harvard University in Cambridge of Massachusetts, the United States. Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow said Tuesday that he and his wife, Adele Bacow, both tested positive for the coronavirus. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow said Tuesday that he and his wife, Adele Bacow, both tested positive for the coronavirus. "We started experiencing symptoms on Sunday -- first coughs then fevers, chills, and muscle aches -- and contacted our doctors on Monday," Bacow said in a statement to the Harvard community. "We were tested yesterday and just received the results a few minutes ago," he said. Bacow said he didn't know how they contracted the disease. "Far fewer people crossed our paths recently than is usually the case," he said. The couple both began working from home on March 14. They will take a 14-day self-isolation. "I am blessed with a great team, and many of my colleagues will be taking on more responsibility over the next few weeks as Adele and I focus on just getting healthy," he added. Earlier this month, Harvard asked students to move out of their dorms by March 15 to reduce the density of the community amid the coronavirus pandemic. Iwo Jima Continues Marine Warfare Certification Navy News Service Story Number: NNS200324-04 Release Date: 3/24/2020 9:46:00 AM By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dominick Cremeans, USS Iwo Jima Public Affairs ONSLOW BAY, North Carolina (NNS) -- The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) continued its Amphibious Marine Warfare (AMW) Certification by conducting Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) operations with 2nd Amphibian Assault Battalion Company A, 2nd Platoon and Headquarters Platoon, March 18. An AMW Certification certifies the ship's capability to receive and launch landing craft, air cushions, landing craft utilities, combat rubber raiding crafts and AAVs, all of which make Iwo Jima combat capable and mission ready. "Controlling stations, such as well deck control, is essential for the success of any wet well operation, as they drive the operations and are a key component to communications," said Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Michael Sacco, well deck control officer. "The tireless efforts of combat information center, combat cargo and deck department led to Iwo Jima's recommendation for AMW certifications." Sailors and Marines can use this joint environment to effectively and efficiently collaborate and carry out the Navy and Marine Corps mission. "Operations like these solidify the partnership that is needed to conduct successful ship to shore operations which is the overall mission of amphibious crafts in the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole," said Marine 1st Lt. Hamilton Jones, executive officer of 2nd Amphibian Assault Battalion Company A, 2nd Platoon and Headquarters Platoon. "Doing exercises like this allow Marines to reintegrate with our naval roots. We often forget where we came from. It's imperative that the blue and green side are able to communicate effectively, particularly, when it comes to navigation." Iwo Jima will continue to certify her capabilities for the next scheduled deployment. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Sieben Edmunds Miller would like to remind bars and restaurants in Minnesota that decide to stay open despite the Governor's Order to close, that they may be subject to criminal penalties including fines and possible jail time. On March 16, 2020, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued a series of executive Orders shutting down restaurants and bars in Minnesota. But what if a business owner decides to ignore Governor Walz and keeps their bar open? "We know the Governor has the authority to issue these closures and want to alert affected businesses to the penalty they could face if they choose to ignore the Order," said Kevin Sieben, partner at Sieben Edmunds Miller. Sieben references the relevant Chapter of the Minnesota Statutes. Minnesota Statute 12.45 states: "[A] person who willfully violates a provision of this chapter or a rule or order having the force and effect of law issued under authority of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction must be punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000, or by imprisonment for not more than 90 days." "The seriousness of this Order means that if a bar owner or a restaurant manager chooses to stay open anyway, they could go to jail for up to 90 days and be forced to pay a penalty of up to $1,000," said partner, Sam Edmunds. "The state could also charge the owner for each day the business remains open," he added. "All in all, whether you believe shutting down bars and restaurants is a good idea or a bad one, it is the law of the land," said Sieben. "Violations will be dealt with strictly. It is our advice to keep the public safe and try to weather the storm," he added. Sieben Edmunds Miller is a criminal defense and personal injury law firm serving clients in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The firm was recently featured as Law Firm of the Month in Attorney at Law Magazine. SOURCE Sieben Edmunds Miller Related Links https://siebenedmunds.com Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Many workers in the food and beverage industry were not surprised when they suddenly lost their jobs. Business had been dwindling, and by the time Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered all restaurants, breweries and bars to close to dine-in customers last Wednesday, servers had already seen a sharp decrease in pay and customers, several Albuquerque servers said. After the first weekend in March, we started to see a lot less people. Wed have quite a few servers on, and wed have to cut down on quite a few each day, said Isaiah Alexander, who until last week had been working as a server at a winery and bistro north of Old Town. Tens of thousands of people work in the food and beverage industry in New Mexico. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 83,000 New Mexicans worked in jobs relating to food preparation and serving, with around 17,000 waiters and waitresses and 2,500 bartenders. Last week, about 11,000 people filed for unemployment benefits through the Department of Workforce Solutions. The occupational breakdown of those filing for unemployment has not been released. Around 50,000 jobs in the service and hospitality industry could be lost in the next few months, said Jim Peach, a New Mexico State University economist. Peach said he thinks those jobs will be lost for at least a couple of months. Alexander, who is pursuing his masters degree at Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico, had been working at D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro. When the serving industry is hit like this, theres not really much you can do if people are not coming in, because thats exactly how you make your money by helping people out, Alexander said. Alexander said he worked as a server because it paid more than most other hourly jobs. He said that before the COVID-19 outbreak, he earned between $100 and $200 each shift. Everyone is hard-hit, and everyone is sort of trying to make do at the time, he said. He said his employer provided information about unemployment benefits and helped guide him through the process. Like Alexander, Mason Junchaya, a server at Chilis, said the effects of COVID-19 started before he was laid off. Junchaya said that two weeks ago the few customers he had in the restaurant were bringing in tissues and hand sanitizer. It was an eerie mood, he said. By that time, Junchaya, said he and his co-workers had started seeing a huge decline in income. He estimated that his income dropped around 50% before he was laid off last week. We all have bills to pay, and a lot of my co-workers have children, Junchaya said. We didnt know if we should be getting another job or if we should quit this one, and then we all talked and decided not to quit because then we could file for unemployment. He has since filed for unemployment benefits and relief aid provided for his work, and he is considering applying at grocery stores. Its hard, especially for servers who work on tips, he said. While not a server, Hotel Chaco chef Steven Schneider said he also saw a drop-off in customers before being furloughed last week with more customers requesting room service. I was already waiting for this to happen, Schneider said, adding that it allowed him to plan to file for unemployment and prepare to temporarily lose his job. In the meantime, Schneider said, its important to take care of the people that you work with even though youre not working with them anymore. Coronavirus (COVID-19) has become an alarming issue in India and around the world. Considering the severity of the matter, Godrej Protekt - the range of hand hygiene products from Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) - has launched an initiative called 'Protekt India Movement'. Godrej Protekt through #ProtektIndiaMovement aims at building awareness amongst people by keeping them informed about the preventive measures to ensure protection against the coronavirus. Under the #ProtektIndiaMovement, Godrej Protekt has commenced free distribution of 1 million packets of Mr Magic powder-to-liquid handwash in Maharashtra, the state reportedly with the highest number of coronavirus cases. The brand has partnered with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and donated Mr Magic packets. Mr Magic powder-to-liquid hand wash is one of the most affordable liquid hand wash product at the price point of Rs 15. The packets will be distributed amongst municipal staff and various workers of the civic bodies for better hand hygiene as they serve citizens during this pandemic. "GCPL stands in solidarity with people, health personnel, government workers and everyone who is working tirelessly to beat the coronavirus pandemic. We are thankful to BMC and TMC for partnering with us in distributing handwash to their staff and workers. Our intent is to equip them and their families with Mr Magic handwash as they carry out their duties. In coming days, we will be working with various government bodies and social institutions to give away over 1 million packets of Mr Magic hand wash. We are focusing all our energy in supporting the needs of our citizens. Thus, in public interest and in line with government regulations, we have reduced the price of our hand sanitisers by 66 per cent. We are determined to help all Indians be safe and healthy, to tide over this pandemic together", said Nisaba Godrej, Executive Chairperson, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL). "In these testing times, maintaining personal hygiene is very important. Godrej Protekt has committed two lakh Mr Magic handwash packets, which will be distributed across our outpost in Mumbai. All staff, labourers and contract workers will get Protekt Mr Magic handwash for ensuring their personal hygiene. By mixing one packet of Mr Magic powder in water, 200ml of handwash can be made for washing hands. I urge all our staff, labourers and contract workers to benefit from this initiative and be safe by washing your hands regularly", said Ashok Khaire, Joint Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). "Godrej Protekt has started noble initiative #ProtektIndiaMovement to make people understand the importance of handwashing. Coronavirus is easily transferred from hands to our body making us sick. Washing hands regularly is a key preventive measure to stop the spreading of this virus. We are thankful to Godrej Protekt for providing us one lakh packets of Mr Magic. We will be distributing Mr Magic amongst our staff, labourers, Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) bus conductors and teachers of TMC-run schools as they come in contact with many people. We want to spread the message of handwashing amongst our citizens in a right manner to win the fight against coronavirus", shared Naresh Mhaske, Mayor, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC). As senior citizens are more vulnerable to coronavirus infection, Godrej Protekt will partner with leading NGO working for senior citizens, to offer packets of Mr Magic and education around handwashing. Godrej Protekt will reach out to various government organisations for further distribution of handwash packets. To ensure a steady supply, the brand has increased production to make its Protekt range of handwashes and sanitiser, especially the Mr Magic powder-to-liquid handwash, helping combat the virus. The on-ground teams are working relentlessly to replenish stocks across channels in India as there is growing demand for such products. Earlier this month, Godrej Protekt launched #ProtektIndiaMovement, a multimedia and multi-channel campaign, to make sure that the message of washing hands regularly and correctly is conveyed to every Indian. Toward this, it introduced #ProtektIndia anthem that focuses on spreading awareness on occasions of hand washing and mitigating panic. Many people, celebrities and over 100 influencers joined the movement and shared #ProtektIndia anthem reinforcing a small but tremendously impactful message - to wash hands regularly before and after everything we do. Godrej Protekt has also released an instructional video on handwashing and are partnering with news channels to broadcast it to a larger audience. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Covid-19 is causing a twofold disruption to upend globalism economic and cultural. Novel coronavirus (Covid-19) is reshaping the global order at a clip faster than anyone anticipated. It is also creating upheavals that may deal the final blow to unfettered globalization. The implications of this pandemic will long outlive the virus wreaking havoc in the world. We are witnessing an epochal moment in the history of humankind. It is not by accident that New York, the symbol of global cosmopolitanism and the poster boy of a globalised economy, has been the hardest-hit state in the US. According to the latest data from US research institution Johns Hopkins University, New York alone has 25,665 among 50,206 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the US with a death count of 184 and counting. Its attack rate, say experts, are five times higher than the rest of the country. As the United States struggles to flatten the dreaded pandemic curve, giving New York company in highest number of confirmed cases are New Jersey (2,844) and Washington DC (2,221) all coastline states that define the merits of transcontinental trade. However, as cases and bodies pile up in the US and elsewhere in the world, the so-called Washington consensus faces crisis of confidence, its economic prescriptions lie in tatters amid an almighty backlash against globalisation. It is now clear that the virus has done which trade war, climate change, refugee crisis, terrorism and even the rise of populism had failed to do. The pandemic that originated in Wuhan and swept across the world leaving over four lakh people afflicted and nearly 20,000 dead in its wake (for now) has hammered the final nail in the coffin of globalisation. The era of benign globalism is over as countries prepare to restrict travel, limit trade and fortify boundaries. A virus that knows no boundaries has forced states to erect walls and quarantine their people behind it. Covid-19 is causing a twofold disruption to upend globalism economic and cultural. It is not just a global crisis, but the very crisis of globalism. The virus has not only exposed the vulnerabilities and fragilities of a globalised system and interconnected supply chain, it has raised fundamental questions against open borders. And nowhere has this dialectic played out with more accuracy than in Europe. At 6,820, Italys death toll is now more than double of Chinas and together with Spain, Germany and France, Europe has been declared by World Health Organisation as the new epicentre of the pandemic. The unfolding of the crisis in Italy, that boasted of one of the best public health networks in the world, holds a lesson for other countries while revealing the perils of a soft border. Click here Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates Discussion on Italy, that has witnessed a high mortality rate, has focused on its median age being one of the highest in the world, old fashioned bad luck and missed opportunities in taking preemptive, tough steps in isolating the sick and restricting peoples movement. But what has not received enough attention is the link between China and Italys upscale northern region that quickly became the epicentre of the virus. This link also simultaneously establishes a causal relation between globalism and spread of the pandemic. Chinese entrepreneurs have invested heavily in Italys fashion industry that was concentrated in the north, and within a decade into the new millennium, the Chinese were leading the Italian fashion capital with cheap rip-offs disrupting the local economy with predatory pricing and forcing Italian businesses to restructure. Along with it, by 2010, there were reportedly 60,000 Chinese in Prato, an industrial suburb of Florence. To accommodate Italys new foreign labor force, nonstop flights were established between China and Rome, notes The American Spectator, in its report titled Coronavirus: The Price of Luxury. It isnt surprising to note that the European nation by the Mediterranean Sea became an early victim of the pandemic when it started spreading through Chinese tourists and soon it spread in the affluent regions of northern Italy. The sequence and timing of the spread points at a link between Chinese workers travelling home for the Lunar New Year celebrations in January and returning to Italy by late January or early February. Worth noting that by December, China had been in the grip of the virus though it tried its best to suppress data and under-report the scale of the epidemic. Its clear, as the Spectator points out, by early March, the Italian outbreak was so widespread that the direction of transmission was already going in the other direction, as Chinese people returning from Italy brought the disease back to China with them. Italy, at this stage, needed to impose a strict lockdown and travel restrictions but arrogance (a pandemic in China cannot affect life in idyllic Europe) and political correctness interfered with public safety. When Italy needed to be tough, it was busy virtue-signalling asking Italians to hug a Chinese so that no one could be accused of racism. #coronavirus: seguiamo le indicazioni delle autorita sanitarie e usiamo cautela, ma nessun terrorismo psicologico e soprattutto basta con i soliti sciacalli che non vedevano lora di usare questa scusa per odiare e insultare. Uniti in questa battaglia comune! #AbbracciaUnCinese pic.twitter.com/pUdqEl0piW Dario Nardella (@DarioNardella) February 1, 2020 Italians died by thousands but at least they avoided the label of racists. The desire to put virtue-signalling above public safety arises from a misplaced sense of priority, and in Italys case it put an entire country in danger. As Giorgio Palu, former president of the European and Italian Society for Virology and a professor of virology and microbiology at University of Padova was quoted as saying by CNN, There was a proposal to isolate people coming from the epicenter, coming from China Then it became seen as racist, but they were people coming from the outbreak. This, said the epidemiologist, led to the current devastating situation. It is hard to blame nations if they glean from the Italian experience that belief in globalism, reluctance to impose travel restrictions unless it became desperation and virtue-signalling ended up costing countless human lives. And it is here that globalism has been dealt a death blow by Covid-19. For a long time, unfettered globalisation has been perceived as a benign, win-win policy that brings prosperity and integrates nations and global economies in a way that disincentivizes revanchism and war. We now note the other side of globalisation where interconnected trade, global supply-chain mechanisms and free movement of people disrupt lives, devastate local economies and threaten the way people live their lives. The pandemic just made everyone realise that the cost of globalisation is too high. There is now an increasing realisation across nations of the importance of borders. Country after country are reinforcing border restrictions and people even in liberals democracies seem keen in handing over some of the power to the state trading their liberty for public safety. Nowhere else has this shifting mood been evident so clearly as in India, where 1.3 billion citizens seem willing to enter into a contract with the State voluntarily going into an unprecedented 21-day lockdown in the expectation that the State will keep them safe. This reinforcement of statism and shift towards a more collectivist attitude is a fundamental shift away from globalism and its focus on individual rights The second way in which the pandemic has upended the existing order is by dismantling the interconnected economy. For example, the US, worlds biggest economy and the sole superpower, is facing a critical shortage in crucial medial equipment such as testing kits, ventilators and N95 respirators for health workers because its own inventory is woefully short. Dependent on other nations for supplies, the US is in an unusual position of competing for resources and the Donald Trump administration has threatened to further withdraw from global trade that puts it at an apparent disadvantage in crisis, arguing that it needs to bring home its manufacturing capabilities and supply chains for essential medicines. The pandemic has also forced the European project to come unstuck. A member of the EU and bound by single market and free trade, both Germany and France refused to share medical equipment including masks and respirators with Italy when it was gasping for breath leading to anger and frustration among Italians. It also opened the door for China, that has largely tided over the crisis, to use medical equipment as a foreign policy tool and peddle influence. As Theresa Fallon, founder and director of the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies (CREAS) in Brussels and a nonresident senior fellow of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, writes in The Diplomat, At the beginning of March, Italy asked for help from its European Union partners though the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. No EU member state responded. In addition, France and Germany imposed a ban on the export of face masks. Many Italians feel deceived and humiliated by their European partners Beijing, however, responded bilaterally and promptly airlifted 30 tons of medical supplies to Rome. Meanwhile, Schengen borderless travel, another fundamental EU tenet, came unstuck. Threatened by the virus, EU member states started raising their frontiers and imposing strict travel restriction on intra-EU travel. As The Spectator notes, Given that many EU states notably in central and eastern Europe have battled with the Commission in wishing to take control of their own borders since the height of the migrant crisis in 2015, expect the return of Schengen to be a struggle for Brussels. The pandemic has thus not only eroded the cultural milieu and threated integrated trade that made globalisation possible, but it has also upended the basic tenets of globalism by challenging the ideology that underpinned the policy. Suddenly, nativism was no longer a cuss word but an evolutionary instinct to survive. The world will slowly limp back to normalcy but it can be said with a degree of certainty that the era of globalization is well and truly over. Tran Dinh Sy was undergoing compulsory 14-day isolation in Vietnam as a precaution against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) when he learned that his father had passed away. Unable to attend the funeral, he mourned the loss with a makeshift altar erected with the help of soldiers on duty at the facility. Returning to Vietnam from a trip to Malaysia, 51-year-old Sy was subjected to a mandatory isolation period of 14 days at the Center for National Defense and Security Training run by the Da Nang Military Command in the namesake central city. On Monday, while still in quarantine, Sy learned that his father had passed away due to old age in their hometown in the north-central province of Nghe An. He expressed his wish to leave the isolation zone to see his father for the last time, but advice from officers on duty at the facility and his own sense of awareness that he could be carrying the virus weighted in. Sy eventually decided to stay in quarantine and mourn his father remotely. A makeshift altar was quickly erected on the same day using a table and a sheet of white cloth. Officers stationed at the military unit lent their hands by buying flowers, fruits, and incense for the grieving man to pay his dues to the deceased father. The only thing missing on the altar was a funeral portrait of Tran Dinh Kinh, Sys father. Traditional moralities are indispensable, but this is also a stressful time for our country as we battle the COVID-19 epidemic, and Sy understands this well, an officer at the quarantine camp said. He also called his family asking for their permission to wear mourning for his father on a later date. Tears rolled down Sys face as he offered prayers to his father on Monday afternoon, as did they down the faces of fellow quarantined people who attended the touching funeral.' Vietnam has confirmed 134 cases of COVID-19 infections to date, with 17 having walked out of the hospital free of the virus. Five patients are being treated in Da Nang. Vietnam mandates that everyone arriving from abroad goes into quarantine for at least 14 days -- the advised incubation time of the novel coronavirus -- upon arrival. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Norton said she asked the Senate to fix what she believes was an oversight in the relief bill. If this was not an oversight by Senate Republicans, who are in the majority, I have asked Senate Democrats to demand that it be fixed before the vote, she said in statement. The Jammu and Kashmir administration has ordered the closure of all government offices, excluding those providing essential services, till April 14 in the union territory. "#COVID19 #JammuAndKashmir #FightagainstCorona All government offices except those providing essential services closed till April 14. @diprjk @HealthMedicalE1," government spokesperson Rohit Kansal said in a tweet on Wednesday. Restrictions on movement imposed in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent the spread of the coronavirus were tightened on Wednesday and strict action was initiated against violators following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of a 21-day nationwide lockdown, officials said. While the prime minister announced the countrywide lockdown on Tuesday evening, the union territory administration had on Sunday imposed similar restrictions till March 31 as part of its efforts to combat the coronavirus threat. Essential services have been exempted from the purview of the restrictions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With Westport a target of derision nationally for a well-attended party that may have accelerated the spread of the coronavirus in town, a company located only a few miles from Party Zero is taking steps toward a cure by acquiring a potential treatment for COVID-19. Under CEO Ken Londoner, BioSig Technologies sells computers that improve heart surgeons abilities to correct cardiac arrhythmia disorders. The companys headquarters is on the opposite bank of the Saugatuck River from downtown Westport BioSig announced Wednesday its purchase of the rights to Vicromax, which it describes as an orally administered antiviral agent that has demonstrated strong activity against the COVID-19 strain of the coronavirus in lab testing. The U.S. life sciences industry is engaged in an all-hands-on-deck battle against coronavirus, with the Food & Drug Administration having pledged to fast-track resulting clinical trials and approvals. The Guilford genomics guru Jonathan Rothberg is working to develop in-home testing kits, with Protein Sciences and Nanoviricides investigating potential vaccines at their respective headquarters in Meriden and Shelton. To speed up the production of ventilator machines desperately needed by hospital to assist patients, General Electric enlisted Ford Motor Co. this week to help build bare-bones versions of ventilators produced by its GE Healthcare division. Add BioSig and new subsidiary ViralClear Pharmaceuticals to that push, with BioSig acquiring the rights to Vicromax for an amount it did not immediately disclose. Nick Spring, CEO of ViralClear, was a former senior executive at Merck working on the development and commercialization of antiviral vaccines. The foundation for Vicromax was developed by Trek Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Mass., startup whose CEO Ann Kwong previously led development of a drug to treat hepatitis C that Vertex Pharmaceuticals had commercialized. Trek did not have the breadth of infrastructure that could help scale the effort, Londoner said. Time to market and speed was paramount. Includes reporting by Dan Haar, Justin Papp and Luther Turmelle. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman The City Council of Kansas City is currently debating its 2020-2021 budget. Mayor Quinton Lucas had suggested some worthwhile cuts but abandoned them pretty quickly. That was before the full weight of the coronavirus became evident. Now it is time for those cuts-and a whole host of other cuts-to be considered again. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has proposed Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc permit customs clearance of goods through auxiliary border gates on the Vietnam-China border. Tan Thanh is one of the auxiliary border gates in the northern province of Lang Son The proposal aims to boost the volume of import and export goods on the border gates between the two countries, which currently reach about 50-60 percent in comparison with months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. If the proposal is approved, fresh agricultural products and fruits of Vietnam will be exported to China soon. The MoIT said that the auxiliary border gates between the two countries were qualified for customs clearance of goods according to the Governments Decree 112/2014/ND-CP providing management on border gates, as well as the agreement of trade, exchange, import and export of goods signed by Vietnam and China, in which the prevention of COVID-19 outbreak must be ensured. Earlier, the PM allowed the reopening of Tan Thanh and Coc Nam auxiliary border gates in Lang Son province last month after they were closed due to impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in China early this year. According to the MoIT, the current clearance capacity at Tan Thanh border gate in is very limited, with about 130 to 150 trucks carrying goods to China, accounting for 50 percent of goods prepared for daily export. The remaining goods are stored at the border gate area. Meanwhile, the volume of vehicles carrying goods from inland provinces to this border gate is increasing, leading to congestion. The provincial Industry and Trade Department said the Chinese side is facing a shortage of labour, especially those loading and unloading at the border area due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Chinese forces are strengthening control and prevention of diseases on vehicles transporting goods exported from Vietnam because the COVID-19 outbreak is increasing in some cities of provinces of the country. Lang Son province and China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have agreed to prepare necessary conditions to soon restore customs clearance of import and export goods at this border, on the basis of ensuring strict implementation of disease prevention processes. The MoIT said China's control of the COVID-19 pandemic had been greatly improved, in which Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region had lowered the emergency response level from one to three. These two provinces have been partially restoring trading between border residents of the two sides to meet the increasing production and consumption demands when the pandemic is almost controlled. This is a favourable factor to recover, promote import and export activities, and transport goods to the countrys northern border gates in the future, the MoIT said./. VNA To prevent the spread of coronavirus, Delhi government said that about 4,551 contacts have been traced till date, of which 2,921 are currently under surveillance. "A total of 4,551 contacts have been traced till date, out of which 1,630 contacts of first 6 cases have completed their 14 days of quarantine and 2,921 are under surveillance," the official said. The official also said that as India confirmed 606 positive cases for coronavirus, in Delhi 35 cases were tested positive and 1 died due to the virus. "Of the 35 cases that were tested positive for coronavirus, 13 people were admitted in Safdarjung Hospital, 6 in Lok Nayak Hospital, 6 in Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, 2 in Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and one in Medanta Hospital in Gurugram," the official added. Earlier today, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of L-G to review the preparedness to contain the spread of COVID-19 wherein Standard Operating Procedures were laid down in order to facilitate the smooth and uninterrupted operation of the essential services and commodities and to ensure the effective operation of the lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) KAMPALA The army is investigating circumstances under which the son of the General Court Martial chairman Gen Andrew Gutti died. Jonathan Lomelo, 25, who a member of the Local Defence Unit personnel, died in a police cell on Sunday, March 22, 2020, from torture inflicted by his colleagues. According to information from police and the army, Lomelo was tortured after shooting and seriously injuring a colleague who is in charge of the armoury in Napak District. Witness accounts and area leaders told this website that Lomelo shot and injured his colleague in unclear circumstances and went into hiding. A manhunt was launched by his colleagues until they caught up with him at Irriri Trading Centre as he fled. When he surrendered, he was reportedly tortured by his colleagues through flogging, leaving him with serious injuries. They reportedly handed him over police who locked him up but he was found dead in the cells the next day. UPDF 3rd Division spokesperson Brig Gen Joseph Balikuddembe said five LDUs, including their detachment commandant, have been arrested as investigations continue. He wondered why the LDUs beat up their colleague who had surrendered. Lomelo is part of 3,000 Local Defence Unit (LDU) personnel who were passed out in January after undergoing training at Olilim army training school in Katakwi District. Since the deployment of more than 6,000 LDUs in Kampala Metropolitan policing area in April last year, several concerns have been raised by members of the public regarding their conduct. LDUs recruitment and deployment was part of President, Yoweri Kaguta Musevenis 10-point security plan to avert high crime incidents. At least several cases of reckless shootings by LDUs were recorded last year leading to the death of civilians. In December, UPDF arrested three LDUs for killing their commander, Corporal Simon Emuron in Kisekka market during an operation. There are also allegations of theft and extortion levelled against the LDUs through staging illegal roadblocks and operations. Related Continue Reading Road Town, British Virgin Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) - Talon Metals Corp. (TSX: TLO) ("Talon" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt project ("Tamarack Project"), located in Minnesota, USA. The Tamarack Project comprises the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project. Highlights - Through pre-concentration testing, Talon has successfully shown that nickel sulphide mineralization at the Tamarack Project that is currently below cut-off grade (i.e., below 0.7% Ni) can be upgraded to above cut-off grade. - The feed sample was upgraded from 0.57% nickel to 1.18% nickel (an increase in grade of 107%) in 32.8% of the mass. The overall nickel recovery was 70.6%, which translates to approximately 82% of nickel in sulphides recovery. The copper grade was increased from 0.36% Cu to 0.79% copper at 71.8% recovery. - These results create an opportunity for the Company to include known exploration targets with low-grade sulphide mineralization (i.e., below 0.7% Ni) in future exploration programs, which could significantly increase the overall mineral resource at the Tamarack Project. "The recoveries for nickel were particularly impressive considering that QEMSCAN mineralogical results indicate that only 85% of the nickel in the rock mass is associated with sulphides," said Oliver Peters, Talon Metallurgist. "We are planning to test a sample representative of disseminated mineralization north of the present mine plan documented in our updated PEA (see Figure 2 below). We plan to also conduct further geotechnical studies to investigate bulk mining methods," said Henri van Rooyen, CEO of Talon. "If economic, our goal is to double the 8 year mine life as presented in our updated PEA." Description of Metallurgical Test Work On May 9, 2019, Talon announced a test program for the removal of silicate minerals from the coarse-grained ortho-cumulative ("CGO") intrusion prior to milling and flotation. The disseminated sulphides in the CGO tend to be relatively coarse and patchy in texture (see Figure 1 below). Heavy Liquid Separation ("HLS") testing was therefore performed, which simulates Dense Media Separation ("DMS"). DMS is a proven, low-cost separation method that has been successfully used where there are adequate density differences between valuable and gangue minerals. Figure 1: 1.5m sample interval, from 406m depth to 407.5m depth in drill hole 16TK0242, was broken down into a " grid and marked where sulphide minerals were visually observed. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/53789_d77e844b74cdb9c9_002full.jpg The HLS tests were performed by SGS Lakefield, who is independent of the Company, at three different crush sizes of 12.7mm, 6.4mm, and 3.3 mm. A finer crush size generally improves mineral liberation but results in higher capital and operating costs for the required size reduction. Improved mineral liberation often translates into increased mass rejection and reduced metal losses. The DMS process requires pre-screening of the crushed material at 850 microns to prevent media fouling. The fines were subjected to a rougher flotation test to evaluate the possibility of a further reduction of the mass recovery into the pre-concentrate. Results of Test Work The feed sample was upgraded from 0.57% Ni to 1.18% Ni (an increase in grade by 107%) in 32.8% of the mass. The overall Ni recovery was 70.6%, which translates to almost 82% of Ni sulphide recovery. The Cu grade was increased from 0.34% Cu to 0.79% Cu at 71.8% recovery. QEMSCAN mineralogical results indicate that only 85% of the Ni contained in the CGO mineralization is recoverable as the remaining 15% of Ni is associated with non-sulphide gangue minerals such as serpentine or olivine. These gangue minerals are not recoverable by flotation. Possible Impact on Future Exploration Programs These preliminary results are encouraging since it was possible to upgrade CGO mineralization that fell below the mining cut-off grade to a pre-concentrate that graded well above the cut-off grade based on the current mine plan. Combined with bulk mining techniques, this creates an opportunity to include CGO targets in future exploration programs to increase the overall mineral resource as shown in Figure 2 below. Figure 2: Tamarack North Project mineral zones: Looking down (plan view). A large area of CGO mineralization that could be considered for future exploration is outlined using a red dash line. Red dots are MSU and/or MMS intercepts. Potential minerlization depth extends from 300m depth in the south to 125m depth in the north. Coordinate are in NAD83 zone 15N. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/53789_d77e844b74cdb9c9_003full.jpg Next Steps Owing to these positive results, more comprehensive HLS tests and pilot scale DMS test have been incorporated into the scope of future metallurgical testing. Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Qualified Persons Please see the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of the Tamarack North Project - Tamarack, Minnesota" with an effective date of March 12, 2020 prepared by independent "Qualified Persons" (as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") Leslie Correia (Pr. Eng), Andre-Francois Gravel (P. Eng.), Tim Fletcher (P. Eng.), Daniel Gagnon (P. Eng.), David Ritchie (P. Eng.), Oliver Peters (P. Eng.), Christine Pint (P.G.) and Brian Thomas (P. Geo.) for information on the QA/QC, analytical and testing procedures at the Tamarack Project. Copies are available on the Company's website (www.talonmetals.com) or on SEDAR at (www.sedar.com). The locations and distances highlighted on all maps in this news release are approximate. Mr. Oliver Peters, a Mineral Processing Engineer with Metpro Management Inc., is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Mr. Peters is satisfied that the analytical and testing procedures used are standard industry operating procedures and methodologies, and he has reviewed, approved and verified the technical information disclosed in this news release, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the technical information. About Talon Talon is a TSX-listed base metals company in a joint venture with Rio Tinto on the high-grade Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project located in Minnesota, USA, comprised of the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project. Talon has an earn-in to acquire up to 60% of the Tamarack Project. The Tamarack Project comprises a large land position (18km of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts outside the current resource area. Talon is focused on expanding its current high-grade nickel mineralization resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101; identifying additional high-grade nickel mineralization; and developing a process to potentially produce nickel sulphates responsibly for batteries for the electric vehicles industry. Talon has a well-qualified exploration and mine management team with extensive experience in project management. For additional information on Talon, please visit the Company's website at www.talonmetals.com or contact: Sean Werger President Talon Metals Corp. Tel: (416) 361-9636 x102 Email: werger@talonmetals.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to the opportunity for the Company to include known exploration targets with low-grade sulphide mineralization in future exploration programs, which could significantly increase the overall mineral resource at the Tamarack Project; combined with bulk mining techniques, the opportunity to include CGO targets in future exploration programs to increase the overall mineral resource; the goal to more than double the 8 year mine life as presented in the Company's updated PEA; the assertion that improved mineral liberation often translates into increased mass rejection and reduced metal losses; and the timing and results of the exploration program, including assay results, geophysical data processing and interpretation. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53789 A sign is posted in a park reminding people to practice social distancing Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Physical distancing and working from home is the new reality for most Canadians. Unfortunately, this new reality may last more than a few weeks, longer than most Canadians had anticipated, according to one epidemiologist. If youre an optimist were talking about social distancing for about 12 weeks, if youre a pessimist you should believe about 24 weeks, said Dr. Gerald Evans, Chair and Medical Director of Infection Prevention & Control at Kingston Health Sciences Centre. Physical and social distancing refers to the practice of leaving at least a six foot distance between yourself and the person nearest to you, while also eliminating non-essential behaviour. These kinds of social distancing and public health measures are going to have to go on for months, not weeks, said Dr. Evans. Data shows the rate of COVID-19 infections is climbing every day in Canada with the country hitting its current peak of 701 cases on Mar. 24. Evans said Canadians have to be ready to wait out the storm. This past weekend numerous photos surfaced online of Vancouverites congregating in beaches and parks disobeying Canadian public health officials advice to physically distance. However, Evans notes expecting people to be entirely comfortable in accepting a drastic change can be a daunting task. Story continues It takes a little bit of time to wrap yourself around a change in your life routine, and I think thats a little of what we saw this past weekend, he said. It takes a little time for all of society to wrestle with the issue. Evans' estimate of three to six months of physical and social distancing may seem harsh, but he says if Canadians want to avoid a similar COVID-19 outbreak like Italy, they need to be in it for the long haul. In terms of Canadas response at the federal and provincial levels, Evans points to the measures put in by countries to implement physical distancing. Both Quebec and Ontarios provincial government took the stance of taking power out of peoples hands by ordering mandatory closures of all non-essential workplaces by Tuesday evening. The closures will last at least 14 days. After its first confirmed case of COVID-19, the Northwest Territories banned non-essential travel into the area. In Atlantic Canada, Prince Edward Islands government is telling people who are traveling from outside the area, even other parts of Canada, that they will need to self-isolate for 14 days. Following South Koreas model After the first few patients in Canada tested positive for COVID-19 and the WHO declared an epidemic, Evans was pleased with Canadas response to get the health system up and running. Were way ahead of curve considering all the places where this has hit very badly like Italy and Iran, said Evans. With early implementation of testing measures and with residents following recommendations of physical distancing, Canada could flatten the curve. Our situation may be like the better situations of South Korea, Singapore and even Japan to some extent, Evans said. The World Health Organization (WHO) has pointed to South Korea as one of the countries who effectively flattened the curve. In a single day, Feb. 29, there were 909 new cases in the country of 50-million-plus, but through measures of social distancing and aggressive testing they were able to limit the spread. One of the things holding Canada back from reaching South Koreas 20,000 tests per day is not having access to the materials needed by healthcare professionals, due to a halt in manufacturing in China and Italy. Theres a stark difference between South Koreas mortality rate of 0.94 pet cent to Italys 9.6 per cent, where at least 600 people have died per day since March 20. The epidemic [in Canada] appears to be relatively small [according to tested numbers] and there is evidence of spread, but youre not seeing a cluster of deaths like in Italy, said Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of the International Vaccine Institute . One of the reasons for the lower mortality rates in South Korea is a result of the country having prior experience dealing with the Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2015, from which 38 people died. According to Kim, South Koreas government started to take greater precautions and preventative methods to avoid another outbreak. With everything preparedness helps...the last preparedness drill was in December, they had no idea [COVID-19] was coming, but it was useful, says Kim. Messaging is key According to Kim, one of the first things the South Korean government did was communicate to the country of more than 50 million people through social media and broadcast channels that they needed to follow physical distancing. They were transparent...the messages were clear, they were simple, he said. But most of the credit in reducing the outbreak belongs to South Koreans who heeded the advice of public health professionals without needing government or military intervention. The [government] gave people advice and they followed it. Koreans had experienced an outbreak before and nobody wanted to get infected, he said. Even now, a month removed from the physical and social distancing recommendations, South Korean are still abiding by the recommendations. Youre starting to see some people out, but its nothing like what you would see on a normal day, he said. People are still respecting the idea that they should be physically distancing. Evans is cognizant of South Koreas methodology and the willingness of their people to limit the spread and hopes Canadians will follow suit. Be patient, itll take months, but when everything is safe, people can and should resume their lives, he said. New Jersey police officers were forced to break up a house party on Saturday night after more than 30 people were found filming each other during a 'You Tube' party. The gathering in Penns Grove near Philadelphia was in contravention of Governors Phil Murphy's coronavirus lockdown order which went into effect just hours earlier. The man in his 30s has been charged with a disorderly persons offense. Governors Phil Murphy's, pictured, coronavirus lockdown order which went into effect on Saturday night but in Penns Grove, some ignored and a house party had to be shut down Penns Grove Police Chief Patrick Riley Sr. said it appeared the partiers were making videos of one another and uploading them to YouTube Only the tenant, who was in his 30s, was charged with an offense as other partygoers agreed to leave when asked. Penns Grove Police Chief Patrick Riley Sr. said it appeared the partiers were making videos of one another and uploading them to YouTube. Three police officers, who were not wearing masks were sent to the home after receiving a noise complaint between 10pm and midnight. The Governor's order which went into effect on 9pm on Saturday bans parties and celebrations along with other social events. However, it appears that many people were not following the order. Murphy said that he was 'really damned unhappy' that so many people had ignored the directive. Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has said there will be 'serious legal consequences' to those who didn't comply. 'It was a very busy night, as our call volume has increased,' Riley said to the NJ Advance. Riley said it is a tough time for his officers as there is no way to fully protect them from the virus. 'We're very limited in what we can do. We try to keep our distance,' Riley said. By Monday afternoon, there were 2,844 known coronavirus cases in New Jersey, with 27 deaths By Monday afternoon, there were 2,844 known coronavirus cases in New Jersey, with 27 deaths. Writing on Facebook, Riley has asked people to take the lockdown and concerns about the coronavirus seriously. 'I ask the citizens to please adhere to the Governor's executive orders as this is the only way we will be able to stop the spread of the very dangerous virus. Again thank you for your cooperation and patience during these very uncertain times,' Riley said. The staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand talk to Vietnamese citizens stranded at Thailand airport (Source: VNA) Right after grasping the citizens situation, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs directed Vietnams representative diplomatic offices in Thailand and Singapore to contact with the citizens for further information and work with local relevant offices and airlines to seek suitable flights. The Vietnamese offices patiently discussed with representatives from Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines to bring the citizens back home on the day. Amid complicated development of the COVID-19 outbreak worldwide, many countries and territories have restricted or closed international routes, and refused passengers' transit, while many airlines have stopped carrying passengers, cancelled flights and changed regulations on freight transportation. To ensure the safety and health of citizens and to avoid difficulties in travel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended Vietnamese citizens avoid non-essential travel between countries and returning to Vietnam at this time, comply with the host countries' pandemic countermeasures, regularly update regulations of the host countries and airlines, and sufficient documents, especially those on health status, as required. To get support, citizens are advised to contact citizen protection hotlines posted on official websites of overseas Vietnamese representative offices and the Foreign Ministrys Consular Department, or the departments citizen protection call centre 84.981.84.84.84. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 23:32:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MUSCAT, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The Omani Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday that it recorded 15 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of the cases in the country to 99. All the new cases are Omani citizens, seven of whom have returned from Britain, Spain and the United States, and seven with a history of contact with the confirmed cases, according to a statement issued by the ministry. The other one case is being investigated epidemiologically, the statement said. The statement pointed out that 17 of the total infected cases have recovered. The ministry also called on the citizens to observe the procedures for quarantine, not to go to public places or places of worship, and to ensure public hygiene. Kerala has reported nine new cases of COVID-19 in the state on Wednesday, taking the total count in Kerala to 118, including six discharged. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that today six cases were tested negative taking the total number of recovered patients to 12. Of the nine new cases, three are from Ernakulam district, two each from Palakkad and Pathanamthitta districts, and one each from Idukki and Kozhikode districts. Four of these new patients have returned from Dubai, one each from the UK and France, and the remaining three have got from local contact. One of them is a taxi driver who ferried a French tourist.One patient each from Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur were discharged today from the hospital following their recovery. No fresh case has been reported from Kasargod district, which has most number of COVID-19 cases in Kerala. As on Wednesday, 76,542 people are under observation across the state out of which 76,010 are in their house and 532 in hospitals. 122 persons were hospitalised today. Of the 4,902 samples sent for testing, 3,465 have tested negative. Of the total 118 virus-infected cases reported so far in Kerala, 91 are Non-Resident Indians (NRI), who have come back to the state from overseas, eight are foreign nationals and 19 have got infected through local contact. 12 persons have recovered completely from the disease. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If businesses in the Midwest have one thing in common, it's the lack of a bright spotlight on what they're up to, says Chris Olsen, co-founder of Drive Capital, a venture capital firm targeting the region and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Blame it on the humility common to Midwesterners, who are uncomfortable touting their own triumphs. But make no mistake, the 12 states in the area offer much to be celebrated, as shown by the 2020 Inc. 5000 Series: Midwest list, a ranking of the fastest-growing companies in the region. Collectively, the 250 companies on Inc.'s list grew their annual revenue 360 percent, on average, between 2016 and 2018. Their total revenue in 2018 alone amounted to $9.5 billion. Several key billion-dollar acquisitions have done much to bolster the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In 2013, the sale of email marketing company ExactTarget for $2.5 billion to Salesforce broke Indianapolis's record for a tech company exit. At the time, the deal both chuffed and worried the local business community, who were concerned the SaaS giant would spirit away its prize to Silicon Valley. Instead, ExactTarget remained in Indianapolis. One co-founder, Scott Dorsey, created High Alpha, a venture fund focused on enterprise cloud startups. Another, Chris Baggot, launched the waggishly named food delivery service ClusterTruck. Similarly, when CoverMyMeds, an electronic prior-authorization provider, sold to health care giant McKesson Corporation in 2017 for $1.1 billion, co-founder Matt Scantland began advising startups in the company's hometown Columbus. Employees of both companies started their own ventures. "There are all these companies founded in the Midwest that have grown into big successes," and that's helping other local startups, says Olsen. "The flywheel is turning. I see no reason why it wouldn't accelerate." Startups launched or funded by people exiting homegrown heroes like ExactTarget, CoverMyMeds, and others provide opportunities for the region's abundant engineering talent. Of course, there's more to the Midwest than a few giant acquisitions. If you're thinking of starting or growing your company in the region, here's what you need to know. 1. The Midwest remains less entrepreneurial than some other parts of the country. Nine of the 12 states in the region are below the national average for percentage of the population starting businesses, according to the Kauffman Foundation. All except Missouri are on the sparse side of job creation by startups. That finding is confirmed by Inc.'s Midwest list. Ranked employers added just over 15,500 jobs from 2016 to 2018. That's well below the number added by fast-growing companies in each of the other four regions Inc. examined. The Midwest economy, meanwhile, recently dipped below its historical average growth for the third time since the end of the recession, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. 2. Although the situation is improving, funding remains a problem. In 2006,14 of the top regional VC firms collectively had less than $1 billion in assets under management. According to Drive Capital, that figure is now close to $4 billion. Still "the Midwest desperately needs capital," says Jeff Carter, co-founder of West Loop Ventures, an early-stage investor in fintech companies, based in Chicago. "We have a lot of family office money but not a lot of classic limited partner funds that are big, like they have in the Valley and New York." 3. Some cities are courting business better than others. Like most of the country, Midwest cities with major research institutions, such as Ann Arbor, Michigan, Columbus, and Madison, Wisconsin, have spun off or attracted numerous startups in specialized disciplines. St. Louis is home to more than 1,000 tech-related companies and 50 entrepreneurship organizations, according to Dennis Lowe, until recently president of the Cortex the nonprofit behind the city's major innovation district. Several Midwest cities are also building entrepreneur-friendly neighborhoods in opportunity zones, a designation created by the 2017 law that offers tax advantages to investors in lower-income communities. "The Midwest has always been spread out, but these new developments create the kinds of density that communities need where you have entrepreneurs sitting beside investors in restaurants and coffee shops," says Jeff Slobotski, founder of Router Ventures, a seed-stage fund in Omaha, Nebraska. 4. Proximity to customers and would-be talent is a selling point. Chicago is the Midwest's most dynamic regional hub, with the number of new startups increasing 270 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the New York City-based think tank Center for an Urban Future. Ambitious accelerators like Techstars Chicago and 1871 are churning out ventures. The area also abounds with potential customers. "Chicago is the only world-class city" in the region," says Carter. "Startups need customers to get going. And there are just not enough of them in the other places." The Warren Registrar of Voters office will be open May 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. to enroll new voters for the upcoming presidential primary on June 2. . The Registrars will at this time hear requests from those removed from the voting rolls for adding their names back to the registry list. For more information, contact Jon Garvey, Registrar of Voters, at registrars@warrenct.org 860-868-7881, ext. 109. LEARNING Safety courses to go online Connecticut Security Guard Classes and Pistol Permit Classes Now Webinar ! In an effort to keep job opportunity training and firearm training for the public available during these trying times, HF LearnSafety Firearm & Security Training LLC in New Milford is bringing its programs to the community online. I want people to take classes safely, not in public groups like a number of companies are still doing, said Herb Furhman, owner and instructor of HFLS. Beginning in April, some classes will be solely online as a live webinar and others will have a secondary component when the pandemic is over and it is safe to work in person with students. For the general public wanting pistol permits in Connecticut, New York, Florida and Utah, class will be in two parts: a one-day webinar for the academic portion followed by live familiarization and qualification training on a firing range when safe to do so. The first pistol permit webinar class is scheduled for April 4 and the second webinar class is April 19. May 2 and May 17 are to follow if the pandemic is still active. Private handgun, shotgun, rifle lessons and Red Cross first aid/CPR classes will return following the virus outbreak. For job opportunity classes for security officers, the CT Security Guard Card one day webinar classes will be April 11 and 26. These classes are only webinar based so people will be able to process their state license for employment following this training. Armed Security classes have a two part process. Bail Enforcement Agents will have similar classes for webinar only and web/live fire for the armed agents. HF LearnSafety LLC plans to return to classroom and range days as full, one-day programs when the pandemic ends. For more information, call 203-947-4327, email learnsafety@gmail.com or visit www.hflearnsafety.com. Coronavirus could be the start of a long-term transformation for the American justice system. As courts shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic, attorneys and judges are struggling to prevent uncertain delays while still preserving justice under the law. It has translated into "a scramble for technological work-arounds" that could last beyond the outbreak, ABC News reports. There are some pretty obvious dilemmas when it comes to holding jury trials and working through court cases in the time of coronavirus spread. Cramming 12 jurors in a box clearly doesn't fit the CDC's social distancing guidelines; neither does being in a bustling courthouse in general. But beyond a few imperfect attempts (immigration courts' attempts to replace in-person hearings with video chats were plagued with issues), courts haven't implemented many measures that allow judicial processes to continue at home. "This disaster, this pandemic is going to change the way the courts do business from now on," Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht told ABC News. "We're going to have to completely rethink how much has to be done in person, how much can be done using technology that whole issue that we've just never paid much attention to, is going to be front and center going forward." The Supreme Court has led the way by filing its first remote decisions since 2001 and continued its usual meetings via phone. But things aren't as simple in lower courts with far more moving parts, leaving the ACLU and other watchdogs on the lookout for potential violations of civil liberties and justice. Read more at ABC News. More stories from theweek.com What Trump's coronavirus briefings are really about Elton John to host 'Living Room Concert for America' with stars performing from home The most socially distant sport falls to coronavirus 8 out-of-the-ordinary watches 8 out-of-the-ordinary watches The editorial team has picked eight off-the-beaten-track watches, any one of which would make a perfect end to the year The editorial team has picked eight... Our nation, our state and our city are taking necessary measures to slow the spread of coronavirus, protect citizens and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. Among these measures, courts across the nation have imposed moratoriums on eviction trials. On March 24, the New Mexico Supreme Court issued a press release and order halting evictions. In fact, the Supreme Courts order does not halt evictions. Eviction trials will continue. The order allows only a temporary stay on some writs of restitution the documents ordering sheriffs to evict people and only if the family can prove financial hardship related to coronavirus. To ask for the stay, families must still attend the trial and the trial judge is not required to grant the stay. Moreover, any stay granted is temporary. Even if they prove hardship, families will be evicted at a later date. In Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, our states busiest court, 11,000 evictions are processed each year. Few tenants have lawyers. Most are poor, disabled or elderly. Many are struggling single parents. Landlords, tenants and lawyers crowd the courtroom waiting for their cases to be called. Each case lasts a few minutes. Most tenants lose. They get seven days to move or be removed by the sheriff. It is a very efficient and for a poor family about to made homeless brutal process. On March 17, Metro Court was still busy. People waited in line, close to each other, at security. They rode elevators together to the ninth floor, the eviction floor. The hallway held 13 people, many elderly, one in a wheelchair, touching their faces, rubbing shoulders, coughing, sneezing. One courtroom held 25 people, sitting shoulder to shoulder. Papers passed between court staff and litigants. Time spent in eviction court shows there is no way for these mass evictions to take place without risking lives. If it continues, people will spread the virus in Metro Court. The latest order of the Supreme Court does little to change this. The recent steps taken allowing parties to appear by Google Hangout, providing lots of Purell, staying some writs are a start. But they are not enough. Many poor people have low-budget cellphones, meagre phone plans and, especially for seniors and people with some disabilities, limited ability to use technology. Appearing and presenting evidence telephonically is simply not feasible. Families must go to court and risk their health, or not go and lose their homes by default. Faced with income loss due to coronavirus, families must choose between taking their kids to our crowded shelters or living on the streets. To stop eviction, these families still must go to court to prove hardship related to the coronavirus. The court has the power and duty to do more, including stopping eviction hearings altogether, with exceptions for some emergencies, until the pandemic recedes. The court claims it has no legal authority to halt eviction trials. They say our states landlord-tenant law requires courts to continue holding eviction trials despite the health risks and inability of many to appear by phone or video. The court has misread the law. Our state Constitution gives the Supreme Court, not the Legislature, absolute authority to control procedure in the courtrooms, including authority to stay eviction hearings. Meanwhile, evictions continue in Metro Court. On March 30, for example, two judges will hear 53 evictions in just two hours. Unless the Supreme Court acts, New Mexico families facing eviction will have to rely on Purell and a prayer. More and more countries have opted to combat the coronavirus by imposing unprecedented restrictions on social and professional activities for entire populations. Initially, many governments were reluctant to follow the harsh Chinese methods, which now seem to have succeeded in bringing the epidemic, in China at least, to a standstill. The UK and India have announced strict lockdowns, Frances Prime Minister has tightened week-old restrictions, the Netherlands have extended a ban on gatherings of more than three people until June, while Italy and Spain struggle, without much success, to impose total restrictions. Meanwhile, Singapore and South Korea are meticulously trying to track anybody who is potentially infected. Sweden is taking a softer line, keeping primary schools, restaurants and bars open, and even encouraging people to go outside for a nip of air, the US still hesitates as to how to approach the crisis and the United Nations Security Council is unable to decide on a common global response. But in general, more and more countries are opting for a Chinese-style total lockdown. Three scenarios Analysts see three possible scenarios in dealing with the current crisis: herd immunity, track and trace, and total lockdown. In the first scenario, aimed at creating a large immune population, youre going to let the virus run entirely and then ultimately the virus will slow down at the point that it is has infected a very large segment of the population so that it starts to slow its spread, says John Daley, Chief Executive of the Grattan Institute, , a Melbourne-based policy think tank. That was roughly the strategy of the UK government up until a week or so ago, but then UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson, shocked by the exploding figures, changed his mind, announced a strict lockdown on Monday, enforced by the police, with a ban on gatherings of more than two people and strict limits on out-of-home exercise, telling the British people you must stay at home. Story continues Initially the Netherlands opted for the herd community scenario as well, when Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that a lot of people will get ill, but with minor symptoms, while the government concentrates on postponing the peak of the infection curve so as to avoid overcrowding the hospitals. But, like Johnson, Rutte seemed to have changed his mind after many disregarded the more flexible guidelines, and Dutch infection and death statistics shot up to the point that The Netherlands now ranks fourth on a global scale in terms of casualties per million inhabitants. The problem with the herd immunity scenario, according to John Daley of the Grattan Institute, "is that that it can go on quite a while before things get back to normal, because you cant guarantee how long it will take. He also says that the more you flatten the curve by reducing the number of infected people, the longer the epidemic is likely to last. Track and Trace Another scenario works only in relatively small and isolated areas. You basically look around at any infection you can find, work backwards to find out who were all people they had been in contact with, test them, and if they test positive, isolate them. It works in Tasmania, Singapore, and, to a certain extent, in South Korea, whose only border is with its northern brother, and hermetically closed. It makes no sense for France or the UK, where you have hundreds of thousands of new cases per day, there is just no way that you are going to be able to track and trace them, says Daley. Total lockdown Total lockdown is the method preferred by the Chinese, and successfully implemented in Hubei province and its capital Wuhan. You are going to try and get the infection rate below 1, meaning that instead of one person infecting an average of 2,5 people, which happens if you have no controls in place, you aim at them infecting fewer than one other person on average. The result, if the method is applied rigorously, is a rapid decline in the number of infections, which can then be controlled using the track and trace method. What happens next? Once the pandemic is brought under control, the question will arise for some governments of keeping certain crisis regulations in place? In many countries the powers that you need to do this are already on the statute books under emergency legislation, says Daley. Most countries have some kind of legislative framework to declare a state of emergency, the current situation legitimately qualifies as one of those. There is always a risk that the state of emergency is not lifted, once the crisis passes, but I dont think that is a huge risk in established democracies, he says. But in some younger democracies the government may attempt to use the current health crisis to extend emergency powers indefinitely. On Monday, the government in Hungary attempted to fast-track a bill through parliament which would give the executive sweeping new powers, including the right to extend the state of emergency declared to fight the coronavirus. The bill, proposed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing nationalist government, would enable the administration to indefinitely extend the state of emergency and its associated powers of rule by decree, removing the current requirement for MPs to approve any extension. But the opposition socialist MSZP party and their allies said the proposed law would "expose Hungary and Hungarians to the whims of Viktor Orban indefinitely," and managed to halt the legislation. The Australian bushfire, which took place between late last year and early this year, has left a deep scare of the natural forests as well as wildlife in the country. A lot of koalas lost their life to the scary wildfires, making them possibly being included in the endangered species. Now, months after the life has finally gone back to normal, the Australian authorities are now releasing the rescued koalas back to their natural habitat. The first four of the 12 rescued koalas from the Blue Mountains area have been sent to Kanangra-Boyd National Park in the state of New South Wales, as reported by Mashable. The remaining koalas will be fast-tracked due to the spread of the coronavirus. They are currently residing at the Sydneys Taronga Zoo since January. The wildfire resulted in the death of as many as 10,000 koalas, constituting one-third of the total koala population in New South Wales. These koalas were rescued from the Blue Mountains region, known to house the most genetically diverse population of koalas. In his press statement, Dr. Kellie Leigh, executive director of Science for Wildlife said that they are assessing the burnt area to establish when these koalas can be sent back home after enough trees have grown. The recent rains have helped in some growth making it easier for them to find food. We will be radio-tracking them and keeping a close eye on them to make sure that they settle in OK, he added. Jakarta [Indonesia], Mar 25 (Sputnik/ANI): The number of people infected with the coronavirus in Indonesia reached 790 on Wednesday after another 105 tested positive, a government spokesman said. "The number of patients who tested positive was corrected to 685 from 686 reported yesterday. With 105 new cases today, the total now stands at 790," Achmad Yurianto was quoted as saying by CNN Indonesia at a press briefing. Three patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died, bringing the number of virus-related deaths in the Asian archipelago nation to 58. A total of 31 people have recovered. President Joko Widodo reiterated this week that he would not put the country into a lockdown, saying he relied on people's self-discipline. He reportedly cautioned regional authorities against taking the measure on their own. (Sputnik/ANI) The United Nations on Wednesday launched a USD 2 billion global humanitarian response plan to fund the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the world's poorest countries, warning that it is threatening the entire human race. The world faces an unprecedented threat. The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly covered the globe. It has spread suffering, disrupted billions of lives and endangered the global economy. COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity and so the whole of humanity must fight back, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said at the launch of the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID19. As all nations struggle to combat coronavirus, the UN launched the global response plan, an interagency plan which will be coordinated by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and brings together existing appeals from the World Health Organisation and other UN partners, and identifies new needs as well. Today we are launching a USD 2 billion global humanitarian response plan to fund the fight against COVID-19 in the world's poorest countries, Guterres said. Properly funded, it will save many lives and arm humanitarian agencies and NGOs with laboratory supplies for testing, and with medical equipment to treat the sick while protecting health care workers, the UN Chief said, adding that the plan also includes additional measures to support host communities that continue to generously open their homes and towns to refugees and displaced persons. Guterres joined virtually Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock, WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNICEF's Executive Director Henrietta Fore, noted that individual country responses are not going to be enough and even wealthy countries with strong health systems are buckling under the pressure. With the virus arriving in countries already in the midst of humanitarian crises caused by conflicts, natural disasters and climate change, Guterres said the world must come to the aid of the ultra-vulnerable millions upon millions of people who are least able to protect themselves. The world is only as strong as our weakest health system. If we do not take decisive action now, I fear the virus will establish a foothold in the most fragile countries, leaving the whole world vulnerable as it continues to circle the planet, paying no mind to borders, he said. Ghebreyesus said the pandemic has accelerated over the last two weeks. The message to all countries is clear. Heed this warning now, he said, adding that coordinating politically and financially today can help save lives and slow the spread of the pandemic. History will judge us on how we responded to the poorest communities in their darkness hour. Guterres said there is a need to maintain support for existing humanitarian response plans on which 100 million people depend. If such funding is diverted, the consequences could be catastrophic: the further spread of cholera, measles and meningitis; greater levels of child malnutrition; and a blow to the ability of these countries to combat the virus, he said. UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said COVID-19 has upended the lives of children around the world as hundreds of millions are not in school. Children are the hidden victims of this pandemic. We're worried about its short- and long-term impacts on their health, well-being, development and prospects. We're worried about their lack of access to water and hygiene services, she said. While washing hands with soap is critical in the fight against COVID-19, yet 40 per cent of the world's population or 3 billion people do not have a handwashing facility with water and soap at home. Fore said UNICEF is particularly worried about the millions of children on the move or living through conflicts. For them, the consequences of this pandemic will be unlike any we have ever seen. These children live in overcrowded conditions, often in active war zones, with limited or non-existent access to health care. A family of six, eight, ten or 12 can be living in one room. Self-isolation and handwashing with soap will not be easy in such environments. Underscoring that funding this global humanitarian response plan for COVID-19 is essential, she said UNICEF alone is appealing for USD 405 million for its response in emergency countries, an additional USD 246.6 million for the agency's response in non-emergency countries. So our total appeal is for USD 651.6 million, she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 11:33:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- International Surfing Association (ISA) president Fernando Aguerre said that the ISA fully support the postponement of Tokyo 2020, according to its offical website. Aguerre said in a statement that the IOC and Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee's choice as a "wise decision", which will benefit the public health and well-being. "As surfers, we are used to being flexible," the ISA president referred to the changing and adaptive nature of this new sport for Tokyo Olympics. "Practicing our sport in the ocean, in a natural environment, we are used to changing conditions in life," said Aguerre. Aguerre's statement also emphasized ISA are committed to finding sensible and responsible solutions to any situation that might come together with IOC and its Tokyo partners. "We remain convinced that with our collective efforts and determination, the Tokyo Olympic Games, and especially Olympic Surfing, will go on, in due time, to give the world great reasons to celebrate," said by the president. VANCOUVERThe powdery slopes of Whistler, B.C., offered the promise of a fresh start to Paulina Swierczyna. The bank manager-turned-ski instructor was looking for a new life after going through a rough breakup. But three months after she arrived, the resort has become a ghost town. And shes stuck. Last week, Whistler Blackcomb announced it was shutting down for the remainder of the ski season due to concerns about COVID-19. Thousands of workers and tourists left the resort town, population 30,000. Only a third of residents live there year-round. But some workers cannot leave. Swierczyna, 34, who is in B.C. on a sponsored work visa, is one of them. I was terrified, she said. She cannot go home. Poland has stopped all international flights into the country in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. Like many in Europe, Polish residents are in lockdown, said Swierczyna, whose father is in Zakopane, a Polish town close to the Poland-Slovakia border. Swierczyna called the Polish embassy and says she was told it was best to stay in Canada for now because it was too risky to fly into Europe at this time, given that she could end up stuck in quarantine in another country. She asked if there would be a chartered flight for citizens and was told no. Her mother lives in South Carolina, but the U.S.-Canada border is closed to visitors. She also cannot make money. Her sponsored work visa only allows her to work for Vail Resorts, which owns Whistler Blackcomb. She is also not eligible to receive Employment Insurance, because she has not worked in Canada for long enough. Swierczyna has spent her days walking the quiet streets in Whistler Village at least social distancing has been easy and wondering what the coming months will look like. Navigating this with no close friends or family has been difficult, she said. I feel so lonely ... not knowing what will happen. When Swierczyna turned to her former employer for help, she said, she felt as though they simply wanted her gone. He was pushing me to go back home, she said, about a Vail Resorts representative she spoke with over the phone. And I was like, thats impossible. Physically, I cannot leave Canada right now. Swierczyna, who worked as a manager at a bank as well as a ski school in Switzerland before coming to Canada in December, said she doesnt blame the resort for laying off seasonal workers due to the coronavirus situation. But she said she wished the company had given her reassurances about legal or housing support, given the extraordinary circumstances. I was so upset and so disappointed. Speaking to the Star on Tuesday from a three-bedroom apartment in Whistler staff housing she shares with three other former co-workers Swierczyna said she fears the company will soon tell her to leave. In an emailed statement, a Vail Resorts spokesperson confirmed the company is encouraging its approximately 1,000 seasonal employees living in staff housing in Whistler to return home given the evolving situation and reduced services in the community. The company, however, said it would not force former seasonal workers who cannot travel out of staff housing and that a human resources representative would be reaching out to Swierczyna to find out how it could help. On Tuesday, the advocacy group Migrant Workers Centre penned a letter to the federal government, calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to extend COVID-19 related aid to migrant workers. The Trudeau government must take action to ensure that temporary foreign workers can access the same income support benefits as other workers, said Natalie Drolet, executive director of Migrant Workers Centre. Their future is uncertain and this is causing temporary foreign workers and their families a lot of distress. Juliana Dalley, a staff lawyer for the Migrant Workers Centre, said there were 129,558 labour market impact assessments conducted in this country last year. That means there were likely at least that many foreign temporary workers who entered Canada in 2019 on sponsored work visas, she said. Employers are often required to conduct labour market impact assessments before hiring a foreign worker. And while sponsored work visas fill a specific need in Canada such as bringing in ski instructors at mountain resorts people who enter Canada with visas tied to a specific employer are really entering into a precarious scenario, Dalley said. When those workers get laid off, they often have little choice but to leave. But what happens if they cant leave? Swierczyna is likely one of thousands of temporary foreign workers stuck in limbo as more businesses close due to COVID-19, said Lorne Waldman, longtime immigration and human rights lawyer based in Toronto. As the economy grinds to a halt and workplaces close, these people have been put in a situation where they cant work anywhere else and they dont have a support network at all, he said. Waldman added Vail Resorts likely has no legal responsibility to help Swierczyna but that it ought to if it can. No one can blame them for this unexpected turn of events that forced them to close down, but I would hope they would try to help her and not just leave her to fend for herself, given the extraordinary circumstances, he said. Its an obligation we all have to support people who work for us. Read more about: Lockdowns are being championed as a way to help contain the coronavirus, but experts warn that will not be easily achieved in developing countries where crowded cities and slums could see the virus spread "like fire." Questions over how the world's poorest will survive the coronavirus pandemic surged Wednesday, a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown of its population of 1.3 billion people. Around 50 million Indians are thought to be living in extreme poverty. "It's a disease that makes disparity seem more obvious than any other," Dr. Angela Chaudhuri, director of the nonprofit Swasti Health Catalyst, which works in slums and rural poor communities across India, said in a telephone interview. "We're saying wash your hands with soap and water or sanitizers and keep at a distance none of these are available in the slums," Chaudhuri said. A lockdown is essential to keeping the virus contained in richer communities and away from the poor because "if there is just one case, it's going to be a flash fire," Chaudhuri said, but the economic and social repercussions for the poor will be severe in a nation of stark wealth disparities. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak It is estimated that with the clampdown in India, around a third of the world's population is living under some form of lockdown. But around the world, for millions living in shantytowns with access to only the most basic sanitation, there is no way to self-isolate. "The need of the hour as countries like India, the Philippines and now parts of Africa enter a lockdown phase is to consider these kinds of scenarios and maybe build temporary quarantine facilities for those living in shantytowns," said Dr. Priya Balasubramaniam, a senior public health scientist for the Public Health Foundation of India. While isolation is integral to preventing COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, from spreading among cities and states, Balasubramaniam said, it's also buying the country time to come up with a plan of how its health care system can deal with the pandemic. Story continues South Africa, another country with a vast wealth disparity, is putting its 57 million people into lockdown starting Thursday evening as cases there have grown to 709 the highest of any nation in Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed police and the military to enforce the measure. Dr. Sue Goldstein, a public health specialist at the South African Medical Research Council at the University of Witwatersrand, says the situation is particularly urgent in economically deprived communities grappling with other health crises. "We have to try and stop it, because once it gets into those communities, they've got very high HIV rates ... high (tuberculosis) rates, and people are vulnerable," she said. However, she added, "we've got a youngish population, so that is our one saving grace at the moment." Image: Garbage picker in Johannesburg (Michele Spatari / AFP - Getty Images) The West African nation of Senegal which was among the countries hit by the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak also declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew this week after more than 80 cases of the coronavirus were confirmed. "The rapid evolution of COVID-19 in Africa is deeply worrisome," said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization's regional director for Africa. Download the NBC News app for full coverage and alerts about the coronavirus outbreak "We can still change the course of this pandemic," she added, but "governments must draw on all their resources and capabilities and strengthen their response." There is a silver lining, Balasubramaniam added. How these countries ultimately cope with the pandemic could be a lesson to the rest of the world. Already, many low-income countries experiment by using technology and community health workers to improve access to health care where there had been none. "There is a lot of capacity for innovation in these countries," she said. HERAT, Afghanistan -- Authorities in Afghanistan have locked down a western province bordering Iran as the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus infections in the country continues to rise despite fewer people being tested. Herat is the gateway to the sickness [caused by] the coronavirus, Abdul Qayoum Rahimi, the governor of western Herat Province, told Radio Free Afghanistan on March 25. In recent weeks, Herat has witnessed an influx of Afghans from Iran, where the coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 2,000 people. This is why we need to order a lockdown, Rahimi said. I request that people cooperate with our security and local government organizations by staying at home. With 54 cases, Herat has a majority of the 79 confirmed coronavirus cases across Afghanistan. Abdul Hakim Tamana, the provincial head of the Health Ministry, says a 45-year-old woman had succumbed to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. She was the second Afghan victim of the pandemic that has killed nearly 20,000 people globally. Afghan authorities said a man died of the disease in the northern province of Balkh over the weekend. We registered 23 positive cases yesterday [March 24] after our teams went to the countryside to identify infected people, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. The residents of Herat city, the provincial capital, have largely welcomed the move. I support this initiative so that I and my family can be protected from this virus, Mustafa, who goes by one name only, told Radio Free Afghanistan. Mansur, another resident, said the arrival of tens of thousands of Afghans from Iran has heightened their fear of contracting coronavirus. We are all worried for ourselves and our families, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. Muhammad Daud Adilyar, a wealthy Herat landlord, has already waived one months rent for some 700 shops he rents out in the Herat city. He says he will lose $25,000, and has called on wealthier Afghans to step up and help their compatriots. The department of hajj and religious affairs in Herat has also suspended holding group salat, or prayer five times a day in mosques. The authorities have also announced similar lockdowns in the provincial capitals of neighboring Farah and nearby Nimroz provinces, which also borders Iran. Residents of Farah, a town serving as the capital of same name, and Zaranj, the capital of Nirmoz, can now only go out for groceries and other necessary activities. The lockdowns come a day after Afghanistans health minister, Ferozudding Feroz, warned that the coronavirus infection could kill 110,000 Afghans during the next five months it could affect up to 80 percent of Afghanistans 32 million people. God willing, we can avoid such scenarios if we can establish cooperation and we all unite in fighting the coronavirus, he said. Abubakar Siddique wrote this story based on reporting by Shahpur Saber from Herat, Afghanistan. (Newser) Governors on Tuesday said they weren't buying into President Trump's desired timeline for getting Americans out of the house and working again. Trump had said earlier in the day he'd like the shutdown to end by Easter. He backed away slightly from that in a press briefing late Tuesday, the New York Times reports, saying Americans' health is his greatest concern. Dr. Anthony Fauci said in the briefing that hard-hit places would be exempt from an Easter reopening. The data could prompt "flexibility in different areas," Fauci said. Health experts have said varying approaches based on state lines or jurisdictions wouldn't be effective in stopping the spread of the coronavirus. story continues below Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, didn't quite get the point of the April 12 goal; he said most leaders are working on enforcing restrictions, not making plans to end them. He said the administration evidently is working on an "imaginary clock," per the AP. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said the president's "off-the-cuff statements are really going to undermine our ability to protect people." Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, said Trump was "not taking into account the true damage that this will do to our country if we see truly millions of people die." Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, "No American is going to say accelerate the economy at the cost of human life." South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, didn't see the sense of a change by Easter, either. "We have another eight weeks until we see our peak infection rate," she said. (Read more coronavirus stories.) As part of a proposed sweeping relief package to respond to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers would give the Pentagon $10.5 billion to keep National Guardsmen deployed, provide benefits for military families and retirees, and advance military vaccine research programs as cases continue spreading across the U.S. The emergency bill, known as "The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act," is expected to be approved Wednesday. The measure would give the Defense Department $1.5 billion to open expeditionary military hospitals as experts warn bed space will fall short of demand as COVID-19 cases get worse. Several governors have called for the Pentagon to dispatch the Army Corps of Engineers to get started on such projects. The move would triple the number of hospital beds from the 4,300 currently available in military treatment facilities, a summary text of the bill states. The relief measure would also provide $1.4 billion in funding to keep up to 20,000 guardsmen activated in their states -- under direction from their governors -- for the next six months. Related: Coronavirus Relief Bill Contains Nearly $20 Billion for Veterans The Defense Department in recent weeks has worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other agencies, to provide Air and Army National Guard personnel in multiple states to assist in coronavirus response efforts. As of Wednesday, roughly 10,700 Guard personnel were on duty in all 50 states and three territories. The plan also calls for $1 billion to fund the Defense Production Act, which allows the department to invest in manufacturing capabilities to produce in-demand medical and personal protective equipment for health care workers. Doctors and nurses on the front lines of the coronavirus fight have been pleading for more masks, gloves and other materials needed to treat patients with the highly contagious virus. The bill would also give $141 million to the Coast Guard to activate reservists to support information technology and remote-access needs, the summary states. Much of the government workforce and military are now working remotely to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. Many service members and their families are also likely to qualify for new recovery rebates that will be sent to individuals as part of the package. Individuals who earn less than $75,000 annually could be eligible for a $1,200 check from the government. Couples who file their taxes jointly and earn less than $150,000 combined would receive $2,400. Families with children could also qualify for another $500 per child, according to the bill. Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, said lawmakers' response to the coronavirus crisis will come in phases. "Today our response is providing direct assistance to the American people, injecting new resources where they are needed most, and moving our country a step closer to emerging from this crisis stronger than we were before," he said. In a measure likely added to the bill by the Democrats, there's a provision that prohibits any of the money being provided to the Defense Department in the coronavirus fight from being diverted to pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Billions were pulled from Defense Department projects earlier this year as the Trump administration continues its pledge to put barriers along the southwest border. The Senate bill also includes nearly $20 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure veterans' health care needs aren't interrupted by the pandemic. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. -- Oriana Pawlyk contributed to this story. Read more: Meet the Army Lieutenant Racing to Develop a Coronavirus Vaccine Sweetwater County healthcare agencies were notified Tuesday by a private medical laboratory that Sweetwater County has its first case of COVID-19. WDH has confirmed an adult male in his 40s, living in Green River, has tested positive for COVID-19. The patient continues to self-isolate at home. We would like for this to be our one and only case, but we are aware this likely will not be the situation, said Kristy Nielson, MHSC Chief Nursing Officer. We are taking precautions to minimize the spread; we ask the community to help us with this by following the advice we are providing. Dr. Jean Stachon, Sweetwater County Health Officer, and Kim Lionberger, Director of Sweetwater County Public Health, are both confident the residents of Sweetwater County will show their resilience and ability to rise to the task of containing the spread of COVID-19 in a manner that is caring and compassionate. Advice from Sweetwater County health care agencies: -- Do not go to a provider or the Emergency Room if you have a temperature of 100 or greater or a cough. -- Call your provider or call the MHSC COVID-19 Nurse Triage Line at 307-522-8523 to discuss COVID-19 symptoms. Do not call the ER directly. -- Practice social distancing. -- Stay home if you are sick. -- Dont touch your T-zone eyes, nose and mouth. -- Cough and sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue, NOT in your hands. More health and community updates can be found at sweetwatermemorial.com, sweetwater311.org, covid19.wyo.gov., and cdc.gov. Remember, be kind, be safe and stop the spread. A Lehigh Valley man has filed a class-action lawsuit against Wind Creek Bethlehem, alleging the casino paid him and other tipped employees below minimum wage. Jacob Bartakovits, of the 100 block of Ackerman Street in Hellertown, filed the complaint Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. His attorney, Derrek Cummings, is asking the case being handled as a class action. A message to a Wind Creek spokeswoman was not immediately returned. This suit is one of many filed by the McClelland Law Firm against casinos across the country for failing to pay their employees as required by state and federal law. Earlier this month, the Missouri-based McClelland Law Firm said it was investigating similar claims by potential clients that Wind Creek failed to pay tipped employees proper wages. Similar lawsuits have been filed against the MGM Springfield casino in Massachusetts and the Tropicanas Lumiere Place Casino and Hotels in St. Louis, Missouri. Over the past five years we have successfully represented over 10,000 hourly and tipped employees in the gaming industry, attorney George Hanson said in a prepared statement. We have been investigating this case for several months and look forward to moving it forward as quickly as possible to get unpaid wages back into the hands of employees. Bartakovits worked for the casino from August 2018 through October 2019 as a table games dealer, an hourly, non-exempt position, the suit says. Wind Creek, an affiliate of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, bought the Bethlehem casino during that time. The $1.4 billion deal purchasing the casino, outlet mall, event center and property from the Las Vegas Sands Corp. was finalized in June 2019. Bartakovits claims the casinos systemic violation of federal and state wage laws includes failing to inform employees of required tip credit provisions, and improper deductions from employees paychecks. The deductions, which including gaming license fees among others, reduced employees pay below the required minimum wage and, in some situations, overtime rate under state and federal law, the suit claims. Bartakovits is seeking the unpaid minimum and overtime wages owed to himself and other affected employees. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Amid the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Spanish soldiers found retirement homes in the country deserted with their elderly patients abandoned and some of them lying on their beds dead, as reported by Spain's Defence Ministry. Defense Minister Margarita Robles said that these elderly patients were left in the shelter to fend for themselves. The exact location of the home and the number of dead people were not yet revealed. Spanish prosecutors have already launched an investigation regarding the abandoned homes which were discovered by military personnel who were brought in to help disinfect the said care homes. This report comes a week after elders die or get infected with coronavirus in Madrid facilities. Paula Palmera, one of the elder's daughter told Los Angeles Times that "they are letting them die." This sparks investigation of all facilities in the area to make sure that old people in shelters are in good condition. Spain received second hardest hit of COVID-19 in Europe Spain is one of the countries to be on the receiving end of the outbreak's hardest hit in Europe, second to Italy. On Tuesday, the country's health ministry has announced that the country's death toll has risen by 514 in only 24 hours, setting a daily record for the country. Based on the latest data, there are already 2,696 fatalities due to coronavirus in the country out of their 39,637 confirmed cases. Read also: HOAX: Putin Unleash Lions to Force Russians to Stay Home Amid COVID-19 Crisis Margarita Robles, Spain's Defence Minister said that the government is going to impose stricter and more flexible ways of dealing with the way older people are treated in retirement homes, especially after the incident. She noted that on certain visits, the army was able to find disturbing scenes where the elderly are completely abandoned and some have even died in their beds. Also adding that the staff of said nursing homes left the elderly to themselves amid the coronavirus crisis. In a news conference, Salvador Illa, Spain's Health Minister said that they will exercise the most intensive monitoring of the COVID-19 cases in retirement homes since they house older people who are in the highest-risk of contracting the disease. How bodies of COVID-19 victims are handled According to health officials, under normal situations, the bodies of deceased residents of the said homes are put in cold storage and waits for funeral services to collect the remains. However, due to the rise of coronavirus cases, those whose deaths are suspected to be linked to the pandemic were left in their beds until properly equipped funeral staff came to collect the bodies. This process could take up to 24 hours, especially in Spain's capital Madrid that has the largest number of cases and deaths. As the COVID-19 crisis worsens in Madrid, the city's municipal funeral home already announced that due to the scarcity of personal protective equipment they would stop the collection of COVID-19 victims' bodies on Tuesday. Spain declares war against COVID-19 As the country's death toll and confirmed cases continue to spike, the country's government has sought to extend its state of emergency until April 11 in efforts to control the widespread of the disease. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has stated on a news briefing that the country is currently at war against the virus as he called on Europe to launch a coordinated investment program similar to the post World War II Marshall plans. The country's state of emergency was initially decreed on March 14 and was only intended to last for 15 days and has banned people from going out aside from essential outings. Related article: Coronavirus Lockdowns, Quarantines: What Countries are Taking These COVID-19 Mitigating Measures? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Delhi Police has launched a 24-hour helpline number for city residents to address their queries on the lockdown, officials said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days from Tuesday midnight, asserting that this is necessary for a decisive battle against COVID-19. The helpline number 011-23469526 was set up as a number of queries are being received from the public with regard to circulars, instructions and prohibitory orders issued by the police, the officials said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Licensing) Asif Mohd. Ali is supervising the helpline centre and is supported by sufficient staff from his unit who have been attending the number for the general public round-the-clock, according to police. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Armed men stormed a Gurdwara in Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul on Wednesday and were locked in an ongoing battle with the security forces, Afghan media reported. The attack began at about 7:45 am (local time) in Shor Bazar area of Kabul and is still on, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesperson Tariq Arian confirmed, reported The Khaama Press. Tolo News quoted eyewitness who claimed to have heard an explosion. Further details are awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Communist guerrillas in the Philippines said on Wednesday they would observe a ceasefire in compliance with the UN chief's call for a global halt in armed clashes during the coronavirus pandemic. New People's Army guerrillas have been ordered to stop assaults and shift to a defensive position from Thursday to April 15, the Communist Party of the Philippines said in a statement. The rebels said the ceasefire is a "direct response to the call of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a global ceasefire between warring parties for the common purpose of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic." Guterres issued the call on Monday, saying, "It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives." The communist insurgency has raged mostly in the Philippine countryside for more than half a century in one of Asia's longest-running rebellions. The military estimates about 3,500 armed guerrillas remain after battle setbacks, infighting and surrenders reduced their forces in decades of fighting although the rebels claim they have more armed combatants. The rebels said their ceasefire is unrelated to a similar move by the military and police but said it can foster the possible holding of preliminary talks to resume long-stalled peace negotiations. President Rodrigo Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with communist guerrillas last week to focus on fighting the coronavirus outbreak that prompted him to place the northern third of the country under a strict quarantine. The rebels are active in the northern region, home to more than 50 million people. Duterte launched peace talks with the rebels when he took office in mid-2016. But the negotiations, brokered by the Netherlands, eventually bogged down with both sides accusing the other of continuing to carry out attacks. Although he has often lashed out at the rebels, Duterte has repeatedly signalled he is open to resuming negotiations with them. In December, he sent an envoy to meet communist rebel leaders on self-exile in Europe to discuss the prospects of resuming peace talks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FILE PHOTO: Airplane fuselages bound for Boeing's 737 Max production facility sit in storage at their top supplier, Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc, in Wichita (Reuters) - Spirit Aerosystems , Boeing Co's largest supplier, is temporarily suspending production for the airplane maker at many of its facilities in the United States for two weeks, as the global coronavirus pandemic saps demand across the industry. The company said on Tuesday it would suspend production beginning March 25 until April 8, including at its main Wichita, Kansas facility, a day after Boeing halted production at its Washington state twin-aisle jetliner factory. The highly contagious coronavirus outbreak has spread to almost all countries of the world, prompting large-scale lockdowns that have crimped travel demand. Boeing's airline customers have deferred taking new aircraft and making pre-delivery downpayments, compounding its troubles related to the grounding of its once fast-selling 737 MAX jet after fatal crashes. Boeing halted 737 production in January. Spirit said it would continue to pay employees who are sent home during the two-week period due to the suspension of Boeing work. It will also continue to support 787 work for Boeing's Charleston, South Carolina, facility. Smaller rival Triumph Group Inc said following Boeing's plan to close its Washington State factories for 14 days, the company plans to lay off 250 salaried employees and 250 contractors, while Chief Executive Officer Daniel Crowley and his reports will forgo 10% of their base pays starting April 1. (This story corrects last paragraph to say "following Boeing plan" to close Washington State factories and not "Triumph") (Reporting by Rachit Vats in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Arun Koyyur) OTTAWAMany Canadians are seeing their incomes shrink amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a new polls suggests, as businesses shut down, people are told to stay home and EI claims skyrocket. The national survey from the Angus Reid Institute found 44 per cent of respondents said someone in their household has lost work because of the pandemic. Another 18 per cent said they expect to lose work. With hours dwindling, 66 per cent said their employers arent covering the cost of their lost work. And 61 per cent said their investments have fallen during the pandemic. The online survey included 1,664 random members of the Angus Reid Forum, a pool of Canadian adults who answer polls. A comparable survey of this size would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Its almost as if Canadians are going into a crash position, as if they were on an airplane, said Shachi Kurl, executive director of the Angus Reid Institute. She pointed to results in the survey that showed 53 per cent of respondents worry about affording groceries and 34 per cent who said they are concerned about making their next rent or mortgage payments. These are the things that really have Canadians up at night, staring at the ceiling, wondering what is around the corner for them, Kurl said. Since emerging in China three months ago, the new coronavirus called COVID-19 has infected almost 400,000 people around the world, including more than 2,000 in Canada. To slow the spread of the virus, governments across the country have ordered non-essential businesses to close and urged everyone to stay at home as much as possible. These measures have had a massive economic impact, with private sector forecasts predicting double-digit drops in national output as automakers shut down, major airlines freeze flights and hundreds of thousands of people try to get employment insurance (EI) after losing their jobs. Over last week alone, from March 16 to 22, the federal government received 929,000 EI claims, a source confirmed to the Star on condition they remain anonymous. Thats nearly 20 times higher than the 45,000 to 50,000 claims the government receives in a normal week, the source said. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) the department that handles these claims is refusing to officially report this number, first reported by Radio-Canada, for reasons that are unclear. The government source said ESDC is shifting hundreds of public service workers to address the surge, including staff not currently needed to process visa applications with Passport Canada and investigators who will not be probing EI claims during the crisis. A report published last week by RBC Economics found Google searches for terms associated with EI skyrocketed this month, and warned that the service sector which employs almost 80 per cent of workers in the economy are particularly at risk as provinces like Ontario and Quebec order non-essential businesses to shut down. Government demands for social distancing to avoid gatherings and stay two metres away from others could also reduce demand in the service sector of previously unseen magnitude, the report says. The flood of EI claims comes as the government prepares to set up new support payments to even more Canadians as part of a $27 billion aid package announced last week to help individuals and businesses get through the COVID-19 crisis. This includes a new emergency care benefit worth up to $900 every two weeks for workers including the self-employed who are quarantined or need to miss work to care for children or someone who is sick. The government also pledged to create an emergency support benefit to provide money for people who lose their jobs but dont qualify for EI. Outside his residence at Rideau Cottage, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that more aid is in the works, and that the federal government is working to get cash out to people and businesses that need it as soon as possible. We recognize that the demand is massive across the country and we are working very, very hard to be able to flow money to people very rapidly, he said. I brought some masks off in October to protect my face for the winter because I live in Chicago and I appreciate my mind so much more Reply Thread Link I recently bought this cover that I can slip on any of my medical masks. I've worn masks off and on for the past 10 years for health reasons. When I was wearing them daily, I drew smiley faces on them and it significantly lowered the amount of dirty looks.I recently bought this cover that I can slip on any of my medical masks. Reply Thread Link I wore a smiley face mask during my first real outing and this woman who worked at a store told me that I had a lovely smile. It really made my day. Then I went back a few months later when I didn't need to wear a mask and she remembered me! I also told my dialysis unit about the smiley faces and they said they started telling patients about the idea afterwards. Reply Parent Thread Link I love this Reply Parent Thread Link That's pretty Reply Parent Thread Link This is so pretty People are so rude. My friend felt self conscious about wearing one after getting a transplant bc people kept staring :( Reply Parent Thread Link People in my community have been sewing masks and giving them to immunocompromised people and donating them to hospitals. It makes me happy that there are still some good people. Reply Thread Link Yesterday, I donated the ones I bought a few weeks ago. I still have one package but I had opened it so I couldnt donate it. (I bought them so I could safely walk my dog.) If only we had someone who could tell manufacturers to end non-essential productions and produce masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer. Where could we find someone like that? Where indeed... Reply Thread Link that photo makes me feel like we're in the hunger games Reply Thread Link We're five years away lbr Reply Parent Thread Link i have been reading up a lot about sewing cloth masks these past days (sounds like they are pretty useless besides stopping you from touching your face) Reply Thread Link I just wrote this in the other post but I know that masks don't do anything but I feel like there is a sense of safety there which along with hand washing/sanitiser would make me feel safer. Taiwan lowered the price of masks as it produced a boost for people when they went to work etc which along with hand washing and social distancing would make it easier. Reply Thread Link More countries def need to take action to stop the price gouging on masks, Taiwan did good there. Reply Parent Thread Link The price gouging on masks has gotten out of hand. 3 dollars a mask is insanity Reply Parent Thread Link I wonder if people who choose to wear the niqab are getting less grief these days. I sure hope so. Reply Thread Link At least some companies are stepping up and trying help with the items there are shortages of. Wish this was done on a wider scale though. Reply Thread Link Every company that makes clothing could easily be converted to making masks. Will it be as effective as an N95 and protect against 95% of particles? No but at this point anything is better than nothing. With that said, stop stockpiling. Youre literally making it harder for healthcare workers to do their job functionally, ethically, and with proper products and care. Reply Thread Link Soon, all the IG fashion people will have masks that say SUPREME on it and theyd be doing their best hard styling pose in an outfit they just whipped up Reply Parent Thread Link At this point I would prefer them being obnoxious if it meant their clout and influence had any sort of impact on society, young or old. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Also, this was in the Bitlife game I'm playing. https://ontd.pictures/image/bROlq https://ontd.pictures/image/bRuH4 I wore masks on and off before this. I don't care. I'm not trying to go to the hospital.Also, this was in the Bitlife game I'm playing. Reply Thread Link omg I am addicted to that stupid fucking game Reply Parent Thread Link Ok my student sent an email about it and we were all wondering if she got hacked. So it's not a scam whew. Literally strange timing because we are currently discussing in a group game. Could you briefly explain it? Reply Parent Thread Link Wiki says: BitLife: Life Simulator or simply called BitLife is a text-based video game released in 2018 by CandyWriter LLC. The objective of the game is to live a digital life without struggles and difficulties, depicted with cartoons and humorous scenarios. It's a word game where you get to live a life (have parents, go to school, get a job, date, be a criminal, go to jail...) based on the choices you make. It's a fun time passer. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link ariana & billie had them as merch options for years now Reply Thread Link i wish wearing masks was more common in the west, though now with the health crisis maybe it will be. i got sick at the end of a trip to japan a few years ago and wore masks there and on my way back home. but when i landed back in north america i felt too awkward to keep wearing one since no one else around me was and i took it off for my connecting flight. the best was when i was flying out of naha to tokyo and there was someone in the opposite row with a face mask and one of those self-heating eye masks who just chilled tf out during the flight with his face all covered up lol. i do find it hard to wear face masks with glasses because my breath fogs them up :( Reply Thread Link Self heating eye mask? I wanna be them I have the same issue with the fogging but if I adjust/pinch it the right way I dont have the issue Reply Parent Thread Link Keeping a mask on in the plane and wiping down all surfaces (armrests, tray table, screens etc) has cut my 'cold picked up on the flight' incidences majorly. Reply Parent Thread Link Seconding what the commenter before me said about adjusting/pinching to fix the glasses fogging up problem. That always works for me. Reply Parent Thread Link Wearing a mask with glasses is super tough. lol. I feel ya. I always feel self-conscious wearing masks on planes Reply Parent Thread Link Self heating eye mask?? That sounds like heaven Reply Parent Thread Link Anyway, I want one with gudetamas mouth so this is close but meh I wear masks mostly when I travel but Id wear them more often if I can find a cute gudetama cover. My friend has a badtz maru one thats his beak that I convinced her to get when I was visiting her in Japan. I dont get many looks but once this kid on a plane asked her mom why I was wearing a mask (in decmeber) and her mom explained why. It was too small and I didnt realize it was child sized lmaooo I was legit thinking I gained weight until I read the label. damn daisos Disney section!!Anyway, I want one with gudetamas mouth so this is close but meh Reply Thread Link aww that gudetama one is cute! Reply Parent Thread Link ooh which phone case? I love him! My partner buys me gudetama plushies and makes sure they have a booty lol Reply Parent Thread Link The number of novel coronavirus cases in the country rose to 606 on Wednesday with 10 deaths being recorded across the country, a health ministry official said. The number of active cases is 553. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also chaired a GoM meeting to assess the situation in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. While assuring that the government is making efforts to ensure personal protective equipment (PPE) and N-95 masks are available in adequate numbers to help the medical fraternity in their job, health ministry officials said 29 private laboratories with over 16,000 sample collection centres have been registered so far for testing of COVID-19. "PPEs and masks have some imported components. There are disruptions with respect to import of certain items. The government is trying to address the issue," the official said. According to officials, the ministry of home affairs is monitoring the lockdown through a control room. The health ministry in its updated figures on Wednesday morning, stated the second death reported in Delhi was COVID-19 negative, thus bringing down the death toll to nine in India. When quizzed about this, the official said, "Second reconfirmatory test of Delhi patient who died on Tuesday, came negative and so we reduced the death toll. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NHS doctors will die unless they are given adequate personal protection to fight the coronavirus crisis, the British Medical Association today warned. The doctors union slammed the Government for expecting frontline workers to push on through the pandemic despite not having enough masks, aprons or goggles. Without personal protection, called PPE, the infection will spread and the epidemic will worsen. If doctors become sick, it will cause staff shortages at a time when the NHS is needed more than ever. It comes amid an ongoing row about failings to provide PPE quickly enough since cases began creeping up in mid-February. Medics across the nation are being forced to wear the 'same scrubs for the entire day' or have resorted to using cooking aprons and bin liners wrapped around their bodies instead. Staff have told how they are 'terrified' of the consequences, including spreading the deadly virus to family members at home. While the British population isolates themselves indoors to avoid catching COVID-19, NHS workers are walking into a 'warzone' as thousands of infected patients flood hospitals. NHS doctors will die unless they are given adequate personal protection to fight the coronavirus crisis, the British Medical Association today warned Without personal protection, called PPE, the infection will spread and the epidemic will worsen. If doctors become sick, it will cause staff shortages at a time when the NHS is needed more than ever, it has been warned. Pictured, doctors in Italy The stark warning from the BMA follows growing evidence that thousands of GPs and hospital staff are still not being provided with the kit they need to properly protect themselves and their patients. The BMA has asked its members for their accounts of how or if gowns, masks, aprons and goggles they are getting through to front line staff. Reponses show that in the main, they simply are not receiving enough PPE. If they are, it's in very small amounts and is rationed. One doctor said: 'Coughed on by Covid patients all day today. No visors available. tomorrow I'm borrowing my nine-year-old's safety specs she got in a science party bag. I wish this was actually a joke.' Another said: 'Given that asymptomatic people can spread the virus, within weeks 100 per cent of patients and staff will be infected, and it will be just pot luck who survives.' The BMA's Chair of Council, Dr Chaand Nagpaul said international data shows healthcare workers are significantly at risk of catching of COVID-19, and are dying. He said: 'A construction worker wouldn't be allowed to work without a hard hat and proper boots. Even a bee-keeper wouldn't inspect a hive without proper protective clothing. 'And yet this Government expects NHS staff to put themselves at risk of serious illness, or even death, by treating highly infectious COVID-19 patients without wearing proper protection. This is totally unacceptable. 'We are told that lorries are shipping hundreds of boxes of supplies of PPE to GPs and to hospitals but that isn't the reality for thousands of our members. 'The type of PPE being supplied in not in keeping with WHO recommendations.' NHS staff have been issued guidance about what types of protective equipment to wear and when - those treating coronavirus patients on a general ward must wear gloves, a mask and an apron at all times HOW WILL RETIRED NHS STAFF BE PROTECTED? Up to 65,000 ex-doctors and nurses are being told your NHS needs you to fight the biggest health crisis in more than a century. Anyone who quit or retired in the past three years is being urged by ministers to return to help tackle coronavirus. But at the same time those already on the frontlines say they can't get their hands on the proper masks and protective equipment to stop them catching the disease. People fear the retired coming back to work could be risky because older people are known to be most likely to die if they catch the coronavirus, and depriving them of the right equipment could be a recipe for disaster. One said on Twitter: 'You are expecting retired doctors and nurses to [be] kamikaze pilots, they are in the most at risk group.' Another added: 'What could possibly go wrong?' Emails, which will go out this morning, echo Lord Kitcheners Your Country Needs You recruitment poster from the First World War. Staff will be allowed to re-register immediately with either the General Medical Council, the doctors professional watchdog, or the Nursing and Midwifery Council, its equivalent for nurses. NHS officials have not put a figure on the number of former doctors and nurses they expect to bring back but last week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hoped to get our hands on as many as possible. All returning staff will be paid fully according to the amount of time they can work and will be given brief training and induction. The NHS is also allowing some of the most experienced trainee doctors and nurses to join the front line. Those in the final year of their degrees will be allowed to take up paid roles without having to pass their final set of exams. Advertisement Last week the BMA told of doctors having to go to DIY stores or even building sites in desperation for some form of protective gear. Dr Nagpaul said: 'GPs in many parts of England have been told to go and buy their own stocks, only to find none is available. In Cumbria, GP practice staff went to Wickes to try and secure masks.' The sheer scale of the problem has been brought to the surface after doctors wrote to the BMA in their dozens. One hospital doctor said: 'We are being asked to risk our lives and our loved ones' lives, in flimsy paper masks and plastic aprons. I don't know if I can do it. 'I just don't know if I can. I don't think it is fair to expect this of us. I am terrified. How can this risk to practitioners, other patients, practitioners' families be justified?' 'My husband is not a medic and I cry every day thinking I am going to infect him.' The BMA pleaded with the Government to declare where the PPE they have promised for so long is. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England said today PPE was 'right at the top of her work list'. Jenny Harries said: 'I do know there were a few distribution problems at the start because we have never had to deal with this sort of demand in our health service before. 'We have drafted in the Army to help distribute and I know that all hospitals have had new stocks going into them this week, including through the night to make sure they reach the front line.' Dr Nagpaul said: 'Its time for the government to be transparent about the level of supplies we really have, and how they can provide healthcare staff with the level of protection they need. 'We know hundreds, if not thousands of doctors and frontline staff are risking their health and lives every hour of every day caring for Covid-19 patients and they should not have to do so without the right protection.' An NHS worker identified only as Lorraine said doctors were walking into a 'war zone' due to the lack of PPE as the 'tsunami' of the illness hits. She said her manager had sent staff a message the day before asking them to share masks which would be ridden with other people's germs. Speaking on Good Morning Britain today Lorraine added: 'We are going into a war zone' A paramedic is seen above without any protective equipment, while doctors and nurses are seen behind him with the facemask and scrubs Speaking on Good Morning Britain today, Lorraine, said: 'We are going into a war zone. This is definitely something I hope we will never have to experience... ever again. But if we do I would hope that we are more prepared. NHS NURSE IN A CRITICAL CONDITION WITH COVID-19 A 'fit and healthy' nurse, 36, on the frontline of the battle against coronavirus is in a critical condition after being diagnosed with the illness, her devastated family revealed on March 22. Areema Nasreen, a mother-of-three, tested positive for the virus after developing a soaring temperature, body aches and a cough. The nurse, who has no underlying health conditions, and has worked for the NHS for 16 years, was taken to Walsall Manor Hospital in the West Midlands after her condition worsened. She is now on a ventilator in intensive care - being cared for by the medics she usually works alongside. Areema's sister is now urging people to take the illness seriously - saying it is 'not just the elderly at risk'. Kazeema said: 'My sister who is an amazing nurse on the front line and who always helps so many has now caught this virus. She is critically ill in ICU, on a ventilator and fighting for her life. 'Her temperature would not go down and her cough was so bad it affected her lungs. 'Eventually she got taken to hospital and they tested her two days ago. It came back positive and now she is in the Intensive Care Unit at the Manor Hospital. 'Areema loves the NHS. Her colleagues are like a second family and they have been truly amazing with her - and us. They are keeping us all strong and doing everything they can for her.' Advertisement 'We are frightened, of course we're frightened, but we're still walking through those doors. 'Because this is why we came into this job, as nurses and as doctors and as healthcare workers, porters, cleaning staff, staff to make sure we are fed and watered.' NHS medics working across the UK fighting the coronavirus pandemic could be forced to 'quit the profession' they love due to the risks. Dr Rinesh Parmar, chair of the Doctor's Association UK told the Guardian that if doctors feel there is no longer adequate PPE equipment, then they will have 'no choice' but to 'give up the profession they love'. It comes after the government announced it would be opening a new hospital at the ExCel centre in London to help deal with the outbreak. The government also announced it would be looking for over 250,000 new volunteers to help with the outbreak. The recruitment drive has since been undermined by doctors and nurses already working, as they claim they are still being expected to take 'unacceptable risks'. But the news added unease around how the government will supply volunteers and the new London hospital with PPE. Speaking on BBC Radio 4 today Dr Lisa Anderson said as well as doing her usual job as a cardiology professional, she is also helping out on the coronavirus wards. 'Patients I saw yesterday are coughing they are covered in sweat and I am wearing the same blues throughout the day, there's a real shortage of blues and you need to wear the same ones for the entire day. 'I have got patients sweat on there, there is nothing I can do, I then go and see my other patients. Dr Rinesh Parmar (pictured above) said people could walk out of the profession they love if a shortage of equipment continues A member of the ambulance service wearing personal protective equipment is seen leading a patient (unseen) into an ambulance at St Thomas' Hospital in London on March 24, 2020 'We are just desperately discharging our patients, to get them out of the hospital the covid negative ones, and I'm discharging them not just to their own homes but to nursing homes, rehab centres and prisons, the ramifications for this are huge.' Dr Parmar added that health professionals are not being given the PPE recommended by the WHO. 'The WHO recommendations for most Covid patients are a full gown, visa mask and gloves, we are sent in equipped with short gloves, a little plastic apron and a surgical face mask, it's completely inadequate. 'We were told by our virologist yesterday that on our Covid wards due to the turnover of the air that the virus is in the air all the time that we should try and wear some kind of visas. We have no visas, it is not government guidance for us to have visas.' Dr Anderson said the government is 'going out on a limb and putting health workers at risk'. 'We know that in Italy when they didn't have enough PPE that 10 per cent of the entire work force are infected. That is a risk that is far too great to take, this is not a trivial disease.' 'But the government hasn't kept its side of the bargain with the NHS staff by not having enough PPE available to safeguard the health of doctors and nurses'. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We are working around the clock to give the social care sector and wider-NHS the equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak. 'We have delivered millions more items of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline staff at care homes, home care providers and hospices as well as to hospitals, ambulance trusts, GP practices and pharmacists. 'The full weight of the Government is behind this effort and we are working closely with industry, social care providers, the NHS, and the army to ensure the right equipment continues to be delivered.' New Delhi: The government is looking for volunteer doctors to fight the COVID-19 outbreak which has infected over 600 people in the country and has taken more than 19,000 lives across the globe. In a statement posted on Niti Aayog's website on Wednesday, the government appealed to retired government, Armed Forces Medical Services, public sector undertaking or a private doctor to come forward and join the efforts of the government to fight the deadly virus. Those who wish to contribute to this and be a part of this nobel mission to serve the country may register themselves on a link provided on the official website of the Niti Aayog. The Government of India requests for volunteer doctors who are fit and willing to be available for providing their services in the public health facilities and the training hospitals in the near future. We appeal to such doctors to come forward at this hour of need. You could also be a retired government, Armed Forces Medical Services, public sector undertaking or a private doctor, the statement said. It noted that in case the outbreak leads to a high number of infected individuals, India's public health facilities will face tremendous load to take care of the large number of patients. "This overwhelming burden may not be met by the available doctors in the public health system. The Central and state governments are augmenting and expediting increase in healthcare services in every part of the country. In addition, COVID-19 'train hospitals' are being created in this regard," it added. The country is facing an unprecedented public health emergency with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting several parts of the nation. The Central and state governments have made exceptional efforts to combat the crisis along with the involvement of all citizens. Coronavirus cases in the country crossed 600 on Wednesday as authorities beefed up preparedness to fight the pandemic with a chain of hospitals of the Army ordnance factories and central paramilitary forces earmarking over 2,000 beds for isolation and treatment of people affected by COVID-19. In addition, the Hamirpur district administration in Himachal Pradesh took over all the ten hostels with 2,000 rooms of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) for creating an isolation centre. A 2,200-bed state-run hospital in Kolkata has stopped admitting new patients who are suffering from other diseases and was discharging patients whose condition had improved as part of efforts to create a dedicated isolation centre. While Gov. Ned Lamont has pushed back the day schools can return to April 20, hes indicated that the closures could extend far longer through the semester. Students could miss what could be months of education, he said Monday, with that date the earliest that schools could reopen. At his daily briefing Monday, he urged schools to do everything you can to make sure this is not a lost semester. In an interview on WCBS 880 Tuesday morning, Lamont said schools will likely remain closed for the rest of the school year, calling April 20 the minimum. The Governor is looking at this public health crisis as potentially lasting a longer period of time than initially thought, which he has said publicly before and is consistent with federal CDC suggestions of class cancellations for up to 6-8 weeks, spokesman Max Reiss said. The goal is to have frank discussions with superintendents and the education community as this situation unfolds. In recent guidance on school closures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said data indicate that closures of two to four weeks likely do not affect the spread of COVID-19, but that there may be some impact of much longer closures of eight to 20 weeks. Handwashing and home isolation have more impact, the CDC said, and countries that have closed school havent had more success reducing spread than places that have. While we have data that can contribute to decisions about when to dismiss schools, there is almost no available data on the right time to re-start schools, the CDC said. We would advise to plan for a length of time and then evaluate based on continued community spread. Connecticut has already waived the requirement that schools must be in session for 180 days and on Monday, the Partnership for Connecticut pledged to provide up to 60,000 laptops to students to support distance learning while schools remain closed. The Government's small business coronavirus rescue loans were launched yesterday, but some entrepreneurs say they are confused as to whether they can get help. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme was announced in the Budget and beefed up last week by Chancellor Rishi Sunak to sums of up to 5million, and is available through the British Business Banks accredited lenders. But there are concerns that a provision that means lenders must assess whether businesses are viable means that banks will turn down loss-making firms, hitting start-ups more focussed on scaling up than profits. Some entrepreneurs took to Twitter to complain that this made the rescue scheme too subjective, while the Federation of Small Businesses said banks seemed 'overwhelmed' and needed to realise the urgency for some firms. Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled the business interruption loans scheme in his first Budget earlier this month and beefed it up last week James Morris, of Trafalgar and JF Marquees, tweeted: 'The word viable is too open to interpretation by individuals administering these scheme'. Meanwhile Simon Menashy, a partner at venture capital firm MMC Ventures, tweeted: 'Being told very clearly by banks that #CBILS will *not* be available for *any* loss-making companies, based on Gov criteria. We urgently need this changed or challenged.' One user, Jasper Smith of venture capital firm Vala, went a step further and has launched a Twitter campaign calling for further support for startup businesses not covered by the proposed scheme. He said: 'Running any a business is a challenge, running a startup is like climbing a cliff without a rope. Startups are now in free fall and we must ensure that private investors are motivated to support them. 'Government should increase tax relief for small company investors, to unleash public support for our most innovative companies. We need action now. The future success of early-stage businesses is crucial for the UK economy and private investor support is the lifeline for many.' The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is designed to help smaller companies hit by the Covid-19 outbreak, which has led to businesses being ordered to shut, people told to stay home, and left thousands sick and unable to work. The Federation of Small Businesses' national chairman Mike Cherry said with the scheme only being live for less than 48 hours, a few more days will be needed to assess how well it is bedding in. He said: 'No-one could question the ambition of the Treasurys new interruption loan scheme the underwriting of commercial lending on this scale has never been seen before. 'Feedback from members last week indicated that at least a few banks are overwhelmed, and struggling to get across the fine print of this fresh scheme, meaning customer service is suffering. We need a better response from banks in the coming days' - Mike Cherry, FSB 'We need a better response from banks in the coming days those making decisions on loans should recognise that, at this incredibly challenging juncture, they could well be deciding whether or not businesses survive or fold. 'Banks must publish comprehensive data on take-up of this scheme so small firms know which lenders are fully up and running with it, and which are not.' He added, while its great that 40 providers are listed as taking part in the scheme, a lot of smaller banks including many with small business expertise are not currently in scope and so those heading up the initiative will have to keep this list under review. Additionally, while many businesses have welcomed the Chancellor's attempts to help them, some have questioned whether it will get money to those in need fast enough. Katrin Herrling, of funding platform Funding Xchange, said: 'We hear from our customers that the smallest businesses, those needing 15,000 to pay their staff at the end of the month, are currently experiencing the biggest challenges.' 'Our data certainly shows a surge in demand for these type of micro-loans with almost two-thirds of customers introduced to us through the bank referral process seeking a micro-loan.' The business interruption loans can be up to 5million and are available to businesses based in the UK with a turnover of 45million or less, who are experiencing virus-related cash flow issues. Keith Morgan, chief executive of the British Business Bank, said: 'Available from today, we hope this new scheme will enable lenders to provide the finance smaller UK businesses need, alongside other government measures, to help them survive the current economic disruption.' There is no fee for small businesses and the government will pay interest and fees for up to 12 months. Loans of up to 250,000 can be made available unsecured. Herrling of Funding Xchange said some banks are not up for the mammoth task ahead The terms will be up to six years for term loans and asset finance facilities. For overdrafts and invoice finance facilities, terms will be up to three years. However, some small business owners fighting for survival are still unsure how the business interruption loans will work, or if they are even eligible for support. The borrower must have a proposal that without the Covid-19 pandemic would be considered viable by the lender. The bank must also believe the finance will enable the business to trade out of any short-to-medium term difficulty. This has caused confusion among some small business owners as it suggests support will not be provided for any loss-making companies Meanwhile, where the loans are made by accredited lenders, they will be 80 per cent guaranteed by the government, however, the borrower is still liable to repay 100 per cent of the debt. Enterprise Nation, which represents over one million small firms and self-employed individuals, said it welcomes the measures that have been taken to date, which are 'significant and reflect the enormity of challenges faced by small business'. However, it has raised concerns around how funds can reach small businesses in time, and support for the self-employed and freelancers who, to date, have not been covered in announcements and schemes. Others have said while the BBB has the money to give to banks to distribute, they are not yet up to the mammoth task ahead due to a lack of investment in digital capabilities. Katrin Herrling, said: 'Many banks have not invested in the digital customer journeys that consumers are using to self-serve. In this crisis, as bank staff is dislocated, this means that "contacting your bank" has become a real challenge especially for small businesses served by call centres. She added that she believes this is the 'tip of the iceberg' and that many more small businesses will be left in limbo. She said: 'To help these businesses now to access the finance they need, we need a simple digital access point to the governments support scheme that allows businesses to see instantly what they are eligible for, apply digitally and receive funding in minutes.' Bailout package: The six measures Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Government covers 80 per cent of wages up to 2,500 a month Coronavirus Business Interruption LoanScheme Government guarantees 80 per cent of loans up to 5million for SMEs Covid Corporate Finance Facility Bank of England provides unlimited loans to large businesses by buying corporate bonds Business rates holiday No business rates paid by hospitality and retail firms until April 2021 Grants to small business Council grants up to 25,000 for small firms who do not benefit from business rates holiday VAT bills postponed 30billion of VAT payments from businesses delayed for three months Local councils will also hand out grants of 10,000 to 25,000 to the smallest business who do not benefit from the Government's one-year business rates holiday. But councils, who will hand out the money, have not been provided with details of the scheme. The Treasury said: 'We know businesses and their employees need help now which is why weve announced an unprecedented package of support and are working to deliver it at unprecedented speed. 'We will do whatever it takes to protect jobs and keep businesses operating, with work taking place around the clock on additional plans to ensure all firms can access the credit they need.' Even in such grave times, people cannot stop cracking jokes. It's okay to do that but no at anyone else's expense, right? Especially when it comes to celebrities. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced 21-day lockdown yesterday, a lot of celebrities including Rishi Kapoor hailed the decision. "One for all, all for one. Let us do what we have to do. We have no option. We will all keep one another busy and entertained for the coming time. No worries. No panic. Sala isko bhi dekh lenge. PM ji dont worry we are with you! Jai Hind," he wrote on Twitter. One for all, all for one. Let us do what we have to do. We have no option. We will all keep one another busy and entertained for the coming time. No worries. No panic. Sala isko bhi dekh lenge. PM ji dont worry we are with you! Jai Hind. Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) March 24, 2020 As soon as he wrote this, a lot of people started mocking him. Some of them even asked whether he has stocked alcohol for 21 days. "Daaru Ka Kota Full Hai Na Chinto Chacha," wrote on user. Daaru Ka Kota Full Hai Na Chinto Chacha bi (@mumbaichamulgaa) March 24, 2020 "Sir whisky ka stock Kar liya?," wrote another one. Sir whisky ka stock Kar liya ? Pk (@Pnkj_Tiwary) March 24, 2020 Rishi Kapoor lost his calm as he replied to some of them, and later posted a warning for everyone in capital letters. "ANYONE CRACKING JOKES ABOUT MY COUNTRY OR ON MY LIFESTYLE, WILL BE DELETED. BE AWARE AND WARNED. THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER. HELP US TO TIDE OVER THE SITUATION," he wrote. ANYONE CRACKING JOKES ABOUT MY COUNTRY OR ON MY LIFESTYLE, WILL BE DELETED. BE AWARE AND WARNED. THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER. HELP US TO TIDE OVER THE SITUATION. Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) March 24, 2020 In the morning, he had sent across a happy vibe to his fans. He wrote about the day when the treat would be over and said that the world will be a happy place again. Good morning all. I totally believe in this. This shall happen by Gods grace! pic.twitter.com/EuSzY0kiSV Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) March 25, 2020 Rishi Kapoor came back to India on September 2019 after his cancer treatment in USA. He was there taking treatment for about 11 months. Two nuns are among 23 people reported to have died in a new coronavirus tragedy at an old peoples home in Madrid. The residential home has been named as the Santisima Virgen y San Celedonio home in the Spanish capital's Chamartin district. The nuns were living at the home, run by a not-for-profit foundation and home normally to 150 OAPs. A view of the Santisima Virgen y San Celedonio home in Madrid, which has now seen 23 deaths, including two nuns A man walks past the gates outside the Santisima Virgen y San Celedonio residential home in Madrid. 20 deaths were initially announced, with that number rising to 23 since The front of the Santisima Virgen y San Celedonio residential home Members of Spain's military emergency unit (UME) are said to have disinfected the residential centre. Care homes in Spain have been at the centre of the coronavirus debate in Spain since it emerged last week at least 19 elderly residents had died at the Monte Hermoso residence in Madrid. Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles told a prime-time Spanish TV programme on Monday that soldiers tasked with disinfecting the homes as part of the fight against coronavirus were discovering abandoned bodies. Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles listens to Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez deliver a speech. She has said persecutions will be brought against negligible carers The army was called in to disinfect the Care home properties in Spain over virus fears. It disinfected 179 nursing and planned to clean another 96 today She said: 'The army, during some visits, has seen elderly people absolutely abandoned, if not dead in their beds. 'We are going to be implacable and forceful when it comes to ensuring our pensioners receive the proper treatment in these residences.' Insisting the great majority of elderly care homes did a proper job of caring properly for their residents, she signalled the launch of prosecutor probes into the situation by adding: 'The full weight of the law will be brought to bear on those who don't fulfill their obligation.' Her comments have been criticised by senior nursing home workers who say the problem has been that undertakers were saturated by the number of deaths and could not cope. Some of the residents have died in hospital and others at the home. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of care home managers. A similar previous incident on 17 March at the Monte Hermoso residence in Madrid, situated close to the Spanish capital's biggest park Casa de Campo, saw 19 elderly residents die, with authorities expecting that number to rise. Two workers in protective suits inside the Monte Hermoso home, which saw 19 deaths last week, help an elderly resident out of bed Journalists gather at the entrance to the Monte Hermoso home in Madrid last week as relatives of elderly residents who died inside look for answers Regional health chiefs sent ventilators and face masks to the privately-run centre and the sick were taken to hospitals, but some residents of the care home were said to be dying in their beds before they could be transferred. Rosana Castillo, whose mother is at the home, spoke to local media said relatives were informed there were 10 cases on Saturday but 70 cases the following day. Only 200 people live at the privately-run residence. Although multiple deaths at some elderly care homes have sparked prosecution investigations, undertakers in areas like Madrid are known to have been saturated by the sharp and sudden rise in loss of life following the onset of the coronavirus crisis. The drama led to Madrid city chiefs announcing they were suspending part of the municipal funeral service - and a popular ice rink in the Spanish capital being turned into a morgue. The country has entered a state of emergency as it attempts to stem the tide of new infections, with residents barred from going outside except to get essentials. According to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University, Spain has suffered 47,610 confirmed cases of coronavirus leading to 3,434 deaths. THE East African Community (EAC) Secretariat has moved to intensify efforts against Coronavirus spread by deploying mobile laboratories and testing kits in partner states as regional ministers for health met to deliberate on the pandemic. The Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health held a video conference yesterday to swiftly augment containment strategies to prevent and stop any further spread of the deadly disease in the region. The meeting comes on the back of confirmed COVID-19 cases in four out of six EAC partner states, with the affected states embarking on a number of strategies to address the outbreak at national level. Rwanda was the most hit nation in East Africa as of yesterday after reporting 36 cases, followed by Kenya (15 cases), Tanzania (12 cases) and Uganda nine cases. Uganda had reported just one case until Monday this week but after 35 samples were tested eight proved to be positive. All eight new cases are Ugandan nationals who travelled back from Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Two on March 20 and six on March 22 aboard the Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines flights. The Senior Public Relations Officer at the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department with the EAC Secretariat, Mr Peter Owaka said yesterday at EAC Arusha Headquarters that each partner state will receive a four-wheel vehicle. The vehicles are fitted with laboratory and ICT equipment, as well as all the necessary consumables for a fully functional laboratory with the capacity to conduct tests for Ebola and the coronavirus in addition to other pathogens. The EAC Secretariat has also put in place a Regional Coordination Committee (RCC) with Risk Communication and community engagement; Policy and Guidelines; Finance and Logistics and Data and Statistics sub-committees to oversee the regional COVID19 response. The Regional Coordination Committee has already set in motion a number of activities to secure the EAC Organs and Institutions, and support the partner states in battling the virus. Efforts to contain the spread of the dreadful virus by the regional body comes at the time when each of the East African member state steps up measures to fight the pandemic. Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan and Burundi have suspended international flights, with Burundi going the extra mile by suspending even domestic flights. On Sunday President John Magufuli announced that with effect from Monday the government would put all visitors and Tanzanians arriving from the high risk countries under quarantine at their own expenses for 14 days. Last week, the Tanzania government closed all primary, secondary, colleges and universities for a period of 30 days. Singapore Airlines introduces a new type of antimicrobial coating service to the SilverKris Lounge at Incheon International Airport as part of its efforts to control COVID-19 infections. / Courtesy of Singapore Airlines By Jun Ji-hye Airlines in and outside the country have joined forces in a worldwide effort to fight the COVID-19 outbreak and minimize damage or inconvenience to passengers amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic crisis, airline industry officials said Friday. Singapore Airlines has recently introduced a new type of antimicrobial coating service to the SilverKris Lounge at Incheon International Airport as part of its long-term quarantine plan for COVID-19 infection control. The measure was carried out in conjunction with SDLabKorea, a company specializing in next-generation anti-bacterial systems. The SD999 Antimicrobial Coating is based on SDLabKorea's spike defender solution technology, which provides effective anti-bacterial effects for three to six months per antimicrobial coating. The quarantine technology has been approved for safety by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Korean Ministry of Environment. The technology has already been used at Singapore's Changi Airport terminals since February. Singapore Airlines has ensured that the protective antimicrobial coating is present in the entire lounge, including the reception, cafe, bars, main hall, toilets, shower rooms and kitchen, to guarantee safer use of the lounge for its customers. "Singapore Airlines considers the health and safety of our customers its top priority and is implementing various preventive measures on board and on the ground to ensure a safe journey," Xavier Ho, general manager at Singapore Airlines Korea, said. "We will continue to maintain a high-quality COVID-19 infection control and quarantine system to provide customers with a safe and pleasant customer experience." Etihad Airways is allowing guests to change the date of their flights for free at a time when passengers are facing growing uncertainties amid the spread of the contagious disease throughout the world. Passengers can even choose to fly to a different destination, anywhere on the Etihad network. One free change is permitted for any journey commencing on or before June 30. Etihad Airways has also introduced Etihad Credit to allow guests to delay their travel plans freely, permitting a free cancellation and offering the original value of their booking to be used as credit towards their next trip. As the situation around the novel coronavirus continues to evolve, the new measures will provide maximum flexibility and ensure guests who need to travel do so safely and conveniently, the company said. "In these unprecedented times, we understand that some of our guests are either unable to, or choose not to travel, and it is our responsibility to help them as much as possible," Robin Kamark, chief commercial officer at Etihad Aviation Group, said. Etihad Credit is available for all guests who have booked to travel before June 30. Guests can rebook their trip by the end of September for travel until Dec. 31. The difference in fare price will be charged if travelers opt for journeys that are more expensive than the original ticket price. Additionally, the company will gift monthly bonus tier miles to Etihad Guest Members for three months from March 31 to help them maintain their tier status. Eligible members will receive further information directly. In a bid to minimize the risk of contracting the coronavirus during flights, the air carrier has implemented various measures prior to departure, in flight and after arrival. It said its entire Etihad Airways fleet is equipped with cabin air filtration systems of similar quality to those used in hospital operating theaters. In any confined area, there is a risk of contracting illnesses from other people. However, the risk is considered lower on aircraft because of the use of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which are effective in capturing more than 99 percent of airborne microbes in filtered air. The company is also undertaking detailed cleaning of its aircraft on arrival at each destination. Etihad Airways employees get ready to clean and disinfect aircraft. / Captured from https://youtu.be/ZOle-nMR9Ik (UPDATE: Missing 80-year-old Flint woman found safe) FLINT, MI The public is being asked to contact police if they know anything about the whereabouts of an 80-year-old woman last seen in Flint. An Endangered Missing Advisory was issued early Wednesday morning by Michigan State Police for 80-year-old Betty Lou Williams. Williams was last seen in the area of Cuthbertson Street off Atherton Road on the citys south side. She is described as standing 5-foot-tall, weighs approximately 110 pounds with gray/dark brown hair and blue eyes. Williams may be wearing a black Chicago Bulls jacket with red trim, police said. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Flint Police Department at 810-237-6800. Immigration officials began releasing detainees Wednesday that are being held at two New Jersey correctional facilities amid the coronavirus outbreak, a source with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media. The detainees, who have health conditions that put them at high-risk, are being released from the Elizabeth detention center and the Essex County Correctional Facility by Immigration and Customs Enforcement , according to the source, who is not authorized to speak publicly about the proceedings. It is unclear how many detainees have been or will be released or what the timeframe for release is. An ICE spokesman declined to comment on the specifics of the the situation. ICE regularly reviews the cases of detainees and conducts custody determinations, the spokesman said in a statement. "Age and medical condition are factors taken into account for custody determination purposes. The move comes as pressure continues to mount from advocacy groups and immigration attorneys to release all detainees. The groups and attorneys have said that ICE is ill-equipped to provide adequate care and ensure the safety of detainees as the coronavirus outbreak grows. At least two Essex County correctional officers and a staff member at the Elizabeth detention center have tested positive for coronavirus. On Tuesday, it was announced that the first immigration detainee in the country had tested positive for coronavirus at the Bergen County Jail. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow on Twitter @monavage. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. [March 25, 2020] CALIAN TO HOLD CONFERENCE CALL TO PROVIDE MANAGEMENT UPDATE OTTAWA, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calian Group Ltd. (TSX:CGY) will hold a telephone conference call at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, March 26, 2020 to update analysts and the financial community given recent world events related to the COVID-19 virus. Interested participants from the financial and media community should call 1-800-309-1256 at approximately 4:20 p.m. The conference ID is 313492. Following the presentation, analysts will be invited to participate in a question and answer session. The conference call will be available for a period of 14 days for playback and is accessible by dialing 1-888-203-1112, passcode 313492. About Calian Calian employs over 3,400 people in its delivery of diverse products and solutions for private sector, government and defence customers in North American and global markets. The Companys diverse capabilities are delivered through four segments: Advanced Technologies, Health, Learning and Information Tecnology. The Advanced Technologies segment provides innovative products, technologies and manufacturing services and solutions for the space, communications, defence, nuclear, government and agriculture sectors. The Health segment manages a network of more than 1,800 health care professionals delivering primary care and occupational health services to public and private sector clients across Canada. Learning is a trusted provider of emergency management, consulting and specialized training services and solutions for the Canadian Armed Forces and clients in the defence, health, energy and other sectors. The Information Technology segment supports public- and private-sector customer requirements for subject matter expertise in the delivery of complex IT and cyber security solutions. Headquartered in Ottawa, the Companys offices and projects span Canada and international markets. For investor information, please visit our website at www.calian.com or contact us at [email protected] . Kevin Ford Patrick Houston Media inquiries: President and Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer Simon Doyle 613-599-8600 613-599-8600 613-599-8600 x 2205 Boeing employs about 70,000 people in the Puget Sound area of Washington state and about 4,600 in Ridley Park, Delaware County. Read more WASHINGTON Lawmakers have inserted a little-noticed provision in the Senate's $2 trillion stimulus package aimed at providing billions of dollars in emergency assistance to Boeing, the aerospace giant already under fire for deadly safety lapses in its commercial jets, three people with knowledge of the internal deliberations said. The Senate package includes a $17 billion federal loan program for businesses deemed "critical to maintaining national security." The provision does not mention Boeing by name but was crafted largely for the company's benefit, two of the people said. Other firms could also receive a share of the money, one of the people said. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal deliberations. The carve-out is separate from the $58 billion the Senate package is providing in loans for cargo and passenger airlines, as well as the $425 billion in loans it is allocating to help firms, states, and cities hurt by the current downturn. Congressional aides cautioned the Senate bill was still going through last-minute revisions and could change. A Boeing spokesman declined to comment. The company previously said in a March 17 statement that at least $60 billion is needed to support the broader aerospace manufacturing industry, suggesting that the aid package should include a mix of public and private liquidity, including loan guarantees. The company employs more than 150,000 people worldwide, including about 70,000 in the Puget Sound area of Washington state. It employs about 4,600 in Ridley Park, Delaware County. In a Tuesday interview on Fox, Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun said he would not be willing to give the government an equity stake in the company in exchange for a bailout, implying the company would only accept assistance on its own terms. President Donald Trump has said he would support the idea, suggested by his economic adviser, of taking an equity stake in companies that receive assistance in the package. "If they force it, we just look at all the other options, and we've got plenty of them," Calhoun said. In its public statements, the company has said it needs the funding to sustain some 2.5 million aerospace-industry jobs and 17,000 suppliers. That includes numerous niche aerospace suppliers who provide aircraft parts to the company. Many of them are small businesses for which orders from Boeing are the primary source of revenue. "The long term outlook for the industry is still strong, but until global passenger traffic resumes to normal levels, these measures are needed to manage the pressure on the aviation sector and the economy as a whole," a Boeing spokesman wrote in a statement last week. The possibility that the aerospace giant would be in line for special federal assistance has already stirred public controversy, with a former Trump administration figure, U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, resigning from the company's board over its decision to seek public assistance. Trump continues to see Boeing as a critical company with private and defense links that he wants to see supported, although he has at times been unclear privately about how he wants to handle the situation, one senior Republican said. Trump has said repeatedly over past weeks the federal government would step in to help Boeing, despite criticisms from some nonpartisan experts that federal lawmakers should avoid singling out individual firms for assistance. "Probably I would have considered [Boeing] the greatest company in the world prior to a year ago, now they get hit 15 different ways," Trump said in a March 17 news conference, alluding problems with the now-grounded 737 Max jetliner. "It was coming along well, and then all or a sudden this hits," Trump said. "So we'll be helping Boeing." The insertion of the special provision came after a flurry of lobbying about the massive stimulus package, one of the largest pieces of legislation taken up in the modern history of Congress. It also emerged late in negotiations. On March 18, the Treasury Department released a two-page memo with its request for the stimulus package. It included $50 billion in loans for the airline companies and $150 billion for other sectors of the American economy experiencing "severe financial distress" because of the coronavirus pandemic. Last Thursday, Senate Republicans released their own version of the stimulus package, which included a similar amount for the airlines and other "eligible businesses" hurt by the downturn. But after a weekend in which numerous lobbying groups tried to influence the legislation, a new provision in the bill emerged early this week for businesses "critical to maintaining national security." The $17 billion in funding is for loans and loan guarantees, not direct grants. But low-interest government loans can help companies avoid worse outcomes, such as bankruptcy or consolidation, and are considered a special form of emergency federal relief. Boeing is the likeliest recipient of the aid based on the language in the Senate proposal, according to Dan Grazier, a national security expert at the nonprofit Project on Government Oversight, who reviewed the relevant section of the legislation. "Boeing would be the obvious manufacturer to receive funds through this," Grazier said. Boeing is most likely to qualify for the funding because it has a significant commercial airplane business that has been impacted by the global travel slowdown, he said. Most defense firms do not have significant commercial businesses. The Senate legislation specifies a few conditions for qualifying for the loans, such as short-term limits on both executive compensation and prohibitions on dividends and buybacks, provisions reflected in the other emergency assistance the Senate is pushing for large firms affected by the economic crisis. Democratic lawmakers have pushed for more limits on the funding, including protections for workers' health care benefits and pension funds, but have largely been rebuffed, according to one person with knowledge of the deliberations. Boeing's request for public funds has ignited controversy internally, with members of Boeing's board of directors differing on whether to seek public help. Haley, the former South Carolina governor who joined Boeing's board early last year, implied in her resignation letter it would be unfair for Boeing to receive public assistance while small businesses suffer. She said offering bailouts to specific companies is "not the role of government." "While I know cash is tight, that is equally true for numerous other industries and for millions of small businesses," Haley wrote. "I cannot support a move to lean on the federal government for a stimulus or bailout that prioritizes our company over others." Some government oversight advocates, too, have bristled at the prospect of Boeing receiving public help. Craig Holman, a lobbyist with the advocacy group Public Citizen, said companies such as Boeing are likely to have more options available to them in private capital markets. Boeing could "get a loan from the bank to get through these hard times," Holman said. "The workers, the people who are laid off or get sick, have no such options." "Any bailout ought to go to the people," he added. Boeing recently drew down the full amount of its $13.8 billion bank loan early, citing fears about access to cash moving forward. It also halted all new hires. But some budget experts said many large companies were likely to recoup the loans being made available, and warned a direct grant would represent a more harmful subsidy. "In TARP, the money got repaid," said Brian Riedl, a budget expert at the libertarian-leaning Manhattan Institute, referring to the bank bailouts authorized by Congress during the 2008 financial crisis. "And here there's even more basis to assume it will be repaid because the loan recipients are, hopefully, not going into a long financial drop." However Boeing's financial future is far from certain. The potential financial assistance comes at a time when Boeing's business seems to be under threat from all directions. For more than a year it has been working with regulators to recertify the 737 Max jet, which the Federal Aviation Administration ordered grounded a year ago when faulty flight control systems played a role in two deadly crashes. A Washington Post investigation later found that the company's board had largely prioritized speed of production and spent little time on safety concerns. The inability to deliver the 737 Max took a heavy toll on Boeing's business last year, leading it to new financial lows. It finished 2019 with $76.5 billion in annual revenue, a 24% drop from the previous year. Dennis Muilenburg, who was fired for poor performance in light of issues with the Max, left the company with a $62 million payout. Boeing's business is further threatened by the near-total shutdown air travel in recent weeks due to international travel bans and work-from-home policies meant to contain the virus. Industry analysts increasingly believe the ongoing crisis will cause airlines to defer new purchases as they struggle with financial challenges of their own. Boeing is taking aggressive measures to contain the financial fallout from the pandemic, which erased two thirds of the company's stock value in less than a month. And it is struggling to contain a coronavirus outbreak of its own, which has spread to at least 32 Boeing employees, a Boeing spokesman confirmed Monday. On Monday the company halted production at its factories in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, the global epicenter of its commercial jet production, after an employee who had coronavirus died at its Everett, Washington, assembly plant. The Washington Posts Robert Costa contributed to this article. Home Just In (Updated) Nepals third Covid-19 patient had returned from UAE last week Kathmandu, March 25 Minister for Health and Population Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal informs that the third Covid-19 patient had also returned from Dubai of United Arab Emirates on March 19.* After arriving in Kathmandu, the 32-year-old man from Dhading was straying at a hotel in Kathmandu. After feeling uncomfortable, he had gone to the Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku of Kathmandu. Nepals first two Covid-19 patients had also recently returned from foreign countries. The first case had returned from China and the second from France via Qatar. (Updated at 4:50 pm and 7:00 pm) Nepal reports third coronavirus positive case Kathmandu, March 25 Nepal has reported the third coronavirus positive case on Wednesday. A patient at the Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital tested positive for the virus today. The information officer at National Public Health Laboratory, Rajesh Kumar Gupta, says so far 687 people have been tested for the virus in Nepal. Of them, 684 tested negative. Just two days ago, the Ministry of Health had reported the second case in a 19-year-old student who returned from France via Qatar last week. The first case, reported in January, is said to be already recovered. Details to follow. * Earlier, the minister had told the press that the patient had come to Nepal from Qatar. Later, the ministry corrected that he had come here from the UAE. Disposable rubber gloves are indispensable in the global fight against the new coronavirus, yet a month's lockdown in stricken Malaysia where three of every five gloves are made has upended the supply chain and threatens to hamstring hospitals worldwide. The world's biggest maker of medical gloves by volume, Top Glove Corp Bhd, has the capacity to make 200 million gloves a day, but a supplier shutdown has left it with only two weeks' worth of boxes to ship them in, its founder told Reuters. "We can't get our gloves to hospitals without cartons," Executive Chairman Lim Wee Chai said in an interview. "Hospitals need our gloves. We can't just supply 50% of their requirement." The virus, which emerged in China at the end of last year, has left Malaysia with the highest number of infections in Southeast Asia at nearly 1,800 cases, with 17 deaths. To halt transmission, the government has ordered people to stay home from March 18 to April 14. Glove makers and others eligible for exemption can operate half-staffed provided they meet strict safety conditions. Still, the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) said it was lobbying "almost every hour" to return the industry to full strength to minimize risk to the global fight. "We're shut down," said Evonna Lim, managing director at packaging supplier Etheos Imprint Technology. "We fall under an exempted category but still need approval." Dr Celine Gounder, an infectious diseases specialist at the New York University School of Medicine, said she was using up to six times as many gloves as normal each day due to the number of patients with COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. "If we get to the point where there is a shortage of gloves, that's going to be a huge problem because then we cannot draw blood safely, we cannot do many medical procedures safely." GLOBAL CALL With glove supplies dwindling, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on its website this month said here some gloves could be used beyond their designated shelf life. On Tuesday, the United States lifted a ban on imports from Malaysian glove maker WRP Asia Pacific who it had previously accused of using forced labor. Britain's Department of Health & Social Care has urged Malaysian authorities to prioritize the production and shipment of gloves that are of "utmost criticality for fighting COVID-19," showed a letter dated March 20 to glove maker Supermax Corp and shared with Reuters. MARGMA is considering rationing due to the "extremely high demand," its president Denis Low said. "You can produce as many gloves as you can but then there's nothing to pack them into." Under normal circumstances, Top Glove can meet less than 40% of its own packaging needs. For the remainder, it said just 23% of suppliers have gained approval to operate at half strength. "We are lobbying almost every hour, we are putting in a lot of letters to the ministry," said Low. "We are lobbying hard for the chemical suppliers and we want to ensure that the printers are also being given approval and any other supporting services, even transportation." Malaysia's Ministry of International Trade and Industry on Tuesday said it had received masses of applications to operate through the lockdown, and that it was seeking cooperation from industries to give way to those producing essential goods. AUTOMATION Developed economies are home to only a fifth of the world's population yet account for nearly 70% medical glove demand due to stringent medical standards. At 150, U.S. glove consumption per-capita is 20 times that of China, latest MARGMA data showed. MARGMA expects demand to jump 16% to 345 billion gloves this year, with Malaysia's market share rising two percentage points to 65%. Thailand usually follows at about 18% and China at 9%. Top Glove said orders have doubled since February and it sees sales rising by a fifth in the next six months. Its stock, with a market value of about $3.5 billion, has risen by a third this year versus a fall of 16% in the wider market. The company, with customers in 195 economies, registered the highest net money inflow last week among listed Malaysian firms, along with peer Hartalega Holdings Bhd, showed MIDF Research data. Other glove makers include Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd and Careplus Group Bhd. "We are fortunate enough to be in essential goods," said Lim. "These few months and at least the next six months will be an all-time high in terms of sales volume, revenue and profit." With more than 80% of its 44 factories worldwide automated, Top Glove itself is less impacted by the lockdown than its more labor-intensive domestic suppliers. Packaging woes aside, however, ramping up production could turn under-supply into over-supply when the coronavirus outbreak finally subsides. "This outbreak will create awareness and make humankind healthier," said Lim. "People will pay more attention, they will invest more, they will buy more so demand will be more." Also read: Coronavirus impact: India to produce hazmat suits locally as global suppliers say no Also read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Maharashtra tally reaches 116; four more test coronavirus positive Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 14:25:22|Editor: zyl Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia is extending the "movement control order" that includes comprehensive restrictive measures for two more weeks till April 14, in an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced Wednesday. In a televised speech, Muhyiddin said the number of cases in the country went up to 1,796 by noon Wednesday after an additional 172 cases had been reported, with total deaths standing at 17. The current restrictive efforts have shown effects in containing the outbreak but as the number of confirmed cases is projected to continue to increase for some time, the government is forced to extend the period of the restrictions, he said. Malaysia has been implementing the "movement control order" since March 18, including closing shops and schools as well as imposing travel bans. It called for residents to stay at home in an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. The restriction measures were originally to end on March 31. Turkey will extend the closure of all schools in the country until April 30 over the coronavirus outbreak and home schooling will continue during this period, Education Minister Ziya Selcuk said on Wednesday. Turkey had shut schools and set up a home-schooling system for students to continue lessons after the outbreak of the virus two weeks ago. Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, speaking alongside Selcuk, said the closure was not a break, but rather a preventative measure to protect families. Turkey's death toll from the coronavirus increased by seven to 44 on Tuesday and the number of confirmed cases rose by 343 to 1,872. On Wednesday, the Health Ministry said 26 patients had recovered so far, the first figures of recovery in the country. Search Keywords: Short link: The Arizona Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld Jodi Arias' first-degree murder conviction and life prison sentence in the brutal 2008 killing of her boyfriend, even as the panel slammed the lead prosecutor's behavior during the trial as 'egregious.' Arias' lawyers had argued that Maricopa County prosecutor Juan Martinez's misconduct and a judge's failure to control news coverage during the case deprived her of the right to a fair trial. But the three-member appeals court, in a 29-page opinion, unanimously concluded that prosecutor Juan Martinez's conduct in the case didn't outweigh Arias guilt. Scroll down for video The Arizona Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld Jodi Arias' first-degree murder conviction and life prison sentence in the gruesome 2008 killing of her former boyfriend. Arias is pictured in court in 2015 Arias has acknowledged killing Alexander (pictured together) but claimed she acted in self-defense after he attacked her 'We conclude that Arias was convicted based upon the overwhelming evidence of her guilt, not as a result of prosecutorial misconduct,' the ruling said. However, it noted 'an egregious case of misconduct by a highly experienced prosecutor' who 'improperly engaged in self-promoting conduct.' The panel condemned Martinez's 'argumentative phrasing of questions' to defense witnesses, adding that his 'aggressive tone and combative, bullying behavior' were recurring issues in the trial and Arias' attorneys moved for a mistrial six times. 'We strongly disapprove of his actions, we are compelled to follow the well-established principle that we do not "reverse convictions merely to punish a prosecutor's misdeeds."' Assistant Attorney General Terry M. Crist, left, delivers an oral argument last October to Arizona Court of Appeals judges Kenton Jones, left, Jennifer B. Campbell and Michael Brown that prosecutorial misconduct should not overturn the conviction in the Jodi Arias murder trial Appeals judges blasted lead prosecutor Juan Martinez (pictured) for his behavior during the trial, saying that he 'improperly engaged in self-promoting conduct' The Arizona Attorney General's Office and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office applauded the appeals court's ruling. 'I am pleased with the courts decision to affirm the conviction of someone who committed a brutal murder,' Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel said in a statement to The Arizona Republic. Arias, 39, was convicted of killing ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander at his home in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. Prosecutors have said Arias violently attacked Alexander in a jealous rage after he wanted to end their affair and planned a trip to Mexico with another woman. Arias has acknowledged killing Alexander but claimed she acted in self-defense after he attacked her. He was stabbed nearly 30 times, had his throat slit and was shot in the head. Prosecutors have said Arias violently attacked Alexander in a jealous rage after he wanted to end their affair and planned a trip to Mexico with another woman Grisly crime scene photos like this one were released to the public and shown on TV Alexander was stabbed nearly 30 times, had his throat slashed and shot. A pool of blood is seen in the shower inside the victim's home Arias was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. She was convicted in 2015 The case attracted worldwide attention as salacious and violent details about Arias and Alexander were broadcast live, along with gory crime scene photos. The guilt phase of Arias' trial ended in 2013 with jurors convicting her of murder but deadlocking on punishment. A second sentencing trial ended in early 2015 with another jury deadlock, leading a judge to sentence Arias to life. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office moved to fire Martinez earlier this year after suspending him. He was accused of leaking a juror's name in the Arias case to a blogger and then lying about it, and he also has faced multiple claims of sexual harassment, which he has denied. But the dismissal was stayed pending his appeal under civil service protections. Martinez has been a county prosecutor for 30 years. One of the most popular beaches and boardwalk in South Jersey has closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian announced Wednesday afternoon the city would close the beaches and boardwalks in the shore town. Gillian said an administrative order issued by the state Tuesday night gave municipalities the discretion to impose restrictions on local beaches and boardwalks. Even with all the directives already in place, its clear that not everybody is taking the order to shelter in place seriously," Gillian said in a statement. "With the weather getting warmer, it will only get worse. I fully understand the impact that this will have on Ocean City, but I will always err on the side of caution. Ocean City joins towns such as Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant as towns who have decided to closed either their beach or their boardwalk to help limit the spread of the virus, which, as of Wednesday, has infected 4,402 people, claiming 62 lives in New Jersey. According to Census Reporter data from 2018, 32% of the citys population was 65-years-old and above. The mayor said he had to look after the safety everyone, especially the citys senior citizen demographic. I want to take every measure I can to protect the community, Gillian said. We have a large senior population, and its of utmost importance to take their well-being into consideration. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews or on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Daniel England, owner of OCD Moving Services. We are committed to the safety and well-being of our customers, and therefore have implemented some important safety measures to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus during our moves. While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the daily life of Californians and Americans across the country, OCD Moving Servicesa top-rated moving company in the Bay Areahas announced it will continue to offer individuals and businesses with moving services they can depend on. Among the services that OCD Moving Services offers include professional packing services, local and long-distance moving services for individuals and businesses, junk removal services and more. During this incredibly difficult time, we want our clients and future clients to know that OCD Moving Services remains open until further notice, said Daniel England, owner of OCD Moving Services. We are committed to the safety and well-being of our customers, and therefore have implemented some important safety measures to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus during our moves. OCD Moving Services understands that movingwhether its your home or your officecant always be placed on hold. As news of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic continues to change and expand daily, the team at OCD Moving Services has implemented a variety of important measures to ensure the health and safety of their employees and their customers during these uncertain times. Here are a few of the health and safety measures OCD Moving Services has implemented to ensure theyre doing their part to keep people moving while preventing the spread of the coronavirus. 1. All employees have been instructed to have their temperature checked before they begin any assignment for the day. If an employee reports they are not feeling well, or appear to be sick, OCD Moving Services will send them home, ensuring they will not interact with customers or other employees until they are feeling well again. 2. Employees are provided with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer to ensure theyre safely handling the personal items of our clients. 3. Per the guidance from the CDC, all OCD Moving Services employees will ensure they are frequently washing their hands throughout the day, including before, during and following the handling of personal items of our clients. 4. Additionally, OCD Moving Services will be offering their junk removal service for clients who have large furniture items, appliances or electronics they want to dispose of in a safe manner. During this time, coming into contact with garbage bins and other waste materials isnt safe, which is why OCD Moving Services is here to help handle the removal of unwanted items for their customers. Additionally, for individuals and businesses who are in the early stages of planning for a home or office move, OCD Moving Services will continue to offer free quotes to new customers. For more information on how OCD Moving Services can help with your next home or office move, call 510-375-3844. OCD Moving Services is one of the Bay Areas most trusted local and long-distance moving companies. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten the livelihoods of Californians and Americans across the country, OCD Moving Services is here to help with safe moving services you can trust. About OCD Moving Services OCD Moving Services goal is to bring quality to the moving industry. In any moving situation, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team at OCD Moving Services does the best they can in any situation. Their customer satisfaction rating has made them one of the tops preferred Bay Area moving company. OCD Moving Services team of hardworking professional movers strives to be better than the rest. Whether youre looking for help with a home move or commercial move, OCD Moving Services is ready to handle whatever the next step may be for you. Additionally, OCD Moving Services works to ensure customers receive their items in the exact condition in which they left them. During the COVID-19 outbreak, OCD Moving Services will continue to provide safe and healthy moving services their customers can count on. For a free quote on commercial or home moving services, visit our site or call 510-375-3844. 430 Ukrainian citizens have been evacuated from Turkey. These are the people who could not return home from the moment of shutting the border down on March 16. Oleksandr Aman, Ukraine's Consul General in Istanbul posted that on Twitter. "430 Ukrainian citizens have just departed from Istanbul to Kyiv with two SkyUp flights. 100 Ukrainians stay in the transit area of Istanbul airport. We continue to render maximum cooperation to our compatriots to ease the conditions of their stay in the airport and the fastest possible return to Ukraine", the diplomat wrote. Earlier, March 22, a cargo-passenger ferry arrived at the port of Chornomorsk (Odesa region) from the port of Karasu (Turkey). According to Radio Liberty correspondent, there were about a hundred people on board. These were, in particular, those who could not get home by air after Ukraine suspended international regular flights with other countries in connection with the pandemic of Covid-19 coronavirus infection. The passengers filled out the forms recommended by the Ministry of Health, in which they indicated the country they came from and left their contacts. They also received a memo on self-isolation and recommendations on the actions in case their health worsens. India has been the biggest buyer of Malaysian palm oil for five years, but imports trickled to a halt after it restricted imports of refined palm and informally asked traders to avoid Malaysian palm. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysias relationship with top palm buyer India, which soured under former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, is expected to improve after India lifted a 5 percent import duty on the edible oil, Malaysias commodities minister said on Wednesday. Indias trade remedial body had in early March recommended the government not to extend the 5 percent bilateral safeguard duty on imports of refined palm oil from Malaysia, finding it unnecessary in light of new import curbs placed on 8 January. Malaysias political veteran Mahathir lost power late last month. The new government sees Indias move as a positive step that signals an openness to rebuild a close relationship from the aspect of trade and culture, Malaysias new commodities minister, Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, said. India has been the biggest buyer of Malaysian palm oil for five years, but imports trickled to a halt after it restricted imports of refined palm and informally asked traders to avoid Malaysian palm, which traders said was in retaliation for Mahathirs criticism of its policy affecting its Muslim minority. Mohd Khairuddin said Malaysia recognised the need for the two countries to discuss the import curbs and a trade imbalance in favour of Malaysia. Malaysia will send a delegation to India after the coronavirus pandemic is over, the minister said. Malaysias exports to India dropped 54 percent last month from January, according to Malaysian Palm Oil Board data. It used to be that North Arlington was hotter and homes would sell faster there than in South Arlington, but thats less common now, says DuShuttle. Now anything in decent condition thats priced the same or slightly higher than nearby homes will sell within a few days. Buyers need to expect to compete against six to eight other offers and to pay above the sales price of nearby homes this spring. A former Mayo Clinic employee accused of trying to join ISIS made a court appearance in Minneapolis on Tuesday by video link. Federal prosecutors say 28-year-old Muhammad Masood quit his job as a medical research coordinator at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., moved out of his apartment and tried to travel to Syria to link up with the terror group ISIS. The FBI arrested him at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Thursday. Masood is charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Masood, who is a citizen of Pakistan, has lived in the United States for two years with a temporary work visa. Mayo Clinic spokesperson Ginger Plumbo said Masood formerly worked at the medical center, but "was not employed by Mayo Clinic at the time of his arrest." According to an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint, Masood said in February that he was going to notify his employer that his last day of work would be March 17. ADVERTISEMENT Investigators say Masood told two confidential informants that he wanted to conduct lone-wolf attacks in the United States and work as an ISIS medic and drone builder overseas. Masood appeared by video from the Sherburne County Jail and waived his right to a detention hearing. All federal criminal cases are on hold until mid-April because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but essential proceedings are continuing remotely. The Associated Press contributed to this story. This story originally appeared at: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/03/24/prosecutors-say-former-mayo-employee-planned-to-conduct-lonewolf-attacks-in-the-us A Co Down principal has spoken of his frustration over being forced to close his school for two days after being overwhelmed with applications to accommodate key workers children A Co Down principal has spoken of his frustration over being forced to close his school for two days after being overwhelmed with applications to accommodate key workers children. Killinchy Primary head teacher Chris Currie said he had no choice but to go against guidelines indicating that schools should offer spaces to children if they have one parent who is a key worker. The Department of Education announced last week that schools should only remain open for pupils whose parents have been deemed as essential workers. Mr Currie said it was initially understood that schools would only be staying open for pupils with two key worker parents, but Education Minister Peter Weir later clarified it was just one. Afterwards, Killinchy Primary received around 70 requests from parents. This forced Mr Currie to keep the schools doors closed yesterday and Monday so he could re-do the application process and reduce the numbers. Parents were informed of the development last weekend, he added, Mr Currie said it was frustrating that he had to take such action because of the high number of parents working in key roles. I had to reinstate the policy of only accepting children whose parents are both key workers, he said. In Killinchy there are a large number of parents in key worker jobs, so theres a lot of people there that need childcare. It was a perfect storm for me. He stressed that in addition to the high number of requests, he was also dealing with reducing staffing levels following government advice that those who are at a high risk of contracting Covid-19 should stay at home. The result of that was my available staff base was decimated, he said. I had the double-edged sword of an increased flux of parents with the one key worker criteria and the complete decimation of my staff. I then issued a plea to parents saying, Please if you really, really dont need us, dont use us. On that plea I got eight withdrawals, but it was still far, far too high. I couldnt implement social distancing in the school. I couldnt keep staff safe. On that basis I had no choice but to re-run the whole application process. I then issued exceptional closure notices for Monday and Tuesday to look at the two key worker criteria again. Those coming to school (today) are the children of blue-light workers and frontline medical workers. In all, Killinchy Primary is accommodating fewer than 30 pupils. Mr Currie said Mr Weir understood why he had been forced to break with Department of Education policy. He understood that I had no option, the primary school teacher added. A spokesperson for the Department of Education said it is urgently looking at how we can help schools and would urge schools to work together at this time to provide a local solution for the supervision of children of key workers. We are encouraged that some schools are already doing this. They said the Department was carrying out a daily survey to identify issues and had Education Authority staff on the ground to assist schools at this time. By PTI NEW DELHI: Amid coronavirus outbreak, the government on Wednesday banned export of anti-malarial drug hydroxycloroquine with immediate effect to ensure sufficient availability of the medicine in the domestic market. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Balram Bhargava had on Monday recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating healthcare workers handling suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases and also the asymptomatic household contacts of the lab-confirmed cases. The treatment protocol recommended by the ICMR-constituted National Task Force for COVID-19 has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) for restricted use in emergency situations. In a notification issued on Wednesday, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), an arm of the commerce ministry which deals with export and import-related matters, said, "The export of hydroxycloroquine and formulations made from hydroxycloroquine is prohibited with immediate effect". It, however, said the government will allow export of the medicine on humanitarian grounds on a case-to-case basis on the Ministry of External Affairs' recommendation. Export will also be permitted from the special economic zones/export-oriented units and in cases where the outbound shipment is made to fulfil the export obligation under any advance authorisation license issued on or before the date of this notification, which is March 25, 2020. "Export will be allowed in case of shipments where the irrevocable letter of credit has been issued before the date of this notification or in the case where full advance payment has been received by the exporter in India against the specific shipment, subject to the submission of documentary evidence," DGFT added. According to some reports, demand for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, a related compound, have jumped after US President Donald Trump said that these salts were effective in treating COVID-19. People are panic buying this medicine. Over the last few weeks, India has banned exports of a host of medical devices, including sanitisers, all types of ventilators and surgical masks. The government on Tuesday banned the export of all sanitisers and ventilators with immediate effect in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. "Export of all sanitisers is prohibited, with immediate effect," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. It also banned exports of all types of ventilators, including any artificial respiratory apparatus or oxygen therapy apparatus or any other breathing appliance or device. Last week, it had banned export of certain ventilators, surgical and disposable masks and textile raw material used for making masks. There is a shortage of hand sanitisers and face masks in the market amid the coronavirus outbreak as people resorted to panic buying. Rice University announced Wednesday that it will increase tuition and fees, including room and board, by 3.7 percent for the upcoming academic year. Undergraduate tuition for the 2020-2021 academic year will now be $50,310 an increase of $1,980 over the current year, officials said in a release. The total cost to attend Rice, which includes $14,500 for room and board and nearly $800 in mandatory fees, will be $65,607. Tuition for doctoral students will similarly increase to $50,310. Annual costs for specific graduate programs vary: graduate architecture, $33,000; graduate music, $29,500; religion, $20,000; global affairs, $39,000; human computer-interaction and human factors, $35,000; natural sciences, $38,250; engineering masters programs, $51,500; and $58,000 for the graduate energy economics program, the release said. On HoustonChronicle.com: Rice University closing campus for semester Tuition for full-time masters of business program will be $60,940. Graduate students will pay $55,625 for the master of accounting program, $109,930 a year for the MBA@Rice and the evening MBA program for professionals, $115,050 for the weekend MBA program, and $131,630 for the executive MBA program. We recognize at Rice that this is an unprecedented challenging and uncertain time for our students and their families, and for many, their financial situations are in flux, Rice President David Leebron said in a written statement, referring to the impact of the COVID-19. We are committed to sustaining through these times the excellence, opportunity and impact that characterize Rice. We will continue ensuring through generous financial aid that our newly admitted and returning students will have this opportunity regardless of their financial circumstances. On HoustonChronicle.com: Rices nonprofit OpenStax provides free resources as college resumes classes online Officials said the university will maintain its commitment to the Rice Investment, which offers undergraduates with family incomes below $65,000 full aid through grants, including tuition, fees and room and board. Students with family incomes between $65,000 and $130,000 will receive at least full tuition, and those with family incomes above $130,000 and $200,000 will receive partial tuition. Those with family incomes that exceed $200,000 may receive aid after financial need is determined. No loans are required as part of Rice Investment financial aid. Rice officials also stated that one of their key goals as a part of their Vision for the Second Century, Second Decade plan is to expand access, diversity and inclusiveness at the private college, which includes recruiting high-achieving students from under resourced and middle-class families and assuring affordability through adequate financial aid policies. brittany.britto@chron.com UPDATE: OnePlus Pay is now live for some users in China. ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Do you remember OnePlus Pay? The company talked about it during the OnePlus 7T launch at the end of last year. We didnt hear much about it since then, but according to newly-surfaced information, OnePlus Pay will be going live sometime this month. OnePlus Pay will become available in China first, by the way, at least according to this report. This service will become available on one specific phone first, the OnePlus 7T, the device it was announced alongside. Advertisement Following the OnePlus 7T, many other OnePlus devices will be added to the list, of course. Were actually expected that to happen pretty fast after the fact. OnePlus Pay going live this month, the OnePlus 7T is first in line to get it OnePlus Pay will be going live in China first, but other countries will follow. India and the US are expected to follow soon after, and probably Europe as well. This payment service will be available across the globe at some point. This service is expected to support only three banks at launch in China. Those banks are Guangfa Bank, Minsheng Bank, and SPDB. Advertisement Do note that this is not an official announcement. This information is coming from GizChina, and it is based on inside sources. So, take the information with a grain of salt, as its usually the case with such reports. OnePlus hasnt really been talking about OnePlus Pay ever since it mentioned it last year. Even at that launch event, the company did not share much information about it, other than the fact its coming in 2020. The company may talk more about OnePlus Pay during the OnePlus 8 launch event The company may talk more about OnePlus Pay during the OnePlus 8 series launch event. That even is expected to take place in mid-April. A well-known tipster suggested it will happen on April 15. Advertisement OnePlus still did not confirm the launch date, but it is expected to do that soon. The company did announce The Lab for its upcoming phone, clearly suggesting that the OnePlus 8 series is coming next month. The company will announce two smartphones as part of this flagship series, the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro. That is, at least, whats expected to happen. The OnePlus 8 Lite will become official in the coming months, according to rumors. Unlike the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, the Lite model will be a mid-range offering. Well, it is expected to offer MediaTeks most powerful processor, the Dimensity 1000L, but it will be inferior to the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro. Advertisement The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro will both be made out of metal and glass, and include a display camera hole. Both phones will be fueled by the Snapdragon 865, and include curved displays. Plans to reduce number of MPs are dropped This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Mar 25th, 2020 The UK Government has dropped plans that would have slashed the number of Welsh MPs by more than a quarter. Unveiled in 2016, the proposals included cutting Wales representation in Westminster from 40 to 29 to allow a smaller House of Commons of 600 rather than 650 members. But facing several hurdles including some resistance from its own MPs the Government has now announced that it will not proceed with the plans, citing the extra workload that MPs now face due to Brexit. If implemented, the plans would have seen the political map of north Wales change dramatically, which currently returns 11 MPs to London. But proposing to reduce this to 7, they included: Anglesey and Arfon largely merging into a single seat. A new constituency of North Clwyd and Gwynedd stretching from Tywyn in the southwest up to St Asaph in the northeast South Clwyd and North Montgomeryshire running from Ruthin all the way down to Machynlleth Proposed seat of Colwyn and Conwy taking in the resorts of Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Llandudno, Penrhyn Bay and Rhos on Sea Flint and Rhuddlan also running along the coast, taking in electoral wards from the existing Delyn and Vale of Clwyd constituencies A new seat of Wrexham Maelor would incorporate wards in Clwyd South Despite this Chloe Smith, a Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, told the Commons on Tuesday that future boundary changes were still proposed on the basis of retaining 650 MPs. Ynys Mon AM, Rhun ap Iorwerth, was among those who campaigned against the boundary changes which would have seen Anglesey merged with another constituency across the Menai Strait. This, he said, ignored its status as an island and cited the protection given to other islands such as the Isle of Wight and the Western Isles. But welcoming the latest developments, he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: I argued strongly including giving personal evidence to the Boundary Commission consultation that Ynys Mon should remain a single electoral unit. Under the plans on the table, an exception was to be made in the case of the Isle of Wight, which wanted to be larger than its ideal size, and islands off the coast of Scotland, which wanted to be smaller than the average. Requests to treat Ynys Mon in a similar way had been ignored. Also among those welcoming this new development is campaign group, the Electoral Reform Society. Its chief executive, Darren Hughes, said that slashing the number of MPs would have undermined the voices of ordinary people in Parliament and hurt democratic scrutiny, describing it as an executive power grab. But he went on to say, Once the pandemic is over, we need a root and branch reform of how our democracy works in the UK. Without shrinking the size of the Government, cutting MPs would have done little more than enhance the already disproportionate power of ministers. Now that the Government have accepted the need for proper representation in the Commons, they must focus on reducing the number of unelected peers in the bloated House of Lords. At 800 members, its the biggest second chamber in the world and needs a genuine overhaul. By Gareth Williams BBC Local Democracy Reporter (more here on the LDR scheme) Amilia Clarke Stewart, who is due to have a baby soon It's the final countdown for Dublin actress Amilia Clarke Stewart, who is due to have her first baby in just three weeks. The star, who is well known to fans of Fair City for her stint as Katy O'Brien - who was held captive for 13 months, is looking forward to welcoming her new arrival. She has taken the last few months off, pointing out it's hard to work when you're pregnant in the industry, "unless you are playing a pregnant role, and there are not very many of them, especially in Ireland". Stage However, Amilia did some directing gigs up until Christmas, and has also done workshops. She is a founding member of the Bitter Like A Lemon theatre company, and has been busy planning for that. "I just can't wait to either get back on stage, or get behind the camera. I would like to get back to work from maybe August," Amilia told the Herald. She also revealed that she didn't receive maternity benefit. "I was three weeks off getting it, which is insane because for the last three years definitely I have worked 33 to 34 weeks of the year. It is hard being self-employed," she said. "I definitely want to be on screen more." In relation to movies, Amilia said: "I wouldn't say no to anything at the moment. I have only been working six years." The Dubliner graduated from the Gaiety School of Acting and has become an acclaimed actor. She married her husband Conall Keating, who was at college with her, in a glamorous ceremony in Sligo last October. He is originally from Mayo, and they decided to have their wedding in the west. San Antonio police said they are investigating whether a driver in a single-vehicle accident on the North Side on Tuesday was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The man, described to be in his 20s, was driving his truck near Stone Oak Parkway and Loop 1604 when he lost control and rolled his vehicle. Azerbaijans Gazakh Cement to increase exports in 2020 ICR Newsroom By 25 March 2020 Gazakh Cement Plant plans to significantly increase export sales from Azerbaijan to neighbouring countries such as Georgia in 2020, according to Trend. "Last year, the plant established clinker exports to Georgia, and this year we plan to significantly increase the total volume of exports. In 2019, export volumes in this direction amounted to over 1000t of clinker and cement," Trends source said. "At the moment, we are in search of partners among the countries of the region. We are considering exporting our products to Iran." The plant intends to increase production volumes up to 1.5Mta of building materials in 2020. Published under Samara Heisz/iStock(CLEVELAND) -- A man who spent 10 days in the intensive care unit (ICU) after being diagnosed with novel coronavirus left a touching message to health care workers when he was discharged. The patient, who was not identified, left his goodbye message on a window that his doctors and nurses at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio used to communicate with him while he was in isolation. This window has been the most impactful window in my life," the patient wrote. "On days when I watched you work hard to keep me and others alive, unable to thank you for the time that you poured into me and although I will probably never get the chance to pour that same love and support into you, I want you to know that I think you all are rockstars." "I watched some of you have good nights and some bad nights but what was consistent every night was that you care for people," he went on. "Today I leave this ICU a changed person, hopefully for the better, not only because of your medical healing and Gods direction and guidance, but with the fact of knowing that there are such wonderful people dedicated to the care and concern of others. God bless each of you. The patient developed severe acute respiratory distress syndrome after being diagnosed with COVID-19, according to Dr. Eduardo Mireles, who treated the patient and is director of Cleveland Clinic's Medical ICU. As the patient improved and became more alert, the medical team communicated with him through the glass. He asked a nurse to write the message on the window for him before he left the hospital, according to Mireles. This gesture from the patient touched our hearts and was another reminder of why we do what we do," Mireles said in a statement to ABC News. "Its a privilege to treat these patients and it was a joy to see this patient recover." "Throughout these uncertain times, one thing that has shined through has been the commitment and engagement of our caregivers," he said. "I couldnt be more proud of our team. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. SHANGHAI, March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The rapid advancement of smart technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, cloud computing, and blockchain, compounded with the changing demographics in the existing and potential customer base of wealth management services, makes a compelling case for both wealth managers and regulators to embrace the increasingly available and progressively sophisticated financial technology (FinTech) solutions, according to a new report commissioned by Lufax and authored by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The report, titled Global Digital Wealth Management Report 2019-2020: Unlock New Future with Smart Transformation, is being released today. Smart Technologies Can Help Unleash up to 50% Profit Margin Expansion Whereas 2018 saw the growth rate of the global wealth management market falling to a record low in 50 years, the advent of AI is here just in time to arrest the downward momentum. Instead of fighting for diminishing return in a saturated, zero-sum game, wealth managers will do well to avail themselves of AI and other smart technologies to help render the business of serving the mass affluent a fresh and scalable source of growth. The report forecasts a 25-50% increase in assets under management (AUM), a 15-30% growth in revenue, and a 25-50% expansion in profit margin in the coming decade, thanks to the contribution of this rising customer subsegment. According to the report, while the mass affluent customer base currently accounts for 17% of the total AUM, it represents an outsized 27% of all revenue and shows extraordinary promise. The report argues that the democratizing power of smart technologies, such as AI, will help make financial services more inclusive and affordable, allowing mass affluent, and in time, mass market customers to be treated with the services previously only enjoyed by high-net-worth and ultra high-net-worth individuals. Partnership and Collaboration Becomes the New Norm Sedate financial institutions and FinTech companies are increasingly recognizing the relative strengths of one another, as well as the ample opportunities for cross-pollination. Traditional wealth managers possess the institutional competence of risk management and financial expertise, they often find themselves hampered by the way they are set up when it comes to innovation and digital transformation; FinTech companies face the reverse problem where their technological prowess does not translate automatically into financial strength and regulatory certifications. This yin-and-yang-esque symmetry makes collaboration a mutually beneficial proposition, wherein the hitherto incumbents and disrupters transform into one another's facilitators and enablers. "FinTech still only accounts for 5-6% of the entire financial market, and is poised for sizable growth from unmet needs," said Greg Gibb, Lufax chief executive officer. "Financial institutions as well as FinTech companies will benefit from striving to become less siloed and seeking closer co-operation." Smart Technologies Allow Regulators to Play a More Active Role Regulators have traditionally been behind the curve when it comes to innovations in the finance sector. However, the report argues that smart technologies have so swiftly matured in a plethora of applications that it is no longer tenable not to embrace them. Regulatory technology (RegTech) solutions have emerged to allow for regulation tracking and risk monitoring, giving more transparency to compliance and KYC, and more safeguards for anti-money laundering and against operational issues; fully digitized processes keep better records and leave less room for errors. Regulators are advised to stay current to the development of FinTech, and assume an active role in their application. One way of doing it, suggests the report, is to create a regulatory sandbox to foster, curate, and test out innovation. The report also calls for the promulgation of a robust set of regulations for the digital wealth management sector that both empowers wealth managers to seek innovation and steers such development toward healthy and sustainable growth. Tech-Enabled Leapfrogging in the Making The relatively short institutional memory of wealth managers in many parts of Asia, combined with the comparatively lacking sophistication of the customers, makes intelligent wealth management services a very attractive and valuable solution. The report suggests that smart technologies like AI can facilitate better service personalization, improve investor education, and assist in risk management. Just as the low penetration of credit cards allowed mobile payment to take off in China, the report anticipates that digital wealth management in many parts of Asia will bypass the stage of widespread human advisory services and leapfrog to inclusive, AI-enabled advisory services that extend coverage to the mass affluent and even the mass market. Smart Technologies Give Wealth Managers the Chance to Design a Better Customer Journey The report asserts that smart technologies can help accelerate product innovation and deliver more nuanced services that better address the needs and preferences of customers. The customer base of wealth management is becoming ever more tech-savvy. Millennials and digital natives are accustomed to the convenience and personalized services afforded by mobile apps, and have come to expect the same from wealth managers. The report urges wealth managers to rethink their customer engagement models, commit to incorporating data analytics, and design anew a holistic yet individualized customer journey. "The advent of smart technologies has provided incumbents and FinTechs an opportunity to come together," said Yan Tan, a Shanghai-based BCG partner and coauthor of the report. "Though collaboration, not only will they be able to tap a larger customer base, but also transform customer services from one that is reactive to one that is proactive, cultivate more seamless interactions, and deliver a more positive and gratifying experience to the benefit of everyone involved." Tech-Enabled Healthier Investments and Better Risk Management through Investor Education Whereas customers in Asia are generally more savvy than those in the West when it comes to mobile phones, they are often not as financially sophisticated as their western counterparts. Investor education is therefore not only necessary for compliance, but also imperative in helping customers better understand risks and be informed of the health of their investments. The key to individualized investor education is through understanding them better and addressing their sources of stress. Many investors in Asia lack a proper understanding of the risk-return tradeoff due to the reliance on the implicit guarantee. Deterred by abstract wealth management, finance, and risk concepts, as well as the tediousness of related topics when they already face immense "middle class anxiety", most non-professional investors lack a basic financial knowledge and understanding of investment products. Simply leaving to the salesforce to compete for investors' interest and attention, disentangle the incomprehension of jargons, and address the difficulty in correctly understanding risks and benefits is far from enough. Smart technologies, the report explains, can help democratize wealth management through data-driven investor education, and alleviate some of the pressure by helping investors transition from a return-based investment strategy to one that is goal-based, while nudging them to extend investment horizons, so they are less perturbed by short-term volatilities. The Challenges and Opportunities Ahead As smart technologies become more ubiquitous, the report cautions wealth managers to honor consent and acquire authorization when collecting or sharing customer data, build a better defense against data and credential theft using technologies such as cloud computing and blockchain, and improve their overall regulatory posture. The report also discusses problems such as how to regulate robo-advisors, how to minimize algorithmic bias and avoid AI black box, as well as how to combat tech-generated fraud in the age of deepfakes. A lot of the success FinTech achieved in Asia was thanks to the unique combination of first world technology and emerging market growth. Despite the challenges ahead, the report foresees that this proven combination will open up more opportunities and deliver more dividends. A copy of the report can be downloaded here. About Lufax Lufax operates a world-leading comprehensive online wealth management platform, offers consumer finance services, and provides turnkey technological solutions for financial institutions. The company leverages its global financial footprint and technological innovations in building an robust underlying risk management apparatus, and providing institutions, enterprises, and investors with secure, professional, and efficient financial information and services. About Boston Consulting Group Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, BCG helps clients with total transformationinspiring complex change, enabling organizations to grow, building competitive advantage, and driving bottom-line impact. SOURCE Lufax BANGKOK, March 24 (Reuters) - Thailand will be in an emergency mode from March 26 for a month to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told a news conference on Tuesday. The emergency decree will mean the prime minister will have the executive power to declare further measures to contain the virus, including giving extra authority to officials and allowing the setting up of checkpoints to reduce people movements, Prayuth said. He said details of the measures will be announced later. Thailand reported three deaths and 106 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday. The country now has 827 cases and four fatalities since the outbreak began. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-umm, Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) Legal action would be initiated against those who have returned from abroad and are flouting the 14-day quarantine period advised to them to control the spread of coronavirus, said a Group of Ministers which on Wednesday reviewedthe actions for management of the contagion. Addressing a press briefing on the current COVID-19 situation in the country, a senior health ministryofficial reiterated that there has been no community transmission of the disease even as the number of cases rose to 606 on Wednesday with 10 deaths being recorded across the country. Highlighting the critical importance of social distancing as an effective strategy for limiting the spread of the disease, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan who chaired the GoM on Wednesday appealed once again to all those in home and facility quarantine to follow the protocol laid down by the ministry. He said around 64,000 people have arrived in India from other countries since March 21 out of which 8,000 have been put in various quarantine facilities and 56,000 are in home isolation. "We are fighting an infectious disease. In order to protect ourselves and others, it is highly important that we follow all the protocols, guidelines and directions issued by the government, failing which legal action may be taken," he said. While assuring that the government is making all efforts to ensure that personal stocks of protective equipment (PPE) and N-95 masks are available in adequate numbers to help the medical fraternity carry out their job, the health ministry officialssaid most of these have some imported components. "We are already aware that there had been disruption in import of certain components required for PPEs and masks. The government has been aware of the situation from the time cases started happening in other parts of world," Lav Agarwal, Joint secretary in the health ministry said, adding that the government had banned the export of masks-PPEs as early as on January 31. "We have also started analysing the technical guidelines with respect to what type of PPEs can be put to use based on the type of virus we are dealing with. We are also analysing the suppliers available within the country and taking their support to ensure that we can get production through these indigenous buyers also," he said. The official said as part of the exercise, they have contacted key research agencies DRDO and Bharat Electrical Limited to ensure that there is sufficient availability of the equipment in India. Agarwal further said29 National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-accredited private laboratory chains with over 16,000 sample collection centres have been given permission so far for testing for COVID-19. He also said the private labs will have to follow ICMR guidelines and sample collection norms while testing for COVID-19. Besides private labs, 119 government laboratories are operational for testing for COVID-19 andhave a capacity to test 12,000 samples per day. The official reiterated thathydroxy-chloroquine can be given as a preventive medication only to healthcare workers dealing with suspected or confirmed cases and household contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases. "No one else should use this. Moreover, the medicine should not be taken unless prescribed as it has some sideeffects," Agarwal said. According to officials, the ministry of home affairs is monitoring the lockdown through a control room andthe state and district authorities have been asked to promote e-commerce activity to provide essential items at doorsteps to ensure minimum movement of people. Authorities have also been asked to ensure that essential goods and services reach people, officials said. The health ministry, in its updated figures on Wednesday morning, stated that the second death reported in Delhi was COVID-19 negative, thus revising the death toll to one in the national capital. When quizzed about this, the official said, "First we had assumed that the person who has expired was positive as his sample was under testing. But the second re-corfirmation test came negative and so we revised the death toll. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BERLIN, March 24 (Reuters) - German hospitals with spare capacity on Tuesday welcomed their first coronavirus patients from Italy, where an overwhelmed health care system has witnessed the outbreak kill more people than in any other country. Ahead of an expected larger wave of home-grown infections that German authorities are preparing for, a first group of six Italian patients arrived at Leipzig airport in the eastern state of Saxony on Tuesday morning. The western state of North Rhine-Westphalia also announced plans to take 10 Italian patients over coming days. "We need solidarity across borders in Europe," said its premier Armin Laschet. "We want to preserve the European spirit." Saxony's premier Michael Kretschmer said the government in Italy, where confirmed cases of the virus have topped 64,000 and deaths risen above 6,000, had asked for help. Germany was the first country to take in Italian patients. Leipzig's university hospital took two of the transported patients, a spokesman said, both critically ill 57-year-old men moved from intensive care in Bergamo, at the epicentre of Italy's outbreak and where overburdened wards are having to choose who to give life-saving ventilator treatment to. A benefit to Germany from the transfers is that its hospitals will gain valuable further experience in treating coronavirus patients before the country's tally of serious cases soars. Germany has 27,000 confirmed coronavirus cases but only 114 deaths, and is using the time before the expected surge to strengthen its intensive care capacity. The government is offering hospitals huge state subsidies to help accelerate plans to double that capacity, currently at around 28,000 beds. Germany has also been more rigorous than some other EU countries in testing for coronavirus, one possible factor behind the country's exceptionally low mortality rate. In Italy, where an ageing population is a key factor in apparently unusually high mortality statistics, the head of the agency collating data on the epidemic told La Repubblica newspaper he believed as many as 640,000 people could have been infected. German hospitals also took in coronavirus patients from France on Tuesday. "We have still three, five, seven days because we are before the (bigger) wave," Hartmut Bueckle, a spokesman for the university clinic in Freiburg, close to the countries' border, told Welt TV. "We want to use this time to offer our French neighbours the possibilities we still have for now." (Reporting by Thomas Escritt in Berlin and Matthias Inverardi in Duesseldorf; editing by John Stonestreet) Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said that in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, it is important to follow all protocols issued by the Centre and violating them might result in legal action under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). "In order to protect ourselves and others, it is highly important that we follow all the protocols, guidelines and directions issued by the government, failing which may lead to legal actions under Section 188 of the IPC," said Dr Harsh Vardhan. Earlier today, a high-level meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 was held at Nirman Bhawan under the chairpersonship of Health Minister Dr Vardhan. The GoM had a detailed deliberation on the prevention and management of COVID-19 in the meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Centrelink's general manager has admitted the service isn't coping with the unprecedented demand created by mass layoffs due to the coronavirus crisis. Tens of thousands of Australians have queued outside Centrelink offices and tried to log onto the MyGov website in recent days amid the shutdown of non-essential services as the nation struggles to contain the pandemic. At least one in 10 Australians have lost their jobs in recent days with thousands more out of work after federal government announced the shutdown of further services on Tuesday night, according to a national survey by Newgate Research. 'We have never been in a situation like this,' Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen told Channel Nine's Today show on Wednesday morning. 'Nothing really could have prepared us for the demand that we're now facing.' Centrelink's online portal crashed on Tuesday, despite the federal government assuring those out of work they would be able to access welfare. The website's capacity has now been boosted so that more than 100,000 individual users can access it at any one time. Centrelink is also recruiting 5,000 staff for its call centres, where operation hours have been extended to 8am-8pm. Mr Jongen copped a grilling from Today hosts Allison Langdon and Karl Stefanovic on Wednesday, as they questioned why Centrelink was so unprepared for the predictable spike in demand for services. 'The prime minister has been talking for some time that this was going to be very bad, that there were going to be a lot of job losses. So how is that we have been caught so unawares?,' Ms Langdon asked. 'People are really scared right now and they find themselves without a job, for a lot of them for the first time in their working career.' Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen (pictured) said much of the overwhelming demand Centrelink is currently facing is unnecessary Mr Jongen said he understood people's fears and frustrations. 'Normally with our massive systems, when there's a change, we have months to develop the changes, to test them and to implement them,' he said. 'The government is asking us to do this in a matter of weeks. Now, we will do it, but it's important to understand that we can't just do it at the flick of a switch.' He added that Centrelink workers time was being taken up by second-order issues as existing clients made inquiries about recently announced stimulus payments and supplements. The first $750 stimulus payment will be automatically distributed to bank accounts from next Tuesday through to April 17. Not even the rain could reduce the crippling demand for assistance from Centrelink. Pictured is the queue outside Centrelink in Bondi Junction, in Sydney's east 'People don't need to do anything. It's all automatic. You don't need to contact us. This is really important,' Mr Jongen said. 'The other thing is that in relation to people that are now finding themselves unemployed, our advice is this - don't come into our offices. Don't queue up.' Mr Jongen also discouraged those out of work from coming into Centrelink offices. 'I just want to reinforce that we are doing everything possible, but my advice is this - be patient and persistent. The quickest way for us to get you into the system is for you to ring,' he said. 'Don't put yourself at risk by coming into our offices. Once you get through, we will give you the links you need to enable you to then get into the system.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government was doing what it can to relieve the crippling demand on Centrelink, including 5,000 additional staff. 'Now, that goes to how we can upgrade the Centrelink systems, manage the lines better, manage the call centres and do the things that we're responsible for and everybody's doing the same,' he told 2GB morning show host Alan Jones on Wednesday. 'All of the public service, I met with all of the secretaries of all the departments yesterday and they have all very clear instructions about how they have to be redeploying their workforces so we're focusing on the areas of greatest need to provide support to Australians.' 'But those who have lost their job, those who are waiting, those who are waiting for the information to come back from them, know this - people are working night and day to get that help and support to you.' The long queue outside Centrelink Darlinghurst in Sydney on Monday morning, hours after the Prime Minister announced stage one of the coronavirus lockdown He conceded the Centrelink system was under pressure due its complicated systems. 'Our problem at the moment is building up the capacity of the system to take more applications,' Mr Morrison said. 'Were normally at around 6,000, we had to move to 55,000, then we went to 150,000. Now we're seeking to take that even higher to cope with the demand, so extraordinary times.' Mr Jones asked whether it was possible for the Centrelink hotline to be manned 24-7 to help relieve crippling demand. 'Well, they're working on all those plans,' the Prime Minister replied. 'We've already expanded the call centres to be operable 12 hours. And as I said, I'm looking for 5,000 people right now.' An Indian-origin academic from the University of Oxford has led a new study to analyse the coronavirus pandemic, which indicates the vast majority of people who contract COVID-19 may suffer little or no illness. Sunetra Gupta, a professor of theoretical epidemiology at Oxford who led the research alongside other colleagues, called on a focus on increased antibody testing to determine the levels of immunity already being built up in the UK population against the deadly virus, which has claimed 422 lives in the country. 'Even if it's one in a hundred [who fall seriously ill] you still get to 35 per cent immunity, said Gupta. The new model from Oxford University suggests the virus could have been circulating in the UK since mid-January, around two weeks before the first reported case and a month before the first reported death, and may have already infected nearly half the population. Prof. Gupta and her team of researchers caution that better information was needed on what portion of the population is vulnerable. Their study, which is based on assumptions about the most likely characteristics of the pandemic, are yet to be peer-reviewed or published in a journal but under their initial assumption-based model, half of the UK could now be immune. There is an inverse relationship between the proportion currently immune and the fraction of the population vulnerable to severe disease, the study notes. The central thrust is on greater testing as the tests being used by the UK's state-funded National Health Service (NHS) only show whether somebody has the disease when a sample is taken. Once the country moves to what is called serological testing, it would show whether somebody has acquired antibodies to fight it off, which would show their immunity levels as it confirmed if they have had it and recovered. Urgent development and assessment of such tests should be followed by rapid implementation at scale to provide real-time data. These data will be critical to the proper assessment of the effects of social distancing and other measures currently being adopted to slow down the case incidence and for informing future policy direction, says the study. Fundamental principles of epidemic spread highlight the immediate need for large-scale serological surveys to assess the stage of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) epidemic, adds Gupta. The UK government said on Tuesday that it had bought 3.5 million antibody tests for coronavirus, promising that frontline doctors and nurses will be able in due course to find out whether they have been infected and are safe to go back to work. The announcement came as UK health secretary Matt Hancock addressed a video-link press briefing from Downing Street on Tuesday evening to announce that the UK would be transforming a massive conference venue in east London, the ExCel Centre, into a makeshift hospital for 4,000 patients afflicted by the pandemic. The NHS Nightingale hospital will comprise two wards each of 2,000 people. With the help of the military and with NHS clinicians, we will make sure that we have the capacity that we need, he said. According to the latest UK Department of Health figures, there are now more than 8,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK although the actual number cases is likely to be far higher. The country is under strict social distancing and "stay at home" conditions, announced by the government earlier this week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WILTON, Conn., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- House flipping is big business, with many companies repairing and renovating homes to sell at a higher price or rent out to tenants. However, not all companies in this industry have the best interests of their clients at heart. That is not the case with We Buy Houses in Connecticut and its coalition of other house-flipping companies. Mr. Mark Daniels, paraplegic pilot of A Mobility Assist Exoskeleton. In addition to helping homeowners get rid of their properties as quickly as possible, We Buy Houses in Connecticut and its partners are also committed to benefiting their local communities as a whole. The companies and their employees engage in community service and charitable projects throughout the country, making the areas better places to live for all who call them home. These companies can further these charitable efforts through their partnership with each other. While this coalition initially came together as the investors in the group sought to improve their search engine rankings, through an SEO company Jerryll the owner of "We Buy Houses In Connecticut" established specifically for real estate investors, what truly bonded them all together was their shared commitment to bettering their local communities. Today, the group is made up of 66 house-flipping investors throughout the United States and Canada. Through mutual support for each other, all of these companies can grow their businesses while also improving their communities overall. The companies in this group do more than just flip houses; they work hard to improve people's lives as well. For example, Jerryll, the owner of We Buy Houses in Connecticut, uses its profits to conduct robotics research & development to help veterans and others with paraplegia walk again. In Southern California, Eric and Jackie Nerhood, the founders of Premier Property Buyers, contribute to autism research. After their own daughter had to undergo extensive therapy for the disorder, they felt a calling to help other local families in similar situations as well. With so many real estate investors doing their part to make the world a better place, it makes sense for homeowners to do their due diligence before selling. It can bring peace of mind to know that the profits from the sale of the home are going to a good cause rather than simply lining investors' pockets. Contact: Jerryll We Buy Houses in Connecticut and J SEO for Real Estate Investors 5 River Road Ste. #305 Wilton, CT 06897 Phone: (203) 529 - 4712 Email: [email protected] https://www.webuyhousesinconnecticut.com/ Related Images paraplegic-user-walking-in-robotic.jpg Paraplegic User Walking In Robotic Exoskeleton Mr. Mark Daniels, paraplegic pilot of A Mobility Assist Exoskeleton. Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkEreLndDXU SOURCE We Buy Houses in Connecticut Related Links https://www.webuyhousesinconnecticut.com Health Minister Simon Harris has warned against people playing "games" over the Covid-19 virus after a man and woman randomly ran up to him on the street and coughed at him. This happened to me yesterday as I was walking from here to my department and a man and woman on the street thought it was hilarious to cough at me and run-off laughing Mr Harris warned people about engaging in such irresponsible behaviour, given the large numbers of deaths from the spread of the virus in other countries. "Can we please as people just look at what's happened in Italy, the European Union, where we're seeing several hundred people a day, dying of the virus that can be deadly to certain people in our population. When you think particularly older people who are being targeted in relation to this. There seems to be some sort of social media, a game, but it is not a game, it is disgusting, that you will target certain people in your community, generally older people, and go up and cough in their face and video it and have a laugh and run off. Just think if it was your own granny, grandad, mother, father, your own friends with underlying health conditions like cystic fibrosis. Mr Harris praised the Irish people's response to the virus emergency. But he warned that such deliberate actions, threatening the health of people, would be handled by the law and authorities. "Anything like that which takes off on social media will have to be dealt with and with the full rigour of the powers of the state. Port Neches Elementary Schools parking lot, which has been empty since school closed amid COVID-19 concerns last week, wasnt barren Tuesday evening as teachers gathered, their vehicles decorated with teddy bears and signs saying We Miss You and You Got This along with other sentiments of love and messages of strength. A line of more than a dozen cars left the school at 5 p.m., driving around neighborhoods throughout Port Neches, honking and waving to the families that gathered on curbs, porches and lawns to wave and say hello to their teachers. Among them was PNE fifth-grader Vanessa Garcia, who gathered with a small group of family and neighborhood friends near Dallas St. to wave and shout hellos to the passing parade. Where are the packets? shouted Raiden Patton, Maddox Britt and Anthony Garcia, who later said they didnt really want any schoolwork packets. There wasnt any candy, added one of the boys, when asked what he thought of seeing his teachers in the parade. Vanessa said she misses her school friends, and though she was slow to say who or what exactly she missed at school, eventually said, my teacher, Ms. Lewis. Moments later, a string of misses came out. And Ms. LeTulle, and Ms. Samuel, oh, and Ms. Westmoreland. TaShina Williams, a senior at Port Neches-Groves High School, was also among the group. She hopes that her May 21st graduation, which has been rescheduled to the high school from the Civic Center, will still take place. But, she said if school for the year is canceled, she and others in her graduating class will miss the tradition of walking through their old elementaries in their caps and gowns. Having grown up in Port Neches and attending elementary school there, she remembers the senior parades. She added that the interruption to schoolwork now is just one more disruption that has come, as the TPC explosion just 5 months prior, also upset their learning. As a student also taking college courses, she says the pressure to meet coursework and stay on track has been more stressful. The added stress of Harvey, followed by Imelda, TPC and now this virus is tough, but she says, it also makes you enjoy the little good moments, because you know how stressful times can get. So, you learn to live in the moment. The number of houses changing hands in Australia could drop 50 per cent in coming months as confidence dries up amid job losses and government bans on auctions and inspections come into force. Jobs ads have also gone "off a cliff", as thousands of Australians get sacked and companies face financial ruin due to the coronavirus pandemic smashing the economy. Housing market transactions could drop 50 per cent in coming months as job losses and bans on auctions hit home. Credit:Peter Rae New social-distancing rules banning auctions and open house inspections from Friday come with major shutdowns of the hospitality and retail industries, taking prospective home-buyers out of the market. CoreLogic's head of research, Tim Lawless, said the ban, on top of the collapse in employment across the country, would contribute to a 50 per cent drop in transactions over coming months. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC) said it is unable to predict the impact of COVID-19 on its operations and liquidity, and depending on the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, such impact may be material. Travel restrictions, limitations on public gatherings, and mandatory closures pose a risk that clients may reduce their demand for services and could result in a reduction in revenue, which would adversely affect its operations. The company expects to experience a decrease in its cash flow from operations as a result of the impact of COVID-19. But it has a $2.5 billion multi-currency revolving credit facility expiring February 2025. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to extend Harris Countys disaster declaration, one of several items to bolster its response to the novel coronavirus, hours after County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced a sweeping stay-at-home order. The declaration, which allows departments to more quickly purchases needed supplies and services, will remain in effect until April 29. Republican commissioners Steve Radack and Jack Cagle voted no, noting that Gov. Greg Abbotts measures to combat coronavirus expire April 3. The court members agreed to practice the social distancing measures they have preached by meeting virtually. The five members held the meeting over video conference after trying a limited, in-person method during last weeks emergency session. Court members, by the same 3-2 tally, also waived all tolls collected on county roads through April 29. The Harris County Toll Road Authority stopped accepting cash on March 12, to reduce potential exposure of toll colletors to the virus or the illness it causes, COVID-19. Inmates at the Harris County Jail, which suspended in-person visits on March 14, also will receive three additional free phone calls per week. Commissioners Court unanimously agreed to supplement the existing two free weekly calls provided by the phone vendor, Securus. At a cost of two cents per minute, the additional calls will cost the county roughly $40,000 per month, County Purchaser DeWight Dopslauf said. The panel also was unanimous in allowing county employees who are unable to perform their jobs because their departments have closed to the public to continue to collect their salaries. The workers, however, must volunteer from an approved list of charities or nonprofits. The meeting, which adjourned in less than three hours, was uncharacteristically short. Much like Americans across the country getting used to working from home, court members were not immune from technical difficulties. Participants at times forgot to turn their microphones off with Radack at one point wondereing aloud if his was on. A call-in system for public speakers was inefficient, and sometimes required callers to wait long on hold. One silver lining? The court members were more collegial, passing items on divided votes without the usual bickering. The next regular meeting is scheduled for April 7, three days after the expiration of the countys stay-at-home order. zach.despart@chron.com TRUMBULL As social distancing practices and emergency measures because of the coronavirus pandemic continue to affect the local economy, Economic Development Director Rina Bakalar has a message for business owners document everything. Bakalar and First Selectman Vicki Tesoro posted a message to business owners on the towns website offering what support and information they could. One of the most important things a business can do at this time is to be sure to document fully any losses from the COVID-19 situation, they wrote. If new resources become available, this information will be critical. With Gov. Ned Lamont implementing additional measures limiting social gatherings and non-essential work, many local stores have shuttered with no clear idea when they can reopen. We recognize the tremendous impact all of these measures have on the business community, the statement read. We greatly appreciate all of your efforts to keep residents safe, and to adapt and sustain your business and employees during this difficult time. Bakalar said the Economic Development Commission was compiling a list of restaurants in town that are offering takeout service, and would do the same for other businesses offering altered services. The problem is that the situation is changing from day to day, so we need businesses to send us updated information when things change, Bakalar said. Busnesses that have adapted their goods and services should send information to rbakalar@trumbull-ct.gov. Details on all State of Connecticut orders and business guidance can be found on the state website. Thank you for the measures you have taken on behalf of your employees and customers, the statement concluded. We appreciate your patience and fortitude during these challenging times. We will continue to update you in the coming days. Three people who have a history of foreign travel tested positive for COVID-19 in Goa. According to the Directorate of Health Services, among the three are - a 25-year-old man with travel history to Spain, a 29-year-old man with travel history to Australia and a 55-year-old man with travel history to the United States. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that their condition is stable at present. "I have been informed by the state DHS (Director Health Services) that 3 individuals have been tested positive for #COVID19 in Goa. We are providing the best healthcare facility to the diagnosed patients," he tweeted. "Their condition is stable at present. We have also traced their contacts and are quarantining them," he said in another tweeted. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said that the testing will be up and running in the next two days. "Our testing facility will be up and running in the next 2 days. Our team of doctors are doing their best to make sure we contain the spread of virus in the state of Goa," he tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. (Natural News) Germany has officially closed its borders to all visiting Europeans due to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), save for those providing essential services from France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland oh, and migrants from Africa and the Middle East. Thats right: If youre a white European person whos not a citizen of Germany, you can no longer visit Germany. But if youre some random migrant from a Third World country, then come on in: Germany is open to you! According to the German Ministry of the Interior, so-called asylum seekers, many of whom could be carrying deadly viruses, are fully exempt from Germanys lockdown measures, which only apply to Europeans who are being told that they have to self-isolate and social-distance in order to flatten the curve. At Germanys E.U. external borders [airports and seaports], there has been no change in the [asylum] procedure, a representative from Germanys Ministry of the Interior told Junge Freiheit. In other words, Europeans who previously had a right to enter Germany have now been relegated to second-class status, while illegal migrants from the Third World are having the red carpet rolled out for them, even when they blatantly violate the law to try to get into Germany outside the legal process. In practice, this means that if a migrant were to illegally enter the European Unions Schengen Zone via Italy or Greece and make it to France or Switzerland, he can still demand asylum in Germany, and thus must be allowed to traverse these countries so that he can formally request it on German territory, reports Voice of Europe. Listen below as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, explains how to prepare for bartering in the event that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues for much longer than expected: Sweden is similarly allowing migrants to enter, despite coronavirus lockdowns Not to be outdone in terms of leftist idiocy, Sweden, the homeland of climate child Greta Thunberg, is similarly allowing migrants to be processed through the asylum system, should they still try to enter the country even during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Part of the reason for this is that migrants in Sweden, Germany, France, and elsewhere are resisting the mandatory lockdowns and even rioting in response, presumably creating white guilt in the minds of leftist natives who dont want to offend the Third World hordes. Given that migrants already in Germany rioted and displayed ISIS flags when told their refugee camp had to be put in quarantine, one wonders whether newly arrived asylum seekers will obey lockdown rules, writes Paul Joseph Watson in a critique of this idiocy. As reported by Breitbart News, repeated attempts to enforce quarantines in migrant-heavy areas of Paris have proven impossible as these Third World migrants flagrantly ignore the rules and do whatever they want, while authorities fear backlash if they try to crack down on the problem. Watson notes that the term asylum seekers has no meaning as it is, and represents more of a catch-all term for anyone who wants to flee a Middle Eastern or African garbage dump country and live off the teat of a developed European country instead. All of this madness has prompted a majority of people in some 12 different European countries to express support for a full closure of their borders in response to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, which could take months or even years to subside. Not until Germany has been totally annihilated and no longer exists as a German homeland will the globalists stop, or until a few patriotic Germans say enough is enough and DO something about it, wrote one Zero Hedge commenter. That goes for the rest of Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, NZ, etc. To keep up with the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), be sure to check out Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com By Anshuman Daga and Aradhana Aravindan SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore Airlines (SIA) will cut capacity by 96%, ground almost its entire fleet and impose cost cuts affecting about 10,000 staff because of coronavirus travel curbs it described as the "greatest challenge" it has ever faced. The global aviation industry is struggling to absorb shocks from the pandemic, with airlines across the world grounding fleets, placing thousands of workers on unpaid leave and seeking state bailouts to survive the crisis. The measures by SIA, majority owned by state investor Temasek, follow Singapore's decision to close its borders to stem spread of the virus. "This will result in the grounding of around 138 SIA and SilkAir aircraft, out of a total fleet of 147, amid the greatest challenge the SIA Group has faced," SIA said. Shares in the airline slumped 11% in a broader market down 7.3% to close at their lowest in 22 years. SIA said it has drawn on its credit lines in the past few days to meet immediate cash flow requirements and is in talks with several financial institutions over future funding needs. "It's important to have access to liquidity, to pay leases, to pay employees and to be able to continue to function. This is a positive, but the cost of funding remains uncertain," said K. Ajith, an analyst at UOB Kay Hian. In a memo to staff, SIA Chief Executive Goh Choon Phong said the airline had agreed with unions on cost-cutting measures, including voluntary unpaid leave for staff up to divisional vice presidents and varying days of compulsory unpaid leave for pilots, executives and associates. These measures will affect about 10,000 staff, the memo said. SIA had more than 26,500 employees in its last financial year. In a report issued on Monday before the announcement, UOB Kay Hian said SIA needed "backstop liquidity" of at least S$5 billion ($3.43 billion) by June. It faces S$2.5 billion of marked-to-market losses by the end of March from having taken out fuel hedges at high prices, the broker said. Story continues Banking sources and analysts said potential funding options include bank loans or tapping Temasek. The state investor declined to comment and SIA would not comment specifically on funding plans. "It is unclear when the SIA Group can begin to resume normal services, given the uncertainty as to when the stringent border controls will be lifted," the airline said. The cuts are in line with those made by Cathay Pacific Airways, which reduced passenger capacity by 96% in April and May. (This story corrects staff figure in paragraph 1) (Reporting by Anshuman Daga and Aradhana Aravindan; Additional reporting by Jamie Freed in Sydney and John Geddie in Singapore; Editing by Himani Sarkar, Clarence Fernandez and David Goodman) ICMR had on Monday recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating healthcare workers handling suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases New Delhi: Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government on Wednesday banned export of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, with immediate effect to ensure sufficient availability of the medicine in the domestic market. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava had on Monday recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating healthcare workers handling suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases and also the asymptomatic household contacts of the lab-confirmed cases. The treatment protocol recommended by the ICMR-constituted National Task Force for COVID-19 has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) for restricted use in emergency situations. In a notification issued on Wednesday, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), an arm of the commerce ministry which deals with export and import-related matters, said, "The export of hydroxycloroquine and formulations made from hydroxycloroquine is prohibited with immediate effect". It, however, said the government will allow export of the medicine on humanitarian grounds on case-to-case basis on the Ministry of External Affairs' recommendation. Export will also be permitted from the special economic zones/export oriented units and in cases where the outbound shipment is made to fulfil export obligation under any advance authorisation license issued on or before the date of this notification, which is 25 March, 2020. It added, "Export will be allowed in case of shipments where irrevocable letter of credit has been issued before the date of this notification or in case where full advance payment has been received by the exporter in India against specific shipment, subject to submission of documentary evidence." Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak According to some reports, demand for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, a related compound, have jumped after US President Donald Trump said that these salts were effective in treating COVID-19. People are panic buying this medicine. Over the last few weeks, India has banned exports of host of medical devices including sanitisers, all types of ventilators and surgical masks. ST. JOHNS, N.L.The arrest of a Newfoundland woman for refusing to stay inside after she returned from a trip outside the province is raising questions about the extent to which law enforcement agencies can limit basic freedoms to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary confirmed Wednesday the 53-year-old woman was arrested the night before in Corner Brook and placed in a jail cell overnight for allegedly violating public health emergency orders aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. Const. James Cadigan said officers responded to complaints alleging the woman was not self-isolating for 14 days, as required under Newfoundland and Labradors Public Health Protection and Promotion Act. He said officers spoke to the woman and arrested her for failing to comply with the law, which could lead to a fine of between $500 and $2,500 or a jail sentence of up to six months. The woman was released after appearing in court Wednesday and is scheduled to return June 9 to enter a plea. If youre going to put our community at risk, we will follow up on those measures, Cadigan said. However, the head of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said police are on murky legal ground, even though dealing with a global pandemic can call for extraordinary measures. If its a measure of last resort and the police exercise their discretion in a way that puts public health first ... then there is legal authorization to do this, said Michael Bryant, the associations executive director. But Bryant said there are important constitutional issues to consider, and putting someone in jail is not necessarily the best approach. Its not clear to me that a quarantine order for travel outside of a province is constitutional, he said in an interview. Any travel order that restricts peoples travel from province to province, arguably, could run afoul of our constitutional rights to mobility. This may be an opportunity to test this particular Newfoundland law that clearly restricts mobility rights. Later in the day, the federal government announced it will start enforcing 14-day quarantines on travellers returning to Canada. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said mandatory isolation is needed to flatten the curve of the growth of the novel coronavirus in Canada. The formal quarantine order comes with the potential for arrests and fines. In Quebec City, police arrested a woman last week who they say was infected with the virus and was walking outside after being ordered to stay indoors. The arrest marked the first time Quebec Citys public health director issued an order to police under emergency powers granted after Premier Francois Legault declared a public health emergency March 14. When it became obvious we had to act, we acted, Mathieu Boivin, spokesman for Quebec Citys regional health authority, said last week. Legault has said the health emergency gives police all sorts of powers to enforce his directives. Quebec also announced fines of at least $1,000 against anyone ignoring directives that prohibit gatherings. Last Sunday, Nova Scotia declared a state of emergency to deal with the pandemic and immediately enacted new restrictions and penalties under the provinces Health Protection Act. People in Nova Scotia are prohibited from gathering in groups larger than five. Individuals caught violating the limit face a $1,000 fine, and businesses allowing large groups to gather face a $7,500 fine. On Monday, Prince Edward Island and the City of Vancouver also introduced new penalties for anyone caught violating public health directives. P.E.I. Justice Minister Bloyce Thompson said there would be a fine of $1,000 for a first offence, $2,000 for a second offence and $10,000 for any subsequent offences. Vancouver city council voted unanimously to permit fines as high as $50,000 against businesses that dont adhere to social distancing measures and up to $1,000 for individuals. BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest developments on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China: -- Wuhan, the virus-hit city in central China's Hubei Province, will lift outbound travel curbs from April 8. -- Hubei Province will lift outbound travel restrictions on Wednesday in all areas except the provincial capital Wuhan. -- The Chinese capital Beijing has demanded all arrivals from overseas to undergo concentrated quarantine and nucleic acid testing (NAT) starting from Wednesday as the number of imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to increase. -- Chinese research groups have conducted autopsies on 29 COVID-19 patient bodies and found the novel coronavirus remains in their lungs after death. -- Many aspects of the novel coronavirus are still unknown and experience is being accumulated in dealing with it, a Chinese medical expert said Tuesday. -- Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport will suspend all international flights and flights to and from Hong Kong, Macao and the Taiwan from Wednesday. -- Beijing reported four newly confirmed cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from other countries over the past 12 hours by Tuesday noon. -- Chinese health authority received reports of 78 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Monday, of which 74 were imported from abroad. Of the imported cases, 31 were reported in Beijing, 14 in Guangdong, nine in Shanghai, five in Fujian, four in Tianjin, three in Jiangsu, two in Zhejiang and Sichuan respectively. Shanxi, Liaoning, Shandong and Chongqing each reported one case. By the end of Monday, 427 imported cases had been reported. -- On Monday, seven deaths and 35 new suspected cases were reported on the mainland with all the deaths in Hubei Province. -- The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 81,171 by the end of Monday, including 4,735 patients who were still being treated, 73,159 patients who had been discharged after recovery, and 3,277 people who died of the disease. -- One new confirmed COVID-19 case was reported Monday in Wuhan after the former hardest-hit city had seen zero new reports for five consecutive days. -- The health commission of Hubei Province, of which Wuhan is the capital, said the latest case in Wuhan was the only new COVID-19 case in the central Chinese province Monday. Hubei saw seven new deaths, all of which were in Wuhan. -- China's Ministry of Civil Affairs said local governments may suspend group Tomb-sweeping Day activities in accordance with their local epidemic prevention and control situation to prevent mass gatherings and reduce cross-infection of the coronavirus. -- The Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation have announced plans to donate a total of two million masks, 400,000 test kits and 104 ventilators to 24 Latin American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Peru. M edical students from London have set up a nationwide network offering NHS workers on the frontline free childcare and other practical support. Trainee doctors were sent home from universities and have seen their placements in hospitals around the country cancelled because of coronavirus. Inspired by a group of students offering help in Edinburgh, Archway-based flatmates Connor Tugulu and Thomas Buckley, both 22 and in their fourth year at UCL Medical School, launched a Facebook group offering free babysitting, shopping runs and dog walking to healthcare workers. Within hours the pair had been contacted by fellow medical students south of the river, and just days later London Facebook groups offering the services had nearly 4,000 members, including over 700 doctors looking for assistance. The idea spread so fast that Mr Tugulu contacted organisers of over 30 other Facebook groups, from Plymouth to Glasgow, and with the help of a friend working in IT set up website nationalhealthsupporters.com over the weekend. It allows NHS workers around the UK to contact any of the groups. Mr Tugulu said: We had all been on the wards when doctors were already stressed. I remember one of the doctors saying to me how am I going to see my kids? and it really struck a chord. He added: We are all working to try and make sure the entire country is covered by these groups. All medical students are DBS checked by universities, and will provide this documentation and a medical school reference to parents they help. The Democratic Republic of Congo has declared a state of emergency and the isolation of its capital, Kinshasa, in its fight against coronavirus. President Felix Tshisekedi announced the measures late on Tuesday in a nationwide televised address. Mr Tshisekedi said that along with the closure of the country's borders, a ban on travel into and out of the capital to the provinces - including flights, buses and river transport - would be imposed with immediate effect. The central African country had announced measures last week restricting the movements of its citizens. So far the DR Congo has reported 45 cases and three deaths from coronavirus. The country's second-largest city, Lubumbashi, started a 48-hour lockdown on Monday after two people tested positive for the virus. The two people arrived in Lubumbashi on a Congo Airways flight from the capital Kinshasa on Sunday afternoon, according to the provinces governor Jacques Kyabula. A total of 77 people were on that flight. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Alabama House of Representatives wont resume the legislative session as scheduled on Thursday because of the coronavirus pandemic and its unclear when lawmakers will pass state budgets or finish their other business this year. The House and Senate left for spring break on March 12. Lawmakers established their next meeting dates at that time Thursday for the House and next Tuesday (March 31) for the Senate. House Public Information Officer Clay Redden said House Speaker Mac McCutcheon has told members they dont need to come to the State House on Thursday. McCutcheon will be there to officially convene the meeting but no business can be conducted without a quorum (at least 53 members in the 105-seat House). After the roll call determines there is no quorum, McCutcheon will then announce the next meeting date, which is expected to be Tuesday, coinciding with the Senates return, Redden said. A joint decision on future legislative days will be made then, Redden said. Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said in a text message on Monday that senators would be prepared to make a decision about the rest of the session when they return on Tuesday. Senate Secretary Pat Harris said he does not think senators can meet as usual in the Senate chamber under the social distancing guidelines issued by federal and state officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Harris said there could be special arrangements made if senators decide to conduct any business on Tuesday. For example, senators could stay in their offices and come to the chamber one or two at a time to cast votes, he said. Harris said decisions will also have to be made about public access to the building. On legislative days the State House hallways are normally crowded with lobbyists and others. The legislative session must end by May 18 under a 105-day calendar limit set in the state Constitution. The only constitutional requirement for the Legislature is to pass the education and General Fund budgets. The budgets are for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. If legislators dont approve them before May 18, they could return in a special session this summer. Digital ministry sees rise in conversions, questions about faith amid COVID-19 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment NASHVILLE Global Media Outreach, a digital ministry that specializes in online evangelism, has seen an unprecedented rise in conversions and inquiries about faith, God and the Bible due to heightened anxiety and fear levels associated with the coronavirus. In a statement made available to The Christian Post, Global Media Outreach Founder and Chairman Walt Wilson revealed that Google searches about fears around the virus, uncertain finances, and employment are growing rapidly. Fear is a natural response to a situation like this that none of us have encountered before, he said. What were seeing is millions of people open to talking about faith in the face of fear, and were ramping up to be available for them." GMO reaches individuals around the world with the hope of the Gospel through the internet, mobile, and a proprietary, secure messaging system. Its a great way to do evangelism because 97% of the world has access to an internet or satellite signal, President Jeff Gowler told CP. So with the proliferation of smartphones and mobile devices, literally anybody on the planet can be reached. We attract this huge audience every single day. People are searching all types of questions and then we address that question. In that context, we present the Gospel. Founded in 2004, the organization has reached close to 2 billion people worldwide and seen more than 223 million respond positively to a message of faith and hope in Jesus. Of these, an average of 60,000 will indicate they have received Jesus and approximately 10,000 will ask for more information. The mission of the ministry is simple: To share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone on earth. Over a decade ago, Walt Wilson felt like the Holy Spirit was saying, Use this new technology called the World Wide Web to reach the world for Christ, Gowler recalled. Remember, this was a time when no one was doing that. The internet wasn't even being used for evangelism. And he felt like the Holy Spirit just came over and said, I want you to use this for eternal purpose, to actually go out and tell people about me through the worldwide web, through the internet.' With the outbreak of COVID-19, the demand for spiritual encouragement and guidance is higher than ever. In recent weeks, GMO has gone from reaching 350,000 people per day to upwards of 500,000 globally. We're not going out and asking people, Do you want to know about Jesus? Director John Thompson told CP. People are coming to us saying, 'I need hope. Where can I find hope in the face of tragedy, anxiety, bankruptcy, whatever?' When people are in pain, we offer encouragement and hope. Theyre coming to us, looking for answers, and so we get great receptivity. GMO has 3,500 online volunteers, speaking 50 different languages, who answer questions all over the globe and pray for and guide new believers on their spiritual journey. Because of its safe and anonymous system, GMO is able to minister in hard-to-reach areas like China, India, and predominantly Islamic countries. We actually got kicked out of China once. [Officials] discovered what we were doing, Thompson said. We were able to get back to China because one of our partners has a business license and can actually legitimately work there. When we tried to share the Good News of Jesus through our typical channels, we were blocked. But because were working with a partner there, were actually able to share Jesus directly using the internet. Were reaching thousands of people a day right now. The ministrys work doesnt end with the Gospel message. Discipleship is also a key element of the ministry, Gowler said, revealing that once an individual responds positively to the message of salvation, they receive support to grow in their faith and are connected with a local church or Christian community. Thompson explained, Its a simple four-steps: Theres a presentation of the Gospel that ends with a prayer, and then the question 'Would you like to pray this prayer to receive Christ?' From there, theyre given the opportunity to share their contact information. We put them in contact with one of the online missionaries, who then communicate with them, disciple them, and ask them specifically Did you understand the prayer you prayed? Is that really the desire of your heart? And that begins the journey of discipleship that often goes on for years. Oftentimes, what starts as a simple Gospel presentation, the opportunity for hope and to know Jesus, turns into a personal relationship with an online missionary as well. The organization also offers a free Bible download, available in 1,800 languages, to those seeking further spiritual guidance. Gowler shared how GMO's outreach radically changed the life of Rashidi, a Muslim living in Nigeria. Curious about the Christian faith, Rashidi began to search for answers online and soon discovered one of GMO's Arabic websites. He started reading the Word of God and engaged one of our online missionaries in conversation," Gowler shared. "Over a period of time, he built up trust with this missionary, and the Holy Spirit began working in his life and he prayed to accept Christ. Now, talk about a cost in a society where your entire livelihood is tied around your religious belief and leadership. His conversion not only cost him his job but they came after his family to kill him and to kill them. And eventually, they were able to escape to another country, all with the guidance and support of our online missionaries. God is working, he added. Its just one piece of amazing evidence of what God is able to do in the lives of people, particularly that are willing to seek Him, through the internet. [March 25, 2020] Amid uncertainty, Yoga International has a plan to help save your local yoga studio HONESDALE, Pa., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Yoga International, a membership platform specializing in online yoga classes, has quickly pivoted in order to help keep independent yoga studios across the country afloat during the Coronavirus pandemic. As of March 12th, many yoga studios were closing their doors to students. Yoga International began receiving inquiries from studio owners concerned about their ability to hold on to both customers and revenue during a time when they would have to close their businesses. CEO Todd Wolfenberg: "We were uniquely positioned with technology and a platform, and we listened to the needs of yoga teachers who were reaching out to us, unsure of how they would keep their communities together during a time when people need yoga's benefits the most." Within hours, Wolfenberg and team developed the " Community Partners " program, allowing studios to stay connected with students by publishing their original content on Yoga International's platform. The program allows partners to colect an ongoing percentage of the revenue Yoga International collects from the membership sales of their customers. Yoga International worked closely with studio owners, Yoga Alliance, and other partners to ensure the program was fair for everyone involved, while simultaneously providing a much-needed service for yoga students everywhere. Wolfenberg continued: "We were scrambling to make sure our employees were healthy and prepared, but couldn't help but think that Coronavirus would have a huge impact on local studios. In a few days, we redeployed our workforce to create a true partnership to help studio owners, teachers, and their students during these challenging times, and beyond. The interest and turnaround has been immediate; currently, 600+ studio applicants have reached out expressing interest." Christie Ann Rochette, a certified yoga instructor in Maine: "Thank you! I was just considering how important an online presence is in light of everything that is currently happening but wondering how I could even compete with larger online offerings. To be part of this solution, and be able to offer this option to collaborate instead is fantastic! Not only presently, but moving into the future." Yoga International is an online platform with 1 million+ users worldwide, specializing in yoga and meditation content. YI's mission is to help make yoga more accessible and inclusive by partnering with teachers and organizations to bring classes online for students to practice, any time, anywhere. Contact: Jim Jennings [email protected] (215) 430-3364 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amid-uncertainty-yoga-international-has-a-plan-to-help-save-your-local-yoga-studio-301029780.html SOURCE Yoga International [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Countries must protect people in detention from the COVID-19 pandemic by releasing vulnerable prisoners, the UN's rights chief said on Wednesday. "Covid-19 has begun to strike prisons, jails and immigration detention centres, as well as residential care homes and psychiatric hospitals, and risks rampaging through such institutions' extremely vulnerable populations," Michelle Bachelet said in a statement. "Authorities should examine ways to release those particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, among them older detainees and those who are sick, as well as low-risk offenders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 20:41:24|Editor: ZD Video Player Close Bangladeshi ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia leaves the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 25, 2020. Khaleda Zia has been released from jail for six months on humanitarian grounds in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Zia, also chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), at around 4:15 p.m. local time on Wednesday, came out of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in capital Dhaka, where she was being treated. In April 2018, Zia was shifted to the BSMMU when she fell ill and has remained there ever since. (Str/Xinhua) DHAKA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been released from jail for six months on humanitarian grounds in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Zia, also chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), at around 4:15 p.m. local time on Wednesday, came out of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in capital Dhaka, where she was being treated. The Bangladeshi government Tuesday announced its decision to release Zia, suspending her sentence for six months. In April 2018, Zia was shifted to the BSMMU when she fell ill and has remained there ever since. Bangladesh on Wednesday announced the country's fifth death related to COVID-19. The victim was one of the 39 cases reported in the county to date. Roger Lau, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warrens longtime campaign manager, spoke out against a new resolution co-signed by Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, referring to it as lazy, hateful and dangerous. Asian Americans have been victims of hate crimes that have been incited by ignorance like this, said Lau in a tweet on Tuesday. This is a global crisis and were all in this together. Were better than this! This is just so wrong. Its lazy scapegoating, hateful fear mongering, & just flat out dangerous. Asian Americans have been victims of hate crimes that have been incited by ignorance like this. This is a global crisis & were all in this together. Were better than this! https://t.co/2oqJpk8LF3 Roger Lau (@RogerLau) March 24, 2020 The resolution argues that the Chinese government encouraged the "spread of misinformation to downplay the risks of the virus, a refusal to cooperate with international health authorities, internal censorship of doctors and journalists and malicious disregard for the health of ethnic minorities. Moulton is the only Democrat who signed the bill. Seth signed onto this bill because we need to make clear what Chinas government is doing so that we can point out how President [Donald J.] Trump is using their playbook, said a spokesperson for Moulton. While his test kits were failing, the President and his son were peddling lies about the viruss origins on Fox News in the same way Chinas government was saying the U.S. defense department caused the pandemic to their domestic audience. Taking to Twitter, Moulton pointed out the xenophobic comments President Donald Trump has shown during the COVID-19 pandemic but feels the bill is a way to hold the Chinese accountable for the mistakes they have made. Trump in the first two minutes of his White House press conference on Sunday used the term Chinese virus to describe COVID-19, even after many Asian Americans have asked him to stop for fear of retribution. The term has been criticized as racist and one of the causes behind a recent rash of violence towards Asian Americans across the U.S. Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts It is important to point out what authoritarian regimes are doing so that when our president uses the same playbook at home we can hold him to account, said Moultons spokesperson. The resolution was introduced by Republican Rep. Jim Banks. Moulton is the only Democrat to co-sign the bill with Republican Reps. Kevin Hern., Austin Scott, Trent Kelly, Brian Babin, Barry Loudermilk, Adam Kinzinger, Greg Steube, Larry Bucshon, Mike Rogers, Dan Crenshaw, Mike Gallagher, Kelly Armstrong, Guy Reschenthaler, Rep. Michael Waltz and Jason Smith. Related Content: More than 300,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to abolish fines and car parking charges for NHS employees using staff car parks during the coronavirus pandemic. The petition - addressed to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, chancellor Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson - calls on the government to act during our nations hour of need. In a letter accompanying the petition, organiser Anthony Gallagher, an NHS worker, said: Now, as with generations before ours, a small minority of our population finds itself with both the skill and the bravery to step up in our nation's hour of need. This is not the first time that so much is owed by so many to so few, nor will it be the last, but this is our time. He added: It is the NHS and its workforce that now stands between us and the greatest mass tragedy we have faced in generations. Mr Gallagher said that there had already been astonishing fines levied at NHS staff for parking at work in the lead up to the current staffing crisis. Car park charges must be reasonable, according to The Principles In NHS Car Park Charging introduced by the government in 2014. Last year, private firms pocketed 272 million from patients, families and NHS staff parking at hospital sites - up 46 million from the previous year. In total, NHS staff were forced to pay 86 million to park their cars while helping the sick, according NHS digital figures. This is wholly wrong, said Conservative MP Robert Halfon. "NHS hospital car parking charges are a tax on the sick, the elderly, the vulnerable and on our incredible NHS staff." Former Labour MP and shadow health minister Julie Cooper said: The whole situation is a disgrace. Parking charges at three Scottish hospitals will be scrapped for the next three months, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman confirmed on Tuesday. Ms Freeman told MSPs that charges at Dundees Ninewells Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary will be waived from Monday. Charging for parking at other NHS car parks in Scotland was scrapped in 2008. Some local authorities in England have already moved to relax car parking charges for key workers and NHS staff. Hackney Council in London has introduced exemptions for key workers on the front line of the boroughs response to the coronavirus pandemic. The measures will allow NHS workers, police, school staff and any organisations providing support to vulnerable individuals, such as care home workers, to park in any resident or shared use parking bay in the borough. Announcing the move, Cllr Jon Burke, Cabinet Member for Energy, Waste, Transport and the Public Realm, said: We have put in place an exemption for key workers - the people who actually need to be out. Parking restrictions are necessary to ensure roads are clear for emergency vehicles, and to free up space for key workers. You can sign the petition by clicking on the clicking on this link. The Independent has contacted the Department for Health for comment. Bishop Hinder speaks about the possible impact of the COVID-19 virus on a country battered by five years of war, with no health facilities to stem the epidemic. The war is making many young people "sad and depressed; more than half are afraid of "playing outdoors". Sana'a (AsiaNews) After five years of a brutal civil war, there is great concern about the possible spread of the coronavirus in Yemen, which would have a devastating effect" on the country and the civilian population, this according to Bishop Paul Hinder, apostolic vicar of southern Arabia.[*] Speaking to AsiaNews, the prelate stressed that the country has no health facilities to deal with an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic, nor any prospects for peace" at present. Whilst it is true that Yemens population is relatively young and less at risk than the peoples of Europe, which are older, the effects of the coronavirus outbreak are already felt in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. What is more, there is no institution that can counteract the effects of the virus in the country. For the prelate, hope lies with the impact of the epidemic on the war, but since it is hard to get reliable information from the country, it is hard to see any peaceful solution on the horizon. Perhaps, the epidemic could create a new situation, offer the various parties an excuse to withdraw and work together. The Arab nation, the poorest in the Arab Peninsula, slipped into civil war after Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sana'a, in 2014. The conflict between the Saudi-backed government and rebels got worse in March 2015 when a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened militarily. The fight between local groups has turned into a proxy war, killing so far about 90,000 people and displacing a million, in what is currently the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, with around 24 million Yemenis (80 per cent of the population) in need of humanitarian assistance. Concerns about a coronavirus outbreak are compounded by the wars psychologic impact, especially on young people. A study released today by Save the Children found that five years of war have had a devastating impact on the mental health of the population, with many children on the verge of a depression. More than half of the 1,250 young people (13 to 17) surveyed felt very sad and depressed" and for more than one in ten said that this feeling is "permanent". The study was conducted in the southern provinces of Aden, Lahi and Taiz. About one in five of those surveyed said they always felt "fear and sadness". About 52 per cent of respondents said they didnt feel safe when they were separated from their parents; 56 per cent felt the same when they walk outside alone. The children are "terrified" and "afraid to play outdoors". For experts, the novel coronavirus represents a potentially devastating blow to the Arab country; for this reason, it is essential to "end the conflict. As evidence of the problems the countrys health system faces, Medecins sans frontieres (MsF) recorded at least 40 violent incidents between 2018 and 2020 involving the MsF-supported Al-Thawra hospital in Taiz. Our humanitarian space is threatened by the repeated violations committed by the different warring parties in Taiz, said Corinne Benazech, MsF Operations Manager in Yemen. Yet, Every day, medical staff make courageous decisions to continue to provide healthcare despite the risks, for the benefit of Yemeni patients dependent on this care, she added. [*] United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen. George Falcone is accused of coughing on a supermarket worker and saying he had coronavirus. (Police handout) A man has been accused of exploiting peoples fears by deliberately coughing on a supermarket worker while claiming he had coronavirus. George Falcone, 50, has been charged with making terroristic threats while in a branch of Wegmans in Manalapan, New Jersey, on Sunday evening. According to the states attorney general Gurbir Grewal, an employee inside the store asked Falcone to move away from prepared foods while she covered them up. It is alleged that at this point Falcone leaned towards the woman and deliberately coughed on her and laughed, telling her he had coronavirus. George Falcone is alleged to have coughed on a worker at Wegmans supermarket in New Jersey. (Google) Falcone went on to tell two other employees that they were lucky to have jobs, and initially refused to identify himself when approached by a police officer, according to prosecutors. After Falcone was charged, Monmouth County prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said: Exploiting peoples fears and creating panic during a pandemic emergency is reprehensible. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area Explained: Symptoms, latest advice and how it compares to the flu In times like these, we need to find ways to pull together as a community instead of committing acts that further divide us. Grewal added: These are extremely difficult times in which all of us are called upon to be considerate of each other not to engage in intimidation and spread fear, as alleged in this case. Countries around the world with confirmed cases of coronavirus. (PA) Just as we are cracking down on bias offences and those who use the pandemic to fuel hatred and prejudice, we vow to respond swiftly and strongly whenever someone commits a criminal offence that uses the coronavirus to generate panic or discord. Falcone has denied the accusations, telling press agency Reuters that he didn't cough on anyone and never mentioned corona. Over 55,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the United States, while nearly 800 people in the country have died, according to John Hopkins University. Story continues Dos and donts in the UK under lockdown US president Donald Trump has said he wants to reopen the US for business in weeks, not months, as he claimed continued closures could result in more deaths than COVID-19 itself. He told reporters: "We can't have the cure be worse than the problem. "We have to open our country because that causes problems that, in my opinion, could be far bigger problems. Donald Trump said he wanted to reopen the US for business in weeks. (AP) Trump acknowledged there were trade-offs, but claimed that if closures stretched on for months there would be "probably more death from that than anything that we're talking about with respect to the virus. Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction, the number of infections will overwhelm the healthcare system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths. Our people want to return to work. They will practice Social Distancing and all else, and Seniors will be watched over protectively & lovingly. We can do two things together. THE CURE CANNOT BE WORSE (by far) THAN THE PROBLEM! Congress MUST ACT NOW. We will come back strong! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2020 While the worst outbreaks are concentrated in certain parts of the country, such as New York, experts say the highly infectious disease is certain to spread. Trump tweeted that he would be waiting until the end of the current 15-day period of recommended closures and self-isolation to make any decisions. Amidst such fast spread of the COVID-19, it is pertinent that measures be taken to contain it. People are being advised by the authorities to maintain social distancing as the best shot at containment. Minimizing contact and keeping a safe distance from others to prevent the spread of coronavirus. These pictures show how people are practising social distancing to avoid coronavirus spread. Take a look... People sit inside marked circles to maintain social distancing, as they wait to collect ration outside a distribution centre during the nationwide lockdown, in wake of coronavirus pandemic, in Patna. (Image: PTI) Dr Alex George's girlfriend has said she is 'so proud' of her boyfriend as he works on the frontline amid the coronavirus crisis. The couple have been separated by the global pandemic, with the dancer returning home to Dorset a week ago, while Alex stays in London to work at Lewisham Hospital, where he is an A&E doctor. Posting on Instagram on Wednesday Amelia, who previously appeared on reality show Ibiza Weekender, said she was 'endlessly grateful for all the NHS staff'. 'Proud': Dr Alex George's girlfriend has said she is 'so proud' of her boyfriend as he works on the frontline amid the coronavirus crisis Sharing a throwback photo showing the couple's shadows on a beach, Amelia wrote: 'This afternoon I painted a mirror in the sunshine whilst drinking wine and listening to the Beach Boys'. 'Meanwhile, Alex ran around Lewisham hospital treating Covid-19 patients. Im so proud of him and Im endlessly grateful for all the NHS staff and key workers who are working tirelessly during such uncertain times.' Amelia has been sharing updates from her self isolation in Dorset, including bikini snaps, all of which her besotted beau has responded to with his signature Love Island phrase 'hell'. The couple started dating Christmas 2018 after meeting in a bar, following Alex's failed attempt at finding love on the 2018 series of Love Island. Tough: The couple have been separated by the global pandemic, with the dancer returning home to Dorset a week ago, while Alex stays in London to work at Lewisham Hospital Sweet: Posting on Instagram on Wednesday Amelia, who previously appeared on reality show Ibiza Weekender, said she was 'endlessly grateful for all the NHS staff' Dr Alex has been providing updates on life in the NHS during the global crisis, posting advice on his social media pages and giving interviews. A week ago the doctor said in an update that staff at hospitals were working seven days a week and the 'pressure is on' if more people had to be admitted to wards. Alex told The Sun: 'I've been testing around eight patients a shift - and the NHS can easily cope with that level, but if we start seeing 50 or 60 a day, the pressure will be on. 'The protective gear we have to wear at the moment adds to the queues at A&E. Grateful: Alex posted a sweet comment underneath while his Love Island co-star Samira Mighty added her proud comment Frontline: Dr Alex returned to his job as a doctor five months after appearing on the 2018 series of popular ITV2 dating show Love Island 'Before seeing each patient I have to put on a gown, fit a mask and visor and double glove as well as the thorough hand-washing routine.' Dr Alex went on to say the NHS 'simply couldn't cope' if four in five people got COVID-19, but could if it was one in five. The former reality star said there is only one isolation room for infectious diseases at the hospital he works at with only one bed in it. If the number cases of coronavirus rises, they will have to quarantine entire wards. Sunshine: Amelia has been sharing updates from her self isolation in Dorset, including bikini snaps Smitten: Alex has responded to Amelia's racy snaps with his signature Love Island phrase 'hell' The doctor has also urged the NHS to provide complimentary car parking to all staff during the global coronavirus pandemic. With over 20,000 extra employees being called to help the fight against COVID-19, the Love Island star has called for 'hospital car parks to be free', as a worker's vehicle was clamped after they were forced to park at their local leisure centre. The media personality wrote on Twitter on Sunday evening: 'Controversial but maybe this is a good time for hospital car parks to be free for NHS staff? Retweet if you agree. Working hard: Dr Alex has been providing updates on life in the NHS during the global crisis, posting advice on his social media pages and giving interviews Dr Alex returned to his job as a doctor five months after appearing on the 2018 series of popular ITV2 dating show Love Island. Posting on Instagram in November 2018, he explained: 'Love Island was the experience of a lifetime, but ever since I left the villa I've genuinely missed working for the NHS. 'That's why this week, I'm going back to A&E. I trained for years for the opportunity to help people, and I can't wait to get back to doing what I love.' Neighboring communities to San Antonio reported new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. A third case of coronavirus was confirmed in the Kendall County, while Comal County announced two more cases, bringing the total in the county to seven. Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news with mySA.com: The Kendall County Office of Emergency Management and the City of Boerne said local leaders were notified Wednesday of the positive test. Officials said additional information about the new case was not available. The first two cases in the community were travel-related. The Boerne City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend the mayors emergency health declaration through April 23. In Comal County, one of the new cases is travel-related while the other remains under investigation. One individual has self-quarantined. The other patient is hospitalized outside of the county. Officials said one patient is in their 40s and one in their 60s. One is from New Braunfels, while the other lives in in eastern Comal County. Authorities are tracing the individuals' recent history to locate and notify those with whom they have had direct contact. Comal County had received 92 COVID-19 test results, including the seven positive results. Twenty-eight results are still pending. Hays County officials reported one new case on Wednesday, bringing the total in the county to 10. The latest case is a resident of Buda. As of Monday, Guadalupe County had reported four confirmed coronavirus cases. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: B ritain is "coping very well" with coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday, as more than 400,000 Brits volunteered to help in the crisis. But it will be "a close run thing" for the NHS, chief medical officer Chris Whitty warned, as Britain's critical care capacity is set to be stretched to the limit in the coming weeks. Mr Johnson revealed at his daily press conference on Wednesday that 405,000 people had signed up to help the vulnerable people stuck at home in just 24 hours. He thanked the volunteers and said: "When we launched the appeal last night, we hoped to get 250,000 volunteers over a few days." Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty / Getty Images The Prime Minister added that the Government was "ramping up" coronavirus testing and said that he hoped 250,000 tests would soon be done every day. Mr Whitty played down an earlier claim by the director of the UK's National Infection Service that Brits could get tests delivered to their homes as soon as next week. He said that NHS workers would be given tests first. Mr Whitty added that the NHS was not facing "enormous pressure" now, but this would change in the weeks to come. He emphasised that obeying the strict social distancing measures in place was the key to reducing infections and helping the NHS cope with the outbreak. Getty Images The Government introduced new rules on Monday evening keeping Brits to their homes, apart from for essential work, medical reasons, exercise and a weekly food shop. Mr Whitty went on: This is going to be a close-run thing, we all know that..." He said: But the measures that have been announced for the general public which all of us have to do if the NHS is to get through this without exceeding its capacity and the fantastic work by the NHS is the way we will narrow this gap to the smallest possible gap over the next three weeks... But we cannot guarantee that and nobody who is sensible would wish to guarantee that, Mr Whitty added. A NHS nurse holds a Coronavirus testing kit / Getty Images Professor Neil Ferguson at Imperial College London, who has been advising the Government on its coronavirus response, said on current figures the NHS will be able to cope if lockdown measures are followed and capacity is increased as planned. He said that the key to ending the lockdown without causing a spike in infections would be widespread testing. Mr Ferguson added that the UK is unlikely to have more than 20,000 deaths from coronavirus. On Tuesday Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed that the Government is building an emergency coronavirus hospital with capacity for 4,000 patients in the Excel Centre in east London. Named NHS Nightingale, it is set to open next week. Last week, Northwick Park hospital in north London told staff it was in a critical situation after a surge in coronavirus-related admissions. The situation passed the next day when the hospital found more intensive care beds, but a hospital spokesperson told the Standard the situation was fluid and subject to change. The NHS trust the hospital forms part of has had more than 700 patients in three weeks and has more than 70 receiving critical care, the Standard reported on Wednesday. The comments from the Prime Minister, Mr Whitty and Mr Ferguson come after it was revealed on Wednesday that heir to the British throne Prince Charles, 71, had tested positive for coronavirus. The Prince of Wales reportedly has mild symptoms and is self-isolating. Prince Charles with the Queen (Getty Images) / Getty Images file photo A Clarence House spokesman said: that the Prince "otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual." Meanwhile the British Medical Association (BMA) warned that without more personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS staff, healthcare workers and patients would be at great risk from coronavirus. A healthcare worker puts on a mask for treating coronavirus patients / AFP via Getty Images The BMA said that patients could be affected as without the right protection doctors and nurses would be likely to take time off for sickness, possibly leading to staff shortages. The BMA's statement follow comments from Lisa Anderson, a senior cardiologist at St George's Hospital in London to the BBC last week, criticising the Government for not following World Health Organisation standards for PPE. The Government is continuing to work to mitigate the health and economic effects of the virus. Earlier on Wednesday, the House of Lords cleared the Coronavirus Bill without amendment, meaning the Government is set to get wide-ranging powers never been seen before in peacetime. Loading.... Washington, D.C., March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Houthi authorities in Yemen today ordered the release of all Baha'i prisoners, along with a pardon for prisoner of conscience Hamed bin Haydara, according to a television broadcast today by Mr. Mahdi al-Mashat, President of the Houthi Supreme Political Council. Mr. Haydara's death sentence was previously upheld on March 22 by an appeals court in Sana'a. In a statement, the Bahai International Community (BIC) welcomed the announcement, calling for its immediate implementation. They named the six Baha'is to be released, aside from Mr. Haydara, as Mr. Waleed Ayyash, Mr. Akram Ayyash, Mr. Kayvan Ghaderi, Mr. Badiullah Sanai, and Mr. Wael al-Arieghie. The BIC previously described their imprisonment as "religiously motivated," and driven by "baseless charges." The BIC further advocated for the Houthi authorities to drop charges that were issued in 2018 against over 20 other Baha'is, to return seized assets and properties of members of the Baha'i community, and to allow the functioning of Baha'i institutions in Yemen. "Like all other Yemeni citizens," the BIC stated, "Bahais should be permitted to practice their faith freely, in keeping with the universal principles of freedom of religion or belief. The Bahais of Yemen have and will continue to contribute to the life of their country and their fellow citizens." Attachment Gov. Charlie Baker speaks at COVID-19 update on Wednesday. Massachusetts Schools to Remain Closed Through May 4 BOSTON Public and private schools will remain closed through May 4, extending the emergency closure for COVID-19 another month. The emergency order was signed by Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday and announced at a press conference that afternoon. The order includes child-care centers not serving essential personnel. "This will allow school districts to provide the best possible opportunities for remote learning to all students," the governor said. "This is not an extended school vacation. During this long-term closure, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will work with school districts to further develop educational programming students can use at home. This way schools can prepare for their students return in May." The administration is working with WGBH public television to provide educational programming during the week. Educational resources will be posted on the department's website , and middle and high school students can access WGBH and WGBY educational programming on WGBH and WGBY on the WORLD channel from noon to 5 p.m. "We at the department will be sending out additional guidance to districts tomorrow morning," said DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley. "This guidance was developed after speaking with and listening to many stakeholders in our educational community, and should be used by districts to build upon or harmonize with their current remote learning plans. "Our expectation is that districts will be implementing these revised plans by early April." The extension will allow time more time for teachers to ensure all students have access to resources and instruction that is customized to their particular needs such as students with special needs and English language learners. Riley said it was recognized that this is a traumatic time for children it was important to get them into a routine and learning and that the extended closure could offer experiences outside of the classroom. "This is an amazing opportunity to think about project-based learning, to think about reading a book, and think about cooking recipes and how that works. To think about starting a garden," he said. "We have a real opportunity here to do different things with our children, and we're going to try to supply the resources in addition to what the district is offering." He could not yet speak to how the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System testing would be addressed because the state was waiting on a federal waiver for applied testing and the legislation to give him authority to make a decision had been delivered to Beacon Hill on Tuesday. "You should expect that once those hurdles are clear that I will make decisions in short order about the MCAS," Riley said. Families will be sent letters about public television offerings since there are children without access to the internet. He said remote learning may refer to online learning but not necessarily. "We think that districts should use whatever they have at their availability to get out to kids but we want to make sure we don't penalize kids who don't have access to the internet," Riley said, adding, "this could be an amazing opportunity to think differently about how we educate our kids." The Luminaria Artist Foundation and the citys Department of Arts & Culture have established a fund to help Bexar County artists impacted by the COVID-19 shutdown. We really just realized that coronavirus and COVID-19 have had an impact on our whole economy, and we wanted to make sure we provide as best we can for the artists, said Kathy Armstrong, executive director of Luminaria. We know that artists have suffered because of cancelations. A new funding effort to help the Witte Museum has been announced, as well. Here are the details: Corona Arts Relief Program: Artists can apply for up to $600 in relief for lost revenue incurred because of cancelations of events slated to take place between March 13 and April 19 due to the National Emergency Declarations. That includes concerts, exhibitions, artist talks, plays and any other form of artistic expression. Artists also can apply for funding for professional development and arts education received in-person or via distance learning between April 1 and Dec. 31. The funds do not include college tuition, but they do cover apprenticeships, travel and conferences. Those who apply will be asked to provide documentation of the training, including receipts for fees and travel and training flyers or notices. On ExpressNews.com: SA arts groups struggling due to shutdown The deadline to apply is April 14. Applications can be submitted through anyartist.org, which is waiving application fees. A total of $20,000 is available for this go-round, said Armstrong. Donations are being sought so that additional funds can be provided. Armstrong estimates that about 40 artists will be able to receive funding at this point. Witte challenge grant: A Witte Museum trustee has issued a $50,000 challenge grant to help the institution make up for lost revenue while it is shuttered. Donations can be made through the museums website. dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN Deborah Martin is an arts writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN Former Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert warned against President Trump's Easter deadline to battle coronavirus on Wednesday, saying the country does not have the resources to achieve it without risking a second round of infections. On Tuesday, President Trump said he hoped to stamp out the virus and shrink the current economic and health crisis by April 12. It gave hope to Americans that the pandemic was not far from over, but contradicted the advice of countless physicians and politicians that the crisis was going to last at least six weeks if not months. On Wednesday morning, Bossert - who served on the National Security Council and whose job involved coordinating pandemic responses before Trump fired him in 2018 - said it was unattainable and potentially could create a new wave of cases. 'The lesson of April of is one of resurrection but its preceded by a lot of despair and death. I was more struck by Dr. [Anthony] Fauci yesterday asking us of the feasibility of what we want to do. Scroll down for video On Tuesday night, the president said he wanted people to get back to work and for the crisis to be over by Easter, which falls on April 12 'The president wants to do this, but I'm not sure we've got the resources to do it carefully without introducing a second wave of infections in New York and New Orleans,' Bossert said. Tom Bossert, who served as Trump's Homeland Security Adviser and whose job involved pandemic planning, said the Easter deadline could create more cases He went on to say that a more immediate potential problem may be that right now, New York is by far the most affected but that will not always be the case and when other states start suffering in the same way, their governors will demand the resources Gov. Andrew Cuomo is frantically trying to get now. 'New Orleans is about to experience exponential growth. 'I am worried about New York - they are in the thrust of this overwhelming growth. 'As Gov. Cuomo is worried about resources, other governors with legitimate competing needs are going to surface. 'That's the whole function of FEMA here to try to help adjudicate the competing needs for scarce resources,' he said. There are more than 54,000 cases of coronavirus in the US and the number is fast rising. More than 700 people have died. Most of the cases - more than 25,000 - are in the state of New York. Gov. Cuomo shamed the president on Tuesday for only sending 400 ventilators when he says he needs 30,000 to combat the crisis. It prompted him to send an additional 4,000 which will arrive in 48 hours. .@TomBossert tells @GStephanopoulos: The president wants to do this but Im not sure we have the resources to do it in a careful way without reintroducing second wave infections regarding Trumps desire to open country by Easter. https://t.co/UH9BKflYoB pic.twitter.com/n6B3CJamyy Good Morning America (@GMA) March 25, 2020 There are now nearly 800 deaths in the US due to the virus and nearly 55,000 have it Multiple states and cities have gone into various forms of voluntary lockdown to battle the crisis Cuomo said he would solve the issue of a national shortage of equipment by using the ventilators only when he needs it. Once New York has overcome its crisis, he said he would happily ship anything the government gives him to the place where it is needed most next. Another key component of his strategy is to allow people who may have had the virus and recovered without knowing it to return to work and restart the economy. It would not only weed out those who are able to resume normal life, but the anti-bodies in their blood from beating the virus could then be used to help treat the sick. Cuomo is also hopeful that trials of anti-malaria drugs that have had some promising results will try to alleviate the strain. He warned that the peak will arrive in New York in as little as 14 days and that when it does, 140,000 people are going to need hospital care, many of them ICU. On Tuesday night, the president stunned reporters by announcing the April 12 deadline. He said he'd come to decide on that date on his own, and that he thought it would be a 'beautiful time' for the country to go back to work. Bossert also said he is worried about governors having to start to compete for the coveted federal resources. NY Gov. Cuomo (shown yesterday) is leading the charge because there are the highest number of cases in his state He did not specify what he was basing his prediction or plan on, saying only: 'It was based on a certain level of weeks from time we started and it happened to arrive, we were thinking of terms of sooner. 'I'd love to see it come sooner,' he said. He was joined at his daily briefing by Dr. Tony Fauci, who had not been at it for the past two days, and Dr. Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the day-to-day response. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gave a more measured response when asked his opinion of the Easter timeline. 'It's going to be looking at the data,' he said. He pointed out they need information from parts of the country where there is no obvious outbreak. 'Is there something underneath the surface that says you better be careful and really clamp down or what looks there you don't really have to be as harsh as you are in other areas. 'It's looking at information that up to this point we never had. It's a flexible situation,' he said. Bounce music legend and female rapper Cheeky Blakk is known as Queen of the South with a career spanning over 25 years. From her 94 album Gots to be Cheeky with the track Twerk Something, the first time the word twerk appeared in a title track. As a recipient of a NOLA Music Award Lifetime Achievement Award and credited as a hip-hop pioneer in the book, The Motherlode: 100+ Women Tom Blackout/Unsplash , FAL How should we treat convicted criminals? This is a matter of continuing public debate, and varies enormously across countries. Even within the so-called developed world, there are wide variations. The US, for example, imprisons more people per capita (over 700 per 100,000) than any other country in the world. At the other end of the spectrum are the Scandinavians. Norway, for example, has one of the lowest, at 66 per 100,000. While the composition and severity of crime varies, the US and the Scandinavian model represent different philosophies. The US system focuses more on punishment, whereas the Scandinavian model emphasises rehabilitation: treatment and support aimed to help the offender become a law abiding member of society. This might include developing skills to improve employability or treating mental health problems, for example. The UK falls somewhere in between these two models. Although it has the highest prison population per capita in western Europe, the country has experimented with initiatives aimed at diverting low level offenders away from prison. One of the largest such schemes Operation Checkpoint is being run by Durham Constabulary. This deferred prosecution scheme allows offenders for certain types of relatively low harm offences (such as theft or criminal damage) to avoid prosecution if they participate in a programme that addresses their causes of offending such as mental health issues or substance abuse. The first set of results from this programme, recently published, show a 15% reduction in reoffending rates when compared to similar offenders who did not participate. A back of the envelope cost/benefit analysis suggests that the programme also represents good value for money, with the benefit to society from reduced re-offending estimated at 2 million against a cost of half a million for running the programme. Of course, while not every rehabilitation programme in the UK has been rigorously evaluated, these results are consistent with other evidence across England and Wales indicating that non-custodial alternatives can reduce crime. Story continues Retribution or rehabilitation? The effective response to crime has always been a matter of debate. While the retributive idea of justice seeks to inflict a cost or hardship on the criminal as a just response to crime, the rehabilitation model seeks to provide support that can reform the criminal. While this debate has often been cast as one between those who fully believe in punishment and those who want to see prison time completely cut and replaced with rehabilitative programmes, most people believe in both. The debate is more often about what the right mix is. In the UK, for example, there is wide public support for tough criminal justice sanctions. But there is just as much support for rehabilitation. And when presented with evidence around the cost of prison (roughly 40,000 per prison place per year), a majority support looking into cheaper alternatives to prison: meaning there is public support for alternatives to custody that can rehabilitate criminals. A particular type of alternative to custody is a deferred prosecution agreement, where criminal charges are not brought against defendants if they fulfil certain conditions. The success of Operation Checkpoint will no doubt spur more interest in the area. Reoffending rates An international comparison reveals some interesting trends. Norway moved its focus from punishment to rehabilitation (including for those who were imprisoned) 20 years ago. This was followed by large reductions in reoffending rates. Compared to a reoffending rate of around 50% within a year in the UK, Norways is around 25% in five years. There is much to learn from this. A lot of people processed within the criminal justice system have vulnerabilities that can make them prone to offending, which might suggest why rehabilitation can be so successful. Recent evidence suggests that the UK prison population has serious levels of self-harm. And a recent report finds that 90% of the UKs prison population suffer from metal health problems. Releasing such people without investing in their treatment is bound to lead to reoffending. Though less dramatic, the same report finds that nearly 40% of people detained by the police also suffer from mental health issues. A substantial portion of criminals, then, could benefit from support rather than punishment. Locking up or otherwise criminalising people with these vulnerabilities also raise ethical issues. In particular, what would be a just response to crime committed by the vulnerable? The economics of crime From an economic perspective, rehabilitation makes sense. A recent study that colleagues and I undertook across England and Wales provides illustrative examples of changes in sending more people to prison (a proxy for a model that emphasises punishment) versus community sentences (a proxy for a more rehabilitative approach). Based on a statistical model using data on case disposals and crime rates across England and Wales, it provides estimates of how changes in case disposals affect crime rates. For example, sentencing 1% more offenders to prison for property offences (including theft and handling) is estimated to reduce next years recorded crimes by 2,693. But a similar 1% increase in community sentences reduces these offences by 3,590. When one considers that community sentences cost on average a quarter of prison sentences, it appears there is scope to reduce property crime (approximately 72% of recorded crimes in the analysis) more cost-effectively and humanely through a greater use of community sentences instead of prison. The results suggest that initiatives like the Durham model could be used more widely, leading to a more cost effective and humane criminal justice system. Views on crime and punishment differ. Yet almost everyone would agree that we care about crime because of the harm caused by it. One does not have to have any particular ideological bent to advocate an approach that reduces harm. There is evidence that rehabilitation (including within prison) reduces crime and can be cost effective. Economic analysis therefore, reinforces the idea that punishment is not the best solution for reducing the harmful impact of crime. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Conversation Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay received funding from the ESRC impact acceleration follow on fund for a project examining the impact of alternatives to custody. UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Mar, 2020 ) :United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Canadian diplomat Deborah Lyons as his new Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Ms. Lyons succeeds Tadamichi Yamamoto of Japan, who has served in this critical role since 2016. A diplomat with 21 years of professional experience in political affairs, international cooperation and economic development, Ms. Lyons recently served as Canadian Ambassador to Israel, and from 2013 to 2016, as Ambassador to Afghanistan. Her appointment comes as the United States seeks to reduce their military footprint in Afghanistan, where the United States has been fighting the Taliban and other insurgent forces since October 2001. A peace agreement was reached last month between the United States and the Taliban that includes a time line for what could be an eventual total withdrawal of the roughly 12,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan, contingent on the Taliban meeting certain conditions, including talks with the Afghan government and upholding a promise not to let terrorist groups use Afghan soil to plot external attacks. The implementation of the peace accord is being delayed because of a political crisis in Afghanistan stemming from a dispute between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, who are clashing over the results of their country's presidential election in September last year. A teenage girl who has been fighting cancer for 12 years has been the lucky beneficiary of a substantial donation from an English couple whose daughter has beaten the same disease. Robyn Smyth, 15, from Whitehall in Dublin, has been fighting neuroblastoma since the age of 3. Since she began battling the aggressive cancer, Robyn has flown back and forth to the US for treatment almost 100 times. Bernadette Dornan, Robyns mother, has been by her daughters side since they first received the diagnosis on September 10, 2007. The family continue to go through the highs and extreme lows that cancer treatment can bring. But their fundraising drive received a welcome boost of 33,253 from the family of Kendal Jessop who has been five years cancer free. Bernadette, who has never met the Jessop family, said she cannot thank them enough. Kendal is a fighter of neuroblastoma just like Robyn. Thankfully Kendal is doing well so her family have decided to release her funds, donating 33,253 to Robyn's fund. All the money they have raised will help others. We have never met her family but yet they have decided to help Robyn and we cannot thank Laine and Stuart enough for this completely selfless act. Thank you for choosing to help Robyn and thank you to all of Kendal supporters for making this possible. "Kendal has now reached her 10th birthday and we understand how big a milestone this is. We wish Kendal and her family nothing but future health and happiness. Speaking of their donation, Kendals family said: The trust fund was set up following Kendals neuroblastoma diagnosis in November 2012 to support her treatment costs. We are delighted that Kendal has now been formally discharged by her consultant as she has been clear of neuroblastoma for five years. "In consultation with the trustees, (the family) have identified beneficiaries from the remaining funds. One of the beneficiaries is Robyn and the other is the Amelia Mae Foundation based in Wirral in the UK who also has the same disease which has received 65,745. Since becoming ill, Robyn has been treated in several Dublin hospitals and at medical facilities in the US including, Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital in Michigan and Sloane Kettering in New York, thanks largely to her relatives, friends and public donations which raised hundreds of thousands of euros. Erin McGregor, sister of UFC fighter Conor, also got involved in charity events to raise awareness of Robyns cancer fight. The third year secondary school student has at times been gravely ill but has managed to battle back each time. When the Dublin girls chances of survival dropped to 5% four years ago and her mother was told by Irish doctors to bring her home to die, her family decided to fundraise to take her to the US for the first time. It is hoped this year that Robyn will travel to Germany for further ground breaking treatment. The Louvre, like museums all around the world, is closed. The humor of the meme is its suggestion that the great, iconic works shuttered therein are letting us know how exhausted they were with our usual attention. It is related to other memes and now debunked or discounted stories that suggest the natural world is also happy to have us less out and about in it, including the claim that dolphins and swans have returned to the suddenly pristine waters of Venice (the dolphin images were taken in Sardinia, and the water in Venice is clearer, but not necessarily cleaner). A YouTube video of penguins wandering the empty public spaces of the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago thus reversing the usual dynamic of observer and observed is authentic, but supports the same deep craving embedded in the spurious memes. As the weeks pass, Texans and folks across the globe are finding themselves settling into a new kind of normal and a new daily quarantine schedule that many can easily relate to. With Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo officially issuing a "stay-at-home" order on Tuesday morning, the majority of the city is finding themselves working from home. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Houstonians react to stay-at-home order issued to stem spread of coronavirus Many businesses have their workers at home continuing their duties -- a different type of setting than usual and with some unusual co-workers added to the mix. In an article by Forbes, Bianca Miller Cole touched on the subject of being quarantined with children and how to cope: "We know it is not business as usual, but children and young people need as much stability as possible, especially during such uncertain times. They look to us, the adults to model how they should respond in the current pandemic and our words and actions, are powerful ways to provide this re-assurance." As the transition from working at the office to working from home sets in, so do new routines. Yours may look something like: Getting out of bed and getting ready for the day Eating breakfast Signing in to your laptop/computer and connecting with co-workers Getting the kids ready to homeschool for the day Keeping up-to-date with the latest news Remembering this is just temporary Lunch Taking a nap Going to the grocery store to find toilet paper among other necessities Cleaning and disinfecting the house Taking a shower Dinner Family time (although all day is family time for many) Getting a good nights sleep WORK FROM HOME SET-UPS: Readers' work-from-home set-ups amid coronavirus is the new normal Erin Hahn shared her thoughts about quarantine schedules in a twitter post: "One of the incredible things Ive noticed with quarantine and school/sports cancelled is that my kids are like whole new children after 11-12 hours of sleep every night. They look so healthy and cheerful. Theres no crying and fighting about schedules. It makes you think." Our slideshow includes Twitter reactions as folks share thoughts on quarantine and their daily routines. What's your quarantine schedule look like? Can you relate? STAY INFORMED: Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. [March 25, 2020] New WSO2 Identity Server Release Provides Passwordless Authentication to Bring Greater Security and Simplicity to Users Mountain View, CA, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Some 90% of all the security breaches can be avoided by using multi-factor authentication (MFA). Yet, the majority of enterprises still rely only on usernames and passwordsand avoid other strong second-factor authentication methodsto make user sign-on convenient. To help enterprises combine strong security with a simple user experience, WSO2 has introduced passwordless authentication with FIDO2 in the newest release of WSO2 Identity Server for developer-focused identity and access management (IAM). The passwordless authentication with FIDO2 is one of the three new enhancements that optimize WSO2 Identity Server for developers who need to build customer identity and access management (CIAM) solutions with usable but strong security in mind. The latest version also features a new self-care portal for end-users, along with a set of RESTful APIs that enable developers to integrate any third-party systems with WSO2 Identity Server. An organizations user experience is the window to creating a first impression for its capabilities and trust. This is where CIAM enters, serving to drive an enterprises revenue growth by leveraging identity data to acquire and retain customers. In short, its a companys new public face, said Vice President and General Manager IAM Business Unit, WSO2 Prabath Siriwardena. With our latest release of WSO2 Identity Server, we are further empowering developers to simplify authentication for end-users and support the complex architectures required for effective CIAM solutions that bring better user experiences to their customers. Facilitating Development of CIAM Development WSO2 Identity Server is a uniquely extensible, API-driven, cloud-native IAM product designed for developers that build CIAM solutions. The open source WSO2 Identity Server incorporates the functionality to federate, authenticate and manage identities; bridge across heterogeneous identity protocols; and secure access to web and mobile applications along with API-based endpoints. Already, businesses and government organizations are using WSO2 Identity Server to manage up to millions of uer identities. The latest release, available today, adds several new features that further empower developers to build CIAM implementations that are easier to manage and use. Passwordless Authentication WSO2 Identity Server now supports passwordless authentication using FIDO2, which is a phishing-proof passwordless authentication protocol developed as a joint effort between the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Registering to set up the authentication only takes a few seconds, and it frees users from having to remember complex character and number strings or take multiple steps to confirm their identities. As a result, it is particularly effective for industries with customer-facing apps, such as retail, banking, government, telecommunications, healthcare, and insurance. Self-Care Portal WSO2 Identity Server features a new self-care portal designed to enhance the experiences of end-users. The single-page, self-running app offers better performance and customizability, and it can be quickly deployed anywhere. It includes a new user interface (UI) for an intuitive customer experience and centralized theming with Leaner Style Sheets (Less) based theme/sub-theme functionality for easy customization. Additionally, the modular architecture facilitates reusability, and it supports several industry-standard technologies in addition to Less, for easier adoption, such as the React JavaScript library, webpack module bundler, npm package manager, and TypeScript language, among others. Extended Support for RESTful APIs RESTful APIs are now preferred over SOAP services for modern applications and portals, and they are being used for the core management capabilities and end-user interactions that are essential for building cloud-based CIAM solutions. WSO2 Identity Server supports these environments by adding continuous support for RESTful APIs, including: claim management, template management, account association, and user store configurations. With RESTful API support, WSO2 Identity Server brings the advantages of REST to IAM app developers. REST is generally faster and uses less bandwidth. And because it is easier to integrate with existing applications, developers can work faster. Also, REST API schemas are defined as Swagger 2.0 documents. So, the APIs are easy to understand and consume, and they come with the software development kit (SDK) support inherent in Swagger. Availability and Support WSO2 Identity Server 5.10 is available today as an open source product released under the Apache License 2.0. WSO2 Identity Server is backed by WSO2 Subscription, which features access to WSO2 Update for continuous delivery of bug fixes, security updates, and performance enhancements, along with WSO2 Support for 24x7 support. Unified pricing means customers can simply buy a WSO2 Subscription and choose the hosting modelcloud, on-premises or hybridbased on their preferences. Information on WSO2 Subscription and other service and support offerings can be found at https://wso2.com/consultant-services. About WSO2 Founded in 2005, WSO2 enables the composable enterprise. Our open source, API-first, and decentralized approach helps developers and architects to be more productive and rapidly build digital products to meet demand. Customers choose us for our broad, integrated platform, approach to open source, and digital transformation methodology. The companys hybrid platform for developing, reusing, running, and managing integrations prevents lock-in through open source software that runs on-premises or in the cloud. With offices in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Sri Lanka, the UK, and the US, WSO2 employs over 600 engineers, consultants, and professionals worldwide. Today, hundreds of leading brands and thousands of global projects execute over 6 trillion transactions annually using WSO2 integration technologies. Visit https://wso2.com to learn more. Follow WSO2 on LinkedIn and Twitter. Trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. Shifali Erasmus Kinetic.PR for WSO2 [email protected] Mobile: +1 650-544-6424 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Two million Australians could lose their jobs in the next two weeks as businesses shut down because of coronavirus. Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus said the scale of unemployment will skyrocket as the retail, hospitality, transport, personal services, arts and recreation industries will continue to suffer major job losses due to closures. These five industries make up for 3.3million jobs - or 26 per cent of total employment in Australia. 'The severe downturn already occurring in those sectors is sufficient to cause a major recession (destroying 1-2 million jobs in coming weeks),' she said in a letter to the Prime Minister on Wednesday. Ms McManus urged the Prime Minister to implement wage subsidies for employees of up to $5,200 per month to help those who lose their job because of the coronavirus. Scott Morrison has been told two million Australians could lose their jobs in two weeks due to the coronavirus and unions urge him to subsidies the pay of those affected CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'We are demanding that the Morrison Government immediately provide an Australian coronavirus wage of up to 80 per cent of a worker's wage for hard hit employers that would otherwise stand down or make their employees redundant so we can save jobs and avoid an economic catastrophe,' Ms McManus said in a statement. 'This will give immediate certainty to both business and working people. It will keep people in employment now and into the future.' On Wednesday, Mr Morrison rejected the idea of direct wage subsidies for employees. Instead, the government has implemented a time-limited $550 per fortnight coronavirus supplement to be paid over the next six months, from April 27, costing $14.1 billion. That means if you lose your job and have to go on the JobSeeker payment (formerly Newstart) then your payments rise from $565.70 a fortnight to $1115.70. He said subsidies would require a new payment system and argued the existing methods were the most efficient way to support employers and workers. But Ms McManus said delivering the coronavirus supplement on April 27 was too late and would put unnecessary stress on many Australians who can not work during the coronavirus outbreak. She wants the supplement backdated to March 22 to provide people with relief immediately. Ms McManus urged the Prime Minister to implement wage subsidies for employees of up to $5,200 per month to help those who lose their job because of the coronavirus ACTU secretary Sally McManus said the scale of unemployment will skyrocket as the retail, hospitality, transport, personal services, arts and recreation industries will continue to suffer major job losses due to health-ordered business shutdowns The Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia chief executive Peter Strong said the current arrangements have been too complex for employers. 'They are fine but they have become too complicated now. We have had to send out a lot of documents as have all industry organisations trying to explain how it works to people. It has become very complicated,' Mr Strong told The Australian. 'If the direct subsidy removes complication and gives certainty to people it should be considered, yes. 'I'm not saying have one. I'm saying it's got to be on the table. It can't be rejected.' Digital Finance Analytics principal Martin North said Australia's four million workers, who were either casuals or sole traders, were at particular risk as the economy suffered from the worst economic crisis in 88 years. 'We are looking at, in a worst-case scenario, parallels to deep recession and depression,' Mr North told Daily Mail Australia. Last week, he forecast a jobless rate of 14 per cent by 2021 but has now revised his predictions to have that occurring now by November, fearing the 'rate of decline is faster and deeper'. 'Now it's a question of how long at the bottom,' he said. 'Unemployment is what we need to be watching. 'We already know there's a very significant underbelly in the economy that will basically be out of a job.' Professor Liam Glynn has advised that everyone should be behaving as if they have the coronavirus. We should all be behaving as if we have Covid-19 he told RTE radios Today with Sean ORourke show. Prof Glynn, who is also a GP in Co Clare, further warned that technically there could be false negatives in test results. This isnt an exact science. Not to scare people, but you need to think as if you have Covid-19. If you think like that it will halt the spread of the virus in our community. GPs will put their shoulder to the wheel, he said with regard to redirecting patients who will have their tests rescheduled as the criteria for testing change. Screening and testing will only work if the focus is on people likely to have the virus. Prof Glynn, who has been tracking the spread of the virus daily said that unfortunately the graph (of Irish cases) looks far too like Italy for my liking. However, he said the number of deaths per million was lower than the UK and compared favourably with some countries who are managing the crisis well. Ultimately this is about peoples lives in your community, in my community. Lives were trying to save. Prof Glynn said he welcomed the steps taken with regard to social distancing as people had not been observing the recommendations. He called on people not to interact with anybody outside their family group. The government is trying to walk a tight rope for the nation. The measures they have taken are proportionate. RCPI Professor: New restriction will slow spread of coronavirus The Dean of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine at Royal College of Physicians Ireland has said Read More: Professor Emer Shelley told RTE radios Morning Ireland that there is evidence that the virus spread has already slowed throughout the community, which is why new measures were being taken. There are a number of indicators that will show if the measures are working - the number daily cases and the number of contacts emerging from a positive case. She pointed out that the number of contacts from a positive case has already reduced from 20 to five. What is needed is bring that right down and once this happens we will have gone over the peak over the curve. The 'test, test, test' philosophy will continue but in a more concentrated way so the capacity of the testing system can match the groups that are being referred for testing, she said. When asked if it was still safe to work on a construction site, Prof Shelley said there are strong regulations in the construction industry for health and safety and that some sites might be well capable of physical distancing and sites should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Is the coronavirus in Bible prophecy? Pastor David Jeremiah answers Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Popular pastor David Jeremiah weighed in on the question of whether COVID-19 is mentioned in biblical prophecy and stressed that no matter how devastating it gets, the coronavirus is not a big deal to God. Is there a connection between COVID-19 and the End Times? Jeremiah, pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California, began in his Sunday sermon. Are we living in the last days before the return of Jesus Christ? Is all that is happening to us at this moment a sign that the world is coming to an end? How do we know if the coronavirus is a sign? The founder of Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries defined a biblical sign as an event or a symbol or an object or a place, or a person whose existence indicates something important on God's plan for the future. Jesus said in the future there are going to be signs, he said, adding that Jesus also said no one knows the day or hour of His return. If someone tells you they know when Jesus is coming back, you can tell them absolutely thats not possible, he said. Jesus does identify six signs that let us know if were in that time, Jeremiah said, including deception by false Christs; disputes and warfare among nations; deliverance of believers to tribulation; the defection of false believers; and the declaration of the Gospel to the whole world. Is this a sign of the Second Coming of Christ? I cannot say with any sense of certainty that it is. But neither can I say with any certainty that it is not. It could be the early evidence of number three on Jesus' sign list, the coming of pestilence, he said. Jesus refers to what will happen at the end of the age as a pestilence (Luke 21:11). Merriam Webster defines pestilence as a contagion or infectious epidemic that is virulent and devastating. That's a pretty good description of what's going on right now, Jeremiah said. Jesus said this pestilence would arrive like birth pains, he continued. This means that it will increase in frequency and intensity in the time leading up to His return. This means that as the end approaches, we should expect infectious disease outbreaks to occur more frequently, impact more people, and be more deadly. This is what the coronavirus threatens to do. There are more than 451,300 diagnosed cases globally of COVID-19, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Some 20,500 have died worldwide and over 112,900 have recovered. In the U.S., more than 60,100 people have been diagnosed with the virus and 827 people have died as of Wednesday afternoon. The coronavirus is probably not the pestilence Jesus was referring to, Jeremiah clarified, as it does not perfectly qualify as a prophetic sign. I could not stand here and say to you and have any confidence in saying that this is the fulfillment of number three on Jesus sign list of Matthew 24, he said. But it surely is a picture of it, isn't it? It surely does remind us that such signs exist, and such things will happen. However, the virus is none-the-less a sign, he explained, adding, Not so much perhaps as a sign of the future but a sign for today. A reminder of things we too easily forget. The coronavirus teaches us the vulnerability of everyone; the credibility of the Bible; the uncertainty of life; the scarcity of hope; and finally, the sufficiency of Jesus, the bestselling author said. Jesus doesn't just overcome the event. He overcomes the environment where the event happens, he explained. In these challenging days, we cannot forget what Jesus told us in 2nd Corinthians 12:9, that His grace is sufficient for us. You will find that out during these days, if you haven't found it out already. The sufficiency of Jesus Christ for those who have put their trust in Him will be on display everywhere. He concluded, How uncertain and how precious are our days? I hope we can all use some of this required quiet time to reflect on our lives and give thanks for Gods grace. In an interview with Megan West of My Faith Votes on Monday, Jeremiah told listeners that amid anxiety and uncertainty, God is a breath away, adding, There arent any surprises for God. He didnt get surprised by any of this. Jeremiah also stressed the importance of controlling what goes into ones mind. If you want to be depressed, if you want to be overwhelmed, you can do that by spending hours watching the reports, he said. While its important to be informed, Jeremiah recommended listening to one condensed report a day instead of inundating oneself with negativity. This is not the end of the world. Step back, take a deep breath, and get into the Word of God and be reminded that God is in control, he said. When tempted to focus on the negative, the pastor recommended focusing instead on blessings. We can take a moment and count our blessings and ask God to hear our gratitude for all that He does for us, he said. I want to encourage everybody to not let fear become a greater problem than the coronavirus, but trust God, he concluded. The coronavirus is not a big deal to God. Hes able to control this and take in, and were going to come through this better than we were when we came in. In the meantime, we have to be calm and ask Him to give us peace. LONDON (Reuters) - Banks in the European Union have the flexibility to avoid a huge rise in provisioning for temporary non-payment of loans during the coronavirus outbreak, EU banking and securities watchdogs said on Wednesday. Banks said they face mounting provisions, which could eat into their capital, as businesses and households struggle to repay loans because of economic disruption caused by the virus. EU states have offered some relief to businesses such as repayment holidays on loans or state guarantees on the loans. But banks have been unsure whether payment holidays and similar measures would still technically constitute a failure to pay, triggering a requirement for increased provisioning under a global accounting rule known as IFRS 9. European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) said the IFRS 9 includes sufficient flexibility to faithfully reflect the specific circumstances of the COVID-19 outbreak and the associated public policy measures. Banks should distinguish between a risk to the whole life of a loan and measures to address temporary liquidity constraints on borrowers, the watchdog said. The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME), a banking industry body, said ESMAs clarifications were helpful and would help banks provide relief for customers. The European Banking Authority (EBA) told banks to distinguish between borrowers whose credit standing would not be significantly affected by coronavirus in the long term and those unlikely to be creditworthy after the epidemic. The EBA calls for flexibility and pragmatism in the application of the prudential framework and clarifies that, in case of debt moratoria, there is no automatic classification in default, forborne, or IFRS9 status, EBA said. The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Donald H. Hunter, an unregistered investment adviser based in Ridgefield, Connecticut, with failing to disclose material conflicts of interest related to the sale of shares of You Angel Finance, LLC. According to the SEC's complaint, in 2012 the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority found that Hunter had committed fraud in connection with the sale of promissory notes to some of his broker-dealer clients, and permanently barred him from associating with any FINRA-registered firm. The complaint alleges that Hunter subsequently established You Angel Finance as a private fund with no FINRA registration. As alleged, from late 2016 through 2018, while acting as investment adviser to You Angel Finance, Hunter raised approximately $430,000 from investors, claiming that You Angel Finance was supplying seed capital to or purchasing shares from a private drug research company. The complaint alleges that Hunter had acquired the company's shares personally or through companies he controlled, but as a result of the FINRA bar he was unable to sell them directly or indirectly to brokerage customers, as he had in the past. The complaint further alleges that Hunter failed adequately to disclose that the fund purchased the shares from Hunter or entities he controlled, or that he set the prices at which he sold those shares to the fund. The complaint alleges that Hunter violated the antifraud provisions of Sections 206(1), 206(2), 206(3), and 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-8 thereunder. The SEC seeks disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, prejudgment interest, financial penalties, and permanent injunctions against Hunter. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Robert Baker, James Fay, Lawrence Pisto, and Patrick Noone. The litigation will be led by Senior Trial Counsel Rachel E. Hershfang. Egypt is imposing a curfew from 7 pm to 6 am for two weeks as of Wednesday morning as part of stricter measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Tuesday. During the curfew hours, all mass public and private transport will be suspended, Mabouly said. Violators will be subject to emergency law penalties, which vary from a EGP 4,000 ($253) fine to jail terms. The prime minister said the firmer and stronger measures are meant to minimize the risk of quick virus transmission, adding that even stricter measures may be taken in the future. He urged Egyptians to comply with the new steps, warning that the country could reach the "dangerous" milestone of 1000 infections. Egypt has so far registered 366 coronavirus cases, including 19 fatalities. All shops and malls will be completely closed on the weekend and will shut down from 5 pm to 6 am on weekdays, the prime minister said. Only supermarkets, pharmacies and bakeries will be exempt from the closure. All Coffee shops will be totally shuttered and restaurants can only run delivery services. An ongoing suspension of schools and universities that was due to end later this month will be extended for a further two weeks. Sporting clubs and gym will also continue to be shut. All commercial international flights, which have been suspended since 19 March, will remain grounded until mid-April, a separate statement from the cabinet said. Most government offices and public services, except for health offices, will shut their doors to the public during the curfew period. And a decision to limit the number of government employees going to work will also be prolonged until mid-April. We are looking at the implications of these decisions for the Egyptian economy while trying as much as possible not to harm different classes of people, especially irregular workers, Madbouly said. The government has also allocated EGP 1 billion to the health ministry to help it provide preventative supplies, the cabinet said in a statement Tuesday. "I call on all Egyptians to fully comply with these measures," President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Twitter, warning that authorities will confront "attempts to breach them with utmost firmness and resolution." . . 2/2 Abdelfattah Elsisi (@AlsisiOfficial) March 24, 2020 Egypt has already taken a raft of measures to stem the spread of the fast-spreading virus including shuttering mosques and churches, suspending international flights and earlier shutting malls and sporting clubs from 7 pm to 6 am. Search Keywords: Short link: The total COVID-19 cases in Vietnam has now amounted to 134 as the country reported two more cases on March 24 evening. browser not support iframe. Vietnam on March 24 evening reported 11 more cases who tested positive to SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19, bringing the total in the country to 134. Among the 11 more cases, there are three who have visited Bar Buddha in Ho Chi Minh City and a Vietnamese who worked as a waiter at the bar which is a major source of the virus. Two others are Vietnamese students in the UK who arrived at Hanois Noi Bai airport on March 20 on Flight VN0054, and the remaining three are Vietnamese tourists who came back from Spain and transited through Russia on Flight SU SU290 to Noi Bai airport on March 22. The 133rd patient is a 66-year-old female resident of the northwestern province of Lai Chau. She had a medical treatment at Hanois Bach Mai hospital this month and came back to her home town on March 22. On March 23, her sample tested positive to the SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19, and she is now being quarantined in the province in stable health conditions. The 134th is a 10-year-old resident of Hanois outlying district of Thach That. The boy came back from a foreign country to the citys Noi Bai airport on March 18 on Flight SU290. His sample tested positive to the virus on March 23, and he is now quarantined in the central province of Thanh Hoa in stable health conditions. All of them are now under quarantine. Health ministry announces seven more flights with COVID-19 cases An area for measuring body temperature at the Noi Bai international airport The Ministry of Health issued an urgent notice on March 25 morning on seven flights landing in Vietnam with passengers testing positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. They included three flights on March 15 which are Emirates EK364 from Dubai to Ho Chi Minh City, Aeroflots SU290 from Moscow to Hanoi, and Thai Airways TG560 from Bangkok to Hanoi. Also in the list are Royal Brunei Airlines BI381 from Brunei to HCM City on March 17; Emirates EK392 from Dubai to HCM City and All Nippon Airways NH831 from Japan to HCM City both on March 19; and Japan Airlines JL751 from Tokyo to Hanoi on March 20. The ministry called on all passengers on the above mentioned flights to contact disease control centres of cities and provinces for guidance on health monitoring. Airline ticket agents are responsible for notifying the passengers who bought tickets for those flights. As of late March 24, Vietnam recorded 134 COVID-19 cases, of which 17 have fully recovered. Embassy helps stranded Vietnamese in Thailand fly home Vietnamese passengers stranded in Thailand The Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand on March 24 assisted 16 Vietnamese citizens to return home as all airlines are cancelling commercial flights from Bangkok to Vietnam in the light of COVID-19. According to the embassy, as of March 24 afternoon, many Vietnamese, mostly students, tourists and labourers, had been stranded at Bangkok-based Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The embassy closely coordinated with relevant domestic agencies like the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, and Thailands national flag carrier Thai Airways in bringing the passengers home. On March 20, the embassy also joined hands with the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Thai Airways to bring nearly 30 other Vietnamese citizens, mostly from Europe, back to their home country. Thailand on March 24 reported 106 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total there to 827, including four deaths. The number of new cases in Thailand has remained in the three-digit zone for three consecutive days. The same day, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said his government will declare an emergency and introduce new measures to combat the COVID-19 epidemic on Mar 26. The emergency situation will be in place through April 30. Treatment for COVID-19 patients at national hospital reviewed A staff member at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi checks passengers' body temperature via a thermal scanner Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son had a working session with the Hanoi-based National Hospital for Tropical Diseases (NHTD) on March 24 to look into the treatment for COVID-19 cases, especially serious ones. NHTD Director Pham Ngoc Thach said his hospital is giving treatment to 46 COVID-19 patients, including 34 Vietnamese and 12 foreigners. In the first phase, the hospital mainly cared for young patients. Now, patients have increased and they belong to various age groups, including old patients with other illnesses like hypertension, immunodeficiency and diabetes. Notably, its intensive care department is tending to three severe cases, comprising a 64-year-old Vietnamese woman, a 50-year-old Vietnamese man and a 69-year-old British man, Thach said. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Health Ministrys Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, said as the NHTD handles serious cases, it needs to review its operating procedures and equipment and report the situation to the ministry to seek solutions if necessary. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Son highly valued efforts by all the staff of the hospital and at the same time also asked it to further prevent cross infection after a doctor at the emergency department contracted SARS-CoV-2. He also told the NHTD to better care for its staffs spiritual life so that they wont be overloaded. Besides, it needs to build more response plans in case the number of patients surges. Severe cases will receive treatment at higher-level hospitals, including the NHTD, while mild ones will be moved to others, according to the official. As of March 24 morning, Vietnam had recorded 123 COVID-19 cases, 17 of whom have recovered. Hanoi leader lauds rapid hospital construction in response to COVID-19 The old hospital has been turned into a 250-bed facility serving the treatment of COVID-19 patients within only one week. (Photo: anninhthudo.vn) Secretary of the Hanoi Peoples Committee Vuong Dinh Hue on March 24 applauded joint efforts in upgrading an abandoned hospital to treat COVID-19 patients. Located in Hanois outskirts district of Me Linh, the hospital had been left unused for many years, without electricity and water. It has been turned into a 250-bed facility serving the treatment of COVID-19 patients within only one week. Speaking at a meeting with business representatives in the city, Hue urged construction companies to promptly join hands in building quarantine facilities and hospitals for acute respiratory diseases when necessary. According to Nguyen Van Luyen, General Director of Urban Infrastructure Development Investment Corporation (UIDC), the corporation mobilised up to 400 workers for the construction. Hanoi plans to allocate 1,000 hospital beds for treating COVID-19 patients as well as suspected cases. In order to prepare for the quarantine of tens of thousands of Vietnamese people returning to the country, the capital city has set up 12 quarantine centres. LONDON Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, his office said Wednesday. The 71-year-old is showing mild symptoms of COVID-19 and is self-isolating at a royal estate in Scotland, his Clarence House office said. It says his wife Camilla, 72, has tested negative. The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus, Clarence House said. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. Britains Press Association, citing a source, said the prince and the duchess remained in good spirits, and that Charles was not bedridden. The tests were carried out by the National Health Service in Scotland. It is not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks," the statement said Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth II, 93, remains at her home in Windsor with the 98-year-old Duke of Edinburgh. Her Majesty the queen remains in good health, the palace said. The queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of 12th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare. Prince Philip was not with the monarch when she last saw Charles. Charles last public engagement was March 12. He has had a number of private meetings, and participants at those sessions have been made aware of his condition. Charles attended a roundtable meeting on March 10 with Monacos Prince Albert II, who has since tested positive for COVID-19. The British royal is not believed to have shaken hands with Albert at the WaterAid Summit in London on that day. Charles has been photographed doing the namaste gesture, with hands pressed together, at public events in recent weeks, including the Commonwealth Day Service on March 9 at Westminster Abbey. The event was the last formal engagement of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. This story will be updated. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) - The Department of Health is eyeing the Quezon Institute and the Philippine Red Cross as the countrys first community quarantine facilities as cases of coronavirus disease continue to rise in the country. DOH spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said the quarantine facilities are meant for patients under monitoring and investigation, and newly discharged COVID-19 patients. Ang community quarantine facilities ay mga lugar kung saan pwede sila ma-monitor nang hindi sila nahahalo sa severe cases, said Vergeire in an online press briefing. [Translation: Community quarantine facilities are places where they can be monitored without being close with those with severe cases.] There are now 636 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 38 deaths and 26 recoveries. Private hospitals like The Medical City and St. Lukes Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City and Quezon City said recently that they have already reached maximum capacity and can no longer accept more COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, referral hospitals exclusive for coronavirus patients namely Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines and Jose Rodriguez Memorial hospital will be ready to accept patients infected with the virus come Friday. Vergeire also encouraged local government units in other regions to also look for facilities where PUIs can be isolated. READ: LGUs eye public schools, hotels as quarantine facilities; consider more hospitals to house COVID-19 patients The local governments of Quezon City and the City of Manila have already set up their own quarantine facilities made up of tents that could house possible carriers of the viral disease. Further, DOH also suggested that gymnasiums and hotels can be good quarantine areas. Ang isolation unit ay dapat closed-door na may bentilasyon. Maaaring sa gymnasium, hotel or other establishments, said Vergeire. [Translation: An isolation unit should be closed-door with enough ventilation. Gymnasiums, hotel, or other establishments could be isolation units.] CNN Philippines Correspondent Crissy Dimatulac and Multi-Platform News Writer Vince Ferreras contributed to this report Laura Adie portrays a female yeoman, one of the 11,000 enlisted women with the U.S. Navy who performed clerical tasks during World War I. Read more Meet Laura Adie, a historical reenactor and member of Cruiser Olympias Living History Crew. Character building: "When youre wearing the clothes people wore and using the items they used, you get a more visceral connection to the past. I think thats what the public gets, too. We seem as real as you can get without time-travel. Everyday people: Seeing how regular, everyday people lived their lives in reaction to the bigger events in the world like wars, elections, and plagues, thats what interests me. The woman in the black-and-white photograph with her hand in a military salute called to Laura Adie from the most unexpected of places Pinterest. As Adie scrolled the social media app, the photo struck her in a way she couldnt shake. She knew the womans uniform bore a striking resemblance to sailors uniforms from World War I aside from the skirt and high boots, that is but Adie couldnt place her. I thought What the heck am I looking at? she said. When Adie dug deeper, what she discovered was the story of groundbreaking women in the military that of female yeomen, the first enlisted women to serve in the U.S. Navy. And the first woman of all those women enlisted right here in Philadelphia. There wasnt as much information as Id love there to be, but there was enough for me to take notice and say, More people should know about this, Adie said. For so long its just been such an invisible part of history. She was so moved to share the story of these women that in 2016 Adie became the first female member of the Living History Crew with Philadelphias Cruiser Olympia, the worlds oldest steel warship still floating. The ship, which is stewarded by the Independence Seaport Museum, is docked at Penns Landing. Adie, a native of Indiana with a masters degree in historical administration, moved to the Philadelphia region in 2008 for its rich collection of historic sites. Currently, shes the program and administration manager at Newlin Grist Mill, an 18th century grist mill and park in Glen Mills. In her downtime, Adie, 39, and her husband, who live in Schwenksville, enjoy swing dancing and World War II reenactments. It was through the reenactment community that Adie heard about the Olympias all-volunteer Living History Crew, a group of reenactors who help bring the ship to life for tourists. When Adie proposed portraying a female yeoman to the Living History Crew and Independence Seaport Museum, they welcomed her aboard. MORE WE THE PEOPLE: She went from janitor to vendor at Reading Terminal Market in a year A yeoman is an enlisted U.S. Navy service member who performs administrative work and clerical tasks. As the title might suggest, yeomen were all men until 1917. As the United States headed into World War I that year, it faced a serious manpower shortage. The Navy needed more people to do work stateside, so its sailors could ship off to war. To that end, the secretary of the Navy discovered a loophole that allowed women to enlist in the reserves as yeomen. The first woman to enlist in the Navy was Loretta Perfectus Walsh, who joined in Philadelphia on March 17, 1917, at the age of 20. Four days later, she was sworn in as chief yeoman, also making her the Navys first woman chief petty officer. I love to tell people about her, Adie said. Perfectus! She has the best name ever. Most of the 11,000 women who enlisted as female yeomen served stateside in clerical roles, including at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. They oversaw payrolls, ship assignments, and provisions, among other tasks. I think the biggest thing I push is that the Navy would not have been able to function during World War I without these women," Adie said. A lot of them did it because it was something that needed to be done, but they didnt necessarily see themselves as huge pioneers. MORE WE THE PEOPLE: What happens when a surrealist decorates a South Philly rowhouse In fact, stories of their service sometimes never even got passed down to their families. Adie was in character at Fort Mott, N.J., one day when a man came in and was stunned by her appearance much like she had been stunned by that photo on Pinterest all those years ago. He said I have some photos of my grandmother, I think this might have been what she was, Adie recalled. The next time we were there he came back with photos of her in uniform and said, Now I know what I have.' More recently, Adie has also started portraying Frances Benjamin Johnston, a pioneering female photojournalist who photographed Admiral George Dewey aboard the Olympia, and whose photographs are still featured on the Olympia today. Everybody who tours the ship today sees these photos she made and doesnt realize this was a female photographer in the 1890s, Adie said. That seemed like an important thing to talk about. Want more We the People? Joanie Verratti is South Phillys wizard of limoncello. Foster dad Micheal Ruff has worked at Lincoln University for 50 years. Check out the full We the People archive here. The warning signs were there, according to a recent report by S&P Global, but you had to follow the news carefully to know about Thomas Cooks struggles. The indicators included frequent profit warnings, an unstable leadership team and lack of clarity about how the company made money. One or two such indicators wouldnt necessarily mean a business was going under, but several of them together could be a red flag, according to Mark Hoppe, a managing director at Atradius, an insurance company. The Maze group hacked a medical facility on standby to help test any coronavirus vaccine promised not to target medical organizations. The criminals behind the Maze ransomware attacked once more, taking private information like copies of passports, driving licenses, national insurance numbers, and medical questionnaires from more than 2,300 patients and afterward posting it online until the demanded ransom is paid. The Maze was among the cybercrime gangs which, only days back, swore not to assault healthcare and clinical targets. The Maze didn't go similarly as those behind the DoppelPaymer threat by offering free decryptor codes to those hits unintentionally. It appears that they mean what they said. Their latest victim was the Hammersmith Medicines Research, an organization in British that recently tested the Ebola virus immunization and on standby to perform medical preliminaries on any COVID- antibody. The clinical director of Hammersmith Medicines Research, Malcolm Boyce stated that the cyber attack was spotted in progress, halted and systems reestablished without paying any ransom which happened on March 14, in an interview with Computer Weekly. He said, "We repelled and quickly restored all our functions, and there was no downtime." This happened before the Maze announced on March 18 that they would no longer target medical associations. The Maze still continues the attempts of extortion to them and revealed that the only focus was making money. Read Also: Vatican Confirms First Coronavirus Case, Pope Francis Health a Primary Concern The Maze aggressors posted some patient records online and managed to exfiltrate information they also posted the patient records on the dark web. In an interview with Computer Weekly, Boyce stated that the said hackers sent test records containing details of individuals who took testing preliminaries between eight and 20 years long ago. The posting from the Maze group includes Hammersmith Medicine Research as a "new client", which means it portrays victims of their assaults. Medical research firms are often targeted by hackers around the world as they hold personal health information of millions of people and patented research information that could be used abusively by many companies to make money. Robert Capps, the vice president of NuData security said the loss of medical PII data is a concern to all medical organizations, not just only the targeted company. The stolen data has the capacity to be profitable if it ends up in the hands of hackers or cyber criminals which can be used to precisely copy the researches in order to expedite further cybercrime. The spokesperson from the Information Commissioner's Office said, "People's medical data is highly sensitive information, not only do people expect it to be handled carefully and securely, but organizations also have a responsibility under the law. When a data breach occurs, we would expect an organization to consider whether it is appropriate to contact the people affected, and to consider whether there are steps that can be taken to protect them from any potential adverse effects." Related Article: North Korea Month-Long Quarantines, Other Draconian Measures to Prevent Coronavirus Outbreak @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. 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PR-Inside.com: 2020-03-25 00:41:02 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 996 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Unprecedented outpouring of over 180 companies and organizations write to the President and Congressional leadershipWASHINGTON / ACCESSWIRE / March 24, 2020 / Late last week, Saving Seafood staff was asked by Congressional offices for comment and input from the Commercial Fishing Industry as to what is being experienced as a result of the disruption resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, and how Federal emergency economic assistance might be able to assist.Over the weekend, Pacific Seafood took the initiative to work across industry lines to craft letters, which have now been sent to the President, House and Senate Leadership, and Cabinet Members, outlining bold action that can be taken to preserve the operating liquidity of the seafood production employers who provide and support domestic food infrastructure and the millions of jobs they support. An unprecedented outpouring of over 180 companies and organizations throughout the seafood industry participated in this effort. These letters address possible actions in Congress.To respond to the Congressional requests, Saving Seafood reached out to our extensive network of commercial fishermen and related businesses on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts, as well as Hawaii, for input on how COVID-19 has affected their businesses, and for recommendations on what they feel would be the best ways for the government to help. These efforts address possible actions at the local, state, and Federal levels, including both Congressional and Administration/Agency actions.The fishing and seafood sectors are not homogeneous, and different regions and fisheries are experiencing different challenges; therefore, the forms of assistance described are intended to reflect both immediate pressures where prices have fallen, as well as longer term needs associated with securing future fishing vessel crew-members, and processing workforce.We would like to express gratitude to Senators Ed Markey, Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Elizabeth Warren and their staffs for communicating the needs and concerns of the seafood industry to Senate leadership. It is our hope that Congress will heed their request, and also recognize and take action to address the reality that our commercial fishing and seafood industries are highly diverse between regions. Additional assistance beyond what is outlined in today's letters and this release may be needed to address broader near-term critical needs for some seafood producers. Domestic harvesting, production, processing, transportation, and promotion will all need federal assistance to ensure that we can provide a steady supply of healthy domestic seafood to US consumers during this time of crisis.NOAA's "Fisheries of the United States 2017" reported that more than 2/3 (68%) of the $102.2 billion that consumers spent on fishery products in 2017 is spent at food service establishments, with less than one-third sold in retail outlets for home consumption. Thus, the necessary closures in the nation's hospitality and restaurant industry are having an outsized impact on domestic commercial fisheries.While this effort focused on the effect of the COVID-19 crisis on commercial harvesters and processors, support businesses such as fuel, shipyards, gear manufacturers, etc. are also being impacted by a decline in commercial fishing.The following is a summary of suggestions made by members of our industry.Essential Employee Status - According to guidelines published by the Department of Homeland Security, those employed in fish harvesting and processing are considered "Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers" as they provide food to the nation. Fishermen and processor staff must also be designated as essential employees so that they would be able to continue operations during any potential shelter-in-place orders. These businesses must also have free and fast testing deployed locally for these essential workers, as testing is a necessary component of onboarding/crewing protocol to safely serve upcoming fishing and processing seasons.Grant programs or stimulus to cover losses - In order to maintain domestic seafood supply chains and to ensure continued operations, many businesses in the commercial fishing industry need liquidity. These businesses feel that additional borrowing should be a last resort, as the duration of this crisis is unknown and many businesses are already overleveraged in an attempt to keep up with foreign markets, including Asia where their seafood industry is heavily subsidized. Loan forgiveness for loans used to maintain payroll, grants for maintenance to keep vessels in good working order, and low-interest loans to refinance existing debt would help.Payment relief - In addition to direct payments, and forgivable loans, another suggestion that would allow companies to continue operations is the suspension of certain financial obligations such as utilities, real estate tax, and mortgages.Government purchase of seafood - The government could increase seafood purchases for institutional use (i.e. prisons, hospitals, school lunch programs, etc.) as well as for distribution as food assistance. The purchases would provide much needed capital, ensure stable prices, allow companies to move stored inventory, and ensure continued operations. This would also ensure a stable supply of fresh, healthy food for those who are facing food shortages.Payroll and Unemployment Assistance - Many businesses are concerned that when restaurants, hotels, and bars re-open they will face significant lag time before resuming operations if they are forced to lay off staff during this time. This lag would compound the financial difficulties they are already facing. They would like to be able to continue paying staff or assure them that unemployment payments will be available to quickly fill the gap so that their employees don't seek work elsewhere. Additionally, many vessel crew members are considered self-employed and do not currently qualify for unemployment or paid leave, so relief efforts must also be extended to these workers.Promote American Seafood - On an encouraging note, many businesses are seeing an increase in retail sales of seafood through grocery stores and markets. U.S. fisheries are among the best in the world and this is a perfect opportunity to promote consumption of sustainably caught domestic seafood. A "Buy American" campaign, with simple instructions, could go a long way to helping these businesses move their product and maintain revenue.Visa Expediting - Many businesses rely on temporary, seasonal foreign labor for the harvestin University of Puerto Rico undergraduate students Jorge Perez Figueroa (left), Alejandra Ocasio (center) and Kevin Ortiz Ceballos (right) are investigating the history of an old observatory on campus. Amid a global pandemic , earthquakes and the lingering aftermath of Hurricane Maria , university students in Puerto Rico have found an unlikely source of hope: an abandoned astronomical observatory they discovered at their school. The Circle of University Astrobiology at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Rio Piedras, is a group of students from science and nonscience majors alike who are interested in astrobiology. Their projects include collecting micrometeorites on campus and planning events such as astrophotography nights. Three members of the group Kevin Ortiz Ceballos, Jorge Perez Figueroa and Alejandra Ocasio recently spoke with Space.com about their discovery of an abandoned astronomical observatory in the university's music building and their intention to restore the facility. Related: NASA maps damage in Puerto Rico to assist relief efforts Me tope con este observatorio abandonado en el edificio Agustin Stahl (lo que ahora es el departamento de musica de la Iupi.) Alguien conoce su historia, el porque de su abandono y si la estructura es restaurable? pic.twitter.com/YudeqP3NGpSeptember 17, 2019 See more Perez Figueroa, an undergraduate student studying interdisciplinary science and philosophy, posted a video of his discovery on Twitter on Sept. 16, 2019. "I came across this abandoned observatory in the Agustin Stahl building (what is now part of the Music Department). Does anyone know its history, the story of why it is abandoned and if the structure is restorable?" Perez Figueroa wrote in Spanish in the tweet. A still from the footage that University of Puerto Rico student Jorge Perez Figueroa took when he came across an abandoned observatory on campus. (Image credit: Jorge Perez Figueroa/ Twitter Perez Figueroa came across the facility when he first noticed a "huge, blue dome" on top of a building that faced the street he was driving down, he told Space.com. "It quickly hit me that this dome is an astronomical dome," he said. "It was astonishing that there was this huge dome right there with everything inside. The telescope was inside it, but [it was] completely abandoned. And it seemed like it had been abandoned for years upon years." He relayed his finding to Ortiz Ceballos and Ocasio, and the trio began asking the physics and music departments about the room's history. The dome sits abandoned within the building that once held the physics department, but now it's home to the music department. The students did not turn up much in their initial inquiries. No one knew much about the building, Perez Figeroa said, "except for that it was damaged and no longer working." But after some digging, which included conversations with the Puerto Rico Historic Buildings Drawings Society , they began learning more about the observatory. A still from a video taken of the interior of the abandoned observatory at the University of Puerto Rico that student Jorge Perez Figueroa came across in September 2019. (Image credit: Jorge Perez Figueroa/ Twitter Ortiz Ceballos, an undergraduate student studying physics and philosophy, has already gotten a taste for astronomy research, conducting observations of the first known interstellar comet, called 2I/Borisov . At a meeting of the American Astronomical Society held in Honolulu in January, Ortiz Ceballos represented the trio and shared the story of the abandoned dome and what they had learned about it so far. Related: Interstellar comet Borisov shines in new photo According to Ortiz Ceballos' presentation, the observatory was built in the 1930s by the university's physics department and was used for research until the 1960s. It was during that decade that the Arecibo Observatory , a giant radio telescope that is the second largest of its kind, was built in Puerto Rico. The university observatory continued operating until the 1970s but was used mostly for educational activities. Eventually, according to Ortiz Ceballos, the dome's closing mechanism broke, and the telescope suffered water damage. By the 1980s, the building housed the music department, and the observatory was sometimes used as a classroom. The room hasn't been used since at least 2017, when Hurricane Maria battered the island, and the university closed it off shortly after Perez Figueroa came across it. The Suomi NPP satellite provided this thermal image of Hurricane Maria on Sept. 21, 2017, shortly after the storm moved off the coast of Puerto Rico. (Image credit: NOAA/NASA Goddard Rapid Response Team) Along with Ocasio, an architecture student at the university, Ortiz Ceballos and Perez Figueroa continue to investigate the history of the observatory. But they haven't spent as much time on campus this semester as they had expected. The earthquakes that shook the island beginning in December 2019 closed the University of Puerto Rico for several days, and as of March 13, UPR canceled classes due to the ongoing spread of the coronavirus . Ortiz Ceballos told Space.com that the earthquakes left him feeling powerless, and he wasn't alone. The disasters had collectively taken a toll on public mental health , and many Puerto Ricans were frustrated by local and federal responses. This map shows ground changes, or displacement, on the eastern two-thirds of Puerto Rico following a 6.4-magnitude earthquake on Jan. 7, 2020. Areas of displacement are shown in red, with greater displacement indicated by darker shades. The ground shifted up to 5.5 inches (14 centimeters) downward and slightly west. The orange circles show the cluster of aftershocks that hit the island the following week. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech, ESA, USGS) Revisiting this old observatory gives the students hope, said Ocasio, who felt a tremor while in class this academic year. "I am an architecture student, and we are very much taught to create more things," she said, adding that although she doesn't study science, her classwork requires her to think rigorously and critically about concepts that apply to the observatory space. Those concepts include the defining qualities of a space and the value of a room. "We have a space that is created, and it needs just a little bit more attention," Ocasio said, adding that the project would restore something and combat the idea of abandoning and demolishing old structures as a solution to developing the urban landscape. Perez Figueroa thinks of their investigation as a microcosm of Puerto Rican society. The natural disasters and the island's tense politics over the past several years have caused constant social anxiety, he said. "I guess what we're doing represents what most of the population is doing, by trying to create something new and different," that, as later he added, doesn't require change from top to bottom. This spirit is part of the charter of the Circle of University Astrobiology in the first place, the students said. "The Astrobiology Circle is not just an academic association of students; it also has within its ethos this drive to do social good within the community," Perez Figueroa said. "This is the perfect opportunity to let that show. We find something that's of scientific value, of historic value, of community value, and if we can find ways for it to be restored, to give something back to the community, it'll be here long after we're gone. And I think that's worth pursuing." Follow Doris Elin Urrutia on Twitter @salazar_elin . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . Steve Halstead, an employee of the Baker Street Bread Co. in Chestnut Hill, rings up the order for a customer that was picking up bread. Read more Despite the shock of coronavirus shutdowns, the food community sprang into action. Were following all sorts of stories, including chefs feeding their communities, farms selling directly to consumers, and bakers setting up on Facebook to offer guidance. And whats a restaurant critic to do? Craig LaBan is delving into cookbooks written by local chefs, so at least you can get a taste of what were missing. Our coronavirus coverage at The Inquirer is smart, timely, helpful, nonsensational, and science-based. It is also free. I should also point out that subscriptions are inexpensive. If you need food news, click here and follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Email tips, suggestions, and questions here. If someone forwarded you this newsletter and you like what youre reading, sign up here to get it free every week. Michael Klein How were eating this week The great nightmare continues. From a food perspective, people ventured to grocery stores and supermarkets, where many shelves still were picked clean, especially paper goods and cleaning products. My supermarket sources recommend keeping an eye on your chicken and egg supplies. (Which comes first? Dont ask.) The initial rush of business last week left poultry producers scrambling. Hens can lay only so many eggs, and from the broiler side, remember that it takes about six weeks to raise a chicken. Flour and other baking ingredients have been in short supply, as well. If youre stuck, you might call a local bakery and ask to buy ingredients. And speaking of calling: You can really help the bottom line of restaurants that offer pickup and delivery by calling in your order directly, rather than using the apps such as Grubhub. These services take a hefty cut, as much as 30% for a delivery. Some restaurants are doing their own local delivery, much of it free. Then we have the story of Aaron Anderson, who on Wednesday opened the Original Hot Dog Factory at 125 N. 15th St. in Center City. When he signed his franchise agreement last year, he had grand plans for his little takeout shop, across from Family Court. And now the city streets are empty. But persevere he shall. Anderson will give out free hot dogs through Saturday to police officers, firefighters, and medical workers who walk in, one per customer. Otherwise, he is offering pickup and delivery. Beyond beans and soups: Weve rounded up advice to help you Squinting through the rosiest-tinted glasses, you could see our nations current confinements as an opportunity to hone your own food routines. The upside could harken a time unknown to recent generations: Enjoying family meals together, building wholesome dishes from a well-stocked pantry, and gaining kitchen confidence through regular hands-on practice. But assessment of what and how you and/or your kin will eat starts with a plan one that will allow you to get you through takeout and delivery and diminished grocery choices. We show you how to do this, whether youre a singleton or have a family to feed. Philly restaurants offering pickup and delivery in typically scrappy style While the regions shutdown has put many in jeopardy, Jenn Ladd has found that restaurants are doing what they can to adapt and help out their service industry colleagues in the process. And check our growing list of restaurants offering pickup and delivery. When the going gets tough, they give away food Josh Kim of Spot Gourmet Burgers was down and out over a Catch-22 in his restaurant lease. Then he decided to cook for local kids, and generous customers stepped in to help. How Phillys food community is staying active Jenn Ladd is tracking what the regions food community is up to. Among them: Phillys C-CAP program, which teaches the culinary arts to high schoolers, has arranged for a Virtual Meet the Chef series to link the students to the pros. Students from all six of C-CAPs chapters can watch and write in questions. A Facebook group has been created, where bakers teach the art to newbies. And Green Meadow Farm in Lancaster County, which usually sells to restaurants and other commercial accounts, is packing vegetables for consumers. What you may have missed while indoors Workers were seen Wednesday at the old Trolley Car Diner on Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy, which closed in October after 20 years to make way for a mixed-use development. The circa-1952 Mountain View-model diner that in 2000 was trucked down from Wilkes-Barre, where it was known as the Palooka Diner, will be worked into the new building. The site previously was a Roy Rogers restaurant, which was topped with a neon sign. What else you may find interesting The restaurant community has called upon government for help with a campaign called SavePhillyRestaurants. Philadelphia, meanwhile, invited small businesses to apply for $9 million in grants and low-interest loans. Ed Barkowitz tells the stories of two men Sam Solomone and Ignacio Flores who followed their dream into the restaurant business recently, only to face the challenge of life in a coronavirus pandemic. Three months ago, I wanted to be my own boss, Flores said. But I would never imagine that something like this would happen. Which food questions or matters do you want us to address? Email me. Craig LaBan answers questions, makes pasta Reader: What have you been your go-to recipes to cook during the lockdown? Craig LaBan: I have really enjoyed the chance to cook more than usual. But three meals a day for four people including prep and clean-up is a lot of work! Every meal cannot be a project. This dish is a longtime favorite called Pasta Tunisana that I first encountered at a small trattoria in Siracusa, Sicily, about 30 years ago.With a harissa spice paste kick added to the oil sauce, its a wonderful reflection of North Africas influence on Italian cooking, especially in Sicily. And Ive been trying to recreate it ever since, first perfecting my cold pan technique for aglio e olio (garlic and oil), then convincing my family to eat a baked pasta dish built around roasted eggplant. It took a while. But this week I think I finally got it right! Heres the recipe: Pasta Tunisana Serves 6 1 pound best penne rigate youve got (I used Rustichella dAbruzzo) 4 Italian eggplants, peeled and cut into -inch cubes cup olive oil, divided (hold an additional cup in reserve, if necessary) Kosher salt, to taste 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Fistful of basil leaves Teaspoon harissa Salt and pepper, to taste Buffalo mozzarella, cut into chunks Parmesan cheese, grated to garnish 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put big pot of salted water on to boil. 2. Toss cubed eggplant in cup of olive oil with a good dusting of salt. Place in heated oven and roast for about 30 minutes, turning with a spatula every 10 minutes so the cubes brown evenly and dont stick to the pan. Add extra olive oil, if necessary. The eggplant practically drinks oil as it cooks, so add a bit more if it looks dry when you check midway through cooking. 3. While water is coming to the boil, start your aglio e olio. Add sliced garlic to a cold saute pan with last of olive oil, spread evenly in the oil and heat it on medium-low heat. Add more olive oil if necessary. It should cover the bottom of the pan. The idea is to steep the garlic slowly, and not burn it. Slowly raise the flame after about 5 minutes and cook a few minutes further until the garlic is just starting to turn a tawny brown, but not dark. Remove toasted garlic pieces with a slotted spatula and reserve. They should be crunchy now, but not burnt. Add basil leaves to hot oil to infuse while waiting for pasta to cook. 4. Once eggplant is cooked and garlic oil is about ready, boil pasta one minute shy of al dente, and drain. 5. Add harissa to the hot oil and stir until its well incorporated. Oil should be a rich orange hue, but adjust to taste. Harissa can be spicy. Toss penne with oil to coat and place pasta into a baking dish. Season pasta with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with eggplant, reserved garlic crunchies and basil, and stir gently to incorporate. 6. Scatter mozzarella chunks over top, dust with grated Parmesan, and bake in hot oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and tips of penne begin to crisp. Serve with crusty bread and good Sicilian red wine (Nero dAvola, Frappato, whatever) Cent anni! With COVID-19 infections and deaths soaring and the Democrats and Republicans nearing agreement on a massive corporate bailout, President Donald Trump on Tuesday doubled down on his talk of lifting restrictions imposed to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and forcing workers back onto the job. At a virtual town hall on Fox News, Trump declared that he wanted the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter (April 12). Trump said he thought Easter would be a good day to end quarantining and reopen the plants and workplaces because, Youll have packed churches all over our country. I think it will be a beautiful time. On the same day, the US death toll from COVID-19 neared 700 and infections surged to more than 53,000 confirmed cases. The World Health Organization has warned that within the next several weeksaround the time of the Easter holidaythe US will have become the global epicenter of the pandemic. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference [Credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster] Trumps promise to reopen closed businesses, combined with the prospect of a bipartisan $2 trillion bailout of corporations and the Federal Reserves announcement of unlimited support for the banks and financial markets, sent stock prices soaring. The Dow jumped by 2,112 points, a modern record one-day increase of 11.3 percent, as billionaire investors celebrated their good fortune in the midst of an unfolding social and economic catastrophe for working people. The staggering scale of the government plunder of social resources to bail out the financial aristocracy was indicated on Tuesday by Larry Kudlow, Trumps chief economic adviser. He told a press conference that the total economic stimulus to be enacted by the government would reach $6 trillion. Four trillion dollars would come from the Feds money-printing quantitative easing program and the rest from the expected enactment of the corporate bailout bill. Trumps demand for a quick end to lockdowns that are in place in more than half of the country and the reopening of plants and businesses is bitterly opposed by scientists and medical experts who warn that the result will be an exponential rise in infections and deaths, possibly into the millions. Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, warned that curbing social distancing could cost millions of lives. Anyone advising the end of social distancing now needs to fully understand what the country will look like if we do that, he tweeted. COVID would spread widely, rapidly, terribly, could kill potentially millions in the yr ahead with huge social and economic impact across the country. Trump and those backing his plan to quickly end social distancing measures, including the Democratic-aligned New York Times and Washington Post, know that the result will be a sharp increase in infections and deaths. Trump speaks for a fascistic constituency within the financial oligarchy that considers the culling from the population of older workers who no longer pump out profit for the corporations a positive good. The position of the American ruling class is that the resumption of profit-making must proceed, and if it means the killing of millions of workers, so be it. The bipartisan corporate bailout being hammered out is presented, in a colossal act of political fraud, as a boon to workers. The stage-managed political wrangling over the bill is designed to promote the lie that the theft of taxpayer money by the ruling class is aimed at shielding workers from the economic consequences of the pandemic. The number one priority of Republicans and Democrats alike is to stanch the free-fall on the stock market and exploit the health emergency to carry out a transfer of wealth to the financial aristocracy far in excess of the bailout of the banks and the auto industry that followed the Wall Street crash of 2008. The bill will raid the federal Treasury to hand over hundreds of billions of dollars to the corporations and the wealthycreating a new pretext for brutal cuts in social serviceswhile doing virtually nothing to fight the spread of the pandemic or protect working people from the health and economic impact of the crisis. It will do nothing to provide free and universal testing, the first requirement for containing the virus, or overcome the lack of ventilators, ICU beds, protective gear and medical staff at hospitals around the country that are already being swamped by the surge in infections. Nor will it stimulate the economy, which is plunging into a depression as production grinds to a halt around the world. The one-time disbursement of $1,200 to individuals making less than $75,000 and temporary extension of unemployment benefits it reportedly includes are completely inadequate to compensate for the loss of employment and income facing hundreds of millions of workers. The reality behind the Democrats cynical posturing as partisans of the workers was summed up in the remarks of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell Report Tuesday afternoon. We root for the stock market to go up. We are all on common ground on that, said Pelosi, whose net worth is in the tens of millions. The bill as agreed by the two parties will be essentially the same as the one drafted by the White House and the Republicans and introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell over the weekend. Its main provisions include: $500 billion for large corporations $350 billion for small businesses $300 billion in direct payments to households $250 billion for state unemployment benefit funds $136 billion in additional funds for federal agencies, including the military and the Department of Homeland Security $106 billion in payments to hospitals, the Veterans Administration and other public health agencies. The main concession touted by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and House Speaker Pelosi is the agreement of Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who will have the power to decide which corporations get taxpayer cash and how much, to allow the fig leaf of independent oversight. This is in the form of an inspector general and a congressional oversight panel. These are completely toothless measures, copied from the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program bailout of Wall Street in 2008. A provision barring companies receiving funds from laying off workers or cutting their pay is meaningless, since the bill includes the caveat to the extent practicable. There will be no effective restraints on how the corporate recipients use the governments largesse. A formal ban on stock buybacks and dividend payouts is mere window dressing, since it can be lifted by Mnuchin. There are no restrictions on executive pay. That means the money will go, as it did in 2008-2009, for stock repurchases, dividends and bonuses to increase the wealth of the top executives and major investors. The corporations that get the bailout money will be the same ones that squandered billions in stock buybacks following the 2008 crisis, enriching executives whose compensation is tied to stock prices and rewarding big investors, while starving the economy of productive investment and decent-paying jobs and diverting money from social and health care infrastructure. Only $75 billion of the $500 billion for large corporations is stipulated in the bill, with $50 billion going to passenger airlines, $8 billion to cargo airlines, and $17 billion to firms supplying the Pentagon or the intelligence agencies. The bulk is to be distributed by Mnuchin as he decides. Where his priorities lie can be seen from his history as a Goldman Sachs investment banker, a board member at Sears (where he was sued for asset stripping), and head of OneWest Bank, where he was sued for illegal home foreclosures. His net worth is estimated at $300 million. The money for small businesses will not go to family-owned restaurants, dry cleaners or gas stations. With small business categorized as an enterprise with fewer than 500 direct employees, the vast bulk of the $350 billion in loans will go to powerful hedge funds and other firms with billions in assets. The expectation of the bailout bill has already set off a feeding frenzy of lobbyists and lawyers representing various corporate interests who are converging on the Capitol to secure favors from the bribed politicians. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the bankruptcyeconomically, socially and politicallyof the capitalist system and all of its political representatives. It has laid bare the explosive class divisions in a society based on private profit and corporate greed. The latest bipartisan bailout of big business and the moves to force workers back to work with no protection from the virus will generate massive opposition in the working class. Already strikes and protests have broken out in the US and around the world by workers who refuse to sacrifice their lives and those of their loved ones to continue producing profit for the owners. Workers will increasingly realize that the implementation of effective measures to combat the virus and save lives is inseparable from a fight against capitalism. The Socialist Equality Party rejects the bailout of the corporations. We demand that the big banks and corporations be transformed into publicly owned and democratically controlled organizations. The executives who plundered these corporations for the sake of personal enrichment should be legally compelled to pay restitution. We call for universal testing and free and equal access to health care; the closure of all nonessential production, with full income to those affected; safe working conditions in industries essential to the functioning of society; and an emergency program to build health care infrastructure and ensure that all medical workers have access to necessary equipment. As the Socialist Equality Party National Committee insisted in its statement of March 17, The essential principle that must guide the response to the crisis is that the needs of working people must take absolute and unconditional priority over all considerations of corporate profit and private wealth. The Reserve Bank is likely to allow banks to give relaxation to customers in paying their EMIs as the forced lockdown across sectors due to coronavirus pandemic New Delhi: The Reserve Bank is likely to allow banks to give relaxation to customers in paying their EMIs as the forced lockdown across sectors due to coronavirus pandemic has impacted earnings severely, crippling repaying capacity of many businesses and individuals, sources said. "There has been a demand for this, it will require some dispensation from the Reserve Bank actually. IBA has already discussed the issue with the RBI. This is under consideration," a bank official told PTI. The banker said that the issue of delayed EMI (equated monthly instalment) is under active consideration of the government. In a major relief, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced waiver of charges for withdrawals from any ATMs as well as doing away of the minimum balance requirement till June this year. SBI had already announced to do away with the minimum balance requirement a few days earlier. Many industry representatives have already demanded the government to allow late repayment of loans as businesses are badly hit due to no activity as the spread of coronavirus has led to a forced lockdown across the nation as well as globally. While, individuals mainly who are self-employed, have small businesses, have to pay towards rents for shops, small vendors etc have taken loans for various purposes such as home, car, business or any other personal requirements are more concerned about their immediate loan liabilities. A bank customer who runs a business and has to pay up towards loan will have to pay up from savings as there has been no business recently. Coronavirus has claimed thousands of lives globally in the past three months and has been spreading fast globally. As a proactive measure to cut short the spread of this deadly disease COVID-19, central government as well as states have announced major lockdown, shutting borders and strict policing to keep people indoors. In India, as many as nine deaths are reported from COVID-19, while more than 500 are reported to have caught the disease. [March 25, 2020] ReneSola Power Announces Sale of 6.8 MW of Projects in Canada STAMFORD, Conn., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ReneSola Ltd ("ReneSola Power" or the "Company") (www.renesolapower.com) (NYSE: SOL), a leading fully integrated solar project developer, today announced that it entered into an agreement to sell a portfolio of operating projects located in Canada to Grasshopper Energy, a global solar developer and asset owner headquartered in Canada. The portfolio consists of 15 solar plants under development, with a combined capacity of 6.8 MW. These projects were qualified under the Canadian feed-in tariff scheme, which was subsequently discontinued in late 2016. Mr. John Ewen, CEO of ReneSola Power North America, commented, "Grasshopper has been an excellent partner in financing this portfolio, and we arethrilled to close the transaction. We look forward to collaborating with them on other opportunities." Mr. Yumin Liu, CEO of ReneSola Power, added, "Despite the challenging market conditions due to the Coronavirus outbreak, we continue to execute on our strategy and demonstrate our ability to monetize solar assets across North America. This transaction builds upon our successful track record in the region and generates solid operating cash flow, which will be utilized in the execution of our current strategy. We are proud of our progress and are optimistic about our opportunities across different geographies for profitable growth in the quarters ahead." About Grasshopper Solar Grasshopper Solar is a global developer and asset owner headquartered in Canada. Founded in 2007 by Azeem M. Qureshi, it currently owns $1.8 billion of assets and has a development pipeline of $6.5 billion in various countries around the world. Grasshopper Solar has been the recipient of multiple national industry awards including Solar Innovator of the Year, Project Finance Innovator of the Year and Solar Developer of the Year. For more information, please visit www.grasshoppersolar.com. About ReneSola Power Founded in 2005, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2008, ReneSola Power (NYSE: SOL) is an international leading brand of solar project developer. Leveraging its global presence and solid experience in the industry, ReneSola Power is well positioned to develop green energy projects with attractive return around the world. For more information, please visit www.renesolapower.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/renesola-power-announces-sale-of-6-8-mw-of-projects-in-canada-301029520.html SOURCE ReneSola Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] I write out daily menus for our meals, because for some reason it brings the entire family great joy to anticipate them, even if its just nuggets. We schedule in a Live Show before bed that involves an ad hoc plot, and one or both of the kids disrobing before dismantling the couch. The schedule is just a suggestion. The actual shape of the day depends on our needs, and, frankly, my mood. Sometimes brain activation is sprouting beans. Sometimes we bake and call it math. Sometimes I lie flat on my back, in a game called sleeping. Today, the boy read to the baby, and we crossed off English. Ive begun to realize now how much time my mom spent teaching us how to do grownup stuff like run errands, grocery shop and fix things when they broke. So each day, I rope our son into some sort of family problem solving: moving our janky play structure out of the garage and into the front yard. Mailing letters, with stamps, at a mailbox. Figuring out which vegetables are going to turn, so that we can make soup out of them. Every time hes given a little more responsibility during this Richard Scarry existence, I see him stand a little taller and become a little more independent. Then again, this period of family isolation is sending me back in time. Its like having a newborn again, my friend Amy said about the pace at home these days the chaos of having our world split open, while having to get little people through the day. The re-wearing of ratty clothing, the under-showering, the dazed walks within a four-block radius. The months after the arrival of our firstborn are the only other time Ive been simultaneously terrified and bored. But then comes the magic moment when you realize you dont actually have anywhere else to be, most days: You just have to be present, and to love them. Im lucky. My children are small, theyre not missing major exams or life events. Im not stuck in the house with two surly teenagers who cringe every time I speak. Im fortunate enough to be able to put work on hold for now, even if it means flattening the curve of my own career. I know, better than most, that these things are temporary. And I know that next week, when our son has his (surprise!) Zoom birthday celebration, hell remember that all of his friends and family ate chocolate chip pancakes in tandem. He wont remember that he didnt have a party this year. Because like all hard times, I suspect, his enduring memories of this time will be of our love, and his joy. Priyanka Mattoo is a writer and filmmaker in Los Angeles. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 16:55:20|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ANKARA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkey finalized the evacuation of 2,721 overseas students on early Wednesday after flights with concerned countries were suspended amid the outbreak of COVID-19, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said. The students had been stranded and wanted to return from Britain, Ireland, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Egypt and Cyprus which suspended flights to Turkey, Oktay tweeted. The evacuees are undergoing quarantine for 14 days at dormitories in Samsun and Sakarya provinces of Turkey. Turkey also arranged evacuation flights from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, semi-official Anadolu Agency reported. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last week that 3,358 students would be brought back from seven countries after flight bans. The country has confirmed 1,872 COVID-19 cases, with 44 deaths by Tuesday. [March 25, 2020] RHONDOS PowerConnect for SAP & Splunk Now Available on Carahsoft SEWP V Contract PORTLAND, Ore. and RESTON, Va., March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RHONDOS and Carahsoft Technology Corp ., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, today announced a partnership. Under the agreement, Carahsoft will serve as RHONDOSs public sector distributor, making the companys industry-leading certified solution for moving SAP system data into Splunk available to Federal agencies through Carahsofts NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V contracts. We are pleased to partner with Carahsoft, the trusted distributor for our two key business partners SAP & Splunk, said Brant Hubbard, CEO and Founder of RHONDOS. Demand is high from public sector customers to add audit, compliance and cybersecurity capabilities to their SAP environment with the Splunk platform. RHONDOS offers the only certified SAP to Splunk platform connector that also expands to key use cases such as application performance, business process monitoring and cloud migration. Current public sector clients have asked for a streamlined way to invest in RHONDOS, and Carahsoft is the perfect partner for this purpose. With the addition of RHONDOS to our offerings, we are now able to offer government customers that use SAP solutions the ability to move data onto the Splunk platform, said Ebben Yazel, Splunk Technology Alliances Manager at Carahsoft. The real-time access to this critical data in the Splunk platform is essential in our changing world of AI and advanced cybersecurity threats. Combined with performance, business and migration use cases, PowerConnect for SAP & Splunk provides a solution for cybersecurity and technical monitoring of SAP environments. We are thrilled about this new partnership between Carahsoft and RHONDOS that allows Carahsofts customers that use SAP solutions the visibility that the Splunk platform provides to bring data to every question, decision and action, sid Frank Dimina, Vice President, Public Sector, Splunk. This collaboration will help public sector organizations that have previously had trouble deriving value from their data to save more money and gain new insights that can have significant business implications. RHONDOS PowerConnect software, and services are available through Carahsofts SEWP V contracts NNG15SC03B and NNG15SC27B. PowerConnect for SAP & Splunk is developed by Brave New World Consulting, and is available on SAP App Center , the digital marketplace for SAP partner offerings. For more information, contact the RHONDOS team at Carahsoft at (855) 377-5865 or [email protected] . About RHONDOS RHONDOS is the Exclusive Master Distributor of PowerConnect for SAP & Splunk by Brave New World Consulting Pty Ltd. for the North American market, providing first-line support and implementation Services that facilitate maximum return on investment when ingesting SAP security logs, performance metrics, and business data into the Splunk platform. RHONDOS is revolutionizing the way organizations interact with their SAP applications and considers itself a Talent Agency for Splunk & SAP, hiring and investing in some of the brightest minds for Splunk and SAP products and services. Contact: Ben Lomme RHONDOS Account Executive & Public Sector Channel Manager 978-489-8660 [email protected] About Carahsoft Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider. As a top-performing GSA Schedule and SEWP contract holder, Carahsoft serves as the Master Government Aggregator for many of its best-of-breed technology vendors, supporting an extensive ecosystem of manufacturers, value-added resellers, system integrators and consulting partners committed to helping government agencies select and implement the best solution at the best possible value. The company's dedicated Solutions Divisions proactively market, sell and deliver RHONDOS, SAP, Splunk, VMware, Amazon Web Services, Palo Alto Networks, Symantec, Veritas, McAfee, Dell, Adobe, F5 Networks, Google Cloud, ServiceNow, Open Source, Micro Focus Government Solutions, Salesforce, and Innovative and Intelligence products and services, among others. Carahsoft is consistently recognized by its partners as a top revenue producer and is listed annually among the industry's fastest growing and largest firms by CRN, Inc., Forbes, Washington Technology, The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, and Bloomberg Government. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook . Contact: Mary Lange 703-230-7434 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] India's 1.3 billion citizens will go under 'total lockdown' for 21 days to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, warning that anyone going outside risked inviting the virus into their homes. Since the announcement of the total lockdown police across the nation are getting ready to deal with some unruly cases of people flouting rules. To deal with such citizens, a video posted by a senior police official shows constable literally sanitising the lathis that will be used to flog people. That's the level of fear among people and however funny it may, in these uncertain times people really don't know what to expect. IPS officer Pankaj Jain tweeted a video to show full tayri (full preparation) to enforce lockdowns in which a policeman is seen spraying disinfectant on batons before they are taken. Police in India's northern city of Meerut are making citizens who break the rule hold up signs reading, "I am a friend of coronavirus," or "I am the enemy of society," before posting their pictures on Twitter. This #lockdown is for protection of you, your family and society , pls co-operate #Coronafighters pic.twitter.com/xc8gqJQQxH Pankaj Nain IPS (@ipspankajnain) March 23, 2020 Another video that the police official shared showed how the Punjab Police were punishing those who violated the lockdown, and was cheered on social media. When you won't maintain #Social_Distancing , this is how #PunjabPolice will impose then Pls keep yourself and others safe It's not a picnic time pic.twitter.com/GnOjUAmhxA Pankaj Nain IPS (@ipspankajnain) March 23, 2020 Mosque worker Mohammad Alim, 40, said he took a widow and her three sons to a police station in the city on his motorbike on Monday night to report an altercation with neighbours. "When I reached the police station, the inspector handed me that shaming sign and clicked my picture," Alim told Reuters. "I feel scared. I do not know who to complain to now," added Alim, who also accused officers of verbally abusing him. Meerut police tweeted a picture of Alim holding a sign that read "I am a friend of coronavirus" with the caption, "Some people do not care about society's safety." Demo for those who didnt understood pic.twitter.com/gwOEfqvbW2 Maulvi Jesus (@go4akki) March 24, 2020 The police Twitter feed had nine more similar pictures, with comments in Hindi, including, "I do not believe in the law of the country" and "I do not care about my family or society." Health researchers have warned that more than a million people in India could be infected with the coronavirus by mid-May India has already severed international flight links and will stop domestic air services at midnight in a bid to halt the spread. Police broke up the longest-running protest against a new citizenship law in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh. Dozens of people, many of them women, had been staging a sit-in protest since early December on a street in the Shaheen Bagh neighbourhood. In India 536 are confirmed cases and there are reports of 11 deaths so far. Inputs Reuters T he coronavirus could have infected as much as half of the the UKs population, according to researchers at the University of Oxford. Sunetra Gupta, professor of theoretical epidemiology at Oxford, led a study into the infection rate of Covid-19 across the country. The findings came on the same day the official death toll jumped to a record 87 in one day to 422 and confirmed cases leapt by 1,427. The new model from Oxford University suggests the virus was circulating in the UK by mid-January, around two weeks before the first reported case and a month before the first reported death. Coronavirus in numbers: UK deaths rise to 422 And the research suggested that less than one thousand of those with Covid-19 became ill enough to need treatment in hospital, with the vast majority developing mild symptoms or none at all. This means it could have had enough time to have spread widely, with many people in the country acquiring immunity. Speaking to the Financial Times, Professor Gupta said testing was needed to assess the theory. Oxfords research represents a very different view to the modelling at Imperial College London, which influenced government policy to tackle the spread of the virus in the UK. I am surprised that there has been such unqualified acceptance of the Imperial model, Professor Gupta told the same newspaper. Loading.... But she was reluctant to criticise Boris Johnsons decision to place the country on lockdown as the accuracy of the new model has not yet been confirmed. If accurate, the results would mean the country has already acquired substantial herd immunity through the unrecognised spread of the illness. Herd immunity is the idea that coronavirus will stop spreading when enough people have become resistant after being infected. The shutdown across the UK could be removed much sooner expected if the findings are confirmed by testing, it was reported. London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /66 London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures A woman jogging near City Hall, London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast on Sunday to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA A pedestrian walks past a billboard reading "Please believe these days will pass" on Broadway Market in east London AFP via Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge Getty Images Boris Johnson Jeremy Selwyn Sun-seekers cool off in the water and sunbathe on the riverbank at Hackney Marshes in east London AFP via Getty Images Ed Davey is shown on screens as he speaks via videolink during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London PA A herd of fallow deer graze on the lawns in front of a housing estate in Harold Hill in east London AFP via Getty Images A woman wearing a mask crosses a bridge over Camden Lock, London PA An empty Millenium Bridge PA A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images People push to enter the Niketown shop in Londo AP Jo Proudlove and daughter Eve, 9, follow the daily online "PE with Joe" Joe Wickes' exercise class on "Fancy dress Friday Reuters Waterloo station looking empty PA Police in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Getty Images A quiet Parliament Square Getty Images PABest A man walks along a passageway at London's Oxford Street Underground station the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus PA Social distancing markers around the camel enclosure at ZSL London Zoo PA A police car patrols Greenwich Park in London PA The Premier League in action in front of empty stands AP Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed. A deserted Piccadilly Circus PA A general view is seen of a deserted Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Getty Images The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings Getty Images A view of 20 Fenchurch Street (the 'Walkie Talkie' building) in the City of London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus PA A deserted Chinatown PA A person looks at graffiti on a JD Wetherspoon pub in Crystal Palace, south London. Wetherspoons workers have described founder Tim Martin's lack of support for his chain's 40,000 employees as "absolutely outrageous" PA The London ExCel centre that has been turned into a makeshift NHS Hospital and critical care unit to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic PA The Palace Theatre, which usually shows the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA The Sondheim Theatre, which usually shows the Les Miserables musical, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA Two members of a British Army mounted regiment exercise their horses in Parliament Square AP Westminster Bridge is deserted PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA An empty street and bus stop at St James's Park AFP via Getty Images Whitehall Jeremy Selwyn A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn Buckingham Palace looking empty in London, PA London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn London's Carnaby Street empty as shops closed after a lockdown was announced in the latest bid to stop the spread of coronavirus through the UK AP A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images A quiet Jubilee line westbound train carriage PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA Empty Embankment Jeremy Selwyn It is hoped testing will begin as soon as this week. More than 90,000 people have been tested for Covid-19 in the UK, 82,359 of which came back negative. Loading.... NHS England said 83 of the 87 new deaths in the UK happened in England, bringing the total number of deaths there to 386. Patients were aged between 33 and 103 years old and all were in vulnerable groups including those with underlying conditions. According to NHS England, 21 of the deaths were reported at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust in Harrow. A further seven died at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow. Four died at each of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals of Leicester and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The latest figures were announced as the country enters its first day of lockdown after Boris Johnson announced people should only leave their homes for four reasons. Some beaches and parks have closed across Southern California after crowds turned up over the weekend. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) As California's death toll from COVID-19 reached 55, health officials in Los Angeles County said Tuesday that the disease caused by the novel coronavirus may have taken the life of a Lancaster teenager, possibly the nations first death of a person under 18 related to the virus. L.A. County Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer called it a devastating reminder that COVID-19 affects people of all ages. But in a statement late Tuesday, public health officials noted that although early tests indicated a positive result for COVID-19, the case is complex and there may be an alternate explanation besides COVID-19 for the death. Word of the teen's death came as officials warned Tuesday that the situation was about to get much worse in California, with infections surging and elected leaders and public health agencies scrambling to free up hospital bed space. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, in a video address, emphasized the need for virtually everyone to stay home, declaring that L.A. could be six to 12 days from seeing numbers like those in New York City, where the death toll has exploded in recent days. Its coming, Garcetti said. The peak is not here yet. The peak will be bad. People will lose their lives. Many of us will know those people. Garcetti said Angelenos should prepare to live for a couple months like this, a rebuff to President Trumps remarks Tuesday that the country could be raring to go by Easter. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Trumps remarks did not reflect reality in California, where statewide infections have surged to nearly 2,500. April for California would be sooner than any of the experts that I talked to believe is possible, Newsom said. Newsom now expects California will need 50,000 hospital beds to deal with COVID-19 patients, more than double what his administration forecast last week. He said the states 416 hospitals will execute surge plans to create 30,000 new beds. Newsom also ordered a halt to the intake and transfer of inmates at the states 35 prisons and four youth correctional facilities. He said British billionaire Richard Branson will donate medical gear to help healthcare workers, joining efforts by Tesla and Apple executives. Story continues In an interview Tuesday, Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said the teenage boy died of septic shock and that the youth's father is infected with the coronavirus. As officials try to determine the exact cause of death for the youth, its possible that the coronavirus and bacterial infection are correlated, one expert said. We do know that respiratory viruses in general can exacerbate secondary bacterial infections, said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a Stanford University professor of pediatrics infectious diseases and the chair of the American Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases. Its possible that a viral infection could worsen a bacterial super-infection and lead to a secondary bacterial infection, including pneumonia or sepsis, Maldonado said, adding, "I see no reason why this virus would be any different. Meanwhile, the toll of infections continued to mount up and down California. In L.A. County, officials confirmed three more deaths linked to the virus, bringing the countywide death toll to 11. The county confirmed an additional 128 cases of coronavirus infection, pushing the countys total to 662. The Los Angeles Police Department said 11 officers have tested positive, two of them members of its senior command staff. In Orange County, health officials confirmed the county's first virus-related death, a man in his 70s with underlying health issues who was getting treatment at a hospital. The number of infected people reached 152 in Orange County, with 27 new reported cases. In San Mateo County, there were 19 new cases and a second reported fatality a resident of the Atria Senior Living facility in Burlingame. San Francisco reported its first COVID-19 fatality, a man in his 40s with multiple, significant underlying health conditions, the city announced. The city now has 152 confirmed cases, and officials warned of a surge in cases within a week or two, with the public health director saying the worst is yet to come. In Long Beach, Mayor Robert Garcia tweeted Tuesday that the city now has 28 confirmed COVID-19 cases. If you have the ability to stay home, please do so, Garcia wrote. Wash your hands and social distance. We all need to work to flatten the curve. The citys 28 cases include one of two Cal State Long Beach students who tested positive for the virus and were in self-isolation off campus. Elsewhere in the higher education sphere, officials at Stanford said Tuesday that 24 people connected to the institution either as students, faculty, staff or post-doctoral students have tested positive for COVID-19. Among those is one student who is self-isolating on campus, university officials said. Across the state, officials continued to call for an increase in testing capacity and reporting. Frustrated public health directors in Contra Costa and five other Bay Area counties have ordered testing sites to begin reporting not just the positive cases, but also the negative results, which experts say is critical to tracking the spread of the virus. In Santa Clara County, there were 16 reported deaths as of Tuesday, the most in the state. There, the sheriffs office confirmed four cases of infection among its staff, including a deputy who is self-isolating at home. The states chief justice has issued an order to delay criminal and civil trials for 60 days in courtrooms across Californias 58 counties, because court facilities are ill-equipped to effectively allow the social distancing needed to thwart the virus. The presiding judge of Los Angeles County Superior Court, Kevin C. Brazile, blocked public access to county courthouses except for attorneys, staff, defendants and authorized persons, though the clerks office will still be available to accept filings and assist people remotely. The California National Guard is being deployed for humanitarian purposes, such as helping at food banks and handing out food and medical supplies. Late Tuesday, the Los Angeles Archdiocese said it was closing all its churches and offices until further notice, citing the danger of the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, California remained largely shut down under state and local orders. L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva added gun stores to the list of nonessential" businesses Tuesday, saying gun sellers will be cited and may lose their business licenses if they dont close their doors. Early Wednesday morning, however, the sheriff said that the department's "enforcement efforts to close nonessential businesses have been suspended" and that Newsom would "determine what qualifies as a nonessential business." Garcetti, meanwhile, said he continues to receive reports of various irresponsible and selfish nonessential businesses that remain open as usual, which he said may prompt a call from local prosecutors, and could result in the city shutting off their water and power. At recreational areas, local leaders tightened restrictions amid worries that people are still not staying at least six feet apart in public, as reflected, for example, by last weekends crowds at popular beaches. In Laguna Beach, the beaches have closed. In Los Angeles, Councilman David Ryu asked the parks department to close Runyon Canyon Park and Lake Hollywood Park on weekends. I dont make this recommendation easily, but closing Runyon Canyon Park on weekends, when we have seen the highest volume of visitors, should follow to keep everyone safe, Ryu said. In Sonoma County, parks and open spaces are closed indefinitely, including city, county, state and federal parklands and recreational lands operated by private groups and nonprofits. Closing parks is a difficult decision, but it is the right decision at this time, Sundari Mase, the countys interim health officer, said in a statement. The best action we can take is to stay close to home and limit our outdoor time to our yards and neighborhoods. In Orange County, officials have shuttered county-owned parking lots at all trails and parks under OC Parks jurisdiction, including Irvine Regional Park, Talbert Regional Park in Costa Mesa and Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley. While the sites themselves remain open, officials hope that curtailing parking will prevent crowds. I would not want to discourage residents from getting out and getting fresh air, said Supervisor Doug Chaffee. Popular beaches were crowded over the weekend, despite calls for people to keep a six-foot buffer around themselves when they venture outside. Prior to Orange Countys action, individual cities in the county had taken it upon themselves to implement such restrictions. Huntington Beachs pier and all city beach parking lots closed Tuesday, while in Newport Beach, the piers and beachfront parking lots will close beginning Wednesday. Beach parking lots are also closed in Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Malibu. Times staff writers Phil Willon, Sarah Parvini, Taryn Luna, Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II and Christopher Goffard contributed to this report. State governments across the country have opened subsidised canteens and set up special community kitchens to provide food to the needy left without work because of the countrywide lockdown imposed to check the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Officials in West Bengal and Delhi said free meals were being provided to all at the night shelters, where the authorities have been asked to gather the needy for food twice a day. The Kerala government said it is providing assistance to local bodies to set up community kitchens. The prevailing situation is likely to lead to starvation among the poor and aged people. We will not allow this to happen. We will help the local and civic bodies to set up community kitchens to feed them, said Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He warned wholesale dealers of essential goods against raising prices. In states like Punjab, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, religious bodies, including gurdwara committees, have started free distribution of food packets for all. The Jharkhand government has opened Khichdi (a mix of rice, pulses and vegetables) centres and has announced it will provide subsidised ration through the public distribution system in advance. In Karnataka, the state government started distributing free food through the day for the poor and needy through 178 Indira canteens. Officials said the police have been asked to distribute free food packets only to the needy. Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday said he is talking to the municipal corporations to see how cooked food can be supplied to homeless, and street vendors who have no fixed addresses and live on streets. In Rajasthan, chief minister Ashok Gehlot said that free food packets will be given to street vendors, daily wage labourers and needy families. The packets are being distributed with the help of police, gurdwara and temple volunteers. The Haryana government has announced financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per week to the poor working in the unorganised sector. Senate leaders say an agreement has been reached to approve a sprawling $2 trillion economic stimulus package that would include money for the unemployed, small businesses and large corporations. And while some details have been shared, theres still lots to uncover about how the money will be distributed, who will qualify and how much you will receive. According to the Associated Press, the deal calls for one-time direct payments to Americans: $1,200 per adult and $500 per child. That means a family of four -two parents, two children -- will receive $3,400. However, in order to qualify for a check, your individual income may not exceed $75,000. Combined income for married couples may not exceed $150,000. If you make more than those amounts, your check will be reduced. Your income will be based off of your 2019 taxes if theyve already been filed. If not, it will be based off of your 2018 returns. If you have been laid off or furloughed, the package calls for up to four months of additional wages on top of whatever is allowed via unemployment in your state. On top of unemployment benefits, you can receive a $600 per week add-on, meaning you would receive $600 from the federal government on top of state unemployment. Those funds will also be open to gig workers who work in industries like Uber. While that is good news to many Americans, when that money will be sent out is still unknown. Although a deal has been reached in principle, it still must be voted on by the Senate and the House before President Trump can sign it. The Senate is expected to vote today on the bill, however the House will not vote until Thursday at the earliest. If approved, it would still take a couple weeks to process the payments to ensure the money goes to each person who qualifies. That means the treasury will have to verify direct deposit information and home addresses for everyone who is set to receive a check, meaning an exact date is unknown as of now. It is also unclear if the money would be a grant to the American people or if it will be treated as a loan which would have to be repaid or if the money would count against your tax liability. A previous version of the bill called for the money to be distributed as a credit against your taxes. A CNBC breakdown on the options the government has suggest several different scenarios. Along with relief for individuals, the package includes a $367 billion program for small businesses to apply for loans and $500 billion for larger corporations to draw loans from as well. As part of negotiations, Democrats fought to ensure oversight on how the money is used by big corporations and to forbid companies owned by members of Congress and top administration officials -- including President Trump and his family -- from receiving money from the programs. Republicans scored a victory by ensuring theemployee retention tax credit thats estimated to provide $50 billion to companies that retain employees on payroll and cover 50% of workers paychecks, according to the AP. PREVENTION TIPS Michigans State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips: What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases: Always cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve. Stay home if you are sick and advise others to do the same. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if soap and warm water are not available. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces(computers, keyboards, desks, etc.). Its not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season. READ MORE Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus Wednesday, March 25: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Four countries led by war-ravaged Mali on Wednesday joined the lengthening list of African countries hit by the novel coronavirus as Kenya ordered a curfew and unveiled tax breaks in the fight against the pandemic. Mali, mired in an eight-year-old conflict, said two nationals who had returned from France had tested positive for the virus. Libya, another conflict-torn country, as well as the volatile West African state of Guinea-Bissau and Uganda in East Africa also reported their first cases of COVID-19. More than 2,400 cases were recorded in all of Africa as of Wednesday, according to an AFP tally, with 64 deaths. Although Africa's toll is far lower than in Europe, the United States and the Middle East, health experts say the world's poorest continent is especially vulnerable to the virus and the figures likely fall far short of the reality. "We must prepare for the worst (because) we have no idea of the scope of the propagation" in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2018 Nobel Peace laureate Denis Mukwege said Wednesday. Mukwege called for "large-scale" testing across the vast former Belgian colony of 80 million inhabitants, which reported 48 cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday, with three deaths. Poor healthcare infrastructure, weak governance and crowded slums present ideal conditions for the respiratory disease to spread. Conflict, in particular, is a major factor in aggravating the risk. Mali is struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that erupted in the north in 2012 and has since claimed thousands of military and civilian lives. The government earlier banned commercial flights from virus-stricken countries. The UN on Wednesday put the spotlight on the Central African Republic (CAR), also gripped by conflict. CAR "is one of the least prepared countries to face a COVID-19 outbreak, with 2.2 million people already in need of health assistance and about 70 percent of health services provided by humanitarian organisations," the country's coronavirus Global Humanitarian Response Plan warned. - Pay cut for Kenyatta - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta meanwhile ordered a nighttime curfew to curb the spread of the coronavirus, while taking a massive pay cut and unveiling tax breaks to ease the economic impact of the crisis. In a lengthy address to the nation, Kenyatta warned he would not hesitate to take "more drastic measures" if Kenyans did not make efforts to limit the spread of the virus, which has sickened 28 in the country. African states have been adopting increasingly restrictive measures against the invisible peril. Senegal and Ivory Coast have declared states of emergency and ordered nighttime curfews, similar to South Sudan, which has ordered a nightly lockdown from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am. South Africa, the continent's largest economy, is set to enter a lockdown from Thursday. Ethiopia announced Wednesday it would free more than 4,000 prisoners to help prevent an outbreak in overcrowded prisons. The measures will apply to those jailed for "petty crimes" and drug offences or have less than a year remaining on their sentences. Conditions in Ethiopia's prisons are "harsh and in some cases life-threatening," marred by "gross overcrowding and inadequate food, water, sanitation and medical care," according to the latest annual human rights report on Ethiopia from the US State Department. - 'Panic mode' - In the Nigerian capital Abuja, meanwhile, fears spread of coronavirus infection among senior politicians. A number of state governors as well as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo were in self-isolation after coming into contact with two individuals infected with COVID-19. According to the president's office and local media, one of them is President Muhammadu Buhari's chief of staff, Abba Kyari, one of Nigeria's most influential figures. The political elite "is in panic mode following the confirmed case of the chief of staff,"a source close to the presidency said. burs/eml/gd/bmm Mali, mired in an eight-year-old conflict, said two nationals who had returned from France tested positive for the virus. Here, a Malian researcher holds a sample to be tested at a research center in Bamako African states including Nigeria have been adopting increasingly restrictive measures against the invisible peril South Sudan has ordered a nightly lockdown. Here, passengers from an international flight are given a temperature screening at Juba airport Screening ahead of South Africa's lockdown to begin on Thursday Last year, a friends healthy teenage son died suddenly. Her intense grief was compounded, she told me later, by confusion. Why had this happened? She sought out various rabbis and rebbes, made appointments with teachers and mentors, and searched their minds for insight. If they could help her take meaning from her sons passing, she said, she would find some peace. We humans have a primordial need to know. For the most partas long as life coasts along as we expectwe manage to satisfy the need in measured ways. But when something happens that upends our reality, we feel great urgency to unravel the enigma. We need to comprehend the significance we trust is there. If only we could make sense of the madness, we could (try at least) to accept it with some equanimity. Most of us are now trying to make sense of the coronavirus pandemic, and as Jews who believe that life and death and everything in between are functions of a deliberate, divine program, the desire to understandespecially with so much time on our handsis preoccupying. Alas, this particular crisis seems to offer no obvious, easy takeaways. In fact, the lessons seem utterly counterintuitive. What are we, Jews who are commanded to pray together, to learn from a situation that forces us not to pray together? What are we, Jews who are taught to honor our parents, to learn from the fact that their lives now depend on our keeping them at a distance? The message of this plague is so pathetically out of step with our narrative as Torah-observant Jews, it has roundly brought us to our knees, forcing us to concede to the inscrutable G-d who commands us to know him: Touche. Humbled though we are, we still cant shake the need to understand. We continue to scrutinize, to scratch at the surface and dig a little deeper. If nothing else, this novel coronavirus has yielded a steady crop of ideas and commentary. Not an hour passes without messages on social media offering perspective. Many are calming, others humorous. But in the theater of the absurd that our world has suddenly become, I sensed my friends angst: I needed an answer, at least one, that could help me square the circle. Then came a WhatsApp message from a rabbi in Israel: He described the dilemma faced by a Chasidic doctor who could not wear his protective mask as required because his beard was in the way. Chasidic Jewsfor religious, mystical, and spiritual reasonsare very careful about not shaving, or even trimming, their beards. So this doctor consulted his rabbi about his quandary. At first, the rabbi advised him to try different masks, but nothing worked. The doctor returned to his rabbi. He wanted to quit his position in the hospital. The doctor was certain that his decision to give up his position was the appropriate response. He was surprised that the rabbi disagreed, rejected his proposal out of hand, and advised him to remove his beard. The rabbi explained what should have been obvious: Saving a life is at the very top of Jewish priorities, so the doctor was to remain in place, and do whatever necessary to continue his life-saving work. At first, the rabbis advice didnt sit well with the doctor. Wearing a beard is, externally, the mark of a Chasidic Jew. But, the rabbi pointed out, this wasnt about the doctor. The beard, prayers with the minyan, and all the rituals of our daily routines, he reminded the doctor, are mitzvahs, G-ds commands. And one of His greatest mitzvahs is the commandment to save life, and to prioritize that over and above most other mitzvahs. Maybe theres the rub in this crisis: a virus that has forced us out of our comfortable habits, reminding us that our religious routines are not, after all, about serving ourselves. Barred from so much of what has come to shape and define our Jewish lifestyle, weve been made to step back from the coziness weve cultivated with practices that we forget did not originate with us. Perhaps the distance that the virus has placed between us and the Divine prescriptions that we have bent to our own will, will have the effect of turning each one of us into the baal-teshuvah, the returning Jew. When this is over, then, like the returning Jew, we will come back to every mitzvah with the awe of revelationour response to the novel call of the ineffable G-d. Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) - Today, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it is extending the filing periods covered by its previously enacted conditional reporting relief for certain public company filing obligations under the federal securities laws, and that it is also extending regulatory relief previously provided to funds and investment advisers whose operations may be affected by COVID-19. In addition, the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance issued today its current views regarding disclosure considerations and other securities law matters related to COVID-19. "Health and safety continue to be our first priority," said SEC Chairman Jay Clayton. "These actions provide temporary, targeted relief to issuers, investment funds and investment advisers affected by COVID-19. At the same time, we encourage public companies to provide current and forward-looking information to their investors and, in these uncertain times, companies are reminded that they can take steps to avail themselves of the safe harbor in Section 21E of the Exchange Act for forward-looking statements." Public Company Relief To address potential compliance issues, the Commission issued an order that, subject to certain conditions, provides public companies with a 45-day extension to file certain disclosure reports that would otherwise have been due between March 1 and July 1, 2020. Today's Order supersedes and extends the Commission's Original Order of March 4, 2020. Among other conditions, companies must continue to convey through a current report a summary of why the relief is needed in their particular circumstances for each periodic report that is delayed. The Commission may provide extensions to the time period for the relief, with any additional conditions it deems appropriate, or provide additional relief as circumstances warrant. Companies and their representatives are encouraged to contact SEC staff with questions or matters of particular concern. Investment Fund and Adviser Relief The Commission also issued orders (https://www.sec.gov/rules/other/2020/ia-5469.pdf and https://www.sec.gov/rules/other/2020/ic-33824.pdf) that would provide certain investment funds and investment advisers with additional time with respect to holding in-person board meetings and meeting certain filing and delivery requirements, as applicable. Today's Orders supersede and extend the filing periods covered by the Commission's Original Orders of March 13, 2020. Among other conditions, entities must notify the Division staff and/or investors, as applicable, of the intent to rely on the relief, but generally no longer need to describe why they are relying on the order or estimate a date by which the required action will occur. The time periods for relief are described in the Orders. The Commission may provide extensions to the time period for the relief, with any additional conditions it deems appropriate, or provide additional relief as circumstances warrant. Firms and financial professionals are encouraged to contact SEC staff with questions or matters of particular concern. Public Company Disclosure Guidance The Division of Corporation Finance today issued Disclosure Guidance Topic No. 9, providing the staff's current views regarding disclosure and other securities law obligations that companies should consider with respect to COVID-19 and related business and market disruptions. The Division has been monitoring how companies are reporting the effects and risks of COVID-19 on their businesses, financial condition, and results of operations and is providing the guidance as companies prepare disclosure documents during this uncertain time. The guidance encourages timely reporting while recognizing that it may be difficult to assess or predict with precision the broad effects of COVID-19 on industries or individual companies. The SEC divisions and offices that oversee companies, accountants, investment advisers, mutual funds, brokerage firms, transfer agents, and other regulated entities and financial professionals will continue to closely track developments, and, if appropriate, consider additional relief from other regulatory requirements for those affected by the coronavirus. Entities and financial professionals affected by the coronavirus are encouraged to contact Commission staff with questions and concerns. * * * ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Commission Relief for Public Companies The Commission has issued this Order as necessary and appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors. For those companies seeking to rely upon the Order, attention is directed to the various conditions, including the requirement to furnish a Form 8-K or Form 6-K by the later of March 16 or the original reporting deadline. In connection with the Commission relief issued in the order, the Commission staff will take the following positions with respect to certain obligations under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act: For purposes of eligibility to use Form S-3 or Form F-3 (and for well-known seasoned issuer status, which is based in part on Form S-3 or Form F-3 eligibility), a company relying on the exemptive order will be considered current and timely in its Exchange Act filing requirements if it was current and timely as of the first day of the relief period and it files any report due during the relief period within 45 days of the filing deadline for the report. For purposes of the Form S-8 eligibility requirements and the current public information eligibility requirements of Rule 144(c), a company relying on the exemptive order will be considered current in its Exchange Act filing requirements if it was current as of the first day of the relief period and it files any report due during the relief period within 45 days of the filing deadline for the report. Companies that receive an extension on filing Exchange Act annual reports or quarterly reports pursuant to the order will be considered to have a due date 45 days after the filing deadline for the report. As such, those companies will be permitted to rely on Rule 12b-25 if they are unable to file the required reports on or before the extended due date. Disclosure Considerations for All Public Companies The Commission encourages all companies and other related persons to consider their activities in light of their disclosure obligations under the federal securities laws. For example, where a company has become aware of a risk related to the coronavirus that would be material to its investors, it should refrain from engaging in securities transactions with the public and discourage directors and officers (and other corporate insiders who are aware of these matters) from initiating such transactions until investors have been appropriately informed about the risk. To the extent the registrant or insiders are engaged in transactions, or circumstances otherwise warrant it, the registrant should consider what disclosures are required in order to inform the public of its financial condition. When companies do disclose material information related to the impacts of the coronavirus, they are reminded to take the necessary steps to avoid selective disclosures and to disseminate such information broadly. Depending on a company's particular circumstances, it should consider whether it may need to revisit, refresh, or update previous disclosure to the extent that the information becomes materially inaccurate. Companies providing forward-looking information in an effort to keep investors informed about material developments, including known trends or uncertainties regarding the coronavirus, can take steps to avail themselves of the safe harbor in Section 21E of the Exchange Act for this information. Requests for Additional Assistance Relating to COVID-19 Some companies and other affected persons may continue to require additional or different assistance in their efforts to comply with the requirements of the federal securities laws and therefore are encouraged to contact Commission staff. Registrants facing administrative difficulties in the filing process (e.g., inability to obtain a required signature due to an executive officer being located in a quarantined zone) are encouraged to contact the staff who will be available to help address these issues. The Commission staff will continue to address these and any issues on a case-by-case basis in light of their fact-specific nature. If you require general assistance related to this order please call (202) 551-3500 or submit your request for assistance and contact information at https://www.sec.gov/forms/corp_fin_interpretive. Commission Relief for Funds and Investment Advisers The Commission has issued the Orders as necessary and appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors. For an entity seeking to rely upon an Order, attention is directed to the various conditions, including, that entities must notify the Division staff and/or investors, as applicable, of the intent to rely on the relief, but generally no longer need to describe why they are relying on the Order or estimate a date by which the required action will occur. Subject to their conditions, the Orders provide the following temporary exemptive relief: Relief Related to the Investment Company Act of 1940 Registered management investment companies, business development companies, and any investment adviser or principal underwriter of such companies from Investment Company Act sections and rules requiring certain agreements, plans or arrangements be approved by the company's board of directors by an in-person vote due to circumstances related to the current or potential effects of coronavirus. The Order extends to the period from (and including) the date of the original order to (and including) August 15, 2020. The original order extended to June 15, 2020. Registered management investment companies and unit investment trusts affected by coronavirus from Form N-CEN and Form N-PORT filing deadlines; for which the original due date is on or after the date of the original order but on or prior to June 30, 2020. The original order extended the filing deadlines on or prior to April 30, 2020. Filings would still need to be made as soon as practicable but no later than 45 days after the original due date. Registered management investment companies and unit investment trusts affected by coronavirus from annual and semi-annual report transmittal deadlines. Relief would extend to obligations for which the original due date is on or after the date of the original order but on or prior to June 30, 2020. The original order extended to April 30, 2020. Transmittal would still need to be made as soon as practicable but no later than 45 days after the original due date; and Registered closed-end investment companies and business development companies from the requirement to file Form N-23C-2 at least 30 days prior to calling or redeeming securities. The Order would extend to the period from (and including) the date of the original order to (and including) August 15, 2020. The original order extended to June 15, 2020. Relief Related to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 The Order would extend the following obligations for which the original due date is on or after the date of the original order but on or prior to June 30, 2020. The original order extended to April 30, 2020. Filing or delivery, as applicable, would still need to be made as soon as practicable but no later than 45 days after the original due date. Registered investment advisers and exempt reporting advisers affected by coronavirus to file an amendment to Form ADV or file reports on Form ADV Part 1A, respectively; Registered investment advisers affected by coronavirus from requirements to deliver amended brochures, brochure supplements or summary of material changes to clients where the disclosures are not able to be timely delivered because of circumstances related to coronavirus; and Private fund advisers affected by coronavirus from Form PF filing requirements. Commission Statement of Delivery of Fund Prospectuses The Commission also takes the position, as described in the orders, that it would not provide a basis for a Commission enforcement action if a registered fund does not deliver to investors the current prospectus of the registered fund where the prospectus is not able to be timely delivered because of circumstances related to coronavirus, subject to the conditions described in the orders. The Commission's position has been extended to June 30, 2020. Delivery would still need to be made as soon as practicable but no later than 45 days after the date originally required. Division of Investment Management contact information: For general questions or concerns related to impacts of coronavirus on the operations or compliance of funds and advisers, including questions about Form N-MFP and Form N-CR, please email IM-EmergencyRelief@sec.gov. For questions regarding Form N-LIQUID, please email IM-N-LIQUID@sec.gov and simultaneously contact: Tim Husson, Associate Director, at (202) 551-6803 and Jon Hertzke, Assistant Director, at (202) 551-6247. For questions regarding Form ADV, email IARDLive@sec.gov. For questions regarding Form PF, email FormPF@sec.gov. ConsumerAffairs is not a government agency. Companies displayed may pay us to be Authorized or when you click a link, call a number or fill a form on our site. Our content is intended to be used for general information purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment based on your own personal circumstances and consult with your own investment, financial, tax and legal advisers. Company NMLS Identifier #2110672 Copyright 2021 Consumers Unified LLC. All Rights Reserved. The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission. So a short-term surge is already baked in. "I think the steps announced by the Prime Minister and the premiers will dampen this down. I would expect to see the curve flatten in the next couple of weeks, see it start to come down," he says. Governments have said that they aim to "flatten the curve", meaning to slow the rate of new infections, by controlling gatherings, closing non-essential businesses and ordering social distancing. "That will mean a lot more people will survive because they will have access to ventilators and proper clinical care over the next 12 to 18 months" in the intensive care wards of the hospital system while awaiting the arrival of a vaccine. Professor Doherty cites the example of the effectiveness of such measures in US state of Washington. It was the site of the first big outbreak of COVID-19 in America. But after Governor Jay Inslee imposed the same social controls as the Morrison government has announced, plus closing the schools, some 10 days ago, the outbreak appears to have been brought in check: "They expected a big surge in cases, but nothing came." Doherty has been pleased with the intensification of testing in Australia in recent days. "It's now a matter of time, of numbers and of human behaviour", says Doherty, patron of the Doherty Institute at the University of Melbourne. Professor Doherty, who trained as a vet, is involved in strategy and advice on the research effort, including the search for a vaccine. On government support for urgent new research, he says: "Federal and state governments are doing pretty much everything asked of them to drive this research, clinical and diagnostic effort forward." The Doherty Institute, one of the world's research leaders and the first lab outside China to decode the COVID-19's structure and distribute the data to labs worldwide, has received federal and state funding for research and "a lot of money" from private donors and philanthropists, he says. Important donors include the Chinese Australian community, the Ramsay Foundation, Chinese billionaire Jack Ma of Alibaba who gave $US3.2 million, and an anonymous donor who gave $1 million. "We are moving faster on this than on anything in human history. One vaccine in the US is already on trial, it's already gone into people's arms, and the University of Queensland vaccine is being progressed here and with CSIRO," he said. "Batches are being made by CSIRO now on a scale that will allow us to move rapidly to animal trials and then human trials." Indeed, says Professor Doherty, "it's already in animals and is progressing well". The US and Australian vaccines "are two completely different technologies, very new, and there are many more being trialled around the world." New ideas are being offered every day, he says. Loading Testing of any new vaccines is needed, even though it will slow the process, says Doherty. "There's some concern that if we don't tailor this right, you might make it worse in some conditions, so there has to be careful testing." Expert opinion commonly specifies a 12 to 18-month wait for an effective vaccine to be widely available. "I'm hopeful that we in the global community could be quicker, but that might just be my optimism." Other urgent clinical work is needed, not just a vaccine, he says. For example, "we need a rapid antibody test for people who've had the virus and recovered". Paula Gahan in London: Im running in heels through the streets of Kuala Lumpur carrying a bottle of Tiger beer. Weve just had a phone call from London saying the countrys going into lockdown and we have to fly back in an hour. With the imminent collapse of the aviation industry, myself and the crew were determined to enjoy possibly one of the last trips well have for a while and being from Kildare town, another Irish crew member and I decided it would only be right to toast St Patricks Day. Drinks had just been delivered to the table when the call came in. How long have we got? Theyre collecting us in one hour, everyone back to the hotel. With that, the table of 10 crew members, whod just landed three hours ago from a 13-hour flight, legged it back to the hotel. Id just paid 22 ringgits (4.61) for that beer though, and Id be damned if I was leaving it. Never in my five years of being cabin crew with a major airline have I seen such disorder and panic. My only regret is wearing heels. If I have any advice from my 33 years, it would be never wear heels in any sort of crisis. By the time Id made it to the hotel lobby, I could feel the blisters rising up on my feet. Everyone going into the hotel had their temperature taken before they were allowed to enter. I was 36.4. Anyone with over 38 was not getting in. I wonder how long before these measures will be implemented in London where I am now based for my job. I ran to my room and threw everything in a bag as quickly as I could. Never in my five years of being cabin crew with a major airline have I seen such disorder and panic The flight from London to Kuala Lumpur had been equally surreal. Every single passenger was wearing a mask for the duration of the flight. Many were wearing raincoats, gloves and full body hazmat suits. A few people ate but most refused the food for fear of contamination. The majority of the passengers were Malaysians, desperate to get back home before they closed the borders. I handed one a bottle of water, he flinched and looked at me nervously before taking it, a strange combination of fear and embarrassment in his eyes. I felt sorry for him. He hadnt moved from his seat for the whole 13 hours and there was a strong odour of urine from him. Its hard to believe, but some passengers will go to any lengths in a bid to avoid using the toilets, including wearing adult diapers. A crew member in his 60s said the last time hed seen such hysteria around personal cleanliness and contact was during the Aids epidemic of the 1980s. There were only a handful of Europeans on the flight. One middle-aged man was irate that he had been allowed board the flight at all in light of the imminent lockdown; the truth is we barely had any information ourselves. There was nothing that could be said to calm him down, the thought of being stuck in Kuala Lumpur playing on his mind. People can be very petty in these situations. He looked me dead in the eye and said, well, Im glad youll all be out of a job in a week. 'The paranoia of becoming infected will stay with us all for a long time' Sinead O'Sullivan in Milan Expand Close An almost empty Piazza del Duomo in the centre of Milan. Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An almost empty Piazza del Duomo in the centre of Milan. Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images No longer were there individual destinies; only a collective destiny, made of plague and emotions shared by all, wrote Albert Camus in The Plague. Four weeks ago, I woke up to learn that the coronavirus had well established its presence in northern Italy. And, Milan in Lombardy where I live was well on course to become the Covid-19 epicentre. The initial lockdown process was almost immediate, we were jolted into isolation to prevent a further spread. I am using my time on lockdown to reflect and think about life post-coronavirus Almost immediately I alerted my family in Ireland because I knew this problem was obviously not just stopping in Italy. The daily news conference is at 6pm when they deliver the official Covid-19 numbers for Italy. This has since become part of our daily routine, listening for the latest numbers. Sadly, these numbers are people, and those people have families. Its very, very sad, and heartbreaking. After the first two weeks #iorestoacasa started trending, this means I Stay Home. A new decree was signed, obliging everyone to stay indoors, simply go to the supermarket and return home. Even five weeks ago, the idea of being house-bound for a long spell would have been unthinkable. But I am following the rules and spending most of my time here in the apartment. For now it is something we all must do. I am fully committed to doing whatever it takes to see an effective decline in this tragic situation. We dont know when we will reach the end of this contagion, and the paranoia of becoming infected will I have no doubt stay with us all for a long time to come. I am using my time on lockdown to reflect and think about life post-coronavirus. I think what has changed could change our values, and focus on achieving a more balanced way of life, and focus on making a safer future. 'Its an extremely frightening time in Spain, but I worry how things are being handled back home' Chloe Creaven in Spain: Expand Close Chloe Creaven, originally from Galway, is living in Madrid, Spain. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Chloe Creaven, originally from Galway, is living in Madrid, Spain. Originally from Co Galway, I moved to Madrid in September 2019 to teach English as a second language. My isolation journey began on March 12 when every school in the city shut its doors. Despite a lot of my friends and family urging me to come home, I ultimately decided travelling wasnt the safest option and that it would be best to stay. Within 48 hours, I went from going about my normal routine to being confined to the four walls of my apartment. Officially, the country is in a state of emergency and honestly, its an extremely frightening time here. The numbers contracting Covid-19 are rising dramatically each day and even some of my friends have fallen ill. I would have been in contact with these friends, presumably when the virus was already in their system, so as an asthma sufferer there is an additional fear of getting sick. Within 48 hours, I went from going about my normal routine to being confined to the four walls of my apartment. This thought was very frightening but as time moves ever so slowly along, and I have not shown any symptoms yet, the fear is abating somewhat. Thankfully Ive managed to maintain a somewhat normal routine. Im fortunate enough to be teaching online in the mornings. The rest of the day is just a matter of trying to keep busy. We try to set ourselves a new goal each day, however big or small. I think a lot about how things are being handled back home and worry for my friends and family. No one really comprehends the severity of the situation here and realistically its only a matter of time before things escalate at home. If I could pass on any advice it would be to stay informed, stay positive and please stay inside. We look forward to getting back to normal life, whenever that may be, and we look to the day when Spain, like Ireland, will smile again. 'We're not allowed out of the hotel room - the door is unchained four times a day' Lisa Belmour in China: Expand Close A man and a boy wearing facemasks amid concerns of coronavirus walk on a road towards the Olympic park in Beijing (Photo by NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A man and a boy wearing facemasks amid concerns of coronavirus walk on a road towards the Olympic park in Beijing (Photo by NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images) We left China for our annual Chinese New Year vacation on January 18. The plan was to spend three weeks in Cambodia. As the virus started spreading and flights to China were cancelled, we knew it was only a matter of time before our own flight on February 7 was cancelled, which indeed it was. We were worried, unsure of what to do, so we decided to book another flight to China but immediately regretted our decision as the country was put on lockdown. We felt it would be irresponsible and reckless to return to our home there at that point, so we opted to fly back to Ireland. Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland We arrived in cold, wet, stormy Ireland with two rucksacks full of shorts and t-shirts and very little else. It was great to see family and friends, but our unexpected visit was matched with uneasiness about our situation and a sense of foreboding. To make matters worse, our Chinese residence visas were due to expire on March 16 so we resolved to return to China, to renew our visas and avoid even more complications in our lives. We flew Dublin, Frankfurt, Bangkok and then Hangzhou, China, the city we live and work in. Our employers had liaised with our community and the authorities and it seemed we had been cleared to quarantine for 14 days in our own apartment. However, on arrival at 10pm, it became increasing clear that things had changed and we were to be incarcerated in a hotel in the same district our apartment is in. We were in the airport for seven hours waiting for our names to be called. It was freezing cold (we were wearing shorts and flip-flops) as the heating system had been turned off to avoid the spread of the virus. We eventually got on a freezing-cold bus (again no heating) and arrived at our designated hotel at 7am, 10 hours after we had arrived. We showered and got into bed shivering from the cold. We felt it would be irresponsible and reckless to return to our home Weve been here since Saturday, March 14 and are due for release on March 28. We are not permitted out of the room. The door is unchained four times a day, three for meals and one to collect our rubbish. We are not permitted care packages from friends but can order groceries online, but no alcohol. We cannot wash or dry clothes, and we only have one towel each. I could go on but lets just say its pretty grim. The whole situation is frustrating for a variety of reasons. If we had been aware of the change in policy, we would have made a decision based on fact. We were very happy to come back to China and quarantine in our own apartment with the cooperation of our community. We would not have come back to China so soon if we thought we had to go to a hotel, and even if we had known and still decided to return, we would have been prepared. It would be so much easier and stress-free for everyone involved if people were permitted to quarantine at home. Everyone in China lives in guarded gated communities, so it would be impossible for anyone to break quarantine. The entire situation is illogical and completely ridiculous. On a more optimistic note, unlike most of the world now, China is slowly recovering, and things are starting to get back to normal here. It looks like schools may reopen by late April. We are looking forward to getting our lives back to normal, in the city we have called home for the past two years and the country we have called home for the past seven years. We are living history. The challenges posed by Covid 19 are similar the world over but everybodys experience of this emergency will be different. Today the Irish Independent and Independent.ie begin a new series called Lockdown Letters. It is an opportunity for readers at home and across the globe to share their stories about these unprecedented times. Please email your submission (400 words max.) to stories@independent.ie along with a photograph. We will publish as many letters as possible on Independent.ie and a selection in print every week. A Nigerian woman said she was taunted by traders inside a market in Aba, Abia state, South-East Nigeria, for wearing a face mask. Some people mockingly called her coronavirus, she said. Uche Nnamoko, who is into business development in Uyo, told PREMIUM TIMES she travelled to Ariaria market in Aba for shopping on Tuesday and left the market in shock because of the unpleasant experience. The traders were jeering and laughing at me and my girlfriend, she said, because we wore face mask. Mrs Nnamoko said her friend quickly pulled off her own mask and hid it inside the bag because of the shaming. Apart from the two of us, I didnt see anybody wearing face mask in the market, she said. Mrs Nnamoko said she felt embarrassed by what happened in the market, but that the incident underscores the urgent need for sensitisation about the coronavirus. She said the traders dismissed the coronavirus pandemic as oyinbo (white mans) illness or some infection that is only common among big people. Mrs Nnamoko said it was amusing to see people within the same market trading on face mask and hand sanitisers, and yet the traders themselves refused to make use of them because of their ignorance of the threat posed by the coronavirus. She said it was also amusing that people holding megaphone were preaching, telling the traders to prepare that Jesus is coming soon. My God, I felt like picking up a megaphone too, she said, to enlighten these people about coronavirus. She also had a similar experience when she boarded a bus back to Uyo. Some passengers who insisted there was no case of coronavirus in Nigeria declined to make use of a free hand sanitiser she provided inside the bus. According to her, one of the passengers said gulping plenty of alcohol in a day would be good enough to kill the virus. The government at the state and local levels, she said, should get into markets immediately nationwide and start talking to traders about the impact of the virus and how to prevent it. Government has to tackle skepticism Confirmed cases of the virus have so far risen to 46 in Nigeria on Wednesday morning. The two new Covid-19 cases reported on Wednesday occurred in Lagos and Osun states, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. This is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Osun State. According to the NCDC, both cases were detected in travellers who returned to Nigeria in the last seven days. Many people have called on the Nigerian government to deal with the skepticism and misinformation about the coronavirus. A news report aired by Aljazeera, Wednesday, captured some ordinary Nigerians dismissing the coronavirus as not being real. If at all there is something like coronavirus its for rich men not poor man, one man that was interviewed by the television station said. So, we are free men and will continue to live free. Thats their business. Another man was videoed saying he would not wear a glove or have his nose and mouth covered with mask because of a rumour. The election of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle could create another obstacle for the state, as the country remains without a mandated government. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle holds office as the Deputy Chairman of Dail Eireann, and in the absence of the Ceann Comhairle, Sean O Fearghail, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle performs the duties and exercises the authority of the Ceann Comhairle in chamber. The need for a deputy has never been so pressing, as the Dail operates with smaller numbers and a possibility that some members of the house, including Mr O Fearghail could be incapacitated for weeks, due to contracting Covid-19 or mandatory self-isolation. The vote for the role will take place during the Business Committee of Dail Eireann at 9am on Thursday morning before the Dail itself reconvenes around 10:30am. It's understood that the party's Chief Whips, or acting Chief Whips, will bring their party's votes to the committee so they can be counted, and a new Leas Cheann Comhairle can be elected. This ad-hoc measure has been implemented to limit the possible spread of COVID19 and implement social distancing. The election is usually done by secret ballot and the person selected is then to be formally elected as Leas-Cheann Comhairle by an open vote in the Dail. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has asked former Communications Minister and Independent TD for Roscommon, Denis Naughten to fill the role as a temporary measure as the country grapples with the pandemic. "He asked me last Monday at the commencement of the party leaders meeting," Mr Naughten said. "It wasn't a shock as it had been agreed at business committee last week, that they would take this approach rather than what usually happens. "I knew it was coming and that is had been discussed by party leaders at some stage but I hadn't ever contemplated putting myself forward this time. "I agreed to do it because the Taoiseach had said; 'Look we're in a difficult crises at the moment the and the last thing we need is to have a constitutional crisis on top of that' and in the interest of trying to facilitate to consensus, I was wiling to let my name go forward. "However, I know party leaders were determined that they wanted contest for it, Fianna Fail were in their own contest at the time, but then that went out the window." The other main parties have already selected their candidates for the role. Sinn Fein have selected Aengus O Snodaigh, the party's Chief Whip, and spokesperson on Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht. Mr O Snodaigh was selected by party leader Mary Lou McDonald due to his experience in the Dail, first elected for Dublin South East in 2002. "He's been around the Oireachtas for as long as any of our people," a Sinn Fein spokesman said. "He's been the party whip for well over a decade, and knows the process of the place better than anyone, and that's the logic behind the choice. "He was part of the Business Committee since reforms in the last Dail, and knows the way around the place." Fianna Fail have selected Brendan Smith, their parliamentary party chairman, and TD for Cavan Monaghan. John McGuinness also put forward his name for the role, but was not successful. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Ottawa, Canada Wed, March 25, 2020 15:02 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d5843e 2 Entertainment justin-trudeau,Canada,Celebrities,coronavirus,COVID-19,Ryan-Reynolds Free Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's online plea for people to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic has gone viral, with actor Ryan Reynolds, musician Michael Buble and other Canadian celebrities on Tuesday helping to spread the word. In the one-minute video the prime minister looks tired and a bit disheveled as he speaks to the nation from his kitchen in his second week of self-isolation with his family after his wife Sophie was diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus. It was part of a massive advertising blitz to hammer home public health messaging to social distance in an effort to stem the spread of the virus. "COVID-19 is hitting hard all around the world and right across the country," Trudeau says in the video posted on Twitter and watched by more than 1.2 million people and shared by 18,000 as of 1400 GMT. "Everyone needs to step up to fight against this virus," Trudeau said, urging frequent hand-washing and keeping two meters (six feet) apart from others in public if people must go out to buy groceries and the like. "Now is not the time to be hanging out in parks with friends or hosting dinner parties," he said. "Help me spread the word and let's plank the curve." Read also: Celebrities soap up in online 'Safe Hands Challenge' And help him they did, with Reynolds and Buble posting their own videos and each asking fellow Canadians -- including Seth Rogan, Stephen Page of the Barenaked Ladies, Shawn Mendes, Jason Priestly, YouTuber Lilly Singh and others -- to do the same. "In times of crisis I think we all know that it's the celebrities that we count on most," deadpanned Reynolds. "They're the ones who will get us through this, right after healthcare workers of course, first responders, people who work in essential services, ping pong players..." Rogan in a clip from his "bunker" quipped about hoarding toilet paper and sanitary wipes. "There are worse things you could be asked to do," he said. "Stay inside, let's not get sick." According to public health authorities, there were at last count 2,079 cases of coronavirus in Canada, including 24 deaths. On Monday, Canada's two most populous provinces -- Ontario and Quebec -- ordered the closures of all non-essential businesses. Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has appealed citizens to support 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to eliminate the further spread of deadly novel coronavirus, which has infected 562 people and killed 11 in the country so far. Yadav, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, has also donated Rs 1 crore from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) fund for procurement of COVID-19 testing kits and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for doctors and other medical staffs working at Azamgarh Medical College in the state. Every citizen needs to remain united emotionally to defeat coronavirus. These 21 days will play a crucial role in making our countrys future bright. I would like to appeal everyone to contribute and extend support for a better future, he said. I am giving Rs 1 crore from my MP Fund for procurement of Personal Protection Equipment of all the doctors and health workers of Azamgarh Medical College and testing kit for the COVID-19 test. I also appeal everyone for cooperation in such a difficult time by keeping all differences aside, he tweeted. After Yadavs appeal for financial help to fight against coronavirus, several Samajwadi Party leaders and workers came forward to support the idea resulting to which a total of Rs 5.20 crore was collected. Contributing for the cause, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and party leader from Maharashtra, Abu Asim Azmi have also announced financial help of Rs 25 lakh and Rs 50 lakh, respectively. Other Samajwadi Party leaders who have come forward for the financial help are - Narendra Singh Verma, Anil Dohre, Subhash Rai, Virendra Yadav, Nafees Ahmad, and many others. Doctors are hoarding medications touted as possible coronavirus treatments by writing prescriptions for themselves and family members, according to pharmacy boards in states across the country. The stockpiling has become so worrisome in Idaho, Kentucky, Ohio, Nevada, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Texas that the boards in those states have issued emergency restrictions or guidelines on how the drugs can be dispensed at pharmacies. More states are expected to follow suit. This is a real issue, and it is not some product of a few isolated bad apples, said Jay Campbell, executive director of the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy. The medications being prescribed differ slightly from state to state, but include those lauded by President Trump at televised briefings as potential breakthrough treatments for the virus, which has killed more than 500 people in the United States and infected at least 43,000. None of the drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for that use. Some of them including chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are commonly used to treat malaria, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions. Pharmacists have been swapping stories on social media about the spike in prescriptions written by doctors for themselves or their families. I have multiple prescribers calling in prescriptions for Plaquenil for themselves and their family members as a precaution. Is this ethical? one person wrote Sunday in a Facebook group for pharmacists, referring to a brand name of hydroxychloroquine. Others weighed in some noting similar experiences and expressed their hesitancy to dispense such prescriptions. I got called a communist for telling a prescriber, who was trying to call it in for themselves, no, someone posted Friday in another Facebook group for pharmacists. Carmen Catizone, executive director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, said state boards were trying to stop the hoarding and inappropriate prescribing, but balancing what patients need. The American Medical Association denounced the practice in a statement from its president, Dr. Patrice Harris. By Ellen Gabler is a New York Times writer. Ambassador Hu Zhangliang receives a certificate from the president of Sierra Leones Parliamentary Press Gallery, Hassan Y. Koroma The Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to the Republic of Sierra Leone, Hu Zhangliang, has pledged his countrys commitment to supporting Sierra Leones efforts to prevent the coronavirus (COVID-19). Addressing members of Sierra Leones Parliamentary Press Gallery in Freetown, the Chinese ambassador described the fight against the virus as a great battle that involves a huge financial cost, one that China is going through at the moment not only to protect its people but to safeguard global health security. In two months, 99 percent of cases were in China and some countries did not pay attention to it. Now it is everywhere, he said and added that this calls for a collective effort around the globe to fight a common enemy that is currently ravaging lives. Ambassador Hu said although Sierra Leone is yet to record a single case, the risk and threat posed by COVID-19 is high, especially now that it is in West Africa. China will not relent in supporting Sierra Leone should there be a case, he remarked, adding that at present China is helping the government of Sierra Leone to prevent it. The Chinese Medical Team and other Chinese nationals are currently working hand-in-glove with Sierra Leoneans in helping to see that the coronavirus does not enter Sierra Leone. This is why the Chinese embassy and Chinese community recently provided the necessary equipment to make the country safe because, as the Chinese ambassador puts it, if Sierra Leone is safe, we as Chinese living in this country will be safe also. The items donated are 500 sets of protective gowns, 500 N95 respirators, 1,000 surgical masks, 1,000 medical gloves, 200 medical goggles and a 50kw generator to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. I am happy to see that the Sierra Leoneans have been resilient. With a concerted effort, the virus will be defeated. Everyone needs to be on board, especially countries like Sierra Leone that do not have a very good medical system, Ambassador Hu remarked, adding that he is impressed with the strong measures taken by the government to stop the potential consequences. Sierra Leone has gone through Ebola, which has impeded its development, and having the coronavirus will bring devastating problems. This is why everybody needs to fully comply with the measures the government has put in place. The media should take the lead in motivating people and encourage them in their response, he said. China and Sierra Leone have a long history of harmonious relations, a common development goal, and a shared future. Although a smear campaign has been waged against China by some world leaders, Sierra Leoneans have sympathized and empathized with the Asian economic giant since it recorded its first case of COVID-19. Several organizations and individuals have visited the Chinese embassy in Freetown to console and sympathize over the devastating consequences caused by the coronavirus. One such party was the Sierra Leone Parliamentary Press Gallery, whose President, Hassan Y. Koroma, thanked the Chinese for the good job they have done over the years and expressed his organizations heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives as a result of COVID-19. He said that the Press Gallery will stand with China to defeat the virus. We have learned a lot from China and we hope the friendship will continue, he said. Ambassador Hu Zhangliang responded by thanking the Press Gallery for its support over the years and assured it that the Chinese will continue to work hand in hand with Sierra Leone to bring about common prosperity. This is the fourth batch of Indians to be evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran Indians evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran were subjected to preliminary screening at the Jodhpur airport and taken to an army quarantine facility on March 25, 2020. New Delhi: Some 277 people evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran landed at the Jodhpur airport in Rajasthan this morning and were taken in to the quarantine facility set up there. Preliminary screening of the evacuees was conducted at the airport and thereafter they were shifted to the Army Wellness Facility established within the Jodhpur Military Station. The Army is working in coordination with the Rajasthan state medical authorities and the civil administration of Jodhpur. The facility has a dedicated team of Army doctors who will monitor the health parameters of the evacuees. This is the fourth batch of evacuees from Iran taken in to the Army's quarantine facility in Rajasthan. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning about the speed of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In response to the escalating crisis, the UK introduced its most draconian measures yet on Monday to try and curb the soaring infection rate. Boris Johnson ordered people to only leave the house to buy groceries, exercise, for medical reasons or for necessary work. Hours before, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus shared three powerful statistics as he warned that the pandemic is accelerating. The virus has reached the majority of countries. He explained that in the first 67 days of the outbreak, there were a total of 100,000 cases. This number then doubled over the next 11 days and tripled in the four days after that. At 67 days since outbreak began - 100,000 cases in total 11 days later - 200,000 cases in total Four days after that - 300,000 cases in total Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of Covid-19 cases in your local area Explained: Symptoms, latest advice and how it compares to the flu Announcing the latest plans to combat the spread, Tedros said he would be asking the G20 to ramp up production of personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and nurses. We need unity among the G20 countries who have more than 80% of the global GDP, he said. WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned the virus was spreading faster. (AP) If we dont prioritise protecting health workers, many people will die because the health worker who could have saved their lives is sick. The G20 agreed on Monday to develop an "action plan" to respond to the pandemic that the International Monetary Fund now expects to trigger a global recession. Finance officials from the 20 nations met by video conference for nearly two hours, seeking to stave off growing criticism that the world's "fire station" has been slow to respond to the worsening crisis. Global cases of coronavirus have been increasing rapidly. (PA) G20 leaders are due to meet for an extraordinary summit in coming days as the virus continues its rapid spread, with 392,331 people infected across the world and more than 17,100 dead. Story continues As of Monday, the UK death toll hit 335 and British citizens travelling abroad were told to return home while you still can. Boris Johnson ordered the immediate closure of all shops selling non-essentials items as part of his new measures. A woman with a medical mask carries shopping bags in Bath the day after Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (PA) He ordered people to only leave the house to shop for basic necessities as infrequently as possible and to perform one form of exercise a day. Or they could seek medical help, provide care to a vulnerable person or travel to work if absolutely necessary, he said in a televised address from within Downing Street. The measures which were effective immediately from Monday night will be reviewed in 21 days and relaxed if the government thinks it is possible and safe to do so. Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak met with ambassadors of the G7 and EU countries to discuss a number of issues, including assistance to Ukraine in the fight against Covid-19. According to the presidents press service, the conversation was focused on the developments concerning the global coronavirus pandemic, as well as the epidemiological situation in Ukraine. The interlocutors praised the efforts of the President and the Government of Ukraine in the context of taking measures to counteract the spread of coronavirus in our country. In this regard, a number of issues of practical assistance to Ukraine by the G7 and EU countries in terms of the provision of appropriate medical equipment and pharmaceuticals were discussed. Yermak stressed that President Volodymyr Zelensky has phone conversations with world leaders almost every day discussing mutual support during the coronavirus pandemic. The parties agreed on the need to consolidate the efforts of the international community to overcome the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy. The head of the Presidents Office informed of the security situation in Donbas. Yermak also told about the meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group held in Minsk on March 11. The representatives of the G7 and EU countries reaffirmed willingness to continue active cooperation with Ukraine in all areas of mutual interest, as well as assured of the unwavering position in support of our country's reforms, territorial integrity and sovereignty. ish J eremy Corbyn insisted his "voice will not be stilled" and promised to keep demanding justice for the country in his final Prime Minister's Questions appearance. Prime Minister Boris Johnson attempted to pay tribute to Mr Corbyn during PMQs on Wednesday but his comments prompted a defiant speech. Mr Corbyn is due to step down as the Labour Party leader next month. Mr Johnson said: "Perhaps I could begin by pointing out that this is the honourable gentlemans last Prime Ministers Questions and it would be appropriate for me to pay tribute to him, his service to the party and indeed the country over the last four years in a very difficult job. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was granted more questions than the usual six in his final PMQs. / PA We may not agree on everything but no one can doubt his sincerity and determination to build a better society. The Conservative Party leader also thanked Mr Corbyn and opposition MPs for working across party lines on the coronavirus crisis. Mr Corbyn said in reply: I thank the Prime Minister for his very kind remarks. He was talking as if it was some kind of obituary. To let him know, my voice will not be stilled, I will be around, I will be campaigning, I will be arguing and demanding justice for the people of this country and indeed the rest of the world. The two leaders clashed over the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak with Mr Corbyn calling on the Prime Minister to clarify when NHS staff would receive the vital protective equipment they need to treat patients with Covid-19. He claimed the Health Care Supply Association had been forced to use Twitter to ask DIY shops to donate protective equipment to NHS staff. "This is an appalling situation," said Mr Corbyn. "When will NHS staff, social care staff and community nurses and all other staff relating to healthcare get the PPE equipment they absolutely desperately need? The Prime Minister responded by saying that the Army had distributed 7.5million pieces of equipment in the last 24 hours. When asked what protection private renters would receive from eviction, Mr Johnson said the government has "gone further" to offer protection to renters. Mr Johnson told MPs: "Were also making sure that no-fault evictions are no longer legal and that is part of the Bill." Mr Corbyn coughs during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons. / PA Mr Corbyn added: We need clarity not confusion, we need delivery not dither. This crisis shows us how deeply we depend on each other. We will only come through this as a society through a huge collective effort. Colorado became the 22nd US state to abolish the death penalty on Monday, after Governor Jared Polis signed a repeal bill into law. Polis also commuted the sentences of all three men on Colorado's death row to life without possibility of parole. Colorados Democrat-controlled Legislature passed repeal legislation this year after picking up the support of some Republican lawmakers. The vote wasnt strictly along party lines; some Democrats opposed the initiative on personal or religious grounds. Colorado has rarely used the death penalty in recent decades. Its last execution was in 1997, and the one before that in 1967. But eliminating it proved tough for repeal supporters: Since 2009, it took six legislative efforts before the 2020 legislation was passed. The law applies to offences charged starting 1 July. Recommended Government must protect women trapped with abusers via urgent measures Polis had previously suggested he would consider clemency for the three men on Colorado's death row. The three cases played a prominent role in the death penalty debate over the years. Nathan Dunlap was sentenced to die for the shooting deaths of four young employees of a Chuck E Cheese restaurant in Aurora in 1993. Then-governor John Hickenlooper, now a Democratic candidate for a US Senate seat, delayed indefinitely Dunlaps execution in 2013. Robert Ray and Sir Mario Owens were on death row for the 2005 ambush slayings of Javad Marshall-Fields and his fiancee, Vivian Wolfe. Marshall-Fields and Wolfe were slain to prevent them from testifying in a separate murder case against Owens. Marshall-Fields mother, Democratic state Senator Rhonda Fields, passionately defended the death penalty each time lawmakers debated repeal. In a statement, Polis said that the commutations of these despicable and guilty individuals are consistent with the abolition of the death penalty in the State of Colorado, and consistent with the recognition that the death penalty cannot be, and never has been, administered equitably in the State of Colorado. Opponents insisted that the death penalty compelled countless defendants to seek plea deals to solve or close cases. They also said it should be up to voters to decide whether to repeal. In Colorado's last execution in 1997, Gary Lee Davis was put to death by lethal injection for the 1986 kidnapping, rape and murder of a neighbour, Virginia May. New Hampshire was the last state to repeal the death penalty in 2019. Several Western states also have moved to abolish capital punishment or put it on hold. Wyomings Legislature came close last year, and another initiative there this year had 26 Republican sponsors. Washington state lawmakers are trying to remove the death penalty from state law. In 2019, New Mexicos Supreme Court set aside the death penalty for the final two inmates awaiting execution after the state's 2009 repeal. Associated Press New York University medical students have been offered the opportunity to graduate three months early so they can help the overworked doctors and hospital staff fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The Grossman School of Medicine sent an email to its graduating class on Tuesday explaining the option for its students to graduate early and start interning in their field before 1 July, Brief19 first reported. "With the growing spread of Covid-19, our hospitals inundated with patients, and our colleagues on the front lines working extra-long hours, we are still short-staffed in emergency and internal medicine," the email reads. "Burnout of our doctors has become a growing concern." Students who meet all the graduation requirements are eligible to graduate early. But the members of the class who agree have to start interning as an MD at NYU's Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine departments. According to the email, the graduating class could join the workforce as soon as April to help NYC as it fights the pandemic. The city has become the epicentre of the virus with more than 15,597 testing positive for Covid-19 in NYC and over 26,376 confirmed cases in New York state. As of Wednesday morning, 271 people in the state died from the virus. On Tuesday, it was revealed cases were doubling in the state every three days. Allowing medical students to graduate early comes as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said the hospitals are expected to become severely impacted with Covid-19 patients in the coming weeks. "In response to the growing spread of Covid-19, and in response to Governor Cuomo's directive to get more physicians into the health system more quickly, NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU have agreed to permit early graduation for its medical students, pending approval from the New York State Department of Education, Middle States, and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)," Kate Malenczak, a spokesperson for New York University's Langone Health, told Business Insider. This volunteer option is open to students outside of the school's emergency medicine and internal medicine department, the email says. Students who volunteer will receive full compensation and benefits as an interning graduate. Flash A team of 14 medical experts from east China's Fujian Province departed on a chartered flight to Italy on Wednesday morning to aid the European country's fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. The team consists of experts from several hospitals and the center for disease control and prevention (CDC) of Fujian, as well as an epidemiologist from the national CDC and a pulmonologist of Anhui Province. The experts specialize in areas including respiratory, intensive care, infectious disease, hospital infection control, traditional Chinese medicine and nursing. Their missions will include sharing experience in COVID-19 prevention and control with local hospitals and experts and providing treatment advice. They will also provide disease prevention and control know-how to Chinese communities and students in Italy, and offer them protective supplies and traditional Chinese medicines. The experts will mainly work in the Tuscany region of Italy. The flight took off at about 11:10 a.m. from Fuzhou Changle International Airport and is scheduled to arrive in Milan at 4:45 p.m. local time. Also on board the plane were about eight tonnes of medical supplies donated by the province, including 30 ventilators, 20 sets of medical monitors, 3,000 protective suits, 300,000 medical masks, 20,000 N95 masks and 3,000 face shields. Previously, China sent two medical groups with a total of 22 people along with more than 20 tonnes of medical supplies to support Italy's epidemic fight. COVID-19 had claimed 6,820 lives as of Tuesday evening in Italy, which has lost more lives than any other country to the pandemic. The cumulative number of the novel coronavirus cases in Italy reached 69,176, the largest number outside China. Huang Yu, a provincial health official and leader of the team, said China has acquired extensive experience in its fight against the disease, and they are ready to share it with their Italian colleagues. "We are honored to be given the task assigned by our country, and we will do our best to help the Italian people tide over the difficulties," Huang said. Xu Nengluan, director of the infectious diseases department of Fujian Provincial Hospital, has been treating COVID-19 patients for over two months. "For our medics, saving lives knows no borders," Xu said, commenting on his new task in Italy. The Chinese government has announced assistance to 82 countries, the World Health Organization and the African Union, including test kits, masks and protective suits. Many batches of supplies have reached the recipients, China's foreign ministry said last Friday. Libya has recorded its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, the UN-backed government announced on Tuesday, stoking concern that an outbreak could overwhelm the war-torn country's already weakened health care system. As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the Middle East, countries have sought to slow the increase of cases by limiting the movements of hundreds of millions of people. The Arab world's most populous country, Egypt, as well as Syria, a country ravaged by nine years of war, became the latest countries to impose nightly curfews starting this week. The International Monetary Fund meanwhile said that shortages in crucial medical supplies could drive up prices and inflict pain on the Mideast's poorest nations. There are over 31,000 cases of the virus across the Mideast, the vast majority in the hard-hit nation of Iran. While most recover from the virus and the COVID-19 illness that it causes, it is highly contagious and causes severe illness in some patients, particularly the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Bottoming crude oil prices have put additional strain on even the region's wealthiest countries, affecting their ability to cope as the virus strains medical systems worldwide. A 73-year-old man who crossed into Libya from neighbouring Tunisia on March 5 became the large North African country's first recorded case. The Libyan patient had recently travelled to Saudi Arabia, according to the National Centre for Disease Control, and is receiving medical treatment for his fever and cough in isolation at a Tripoli hospital. The confirmation of Libya's first case, three weeks after the patient's arrival in the country, poses a test for its fragile medical system. Attempts at a nationwide disease protection program have been undermined by the country's division between two rival governments, in the east and west of the country, and a patchwork of armed groups supporting either administration. Even on Tuesday, Tripoli's suburbs came under heavy fire as the United Nations appealed for a freeze in fighting so authorities could focus on preventing the spread of the coronavirus. Meanwhile in Egypt, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly told reporters that the 11-hour nationwide curfew from 7 pm until 6 am would go into effect Wednesday, during which public transportation would also come to a halt. Egypt has confirmed 402 cases and 22 fatalities, including two senior military officers. Madbouly announced the continued closure of airports, schools and universities until April 12. He said non-essential shops will close Fridays and Saturdays, Egypt's weekend. The government has already locked down populous tourist cities in the south and the Red Sea, as well as shuttered museums and archeological sites, including the famed Giza Pyramids. President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi warned that attempts to violate the announced measures would be met with "the utmost firmness and decisiveness." In Syria, where the healthcare system has been decimated by nearly a decade of civil war, the government said an apparently open-ended nightly curfew beginning at 6 pm will go into effect on Wednesday. Syria has reported only one case of the coronavirus so far, but it has enforced strict containment measures in government-held areas including grounding commercial flights, closing borders and shutting down restaurants and public transportation. The IMF, which traditionally has told governments to implement greater austerity measures, was urging Mideast governments to offer temporary tax relief and cash transfers. It warned a lack of medical supplies could hurt Iraq, Sudan and Yemen if it leads to a surge in prices. In the impoverished Gaza Strip, which has detected two coronavirus cases, Hamas-run religious authorities shut down all mosques for two weeks. Qatari-funded shipments of food, electric appliances, clothes, furniture and fuel arrived Tuesday at temporary quarantine centres in Gaza, part of a USD 150 million boost from the oil-rich nation to fight the virus. Gaza's Health Ministry has opened more than 20 quarantine facilities housing 1,400 people. An Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza, imposed when the militant group took power in 2007, has slowed the arrival of the new virus to the densely populated Palestinian enclave. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By March 24, 2020, 18:22 GMT, the worldometer indicated 4,10,465 cases of coronavirus with 18,295 deaths and 1,07,199 recoveries. The WHO puts the morbidity rate at 3.4 per cent, but the biggest danger being faced by mankind is its potential for exponential rise due to community transfers, if measures for isolation/quarantining patients/suspects and community at large, are not implemented properly, along with early detection. The global analysis indicates varying responses and corresponding results, which are necessary to understand the seriousness in adopting the safety measures being communicated by Government agencies through various mediums. The epicenters China is accused of doing global damage by hiding crucial timely information for the rest of the world to be able to respond to COVID-19. Wuhan, believed to be the origin and initial epicenter of the disease, was late in quarantining affected people, could not prevent community transfer and the number of affected cases hiked exponentially in the beginning. Although it took harsh measures and has been able to bring down the affected cases, which as per reported figures so far stand at 81,171 with 3,277 deaths, these figures are suspected as the number of mobile users in China vanished in much greater numbers, as per some media reports. China was quick to declare that it has conquered the disease and reported 73,159 recovered cases, but 78 fresh cases, seven fresh deaths and 4,735 active cases, mitigate the claim. The community lockdowns, and stringent measures of social distancing helped China in flattening the trend. The world, however, will continue to accuse China for this pandemic, with two legal notices already filed against it. Europe, led by Italy (with 69,176 cases and 6,820 deaths) is another case of taking the disease lightly initially and is trying to control it with all possible measures later. WHO has warned that the US will be the next epicenter of COVID-19 having 50,860 confirmed cases, out of which there are approximately 25,000 cases in New York. The US faces a stalemate over $2 trillion allocation for combating the pandemic. The same is the case with South Korea and Japan. The only advantage these countries enjoy is that they have much less population in comparison to countries like India and relatively better medical capacities per capita population to control. Iran continues to struggle after the initial carelessness and later with inadequate capacity. It needs to be noted that in most western countries, the testing in terms of percentage of population has been fairly high; hence the magnitude of the problem is better identified. Taiwan's successful fight Taiwan, with 23 million people, just off the coast of China, was predicted to have the second highest "importation risk" by any country, with over 8,50,000 of its citizens residing and working in mainland China and a heavy rush of travelers to and from China, due to the outbreak of COVID-19 coinciding with Chinese New Year. Considering the risk, having only 199 cases with two deaths and no new cases so far is creditable, notwithstanding the advantage of much lower population to test. Their success is attributed to an early action by the National Health Command Center (NHCC) with a branch focusing on large outbreak responses and acting as a central command post for direct, transparent communications, which was established after the SARS outbreak. Their actions included border control from the air and sea, identifying cases, quarantine of suspicious cases, managing resource allocation, daily press briefings, identifying false information and formulating economic policies to relieve families and businesses. Maximum use of 'Big Data' and technology was done to identify travellers, patients and suspects, and quarantining them. The support of the population was another major factor. Why India needs to get together against COVID-19? India has the second largest population in the world with over 130 billion people. While there is no need to panic with 536 cases identified and ten deaths so far, as a developing country its capacity to isolate communities is the biggest challenge in the world, which cannot be combated without public participation. The numbers identified so far are limited, due to limited testing facilities available in the country, which are being increased gradually. India needs to ensure not to enter into community spread (next stage) of COVID19 outbreak, otherwise the speed of infection will overtake speed of capacity building of the country to handle it. Although a lot is being done by the government and other agencies, the biggest challenge is to convince the segments of the society, who chose to take it lightly, by superimposing personal priorities over public health. The 21-day lockdown of the whole country announced by the Prime Minister on March 24, 2020, is the right step to break the chain of infection and flatten the upward curve of growing cases in India. India does not have the luxury of manageable population, and is yet to have the full capacity to deal with third stage of the pandemic; hence the best option available is quarantine/social distancing to ensure that it remains in the second stage with flattened curve, for which it has the capacity to handle. The partnership of people as well as private sector for capacity building is required. Going by the example of Taiwan, the data of every citizen with the Government is necessary to counter such emergencies better, sacrificing the politics for or against it, for the sake of Indian population. India needs to take forward the spirit of 'Janata Curfew' forward with much more vigour, enthusiasm and discipline. (Maj Gen S.B. Asthana is a veteran Infantry General and strategic analyst. The views expressed are personal and of the author, who retains the copyright) --IANS asthana/am 09:26 The United Kingdom on Tuesday announced the extension of all expiring or expired visas of foreign nationals, including Indians, who are unable to return home due to the coronavirus pandemic until May 31. Home Secretary Priti Patel said no enforcement action will be taken against anyone caught up due to the current stringent travel restrictions and that certain categories, such as overseas students from countries like India, would be temporarily allowed to switch their visas from within the UK instead of the usual application rules of applying from their home countries. "The UK continues to put the health and wellbeing of people first and nobody will be punished for circumstances outside of their control," said the Indian-origin senior Cabinet minister. "By extending people's visas, we are giving people peace of mind and also ensuring that those in vital services can continue their work," she said. The extension will apply to anyone whose leave expired after January 24 and who cannot leave the country because of travel restrictions or self-isolation. It will last until May 31 in the first instance but will be kept under regular review in case further extensions are needed, the Home Office said. "Those who contact the Home Office for these visa extensions will be expected to return to their home countries as soon as possible once flight and border restrictions are lifted. No immigration enforcement action will be undertaken during this time for those who email the Home Office as outlined above," it noted. To help those who want to apply for visas to stay in the UK long-term, the Home Office said it is temporarily expanding the in-country switching provisions. This will mean people can apply to switch routes, such as from Tier 4 (student) to Tier 2 (General Worker) whilst remaining in the UK. "The extension has been put in place to give these individuals peace of mind that they will not be penalised for overstaying their visa when the situation is out of their control due to COVID-19," the Home Office said. The announcement will come as a relief for Indian nationals, including tourists, professionals and students, who have inundated the social media channels of the Indian High Commission here with queries around their expiring visas. Like many foreign nationals, they have found themselves unable to return home due to flight cancellations and border restrictions over COVID-19. Another relief for Indian students and professionals would be the Home Office confirmation that in light of the current advice on self-isolation and social distancing, a waiver of number of requirements on visa sponsors on allowing non-EU nationals under work or study routes to undertake their work or study from home. -- PTI Joe Biden is working to reassert himself in national politics three weeks after taking command of the Democratic presidential primary. Like most Americans, Biden has stayed close to home recently to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. That and a slow shift to the new online-only reality of the campaign has left him with a lower profile as much of the nation has focused on the pandemic and President Donald Trumps response to it. But from a newly constructed television studio in his Wilmington, Delaware, home, Biden sat for a series of high-profile interviews on Tuesday. The appearances were a preview of a more public role hes hoping to assume in the coming weeks as he emerges as the Democratic counter to Trump. In an interview with CNN, Biden took an increasingly aggressive stance against the presidents coronavirus response, urging him to stop talking and start listening to the medical experts. He sounded similar themes in an afternoon interview on MSNBC, and during an earlier appearance on ABCs The View, where Biden said hes trying to balance his critiques of Trump against anything that would seem to undermine the president during a crisis. Ive not been criticizing the president, but Ive been pointing out where theres disagreements on how to proceed, Biden said. When the president says things that arent accurate, we should not say, Youre lying. We should say, Those arent the facts. Biden has faced growing pressure from allies to speak out more about the coronavirus. In two fundraisers this past week, supporters asked how they could see more of Biden as Trump blankets the airwaves with daily, freewheeling briefings that drive each days news cycle. Trump, for his part Tuesday, summoned his favorite nickname for his likely fall opponent, dismissing any critiques from Sleepy Joe Biden. The former vice president laughed on CNN when shown clips of Trumps barbs. What a piece of work, Biden said. Guy Cecil, chairman of Priorities USA, the major Democratic super PAC, said hes glad to see a commitment from Biden to take on a more robust schedule of public and media appearances. We need to be holding this administration accountable, and theres no way to do that if youre not speaking out, he said. But with the major networks focused daily on crisis and controversy, Bidens more measured tone has sometimes struggled to break through. On Monday, Biden broadcast an address on the outbreak, but his remarks, which came at the same time as a briefing by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, werent picked up live by any of the major networks. On Tuesday, when Biden appeared on The View, some stations cut away to briefings from local leaders on the virus. Cecil acknowledged the difficulty Biden and the broader Democratic Party face getting coverage for their message and said its one of the reasons his group recently launched a multimillion-dollar advertising blitz around Trumps coronavirus response. In order for people to break through, in order to really hold the president accountable, sometimes the best way you can do that is simply by making sure youre on peoples TV screens, and paying for it, he said. Further complicating Bidens effort to mount a response is the fact that his virtual campaign remains a work in progress. While he was delivering remarks Monday for the first time from his new at-home television studio, his telestrator appeared to malfunction or he otherwise lost his place. Biden stumbled for a few seconds and gestured to staff standing out of the frame before getting back on track with his list of suggested policy ideas to combat the pandemic. The town halls, meanwhile, cannot fully replicate the campaign trail even when the technology goes off without a hitch. Aides tout Bidens affinity for retail politics and his personal connections in one-on-ones, and they say theyre trying to find ways to bring that out. But they also agree that a call-in session is not the same as asking a would-be president a question in person or standing on the rope line and sharing a personal moment after an event. Another challenge for Biden: remaining relevant and engaged in the conversation and response from a notably peripheral position as the likely-but-not-quite-official nominee of the Democratic Party, and one who is no longer serving in public office. While Bernie Sanders path to the Democratic presidential nomination is increasingly mathematically improbable, the Vermont senator has yet to exit the race and has done his own online events and media appearances emphasizing his efforts in the Senate to respond to the virus. Sanders campaign announced that millions watched a series of virtual town halls hes held in recent days with musical acts and high-profile supporters, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The senator also urged his army of online donors nationwide to forgo giving to his campaign and instead donate to five charities he said were on the front lines of the response to the virus. He later announced the effort had raised more than $2 million for the groups, which included Meals on Wheels. Sanders was criticized in the conservative media for staying in Vermont on Sunday night to make an online appearance with Ocasio-Cortez rather than being in the Senate for key procedural votes on the virus response package. He was in the Senate on Monday, and, rather than addressing supporters online, he appeared on MSNBC, conceding that a 2020 race upended by the coronavirus meant we are in a bizarre moment. Biden, meanwhile, has mentioned that hes in contact with Democratic elected officials, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, whose state is a coronavirus hotspot. But Biden has not tipped his hand on whether hes tried to shape the Democratic response or negotiations on Capitol Hill or whether hes simply seeking briefings so hes up to speed on how his party is trying to wield power. He also said Tuesday that he receives daily briefings from public health experts and his economic team, offering a sort of model for what a Biden presidency might look like in a crisis such as this one. On balance, Biden aides say, the pandemic and grounded campaign dont change Bidens core message that Trump isnt up to the job and that Bidens experience proves he is. That was the thrust of Bidens foreign policy speech last summer: The worlds democracies look to America to stand for the values that unite us. Donald Trump seems to be on the other team. It was his message again Monday in talking about Trumps response to COVID-19: Donald Trump is not to blame for the coronavirus. But he does bear responsibility for our response. For the campaign, its simply a matter of how to get that message to voters and how to grab media attention for a platform the campaign doesnt have to pay for. As for the candidate, he seems content to project confidence that political considerations will work themselves out. My whole focus has basically been how we deal with this crisis, Biden said Friday. Quite frankly, thus far its been less about how we campaign or make stark differences between the president and I. I think some are just self-evident. There are no upsides to the coronavirus. No, not even injured Yankees getting extra time to heal with Opening Day pushed back counts. In the bigger picture, the latter pales so much in comparison to the ills of the former. Still, its happening, and that is good those players. On a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone detailed the latest on center fielder Aaron Hicks, right fielder Aaron Judge, designated hitter and outfielder Giancarlo Stanton and starting pitcher James Paxton. Hicks Whats wrong: Tommy John surgery rehab. Whats new: Hicks has begun a throwing program at his home in Arizona, Boone said. That seems to be at least a little ahead of schedule. Hicks had said he hoped to be throwing by April. He had the surgery to reconstruct a torn right ulnar collateral ligament in October. Hicks has also been seeing a physical therapist. Judge Whats wrong: Cracked right rib, punctured lung Whats new: Judge will be re-evaluated likely sent for another CT scan in a few weeks, Boone said. But hes been able to work out, Boone said, doing a lot of lower body stuff. Hes able to do some upper body stuff, some overhead things. Hes going in pretty much every day in Tampa there to continue his rehab. Judge didnt play in any spring training games, reporting discomfort and pain in his right shoulder and pectoral muscle before doctors finally discovered the fractured rib. Stanton Whats wrong: Right calf strain Whats new: Stanton is pretty much over the hump, Boone said. Hes pretty much run aggressively. Hes done the things necessary so that if and when, say we were to be in spring training games, he would likely be ready to roll for that. Stanton injured his calf doing defensive drills in late February and played just one spring game. Paxton Whats wrong: Recovery from lower spinal surgery Whats new: Paxton returned to his home in Wisconsin to continue throwing. Hes able to work out up there, Boone said. Paxton has surgery to remove a cyst in late February, just before spring training. Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook. Ghana has recorded its third coronavirus death at the 37 Military Hospital as the wife of a two-star general falls victim. According to Joy News sources, her husband who has also contracted Covid-19 is in critical condition. The source said both of them have not travelled abroad for some time now but it is suspected that they may have contracted the virus when they received a parcel from the United Kingdom from a courier company. Health authorities are now tracing the person who delivered the parcel as well as other people who have been in contact with the two after they received the parcel. Ghana now has 68 coronavirus cases, according to an update from the Ghana Health Service (GHS). This means that 15 more cases have been confirmed since the last cases were announced less than 24 hours ago. The virus, since it was first detected in the country earlier this month, has so far claimed three lives. Source: Joy news Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Syrian army, residents block US military convoy in Hasakah, force it to move back Iran Press TV Tuesday, 24 March 2020 1:21 PM A US military convoy has been forced to retreat from an area in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah after government forces blocked its way and groups of angry local residents, upset with its presence in the region, threw stones at the US convoy. Syria's official news agency SANA reported that Syrian army soldiers stopped the American convoy, consisting of 11 armored vehicles, as it tried to make its way through the village of Hamo in the al-Qamishli countryside of the province. Locals then threw stones at the American convoy and forced them to retreat. On March 8, government forces blocked a US military convoy of seven vehicles near the village of Kuzelia, which lies west of Tal Tamr town in the same Syrian province. Local residents then pelted the American convoy with stones and cursed at the soldiers, forcing them to turn around and find another route. Two days earlier, locals at Rumailan al-Basha village in the same Syrian region had hurled stones at US troops as their convoy sought to drive through the area. Turkish-backed militants breach ceasefire in Idlib Elsewhere in Syria's embattled northwestern province of Idlib, Turkish-backed Takfiri militants have infringed upon the terms of a ceasefire reached earlier this month by Ankara and Moscow to halt an escalation of violence there. SANA reported that the extremists fired rockets as well as bullets at army positions in Dadikh and Hantutin villages, which lie in the Saraqib and Maarrat al-Nu'man districts of the province respectively. Syrian government troops responded and destroyed the militants' hideout in return. A number of the terrorists were killed and injured in the process. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced on March 13 that the Russian and Turkish militaries had agreed on the details of a new ceasefire in Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone following four days of talks in Ankara. Akar said the first joint patrol by Turkey and Russia on the M4 highway in Idlib would take place on March 15, and that Turkey and Russia will set up joint coordination centers in the area. The announcement followed a telephone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan the previous day to discuss the implementation of the agreements the two leaders had reached in Moscow the previous week. "Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed the importance of continued close joint efforts, first of all between the Russian and Turkish defense ministries, in order to ensure a stable ceasefire and further stabilization of the situation," a Kremlin press release read. "It was agreed to maintain a regular dialogue at various levels, including personal contacts," the statement added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Shipping giant UPS has partnered with German startup Wingcopter to develop delivery drones that could autonomously fly packages to customers. The announcement comes amid a huge surge in demand for home deliveries as countries around the world go into lockdown to contain the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. As one of the worlds biggest courier companies, the drones could be deployed across the US and internationally to the more than 220 countries and territories that UPS serves. Wingcopters drones feature a fixed-wing design that allows them to travel up to speeds of 240km/h, while a tilt-rotor mechanism enables vertical take-off and landing in order to precisely deliver goods to small spaces. They have been developed to deliver medical supplies and parcels of food and have a range of up to 120 kilometres significantly further than commercial multicopter drones. Recommended Thousands of drones in China create running figure in the sky Together we aspire to extend the speed and reach of package delivery, said Wingcopter CEO Tom Plummer. Our vision has always been to leverage technology to improve the lives of people around the world. More than $300 million has been invested in drone delivery companies since 2012, however strict aviation regulations mean they are yet to be introduced on any significant scale. UPS has already achieved a big step towards realising this, after its drone delivery unit Flight Forward received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in October to operate a full-scale "drone airline". German startup Wingcopter is working with UPS to develop commercial delivery drones (UPS) Drone delivery is not a one-size-fits-all operation. Our collaboration with Wingcopter helps pave the way for us to start drone delivery services in new use-cases, said Bala Ganesh, vice president of the UPS Advanced Technology Group. UPS Flight Forward is building a network of technology partners to broaden our unique capability to servie customers and extend our leadership in drone deliver. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Drone deliveries are already being used tech giants like Amazon and Google, though so far only on a limited scale. Last year, Google-funded startup Wing began deliveries in Canberra, Australia, to around 100 homes. Amazon is also hoping to deliver packages to customers within 30 minutes of ordering through its Prime Air drone branch. Recent analysis of the drone delivery industry predicted that the drone market will grow to over $43 billion within the next four years, with drone deliveries set to be the fastest growing application within that market. By Manas Mishra and Ben Klayman (Reuters) - Carmaker Ford Motor Co on Tuesday jumped into the emergency push by major U.S. manufacturers to produce thousands of ventilators and respirators needed to help combat the spread of the coronavirus under a partnership code-named 'Project Apollo.' By joining forces with General Electric's healthcare unit and 3M Co , Ford is taking heed of U.S. By Manas Mishra and Ben Klayman (Reuters) - Carmaker Ford Motor Co on Tuesday jumped into the emergency push by major U.S. manufacturers to produce thousands of ventilators and respirators needed to help combat the spread of the coronavirus under a partnership code-named "Project Apollo." By joining forces with General Electric's healthcare unit and 3M Co , Ford is taking heed of U.S. President Donald Trump's call for U.S. automakers to work across sectors in producing equipment needed for the pandemic. The rapid outbreak, which has killed more than 16,500 people globally, has strained healthcare systems around the world and led to a shortage of ventilators needed to treat patients suffering from the flu-like illness, which can lead to breathing difficulties and pneumonia in severe cases. "We've been in regular dialogue with federal, state and local officials to understand the areas of greatest needs," Ford Chief Executive Jim Hackett said. Ford said its partnerships were code-named "Project Apollo" after the Apollo 13 launch in 1970 when a lunar landing was aborted after an oxygen tank failed two days into the mission, forcing the astronauts to improvise a fix. Ford and GE Healthcare will expand the production of GE's ventilator design to support patients with respiratory failure or difficulty breathing caused by the pathogen. In addition, they are developing a simplified design that Ford could begin making at one of its plants. The plan is to get the new design approved quickly by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Tom Westrick, vice president and chief quality officer at GE Healthcare, said on a conference call. Ford also is evaluating a separate effort not involving GE with the British government to make additional ventilators. Separately, Ford will work with 3M to increase manufacturing capacity of its air-purifying respirators by up to a factor of 10 to meet a surge in demand for first responders and healthcare workers, while also similarly developing a simplified design that Ford could build at one of its Michigan plants. Under the simplified design, Ford is looking at using fans from its Ford F-150 pickup's cooled seats to make parts of the respirators. Additionally, Ford said its U.S. design team, working with the United Auto Workers union, was starting to test transparent full-face shields for first responders, which when paired with N95 respirator masks, could be an effective way of limiting exposure to the coronavirus. The company is targeting making more than 100,000 a week at facilities in Michigan. Ultimately, Ford officials want to create an open-sourced design that others can adopt and use to make their own shields. "The teams are just getting scrappy. How do we use what we've got to get to something that's capable and would meet regulatory requirements," Jim Baumbick, the Ford vice president in charge of the automaker's efforts, told Reuters. On Monday, No. 1 U.S. automaker General Motors Co said it was partnering with medical equipment maker Ventec to build ventilators at GM's parts plant in Indiana. Meanwhile, Fiat Chrysler Automobile NV told employees in an email that the Italian-American automaker would start converting one of its China plants to ultimately make over 1 million masks a month to help combat the coronavirus outbreak. (Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru and Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. An Offaly healthcare worker wanting to come home to join the fight against coronavirus in Ireland is stranded in Australia after a number of cancelled flights. Sean Clarke, from Tullamore, and his girlfriend from Mayo, are both healthcare workers and want to return to Ireland to help the HSE fight the current coronavirus emergency. Sean is a physio on the HSE recruitment panel and his girlfriend is an ICU nurse who is due to return to Beaumont Hospital to work. "We feel alone and helpless," Sean told the Offaly Express. "We are desperately seeking the Irish government's help. In the past week, we've booked two flights home from Melbourne, both of which have been cancelled," he explained. "I've been laid off and my partner hasnt had work for some weeks now. We sold everything before being turned away at the airport yesterday. "We had planned to return home to help our country," he stated. Sean continued: "As of now, Qatar Airways is our only option, but their flight has been rescheduled a lot, and the last time I checked, it was 12,000 dollars." Sean and his girlfriend have been in Australia for less than a year having received working holiday visas last year and landing in Melbourne in July 2019. "We were due to return home in late April this year but had to return sooner due to the coronavirus and due to both of us wanting to return home as we are healthcare workers. "We want to help with the virus and be with our families but the two cancelled flights have left us with very little money and very little hope. "We are in touch with our local TDs and hopefully Minister Coveney can arrange a specially chartered flight for us here," Sean concluded. Member of the Parliament of Ukraine Andrii Derkach (independent MP) said that his visa to the USA was revoked after Biden was summoned to court to prevent him from participating in the investigation of the role of the former Vice President in Burisma operations." Representatives of "democorruption" revoked my visa to the United States after Biden was summoned to court. This was done to hush up his "earnings" from Burisma" Derkach wrote on Facebook. He stressed that this happened after he filed two petitions with the court to interrogate Biden as a witness in order to get answers to questions about receiving $900 thousand in fees from Burisma as well as other amounts. The comeback was not long in coming: the US Embassy revoked my visa to the USA" Derkach wrote. I understand that one of the key candidates for the presidency of the United States does not want me to personally participate in the investigation of his actions and meet with American investigators on his and Burisma case. To this end, he took advantage of the fact that Democrats have an influence on the Department of State and banned me from entering the USA. Ok, I will not attend personally. My Fox News interview on all issues related to the participation of US citizens and Joe Biden personally in international corruption is scheduled for the near future Derkach said. The Member of the Parliament considered it unacceptable to use the state to achieve personal political goals and stated that he would send a request to US Department of State so that this fact of political pressure would be investigated. The investigation of the facts of political corruption will continue. It is necessary to track in the United States where millions received by Biden with accomplices from Rosemont Seneca have gone, as the Ukrainian side claims Derkach also wrote. Earlier, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine Andrii Derkach invited former US Vice President Joseph Biden to Ukrainian court to answer questions related to Burisma Gas Company. P olice stepped in to disperse a group of about 20 people who were stood shoulder-to-shoulder tucking into a barbecue buffet during the coronavirus lockdown. West Midlands Police said their neighbourhood officers were on patrol in Coventry just after 2pm on Tuesday when they smelt food cooking and saw smoke rising near a block of flats. They found the group, which included a toddler and people believed to be in their 60s, who were "freely mingling" despite the Government's orders to stay indoors. The officers told the group in Foleshill Road, near flats in Culworth Court, that it was unacceptable and they should adhere to the social distancing guidelines. Boris Johnson: British public must stay at home But the stubborn barbecue-goers refused to pack their buffet up and argued they should be able to continue - with one woman shouting "my children need to eat". Police said she could not explain why she was not cooking for them at home in her kitchen. The force said the officers ended the gathering by tipping the barbecue over and insisting the group dispersed to their homes. In a statement, West Midlands Police said: "It's vital everyone follows the new 'lockdown' instructions; they are essential and it will save lives. "Our officers and PCSOs will be out and about in communities and speaking (from a distance of two metres) with anyone we suspect is breaching the new regulations. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 25 By Ilkin Seyfaddini Trend: Five more Uzbek citizens have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of infected people in the country to 55, Trend reports citing the Ministry of Health. According to the ministry, five more citizens were found to be infected, and have been quarantined on March 25. The first case of coronavirus infection in Uzbekistan was detected on March 15 in the laboratory of the Research Institute of Virology - an Uzbek woman who had returned from France, was tested to be positive. The Ministry of Health later said that her son, daughter, husband and grandson also tested coronavirus-positive. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. The number of people killed by the disease has surpassed 18,900. Over 422,000 people have been confirmed as infected. Meanwhile, over 108,000 people have reportedly recovered. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. Several countries are working on a vaccine against the new virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini Curious just how far your dollar goes in Greater Uptown? According to Walk Score, this Houston neighborhood is quite walkable, is bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one bedroom in Greater Uptown is currently hovering around $1,252. So, what might you expect to find with a budget of $1,800/month? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental offerings, via Zumper and Apartment Guide. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1200 Winrock Blvd. Listed at $1,715/month, this 1,320-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment is located at 1200 Winrock Blvd. You can expect to find a walk-in closet, a dishwasher and a fireplace in the unit. When it comes to building amenities, expect garage parking and secured entry. Pet owners, take heed: Cats and dogs are allowed. Look out for a $500 pet deposit. (Take a look at the complete listing here.) 808 S. Post Oak Lane Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment located at 808 S. Post Oak Lane. It's listed for $1,716/month. When it comes to building amenities, expect a swimming pool. In the unit, you'll see hardwood flooring, a walk-in closet and a dishwasher. When it comes to pets, both meows and barks are welcome. (See the complete listing here.) 4898 Tanglewood Cove St. Here's a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment at 4898 Tanglewood Cove St. that's going for $1,725/month. The unit features a dishwasher and hardwood flooring. Amenities offered in the building include garage parking and a fitness center. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are permitted. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (Take a look at the full listing here.) 2100 Bering Drive Then heck out this 1,123-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that's located at 2100 Bering Drive. It's listed for $1,728/month. The building offers secured entry and a swimming pool. You can also expect to see hardwood flooring and a dishwasher in the apartment. Both cats and dogs are welcome. Be prepared for a $300 pet fee. (Check out the complete listing here.) 3363 McCue Road Located at 3363 McCue Road, here's a 1,254-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that's listed for $1,738/month. In the unit, the listing promises hardwood flooring, a dishwasher and a walk-in closet. Building amenities include secured entry and garage parking. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are permitted. (See the complete listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Additionally, read on for five marketing tips for real estate agents to showcase local market expertise. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. D octors and nurses could quit over fears of inadequate protective equipment available in the fight against coronavirus, groups representing frontline workers have warned. The Government has launched a new scheme to recruit 250,000 volunteers who can help the NHS support vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic. But this could be undermined if some medics decide to leave their jobs because they feel they are not safe due to a widespread lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), the chair of the Doctors Association said. Dr Rinesh Parmer told the Guardian: The longer this epidemic goes on for, if doctors feel that there is a widespread lack of personal protective equipment, then some doctors may feel they have no choice but to give up the profession they love, because they feel so abandoned by not being given the PPE that the World Health Organisation recommends. Health Secretary Matt Hancock says 250,000 volunteers wanted and new London hospital to open Thats the travesty of this situation, that the government needs to protect frontline health workers and in return they will give 100 per cent. But the government hasnt kept its side of the bargain with NHS staff by not having enough PPE available to safeguard the health of doctors and nurses. And the Royal College of Nursing said staff should never be forced to choose between their safety and their livelihood. A spokesperson added: This equipment must desperately reach the frontline. Health Secretary Matt Hancock earlier said that 7,5 million pieces of protective equipment had been shipped out in the last 24 hours, including face masks. Amid concerns over the availability of protective equipment for frontline staff, he said that the armed forces have been involved in getting these kits out to people. He said: "If people are working on the front line to look after us, its vital that we look after them. Worries over vital supplies in hospitals is of great concern not just in the UK. Doctors and nurses across the world have pleaded for more supplies to treat a surging number of coronavirus patients. Global medical staff have been facing severe shortages of equipment, like masks and ventilators, which are critical in their battle against Covid-19. In France, doctors scrounged masks from construction workers and factory floors. The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA Francois Blanchecott, a biologist on the front lines of testing, told France Inter radio: "There's a wild race to get surgical masks. "We're asking mayors' offices, industries, any enterprises that might have a store of masks." The race to find equipment came as the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the outbreak was accelerating and called on countries to take strong, coordinated action. Mr Hancock said 11,788 recently retired NHS staff had responded to a call to return to the service - 2,660 doctors, more than 2,500 pharmacists and other staff and 6,147 nurses. I pay tribute to each and every one of those who is returning to the NHS at its hour of need, Mr Hancock said. Some 5,500 final-year medics and 18,700 final-year student nurses would move to the frontline next week, he said. Arjun Kapoor is known for his sarcastic comments on his friends social media posts and his hard-hitting replies to trolls. The actor took upon himself to give a befitting reply to a troll who dropped a religious coloured comment on his Ki and Ka co-star Kareena Kapoors picture with her son, Taimur. Kareena made her Instagram debut this month and had shared a monochrome picture that showed her holding her son Taimur in her arms. She had captioned it, The only one I will ever allow to steal my frame... Arjun had even commented to the post, The real nawab. However, Arjun didnt let go of the derogatory comments on his remark. Some of the users abused Arjun as well as Kareena while making derogatory comments about Taimur. Arjun shut them up and wrote, Abey ******** Hindu ho ya Muslim kya farak padta hai It doesnt matter to him and his parents or anyone he knows toh tu kaun hai bey Hindu Muslim karne wala? Earlier, Taimurs granduncle Rishi Kapoor had blasted Twitter trolls who registered their objection to Taimurs name. Speaking in defence of his niece Kareena, he had said on Twitter, Why are people so bothered what the parents want to name their child please?Mind your business,its got nothing to do with you.Parents wish! Why are people so bothered what the parents want to name their child please?Mind your business,it's got nothing to do with you.Parents wish! Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) December 21, 2016 Also read: Every kid will go to school, well all embrace and shake hands: Rishi Kapoor shares message of hope amid coronavirus lockdown In reply to one of the trolls, he had said, You mind your bloody business. Tumhare beta ka naam toh naheen rakha na? Who are you to comment? Upon his birth in 2017, Saif Ali Khan had said that Taimur will be free to embrace any religion. He had told Indian Express in an interview, My wife and I will try that our son will be a wonderful ambassador of the country. He will be free to choose whatever religion he likes. I want him to be a liberal, open-minded and down-to-earth guy the way we are. Follow @htshowbiz for more European Pulp and Paper Sector Maintains Essential Operations to Help EU Citizens Tackle COVID-19 Pandemic "We have taken the situation very seriously and implemented all necessary measures to guarantee the safety of our people: employees, transport operators and customers." Jori Ringman, Director General, Cepi. March 25, 2020 - The Director General of the Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi), Jori Ringman, today issued the following statement: Cepi, the European paper industry association, and its members across Europe are shocked and saddened by the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacting people globally and in Europe, with a growing number of lives lost. We have taken the situation very seriously and implemented all necessary measures to guarantee the safety of our people: employees, transport operators and customers. Our main priority now is to ensure that EU citizens can access the products that they desperately need for hygiene, health and food purposes in the current lockdown context. For that reason, we are relentlessly working with other industries in our value-chain to operate as much in a "business as usual" mode as possible and guarantee security of supply to our fellow Europeans. Our tissue and hygiene products are of vital importance to citizens, particularly to implement the recommendations issued by national governments and the World Health Organization (WHO): frequent hand washing and proper hand drying is vital. Tissue offers the safest option. Our fibre-based packaging is also essential to transport and deliver all types of food and pharmaceutical supplies such as medicines in protective packaging. We depend on the quick availability of fibres from recycled paper to manufacture our packaging. Therefore we call on local communities to help us serving them, by ensuring that the collection of paper and board continues smoothly during the crisis. Otherwise, it would create a shortage of raw material within weeks and force us to stop our production. We also have the obligation to ensure the timely and safe delivery of essential goods to our communities. Many of our companies are currently struggling due to extra border control checks and related delays within Europe due to lack of container capacity after the closure of China's harbours. We need support to avoid delays in deliveries of these key supplies. For all these reasons, we have been calling for our sector (NACE code 17) to be recognised as an essential supplier in several critical European value chains and to be eligible for state aids to ensure continuity of vital supplies to the society during the health crisis and facilitate a sustainable recovery of the European economy after we overcome the health crisis. We expect the Corona virus to prompt many changes in the way businesses are operated and society is organised. We call the European Commission to review the recently adopted Industrial Strategy in the light of the changes to ensure it remains valid and a strong policy for the new industrial realities. Solidarity has to come first; we will strongly support the work of the EU institutions and national governments with our reiterated commitment to invest in Europe and for maintaining European jobs in the next 5 years. About Cepi Cepi is the pan-European association representing the forest fibre and paper industry. Through its 18 national associations CEPI gathers 495 companies operating more than 900 pulp and paper mills across Europe producing paper, cardboard, pulp and other bio-based products. Cepi represents 22% of world production, EUR 82 billion of annual turnover to the European economy and directly employs more than 177,000 people. From forest fibre technology to advance paper design the industry currently invests EUR 5.5 billion annually and is a leader of the low carbon circular bioeconomy transition. Cepi's 2050 'Investment Roadmap' outlines the industry's vision to advance this transformation in Europe through value creation and decarbonisation. To learn more, visit: www.cepi.org . SOURCE: Cepi (Confederation of European Paper Industries) Due to the declared quarantine to limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the entire territory of Lithuania and protective measures and recommendations of the Lithuanian government, KN (further also the Company) informs of major precautionary and organizational actions to ensure safety of Company's employees and business continuity. Right after the state-level emergency was declared in Lithuania, the Company adopted a range of health safety precautions for its employees and partners. Since 2020-03-13 the employees of the Company, whose work specifics allow, work remotely. For the employees, who cannot work remotely, additional health safety measures have been provided and new health safety related practices in the terminals of the Company have been implemented. All measures are being reviewed and updated on a daily basis. Likewise, the Company activated business continuity plan and risk management team has been set up to monitor the situation on a daily basis and adjust action plans, if needed. Even in the given extraordinary circumstances KN continues its operations as usually - last week two oil tankers and two LNG cargoes were accepted at the terminals of the Company. This week two more LNG cargoes are further expected at Klaipeda LNG terminal. The Company is monitoring the situation and maintains close communication with major clients, suppliers and partners on regular basis concerning their plans and fulfilment of contractual obligations. Up to date, the service provision for KN clients takes place according to the agreed schedules and plans. As a socially responsible business, KN has also donated some personal protective equipment from its own stocks for local hospitals in Klaipeda in need and allocated financial aid for purchasing medical equipment to hospitals and medical institutions. The Company will continue this type of support and consider other initiatives within our capabilities. Although the Company has not been instantly impacted economically by the quarantine inflicted repercussions, KN is carefully monitoring global economic development and possible long-term financial impact for the Company. In the Company's top management's assessment, currently, there are no well-established grounds for severe concerns regarding Company's financial sustainability. More information will be provided in the annual financial audited report of 2019. Jonas Lenksas, Chief Financial Officer, +370 694 80594. U.S. President Donald Trump called his Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in on Tuesday to ask for medical supplies to help his country fight the coronavirus epidemic, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Cheong Wa Dae did not specify what equipment Trump is after but said Moon promised the "maximum support" possible. The presidential office here said the two presidents "shared their worries about the worldwide spread of coronavirus." They also hailed as "timely" a bilateral currency swap deal signed last week to contribute to stabilizing the global financial market, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said. The deal is worth US$60 billion and valid for six months, allowing each to borrow the other's currency at a favorable fixed rate. Earlier Tuesday, Moon also talked with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the phone. In his talk with Sanchez, Moon said that a "unified and concerted message" should be sent out to the world in a special video conference of the G20 leaders to be held this coming Thursday. The G20 countries will discuss how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Sanchez congratulated Moon on the Korean government's "successful response" to COVID-19, while also pledging to learn from Korea's "innovative" method of fighting the disease and responding to the crisis. Suffolk-based farming cooperative Fram Farmers has announced its new CEO as the firm celebrates its 60th year. Andrew Knowles, who joins the co-op in July, has a degree in Agricultural Management as well as a long-standing career in farming. He initially started as a farm consultant working with arable businesses in East Anglia, before heading the technical, knowledge transfer and communication teams for AHDB Pork at a challenging time amid the Foot and Mouth outbreak. The Framlingham based co-op, formed in 1960, provides purchasing, grain marketing and administrative function for farmers. Fram Farmers provides services to over 1,400 farming businesses across the United Kingdom. Commenting on the appointment, chairman Andrew Read said Mr Knowles brings a 'breadth and depth' of agri-business knowledge. As we celebrate 60 years, and as one of the few true farmer-owned inputs, purchasing and crop marketing cooperatives to have reached this milestone, we are confident that Andrew will deliver further progress for our members," he said. Andrew Knowles said his appointment comes at a period of 'unprecedented change' for the UK farming industry "We are confident that his leadership qualities and strategic experience will help to further develop what we have achieved over the past 6 decades. In 2015, Mr Knowles won the prestigious David Black Award, given to those who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the British Pig Industry. Since 2015 he has been Pig Marketing Director of ForFarmers, responsible for developing and executing the companys European pig strategy. Andrew Knowles said his appointment comes at a period of 'unprecedented change' for the UK farming industry. I am very excited and motivated by the prospect of working with the board, team and membership, and leading Fram Farmers in the next phase of its development and growth. Area town leaders are trying to keep track of their communities most vulnerable residents the elderly, the disabled and children as the state grapples with the coronavirus epidemic and health care providers work to keep people safe. Gov. Ned Lamont has instituted a Stay Safe, Stay Home policy: restaurants and bars are closed to eat-in diners, retail shopping is shut down except for businesses that have been deemed essential; and recreational places people might spendtime libraries, senior centers, movie theaters are closed. Winsted Mayor Candy Perez and Town Manager Bob Geiger are following the states protocols, encouraging everyone to stay home. Some Town Hall staff are reporting to work, while others are working from home. Our town manager is handling things on an as-needed basis, Perez said. Were keeping our central services open, while keeping everyone healthy. As far as our seniors and shut-ins are concerned, our senior director, Jennifer Kelly, is working with (Geiger) to keep track of people, Perez said. We have our Meals on Wheels program, which is providing food for those people who cant get out themselves. The schoolchildren are also getting meals on weekdays (from EdAdvance) with pickups at Pearson School ... that will continue. Residents, she said, are keeping in touch on Facebook. Sarah Toomey, founder of Winsted Neighbors Helping Neighbors, set up the Facebook group five years ago because she saw a need. Ive always been involved in community outreach, Toomey said. I used to be a case manager at Community Health & Wellness (of Greater Torrington) and I saw there was a need for people to ask for help; I needed a safe, nonjudgmental place where people could ask for that help and coordinate things. Toomey, now a community outreach navigator for Greenwoods Counseling Center, is responding to the coronavirus crisis by communicating with organizations and service providers in town. We just want to know if theyre open, she said. The Salvation Army has been great; theyve been working with people to help them. But we just found out that the Open Door Soup Kitchen decided a few days ago that they were going to close. They had a sign on the door, and that was it. Toomey also realized that things were closing, and people were starting to panic, she said. People were getting laid off, and I knew people were going to need food. Last year during the government shutdown, Toomey and other members of the Facebook group helped families in need of food. We did a pop-up food pantry and we were able to help people in person, she said. This time its different. Social distancing makes it harder to help people. She contacted Dave Sartirana, town fire chief and the owner of Northwest CT Realty, with an office at 98 Main St., and asked whether she could set up a small food pantry outside the office. Sartirana said yes. In less than 24 hours, we got the pantry set up, she said. People are heavily using it. Residents also are stepping up with food donations, she said. We just put out an ask on Facebook, and people immediately started donating. A new webiste, winstedneighbors.com, is in the early stages, and will provide resources for people who need help. People can find out whats needed and make donations, she said. Its not just for Winsted, but for anyone in the Northwest Corner towns. Shes also encouraging people to check on their neighbors. Ive connected to the Winchester Housing Authority, to help check on people, Toomey said. All of this is a work in progress. Im worried about the homeless people, too. Were being told to wash our hands, but how are they supposed to wash theirs? Anyone intersted in volunteering or making a donation, or in need of help, can email Toomey at winstedneighbors@gmail.com or visit the groups page at www.facebook.com/groups/1671972889754787. Were very fortunate to have community members helping neighbors on the Facebook pages in town, Perez said. Realtors, volunteers, neighborhood residents are asking people to pick up or drop off food items if someone needs them. Thats the good thing about all of our communities, and in Winsted. People really go out of their way to help each other. Barkhamsted First Selectman Don Stein is using his towns website to keep residents informed on the coronavirus, as well as links to resources, support groups and activities available in the area. Since he knows not everyone is online, Stein also is sending postcards to residents. Were letting people know were available to do grocery shopping and pick up prescriptions, things like that, he said. A lot of seniors might look at a postcard. We have between 15 and 20 people who have signed up to help out. A challenge to providing assistance to residents, Stein said, is pride. The only problem we have, and its not unique to our town, is that we have people who are just too proud to ask for help, he said. Thats why its important for people to check on their neighbors. Torrington Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief Peter Towey said last week that he was reviewing the list of volunteers who received training for the Community Emergency Response Team. We have started polling our CERT team members to see who is available to assist, in the event of an emergency situation, he said. Were identifying people to help with any response we might need. Towey encouraged people to keep an eye on their neighbors. We havent activated the CERT team yet, but we may need to, Towey said. Meanwhile, theres lots of things people can do for their neighbors, without being on a CERT team. We really need everyone to pull together, to do what they can for the community. Torrington children can receive meals on weekdays from EdAdvances food program, with drive-through pickup at Vogel-Wetmore School. Several weeks ago, Friendly Hands Food Bank added a Saturday time slot for residents in need of food. Director Karen Thomas said the added day will continue through the coronavirus crisis. To reach the food bank, call 860-482-3338. New Delhi, March 25 : A special ferry flight of Japan Airways has been allowed to operate to Delhi for repatriation of Japanese citizens. Under the special circumstances, this flight was allowed to land here around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Highly-placed sources told IANS that the aircraft did not carry any passengers to India. "The aircraft did not ferry anyone to India. It is here just to take back Jaapanese citizens," a source said. The aircraft is expected to depart by 8.30 p.m. At present, no foreign or domestic passenger flight operations are allowed but cargo operations are still underway. Earlier in the day, Iran-based Mahan Air brought back 277 Indians from Tehran to Delhi. Last week, the Centre had given permission to Mahan Air for evacuating Indians stuck in Iran, which is badly hit by Covid-19. The United States embassy here on Wednesday urged its nationals to comply with Indian law and obey directions from law enforcement officers amid nationwide lockdown. The mission said the US government is in talks with the Indian government to emphasise the need for hotels to continue to lodge US citizens. "On March 24, Indian Prime Minister Modi announced a nationwide curfew through April 15, 2020, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While the exact parameters of the curfew are still unclear, US citizens should cooperate by sheltering in place. US citizens are required to comply with Indian law and obey directions from law enforcement officers. We are in contact with the Indian government to emphasise the need for hotels to continue to lodge US citizens," the embassy said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. The US mission continues to work with the Department of State and airline companies to arrange flights from India to the United States for citizens. "Once these flights are arranged, we will work with the Indian government to arrange to the greatest extent possible safe passage to airports for US citizens," said the embassy. Meanwhile, the government of France is also in talks with the Indian government for the evacuation of 2,000 French tourists, who are stranded in the country due to nationwide lockdown, French diplomatic sources told ANI. The central government has banned the operations of international commercial passenger flights to India from March 22 to March 29. So far, India has reported 606 positive cases of coronavirus, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo: The Canadian Press Lisa Ali and her daughter Tahlia For Canadians awaiting life-changing operations, the coronavirus is creating deepening distress as cancellations and delays roll through the public health system. Fifteen-year-old Tahlia Ali is among the patients whose organ transplant procedures are put off at the country's largest transplant centre in Toronto. Her mother, Lisa Ali, says it leads to dual worries, as her daughter must remain strictly isolated in their Halifax home to avoid COVID-19, and the family awaits word on when Tahlia can enter the program run by the Hospital for Sick Children and University Health Network. She heard recently from the Ronald McDonald House that their upcoming accommodation was delayed, and the family then learned the date for Tahlia entering the transplant program "is on hold," with plans to check back at the end of this month. Tahlia has been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, which leads to a lack of oxygen to blood vessels in the lungs, and she has two holes in her heart. The University Health Network has said lung transplants are suspended except in cases of critical deterioration, however the Alis still expect to eventually go to Toronto to wait for the teenager's new lungs, and are fundraising to help pay housing and travel costs. "It's the best choice to stay here (in Halifax) no doubt. But it's the uncertainty of everything .... It's hard to wrap your head around it," the mother said in a telephone interview. "She needs a transplant. Eventually she will need this." Tahlia said in an interview that it's "a bit stressful, but I'm doing OK." "It's important because my lungs aren't managing as well as (doctors) wanted them to ... I had hoped it would give me more energy to do more activities." Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, the director of the lung transplant program, said the suspension of the program is necessary because tests to ensure a donor lung doesn't contain the virus are still being refined, and because having transplant teams fly around Canada to pick up and transport lungs would increase the risk of widening the pandemic. He said the lung transplant team also includes members of the hospital's artificial lung support team, and it is crucial they remain healthy as pressure on the health system builds. "We're going to keep an eye on every patient on the list, and if they are deteriorating, we may be able to go for a specific lung in a specific location if we feel we can pull it off safely," Keshavjee said. Similar stories are emerging affecting people with a variety of conditions, from delays in cancer tests to cancelled joint surgeries. Lynn Hunter, a former British Columbia MP, said in an interview she just learned a scheduled hip surgery was put on hold. She is stoic about the disappointing news. "I'm not in severe pain. I'm in discomfort. It's bearable what I'm going through," she said. "There are other people who are in worse shape, and I count myself among the fortunate." The newly introduced Siemplify business intelligence module (powered by Tableau) takes SOC analytics to the next level with virtually unlimited flexibility to view trends and visualize data. The latest Siemplify platform goes well beyond orchestration and automation to serve as the primary workbench for all things security operations. Siemplify, the leading independent provider of security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR), today released version 5.5 of its flagship security operations platform. The new version focuses on time to value, playbook lifecycle management and advanced analytics, allowing enterprises and MSSPs to onboard quickly, scale effectively and generate insights from their SOAR initiatives. Version 5.5 is the first and only SOAR platform to include a fully fledged business intelligence module that provides powerful analytics and trends data across a wide range of security operations metrics. Powered by Tableau, Siemplify business intelligence comes complete with out-of-the-box reporting templates that track metrics used by leading security operations centers (SOCs) worldwide and provides organizations with limitless flexibility to harness the breadth of data that is captured within the Siemplify platform to generate insights and improve operations. The new version also takes playbook lifecycle management to even greater heights. Building on recent innovation of reusable playbook blocks, the latest iteration of the Siemplify Security Operations Platform introduces unique playbook monitoring capabilities that allow organizations to analyze each playbooks effectiveness, as well as troubleshoot abnormal or erroneous playbook activity. Playbook lifecycle management is critical as organizations mature and scale SOAR implementations to include dozens of playbooks and integrations that automate more and more repetitive security operations tasks. Additional enhancements in version 5.5 include: --A new repository that enables rapid download and adoption of entire use cases, complete with playbooks, integrations, simulated alerts and how-to videos. --Improved control over multiple environments for MSSPs and large enterprises serving multiple tenants. --Playbooks that can now be grouped, distributed and managed per environment or group of similar environments. --Redesigned integration management that enables easier management and configuration of integrations across multiple instances and environments. --Improved user notifications via a redesigned notifications pane. --Playbook actions for easier bulk importing, exporting and editing. --Improved scalability that enables a single Siemplify instance to handle 50,000 alerts per day. --Dozens of additional customer-driven enhancements for improved usability. The latest Siemplify platform goes well beyond orchestration and automation to serve as the primary workbench for all things security operations and, as such, captures data that previously was spread across several disparate systems, said Meny Har, VP of product at Siemplify. Siemplify business intelligence finally enables organizations to easily generate security operations insights that allow them to rise above the daily firefighting and drive continuous improvement. Version 5.5 is generally available. Visit siemplify.co to download the free Siemplify Community Edition or to request a free trial. About Siemplify Siemplify, the leading independent security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) provider, is redefining security operations for enterprises and MSSPs worldwide. The Siemplify platform is an intuitive workbench that enables security teams to manage their operations from end to end, respond to cyberthreats with speed and precision and get smarter with every analyst interaction. Founded in 2015 by Israeli Intelligence experts, with extensive experience running and training security operations centers worldwide, Siemplify has raised $58 million in funding to date and is headquartered in New York, with offices in Tel Aviv. Visit us at siemplify.co or follow us on Twitter at @Siemplify. Products, service names and company logos mentioned herein may be registered trademarks of their respective owners. All rights reserved. Bengaluru, March 25 (IANS) Ten more people, including eight in the state capital, tested positive for coronavirus in Karnataka, raising the state's total to 51, said an official here on Wednesday. "Till date, 51 Covid-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes one death and three discharges," a health official told IANS. A 37-year-old woman from Chitradurga with travel history to Guyana, who returned to the city via Delhi on March 20, has been confirmed as Karnataka's 42nd coronavirus positive case. A 63-year-old man from Bengaluru who returned on March 19 after travelling to Brazil and Argentina on March 19 is the 43rd case. Similarly, a 59-year-old woman, wife of 43rd patient with similar travel history, tested positive as the 44th case. Karnataka's 45th case is a 26-year-old man from Bengaluru who flew to Spain and returned to the city via Dubai on March 14. Another 26-year-old man who travelled with the 45th case has emerged as the 46th case. A 63-year-old woman from Bengaluru who travelled to Athens and London returned to the city on March 18 tested positive as the 47th case. The 48th case is that of a 69-year-old man, husband of the 47th case, with similar travel pattern. Two girls, a 9-year-old and a 7-year-old, daughters of the 17th case tested positive as the 49th and 50th cases, respectively. The 17th case was a 39-year-old man from Bengaluru who returned on March 19 from Amsterdam. The last and 51st case from Karnataka on Wednesday is a 34-year-old man from Udupi who returned from Dubai on March 18. All the new cases are admitted in designated hospitals here and across the state. The health department has begun their contact tracing. As many as 32 cases from total 51 are from Benglauru and five are from the Dakshina Kannada district. Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa sought donations from the public to render a helping hand in the wake of rapidly spreading Covid-19. "An appeal is made to render a helping hand to the needy, by way of joining hands with the state government in providing advanced medical support system and to donate voluntarily on humanitarian grounds for the noble cause of providing health services," said Yediyurappa. He also shared the Chief Minister Relief Fund Covid-19's SBI account number, opened at the Vidhana Soudha Branch. On Tuesday, home quarantine enforcement squads re-quarantined seven acting on complaints from the public. The state government has opened a Covid war room to map the positive cases zone-wise in real time. Likewise, Corona watch mobile app, available at www.karnataka.gov.in, offers information on the places a positive person visited 14 days prior to testing positive. Reinforcing the state's response to coronavirus, Benglauru civic body Commissioner B. H. Anil Kumar said the Fire Department had also been engaged to spray disinfectants. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has arranged meals for its night shelter occupants as they can't venture out during the lockdown. Meanwhile, city Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao has introduced a pass system to regulate the movement of people, acting on Union Home Ministry directions. "Two types of passes will be issued, one for individuals and another for vehicles," said Rao. The government vehicles and employees, and High Court employees are exempt. --IANS sth/pcj The coronavirus epidemic may never have gone pandemic if journalists had been allowed to do their jobs rather than adhering to ruling Chinese Communist Party propaganda directives, a Paris-based press freedom group said on Wednesday. "Without the control and censorship imposed by the authorities, the Chinese media would have informed the public much earlier of the severity of the coronavirus epidemic, sparing thousands of lives and perhaps avoiding the current pandemic," Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in a statement, citing recent research. Researchers from the University of Southampton published a report earlier this month which concluded that the number of cases could have been reduced by 86 percent in the early weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak, if the media had been allowed to inform the public of the danger to their health. The report looks at a series of key dates on which media reports could have swung the tide of the official and public response to the coronavirus epidemic when it first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, starting with the results of a simulated coronavirus pandemic public by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security on Oct. 18, 2019. The report, carried out in partnership with the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, projected a total of 65 million deaths in 18 months from a newly emerging pandemic coronavirus. "If the Chinese internet were not isolated by an elaborate system of electronic censorship and the media were not forced to follow the instructions of the Communist Party, the public and the authorities would have undoubtedly been interested in this information coming from the United States," RSF said. At another key juncture on Dec. 20, Wuhan health officials might have informed journalists that there were already some 60 patients in the city suffering from a SARS-like pneumonia, many of whom had been to the Huanan Seafood Market. But no official information was forthcoming at that time, RSF said. "If the authorities had not hidden from the media the existence of an epidemic outbreak linked to a very popular market, the public would have stopped visiting this place long before its official closure on Jan. 1," it said. Severe penalties Another opportunity to stave off disaster presented itself on Dec. 25, when Lu Xiaohong, head of gastroenterology at Wuhan No. 5 Hospital first began hearing of medical staff infected with a new disease, and suspecting that human-to-human transmission was already occurring, weeks before this was admitted by Chinese health officials. "If journalists' sources in China did not face severe penalties ranging from professional reprimand to heavy prison terms, Doctor Lu Xiaohong would have taken responsibility for alerting the media, forcing the authorities to take action, which only happened three weeks later," RSF said. In a more famous potential turning point, eight Wuhan medics started posting to social media about a SARS-like coronavirus on Dec. 30. If their warnings had been widely reported in the media, the authorities could have stemmed the spread of COVID-19 much sooner. Instead, all eight were detained and questioned by police, who accused them of "rumor-mongering." whistleblower Li Wenliang later died of COVID-19. "If the press and social media had been able to freely relay the information transmitted by whistleblowers on December 30th, the public would have realised the danger and put pressure on the authorities to take measures limiting expansion of the virus," RSF said. It said the censorship of certain keywords linked to the outbreak on the popular social media platform WeChat had also prevented journalists from putting out up-to-the-minute reports to around one billion active users of the platform. Making the virus genome public when it was first sequenced on Jan. 5 could have slowed the spread of the virus, but researchers were forced to leak it online, after which their institution, the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center was shut down. The delay meant that the international community wasted precious time in the development of a vaccine. "If the international media had had full access to information held by the Chinese authorities on the scale of the epidemic before Jan. 13, it is likely that the international community would have taken stock of the crisis and better anticipated it, reducing the risk of the epidemic spreading outside China and possibly avoiding its transformation into a pandemic," RSF said. China ranks 177th out of 180 in the 2019 RSF World Press Freedom Index. Congress calls for investigation The report came after lawmakers from both chambers of the U.S. Congress introduced resolutions Tuesday condemning Chinas handling of the outbreak of coronavirus, with the Senate version calling for an international investigation to hold Beijing accountable for allowing the deadly virus to become a global pandemic. Since day one, the Chinese Communist Party intentionally lied to the world about the origin of this pandemic. The CCP was aware of the reality of the virus as early as December but ordered laboratories to destroy samples and forced doctors to keep silent, Republican Senator Josh Hawley said in a press statement. In the House of Representatives, Republican Rep. Jim Banks introduced a resolution stating that China made multiple, serious mistakes in the early stages of the COVID19 outbreak that heightened the severity and spread of the ongoing COVID19 pandemic. The missteps include the Chinese Governments intentional spread of misinformation to downplay the risks of the virus, a refusal to cooperate with international health authorities, internal censorship of doctors and journalists, and malicious disregard for the health of ethnic minorities, said the resolution. The lawmakers measures follow war of words between Beijing and Washington over the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. Repeated comments by President Donald Trump referring to the pathogen as "the Chinese virus" have rankled Chinese authorities, who have launched a major propaganda campaign to change the narrative on Wuhan. Chinese health officials initially said they had traced the newly detected coronavirus to the now-shuttered Huanan Seafood Market in the central city of Wuhan, where the epidemic first emerged in December. But the ruling Chinese Communist Party's propaganda machine has ordered officials to start questioning the narrative that the virus came from China. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian tweeted early this month that "patient zero" in the global pandemic may have come from the United States, drawing a sharp complaint from Washington. Reported by RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. The UK government has launched an urgent appeal for volunteers to help the NHS during the coronavirus outbreak. Matt Hancock, the health secretary, has called on members of the general public to come forward to help support the most vulnerable people who are unable to leave their homes. It has been estimated that about 1.5 million people have been told to stay inside for 12 weeks to shield them from the virus, including those over the age of 70 and those with health conditions such as certain cancers and respiratory illnesses. As the next step in that effort, today we launch NHS volunteers, Mr Hancock said during Tuesdays public briefing. We are seeking a quarter of million volunteers people in good health to help the NHS: for shopping, delivery of medicines and to support those who are shielded to protect their own health. The NHS Volunteer Responders is a new scheme set up so that people can come and help, and to make sure that the NHS and local services that are needed get all the support that they can. Here is everything you need to know about becoming an NHS Volunteer Responder, from how to sign up to what tasks you might be expected to carry out. How do I sign up? If you would like to become an NHS Volunteer Responder you can register your interest by visiting the following NHS website: https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHS Potential volunteers are asked to fill in a form with their details, including name, date of birth and address. A number of checks are then carried out behind the scenes before successful applicants are given login details for the GoodSAM Responder app. Volunteers can then use the app to highlight when they are available to be on duty, and find tasks to pick from nearby. What kind of tasks will responders carry out? There are currently four types of volunteers listed on the NHS page where people register: Community response volunteers : collecting shopping, medication or other essential supplies for someone who is self-isolating, and delivering these supplies to their home; : collecting shopping, medication or other essential supplies for someone who is self-isolating, and delivering these supplies to their home; Patient transport volunteer : supporting the NHS by providing transport to patients who are medically fit for discharge, and ensuring that they are settled safely back in to their home; : supporting the NHS by providing transport to patients who are medically fit for discharge, and ensuring that they are settled safely back in to their home; NHS transport volunteer : transporting equipment, supplies and/or medication between NHS services and sites, and possibly assisting pharmacies with medication delivery; : transporting equipment, supplies and/or medication between NHS services and sites, and possibly assisting pharmacies with medication delivery; Check-in and chat volunteer: providing short-term telephone support to individuals who are at risk of loneliness as a consequence of self-isolation. Who can sign up to be a volunteer? During the briefing, Mr Hancock said: If you are well and able to do so safely, I would urge you to sign up today. However, there are some limitations. While volunteers must be aged 18 or over, fit and well, with no symptoms, those in higher-risk groups such as the over-seventies, and those who are pregnant or have underlying medical conditions will be able to offer support by telephone. The NHS has reassured people that the majority of tasks can be undertaken while practising safe social distancing and that volunteers will receive guidance through a getting started pack. Who will the volunteers be helping? Dr Nikki Kanani, a GP and NHS director of primary care, has said that volunteers will be helping those who have been told to shield themselves from the virus. This includes the elderly and those who are vulnerable because of underlying health conditions. This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments where a single action from one person can be the difference between life and death for another, and simple acts of kindness are going to make all the difference in keeping some of the most vulnerable people well and out of hospital, Dr Kanani said. NHS staff are pulling out all the stops to ensure those who need care receive it, and creating a bank of helpers that they can call upon to support their most vulnerable patients through this difficult time is going to be invaluable, so I would urge anyone who can to sign up as an NHS volunteer responder today. Which professionals can call on the volunteers for support? A number of healthcare professionals will be able to call on volunteers for support including GPs, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, NHS 111 and social care staff. The requests will be funnelled through a call centre run by the Royal Voluntary Service, which will match people who need help with volunteers who live nearby. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired the weekly cabinet meeting at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi. During the meeting, the ministers were seen seated at a distance from each other, maintaining social distancing as a measure to counter coronavirus. In his address to the nation last evening as well as last week, the prime minister emphasized the need to maintain social distancing to keep coronavirus in check. At least a distance of one metre must be maintained to ensure safety from the infection. Experts are saying that social distancing is the only way to deal with the coronavirus crisis across the globe. There is no other way to deal with coronavirus and we need to save ourselves. And we have to break the cycle of its infection, the Prime Minister said yesterday. PM Modi called out people to remove all doubts about who has to follow the practice of social distancing. Social distancing is need of the hour. We are ensuring it... Are you? Picture from todays cabinet meeting chaired by Honble PM @narendramodi ji.#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/Lr76lBgQoa Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 25, 2020 Some people are under the impression that social distancing is only for Covid-19 patients it is for every member of the family and even the prime minister. And the wrong impressions and thoughts can bring a lot of trouble to their families, friends and even the entire country, he said. People will have to pay dearly and it will be unimaginable, he warned. Over 500 people have been infected by Covid-19 in the country while 10 people have lost their lives. The prime minister has announced a 21-week long nationwide lockdown to break the cycle of coronavirus infections in the country. A Navy veteran who served in Vietnam died separated from his family and alone in the hospital two days after he tested positive for the coronavirus. Former firefighter Lawrence Riley, 66, died in a Milwaukee hospital on Thursday, March 19, after test results confirmed Tuesday he was battling against health complications caused by COVID-19. Riley, who had six children and eight grandchildren, had survived two strokes but the coronavirus left him so ill he was unable to walk just days after first showing symptoms. His family were unable to be by his side when he passed away and are said to be in 'shock' at the loss. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner said 66-year-old Lawrence Riley died on Thursday, March 19, two days after testing positive for the coronavirus after being hospitalized Lawrence Riley was a Navy veteran and his son Elvaughn was inspired to enlist after him 'The way he handled pain, he was a tough guy. For this to take him out, it was a shock,' his son, Elvaughn Riley, 28, told ABC News, describing his father as 'a hero and an icon'. The grandfather is said to have been a family man who acted as a guardian to his children's friends who lived in single parent homes when he could. 'He was everybody's brother, he was everybody's dad, everybody's uncle,' Elvaughn said. 'He was amazing, my dad was truly one of a kind.' Riley first began to feel under the weather with a fever over the weekend but quickly became tired and drained and was bedridden by Monday. By Tuesday he was rushed to the hospital and placed in a medically induced coma. Riley had six children and eight grandchildren but none were able to be by his side Riley was placed in a medically induced coma on Tuesday after he fell so ill he couldn't walk 'It got to the point where he couldn't even walk and his breathing got really hard so that's when my mom said we are going to get you to the hospital,' Elvaughn told Fox. The rest of Riley's family was unable to visit him and could only pass on messages through nurses while he was in a coma. 'We weren't even there to comfort him, to hold his hand,' Elvaughn said. 'He died alone. 'Any message that we did have for him we had to pass along to the nurse to whisper in his ear because they had him in a coma on a breathing machine,' he told TMJ4. Riley's daughter, wife and one son are still in quarantine after his death last week Riley's wife, his daughter and a son, all of whom lived with him, were forced to immediately go into quarantine when his tests result came back positive and are still inside their home and unable to grieve with the rest of the family. His son Elvaughn lives elsewhere and drops food and supplies to their door. Elvaughn told ABC about the special relationship he had with his father, who inspired him to also join the Navy after hearing his stories from the Vietnam War. 'I looked up to him so much. Me joining the Navy was an easy decision. The kind of man my father was, I wanted to be like that,' he said. Riley had also served in the Milwaukee Fire Department from 1978 to 1990. His youngest daughter Whitley, who is quarantined in their family home and celebrates her 20th birthday this week, had planned to graduate college early so her father could see her in a cap and gown. 'I was doing all the work and he won't be able to see me,' she told ABC News. 'He was just really sweet. The sweetest man I've ever known.' It is not known if or when the family will be able to hold a funeral but they are hoping to host a memorial for all who knew him when they can. 'We will be reunited. Just because we aren't close to each other doesn't mean we don't love each other,' Elvaughn told Fox. 'The best thing you can do for your family is to follow the procedure.' The family hopes that their story will encourage others to engage in social distancing and to stay at home. Royce Fritz waits for his wife arriving at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee on March 18. The state has suffered five coronavirus deaths including Navy vet Lawrence Riley While Riley had underlying health issues, it is not known how he contracted the virus as he had not traveled out of the state in a year. 'We need to do everything we can to protect one another. Just because someone the same age as me might not feel the symptoms doesn't mean you can't pass it along,' Elvaughn said. 'It took my father just like that. I never thought in a million years my dad would be gone in five days. 'It's real now, I lost my father to this,' he added. 'We need to educate ourselves and be better.' There are now almost 60,000 cases of the coronavirus confirmed in the United States and over 820 deaths. The virus is thought to pose a greater risk to older people and to those with underlying health issues. Out of the national deaths so far, about 80 percent of them have been adults over the age of 65. Riley's death marked the third in Wisconsin and the first in Milwaukee. The state now has 488 cases and five deaths, as of Wednesday afternoon. France's Accor, Airbnb help provide rooms for medics during crisis FILE PHOTO: The logo of French hotel operator AccorHotels is seen on a flag pole at the financial and business district of La Defense in Puteaux PARIS (Reuters) - French hotel group Accor and home rental company Airbnb are launching online services to help medical staff fighting the coronavirus epidemic in France find emergency housing. Europe's largest hotel group said on Tuesday it had created CEDA, a platform to centralize housing needs and offer housing and was also working with the government to offer up to 2,000 beds in 40 hotels across France for the homeless. "Access to the CEDA platform will be free for medical staff. Only operating costs will be covered by public authorities," Line Crieloue, executive director of external communication at Accor told Reuters. Separately, Airbnb is launching the "Appartsolidaire" online platform to offer free accommodation to medical staff and social workers in France, following a similar initiative in Italy, currently the epicenter of the Covid-19 crisis. "Each host housing for free a medical or social worker during this operation will receive 50 euros from Airbnb on each booking," Airbnb said in a statement. (Reporting by Claude Chendjou, writing by Dominique Vidalon; editing by Jason Neely) New Hampshire has banned the use of reusable shopping bags in a bid to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Governor Chris Sununu issued the emergency order on Saturday to temporarily revert to single-use plastic or paper bags in grocery stores, supermarkets, convenience stores and other retail businesses to protect customers and workers. Our grocery store workers are on the front lines of #COVID19, working around the clock to keep NH families fed. With identified community transmission, it is important that shoppers keep their reusable bags at home given the potential risk to baggers, grocers and customers," Mr Sununu said in a statement. The Covid-19 pandemic is raging across America. As of Wednesday, there were 53,852 confirmed cases and at least 728 deaths, according to the New York Times. In New Hampshire, 108 coronavirus cases were confirmed but no deaths. The first case was identified in the state on 2 March. The patient had recently come back to the US from Italy, NHPR reported. In recent years, states have moved to ban single-use plastic bags. In New York, a ban came into play on 1 March. Basil Seggos advised New Yorkers concerned about the cleanliness of reusable bags to wash them. Maine has halted its plastic bag ban due to the coronavirus. California, Oregon, Connecticut, Delaware, Vermont and Hawaii also have bans against single-use plastic bags in place. Single-use plastic bags are a major contributor to plastic pollution which add to landfills and choke the oceans. It takes at least 500 years for a plastic bag to break down into micro plastics which find their way into the food chain. At least 267 different species have found to be affected by plastic pollution in the oceans, biologicaldiversity.org noted. What are the risks of the virus living on a reusable bag? A new study from the National Institutes of Health found the virus can live on stainless steel surfaces for up to three days. Vincent Munster, who was part of the NIH study, said that it was unclear how long the Covid-19 virus can live on clothing and surfaces that are harder to clean. We speculate due to the porous material, it desiccates rapidly and might be stuck to the fibres, he told the BBC, emphasising the important of cleaning and thorough hand washing. Losing your sense of smell and/or taste could be a tell-tale sign that you're infected with the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, even if you have no other symptoms. If this happens to you, or any of your employees or family members, you or they should go into self-isolation for seven days, even if there are no other symptoms. You should also consider asking for a coronavirus test. That advice comes from multiple doctors' groups in the U.S. and elsewhere. Many healthcare workers report that their patients complained of a missing or distorted sense of taste or smell, and later tested positive for the coronavirus. That's what happened to a friend of mine who, after a scary ten days and a brief hospital visit, seems to be recovering from Covid-19. She said everything had a disgusting metallic taste that made her not want to eat or drink or even breathe. In other reports, a mother was unable to smell a full diaper, and chefs were unable to taste the spices in food. Anosmia (the inability to smell), hyposia (a reduced sense of smell), and dysgeusia (a distorted sense of taste) should all be considered signs of Covid-19 unless explained by some other condition such as rhinosinusitis, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. These symptoms should "warrant serious consideration for self-isolation and testing of these individuals," the Academy said in a statement. Otolaryngology specialists are commonly called ear, nose, and throat doctors, and they have been very hard-hit with Covid-19 infections. Anosmia seems to be an especially common coronavirus symptom. In South Korea, which has widespread testing for the virus, 30 percent of the 2,000 people who've tested positive reported losing their sense of smell. A doctor in Italy says patients who've been hospitalized often report that their spouses are feeling fine, but have lost their sense of smell and/or taste. And a virologist in Germany who interviewed more than 100 coronavirus patients with only a mild form of the disease says that more than two thirds reported losing their sense of smell and taste for several days. So what should you do? 1. Spread the word. Most people are aware that a bad cough, trouble breathing, and a fever could be Covid-19. But fewer know that a lost sense of smell and/or taste might also spell trouble. Make sure your employees, family, and friends know about these symptoms so that they act appropriately if they encounter them. 2. Encourage anyone with these symptoms to self-isolate. An employee with one of these symptoms could be carrying the coronavirus and might make others ill if he or she continues to work in the office. So don't let that happen. If you still have people coming to your workplace, make sure to send anyone home who experiences these symptoms, and keep others out of that person's workspace until you've had a chance to disinfect it. If you have employees who are working from home, or are simply staying home to comply with stay-at-home orders, make sure they know to separate themselves from friends and family members if they start having any of these symptoms. Encourage them to self-isolate for at least seven days. 3. Follow these precautions yourself. Obviously, if you yourself find that your sense of smell is missing or reduced, and that you can't taste your food or it tastes funny or unpleasant, take immediate action to avoid infecting others. Go home, if you aren't there already, and do whatever it takes to eliminate contact with other people for at least seven days. Not only is that the responsible thing to do to avoid spreading the disease, it's also setting an example for your employees. It will tell them more forcefully than words could that you take the coronavirus seriously and are willing to make sacrifices to stop its spread. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his gratitude to all the courageous frontliners who put their lives at risk to help the country combat COVID-19. In his address to the nation on Tuesday, he thanked doctors, nurses, medical technologists, and other health professionals. He promised them continued government support amid their pleas for essential medical supplies and protection equipment. Duterte said he is saddened by the news that several doctors at the forefront of the COVID-19 fight have succumbed to the highly-contagious viral disease. He hailed them as heroes and thanked them for their service. "Lahat po sila ay bayani and not only that, talagang bumilib ako. Bihira akong sumasaludo ng tao pero pag mga doktor natin, mga health workers na nadisgrasya, talagang saludo ako sa inyo. Wala na kayo dito sa mundong ito pero ganun na lang ang pagtingin ko sa inyo," the President said. [Translation: They are all heroes, I salute them. You may be gone, but I continue to look up to you.] Doctors Marcelo Jaochico, Raul Jara, Israel Bactol, Greg Macasaet, and Rose Pulido have recently passed away due to COVID-19. Duterte signed the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act into law on Tuesday. One of the provisions include granting 1 million assistance to the families of health workers who succumb to COVID-19 and 100,000 compensation for both public and private health workers "severely" infected by the disease while in line of duty. The President also expressed appreciation to other hardworking frontliners who ensure basic needs are provided to the public in time of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, such as those who work in government, groceries, banks, food establishments, and delivery services. He assured the public that they will be taken cared of in the midst of this health crisis. He also reminded all to follow the rules to ensure the country curbs the spread of COVID-19. "Nothing is more important [now] than your cooperation. I repeat: Stay home. The outcome of this war depends largely on you as well," he said. The US has lost 500,000 millionaires since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, as the economy continues to be battered by the fallout of the deadly virus. As ordinary Americans find themselves jobless overnight, new research shows that the richest of the rich are also feeling the heat from the virus on their finances. The worlds richest 500 people have lost almost $1.3 trillion collectively since the start of the year. Meanwhile, Microsofts Bill Gates and LVMHs Bernard Arnault have seen their billions dwindle compared to this time last year but Amazon Jess Bezos has bucked the trend, raking in more money after he rapidly offloaded stocks last month before the pandemic reached more extreme heights. The US has lost 500,000 millionaires since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, as the economy continues to be battered by the fallout of the deadly virus THE BANK BALANCES OF THE SIX RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR: 1. Jeff Bezos +$4.52 billion 2. Bill Gates -$18 billion 3. Warren Buffet -$19.1 billion 4. Bernard Arnault -$35.2 billion 5. Mark Zuckerberg -$16.6 billion 6. Larry Page -$9.33 billion Advertisement Fears are mounting over the spread of coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases in the US reaches almost 54,000 and deaths caused by the disease top 700. But the economic fallout has been just as worrying and it is impacting people of all income levels. The number of US households with a net worth between $1 million and $5 million plummeted between the close of 2019 to March 20, according to research firm Spectrem Group. At the end of the year, and before the pandemic reached US soil, there were 11 million American millionaires, the highest level recorded. Fast forward less than three months and 500,000 have fallen below this income level. The number of $25 million-plus American households fell by almost 10 percent, from 196,000 at the end of 2019 to 178,000 as of March 20, and those with a wealth in the region of $5 million to $25 million were cut by 5 percent from 1,520,000 to 1,440,000 in the timeframe. Record levels of investor wealth at the end of 2019 reflected the strong growth from the bull market which ran throughout the year, said Spectrem President George H. Walper Jr. Microsoft boss Bill Gates, the second richest man in the world, (left) has seen $18 billion wiped off his wealth since March 24 last year and Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg (right) has waved goodbye to $16.6 billion American philanthropist Warren Buffet (left) has lost $19.1 billion. Among the top 10, LVMH boss Bernard Arnault (right) has taken the biggest hit, seeing a staggering $35.2 billion knocked off his wealth Larry Page (right), CEO and co-founder of Alphabet, was down $9.33 billion. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos (left) has bucked the trend and actually added another $4.52 billion to his billions. This comes as it emerged he offloaded billions in shares just in time before the coronavirus pandemic slashed values The past few months have painted a different picture, as financial markets have fallen dramatically in reaction to the coronavirus and the global collapse of oil prices. Our updated model in March reflects how these declines are translating into lower net worth across each wealth segment. The toll has been felt most among the very richest, with the worlds richest 500 people losing $1.3 trillion since the start of 2020, equal to 22 percent of their total net worth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. For the 180 Americans on the ranking, they have lost $433 billion of their riches. And its taking its toll on the richest people in the world, with the Bloomberg Billionaires Index showing that the top 10 have significantly less in their wallets since this time last year. Microsoft boss Bill Gates, the second richest man in the world, has seen $18 billion wiped off his wealth since March 24 last year. American philanthropist Warren Buffet has lost $19.1 billion and Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg has waved goodbye to $16.6 billion. Larry Page, CEO and co-founder of Alphabet, was also down $9.33 billion. Among the top 10, LVMH boss Bernard Arnault has taken the biggest hit, seeing a staggering $35.2 billion knocked off his wealth. However, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has bucked the trend and actually added another $4.52 billion to his billions - the only person to make money among the top six richest. This comes as it emerged Tuesday that Bezos was one of a number of top business executive who offloaded billions in shares just in time before the coronavirus pandemic slashed their company values, saving themselves billions. Executives at top US traded companies sold around $9.2 billion in shares of their own companies between the start of February and the end of last week, analysis from the Wall Street Journal revealed. The quick move looks to have saved them billions, as they ditched them just before the markets plummeted. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos was by far the biggest seller, offloading $3.4 billion in shares in the first week of February, saving him a staggering $317 million than if he had kept the stock through to March 20. It also saw the billionaire sell as much stock in that one week as he has in the last year, the Journal reported. The sale accounted for around 3% of Bezos's total Amazon shares and made up over a third of all stock exchange sales during this timeframe. Laurence Fink, CEO of BlackRock, also acted to offload stock as the US geared up for the coronavirus to reach new heights, selling $25 million of his company shares on February 14, saving himself potential losses of more than $9.3 million. The boss of IHS Markit, Lance Uggla, also sold $47 million of his shares around February 19, which would by now have plummeted by $19.2 million. More than 150 top bosses who sold at least $1 million worth of stock in February and March had not sold any stock in the last 12 months, the Journal found. James Murren, outgoing CEO of MGM Resorts International which like the rest of the hotel industry has been hard hit by the global outbreak, sold $22.2 million of his companys stock on February 19 and 20, before it fell by $15.9 million. One month later on March 22, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak said Murren would lead the state's response to the crisis. There is no suggestion that the selling of shares by any of the executives was done due to information about the coronavirus pandemic. How Senators offloaded shares to save their personal wealth while reassuring the public the outbreak was under control However, sales made in this timeframe dwarfed the sales of $6.4 billion made in the same period in 2019. Top bosses aren't the only ones who jumped to salvage their own wealth as the mounting pandemic threatened to hit the economy. It emerged at the weekend that the CEO of the Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange, sold $3.5 million of his own shares just days before the first reported US death from the coronavirus. Jeffrey Sprecher, the husband of junior Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler, offloaded the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) shares on February 26 - before the shares plunged by nearly 25 percent. Senator Kelly Loeffler, her husband Jeffrey Sprecher and Vice President Mike Pence in January. Sprecher offloaded Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) shares on February 26 - before the shares plunged by nearly 25 percent Sprecher sold the stocks for an average price of $93.42 each, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Sprecher and his wife Loeffler also sold $15.3 million worth of ICE shares on March 11, at an average price of about $87, according to the SEC filings. Loeffler has been accused of corruption after it emerged that she sold off $3.1 million in stocks in the days after she attended a coronavirus briefing for senators on January 24. A number of other US senators were exposed last week after they appeared to offload stock while reassuring the public everything was under control. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr sold up to $1.7 million worth of stock on February 13 in 33 separate transactions after offering public assurances the government was ready to battle the virus. His financial filings were first reported by ProPublica. Burr has agreed to be questioned by the Senate Ethics Committee over the move. Republican Senator James Inhofe and Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein also sold stock, according to filings, but both said they were not involved in the transactions. Inhofe said he has divested most of his stock and is not involved in investment decisions. Feinstein's money is in a blind trust. While the rich manage to stay rich, ordinary workers across the US increasingly find themselves jobless overnight. More than 37 million jobs could be lost in the US over the coming months due to the toll the coronavirus pandemic is taking on the nation's businesses, with food and beverages workers hardest hit More than 37 million workers could lose their jobs in the short term due to the toll the coronavirus pandemic is taking on the nation's businesses, according to the US Private Sector Job Quality Index, Cornell University Law School's project. These shock estimates mean around a quarter of the current working population will find themselves out of work in the near future. Low-paid, hourly workers are expected to be hardest hit, meaning it is those who can least afford to lose their jobs who face the biggest risk, the research finds. A staggering 35.2 million low-wage and low-hour jobs, with a weekly average income of under $800, are vulnerable to being laid off right now, compared with just 1.9 million high-wage jobs. The bleak outlook comes as state shutdowns have been ramping up across the nation, forcing restaurants, bars, retailers and hotel groups to shut up shop and lay off workers, as officials desperately try to slow the spread of the killer virus. A pizza restaurant in New York is boarded up. Restaurant and food industry workers are most at risk, with more than 10 million jobs expected to be lost in the sector, the report shows New York City's iconic Strand bookstore became one of the latest victims this week, as it announced it had been left with no choice but to lay off 89 percent of its workforce after being ordered to shut under state Governor Andrew Cuomo's executive order. Meanwhile airline Westjet announced it is letting almost half of its 14,000 staff go to try to stabilize the company during this time. Workers are hoping the federal relief package will provide some aid for those newly unemployed. A deal on the stimulus bill was announced just after 1am on Wednesday, after politicians had struggled to come together over the bill. The bill, which is expected to be voted on today, will send $1,200 checks to many Americans in a one-time payment. It should also provide a welcome boost to some businesses, including a $367 billion loan program for small businesses and $500 billion for industries. NY National Guard supports hospitals with tents for treatment By Col. Richard Goldenberg | New York National Guard March 23, 2020 PEEKSKILL, N.Y. -- The New York National Guard helped hospitals across the state establish dedicated space for an expected influx of patients showing symptoms of COVID-19. As of Monday, 20,875 people in New York have tested positive for the coronavirus - more than 12,000 of them in New York City. The Westchester County Office of Emergency Management provided nine of 10 county disaster response tents to local hospitals, with National Guard Soldiers providing support to put them in place March 18-20. "With all you guys here, we can just bang it out quick," said Jim Sheridan, a retired Westchester firefighter supporting the county emergency management office in delivering and placing the tents. Soldiers on site had already performed a variety of missions in and around New Rochelle. Pvt. Cindy Ganesh, assigned to the 369th Sustainment Brigade Headquarters, distributed food and hand sanitizer to communities hit by the outbreak and put up tents at sampling sites. "We're all in this together," Ganesh said, "so it's good to be working on different missions." With repetition, the Soldiers and firefighters made quick work of the tent mission at the New York-Presbyterian-Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortlandt Manor. "Twenty-two minutes, that's a new record, even for us," Sheridan said. "Goes to show how fast this goes when we all work together." The New York National Guard has more than 1,600 service members operating in six task forces across the state. That number continues to grow as missions expand the Guard's support to local government. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address With half the world placed under strict lockdown to block the spread of the deadly coronavirus, Sweden is taking a different approach in tackling the pandemic. According to reports, Sweden is keeping its schools, bars and restaurants open and is encouraging people to go out for a nip of air. However, Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in a televised speech on March 22 urged people to take responsibility and work from home if they can. Read: Chinese President Xi Jinping To Attend Special G20 Leaders' Summit Via Video Call In the speech, Lofven also requested citizens to follow government recommendations and practice social distancing to avoid contraction. The government has also asked people to stay at home, especially if they belong to the risk group or are over 70 years old. Sweden has banned public gatherings for more than 500 people, which again is being termed as a soft approach because the United Kingdom and Germany have banned groupings of more than two people. Read: Delhi Police Gives Savage Reply To Man Who Wanted To Visit His Friend During Lockdown Media reports suggest that bars and restaurants were full despite the government's recommendation and public transport was jam-packed in rush hours. Sweden's parliament has so far simply fast-tracked a bill that would allow the closing down of primary and pre-schools. Sweden has shut all international borders keeping in line with the European Union. But besides all of this, no strict measures have been taken by the Swedish government to limit the number of people on the streets. Sweden has so far recorded 2,299 coronavirus cases of which 40 people have lost their lives while 143 patients remain under critical condition. Read: Mumbai Police Turn Astrologer To Keep People At Home Amid Complete Lockdown Coronavirus outbreak The COVID-19 has claimed more than 18,900 lives across the world and has infected nearly 4,22,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was the most affected country until last week, however, Italy surpassed it to record the most number of deaths anywhere in the world due to COVID-19. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. Read: Half Of Country's Population At Risk If Required Actions Not Taken: Afghan Health Ministry Spain, and Iran are the most affected countries after Italy and China, where, as of March 24 the combined death toll stands at 4,925. France has now also joined the list of countries that have recorded more than 1,000 deaths. Health experts believe that the hotspot could soon shift to the United States, where 782 people have died so far, out of the 52,881 confirmed cases that the country has recorded since January 2020. (Image Credit: AP) The economic rescue package would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home. Washington: The White House and Senate leaders of both major political parties announced agreement early Wednesday on unprecedented emergency legislation to rush sweeping aid to businesses, workers and a health care system slammed by the coronavirus pandemic. The urgently needed $2 trillion pandemic response measure is the largest economic rescue measure in history and is intended as a weekslong or monthslong patch for an economy spiraling into recession and a nation facing a potentially ghastly toll. Top White House aide Eric Ueland announced the agreement in a Capitol hallway shortly after midnight, capping days of often intense haggling and mounting pressure. The deal still needs to be finalized in detailed legislative language. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are done," Ueland said. "We have a deal." The economic rescue package would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home. One of the last issues to close concerned $500 billion for guaranteed, subsidized loans to larger industries, including a fight over how generous to be with the airlines. Hospitals would get significant help as well. "After days of intense discussions, the Senate has reached a bipartisan agreement on a historic relief package for this pandemic," said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, also a Republican senator from Kentyucky, who acted as a key negotiator. "It will rush new resources onto the front lines of our nation's health care fight. And it will inject trillions of dollars of cash into the economy as fast as possible to help Americans workers, families, small businesses and industries make it through this disruption and emerge on the other side ready to soar." At the White House on Tuesday, even as the public health crisis deepened, US President Donald Trump expressed eagerness to nudge many people back to work in the coming weeks and held out a prospect, based more on hope than science, that the country could be returning to normal in less than a month. "We have to go back to work, much sooner than people thought," Trump told a Fox News town hall. He said he'd like to have the country "opened up and just raring to go" by Easter, 12 April. But in a White House briefing later, Trump said that "our decision will be based on hard facts and data." Medical professionals say social distancing needs to be stepped up, not relaxed, to slow the spread of infections. At the White House briefing, the public health authorities said it was particularly important for people in the hard-hit New York City metropolitan area to quarantine themselves for 14 days and for those who have recently left the city to do the same. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, said pointedly at the briefing, "No one is going to want to tone down anything when you see what is going on in a place like New York City." On Capitol Hill, five days of arduous talks produced the bill, creating tensions among Congress' top leaders, who each took care to tend to party politics as they maneuvered and battled over crafting the legislation. But failure was never an option, which permitted both sides to mark big wins. Even before the deal was reached, news of the likely but elusive agreement had sent the stock market rocketing on Tuesday. The rescue package would be larger than the 2008 bank bailout and 2009 recovery act combined. The package would give one-time payments of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child directly to the public. A huge cash infusion for hospitals expecting a flood of COVID-19 patients grew during the talks at the insistence of Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, while Republicans pressed for tens of billions of dollars for additional relief to be delivered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal disaster agency. Democrats said the package would help replace the salaries of furloughed workers for four months, rather than the three months first proposed. Furloughed workers would get whatever amount a state usually provides for unemployment, plus a $600 per week add-on, with gig workers like Uber drivers covered for the first time. "It ensures that all workers are protected whether they work for businesses small, medium or large, along with self-employed and workers in the gig economy," Schumer said. Republicans won inclusion of an "employee retention" tax credit that's estimated to provide $50 billion to companies that retain employees on payroll and cover 50 percent of workers' paychecks. Companies would also be able to defer payment of the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax. Democrats pointed to gains for hospitals, additional oversight of the huge industry stabilization fund and money for cash-strapped states. A companion appropriations package ballooned as well, growing from a $46 billion White House proposal to more than $300 billion, which dwarfs earlier disasters including Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy combined. To provide transparency, the package is expected to create a new inspector general and oversight board for the corporate dollars, much as was done during the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program bank rescue, officials said. Trump in recent days has sounded a note of frustration about the unprecedented modern-day effort to halt the virus' march by essentially shutting down public activities in ways that now threaten the US economy. Even though Trump's administration recommended Americans curtail activities for 15 days, starting just over a week ago, the Republican president said he may soon allow parts of the economy, in regions less badly hit by the virus, to begin reopening. He continued on that theme Tuesday as he weighed a relaxation of social distancing guidelines after the 15-day period is up. His suggestion that the pandemic could ease and allow a return to normalcy in a mere few weeks is not supported by public health officials or many others in government. On Tuesday, top defense and military leaders warned department personnel that the virus problems could extend for eight to 10 weeks or longer. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a Defense Department town hall meeting that the crisis could even extend into July. Trump has balked at using his authority under the recently invoked Defense Protection Act to compel the private sector to manufacture needed medical supplies like masks and ventilators, even as he encourages them to spur production. "We are a country not based on nationalizing our business," said Trump, who has repeatedly railed against socialism overseas and among Democrats. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover. The virus has caused a global pandemic that has sickened more than 425,000 people and killed about 19,000 worldwide. In the United States, more than 55,000 people have been sickened and more than 800 have died. An Intel construction contractor, an Aloha High School student, a Hillsboro middle schooler, a day care worker and five residents and staff at an assisted living and memory care center have all tested positive in Washington County for the new coronavirus in the past few weeks. They are among its 76 cases -- the highest of any county in the state by more than double. While the county of about 590,000 makes up 14 percent of Oregons population, its COVID-19 cases account for more than a third of the 209 known cases in the state as of Tuesday evening. The county also has triple the number of known cases as its neighbor, Multnomah, which has 25 cases even though it has far more residents, 807,000. Marion County, with 335,000 residents, also has more diagnosed cases 32 -- than Multnomah. Two of eight people who have died so far in Oregon have been from Washington County: a 71-year-old man who died March 17 and a 90-year-old woman who died Sunday -- both at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. The reason Washington County has an elevated number of cases has perplexed public health officials. Its hard to tell, said Carrie Shuler, a communicable disease epidemiologist for the county. Were still learning so much. Theres nothing specific we can point to or say. On Feb. 28, a Washington County resident was the first in the state to test positive for COVID-19. The man, who worked at Forest Hills Elementary School in Lake Oswego as a custodian, hadnt traveled to any countries recently that had been hard hit by the disease, officials said. Students temporarily returned to Forest Hills Elementary School in Lake Oswego on March 5, 2020, following a school closure of three days after a school custodian tested positive for coronavirus.Brooke Herbert/The Oregonian/OregonLive Within a few days, one of the mans household members became Washington Countys second case. From then on, the numbers grew and grew. Shuler said early testing after the first case was announced might have helped lead to the countys higher case count. Beyond that, health authorities have searched for some other reasons for the countys outlier status and havent found any, they said. They havent been able to link it to a super spreader -- a person who might have gone on to spread the virus to many others, Shuler said. About a third of those infected have caught the virus from close contact with a known person with COVID-19. The other two-thirds caught it through community spread like while out living their lives shopping, going to work or going to school from an unidentified source who might have coughed in their airspace or contaminated a surface they later touched. There are far more cases out there than have been diagnosed in Oregon and across the U.S. -- largely because of a lack of testing and faulty test kits early on from the federal government, experts say. *** Public health officials at the county and the Oregon Health Authority have declined to share much -- if any information -- about the people who have contracted the new coronavirus. They have repeatedly said the privacy interests of the individuals prevail over the publics understanding of how the disease spreads and the need to alert residents at large about possible exposure. If details have become known, they typically have come from families or companies associated with the patients. For example, Intel confirmed that a contractor at its Ronler Acres construction site in Hillsboro reported Monday testing positive for the disease. An Intel spokeswoman said colleagues in close contact with the worker had been notified, but she didnt respond to a question asking how many people that is. Intel's Ronler Acres campus in Hillsboro. While other large companies or major manufacturers in other states have shut down after employees tested positive, construction work continued Tuesday at the chip manufacturer. The work is allowed as an exception under Gov. Kate Browns stay-at-home order. Another concern in Washington County has been the large draw of one of the states largest malls -- Washington Square in Tigard. Some of its stores had individually decided to close, while others remained open. But Tuesday -- a day after the governors order also closed shopping malls -- only the huge complexs restaurants remained open for takeout and LensCrafters for prescription eyeglasses. Shuler said she didnt know of any cases acquired through the mall. But she and a county spokeswoman, Wendy Gordon, declined to provide specific information about any locale where the disease is thought to have spread. That includes declining to answer questions about how one case might be linked to another -- such as how many, if any, additional people have been infected at Touchstone Preschool in Hillsboro. The day care announced Friday that a worker with direct contact to children had tested positive. The day care didnt return a call from The Oregonian/OregonLive seeking more information. It has temporarily shut down. *** One of the two Washington County residents who died was Marcia Haug, a resident of the Regency Park care center on Southwest Barnes Road. The disease progressed rapidly -- killing Haug just three days after a fever and bad cough had suddenly set in, said her daughter, Cindy Madden. Haug was an elementary school teacher who spent a good portion of her career at Faubion School in Northeast Portland, where she raised her three children. She also had seven grandchildren and a great-grandchild on the way. Haug celebrated her last birthday her 90th -- with gusto, wearing a golden tiara and sash that read 90 & Fabulous. Marcia Haug, 90, died on Sunday, March 22, 2020. (Family photo) Two Regency Park employees and two other residents tested positive at the 167-bed community. Founder Thomas Stanley said in posts on the companys website that he was sharing the information to be transparent. He also expressed his frustration with not being able to test everyone at Regency Park because of a lack of available test kits. Local health authorities, including Washington County Oregon, where Regency Park is located, do not have test kits for our community and do not have the resources to perform the tests even if we had them, Stanley wrote. We are being specifically instructed to only test those that are positive for certain symptoms, and then only at a local hospital. Stanley said he was seeking out a source of private testing on his own. Haugs experience illustrates the ruthless power of the disease. I want people to know that Regency Park did everything that I could imagine that they could have done to keep her safe, said Madden, her daughter, who lives in the Bethany area. I want them to know my mom shouldnt be remembered for the illness that she died from but for the life that she lived. And I want people to be safe in how they make decisions about where and how they go out. Madden had talked to her mother last Thursday afternoon and her mother had no health complaints. Then five hours later, the assisted living center called and said Haug had a fever and a bad cough. Madden called an ambulance and her mother was admitted to St. Vincent Medical Center that night. Test results came back at 3 a.m. Saturday that her mother tested positive. On Sunday, Haug died. Madden treasures the phone calls and short FaceTime session she got to have with her mother thanks to hospital staff. She couldnt visit because of concerns about exposure. Her two siblings also got to talk to her via FaceTime. I think mine was about two minutes, Madden said. Nonetheless, it was priceless. -- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee Subscribe to our Oregon Coronavirus newsletter: A Louisiana pastor is apparently defying the governor's order against gatherings of more than 50 people by hosting over 1,000 churchgoers at a service Sunday and bringing together hundreds at another service Tuesday, according to the pastor and local media. Image: The Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, La. (Google Maps) The pastor, Tony Spell of Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, said he does not believe his congregation is at risk of getting COVID-19, the disease associated with the coronavirus, according to CBS affiliate WAFB. "Its not a concern," Spell told the outlet. "The virus, we believe, is politically motivated. We hold our religious rights dear and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says." Spell said 1,170 attended his service Sunday, according to WAFB. "We have 27 buses on Sundays picking up people in a five-parish area," he said. Spell also told the outlet that police showed up at the church after the service Tuesday night and informed him the National Guard would break up any future gatherings that exceed 50 people. But a National Guard spokesman in Baton Rouge told NBC News on Wednesday it is not involved in the matter and has no role in enforcing social distancing requirements as set by Gov. John Bel Edwards. Spell did not immediately return a request for an interview Wednesday. NBC News reached out to the Central Police Department and to Edwards' office about the apparent violation of the governor's order but did not immediately hear back. An online petition calling for Spell to be arrested and prosecuted has more than 4,000 signatures. The petition claims 1,800 people attended Spell's service on Sunday. The petition says the pastor should be "charged with 1800 counts of reckless endangerment for a start, for the countless lives he will be brutalizing and even ending with his selfishness and ignorance." On March 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that gatherings of 50 people or more including conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events and weddings be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Story continues A day later, President Donald Trump announced that his administration recommended that all Americans, "including the young and healthy," avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people, discretionary travel and eating and drinking at bars and restaurants. That same day, the Louisiana governor announced he was taking "significant measures" of his own. "Following additional guidance from the CDC, gatherings of more than 50 people are no longer permitted, Edwards said in his March 16 announcement. "These limitations were difficult to make, but they are necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19, protect the health of Louisianans and flatten the curve." Edwards went further on Sunday, issuing a stay-at-home order for the state. He said Tuesday that his state has more coronaviruses per capita than any others except New York and Washington, and he requested that the federal government declare Louisiana a major disaster. More than 1,700 cases of the coronavirus had been reported in Louisiana as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, with at least 65 deaths. The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has spoken from his isolation after his diagnosis with coronavirus. Mr Mohammed was diagnosed of the virus on Tuesday following a test he requested. The governor reportedly asked for the test after the news filtered that Mohammed Abubakar, a son of former vice president Atiku Abubakar tested positive for the virus. The two were on the same flight from Lagos to Abuja a few days earlier. The governor returned from Germany, a high risk country, on March 15. Early on Wednesday, Turaki Hassan, an aide of a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, shared a message the governor reportedly sent to the former lawmaker explaining his condition. I am currently ok without any adverse manifestation of the symptoms. I advise all my compatriots out there to take this pandemic very seriously, Mr Mohammed reportedly wrote. Mr Mohammed advised Mr Dogara to stay away from unnecessary contacts, and make effort to stay at home. He also counseled on use of face mask and hands sanitisers. Above all, obey medical advice and government directives. I cherish your support and prayers please. Mr Mohammeds message was in response to a text message sent to him by Mr Dogara which was also shared by Mr Dogaras media aide. My brother, Governor Bala Mohammed, I have tried unsuccessfully to reach you after hearing of the devastating news. You, Malam Abba Kyari and all those affected are in our prayers. May God take control and bring healing like he has done for many. Wishing you all quick recovery, Mr Dogara had written. The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday extended its closure along with that of its Lucknow bench and the Uttar Pradesh subordinate judiciary till further orders. During the shutdown or state's judiciary, the high court will hear only imminently emergent and urgent cases" with prior approval of the chief justice, while all remand and bail pleas of arrested persons would be heard by magisterial courts as per the prevailing practice of hearing them during holidays, a high court notification said. Apart from that, all courts and tribunals subordinate to the high court will also remain closed till further order, the high court registrar said in a circular. According to High Court administration, the decision was taken keeping in view the gravity of the situation arising due to outbreak of coronavirus. "Judicial functioning of the high court with its ancillary staff during this period shall be restricted and only the imminently emergent and urgent cases would be heard by designated bench with prior approval of the chief justice," the order said. The high earlier had ordered its closure till March 28 but with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordering a 21-day, nationwide lockdown from March24-25 midnight to stem the coronavirus spread, the high court too on Wednesday resorted to the state's judiciary shutdown till further orders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Americans are rushing to make online wills with some companies reporting a 143 per cent uptake in business amid the rising death toll as a result of coronavirus. A total of 823 people have died in the United States from the disease as of Wednesday. There are more than 60,000 confirmed cases. Online will company Gentreo told CNBC they have seen a 143 per cent week on week increase in business; Trust & Will has seen a 50 per cent rise. Around 40 per cent of Americans are thought to currently have wills place. New figures released on Wednesday show that New York, which is the epicenter of the US outbreak, now has 50 percent of the country's total confirmed coronavirus cases. Armed military personnel and NYC Medical Examiner's Office set up white tents and refrigeration trucks outside Bellevue hospital as health officials warned the city's morgues were nearing capacity The World Health Organization this week revealed a grim outlook for the United States, saying that the country could quickly become the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic given the 'very large acceleration' of confirmed infections There are now more than 30,800 confirmed cases in New York and more than 17,800 in New York City alone. There are 285 deaths in New York, including 192 in the city. Washington state, which was initially the epicenter following an outbreak at a Seattle nursing home, now has 2,472 confirmed cases and 125 deaths. California is reporting 2,675 cases and 59 deaths, including the first child after a 17-year-old boy with no known pre-existing conditions died. Texas has 1,150 cases and 14 deaths, while Florida is reporting 1,682 cases and 23 fatalities. Attorney Alain Roman, who helps with estate planning, told Barrons: 'Seeing in the news that so many people are passing away worldwide and here in the U.S., people are getting a little scared. 'Its getting them thinking about having a plan in place in case something happens to them.' A priest wearing a face mask checks a book of funeral rites as he gives the last blessing by a coffin during a funeral ceremony outside the cemetery of Bolgare, Lombardy American Morgan Hopkins told CNBC she is 'willing to think about the worst case scenario' and 'wanted to be prepared' after getting an online will. She added: 'I started seeing stories of young people who are in otherwise perfectly good health in the hospital or in critical condition with the coronavirus.' But experts have warned those signing wills online to be wary of their legality. Leslie Tayne, founder of Tayne Law Group said the will will be valid if it 'meets all of the legal requirements of your state'. Tayne added: 'However, since the vast majority of DIY wills are created and executed without any oversight from an attorney, a larger number of wills (may not be) executed in compliance with the proper will formalities, and that could end up making the will invalid.' The US remains third behind China and Italy with the number of confirmed coronavirus cases. The infection has killed nearly 20,000 people worldwide since the outbreak began in China in December. The World Health Organization this week revealed a grim outlook for the United States, saying that the country could quickly become the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic given the 'very large acceleration' of confirmed infections. Armed military personnel and NYC Medical Examiner's Office set up white tents and refrigeration trucks outside the hospital as health officials warned the city's morgues were nearing capacity. The United States is set to become the new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic because of very large acceleration in infections, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday. The virus has infected more than 54,000 people in the US, leaving more governors to join states ordering Americans to stay at home. Reuters reported that over the past 24 hours, 85 per cent of new cases worldwide were from Europe and the United States. The WHO spokesperson, Margaret Harris, said 40 per cent were from the US. We are now seeing a very large acceleration in cases in the U.S. So it does have that potential. We cannot say that is the case yet but it does have that potential, she said. She raised concerns about growing case numbers in countries with weak health systems and high HIV prevalence. They (the United States) have a very large outbreak and an outbreak that is increasing in intensity, Ms Harris added. She identified some positive signs such as more comprehensive testing, and further efforts to isolate the sick and trace their immediate contacts exposed to the virus. She also referred to extremely heartwarming stories of how Americans were helping each other during the crisis. Overall, the global outbreak was accelerating very rapidly and she expected large increases in case numbers and deaths from the 334,981 cases and 14,652 deaths currently reported to WHO. WHOs dashboard on its website, which tends to log countries individual tallies, showed that Monday had by far the biggest daily rise in infections since the outbreak began in December, with more than 40,000 new cases. Ms Harris said new records were to be expected each day until new confinement measures begin to take effect. Up until now, Europe has been the centre of transmission with Italy the most badly-hit country with the worlds highest number of deaths, although fatalities have begun slowing there. There is a glimmer of hope there. Weve seen in the last two days fewer new cases and deaths in Italy but its very, very early days yet. South Africas confirmed number of coronavirus cases rose to 554 on Tuesday ahead of a nationwide lockdown planned for 21 days from midnight on Thursday. South Africa is doing what needed, doing the testing and following the contacts, she said. A third man from Birmingham has pleaded guilty to offences relating to illegal sheep killings taking place last year in Northamptonshire. Voirel Manu changed his plea to guilty for conspiracy to steal in relation to the slaughter and butchery of livestock. The 39-year-old pleaded not guilty last month. However, he changed it before his trial started at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday 24 March. Two other men, Robert Iordan, aged 23, and Florin Nutu, aged 36, also from Birmingham, pleaded guilty last month. The three men were arrested on the A14 in the early hours of Monday 7 October 2019 following the discovery of nine illegally butchered sheep near Welton the previous evening. The offences took place between 22 June and 7 October. In total, 12 reports of illegal butchery were made to Northamptonshire Police. The force called the string of illegal butchery crimes which hit county a 'monstrous act'. Police launched its Operation Stock investigation in response to the crimes. Det Con Jamie Cooper, from Northamptonshire Police, said: "These crimes caused farmers a great deal of upset and anger last year and I'd like to thank them and the wider rural community for their support and patience during our investigation." Mr Iordan and Mr Nutu will be sentenced on Friday 27 March. New Delhi, March 25 : With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Air Force (IAF)has told its personnel and their dependents that they cannot process various welfare schemes owing to lockdown and appealed to bear with them, a senior IAF officer said on Wednesday. "Please bear with us," IAF told its personnel and their dependents explaining the reasons for not providing the funds. "Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, National Capital Region (NCR) is in a state of lockdown. Movement within the state and inter-state between Gurugram/Noida to Delhi is restricted," the force said. It further clarified that the office of Air Headquarter Non Public Funds -- Indian Air Force Benevolent Association and Indian Air Force Central Welfare Fund -- is manned by civilian staff. "Presently, the office is working with limited staff due to the restricted movement of people in national capital region," the force pointed. It further stated that as a result, the services provided by the office like payment of loans, grants, scholarships and claims will be delayed. The force highlighted that as and "when the restrictions are lifted, all loans and claims will be processed on priority". At Air Headquarter level, welfare funds are held under two different heads -- "the Indian Air Force Central Welfare Fund (IAFCWF) and the IAF Benevolent Association (IAFBA). Both these funds are registered under Societies Act. Welfare activities, like opening of schools, sports, recreation and medical facilities, that look after community needs fall under the category of group welfare and are funded from the IAFCWF. Welfare activities, which are meant for individuals, such as scholarships for children, loans to individuals and grants to widows, fall in individuals' welfare category and financed primarily from the IAFBA. AMHERST, Mass. - A slender little fish called the sand lance plays a big role as "a quintessential forage fish" for puffins, terns and other seabirds, humpback whales and other marine mammals, and even bigger fish such as Atlantic sturgeon, cod and bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Maine and northwest Atlantic Ocean. But scientists say right now they know far too little about its biology and populations to inform "relevant management, climate adaptation and conservation efforts." A collaborative team of 24 coauthors led by first author and marine ecologist Michelle Staudinger at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center this week is calling for increased focus on sand lance and their ecological role in the region's "dynamic ecosystem," which is facing increased pressure and risks from climate change, fishing and offshore wind energy development. Details are in the current issue of Fish and Fisheries. Two species, American and Northern sand lance, are so streamlined that they can dive at swimming speed into the sandy sea floor, burrowing to escape predators. Staudinger explains, "They're unique among forage fish because of their elongate body shape and hiding behaviors. Their shape makes them very attractive to many predators because they're easy to swallow. Most marine predators don't chew their food, rather they swallow their food whole. It's like eating spaghetti instead of a meatball; there are no legs or spines to get caught in your mouth or throat. Even small seabird chicks can swallow large sand lance because they slide right down into the gullet." Holly Goyert, a UMass post-doctoral researcher with the project who is now working under contract to the NOAA National Ocean Service adds that even though sand lance occur in huge schools, "their slender bodies make them very difficult to catch in marine survey nets so we have very little information on their abundance and distribution. We just can't catch them reliably and efficiently enough to understand how big their populations are. We have some information on their early life and adult stages, but there are significant gaps, especially in the juvenile stages and first few years of their lives." Staudinger and Justin Suca, a Ph.D. student at MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program who contributed to the study, point out that sand lance are an unmanaged forage fish in the region, so scientists don't collect regular data on them. Staudinger's team says its report represents the first comprehensive assessment of this important forage fish in the Northwest Atlantic, though similar efforts have been carried out in the Pacific Northwest and Europe. In the Atlantic, sand lance are observed to be a significant food source for the federally endangered Roseate tern, Atlantic sturgeon and cod, Harbor and Grey seals and Minke and Humpback whales. "This paper is a call to our peers and colleagues that there is a big gap in knowledge, and to bring more attention to these species as unmanaged forage fish," says Staudinger. To begin to address this need, she, Linda Welch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Dave Wiley of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary led their colleagues from 15 state and federal agencies, academic institutions and nonprofits in a 2017 workshop. The goal was to synthesize available data on the life history, behavior, distribution, feeding ecology, threats and vulnerabilities and ecosystem services role of sand lance in the northwest Atlantic. Wiley says "Sand lance are a key ingredient in the sanctuary's productivity. The more we know and understand about this forage fish the better equipped we will be to conserve and protect marine species that depend on this critical food source." In addition to UMass Amherst's Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, the work was supported by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA/Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Boston University and others. Overall, they report that 72 regional predators including 45 fish species, two squids, 16 seabirds, and nine marine mammals were found to consume sand lance. Staudinger adds that because sand lance are winter spawners, they are particularly vulnerable to warming ocean temperatures in Gulf of Maine waters, which are known as a global "hotspot of warming." The eel-like fish may also be less adaptable than other fish species - they are very dependent on sandy bottom marine environments increasingly targeted by dredging for beach nourishment and siting of wind energy turbines. The researchers say, "Priority research needs identified during this effort include basic information on the patterns and drivers in abundance and distribution of Ammodytes (sand lance), improved assessments of reproductive biology schedules, and investigations of regional sensitivity and resilience to climate change, fishing and habitat disturbance. Food-web studies are also needed to evaluate trophic linkages, and to assess the consequences of inconsistent zooplankton prey and predator fields on energy flow within the northwest Atlantic ecosystem." ### BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Despite the major impact of the coronavirus outbreak, the essential services of Fluxys Belgium will remain operational, Trend reports citing the company. As one of the key players in the European gas infrastructure, we are responsible for the energy supply of our customers. Public services, households, hospitals and many industries are in need of our energy supplies, now more than ever. In this highly sensitive period, we have taken the necessary steps to safeguard the continuity of business operations while keeping everyone safe, the company said. Fluxys Belgium noted that for all its activities gas flows from North to South, South to North, East to West and West to East, terminalling activities in Zeebrugge (Belgium) and storage services nearby Antwerp (Belgium) it is carefully complying with the recommendations of Belgian authorities in the field of health and safety. Fluxys is a fully independent gas infrastructure group headquartered in Belgium. It contributes to a sustainable energy future and secures reliable and affordable energy flows into the market. The company optimizes its operations in Belgium and Europe, grow its assets on a selected basis in Europe and invests in small-scale LNG projects. Fluxys develops biomethane initiatives, invests in hydrogen and CO2 transport projects and explores new technologies. The company focuses on LNG infrastructure outside Europe. --- Follow the author on Twitter:@Lyaman_Zeyn "So yes, we stayed open. The urge is to stand and fight, right? The way the restaurant business has taught me to operate over the years, is to show up everyday, no matter what. We work every single day, that's just how it is. Days off are a blur, and we don't even much care about them. Sleep right through them. "My (front-of-house) staff knows I love them, but I want to speak as a cook for a moment. Many people know this, but some do not understand the exact nature of this particular matter, which is this you simply are not allowed to call in if you are a cook. There are no substitute teachers for a cook's station. And if you are as good as you are supposed to be, no one can stand in for you on your station. I wish it were different. But it has always been this way, long since before any of us started cooking. So we bond over working through the most vicious of hangovers, and yes we have to come in even when we are sick. We groan and cuss, or maybe we let out a tragic cackling laugh because we are missing someone's funeral. Don't even think of asking us to a graduation, because we're not going. But the food, the food always comes out executed perfectly, day after day. 25.03.2020 LISTEN The process of teaching and learning, especially in a school for an enlightening experience through receiving and giving of instruction, pedagogy, improvement and development sums up education. Education in its natural state, ensures the personal growth of the receiver which makes him better than before. In acquiring knowledge for a secured future, the preschool, primary, secondary and tertiary schooling, serves as an avenue for the acquisition of formal education. But here lies the case where, Ghana's education system, in as much as its trying to work out for the best of its partakers, is rather getting the masses confused and providing little education or no care to people who seek it. Starting off with preschool, it appears there are none or few public schools that allow the intake of day care or creche in their institutions, as most day care centers are that of private with no supervision from the government. The central point of every child's progress in the future begins here, but unfortunately classrooms to contain these young children, is almost of that of a cubicle with over twenty kids striving to survive. In this fight of survival are outbreak of skin diseases, infections and cuts children concur day in and out as busy parents leave them in the care of business caretakers, who are simply in for what they will take at the end of the month. These care takers feed on what is supposed to be for the kids, leaving them at the mercy of the lunch to be provided by the school. These awful treatment has left some children into dreadful health conditions, as parents'battle to get their wards back to normal. It's a humble plea by Stacy Amewoyi, to government,to at least take measures in ensuring that our future leaders are well taken care of. She pleaded again that, government should extend the maternity leave of career women and make beginners school from a year or two. She added, young couples should make it a habit of saving before childbirth so they don't strain their kids in the bid of taking care of them. The primary sector is another area the government should take a critical look at. Every child's solid foundation in education cements at the primary level. But what teachers do we have over there? In the public schools, 80% of trained facilitators, provide half cooked tuition for learners as they report to school either late or don't report at all. Of what benefits will our children benefit from this? Stacy bemoaned. The author continued that, little incentives and allowances from proprietors and directors to their facilitators in the private sectors is but appalling, even though, facilitators do all they can to meet their outrageous demands. After a month of hard work, a facilitator in the private sector have nothing meaningful as salary. With this attitude from heads of private institutions, it comes as no surprise as facilitators work out of pain and bitterness, which affects the standards of understanding of learners. Free SHS is good, but double track system?Everyone wants free lunch but as they say, there is no free lunch any more. Though SHS if free, it is at the detriment of learners studies and this is posing a huge loss to the future of Ghana. Of what percentage of Ghanaian guardians will take their wards to school on the long vacation given them? children go to school for a month and half but are given two months break to report to school. How does this help anyone? The Ghanaian government should rise up in giving better treatment to its citizens, as free SHS is concerned. Stacy lamented. Stacy in her line of stay in the United States, has never come across a news bulleting that says, teachers are on strike. It therefore, comes as heartbreaking when thriving students from primary and SHS, meet strike at their final stageat the tertiary level. A country places great importance on education as it is important for children to get quality education. It is but a disgrace that the government spends so much in the mouth, than the welfare of teachers and learners. Investment in education is therefore crucial to ensure that, the workforce is equipped for the betterment of the economy. Stacy Amewoyi concluded. More Australians can now be checked for coronavirus as testing is expanded to include people in healthcare, aged care, and residents living in high-risk areas. The Federal Government announced changes to the current testing criteria following a National Cabinet meeting in Canberra on Wednesday night. The testing will now include anyone with a fever or acute respiratory infection who works in healthcare or aged care, or lives in areas with high levels of transmission or where there are two or more plausibly linked cases. Some of the areas that have seen an elevated risk of community transmission include Sydney's north and eastern suburbs as well as Stanwell Tops, where 39 wedding guests contracted the virus. Millions of Australians can now be tested for coronavirus after changes were made to the testing criteria to now include people in health care, aged care, or living in high-risk areas The number of confirmed cases across Australia was at 2,431 as of Wednesday night High-risk areas where no community transmission is occurring include aged and residential care, rural and remote Aboriginal communities, detention centres, boarding schools, and military bases that have live-in accommodation. 'National Cabinet also agreed that testing will be expanded to include hospitalised patients with fever and acute respiratory symptoms of unknown cause, at the discretion of the treating clinician,' a statement said. 'This is the minimum testing criteria. States and territories have the discretion to expand their own criteria for testing if they have capacity.' Coronavirus testing was previously restricted due to a scarcity of kits and available testing facilities. It had targeted the highest risk groups for spreading infection: return travellers who arrived within 14 days and developed symptoms of COVID-19, as well as people who fell ill after being in contact with confirmed cases of infection. A patient who has severe community-acquired pneumonia with no clear cause and healthcare workers who worked directly with patients who have a respiratory illness and a fever could also be screened for the virus. WHO CAN BE TESTED FOR CORONAVIRUS IN AUSTRALIA PREVIOUSLY A person who returned from overseas in the past 14 days and develops respiratory illness with or without fever A person who has been in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case in the past 14 days and develops respiratory illness with or without fever A person who has severe community-acquired pneumonia and there is no clear cause Healthcare workers who work directly with patients and have a respiratory illness and a fever NOW National Cabinet agreed to an Australian Health Principal Protection Committee (AHPPC) recommendation to expand the current coronavirus testing criteria to include testing people with fever or acute respiratory infection in: All health workers All aged/residential care workers Geographically localised areas where there is elevated risk of community transmission as defined by the local public health unit Where no community transmission is occurring, high risk settings where there are two or more plausibly-linked cases, for example: Aged and residential care Rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities Detention centres/correctional facilities Boarding schools Military bases (including Navy ships) that have live-in accommodation. Advertisement The Government announced changes to the current coronavirus testing criteria following a National Cabinet meeting in Canberra on Wednesday night CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement The changes to COVID-19 testing requirements came after an earlier announcement that state and federal leaders had agreed to indefinitely suspend all category three and most category two surgeries from midnight. The National Cabinet agreed on Wednesday night that the deadline for the suspension of semi-urgent category two and three elective surgeries at private hospitals would be extended to April 1. The move to suspend elective surgeries would help free up resources needed by healthcare staff, the prime minister said. 'This will allow the preservation of resources like personal protective equipment and health services to prepare for their role in the COVID-19 outbreak,' Scott Morrison said. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said decisions on category two surgery would be made by people's clinicians on a case-by-case basis. 'I want to stress, as the prime minister did recently, based on our advice, that urgent surgery, of course, should continue,' Professor Kelly told reporters in Canberra. 'So cancer surgery, heart surgery and so forth, which is absolutely needed will continue.' There are 2,431 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia and nine people have died. China is considering setting up a holding company to oversee its state-owned national asset management companies (AMCs), in the latest signal of strengthening control over the bad debt mangers, Caixin has learned. The Chinese Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission is developing a reform plan for the national AMCs, Zhou Liang, a deputy head of the commission, said at a briefing (link in Chinese) on Sunday. The measures may be part of regulators efforts to improve oversight of the AMCs and defuse their risks after a major corruption scandal was uncovered at China Huarong Asset Management Co. Ltd., one of the countrys four national AMCs. A source close to a national AMC speaking on condition of anonymity told Caixin that the reform plan will probably involve setting up a holding company to control the four national AMCs, with the head of the new holding company given an administrative rank equivalent to a deputy minister. The aim is to improve management of state-owned financial assets and isolate AMC risks from the Ministry of Finance, according to the source. The finance ministry is the largest shareholder of the national AMCs, opening the ministry to risk of scandals at those companies jeopardizing its reputation. The holding company plan was originally meant to move forward before or after the 2020 session of the National Peoples Congress, the countrys top legislature, but has been postponed along with the session due to the coronavirus outbreak, the source said. The current four national AMCs were set up in 1999 to buy and manage a total of 1.4 trillion yuan of nonperforming loans from the big four state-owned commercial banks at the time. The move came as an effort to remove the bad debts from the banks balance sheets as part of a strategy to clean up the banking system and make it more market-driven after decades of policy-driven lending to poorly managed state-owned enterprises. No new national AMCs have been established since. Earlier this month, the banking regulator gave the green light for a new national state-owned AMC, China Galaxy Asset Management Co. Ltd. In recent years, the four AMCs have expanded their business scopes far beyond bad debt management into the banking, insurance and securities sectors, raising concerns of mounting risks. In 2018, then-chairman of Huarong, Lai Xiaomin, fell into a graft probe. Lai was prosecuted last year for taking huge bribes. He was found to have channeled Huarong funds into privately owned companies with risky investments. Read more In Depth: Bad Business at a Bad Bank The scandal prompted financial regulators to kick off a purge of the AMCs. They have been told to focus on their core business of bad debt management, and their management teams have been reshuffled. Three vice presidents from three national AMCs have recently been rotated into positions at other national AMCs, as it is thought that senior executives serving at the same company for long periods may breed corruption. Timmy Shen contributed to this story. Contact reporter Guo Yingzhe (yingzheguo@caixin.com) and editor Gavin Cross (gavincross@caixin.com) Caixin Global has launched Caixin CEIC Mobile, the mobile-only version of its world-class macroeconomic data platform. If youre using the Caixin app, please click here. If you havent downloaded the app, please click here. PUNE A Pune couple, who are patient zero in Maharashtra for the Sars-Cov-2 infection caused by Covid-19 (coronavirus), returned home on Wednesday after 17 days of hospitalisation, to a rousing welcome from members of their residential society. After spending 17 days at Punes Naidu hospital, from March 8 onwards, the husband and wife, have now had both their second tests return negative for the infection from the National Institute of Virology (NIV). The couple spent 14 days in incubation, followed by two swab sample tests in a span on 24 hours to get proper clearance to be discharged. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday expressed happiness over the couple in Pune being discharged from hospital. Pawar also thanked the doctors at Punes Naidu hospital where the couple was admitted. They were diagnosed as positive for coronavirus on the day of Holi and cured on Gudi Padwa (the Maharashtrian New Year), he noted. The couple returned from a Dubai tour on March 1 and were declared Covid-19 positive on March 6. The couple were accompanied by 40 persons on the Dubai trip and multiple cases across the state were detected from members of the same travelling party. Very pleasant, is how the husband describes his stay at the hospital, adding, When we returned from Dubai I did feel a bit of fatigue and I thought it was normal. I visited my family doctor and he gave me an antibiotic and asked me to rest. I felt good for two days and then I went to office, but again, started feeling cold and got a high temperature. I went to my doctor and the second time he asked me to visit Naidu hospital for a swab test. Both, me and my wife, went to the hospital and the doctors there asked us to get admitted till the test results came back. When the test results came we were shocked, especially my wife, because she did not have any symptoms; not even during our wait at the hospital. The husband further added that initially when their names and numbers went viral, they did receive calls from anonymous numbers abusing them for their foreign trip. He said, People would say, you guys went to a foreign country and because of you the city is under curfew? After most of our fellow travellers tested negative, we now feel relieved. We have asked our relatives not to meet us till April 15, at least. The couple, discharged from hospital, were met with bouquets and loud cheers, accompanied by free groceries, from neighbours in their housing society. As of Wednesday, Maharashtra has 122 positive cases, of which 31 are in Pune. The city did not record any positive case on Wednesday. Several questions were raised when Yogi Adityanath was made the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh by juxtaposing his religious identity with his temporal duties. Three questions were asked - Will Adityanath be able to perform his duty as chief minister of the state which has a considerable Muslim population; will he be able to prove an efficient administrator; and will Adityanath, a Mathadhish (a symbol of renunciation) understand Artha (economy). On 15 September, 2019, buses full of UP's top bureaucrats and ministers reached IIM-Lucknow to attend a 9-hour-long training session. The ministers, ready with their laptops and IPads gave presentation of their respective departments and took feedback from the senior faculty of the IIM. The idea was to prepare a roadmap for the overall development of the state and to make UP a $1 trillion economy by 2024. While opposition rejected the entire exercise as publicity gimmick, Adityanath was ready with a blueprint. Speaking to media on 27 September, Adityanath said that his government has identified five major sectors infrastructure development, industry, agriculture, urban development and service sectors to pave way for UP to become a $1 trillion economy by 2024. One of the successes of thr UP government at the start was the "Investors Summit" which resulted in proposals worth Rs 4.68 lakh crore out of which 371 projects have already been implemented. On the infrastructure front, development projects like Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway and Ganga Expressway have the potential of creating employment opportunities. Given UP is largely an agricultural state, it is imperative for any government to strengthen the farm sector. From ensuring payment worth Rs 92,000 crores to the sugarcane sector, preparing soil health cards for more than 4 crore farmers and ensuring 40 to 90 percent subsidy through a custom hiring center for purchasing agricultural machinery and imparting training of modern technologies through the 'The Millions Farmers Schools,' the government has taken formative measures in the last three years. Amid the healthcare crisis and the lockdown due to coronavirus, the UP government announced relief and support package for the daily wage laborers. In a press conference held on 21 March, Adityanath said that Rs 1,000 will be be provided to each of the 20.37 lakh construction workers registered with the labour department and to each of the 15 lakh self-employed cart owners, small shop owners, and rickshaw pullers on an immediate basis. It was also made clear that these disbursals will be funded by the help of labour cess and will be transferred through direct benefit transfer (DBT). And, in less than a week after the announcement, on Tuesday the first batch of these transfers was started. On Tuesday, Rs 1,000 each was transferred to the bank accounts of around 600,000 beneficiaries. A new study that looks at lifespan in wild mammals shows that females live substantially longer than males. The research finds that, on average, females live 18.6% longer than males from the same species, BBC writes in the article Mammal study explains 'why females live longer'. This is much larger than the well-studied difference between men and women, which is around 8%. The scientists say the differences in these other mammals are due to a combination of sex-specific traits and local environmental factors. In every human population, women live longer than men, so much so that nine out of 10 people who live to be 110 years old are female. This pattern, researchers say, has been consistent since the first accurate birth records became available in the 18th Century. While the same assumption has been held about animal species, large-scale data on mammals in the wild has been lacking. Now, an international team of researchers has examined age-specific mortality estimates for a widely diverse group of 101 species. In 60% of the analysed populations, the scientists found that females outlived the males - on average, they had a lifespan that's 18.6% longer than males. "The magnitude of lifespan and ageing across species is probably an interaction between environmental conditions and sex-specific genetic variations," said lead author Dr Jean-Francois Lemaitre, from the University of Lyon, France. He gives the example of bighorn sheep for which the researchers had access to good data on different populations. Where natural resources were consistently available there was little difference in lifespan. However, in one location where winters were particularly severe, the males lived much shorter lives. "Male bighorn sheep use lots of resources towards sexual competition, towards the growth of a large body mass, and they might be more sensitive to environmental conditions," said Dr Lemaitre. "So clearly the magnitude of the difference in lifespan is due to the interaction of these sex-specific genetics, the fact that males devote more resources towards specific functions compared with females, and to the local environmental conditions." Even if females lived longer than males, the team found that it did not mean that the risks of dying are increasing more in males than females as they get older. The expected male mortality is always higher, but the rate of mortality is about the same in both genders as they age. One recent study in this field suggested that the genetic differences between males and females were key. In humans, our cells contain different chromosomes, depending on gender. Females have two X chromosomes while males have an X and a Y. The theory is that the extra X in women has a protective effect against harmful mutations and that this holds true in other species. The author of the new study on mammals says that both pieces of research are complementary. "They show that in XX or XY systems, the XX, or the female, lives longer, so clearly there is an effect of sex chromosomes," said Dr Lemaitre. "What we show in our paper is that the difference is very variable across species, meaning there are other factors that need to be considered to explain this variability." The study has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Australian actress Charlotte Best is the latest celebrity to fly home amid the coronavirus global pandemic. The former Home and Away star, 26, will be forced to self-isolate at home for 14 days in accordance with the government's rules on international arrivals. Looking cautious after her flight from Los Angeles, Charlotte wore a surgical mask and gloves at Sydney International Airport on Tuesday. Taking no chances: Australian actress Charlotte Best wore surgical gloves and a mask as she returned home from Los Angeles on Tuesday amid the COVID-19 pandemic Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently warned the city that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic was still to come. With Australia's COVID-19 death rate considerably lower than that of the U.S., it's possible Charlotte was returning home to seek refuge. The model kept warm in an all-black ensemble, and left her brunette locks down. Safer on home soil? With Australia's COVID-19 death rate considerably lower than that of the U.S., it's possible Charlotte was returning home to seek refuge Charlotte took her health seriously by covering most of her face with a surgical mask. She also wore gloves and carried her luggage in blue sacks. Her family had become increasingly concerned for her well-being in recent weeks. 'Gotta love it when your parents ask for a photo of you or a FaceTime sesh every single day to prove youre happy and healthy whilst travelling... yes hi were still alive love you xxx,' she wrote on Instagram on March 14. Precautions: Charlotte took her health seriously by covering most of her face with a surgical mask. She also wore gloves and carried her luggage in blue sacks Rise to fame: Charlotte played Annie Campbell on Channel Seven soap Home and Away Charlotte will have to spend two weeks in self-isolation, after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the government's new rules on international arrivals on March 15. Penalties for not self-isolating will be determined separately by each state and territory. As of Wednesday afternoon, there are 2,398 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, including eight deaths. Despite easing restrictions, Hubei locals struggle to return to workplaces Government health employees and firefighters disinfect the Wuhan Railway Station with power sprayers on Tuesday. Photo: cnsphoto.com After two months of complete isolation of Central China's Hubei Province, especially its capital Wuhan, authorities announced on Tuesday to lift outbound travel restrictions on cities excluding Wuhan beginning Wednesday and to end the lockdown of one of the most virus-stricken cities on April 8, signaling that the domestic battle against the deadly coronavirus will score victory. However, this battle has not come to an end, as more people from Hubei will return to megacities like Beijing and Shanghai, bringing mounting pressure on cities that have been already facing growing imported cases of infections. It's time for shifting the focus of the prevention and control work toward relapses of domestic cases and increases of imported ones, officials and analysts warned. It has been over two months since Wuhan, a city with about 11 million people, hit hardest by the virus, was completely locked down as part of China's decisive and aggressive measures that gained a window of opportunity not only for the country but also for the entire world. The outbreak has changed everyone's life, as people in Hubei have been following strict quarantine measures while hundreds of thousands of restaurants, shops and public venues have been shut down, such stringent measures are also believed to be the only effective way of cutting transmission routes of this highly contagious disease, about which the public has very limited knowledge. Lifting lockdowns and easing travel restrictions appeared to be an exciting and inspiring gesture for millions of locally born residents who sacrificed their freedom of movement for important public interests, especially those who work in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province and Guangzhou in Guangdong Province. Hubei railway authorities announced on Tuesday night to resume services inside railway stations within Hubei Province from Wednesday, except for Wuhan. Rail services in Wuhan will resume on April 8. As one of the major labor exporting regions in the country, about 6 million Hubei residents now work outside their home province and 70 percent of them had returned to their hometowns for the Spring Festival holidays in January and have been stranded ever since. For some of those trapped at home, the prolonged holidays have become much more stressful rather than relaxing as they might have faced losing their jobs due to a delayed return, or being kicked out by landlords following discrimination against people from the region where the earliest infection cases were reported in the country. But now, some of them are struggling in new dilemma: Does lifting travel restrictions mean everyone stranded in the province can go back immediately? Who goes first and who has to wait for further instructions? Does it mean the COVID-19 battle comes to an end and Hubei is a safe place now? Given growing concerns over increasing numbers of imported cases of COVID-19 from abroad, a high proportion of covert coronavirus cases, in addition to loopholes in screening processes at custom and inadequate quarantine measures, the risks of a second wave of outbreaks in China looms, raising concerns among medical experts and observers over whether other cities outside Hubei are well prepared to receive the influx of new arrivals from the province. Steps to follow The National Health Commission said no new confirmed cases have been reported in Hubei from Wednesday to Sunday, and the World Health Organization said Wuhan's recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak gives the rest of the world hope as the highly contagious disease has spread to 169 countries and regions as of Tuesday, data from Johns Hopkins University of Medicine shows. Ying Yong, Hubei provincial Party chief, said on Tuesday that the spread of COVID-19 in Wuhan's main battlefield has been contained, and the province has made significant progress in preventing the spread in the province and exporting infection cases to other parts of the country. Gradually lifting restrictions marked restoration of the economic and social order, he said. Keeping track of recovered patients is paramount after lifting the lockdown, said Zheng Shuqian, a Wuhan doctor, explaining that uncertainties still remain as we don't know if the virus is completely out of recovered patients' systems. Is it possible for those patients to re-transmit the virus, Zheng asked. Sporadic infections can be brought under control, but possible "invisible transmission" from asymptomatic patients or those recovered patients are the focus of future viral prevention work, said Zheng. "We still face an arduous long journey of pursuing follow-up viral prevention work," he remarked. A local resident with online name Silvia who has been staying in her hometown Yichang, a city about 400 kilometers away from Wuhan, said she has been working from home since the lockdown. She told the Global Times on Tuesday that she has registered on an app called Jingxin Xiangzhu to provide her personal information, a must-do step before getting further notification about whether she is qualified to leave Hubei and return to Beijing, where her employer is.. "Until now, I haven't received any further instructions, and some circulating information said we could not go back even if local governments ease the travel ban," she said, noting that instead some should follow the instructions issued by the Beijing authorities on February 27 by not returning to Beijing for the moment. Chen Bei, Beijing municipal government's deputy secretary general, told a press conference on February 27 that residents in Hubei can't return to Beijing and people from other regions coming to Beijing should undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine. Still, some local residents in Shiyan and Xiangyang - two Hubei cities - are prepared to leave by train on Wednesday, heading to Beijing, with the first group of returnees potentially surpassing 1,000 people, as several WeChat group chats showed. An official surnamed Zhou in a Beijing community confirmed to the Global Times that they had received a notice from superiors one day before to begin accepting people stranded in Hubei to return to Beijing. The returning workers are expected to arrive in the nation's capital city at the Beijing West Railway Station starting Wednesday, Zhou said, noting that they are required to undertake 14-day quarantine at home after their arrival. Another worker in a community in the Chaoyang district told the Global Times on Tuesday under the condition of anonymity that they had not received any notices about such arrangements of receiving people from Hubei. In response to safety concerns, he said that there is no need to worry as those people have been quarantined in Hubei for two months but showed no symptoms so they should be healthy. Remaining on high alert Aerial photo taken on Jan. 26, 2020 shows a riverside boulevard in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Many residents here have reduced or avoided outdoor activities during the Spring Festival holiday in Wuhan, the hardest-hit city of the novel coronavirus outbreak in central China. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi) Though lifting the lockdown is also seen as a major sign that the country has scored a victory in the COVID-19 battle, China still faces growing uncertainties in the next phase of prevention and control work, given growing numbers of imported infections from overseas as well as accelerating resumption of work. Yang Zhanqiu, a virologist at Wuhan University, said that lifting the travel ban in Wuhan also signals China's viral prevention battlefield is shifting to metropolises such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, where imported infection cases have been surging in recent days. The Chinese central government's leading group for steering COVID-19 prevention warned on Tuesday that domestic COVID-19 transmission has been stopped in China, but risks of sporadic and regional clusters of infection still exist. Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an online broadcasting interview on Tuesday that it's not the time to discuss whether COVID-19 comes to an end but to share prevention experiences and enhance control work. "If the coronavirus still exists in one country, then the virus still exists, we can't declare an end [to this war]," Zeng said. A major flaw in Channel Seven's programming was exposed by the network's afternoon movie on Tuesday. Seven aired the 2016 film Indiscretion, which features a raunchy sex scene and is classified 'M' for mature audiences, between 12pm and 2pm. Free-to-air broadcasters are allowed to show sexually suggestive content from 12pm to 3pm on weekdays because children are normally at school. Scroll down for video Afternoon delight: A major flaw in Channel Seven's programming was exposed by Tuesday's afternoon movie. Pictured: a scene from 2016's Indiscretion But this is no longer the case for the millions of Australian children who are staying at home due to school closures. All schools in Victoria were closed on Tuesday to stop the spread of coronavirus - which means children may have been exposed to the film's adult content. Many parents in other states across the country have opted to keep their kids at home by choice despite schools remaining open. Midday mayhem! Free-to-air broadcasters are allowed to air sexual content between 12pm and 3pm on weekdays because children are normally at school. But this is no longer the case for the millions of Australian children who are staying at home due to school closures Pandemic: As of Wednesday afternoon, there are 2,398 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, including eight deaths In the made-for-TV movie, Veronica Simon (Mira Sorvino) has an affair with young sculptor Victor Bernard (Christopher Backus) while her husband is away. Just 15 minutes into the film, Veronica grinds on Victor in a nightclub before the pair go back to his place to have rough sex. While this may seem rather risque for a midday movie, it is perfectly legal under the 2010 Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice. Sleazy: In the made-for-TV movie, Veronica Simon (Mira Sorvino) has an affair with young sculptor Victor Bernard (Christopher Backus) while her husband is away Under the guidelines, mature-rated content can be legally broadcast between the hours of 12pm and 3pm on a weekday because children are unlikely to see it. In addition to themes of sex and affairs, Indiscretion is also a violent psychological thriller that could scare younger audiences. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Seven for comment. Around 12.06 lakh new members joined ESIC-run social security schemes in January 2020 against 12.90 lakh in the previous month, according to the payroll data of the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), providing an employment perspective in the formal sector. Gross enrolments of new subscribers with ESIC were 1.49 crore during the entire 2018-19 financial year, the National Statistical Office (NSO) said in a report 'Payroll Reporting in India: An Employment Perspective - January 2020' released on Wednesday. The report also showed that during the September 2017-January 2020 period, around 3.62 crore new subscribers joined the ESIC scheme. The NSO's report is based on the payroll data of new subscribers of various social security schemes run by ESIC, retirement fund body and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). It has been releasing the payroll data or new subscribers data of these three bodies since April 2018, covering a period starting from September 2017. The report showed that gross new enrolments with the ESIC during the September 2017-March 2018 period were 83.35 lakh. A net of 10.45 lakh new enrolments with the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) were recorded in January 2020, compared with 9.12 lakh in December last year. In 2018-19, 61.12 lakh new subscribers on a net basis joined the social security schemes run by EPFO. Similarly, the net new enrolments were 15.52 lakh during September 2017-March 2018. The latest data showed that during September 2017-January 2020, around 3.20 crore new subscribers joined the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme. It also showed that net of 69.35 new members joined the social security schemes run by the EPFO in April to January this fiscal, which is higher than 61.12 lakh in the entire fiscal of 2018-19. However, the gross enrolments with the ESIC were 1.29 crore during April-January this fiscal. The report said that since the number of subscribers is from various sources, there are elements of overlap and the estimates are not additive. The NSO said the report gives different perspectives on the levels of employment in the formal sector and does not measure employment at a holistic level. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bay Area companies, including some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley, say they are giving millions of face masks and other protective gear to health care workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The donations from Apple, Facebook, Salesforce and others are welcome developments for nurses and doctors facing a nationwide strain on the personal protective equipment they need to safely help patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus. But why do these companies have so many masks to begin with? California wildfires could be the driving factor. In 2019, the year after a historically brutal wildfire season inundated California cities with smoke, the state adopted a regulation that requires employers to make respirators available when the air quality is unhealthy. The regulation notes that an N95 respirator, which is currently in high demand at hospitals, is the minimum level of protection for wildfire smoke. Some companies appear to have amassed a supply of masks beyond what the new rule requires or are obtaining more to help hospitals now. Intel Corp. said Monday that it is donating more than 1 million items of personal protective equipment, including masks, to health care workers. Spokeswoman Linda Qian told The Chronicle that Intel has some inventory on hand to support our global operations, including protective equipment required by local regulations and for on-site emergency response personnel. We are also working with our supply chain to source additional items, Qian said in an email. The biggest mask pledge has come from Apple. CEO Tim Cook announced on Wednesday that the technology giant had sourced, procured and is donating 10 million masks to aid U.S. medical workers. These people deserve our debt of gratitude for all of the work that theyre doing on the front lines, Cook said in a video he posted on Twitter. Details about Apples access to masks were unclear, and the company had no comment beyond Cooks public statements. Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday that Apple officials went to their storehouses and would donate 9 million N95 masks. Meanwhile, Facebook is donating 720,000 N95 respirators and surgical masks. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Sunday post on Facebook that the company had purchased masks in case the wildfires continued and was working on sourcing millions ... more to donate. Facebook is also donating 1.5 million pairs of gloves for health care workers worldwide. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. tapped into its stockpile of masks to help doctors and nurses. PG&E said Friday that it would give 950,000 N95 and surgical masks to state emergency officials for distribution to hospitals, and it has already given 40,000 masks to Kaiser Permanente. The company maintains a mask supply for utility crews working in construction zones or responding to wildfires. Even with the donations from large companies, California still has a huge need for more protective equipment. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference Wednesday that the state has already distributed more than 24 million N95 masks, an amount he said was still insufficient to meet our needs. California has secured 100 million more masks and will provide them as soon as possible, Newsom said. Salesforce, San Franciscos largest private employer, is stepping up locally. CEO Marc Benioff said Sunday that his company had sent 9,000 masks to UCSF and was working to deliver 5 million more along with other protective equipment. On Tuesday, Benioff tweeted that another 500,000 masks would arrive at UCSF on Wednesday. UCSF has received a number of donations in recent days that have been incredibly helpful, spokeswoman Kristen Bole told The Chronicle on Wednesday. As a result, weve gone from less than 2 weeks supply with replenishment slower than our use to more than 4 weeks supply, Bole said in an email. UCSF still needs disposable medical gowns and swabs that health care workers use to test people for the virus, she said. Additionally, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has committed to providing 250,000 masks for hospitals, according to the website CleanTechnica. A University of Washington physician received 50,000 N95 masks courtesy of Musk and Tesla on Sunday, the Seattle Times reported. Musk is also providing California with 1,225 ventilators, according to Newsom. J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris TORONTO, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reported assets under management of $37.4 billion Private Alternatives AUM increased 5.3% in the quarter to $2.7 billion Reported diluted EPS of $0.13 for the first quarter of 2020 AGF Management Limited (AGF or the Company) (TSX: AGF.B) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended February 29, 2020. AGF reported total assets under management (AUM) of $37.4 billion compared to $38.8 billion in the same period in 2019. Average daily mutual fund AUM increased to $19.5 billion compared to $18.5 billion in the same period in 2019. In a challenging environment, AGF reported gross mutual funds sales of $562.0 million, an increase of 9.3% compared to prior year comparative quarter. Reported mutual funds net redemptions were $344.0 million for the quarter, compared to net redemptions of $104.0 million in Q1 2019. Excluding net flows from institutional clients invested in mutual funds1, net redemptions were $141.0 million, compared to net redemptions of $104.0 million in Q1 2019. "Global markets continue to exhibit substantial turmoil in response to the spread of the COVID-19 illness around the world," said Kevin McCreadie, CEO and Chief Investment Officer, AGF. "First and foremost, as a firm we are focused on delivering the best possible stewardship across our investment solutions and our business through aggressive continuity measures and risk management processes." "Alongside these efforts, we continue to make progress against our stated strategic imperatives including our focus on growing our presence in the U.S. through strategic hires and embracing new technologies and digital strategies to drive further efficiencies across our businesses," added McCreadie. Key Business Highlights: In January, AGF Global Convertible Bond Fund, AGF Global Select Fund and AGFiQ Global Income ETF Portfolio (QMY) earned FundGrade A+ Awards, which are given annually to investment funds and their managers who have shown consistent, outstanding, risk-adjusted performance throughout the year. AGF Global Convertible Bond Fund was a recipient of this award in 2018 as well. As at February 29, 2020 AGF Emerging Markets Equity Composite, AGF Global Select Composite, AGF Fixed Income Composite, and AGF Global Sustainable Growth Equity Composite were exceeding their respective benchmarks on a one-, two-, and three-year basis. AGF announced proposed fund mergers, portfolio manager changes and series terminations on February 19 to support efforts to further streamline its product suite. These changes reflect AGF's commitment to continually review its lineup to ensure clients have access to products that are relevant, competitive and responsive to market trends. On March 2, Damion Hendrickson joined AGF as Managing Director for the U.S. business to drive growth in key institutional markets. On the U.S. side, one of our funds is a finalist for 2019 ETF of the Year by ETF.com. The fund uses a long-short strategy to create a market neutral stance that has outperformed in the current environment. While the precise impact of the recent novel coronavirus: COVID-19 outbreak remains unknown, it has introduced uncertainty and volatility in global markets and economies. AGF is monitoring developments and is prepared for any impacts related to COVID-19. The firm has a comprehensive pandemic and business continuity plan that ensures its readiness to appropriately address and mitigate any business risks and impacts to clients and employees. "To minimize business disruption, the vast majority of our employees have the capabilities to work remotely," said Chris Jackson, Chief Operating Officer, AGF. "Maintaining business continuity for our employees, clients and partners is critical and we are confident in the measures we are taking across the firm through strategic deployment of key functions to primary and secondary locations and improved technology platforms to support the remainder of employees being asked to work from home." Furthermore, with the recent volatility in the markets, AGF is monitoring the potential impact of market risk to its capital position and profitability if these levels were sustained or continued to decline. A significant portion of AGF's revenue is driven by its total average AUM excluding private alternatives. These AUM levels are impacted by both net sales and changes in the market. In general, for every $1.0 billion reduction in average AUM excluding private alternatives, management fee revenues, net of trailer fees, would decline by approximately $7.4 million. "On the fund side, we actively manage for and stress test all of our portfolios on a regular basis with the flexibility to review daily given current market conditions," added McCreadie. "By testing high redemption levels under various market volume scenarios, we are able to effectively control for our liquidity management needs across our suite of investment solutions." For the further information on AGF's pandemic response plan statement visit AGF.com . Income for the three months ended February 29, 2020 was $106.7 million, compared to $105.0 million for the three months ended February 28, 2019. EBITDA before commissions was $30.2 million for the three months ended February 29, 2020, compared to $12.9 million for the same period in 2019. Adjusting for one-time items and IFRS 16 adjustments, adjusted EBITDA before commissions was $30.2 million, compared to $28.5 million for the same period in 2019. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) for the three months ended February 29, 2020 was $0.13, compared to nil for the comparative period. Adjusting for one-time items and IFRS 16 adjustments, adjusted diluted EPS for the three months ended February 29, 2020 was $0.13, compared to $0.14 for the same period in 2019. For the three months ended February 29, 2020, AGF declared an eight cent per share dividend on Class A Voting common shares and Class B Non-Voting shares payable on April 20, 2020 to shareholders on record as at April 10, 2020. (from continuing operations) Three months ended February 29, November 30, February 28, (in millions of dollars, except per share data) 2020 2019 2019 Income $ 106.7 $ 114.5 $ 105.0 Net income (loss) 10.8 22.2 (0.2 ) EBITDA before commissions2 30.2 38.7 12.9 Adjusted EBITDA before commissions2 30.2 35.8 28.5 Diluted earnings per share 0.13 0.28 - Adjusted diluted earnings per share2 0.13 0.24 0.14 Free Cash Flow2 14.5 18.3 16.6 Dividends per share 0.08 0.08 0.08 Long-term debt 216.9 207.3 168.7 (end of period) Three months ended February 29, November 30, August 31, May 31, February 28, (in millions of dollars) 2020 2019 2019 2019 2019 Mutual fund assets under management (AUM)3 $ 18,492 $ 19,346 $ 18,839 $ 18,725 $ 19,028 Institutional, sub-advisory and ETF accounts AUM 10,313 10,755 10,391 11,712 12,023 Private client AUM 5,905 6,100 5,778 5,722 5,633 Private alternatives AUM4 2,716 2,580 2,413 2,179 2,140 Total AUM, including private alternatives AUM 37,426 38,781 37,421 38,338 38,824 Net mutual fund redemptions3 (344 ) (181 ) (103 ) (498 ) (104 ) Average daily mutual fund AUM3 19,462 19,015 18,915 19,250 18,451 1Net sales (redemptions) in retail mutual funds are calculated as reported mutual fund net sales (redemptions) less non-recurring institutional net sales (redemptions) in excess of $5.0 million invested in our mutual funds. 2EBITDA before commissions (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and deferred selling commissions), adjusted EBITDA before commissions, adjusted diluted earnings per share and Free Cash Flow are not standardized measures prescribed by IFRS. The Company utilizes non-IFRS measures to assess our overall performance and facilitate a comparison of quarterly and full-year results from period to period. They allow us to assess our investment management business without the impact of non-operational items. These non-IFRS measures may not be comparable with similar measures presented by other companies. These non-IFRS measures and reconciliations to IFRS, where necessary, are included in the Management's Discussion and Analysis available at www.agf.com. 3 Mutual fund AUM includes retail AUM, pooled fund AUM and institutional client AUM invested in customized series offered within mutual funds. 4 Represents fee-earning committed and/or invested capital from AGF and external investors held through joint ventures. AGF's portion of this commitment is $207.4 million, of which $146.1 million has been funded as at February 29, 2020. For further information and detailed financial statements for the first quarter ended February 29, 2020, including Management's Discussion and Analysis, which contains discussions of non-IFRS measures, please refer to AGF's website at www.agf.com under 'About AGF' and 'Investor Relations' and at www.sedar.com . Conference Call AGF will host a conference call to review its earnings results today at 11 a.m. ET. The live audio webcast with supporting materials will be available in the Investor Relations section of AGF's website at www.agf.com or at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/h4whfj3z . Alternatively, the call can be accessed toll-free in North America by dialing 1 (800) 708-4540 (Passcode #: 49428703). A complete archive of this discussion along with supporting materials will be available at the same webcast address within 24 hours of the end of the conference call. About AGF Management Limited Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. AGF brings a disciplined approach to delivering excellence in investment management through its fundamental, quantitative, alternatives and high-net-worth businesses focused on providing an exceptional client experience. AGF's suite of investment solutions extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and individual investors to institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds and endowments and foundations. AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America, Europe and Asia. With over $37 billion in total assets under management, AGF serves more than one million investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B. AGF Management Limited shareholders, analysts and media, please contact: Adrian Basaraba Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer 416-865-4203, InvestorRelations@agf.com Baoqin Guo Vice-President, Finance 416-865-4228, InvestorRelations@agf.com Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) includes forward-looking statements about the Company, including its business operations, strategy and expected financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or include words such as 'expects,' 'estimates,' 'anticipates,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes' or negative versions thereof and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as 'may,' 'will,' 'should,' 'would' and 'could.' In addition, any statement that may be made concerning future financial performance (including income, revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies or prospects, fund performance, and possible future action on our part, is also a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are based on certain factors and assumptions, including expected growth, results of operations, business prospects, business performance and opportunities. While we consider these factors and assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are inherently subject to, among other things, risks, uncertainties and assumptions about our operations, economic factors and the financial services industry generally. They are not guarantees of future performance, and actual events and results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements made by us due to, but not limited to, important risk factors such as level of assets under our management, volume of sales and redemptions of our investment products, performance of our investment funds and of our investment managers and advisors, client-driven asset allocation decisions, pipeline, competitive fee levels for investment management products and administration, and competitive dealer compensation levels and cost efficiency in our investment management operations, as well as general economic, political and market factors in North America and internationally, interest and foreign exchange rates, global equity and capital markets, business competition, taxation, changes in government regulations, unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings, technological changes, cybersecurity, the possible effects of war or terrorist activities, outbreaks of disease or illness that affect local, national or international economies (such as COVID-19), natural disasters and disruptions to public infrastructure, such as transportation, communications, power or water supply or other catastrophic events, and our ability to complete strategic transactions and integrate acquisitions, and attract and retain key personnel. We caution that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully and not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Other than specifically required by applicable laws, we are under no obligation (and expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For a more complete discussion of the risk factors that may impact actual results, please refer to the 'Risk Factors and Management of Risk' section of the 2019 Annual MD&A. Philadelphia Medical Reserve Corps volunteer Emma Ewing, a sophomore at Temple University, directs cars at the city's coronavirus testing site next to Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia on Friday, March 20, 2020. Read more As the Philadelphia region prepares for a gradual reopening from the coronavirus shutdown, officials, health-care systems, pharmacies, and laboratories are working to increase the commonwealths testing capacity. Meanwhile, an increasing number of individuals are getting tested in the Philadelphia area. Officials have advised that not everyone needs to be tested, and the capacity doesnt yet exist for universal testing. But if you have coronavirus symptoms, which can include a dry cough and fever; are at high risk (age 65 and older, or immunocompromised); work on the front lines; or have been in contact with someone with the virus, you may be able to get a test near your home. In most cases, however, you cant just show up to a testing site, and some hospitals may accept referrals only from doctors in their networks. If you think you need to be tested, call your primary care doctor first, if you have one. You may be able to schedule a virtual consultation. A medical professional can best evaluate symptoms and determine whether to refer you for a test, perhaps at one of the following sites. Philadelphia A full, constantly updating list of sites in the city can be found at www.phila.gov/covid-testing-sites. In Center City , Jefferson Health offers mobile coronavirus testing at 10th and Sansom Streets, in a lot across from its hospital. Patients with a referral from a Jefferson doctor may walk or drive up to the site from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In North Philadelphia , Temple Health offers coronavirus testing for people who meet certain criteria. They ask patients to call 215-707-6999 to see if they can be tested at one of their hospital campuses. You can also get tested at a new city-run site at Berks and 20th Street. Appointments can be made by calling 215-685-2933. In Northeast Philadelphia , Jefferson Health, Tower Health, Einstein Healthcare Network, Temple Health, and Vybe Urgent Care have testing options. Jefferson offers mobile testing for its patients in the Northeast; all Jefferson testing sites require referrals from Jefferson doctors. Tower Health , meanwhile, is assessing patients with coronavirus symptoms at 10050 Roosevelt Blvd. from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Patients are encouraged to arrive with a referral to expedite the process and allow them to bypass the initial assessment. Einstein patients can be tested by appointment only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday at 7131 Frankford Ave. Patients must first call their Einstein-affiliated doctor, be evaluated, and get a referral. Temple asked patients to call 215-707-6999 to see if they meet criteria for testing at one of their hospital campuses. You may be able to be tested at Vybe Urgent Care if you have serious symptoms and have spoken with a Vybe clinician in advance. Virtual visits can be set up at vybe.care/video-visits, or you can call the location at 267-376-7390. In Olney, Einstein Healthcare Network patients may be tested by appointment only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at 101 E. Olney Ave. Patients must first call their Einstein-affiliated doctor, be evaluated, and get a referral. In Port Richmond, Temple Health and Vybe Urgent Care offers coronavirus testing for people who meet certain criteria. They ask patients to call 215-707-6999 to see if they can be tested at one of their hospital campuses. You may be able to be tested at Vybe Urgent Care if you have serious symptoms and have spoken with a Vybe clinician in advance. Virtual visits can be set up at vybe.care/video-visits, or you can call the location at 215-999-3356. In Roxborough , you may be able to be tested at Vybe Urgent Care at 6060 Ridge Avenue if you have serious symptoms and have spoken with a Vybe clinician in advance. Virtual visits can be set up at vybe.care/video-visits, or you can call the location at 215-999-6060. In South Philadelphia, you may be able to be tested at Vybe Urgent Care at 1217 South Broad Street if you have serious symptoms and have spoken with a Vybe clinician in advance. Virtual visits can be set up at vybe.care/video-visits, or you can call the location at 215-999-1217. In Spring Garden , you may be able to be tested at Vybe Urgent Care at 1500 Spring Garden St if you have serious symptoms and have spoken with a Vybe clinician in advance. Virtual visits can be set up at vybe.care/video-visits, or you can call the location at 267-768-8288. In University City , you may be able to be tested at Vybe Urgent Care at 3550 Market Street if you have serious symptoms and have spoken with a Vybe clinician in advance. Virtual visits can be set up at vybe.care/video-visits, or you can call the location at 215-405-0701. In West Oak Lane , emergency responders and health-care workers, regardless of symptoms, can be tested in the Rite Aid parking lot at 7401 Ogontz Ave. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. In West Kensington, Temple Health offers coronavirus testing for people who meet certain criteria. They ask patients to call 215-707-6999 to see if they can be tested at one of their hospital campuses. In West Philadelphia, theres a Penn Medicine drive-through testing site open daily at 41st and Market Streets for patients referred by Penn doctors. A sign at the site indicated that patients with coronavirus symptoms and no referral would be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The testing is free, even to those who are uninsured. Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia is also offering drive-through testing for children at the Karabots Pediatric Care Center at 48th and Market Streets. Patients have to be referred by a medical professional or a state or county health department. The Pennsylvania suburbs A complete map of Pennsylvanias testing sites can be found here: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Symptoms-Testing.aspx In Abington , Jefferson Health has a coronavirus testing site at Abington-Jefferson Health at 1200 Old York Rd. Patients must be screened and referred to the site by an Abington-Jefferson Health physician. In Blue Bell , a coronavirus testing site is open at the Central Campus of the Montgomery County Community College, at 340 Dekalb Pike in Whitpain Township. The location does drive-through, self-swab testing by appointment only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Eligible individuals include symptomatic people; people with a doctors referral or who have had direct contact with a positive case; and first responders and health-care workers who believe they may have been exposed. Appointments can be made at www.montcopa.org/COVID-19. In Doylestown , people referred by a member of the Doylestown Hospital medical staff can be tested at a drive-through facility from 8 a.m. to noon on weekdays outside the hospital at 595 W. State St. In Drexel Hill, Delaware County Memorial Hospital, 501 N. Lansdowne Ave., is doing drive-through testing for Crozer-Keystone patients who are referred by a doctor and preregister. In Gilbertsville, Tower Health is assessing patients and offering testing at 1050 E. Philadelphia Ave. from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It recommends patients be screened by a doctor and get a referral. People who do so can be tested more quickly, bypassing the assessment area. In Havertown , you may be able to be tested at Vybe Urgent Care at 1305 West Chester Pike if you have serious symptoms and have spoken with a Vybe clinician in advance. Virtual visits can be set up at vybe.care/video-visits, or you can call the location at 610-482-4949. In Malvern, Tower Health is assessing patients and offering testing at 215 Lancaster Ave. from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It recommends patients be screened by a doctor and get a referral. People who do so will be able to be tested more quickly, bypassing the assessment area. Across Montgomery County, patients of Holy Redeemer Health System can be tested at various ambulatory care centers if they are referred by a Holy Redeemer-affiliated doctor. Call 800-818-4747 for more information. Holy Redeemer doctors and other medical staff can be screened outsider the hospital in Meadowbrook. In Newtown Square, Main Line Health patients, who must have a referral, can get tested at a drive-through center outside the Main Line Health offices at 3855 West Chester Pike. In Plymouth Meeting, Tower Health is assessing patients and offering testing at 580 W. Germantown Pike from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It recommends patients be screened by a doctor and get a referral. People who do so can be tested more quickly, bypassing the assessment area. In Radnor , Penn Medicine is offering drive-through testing. At the Penn site, which is across from its office at 250 King of Prussia Rd., patients referred by a Penn doctor can be tested. Like other Penn sites, testing is free, even for the uninsured. In Ridley , you may be able to be tested at Vybe Urgent Care at 213 Morton Avenue if you have serious symptoms and have spoken with a Vybe clinician in advance. Virtual visits can be set up at vybe.care/video-visits, or you can call the location at 610-285-9500. In Ridley Park , coronavirus testing will soon be available at Taylor Hospital, 175 E. Chester Pike, for Crozer-Keystone patients who are referred by a doctor and preregister. In Springfield , coronavirus testing will soon be available at Springfield Hospital, 190 W. Sproul Rd., for Crozer-Keystone patients who are referred by a doctor and preregister. In Upland, Crozer-Chester Medical Center, 1 Medical Center Blvd., is doing drive-through testing for Crozer-Keystone patients who are referred by a doctor and preregister. In Warminster, Tower Health is assessing patients and offering testing at 930 W. Street Rd. from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It recommends patients be screened by a doctor and get a referral. People who do so can be tested more quickly, bypassing the assessment area. In Wayne, children and adults under age 27 can be tested at a PM Pediatrics Urgent Care drive-up testing site at 101 E. Swedesford Rd., next to Gateway Shopping Center. They ask that patients call, or schedule a virtual consultation online, and get a referral from a PM Pediatrics doctor before visiting. South Jersey A full list of the states testing sites can be found here: https://covid19.nj.gov/search.html?query=Testing+Centers+in+NJ In Blackwood, a drive-through testing is run by Jefferson Health and Camden County, and is open from noon to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday at the Camden County College campus, 200 College Dr., for first responders, essential employees, and Camden County residents. In Burlington Tonwship, patients can be tested at the Walmart on Mount Holly Road from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Appointments must be made in advance at www.MyQuestCOVIDTest.com. In Camden, Camden County residents can get tested at 2600 Mount Ephraim Avenue. In East Camden, they can get tested at Dudley Grange Park on the 3100 block of Federal Street. People can walk or drive to the two sites, but must make an appointment first and have a doctors referral. Appointments can be made by calling 856-968-7100 or 856-342-2881 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. -5 p.m. In Cherry Hill , mobile coronavirus testing is being offered at Jefferson Health and Cooper Health locations. Jefferson patients with a doctors referral can walk or drive to be tested from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital, 2201 Chapel Ave. W. Cooper Health patients can be tested at the ambulatory care center at 1210 Brace Rd. Both Jefferson and Cooper patients must have a doctors referral. Cooper patients must also preregister for an appointment. In Gloucester County , a coronavirus testing site is open at Rowan College of South Jersey, 1400 Tanyard Rd., Sewell, for symptomatic Gloucester County residents who make an appointment in advance by calling 856-218-4142. In Mount Laurel, patients can be tested at the Walmart on Route 73 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Appointments must be made in advance at www.MyQuestCOVIDTest.com. In Stratford and Turnersville , Jefferson Health patients who have a referral from their doctor may be able to walk or drive up to testing sites at Jefferson sites in those areas. Payment Large health insurance companies and Medicare and Medicaid have said they will cover the cost of testing. Many states have mandated coverage with no co-pays or deductibles. Useful numbers Cooper Health patients can call 800-826-6737 or request an appointment online. Crozer-Keystone patients can call the Crozer-Keystone Health Systems coronavirus hotline at 610-447-6730. Jefferson Health patients can go to hospitals.jefferson.edu/jeffconnect. Main Line Heath patients can call 866-225-5654. Penn Medicine patients can call 215-615-2222 or use the MyPennMedicine app to inquire about testing or get additional information. Tower Health patients can find more information on Tower Healths website. In Pennsylvania, residents with questions or concerns can call the Greater Philadelphia Coronavirus Helpline at 1-800-722-7112. In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said residents can call 211 for questions and concerns about the coronavirus. He said residents can also still call the original COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-962-1253 or 1-800-222-1222. They can also text NJCOVID to 898-211 to receive updates on their phones. Staff Writer Pranshu Verma contributed to this article. Customers line up outside Gun World on Magnolia Avenue in Burbank on March 17. (Raul Roa / Times Community News) One day after announcing that gun shops were nonessential businesses that needed to close their doors amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department has shelved efforts to shut them down. Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirmed the development on Twitter early Wednesday morning, writing that department efforts to close nonessential businesses have been suspended and that Gov. Gavin Newsom would determine what qualifies" as one. Villanueva didnt explain the rationale for the about-face in his post but linked to a Fox 11 news segment in which reporter Bill Melugin said the sheriff told him in a phone call that the countys top lawyer put out a legal opinion that she believes gun stores are essential businesses and should remain open. LA County Sheriffs Dept. Enforcement efforts to close non-essential businesses have been suspended. CA Gov. Gavin Newsom to determine what qualifies as a non-essential business. Please click to view story https://t.co/HrRD8VKcUG Alex Villanueva (@LACoSheriff) March 25, 2020 The sheriff on Wednesday morning blamed the confusion on unclear language in the state and county orders. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected more than 600 people in Los Angeles County, officials have strengthened rules ordering all businesses considered nonessential to cease in-person operations and close to the public. Exceptions include food and medical services, transportation, social services and a number of other facilities. We have received complaints from particular businesses that have not been adhering to the social distancing. Chief among them [are] gun shops, nightclubs, bars and strip clubs, so we have fanned out and are making sure these business are complying, Villanueva said Tuesday in explaining the department's original thinking. We are trying to get them to close their doors. If they dont close their doors, they will be cited, which could mean the loss of a business license. Story continues We arent going to haul people off to jail, he added, saying that the department had begun asking gun stores to close Tuesday and some owners had already closed their doors or were making accommodations for scheduled appointments. Villanueva, a gun owner, noted that he supported the 2nd Amendment but said, given the spread of the coronavirus in Los Angeles County, only essential businesses should be open. Its not an issue of banning the sales of guns, which the 2nd Amendment is about ... the problem is there was a little bit of lack of inclusive planning process in the development of the local order from [the] health officer," he said. "That had created somewhat of a conflict with order[s] coming from the governors office that were more broad-stroked. We have identified a loophole that needs to be addressed. Gun sales are surging in many U.S. states, especially in those hit hardest by the coronavirus, such as California. Among the factors fueling the increase are concerns from first-time gun buyers who fear an unraveling of the social order and those who worry that the government might use its emergency powers to restrict gun purchases. Psychologists have launched a study of the mental health and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, an effort that may shed more light on how the spread of the disease affects people's behaviour. Researchers, led by Professor Richard Bentall at the University of Sheffield, are surveying 2,000 people in the UK, and again in a month's time, and hope that their findings will help inform the better management of future public health crises, the University said in a release. They aim to measure impacts of the epidemic on people's mental health, their attitudes towards others, and their political views, and understand how these change as the epidemic progresses through the population. The psychologists also hope to understand how these changes are related to appropriate changes in health-related behaviour. They seek to understand how these impacts are related to exposure to infected people, and beliefs about the virus and the epidemic. The scientists said they will also look at how these impacts are explained by psychological factors which may make some people cope better with the epidemic than others. In the study, the researchers will ask a representative group of UK residents about their COVID-19 health related behaviours such as social distancing, use of masks, and handwashing, their statement said. Based on these inputs, the psychologists plan to measure the extent to which people are enacting these protective behaviours. According to the scientists, there has been very little research on the psychological impacts of viral epidemics. However, they said the limited available data suggest that such epidemics may have severe social and psychological effects, and quarantining people may affect their mental health. The psychologists hypothesise that exposure to COVID-19 events, such as exposure to infected people, will cause an increase in depression, anxiety, death anxiety and paranoia. They also expect reductions in people's sense of trust and control over their own lives. This is one of the first studies of the 'psychology of epidemics' during perhaps one of the biggest existential threats the world has faced this century," said Jilly Gibson-Miller, one of the psychologists part of the study from the University of Sheffield. The scientists said the study may improve people's understanding, in great depth, the psychological impact of the pandemic and how this changes as the disease spreads. "As a Health Psychologist, I'm particularly interested in the extent to which people are carrying out protective behaviours, such as hand-washing and social distancing, and whether they feel they have sufficient motivation, opportunity and capability to do so, Gibson-Miller said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday that the Chinese people and the people of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries will further strengthen the solidarity, cooperation and trust between them in their joint battle against COVID-19. Wang made the remarks during his telephone conversation with Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Dato Seri Paduka Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof. Wang conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, saying that China appreciates the royal family, government and people of Brunei for actively supporting China in fighting the novel coronavirus disease and providing financial assistance to China, which embodies Brunei's friendship towards the Chinese people. He noted that China and ASEAN countries are close neighbors with a tradition of helping and supporting each other in difficult times. Erywan conveyed Brunei's Sultan's sincere greetings to Xi and congratulated China on effectively containing the spread of the epidemic. He also sincerely thanked China for providing support and assistance to Brunei in the battle against COVID-19, and hoped that China-ASEAN exchanges will return to normal as soon as possible after the epidemic. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 30, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Sen. Toomey Lays Out What to Expect From Virus Relief Bill WASHINGTONA dramatic increase in unemployment benefits by about $600 per person is included in the nearly $2 trillion CCP virus economic relief package agreed upon by negotiators in the early hours of March 25, according to Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). The $600 boost is on top of whatever their state provides so this is a very, very significant increase, typically more than doubling of peoples unemployment insurance benefits, Toomey told reporters during an extended teleconference. Toomey was one of the main Republican negotiators on the critical fourth section of the massive package dealing with financial assistance for individuals, small businesses, and corporations. We are going to have a staggeringly large number of people applying for unemployment in coming weeks, he said. Individuals will receive $1,200 in direct financial assistance, while married couples will receive $2,400; there will also be payments of $500 per child. So, if you are a married couple with two kids, it is $3,400 that you are going to be receiving in a matter of a couple of weeks, Toomey said. This will be a big help to individuals who are out of work. Toomey said the packages priority for small businesses and large corporations is to encourage and to enable businesses to keep workers on their payroll, to keep people employed. To that end, the package includes multiple provisions aimed specifically to help both sectors of the economy. For small businesses, the package includes a small business loan program, an extremely generous program that is meant to be run through the Small Business Administration, working through local banks and with federal guarantees. Businesses with up to 500 employees would be eligible for loans of up to $10 million each. Heres the big thing, the amount of the loan that is used to pay for payroll and interest on the mortgage and rent is going to be forgiven, so a company that keeps its workforce and has these ongoing expenses, the government is going to be picking up the tab for that in the form of a loan that will not have to be paid back, Toomey said. We have never done anything like this before. In addition, Toomey said the package suspends the employers share of payroll taxes for two years. The biggest single piece in this whole thing is the money that we are going to be using to provide a credit facility for businesses that need access to credit, he said. The two components of the business aid part of the relief package includes, first, $46 billion in highly structured aid for specific industries, including the airlines, firms judged to be critical to national security, and cargo carriers. Toomey doesnt expect defense contractor Boeing to receive such assistance. The package doesnt include new airline emissions standards that were demanded by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Second, there is $454 billion for the Treasury Department to capitalize lenders through the Federal Reserve as government sponsored entities. We hope to stand up a very broad base of lending facilities that could be leveraged up to 2 or 3 trillion dollars, he said, adding that were hoping this is a mechanism to keep business alive for a few weeks or months until our economy can resume. Toomey said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has a tremendous amount of latitude on how a $25 billion portion of the $46 billion will be provided. He expects the funds to be allocated on some basis among the airlines, with the government receiving equity in return. But the federal government will not take an active equity stake in any of the firms receiving loans via the package. Toomey expects the stake to most likely be some form of options feature like a warrant. Weve made it very clear that if the federal government ends up with stock of any kind in any of these companies, it may not vote the stock, it cannot exercise any voting rights, Toomey said. Toomey expressed frustration with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Pelosi regarding oversight of the immense lending authority being created. The thing that took a long time is that while the Democrats went down to the Senate floor and attacked Republicans for creating this big corporate bailout slush fund, which we insisted all had to be paid back. Meanwhile, behind closed doors, they were insisting that we give away money to airlines, he said. Asked by The Epoch Times if he expects Pelosi to seek additional negotiations, Toomey said, No, I certainly dont think so, because she was involved in the negotiations from March 22 on. I will be surprised if she doesnt find a way to expedite passage of this bill in the House, he added. Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc. The demands from Britain's 5m selfemployed and freelance workers for a parallel bail-out to those on Paye has been unrelenting, and a useful tool for attacking the Government. In many ways, this cohort has been a bedrock of Britain's economic renaissance since the financial crisis of 12 years ago, with citizens using redundancy money to set up enterprises, moving into the fast-growing creative sector from gaming to design and bringing food and services to our doors as part of the gig economy. It would be cruel to let them go to the wall. But it would be a mistake to think that this is a coherent group and that some kind of magic wand could be waved which would bail them out. Chancellor Rishi Sunak recognises there is a case for looking after self-employed workers and one way is through the existing social security system The data about their earnings is patchy and largely based on tax returns from the 2017-18 financial year, and suggests an average income of around 22,000 a year, which is well below the full time average wage of 30,420. The comparison is not, however, like-with-like. The self-employed, as small businesses, are able to charge a variety of expenses ranging from transport costs to utility bills and other services against their income a facility not available to most Paye employees. There are, in some cases, unrecorded cash transactions, which bypass the tax system altogether. Nevertheless, Chancellor Rishi Sunak recognises there is a case for looking after this group. One way is through the existing social security system. In his major economic statement of last week, Sunak did make provision for an extra 1,000 payment to those on benefits helicopter money for the less well-off caught by the Covid-19 economic fall-out. The big question facing Sunak and HM Treasury is how far to go in rescuing this group. The pressure coming from opposition benches and sections of the media is for a full rescue on similar conditions to Paye workers. That would mean guaranteeing 80 per cent of their income, if it could be accurately assessed, which would mean looking over perhaps three years of tax returns quite an administrative task. The concern is that were the crisis to extend over many months, the eventual cost could be as much as 30billion to 40billion even if the pay-outs were capped as they are for Paye employees. In the two big announcements since the Budget on March 11, the Government reckons it already has begun to stretch fiscal policy to the limits. This, however, does not mean Sunak will do nothing. He is looking at a range of options, such as guaranteeing income up to 50 per cent or 60 per cent of reported earnings. Many self-employed workers might find that with extra benefits such as housing allowances the social security system is fit for purpose. The self-employed are a diverse group ranging from rock stars earning millions of pounds each year to the person on their scooter delivering our pizza. Bridging the gap and looking after those caught in the middle using one simple rule will not prove easy and is unlikely to satisfy anyone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday warned of strict action against those misbehaving with people on the frontline of the fight against coronavirus like doctors and airline crew, and sought the cooperation of citizens with administration to deal with the crisis. Modi chose a video interaction with residents of Varanasi, the constituency he represents in Parliament, to respond to several queries related to the pandemic and his government's response to it, and asserted that focusing on a few incidents of shortcomings will not help at this hour. Invoking the Mahabharata, he said the epic war was won in 18 days and his government's effort is to win this war against coronavirus in 21 days. Lord Krishna was the charioteer then and now 130 crore people are the charioteers in this battle, he said. To a question about the hardships being faced especially by the poor migrants and daily wagers, the prime minister acknowledged that there may be some difficulties. If he claimed that all is well, then he would be deceiving himself, Modi said, and then added that what is a more important question is that whether the pandemic has to be defeated or not even if it means facing certain difficulties. Even in normal times, people face certain problems, he said. Noting that 'Navaratri' has started from Wednesday, he asked people to take care of nine poor families on each of the nine auspicious days, saying nothing can be of more devotion to goddess Durga. They should also tend to animals, he added. "Karuna" (compassion) is also a step toward defeating the coronavirus, he said. The Centre and states are taking measures to help the poor and daily-wagers, he said. "The difficulties being faced are only for 21 days. But if the coronavirus crisis is not over and its spread is not stopped, then we cannot imagine the harm it will cause," Modi said. Asked about reports of misbehaviour with medical personnel and airline crew, he said he was pained by this and has asked the home ministry and state DGPs to take tough action against culprits. If anybody targets doctors, nurses and all those rendering their service during this crisis, then it will cost them dearly, Modi said, adding people in white like doctors and nurses are like gods. Citizens should also object if they see anybody misbehaving with these professionals, he added. There have been reports of medical personnel and airline crew being harassed in their neighborhood by some vigilante residents because they might have dealt with suspected cases. Modi also asked people to cooperate with the government and the administration, and not to pressure them, for better results during the lockdown period. "There may be incidents of some shortcoming or negligence. But looking for such cases and focussing and publicising them, discouraging some sector will not benefit at this time. There can be a thousand reasons to spread pessimism. I am not saying they are all wrong but life runs on hope and trust," he said. Doctors, police personnel and many others have been working very hard and should be encouraged, he said. They should be publicly feted, he said. Modi also asked people to shun superstition, rumour and self-medication and emphasised his message of self-distancing if the battle against the deadly virus has to be won. He noted that over one lakh of COVID-19 patients have recovered the world over and many dozens have in India as well. This disease does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, among regions and infects even those very conscious about their health, he said, adding that social distancing is the only way out and people should have patience and should follow guidelines. The government has joined hands with WhatsApp to start a help desk, and people can get proper guidelines about the virus by contacting a number (9013151515), the prime minister said. Kashi, another name for Varanasi, can show the way to the country with its patience, coordination, empathy, peace, tolerance, service and solution, he said, noting that the holy place is known for annihilating sins and crisis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Femi Falana, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has asked Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, to reach out to the Cuban government for ... Femi Falana, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has asked Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, to reach out to the Cuban government for help to fight coronavirus. As of Wednesday, Nigeria has recorded 46 cases of COVID-19. Since the outbreak, 59 countries are reportedly receiving medical assistance from Cuba. In his letter, Falana said Cuban medical professionals set a record in Africa when they helped fight ebola virus disease (EVD) in 2017. We have confirmed that the Cuban drug known as Recombinant Human Interferon Alpha 2B developed by Cuba has so far proved to be the most effective weapon against COVID-19. Apart from the Chinese Government which haschosen Interfron Alpha 2B as one of the drugs for combating COVID-19 the Italian Government has adopted it and secured the services of Cuban doctors along with Chinese experts in combating the dreaded disease, he wrote. grounds has been compelled to request for the assistance of Cuban medical team amidst coronavirus pandemic. Similarly, other Latin American, Caribbean and European countries are reported to have requested the Cuban drug and also help from Cuban medical professionals to fight the COVID-19 scourge. The right wing Brazilian Government which had expelled Cuban doctors two years ago on ideologicalgrounds has been compelled to request for the assistance of Cuban medical team amidst coronavirus pandemic. Similarly, other Latin American, Caribbean and European countries are reported to have requested the Cuban drug and also help from Cuban medical professionals to fight theCOVID-19 scourge. we call on you to use your good offices to confirm the efficacy of the Interfron Alpha 2B and recommend the same for the treatment of COVID-19. Having regards to the selfless role of the Cuban medical professionals in eradicating the Ebola virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2017 we call without any further delay. The health of humanity should not be sacrificed on the alter of ideological disputation. In view of the foregoing,we call on you to use your good offices to confirm the efficacy of the Interfron Alpha 2B and recommend the same for the treatment of COVID-19.Having regards to the selfless role of the Cuban medical professionals in eradicating the Ebola virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2017 we callwithout any further delay. The health of humanity should not be sacrificed on the alter of ideological disputation. Notable Nigerians who have tested positive for COVID-19 include Abba Kyari, chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, and Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state. The University of Toronto has cancelled all spring convocation ceremonies, previously scheduled for June 2-June 19, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. U of T announced the cancellation in a series of tweets citing the COVID-19 pandemic and the directives from the federal and provincial governments regarding social distancing. June 2020s graduates will not be able to attend a future ceremony, according to U of Ts website, but are advised to check back for any alternative plans made. This was a difficult decision, read a statement on the universitys website. It is clear that it would have been impossible to hold such large gatherings in person. U of T convocations are several large gatherings; the university said June 2017s itinerary, for example, involved 27 ceremonies over 17 days for 14,000 graduates, plus their guests. Graduates will receive their degrees and will be mailed their parchments, the legal document embossed with the university seal and the graduates name and degree after the degrees have been conferred. We appreciate that the cancellation of convocation will come as a huge disappointment to our graduating students, their families, friends, teachers and mentors, reads the statement on U of Ts website. The universitys Twitter account added, We are currently exploring possible alternative means of celebrating your graduation. On Tuesday, York University also announced that its spring convocations will also not proceed as planned, but president Rhonda Lenton said, our team is working on developing a virtual option. We are also planning on expanding our Fall 2020 ceremony should you wish to attend in person at that time. Once students have fulfilled the academic requirements they dont need to walk across a stage to graduate, said Lenton, expressing sympathy for this springs grads all the same. I know that this postponement will be disappointing for you, your family and your friends, she said. The entire community of faculty and staff looks forward to celebrating with you at Convocation, and it is one of my very favourite campus traditions. Ryerson University did not respond to request for comment in time for publication. As of March 25, convocation plans are still planned to continue. Hamiltons McMaster University tweeted on Tuesday that spring convocations will be online and an in-person ceremony will be rescheduled for a later date. Nearly 1,700 restaurants have signed up to delivery platform Deliveroo in the last month. It comes as restaurants were ordered to close to prevent the spread of the coronavirus but can still do takeaway and deliveries. However, organisations like the Chapel Street Precinct Association says delivery companies like Deliveroo and Uber Eats should reduce their commission fees to support restaurants. Visit Business Insider Australias homepage for more stories. After the federal government announced the closure of pubs, clubs and restaurants to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, affected owners have turned to delivery services to sustain their businesses. Deliveroo has seen nearly 1,700 new restaurants sign up to the platform in the last month. In the last week, it experienced a 435% increase in the number of restaurants signing up compared to the two-week period before that. These new signups include large restaurant chains, local family restaurants, fine dining restaurants and caterers, many of which who didn't do delivery before. They include eateries like Chin Chin, Soul Origin, TGI Fridays and Supernormal. Deliveroo Australia CEO Ed McManus said in a statement the company is helping restaurants digitise their business so they can adapt quickly to this new reality. "The strong message that we want to send to the public is that the Australian restaurant sector is still open for business," he said. "Please support your local restaurants - this is the time when we all need to come together as a community to support each other." Deliveroo has also announced measures it is taking to support businesses, such as moving to daily payments and focusing marketing activities on local restaurants. Restaurant and Catering Association (RCA) CEO Wes Lambert said in a statement the new restrictions from the government has forced businesses to focus on takeaway and delivery to survive. "Seeing the surge in new restaurants signing up to platforms such as Deliveroo is proof that our industry doesnt want to close, but find new and innovative ways to reach their customers to continue to provide the food they love," he said. Story continues "It is vital that the Australian dining public understand the restaurant industry isnt shut and they need patronage now more than ever before. All their favourite locals are still cooking their favourite meals, all they have to do is open their phone and put in an order." Menulog is also reaching out to restaurants Earlier this week, fellow delivery service Menulog told Business Insider Australia it has received a "high volume" of requests from restaurants, cafes, grocery and convenience stores to join its platform. Now the company is working with local restaurants to redeploy workers as drivers to keep them in a job. Through the company's 'self-delivery' marketplace, restaurants, cafes and other hospitality businesses to redeploy their employees as drivers and use Menulog at a "significantly lower rate". Menulog Managing Director Morten Belling said in a statement, "Menulog was founded over 14 years ago on the premise of helping restaurants with their own delivery drivers to grow their customer base - and we are encouraging more restaurants to do so now. "Our national delivery logistics service covers 87% of the addressable population and is available for those restaurants without drivers. If restaurants decide to redeploy their staff as drivers we can support these businesses with our self-delivery marketplace which offers Menulogs online ordering and delivery integration technology." Menulog also rolled out initiatives to support restaurants such as halving commission fees on pickup orders and providing $3 million for marketing activities to promote restaurants. Uber Eats has also announced steps it is taking to assist restaurants. The delivery service announced $5 million in funding to help restaurants in Australia and New Zealand attract more customers. It gave restaurants the option of receiving daily payments instead of weekly payments during the coronavirus pandemic, and they wont have to pay a service fee on pickup orders until June 30. Uver Eats is waiving activation fees for new restaurants which sign up. Some people, however, are calling for delivery services to do better by restaurants Melbourne food writer Dani Valent started an online petition which called for Uber Eats and Deliveroo to reduce the up to 30% commission fees they charge restaurants. Affected businesses in Melbourne's Chapel Street Precinct believe Uber Eats isn't doing enough to support restaurants. It wants the company and other delivery platforms to "immediately slash their commission by at least 50%". "The company released a statement this morning, giving empty pledges to help alleviate the immense financial stress haunting our Chapel Precinct restaurant and cafe owners," Chapel Street Precinct Association (CSPA) General Manager, Chrissie Maus said in a statement. "These appear to be well-intentioned offers dressed up as corporate social responsibility, but they benefit only Uber themselves. They (delivery giants) dont understand we are haemorrhaging." Katherine Sampson, owner of Hello Sam Burger Bar in South Yarra, also called for more help from delivery services. "With 80% of our sales now on UberEats and customer numbers down, our profits have diminished significantly," she said. "It seems Uber does not believe in the merit of true corporate social responsibility in protecting our restaurant owners and has seen this as an opportunity to make huge profits. If this doesnt change, it wont be worth us trading through as we will start losing money by being open. The only reason we are trading is to keep our staff in jobs." CSPA highlighted its response to Uber Eats' measures to assist restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic, saying the company's $5 million funding is "hardly beneficial if everyone is fighting for the same business". "This doesnt cost UberEats a cent, but it does increase consumer spending on its platform," the CSPA said. The organisation added that Uber Eats' payments should be done on a daily basis regardless of whether there is a pandemic, so restaurants can pay rent, wages and food costs. When it came to Uber Eats waiving sign on fees for new restaurants, CSPA called it a "red herring". "The real money to be made is not in sign on fees, but the up to 35% commission UberEats strips from the restaurants bottom line on each order," the organisation said. "Often this is larger than the profit the restaurant is making off each dish sold." Again, the CSPA described Uber Eats' no service fees for restaurants on pickup orders a red herring as Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Australians not to leave the house unless it is absolutely necessary. "People use Uber to get food delivered, not pick up," the organisation said. "And often restaurants have to jack up their prices to accommodate UberEats exorbitant 35% commissions. "Youd get a cheaper meal if you called the restaurant direct and ordered over the telephone, you have one less person handling your food, your food is fresher and hotter and you are helping a local business stay afloat and keep someone in a job." The CSPA added that the company's "redeeming pledge" was its mission to deliver 25,000 free meals to frontline workers in Australia, but it would be "hardly felt" as there are more than 530,000 healthcare workers in the country. READ MORE: Photo: YVR Vancouver International Airport The federal government will start enforcing 14-day quarantines on travellers returning to Canada to try to limit the spread of COVID-19. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says "mandatory isolation" is needed to flatten the curve of the growth of the novel coronavirus in Canada. The formal quarantines, which take effect at midnight tonight, come with the potential for fines or even arrests for people violating them. "Canadians are great and people have been making real personal sacrifices," Freeland told a news conference. "At the same time, all of us are going to be and feel safer with mandatory quarantines for anyone entering Canada." International travel initially from China, then Iran and South Korea, then Europe and now the United States has continued to be a significant vector for the spread of the novel coronavirus. And Canada's border with the U.S., while closed to non-essential travel, is still open to trade and commerce, as well as travel for cross-border workers or students with visas. Freeland says those essential workers who are permitted to cross the Canada-U.S. border will not be subject to the mandatory quarantine. "We need to be really thoughtful about what we do there," she said, citing the vital flow of goods and medical equipment and supplies that enter the country by truck from the U.S. "We need to be thoughtful about how the people who provide those essential services, including cross-border trade, are treated." The World Health Organization has warned that the U.S. is becoming the new epicentre of the global pandemic as the spread of COVID-19 continues to accelerate, particularly in and around New York, which is urging recent visitors to self-isolate at home. Ontario health officials reported Tuesday that nearly 20 per cent of its active cases were the result of travel in the U.S. Asked about the possibility of more stringent screening measures at the border, Freeland called the situation "fluid and evolving" and said federal officials are monitoring the situation around the world "by the hour." "We are always reviewing additional measures, including measures at the border." When Black Hawk County had its first case of coronavirus, state officials initially declined to give any information, although they later released the victims age range. Subsequently, Iowa Department of Public Health spokesperson Amy McCoy told the Courier the person was 81, but the IDHP would not focus on that persons travel, condition or possible hospitalization. In other words, many of those in contact with the individual would remain ignorant, although Nafissa Cisse Egbuonye, the director of the Black Hawk County Health Department, said attempts were being made to identify those people. I know theres a lot of information, theres a lot of rumors, and I know its very scary, she said. But please trust that your health department is going to provide you with the most accurate information as soon as we receive the communication. In most instances, the public has received the most limited information possible due to the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which zealously guards the confidentiality of patients medical records unless the individual gives written consent for disclosure. It precludes using 18 direct identifiers in patient medical records from names and geographic subdivisions smaller than a state to associated numbers. The federal Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services has issued hefty fines for violations. Steps can be taken to legally de-identify individuals to some extent, including counties of residence, if not their hometowns, occupations, conditions and where hospitalized. In Iowa, we learned initial cases in Johnston County involved those on a Nile River cruise in Egypt. We were told another patient was an Urbandale school employee and that a University of Iowa dental student had self-identified as contracting COVID-19 after working with one patient. Whether HIPAA is outdated has provoked a debate in the medical community. Will more information prompt people to self-quarantine after coming into contact with a COVID-19 patient or will it stigmatize individuals as it has Chinese restaurants? New Jersey health officials have disclosed the cities of COVID-19 patients and hospitals where theyve been admitted. Pennsylvania provides the county and how the disease was contracting, but leavies it to county officials to be specific about hometowns. We give just enough information to be descriptive, but not to be able to identify people, said Krys Johnson, an assistant professor at Temple Universitys Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. If we cannot track down all of the people who could have come into contact with this person either they were in a public place or we cant determine from either themselves or their family who they would have come into contact with then there is a need to provide that information publicly to make the public aware, said Nate Wardle, a Pennsylvania Department of Health spokesperson. Such was the case when after a cardiologist who spoke to elementary school students visiting the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia learned he had contracted COVID-19. Dr. Kim-Lien Nguyen, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, takes a more aggressive stance on making information public. Patient privacy protections are well intended, but threaten to cripple any effort to nip contagion in the bud, she wrote in The Hill. If a murderer were on the loose on the streets of Seattle or New York, police would alert the public of the perpetrators identity. But respect for patient privacy is trumping common sense by obscuring the tracks of a stealthy killer virus. She cited a participant at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), who shook hands many government officials. His identity was kept secret outside a small circle, leading others to wonder if they should self-quarantine. A number of those attending a conference of the American Group Psychotherapy Association in New York tested positive as did and more than 100 infected at a meeting hosted by biotechnology giant Biogen in Boston. Other medical professionals argue for privacy. Doctors dont out people, said Jeffrey Kahn, director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. Whether its HIV, syphilis, coronavirus or anything else, people simply wont show up to their doctor if they feel they might be outed for a condition. The Hippocratic Oath states a physician will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. But it also cites doing no harm, raising the question whether total anonymity is more important than providing information that could lead those possibly infected to self-quarantine. We are in the business of providing information and urging as much transparency as possible. We dont advocate outing everyone who contracts COVID-19. But when public officials are too cryptic, offering only skeletal details, they do little to alert those who should self-quarantine, which is of paramount importance. Bamako ,Mali (PANA) - Mali's health services on Tuesday recorded two cases which tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19), the first in the country, the government said in a press release on Wednesday A combination of file photos shows the logos of five of the largest publicly traded oil companies BP, Chevron, Exxon, Mobil Royal Dutch Shell,and Total By Ron Bousso LONDON (Reuters) - The world's biggest oil and gas firms should break an industry taboo and consider cutting dividends, rather than taking on any more debt to maintain payouts as they weather the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, investors say. The top five so-called oil majors have avoided reducing dividends for years to keep investors sweet and added a combined $25 billion to debt levels in 2019 to maintain capital spending, while giving back billions to shareholders. The strategy was designed to maintain the appeal of oil company stocks as investors came under increased pressure from climate activists to ditch the shares and help the world move faster toward meeting carbon emissions targets. Now this strategy is at risk. Oil prices have slumped 60% since January to below $30 a barrel as demand collapsed because of the pandemic and as a battle for customers between Saudi Arabia and Russia threatened to flood the market with crude. "Long term, it is appropriate to cut the dividend. We are not in favor of raising debt to support the dividend," said Jeffrey Germain, a director at Brandes Investment Partners, whose portfolio includes several European oil firms. The combined debt of Chevron , Total , BP , Exxon Mobile and Royal Dutch Shell stood at $231 billion in 2019, just shy of the $235 billion hit in 2016 when oil prices also tumbled below $30 a barrel. Chevron was the only one to reduce its debt last year. (GRAPHIC: Big Oil's rising debt - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/editorcharts/GLOBAL-OIL-MAJORS/0H001R8HMCF5/eikon.png) The latest collapse in oil prices has sent energy companies reeling, just as they were recovering from the last crash, which saw crude plummet from $115 a barrel in 2014 to $27 in 2016. Companies from Exxon to Shell have announced plans to cut spending and suspend share buyback programs to balance their books and prevent already elevated debt levels from ballooning. Story continues None has announced any plans to cut dividends so far. PRIDE AND PAYOUTS Shell, which paid $15 billion in dividends last year, prides itself for having never cut its dividend since the 1940s. This week it announced plans to slash capital spending by $5 billion. But with the highest debt pile among rivals of $81 billion at the end of 2019 and an elevated debt-to-capital ratio, known as gearing, some investors say Shell might have to halve its dividend to balance its books. "The measures taken by Shell seem to be sufficient but, over time, if Shell (for instance) does not spend enough capital expenditure then production will start to fall and the underlying cash flow will not be sufficient to sustain the dividend long term," said Jonathan Waghorn, co-manager of the Guinness Global Energy Fund. A Shell spokeswoman declined to comment. (GRAPHIC: Oil majors capex cuts in 2020 - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/7/9212/9193/Pasted%20Image.jpg_ NO DOWNSIDE Even if oil prices recover to the low $40s a barrel, oil majors' debt would rise to levels that are too high by 2021, said Morgan Stanley analyst Martijn Rats. "Much remains uncertain, but if commodity markets evolve as expected, we think European majors will start to reduce dividends in the second half of 2020," Rats said. BP, which last cut its dividend in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion, has yet to announce a detailed plan to weather the crisis. BP declined to comment. "Given all the negatives, I see no long-term downside to cutting the dividend temporarily and, once circumstances change, raise it accordingly," said Darren Sissons, portfolio manager at Campbell, Lee & Ross, speaking about major oil companies. The dividend yield - the ratio of the dividend to the share price - on oil company stocks has soared in recent weeks following the collapse in crude prices, hitting levels not seen in decades. A high dividend yield can imply that investors are assigning a higher degree of risk to a company's dividend but the big oil companies won't want to reduce payouts, said Alasdair McKinnon, portfolio manager at The Scottish Investment Trust. "Oil majors will be extremely reluctant to cut dividends. They have historically defended them through some very tricky periods," McKinnon said. (Reporting by Ron Bousso; Editing by David Clarke) The Congress said on Wednesday that it stood with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his appeal for 21-day lockdown but was "deeply disappointed by the lack of coherent strategy" and demanded that Rs 7,500 should be transferred to every Jan Dhan, PM Kisan and pension account to tide over the nutrition needs for 21-days. It also demanded that the Public Distribution System (PDS) ration should be given free. In a series of tweets, Congress Communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surejwala said that the need of the hour was to implement 'Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme' (Nyay) mooted by the Congress and party leader Rahul Gandhi. "Please transfer Rs 7,500 to every Jan Dhan, PM Kisan, and every pension account to tide over nutrition needs of 21 days and give free PDS ration. We will rise together as a nation and defeat COVID-19. We stand with lockdown but are deeply disappointed by the lack of coherent strategy or a clear 'way ahead' on your part," he said. Surjewala asked what steps the government took despite an early warning about COVID-19 and sought details about isolation beds and ventilators available to people. "Dear PM, India will adhere to the lockdown but what steps did the govt take to tackle the corona pandemic despite early warnings in Feb? When will doctors, nurses and health workers have adequate protection? How many 'isolation beds' and ventilators are available and where?" he said. He asked how daily wagers and labourers will sustain during the 21-day lockdown. "What's your plan to address the huge issue of bread and butter and livelihood for millions? How will daily wagers, labourers, MGNREGA workers, factory workers, unorganised workers, fishermen, farmers and farm labour sustain for 21 days?" he asked. Surjewala said the crying need is to arm doctors, nurses and health workers with personal protection equipment and asked: "why are N-95 masks, Hazmat suits not available?" "In March itself, India needs 7.25 lakh bodysuits, 60 lakh N-95 masks, 1 crore 3 ply masks? When will they be available?" he asked. Surjewala said that the government banned the export of ventilators, respiratory devices and sanitisers only yesterday on March 24, "84 days after the spread of COVID-19." "Is this your government's 'Modus operandi' to fight coronavirus? Too little, Too late!," he said. Noting that two-thirds of the country's population is engaged in agriculture, he said that Prime Minister Modi did not refer to farmers during his address to the nation and demanded a moratorium on farmers' loans. "Crop is ready for harvest in March itself. How will it be harvested and sold and who will buy at fair price? Indebtedness relief to farmers is the only way forward in these testing times. Please put a moratorium on farmers' loans and recoveries. Please ensure the procurement of crops at MSP. Let's not forget that farmers are the backbone of India's economy," he said. Surjewala said the Prime Minister gave only four hours to prepare for 21-day lockdown. "Did you think of over 5 lakh truck drivers, who are now stranded on roads? Did you think of millions of workers, who are stranded in cities away from home without food or money? What should they do," he asked. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Russian court has ordered a former Russian cabinet minister seen as an ally of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev held in pretrial detention until June 25 on embezzlement charges after his arrest a year ago. The Moscow City Court said on March 25 that it was extending the detention by three months of Mikhail Abyzov, who has pleaded not guilty and says hes willing to cooperate with the investigation. Abyzovs arrest in March 2019 surprised close watchers of Russian politics, who saw it as another warning sign by Russian security and intelligence agencies against liberal-leaning political figures, many of whom are linked to Medvedev. The Investigative Committee has said that Abyzov was allegedly involved in a criminal group that embezzled 4 billion rubles (about $62 million) from the Siberian Energy Company and Regional Electric Grid in Novosibirsk. Investigators alleged that Abyzov and five accomplices stole the money and transferred the funds abroad. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that President Vladimir Putin was informed in advance about suspicions against Abyzov. Abyzov served as a cabinet minister between 2012 and 2018 and is considered a close associate of Medvedev, who was president between 2008 and 2012. After Putin returned to the presidency in 2012, Medvedev again become prime minister. Abyzov retained his position in Medvedev's government until last year. Investigators allege that Abyzov founded the criminal enterprise in April 2011 -- a year before he was appointed as minister for open government affairs, whose duties included trying to make the Russian government transparent and accountable. Abyzov had also held several executive positions at major Russian energy firms since the mid-1990s, including a role on the board of directors at the electric power holding company RAO UES. In 2017, anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny reported that Abyzov owns a mansion in Italy worth about $11.7 million. Navalny reported that Abyzov amassed his wealth through his energy sector connections in Novosibirsk. Abyzov is one of several liberal-leaning former or current government officials who have been targeted in criminal investigations in recent years. The 2016 arrest of Economics Minister Aleksei Ulyukayev was also interpreted as a move by hard-line factions in Russian political circles -- specifically, the head of the state-oil company Rosneft Igor Sechin -- against liberal factions. Ulyukayev was sentenced to eight years in a prison camp in 2017. The Russian Investigative Committee has detained three other suspects as a result of the criminal investigation surrounding Abyzov, while a fourth suspect is at large abroad. With reporting by TASS and Interfax Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 17:54:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Military trucks carry bodies of patients who died from COVID-19 infections from Bergamo to Bologna, Italy, on March 24, 2020. (Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua) In just five days, Europe's number of confirmed cases jumped from 100,000 to 200,000. The four hardest-hit European countries remained the same -- Italy, Spain, Germany and France -- with their total cases now topping 150,000 in combination. BRUSSLES/ROME, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus continued to sweep across Europe, with the combined number of confirmed cases on the continent exceeding 200,000 as of Tuesday evening, accounting for half of known cases worldwide. Globally, the number of coronavirus cases crossed the 400,000 mark as of 1725 GMT on Tuesday, and the deaths globally were 17,454, according to the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the COVID-19 spread in real-time. In just five days, Europe's number of confirmed cases jumped from 100,000 to 200,000. The four hardest-hit European countries remained the same -- Italy, Spain, Germany and France -- with their total cases now topping 150,000 in combination. Military trucks carry bodies of patients who died from COVID-19 infections from Bergamo to Bologna, Italy, on March 24, 2020. (Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua) REBOUNDING IN ITALY In Italy, the numbers of both new cases and deaths rebounded on Tuesday. At a daily routine press conference, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli said Italy reported 5,249 new cases of coronavirus and 743 new deaths in the last 24 hours. Italy's number of new cases rebounded from 4,789 on Monday, reversing a day-to-day decline in new cases recorded over the previous five days. The number of new deaths also rebounded from 602 deaths on Monday and 650 deaths on Sunday. It was the second highest daily toll only after Saturday's 793 since the epidemic broke out in northern Italy on Feb. 21. The COVID-19 disease had claimed 6,820 lives as of Tuesday evening in Italy, a nation that has lost more lives than any other country to the pandemic. The cumulative number of coronavirus cases in Italy reached 69,176, the most outside China, and 54,030 people are currently positive for the coronavirus, according to official data. Despite the disappointment, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday updated the latest situation on the COVID-19 outbreak, saying that there was a glimmer of hope in Italy, as there were fewer new cases than in the previous several days. However, the WHO said that it was still far too early to claim that the tide had turned, and the situation there needed to be carefully observed in the coming days. Healthcare workers check samples for further testing in Bologna, Italy, March 23, 2020. (Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua) WORSENING IN SPAIN, FRANCE Spain has the second highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe, only after Italy. The number of COVID-19 cases in Spain had risen to 39,373 on Tuesday, including 5,400 health workers, while that of deaths rose to 2,696 in a 24-hour span. In neighboring France, 240 more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, bringing the country's death toll to 1,100. France became the fifth country to have more than 1,000 fatalities related to COVID-19, after China, Italy, Spain and Iran. France's number of new cases rose by 2,153 in 24 hours over Monday, taking the country's total confirmed cases to 22,302, Director-General of Health Jerome Salomon said. A total of 10,176 people are hospitalized, including 2,516 in the intensive care units, said Salomon at a daily briefing. "We are still in a situation that worsens rapidly," he said. In Germany, confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased by 4,764 in 24 hours to 27,436 as of Tuesday, according to the German government agency for disease control and prevention Robert Koch Institute. In addition, another 12 European countries have registered more than 1,000 confirmed infection cases -- Switzerland, Britain, The Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Luxembourg. The Eiffel Tower glitters twice as long as usual to thank and support hospital staff during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Paris, France, March 23, 2020. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua) STRICTER MEASURES Since March 10, Italy, Spain, France and several other European countries had one after another imposed virtual national lockdowns to contain the infectious disease. But the novel coronavirus is showing no sign of abating, forcing them to roll out extra anti-virus measures. Starting on Tuesday, France's lockdown rules and measures have become stricter. People are allowed to go out for a walk with their children or to exercise once per day for no more than one hour, and within one kilometer of their home. France was put into lockdown on March 17 for at least 15 days. French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Tuesday that his country will remain in lockdown as long as needed to halt the spread of the virus. "As long as it (the confinement) should last, it lasts," he said. Residents applaud to pay tribute to medical staff in Clichy, France, March 22, 2020. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua) Separately, France's scientific council said the lockdown should last at least six weeks after it was put in place. "At present, confinement is the only really operational strategy," the council said in its recommendations. Also on Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that his government has approved a new decree introducing fines of 400 to 3,000 euros (430 to 3,228 U.S. dollars) for people caught violating the government's anti-coronavirus lockdown rules. Under the lockdown rules, people are not allowed to leave their homes except for buying food, going to the pharmacy, walking their dogs, or going to work if they are employed in key sectors such as health care or food production. People are also not allowed to travel between municipalities. Conte added that the new decree gives regional governors the power to impose stiffer lockdown rules if needed. In Spain, the government confirmed on Tuesday that it had "agreed to ask Congress for the authorization to extend the State of Alarm until April 12," adding that "the request will be debated and voted on tomorrow, Wednesday." A State of Alarm is the first of three emergency levels that the Spanish government can apply under exceptional circumstances. In Finland, which had 792 confirmed cases by Tuesday afternoon, the government on Tuesday decided to ask parliamentary approval for powers to isolate the Uusimaa province, including the capital Helsinki, and to close restaurants. An ambulance arrives at the IFEMA Exhibition center in Madrid, Spain, March 23, 2020. SPAIN OUT. LATIN AMERICA OUT. (EFE/Handout via Xinhua) The Department of Health has announced that a seventh patient diagnosed with Covid-19 has died, with one new confirmed case of the coronavirus in Limerick This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Limerick to 19. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that the patient who died is a male and in the east of the country, with an underlying health condition. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been informed of 204 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland, as at 1pm, Tuesday 24 March. This brings the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland to 1,329. The HSE is now working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread. To date, 17,992 tests have been carried out in laboratories across the country, as of midnight last night. Todays data from HPSC, as of midnight, Sunday 22nd March (965 cases), reveals: 55% are male and 45% are female, with 44 clusters involving 243 cases the median age of confirmed cases is 45 years 277 cases (29%) have been hospitalised Of those hospitalised, 36 cases have been admitted to ICU 247 cases (26%) are associated with healthcare workers Dublin has the highest number of cases at 535, (55% of all cases) followed by Cork with 123 cases (13%) Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 47%, close contact accounts for 23%, travel abroad accounts for 31% The Department of Health has today launched a new COVID-19 Information Dashboard; providing up to date case information gov.ie/covid19Dashboard The National Public Health Emergency Team met last night (Monday 23 March) and this morning (Tuesday 24 March) to review Irelands response to COVID-19 preparedness. The following recommendations were made by the National Public Health Emergency Team and today adopted by Government: Ireland has adopted the World Health Organisation case definition for COVID-19; A patient with fever and at least one sign of respiratory disease e.g. cough, shortness of breath. Individuals should work from home unless attendance at the workplace is absolutely essential. Non-essential retail outlets are to close to members of the public. Essential retail outlets are to implement strict physical distancing measures. All sporting events are cancelled, including those behind closed doors. All playgrounds and holiday/ caravan parks are closed. All organised social indoor or outdoor events of any size are not to take place. All cafes and restaurants are to operate on a take-away or delivery basis. Strict physical distancing measures apply to queuing for this service. People should not use public transport unless it is absolutely necessary. A comprehensive list of new measures is available here. Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; We are now in the crucial weeks of our response to COVID-19. All actions we take are based on epidemiological evidence and in proportion to our experience on this island. As we learn more about this disease, we are prioritising who will be tested. If you are not in a priority group, you might not be tested. However, if you have the symptoms, assume you have COVID-19 and isolate yourself. Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; Priority groups for testing include close contacts of a confirmed case with symptoms, healthcare workers with symptoms and people who are vulnerable with symptoms. Whether you are tested or not, the advice remains the same; if you have any symptoms, assume you have COVID-19 and isolate yourself for 14 days to help stop the spread of this disease. Household contacts of a suspected case should restrict their contacts for 14 days. Dr. Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer, HSE, said; 14,692 samples have been tested at the NVRL, of which 93% returned negative. Ireland is following WHO advice to test, test, test and is in the top quartile in terms of number of tests we have performed per capita. This, alongside physical distancing measures and intensive contact tracing, is deemed best practice internationally for dealing with this threat. Analysis of public health contact tracing has shown that the average number of close contacts per confirmed case has decreased from 20+ to the region of 5 contacts. This shows that the public is following health advise and actively limiting the amount of people they engage with. NPHET will meet again on Thursday 26th March, to review Irelands ongoing preparedness and response to COVID-19. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 23:41:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of 281 Hong Kong residents stranded in central China's Hubei Province by the COVID-19 outbreak were brought back to Hong Kong on Wednesday by two chartered flights commissioned by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government. The two flights, with 131 and 150 passengers on board respectively, landed at the Hong Kong International Airport at around 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. local time respectively. The HKSAR government's Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip, who headed to Hubei on Wednesday to lead the operation, told media upon his arrival in Hong Kong on the second chartered flight that among the passengers 121 were stranded in Xianning city, 76 in Huangshi city, 41 in Xiaogan city and the rest in some other cities of Hubei province. Out of them 74 people are aged under 16, and 13 people are aged above 60. The passengers will undergo 14-day home quarantine upon their arrival, Nip said, adding that the HKSAR government made the quarantine arrangements after consulting public health experts and reviewing the COVID-19 situation in Hubei province, the whole mainland, as well as Hong Kong. Those who contravene the quarantine order will be subject to a maximum imprisonment for six months and fine of 25,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 3,221 U.S. dollars), Nip warned. After arranging four chartered flights to bring back 469 Hong Kong residents from Hubei in early March, the HKSAR started on Wednesday the second round of chartered flights operation. The two-day operation, participated by dozens of staff from different departments of the HKSAR government, plans to send a total of four chartered flights to Hubei, and is expected to bring back more than 500 Hong Kong residents. Barre, MA is far from the only town thats experienced the consequences when insurance carriers make it more difficult for non-profit organizations to transport elderly people who can no longer drive themselves. Read more: Why non-profit groups need to behave like businesses to thrive We began to get calls and emails about three years ago from customers saying, the volunteer has told us that their insurance agent says youd better not use your vehicle in volunteering or your [personal] auto policy might be canceled. Or, if you cause an accident, a claim might not be covered, said William Henry, consultant at Volunteers Insurance Service Association in Alexandria, Virginia. We began to check into it a little bit and the more we dug, the more we found that it was becoming a problem. Henry and his team started calling insurance companies and got no clarity on this issue. The most common response they would hear was whether the policy stated if a volunteer activity would be covered, which often it did not. Before long, Henry began to see some specific exclusions applied to auto policies that related to volunteer driving. At this point, he and his associates stepped back from the phone since they didnt want to put insurance companies in a position where they felt like they needed to apply these exclusions. After all, if the policy is silent on it or if its ambiguous, the courts have always said, its going to be construed in favor of the customer, said Henry. Meanwhile in Wisconsin, Carrie Diamond has been working with volunteer drivers for over a decade and the issue that she consistently sees coming up is that volunteers are told if they receive reimbursement or theyre just a volunteer driver and they dont receive reimbursement, they are classified differently and are not eligible for a personal vehicle insurance policy. Drivers have been told theyre like a Lyft or Uber driver, she explained, which would then impact their personal auto policy. In different forms, the same type of issue comes up in the state regarding personal vehicle insurance for people who drive for a non-profit or governmental agency as a volunteer, said Diamond, an Older Americans Act consultant, and transportation and volunteer specialist at the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources. Read more: Unique risks non-profits face when they hire volunteers The repercussions of this insurance obstacle are grave. Volunteer driver programs (of which Diamond has found over 60 with almost 3,000 volunteers in Wisconsin alone) act like a lifeline in rural communities and other areas. For people who require extra assistance and dont have access to a regular transportation provider, this issue becomes one of life or death, she said, especially since there is no publicly-funded system that can take the place of the programs. Typically, youre looking at a program that has from two to 30 or 40 volunteers and through attrition if youre not replacing those volunteers, those programs really are in danger of collapse, explained Diamond. People are willing to volunteer their own private resources their vehicles and their time to take people to their appointments to grocery stores and to pharmacies but theyre not willing to be negatively impacted in terms of insurance. Diamond recently met with the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance and Office of Commissioner of Insurance to discuss this challenge, and she says that there may be some movement on legislative fixes to bring to the next session that are industry-approved. Minnesota is currently looking at some legislative fixes as well, but its critical that the insurance industry be onboard. Meanwhile, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has done its own research in this area, engaging Texas A&M University to study the issue, and likewise got no answers. The researchers approached a number of insurance companies, seeking clarity. They got none, said Henry. Nor were they able to learn why insurance companies believe drivers represent a greater risk when volunteering than at any other time when they are using their vehicles. The fact that they are carrying passengers should not, in and of itself, be an underwriting issue. Its not an issue when, for example, customers use their vehicles in carpooling to work or going with friends to the beach or a ball game. Henry continues to hear from non-profit organizations that their volunteers are being warned by agents that their policy could be canceled if they help out by driving. Yet with the aging population, the demand for this type of service will only increase. Volunteer driver programs arent as risky as people initially think they are, said Diamond, adding, Theres nothing that works as efficiently as this type of program. Henry noted that if he could find one insurance company that would say it understands that volunteers are not the same as Uber or Lyft drivers and theres nothing in the claims history to suggest that volunteers are any more risky than other drivers, him and his team would make a hero out of that company, but we havent found them. The price of oil clawed its way back up Tuesday: the WTI oil price gained 3% to settle around $24 per barrel. Volatility is expected to continue as the coronavirus outbreak and slowdown in business add pressure to oil prices. On Monday, Russian oil minister Alexander Novak was in discussions with Russian oil producers to see whether they think Russia should reignite discussions with OPEC on deeper cuts, Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB, said in a note. The fall in oil prices and further panic in the markets has been squeezing U.S. shale companies. U.S. shale oil production growth fueled by debt has been a major problem for both OPEC and Russia since the 2014/15 price collapse and the strong U.S. shale oil production rebound since 2016, Schieldrop said. The analyst questioned why Russia and OPEC would move in and save U.S. shale oil producers. That factor was why the Russian oil producers decided they did not want to cut deeper in the second quarter of 2020, because it would mostly help U.S. shale oil players rather than Russian oil producers, Schieldrop said. Oil Surplus Forecast In Q2 The market facing a tsunami of oil surplus in April, the analyst said. "We are now looking at surplus in Q2 2020 at a scale that we have never seen before. It is not difficult to imagine that with no flights, people soon sitting at home and the industry close to shut down that demand could fall even more." Related Links: Oil Prices Fall To 17-Year Low, OPEC And IEA Warn Of 'Major Consequences' For Developing Countries Oil Prices Rebound, Analyst Says Market Faces Tsunami Of Surplus See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Good Morning America anchor and two-time cancer survivor Robin Roberts has left the studio and is working from home, after her doctors advised her to quarantine and protect herself from risk amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The 59-year-old TV host, who revealed her decision on Tuesday, beat an early form of breast cancer in 2007, before being diagnosed five years later with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a disease in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday morning, Robin revealed that, because of her 'underlying health conditions', her doctors told her it would be 'best' for her to join the millions of other Americans currently working in their homes while observing social distancing and self isolation recommendations. Taking care: Good Morning America anchor and two-time cancer survivor Robin Roberts joined the show from home on Wednesday morning after being advised to quarantine Pushing forward: The 59-year-old shared videos and images of her makeshift studio in the basement of her New York home 'Coming up this Wednesday morning @GMA just like many of you...I'm working from home this morn,' Robin tweeted shortly before the show began. 'We have a lot of news to get to...many updates on the #coronavirus including lawmakers closing the deal on that massive relief bill.' The TV anchor then shared a video of her at-home studio set-up, revealing that she is joining the live show from her basement screening room in her New York home. Survivor: Robin, pictured in 2013, beat breast cancer in 2007, and then five years later she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a disease in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells 'Welcome to my house!' she began the clip. 'It was a short commute for me this morning, just headed downstairs... this is the screening room, this is where we binge like everybody else these days, in our screening room in our basement.' She then pointed out her beloved dog Lukas, who was sitting on the couch while his owner went about her busy day, joking: 'You can see that Lukas is not thrilled at all, he's just hanging out, like, "Yep, OK..."' Robin then went on to address the reason for her change of venue, explaining that, because of her 'underlying health conditions' and the 'escalation' in cases in New York City - where GMA is filmed - her doctors 'thought it best that I work from home'. On Tuesday, Robin was joined for her last studio show by one of her doctors, Gail Roboz, who stressed the importance of social distancing and self isolation for those with underlying health conditions. 'I heard your advice and because of what is going on in New York City, this will be my last day in the studio for a little bit and I will do like everyone else,' Robin said. 'It is hard to leave because you want the normalcy. You want it not just for yourself but for our viewers.' Souvenirs: The TV anchor revealed that she brought her GMA mug home with her to make the space feel more like her usual working environment 'Hope': 'And also I brought this,' she said, holding up a picture frame that is in the shape of the word 'hope' that features an image of Robin with kidnapping survivor Gina DeJesus Set up: Robin is recording the show from her basement, explaining in a social media video that the space normally serves as her screening room for 'binge watching' However, once at home, Robin made sure her makeshift studio felt as close to the real thing as possible. 'I did bring some items from the studio!' she said in her Twitter video, proudly holding up a navy-and-yellow GMA coffee cup. 'I've got my Good Morning America mug, it says, "Good morning sunshine!"' she told the camera, before moving on to an even more sentimental item from her dressing room. 'And also I brought this,' she said, holding up a picture frame that is in the shape of the word 'hope' that features an image of Robin with kidnapping survivor Gina DeJesus. 'Hope. This woman right here, Gina DeJesus, she is one of the women who was held captive for all those years in that Cleveland house, and she never gave up hope,' Robin, who is pictured in the frame with Gina, went on. 'And we never should give up hope either. Have a blessed day.' Bonus! Robin confessed that she was excited to be able to wear her pink fuzzy claw foot slippers while working from home, proudly showing them off in air Tuning in: The long-time TV anchor joined her co-hosts via video link, having revealed that her doctors advised her to work from home because of her 'underlying health conditions' Company: Robin was joined in her makeshift studio by her beloved dog Lukas Once the show began, Robin anchored as usual, from the safety of her own home - however she revealed to her co-hosts that there was one main difference to working from her basement: she gets to wear slippers. 'I do miss you guys! But yes, wait a minute, I am loving this!' she said while holding up a pair of pink fuzzy claw-shaped slippers. 'Going to keep these slippers on all day. I do need to get my nails done though.' Robin's decision to work from home comes just two months after she opened up to Dr. Oz about her health, explaining that she wants to show people that she is thriving. 'Oh, praise God I'm doing as well as I am. I am so incredibly grateful to the doctors, the nurses, the technicians who still to this day keep an eye on me,' said Robin, days after celebrating her 30-year anniversary with the Walt Disney Company. 'I do my due diligence. I go for my regular checkups. I have started meditating. I watch what I eat more so than I did before. All those things that I need to do. But I want to be a symbol to people that this too shall pass.' Robin fought and overcame an early form of breast cancer in 2007. Five years later, she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a disease in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells. Treatment: Robin underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2012, and she recently revealed to Dr. Oz that she is doing well, and that she wants to be a symbol of hope to other survivors She underwent several sessions of chemotherapy, and on September 20, 2012, she had a bone marrow transplant from her sister Sally-Ann before returning to Good Morning America that February. By Wednesday morning, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the US had reached nearly 55,000, while New York had more than 26,000 The GMA anchor is not the only TV host who is tuning in to their show from home. Savannah Guthrie made Today history last Wednesday when she co-anchored the morning show from her basement at home, after coming down with a 'mild sore throat' and 'the sniffles' amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 48-year-old mother-of-two revealed on Tuesday night that she would be joining her co-anchor Hoda Kotb via video link, while sharing images of the mini studio that had been set up in her New York City basement. 'Hi everybody! Well, this will be a first. Im going to be anchoring Today from my house!' she wrote on Instagram - while insisting that she is simply acting out of 'an abundance of caution' and 'to model the super vigilance the CDC has asked of us'. WFH: Savannah Guthrie made history last Wednesday morning when she tuned in to co-anchor the Today show from home, after coming down with 'the sniffles' and a 'mild sore throat' Something different: Like Robin, the 48-year-old shared posts of her at-home studio set-up Helping hand: Savannah also revealed that her husband, Mike Feldman, had been roped in to serve as a producer and technician while she works from home Tuning in: The Today anchor noted that it is the first time in Today show history that such a set-up has been put in place 'Im staying home because I have a mild sore throat and runny nose,' she continued. 'This was the advice of NBCs superb medical team and my bosses. I feel good and am sure I will be back in no time - but during these days, its on all of us to be extra cautious and caring of those around us. 'So see you tomorrow on Today - from my basement!' The news comes as it was revealed that a staffer on the Third Hour of Today had tested positive for COVID-19, which NBC revealing on Monday that it had asked hosts Al Roker and Craig Melvin to remain home and 'trace their contacts' to ensure they had not come into contact with the person. As of Tuesday, both were also tuning into the show from home, with Al and Savannah both joining Hoda, 55, via video link on Wednesday morning - a first for the popular morning show. 'And we are back on a busy Wednesday morning, one not like a normal one here on Today,' Savannah said while opening the show. 'This show has been around a long time, 60-something years, but never has this happened before. Sending everyone my best wishes right now! I hope you are all staying safe. We have been doing well here and doing more organizing/spring cleaning. If youre looking for a way to spruce up your home with a good scent I have a roundup with some current favorites. I love good smelling candles or sprays to help lift the mood. We like to rotate through a lot of different scents. Here are some of my favorites right now. ________ Diptyque Diptyque is my favorite candle brand of all time. The candles are quite the splurge but theres nothing quite like the ones they have. Ive tried so many different scents and have loved every single one. My favorite is Baies for year round which has a mix of roses and blackcurrant leaves. Its fruity but not too sweet. For spring I also love Mimosa which is shown in the mini below. Its a powdery floral with honey mix. If you cant burn candles in your home I highly recommend their room sprays. We love Figuier (sweet fig, and the best fig in my opinion) and Baies. Diptyque also has a collection of City Candles which are typically only available in their respective city boutiques. Occasionally they will have them available online to purchase. My favorites are Paris, New York and Miami (reviewed here). You can find Diptyque at a wide range of retailers although their boutiques and website will have the largest selection (they carry some exclusives). My top five for spring include: Baies, Figuier, Mimosa, Aubepine and Santal. How to clean out the wax to recycle candles in this post here. ________ Lumira Lumira is an Australian brand I discovered several years ago. Their Tahitian Coconut is the best sweet coconut candle Ive ever tried and I have a stock pile at my home so I dont run out. Notes include frangipani, jasmine, coconut, orange flower, mandarin, white musk and vanilla. Right now they have one Room Spray in Arabian Oud which is lovely if you like spicy scents with a mix of oud, rose, sandalwood, bergamot and amber. They have a lovely selection of Accessories as well and I love their Wick Trimmer. ________ Aesop Hand Wash + Room Sprays For the best relaxing and calming room sprays both Andrew and I love Aesop. They launched three Room Sprays and each one is amazing. Andrew loves Olous the best while my favorite is Istros. Over the holiday they launched a mini trio which I think is super cute. You can still find it online at Aesop. The sprays have good through and lasting power is ok. Its not going to last anywhere near as long as a candle or diffuser will but we still love them. Scents include: Olous notes are Galbanum, Grapefruit, Jasmine notes are Galbanum, Grapefruit, Jasmine Cythera notes are Geranium, Incense, Patchouli notes are Geranium, Incense, Patchouli Istros notes include Pink Pepper, Lavender, Tobacco We also love their hand and body care products. While not really a home scent the hand washes add a nice touch to the home. The one I always repurchase is the Resurrection Hand Wash. They have some nice sets and we just bought the Melodist Home Set which has a full sized Olous spray. ________ Otherland Otherland is a new brand I discovered recently. They have super cute packaging and unique scent options. They sent over their recent Carefree 90s candle launch and it really does take me back to my high school days! These are more affordably priced than luxury candles like Diptyque, Jo Malone or Cire Trudon and have very good throw. Glosspop is a sweet scent described as a mix of strawberry gloss, hard candy and frosted rose its sweet and fruity Blue Jean Baby is a super fun mix of white musk and mimosa flower Dreamlight is very nostalgic for me and I cant quite put my finger on what makes me think of the 90s, but this one has a mix of freesia, plumeria and tangerine ________ Cire Trudon, Sisley and Byredo Ending my round up with the ultimate in luxury for the home. Candles from Cire Trudon, Sisley and Byredo are quite the splurge. It took me a long time before I could talk myself into trying these in past years and once I did I saw for myself they 100% lived up to the hype. I think Cire Trudon is the ultimate fragrance brand when it comes to candles. Ernesto is the best one with a mix of leather and tobacco. I usually buy their the holiday version every year (they come in special colored glass jars). I also love Positano for spring and for holiday Gabriel is beautiful! They recently launched La Petite Bougie which is a mini 70 g version, available in six scents. Its still very pricey at $42 but theyre super cute. They sent over the scent in Cyrnos which smells like a mix of lavender, thyme and cedarwood. Its lovely! Full notes include lemon, myrtle, thyme, black fig, cedarwood, lavender, pink, cashmere wood, musk and patchouli. Sisley fragrances dont get enough love in my opinion. The Sisley Campagne Candle is one of the cleanest green scents Ive tried and smells like the fresh outdoors. These are quite the splurge but the throw is quite incredible and I feel like they are very unique. Andrew loves this one because it smells fresh and clean. Notes include bergamot, lemon, basil, green tomato leaves, jasmine, plum, oak moss, patchouli, vetiver. Ive tried minis of the body wash and body lotion in the same fragrance line and absolutely love it. Byredo is also another amazing line. Bibliotheque is really unique for year round. Its the only one I have left right now that hasnt been used up. They have full sizes and minis. This one is a woody mix with patchouli and vanilla but also has noticeable fruity notes with peach to me. Notes include peach, plum, peony, violet, leather, patchouli and vanilla. For a couple lighter soft fresh options I think Cotton Poplin and Fleur Fantome are really nice florals that arent too powdery or too floral. I know its challenging to purchase scents without smelling them in person. Even with lots of research on notes and comparisons there isnt really anything that compares to experiencing scent in person. I hope this provides you with a helpful guide for my personal favorites. Its been a while since I have bought a perfume without smelling it first, but Im more likely to buy a candle sight unseen even though it is a bit risky. What are you favorite home scents? Anything you love for spring or for year round? JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content. Cire Trudon Petite Candle and Lumira scents provided for review/feature. All others purchased by me. Photograph: Erik Pendzich/Rex/Shutterstock Bartender Taylor Cox has refused to check his bank account in the 10 days since he was laid off from an Indiana casino which shut down to stop the spread of coronavirus. The 29-year-old has bought groceries and paid bills in that time, but hes worried about what his bank account will reveal after just one week without a job. Related: 'I'm praying we'll be back to work:' what it's like to lose your job in a pandemic Im just terrified of opening it up and the prospect of seeing there is $200 and holy crap, what am I supposed to do? said Cox, one of millions of Americans to lose their job because of coronavirus. The US is experiencing an unprecedented rise in unemployment as industries such as hospitality and food service grind to a halt. The first official government snapshot of how coronavirus has hit the labor market is due on Thursday, when the labor department releases unemployment figures for last week. The last department of labor figures showed initial unemployment claims rose to 281,000, a sharp rise from 211,000 the previous week but nothing to what is expected tomorrow. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) thinktank estimated a record-setting 3.4 million people filed unemployment claims last week based on an analysis of news reports. Weekly claims have not topped a million since records began in 1967. Such an increase would set the nationwide unemployment figures to 2015 levels in just one week. This is overwhelming even our quite strong labor market, said Heidi Shierholz, EPIs director of policy. The surge is also overwhelming unemployment offices. In New York, there were about 159,000 more calls to the labor department in one day than the normal 10,000 daily calls the office gets. In California, the daily average of unemployment claims has increased by more than 4,000%. Major employers including Marriott and Macys have sent staff home. General Electric and airlines including Delta and American are laying off staff as their industries suffer. Story continues Shierholz said despite the gloom, the federal government has the power and resources to intervene. The economy is taking a big hit, but it is a policy choice, the level of human suffering that is caused, Shierholz said. EPI is one of several bodies advocating for the federal government to waive unemployment insurance requirements, such as making people demonstrate they are looking for work; increase funding to social support systems, such as food stamps; place moratoriums on evictions; and allow laid off or furloughed people to continue using their employer-sponsored healthcare so state health insurance programs arent overwhelmed. Worker advocates are also encouraging employers to simply keep paying their employees, because when the crisis is over, those jobs will need to be filled again. Theres much more friction to get the economy up and running again, but if you have everybody just hooked to jobs, we can basically just turn the lights back on, Shierholz said. Thats the most efficient, good thing to do right now. Early Wednesday, Congress reached a deal on what is expected to be the largest US economic stimulus measure ever passed.Democrats and Republicans had been divided on the level of oversight required for industries receiving bailouts. Progressives are concerned the Republican plan would allow billions of dollars to go to business leaders while workers continue to live without pay or health insurance. People are doing a public service by staying home. This isnt unemployment. This is either government-mandated confinement or voluntary confinement, said Rob Johnson, president of the Institute for New Economic Thinking. It makes sense for society as a whole. Any bailout needs to make sure that those now suffering financial hardship from Covid-19 are protected, he said. Everyone has a stake in these people being supported. In Indianapolis, Cox said he was using his newfound unemployment to contact Congress about workers needs. As a union representative, he is also fielding calls from confused colleagues and helping people without internet do online applications for unemployment. The idea of a tipped worker going without tips for eight weeks or more is one of the most frightening things to have to confront Taylor Cox People are scared, people dont know whats going to happen, Cox said. The idea of a tipped worker going without tips for eight weeks or more is one of the most frightening things to have to confront. A lot of the people who work there are people with children, single mothers, who rely on money coming in every day. His partner also lost their job because of coronavirus, leaving their household with zero income. Were all in this really terrible situation but at least were all in this together, Cox said. Cox is a member of the union Unite Here, which represents 300,000 people in industries hard hit by closures including hospitality, food service, manufacturing and transportation. Last week, the union estimated 80% to 90% of its members would be out of work, but Unite Heres international president, D Taylor, upped that estimate to 95% on Monday. Hotels are shutting down, casinos are shutting down, so all those jobs in there, from a housekeeper to a cook to a cocktail waitress to a bartender to a bellman, they all have been lost, Taylor said. An employee of Juniors Restaurant, which laid off employees due to coronavirus, picks up a paycheck in Brooklyn, New York, on 19 March. Photograph: Mark Lennihan/AP The Brookings Institution thinktank said more than 24.2 million Americans work in the five high-risk sectors facing a sharp slowdown. This includes travel, hospitality, employment services, transportation and energy centers, such as Texas oil and gas towns. The most affected places are famed for their resorts and leisure activities, such as Maui, Hawaii and Las Vegas, Nevada, according to the thinktank. But Taylor said he was worried about every city in every region of North America. Every one of our cities is destroyed right now as far as people out of work, he said. In Boston, Sam Huertas, a catering attendant at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), watched with worry as the university began cancelling events of 150 people, then 100 people, then 50. By the time MIT announced all events would be cancelled through 15 May - the busy season for the universitys caterers he had realized filing for unemployment in Boston would be tricky. A common unemployment eligibility requirement is for applicants to show they are actively seeking a job, but industries like catering are almost completely shut down. When I saw other big event spaces were closing, I started realizing things might get complicated in Boston, Huertas said. So he decided to move, temporarily, to live with his girlfriends family in Maine, where there are more opportunities for work because it has not yet been hard hit by coronavirus. It was a step forward, but still riddled with uncertainty, until MIT called him on Saturday and said he would be paid as normal through 22 May. When I found out, that was kind of life-changing, Huertas said. Huertas said the support from his employer gave him and his co-workers a sigh of relief. Huertas said: I have a little more hope for getting through this well. More working people need to feel that hope, said Johnson. This is like a wartime economy, he said. The government needs to decide what its goals are and get them done. The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday condemned the terror attack on Sikh place of worship in Kabul, Afghanistan which killed at least 25 people. Describing the incident as a cowardly attack, New Delhi extended all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan, news agency ANI reported. The Islamic State group has claimed the attack according to the SITE intelligence group, news agency AFP reported. We convey our sincerest condolences to the immediate family members of the deceased and wish speedy recovery to the injured. India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan, the MEA said in its statement. Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID 19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers: MEA https://t.co/rGxbW2ZR33 ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID 19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers, it said. Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri also strongly condemned the attack. These killings are a grim reminder of atrocities that continue to be inflicted upon religious minorities in some countries & the urgency with which their lives & religious freedom have to be safeguarded, he tweeted. Suicide attack on a Gurudwara Sahib in Kabul needs to be strongly condemned. These killings are a grim reminder of atrocities that continue to be inflicted upon religious minorities in some countries & the urgency with which their lives & religious freedom have to be safeguarded. pic.twitter.com/yQM3u41dVI Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) March 25, 2020 At least 25 people were killed and others injured when suspected suicide attackers stormed a Sikh place of worship in the Afghan capital on Wednesday. The attackers targeted a dharamshala in Shor Bazar area of Kabul, which has a sizeable population of the Hindu and Sikh minorities. Some reports said the attack began at 7.45 am Afghan time. Leading Afghan news channel Tolo News cited a security source as saying that at least 25 people were killed and 11 others injured in the attack. Three attackers were still fighting with security forces and one had been shot, the channel reported. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Israel's parliament speaker resigned Wednesday after seven years on the job rather than comply with a Supreme Court order to convene a vote on his replacement. Yuli Edelstein had suspended parliamentary activities last week, citing procedural issues and restrictions on large gatherings due to the spread of the coronavirus. But opponents accused him of blocking a vote after his right-wing bloc failed to win a majority in March 2 elections. He dismissed a Supreme Court call to explain his delay in convening the Israeli Knesset, or parliament, and that sparked an unprecedented judicial rebuttal, with the Supreme Court chief justice ordering him to hold a vote. With other top members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party urging him to defy the order, he responded that he would not agree to an ultimatum and resigned instead. The Supreme Court decision destroys the work of the Knesset. The Supreme Court decision marks a harsh and arrogant intervention of the judicial branch in the affairs of the elected legislative branch," Edelstein charged in his last appearance as speaker. He said he would step down so as not to allow Israel to descend into anarchy and devolve into civil war. But in his last act he also said parliament would only reconvene next week, in apparent defiance of the Supreme Court order that a vote be held by Wednesday. The move may put him in contempt of the court. The showdown marked the height of an ever-deepening standoff between Netanyahu's opponents and supporters in the wake of the country's third inconclusive election in less than a year and against the backdrop of a series of emergency executive measures the caretaker government has enacted to quell the spread of the new virus. Netanyahu's Likud emerged as the largest party in the election earlier this month, but along with his smaller religious and nationalist allies, won only the support of 58 lawmakers leaving his right-wing bloc three seats short of the required majority in parliament. Opposition leader Benny Gantz is backed by a slim majority in the newly elected Knesset and has been pushing for the country's legislature to continue functioning at such a critical time, even without a permanent government in place. His majority bloc is deeply divided along ideological lines and unlikely to band together to form an alternative government. But they are determined to oppose the criminally indicted Netanyahu and seem willing to cooperate in parliament, accusing Edelstein of shuttering the halls of the legislature in order to keep his job and shield his beleaguered party leader. They bloc is expected to win a vote to nominate Meir Cohen of Gantz's centrist Blue and White party as Edelstein's replacement. Edelstein resignation marked the first time in Israeli history that a Knesset speaker had stepped down. Netanyahu has called on Gantz to join him in an emergency government devoted to handling the coronavirus crisis together and to avoid the continued political deadlock that would likely force yet another election one that likely won't even be possible to carry out given the current state of lock down and contagion. The country have been nearly entirely shut down, with tens of thousands put out of work and all but essential movement from the home barred. New restrictions approved Wednesday limit all those besides personnel deemed essential from venturing more that 100 meters (yards) from their homes, and all places of worship shuttered. In a recent surge, more than 2,000 Israelis have been infected, with 37 in serious condition. Five elderly Israelis with pre-existing medical conditions have died. Gantz has pledged to support the government in its effort to combat the virus. But he and his allies have been skeptical about Netanyahu's power-sharing overtures, concerned that he will not follow through on his promises to cede power in 18 months. The party accuses Netanyahu and his caretaker government of carrying out undemocratic measures amid the crisis, and using it as cover to cling to power. Netanyahu has already managed to postpone his own pending criminal trial on serious corruption charges and authorize unprecedented electronic surveillance of Israeli citizens. Even amid the health scare, Israelis have taken to the streets and waved black flags to protest what they consider an assault on Israeli democracy. Netanyahu supporters have held small counter rallies as well. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai, March 25 : Hrithik Roshan became emotional after his former wife Sussanne Khan temporarily moved back with him to take care of their sons together, amid the coronavirus outbreak. Taking to his social media, Hrithik penned a lengthy 'thank you' note for Sussanne. "It is unimaginable for me, as a parent, to think of having to be separated from my children at a time when the country is practicing lockdowns. "It is heartwarming to see the world come together as one in this time of deep uncertainty and possibility of months of social distancing and potential lockdowns for several weeks perhaps . "While the world talks about humanity coming together, I think it represents more than just an idea especially for parents sharing custody of their kids. How to keep their kids close to them without infringing on the right of the other who also has an equal right to be with his/her children," he wrote. Image Source: IANS News Along with the post, he uploaded a picture of Sussanne sitting in bed, sipping off a coffee mug. "This is a picture of dear Sussanne (my ex wife) , who has graciously volunteered to temporarily move out of her home so that our children are not disconnected indefinitely from either one of us.Thank you Sussanne for being so supportive and understanding in our journey of co-parenting," Hrithik added. Hrithik and Sussanne ended their 17-year-old relationship in 2013 and got divorced in 2014. They have two sons -- Hrehaan and Hridhaan. -- Syndicated from IANS By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Financial help is pouring in from several prominent people to provide essential commodities to the poor families during the lockdown imposed by the State government to contain spread of Coronavirus. Anupama Venugopal Nadella, wife of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, donated Rs 2 crore to the Chief Minister Relief Fund. Former IAS officer KR Venugopal, father of Anupama met Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday at Pragathi Bhavan and handed over the cheque. Meanwhile, state government employees' and teachers donated their one days basic salary to the State government. Employees' JAC leaders Karem Ravinder Reddy and secretary-general V Mamata handed over the cheque amounting to Rs 48 crore to the Chief Minister. BJP Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh on Tuesday donated two months salary for the CM relief fund to help the government fight COVID-19. He said people all over the State are in a panic situation and asked them to remain in their homes. He also urged the government to provide essential commodities to the poor. Yellandu MLA B Haripriya has also donated her one month salary to the CM Relief Fund. On Tuesday she sent a video message in social media appealing to people stay home and support the government in its efforts to check spread of the virus. Telangana State Panchayat Raj Teachers Union members have announced a donation of Rs 16 crore to the CMRF. The consent letter given by the PRTU members, to give one-day salary as donation, is handed over to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday by PRTU president and secretary. Meanwhile, Tandur MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy also donated his one months salary of Rs 2.50 lakh to the CMRF and handed over the cheque to the CM. Wetherspoons was forced into an embarrassing U-turn over staff pay after close to 100 MPs intervened. On Tuesday the pub group, which turns over 1.8billion a year, told 43,000 staff it could not afford to pay them for the next five weeks, suggesting they could work for Tesco in the meantime. But yesterday it said workers would receive 80 per cent of their pay while the pubs were shut, in line with the Government's jobs retention scheme. Anger: Graffiti sprayed over the wall at a Wetherspoons pub in Crystal Palace, South London, after boss Tim Martin said he could not afford to pay his 43,000 workers The pay handed out to staff falls short of promises made by other firms, who have said they will top up their staff's pay to 100 per cent during the nationwide lockdown. The move came after 95 MPs wrote a letter to Wetherspoons' millionaire founder Tim Martin telling him he 'had fallen short in supporting his workers in a time of crisis', and asking him to 'serve his country'. Rachel Reeves, chairman of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, also raised 'deep concerns' over the company's treatment of workers. Wetherspoons had hoped to wait until the end of April when the Government is expected to pay wage subsidies to businesses who have shut down. Unions castigated the 'shocking and selfish' move and said some staff would be left homeless. The company was facing another storm last night as it told suppliers they will not be paid until after Wetherspoons' pubs reopen even for stock which has already been delivered. In an email, Martin, 64, said: 'We understand that this puts significant pressure on our suppliers, but we are kindly asking for your assistance during this very difficult period.' Food suppliers have seen their incomes evaporate since pubs, restaurants and hotels were ordered to shut their doors last Friday. The move could prove dire for some as Wetherspoons is the UK's largest pub group and likely to be a key client for many. The company later added that it was willing to 'discuss individual circumstances'. The industry is in crisis with many tens of thousands of jobs already feared to be lost as revenue falls. Bars, restaurants and pubs have sought to slash costs by postponing capital expenditure, negotiating with landlords and reducing staff hours. The Government's wage subsidy guarantees staff receive 80 per cent of their wages, up to 2,500-amonth, if they are temporarily laid off or 'furloughed'. Pubs also benefit from the 12- month business rates holiday and the deferral of VAT payments for three months. The incident was registered on February 21. Ukraine's former minister of foreign affairs, Leonid Kozhara, has been detained on suspicion of murder. "Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara has just been detained by police on suspicion of intentionally killing a citizen in his own house," Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Anton Gerashchenko said on Facebook on March 25. Read alsoBusinessman reportedly shot dead in ex-Foreign Minister Kozhara's house outside Kyiv media According to Gerashchenko, Kozhara is now en route to the courtroom where the judge is to decide on his preventive measure. As UNIAN reported earlier, ex-head of the Inter TV channel, general director of the Atlantic Group holding Serhiy Starytsky was shot dead in the house of Kozhara and his wife, Maryna Kozerod, in the village of Chaiky outside Kyiv on February 21. The incident was reported to the police by Kozerod. The preliminary theory was that the victim committed suicide while Kozhara and his wife were in other rooms of the house. Police at the scene seized a firearm, cartridges and a cartridge case. Criminal proceedings were opened under Part 1 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code (intentional homicide) while "suicide" remained a major theory. On February 22, the police reported that the criminal proceedings had been re-qualified from suicide to intentional homicide. On March 4, an investigative experiment took place as part of the case, but its conclusions are not to be disclosed being confidential while the pretrial investigation is under way. Convicted police killer Jason Roberts has been granted permission to appeal. Roberts, who is serving a life sentence for murder, claims police manipulated evidence against him and misled the courts about the gunning down of Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller in Moorabbin in 1998. Jason Roberts arriving at the Supreme Court in 2003. Credit:The Age Roberts and his accomplice Bandali Debs were found guilty by a jury in 2002 but Roberts maintains his innocence and argues he wasn't at the scene that night and that Debs acted alone. In a previous hearing, lawyers for Roberts pointed out that there were inconsistencies in statements made by police at the time of the murders. To the annoyance of some shareholders, MetLife (NYSE:MET) shares are down a considerable 44% in the last month. That drop has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 35% in that time. Assuming nothing else has changed, a lower share price makes a stock more attractive to potential buyers. While the market sentiment towards a stock is very changeable, in the long run, the share price will tend to move in the same direction as earnings per share. The implication here is that long term investors have an opportunity when expectations of a company are too low. One way to gauge market expectations of a stock is to look at its Price to Earnings Ratio (PE Ratio). A high P/E ratio means that investors have a high expectation about future growth, while a low P/E ratio means they have low expectations about future growth. View our latest analysis for MetLife How Does MetLife's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers? We can tell from its P/E ratio of 4.52 that sentiment around MetLife isn't particularly high. If you look at the image below, you can see MetLife has a lower P/E than the average (8.4) in the insurance industry classification. NYSE:MET Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 25th 2020 MetLife's P/E tells us that market participants think it will not fare as well as its peers in the same industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with MetLife, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios Generally speaking the rate of earnings growth has a profound impact on a company's P/E multiple. If earnings are growing quickly, then the 'E' in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers. Most would be impressed by MetLife earnings growth of 23% in the last year. And earnings per share have improved by 2.2% annually, over the last five years. This could arguably justify a relatively high P/E ratio. Story continues A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings. While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores. Is Debt Impacting MetLife's P/E? MetLife's net debt is considerable, at 278% of its market cap. This is a relatively high level of debt, so the stock probably deserves a relatively low P/E ratio. Keep that in mind when comparing it to other companies. The Bottom Line On MetLife's P/E Ratio MetLife trades on a P/E ratio of 4.5, which is below the US market average of 12.4. The company has a meaningful amount of debt on the balance sheet, but that should not eclipse the solid earnings growth. If the company can continue to grow earnings, then the current P/E may be unjustifiably low. Given MetLife's P/E ratio has declined from 8.1 to 4.5 in the last month, we know for sure that the market is more worried about the business today, than it was back then. For those who prefer to invest with the flow of momentum, that might be a bad sign, but for deep value investors this stock might justify some research. When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The article concluded, It is to be hoped the malady has left us for good. This attitude, along with the lift on bans, would prove to be premature. The decision to lift the bans was almost immediately reconsidered, a December 13 edition of the Dawson County Herald read, Reports are now to the effect that the Spanish flu is now raging harder than ever in Omaha, and it is probable that the lid will again be put on. The article continued, The public schools are but half attended, parents refusing to let their children go in consequence of the prevalence of the dread disease. It is charged that the pressure brought to bear by some of the business men and proprietors of play houses was sufficient to overcome the better judgment of the citys health authorities who reluctantly removed the ban. The influenza was not gone, as some people had desperately hoped, not only that, it was said to be on the increase once again. By late December it seemed people were fully realizing the scope of the disease. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close His leadership of TuneCores global expansion and prioritization of innovative technology has helped us build the tools independent artists need to reach the highest level of success," said Ladegaillerie. The independent distribution and publishing administration company TuneCore, owned by Believe group, has announced that CEO Scott Ackerman will step down from his role effective April 15, 2020. Ackerman will stay on as a strategic advisor reporting to Denis Ladegaillerie, CEO of Believe Group and the company is searching for a new CEO. Ackerman joined TuneCore as President and COO in 2010 and was promoted to CEO in 2012. Prior to joining TuneCore, he held executive operations positions at eHarmony, Orbitz, US Airways and American Airlines. The decision to step down came from Ackerman himself. I truly enjoyed working for TuneCore and after ten amazing years, I made the decision to end my tenure to pursue other opportunities, he said in a statement. I remain committed to working with Believe in an advisory capacity on strategic initiatives as TuneCore continues to grow. Under Ackermans leadership, TuneCore has made it a priority to offer the best products and services to help independent artists thrive and succeed. From expanding digital distribution globally through local initiatives in over a dozen countries and markets, to building tools that help artists grow their fanbase and fund their projects, Ackerman has been a champion of helping artists meet the demands of the evolving music industry. Since inception, TuneCore Artists have earned over $1.8 billion, paying out well over $1 million each day. TuneCore uniquely pays 100 percent of 100 percent of what is collected from the digital services, which has made the company the leader in helping artists get what they deserve. The company and I are grateful for Scotts leadership and significant accomplishments over the last ten years, said Ladegaillerie. His leadership of TuneCores global expansion and prioritization of innovative technology has helped us build the tools independent artists need to reach the highest level of success. TuneCore acquisition strengthened our offer to best serve artists at all stages of their career around the world. TuneCore is well-positioned today to continue our market leadership and we are optimistic about the next chapter for our company. About TuneCore TuneCore is the global platform for independent musicians to build audiences and careers -- with technology and services across distribution, publishing administration and a range of promotional services. TuneCore Music Distribution services help artists, labels and managers sell their music through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Google Play and more than 150 download and streaming stores worldwide, while retaining 100 percent of their sales revenue and rights for a low annual flat fee. TuneCore Music Publishing Administration assists songwriters by administering their compositions through licensing, registration, worldwide royalty collections, and placement opportunities in film, TV, commercials, video games and more. The TuneCore Artist Services portal offers a suite of tools and services that enable artists to promote their craft, connect with fans, and get their music heard. TuneCore, part of Believe, is headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, with offices in Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Austin, and global operations in the UK, Australia, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, India and Brazil. For additional information, please visit http://www.tunecore.com. About Believe Believe is a leading fully independent digital distributor and services provider for artists & labels worldwide. They provide dedicated resources & international campaign management, trade & digital marketing services, comprehensive video management & distribution, synchronization, neighboring rights and run in-house labels such as Nuclear Blast, Naive, All Points. Believe is headquartered in Paris, France with more than 1,200 employees in 45 countries. Believe aims to best serve and develop artists at all stages of their careers with respect and expertise, fairness and transparency, in all local markets around the globe. Logo: https://www.tunecore.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2019/01/For-Partners-20190122T165633Z-001.zip * More than 300,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 189 countries and regions, said World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday, noting "The pandemic is accelerating." According to the WHO situation dashboard, 14,510 people have died worldwide from the coronavirus as of 10:00 CET (0900 GMT) Monday. * Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and authorities have visited facilities prepared for COVID-19 patients, despite there being no confirmed case in Laos. * The Singaporean government will be donating US$500,000 to support the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for COVID-19, which aims to limit human-to-human transmission of the virus. * The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has risen to 462, the country's Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday. The DOH said in a report that 33 people have died from the highly infectious disease while 18 have recovered. * Thailand's Ministry of Public Health on Tuesday announced three more COVID-19 fatalities and 106 new infections, tallying Thailand's death toll to four and the total infections to 827. * Japan's health ministry and local governments said Tuesday the total number of people infected with COVID-19 in Japan stood at 1,141 as of 11:00 a.m. local time here. The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 52 people, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo. * The Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that his government will double the size of emergency corporate funding package to KRW100 trillion (US$80 billion) to help companies surmount the temporary liquidity shortage coming from the COVID-19 outbreak. * The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India Tuesday rose to 492, India's health ministry said. According to ministry officials, so far nine deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported across the country and 37 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement. * The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in New York City has reached 13,119 as of Monday night local time, according to data of the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. A total of 124 deaths have been reported in the city, according to the CSSE. The largest US city with a population of 8.6 million has become a new epicenter of the outbreak, taking about 30 percent of the nation's tally of 43,901. * Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen on Monday announced the extension of the coronavirus lockdown for a further two weeks (until April 13). The announcement followed Monday's report from the State Serum Institute that the number of Danes killed by the coronavirus had risen dramatically to 24 from 13 within 24 hours, while the confirmed cases hit 1,460. * Iran's death toll from COVID-19 climbed to 1,812 on Monday, after 127 new deaths were reported. Meanwhile, more countries in the Middle East decided to impose curfew to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The total number of COVID-19 infections in Iran, the worst-hit country in the region, climbed to 23,049, up by 1,411 from a day ago. A total of 8,376 of the infected have recovered. * A total of 63,927 coronavirus cases have been assessed in Italy since the pandemic broke out in its northern regions on Feb. 21, the Civil Protection Department managing the COVID-19 emergency said on Monday. The number of total infections grew by 4,789, or 8 percent from 59,138 cases recorded on Sunday. Further 601 fatalities were also registered on Monday, with the death toll reaching 6,077. * The Dutch government on Monday announced new additional measures to combat the novel coronavirus, including banning all meetings and gatherings, and fines for shops and people that do not obey the regulations. Since Sunday, 34 more patients in the Netherlands died from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 213. In addition, 545 more people tested positive, and the total number of confirmed cases now stood at 4,749. * Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa approved on Monday the state budget for 2020, according to a statement published on the Presidency website. The statement came after the president received Minister of State and Finance Mario Centeno for talks on the international and national economic and financial situation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. * A female passenger in her 70s from the Ruby Princess cruise ship passed away after infection with COVID-19, health authorities confirmed on Tuesday, taking the total deaths in Australia to eight. There have been 133 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 on the ship, with 107 cases diagnosed in NSW and 26 cases interstate. The total number of infections in Australia increased to at least 1895, with 818 in the worst affected state of NSW. * New Zealand reported 40 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday with more community transmission. Three new probable cases were also reported. As probable cases are now being included in the total count, New Zealand currently has 155 COVID-19 cases, including 142 cases that have tested positive, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told a press conference. * Brazilian dailies on Monday urged unity and social responsibility to confront the COVID-19 pandemic that is spreading across Latin America. The Brazilian Health Ministry reported that the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose from 1,546 to 1,891, and the number of fatal victims climbed from 25 to 34. * Portugal recorded 2,060 confirmed cases of COVID-19 -- 460 more from Sunday, and 23 deaths, according to a bulletin from the Directorate-General for Health on Monday. * Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel on Monday urged state institutions, private sectors and people to increase control and discipline in an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. * The global economy is expected to contract 1.5 percent in 2020 amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, according to the forecast released by the Institute of International Finance (IIF) on Monday. The IIF, based in Washington D.C., is a global association of the financial industry with more than 450 members from more than 70 countries and regions. * Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that his government will allot CAD192 million (US$132 million) on the development and production of vaccines and treatments against COVID-19. There are now more than 1,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 21 deaths, in Canada. * In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), over 154 million children, or about 95 percent of the enrolled, are temporarily out of school due to the COVID-19, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Monday. * The number of confirmed coronavirus cases exceeded 700 in Finland on Monday, as the government began preparing further restrictions on everyday life to combat COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. * Two more COVID-19 patients died while another 219 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Ireland on Monday, the country's Department of Health said in a statement. To date, there have been a total of 1,125 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and six COVID-19-related deaths in the country, said the statement, adding that the latest two victims of the disease are both male from the east of Ireland. * Israeli Supreme Court on Monday ordered the parliament to hold a vote for electing a new speaker, in a move widely seen as a blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempt to hold on to power. At the same time, the nation is struggling to halt the rapid spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. The total number on confirmed infections rose to 1,442 on Monday. * The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors agreed on Monday during a televised meeting to develop a joint G20 Action Plan in response to the COVID-19, said a statement by the G20 Saudi secretariat. * US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that the United States is reducing assistance by US$1 billion to Afghanistan this year due to the Afghan leadership's failure to form an inclusive government. * The death toll from COVID-19 infection in Turkey climbed to 37 after seven more deaths were added on Monday, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Turkey rose to 1,529, according to the minister. * The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday announced 45 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total confirmed cases to 198, state TV reported. Singapore unveils measures to help companies with cash-flow amid COVID-19 Introducing further measures to help businesses tide over the COVID-19 downturn, Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is urging firms with excess manpower to prioritise locals to be retained in their jobs. These firms should also give consent for their existing foreign workers to be transferred to other employers facing manpower shortages, MOM said in a press statement. Photo: Connected to India The labour authority said it is limiting the number of entry approvals for work pass holders to enter Singapore to a very small number. Priority will be given to essential services like healthcare and transport. Hence, employers are advised to defer plans to bring in new foreign workers from overseas until the situation stabilises, and retain existing foreign workers already in Singapore. If the foreign workers are not needed, employers should consent for them to be transferred to other employers facing manpower shortages in the same sector. Firms in manufacturing and services sectors can approach the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) for assistance under its SBF ManpowerConnect scheme, while construction firms can tap on the Foreign Construction Worker Directory System (FCWDS) which facilitates matching of workers with prospective employers. MOM has introduced additional measures to help Singapore companies with their immediate cash-flow. Photo: Connected to India Extension of levy payment timeline for SMEs Meanwhile, a three-month extension of the levy payment timeline will be given to small-and-medium size enterprises (SMEs) with immediate effect. Currently, the foreign worker levy incurred in the any month is due for payment by April 14. The temporary relief measure will apply to levies incurred in the year 2020, and will provide the companies with more flexibility in their cash-flow management. Around 60,000 firms stand to benefit from this measure, MOM said. Levy waiver for foreign workers on overseas leave Currently, MOM allows levy waiver for up to 60 days for foreign workers who go on overseas home leave for at least seven consecutive days. In view of the widespread travel restrictions and difficulties workers may face in returning to Singapore, MOM will extend the levy waiver period to up to 90 days with immediate effect for foreign workers who are currently on overseas leave. This extended period of levy waiver will also apply to employers who send their foreign workers home from now till end 2020. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has emerged as the Democratic Partys most prominent voice during the crisis, offered a grim forecast for the outbreak in the city and criticized the federal government for its slow response in sending crucial equipment. You want a pat on the back for sending 400 ventilators? he said. What are we going to do with 400 ventilators when we need 30,000 ventilators? Youre missing the magnitude of the problem. Related: The citys public transportation network is cutting service at least 25 percent, after subway ridership on Tuesday fell 87 percent by nearly 4.8 million riders compared with the same day last year. Comedienne Kathy Griffin said she had to go to the hospital after suffering 'UNBEARABLY PAINFUL symptoms' that seemed to be linked to COVID-19. But once inside the ER, the My Life On The D-List star said she could not get tested for the virus due to CDC restrictions even though she was at a 'major' hospital. And the 59-year-old star blamed President Donald Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence for not making the tests available. In pain: Kathy Griffin of TV's My Life On The D-List said she had to go to the hospital after suffering 'UNBEARABLY PAINFUL symptoms' that seemed to be linked to COVID-19 Crushing: But once inside the ER, the My Life On The D-List star said she could not get tested for the virus due to CDC restrictions even though she was at a 'major' hospital. Seen in late February She took to social media to get her point across. The stand-up also shared a photo of herself in the hospital. She wore a mask and was under quarantine. Griffin explained that even though her symptoms were serious, she was considered not eligible for the test. Kathy also shared a grab of Trump's tweet from Wednesday. 'Just reported that the United States has done far more "testing" than any other nation, by far!' said Trump. She says there are not enough tests: She took to social media to get her point across. The stand-up also shared a photo of herself in the hospital. She wore a mask and was under quarantine. Griffin explained that even though her symptoms were serious, she was considered not eligible for the test. Kathy also shared a grab of Trump's tweet from Wednesday 'In fact, over an eight day span, the United States now does more testing than what South Korea (which has been a very successful tester) does over an eight week span. Great job!' Kathy said that the President was 'lying.' Griffin explained: 'I was sent to the #COVID19 isolation ward room in a major hospital ER from a separate urgent care facility after showing UNBEARABLY PAINFUL symptoms. 'The hospital couldn't test me for #coronavirus because of CDC (Pence task force) restrictions.' Not a fan of his: Kathy said that the President was 'lying.' Griffin explained: 'I was sent to the #COVID19 isolation ward room in a major hospital ER from a separate urgent care facility after showing UNBEARABLY PAINFUL symptoms. 'The hospital couldn't test me for #coronavirus because of CDC (Pence task force) restrictions.' Trump on March 20 She has lashed out at Trump before. In 2017 she posted a video of herself to Instagram where she was holding a mask made to look like the severed, bloody head of Trump. 'I caption this "there was blood coming out of his eyes, blood coming out of his...wherever,"' she said. The shoot was from photographer Tyler Shields. Griffin later took down the image, and apologized publicly. CNN fired her from its New Year's Eve broadcast with Anderson Cooper because of it. The latest: Other celebrities who have come down with COVID-19 are Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, Andy Cohen, and Laura Bell Bundy (pictured) Sad farewell: Top Chef Masters star Floyd Cardoz died on Wednesday from the virus. He had been in Mumbai earlier this month with comedian Aziz Ansari shooting a reality TV series Other celebrities who have come down with COVID-19 are Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, Andy Cohen, and Laura Bell Bundy. Top Chef Masters star Floyd Cardoz died on Wednesday from the virus. He had been in Mumbai earlier this month with comedian Aziz Ansari shooting a reality TV series. It has been a bad month for Kathy. Her mother Maggie died on St Patrick's Day. Her tribute read: 'My Mom, the one and only, Maggie Griffin, passed away today. I am gutted. My best friend. I'm shaking. I won't ever be prepared. I'm so grateful you guys got to be part of her life. You knew her. You loved her. She knew it. Oh, and OF COURSE she went on St Patrick's Day.' Photo: The Canadian Press A Purolator driver wears a mask as he makes deliveries in Toronto on March 24, 2020. Shippers are flying into uncharted territory as the COVID-19 pandemic upends delivery patterns, with surging consumer demand mitigating a slumping global economy exacerbated by border closures and travel controls. E-commerce is on the rise as non-essential businesses remain closed in Ontario and Quebec and the prime minister encourages Canadians to stay home. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn Shippers are in uncharted territory as the COVID-19 pandemic upends delivery patterns, with surging consumer demand mitigating a drop in corporate orders amid border closures and travel controls. Residential deliveries have gone up at an "equal if not greater pace" than the drop in business-to-business parcels as house-bound Canadians order items online, Purolator chief executive John Ferguson said. Hoarding of household items has fuelled the uptick. "One person ordered six boxes of cereal," Ferguson said. "I thought, 'Who orders six boxes of cereal?'" "It also turned into people wanting to treat themselves, so they're still buying fashion apparel, for example," he said. "They want to maybe decorate a room now, since they're sitting at home all day." Hospital shipments have also increased up to meet demand for additional medication and diagnostic equipment, "even COVID tests and disinfectants," he said. Amazon Inc., the country's largest online retailer, said Tuesday it is hiring more than 1,000 workers in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta to handle the spike in sales. Business-to-business (B2B) deliveries are decreasing, however, despite exceptions such as grocery store suppliers, said Marc Wulfraat, president of Montreal-based logistics consulting firm MWPVL International Inc. "The B2B business which dominates FedEx and United Parcel Service Inc. in terms of their package volumes, that's down," Wulfraat said, noting bulk deliveries tend to yield higher margins than business-to-consumer (B2C) shipments. "The B2C, that's up," he said. But in terms of business lines, "that's not the lion's share of what these companies are doing." Greater labour shortages already an entrenched problem in trucking are looming, adding to shippers' woes. "When you make the children stay home from school, a lot of people can't go to work. Those are the same people that drive the trucks and go to warehouses and do all the things we take for granted," Wulfraat said. Supply chain disruptions have also tripped up the flow of goods. "You've got ocean and air freight imbalances coming out of Asia," where industrial hubs such as Wuhan in China are starting to ramp up again, Ferguson said. Empty roads and highways across Canada clear a convenient path for drivers, "but countering that are businesses that are shuttering or shortening their hours," the Purolator CEO added. "We have an internal mantra right now: Keep calm and ship on." Teamsters Canada, whose truckers work for Purolator and UPS, said long-haul deliveries continue in spite of the economic downdraft. "Based on the information we have and it's changing every minute the package delivery business is doing OK," said Francois Laporte, president of Teamsters Canada. Canada Post, which relies heavily on direct-to-consumer parcels, said volumes remain "steady." At Cargojet Inc., rising e-commerce sales have offset a downturn in international deliveries, said Laurentian Bank Securities analyst Mona Nazir. The Mississauga, Ont.-based cargo airline "may be a net beneficiary in the current environment." Nazir said Amazon's surge in sales has impacted Cargojet, which provides charter aircraft services to move packages from Amazon warehouses to distribution centres for final delivery. Meanwhile, Air Canada has started using its aircraft to operate cargo-only flights to Europe, with other flights planned for Latin America and South America. The planes have no passengers, but instead carry time-sensitive shipments, including medical supplies, the airline said Wednesday. The flights come as Air Canada slashes capacity in response to plunging travel demand due to government measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. The first cargo-only flights departed from Toronto for Frankfurt, London and Amsterdam this past week on Boeing 787 aircraft capable of carrying 35 tonnes of freight. Air Canada said it is also exploring opportunities to offer the service domestically using smaller Air Canada Express regional aircraft. While overall courier shipment volumes remain steady, "the general economic forecasts are something that are going to impact all of us in the end and something well have to deal with," said Ferguson. A plea was Wednesday filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to all the states to release under trial prisoners, following a recent apex court order in this regard amid the coronavirus pandemic, and to provide them suitable monetary assistance for sustenance during the crisis. The top court had on March 23 directed all the states and Union Territories to constitute high-level committees to consider releasing on parole or interim bail prisoners and undertrials for offences entailing up to seven-year jail terms in order to decongest prisons to check spread of the contagion. The fresh plea, filed by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), has urged the court to call for status reports from the authorities regarding implementation of the directions issued on Monday. Referring to the Delhi government's announcement of providing financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to each construction worker in the national capital amidst the lockdown imposed due to coronavirus, the plea has said such monetary relief be also extended to prisoners who would be released from jails on the basis of the top court's directive. "It is submitted that along with necessary curfew pass, such monetary relief may also be provided to undertrial prisoners who may be released from jails in terms of this Court's order dated March 23 for reaching their respective destinations," the CASC, which has sought to implead in the pending matter, said in its plea. The plea said though the entire country has been put under a lockdown, it does not in any way reduce the chances of spread of COVID-19 in prisons due to overcrowding there and that is why the apex court has taken cognisance on its own on the issue. It said "inmates have been released on personal bonds and house arrest from many jails in the United States due to coronavirus fears. Similarly, Iran has released about 85,000 prisoners due to coronavirus." A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde had on March 23 said overcrowding of prisons is a matter of serious concern, particularly in the present context of coronavirus. The top court had said states or UTs could consider the release of prisoners, who have been convicted for up to seven years jail term, or are undertrial for offences entailing a maximum punishment of up to seven years or less. "We direct that each State/Union Territory shall constitute a High Powered Committee comprising of (i) Chairman of the State Legal Services Committee, (ii) the Principal Secretary (Home/Prison) by whatever designation is known as, (ii) Director General of Prison(s), to determine which class of prisoners can be released on parole or an interim bail for such period as may be thought appropriate," the bench had said. On March 16, the top court had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of overcrowding of prisons across the country and said it is difficult for jail inmates to maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police Chief: If we come across people choosing to break these rules which are there to keep us safe we will take action This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Mar 25th, 2020 Caravans and motor homes entering North Wales could be turned round as a police chief has vowed to enforce the coronavirus lockdown. Chief Constable Carl Foulkes from North Wales Police said people can expect to see more visible policing in communities after the government introduced strict new measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. There has been anger across the region after tourists flocked in their droves over the weekend with beauty spots like Snowdonia and Bala Lake proving particularly popular. In a video shared on Twitter the chief constable said the police force was working with caravan site owners and urged those considering visiting the area not do so. He also called on local residents to play their part by respecting guidance for them to stay at home. Chief Constable Carl Foulkes with a brief update in relation to #COVID19 and your role in helping to reduce the spread of the virus #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/ka2XDS7p22 North Wales Police (@NWPolice) March 24, 2020 He said: We need our local communities to work with us like never before by staying at home. We will continue our day to day policing and will see an increased levels of visible policing both in communities and on our roads. If we come across people choosing to break these rules which are there to keep us safe we will take action. At the weekend, similar to other parts of the UK, we saw a large influx of visitors in North Wales. We are working with campsites and if necessary will stop caravans or motorhomes coming into this region to turn them round. This is for our personal safety. I would personally urge anyone whos considering visiting North Wales to think again. Please dont travel unless absolutely necessary to do so. This is to stop the spread of the virus, limit the impact of our already stretched health services and ultimately to save lives. Yesterday police revealed they had received a flurry of 999 calls following Monday nights lockdown announcement. They included someone asking if they could still take their car for an MOT and another person questioning if they could still move house. Mr Foulkes has encouraged people to visit the government website for guidance instead to keep emergency lines free. He also instructed them to either use the forces online web chat service or use e-mail for non-urgent matters. Two men have appeared in court in Belfast over a cocaine seizure allegedly linked to the UVF. Police said they were detained after a consignment worth nearly 1,700 was discarded when a car was stopped in the city on Monday. Quantities of Diazepam, herbal cannabis and 2,500 in cash was also recovered in follow-up searches. Jason William McCrory, 32, and Lee Gardner, 33, are jointly charged with possessing and being concerned in the supply of cocaine. McCrory, of Cumberland Drive in the Dundonald area, faces further counts of having Class B and C drugs, possession of criminal property, and possessing an offensive weapon. A detective from the PSNI's Paramilitary Crime Task Force told Belfast Magistrates' Court: "We believe this is linked to an organised crime gang, namely east Belfast UVF." He said the two accused were in McCrory's car when it was stopped in the Ravenhill area. Gardner, from Lavinia Square in Belfast, allegedly got out and tried to run away. According to police he threw away a sandwich bag which was recovered and found to contain cocaine with a street value of 1,680. Scales, Diazepam tablets and a wooden baton were then retrieved from the car. Police located the cash during a search at an address linked to McCrory, the court heard. Opposing bail, the detective claimed attempts could be made to recoup any losses suffered by the crime gang. McCrory's solicitor, Andrew Russell stressed his client denies being a member of the East Belfast UVF. He argued that the alleged link to the paramilitary grouping was a prejudicial assertion without any supporting evidence. During the hearing it emerged that McCrory works for a company providing subcontracting services to NI Water in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He should not be remanded in custody, it was contended, due to fears of Covid-19 spreading through the prison population. Bail was granted to both McCrory and Gardner, who had no legal representation for the hearing. Imposing curfews and electronic tags, District Judge Fiona Bagnall banned the two defendants from any contact with each other. She listed their cases for mention again in four weeks time. 7.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard On her program on Tuesday night, Rachel Maddow warned Republican governors in the deep south that if they dont start taking the coronavirus outbreak seriously, its going to overwhelm their states in a hurry. As the MSNBC host pointed out, governors in Mississippi and Alabama havent yet issued stay-at-home orders, despite the fact that major cities in their states, and neighboring ones, are seeing a massive surge in coronavirus cases. [Louisiana is] begging the White House for federal assistance, Maddow pointed out, highlighting the growing crisis in New Orleans. Thats Louisiana (led by a Democratic governor). Next door in Mississippi, though, you know, no worries. Theyre not China. Whatevers happening in Birmingham, Alabama, whatevers happening in New Orleans, Im sure Mississippi will be fine. Theyre not China, she added, taking a swipe at the Mississippi governor who said his state doesnt have to worry because it is never going to be like China. Video: Rachel Maddow says Republican governors in the deep south are setting their states up for a coronavirus disaster. #ctl #p2 #maddow pic.twitter.com/AK96ByyZ0X PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) March 25, 2020 Maddow said: And so because of that city council, they have a stay-at-home order tonight effective immediately. But statewide, still no order. Im sure itll just stay in Birmingham. Next door in Mississippi, still no statewide order. The governor says were not China. Why would we need some sort of statewide stay-at-home order? Everythings fine. Next door, further west in Louisiana, they think theyve got the most rapidly growing outbreak in the nation there. Im sure itll stay confined within state borders. Im sure theres nobody in Mississippi commuting to work in New Orleans, right? That doesnt happen, does it? This is the local paper in New Orleans basically screaming at the top of their lungs about what is already starting to happen in New Orleans pointing out that of the ten worst hit counties in the United States so far, nine of those ten counties are in the New York metropolitan area. The only one in the top ten that isnt, the place with the sixth highest rate of cases in the entire country is the great city of New Orleans. The governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards now saying that he expects Louisiana hospitals to be overrun and to potentially be unable to provide care as soon as the end of next week. There are already 94 people on ventilators in the state of Louisiana. Theyve only got 381 ICU beds in the whole state. Theyve already got 94 ventilators in use. State of Louisiana is now asking for a federal disaster declaration. They believe they have the fastest growing outbreak in the country. There is a statewide stay-at-home order in effect in Louisiana. They are starting to build isolation facilities inside state parks. They are begging the White House for federal assistance. Thats Louisiana. Next door in Mississippi, though, you know, no worries. Theyre not China. Whatevers happening in Birmingham, Alabama, whatevers happening in New Orleans, Im sure Mississippi will be fine. Theyre not China. This is why a national approach is so important The fact that some states are taking this outbreak seriously while others are not is one major reason why a federal approach is necessary. After all, social distancing measures will only be successful if everyone in the country is participating. Other countries, like the United Kingdom and India, seem to have understood this concept as both countries have issued lockdowns over the past two days. Meanwhile, the United States is relying on a state-by-state, piecemeal approach. Heck, the president of the United States is even floating the idea of removing restrictions altogether over the next couple of weeks. This lackluster response from some Republican governors and the federal government will only ensure that this outbreak is much worse and deadlier than it needs to be. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter It may seem like the playground is empty and no one is around, but schools are reminding the public not to come onto school grounds for any reason. The Ministry of Education asked schools to advise the community that, along with school buildings, the grounds are totally closed for the duration of the lockdown. As the country went under a 21-days lockdown on March 25, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, has taken to Twitter to post a thread of questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He urged the government to implement the Nyay Scheme. He asked as to how does the government propose to handle the situation, protect healthcare workers, address daily wage earners, farmers, small businesses, thele wala, etc. He blamed the government for not delaying the ban on export of Ventilators, Respiratory Devices & Sanitisers. 1/n Dear PM, India will adhere to the #lockdown But what steps did the Govt take to tackle the #Corona pandemic despite early warnings in Feb? When will Doctors, Nurses & Health Workers have adequate protection? How many isolation beds & ventilators are available & where? Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) March 25, 2020 8/n Dear PM, You gave only 4 hours to prepare for a 21 day #lockdown Did you think of over 5 lakh Truck Drivers, who are now stranded on roads? Did you think of millions of workers, who are stranded in cities away from home without food or money? What should they do? https://t.co/x2ubYf2P9q Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) March 25, 2020 Earlier in the day, speaking about the demands of the doctors, he said that doctors and nurses asking for hazmat shoes, goggles, N95 masks etc accusing that up to 19th March, Commerce ministry allowed export all these protection equipment at 10 times the rate. He also questioned as to how will the unorganized sector eat food and sustain their family for 21 days. In his list of questions he also added as to how the harvesting states will work out in the 21 days. Here are services that will remain operational and suspended under the 21-day lockdown PM Modi announces 21-day pan-India lockdown amid Coronavirus Amid the rising Coronavirus cases in India, PM Modi, on Tuesday, announced a 21-day curfew throughout India starting at midnight on Tuesday. He said that 21 days were necessary for breaking the transmission cycle of the pandemic. The 21-day curfew is applicable to all states, districts, and villages - irrespective of whether they are currently under curfew or not. Currently, India's positive cases stand at 519, with nine deaths. Coronavirus outbreak: PM Modi announces 21-day pan-India lockdown starting from midnight Coronavirus crisis in India As of March 25, 536 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) with Maharashtra reporting the highest at 106 and ten deaths have been reported. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and shut down over 32 states and Union territories. Complete lockdown imposed in India from March 25: Here are the guidelines India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. The government is monitoring all suspected cases and issued preventive advisories with states declaring the disease an epidemic shutting down all educational institutions, monuments, parks, gyms, swimming pools, pubs and banning large gatherings. All domestic airplanes and trains have ceased operation. Visit the official government here: MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE The US sharemarket soared overnight, the biggest one-day surge in more than a decade. Does that mean that the worst, for markets at least, is over? It is worth noting that the big bounce that provides the reference point for what happened on Wall Street on Tuesday occurred in October 2008 about a month after Lehman brothers collapsed and precipitated the global financial crisis. The surge in Wall Street was the biggest since October 2008, about a month after the Lehman Brothers collapse plunged the global financial system into crisis. Credit:AP The market subsequently fell another 40 per cent or so before it bottomed in March 2009 and began the remarkable bull run that ended last month as the coronavirus emerged and created havoc. The US market, and the other overseas markets that also soared, were responding to the news that the $US2 trillion ($3.4 trillion) "stimulus" package that had been stalled within Congress appeared to be on the verge of approval. The rising curve of the pandemic coronavirus COVID-19 across the world has also given a simultaneous rise to rumours and misinformation resulting in panic amongst the people. In a bid to squash such rumours and allay fears, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday took to Twitter to highlight the reality. The total number of positive cases in India due to COVID-19 reached 606, including a total of ten fatalities, at 9.30 (IST) on Wednesday. The NDMA took a total of six points and gave a fact check against the false claims. They are: 1) Claim: A moist throat can ensure protection from corona infection. Fact: False. There is no scientific evidence to support this claim Claim: A moist throat can ensure protection from corona infection. Fact: False. There is no scientific evidence to support this claim#coronavirusindia #coronavirus #IndiaFightsCorona #Mythbuster pic.twitter.com/ByXhjKAMQs NDMA India (@ndmaindia) March 25, 2020 2) Claim: Heavy intake of Vitamin-C can help in curing corona infection. Fact: Regular intake of Vitamin-C boosts immunity. However, excessive intake is not recommended. Claim: Heavy intake of Vitamin-C can help in curing corona infection. Fact: Regular intake of Vitamin-C boosts immunity. However, excessive intake is not recommended. #coronavirusindia #coronavirus #IndiaFightsCorona #Mythbuster pic.twitter.com/6je3aa1GFX NDMA India (@ndmaindia) March 25, 2020 3) Claim: If you can hold your breath for 10 sec without discomfort, you dont have COVID-19. Fact: Holding your breath for more than 10 seconds without discomfort does not prove whether you are infected or not. Claim: If you can hold your breath for 10 sec without discomfort, you dont have COVID-19. Fact: Holding your breath for more than 10 seconds without discomfort does not prove whether you are infected or not. #coronavirusindia #coronavirus #IndiaFightsCorona #Mythbuster pic.twitter.com/8MSc6xcMVF NDMA India (@ndmaindia) March 25, 2020 4) Claim: Chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, is effective in curing COVID-19. Fact: False. The efficacy and efficiency of a specific drug for the treatment of Coronavirus can only be decided by the treating physician, as per teh recommended guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 5) Claim: A viral post on social media claims a State government in the country has recommended that the juice of bitter gourd is an effective treatment for COVID-19 Fact: False. This claim is absolutely false. There is no such treatment. Claim: A viral post on social media claims a State government in the country has recommended that the juice of bitter gourd is an effective treatment for COVID-19 Fact: This claim is absolutely false#coronavirusindia #coronavirus #IndiaFightsCorona #Mythbuster pic.twitter.com/Nrb5FVOk8V NDMA India (@ndmaindia) March 25, 2020 6) Claim: Paracetamol can treat Coronavirus infection. Fact: Paracetamol can treat one of the symptoms like fever. However, it is not a definitive treatment for COVID-19. Based on personal history and other related illnesses and factors, the treatment of a patient can only be decided by a medical professional. Claim: Paracetamol can treat Coronavirus infection. Fact: Paracetamol can treat one of the symptoms like fever. However, it is not a definitive treatment for COVID-19.#coronavirusindia #coronavirus #CoronaStopKaroNa #IndiaFightsCorona #SocialDistancing #StayHome#Mythbuster pic.twitter.com/hMYTrYfTes NDMA India (@ndmaindia) March 25, 2020 This comes amidst a nationwide lockdown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from March 25 till April 14 to fight the deadly virus. Kurt Van Deren Van Deren teaches English and social studies at Molalla High School. He lives in Portland. We are living in extraordinary circumstances. The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down schools statewide and imposed restrictions on our daily lives closures that I applaud and recognize are necessary in the interest of public safety. But as an educator, I am frustrated that the Oregon Department of Education, more than a week and a half after schools were closed, is largely cautioning districts against offering online instruction. The underlying message? Students needs can wait. The stated reason for the agencys stance is equity. The education department asserts that moving forward with some sort of virtual instruction could lead to inequities between and among students and families within districts and across the state particularly for students with special education needs or who lack access to technology. While there is undoubtedly some validity to this concern, what it does is turn the idea of equity on its head. We should be assessing the needs of individual students and saying to those students who have unique needs, We will provide you with the supports and accommodations you need to ensure that you are able to move forward successfully. Instead, the education department is saying No one is allowed to move forward unless everyone is. However admirable that may appear on its face, its not how individualized educational plans function in the classroom, nor should it be how we manage instruction during the current closure. Let me make an analogy. New students enter classes at my school on a regular basis, having transferred from other districts, or in extreme cases, having moved to the United States from outside of the country. A percentage of those students have unique educational needs; they may have dyslexia or ADHD or suffer from anxiety that interferes with their ability to process new information, they may have visual or hearing or other physical impairments, they may be English language learners, the list goes on. Those students who do have unique educational needs have their needs assessed when they enter our school, and an individualized educational plan is crafted to try to help them access class material and achieve the same academic success as all other students in the class. We do not, however, cease instruction for the rest of the class while the process of assessment and accommodation for those students with unique educational needs is ongoing. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 500-700 words on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. While the agency cites lack of access to technology as a reason to wait, the irony is that some districts are seeking to learn students technology needs through the use of on-line surveys. Think about that for a minute. And in an effort to keep students engaged during the closure, some districts, like mine, are providing generic educational resources that are available to students and families you guessed it on line. I teach mostly seniors at Molalla High School, primarily in Advanced Placement courses and dual-credit courses through Clackamas Community College. In both instances, these are classes for which students can earn college credit. While College Board, which administers the AP exams, is already moving forward with plans to provide modified exams this spring to the nearly 1.25 million students who will take roughly 4 million exams,and the community college is already moving forward with digital classes for its students, my students are being left behind as a result of the states overly-cautious approach. It is likely that some of my students have not yet considered the possible implications of waiting. Some may be thinking that the current closure means they get a free pass for the remainder of high school and a six-month long summer vacation. Others, however, recognize what they stand to lose the longer we all wait. I know this because I began receiving emails from students as early as last Saturday, two days after Gov. Kate Browns initial closure order, asking me for material they could work on in the meantime. These students realize the opportunity to earn college credit for these classes in which they have worked hard could be slipping away. If I were among these students, or if I were a parent of any of these students, I would be disillusioned and angry at the continued direction to just wait. Oregons students deserve better. Egypts health ministry has announced that 54 new coronavirus cases have been detected and one person has died from the virus on Wednesday. The total number of cases has now reached 456 and the number of fatalities is up to 21. The ministry added in a statement that 15 more cases 11 Egyptians and four foreigners have fully recovered and left isolation hospital on Wednesday. The number of people whose test results have turned from positive to negative so far has reached 113, among whom 95 have fully recovered and left isolation hospital. The 54 newly detected cases are all Egyptians who were in contact with positive cases announced before, the ministry said. The new fatality was a 63-year-old Egyptian citizen from Menoufiya governorate. All the positive coronavirus cases are in isolation hospitals and are undergoing medical treatment according to World Health Organisation guidelines, health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said. Egypts Minister of Health Hala Zayed urged Egyptians to "stay at home" to help slow the spread of the coronavirus in a press conference earlier on Wednesday. "The next two or three weeks are very important," the minister said, calling on people to exercise vigilance and avoid gatherings and family visits. "It will not be worrying if we reach 1,000 [cases] in the long term. It would be worrying if we reach the figure in two or three days," Zayed said. Egypt has a good chance of beating the virus, but this will only happen if everyone follows the restrictive measures, the minister added. Egypt has declared a two-week curfew from 7pm to 6am starting Wednesday, the strictest measure taken so far to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Egypt had already halted international flights, banned mass gatherings, shuttered cinemas, mosques and churches and suspended communal prayers. Search Keywords: Short link: Trump, Pence join 700 pastors in prayer call during coronavirus outbreak Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence joined over 700 pastors on a conference call Friday to pray for strength and stamina amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. In a one-hour call organized by the Christian conservative activist group Family Research Council, Trump told pastors that the outbreak came upon us so suddenly. [W]e were doing better than we've ever done before as a country in terms of the economy and then, all of the sudden, we got hit with this, Trump was quoted as saying by FRC President Tony Perkins. So we had to close it down. We're actually paying a big price to close it down, Trump continued. Never happened before. However, Trump assured the religious leaders that he believes we're going to come back stronger than ever before." "I want to thank you for praying for our country and for those who are sick, the president said. You do such an incredible job. You're very inspirational people. And I'm with you all the way. You know that you see what we've done for right to life and all of the things that we've been working so hard together. I've been working with many of the people on the call. Many, many of the people. We've had tremendous support. But we are going to get over this." Pence told the pastors that when he informed Trump that he was going to be on the call with pastors on Friday, Trump asked if he could join despite a full schedule. "When I told the president I was going to be speaking to all of you, [he was] in the midst of an extraordinarily busy day. [But] he looked at me and said, 'I have to find time. I need to find time, Pence told the pastors. [T]he prayers of the people on this call mean [everything] to him. Before leaving the call, Perkins asked the president what hed most like people to pray for during this time of crisis and uncertainty. Trump replied by urging the pastors to pray for the health and strength of the country. We were doing something amazing, and then one day, it just ended. So that would be it, Trump said, urging Americans to "make the right choice on [election day], Nov. 3. Pence told the pastors that he and the president couldn't be more inspired by the way communities of faith have been stepping up. According to Perkins, Pence talked about how congregations are keeping their food banks going and finding ways to work within the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pence also thanked churches for offering child care to healthcare workers on the front line of battling the coronavirus. "You know, the president has said many times that we are going to bring the full resources of our federal government to bear on this, the vice president said. But by all of you being here today, and by the energies and ministries that you have [used to respond] to the coronavirus in your communities, you're really putting hands and feet on your faith. And you are demonstrating what the president today called 'the greatness of American character. Pence said that we want a full partnership with you in sharing best practices again." Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson also participated in the call. According to Perkins, Carson told the pastors that God is merciful. "And we will get through this, Carson assured, adding that this could be an opportunity for God to show His power in a way that will help us return to Him. "God still has His hand on this nation, Carson was quoted as saying. And He has His hand on all of us." According to the Christian Broadcasting Network, pastors discussed during the call ways in which churches can assemble during the coronavirus outbreak when so many of them have halted in-person worship services. While several churches have moved services online, others have held drive-in worship services to maintain social distancing. During the call, Trump, Pence and Carson encouraged churches to comply with federal guidelines. Pence thanked pastors for suspending their services during the outbreak and said that he would encourage Americans to continue giving to churches and ministries even though they may not be attending in person. In a White House press briefing on Saturday, Pence formally urged Americans to continue giving to ministries during the outbreak. On Tuesday, Trump drew criticism when he said that he wanted the U.S. to be "opened up and just raring to go by Easter, which is just over two-and-a-half weeks away. However, some health experts have warned that more time may be needed to curb the spread of the virus. NDRC, which sources and builds digital startups to invest in and work with, has unveiled the latest cohort of new businesses to enter its accelerator programme. NDRC is continuing its new investment approach, initiated in 2019. Ventures in the latest cohort will see up to 130,000, of which 100,000 is cash invested into each business. Each startups founding team will work with NDRC experts over the course of the programme, helping them move towards attracting further private investment. NDRCs portfolio is now enhanced with businesses providing solutions for healthcare, hospitality and financial services. Initially based at NDRCs Digital Exchange offices, the startups are now working remotely with NDRCs team, given the Covid-19 pandemic. Having invested in 25 new startups during 2019, the number of companies in NDRCs portfolio is now well in excess of 300. With such experience, NDRCs success is built on finding very early stage companies and teams at concept stage, with the potential to grow internationally. NDRC will be investing in more businesses later this year, with a second Dublin accelerator as well as NDRC at ArcLabs on the way. The six companies taking part are: AIP Animal Labs Champion's Mind Lintil Site Passport Skueeze Welcoming the new companies, CEO of NDRC, Ben Hurley said, "I'm delighted to welcome these six new companies into NDRC's portfolio. It's no secret that bringing a startup from an idea right through to being ready for investment is a challenging process. What these founders have achieved so far is clear to see. With our proven expertise and focus, NDRC is here to accelerate that transformation into commercially investable business propositions." He added, "The Covid-19 pandemic means we have had to tailor our approach for this programme, with operations continuing remotely for our team and these startups. Given what is going on in the world right now, there has perhaps never been quite such a challenging time to develop a nascent business, and yet it is also clear that digital technology has a major role to play in future solutions for the benefit of society and the economy. Focus is key, now. NDRC will be working alongside each of these companies to help them navigate their way to growth." Source: www.businessworld.ie SKY News has a new six part series The Alliance, in which Business Editor Ticky Fullarton looks at the US Australian Alliance. According to a release this is produced in partnership with Visy and Verizon (Visy Executive Chair Anthony Pratt is interviewed). Ticky Fullerton, SKY News Business Editor and anchor, said: One hundred years ago as the Alliance was being formed, the world was battling a global pandemic just as we are now. There is real depth to the story of the Alliance: founded though a joint belief in freedoms and defence of our values to a bond that is increasingly focused on business and opportunity and fast-moving geopolitics in our region. Its a story all Australians should understand. In the lead up to the US Election later this year and as the world faces the biggest public health crisis in a generation, Sky News Business Editor Ticky Fullerton anchors the one-hour program examining the important role and impact of the US-Australian partnership. During the first episode, Ticky travels to Washington to explore why the strength of our Pacific partnership is more important now, than ever and to understand the shared culture and values that form the fabric of our close bond with the US. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison talks to the state of the relationship, the influence of China and the crucial role of each country in global affairs. Gaining insights from business leaders, political insiders and diplomats, including Arthur B. Culvahouse who is currently serving as the United States Ambassador to Australia, as well as former Australian politicians and United States Ambassadors to Australia, Joe Hockey and Kim Beazley, former American government official and United States Ambassador to Australia, John Berry and business leader, Anthony Pratt. The program delves into specific details on why Australia is such an important partner in the Alliance, how the relationship is set to change in 2020 and how it will impact Australias association with China. 8pm AEDT tonight on SKY News. Advertisement The Queen and Prince Philip face a nervous wait at Windsor Castle after Prince Charles today revealed he has tested positive for coronavirus. The Prince of Wales, 71, has a 'mild' form of the illness and is on the Balmoral estate with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who has tested negative and is without any symptoms of the virus, which has killed 435 and infected 8,200 more in the UK so far. The Queen and Philip had already travelled to Windsor Castle before the announcement from Clarence House today, after moving to the royal estate last Thursday. A royal source said Charles' doctor's most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious on March 13 - 24 hours after 'briefly' meeting his 93-year-old mother the Queen. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'Her Majesty remains in good health. The Queen is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare'. It is not known if the monarch has been tested for coronavirus but she is said to be on lockdown and not even close family members can see her. Her weekly meeting with the Prime Minister is being done by phone, rather than in person at Buckingham Palace, where a worker tested positive while the Queen was still in residence last week. The monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh, who was helicoptered to Windsor from Sandringham last Thursday, are being looked after by her two favourite staff, who are part of a skeleton team of just eight. The rest of her 100-plus workers have all been told to go home to protect both the head of state and themselves. Charles' coronavirus was confirmed yesterday - exactly a fortnight after meeting Prince Albert of Monaco, who tested positive five days ago, after he sat opposite the Prince of Wales at a WaterAid event in London on March 10. A Clarence House spokesman said: 'The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. 'The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing'. NHS Scotland has said the heir to the throne qualified because of his age and his symptoms. Charles' spokesman said it was impossible to say where he caught it from because of the large number of public engagements he has carried out in 'recent weeks' - but it will raise questions over whether it came from Prince Albert and if the heir to the throne has spread it himself, including to relatives. As coronavirus reached the royal family on the second day of Britain's lockdown, it has also emerged: The UK Government claims to have bought 3.5million coronavirus antibody tests - but refuses to reveal who makes them, when they will be available on the NHS or whether they'll be used at home; Shoppers are still ignoring social distancing rules amid fears stores will become hotbeds of coronavirus, with growing calls for the Government lockdown to become more stringent Sadiq Khan has defied instruction from Boris Johnson to increase London's dangerously cramped Tube services - saying services will be cut further because so many staff are off sick; London and Madrid now face worse coronavirus outbreaks than Italy's Lombardy region with deaths doubling every two days. But in better news Germany sees a drop in infection rate from 21% to 15%; FTSE 100 reaches highest level in two weeks after rising nearly 5% with 258-point surge as world markets rallied again; Charles was last seen with the Queen on March 9 at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey and saw her again on March 12 - 24 hours before his doctor claims he became contagious. Her Majesty is well but taking appropriate medical advice and is with Philip at Windsor with a skeleton team of just eight MailOnline has plotted Charles movements over the past 16 days, where he is likely to have met hundreds of people over the past few weeks where hge March 10: Charles (left) sat across from Prince Albert of Monaco at an event in London on March 10 - Albert tested positive on March 20 but Charles' team say it is impossible to know how he caught it after a flurry of public engagements this month March 11: Prince Charles has been continuing to carry out public engagements despite the coronavirus crisis - but has avoided shaking hands, shown here using a namaste gesture to Ant and Dec at the Prince's Trust Awards 2020 March 12: Charles stood in for his mother on investiture day 13 days ago - and saw his mother 'briefly' at Buckingham Palace that day March 12: The Prince of Wales meets guests at a dinner at Mansion House in London, where he was guest of honour Prince Albert, Boris Johnson and the Queen: Who Prince Charles has met over the past 16 days and where Prince Charles has carried out a number of engagements over the past fortnight at which he has had contact with possibly hundreds of people. Here are his movements around London over the last two weeks: March 9 Westminster Abbey: Charles and Camilla join members of the Royal Family including the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and other dignitaries including Boris Johnson at the annual Commonwealth Service Westminster Abbey: Charles and Camilla join members of the Royal Family including the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and other dignitaries including Boris Johnson at the annual Commonwealth Service March 9 - Marlborough House, London: Charles and Camilla are guests of Commonwealth secretary-general Baroness Scotland at an event to mark Commonwealth Day at the Commonwealth Secretariat. - Marlborough House, London: Charles and Camilla are guests of Commonwealth secretary-general Baroness Scotland at an event to mark Commonwealth Day at the Commonwealth Secretariat. March 10 - Kings Place: Charles sits opposite Prince Albert of Monaco, who later tests positive for coronavirus, at a WaterAid charity event - Kings Place: Charles sits opposite Prince Albert of Monaco, who later tests positive for coronavirus, at a WaterAid charity event March 11 - London Palladium: Charles, the president of the Prince's Trust, meets award winners and the charity's supporters including Ant and Dec at the annual Prince's Trust Awards - London Palladium: Charles, the president of the Prince's Trust, meets award winners and the charity's supporters including Ant and Dec at the annual Prince's Trust Awards March 12 : Buckingham Palace Investitures include making Baroness Benjamin a Dame. Charles also meets the Queen in the morning. : Buckingham Palace Investitures include making Baroness Benjamin a Dame. Charles also meets the Queen in the morning. March 12 - Mansion House: Meets London Lord Mayor William Russell and the High Commissioner for Australia George Brandis at a dinner in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort - Mansion House: Meets London Lord Mayor William Russell and the High Commissioner for Australia George Brandis at a dinner in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort Since March 12 Charles has a number of private meetings with Highgrove and Duchy individuals, all of whom have now been informed. He flew to Balmoral on March 22. Advertisement Charles is said to be happy and calm despite his diagnosis. A royal source told People magazine of Charles and Camilla: Both of them remain in good spirits. There is a sense of keeping calm and carrying on. The duchess is concerned for him, but she is aware of his own good spirits and therefore is keeping a close eye on him and mindful of her own situation. She is upbeat. MailOnline has also plotted the prince's movements over the past 16 days and he attended at least six public engagements meeting hundreds of people. These included a string of Britain's biggest stars at his annual Prince's Trust awards at the Royal Albert Hall two weeks ago - the start of the coronavirus 14-day incubation period. The Prince of Wales was last at Buckingham Palace on March 12 to carry out investiture on behalf of the Queen, who he also 'briefly' met. His coronavirus diagnosis will raise fears for the health of elderly royals including his mother and Prince Philip, 98, who are together at Windsor Castle, especially because of the high death rate among the elderly. Charles is understood not to have seen his father for many weeks, possibly during the Megxit crisis talks at Sandringham, where his 98-year-old father was based until he flew by helicopter to Windsor last Thursday. William and Kate are at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, while Harry and Meghan are back in Canada, after both couples saw Charles at the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey on March 9. At the service no members of the royal family shook hands, with the Prince greeting people with Namastes and the Duke of Sussex elbow bumping Craig David. Two days later on March 11 he also met with a string of celebrities at the Prince's Trust Awards 2020 in London, attended by Ant and Dec, Philip Schofield, Fearne Cotton, Pierce Brosnan, Richard E Grant, Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood, X Factor star Fleur East, Dina Asher-Smith and Craig David. Arriving at the Prince's Trust awards a fortnight ago, Charles twice extended his hand to greet people before withdrawing it at the last minute in mock horror and greeting then with a bow and the Hindi greeting 'Namaste'. Where are senior members of the Royal Family staying during the coronavirus outbreak? The Queen: Travelled from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle on Thursday, March 19 Prince Philip: Travelled from Sandringham to Windsor Castle on Thursday, March 19 Prince Charles and Camilla: Flew from Clarence House in London to Balmoral in Aberdeenshire by RAF plane on Sunday, March 22 Prince William and Kate: Moved from Kensington Palace to Amner Hall in Norfolk with George, Charlotte and Louis Prince Harry and Meghan: Staying on Vancouver Island in Canada with their son Archie Prince Andrew: Staying at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park Prince Edward and Sophie: Staying in Bagshot, Surrey Advertisement Turning to Dame Martina Milburn, the Trust's chief executive, the prince said: 'It's just so hard to remember not to.' On the evening of March 12, after investitures at Buckingham Palace, The Prince of Wales with the Lord Mayor of the City of London and the High Commissioner for Australia at a Mansion House dinner in London, his last known public engagement. But he did have a number of private meetings with Highgrove and Duchy individuals, all of whom have been made aware of his illness. He flew to Birkhall, his Balmoral home, with Camilla on March 22 - around the time he started feeling unwell. A small number of people living and working at Birkhall are remaining at the residence and self-isolating. Charles had been displaying 'mild symptoms' over the weekend before being tested on Monday. A royal source has said that medical advice given to the prince is that it is unlikely to escalate into a more serious case. Charles has spoken to his sons the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex, as well as the Queen, since he tested positive in an NHS test yesterday. Why did Prince Charles and Camilla get tested for coronavirus when the NHS say ONLY patients in hospital will be screened? Question have been raised after Prince Charles and Camilla were tested for coronavirus despite thousands of NHS workers and sick Brits being denied a swab. The Prince of Wales, 71, is thought to have been tested via a nasal swab by NHS Grampian staff at the royal residence in Aberdeenshire, despite only showing mild symptoms. Camilla, 72, was also swabbed, even though she had no symptoms. But she produced a negative result and has now separated herself from the prince. NHS Scotland's website states that, in general, tests are only to be given out if patients 'have a serious illness that requires admission to hospital' - which is in line with the criteria in the rest of the UK. It means that even NHS staff suffering tell-tale symptoms of the virus are not entitled to a test. The news has sparked fury and claims the royals had 'special treatment'. But Scotlands chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, has said she is satisfied Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were tested for 'clinical reasons'. Advertisement The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Boris Johnson was informed about the Prince of Wales' positive test result this morning and he 'wishes the prince a speedy recovery'. The spokesman said the Prime Minister's weekly audience with the Queen was now taking place by telephone. 'I would expect that to be the case later today, it certainly was the case last week as well,' the spokesman said. A member of the Scottish Parliament has expressed surprise that the Prince of Wales was tested for Covid-19 on the NHS. Joan McAlpine, SNP MSP for the South of Scotland, tweeted that she wishes Charles a speedy recovery, but added: 'Given that his symptoms are said to be mild, like many I wonder how he was tested when many NHS and social care workers cannot get tested. 'My nephew, who has serious asthma and a chest infection was recently refused a test. #coronavirus.' It came after Clarence House said Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were tested on the NHS in Aberdeenshire, where they are currently staying, as 'they met the criteria required for testing'. It also said Charles is experiencing 'mild symptoms'. The NHS Scotland website says people will only generally be tested for Covid-19 if they 'have a serious illness that requires admission to hospital'. March 9: The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Marlborough House for a Commonwealth Day event. Camilla has tested negative and is without any symptoms of the virus March 9: Charles also stood close to his children and his wives on March 9 at Westminster Abbey, before he is said to have been contagious. William and Kate are at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, while Harry and Meghan are back in Canada. Charles, pictured with his family on March 9, is with his wife Camilla at Balmoral. She is not showing symptoms but is being monitored Prince Charles walks past Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Westminster Abbey on March 9, with his daughter-in-law Kate to his right Prince Charles is in an 'excellent position' to fight the coronavirus because of his healthy diet and lifestyle Prince Charles is in an 'excellent position' to beat coronavirus despite his age, according to a former GP. Over-70s are among those most at risk of suffering serious complications as a result of the virus, which has killed 424 and infected 8,000 more in the UK so far. But the Prince of Wales, who turned 71 in November, should be protected because of his healthy diet and lifestyle, according to Dr Sarah Brewer. She warned that he must avoid his royal relatives not living in the same household, adding that the 'same rules apply to everyone. He is not known to have any underlying health conditions. Dr Brewer added: 'Should he become unwell, his underlying fitness and excellent medical care should ensure he makes a good recovery.' Advertisement Charles and Camilla are both aged over 70 - the age group told to take social distancing particularly seriously. The Government advice states: 'We are advising those who are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (Covid-19) to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures.' The group includes anyone aged 70 or over, regardless of any medical conditions. Asked about the Prince of Wales testing positive for coronavirus, Scotland's chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood said: 'I've discussed with the team in NHS Grampian and from the information I've been given its clear he was tested for clinical reasons and I'm pleased also that he is well and as with many people who have had this virus he has had a mild illness.' First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she sends her best wishes to the Prince of Wales. Asked about the Government's instruction that people should not seek to escape the Covid-19 pandemic by travelling to the Highlands, she said: 'We want people to behave responsibly, we don't want people to see the Highlands and Islands of our country as places where they can outrun the virus. 'Obviously there are places where people have homes in Scotland and people will choose to go to their homes but we should all be responsible.' At Westminster, Shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz said: 'Can I start by wishing Prince Charles a speedy recovery, I know he's tested positive for coronavirus and our gracious sovereign who's also in self-isolation.' Around 1.5 million in England fall into a more serious group and have been told to stay at home for 12 weeks. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT PRINCE CHARLES' MEDICAL HISTORY? The Prince of Wales Prince Charles's medical history isn't publicly known - but he has had a catalogue of injuries over the years. Concerns for his health were sparked in November when he was pictured with swollen hands and feet on the first day of his royal tour in India. As he removed his shoes to step into a Sikh temple in New Delhi, the 70-year-old's fingers and toes were red and swollen. Swollen feet can have many causes, among them gout and diabetes - but there is no suggestion Prince Charles has any of them. Often swelling is caused by a build-up of fluid, which may happen as a result of spending too long sitting, such as on long-haul flights. Charles has hurt his back several times over the years in falls from horses and ponies. He had a slipped disc in 1991 and broke a rib in 1998. The Prince of Wales also needed keyhole surgery to repair damaged cartilage in his right knee in 1998. He had the surgery on his left knee years earlier. All those years of wear and tear took their toll on Charles's legs, and in 1998 he needed keyhole laser surgery to repair damaged cartilage in his right knee. Advertisement This includes those who have received a donor organ, anyone on active chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer, some with specific cancers and people with severe chest conditions such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma. Charles' health has been relatively robust. Last November, the Prince of Wales was seen with painfully swollen hands and feet during the first day of his royal tour in India, sparking concerns for his health. As he removed his shoes to step into a Sikh temple in New Delhi, the 71-year-old's fingers and toes were considerably red and inflamed. But the heir to the throne dismissed any apparent discomfort, which may have been caused by the nine-hour flight to South Asia. And in 2018, Prince Charles admitted he was no longer in the shape he once was. As he approached his 70th birthday, the royal joked that he knows 'only too well' the inevitable physical decline that comes with reaching such a milestone. 'I don't know about you,' he told a crowd of septuagenarians in Brisbane, Australia at the time, 'but now bits of me keep falling off at regular intervals.' Charles has, certainly, suffered a catalogue of injuries over the years. When he met boxer Amir Khan in 2015, the pair compared battle wounds and it turned out Charles had done himself more damage in his lifetime than the former world champion had suffered in the ring. In recent years, his catalogue of injuries include a swollen eye caused by dust from a tree, to a cracked rib sustained in a tumble from a horse and a non-cancerous growth which was removed from his face in 2008. WHAT IS THE RISK OF CORONAVIRUS TO A 71-YEAR-OLD MAN SUCH AS PRINCE CHARLES? Older people are known to be most vulnerable to the coronavirus because they have weaker immune systems, which makes it harder for them to fight off any infection. Patients battling underlying medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, also face a greater risk of dying or suffering severe complications. It is unclear if Prince Charles, 71, has any underlying health conditions that may raise his risk. Chinese researchers, who carried out the world's biggest study on COVID-19 patients, warned the risk of patients in their 70s dying was around eight per cent. The team, who analysed data from 72,000 coronavirus cases, found the overall case-fatality ratio, the percentage of patients who die, was just 2.3 per cent. British health officials say the death rate is likely to be much lower because there are tens of thousands of patients who won't be diagnosed because their symptoms are so mild. What is the death rate for COVID-19 for different age groups? AGE 0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80+ *** DEATHS (%) 0%*** 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.4% 1.3% 3.6% 8% 14.8% 0 deaths recorded The same study also found the case-fatality ratio was higher for men (2.8 per cent) than women (1.7 per cent), a finding that has been echoed across the world. Scientists say they don't know why women seem less likely to die, but have suggested they naturally tend to have stronger immune systems and are less likely to have long-term health conditions. Advertisement Could other royals now have coronavirus? How Prince Charles's met the Queen and family members from Prince William and Kate Middleton to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the 16 days weeks before testing positive Prince Charles has had contact with possibly hundreds of people over the past 16 days, including the Queen and Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The 71-year-old heir to the throne, who has tested positive for coronavirus, carried out at least six engagements as the outbreak gathered pace. He last met with the Queen briefly at Buckingham Palace on March 12, with doctors believing he could have been contagious from the following day. Charles with the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle at the Westminster Abbey service on March 9 Prince Charles is greeted by Baroness Scotland as he arrives with the Duchess of Cornwall for the Commonwealth Reception at Marlborough House in London on March 9 Charles also met all the senior members of the Royal Family apart from Prince Philip at the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9. Others royals at the service included the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who have since moved to Amner Hall in Norfolk with their three children. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have since returned to Vancouver Island before they step down as senior royals on March 31, were also there. The Queen - who remains in 'good health' - travelled from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle last Thursday, where Philip joined her from Sandringham. Charles's last public engagement was on March 12 when he attended a dinner at Mansion House in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort. Charles with singer Alexandra Burke (second left) and other guests during the Commonwealth Reception at Marlborough House in London on Commonwealth Day on March 9 The Prince of Wales alongside Tim Wainwright from WaterAid at Kings Place on March 10 The Prince of Wales at the WaterAid charity's Water and Climate event in London on March 10 But following this Charles did have a number of private meetings with Highgrove and Duchy individuals, all of whom have been made aware. On March 9, the day of the Commonwealth Service, Charles and his wife Camilla also went to Marlborough House in London for a reception. They were guests of Commonwealth secretary-general Baroness Scotland at the event to mark Commonwealth Day at the Commonwealth Secretariat. One day later, Charles was with Monaco's head of state Prince Albert II, who has since tested positive for coronavirus. Charles is not believed to have shaken hands with Prince Albert but attended a roundtable meeting with him at the WaterAid Summit in London on that day. And on March 11 Charles, the president of the Prince's Trust, met award winners and the charity's supporters at the annual Prince's Trust Awards. Celebrities he met at the event included actors Pierce Brosnan, James Norton and Richard E. Grant, Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and presenters Ant and Dec. Then one day later on March 12, Charles had a short meeting with the Queen in the morning at Buckingham Palace after holding an investitures ceremony. Charles gave honours to children's TV presenter Baroness Benjamin, Scottish composer Helen Grime and The Searchers singer Michael Prendergast. And later that evening, Charles attended a dinner at Mansion House in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort. He met with the Lord Mayor of the City of London, William Russell, and the High Commissioner for Australia, George Brandis, at the event. The prince was pictured practising namastes instead of handshakes at his public events, including when the royals gathered for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, and the Prince's Trust event on March 11. Today, a Clarence House spokesman said Charles was displaying 'mild symptoms' but is in good health as he self isolates at home in Scotland. Charles alongside footballer Harry Kane on stage at the annual Prince's Trust Awards 2020 held at the London Palladium on March 11 The Prince of Wales greets Pierce Brosnan (centre) at the London Palladium on March 11 Charles with Kate Garraway and Alexander Armstrong at the London Palladium on March 11 The Prince of Wales speaks to Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood at the London Palladium on March 11 Camilla, 72, who is also at Birkhall, in Aberdeenshire, has tested negative for the virus, so is separating herself from the prince. Buckingham Palace said the 93-year-old monarch, who is staying at Windsor Castle with the 98-year-old Duke of Edinburgh, remains in good health and is following all appropriate advice. Philip was not with the Queen at Buckingham Palace when she last met Charles on March 12. Charles has spoken to both his sons the Duke of Cambridge, who is in Norfolk with the Duchess of Cambridge and their young children, and the Duke of Sussex, who is in Canada. He has also been in touch with the Queen. In a statement, Clarence House said: 'The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. 'In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. 'The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. 'It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks.' A source said his doctor's most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious on March 13. The Baroness Benjamin from London is made a Dame Commander of the British Empire by the Prince of Wales during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on March 12 The Prince of Wales (right) talks to the Lord Mayor of London, William Russell, and his wife Hilary at a dinner for the Australian bushfire relief at Mansion House in London on March 12 Charles with the Lord Mayor of the City of London, William Russell (left) and the High Commissioner for Australia, George Brandis (right) at a dinner at Mansion House on March 12 A small number of people living and working at Birkhall are remaining at the residence and self-isolating. The source said the prince was up and about and not bedridden. Medical advice is that it is unlikely to escalate into a more serious case. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said today: 'Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health. 'The Queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of March 12 and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare.' How Birkhall is Prince Charles and Camilla's idyllic royal retreat The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall spent their honeymoon at the idyllic royal retreat of Birkhall. Now as they approach their 15th wedding anniversary next month, the pair are self-isolating from one another in their beloved Scottish home after Charles tested positive for coronavirus. Each Easter and summer, Charles and Camilla head to the residence nestled in a picturesque glen on the Queen's private Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire. Charles at a ceremony to present service medals in the grounds of Birkhall in 2012 The couple, who are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, usually spend their time fishing, painting or walking together near the secluded home, which used to belong to Charles's grandmother the Queen Mother. But this stay will be vastly different as they isolate from each other and their small remaining household. The Queen Mother used to described the home as a 'little big house'. The grand hunting lodge was where heir to the throne Charles found sanctuary as a teenager with his grandmother during his unhappy school days at Gordonstoun. Charles and Camilla at the Arboretum at Birkhall in the BBC documentary 'Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70' in November 2018 He inherited it from the Queen Mother following her death in 2002. In Charles's own words, the retreat is 'a unique haven of cosiness and character'. Alongside his grandmother, Charles first learned to fish by the whisky-brown waters of the Muick which flows at the bottom of the lodge's garden. During the turmoil of his divorce from Diana, Princess of Wales, it was at Birkhall that Charles sought refuge from media scrutiny. Shortly after the death of the Queen Mother, the grieving Prince made the sad journey back to stay in the nostalgic house, where he was joined by Camilla. Hidden from public view, the mansion dates to 1715 and was bought by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for their son in 1849. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Birkhall in a photograph for Country Life magazine in 2018 The Queen Mother, then the Duchess of York, first went there shortly after she married the Duke of York in 1923, when King George V suggested they use it as their Scottish home. Charles's parents, the Queen, then known as Princess Elizabeth, and the Duke of Edinburgh, spent part of their honeymoon at Birkhall in 1947, after first travelling to Broadlands in Hampshire to the home of Philip's uncle Earl Mountbatten. The Scottish mansion also played a crucial role in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's romance when they were dating. William and Kate enjoyed romantic breaks at the retreat, and reportedly told friends many of their happiest weekends were spent at the sanctuary. In 2010, Camilla broke her left fibula while out hillwalking on the Balmoral estate. Advertisement Buckingham Palace scrapped a televised coronavirus address by the Queen 'for her own safety' and to 'keep the airwaves clear for Prime Minister and doctors', royal expert claims Buckingham Palace scrapped a national televised address about coronavirus from the Queen 'for her own safety' and to keep the airways clear for politicians and medical professionals, a royal expert has claimed. Last week Her Majesty, 93, issued a statement on the outbreak, saying the UK is 'entering a period of great concern and uncertainty'. Speaking after leaving London for Windsor, where she was joined by Prince Philip, she urged Britain to come together amid the crisis and assured the country that the Royal Family is ready to 'play its part' in beating the deadly infection. There had been speculation that the monarch would deliver this message on a national televised broadcast. Buckingham Palace scrapped a national televised address about coronavirus from the Queen (pictured at the Commonwealth Service earlier this month) 'for her own safety' and to keep the airways clear for politicians and medical professionals, a royal expert has claimed Omid Scobie, a royal contributor on ABC, admitted he was confused by the sudden change to a written statement, having expressed a televised address. However, royal commentator Victoria Arbiter explained that there were two reasons behind the decision not to go ahead with it. Speaking on The HeirPod, she said: 'There is a real sense that they need to keep the focus and keep the airwaves clear for the experts, for the doctors, for the Prime Minister.' She added that the statement was a way to get the message out there as it could be printed on newspapers, posted on social media and read out on broadcast. 'It could reach a huge number of people without taking away airtime,' she continued. Last week Her Majesty, 93, issued a statement on the outbreak, saying the UK is 'entering a period of great concern and uncertainty' 'It is inevitable that at some stage she will address the nation. I hope it is not because things have gotten considerably worse but that we are coming out the other side. 'But I think, that kind of decision would have been made for purely practical reasons and not wanting to overstretch resources.' Victoria also suggested that the move was to limit the number of people around Her Majesty. 'We know that when the Queen gives an address, there are a lot of people involved,' she explained. 'There is lighting, and sound, and hair and make-up, and producers, and directors, and, at least in the US every, major news station has reported a positive coronavirus case. Speaking after leaving London for Windsor (pictured), where she was joined by Prince Philip, the Queen urged Britain to come together amid the crisis and assured the country that the Royal Family is ready to 'play its part' in beating the deadly infection 'There is an abundance of caution given the Queen's age and that she and Prince Philip are protected. So that impacted the decision-making.' FEMAIL has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment. Late last week, Downing Street sources said the Queen is preparing to make a televised address to calm the nation's nerves during the 'difficult times ahead'. With the death toll from Covid-19 continuing to rise at a rapid rate, it is understood that as the 'mother of the nation' the Queen is waiting for the right moment and wants to time her address to make the maximum impact. The victims of Sadiq Khan's stubborn REFUSAL to run more Tubes amid coronavirus crisis: Mother of premature baby and nurse forced to risk health on packed carriages and teacher who QUIT over fears Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told MPs today that he believes it should be possible to 'run a better Tube system at the moment' in light of overcrowding on the London Underground. Sadiq Khan sparked fury today and defied the Prime Minister as he warned Tube services will be cut back even further because one in three staff are now off sick - up from one in five overnight - despite dangerous conditions on trains for terrified coronavirus key workers. A special needs teacher told MailOnline he has quit work because of the dangers of contracting coronavirus while travelling on packed tubes, while the mother of a premature baby has revealed that she was worried about taking the Tube but had little choice if she wanted to visit her newly arrived son in hospital. Mary Selassie, 42, was taking the underground from Ealing Broadway to Westminster, the closest station to St Thomas' hospital in South London where her son Elhan is being treated in a specialist intensive care unit after being born three months early. The journey takes around an hour. She told MailOnline: 'I need the underground at this time because without it I would not be able to spend time with my son. I've been doing this journey for the past three weeks and in the last few days the service has not been as regular. I don't understand why they are reducing the number of trains because it just means that we have to wait for longer. 'Many other people are in the same difficult position as me. They're getting the tube because they have to. Of course I'm worried because there's a very high chance that I could become infected using public transport and then I definitely would not be able to see my baby. This is just adding to my stress.' The Prime Minister has told the Mayor of London to add more trains but London's Tube network is packed again with Mr Khan accused of 'risking lives' after slashing number of trains at a time of national emergency. Today one in three of TfL staff are ill or in self-isolation - including large numbers of drivers and customer-facing workers - with the sickness figures appearing to be disproportionately higher than among frontline workers in the NHS, police and fire services. Some have blamed the strength of the Tube unions and their threat to pull away members for the high level of staff absence. MailOnline can reveal that during rush hour today some London Underground lines are currently only running one train every twenty minutes, when it should be one every three to five minutes, causing more crammed conditions in 'death trap' carriages and on heaving platforms. As Britain started its second day of mass self-isolation today, it also emerged: London is on a trajectory for a worse coronavirus outbreak than Lombardy in Italy with deaths doubling every two days and it could run out of intensive care beds by the end of the week; Parliament is shutting early tonight 'until further notice'; Coronavirus could have infected as much as half of the population of the United Kingdom, according to researchers at the University of Oxford; FTSE 100 opens up 2% by 108 to 5,555 points after record day of trading yesterday as world markets seesaw; London Underground tube passengers try to squeeze onto a carriage on the Central Line at White City this morning with services set to become even less frequent, according to underfire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan MailOnline reader Wayne Alexander, who works for Network London's Tube network is busy again today as Sadiq Khan blamed staff sickness for the severely reduced timetable Commuters crammed on to the Central Line at Leytonstone this morning - where there was only one train every 15 minutes - when it would usually be around every three minutes A commuter in a gas mask waits for a Tube train as Sadiq Khan said it was not possible to run anything but a reduced service Boris Johnson's coronavirus lockdown backed by 93 PER CENT of the public - poll finds Boris Johnson's coronavirus lockdown is backed by 93 per cent of Britons, according to a poll today. But in a potentially worrying sign for the PM, two-thirds believe that the extraordinary curbs will be easy to obey. The announcement by the PM last night mean that everyone must stay inside unless it is absolutely essential. Gatherings of more than two people have been banned in the most dramatic restrictions on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war. But research by YouGov shows the measures have overwhelming endorsement from the public, Advertisement Edvaldo DaSilva, 42, said he had tried and failed to find space to board the underground on Monday and Tuesday and today decided to stay at home. Mr DaSilva said: 'I normally leave my home at Bethnal green and take the tube at around 7 am. ' Last week it was fine and I was able to get on to the trains. ' But on Monday and Tuesday it was impossible because their were less trains running than before. 'The platform was packed and the trains took about 15 minutes to arrive and then I couldn't get on. I looked at everybody on the trains and I thought 'they're breathing all over each other. This is so dangerous'. 'We are supposed to be keeping two meters from people and now that they are less trains, people are being pushed together even more and it's dangerous for our health. 'I saw passengers with their faces stuck next to others and it was terrible. It just needs one person on the train to have coronavirus and everybody is at risk.' Mr DaSilva, who works at the Riverside School in Wood Green, added: 'This is not acceptable. It's really hard for me because I teach vulnerable young people life skills and I must be allowed to do my job. 'But my boss understands and now the government needs to understand. These tube trains are very dangerous for everyone staff and passengers. Something has to be done. 'They need to put new trains on or restrict people travelling. It's so dangerous and opposite to what we are being told by the Government. I feel very sorry for those people who have to ride on those tubes so closely together. It is not right.' Platforms are also packed with people who have no choice but to travel having been classed as key workers Coronavirus UK: New lockdown measures in full Boris Johnson tonight announced a lockdown plan to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the UK as he told the nation to stay at home. People will only be allowed to leave their home for the following 'very limited' purposes: Shopping for basic necessities as infrequently as possible. One form of exercise a day. Any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person. Travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, the PM has announced a ban on: Meeting with friends. Meeting with family members you do not live with. All weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies but excluding funerals. All gatherings of more than two people in public. The PM said the police will have the powers to enforce the lockdown measures through fines and dispersing gatherings. To ensure people comply the government is also: Closing all shops selling non-essential goods. Closing all libraries, playground, outdoor gyms and places of worship. Parks will remain open for exercise, but will be patrolled. Advertisement Ana Gomes, 40 and Carlos Maestu, 51 were taking the central line from Ealing Broadway to West Acton following a shopping trip to a supermarket. Ms Gomes, a waitress who is currently at home after the restaurant she works in closed, said: 'We don't want to get the tube, but we have to. The nearest supermarket to us is here in Ealing Broadway. Both of us are taking all the precautions we can, we'd rather not use public transport but what else are we supposed to do? Spaniard Mr Maestu, a chef, who is also at home following the closure of the central London restaurant he works in added: 'In Spain the lockdown is much tougher than in Britain. If you ask me, they need to shut down all public transport except to essential workers because there are still too many people out and about. 'If they did close the tube it would be a big problem for me, but you can't just think about yourself in a time like this.' Ernesta Juskatie, 38, a dental nurse revealed that she was taking the underground to get to work. She added: 'The practice where I work is still open, so I don't have much choice. When I'm on the underground, I don't sit, and I don't touch anything. I know that might not be enough to stop me getting infected but I'm doing all that I can. 'Personally, I hope they close the whole network down, except for those who really need to get to work, like NHS staff. That way I would have no choice but to stay at home.' Kim Black, 48, a child protection social worker from Oxford said that she was taking the underground to Paddington to catch a train to her home. She added: 'This is my last day at work and then I'll be working from home. I just came into London to collect a laptop from my work and sort out some paperwork. 'It's actually quite pleasant commuting from Oxford at the moment because normally, you don't even get a seat. The underground needs to keep going; there needs to be an increased service, not a decreased one because there are a lot of people who still need to use it.' There is mounting anger among NMHS workers who insist TFL can and must do more to ensure key workers get to work safely throughout the crisis 'Contamination is rife': Boris Johnson faces growing pressure to shut building sites Workers in a cramped canteen at the Hinkley Point C site in Somerset Boris Johnson is under growing pressure to stop non-essential construction workers heading to building sites as Britain attempts to tackle the spread of coronavirus. The Prime Minister has faced calls across the political spectrum for more stringent rules so workers are not placed at risk, and public transport is not overwhelmed. Mr Johnson, who will appear before MPs today for Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, has so far resisted the pressure. But Conservative former cabinet minister Sir Iain Duncan Smith joined the demands for a rethink, after doubts were also raised by Nicola Sturgeon and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Meanwhile, it has emerged that plumbers, electricians and other tradesmen are still allowed to carry out routine work in people's homes despite the dramatic lockdown announced on Monday. Pictures shared on social media today show workers sitting beside one another in a cramped canteen at the Hinkley Point C site in Somerset. Advertisement As deaths in the capital doubled, the Mayor of London is facing mounting fury and pressure to restore services to normal levels with some NHS workers claiming they are now more worried about travelling to work than treating coronavirus patients in hospital. But in a statement Mayor Khan this morning revealed more train services will go and said: 'Nearly a third of TfL's staff are now off sick or self-isolating - including train drivers and crucial control centre staff. Many of them have years of safety-critical training in order to run specific lines - so it is simply not possible to replace them with others. TfL will do everything possible to continue safely running a basic service for key workers, including our amazing NHS staff, but if the number of TfL staff off sick or self-isolating continues to rise - as we sadly expect it will - we will have no choice but to reduce services further.'. There were grim scenes on the Tube again today where commuters with no choice but to go to work were faced to stand nose-to-nose with strangers on teeming trains. Key worker Tony Drew tweeted: 'No-one is listening to you and don't need to reduce the service as much as you have. You need to get more trains on and stop putting the lives of key workers like me at risk'. Kate Mat wrote: 'I have zero respect for Sadiq & TFL! Are they really blind or just heartless??! They are putting key workers life in danger!!!! Nurses, doctors and other key workers can't practice social distancing on cramped tubes!' A senior nurse named Danny posted on Twitter: 'Another busy tube. Can we not stagger people's start times so we aren't all squashed on the same tube! This is unsafe and not fair!', and Barry Trimble, whose work involves ensuring cancer patients receive chemotherapy, posted: 'The Tube is packed, with social distancing impossible. We need more people to stay at home and more trains running in morning and evening peak.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said last night there is 'no good reason' Tube services have been slashed and Boris Johnson also questioned why up to three quarters of services had been axed in a call with Mr Khan yesterday, Commuters have today vented their fury at the lack of trains, with one tweeting Mr Khan this morning with the plea: 'You are herding key workers into a smaller space. Your decision is a difficult one but is directly risking lives. Please rethink this for our health workers so they can at least feel safe going to work'. Another NHS worker said: 'Please sort the tubes out, this is risking lives. Emergency workers have to use TFL! Help now'. Today 500 police officers were deployed at major stations to remind passengers that only those making essential journeys for work should be using the Tube and trains - but huge numbers have no choice but to head to work again today. Today 500 police officers were deployed at major stations to remind passengers that only those making essential journeys for work should be using the Tube and trains Mr Khan has blamed commuters for flouting a ban on 'all non-essential travel' and urged people to avoid rush hour 'to save lives' - claiming he does not have enough staff to return services to normal. Mr Hancock went on the attack as he was asked at a Downing Street press conference this evening why NHS staff and other key workers were being forced to put themselves at risk on crowded transport. He said: 'When it comes to the Tube, the first and the best answer is that Transport for London should have the Tube running in full so that people travelling on the tube are spaced out and can be further apart - obeying the two-metre rule wherever possible. 'And there is no good reason in the information that I've seen that the current levels of tube provision should be as low as they are. We should have more tube trains running.' Earlier, commuters packed in like sardines hit back at the Mayor, who runs the capital's public transport network, with one victim claiming it was about saving money, tweeting: 'Using the pandemic to save a few pennies. Nice work helping the people you claim to represent'. Another Londoner wrote: 'Utter disgrace. We need professional leadership at this time'. Sharing a horrifying picture of a packed Tube train this morning, NHS sonographer Nicola Smith tweeted: 'I love my job, but now I'm risking my health just on the journey in?! @SadiqKhan put the tube service back to normal so we can all spread out, or @BorisJohnson start policing who's getting on. Help me!'. After completing her journey to the Imperial College NHS Trust in west London, she said: 'I worry for my health more on my commute than actually being in the hospital.' And there is continuing confusion over who qualifies as a key worker, especially among London's army of builders, meaning most had no choice but to ride the busy trains to work and run the terrifying risk of catching coronavirus, which has claimed 422 lives so far in the UK. Boris Johnson also raised concerns about cutbacks in London Underground services with the capital's Mayor in a calland is said to have asked him to put on more trains. His Downing Street spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister raised with the mayor the issue of reduced services on the tube and its impact on people trying to get to work'. British Transport Police has said its officers will stop non-essential workers travelling on the Tube. A spokesman said the force would 'ensure that only those making essential journeys for work are using the Tube and rail network', adding: 'Our officers will be on hand to support rail operators if people are clearly disregarding the advice'. Hours after the PM said almost all Britons should should stay at home in the most draconian shutdown in modern history, people were nose-to-nose on the Tube, trains and buses despite being told to be two metres apart to avoid exposure to the killer virus. To stem the terrifying number of deaths, gatherings of more than two people are now banned and people must only leave their homes for essential supplies, medical help, or to travel to work if it is 'absolutely' unavoidable. Going out for exercise is allowed once a day as long as people stay two metres apart to stop the NHS collapsing under the strain of new cases. But transport union TSSA today called for police to be deployed to make sure only key workers are getting on trains amid claims Tube staff could walk out unless ID checks start immediately because of 'dangerous' conditions at London stations. General secretary Manuel Cortes said: 'Sadly, the situation on the London Underground has not improved. We urgently need British Transport Police and other officers at major stations across London's transport network to ensure only those with a valid reason to travel are doing so in this emergency'. Mr Khan's office hit back at Mr Hancock's claim there was 'no good reason' not to have more frequent services on the Underground tonight. A spokeswoman for the Mayor said: 'This is simply not true. The Mayor has told ministers countless times over recent days that TfL simply cannot safely run a full service because of the levels of staff sickness and self-isolation. 'Nearly a third of staff are already absent - there aren't enough drivers and control staff to do it. 'The Government must act urgently to get more people staying at home rather than going to work unnecessarily - that means taking the difficult decisions they are refusing to take to ban non-essential construction work and provide proper financial support to freelancers, the self-employed and those on zero-hours contracts to stay at home.' Mr Khan has demanded that employers enable their staff to work from home 'unless it's absolutely necessary' and avoid rush hour if they can't, adding: 'Ignoring these rules means more lives lost. Some of the people on the Tube yesterday and today are not essential workers, I can tell you that'. But there is ongoing confusion caused by Boris Johnson's long list of key workers - with many packed on to trains appearing to be labourers legitimately heading to building sites in London after housing secretary Robert Jenrick tweeted last night: 'If you are working on site, you can continue to do so.' There are growing calls for police to be deployed at all main underground and overground stations to make sure only key workers are getting on trains (BTP officers pictured in Bristol today) What major world cities have the lowest proportion of people moving around compared to normal? TWO WEEKS AGO (W/ending Mar 15) Milan 9% Rome 16% Seoul 42% Madrid 46% Seattle 47% Tokyo 48% Monaco 51% Copenhagen 54% Paris 57% San Francisco 57% Rhine-Ruhr 60% Barcelona 61% Hamburg 64% Boston 64% Hong Kong 65% Washington DC 66% New York City 67% Amsterdam 68% Vienna 69% Berlin 69% Philadelphia 70% Brussels 71% Los Angeles 71% Stockholm 73% Chicago 78% Singapore 82% Vancouver 83% L ondon 83% Toronto 84% Lyon 86% Lisbon 87% Manchester 89% Montreal 91% Birmingham 91% Sydney 93% Istanbul 93% Mexico City 95% Melbourne 97% Moscow 98% St. Petersburg 101% Sao Paulo 104% PAST WEEK (W/ending Mar 21) Milan 4% Madrid 5% Barcelona 6% Rome 6% Vienna 7% Paris 9% Copenhagen 11% Lyon 11% Amsterdam 12% San Francisco 12% Monaco 13% Brussels 14% New York City 15% Boston 16% Washington DC 16% Chicago 17% Hamburg 20% Lisbon 20% Seattle 20% Berlin 21% Istanbul 21% Rhine-Ruhr 22% Los Angeles 22% Philadelphia 23% Montreal 30% Sao Paulo 33% Toronto 34% Tokyo 35% Stockholm 36% London 36% Vancouver 37% Seoul 40% Manchester 41% Birmingham 44% Mexico City 45% Melbourne 55% Sydney 56% Hong Kong 56% Moscow 68% Singapore 72% St. Petersburg 79% YESTERDAY (Mar 23) Milan 4% Barcelona 5% Madrid 5% Lyon 5% Paris 5% Monaco 5% Vienna 6% Rome 6% Amsterdam 7% Brussels 8% New York City 8% San Francisco 8% Chicago 9% Washington DC 9% Copenhagen 10% Boston 10% Istanbul 11% Sao Paulo 13% Berlin 13% Lisbon 14% Seattle 14% Hamburg 15% Los Angeles 16% Rhine-Ruhr 17% Philadelphia 17% Montreal 18% Tokyo 18% Toronto 23% Vancouver 24% London 25% Manchester 28% Sydney 28% Mexico City 30% Birmingham 31% Melbourne 33% Stockholm 35% Seoul 36% Moscow 56% Singapore 61% St. Petersburg 73% Hong Kong n/a Data from Citymapper Mobility Index Advertisement Confusion as shop and office workers are told to stay home amid coronavirus lockdown but builders and delivery drivers can carry on The government has come under pressure to urgently clarify who it counts as a 'key worker' after Britons woke up in a state of lockdown confusion. Last night in his historic address to the nation, Boris Johnson ordered the public to stay at home unless travelling to work was 'absolutely necessary'. It was wrapped into an emergency package of draconian measures to keep people indoors to stem the tide of coronavirus infection, which threatens to overwhelm the NHS. But the wriggle room left by the Prime Minister over exactly who was allowed to travel was seized upon by many workers who continued to commute to their jobs this morning. Construction workers were seen operating in close proximity, causing head-scratching over why they were continuing to work while most of the country was forced to hunker down at home. Responding to claims that details of the lockdown were 'murky', Michael Gove, the minister for the cabinet office, said: 'It is the case that construction should continue on sites. 'People should obviously exercise sensitivity and common sense and follow social distancing measures. But construction sites carried out in the open air can continue'. And Nicola Sturgeon and Sadiq Khan fanned further confusion when they advised construction workers to stay at home. Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey said it has closed its construction sites, show homes and sale sites due to coronavirus. The company said it has a 'large order-book and quality long-term landbank' which provides it with increased resilience. It said UK operations have 'only been meaningfully impacted in very recent days' while its smaller Spanish operations have been disrupted by a nationwide shutdown. Earlier on Tuesday, competitor Redrow said its sites remain open with 'strict precautions in place including enhanced levels of cleaning, additional hygiene facilities and social distancing'. Advertisement The Department for Transport is identifying those lines that need more trains. It said: 'We are aware of some instances of overcrowding on certain train services this morning, and are working with operators regarding capacity on specific lines as needed to make sure there is space to be safe.' C2C, which runs commuter services between Essex and London, is thought to have been identified as a line in need of increased capacity. Passenger watchdog Transport Focus said: 'The Government should continue to review what measures are needed to make sure social distancing on trains services is safe.' The RMT union said: 'We know that many people who are not traditionally employed, whether they are self-employed, on zero-hour contracts or in the gig economy, feel they have no choice but to go to work because of their financial situation. We therefore call on the Government to do far more to help these workers.' Vernon Everitt of TfL said: 'To save lives, everyone must follow the Government and Mayor's instructions to stay at home and only travel if absolutely essential. Only critical workers should be using public transport, and no one else.' The Prime Minister's shutdown will last for a minimum of three weeks and the UK's new state of emergency is unprecedented in modern history. Gatherings of more than two people will be banned in the most dramatic curbs on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war, as the government goes all out to stop the spread of the killer disease. In a grim address to the nation from Downing Street, Mr Johnson said: 'Without a huge national effort to halt the growth of this virus, there will come a moment when no health service in the world could possibly cope; because there won't be enough ventilators, enough intensive care beds, enough doctors and nurses', adding: 'I must give the British people a very simple instruction - you must stay at home'. He said any family reunions, weddings, baptisms and other social events must be cancelled to stop the NHS collapsing under the strain. Funerals can go ahead attended by just a handful of closest relatives. People must only leave their homes for essential supplies, medical help, or to travel to work if it is 'absolutely' unavoidable. Going out for exercise will be allowed once a day, but parks will be patrolled to make sure there is no abuse of the rules. Police will have powers to fine those who do not fall into line, and disperse any public gatherings, in measures to curb movement only seen during the Second World War. Historians have claimed you have to go back to 1666 to find when people were last forced to stay at home en masse, when Britons had to stay at home for 40 days to halt the spread of the Great Plague. The PM was finally forced into the draconian move amid fury that many people are still flouting 'social distancing' guidance, with parks and Tube trains in London - regarded as the engine of the UK outbreak - still busy despite repeated pleas. 'Though huge numbers are complying and I thank you all - the time has now come for us all to do more,' Mr Johnson said. Riyadh, March 25 : The Saudi Arabian G20 Presidency will host the virtual G20 Summit on response to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 26, the G20 Saudi secretariat has said. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will chair the meeting to advance a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its human and economic implications, said a statement on Tuesday, Xinhua reported. The leaders of G20 members will be joined by their counterparts from some invited countries, including Spain, Jordan, Singapore and Switzerland, as well as international organizations, including the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Financial Stability Board, the International Labour Organization, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the statement said. The chairing states of some regional organizations, including Vietnam, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, South Africa, the chair of the African Union, the United Arab Emirates, the chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Rwanda, the chair of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, will also be invited to the meeting, it added. The summit will be held at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic continues raging across the world, posing a grave threat to the human health and safety while fuelling worries about its huge impact on the global economy. SAN DIEGO, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Viracta Therapeutics, Inc. (the "Company"), a precision oncology company targeting virus-associated malignancies, today announced the appointment of Lisa Rojkjaer, MD, as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), effective May 1, 2020. Dr. Rojkjaer brings more than 15 years of clinical development and medical affairs expertise in biotechnology companies and large pharma to Viracta and is a board-certified hematologist. In her new role, Dr. Rojkjaer will oversee the clinical and medical affairs functions and will lead efforts to advance Viracta's lead program toward regulatory approvals for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positive lymphomas and expand the Company's pipeline into other virus-associated malignancies. "Viracta has grown substantially over the past year and our pipeline has many compelling opportunities to treat virus-associated cancers," said Ivor Royston, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viracta. "Lisa's extensive experience in drug development and demonstrated track record of leading clinical teams at large organizations comes at an important time as we prepare for key clinical milestones with our lead program. Lisa's addition will strengthen our capabilities to bring novel therapies to patients in need and we're thrilled to welcome her to our team." Prior to joining Viracta, Dr. Rojkjaer served as Chief Medical Officer of Nordic Nanovector, a publicly traded precision oncology company located in Oslo, Norway, where she led the clinical development and medical affairs functions. Prior to that, she served in several senior positions focused on the advancement of small molecule and biologic programs, from Phase 1 - Phase 4 development, for hematology/immunology indications, and brings significant US and ex-US regulatory experience. She served as Global Clinical Program Head, Oncology Global Development at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Chief Medical Officer at Molecular Partners, Vice President, Head of Clinical Development at Morphosys AG and both Director of Clinical Development, Hematology in the US and Head, Global Medical Affairs, Biopharmaceuticals for Novo Nordisk. Dr Rojkjaer received her medical degree from the University of Toronto and is board-certified in both internal medicine and hematology. Dr. Rojkjaer commented, "This is an exciting time at Viracta, with its oral drug combination in a Phase 2 clinical trial for EBV-positive lymphomas, and the expected expansion of the Company's approach into other virus-related cancers. I look forward to helping the Company realize its vision of driving the lead program toward approval and transforming the treatment paradigm for virus-associated cancers." About Viracta Therapeutics, Inc. Viracta is a precision oncology company targeting virus-associated malignancies. The Company's investigational lead molecule, nanatinostat, is currently being evaluated in combination with the antiviral agent valganciclovir as an oral combination therapy in a Phase 2 clinical trial for Epstein-Barr virus positive lymphomas. Viracta is pursuing application of this Kick and Kill platform approach in other EBV associated malignancies, such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma, gastric carcinoma and other viral related cancers. For additional information please visit www.viracta.com. Media and Investor Contact: Amy Conrad Juniper Point [email protected] 858-366-3243 Sam Martin Argot Partners [email protected] 212-600-1902 SOURCE Viracta Therapeutics, Inc. Related Links http://www.viracta.com The Veterans Cannabis Project on Wednesday has launched a website for Massachusetts veterans to voice concerns about a lack of access to marijuana after an order by Gov. Charlie Baker closed recreational dispensaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The website, mass.vetscp.org, has a call to action, asking veterans and supporters to email Baker and state lawmakers and request that recreational marijuana shops be allowed to open. Baker this week asked residents to stay at home and ordered that all non-essential businesses close. While licensed medical dispensaries are considered essential and can stay open, the governor ordered recreational shops to close and the state Cannabis Control Commission issued cease and desist letters. Our nations heroes deserve full access to the legal marijuana treatment options they rely on for medical care, said Doug Distaso, the Veterans Cannabis Project executive director. Denying access for veterans, including those who are disabled and are regularly prohibited from obtaining medical marijuana cards, is unnecessarily prohibitive for vets who depend on cannabis to help cope with physical and psychological injuries sustained on the battlefield. The Veterans Cannabis Project in a statement did applaud Baker and state leadership for keeping medical marijuana dispensaries open. "We understand that maintaining public health and safety during this crisis is paramount and we all must do our part to keep our neighbors safe, Distaso said. "However, cannabis is essential to the veteran communities who rely on it as a treatment option, and denying access could cause them to seek treatment from dangerous products on the illicit market, or worse, return to opioid use. As of Wednesday afternoon, 15 Massachusetts residents have died from illnesses related to COVID-19 and 1,838 residents have tested positive. Related Content: A doctor has allegedly manhandled by a Telangana cop while she was going to the hospital for an emergency case amid curfew in the state. "I was called for an emergency so I had to report to the duty. On my way, I was stopped by the police officers at night. I showed my ID but he ceased my ID. He also took my phone. He manhandled me. I had explained that I am a doctor and it is time to attending duties. But Khammam Cop Ganesh dragged me to the police station. There were no women police officials," Dr Himabindhu told ANI. "I gave a complaint in the morning in two town police station with the help of other doctors. The police officer has given a written apology," she said. Another doctor from the same district said that they are serving 24 hours at the coronavirus ward for the past 15 days. He alleged that the same cop had stopped him at a checkpoint. "When I informed him about an emergency at the hospital as a doctor I am going there. He replied in an abusive manner using unparliamentary language and came close to slap. We as a doctor condemn this act and demand an immediate apology," he said. Earlier, the Telangana government has announced a complete lockdown in the state till March 31 in view of the virus outbreak. In his address to the nation on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India has reported about 536 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Eleven people have died so far due to the deadly virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Irans President Hassan Rouhani told a Cabinet meeting March 25 that good steps have been taken to unblock Iranian cash withheld in different countries due to US sanctions. Iran hopes the relief will help it overcome the ongoing coronavirus epidemic that has mounted an exponential hike over the past five weeks. Rouhani quoted an unnamed nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council as saying that a proposed resolution on Iran sanctions removal was in the works before being presented to the body. The relief, according to Rouhani, is coming thanks to the Iranian Foreign Ministrys efforts to mobilize the world public opinion for a "no to sanctions" campaign. Irans top diplomat, Mohammad Javad Zarif, known for his active public diplomacy, has spearheaded the campaign. In his lastest tweet, Zarif urged world leaders to observe a moral and pragmatic imperative by defying US mass punishment. Rouhanis hopes were echoed by the head of Irans central bank, Abdolnasser Hemmati. We have been informed that financial resources frozen due to US pressure could be released which we will spend on procuring basic supplies, medicine and medical equipment, he said. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Iran last month, the countrys officials have complained that US sanctions are significantly impeding the treatment process, leaving patients in need of international aid. US sanctions allow exceptions for medical supplies, including through the recently established Swiss humanitarian channel. Rouhani has repeatedly spurned US offers of assistance to address the COVID-19 crisis. Yesterday Iran asked a team of nine doctors dispatched from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to leave the country, despite having landed in Iran with the necessary domestic permits from the ministries of health and intelligence. The official explanation cited sufficient capacity at home that would make the MSF mission for a field hospital of 50 beds unnecessary. In another development, the Iranian military announced it is prepared to set up over 8,000 beds to enhance existing medical infrastructure. And an Iranian company said it has established a production line of indigenous testing kits, the shortage of which has slowed down the diagnosis of infected individuals. Yet few signs indicated that Iran was flattening the curve. The country reported 143 new deaths March 25, bringing the tally to 2,077 as the confirmed cases passed the 27,000 mark. In its latest measures to contain the epidemic, the Rouhani government adopted an even stricter approach, ultimately heeding warnings that the epidemics magnitude could reach catastrophic levels, given its coinciding with the new year holidays Irans most popular traveling season. According to a new directive from the president, draconian measures will now be imposed on all departure points in Tehran, the province with the highest mortality rate. Nevertheless, the new guidelines arrived in the middle of the new year holidays and, given the absence of any robust travel ban, many Iranians had already hit the road. The government avoided calling the new measures a lockdown or quarantine. Rouhani officials initially dismissed such measures as World War era practices no longer effective in confronting a modern epidemic. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will reward $250 million in grants from the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to help communities provide meals for older adults, including in Illinois. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, signed into law March 18 by President Donald Trump, provided the additional funding, including $8,826,240 for Illinois older adults, for the nutrition services programs authorized by the Older Americans Act of 1965. These programs provide meals to more than 2.4 million older adults each year, both through home delivery and in places like community centers. The need for these services, particularly home-delivered and packaged meals, has increased as community measures to slow transmission of COVID-19 have closed meal sites and have left many family caregivers unable to assist their older loved ones. The Trump administration recognizes that the measures needed to protect older Americans from the serious threat of COVID-19 have been disruptive for many of our most vulnerable, said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. Getting more funds to community organizations that deliver meals to older adults, such as Meals on Wheels, is another example of the Trump administrations whole-of-government, whole-of-America approach to combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to meals, Older Americans Act programs provide a wide range of services, such as help with bathing and dressing, rides to doctors offices, education on managing chronic illnesses, support for family caregivers, and much more. Provided by a network of community-based organizations, such as Area Agencies on Aging, local community and senior centers, faith-based organizations, and other non-profit service providers, these programs work together to help millions of older adults each year stay healthy and continue living independently. The network of community-based organizations that provide Older Americans Act services has an exceptional capacity to coordinate services, bring together service providers, and adapt to overcome challenges, and they are employing innovative solutions to continue meal services, said ACL Administrator Lance Robertson. This additional funding will help communities across the country provide older adults, especially those at greatest risk, with the healthy meals they need. Funding has been provided to states, territories, and tribes for subsequent allocation to local meal providers. Grant amounts are determined based on the population-based formulas defined in the Older Americans Act. Older adults who need assistance can contact the Eldercare Locator to find services available in their community. The Eldercare Locator can be reached at 1-800-677-1116 or https://eldercare.acl.gov/. For more information about COVID-19, please visit : https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. For more information about the Older Americans Act nutrition programs, please visit ACL.gov. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (C-L) meets with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C-R) at Irqah Palace in the capital Riyadh on February 20, 2020. The U.S. has called on OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia to put a stop to its ongoing oil price war with non-OPEC leader Russia. In a statement released by the U.S. State Department Wednesday, a spokesperson confirmed that Secretary Mike Pompeo had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday. "Secretary Pompeo and the Crown Prince focused on the need to maintain stability in global energy markets amid the worldwide response," the statement said. "The Secretary stressed that as a leader of the G-20 and an important energy leader, Saudi Arabia has a real opportunity to rise to the occasion and reassure global energy and financial markets when the world faces serious economic uncertainty," it added. Pompeo and bin Salman expressed their "deep concern" over the coronavirus pandemic and underlined the need for all countries to work together to contain the outbreak, according to the statement. International benchmark Brent crude traded at $26.46 a barrel Wednesday afternoon, down 2.5%, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) stood at $23.47, more than 2.2% lower. Oil prices have more than halved since climbing to a peak in January, with analysts warning crude futures could soon plunge into the teens over the coming weeks. It comes as the coronavirus pandemic continues to crush oil demand worldwide and with no end in sight to the ongoing price war between Riyadh and Moscow. Earlier this month, the OPEC group of oil producers and its non-OPEC allies sometimes referred to as OPEC+ failed to agree on extending oil supply cuts beyond March 31. This has led to heightened concerns of a supply surge from April 1, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates both pledging to ramp up production. A man in Los Angeles offers free toilet paper and paper towels to motorists Tuesday. (Chris Delmas / AFP/Getty Images) As COVID-19 cases surge across Southern California, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday evening that area agencies could receive more than $1 billion in aid as part of a massive emergency relief package under consideration in Washington. "I can hardly look at this as a stimulus package; it's a survival package," Garcetti told reporters. Based on a draft of the bill working its way through Congress, Garcetti said he was hopeful that the $2.2-trillion package would include $400 million for Los Angeles International Airport, $700 million for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and tens of millions of dollars in community block grants to help the city's homeless population. Like other regions of the country experiencing the outbreak of a new coronavirus, public life in Southern California has ground to a halt amid state and local calls to stay at home as officials seek to slow the spread of illness. Although President Trump has suggested parts of the country could return to life as usual by Easter, Garcetti said Los Angeles would probably not be one of them. "The worst days are still ahead," he said. "We've taken actions earlier and swifter [than other cities], but no one is immune from this virus." Earlier in the day, a Los Angeles County health officer issued an order requiring all individuals who are presumed positive or have tested positive for COVID-19 to self-isolate, and for all close contacts of such individuals to self-quarantine. L.A. County confirmed three additional deaths linked to the coronavirus Wednesday but is no longer including a Lancaster teenager whose death was reported Tuesday in its count. "Weve asked the CDC to complete an investigation on that case,"said Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health. Officials Wednesday confirmed 138 new cases of the virus. That brings the county's total to 812. Story continues So far, more than 6,300 people have been tested in the county for the virus, Ferrer said. Of those, 11% have tested positive. Ferrer said 160 people who tested positive have been hospitalized at some point. There are currently 44 hospitalized individuals, including four who are in their 30s. The total death count in the county, excluding the Lancaster teen, is 13. Ferrer said that 1% of those who have tested positive in the county have died. The United States' mortality rate for COVID-19 is 1.5%, a rate higher than that of the flu. Officials are also working to find additional hospital beds for non-COVID-19 patients, including the use of the Navy ship Mercy, which will provide more than 1,000 spaces. Pentagon Press Secretary Alyssa Farah said the Mercy will arrive in Los Angeles on Friday earlier than expected. With coronavirus-related deaths in California now over 60, state officials are warning that the worst is still to come as the virus continues to spread. San Mateo County reported three more deaths Wednesday, bringing the total there to five. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned Tuesday that residents should be prepared for more loss of life as the pandemic expands. Garcetti said L.A. could be six to 12 days from seeing similar numbers to the outbreak in New York City, where the death toll has dramatically increased in recent days. Its coming, Garcetti said. The peak is not here yet. The peak will be bad. People will lose their lives. The mayor also rebuffed President Trump's earlier comments that he wanted to quickly ease restrictions and said Angelenos should be prepared for a couple months like this. I know that everybody is hopeful, and some are putting out that hope of us being back in churches by Easter or synagogues by Passover or restarting the economy in a couple weeks, Garcetti said. I think we owe it to everybody to be straightforward and honest. We will not be back to that level of normal in that short period of time. Ferrer reiterated that message Wednesday, pointing to the rapid growth in cases in New York and in Italy. "We would be foolish to not prepare for a similar scenario in L.A. County," she said. "We talk about numbers, but these arent numbers these are peoples lives." Even now, police and fire agencies are scrambling to adapt to the crisis. On Wednesday, Los Angeles Police Department officials said they've set up two facilities, one in an auditorium downtown and another at the police academy, where officers can sleep between shifts so they don't have to travel home. The department also sought to dispel rumors on social media that its officers were stopping individuals for violating the stay-at-home order. "No, the LAPD is not stopping or ticketing people for exercising outdoors," the department tweeted. "Spreading false rumors during this time does no good." Also, officers will not launch any DUI checkpoints or tow vehicles for parking violations among other infractions during the outbreak, department officials said. City and county firefighters are also continuing their work as usual, with some exceptions. Two Los Angeles city firefighters who tested positive for COVID-19 are resting at home. The pair were among 79 department employees tested for the coronavirus since Friday. Though no Los Angeles County firefighters have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, it's a dramatically different story on the southern edge of the county in Long Beach, where city officials announced Wednesday that eight firefighters from the same station have tested positive. Officials believe the firefighters, who worked at Station 11 in North Long Beach, were exposed to the virus while on the job performing their regular duties. "As you can imagine, this has been devastating news, said Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia. Additional firefighters are being tested, he added, so that number could go up. The firefighters are in stable condition, resting while in self-isolation at home and in good spirits, Fire Chief Xavier Espino said. The contraction of COVID-19 among multiple firefighters highlights the ease with which this virus can spread, Long Beach City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis said. We know that this virus is in our community. Whats key now is that we take timely and active action to interrupt new infections. Four of the firefighters live in Long Beach and are included in the citys count of 41 confirmed coronavirus cases. Four others live elsewhere and are included in the counts in their respective communities. Garcia urged residents to adhere to the citys orders for residents to stay at home except for essential tasks such as going to the grocery store, and to keep at least six feet away from other people when outside the home. He also said residents should behave as if anyone around them could have the virus. The number of cases confirmed in the city has risen exponentially in recent days and will probably continue to grow rapidly, Garcia said. A day earlier, Tuesday, the city updated its Safer at Home order to prohibit gatherings of any size and closed parking lots at parks, beaches and the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier. We had to do that because too many individuals are still outside congregating in groups and being quite frankly not just unhealthy, quite frankly also irresponsible, Garcia said. This is a serious public health emergency and people need to take it seriously, Garcia said. "The next two, three, four weeks are the critical weeks in making sure that were prepared for the hospital and medical emergency that could be in front of us. But as public officials Wednesday urged people to stay at home, reports of the virus' spread among Southern California continued to trickle in. Shortly after L.A. County initiated its quarantine order, Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine) announced she was awaiting test results after developing a fever over the weekend. "I will remain in self-quarantine until I have the test results back and until directed by my doctor that it is safe for me to leave my home," she said. Not long after Porter's announcement, 2018 Republican gubernatorial nominee John Cox announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19. "My symptoms were relatively mild and I am slowly feeling much better," he said in a statement. "I decided to go public with this diagnosis to muster support for defeating this without destroying our way of life." Coronavirus infection cases in the state have surpassed 2,800. But that number is expected to dramatically rise as more testing occurs. New York state has recorded more than 280 deaths and 30,000 confirmed cases. California officials think they also will see major increases in the coming days and weeks. San Francisco officials said this week that a surge in coronavirus infections is expected to come within a week or two. The worst is yet to come, San Francisco Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax said at a news conference Monday. Every community where the virus has taken hold has seen a surge in the number of coronavirus patients who need to be hospitalized. We expect that to happen in San Francisco soon, in a week or two, or perhaps even less. On Tuesday, San Francisco reported its first death linked to the coronavirus. The man who died was in his 40s and had multiple underlying health conditions. The city has confirmed at least 178 cases of COVID-19, roughly three weeks after reporting its first. On Wednesday, officials described how the virus has spread among city workers. Two San Francisco Police Department employees have tested positive for COVID-19, Police Chief William Scott said at a news briefing. The department has quarantined 27 employees, including two dozen sworn officers at the Thomas J. Cahill Hall of Justice, where the employees who tested positive worked, Scott said. A day earlier, the department had announced that a sergeant assigned to the Special Victims Unit at the Hall of Justice had tested positive for the virus and that the sergeants work partner was also feeling unwell. Both were self-quarantined at their homes. Scott said the department has broken up investigative units to rotate officers between telecommuting, working in the field and in the office only as needed. San Franciscos case total continues to rise each day, Mayor London Breed said at Wednesday's briefing. Among those is an employee in the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which oversees the city's transit, streets and taxi services. The news followed confirmation from the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority that three employees connected to the agency had also been infected with the coronavirus. San Francisco city leaders said Wednesday that it was plausible San Francisco could face the health crisis now occurring in New York City and needed 1,500 more ventilators and 5,000 more hospital beds. It is not even a question as to whether we will need more, Breed said. She called on the state and federal government for more assistance and repeatedly asked the public to remain at home and engage in social distancing. If people fail to do that, she said, they or their sick relatives may have to be turned away from hospitals because of shortages. Sadly, things are going to get worse, Breed said. The news conference appeared aimed at disputing comments by Trump and others who contend the stay-at-home orders are excessive. I know there are people out there who will lead you to believe our efforts are too aggressive, but I cannot stress enough just how vital they are, said Colfax, the health director. He said the city expects the initial surge to start within two weeks, but he could not estimate how long it would last. It is plausible that we could have a scenario similar to what is playing out in New York this very day, he said. If that happens, our surge capacity will be far exceeded. He said epidemiologists and infectious-disease experts have done modeling, and a plausible model suggests San Francisco could experience what New York City is now suffering. If that happens, "we will require federal and state assistance, he said. We cannot manage that alone. The city has been ramping up for the crisis, securing new hospital beds, postponing elective surgeries and acquiring hotel rooms where infected people can isolate. Just south of San Francisco in Daly City, officials with Seton Medical Center said they will begin accepting up to 220 coronavirus patients after reaching a lease agreement with the state. The agreement lasts for three months during which time Verity Health System will operate the center on behalf of California, according to a statement from the California Health and Human Services Agency. The state has a similar agreement with Verity for St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, where workers are preparing the facility to accept up to 366 infected patients. A hospital in Long Beach opened for coronavirus patients last weekend and has capacity for more than 150 patients. As confirmed cases continue to grow throughout the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Trumps remarks about easing restrictions did not reflect reality in California. April for California would be sooner than any of the experts that I talked to believe is possible, Newsom said. Newsom now expects California will need 50,000 hospital beds to deal with COVID-19 patients, more than double what his administration forecast last week. He said the states 416 hospitals will execute surge plans to create 30,000 new beds. Newsom also ordered a halt to the intake and transfer of inmates at the states 35 prisons and four youth correctional facilities. He said British billionaire Richard Branson will donate medical gear to help healthcare workers, joining efforts by Tesla and Apple executives. Officials on Tuesday said coronavirus may have claimed the life of a Lancaster teenager, possibly the nations first death of a person under 18 related to the virus. Ferrer called it a devastating reminder that COVID-19 affects people of all ages. But in a statement late Tuesday, public health officials noted that although early tests indicated a positive result for COVID-19, the case is complex and there may be an alternate explanation besides the coronavirus for the death. As officials try to determine the exact cause of death for the youth, its possible that the coronavirus and bacterial infection are correlated, one expert said. Ferrer said Wednesday the county has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the case. A 40-year-old man died after inhaling toxic fumes while another person fell unconscious while they were repairing a sewer tank at the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) office in southeast Delhi's Okhla on Wednesday, police said. The deceased has been identified as Suresh, they said. Both the men were found lying inside the sewer, police said, adding they were not wearing any safety equipment. We were informed around 11:15 am from the Jal Board office about the incident. On reaching the spot, the police team found two men -- Suresh and Jagbir -- unconscious inside the sewer treatment plant," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) RP Meena. The Delhi Fire Services were informed and firemen pulled out the two men who were taken to a hospital, he said. Suresh was declared dead by the doctors while Jagbir (43) is undergoing treatment, Meena added. Suresh worked with SDV Engineering Associates Pvt Ltd and was called to the DJB office to repair a screw that had blocked the flow of water in the sewer. Jagbir, works at the office as a sweeper, according to police. Police said that they found that another man named Murari (40) also tried to enter the sewer to rescue the men but could not help them, the DCP said. Murari told the police that Suresh worked in the morning hours and was told to repair a screw inside the sewer, he said. When the man went inside, he inhaled fumes and fell unconscious. After some time, Jagbir noticed that Suresh had not come out so he went inside the sewer to help him but also fell inside, he added. Murari then tried to rescue both the men but came back and informed others, he said. A case under sections of negligence resulting in death has been registered at Okhla police station against unknown persons, police said, adding that an investigation will done to identify the accused. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (CNN) We've been advised to stand 6 feet apart from others to lower our risk of getting infected with the coronavirus. But how can we tell whether we're standing just far away enough from people, or if we need to tell them to back up a little bit more? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention( describes social distancing as "remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible." Why? When someone coughs or sneezes, small drops of liquid spray from their nose or mouth. If you're standing too close, you can breathe in the droplets, which may contain the coronavirus if the person coughing is infected, according to the World Health Organization. The "6 feet of distance" rule comes from studies of respiratory physiology, said Dr. William Schaffner, infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University. "Without a cough or a sneeze, if we exhale, the distance 3 to 6 feet from each other is called the breathing zone. And it's in that kind of volume of air that what I exhale begins to mix with the air that's already in the room," Schaffner said. "So if you're standing within 3 to 6 feet of me, you may well inhale some of what I exhale. And of course if I have the virus, what I'm exhaling microscopically contains the virus." If you're finding it hard to estimate what exactly 6 feet looks like, we've got a list of animals, people and things you can keep in mind to help you judge the appropriate distance you should keep from other people. Two Golden Retrievers standing nose to tail The average Golden Retriever has a body length of 37 to 42 inches. Two of these dogs should amount to just over 72 inches, or 6 feet. A man wearing a top hat A man of average height stands at 5 feet 9 inches tall if that man wears a President Abraham Lincoln-esque top hat, he'd be just over the distance we're advised to keep from others. An average sedan Think of the width of your car when trying to gauge an appropriate distance an average large sedan is a little more than 6 feet wide. A sofa A standard three-seat sofa can be up to 6 feet long which means that you and the person sitting on the other end of it probably aren't far away enough from each other. A dining room table Try imagining you and your friend sitting across from each other at a long, fancy dining table some of them stretch 6 feet across. The length of a mattress The lengths of full- and twin-size beds are about 6.2 feet from top to bottom. A moose's antlers A moose grows to be between 5 and 6.5 feet tall on average. That height doesn't include its antlers, which can measure 6 feet across, according to National Geographic. Two adult cats Cat lovers may find it easy to commit this comparison to memory: Two male adult cats, at 35 inches each from their heads to the tips of their tails, can amount to nearly 72 inches. A door A door should be relatively easy to find when questioning whether you and your friend should move farther apart. Six feet is a little shorter than the average modern door, which runs from 78 to 80 inches. A 6-foot long bathtub A more relaxing comparison: Some bathtubs are 72 inches long. It's not just about distance Though it's important to distance ourselves from others right now, you can relax a little in your own home. "I think within our own households we have to essentially do the best that we can," said Allison Chamberlain, a research assistant epidemiology professor in epidemiology at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. "Obviously everyone is in a different living scenario and has a different amount of space that they can distance themselves from people living within their own homes." We should still, however, be aware of our habits regarding sneezing and coughing no matter who we're around, Chamberlain said. You should make sure that you, and the people around you, follow what the WHO calls "good respiratory hygiene." This means you should cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or the crook of your arm when you cough or sneeze, then throw away the tissue immediately. "What we're doing is trying to enforce the 6-feet-plus rule, if you will, by asking everybody to stay home who can stay home," Schaffner said. "On occasion, when people cough or sneeze, they give their exhalation -- and sometimes that can travel more than 6 feet. But just to be practical, that's what the rule has become. "That's what people can get in their minds and work on knowing that we don't live in a perfect universe and we're not going to wrap ourselves in plastic," Schaffner continued. By heeding these precautionary measures, you have a greater chance of protecting yourself and others not only from the coronavirus, but from cold and flu, too. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Social distancing means standing 6 feet apart. Here's what that actually looks like." Travellers in masks leave Union Station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on March 24, 2020. (Photo by Geoff Robins / AFP via Getty Images) Patients Bumped by COVID-19 Face Anxiety, as Health System Scrambles for Alternatives For Canadians awaiting life-changing operations, the CCP virus is creating deepening distress as cancellations and delays roll through the public health system. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Tahlia Ali, 15, is among the patients whose organ transplant procedures are put off at the countrys largest transplant centre in Toronto. Her mother, Lisa Ali, says it leads to dual worries, as her daughter must remain strictly isolated in their Halifax home to avoid COVID19, and the family awaits word on when Tahlia can enter the program run by the Hospital for Sick Children and University Health Network. She heard recently from the Ronald McDonald House that their upcoming accommodation was delayed, and the family then learned the date for Tahlia entering the transplant program is on hold, with plans to check back at the end of this month. Tahlia has been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, which leads to a lack of oxygen to blood vessels in the lungs, and she has two holes in her heart. A sign at the Princess of Wales theatre in Toronto, Ontario urges residents to wash their hands frequently during the Covid-19 outbreak, in Ontario, Canada, on March 24, 2020. (Geoff Robins / AFP via Getty Images) The University Health Network has said lung transplants are suspended except in cases of critical deterioration, however the Alis still expect to eventually go to Toronto to wait for the teenagers new lungs, and are fundraising to help pay housing and travel costs. Its the best choice to stay here (in Halifax) no doubt. But its the uncertainty of everything . Its hard to wrap your head around it, the mother said in a telephone interview. She needs a transplant. Eventually she will need this. Tahlia said in an interview that its a bit stressful, but Im doing OK. Its important because my lungs arent managing as well as (doctors) wanted them to I had hoped it would give me more energy to do more activities. Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, the director of the lung transplant program, said the suspension of the program is necessary because tests to ensure a donor lung doesnt contain the virus are still being refined, and because having transplant teams fly around Canada to pick up and transport lungs would increase the risk of widening the pandemic. He said the lung transplant team also includes members of the hospitals artificial lung support team, and it is crucial they remain healthy as pressure on the health system builds. Were going to keep an eye on every patient on the list, and if they are deteriorating, we may be able to go for a specific lung in a specific location if we feel we can pull it off safely, Keshavjee said. Similar stories are emerging affecting people with a variety of conditions, from delays in cancer tests to cancelled joint surgeries. Robin McGee, the author of The Cancer Olympics and a cancer patient advocate, learned last week she needs further tests to determine if theres a recurrence of her colorectal cancer. The 59yearold psychologist says it has been a struggle to reach doctors in Nova Scotia to arrange for medical procedures needed ahead of potential cancer treatments. She attributes the unusual delays to a system overloaded by pandemic preparations. The resident of Port Williams, N.S., is seeking a new portacath, a device that is implanted surgically to deliver chemotherapy. Workers build a makeshift morgue outside of Bellevue Hospital to handle an expected surge in Coronavirus victims in New York City on March 25, 2020. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images) After five days of calling without a response, she was contacted by her surgeon on March 23 to indicate he was aware of her request. My anxiety level went down, she said, adding that it was good to know they see me, and Im not shouting into the void when Im leaving all these messages. She says patients realize the system is facing a health crisis, and our hearts are there for our healthcare professionals. Still, she says new cancer patients need to have rapid contact with healthcare professionals to reassure them their case is underway. To not know if you can even reach a doctor is terrifying, she said. Carla Adams, a spokeswoman for Nova Scotia Health Authority, said the system is dedicated to providing cancer care to the greatest extent possible during the COVID19 pandemic, and the pandemic is not impeding our ability to communicate with patients. Hospitals are attempting to minimize the number of patients coming to the citys hospitals, and some patients are receiving calls to set up telephone or video appointments, she said. There may be delays for many patients needing cancer surgery, she acknowledged. A committee of expert cancer surgeons will make prioritizing decisions, considering all aspects of the surgery involved. Across Canada, there are also people whose joint surgeries are being delayed, prolonging pain and enforced inactivity. Lynn Hunter, a former British Columbia MP, said in an interview she just learned a scheduled hip surgery was put on hold. She is stoic about the disappointing news. Im not in severe pain. Im in discomfort. Its bearable what Im going through, she said. There are other people who are in worse shape, and I count myself among the fortunate. Family physician Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan says provincial health authorities and doctors themselves will have to rapidly innovate in their methods of treating patients, and embrace a shift to telemedicine. The Halifax doctor said she asks patients to telephone in advance of coming to the clinic, and has sent out notice there are no walkin Xrays or routine tests. The veteran of family health also says shes attempting to come up with alternative methods to manage chronic conditions like diabetes, suggesting patients go on a continuous glucose monitoring system rather than making frequent trips to her office. Dr Robert Strang, Nova Scotias chief medical officer of health, said Monday that expanding access to telemedicine services has been identified as a priority. Still, for patients like Tahlia Ali, the stark reality is a treatment that could radically change the quality of her life is on hold. Im just waiting it out, she said. Keshavjee said his team intends to catch up with lung transplants once it is safe again. Were making tough decisions to save as many lives as possible, he said. Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. With South Africa headed into a 21-day lockdown this week, combatting the threat of the Covid-19, has been made a key national priority. Never before in our democracy have we seen a national lockdown taking place, but the gravity of the current situation absolutely demands it. Futurist, Marius Oosthuizen Three waves Four scenarios To put things into perspective, if South Africas 59-million people were to do nothing at this point, the country would require over 500 thousand critical-care hospital beds we currently only have about 5,500 of these, of which 88% are already occupied. Fortunately, with the restricted movement being imposed through the lockdown, this number drastically decreases by 70%. This is the only way the country is able to reduce the chances of unmanageable widespread societal infection," says Marius Oosthuizen, a professional futurist through a webinar hosted by the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (Savca)Being a few weeks behind some other affected nations, Oosthuizen notes that South Africa is fortunate to have real-life case studies of countries that have handled this crisis well such as South Korea and those that havent, such as Italy and the US. We know from the case of South Korea that the only way to effectively curb the social spread of the virus is through a combination of government and civil action early on.He notes, however, that South Africa remains particularly vulnerable from an economic perspective. The pandemic started as an infection problem with a supply-side disruption from China, but has gradually moved over to a lock-down environment causing a global economic slow-down, which has precipitated the combination of a disease burden in society and a currency and fiscal crisis something that South Africa is at major risk of.This economic impact, according to Oosthuizen, will play out in three waves for South Africa. The first wave, which is currently playing out, is having a direct impact on tourism, aviation and commodity demand. The indirect impact of this will be dampened medium-term demand.The second wave of impact will be the disease burden, social distancing and psychological strain that will be felt over April and May. The scale and rate of infection will depend on the scale and effectiveness of response, he says, noting that the third and final wave of impact that the country will likely experience over June and July, will be based on adapted conduct, the level of supply disruptions, fiscal restructure and decline in earnings.South Africa, in addition to already being in a fragile economic state prior to this pandemic, is dependent on commodity exports and is highly exposed to Asian and US consumer markets. It is for these reasons that I believe we will face a contraction in GDP of between 3-5% as a result of Covd-19, says Oosthuizen.Moving away from the shorter-term doom and gloom, Oosthuizen insists that there will be a long-term recovery, but notes four potential scenarios for how this might play out in South Africa. The first scenario, a storm in a tea cup, is one where there is a slow rate and small scale of infection, with ineffective response. My feeling is we have already surpassed this scenario, as we continue to see exponential rates of infection.This means that South Africa risks seeing the second scenario, the perfect storm, play out. Here we would see a fast rate and large scale of infection, with ineffective response, he warns, noting that South Africa is particularly vulnerable to this scenario considering the number of people with respiratory diseases like tuberculosis, as well as the high rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among the population.Fortunately, Oosthuizen believes that the measures needed to avoid the perfect storm scenario are completely within the countrys control. We are seeing these measures being implemented now with the national lockdown, which will hopefully take us into an after the storm scenario. If this scenario plays out, the real challenge will be the economic recovery, which is why the Department of Small Business Development has already launched a debt relief fund to help mitigate the impact on smaller businesses.The fourth and final potential scenario that Oosthuizen presents, namely Africa spared, is a major wildcard which he says is extremely unlikely at this point. This is a scenario where, for some exogenous reason such as climate, Africa only has a limited number of infections with effective responses.At this point, Oosthuizen has made it clear that South Africa is likely facing either the perfect storm or an after the storm scenario. The most important thing for South Africa to do now, is accept these two scenarios and do everything in our power to avoid the perfect storm from playing out. This is especially crucial considering how vulnerable some parts of the African continent are and how devastating this pandemic would be if it were to continue spreading.Of course, for this to be effective, South African people and businesses need to do everything in our power to follow these national efforts together, we can flatten the curve. says Oosthuizen. As insurers continue to monitor the spread and impact of COVID-19, insurance regulators across the East region of the U.S. are issuing guidance on how the industry can respond. There is almost no aspect of the insurance business that would not be impacted by a global pandemic, Wilson Elser Partner Paul White told Insurance Journal in a February audio interview about what the coronavirus outbreak could mean for the industry as it begins to ramp up. Now that the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the spread of COVID-19 as a pandemic, here is what insurance regulators in some East states are asking of insurers. New York New York state has been at the heart of the coronavirus discussion in the U.S., with more than 25,000 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths as of this week more than any other U.S. state, according to The New York Times. With this in mind, the New York Department of Financial Services has established a variety of initiatives urging regulated entities to do what they can to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on consumers and small businesses in particular. One of the earliest moves in the state was Governor Andrew Cuomos March 6 announcement regarding six global and national insurance companies agreement to offer cancel for any reason travel policies in New York as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread. Allianz, Nationwide, Starr Indemnity, Berkshire, Crum & Forster and Zurich agreed to offer the policies after the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) received consumer complaints that these types of polices were not available in the state, according to a DFS press release. Coverage rates for this type of policy are higher than standard travel insurance and typically allow up to a 75 percent refund for traveler expenses. [P]eople are worried about traveling, not just to the countries on the CDC watch list, but just traveling in general because theyre afraid if they make plans, they may be canceled, Cuomo said in his announcement. That is constricting travel, constricting business travel. Its not good for New York. Its not good for any state, because it can actually slow the economy. On March 10, DFS issued a mandate asking all regulated entities to submit confirmation of their business continuity plan to manage any disruption due to COVID-19 within 30 days or sooner. Specifically, the letter called for entities to submit descriptions of both plans of preparedness to manage the risk of disruption to its operations and descriptions of plans to assess and monitor the financial risk that may arise from COVID-19, Insurance Journal previously reported. At the same time, DFS asked insurers in particular to submit details of business interruption policies that have been provided to insureds, as well as the coverage each policy offers regarding COVID-19. DFS issued the instructions in an effort to provide both parties to the insurance agreement with a base understanding on coverage issues in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. This comes as businesses are forced to shut down and are increasingly interested in what coverage might be available to mitigate their losses, regulatory officials familiar with the matter told Insurance Journal. Given the potential impact of COVID-19 on business losses, particularly concentrated effects in local communities, DFS considers insurers obligations to policyholders a heightened priority, DFS stated in its March 10 instructions to insurers. More recently, DFS has instructed insurers to work with consumers to avoid cancellation of insurance policies for failure to pay premiums on time and to avoid non-renewal of insurance policies if a consumer fails to respond to a non-renewal notice. Insurers have also been instructed to increase resources in order to accommodate the growing number of claim submissions and inquiries from consumers about policy coverage benefits. New Jersey Nearby in New Jersey, some tension has arisen between small business owners and insurers regarding a proposed bill that aims to create business interruption insurance coverage for COVID-19 related claims despite virus exclusions in many policies. The bills primary sponsors are Assemblyman Roy Frieman, Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald, and Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro. Assemblywoman Chaparro told Insurance Journal there are still some details to work out. A-3844 is a work in progress, Chaparro said. We are working on finalizing the legislation to ensure it is the fairest and most responsible bill possible. The bill has seen pushback from the insurance industry, claiming it sets a dangerous precedent by asking insurers to alter policy provisions and conflicts with The Contracts Clause in the U.S. Constitution. The industry has also expressed concern that it could drive up the cost of business interruption insurance premiums and potentially drive carriers out of the state. Others, however, have expressed support for the bill, stating that legislation like this is a necessary first-step in supporting policyholders, particularly small business owners who are facing severe threats to their businesses due to COVID-19. While the bill underwent an initial vote in the New Jersey Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee in which it was approved to be considered on an emergency basis, meaning the process of moving it through the Legislature would be expedited, the bill was held in the New Jersey Assembly for a vote on March 16 and was not taken up in the New Jersey Senate for a vote. A spokesperson for Greenwalds office said it is possible the bill could come back up for a vote in the future. Additionally, Governor Phil Murphy on March 20 signed New Jersey Bill A-3848, which prohibits an employer from terminating or refusing to reinstate an employee who has or is likely to have an infectious disease requiring the employee to miss time at work during New Jerseys ongoing public health emergency and state of emergency. New Jersey has been under a state of emergency since March 9. Our message in New Jersey has been loud and clear: if youre sick, stay home, said Governor Murphy in a press release issued by his office. No one should fear retribution from their employer for an absence deemed necessary by a medical professional, particularly for an illness as communicable as COVID-19. Outside of legislative matters, the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance has taken action to combat the effects of COVID-19. On March 20, the department issued a bulletin encouraging regulated entities to assist customers who have been adversely affected by the pandemic. We know that as we work to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, residents are being affected in numerous ways that will undoubtedly impact their ability to make payments for obligations, such as insurance coverage, mortgages, commercial, student or other loans when due, said Commissioner Marlene Caride in a press release issued by the department. We encourage entities regulated by the department to take into consideration the difficulties consumers and businesses have endured and will continue to endure due to the effects of the pandemic and to work with them. The department specifically encouraged insurers to relax due dates for premium payments and insurance policy-based loan payments, extend grace periods, waive late fees and penalties, allow lenience regarding cancellation and non-renewal of policies, allow payment plans for premiums, extend time frames for property and automobile inspections and work with policyholders to ensure their policies do not lapse. Pennsylvania In Pennsylvania, Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman has issued guidance for insurers in the state as well, urging carriers to be flexible when assisting individuals and businesses affected by the outbreak and asking them to offer guidance to insureds for continuing operations during the pandemic. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf declared a state of emergency closing all non-essential businesses on Monday, March 16. The COVID-19 pandemic is causing challenging situations for all Pennsylvanians, Altman said in a Pennsylvania Insurance Department press release. The department is urging all insurers to provide increased flexibility to assist those who may not be able to financially maintain their insurance plans, including through payment plans or extended grace periods. The insurance business is an essential one, and we want our industry community to exercise discretion to ensure that operations continue as normal as possible The departments notice was issued to regulated insurance companies to encourage flexibility for Pennsylvanians who are no longer receiving regular salaries due to the outbreak mitigation efforts. It suggests that insurers assist struggling consumers by relaxing due dates for premiums payments, extending grace periods, waiving late fees and penalties, allowing payment plans for premiums payments, assisting affected policyholders to ensure that their insurance policies do not lapse, and considering cancellation or non-renewal of policies after exhausting any other efforts to work with policyholders. Delaware Similarly, Delaware Governor John Carney on March 24 issued a mandate requiring insurers to cease cancellations or non-renewals of insurance policies due to nonpayment throughout the duration of Delawares state of emergency in order to assist residents and business owners who are experiencing a loss of income. According to the mandate, an insurance carrier would now be required to seek a court order before they could cancel or non-renew any health, life, disability, property, auto and commercial/business insurance policies in Delaware. The state has been under a state of emergency since Friday, March 13, at 8 a.m. Throughout Delawares state of emergency, many companies have had to close or reduce their business, and employees have been laid off or fired as a result, Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro explained in a Delaware Insurance Department press release. After hearing from businesses and residents who were concerned about the choices they will have to make with limited finances, we ask insurers to help alleviate some of that stress and ensure that residents and business owners in this difficult situation can have the peace of mind that insurance provides throughout the duration of the emergency. Connecticut Connecticut Insurance Department Commissioner Andrew N. Mais has called on insurers to institute an extension of coverage for personal delivery drivers. The emergency social distancing and closing of restaurants under the necessary public health measures have contributed to a loss of income for both employees and businesses, Mais said in a Connecticut Insurance Department press release. We all need to support our local businesses, especially restaurants, who have switched to food delivery to keep their kitchens open and employees working. In a bulletin, the Connecticut Insurance Department requested that all insurance companies offering auto and motorcycle liability Insurance coverage in Connecticut immediately expand coverage for the personal use of vehicles for certain commercial purposes. This will ensure delivery workers have adequate protection while using their personal vehicle to deliver food and/or medicine. The department has strongly urged those carriers to consider implementation an endorsement wherever necessary, broadening coverage for those using their personal vehicle for commercial purposes during this coronavirus pandemic. This includes modifying terms, conditions and exclusions that may leave delivery drivers without liability and property coverage. The bulletin is not intended to affect drivers who otherwise have coverage for deliveries or for drivers working for a transportation network company. The department is also calling on insurers to establish a grace period for premium payments in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency public health measures have contributed to a loss of income for both consumers and businesses, Mais said in a press release issued by his office. It is imperative that we all work to maintain the security that insurance provides when consumers need it most. In a bulletin released on March 26, the Connecticut Insurance Department has requested that all admitted and non-admitted insurance companies offering any insurance coverage in Connecticut, including, life, health, auto, property, casualty and other types of insurance, provide consumers with at least a 60-day grace period without interest or penalty to pay their insurance premiums. It also encouraged institutions that receive regular payments from insurance companies to offer the same leniency. A grace period will allow policyholders who may need help due to circumstances beyond their control additional time to pay and avoid a coverage lapse or cancellation, Mais added in the release. The requested grace period is intended to be applied to premiums due after the initial premium has been paid to secure coverage. It is not intended to change the terms of the issued policy or be considered a forgiveness of the premium, the bulletin instructed. In addition, the Insurance Department asked insurers to take steps to include consumer-friendly and convenient methods of payment, such as online options, to eliminate the need for in-person office visits and better protect the safety of workers and customers, the release stated. Maryland Maryland Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer Jr. has also encouraged all life and health carriers and property and casualty insurers doing business in the state to make reasonable accommodations so that individuals and businesses do not lose coverage due to non-payment of premiums during this pandemic. These accommodations could include suspension of premiums, extension of billing due dates and premium grace periods, or waiver of installment and late payment fees, according to the commissioners bulletin. Additionally, The Maryland Insurance Administration has requested that insurers issuing travel insurance policies during the COVID-19 emergency provide an option for consumers in the state to purchase a cancel for any reason waiver, or offer an option to purchase trip cancellation coverage that will reimburse non-refundable costs if the trip is canceled due to COVID-19. The administration stated in a bulletin that it is aiming to ensure customers and businesses are treated fairly and will open investigations into virus-related insurance issues as needed. Indeed, as workers and businesses, particularly small businesses, continue to face adverse effects related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan on March 23 announced a $175 million economic relief package to go into effect. This comes after Governor Hogan declared a state of emergency on March 5. The Maryland Department of Commerce will offer up to $125 million in loans and grants to small businesses and nonprofits through the Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. As part of the package, a $75 million loan fund and a $50 million grant fund, with $1 million in grants dedicated to non-profits, will provide working capital to be used for payroll, rent, fixed-debt payments and other mission critical cash operating costs. Businesses and nonprofits with under 50 full- and part-time employees will be eligible, and loans will range up to $50,000 and grants up to $10,000. To my fellow Marylanders, let me say that I know how difficult this is on each and every one of you, Governor Hogan stated in his announcement. There is a great deal of fear and anxiety, and the truth is, none of us really know how bad this is going to get or how long its going to last. But I can promise you that there are a great many dedicated people doing tremendous things, working around the clock, and doing their very best to help keep Marylanders safe. Update: Adds information from the Connecticut Insurance Department. This is a developing story and will be updated as the situation progresses. Topics Carriers COVID-19 Legislation Auto USA New York Property New Jersey Pennsylvania Maryland Connecticut In 2018, the film was voted one of the worst by Russian critics: a comedic love story taking place against the triumphant backdrop of the bridge linking Russia to Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula Moscow seized from Ukraine four years earlier. The movie, titled The Crimean Bridge. Made With Love!, was intended to help celebrate the Kremlin's multibillion-dollar effort to cement the peninsula as part of Russia, international opprobrium and Western sanctions be damned. It turns out scathing reviews weren't the only thing garnered by director Tigran Keosayan. An investigation by anti-corruption crusader and Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny charged that Keosayan, his wife, Margarita Simonyan, and their relatives made around 46 million rubles on the project. At the time of the film's release in late 2018, that amounted to about $700,000. Simonyan, who is credited with writing the screenplay, is the head of the state-funded TV channel RT, formerly known as Russia Today. According to the investigation by Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, the film's budget was about 154 million rubles. Nearly two-thirds of that came from federal funds, according to an earlier report by the BBC. The remaining amount came from businesses linked to Arkady Rotenberg, a close associate of President Vladimir Putin and the owner of the construction conglomerate that built the bridge to Crimea, the investigation found. The funds granted to Simonyan and her family were awarded without any competitive bidding process, Navalny's foundation said. Keosayan earned 13.9 million rubles ($211,000) while Simonyan made 9.1 million rubles ($138,000), the investigation found. Other relatives receiving salaries or payments for their work on the film include Keosayan's brother, identified as the general producer; Keosayan's nephew, identified as a unit production manager; and the nephew's wife, identified as an executive producer for the film. The BBC, in its initial investigation into the movie, published in November 2018, found that the Russian Culture Ministry's Cinema Fund initially rejected the film's application for financing. Ultimately, the funds were released only at the request of Aleksei Gromov, a long-time Putin subordinate who was then his first deputy chief of staff. As head of RT, Simonyan earns millions of dollars annually. The channel is funded overwhelmingly, if not entirely, by the Russian government budget. Neither Simonyan nor RT had any immediate response to the Navalny investigation. The news site Open Media, which is funded by exiled oil tycoon and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, spoke to several actors who appeared in the film, but they declined to comment on the allegations in the investigation. Box-Office Bust The movie was largely a box-office bust, according to the business newspaper Vedomosti, which reported in October that it took in only 70 million rubles ($1.1 million) in ticket receipts. It was also a bomb where critics were concerned. Several Russian movie sites called it not only the worst film of 2018, but one of the worst of all time. On the Russian movie fan site Kinopoisk, 17,490 users voted, giving the flick a rating of 2.7 out of 10. "his is completely monstrous and unbearable to the point to never ever think about it again," wrote film critic Yegor Belikov, in the art journal Afisha. The investigation was the second this month by Navalny's foundation looking into the finances of Simonyan, a long-time journalist with state media, and her family. On March 10, the foundation alleged that Simonyan and Keosayan had improperly received more than 700 million rubles for intermediary services between advertisers and NTV, a major Russian TV channel that is owned by the natural gas monopoly, Gazprom. Simonyan denied that she or her husband had done anything illegal. The bridge to Crimea, which spans 17 kilometers (11 miles) across the Kerch Strait, was completed in 2018 at a cost of $3.7 billion, and is key to the Kremlin's efforts to incorporate the peninsula into the Russian economy. There are no other land links between Russia and Crimea, which Putin claims is sacred to his nation. Russia seized control of Crimea in March 2014, sending in troops and staging a referendum denounced as illegitimate by at least 100 countries after Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted amid a wave of public protests. Most governments reject Moscow's claim that Crimea is part of Russia and continue to consider it a region of Ukraine. Rotenberg's construction company, Stroigazmontazh, won the contract despite not having any experience in constructing bridges. (ANSA) - Rome, March 25 - Some 30 doctors have now died with the coronavirus in Italy including 17 GPs, the federation of general medicine doctors FIMMG said Wednesday. It said five of the six doctors who have died in the last 24 hours were family doctors. FIMMG made a reiterated and urgent appeal for doctors to be properly protected with personal protection equipment (PPE). "No one can be at ease with their own conscience if they expose health workers to unnecessary risks," it said. The family of one doctor who died with the coronavirus in Turin said Wednesday they may sue the Italian State for compensation. "The State should give a strong and clear signal: it must compensate the families of doctors and nurses who have died for their activities safeguarding public health," said their lawyer, Gino Arnone. "Otherwise we are ready to wage a legal battle". Over 5,000 Italian health workers have been infected with the coronavirus, the Anaao Assomed union said in a letter to Higher Health Institute President Silvio Brusaferro Wednesday. The union called for immediate action to provide all workers with individual protection equipment. Piedmont union chief Chiara Rivetti recalled that on Tuesday another two surgeons had been intubated with the virus in Turin. A large Christian school in Melbournes east stayed open until Wednesday this week, disregarding the Andrews governments decision to end term one on Monday to try to slow the spread of COVID-19. Waverley Christian College students leaving school on Wednesday afternoon. Credit:Luis Ascui Waverley Christian College, a devout Pentecostal school with almost 2000 students at campuses in Wantirna South and Narre Warren South, continued with face-to-face classes until Wednesday, in keeping with the Morrison governments directive that schools should stay open, but unlike other government and non-government Victorian schools that had collectively shut their campus doors. The union for non-government teachers in Victoria slammed the schools decision as deeply irresponsible, arguing it undermined the statewide fight against the virus. Any Victorian school running classes as usual is putting the health and safety of students, staff and the wider community at unacceptable risk, Debra James, general secretary of the Independent Education Unions Victorian branch said. Four countries led by war-ravaged Mali on Wednesday joined the lengthening list of African countries hit by the novel coronavirus as fears of the disease swept members of Nigeria's political elite. Mali, mired in an eight-year-old conflict, said two nationals who had returned from France had tested positive for the virus. Libya, another conflict-torn country, as well as the volatile West African state of Guinea-Bissau and Uganda in East Africa also reported their first cases of COVID-19. More than 2,400 cases were recorded in all of Africa as of Wednesday, according to an AFP tally, with 64 deaths. Although the toll is far lower than those recorded in Europe, the United States and the Middle East, health experts say the world's poorest continent is especially vulnerable to the virus. African states including Nigeria have been adopting increasingly restrictive measures against the invisible peril. By PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (AFP/File) Poor healthcare infrastructure, weak governance and crowded slums present ideal conditions for the respiratory disease to spread. Conflict, in particular, is a major factor in aggravating the risk. Mali is struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that erupted in the north in 2012 which has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives. The conflict has since spread to the centre of the country, and large swathes of the vast semi-arid state lie outside of government control. The government, which earlier banned commercial flights from virus-stricken countries, appealed for the public to "remain calm and to strictly respect the recommended preventive measures". The UN on Wednesday placed the spotlight on the Central African Republic (CAR), also gripped by conflict. CAR "is one of the least prepared countries to face a COVID-19 outbreak, with 2.2 million people already in need of health assistance and about 70 percent of health services provided by humanitarian organisations," the country's coronavirus Global Humanitarian Response Plan warned. 'Jittery' in Nigeria In the Nigerian capital Abuja, meanwhile, fears spread of coronavirus infection among senior politicians. A number of state governors as well as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo were in self-isolation after coming into contact with two individuals infected with COVID-19. According to the president's office and local media, one of them is President Muhammadu Buhari's chief of staff, Abba Kyari, one of Nigeria's most influential figures. The political elite "is in panic mode following the confirmed case of the chief of staff,"a source close to the presidency said. South Sudan has ordered a nightly lockdown. Here, passengers from an international flight are given a temperature screening at Juba airport. By Alex McBride (AFP/File) "As the engine room of government, (Kyari) has contact with various segments of the society. So everybody who has had contact with him since he returned from Germany is jittery. Most of us are in self-isolation." Nigeria's elite often jet abroad for private medical care, typically favouring Britain or the United States, rather than entrusting themselves to the country's rundown hospitals. "STUCK!", said author Elnathan John on social media. "Nowhere to run." Buhari, 77, who was re-elected in February last year, made several trips to London during his first four-year term for a condition that has never been disclosed. Lockdowns, curfews African states have been adopting increasingly restrictive measures against the invisible peril. Senegal and Ivory Coast have declared states of emergency and ordered nighttime curfews, similar to South Sudan, which has ordered a nightly lockdown from 8 pm to 6 am. Screening ahead of South Africa's lockdown to begin on Thursday. By Phill Magakoe (AFP) South Africa, the continent's largest economy, is set to enter a lockdown from Thursday. Ethiopia announced Wednesday it would free more than 4,000 prisoners to help prevent an outbreak in overcrowded prisons. The measures will apply to those jailed for "petty crimes" and drug offences or have less than a year remaining on their sentences. Conditions in Ethiopia's prisons are "harsh and in some cases life-threatening," marred by "gross overcrowding and inadequate food, water, sanitation and medical care," according to the latest annual human rights report on Ethiopia from the US State Department. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 06:56:51|Editor: ZD Video Player Close Military trucks carry bodies of patients who died from COVID-19 infections from Bergamo to Bologna, Italy, on March 24, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed 6,820 lives in locked-down Italy by Tuesday with the cumulative number of cases reaching 69,176, according to new data released by the Civil Protection Department. (Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua) BRUSSLES/ROME, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus continued to sweep across Europe, with the combined number of confirmed cases on the continent exceeding 200,000 as of Tuesday evening, accounting for half of known cases worldwide. Globally, the number of coronavirus cases crossed the 400,000 mark as of 1725 GMT on Tuesday, and the deaths globally were 17,454, according to the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the COVID-19 spread in real-time. In just five days, Europe's number of confirmed cases jumped from 100,000 to 200,000. The four hardest-hit European countries remained the same -- Italy, Spain, Germany and France -- with their total cases now topping 150,000 in combination. REBOUNDING IN ITALY In Italy, the numbers of both new cases and deaths rebounded on Tuesday. At a daily routine press conference, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli said Italy reported 5,249 new cases of coronavirus and 743 new deaths in the last 24 hours. Italy's number of new cases rebounded from 4,789 on Monday, reversing a day-to-day decline in new cases recorded over the previous five days. The number of new deaths also rebounded from 602 deaths on Monday and 650 deaths on Sunday. It was the second highest daily toll only after Saturday's 793 since the epidemic broke out in northern Italy on Feb. 21. The COVID-19 disease had claimed 6,820 lives as of Tuesday evening in Italy, a nation that has lost more lives than any other country to the pandemic. The cumulative number of coronavirus cases in Italy reached 69,176, the most outside China, and 54,030 people are currently positive for the coronavirus, according to official data. Despite the disappointment, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday updated the latest situation on the COVID-19 outbreak, saying that there was a glimmer of hope in Italy, as there were fewer new cases than in the previous several days. However, the WHO said that it was still far too early to claim that the tide had turned, and the situation there needed to be carefully observed in the coming days. WORSENING IN SPAIN, FRANCE Spain has the second highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe, only after Italy. The number of COVID-19 cases in Spain had risen to 39,373 on Tuesday, including 5,400 health workers, while that of deaths rose to 2,696 in a 24-hour span. In neighboring France, 240 more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, bringing the country's death toll to 1,100. France became the fourth country to have more than 1,000 fatalities related to COVID-19, after China, Italy and Spain. France's number of new cases rose by 2,153 in 24 hours over Monday, taking the country's total confirmed cases to 22,302, Director-General of Health Jerome Salomon said. A total of 10,176 people are hospitalized, including 2,516 in the intensive care units, said Salomon at a daily briefing. "We are still in a situation that worsens rapidly," he said. In Germany, confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased by 4,764 in 24 hours to 27,436 as of Tuesday, according to the German government agency for disease control and prevention Robert Koch Institute. In addition, another 12 European countries have registered more than 1,000 confirmed infection cases -- Switzerland, Britain, The Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Luxembourg. STRICTER MEASURES Since March 10, Italy, Spain, France and several other European countries had one after another imposed virtual national lockdowns to contain the infectious disease. But the novel coronavirus is showing no sign of abating, forcing them to roll out extra anti-virus measures. Starting on Tuesday, France's lockdown rules and measures have become stricter. People are allowed to go out for a walk with their children or to exercise once per day for no more than one hour, and within one kilometer of their home. France was put into lockdown on March 17 for at least 15 days. French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Tuesday that his country will remain in lockdown as long as needed to halt the spread of the virus. "As long as it (the confinement) should last, it lasts," he said. Separately, France's scientific council said the lockdown should last at least six weeks after it was put in place. "At present, confinement is the only really operational strategy," the council said in its recommendations. Also on Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that his government has approved a new decree introducing fines of 400 to 3,000 euros (430 to 3,228 U.S. dollars) for people caught violating the government's anti-coronavirus lockdown rules. Under the lockdown rules, people are not allowed to leave their homes except for buying food, going to the pharmacy, walking their dogs, or going to work if they are employed in key sectors such as health care or food production. People are also not allowed to travel between municipalities. Conte added that the new decree gives regional governors the power to impose stiffer lockdown rules if needed. In Spain, the government confirmed on Tuesday that it had "agreed to ask Congress for the authorization to extend the State of Alarm until April 12," adding that "the request will be debated and voted on tomorrow, Wednesday." A State of Alarm is the first of three emergency levels that the Spanish government can apply under exceptional circumstances. In Finland, which had 792 confirmed cases by Tuesday afternoon, the government on Tuesday decided to ask parliamentary approval for powers to isolate the Uusimaa province, including the capital Helsinki, and to close restaurants. Hyderabad: The estimate of case fatality rate due to the coronavirus disease Covid-19 is 4.32 per cent worldwide. Comparing this to the Indian scenario, the central government has been accused of not releasing the right numbers to estimate the death rate. The number of coronavirus-positive cases till March 24 was 451 and confirmed deaths by the government, nine. To estimate deaths it is important to identify the epicentre of the disease. This is not being declared to avoid stigma and creating panic among the people. Dr K K Aggarwal, former president of Indian Medical Association, who has assessed the situation, explained, The epicentre of the disease will determine the rate of death which is estimated to be 0.1 per cent. The cases have doubled in seven days. If there are 500 cases on March 24, it will double to 1,000 cases in seven days. Further adding, he said Of these 3 per cent will require ventilator support. There will be 15 per cent who can get serious and will need attention. Eighty per cent of people will get mild infections. This analysis is based on disease rate in China. Given the trend, it is important that lock down measures be taken seriously and people adhere to them if they do not want to fall sick. The actual effect of the lockdown will be seen only after five days, and people have to cooperate with authorities and stay at home, he said. Death rates can be expected to be low only after proper quarantine of 14 days is followed. Tehran (AFP) - A senior Iranian official Tuesday ruled out help from "foreign forces" to deal with the coronavirus epidemic after an offer from a France-based medical charity, as the country's death toll from the illness neared 2,000. "Due to Iran's national mobilisation against the virus and the full use of the medical capacity of the armed forces, it is not necessary for now for hospital beds to be set up by foreign forces, and their presence is ruled out," Alireza Vahabzadeh, advisor to Iran's health minister, said on Twitter. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) had said Sunday that it planned to send a nine-member team and equipment to set up a 50-bed hospital, stirring opposition from ultra-conservative circles in the Islamic republic who charged that MSF staff would serve as "spies". Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour earlier said a record 1,762 new cases have been confirmed in Iran over the past 24 hours and 24,811 people are now known to have been infected with the new coronavirus. He announced 122 new deaths from the virus, raising the official toll to 1,934 in one of the world's worst hit countries. In a statement, MSF said it had obtained the necessary permissions from the Iranian authorities, and voiced its "incomprehension" at its offer of help being rejected. Two cargo planes had already arrived in Tehran carrying the necessary equipment to build the facility, it added, while "an international team of nine people, including two intensive care doctors, had already arrived in Esfahan, where they were welcomed by the local health authorities". The NGO said it was ready "to rapidly redeploy its emergency team and treatment capacity elsewhere in Iran, or to quickly transfer them to other countries in the region, where they are urgently needed". Iran has the fourth highest official death toll from the coronavirus after Italy, China and Spain but, unlike those countries, it has yet to impose any lockdown on its citizens. Story continues On the contrary, the country is in the midst of the two-week Persian New Year holiday when the country's roads fill with people visiting family. Despite the authorities' appeals for people to stay home and the closure of shopping and leisure centres, many people have taken to the roads as usual this year. Jahanpour, however, announced that when government offices reopen on Tuesday, many civil servants will be working from home. "Only around a third of government staff are authorised to work in the office and only for administrative tasks vital to the public," he said, adding that all offices would practise "social distancing". The country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has urged Iranians to follow state instructions "so that Almighty God will put an end to this calamity for the Iranian people, for all Muslim nations and for all mankind". - 'Sanctions should be eased' - On Tuesday, the UN rights chief called for any sanctions imposed on countries like Iran facing the new coronavirus pandemic to be "urgently re-evaluated" to avoid pushing strained medical systems into collapse. Iran has been under crippling US sanctions in connection with its nuclear programme. "At this crucial time, both for global public health reasons, and to support the rights and lives of millions of people in these countries, sectoral sanctions should be eased or suspended," Michelle Bachelet said. Even before the pandemic, she pointed out that human rights reports had repeatedly emphasised the impact of sectorial sanctions on access to essential medicines and medical equipment in Iran, including respirators and protective gear for healthcare workers. Bachelet's office stressed that more than 50 Iranian medics had died since the first COVID-19 case was detected in the country five weeks ago. Adding to Iran's woes, floods caused by heavy rainfall since Sunday, mainly in western provinces, have killed at least 12 people and left two others missing, a spokesman for Iran's rescue services told AFP. Mojtaba Khaledi said that warnings have been issued of more heavy rains for later this week in western Iran. Decisions have a short shelf life during a pandemic. On the afternoon of Thursday, March 19, Ted McGreer was intent on keeping open Ted's Shoe and Sport, on Main Street in Keene, New Hampshire. His nine employees needed the money. And his customers needed sneakers and orthotics for the solitary walks and runs that had become their sole reasons to venture outside. Even as traffic dropped to 10 or 15 customers a day, the staff was frantically wiping down pens, door handles, and credit card keypads. For regular clients with predictable shoe sizes and preferences, McGreer offered curbside service and home delivery. The next morning McGreer spoke up at a virtual town hall for the Keene business community, a recurring event established by the city's mayor, George Hansel, for the duration of the coronavirus crisis. He expressed gratitude for the "kind, generous, and compassionate" customers who continued to support the business. Then he mentioned that weekend marked the store's 20th anniversary. "But I am uneasy for the health of my employees," he said. "So I am going to come out and say we are closing retail operations. I feel sick to my stomach about it." McGreer concluded, "I love each and every one of you. We are in this together." Keene, with a population of around 23,000, is a vibrant city in a bucolic corner of southwest New Hampshire. The business district, composed of about 150 mostly family-owned stores, is clustered on Main Street, a leafy boulevard of trim brick buildings. There is the Keene State college campus, a nearly century-old theater, and a gazebo. Tourism has been rising every year. A $30 million arts-and-culture corridor is in the works. Keene's business owners compete, of course. Still, it is the kind of place where a restaurateur who runs out of mixed greens will borrow some from the bistro down the street. Where veteran merchants mentor a newbie opening her first store. And where business owners describe other business owners as family. So even as fears of Covid-19 shutter store after store and merchants weigh unpleasant decisions, Keene's business owners are closing ranks as never before. "We already have a strong sense of community here and we are building on that," says Hansel, the mayor. "I think that will make the difference in weathering this storm." The power of a clever promotion Even as McGreer grieves the temporary closing of Ted's Shoe and Sport, he is thinking how to help his fellow merchants. In the works: a store-sponsored virtual run. Participants will pay $20 to register online, and then do a 5K witnessed only by their cellphones. McGreer will transfer 100 percent of the proceeds to gift cards for use at local businesses chosen by the runners. If the generosity is typical of McGreer, the creativity shows the influence of Luca Paris, McGreer's best friend. Paris launched Luca's Mediterranean Cafe in 2000, the same year McGreer opened his shoe store: The two businesses bookend Main Street. He is a zealous booster of Keene's small businesses, including other restaurants, whose owners he talks about and sometimes interviews on his weekly radio program. Paris's greatest strength is his promotions: He is an imaginative and puckish marketer. Last week when the governor mandated delivery and curbside service only for restaurants, he pulled out rolls of toilet paper from storage, slapped on stickers with the restaurant's logo, and wrote on their wrappers "We've Got Your Back ... Side." One roll went into every bag heading out the door to customers. "My only goal was to make people happy," Paris says. "Now, oh my God, they are all over Facebook!" Paris also sometimes borrows ideas from others, like when he recently urged business owners to buy meals for their staffs and to patronize a different local restaurant each time. He got that from Jerel Gomarlo, the third-generation owner of Gomarlo's Shop 'n' Save Supermarket, which is a few minutes away in Swanzey, New Hampshire. While Covid-19 panic has tripled the supermarket's business, it all but closed the small restaurant next door, so Gomarlo started buying breakfast there for a staff that has now swelled to almost 40. The next day he expanded the practice to lunch and has been spending between $500 and $700 each day at a different Swanzey or Keene establishment. "I know if I had to shut my doors for any length of time, more than likely we wouldn't open back up," Gomarlo says. "This might help them get by a little bit." Shutting down, but paying it forward Last June, Taryn Fisher opened the Keene Fine Craft Gallery in an elegant brick building directly across Central Square from Luca's Mediterranean Cafe. The store, which markets products from the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, is a decorator's dream of graceful blown glass, delicate prints, and saturated color textiles. At Keene's first virtual town hall, on March 17, Fisher listened to one of her mentors, Good Fortune Jewelry & Pawn owner Roger Weinreich, speak eloquently about merchants' responsibility to the community and the importance of "flattening the curve." Weinreich and his wife and co-owner, Maddie, were in self-imposed lockdown following travel abroad and had transitioned their store to by-appointment only. His words struck home for Fisher, who that same day closed her store, hanging in her window a large sign: "CV-19 Pandemic Update. Need to shop? Contact us via email. We'll make an appointment." But passers-by still wandered in. So on Friday, after hearing McGreer announce his closing, Fisher took the final step and locked her door. "I am shut down and it hurts. It just hurts," Fisher says. Her isolation is especially painful because she has no employees. Two days before shutting down she was sitting in her store, miserable and alone, when Perparime Abdullahu, owner of the neighboring Indian restaurant Royal Spice, dropped by to check on her. The two got to talking, and Abdullahu ended up ordering a custom plaque engraved with her children's names: a $225 sale. As Abdullahu left, she told Fisher she was on her way to pick up lunch from Luca's, and further impressed on her the need to support the community. So Fisher got lunch there too, and the next day ordered from Yahso Jamaican Grille, a new downtown business. Naturally, she posted a Facebook video touting both restaurants. Inspired by the spirit of camaraderie, the following day Fisher called Shannon Hundley, managing partner of Life Is Sweet, a candy store and bakery across the street, and offered to hand out $5 coupons for treats to the gallery's customers who came by for appointments. Because Life Is Sweet didn't have ready-made coupons, "I will just write $5 on my business card and give them that," said Fisher. "Go and get a free cupcake. It's on us." (Fisher is picking up the tab for now. She and Hundley haven't discussed how they'll work it out later.) Fisher expects to make a red-or-green decision in late April. "Red is: It is over. I am toast," she says. "Green is: I can do this. Just hang on." One or two businesses may not survive, she concedes. "But people here have been working on Main Street for 20 years or more. They are doing what they can to keep this thing alive." New Delhi: Ugadi marks the New Year as per Hindu calendar in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. It falls in the month of Chaitra (March or April) as per the Gregorian calendar. The date usually coincides with Gudi Padwa and Navreh -- the Maharashtrian and Kashmiri New Year respectively. The day marks the beginning of the Chaitra month in the Hindu calendar. On this day, dressed in their best fineries, men, women and children decorate their homes and indulge in grand festivities. Family members, friends and neighbours get together to celebrate by greeting each other and exchanging sweets and prasadam. People also visit temples to offer their prayers to the almighty and seek blessings on the auspicious occasion. Telugu Shaka Samvat 1942 Begins Ugadi on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Pratipada Tithi Begins - 02:57 PM on Mar 24, 2020 Pratipada Tithi Ends - 05:26 PM on Mar 25, 2020 (as per drikpanchang.com) One of the most important rather significant preparations on this day is the Ugadi Pachchadi (made of jaggery, raw mango and neem leaves/ flowers) that tastes sweet, sour and bitter. This recipe is customarily prepared at homes to remind people that they need to embrace agony and ecstasy with grace because life is a blend of both joyful and sad moments. Here's wishing our readers a very happy Ugadi! The J&K government has urged people to voluntarily report to authorities if they have a recent travel history to coronavirus-hit countries amid heightened concerns that those returning from abroad were evading screening and raising the possibility of the spread of the virus. Srinagar Deputy Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said authorities were flooded with messages about travellers concealing their travel history, and urged them to "act responsibly" to break the chain of transmission. He said authorities were concerned as the travellers would have mingled with the local population. The government appealed to students, particularly, who have not declared their travel history and asked family members, neighbours to report such cases through helpline numbers 0191-2549676 at UT level, 0191-2520982, 2674444, 2674115 (Jammu division) and 0194-2440283, 2430581. "Trust me if I share a summary of daily events NONE in Kashmir will sleep. Let's keep our egos aside, work collectively and instead of raising panic and alarm help each other to improve. This 3rd World War. Nothing less. If it passes we will have a Lifetime for all that," the senior official warned. He said surveillance teams were able to track 29 people coming from Bangkok, the UK, Dubai, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan, who skipped medical teams by changing routes or avoiding travel history. In another tweet, Choudhary said, "Two brothers. Same Medical College in Bangladesh. One travels by air, declares travel history lands in Quarantine. Other takes road goes home, probably enjoyed Wazwan. Smart neighbour informs Control Room. Team got in touch. Symptomatic. WHO guidelines lecture please?" "A girl coming from US posed as Student returning from Bangladesh. A 'thick skinned babu' (as we are called) insisted on passport while allotting room, got to know. USA 3rd highest COVID cases in the world. I need to attend another lecture on WHO guidelines now!!," he said. He cited another case of a man trying to evade the coronavirus protocol, saying a gentleman coming from Italy reached New Delhi via another port. "Takes train to Jammu n Cab to home in #Srinagar. Just to hide travel history. Traced. Need collective focus to handle it. Things are not that simple as they appear from homes & office rooms. WHO guidelines anyone?" he tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After an investigation of more than a year into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Turkey announced on Wednesday that it has launched proceedings against 20 Saudis, including two close to the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Twenty Saudis are now facing prosecution in the Khashoggi case. Following an investigation of more than a year into the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018, Turkey announced on Wednesday March 25 that it has launched proceedings against 20 Saudi nationals, including two close to the prince heir Mohammed ben Salmane. In a statement, the Istanbul Attorney Generals office said that an indictment had been prepared, which opens the way for a trial, the date of which is not known to date. In the indictment, ex-adviser Saoud al-Qahtani and former intelligence number two and General Ahmed al-Assiri, both close to the Saudi crown prince, are identified as the perpetrators of the murder. READ ALSO: The latter are accused of having ordered premeditated voluntary homicide with the intention of inflicting suffering. Eighteen other suspects are accused of having taken part in this murder. Life imprisonment International arrest warrants have also been issued by the Turkish authorities, said the prosecutors office. During the investigation, Turkish police searched the Saudi consulate and vehicles belonging to the diplomatic mission. They also examined the telephone bills of certain suspects and gathered the testimony of more than 50 people. Collaborator of the Washington Post and critic of the Saudi regime after being close to it, Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated in October 2018 in the Saudi consulate where he went to retrieve a document. According to Turkey, he was strangled, and then his body was cut. The remains of the 59-year-old editorialists body have never been found. This assassination plunged Saudi Arabia into one of its worst diplomatic crises in addition to tarnishing the image of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , known as MBS, designated by Turkish and American officials as the sponsor of the murder. The Riyadh authorities, after denying the murder and then putting forward several contradictory versions, claimed that the acts were committed by Saudi agents who acted alone and without orders from senior leaders. Five Saudis were sentenced to death last year following a top secret trial in Saudi Arabia . However, no charges have been brought against Saoud al-Qahtani. Ahmed al-Assiri was acquitted. With AFP Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 07:02:14|Editor: ZD Video Player Close by Matthew Rusling WASHINGTON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate and White House on Wednesday agreed to a landmark stimulus bill, in a bid to rescue the economy from absolute calamity amid the coronavirus panic. But economists said the United States will still see a steep but short-lived contraction. The bipartisan bill will "rush new resources onto the front lines of our nation's healthcare fight" and "inject trillions of dollars of cash into the economy as fast as possible," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday. The bill will allocate 500 billion U.S. dollars in subsidized loans to large industries including airlines, as well as send out checks to millions of Americans in an effort to prevent families from sinking into bankruptcy. The bill will also expand unemployment benefits and include a program worth 367 billion dollars to help small businesses make payroll, U.S. media reported. Amid rising fears over the spread of coronavirus, recent days and weeks have seen U.S. markets take a nose dive that reversed all of the unprecedented gains since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump. A major chunk of the economy has simply shut down, with millions of Americans staying home from work. Restaurants, coffee shops and office buildings are empty. While it is expected to bounce back after 6 months or so, experts warn that the economy will soon experience a short but very intense drop not seen in decades. James Bullard, president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, told U.S. media that unemployment could rise sharply to 30 percent and gross domestic product (GDP) could drop by 50 percent next quarter, amid the shutdown of a large portion of the U.S. economy. Wells Fargo Economic Group, in its updated Economic Outlook released Wednesday, forecast that the coming drop will be the "deepest peak-to-trough decline in real GDP in the post-World War II era." "We are now facing the largest decline in U.S. and global GDP in the post-war period," Desmond Lachman, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told Xinhua. "There can be no question that massive U.S. monetary and fiscal policy measures were needed to prevent a coronavirus-induced downward spiral in the U.S. and global economies," he said. But on the bright side, Wells Fargo's report noted the U.S. Federal Reserve's measures to keep credit flowing to businesses and households "should cushion some of the blow to the economy." Assuming that the virus does not come roaring back again this autumn, then the economy should begin to recover later this year, although the situation remains fluid, the report said. The Trump fiscal stimulus package should be more effective than the stimulus of former U.S. President Barack Obama, which was implemented as a response to the 2007-2008 economic crash, Lachman contended. The current plan is designed in a way that would get a large portion into the hands of those most likely to spend it, by mailing them a check. It should also help in limiting the wave of bankruptcies by having set aside a large amount of money for corporate support, Lachman added. Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Barry Bosworth told Xinhua that in the short run, the stimulus will not make a great difference to the GDP figure, "but it can relieve some personal suffering and ensure that there is not a major liquidity crisis." "The fiscal program has a structure that most economists would favor, but the aggregate economic effect will have to wait for the 3rd quarter when the worst of the health crisis will hopefully be past," Bosworth said. New Delhi/Kabul, March 25 : The Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) has claimed responsibility for the terror attack on a Gurudwara in central Kabul in which at least 27 members of the Sikh community were killed on Wednesday. Sources said while one suicide bomber detonated himself at the entrance, three IS terrorists stormed the shrine in the Shorbazar area Wednesday morning. Around 150 people were worshipping in the Gurudwara at the time of the attack. However, the security forces rescued around 80 worshippers from the Gurudwara. The Sikhs constitute a minuscule minority in Afghanistan. Afghan security forces killed all three terrorists in a day-long gun-battle after which NATO soldiers helped with the clearance operation. Though initial reports from Kabul suggested that the Ashraf Ghani government had blamed the Pakistan-backed Haqqani network for the terror attack, but the Taliban denied its role. Violence in Afghanistan continues unabated even as the US and Taliban have signed a peace deal, which entails withdrawal of the US forces. India strongly condemned the terror attack and extended condolences to the immediate family members of the deceased and wished speedy recovery to the injured. In an official statement, the government said, "India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan." "Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID-19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers. "We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valourous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country. India stands in solidarity with the people, the government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country." Reacting to the terror attack, India's Housing and Urban Minister and a former diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday tweeted, "Suicide attack on a Gurudwara Sahib in Kabul needs to be strongly condemned. These killings are a grim reminder of atrocities that continue to be inflicted upon religious minorities in some countries and the urgency with which their lives and religious freedom have to be safeguarded." As demand for COVID-19 tests continues to rise in Ontario and across North America, some laboratories are facing looming shortages of chemicals vital for the detection of the virus, forcing health systems to prioritize testing for those who need it most. The global need for what are known as extraction reagents, chemicals used to isolate the genetic material, or RNA, of the virus so it can be analyzed, has outpaced the supply. That is why priority must be given to those who are the sickest and most vulnerable patients and those who treat patients, an Ontario Ministry of Health spokesman said. The ministry said there is no imminent risk of running out of the reagents, and that the government is working very closely with Public Health Ontario and partner laboratories to source reagents from several manufacturers and suppliers. As of March 24, 125,062 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Canada, with 1,959 confirmed cases. In Ontario, 35,635 people have been approved for testing, with 688 confirmed positive, according to the provincial ministry of health. However, more than 10,000 tests are currently under investigation, meaning the number of people who have the virus in the province could be higher. While health officials had said expansive testing is essential to curb the pandemic, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has publicly acknowledged that the crucial reagents needed for testing now are in short supply. At least one major facility in Toronto, the Shared Hospital Lab, whose member institutions include North York General and Michael Garron hospitals, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Scarborough Health Network, began stockpiling extraction reagents in January in anticipation of soaring demand. Just like with every other aspect of pandemic planning, the whole supply chain is under pressure, so anything that is in heavy demand is harder to get, said Dr. Kevin Katz, medical director of the Shared Hospital Laboratory and head of microbiology at Sunnybrook. Katz said increased demand is not the only pressure on the supply chain. Jurisdictional shipping issues, including restrictions in countries where certain chemicals are manufactured, also impact how quickly labs can secure testing supplies. Ensuring labs have enough chemicals is critical as the capacity to test for the virus increases, he said. If you go from 1,000 tests per day to over 3,000 tests per day, thats great. It gets the backlog down. But you also burn up 3,000 reagent tests a day, Katz said. It will make that shortage more acute, so it is important to fix the issue as you ramp up testing because otherwise it will just precipitate more of a problem. At its most basic, testing for COVID-19 is a two-step process. The first is the extraction of the RNA from the virus using special chemical reagents. The second step is to amplify that genetic material and detect COVID-19s presence. Some labs use kits with both steps built in while others have designed their own systems for testing, known as the home-brew method. The reagents used in the extraction step are feeling the most supply pressure, said Dr. Tony Mazzulli, Microbiologist-in-Chief at Mt. Sinai Hospital and University Health Network. Mazzullis lab uses kits and says some of the suppliers of these kits cant keep up with demand. Although its a kit that I buy from company A, the company that makes the kit buys some of the reagents from company B. And so company B cant supply every single company because there are reagents that are common to all these tests, he said. To get around this supply issue, Mazzulli says some hospital labs are trying to develop alternative extraction methods that dont rely on the reagents in high demand. Last week, Health Canada expedited the approval of two COVID-19 diagnostic test kits. The manufacturers of eight other testing kits have also submitted their product to the health regulator for approval, according to Health Canadas website. Meanwhile, the Public Health Agency of Canada has sent an urgent request to some Canadian laboratories for spare reagents that can be used in COVID-19 testing, according to an online post by the Canadian Association for Neuroscience. In Manitoba, the provincial testing lab is facing a backlog due to the reagent shortage, prompting the facility to begin making its own, according to the chief provincial public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin. The lab is currently performing between 400 to 500 tests daily, a number the province expects to go up as the facility develops new methods to increase capacity over the coming weeks, a spokesperson said. Qiagen, a major supplier of reagents to countries across the globe including Canada, said the rapid spread of COVID-19 created extraordinary demand and was straining our capacity. In a statement to the Star, a company spokesperson said it is working with customers to provide shipments based on critical need rather than just filling orders on a first-come, first-served basis. The company is also beefing up its global production of reagents. It previously produced enough for roughly 1.5 million coronavirus tests per month. Qiagen aims to be making enough for 6.5 million tests by the end of April, and more than 10 million each month by the end of June. In the United States, some health agencies are warning of dwindling supplies of testing materials. The American Society of Microbiology, whose members include thousands working in public health labs, issued a statement saying, We are deeply concerned that as the number of tests increases dramatically over the coming weeks, clinical labs will be unable to deploy them without these critical components. We know from past experience that reagent shortages can persist, and we understand there are limits on how rapidly companies can realistically accelerate production of the necessary reagents, the group said. In Ontario, the bulk of the daily testing is done at the provincial public health laboratory, though eight hospital labs are also conducting tests. A health ministry spokesperson said test results for priority patients are being completed within two days of the lab receiving the specimen. For others, the target turnaround time is up to four days. The spokesperson said the province is working with hospitals, academic centres and private labs to aggressively ramp up testing capacity to meet increasing testing needs for the health system...The hope is to expand testing over the coming weeks. All current COVID-19 tests being used in Ontario require the use of these reagents, the ministry said. Health Canada is exploring alternative tests, and the national microbiology lab in Winnipeg is analyzing their efficacy. NOTE: This post is updated to show Murphy signing the bill Wednesday night. New Jersey workers who fall ill from the coronavirus or who must care for a sick family member will be eligible for state paid leave benefits under a bill Gov. Phil Murphy signed Wednesday night, hours after lawmakers sent it to him. The state Assembly on Wednesday passed a handful of bills in its first-ever remote voting session, including one ensuring New Jerseyans who have to quarantine can qualify for temporary disability insurance and those who are caring for a sick loved one can qualify for family leave insurance. The state Senate passed the bill (S2304) last week. State leave benefits will increase July 1, but for now New Jersey workers can receive up to six weeks of benefits equal to two-thirds of their pay, capped at $667 a week. The bill expands the definition of a serious health condition during a public emergency so that workers can qualify for benefits if they or a loved one have been exposed to a communicable disease and must self-quarantine. Murphy acted swiftly on the bill, announcing he had signed it shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday. No one should have to decide between taking care of themselves or a sick family member and going to work during this pandemic, Murphy said in a statement. With this new law, we are providing hardworking men and women with the protections that they deserve and ensuring a healthier place to live and work. The Assembly also passed a bill (A3902) by a vote of 79-0 that would empower the head of the states Division of Local Government Services to allow municipalities to institute grace periods for property tax bills. Quarterly property tax payments are due May 1. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, presided over Wednesdays voting session from the bodys empty Statehouse chambers in Trenton while lawmakers called in remotely. The entire voting session lasted about 52 minutes, most of which was taken up by roll call of the 80-member body and votes, in which members voiced their votes one-by-one. The Assembly met in person last week to pass two dozen emergency bills related to the coronavirus. But the call for social isolation has only grown since, as the governor now warns against gatherings of any size to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Addressing lawmakers by phone, Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, R-Union, called on the Legislature to rise to the occasion. Today, as we meet remotely for the first time in history, its clear that we face a serious health threat. I pledge to continue to work with the speaker and the governor, legislative leaders in the Senate, in order that we act as one unified voice, Bramnick said. Let me be clear about this. This is not the time to play party politics or to rely on opinions not based in science. the people in New Jersey expect us to lead and lead together, he continued. All of us should be asking one question and one question only: how can we help? How can we help our families, our neighbors and our communities. Another bill that passed (A3901) Wednesday authorizes state officials to reactive professional licenses and certifications on an expedited basis for people who retired in good standing so they may resume working if their profession is deemed necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare. Notaries would be permitted to perform notarial acts remotely in the state under a bill (A3903) and school districts in the state could use remote learnings during extended school closures during an emergency to meet the requirement they be open 180 days in a school year under another (A3904). Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Prisons could release some offenders early to ease the pressure caused by coronavirus and help slow the spread of the disease among inmates and staff, the Justice Secretary has said. Robert Buckland told the Justice Select Committee that letting out low risk prisoners ahead of time was 'part of the equation' and that he is also 'keen to make judicious use' of release on temporary licence 'as much as possible'. Jails in England and Wales have been put on immediate lockdown with all visits cancelled as it emerged thousands of staff are in self-isolation. Meanwhile, Jo Farrar, chief executive of the Prison and Probation Service, revealed yesterday that 13 inmates had tested positive for the deadly disease with confirmed cases in nine prisons. Ms Farrar said overall an estimated 4,300 prison and probation staff were self-isolating at the moment, with 3,500 of those working in prisons - about 10 per cent of the workforce. Around 50,000 protective masks have been delivered for staff to use and a ban on bringing hand sanitiser into the prison has been lifted. Stopping the spread of the disease in prisons represents a series of major challenges to the authorities due to the hands on nature of much of the work of prison officers and because of the close proximity of prisoners and staff. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said the government is considering the early release of some low risk offenders to reduce pressure on prisons during the coronavirus crisis Jails in England and Wales were put on immediate lockdown last night with all visits cancelled as it emerged thousands of staff were in self-isolation (pictured: HMP Pentonville) In other coronavirus developments in the UK: Prince Charles has contracted coronavirus and is in self-isolation at Balmoral Castle in Scotland - but his wife Camilla has not tested positive Sadiq Khan sparked more fury today and defied Boris Johnson as he warned Tube services will be cut back even further because one in three staff are now off sick Parliament is set to go into recess tonight a week early - and with doubts over when it will return; Builders said they feel 'angry and unprotected' as they carried on working on busy construction sites; Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt demanded more NHS workers were tested for coronavirus Speaking during an appearance in front of the committee yesterday, Mr Buckland was clear that the government is considering letting out some prisoners early to reduce the burden on the estate and that the move could be imminent. However, he warned doing so would have to be balanced with the resulting increased pressure on probation services. Committee chairman Sir Bob Neill asked Mr Buckland if it was sensible or wise to keep low risk offenders in prison given the pressure on the prison estate as he suggested more use could be made of release on temporary licence. More than 8,000 people have now been infected in the UK with the death toll now past 400 Mr Buckland replied: I absolutely take on board your point. Release on temporary licence is available. I am keen to make judicious use of that as much as possible in order to achieve the necessary leeway. I also need to think about what that means for prisoners who are going to be released anyway. We have in the next six months quite a few thousand will be released in the normal course of events. Pushed by Labour MP Maria Eagle on whether he would grant early release of prisoners to relieve pressure, the Justice Secretary said: I have to bring that as part of the equation here. However, I want to reassure the committee that the question of risk has to be up there in terms of the way in which this is done if we are to do this. Mr Buckland also said the government needed to figure out what to do about the 9,000 people who are currently on remand. He explained that 'quite a proportion of the estate where there is crowding - that presents a real challenge' especially because many inmates are vulnerable or have underlying health conditions. The committee was told that the Ministry of Justice is hoping to roll out coronavirus testing to prison staff who are self-isolating in a bid to get as many as possible back to work. The news comes after concerns were raised about conditions at HMP Holme House in County Durham. A source said there was a lack of protective equipment for staff as well as a shortage of soap and cleaning products. The lockdown of prisons across England and Wales includes a ban on all social visits but efforts are being stepped up to make more phone calls available to inmates. Prisoners are effectively being confined to their cells to avoid the spread of infection but they are allowed to access showers and exercise with social distancing restrictions in place. Prison gyms have closed and group education activities have been suspended but offenders who carry out kitchen cleaning and laundry work have been allowed to continue in their roles. The is reporting 391 cases of in the commonwealth as of noon Wednesday. There are 13 recorded coronavirus-related deaths in the commonwealth, up from nine Tuesday. One of those deaths reported was of a . Fifty-nine people have been hospitalized, 5,370 people have been tested. Any new confirmed cases from health departments throughout the state the rest of the day won't show up until at least Thursday on the state list, as the official numbers are only updated once a day. The numbers are expected to continue to rise in the coming days. to watch Wednesday's news conference. "This emphasizes how we are just at the beginning of this," Governor Ralph Northam said. "We are not talking about weeks, unfortunately; we are talking about months." The spike in numbers is because the state is able to do more testing and because there is more community spread, Northam said. To address the need for more healthcare providers at facilities across the state, Virginia is taking steps to re-work its licensing procedures and allow medical students to help with patients, Northam said. Healthcare professionals are also encouraged to volunteer their experience and expertise through the Already about 1,500 VAMRC volunteers have offered to help, Northam said. The state is working to secure more personal protective equipment (PPE) for those health care providers. This includes a new order directing all hospitals to stop performing elective surgeries or procedures to help conserve supplies like bed space and equipment like ventilators and PPE. Virginia received its first shipment of PPE from the national stockpile this week and has made its second request. The state is collaborating with the Army Corps of Engineers to identify areas where they could build and create more bed space for patients. Northam will make an announcement once locations have been chosen. Virginia is also ordering State Parks to be available for day-use only. The Commonwealth will be closing camp grounds, cabins, and bath houses starting Friday morning. Northam also addressed the . He urged President Falwell to follow other universities and not invite students to come back to campus. "We appreciate our colleges and universities making accommodations for students with special cases, but that is very different from inviting students to leave their homes and come back to campus," Northam said. The newly reported positive coronavirus cases include the first confirmed case in Roanoke County, plus one in Botetourt, two each in Harrinsonburg and Rockingham, one each in Rockbridge and Amherst, two each in Bedford and Danville, one in Halifax, three in Mecklenberg, and one in Franklin County. One reported in Radford Tuesday has not shown up on the state map. Governor Ralph Northam held a briefing Wednesday afternoon to update the commonwealth on the outbreak. SEATTLE, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Coherent Market Insights, the global distraction osteogenesis devices market was valued at US$ 228.3 million in 2018 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period (2019-2027). Key Trends and Analysis of the Distraction Osteogenesis Devices Market: Key trends in the market include rising number of bone defect cases, advancements in technology in distraction osteogenesis devices, and increasing adoption of growth strategies such as acquisitions, collaborations, and product launches by the market players. The rising number of bone defect cases, and craniofacial anomalies such as cleft palate, craniosynostosis, hemifacial microsomia, and others are expected to drive growth of the distraction osteogenesis devices market during the forecast period. For instance, according to the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association (ACPA), in 2018, clefts were one of the most common types of birth defects in the U.S. and accounted for around 1 in 700 births across the world. Request for Sample PDF copy @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1172 Several market players are focused on developing and launching technologies that would help surgeons to make critical preoperative decisions and allow efficient execution of the procedures, thereby achieving desirable patient outcomes, which is expected to propel the market growth. For instance, in March 2019, Stryker Corporation introduced the new 1688 visualization platform designed to enhance orthopedic surgical efficiency and patient experience. Also, initiatives by several organizations for providing surgical care for facial deformities is another major factor propelling the market growth. For instance, Operation Smile is an international medical charity that has provided a number of free surgeries for children and young adults in emerging economies such as China, India, and Sub-Saharan Africa who are born with cleft lip, cleft palate or other dental and facial conditions. Operation Smile has a global network of medical professionals providing high surgical care in over 60 countries. Moreover, increasing adoption of partnership and distribution agreements by market players are expected to propel the market growth over the forecast period. For instance, in 2016, Acumed LLC collaborated with The Perry Initiative, a hands-on orthopedic and engineering program, to develop innovative orthopedic and medical solutions for improving patient care. Key Market Takeaways: The distraction osteogenesis devices market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period (2019-2027), owing to rising number of bone defect cases, advancements in technology in distraction osteogenesis devices, and increasing adoption of growth strategies such as acquisitions, collaborations, and product launches by the market players. For instance, in 2019, according to the NHS (National Health Service), cleft lip and palate are the most common facial birth defects in the U.K. and are estimated to affect around 1 in 700 babies. Key players are focused on adopting growth strategies such as product launches, collaborations, and acquisitions for enhancing their product offerings in the potential market, which in turn is expected to propel the market growth over the forecast period. For instance, in 2017, Titamed collaborated with Royal Belgium Society of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery and MKA Wassland for development and increasing sales of its products in Europe . Key players operating in the global distraction osteogenesis devices market include Johnson & Johnson, Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., Stryker Corporation, KLS Martin Group, Acumed LLC, OsteoMed, and Titamed Buy this Report Now @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/1172 Market Segmentations: Global Distraction Osteogenesis Devices Market, By Device Type: Mandibular Distraction Devices Palatal Distraction Devices Alveolar Distraction Devices Cranial Distraction Devices LeFort Distractor Devices Small Bone Distractor Devices Others Global Distraction Osteogenesis Devices Market, By Placement: Internal Distractors External Distractors Global Distraction Osteogenesis Devices Market, By End User: Hospitals Orthopedic Clinics Others Global Distraction Osteogenesis Devices Market, By Region: North America By Country: U.S. Canada Latin America By Country: Brazil Mexico Argentina Rest of Latin America Europe By Country: Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific By Country: China India Japan Australia South Korea ASEAN Rest of Asia Pacific Middle East By Country: GCC Israel Rest of Middle East Africa By Country/Region: South Africa Central Africa North Africa Did not find what you were looking for? Here are some other topics: EUROPE CRYOCHAMBERS MARKET Cryotherapy, also called cryoablation, is a non-invasive therapy used for alleviating pain, treating abnormal skin, and localized tumors. Cryotherapy can be administered locally or on the whole body. Surgeons use cryo probes through which liquid nitrogen or high pressure argon gas flows, freezing and destroying tumor cells. Cryotherapy is an alternative tumor treatment option, usually preferred in cases where removal of tumor using conventional surgery is not effective. Read more @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/europe-cryochambers-market-3628 BACTERIAL FILTER MARKET The increasing adoption of inorganic growth strategies such as mergers, agreements, and collaborations by key players operating in the market are expected to propel the market growth over the forecast period. For instance, in May 2016, General Electric Company entered into a distribution agreement with SLE., a global provider of neonatal ventilation products for distribution of bacterial filters in the U.K. Read more @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/bacterial-filter-market-3627 RADIAL COMPRESSION DEVICES MARKET A radial compression device are tied on the wrist of the patient undergoing angiography and angioplasty procedure to obtain reduced rates of radial artery occlusion after invasive coronary procedures. There are two types of radial compression devices disposable radial compression devices and reusable radial compression devices. Increasing number of angiography and angioplasty procedures is expected to propel the growth of the global radial compression devices market during the forecasted period. Read more @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/radial-compression-devices-market-3542 Contact Us: Mr. Shah Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave. #3200 Seattle, WA 98154 Tel: +1-206-701-6702 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Coherent Market Insights BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 26 Trend: As part of measures carried out jointly with the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers to combat the spread of coronavirus Infection (COVID-19), Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) will transport all goods of national importance on Baku-Nakhchivan and Nakhchivan-Baku routes on a priority basis and free of charge, Trend reports referring to AZAL. All structures of AZAL CJSC continue to work in a strengthened mode and in close contact with government structures. The large oval table was gone and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministerial colleagues sat in chairs kept at a distance from each other as they practised "social distancing" to combat coronavirus during a Cabinet meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. Pictures showed that the ministers were facing the prime minister and small side tables were provided next to their chairs to allow them to keep their documents. Usually, the Cabinet members sit around an oval table during meeting. The Cabinet meeting was held at the prime minister's official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. WATCH: How PM and ministers practised social distancing The prime minister has been pitching for "social distancing" to check the spread of coronavirus. He has announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown to combat the deadly virus. The horror of even contemplating a loss of that magnitude is staggering. I look out my window, and its a beautiful day, and the water comes out of the faucet when I turn it on, and my car works, Perrotta says. The infrastructure of the world is intact, but there is this feeling of dread and grief that makes it feel entirely different than what it did a month ago. I wake up and as soon as I go downstairs and come in contact with any information, this heaviness just comes over me that I carry through the whole day. And I think, you know, 2 percent is a lot. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) Student leaders from different university student councils call on the Commission on Higher Education to suspend online classes while the COVID-19 enhanced community quarantine is being implemented. Among the cited reasons for the petition is the access to internet connection and learning devices, which they argue is a "privilege" and place some students at a disadvantage. Surveys conducted within our respective universities ascertain that not all students, including members of the faculty, have access to such, read a petition letter addressed to CHED. Among the signatories are student representatives from the De La Salle University-Manila, Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines - Diliman, and the University of Santo Tomas. They also argued that pushing for academic workload amid the rising threats of COVID-19 would only increase [students] burden and contradicts the purpose of the lockdown, which is to help their families prepare and adjust to the situation at hand. The petition also calls for the distribution of online materials for self-learning, which they deem would be beneficial in the preparation of students for class resumption. Professors are encouraged to upload readings and tutorials to aid learning at ones convenience; however, they should not be a requirement and should only be supplementary in nature while face- to-face classes are suspended, they said. Student leaders asked that adequate time and leniency on the submission of requirements be afforded to students and that there be no deadlines on the first week of resumption of classes. Meanwhile, in a statement released Tuesday night, CHED chairman Prospero De Vera III called out the student group SPARK - Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan for allegedly threatening to flood his account with messages, including the demand for suspension of online classes. Storming people's emails and blasting someone's facebook account with messages may be considered a cybercrime, he said. I urge students to be more circumspect in their actions and more considerate of the Commission and the HEIs during these difficult times. The CHED chairman said he has already urged higher education institutions to review their online classes and adopt other alternative delivery systems in view of the enhanced community quarantine. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier placed the entire area of Luzon under enhanced community quarantine to contain COVID-19. This move translated to restricted travel, suspension of work and classes, and curfew implementation. Several areas outside Luzon consequently decided to shut down their borders as the number of confirmed cases rise. As of March 24, the Department of Health has recorded 638 confirmed COVID 19 cases in the country, with 38 fatalities and 26 recoveries. Stephanie Kidd has been stuck in a Peruvian hostel for the past 14 days and says she was told by the UK government to 'hope' for a flight home. The family of a British woman stranded in South America due to coronavirus travel restrictions has pleaded for help to bring her home. Stephanie Kidd, 30, has been locked up in a hostel in Peru with seven other people since 15 March, when a national emergency was declared in the country as a result of the coronavirus crisis. She says the UK government has told her there is not enough room for her on the repatriation flight home and to hope another plane is allowed to leave the country. Kidd, from Bournemouth, Dorset, said: We are not allowed out of the hostel. I need to get home now. I have been FaceTiming my family and they are very, very worried. She said she was losing weight and suffering anxiety due to the uncertainty of her situation. Stephanie Kidd and her friends have been isolated in a hostel in Peru for two weeks so far. The country has declared a national state of emergency due to the coronavirus crisis. Although she and the people she is with are now receiving emails from the [British] embassy, communication from the government has been terrible, she said. We didnt hear from anyone for five days and the embassy closed, so we felt abandoned. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area Explained: Symptoms, latest advice and how it compares to the flu She added: The first email that finally was sent out was showing everyone's email addresses. As well as being extremely unprofessional, people were confused to whether this email was true as it was a gmail account and not a .gov address. The German government have contacted their citizens every day, even if it's to let them know they are still working on it! Days are difficult and I have been upset a lot and struggled with sleep. The key is to keep positive and busy so some days I've done workouts, baking and my TEFL course. However, other days I have felt low and not like doing anything at all. The hostel kitchen where Stephanie Kidd is isolated. Her family are campaigning for the Foreign Office to bring her home. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said he had secured permission for a UK-organised flight to leave Peru for the UK in coming days, but Kidd will not be on that flight as it has been prioritised for the most vulnerable. Story continues Britons left in Peru have to hope the plane is allowed to make a return journey to collect them something that cannot be guaranteed due to tight travel restrictions. The group have also been told they will have to pay 250 for the rescue. She said: I am happy to pay 250 to get home. We were originally asked to pay 3,000 and then it went down to 2,000, which just seemed ridiculous. We felt we were being exploited in a difficult situation. Again, these were from the gmail address so we were also unsure if it was a scam. I am worried about getting home and I will be until I receive an email confirming the date I can fly. Another obstacle in this is that I'm in Cusco, close to Machu Pichu. Cusco is a day-long bus journey from Lima [the capital]. We have had no confirmation about how we will get to Lima as we are in lockdown. Can they even organise a bus? Many people have been asking this question, with no response from the government as of yet. The small hostel in Peru where Steff Kidd and her friends have been quarantined until further notice. An online petition to repatriate Britons stranded in Peru has already attracted 43,000 signatures. Kidds brother Fraser told Yahoo News UK: We just want to get Stephanie home and safe in these unprecedented times. Though Im sure she is being looked after in Peru, I dont feel confident that will continue depending how long this goes on for. The British Embassy has told Stephanie Kidd she will have to pay 250 for a rescue flight. We are all fearful of what could happen, and are doing what we can as a family to ensure a safe return for Stephanie, her friend Shauna and other British nationals. Kidds sister Danielle told Yahoo News UK she fears for her sisters health. She said: I am worried about Steff, she has been stuck in the hostel for almost two weeks now. Other than a email on Saturday she hasnt received any reassurance that she will get back to the UK any time soon. My sister is hardly sleeping or eating, which is a worry as she is on the other side of the world. I have two small children and a husband who is a bus driver in London, we are trying to remain positive throughout current events. With my sister being stuck in Peru it is adding to our worries. Following a call with the Peruvian foreign minister, Raab said: Amidst all the challenges of tackling coronavirus, we committed to working together in the coming days to enable UK nationals in Peru and Peruvian nationals in the UK to return home. The bedroom that has been Stephanie Kidd's home for the past fortnight. Kidd told Yahoo News UK: All I would like to say to Dominic Raab is that I understand it is an extremely hard time for the government, but to have no contact from the embassy for five days is disappointing. He announced two days after we were put into quarantine that bringing all Brits abroad home is unrealistic, which obviously only added to everyone's worry. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: We are working round the clock to make flights available next week for British people who wish to leave Peru but who are currently unable to do so on commercial flights because of the travel restrictions that have been imposed. Nova Poshta group of companies is launching the medicines delivery service throughout Ukraine, the company's press service said on Tuesday, March 24. "With the introduction of quarantine and transport restrictions, the government strongly encourages Ukrainians to stay at home. We have already launched a test delivery of food products in Dnipropetrovsk region and support the government's decision, which allows us to provide the convenient medicines delivery service," the press service of Nova Poshta said, citing CEO Oleksandr Bulba. According to the statement, medicines will be delivered to Nova Poshta offices, pick-up and drop-off points or by couriers throughout Ukraine. To date, the company begins selling medicines together with Liki 24 Internet portal. In the future, the company plans to connect other partners who sell medicines. Nova Poshta said that this refers to the delivery of medicines and related products and does not apply to narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, heavy and toxic medicines, the storage of which is prohibited in Ukraine. While Italy and Spain recorded huge spikes in deaths from Covid-19 on Tuesday, the US witnessed a staggering 10,000 new cases and more than 130 deaths in just one day. The coronavirus pandemic, which has now infected more than 400,000 people worldwide and killed more than 18,000 people, has clearly tightened its grip across the Atlantic - both in the US as well as across the European continent. With more than 600 fatalities in all, the US is now among the top six worst-hit nations in terms of death toll. Italy reported 743 deaths, surging to break a two-day trend, while Spanish authorities recorded a further 514 deaths, the worst for a single day, as the country struggled to contain the outbreak despite strict rules that are keeping people in their homes. The daily toll on Tuesday was the second highest recorded in Italy. Theres no sign yet of the pandemic peaking, and different countries are at varying stages of trying to cope with the sheer influx of patients to hospitals and the effects on economies as a result of keeping people indoors. The French and German governments are looking at further measures to keep companies afloat and pump money into the system once the virus risk eases, on top of aid already committed. Italy passed China last week to become the epicentre of Covid-19, yet the focus on Tuesday was on Spain, where fatalities increased to 2,696 from 2,182 the day before. The number of confirmed cases rose to just shy of 40,000. Spain is already in the second week of a lockdown set to continue until April 11, with severe restrictions on mobility, as police patrol the streets and the army helps to move patients. Italys government may now impose fines of up to 3,000 euros ($3,260) for violations of the lockdown. A cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Tuesday is expected to approve the fines, and give police powers to seize vehicles of anyone caught violating the restrictions, according to people familiar with the matter. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel is evaluating an additional stimulus programme to help revive the economy. The pandemic has reached Ecuadors Galapagos Islands, a Unesco World Heritage site, an official source said. Four people contracted the disease. The four permanent residents of the archipelago had returned to the islands from the port of Guayaquil with more than half of its near 1,000 confirmed cases. Ford Motors has become the first automaker in Vietnam to suspend production as a safety measure amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The U.S. company said in statement Monday that its assembly plant in the northern Hai Duong Province will cease operations starting March 26. The plant, which assembles the crossover SUV EcoSport and passenger vanTransit, will be suspended for several weeks depending on the pandemic situation, the statement said. A Ford Vietnam spokesperson said that sales of vehicles and parts will continue as usual. "Ford Vietnam has enough supply for the next several weeks." Ford dealers in Hanoi said that they still have enough supply until the end of April, but shortages could occur in May, which could result in lower discounts. The automaker had said in January that it would invest $82 million in expanding its Hai Duong plant to boost production capacity from 14,000 units a year to 40,000. In the first two months, Ford sold 2,527 units in Vietnam, down 49 percent year-on-year, according to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association. Other Ford plants in India, Thailand and South Africa will also be closed, the company said. "The health and safety of our employees, dealers, customers, partners and communities is our highest priority," said Mark Ovenden, president of Fords International Markets Group. General Motors Co (GM.N) and Ford Motor Co (F.N) said on Wednesday they were in talks with White House officials about how they could support production of medical equipment like ventilators that may be needed to combat the coronavirus outbreak, according to Reuters. The hospital spokeswoman said the medical center has an adequate supply of personal protective equipment for all of our clinicians and team members and we project we will keep up with demand. All our associates, including our nurses, have the appropriate PPE needed to take care of covid-19 or any other patient needing isolation. Our use of PPE can change almost daily, based on CDC guidance and new evidence from other countries and specialty societies. Bettye Kearse was a longtime Boston pediatrician and loved her work. But Kearse, now a Santa Fe resident, was pulled in another direction while she was in medicine. As her familys eighth-generation griot (female African American storyteller) she began writing a book about her family as told through its oral history. That history begins with Mandy, identified as a young girl from West Africa who endured the infamous Middle Passage in chains and enslavement in Virginia. According to that oral history, Mandy was a slave at Montpelier, the home of James Madison Jr., the fourth president of the United States and a Founding Father. Kearses enlightening book, The Other Madisons: The Lost History of a Presidents Black Family, has not only been a labor of love for the author for 30 years but, more deeply, her lifes purpose. The manuscript has undergone several iterations. The first, as her mother suggested, was a compilation of the familys stories. That drew too narrow an audience. The second iteration was a novel. A rigorous writing class Kearse was in didnt like it. But it had a prologue that talked about how my mother and I had heard the stories, and (the class) liked that, she said in a phone interview. The stories were welded into essays. Kearse started seeing trends, themes, broad concerns that went beyond her own family. I became very involved with the slaves as people and wondered how they could have gotten through being stolen, the auction blocks, being sold off, she said. Kearses experiences with racism and those of her ancestors are deftly and sympathetically braided throughout the pages. Most notable is Mandy, who eloquently speaks to the reader through the authors imagination. Kearse came to understand that her ancestors must have possessed incredible inner strength and hope. They could have given up, but they didnt. It took time for me to be able to take this in. That ends up being what I want readers to get out of the book that slaves were remarkable people and passed their qualities down to their descendants, myself included, she said. According to the Madison family tree in the book, Mandy and the presidents father had a slave child named Coreen; and President Madison and Coreen, his half-sister, also had a slave child together. Kearse traces her ancestry to that union of president and slave. My mother was very proud of descending from a president, but she never allowed herself, I believe, to realize that this happened through rape. It didnt have to be through violence, but power and vulnerability. I felt compelled to recognize it, Kearse said. For generations starting with Coreens descendants, she said, the familys directive was: Youre a Madison; you come from a president. Kearse said her grandfather amended it to incorporate black pride: Always remember youre a Madison. You come from African slaves and a president. Oral history, Kearse said, is one of three main paths to look at ones ancestry; the other two are archival documents and DNA. All three are important. Not one alone can give you the full story, she said. I want people to embrace their slave ancestry, to survive and contribute to all human endeavor. And I hope it could counter the effects of racism on our young people. The books chapter Destination Jim Crow was submitted as a stand-alone essay and was awarded a notable designation in the volume Best American Essays of 2014. Kearse said she wants to write a young adult version and a childrens version of The Other Madisons. Malaysia's relationship with top palm buyer India, which soured under former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, is expected to improve after India lifted a 5% import duty on the edible oil, Malaysia's commodities minister said on Wednesday. India's trade remedial body had in early March recommended the government not to extend the 5% bilateral safeguard duty on imports of refined palm oil from Malaysia, finding it unnecessary in light of new import curbs placed on Jan. 8. Malaysia's political veteran Mahathir lost power late last month. "The new government sees India's move as a positive step that signals an openness to rebuild a close relationship from the aspect of trade and culture," Malaysia's new commodities minister, Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, said. India has been the biggest buyer of Malaysian palm oil for five years, but imports trickled to a halt after it restricted imports of refined palm and informally asked traders to avoid Malaysian palm, which traders said was in retaliation for Mahathir's criticism of its policy affecting its Muslim minority. Mohd Khairuddin said Malaysia recognised the need for the two countries to discuss the import curbs and a trade imbalance in favour of Malaysia. Malaysia will send a delegation to India after the coronavirus pandemic is over, the minister said. Malaysia's exports to India dropped 54% last month from January, according to Malaysian Palm Oil Board data. Photo Chandigarh: Amid tighter restrictions and controls as part of the anti-COVID curfew/lockdown in place, the Punjab Police on Wednesday went into mission mode to launch innovative and indigenous initiatives across districts to facilitate door-to-door supply of essential goods through strategic tie-ups with Zomata, Swiggy, Verka, Amul, Mandi Pradhans, Chemist Associations etc. As a result of the initiatives taken by the district police, door-to-door supply of essential goods like medicines, grocery, eatables had started in many of the districts in the state, while similar delivery mechanisms were being worked out in others too. Passes were also being issued to authorized vendors for the supply of essential goods, according to DGP Dinkar Gupta, adding that for home delivery of Medicines, in particular, necessary tie-ups are being made with the respective Chemist Associations, so that orders can be taken on phone and home delivery is accordingly undertaken. The DGP appealed to the people and the media to show some patience as arrangements on such a large scale need time for implementation. The police was taking prompt action on any information that comes to their notice the from social media, he said, disclosing that prompt arrangements were made for delivery of diabetic medicines to a Jalandhar family after they had tweeted for help. Strict enforcement of the curfew had curtailed the number of FIRs for violations to 74 today against yesterdays 230, with a 38,468-strong police force on the ground to enforce the restrictions while ensuring access to essential goods and services for the people, Gupta said. The violations of curfew were reported from Ludhiana City, Ludhiana Rural, Khanna, Ropar, Sangrur, Patiala, Jalandhar City, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, SBS Nagar, Mansa and Ferozepur. Responding to the DGPs directions to think out-of-the-box, Commissioners of Police and SSPs in several districts had come out with innovative ways to ensure that essential commodities reach the citizens. The DGP had issued certain directives to the top officials soon after the announcement of the curfew by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and the nationwide lockdown by the Prime Minister. He had asked them to make suitable arrangements for door-to-door delivery of essential goods and services, and to ensure smooth functioning of delivery boys, rehris, small motorized vehicles etc. In Amritsar and Ludhiana cities, 650 persons had been engaged from Swiggy for home delivery of the essential goods, while in District Patiala, home delivery of essential commodities was being ensured in coordination with the delivery boys from Zomato and Swiggy. As many as 100 trolleys containing essential commodities were dispatched across Sangrur district today by engaging the services of local volunteers, said the DGP adding that in District Tarn Taran, Milk producing entities like Verka and Amul have been roped in for ensuring decentralised distribution of Milk following proper Social Distancing measures. Officers of Milk plant Verka have been liaised with and they have assured that their 700 vendors will undertake door to door supply of milk in Amritsar City too, with the Commissionerate Amritsar directed to issue the necessary passes, said Gupta. Further, for Fruits and Vegetables in Amritsar City, liaison has been established with the merchant leader (Pardhan) of the Sabzi Mandi. As a result, around 200 vendors from the Mandi will undertake door-to-door delivery of Vegetables to the residents of each colony and area in Commissionerate Amritsar. Similarly, the Pardhan of the Mandi has assured that around 100 vendors will be deputed for undertaking door-to-door supply/delivery of Fruits. In district Khanna, Vegetables and Fruits are being sold out door-to-door via Rehris, after getting the same from Mandis. For dry rations, necessary tie-ups with the Kiryana stores have been made, and they are also taking orders on phone and ensuring home delivery. Information about the availability of the home delivery services is being disseminated through the WhatsApp groups. In Sri Muktsar Sahib district, for dry rations, a meeting with Pardhans of Kiryana merchants association was held. Since most of them have running accounts of their customers, in each mohalla & locality, they have been asked to collect their orders on phone & keep all parcels ready by 5 pm of the day. Thereafter, they will be allowed to go door to door, clubbing one cart/ Chhota Haathi per ten shops, between 5 & 6 pm. Movement of these vehicles will be regulated by respective PCRs of each locality to ensure confinement of customers/ Residents, said the DGP. The DGP said certain issues were being faced by the police teams in certain areas, including shortage of essential items and LPG etc, daily visits at government hospitals by drug addicts with de-addiction centre cards seeking medicines, pressure from wheat farmers for opening of pesticide markets & shops, demand from potato growers for safe passage and transportation for supply of their crop to other states, among others. All efforts were being made to resolve these concerns at the earliest, assured the DGP, adding that the police officials themselves had suggested various means to address these issues in their respective districts. Some of the key suggestions included roping in of NCC, volunteers, private/retired doctors and nurses to augment health services, using Public address system to make people aware of delivery schedules etc, allowing wholesalers of sanitisers and masks to open shops at fixed times for supply to retailers, permission to private doctors to attend to routine ailments of newly born babies, old age peoples and pregnant ladies, strong measures by PR departments to counter rumours, expansion & updation of vendor list, and random checking of Covid-19 to prevent community spread. Hindalco Industries has temporarily shut down or scaled down operations of some of the Aluminium and Copper manufacturing facilities in line with state government directives. Operations are being managed with minimal staff as part of the ongoing effort to practice social distancing. Several measures have been taken to protect the health and safety of the workforce. In the U. S., Hindalco subsidiary Novelis has also partially shut down some of its plants as a result of the temporary shutdown measures of U. S. automakers in response to COVID-19. While Novelis temporarily ramps down aluminum supply for the automotive market during this period, these facilities will continue to produce aluminum for the beverage can and specialty markets. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram In the evening of March 13, 2020, men in paramilitary uniforms accompanied by local administrative officials in Kurigram District, in northern Bangladesh, raided the home of Ariful Islam, the areas correspondent for the English-language Dhaka Tribune daily, and arrested him after allegedly finding illegal drugs in the house, according to news reports. During and immediately after the arrest, those men beat Islam with a wooden stick for an hour and a half, breaking his right arm and causing bruises across his body, according to the Dhaka Tribune and Islam, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview. At about 1:30 a.m. on March 14, a mobile court tried, convicted, and sentenced Islam to one year in prison for drug possession, according to those news reports. Mobile courts are used in Bangladesh to quickly adjudicate cases such as driving infractions, food contamination, and drug charges, according to reports. On March 15, a different court in Kurigram ordered Islam released on bail in response to a petition filed by the president of the Kurigram Press Club, a local journalists association, according to reports. On March 19, Islam filed a complaint with the local police about his arrest, incarceration, and assault, according to reports. He told CPJ that the drugs had been planted in his home, and that the raid was in retaliation for articles he had written that included allegations of corruption against local officials. Islam told CPJ that he received medical treatment at a local hospital after his release, but more than a week after the incident, he said he was still in considerable pain. On March 23, the national High Court, located in Dhaka, the capital, stayed Islams conviction for six months, according to news reports. The ruling came in response to a writ filed to the court on behalf of Harun-U-Rashid, executive editor of the Dhaka Tribune, according to those reports. The courts ruling questioned the Kurigram District government about whether the mobile courts actions should be declared illegal and void, according to those reports. The High Court also asked that the police treat Islams complaint as a first information report, allowing formal investigations and the legal process to proceed, according to those reports. Islam told CPJ that he believed Sultana Pervin, a deputy commissioner in the Kurigram District government, ordered the raid in retaliation for articles he had written about her, most recently about a renovated pond in Kurigram that was named after her. On March 15, administrative authorities removed Pervin from her position, according to reports. [Islam] had written a few stories in the past talking about corruption, hinting at corruption at the deputy commissioner level, said Zafar Sobhan, Dhaka Tribune editor-in-chief, in a phone interview with CPJ. During Islams detention, the Editors Council, a nationwide professional association of newspaper editors, called for the case against him to be dropped and for Pervin to be removed from her position, according to reports. The support I received was tremendous, Islam told CPJ. There were widespread demonstrations among journalist communities protesting the conviction and the false accusation. Sobhan attributed Islams release to the widespread news coverage of his case, and told CPJ that the paper was providing support for Islams medical care and legal costs. I think this was really a rogue public servant, Sobhan said. I dont think theres a history of this kind of overreach. Islam told CPJ he worries about his safety, saying that he is afraid that local officials may try to take revenge against me. CPJ emailed the Kurigram District government seeking comment, and texted Sultana Pervin, but did not receive any replies. Microderm GLO Diamond Microdermabrasion System Microderm GLO is passionate on bringing traditionally expensive, in-office, professional dermatologist care into everyones home. Inc. magazine today revealed that Microderm GLO is No. 5 on its inaugural Inc. 5000 Series: Midwest list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Midwest economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. "Not only is it very exciting but it is also a tremendous honor to be ranked in the top 2% of the fastest growing companies in the Midwest by Inc.," says Microderm GLO founder and CEO Sid Param, "It would have been impossible to reach this point without the dedication of many important people the relentlessness of our team, the trust and voice of our raving fans, and the inspiration and mentorship from organizations that have recognized and supported us over the years. The companies on this list show stunning rates of growth across all industries in the 12 Midwest states. Between 2016 and 2018, these 250 private companies had an average growth rate of 360 percent and, in 2018 alone, they employed more than 27,000 people and added $13 billion to the Midwests economy. Companies based in the Chicago, Detroit, and Cincinnati areas brought in the highest revenue overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Series: Midwest, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/inc5000-series-midwest-2020 starting March 25, 2020. The companies on this list demonstrate just how much the small-business sector impacts the economies of each Midwest state, says Inc. editor in chief Scott Omelianuk. Across every single industry, these businesses have posted revenue and growth rates that are beyond impressive, further proving the tenacity of their founders and CEOs. About Microderm GLO Microderm GLO develops, manufactures, and markets professional-grade, dermatological and healthcare products. On a mission to help people look and feel their best every day, Microderm GLO is passionate on bringing traditionally expensive, in-office, professional dermatologist care into everyones home. While customers choose Microderm GLO for their award-winning, breakthrough skincare products, they stay for the companys uncompromising commitment to world-class customer happiness and industry-leading lifetime warranty on every product. For more information about Microderm GLO, visit us at MicrodermGLO.com or connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. Contact: Microderm GLO Skincare Media & PR Department media@microdermglo.com 888-745-7333 More About Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regional Series Methodology The 2020 Inc. 5000 Regional Series is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2016 and 2018. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2016. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2018. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2016 is $100,000; the minimum for 2018 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. Two men have been jailed for four years each for the violent street robbery of a victim who they had followed after spotting his Rolex watch. Nathan Benson (22) and Harry Walsh (19) had earlier seen the victim in a Dublin city centre nightclub and had commented on him wearing the Rolex watch. During the attack the men pulled the watch, valued at 7,500, from the victim's wrist. Benson of Woodfield, Scholarstown Road, Knocklyon, Dublin and Walsh of Woodfield, Knocklyon pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery on Wellington Quay, on October 22, 2017. Judge Melanie Greally sentenced both Benson and Walsh to five years in prison with the final 12 months suspended. She said the robbery was extremely violent and vicious as the victim was targeted and kicked and punched to the head on the ground. She noted that the man was left with physical injuries and the assault had a lasting psychological impact on him. She noted that Benson was a young man with a long history of violent offending many of which were related to his drug addiction. She accepted that he was raised by his grandfather who did his best to be a stablising influence on him. Judge Greally said she was also taking into account Benson's struggles with drug addiction and his mental health. She described Walsh's large number of previous convictions, many of which involved extreme violence as very concerning. Judge Greally noted that a probation report outlined that Walsh gravitated towards a very negative peer group who engaged in a cycle of violence involving retaliation towards incidences of violence that had been directed towards the group. She noted however, that Walsh has ceased his violent conduct since his remand in custody and excepted that he is now an enhanced prisoner who works in the prison bakery. DENVER, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GigSmart, the modern staffing solution connecting businesses with available workers, announced a partnership with Stride, the leading benefits platform for gig and independent workers, to offer its 160,000+ Get Gigs users access to affordable health, dental, vision, and life insurance. "With concerns related to coronavirus growing, we want our Get Gigs users to know they can rely on GigSmart for all of the important aspects that accompany independent work," said Vince Catino, CHRO of GigSmart. "Several states are offering Special Enrollment periods to allow more individuals to sign up for health insurance. We want to help our Worker community protect themselves and their families, which is why we're excited to partner with Stride to launch this benefits portal," Catino continued. Through the partnership with Stride, Get Gigs users can access affordable health, vision, dental, and life insurance plans, as well as additional resources to assist them with completing their taxes, mileage and expense tracking, and more. "We're excited to partner with GigSmart to help their Get Gigs users secure the coverage they need during these uncertain times and to show them how to put that coverage to work," said Noah Lang, co-founder and CEO of Stride. "Alongside access to affordable major medical, dental, vision, and life coverage, Get Gigs users will benefit from discounts on telemedicine and prescriptions, along with other products and services to help them stay healthy and safe during the coronavirus crisis." There are now a total of 12 state-based health exchanges that have opened up Special Enrollment periods for health insurance due to coronavirus. These Special Enrollment periods allow qualified individuals who are uninsured to sign up for benefits. The deadlines to enroll are as soon as April 2, and the requirements for enrollment vary by state. To learn more about signing up for health insurance in your area, please visit gigsmart.stridehealth.com/coverage. Available in all 50 states, the number of users leveraging GigSmart's two-sided gig economy platforms is growing significantly month-over-month. Businesses can use the GigSmart Get Workers hiring app to access local, vetted, and insured Workers who can be hired on the fly at low costs with no lead time. Individuals can use the GigSmart Get Gigs mobile app to access local, temporary Gigs and permanent jobs available across nearly every industry. To find and apply to temporary and permanent jobs in your area, or to learn more about GigSmart, please visit www.gigsmart.com. About GigSmart GigSmart is a software development company focused on providing modern solutions to meet the needs of the growing gig economy. GigSmart's hiring platform provides on-demand staffing solutions to connect businesses looking for labor with available workers. Launched in December of 2018, GigSmart's Get Gigs and Get Workers apps have already surpassed 300,000 installs. GigSmart's alternative staffing solutions serve all 50 states in industries like construction, manufacturing, transportation, retail, customer service, and professional services. GigSmart is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with 35 full-time employees. About Stride Stride is the first benefits platform for gig and independent workers, helping them save time and money on insurance and taxes. The company partners with the world's largest on-demand work marketplaces and employers of independent and part-time workers, including Uber, Postmates, Airbnb, and others. Launched in 2014, Stride is backed by the leading health and consumer venture finance firms, including Venrock, New Enterprise Associates, and F-Prime Capital Partners. MEDIA CONTACT: Rich Oakes [email protected] 720.892.6371 Related Images gigsmart-logo.png GigSmart Logo The logo for GigSmart SOURCE GigSmart Related Links http://www.gigsmart.com Hours before the filing extension was announced, Illinois Senate Republicans sent a letter to the governor requesting that the federal deferral be emulated in Illinois, writing that an extension would help residents maintain the recommended social-distancing practices while also providing some liquidity to those who need it most. Senate leaders early Wednesday announced they struck a deal with the White House on the largest stimulus package in American history, aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus and staving off deep damage to the economy. Heres what we know: The deal agreed to early Wednesday would inject $2 trillion into the national economy, through hundreds of billions of dollars in business loans, $1,200 checks to individual Americans, and expanded unemployment benefits. The package also includes a $150 billion coronavirus relief fund for state and local governments that have so far carried much of the burden of combating the outbreak, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a letter sent to senators Wednesday. It also offers up $55 billion to boost hospitals, as well as tens of billions in emergency funding for schools and transit, according to the letter. Who is eligible for assistance checks? All Americans who earn $75,000 or less would receive a one-time check of $1,200, as well as $500 per child. The benefit would be phased out for those earning more than $75,000 at a rate of $5 for every extra $100 they earn, with those earning more than $99,000 individually receiving no check at all. Married couples earning $150,000 qualify for a $2,400 payment. Those without any income or whose earnings come from from programs like Social Security are qualified to receive payment. What about hard hit industries like airlines and oil and gas? The stimulus package provides $500 billion in secured loans to affected business. Airlines would receive at least $29 billion of that, and $17 billion would be set aside for companies deemed critical to national security. The remaining $454 billion would be available to affected industries across the board, presumably including oil and gas companies. Loans would be limited to five years and are available for companies which alternative financing is not reasonably available. What about people who have been laid off? Unemployment insurance would be extended from six months to more than nine months. For those who lose their jobs due to the coronavirus, they would receive an additional $600 per week on their unemployment check. Currently the maximum benefit in Texas is $521 per week. What about small businesses like restaurants and shops, who dont have the resources to ride out weeks of closure? Businesses with fewer than 500 employees would be eligible for $300 billion in business interruption loans from the Small Business Administration. The loans would be forgiven if the business meets certain conditions, such as not laying off their workers. Loans would be capped at $10 million and could be used to pay staff and make mortgage and utility payments. The package also includes $10 billion for small business emergency grants of up to $10,000 to cover operating costs. And it includes $17 billion for the SBA to cover six months of payments for small businesses with existing loans. How big is this? The $2 trillion package is more than twice the size of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which the Obama administration signed in 2009 to help keep the country out of depression during the financial crisis. In all, the federal government spent $831 billion on the 2009 stimulus. When is Congress going to pass this? Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, had said he expected to pass the stimulus package after the Senate convened at noon today, but a series of last minute objections from both sides are slowing the process down. The timeline for the House is less certain, but with both Democratic and Republican leadership signaling overwhelming support the package is expected to get to President Trumps desk before the end of the week. james.osborne@chron.com, ben.wermund@chron.com @osborneja, @BenjaminEW A s the UK goes into lockdown, with only essential services allowed to remain open, small businesses are taking a hard hit. This is why social networking app Bumble has decided to give 150 grants of up to 5,000 to small businesses as part of its global initiative: The Bumble Community Grant. Grants will be awarded across the world, including the UK, and Bumble is calling on its 90 million worldwide users to nominate local businesses in need. The scheme will run until April 5, and users can nominate up to five small local businesses, yet Bumble says it will prioritise businesses led by women and non-binary founders. The initiative can be found in each of the Bumble divisions: Bumble Date, Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz. Users need to match with the Bumble Community grant profile to nominate a business and they can also nominate themselves if they are a small business owner. If a business is successful, it will receive immediate monetary assistance. Bumble Along with the Bumble Community Grant, the company has donated $100,000 to the World Health Organisation. CLAYTON (BCN) A 24-year-old Oakland man died in Clayton on Tuesday when a vehicle he was in crashed into an unoccupied and parked work truck, police said. Clayton police received a report at 9:36 a.m. of the collision along the 5400 block of Clayton Road. The driver of the vehicle, a 26-year-old woman from Pittsburg, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. Officers pronounced the vehicle's male passenger dead at the scene. Officers determined that the woman was under the influence of alcohol during the collision and booked her into Contra Costa County Jail after she was released from the hospital. Clayton police did not immediately release the names of the driver or the passenger. An investigation into the collision is ongoing, according to police. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. P arliament is likely to adjourn for an early Easter recess after the emergency coronavirus legislation to tackle the crisis has been approved. Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg has tabled a motion for the House of Commons to rise on Wednesday until April 21. The Coronavirus Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent and become law before the end of the day after MPs from all sides agreed to let it pass without formal votes. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick told BBC Breakfast on Wednesday he was certain MPs will return after the Easter recess to review whether Parliament should reopen. He said: Once thats happened (the passing of the Coronavirus Bill) then it may be a sensible thing to close Parliament down for the recess and then review that at the end of the recess after Easter. London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /66 London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures A woman jogging near City Hall, London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast on Sunday to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA A pedestrian walks past a billboard reading "Please believe these days will pass" on Broadway Market in east London AFP via Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge Getty Images Boris Johnson Jeremy Selwyn Sun-seekers cool off in the water and sunbathe on the riverbank at Hackney Marshes in east London AFP via Getty Images Ed Davey is shown on screens as he speaks via videolink during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London PA A herd of fallow deer graze on the lawns in front of a housing estate in Harold Hill in east London AFP via Getty Images A woman wearing a mask crosses a bridge over Camden Lock, London PA An empty Millenium Bridge PA A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images People push to enter the Niketown shop in Londo AP Jo Proudlove and daughter Eve, 9, follow the daily online "PE with Joe" Joe Wickes' exercise class on "Fancy dress Friday Reuters Police in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Waterloo station looking empty PA Getty Images A quiet Parliament Square Getty Images PABest A man walks along a passageway at London's Oxford Street Underground station the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus PA Social distancing markers around the camel enclosure at ZSL London Zoo PA A police car patrols Greenwich Park in London PA The Premier League in action in front of empty stands AP Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed. A deserted Piccadilly Circus PA A general view is seen of a deserted Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Getty Images The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings Getty Images A view of 20 Fenchurch Street (the 'Walkie Talkie' building) in the City of London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus PA A deserted Chinatown PA A person looks at graffiti on a JD Wetherspoon pub in Crystal Palace, south London. Wetherspoons workers have described founder Tim Martin's lack of support for his chain's 40,000 employees as "absolutely outrageous" PA The London ExCel centre that has been turned into a makeshift NHS Hospital and critical care unit to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic PA The Palace Theatre, which usually shows the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA The Sondheim Theatre, which usually shows the Les Miserables musical, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA Two members of a British Army mounted regiment exercise their horses in Parliament Square AP Westminster Bridge is deserted PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA An empty street and bus stop at St James's Park AFP via Getty Images Whitehall Jeremy Selwyn A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn Buckingham Palace looking empty in London, PA London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn London's Carnaby Street empty as shops closed after a lockdown was announced in the latest bid to stop the spread of coronavirus through the UK AP A quiet Jubilee line westbound train carriage PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA Empty Embankment Jeremy Selwyn Most of us, I think, do want Parliament to continue. We live in a democracy, its essential theres scrutiny of the steps that the Government is taking. But obviously Parliament has to lead by example, follow the guidelines wherever it can, and ensure that we protect the staff that work in Parliament as well. He added that he was unaware whether Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg will call for a fixed return date. But he said: Im certain that Parliament will return after the Easter holidays. I think its really important, however deep and serious this crisis, is that Parliament in some form continues to operate because you as citizens want to ensure your MPs are holding the Government to account. Peers on Tuesday backed the emergency powers aimed at buying time for the NHS to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. After a sombre five-hour debate, the Lords gave an unopposed second reading to the 348-page Coronavirus Bill. The legislation grants ministers, councils, police, health professionals and coroners wide-ranging powers that are due to last for up to two years. The changes include reducing the number of doctors required to sign off on sectioning those with mental health issues from two to one, while police would be given authority to force those infected with Covid-19 to self-isolate. When Richard Marek was a young editor at Scribners in Manhattan in the early 1960s, he was entrusted with one of the literary worlds most important manuscripts, A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingways intimate portrait of his life as an unknown writer in Paris in the 1920s. Hemingway had scrawled his edits in the margins of the manuscript. Mr. Marek planned to go over it at home, and carefully slipped the pages into an envelope before getting on the subway near his Midtown office. But once he arrived home, on the Upper West Side, he didnt have the envelope. He realized he had left it on the subway. Panic ensued. He sobbed all night and told himself, My career is over. The next morning, he went to the subways lost and found and saw to his astonishment that someone had turned in the envelope. STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- Police departments in Strongsville, Broadview Heights and Brecksville -- tasked with enforcing Gov. Mike DeWines stay-at-home order, which went into effect at midnight Tuesday (March 24) -- will treat violations of that order like any other misdemeanor crime. Thats what leaders of those departments told cleveland.com Tuesday. Were not looking for violations, but if we see something, we will enforce it, Strongsville Police Chief Mark Fender said. DeWine announced the stay-at-home order, intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, during his press conference on Sunday (March 22). The order codifies what were previously only recommendations from the governor and the Ohio Department of Health. Ohio residents are asked to stay at home, although the order lists several common-sense exceptions. For example, residents can shop for groceries, keep doctors appointments, order carryout food from restaurants and walk in the park. They cant, however, dine inside restaurants, and playgrounds are off limits. Only essential businesses -- and the order lists several types, including healthcare operations, food distribution companies, gas stations and banks -- can stay open. Businesses that remain open must take steps to slow the spread of COVID-19. Those steps include providing hand sanitizers for workers and customers, keeping everyone at least 6 feet away from each other and scheduling hours dedicated to older customers. DeWine said local police and health departments can enforce the stay-at-home order, which will remain in effect until at least April 6. At his March 23 press conference, DeWine said he wasnt expecting arrests or a lot of citations for violations of the stay-at-home order, although citations are possible. He said police officers should first issue warnings to offenders, then decide whether a citation is warranted. Weve been fortunate, Fender told cleveland.com Tuesday. We have a great community that has been sensitive to all the suggestions the governor has made. Fender said he didnt expect that to change now that DeWines suggestions have turned into orders. He said police did receive one or two complaints last week about bar-restaurants serving dine-in customers, but when officers investigated, they found that the businesses were accepting takeout orders only. The big thing is we want to reassure the community that our police, fire and EMS services have been doing a wonderful job to make sure those services continue to be available, Fender said. Broadview Heights Police Lt. Timothy Scarbrough said police in that city understand what DeWine is trying to accomplish. If we see people breaking the governors order, we will approach them and explain to them and make them understand that this is a public health emergency, Scarbrough told cleveland.com Tuesday. Scarbrough said police will first issue a warning to violators. Any further action depends on the reaction of the violator. We are not looking to arrest people, because putting people in jail is counterproductive, but if we are called upon or observe people congregating in groups of 10 or more, we will take action, Scarbrough said. Scarbrough said his officers have not reported any problems with Broadview Heights residents or businesses ignoring DeWines COVID-19 guidelines. Lets do what he wants us to do, Scarbrough said. Everybody is sacrificing. Brecksville Police Chief William Goodrich said his department is not taking special measures when it comes to the stay-at-home order. He said if officers see violations, they will respond. But our main emphasis is keeping our officers healthy and visible in the community, especially the business community, Goodrich told cleveland.com Tuesday. Goodrich said some businesses are closed, while others are busier than usual. Both scenarios can attract criminal behavior. Seeing us in the community is a great deterrent, Goodrich said. Goodrich said hes not aware of any complaints when it comes to residents or businesses violating the stay-at-home request last week or the order early this week. People are doing what theyre supposed to be doing, and thats good, Goodrich said. Were coming together to get through this thing. Read more from the Sun Star Courier. PARSIPPANY, N.J., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today RB is announcing the launch of the RB Fight for Access Fund to improve access to health, hygiene and nutrition for all. The Fund is, and will, be a demonstration of our Purpose and Fight in action- to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. RB commits to ringfence annual investment of 1% adjusted operating profit to address improved access by: ensuring high-quality products, providing education and information and driving availability. We recognize that consumers and customers are facing shortages for some of our products with this unprecedented demand. We are doing all we can to meet demand while protecting the safety of our people and following local rules. In 2020, we are examining further investments to increase capacity of critical products such as disinfectants, sanitizers, soaps and surface cleaners. RB has mobilised an additional $37M as part of our RB Fight for Access Fund to address our collective fight against the spread of Covid-19. Our immediate focus is to address the stress faced by our consumers and communities where we operate, to break the chain of infection. Examples of where we are deploying this money through our brands include: Working with governments, national medical associations and other stakeholders to deliver public service campaigns to educate consumers on handwashing and sanitation in - Bangladesh , Egypt , India , Indonesia , Kenya , Nigeria , Pakistan , Saudi Arabia , Singapore , South Africa , UAE, and Vietnam . , , , , , , , , , , UAE, and . Dettol - Over $7M committed to the front-line health workers in Wuhan, China where we answered the urgent call for critical medical equipment. Mead Johnson Nutrition provided expectant new mothers with access to urgent maternal child care. - Over committed to the front-line health workers in where we answered the urgent call for critical medical equipment. Mead Johnson Nutrition provided expectant new mothers with access to urgent maternal child care. Lysol supported the Centre for Disease Control Foundation in the USA with $2 million for various initiatives while continuing their support for hygiene education in schools. supported the Centre for Disease Control Foundation with for various initiatives while continuing their support for hygiene education in schools. Napisan donation of nearly $300,000 cash and product to a hospital and care centre in Milan, Italy . donation of nearly cash and product to a hospital and care centre in . The Dettol India The Hand Wash Challenge campaign with TikTok reached 20 billion views in one week getting important behaviour change messages to young people on the necessity of hand washing. The record-breaking campaign is being rolled out across global markets. The Hand Wash Challenge campaign with TikTok reached 20 billion views in one week getting important behaviour change messages to young people on the necessity of hand washing. The record-breaking campaign is being rolled out across global markets. Jumia and RB have entered in to a partnership to help consumers in 8 countries across Africa access a steady supply of hygiene products such as Harpic, JIK and Dettol soap bars, disinfectants, and liquid hand wash. Jumia will be taking 0% commission and will reinvest the initial commission into discounts on the consumer price and Reckitt Benckiser is financing free shipping nationwide on all listed products. have entered in to a partnership to help consumers in 8 countries across access a steady supply of hygiene products such as Harpic, JIK and Dettol soap bars, disinfectants, and liquid hand wash. Jumia will be taking 0% commission and will reinvest the initial commission into discounts on the consumer price and Reckitt Benckiser is financing free shipping nationwide on all listed products. RB partnered with the Economist Intelligence Unit, along with other public health experts, to create the Myth Busting website in the fight against what the WHO has coined as the 'Infodemic' or the spread of misinformation. https://www.covid-19facts.com/ Covid-19facts.com is a platform for education which has reached millions of consumers with credible scientific information. Additionally, today we are announcing the donation of critical protection equipment of 15 million N95 masks with a focus on pharmacists and health care workers. These will be distributed across our major markets. We will also donate 10 million units of Dettol Soap to the most vulnerable. We continue to examine other initiatives to support through our brands because we believe we can use our voice as a force for good. Laxman Narasimhan, RB's Global CEO added, 'We have a 200 year history of making a material difference to the lives of our consumers. Dettol was born 70 years ago in Hull, in Northern England, with the ambition of improving maternal health. Dettol took on the challenge in 1932 to reduce the incidence of sepsis by 50%. Lysol was first introduced in 1889 and has played a part in major public health challenges ever since. Our brands have a critical role to play in promoting hygiene and health in the fight against the current Covid-19 pandemic. I have been witness to heroic efforts across the company to live our Purpose and our Fight. I am in awe of the 'can do' attitude across the RB organization and the relentless pursuit by my colleagues to make the world cleaner and healthier.' About RB RB* is driven by its purpose to protect, heal and nurture in a relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We fight to make access to the highest-quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment a right, not a privilege, for everyone. RB is proud to have a stable of trusted household brands found in households in more than 190 countries. These include Enfamil, Nutramigen, Nurofen, Strepsils, Gaviscon, Mucinex, Durex, Scholl, Clearasil, Lysol, Dettol, Veet, Harpic, Cillit Bang, Mortein, Finish, Vanish, Calgon, Woolite, Air Wick and more. 20 million RB products a day are bought by consumers globally. RB's passion to put consumers and people first, to seek out new opportunities, to strive for excellence in all that we do, and to build shared success with all our partners, while doing the right thing, always is what guides the work of our 42,000+ diverse and talented colleagues worldwide. For more information visit www.rb.com *RB is the trading name of the Reckitt Benckiser group of companies SOURCE RB Related Links https://www.rb.com A 56-year-old man in Karnatakas Udupi district who feared that he had contracted the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen that causes coronavirus committed suicide on Wednesday, police said. The man, a trainer at the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, slipped out of the house in the early hours of Wednesday. He was found hanging by a tree in the backyard of his house in the districts Brahmavar taluk a few hours later. By the window that was close to the tree, the family found a note that he had left for them. He feared, according to this note, that he had contracted the disease and asked his family to be safe, a police officer said. His family says he had no symptoms of the virus and had not been to the doctor for any treatment, apart from lifestyle diseases, a police officer from Brahmavar police station who spoke to HT on phone said. Coronavirus: How it is different from seasonal flu and common cold The officer, who did not want to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to the media, said the man apparently had been tracking news about the virus and the coronavirus disease. Quoting his family, the officer said, he was afraid that he would contract the disease too and had been mentally depressed about it. His wife told the police that he had been particularly worried since Sunday. On Tuesday night, he is said to have retired for the night at around 10.30 pm. His wife woke up the next day when the alarm on his mobile phone started buzzing at 5.30 am. She assumed that he had gone for a walk. But when he failed to turn up a few hours later, the family started looking for him and spotted him hanging from the tree. Police said they were holding an inquiry for suspected suicide and were awaiting the autopsy report. We urge everybody not to fall prey to social media forwards and if they have any symptoms, to go to the nearest government hospital, the police officer said. A young nurse at a London hospital where coronavirus patients are being treated killed herself at work, it was claimed today. The woman was in her twenties and is believed to have worked on an intensive care ward at King College Hospital in south London. She was found unresponsive at the hospital before police were called at 5.36pm on Monday, officers said. Medics battled to save her but she later died. Her next of kin have been informed, the Mirror reports. Eight people have died of the deadly COVID-19 virus at King's College Hospital (KCH). Those on life support or in need of critical care are treated at the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU), where the woman is believed to have worked. A nurse in her twenties at King's College Hospital in Denmark Hill, south London, is believed to have taken her own life. File image used A Met Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at 17:36hrs on Monday, 23 March to a south London hospital after a woman was found unresponsive. Officers attended. 'The woman, aged in her 20s, was treated and later died in hospital. Next of kin have been informed. 'The death is not being treated as suspicious. A file will be prepared for the coroner.' A King's College Hospital spokesman added: 'A member of staff was found unresponsive at the hospital on Monday (23 March 2020). Despite the best efforts of the medical team, they sadly died. We are offering support to their family at this difficult time and would ask that their privacy is respected. ' London has seen more coronavirus cases than anywhere else in the country, with 2,872 of 8,077 reported in the capital. There have been a total of 143 deaths in the city, with health bosses fearing the toll could double daily. Last week nearby NHS trust London North West University Healthcare declared an emergency when it warned it was running out of intensive care beds. The young woman is believed to have worked at KCH's intensive care unit (ambulance entrance pictured) Army officials have visited the ExCeL Centre in the Docklands, which they are considering turning into a 'field hospital'. The 68,750-capacity conference centre could accommodate 4,000 hospital beds, with military planners also believed to be eyeing up the O2 Arena and Wembley Stadium in a desperate bid to treat more patients. Yesterday Health Secretary Matt Hancock called for 250,000 people to volunteer their services to bolster the NHS. Doctors and nurses across Britain claim Public Health England (PHE) is risking their lives by not giving them full hazmat suits to treat coronavirus patients, in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. Elsewhere a University of Oxford study has claimed more than half of the UK population may have already been infected, which could mean Britain could achieve 'herd immunity'. For confidential support with any issues raised in this story, you can call the Samartians 24/7 on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org "The Magnifica and the Artania both need to leave and go back to their port of origin and leave as soon as possible. "That's why we're requesting Commonwealth government assistance in relation to a range of things, for instance if we need to medivac someone whose life is at risk off one of the ships to save their life. "We might also need assistance and cooperation in terms of stopping the ships from actually coming into port." Mr McGowan said preparations were under way for Australian passengers on board the Vasco da Gama to be quarantined on Rottnest. There are 800 Australians, including 200 West Australians, on board the ship. "For the last two days, we have cleared the island of visitors and made arrangements for accommodation, catering and security," he said. "We're exercising the Rottnest option now to protect the safety of the Australian passengers and to protect the WA community from any possible infection." The Premier said all crew and foreign nationals would remain on the ship until arrangements are made to fly them directly out of the country. They would only be allowed to disembark to travel by strict supervision directly to the airport or if they need urgent medical attention to survive. Mr McGowan said about a quarter of WA's COVID-19 cases had been linked to cruise ships from the eastern states. He said no passengers from either the Magnifica or the Artania would be allowed on shore unless they were in a life-threatening emergency. Loading Health Minister Roger Cook said 47 COVID-19 positive patients were from cruise ships. The company operating the Vasco da Gama was not notified of the state government's decision to quarantine 800 Australian passengers on Rottnest before Mr McGowan told reporters. Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) managing director Dean Brazier said he was disappointed passengers found out from the media about the decision before the company could notify them. "We have just been made aware that the Premier of Western Australia has decided to reverse the prior approvals granted to Cruise & Maritime Voyages to disembark passengers from Vasco da Gama in Fremantle on Friday," he said. "We have followed all protocols to ensure a smooth arrival of Vasco da Gama into Fremantle, and have recorded no health issues with our guests who are on board. "When they arrive, our guests will have been at sea for 13 days straight without disembarking the ship or being in contact with anyone who was not a guest or crew member of CMV, and we are disappointed that they will now have to wait a further 14 days until they can return home." This comes on top of cruise ship confusion sparked on the weekend when a group of American travellers checked in at Perths Novotel Langley. Mr McGowan announced on Friday non-Australians who arrived at WA ports on cruise ships must stay aboard pending police escort to Perth Airport. It was announced the Pacific Princess which arrived in Fremantle on Saturday would be affected but the Amsterdam also arriving on Saturday was not mentioned. It was only late on Saturday the government told the ABC the Amsterdam had already been in Australian waters two weeks, so passengers were treated as domestic tourists and let disembark. International passengers were regarded as equal to international tourists presently land-based. All aboard were in Australia before the 14-day self-isolation for travellers direction and before the international ban commenced. But no wider announcement was made and members of the public at the Novotel were alarmed to speak with around 20 Americans at 11am Sunday who confirmed they were from the Amsterdam, checked in and headed upstairs with their bags. Congress is poised to pass a $2 trillion economic relief program to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. The stimulus package, reached after days of negotiations and partisan posturing, is designed to help American businesses that have closed and workers who have been told to stay home in an attempt to stem the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. Senate passed the measure late Wednesday night, with the House planning a Friday vote to clear the legislation and send it to President Donald Trump. Without delay, I will sign it immediately, the president said Wednesday. The program is the largest U.S. bailout in history, dwarfing the $800 billion stimulus enacted over Republican opposition in 2009 to help the country recover from the Great Recession. Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday the bill will unquestionably help New Jersey on the economic side. It will help our hospitals financially, Murphy said during a radio interview. "It will help the folks who have lost their jobs. It will help small businesses. Its desperately needed. Theres nothing like the federal government coming in to play an outsize role. Heres what it means to you, according to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. the Senate Finance Committee, and other reports: How much money will I get? The bill provides for payments of $1,200 for individuals, $2,400 for couples and $500 per child. If you earn too much money, you wont qualify. The income will be based on your 2019 tax return, or if you havent filed yet since the tax filing deadline was extended to July 15, on your 2018 return. Individuals are eligible for the full amount if they have adjusted gross income of up to $75,000 a year. The payment is reduced if singles earn up to $99,000 . If you earn more than $99,000, you get no benefit. For married couples who file a joint tax return, you get the full amount if your adjusted gross income is no more than $150,000. If you earn up to $198,000, you will get a partial payment. Married couples who earn more than $198,000 get no payment at all. The amount will be reduced by $5 for each $100 that a taxpayers income exceeds $75,000 ($150,000 for married couples) until reaching the cutoff point. When will I get my stimulus payment? No exact date for the delivery of the one-time payments has been released. As soon as Congress passes this, we will get this out in three weeks, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said last week. In an interview Wednesday morning with CNN, Schumer said: I think the president said that he would have it out by April 6. I need more money. Can I withdraw funds from my IRA? Yes, without penalty, but only up to $10,000 and only for coronavirus-related purposes. The income would be taxed, but youd have three years to pay, and any contributions to restore the funds would not count against the yearly cap. My 401k lost half of its value and Im 71. Do I have to take money out anyway? No. The required withdrawals from IRAs and other retirement accounts are suspended for 2020. Ive been laid off and dont know when I can return to work. What happens to me? The bill expands eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits and provides $600 a week for four months over and above state benefits. This will ensure that most employees receive their full pay for a quarter of the year. If your state benefits run out and youre still unemployed, the federal government will provide 13 more weeks of unemployment insurance benefits through Dec. 31. Id like to make a charitable contribution. Are there any new incentives to do so? For 2020, taxpayers can deduct $300 in donations, even if they do not itemize. My small shop was forced to close. Am I getting help? There is $375 billion in forgivable loans and grants to small businesses and nonprofits that they can use to keep paying their employees and expenses such as rent and utilities. In addition, the Small Business Administration will pay the principal, interest and fees of existing SBA loans. There also is $10 billion for emergency SBA grants of up to $10,000 for small businesses or nonprofits that have applied for economic injury disaster loans. New Jersey has received a disaster designation from the SBA, making small businesses in the state eligible for low-interest loans. I drive for Uber. Will I benefit from the bill? Yes. Self-employed Americans can qualify for unemployment insurance for the first time, according to the Washington Post. In addition, they can be treated as small businesses and therefore seek loans or grants through the Small Business Administration, according to Katie Vlietstra, vice president for government relations and public affairs for the National Association for the Self-Employed. Businesses of one are businesses, she said. My company has shut down. Will I get paid? You might. There is an incentive for businesses to keep paying employees when theyre not working, a tax credit covering 50 percent of the amount up to $10,000 in compensation per worker, including health benefits, from March 13 to Dec. 31. Tom Bracken, president and chief executive of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, said this could help businesses retain their experienced workers and allow them gear up quickly to resume operations rather than have to train an all-new workforce. Not only is it financially important, but psychologically important, Bracken said. It gives people a much better sense that people are looking to the future and when the future comes theyll be a part of it. In addition, companies can delaying paying their 6.2% Social Security taxes in 2020 and instead pay them over two installments in 2021 and 2022. My distillery is making hand sanitizer rather than liquor. Do I still have to pay the alcohol excise tax? No. Any distilled spirits used for sanitizer are exempt from the federal tax in 2020, as long as the production and distribution follows Food and Drug Administration guidance. Hospitals are in the front line of fighting the coronavirus. What does the bill do for them? There is $150 billion for what Schumer called a Marshall Plan" for the health industry, likening it to the billion-dollar effort to rebuild Western Europe after World War II. The money includes grants for hospitals and other providers, more protective equipment and supplies, and new construction to house more patients. Payments to hospitals for treating a Medicare patients infected with the coronavirus would increase by 20%. Airlines and their workers have been pleading for help. Does the bill help them? There is $75 billion for specific industries, including airlines. Will New Jersey get the federal aid it asked for? Theres $150 billion in the bill for state and local governments. Gov. Phil Murphy and the governors of New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania have said they need $100 billion just for those four states. Are there funds for NJ Transit? Yes. The legislation includes $25 billion for transit systems. NJ Transit has asked for $1.25 billion to compensate for declining revenues as New Jerseyans stay home and do not travel, and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said the agency will either get the full amount or close to it, based on the Federal Transit Administration formula for distributing the assistance. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has requested $1.9 million. What if the shutdown remains in place through Election Day? The bill includes $400 million to help states expand vote-by-mail. NOTE: This post has been updated with new information. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Parastou Donyai (The Jakarta Post) - Wed, March 25, 2020 09:22 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d4925e 3 Health ibuprofen,COVID-19,pharmaceutical-industry,medicine Free Theres been some confusion recently on whether we should or shouldnt take ibuprofen to treat symptoms of COVID-19 especially after the World Health Organization (WHO) changed its stance. After initially recommending people avoid taking ibuprofen to treat symptoms of the new coronavirus disease, as of March 19 the WHO now does not recommend avoiding ibuprofen to treat COVID-19 symptoms. The confusion began after Frances Minister of Solidarity and Health Oliver Veran announced on Twitter that taking anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen or cortisone) could be a factor in worsening a COVID-19 infection. He recommended that paracetamol should be taken instead to treat the associated fever. At the moment, the NHS only recommends taking paracetamol for COVID-19 symptoms, even though it admits there is no strong evidence showing ibuprofen worsens symptoms. The BMJ also states that ibuprofen should be avoided when managing COVID-19 symptoms. Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). NSAIDs, including ibuprofen, normally have three main uses: they help with inflammation, pain, and fever. People might also take them for inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and for pain. However, paracetamol can also help treat pain and fever. Fever is a higher than normal body temperature, and is one of the signs of COVID-19, along with a persistent cough and shortness of breath. The body develops a fever as a defence mechanism, where the immune system produces a chain of molecules that tell the brain to make and keep more heat inside to fight the infection. While getting fever during an infection is part of the bodys defence mechanism, a serious rise in body temperature can be fatal and should be treated. Having fever is also uncomfortable because it often comes with shivering, headaches, nausea and stomach upsets. Taking an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or paracetamol will bring down a high temperature by lowering some of the fever molecules. However, doctors who compared the two in 2013 suggested taking paracetamol over ibuprofen for normal chest infections because they found a small number of peoples illness got worse with ibuprofen. Cause for concern? Some of the reasons that theres a concern taking ibuprofen will make COVID-19 symptoms worse comes from previous studies that have shown people with other serious chest infections (such as pneumonia) experienced worse symptoms and prolonged illness after taking an NSAID, including ibuprofen. But its difficult to say if taking ibuprofen in these instances directly causes worse symptoms and prolonged illness, or if its because taking ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatories help manage pain, which may hide how serious the illness is and could stop people from asking for help earlier delaying treatment. Or, it might be to do with ibuprofens anti-inflammatory effects. One theory is that anti-inflammatory medicines can interfere with some of the bodys immune response, although this is not proven for ibuprofen. However, two French studies warn doctors and pharmacists not to give NSAIDs when they see signs of chest infections, and that NSAIDs shouldnt be given when children are infected with viruses. Theres no agreement on why ibuprofen could make chest infections worse, but both studies reported worse outcomes in patients who had taken a NSAID to treat their condition. A recent letter to The Lancet suggested that ibuprofens harm in COVID-19 is to do with its effect on an enzyme in the body called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) though this has yet to be proven. This caused additional worries for patients taking angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) for existing heart conditions. Several leading organisations have rightly warned patients not to stop taking their regular medicines in light of unconfirmed theories. Because novel coronavirus is a new type of virus, there is currently no evidence proving that taking ibuprofen will be harmful or make COVID-19 symptoms worse. Research in this area is developing fast, but with so much misinformation about COVID-19 and ibuprofen use, the cautious approach is to avoid ibuprofen with COVID-19 if at all possible especially for those with pre-existing health conditions. Anyone who thinks they might have COVID-19 can consider using paracetamol instead of ibuprofen for managing their fever, unless theyre told otherwise by their doctor or pharmacist. In the meantime, the UKs Committee of Human Medicines and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have been asked to review all the evidence to understand ibuprofens impact on COVID-19 symptoms. Naturally, people already prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug for a health condition should ask their doctors opinion and not just stop their medication. ( Shutterstock/Maderla) Its worth noting, however, that ibuprofen and NSAIDs can trigger stomach ulcers and indigestion and might not be suitable for some people with heart disease, kidney and liver problems, and asthma, as well as people over 65, and those who drink more alcohol. These drugs should not be used in people with very high blood pressure, and women trying to get pregnant or already pregnant. Paracetamol, which can also treat pain and fever, may be preferred. Though it takes up to an hour to work, its safe to use for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and can be taken with or without food. Some people need to take extra care with paracetamol and should speak with their doctor or pharmacist first, for example if they have liver or kidney problems. The usual dose of paracetamol for adults is one or two 500 milligram tablets up to four times in 24 hours, with at least four hours in between doses. Most people use a syrup to give paracetamol to children. How much to give depends on your childs age, but again paracetamol should only be given up to four times in 24 hours, with at least four hours between doses. Pharmacies have been running short of paracetamol and some shops have been rationing sales. For those exhibiting symptoms, a box of 32 tablets should last for at least four days. At this time of crisis, its important people make sure theyre not stockpiling medicines unnecessarily and depriving others who are equally in need of paracetamol and other vital drugs. --- Parastou Donyai, Professor and Director of Pharmacy Practice, University of Reading This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. A Tucson man wrongly suspected of stealing coronavirus test kits from a local medical clinic has been cleared of wrongdoing, authorities said Tuesday. The man, who Tucson police initially said was disguised as a delivery driver, was, in fact, a delivery driver. He works for a transport company that contracts with Sonora Quest Laboratories who mistakenly grabbed the wrong package during a March 20 pickup at El Rio Health Center, 839 W. Congress St., a Tucson Police Department news release said. The alleged theft made national headlines in recent days after Tucson police released video surveillance photos that purported to show the theft in progress. As it turned out, the driver had a rock-solid alibi. About 20 minutes after picking up the test kits, the driver dropped them off at a medical lab for processing, the news release said. TPD noted officers were relying on information provided by El Rio staffers when they initially pointed the finger at the driver. Staffers told police the delivery man was led to a locked room where packages were normally left that needed to be picked up. However, they told officers, the man picked up the unused test kits and not the delivery packages. Clinic staffers told police they did not recognize the person as one of their regular delivery drivers and the man did not park where delivery drivers usually do. They provided camera footage and advised they wanted to prosecute for the burglary, the news release said. Maria Pia Cohoon, of Midland, has family in Italy, and she is worried that America may follow in Italys path if people do not take coronavirus precautions seriously. Cohoon has several cousins and a couple of aunts in Milano, Rome and Naples. All of them are confined to their homes but remain healthy and safe. They talk every day via Facetime and keep each other informed about whats happening in their respective countries. A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown, senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said it is the beginning of a new battle in which the people are the foot soldiers and the PM is the 'commander'. He termed the PM's nationwide 21-day lockdown announcement a "watershed moment" in the country's fight against COVID-19. "We should put behind us the debates that took place before March 24 and look upon the nationwide lockdown as the beginning of a new battle in which the people are the foot soldiers and the PM is the Commander. We owe a duty to extend our total support to the Prime Minister and the Central and State governments," Chidambaram said in a two- page statement on Wednesday. PM Modi on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown of the entire country for 21 days to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic that has affected over 600 people and taken life of at least ten people in India. Chidambaram said that the government must think and plan not only for the next 21 days but for some weeks beyond the lockdown. He suggested a 10-point plan which intended to put cash and food in the hands of people. The senior Congress leader called for extension of deadlines for payment of any kind of tax till 30 June 2020. In the interim, banks can be instructed to lend to panchayats, municipalities and corporations against the security of the tax receivables, he said. He said the government should instruct banks to extend the date for any kind of EMI payments till 30 June 2020. Chidambaram also recommended cutting GST rates by 5 per cent on all wage goods, essential goods and services, and all goods of mass consumption for the period 1 April to 30 June. For farmers, he urged the government to double the amount paid/payable under PM-KISAN to Rs 12,000 and transfer the additional amount immediately to the bank account of each beneficiary. Chidambaram suggested fund transfers in two instalments of Rs 6,000 each to bank accounts of tenant farmers. For registered MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers, he recommended a fund transfer of Rs 3,000 into the bank account of each beneficiary. For the urban poor, he urged the government to transfer a sum of Rs 6,000 through Jan Dhan account. Chidambaram recommended giving 10 kg of rice or wheat free to every ration card holder, as a one-time measure over the next 21 days. He also suggested home delivery of the same. He suggested that the government should ask all registered employers (registered under any law) to maintain current levels of employment and wages. Government should promise to reimburse employers who do so within 30 days of payment, Chidambaram said. "Open a register in every ward or block and invite persons who have not received payment under any of the categories listed above to register their name, address and Aadhaar. Street people and destitutes will fall under this category. After minimal verification, open a bank account in each name [if there is not already one], seed it with Aadhaar and transfer Rs. 3,000 into each bank account," he said. By Chitranjan Kumar Also Read: Coronavirus Live Updates: New cases emerge in Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka; count reaches 606 Also Read: Mahabharat battle won in 18 days, fight against coronavirus to take 21 days, says PM Modi Also Read: Flipkart, Big Basket, Grofers to restart deliveries today Milan, New York, New Delhi, Madrid just a few of the many global cities that are shut down to prevent the coronavirus pandemic. And then, theres Mexico City. Here, off the bustling Paseo de la Reforma, theres an unsettling sense of normalcy. Flight attendants, newly arrived from the United States, walk around carefree. I think on the one hand, its refreshing for us because were coming from a place thats taking extreme precautions. We are on a petri dish most of the time, so I might already be exposed more likely on the plane than probably here. Mexico has documented four deaths from Covid-19. One man died after attending a large music concert. Doctors say the virus is already spreading in the community. We dont have tests, so we are having low numbers of patients that are infected. Dr. Francisco Moreno oversees nine Covid patients at Mexico Citys ABC Hospital. Hes self-isolating, so I interviewed him remotely. Do you think Mexico could be as bad as Italy? But Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has continued to say there is no cause for alarm, and resists the measures other countries have taken to slow the viruss spread. This was his message in early March. Lopez Obrador, also known as AMLO, has continued to hold political rallies around Mexico, shaking hands and hugging admirers. Other government officials may encourage social distancing, but he asks people to go out and spend their pesos. But according to a recent O.E.C.D. report, Mexico has fewer nurses and fewer intensive care beds per capita than Italy, South Korea and the U.S. A count of ventilators in state facilities revealed only about 2,050 machines in the entire country. International leaders have criticized Lopez Obradors response to the crisis as irresponsible. The president of El Salvador even begged Mexico, via Twitter, to take more drastic measures so as not to become the next epicenter of the pandemic. By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting extradition from Britain to the United States, was denied bail on Wednesday after his lawyers said he should be released because he was highly vulnerable to the coronavirus. The 48-year-old, who is at Belmarsh Prison in London, is wanted by the United States on 18 criminal counts of conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law. He says he could spend decades in prison if convicted. His lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, told Westminster Magistrates Court that Assange had suffered from four respiratory tract infections during the years he spent living in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Fitzgerald also said Assange had heart problems which put him at increased risk. "The emphasis is not on flight but survival," Fitzgerald said, adding that there was no serious risk of Assange absconding. He said that if Assange fell ill with the virus in prison, "the risk could be fatal". But Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected the arguments, noting that Assange himself was on record saying that he would rather commit suicide than face extradition to the United States. As matters stand today, this global pandemic does not as of itself provide grounds for Mr Assanges release," she said. Assange's past conduct showed how far he was prepared to go to avoid extradition proceedings, she added, and there were substantial grounds to believe that if released he would abscond again. PARTNER AND CHILDREN She was referring to the fact that Assange skipped bail and fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted at the time to answer questions on alleged sex crimes. The allegations have since been dropped. Assange remained holed up in the embassy for seven years. He was eventually dragged out after Ecuador revoked his asylum. Fitzgerald told the court that Assange had a partner who had lived in Britain for more than 20 years and that if he were granted bail he would live with her. He added that the couple had children, though he did not give their ages. Story continues WikiLeaks enraged the U.S. government a decade ago by publishing thousands of secret U.S. documents. Assange's supporters see him as a champion of free speech exposing abuses of power and hypocrisy by Washington. The U.S. authorities counter that he is not wanted because he embarrassed them but rather because he endangered informants, dissidents and rights activists in countries including Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Fitzgerald said that with Belmarsh on lockdown, it was impossible for lawyers to speak to Assange to prepare his case for the second part of the extradition hearing, due to resume on May 18. But Clair Dobbin, a lawyer representing the U.S. authorities, argued that the risk that Assange would once again abscond to avoid extradition was so high that it was insurmountable. "Mr Assange judges himself above the law," Dobbin said. "He has already demonstrated he is capable of going to any lengths to avoid that possibility (extradition to the United States)." She also said the evidence suggested that the virus would not be critical for most patients. "He is not one of the people to whom the virus presents a particular risk," she said of Assange. With Britain under near lockdown because of the coronavirus outbreak, the hearing unfolded in unusual circumstances. Only the judge, Fitzgerald and a small number of reporters were present in person. Other lawyers listened in on a tele-conference call. (Editing by Estelle Shirbon and Stephen Addison) The son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Mohammed Atiku Abubakar, has accussed the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, of lying about how he contacted coronavirus. Mr Abubakar, in a short message shared with Premium Times via a WhatsApp platform, said he never shook hands with the governor when they met on board an Aero Contractors aircraft. The duo, accompanied by their wives, boarded the plane on March 18 at about 5:20 p.m from Lagos to Abuja. On his return to Abuja, Mr Abubakar tested positive for the virus, and has since been undergoing treatment at a government facility. Following Atiku Abubakars open declaration of his sons health status, the governors spokesperson, Mukhtar Gidado, announced in a statement that the governor had self-isolated, citing his meeting with Mr Abubakar. Mr Mohammed said he boarded the same flight and shook hands with Mr Abubakar. On Tuesday, Mr Gidado said in another statement that Gov Mohammed had tested positive for the virus. On Tuesday, Mr Gidado said in another statement that Gov Mohammed had tested positive for the virus. This is to inform the general public that the results of the six initial tests carried out by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) on His Excellency, Senator Bala Mohammed, his family and aides that accompanied him to Lagos is (sic) out, the statement said. Of the six initial tests carried out, one sample was confirmed positive of COVID-19. The positive result happens to be that of His Excellency, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State. At this point, it should be noted that the governor is on self-isolation as his doctors and officials from the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) have taken full charge of his quarantine. His Excellency solicits for prayers from all and requests that all those who had contact with him or anyone known to have the same medical condition to go for test immediately in order to avert further spread of COVID-19 epidemic, the statement reads. But Mr Abubakar said the governor sat on one side of the aisle, while he was on another side with his wife. We greeted but never shook hands, he said. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta and Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 22:03 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d67dd1 1 National Jokowi,President-Jokowi,Joko-Widodo Free President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has requested the members of his Cabinet to focus on governmental affairs and send prayers from the capital instead of going to Surakarta, Central Java, to offer condolences over the passing of the Indonesian leader's mother on Wednesday. "Based on the President's order, the funeral will be held [within the family] and members of the Indonesian Onward Cabinet and their staffers should remain in Jakarta and focus on their duties," Presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rachman said. Jokowi's mother, Sujiatmi Notomiharjo, died in Surakarta at 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday. She was 77. The President had arrived in his hometown from Jakarta at about 6 p.m. In addition to his family members, State Secretary Pratikno and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung also accompanied Jokowi, Fadjroel said. Fadjroel told Kompas TV earlier that among the issues that Cabinet members should remain focused on was the COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected 790 people and killed at least 58 in the country to date. During a press conference at the funeral home, Jokowi said that his mother died after succumbing to cancer. "My mother had suffered from cancer for the last four years and she had received treatment in Gatot Subroto Army Hospital [in Central Jakarta], but God apparently has his own will," Jokowi said. Sujiatmi is scheduled to be laid to rest on Thursday at 1 p.m. in the family cemetery in Gondangrejo, Karanganyar, Central Java. Politicians and public figures alike, including Democratic Party chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, television journalist Najwa Shihab and former fisheries and maritime affairs minister Susi Pudjiastuti, have extended their condolences for Sujiatmi's passing, joining thousands of other Twitter users posting heartfelt messages on the platform. (aly/afr) Prince Charles was tested for COVID-19 for clinical reasons, according to a Scottish official, amid confusion about why the royal was able to confirm his mild symptoms. Charles was tested in by the NHS in Aberdeenshire on Monday, having retreated to Balmoral in Scotland with Camilla on Sunday. His situation has raised questions about the criteria needed to get tested, as many NHS workers are unable to have the same benefit. Clarence House, which deals with all the communications regarding the Prince of Wales and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, said the couple is in Scotland, where they met the criteria for testing. The Prince of Wales was able to get tested for coronavirus. (Getty Images) However, the current guidelines for testing in Scotland read: Generally, you'll only be tested for COVID-19 if you have a serious illness that requires admission to hospital. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotlands first minister, would not be drawn on why they were tested, citing patient confidentiality. She sent Charles, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay when he is in Scotland, her best wishes. But Scotlands Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood said: Ive discussed with the team in NHS Grampian and from the information Ive been given its clear he was tested for clinical reasons, and Im pleased also that he is well and as with many people who have had this virus he has had a mild illness. A government spokesman later confirmed the couple met criteria for testing. A total of 10,676 Scottish tests have concluded, the Scottish government has said, with 719 of those testing positive. The nation has reported 22 deaths as of Wednesday at 3pm. Read more: Coronavirus: Royal Family postpones more engagements as UK enters effective lockdown Scotland is moving to test key workers more quickly, to avoid potentially unnecessary isolation periods. However, it may well be that members of the Royal Family come under the category of key workers, although Clarence House has not yet responded to Yahoo News UKs request for comment. Story continues Charles used a namaste greeting during the Prince's Trust awards. (Getty Images) Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area Explained: Symptoms, latest advice and how it compares to the flu New Scottish government guidance, released on Tuesday, shows the nation will prioritise testing for NHS workers and their families, to ensure people are not self-isolating if they havent actually contracted coronavirus. For example, it would stop a nurse whose child was showing symptoms from isolating with the child for a full 14 days, if the childs test came back negative. Joan McAlpine, SNP MSP for the South of Scotland, tweeted that she wishes Charles a speedy recovery, but added: Given that his symptoms are said to be mild, like many I wonder how he was tested when many NHS and social care workers cannot get tested. My nephew, who has serious asthma and a chest infection was recently refused a test. Sturgeon also asked that people dont use the Highlands and islands as a place to outrun coronavirus, but added: Obviously there are places where people have homes in Scotland and people will choose to go to their homes, but we should all be responsible. Health is a devolved issue. In England, officials are guided by the Chief Medical Officer, and we continue to monitor the situation closely and to work with the WHO and international community. CMO guidance is only to test in hospitals. Boris Johnson has been criticised for not conducting more tests, including by former health secretary Jeremy Hunt. Matt Hancock announced on Monday that the government was ramping up checks with a new facility opening up in Milton Keynes. The government has also bought 3.5 million antibody tests so people can see if they have had it and are immune. Professor Stephen Powis, NHS Englands medical director, said the NHS could start testing hundreds of thousands of people per day for Covid-19 within a matter of weeks. Charles saw William and Harry as well as their wives at the Commonwealth Day service. (Getty Images) Charles, who is the heir apparent, is said to be in good spirits and otherwise good health. He does not appear to have passed the disease onto his wife Camilla, who tested negative. Read more: Prince Charles offers tenants three-month rent deferral amid coronavirus pandemic His last public engagement was 12 March and he has not seen the Queen since that date either. Charles father, the Duke of Edinburgh, was not in Buckingham Palace at the time. The Queen and Charles briefly met after that days investitures. The Queen had already postponed several engagements but left the palace early for Easter Court in Windsor. Charles and Camilla went to Scotland, where they have a residence in Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate, on Sunday and were tested on Monday. They are understood to be self-isolating separately. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Taking a break from combating the deadly coronavirus, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended a ceremony to shift the Ram Lalla (Lord Ram) from the makeshift tent temple to a temporary pre-fabricated temple on the Ram Janmabhoomi premises in the wee hours on Wednesday. The ceremony took place at around 4.30 am on Wednesday, on the first day of the nine-day Chaitra Navratri festival which also marks the Sanatan Nav Varsh (new year). The new abode of Shri Ram is a fibre made bullet proof temple and it has been cast with in a period of 15 days on Ram Janmabhoomi premises. The deity has been shifted from the sanctum sanctorum of the makeshift temple to be enthroned on a pure silver throne weighing 9 kg. The silver seat on which the deity is placed has been donated by Raja Bimalendra Mohan Prakash Mishra, one of the trustees of Shree Ram Teerth Kshetra Turst and scion of the Ayodhya royal family. Twenty-seven years after the demolition of the Babri mosque, the Ram Lalla, the presiding deity of the Ram Janmabhoomi, was shifted from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple to his temporary abode. On the occasion, members of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust were also present. UP CM Yogi Adityanath led the ceremony along with a group of priests who had converged in the temple town from Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi, Haridwar, Mathura, Varanasi and Ayodhya to help shift the idols amid chanting of mantras and other vedic rituals. The deity was shifted in a palanquin from the makeshift temple at a pre-decided muhurat. The chief minister was among four people who carried the palanquin to the new location which is a few metres from the existing makeshift temple. The shifting of the deity is part of the plan to construct a grand temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi. Vedic rituals had started at Ram Janmabhoomi on Monday morning ahead of the shifting of Ram Lalla and continued till Tuesday. The deity would rest in the new temporary set-up till the construction of the temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram. Now with the idols relocated in the new temporary set up, devotees would have to walk only half a kilometre to have darshan of Lord Ram. Darshan in the new temple would be available from a distance of 26 feet unlike earlier in the makeshift temple when devotees used to get a glimpse of the idol from a distance of 52 feet. However, currently, there is a ban on darshan in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Osun State government on Wednesday confirmed an index case of Coronavirus, as the governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and his wife tested neg... Osun State government on Wednesday confirmed an index case of Coronavirus, as the governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and his wife tested negative for the virus. Oyetola disclosed this during a press conference at the government house, Osogbo, the state capital Wednesday afternoon. Sadly, I want to say that we have the first confirmed case of the novel Coronavirus in the State. It was confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC. The case is a returnee from the United Kingdom and is currently receiving treatment. The sample was tested at NCDC accredited Testing Centre, which is the African Centre of Excellence in Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Ede, Osun and the result returned positive on Tuesday night, Oyetola explained . The governor added that there were other cases of the virus that had tested negative after thorough investigation. Oyetola opined that the government had contacted the family of the patient and has since commenced contact tracing to identify people who might have been in contact with the confirmed case. Speaking on what compelled him to subject himself and his family to a medical examination to ascertain his status, Oyetola said : Considering the fact that I was in Abuja for the better part of last week, as a way of leading by example, I have also subjected myself to test. My wife, because of her recent travel history also subjected herself to test. Both came back negative. To this end, I want to passionately encourage all returnees from UK, US, Europe, the West African Coast and indeed other high risk countries to self-isolate and submit themselves to test, so as to assist the government in containing the spread of the virus. To further contain the spread, the following measures take immediate effect: One, a Taskforce has been set up to man all land borders and conduct preliminary screening. Two, all major markets will be shut down with effect from Friday, March 27. However, traders are allowed to sell food items in front of their houses. Pharmacies are also exempted from this ban. Three, the ban on public gatherings, church services, Mosques, social events and political meetings among others remain in force. Fellow citizens and residents of our dear State, do not panic, the case is under control. I want to urge you all to continue to observe necessary precautionary measures by regularly washing your hands with water and soap and also maintain the prescribed social distance. As part of our efforts to curb the spread of Coronavirus in the State, we have set up holding centres and the one in Asubiaro Specialist Hospital, Osogbo, is up and running, to isolate and treat suspected and reported cases of the virus in the State, Oyetola concluded . He has become a global name thanks to Netflix series Queer Eye and Next In Fashion. And Tan France left fans delighted on Tuesday night as he appeared on The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). The fashion expert, 36, even joked about replacing Paul Hollywood on the judging panel after being crowned the winner and Star Baker of the episode. Yasss! Tan France left fans delighted on Tuesday night as he appeared on The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Tan joined Caroline Quentin, Joel Dommett and Johanna Konta in the tent during the special charity programme. And it wasn't long until the Queer Eye star, who makes up the Netflix show's Fab Five, became a firm fan favourite. During his time in the tent, Tan joked about replacing judge Paul, he said: 'I feel like this could be my future. Can you imagine if I replaced Paul?' While the style sensation even went on to dish out some fashion advice to Paul, he quipped: 'I feel like he's made more of an effort. He looks better than he ever has done.' Hilarious: The fashion expert, 36, even joked about replacing Paul Hollywood on the judging panel after being crowned the winner and Star Baker of the episode Celebrity contestants: Tan joined Joel Dommett, Caroline Quentin and Johanna Konta (L-R) in the tent during the special charity programme Even presenters Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding were fans of Tan as they performed their own Queer Eye-style makeover on a cardboard cut out at the beginning of the episode. Despite getting off to a rocky start with his pistachio and cardamom eclairs, Tan managed to win over the judges with his technical challenge battenberg and his 'deepest fear' cake, which was ageing and wrinkling. After winning, he sweetly gushed: 'I won! This means so much to me, I love this show so much. I've had the time of my life.' Queer Eye (Bake Off style): Even presenters Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding were fans of Tan as they performed their own Queer Eye-style makeover on a cardboard cut out at the beginning of the episode Cheeky: During his time in the tent, Tan joked about replacing judge Paul, he said: 'I feel like this could be my future. Can you imagine if I replaced Paul?' Winner: Despite getting off to a rocky start with his pistachio and cardamom eclairs, Tan managed to win over the judges with his technical challenge battenberg and his 'deepest fear' cake (pictured), which was ageing and wrinkling Fans were left delighted over Tan's appearance as they admitted it was the 'self-care we all need right now' amid the global coronavirus crisis. While others joked that Tan's co-star Antoni Porowski, who teaches contestants how to cook on Queer Eye, gave his friend a pep talk before going in the tent. One person said: 'Tan France on @BritishBakeOff is the self-care we all need right now #GBBO.' A different user put: 'Just imagining Antoni on the phone to Tan telling how to add flavour #gbbo', they added a GIF of Antoni saying 'you're a warrior'. Sweet: After winning, he sweetly gushed: 'I won! This means so much to me, I love this show so much. I've had the time of my life' Fans: Fans were left delighted over Tan's appearance as they admitted it was the 'self-care we all need right now' amid the global coronavirus crisis Another follower joked: 'Let Tan give Paul a French tuck #GBBO.' A different account put: 'I really hope the rest of the Queer Eye crew are watching tan on Bake Off #GBBO.' While another viewer added: 'Tan said 'yasss queen' and that has made my night #gbbo.' The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) continues on Tuesday night at 8pm on Channel 4. The Commandants Office of Armenia today held a regular session chaired by Commandant Tigran Avinyan, who said the following: "You are all aware that new restrictions have been set for different types of economic activities and the movement of people in the whole territory of Armenia. Based on the decisions, when leaving the house, people need to fill out and have with them a sheet stating where theyre exiting and where theyre going, when theyre leaving the house and when theyll return. And, of course, they need to have a passport or ID card because, starting today, all persons in the Republic of Armenia are considered self-isolated, except for the cases prescribed by the decisions. I call on our citizens to follow these restrictions, treat the situation seriously and give the Commandants Office time to have the opportunity to upgrade our instrumentation to make the fight against the coronavirus more effective. There might be some additional restrictions today. There is already a restriction on the number of passengers in cars, meaning there cant be more than two people in a car, and I would like to ask road police officers to strictly follow implementation of this decision. We need to try to minimize the movement of people as much as possible until March 31 and continue to prevent and find the chains in an effective manner and be able to keep the trace of the virus in our viewing field. The participants of the session touched upon the mechanisms for oversight over the restrictions and the issues for avoiding accumulation in stores and supermarkets. Nancy Vandermey, an engineer working on the Mars rover Curiosity, appealed a hospital's decision to delay her breast cancer surgery because of coronavirus. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) As the Mars rover Curiosity explores the red planet, 141 million miles away, Nancy Vandermey is one of the team members at the controls. But the Jet Propulsion Laboratory rocket scientist who also worked on NASA's Cassini and Galileo projects has had very little control over an earthly challenge she's facing. Vandermey has breast cancer. Stage two. She got the diagnosis Feb. 4, and surgery was supposed to be March 19. But then coronavirus torpedoed normal routines at hospitals and medical clinics. As they prepare for a possible onslaught of patients sick with the virus, some hospitals have curtailed or eliminated so-called non-urgent procedures to conserve beds and medical equipment. Vandermey followed these developments closely, hoping she wouldnt get bumped off the surgery schedule at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center. Having cancer was unnerving enough, but delaying treatment would be doubly scary. A few days out, Vandermey got the news she had feared. Surgery was being postponed, and one medical staffer told her the schedule change was due to lack of supplies. A couple of days later, Vandermey said, her doctor apologized and told her he thought the surgery would happen in the next couple of weeks. But a day later, another medical staffer had a more worrisome prediction. I got an email saying it was more likely to be a couple of months rather than two to three weeks, said Vandermey. Vandermey, a wildlife lover and photographer who has traveled the world taking pictures than can be found at wildcatzoo.com, lives in Tujunga, where she has captured images of the big cats who live in the surrounding hills and have wandered up her street and through her yard. She's working from home these days, because the virus has altered routines at JPL, and said that "operating a Mars rover from home is new and different, and that's interesting." But trying to determine whether Mars has ever sustained life hasn't entirely gotten her mind off the pandemic that's sweeping this planet or the medical condition that has disrupted her life. Story continues Its been very scary, Vandermey told me, worrying that the cancer would have a chance to spread during the delay. I figure the longer surgery doesnt happen, the more likely it is to be months and months, because hospitals are going to be overwhelmed with virus patients. They currently arent, and I was trying to get in there before it happens. Vandermey didn't want her surgery to delay medical treatment for anyone else, and she noted that it was to be an outpatient procedure, which would tie up resources for only a short time. As someone with an underlying health issue, she might be considered in a high-risk population for severe complications if she gets coronavirus, but Vandermey told me she fears the cancer more than the virus. After the postponement, she filed an appeal with the Medical Board of California and posted about her predicament on Twitter. Among those who responded: a woman who said her pacemaker implant is on hold and a man who said his mother's checkup following cancer surgery has been delayed two months. And there's no telling how many more postponements are in the offing. Antelope Valley resident Joyce Macconnell has two knee replacements scheduled, the first in May, but told me she wonders if it will be pushed back. "Hospitals are being urged to postpone as many elective procedures as they can without causing harm to any individual," said Jan Emerson-Shea of the California Hospital Association. "California has no hard and fast rules, but basically [the question is], can an individual go two to three months, perhaps, without a procedure, or will that cause any harm?" Emerson-Shea said she understands these are tough choices for hospitals and doctors, but she added that the term "elective" needs to be clarified. "It does not mean not medically necessary; it just means it's not an emergency," she said. Emerson-Shea didn't want to speculate on the best protocol for Vandermey or any other patient. Hospitals are making case-by-case decisions and doing their best, she said, to make tough judgments about which treatments can safely be delayed in order to prepare for "this unprecedented crisis." Dr. Robert Cherry, chief medical and quality officer at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, said each surgical unit is constantly reviewing which operations should go ahead as scheduled and which can be delayed so that beds and medical gear are conserved. That can involve tough calls, because one thing we do know about coronavirus is that it has the potential to spread rapidly. "We are now [at] anywhere from 35% to 40% of our normal surgical volume," Cherry said, a slowdown designed in case of a need to accommodate a crush of very sick patients. But among the procedures going forward as planned, Cherry said, are surgeries for cancer and cardiovascular disease. When I called Vandermey's doctor, he said he wasn't at liberty to speak about her case. A Kaiser Permanente spokesperson sent me a response stating that Kaiser doctors "are clinically evaluating all elective procedures scheduled for the next few weeks to determine those that can be safely postponed. These may include select cancer surgeries." The statement went on to say that "national societies are recommending delaying many types of cancer surgery, in part because of evidence of serious complications from COVID-19 after surgery." I can understand the hospital's point of view. Kaiser, like other hospitals and like the general public, is trying to navigate these scary, uncertain times. But I also can't imagine what it would be like to be in Vandermey's position, worried about the spread of cancer at a time when so much else is unsettling in the world. When I drove out to see Vandermey Tuesday afternoon, the rocket scientist was on a break and walked down to the bottom of her driveway to meet with me. We spoke from a virus-safe distance of 15 feet or so. And she had great news. A bit earlier, she had gotten a call from her Kaiser doctor. Her surgery is now scheduled for Thursday. She expects to be back at work in a couple of weeks, and that's a good thing. There's a lot of the universe left to explore. Like wedding guests unexpectedly screaming I object! during the nuptials, a group of Republicans on Wednesday afternoon threatened to bog down passage of the Senates $2 trillion economic aid package, which not long before seemed to be on its way to quick bipartisan approval, over what they describe as a life-threatening drafting error in the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be clear, the issue this group is talking about is not a drafting error. Its a design feature of the bill. Theyre just unhappy with it. As I reported yesterday, the aid package expands unemployment insurance by offering workers a flat, additional weekly payment of $600 on top of whatever benefits theyd typically be eligible for, for four months. As a result, some former workers would stand to make more on unemployment than if they kept their jobs. At a press conference this afternoon, Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott of South Carolina, Rick Scott of Florida, and Ben Sasse of Nebraska said they were worried this would encourage some Americans to leave their jobs, including in industries that are essential during the crisis. As Sasse put it: Advertisement Advertisement We dont want to do anything that would accelerate shortages in critical supply chain and workforce pathways inside some of the critical industries in America. And by critical industries in America, I mean health aides. And I mean grocers, and people operating the takeout and deli, and people doing local food delivery, and garbagemen. Lots of the important industries in America have median wages that are lower than what would happen under the unemployment benefits portion of this bill. And so we dont want to accelerate the severing of that employee-employer relationship. Advertisement Its tempting to make fun of this foursome for worrying that grocery store clerks are going to get too much money from the government. In the end, I dont think we should be overly concerned about incentivizing service workers to stay home during a plague thats literally leading states and cities to ban people from going to work. But, to be honest, their qualms arent entirely insane. Usually, Americans cant collect unemployment if they walk out on their jobs. But the coronavirus billor at least a draft version that a Hill aide told me was current as of 10:50 a.m. on Wednesdaymakes an individual who has to quit his or her job as a direct result of COVID-19 eligible. Direct result isnt super well defined in that section (and Im not sure how itd be policed), so you can definitely imagine a scenario where some important workers decide to go on unemployment insurance rather than keep working for a business that cant afford to give them a raise at the moment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also, Grahams proposal for changing the bill is actually pretty reasonable in the abstract. Instead of a four-month program that pays some workers more than their full wages, he wants a permanent program that just pays those 100 percent of their salary during pandemics. Here he was during the press conference: Advertisement Advertisement We need to create a sustainable system. This pandemic is coming back in the fall. We need to create pandemic systems on unemployment that are sustainable. So, if you believe that, why not fix it now? Why not say, in perpetuity, dealing with pandemics today and tomorrow, you can get up to your salary but no more? Because this wont end in four months. If I were a Democrat in Congress, I would be kind of tempted to accept that deal. After all, Grahams right: This wont be over in four months! Itd be nice to give workers some assurance theyll be taken care of depending on how badly this thing lingers. Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, Grahams fix might not be feasible because of the ancient IT systems that states use to administer their unemployment benefits, which might make it impossible to actually calculate the correct payments for workers under his proposal. Thats according to University of Massachusetts Amherst economist Arindrajit Dube, who has been talking to Capitol Hill staffers on this topic. According to him, the flat $600 payment was partially a workaround of those technical issues. Look, this whole issue is arising because of (apparent) administrative issues where states are using decades old hardware/software to process payments and that it would supposedly take a long time to change the replacement rates - esp given the deluge of coming claims. Arindrajit Dube (@arindube) March 25, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement So that's why there's a flat $600 boost. But if you do a flat boost and get to the right *average* boost, means some will be less than the target % and some will be above. It's not ideal, and it's not what I proposed. But it may be necessary administratively to have a flat boost Arindrajit Dube (@arindube) March 25, 2020 So now if someone comes and tells us it's after all possible to check if (regular benefit + PEUC) < 100%XWages, and can cap low wage workers payment at 100%, not clear why we can't *boost* middle wage workers to above $600 to get to 100% (or whatever X%). Arindrajit Dube (@arindube) March 25, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I will need to hear more about exactly how hard it is to incorporate these various tweaks into the actual state processing systems before passing a judgment on if these tweaks are feasible or desirable. Arindrajit Dube (@arindube) March 25, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement The four senators have said they will oppose fast-tracking the aid bill if the not-a-drafting-error isnt fixed, which would slow but not stop its eventual passage. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders says if they try to muck with the unemployment benefits, hell go after the corporate bailout section of the bill. Advertisement Unless Republican Senators drop their objections to the coronavirus legislation, I am prepared to put a hold on this bill until stronger conditions are imposed on the $500 billion corporate welfare fund. pic.twitter.com/7X0o9C4BoO Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) March 25, 2020 Advertisement Solid last-minute drama, Congress! Update, March 25, 9:40 p.m.: Advertisement Well, it looks like that all came to nothing. As The Hill reports: Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) have agreed to drop procedural objections and let the bill move on a fast track in exchange for a vote on an amendment to the package to cap beefed-up unemployment benefits at 100 percent of workers salaries. Their amendment will need 60 votes to pass, and its expected to fail, setting the stage for final passage of the mammoth coronavirus stimulus package later Wednesday evening. It appears this sucker will pass pretty much as is. For more on the impact of the coronavirus, listen to the latest episode of What Next. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Self-isolation is difficult - especially for the older members of our community who are having to spend an extended amount of time indoors and away from the children that brighten their lives so much. To that end, three well-known Longfordians are encouraging people to #RingYourGranny on a daily basis to check in, have a chat and make sure theyre okay. At a time like this, its so, so important that we stay away from the people we love in order to keep them safe, said one of the campaigns founders, Siona Cahill. Its not what we usually do as Irish people and its so weird to me to even be recommending like this. When theres any kind of emergency its usually when we gather to look after each other, socialising and making light of the situation to cope with it. However, our elderly and senior citizens, many of whom are grandparents, are unfortunately more vulnerable when it comes to a flu virus, and many young people could be carrying it and not even show symptoms. So we have to do our part too. Siona rings her granny, Agnes McKenna, twice daily for a chat and to see what the craic with her is. Read also: Gardai in Longford here to help the community during Covid-19 Agnes, herself, was happy to speak to the Longford Leader about her isolation and said that while she hates to be tied to the house, shes keeping herself busy with a routine and phonecalls from her grandchildren are one of the highlights of her day. I look forward to the calls. Siona is very good. She calls me frequently, said Agnes. I love to pick up the phone and see her name come up. She can talk about everything and nothing really. Shell just chat away and all I have to do is listen. I really do look forward to any one of my grandchildren calling me. Eric Ehigie and Luke Casserly are also pushing the #RingYourGranny campaign, while ensuring their own grannies, Lucy Ehigie and Marie Casserly are getting all the support that they need. Checking up on the senior citizens in my life at this time is very important to me, Eric told the Leader. It costs nothing to reach out, and make sure your loved ones are feeling okay. I think we should all try to do this on a regular basis but seeing as there is so much apprehension in the global community at the moment due to the virus, now is the perfect time to. This is a tough time for everyone, but especially for older people living in isolation, Luke agreed. Its a scary and stressful time, so its really important that we look after them and make sure that theyre okay regularly. A phone call every day can definitely make a big difference for them, knowing that theres someone there to talk to. Getting on board with the #RingYourGranny campaign is simple: just pick up the phone and make the call. It will be appreciated. Directory: Longford volunteers helping their local communities during the #Covid19 pandemic New Delhi: As the COVID-19 outbreak spreads across the world -- having infected over 4.2 lakh people and killed about 19,000 -- governments across the world have never been more insistent on social distancing and self-isolation strategies to restrict the movement of people. Which is why this coronavirus pandemic has turned out to be a game changer for people's mental health; affecting millions in isolation. People have been forced to stay indoors, sometimes even separated from their family within their own house, away from co-workers and friends for weeks at a stretch. However, amid this global health emergency it is equally important to build resilience, and manage stress and anxiety in this new normal, the School of Medicine at the John Hopkins University said on Tuesday. Anxiety goes up when there is a change in routine. Everyone around us is stressed. So it is important to take one day at a time. If we can manage stress on a baseline and everyday basis, then we are better placed to deal with it during spikes or when things are much worse than today, said Karen Swartz, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences. She was addressing a global webinar to help people cope with stress and social isolation. The virus has also given the world its first infodemic an explosion of information on the Internet, as persons hover across various news platforms and the social media to gain information, misinformation and bad information on the outbreak. This has caused anxiety in many, spikes in the download and use of mental health apps indicate. Swartz noted that it is important to limit how much we watch the news. Persons are advised to go to credible news sources and not read news before sleep in order to reduce infodemic stress. The mind has to disconnect in order for you to disconnect, she said. It is important to create a schedule at a time when we are working from home. There has to be an end to the day. It is important for everyone to not assume that one is working all day and night. Hence, it is important to not work on the bed. Cultivating a healthy mental health during the pandemic requires building resilience via better sleep hygiene, meditation and a daily routine. Resilience predicts the well-being of a person. It is a skill set. You have to exercise it to develop it. If you're less resilient you're likely to take up unhealthy habits like over-eating, anxiety and depression, said Swartz. Doctors at John Hopkins Medicine have found that over 40 per cent persons skip meals, lack energy and motivation and do not sleep well during these times. We all should attempt to sleep and wake up on time, avoid caffeine intake, have a routine for getting into bed, not exercise at night and have pets in the bedroom, the psychiatrist added, highlighting how alcohol and drugs use do not help here. Some other ways to build resilience is through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Positive Psychology exercises. Exercising, moving around and taking up tasks help change negative thoughts to positive, aid behaviour change to reduce stress and anxiety. On the other hand, positive psychology exercises in the form of better communication, expressing confidence in everyday tasks and expressing gratitude for what you have in these times of peril, helps train one's attention to go from negative to positive. Swartz opined that if you can control your emotional response, you can control your anxiety, anger and frustration. Besides formal practices like mindfulness meditation, focused breathing, body scanning and informal practices, including any typical activity with added attention to it, also helps in building resilience. Focusing on sounds, smells and sights, as part of informal practices, helps build an in the moment experience. There are number of mobile applications like Calm and Headspace that help here, the John Hopkins psychiatrist said. An integral part of following these practices is by having a daily, structured routine which does not include binge watching shows, compromising on 7-9 hours of sleep but instead has a set of concrete things to do at home. Being sure about who would you call when someone gets sick in your home is part of this organised routine, said Swartz. The hour long global webinar reminded everyone to hold strong to our physical and mental health safety as reducing social distancing does not mean reducing social contact. People face stigma during infections which cause stress, but the whole point of social distancing is only to not be physically around them. There are online ways to stay in touch. We can do things in a solitary way and make it more communal too. We can go beyond conversations around COVID-19. We can be kind towards other peoples experiences, she added. Aeroflow Healthcare continuously looks for solutions to patients problems, and working with an innovator like Oventus Medical helps us solve a major issue that many patients experience while undergoing sleep apnea treatment. Aeroflow Healthcare, a leading durable medical equipment (DME) provider and Inc. 5000 fastest growing company, announced a partnership with Oventus Medical. Aeroflow will provide patients throughout the United States with Oventus obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment solutions, including the O2Vent Optima, directly to consumers and via U.S. sleep clinics. Aeroflow will initially introduce Oventus products to patients in the Southeast U.S., followed by a nationwide offering. The O2Vent Optima is an oral treatment solution for patients suffering from mild to moderate OSA. 3D printed and customized to fit each patient, the O2Vent Optima opens patients airways while bypassing soft tissue, maintaining stable jaw positions and resulting in steady ventilation and normal sleep. The U.S. is a crucial market for Oventus Medical as we look to expand our global footprint and reach as many patients as possible, said Dr. Chris Hart, CEO of Oventus Medical. Our strategic agreement with Aeroflow Healthcare allows us to immediately serve a large base of American patients, and is an important step in our long-term aspiration as a global medical equipment provider. Aeroflow Healthcare continuously looks for solutions to patients problems, and working with an innovator like Oventus Medical helps us solve a major issue that many patients experience while undergoing sleep apnea treatment, said Eric Mongeau, National Sales Director at Aeroflow Sleep. We are eager to help Oventus bring its obstructive sleep apnea treatment solutions to patients in the U.S. southeast and across the country, as our patients seek the medical products that will provide them with the best possible treatment. About Oventus Medical Oventus Medical is an Australian medical device company that is commercializing a unique treatment platform for sleep apnoea and snoring. The Company has a collaborative Sleep Physician/ Dental strategy that streamlines patients access to treatment. The Oventus lab model incorporates digital technology via intra oral scanning to achieve operational efficiencies, accuracy and ultimately patient outcomes. About Aeroflow Healthcare Aeroflow Healthcare was founded in Asheville, NC in 2001 as a home oxygen provider, and has since grown to become one of the leading durable medical equipment providers nationwide. For three consecutive years, Aeroflow has been ranked on Inc. Magazines List of 5000 Fastest Growing Companies. In 2017, Aeroflow was also awarded the HME Excellence Award for Best Home Medical Equipment Provider and has been recognized as a business offering top-notch benefits to employees with the Great Place to Work Award. Aeroflow is an accredited Medicare and Medicaid provider and accepts most commercial insurance. To learn more about Aeroflow Healthcare and getting medical equipment through insurance, visit http://www.aeroflowinc.com. As of Tuesday, 52 people incarcerated on Rikers Island had confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 96 other people are under observation and awaiting test results, a member of the New York City Board of Correction told Slate. People who are having symptoms and those who are suspected to be infected are being tested, said Dr. Robert Cohen, a physician who sits on the board. Others may be tested because they came into contact with an infected person. Men with confirmed cases, or those being isolated out of caution, are housed in the complexs recently reopened Eric M. Taylor Center, while women are in the West Facility, or in one of the housing areas in the womens jail. Advertisement Just over 5,000 people are currently housed on Rikers, according to Cohen. Five hundred and fifty-one of them are serving less than a year for low-level offenses. Six hundred and sixty-six people are in Rikers due to a technical parole violationincluding missing curfew, testing positive for drugs, or missing meetings. Another 811 were arrested for a new crime that would have likely been processed as a misdemeanor but was remanded due to their status as parolees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In New York City, there are a lot of people locked up in small, dirty places who dont have to be, said Cohen. So the notion that they would stay and the people who are responsible for caring for them medically and from a security perspective are going to be exposed to unnecessary life-threatening risks doesnt make sense. Advertisement Advertisement As advocates continued to warn of the danger the pandemic poses to incarcerated people, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to release 300 more people from Rikers, in addition to the 75 released last week on Tuesday. But advocates argued that the de Blasio administration isnt addressing incarcerated people with the same urgency seen in the rest of the citys responses to the coronavirus. Social distancing [in Rikers] is an impossibility, said Rebecca Kavanagh, a legal analyst and criminal defense attorney. Its literally going to be a matter of days before people start dying in massive numbers. And, Im not trying to be melodramatic, but the mayor and the governor are both going to have blood on their hands. Its not a situation that is complicated. There are so many people who can be so easily released. Advertisement Advertisement Jail is going to put many people at increased risk of getting infected and the infection is spreading rapidly on Rikers Island, Cohen said. There are going to be a lot of sick people who are going to overwhelm the capacity of the jails to function and many people will suffer because of that. It puts the people living there at risk. It puts the people who work there at risk and its not necessary. When the state incarcerates someone, they are responsible for that person, said Hawk Newsome, an organizer with Black Lives Matter of Greater New York. And because the state has control over their lives, they are obligated to do whats in the best interest of the people under their care, which, in this case, would be to release them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If were talking about people with a limited amount of time to serve who are nonviolent or drug offenders, then these people should be released, said Newsome. People who do not pose a threat to society should be released. Respiratory diseases are transmitted more easily between people who are in close quarters. And jails are places where people exist in close proximity to one another. In Rikers, the wards are set up in a dormitory style where the beds are less than 3 feet apart. People housed in the facilities on the island share showers, dining tables, and toilets in addition to traveling through the jails together in large groups. Its a literal breeding ground for infectious disease. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes the COVID-19 disease, can persist on surfaces for extended periods of time, and researchers believe people can be infected when they touch contaminated spaces. The cleaning necessary to prevent that is intensive, and there arent many who would consider Rikers a clean place. Current reports have said that incarcerated folks are sharing gloves, being served food on dirty trays, and lacking access to soap or hand sanitizer. The Board of Correction is trying to track whether the jail is capable of providing adequate and frequent cleanings along with supplies so that people can clean their own spaces. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the oversight agency for public health in the city, has said that diluted bleach solutions are effective at sanitizing and killing the virus. The solution can theoretically be diluted to a level that is not dangerous to those incarcerated. Advertisement There are 906 people housed on Rikers currently who are older than 50, many of whom are in less than ideal health. Comorbidities exist disparately within the population of Rikers, and older people there are taking multiple medications for two or more adverse health issues. Advertisement They will get very sick if they get infected and it will overwhelm the capacity of the medical systems to care for them, said Cohen. Advertisement Kavanagh is concerned that people who seek medical care could be ignored or brutalized. Eight inmates were reportedly pepper-sprayed by guards for demanding temperature checks after a person housed in the unit was removed with a fever, a common symptom of COVID-19. Failure to provide medical aid is one of many human rights violations that occur on a systemic level in U.S. prisons and jails. And, in Rikers, even in ordinary times, the treatment of incarcerated folks seeking care is indicative of a blatant disregard for the physical health of people who are locked up. Human cries for help have, more than once, prompted correctional officers to commit extreme acts of violence, while the nonchalance and inaction of the jails staff has also played a role in a number of health-related deaths. Advertisement This has always worried advocates but is now exacerbated by the current pandemicwhich has canceled visitation and in-person contact between inmates and attorneys. And rather than taking steps toward reform, the city has responded to the disease outbreak by reversing its progress toward the future closing of Rikers by reopening the space in the Eric M. Taylor Center. This is a crisis of a magnitude that we really havent seen in the system before, said Kavanagh. There is just a level of disregard for human life that you see time and time again. It is really concerning to think about how that is playing out in the current environment especially when we dont have visitation and people arent seeing their families. WASHINGTON, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) submitted materials today chronicling human rights abuses perpetrated against Biafrans in Nigeria to Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions at the United Nations. The information will be reviewed by Special Rapporteur Callamard for possible inclusion in a report on Nigeria, which is expected to be released later this year. Ms. Callamard visited Nigeria in 2019 to investigate reports of violence and injustice against innocent Nigerians. The Indigenous People of Biafra is an organization that represents the social, political, and economic interests of Biafrans in Nigeria. The group aims to ensure that the human rights violations occurring across Nigeria will be acknowledged and confronted, perpetrators will be prosecuted, and religious minorities across Nigeria will be protected by the international community. The letter was signed by IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB United States National Coordinator Dr. Clement Okoro, and 22 state coordinators from across the United States. The submission to the UN further documents 12 incidents in which Biafrans were subject to severe human rights abuses, ranging from indiscriminate arrests to mass executions, carried out by Nigerian military, police and security forces. Most notable amongst these atrocities is the killing by Nigerian military forces of up to 150 Biafrans in May 2016. These innocent civilians were celebrating Biafran Remembrance Day and commemorating the approximately two million Biafrans that lost their lives during the Nigerian Civil War of the 1960's. "The number of human rights abuses being committed against minorities and those with dissenting views in Nigeria, including members of the IPOB, over the past five years have increased dramatically both in scale and heinousness," the letter states. "These crimes, committed by state and non-state actors alike, are at best ignored by the Buhari regime and at worst sanctioned by the administration. Instances of mass murders and other horrific acts of violence are rarely investigated, and perpetrators are not prosecuted. Even where violence has been demonstrated to have been led by state security actors, no mechanism exists to hold those responsible accountable." The letter also calls Special Rapporteur Callamard's attention to the massacre of Christians by Fulani extremists a group that the 2019 Global Terrorism Index estimates is deadlier than Boko Haram. This growing problem was also highlighted in a recent op-ed by Bernard-Henri Levy, a French philosopher and author. Speaking of his recent trip to Nigeria, Levy specifically noted the Nigerian military's refusal to confront Fulani extremists, "Several times I note the proximity of a military base that might have been expected to protect civilians. But the soldiers didn't come; or, if they did, it was only after the battle; or they claimed not to have received the texted SOS calls in time, or not to have had orders to respond, or to have been delayed on an impassable road." Levy also warned about the future in Nigeria, "Some professional disinformers will try to reduce the violence here to one of the "interethnic wars" that inflame Africa. They'll likely find, here and there, acts of reprisal against the Fula and Hausa. But as my trip concludes, I have the terrible feeling of being carried back to Rwanda in the 1990s, to Darfur and South Sudan in the 2000s. Will the West let history repeat itself in Nigeria? Will we wait, as usual, until the disaster is done before taking notice? Will we stand by as international Islamic extremism opens a new front across this vast land, where the children of Abraham have coexisted for so long?" ABOUT THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF BIAFRA The Indigenous People of Biafra is an organization that represents the social, political, and economic interests of Biafrans in Nigeria. The group aims to ensure that the human rights violations occurring across Nigeria will be acknowledged and confronted, perpetrators will be prosecuted, and religious minorities across Nigeria will be protected by the international community. The letter was signed by IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB United States National Coordinator Dr. Clement Okoro, and 22 state coordinators from across the United States. DISSEMINATED BY MERCURY PUBLIC AFFAIRS, LLC, A REGISTERED FOREIGN AGENT, ON BEHALF OF NNAMDI KANU LEADER OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF BIAFRA. MORE INFORMATION IS ON FILE WITH THE DEPT. OF JUSTICE, WASHINGTON, DC. SOURCE The Indigenous People of Biafra What was supposed to be a short trip to the United States has turned into an extended stay for former Gold Medal swimmer and current evangelist Peppo Biscarini. He and his wife were back in Chattanooga for the birth of his sons first child. But after the U.S. government shut down the borders and banned all travel out of the country, the Biscarinis were stuck in Chattanooga. While he came to Chattanooga three weeks ago, before the country had a serious COVID-19 problem, Mr. Biscarini wanted to get tested for the virus. However, he was unable to and he said no one at the Airport seemed particularly concerned about him possibly spreading the virus. I thought for sure the Airport was going to crack down, but they did not ask anything. It was really bizarre, he said. We actually wanted to test, because shoot, if we have anything we dont want to jeopardize the new baby coming. So we even asked how to get a test, and we couldnt find any information anywhere. So we said we didnt have any symptoms and lets move on. Right now Im basically stuck. I was supposed to fly back in three days and then they cancelled my flight and they wont resume them until April 17, said Mr. Biscarini, who has also been an actor and a model. I was supposed to go to California for my daughters graduation too. So were just anchored down. But we do have a granddaughter that was just born, so thats great and has been distracting us. Mr. Biscarini described what happened in his native country, where the response by many were eerily similar to how those in the United States have reacted to the news of the pandemic. Many seemed to underestimate how serious the virus is, he said. At first, the problem was that people didnt take it seriously and they thought 'Oh its just like influenza and it will go by us and we wont even feel it,' so they did not take many precautions, said Mr. Biscarini. Then what happened was that our prime minister was about to propose a new mandate to lock down the northern part of Italy. But unfortunately his right-hand (man) leaked the information. So a lot of people that came from the south but work up north, all of a sudden they took off through planes, trains, and cars. They just migrated. And then all of a sudden, people that have it are going to spread it all over the place. Mr. Biscarini then detailed why Italy has struggled as the pandemic has worsened in the country. Because of how COVID-19 affects the lungs, respirators are needed to treat patients. The biggest problem that we have in Italy is that our health system is not the greatest. Up north its okay, but in the south it is a mess, said Biscarini. So in all of Italy, we have about 10,000 artificial respirators, and when I started reading more about the disease and how it affects people, I realized it was going to be a problem. Because of this shortage of respirators, doctors in Italy are having to make difficult decisions. He said that is the thing that differentiates COVID-19 from being just the flu. Even though influenza kills more people, this one is highly infectious and once you get into the acute phase, you will need a respirator. Especially if you are 70 and up, said Mr. Biscarini. I was talking to some physician friends and they were saying they only had five ventilators in the hospital, and we get 20 people coming in, well which five are really serious cases? So we have to decide which ones can die. So of course they take the younger one and let the older one go, but thats a rough decision to make. Mr. Biscarinis medical friends have a foreboding message for the United States. While the numbers for infections seem to be high, Mr. Biscarini says that those numbers could look like peanuts compared to the true number of infected people in the United States. The statistics are probably off, because the numbers in Italy are almost 10 to one compared to the United States, said Mr. Biscarini. Right now we have about 64,000 infections and 6,077 deaths in Italy, versus 684 who have died here in the U.S. with 53,000 infected. Those numbers are indicative but not the truth of who are infected but asymptomatic. So in talking to doctors, most-likely, we may have 20 to 30 times as many people who are infected. Mr. Biscarini ended the conversation on a somewhat optimistic note, citing the fighting spirit of the human race. He also focused on the declining number of new cases in Italy and China, saying that this is something that will eventually go away. This too will pass. We as human beings are resilient. My main suggestion is to not lose hope. Because some people are going to be stuck at home and be depressed. So just stay grounded and have faith, because in times of trial and tribulation, thats when your true colors come out. I noticed that many people of faith have a resilience. Alyssa Ryans graduation is postponed, and class has moved online for the remainder of her senior year. That means no in-person lectures. No mock emergency room sessions for the senior-year nursing student at The College of New Jersey in Ewing. She couldve fretted about how shell receive her degree virtually in eight weeks, instead of in-person. But Ryan realized: what shes learned in her nearly completed education might be useful to the agencies that need it most - in light of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the country, which has killed at least 44 in New Jersey and brought schools and travel to a halt, while taxing the health care system. I could be upset, or I could go out into my community, answer my communitys call for help, Ryan, a 21-year-old South Brunswick native, said Tuesday. Shes part of the NJ Medical Reserve Corps. Shes been splitting her time between Meals on Wheels in Atlantic Highlands, where she had just finished up before speaking to NJ Advance Media. On Wednesday, shell do coronavirus phone triage at the Middlesex County health department, checking in with callers about their symptoms. Or it could be someone worried about prior contact with someone who tested positive. The phone triager helps determine what care would be best for them, whether its self-quarantining for 14 days, going for a test, or heading to an emergency room if they are displaying severe symptoms. Last week, she worked with the health department in Hamilton, Mercer County, and is continuing as a patient care technician in the NICU at St. Peters in New Brunswick, including over her spring break last week. She previously worked with schools in Middlesex County, but volunteers were soon asked to stay away for social distancing purposes. Meals on Wheels, which primarily deals with seniors, is seeing increased demand, Ryan said. For example, a retirement home of senior citizens that used to take its residents to a grocery store on a bus, ceased that practice in response to the virus. A cart of supplies, and some more bags, wheeled from the mock emergency room at TCNJ to Capital Health in Hopewell.Courtesy TCNJ On Tuesday, she delivered groceries. Its a great feeling knowing I can be there in a time of need, she said. TCNJ also stepped up in response to the coronavirus, sending medical supplies - which were loaded onto a cart in the ER lab, Ryan said - to Capital Health in Hopewell and to the Henry J. Austin Health Center in Trenton. Those supplies include personal protective equipment like masks, gloves and gowns, Ryan said. Her instructors were telling her, its better to have it used than let it sit in a closet while in-person instruction is suspended. The lab is set up with supplies used in a functioning hospital so the instructors can run the simulations as close to real life as they can. Several hospitals across the state have asked for donations of PPE, most of which is disposable, and ideally thrown out at the end of a shift if its a respirator. Regular surgical masks are switched out even more frequently, Ryan said. These items are critical to support and protect our frontline healthcare providers, Carole Kenner, Dean of TCNJs School of Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science, said in a statement. Its a scary time, but Ryan, and many others, are going forward making themselves useful where theyre needed. We all have this skill base, she said, and it makes sense to use it for good. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The International Crisis Group, Oxfam America, and the National Iranian American Council called on U.S. leaders to lift the sanctions for 120 days to offer Iranians relief at this critical time Open source There are increased calls for the United States to suspend economic sanctions against Iran, which some believe hamper Tehran's ability to contain the deadly outbreak of coronavirus that has officially killed nearly 2,000 people. The United States has offered to help Iran but has shown no desire to ease crippling sanctions reimposed on Tehran shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump exited the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018. Trump said on March 22 he had offered to help the Islamic republic in its fight against the coronavirus, saying that "Iran is really going through a difficult period with respect to this, as you know." Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rohani, have long called for the lifting of the sanctions, while dismissing Washington's humanitarian offer as dishonest. "They offer a glass of muddy water but they don't say that they've blocked this nation from [accessing] the main [water] springs," Rohani said on March 23. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei went as far as suggesting that the United States might be behind the pandemic and therefore the offer cannot be trusted. "You are accused of creating this virus; I dont know if this is true, but amid such an allegation, how can a wise person trust you and accept your offer of help?" he said in a speech on March 22. "You could be giving medicine to Iran that spread the virus or cause it to remain here permanently." In a statement issued on March 23, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Khameneis "fabrications" put Iranians and people around the world at greater risk. He also reiterated that U.S. sanctions did not target imports of food, medicine, or other humanitarian goods. Iran has said it asked the International Monetary Fund for $5 billion in emergency funding to battle the coronavirus outbreak that, according to Iran's Health Ministry, is killing one person nearly every 10 minutes. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan also appealed on March 22 for Trump to lift the sanctions -- which prevent banking transactions well as the export of oil -- on humanitarian grounds until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. "The people of Iran are facing untold suffering as sanctions are crippling Iran's efforts to fight COVID19," Khan said on Twitter. "Humanity must unite to fight this pandemic." 'Maximum Pressure' To Continue While continuing to pressure Tehran amid the pandemic, U.S. officials have blamed much of the crisis on mismanagement by Iranian leaders, who are accused of a slow initial response. Criticism also came for the failure of Iranian officials to quarantine the city of Qom, the epicenter of the outbreak in Iran and from where the virus is believed to have first spread to the rest of the country. "Our policy of maximum pressure on the regime continues," Brian Hook, the U.S. special representative for Iranian affairs, told reporters last week. "U.S. sanctions are not preventing aid from getting to Iran." China and Russia, allies of Tehran and signatories to the 2015 nuclear accord, have also made a similar appeal for the lifting of U.S. sanctions. "We called and are calling on the United States to abandon the inhumane practice of applying unilateral sanctions against Iran, which has an acute shortage of means to solve urgent health issues in the current situation of the spread of the coronavirus," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last week. The Chinese Foreign Ministry made a similar demand on Twitter. "Continued sanction on Iran was against humanitarianism and hampers Iran's epidemic response & delivery of humanitarian aid by the UN and other organizations," it tweeted on March 16. The Guardian reported on March 18 that Britain was also privately pressing the United States to ease sanctions on Iran to allow it to help fight against the coronavirus, which, according to figures released by Irans Health Ministry on March 24, has infected 24,811 Iranians. The official death toll -- which has been criticized by many as being underreported -- stands at 1,934. On March 20, some 25 organizations in the United States, including the International Crisis Group, Oxfam America, and the National Iranian American Council, called on U.S. leaders to lift the sanctions for 120 days to offer Iranians relief at this critical time. "Sanctions have harmed the public health sector in Iran by slowing or entirely blocking the sale of medicine, respirators, and hygienic supplies needed to mitigate the epidemic, and broad sectoral sanctions continue to negatively impact ordinary Iranians by shuttering civilian-owned businesses and decimating the value of the rial, making it harder to procure food, medicine, and other basic needs, the organizations said in a joint online statement. There have also been calls on social media by U.S. lawmakers, including Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. "Iran is facing a catastrophic toll from the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. sanctions should not be contributing to this humanitarian disaster," he tweeted on March 18. "As a caring nation, we must lift any sanctions hurting Irans ability to address this crisis, including financial sanctions." Human Rights Watch said in an October 2019 report that U.S. sanctions have drastically constrained Iran's ability to finance humanitarian imports, including vital medicines and medical equipment. Read the full story here. The Australian share market finished higher for straight second day on Wednesday, 25 March 2020, as investors followed Wall Street's major surge overnight after US lawmakers inched closer to approving a stimulus bill to respond to the coronavirus crisis. At closing bell, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index advanced 262.41 points, or 5.54%, to 4,998.07. The broader All Ordinaries added 252.88 points, or 5.32%, to 5,006.21. Investor sentiment got a boost from hopes for a massive US stimulus package to counter the impact of the pandemic, as well a deal to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Games until next year. The White House and Senate reached a deal on a gigantic $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill early Wednesday stateside. The massive stimulus is designed to be a lifeline to Americans and their employers until the coronavirus is brought under control and the country finds some semblance of normalcy. The Federal Reserve signaled the gravity of the situation Monday when, in an unprecedented move, it said it would spend whatever it takes to preserve the U. S. financial system. Markets across the globe, including those of Spain, the U. K., and Italy, have been reeling from planned, temporary business shutdowns, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the infectious disease that is derived from a novel strain of coronavirus, and which has infected 390,000 people globally since it was first identified in December while at least 16,362 lives have been taken. Banks, miners and industrials helped lead the gains for what were broad based gains. The big four banks all climbed at least 9% with ANZ Bank (ANZ) the standout, jumping 11%. A 5% pickup in iron ore prices also boosted local players with BHP Group (BHP) advancing 10% with Rio Tinto (RIO) and Fortescue Metals (FMG) both rising more than 5%. The airliners have also continued their good fortune so far this week. Qantas (QAN) soared another 20% as the national carrier secured more than A$1 billion in debt funding secured against a part of its aircraft fleet. QAN shares are up ~38% this week but still down close to 55% in 2020. Virgin Australia (VAH) lifted 14% even after announcing it would be grounding 125 aircraft as it cuts domestic capacity by 90%. 8,000 or 80% of its workforce will be temporarily stood down to manage costs. Domino's Pizza (DMP) fell 8% as the pizza chain announced that in accordance with new restrictions in New Zealand, it will close all NZ stores including delivery and takeaway services for at least 4 weeks CURRENCY: The U. S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was last at 101.472 after rising from levels below 100 last week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.6037 after seeing levels below $0.58 earlier this week. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Las Vegas, NV, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- MJ Holdings, Inc. (MJNE) (the Company), a leader in the Nevada cannabis market, is continuing to provide product support to Las Vegas dispensaries. In the on-going fight to curtail the spread of Covid-19, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has ordered all Nevada medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries to cease retail sales within their stores, allowing only dispensaries with drive-thru windows to remain open; however, the Governor is allowing home delivery of marijuana by all Nevada dispensaries under a 60-day temporary license. According to BDS Analytics, a leading cannabis industry data provider, marijuana sales are up about 30% nationwide. While Nevada has implemented very strict social distancing rules that have affected our cultivation facility, we have sufficient inventory on hand to meet our customers current needs and we are increasing production of our LV Slugger pre-roll in order to provide the consumer with a ready to use product option, Company CEO Paris Balaouras stated. Our sales team has launched a consignment initiative allowing dispensaries to buy in smaller quantities and make payments upon sale of the products. We believe this will help insure that dispensaries have steady access to inventory without requiring a large bulk purchase. About MJ Holdings, Inc. MJ Holdings Inc. (MJNE) is a diversified holding company providing services to the regulated cannabis industry. Through our subsidiaries we provide cultivation and production, management services as well as infrastructure sales and development. Our cultivation operations include management of a three-acre co-operative for in the Amargosa Valley of Nevada. We currently manage a State of Nevada issued cannabis production license and expect to provide manufacturing and production facilities and resources to third party manufacturers and cultivators as part of our production campus, which is currently under development. We additionally provide management consulting services to state licensed dispensaries. We are also active in identifying and acquiring revenue producing assets and licenses within legalized cannabis markets both nationally and internationally. Story continues Safe Harbor The information provided in this press release may include forward-looking statements relating to future events or the future financial performance of the Company. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "will," "potential," "hope" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations of the Company and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties. Detailed information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by statements in this press release relating to the Company may be found in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the factors described in the sections entitled "Risk Factors", copies of which may be obtained from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The parties do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Company Contact: Terrence Tierney terry@mjholdingsinc.com - Controversial Nigerian rapper, Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley, has got people on social media talking for the umpteenth time - The rapper earlier took to Twitter to joke about coronavirus showing that he does not believe in the authenticity of it - Naira Marley had asked fans to retweet his post if they do not believe in coronavirus - Nigerians have now continued to slam the rapper for it on social media with many of them calling him daft The coronavirus pandemic is a serious issue that is plaguing many countries in the world. Other countries that have not yet been badly hit have also been taking precautionary measures and also educating its populace on how to keep safe from the dangerous disease. Despite the steps that known faces have been taking to enable others take the virus seriously and encourage them to practice social distancing, Nigerian rapper, Naira Marley, took to Twitter to tell fans to retweet his post if they do not believe in coronavirus, thereby making people feel relaxed and not see it as a dangerous threat. The rappers post gained thousands of retweets from people who do not believe in the existence of the virus and this has led to other Nigerians blasting him on the microblogging site. Being a popular personality, his words and actions would be emulated by others and a number of reasonable fans are of the opinion that he is setting a bad example. Read some reactions to the rappers tweets below: Oscar wrote: "You guys are responsible for Naira Marley's idiocy tho, too much hype Lol, is naira Marley not your president again Clown face???" Peejay tweeted: "So Naira Marley is trying to argue this out really? I like his vibes but today, he "misyarn"ed. Whatever he meant to achieve, as a celebrity influence alot of people, he didn't have to tweet, questioning the authenticity of Corona virus and it's victims. Victory handVictory hand E go be". See more reactions below: In other news, Legit.ng reported that some Yoruba Nollywood actors who are based abroad have dropped a video to create awareness on the danger of coronavirus. The Yourba-speaking actors who do not reside in the country told fans to listen to government officials and stay at home. They also advised on the importance of washing their hands as well as using alcohol-based sanitizers. PAY ATTENTION: Do you have news to share? Contact Legit.ng instantly HELLO! NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better Coronavirus: Are Nigerians really afraid of COVID-19? New survey reveals more | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng But Boyd and others said their organizations had fielded reports of physicians trying to hoard the drugs or direct them to friends or family even those not in need. Boyd said he was told of one case of a pharmacist being asked to fill a prescription for 1,000 pills, though the pharmacist rejected the request. He said he heard another case of an out-of-state physician calling in a prescription for four people a possible indication it was meant for family or friends. The Government needs to ensure all healthcare workers are protected at all levels, from the nurses, to the doctors, to the cleaners, to admin staff. The doctors we represent are willing to provide their services if the personal protective equipment is available at their work stations. We impress upon our employer to see the importance of all health care workers and the services we provide and to consider incentivising them in these times, as this is not an easy time for them as well, he said. NEW YORK In several hours on Tuesday, Dr. Ashley Bray performed chest compressions at Elmhurst Hospital Center on a woman in her 80s, a man in his 60s and a 38-year-old who reminded the doctor of her fiance. All had tested positive for the coronavirus and had gone into cardiac arrest. All eventually died. Elmhurst, a 545-bed public hospital in Queens, has begun transferring patients not suffering from coronavirus to other facilities as it moves toward becoming a facility dedicated entirely to the outbreak. Doctors and nurses have struggled to make do with a few dozen ventilators. Calls over a loudspeaker of Team 700, the code for when a patient is on the verge of death, come several times a shift. Some have died inside the emergency room while waiting for a bed. A refrigerated truck has been stationed outside to hold the bodies of the dead. Over the past 24 hours, New York Citys public hospital system said in a statement, 13 people at Elmhurst had died. Its apocalyptic, said Bray, a general medicine resident at the hospital. Across the city, which has become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, hospitals are beginning to confront the kind of harrowing surge in cases that has overwhelmed health care systems in China, Italy and other countries. On Wednesday morning, New York City reported 16,788 confirmed cases and 199 deaths. More than 2,800 coronavirus patients have been hospitalized in the city. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday offered a glimmer of hope that social-distancing measures were starting to slow the growth in hospitalizations. Still, hospitals are preparing for a major influx. Working with state and federal officials, hospitals have repeatedly expanded the portions of their facilities equipped to handle patients who had stayed home until worsening fevers and difficulty breathing forced them into emergency rooms. Dr. Mitchell Katz, the head of the Health and Hospitals Corp., which operates New York Citys public hospitals, said plans were underway to transform many areas of the Elmhurst hospital into intensive care units for extremely sick patients. But New Yorks hospitals may be about to lose their leeway for creativity in finding spaces. All of the more than 1,800 intensive care units in New York City are expected to be full by Friday, according to a Federal Emergency Management Agency leadership briefing obtained by The New York Times. Patients could stay for weeks, limiting space for newly sickened residents. Cuomo said on Wednesday that he had not seen the briefing; he said officials could quickly add intensive care beds if they received more ventilators, the machines that help the most sick coronavirus patients breathe. The federal government is sending a 1,000-bed hospital ship to New York, although it is not scheduled to arrive until mid-April. Officials have begun erecting four 250-bed hospitals at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Midtown Manhattan, which could be ready in a week. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday on Twitter that construction was ahead of schedule. Officials have also discussed converting hotels and arenas into temporary medical facilities. At least two city hospitals have filled up their morgues, and city officials anticipated that the rest would reach capacity by the end of this week, according to the leadership briefing. The city requested 85 refrigerated trailers from FEMA for mortuary services, along with staff, the briefing said. That is inaccurate, said a spokeswoman for the citys office of the chief medical examiner. We have significant morgue capacity in our five citywide sites, and the ability to expand. In interviews, doctors and nurses at hospitals across the city gave accounts of how they were being stretched toward a breaking point. Workers at several hospitals, including the Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, said employees such as obstetrician-gynecologists and radiologists have been called to work in emergency wards. At a branch of the Montefiore Medical Center, also in the Bronx, there have been one or two deaths a day, or more, said Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, a nurse. There are not always enough gurneys, so some patients sit in chairs. One patient on Sunday had been without a bed for 36 hours, she said. Confirmed coronavirus patients are sometimes paired with those who have not yet received test results, added Sheridan-Gonzalez, the president of the New York State Nurses Association. At the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the most prestigious health systems in the country, some hospital workers in Manhattan have posted photos on social media showing nurses using trash bags as protective gear. A system spokesman said she was not aware of nurses using trash bags. Since ventilators are in short supply, both Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian, two of the citys largest systems, are exploring using one machine to help multiple patients, an unusual move, according to employees at both networks and to staff emails. But officials have called Elmhurst among the hardest-hit hospitals in the city. Definitely Elmhurst Hospital in Queens has had an extraordinary amount of activity, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a radio interview earlier this week. Its been very tough for Elmhurst. Elmhurst Hospital Center opened in 1832 and moved to its current Queens location in 1957, making it one of the oldest hospitals in New York City. In the neighborhood it serves, Elmhurst, more than two-thirds of residents were born outside of the United States, the highest such rate in the city. It is a safety-net hospital, serving mainly low-income patients, including many who lack primary care doctors. Medical workers said they saw the first signs of the virus in early March an increase in patients coming in with flulike symptoms before the alarm had been fully raised in the city and the country. Tests results were taking longer then, but they eventually confirmed that many of these patients had coronavirus. In the weeks after, the emergency room began filling up, with more than 200 people at times. Every chair in the waiting room was usually taken. Patients came in faster than the hospital could add beds; earlier this week, 60 coronavirus patients had been admitted but were still in the emergency room. One man waited almost 60 hours for a bed last week, a doctor said. The patients coming in now are sicker than before because they were advised to try to recover at home, doctors said. Elmhurst is at the center of this crisis, and its the number one priority of our public hospital system right now, the citys public hospital systems statement said. The front line staff are going above and beyond in this crisis, and we continue surging supplies and personnel to this critical facility to keep pace with the crisis. Cuomo said that on Sunday, the states projections showed hospitalizations doubling every two days, while Tuesdays estimates showed them doubling every 4.7 days. That is almost too good to be true, the governor said, but the theory is, given the density that were dealing with, it spreads very quickly. But if you reduce the density, you can reduce the spread very quickly. But the crowds outside of Elmhurst have not thinned out. The line of people waiting outside of Elmhurst to be tested forms as early as 6 a.m., and some stay there until 5 p.m. Many are told to go home without being tested. Julio Jimenez, 35, spent six hours in line on Sunday night after running a fever while at work in a New Jersey warehouse. He returned on Monday morning in the pouring rain. On Tuesday, still coughing, eyes puffy, he stood in line for nearly seven hours and went home, untested, again. I dont know if I have the virus, Jimenez said. Its so hard. Its not just me. Its for many people. Its crazy. Rikki Lane, a doctor who has worked at Elmhurst for more than 20 years, said the hospital had handled the first wave of this tsunami. She compared the scene in the emergency department with an overcrowded parking garage where physicians must move patients in and out of spots to access other patients blocked by stretchers. Family members are not permitted inside, she said. Lane recalled recently treating a man in his 30s whose breathing deteriorated quickly and had to be put on a ventilator. He was in distress and panicked, I could see the terror in his eyes, she said. He was alone. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. In the face of an unprecedented challenge, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), calls on innovators and entrepreneurs to put forward new solutions to help the tourism sector recover from COVID-19. With millions of jobs at risk as the pandemic hits tourism harder than any other sector, the United Nations specialised tourism agency has included innovation in its wider response to the pandemic. That response has seen UNWTO work closely alongside WHO to mitigate the impact and place tourism at the centre of future recovery efforts and liaise closely with governments and the private sector to boost collaboration and international solidarity. The Healing Solutions challenge is launched in collaboration with WHO, further advancing the united response of the wider United Nations system to COVID-19. This global call for entrepreneurs and innovators asks them to submit ideas that can help the tourism sector mitigate the impact of the pandemic and kickstart recovery efforts. In particular, the challenge is aimed at finding ideas that can make a difference right away: for destinations, for businesses and for public health efforts. Ideas that are ready to implement Participants should be able to demonstrate how their ideas can help tourism in its response to COVID-19. Ideas must also have been piloted and be ready to scale-up, with a business plan in place and the potential to be implemented in several countries. UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili explained: Tourism is the sector that has been hit the hardest by COVID-19. Our response needs to be strong and united. We also need to embrace innovation. I call on all entrepreneurs and innovators with ideas that are developed and ready to be put into action to share them with us. In particular, we want to hear ideas that will help communities recover from this crisis, economically and socially, as well as ideas that can contribute to the public health response. The competition is now live and applications close on April 10. The winners of the Healing Solutions for Tourism Challenge will be invited to pitch their ideas to representatives of more than 150 governments They will also enjoy access to the UNWTO Innovation Network, which includes hundreds of start-ups and leading businesses from across the tourism sector. - TradeArabia News Service William Dufris, the voice-actor behind Bob the Builder in the US and Canada, has died after a battle with cancer at the age of 62, it was confirmed Wednesday. Pocket Universe Productions, which was co-founded by Dufris, announced the sad news on its Twitter account, writing: We are heartbroken.' Dufris voiced Bob for the US and Canadian broadcasts, working on the first nine series until the role was taken over in 2006. Sad loss: William Dufris, the voice-actor behind Bob the Builder in the US and Canada, has died from cancer at the age of 62, it was confirmed Wednesday 'We are heartbroken to announce that the co-founder of @pocketplot and the director of EC Comics Presents... The Vault of Horror, William Dufris, has died from cancer,' read Wednesday's statement 'There is a hole in a lot of peoples hearts right now. We will have more to say later. Bless you, Bill.' Dufris, who was born in Maine, began his career in London, working on BBC Radio plays with the likes of Kathleen Turner and Helena Bonham-Carter. He also contributed to audio drama productions of Spider-Man (where he voiced the title role of Peter Parker), Judge Dredd, Voyage and An American Werewolf in London. 'Heartbroken': Pocket Universe Productions, which was co-founded by Dufris, announced the sad news on its Twitter account, writing: We are heartbroken' However, he is most famed for voicing Bob the Builder in the US and Canada from season one to nine, starring in 75 episodes. Dufris left the show after its co-creator Sarah Bell moved on in 2006, with the voice of Bob then performed by comedian Greg Proops. In his varied career, Dufris also voiced Rocky's best friend Elvis and Dougan the red walrus in the children's stop motion TV series Rocky and the Dodos for Cosgrove Hall and dubbed several anime films such as X and two of the Lupin III films. He also co-founded a number of audio production companies throughout his career. Bob The Builder was created in the UK by Keith Chapman and was originally voiced by Neil Morrissey. It was sold to US toy giants Mattel for $680 million in 2011 and was revamped in 2014 with a complete overhaul of the cast. The Adamawa High Court sitting in Yola has sentenced a former executive secretary, Adamawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Bishop Jinga Mayo, to five years imprisonment. The convict was charged to Court on Jan. 30, 2019, for diverting and furnishing of false return in respect of the sum of N69,198,600. The amount was discovered to be meant for the operating committees of the 2016 Christian Pilgrims operation to Israel but Mayo fraudulently diverted it for personal use. READ ALSO Coronavirus: Adamawa, Kano, Ondo States Order Closure Of Schools He was the executive secretary of the board between 2016 and 2017 and was sentenced to a correctional facility on March 23, 2020, without the option of fine. US Fingers Iran for Exporting COVID-19 By Jeff Seldin March 23, 2020 Fears Iran would serve as a launching pad for the coronavirus pandemic, potentially wreaking havoc on the Middle East, are coming true, according to U.S. officials, who point to a growing volume of evidence. The State Department Monday accused Iran of transmitting the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, to multiple countries, saying that, in at least five instances, a country's first case of the virus was "directly imported from Iran." "The Wuhan virus is a killer and the Iranian regime is an accomplice," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters during a visit to Afghanistan. "The regime continues to lie to the Iranian people and the world," Pompeo added in a statement. "They put Iranians and people around the world at greater risk." Separately, other State Department officials voiced concern that the extent of the damage could be far worse, both for Iran and the region. "The Iranian regime is hiding a significant amount of information about the coronavirus outbreak," a State Department spokesperson told VOA. "This lack of transparency poses a significant health risk to the Iranian people, as well as to Iran's neighbors." COVID blame game Tehran, which has been hit harder than any other Middle Eastern country with more than 23,000 cases, has blamed the United States for its struggles. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif Monday decried U.S. sanctions on Tehran as "mass punishment," preventing Iran and the world from being able to effectively counter the pandemic. A day earlier, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, took to Twitter to suggest the U.S. might even be responsible for the outbreak. "I don't know how true it is. But when there's such an allegation, can a wise man trust you?" Khamenei asked. "You could be giving medicines that spread the virus or cause it to remain." The tweet drew a sharp rebuke Monday from the White House and the State Department, both of which accused Khamenei of lying. Iran's airline flying amid outbreak Specifically, the State Department has pointed to Tehran's willful negligence, including its use of the state-backed airline, Mahan Air, which it says conducted at least 55 flights between Tehran and various destinations in China. For weeks, such flights have worried officials and analysts, who note Mahan has continued to fly to Syria, and has permanent routes that connect Tehran with countries from Lebanon to Pakistan. Equally worrisome for Western officials are the airline's ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force, for which it has been sanctioned by the U.S, since 2011. Officials say the IRGC has been on the frontlines, a public face for Iran's response to the pandemic while, at the same time, continuing to act as an intermediary with Iranian proxy forces across the Middle East. Reports in Iranian state media late last week indicated at least one pilot for Mahar Air died after contracting the coronavirus. And other reports from the region suggest, Iranians operating in countries like Syria have also fallen victim to the virus. COVID-19 threat to Syria Last week, the local Syrian news outlet Deir Ezzor 24 quoted sources as saying at least two Iranian militia members in the city of Al-Mayadin had been quarantined after being diagnosed with the coronavirus. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Sunday said the number of Iranians diagnosed with the coronavirus in Al-Mayadin had risen to at least 11, with more cases possible. But officials and analysts say the IRGC and Iranian-backed militias are engaged in a concerted campaign to show they are fighting back against the virus and not falling victim to it. "Hashd al-Sha'abi [Iranian-backed militias in Iraq] did a press photo series showing the umbrella group has response teams," Phillip Smyth, an analyst with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told VOA. "Other individuals, mainly leaders, have tried to show off they're not infected by posting videos and photos of themselves being tested." Despite such public relations campaigns, Israeli officials have said they see indications that some of Iran's malign activities have decreased of late. Only some former Israeli military intelligence officials doubt Iran will back off for long. "That is not going to happen," said former Israeli National Security Adviser, retired Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror. "They [will] continue when they see opportunities and when they believe that it might help them," he said. "It is easier in Iraq when they have Shiite militias, which they can use. It will be more complicated in Lebanon, which is in a broken state." That has raised concerns that IRGC operatives will continue to spread the coronavirus, possibly even to high-risk populations in the region, including refugees and displaced persons. "The thing that I'm most concerned about from an early stage was how this could spread in refugee camps that Iranians come in contact with, whether that's in Syria or Iraq or elsewhere," said Colin Clarke, a senior fellow at The Soufan Center, a global security research group. "You're talking about highly vulnerable populations with little to no resources." Humanitarian groups, like the Norwegian Refugee Council, have warned of "carnage" if and when the coronavirus takes hold in Syria and other areas deprived of adequate health care. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A preliminary analysis by the Wisconsin Legislative Council, the Legislature's legal office, shows that state statutes lay out how to designate polling sites, the hours of operations and deadlines for clerks to receive absentee ballots. The governor has broad authority to issue orders as he sees fit during a state of emergency which Evers has declared but he cannot alter state law unilaterally, according to the analysis. But the extent of the governor's powers in emergencies has never been challenged in court, the analysis notes. As school districts close down for weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, substitute teachers are left without the opportunity to earn money. For districts, paying school employees during extended school closures has been a major dilemma . Officials have scrambled to find alternative jobs for staffers like cafeteria workers and bus drivers, many of whom work hourly rather than on salary or on contract. But some places such as Highline Public Schools near Seattle , Fulton County Schools in Atlanta , and Clark County School District in Las Vegas have stopped paying their day-to-day substitutes. Were just thrown under the bus here, Lisa Roe, a substitute teacher in Clark County told KTNV Las Vegas . We do the best job as we can, and its just really frustrating that theyre forgetting about us. In Sacramento, Calif., the Sacramento City Teachers Association is urging the Sacramento City Unified School District to continue paying substitutes during school closures. Right now, only long-term substituteswho have filled in for a permanent vacancy or a teacher on leaveare being paid. The day-to-day substitutes, who are tapped to fill in when needed, are not. There are about 600 substitute teachers represented by the citys teachers union, and officials estimate that about 200 of them work every single day. Not getting paid during school closures could mean losing their sole source of income, said David Fisher, the SCTA president. Everybodys stressed out now, but at least our permanent classroom teachers have the comfort of knowing their next check is going to come, he said. For many career substitutes, its still very unclear if theyll get any continuing pay. ... Theyre quite naturally very anxious about the situation. In an executive order , Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom told school districts that if they close temporarily due to the threat of COVID-19, they will still get state funding to continue to pay their employees, among other things. Other California school districts, including Los Angeles Unified , have commited to paying their substitutes a daily wage as long as the shutdown persists. Fisher said the Sacramento district is hanging on to state money that should be going to employees to weather difficult times. He said the union has been asking the district every day about this issue, but has not yet gotten a response. Tara Gallegos, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento school district, said in an email that the district has received the unions proposal and will be responding through the negotiations process. It is our understanding that no other school district in Sacramento County is paying its day-to-day substitutes during the school closures, she said. No Guarantee Francisco Negron, the chief legal officer for the National School Boards Association, said whether substitutes have to get paid comes down to a question of state law, the districts collective bargaining agreement, and any executive order from the governor. But in most cases, he said, day-to-day substitutes are not included in collective bargaining agreements. For most day-to-day substitutes, the agreement is clear from the employers perspective and the employees perspective that theres no guarantee of employement, Negron said. Theres no guarantee that the district will use you, its based on the districts need. For the districts that have agreed to continue paying their substitutes, they now have to figure out how much to pay them. In Sacramento, for example, substitute teachers are paid about $222 a day. The SCTA has proposed that for each substitute, the district calculate a pay rate based on the number of instructional days worked from Jan. 6 to March 12. For example, a substitute who worked every day during that time period would continue to get paid $222 a day. A substitute who only worked 25 days during that time period would be paid $123 a day. But many substitute teachers are still waiting for answers about what will happen to them as the school closures stretch on, possibly to the end of the school year. Glenn Bryant, who works in four different school districts in Georgia, said he hasnt received any communication about pay. His schedule was booked through March, most of April, and some of Mayand now hes unsure whether hell end up with any paychecks during this time period. (Georgia schools are mostly closed through the end of the month, but Bryant suspects the closures will last longer.) Hey, Ive been doing this every day for you all, Bryant said, in reference to his district. This wasnt my choice, am I going to get compensated? His wife works full-time, and Bryant said hell be OK financiallybut the uncertainty is frustrating. Im just hoping that somewhere down the line, we can find a solution, he said. But my gut says we probably wont, and I probably wont get compensated. Image: Empty classrooms at the Forest Hills Elementary School in Lake Oswego, Ore., which closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. &mash;Ken Hawkins/ZUMA Wire (File) [March 24, 2020] Neutrino Energy Dedicated More Than Ever to a Better Future BERLIN, March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- While mainstream science has just caught up to the idea that extremely thin layers of carbon are capable of responding to and carrying electrical energy with almost 100% fidelity, founder Holger Thorsten Schubart and the team at Neutrino Energy Group have been hard at work developing usable neutrino energy technology since 2015. And current hard times are not stopping them. At the moment, signs of progress are hard to see. But in the weeks and months to come, as measures to curb the pandemic take hold, exacting untold economic and social harm, one wonders what progress will look like. Now more then ever, the world is in desperate need of change when it comes to its future. Will the 'Zee Burst' Unlock Secrets of Neutrino Energy? Over the last few years, the knowledge that neutrinos have mass has gradually trickled into the mainstream of scientific discourse, but researchers remain baffled as to why. With new upgrades to the IceCube neutrino detector in Antarctica, however, scientists might finally get closer to the secrets of the Zee burst and what it means for the future of neutrino energy. Neutrino Energy Group remains dedicated to understanding why neutrinos have mass and how these ghostly particles work. Bombarding neutrinos cause resonance: Every day, neutrinos of all different shapes and sizes bombard the Earth. By "shapes and sizes," scientists really mean types and energy levels, but the result is the same. Certain types of neutrinos affect matter on the planet more strongly than others, and detectors like IceCube are actually designed to observe the effects of neutinos on other substances, not neutrinos themselves. Certain neutrino/matter collisions result in a phenomenon called resonance, which is typified by unusually regular particle scattering after neutrino impact. It's postulated that this resonance could explain why neutrinos have mass and, therefore, how to exploit this mass better to produce energy. 'Zee Resonance' and Its Impact on Standard Physics The Glashow resonance creates a beautiful, predictable pattern that has helped researchers learn a lot about how neutrinos operate in the universe. There's another neutrino resonance, however, that could finally tell researchers why neutrinos have mass in the first place. Called the Zee burst, this type of neutrino resonance is part of a theory called the Zee model, which makes some significant amendments to the model of the universe provided by standard physics. The existence of a Zee burst would tell scientists a lot about how neutrinos work and, theoretically, the IceCube research station in Antarctica should be able to detect this physics event with the right upgrades. The only problem is that Zee bursts only appear to happen once every few decades. That means neutrino scientists will be searching particles here on Earth for signs of this postulated neutrino burst for the foreseeable future. With further investment into neutrino research and development projects, however, scientists will certainly unlock the mysteries of these ethereal particles that much faster. Once the IceCube Gen 2 comes online, for instance, it may become possible to detect a Zee burst in as little as three years. Unleash Neutrino Power With Neutrino Energy Group As a collaboration between scientists in Germany, the U.S. and beyond, Neutrino Energy Group represents the cutting edge of alternative energy science. A few years ago, the scientific community scoffed at founder Holger Thorsten Schubart's assurances that neutrinos could be exploited for energy. Now, however, Holger and his team are hard at work designing the first generation of neutrino-powered devices and neutrino energy generators. Everyone's support helps humanity reach for a future of independent clean energy with limitless potential. The crisis the world is currently experiencing is bringing the planet to the edge of a possible power blackout, which shows us how important it is to have a decentralized and autark energy system that continues to work flawlessly in times of pandemics and other natural disasters. Because with decentralized systems, there is no possibility that the whole system will fail or even collapse. Authors: Samuel Holmes, Linda Smith & Cristina Saura Contact: Neutrino Deutschland GmbH Unter den Linden 21-23 10117 Berlin Tel.:+49 30 20924013 [email protected] https://neutrino-energy.com Related Images neutrino-energy-group.jpg Neutrino Energy Group Neutrino Energy Group has been hard at work developing usable neutrino energy technology since 2015 Related Links Neutrino Energy View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neutrino-energy-dedicated-more-than-ever-to-a-better-future-301029378.html SOURCE Neutrino Energy [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Columbia Parks and Recreation After the stay-at-home order was issued, Columbia Parks and Recreation announced the closure of some facilities. Parks and trails where visitors can maintain social distancing remain open. The following facilities are closed: In the last few weeks, the women said, they had been inundated with questions from readers about how to help their community as the number of coronavirus cases in the state began to grow. The blog largely depends on advertising to stay afloat, but in this moment, We absolutely didnt want to try and take a sales approach and get money or anything like that, Ms. Miller said. Instead, she, Ms. Gentling, and the rest of their team tried to come up with a cheeky spin on the need to self-quarantine, then work with a local business theyd long loved to promote it. Finally, they arranged to have all proceeds from the shirts go to one of their favorite charities, Infant Crisis Services, which provides formula, diapers and food to struggling families in the area. In the last two weeks, their writers have put together detailed guides to free educational resources, how to navigate working from home with young children, and activities to keep children occupied, like virtual tours of Oklahoma City museums. Pinned at the top of their Facebook page, which has a following of more than 18,000, is A Parents Guide to COVID-19 in OKC. Honestly, were nervous. We have no idea how this is going to affect us, Ms. Gentling admitted. But she said her drive to make the blog the best possible resource for parents trying to navigate the virus, physically and emotionally, had given her a sense of purpose. Because if I was just stuck in my house thinking of how I was going to homeschool my kids, I would be going crazy not saying Im not going crazy, she added, laughing. But being real and transparent, and saying this is hard, and we dont know when this is going to end, and pumping out resources that are useful, thats what we want to do. Suddenly, even conservatives are interested in direct cash payments to people in need. The package up for a vote in the Senate offers $1,200 for each adult and $500 for each child for many households. But the debate over such payments began again recently when Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, proposed giving every American adult a $1,000 check as part of the response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. House Democrats then upped the ante, calling for $2,000 for each adult and $1,000 for each child. There's already a robust discussion over whether the payments in the Senate legislation are sufficient: Still, the bill takes an idea that has long languished on the fringes of Washington policy discussions - providing unconditional cash transfers, as opposed to tax rebates or other indirect benefits - and turned it into a multibillion-dollar reality. Economists might like to believe that the reason for this dramatic change is their years of careful research demonstrating how effective no-strings payments can be. But there is probably more to Washington's about-face than that. One reason may be the perceived inadequacy of stimulus and bailout packages in 2008-2009, widely seen as being skewed toward propping up banks and other institutions and insufficiently benefiting ordinary people. Whatever the cause of the change, it's one to be celebrated, because getting cash directly into the hands of distressed families is both an efficient and equitable response to an economic shock like the one the coronavirus outbreak is causing. To be sure, this wouldn't be the first time the U.S. government has handed out cash: In 2001, after the 9/11 attacks, most Americans who filed a tax return got a $300 check, for example. Something similar happened in 2008 after the global financial crisis. But those were tax rebates, meaning that they didn't help people who didn't need to file. And that includes many of the poorest people in the country. Tracing the idea further back, President Richard Nixon, influenced by economist Milton Friedman, flirted with a "negative income tax" - in effect, a cash subsidy for the poor. From 1968 to 1972, an experimental federal program provided cash to low-income recipients across five states. Studies found that families that were randomly selected to receive payments saw improvements in their children's test scores, and they were better nourished than similar families in a control group that got no payments. There was a small negative effect on labor force participation - an issue that concerned conservatives - but that was concentrated among new mothers, who took a bit more time to return to work after their child was born. The results were widely discussed when Nixon proposed a modified version of the scheme, the Family Assistance Plan, to Congress - though it was rejected by members of both parties. More recently, a small experimental cash transfer program in New York, starting in 2007, disbursed cash to select low-income families ($8,700 over three years, on average). Admittedly, this program included conditions: Parents had to pursue education or employment, keep their kids in school and take them for preventive health-care appointments. But the experiment reduced poverty rates among families selected for the program by 12 percentage points compared with a control group. What's not to like about an approach that reduces the bureaucracy associated with in-kind welfare programs - such as housing assistance (run through housing management offices) or food stamps - and that delivers results? A lot, apparently, to judge from the fate of Nixon's Family Assistance Plan and that of other programs centered on providing cash. Overall, the proportion of safety net payments made as cash has fallen over the years, not least as a result of welfare reform under President Bill Clinton. Today, the United States is left with just the small unconditional cash-transfer program of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which paid out less than $6.7 billion across 3.1 million recipients in 2018, which works out to about $6 a day. That program is limited to families with children in which adults are at least actively looking for work (or are employed) and can last no more than 60 months. States can add even more requirements. But with the economy in free-fall, many people are thinking back to 2008-2009, the last such crisis, and acknowledging problems with the government's response. Around $700 billion in federal spending went to the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program to bail out banks, compared with about $100 billion in tax rebates to families in an economic stimulus package that same year. Journalist Matt Taibbi summed up the case against that approach: "We were told that the taxpayer was stepping in - only temporarily, mind you - to prop up the economy and save the world from financial catastrophe. What we actually ended up doing was the exact opposite: committing American taxpayers to permanent, blind support of an ungovernable, unregulatable, hyperconcentrated new financial system." At the same time, a raft of new research has further bolstered the case for unconditional cash - and kept the topic on the wonk agenda. The aptly named charity Give Directly has run a series of ever-larger experiments designed to test the effectiveness of cash payments. Their results, based on randomized trials in Kenya involving 1,372 households, suggest that recipients of grants from $404 and up produce improved psychological well-being and increases in food security, among other measures. When families have full freedom to choose what to spend aid on, they do so effectively. Meanwhile, many in Silicon Valley have championed a universal basic income as part of the response to the perceived threat of joblessness posed by robots and artificial intelligence - an idea now closely associated with former presidential candidate Andrew Yang. While a permanent universal cash transfer is still not popular in America or on Capitol Hill, it does seem to be gaining support. Thirty-five percent of Americans supported a universal basic income in a 2014 poll, compared with 43 percent who backed it in 2019 (though the questions were worded differently). Relatedly, there is growing interest in a universal child benefit in the United States, modeled on the popular British program that hands about $25 a week to families who have one child and about $16 a week extra for each additional child, no strings attached. A growing recognition of the precariousness of middle class living in the United States might also have to do with a fresh appreciation for the value of cash payments. The Workers Strength Fund, a pilot program funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and Google.org, which rolled out in 2019, handed a one-time payment of $1,000 in cash to gig workers. It was inspired by data showing that nearly half of all workers could not easily afford $400 for unexpected expenses - and that two-thirds have less than $1,000 in savings. The paycheck-to-paycheck stress of life for many middle-class Americans has been an increasing staple of political discourse, bolstered by growing concern over "deaths of despair" - rising suicide, drug and alcohol overdose mortality (in particular among middle-aged men). And when asked, "Do you think the government should be doing less, more, or the same to ensure your economic and social security?" 57 percent of Americans say "more." Covid-19 has brought that precariousness to the fore, as people working in shops and restaurants are being laid off en masse. And responding to the economic impact of a pandemic is a perfect use-case for cash: It can produce results far faster than a tax cut or government spending, helping both workers struggling to get by and those out of work. And given the circumstances, few conservatives are talking about "the undeserving poor," in the face of clear evidence that financial stress right now has nothing to do with any perceived character flaws of individuals. Given the overwhelming evidence for the effectiveness of direct cash payments, let's hope the policy idea of the moment isn't a one-off. - - - Kenny is a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development. Prince Charles has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Clarence House. According the Clarence House statement, per Sky News, the Prince of Wales displayed "mild symptoms." However, they assured that the heir to the throne "remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual." Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, has also been tested. Fortunately, the results were negative. The couple are now self-isolating in Scotland. "The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. "The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. "It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks." This development is dangerous for the royal family, especially with Prince Charles' age bracket susceptible to more complications due to COVID-19. The Prince of Wales is 71 years old. Prince Charles In Danger? According to recent reports, older people and those with underlying medical conditions are facing higher odds of getting really sick and, at worst, dying from the infectious disease. In fact, per a report from Vox Media on March 23, those in Prince Charles' age bracket have higher fatality rates in cases around the world. The media outlet cited that in Spain, out of 6,152 cases from this group (as of time of their writing), 3,388 people have been hospitalized -- which leads to a 55 percent hospitalization rate. Out of thise, 199 went to the ICU, which is a 3.2 percent rate. The most important detail is that 705 people ages 70 and older have died, which gives an 11.4 percent fatality rate. Royal Family Situation Just recently, a royal aide of Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for the coronavirus. This led fears to the Queen being in danger for COVID-19 as well, as she may have been exposed. It is also worth noting that the said staff tested positive before the Queen left Buckingham Palace. The Firm has already take precautionary measures to protect the Queen, as the reigning monarch was moved to Windsor Castle earlier than expected to self-isolate. She is joined by her husband, Prince Philip, who was said to have been flown to their Windsor home immediately. As of present time, Prince William and wife Kate Middleton are handling the duties left by the Queen and Prince Charles. Coronavirus In The UK Based on the latest statistics recorded on Wednesday, March 25, there are already over 8,000 cases recordedf in the United Kingdom. The nation has the 10th-most cases in the world, with China, Italy and the US having the most cases. In the U.K., unfortunately, there have been more deaths than recovery. Accoridng to the record, more than 400 coronavirus patients have died due to the virus, while there have been only 140 recoveries. Kuwaits banking association has decided to postpone repayment of loans and credit card facilitations for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) to help address the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports. The measure, which also includes interest, will only last for six months. The association has also postponed the repayment of credit card instalments for individuals for six months and cancelled interest accrued as a result of the postponement. The Gulf country is currently grappling with 191 confirmed cases. 152 of them are currently receiving medical attention. Nine people quarantined for infection have recovered, the health ministry said on Tuesday. As part of crackdown on infringement of curbing measure, the national assembly has passed a law vowing a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of up to KWD 30,000 ($100,000) against coronavirus patients who are aware of their infection and hide it and transmit it to others. The call also witnessed the discussion of some issues of bilateral relations between the two countries in a number of fields South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has hailed Egypt's "efforts to support stability" in South Sudan in a phone conversation with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Egypt's presidential spokesman said. During the call El-Sisi received from Kiir on Wednesday, the Egyptian president welcomed Sudan's efforts to form a transitional unity government, presidency spokesperson Bassam Rady said in a statement. Earlier this month, South Sudan unveiled a new cabinet in a major step to put in place the national unity government and end years of civil war. The Egyptian president urged the two sides to work towards implementing all aspects of a peace deal signed in 2018. El-Sisi stressed that Egypt will "continue to provide all forms of support to... South Sudan and back the peace process there," Rady said. During the call, the two leaders also discussed bolstering bilateral relations and tackled developments in a number of issues in the region. Search Keywords: Short link: The company said the kit will cost nearly one-fourth of the current procurement cost Indian Council Medical Research on Tuesday approved Covid-19 test kits manufactured by Pune-based private lab Mylab Discovery Solution. The first batch of test kits is expected to be out on Wednesday. The private lab has managed to produce test kits in a record time of six weeks following the WHO guidelines. Amidst the outbreak of coronavirus, the ICMR recently gave green signal to 16 private laboratories across the country to conduct Covid-19 tests. In this hour of need, the Pune-based lab received commercial approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for Covid-19 test kit. The company said the kit will cost nearly one-fourth of the current procurement cost. The test kit has been named as MyLab PathoDetect Covid-19 Qualitative PCR kit. The Pune-based firm is the first Indian company to get commercial approval from the national regulatory body. Besides, Mylab is the only Indian company to have achieved 100 per cent sensitivity and specificity in the ICMR evaluation. The Indian government till now has been importing RT-PCR kits from Germany and Switzerland. This approval will help the government to reduce the burden of procurement. Medical affairs officer director Gautam Wankhede said, We should be able to ship out the first few kits maybe tomorrow early morning. The lab can manufacture up to 1 lakh tests in a week that can be further scaled up if needed. According to the company nearly 100 patients can be tested using one kit. The kit will screen and detect Covd-19 infection within two and half hours. The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic. This is a landmark event. As an epidemiologist listening to the steady stream of conversation around the coronavirus, Im hearing newscasters and neighbors alike mixing up three important words my colleagues and I use in our work every day: outbreak, epidemic and pandemic. Simply put, the difference between these three scenarios of disease spread is a matter of scale. Outbreak Small, but unusual. By tracking diseases over time and geography, epidemiologists learn to predict how many cases of an illness should normally happen within a defined period of time, place and population. An outbreak is a noticeable, often small, increase over the expected number of cases. Imagine an unusual spike in the number of children with diarrhea at a daycare. One or two sick kids might be normal in a typical week, but if 15 children in a daycare come down with diarrhea all at once, that is an outbreak. When a new disease emerges, outbreaks are more noticeable since the anticipated number of illnesses caused by that disease was zero. An example is the cluster of pneumonia cases that sprung up unexpectedly among market-goers in Wuhan, China. Public health officials now know the spike in pneumonia cases there constituted an outbreak of a new type of coronavirus, now named SARS-CoV-2. As soon as local health authorities detect an outbreak, they start an investigation to determine exactly who is affected and how many have the disease. They use that information to figure out how best to contain the outbreak and prevent additional illness. Epidemic Bigger and spreading. An epidemic is an outbreak over a larger geographic area. When people in places outside of Wuhan began testing positive for infection with SARS-CoV-2 (which causes the disease known as COVID-19), epidemiologists knew the outbreak was spreading, a likely sign that containment efforts were insufficient or came too late. This was not unexpected, given that no treatment or vaccine is yet available. But widespread cases of COVID-19 across China meant that the Wuhan outbreak had grown to an epidemic. Pandemic International and out of control. In the most classical sense, once an epidemic spreads to multiple countries or regions of the world, it is considered a pandemic. However, some epidemiologists classify a situation as a pandemic only once the disease is sustained in some of the newly affected regions through local transmission. To illustrate, a sick traveler with COVID-19 who returns to the U.S. from China doesnt make a pandemic, but once they infect a few family members or friends, theres some debate. If new local outbreaks ensue, epidemiologists will agree that efforts to control global spread have failed and refer to the emerging situation as a pandemic. Terms are political, not just medical Epidemiologists are principally concerned with preventing disease, which may be fundamentally different than the broader concerns of governments or international health organizations. The WHO has declared only two pandemics in history for influenza in 1918 and for influenza H1N1 in 2009. For weeks, epidemiologists like me have been calling the coronavirus a pandemic. From an epidemiological perspective, the WHOs declaration is overdue. As of March 11, the official numbers count an excess of 120,000 cases in at least 114 countries. Eight countries, including the U.S., have more than 1,000 cases each, and community spread has been documented in several U.S. states. Pandemic is the highest level of global health emergency and signifies widespread outbreaks affecting multiple regions of the world. However, the WHO statements remain hopeful that the pandemic can be controlled and the damage minimized by taking immediate aggressive steps. The formal declaration of COVID-19 or any other infectious disease as pandemic tells governments, agencies and aid organizations worldwide to shift efforts from containment to mitigation. It has economic, political and societal impacts on a global scale, and the WHO takes extreme care when making this determination. This formal declaration neednt incite fear or cause you to stockpile surgical masks. It doesnt mean the virus has become more infectious or more deadly, nor that your personal risk of getting the disease is greater. And it doesnt mean that efforts to fight COVID-19 are being abandoned. But it is an historical event. This is an updated version of an article originally published on March 5, 2020. Rebecca S.B. Fischer, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Texas A&M University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The conversation Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day national lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19 by invoking the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The law gives the Central government powers to take quick policy decisions and impose restrictions on people to manage a disaster. Heres an explainer on what the law entails for people and governments in these difficult times. What is the Disaster Management Act (DMA)? DMA is a national law that empowers the Central government to declare the entire country or part of it as affected by a disaster and to make plans for mitigation to reduce risks, impacts and affects of the disaster. The Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 does not provide such powers. DMA covers all man-made and natural disasters which are beyond the coping capacity of a community. It also provides powers to the government to act against anyone not abiding by government orders and regulations. Why did the government use its powers under DMA? Till Monday, the Central and state governments were notifying Covid-19 management orders under the Epidemic Disease Act, which was envisaged to prevent spread of a disease (and through sea). The epidemic law was enacted to control bubonic plague in Mumbai coming through the sea route and to prevent social gatherings. Thereafter, many state governments have adopted the law and in 2018, the law was enforced in Gujarat to control spread of Cholera. Never before has the epidemic law been invoked to control a pandemic. Thats not surprising. For instance, to act against anyone defying orders under the law a warrant issued by a court is needed. The law also does not have provisions to enforce mandatory quarantines or social distancing, to provide for quick release of money, or to take over government or private buildings to provide relief. It gives powers to health officials but very little to the law enforcement agencies, which are now implementing complete lockdown. Thats why this lockdown had to be under DMA. How does DMA help? MS Reddy, former vice-chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said the disaster law provides all powers to the state to deal with any disaster, including a biological one. The authority can act against any government official or director of a company for defying its orders. The law provides for detaining a person without warrant and a jail term of one year for first offences. It also provides for developing national and state level mitigation plans with a clear chain of command . What were the sections under which Covid-19 was declared a national disaster? Under Sections 6 and 10 of the law, PM Modi, who is also chairperson of the authority, declared Covid-19 as a national disaster so that the entire country has uniform lockdown regulations, which are easier to implement, especially on which services and functions are allowed and what are not. For instance, before the national lockdown was enforced under the law, state specific lockdowns and a lockdown of 82 districts by the federal government -- both under the epidemics law -- were inconsistent about the use of private vehicles. Under DMA, states are required to implement the national plans. Can NDMA help in a tackling a pandemic? Yes, especially with regard to providing relief and rehabilitation. Reddy said the authority has protocols to deal with biological or epidemiological disasters such as Covid-19, for which special isolated health facilities have to be created. The national and state disaster relief forces are trained to deal with biological disasters, especially with regard to immediate evacuation of the people. This may be needed is a major Covid-19 hotspot emerges. The authority has already notified guidelines to provide cash relief and compensation to poor people across the country. The Centre and the state governments can create disaster mitigation funds. How does DMA empower the governments? The law authorises the NDMAs chairperson, the Prime Minister, to take decisions to deal with the pandemic, including deciding on relief for victims and special measures for the needy. The state chief minister may also invoke special powers under the law for dealing with the pandemic. Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat are some states that have invoked these powers. The powers of the PM and CMs are the same under the law, except in case of Delhi, where the Lieutenant-Governor, has these powers. The LG is the chairman and Delhi CM is vice-chairman of the state disaster management authority. Are penalties under the law stricter than under Indian Penal Code? Yes, as the law provides for detention of any person for defying government orders including government officials and directors of the private companies. The jail term prescribed is one year for first offence and two years for the second. The officials notified as nodal officers -- district magistrates in this case -- can summon anyone to perform duties for disaster mitigation and relief. A department head could be held responsible for any dereliction of duty by the personnel reporting to him. A complaint against any official can be made only to chairpersons of national, state or district disaster management authorities. Does this provide for taking over powers of the state government by the Centre? No, the disaster law clearly defines the powers of the Central government, states and the districts. It also does not prevent the governments from using other laws such as Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure to prevent spread of Covid-19. It, in fact, gives powers to the local authorities to act swiftly in line with national plan and state plans to control impacts of a disaster. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged church leaders to organise Easter services online and proposed patrols around churches to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. "The heads of the Churches understand that religious services can be celebrated online," he said in a statement on Wednesday. Easter is one of the most widely celebrated religious festivals in the ex-Soviet country where most identify as Orthodox Christians. "If a rite requires people's presence, there is a need to limit the number of worshippers," Zelensky said. Speaking in a video conference with regional officials, he also suggested organising "patrols near churches" to dissuade parishioners from gathering there. He said Ukrainians should celebrate Easter at home. Ukraine has two main Orthodox Churches -- one newly independent from Russia and a smaller one loyal to the Moscow Patriarch. There is also the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church which observes Orthodox rites but is loyal to the Vatican. All celebrate Easter on April 19. The independent Church and the Greek Catholic one have already permitted online services to help fight the virus. Ukraine, a country of around 40 million, has confirmed 113 cases of the virus, four of whom have died. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) COVID-19 pandemic just started, hard to see end: Chinese epidemiologist Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/3/24 19:32:31 The global COVID-19 pandemic has just started, and it's too early to predict when it will come to an end, a senior epidemiologist from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday, who gave an estimate based on China's experience. Such a situation is mainly a result of many Western countries' trust in luck and reliance on theory in epidemic fight, he said. Zeng Guang, the CDC expert, noted that China took the strictest measures including lockdown and stopping of all business when there were only a few hundred cases, but the number still grew to more than 80,000 due to the disease's high transmission rate, infectiousness and long incubation period. There are almost 300,000 cases outside China, and some 26 countries have reported with more than 1,000 infections. Even if the globe adopts China's measures, the infection number will grow many times the current figure, Zeng said. It took 67 days for the first 100,000 infections to appear, 11 days for the next 100,000 and only four days for the figure to reach 300,000. The next 100,000 might only take two to three days or even less, Zeng said. China's decisiveness in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic came from the trauma of SARS, but that experience doesn't apply in data prediction as SARS had a lower transmission rate despite its high mortality rate, Zeng said. Zeng noted that China cannot be settled if the world cannot defeat COVID-19. "We cannot say it's a victory if there is one infection in any country in the world," he said. Other countries may trust in luck from their experience with the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, believing the disease will finally be brought under control without taking strict measures. In contrast, China "overreacted" in 2009, which served as a public mobilization drill for all-round control and prevention in the face of a massive outbreak, Zeng said. Western countries have ignored China and WHO advice, which shows they cannot learn epidemic control from another country but only from own real pain and experience, Zeng said, noting South Korea may have learned its lesson from MERS. Zeng also stressed that many American experts rely more on theories and data simulations, affecting their policy-making, which he dubbed "sofa epidemiology." Some epidemiologists surrendered immediately in front of a real outbreak when there was still a chance of curbing the spread of the disease through human interference. China's practical strategy is bringing the epidemic to a controllable level and spare time for the research and development of vaccine, while a "herd immunity" strategy without any action will cost huge numbers of lives. Zeng also noted that although a SARS vaccine did not go into final production due to the disappearance of the disease, the early-stage research prepared China to accelerate its vaccine research for COVID-19. "Safety is the priority for vaccine development, which must not be hasty," he said. Although Western countries were tightening their policies, Zeng was afraid that for many it might be too late. He also noted that the US CDC did not perform its duties this time. The US and Chinese CDCs lacking academic exchanges due to budget cuts implemented by the Trump administration could be a reason, Zeng said. Early testing and early response are key to controlling domestic outbreaks, which means many developing countries in Asia and Africa still have a window of opportunity if they react in a timely manner, Zeng said, citing the contrast between the severe situation in some Western countries due to lax measures despite China's warning and many Asian countries becoming alert early facing a moderate situation as an example. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Controversial investigative journalist, Kemi Olunloyo has claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari is very sick. This is coming a day after the President tested negative for Coronavirus while his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari tested positive for the virus. Also Read: Coronavirus: Nigerian Celebrities Self-Isolate After AMVCA According to Olunloyo, a ventilator has been taken to the ICU in Aso Villa to allegedly attend to the President. She went on to claim that the President contracted the virus from his chief of staff. This claim has led to mixed reactions on social media with Nigerians questioning the authenticity of the result announced on Tuesday. See her tweet below: https://twitter.com/KemiOlunloyo/status/1242569469152632835 [March 25, 2020] Catalyst Healthcare Shares COVID-19 Action Plan Technology company Catalyst shares actions being taken with healthcare industry leaders to prevent community spread of COVID-19 and to ensure continuity of critical services Summary: The health and safety of our workforces and communities is paramount. Connected technology reduces the need to go into a patient home, or for the patient to make a trip to the pharmacy or physician. KELOWNA, BC, March 24, 2020 /CNW/ - Catalyst Healthcare, an award-winning healthcare technology company, today announced measures being taken to combat the spread of COVID-19 and to minimize risk to employees, care workers and patients in the community. Lead by example. The Catalyst team has been working remotely since March 12th. Weekly all-hands, daily stand-ups, and virtual socials have become the new normal. Market demand requires the continued growth of our team, and we have already welcomed two new hires this month. Prevent community spread. Our solution has been built to allow for remote patient monitoring. As less direct contact is desirable toavoid transmission to the aging at-home population, tools for remote patient monitoring are being deployed. Rules and regulations are being adapted, and rapid alignment is happening with organizations to help with home care: Deliver medications to the front door of patient homes Monitor & track real time medication adherence Engage with Video capability Monitor chronic conditions & new symptoms Monitor after exposure. Once individuals are diagnosed with COVID-19, certified pharmacists relieve pressure on the healthcare system by monitoring trending reported outcomes from engagement questions, conducting telehealth visits, and actioning data from ancillary bluetooth devices: Remote monitor oxygen saturation, temperature, blood pressure, pulse Ask patient disease-state specific questions with easy to action responses Pharmacists triaging to primary care as necessary "Our technology is used to deliver high-quality health services at scale, and we are actively collaborating with healthcare leaders to innovate the way they provide care amidst COVID-19. Protecting the workforce and community while maintaining critical health services are top of mind for everyone, and we allow for continued care delivery in a way that's safe and effective." said Shane Bishop, Catalyst Healthcare's Chief Executive Officer. "Organizations are shifting from reactive to proactive, and we're fortunate to help drive that change." About Catalyst Catalyst Healthcare is an award-winning technology company whose patented AdhereNet platform links pharmacists, patients and care teams to manage drug complexity and medication administration. Catalyst's connected technologies gather, share and correlate data in real-time, allowing pharmacists to better serve their patients and to play a key role in population health. spencer connects high risk patients at home to community pharmacists to monitor medication adherence, ask active engagement questions for patient reported outcomes, link readings from bluetooth enabled devices to medication administration, and use telehealth capabilities wit.h embedded camera. For more information visit catalystrms.com | meetspencertoday.com SOURCE Catalyst Healthcare [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] More than 200 deaths from Covid-19 were reported Wednesday in the United States -- a new high for fatalities recorded in a single day. The dramatic spike brought the number of novel coronavirus deaths since the outbreak reached the United States in late January to at least 928. Sunday morning -- less than four days ago -- the nationwide total was 326 deaths, according to CNN data derived from state reports. Officials reported 223 deaths Wednesday, an increase higher than any other day. Tuesday saw 164 reports. Experts have said numbers will rise dramatically as more tests are administered and analyzed. Listen to Dr. Sanjay Gupta's podcast At the White House coronavirus task force news conference, President Donald Trump said: 'The more aggressively we commit to social distancing ... the more lives we can save.' More than 65,000 people in the United States have now had a positive test for the novel coronavirus. Faced with many new cases, leaders make exceptions to rules With the number of positive coronavirus tests increasing sharply each day, states and local communities are having to break or bend the rules to increase the resources to fight the deadly disease. In Texas, for instance, the state will allow medical facilities that are awaiting their licenses or those that have closed in the past 36 months to come online. 'By waiving these rules, we can quickly bring many of these facilities online to help Texas communities maximize their hospital capacity and provide care to Texans in need,' Gov. Greg Abbott said. There have been almost 1,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Texas and 12 deaths. Abbott said the hospitals coming online will be administered by medical centers that have licenses. One rule being temporarily waived is the need for a facility to have a fire marshal's report to get a license. The measures put into effect by governments also include releasing people in jail early. At least 200 detainees will be released by Wednesday night from jails across New York City if the people don't pose a threat to the public, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal told reporters Monday the state will initiate a process by which low-level offenders will be released from jail due to Covid-19 concerns. This continues a trend that began last week. Medical students answering the call early Another way officials have been dealing with the crisis has been to call upon retired health care workers to return to hospitals. And at New York University, the Grossman School of Medicine has sought students who want to graduate early in response to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's 'directive to get more physicians into the health system more quickly,' the school said in a statement. As of Wednesday afternoon, 69 students had volunteered. The school still needs the plan to be approved by state and education officials. Health official: US doesn't have to become epicenter There's still time to stop the United States from becoming the next epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, a World Health Organization spokeswoman told CNN. 'The potential is there, but you've still got time to turn it around,' WHO's Margaret Harris said. Your coronavirus questions, answered Though the number of cases and deaths continues to grow in the United States, it's possible to reverse the trajectory, she said. 'You've got the best public health brains in the world,' Harris said. 'You've got people who can harness technology brilliantly. You've got people who can really think out of the box.' The formula for success is testing people, finding each case, identifying people who have come into contact with those who have been infected, isolating those who are ill or who have been exposed and quarantining, she said. 'Finally, getting the people who are ill to treatment -- and when you do that, really, really protect your health workers,' she said. Harris previously said the United States had the potential to be the next epicenter based on the 'very large acceleration' in its number of cases. 'We have overwhelmed our stocks' California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who issued a stay-at-home order last week, said it's likely the measure will remain in place over the next two or three months. 'I think April for California would be sooner than any of the experts that I talked to would believe is possible,' he said. The state reported a teenager may have died from coronavirus Tuesday. While the Los Angeles County Public Health Department said there may be another explanation, the teen could be the first juvenile to die from Covid-19 in the United States. A 12-year-old in Atlanta, meanwhile, is showing improvement after her family said Sunday she was fighting for her life. Wednesday, she was coming out of sedation and 'responding well' to her parents, cousin Justin Anthony said. In Louisiana, which Gov. John Bel Edwards said is experiencing the fastest growth rate of cases in the world, residents have been ordered to stay home until April 12. 'We have overwhelmed our stocks of key resources needed for our hospitals, first responders and emergency managers. There will be a long-lasting impact on the state of Louisiana,' he said. Trump on Tuesday approved Edwards' request for a major disaster declaration, which will provide more federal aid for the state, where two parishes -- Jefferson and Orleans, in metro New Orleans -- are among the hardest-hit in the country. US studies Italy's path As more states implement stay-at-home orders, Trump isn't planning on a nationwide quarantine, he said. Social distancing guidelines set forth by the federal government this month will expire next week. Among other guidelines, the '15-day pause' urges Americans to avoid public gatherings with more than 10 people. Trump foresees a rapid recovery and 'packed churches all over our country' on Easter, he told Fox News on Tuesday. 'I'm not sure that's going to be the day, but I will love to aim it right at Easter Sunday,' he said. The US has turned to Italy to understand how social distancing measures can help slow the virus' spread, a health official said Tuesday. 'We're looking very closely around the world, specifically Italy right now, because they are reaching their two weeks of clear social distancing -- and looking at the impact, we are seeing the number of deaths starting to decline,' Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said on the 'Today' show on NBC. 'This is your future' New York's surge in cases should serve as a warning for the rest of the country, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. 'Where we are today, you will be in three weeks or four weeks or five weeks or six weeks,' he said. 'What we do here will chart the course.' New York has a tally of more than 30,000 cases, several times that of any other state, and the majority of the state's cases are in New York City. Cuomo said 12% of New Yorkers who have tested positive are in the hospital and 3% of those people are in intensive care. Cuomo attributed the high numbers to international tourism and the fact that New Yorkers live and work in close proximity to each other. Anyone who has left New York over the past few days should self-quarantine, Birx said. The state and city are making appeals to the federal government for more medical supplies. New York's hospitals have enough personal protection equipment for only the next two weeks, Cuomo said. The state also needs about 30,000 ventilators. As of noon Wednesday, the state had 4,000 ventilators in hospitals, had 4,000 more on the way from the federal government, had purchased another 7,000 and is 'still shopping,' the governor said. The ventilators are the 'difference between life and death for thousands of New Yorkers,' de Blasio said. In addition, the state needs another 140,000 beds and 40,000 intensive care beds, on top of the roughly 53,000 beds it already has, Cuomo has said. Family members continued to believe he was alive, and U.S. officials repeatedly sought to secure his release, or to learn what happened to him. The Obama administration brought up Levinson consistently in direct meetings with the Iranians while negotiating the 2015 nuclear deal that President Trump pulled out of eventually. Officials in the Trump administration mentioned Levinson in every public statement urging Iran to release Americans imprisoned in the country. The State Department and the Justice Department had offered a combined reward of $25 million for information on him. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 20:18:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman with kidney failure undergoes dialysis at Al-Jumhori hospital in Saada province, Yemen, March 19, 2020. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) SAADA, Yemen, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Mukhtar Saif, a Yemeni patient who suffers from kidney failure, is fortunate to receive dialysis treatment at Al-Jumhori public hospital in Saada city in north Yemen. However, the pains and sufferings remain beyond description for Saif and many other renal patients because of a lack of medicines and economic support. "Fear from airstrikes has caused me kidney failure," Saif told Xinhua, while receiving dialysis. "I suffer from kidney failure and a lot of other things such as transportation expenses (to the hospital) ... my condition is very tiring," said the 29-year-old patient, adding that he has no enough money to buy life-saving medicine. Doctors said that war and airstrikes have also led Saif and hundreds of other patients to suffer from psychological problems and diseases, adding that hospitals failed to provide life-saving treatment to those patients because of a lack of medicines. Grinding into its sixth year, Yemen's civil war has ravaged more than half of the country's health facilities, cut off wages, reduced imports, caused serious shortages of medicine supplies and pushed more than 20 million people to the brink of famine. The war erupted in late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of much of the country's north and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led military coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government. Like Saif, there are about 7,000 renal patients across Yemen, who are suffering from the impact of war and the lack of healthcare, according to the UN reports. Saif was one of the fortunate patients who managed to enter the dialysis center at the Al-Jumhori hospital and undergo two dialysis sessions per week. However, there were still dozens of youths, women, and elderly people queuing in a long line in front of the center's door since the early morning, waiting for a vacant ward bed to receive dialysis treatment. The local health authorities said that four dialysis centers have damaged and shut down because of the war, while there are only 28 centers remain functioning across Yemen amid a lack of modern equipment and medicine supplies. Also plagued by cholera, malnutrition, dengue fever and diphtheria, Yemen lacks the ability to cope with these deadly epidemics as its long-running war has almost destroyed its infrastructure, putting lives of thousands at risk of death. Saleh Jarban, head of the Houthi-controlled Al-Jumhori hospital in Saada city, said that kidney failure cases have increased during the years of war without providing a specific number. He noted that the UN aid agencies have helped the hospital to cope with the situation. "Kidney failure cases have increased during the period of war ... some cases were caused by trauma or intense fear, which may lead to that (renal failure), while many other cases were caused by diseases in the urinary tract," Jarban said. "If there were medicines and functioning medical centers, the occurrence of kidney failure could have be avoided," the doctor added. "There are active organizations that play major roles in supporting hospitals, such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Population Fund, and the International Committee of the Red Cross," Jarban said. "We cooperate with all." Three Indian sciences academies on Wednesday pledged full support to the government, including scientific and technical aid required to develop therapeutic measures, in its efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus. In a joint statement, the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), Delhi, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru and National Academy of Sciences, Prayagraj, said they pledged to extend their help and support to develop less-expensive diagnostic assays than those currently used, to validate repurposing of drugs and to develop vaccines and new drugs without compromising on national standards. The three science academies are pan-India organisations. "On behalf of the scientific community of the country, the science academies pledge full support to the initiatives of the government to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus attack, including scientific and technical support required to develop therapeutic measures," the statement said. It said the academies support the complete lockdown of the country and they have initiated the process of explaining to the citizens the importance of this lockdown. If called upon, the academies will actively cooperate and strengthen the hands of the government to successfully overcome the current novel coronavirus crisis, and help establish response systems that are scientifically rigorous, technically sound, administratively competent and sociologically acceptable, it said. "This will assure that the Indian society is appropriately and adequately equipped to face similar challenges in the future, which the science academies strive to attain," it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The world needs hand sanitizer far more than the existing hand sanitizer industry can produce. So the American whiskey industry, along with other alcohol industries like craft breweries, have begun stepping up. Theyre hitting pause on making beverages, and have begun making the alcohol-based sanitizers that save lives. Its an important example of how entrepreneurs can pivot and contribute to the fight against Covid-19. And it contains important lessons for other entrepreneurs on how to do the same. Lift regulations. In a way, the American whiskey industry was already primed for this work. Back in 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the American government assumed control of the distilling industry and converted many of the stills to produce high-proof ethanol. This ethanol was used for antifreeze, munitions, octane boosters, lacquer, synthetic rubber and more. Today, no government mandate was required but government help was. When the COVID-19 crisis first hit, some of the smaller distilleries began trying to share their alcohol; any whiskey manufacturer will have parts of the distillate that cant be used in beverages but could become a general-purpose cleaner. However, laws stood in their way. Strict regulations control what can and cant happen in a distillery, and these businesses are heavily taxed. With these laws in place, the distilleries couldnt be helpful. The industry started raising its voice, and policy-makers responded. Local, state and even federal laws were lifted or altered. On March 18, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which oversees the industry, also cleared a path: It waived parts of a law, including requirements that distilleries obtain permits or bonds to produce hand sanitizer. Now distilleries could finally get to work. Create many different solutions. Each distillery has taken a somewhat different path. Some distilleries chose to make sanitizing products, and then provide them for free to first responders and critical facilities and businesses. Others have chosen to sell their sanitizing products to the public, as a way to keep their staffs paid. In Kentucky, the response from the bourbon industry has been swift and decisive. Brown-Forman, one of the largest American-owned spirits manufacturers, started delivering free sanitizer to first responders in Woodford County, the location of its Woodford Reserve distillery. (Its Old Forester Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky will follow suit.) The Neeley Family Distillery is making small batches of hand sanitizer and allowing people to bring their own bottles to fill up for a donation to cover the costs. Lexington Brewing & Distilling, Rabbit Hole Distillery and Wilderness Trail Distillery have all announced efforts to produce hand sanitizer as well. Outside of Kentucky, many small distilleries are doing the same including Smooth Ambler in West Virginia, Koval Distillery in Chicago, Corsair Distillery in Tennessee, American Craft Whiskey Distillery in California and Whisky Acres Distilling in Illinois. Share information among competitors. But theres a problem: Just because a distiller can make whiskey, that doesnt mean they know how to make alcohol for hand sanitizer. To make it work, the industry has come together to share information producing webinars, online guides, and more. Distilleries are modifying their equipment and learning on the fly. At Catoctin Creek Distillery in Virginia, Distiller Becky Harris says shes working closely with the American Craft Spirits Association (ASCA), with daily meetings to devise the best possible course of action for distillers wanting to produce hand sanitizer. At one point, her husband and business partner, Scott Harris, was receiving 50 emails every hour from people asking about hand sanitizer. She says the media attention on this topic has been helpful, because it has shown regulatory bodies there is a huge surge in demand for these products, which in turn enabled the ASCA to streamline and expedite the process of building guidelines and finding supply in the supply chain. As the situation evolves, distilleries are also having to change their plans. In Michigan, for example, the Traverse City Whiskey Company originally wanted to sell hand sanitizer to the public but then its inventory of 10,000 units sold out overnight. The response and demand has been shocking, says Chris Fredrickson, the companys co-founder. Because of this, we've evolved our strategy from retail to include medical and first responders, as that has been the greatest need. What will come next? Nobody knows, of course but more distilleries join the effort to produce hand sanitizer, and owners say theyll look for even more ways to band together and support people in the industry. I would say that whiskey drinkers are the most generous people on the planet, says Bill Thomas, owner of the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington D.C., who I spoke with recently for American Whiskey Magazine. And this is absolutely proof that the whiskey drinker is the best kind of human being on the planet. Its also a lesson for other industries during this difficult time: With loosening regulations, you can collaborate with your peers on new innovations ... and start solving any problem you can. Related: VPNs Are a Valuable Tool in COVID-19 Times 'A Real Step Forward': Stocks Climb After Lawmakers Agree on $2 Trillion Coronavirus Stimulus Good Communication Can Save Your Brand During Quarantine Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 16:38:22|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BANGKOK, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's employees are legally entitled to a minimum of 75 percent of their current pay after their employers have temporarily closed business in the face of the COVID-19 spread, said a senior government official on Wednesday. Labor Protection and Welfare Department director-general Aphinya Sucharittanand confirmed businesses being shut down temporarily due to the COVID-19 spread are obliged to pay each of their employees a minimum of 75 percent of their current wage in accordance with the labor protection law. Nevertheless, the employers are not legally allowed to compel their employees to resign under the excuse of COVID-19, the department chief said. He said employees at private workplaces can legally take sick leave or annual leave with pay in consequence of the coronavirus outbreak. In an exclusive conversation with NewsX, Dr Mukul Chandra Kapoor, Director Anesthesia in Sakets Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi said Covid-19 is a Gen-Next virus that has managed to get a global footprint in a couple of months. The current epidemic of the virus infection has thrown unique challenges, as the epidemiological performance of the virus is very different from the behavior of contemporary infectious diseases. The rapid spread of Covid-19 disease is also a reflection of the adverse effects of globalization. Although Covid-19 is not very virulent, its spread is stormy. India has been fortunate to contain its ingress. Timely political and administrative actions have slowed the progress of the epidemic in our country. Its time to consolidate our gains and develop a plan of managing this threat in the coming days and weeks, as the pandemic enters the inevitable third phase. Multiple strategies have been tried internationally to curb the disease. The pitfalls/positives of the strategies used by different countries need to be analyzed to derive a protocol for its management. Some countries like Singapore, South Korea, and China managed to contain its proliferation despite an initial explosive spread. Other countries like the USA, UK, Italy, and Spain failed to control its mushrooming despite boasting of excellent healthcare facilities. The primary lesson learned from all these strategies is that the only way to control its spread right now by isolating the infected from the non-infected. No country in the world has enough intensive care beds or mechanical ventilators to manage the expected load of critical Covid-19 patients. Its a guesstimate that we have 40000 ventilators in our country. This number is highly inadequate to handle the expected critically ill cases. There is no way to overcome this shortfall, as new ventilators are impossible to procure, considering the limited production and the high current international demand. It is, however, feasible to have makeshift intensive care beds. The government has asked various public/private hospitals to earmark and furnish beds to cater for overflow from the designated hospitals currently treating positive Covid-19 cases. The designated Covid-19 hospitals are loaded with work of all specialties. Though elective surgery is restricted in them, the emergency surgery and medical therapy load continue to be tremendous. There is a need to totally stop patients of other specialities from entering these hospitals. Despite the best isolation and sanitation measures, a hospital with a mixed population offers considerable chances of cross-infection. These hospitals should be designated Covid-19 hospitals and be relieved of all other duties. The workload of the balance specialties may be distributed to other public/private hospitals. Stand-alone Covid-19 hospitals will not only geographically restrict the infected population but also help reduce waste of resources. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an invaluable resource that is currently in massive demand. Imagine all hospitals having positive Covid-19 cases (a mistake Italy made); there will be enormous cross-infection and hardly any PPE available. There will be no need to provide PPE to all hospitals in the country, and so the medical staff in these hospitals will be provided all PPE. The medical staff of this hospital will exclusively treat Covid-19 patients. The medical staff of hospitals with less number of Covid-19 patients will be required to treat other patients and thus spread the infection to all patients and staff. The medical staff managing the cases can be rostered into three batches, to work at a stretch for 5-6 days on 8-hour shifts. Another set of 3 batches will take over from them on completion of their tenure. The personnel managing cases can be quarantined for 14 days after such duties. Such duties will be less taxing on the staff and would offer the incentive of rest after a tiring 5-6 days tenure. The teams tasked must be lodged in suitable accommodation during their duty days to prevent transmission of infection. Trained staff can be pooled from different hospitals. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App FILE PHOTO: Pedestrians walk over the Millennium Bridge in view of skyscrapers in the financial district in London By Lawrence White and Sinead Cruise LONDON (Reuters) - UK banks are stepping up fraud prevention measures to protect customers from scammers eager to exploit the coronavirus pandemic with a whole range of new tricks, including fake sales of medical supplies and bogus government relief schemes. With British households effectively on lockdown, some banks said customers had already been caught out by fraudsters posing as banks, government and even health service providers to persuade victims to hand over passwords or other sensitive data. Fraud is also on the rise in the United States, where regulators have warned about investment and data theft scams. In the UK, Barclays , HSBC , Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland have launched social media campaigns to flag ploys. Metro Bank said its fraud team was still operating a 24-hour, seven-day service to help affected customers. The banks said scammers were using a range of methods to prey on people. Common "phishing" emails, authorised bank transfers and schemes involving fake buying or selling of goods or services are on the rise, alongside more sophisticated "payment diversion" frauds, designed to coax businesses to part with large sums of cash. One such example flagged to Reuters called on business owners to make a 25,000 pounds ($29,370) payment to a fake government support initiative called "The Central Employers Scheme" set up to cover sick pay during the outbreak. A UK banking source said another victim made a significant payment to a "COVOID Bond", also fraudulently linked to the UK government. The banks said such typographical errors were often made deliberately by scammers to lend authenticity to the request, particularly if the sender was posing as a chief executive or colleague demanding the recipient took quick action. The UK banking source said another customer was persuaded via email to send a cross-border payment to a scam account after fraudsters said the legitimate account had been "frozen by the Greek Government." "This virus won't stop bad actors and fraudsters, if anything, it will encourage them. I am much more nervous about this today than ever," Richard Meddings, chairman of retail bank TSB, told Reuters. Story continues "People will be at home, receiving phone calls and texts from people who claim to be their banks, asking them about cancelled events and travel plans and offering refunds. Fraud can only go up under these kinds of circumstances," he said. Figures published earlier this month by trade body UK Finance showed around a quarter of the 456 million pounds ($535.2 million) of authorised bank transfer fraud was returned to victims across the industry last year. TSB, the only UK bank to offer a Fraud Refund Guarantee, has returned 99% of losses to its customers since April. In the United States, the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the regulator which insures customer deposits, last week said fraudsters were exploiting popular anxiety and confusion to steal personal data, such as birthdays and Social Security numbers, through texts and social media. Many U.S. banks have cut branch hours or are pushing customers to use online banking to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. That has created opportunities for scammers who, impersonating FDIC officials, have urged depositors to hand over their data, saying their current lender is about to collapse. "During these unprecedented times consumers may receive false information regarding the security of their deposits or their ability to access cash," the FDIC said. BANK WARNINGS British banks said they are working hard to get the word out. "We have increased our warning messages across all of our communication channels and as the situation evolves we continue to review and update these warnings," an RBS spokeswoman said. "We also ask that customers spread the word amongst family and friends, especially the more vulnerable in our society." A tweet from Lloyds warning customers of the dangers had over 1 million views by Sunday evening, in a sign of the level of public concern. Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre, said the majority of reports it had received in recent days related to online shopping scams where people have ordered protective face masks and hand sanitiser which have never arrived. "The advice is simple, think very carefully before you hand over your money, and don't give out your personal details unless you are sure who you are dealing with," said Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Economic Crime Centre said. In the United States, lenders including United Bank, Citizens Bank, and Fifth Third Bank are alerting customers to fraud-related schemes and encouraging them to protect their personal information. Northwest Bank is also providing customers with information and tools to help spot tactics aimed at obtaining customer financial information. Some European banks are also concerned their workforces could fall foul of fraudsters. A staff memo sent by Italy's UniCredit earlier this week warned of "ongoing campaigns" against the bank's IT security and urged staff to be extra vigilant of incoming email, SMS and WhatsApp messages that referred to coronavirus. "Customer data safety and security is UniCredit's top priority. As always, we continue to take and apply all the necessary measures to protect our customers and systems," the bank said. (Additional reporting by Valentina Za in Milan and Clara Denina in London and Katanga Johnson in DC; editing by Jane Merriman and Jonathan Oatis) Stellar Cyber, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based company providing an Open-XDR security platform, received $7.1m in additional funding. This is an expansion of its Series A round, which brought total funding raised to date to $21.8m. New investor Susquehanna International Group (SIG) joined existing Series A investors Valley Capital Partners, Big Basin Ventures, and Northern Light Venture Capital. The company will use the additional funding to expand research and development, sales, marketing, partnerships and build scale into its global delivery capabilities. Led by Changming Liu, CEO and co-founder, Stellar Cyber provides Starlight, a comprehensive security platform providing maximum protection of applications and data wherever they reside and automatically responding to attacks wherever they occur. It integrates dozens of security applications from an App Store and presents results in an intuitive dashboard to charge analyst productivity by slashing attack response times to seconds or minutes. Starlight deploys on premises, in public clouds or with service providers. FinSMEs 25/03/2020 MILWAUKEE, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- WEC Energy Group Inc. (NYSE: WEC) announced today that the company is working on alternative arrangements for the 2020 Annual Meeting that will take place May 6. "As indicated in the proxy statement we filed today, we had been looking forward to hosting our annual meeting at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to recognize our long-standing listing on the exchange," said Gale Klappa, executive chairman. "However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be able to hold our annual meeting at the NYSE." The company will provide details over the next few weeks when plans for the May 6 meeting are finalized. WEC Energy Group (NYSE: WEC), based in Milwaukee, is one of the nation's premier energy companies, serving 4.5 million customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. The company's principal utilities are We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service, Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas, Michigan Gas Utilities, Minnesota Energy Resources and Upper Michigan Energy Resources. The company's other major subsidiary, We Power, designs, builds and owns electric generating plants. WEC Energy Group (wecenergygroup.com) is a Fortune 500 company and a component of the S&P 500. The company has approximately 45,000 stockholders of record, 7,500 employees and $35 billion of assets. SOURCE WEC Energy Group Related Links http://www.wecenergygroup.com Tamil Nadu Health Minister Dr C Vijayabaskar on Wednesday informed about three new positive cases of COVID-19 in the state. The minister said that among the three -- an 18-yr-old male is a 'contact of the second patient' at Rajiv Gandhi Govt Hospital, a 63-yr-old male with travel history to Dubai at Walajah Hospital and a 66-yr-old male, who is a contact of Thai nationals at IRTT, Perundurai. "#UPDATE: 3 new positive cases of #covid19 in TN. 18 Y M contact of 2nd Pt at #RGGH. 63 Y M Dubai return at #Walajah GH. 66 Y M contact of Thai nationals at #IRTT, Perundurai. Pts are in isolation & stable," Vijayabaskar tweeted. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in India reached 606, including 43 foreign nationals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A representation has been sent to Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde for the immediate release of "declared foreigners" detained in six detention centres in Assam with some conditions in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak. Direct Assam government not to detain anymore "declared foreigners" into detention or arrest them until the situation affected by COVID-19 returns to normalcy, the representation sent by Justice and Liberty and Initiative stated. Justice and Liberty and Initiative is an organisation working on the ground in Assam to provide legal aid to Indian citizens. The representation said that similar benefits may also be extended to persons declared foreigner facing perpetual detention in Assam. "Being 'human beings' they have at least the basic right to live and not to die of COVID-19 in precincts of a prison, which has despicable living conditions," it stated. Many of the detenues are old and ailing. In fact, it is reported that 10 detenues have died in detention in the last one year -- March 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020 --, as informed by the Minister of State in Ministry of Home Affairs in Lok Sabha, the representation stated. In the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, the detenues will be more vulnerable in the already crowded detention centres, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Number of Covid-19 cases well below global benchmark in India: Report SDM from Maujpur asks people who visited clinic to go into quarantine Several nations, including India, remain under lockdown as coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of abating. Markets across the world opened slightly higher as US pushed a $2 trillion dollar package to help the economy fight pack Covid-19's effects. Asian markets also saw some respite as Sensex closed 1,800 points higher. Death toll soared in Spain and Italy, with the former now having more coronavirus deaths than China - where the disease had originated in a seafood market in Wuhan province. India reported 606 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 10 deaths till Wednesday, of which 43 people have recovered. Here are the highlights on coronavirus outbreak: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - African Finance Ministers have called on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to immediately release US$100 billion emergency stimulus package for Africa to bolster the response to the coronavirus outbreak A Covid-19 drive-thru testing centre currently under construction at Clonminch outside of Tullamore is due to open this week. The centre will have between 6 to 8 car lanes to cater for what is expected to be a large volume of traffic. However, the HSE stress that people will only be tested if they have been referred by their GP and received an appointment. Those showing up without an appointment will not be tested. There are 13 cases of Covid-19 in Offaly as of midnight Sunday. March 22. There are 1,329 cases in Ireland and seven deaths have been recorded so far, the most recent in Tullamore. Meanwhile, at Tullamore hospital emergency services are continuing as normal however, the HSE is advising people not to present to the emergency department if they have respiratory or Covid-19 symptoms without first getting advice from a GP. The Hospital has cancelled the outpatients department and elective admissions and patients have been contacted directly. Urgent and emergency admissions are being prioritised. The HSE says: "The Hospitals are implementing the Government Action Plan to respond to the very significant challenge that Covid-19 will impact on our services, this includes a range of measures including the development of Covid Triage and Patient Flow Processes, additional ICU and isolation capacity which will need to be supported by equipment and people. Engagement with national HSE is underway in that regard." The most important public health message at the moment is for people to stay at home, as the HSE say "this will support our frontline staff to be able to respond to this challenge." GPs can now make electronic referrals for Covid-19 testing for patients, as appropriate, using the Healthlink system. Patients receive confirmation of their appointment by text. The text also includes details of the testing location and the time of the appointment. Patients and referrers are advised that a waiting time will apply for community testing appointments. The HSE says "it is increasing the capacity of community testing to meet the demand for this service. Waiting times are anticipated to improve as new locations for community testing open, more staff are trained to provide these tests, and critically, the supplies to support increased testing levels are sourced and distributed. If you are waiting on a test to see if you have Covid-19 or you have been tested and are waiting for the results you need to stay home and self-isolate to prevent you spreading any potential infection to others. If the virus for Covid-19 is not detected you should continue to self-isolate until 48 hours after you last had symptoms. This is because while the virus for Covid-19 was not detected you have symptoms of an infectious respiratory illness which you do not want to pass on to others. If the virus for Covid-19 is detected you must continue to self-isolate until you are 14 days without symptoms and have had no temperature for the last 5 days of the 14 days. At no stage will visitors to the centres leave their car. Once checked in at the entrance, visitors will be provided with a face mask, tissues and disposable bag and directed to a test bay attended by healthcare workers wearing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). At this point, visitors will be asked to blow their nose and dispose of the tissue in the bag provided. A throat and nose swab will then be taken and the visitor will leave the facility and return to self-isolation. Pat Bennett, Chief Officer, HSE Midlands, Louth and Meath said: We would like to acknowledge the tremendous support that we have got from our local communities as we implement the government action plan in response to Covid19. We cant stop the virus, but together, we can reduce the impact it has on ourselves, our families, communities, our health service and our day-to-day lives. Our goal is to slow the spread of coronavirus. If we can slow it down, we give ourselves, and our most vulnerable people, more options and more time for care and recovery. Our collective efforts are critical, we need to do this together, as one community. We will be asking everyone to play their part, to help each other. Pat Mooney, Head of Ambulance Service, Midlands Area said: On behalf of the entire team that worked on this development, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude for the support we have received. To see how a community can work together in the interest of humanity and the delivery of patient care to the public at this time has been immense. The HSE has appealed for the privacy of those staffing and visiting the centres to be respected. " " Bourbon whiskey is American whiskey, but true scotch whisky is made in Scotland. FUTURE LIGHT/Getty Images What would life be without the simple creature comforts that get us through the week. Good friends, trashy TV, comfy slippers and a nice glass of whiskey. For those of us who can pour a couple of ounces of Fireball into a glass and call it day, we commend you. However, there are some of us who require a bit more bang for our buck when sipping mankind's finest vice. There's a scotch-drinker nestled within all of us some of us just don't know it yet. Despite the inherent ease of drinking the stuff, a lot has to happen to a bottle of whiskey before it can legally be classified as such. Similar to bourbon in color, alcohol content and occasionally taste, scotch whisky (without the "e") is in a category of its own and cannot be labeled as bourbon. So, what makes what you're drinking scotch and how does it get that way? Advertisement Scotch vs. Bourbon "Scotch and bourbon are both whiskeys," says Scotch Brand Ambassador, Greg King. "Whiskey is kind of the umbrella term like 'wine' or 'beer.' You can have bourbon whiskey which is American whiskey or you can have scotch whisky made in Scotland." Greg explains that a lot of what makes a whisky scotch as opposed to bourbon comes down to the legalities of where it's from and how it's made. Scotch has been around for hundreds of years, with the very first mention of the spirit appearing in the "Exchequer Rolls" nearly 500 years ago, in 1494. For a whiskey to be classified as bourbon, it has to be made in the U.S. and contain at least 51 percent corn. To be a bourbon, whiskey must also be aged in new, charred oak barrels. Unlike scotch, bourbon is made from what's known as a "mash bill" a mixture of grains used in the production of whiskey. Scotch, on the other hand, is made from malted barley that has been matured in oak barrels for a minimum of three years. Tried and true scotch hails from where else Scotland. As of 2019, there were 133 operating Scotch whisky distilleries across Scotland, with notable brands like The GlenDronach, Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet, Macallan and Glenglassaugh, making their way around the world and into tumblers all over the world. Advertisement Sweet vs. Smokey For the whiskey drinker with a palette for spirits, tasting the difference between scotch and bourbon is easy. Bourbon tends to be on the sweeter side, while scotch tastes more smokey. Those less experienced with whiskeys may have a more difficult time at first especially if they're drinking a particularly smokey bottle of scotch like BenRiach 10-year single malt. That taste actually comes from the malting process, in which the barley grain is exposed to a pungent peaty smoke during the drying process. Laphroaig actually dries its malt over a peat fire for about 18 hours, allowing the dried barley to absorb the smoke, giving it that distinct taste. Of course, there are those bottles of scotch considered must-haves within the whisky community; these come from distilleries like Ardbeg, The Balvenie and Laphroaig. What makes these bottles so unique is the "peaty" flavor that comes through with each sip. Scottish peat is formed from the natural decay (decomposition) of plant material unique to Scotland's peatlands, bogs, mires, moors or muskegs. Like wines from France or California, a connoisseur might be able to pick where a scotch comes from depending on the taste. The Highlands up north produces a more full-bodied scotch with a peaty, smokey taste; a smoother, sweeter scotch is produced in the lowlands; and Speyside scotch comes from the northeast a region King describes as the "Napa Valley of Scotland." Because of the lush soil and perfect environmental conditions, the highest concentration of Scotland's distilleries are actually based in the Speyside region. There are, of course, exceptions to the "all scotch comes from Scotland" rule. In 1918, Masataka Taketsuru went to Scotland with one mission in mind to learn how to make scotch. After enrolling in the University of Glasgow, Taketsuru took chemistry courses and apprenticed at a number of scotch distilleries before mastering the art of scotch-making. In 1940, the first bottle of Nikka Whisky hit the market as the first Japanese scotch. Along with Nikka, there are scotches or, at least, iterations of scotches from Taiwan, India, Sweden, and America. Despite the distilling method, these bottles cannot be classified as scotches, but can be classified as "single malts" as long as they're a malt whiskey from a single distillery. Now That's Interesting In 2011, Ardbeg Distillery launched a vial of scotch into space to see how it affected the taste of their product. When the sample returned, Ardbeg's director of distilling and whisky creation described the sample as having notes of "antiseptic smoke, rubber and smoked fish, along with a curious, perfumed note, like violet or cassis, and powerful woody tones, leading to a meaty aroma." Yum. Advertisement Originally Published: Mar 25, 2020 Double police killer Jason Roberts has been granted an appeal against his conviction for the shooting murders of two officers in 1998. Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller were killed while on duty, investigating a series of robberies in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin. Roberts and Bandali Debs were found guilty by a jury in 2002, but Roberts has always maintained his innocence. Double police killer Jason Roberts has been granted an appeal against his conviction for the shooting murders of two officers in 1998 Roberts (pictured with his girlfriend) has always maintained his innocence After he exhausted all appeals, new legislation allowing appeals in cases with fresh evidence gave him a second chance. Victoria's Court of Appeal granted his application on Wednesday. It was the outcome Sen Const Miller's widow Carmel Arthur was expecting. 'It's all going to be good. No surprises. Onward and upward,' she said leaving court after the decision. But coronavirus might cause delays around when that appeal can be held. The court has experienced tech issues which might mean defence lawyers and prosecutors have to make their case on paper alone. Roberts' previous appeal was dismissed in April 2005 and a High Court bid was refused months later. Judges believe now that serious questions have been raised about the fairness of his trial, and the reliability of evidence given by police. Sergeant Gary Silk (left) and Senior Constable Rodney Miller (right) were killed while on duty, investigating a series of robberies in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin Central to the prosecution case at trial was whether there was one or two offenders, and they relied on evidence from officers at the scene that Sen Const Miller's dying words indicated there was more than one offender. In a statement used at trial, Senior Constable Glenn Pullin said, knowing he had been mortally wounded, Sen Const Miller told him 'they were on foot'. Other officers recorded him as saying 'two, one on foot' when asked about the number of offenders. But it was revealed last year Sen Const Pullin's statement from the trial had actually been made 10 months after the murders, and was passed off as another one he made four hours after the killings. The judges said the officer also made false statements during Roberts' pre-trial committal hearing about the date of his second statement. 'It raises a serious issue as to the reliability of the evidence of what Senior Constable Miller actually said by way of dying declarations,' they said. The fairness of Roberts' trial is also in question. There was evidence officers had been dissuaded from including evidence about the Sen Const Miller's dying remarks in their original statements, that those first statements had been revised later, records of that process had been destroyed and none of those matters were disclosed at trial, the judges noted. Officers Silk and Miller were investigating a series of 10 robberies at outer suburban restaurants and were patrolling a potential target just after midnight on August 16, 1998. Roberts now admits he was involved in the robberies, but says he was with his girlfriend Nicole - Debs' daughter - when the murders happened. He was sentenced to life with a minimum of 35 years. BardyDx's CAM Patch will be utilized in newly established protocols at hospitals across the Seattle, Washington area to monitor cardiac rhythms for COVID-19 patients on HCQ after hospital discharge, as well as for outpatients. HCQ has been demonstrated, in certain populations, to prolong the QT interval, resulting in a potentially lethal arrhythmia called Torsades de Pointes. The unique ability of the BardyDx CAM Patch to detect and record low frequency, low amplitude cardiac rhythms is especially valuable in measuring QT intervals and diagnosing Torsades de Pointes. "The world is currently at war against the COVID-19 virus and we are proud that the CAM Patch is being used in that fight to help physicians better identify and understand any arrhythmias, or other cardiac irregularities, that may be related to use of HCQ in COVID-19 patients, as well as how any potential COVID-19 vaccines might impact cardiac function," said electrophysiologist Gust Bardy, M.D., the founder, CEO, and Chief Medical Officer of BardyDx. A head-to-head peer-reviewed clinical study published in the American Heart Journal comparing the CAM Patch and a traditional Holter monitor , demonstrated that QT, PR and QRS intervals measured by the CAM Patch correlated with measurements taken by a traditional 3-channel (6-lead) Holter monitor, resulting in correlation coefficients of 0.94, 0.93, and 0.86, respectively. In addition, the study showed a four-times increase in arrhythmia detection using the CAM Patch, including arrhythmias missed or incorrectly identified using the Holter monitor. The study concluded that the CAM Patch offered significantly improved rhythm diagnostics as compared to a traditional Holter. The clinical value of the CAM Patch's P-wave centric engineering was also demonstrated in a head-to-head peer-reviewed clinical study comparing the CAM Patch to iRhythm's Zio XT patch. That study, also published in the American Heart Journal, concluded that the BardyDx CAM Patch identified 40% more arrhythmias and resulted in better, more informed clinical decision-making in 41% of patients compared to the iRhythm Zio XT patch. "The CAM Patch is quickly becoming the new standard of care in cardiac monitoring and the trusted cardiac monitor of choice by electrophysiologists, cardiologists, and other physicians across the U.S., U.K., and Canada," said Ken Nelson, Chief Commercial Officer. "It is increasingly clear that physicians and patients are realizing the true clinical- and market-differentiating value of our P-wave focused detection technology in optimizing patient care and clinic workflow." The growing recognition of the innovative P-wave centric CAM Patch includes recently being selected as winner of the Remote Monitoring in Arrhythmias Digital Health Pitch Session at European Society of Cardiology Congress 2019 and finalist of the UCSF Digital Health Award for Best Cardiovascular Digital Diagnostic . In addition, BardyDx was also named the winner of the 2019 MedTech Breakthrough Award for Best New Diagnostic Technology and the winner of the 2019 Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation in Remote Cardiac Monitoring . About Bardy Diagnostics: Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. is an innovator in digital health and remote patient monitoring, with a focus on providing the most diagnostically-accurate and patient-friendly cardiac monitors in the industry. The company's CAM Patch is a non-invasive, P-wave centric ambulatory cardiac monitor and arrhythmia detection device that is designed to improve patient compliance for adults and children through its lifestyle-enabling form factor. Designed to be worn comfortably and discreetly for up to 14 days, the female-friendly, hourglass-shaped CAM Patch is placed on the center of the chest, directly over the heart for optimum ECG signal collection. The proprietary technology of the CAM Patch provides optimal detection and clear recording of the often difficult-to-detect P-wave, the signal of the ECG waveform that is essential for accurate arrhythmia diagnosis. For more information, please visit www.bardydx.com . MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Ho Senior Manager, Product Strategy & Commercialization Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. 1-844-422-7393 [email protected] SOURCE Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. Related Links http://www.bardydx.com WASHINGTON Hospitals are gearing up to test if a century-old treatment used to fight off flu and measles outbreaks in the days before vaccines, and tried more recently against SARS and Ebola, just might work for COVID-19, too: using blood donated from patients whove recovered. Doctors in China attempted the first COVID-19 treatments using what the history books call convalescent serum today, known as donated plasma from survivors of the new virus. Now a network of U.S. hospitals is waiting on permission from the Food and Drug Administration to begin large studies of the infusions both as a possible treatment for the sick and as vaccine-like temporary protection for people at high risk of infection. Theres no guarantee it will work. We wont know until we do it, but the historical evidence is encouraging, Dr. Arturo Casadevall of Johns Hopkins Universitys school of public health told The Associated Press. Casadevall drew on that history in filing the FDA application. The FDA is working expeditiously to facilitate the development and availability of convalescent plasma a spokesman said. Here are some questions and answers about this latest quest for a treatment. WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS POSSIBLE THERAPY? It may sound like back to the Stone Age, but theres good scientific reason to try using survivors blood, said Dr. Jeffrey Henderson of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who coauthored the FDA application with Casadevall and another colleague at the Mayo Clinic. When a person gets infected by a particular germ, the body starts making specially designed proteins called antibodies to fight the infection. After the person recovers, those antibodies float in survivors blood specifically plasma, the liquid part of blood for months, even years. One of the planned studies would test if giving infusions of survivors antibody-rich plasma to newly ill COVID-19 patients would boost their own bodys attempts to fight off the virus. To see if it works, researchers would measure if the treatment gave patients a better chance of living or reduced the need for breathing machines. One caution: While regular plasma transfusions are a mainstay of medicine, very rarely they can cause a lung-damaging side effect. COULD IT ALSO ACT LIKE A VACCINE? Sort of, but unlike a vaccine, any protection would only be temporary. A vaccine trains peoples immune systems to make their own antibodies against a target germ. The plasma infusion approach would give people a temporary shot of someone elses antibodies that are short-lived and require repeated doses. Still, if FDA agrees, a second study would give antibody-rich plasma infusions to certain people at high risk from repeated exposures to COVID-19, such as hospital workers or first responders, said Dr. Liise-anne Pirofski of New Yorks Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. That also might include nursing homes when a resident becomes ill, in hopes of giving the other people in the home some protection, she said. We need both things desperately, Pirofski said. We need to be able to break the cycle of transmission and we also need to be able to help people who are ill. WHATS THE HISTORY? These plasma infusions were used most famously during the 1918 flu pandemic, and against numerous other infections, such as measles and bacterial pneumonia, before vaccines and modern medicines came along. Long-ago research is sketchy. But in the Journal of Clinical Investigation earlier this month, Casadevall and Pirofski cited evidence that 1918 flu patients given the infusions were less likely to die. And a 1935 medical report detailed how doctors stopped a measles outbreak from sweeping through a boarding school using serum from prior patients. The old-fashioned approach still is dusted off every so often to tackle surprise outbreaks such as SARS in 2002, and in 2014 when Ebola survivors plasma was used to treat other patients during the West Africa epidemic. Even during those recent outbreaks, strict studies of the technique were not done, but Casadevall said there were clues that the plasma helped. Casadevall thinks that when it didnt work, it may have been used too late. Somebody at the end of their lives, its very hard to affect any disease at that point, he cautioned. A more modern approach is to brew this type of antibody in the lab, something Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and other companies are working on. Using blood from COVID-19 survivors is a decidedly more labor-intensive approach but researchers could start banking the plasma as soon as regulators give the OK. HOW WOULD DOCTORS GET THE PLASMA? Blood banks take plasma donations much like they take donations of whole blood; regular plasma is used in hospitals and emergency rooms every day. If someones donating only plasma, their blood is drawn through a tube, the plasma is separated and the rest infused back into the donors body. Then that plasma is tested and purified to be sure it doesnt harbor any blood-borne viruses and is safe to use. For COVID-19 research, the difference would be who does the donating people who have recovered from the coronavirus. Scientists would measure how many antibodies are in a unit of donated plasma tests just now being developed that arent available to the general public as they figure out whats a good dose, and how often a survivor could donate. Researchers arent worried about finding volunteer donors but caution it will take some time to build up a stock. I get multiple emails a day from people saying, Can I help, can I give my plasma?' Pirofski said. - The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Though it seems everyone is working from home, local restaurants are still in operation. Some of them have taken to adding different services and leaning more toward other existing services while the Texas Governors mandate to temporarily close dining rooms is in place. Heres what local restaurants are offering what. If youve got one to add, this will remain posted on the Heralds homepage. The following list was shared with The Herald by the Plainview Chamber of Commerce. Coronavirus: 15th plane with Russian aid in Italy According to Russian defense ministry (ANSAmed) - MOSCOW, MARCH 25 - A Russian cargo flight carrying Russian aid amid the coronavirus pandemic has landed in Italy, the Russian defense ministry on Wednesday was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency. ''The fifteenth military cargo plane Ilyushin Il-76 of the Russian air force carrying diagnostic and disinfection equipment has brought to the Italian air base of Pratica di Mare special equipment to fight coronavirus'', according to the report. (ANSAmed). You may not have experienced watching Korean dramas but if you happen to be stuck on lockdown or quarantine like a lot of people in the world. Well now is the chance to join the bandwagon and finally understand why people are so addicted to them. Whether you are a K-drama newbie or whether you have been watching them for quite some time now, there are still series that are worth watching. We can give you a list of the top Korean dramas that most people are streaming right now. Here is the top 5 list: 1. Crash Landing On You "Crash Landing on You"is a series that is much like the story of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. With the main characters coming from both opposite backgrounds. The drama revolves around the South Korean wealthy and elite heiress who was paragliding and because the wind was too strong she had an accident and ends up crash landing in North Korea. There she met and fell in love with the North Korean captain of the elite forces who aid her and keeps her away from harm while trying to figure out how to get her home. The lovers have to endure all the crazy plot twists and, well, of course, the obvious impossibilities that make Korean dramas so much fun to watch. 2. Kingdom Season 2 Since the first season of Kingdom premiered January last year, this drama is considered as one of the more surprising hits of its genre. The very first original Korean drama to be produced by Netflix is "Kingdom" having a high production cost amounting to over US$1 million (S$1.4 million) per episode. This series is based on the webcomic series The Kingdom of Gods. The story of "Kingdom" takes place in the Joseon Dynasty in which the kingdom is being taken over by a mysterious plague that brings people back from the dead and transforms them into zombies. Fans and viewers of this series were incredibly ecstatic knowing that Netflix decided to continue the series, which released the second season just this month. 3. Hotel Del Luna "Hotel Del Luna" centers the story on the man who just graduated from the Ivy League Harvard Business School with an MBA degree. Then he was hired at a hotel chain and is considered as the youngest assistant manager to be given his position. However, he is unaware that what seems like promising employment turns out to be incredibly strange since the hotel offers their services to the paranormal realm, which means their customers are ghosts, spirits and the like. 4. Love Alarm "Love Alarm" basically centers its story on three main characters that are coming of age during the release of the "love app". Whoever downloads the "love app" on their phones will be able to discover if someone from a 10-m radius has romantic feelings towards them. However, while the love app's purpose is supposed to help people find love, it also has a negative side to it since it also causes some problems. The show was reported to have been renewed for a second season and the fans and viewers are ecstatic but anxious while they wait for news on the actual release date. 5. Dr Romantic 2 "Dr Romantic's" devoted followers are more than excited to discover that their favorite K-drama is back for a second season. The story of this drama is about a highly acclaimed surgeon who made a decision to leave his prestigious position at a top hospital in Seoul because of a tragic event and moved to work at a much smaller hospital in another province. Many fans and viewers loved the first season of this medical drama but season two could not have come at a better time. As the coronavirus spread and countries began closing their borders, Americans stranded abroad found U.S. embassies AWOL and began plotting their own escapes some planned for having to bribe border guards, others paid a private security firm to fly them home and thousands are still stuck, with no clear way to get home. The State Department didnt ramp up fast enough to bring Americans stranded by the expanding coronavirus pandemic and its resulting travel bans and communicated poorly once it did, say lawmakers and former State officials leaving thousands of Americans still stranded overseas to essentially fend for themselves. State has, in recent days, repatriated thousands of U.S. citizens, but it is still struggling to bring Americans home, and some have turned to alternatives like risky border crossings from Guatemala into Mexico including bringing along enough money to potentially pay off customs officials and chartering a jet flown by a private security firm staffed by former military and intelligence officers. "If this administration, including Secretary Pompeo and his senior leadership team, had taken the coronavirus threat seriously and planned ahead, we may have been able to avoid some of the confusion and chaos Americans abroad encountered," said Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "Unfortunately, that simply did not happen. As a result, the State Department now has to try to catch up and make up for lost time." Ranking Member Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the future of U.S. policy towards Russia, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019 in Washington, on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Two former State Department officials who worked at the agency under both Republican and Democratic administrations agreed that the departments leadership reacted too slowly to the developing crisis. I didnt see the State Department move out sharply on this, said one of the former officials. There was a slowness off the mark. An evacuation of this nature could be ordered by a number of officials, from the secretary down the ranks, and It just seemed to me that somehow the order to move was not given in a timely manner, the person said. Story continues In a statement, a State Department spokesperson said that the department is "rising to meet the historic challenge" the pandemic poses, and noted that the government has "no higher duty than to protect American citizens." The agency says it has repatriated more than 9,000 Americans from 28 countries, with "thousands more in the coming days and weeks." The spokesperson said State evacuated 800 people in January and February from Wuhan, China and brought home 1,000 Americans from Morocco in March. But several people stranded in various countries over the past two weeks told POLITICO a different story, saying U.S. embassies were unable to provide them anything beyond basic information for days at a time, and in some cases never responded beyond automated form emails. Melissa Uribe, who is pregnant and was stranded in Guatemala while in need of medical attention, made it home to California late Tuesday after a harrowing week trying to get out. She said the agency's initial response to her and others trapped there was: "Don't rely on the U.S. government for help." "My mind was blown, Uribe told POLITICO in an email. A family member who took us to the airport told us he was so shocked at what we were going through. He, and so many Guatemalans, couldn't believe it because they always held the U.S. in such high regard, as they always seemed to take care of their own. After Uribe and her family booked a commercial flight on Eastern Airlines, they heard from the State Department, saying they had been selected for a charter flight, but after so much misinformation from the embassy, we didn't trust them. Some of the agency's perceived failures can also be seen as the inevitable result of an unprecedented crisis which has stretched the agencys resources globally and challenged virtually every aspect of society. Part of the way that you know that youre in a crisis is because its chaotic, said another former State official. If everything was working smoothly, that would just be a very busy day of normal. For example, the former official said, embassies not answering phones or returning messages, which many stranded Americans reported as a typical result in countries where borders were closed, is to be expected during of a crisis of this scale. The former official said that when an earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, the embassy there was besieged by phone calls, thousands in the first hour. Thats absolutely inevitable. Theres no way that a normal operation can answer that, the official said and answering individual phone calls would not necessarily be the best use of the staffs time in that moment, regardless. But at least one other aspect of States response was more surprising to those who have been in those jobs before. An American Airlines plane earlier this week flew to Peru en route to pick up U.S. citizens stranded in Lima, but had to turn around after State was unable to secure permission to land from the Peruvian government. According to an email from congressional staff to Americans stuck in Peru, negotiations which apparently failed were ongoing while the plane was aloft. I would say its probably unbelievably rare that a plane would be on its way without clearance, the former official said. Sen. Marco Rubio, who tweeted in frustration on Tuesday about a lack of urgency by State to get Americans stuck in Peru, blamed some in mid-level. #AmericansStuckInPeru is due to lack or urgency by some in mid-level of @StateDept We didnt need you to trackthis,we needed you to solve this This morning a competent official has taken direct control & will personally go to #Peru to get Americans home as soon as possible Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 24, 2020 We didnt need you to 'track' this, we needed you to solve this, he said. A spokesperson for Rubio said specifically that the individual manning the Peru desk has been 'tracking' this issue for a week, but doing nothing and the Ambassador essentially abandoned the post to return to Washington. After Rubio expressed his frustration with State, the agency sent Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Julie Chung to Peru. A State Department spokesperson confirmed that Ambassador Krishna Urs left Peru on March 20 and is continuing to engage from Washington with senior Peruvian officials. The former officials who spoke to POLITICO said they believe career staff are working to the best of their abilities. I personally cannot believe that the professionals in the department didnt know exactly what to do and reported this up the chain, said one of the former officials. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo himself triggered frustration and sharp criticism from Democrats when he posted a picture over the weekend of him and his wife working on a puzzle and watching television as thousands of Americans remained stranded. I have constituents stuck overseas can you get off your ass and get them home? tweeted Arizona Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego in response. I have constituents stuck overseas can you get off your ass and get them home? #coronavirus #COVID19 https://t.co/c9ikSsIP9j Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) March 22, 2020 Lawmakers, particularly Democrats, have repeatedly slammed State for not acting fast enough to get stranded citizens home as their offices are flooded with constituent pleas for help. Rep. Bill Keating, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the State Department staff that his office has talked to have been working hard. The individuals that weve been dealing with are just working around the clock, doing more to try to get people home, Keating said. Those individuals deserve enormous credit. Theyre in difficult situations and understaffed. There are upwards of 20 constituents from his southeastern Massachusetts district who have asked his office for help, finding themselves in really difficult straits, Keating said. You cant exaggerate the stress that the families are feeling. A number of congressional Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and House Republican Whip Steve Scalise, sent unsolicited comments to POLITICO praising the administration's repatriation efforts after the agency informed them about this story. "We know there are still many Americans currently trapped overseas, but I can assure you the State Department and Secretary Pompeo are working around the clock to bring them home as quickly as possible," said House Foreign Affairs ranking member Michael McCaul (R-Texas) in a statement. But Americans who were or are stranded abroad also say the agencys actions and communications have been anything but reassuring. It was an overwhelming sense of confusion, skepticism, misinformation, fear and frustration," said Annie Perlick, a nurse who was stuck on a Honduran island, who was one of the 144 U.S. and Canadian citizens who paid a private security firm to get back home. Perlick said that she only turned to this nontraditional method of transportation after trying to get help from State and entreating her representatives in Congress. CORRECTION: A previous version of this story inaccurately identified a stranded passenger. Her name is Melissa Uribe. Ravenhill Nursing Home in Greenisland will not be closing its doors Residents at a Northern Ireland nursing home earmarked for closure have been given a reprieve due to the coronavirus outbreak, it has emerged. The owner of Ravenhill Private Nursing Home in Greenisland, Co Antrim, has given a commitment to keep the home open on a temporary basis as efforts step up to ensure the health service can cope with a surge in coronavirus patients. It comes after families of residents at the home had claimed their loved ones were being put at risk as they were being moved from the home despite a major lockdown across the UK. Families and friends of residents at the home had also expressed concerns at the distress being endured by their loved ones, many of whom have dementia. It is understood that two former residents have died since moving to alternative accommodation, although the cause of their deaths is unknown. There were originally 36 residents living at the home when they were given the devastating news that it was to close. A spokeswoman from the Northern Trust said they are working with independent providers, including Ravenhill Private Nursing Home, to increase capacity in the coming weeks and months. She said it is part of the trust's coronavirus contingency plans. "We would place on record our thanks to all providers for working with us as we deal with this unprecedented challenge," she added. Health bosses are putting in place a series of measures to try and increase bed capacity across the NHS. Efforts are under way to discharge as many patients as possible from hospital in preparation for an increase in the number of critically ill patients across Northern Ireland. There are plans to use places at private care homes for patients who are deemed medically fit to leave hospital but who require community care packages in order to be discharged. There is also the possibility that some people currently at home, but who need community care, may be moved into care homes if it becomes too difficult for carers to visit them. Meanwhile, the Department of Health is finalising plans to use three of Northern Ireland's largest private hospitals to increase bed capacity. It is understood the Ulster Independent Clinic and Kingsbridge Private Hospital in south Belfast and the North West Independent Clinic in Ballykelly, Co Londonderry, will be used for urgent operations and diagnostic tests. The news that Ravenhill Private Nursing Home will stay open is a welcome development for residents, their families and staff working at the home. They were called to a meeting at the home at the end of last month at which the owner, Paul McGranaghan, told them that he has been trying to sell the home for two years. Staff working at the home, which overlooks Belfast Lough in Greenisland where properties can fetch in excess of 500,000, have also said Mr McGranaghan told them it has been struggling financially for four years. It subsequently emerged that one of the residents was a victim of the Shankill Road bomb. Elsie Frizzell (89) had been living at Ravenhill Private Nursing Home for three years due to her ailing health. The Shankill Road bombing happened at the fish shop which was owned by Mrs Frizzell and her husband, John, in October 1993. Nine innocent people, including Mr Frizzell and his daughter, Sharon, were killed in the explosion. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals endorsed a clever way for an insurer to avoid a bad faith claim where there were potential misrepresentations in the policy application. In Evanston Insurance Company v. Aminokit Labs, Inc., the court affirmed a decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, which allowed an insurer to settle a claim and pursue the insured for reimbursement of all the costs associated with the claim in a separate action. Evanston Insurance Company v. Aminokit Labs., Inc., No. 19-1065, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 8571 (10th Cir. Mar. 18, 2020). Aminokit Labs arose out of a lawsuit against an addiction treatment center in Colorado, in which a patient alleged consumer protection and racketeering claims against the insured relating to inpatient treatment received at the facility. After the insurer denied coverage, the underlying plaintiff amended his complaint to include negligence and vicarious liability claims against a doctor and the treatment center, potentially bringing the claim within the scope of coverage. Following the amendment, the insurer agreed to defend the lawsuit, subject to a reservation of rights, which advised that there was no coverage afforded for the suit. After defending the matter for six months, a mediation was held involving the underlying plaintiff, the insured and the insurer. The insurer initially declined to pay the full settlement because it contended that a number of uncovered claims existed. However, after the insureds attorney threatened to bring a bad faith claim, the insurer agreed to fund the full settlement. It also made clear that if it settled the case, it would seek reimbursement for the entire cost of defense and indemnity. The insured continued to demand that the insurer fund the whole settlement, which the insurer did, reserving its right to seek full reimbursement. Prior to this mediation, the insurer had filed a declaratory judgment action, seeing a declaration of no defense or indemnity coverage. After funding the settlement, the insurer amended its complaint to include counts for unjust enrichment, fraudulent misrepresentation and fraudulent concealment. The fraud claims were related to misrepresentations in the application, where the insured represented that it did not perform inpatient treatment. The insurer sought damages for the fraud, including the settlement payment and defense costs. The insured filed a motion to dismiss, which was denied, and default judgment was ultimately entered in favor of the insurer for the settlement payment, defense costs and prejudgment interest. The insured appealed. On appeal, the insured argued that the insurer failed to state a claim for fraud because (1) it could not show the damages element, (2) it did not impact the insurers decision to settle the case, and (3) because the insurer knew of the fraud when it made the decision to settle. The 10th Circuit disagreed with the insured. The court held that it would have been economically unreasonable for the insurer to refuse to pay the settlement because it then would have been placed at risk of a bad-faith lawsuit. The court also emphasized a state public policy against insurance fraud, and allowing the insureds to retain the benefit of insurance coverage, even when fraudulently obtained, would foster insurance fraud. Thus, the court affirmed the judgment entered in favor of the insurer against the insured. This case offers insurers a novel playbook to avoid bad faith claims. Specifically, if bad faith is at issue, and the insured is solvent, it provides an insurer the opportunity to fund the settlement and seek recovery from the insured. While it may not be ideal to have to pay and chase, doing so may prove better than risking litigation of a bad faith claim. A total of 46 patients of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Vietnam are being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. This facility is the institutions second branch, located in Kim Chung Ward, Dong Anh District, about ten kilometers northwest of downtown Hanoi. Among the 46 patients, 11 are now in worse health conditions since their hospitalization, three of whom are very seriously ill. Doctors have been exerting their best efforts to treat these patients. A doctor wears a protective suit while treating COVID-19 patients at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre About 368 people who are at high risk of infection are also being quarantined at the infirmary. On Monday, a 29-year-old doctor who works at the emergency care ward of the hospital was diagnosed with COVID-19 and became Vietnams 116th patient. Doctors wear protective suits while treating COVID-19 patients at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre The Ministry of Health on Tuesday required the institution to prepare an area for doctors and nurses to stay between their shifts to prevent them from spreading the virus to their family members and the community. Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son paid a visit to the facility on the same day to assess the situation. People with high risk of infection are quarantined at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 421,000 and killed more than 18,800 globally as of Wednesday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics. Vietnam has confirmed 134 COVID-19 cases, with 17 having walked out of the hospital free of the virus. No death related to the disease has been recorded in the country. People with high risk of infection are quarantined at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre Patients who are in good health are treated in an isolation area on the sixth floor of a branch of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre A special isolation zone located on the first floor is reserved for patients who are in bad health at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre A doctor shakes hands with an overseas student infected with COVID-19 at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre A nurse infected with COVID-19 is treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre A doctor examines a patient at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son talks with a foreign patient during his visit to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam, March 24, 2020. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre A patient uses his smartphone at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre A doctor waves from inside a negative pressure room at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre A health worker takes a quick break at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! NEW YORK, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ad Council, White House, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that they are partnering with leading digital and technology platforms, including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, SiriusXM and Pandora, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter and Verizon Media, among others, to extend the reach and impact of critical COVID-19 response messaging. From custom filters to emojis to influencer content, digital and technology partners are leveraging their tools to connect their audiences with life-saving messages to help slow the spread of the virus. "We have seen the media industry come together time and time again to address the most critical issues facing our country, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception," said Lisa Sherman, president & CEO of the Ad Council. "These digital and technology platforms have generously donated their talents and reach to empower millions of Americans to stay safe, informed and connected." This most recent announcement is part of the Ad Council's ongoing response to the COVID-19 crisis, convening the country's largest digital platforms and broadcast media networks to ensure the American public is receiving crucial and vetted information during this unprecedented time. While each platform is providing customized support, the common goal is to drive audiences to www.coronavirus.gov, a centralized resource from HHS and the CDC, which includes up-to-date information on the COVID-19 crisis. DONATED MEDIA Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Group Nine Media, Google, Pluto TV, Pinterest, TikTok, TrueX, WarnerMedia, Xandr and YouTube are providing significant donated media space to run and amplify campaign assets, getting urgent messaging to audiences nationwide on the platforms they use daily. are providing significant donated media space to run and amplify campaign assets, getting urgent messaging to audiences nationwide on the platforms they use daily. Cadreon, EMX, a division of Engine Group, and The Trade Desk are building Private Marketplaces for publishers to donate media inventory. Acxiom, Crossix and Fluent are donating audience targeting segments through LiveRamp to help reach millennials and those who are at higher risk for COVID-19. are building Private Marketplaces for publishers to donate media inventory. are donating audience targeting segments through to help reach millennials and those who are at higher risk for COVID-19. DoubleVerify and IAS are levering their ad blocking technologies to serve campaign messages across a breadth of publisher sites. INFLUENCER ENGAGEMENT Popular talent including Noah Cyrus , Taylor Bennet , Michelle Williams , Giannina Gibelli ("Love is Blind"), Shubham Goel ("The Circle") and Joey Sasso ("The Circle") are starring in an upcoming PSA around social distancing. The new PSA, created in partnership with Pereira O'Dell , will be supported by donated media from Facebook and Google/YouTube. CUSTOM CONTENT CREATION Pandora and its Studio Resonate audio creative consultancy will be creating custom audio assets that will run across Pandora and SoundCloud and be available for all media partners to download. This is in addition to donated media. and its Studio Resonate audio creative consultancy will be creating custom audio assets that will run across Pandora and SoundCloud and be available for all media partners to download. This is in addition to donated media. Reddit will be creating an interactive, custom campaign that will be supported by significant donated media, including its new "Trending Takeover" unit and a "Front Page Takeover." will be creating an interactive, custom campaign that will be supported by significant donated media, including its new "Trending Takeover" unit and a "Front Page Takeover." Snapchat will be featuring #AloneTogether creative throughout its platform. Snapchat reaches 90% of 13-24 year olds in the U.S. on a daily basis. The content will be featured in its new "Here for You" section of the app, which will include PSAs from health experts. Snapchat is also donating two custom filters, designed by Snap's creative team, to encourage people to stay connected while they are at home practicing social distancing. This is in addition to donated media. will be featuring #AloneTogether creative throughout its platform. Snapchat reaches 90% of 13-24 year olds in the U.S. on a daily basis. The content will be featured in its new "Here for You" section of the app, which will include PSAs from health experts. Snapchat is also donating two custom filters, designed by Snap's creative team, to encourage people to stay connected while they are at home practicing social distancing. This is in addition to donated media. Twitter is developing a custom emoji for the Alone Together hashtag. is developing a custom emoji for the Alone Together hashtag. Verizon Media is donating substantial media and creating custom #AloneTogether content to be shared across social media and its ecosystem of brands, including Yahoo News, Yahoo Lifestyle, Huffington Post and In the Know. Additional platforms joining the cause by creating custom content and donating media to help amplify critical COVID-19 information include Audiomack, Brat, Bustle Digital Group, Chegg, eBay, Genies, Gfycat, GumGum, IBM Weather, Insider Inc., Jebbit, Kahoot, Nextdoor, Philo, Samsung Ads, Teads, TubiTV, TuneIn, Twitch, Whisper and Zynga. PARTNER QUOTES "We are always at our best when we respond to challenges as a community," said Tara Walpert Levy, Vice President, Agency and Brand Solutions, Google and YouTube. "Right now, helping people get the right information to stay healthy is more important than ever. We are proud to continue to support the work of the Ad Council and the industry and will keep doing everything we can to help people take care of themselves and their communities during this unprecedented time." "Pandora is honored to partner with the Ad Council to raise awareness of the COVID-19 crisis among the millions of Americans on our platform and beyond, leveraging the audio creative expertise of our Studio Resonate team," said Steven Kritzman, SVP of sales at Pandora. "As the industry comes together in this unprecedented time of need, it's more important than ever to support these critical messages to help slow the spread and save lives." "Public health officials have made clear how important it is that young people take this seriously -- and that they have a key role to play in helping stop the spread," said Jennifer Stout, VP of Global Public Policy at Snap Inc. "We are committed to helping Snapchatters do their part, by providing fact-based news and information from trusted sources on our content platform, along with creative tools and experiences that help raise awareness for our community to protect themselves, their loved ones and the greater public." The Ad Council The Ad Council has a long history of creating life-saving public service communications in times of national crisis, starting in the organization's earliest days during World War II to September 11th and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. Its deep relationships with media outlets, the creative community, issue experts and government leaders make the organization uniquely poised to quickly distribute life-saving information to millions of Americans. The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation's most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels. The Ad Council's innovative social good campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council's communities on Facebook and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube. SOURCE The Ad Council Related Links http://www.adcouncil.org Malam Abba Kyari, chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari has been moved to Lagos for treatment of his coronavirus infection, sources told P.M.News on Tuesday night. He will be treated at the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, in Yaba. University of Abuja Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital in Abuja initially treated him. Kyari, who returned from Germany on 14 March tested positive for coronavirus on Monday. This triggered huge panic in the Presidential Villa in Abuja and outside as there were speculations that he may have spread the virus to his contacts. In a way, the speculations were not totally off-rail as three workers in Kyaris office tested positive on Tuesday. However, both President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo tested negative for the virus. Nevertheless, fears persisted Wednesday that many contacts of the Presidents chief aide may have contracted the virus. Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote is among the contacts. He sat with Kyari at the wedding of the son of Police IG, Mohammed Adamu in Abuja on 14 March. Kyari also interacted with Minister of Power Engineer Mamman Sale. Both travelled to Germany together on 7 March for talks with Siemens over Nigerias electricity expansion programme.They returned 14 March. (Also read: Abba Kyari: Fears for. Osinbajo, others Nigerians called out Mamman Sale on Twitter Tuesday, asking him to quickly self-isolate. Mamman Sale was criticised for hosting the American ambassador Mary Beth Leonard on 19 March, knowing that he had arrived from a coronavirus-hit Germany. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who now heads the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 is another Kyari contact. Also listed among Kyaris contact is the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu. Other notable contacts are Garba Shehu, President Buharis SSA Media and Senator George Akume, Minister of Special Duties and Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information. Kyari visited Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello on 17 March on his return from Germany, to deliver Buharis message to Bello, putting the governor also at risk of contracting the virus. Kyaris visit was at the eighth-day prayers marking the demise of Bellos mum. Lai Mohammed, Akume, Shehu were all at the event. Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference last month in Sacramento about the state's response to the coronavirus. (Randall Benton / Associated Press) There is little doubt about the overall wisdom of Gov. Gavin Newsoms response to the coronavirus pandemic: On March 19, he ordered Californians to stay home for everyones good. But the orders legal adequacy is another matter. In fact, legally speaking, its something of a mess. As it drags on, it will chafe and even cripple many Californians. Some of them will react for their own good: Theyll sue. And they may prevail. For starters, the order, like others around the country, is the most expansive, even breathtaking, assertion of government power in at least 50 years in the U.S. It directly impinges on a series of fundamental constitutional rights, including the rights of association, travel and assembly. Indeed, we colloquially call the order a quarantine, but in legal terms, quarantine refers to the isolation of people who have already been infected with a communicable disease. Newsoms edict is far broader. Its not that the government can never infringe on constitutional rights. It can. But it has to be able to to show that it has a compelling interest for doing so, and that its action is the least restrictive means for achieving it. This is the doctrine of strict scrutiny, which law professors like to call strict in theory, fatal in fact because it is so difficult for the government to satisfy. California surely has a compelling interest for acting to protect the health and safety of its citizens. The challenge for the state will be convincing the courts on the least restrictive question. And here Californias burden will be more difficult because, for totally understandable reasons, the governors order was hastily drafted, and its slapdash quality shows. The Newsom order doesnt even set out the terms of its shelter-in-place command. It rather consists of three prefatory paragraphs and an order to comply with a separate order of the state public health officer. That order, in turn, says that Californians must stay home except as needed to maintain continuity of operations in 16 areas of federal infrastructure identified in yet another document issued by the Department of Homeland Security. Turning to that document, we find a list of sectors such as chemical commercial facilities and healthcare that themselves are far from precisely delineated. Story continues What does it matter that the order is so circuitous and so fuzzy at the edges? For one, it means that Californians are genuinely uncertain about what activities may transgress it. By its terms, the order allows only activity necessary to maintain operations of the 16 critical sectors. But that cant be all thats intended. Indeed, the governors public statements and the information posted by the state take pains to permit activities not specified in the order. People can leave home to exercise, or walk their dogs, or buy supplies (as long as they maintain social distancing). Meanwhile, police departments throughout the state have moved to reassure citizens that they actually dont intend to enforce the order, which provides for misdemeanor violations or fines for those who dont obey. Sound public policy perhaps, but theres something wrong with a law that the police say they wont enforce from the start. Weve already seen litigation in the current crisis. Last month, the city of Costa Mesa sued California to prevent the use of a former assisted living center to house and quarantine infected evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. The authorities backed away from the plan, though the two sides are back in negotiations. And the ACLUs National Security Project on March 13 advised that it will be watching closely to make sure any use of emergency powers in response to the pandemic is grounded in science and public health, not politics or discrimination. Such suspicion and even resistance to state actions for everyones good is the contemporary American way. There are a handful of court cases (including the well known example of Mary Mallon, a.k.a. Typhoid Mary, in the early 1900s) in which challenges to quarantine orders were rejected. But they represent bygone times. Since then, the courts have developed a large battery of individual rights, and Americans have learned to deploy them with relish. And government no longer commands a high level of fealty. We can look, for instance, to New Jerseys abundance of caution efforts in 2014 to quarantine a nurse who it believed had been exposed to the Ebola virus. She sued after being detained for three days. The courts sided with her: She posed no threat because she wasnt symptomatic. Its just been a week since Newsom sent us all home from work and play, and the governor has a strong tailwind behind his order. Along with Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York, he is perceived as providing steady leadership to fill the vacuum that the Trump administration has created with its dithering and lack of candor about COVID-19. But in coming weeks, or months, someone will go to court over it. The judges and justices should approach those claims with considerable deference to the states emergency powers. But they cant simply rewrite legally deficient orders. That means there is one more essential activity not covered by the California edict: A lawyer in the state attorney generals office had better get working to clarify its terms, and put in on the firmest possible legal ground, before the lawsuits start flying. Harry Litman is a former U.S. attorney and host of the Talking Feds podcast. This is his first weekly column on legal affairs for The Times Opinion section. @harrylitman WASHINGTON The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package Congress is working to pass this week includes $400 million for election costs states face in wrestling with how to hold high-profile 2020 elections in a time of social distancing. Advocates estimate the that could mean as much as $20 million for Texas, where state officials have so far opted to delay election dates including pushing back a runoff to pick the Democratic challenger to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn until mid-July rather than expand vote-by-mail options or offer up online voter registration. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Its unclear how the state would use the funding which still has to clear Congress and get signed by President Donald Trump but advocates were already pushing for state leaders to consider expanding mail-in voting and offering online registration, something 39 states do now. Every Texan needs should be able to safely register to vote and cast their ballot whether by mail or in person, Anthony Gutierrez, Executive Director of Common Cause Texas, said in a statement. The way we make that happen is to use these funds to implement online voter registration, expand vote by mail, extend early voting, recruit more election workers, and ensure all poll sites meets public health safety standards. A handful of states, including Oregon, Washington and Colorado, let anyone vote by mail, a practice that has been shown to drive up voter turnout in elections. In Texas, only voters over 65 years of age can use mail ballots in any election. Those under that age must either be sick or disabled, expected to be out of the county for the duration of the early voting period or be in jail but still allowed to vote. For subscribers: What you need to know about the $2 trillion stimulus bill Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has so far resisted those calls, opting instead to push back the May 26 runoff until July 14 and issuing a proclamation allowing local governments to postpone their May 2 elections until November. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who is up for re-election in November, on Wednesday said that he doesnt support moving to vote-by-mail during the outbreak, saying theres not the infrastructure in place to deal with mail-in ballots. Cornyn said he also worries that vote-by-mail presents opportunities for election interference, citing the Russians 2016 disinformation campaign. I do worry a bit about that, as well, when we start talking about mail-in ballots or electronic voting, Cornyn said. ben.wermund@chron.com [March 25, 2020] Enterprise Strategy Group Report Highlights Encryption as Best Method for Compliance with Privacy Regulations Such as CCPA and GDPR Enterprise Strategy Group (News - Alert) (ESG) - an IT analyst, research, validation and strategy firm - and Fortanix Inc., the Runtime Encryption company, today announced results of the ESG industry report focused on compliance guidelines for the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the California law protecting consumers from mismanagement of their personal data by companies doing business in California that went into effect Jan. 1. The report highlights that encryption provides the best defense against any fines that might be levied for violations or data breaches under CCPA. The report also reveals that CCPA applies data breach sanctions only if companies fail to protect personal data with encryption or redaction. If personal information is protected with appropriate data security measures, it cannot be used by unauthorized parties, so consumers are left unharmed. Encrypted data that is stolen remains unintelligible, protecting the identity and personal information of its owner and mitigating risk for the business. "Encryption is a security strategy that will protect sensitive data such as the personal information covered by CCPA," wrote Christophe Bertrand, ESG senior analyst. "It protects an organization from scenarios like a devastating breach where hackers gain access to systems containing personal data. It is important to implement encryption throughout the data lifecycle, including while data is at rest in a storage layer, while it is in transit over networks, and while it is in use by applications in the memory of the operating system." For a copy of the ESG study, see fortanix.com/ccpa. "Also, consider that personal customer data should be encrypted whether it exists in public cloud storage, in software-as-a-service (SaaS (News - Alert)) applications such as CRM, or throughout your supply chain, in addition to your internal data center systems," Bertrand continued in the report. "Organizations need to implement advanced data classification, data anonymization, data masking, encryption, security, and access controls in order to set themselves up for successful compliance. ESG believes that many organizations are only ready on the surface - with marketing opt-in/out processes, for example." The California Consumer Privacy Act is landmark consumer privacy legislation. Often compared to GDPR, CCPA protects consumers from mismanagement of their personal data and gives them control over what data is collected, processed, shared, or sold by companies doing business in California. This act is the strongest privacy legislation enacted in any state, giving more power to consumers with regards to their private data. With many experts predicting that other states will pass similar legislation in the coming years, companies across the US that take proactive steps today to better protect consumer data will be best equipped for future regulations. "With the increase in regulatory penalties and devastating data breaches we have seen, protecting the privacy of customer data is a strategic imperative for business," said Ambuj Kumar, CEO of Fortanix. "The most reliable and efficient method of both protecting customer data and avoiding regulatory penalties is to encrypt all customer data throughout its lifecycle -while at rest, in motion, and while in use by applications." The "California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Compliance Guide" is an update to an ESG industry report published last year. The update was commissioned by Fortanix to include new information and findings in the report after the law went into effect. About ESG Enterprise Strategy Group is an IT analyst, research, validation and strategy firm that provides market intelligence and actionable insight to the global IT community. For more information, see https://www.esg-global.com/contact-us About Fortanix Fortanix's mission is to solve cloud security and privacy challenges. Fortanix allows customers to securely operate even the most sensitive applications without having to trust the cloud. Fortanix provides unique deterministic security by encrypting applications and data everywhere - at rest, in motion, and in use with its Runtime Encryption technology built upon Intel SGX. Fortanix secures F100 customers worldwide and powers IBM Data Shield and Equinix (News - Alert) SmartKey HSM-as-a-service. Fortanix is venture backed and headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. For more information, see https://fortanix.com/. Fortanix and Runtime Encryption are registered trademarks of Fortanix, Inc. Self-Defending Key Management Service is a trademark of Fortanix, Inc. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005126/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Madrid has transformed an ice rink into a makeshift mortuary as Spains coronavirus death toll continues to rise. The country's Covid-19 death toll shot up by a record daily increase of 738 deaths, pushing it to 3,434 overall and passing Chinas 3,285, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. The virus has overwhelmed the countrys health system, with hotels being converted into hospitals and the Palacio de Hielo mall in Madrid, home to an Olympic-sized ice rink, being converted into a morgue. Security forces guarded the complex on the northeastern outskirts of the city on Tuesday as funeral vans arrived and entered the buildings underground car park. Authorities decided to use the 1,800sqm centre after the citys municipal funeral service said it could take no more bodies until it was restocked with protective equipment and material. The military disinfected hundreds of nursing homes since Monday, officials said. The state prosecutor opened an investigation after the defence minister, Margarita Robles, said the army had found unattended bodies at nursing homes. She did not say what had caused their deaths. In the southern region of Andalusia, the mayor of a small town pleaded for help after reporting 38 of 42 residents at the local nursing home had tested positive for the virus, along with 60 per cent of staff. The ice rink at Madrid's Palacio de Hielo will be used as a morgue due to local funeral homes being over capacity (Getty Images) The virus doesnt kill people ... whats killing people is the system, Rafael Aguilera, mayor of Alcala del Valle, told a news conference. Our seniors need a permanent solution now. We need oxygen, ambulances and hospitals, he said in a video posted on the towns Facebook page. A person died in our arms because we couldnt get hold of oxygen. While Madrid long accounted for around half of Spains coronavirus cases, new data published on Tuesday showed it now had just under a third of the total, in a sign that the epidemic is spreading throughout the country. More than 428,000 people have been infected by the virus worldwide and more than 19,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. Overall, more than 109,000 have recovered. Additional reporting by agencies Delhi police on Wednesday said they are proactively engaging with e-commerce portals and issuing passes to ensure their agents are able to commute seamlessly and deliver essential goods to residents during the 21-day lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic. The move comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown across the country, asserting that social distancing is the only way out against the novel coronavirus. E-commerce and home delivery come under essential services and are exempted from the lockdown rules but reports said the delivery agents were facing difficulties in reaching their destinations. Senior police officials, including DCP Eish Singhal and Additional DCP Deepak Yadav of New Delhi District, held a meeting with the representatives of e-commerce platforms such as Flipkart, Zomato, Snapdeal and BigBasket and listened to the problems they were facing due to the lockdown. "We have set up a platform for e-commerce websites where they can share with us difficulties faced by them, so we can solve them," said Mandeep Singh Randhawa, Delhi police PRO. Curfew passes were being issued to e-commerce agents to ensure seamless delivery of goods, he said, adding 6,141 passes for movement during the lockdown have been issued till 5pm Wednesday. On Tuesday, 2,319 such passes were issued. Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava asked on-duty officials to take precautions and said he has received reports of "misconduct" by some personnel with essential services staffers. "I urge police personnel to use masks and sanitisers regularly and maintain social distancing during their duties. We have heard about the misconduct of police during checking. There would be no hustle during checking of essential services staff such as doctors and home delivery agents," Shrivastava said. He urged people to not come out of their homes unnecessarily, as the latest updates showed that the coronavirus cases touched 606 across the country with 10 deaths. A senior police official said they have sensitised police personnel to allow the delivery agents so that people don't have to come out of their homes. Pamplets outlining specific categories of people allowed on roads have been made for police personnel. "Some don't understand that delivery boys also come under essential services. So it was important to sensitise the personnel on ground to ensure smooth movement of essential goods," he said. In Delhi, the number of cases increased to 35 with five new cases being reported in past 24 hours. To address queries related to the lockdown, Delhi police will hold a one-hour session regularly on Twitter. They held a similar session on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. DCP (South) Atul Kumar Thakur said on Twitter that police have marked dedicated lanes with proper signage to assist emergency and essential services vehicles. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Wednesday strongly condemned the terror attack on a gurdwara in Afghanistan's Kabul, saying targeting of a religious place in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak reflects the "diabolical mindset" of the perpetrators and their backers. The External Affairs Ministry said India conveyed its sincerest condolences to the immediate family members of the deceased and wished speedy recovery to the injured. "India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan," it said. "Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID-19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers," the MEA said. It said India stood in solidarity with the people, the government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country. "We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country," the MEA said. Heavily armed gunmen and suicide bombers stormed a Sikh gurdwara in the heart of Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 11 worshippers and wounding as many, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the country. Also Read: Suicide bombers, gunmen attack Afghan gurudwara, 11 dead A video of priests in Romania giving communion with a shared spoon has emerged, as the coronavirus outbreak in the country worsens. The footage, taken in the Romanian city of Cluj on Sunday, shows queues of worshippers lining up to receive the sacrament from Orthodox priests. This came amid worries over the rising number of coronavirus infections in the country. According to Euronews, Bogdan Tanase, head of Romanias Doctors Alliance, responded by saying: Many priests have not understood what this is about, and given the fact that they didnt have an order from the Patriarch they proceeded as usual. It will have an impact. If you have 100 people, the probability that one is infected is high. As part of the exceptional measures it introduced in late February, the Romanian Orthodox Church had allowed worshippers to bring their own spoons to services. However, using separate spoons was not mandatory. Earlier this week, the church decided to stop the public gathering for services, instead choosing to stream them online and on television. Klaus Iohannis, the Romanian president, has restricted peoples movement during the day and has ordered people over the age of 65 to remain indoors. These measures to slow the spread of the disease were announced on Tuesday and came into effect on Wednesday. A countrywide night-time curfew began on Monday and is expected to remain through the month-long state of emergency. As of Wednesday, Romania has confirmed 794 coronavirus cases and 12 deaths as a result of the illness. Additional reporting from Reuters Updates from Indian missions around the globe: COVID-19 Indian missions world over are updating fellow citizens throughout the changing dynamics of the global coronavirus pandemic. Travel advisories, helpline services, lodging and boarding for stranded passengers as well as updates on the situation in India, all of these and more are being provided by the consulates. Here's a round up of the latest updates shared by the consulates via their twitter handles: Visa guidance from the UK government in connection with travel restrictions due to COVID-19. Visa guidance from the UK government in connection with travel restrictions due to COVID19. @RuchiGhanashyam@CGI_Bghm @IndiaInScotland https://t.co/qC69IHLLMz India in the UK (@HCI_London) March 24, 2020 Suspension of Consular Services at the Embassy of India in Kyiv (Ukraine) due to the evolving situation related to the COVID-19 Due to the evolving situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, normal Consular Services at the Embassy of India in Kyiv (Ukraine) are suspended w.e.f. 23.03.2020 until further notice. For Emergency/Extremely urgent cases, visit our website: https://t.co/LlZo1eiHB2 pic.twitter.com/JOk9tyEIr2 India in Ukraine (@IndiainUkraine) March 23, 2020 Successful evacuation of 113 persons from Malaysia to Chennai before being shifted to nearby Indian Air Force facility at Tambaram Air Force Station for quarantine. Suspension of all OCI and passport services temporarily at the Indian consulate in New York Stranded Indians in New Zealand to be accommodated with the help of an NGO Appeal to Indian students in Bangladesh urged to stay there and not attempt to cross the border into India until border restrictions were lifted. The Indian High Commission in Bangladesh shared this in a series of tweets. Appeal to #Indians in Bangladesh We are working to contain spread of COVID19.Our PM has urged all to Take precautions panic.In interest of public health,personal safety&safety of loved ones,we urge all to stay safe in present residences&avoid non-essential mvmnt/travel 1/2 India in Bangladesh (@ihcdhaka) March 24, 2020 The consulate urged Indian students to stay in their hostels & stay protected. We urge Indian students also to stay in your hostels & stay protected. If you stay safe, we can break the chain. We are here to help you. Our helplines are available 24X7. Please call us at 00 880 255067371 or 00 880 255067372. (2/2) @MEAIndia India in Bangladesh (@ihcdhaka) March 24, 2020 The consulate in Brazil answered a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding various issues rising due to the COVID-19 crisis. It also shared the available helplines for Indians in Brazil Temporary suspension of passport services by Dubai consulate Advisory on suspension of passport services by Indian Consulate pic.twitter.com/ZMyB5NXHnR India in Dubai (@cgidubai) March 24, 2020 While Abu Dhabi consulate suspended attestation services temporarily. The Consulate in Saudi Arabia shared emergency helplines Embassy of India, Riyadh COVID-19 Emergency Helplines pic.twitter.com/QXX19y7dJi India in SaudiArabia (@IndianEmbRiyadh) March 23, 2020 Meanwhile, India's 1.3 billion people are under a 21 day global lockdown triggered by fear of the COVID-19 accelerating as it did in other major nations that did not attempt to break the chain of transmission on a national level. ALBANY Sen. John Flanagan, the New York Senates top Republican, will not seek another term in the state capital. Flanagan announced Wednesday that he is joining a flood of fellow Republicans in heading for the exits, capping a political career spanning more than 30 years. The Suffolk Republican said that the wide array of emotions I am experiencing in making this decision are balanced by knowing I am making the best decision for me and my family. The 58-year-old entered politics in 1987, replacing his late father in the Assembly. He was elected to the Senate in 2002 and served as the majority leader for the three years preceding the Democratic takeover in 2018. The GOPs numbers dwindled to 22 of the 63 seats in the chamber leading into last years session, the first with Democrats in control of both the Senate and the Assembly in decades. Over the past 12 months, nearly a dozen Republicans have announced that they will not seek reelection or have retired, further depleting the GOPs ranks in the Capitol. Flanagan, as recently as December, denied he was thinking of taking a similar path. Despite a serious shortage of funds and a dwindling conference, Flanagan was optimistic in interviews ahead of the session that the GOP could regain seats in the upper chamber this year thanks to pushback on progressive policies like bail reform and granting undocumented immigrants access to drivers licenses passed by Dems. The lawmaker, who will finish out the remainder of the already truncated legislative session, remains hopeful despite long odds that Republicans can capitalize on public concerns about liberal policies enacted by Democrats. We have recruited top-tier candidates in races all across the State, and ensured our Conference has the right messaging to succeed, he said Wednesday. I look forward to continuing to be part of that process as our Conference navigates delicate and challenging budget issues and finishing our legislative session. 2020 New York Daily News Domino's has been forced to backtrack after announcing it would give free pizza to the elderly but then having to close all of its stores. The fast-food giant thought it was an 'essential service' and would be able to remain open during the four-week lockdown in New Zealand, which will begin at midnight on Wednesday. On Tuesday the company offered to deliver a free meal once-a-week to customers over the age of 70 during the quarantine period. However, takeaway shops are not considered an essential business and the company will have to shutdown all stores for four weeks. Domino's has been forced to backtrack after announcing it would give free pizza to the elderly but then having to close all of its stores The fast-food giant thought it was an 'essential service' and would be able to remain open during the four-week lockdown in New Zealand, which will begin at midnight on Wednesday The fast-food giant thought it was an 'essential service' and would be able to remain open during the four-week lockdown in New Zealand, which will begin at midnight on Wednesday. 'This week we committed to supporting some of our most vulnerable Kiwis, those over 70. Although we are having to close, as soon as we reopen, we'll continue to serve New Zealand's senior citizens with a hot fresh meal, just as we promised,' a Domino's spokeswoman said. 'We have been incredibly busy feeding the frontline workers in this crisis and will spend our final hours getting as many pizzas to them as possible to say thank you for their ongoing sacrifice and strength. 'Domino's is proud to be a part of the New Zealand community. We are committed to doing what we can to slow the spread of the virus, and to keep our team members, customers and communities safe.' On Tuesday the company offered to deliver a free meal once-a-week to customers over the age of 70 during the quarantine period. However, takeaway shops are not considered an essential business New Zealanders have flocked to fastfood outlets to grab a quick bite before they are forced into isolation New Zealanders have flocked to fastfood outlets to grab a quick bite before they are forced into isolation. The New Zealand government made the drastic decision to go into lockdown this week as the number of cases soared to 205. All non-essential businesses will be closed and residents will have to stay at home. They are only allowed to leave to exercise alone or visit essential services. Supermarkets will stay open throughout the four-week lockdown and the supply chain will stay running. The school holidays have been brought forward so they will fall within the four-week lockdown period. Teachers are being trained to teach students online. Up to 200 Victoria Police personnel are in quarantine due to potential COVID-19 exposure as concerns mount about a lack of personal protective equipment for officers. The revelation comes as the powerful Police Association called on Premier Daniel Andrews to declare a state of disaster to boost police power to enforce self-isolation and bans on mass gatherings, and to better mobilise resources. While a Victoria Police statement said the force had an adequate supply of protective equipment, The Age has spoken to several officers who were concerned staff at suburban stations had been operating without enough access to face masks and alcohol wipes. The officers were also worried about the continued use of shared desks, landline telephones and cars, saying equipment was not being properly disinfected at the change of a shift. Dr. Jang handles dental emergencies at Newton Dentistry Newton Dentistry provides emergency dental care for patients who need urgent help. As of now, it looks like most of us are stuck at home with a new shelter-in-place order from the State of Massachusetts. There are things patients can do to get urgent dental care help, if they are in a dental emergency. As per the new law, all non-essential employees need to stay at home, but what if you need emergency dental help. Newton Dentistry provides urgent dental care needs for patients in a dental emergency. For more information, you can visit http://www.newtondentistryma.com. A dental emergency would be constituted if you have any of the following: Tooth pain: Nerve pain or jaw pain from eating or talking Dental abscess: Swelling of the face or gums, dental abscesses can lead to serious infections if not treated immediately Lost dental filing or crown Broken tooth: If you have a broken tooth, it is best to see a dentist as soon as possible to prevent risk of infection or further damage Sore jaw: Experiencing pain opening or closing your jaw or the muscles surrounding the jaw are sore Newton Dentistry provides emergency dental care for patients who need urgent help. Our multi-speciality dental office is equipped to bring the most comprehensive dentistry to patients." says Dr. Yoon Ji Jang DDS, a General Dentist at Newton Dentistry . About Newton Dentistry Newton Dentistry is a multi-specialty dental clinic that has been serving patients in Newton, Waltham, Weston, Waban, Auburndale and other surrounding areas. The dental office offers patients such services as crowns, mouthguards, teeth extractions, dental implants, bonding, bridges, TMJ, root canal therapy, teeth whitening, and invisalign. Dr. Yoon Ji Jang, DDS Dr. Yoon Ji Jang DDS is a Board-Certified General and Cosmetic Dentist. Dr. Jang majored in Biology (BS) from the University of Washington in Seattle and received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree (DDS) from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. Since Dr. Jang has been treating patients of all ages, she understands different needs for each patient. She is a member of American Dental Association (ADA) and Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS). A man suspected of planning to attack a Missouri hospital was killed during a shootout with F.B.I. agents, the authorities said on Wednesday. The deadly encounter took place on Tuesday afternoon in suburban Belton, Mo., after agents on a tactical team tried to arrest the man as part of a domestic terrorism investigation. It was not clear whether the man was killed by F.B.I. agents or died by suicide. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officials identified the man as Timothy R. Wilson, 36. According to officials, Mr. Wilson had expressed racist and anti-government sentiments. He had been under F.B.I. scrutiny since September, and the authorities said that at one point he had considered attacking multiple targets, including a school with a large number of black students, as well as a mosque and a synagogue. AMSTERDAM, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past two decades, the world has faced several infectious disease outbreaks. Ebola, Influenza A (H1N1), SARS, MERS, Zika virus and currently COVID-19 have had a massive global impact in terms of economic disruption, strain on local and global public health resources and, above all, human health. Using Elsevier SciVal and Scopus data from 1996 to 2018, Elsevier experts analyzed scholarly output, trending topics and top research organizations working to strengthen our understanding of and response to infectious disease outbreaks. This infographic features the main findings; below are some highlights: Emerging infectious disease research has seen an average growth of 6.9% annually over the past decade. Following an outbreak of a disease, we see a sharp spike in disease-specific publications, showcasing the research community's remarkable ability to quickly respond to public health needs. This is evidenced by a rise in publication counts following outbreaks of SARS, Influenza A (H1N1), Ebola and Zika virus. Among research aimed at understanding new outbreaks, a rise in publications specifically related to health security suggests an increased focus on public health preparedness. Seven of the top 10 research institutions publishing health security research between 2014 and 2018 are governmental organizations. These and further findings will be presented during a free webinar on Monday, 30 March, at 17:00 CET Sign up for the webinar In the webinar presentation, Dr. Bamini Jayabalasingham, Senior Analytical Product Manager at Elsevier, and Chris James, Senior Product Manager at Elsevier, will explain how the research was conducted to uncover trends in infectious disease outbreaks research, the various governmental bodies involved and the ways to identify health security research. Scopus is a source-neutral abstract and citation database curated by independent subject matter experts. It places powerful discovery and analytics tools in the hands of researchers, librarians, institutional research managers and funders. SciVal is an analytics solution that provides comprehensive access to the research performance of over 14,000 research institutions and their associated researchers from 230 nations worldwide. SciVal enables visualizations of research performance outputs and trends; SciVal runs on Scopus data. Notes for editors To schedule interview with Elsevier data experts or to access underlying datasets contact: Sacha Boucherie at s.boucherie@elsevier.com ; Christopher Capot at c.capot@elsevier.com or newsroom@elsevier.com. About Elsevier Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps scientists and clinicians to find new answers, reshape human knowledge, and tackle the most urgent human crises. For 140 years, we have partnered with the research world to curate and verify scientific knowledge. Today, we're committed to bringing that rigor to a new generation of platforms. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and professional education; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, 39,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com Media contacts Sacha Boucherie Elsevier Communications, Europe s.boucherie@elsevier.com +31-6-3066-7129 Christopher Capot Elsevier Communications, US c.capot@elsevier.com +1-917-704-5174 Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1137570/Elsevier_Infographic.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/754760/Elsevier_Logo.jpg Paolo Lemma, the Italian Trade Commissioner to Vietnam and director of the Italian Trade Agency in Ho Chi Minh City How will this entry ban to the EU affect trade flows between Vietnam and Italy? The travel ban introduced in Europe, but also in Vietnam and elsewhere, should be a temporary measure and it is required until the virus can be brought under control. However, travel restrictions will not apply to those people with an essential function or need, including staff engaged in the transport of goods into the EU. Therefore, the entry ban should not penalise trade flows between Italy and Vietnam too much, as well as with other partner countries. Every year, many delegations from Italy visit Vietnam to explore business opportunities and find local partners. Given that Italy is currently hit hard by the coronavirus, what are the prospects for business activities between Italy and Vietnam for the remainder of the year? The pandemic has arrived at a moment when the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) was supposed to have a number of activities, including the signature of a co-operation agreement with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry; the Italian Design Day events organised jointly with the embassy in Hanoi and consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City; and the opening of the Technological Training Center for the marble industry in Luc Yen district in the northern province of Yen Bai, in partnership with the Vietnam Association for Building Materials and Luc Yen White Marble Association. An official business participation at the Propak-Printech exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City has also been postponed until September, and other important initiatives in the agro-tech and agro-food sectors have been rescheduled to the second half of 2020. As soon as the situation allows, we will be ready to take up these activities again. With the travel restrictions and increasing number of infection cases in Italy, what are the main challenges for Vietnamese exporters, and how will the crisis affect Italian companies and investors here? We would like to reassure Vietnamese companies trading with Italy that the Italian production and supply of goods and services as well as overseas shipments continue. The Italian government adopted an emergency decree worth 25 billion ($26.9 billion), a massive stimulus package to shield the economy from coronavirus and sustain the affected companies, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises. The government has also put in place a first set of financial measures to help Italian exporting companies and announced that both a special fund for the promotion of Made in Italy and a fund for export finance will be used for the recovery of Italian export in strategic markets, including Vietnam. The whole Italian institutional system comprised of the embassy, consulate general, and the ITA, as well as the Italian Chamber of Commerce is ready to support Italian businesses in Vietnam in terms of adaptive services such as market research and analysis, networking connections, data analysis, and institutional relations with local authorities in order to help face the immediate consequences of the COVID-19 emergency. As soon as the emergency is over, we are also ready to engage in a wide communication campaign to explain to the Vietnamese public that the Made in Italy brand is alive and well, and will make clear to our partners that the underlying elements of Italian excellence remain unchanged: quality, innovation, sustainability, customer care, beauty, tradition, and much more. The information campaign on the future entry into force of the EVFTA and its opportunities gives us a timely platform to raise our profile. Photo credit: Jesse Grant - Getty Images From ELLE Hannah Montana stars Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment had a cute reunion Monday on Cyrus' Instagram Live show, BRIGHT MINDED: Live With Miley. The pair reminisced about their Disney Channel days, revisiting old photoshoots and Hannah Montana scenes. "On and off screen she's a badass best friend," Cyrus said of Osment. Take a deep breath, '00s Disney Channel devotees, because I'm about to propel you right back to 2007. Hannah Montana alums Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment, otherwise known as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana and Lilly Truscott/ Lola Luftnagle, just reunitedand it was very, very cute. Osment appeared on Cyrus' Instagram Live show, BRIGHT MINDED: Live With Miley, and the pair took a trip down virtual memory lane. Cyrus came prepared with a stack of photos from their Hannah Montana yearsincluding, appropriately, a shot of Lola sanitising Hannah's hands. They reminisced, too, about one of their first ever photoshootswhich, according to Osment, was "much longer than anyone warned us it would be," featuring "like, twelve costume changes." According to Cyrus, that was a recurring theme throughout their time on Disney: "I remember that was kind of our life for eight yearsevery day just being longer than anyone told us it would be," she said. Growing up while appearing on a children's show wasn't always easy, Cyrus said, sharing a photo from a more recent shoot. "We were a little older, and it was kind of feeling a little bit strangefor me to put on a tutu and a wig," she said. "They say you get younger as you get older and you start becoming a child again, the older you get. Now I put on wigs and dance around my house in a tutu." Cyrus also reflected on a photo from their first ever day of press for Hannah Montanaand an unfortunate occurrence that called for desperate measures. "My teeth had pretty much all decided to fall out," she said. "I had no teeth, so my mom had to get me some fake teeth." You Might Also Like New Delhi The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the countrys apex biomedical research body, on Wednesday approved three more private laboratories to test for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), taking to 29 the number of private facilities that can collect samples at 16,000 centres. ICMR, however, has not expanded its criteria for people to be able to take the test. Experts have raised concerns over tests not being carried out aggressively or randomly enough, saying that a ramped up approach could stop a silent spread of the highly contagious pathogen SARS-CoV-2. These 29 lab chains will add to the testing capacity as they have 16,000 collection sites across India, said Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary, Union health ministry. On Wednesday, ICMR asked for bids for procurement of antibody (blood test) kits to scale up their testing. Through the day, sample collection and testing was slow because kits were in short supply and traffic movement was restricted due to a nationwide lockdown. Weve got the government approval and have the infrastructure and trained manpower in place. All we need now is an uninterrupted supply of diagnostic kits for us to begin testing, said Dr Navin Dang, founder Dr Dangs Lab. Arindam Haldar, CEO, SRL Diagnostics, said: ICMR has chosen two SRL clinical reference labs, based at Mumbai and Gurgaon, to conduct these tests We have initiated testing, but currently there is a shortage situation for approved commercial kits for testing and PPE for sample collection, and we are trying our level best to bring the supply situation to match possible demand... The commercial kits are in short supply... However, ICMR has so far approved of three commercial testing kits that should be available in market in a few days. Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited, a start-up in the segment, has also been approved for testing. Neuberg will be scaling up its capacity up to 2,000 to 2,500 tests per day as per ICMR guidelines by next week, said GSK Velu, chairman and managing director. ICMR is in the process of fast-tracking approvals for commercial testing kits. Our nodal laboratory in National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune is looking at the quality of kits Apart from FDA and European CE approved kits, ICMR-certified kits will also be eligible to be used for testing in labs across India, Dr Balram Bhargava, director general, ICMR, said recently. ICMR on Sunday had confirmed that close to 60 private laboratories had approached them for registration that is mandatory for being able to conduct Covid-19 tests. The primary criteria for the labs that will be approved is for them to have National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration accreditation, at least biosafety level-2 laboratory, sharing real-time testing data with the government and testing done only after there is a prescription signed by a qualified physician who has followed testing criteria laid down by the ICMR. There are about 116 government laboratories that ICMR has earmarked for Covid-19 testing, including 72 of ICMRs own viral research and diagnostic laboratories (VRDLs). Thirty-one of the government laboratories have so far been approved for both preliminary and confirmatory testing across India. The base price should not exceed Rs 4,500, including 1,500 for preliminary testing and 3,000 was confirmatory testing, even though the government has asked the labs to offer the test for free of cost. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A Stapleton man ventured into an East Shore community on the night of St. Patricks Day, but not with good intentions, prosecutors allege. Deshawn Wilson, 23, of the 200 block of Gordon Street, stabbed a victim in the abdomen at about 11:25 p.m. on March 17 in Grasmere, said a criminal complaint. The attack occurred near the corner of Whitney Avenue and Clove Road, the complaint said. The location is just off West Fingerboard Road. The defendant stabbed the unidentified victim with a sharp object, said the complaint. The victim, who was walking on the street, suffered a deep laceration to his abdomen, as well as bleeding and substantial pain, according to the complaint and a law enforcement source. Wilson and the victim were strangers, said police. The victims injuries are not considered life-threatening, the source said. The incident was captured on surveillance videotape, said the complaint. Wilson was arrested last Thursday, police said. He was charged with a felony count of second-degree assault. The defendant is also accused of misdemeanor charges of criminal weapon possession and third-degree assault, along with a lesser count of harassment. Wilson was arraigned Friday in Criminal Court. His next court date is April 27. His lawyer did not immediately respond Tuesday to an email seeking comment on the case. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka. Sunday, March 22 9:52 p.m. -- Officers responded to a suicide attempt in the 1000 block of Eastlawn Drive. 10:36 a.m. -- Officers responded to a domestic assault in the 3300 block of Lily Court. 10:27 a.m. -- A deputy assisted the Delaware State Police with a death notification in Edenville Township. 10:15 a.m. -- Officers responded to a larceny in the 3400 block of Sharon Road. 8:32 a.m. -- A 61-year-old Mount Haley Township woman called regarding her husband being difficult and wanting her to move out. The husband, a 63-year-old man, was doing things such as not paying the phone bill so it would get turned off and blocking the driveway with his trailer. The woman said he also yells at her at times and only uses a space heater to heat their trailer. The woman did not wish for the man to be contacted as she plans to move out soon. The woman just wanted it to be documented in case there are further issues. The deputy spoke to the woman about Shelterhouse and she has already been in contact. 12:49 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a Midland Township location in reference to a disorderly juvenile. Deputies spoke with a 37-year-old Midland Township woman, who said her 15-year-old son had destroyed property in her residence causing about $825 in damage. The 15-year-old boy was subsequently lodged in the Midland Juvenile Care Center and a report was sent to the Midland County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for review. Saturday, March 21 11:27 p.m. -- Deputies were sent to a City of Coleman residence in reference to a 57-year-old man who was experiencing suicidal thoughts. The man was cooperative and agreed to go to the ER for a mental health petition. 9:22 p.m. -- Officers responded to a hit-and-run crash in the 1900 block of Airport Road. 7:42 p.m. -- Officers performed a death investigation in the 2100 block of Bayliss Street. 2:30 p.m. -- Officers responded to a suspect obstructing justice in the 1500 block of Renee Drive. 12:37 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of Joe Mann Boulevard and Elisenal Drive. 12:34 p.m. -- The sheriff's office is investigating a retail fraud from a gas station/convenience store. A 43-year-old female suspect has been identified. 12:13 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of Joe Mann Boulevard and Elisenal Drive. 11:29 a.m. -- A deputy responded to an Edenville Township roadway for a suspicious item found along side the road. The deputy determined the item in question was used fireworks from a previous celebration. The container was collected and disposed of. 10:14 a.m. -- MidMichigan Health EMS, the Midland Township Fire Department and the Midland County Sheriff's Office responded to an Ingersoll Township intersection for a two-vehicle injury crash. The at-fault driver, a 20-year-old Midland Township man, was transported to the ER for treatment of minor injuries. He was also cited for failure to yield and no seat belt. A 58-year-old Midland Township man was cited for driving on a suspended license. 9:53 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Mills Township. Press Release 25 March 2020 Showing further effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. hotel industry reported significant year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics during the week of 15-21 March 2020, according to data from STR. In comparison with the week of 17-23 March 2019, the industry recorded the following: Advertisements Occupancy: -56.4% to 30.3% Average daily rate (ADR): -30.2% to US$93.41 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -69.5% to US$28.32 "RevPAR decreases are at unprecedented levelsworse than those seen during 9/11 and the financial crisis," said Jan Freitag, STR's senior VP of lodging insights. "Seven of 10 rooms were empty around the country. That average is staggering on its own, but it's tougher to process when you consider that occupancy will likely fall further. With most events cancelled around the nation, group occupancy was down to one percent with a year-over-year RevPAR decline of 96.6%. The industry is no doubt facing a situation that will take a concerted effort by brands, owners and the government to overcome." Aggregate data for the Top 25 Markets showed steeper declines across the metrics: occupancy (-66.3% to 26.2%), ADR (-35.2% to US$105.40) and RevPAR (-78.2% to US$27.59). San Francisco/San Mateo, California, recorded the worst declines in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (-80.7% to 16.6%), ADR (-44.7% to US$151.25) and RevPAR (-89.3% to US$25.08). New York, New York's drop in RevPAR (-86.5% to US$26.98) was due primarily to the second-steepest decrease in occupancy (-80.5% to 16.8%). New Orleans, Louisiana, matched for the second-largest decline in RevPAR (-86.5% to US$20.02), mostly because of the third-largest decrease in occupancy (-76.0% to 20.2%). A black bear wanders along Canyon Road in Arcadia on Wednesday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) A large California resident was spotted Wednesday blatantly flouting the state's stay-at-home order. A black bear was seen wandering around an Arcadia neighborhood about 5 a.m. It was spotted by a television crew roaming the streets in the 300 block of Topaz Place, knocking over a trash can. About 7 a.m., the lumbering interloper was spotted again on nearby Canyon Road before it trundled back toward the Angeles National Forest. The bear, presumably looking for breakfast, left a trail of knocked-over trash cans in its wake. The bear knocked over trash cans in a neighborhood before heading back toward the Angeles National Forest. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Tim Daly, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said he was checking to see whether the agency had responded to the report. "That tends to happen when there's a threat to public safety, or we've been called for assistance," Daly said. "Keep in mind, it's not unusual for bears to appear in that area and it's not unusual for the visits to happen on garbage day," he said. Indeed, bear sightings are nothing new in the communities that back up to the forest and the San Gabriel Mountains. Just last month, a bear wildlife officials described as an old lady was tranquilized after going on a morning stroll in Monrovia. Fish and Wildlife officials encourage people to do everything they can to discourage animal visits, such as securing trash cans and not leaving food outside, Daly said in February. The departments website also offers tips about "bear-proofing" homes and campsites. Issa ga o! The General Secretary, National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has threatened that the union would be forced to embark on strike to protect its members against COVID-19. Ajaero made this known on Wednesday in a letter to the Minister of Power, Mr Sule Mamman, after he reported to work on March 23 from a trip to Germany and Egpyt. He said the minister did not self isolate himself for the compulsory 14 days. According to him, the minister will be solely responsible for the transmission of COVID-19 to any staff in Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). Ajaero said that by this action the minister failed to provide adequate precautionary measures to protect staff and would be responsible for his failure to comply with the Federal Government directive. The letter read in part: Our attention has been drawn to the return of the Minister of Power, Sule Mamman, from his trip to Germany and Egypt while on the entourage of the Chief of Staff to the President. The minister despite the presidents directive to self-isolate reported at the office in the midst of agitation and complains from the staff at TCN Headquarters in Abuja. If not for the intervention of the union, there would have been pandemonium at the office, on March 23. In view of recent developments, the union wishes to state unequivocally that the minister will be held responsible for the transmission of COVID-19 to any staff in TCN. Ajaero said the minister did not comply with the federal government directive on people that travelled to countries with high cases of infection to self-isolation. He said that the union was giving employers in the power sector whose staff constantly interface with customers and the public, 24-hours to put adequate precautionary measures in place to protect staff. Ajaero said that the union would be forced to pull out its members and would not be held responsible for any consequence arising therefrom. He, therefore, enjoined employers of labour in the sector to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of its members against the COVID-19. NAN Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma stars urged people to follow the lockdown and urged them to stay at home. Here is how the stars are following the rules of lockdown. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the countrywide locked down to get control over coronavirus. PM tried to convince 1.3 billion Indians to stay at home. Several television stars and popular faces are also trying to push PMs words and urging people to follow the instructions as they are made for their own benefits people should take it seriously. Television longest-running show Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma stars also urged people to take precautions. Iyer requested people to stay at home for the next 21-day, he asked people to stay safe and take the required precautions. He said that it is very necessary to take precautions to keep yourself unaffected. Popatlal also wrote for the country and advised them not to got out. He said that it is very important to stay at home and asked people to co-operate. He said that if people are not getting cooked food then they must cook food at home. Bhide said that Mumbai should take care, not just Mumbai everyone needs to take care. He said that it is very necessary to beat the virus. He asked people to take personal hygiene seriously and also to stay at home for 21-day. He also some basic steps to maintain hygiene. This is what the celebrities are even asking for the people to do so. There are several people who are not supporting lockdown and said that this is not going to work. But there is no doubt there could not be any other thing which can help us to get rid of the disease. For all the latest Entertainment News, download NewsX App James Packer's former fiancee Tziporah Malkah reportedly got into a 'fiery' spat with a police prosecutor this week in court. According to The Daily Telegraph, the former model interrupted Senior Sergeant Jamie Palmer at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday when he addressed her by her old name. The 46-year-old was not impressed by being called 'Katherine Fischer' and allegedly got into a heated exchange over the mistake. Scroll down for video Don't call her Kate! James Packer's former fiancee Tziporah Malkah reportedly got into a 'fiery' spat with a police prosecutor this week in court when he addressed her by her old name. Pictured in 2018 While she was born Katherine Helen Fischer, the brunette legally changed her name to Tziporah Malkah in her early 20s after converting to Judaism. During the court session, Senior Sgt Jamie Palmer reportedly said: 'Im not going to argue with you Ms Fischer.' However, Tziporah is believed to have quickly interjected: 'Thats not my name.' 'Thats not my name!' The 46-year-old was not impressed by being addressed as 'Kate Fischer' and allegedly got into a heated exchange over the mistake in court Younger years: While born Katherine Helen Fischer, she legally changed her name to Tziporah Malkah in her early 20s after converting to Judaism. Pictured in 1996 as Kate 'Well thats whats on the file,' the Senior Sgt replied, before she barked back: 'Well thats wrong!' The publication claimed that Tziporah was indeed named in court documents as Katherine Fischer. It's not the first time Tziporah has been angered and/or irritated by being called by her old name. While on Australia's 2017 season of I'm A Celebrity... Ge Me Out Of Here! she warned: 'if anyone calls me "Kate", "Zippy" or "Zip", they've got three strikes and they're out. I'll let them know.' 'If anyone calls me "Kate", "Zippy" or "Zip", they've got three strikes and they're out': While on Australia's 2017 season of I'm A Celebrity... Ge Me Out Of Here! she warned people of calling her by the wrong moniker The Sirens star also said: 'I was given a gentile name to be in the street, but at home I've always been Tziporah. I've just decided to reclaim it.' The former model's Facebook page explains that 'Tziporah is a traditional name on her matrilineal line, passed down from Grandmother to first born Granddaughter. 'Katherine/Kate/Katie was no longer,' her bio insisted. Pet ventilators are being urgently sought for use in hospitals as demand for the vital breathing equipment is predicted to surge past Australia's current supply. The Australian Veterinary Boards Council will help the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society source additional ventilators that are normally used on cats and dogs. The request comes amid concerns intensive care units in Australia could soon face an unprecedented climb in patients as coronavirus cases continue to surge. Respiratory machines used on dogs and cats are being pulled from veterinary hospitals across Australia to be used on coronavirus patients requiring intensive care if the current supply is depleted 'Many ventilator models used by vets are exactly the same as the machines used in human hospitals, which means the intensivists are already familiar with their use. They just need to know where to find them,' Dr Julie Strous, executive director of the veterinary council, told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'Having the vet ventilator inventory ready to go means the doctors are well-prepared should the need arise. Its better to have too many machines than not enough.' The council said many specialist facilities and university-based veterinary hospitals have state-of-the art equipment which are well adept for use on humans and saving their lives. On Tuesday, the AVBC sent an email to vet hospitals across the country requesting information about the type, condition and age of their ventilators The data will be used to create an inventory for hospital ICU teams so they can locate possible reserve machines if needed. Due to unique diseases, such as snake envenomation and tick paralysis, Australian veterinary clinics are likely to have more mechanical ventilators per head of the population than other countries. Dr Strous said this provides Australia with an advantage during the virus crisis as the medical equipment can now be used to save lives. Information about the location and condition of the spare equipment will be placed into an inventory for hospital intensive care units President of the Australian Veterinary Association Julia Crawford said the Department of Health would be responsible for checking that ventilators from vet clinics were of a sufficient age and grade, and suitable to be used for people. 'We do have a lot of ventilators on the east coast because of ticks. Some are very old, some aren't so old. They would have to be thoroughly cleaned and used appropriately ... but they are all ex-human machines,' Dr Crawford said. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in England has also been tasked with organising ventilator supplies after they were found to be crucial in treating those with the illness in Italy. It comes as Health Minister Jenny Mikakos and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told a press conference in Melbourne on Tuesday that there are only 2000 ventilators currently available nationwide. Australia's coronavirus cases soared to 2398 on Wednesday afternoon Some models suggest Australia will need to double the number of ICU hospital beds equipped with ventilators to more than 4000 to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Worst-case scenario models estimate that many thousands of Australians would die if infections continue to rise exponentially, leaving medical facilities drastically under resourced. It would mean medics would be faced with the same predicament facing Italian doctors who have been told to prioritise the treatment of young people over old. As of Wednesday afternoon, there have been 2398 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, including eight deaths. New Delhi: A total of five new coronavirus COVID-19 cases were reported in Delhi in the past 24 hours, pushing the number of total cases to 35, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday. The Delhi government has also decided to issue e-passes for people associated with essential services to commute during the lockdown. "We are issuing e-pass for those people who do not have government or private ID, working in manufacturing, transport, storage and shops of essential items. Helpline numbers are being launched only for such people. Anyone else, please do not call on this. For E-pass call 1031. During the lockdown there is no decrease in the supply of essential items, so we are starting the system of e-pass. E-pass will come to you on WhatsApp," added the Delhi CM. People ensuring essential services such as milk sellers, vegetable vendors and grocers can call helpline 1031 to get the passes on their mobile phones, CM Kejriwal said during a digital press conference. He said, "It is the responsibility of the government to provide the services necessary for survival. Abide by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's order." The chief minister said people can walk down to shops nearby to buy items of daily use. He said that no pass is required at shops near people's houses. Amid reports of medical staffers being harassed by landlords to vacate the premises, the CM requested the house owners to not misbehave with the professionals out to fight and contain the virus. The harassment of medical staff cannot be tolerated, he said, warning that strict action will be taken against the landlords. "We will arrange food for poor people, who do not have ration cards, arrangements are being made for food in the morning and in the evening, The number of people is increasing, we have placed orders. People should also help others around them. No matter how much we do, we cannot make this campaign successful without the help of the people," added the CM. This article, T-Mobile adds new $15 Connect plan, free YouTube Premium amid coronavirus, originally appeared on CNET.com. T-Mobile is adding new options for customers, including pushing up the launch of a cheaper $15-a-month plan and a new T-Mobile Tuesdays promotion to help those staying at home. On Monday the carrier, which is in the process of completing its merger with Sprint, announced that it's speeding up one of the promises of the merger and launching a new cheaper plan called Connect that offers unlimited talk, text and 2GB of high-speed data. Originally announced last November alongside a host of other promises of what T-Mobile would do if the merger was approved, given the economic issues that have arrived amid the coronavirus pandemic, the carrier is rolling out the cheaper plan starting Wednesday. For those on its pricier unlimited plans, T-Mobile is also adding a new perk. On Tuesday it will be offering two months of free YouTube Premium, YouTube's ad-free option, as part of the company's T-Mobile Tuesday's app. The offer must be redeemed by May 1 and if it isn't canceled before the end of the free period you'll be charged YouTube Premium's regular $12-a-month rate. The carrier also has a $25-a-month option that bumps the high-speed data to 5GB per month, with the plan also offering what T-Mobile calls "Annual Data Upgrade" that gives users "an additional 500MB of monthly data, every year, at no additional cost, for the next five years." Similar to T-Mobile's cheapest Essentials unlimited plans, which start at $60 a month for one line, taxes and fees are not included in the monthly price of either new Connect plan. Read more: Best phones on T-Mobile Hundreds of Koreans will be evacuated from Italy next week on two chartered flights, as the European nation continues to see record numbers of COVID-19-related deaths. According to the Korean Embassy in Rome and the Consulate General in Milan, over 700 Koreans signed up for evacuation by the Monday deadline. Korean expatriates there had initially sought to arrange flights independently but faced difficulties due to costs and travel restrictions within Europe and asked for the government's help. The flight will cost W2 million per person (US$1=W1,246). The first chartered flight will depart from Milan on March 31, and the other from Rome the following day. The US on Wednesday condemned in the "strongest possible terms" the horrific ISIS-claimed attack on a Sikh temple and community center in Kabul in which at least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured. The statement of the Acting Assistant US Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells came hours after a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed his way into a prominent gurdwara in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the strife-torn country. The attack, claimed by the Islamic State (IS) terror group, killed at least 25 worshippers and wounded eight others. "We mourn the deceased and will hold the wounded, their families, and their community close to our hearts," she said. "The US condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific ISIS-claimed attack on a Sikh temple and community centre in Kabul today (Wednesday)," Wells added. The attack on the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area took place at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. "Unfortunately, 25 civilians were killed and eight others injured," Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior said in a tweet on the attack carried out by the gunman, who was killed by Afghan special forces. It said 80 people stranded inside the gurdwara were rescued by the security forces. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack on the gurdwara. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Canadas world-leading community of artificial intelligence scientists is mobilizing to help answer critical COVID-19 research questions, hoping to create predictive tools to flag which patients might become sickest, identify emerging outbreak hot spots, and hunt for molecules to form the basis of coronavirus-tackling drugs. But AI researchers and Canadian scientists of all stripes say they are impeded by stingy provincial data-sharing and a culture of trapping information in secret jails and silos, which robs machine-learning algorithms in particular of the fuel they need to function. If data-sharing agreements already existed, a lot of the projects that people are discussing right now they could do the data would already be flowing. But its not, said Yoshua Bengio, a computer scientist at the Universite de Montreal, scientific director of the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute MILA, and a co-recipient of the Turing Prize, the so-called Nobel Prize of computer science. Im hoping this will force the hand of provincial governments to actually open the gates in a reasonable way, and understand that over the long term they have to change the structure of the system. The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) held an international virtual roundtable on Monday to identify how artificial intelligence might answer some of the most pressing questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to connect top machine learning researchers with experts in disease modelling and epidemiology, drug development, health system capacity and more. The power of AI is that it takes vast amounts of data and discerns patterns in them to make sense of that data, says CIFAR president Alan Bernstein. The federal government asked CIFAR to convene Canadas AI scientists to help combat the pandemic, Bernstein says. CIFAR leads the $125 million Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, a program designed to leverage early Canadian AI breakthroughs and expand the countrys machine learning research ecosystem. The organization has $100,000 for a handful of COVID-19 catalyst grants to kick-start collaborations, but hopes that figure expands through additional public and private funding. One role for AI could be predicting which patients who test positive for COVID-19 are most likely to suffer severe outcomes and require life-saving medical interventions. Data from China and Italy has demonstrated that older patients, especially those with underlying health conditions, are more likely to need intensive care or to die. But some young people with the infection suddenly crash, suffering severe respiratory distress too, and scientists dont fully understand why. The majority of the population is going to have this infection the issue is we dont know who is going to respond really negatively to it, says Marzyeh Ghassemi, a professor of computer science and medicine at the University of Toronto and a Canadian CIFAR AI chair at the Vector Institute. Can I predict which people are most susceptible to having an aggressive or intensive COVID-19 infection? In 2017, Ghassemi published research that used artificial intelligence to predict which patients in an intensive care unit would need invasive ventilation and other life-saving measures. The availability of ventilators, which help patients struggling to breathe, is expected to be a vital resource: Italian critical care patients overwhelmed hospital ventilator availability, and modelling suggests that could happen in Ontario too. Using a dataset of approximately 34,000 ICU visits at a U.S. hospital, the deep learning algorithm Ghassemi and her colleagues created was able to predict with a high degree of accuracy which patients would need ventilation and other measures, in some cases up to six hours in advance. With a large enough dataset that included detailed patient histories as well as COVID-19 outcomes, a similar algorithm could quickly pick up patterns in which young and seemingly healthy patients end up suddenly needing a ventilator or other critical care work that would be vastly slower or impossible for a human to perform, and which could in turn help people understand their own risk and help doctors plan. But since being recruited to Toronto from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ghassemi says she has struggled to access data relevant to health care in Ontario or Canada. I am a publicly funded researcher at a publicly funded university and my students can only do research on data from the United Kingdom and the United States. Ive been here for almost two years and I dont have active projects for my PhD students that uses Canadian health data, because I cant get access to it, says Ghassemi, adding that means her work is helping other countries solve important health challenges. In both of those jurisdictions, data is not kept in secret jails in the way that it is in Ontario. Some in the field say they see signs of progress. I would say that there is a strong willingness to move quickly to try to bring the necessary data together to try to tackle this. I think governments, the health system, researchers are all mobilizing to try to answer that call quickly and responsibly, says Andrea Smith, Director of Health Data Partnerships at the Vector Institute. Privacy concerns are often cited as a risk for distributing even anonymized health data, but researchers who want to see this information shared in a responsible way say slowing the pace of health-care research should be balanced against that. Inaction is actually a huge risk in and of itself, says Smith. A spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said the provincial government is planning changes to the legislation that governs the protection of health information that would allow for better co-ordination of data between primary care physicians and public health, and that will enable new regulations to provide de-identified data to researchers. Its a huge limitation right now, one we identified before COVID when the legislation was drafted. But its been made all the more clear now, said Travis Kann. On Monday evening, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, an independent organization that is mostly funded by the federal government and provincial and territorial ministries of health, created a new webpage pointing to several types of information relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, including information hospital beds, ICUs, ventilators and the number and distribution of health-care workers across Canada. The CIHI portal collects several sources of information that were previously scattered and challenging to find, and a spokesperson said it will be expanded. But in a fast-moving pandemic, researchers say they need information that is either real-time or at least updated daily. AI scientists arent the only ones frustrated by a shortage of relevant data. Though there are questions he would like to explore with machine learning experts, theres a ton we can do with just regular old fashioned intel, says David Fisman, an epidemiologist at the University of Torontos Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Fisman and his colleagues have been modelling how social distancing interventions will affect Ontarios epidemic. But because the case count information the province publicly shares is fragmented and partial, the group has been struggling to calculate whether the measures Ontario has implemented in recent weeks are helping to flatten the epidemic curve and bring the outbreak under control. Researchers point out that Ontario has a single-payer health-care system, which should make data more accessible, not less, and that science derived from places like Toronto could benefit the whole world, since the population is so diverse. One of the reasons Ghassemi came here, she says, is that the ecosystem is so promising. And yet theres this cultural conservatism in senior leadership in the health-care space. There is no technical barrier to clinicians or machine learning researchers securely and responsibly accessing this data for public good. This is a cultural barrier, she adds. Everybody else in the world does this. News LATEST Economy Politics This link is no longer available Feedback This link is no longer available This link is no longer available. When Ansonia Public Schools superintendent Joe DiBacco heard Monday that Gov. Ned Lamont was ordering schools to remain closed through April 20, he was still taken aback, even though he knew that information was coming. He penned a letter to his students and their parents, writing that it was too early to say what that would mean for the schools schedule. A few hours later, he heard from an assistant superintendent that Lamont had dropped a bombshell on a radio interview: schools would likely, probably, be closed for the rest of the academic year. That would be nice if we knew, DiBacco said. Thoughts of salvaging the remainder of the school year seemed less likely, in the face of questions about teacher evaluations, graduation requirements and details like class rankings and prom. Lamonts comment isnt an official ruling, but hes made clearer in recent days that schools should be prepared for long-term closures, far beyond the initial two-week shutdown he ordered on March 15 and likely past the current April 20 target date. He thinks cases will continue to climb for at least another week or two, he said, and said he doesnt want to return to school until the virus is behind us or at least contained, when students wont be at risk of getting sick or infecting their families. Were hoping for the best, but were planning, if the entire school year has to be called off as a result of this, were prepared to do that if its going to mean increasing safety and flattening the curve, Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona said. What the governor is saying is that school systems across the state need to be prepared to not return this year, spokesman Max Reiss said. In recent guidance on school closures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said data indicate that closures of two to four weeks likely do not affect the spread of COVID-19, but that there may be some impact of much longer closures of eight to 20 weeks. Hand-washing and home isolation have more impact, the CDC said, and countries that have closed school havent had more success reducing spread than places that have. While we have data that can contribute to decisions about when to dismiss schools, there is almost no available data on the right time to re-start schools, the CDC said. We would advise to plan for a length of time and then evaluate based on continued community spread. The longer delay before classes can resume isnt unexpected by school districts, but it means planning not only for a few weeks of distance learning, but finding a way to complete this years classes as much as possible online or with paper assignments at home. Just because everyone says were doing is distance learning, it doesnt mean everyone is doing distance learning, DiBacco said. Just because I get a Chromebook or laptop in your hand doesnt mean you have connectivity, he said, or that students and teachers know how to use those resources effectively. About 30 percent of parents in the district dont have or dont provide email addresses when they register their students, he said. While he praised Ansonia teachers and staff for their efforts to create a program before in a short period of time, he said the prolonged closure will be harder for districts like his without as many resources for distance learning. The reality is, there is a tale of two Connecticuts here, he said. There is a concern that if students are out of school for the rest of the spring, the states achievement gap could be widened, said Don Williams, Executive Director of the Connecticut Education Association, the states largest teachers union. The real challenge for the rest of the school year will be providing students the information they should learn in a normal semester, with the information that they should learn in the time period, Williams said. And while educators are focused on the immediate issues, long-term ramifications are possible: I think we will find that, come fall, some form of remediation and catch up during the regular school day and regular school year will be necessary, he said. Students who need help the most are the least likely to get that during a period like this, he said. Everyone is going to do the best they can, given the distance learning limitations, but thats an area where, again, come the fall, come the resumption of a normal school day, well have to address those issues. Lamont has touted two major philanthropic gifts aimed at leveling the playing field between districts: through a donation from former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi and Raj Nooyi and a discount from Scholastic, online curriculum materials, textbooks and workbooks will be made available to districts, he announced Tuesday. That followed the announced Monday that the Partnership for Connecticut will provide 60,000 laptops to high school students in high-need districts. Were going to take what is a moment of health care crisis and make sure that our kids have a new way of learning, teachers have a new way of teaching, and make sure this is not four, six lost months but an opportunity to make the best out of a tough situation, Lamont said. The State Department of Education has assembled a task force, led by superintendents from Guilford and East Hartford, which will lead distribution of the laptops and materials. Those will be delivered within weeks, Cardona said, another sign that school doors arent reopening anytime soon. Generally speaking, teachers plan a lot. We work hard to figure out research-based practices and standards of delivery, and this week, we have none of that assurance, said Mary Yordon, a Norwalk teacher and an officer in AFT Connecticut. Teachers are reaching out to students, and maximizing the time they have, she said. We are not going to leave anyone behind if we can possibly avoid it. Brenda Myers, Norwalk Public Schools chief academic officer, has been working through plans in two week intervals: theyre in phase 1, with teachers focusing on review and support while they adapt to the seismic shifts of the last week and a half. In the second phase, fourth and fifth graders will get laptops, in addition to the middle and high school students who already have them. She has a master plan through phase 6, or the end of the school year; beyond that, questions about whether summer school can be held as planned will define the next steps. We want children promoted to the next grade, we want our juniors to have transcripts so they can apply to the college of their dreams and we want our seniors to graduate, she said. While many seniors had already completed college applications before the pandemic interrupted their efforts, underclassman have concerns about Advanced Placement tests and the SAT. The College Board has already announced that AP tests will be done online, with a focus on content typically covered before March. SAT test dates in March and May have been canceled, and some colleges have already waived SAT test requirements. As they move forward with online learning for the next month, if not longer, the focus needs to be on skills, rather than memorizing content, Myers said. Students can easily Google answers, so assignments should test critical thinking, and ask students to demonstrate their knowledge, with more performance-based assessments. Even with a perfect online instruction plan, the emotional, unpredictable situation will affect how well students can learn, she said. Liz.teitz@hearstmediact.com Sky News Sky News looks at Prince Andrew's options after his legal team failed to persuade a US judge to dismiss Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit accusing the Duke of York of sexually assaulting her when she was underage. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan has said Ms Giuffre, formerly Virginia Roberts, could pursue allegations that the royal abused her as a teenager and intentionally caused her emotional distress while the late financier Jeffrey Epstein was trafficking her. The Manhattan judge also said it was too early to assess Andrew's efforts to "cast doubt" on those claims, although the 61-year-old prince could do so at a trial. A decades-old malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump as a potential coronavirus treatment has failed to impress in an early-stage study. back to the bubble in March of 2002 Market broke, The study, performed in China, followed 30 patients with mild symptoms. It investigated hydroxychloroquine, a cousin of chloroquine. Both can treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. In recent days, Trump has reiterated his positive views on their potential in coronavirus treatment. But the drug didn't pan out in the study, Evercore ISI analyst Umer Raffat said in a note to clients. He described the results as "far from positive." Of three key measures, just one favored the use of the malaria drugs in coronavirus treatment. "It really puzzles me why we're seeing inaccurate characterizations of clinical data," Raffat said. "In my honest opinion, having an honest discussion around emerging clinical data would actually help the progress." Malaria Drugs In Coronavirus Treatment? Still, generic pharmaceutical companies Teva Pharmaceutical (TEVA) and Mylan (MYL), which are increasing production of hydroxychloroquine tablets for potential coronavirus treatment, notched gains Tuesday. On the stock market today, Teva stock jumped 8.4%, to 8.12. Shares of Mylan reversed an earlier rise and declined 3.8%, to 15.14, at the closing bell. Pharma giants Novartis (NVS), Sanofi (SNY) and Bayer (BAYRY) also pledged to ramp production of the malaria drugs. Shares of all three also popped. Researchers saw the potential for chloroquine in coronavirus treatment in February, SVB Leerink analyst Ami Fadia said in his report to clients. Hydroxychloroquine is a related drug with less severe side effects, allowing for higher doses and fewer interactions with other drugs. This could be key in coronavirus treatment. To date, the new form of coronavirus, dubbed Covid-19, has infected more than 416,000 people worldwide. That includes nearly 19,000 deaths. More than 108,000 people have recovered, according to Worldometers. Covid-19 Study Doesn't Bode Well The hydroxychloroquine study examined virological clearance the medicine's ability to lower how much of the virus remains in the body. After a week, the placebo cleared 93% of the virus vs. 87% clearance for those who received hydroxychloroquine, Raffat said. Further, patients' temperatures normalized on the same day for both groups. Only radiological progression measured by CT scan favored hydroxychloroquine in coronavirus treatment. But the data are hard to interpret due to the small number of patients, Raffat said. He questioned the dosage and patients' baseline viral loads. That information wasn't disclosed. "Parsing through the emerging data for these important drives of success can help define what an effective treatment window and optimal candidate looks like," he said. Pharma Companies Ramp Production Regardless, Trump's endorsement has spurred pharma companies to ramp production of these old malaria drugs to use in coronavirus treatment. The market for hydroxychloroquine pills is worth around $450 million, SVB Leerink's Fadia said. Fadia doesn't expect hydroxychloroquine in coronavirus treatment to be a huge moneymaker for generic pharmaceutical companies. "But the efforts by these companies to step in to help combat the Covid-19 pandemic would be a good reminder for various constituents of the important role generic companies play in the health care system," she said. Prescriptions are increasing and were 20% above normal for the week ending March 13, she said. The Lupus Foundation of America urged drug manufacturers on Monday to ensure they produce enough chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to continue reaching lupus patients. "Unfortunately, there are already verified reports across the country of pharmacies having major shortages of these vital drugs," the foundation said in a written statement. This is problematic for some lupus patients who don't have alternative medications. Banner Health, a hospital system in Arizona, also cautioned against self-medicating for coronavirus treatment. A man died and his wife is in critical condition after the couple ingested chloroquine phosphate. This compound is commonly used at aquariums to clean fish tanks. https://www.investors.com/news/technology/coronavirus-treatment-trump-touted-malaria-drug-fails-to-impress/ According to the current analysis of Reports and Data, the Global Rapid Test Market was valued at USD 26.71 Billion in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 52.81 Billion by the year 2027, at a CAGR of 8.8 %. The initial diagnosis of diseases, as well as accuracy, play an essential role in the treatment of patients. The adoption of rapid diagnostic kits is increasingly recognized for its accuracy and economical testing for diseases such as syphilis, HIV, and tuberculosis. The need for diagnostic tests in several areas of medical care has created significant growth opportunities in the global rapid testing market. Quick tests, see tests that can be used in case of emergency in medical centers or for home treatment. The unique feature of this form of testing is the limited use of resources and the simplicity of execution. Increasing the number of preliminary screening procedures in hospitals and increasing the number of rapid tests in developing regions are contributing factors to the growth of the sector. The rapid contagious disease test market is expected to experience the most robust growth over the forecast period. Factors such as the growing need for rapid test results to improve performance, strict government regulations, globalization of the food trade, and the increasing incidence of foodborne illness attributable to increased demand from the rapid testing market. Request free sample Copy of this research report to understand the structure of the complete report@ https://www.reportsanddata.com/sample-enquiry-form/2283 Increasing patients demand for preventive medical care and increasing incidence of lifestyle-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and the high burden of infectious diseases in developing countries is witnessed. Rising awareness of the early diagnosis of diseases, increasing the need for inexpensive diagnostic tests, as well as the accuracy of diagnosis is expected to stimulate the growth of the rapid test market during the forecasted period. Additionally, the growth of personalized attention and the increase in promotional activities of manufacturers encourage the use of rapid tests, thus stimulating market growth. However, stringent government regulations concerning the approval of rapid tests and the withdrawal of various products due to false results should hinder the growth of the market. Further key findings from the report suggest The rapid test market is growing at a CAGR of 0% in the Asia Pacific, followed by North America and Europe, with 8.7 % and 8.5% CAGR, respectively. Demand for early diagnosis of disease is the key factor in accelerating market growth during the forecast period across all regions. The increasing introduction of combination products such as drug delivery and smart devices is inducing OEMs to work with contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). The forward integration of OEMs to develop rapid diagnostic products will further drive market growth, owing to the availability of a wide range of products. Increasing demand for decentralized assessments is a crucial factor in boosting industry growth. The ever increasing consumer consciousness regarding food safety and the rise in the involvement of several government & non-government bodies to provide safe food products to consumers will offer new opportunities to rapid test market players. The low cost of rapid tests is the primary reason behind the astral growth of the global market for rapid test. Furthermore, the favorable operational dynamics of rapid tests have also emerged as a key factor contributing to the growth of the global rapid test market. Moreover, the stability of rapid tests at high temperatures, coupled with the short span of execution for these tests, has given an impetus to the growth of the global market. The use of rapid tests in point-of-care testing, wherein the results are obtained on the same day has also driven market demand. At present, glucose monitoring is the largest revenue contributor and is anticipated to dominate the market. Easy availability of cost-efficient products, the high number of diabetic population, and an increase in the use of glucose monitoring rapid tests devices among the general population fuel the growth of the market. The veterinary rapid diagnostic test has potential application in the diagnosis and management of animals disease, which increases the growth of the overall global rapid test market. Rising healthcare expenditure, rise in pet adoption rate, growth in the demand of animal products, and the increasing number of veterinary practitioners are the major factors, which will drive the overall veterinary rapid diagnostic test market. An increase in the adoption of rapid tests for preliminary screening and rising incidences of infections such as HIV, HPV, hepatitis, and others have driven the growth of rapid tests globally. Key participants include Akers Biosciences, Inc., Alere Inc. (Abbott Laboratories), Becton, Dickinson and Company, Bio-rad Laboratories, Inc., Cepheid, Inc., Hologic, Inc., Meridian Bioscience, Inc., OraSure Technologies, Inc., Quidel Corporation, and Roche Diagnostics. Order Your Copy Now (Customized report delivered as per your specific requirement)@ https://www.reportsanddata.com/checkout-form/2283 For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data has segmented the Rapid Test market on the basis of product type, application type, end-use, and region: Product Type (Revenue, USD Million; 20172027) Over-the-Counter (OTC) Rapid Test Product Professional Rapid Test Product Application Type (Revenue, USD Million; 20172027) Infectious Disease Cardiology Oncology Pregnancy & Fertility Toxicology Glucose Monitoring Others End-Use (Revenue, USD Million; 20172027) Hospital & Clinic Diagnostic Laboratory Home Care Others Regional Outlook (Revenue in USD Million; 20172027) North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany France U.K. Spain Italy Rest of the Europe Asia Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin America Brazil To identify the key trends in the industry, click on the link below: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/rapid-test-market Read More Reports:- Vitamin PP (Niacin and Niacinamide) Market Size, Share & Analysis, By Grade (Feed Grade, Food Grade, Pharma Grade), By Application (Animal Feeding, Food Additives, Health Supplements, Pharmaceuticals, Others), and By Region, Forecast to 2027 Blood and Organ Bank Market Size, Share & Analysis, By Type (Red Blood Cell Collection, Processing and Distribution Services, Blood Plasma Collection, Processing and Distribution Services, Organ Bank Services, Tissue Bank Services, Health Screening Services, All Other Human Blood Services, Reproductive And Stem Cell Bank Services), By End-User (Hospitals, Diagnostic Centers, Blood Banks, Others), And By Region Forecast To 2027 Cerebral Thrombectomy Systems Market Size, Share & Analysis, By Type (Suction Devices, Catheters with Balloons, Snares, Enveloping Coils, Rheolytic Devices, Laser-Based Devices), By Utility (Reusable Devices, Disposable Devices), By End-User (Hospitals, Academic Research Centers, Others), And By Region, Forecast To 2027 Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) Market Size, Share & Analysis, By Delivery Mode (Web-based CTMS, Licensed Enterprise CTMS, Cloud-based CTMS), By End-User (Pharmaceutical & Biopharmaceutical Companies, Contract Research Organizations, Medical Device Companies, Hospitals, Academic Research Centers), And By Region, Forecast To 2027 Safety Prefilled Syringe System Market Size, Share & Analysis, By Material (Glass-Based, Polymer-Based), By Application (Antithrombotics, Vaccines, Autoimmune Diseases, Others), And By Region, Forecast To 2027 Corticosteroid Eyedrops Market Size, Share & Analysis, By Type (Cortisone, Dexamethasone, Tobradex, Others), By Application (Adult, Children), and By Region, Forecast To 2028 About Reports and Data Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries and help clients make a smarter business decision. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a multiple industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Power, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware about the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Reports And Data | Web: www.reportsanddata.com Direct Line: +1-212-710-1370 E-mail: sales@reportsanddata.com In an attempt to ensure a complete lockdown as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi till April 14, the Jammu and Kashmir police have registered 218 FIRs against the violators so far. The FIRs have been registered for defying the lockdown imposed by the Central Government across the country to curb the spread of COVID-19. In Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, and Awantipora Districts of South Kashmir, Police has registered FIRs against 28 persons for violating the orders. In central Kashmir's Srinagar, Budgam, and Ganderbal Districts police have registered FIRs against 14 such persons. In North Kashmir's Baramulla, Kupwara, Handwara, Sopore, Bandipora district, FIR has been registered against 27 persons for violating lockdown orders. In Jammu Samba Kathua range, police have registered 50 FIRs against the persons for violating the orders and in Udhampur Reasi range, 13 FIRs have been registered against the lockdown violators. Similarly, 21 FIRs has been registered against persons violating orders in Doda Kishtwar Ramban Range. In Rajouri Poonch range, Police have registered 65 FIRs against the persons violating lockdown orders. READ | Sachin Tendulkar Extends Wishes On Gudi Padwa, Urges Everyone To Stay Home Amid The Crisis Hospitals in Jammu and Srinagar have also established helplines for the police personnel and their families for immediate assistance. 21-day pan-India Lockdown Amid the rising Coronavirus cases in India, PM Modi, on Tuesday, announced a 21-day curfew throughout India starting at midnight on Tuesday. He said that 21 days were necessary for breaking the transmission cycle of the pandemic. The 21-day curfew is applicable to all states, districts, and villages - irrespective of whether they are currently under curfew or not. READ | "Why Can Royal Family Instantly Get Tests But Not NHS Workers?" Questions Piers Morgan "From midnight 12 across the country, there will be countrywide lockdown in India. Complete restriction of leaving out from the residence. All districts, villages will be locked down. This is curfew only -a stricter curfew than Janta curfew. We have to bear economic consequences because of this. But to save every Indian's life at this time is my and the government's responsibility," said PM Modi. READ | Prakash Javadekar Announces Centre's Scheme To Provide Ration For Underprivileged Coronavirus crisis in India As of date, over 536 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) with Maharashtra reporting the highest at 122. Ten deaths have been reported to date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and shut down over 75 districts across the nation. India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. The government is monitoring all suspected cases and issued preventive advisories with Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Delhi, Kerala, Jammu - Kashmir declaring the disease an epidemic shutting down all educational institutions, monuments, parks, gyms, swimming pools, pubs and banning large gatherings. READ | Dr Harsh Vardhan Condemns Ostracisation Of Doctors, Paramedics Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden said Wednesday he's debated enough times with Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, signaling his campaign's shift to the general election as the Democratic presidential primary continues on. "My focus is just dealing with this crisis right now," the former vice president said. "I haven't thought about any more debates. I think we've had enough debates. I think we should get on with this." Biden made the remarks during a virtual news conference from his Delaware home as he follows self-distancing measures during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Former Vice President Joe Biden, left, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., right, greet one another before they participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate at CNN Studios in Washington, Sunday, March 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) His position comes as he's amassed a 300-delegate lead after a clean sweep of three states last week Illinois, Florida and Arizona making himself a virtual lock to win the nomination. But because nearly a dozen states have postponed primaries because of the coronavirus, it would take significantly more time for Biden to reach the necessary 1,991 delegates to secure the nomination before the July convention. More: Several states postponing elections, changing ways to vote amid coronavirus issues The altered timeline gives Sanders, who boasted an impressive $46.5 million fundraising haul in February, an opportunity to keep his campaign alive. His campaign told The New York Times this week he would participate in a debate in April if there is one, a sign that Sanders does not intend to immediately drop out. Senator Sanders is still running for president, Mike Casca, a Sanders campaign official, told the Times. If there is a debate in April, he plans to be there. After originally planning to have an April debate, the Democratic National Committee has not said whether a televised debate will take place next month. The logistics of a debate could be complicated by ongoing self-distancing measures. Biden and Sanders appeared on a debate stage together as the final two candidates only once. It took place in Washington, D.C., after being rescheduled from Phoenix. Sanders went on the attack aggressively against Biden throughout, challenging him on his commitment to Social Security and other liberal causes. Story continues Eleven televised Democratic debates have taken place since June. 'Listen to the docs,' Biden says of Trump's Easter Sunday goal Biden used much of his virtual town hall where reporters asked questions on Zoom to make an appeal to young voters, who have overwhelmingly backed Sanders in the primary. "We must not allow this pandemic to rob our young people of the futures and the opportunities that they've worked so hard to try to build," Biden said. "We need to make sure that our economic recovery does not come at the expense of those who can least figure or who are just getting started in life." He called the coronavirus pandemic a "twin crises" a public health crisis that's hitting seniors hard, an economic crisis hitting young people who work in retail, the service industry and "gig workers." "They deserve the same benefits as everyone else does," Biden said. "We have to make sure they get them." He said he supports the $2 trillion stimulus package that appears on track for approval in Congress, but that it will require "meticulous oversight on a day-to-day basis" to make sure funds aren't wasted. He also said the bill leaves out important elements such as "student loan forgiveness." "I support forgiving at least $10,000 of student loan debt per-person now," Biden said. More: Trump sets Easter as possible date for lifting restrictions - live updates Biden continued his criticism of Trump's handling of the coronavirus crisis, taking exception with Trump on Tuesday saying he would like would like social-distancing measures end by Easter Sunday, April 12, and for the public to return to normal activities. "Look, we all want to get back to normal as quickly as possible but we have a lot to do to make that possible," Biden said. "We have to do it in a smart way to not meet some arbitrary or symbolic timeline. It would be a catastrophic thing to do for our people and for our economy if we went people back to work just as we saw the impact of social distancing take hold, only to unleash a second spike in infections. The only way we'll fully solve the economic challenges is by first solving the public health crisis," Biden said, adding that the U.S. must look at the coronavirus history in other countries, not set arbitrary dates. "The bottom line is: Listen to the docs. Listen to the researchers. Listen to the infectious disease specialists." Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'We should get on with this': Joe Biden says he's debated enough with Bernie Sanders PORTLAND, Oregon, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The report provides detailed insights on drivers, top segments, regions, and major shareholders in the market. The study offers a detailed analysis of the key factors responsible for the rising demand for cloud IT service management during the forecast period. Moreover, the report presents market definition, top findings, major investors, and future scope of the industry for the projected period. Request a Sample Copy of This Premium Research: https://www.bigmarketresearch.com/request-sample/3757758 The study offers market estimations based on thorough analysis of the key developments in the cloud IT service management industry for the projected period. Furthermore, it offers an overview of the market with a brief outline of key segments. The report segments the market on the basis of component, organization size, industry vertical, and region. Based on component, the report divides the market into solutions and services. Depending on organization size, the report bifurcates the market into large enterprises and small & medium enterprises. Based on industry vertical, the report classifies the market into BFSI, healthcare, education, manufacturing, retail, education, and others. Based on region, the report evaluates the market across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. The study provides a comprehensive regional analysis to understand the regional market, which can assist investors and market players in strategic business planning. Additionally, the report provides a list of major market players active in the Global Cloud IT Service Management Industry. These market players are Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Axios Systems, BMC Software, Citrix Systems, ServiceNow, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), ManageEngine, CA Technologies, Micro Focus, Microsoft Corporation, and others. A summary of each market player is presented, and newest advances are highlighted. These insights help in determining the strength of competition and take necessary steps to obtain a dominant position in the industry. The study also explains the factors responsible for the rising demand for cloud IT service management during the estimated period. Some of the factors driving the growth of the market include surge in implementation of cloud-based technologies, integration of AI-Enabled tools with ITSM solutions, growth in acceptance of BYOD trend, and rise in mobile workforce. Furthermore, increase in demand among small & medium enterprises is expected to offer rewarding opportunities for the growth of the market in the upcoming years. Get a 10% Discount on Enterprise User License: https://www.bigmarketresearch.com/request-for-discount/3757758 This report is prepared by thoroughly evaluating the industry by market analysts and industry experts. The insights delivered in the report are helpful for market players, stockholders, new entrants, and stakeholders to gain a competitive edge and sustain a leading position in the global cloud IT service management industry. Furthermore, we strive to deliver customized reports to fulfill special requirements of our clients, on demand. About Us: Big Market Research has a range of research reports from various domains across the world. Our database of reports of various market categories and sub-categories would help to find the exact report you may be looking for. Contact Us: Mr. Abhishek Paliwal Big Market Research 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive, #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Direct: +1-971-202-1575 Toll Free: +1-800-910-6452 E-mail [email protected] SOURCE Big Market Research From 1946 to 2016, testimony from economists accounted for more than two thirds of all instances of U.S. congressional testimony delivered by social scientists. Thomas Maher of Purdue University, Indiana, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on March 25, 2020. The U.S. Congress regularly invites stakeholders and experts to speak before lawmakers at congressional hearings as a central component of the legislation process. Social scientists are among those who may be invited to testify (testimonies by social scientists represent about 2% of all congressional testimonies from 1946-2016). However, the impact of their testimony is difficult to ascertain, in large part due to a lack of quantitative data on their appearances before Congress. To address this data gap, Maher and colleagues analyzed the congressional record and compiled a new, publicly available dataset on testimony from social scientists between 1946 and 2016. They categorized social scientists into five major disciplines: economists, political scientists, sociologists, psychologists, and anthropologists. The new dataset revealed 15,506 instances of testimony from social scientists, 10,834 of which were from economists. Testimony from economists occurred more than four times as often as testimony from political scientists, and more than 10 times as often as testimony from sociologists. Anthropologists had the lowest rate of testimony. The researchers also examined the organizations represented by social scientists who delivered congressional testimony. Over the study period, they found an increase in the proportion of testimony from social scientists--especially political scientists--who represent think tanks, as opposed to academic institutions or other governmental or non-governmental organizations. Additionally, economists are most present at congressional hearings, while anthropologists and sociologists have a declining presence. The new dataset could help inform research into the impact of social scientists' testimony on legislation, and why their testimony is increasingly associated with think tanks. The authors add: Economists are invited to testify before Congress significantly more often than any other social scientist, and their dominance has held even as the sources of expertise have diversified with the growth of think tanks and industry positions. ### Citation: Maher TV, Seguin C, Zhang Y, Davis AP (2020) Social scientists' testimony before Congress in the United States between 1946-2016, trends from a new dataset. PLoS ONE 15(3): e0230104. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230104 Funding: CS University of Arizona CS TM National Science Foundation #1824092 https://www.nsf.gov/ Publication of this article was funded in part by Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0230104 Chemicals giant Ineos has joined the battle against the coronavirus with a new hand sanitizer factory. The British firm will help address shortages of sanitizer by building a plant near Middlesbrough in just ten days, which will then pump out 1m bottles per month. Its move comes as manufacturers and businesses overhaul production and divert resources to tackle shortages of cleaning products and equipment such as ventilators in hospitals. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos's billionaire founder, said: 'Ineos is a company with enormous resources and manufacturing skills Other firms turning their hands to producing sanitizer include Aberdeenshire beer company BrewDog and the British Honey Company, which have repurposed their plants. Manufacturers have also answered the Government's call to produce emergency ventilators for the NHS, with car makers, engineers and medical equipment firms aiming to crank out 5,000 of the devices in the next fortnight. Airbus, GKN, Siemens, Smiths Group, McLaren and Penlon are among those helping with the effort. And Burnley-based Lancashire Textiles, which usually makes duvets, pillows and mattresses, is among firms that have switched some production to making face masks. Foreign firms to have done this include fashion brands Prada, Gucci and Zara. Professor Stephen Roper, of Warwick Business School, said the changes taking place in many sectors because of the pandemic are reminiscent of the Second World War, when manufacturers were ordered by the Government to switch production to planes and tanks. He added: 'In many cases, what we are seeing is firms adapting as part o f survival strategies.' Ineos said it would provide its sanitizer to hospitals for free. It is Europe's largest producer of the key ingredients needed isopropyl alcohol and ethanol at factories in Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, and northern Germany. The company said it expects to build a similar sanitizer factory in Germany after the UK one is completed. It will produce the cleaning gel for personal use as well and supply it to schools, workplaces, pharmacies and supermarkets. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos's billionaire founder, said: 'Ineos is a company with enormous resources and manufacturing skills. 'If we can find other ways to help in the coronavirus battle, we are absolutely committed to playing our part.' Mark Swift, a spokesman for industry group Make UK, said firms were also looking at plans to produce hospital beds and oxygen generators. WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As the days heat up, people tend to report more emotional distress, a new study finds, adding to concerns that global warming could take a growing mental health toll. The study of more than 3 million Americans found that the longer people had to sweat out 80-degree days, the bigger the mental health drain. They were more likely to report problems with depression, stress and emotional control -- especially when the heat stretched to 10 days or more. Anyone who has a short fuse during heat waves might be unsurprised. But researchers said the findings add to evidence that climate change could have a concerning impact on our collective mental well-being. In particular, the study found, hotter days seemed to have a greater effect on people who were already struggling with poorer mental health. "We show that people with poorer mental health are particularly affected by temperature. So they would also be particularly vulnerable under climate change," said lead researcher Mengyao Li. Li, who was a doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia in Athens at the time of the study, and her colleagues reported the findings in the March 25 issue of the journal PLOS ONE. In recent years, studies have examined the mental health fallout of the "extreme weather events" that are expected to become more common with climate change -- from prolonged droughts and wildfires, to hurricanes and floods. In the short term, those disasters typically fuel a spike in mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse. In 2017, the American Psychological Association (APA) published a report on the issue. At that time, studies indicated that anywhere from 7% to 40% of natural disaster survivors develop some sort of mental health pathology. Susan Clayton, a professor of psychology at the College of Wooster in Ohio, was an author of the APA report. As it stands, she said, there is far more research on the physical health effects of climate change and its manifestations, like heat waves. But there is growing interest in the mental health consequences, Clayton said. Why would hot days take a toll? Research suggests that heat exposure can increase aggressive behavior in some people, Clayton said. Plus, she added, it may affect moods more indirectly -- through poorer sleep, for example, or by keeping people indoors. "People may be less likely to go outside, and time outdoors is good for your mental well-being," Clayton said. "And they may get less exercise, which also benefits your mental health." For the study, Li's team used data from an ongoing government health survey, for the years 1993 to 2010. It gauged people's mental well-being with this question: "Thinking about your mental health, which includes stress, depression and problems with emotions, for how many days during the past 30 days was your mental health not good?" Researchers correlated those responses with daily temperature data for U.S. counties. Compared with a "comfortable" temperature range of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, people's ratings of their mental health declined as the days heated up -- particularly beyond 80 degrees and when the heat lasted for 10 days or more, the study found. On average, for each additional day above 80 degrees, the likelihood of reporting a bad mental health day in the past month rose by 0.3%. In contrast, those odds dipped when temperatures dropped below 20 degrees. Of course, individuals vary in whether they are vulnerable to heat stress, Li said. And the researchers found that people who reported "frequent" mental distress were more likely to report heat-related problems. It's also likely that income and resources -- like access to air-conditioning -- matter, according to Li. "That's something we believe deserves more investigation," she said. Clayton said that while broad efforts are needed to address climate change, it's also important to recognize that individuals can be "resilient." "This doesn't mean we're all doomed to have poor mental health," she said. "It's a reminder that we need to be prepared." That might mean, for instance, communities ensuring air-conditioned public spaces for people who need them, which can lessen the physical health threats from heat waves, Clayton said, adding that the mental health benefits are unknown. She also recommended checking up on others during heat waves, especially the elderly or other vulnerable people. "Social connections are a good source of resilience," Clayton said. More information Yale University has more on climate change and mental health. The spikes that adorn the outer surface of the coronavirus, which impart the look of a corona, when viewed through an electron microscope. CDC photo Deal extends distribution of Efinix's platform and products via ViMOS' Line card across Europe SANTA CLARA, Calif. and MUNICH, Germany, March 25, 2020, an innovator in programmable product platforms and technologies, and ViMOS Technologies , an innovative semiconductor distributor, today announced a partnership to distribute Efinix's Trion FPGA silicon platform to local customers in regional markets across Central Europe. "ViMOS' deep technical know-how and extensive experience designing and delivering innovative solutions for customers is a perfect match to extend our Trion FPGA silicon platform into European markets," said Harald Werner, European sales director at Efinix, who recently joined the company to increase its focus on Europe. ViMOS' focus is on PMIC (Power Management ICs), communication circuits (DVB, GPS + antennas) and interfacing ICs (MIPI, HDMI, DP, LVDS). Now, including the Efinix Product line, the partnership will extend ViMOS' active Line card not only in the imaging area, but also applications in the industrial, automotive and telecom sectors for European customers . "Our focus is on offering innovative solutions to customers," said Axel Krepil, managing director of ViMOS Technologies. "Efinix's Trion FPGA Platform driving the future of edge computing is an exciting new technology with small form factor, lower power, and priced for high-volume production, for our semiconductor experts to do just that." Efinix's products, with its disruptive Quantum technology at its heart, are immediately available to ViMOS customers delivering a 4X Power-Performance-Area advantage over traditional FPGA technologies. About Efinix Efinix, an innovator in programmable products, drives the future of edge AI computing with its Trion FPGA platform. At the Trion FPGA's core is Efinix's disruptive Quantum FPGA technology which delivers a 4X Power-Performance-Area advantage over traditional FPGA technologies. Trion FPGAs, offering 4K to 200K logic elements, have a small form-factor, low-power, and are priced for high-volume production. Our Efinity Integrated Development Environment provides a complete FPGA design suite from RTL to bitstream. With their Power-Performance-Area advantage, Trion FPGAs address applications such as custom logic, compute acceleration, machine learning and deep learning. Through Efinity, our customers can seamlessly migrate FPGA or full system into Quantum ASIC for ultra-high-volume production. For more information: http://www.efinixinc.com . About ViMOS Technologies ViMOS Technologies GmbH, based in Munich/Germany is an innovative semiconductor distributor offering deep technical know-how, own IP and support including worldwide supply, logistics and production services. ViMOS' expertise and business concept is the smart combination of technical know-how, product portfolio and logistics of its established shareholders FRAMOS. Contacts: Steve Stratz Efinix 206.300.913 steve@relevanzpr.com Joachim Hueggenberg ViMOS Technologies GmbH +49-89-710667-600 j.hueggenberg@vimos-technologies.com ULSTER Bank is to temporarily close a number of branches, with others to shut on Saturdays for the duration of the crisis. It comes as the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) said the industry is aiming to increase the contactless payment limit from 30 to 50 by April 1. Ulster Bank said 10 non-cash, advice centres will close temporarily with effect from this Friday. All Saturday openings are to temporarily cease, effective immediately. This involves 29 locations, nine of which are advice centres. The mobile bank on wheels service is to temporarily cease. Read More Also announced was that priority would be given to older and vulnerable customers in branches up to 11am each day. The bank said an online form for customers requesting a mortgage payment break has also been introduced to its website to speed up this process for customers . It comes days after Bank of Ireland said it is temporarily closing 101 branches, while 161 will remain open. The bank said it had seen a reduction in footfall in its branches, while it was seeing an increase in customers needing a different range of supports. The bank said the changes would allow staff from closed branches to support the banks bigger branches and help in contact centres. Bank of Ireland has announced a new service to help customers self-isolating during the Covid-19 pandemic to access cash without breaking their quarantine. The service is also available for older and vulnerable customers who need to buy groceries, newspapers and other day-to-day expenses. Customers who are already self-isolating, or who may need to during the pandemic, can nominate someone else to make in-branch cash withdrawals and lodgements on their behalf. The bank insisted there will be built-in safeguards, such as limits on withdrawals and daily monitoring by Bank of Irelands dedicated Vulnerable Customer Unit. Meanwhile, the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland said that several parties including banks, retailers and technology companies are working closely together on the rollout of the increased contactless payment limit. Head of payment schemes at the banking body Gill Murphy said the roll-out is well underway and the banks are working in collaboration with all the various parties, to make sure the new limit is available across all retail outlets by April 1. Lishui district in Nanjing, the capital of eastern Chinas Jiangsu province, announced on March 24 a package of policies intended to support high-quality development in the manufacturing industry, including large amounts of financial support and Nanjings first-ever systematic policies pertaining to the development of entrepreneurs. Zhang Yun, the mayor of the Lishui district discloses the policies. (Photo/People's Daily Online) At the beginning of this month, the committee for deepening overall reform under the Communist Party of China (CPC) Nanjing Municipal Committee approved the general plan for a high-quality manufacturing development pilot zone in Lishui, which is the citys only pilot zone targeting high-quality development of manufacturing industry. Meanwhile, the committee specified 21 supportive measures to facilitate the construction and development of the pilot zone. The 21 supportive measures cover institutional and mechanism innovation, better guarantee for essential production factors, and greater efforts in reform, Zhang Yun, the mayor of the Lishui district disclosed on March 24 at a conference regarding the promotion of construction related to a high-quality manufacturing development pilot zone in Lishui. A municipal-level coordination and promotion mechanism will be established to facilitate the efforts of Lishui to build national-level and provincial-level pilot zones. Moreover, they will make preparations for the establishment of a provincial-level manufacturing innovation center. Upon which they will carry out trials to promote interactive innovation with free trade zones. During this process, they will also hold major conventions and exhibitions, according to Zhang. Land use for major provincial and municipal-level projects will be guaranteed through independent planning or other ways of targeted supplying, Zhang disclosed, adding that companies outside the urban development boundary are allowed to transform their existing factory buildings in accordance with the law. Nanjing will encourage the establishment of sub-funds for district-level industries, ensure favorable quota of new bonds, and mobilize financial institutions to intensify support for relevant companies and projects, Zhang said. The city will also make efforts to deepen reform of planned land utilization, including unification of approvals and certificates. It will also support Lishui in promoting reform of such fields as regional estimation, mechanisms to allow for and rectify errors, as well as a credit commitment system on a trial basis. Morover, the city is pushing forward initiatives related to data sharing and synergetic handling of relevant affairs, according to Zhang. Besides municipal-level measures, Lishui district has also rolled out 10 policies supporting high-quality development of the manufacturing industry at the same time. The district announced a financial incentive of up to 340 million yuan (about $48.1 million) for achievements of enterprises in such areas as introducing major projects, promoting interactive development of industries, green development, innovation, digital transformation, and expanding enterprise scale. Our policies show our creativity and sincerity in making efforts to think from the perspective of manufacturing enterprises and work together with them, Zhang said. Zhang disclosed that Lishui district will provide subsidies worth up to 100 million yuan for enterprises that introduce top experts and realize industrialization of research findings, financial rewards worth up to 30 million yuan for enterprises that build manufacturing innovation centers at or above provincial level, and financial incentives and subsidies worth up to 30 million yuan for new-type municipal-level and above R&D institutions newly settled in the district. The district government will also offer financial rewards worth up to 10 million yuan to foreign-invested enterprises established for introduction of major projects, large-scale centrally-administered state-owned enterprises, gazelle companies, Fortune Global 500 companies, unicorn companies,, companies making initiative public offerings (IPO) on either the domestic main board and/or science and technology innovation board, and companies making IPOs on major overseas stock markets. To better meet the needs of entrepreneurs, Lishui district has also introduced a set of 10 systematic policies pertaining to the development of entrepreneurs, which is the first of its kind in the city. The policies include a positive list and a negative list for exchanges between officials and business people, encouraging government officials at various levels to support enterprises and give the greatest trust to entrepreneurs while ensuring earnest implementation of oversight conducted through the random selection of both inspectors and inspection targets and the prompt release of results. Honest and law-abiding enterprises shall be exempted from inspection and given certain tolerance to errors, according to the policies, which stipulate that these companies can be exempted from punishment when making initial errors but will be inspected strictly if they make mistakes again. In addition, a series of incentive measures have also been adopted by the district to ensure sound guarantee for the livelihoods of entrepreneurs. According to the district government, all the A-class entrepreneurs in the district can enjoy a free high standard physical examination once a year, and enjoy green channel for medical treatment. Also, children of A-class and B-class entrepreneurs can be given the priority in terms of their likelihood of getting to study in superior schools; all the outstanding entrepreneurs can enjoy value-added services of a green-travel card and be invited to take part in major events and activities including competitions as well as festival celebrations; and all the entrepreneurs of the district can enjoy considerate services from a dedicated local organization for entrepreneurs. LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Persimmon Plc. (PSN.L) said that its board remains confident of the Group's future prospects. The company has decided to cancel the proposed 125 pence per share interim dividend and postpone the proposed annual, final dividend payment of 110 pence per share on 6 July 2020. It will reassess it later in the calendar year when the effects of the coronavirus will be clearer. The company will close all of its sales offices from Thursday 26 March until further notice. All Persimmon regional offices will also close, with only a skeleton staff to facilitate the wider workforce working from home. Persimmon entered this period of uncertainty with a robust operational performance in the year to date and a strong forward order book. Despite this encouraging start to the financial year we are preparing for a significant delay in the timing of legal completions, a rise in cancellation rates and a material slowdown in new sales, the extent and duration of which is uncertain. The Board believes that conserving cash and maximising financial flexibility is in the long term best interests of the business and all its stakeholders, citing the current uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 virus and its operational impact on UK economic activity. The Company's AGM is due to be held on Wednesday 29 April 2020. In light of the Government's and Public Health England's advice, the Board has taken the decision to move the location of the AGM to the Company's Head Office at Persimmon House, Fulford, York, YO19 4FE. The company said it is unable to provide financial guidance for the financial year 2020, due to continued uncertainty around economic and business activity. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Scientists have provided a ray of hope in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, saying that when a vaccine is eventually available, it would likely provide long-term protection. Depending on how quickly a virus mutates, some vaccines have to be regularly updated, such a flu vaccines that have to be administered every year. Other vaccines, such as for measles and chickenpox, provide protection for decades, or even a lifetime. On Monday, Peter Thielen, a biologist with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, said that it appears coronavirus mutates slowly, more like measles and chickenpox than the flu. Peter Thielen (front), a biologist with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, said that it appears coronavirus mutates slowly, more like measles and chickenpox than the flu This electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health shows SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 'When this virus was first sequenced in China, that information was helpful in starting the process to develop a vaccine,' Thielen explained in a statement. 'What we're doing informs whether or not the virus is mutating away from that original sequence, and how quickly,' he continued, describing his experiments to sequence the genome of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. 'Based on the mutation rate, early data indicates that this would likely be a single vaccine rather than one that needs to be updated each year, like the flu shot,' he said. Two other virologists, Stanley Perlman of the University of Iowa and Benjamin Neuman of Texas A&M University at Texarkana, told the Washington Post that the virus appears relatively stable. 'The virus has not mutated to any significant extent,' Perlman said. 'Just one 'pretty bad' strain for everybody so far. If it's still around in a year, by that point we might have some diversity,' Neuman said. Peter Thielen, front, and Tom Mehoke, biologists from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory prepare a hand-held DNA sequencer at the molecular diagnostics laboratory Heba Mostafa, Assistant Professor of Pathology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, joins APL biologists Tom Mehoke, left, and Peter Thielen as the team initiates a sequencing of the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus Studying mutations in the virus can also help scientists determine how long the virus may have gone undetected in an area, and can advise on what measures to put in place, such as the social-distancing efforts. Experts say that the earliest a vaccine for coronavirus could be widely available is a year to 18 months. Although vaccine trials are underway in the U.S., UK and elsewhere, time is needed to prove the shots safe and effective before they are rolled out to millions. However, on Tuesday the Food and Drug Administration approved the first treatment in the US for the coronavirus that has infected more than 50,000 Americans: blood plasma from people who have cleared the infection. Blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients is rich in antibodies their immune system has developed to fight the infection. Blood plasma donated from recovered patients can now be used as a treatment for people critically ill with COVID-19, the FDA said Tuesday. The method is already used in China, where recovered people like Dr Yong Yuefeng (pictured) have given plasma to treat others China began using the century-old method to treat its patients last month, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that plasma would be tested there to treat the sickest of the state's more than 25,000 coronavirus patients. The treatment may be the best hope for critically ill COVID-19 patients while scientists work to develop new, specific treatments for the disease and test experimental drugs like chloroquine and remdesivir. The treatment was used to fight off flu and measles outbreaks in the days before vaccines, and tried more recently against SARS and Ebola and it just might work for COVID-19, too. Doctors in China attempted the first COVID-19 treatments using what the history books call 'convalescent serum' - today, known as donated plasma -from survivors of the new virus. Now a network of US hospitals that has been waiting on permission from the Food and Drug Administration to begin large studies of the infusions both as a possible treatment for the sick and as vaccine-like temporary protection for people at high risk of infection will be able to begin administering it. There's no guarantee it will work. The Nigerian Senate has suspended plenary for two weeks as part of preventive measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The lawmakers are expected to resume seating on April 7th. The Upper Chamber urged the Federal Government to devote special funds to fight the dreaded disease. By Associated Press ANKARA: Turkish prosecutors have filed an indictment against 20 Saudi nationals over the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Turkish media reports said Wednesday. The private DHA news agency said the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office completed its investigation into the killing and charged 18 Saudi nationals with deliberate murder and two others with instigating murder. Other details of the indictment were not immediately available. All suspects in the killing have left Turkey and Saudi Arabia has put 11 people on trial over the murder. Khashoggi's grisly slaying by Saudi agents in the kingdom's Consulate in Istanbul drew international condemnation and cast a cloud of suspicion over Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi, who was a resident of the U.S., had walked into his country's consulate on Oct. 2, 2018, for an appointment to pick up documents that would allow him to marry. He never walked out, and his body has not been found. A team of 15 Saudi agents had flown to Turkey to meet Khashoggi inside the consulate. They included a forensic doctor, intelligence and security officers and individuals who worked for the crown prince's office, according to Callamard's independent investigation. Turkish officials allege Khashoggi was killed and then dismembered with a bone saw. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 19:59:37|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ABUJA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday tested negative for the COVID-19, according to his spokesman. Some of Osinbajo's closest aides who were tested had also proved negative, as fears had heightened over the vice president's status. The vice president had been in self-isolation since the beginning of the week in accordance with the Nigeria Center for Disease Control protocol after he came in contact with another senior official and a governor who earlier tested positive for the COVID-19. "I have been inundated with calls on whether indeed the vice president had undergone a COVID-19 test and the outcome. Yes, he has done the test and the result is negative," Laolu Akande, the vice president's spokesman told State House reporters in Abuja. On Monday, the Nigerian vice president engaged in a teleconference whilst discharging his duties. While in self-isolation on Tuesday, he worked from the official residence's office, Akande said in a separate statement. A bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh, which conducted the hearing through video conferencing, asked the authorities to expeditiously provide students basic amenities and humanitarian assistance New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to ensure welfare and safety of Indian students stranded at Almaty Airport in Kazakhstan for the past two to three days without food and medical aid due to coronavirus pandemic. A bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh, which conducted the hearing through video conferencing, asked the authorities to expeditiously provide students basic amenities and humanitarian assistance in terms of food, medical care, lodging and transportation, as may be necessary. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak The court was informed that several Indian students, who are enrolled for higher studies, including MBBS, at Semey Medical University in Kazakhstan are stranded including at the Almaty Airport without food, water, transportation and medical aid. Mumbai, March 25 : Popular radio personality Malishka, who is also called Mumbai ki Rani, will go live with a string of Bollywood celebrities on social media amid the 21-day lockdown. She will be going live on Instagram with the celebrities -- who will come be on video call with the RJ. Malishka told IANS: "Anything from what you wanted to be as a kid to what you are doing right now. What canyon see outside your window? Who's is shopping for you? Just very in the hour questions as to what has this endemic taught you?... And a few things the listeners ask... This is going to be like 'tu meri dost hai' kind of chat..." According to the RJ, stars who are expected to come on live include names like Vidya Balan, Kriti Sanon, Shirley Sethia among many others. She said: "I started with Adah Khan, I spoke to Kriti Sanon and asked Arjun Kapoor. Vidya Balan is on today. Several others are lined up like Shirley Sethia on Friday..." The family of a seven-year-old girl who was stabbed to death in a park have paid tribute to their 'beautiful' daughter who was 'full of joy, love and laughter'. Tragic Emily Jones was murdered in a 'random and unprovoked' attack in Bolton on Sunday afternoon as she enjoyed a day out with her parents. The seven-year-old sustained 'horrendous injuries' - believed to be to her neck - and died a short time later despite the 'best efforts' of her family and paramedics. A 30-year-old woman, who was not known to the family, was arrested on suspicion of murder and has since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act. She remains in a highly secure facility, police said. Today, her 'beyond devastated' parents described their only daughter as a 'social butterfly' who had a 'passion for the outdoors'. Emergency services attended and found that a young girl - who has since been formally identified as 7-year-old Emily Jones (pictured) - had been attacked by a woman with a knife The child was attacked in front of her parents while she was out in Queen's Park in Bolton 'enjoying the spring sun' with her family on Mother's Day (pictured, the scene) Paying tribute to Emily, her parents said: 'Emily was seven-years-old, our only child and the light of our lives. 'She was always full of joy, love and laughter. 'Emily had such a cheeky smile and was beautiful inside and out. She had a heart as big as her smile.' They added: 'Emily was never happier than when she was spending time with her family and friends, she was our own little social butterfly. 'Emily had a passion for the outdoors and loved to play any sport, even when she was wearing her pink sparkly dresses. 'We are beyond devastated that this random act of violence means that we will never get to see our beautiful little girl grow up into the wonderful young lady she was showing such promise of becoming. 'It is truly heart breaking to wake up to a world without Emily in it and we cannot comprehend why this has happened. 'We would like to thank the members of the public that assisted us in the park and express our gratitude to the emergency services for doing their upmost to save Emily's life. 'Thank you to everyone for their kind messages of support and for continuing to respect our privacy at this difficult time.' Pictured: Police parked at a cordoned-off entrance to Queen's Park, Bolton where a seven-year-old girl died on Sunday after being stabbed An Air Ambulance arrives at Queen's Park in Bolton after a seven-year-old girl was stabbed Police were called to Queen's Park in Bolton, Greater Manchester, following reports that a child had been stabbed shortly before 2.35pm on Sunday. Emergency services attended and found that Emily had been attacked by a woman with a knife. She tragically died a short while later despite the best efforts of her family and medical responders. A cordon had remained in place at the 22-acre park while specialist officers carried out investigations at the scene. The cordon has now been lifted and the park has been closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Chief Superintendent Stuart Ellison of Greater Manchester Police said: 'There are no words that can express how tragic the incident was. 'An innocent seven-year-old girl lost her life in such a cruel way and our family liaison officers are doing their upmost to support her family. 'Queen's Park has now been closed in line with Government advice concerning the country's response to coronavirus. 'The police cordon has been lifted but there will continue to be a heavy police presence in the area throughout the coming days. 'We understand that a number of people witnessed this horrific incident. 'If you or anyone you know has been affected by what happened, we have ensured that specialist support is available via Bolton Council. Detectives are continuing to appeal for information. Restrictions on movement imposed in Kashmir to prevent the spread of coronavirus were tightened on Wednesday and strict action initiated against violaters, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of a 21-day nationwide lockdown, officials said. Security forces sealed off several roads and erected barriers across the Valley to enforce the lockdown, they said. Police vehicles fitted with public address systems went around the residential areas late Tuesday as well as on Wednesday morning, announcing the imposition of restrictions under section 144 of CrPC and advising people to stay indoors, the officials said. Police also used drones in some parts of the city to announce the restrictions, they added. While the prime minister announced the country-wide lock down on Tuesday evening, the Union territory administration here had on Sunday imposed a similar restriction till March 31 as part of its efforts to combat coronavirus. The administration said essential services, including healthcare, were exempted from the purview of the restrictions. It asked people to cooperate with it and warned of action against any violation of the prohibitory orders. Forty-nine people were arrested in Srinagar, Sopore, Handwara and Anantnag areas of the Valley for violating the prohibitory orders on Monday, while 45 were arrested in Ganderbal and Kupwara districts on Tuesday. More than 1,800 residents of Kashmir, who have arrived from various countries, have been placed under quarantine at makeshift facilities. The authorities have appealed to people coming from outside to approach health officials and not conceal their travel history. Meanwhile, markets across the Valley were shut and public transport was off the roads. Only pharmacies and groceries were allowed to operate, the officials said. Train services stand suspended till March 31. Educational institutions across Kashmir and all public places, including gymnasiums, parks, clubs and restaurants, have closed. The restrictions were initially imposed in many parts of the Valley last Thursday after a 67-year-old woman from Khanyar area of the city, who had returned on March 16 from Saudi Arabia, tested positive for COVID-19 infection. The number of positive cases in the Valley stands at four. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: It was at 9 pm after observing the Janata Curfew called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to curb the coronavirus pandemic when Rameshwori, 25, stepped out of her house in North Delhi's Vijaynagar to get some groceries. Fearing imminent lockdown, she and two of her friends had decided to stock up on some essentials for the coming week. Little did she know that the short, everyday trip would become one of the most traumatic ones of her life. He was on a white Scooty and probably chewing paan. As he whizzed past me, he spat the paan on my face and shouted corona, Rameshwori recalled. An MPhil student of Delhi University's Department of English, Rameshwori had been living in Delhi for over seven years and had never experienced anything like it before. It was quite a deliberate attack. He slowed down near me, spat at my face, called me corona and left. I was too shocked to react, she said. After the incident, Rameswori called Delhi Polices northeast helpline and filed a complaint that very night. It took her four hours to convince the cops that she had been attacked. An FIR was registered under Section 509 of the IPC that punishes acts aimed at harming the modesty of a woman. But he didnt just spit on me because Im a woman. I was attacked because Im a north-eastern woman from Manipur with Mongoloid features, she said. A virus far more menacing Ever since COVID-19 broke out of Chinas Wuhan and spread across the world at stunning speed, Asians, especially people with distinct Mongoloid features, have come under repeated racially driven attacks. While Asians across the world faced the brunt of it, people from the northeastern states of India were not spared even back at home. On Friday, Anna* from Manipur was on her way to Sarojini Nagar in Delhi market with her friends to return some items. She was called gandi virus (dirty virus) by a group of men passing her. Speaking to News18, her sister Linda* said that such comments were not at all unusual post the coronavirus outbreak. "When we try to take autos, the drivers ask us whether we are from China and if we have the virus. We have to convince them that we are Indians to be allowed to ride," Linda, who works as a nurse at a local hospital, said. With an increasing number of racist attacks on people from the northeast, many find traveling in public transport a challenge. Last week, Rachungailiu Gonmei, a Masters' student at Hans Raj College, was on her way back home after filing for her examination form when she took a shared e-rickshaw as she had done for years. But this time, no one wanted to get inside the e-rickshaw, which is usually shared by at least seven people including the driver. Gonmei claimed that people covered their mouths and sat on the next rickshaw. After 15-20 minutes, the student of literature had to book the entire rickshaw privately for herself to get the driver to move. It may be indirect or subtle but it still counts as racism, she said. Gonmei noted that it wasnt just strangers who turned hostile but also people whom she had known for years including friends. I definitely have felt changes. Its always been difficult dealing with racism but with the virus outbreak, people have been more insensitive and ignorant, she added. Just an excuse According to Mercy Thiemneihtai, who works as a manager at a medical clinic in Mumbai and has lived in the city for seven years, the virus has just given Indians an excuse to express their latent racism. Mercy was pushed by two boys who pointed at her and called her corona while she was on her way to Oshiwara Market. Mercy narrated how her 22-year-old sister who had just moved to Mumbai from Manipur had been heckled by a group of children in her housing complex. They pointed at her and called her Chinese virus and corona while they laughed. Children are supposed to be innocent. But my sister saw hate in their eyes. Its hard to imagine what their parents must be like and what they must be saying about people from the northeast at home, Marcy added. Physical and verbal racism aside, coronavirus has also brought a spike in online racism. Activist and former General Secretary of the National Students Union of India was told to go to Wuhan on social media on Janata Curfew Day. Wuhan, of course. Madhur (@ThePlacardGuy) March 22, 2020 Out of India Since those like you have become a minority here. Trust you understood that Modi is a leader people trust, respect and listen to. KavitaM (@Kavita_M57) March 22, 2020 She was also abused after she criticized the governments handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Aribam, who filed a complaint with Delhi Polices Cyber Cell, said that the hate was neither new and indeed was quite institutionalized. Remember when Kiran Bedi tweeted that racist image of Chinese people in a cage? she asked. How incredibly irresponsible and divisive of you. Sandhya (@TheRestlessQuil) March 19, 2020 When images like these are normalized and the virus is termed as Chinese virus instead of its WHO given name, communities who have always been targeted as Chinese are at the receiving end of such racism, she said. No laws against racism Ever since the murder of Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh in Delhis Lajpat Nagar where he was beaten to death by seven men in 2014, the safety of the people from the northeast has been a burning issue. At the time, the killing made news and led to several protests. But Aribam felt that tackling racism needed more than just political gesturing. Many who spoke to News18 to report incidents of harassment claimed that they wished there was a specific law for racism that they could report such instances to. As in the case of Rameshwori, many of these instances of racism failed to get noted as such due to the lack of specific laws. Tania's killing in 2014 had led to widespread demand for anti-racial discrimination law. "While the current Indian Penal Code has provisions for crimes committed against an SC /ST individual, no safeguard is in place for OBCs or those not bracketed under similar categories," Aribam told News18. After the murder of Tania, a committee was formed to look into the atrocities and discrimination of people from the northeast face. "We are still waiting for recommendations of the Bezbaruah Committee to be implemented, Aribam said, blaming a lack of political will for the apathy. Alana Golmei, who is the founder of the North East Support Centre & Helpline, recently wrote an open letter to the General Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Northeast Division about the growing instances of racism in the wake of coronavirus. I was myself called a coronavirus by a staff member at the NCERT office in Delhi last month, she said. Golmei, who is a member of the Monitoring Committee set up in 2008 by the MHA to look into cases of racial discrimination and abuse, felt that such incidents needed to condemned with a strict institutional response. These are students living away from home. The government, Golmei felt, needed to be all the more cautious to their needs and grievances. When youth get attacked in outside states, they go back home with bad memories. It impacts their mental health and may end up adding to already existing political tension in their home states, Golmei noted, adding that politicians needed to understand the impact such incidents had on the ideal of a unified nation. Following the attack on Rameshwori in Vijaynagar, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to condemn the incident. "Am shocked to read this. Delhi Police must find the culprit and take strict action. We need to be united as a nation, especially in our fight against Covid-19," he tweeted. Meanwhile, back at her home in Vijaynagar, Rameshwori cant help but worry about her health. The dirty paan spit went right into my eye. I washed my eyes as soon as I could, but what if that man had coronavirus? Doesnt the virus spread through the eye? Rameshwori has so far been unable to get herself tested, leaving her uncertain and feeling unsafe. As she put it, COVID-19 wasnt the only virulent virus that worried her. *Some names have been changed to protect the identity of the victims upon their request. Gunmen and suicide bombers raided a Sikh religious complex in the Afghan capital of Kabul on March 25, killing 25 people before security forces killed all of the attackers, the government said. The ISIS terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. Sikhs have been the target of attack by radical Islamic terrorists before in South Asia. Their community in Afghanistan numbers fewer than 300 families. Several hours after the early morning attack was launched, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said an operation by the security forces was over and all of the attackers had been killed. He did not say how many. The ministry said 25 people who had been in the religious compound had been killed, eight wounded, and 80 rescued. Narender Singh Khalsa, a member of parliament who represents the tiny Sikh community, said he had had reports that up to 200 people had been trapped in the temple during the attack. Three suicide bombers entered a dharamsala, he said, referring to a sanctuary area in a temple compound. The gunmen started their attack at a time when the dharamsala was full of worshippers. Outside, families gathered and women cried as they waited to find out the fate of their relatives. In the late 1980s, there were about 500,000 Sikhs scattered across Afghanistan, many from families that had been there for generations, but most fled after years of civil war and the rise of the Taliban. A Taliban spokesman, in a message on Twitter, denied responsibility for the attack. Human rights activists and countries including the United States, India, and Pakistan condemned the attack. We are shocked and disheartened the authorities have a responsibility to protect minorities and their places of worship in Afghanistan, Amnesty International South Asia said on Twitter. In 2018, a suicide bombing targeting the Sikh community and claimed by ISIS killed more than a dozen people in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad. The United States last month struck a deal with the Taliban on the withdrawal of U.S.-led international troops but the agreement does not include ISIS terrorists. The attack comes a day after the United States said it would cut aid to the government by $1 billion over frustrations that feuding political leaders could not reach agreement and form a team to negotiate with the Taliban. An official with Afghanistans NATO mission said the response to the attack had been led and executed by Afghan forces but they had received some advice and assistance from NATO. By Abdul Qadir Sediqi and Orooj Hakimi Coronavirus India lockdown day 1: Health Ministry confirms 562 cases out of which 512 are active as 40 people are cured with 9 deaths. Get Coronavirus India update, COVID-19 Coronavirus India case and death news today, Coronavirus India lockdown day 1, Coronavirus India update, COVID-19 Coronavirus India case and death news today: The total number of positive cases of COVID-19 in India has now reached 562 with nine deaths and more than 40 people are cured of the virus as per the Health Ministry. Some hours back, the first case from North East has also been reported with over 40 more cases from various parts of the country like Manipur, Punjab, Telangana, Maharastra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Karnataka. For now, Kerala is the worst affected state as its cases have now crossed 109 and the police are also taking strict action on the movement of people, who are not exempted. The second most affected state is Maharastra as the number of cases has now reached 116. Jayanti Ravi from Gujarat Heath, Family Welfare revealed that 38 new cases are reported from Gujarat and 147 people are arrested for not following government orders. Moreover, to stop the transmission of the virus, Narendra Modi also announced a complete lockdown in the entire country for the next 21 days some hours back. Though in his second address, Modi also announced that there will not be any shortage of essential commodities in this lockdown, the people were still seen scrambling for essential commodities on the first day of lockdown. Also Read: COVID-19 Exclusive: Dr Mukul Chandra Kapoor says implementing lessons learned from other countries Number of #COVID19 cases in India rises to 562(including 40 cured/discharged and 9 deaths): Union Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/eZamEOaDJQ ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 Current count of #COVID19 patients in Maharashtra is 116. In Sangli 5 people from one family are identified as positive due to contacts & 4 people from Mumbai are identified as positive due to travel history or contacts: Rajesh Tope, Maharashtra Heath Minister (File pic) pic.twitter.com/GTyqSAnAlS ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 Three new #Coronavirus positive cases have been reported in Gujarat. 38 positive cases reported till date. FIR has been registered against 147 people for breaking home quarantine: Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary, Gujarat Health and Family Welfare Department pic.twitter.com/FRWg9aBEQS ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 Further, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also mentioned about the people lining up at grocery shops for availing services and urged people not to overcrowd places and requested not to practice panic buying. He then appealed to people that the government will make sure that there will be no shortage of goods. Also Read: Coronavirus: PM Narendra Modi launches 21-day lockdown from midnight March 25 Arvind Kejriwal also said that he will issue passes for all those vendors providing these essential commodities. Indian Council of Medical Research revealed that home quarantine is the only way to reduce the number of growing cases by 62% and to flatten the curve. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal: We will issues passes for those providing essential services, E-passes will be provided to those who need to open their shops and factories for these services https://t.co/VOaYgGbLnT ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 For all the latest National News, download NewsX App The United States said Wednesday it has urged Saudi Arabia to "reassure" oil and financial markets as the world grapples with a coronavirus pandemic that has paralyzed major economies. The appeal was made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a telephone conversation Tuesday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the State Department said. Oil prices have plunged as economies grind to a halt due to the pandemic. But the decline has also been fueled by a price war between the Saudis and Russia. President Donald Trump, who is seeking re-election in November, has welcomed lower gasoline prices for US consumers but the United States is also worried about its shale oil producers. "The Secretary stressed that as a leader of the G20 and an important energy leader, Saudi Arabia has a real opportunity to rise to the occasion and reassure global energy and financial markets when the world faces serious economic uncertainty," the department said in a statement. "We agreed all countries need to work together to contain the pandemic and stabilize energy markets," Pompeo himself tweeted Wednesday. On Thursday, Saudi Arabia is hosting a virtual summit of G20 leaders on the health crisis sweeping the world because of the coronavirus. Search Keywords: Short link: (CNN) -- World Health Organization officials warned during a news briefing in Geneva on Wednesday that globally there is a "significant shortage" of medical supplies, including personal protective gear or PPE. This issue is something that officials said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will be bringing up at the G20 summit on Thursday. "We need to be clear: The world is facing a significant shortage of PPE for our frontline workers including masks and gloves and gowns and face shields and protecting our health care workers must be the top priority for use of this PPE," Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO infectious disease epidemiologist, said during Wednesday's briefing. All elements of the supply chain appear to be under "extreme strain," Dr. Mike Ryan, WHO executive director of the health emergencies program, said during the briefing. "There are problems in the supply chain all along that chain. The simple issue is demand," Ryan said. "There are shortages of PPE, shortages of ventilators and other products for the medical response to Covid. We also have to avoid shortages in other medical supplies, as supply chains come under strain." For the past six days, Ayomuddin Kamolov has slept on the tiled floor of a Moscow airport, hoping to get a flight to his native Tajikistan. He is one of hundreds of Central Asian migrant workers stranded in the Russian capital's airports after borders were sealed and flights grounded to contain the coronavirus pandemic. "My flight was cancelled and the company promised me a hotel. But in the end I got nothing," Kamolov told AFP in a busy terminal at Vnukovo, one of the three main airports serving Moscow. Despite overcrowding and poor hygienic conditions, none of those waiting for up to several days had received disinfectant gel or surgical masks to protect against COVID-19, the 29-year-old said. No medical checks were carried out either, he added. Hundreds of thousands of men and women from ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia live in Russia where they often work low paid jobs to escape unemployment and feed families back home / AFP Hundreds of thousands of men and women from ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia live in Russia where they often work low paid jobs to escape unemployment and feed families back home. But hundreds are stranded after Uzbekistan and Tajikistan grounded nearly all incoming flights as part of dramatic measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus. On Tuesday, 100 Tajik citizens at Vnukovo were stretched out on foam mats between baggage carts loaded with plastic-wrapped suitcases and crates of bottled water. Return flights were leaving sporadically and the price of some seats had nearly tripled. Trains from Russia to Central Asian countries have been suspended too. "We are waiting for the nightmare to end," said Sakhib Narzullaev, a 21-year-old student hoping to return to the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe. Some of the travellers have been stuck for days / AFP Over the four days he has been waiting, he helped distribute food and water among the other hopeful passengers, he told AFP. Beyond a row of check-in counters, 50 people were waiting for a flight to Uzbekistan. One of them, 21-year-old Ikbol who works for a food delivery service in Moscow, had been at Vnukovo for six days. "I decided to come back because restaurants are closing and I had fewer and fewer orders. Also my parents are worried about me because of the virus," he said, speaking through a mask. Ikbol said that he will have to sit through a compulsory two-week quarantine on arrival, a precaution authorities both Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have imposed. - Unpaid salaries - Adding to the congestion at Moscow's airports, the travel restrictions have coincided with spring celebrations in Central Asia when many migrant workers return home after labouring through the winter. Similar scenes have reportedly played out in Ekaterinburg in the Urals, where hundreds of Kyrgz citizens were stranded, and at an airport in Siberia's Novosibirsk in Siberia. Russia's civil aviation authority blamed the bottleneck on countries that cut the flights and said they were working to resolve the issue / AFP Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, blamed the bottleneck on countries that cut the flights and said that "steps are being taken" to resolve the issue. To prevent those stranded from overstaying expiring visas, the Russian authorities announced on March 19 they would extend stays for foreigners and not impose fines or penalties. But the mass return of migrant workers from Russia poses a threat to economies in Central Asia reliant on money transfers from family working abroad. Ikbol, the courier from Uzbekistan, said he had not been paid his most recent salary and was worried he wouldn't be paid at all. "Here in Russia, factories are starting to close and we don't know how long it will last," Kamolov said. "What are we going to do if we can no longer feed our families?" Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced that in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak all doctors, paramedical and healthcare staff will be given four months' advance salary for April, May, June and July. "Our doctors, paramedical and healthcare staff are our first line of defence. In the fight against coronavirus, there is no comparison of their service and allegiance as they are working day and night in a difficult situation, leaving everything. The state stands behind the families of health personnel who are doing Yeoman service for the society in the face of COVID-19 pandemic," he told media persons. Patnaik further said: "We have sanctioned four months advance salary at one go. We appeal to people to appreciate the sacrifice and efforts of health personnel and treat them with respect and honour. Any misbehaviour with doctors will be treated with an iron hand." Patnaik had earlier donated his three months salary to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to help those affected by COVID-19. The Odisha Government had on Tuesday decided to enforce a lockdown in the entire state till March 29 as a precautionary measure. Two persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha, according to data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India has recorded 562 cases positive cases which include 43 foreign nationals. So far, nine people have died of COVID-19 in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cineplex Odeon employees asked to take a 60 per cent pay reduction or face lay off. Dollarama employees asked to take banked vacation if they miss work due to illness. Casino Woodbine workers wondering why their multi-billion-dollar employer cant top up EI payments. Its all part of an unprecedented economic slowdown in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic one that has some workers wondering what will happen to them in the name of cost reduction. All last week I basically didnt get a wink of sleep, said Theo Lagakos, a now laid-off employee of Casino Woodbine and the president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada Local 533. From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep, I am getting phone calls from members. As more job losses even temporary ones hit workplaces across the province, labour lawyers say employees need to know their rights and their bosses obligations. Employees are going to assume that they have been laid off temporarily and theres no recourse, Toronto employment lawyer Lior Samfiru said. Samfiru says employees can accept the lay off, apply for EI and hope theyre called back to work. If theyre not called back within a few months, the lay off will eventually be considered a termination under Ontario employment laws and the worker will usually be entitled to termination pay. If employees dont think they have a shot at getting their job back, Samfiru says they can give up their recall rights and immediately access any termination or severance pay they may be owed. Its the old adage of a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. If its me, I err on the side of getting everything I can right now, Samfiru said. Its an especially precarious moment for those who had little power in the workplace to begin with, says Niiti Simmonds, a lawyer with Toronto-based labour law firm Cavalluzzo LLP. I think thats a real problem that were going to encounter. I think workers in the workplace would benefit from talking to each other, she said. Even if you dont have a union, now is a good time to start talking to your co-workers about what you think is safe and what you think is fair in terms of pay cuts. Take Cineplex Odeon, where full-time employees were asked last week to consider taking a significant wage reduction to avert job loss. Part-time employees are now facing layoffs as theatres close until April. Many Cineplex workers dont belong to a union. In a statement, spokesperson Sarah Van Lange said Cineplex executives would be taking 80 per cent pay cuts and would also provide lump sum payments to part-time workers, many of whom do not qualify for EI. Our current intention is to rehire all of them when our operations resume, she said. As for being asked to take a significant pay cut to keep a job that could qualify as constructive dismissal. A pay cut beyond 20 per cent of an employees total compensation is generally considered a constructive dismissal, Cavalluzzos Simmonds said. But for workers, thats often difficult territory to navigate especially in the middle of a pandemic. Practically, I question whether an employee, in the context of COVID-19, would choose to pursue a wrongful dismissal litigation instead of continued employment at reduced pay, Simmonds said. Strategically, workers could benefit themselves by consulting with a lawyer about their situation. They could also consider indicating to the employer in writing that they arent consenting to the pay cut on a permanent or long-term basis. Questions also weigh heavy for those whose employer is still operating as an essential service. At Dollarama, for example, employees who must self-isolate were recently told to use banked vacation days, according to a recent internal communication shared with the Star. Their favourite answer is, It is what it is, one employee told the Star. Directing workers when to take holiday may be frustrating but it is legal, says Samfiru. The employee may be unhappy about that but that is something employers are allowed to do. Dollarama will remain open as an essential service in Ontario; its latest financial report from December reported increased store sales worth almost $950 million. The company says its giving store-level and warehouse employees a 10 per cent wage increase in response to the pandemic, through to July. In response to questions about paid sick leave, a spokesperson said the companys primary goal is to ensure our employees do not have a significant gap in earnings when absent from work. At this time, we are operating on a case-by-case basis and considering the different circumstances among our employee population of over 20,000, the spokesperson said. Casino Woodbines Lagakos says he understands the constraints faced by small businesses. But he questions why some large employers are not stepping up including his own. At Casino Woodbine which is operated by One Toronto Gaming some 1,100 employees are being temporarily laid off while facilities are closed. Relying solely on EI income will especially hurt those who rely on tips for a substantial part of their wages including the facilitys 700 table dealers, Lagakos said. Youre talking about millions and millions of dollars in revenue they generate, he said. Its not good enough that the employees at Casino Woodbine are being laid off and theyre only receiving EI benefits. Its not good enough for them, and I believe its not good enough for people in general. One Toronto Gaming, a subsidiary of Great Canadian Gaming which operates casinos across the country, did not respond to the Stars request for comment. Samfiru says in a minority of cases, hes seeing employers that are trying to use this situation to let people go. (But) most of what were seeing is simple ignorance about their obligations. Ultimately, Simmonds says workers need answers from government. This is the perfect time to introduce something like a universal basic income as well as a corresponding increase to social assistance rates, she said. Considering the massive layoffs we are seeing, workers need measures that arent tied to their employment. While the federal government has promised payroll subsidies to small employers, that wont help laid-off workers, or those on unpaid sick leave. If you want people to stay home to save lives, people need money to provide for their basic necessities now, Simmonds said. Not trickled down through employers in a few weeks from now. A UK tourist diagnosed with coronavirus has been dramatically detained accused of continuing her holiday in Australia despite knowing she could be infectious. The florist and gym instructor, 37, is being held in an immigration detention facility after she allegedly took a trip to Queensland's Hamilton Island despite being told to self-isolate for 14 days after being tested for the coronavirus in Sydney. She was detained by Border Force officers upon leaving Mackay Hospital where she was transferred after recording a positive test result. Her visa will cancelled, and be barred from coming back to Australia for three years. A British traveller is being held at an immigration detention facility after she allegedly took a trip to Hamilton Island (Whitehaven Beach pictured) after being was tested for coronavirus The woman was arrested by Border Force officers after leaving Mackay Hospital on Wednesday (stock) She allegedly told officials she didn't understand the self-isolating measures. The Courier Mail reported her Australian visa has been cancelled and that she will be sent home to the UK. She was also given an exclusion penalty which bans her from entering the country for the next three years. A shopper wearing a face mask outside Chemist Warehouse in Brisbane on Monday People tested for coronavirus are required to quarantine themselves until they receive their results. If the results are positive, patients must remain in isolation for a further two weeks. There are 2,675 cases of coronavirus in Australia, with 443 in Queensland and nine deaths. Suzuki Motor Corporation, manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and four-wheel drive vehicles, celebrates its centennial anniversary this month. Currently the third-largest vehicle maker in Japan, the brand was founded by Michio Suzuki 100 years ago on March 15, 1920. What started off as a loom factory has blossomed into a global conglomerate spanning 35 production sites in 23 countries, with a network of 133 distributors in 192 countries. Thats no small feat to achieve, considering the companys humble beginnings on the small seacoast village of Hamamatsu, Japan. It was a hundred years of being propped up by the patronage and support of customers. We will never forget our feeling of gratitude, and always cherish the philosophy inherited from the founder, Michio Suzuki, "to deliver products of superior value by focusing on the customer," on which our craftsmanship is based, shared the popular car and bike manufacturer. suzuki 100 years Suzukis journey to success has been an interesting one, as it didnt initially start out as car manufacturer. With a flourishing loom business, it wasnt until the end of World War II when the company shifted its operations to producing motor vehicles. Deciding to build its first car in 1937, Michio Suzuki evolved his company within two years, completing several prototype four stroke, four cylinder, 13-hp small cars within that time period. Unfortunately, these completed cars never went into production as the Japanese Government declared civilian passenger cars a "non-essential commodity following Japans WWII defeat. Nevertheless, Michio Suzuki persisted, and with time, produced many memorable car and bike models throughout his companys 100 years of existence. We will continue to take on the challenges of manufacturing, in order to provide exciting products that deliver greater "ease of use," "fun" and "amazement" to people throughout the world, Suzuki added in its celebratory announcement. Story continues suzuki 100 years As for its venture here in the Philippines, Suzuki has been continuously eclipsed by many of its Japanese counterparts, with its sales numbers lagging far behind the likes of Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Nissan. Nevertheless, Suzuki continues to be one of the more recognizable nameplates in the country. Of note is the renaissance of sorts that the brand is experiencing, with the successful release of new models like the Ciaz, Ertiga, Vitara, Swift, and their current bestseller, the new generation Jimny, which has a year-long waiting list. With gratitude for our customers, Suzuki's challenges will continue, the carmaker closed. suzuki way of life logo emblem Also Read: A Cibolo high school teacher has been arrested after reports of inappropriate contact with a student, the Cibolo Police Department said Wednesday. Eric Paul Contreras, a teacher at Bryon P. Steele II High School, was arrested Tuesday night after he turned himself into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. The department did not release much information but said multiple conversations revealed Contreras, 43, had inappropriate contact with a juvenile student, said officer Matt Schima, a spokesman with the police department. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox "The safety of our community and especially that of our students is our priority," the department wrote in a news release. "The Shertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District is fully cooperating with the investigation and remains a vital partner in the safety of our students and community." This arrest comes less than a month after another teacher at Steele High School was arrested March 7 on charges of indecency with a child-sexual contact. That teacher, 63-year-old Alfred Villarreal, was allegedly seen on surveillance footage inappropriately touching a student, according to an arrest affidavit. Contreras was charged with indecency with a child, and his bail was set at $50,000. C ommuters complained of "packed" Tube trains this morning despite coronavirus travel warnings as the Government and London Mayor continue to row over service levels. Images showed carriages filled with commuters, unable to observe anything near to the two metre social distancing advice issued, as they travelled through London today. The Tube is packed, with social distancing impossible," one passenger wrote on Twitter. People have been advised to stop making non-essential journeys, in order to allow key workers who need to use services to continue to do so. Some people who are unable to work from home are also using public transport - though the Government has urged all those who can work from home to not travel to their workplace. Sadiq Khan: Londoners should not travel unless 'essential' It comes with the Underground operating to around 50 per cent of its usual capacity at peak times - with Sadiq Khan stating this is due to staff sickness and other employees self isolating. In a statement today, Mr Khan said nearly a third of Transport for London staff are ill or self-isolating, warning if this goes up then more services will be cut. Nearly a third of TfLs staff are now off sick or self-isolating including train drivers and crucial control centre staff," he said. Many of them have years of safety-critical training in order to run specific lines so it is simply not possible to replace them with others. TfL will do everything possible to continue safely running a basic service for key workers, including our amazing NHS staff, but if the number of TfL staff off sick or self-isolating continues to rise as we sadly expect it will we will have no choice but to reduce services further. Commenting on the number of passengers, Mr Khan said: "TfLs (Transport for London) early-morning data suggests that Tube travel is down by an additional third compared to yesterday and bus travel down by an additional 20 per cent. Tube ridership was already 88 per cent down yesterday compared to the same day last year, and bus ridership 76 per cent. However, we still need more Londoners to do the right thing and stay at home." Transport for London has pledged to run "as much of a Tube service as we possibly can". However, ministers have criticised the reduction in service with health secretary Matt Hancock saying there was "no good reason" for it. Communities secretary Robert Jenrick furthered the row this morning as he urged the London Mayor to up services. He told BBC Breakfast: Clearly they (London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London) have their own challenges because members of their staff are unwell or are self-isolating following the correct guidelines. So I dont think this is an easy question to answer but I think there are ways they could be laying on more trains because nobody should be going to work, particularly those frontline workers such as in the NHS and social care, and having to travel cheek by jowl with other people on the Underground. Loading.... The US, along with the Netherlands and China, remained the top three largest cashew export markets for Vietnam. The department said the country exported a total 50,700 tonnes of cashew nuts in the period, a year on year increase of 6.5%, but value fell 8.4% to about US$357 million. The average export price of cashew nuts in the first two months decreased by 14% over the same period last year to US$7,046 per tonne, it said. For February alone, total cashew exports reached 26,100 tonnes, earning US$185.2 million. This marked a surge of 5.7% in volume and 7.3% in value month-on-month, and 76.8% and 50.6%, respectively, year-on-year. In February, Vietnam saw growth in cashew exports to many markets, including the US, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, Canada, Thailand, Australia and Saudi Arabia, but exports to China fell sharply due to low demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vietnam's cashew industry was expected to face difficulties in export during the first half this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and oversupply, said the Vietnam Cashew Association. By mid-March, the domestic price of raw cashew nuts had fallen VND6,000 per kilo compared to the end of February. The association said the COVID-19 pandemic posed many risks and unpredictable fluctuations on the cashew market at home and abroad. The cashew harvest has arrived in Vietnam, Cambodia and West Africa, with countries relying on high yields, especially Cambodia and the Ivory Coast. Vietnam is also expected to have high cashew output this year, which will likely push prices down, said the association. It has recommended local cashew export processing enterprises to monitor the market closely to make suitable production and business plans this year, including buying raw cashew, selling processed cashew, and storing raw materials and finished products. Vietnam has targeted total export value of cashew at US$4 billion this year. A new type of test developed by U.K. researchers from the Brunel University London, Lancaster University and the University of Surrey can provide COVID-19 detection in as little as 30 minutes using hand-held hardware that costs as little as 100 (around $120 USD) with individual swab sample kits that cost around $5 per person. The test is based on existing technology that has been used in the Philippines for testing viral spread in chickens, but it's been adapted by researchers for use with COVID-19 in humans. The team is now working on ramping mass production. This test would obviously need approval by local health regulatory bodies like the FDA before it goes into active use in any specific geography, but the researchers behind the project are "confident it will respond well," and say they could even make it available for use "within a few weeks." The hardware itself is battery-operated and connects to a smartphone application to display diagnostic results and works with nasal or throat swabs, without requiring that samples be round-tripped to a lab. There are other tests already approved for use that use similar methods for on-site testing, including kits and machines from Cepheid and Mesa Biotech. These require expensive dedicated table-top micro-labs, however, which is installed in dedicated healthcare facilities. This test from U.K. scientists has the advantage of running on inexpensive hardware, with testing capabilities for up to six people at once, which can be deployed in doctor's offices, hospitals and even potentially workplaces and homes for truly widespread, accessible testing. Some frontline, rapid results tests are already in use in the EU and China, but these are generally serological tests that rely on the presence of antibodies, whereas this group's diagnostics are molecular, so it can detect the presence of viral DNA even before antibodies are present. This equipment could even potentially be used to detect the virus in asymptomatic individuals who are self-isolating at home, the group notes, which would go a long way to scoping out the portion of the population that's not currently a priority for other testing methods, but that could provide valuable insight into the true extend of silent, community-based transmission of the coronavirus. No matter which part of the globe that is, if there is a hospital there, there is a high chance that you will run into a nurse from Kerala. While it might sound like an exaggeration, it is not. There are so many people from Kerala who choose nursing as a career and are now living and working across the world. AFP A lot of them are currently the frontline warriors in various countries fighting the battle against Covid-19. Someone I know through social media, just posted the other day on Facebook saying that both he and his wife who were working as nurses in Milan, Italy have been tested positive for Covid-19. According to him, the 85-year-old man from who the couple got the infection has since died. Four of their colleagues have also been tested positive for the infection. But unlike in India, in Italy where the medical infrastructure has been stretched beyond its limits, the duo have been asked to remain home, and despite being in a mortally terrifying situation, he says he is confident that they will make a full recovery. And in the meantime, they are spending time with their children, aged six and two. AFP This is the same resolve I have heard from so many of my friends, family, and former classmates who are working across the world in the past few weeks. Another childhood friend who works with the NHS in the UK also told me that both he and his wife who is working in a different hospital are attending to Covid-19 positive patients and at the end of the day comes home where they live with their twin sons. BCCL I have heard similar stories from other countries like New Zealand, Australia and across the middle east and several cities in India, who say that they know the risks involved but puts their patients first. In Delhi, most of them are now working on 12-hours shifts for days on a stretch due to the Covid-19 situation. And it is this dedication that has been praised across the world and made them some of the most south after paramedical professionals. So how did Kerala end up producing so many nurses? A lot of this is due to the influence of Christianity and the Christian Missionaries who set up some of the best hospitals in the state. They also began training girls from the community as nurses, who later migrated abroad and made a fortune there. AFP This was too good an opportunity for many middle to low-income families in the state to refuse and they too began sending their children for nursing courses, on the hope that if at least one of them gets a job in Europe, the US or in the Middle East, the family is secured for life. In the early 2000s, nursing had become so popular in the state anyone completing higher secondary had only three options in front of them - engineering, medical or nursing. With most of them choosing nursing, because it was comparatively affordable, in no time Kerala became the land of nurses. BCCL Many who could not get admission in the state went to nursing colleges in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It has got to a point where at least in my village there is not a single house without a nurse. Even in Delhi, among the Malayali community, there is a long-running joke about INA. For Malayalees, INA stands for Ivide Nurseumar Alayunnu (Nurses loiter here). Expectation vs reality Most nursing students come from middle and lower-income families and in most cases have taken a loan for their studies. But only after they sign up they are hit by the reality that the grass is not all green. A lot students have to undergo a bond period where they have to work in the same hospital where they studied nursing for a period ranging from six months to two years, where they are paid little to nothing. BCCL Even after they get a job, most of them start their career at a salary of less than Rs 15,000 from which they have to find enough to pay their rent and other living expenses at the same time pay back the loans and send some money home every month. It is out of this desperation that many are willing to take a risk and work in counties that are caught up in conflicts and wars. Just a few years ago, Kerala nurses had made headlines after hundreds of nurses had to be evacuated from Erbil in Iraq after the city was run over by ISIS. BCCL Even in Yemen and Libya, there were similar scenes and most of them were initially reluctant to return due to the burden of responsibilities they had. Back home in Kerala, most nurses complain that they do not get paid well. It had reached a point in 2017 when the nurses in Kerala went on a strike for weeks demanding a better salary and after nearly three weeks of protests, the government agreed to a minimum salary of Rs 20,000 per month. BCCL Despite all the hardships they go through, no one can question their passion and dedication to the profession. BCCL And every now and then we come across stories of sacrifices like nurses Vineeta P K and Ramya Rajappan, who died while saving the patients after the 2011 AMRI Hospital fire incident and nurse Lini who died while attending nipah patients in a Kerala hospital in 2018. [March 25, 2020] "I'm Home": Ceras Health Offers Telehealth Remote Patient Monitoring NEW YORK, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As an increased number of providers want to monitor their patients from the patient's home, Ceras Health offers an effective and HIPAA-approved telehealth tool for physicians to monitor their patients remotely. Thousands of patients and doctors nationwide currently use Ceras' telehealth and many more are being added daily. With the "I'm Home" app, patients can report symptoms long before the complications progress. "I'm Home" is relevant to everyone regardless of the age or medical condition, but is particularly important for patients most at risk of becoming seriously ill: those over the age of 60 with underlying conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer. Patients can stay engaged with the provider via cell phones or mobile devices. With access to patient's health data in real time, providers can address issues proactively. Since Ceras' telehealth is HIPAA-compliant, all patient prsonal medical records and history are protected as private and secure in accordance with HIPAA law and regulations. This direct link with their healthcare provider gives "I'm Home" patients an advantage, said Dr. Justin Glodowski, a North Carolina physician who offers the app to patients. "If the patient reports on 'I'm Home' that they have shortness of breath for example, we would contact them and ask them if they have other symptoms, such as a fever," said Glodowski. The medical inquiry that follows will determine whether they need to come into the office to be tested and treated, a vital first step in diagnosing and controlling their condition, Glodowski said. Currently patients with concerns without telehealth are calling their providers who are finding their telephone systems overwhelmed. With "I'm Home" patients will have the peace of mind of already having a 24/7, real-time communication link with their provider monitoring their health and wellbeing. President Donald Trump said, "We encourage everyone to maximize use of telehealth." Based on recent announcements, all remote patient monitoring service will be covered by Medicare/Medicaid and many private insurance plans. "I'm Home" can be activated in a few hours by the patient and/or the provider. Ceras is the first company to offer such simple, reliable and HIPAA compliant tools and services. For more information on "I'm Home", click here. Phone: 877-723-7277 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/im-home-ceras-health-offers-telehealth-remote-patient-monitoring-301029419.html SOURCE Ceras Health, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Kylie Jenner has made over $1B thanks to her popular Kylie Cosmetics line. And the 22-year-old mogul is sharing some of that fortune to help healthcare workers who are treating patients diagnosed with the coronavirus. On Wednesday it was claimed by TMZ that the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has donated a whopping $1M to help doctors get the face masks, face shields and protective gear they need to help the sick. Charity minded: Kylie Jenner has made over $1B thanks to her popular Kylie Cosmetics line. And the 22-year-old mogul is sharing some of that fortune to help healthcare workers who are treating patients diagnosed with the coronavirus; seen this week at home The doctor who delivered her daughter Stormi, thanked the beauty: 'I am speechless, my eyes are filled with tears of joy and my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude. 'I made a wish to the Universe to gather protective masks for our brave healthcare workers and today my dream came true.' She then added, 'I have never felt more blessed to be a doctor, as helping our brave ER and ICU workers feels just as gratifying as helping my own patients. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU Kylie Jenner. You are my hero. This generous donation will help save many precious lives. Our world is a better place with you in it. I love you so much.' Stay home: This comes after the Hidden Hills, California resident has been asking her 167M fans to stop going outside and to be safe She was already on it, Jerome: But when the Surgeon General Jerome Adams asked her publicly to do so, the pinup did it again without any complaints; seen on March 19 at the White House This comes after the Hidden Hills, California resident has been asking her 167M fans to stop going outside and to be safe. She has been sharing notes and videos on Instagram and Twitter for over two weeks. But when the Surgeon General Jerome Adams asked her publicly to do so, the pinup did it again without any complaints. Jenner shared a video where she gave some beneficial advice about staying home to protect loved ones and the elderly. Good tips: Jenner shared a video where she gave some beneficial advice about staying home to protect loved ones and the elderly Helpful: And Kylie has given some smart pointers like how taking Tylenol is better than taking Advil for COVID-19 Taking care of her baby: She let Stormi play in her driveway while in her Mercedes-Benz Her very own grandmother MJ has been in self-isolation for several week, according to sister Kim Kardashian. And Kylie has given some smart pointers like how taking Tylenol is better than taking Advil for COVID-19. Others who have contributed money to help curb the virus are Gwyneth Paltrow and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Kylie has found some creative ways to pass the time when in self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed nearly 800 lives in the United States. The Kylie Cosmetics founder shared an update to social media on Tuesday evening. In addition to adding temporary tattoos to her daughter Stormi Webster, the icon has been baking a 'cookie pie' and also sticking crystals in the wax of her burning candle for positive vibes. She knows how to make sweets: Kylie shared a look at her 'cookie pie' she has made while in self-isolation this week The Life Of Kylie star showed a photo of her cookie pie which was just chocolate chip cookie dough in a tin pan. She added an exasperated face emoji. It looked like she used the standard Nestle chocolate chip cookie pie formula (scroll down for the recipe). There was also a closeup photo of what appeared to be a slice of pie with vanilla ice cream on top. Delicious: There was also a closeup photo of what appeared to be a slice of pie with vanilla ice cream on top. She said it was 'not okay' Here the raven-haired pinup said, 'Not okay.' The siren seems to have been cooking and baking up a storm ever since she decided to self-isolate with her daughter Stormi two weeks ago in her Hidden Hills, California mansion. Then the sister of Kendall Jenner shared an image of a white burning candle with three crystals stuck into the wax. The crystals looked to be Clear Quartz which supposedly has healing properties. Cozy look: Then the sister of Kendall Jenner shared an image of a white burning candle with three crystals stuck into the wax There is a company that sells crystals inside candles, however. Tiny Bandit makes a 'sea elixir' candle from soy and adds natural fragrances. Their crystals are Blue Kyanite and Clear Quartz. Kylie was a busy bee on Tuesday as she also took photos inside one of her half dozen luxury vehicles. The ex of Tyga put her manicured green nails over the steering wheel of one of her Rolls-Royce sedans. She also flashed a diamond eternity ring on her index finger. Meanwhile, Kim took to social media on Wednesday to chat with her fans,The 39-year-old said on Instagram: 'What is everyone doing to keep your kids entertained??? As a family we are social distancing but need some fun ideas of what to do!' Kansas City First Responders Offer Further Explanation Of 'Stay At Home' Order KCPD, KCFD respond to COVID-19 stay-at-home order The Kansas City Police Department, Kansas City Fire Department, and the Office of Emergency Management held a press conference Monday, March 23 to address questions regarding COVID-19. The Kansas City Police Department posted a Frequently Asked Questions resource page at www.kcpd.org with the following questions and answers: How will you be enforcing the stay-at-home order? Another Death In The Dotte Second Coronavirus death in Wyandotte County announced KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) --- A man in his 70s is the second person to die in Wyandotte County from the coronavirus, health officials say. The man passed away on March 23 after having been admitted to a hospital. "We offer our prayers and thoughts to the family and friends of the deceased. Super Store Shut Down Nebraska Furniture Mart to temporarily close store in KCK because of COVID-19 FOR ESSENTIAL NEEDS LIKE FOOD OR MEDICINE. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. I'M KRIS KETZ. IT'S THE FIRST FULL DAY OF THAT KANSAS CITY AREA STAY AT HOME ORDER AND ASKMBC 9'S MICHEAL MAHONEY FOUND OUT A NORMALLY BUSY PART OF KANSAS CITY WASN'T AT ALL BUSY TODAY. Biz Community Pitches In Business execs buy COVID-19 test kits for KC, urge others to act - Kansas City Business Journal The Kansas City area is getting an additional 50,000 COVID-19 test kits, thanks to a group of prominent local business leaders. They say their efforts are just getting started and are appealing for other business leaders to step up in this and other communities at a time when needs are great and speed counts. More KCK Accommodation 2 KCK hotels cut rates by more than half for incoming medical professionals KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Many medical professionals are putting themselves on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak as they treat patients. By doing so, many are also potentially exposing their own families to the infectious disease. Two hotels at The Legends are offering a solution. Golden Ghetto Coronavirus Tragedy Described Widow Of Johnson County Man Describes 'Viral Storm' Of COVID-19 As word spread about the ordeal surrounding the first coronavirus death in Johnson County, Kansas, first through Joanna Wilson's Facebook updates and then through media reports, the metro area got its first glimpse of the health care system struggling to keep up - and the pain of necessary quarantine. JoCo COVID-19 Cases Added 4 more people in Johnson County, Kansas test positive for COVID-19 bringing county total to 36 JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. - Officials in Johnson County confirmed Tuesday morning that four more people tested positive overnight for COVID-19 bringing the county total to 36. Of those 36, a man in his 70s has died. He was the first death in the county due to COVID-19. Weather Worry For Medical Pros Hard At Work KC's drive-up COVID-19 test sites a potential target for severe weather Kansas City, MO - In the midst of a pandemic, there's another concern around the KC Metro - severe weather season. With drive-up COVID-19 test sites popping up under canopy tenting, Andy Bailey, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, says medical staff need to have a contingency plan. Local Angler Optimism Missouri temporarily waives fishing permits, trout tags starting Friday because of COVID-19 emergency The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Conservation Commission said they are temporarily waiving permit requirements for sport fishing or daily trout tags for Missouri residents and nonresidents during the COVID-19 outbreak.The MDC said the waiver for a permit or trout tag to fish will run from Friday, March 27, through April 15, and all season dates and fish limits will continue to apply and be enforced."The current public-health emergency caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) has many Missourians and others looking for safe ways to get outside in nature," MDC director Sara Parker Pauley said. KC Creative Class Help Kansas City Area Crafters Rush Into Action Making Masks For Health Care Workers Kansas City fashion designers, fabric artists, home sewers and crafters are diving into their own supplies to help meet the demand for masks for health care workers. As is happening elsewhere around the country, health care and first-responder agencies in the metro area have begun asking for donations to overcome shortages as they deal with the spread of COVID-19. Stay At Home Pastimes Mission, Kansas, family finds way to make social distancing more social In our new world of social distancing, many families are struggling with ways to keep kids occupied.Without school, without playdates, many kids are missing friends and the interaction they get with the community.A Mission, Kansas, mom is trying to find a way to make social distancing more social for her sons. Kansas City Hiring Scene 'Bright Side' Report Experts say there's still work available despite skyrocketing unemployment requests KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Job cuts due to coronavirus are now leading to record-setting requests for unemployment assistance. The good news is that experts say there is lots of work still available. Kansas City's Westport is typically slammed during the lunch and dinner rush. But it's now desolate. A worthwhile collection of local news stories from across the metro today as we continue our focus on the local angle of the COVID-10 pandemic.Developing . . . The European Union has reacted to the actions of Russian mercenaries in Donbas, who banned OSCE SMM patrols and representatives of humanitarian organizations from entering the non-government-controlled areas, and urged Russia not to create new obstacles to efforts within the Normandy format and the Minsk process. Since 21 March, members of the armed formations at checkpoints in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine have denied the patrols of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) passage into and from non-government-controlled areas. In addition, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are facing difficulties in accessing the non-government-controlled areas. It is crucial that Russia and the armed formations that it backs allow the OSCE SMM, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations and the ICRC freedom of movement across the contact line, reads the statement by the EUs Spokesperson on access to non-government controlled areas in eastern Ukraine. The Spokesperson reminds that in line with its mandate, the SMM must have safe, secure and unhindered access throughout Ukraine, including parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions temporarily outside government control. Its unhindered access into and from non-government-controlled areas is essential for providing reliable information on the developments on the ground, as envisaged in the Minsk agreements, and enabling the implementation of its mandate throughout the country. As noted, the SMM has adapted its monitoring activities in response to the global COVID-19 outbreak, to ensure the continued safety of all. In the current circumstances, it is even more essential that humanitarian aid to people in these areas continues to be delivered. UN agencies, non-governmental organisations and the International Committee of the Red Cross must have unimpeded access to those in need in the whole Donbas region, the statement reads. As reminded, a number of important developments have recently taken place in the Trilateral Contact Group, such as discussions on the exchange of detainees and defining new disengagement areas. Russia must not endanger this constructive spirit by creating new restrictions, the statement underscores. The EU remains steadfast in its support to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the implementation of the Minsk agreements, and the work of the Normandy format and Trilateral Contact Group to achieve a sustainable and peaceful political solution to the conflict, the Spokesperson emphasizes. ol Jaipur, March 25 : Four new coronavirus positive cases, including two healthcare personnel from Bhilwara, on Wednesday has taken the total number of cases in Rajasthan to 36, according to state health officials here on Wednesday. Additional Chief Secretary (medical & health) Rohit Kumar Singh confirmed that of the four coronavirus positive case, two were medical staff members in Bhilwara. While third case was from Jodhpur, the fourth case was of the person who got infected by the doctor who himself tested Covid-19 positive in Bhilwara, a few days back, he said. The Jodhpur lady had travelled in train with two Covid-19 patients from Mumbai. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text This article, Verizon adds 15GB of high-speed data to help stay connected during coronavirus, originally appeared on CNET.com. Verizon is giving its unlimited users an extra 15GB of high-speed hotspot data while those on metered data plans get an extra 15GB of high-speed data per line to help stay connected. The move, which runs from March 25 through April 30, is the latest from the wireless carrier as it looks to help out during the coronavirus pandemic. The company says that "all wireless plans available since 2015 are eligible for this data boost," with the offer working on both consumer and small business plans as well as those on prepaid plans. In addition to the extra data, Verizon has waived activation, overage and late fees as part of its response to the pandemic and given unlimited calling to those who are on older plans that had capped monthly phone minutes. The carrier has also closed some retail stores to slow the spread of the virus. Beyond wireless, the telecom giant announced on Monday that it will be adding a new cheaper Fios home broadband option for those who qualify for the low-income Lifeline assistance program. Beginning April 3, eligible new customers will be able to get the company's 200Mbps Fios service for $20 per month, or half off the usual rate. Verizon is still including a year of Disney Plus with the deal and is waiving the modem rental fee for two months (faster plans are similarly available but will be $20 cheaper as part of the program). Verizon is the latest carrier to boost services and affordable offerings during the outbreak. Earlier this month T-Mobile said it will be giving all users, even those on older capped data plans, unlimited data and on Monday announced a new $15 per month Connect plan that has unlimited talk, text and 2GB of high-speed data per month. Britain's Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus, Clarence House has announced. Charles, 71, is displaying mild symptoms but is in good health as he self isolates at home in Scotland, a spokesman said. His wife, Camilla, 72, has also been tested but does not have the virus. In a statement, Clarence House said: The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus. "He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. "The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. Charless last public engagement was on March 12, but he did have a number of private meetings with Highgrove and Duchy individuals, all of whom have been made aware. On March 10, he was with Monacos head of state Read More: Charles is not believed to have shaken hands with Prince Albert but attended a roundtable meeting with him at the WaterAid Summit in London on that day. Charles was pictured practising namastes instead of handshakes at his public events, including when the royals gathered for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9 and a Princes Trust event on March 11. #PrinceCharles has the perfect solution to avoiding shaking hands with the #coronavirus outbreak raging ... pic.twitter.com/KVrt9MYFzn Robert Jobson (@theroyaleditor) March 11, 2020 A source said his doctors most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious on March 13. They added that Charles has not seen the Queen since before March 13. A small number of people living and working at Birkhall are remaining at the residence and self-isolating. The source said Charles and Camilla remained in good spirits, and the prince was up and about and not bedridden. Medical advice is that it is unlikely to escalate into a more serious case. Charles has spoken to his sons William and Harry, as well as the Queen. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health. The Queen last saw The Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of 12th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] vivo postpones launch of V19, other new products in India due to COVID-19 (Natural News) As the epicenter of the global coronavirus pandemic, the Chinese city of Wuhan has been locked down since January 23. Now, it seems like the city is finally ready to open up again as officials have stated that the lockdown on Wuhan will be lifted on April 8. In addition to Wuhan, travel restrictions on the rest of Hubei province, of which the city is the capital of, will also be lifted from midnight on Tuesday but only for healthy residents. This follows a week where almost no new cases of the disease were reported, save for one last Tuesday. The lockdowns easing is the latest sign that China may have successfully fought off the pandemic, thanks to sweeping restrictions on hundreds of millions of people. In other parts of the world, governments are still struggling to deal with the deadly viral outbreak. Despite this, some doubts remain about whether or not China has really stopped the outbreak in Wuhan. Eased, but not lifted While the lockdowns on Wuhan and Hubei Province are eased, that doesnt mean that all travel restrictions have been lifted in China. Other provinces and cities have already made it easier for their citizens to move around, but are still shut off from travelers from elsewhere. China still faces the risk of a second wave of infections should a full resumption of travel occur. We need to worry about a second wave of the outbreak once restrictions are limited, says Malik Peiris, chief of virology at the University of Hong Kong, speaking to the New York Times. It is important to be aware of it and monitor it and be prepared to reimpose these measures if they become necessary in the future. Sweeping new cases under the rug? Even as China relaxes its restrictions, some are not convinced that the threat of the coronavirus has passed. After several days without any reports of new infections, officials in Wuhan confirmed that a doctor there had tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, other news reports claim that Chinese health officials are still finding but not publicizing people with asymptomatic infections. A Caixin report that broke on Tuesday revealed dozens of asymptomatic patients testing positive for the virus in Wuhan, as officials exclude them from official counts. The storys source, who refused to be named, stated that these asymptomatic patients were found by tracing the contacts of those who had been infected, as well as by screening quarantine workers who are at high risk of infection. They were not found by mass testing. Its not possible at the moment to tell if transmission has stopped, the person said. Studies have already shown that 86 percent of people with the virus during the start of the outbreak in China did not show any symptoms of the disease. This has been identified as one of the reasons the virus spread so quickly throughout the country. Definitely asymptomatic infections are a potential cause for concern and for transmission, stated Dr. Peiris. That said, he added that it was not feasible to test thousands and thousands of people who have absolutely no symptoms to look for evidence of asymptomatic infection. In response, Wu Zunyou, a spokesman for Chinas Center for Disease Control, played down the risks posed by asymptomatic patients. Wu said on Tuesday that the known cases of asymptomatic infections had all been found among the close contacts of confirmed patients. Wu, however, did state that asymptomatic cases would still be isolated and monitored, even if they werent added to the official count. Chinas official tally of confirmed cases only counts patients if they have symptoms and test as positive. This approach is at odds with guidance from the World Health Organization, which states that all people who test positive should be counted as confirmed cases, even if they are asymptomatic. In fact, U.S. government officials have raised concerns about Chinas behavior in regards to reporting the true nature of the outbreak. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been very critical of Chinas behavior, accusing the ruling Communist Party of hiding information needed to prevent other cases. I am concerned that with this cover-up, with this misinformation, the Chinese Communist Party continues to save the world the necessary information to prevent new cases from occurring or something similar, stated Pompeo. Pompeos statements echo those of Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who said that Chinese defense officials did not respond to offers of assistance as early as January. If the Chinese government had been more transparent early on, were talking late fall, December at least, we would all all of us, all the nations of the world would have been able to get our arms around this and contain it in China where it began and prevent its propagation around the world, Esper said in an interview with Fox News. Sources include: BBC.co.uk NYTimes.com CaixinGlobal.com Novinite.com FoxNews.com Days out from the Queensland council elections, some of the state's most at-risk voters say they cannot reach the Electoral Commission Queensland to vote over the phone. Sunshine Coast man Andrew and his wife Jane are in mandatory self-isolation due to Jane's stage-four terminal cancer. Queenslanders can still vote early in the local government election. Credit:Lucy Stone Andrew is Jane's principal carer, with Jane considered at "extreme risk" by her medical team if she or Andrew contract COVID-19. After their voter information cards arrived in their mailbox last week, Andrew emailed the ECQ to arrange a postal vote, only to be told the deadline of March 16 had passed and to try registering for a telephone vote. Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday ordered forthwith release of one-month pension in advance to all its retired employees besides the wages for a month to its daily-wage workers, an official spokesman said. The J&K Administrative Council, which met here under the chairmanship of Lt Governor G C Murmu ordered immediate release of one-month pension to all pensioners to ensure no monetary inconvenience to them during the nationawide lockdown, ordered by Prime Minister Narenda Modi from Tuesday-Wednesday midnight. The Finance Department has been asked to take necessary steps in this regard, the spokesman said. The decision is expected to benefit thousands of pensioners in Jammu & Kashmir, he said. The Council had on Tuesday decided immediate release of one month's payment to all daily wagers so that they do not face any difficulty due to the current situation. The Council on Tuesday had also decided to release advance ration for April and May to all ration card holders. It was also decided that one month's ration for Mid-Day Meals would also be distributed in advance amongst the parents of eligible children. It had also decided that in view of the difficulties being faced by them, ration packets be immediately distributed among the destitute and slum dwellers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday made a fervent appeal to doctors and nurses, who might have "retired" but continue to be fit for work, to come forward in this hour of crisis and help the government fight the coronavirus pandemic. Prasad, who is in his 70s and for long lodged at a hospital in Ranchi due to multiple ailments upon conviction in fodder scam cases made the appeal through his official Twitter handle, operated by people said to be having his eyes and ears. "The country needs you!! I humbly appeal to healthy, retired doctors and nurses to come and join the government in fighting this pandemic," said Prasad in the first part of his tweet. He followed it up with another appeal to the government "if you call them, they will come. Utilize their wealth of knowledge and expertise in these testing times" and tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, both of them political foes. According to various estimates, India has one of the lowest population-to-doctor ratios in the world which has been a cause of anxiety among those working in the health sector since the outbreak of COVID 19. In an earlier tweet, in Hindi, Prasad had backed to the hilt the restrictions that have been put in place as part of the nationwide three-week lockdown. "Not stepping out of home shall be our first step in the direction of waging a war against coronavirus, unless we need to do so on account of an emergency," he said. Prasads wife Rabri Devi, who had succeeded him as the chief minister of Bihar and went on to enjoy a tenure that outlasted that of the husband, made a similar plea on Twitter. In a tweet, in chaste Hindi, Rabri Devi leader of the opposition in the state legislative council - also said that she would contribute a months salary to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund. One months salaries have also been pledged by all BJP members of the bicameral legislature, the partys veteran leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar announced, following an "audio conference" with the legislators. He said all MLAs and MLCs have been directed to remain in touch with the residents of their constituencies and ensure that none suffered shortage of essential items such as food and medicines. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 Trend: If necessary, hospitals in Azerbaijan will be equipped with additional equipment, until now the situation in Azerbaijan is not at that level, the country's Health Minister Oqtay Shiraliyev said during a TV program, Trend reports. The minister said all those responsible for state structures and ministries in Azerbaijan are engaged in work related to reducing the spread of coronavirus in the country. "We have enough people working, all the precaution measures are implemented. We also have several plans, including reserve hospitals. However, we're trying to make sure the situation in Azerbaijan won't reach the level of other countries," he said. The minister also spoke about the visit of WHO officials to Azerbaijan. "They came in, saw that we've already organized necessary measures and that the situation in the country isn't that bad," he said. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Azerbaijan is one of the countries affected by the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The country's official structures are applying necessary measures to prevent any possible exposure of coronavirus. Azerbaijan has also imported necessary medical equipment to carry out coronavirus tests. Azerbaijan's official structures have also set up quarantine centers in the country's districts, which would allow to react faster to the possible outbreak due to joint borders. Azerbaijan shares border with Iran, where coronavirus is currently spreading rapidly. As a contribution to international efforts to prevent the risk of the spread of coronavirus infection, Azerbaijan's government provided voluntary financial assistance worth $5 million to the COVID-19 Fund as part of the WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP). On March 7 World Health Organization officially thanked Azerbaijan for its financial contribution to the global COVID-19 response. Police fired their weapons in two separate incidents in Melbourne's suburbs on Wednesday night, hitting one suspect in the leg and missing another. The injured man, believed to be in his 30s, was shot about 9pm when he got out of his car, allegedly brandishing knives after a police chase in Pakenham Upper. Professional standards command will investigate both incidents, as is protocol any time an officer fires a weapon. In the second incident, an officer fired a weapon when an aggravated burglary suspect reached under his seat, also following a police chase. No one was injured and the suspect fled on foot. Professional standards command will investigate both incidents, as is protocol any time an officer fires a weapon. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing a lockdown for three weeks, if there ever was a time for the nation to come together as one, it is now. If there ever was a time for the political class to stand together as one, it is now. If there ever was a time for ideological disputations to be put on hold, it is now. Why? The Covid-19 challenge in its many dimensions medical, economic and social is potentially the greatest that the country has faced since Independence. It requires, above all, the unity and support of all sections of society to see through what is likely to be a period of enormous disruption and hardship. It would be catastrophic for people to witness a divided and bickering political class seeking to score points. There is no doubt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is by far the tallest leader in the country. The people trust him, as demonstrated both in the 2014 and the 2019 elections. His appeal to the people to observe a janata curfew (peoples curfew) was largely adhered to; but the spirit of solidarity will have to be shown through the tense weeks and months ahead. Negative political comments and queries will inevitably raise doubts and even controversies that may sap popular motivation to observe government advice and accept the pain of what may be a prolonged lockdown. It is, therefore, essential for the political class to close ranks. Modi and Opposition leaders should reach out to each other so as to make overcoming the Covid-19 challenge a national effort. That would not diminish, but enhance the standing of all political leaders . Parliament has adjourned. That is the right step, for as the country moved towards a lockdown, it would have been inappropriate to let the two Houses continue. However, consultations among national political leaders should continue through video-conferencing. But that is not all. Can we take a leap of imagination and think of Modi associating some Opposition leaders in an executive capacity, not only to gain from their expertise and experience, but also to conclusively show that the steps the government is taking has the backing of the entire political class? That will be a demonstration of national will as nothing else will be. It is evident that the country will have to rely on non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to stem Covid-19. Realism demands an acceptance that Indias medical support systems cannot be of the same level as those in the advanced countries. There is no doubt that the authorities are taking, and will continue to take, all necessary steps to mitigate shortages. But there may be a time when difficult choices may have to be made at all levels. In such a situation, prudence demands that the political class becomes united also for this contingency. Hence, it is necessary for the tallest leaders of all political parties to make a common appeal to the people for unity and solidarity and scrupulously following government directives. This will boost popular morale. The country has gone through very trying and contentious times recently, owing to ideological differences over controversial laws. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is a case in point. While it is true that the government has explained its rationale, and the law will be tested in the Supreme Court, the fact is that it continues to be seen by the Muslim community as a precursor to the National Register of Citizens (NRC). That has aroused suspicion and fear to such an extent that the Shaheen Bagh sit-in continued for so long. This is not a time to examine if it was justified, but to inculcate confidence that the interests of all will be secured during the coming months. Social harmony has to be maintained. It may come under some strain, and the political class will have to address whatever misgivings may arise. The Covid-19 challenge is obviously more than an administrative one and, hence, with Modi in the forefront, a picture backed by the reality of political cohesion has to be conveyed to the people. That will also help in meeting the great economic burden which society as a whole will have to bear. Modi correctly said that the poorer parts of society may have to bear a disproportionate part of the burden. They will have to be ably assisted. At this time, will Modi consider consulting a wide cross-section of economists to chart a way forward? This should include those wedded to Opposition ideologies so that the people can again see the political class coming together. Indias political class may be tested as never before if difficult scenarios unfold. Let us hope that they come through with flying colours. Vivek Katju is a former diplomat The views expressed are personal AUSTIN, Texas, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the largest association of nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties, applauds the Administration's actions to expand access to nurse practitioner (NP) care and other health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter sent to all 50 governors issued March 24, 2020, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urged the suspension of state regulatory barriers to practice that limit patient access to care, including NPs. "The Administration has already taken important steps to lift federal barriers within Medicare and Medicaid so that NPs can combat this crisis. Now, it's critical that states answer the call to suspend state barriers to care so that America's 290,000 NPs can meet the urgent needs of patients and address this challenge head on," said AANP President Sophia L. Thomas, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PPCNP, FNAP, FAANP. The letter, which was sent with a guidance document to governors, recommends states expand the capacity of their health care workforce during the COVID-19 National Emergency. The letter and guidance detail recommendations to states on temporarily suspending scope of practice requirements, authorizing providers to practice across state lines (and waiving certification fees), expanding telehealth and relicensing/recertifying retired health care professionals to allow them to quickly re-enter the workforce. The letter also specifically notes the importance of removing restrictions on clinicians, including NPs, providing home-based care. "Seniors must be able to receive care at home to avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19 in clinical settings. Lifting state restrictions that prevent NPs from providing home-based care will not only improve care for seniors and limit the spread of COVID-19, it will maximize the availability of hospital beds for those with Coronavirus. We urge governors to take urgent action now to protect our patients," said AANP President Sophia L. Thomas, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PPCNP, FNAP, FAANP. AANP has called for governors to remove these barriers to care and is pleased Secretary Azar has made this direct request of states. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 290,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate a nurse practitioner in your community, go to npfinder.com. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org. SOURCE American Association of Nurse Practitioners Related Links http://www.aanp.org Lee Soo-jin, right, a progressive former judge and candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, will challenge Rep. Na Kyung-won of the main opposition United Future Party in Dongjak B, Seoul, in the April 15 general election. /The Korea Times By Mitchell Blatt New Delhi, March 25 : Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday directed officials to ensure proper transport arrangements for the healthcare providers and expressed concern over the reports of misbehaviour with them by their landlords amid the pandemic coronavirus. In a statement, the Raj Niwas said Baijal has directed the District Magistrates, Zonal Deputy Commissioners of MCDs and district DCPs to take strict penal action against such landlords and house-owners under the relevant provisions of law. The LG said at this juncture, we should support all frontline workers who are fighting against this pandemic to safeguard the society. The Delhi government has already issued the Delhi Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020 under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 for prevention and containment of COVID-19 and such behaviour is punishable under the relevant law. "LG directed concerned departments to ensure proper transport arrangements for the health care providers from their residence to hospitals to allow them hassle free commute to their workplace. The LG further appealed to all for cooperation and collaboration," the Raj Niwas said. Commissioner for Health in Osun State, Dr Rafiu Wusamotu on Wednesday confirmed that 20 judges, who recently travelled to Dubai, in th... Commissioner for Health in Osun State, Dr Rafiu Wusamotu on Wednesday confirmed that 20 judges, who recently travelled to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirate were presently on self isolation. He added that the judges went into isolation immediately they arrived the state to ascertain their medical status as the killer disease ravage the world . Wusamotu made this known on the sidelines of a press briefing at the Osun State government house in Osogbo, where the governor intimated newsmen about the index case in the state . The Commissioner said : Yes, they are presently on self isolation, I cant disclose any hospital, it is not necessary that they go to the hospital before being isolated. There are many people who are even positive of the virus, but stay in their homes to isolate themselves without going to the hospital. The judges are in self isolation and we are monitoring them. It was gathered that the judges had attended International Conference in the Middle East country between March 9 and March 20, before returning home over the weekend. The coronavirus outbreak has put significant strain on the NHS. (Getty) A doctor says she is having to ask patients whether they would prefer to die at home or in hospital as the NHS struggles to cope with the coronavirus outbreak. Dr Katie Sanderson, a junior doctor in acute medicine at a London hospital, told BBC Radio 4 the health service was being put under severe strain by the rising rate of infections. The situation is now so bad that she has been forced to ask patients and their families about where they want to die if their condition deteriorates, she added. Im having conversations with patients and families of patients asking if they want to die in hospital, where were not allowed to have visitors, or if they want to die at home. A matrix road sign on the A367 into Bath advises motorists to stay at home to protect the NHS. (PA) Theyre conversations that last week I cannot have imagined having. Even if this is not the situation in hospitals outside London yet, things are going to evolve incredibly rapidly there and what I would say is; dont think about hospital bed numbers, intensive care, capacity today. Think about where we will be tomorrow, the day after, next week. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of Covid-19 cases in your local area Explained: Symptoms, latest advice and how it compares to the flu Dr Sanderson urged people to follow the governments advice and observe the lockdown conditions. Really, really, take this seriously, she told MailOnline, I have heard people say, I want to get coronavirus so that I will be immune. It doesnt work like that. If you do not take this seriously, you are condemning someone to potentially dying with a nurse they dont know, because we are not allowing visitors in hospitals. That, or dying at home. Global cases of coronavirus have risen sharply since January. (PA) Challenge someone if you think they are doing something dangerous; anything you see that is dangerous. Dont just think someone else is going to do it. Her plea comes after Boris Johnson announced a series of sweeping draconian measures which will be in place for at least three weeks and will also see the closure of libraries, playgrounds and outdoor gyms, and places of worship. He also threatened police fines for anyone who ignores new measures including a ban on public gatherings of more than two people. Johnson ordered people to only leave the house to shop for basic necessities as infrequently as possible and to perform one form of exercise a day. By IANS NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the coronavirus outbreak and the ensuing 21-day-long lockdown with the people of his Los Sabha constituency Varanasi on Wednesday, through a video conferencing. He hoped that the 'war against Corona' can be won in the next 21 days. "In this hour of crisis, Kashi can guide everyone, set an example for everyone," he said, adding that Kashi can teach restraint, coordination, sensitivity to the country. "As your MP, I should have been among you at such a time. But you are also familiar with the activities happening here in Delhi," Modi said, but assured that he is constantly getting updates from his colleagues about Varanasi. Hoping to address concerns from his constituents, he took a few questions as well. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES ON CORONAVIRUS HERE As Prof. Krishna Kant Vajpayee asked about spreading social awareness for combating corona pandemic, Modi once again stressed on the need of social distancing. However, on a positive note he said: "You should also keep in mind that more than 1 lakh people in the world, infected with corona, have been cured and dozens of people have come out of Corona in India too. It was only yesterday, I was seeing in news that in Italy, mothers over 90 years of age have also become healthy." He also told India, through this video conferencing with his constituents, that for the correct and accurate information related to Corona, the government has created a helpdesk with Whatsapp. To a question from social activist Mohini Jhanwar on issues facing health care workers and other front-line services staff and officials, Modi cited how the nation came out to applaud the courage of doctors on the day of 'Janata curfew' on Sunday. "Doctors save lives and we can never repay their debt. Those people who led a rescue operation in Wuhan, I wrote to them. Those moments were very emotional for me." However, he also cautioned about ill-treatment of doctors due to fear. "I appeal to all citizens if any such activity is visible anywhere... If you see any ill-treatment with the doctor, nurse or medical staff, then you go there and explain to the people." Modi also added such selfless individuals deserve public praise. Textiles business man Akhilesh Khemka asked the Prime Minister about the livelihood concerns facing informal sector workers and less well-off sections of society, and Modi appealed: "Indians should be mindful of those in need, at this hour. "Navratri has just started. If we take a pledge to help 9 poor families for the next 21 days, then nothing can be a bigger worship for the Goddess." However, Modi said there is no point in whitewashing the threat, and urged Indians to help administration to cruise through the situation. On Tuesday evening, PM Modi announced a 21 days nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. Weather Alert ...Winter Storm System to Impact the Region this Weekend... A strong winter storm system will push east through the Quad State Saturday into Sunday. Wintry precipitation will spread eastward into southern Illinois and southeast Missouri late Friday night, and then southeast over the remainder of the region Saturday morning. The evolution of the storm for the remainder of the weekend is quite uncertain at this time. The ultimate path and intensity of the storm system, along with the temperature forecast, will determine how impactful it will be across the Quad State. For now you are encouraged to monitor the latest forecasts and follow your winter weather preparedness plans ahead of this potentially impactful winter storm. Gun sellers in the US say sales are exploding as Americans rush to protect themselves from a possible coronavirus panic. Buyers are purchasing guns and ammunition in the event they have to defend themselves from people who become desperate and unpredictable over the deadly virus, say retailers. 'We have had about an 800 percent increase in sales,' said David Stone, owner of Dong's Guns, Ammo and Reloading in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who described the buying frenzy. 'A lot of people are buying shotguns, handguns, AR-15 (semi-automatic rifles), everything,' says Tiffany Teasdale, owner of Lynnwood Gun, describing the kinds of weapons she's sold since the uptick. Gun sellers in the US say sales are exploding as Americans rush to protect themselves from a possible coronavirus panic. An employee answers questions at the entrance to a California gun shop this week. Buyers are purchasing guns and ammunition in the event they have to defend themselves from people who become desperate and unpredictable over the deadly virus, say retailers. Customers are pictured outside the Martin B. Retting guns store in Culver City, California Buyers are snatching up shotguns, handguns, AR-15 (semi-automatic rifles), everything,' says one gun shop owner, describing the kinds of weapons she's sold since the uptick. A worker restocks AR-15 guns at Davidson Defense in Orem, Utah A worker inspects an AR-15 rifle at Davidson Defense in Orem, Utah Workers assemble AR-15 rifles at Delta Team Tactical in Orem, Utah A worker inspects a finished AR-15 rifle barrel at Delta Team Tactical in Orem, Utah, this week Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has allowed the stores to stay open, after the county's attorney classified them as 'essential.' San Diego's Sheriff Bill Gore also allowed the shops to remain open, saying they provide a 'valuable public service'. Sales have spiked in a matter of days, industry experts say. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva also has allowed the stores to stay open, after the county's attorney classified them as 'essential' San Diego's Sheriff Bill Gore also allowed the shops to remain open, saying they provide a 'valuable public service' FBI data shows the spike in requested background checks, year over year, in January and February Purchases are being made by first-time buyers and existing gun owners adding to their collection or stocking up on ammunition after seeing grocery stores depleted, schools closed and big events canceled, including the National Rifle Association's annual meeting. Also potentially driving the sales are concerns that elected officials may try to restrict access to firearms. Specific data on the size of the sales spike will not be available until next month. But already this year, background checks are up considerably over last year. According to data from the FBI, just over 5.5 million background checks were conducted in January and February combined. Gun sales generally rise in an election year, as they did in 2016. But this past January and February have outpaced 2016 by nearly 350,000. There have been in the US close to 55,000 confirmed cases of the deadly, virus, also known as COVID-19. The infection has been blamed for at least 783 known deaths across the country. There have been in the US close to 60,000 confirmed cases of the deadly, flu-like virus, also known as COVID-19. The infection has been blamed for at least 823 known deaths across the country Federal health officials have warned that the worst of the pandemic has yet to hit the US. Meanwhile, lawmakers have agreed on an unprecedented $2 trillion aid package to bail out large corporations, provide relief to small businesses, and send $1,200 checks to Americans. Federal officials hope the additional cash will help Americans who are out of work get through the crisis. Purchases are being made by first-time buyers and existing gun owners adding to their collection or stocking up on ammunition after seeing grocery stores depleted, schools closed and big events canceled. A gun buyer is pictured outside a store in Burbank, California One of the handguns on display at a gun shop in Manassas, Virginia. Even the cancellation of the including the National Rifle Association's annual meeting has driven up concerns for gun owners who are rushing to buy weapons for protection Gun sellers report that along with a massive uptick in sales, customers are lining up outside their stores. The overall majority of the clients are rushing to stock up on firearms and ammunition. First-time buyers are grabbing anything available. 'It's fear over coronavirus,' Stone of Dong's Guns, Ammo and Reloading says. 'I don't understand it myself and I think it's unreasonable.' Several other store owners across the US say they have also seen a surge in sales as people fear social order will unravel if the health and economic crisis caused by the virus escalates. Teasdale of Lynnwood Gun in Washington, one of the states hardest hit by the virus, says she has seen a massive uptick in sales with customers lining up an hour before the store opens. 'We used to have on what we would call busy days, 20 to 25 firearms being sold,' said Teasdale, who has hired a bouncer to keep everyone in check. 'Today, we are seeing upwards of 150.' She said shotguns were in shortage across the country, along with ammunition for them as well as ammunition for handguns. Like Stone, she said most of her customers are first-time buyers who undergo background checks and, if need be, are given a quick course on how to handle their purchase. 'We have men, women, young, middle-aged, older, everybody buying guns,' she said. 'And all ethnic backgrounds -- black, Asian, Indian, Hispanic.' She said one customer who came into the store recently decided it was time to arm himself after he witnessed two women fighting over the last case of bottled water at a store. 'We have customers who are also scared because law enforcement is being told to not respond as much because they are so short-staffed,' she added. 'So a lot of people are scared that someone is going to break into their home... to steal cash, their toilet paper, their bottled water, their food.' Utah resident Nick Silverri told the local CBS station that he recently purchased a shotgun for protection, but was having a hard time finding ammo. 'A shotgun seemed like a prudent firearm for self-defense in case COVID-19 virus got people all riled up and crazy,' he said. Jordan McCormick, marketing director of Delta Team Tactical, based in Utah, said his company, which mostly makes AR-15 kits, is working non-stop to meet demand. 'Last week is pretty much when things got crazy,' McCormick, whose products are sold online and in stores, told AFP. 'It's like gasoline got poured on a fire.' He said fears over gun shops being shut down across the country as more and more states impose lockdowns have driven sales, along with concerns by advocates who worry that the right to bear arms - as laid out in the second amendment of the US constitution - could be threatened. 'A lot of people want to protect themselves,' he said. 'If people are out of work for a while and they start looting, they want to have the ability to protect themselves, their assets and their family.' AddOn Networks to upgrade 400G and 100G infrastructure worldwide with new high-density optical transceiver Tustin, California, USA and Cirencester, UK, March 24, 2020 AddOn Networks, the largest independent global supplier of optical connectivity solutions, has today launched its new range of optical transceivers to increase capacity on the networks with next-generation 400G capabilities. Enterprises worldwide are facing huge pressures to deliver faster speeds and higher bandwidth due to the ever-increasing demands for greater internet connectivity. This latest transceiver from AddOn Networks, the QSFP28-DD 2x100G, addresses these fundamental challenges by increasing network density, reducing infrastructure investments and solving interoperability issues between current and future infrastructure. ?At a time when new technologies such as 5G are driving greater traffic onto networks, it is vital that enterprises and data centers deliver high-quality, large-capacity connectivity to meet the needs of businesses and consumers,? said Patrick Beard, Chief Technology Officer at AddOn Networks. ?Our newest transceiver enables network expansion at a multitude of levels while keeping expansion costs to a minimum ? proving key to addressing the network demands of the future.? The new QSFP28-DD 2x100G transceiver from AddOn Networks, helps enterprises to overcome scaling challenges, by providing for those upgrading to a 400G PAM4 infrastructure as well as being a great option for customers who require an interim step as they wait for a more mature solution. It solves the crucial interoperability problems that have been experienced between legacy infrastructures and newer systems by utilizing two Non-Return to Zero (NRZ) connectors, making it wholly compatible and able to deliver the bandwidth and speed upgrades that operators demand. Beard added: ?Expansion of network infrastructure can be cost prohibitive but with our new QSFP28-DD 2X100G transceiver, we are able to meet the needs of those migrating to 400G, as well as organizations looking to achieve more capacity through their current setup. This flexibility is something that we pride ourselves on as a global leader in optical connectivity solutions ? to enable consumers to receive the bandwidth and speeds that they expect without the need for operators to replace entire systems.? AddOn Networks? new QSFP28-DD 2x100G transceiver consists of a new high-density CS? connector and contains two 100G transceivers in one housing, enabling the subtending of two common 100G NRZ to the network. 2x100G transceivers offer flexibility for future-proofing infrastructure and allows enterprises to invest in the relieving of network bottlenecks at minimal expense. The transceiver is also interoperable with existing 100G-CWDM4, 100G-LR4 and 100G-4WDM10 transceivers. For more information about AddOn Networks? new QSFP28-DD 2X100G transceiver, please visit the AddOn Networks website or email addonnetworks@proactive-pr.com. SPRINGFIELD A 22-year-old city man will be arraigned on 18 criminal counts including murder, assault to murder, carjacking and a slew of illegal firearms charges. Isaiah Taylor, of Nursery Street, was arrested yesterday after allegedly shooting a man on Clifton Avenue, according to police spokesman Ryan Walsh. That man survived but suffered serious injuries. Another victim Taylor allegedly shot on March 16 near the intersection of Chestnut and Carew streets died at Massachusetts General Hospital on Monday, detectives have said. While initial details provided by police have not addressed a motive or particular linkage among several separate events the alleged murder on March 16; the alleged carjacking on March 19; assault and battery by a motor vehicle (a hit-and-run) on Feb. 23; and domestic assault on Oct. 27. Since the Roderick Ireland Courthouse in Springfield is shut down after an employee tested positive for coronavirus, Taylor is expected to be arraigned via teleconference out of Holyoke District Court. A second man, Tyreese Amaro, 21, of Maple Street in East Longmeadow, also was arrested and charged as an accessory to the March 24th shooting on Clifton Avenue and in connection with the alleged hit-and-run. This is a developing story that will be updated as more details become available. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 17:49:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Keren Setton JERUSALEM, March 25 (Xinhua) -- An app that tracks COVID-19 patients around, a special anti-bacterial coating for surfaces, remote patient monitoring tools ... the Israeli hi-tech eco-system is exerting efforts to help global health systems tackle COVID-19, one of the biggest health challenges in this century. Since the outbreak of the virus late last year, Israeli companies have been scrambling to adapt their innovations to the situation. For many years, Israel has been renowned as "a start-up nation" hosting hundreds of research and development centers and representatives of many multi-national companies. In the past two decades, thousands of start-up companies have been launched in the country, several of them sold to giants such as Google and Facebook. Now, the virus crisis provides Israel's start-up eco-system with an opportunity to rally around a joint cause. Start-up National Central (SNC), a non-profit organization that surveys Israel's high-tech and innovation industry, has released a directory with the details of 70 different companies that have varying solutions to the challenges COVID-19 has presented. "The Israeli brain has extensive experience of times of emergency and thinking outside the box, and we want to do our bit in this difficult hour," said Eugene Kandel, CEO of SNC, in a press release about the directory. The e-health companies can be divided into three separate categories: protection and prevention, diagnostic decision support and diagnostic robotics. According to Lena Rogovin, head of the Digital Health sector at SNC, the companies currently making headway are the more mature ones with products already on the market. "We have seen a significant increase in sales in the United States, Israel and around the world. Demand has grown among new retail and health organization customers as well as among patients of existing partners in the United States," said Dedi Gilad, CEO and co-founder of Tyto Care, a leading Israeli company which offers remote monitoring solutions. Meanwhile, Israel is utilizing big data and other innovations in order to combat the spread of the virus in the country. Last week, the Israeli government announced almost 15 million U.S. dollars in grants for companies to find coronavirus-busting inventions. As the Israeli economy suffers a blow from the spread of the virus, there is hope that its thriving hi-tech sector will be able to wither the storm. The majority of exports are from the hi-tech service sector, perhaps making it less vulnerable to the restrictions imposed by many governments due to the virus. The Israeli eco-system has an advantage of being both strong in the cyber-security sector and digital health. According to Rogovin, this is what makes the local developments attractive to the international market. "In decision support and diagnostics, there is use of AI algorithms, big data and machine learning. 85 percent of investments last year in digital health were in companies that offered AI solutions," he explained. Earlier this week, the health ministry released a COVID-19 dedicated app. The app will notify users if they have been near a person infected with the virus. While it raised privacy concerns, the ministry assured users that all the information about their whereabouts is stored solely on their phones. "It saves the individual's information only on their own phones. The information is highly accurate," said Morris Dorfman, Head of Regulation, Digital Health & Information Systems Directorate at the Israeli Health Ministry. The app will cross-reference the information with the epidemiological history it has taken from confirmed carriers of the virus. The user will be alerted if there has been an overlap. At the Weizmann Institute, one of Israel's leading scientific research institutions, researchers say they have developed a method by which they can pinpoint COVID-19 outbreak zones ahead of time. The method relies on questionnaires filled out by people. Then, by using big data algorithms and AI, a projection can be made. "This accurate, neighborhood-level mapping may enable the health authorities to concentrate on areas in which an outbreak and spread of the virus is predicted, while allowing them to ease measures in areas where an outbreak is not expected," read a press release by the institute. Many other Israeli innovations are being used worldwide, from remote classroom platforms to technologies that enable remote business operations. "We will enlist the best minds in Israel in order to efficiently separate the healthy and the sick," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the beginning of the outbreak in the country. WASHINGTON In a significant victory for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, a federal judge on Wednesday ordered a sweeping new environmental review of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The pipeline, which runs from North Dakota to Illinois, has been carrying oil for nearly three years and has been contested by environmental groups and Native American tribes who live near it. President Trump sought to keep the project alive. The ruling by United States District Judge James E. Boasberg found that the pipelines effects on the quality of the human environment are likely to be highly controversial and that the federal government had not done an adequate job of studying the risks of a major spill or whether the pipelines leak detection system was adequate. He ordered the United States Army Corps of Engineers, which granted the permits for the pipeline, to conduct a more extensive environmental impact statement. New Delhi: Fast Moving Consumer Goods(FMCG) companies ITC, Nestle and Dabur on Tuesday said they are producing only the essential items at their manufacturing units amid the lockdown to prevent spread of coronavirus. The FMCG sector, which is producing beverages and foods as well as essential personal hygiene products such as hand wash, soaps and sanitisers that are needed to fight COVID-19, is in talks with local authorities to resume operations at some their units. Like others, FMCG makers have adopted 'Work from Home' for all employees at their head and regional offices to contain the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. According to ITC, it is "extremely critical" to ensure adoption of precautionary measures during this period, but it is also important, that during such challenging times, "essential products are made available to consumers in a safe and sustainable manner across the length and breadth of the country through continuity of supply". "As various state governments issue notifications, we are in discussions with them to ensure that manufacture and distribution of essential products are streamlined," said an ITC spokesperson. ITC, which manufactures personal hygiene products like hand wash, soaps and sanitisers under Savlon brand and food items under brands such as Aashirvad, is "operational with bare minimum people" as these are essential products, said the Kolkata-headquartered company. A total of 32 states and Union territories had already declared complete lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. From midnight, the lockdown will be imposed across the nation. Following this, several companies have halted their manufacturing operations till March 31. Nestle India, maker of Maggi noodles, Nescafe coffee, Cereal for infants and KitKat chocolate, which operates eight factories in the country, have either suspended operations or scaled down the operations at its manufacturing units. "In view of the lockdown in many of the states and union territories across the country, the operations in some of the locations (manufacturing, distribution centres/ warehouses, offices, suppliers) are scaled down or suspended," said Nestle in a regulatory filing. However, the company said as it is "in the manufacture and sale of food and beverage products, the company is in discussion with the authorities to continue operations in the factories/ distribution centres where the operations has been suspended." Beverages major Coca-Cola India has also suspended its manufacturing operations and is only producing "essential beverages", such as water, juices, tea and coffee, at its manufacturing facilities in small number complying to the local government's regulations. "In compliance with the government directive, we at the Coca-Cola system in India have temporarily suspended production at our manufacturing facilities," said Coca-Cola India. With respect to the essential beverages, the company is "operating our manufacturing facilities in very small number", it said. Varun Beverages,PepsiCo India's bottling partner, has also suspended manufacturing operation. Home-grown FMCG major Dabur India has also suspended its manufacturing operations, excluding essential items such as Ayurvedic medicines, Chyawanprash, hand sanitisers and hand wash. "We have temporarily suspended production at our manufacturing units till March 31, 2020, except for essential products such as Ayurvedic medicines, Chyawanprash, hand sanitisers and hand wash in the larger public interest," said Dabur India in a statement. Over the financial impact, Dabur said, "The situation is still dynamic and uncertain and it is difficult to evaluate or quantify the impact at this point of time. A lot will depend on the stabilisation of the overall scenario arising from the COVID-19 pandemic." Similarly, Nestle India said, "Impact on the operations of the company cannot be assessed at this point." According to data from the health ministry, over 500 coronavirus cases have been reported in India so far. Hamilton has had its first death from COVID-19 after an 80-year-old resident from Heritage Green Nursing Home died in hospital. Today is a tough day, Paul Johnson, director of Hamiltons Emergency Operations Centre, said at a media briefing Tuesday. When you receive the first confirmation that as a community someone has passed away, it hits home. Johnson pointed out that the woman did not travel and is one of two Hamilton cases to have contracted COVID-19 through community spread. It is a lesson that this community is not immune from this, Mayor Fred Eisenberger said while passing his condolences to the family. We are going to to be affected by this, he said. We may very well have more casualties as a result of this. To try to minimize that, we need to take these very important physical distancing steps. Eight people have now died in Ontario from COVID-19, including 51-year-old Sean Cunnington from Milton. We continue to see increasing numbers, Dr. Bart Harvey, an associate medical officer of health in Hamilton, said about confirmed cases. Assume every person you are around and every person you potentially interact with are infected. Hamilton had three new cases Tuesday bringing the confirmed total to 35, while Halton had one to increase its total to 15. Haltons latest case is an Oakville woman in her 70s who has been hospitalized. The municipality is also warning that a Burlington man waiting for test results had symptoms of COVID-19 on two flights Air Canada Flight 8218 from Cranbrook to Vancouver on March 11 and Air Canada Flight 106 from Vancouver to Toronto on March 12. Hamilton has had four people hospitalized as of Tuesday one who was discharged from Hamilton General Hospital, one at St. Josephs Healthcare on Charlton Avenue East, and another in an unidentified hospital. The first hospitalized patient in Hamilton was the woman who died Tuesday morning at St. Josephs. She was one of two residents from the same floor of Heritage Green to test positive for COVID-19, prompting public health to declare an outbreak at the Stoney Creek long-term care centre. The other resident is isolated at the home at 353 Isaac Brock Dr. There is now a massive backlog of more than 10,000 pending tests in the province as of Tuesday, raising questions about how many in Ontario actually have COVID-19. Provincewide, there were at least 588 confirmed cases as of 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, up from 503 on Monday. The West End Clinic and King Campus urgent care centres have assessed 794 visits since March 16 and tested 167 people since March 19. The city closed Albion Falls and asked people to use escarpment stairs for essential purposes only, such as going to work. Hamilton Conservation Authority shut its locations to the public including to membership holders starting Wednesday because of concerns that too many people continued to gather there. No one is immune from this. said Eisenberger. For those who think theyre going to be OK, Lets just go out and do what we do normally dont do it. Youre wrong. The city has 115 staff in self-isolation after international travel and 85 per cent of its staff are now working from home. To get in line with provincially mandated closures of essential services on Wednesday, the city will no longer issue parking tickets at street meters or its lots (excluding Hamilton Convention Centre and the York Boulevard parking garage). This is not a wide open call to park anywhere you want in the community, said Johnson. We will continue to enforce parking violations that are considered to be around safety or community concern. The city is no longer processing permits for movies or television shows to film in Hamilton. But Johnson said building permits are still required with no exemptions. For the safety of its workers, the city wont be collecting yard waste and wants tissues and napkins to go in the garbage instead of the green bin. Liner bags should be used for compost and garbage needs to be bagged and not kept loose in bins. Residents are asked not to approach city workers. Three emergency child-care centres are opening up with limited space for ages 12 months to 12 years one with Todays Family and two with Wee Watch. The care is free for essential-service workers such as health care, police, fire, paramedics, public health, long-term care, correctional and HSR. Small in-home daycares are also being permitted. When it comes to help for businesses from the provincial and federal government, Eisenberger said, Even though we all want this money to flow quickly, it takes some time ... so some patience is necessary. He defended Hamiltons decision not to declare a state of emergency as other communities have, including Burlington and Halton. We are all, by virtue of the provinces declaration, in a state of emergency, he said. There is no funding advantage or policy advantage that comes out of making a declaration ... If we were to do it now, its just optics or politics. The province gave broad powers to long-term care centres to redeploy staff, cancel vacations and recall leaves, similar to what has already been provided to hospitals. It also announced Tuesday its suspending time-of-use electricity rates for 45 days to help families and small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 crisis. The United Way of Halton and Hamilton has created an emergency fund at UWHH.ca. And the city has partnered with all social service agencies in Hamilton to help the homeless and marginalized. It is funding a number of organizations to provide drop-in centres at expanded hours. There are also 40 to 50 hotel rooms the city can use. The city will hold a virtual town hall at 7 p.m. on Wednesday that will be broadcast on Cable 14 or at youtube.com/insidecityofhamilton. By PTI MUMBAI: A day after suffering their biggest single-day collapse, benchmarks Sensex and Nifty on Tuesday staged a sharp recovery in line with global markets as investors held out hopes that measures by governments across the world will offset the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The BSE gauge Sensex closed 692.79 points or 2.67 per cent higher at 26,674.03, after a highly volatile trading session. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE The index swung between a high of 27,462.87 and a low of 25,638.90 during the day. Likewise, the NSE barometer Nifty settled 190.80 points, or 2.51 per cent, up at 7,801.05. Both Sensex and Nifty had suffered their worst ever single-session drop in history on Monday. Indices had closed with up to 13 per cent plunge. On Tuesday, Indian equities followed an improved investor sentiment in Asia after the Federal Reserve announced limitless bond-buying programme to support the US economy. Top gainers in the Sensex pack included Infosys, Bajaj Finance, HUL, Maruti, HCL Tech and Reliance Industries; while M&M, IndusInd Bank, ITC, PowerGrid and L&T were among the losers. Sectorally, BSE IT, teck, energy, FMCG, auto, bankex, finance and metal indices advanced up to 6.95 per cent. While realty, capital goods and basic materials indices ended up to 2.01 per cent lower. In the broader market, BSE midcap and smallcap indices rose up to 1.56 per cent. "Market seemed to breathe a sigh of relief today after the crash yesterday, in sync with the global markets. In addition to the huge relief package by the US Fed yesterday, there were also expectations of a fiscal package by the government," Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, said. The market came off its highs after no significant announcements by the finance minister and the fact that the economic package was still in development, he said, adding that European and US manufacturing activity data due later, which may indicate the impact of Covid-19 on economies, could influence markets tomorrow. With the coronavirus lockdown hitting the Indian industry hard and causing job losses, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said an economic package to help tide over the crisis will be announced very soon. Sitharaman told reporters an announcement on the package would be made sooner than later. On volatility in stocks, she said regulators and her ministry are monitoring developments and volatility in markets. According to experts, a major package from the government of India and the Reserve Bank is expected shortly, and the market is likely to remain hugely volatile with rising possibility of V shaped recovery occasionally. The US Fed is now leading from the front with its historic package which includes open-ended purchase of securities, direct loans to companies, purchase of corporate bonds, lending against student loans and credit card loans, they said. The Federal Reserve on Monday announced it will buy unlimited amounts of US Treasury debt -- essentially printing money for the economy -- as well as new steps to lend directly to small- and medium-sized companies that have been among the hardest-hit as economic activity dries up. Other central banks are also expected to follow suit with bold measures to ease the severely strained credit and financial markets, experts noted. Traders said extreme lockdown measures taken by the government of India and authorities across the world still weigh on global investor sentiment. Bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul rallied up to 8 per cent. Exchanges in Europetoo rallied up to 6 per cent. Meanwhile, the Indian rupee appreciated against the US dollar to trade 26 paise higher at 75.94. Global crude benchmark, Brent crude futures rose 5.22 per cent to USD 28.44 per barrel. Coronavirus cases in India crossed 500 and one more death from the infection reported taking the toll to ten, as the Centre on Tuesday asked the states and union territories to clamp curfew wherever necessary in the wake of people defying lockdown orders in several parts of the country. The number of global Covid-19 infections has shot past 3,80,000. Worldwide fatalities topped 16,500. Apple has added another layer of security to iCloud in the form of two-step verification, following the high profile security attacks on its computers as well as the hacking of Wired Journalist Mat Honans account, The feature, already present in popular online services Google and Dropbox, adds another verification process after a successful email, password combination is entered. This verification would rely on one of your devices, as Apple describes it: Two-step verification will require you to verify your identity using one of your devices before you can make changes to your account or make an iTunes or App Store purchase from a new device. [] You will also get a Recovery Key for safekeeping which you can use to access your account if you ever forget your password or lose your device. The verification code will be sent either via SMS or the Find My iPhone app. The process lets you choose which of your devices do you want to assign as trusted, on which these codes would be sent. 9to5Mac notes that the feature is rolled out to select countries, and isnt available world over. If youre a resident of U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia or New Zealand, you can set up two-step verification by heading to the Apple ID website, and clicking on the security tab. Head over to Apples FAQ section for more details on the verification process. The feature seems to be having issues right now, with the Apple ID page appearing in a weird state as shown below, but we expect Apple to resolve these errors soon: This is of course a welcome step given the confidential information associated with iCloud accounts, but the lack of worldwide support is disappointing. Do tell us if you were able to setup two-step verification in the comments section below. A 52-year-old man and a youth tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday night, taking the total number of cases to 10 in the state, the state health department said. While the 22-year-old youth returned from the US to Vijayawada, the 52-year-old returned to his native town Guntur after attending a religious congregation in Nizamuddin Mosque in New Delhi, the department said in a bulletin. The youth was admitted to a local government hospital in Delhi on March 21 upon his arrival from Washington and discharged the next day. He reached Vijayawada by flight and went home. He visited a government hospital along with his father on March 23 and was kept in isolation, it said. On Wednesday night, his medical examination report tested positive for coronavirus, the bulletin said The 52-year-old man attended a religious meeting at the Nizamuddin Mosque, along with 20 others for two-and-a-half days. He travelled from Delhi to Vijayawada by the Duronto Express and went home by car to Guntur on March 19. He visited the hospital in Vijayawada on March 23 and his blood sample sent for examination tested positive, the bulletin said. The health department said another person belonging to Andhra Pradesh was also afflicted with coronavirus but was admitted at the Gandhi Medical College in Hyderabad. He did not travel to the state. The bulletin said results of 13 other people are awaited. Authorities in Anantapuramu and Kurnool districts registered cases against three people for violating the home isolation guidelines. Kurnool Collector G Veerapandian said two foreign returnees were arrested and brought to the government quarantine facility as they violated the home isolation protocol. Similar action was taken against one person in Anantapuramu district, according to Collector Gandham Chandrudu. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy reviewed the situation with Deputy Chief Minister A K K Srinivas and top officials. Srinivas later told reporters that the government decided to keep groceries and other shops selling essential commodities open from 6 am to 1 pm during the lockdown period. Social distancing would be maintained through special marking in Rythu Bazaars (farmers' markets) for people to buy vegetables, he said, adding that village and ward volunteers were undertaking a survey of each household to assess conditions. Health staff are being deployed to all districts to take required preventive measures extensively, he said. State Municipal Administration Minister Botsa Satyanarayana spoke to his Telangana counterpart K T Rama Rao on Wednesday night and brought to the latter's notice the plight of AP students stranded in Hyderabad. Botsa said the students were being made to vacate their hostels but they had nowhere to go in view of the lockdown orders and ban on travel. Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney also spoke to her Telangana counterpart Somesh Kumar on the issue. Following this, the Telangana municipal minister issued instructions that student hostels and post-graduate student mess be kept open. The Andhra Pradesh government also advised the students not to venture out of the hostels and call the helpline number '1902' in case of any trouble. Meanwhile, the YSR Congress MPs, MLCs and MLAs decided to contribute a month's salary to the CM Relief Fund for tackling Covid-19. The Telugu Desam legislators too announced donation of their month's salary to the CMRF. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) What is particularly disturbing about this procedure is that the National Emergencies Act effectually empowers presidents to retain emergency authority until they decide to give it up. An emergency declaration can be renewed by the president and terminated only by a joint resolution of Congress that requires the presidents signature. The expectation that presidents will voluntarily renounce emergency authority runs contrary to all assumptions the constitutional order makes about the seductions of power, which, as Federalist 48 noted, is of an encroaching nature. It is especially disturbing that Mr. Trump was goaded into invoking the Korean War-era Defense Production Act, which enables presidents to direct industrial production toward war needs when national security or natural disaster requires it. The fact that the act has been amended to apply to domestic emergencies underscores the tendency of emergency powers to expand. What about Mr. Trumps erratic response to the coronavirus pandemic thus far from his early flattering of China to his repetitive efforts to minimize the crisis inspires confidence in his ability to command the industrial capacity of the nation? Even if one granted the defensible premise that the national government needs to do more to force industry to produce emergency medical supplies, equating domestic crisis with foreign war is dangerous. War powers are notoriously difficult to contain once unleashed. They tend, instead, to metastasize, as in a recent Justice Department request to allow indefinite detention without trial during emergencies. More broadly, crisis powers tend to remain in presidential hands once the immediate danger passes, especially when wars do not have clear beginnings and ends. Witness the fact that the post-9/11 Authorization for Use of Military Force remains in effect nearly 19 years later. Americans born after it was enacted will be eligible to vote in the next election. They are also serving in the seemingly endless conflicts that have ensued. In the case of 9/11, the preoccupation was with emergency action at all costs. We are still grappling with the constitutional fallout a generation later. The coronavirus crisis could prove even more insidious. Mr. Trumps use of the National Emergencies Act to help fund his border wall shows how tempting that kind of power can be. If war statutes are converted to domestic use, Democrats might consider what will happen if Mr. Trump who has already likened illegal immigrants to invaders declares a metaphorical war on them. Similarly, Republicans should survey the powers being conferred on Mr. Trump and ask whether they would be comfortable with Joseph R. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, for president, invoking national security powers for urgent wars that address his priorities, like climate change or gun control. It may be a far leap from here to there. It is also now a shorter one. None of these is equivalent to the genuine and immediate crisis the coronavirus presents. But all of them serve as warnings that the powers will not easily go away when this crisis ends. Far from it: We risk becoming inured to them and legitimating their future use. Afghan personnel arrive at the site of the attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP) Kabul: A group of gunmen stormed a Gurdwara in the heart of the Afghan capitals old city on Wednesday, killing at least four people, a minority Sikh parliamentarian said. The Sikh community in Afghanistan is a minority there. Afghanistans interior ministry said that police were present at the place of worship, but that the firing was continuing. The parliamentarian, Narindra Singh Khalsa, said he was near the Gurdwara when the attack happened and ran to the site. He said at least four people were killed. No one has taken responsibility for the attack yet. Earlier this month an Islamic State affiliate attacked a gathering of minority Shiite Muslims in Kabul, the capital, killing 32 people. Sikhs have suffered widespread discrimination in the conservative Muslim country and have also been targeted by Islamic extremists. Under the Taliban rule in the late 1990s, they were asked to identify themselves by wearing yellow armbands, but the rule was not enforced. In recent years, large numbers of Sikhs and Hindus have sought asylum in India, which has a Hindu majority and a large Sikh population. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 13:21:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday continued to claim lives in Latin America as imported infections gave way to locally transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus disease. Argentina said that the death toll from the disease outbreak in the country rose to six after two men died. One of the men came down with the virus after returning from Spain, while the other had contact with a patient in Argentina who had tested positive. So far, Argentina has reported 387 cases of infections. In neighboring Brazil, the largest country in South America, the number of confirmed cases has risen from 1,891 to 2,201, with the death toll jumping from 34 to 46. Mexico's government on Tuesday said the country entered stage 2 of the coronavirus epidemic, marked by a rise in the number of patients who contracted the disease locally. The country has registered 367 cases of the virus and four deaths. Ecuador's death toll climbed to 27, with a total of 1,049 confirmed infections, making it one of the hardest-hit countries in the region, the Public Health Ministry said. In the past 24 hours, Ecuador saw eight deaths related to COVID-19 and 68 newly-detected infections. Like many regional countries, Ecuador has put in place stringent measures to reduce people's movement since a state of emergency was declared on March 16. In Ecuador's coastal province of Guayas, the number of infections topped 807. A special joint task force of military and police officers has been sent there to ensure residents comply with quarantine orders. Chile has registered 922 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and two deaths, the Ministry of Health of Chile announced Tuesday. The country imposed a night-time curfew on Sunday. Last week, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera declared a 90-day state of catastrophe to step up the government's effort to combat COVID-19. In Peru, President Martin Vizcarra reported 21 new cases of infection, bringing the total to 416. In his continued response to the coronavirus pandemic, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker ordered utility companies Tuesday to not shut off gas, electric or water for people who fail to pay their bills. The declaration applies to all investor-owned business. The order will last until the governors state of emergency, announced on March 10, is lifted or the state Department of Public Utilities determines otherwise, according to a statement from Baker. "This order will ensure the continued availability of gas, electric, and water service to all ratepayers during the state of emergency, DPU Chairman Matthew Nelson said in the statement. Todays action will also protect residents and businesses from added economic pressure during these difficult and uncertain times. The announcement comes as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect businesses and peoples finances. To combat the impact, Baker launched a $10 million recovery loan fund for small businesses last week, and President Donald Trump has previously ordered a suspension on all foreclosures and evictions through the end of April. Congressional and White House leaders Tuesday night also agreed on an emergency stimulus package to provide million of dollars in aid to businesses, workers and health care systems affected by the outbreak. The federal tax deadline has been pushed back as well, and local tax extensions are being considered. Bakers order also prohibits utility companies from sending messages to customers threatening to shut off services for failure to pay an entire or portion of a bill, the statement said. Any business that violates the declaration may be issued a penalty up to $1 million per violation. The DPU issued a moratorium earlier this month requesting that utility companies stop shutting off gas and electric services to residents. The new order now includes any investor-owned companies, including industrial, commercial and small business customers, according to the governors statement. The largest utility providers in the commonwealth include Eversource and National Grid. The state also has lists posted online of investor-owned natural gas companies and water distributors. Comment on this story on MassLives Facebook page Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Related Content: By SA Commercial Prop News Norbert Sasse, CEO of Growthpoint Properties Limited. JSE-listed Growthpoint says it has committed R684m for a new development on the landmark V&A Waterfront with investment management firm, Allan Gray, as an anchor tenant. In June 2011 the company took transfer of 50% of the Waterfront in Cape Town in a R4.9bn deal which has been described as one of the countrys largest property transactions yet. The Allan Gray headquarters will fall within the Clock Tower/Silo Square precinct and is expected to be ready for occupation in April 2013. A development blueprint is in the process of being put together with work scheduled to begin In September 2011. A retail component is on spec to cater for the Allan Gray staff. CEO Nortbert Sasse says the property companys long-term expectations for the V&A are for superior returns generated by completing all development opportunities. He also mentioned that the debt-funded Waterfront transaction took Growthpoints borrowings from R9.3bn to R14.3bn, increasing the companys loan-to-value ratio from 29.9% to 37.8%. Growthpoint has a portfolio of 424 directly owned properties in South Africa valued at R32.5bn, it also owns 37 properties in Australia valued at R6.4bn and bought the V&A at a cost of R4.9bn. In its annual results presentation, the property giant said it had posted an 8.1% rise in distributions to 131c per linked investment unit in the year ended June, compared with the previous financial year. Growthpoint Properties says given the global and economic uncertainties, higher interest margins on debt refinance and other pressures, it expects to show positive growth in distribution of between 3% and 7% in the next financial year. CEO Norbert Sasse has attributed its performance to aggressive property management, vigilant control of arrears, fortified portfolio occupancy levels and the distribution enhancing performance of Growthpoint Properties Australia (GOZ) in which Growthpoint has a 61% holding. With regards to its investment in Australia, Sasse says the venture continues to perform positively with the strong Australian dollar providing an additional boost to the companys distributions. Its total return over the past year has amounted to 28.6% made up of an income return of 11.4% and a capital return of 17.2%. GOZ has acquired 15 properties during the year, bringing its total number of properties to 37 across Australia and increasing the value of the GOZ portfolio to just more than Aus$1bn. The portfolio there has gone from purely industrial properties to include a 28% spread of offices at year end. Sasse says at a level of 7.4%, tenant arrears as a percentage of total monthly collectables have been successfully cut by Growthpoint to levels prior to the 2008/2009 global financial crisis. He added the companys portfolio occupancy had strengthened during the year, with the overall vacancy level coming down from 6.4% to 5%. The successful cutbacks in vacancies has been balanced against lacklustre demand, particularly for office space, in the context of a gruelling economic climate with low GDP growth and increasing unemployment figures, Sasse said. He added that clients were generally seeking shorter leases, reflecting uncertainty on the outlook of the South African and global economies. Hadiza Balarabe, Deputy Governor of Kaduna State says the State Government has banned the operations of motorcycles and tricycles in order to maintain social distancing precaution. Balarabe made this known in a state broadcast on Wednesday, stressing that the two modes of transportation do not satisfy social distancing measure advocated as part of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus the country. She, however, noted that while commercial buses are allowed to operate, for now, she said they must comply with the new rule of not more than two passengers per row. The deputy governor said the state took the decision after senior government officials met to review the level of compliance of the measures taken to contain the spread of COVID 19 and warned that the government is ready to suspend all forms of pubic transportation if circumstances compel it. Read Also: Coronavirus: Chloroquine Not Approved For Prevention, Treatment NCDC The Deputy Governor recalled that the state government had requested the appropriate authorities to stop the train services to help curtail the spread of Covid-19 but stressed that: Further to this, the Kaduna State Government will today(Wednesday) be taking steps to stop the Abuja-Kaduna train service which needs to be suspended for a few weeks. Brazil is one of the most unequal countries in the world. More than 40 million people nearly 20 percent of the population work in the informal economy. They clean houses, sell snacks and hawk cheap food and merchandise on the beaches. The poor pack the favelas of Rio and Sao Paulo, slums where overcrowded and unsanitary conditions are expected to accelerate Brazils outbreak. Nearly everyone in the lower classes depends on the public health-care system, which in Rio was already at capacity and in turmoil even before the coronavirus. The Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) has decided to provide lunch every day for one hundred medical staff working at the three designated health centres managing Coronavirus (COVIC-19) cases in the country. The health centres are the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) Tema General Hospital, and the Ga East Government Hospital. The intervention by the Church is aimed at supporting Governments efforts to control and manage the spread of the virus in the country which Ghana has recorded 68 cases and two deaths. The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Rt. Rev Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante on Tuesday presented the first lunch on behalf of the Church to the medical staff at the Ridge Hospital in Accra. He also presented 30 boxes of Salem Mineral Water produced by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and 30 cartons of soft drinks to the medical staff. The items were received by the Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Charity Sarpong during a brief ceremony in Accra. Rt. Rev Prof. J.O.Y Mante said the Church has recognized the invaluable contributions of the medical staff working hard to ensure that the Coronavirus does not spread hence the decision to provide them with lunch to motivate them to continue to work for the nation. He also said the Presbyterian Church of Ghana which is one of the largest denominations in the country has been following the challenges confronting the nation in the wake of the Corona virus pandemic. The Moderator urged all and sundry to adhere to the recommended safety measures put in place by the Ghana Health Service and other health experts. The Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Charity Sarpong thanked the PCG for the timely gesture and said it would go a long way to motivate the health workers. She also assured the Church that they would continue to work hard to ensure that the virus does not spread and those who have already contracted the virus would also be well managed so as to recover. She urged other institutions and organizations to come and support in diverse ways to make the fight against the spread of the virus successful. The Moderator was accompanied by the Clerk of General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev Dr. Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor, the Clergy, Director at the Head Office of the Church, and some church members. Source: Rev George Larbi, Public Relations Officer-Presbyterian Church of Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Scotland-based The Bread Guy is planning to start production at the former Aitkens Bakery in Torry, Aberdeen. The artisan bakery has moved into the former Aitkens Bakery site on Glenbervie Road, Torry and hopes to open up its new store in June. Gary McAllister, managing director at The Bread Guy, was brought up next door to Aitkens Bakery, which has been shut since late 2018. The Bread Guys Inverurie site is set to shut and will become a larger bakery and shop at the former Aitkens Bakery. Right now, we are a wholesale bread company selling upmarket products, but we are branching out into the confectionery side. I am creating new products that will be on sale for the residents of Aberdeen. Some of the current bakeries offer very old-fashioned cakes and bakes so there will be a lot of products we can innovate, said McAllister. McAllisters family is moving back to Torry to run the bakery, feed the community and create jobs, he added. Hopefully this bakery brings new life to the building, area and street. We are branching out and will be selling sausage rolls and other hot food-to-go. I will also be continuing the bread business as we have lots of loyal customers to continue feeding. McAllister said he hoped The Bread Guy would become a staple of Torry and bring in customers from all around Aberdeen, thanks to word of mouth and great-tasting products. Production is scheduled to start in May, but the initial opening date may be pushed back due to the coronavirus outbreak. There is still work to be done on the site and workmen are not to carry out repairs, as this is non essential work. Everyone should be staying at home if possible, said McAllister. Turkish Armed Forces seize explosives in Tel Abyad The area was cleared of terrorists in Turkey's Operation Peace Spring. A house search in an area of northwestern Syria cleared of terrorists by Turkey turned up hundreds of kilos of explosives, Turkish security sources said Wednesday. FOUR SUSPECTS WERE TAKEN IN CUSTODY IN THE OPERATION In Tel Abyad, Syria, cleared of YPG/PKK terrorists by Turkey's Operation Peace Spring last year, 760 kilograms of explosives and a large cache of ammunition were found in a house, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media. As part of their efforts to uncover traces of the terrorist YPG/PKK, security officials from Sanliurfa in southeastern Turkey, near the Syria border, searched the house, which was still under construction. The search uncovered 760 kg of explosive material, 1 kg of ammonium nitrate, two time bombs, 10 activated mines, two rocket motors, nine pieces of rocket ammunition, two rocket bombs, 15 pieces of metal, and other assorted devices used in bomb making. A tunnel five meters deep was also found under the house. Policy & Public Health Student Privacy in a Time of Pandemic How should a school respond if it receives a voluntary request from a local, state or federal agency for student records to assist in responding to a COVID-19 outbreak in the area? Should a principal be prepared to share student health records if the local public health agency makes contact? And what can be shared with the school community if a child shows symptoms of the virus? Those are a few of the questions addressed in a new report quickly produced by the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and AASA, the School Superintendents Association, to answer questions related to FERPA and HIPAA in a time of coronavirus. (For the first question, about that voluntary request, the school could provide anonymized information, such as an aggregated percentage of symptomatic students who visited the school's nurse, as long as individuals couldn't be identified. For the second question, the answer is a trickier, because some states have mandatory reporting laws regarding communicable diseases. And for that third question, information can be shared, again, as long as the individual affected can't be identified directly or indirectly; and even then, notification might be delayed long enough for the student to be tested or for his or her doctor to "rule out the flu.") The paper provides dos and don'ts to help readers understand how to respond. It also addresses the health or safety emergency exception under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which allows schools to share students' personally identifiable information (PII) with the community and relevant officials during the current emergency. That provision allows for disclosure without prior consent when it's needed to protect the health or safety of the student or others. The specific questions covered in the report are these: If a student has COVID-19, what information from education records can the school share with the community? If the school suspects that a student has COVID-19, what information can the school share with its community? If a school suspects that a student may have COVID-19, can school officials contact the student's primary care physician? If a student has COVID-19 and the school's health records are covered by HIPAA rather than FERPA, what information may the school disclose to its community? What if the school receives a voluntary request from a local, state or federal agency for student records to assist the agency in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak? What should a school do if it receives a request under a mandatory reporting law to share student health records with a public health agency? Do interagency agreements with other state or local agencies allow schools to disclose education records without obtaining consent? "There's no question that schools and institutions are struggling to manage this unprecedented situation and need as much support and information as possible to do their jobs," said Amelia Vance, FPF's senior counsel and director of Youth and Education Privacy, in a statement. "The Future of Privacy Forum is tracking the situation closely in an effort to anticipate and help address the challenges that schools may encounter as they work to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, and we expect to release additional resources in the days ahead." The paper is available as a PDF on the FPF's FERPA Sherpa website. The content is also available in HTML on the same site. A health care worker speaks to a test patient at an assessment table as they prepare for the opening of the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Brewer Park Arena in Ottawa on March 13, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang) Ontario Doctor Sounds Alarm About COVID-19 Unpreparedness A shortage of protective gear for front-line health-care workers, including gowns, gloves, and surgical masks, is putting lives at risk in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic threatening Canadians, says an Ontario physician. We would never put our soldiers on the front lines without the personal equipment, the protection that they needed, but thats what were doing to our front-line doctors and nurses, said Dr. Kulvinder Gill, president of Concerned Ontario Doctors and a longtime critic of inadequate hospital funding. As shortages extended to virus-testing ability, Gill said authorities started rationing testing. And they are only testing people basically that have travel risk factors that are symptomatic. There have already been thousands of confirmed and presumptive cases of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus in Canada , and over 35 deaths as of the evening of March 25. The number of completed COVID-19 tests as of March 25 stood at just around 111, 300, leaving scores untested or tested too late, Gill told The Epoch Times. Two of the cases in Ontario that died of COVID-19their test did not come up positive until after they died, she said. As of yesterday, there were 31 health-care workers in Ontario who tested positive for COVID-19, she added. And keep in mind, these numbers being reported are a grave underestimate of the true infection rates because of the shortage of nasal swabs to do the testing. Gill went on to say that some doctors are re-using items like masks and gowns, while others go without, increasing their risk of infection. And front-line doctors and nurses that are symptomatic, that have had contact with patients known to have COVID-19, are not being tested and told to just self-isolate, she said. To cope with the influx, some hospitals have begun cancelling elective surgeries to free up beds and medical staff. On March 15, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the governments $1 billion pandemic aid package will help ensure necessary equipment is available, and that a careful accounting of currently available supplies was being done. That is an ongoing challenge that we are addressing; were going to make sure that people have the support they need, he said on CTVs Question Period. Policy-makers have solicited Gills advice on Canadas health-care situation. Last May, she testified before MPs in Ottawa about violence faced by front-line health-care providers, and on Jan. 20 this year she warned Brampton City Council that its municipal hospital was under 24/7 code gridlock. Code gridlock is when patient needs outstrip a facilitys ability to deliver care to the tune of 30 overflow beds, or hallway health care. In recent months code gridlock has escalated to such levels that we now have a new category called extreme code gridlock, Gill told elected officials. Thats when theres more than 50 patients who have been admitted and are stuck in beds in ER because theres nowhere else to go. Five days later, on Jan. 25, Canadas first case of coronavirus was diagnosed at Torontos Sunnybrook Hospitala man in his 50s who had just returned from Wuhan, China, ground zero for the outbreak. The next day, the mans wife became the countrys second case. As of March 25, there were 588 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario determined through nearly 22,400 tests; 126 of these cases are located in the Greater Toronto Area. Where I practise is the epicentre of Ontarios and Canadas health-care crisis, Gill said. Even before this pandemic started, we were already unequipped to be dealing with what was coming through the doors. And we still have flights arriving every single day from all the hot spots. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Canada falls well below the average number of hospital beds, intensive care unit (ICU) spaces, and even doctors. Most recent OECD data indicates that the global average for ICU beds among nation states is 3.9/1,000. Italy, which has suffered nearly 69,200 coronavirus infections and more than 6,800 deathsthe highest mortality rate of 150 affected countrieshas 2.8 ICU beds per 1,000 citizens. Canada is just 1.95, Ontario has 1.3, and Brampton has just 0.04, said Gill. On Feb.9, barely a week after Canadas first COVID-19 cases, Global Affairs announced that it was shipping 16 tons of personal protective equipment including clothing, face shields, masks, goggles, and gloves to China. Meanwhile, federal government procurement for similar items began on March 11. And if you look at their procurement list, it only includes personal protective equipment. Theres nothing about medications, nothing about ventilators or nasal swabs, Gill said. So not only did their procurement start months after we already knew about the outbreak in China, this government waited months, and even now its actions are falling short. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. The Angelus by Jean-Francois Millet depicts a man and woman taking a moment to pray, a welcome respite from the work of digging potatoes. (Public Domain) On Traditional Values and Weathering the COVID-19 Storm Commentary The COVID-19 pandemic is at our doorstep, an unwelcome intruder sweeping through our collective, comfortable assumptions about the world as we know it, ready to throw it into turmoil A great social experiment is underway, a collective reorganizing of our basic assumptions about the world and our place in it. There could be desperate times ahead that will test the philosophical underpinnings of our society. Life, of course, is bound to bring suffering every now and then, but with the proper value set, existential crises become the catalysts that further propel us towards greater things. This taste of the unimaginable should give us pause to examine whether our value and belief structures are intact enough to withstand an abrupt change to the quality of our lives. The democratic civilization of the West owes its success to the Judeo-Christian ethic that formed its roots. America, with its founding principles, embodied these ethics to great success, invigorating the industrious, pioneering spirit of great women and men. Canada was cut from the same cloth. Centuries of ingenuity, stoicism, and character-driven action transformed the West into the great civilization we enjoy today. A silver lining to the pandemic sweeping the world is that societies and individuals will need to re-evaluate their previously held assumptions born of comfort and malaise. The stillness of quarantined isolation offers an opportunity to reflect upon our more divine natures and contemplate whether we have been led too far astray by the lure of the modern world. This mandatory segregation from the hedonistic temptations of our age provides fertile ground for the awakening of the sacred and sublime. Our spirits are being tested en masse and many will find that there is no panacea like a foundation of faith to withstand the immense trials of life. Postmodern Ideologies But we are not immune to the influence of ideologies that threaten to erode this traditional foundation. An undercurrent of discontent has gradually permeated Western society over the past decades, slowly eroding its confidence and vigour. In place of gratitude for our collective good fortune, a number of postmodern social movements took root that have, at their core, a quiet but pernicious disdain for the foundations of Western society. Cloaked in many colours, these movements proved to be contagious within universities, media, politics, and the populace in general. Identity politics and political correctness created cages and confines around peoples ability to speak, while social media constructed invisible prison walls around information and freedom of thought. Unexpectedly, the West found itself living under an imperceptible illusion of freedom. Students of history can look to both Soviet Russia and Communist China for the roots of this postmodernist thought policing. Less than a century ago these communist ideologies resulted in mass casualties, shocking in their breadth. Under possession of this ruinous ideology, man demonstrated very clearly his capacity for brutality. In Russia, China, and Cambodia, for example, unthinkable atrocities were committed by ordinary, everyday citizens caught up in fear and fervour, rendering them devoid of any sense of morality or respect for human life. Its a defining characteristic of postmodern Marxist movements that their sole aim is to tear down the structure of society and destroy tradition. They have no prescriptions for the enrichment of industry, they offer no solutions, exhibit no desire for cooperation, and heed no call to higher action, having abdicated any responsibility to move humankind forward. Those who embrace these doctrinesknowingly or unknowinglywill find that they are without a solid foundation to sustain them through a crisis like the one before us. Marxism at its core is devoid of the human spirit, arrogant in its superiority, and petty in its tactics. There are far better roads to take to weather the storm. Sacrifice and Greatness Societal cohesion in times of strife depends on a solid foundation of time-tested values and virtuous principles of which the Marxist postmodern school of thought is thoroughly devoid. The Marxist philosophy of struggle capitalizes on tragedy for selfish ends while mankinds enduring traditions spur humanity to sacrifice and greatness. The belief in the divine and faith in virtue are proven, powerful remedies for the woes of the world. Their value must not be underestimated for they offer a true countermeasure to the strife and turmoil we may face in these pandemic-stricken times. For centuries, these principles have enabled people to persevere with hope and purpose through the darkest of times. They are the bedrock that has built greatness and encouraged the fragile human spirit to become more than itself. We will all be struggling toward the light throughout this ordeal and in need of belief systems that acknowledge the inevitable existence of suffering while offering a path to its transcendence. We could start by taking an honest look at the profound limitations of postmodern ideologies and turning away from them. Embracing the traditions and great moral teachings that have guided societies for hundreds of years will not only foster our better nature but give us a reliable antidote to uncertainty and despair. Ryan Moffatt is a journalist based in Vancouver. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A staff works at a N95 mask production workshop of the Naton Medical Group in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2020. Xinhua/Ren Chao/Getty Images Charnai Prefontaine, an ICU nurse in Illinois, told Business Insider that she has had to use the same mask for a 12-hour shift, and sometimes, for several days to cope with the lack of extras. She's had to place one mask in a bag and label it with her name and date of use. Charnai Prefontaine Charnai Prefontaine Dr. Green, an emergency physician, has had to use the same PPE (captured in the photo below) for three days. PPE, or personal protective equipment, is gear that workers wear to protect themselves from trauma and infection. Dr. Green Dr. Green Gayatri Joshi, a trauma radiologist in Atlanta, told Business Insider that she and her colleagues have been saving masks for healthcare workers at greater risk of airborne contamination those giving oral exams, or conducting intubation and suctioning. Gayatri Joshi Gayatri Joshi Miguel Ruiz, a hospice nurse in Texas, told Business Insider that he has been reusing the same mask for every visit, unlike before, when he typically used a fresh mask after every visit. Miguel Ruiz Miguel Ruiz Dr. Vidya Ramantha has been using one mask per day instead of before the outbreak, when she used a new mask for every patient. Vidya Ramanathan Vidya Ramanathan Read the original article on Business Insider Two years after launching with bug spray to help people ward off Connecticuts infamous export to the world Lyme disease a Norwalk startup is adding a hand sanitizer spray to help hospital staff and emergency responders in its home state protect themselves against the COVID-19 virus. Ranger Ready is following Food & Drug Administration guidelines for hand sanitizer, with plans to ship 20,000 units the second week of April to the state of Connecticut for distribution to hospitals and other sites as needed, having concocted the formula while working remotely across three states under the direction of CEO Chris Fuentes. By Express News Service BHOPAL: A journalist residing in the posh Professor Colony locality of Bhopal tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday. With this, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state has risen to 15, of which two are from Bhopal. The patient, who is aged 55, is the father of the young woman who had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus on Sunday -- four days after she returned to Bhopal from the UK, where she is pursuing a degree in law. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE The journalist was among dozens of scribes who had attended then Chief Minister Kamal Nath's press conference at the CM House in Bhopal on March 20. He was also among the journalists who had gone to the Vidhan Sabha and later attended a press conference at the state BJP HQ the same day. Besides the then CM and other journalists, many Congress MLAs and leaders too were present at the press conference where Nath had announced his resignation. According to Bhopal district chief medical and health officer (CMHO) SK Dehriya, all those who came in contact with the patient are being traced and asked to self-quarantine at their homes for 14 days as well as report to the state control room if they develop any coronavirus symptoms. "Samples of ten persons who were in contact with the first patient (the journalist's UK returned daughter) were sent for testing, out of which one sample, which pertained to her father tested positive. The daughter-father duo has been admitted at AIIMS Bhopal and are stated to be normal," the CMHO Bhopal said Two of the worlds biggest oilfield service companies are warning of a bigger shale crash than the one that hit the U.S. and Canada just five years ago. While the decline in North American drilling rigs could approach the lows seen in 2016, the drop could be much faster this time around, Schlumberger Ltd. told analysts and investors Tuesday on a webcast hosted by Scotia Howard Weil. And as the most financially troubled oilfield service providers seek to stay afloat, theres not much help this time around, Halliburton Co. said on the same webcast. Investors cheered plans by both companies to significantly slash spending. Halliburton soared as much as 33% for a history-beating advance, while Schlumberger climbed 11%. Wall Street is shut to the industry, Lance Loeffler, chief financial officer at Houston-based Halliburton, said during the webcast. There is no more lifeline. Financial markets arent lending their support. Halliburton, which generates most of its business in the U.S. and Canada and leads the world in fracking, is planning for the possibility that nearly two thirds of rigs in the region could be shut down by the final three months of the year. Schlumberger, the worlds biggest overall oilfield services provider, said its slashing its own spending by as much as 30% in 2020. North America, which has been roiled by contractions in the past, may see a sharper, more abrupt cut in drilling before the end of the second quarter, Chief Executive Officer Olivier Le Peuch said on the call. Were acting sharply and decisively in this context, he said. It will reach in a matter of weeks the trough, where it took a year or six months to reach a trough last time. While changes to rig activity generally lag the movement of oil prices by several months, shale explorers have wasted no time cutting where they can. Oil drilling in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, home to the worlds biggest shale patch, plunged to its lowest level since the nadir of the last crude-market slump in early 2016. At its worst, the U.S. rig count could see a 70% drop over a six-month period, eclipsing the greater than 60% cut in 1986, according to Raymond James. We believe OFS companies and investors need to prepare themselves for activity to fall at an unprecedented rate, Praveen Narra, an analyst at Raymond James, wrote Monday in a note to investors. We believe that E&Ps attention to free cash flow, as well as several with credit issues, will force spending reductions that are far more drastic than in previous downcycles. Additional manufacturing capacity to support demand for Novacyt's COVID-19 diagnostic test Regulatory News: Novacyt (EURONEXT GROWTH: ALNOV; AIM: NCYT) ("Novacyt" or the "Company"), an international specialist in clinical diagnostics, announces that, further to the notification on 20 March 2020, the Company has signed an agreement for certain contract manufacturing services with Yourgene Health Plc ("Yourgene") (AIM: YGEN), an international molecular diagnostics group. Yourgene will support Novacyt in the production of the COVID-19 diagnostic test developed by Primerdesign, the Company's molecular diagnostics division. Yourgene's GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Citylabs in Manchester, UK, will be used to expand Novacyt's production capacity of the COVID-19 test. To expedite the process, Yourgene will initially manufacture critical components of the COVID-19 test. The two companies may seek to expand the agreement to include production of final versions of the COVID-19 test in due course. The first batches of the critical components are expected to be shipped from the Citylabs site to Primerdesign in Southampton, UK, over the next few weeks. Graham Mullis, Chief Executive Officer of Novacyt, commented: "As the global demand for our COVID-19 test continues to increase, we are pleased to have rapidly established a relationship with the expert team at Yourgene to further expand our manufacturing capacity. We look forward to working with Yourgene as we continue to ensure we are fully prepared to meet the demand for our test to support the global response to monitor and contain the COVID-19 pandemic." Lyn Rees, Chief Executive Officer of Yourgene, commented: "We are pleased to be able to utilise our high-quality manufacturing capability to support Novacyt in the production of a key diagnostic test for COVID-19. This manufacturing agreement illustrates that we have an incredibly skilled workforce and flexible manufacturing capabilities to support diagnostic test developers at critical times. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 596/2014. - End - About Novacyt Group The Novacyt Group is an international diagnostics business generating an increasing portfolio of in vitro and molecular diagnostic tests. Its core strengths lie in diagnostics product development, commercialisation, contract design and manufacturing. The Company's lead business units comprise of Primerdesign and Lab21 Products, supplying an extensive range of high-quality assays and reagents worldwide. The Group directly serves microbiology, haematology and serology markets as do its global partners, which include major corporates. For more information please refer to the website: www.novacyt.com About COVID-19 Researchers at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and their collaborators have sequenced the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pathogen from patient samples and have found it to be genetically distinct from the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus that caused an epidemic in 2002 and 2003, as well as from the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus that was detected in 2012. About Yourgene Health plc Yourgene is an international molecular diagnostics group which develops and commercialises genetic products and services. The group works in partnership with global leaders in DNA technology to advance diagnostic science. Yourgene develops and commercialises simple and accurate molecular diagnostic solutions, primarily for reproductive health. The Group's products include non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) for Down's Syndrome and other genetic disorders, Cystic Fibrosis screening tests, invasive rapid aneuploidy tests, male infertility tests and genetic disease tests. Yourgene's commercial footprint is already established in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Our product development, research service and commercial capabilities extend across the lifecycle of genetic test development including regulatory submissions. Through our technical expertise and partnerships, Yourgene is also extending its genetic testing offering into oncology. Yourgene is headquartered in Manchester, UK with offices in Taipei and Singapore, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market under the ticker "YGEN". For more information, visit www.yourgene-health.com and follow us on twitter @Yourgene_Health. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005051/en/ Contacts: Novacyt SA Graham Mullis, Chief Executive Officer Anthony Dyer, Chief Financial Officer +44 (0)1276 600081 SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Nominated Adviser and Broker) Matthew Johnson Charlie Bouverat (Corporate Finance) Vadim Alexandre Rob Rees (Corporate Broking) +44 (0)20 3470 0470 FTI Consulting (International) Victoria Foster Mitchell Mary Whittow +44 (0)20 3727 1000 victoria.fostermitchell@fticonsulting.com mary.whittow@fticonsulting.com FTI Consulting (France) Arnaud de Cheffontaines +33 (0)147 03 69 47 arnaud.decheffontaines@fticonsulting.com A patient of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ho Chi Minh City had been to a local mosque for prayers five times a day, adding up to over 60 times in total, between his return to Vietnam from Malaysia and his diagnosis, raising questions on how competent authorities could have missed such a serious case. Patient No. 100, a 55-year-old man residing in District 8, previously traveled from Malaysia to Vietnam aboard the AirAsia flight AK524 on March 3. Between March 4 and 17, the man attended religious services five times daily at Jamiul Anwar Mosque at 157B/9 Duong Ba Trac, Ward 1, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City. District 8s medical center sampled him on March 18 although he showed no symptoms as the man was found to have joined a crowded mosque event in Kuala Lumpur during his Malaysia trip. About 970 of Malaysias total cases are linked to the religious gathering last month, Reuters quoted the Malaysian health ministry as saying. His result came back positive for the novel coronavirus on Sunday. The case is related to patient No. 61 in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 16 after attending the same religious event in Malaysia. After patient No. 61 was confirmed, the anti-epidemic unit of District 8 launched a search for other attendees on the same day and were able to identify five people, said Nguyen Nha Kha, chief of office of the District 8 Peoples Committee. Patient No. 100 was not among them, Kha added. A complete list of attendees was submitted on March 17 and this time did include patient No. 100, Kha continued, adding that all of them were promptly tested for the virus. There had been no direction from higher authorities telling us to search for the attendees of Malaysia's religious event prior to March 16, the official elaborated. Malaysia had not declared its COVID-19 epidemic when patient No. 100 returned to Ho Chi Minh City, he added, explaining why the man was not placed in a quarantine facility after arrival. Before Vietnam began enforcing compulsory 14-day isolation on all arrivals from foreign countries from last weekend, the country only mandated the quarantine for those traveling from places where there is a major COVID-19 outbreak. Other arrivals, including patient No. 100, were asked to self-quarantine at home. The man continued to attend daily prayers at the local mosque despite the self-isolation request, reports Cong An (Public Security), the mouthpiece of Ho Chi Minh Citys police bureau. Meanwhile, the Islamic Community of Ho Chi Minh City stated it was told by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs (GCRA) on March 12 to identify all people in the southern metropolis who had participated in the event in Malaysia. Tracking the attendees was quite a difficult task as most of them traveled individually, the Islamic Community remarked. Patient No. 100 was identified as one of the participants on March 14 but it was not until March 16 that a complete list of 34 Ho Chi Minh City citizens who went to this event was submitted to the GCRA. Six other people were recently added to this list, the Islamic Community added. The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 421,000 and killed more than 18,800 globally as of Wednesday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics. Vietnam has confirmed 134 COVID-19 cases, with 17 having already been discharged from the hospital. Statistics from The Star newspaper showed that Malaysia has had over 1,600 patients. The country had only reported 50 cases as of March 4. In Vietnam, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on March 17 that people arriving from ASEAS nations, the U.S., and European countries would be sent to quarantine camps. From March 21, all incoming travelers to Vietnam would be isolated for 14 days as part of more assertive measures to curb the epidemic. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! In Retrospect: News from the Jan. 13, 1922 and Jan. 12, 1972 Souderton Independent South Africa reported that its number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus jumped to 709 on Wednesday from 554 the previous day, an increase of 28 per cent. South Africa, which now has the highest numbers of infections on the continent, has ordered a 21-day lockdown which rolls into action at midnight on Thursday. "Right now we have actually increased from yesterday, we are now at 709 cases," Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said in an interview on the state broadcaster SABC. Mkhize, who reported 554 cases on Tuesday, said he expects the numbers to rise further in coming days an weeks. Starting Wednesday last week the country closed its borders to non-citizens from high-risk countries. The flag carrier South African Airways has also suspended all international, regional and domestic flights to curb the spread of the virus. The country's first infections were imported from Europe, but the minister said there were now recording internal transmissions. "The tendency is changing from imported to internal transmission. There is quite a lot of local spread," he said. South Africa has so far not reported any deaths and only two of its hospitalised patients are in intensive care units, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CBI has questioned former UPPCL managing director A P Mishra and two prime accused in the Rs 2,267 crore Employees' Provident Fund scam in Uttar Pradesh wherein savings of power sector employees was invested in Dewan Housing Finance Corporation, which is facing multiple probes of swindling funds worth Rs 30,000 crore, officials said. Besides Mishra, the agency questioned Pravin Kumar Gupta, former secretary of the UP State Power Sector Employees' Trust; and Sudhanshu Dwivedi, former director (finance) of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) recently. All three are lodged in a Lucknow prison after their arrest by the Uttar Pradesh police last year, they said. Gupta and Dwivedi were named as two accused in the CBI FIR, while Mishra is not listed as an accused. His alleged role is mentioned in the FIR, they said. The CBI team from the anti-corruption branch, Lucknow, which is conducting the probe had sought permission from the special court to question the suspects, they said. The recent questioning spanned through several hours, the officials said, without elaborating on the line of questioning. Besides, the agency has already questioned at least nine more suspects, including Mishra, who are lodged in the prison in connection with the scam, they said. The CBI took over the investigation into the scam on March 5 this year after taking over the FIR registered by Hazratganj Police station in Lucknow, they said. The Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) is facing multiple probes after a report suggested that the company, through layers of shell companies, allegedly siphoned off Rs 31,000 crore out of the total bank loan of Rs 97,000 crore. It is also alleged that the officials of UPPCL conspired to get the provident funds deposited in schemes of DHFL circumventing the rules which did not encourage such investments. Gupta and Dwivedi were principal decision makers who cleared investments in the deposit schemes of DHFL despite knowing it was not a scheduled commercial bank and an 'unsafe' company. A total of Rs 4,122.70 crore was invested in the DHFL, out of which Rs 2,267.90 crore is still outstanding, officials said. UPPCL employees Provident Fund was being invested in the fixed deposits of nationalised banks till October 2016. On a proposal of Gupta and Mishra, the investment of funds started in PNB housing since December 2016, according to the officials. From March 2017-December 2018, Gupta, after getting endorsement from Dwivedi, violated the central government guidelines -- that such funds should not be invested in financial institutions other than scheduled commercial banks -- and invested over 50 per cent of funds in the DHFL, the FIR stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka police on Wednesday warned of strict legal action against the people who violate a countrywide curfew. In a statement, police said those who violate the curfew will be immediately arrested, even without a warrant, and legal action will be taken against them. The statement did not elaborate on the possible punishment. Within the last 24 hours, police have arrested 420 people who violated the curfew and seized 97 vehicles. The government has imposed the curfew since Friday (March 20), as the Indian Ocean island nation has been struggling to contain the spreading of the virus. The number of positive cases has now jumped to 101. Since Friday, police have detained 2,682 persons for violating the curfew and detained 786 vehicles, police said. Police urged people to stay at home during the curfew, except those who engage in essential services such as health and supply of essential commodities. The government has asked the pharmacies to be kept open during the curfew and allow people to use their prescription as a curfew pass. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deepak Sathish By Express News Service COIMBATORE: Scaring complete lockdown and rising COVID-19 cases in Kerala, a few families are blatantly giving a wide berth to the health department officials order, by wading through the tight vigil at the Walayar Check Post in TN-Kerala border, reportedly by travelling in private ambulances by shelling out a lot of money. These families have been shelling out more money to ride in private ambulances to bypass screening at Walayar. Official sources claimed the ambulances with loud sirens are let go without checking, terming it as a medical emergency. Medical staff at the check post, seeking anonymity said the private ambulances in Kerala are involved in this activity for some time now after the neighbouring state started witnessing many coronavirus cases. Even as all vehicles are being screened at the check post, the ambulances would always find a freeway because of the emergency. Officials stated they had obstructed nearly eight private ambulances from Kerala for the past two days after they began checking the vehicle only to find few people with luggage. The condition prevailed until a few hours before section 144 was imposed in Coimbatore at 6 pm on Tuesday. The patient, with a travel history to the Netherlands, is being treated in Guwahati Guwahati: A man from Mizoram on Wednesday tested positive for the coronavirus Covid-19 at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital. This makes him the second corona positive case in the northeastern states. The man has recent travel history to the Netherlands. Mizorams Health and Family Welfare Board vice-chairman Dr Z R Thiamsanga, who is heading the operation against coronavirus in the state, told this newspaper that the 50-year-old Aizawl mans family has been kept in isolation at the Zoram Medical College and Hospital in Mizoram. Dr Thiamsanga, a Mizo National Front (MNF) MLA, said the patient was responding to treatment and doctors are confident about his recovery. All the northeastern states, as also the rest of the country are in a complete 21-day lockdown to beat back the coronavirus pandemic. Mizoram has quarantined 140 people including some having travel history abroad. The first coronavirus positive case to be reported from the northeastern states came from Manipur. It was a 23-year-old student who returned from the United Kingdom. Dr Thiamsanga said that the Mizoram government has constituted a medical operations team, headed by him, to fight the coronavirus spread in the state. The team would work in two groups: a medical team and an ICU team. The state has already asked the central government to facilitate supply of at least 13,000 pieces of personal protective gear for medical teams. Dr Thiamsanga asked people to refrain from buying chloroquine phosphate, hydroxy chloroquinine, azithromycin without proper advice and prescription by a doctor. The government has nominated Mizorams lone medical college, the Zoram Medical College (ZMC), as a treatment, quarantine and isolation centre for coronavirus infected patients. Dr Thiamsanga said the state government has formed a committee headed by health secretary H Lalengmawia to expedite installation of a virology laboratory at ZMC to test suspected cases. Four female inmates who escaped a South Dakota jail after a prisoner tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week have been captured and returned into custody. On Monday nine women broke out of the minimum-security unit of the Pierre Community Work Center hours after it was announced that a detainee in their unit contracted the contagious COVID-19. Three of those women were Kelsey Flute, 30, Jordan Wakeman, 27, and Pamela Miller, 28. They were taken into custody on Tuesday on Crow Creek Reservation, the South Dakota Department of Corrections announced in a tweet. One prisoner, who was not named, was previously captured in Rapid City and booked into the Pennington County Jail, according to the Rapid City Journal. Four female inmates who escaped a South Dakota jail after a prisoner tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week have been captured and returned into custody. Kelsey Flute, 30, Pamela Miller, 28, and Jordan Wakeman, 27, (pictured from left to right) were taken into custody on Tuesday on Crow Creek Reservation The women broke out of minimum-security prison Pierre Community Work Center hours after it was announced that a detainee in their unit contracted the contagious COVID-19. Three were found Tuesday and a fourth was arrested earlier That inmate was awaiting COVID-19 test results and has symptoms of the virus. The cop who arrested her is self-quarantining awaiting those test results. The nine women had fled the prison without authorization at 8.43pm 'by exiting an exterior door'. 'Womens prison staff began escape procedures and law enforcement was notified,' the prison said in a news release. 'The South Dakota Highway Patrol aircraft was used to assist ground operations in its search for the inmates.' Police are still looking for the five remaining missing inmates: Philomene Bonshirt, 25; Sylvia Red Leaf, 25; Alice Richards, 32; Kayla Lamont, 28; and Carly Schoneman, 23. The nine women had fled the prison without authorization at 8.43pm 'by exiting an exterior door'. Pierre Community Work Center pictured above in Pierre, South Dakota Police are still looking for the five remaining missing inmates: Sylvia Red Leaf, 25; Kayla Lamont, 28; Alice Richards, 32; Philomene Bonshirt, 25; and Carly Schoneman, 23 (top left to bottom right) Gov. Kristi Noem said that all the women who escaped were from the same unit but 'we dont know if they were in close proximity to each other yet.' The inmate at Pierre Community Work Center who tested positive for COVID-19 is in isolation and is said to be doing well. Everyone who came into contact with the sick inmate is also being isolated. The Department of Health is investigating how she contracted the virus, Kim Malsam-Rysdon, secretary of the Department of Health, said during a Monday press conference. March 25, 2020 Amsterdam, the Netherlands Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Royal Philips) (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the successful pricing of its issue of EUR 500 million fixed rate notes due 2025 and EUR 500 million fixed rate notes due 2030 (together the Notes). The net proceeds of the offering are intended for general company purposes and sustainable innovation expenditures as defined in the ESG framework available on the debt section of Philips Investor Relations website, and will further enhance the companys liquidity position in view of the possible continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on financial markets in 2020. The issue price for the notes due 2025 is 99.550% with a Coupon of 1.375%, resulting in a yield of 1.469%. The issue price for the notes due 2030 is 99.204% with a Coupon of 2.000%, resulting in a yield of 2.089%. Settlement and issue of the Notes is scheduled for March 30, 2020. Application has been made for the Notes to be listed on the Official List of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and to trading on the regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Philips is committed to maintaining a strong investment grade credit rating. Currently, the company has a BBB+ rating (with stable outlook) by Standard & Poor's, a Baa1 rating (with stable outlook) by Moody's and an A- rating (with stable outlook) by Fitch. For further information, please contact: Ben Zwirs Philips Global Press Office Tel.: +31 6 1521 3446 E-mail: ben.zwirs@philips.com Derya Guzel Philips Investor Relations Tel.: +31 20 5977055 E-mail: derya.guzel@philips.com THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES FOR SALE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE SECURITIES ACT), AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES ABSENT REGISTRATION OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT. THERE IS NO INTENTION TO REGISTER ANY SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC OFFERING OF SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. PROHIBITION OF SALES TO EEA AND UK RETAIL INVESTORS The Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (the EEA) or in the United Kingdom (the UK). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, MiFID II); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II. Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the PRIIPs Regulation) for offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA or in the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA or in the UK may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation. This press release is directed only (i) at persons who are outside the UK, (ii) to investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the Order), (iii) at persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) of the Order or (iv) to persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as relevant persons). This press release must not be acted or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment activity to which this press release relates is reserved for relevant persons only and may only be engaged in by relevant persons. Relevant stabilisation regulations including FCA/ICMA apply. MiFID II professionals/ECPs-only/No PRIIPs KID Manufacturer target market (MIFID II product governance) is eligible counterparties and professional clients only (all distribution channels). No PRIIPs key information document (KID) has been prepared as not available to retail in EEA. About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2019 sales of EUR 19.5 billion and employs approximately 80,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter . Forward-looking statements This release contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Philips and certain of the plans and objectives of Philips with respect to these items. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements made about the strategy, estimates of sales growth, future EBITA, future developments in Philips organic business and the completion of acquisitions and divestments. By their nature, these statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. Editors note: Gene Alzona Nisperos is a graduate of the UP College of Medicine and worked as a community physician for 11 years in Mindanao before returning to Manila in 2004. He is a faculty at the Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine at the University of the Philippines Manila. He also serves as the president of the UP Manila Chapter of the All UP Academic Employees Union, as well as a board member of the Community Medicine Development Foundation. Manila (CNN Philippines Life) A group of major private hospitals in Metro Manila, together with two physicians organizations, recently came out with a joint statement calling for a more unified approach against the novel coronavirus. The statement came at a time when a number of tertiary hospitals were grappling with the problem of increasing suspected COVID-19 cases and its toll on the health workforce, including those who had become sick or forced to go on quarantine due to unnecessary exposure. Thus, the call for a unified approach under a centralized leadership was both timely and laudable. Coming from a group of major stakeholders in the medical community, it articulated a viable solution that was immediately doable within the purview of executive fiat. The statement also presented a sense of urgency amid growing concerns of dwindling human and material resources. For the first time, these hospitals were being swamped with patients and their capacities were being stretched to the limit. However, the statement also posited the conversion of government hospitals into central COVID-19 hospitals and the transfer of all COVID-19 patients thereafter. In this proposal, a few government-run hospitals would be designated as exclusive centers for all COVID-19 patients, while private hospitals would care for non-COVID-19 patients. Therein lies the rub. The proposition veritably passes the main burden of care for COVID-19 patients to the public healthcare delivery system, which itself is already overwhelmed with patients coming from poor and marginalized communities even before the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of this is the perennial problem of insufficiency, from staff and supplies to equipment and facilities, so much so that if government hospitals were a car, it would always be running on empty. The sad state of public hospitals runs in stark contrast to that of private healthcare facilities, which are far better equipped, better staffed, and more strategically located. The Philippine General Hospital, for instance, is always short on space for the indigent patients it serves. Its Emergency Room has a 25-bed capacity that can sometimes get filled with over 150 patients, which forces the ER staff to extend its occupied space way into the hospitals hallways. The hospital also periodically experiences power outages and water supply disruption. Such will never be the case for renowned private hospitals like Makati Medical Center or Asian Hospital and Medical Center, which boasts of world-class facilities and have space enough for coffee shops and restaurants to cater to their clientele. In terms of health human resources, the discrepancy is even wider. Around 60% of health professionals are in the private sector, which cater to 30% of the population. Only 40% of health professionals are in the public sector, which cater to 60% of the population. The contrast is even more evident outside of Metro Manila. Of the 1,456 hospitals in the country, only one-third is government-run. Nonetheless, in terms of total bed capacity, both public and private hospitals have almost the same number. This means that there are fewer government hospitals but their bed capacities are bigger. By location, almost 60% of all hospitals are in Luzon, while the remainder is equally shared by the Visayas and Mindanao. In major regional centers, private tertiary hospitals far outnumber those of government. The situation gets dismal at the provincial level where, because of the devolution of healthcare, health institutions are under the local government units rather than the Department of Health. There are provinces where district hospitals only have a single doctor, or provincial hospitals so severely understaffed that municipal health officers are being prepared to go on hospital duty if needed. In short, the public healthcare system is already bursting at the seams due to understaffing, poor funding, and years of inadequate support prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Passing the burden of care to the public healthcare system amid the COVID-19 may push it to collapse. And the poor will have nowhere to go. Government hospitals cater to the poor, who travel far and wait in long lines just to be seen and treated. The poor wait in overcrowded emergency rooms in order to be admitted in similarly overcrowded wards because the choices they have are as limited as the space being afforded them. And the poor are not just afflicted with COVID-19. Many non-COVID-19 patients have only these few government hospitals as their refuge: for cancer care, for rehabilitation, for life-saving surgeries, and for anything that elsewhere would have been difficult and expensive. Yet here is now a proposal to further diminish that already limited space of the poor in this country. If government hospitals become designated as COVID-19 centers, every space taken as patients come in is a space denied to the poor. In a world of growing inequities pushed further by calamities and plagues, how is this acceptable? If the approach is to be truly unified, then the private sector will have to actively work with the public sector and allow themselves to also be designated as COVID-19 centers. The dichotomy between private and public health institutions should be set aside so that the central leadership will have a free reign on utilizing hospitals based on capability, not ownership. This is crucial as the fight against the pandemic moves from the urban centers to the provinces, where local government units (LGUs) do not have the authority over private hospitals in their areas. Doing so will enable the healthcare system to provide the best possible care for all COVID-19 patients. Another logical step will be to temporarily re-nationalize the entire public healthcare system to ensure that everything is aligned and everyone is in step. Devolution has created a disjointed healthcare system and this must be fixed as the needs of the day become more imperative. Given the decreasing numbers of health personnel as they are affected both by the disease and the quarantine, the government should do its best to hire additional health workers to augment the health workforce. At this juncture, the Philippine healthcare system must act as a single machinery with all hands on deck. A kind of health solidarity between big private institutions and the public sector will provide both the leadership and the political impetus that will hopefully push the national government to act accordingly and expeditiously. Allahabad High Court Bar Association's (HCBA) newly-elected president Amarendra Nath Singh on Wednesday wrote to the chairman of Bar Council of India demanding a corpus for providing urgent medical help and compensation to the needy and ailing lawyers in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. "An extraordinary situation has arisen due to COVID-19, causing complete lockdown in several countries, including India. I thank the Chairman, Bar Council of India (BCI) seeking financial assistance for the lawyers from the Union government, he said. In a letter addressed to chairmen of all state bar councils, Nath said, "As an emergency measure and the duty cast upon the Bar Council of India and state bar councils under the Advocates Act, 1961, I suggest that an emergency fund of at least fifty crore rupees be created collectively from contribution by the Bar Council of India, state bar councils, Advocate Welfare Fund and from members. The fund be kindly utilised to provide help to young and old ailing lawyers. It is an extremely serious situation in the country, he said. Nath, member and former chairman of Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, offered a contribution of Rs 25,000 to the emergency corpus fund. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UN has expressed solidarity with India in its fight against coronavirus, with a top official at the world body's health agency praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 21-day nationwide lockdown as a "comprehensive and robust" response to the raging COVID-19 pendamic. Globally, the death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 18,915 with more than 422,900 cases reported in over 165 countries and territories, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The number of coronavirus cases in India stood at 562 on Wednesday with nine COVID-19 deaths reported so far, according to Health Ministry data. In an attempt to stem the spread of coronavirus in India, Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday announced a nationwide lockdown for three weeks. "United Nations stands in solidarity with India in its fight against COVID-19, said a video message tweeted by United Nations News on Tuesday, the UN's multimedia news service. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The video also took note of the 'Janta Curfew' observed across India on Sunday, when the country's 1.3 billion citizens stayed at home from 7 am to 9 pm in an effort to practise social distancing. Heeding to a call by Modi, people came out on their balconies, windows and courtyards to applaud the selfless work of medical professionals on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19. The normally bustling streets across India wore a deserted look throughout the day as people participated in the curfew. The UN News video showed footage of empty roads and urban spaces on Sunday, just two days before Modi announced the nationwide lockdown for three weeks. "India is on a 21-day lockdown to try and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from taking hold. The @UN health agency @WHO urged the Gov to take 'aggressive action', UN News tweeted. WHO Representative to India Henk Bekedam praised the country's response to the pandemic, describing it as "comprehensive and robust". "Massive efforts have been made towards prevention and containing the spread, including strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity, contact tracing and isolation and risk communications," Bekedam said. He said the Prime Minister's call for social distancing had received widespread community support across the country. "It is vital that we come together in solidarity and help in breaking the chain of transmission and flattening the curve," he said. The WHO and other UN partners have been working closely with the Indian government on preparedness and response measures, disease surveillance, laboratory and research protocols, risk communications, training on infection prevention and control and cluster containment plan, surveillance and tracking of travellers. Speaking at press briefing in Geneva on Monday, WHO Emergencies Programme Director Mike Ryan had said that it was important for India to ramp up measures at public health and societal level to control and suppress the disease. "India is a hugely populous country. The future of this pandemic will be determined by what happens to densely-populated countries," he said. Ryan said India, the world's second most populous country, had a tremendous capacity to deal with the coronavirus outbreak as it has the experience of eradicating the small-pox and polio through targeted public intervention. "India led the world in eradicating two silent killers and eliminating them from the country," he said on Monday. India, through targeted public intervention, ended smallpox and gave a great gift to the world. India also eradicated polio, he noted. "India has tremendous capacities. It is exceptionally important that countries like India lead the way to show the world what can be done. There are no easy answers. It is exceptionally important that countries like India show the way to the world as they have done before," he said. Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday warned that the coronavirus pandemic was clearly "accelerating" but said it was still possible to "change the trajectory" of the outbreak. "The pandemic is accelerating," Tedros told journalists in a virtual news briefing. He said it took 67 days from the beginning of the outbreak in China in late December for the virus to infect the first 100,000 people worldwide. In comparison, it took 11 days to reach a total of 200,000 cases and just four days for the third 100,000 cases to bring the total number of cases worldwide to more than 300,000, he said, estimates that Modi cited as he addressed the nation on Tuesday and announced the three-week long lockdown. [March 25, 2020] Universities Space Research Association's Adam Goldstein Named Co-Investigator on NASA's Recently Elected Proposed Mission on LargE Area burst Polarimeter (LEAP) to Study Cosmic Explosions COLUMBIA, Md. and WASHINGTON, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA Science Mission Directorate recently selected four Small Explorer (SMEX) mission concepts that would study cosmic explosions and the debris they leave behind, as well as monitor how nearby stellar flares may affect the atmospheres of orbiting planets. Among these is the LargE Area burst Polarimeter (LEAP) concept led by Principal Investigator Mark McConnell at the University of New Hampshire in Durham and Director of R&D at the Southwest Research Institute. The mission is being managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. One of the Co-Investigators on the project is Adam Goldstein of Universities Space Research Association (USRA) Science and Technology Institute in Huntsville, Alabama. "These promising proposals under the Explorers Program bring out some of the most creative, innovative ways to help uncover the secrets of the universe," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "From studying stars and planets outside our solar system to seeking answers to the largest cosmic mysteries, I look forward to the breakthrough science from these modest size missions." The LargE Area Polarimeter (LEAP) mission would be an instrument mounted as an external payload to the International Space Station, and its primary mission is to study the polarization of gamma rays from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). GRBs are the most energetic explosions in the universe and are highly-relativistic jets of material ejected from the core-collapse of massive stars or when two neutron stars collide. An instrument capable of measuring the polarization of the GRB radiation has been long-desired in the community, since it could answer several open questions about the jet physics and the underlying processes that produce the jets. Specifically, measuring the polarization could inform us about the magnetic field strengths present in these systems during core-collapse or collision; it could tell whether the jet itself mostly contains matter moving at very near the speed of light or contains a lot of radiation; and it could also indicate how the matter in the jet is converted to the gamma-rays that we observe. USRA's Adam Goldstein stated, "LEAP is an exciting projct to be involved in because it promises to advance the study of GRBs and our understanding of high-energy astrophysics. GRBs have been studied for several decades, and yet there are still many open questions about their exact nature. LEAP could help answer a number of those." Mark McConnell, the Principal Investigator, stated, "LEAP represents the culmination of many years of work to make some extremely important measurements. Not only do we have the right instrument for the task, but we also have been very successful in putting together a team of researchers who represent some of the foremost researchers in the study of Gamma Ray Bursts. We are thrilled with the prospects for the LEAP project." The LEAP instrument is composed of gamma-ray scintillators coupled to photo-multiplier tubes, together creating detectors that owe heritage to both the current Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and the previous Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) onboard the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory. Unlike GBM and BATSE, however, LEAP's unique arrangement of the detectors will allow it to measure the polarization of the gamma-rays that neither of the previous instrument had the capability to observe. Additionally, its very large observing area, several times that of GBM, will make it sensitive to detecting many GRBs, so GRB polarization could be measured for potentially hundreds of GRBs, allowing for a population analysis. The selected missions are provided an opportunity to improve their proposed mission concept during an extended phase-A -- until 2021. NASA intends to select two of the four proposed mission concepts at that time for further development and launch in 2025. Ghassem Asrar, Senior Vice President of Science at USRA noted, "We are thrilled to see USRA scientists supporting one of proposed SMEX mission concepts. What is also special about the LEAP Mission of Opportunity as an attached payload is that it will take full advantage of the International Space Station." LEAP will also complement NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), scheduled to launch in 2021. USRA, in partnership with Marshall Space Flight Center will take part in the awarded concept study to develop a final report on the ability of LEAP to achieve its proposed science. It is expected that in 2021, NASA will select the final mission concepts, and if LEAP is one of the missions chosen, it will be built and is expected to be operational in 2025. About USRA Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs, under Federal funding. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu. About the Explorers Program Managed by Goddard, this is the oldest continuous NASA program designed to provide frequent, low-cost access to space using principal investigator-led space science investigations relevant to the Science Mission Directorate's astrophysics and heliophysics programs. Since the launch in 1958 of Explorer 1, which discovered Earth's radiation belts, the Explorers Program has launched more than 90 missions, including the Uhuru and Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) missions that led to Nobel Prizes for their investigators. For information about the Explorers Program visit: https://explorers.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html PR Contact: Suraiya Farukhi, Ph.D. [email protected] 443-812-6945 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/universities-space-research-associations-adam-goldstein-named-co-investigator-on-nasas-recently-elected-proposed-mission-on-large-area-burst-polarimeter-leap-to-study-cosmic-explosions-301029741.html SOURCE Universities Space Research Association [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] "Stay at home" order discussed Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel on Tuesday afternoon announced that local judges have discussed a stay at home order, and are prepared to issue one if necessary. Read more here. Daily disruptions Starbucks limit services to drive-thru options only. Read more here for the list of daily disruptions. TWC increases hours to handle call volume The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has increased the hours of operation for its unemployment benefit services line after receiving what the agency called an unprecedented call volume as a result of COVID-19. Read more here. Local attorney chosen to sit on Jefferson County Drainage District 6 board County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved the appointment of a local attorney to take the fifth seat on the Jefferson County Drainage District 6 board. Read more here. Eye doctors utilize telehealth Doctors with Beaumonts Stanton Optical will still be keeping appoints at their office with telehealth eye exams in an effort to keep operating during social distancing. Read more here. Culinary Director and co-owner of notable Mumbai restaurant Bombay Canteen, Floyd Cardoz, died due to COVID-19 on Wednesday in New York. Cardoz, aged 59, had tested positive in New York on March 18 after travelling back to the states from Mumbai on March 8. An official statement issued by the company earlier had confirmed the positive case had stated that it has informed the Health department of Mumbai and has also been reaching out to people who had interacted with the director during his visit to India. Had attended a party with 200 people The chef had attended the notable restaurant's fifth-anniversary celebrations on March 1 where about 200 people were present and had also attended the opening of a sweet shop in the Byculla area of Mumbai. Reports have stated that the restaurant has reached out to all the guests who had visited the party on March 1. The culinary director had landed in India on February 19 before returning back to the States on March 8. READ | Punjab Police Distributes Free Milk & Food Packets To Underprivileged Amid Lockdown Coronavirus crisis in India As of date, over 536 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) with Maharashtra reporting the highest at 107. Ten deaths have been reported to date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and shut down over 75 districts across the nation. READ | Prakash Javadekar Announces Centre's Scheme To Provide Ration For Underprivileged India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. The government is monitoring all suspected cases and issued preventive advisories with Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Delhi, Kerala, Jammu - Kashmir declaring the disease an epidemic shutting down all educational institutions, monuments, parks, gyms, swimming pools, pubs and banning large gatherings. READ | Sachin Tendulkar Extends Wishes On Gudi Padwa, Urges Everyone To Stay Home Amid The Crisis READ | 'Indians Meet & Fight Together': PM Modi Hails Country's People For Janta Curfew's Success Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said in a telephone conversation with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod that Russia attempted to manipulate the COVID-19 pandemic in calling for sanctions to be lifted. "The Minister also drew attention to Russia's attempts to manipulate the pandemic and call for the lifting of sanctions under the guise of humanitarian considerations. They say that sectoral restrictions should be lifted amid global economic distress," the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reports. Dmytro Kuleba stressed that such actions of Russia were manipulation. "This is manipulation because the EU imposed sanctions not over coronavirus but over Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Accordingly, they can only be linked to Russia's fulfillment of its obligations in the context of peaceful settlement and de-occupation of the Ukrainian territories of Donbas and Crimea," the Ukrainian minister stressed. In turn, Jeppe Kofod assured Dmytro Kuleba that he shared this approach. The Foreign Minister of Ukraine asked his Danish counterpart to convey these reservations and the position of Ukraine to other colleagues in the EU countries and to assist the Ukrainian citizens staying in Denmark amid transportation and travel restrictions. We care about our citizens all over the world. I ask you to help the citizens of Ukraine who stay in Denmark in the conditions of transport and travel restrictions in every possible way. In particular, I will be grateful if, at the time of the pandemic, Denmark does not impose sanctions over expired documents on those who cannot leave the country now. For its part, Ukraine will provide similar assistance to Danish citizens, Kuleba noted. ol The series became so popular in France that the countrys first satellite was named Asterix. And when Goscinny died, in 1977, one French obituary likened his passing to the collapse of the Eiffel Tower. Mr. Uderzo, who continued the series on his own, went on to outsell Voltaire, Flaubert, Hugo and every other French author before him, with more than 380 million Asterix books sold in more than 100 languages worldwide, according to his publisher. In terms of raw sales figures, his hero was more popular than Tintin. HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHULF.PK, HHULY.PK) said the company projects strong decrease in 2020 earnings due to coronavirus pandemic. The company assumes that revenue and operating result (EBIT) for the Port Logistics subgroup will be strongly below previous year. HHLA expects negative effects in the first half of the year as a result of the pandemic. HHLA assumes that its liquidity should enable the company to meet all its payment obligations despite the burden caused by the pandemic. HHLA will continually review and adjust its investments and cost development. At the AGM on 10 June 2020, the Executive Board and Supervisory Board will propose a dividend of 0.70 euros per dividend-entitled class A share. This would decrease the dividend by 12.5 percent from prior year. The company noted that the payout ratio of 52 percent is still within the target range of 50 to 70 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. A maintenance worker at Metro's South Los Angeles bus yard tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. (Los Angeles Times) Three employees with ties to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have been infected with the coronavirus, Los Angeles County officials said Tuesday. A maintenance worker at Metro's bus yard in South Los Angeles was hospitalized and tested positive a week later, officials said in a statement. The worker, who last went to the Hyde Park facility on March 16, has since been released and allowed to go home under quarantine, Metro said. The areas of the bus yard where the employee worked were "thoroughly cleaned and disinfected" Tuesday morning, officials said. "Co-workers at Division 5 who may have been in contact with the employee within the past 14 days have been notified by Metro," the agency said in a statement. "They have been asked to self-monitor their health, including taking their temperatures twice each day and seeking health care if they develop a fever or other symptoms of the virus." Ridership has plummeted on Metro buses and trains since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but Metro is continuing to operate a scaled-back schedule. The agency's service is classified as essential under California's stay-at-home order. The news follows two other cases of coronavirus among Metro-affiliated workers. On Monday, Metro reported that an electrical worker who reported to a downtown Los Angeles subway yard with flu-like symptoms later tested positive for the coronavirus. The worker stayed inside a truck after feeling ill, officials said. Three employees who had close contact with the worker were sent home and were asked to self-quarantine for two weeks, officials said. Crews working on the project have "returned to work with remedial actions taken," the agency said, including holding meetings outdoors "whenever possible" and using a roll call instead of passing around a sign-in sheet. A document worker for the consortium of companies building the Crenshaw Line project through South L.A. became ill on Wednesday and was hospitalized on Saturday, officials said. All employees who worked on the same floor of the office building in Inglewood were "notified and placed into quarantine," officials said. Los Angeles County authorities on Tuesday confirmed an additional 128 cases of infection with the coronavirus, bringing the countys total to 662. Of that total, 42% of cases involve people age 18 to 40, and 39% involve people 41 to 65. Eleven people have died. Demond Wilkinson and his wife, Jana, closed their barbershop, Skinny D's, at Ninth and G streets in Lincoln last week after hearing of COVID-19 spreading within the family of a friend in Illinois. "I'm 44," Demond Wilkinson said. "I'm kind of in that (age bracket), so it's just not worth the risk." He knows some customers won't self-report to him that they may have the virus, if they know at all, so he doesn't want to unnecessarily expose himself or others, he said. "We won't even take house calls," he said of their plans going forward. He consulted with other barbers in his area of town, and each decided to close, Wilkinson said. Amen and Wilkinson both plan to rely on savings to pay bills in the next six weeks, each said in an interview. Amen's appointment book had seven cuts scheduled for Thursday, one Friday and one Saturday, and he expected news of the mayor's order to prompt some urgent Wednesday night cuts for those clients, he said. Six weeks of sitting at home will suck, said Amen, who will mark his 13th year as a barber in May. PrettyLittleThing CEO Umar Kamani will donate his entire months salary to struggling small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The businessman behind the multi-million pound clothing brand, 31, took to Instagram live on Wednesday, during day three of the UK-wide lockdown to pledge his support for businesses battling to survive in the midst of the quarantine, and urged others to throw their weight behind companies. He said: I hope that you and your families are all safe and well. I want to start off by saying, I am speaking to you all today, as Umar Kamani, not Umar Kamani the CEO of PrettyLittleThing. Good deed: PrettyLittleThing CEO Umar Kamani will donate his entire months salary to struggling small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic It is important for me, as a human being, to recognise the current situation we find ourselves in and remind you all that I was once a small business owner who faced my own struggles and now, it is really important for me to help where I can whether that be through a donation or mentoring small businesses as they navigate through this extremely difficult time. He added: I am extremely proud of the business that I have built with my amazing team and with the support and loyalty of our millions of customers and I want to do my little bit to show support to other businesses that are really struggling through no fault of their own. I would ask all businesses no matter how big or small to rally together and support each other through this time of need. It is so important now more than ever, I offer my support where I can. Starlets: PLT collabs with the likes of Little Mix and Love Island's finest [pictured: Molly Mae Hague] So, to start with I am going to donate my salary in March to small businesses who need a bit of help to get through. I recognise the importance of coming together at this time and helping other businesses. Its really important for me to spread some kindness throughout this time so I am asking all of you tuning in right now to tag any small businesses on my latest Instagram post who may need a helping hand in these difficult times and my team and I will work through all the requests you make to select the businesses I think I can help most. Umar, from Manchester, is the son of billionaire Boohoo founder Mahmud Kamani. In 2012, Umar and his brother Adam co-founded PrettyLittleThing after witnessing the phenomenal success of Boohoo. The Kamani family has a rags to riches back story, with Indian immigrant Mahmud managing to grow his market stall into a multi-billion pound business. Kind: The businessman behind the multi-million pound clothing brand, 31, took to Instagram live on Wednesday, during day three of the UK-wide lockdown to pledge his support for businesses battling to survive in the midst of the quarantine, and urged others to throw their weight behind companies He said: I hope that you and your families are all safe and well. I want to start off by saying, I am speaking to you all today, as Umar Kamani, not Umar Kamani the CEO of PrettyLittleThing' Continuing his speech, he said: Our lives have been turned upside down by this terrible disease, were all worried about our families, friends and loved ones. None of us could have anticipated the situation we all find ourselves in and the awful impact it is having on so many people. I know some of you may have questions about the fact that we are continuing to operate and so I want to be clear that we will only continue to do this whilst it is safe to do so and permitted by the Government. My team are like an extension of my family and I wouldnt do anything to put them at risk. So whilst most of them are now working from home, including our studio team, for those in our distribution centre we are doing everything to comply with the social distancing measures to keep them safe and happy. We will only continue to operate whilst we can keep our team safe and look after those within the PLT family. As you know, I run a social initiative at PLT called PrettyLittleWishes and I have connected with so many customers and supporters of PrettyLittleThing throughout this time. I know this isnt going to change the world, I just wanted to do something good in these desperate times and make a little difference where I can. He went on: It is important for me, as a human being, to recognise the current situation we find ourselves in and remind you all that I was once a small business owner who faced my own struggles' Please look after yourselves and keep your families safe. Mahmuds father Abdullah moved the family to Kenya, where many Indian families had prospered under the British Empire. Mahmud was born there in 1964, but four years later the Kamanis were forced to flee to Britain by increasing unrest and draconian employment laws that favoured native Kenyans. They settled in Manchester, where the entrepreneurial Abdullah sold handbags on a market stall to feed his family, before investing in property and founding the wholesale textile business Pinstripe, where Mahmud worked, using family connections in India to source garments. He added: Please look after yourselves and keep your families safe' By the early 2000s, the firm was selling nearly 50 million of clothing a year to High Street names such as New Look, Primark and Philip Greens Topshop. Spotting the potential in the growth of the internet, Mahmud set up his online retailer in 2006 that would deliver their own-branded fashion at rock bottom prices, starting out with just three staff and operating out of a Manchester warehouse. Today it has a workforce of more than 2,900, and celebrity advocates including everyone from Little Mix to Tallia Storm. The tweets come as the UK prepares to enter its fourth day of lockdown in a bid to curb COVID-19 infections. He said: 'It is really important for me to help where I can whether that be through a donation or mentoring small businesses as they navigate through this extremely difficult time' On Monday the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson addressed the nation and told Britain's 66million people they must stay at home unless they are front-line workers, need to shop infrequently to buy food or medicine or are helping a vulnerable person. He also said one form of exercise was permitted each day, such as dog-walking - but not sunbathing or merely sitting outside. Mr Johnson ordered the immediate closure of all non-essential shops and threatened people with fines or even arrest if they did not 'stay at home'. The Prime Minister's shutdown will last for a minimum of three weeks and the UK's new state of emergency is unprecedented in modern history. The UK's coronavirus death toll stands at 437 Wednesday with more than 8,200 cases of the virus. Kolkata, March 25 : In a bizarre incident, a young woman in Kolkata licked the uniform of a police man on Wednesday after he stopped her car during the ongoing lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus. A video of the incident that has gone viral showed the policeman stopping a vehicle at the PNB Crossing in the Salt Lake area and wanting to know its destination. Suddenly the woman came out of the car and started abusing the policeman using cuss words. The policeman tried to reason with her and claimed that he was only talking to the driver. But unwilling to listen, the woman rushed to the policeman and, leaving everybody shocked, licked his uniform. The police alleged that she stained his dress with blood from a boil on her face. The woman was found shouting in Hindi: "I am unwell. I live alone. If I don't go to the medicine shop, who will get the medicines for me?" As the policeman seemed in a fix, a man accompanying the woman alighted from the vehicle and tried to calm down the woman. Police later arrested the woman, her male companion and the driver. Advertisement A heartbroken son has begged people to stay indoors and obey social distancing after his mother, 87, died from coronavirus after shopping in Asda, amid fears that supermarkets could become superspreaders of the killer illness. Shoppers were pictured squeezing together at supermarkets up and down the country this morning, ignoring social distancing rules from the government which say people are supposed to stay 6ft apart while stocking up on essentials and fanning fears that they could pass on the virus through touching and contaminating food. And Jeff Howes, 58, from Coventry, has now revealed that his mother caught the virus and died after shopping at her local Asda. Jean Howes, 87, only left her home for an hour a week to pick up groceries from Asda but while she was on one of her brief supermarket trips, the great-grandmother contracted the deadly bug and she died on Monday. Her grieving son Jeff posted a poignant message on Facebook begging people to stay indoors in order to save lives. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ordered Brits to stay at home to halt the spread of the virus, imposing curbs on everyday life without precedent in peacetime. However, people are still allowed to leave their homes to shop for basic necessities, leading to supermarkets being flooded with customers and fears that they will become hotbeds of the virus. Several major chains are now introducing new measures to try and enforce social distancing and protect staff, including a large quantity of hand sanitizer, gloves for workers and protective screens. In other coronavirus developments in the UK: London and Madrid are facing worse coronavirus outbreaks than Lombardy in Italy with deaths doubling every two days Parliament is set to go into recess tonight a week early after pushing through a series of emergency coronavirus laws - with no return date; Sadiq Khan revealed it is inevitable he will have to cut Tube services even further because one in three staff are now off sick - despite mass overcrowding on the Underground; NHS medics working across the UK fighting the coronavirus pandemic threatened to 'quit the profession' over a lack of personal protection; Prisons could release some offenders to ease the pressure caused by coronavirus after jails in England and Wales were put on immediate lockdown last night; The UK's coronavirus death toll jumped to 422 in the biggest daily rise yet, while people still cram on the tubes and mingle in parks. Shoppers in an East London Asda ignore social distancing rules as they stock up on essentials this morning Despite having to stay 6ft apart, the shoppers crowded close together as they waited to get into the supermarket in Mile End Great grandmother Jean Howes, 87, who only went out once a week to do her shopping at Asda, has died after contracting coronavirus, according to a social media post by her son Jeff A full Asda, despite the social distancing measures, with customers crammed in and stocking up on essentials amid the outbreak People queuing at Tesco on Bow Road by the Mile End flyover in London this morning, failing to heed social distancing rules Early morning shoppers queue outside waiting for the Morrisons supermarket to open in Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne, this morning Heartbroken Jeff said: 'It is just madness that people are still going out in groups or having barbecues and carrying on with normal life. 'We were probably the same as everybody else thinking, this is a horrible thing but it won't affect us. 'If you are thinking like that, it can happen to you and when it does, it hits hard. I think there needs to be more of a clampdown and do what other countries have done them. 'I don't know how they would police it. It's difficult but it just needs to be stricter.' The lorry driver and father-of-two started noticing his mum was suffering from cold-like symptoms last weekend. He said: 'She would go out literally once a week for about an hour. She knew she was in the higher risk category so she was careful. 'I'd take her shopping just to the local Asda. She was independent but she stayed indoors as much as she could. 'I would drop her there, I wouldn't go around with her, she would do her shopping and I would do my shopping and meet her at the tills to take her home again. 'Mum was a good age, but she still had her independence until the end. The last time I took her shopping was a week last Sunday. 'She had a little bit of a cold. I said, 'do you want me to do your shopping for you?' But she wanted to go herself. 'Unfortunately, as the week went on, the symptoms got worse. It progressed quite slowly to start with, more or less just a cold. I was checking up on her obviously. 'She didn't seem to have the typical issues associated with the virus. She wasn't coughing, she thought her temperature was okay. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ordered Brits to stay at home to halt the spread of the virus Police officers monitor the queues outside Tesco in Mile End, London this morning, as people cram together and ignore social distancing Shoppers at the Asda Greenhithe store queue up in the car park - with most appearing to be adhering to social distancing guidelines Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ordered Brits to stay at home to halt the spread of the virus, imposing curbs on everyday life 'It got a little bit worse during the week. You expect a cold to start off slow and then get a little bit worse but it didn't seem to be getting better. 'It wasn't until last Friday that things took a turn for the worst and Jean's symptoms escalated so much that she couldn't get out of bed. 'I went round at about 1.30 pm and all the curtains were shut. Obviously, that was a worrying sign. I could see that she was not very well. 'I called an ambulance, but even then, as far as I can see, she still wasn't showing the symptoms of the virus. 'She got that she started coughing a bit more, which rang alarm bells with me. 'Once they arrived they found she had a raging temperature, but even the crew thought it may have been a chest infection which would have given a high temperature anyway. 'Unfortunately, it turned out that she did have the virus. They took her into Coventry University Hospital. 'She then very quickly went downhill and died on Monday afternoon.' Strict quarantine guidelines meant Jeff was not able to comfort his mother in hospital, often having to phone the ward she was on for regular updates. He said: 'We were told we couldn't go and see her which is obviously the worst thing when a loved one is taken into hospital, that you can't go with them. 'I was just pacing up and down all day, wondering what's going on. 'You don't want to keep phoning them because, especially at certain times, as it's so busy there at the moment. 'At the end we were allowed to see her if we wore full protective suits which we did. It was heartbreaking. 'I wouldn't want anyone to go through what we have gone through and that's why I'm begging people to stay at home and obey the rules on social distancing.' Just hours after Jeff posted a poignant picture of his late mum on Facebook along with a warning to people to respect the rules it went viral. So far more than 40,000 people have liked and shared his story from around the world. He said: 'I can't believe how mad it's gone, it is just crazy. It's all over the world. I just hope the message gets through before more people die like my mum did. 'Hopefully, even if it saves one person, then that little bit of effort was worth it. 'My mum was a kind, loving, generous lady that thought the world of her family. She had a mischievous sense of humour and was stubbornly independent. She will be sorely missed.' People, including babies, are tightly packed together at this east London Asda as they stock up on groceries Supermarkets have now introduced a range of measures to try and enforce social distancing. Morrisons, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland and Sainsbury's have brought in protective screens for staff, and Waitrose - which is introducing 'two-metre marshalls' who will manage queues outside shops - has ordered screens and visors for its workers. Waitrose calls its policies 'a set of strong, new measures' to help its customers shop safely. The company said the number of customers allowed in at any one time will be limited so that social distancing can be observed, and a 'one in, one out' policy will be operated when it is judged that the shop is at capacity. Customers coming to Waitrose will see marshals who will help to manage queues outside shops and if necessary remind people to respect the two-metre social distancing rule. Waitrose will also dedicate the first opening hour to elderly and vulnerable customers and those caring for them, while NHS staff will continue to be given priority checkout service. There will also be 'safe distance' floor signage, protective screens at checkouts, and additional security. Morrisons, which has already put up perspex screens, is introducing signage in stores to support social distancing, including floor stickers, posters and banners which will ask customers to keep one trolley distance apart, as well as giving guidance on where to wait and where to queue. People queuing at Tesco on Bow Road by the Mile End flyover in London this morning, ignoring social distancing rules People, young and old, cram into the Asda in east London to buy groceries, while flouting social distancing rules Taped-off areas for customers to distance themselves from each other are seen at the checkout area of a local Tesco store in London The taped off areas are one of several safety measures introduced by supermarkets to protect staff and workers amid the coronavirus pandemic Long queues with people closely stood together were spotted in the London Asda this morning It comes as Asda said it will introduce floor markers and directional barriers to help customers keep their distance Asda has also announced similar measures, saying it will introduce floor markers and directional barriers to help customers keep their distance, and will install perspex screens at its checkouts. Hand sanitiser will be available for customers to use when entering and departing. A number of self-service machine will also be shut in order to enforce the two-metre rule, a spokesperson told MailOnline. Sainsbury's said it is 'working through the detail' but expects to restrict the number of people allowed in stores at any one time, and will also be introducing barriers outside to ensure people queue at a safe distance when waiting to get in. The supermarket said it will also have reminders to keep two metres apart displayed throughout stores, screens at manned checkouts, and will close every other payment point to help keep people apart. On Tuesday afternoon, Marks & Spencer said its 31 outlet stores selling only clothing and homeware will be temporarily closed. M&S said when customers arrive at its food stores, they will see a 'greeter' who will ensure the number of customers in the store at any one time is managed. Workers redeployed from the clothing and home departments will help support limiting customer numbers entering the store. M&S said trolleys, baskets, screens and all touch points will be cleaned every hour and deep cleaned every night. The stores will have floor markings in queuing areas to remind customers about social distancing and 'sneeze guards' will be in place. Customers will be asked not to scan their Sparks card and cash payments are discouraged. Nationwide Building Society has reduced its branch opening hours in response to the crisis, with most branches now opening from 10am until 2pm from Monday to Friday, and 9am until 12pm on Saturday. Nationwide said there will be a two-metre distance rule between staff and customers at all times, while numbers of people in branches will be restricted to ensure rules around space can be controlled as much as possible. Where possible, customers are being asked to use online or mobile banking services, particularly those at higher risk. Santander said its branches will remain open where possible, but a number of its more vulnerable workers are currently being advised to stay at home while others are self-isolating. Due to this, the bank has been unable to open a number of its branches. Meanwhile, Unison said shopping centres, pubs, gyms and other businesses are being urged to provide free parking to NHS and care staff. The union, which represents NHS, school, police, care and other essential key public service workers, is calling on local businesses closed because of the lockdown to help key workers drive to work and avoid public transport. Chinas Relationships With the Great Powers WASHINGTONThere hasnt been a shot fired in anger in Asia since 1979. So said a leading think-tank scholar recently in Washington, opening a discussion among Asia-focused academics on China and its relationships with the other great powers of the United States, Russia, and Japan. At a time when there is strong bi-partisan support in Washington for tough economic, national security, and human rights policies toward China, many of the views expressed by analysts at the Brookings Institution event served to remind listeners that more moderate policy perspectives on China still exist. It was also a reminder that China has problematic relationships in all of its great power relationships, among which none can be called allies. The US and China Ryan Hass, a Fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former Obama-era National Security Council (NSC) official, said that there are a number of reports around town that there will need to be an intensification of the relationship between the United States and China before it can be better. Saying that there is an unsettled debate on China, Hass said that he tries to focus on why the relationship has been deteriorating and what we should do about it, rather than on superficial analyses that blame one leader or the other. Hass said that it is important to focus on what the United States is trying to achieve with China. We are trying to get them to be a force for good, he said. We should want to preserve access to the most dynamic part of the world, Haas continued, referring to Asia, rather than to North America or Europe. Saying that this downturn in the U.S.-China relationship is different, Hass made a point that all previous declines between the two countries have been event driven, and when the event was over, we got back to normal. There is a systemic ideological component to the issues that divide America and China, Hass said, a viewpoint that echoes what others in the policy world, as well as on both sides of the political aisle, have been saying in the United States for several years now. Russia and China Russia is dependent on China and is the junior partner in the increasingly close relationship that has been developing between China and Russia, said Angela Stent of Brookings and Georgetown University. Stent said that the two countries have deepened ties since China stepped in to help Russia when the former Soviet nation faced U.S. sanctions for its invasion of Crimea in 2014. Not all analysts agree that Russia is necessarily subordinate to China, however. Paul Dibb, writing in the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in November 2019, says that Recently, their partnership has deepened to provide for increasingly advanced Russian military equipment sales to China, as well as joint military exercises in the Baltic and the East China Seas. In July this year, Chinese and Russian nuclear-capable bombers rendezvoused in East Asia and carried out provocative joint operations in air space claimed by South Korea and Japan. Dibb said later in the South China Morning Post that Russias military equipment sales to China include modern quiet submarines, modern supersonic anti-ship missiles, and he [Putin] has offered to build a ballistic missile warning centre for Chinathis is cutting edge stuff. And as China finds itself increasingly dependent on foreign sources for its growing energy needs, it is Russias state-controlled Gazprom which will supply an estimated $400 billion worth of natural gas to China over the next 30 years, with its opening late last year of the first portion of a pipeline project linking the two countries. But both analysts agree that both nations share key perspectives which bring them together. First, both look at the United States with a common set of grievances. Second, both nations believe in a post-West global order. And third, China and Russia will never criticize one another for their respective domestic policies or behavior. Since coming to power in 2012, Russia is the country that Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited most often, Danil Bochkov reported in the South China Morning Post in June 2019. At that point, the pair had met 31 times during the previous six years. Japan and China Japan enjoys a significant reputational advantage over China in Southeast Asia, said Mireya Solis Director of Brookings Center for East Asia Policy Studies. Surveys show that 62 percent of countries receiving Japanese investment see the nation as trustworthy. China, on the other hand, receives nearly the same score, but in reverse, with 60 percent of southeast Asian nations seeing China as the least trustworthy country in the region. Chinas reputational challenges are somewhat offset by its freedom-of-choice posture in international relations, Solis indicated. Saying China is doing something that the U.S. doesnt do enough, Solis said that China does not put up binary options requiring countries to make a choice between partners. That policy has paved the way for a noticeable thawing in the relationship between China and Japan, she said. The main factor in that change is uncertainty regarding the United States, she added. The United States is Japans only ally by treaty. With that uncertainty the biggest driving force behind the rapprochement between China and Japan, the renewal of a tentatively closer relationship with China still in no way represents a reorder of Asia. In fact, she said, the regional order in Asia is competitive but not exclusionary. And while China is the top trading partner in the region, Japan and the United States are the top providers of foreign direct investment (FDI) in southeast Asia. This has given Japan an opportunity to build a relationship of trust with recipient countries, in ways that China cant. India and China India has had a consistent view of China for the last 50 years, said Tanvi Madan, Director of the India Project at Brookings. Recently, however, Indian Prime Minister Modi has been talking about Chinese aggression in the area. Unusual for Indian diplomatic protocol, Modi named China, rather than obliquely referring to it. China, said Madan, is usually the country that is not named. India also complains about trade deficits, she said. In all, though, India thinks far more about this relationship than China does. India, she added, has partners, but not allies. Multiple issues negatively impact the IndianChinese relationship. Chinas long-standing relationship with and support for arch-rival Pakistan is one. The Dalai Lama is another. In exile and reviled by China, he has found sanctuary for more than 60 years as a refugee in India. But although there is a fundamental lack of trust of China, India does not share the Trump administrations concern about the ideological challenge of a close relationship with China, Madan said. In the balancing strategy vis-a-vis China, India sees Russia as part of its China solution. India still buys Russian military equipment, for example, which, she noted, causes problems on Capitol Hill. But as Ankit Panda, Senior Editor at The Diplomat wrote in the South China Morning Post in June 2019, During Modis first term from 2014-2019, India unambiguously recognised that its strategic interests in Asia would be best served by betting on the US. Going forward, however, Panda wrote as difficult as the relationship with China remains, we can expect Modis second term to mostly yield continuity in New Delhis approach toward Beijing. The Consensus While China is drawing significantly closer to Russia economically and militarily, maintaining a status quo with India, and slowly allowing its relations with long-time foe Japan to warm, it is with the United States that is relations are changing most dramatically, analysts agree. Asked if the United States was pulling away from China, Hass said, The decoupling train has already left the station. Now the question is, how far is it going to travel? Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait stated that EGP 3.8 billion have been allocated since the beginning of March to support the healthcare sector, including providing urgent and necessary medical supplies to be able to take preventive measures to combat COVID-19. These allocations include disbursing bonuses for medical staff working in quarantine hospitals and labs, according to Maait. He added that the ministry is ready to provide the healthcare sector with additional financial packages if need be under the comprehensive plan for which President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has allocated EGP 100 billion to contain COVID-19 outbreak. The minister said that EGP 2.583 billion have been provided since the beginning of March for the health ministry, in addition to EGP 426 milion directed towards its affiliated bodies. He added that the ministry has given EGP 688.0 million for university hospitals, and EGP 50 million for Al-Azhar University Hospital to provide medical care for coronavirus patients. Maait noted that the financial electronic system has helped to provide these allocations for the healthcare sector quickly and to pay medical suppliers promptly The minister stated that according to presidential directives to boost social protection measures, EGP 70 million were disbursed to the social solidarity ministey to pay compensations for families who were harmed by the latest bad weather conditions. Moreover, EGP 25 million were provided for the ministry to disburse compensations and assistance for Sinai residents. According to Maait, EGP 4 billion have been allocated for the General Authority for Supply and Commodities to meet peoples needs of basic food commodities throughout March. He added that the ministry has allocated EGP 15 billion to finance the purchase of domestic wheat in April. Search Keywords: Short link: During these unprecedented times, many people are missing their usual Sunday and weekday masses and services. However, the priests of the county are continuing to celebrate Sunday and weekday Masses in churches. People can tune in on the parish webcams to participate. Last weekend over 500 people availed of the Tullamore parish webcam while around 150 are tuning in every day, said Parish coordinator Tom Whelan. Similar numbers are tuning in to masses in the likes of Edenderry where a webcam was only introduced last year. Webcams allow the user to tune into mass or service at any church that has the facility. Meanwhile, the Rev William Hayes of Tullamore Presbyterian Church has taken to YouTube to broadcast his services which includes him singing the hymns. These are also proving popular with many. Their Bible study takes place on Thursday morning and will be broadcast using an app called Zoom. The Church of Ireland too is posting up prayers, hymns and reflections on its Facebook page. RTE are broadcasting Mass every day at 10.30am from St Eunans and St Columbas Cathedral Letterkenny on RTE News Now. This is followed by a short religious message from representatives of Irelands other Christian denominations and faith communities. Over the past few weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has taught us four things about ourselves. This is the concluding segment of a four-part explainer on the coronavirus outbreak. Read parts 1, 2 and 3. *** Over the past few weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has taught us four things about ourselves. 1. Governments are capable of strong, quick action. 2. The world remains unequal, with widening inequality. 3. The world has changed; China has changed. 4. Size does not matter. Time and communication does. Strong, quick action In January, China put 10+million people under lockdown. At that time, the world said, China is the only one who can do it. The New York Times, on 22 January 2020, wrote: Scale of Chinas Wuhan Shutdown Is Believed to Be Without Precedent. In sealing off a city of 11 million people, China is trying to halt a coronavirus outbreak using a tactic with a complicated history of ethical concerns. The same NYT, reported a day later that China was essentially penning in more than 35 million residents, bringing to mind lambs held for slaughter. It was thought that draconian lockdowns were the province of undemocratic countries. Less than 50 days later, decidedly democratic Italy followed suit, trying to lock down its 60 million citizens in a bid to control the virus. And when that failed, calling the army in to enforce movement restrictions. Liberty, it seems, is not a given. The Times headline on 15 March, showed how much mental space we had covered in 60 days. Spain, on Lockdown, Weighs Liberties Against Containing Coronavirus. Empty streets. Shuttered stores. Spain has joined the number of countries struggling to balance public health with freedoms especially prized in a relatively young democracy. California the heart of liberalism in America went into lockdown mode in the middle of March. There were reports that the police department was using drones to enforce the ban, and convey information to the homeless. If you dont have a home, where do you stay locked down? New York and Illinois soon followed, asking over 70 million Americans to stay put in their homes. Within days, Britain, which had initially trumped down for herd immunity, changed tack, and locked down. By midnight on 24 March, Indias 1.3 billion were under lockdown for 21 days. There were exceptions, but this scale of lockdown is unprecedented anywhere, ever. We need no further proof that governments can take quick, strong action, when they perceive the need to be important. We are less than a month into lockdowns in some countries, and a day into lockdown mode in India. How long can we sustain it? These are uncharted waters, and, honestly, I have no clue. Look to the slums that may be the place unable to bear the strain, and may break first. The lockdown is predicated on the existence of a vaccine. There is a global race to create a vaccine, with an American vaccine and a Chinese vaccine in Phase I clinical trials. Best estimates say a good candidate is about a year away. In the meantime, as the Northern Hemisphere heads into summer, the Southern Hemisphere is heading into winter, helping the virus spread. Widening Inequality This lockdown impacts different groups differently Gainers Some 24-7 news channels, WhatsApp, Netflix, medical equipment/mask and other protective equipment/test-kit manufacturers (some of these are providing material/services at subsidised rates, and those cannot be considered gainers), short sellers. Less impacted Many information-age companies can work from home. There is a disruption, sure, but work does get done, there is saving of office power bills and transportation expenses, and revenue can be billed (sometimes). The well-to-do are losing money on the stock markets, and in profit, yes. But, this group can afford to take up pursuits, and enjoy the fresh air. Impacted Most of India. Retail. Manufacturing. Cinema. Schools. Religious services. The operators of these outfits are almost certainly looking at a loss this month, or maybe even this quarter. Highly leveraged players within each segment will face survival risk. Workers in this group have some job and wage security, for some time. Wiped Out The informal sector, including daily wage earners, beggars. Many of them operate on days. The money lender is not renowned for his forbearance. One other group, that may not elicit much sympathy, is the imprisoned community. Do we set them free or let them be? One additional point: Most people in India do not get piped water at home. If last years data holds good, people, women, wait in lines to collect water. How will lockdown work here? As with climate change, this lockdown too, seems to be increasing inequality. China Wuhan is a prosperous Chinese city of 11 million. One reason for how the virus spread across national borders is when tourists from Wuhan visited other countries. China is now buying, not just selling its harder to keep people buying ones wares and services out. Some of you might remember the Will Smith movie, Independence Day, when America gloriously takes the lead against the aliens invading Earth. America has been too busy to playing catch-up to the virus at home to have much time to help others. They did, however, extend aid to Pakistan. China did extend aid officially and unofficially. There were planes of medical supplies and expertise to Italy. Then there was Jack Ma, who has been acting as Chinas Unofficial-Ambassador-at-Large, donating and shipping out millions of masks to Africa, Latin America, Europe and South Asia. Interestingly, when pretty much every other country in South Asia was covered, India, reportedly, was not. He tweeted, Go Asia! We will donate emergency supplies (1.8M masks, 210K test kits, 36K protective suits, plus ventilators & thermometers) to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan & Sri Lanka. Delivering fast is not easy, but we'll get it done!. Ironically, the Ali Baba foundation tweeted, Through a donation of 500,000 testing kits and 1 million masks, we join hands with Americans in these difficult times. Jet Li was saving Will Smith from the aliens! This is an interesting dynamic to watch in the coming days. There is one more. Two coronavirus epidemics, the SARS epidemic in 2002/2003 and this one, began in earnest in China both probably from a wet market. Both of these epidemics are caused by RNA viruses. There are about 180 known types of RNA viruses which infect humans, with about two new species added every year. Most RNA viruses are zoonotic i.e., they came from an animal host. This just means one thing; epidemics like these will recur. The Chinese preference for fresh exotic meat may carry too high a price for the world, in many ways. Size does not matter, time and clear communication does. The economic damage from this virus, and from the lockdowns to prevent the virus spread, will be vast. The UN estimated a $1 trillion blow. Stock markets reportedly lost $26 trillion from their February peak. These are big numbers, and every government stands ready to throw fiscal rectitude to the winds when stimulating their economies. However. Climate change is a far bigger threat economically, over time. It is expected to shave off trillions from the worlds GDP by 2050, while extreme events cost just the US $312.7 billion in 2017 and $91 billion in 2018. In 2019, weather-related disasters, a fingerprint of a warming climate, cost the world $229 billion in damages alone. In half a decade, using the UN estimate, a warming climate will easily cost the world more in dollars and lives than COVID-19. Yet, governments have not taken action. Worse, many act in the opposite direction, with the IMF estimating that the subsidies for fossil fuels extends to $5.2 trillion in 2017. Lets leave morals and compassion aside hard to do, since hundreds of millions are affected today. But leave them aside. On economics alone, discounting costs, depending, of course, on the discount rate, acting on climate change makes sense. Yet we havent. While we have taken expensive, draconian action to limit the spread of a virus with an average fatality rate of < 1.5 percent for people aged less than 60. Given low testing levels, and the fact that the disease is asymptomatic in so many people, the fatality rate could be even lower. Why is that? One possibility is that the slow burn of climate change is psychologically different from the quick blow of the virus. Think of the proverbial frogs in the pot of water set to boil. Time matters. Another possibility is that there is a clear villain, who everyone hates the SARS-CoV-2 in this pandemic. There is overwhelming evidence than burning fossil fuels are the villain in climate change. But not everyone hates them. Yet another possibility is that the people leading the cry for action are doctors, who are comfortable making clear and compelling disease trajectory predictions, with fatality rates, based on limited data. Compare that with the hedged, unclear calls-for-action in climate change. Enough said. The writer is the founder of the Sundaram Climate Institute, cleantech angel investor and author of The Climate Solution India's Climate Crisis and What We Can Do About It published by Hachette. Follow her work on her website; on Twitter; or write to her at cc@climaction.net. A lot of people like this Mulaney guy. Photo: Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty Image In the immortal words of the type of people who say things like this, You gotta laugh! Now more than, if you can believe it, ever. The challenge is that most stand-up recommendation stories are built around the taste of the writer, and while that has value critically, what about the tastes of readers? What if youre looking for new comedians to check out who are similar to the very specific ones you already know and love? That is the goal of this roundup. To do this, we put out a call on Twitter asking people for two comedians they already like. From there, we tried to glean as much as we could from this information. There were a variety of ways the pairs could be analyzed: What did they talk about? How did they talk about it are they a big performer or understated? What are their tones like sarcastic, grumpy, hopeful, sweet? From there, we came up with recommendations that either focused on the pairs similarities, or, in cases where peoples picks were actually quite different, we tried to think of suggestions that combined the essential elements the two comedians offered. We received a ton of responses on Twitter, so we tried our best to narrow it down to pairs that represented a variety of tastes and preferences. For each pair, we gave an diagnosis a brief description of what they represent as well as a list of both known and up-and-coming recommendations that display similar styles, approaches, or material. And while we did our best to include as many comedy tastes and styles as possible, about half of the requests on Twitter included John Mulaney and someone else, so we let this list reflect that. We hope this helps! Diagnosis: This is a neat combination, because it suggests an interest in comedians who play with the form of stand-up. Both these comedians are cerebral and sensitive. With Kate, you also get notes of a queer sensibility, especially in terms of parodying performance. Recommendations: I have to assume anyone who has heard of these people has also watched Bo Burnhams specials, but if not, start there. If you know Kate, you know John Early too, right? There are a lot of comedians John and Kate inspired, so may I suggest looking into Vultures Comedians You Will and Should Know lists of the last few years theres tons of stuff there (Catherine Cohen, Jaboukie Young-White, etc.). But let me suggest something different. Especially as it relates to fucking with form, this person might also enjoy Kristen Schaals brilliant 2013 Comedy Central special Live at the Fillmore, which pushes the audience to wonder what is or isnt the show like nothing Ive seen before or since. Because of when and where it was released, I feel like it doesnt get enough attention, but its a masterwork. Where to Watch/Listen: Bo Burnham: Make Happy (Netflix) John Early: The Characters (Netflix) Kristen Schaal: Live at the Fillmore (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Diagnosis: Its hard because maybe you just like comedians who are great, but I am going to take it a little bit more literally. I see these names together and its less about their overlap, but blending their styles. Which means someone who talks about mental illness and their own weaknesses, but with more of Mulaneys polished style. That said, they also both do a lot of scenes where they do the voices of their parents. Recommendations: Its hard because a lot of the people I might recommend are elsewhere on this list. I think Jenny Slate is the perfect center of the Venn diagram here, for example. Gary Gulman and Beth Stelling, I think, are interesting fits too. But the first person I thought of was actually Aparna Nancherla, because she talks about a lot of the same themes as Bamford, but is more of a straight-ahead joke writer. Two other comedians Id suggest are Emmy Blotnick and Jo Firestone. Where to Watch/Listen: Jenny Slate: Stage Fright (Netflix) Aparna Nancherla: The Standups (Netflix) Emmy Blotnick: Party Night (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) Jo Firestone: The Hits (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) Diagnosis: My first instinct is to say, Oh, well you like good comedians, as Nate and Jen are two of my absolute favorite stand-ups. But when I look at those names together, a few things jump out at me. For Nate, its about having an unusual cadence and an undeniable southernness. For Jen, its about looseness and extreme vulnerability. Recommendations: The comedian who feels like the closest marriage of the two is Beth Stelling, who has that same ineffable quality Nate has, but with more of Jens openness. Fortune Feimster is also from the South and shares that willingness to be the butt of stories. Rory Scovel has the southern thing and Jens freewheelin style. Heres one last one who I think a lot of people sleep on because he was on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, but if you like Nate and Jen, I think youd really enjoy Ron White. Where to Watch/Listen: Beth Stelling: The Standups (Netflix) Fortune Feimster: Sweet & Salty (Netflix) Rory Scovel: Rory Scovel Tries Stand-Up for the First Time (Netflix) Ron White: If You Quit Listening, Ill Shut Up (Netflix) Diagnosis: You like very funny, very deadpan, very heady, fairly short jokes told in a certain cool-guy mood. Recommendations: I think a person who likes these things might be expecting a certain aesthetic. There are some obvious recommendations like Steven Wright or Dan Mintz or even Tig Notaro, but I think this person might like a more updated version of this, with a more updated version of cool. Hannibal Buress, the Lucas Brothers, and Julio Torres are all fairly well-known, but arent necessarily associated with this lineage. They are all doing a more contemporary version of what you love so much with Mitch and Todd. Where to Watch/Listen: Hannibal Buress: Comedy Camisado (Netflix) The Lucas Brothers: On Drugs (Netflix) Julio Torres: My Favorite Shapes (HBO) Diagnosis: [To the tune of that song where they say Shots over and over:] Dads, dads, dads, dads, dads, dads, dads, dads, dads, dads, dads, dads, dads, dads, dads, dads. Seriously, either you like comedy about being a dad or comedy by people who are dads. Ideally, they write good, strong, clean jokes. Recommendations: A lot of comedians are actually dads, if you can believe it. If so, they all talk about it in their act, at least a little bit. Still, only some are really able to tackle it with the verve and level of craft of Mike and Jim. I feel like a lot of people skipped Ray Romanos recent Netflix special, but its really, really strong and a great display of his conversational, storytelling style. If you like things on the more storytelling side, like Birbiglia, check out Al Madrigal, who is one of the best at it. If you want someone who leans more on the joke side, Chad Daniels is one of the great unsung American comedians right now, who has some of the best stuff about being a dad out there. Where to Watch/Listen: Ray Romano: Right Here, Around the Corner (Netflix) Al Madrigal: Shrimpin Aint Easy (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) Chad Daniels: Dad Chaniels (Prime Video) Diagnosis: Its hard to say exactly what you like since these are two of the most famous, most talented, and most influential comedians ever. But because the palate of their comedy is so vast, there is a lot you might be into. Recommendations: If you want someone who is operating at the absolute highest level of the form, tackling difficult subjects, and offering unique perspectives, you cant do much better than Roy Wood Jr. If its mastery youre after, especially as it relates with comfort onstage and dealing with uncertainty, you might also enjoy Jerrod Carmichael, who is maybe the only comedian that can rival Chappelle in terms of using silence. You have to know Neal Brennan, right? Did you know he has a secret special in Netflixs Comedians of the World series? Now, its possible you like these two for their tendency to push the boundaries of acceptable speech. Since you said two of the most famous comedians, I will suggest two comedians who many consider famous but possibly havent reached you Anthony Jeselnik and Jim Jefferies. For a more under-the-radar button pusher, Id suggest Tim Dillon. Where to Watch/Listen: Roy Wood Jr.: No One Loves You (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Jerrod Carmichael: 8 (HBO Now; HBO Go) Neal Brennan: Comedians of the World (Netflix) Anthony Jeselnik: Fire in the Maternity Ward (Netflix) Jim Jefferies: This Is Me Now (Netflix) Tim Dillon: The Comedy Lineup (Netflix) Diagnosis: Fun! I see this and I see a person who enjoyed Nanette, but maybe would have wanted more jokes or harder jokes. Recommendations: Cameron Espositos Rape Jokes is a really funny and impressive special about sexual assault and making jokes about sexual assault; however, unlike Nanette its a bit more graceful in how it incorporates its serious and dramatic moments. Stylistically, Daniel Sloss is a lot like Ronny, as they both came up in comedy scenes (the U.K. and Australia, respectively, though they both performed at both) where youre expected to put together a full hour every year, as opposed to working on ten-minute sets at time, and yet both lean toward telling harder-edged jokes that are more often seen in the States. Sloss, however, has created a style where he does about an hour of jokes and then ends with, as he has described it, a TED Talk. His most recent HBO special, X, ends with a powerful section about toxic masculinity and the sexual assault of his best friends. Where to Watch/Listen: Cameron Esposito: Rape Jokes (Self-Released) Daniel Sloss: X (HBO) Diagnosis: Theres a lot to love about these Black-ish co-stars. Both are deft at tackling difficult subjects, especially around race. They are both afraid to get capital-p Political. Wanda is a bit more pointed as a joke writer, while Deon tends to be a bit more absurd. Recommendations: This is another one where Roy Wood Jr. would fit. Hell, Roy is so good, hed fit in a lot of these. Aside from Roy, Id check out Gina Yashere, Cristela Alonzo, Donnell Rawlings, and Ms. Pat each have a different mixture of the two. George Wallace, who likely influenced Wanda and Deon, is another comedian adept at blending silly and more issue-oriented material. Though George has had a bit of a renaissance on Twitter, I feel like not enough people know what his stand-up is like. Also, if you havent checked him out, theres this upcoming guy you might like named Chris Rock. Where to Watch/Listen: Roy Wood Jr.: No One Loves You (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Gina Yashere: The Standups (Netflix) Cristela Alonzo: Lower Classy (Netflix) Donnell Rawlings: The Degenerates (Netflix) Ms. Pat: The Degenerates (Netflix) George Wallace: The Vegas Bootleg (Prime Video) Chris Rock: Tambourine (Netflix) Diagnosis: This person explained their reasoning in their tweet: anyone with a set about grief or suicide. We love a specific request. Recommendations: As a generally sad person, I love this one. There is a ton of great stand-up that has dealt with loss. Hell, if you google most of your favorite comedians of a certain age, you might find a joke about a parent dying. Tig Notaro comes to mind, as a recent example from a legend. Also, Marc Marons Netflix special Too Real (not to mention all of his career) is especially death-obsessed. And, of course, Gary Gulmans recent HBO special The Great Depresh and basically everything from the queen, Maria Bamford. I think Daniel Slosss Dark might be helpful. But a few recommendations of more recent specials are both from HBO: Whitmer Thomass Golden One and Dan Soders Son of a Gary, which are partly about the deaths of their mother and father, respectively. Laurie Kilmartin did a special about her dead dad called, appropriately enough, 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad that I cant find online anymore, but you can stream the album. Where to Watch/Listen: Tig Notaro: Live (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) Marc Maron: Too Real (Netflix) Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh (HBO) Maria Bamford: Weakness Is The Brand (Prime Video) Daniel Sloss: Dark (Netflix) Whitmer Thomas: The Golden One (HBO Now; HBO Go) Dan Soder: Son of Gary (HBO Now; HBO Go) Laurie Kilmartin: 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) Diagnosis: Clearly you like jokes. John and Nikki are both very good performers, but theyre undeniably great joke writers first. Nikkis ability to think about and write about sex is really unparalleled. So what would it look like for someone who took that but had more of Johns style? Recommendations: I wont lie, we considered putting Jacqueline Novak in a lot of these Mulaney items. They are very different comedians, but how they use language has a similar quality. Maybe it comes from the fact that they went to college together and were on the same improv team. Shes here because she has this new hour called Get On Your Knees, which is about blow jobs (but actually much more!) that you, my humble Mulaney and Glaser fan, will absolutely fucking die for. That said, after a long and acclaimed Off Broadway run, she is still planning on touring the show for a bit. Still, she has plenty of material out there that youll also love. Or maybe what you want is a comedian like Nikki who has an old-timey radio voice like John does. Jacqueline has that covered, but another option for you would be Rachel Feinstein. Rachel and Nikki are best friends, often playing in the same area, but Rachel has that old showbiz voice you clearly love, you old-showbiz-voice freak. Where to Watch/Listen: Jacqueline Novak: The Half Hour (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Rachel Feinstein: The Standups (Netflix) Diagnosis: Jokes. Nice person. Recommendations: There are plenty of nice comedians who write good jokes, but Josh Gondelman, Ron Funches, and Ryan Hamilton are probably the nicest! I think you would also like Taylor Tomlinsons work, because she is one of the strongest up-and-coming pure joke writers out there, and also, shes nice. Rhea Butcher is another one a good, nice person with funny, well-written jokes. Where to Watch/Listen: Josh Gondelman: Dancing on a Weeknight (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) Ron Funches: Giggle Fit (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Ryan Hamilton: Happy Face (Netflix) Taylor Tomlinson: Quarter-Life Crisis (Netflix) Rhea Butcher: Butcher (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) Diagnosis: It would be easy just to say the Midwest! and be done with it, but even though Kyle (Illinois) and Kathleen (Missouri) are from different backgrounds and came up in different times, there are a lot of similarities. Both have this gruffness that covers up something deeper and sweeter. Recommendations: Jackie Kashian (Wisconsin) feels right here. A great, great comedian, she has a similar charm, with an ability to blend the harder and softer sides of her personality. She is maybe a bit dorkier, but she reminds me of Kyle in her ability to work herself up. Tom Segura (Ohio) has amassed a large fan base, but he also doesnt seem to be on the radar of a lot of people who I think would really like him. Tom has more of Kathleens slower pacing, but reminds me a little of Kyle in the way he builds a story. Three more gruffies with hearts of gold (none of which are from the Midwest): Shane Torres, Ian Karmel, and David Gborie (who took over for Kyle as the voice of Comedy Central). One last recommendation who has some tonal similarities of Kathleen but with the sort of conspiratorial storytelling of Kyle is Sara Schaefer. Shes also not from the Midwest, but I think shed scratch the same itch. Where to Watch/Listen: Jackie Kashian: I Am Not the Hero of this Story (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) Tom Segura: Disgraceful (Netflix) Shane Torres: Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Ian Karmel: The Comedy Lineup (Netflix) David Gborie: Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Sara Schaefer: Live Laugh Love (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) Diagnosis: You love characters. You are especially into it when comedians fully embody the people theyre telling stories about and end up telling stories where theyre commenting on the action and performing it at the same time. Recommendations: Have you seen Lil Rel Howerys recent HBO special? Because wow, it is extremely up your alley. Lil Rel is so, so great at this kind of comedy, and Live in Crenshaw features an unbelievably long joke about a family funeral thats a direct homage to an Eddie Murphy set. You should also check out Chris Redd, who combines character-based story jokes with more of a traditional relationships/broad social commentary framework. Where to Watch/Listen: Lil Rel Howery: Live From Crenshaw (HBO Now; HBO Max) Chris Redd: But Here We Are (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) Diagnosis: You like joke density with a solid undercurrent of awkward self-conscious tension! Theres an awareness of everything terrible and bizarre happening in culture and politics in this vein of comedy, sure, but you like it when a comedian takes that consciousness and then takes some bizarre left turns. Recommendations: For the Im a straight white dude but I completely understand what a strange place that puts me in right now energy of Mulaney, you should check out Max Silvestri, who does lickety-split runs that often start in some familiar places then end up diving off cliffs of weirdness. But actually, Silvestris brand of painful, hilarious self-consciousness is closer to Jenny Slate. They are also good friends! For well over a decade, Max has co-hosted the live show Big Terrific with Jenny (and Gabe Liedman), and he often opens for John. Youd also probably love Emily Heller, who approaches her material with a swagger and confidence that makes her insights seem immediately obvious, even when theyre also gloriously strange. Where to Watch/Listen: Max Silvestri: The Comedy Lineup (Netflix) Emily Heller: Ice Thickeners (Comedy Centrals YouTube) Diagnosis: You dirty dog, you. Not to slut-comedy shame, but its clear you like someone who not only openly explores their depravity but relishes it! Recommendations: Theres a ton. Did you know Doug Stanhopes specials are available through Amazon Prime Video? Joey Diaz too. But for some newer, unflinchingly themselves comedians, you might dig Liza Treyger, Yamaneika Saunders, and Jessica Kirson. Where to Watch/Listen: Doug Stanhope: No Place Like Home (Prime Video) Joey Diaz: The Degenerates (Netflix) Liza Treyger: The Degenerates (Netflix) Yamaneika Saunders: The Degenerates (Netflix) Jessica Kirson: Talking to Myself (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Diagnosis: This was an interesting one to imagine the overlap. My first instinct was to start with Patrices not-giving-a-fuck attitude and self-assurance, but maybe remove, lets say, the misogyny. Michelle is a more pointed joke writer and less of a force-of-nature personality. She is also sillier! Recommendations: Three comedians came to mind: Sam Jay, Marina Franklin, and Alice Wetterlund. They are different, but all exhibit a certain fearlessness. Sam has been compared to Patrice throughout her career. Marina comes out of the New York club school that Patrice helped define in the aughts, but is a bit more sensitive. Alice is closer to Michelle, but is not afraid to be more radical about her feminism. Where to Watch/Listen: Sam Jay: The Comedy Lineup (Netflix) Marina Franklin: Single Black Female (Prime Video) Alice Wetterlund: My Mama Is a Human and So Am I (Prime Video) Diagnosis: I think Ali and Chelsea broadly have a lot in common, but together I think it opens you up to a lot of different types of comedians. Theyre both smart joke writers while also being dynamic, physical performers. They have fun or silly elements to their acts, but they also have some bite on social issues. They are also both just really cool. Recommendations: Good news: There are a freaking ton of comedians you might like! Michelle Buteau, Dulce Sloan, Janelle James, Nicole Byer, Margaret Cho, Katherine Ryan, Solomon Georgio, Joel Kim Booster, and Naomi Ekperigin are all comedians that I think an Ali and Chelsea fan would like, each with a different blend of the above. If you specifically were looking for other comedians who have done specials while pregnant and feel at home with Ali and Chelsea, Id check out Christine P. and Natasha Leggero. Leggeros husband Moshe Kasher, whom she did a special with, also has a style somewhere between Ali and Chelsea. One more who comes to mind is Joe Mande, especially if youre attracted to Chelsea and Alis sardonic nature. Okay, here is one maybe unexpected last one: Bob the Drag Queen, the comedy queen who won RuPauls Drag Race season eight, has a stand-up special you might enjoy. If thats not enough, may I suggest the 2 Dope Queens specials? You have a lot! Where to Watch/Listen: Michelle Buteau: The Comedy Lineup (Netflix) Dulce Sloan: Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Janelle James: The Comedy Lineup (Netflix) Nicole Byer: Comedians of the World (Netflix) Margaret Cho: Psycho (Prime Video) Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room (Netflix) Solomon Georgio: Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Joel Kim Booster: Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Naomi Ekperigin: The Half Hour (Comedy Central Now; Prime Video) Natasha Leggero: The Honeymoon Stand Up Special (Netflix) Moshe Kasher: The Honeymoon Stand Up Special (Netflix) Joe Mande: Joe Mandes Award Winning Stand-Up Special (Netflix) Bob the Drag Queen: Suspiciously Large Woman (Prime Video) 2 Dope Queens: (HBO Now; HBO Max) The White House and Senate have reached agreement on a $2 trillion stimulus package for the US economy. With over 44,000 cases, the US is now the third most affected country in the world after China and Italy. "At last, we have a deal," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, hailing the massive "wartime level of investment into our nation" reached after five days of arduous and tense negotiations. "We have a bipartisan agreement on the largest rescue package in American history," top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said shortly after McConnell spoke. "So many people are being put out of work through no fault of their own. They don't know what their future is going to be like, how are they going to pay the bills," Schumer added. "Well, we come to their rescue." Hardest hit after China and Italy Currently US infection rates soared to 44,183, according to the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and 544 dead. With 21,689 cases, New York State counts for almost half of the US' total amount. The Covid-19 infection rate in the US has been soaring at an unprecedented speed, with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo remarking that "the rate of increase has gone up, it's doubling every three days ... we were looking at a freight train - we're now looking at a bullet train. We haven't flattened the curve. The curve is actually increasing." Faltering economy The Senate and House of Representatives still need to pass the legislation before sending it to President Donald Trump for his signature. McConnell said the Senate will vote on the measure later Wednesday. The deal aims to buttress the faltering economy by giving roughly $2 trillion to health facilities, businesses and ordinary Americans buckling under the strain of the coronavirus pandemic. It will put cash directly into the hands of Americans hard hit by the crisis, provide grants to small businesses and hundreds of billions of dollars in loans for larger corporations including airlines. It also proposes the injection of around $130 billion into what Schumer calls "a Marshall Plan for hospitals" and health care infrastructure, referring to the huge American aid program to rebuild Europe after World War II. (With AFP) Hospitals in New York City are nearing capacity due to an influx of coronavirus patients, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Wednesday. COVID-19 has killed 192 people in New York City, according to Johns Hopkins University, but Gottlieb said that number will rise if the hospitals become overwhelmed. "New York City hospitals right now are on the brink of what I would call being maxed out in terms of their available capacity," he said on "Squawk Box." "New York has another about five weeks to go for this between now and when they're going to hit peak hospitalizations, so the fact that they're stretched right now is worrisome." The virus has infected more than 15,500 people in New York City, which accounts for more than 25% of all U.S. cases, according to Johns Hopkins. However, the number of actual cases across the country is likely significantly higher, officials have acknowledged. Testing in the U.S. has been hampered by delays and a restrictive diagnostic criteria that limited who could get tested. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that the state has about 3,000 to 4,000 ventilators, a potentially lifesaving device that helps patients breathe, and has purchased about 7,000 more, but it needs a minimum of 30,000 additional ventilators. He added that the state could need up to 140,000 hospital beds in 14 to 21 days. He said the state currently has about 53,000 hospital beds. Three thugs who killed a doorman at an exclusive New Years Eve party are facing years in jail. Tudor Simionov, 33, bled to death after he was knifed in the chest outside the 12.5million Portland Place on Park Lane in Mayfair, west London as gate-crashers demanded entry to an exclusive party hosted by Lord Fast Eddie Davenport. Nor Hamada, 24, Adam Khalil, 21, Haroon Akram, 26, fought savagely with security guards as they were told they could not enter before the fatal blow was landed. The trio will be sentenced tomorrow after Hamada eventually joined the other two in pleading guilty to manslaughter. During the trial Mr Simionov's fiancee, 23-year-old Madalina Anghel had told the court she had 'lost everything' following the killing. Trouble started on December 31, 2018 when doorman, Atu Ngoy, threw Adham El Shalakany, 24, over the bonnet of a Lamborghini when he tried to pay his way inside with two female friends. His friends came to his aid and a fight broke out between them and the bouncers resulting in Mr Simionovs death and five other security workers being stabbed. Hamada (pictured), from Wembley, north west London, was arrested at Gatwick Airport and told officers he was not a murderer. He was convicted of violent disorder and four wounding charges, but a jury failed to reach a verdict against him on the charge of murder. Hamada finally admitted manslaughter earlier this month Adam Khalil, 21, (left) Haroon Akram, 26, (right) admitted manslaughter shortly after the trial started last year Mr Simionov went outside to quell the violence and had only been on the street for less than a minute before he was killed. Body worn police footage later showed him being tended to by El Shalakany and another man as he lay dying in one of the venues red-lit en suite bathrooms. Philip Evans, QC, prosecuting, said the fast moving fracas left the doorman with unsurvivable injuries. Footage of the brutal fight showed a knife being wielded by Ossama Hamed, 25, as Hamada fought with Mr Simionovs colleagues. Hamed inflicted the fatal wound before he fled the UK with Hamada, who had been out celebrating his birthday, on a ferry to Calais. They travelled onto to Paris, then Barcelona before flying to Morocco, North Africa. They ended up in Rabat, where Hamada received a call from his mother to say police had contacted her explaining they knew he was not the knifeman. Hamada said: I stayed with him maybe three or four days, four or five max. He was going out and I told him I was not in the mood for going out. As soon as he left, I got by bag and left. I went to Tangier. He poisoned my thoughts. He was using me as a scapegoat. Mr Simionov and me, had no issue. I had no quarrel with him. He was a security man doing his job at the end of the day. Tudor Simionov, 33, (left) bled to death after he was knifed in the chest outside one of Lord Edward Davenport's Mayfair bashes. The victims fiancee, 23-year-old Madalina Anghel (right) had earlier told the court she had 'lost everything' following the attack Tudor Simionov, 33, (pictured centre, becoming involved in a fight) was killed while other hired security staff were wounded during a knife attack outside a 12.5million townhouse in Mayfair, west London Hamada, from Wembley, north west London, was arrested at Gatwick Airport and told officers he was not a murderer. He was convicted of violent disorder and four wounding charges, but a jury failed to reach a verdict against him on the charge of murder. Hamada finally admitted manslaughter earlier this month. Khalil, of Kingsbury, northwest London, and Akram, of Fulham, southwest London, also admitted manslaughter. Ahmed Munajed, 26, of Hammersmith, west London, admitted violent disorder and was earlier jailed for two years. El Shalakany, of Fulham, was cleared of violent disorder over his alleged role in the fighting while his then partner Shaymaa Lamrani, 27, of northwest London was acquitted of perverting the course of justice by disposing of the murder weapon. Hamed is still on the run. Ahmed Munajed, 26, admitted violent disorder and breaching a suspended sentence at the Old Bailey. He was last year jailed for a total of two years and 21 weeks Hamed is believed to have travelled to Jordan following the murder on London's Park Lane on New Year's Eve. He is still on the run The victims fiancee, 23-year-old Madalina Anghel had appealed for information leading to the capture of Ossama Hamed in a statement read to the court. She said: Tudor and I met three years ago at university in Romania and in October 2018 moved to London to start a new life. Tudor was a professional rower who had been successful in many competitions. He believed that moving to England would be an opportunity to focus on his sport. On 31 December 2018, Tudor had gone to work as normal when his life was suddenly taken away. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time; he was simply unlucky. Tudor was only 33 years old and we had planned our whole lives together. He was always thinking about everyone else and putting others first. He was the kindest person I knew and by losing him, I have lost everything. We were meant to be getting married this summer but instead of attending our wedding I have been attending court. Instead of going to the church to arrange our wedding I was going to church to bury him. My life has been turned upside down. I am pleased those involved have been convicted but we must now keep working to find Ossama Hamed who remains on the run from police. Nothing can change the past and we cannot bring Tudor back, but finding Ossama Hamed and bringing him to justice will help me find closure after all that has happened. I would ask anyone who has any information on his whereabouts to speak to police as soon as possible. Imagine how you would feel knowing one of those involved in the death of your loved one was still walking free. Someone, somewhere must know where he is. Host Lord Fast Eddie Davenport, notorious for holding VIP orgies, is alleged to have run out the back door in the ensuing mayhem last year. Female guests were escorted inside free of charge where they enjoyed bottles of free champagne, but male punters queued up paying hundreds of pounds each for entry. Tables, priced at 2,000-a-pop, where laden with plates of cocaine openly being snorted as the private bouncers patrolled the three floors. Lord Davenport stood behind the front door with his head of security, Mark McKinley, peering through a spy-hole. The so-called Lord of Fraud was jailed for seven years and eight months in 2011 for conning investors and is known for hosting wild sex parties. He was released just three years later as an act of mercy after he was left gravely ill following a kidney transplant. Judge Anthony Leonard, QC, said Mr Simionovs killers will be sentenced tomorrow. Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough held his ground Wednesday in refusing to issue a stay-at-home order but he did release updated orders closing hair salons, tattoo parlors and cosmetic businesses as the number of COVID-19 cases jumped to 31. The order, originally signed March 16 and with the new amendments effective Thursday morning, now restricts visitors to nursing home to critical assistance and end of life visitation. The orders also stipulates any violation is punishable punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 dollars or confinement in jail for a term no greater than 180 days. The order does not extend to law enforcement activities, emergency responses and court operations or grand jury operations. The order is in effect through April 3. Keough faced some backlash on social media after announcing Tuesday he would not impose harsher limits on residents amid the growing number COVID-19 in the county. In fact, some surrounding county leaders have contacted Keough for information to avoid issuing stay-at-home orders to their residents. We are not putting more restrictions on what we have; our people are being compliant, Keough said. The order has teeth. We have law enforcement all over this county ready and willing to bring people into compliance. We are going to get through this Montgomery County strong. Amended March 18, the order also stipulates all restaurants cease all onsite dining operations but could continue to-go, takeout, delivery and catering operations. Additionally, all bars, clubs, gyms, movie theaters and amusement type businesses needed cease all operations. The order cancels any event sponsored or permitted by Montgomery County and events greater than 10 people at public facilities. Keough urged events greater than 10 people at private facilities to cease operations as well. Retail stores, private businesses, clubs or civic organizations and religious organizations to include churches, synagogues, mosques or other places of worship were urged to comply with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines related to 10 persons gathering in any one place or at one time. Retail stores who sell groceries or medical supplies are exempt from the order. cdominguez@hcnonline.com Jack Bowden as a pharmacist during WW2, and with his son Mark. (SWNS) A 98-year-old World War II veteran is thought to be the oldest person to have survived COVID-19 in the UK. Jack Bowden was discharged from hospital three days after testing positive for the disease, which has claimed at least 422 lives in the UK. The former pharmacist who worked on production of penicillin during the Second World War tested positive on 18 March after initially becoming ill with a water infection. The great-grandfather made a quick recovery and was discharged on Saturday to return to the care home in Bolton where he lives. Read more: Council 'reassigns' parking wardens who were issuing tickets as normal Jack Bowden working during the Second World War. (SWNS) Jacks youngest son Mark, 58, said he wrote a goodbye letter when doctors told him his father had tested positive for the disease. He said: "I thought I'd never see him again. I wrote him a lovely letter and within an hour he rang me and said: 'I think I've got the real thing.' "But by Friday, the nurses said he's doing amazing and just had a mild chest infection." Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area Explained: Symptoms, latest advice and how it compares to the flu Medics at the Royal Bolton Hospital decided former Royal Navy petty officer Jack was better off isolating in his care home rather than on the ward, which posed a risk of infection. Mark said he had been due to visit his father in his care home 16 March but was told by staff that his father had been taken ill during the night. Jack Bowden was based in Clevedon, Somerset, during WWII, where he worked on production of penicillin. (SWNS) A graph showing the rise in the number of countries with coronavirus. (PA) Doctors became concerned when Jack became confused and disorientated, but he was treated for a suspected water infection and began to improve. Medics at the hospital then tested him for coronavirus and the results came back positive on Wednesday. Mark said: "The water infection itself kills most people his age, but they were preparing to discharge him for that until the COVID-19 test came back positive. Story continues "He got a nurse to call me to say he wanted his mobile phone, so I knew he was feeling better. Read more: Worst strain on NHS will come within three weeks, leading scientist says "They discharged him on Friday night, but he could only leave on Saturday morning once the care home had put measures in place to cope with his return. "We don't think he's fully out of the woods yet as he still has a chest infection and it has left him with a cough. "But he is sat up in his chair, he's comfortable and he is well on the way to recovery. I'm pretty sure he has passed the infectious stage. "The consultant even wants to use him as a case study." Outside Costco in West Springfield, shoppers wait patiently in a line outside the store to get their groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have taken the unprecedented situation in stride. We're not buttercups, said Joanne Felchner. It is obviously a concern, Im worried about getting sick, but I'm not paranoid about it. Things can always be worse, Felchner said. She works for an airline and told MassLive that the company has been impacted by the decline in travel. Flights are being flown with no passengers to keep their flight slots during the outbreak. Joanne Felchner is waiting outside Costco in West Springfield. She works for an airline but says that things can always get worse. She told MassLive that we are at war with the virus. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) As coronavirus infections rise around the globe, demand for air travel is projected to hit its lowest point since the last financial crisis. Airlines around the world could lose up to $113 billion in revenue this year if COVID-19 continues to spread, according to the International Air Transport Association. Walking into Walmart in Chicopee on Tuesday is Chris Keniley, an accounting manager. He said that he is concerned about the virus but worries about the longer-term effects on the economy. I know that with banks it's all about confidence and creditworthiness, said Keniley. To keep businesses shut down if it goes more than a month, I think it's going to be turned into a worse economic crisis than just the virus. This is an economic tsunami, Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys Analytics told Vox. Congress is working on a trillion-dollar package to aid businesses and individuals but if itll be enough has had analysts worried of a depression, not just a recession, according to Politico. Chris Keniley who is an accounting manager is worried about the future economic impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) Keniley also has an 86-year-old mother who is statistically the most vulnerable age group, so he has to be extremely cautious when regularly dropping off supplies at her house. The number of COVID-19 cases spiked by 382 from Monday to Tuesday in Massachusetts, with the DPH reporting a total of 1,159 cases on Tuesday. The 382 new cases were a significant increase over the 131 new cases reported on Monday and represent by far the highest single-day total of new cases. The medical field has been pushed to breaking point with the number of cases continuing to rise and hospitals running out of beds. If we dont make substantial changes, both in spreading the disease over time and expanding capacity, were going to run out of hospital beds, said Dr. Ashish Jha, the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute. And in that instance, we will not be able to take care of critically ill people, and people will die. Its actually been pretty crazy, theres a lot of need out there. Hospitals are really just kind of reaching out trying to request as much equipment as possible to kind of protect a surge of patients etc, said Chad Dakin, who works in medical sales. District Sales Representative at Sizewise, Chad Dakin works to provide much needed hospital beds for hospitals in New England. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) After getting the groceries he needs Dakin told MassLive how shocked he has been at the bulk buying of products like toilet paper but sees why people have been doing it. I get it, people are nervous," said Dakin. I guess it's a little bit of human nature, but were all in it together. Semi-retired cyber security consultant Don Roy, however, has been entertained by the hoarding. BJs said you got to get here by 9 o'clock and get in there. [The toilet paper is] gone within an hour, said Roy after trying to buy paper at Walmart to no avail. There are maybe three packages of paper towels, but you can't flush that. Semi-retired cyber security consultant Don Roy finishes his shopping at the Walmart in Chicopee. He has been shocked by the hoarding of toilet paper and the lack of the product in the stores now. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) Retailers in the U.S. and Canada have started limiting the number of toilet paper customers can buy in one trip. Some supermarkets in the U.K. are sold out. An Australian newspaper went so far as printing eight extra pages in a recent edition should Australians run out. I think this is a good test for people to really understand what pandemic is or what it would take to really destabilize Society, said Roy. People are big on their zombie movies and everything. You want to know what happened those first few days, this is now. This will be a good example for the government to follow. The Department of Justice I guess is coming out with hoarding enforcement. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to prevent hoarding and price gouging of supplies needed to fight the deadly coronavirus. Residents in the Springfield Walmart have been buying toilet paper in such large quantities that the staff find it difficult to restock before they're taken off the shelf again. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) President [Trump] just signed an [Executive Order] to prevent hoarding & price gouging of supplies needed in our war against the coronavirus, said White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham on Twitter on Monday. This sends a strong message, we will not let those hoarding vital supplies & price gougers to harm the health of America in this hour of need. Roy feels that the government is dealing with the national emergency in the right way and many shared his sentiment. People are worried about the COVID-19 pandemic but are confident that they will survive this Their concern is on the countrys economy in the future. As Felchner pointed out, this is a war on an invisible enemy that people are battling everyday. MassForward is MassLive's series examining the journey of Massachusetts' small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Related Content: As the coronavirus pandemic has deepened, Democratic governors bearing the heaviest burdens are increasingly wary that if they complain too loudly about the federal response they will anger Donald Trump and risk losing critical support during a life-or-death crisis. The latest evidence of the delicate, sometimes impossible line that these governors have been forced to walk came Tuesday, when the president took swipes at New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a televised town-hall-style program on Fox News. I watched Gov. Cuomo [today] and he was very nice, the president said of the man steering the state hardest hit by the virus. Cuomo had, moments earlier, conducted a press conference in which he scoffed at how insufficient the administrations help in procuring ventilators had been. He had a choice He refused to order 15,000 ventilators, Trump said, referencing a recent column by Betsy McCaughey, a hardened Trump supporter and longtime health-care policy crusader on the right. It says that he didnt buy the ventilators in 2015 for a pandemic, established death panels and lotteries instead. Photo Illustration by Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast / Photos Getty Trump would go on to insist he was not blaming Cuomo. But the magnanimity was short-lived. Its a two-way street, Trump said of having the feds help states with a coronavirus response policy. They have to treat us well, too. Under normal circumstances, such a screed would be cast aside as a classic bit of Trumpian shit-talking and thin-skinness. But these arent normal times. And Trumps comment resonated not only for how callous it seemed but also for how manufactured the evidence was that he was citing. Trump Obsesses Over Flu Deaths, Attacks Cuomo in Softball Fox News Chat A source on Gov. Cuomos team told The Daily Beast they believed McCaughey was referencing a 2015 New York government health report on ventilator guidelines for her column. The reports data on ventilator need was based on numbers gathered for the 1918 influenza pandemic. The reports guidelines went on to say that it was not possible to accurately calculate the impact of a severe pandemic, including ventilator need and that it is likely that the approach used overestimates the number of ventilators that would be needed during a severe pandemic. Story continues President Trump obviously didnt read the document hes citingthis was a five-year-old advisory task-force report, which never recommended the state procure ventilatorsit merely referenced that New York wouldnt be equipped with enough ventilators for a 1918 flu pandemic, said Dani Lever, director of communications for Cuomo. No one is, including Mr. Trump. For Trump, it was just the latest in an on-again, off-again relationship that has developed between him and the governor of the state he used to call home. The relationship between the two has changed from week to week, if not day to day, vacillating from gracious words to open hostility, depending on the news cycle. Such work-relationship dysfunction may seem abnormal, especially in the midst of a deadly, economy-tanking pandemic. But for those close to the president, it was standard operating procedure. If youre good and respectful to [Trump], he will treat you the sameits that simple, said one senior White House official. The president has always said that he fights back when he needs to, and the situation with [Cuomo] is no different. If you keep that in mind, their sort of seesaw relationship during [coronavirus] doesnt come as a surprise. Another person who had spoken to the president earlier this month recounted that one day Trump had mentioned in a meeting how well Cuomo was behaving and handling the crisis, only to, two days later, start bashing the governor in a different private conversation as nasty. A source on the New York governors team said that Cuomo has tried to shrug off these temperamental swings over the last two weeks, saying Trumps mood changes so often that it is hard to keep track. Another individual familiar with the relationship said its become expected that the pair will collaborate one day and the president will take a swipe at the governor for not doing enough the next, usually in the hours after the governors morning press conference. Cuomo, the individual close to the governor noted, has praised the White House in addition to criticizing it on occasion. For example, when the administration facilitated the construction of hospitals and sent the Army Corps of Engineers to the state to help, Cuomo was gracious. And in press conferences, he has repeatedly thanked the president and noted that he and Trump speak often about what New York needs to battle the public-health epidemic. At other times, though, Cuomo has blasted the federal government, not necessarily Trump himself, for the delay and lack of much-needed essential medical supplies that health-care workers need to treat coronavirus patients. That was true on Tuesday, when Cuomo said the state is in need of 30,000 ventilators and was getting insufficient help from the federal government to acquire more. The Trump administration said later that it was in the process of shipping about 4,000 ventilators to New York. But the governors office is still desperate for more and has called on the president to implement the Defense Production Act and order private companies to make more for the open market. That Cuomo has made sharper demands than others is not lost on the White House. Nor is it lost as to why. His state has faced the brunt of the coronavirus crisis. And on Tuesday evening, Deborah Birx, a key member of Trumps coronavirus task force, said at a White House press briefing that people whove left New York City recently should self-quarantine for 14 days. To everyone who has left New York over the last few days, because of the rate of the number of cases, you may have been exposed before you left New York, Birx said. Everybody who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days to ensure that the virus doesnt spread to others. Trump, who was at the briefing, declined to say if hed given Cuomo advance warning about the pronouncement. Were talking to them about it, the president told reporters at the White House. But while Trumps attention seems to be focused on parrying with Cuomo, other Democratic governors have felt the pressure to not get on his bad side as well. One of those governors has been Jay Inslee of Washington, whose state preceded New York in having to deal with a massive wave of coronavirus infections and deaths. This month, the president called Inslee a snake and even instructed his vice president not to be complimentary of him. For weeks, the governor and president did not speak, though Tara Lee, a spokesperson for Inslee, told The Daily Beast that they connected over the weekend for the first time, during which Trump told Inslee that he was not getting a medical boat he had requested but would be getting field hospitals. For Democrats working for governors on the frontlines of the crisis, the lesson taken from that episode and from Cuomo is that there are two administrations to navigate: the one doing the actual crisis response, and the one that is responsive to Trumps id. It is really unclear how many decisions are made by Trump versus the actual team there. Everyone is negotiating the challenge of telling the federal government where they are falling behind versus making sure we meet the needs of our citizens by getting federal help, knowing that you risk it if you anger Trump, said an aide to a Democratic governor involved in handling the coronavirus spread. Its a balance that all governors are dealing with right now. Well, not all governors. Democratic governors. As they deal with that balance, Democrats say they can already see potholes ahead. Trump has said in recent days that he wants to re-open the economy soonperhaps by Easterin hopes of avoiding an economic depression. But there is little the president can do to compel states to end their decrees that people stay in place or that all non-essential businesses close. Should they not bow to Trumps demands, the fear goes, it will set up a situation in which he may once again use the bully pulpit to, well, bully. Hes been trying to kick the blame to the states... and I think this maneuver [to re-open the economy] is the same, said one Democratic operative who works on gubernatorial campaigns. Its him being able to say: Hey, I opened it up, its not my decision that your state kept the economy closed. Its not on me that you lost your job. Blame your governor. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 14:04:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Pork prices in China continued to edge down last week as hog production increased and demand softened, official data showed. From March 16 to 20, the average pork price index in 16 provincial-level regions tracked by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs came in at 47.52 yuan (about 6.7 U.S. dollars) per kg, down 1.6 percent week on week. The price retreat came as China is making headway in resuming hog production as a string of targeted policies have taken effect. China's breeding sows in stock in 400 counties monitored by the ministry expanded by 1.7 percent month on month in February, growing for the fifth consecutive month, according to the ministry. China will expand the scale of subsidized loans and increase risk tolerance on loans to pig farmers as part of efforts to boost hog production. Prices of pork, a staple meat in China, have been soaring in recent months, mainly caused by African swine fever and cyclical factors. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A Grand Rapids-based chemical company has shifted its focus to making hand sanitizer to support the region during the short supply amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Haviland Enterprises, Inc., which manufactures and distributes industrial and pool cleaners, plans to make its first batch of sanitizer Thursday, March 26 and distribute it for free to 22 organizations Friday including, Holland Home, Milestone Child Development Center, Clark Retirement Community, Faith Hospice at Trillium Woods and Kent County Emergency Management. There is an urgent and critical need in the community and Haviland is in a pretty unique position to try and fill a portion of that void because of the product that we produce, the inventory we have on hand and the equipment we have available, said Meg Post, vice president of finance for Haviland. We decided to prioritize our giving to the smaller community organizations directly supporting the lives of others that may not have access to products, primarily retirement communities, daycares, hospice centers and emergency management centers. Post said once the company realized it possessed all the chemicals necessary for making sanitizer, it was a no-brainer to provide the support. She said the plan is to give organizations around four, 5-gallon buckets of the sanitizer. She said each batch will cost the company roughly $6,500. Haviland, located at 421 Ann St. NW, has 240 employees and is 100 percent employee-owned. The company has three sites in Grand Rapids and one in Kalamazoo as well as locations in suburban Cincinnati and Phoenix. Post said that Haviland employee-owners are proud to support the community during this difficult time. With all the critical organizations that have to continue operating to support other lives, we wanted to give them access to this product, she said. Post said the idea to provide the resource emerged from a request from Ann Arbor-based Arbor Brewing for raw materials to make the sanitizer for community organizations on the east side of the state. She said Haviland will be providing the company with materials. She said the company will make the hand sanitizer for West Michigan for as long as feasible. She said the company has a limited amount of the one ingredient, alcohol, that has been in short supply. More on MLive: Wednesday, March 25: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigan Attorney General asks local law enforcement to handle violations of coronavirus stay home order Navigating Mental Health During Quarantine podcast, launching from West Michigan group (Bloomberg) -- The European Union unblocked the membership path for North Macedonia and Albania, restoring its Balkans enlargement strategy after overcoming a French barrier. EU general-affairs ministers agreed on Tuesday by video conference that the European Commission should draw up a negotiating framework for each of the two western Balkan countries. The Brussels-based commission is the 27-nation EUs executive arm. This is a major development, Oliver Varhelyi, the European commissioner in charge of enlargement, told reporters. We will present very shortly a negotiating framework so that the actual negotiations can start very quickly. France upset its EU partners in general and Germany in particular in October by vetoing the blocs push to start membership negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania during the first half of 2020. President Emmanuel Macron insisted on tougher scrutiny of both nations respect for the rule of law. The French snub prompted the resignation of North Macedonias pro-EU prime minister, Zoran Zaev, bolstering arguments that the prospect of joining the bloc is important for political stability in a region still grappling with the aftermath of the 1990s wars. To address the French reservations, the commission in February proposed changes to the way the EU vets aspiring members by giving more weight to fundamentals, including the functioning of the judicial system and democratic institutions. Three other countries in the Balkans have begun EU entry talks: Serbia in 2014, Montenegro in 2012 and Turkey in 2005. The entry process already gives EU governments wide scope to determine the pace. Every member country must endorse the opening and closing of each of more than 30 negotiating chapters covering everything from public procurement and company law to consumer protection and human rights. (Updates with EU commissioners comments in third paragraph) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. [March 25, 2020] Critical Infrastructure Cyberattacks a Greater Concern than Enterprise Data Breaches for Three in Four IT Security Professionals NEW YORK, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Claroty, the global leader in industrial cybersecurity, today released research into the state of industrial cybersecurity worldwide, which found that 74% of IT security professionals globally are more concerned about a cyberattack on critical infrastructure than an enterprise data breach. An independent survey of 1,000 full-time IT security professionals was carried out in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Australia to determine the attitudes and concerns of IT security professionals related to operational technology (OT) security. According to the data, more than half of industry practitioners in the U.S. (51%) believe that today's industrial networks are not properly safeguarded and need more protection, while another 55% believe that U.S. critical infrastructure is vulnerable to a cyberattack. While IT security professionals are typically tasked with protecting enterprise networks, they are notably more concerned about a cyberattack on critical infrastructure (65%) compared to an enterprise data breach (35%). In addition, a strong majority (67%) believe that a cyberattack on critical infrastructure has the potential to inflict more damage than an enterprise data breach. In regard to timing and urgency, 63% of U.S. IT security professionals expect a major cyberattack to be successfully carried out on national infrastructure within the next five years. However, 10% say that we will not ever see one, despite ample evidence of attacks targeting energy and other related sectors. The global perspective In contrast to the lack of confidence in the U.S., global IT security professionals (including those in the U.K., Germany, France, and Australia) have a more positive-leaning outlook. A majority of all global respondents (62%) believe that industrial networks are properly safeguarded. Those in Australia (93%) and Germany (96%) are by far the most confident in the overall safety of industrial networks. Threats and potentil targets When asked which type of cyberattack on industrial networks would be most prevalent in 2020, a majority of U.S. IT security professionals (56%) put hacking at the top of the list, followed by ransomware (21%) and sabotage (12%). There is also a strong consensus among U.S. practitioners that electric power is the most vulnerable sector of critical infrastructure (46%), followed by oil and gas (18%) and transportation (13%). Additional key stats and contributing factors: An overwhelming majority of U.S. IT security professionals (87%) believe that the government is responsible for properly protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. This indicates how crucial it is for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and IT teams to understand the importance of OT security and how it falls within their purview, as every company in the world relies on industrial networks. IT and OT security practices are converging at a rapid rate due to digital transformation and the evolving threat landscape, which presents new challenges and opportunities for CISOs. Demonstrating this, a majority in the U.S. (66%) have been trained in the differences between IT and OT networks and 65% believe they have the skills and experience required to properly manage OT network cybersecurity. While clearly acknowledging the urgency surrounding critical infrastructure, most U.S. respondents express little desire to work in industrial cybersecurity. A strong majority (71%) say they would rather work in IT enterprise cybersecurity than focus on industrial networks, while another 57% say they would rather work for an organization that experiences a massive data breach instead of one that suffers a critical infrastructure-related cyberattack. "While IT and OT convergence unlocks business value in terms of operations efficiency, performance, and quality of services, it can now be detrimental because threats, both targeted and non-targeted, have the freedom to maneuver from IT to OT environments and vice versa," said Dave Weinstein, Chief Security Officer of Claroty. "Our mission is to help security practitioners to bridge the gap between IT and OT cybersecurity, ensuring that all bases are protected from cyberattack. This is even more critical in this new normal of largely remote workforces, which create additional burden on CISOs to remotely secure their production environments." Claroty improves the availability, safety, and reliability of OT assets and networks within industrial enterprises and critical infrastructure. The Claroty Platform provides comprehensive OT asset and network visibility, segmentation, vulnerability management, threat detection, risk assessment, and Secure Remote Access capabilities (SRA) all within a single, agentless solution. Unique to Claroty, SRA provides a single, secure, and clientless interface through which all external users connect prior to performing software upgrades, periodic maintenance, and other support activities on assets within OT networks. This is all enriched by the company's award-winning OT security research department. For in-depth analysis into the findings, along with full U.S. and global survey data, The Global State of Industrial Cybersecurity report is available here. About Claroty Claroty bridges the industrial cybersecurity gap between information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) environments. Organizations with highly automated production sites and factories that face significant security and financial risk especially need to bridge this gap. Armed with Claroty's converged IT/OT solutions, these enterprises and critical infrastructure operators can leverage their existing IT security processes and technologies to improve the availability, safety, and reliability of their OT assets and networks seamlessly and without requiring downtime or dedicated teams. The result is more uptime and greater efficiency across business and production operations. Backed and adopted by leading industrial automation vendors, Claroty is deployed on all seven continents globally. The company is headquartered in New York City and has received $100 million in funding since being launched by the famed Team8 foundry in 2015. For more information, visit www.claroty.com. Media contacts: SHIFT Communications for Claroty Email: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/critical-infrastructure-cyberattacks-a-greater-concern-than-enterprise-data-breaches-for-three-in-four-it-security-professionals-301028507.html SOURCE Claroty [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Western Australian Premier has said 800 Australian passengers on board a cruise ship heading to port in Fremantle will be quarantined for 14 days. The Vasco da Gama cruise ship is scheduled to dock on Friday and the 800 Australians will be transferred to Rottnest Island for self-isolation. All foreign crew and passengers will remain on the ship until they can be flown directly out of the country. The Vasco da Gama cruise ship (pictured) is scheduled to dock on Friday in Fremantle and the 800 Australians will be transferred to Rottnest Island for self-isolation WA Premier Mark McGowan (pictured centre) said he wanted to avoid a situation similar to the Ruby Princess cruise ship which docked in Sydney earlier in March There are a total of 1,500 passengers and crew on board the ship. WA Premier Mark McGowan told reporters on Wednesday that passengers and crew would not be allowed to disembark unless it was to travel under supervision to the airport or to seek medical attention. A plan is being worked out with the New Zealand government to arrange for its citizens to return as soon as possible. In the last two days Rottnest Island has been cleared of visitors and accommodation, catering, and security has been organised. Mr McGowan said he was exercising this option now to 'protect the safety of the Australian passengers' and to 'protect the west Australian community from any possible infection.' 'This is an evolving situation... I want to cooperate with the Commonwealth to sort these issues now to avoid the Ruby Princess disaster happening here in our state,' Mr McGowan said. The Ruby Princess docked in Sydney on March 19 and let 2,647 passengers off the ship. More than 133 passengers have since tested positive for coronavirus with one woman in her 70s passing away. Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram said that NSW Health gave the ship the all clear for passengers to disembark. Passengers on another cruise ship to dock in WA on Friday will be quarantined after the Ruby Princess (pictured) debacle Commissioner Outram said his officers are responsible for checking passengers' visas and also making sure no contraband enters Australia. Mr Outram said NSW Health decided, after consulting with the ship's doctor, that the vessel did not require an on-board inspection. This was despite the fact that 13 passengers had flu-like symptoms and had tested negative for viral flu while on the ship. 'New South Wales Health stated to the Ruby Princess, 'You are free to disembark tomorrow',' Mr Outram said. The NSW Premier had reportedly previously said the ABF was responsible for letting the passengers off the ship. While Prime Minister Scott Morrison lobbed the blame back at the NSW government saying the chief health officer deemed the ship low risk. Mr Outram noted that a different cruise ship that arrived at a Melbourne port a day earlier tested everyone on board for COVID-19 before letting anyone disembark. Rottnest Island, where the Australian passengers of the Vasco da Gama will be transported, is a well known tourist destination. The island is located 18 kilometres west of Fremantle is is known for its native quokka inhabitants. The island is one of the few areas in Australia where the small furry marsupial can be found. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 13:02:17|Editor: zyl Video Player Close KABUL, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Militants including suicide bombers attacked a temple in Kabul on Wednesday, with casualties feared, a local official said. MBABANE It took less than 24 hours for the Eswatini Government to follow in the steps of its South African counterpart by announcing a partial lockdown. During a press conference held last night in the Cabinet Offices, Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini announced that His Majesty King Mswati III and Ingwenyama had commanded government to introduce a partial lockdown. He said this would be with effect from Friday March 27, 2020. The PM, however, clarified that this would occur at midnight on Friday, which therefore means Saturday will be the official day that it starts. The lockdown will be for 20 days and ironically gatherings of 20 or more people were also temporarily banned. The PM said the King had commanded government to introduce the partial lockdown on selected sectors of the economy to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. The PM said the King had emphasised that the economy must continue to be strong and robust to ensure that the partial lockdown did not ground the kingdom. Lockdown The PM said the partial lockdown included 14 pillars; one of them being being that, beginning on Friday midnight, for 20 days, all unnecessary movements and visits outside the perimeters of homes or residences were restricted except to provide or acquire essential services such as healthcare, food, or banking services, and for the personnel performing such services. We encourage all employers to allow as many employees as possible to work from home, said Dlamini. The PM said government understood that the introduction of these measures may cause some inconvenience, and hurt the economy but the safety and health of all emaSwati was the ultimate priority. Government is working closely with the private sector to find solutions to mitigate the negative impact of this pandemic on business, he said. He said essential industries were expected to continue operating while observing the proper hygiene standards that would protect employees from the pandemic. This, according to Dlamini, will include civil servants. Government will engage further to ensure that proper hygiene measures are complied with. The Ministry of Commerce will provide guidance on which industries fall under essential services, said Dlamini. The PM further stated that following the announcement by the South African Government of a lockdown, government advised that only goods and cargo as well as returning citizens and legal residents would be allowed through the borders. Returning citizens and residents will be subjected to a mandatory 14-day quarantine at designated locations except for those who are able to self-isolate, said Dlamini. Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals on Tuesday (24 March 2020) announced expansion of Anhydrous Aluminium Chloride (AAC) plant at Dahej in Gujarat. The scrip was up 1.43% at Rs 206.15, extending gains for the second day. It has risen 10.18% in two sessions from its recent closing low of Rs 187.10 recorded on 23 March 2020. Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals said it has taken up the project for expansion of 16,500 tonnes per annum (TPA) of Anhydrous Aluminium Chloride (AAC) plant at Dahej with total project cost of Rs 35 crore. The commercial production at the said AAC plant at Dahej has been achieved on 23 March 2020. The estimated increase in annual revenue of the company from this plant would be about Rs 65 crore. With this expansion, the total capacity of the AAC plant at Dahej will be 42,420 TPA. Further, the company informed that it has decided to take complete safe shut-down of all its plants at Baroda and Dahej complexes from 24 March 2020 till 31 March 2020. Some of the plants at Dahej will shut-down gradually to ensure safety. The AAC plant will take around 4 to 5 days to get complete shut-down. These measures have been taken to control the spread of Covid-19 in Gujarat. Due to these measures all employees will work from home except those employees who are required for plant safety and security as also for maintenance of utility services. Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals is a chemical manufacturing company which offers caustic soda lye and caustic soda flakes. On a consolidated basis, the chemical maker reported 63.4% fall in net profit to Rs 59.58 crore on a 19.7% decline in net sales to Rs 655.58 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) File image Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday night announced creation of a WhatsApp chatbox to enable citizens to get coronavirus-related information. The WhatsApp chatbox is 912026127394, Thackeray said. He appealed to international travellers to disclose their recent travel history and not hide it. The chief minister asked people to cooperate with the state administration in effectively tackling the coronavirus crisis. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of COVID- 19 cases (107) among states so far. The judge of Kyiv's Pechersky District Court (Pidpaly) on February 25 obliged state-controlled PrivatBank to pay more than $200 million in favor of six offshore companies of the Surkis brothers, the NV newspaper reported, with reference to the court register. The judge ruled that PrivatBank is obliged to compensate Surkis' offshore companies for the funds that they in 2012-2014 placed on the accounts of the Cypriot branch of PrivatBank, and interest, which should have been accrued under the terms of deposit agreements, the publication notes. It is clarified that by the court decision the state bank is obliged to pay compensation to Camerin Investments LLP, Sunnex Investments LLP, Tamplemon Investments LLP, Berlini Commercial LLP, Lumil Investments LLP, and Sofinam Investments LLP. PrivatBank plans to appeal this court verdict. As reported, the funds deposited by the Surkis family and their companies on the accounts of PrivatBank and its branches during the nationalization of the bank at the end of 2016 fell under the bail-in procedure, since the Surkis family members were recognized as the persons related to PrivatBank. The Surkis brothers contested their inclusion in the bail-in procedure in courts. In particular, on April 16 the Supreme Court of Ukraine will continue considering the cassation appeal of the National Bank of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers and PrivatBank regarding the decision of the lower instance courts in favor of Surkis regarding their funds in the bank in the amount of over UAH 1 billion. With tens of millions of Americans under orders to stay at home or practice social distancing, scores have been converging on places like Yellowstone, Grand Teton and the Great Smoky Mountains to escape the specter of the coronavirus until now. On Tuesday, the National Park Service announced that all three national parks would be closed immediately to prevent the spread of the virus, citing concerns about crowding and requests from local public health authorities. Even the governor of Montana had pressed for the closing of Yellowstone. At the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the border of Tennessee and North Carolina and was the busiest national park last year, officials reported a surge in visitors during the past week. They said that 30,000 people visited the park each day 5,000 more a day than last March and caused congestion at several of the parks most popular sites. Two men have died at a property in the Gold Coast hinterland with police investigating whether their deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. Emergency services including police, firefighters and paramedics responded to reports of a fire at a property on Nancol Drive in Tallebudgera Valley about 4pm on Wednesday. Emergency services at the Tallebudgera Valley property, which was declared a crime scene. Credit:Nine News Queensland A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said four firefighting crews battled the fire, which they had under control before 6pm. The house was destroyed by the flames. A crime scene was set up at the property after the bodies of two men, aged 26 and 63, were found. CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Researchers at MIT and the University of Colorado at Denver have proposed a stopgap measure that they believe could help Covid-19 patients who are in acute respiratory distress. By repurposing a drug that is now used to treat blood clots, they believe they could help people in cases where a ventilator is not helping, or if a ventilator is not available. Three hospitals in Massachusetts and Colorado are developing plans to test this approach in severely ill Covid-19 patients. The drug, a protein called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), is commonly given to heart attack and stroke victims. The approach is based on emerging data from China and Italy that Covid-19 patients have a profound disorder of blood clotting that is contributing to their respiratory failure. "If this were to work, which I hope it will, it could potentially be scaled up very quickly, because every hospital already has it in their pharmacy," says Michael Yaffe, a David H. Koch Professor of Science at MIT. "We don't have to make a new drug, and we don't have to do the same kind of testing that you would have to do with a new agent. This is a drug that we already use. We're just trying to repurpose it." Yaffe, who is also a member of MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and an intensive care physician at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, is the senior author of a paper describing the new approach. The paper, which appears in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, was co-authored by Christopher Barrett, a surgeon at Beth Israel Deaconess and a visiting scientist at MIT; Hunter Moore, Ernest Moore, Peter Moore, and Robert McIntyre of the University of Colorado at Denver; Daniel Talmor of Beth Israel Deaconess; and Frederick Moore of the University of Florida. Breaking up clots In one large-scale study of the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China, it was found that 5 percent of patients required intensive care and 2.3 percent required a ventilator. Many doctors and public health officials in the United States worry that there may not be enough ventilators for all Covid-19 patients who will need them. In China and Italy, a significant number of the patients who required a ventilator went on to die of respiratory failure, despite maximal support, indicating that there is a need for additional treatment approaches. The treatment that the MIT and University of Colorado team now proposes is based on many years of research into what happens in the lungs during respiratory failure. In such patients, blood clots often form in the lungs. Very small clots called microthrombi can also form in the blood vessels of the lungs. These tiny clots prevent blood from reaching the airspaces of the lungs, where blood normally becomes oxygenated. The researchers believe that tPA, which helps to dissolve blood clots, may help patients in acute respiratory distress. A natural protein found in our bodies, tPA converts plasminogen to an enzyme called plasmin, which breaks down clots. Larger amounts are often given to heart attack patients or stroke victims to dissolve the clot causing the heart attack or stroke. Animal experiments, and one human trial, have shown potential benefits of this approach in treating respiratory distress. In the human trial, performed in 2001, 20 patients who were in respiratory failure following trauma or sepsis were given drugs that activate plasminogen (urokinase or streptokinase, but not tPA). All of the patients in the trial had respiratory distress so severe that they were not expected to survive, but 30 percent of them survived following treatment. That is the only study using plasminogen activators to treat respiratory failure in humans to date, largely because improved ventilator strategies have been working well. This appears not to be the case for many patients with Covid-19, Yaffe says. The idea to try this treatment in Covid-19 patients arose, in part, because the Colorado and MIT research team has spent the last several years studying the inflammation and abnormal bleeding that can occur in the lungs following traumatic injuries. It turns out that Covid-19 patients also suffer from inflammation-linked tissue damage, which has been seen in autopsy results from those patients and may contribute to clot formation. "What we are hearing from our intensive care colleagues in Europe and in New York is that many of the critically ill patients with Covid-19 are hypercoagulable, meaning that they are clotting off their IVs, and having kidney and heart failure from blood clots, in addition to lung failure. There's plenty of basic science to support the idea that this concept should be beneficial," Yaffe says. "The tricky part, of course, is figuring out the right dose and route of administration. But the target we are going after is well-validated." Potential benefits The researchers will test tPA in patients under the FDA's "compassionate use" program, which allows experimental drugs to be used in cases where there are no other treatment options. If the drug appears to help in an initial set of patients, its use could be expanded further, Yaffe says. "We learned that the clinical trial will be funded by BARDA [the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority], and that Francis Collins, the NIH director, was briefed on the approach yesterday afternoon," he says. "Genentech, the manufacturer of tPA, has already donated the drug for the initial trial, and indicated that they will rapidly expand access if the initial patient response is encouraging." Based on the latest data from their colleagues in Colorado, these groups plan to deliver the drug both intravenously and/or instill it directly into the airways. The intravenous route is currently used for stroke and heart attack patients. Their idea is to give one dose rapidly, over a two-hour period, followed by an equivalent dose given more slowly over 22 hours. Applied BioMath, a company spun out by former MIT researchers, is now working on computational models that may help to refine the dosing schedule. "If it were to work, and we don't yet know if it will, it has a lot of potential for rapid expansion," Yaffe says. "The public health benefits are obvious. We might get people off ventilators quicker, and we could potentially prevent people from needing to go on a ventilator." The hospitals planning to test this approach are Beth Israel Deaconess, the University of Colorado Anschultz Medical Campus, and Denver Health. The research that led to this proposal was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program. ### Written by Anne Trafton, MIT News Office Related Links Covid-19 diagnostic based on MIT technology might be tested on patient samples soon http://news.mit.edu/2020/covid-19-diagnostic-test-prevention-0312 Early warning of disease exposure could improve public health responses http://news.mit.edu/2020/early-warning-of-disease-exposure-could-improve-public-health-responses-0319 MIT joins White House supercomputing effort https://news.mit.edu/2020/white-house-supercomputing-covid-19-0323 COPENHAGEN - A 40-year-old Norwegian citizen of Iranian descent has been charged with helping an unnamed Iranian intelligence service carry out a plot on Danish soil to kill an Iranian opposition activist, a prosecutor said Wednesday. Prosecutor Lise-Lotte Nilas said the man, who was not identified, is suspected of gathering information which, according to the investigation, was to be used to carry out a murder in Denmark. The suspect has denied any wrongdoing. He was arrested in Sweden and extradited to Denmark. Nilas said it was completely unacceptable that foreign intelligence services plan killings on Danish soil, and it is unacceptable that people help foreign intelligence services operate in Denmark. The man allegedly photographed and made videos of a persons home on orders from an Iranian intelligence service, Nilas said. He was arrested in October 2018 over a suspected plot to kill an Iranian Arab opposition figure in Denmark. He was charged with illegal intelligence activity and complicity in attempted murder. The plan was thwarted by Danish police. A police operation in September 2018 related to an alleged Iranian plot briefly cut off Copenhagen from the rest of Denmark. The target was a leading member of the opposition Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz (ASMLA). His trial is set to start May 1 in Roskilde, 25 kilometres (40 miles) west of Copenhagen A member of the NYC Medical Examiner's Office at the site as workers build a makeshift morgue outside of Bellevue Hospital to handle an expected surge in CCP virus victims in New York City on March 25, 2020. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images) Cuomo: Social Distancing Measures Appear to Be Working Social distancing measures like forcing the closure of non-essential businesses and ordering people to stay home with some exceptions appear to be working in combating the spread of the CCP virus, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday, as officials reported another surge of over 5,000 infections. Projections on Sunday showed hospitalizations from the new illness, which causes the COVID-19 disease, doubling every two days. Projections on Monday showed them doubling every 3.4 days and projections on Tuesday showed them doubling every 4.7 days, Cuomo told reporters in Albany. That is almost too good to be true. But, the theory is: given the density that were dealing with, it spreads very quickly, but if you reduce the density you can reduce the spread very quickly, Cuomo said. The governor said hes watched as projections bounce around but called the apparent slow of the spread a positive sign. Im not 100 percent sure it holds or its accurate but the arrows are headed in the right direction and that is always better than the arrows heading in the wrong direction, he said, attributing the projections to social distancing measures like forcing non-essential workers to stay home. Workers build a makeshift morgue outside of Bellevue Hospital to handle an expected surge in coronavirus victims in New York City on March 25, 2020. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images) New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks to the media and members of the National Guard at the Javits Convention Center which is being turned into a hospital to help fight coronavirus cases in New York City on March 23, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) New York still projects a need for up to 140,000 hospital beds with a current capacity of 53,000 beds. Additional beds are coming from an array of efforts: hospitals in the state boosting existing capacity; opening new facilities with the help of FEMA and other federal agencies; converting college dormitories to makeshift hospitals; and a U.S. Navy Ship, Comfort, which is en route to the state. New York also projects a need for 30,000 ventilators. The state has 4,000 in its system currently and purchased another 7,000. The federal government sent 4,000. Officials are shopping for more and are asking the government to send additional ventilators. Theyre also exploring splitting each ventilator to serve two patients each, a method used in Italy. New York reported another 5,146 new infections, including 2,952 more in New York City. The state has a total of 30,811 confirmed cases, including 17,856 in the city. Cuomo said cases in Westchester County, just outside the city, have slowed down, after initially being the hottest cluster in the United States of America. The percentage of patients requiring hospital care decreased down to 12 percent of the overall cases, with 3 percent of those in intensive care units. - Mutahi Kagwe warned that more cases of COVID-19 will likely be recorded in the country in the coming days as Kenyans were ignoring state warnings - The Health CS urged Kenyans to learn from other nations like Italy whose nationals ignored advices and were plunged into much serious health crisis as infection rate soared - He confirmed nine new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, March 25, bringing the total number of infections to 25 Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has pleaded with Kenyans to stay at home and observe all the safety pre-caution measures against COVID-19 so as to prevent a looming disaster. The CS warned that more cases of the pandemic will likely be recorded in the country in the coming days if his fellow citizens ignore the Ministry of Health's advice to maintain a high level of discipline. READ ALSO: Hantavirus: Types of diseases spread by the virus found in rodents Health CS Mutahi Kagwe confirmed nine new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, March 24. Photo: Ministry of Health. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Good Samaritans raise funds, buy foodstuffs, toiletries for the needy in Huruma slums The newly appointed CS who has breathed life into the Health Ministry urged Kenyans to learn from other nations such as Italy whose nationals ignored advice to stop social gatherings and were now suffering from a high infection rate. "We can expect an upward - - and a drastic trend unless we are stringent about the rules the government set. Italy confirmed its first case on January 31 (thats not even two months ago) and yet it now has 63,927 confirmed cases and a whopping 6,077 deaths, thanks in part to revelers ignoring state warnings," "My fellow Kenyans, Ill say it again. Be disciplined and please stop courting disaster. Our lives are no more meaningful that those of the 17,148 the world has lost to COVID-19," he pleaded. Kagwe wondered if Kenya would be able to contain the pandemic if powerful nations such as the US were struggling to take care of its people. The CS urged Kenyans to learn from other nations affected by COVID-19. Photo: KMPDU. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Dereva amkimbiza abiria hospitalini baada ya kuzimia wakiwa safarani "Have you listened to New Yorks Gov Cuomo and his heartfelt felt anguish over the crisis in the US and would you ever have imagined the worlds most advanced countries stressing over exhausted healthcare systems and unimaginable suffering caused by shortfalls of supplies such as ventilators?," he posed. The CS confirmed nine new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, March 25, bringing the total number of infections to 25. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Man coughs, collapses and dies while traveling from Nairobi | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke A newborn baby is in isolation at an Alabama hospital after one of the nurses tested positive for Covid-19. Brandon Waltman, the father of the baby girl, explained that she has been at the University of South Alabama Womens Hospital for over a month. Mr Waltman, who lives in neighbouring state Mississippi, told NBC 15 that he went to visit his daughter on Monday night, but was told she had been put into isolation. The NICU nurse manager told me that they had just been given information that a nurse that had been taking care of my daughter within the past 2 weeks had tested positive for coronavirus and, as a precaution, they were going to isolate every baby that she had come in contact with, he said. He added that its rough, but today is about pushing so some of this doesnt happen again to her or God forbid anybody else. Mr Waltman revealed that his daughter has been tested for coronavirus and at the moment is asymptomatic, telling the the station that she is not coughing. Shes not sneezing. She is OK. He also admitted that the checks in the hospital are not up to the standard he would expect, amid the coronavirus pandemic. When we go in, all they are doing is comparing our bracelet, comparing to my drivers license. They are not temperature checking, they are not screening like they are at other hospitals and thats my main concern, he said. Yes we are upset that Emmarie is facing this virus, but we are way more upset about the lack of procedures and safeguards that have been setup in order to keep not only our daughter, but other children and hospital staff safe as well, he added on Twitter. USA Health said in a statement that a USA Health employee has tested positive for Covid-19. USA Health continues to implement all state and national guidelines to ensure we protect our patients, providers and staff. According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, upwards of 55,243 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 802. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended a two-week ban on gatherings of more than 50 people as part of the battle to contain the spread of the contagion. It is understandable to have police or other security forces deployed from the President to the Prime Minister or other leaders, but it is a bit strange to hear that a tree should be given 24 hours of protection. But this is absolutely true. There is a tree on the hill of Salamatpur between Bhopal and Vidisha, capital of Madhya Pradesh, which is protected like a VIP leader. With this, now you must be thinking what is so special in that tree, so let us tell you about it in detail. Four or five police personnel are deployed to protect this tree, which monitors it 24 hours. Apart from this, a separate water tanker comes from the Sanchi municipality for its irrigation. Officials of the agriculture department also come here every week to check the tree. It is believed that every year 12-15 lakhs are spent on the maintenance of this tree. Actually, it is a peepal tree, known as Bodhi tree. In 2012, when the then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited India, he planted this tree during that time. For your information, tell that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree 531 years before Christ. This tree has a very special importance in Buddhism. It is believed that in the third century BC, Emperor Ashoka sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka to propagate Buddhism by giving a branch of the Bodhi tree. He planted that Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, which still exists today. At the same time, the Bodhi tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment is actually in the Gaya district of Bihar. An attempt was also made to destroy this tree several times, but it was a miracle that a new tree would grow every time. At present, the tree was also destroyed in the year 1876 due to natural calamity, after which in 1880, the British officer Lord Cunningham brought the branch of Bodhivriksha from Anuradhapuram in Sri Lanka and restored it to Bodh Gaya. Since then that tree is still present there. Also Read: Likees popular Dr Aaloo out to combat coronavirus through short video app 'Five o'clock five minutes' wonder in India, watch viral video here Likee collaborates with T-Series to promote series of songs Likee collaborates with PUBG MOBILE to celebrate the online games 2nd Anniversary How well the current infrastructure is ready to handle a small spike will vary from state to state. By Shreehari Paliath In the aftermath of the 2018 floods in Kerala, one of the priorities for the government was to contain an epidemic. Updates and meetings with health department officials and medical professionals, and information dissemination were a daily routine for Rajeev Sadanandan, then additional chief secretary, who worked closely with K K Shailaja, the states health minister, and helmed the health department during this crucial phase. But this was not the first time Sadanandan and his team were facing a health crisis. The Nipah outbreak in Kerala had killed 17 people in May 2018, a few months before the devastating floods. He was instrumental in developing and executing a strategy to contain Nipah, and had predicted a second outbreak. It happened in June 2019. With Nipah we were handling a virus we did not know, which was stressful, Sadanandan told us in September 2018. The resilience of the health system has to be built up over time, said Sadanandan, who is now retired from the Indian Administrative Service, as India faces an increasing number of COVID-19 cases. There are 31 confirmed cases of COVID-19, noted a March 6, 2020 government press release. This means that 26 more patients have been found positive since March 2, 2020. There have been 95,333 confirmed cases and 3,282 deaths worldwide, as per a March 5, 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) report. This amounts to a 288 percent increase in confirmed cases globally over a month to March 5, 2020. You cannot build an adequate health system to respond to an emergency during an emergency, he said. Although China managed to put cities and millions of people under lockdown, he does not foresee this being done coercively in India. During three tenures as health secretary of Kerala, Sadanandan initiated transformation of the health system in the state with a focus on primary care, designing and executing disease prevention and health promotion programmes, integrating social and epidemiological determinants to health care and applying technology to improve healthcare delivery. He was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, a national social health programme. He has been a member of technical committees set up by UNAIDS and WHO. Sadanandan is currently CEO of the Health System Transformation Platform, a not-for-profit company carrying out health systems research, and the Indian Council of Medical Research chair for health systems research. In an interview with IndiaSpend, he talks about the response to COVID-19, his views on handling disease outbreaks, and the need for efficient information dissemination. You were the health secretary in Kerala during the Nipah outbreak in 2018 that killed 17 people. With Nipah we were handling a virus we did not know, which was stressful, you told us. How do you compare the response to Nipah and the governments preparedness for COVID-19 given the latter is more infectious but less fatal? COVID-19 is also unique. We know the epicentres, starting with Wuhan and now many more. So, anyone with links to that centre is a potential high-risk person, who must be observed and cases picked up early. Once picked up, they must be isolated and contacts observed. This was possible when the epicentres were few. It is no longer an easy task, with most countries in the Gulf being affected. It will become much more difficult if community spread begins in India. But the exercise must be done. For this the entire health system and community must be mobilised to identify and report cases. The private sector including informal providers must be trained to recognise symptoms and refer [onwards]. The surveillance system has to be revamped so that the cases are reported for corrective action. Fortunately while COVID-19 is highly infectious it is not very dangerous. Less than 10 percent will need acute care and five percent intensive care. The latter will need oxygen therapy. If the number of infected persons becomes large this would be difficult. Government and private sector need to increase capacity for intensive care, recruit and train additional staff, identify and equip additional buildings for triage [to decide how to prioritise patients when limited medical resources must be allocated to maximum results, as in wars, disaster zones and emergency rooms]. The government has to decide whether to pay for treatment of such cases. China has made diagnostic tests and treatment free of cost. The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India has increased to 31. Initially there were three cases in Kerala, all of whom have recovered. How would you assess the Centres preparedness? The preparedness is adequate for the present situation. But capacity shortages will make a proper response to demand for care very difficult if infections increase substantially. The case fatality rate is about 15 percent for persons aged above 80 and eight percent in patients aged above 70 [based on this study]. If community spread happens in India the number of people who need oxygen supplementation will be large. Most Indian states do not have adequate ventilators and trained staff to handle this load. This will lead to people who need the treatment being turned away as happened in Wuhan. Since the pressure to treat COVID-19 cases will be high, health workers may turn away other patients who need intensive care even more. This also happened in Wuhan. Kerala has a robust primary health care system and the public trusts the government to deliver. But it also heavily relies on private health care. What are the challenges and approaches to efficient coordination? The private sector has more intensive care beds than the government. They can always be requested to make them available. Private and government sectors have always worked together in Kerala when the need arises. It is time for every state to mobilise the capacity of the entire health system including the private sector. But the government must agree to reimburse the cost of treatment and then compel private hospitals to treat every referred case. What are the best international practices during such outbreaks? How must the government respond ideally during public health emergencies, and how must it remain alert? The best practices in any public health emergency are the same: vigilance against spread from known epicentres; surveillance to pick up cases early; isolation and proper care of infected persons; tracking their contacts; transparency in sharing information; addressing the economic and psychological needs of the infected and the affected. Government has to inspire trust in the community. Are there lessons for other states based on Keralas experience with tackling Nipah and the aftermath of the floods? You cannot build an adequate health system to respond to an emergency during an emergency. The resilience of the health system has to be built up over time. Government must be seen to be caring and competent. Only then will people trust the government and not panic. People who spread panic and try to profiteer from the situation must be severely and publicly punished. The most important asset is early and reliable information. Use existing systems and put in place new ones to gather and analyse information. Procure adequate supplies of needed drugs and consumables. Above all, display proper and visible leadership. The morale of the team depends on a leadership that is supportive, assumes responsibility and has the courage to take decisions. The Centre has announced that all international passengers will be screened at airports. Are thermal screenings at ports of entry enough? How does the state infrastructure handle such large loads of people in a connected landscape? Screening symptomatic cases is useful. But currently such persons will not be allowed to even board a flight. Most of the imported cases are likely to be asymptomatic on arrival. There must be a system to observe them as they go back to their communities. This can be done only by the community-level health workers, supported by the community. However, urban areas do not have such workers. Here non-governmental organisations that work with urban populations and residents welfare associations should be roped in. China put nearly 11 million people in Wuhan under quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19. There are larger issues of restrictions on basic freedoms which can create fear among the public. As an administrator, how do you tackle such problems and is the Centre capable of imposing such restrictions in India? COVID-19 cannot be handled by the Centre [alone] any more. The major role will be that of state governments, gram panchayats [village councils] and urban local bodies. If a specific super spreader epicentre emerges in India the area can be cut off for 10 days at the most. But this would not be adequate as cases would continue to emerge in the epicentre, requiring extension of quarantine. I do not foresee this being done coercively. But the unrealistic fear about the virus will cause an unofficial quarantine of the community. China managed to build health facilities in a matter of days. How prepared is the health infrastructure here to handle a spike in cases including availability of personal protective equipment and gear for frontline healthcare workers and doctors? What is the best approach that may not cause alarm or panic buying, and are there other countries whose approach can be adopted? How well the current infrastructure is ready to handle a small spike will vary from state to state. Many buildings have been identified for isolation. Some can be converted for triaging and routine management. But the possibility of getting enough diagnostic equipment and ventilators, and recruiting and training staff will be difficult for most parts of India. The whole personal protective equipment may not be needed as the infection is droplet mediated and does not spread through the air. The public should be educated that the only purpose a mask serves for a normal person is to prevent him/her from touching her face. This can be done by covering your mouth and nose with a cloth. Convergence between departments within a state government and other states governments seems to be vital in case of COVID-19, which has seen cases across the country including in New Delhi, Telangana, Kerala, Jaipur and Agra. How can this be best managed to ensure a coherent public health strategy and response? The most useful tool would be sharing of information especially for contact tracing. The Centre is best placed to provide the needed coordination. There is misinformation about the use of natural remedies to prevent infection including use of cow dung and cow urine, traditional medicine, yoga, etc. How crucial is information dissemination in the age of social media? How do states and the Centre coordinate, and where must the buck stop? It is important to take a zero tolerance approach to false information. During the Nipah outbreak Kerala had educated the media and engaged them as partners. This included carrying educational messages, busting false propaganda and eschewing sensationalism. In return they were assured full access to information. This worked well and has become a standard practice in Kerala. Similar engagement with mainstream media has to be in place. Social media has to be managed mainly through social media itself. The Facebook page of the department of health was the main source of information on which every query was answered and accurate information provided. It also debunked the false messages floating around. All state and central governments have to get proactive on the media. The current IT Act provides for punishment of people spreading false information that can cause panic. This has to be used and people spreading patently false information punished for their action. Natural remedies will not fall into that category. Providing accurate information would be the ideal response in that case. This article was originally published on IndiaSpend. - The materials were on transit to Berlin and were needed to protect against the novel coronavirus in the European nation that has confirmed over 30,000 cases with at least 132 deaths - German Defence ministry spokesperson said the masks had met FFP2 standard for protection against particles and aerosols - The missing mask shipment was due to arrive in Europe's largest economy on Friday, March 20, and it was not immediately established why the items were being transported via Kenya - The German government would not suffer a financial loss on the lost shipment, however, as payment for the masks was due on delivery Six million protective masks ordered by the German army have vanished in Kenya under unclear circumstances. The materials were on transit to Berlin and were needed to protect against the novel coronavirus in the European nation that has confirmed over 30,000 cases with at least 132 deaths as of Tuesday, March 24. READ ALSO: Ex Nandi woman rep Zipporah Kering under fire for donating sanitisers branded with her image Protective masks in boxes. Similar materials ordered bybthe German army vanished in Kenya under unclear circumstances. Photo: Anadolu Agency. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Murang'a landlord saves MCA who travelled abroad from mob accusing her of not self-quarantining German Defence ministry spokesperson confirmed the incident noting the masks had met FFP2 standard for protection against particles and aerosols. "We are trying to find out what happened to the massive order of protective equipment meeting the FFP2 standard for protection against particles and aerosols," Germany's Defence ministry spokesperson told news weekly Der Spiegel . A medical worker at a drive-in testing facility for people with possible coronavirus symptoms. Germany conducts more than 160,000 tests per week. Photo: Getty images. Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Larry Madowo alazimika kuondoka New York kwa hofu ya kuambukizwa coronavirus The missing mask shipment was due to arrive in Europe's largest economy on Friday, March 20, and it was not immediately established why the items were being transported via Kenya. The Defence ministry spokesperson however, said the German government would not suffer a financial loss on the lost shipment as payment for the masks was due on delivery. Health CS Mutahi Kagwe confirmed nine new cases of COVID-19 in Kenya bringing the total number of infections to 25. Photo: Ministry of Health. Source: Facebook The German army is providing the country's Health ministry with logistical support during the coronavirus crisis. At least 395,000 cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed worldwide as of Tuesday, March 24, according to Worldometers, a real-time statistics website. In this, 17,234 deaths had been recorded with 103, 732 having recovered from the pandemic. Locally, nine new cases of the disease were confirmed by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Tuesday, March 24, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 25. "We have received confirmation of nine cases bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in Kenya to 25. These cases are spread out in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties," he said. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Lockdown Kenya : Mixed reactions as Kenyan leaders call for a complete country lockdown | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Coronavirus is slowly but steadily gaining a foothold in Nigeria, bringing to reality fears the countrys weak health systems cannot withstand a larger outbreak. In less than three weeks, the virus has overloaded hospitals in northern Italy, offering a glimpse of what awaits countries if they cannot slow the contagion. Doctors from China and Cuba were sent to Italy, Europes worst-hit nation when the surge became overbearing. Nigeria is now rushing to reinforce containment measures and considering several emergency options knowing that her fragile health system will be swiftly overwhelmed if the disease spreads beyond a small number of cases. Red alert Africas most populous nation within the past few days saw a surge of confirmed cases of Covid-19, a strain of coronavirus which has sent the whole world in panic after it killed over 15, 000 people globally. In the past seven days, confirmed cases rose from five to 46. One death was recorded and Health Minister, Osagie Ehanire, said on Tuesday that retired health workers could be reabsorbed in states if the spread escalates. The minister was not specific on how this would happen, like countries with similar ambition. More than 65,000 retired workers have been contacted and sent letters by senior officials to join frontline workers at UK hospitals to battle coronavirus. Health experts believe recalling retired health workers should be the last option, considering statistical flaws of Nigerias health workforce. It took the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) eight months to respond to PREMIUM TIMES request for official statistics of active and retired medical practitioners in the country. Even when it did after three freedom of information (FOI) requests, the council only provided data on practising members without that of those who have left. Train, equip active hands first The president of the Nigerian Doctors Association, (NMA), Francis Faduyile, said active health workers should be trained, equipped and utilised first as the treatment and handling of coronavirus is different from conventional treatments. How well have you utilised doctors and nurses? How many have you trained that you are now considering to bring people out of retirement? he said. How many isolation centres are fully active as of today? He (the minister) should first show that to the Nigerian public before considering bringing back those who have retired. Roland Aigbovo, the president of resident doctors, Abuja chapter, said there are several underpaid and unemployed health workers that can easily be co-opted if the health workforce becomes overwhelmed. He said recalling retired health workers, though a good plan, should not yet be considered. The president who recently called off an indefinite strike by doctors in Abuja over unpaid salaries said an unfortunate rise in cases of coronavirus will further expose the ordeal of health workers in the country. Officially, Nigeria gravely lacks sufficient professional hands to render health services to its teeming population. Nigerias ratio of doctors to patients is about eight times below the World Health Organisation (WHO)s recommendation of one doctor to 600 patients. The available ones are overworked and poorly paid and work in facilities that lack basic equipment that will enable effective service delivery. Measures Chikwe Ihekweazu, the head of Nigerias Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), did not take calls seeking clarifications on the containment measures and preparation of the health workforce. But Chris Isokpunuw, a senior technical adviser to the health minister, who had directed this reporter to the NCDC boss, spoke. He said though reabsorbing retired health workers was one of the options considered, we have not reached that level yet. We have isolation facilities across the nation and they have not been stretched yet. Advertisements As we speak, the NCDC is conducting training on treatment protocols and state governments are also stepping with control measures, he said. NCDC, the agency leading governments intervention against coronavirus had launched training for health workers for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) to strengthen preparedness in February in response to a potential spread. PREMIUM TIMES understands that hundreds of medical personnel are being trained in Lagos Nigerias worst-hit city by coronavirus as first-level emergency responders in 20 local governments areas of the state. Are we prepared? Meanwhile, Mr Faduyile said so far, Nigeria has shown it is not prepared to contain the virus. If we had closed our borders on time, we would have limited the spread of the disease, he said. Almost all the cases we have now are people coming from outside. Of the 46 cases, about 31 had a travel history to high-risk countries in the last two weeks. The NMA president said Nigeria should lock down states with active cases so as to limit the spread or we will be facing a bigger problem. Though lockdown measures are generally considered effective, Mr Faduyile believes they are not enough if frontline health workers, patients, staff and visitors visiting hospitals are left unprotected. Doors that will surely remain open even in the event of a wider spread and tighter lockdowns are those of hospitals. A random observation in Abuja, Nigerias capital bared the level of unpreparedness of health facilities across the city. Most hospitals have not put in place several precautionary measures such as temperature checks and adequate cleaning products. A recent study suggested that the risk of hospital-related transmissions of coronavirus are very high, Washington post reported. Coronavirus in Africa Understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic will evolve in Africa is still a work in progress but regional experts say a widespread pandemic could cripple the continents fragile health-care systems and be devastating economically. Only a fraction of health facilities can deal with a widespread outbreak whilst still handling patients with several other ailments needing care. For instance, South Africa, which has one of Africas best public health systems, has fewer than 1,000 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, of which 160 are in the private sector, for a population of 56 million. Nigeria, Africas most populous state, is scrambling to add isolation beds and provide more specialised medical training and equipment in state hospitals. Our health system is not as strong as wed like it to be, said Chikwe Ihekweazu, the head of Nigerias Centre for Disease Control. It is because we are a bit worried about our capacity to deal with a large outbreak that we are focused so intensively on prevention and early detection. Darlin Pena, 19, who has cerebral palsy and attends Banneker Career and Transition Center, plays a video game at home. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) Nine-year-old Trevor de la Torre was home with a migraine when his parents got word that his school was closing in response to the coronavirus emergency and his critically needed hands-on therapies would effectively stop, too. His one-on-one reading specialist, gone. His speech therapy, gone. His occupational therapist who is teaching him how to write letters, gone. His one-on-one classroom aide is no longer by his side to help him understand assignments and break down lessons into more manageable parts. Trevor was born with a rare brain malformation called hemimegalencephaly half his brain was removed when he was 6 months old to stop life-threatening seizures. He has only half of his vision and his mobility, as well as visual, auditory, speech and developmental delays, his mother, Kelly de la Torre, said. Now the expert support team provided by the Poway Unified School District is only permitted by the district to wave a virtual hello and check in on video chat and Kelly de la Torre is everything to her son. Its a ton to be balanced. I felt very anxious this week and I dont usually struggle with anxiety," said de la Torre, who also has children who are 2 and 10 years old. Students with disabilities and their parents, like the de la Torre family, were dealt a particularly harsh blow when the coronavirus emergency shut down California schools. Overnight, the intense hands-on assistance required for their children's education and physical needs was no longer available, and in many cases not suitable for online learning. Under federal education and civil rights law, public schools are required to provide equal educational resources to students with disabilities. School districts that do not meet the individual needs promised in personalized education plans could be at risk of losing federal funding. Statewide, 767,560 California students, about 12% of the total, received special education services in 2017-18, according to the National Center for Education Services. In Los Angeles public schools alone, there are about 70,000 special education students, according to the superintendent. Story continues State educators offered a sobering assessment last week after district-level administrators asked for guidance about how to go about equally serving disabled students. Were not likely able to physically provide those supports and services that were all so used to, to the same degree that we have previously, said Kristin Wright, director of the CDEs special education division. So the first sentiment I want to reinforce is do what you can." The pressure on parents, many attempting to juggle their own jobs from home, is great. All of a sudden Im the teacher and Im the aide," said El Segundo parent April Bucknell, a special education attorney who has two sons with special needs, only one of whom is receiving all of his promised services. Her 11-year-old sixth grader is supposed to have one-on-one tutoring every morning for his reading skills, half-hour sessions weekly with a school psychologist, and speech therapy. He has dyslexia, ADHD and is bipolar, she said. Its very discouraging that its the child that needs the most help who is not getting it, she said after a week out of school. But, unlike many other schools, by Tuesday the district had provided an online replacement for one of those services and had plans in place for the rest to be provided virtually by next week, she said. Some districts, like Poway Unified, decided to stop providing new instruction to all students during the first weeks of school closures, in part because they could not guarantee that students with disabilities would receive equitable services. They are planning to launch distance learning for all in the future. The U.S. Department of Education said in its coronavirus guidance for special education that the early actions taken by districts like Poway go too far. "We need schools to educate all students out of principle, rather than educate no students out of fear. These are challenging times, but we expect schools to rise to the occasion, and the department stands ready to assist you in your efforts," Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said Saturday in a statement accompanied by a fact sheet on serving students with disabilities. While the Education Department said there is some flexibility, student with disabilities still need services. Jeeva John, an Oakland High School special education teacher, said that for new lessons, many of her students need a specialized joystick mouse to navigate a specially programmed computer that moves the cursor at slower speeds. Multiple students in class require a teacher or aide next to them offering individual support throughout the day. With the school shut down, her students have neither. Instead, John and another special education teacher, Carmen Mandic, sent their students' families a "menu of suggested activities" based on what they would do in the classroom, with guidance for caretakers. We have very communication-heavy classrooms that are heavily dependent on adult support," Mandic said. She has 10 students and two para-educators who tend to the overall needs of the class, which includes four students who require one-to-one support from registered behavior technicians. Its an extraordinary demand that were asking parents to engage in," Mandic said. Mandic said she had not received new guidance from the district since Monday. But neither she nor John blames district officials; standardizing distance learning for students with disabilities is an extremely difficult task, particularly because each student's needs are different, often vastly. How do we grapple with the complexity of the situation and provide solutions in such a short amount of time?" John asked. She doesn't have the answer. But there are worries that parents and teachers, John and Mandic included, have about students' needs. "Theres stress about them losing skills," Mandic said, and a lot of our students really thrive with a high level of structure and routine, especially our students on the autism spectrum. The disruptions in their learning and daily pattern may set students back more so than general education students, she said. Kelly de la Torre worries that Trevor will regress, even as she wants his team to take the time they need to prepare for some distance learning. Friends try to reassure her by saying things like "Dont worry, kids are resilient and theyre going to catch up," but that might not be true for Trevor. Its harder for him to ... catch up, so the gap just gets bigger," she said. Kathleen Mortier, an assistant professor of special education at San Francisco State University, is especially worried about families who have students with disabilities and are also low-income or English learners, or whose parents do not speak English. My biggest concern is also for students who dont have access to the technology, who live in tight quarters, who dont speak English how are they going to be supported? Mortier said. In L.A. Unified, deaf students and parents had difficulties following along with Supt. Austin Beutner's addresses because there was no sign language interpreter and not everyone can read the online transcript, said Evelyn Pena, a South L.A. parent and president of the nonprofit Deaf Latinos y Familias. She's also unhappy with the accommodations thus far for students with disabilities. Her younger son, Darlin Pena, has cerebral palsy and attends Banneker Career and Transition Center in Willowbrook, which offers classes for students with disabilities after they age out of high school. Darlin, 19, was sent home with a paper packet with reading on topics like personal banking and how to get a job, which don't connect directly to subjects like e-commerce and cooking that he was learning. He can't fill out the packet because he does not have enough motor control to write well, he said. The school did not send the packet virtually or upload it onto his district-administered device, he said. Tuesday was first time Evelyn heard from a teacher in the week and a half that he's been out of school, after Evelyn reached out. "I want to learn more, but they dont have anything for me to do," Darlin said. Both L.A. County and the California Department of Education have said they are convening working groups or periodic virtual meetings of special education experts to discuss these issues and best practices. Beutner has moved swiftly to provide meals and to secure computers and WiFi connections for students who need them. But his staff has not yet figured out how to adequately serve students with disabilities. "You have to start with the child and figure out what's best and work your way back," he said. "And to do that, one by one by one, it's going to take a little bit of time, we have people working around the clock on it." Leaders from other districts shared similar sentiments. Poway Unified staff are moving as fast as we can to craft a thoughtful, equitable distance learning experience that will support all students, said Greg Mizel, associate supt for student support services. El Segundo Unified Supt. Melissa Moore, said her schools, too, have move quickly to continue special educations services. Adalia Vidarte, a special education teacher at Thomas Starr King Middle School in Los Feliz, said she still has not introduced any new concepts to her homebound students. I cant expect for learning to be happening," Vidarte said, despite her efforts "to provide all of what I can to help them ... I dont think I can expect students to fully engage with the content when everything around them is setting on fire." Times staff writer Howard Blume contributed to this story. The number of novel coronavirus cases has been steadily increasing for days, most recently reaching more than 900 confirmed cases and 11 deaths statewide and 165 confirmed cases in the Houston region. Houston residents have been ordered to stay at home, non-essential businesses have closed, school districts have announced plans to not let students return to campuses until at least April and city streets are more calm than ever before. As Houston learns to navigate life during a pandemic, health authorities such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are urging residents to stay smart and not give in to false rumors that could endanger their health. New Delhi: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation and announced a 21-day lockdown in the country to stop coronavirus spread, social media was flooded with reactions. Shahid Kapoor, who conducted a chat session on Twitter with fans answered several queries and interacted with his followers. One of the fans asked him, "21 din lockdown mei wife ko kaise khush rakhein?" and his reply is winning the internet. He said, "Adarpoorvak Seva karo. Boss boss hota hai." Adarpoorvak Seva karo. Boss boss hota hai. https://t.co/YLSAr9NjVT Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) March 24, 2020 Aww...we hope Mira Rajput Kapoor has read it! Meanwhile, the stars are at home, trying our different things to kill time. The government has advised to stick to 'stay at home stay safe' dictat in order to ensure that the virus doesn't spread any further. Now that social distancing is the norm of the day, our celebs are making the most of their time at home. Coronavirus which first emerged in China's Wuhan city has now spread across the globe. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, prompting the governments worldwide to take extraordinary measures to contain the spread of the deadly virus. Globally, this pandemic flu has claimed over 16,000 deaths reportedly. All the movie and television shoots have been put to halt amid the crisis and film releases too have been pushed ahead. GLENN COUNTY, Calif. Glenn County Deputies are asking residents to stop calling 911 if its not an emergency. The department said its swamped with calls reporting violations of Governor Gavin Newsoms stay-at-home order. The department has two dispatchers and at least 20 deputies on staff. Deputies said they are not going to issue any citations or fines if someone is not cooperating. In fact, they believe most people are behaving well. Glenn County Sheriff OES Deputy Director, Amy Travis told Action News Now a lot of the calls include people having friends and family over at their house. But Travis said if they want to risk it, they can do that but they advise against it. If deputies did enforce the order, it would be a huge risk for them. By enforcing it, it puts our officers at risk, because they then have to have contact, Travis said. We dont have a lot of law enforcement officers over here. We have a lot of people in those essential business functions so there are a lot of people out in the streets. Travis added that since Glenn County is so rural, most people already keep their social distancing in check. For continuing coronavirus coverage, Click Here Advertisement Footage has revealed how the ExCel Centre in East London is transforming into a 4,000-bed field hospital with two emergency morgues as nearby City Airport closes to civilian flights so that military planes can fly in and out. A worker shared the sobering video from inside the exhibition hall where work started today to turn it into a temporary hospital with two morgues, for coronavirus victims as the capital prepares for a 'tsunami'. The Ministry of Defence and the NHS are working together to create the new hospital from scratch to accommodate rising numbers of Covid-19 patients. The exhibition centre in East London will become the NHS Nightingale Hospital, with ventilators and oxygen at every bedside and should be up and running by Saturday, April 4. Military medics will also be working to treat patients on the site. Pictured: Plans for the hospital at the ExCel centre in East London, where a mortuary is being built to cope with the outbreak Pictured: Military personnel at the ExCel today as they create a hospital to prepare for a 'tsunami' of coronavirus cases in the capital Pictured: How the centre in Newham, East London, is being transformed into a hospital amid the coronavirus pandemic Pictured: A Royal Air Force C-130 Super Hercules Transport Plane Lands at London City Airport during the ongoing Shutdown throughout the country A worker posted video on social media showing the main arena of the 100-acre waterside site, which will become a hospital ward spanning one kilometre. In his clip, he warns viewers: 'To be fair, I didn't take this virus very seriously until I saw this this morning. There will be two morgues here. If you're not taking it seriously like I wasn't you really need to start. Because they're preparing for a high death toll here.' Just two miles away across the River, London City Airport has suspended all private and commercial flights to support the national effort. It will now be used by the government, with the RAF seen using it for training yesterday. Soldiers in fatigues were spotted at the exhibition and conference centre's loading bays in east London's former Royal Victoria Docks site this morning, while a number of large vans and forklift trucks were also seen going onto the site. The move similar to the creation of the 1,000-bed field hospital seen in Wuhan, China, earlier in the crisis is aimed at treating thousands of coronavirus patients as regular hospitals come under greater pressure. Meanwhile, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) near Birmingham has said it 'stands ready' amid expectations more temporary field hospitals could be set-up during the coronavirus outbreak. Dozens of military personnel are working inside the centre, to transform in time to help people affected by the deadly virus St John Ambulance staff and personnel in military fatigues seen inside the ExCeL London exhibition centre today Just across the River, London City Airport has suspended all private and commercial flights to support the national effort. It will now be used by the government, with Armed Forces personnel seen using it today. The move similar to the creation of the 1,000-bed field hospital seen in Wuhan, China, earlier in the crisis is aimed at treating thousands of coronavirus patients as regular hospitals come under greater pressure. Pictured, workers on site this morning Men in military uniforms being shown around the ExCeL London, which is being converted into the NHS Nightingale field hospital, with its twin hangars each taking 2,000 sick and seriously ill Covid-19 patients Workers carry fences at the Excel exhibition centre in London. It should be up and running by Saturday, April 4 Construction workers work near the Excel Centre in London's Docklands this morning, as work starts on the new hospital A worker on the grounds at the ExCel covered up in a face mark to begin work this morning St John Ambulance staff were also seen leaving the Excel exhibition centre in London this morning Military planners are working with Health Service officials to create the new hospital from scratch to accommodate rising numbers of patients In his clip, he warns viewers: 'To be fair, I didn't take this virus very seriously until I saw this this morning. There will be two morgues here. If you're not taking it seriously like I wasn't you really need to start. Because they're preparing for a high death toll here.' BIRMINGHAM'S NEC 'STANDS READY' TO BECOME COVID-19 TEMPORARY FIELD HOSPITAL The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) near Birmingham 'stands ready' amid expectations more temporary field hospitals could be set-up during the Covid-19 outbreak. The sprawling NEC site, located off the M42 motorway, has 18 exhibition halls and plays host to dozens of high-profile conferences and shows each year, including Crufts. Bosses at the venue, close to Birmingham Airport, have said they 'stand ready' to help the NHS 'with immediate effect' if the call comes from the Government. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull clinical commissioning group said a 'national announcement' was expected, but was unable to give any further details. In a statement, NEC Group chief executive Paul Thandi said: 'As a cornerstone of the local community, we are committed to playing our part in ensuring the health and wellbeing of everyone in our area. 'As such, we stand ready and willing to help our emergency services - especially at a time like this. 'The NEC is well equipped to be used as a support base if such need arises so please be assured, that if we are requested to do so, we can action this with immediate effect. 'We are and have been in constant communication with the local NHS Trust, police and fire service, and the services are fully aware of the capabilities of the venue. 'We will do our utmost to support the effort in combating the virus.' Meanwhile, a university has stepped in offering free rooms at two halls of residence to staff and patients, to help ease the strain on the health service. The University of Northampton is making 300 empty rooms available to hospital patients and those in social care, who are clear of the virus. It is hoped the measure frees-up space for those who need oxygen and critical care, the university said. Free parking at the university's Waterside campus is also being offered to Northampton General Hospital staff. University vice-chancellor Professor Nick Petford said: 'With more challenges ahead and many more new and much needed healthcare professionals due to join the fight, we gladly and gratefully open our doors to them.' Advertisement Converting the ExCeL London into a pop-up hospital to treat the country's sick during the coronavirus outbreak is a huge logistical operation - but one the military is prepared for, a retired British general has said. There was little other sign of the mammoth transformation being under way as onlookers stopped by the ExCeL ahead of the hospital treating its first patients from next week. Major General Timothy Cross, who ran Nato's emergency relief operation in Kosovo and Macedonia in the 1990s, said it was a 'big process' to create a field hospital, but said the military was used to it. Members of the military are part of the Covid-19 support force which will next week open and run the NHS Nightingale hospital, with capacity to treat 4,000 coronavirus patients across two super wards. Speaking on the BBC's Today programme, Maj Gen Cross said: 'What you've got in the ExCeL centre is a large, open space with power, lighting, water, sanitation, good accessibility but also obviously the ability to isolate. 'That's the sort of thing one's looking for deploying on operations in various places around the world. 'It's a big process, but there's a process for setting it all up.' The NEC in Birmingham said it also 'stands ready' and is 'well equipped' to become a temporary hospital after reports suggested the site was another location being considered by the Government. There are currently three regular medical field hospitals across England, where military personnel work alongside NHS staff. These are at Keogh Barracks in Aldershot, Strensall in North Yorkshire, and Fort Blockhouse in Gosport. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: 'Our military planners and engineers are working hand-in-hand with the NHS to support their development of the NHS Nightingale Hospital. 'The Armed Forces have already been distributing personal protective equipment to meet the increased demand and we stand ready to assist further in any capacity needed. 'The NHS and our Armed Forces are both world leaders in their fields, and this ambitious project is just one example of what can be achieved when they come together to help the nation.' London City Airport has suspended all commercial and private flights from tonight until the end of April amid plummeting passenger numbers during the coronavirus outbreak. The airport said in a statement: 'Following the Government's latest instructions in response to the coronavirus outbreak, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily suspend all commercial and private flights from the airport. 'At this point in this fast moving and unprecedented situation, we think this is the responsible thing to do for the safety and well-being of our staff, passengers and everyone associated with the airport.' The airport added: 'We have offered the use of London's most central airport to the Government in case it can be used by the emergency services or other agencies to support the national effort to combat the outbreak of this virus and provide care to people in need.' Major General Timothy Cross, who ran Nato's emergency relief operation in Kosovo and Macedonia in the 1990s, said it was a 'big process' to create a field hospital, but said the military was used to it Workers unload a lorry at the Excel exhibition centre in London Earlier today, an nurse criticised the Government's preparations for the coronavirus outbreak after revealing she was asked to share protective masks with colleagues. The NHS worker, identified only as Lorraine, warned that the health service was heading into a 'war zone' as the 'tsunami' of the pandemic hits. Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain on Wednesday morning, she revealed her manager had sent staff a message the day before asking them to share masks, as well as filters. 'Now filters have got bacteria in them, masks have got bacteria in them, these things do not get sterilised like you would your operating equipment,' she said. She said the message had been passed on with a 'sincere apology' because her workplace 'do not have the equipment'. Meanwhile, a university has stepped in offering free rooms at two halls of residence to staff and patients, to help ease the strain on the health service. The University of Northampton is making 300 empty rooms available to hospital patients and those in social care, who are clear of the virus. It is hoped the measure frees-up space for those who need oxygen and critical care, the university said. Free parking at the university's Waterside campus is also being offered to Northampton General Hospital staff. University vice-chancellor Professor Nick Petford said: 'With more challenges ahead and many more new and much needed healthcare professionals due to join the fight, we gladly and gratefully open our doors to them.' A security vehicle patrols the Excel Centre which is a hive of activity in readiness for patients Surveyors were at the ExCel centre this morning as building work pressed ahead Staff from the Ministry of Defence were seen looking around the ExCel site in London this morning Coronavirus UK: New lockdown measures in full Boris Johnson tonight announced a lockdown plan to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the UK as he told the nation to stay at home. People will only be allowed to leave their home for the following 'very limited' purposes: Shopping for basic necessities as infrequently as possible. One form of exercise a day. Any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person. Travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, the PM has announced a ban on: Meeting with friends. Meeting with family members you do not live with. All weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies but excluding funerals. All gatherings of more than two people in public. The PM said the police will have the powers to enforce the lockdown measures through fines and dispersing gatherings. To ensure people comply the government is also: Closing all shops selling non-essential goods. Closing all libraries, playground, outdoor gyms and places of worship. Parks will remain open for exercise, but will be patrolled. Advertisement Soldiers are also being deployed to locations across the country as a scoping exercise to see which other places can be turned into hospitals. Event spaces, hotels and military barracks are among the options. Among those also suggested are both the O2 and Wembley Arena, which have space for thousands. The Ministry of Defence expects 'far more' temporary hospitals to be built in the coming weeks. London is said to be 1.5 to two weeks ahead of the rest of the country in terms of cases which is why the army is focusing its efforts in the capital first. It also emerged that sailors are being placed in quarantine before they are allowed on ships to ensure they are healthy before being deployed. Fewer than 10 military personnel have so far tested positive for coronavirus, although not everyone showing symptoms is believed to have been tested. Soldiers from 101 Logistic Brigade delivered over 50,000 face masks to St Thomas' Hospital, London this morning. They had driven overnight from an Army depot in Haydock, Merseyside, to boost supplies. The armed forces will be visiting 242 NHS locations over the coming days delivering crucial personal protective equipment to frontline doctors and nurses. Brigadier Phil Prosser, the commander of 101 Logistics Brigade, Royal Logistic Corps, who oversaw the delivery, warned there were 'tough times ahead'. He said: 'My normal role is to deliver combat supplies to combat forces in time of war - but we can respond to these challenges and it's great to stand with our NHS colleagues as we get ready for the challenges ahead.' Brigadier Prosser said his soldiers were proud to be working with alongside the NHS. The ExCeL Centre in the London Docklands, east of the capital, (pictured) has a capacity of 68,750 and could house 4,000 intensive care beds if needed - far more than any existing hospital in the city Madrid exhibition centre is transformed into giant hospital as Spain prepares for 'hard days ahead' In Spain, health workers are now receiving the first patients with coronavirus at the Ifema exhibition complex on the outskirts of Madrid Soldiers helped move coronavirus patients on Sunday to a makeshift field hospital set up at a Madrid conference centre which is to be fitted with 5,500 hospital beds, which would make it the biggest such facility in Europe. In Spain, health workers are now receiving the first patients with coronavirus at the Ifema exhibition complex on the outskirts of Madrid. The field hospital will have 5,500 beds once it is fully sent up, including 500 in an intensive care unit. Authorities have called up 52,000 extra workers to help the country's health service as it struggles to contain the virus, including 14,000 retired doctors and nurses. Soldiers helped move coronavirus patients on Sunday to a makeshift field hospital set up at a Madrid conference centre which is to be fitted with 5,500 hospital beds, which would make it the biggest such facility in Europe. Hotels across Spain are being offered as hospitals and in Madrid, the region worst-hit by the coronavirus, Madrid's famous conference and exhibition centre has started to receive its first patients. The halls have been converted in just 18 hours, compared with 18 days for a major event, and will offer 5,500 beds, as well as an intensive care unit. The Ayre Gran Hotel Colon in Madrid has been the first to start receiving patients who have symptoms but whose condition requires medical follow-up without the need to be admitted to a hospital, both at the beginning of the disease and in the final phase. The chains with a presence in Madrid have made 60,000 spaces available to the health authorities. Health workers are now receiving the first patients with coronavirus at the Ifema exhibition complex on the outskirts of Madrid Advertisement After military planners visited the ExCeL Centre in east London, the nearby O2 Arena (pictured) in North Greenwich, could also be used as a field hospital to treat coronavirus patients Soldiers from the British Army's 101 Logistic Brigade deliver a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' Hospital Soldier arrive in a military lorry to deliver the consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' Hospital in London yesterday Boris Johnson's coronavirus lockdown backed by 93 PER CENT of the public - poll finds Boris Johnson's coronavirus lockdown is backed by 93 per cent of Britons, according to a poll today. But in a potentially worrying sign for the PM, two-thirds believe that the extraordinary curbs will be easy to obey. The announcement by the PM last night mean that everyone must stay inside unless it is absolutely essential. Gatherings of more than two people have been banned in the most dramatic restrictions on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war. But research by YouGov shows the measures have overwhelming endorsement from the public, Advertisement He added: 'The British Army soldier is a citizen soldier and is proud to be part of the nation's response to this unprecedented challenge. 'There are some tough times ahead and the nation needs to rise together to respond to those times. 'The British Army soldier is absolutely proud to be at the frontline of that response.' Military planners are also currently advising the NHS on logistical measures to ensure vital equipment gets to where it's most needed. The armed forces will also help the NHS increase its ability to store the vital kit which will keep hospital workers safe while caring for patients. More than 460 personnel from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force are expected to be drafted in to help deliver the equipment over the coming days. Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey MP said: 'By deploying over 460 personnel to assist with the delivery of protective equipment, our Armed Forces are helping the tireless NHS workforce carry out their vital efforts treating people during this outbreak. 'At this difficult time we must all come together to protect the most vulnerable in our society. This is just one example of where the military and NHS will work together over the coming months for the benefit of our nation.' The Army has also been sent to get testing machines from university labs so coronavirus checks can be carried out on NHS staff. Private labs will have their machines taken to a central NHS processing centre within days to offer tens of thousands of extra tests a day. A man from northeast Alabama is charged in the shooting death of an acquaintance in Tennessee, authorities said. James Hunter Scott is held in the Marion County jail in Tennessee without bail on a murder charge. The 27-year-old is from Stevenson, in Jackson County, Alabama. Its unclear whether he has an attorney to speak on his behalf. James Hunter Scott is shown in a jail booking photograph. Scott is accused of fatally shooting 24-year-old Corbin Kain Hale on Sunday during a fight at a home on the 400 block of Elm Street in Jasper, Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Scott later turned himself in to police in Alabama. He was booked into the Jackson County jail to await transfer to Tennessee. Scott told Alabama lawmen that he may have been exposed to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has become a global pandemic. Rocky Harnen, chief deputy for the Jackson County sheriffs office, said authorities confirmed Scott had contact 10 days earlier with a person who tested positive for the disease. But, Harnen said, Scott hasnt shown any symptoms of the disease. As a precaution, seven Jackson County deputies who were in contact with Scott are self-isolating at home. The deputies are expected to return to work by the end of this week if neither they nor Scott show symptoms, Harnen said. SOFIA, March 24 (Reuters) - Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Bulgarian city of Varna in an attempt to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, the low-cost carrier said in a statement on Tuesday. Flights to and from the airport in the Black Sea port will be cancelled from March 25 until May 1, the company said. As of Tuesday, Bulgaria had 202 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and three deaths. The Black Sea state has introduced a state of emergency, closed schools, restaurants and bars and banned all foreign and domestic holiday trips until April 13. (Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; editing by Jason Neely) Bangladesh on Wednesday reported fifth death from the coronavirus though no new case of the infection came out in the last 24 hours as the country suspended all domestic flights, trains and public transport to fight the pandemic. The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) has confirmed that one more person has died of coronavirus (Covid-19) infection in Bangladesh, taking the number of deaths from the disease in the country to five, the Dhaka Tribune reported. However, no new case of infection has been recorded in the country in the last 24 hours, IEDCR Director Meerjady Sabrina Flora said while addressing an online press briefing on Wednesday. She said the person who died was tested Covid-19 positive on March 18 and was brought to hospital on March 21. The deceased was suffering from diabetes and hypertension as well, Flora was quoted as saying. She said till now, a total of 47 people have been kept in isolation while 47 others are in institutional quarantine. Earlier on Tuesday, the government suspended domestic flights, public road transport, launch vessels, and trains amid the growing coronavirus pandemic which has killed over 18,000 people and infected 405,000 globally, half of them in Europe. On Monday, Bangladesh government declared a 10-day shutdown from March 26 to battle the spread of the coronavirus. Both the private and public sectors, except emergency services, would come to a temporary halt. Educational institutions will stay closed during this period but banks will remain open to facilitate the financial transaction for their clients. Bangladesh's armed forces have been deployed to assist the administration in every divisional and district town to ensure that people maintain social distance and are taking precautionary measures to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading further. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A recovered patient (R) waves to medical staff of the temporary hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, February 26, 2020. /Xinhua Photo Editor's note: Hannan Hussain is a security analyst at the London School of Economics - South Asia Centre, and an author. The article reflects the author's opinions, not necessarily the views of CGTN. Crucial signs demonstrating the effectiveness of China's fight against COVID-19 are well in view. Last Thursday, China reported no local new cases of the novel virus, with serious cases decreasing by 173. Domestic transmission a worrisome dynamic in many parts of the world has been met with remarkable stagnation this week, as the trend continues in the country for three days straight. Though the developments do not constitute a beforehand elimination of COVID-19, and Chinese authorities remain absolutely focused on a long-term, comprehensive strategy, they are nonetheless complemented by drastic slowdowns in death rates, and a relaxation in quarantine measures across Wuhan. Prospects for gradually lifting the lockdown if progress sustains have also gained optimism among experts. The central message in China's transition is that its progress on COVID-19 is no coincidence. It is the direct result of precise, target-oriented measures including the prioritization of first-responders and critical health infrastructure, development of a strong government-academia rapport, sustained economic stimulus, and the implementing quarantine measures in a way that doesn't fracture social interaction. All of these merit an in-depth examination, as the world navigates a perilous COVID-19 challenge. Chinese authorities have placed a high value on the response and treatment capabilities of its emergency support personnel. This serves as a critical judgment call, as it reinforces the faith of medical workers in the health system and enables them to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic head-on. Arguably, the most effective impact of this measure was on the residents of Hubei Province itself, at the peak of the outbreak: It spared residents the burden of making effective epidemic control decisions all on their own. Analyses offered by academics from the Harvard School of Public Health stress that a spike in cases could reflect a "testing capacity issue" instead of the nature of the pandemic itself, illustrating the extreme effectiveness of China's multi-pronged approach. Government authorities were also quick to identify these capacity needs early on, and continue to bolster the supply side of public health to deliver significant control over the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak. Chinese medical team experts and Italian doctors pose for a photo in Padua, Italy, March 18, 2020. /Xinhua Photo Moreover, China has never once operated as a "closed-door player." This pragmatism adds to its multilateral approach to fighting the pandemic, most recently demonstrated with 20 million U.S. dollars in assistance to the World Health Organization. Beijing has also made its diagnosis and treatment plans readily available to many nations, and is extending protective equipment and COVID-19 testing kits to 82 countries. The treatment of COVID-19 as a borderless, collaboration-intensive endeavor is of paramount importance, given how international solidarity must be kept focused and consistent during turbulent times. China's economy also made a targeted effort towards incentivizing production, using a mixture of internal and external market policies to effect the outcome. Some of these include greater local government assistance to foreign-invested enterprises, work resumption support measures, interest repayment adjustments for smaller enterprises, increased capital support, and sustained liquidity during the pandemic. All have gone hand-in-hand with the country's swift quarantine and lockdown efforts, an emergency incident early-warning system for local governments, and internal and external travel stipulations. Even the present-day health QR-codes, priority-based opening of businesses, and the systematic easing of control measures have helped create conducive conditions for the Chinese economy and its people to operate in congruence. Evidence from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine concludes that in the first week of the lockdown, the number of domestic transmissions by a single individual dropped to 1.05 as a result of the country's measures. Interestingly, a strong rapport between the Chinese government and its academia helped accelerate contributions to the existing body of COVID-19 research, paving the way for informed policy interventions. Analytics run by the World Economic Forum on over 40,000 COVID-19 cases based on disease-related clinical data published by China allowed experts to prove that 80 percent of COVID-19 infected patients won't need medical intervention, while the remaining 20 percent would. Numerous other studies published by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention were prepared in conjunction with world-renowned health practitioners and academics, often constituting the basis for further insights and research outside China. Close government-academia collaboration has also proved as a valuable input to the World Health Organization's information mobilization efforts, and has kept the Chinese public well-informed. China's easing of domestic control measures is a snapshot of that very concept in operation, as authorities encourage COVID-19 precaution without ever fracturing social interaction. Consider the removal of checkposts in Wuhan, facilitation of migrant workers from the city, restoration of parks and domestic tourism, continuation of international flights, re-opening of various schools, active engagement of multinational franchises, and the relaxation of the lockdown to suit greater public mobility. These are all stand-out examples of effective control measures that are balanced with free social engagement. Above all, China sends an implicit assurance to all other countries that such liberation is less a moment of risk, and rather a moment to bring back a semblance of normalcy to residents who deserve it beyond measure. English French TORONTO, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadas life and health insurers are confirming that commercial truckers who hold travel health insurance policies on an individual basis will not lose coverage when entering the United States. Measures announced today will allow insurers to take steps so that routine exclusion clauses tied to a Government of Canada Avoid non-essential travel advisory will not apply to those employed as commercial truckers. Insurers have been working to take steps to confirm continued coverage for truckers who contribute to the cross-border supply chain whose coverage may have been affected by the federal restriction on non-essential travel to the US. Last week, life and health insurers clarified that out-of-country medical coverage would continue uninterrupted for commercial truckers covered by workplace, or group insurance policies. The situation has been less clear for truckers holding individual insurance as the insurers generally do not classify individual travel health policies by employment category. As a solution, insurers will be asking those with individual coverage to identify themselves as a cross-border commercial trucker at time of claim. Those purchasing new policies will similarly be asked to identify their trade at time of purchase. These changes will apply to all individual out-of-country travel insurance policies containing the specific exclusion for Avoid non-essential travel federal travel advisories. Those holding policies with a pandemic exclusion should contact their insurance provider for additional details. About the CLHIA The CLHIA is a voluntary association whose member companies account for 99 per cent of Canada's life and health insurance business. The industry provides a wide range of financial security products such as life insurance, annuities (including RRSPs, RRIFs and pensions) and supplementary health insurance to almost 29 million Canadians. It also holds over $850 billion in assets in Canada and employs more than 156,000 Canadians. For more information: Kevin Dorse Assistant Vice President, Strategic Communications and Public Affairs (613) 691-6001 / kdorse@clhia.ca The combined approach of social distancing comprising quarantine, school closure, and workplace measures, is the most effective way to fight coronavirus, a study published in The Lancet said The novel coronavirus has been causing havoc and there is no vaccine available yet. People are being advised to stay indoors to contain the spread of the deadly virus. A study published in The Lancet has also established that the combined approach of social distancing is the most effective way to fight COVID-19. The combined approach of social distancing comprises quarantine, school closure, and workplace measures. The research was conducted in a simulated Singapore setting taking different combinations from the combined approach. The study revealed that quarantine paired with workplace measures offers the next best option for bringing down the COVID-19 cases after the combined approach. This was followed by a combination of quarantine and school closure in terms of effectiveness. The least effective of all was quarantine when practiced alone. The research is first of its kind in the context of the novel coronavirus. The researchers who undertook the study said that despite increased surveillance and isolation of infected people, the risk still exists and cases continue to rise in Singapore. They said that Singapore has not yet ordered the closure of schools and only recommends distancing at the workplace. If the combined approach is put in place, the researchers think that it may prevent a national outbreak. The study also said that if the number of coronavirus cases spike then it will be difficult to contain the spread even after applying the combined approach as the transmission would still continue. COVID-19 has infected over four lakh people and killed over 16,000 globally. Over 550 people have contracted the deadly virus in India and nine have lost their lives. New Delhi, March 25 : The Union cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval for the continuation of "Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies" (RoSCTL) scheme for the apparel industry. According to an official statement, the RoSCTL will be extended from April 1, 2020 onwards "until such a time that the scheme is merged with Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP)". "The RoSCTL scheme for apparel and made-ups will be continued with effect from 1st April, 2020 without any change in scheme guidelines and rates as notified by the Ministry of Textiles till such time that the RoSCTL is merged with RoDTEP," the statement said. "Continuation of RoSCTL beyond 31st March, 2020 is expected to make the textile sector competitive by rebating all taxes or levies which are currently not being rebated under any other mechanism," it added. The scheme envisages to reduce high logistical cost burden on exporters of readymade garments and made-ups. Fish workers not to venture into sea till March 31 in India March 25,2020 | Source: The Hindu Business Line Fishing boat owners, traditional vessel operators in the State have decided not to venture into the sea till March 31. Apart from the depleting fish catch, health concerns of fisher-folk, the curbs imposed on public gathering due to virus scare has made it difficult for the fishing harbours at Munambam, Thoppumpady and Kalamukku to function. Joseph Xavier Kalappurackal, general secretary of the All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association said that the sector is passing through a severe crisis following a decline in catches and a slowdown in exports has made things more difficult. The demand is also down in the retail market following the cancellation of major functions. Considering the crisis being faced by the sector, Charles George, general secretary of Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi has requested the State Government to provide ?5,000 per month as a relief for each fish worker, free ration to the family and ample protective equipment to combat the virus attack. Fish workers in the State have already lost their jobs following a decline in the sardine catch on the Kerala coast since 2012, he said. Meanwhile, the fisheries department has decided to replace open auctions in fishing harbours with a new system which will avoid crowding at the harbours, the State Fisheries Minister, J Mercikutty Amma said. Under the new system, harbor management societies will fix the prices of each variety of fish based on the average of their going price in auctions over the past one week. The Minister has sought the cooperation of all stakeholders for implementing the system. The government will be forced to impose a ban on fishing in harbours that refuse to cooperate with the new arrangement, the Minister said. Representatives of fishermen, trade unions, local self-government institutions and the departments of fisheries and harbour engineering are members of the harbour-management societies. H undreds of thousands of shoppers told not to go outside their homes have been left without access to food deliveries today after the websites of the major supermarkets were overwhelmed by a flood of desperate customers. Many took to social media to vent their anger and frustration at not being able to secure slots from Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose or Ocado because of the massive surge of demand. Around 1.5 million people in vulnerable groups, including over-seventies, pregnant women with heart conditions and those with a range of underlying health problems have been told not to go outdoors even to buy food for 12 weeks. Millions more are self-isolating at home for 14 days and have been ordered by the Government not to venture out if a member of the household has displayed coronavirus symptoms. One shopper, Shandy Mitford, tweeted: Not a single slot available for online grocery deliveries. Apps and websites have crashed or theyve closed the app. Ive tried every single supermarket. Nada. Im not sure how were supposed to isolate and get food. Another shopper tweeted: I woke up at 3am worried about my mum in her seventies. Ive been trawling to get her a delivery slot so she isnt forced out to shop. Nothing for weeks in any supermarket! Presenter Susanna Reid from ITVs Good Morning Britain show said: Trying to get supermarket home delivery? Morrisons no slots available, Tesco no slots available, Sainsburys rightly prioritising elderly, vulnerable, disabled customers but no click & collect slots available. Ocado you are in virtual queue position 8733 4 hour wait. TV personality Davina McCall said on Twitter late last night: I have tried every supermarket, every hour, v early or v late to try and get a delivery. Anyone else? Ive had two deliveries cancel. So tomorrow Im gonna go out what are the supermarkets like? Is it helpful to wear gloves? London panic buying during the Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures 1 /61 London panic buying during the Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures PA Wire Shoppers descended on supermarkets again AFP via Getty Images Shoppers seen rushing to get toilet rolls as new ones are put on sale in a London Morrisons store Rex Features Shoppers should be sensible when buying food and groceries Lucy Young Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon PA Lucy Young Lucy Young Lucy Young Lucy Young Lucy Young Reuters Reuters Reuters People queue outside a Sainsbury's store as the coronavirus outbreak continues Reuters Reuters Reuters Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Queues for hand sanitizer at Boots in Islington Jeremy Selwyn Tesco Brent Cross 9.00 am Jeremy Selwyn Empty shelves of pasta are seen at a supermarket Reuters Brent Cross Shopping centre at 5:30am Jeremy Selwyn SplashNews.com A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products Reuters AFP via Getty Images Shelves have been cleared of the likes of pasta and toilet roll AFP via Getty Images A woman carries a basket filled with toilet rolls AFP via Getty Images Shoppers wait in line for a supermarket to open its doors in London AFP via Getty Images Shoppers are faced with partially empty shelves AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images Brent Cross Shopping centre at 5:30am Evening Standard / eyevine AFP via Getty Images A long line of shoppers queue to buy groceries at a supermarket in Chingford, London Cham Karimeddin Shoppers form long queues ahead of the opening of a Costco wholesale store in Chingford Getty Images Empty shelves in the bakery aisles of an Asda store in London PA Shoppers queue at the checkout of a supermarket in London AFP via Getty Images A customer leaves with shopping as other customers queue to enter a Costco Wholesalers in Chingford Reuters A long line of shoppers queue to buy groceries at a supermarket in Chingford Ashraf Karim Eddin Shoppers are faced with partially empty shelves at a supermarket in London AFP via Getty Images FILE PHOTO: A man stands next to shelves empty of fresh meat in a supermarket, as the number of worldwide coronavirus cases continues to grow, in London REUTERS This morning customers going on to the Ocado website to secure a delivery were told they were in a queue of more than 12,000 people and it would take more than four hours of holding before being able to make an order. Ocado said: We currently have around ten times more demand for our services than we did before the outbreak began and with every announcement we see a further extraordinary surge of customers. Tesco said it is at full capacity for the next few weeks and had to cancel a very small proportion of online deliveries, offering click and collect instead. He built a TV studio at home, starts each day with three hours of medical and economic impact briefings, and checks in with congressional leaders. And, we're not talking about President Trump. State of play: Joe Biden is overhauling his campaign and standing up a shadow presidency of sorts amid a national emergency that's eclipsed all other news. The coronavirus has pushed 2020 coverage to the back burner and thrust President Trump into a unique spotlight with televised daily briefings, and town halls unbound from the concept of "equal time." Situational awareness: A Gallup poll out Tuesday shows Trump's approval rating back at 49% his peak suggesting a national rallying effect amid the virus threat and response. The latest Monmouth University poll now shows a tight general election race, with Biden beating Trump by 3 percentage points. The same poll shows Biden leading by 9 percentage points in 300 swing counties where the 2016 margin was 10 points or less. What they're saying: Biden, appearing Tuesday on ABC's "The View" from his Delaware basement, toggled between the importance of listening to doctors and scientists about the virus, and reiterating that his campaign will soon be vetting a list of prospective women to be his running mate. Also on Tuesday, Biden told CNNs Jake Tapper that Trump should stop talking and start listening to the medical experts." Anita Dunn, a senior advisor to Biden's 2020 campaign, tells Axios the campaign is focused on addressing the health and economic impacts of coronavirus but also sees the opportunity to draw clear contrasts with the incumbent president. "At times of national crisis, Americans want their leaders to pull together and to put forward solutions," she said. "But that doesnt mean that they dont still see this as a choice." Biden's approach across a number of televised and virtual events in recent days has been to refrain from blaming President Trump for the coronavirus, while pointedly criticizing his response to it. Don't forget: Though Biden's delegate lead over Bernie Sanders is seen as nearly insurmountable, he doesn't yet have the 1,991 needed to secure the majority toward the Democratic nomination. The coronavirus began disrupting all candidates' events weeks ago. There can be no in-person events, making rallies and other traditional gatherings impossible. Virtual fund-raisers are the latest way to talk to donors. The president likes to say, 'No one could see this coming.' Well that's just not true," Biden said at a Monday night tele-fundraiser, which was "attended" by 117 people. "President Obama and I, when we left office, we identified the potential devastation that a pandemic could bring to America, and to the world." Sanders, who has live-streamed national remarks on the coronavirus, also is reconsidering his approaches on everything from attack ads to donations because of the virus. There was little 2020 discussion on any of the Sunday shows last weekend. But over the past few weeks, news consumption has skyrocketed in the U.S. as more Americans are working from home or not working, and watching more hours of news coverage about the coronavirus. Biden is positioning himself as a sort of shadow president equipped with his own coronavirus plan, a coronavirus task force, and receipts of when he sounded the alarm on the anticipated impacts of the virus back in January. Trump keeps saying that he's a 'wartime president.' Well, start to act like one, Biden said during live-streamed remarks about the pandemic on Monday, which had 230,000 people watching, per the campaign Meanwhile, the Biden campaign is pumping out cost-effective videos on the virus. One featuring Biden's coronavirus task force coordinator Ron Klain, who was the Ebola response coordinator under President Obama, got over 4 million views in three days. He uses a whiteboard to outline Trump's response to coronavirus so far, and what Biden would do differently if elected president. A March 22 video with 1.5 million views shows alternating clips of Trump and Biden responding to questions about the coronavirus, with a narrator who concludes: This moment calls for a president. In November, you can elect one. This unique moment doesn't just change the logistics of campaigning. It shapes the type of messages and tone candidates share with voters to convince the country they're ready to lead in a global crisis like this. Everyone in the world who is able to work from home has been doing that for a couple of weeks now and well, it's going to continue for at least 21 more days for us in India. However, staying at home is the least anyone can do to contribute to stopping this pandemic, it's the bare minimum. Nonetheless, self-isolation can get very monotonous and lonely, and therefore, people are coming up with creative ways to keep themselves entertained. The latest work from home trend is referring to your pet(s) as your co-workers and honestly, it's the most wholesome thing ever. for those of you working from home or are in quarantine, and who have pets, tell me what they have been doing most recently but refer to them as your co-worker altrey (@aubviouslynot) March 22, 2020 Turns out, everyone has very weird co-workers and HR needs to take necessary action about all the inappropriate behaviour. Everyone has lazy coworkers. coworker is a lazy, bug-eyed fiend pic.twitter.com/YDcWE4gnwf altrey (@aubviouslynot) March 23, 2020 Oh no. I got out of bed this morning and i forgot i let my co worker sleep outside my room. We've been really enjoying each others company so i thought it'd be okay, until she took a shit on the floor. Now i got her caged up again. julieczzy (@julieeeblows) March 23, 2020 She's just vibing. my coworker screamed at her reflection in the mirror and then threw up on the floor eleanor rigby (@eelsfeels) March 22, 2020 HR, do something. my co-worker is straight-up assaulting me on a daily basis pic.twitter.com/nxfSBTX1jf Milo Szecket (@DocNum4) March 22, 2020 At least he looks guilty. My BRAND NEW coworker took a huge dump & stepped in it and we had to give him a bath pic.twitter.com/oMvpuQgmgb this is not a drill (@plaidamdriver) March 24, 2020 Not cool. my coworker decided to nap at his desk which like, fine, but now he's talking in his sleep???? pic.twitter.com/O8At4Ij9PN neeks (@neekstj) March 23, 2020 This would be so hilarious out of context. My coworker slapped the fuck out of my other coworker for sniffing her asshole https://t.co/DCtZxqorXx ari (@AriannaDantone) March 23, 2020 I can relate. one of my coworkers goes into the bathroom and screams every now and then https://t.co/7E3bSRzRhr funny little boy @ acnh (@GHOST_AND_PALS) March 23, 2020 At least he's getting some. my co-worker keeps having sex with his toys while watching my other go-worker through the window https://t.co/3fWmolEO4L grace (@gracebeverley) March 24, 2020 Sounds like fun. two of my co-workers fall asleep on the floor, and then one uses the other's ass like a pillow, but then *that* co-worker farts and wakes them both up this has happened many times https://t.co/F3L7qt7fU1 Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) March 24, 2020 Good one. my coworker just got promoted to assistant branch manager pic.twitter.com/qqz0KyQJ1C liz (@renaissancebtch) March 23, 2020 He's doing his best. I don't think HR can help if my coworker is just a beautiful idiot pic.twitter.com/FuwkeGFxKr R2 (@On_the_prawel) March 23, 2020 A good boy. my coworker is taking the hand washing thing a little too far pic.twitter.com/PpNzGSRXax kitana ! (@kitanacox) March 22, 2020 Adorable. My coworker keeps licking my laptop while making direct eye contact with me pic.twitter.com/v48hlCA7WU Jbazz (@julia_bazz) March 22, 2020 Such needy co-workers. my one coworker shat on the floor and the other one screams at me for food whenever i leave my room paul rudd (@philsadelphia) March 23, 2020 HR! Chris from accounting won't stop licking my face. Andrew Naquin (@AndrewNaquin) March 22, 2020 He's right. my co-worker is screaming everytime i go back to my own office without stopping to hi to her first ((so approximately every hour)) pic.twitter.com/iGyGcqzQu8 s (@breeoff) March 24, 2020 That picture will make your day. WATERLOO Property tax collections will decline slightly for Waterloo Community Schools in the 2020-21 budget as officials hold the line on the tax rate. The Board of Education Monday set a public hearing on the $201.14 million budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, including the 0.58% drop in tax collections. The public hearing has been set for 5 p.m. April 13. Under the proposal, the district would collect $40.12 million in taxes, $234,080 less than in the current year. Along with the district holding the tax rate at $14.21 per $1,000 of assessed value, the states reduction in the rollback for residential and multi-residential property owners is impacting the overall amount. The rollback is the percentage of a propertys value used to calculate the tax bill. Michael Coughlin, chief financial officer, noted that 62% of our property valuation is residential property, so a decrease for homeowners has the biggest affect on district tax rolls. A higher percentage of agricultural property value will be taxed and the rollback will be unchanged for commercial/industrial property. Owners of $100,000 homes would pay $782 on the districts portion of their tax bills, a drop of $26 from the current year. The district tax bill for $100,000 of agricultural property would be $1,157, a $360 increase. Owners of commercial and industrial facilities or land would continue to pay $1,278 on $100,000 of property value. Coughlin noted that the board has reduced its tax rate annually over the past five years and kept the overall tax collections in the range of $39 million to $41 million. Board members on the districts finance committee said they recommended no increase in the tax rate for the coming year to maintain a similar amount of tax collections. That was particularly important in the time were in now, said board member Sue Flynn, where some residents are facing financial hardships related to restrictions around coronavirus health concerns. We are being fiscally responsible, and thats something Im very proud of, she said. Board member Lyle Schmitt agreed that it wasnt appropriate to raise taxes at this particular time. I just feel good about the balance we struck, he said. Photos: Morning at Sweet Marsh Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. March 25, 2020 Technology and travel have a close relation. It affects the mode of transport and vacation destination you choose. About 74 percent of travelers plan trips online and 13 percent of them rely on travel agencies, according to a Google Travel report. Many millennials are passionate about technology and travel. Some of them depend on apps and social media to choose when to travel. The following are five ways that technology has evolved travel. 1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology offers intelligent solutions for better customer service. Recent statistics show that 35 percent of travelers need travel companies to offer personalized recommendations in the early booking stage. Travel agents use artificial intelligence chatbots to provide personalized customer service. They help travel agencies pair past purchase preferences with a client's web-browsing history to provide travelers with multi-channel experience. For example, travel agencies can offer champagne or coffee once a holidaymaker arrives. It helps them predict a traveler's favorite flight and holiday destination. Technology enables agents to update any information they gather from travelers when they interact in face-to-face sessions in their databases. San Marino is one of the best remote casino locations globally. 2. Mobile Technology Technology plays a crucial role in travel. Many tourists use mobile phones to get directions to various vacation destinations and restaurants. About 45 percent of travelers plan their trips using smartphones, according to TripAdvisor. Thus, such devices need to incorporate communication and corporate services. For instance, KLM has an information service for travelers on Facebook (News - Alert) Messenger. It promptly sends the information of a traveler through Facebook Messenger whenever they make a reservation. This includes updates about their flight status and boarding pass. It provides holidaymakers with crucial information before they travel. 3. Internet of Things (IoT) The Internet of Things has brought many changed in the tourism industry such as integrating sensors in buildings, vehicles, and suitcases. The Hotel Technology Institute in Spain confirmed that IoT will be a vital factor in offers personalized customer experience in the future. Virgin Hotels provide an application to guests that allows them to control the television and thermostat in their rooms. Furthermore, some suitcases have tech devices that enable users track their luggage in public places such as airports. 4. Big Data Big Data has caught the attention of many people of late. It offers many opportunities in the travel industry. For example, Melia hotels use client information to pick the right targets for their marketing campaigns. They check the amount spend per trip, the country of origin and reason for travel for each holidaymaker. Then, they compare it with information found in government sources to increase their success rate and develop accurate customer profiles. 5. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) The travel industry started adopting augmented reality recently. It helps travel agencies show travelers their cabins in cruise ships. Now, holidaymakers can use augmented reality to teleport themselves to remote parts of the world using advanced applications like the EVEREST VR app. Technology has a significant influence on the transport and tourism industries. It determined how holidaymakers explore different parts of the world. Besides. The number of travelers who book holidays online has soared over the years. Mobile technology enables them to keep in touch with loved ones. Travel companies are now adopting interactive technology to attract more clients. All Hoosier voters have the option to cast their ballot by mail in the upcoming primary election to minimize the potential spread of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. On Wednesday, the bipartisan Indiana Election Commission authorized "no excuse" absentee voting by mail for this election only, along with numerous other temporary changes to accommodate Gov. Eric Holcomb's decision to shift Indiana's primary to June 2 from May 5. Vote by mail typically only is available to Hoosiers who satisfy at least one of 11 statutory excuses for being unable to get to their polling place on Election Day. The Election Commission unanimously agreed with the governor that the need to reduce personal interactions during the coronavirus pandemic is sufficient justification to allow all Hoosiers to vote by mail for the rescheduled Democratic and Republican primaries. "This is a real good step and I'm proud to be a part of this bipartisan effort," said Anthony Lake, a Democratic election commissioner who hopes "no excuse" vote by mail becomes a permanent feature of Indiana elections. Pope Francis urged Christians not to 'complain about everything' or indulge in the 'evil' of self-pity during a live-streamed mass on Tuesday night. Francis said that sloth - marked by carelessness, apathy and self-pity - is a 'poison, a fog that envelops the soul and doesn't let it live' as he spoke via webcam from the chapel of his Vatican residence. He also offered a prayer for health workers and priests who have died helping those who are sick from coronavirus, praising their 'heroic example'. Pope Francis urged Christians not to succumb to the evils of self-pity and to stop complaining about their lives rather than taking action during a Mass livestreamed from his Vatican home Delivering his homily, the Pope said: 'The sin of sadness is the seed of the devil, that inability to make a decision about one's own life, but OK with looking at other people's lives in order to complain about that, not to criticize them but to lament about oneself. 'It makes me think about so many of us, so many Christians who live in this state of sloth, unable to do anything but complain about everything,' Hours later, Francis took part in another online broadcast - a mass Lord's Prayer to help comfort people amid the coronavirus pandemic. During the prayer, Francis begged for God's mercy amid a pandemic which has infected some half a million people worldwide and killed in excess of 20,000. Francis also offered a prayer for those who have died while treating coronavirus patients, saying they provide an 'heroic example' 'In this moment, we want to implore (God's) mercy for a humanity so sorely tried by the coronavirus pandemic. 'We do it together, Christians of every Church and Community, of every tradition, of every age, language and nation,' he said. In an introduction to the 'Our Father', which is also known as 'The Lord's Prayer', he said it was also for 'the sick and their families, health workers and those who assist them, for authorities, police forces and volunteers, for the (religious) ministers of our communities'. There are about 2.3 billion Christians in the world, of whom some 1.3 billion are Roman Catholics. The 83-year-old Francis prayed from inside the Vatican, where he has been holed up for the past few weeks as a precaution as Italy has imposed stringent measures to tackle what has become the world's worst outbreak of the disease. Hours later, Francis took part in a mass Lord's Prayer around the world while calling on God for mercy from the current pandemic The pope has been holding his general audiences and Sunday blessings over the internet and television from the official papal library instead of before crowds numbering tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square. There are over 420,000 cases of coronavirus reported across 196 countries, according to a Reuters tally at 0200 GMT on Tuesday. About 19,000 deaths are linked to the virus. Italy has reported more than 5,000 infections in the past day alone and total infections are now almost 70,000. Italy will overtake China's case load of 81,000 within days if the rate of infection continues at this pace. Italy had reported 6,820 coronavirus-linked deaths as of 1700 GMT on Tuesday, the highest toll in the world. Fuel Your Pipeline. Close More Deals. Our full-service marketing programs deliver sales-ready leads. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Learn more E-commerce account takeovers increased 347 percent and shipping fraud jumped 391 percent from 2018 to 2019, a fraud and identity solutions company reported Tuesday. Fraudsters are gaining access to accounts using credential stuffing, romance scams, social engineering, phishing or hacking, noted TransUnion, formerly Iovation, in its Global E-Commerce in 2020 report. The three-digit rise in account takeovers is connected to the rash of data breaches over the last decade, according to Angie White, a senior manager at TransUnion. Weve gotten to a critical mass, she told the E-Commerce Times. Fraudsters are seeing that stolen personal information can be used for account takeovers. Theyre also realizing that taking over an account gives them more than just access to an e-commerce website. Customer accounts are loaded with valuable personal information, the report notes. They are a prime target for criminals, who use sophisticated tactics to break in, steal credit cards and make fraudulent purchases from these accounts. Fastest-Growing Segment E-commerce has become the fastest-growing segment for account takeovers, White pointed out. Its above online banking, gambling and insurance, she said. Part of the reason for that is that e-commerce merchants have been so reluctant to drive up friction and cart abandonment that fewer controls have been put in place to stop account takeover. Problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic could compound the problem. Moving large numbers of employees to work from home can create the kind of distraction fraudsters thrive on, observed Chris Clements, vice president of solutions architecture at Cerberus Sentinel, a managed services and consulting company in Scottsdale, Arizona. As workforces transition to working from home, they can lose the protections of centralized security technologies their companies have implemented on their office networks, he told the E-Commerce Times. Security staff that are normally tasked with detecting fraud can miss attacks due to distraction or from drastic changes in business that their monitoring is unprepared for, he explained. Shipping Fraud Scarcity created by the virus also could contribute to account takeover. There are extreme shortages and purchasing restrictions on many common household and business items from obvious and widely reported goods such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer, to remote work tools such as laptops and tablets, noted Josh Bohls, CEO of Inkscreen, a maker of enterprise mobility security solutions in Austin, Texas. This leads buyers to look for alternative sources of product, and it opens them to buying brands they would have otherwise ignored, clearing the way for fraudulent websites to promote fake or nonexistent inventory and harvest credit card data, he told the E-Commerce Times. Even Amazon is having trouble validating new sellers and products, Bohls added. Shipping fraud is another attack vector attracting Web predators. The growth in e-commerce has led to a dramatic increase in shipping fraud, with more fraud rings accessing customer accounts and email accounts to track and redirect in-transit shipments before delivery, the report notes. It makes a lot sense that you would see corresponding increases in both account takeovers and shipping fraud, TransUnions White said. The two are pretty closely linked. All About Mobile The mobile sphere is now of prime importance to e-commerce. E-commerce today is all about mobile and declining brand loyalty, as consumers want to be able to shop from anywhere, from any retailer of their choosing, globally, the report explains. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Research shows that 78 percent of e-commerce transactions come from mobile devices, and global e-commerce is climbing rapidly in 2019, it was projected to increase by 20.7 percent to $3.5 trillion, it notes. However, the brick-and-mortar infrastructure remains critically important to retailers, as the majority of consumers prefer to make purchases in-store, and e-commerce only represents 14 percent of total global retail sales, according to the report. Meanwhile, all that mobile e-commerce transaction activity has caught the eye of fraudsters. Risky transactions from mobile devices increased year-over-year by 118 percent, the report points out. Small Screen, Big Attack Vector While shopping with a mobile phone may be convenient for some consumers, it does pose risks that usually are avoided on a desktop computer. Shopping on a mobile device is often faster and easier, but the limited screen real estate leads to less scrutiny of websites, apps and products, Inkscreens Bohls said. I have not seen the research on this, but I feel that mobile shoppers are more prone to tap to buy without the same level of due diligence they might have on a computer, he remarked. Its harder for shoppers to determine if theyre on a legitimate website with a mobile phone, said Chris Hazelton, director of security solutions at Lookout, a provider of mobile phishing solutions in San Francisco. Ad networks can point mobile users to legitimate retailers websites, but malicious adware can just as easily send buyers to a scam site, he told the E-Commerce Times. The right now economy has trained buyers that they can satisfy a need with a couple of clicks, he continued. Paired with this immediacy that is often part of mobile commerce, users often overlook key indicators of phishing and malicious websites. Keeping Pace With Fraudsters An organization is only as strong as its weakest link, and the same can be said for fraud in retail, observed Jack Mannino, CEO of nVisium, a Herndon, Virginia-based application security provider. As brick-and-mortar shopping became more secure with the adoption of credit cards with the EMV chip, fraudsters began to migrate online, he told the E-Commerce Times. That resulted in a rise in card-not-present fraud, but over time retailers implemented more and more robust fraud detection measures in the desktop online shopping experience, Mannino noted. However, mobile devices and mobile shopping have not been afforded the same measures, he pointed out. Some of that has to do with the technology mobile IP addresses are constantly changing and some due to the fact that retailers dont recognize these protections for mobile shopping exist, Mannino said. As we see companies start to implement more biometric authentication, we will hopefully see a reduction in mobile e-commerce fraud. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 13:31:17|Editor: zyl Video Player Close SEOUL, March 25 (Xinhua) -- South Korea planned to tighten quarantine measures on all passengers from the United States beginning March 27 amid a growing worry about the imported cases of the COVID-19, the health authorities said Wednesday. Yoon Tae-ho, an overall officer of disinfection at the Central Disaster Management headquarters, told a press briefing that strict quarantine measures will be enforced on arrivals from the United States beginning Friday midnight local time. All South Korean and foreign nationals arriving from the United States for a long stay will be required to self-isolate for two weeks, while people showing symptoms will be tested for the virus. Those who violate the quarantine rule will be sentenced to less than one year in prison, or fined less than 10 million won (8,100 U.S. dollars). The country has implemented tighter screening procedures for arrivals from Europe since Sunday. All people from Europe have got mandatory virus tests regardless of symptoms, and been placed under self-isolation for two weeks. The tightened immigration procedures came amid the rising concern about the imported cases. In the latest tally, South Korea reported 100 more COVID-19 cases for the past 24 hours, raising the total number to 9,137. The daily caseload steadied in recent days, but the imported infections showed signs of growing. Of the new cases, 34 were detected at airports and 17 more imported cases were confirmed by local governments. Advertisement The world's largest democracy went under the world's biggest lockdown Wednesday, with India's 1.3 billion people ordered to stay home in a bid to stop coronavirus overwhelming the country's fragile healthcare system. Police used rattan canes to beat people into compliance as New Delhi's typically bustling streets and train station were all-but cleared of people in an unprecedented move to try and slow the spread of the disease. India's lockdown exceeds the scope even of China, where an estimated 760million people were locked down in January after the virus ran rampant through Hubei province before spreading across the country. Restrictions there are now being eased. India has so far reported a relatively small number of cases - 500 - compared to European nations that are reporting figures well into the tens of thousands, but there are fears that generally cramped living conditions, poverty, poor hygiene and a creaking healthcare system could quickly cause it to run out of control. Experts warn that up to 500million Indians could contract coronavirus within the next year, which would mean more than 1million deaths in the next 12 months. India's 1.3billion people woke Wednesday to find themselves under the world's most extensive coronavirus lockdown - with police using rattan canes to beat people into compliance in New Delhi A plainclothes police officer strikes a man over the legs for breaking a strict 21-day curfew imposed across India as the country attempts to slow the spread of coronavirus in Kolkata Men caught violating rules about public gatherings in India are forced to crouch inside chalk circles drawn on the ground to show them what mandatory minimum distances looks like amid the country's lockdown There were fears that India's lockdown could inadvertently spread the disease, as city works flee to the country to isolate with their families. Here, a mother and baby have their temperatures checked before boarding a bus The temperature of stranded passengers is being checked at the general bus stand during a lockdown in Jammu as they try to get home to their villages New Delhi train station, one of the busiest in the world, was all-but deserted Wednesday morning as India entered the first full day of a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus A deserted view of the Delhi - Meerut Expressway which is typically packed with cars was all-but deserted Wednesday morning as India adjusted to life under quarantine A policeman stands guard at a roadblock during the first day of a 21-day government-imposed nationwide lockdown in New Delhi, leaving the streets almost deserted Policemen armed with canes stand guard in front of a blocked road leading into New Delhi during the first day of lockdown 'We expect 55 percent of the Indian people will get Covid-19 infection,' Dr SP Kalantri, superintendent of a large hospital in central India, told Vox. 'If the current disease trajectory is anything to go by, we expect 1 million or 2 million deaths in India over a one-year period.' Announcing the lockdown Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that only essential services such as water, electricity, health services, fire services, groceries and municipal services will be allowed to operate. All shops, commercial establishments, factories, workshops, offices, markets and places of worship will be closed and interstate buses and metros will be suspended. Construction activity will also be halted. 'According to health experts, a minimum of 21 days is most crucial to break the cycle of infection. If we are not able to manage this pandemic in the next 21 days, the country and your family will be setback by 21 years. If we are not able to manage the next 21 days, then many families will be destroyed forever,' Modi said. The lockdown means that roughly a third of the world's population - or 2.6billion people - are now living under some kind of restriction imposed because of coronavirus, half of them in India. While police were strict at enforcing the lockdown in the country's metropolises, there were fears that the lockdown could inadvertently cause the disease to spread to the countryside as migrant workers packed on to buses to avoid being locked down away from their families. Meanwhile India's colossal passenger railway system has come to a halt as officials take emergency measures to keep the coronavirus pandemic from spreading in the country of 1.3 billion. The railway system is often described as India's lifeline, transporting 23 million people across the vast subcontinent each day, some 8.4 billion passengers each year. Two bus drive alongside on a deserted street during the first day of a 21-day government-imposed nationwide lockdown A lone man crosses a typically-packed highway in New Delhi that was left empty of cars during India's coronavirus lockdown The streets of New Delhi were quiet Wednesday as India's billion-plus population went into a three-week lockdown on March 25, with a third of the world now under orders to stay indoors Just a few people and almost no cars could be seen moving through the streets of New Delhi on Wednesday The BandraWorli Sea Link, in Mumbai, is left almost empty of cars on Wednesday under India's new lockdown regime India's rail network, the world's fourth largest, operates more than 12,100 trains carrying passengers and cargo along 67,415 kilometers (41,890 miles) of track. With more than 1.2 million employees, it is the country's largest employer. The lifeline was cut Sunday, leaving hundreds of people stranded at railway stations, hoping to be carried onward by buses or taxis that appeared unlikely to arrive. The New Delhi Railway Station - usually populated 24 hours a day with railway staff, shops selling snacks and newspapers, passengers crammed into waiting rooms and indigent people sleeping on the platform - was barren. As local governments tightened restrictions on movement, migrant workers hauling backpacks swarmed overcrowded trains across many Indian cities, an exodus among panic-stricken day laborers that sparked fears the virus could spread to the countryside. Even more drastic measures have followed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide 'total lockdown' for 21 days starting Wednesday, ordering one-fifth of the world's population to stay in place. Health officials have reported 512 cases of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, and at least nine deaths. From India's first documented case of infection, it took 50 days for the total caseload to cross 200. In the past five days, the number of cases has crossed 500. A boy plays on a near-empty street during a lockdown amid a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in New Delhi Residents are seen in their balconies during 21-day nationwide lockdown to limit the spreading of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in New Delhi A man walks across a deserted road during the first day of a 21-day government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 disease A motorist carries vegetables during the second day of lockdown imposed by the state government to curb the spread of coronavirus in New Delhi Deserted view of the Kolkata Railway Station during the first full day of lockdown imposed by the state government to curb the spread of coronavirus Buses seen parked inside a bus depot during the first full day of lockdown imposed by the state government to curb the spread of coronavirus Coronavirus Outbreak, New Delhi A raft of lockdown measures had already been brought in by individual states, including sealing borders and restricting movement to only essential services. The government ordered commercial airlines to shut down domestic operations from midnight on Tuesday on top of a ban on international flights to try and contain the coronavirus. About 144million people traveled on domestic flights last year. Rail travel has already been suspended after thousands of people, mostly migrant workers, swarmed train stations to go home as businesses shut down. Before Modi's announcement today, officials had warned that people were not obeying government warnings to stay indoors. India's government has invoked a British Raj-era epidemic act giving it sweeping powers to contain the disease. Nepal has ordered all land border crossings with India and China shut until March 29 in order to keep the contagion at bay. The Himalayan nation said thousands of people, most of them Nepali migrant workers, had crossed into Nepal in recent days from India, believing their homeland to be safer. Nepal reported its second case of the coronavirus on Monday, a citizen who had recently returned from France. Migrant workers and their families board a truck to return to their villages after India ordered a 21-day nationwide lockdown to limit the spreading of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ahmedabad While the lockdown is intended to prevent the spread of coronavirus, there were fears that it could inadvertently spread it to the countryside as migrant workers fled cities on packed buses Migrant workers walk with their children as they look out for transport to return to their villages, after India ordered a 21-day nationwide lockdown to limit the spreading of coronavirus Security check a motorists at a roadblock during the first day of a 21-day government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against coronavirus in New Delhi Traffic policemen speak with a motorists at a roadblock during the first day of a 21-day government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against coroanvirus in New Delhi Some of India's poorest people have already voiced fears about how they will withstand drastic public health measures. The economic standstill is a particularly acute problem in developing nations where large numbers of people live hand-to-mouth. Some Indians living in Mumbai's sprawling Dharavi slum said they supported the clampdown, but wanted government support. Taxi driver Shaikh Bahaduresha, 31, lived on Mumbai's streets for two months last year, but moved into a small apartment with his new wife after they married in December. But he now has no more taxi customers, which means he cannot afford food beyond rice and lentils, and will not be able to pay his rent, due on Tuesday. 'I have no savings. My wife and I will be on the street again,' said Bahaduresha as he waited in vain for a cab owner who he said owed him a deposit. 'The USA is a VIP country, you can block it for a month and it's okay, but in India you have to take care of the poor.' Ford Carmaker Ford Motor Co jumped into the emergency push by major U.S. manufacturers to produce thousands of ventilators and respirators needed to help combat the spread of the coronavirus under a partnership code-named "Project Apollo." By joining forces with General Electric's healthcare unit and 3M Co, Ford is taking heed of U.S. President Donald Trump's call for U.S. automakers to work across sectors in producing equipment needed for the pandemic. The rapid outbreak, which has killed more than 16,500 people globally, has strained healthcare systems around the world and led to a shortage of ventilators needed to treat patients suffering from the flu-like illness, which can lead to breathing difficulties and pneumonia in severe cases. "We've been in regular dialogue with federal, state and local officials to understand the areas of greatest needs," Ford Chief Executive Jim Hackett said. Ford said its partnerships were code-named "Project Apollo" after the Apollo 13 launch in 1970 when a lunar landing was aborted after an oxygen tank failed two days into the mission, forcing the astronauts to improvise a fix. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Ford and GE Healthcare will expand the production of GE's ventilator design to support patients with respiratory failure or difficulty breathing caused by the pathogen. In addition, they are developing a simplified design that Ford could begin making at one of its plants. The plan is to get the new design approved quickly by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Tom Westrick, vice president and chief quality officer at GE Healthcare, said on a conference call. Ford also is evaluating a separate effort not involving GE with the British government to make additional ventilators. Hackett told CNN he believes the industry can produce "hundreds of thousands" of ventilators by early to mid-May. "There's no higher sense of urgency." Ford on Tuesday extended the shutdown of its North American plants beyond March 30 as originally planned, but a spokesman said the healthcare-related efforts are separate and continuing. Separately, Ford will work with 3M to increase manufacturing capacity of its air-purifying respirators by up to a factor of 10 to meet a surge in demand for first responders and healthcare workers, while also similarly developing a simplified design that Ford could build at one of its Michigan plants. Under the simplified design, Ford is looking at using fans from its Ford F-150 pickup's cooled seats to make parts of the respirators. Additionally, Ford said its U.S. design team, working with the United Auto Workers union, was starting to test transparent full-face shields for first responders, which when paired with N95 respirator masks, could be an effective way of limiting exposure to the coronavirus. The company is targeting making more than 100,000 a week at non-vehicle manufacturing facilities in Michigan, including using 3D printers to help. Ultimately, Ford officials want to create an open-sourced design that others can adopt and use to make their own shields. "The teams are just getting scrappy. How do we use what we've got to get to something that's capable and would meet regulatory requirements," Jim Baumbick, the Ford vice president in charge of the automaker's efforts, told Reuters. On Monday, No. 1 U.S. automaker General Motors Co said it was partnering with medical equipment maker Ventec to build ventilators at GM's parts plant in Indiana. Meanwhile, Fiat Chrysler Automobile NV told employees in an email that the Italian-American automaker would start converting one of its China plants to ultimately make over 1 million masks a month to help combat the coronavirus outbreak. Coronavirus: fourth death in Tunisia, first case in Libya Victim had returned from Italy. 114 infected in Tunisia (ANSAmed) - TUNIS/TRIPOLI, MARCH 25 - Tunisia has reported its fourth coronavirus victim, a 65-year-old man who had returned from Italy on February 21, becoming the second infected person in the country, the local Tap news agency reported on Wednesday. The country has reported 114 infections, Tap said. Libya has also registered its first official case, according to data provided by the national unity government in Tripoli, which did not provide further details on the patient nor the region where the case was registered.(ANSAmed). Construction workers, politicians, and unions have called on the government to prioritise public health over the economy. (Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images) The government is under growing pressure to put a stop to non-essential construction work to help combat the spread of coronavirus in the UK. Construction work is currently going ahead across the country as long as people are two metres apart from each other, according to health secretary Matt Hancock. As part of new measures announced on Monday, Hancock told workers to only leave their houses to go out to work where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home. He said those who cannot work from home should go to work to keep the country running. Hancock said builders and construction workers many of whom work outdoors could and should continue to go to work as long as they are able to remain two metres apart at all times. The judgment we have made is that in work, in many instances, the two metre rule can be applied, he said. Read more: Confusion over who are 'key workers' and what shops can open But many construction workers have reported commuting to busy building sites on packed London Underground trains leading to calls from workers, politicians, and unions for the government to prioritise public health over the economy with many saying the work is not essential and is putting people at risk. Former Conservative cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith said on BBC Twos Newsnight: I think the balance is where we should delete some of those construction workers from going to work and focus only on the emergency requirements. Andy Burnham, Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, told the programme the decision to allow non-essential work appeared to have been made for economic reasons. When you're in the middle of a global pandemic, health reasons alone really should be guiding all decision-making, he said. In Scotland, first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said building sites should close, unless it involves an essential building such as a hospital. Some builders and construction workers have said they feel angry and unprotected going to work, while others feel under pressure from employers to go in. Story continues Some construction companies are choosing to close anyway. Housebuilders Bellway and Persimmon are shutting construction sites despite being allowed to stay open amid the lockdown to help protect workers and limit the spread of coronavirus. There have been over 8,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, and 422 deaths, according to the latest Department of Health figures. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Several major Lehigh Valley chains are hiring right now despite the business shutdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to close their doors on March 19. Essential businesses still operating include anything from supermarkets to medical and healthcare facilities to restaurants for carryout and delivery. Also open are home improvement retailers, banks pet stores, warehouses and hotels. Many of these businesses need an extra set of hands. Amazon recently announced plans to hire an additional 100,000 people nationally. Their employees would earn an additional $2 an hour until the end of April, bumping them up to at least $17 an hour for work in warehouses, delivery centers and Whole Foods grocery stores. Theyll meet a surge in demand as more folks turn to online shopping for supplies while self-quarantining during the outbreak. The positions include both full- and part-time jobs, Amazon executive Dave Clark wrote in a blog post. Walmart is hiring 150,000 new employees through the end of May, including more than 5,300 associates across Pennsylvania, to work in its stores, clubs, distribution centers and fulfillment centers. This includes the Bethlehem-based fulfillment center, a chain representative said. Jobs are temporary and permanent, a representative said Tuesday. There will be an option for temp-to-permanent work later on. CVS is planning to fill 50,000 full-time, part-time and temporary positions nationally, including in Pennsylvania. Giant Food Stores in recent weeks already has hired more than 800 people in Pennsylvania alone, said Ashley Flower, chain spokeswoman. There is a need for even more workers at Giant with immediate positions running the gamut from service associates and cashiers to general stock clerks, drivers and fulfillment center selectors. Those interested can apply here. The demand for team members has grown rapidly the last few weeks, Flower said. "With the sudden increase in demand, we have seen this need grow exponentially, in some cases more than double in just a few days. Weis Markets also has stepped up its hiring. That chain is looking to fill full- and part-time jobs including cashiers, stockers and those with retail and department management experience, said spokesman Dennis Curtin. Neckarsulm, Germany-based grocer Lidl, which has a location in Wilson Borough, plans to hire up to 1,000 temporary employees nationally. Additionally, newly hired employees without health insurance will immediately be eligible for medical benefits covering testing and treatment related to COVID-19 at no cost, the chain said. At nearby Kings Food Market in Readington, Hunterdon County, prospective employees dont need to have any experience. The chain is hiring for multiple immediate, temporary positions, across all stores. Kings spokeswoman Kim Yorio previously said the chain is hiring temporary workers with a focus just on cleaning and sanitizing its stores. The Pennsylvania Food Merchant Association has a list of other grocery stores chains that have announced a need for more staff, including Wegmans, Aldi and ShopRite. Visit here to see the full list and find links to the companies hiring pages. At Epic Personnel Partners, which has branches in five states and a large food distribution center in the Nazareth area, there are warehouse opportunities for 100 new hires in the Lehigh Valley alone, a company representatives said. Epic plans to hire a total of 500 people nationally. Jobs range from selectors, loaders and janitorial to reach truck operators, quality control and maintenance to inventory control, human resources and clerical work. The facility operates 24 hours, seven days a week with various shifts available. Applicants can apply by calling the area office at 610-625-4333 to schedule an appointment. Dollar General is adding 50,000 jobs nationally with plans nearly doubling the chains normal hiring rate. All roles are expected to be filled by the end of April. We believe our customers are relying on us now more than ever to provide an affordable, convenient retail option, said Kathy Reardon, Dollar Generals senior vice president and chief people officer, in a statement. The company has 16,300 stores in 45 states. Some Lehigh Valley locations include: 859 Nazareth Pike, Lower Nazareth Township; 1866 Catasauqua Road, Hanover Township, Lehigh County; 432 Blue Valley Dr., Washington Township (Bangor); 440 Main St., Walnutport; 2106 Union Boulevard, Allentown; 1720 Butler St., Wilson Borough; and 3308 Church St., Washington Township, Lehigh County. Applicants who want to work for Dollar General can submit interest here. Sheetz currently has more than 1,300 active job openings nationally, including 650 in Pennsylvania. Positions include work in the stores and managers overseeing the stores, said Nick Ruffner, the chains public relations manager. Dominos Pizza is hiring part-time and full-time delivery experts, pizza makers, customer service representatives, managers and assistant managers, as well as Class A CDL drivers at its U.S supply chain centers. Those interested can apply here. While many local, state, and federal rules are closing dine-in restaurants, the opportunity to keep feeding our neighbors through delivery and carryout means that a small sense of normalcy is still available to everyone, said Richard Allison, Dominos CEO, in a statement. Walgreens is looking to fill 9,500 full, part-time and temporary roles nationally. Positions include those working in customer service, pharmacy technicians and shift leads. A listing of all positions and job descriptions is available on the chains website. Our store team members are working incredibly hard, in a very challenging and uncertain time and were grateful for all they do each day, said Richard Ashworth, Walgreens president, in a statement. Sign up for text message alerts from lehighvalleylive.com on coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley: Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. With the coronavirus pandemic halting production on most television shows, networks are evaluating their programming slates and Bravo is no exception. The cabler, best known for its Real Housewives franchise, must deal with a real-world pandemic on currently airing shows and those yet to come. Only one Housewives franchise Atlanta is currently on the air. Season 12 The Real Housewives of New York debuts Thursday, April 2 while Season 10 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills debuts on Wednesday, April 15. While both upcoming shows wrapped filming before the pandemic, they cannot be released any sooner (as some feature films have done) because the coronavirus has put the brakes on post-production. (The cities of Beverly Hills/Los Angeles and New York City have shut down non-essential businesses during the pandemic.) With many viewers practicing self-isolation, theres a demand for New York and Beverly Hills to get released early, but thats just not possible, says Andy Cohen, the former Bravo programming executive behind the franchise who also serves as host of the popular reunion shows as well as the Watch What Happens Live! talk show. Also Read: 'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' in Works at Bravo Im getting so much release New York now, release Beverly Hills now! Cohen told SiriusXM host Amy Phillips on Monday. The issue is theres only a certain amount of episodes totally color-corrected and locked right now, for both of those shows; I think for New York theres like, eight or nine done and for Beverly Hills, theres like, five done. Something like that. Its common practice for production to work on upcoming episodes while current episodes air. (Netflix is an exception, dropping all episodes of series like Love Is Blind at once.) Cohen admitted that the coronavirus has slowed down edits as post-production has to be done individually at home rather than in a collaborative office. Story continues If we released all those now, we would wind up screwing ourselves in the end, so thats the issue. The truth of the matter is, if this is going to go on for a while, just think of how much more were going to be ready for New York in ten days when it premieres! I just think we need to be focused, Cohen added. Also Read: 'Love Is Blind,' 'The Circle' Renewed for 2 More Seasons Each at Netflix Cohen added that fans wont be seeing an Atlanta reunion soon, even though its season is nearing its finish. The finale which typically translates into at least two or three episodes has been delayed due to travel restrictions. Cohen himself has tested positive for the coronavirus and is self-quarantined. He said there are no plans to hold a virtual reunion. Cohen also teased that a trailer for Potomac will be dropping soon. As for shows currently in production, an insider tells TheWrap that The Real Housewives of Orange County the original Housewives show has paused production with no exact timetable on when it will start up again. The source says it is also early to tell how productions on Housewives spin-off Vanderpump Rules which typically begins in June and The Real Housewives of Dallas will be affected by the coronavirus. Bravos slate isnt the only thing that may change as a result of the coronavirus. Hallmarks of the Housewives franchises international trips, crowded parties, restaurant meetings may all be changed for the health and well-being of the casts and crews. Listen to Cohens interview with Phillips below: Read original story How Real Housewives Productions Are Dealing With the Real-World Coronavirus Pandemic At TheWrap Among the nomination entries comprising the best products, services, and businesses in innovation for the year 2020, Zsquare was chosen as a winner by a panel of over 3,000 leading business executives from around the world. "After a thorough review, the Edison Awards Judges recognize Zsquare as a game-changing innovation standing out among the best new products and services launched in their category," said Frank Bonafilia, Executive Director of the Edison Awards. According to Asaf Shahmoon, CEO and co-founder of Zsquare, "We are honored to receive this award. It is a strong vote of confidence in Zsquare's unique ability to tackle one of the biggest problems in modern medical history, cross-contamination. We firmly believe that our endoscopes will transform the way endoscopes are used throughout the world." About the Edison Awards: The Edison Awards is the world's most revered Innovation Award dedicated to recognizing and honoring the best in innovation and innovators since 1987. For more information about the Edison Awards complete program and a list of past winners, visit www.edisonawards.com . About Zsquare: Zsquare, a privately-held medical device company with headquarters in Israel, develops single-use, high-performance endoscopes to enable access to unserved indications, improve performance in current practices, and solve the industry's most significant problem of cross-contamination. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1136771/Edison_Award.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1136770/Zsquare_Logo.jpg Media Contact: Chen Goldstein: +972-524258183 [email protected] Related Links http://www.edisonawards.com SOURCE Zsquare KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia will extend a two-week restriction of movement order and unveil a second economic stimulus package as the number of coronavirus cases continue to climb, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Wednesday. The measures come as Malaysia reported 172 new coronavirus cases, taking the total to 1,796, the highest in Southeast Asia. Since last week, Malaysia has closed its borders to travelers, restricted internal movement, and ordered schools, universities and non-essential businesses to shut until March 31. Muhyiddin said the curbs on movement would be extended another two weeks to April 14 as Malaysia had yet to see a decline in the number of new virus cases. I know you feel burdened but I dont have a choice, Muhyiddin told Malaysians in a televised address. I have to extend the Movement Control Order for your own safety. The government will also unveil a more comprehensive, people-oriented economic stimulus package on Friday, Muhyiddin said. The package is expected to be in addition to the 20 billion ringgit (US$4.56 billion) stimulus announced last month to cushion the impact of the virus outbreak on tourism and other industries. Whether you are a taxi driver, a farmer, a restaurant owner... the government will ensure that you will all benefit, Muhyiddin said, adding that food supply was enough for everybody. The government also plans to carry out mass testing for the coronavirus in high-risk areas, Muhyiddin said. Malaysia has recorded 17 virus deaths so far. It has linked nearly two-thirds of its infections to a religious gathering last month near the capital, Kuala Lumpur, that the government says drew more than 16,000 people. The event is also linked to more than 100 cases across Southeast Asia. Thirteen residents and several workers at a nursing home in Hove are thought to be infected with coronavirus. Oaklands Nursing Home manager Beti Korder confirmed in a phone call with The Independent that 13 of its 20 residents have been tested for Covid-19 after displaying symptoms. The home is still waiting for the results of the tests to confirm whether the residents, who are all aged over 65, have the deadly disease. Seven members of staff who have also displayed symptoms will not be tested. Gisella Casciello-Rogers, whose 94-year-old father Giuseppe Casciello is one of the affected residents, told local newspaper The Argus it is like a warzone in there. Hove MP Peter Kyle said he is so concerned by the situation he has escalated the issue to the highest level for an urgent intervention. Both Mr Kyle and families of those involved are pleading for crucial personal protective equipment for staff to be delivered to the home immediately. He added in a statement to The Independent: We simply cannot have staff working when they have symptoms, so the care home needs immediate and decisive help. Families of the residents are rightly anxious and upset so lets get services and protective equipment into this home today. The lack of personal, protective equipment for key workers throughout the NHS is something Ive raised at government level. Delay in supplies to our care homes, hospitals and doctors is outrageous and dangerous. Nursing home residents share messages to family during coronavirus Show all 7 1 /7 Nursing home residents share messages to family during coronavirus Nursing home residents share messages to family during coronavirus Masonic Homes Kentucky nursing home Nursing home residents share messages to family during coronavirus Masonic Homes Kentucky nursing home Nursing home residents share messages to family during coronavirus Masonic Homes Kentucky nursing home Nursing home residents share messages to family during coronavirus Masonic Homes Kentucky nursing home Nursing home residents share messages to family during coronavirus Masonic Homes Kentucky nursing home Nursing home residents share messages to family during coronavirus Masonic Homes Kentucky Nursing home residents share messages to family during coronavirus Masonic Homes Kentucy The politician is also calling for mass for production of gowns, masks and gloves before the NHS is brought to its knees because of staff illness. The head of a lobby group representing UK health workers has said many of those on the frontline of the coronavirus outbreak still feel inadequately protected. Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, told the BBC: They havent explained clearly enough to people on the ground why certain types of kit they are recommending is in this form. More than 170,000 people answered an appeal for NHS volunteers to join an emergency scheme within hours of it being launched. Unveiling the NHS Volunteer Responders scheme on Tuesday, the health secretary said he wanted to recruit 250,000 people, after the UKs death toll reached 422. DRAM modules of Samsung Electronics / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics By Kim Yoo-chul Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it will mass produce highly-advanced and next-generation DRAM memory chips using extreme ultra violet (EUV) processing technology from next year. In a statement, the world's largest memory chip supplier said it had successfully completed building a solid EUV manufacturing infrastructure, and more precisely had already shipped 1 million 10-nanometer (nm) double data rate 4 (DDR4) DRAM modules in foundry manufacturing. "Samsung has completed qualification testing on the modules from clients," it said. The company plans to mass produce the "EUV DRAMs" at its plant here starting next year. After enduring weak smartphone market sales in an already saturated local market, and a memory chip supply glut, Samsung is aiming to revive its integrated circuit segment in a "major way." The company had said earlier that it would spend $116 billion to develop an EUV manufacturing infrastructure, hoping to use this to win more orders from Google, Cisco, Facebook and Amazon. These firms are seeking enterprise chipsets for use in e-commerce platforms and cloud computing operations. Samsung said the EUV-designated V2 line at the firm's Pyeongtaek manufacturing plant will start producing the DRAM modules in the second half of the year. It plans to us the EUV technology to supply next-generation DRAMs on all fronts from next year. The Pyongtaek facility is ideally-positioned to produce fourth-generation 10-nm DDR5s and LPDDR5s. Earlier, Samsung said it had completed the development of EUV-based 5-nm chipsets. In semiconductor manufacturing, the thinner a chip is (measured in nanometers nm) the better the performance and power consumption reduction if it's built around a chip using a smaller fabrication process. Samsung Electronics, Taiwan's TSMC and others are rethinking the manufacturing flow for EUV in an effort to improve the overall process and reduce defect rates. EUV simplifies the process and enables chipmakers to pattern the most difficult and challenging features at 7-nm and smaller. While EUV still faces some challenges the process could potentially produce higher defect rates Samsung is continuing efforts to hone EUV for actual production. While Amazon, Alibaba and Apple have been bringing their component resources in-house for the last decade, they don't have the equipment to directly fabricate large amounts of custom high-performance processors. With ASML supplying relevant EUV equipment, Samsung has the capability to stably produce EUV-based chipsets. Citigroup, the U.S.-based investment bank, said once Samsung Electronics' factories achieve "economies of scale" production time will be cut by as much as 20 percent, helping it increase its foundry (contract-based custom chip-making) output by 25 percent. Hundreds of thousands of counterfeit medical masks are being peddled as the world grapples with the coronavirus crisis, The Independent can reveal. The fake masks are often made in unsterile sweatshops previously used to make phoney handbags or designer jeans. Producers are labelling their wares with fake brand names of well-known medical supply companies such as 3M, according to medical supply industry sources, law enforcement officials and photographic evidence obtained by this publication. They even forge CE certification stamps and documents that purport to attest to European standards in the same way they used to forge Ralph Lauren or Gucci labels on shirts and purses. Photos obtained by the Independent showed workers in Turkish textile factories stitching together medical masks in conditions that experts described as unsterile and substandard. Turkish police on Tuesday seized 1 million masks and arrested five people in a raid on a sweatshop making unauthorised medical supplies in Istanbul. They use Photoshop or whatever and make their own certificates, said one industry insider who purchases protective masks for the electronics industry. They are even enlisting box manufacturers to make fake boxes with logos on them like they were selling fake Nike T-shirts. Because nobodys buying T-shirts any more, they start to manufacture masks. Interpol last week warned of a spike in fake masks and other medical supplies, describing a 90-nation operation that resulted in 121 arrests and the seizure of $14m (12m) worth of potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals. Criminals will stop at nothing to make a profit, said Jurgen Stock, secretary-general of Interpol. The illicit trade in such counterfeit medical items during a public health crisis shows their total disregard for peoples wellbeing, or their lives. Surgical masks have become a crucial component in the worldwide battle against coronavirus, as well as the most visible icon of a pandemic that has dramatically transformed life across the planet. Medical workers across the world have complained they dont have enough. Physicians and nurses from Iran to Italy to the United States say they are forced to reuse masks that are ordinarily thrown out after seeing each patient. National and local governments are scrambling to obtain more masks. The added complication of potentially dangerous fake masks adds to the challenges of medical professionals and policymakers. Legitimate medical product manufacturers and brokers worried about their reputation and the spread of disease are among those sounding the alarm. Now in Turkey textile companies are producing these masks, said Celal Sadrettin Dai, chair of the disciplinary board of the Massiad Marmara Medical Device Manufacturers and Suppliers Association. Face masks being made in unsterile sweatshops (Borzou Daragahi/ The Independent) I dont know how they get their certification, he said. It is not easy to get this certification. This is a very big danger for the Turkish medical device industry. Now theres an image against the industry. This mask issue could put us all under a shadow. Protective masks, which can be used in medical as well as industrial fields, have become a coveted commodity for frontline hospital workers seeking to protect themselves from contracting Covid-19, and ordinary people seeking to stem its transmission. The fake masks may pose a threat to the wellbeing of medical workers because they are not made with the correct materials or in sterile environments. They may lack the specifications that would prevent viruses or bacteria from entering into breathing passages, according to industry experts. Masks not fulfilling the density requirements means the virus can come through to the nose or mouth of the person, said an industry source. Another medical industry executive said some fake masks produced by textile firms rather than healthcare manufacturers were better than nothing. They said that so long as they comply with basic standards of using three layers of material and weigh about 60g, theyd likely be enough to prevent the infiltration of coronavirus, which travels through droplets of liquid. At the very least, he said, more academic studies should be conducted. Because of tremendous global demand, theres no way traditional medical manufacturers could produce enough of the masks. Its an urgent situation, said Serdar Agalar, of Capa Medikal, an Istanbul-based medical consumer goods supplier. This is not a normal time. The extent of the rogue production is unknown, and industry sources say it encompasses factories in China, India and Turkey that have been panicked over the collapse of the textile industry in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic. Just one factory in Turkey produces 450,000 masks a day, said an industry insider, and there are likely dozens of such outfits in the country. Turkey now has the capacity to produce an estimated 50 million masks a day, said one well-placed industry source. Turkish police have already demanded that depots of medical mask producers sign contracts to sell their wares to the Ministry of Health (Turkish police/The Independent) (Turkish police/ The Independent) Mask production in Turkey jumped in late January as the coronavirus epidemic was gripping China, which is the largest manufacturer of medical protective gear in the world. Brokers who spoke to The Independent say they began to notice a huge surge in worldwide offers to sell massive lots of masks that were obviously substandard, and often stuffed into boxes without plastic wrapping to keep them sterile. Chinas government contributed to the chaos by ordering companies that knew little about medical standards to produce and procure as many masks as possible. They reached out to brokers across the world who put in orders for tens of millions of masks. Turkey ordinarily produces about 150 million masks a year. China ordered 200 million masks from Turkish manufacturers in January, with orders also coming in from Italy, Netherlands, France Poland and Germany, creating a surge in demand and driving prices. And prices in Turkey spiked from $.02 to $.04 per mask to $.50 to $.60. The prospect of huge cash prompted manufacturers without medical experience to enter the business, said Mr Agalar, of Capa Medikal. Legitimate medical product manufacturers are worried about their reputation amid a rise in fake products (Borzou Daragahi/The Independent) (Borzou Daragahi/ The Independent) Its the mistake of the Chinese government, he said. They created a panic and they used unreliable brokers. Companies bought substandard raw materials, ordered machinery and stitched together masks using ordinary textile standards. The main point is that to have real mass manufacturing fulfilling European standards, you need ultrasonic machinery without pressure of human error, a broker told the Independent. China this year has seized tens of thousands of suspected counterfeit medical masks sold by retailers and wholesalers in both Hong Kong and the mainland. In February, China threw out more than $1m worth of substandard medical masks sold by Turkish companies, said an industry source. After that incident, the Chinese ambassador got involved in the process and he himself started evaluating and buying the masks, he said. Turkeys $2bn medical products industry has been hit hard by both economic slowdown and accusations of hoarding. Mr Dai said hospitals are months late on paying bills, making it harder for legitimate manufacturers to keep up with new orders. Turkish authorities this week accused medical supplies companies of hoarding masks and threatened to seize control of the industry unless the constellation of firms that made up the sector sold protective masks and other gear to the government. Interior minister Suleyman Soylu was quoted by local media as saying police had already raided depots of medical mask producers on Sunday to demand they sign contracts to sell their wares to the Ministry of Health. Industry insiders say that if theres stockpiling, it is in part because of new rules enacted this month that make it difficult to export masks. Experts predict more and more governments will eventually invoke emergency laws to seize control of medical supplies. I see a parallel here to the decision in the US to invoke the Defence Production Act, said Nuket Kucukel, vice-chair of Guven Hospital in Ankara. Its possible many governments will have to consider intervening. Parks Too Crowded? Meet You at the Cemetery Gates How Helping Your Neighbor Could Hurt the Neighborhood Want more news? Check out our full coverage. The Mini Crossword: Here is todays puzzle. What were reading An Amazon warehouse worker in Staten Island tested positive for the coronavirus, according to another employee. [New York Post] Election commissioners want the state to move New Yorks presidential primary from April 28 to June 23. [State of Politics] Some companies are hiring right now. [NY1] And finally: Libraries virtual offerings Library branches may be closed, but you can still tap into their resources from home. Here are a few of the many offerings: The New York Public Library, which covers Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, has free one-on-one tutoring for kindergartners to 12th graders. The effort is a partnership with Brainfuse, an online tutoring organization. The tutoring is available from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Educational videos about a variety of subjects, including basic math, organic chemistry and essay writing, are also online. There are free test-prep videos. The Sangli district administration in Maharashtra has released contact numbers for citizens to get home delivery of essential items during the 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The police personnel and district administration will be in charge of facilitating delivery for the essential commodities during the lockdown. The service, as of now, is being provided in Kupwad, Miraj and Sangli city. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that it is vital to break the chain of the disease and experts have said that at least 21 days are needed for it. The Prime Minister, who had also addressed the nation last week, said the lockdown has drawn a "Lakshman Rekha" in every home and people should stay indoors for their own protection and for that of their families. Earlier this week, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had on Monday announced a statewide curfew in the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak. "Today, I am compelled to announce a statewide curfew. People were not listening and we are compelled," said Thackeray. He also said that the government is sealing district borders to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the districts which are not affected by it. Maharashtra has 101 confirmed cases of coronavirus, while 2 deaths have been reported due to the infection as of Tuesday evening. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If it seems like your Facebook feed is more active than usual these days, it's not just you: The company really is seeing a massive surge in use as millions of people around the world are forced to stay home. In Italy alone, Facebook has seen time spent increase by 70 percent and messaging increase more than 50 percent, the company said. That may seem like good news for Facebook, which has seen growth in its main app slow in recent years. But the company says the usage is straining its own resources. "The usage growth from COVID-19 is unprecedented across the industry, and we are experiencing new records in usage almost every day," the company's VP of Analytics, Alex Schultz, and VP of Infrastructure, Jay Pareikh, wrote in a statement. "Maintaining stability throughout these spikes in usage is more challenging than usual now that most of our employees are working from home." While Facebook has so far been able to keep its services up and running, the company has had to make some concessions. Facebook has decreased video quality in Europe, and has pulled back most of the contract workforce who work as content moderators. The company also warned that its revenue could take a hit, as its ad business has declined in recent weeks due to the pandemic. Twitter and other media companies have issued similar warnings. "We don't monetize many of the services where we're seeing increased engagement, and we've seen a weakening in our ads business in countries taking aggressive actions to reduce the spread of COVID-19," Schultz and Parikh wrote. Even as Facebook struggles to keep up with technical challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the company has been steadily releasing updates and new features, which have earned it some goodwill after years of scandals. The company has introduced a range of features meant to combat the spread of conspiracy theories and other potentially harmful misinformation. And Instagram updated its fact-checking rules and added a new Co-Watching feature for video calls. Some of the company's engineers will also participate in a hackathon to help health organizations, Mark Zuckerberg said. These guidelines stress that any student participation in direct patient care should be voluntary, a requirement that ought to apply to senior nursing students as well. It would be unethical to coerce students into volunteering in such stressed circumstances. The idea that these students are volunteering creates another question. Should they be paid, since they are working as front-line staff? Should they receive academic credit for their work, since they are students? Or should they, as the Association of American Medical Colleges argues, receive no compensation of either sort, making their volunteerism as uncoerced as possible? There are pros and cons to each of these approaches, and each state can make its own decision based on what it considers the most correct response to the question of compensation. Finally, there needs to be a strict requirement that nursing and medical students do not take care of Covid-19 patients and do not work in intensive-care units or step-down units. Students should staff lower-risk floors with comparatively less-complex cases: acute pancreatitis, simple fractures, a flare-up of atrial fibrillation. Having students on those floors would allow licensed nurses and doctors to work in areas of greater complexity and need. Despite their lack of degrees, there is a lot these students could do. SN-Cs could administer medications, change dressings, monitor patients, serve as gophers and keep patients records up-to-date. MT-Cs could work on already established teams in the hospital and enter orders into the electronic medical record, make needed phone calls, communicate with nurses on basic care issues and provide assessments of patients having clinical issues with a directive to call in a superior if they feel out of their depth. Because these students would be temporarily licensed personnel, appropriate legal standards would be needed to safeguard them from litigation. Some expansion of a good Samaritan law would probably work. The students are not civilians, but nor are they doctors and nurses. If they do their best and do not attempt to do work they are not qualified to do, mistakes should not be legally held against them. Diseases desperate grown, by desperate appliance are relieved, or not at all, Shakespeare writes in Hamlet. What hospitals in New York are already experiencing could be a nationwide crisis within weeks. We need to get creative now to respond later. Having taught nursing students and worked with medical students, I know that many will choose to heed the call and step up. Theresa Brown is a clinical faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and the author of The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients Lives. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. Scientists warned that China was a time bomb for a virus like Covid-19 over a decade before the current pandemic emerged. In a study titled, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus as an Agent of Emerging and Reemerging Infection published in Clinical Microbiology Reviews in 2007, the scientists warned that a culture of eating mammals could lead to an outbreak. The new coronavirus is believed to have emerged at a seafood market in Wuhan, China, but the exact origin is not yet known. It is thought that Covid-19 was contracted from mammals in China, because coronaviruses are known to move from animals to humans. The Wuhan Institute for Virology found that the new coronavirus genetic makeup was 96 per cent identical to the kind found in bats, which were also the original source of SARS. The report states that because coronaviruses move from animals to humans, a culture of eating mammals made an outbreak likely. The report and its relevance to the current situation was highlighted by SciTechDaily. Coronaviruses are well known to undergo genetic recombination, which may lead to new genotypes and outbreaks. The presence of a large reservoir of SARS-CoV-like viruses in horseshoe bats, together with the culture of eating exotic mammals in southern China, is a time bomb, it read. The study warned that countries needed to prepare for the possibility of an outbreak. The possibility of the reemergence of SARS and other novel viruses from animals or laboratories and therefore the need for preparedness should not be ignored, it read. The small reemergence of SARS in late 2003 after the resumption of the wildlife market in southern China and the recent discovery of a very similar virus in horseshoe bats, bat SARS-CoV, suggested that SARS can return if conditions are fit for the introduction, mutation, amplification, and transmission of this dangerous virus. According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, upwards of 81,661 people have tested positive for coronavirus in China. The death toll has reached at least 3285. In the US, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended a two-week ban on gatherings of more than 50 people as part of the battle to contain the spread of the contagion. Thousands of workers will have most of their wages funded by the State in an unprecedented 3.7bn income support package for those worst hit in the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands more will get an increased emergency welfare payment worth 350 a week as part of a suite of measures drawn up to help staff affected by mass lay-offs. The new supports will be rolled out for 12 weeks initially, but may be extended if the crisis continues. A total of 118,000 people have already applied for emergency welfare supports and many more are likely to follow suit after the Government announced a shutdown of non-essential businesses. The income support package was unveiled by the Taoiseach as the Government was warned that at least 500,000 jobs are expected to be lost as a result of the pandemic. In a briefing memo, the Cabinet was told that while it is almost impossible to predict the scale of employment loss as a result of the crisis, it is "expected at a minimum to be 500,000 jobs". Expand Close If they dont go to the places and carry out inspections, we will be in all sorts of a mess," said Irish Congress of Trade Unions leader Patricia King. Photo: Damien Eagers / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp If they dont go to the places and carry out inspections, we will be in all sorts of a mess," said Irish Congress of Trade Unions leader Patricia King. Photo: Damien Eagers The dire warning came as Employment Minister Regina Doherty said that her previous prediction that some 400,000 jobs could be lost was "a conservative figure". The warning that at least half a million jobs could go came at a special Cabinet meeting which lasted for just under two hours in Government Buildings, with ministers divided in two separate rooms and some joining the meeting via video link. "We are living in unprecedented times and the Covid-19 virus is presenting a once-in- a-century challenge to Irish society - testing our cohesion, our resilience and our ability to respond," said Ms Doherty. An increase in the emergency pandemic welfare payment and a new wage subsidy scheme are the centrepieces of the Government plan. The pandemic payment is set to rise from 203 to 350 a week by the end of this week. The State will also fund up to 70pc of wages, to a limit of 410 a week, for those on incomes up to 38,000 a year. It will also provide a subsidy of up to 350 on earnings between 38,000 and 76,000. General secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Patricia King said the wage subsidies will help put workers' minds at ease and enable them and their families to meet the immediate challenge - beating Covid-19. "These measures are essential to protecting the productive capacity of the economy and preventing a depression," she said. Ibec CEO Danny McCoy said the announcement will play a crucial role in enabling the economy to bounce back at the other end of the crisis. "It is welcome to see courageous leadership from Government, in particular with the announcement of a temporary wage subsidy scheme and the enhanced unemployment supports and illness payments," he said. Economist Tom McDonnell of the NERI said the package was not quite as generous as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's but was to be welcomed. "The Dutch are paying up to 90pc in a similar scheme," he said. "But then, the Americans are not doing anything like this. We might have been slow out of the gates but at least we are running around the track." However, Isme chief executive Neil McDonnell said some businesses are on the brink and will not be able to afford to wait a week to get a refund of the wage subsidy from Revenue. He said a new State loan scheme has too many terms and conditions. Tax partner at EY Ireland Michael Rooney said we are asking a lot from small business owners, including restaurant bosses and shopkeepers, to pay the remaining 30pc of employees' pay for the next 12 weeks without knowing when the crisis will end. A federal judge on Tuesday said President Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen must "accept the consequences of his criminal convictions," and cannot leave prison early because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Cohen was sentenced in 2018 to three years in prison after pleading guilty to tax fraud, campaign finance violations, and lying to Congress. He is now serving time at the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York. His lawyers have argued that with the coronavirus spreading so easily, prisoners are "at an enhanced risk of catching the virus," and the federal Bureau of Prisons is "demonstrably incapable of safeguarding and treating" inmates. Cohen requested that either his sentence be reduced to 12 months and a day or he serve the rest of his time in home confinement. U.S. District Judge William Pauley III was unmoved, writing on Tuesday that this was "just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle." Cohen has served 10 months of his prison term, Pauley said, and it is time he "accept the consequences of his criminal convictions for serious crimes that have had far reaching institutional harms." More stories from theweek.com Elton John to host 'Living Room Concert for America' with stars performing from home Here's how the U.S. government plans to spend $2.2 trillion to save the economy from coronavirus Trump campaign issues cease-and-desist letters over ad highlighting Trump's coronavirus response A 26-year-old man who filmed himself licking toiletries in Walmart while taunting, 'who's scared of coronavirus,' has been arrested and charged with making a terrorist threat. Cody Pfister, 26, of Warrenton, Missouri, uploaded the video to Snapchat on March 11 and was charged on Tuesday with 'knowingly causing a false belief or fear that a condition involving danger to life existed.' Warrenton police said they had received complaints from around the world including the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands and said it takes these concerns 'extremely seriously.' Pfister, who has previous convictions for burglary and theft, is the latest to get into trouble with the law in a worrying trend seeing younger generations mocking the deadly virus on social media. Cody Pfister, 26, of Warrenton, Missouri, uploaded the video to Snapchat on March 11 and was charged on Tuesday with 'knowingly causing a false belief or fear that a condition involving danger to life existed.' UK morning TV presenter, Piers Morgan, earlier this week called for Pfister to be locked up and denied healthcare if he contracts coronavirus. Pfister, who has previous convictions for burglary and theft, is the latest to get into trouble with the law in a worrying trend seeing younger generations mocking the deadly virus on social media The Good Morning Britain host slammed the 'moron' Monday morning and said a jail sentence might help 'concentrate his mind'. It comes as the the number infected by coronavirus in Missouri reached more than 250, including five deaths. Meanwhile the number infected in the US has soared to more than 55,000, with at least 709 dead. Speaking on ITV, Morgan said: 'You know what I'd like to happen to him? I'd like him found, and I'm sure they'll get him, put in prison immediately and then I'd like him deprived of any health care should be then get the virus having deliberately tried to give it, potentially, to lots of other people. 'That might concentrate the minds of these morons. And it might concentrate the minds of these morons here too.' In the US spring breakers have been criticized for still flocking to South Beach and other Miami hotspots despite warnings to avoid mass gatherings. And just yesterday a North Carolina man was arrested after streaming a video of himself walking around a Walmart saying he had tested positive for COVID-19. Justin Rhodes, 31, told viewers in the Facebook Live stream he was largely asymptomatic, except for a 'tickly throat', while claiming that he was breaching a 14-day quarantine and was going to infect others at the store. Beachgoers enjoy a sunny day in Destin, Florida, on Wednesday despite new social policing asking the public to avoid crowded areas Piers Morgan said that the individual should be locked up and denied medical treatment if they catch coronavirus He shot the video at the supermarket in Albermarle on Wednesday and was arrested on Friday, WRAL TV reported. 'Definitely tested positive for coronavirus,' he tells viewers, 'Definitely was asked to self-quarantine for 14 to 21 days.' He continues: 'They say it's highly contagious, obviously I'm in Walmart because I've got to eat too. So I've got to deal with it. If I've got it, y'all gone get it too. F**k all ya'll that's how I feel about it.' At another point in the video he says: 'All these old people finna die, I don't understand why they here. They need to have their nieces and their nephews and their granddaughters go get their sh*t.' Albermarle police said in a statement they had confirmed with local health officials that nobody in Stanly County had tested positive for COVID-19. He continues: 'They say it's highly contagious, obviously I'm in Walmart because I've got to eat too. So I've got to deal with it. If I've got you, y'all gone get it too. F**k all ya'll that's how I feel about it.' Justin Rhodes, 31, told viewers in the Facebook Live stream he was largely asymptomatic, except for a 'tickly throat', while claiming that he was breaching a 14-day quarantine. Rhodes was charged with perpetrating a hoax and disorderly conduct. He was handed a $10,000 bond and will next appear in court on March 30. It comes amid an increasing trend of coronavirus pranksters, particularly involving social media and the younger generations, who also happen to be least at risk of the disease. It comes just days after police in Virginia said they had identified two teenagers who filmed themselves coughing on produce in a grocery store and uploading the video. The incident in Purcellville, Virginia, some 55 miles from the White House, took place in a Harris Teeter store on March 18, but police determined that there was no criminal intent involved. The store quickly informed the police and removed the produce involved, taking measures to ensure the safety of their customers from the coronavirus. 'The two juveniles questioned admitted to their involvement, and it was determined that there was no criminal intent,' the police statement read. However, it added: 'With schools closed to allow for social distancing to lessen the spread of the coronavirus, police also asked parents to monitor their children's activities, including activities on social media 'to discourage the promotion of any such fear-inducing behavior. 'With school closures in effect, this allows for more idle time among children, especially teenagers who are often not supervised as closely. 'We have learned that this appears to be a disturbing trend on social media across the country, and we ask for help from parents to discourage this behavior immediately.' Social media videos show one person pretending to sneeze while the other runs away Social media searches for #coronaviruschallenge, #coughingchallenge and #grocerystorechallenge reveal similar videos. In one video posted to TikTok, two people are seen inside a grocery store with one coughing and sneezing as he walks past the other shopping. He's eventually handed some toilet paper to deal with the sneezes. Another filmed in a Canadian store jokes at the reaction people have if a person starts to cough amid the current pandemic. As one man pretends to cough, the other runs in the opposite direction down the aisle. Many of those posted under the hashtags are of customers attempting to shop amid the panic with long lines and empty shelves making the normal chore more of a challenge than it used to be. Others are performing dances within grocery stores to try and raise the spirits of those battling through the crowds to stock up. Schools around the country closed over the last two weeks to aid authorities in combating the spread of the coronavirus. While evidence from China, the country first hit by a major outbreak, suggested that younger people were not at risk from the virus as much as the elderly, the number of cases in the U.S. so far is suggesting that all young people may not be as safe from serious health complications as first believed. [The stream is slated to start at 5 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Members of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force hold a press briefing Wednesday at the White House as authorities on the local and state levels continue taking drastic measures to slow the spread of the disease. The outbreak has been expanding rapidly in the United States and roiling markets as the economy has ground to a halt amid restrictive measures meant to contain the virus. The White House and Senate leaders reached a deal early Wednesday on a massive $2 trillion relief bill said to be the largest rescue package in American history to combat the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. But as of Wednesday afternoon the Senate was still drafting the final details of the text and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle threatened to hold up the deal. Trump initially downplayed the impact of the outbreak but has since changed his tune. Earlier this month, he declared a national emergency, a move that freed up financial resources to assist Americans affected by the health crisis. Health officials for weeks have been urging Americans to take strong precautions as coronavirus cases multiply. Earlier this month, the WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic, saying it expects "to see the number of cases, the number of deaths and the number of affected countries to climb even higher." Task force members include Vice President Mike Pence, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci and Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli, among others. The coronavirus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, has spread to dozens of countries, with more than 441,100 confirmed cases worldwide and at least 20,499 deaths so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. There are at least 55,568 cases in the United States and at least 609 deaths, according to the latest tallies. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Buckingham Palace has said that Queen Elizabeth II is in good health after it was confirmed Prince Charles has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Palace spokesperson said: Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health. The Queen last saw The Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of 12th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare. The Palace has confirmed the Duke of Edinburgh was not with the monarch at Buckingham Palace when she last saw Prince Charles. Clarence House has said that the Prince of Wales is displaying mild symptoms of Covid-19 but otherwise remains in good health. The 71-year-old is currently self-isolating at home in Scotland with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, who is 72. A Clarence House spokesperson said that the Duchess has tested negative for the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland, they said. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. The spokesperson added that it is not possible to ascertain when Prince Charles contracted the virus due to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. Prince Charles was tested for the coronavirus on Monday 23 March after displaying mild symptoms over the weekend. The royals last public engagement took place on Thursday 12 March, when he attended a Mansion House dinner hosted by William Russell, Lord Mayor of the City of London, and George Brandis, the High Commissioner for Austrlia. The dinner was held in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort. At some point that same day, the Prince of Wales visited the Queen as part of a private engagement. A few days prior to their most recent meeting, Prince Charles and the Queen both attended the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on Monday 9 March. They were joined by other members of the royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. A 29-year-old resident of Patna, who had returned from Gujarat earlier this month, has tested positive for coronavirus, the fourth confirmed case in Bihar, a health department official said on Wednesday. The man was admitted to Nalanda Medical College Hospital here on March 21 and he has tested positive for COVID-19, Surveillance Officer with the Bihar Health Society, Ragini Mishra told PTI. The patient was engaged in a business in Gujarat and had returned on March 9, she said. Of the four infected with the disease in the state, one has died. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Wegmans supermarket in Pennsylvania. James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images New Jersey prosecutors have charged a man with making terroristic threats, alleging he coughed on a Wegmans worker and told her he had the coronavirus. Authorities said the incident occurred after the employee asked the man to step further away from her and an open food display. In response, the man leaned forward and deliberately coughed, then laughed and said he was infected with the coronavirus, prosecutors said. A Missouri man was also charged with making a terroristic threat after he filmed himself licking deodorants in a Walmart and asked, "Who's scared of the coronavirus?" Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A New Jersey man is facing charges of making terroristic threats after he coughed on a grocery-store employee and told her he had the coronavirus, state prosecutors said Tuesday. George, Falcone, 50, is facing three counts of third-degree terroristic threats, obstructing the administration of law, and harassment. According to prosecutors, the incident occurred at a Wegmans grocery store on March 22, after an employee grew concerned that Falcone was standing too close to her and an open food display. George Falcone, 50, has been charged with making a terroristic threat. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General The employee covered the food and asked Falcone to step back, but Falcone stepped closer to her, within three feet, leaned forward, and deliberately coughed, prosecutors said. "He allegedly laughed and said he was infected with the coronavirus," prosecutors said in a statement. Then, Falcone told two other Wegmans employees they were lucky to have jobs, according to prosecutors. New Jersey Attorney General Gubrir Grewal said in a statement that the charges against Falcone were intended to deter similar conduct amid the coronavirus outbreak. The state has reported nearly 4,000 coronavirus cases and 44 deaths. "Exploiting people's fears and creating panic during a pandemic emergency is reprehensible," Grewal said. "In times like these, we need to find ways to pull together as a community instead of committing acts that further divide us." Story continues Falcone is not the first to face terroristic threat charges in relation to the coronavirus outbreak. One Missouri man who filmed himself licking deodorants in a Walmart and asking, "Who's scared of the coronavirus?" has also been charged with making a terroristic threat. The Department of Justice is also considering pressing federal anti-terrorism charges against people who intentionally spread the coronavirus. Read the original article on Insider Asbury Park will shut down its boardwalk if people continue to crowd the popular seaside resort in defiance of Gov. Phil Murphys order to distance themselves from one another to stem the spread of the coronavirus, city officials said Tuesday. We cannot not listen to the governors executive order, Mayor John Moor said in an interview Tuesday evening. We cannot put our head in the sand and be ostriches. This is for real. Earlier on Tuesday, the city posted a warning on its homepage that police would be monitoring the boardwalk and the beach to ensure social distancing practices are being followed per Governor Murphys Executive Order. Citing the rapid rise of confirmed cases and a steady increase in the number of deaths resulting from COVID-19, on Saturday Murphy ordered people to quite simply stay at home," other than for emergencies, to buy food, to go to work in essential businesses, and a few other cases. As of Tuesday, state officials said New Jersey had at least 3,675 known cases of coronavirus, including 44 deaths, an increase of 846 cases and 17 deaths above Mondays totals. (Track the states cases, county by county, here.) Spring Lake, Point Pleasant Beach have already closed their boardwalks, while Seaside Heights has closed its beach. Moor said Asbury Park issued its warning in light of crowding in the city the day before the governors order and indications afterward that non-residents continued to travel into the city for non-essential reasons. Asked whether he was simply telling outsiders to stay out of Asbury Park, Moor said, Absolutely. Gyms are closed, but even under Saturdays order, New Jerseyans are still permitted to venture outdoors for walks, bike rides or other forms of exercise, and Moor said Asbury Park residents are permitted on the boardwalk so long as they practice social distancing. But he suggested that may be impossible if the numbers of people are simply too large, a situation he feared if the weather is inviting. We dont want to start arresting people, Moor warned, pointing out that violators are subject to a $1,000 fine and up to 364 days in jail. But he added, We dont want thousands of people on our boardwalk. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. The tentative deal between Ontario's 45,000 Catholic teachers and the province provides $33 million in additional special education funding that will allow boards to hire about 320 more teachers. Details in documents sent to members of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association and obtained by the Star say the tentative contract, reached almost two weeks ago, provides a one per cent salary bump each year, as well as an annual four per cent increase to benefits. This wage settlement does not prejudice OECTAs Charter challenge of the governments wage restraint legislation introduced late last year, which imposes an annual one per cent cap on broader public sector workers that a number of unions oppose, the documents say. The OECTA deal, which ends Aug. 31, 2022, keeps class sizes as they are for kindergarten to Grade 3 and slightly boosts the average size of classes to 24.5 students for Grades 4 to 8. Because some Catholic boards had larger class sizes and because the tentative deal says exceptions will no longer be allowed additional teachers will be hired in some areas. This fall, secondary classes will grow from last years average of 22 students to 23, and any local collective agreements that set out maximum class sizes will remain, the tentative deal says The $33 million support for students fund will allow boards to hire a total of 320 elementary or secondary teachers. The fund shall provide for additional teacher positions to replace all lost positions at he elementary level and will further reduce the new secondary average class size of 23, the documents state. Full-day kindergarten remains as is over the life of the contract, with a full-time teacher and full-time early childhood educator. As for mandatory e-learning a move opposed by most Ontarians, and students themselves two credits are still required for graduation but the government also agreed to an opt-out policy. Parents, or students who are 18, can now refuse to fulfil the online learning credits, and only need to meet with a guidance counsellor to do so. An in-person meeting is not required, the documents say. School staff (teacher, guidance counsellor, administration, etc.) can also recommend that students be exempted from e-learning requirements, based on learning needs, concerns about access to technology or other reasons, the documents say. All e-learning offered by Catholic boards must also be taught by OECTA members, and boards and the union will monitor student achievement and completion rates both concerns raised internationally about online learning. As for Regulation 274, which requires principals to hire the most senior teachers on the supply list for new long-term assignments and full-time positions, about one-third of full-time hires are now exempt. Under the current rule, teachers who switch boards have to start all over again on fill-in positions. Now, they will be able to apply for permanent jobs they are qualified for. The province has also pledged to have an online system for teachers to report incidents of violence and update safety protocols. Of particular interest to Toronto Catholic teachers is the banning of any parking fees for teachers, unless boards already have them in place. Catholic teachers will hold a ratification vote on April 7 and 8. Last week, the province also reached a tentative, three-year deal with the 83,000-member Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, and continues to bargain this week with the union representing the provinces 12,000 French-board teachers. Given concerns around the spread of COVID-19, all bargaining is now being done via conference call. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation is the lone teachers union to not have been called back to the table by provincial mediators. Read more about: After taking a charter flight form Newark, New Jersey to Krakow, Poland, Holocaust survivor, 91-year-old Anneliese Nossbaum, arrives at the Hotel Stary in the Old City on January 26, 2020. She traveled to Poland for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. (Lauren Schneiderman/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS) Read more Theres a myth that birds dont sing at Auschwitz, that its too sad, too haunted for such simple moments of beauty. Anneliese Nossbaum survived that hellish place, though. She forged a new life in the United States, found her voice, and spoke to thousands of students about the Holocaust. Anneliese told me she loved music. When her father, a cantor, sang in their synagogue in Bonn, Germany, she thought he was singing only to her. She enjoyed the Nazis music when they paraded past her home, too young to know any better. In late January, when I last saw her, she sang Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem, by a gas chamber in Auschwitz-Birkenau, wiping tears from her eyes with her red mittens. So Id like to think the robin that sang Tuesday afternoon was singing for her. The bird sat far atop a wide, old oak tree that grew between the headstones in Montefiore Cemetery in Jenkintown. Its branches cast shadows on Annelieses plain, wooden casket. Her family stood under a tent beside the grave, trying to stay six feet apart from one another in this new, surreal world. "Anneliese was smart. She was sensible. She was passionate. She was down-to-earth, Rabbi Adam Wohlberg, of Temple Sinai in Dresher, said to them. Anneliese Nossbaum died early Monday morning at the Abramson Center in North Wales, having fallen ill within weeks of returning from the trip of a lifetime, her final reckoning with Auschwitz. She was 91. She left behind a son, Jeffrey; his wife, Jan; and their two daughters, Hannah and Mayah, all there Tuesday for the burial. Daughter Ivette Maoz and her husband, Netzer Maoz, were there, too. Their children, Edan and Maayan, watched the small graveside service through a video chat, one quarantined in California and the other in Arizona. She was laid to rest with her husband, Martin Nossbaum, who died in 2010. Jeffrey and Ivette both marveled at their mothers life, a few moments after her casket was lowered. She taught us to be kind, to think of others, Ivette said. Jeffrey reiterated that. What amazes me is that despite all her hardships, she always put others first, he said. Anneliese had always lamented that the Nazis ended her education so soon. Jan Nossbaum has been working hard to secure an honorary doctorate from a local university for Anneliese. They told her recently that it was happening. Dr. Nossbaum, they whispered. It was one of Annelieses last smiles. Inquirer videographer Lauren Schneiderman and I first met Anneliese on a rainy Tuesday night in January when we went to her rowhome in Jenkintown for the first of several interviews with her and the family. We wanted to get to know them before we all flew to Krakow, Poland, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Red Armys liberation of Auschwitz on Jan. 27, 1945. Beth Razin, of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, had recommended her as one local survivor who was returning. Anneliese Nossbaum was truly an inspirational woman, sharing her experience of her survival during the Holocaust with thousands of students and adults over the past years, Razin said after learning of Annelieses death. The Nossbaums ordered four large pizzas for us that night. They were funny, warm, and open, particularly Anneliese, still whip-smart and sharp at 91. We stayed until about 10:30 p.m., and on subsequent visits, Anneliese continued her quest to feed Lauren and me. So, I guess you want me to start from the beginning, she said to us. She was born Anneliese Winterberg on Jan. 8, 1929, in Guben, Germany, the only child of Siegfried and Irmgard Winterberg. On Nov. 10, 1938, Nazis and civilians burned down her synagogue during Kristallnacht. In 1942, her family was moved to Theresienstadt, a hybrid concentration camp and ghetto established by the SS in the former Czechoslovakia. Her father died at a satellite camp of Dachau, Germany, in 1944. Anneliese was taken to Auschwitz on Oct. 10, 1944. Her aunt, Anita Lewinski, was born with a hip deformity and the Nazis sent her to die immediately. Anneliese and her mother went to have their heads shaved. Later, they were moved to Mauthausen, a concentration camp on the Danube River that was liberated by the U.S. Army in the spring of 1945. Her mother died shortly after of tuberculosis. Anneliese came to the United States alone, at 17, on a ship. The first thing she did in New York City was eat a peach. She met Martin Nossbaum, a civilian equipment specialist for the military, and had two children, living first in Mount Airy, then in Jenkintown. Her inner world was difficult, still haunted by Auschwitz, the memory of seeing her Aunt Anita disappear among the doomed. Her true healing began in 1971, when she decided to talk openly about the Holocaust. She started with one of her daughters classes, her voice and conviction growing stronger each time. Josey Fisher, director of the Gratz College Holocaust Oral History Archive, was a friend of Annelieses for decades, inviting her to speak to her undergraduate classes for hours. Fisher noticed something both Lauren and I could plainly see in Poland: She never seemed to tire. Anneliese was willing to stay as long as students asked questions, Fisher told me. The intimacy of the classroom matched Annelies [one of her nicknames] willingness to go deeper into her story. She encouraged difficult questions, and the students were blessed with her full, honest responses. One student asked if she could communicate with her privately, and Annelie agreed she invited the student to her home. During a survivors dinner in Krakow, I watched Anneliese from afar. She looked so happy with her family, and they idolized her. It seemed silly, as a journalist, to get so emotional about it, but I did. Maybe its because I havent had a grandmother in 20 years. I asked Anneliese If I could take her picture, so I could send it to my family. Lauren was far busier than I was that night, trying to take both photographs and video in a dining room crammed with hundreds of people. Still, I saw her smiling with Anneliese from time to time and knew I wasnt the only one who felt so attached to her, so in awe. I didnt know Anneliese for very long, but throughout the time I spent with her I was impressed by her strength and grace," Lauren told me. "She was an inspiration. And I am so grateful to have met her, have been inspired by her, and had a chance to listen to her stories, many of which I will never forget. Two days later, on a dreary Tuesday afternoon, Lauren and I stood with the family by railroad tracks in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Anneliese gave everyone a piece of chocolate, as her Aunt Anita had done there in 1944, before they were forced off the train. Journalists arent supposed to take things from subjects, but Lauren and I took a piece of chocolate, too. She was more than a subject, and both of us stood by her casket this week, in a cemetery where birds sang. The family asked that donations in her name be made to the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center. A memorial service will be held once the worlds in a safer place, they said, and everyone can hug. And only 33% of small business owners say they have the financial savings to survive a prolonged, Coronavirus-driven shutdown lasting beyond three months. Industries suffering the most from these Coronavirus hardships include: travel, event planning, and retail businesses. A second Alignable poll of 52,000 small business owners found 56% of respondents from these major categories reported a significant, negative impact from the virus threat. Federal Help Alone Won't Fix This Urgent Need Some retailers, event planners, and travel agencies have already had to close temporarily. Those that remain open are pursuing several creative ways to bring in revenue and to keep their employees on their payroll. However, the federal bailout might not come fast enough to keep their lights on. "The answer to this problem has to be more than the federal government offering low interest loans to business owners," said Alignable's Co-Founder and CEO Eric Groves. "When it comes right down to it, why should they have to borrow money to solve a problem not of their making?" Venkat Krishnamurthy, Alignable's President and Co-Founder added, "Clearly, we cannot solely depend on the Federal Government to solve this problem in time -- or on its own. So, we here at Alignable are proposing a three-pronged approach to help sustain the small businesses most in need of assistance." 3 Ways To Save Local Business Communities First, Alignable is encouraging members of the public to continue purchasing from their hometown businesses. We have adapted the popular #ShopLocal program for these challenging times, creating another movement: #ShopLocalOnline. Though many people are staying at home and not frequenting stores or restaurants, that doesn't mean they can't still shop online or call nearby food establishments to arrange deliveries or curbside pickups. As part of #ShopLocalOnline, we're also urging people looking for any products or services to first search Alignable's network for local online businesses before ordering from huge national retailers. This way, they can keep the money close to home, thereby bolstering their now-fragile communities. Second, Alignable encourages community members to make several pre-purchases of services with local salons, establishments that offer massages, gyms and more, either through gift certificates or participation in local business fundraising opportunities, such as Indiegogo's Local Relief Program . Tell Congress How You Feel The third part of Alignable's program will call on federal officials to recognize that they bear more responsibility for this situation than our local business owners. Any program they put forth to inject capital into the small business community should not come with an additional burden placed on these business owners in the form of repayment with interest. Alignable strongly encourages everyone to write or call their congressional representatives and let them know that loans alone won't suffice. We believe this three-pronged approach stands the best chance of helping many small businesses that are running out of cash and might not be able to hold on much longer. As the largest referral network for small businesses in North America with 4.5 million+ members, Alignable's top mission is to foster the growth of small businesses and we will continue to create additional programs to help our customers through this very difficult time. Our Survey Methodology The two Alignable surveys were conducted via email with a random sample of Alignable's membership database of more than 4.5 million small business owners. The cash flow survey was conducted from March 18-20, 2020 and collected 17,500 responses. The second poll on industries most impacted by the Coronavirus ran from March 12-19, 2020 and collected 52,000 responses. All respondents were small business owners with 1-50 employees. Any media outlets interested in more information or in arranging interviews should contact Chuck Casto via email at [email protected] or via text at 508-314-3284. #SmallBusinessStrong SOURCE Alignable Related Links https://www.alignable.com The clothing is for inmates at Mountjoy and other prisons The State is to fork out more than 1.3m on new clothing and footwear for the country's prison population over the next four years. Under existing prison regulations, prisoners are not required to wear a uniform but are supplied with a range of clothing that can be changed twice weekly. However, in certain circumstances they may be allowed to wear their own clothing. Contract A contract notice has been issued by the Office of Government Procurement for tenders to supply a range of 28 different types of clothing and footwear for inmates in the 14 detention facilities operated by the Irish Prison Service. These include Mountjoy and Portlaoise and the two female prisons in the Dochas Centre and Limerick. It is estimated that around 1.32m will be spent on kitting-out prisoners over the term of the contract, which is for a three-year period with a maxi-mum extension of 12 months. The annual expenditure on the cost of new clothing and footwear is calculated at 330,000. There are around 4,000 prisoners detained at any one time in the country's jails. Tender documents indicate suppliers will be required to provide 20,000 polo shirts in either dark green or red and 20,000 light grey tracksuits for men and nearly 2,000 similar tracksuits for women. For outside use, more than 2,000 red anoraks have been ordered. In relation to footwear, the contract provides for nearly 4,800 pairs of black runners and the same number in white, as well as 104,000 pairs of socks. For nightwear, the order includes more than 550 pairs of pyjamas and 200 dressing gowns for male prisoners and nearly 1,600 nightgowns for female prisoners. There is also a large order for boxer shorts, Y-fronts, T-shirts, vests, bras and briefs. Bids will be assessed on a range of criteria, with cost accounting for 50pc of marks in a scoring scheme. Warehouse The successful bidder will be required to operate a warehouse of clothing and deliver items to individual jails, as well as facilitate returns. They will be required to meet an individual list of specif- ications for each type of garment in relation to design, colour, material and scope, which can stipulate that clothes must be of various sizes and washable. A previous contract to supply prison clothing, awarded in 2016 to Call Us, a supplier of leisurewear from Killybegs, Co Donegal, was valued at just under 550,000. A doctor based in Tullamore is looking for a place to lease during the current coronavirus crisis. Taking to Twitter, Dr Carla Hopper said: "I am an Emergency Medicine doctor working in Tullamore Hospital and unfortunately, I now need to move out of my home so that I am not putting my family, who have health conditions, at risk. "I am looking for a four-month lease preferably near Tullamore but am happy to commute. Most rentals have a minimum one-year lease. Any suggestions/links appreciated. Thank you." Her call comes as doctors, nurses and frontline medical staff across the country get to grips with the deadly virus. Seven people have now died in Ireland, including an elderly man in Tullamore, while there are over 1,300 confirmed cases in the country. If you have advice, you can contact Carla on Twitter or contact us at justin.kelly@offalyexpress.ie and we will pass on the information. A pastor who is fighting coronavirus has made a heartfelt plea urging the public to listen to the government's advice and protect themselves against the 'deadly and dangerous' illness. Mark McClurg, 40, from Country Down, who spoke from his hospital bed in the intensive care unit at Ulster Hospital near Belfast, described how the virus 'wants to take all the life out of your lungs so you cant even breathe' in his warning to the public. The father-of-three, who will soon be moving back to a ward after spending a week in ICU, posted a video on social media telling the public he was 'grateful he was alive today'. Taking to Facebook to share his message with the world the pastor said: 'Hello I'm Mark McClurg. For the past week I've been fighting coronavirus with the help of ICU staff in Ulster Hospital. Mark McClurg, 40, from Country Down, described how the virus 'wants to take all the life out of your lungs so you cant even breathe' from his hospital bed at Ulster Hospital near Belfast The pastor (right with wife Claire) made a heartfelt plea urging the public to listen to the government's advice and protect themselves Taking to Facebook to share his message with the world, the pastor said it was important to protect the NHS 'This coronavirus is deadly and is dangerous. Coronavirus wants to kill you. It wants to take all the life out of your lungs so you can't even breathe.' 'I am grateful I am alive today. I want to thank the ICU staff in Ulster. Night and day 24/7. They have saved my life. The doctors and nurses I don't know what else to say I love you.' Mr McClurg, who is part of the Elim Pentecostal Church, went on to pay tribute to his partner Claire who had remained by his side when at his worst and was 'the best wife in the world'. He continued: 'I am grateful that I have a loving and supportive wife. I have the best wife in the whole world. I love Claire. 'When I was at my worst and couldn't even talk she was the one to see me. Claire thank you so much for helping me get through that. 'I am also a pastor. I don't go to your church but I belong to your church family and what I've loved over the past week is the church family has been praying for me. 'I see the messages, prayers of support all over our lovely country. I love northern Ireland. I love the world. Thank you so much for praying. I belong to Jesus. I believe in Jesus and I love Jesus.' The father-of-three, who said he was struggling to breathe, went on to say he was grateful to be alive Speaking from his hospital bed, the pastor urged the public to take the virus seriously and continue practicing social distancing During his video, the father warned the public to take the virus seriously and not think it was simply a 'wee cold and cough'. He added: 'Lastly don't think this wont touch you - coronavirus. Don't think for one moment that this is just a wee cold and a cough you're getting. Please look at me and listen. 'If you get coronavirus and you have to go into the ICU that means you're going to struggle to breathe. You could go on a ventilator. So please please listen to all the advice from the government. 'Keep social distancing because Northern Ireland we will get through this but we have to do this to protect the NHS. We must protect the heart and soul of Northern Ireland at the moment and that is our NHS staff. Social media users offered messages of support to the pastor who has been fighting coronavirus 'They need us. I've seen their faces. I've spoken to them. Some of them have come to terms with the fact they're going to get coronavirus. Let that sink in. Do your part. 'Social distancing doesn't mean we can't pick up the phone and phone out loved ones and phone our friends and phone neighbours but be wise, be kind and love and protect the NHS.' Following the father's message, social media user rushed to the platform to share their messages of support. One user wrote: 'Keep fighting, prayers for you and your family.' While another added: 'Get well soon mate. You're in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.' The pastor's heartfelt plea comes after six more patients died in Scotland, five in Wales and four in Northern Ireland today - taking the UK's death toll to 437. Official figures now show that 8,399 people in the UK have now caught COVID-19 however government advisers suggest the true size of the outbreak is likely to be closer to 400,000. Heres whats in the package. The government will send direct payments to taxpayers. Lawmakers agreed to provide $1,200 in direct payments to taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 per year before starting to phase out and ending altogether for those earning more than $99,000. Families would receive an additional $500 per child, in an attempt to create a safety net for those whose jobs and businesses are affected by the pandemic. Unemployment benefits will grow substantially, and go to many more Americans. Lawmakers agreed to a significant expansion of unemployment benefits that would extend jobless insurance by 13 weeks and include a four-month enhancement of benefits. At the insistence of Democrats, the program was broadened to include freelancers, furloughed employees and gig workers, such as Uber drivers. Small businesses will receive emergency loans if they keep their workers. The bill provides federally guaranteed loans available at community banks to small businesses that pledge not to lay off their workers. The loans would be available during an emergency period ending June 30, and would be forgiven if the employer continued to pay workers for the duration of the crisis. There is broad general agreement that small businesses in this country will not be able to survive unless there is extraordinary assistance, said Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida and the chairman of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, who worked with Democrats to create the program. The goal is to keep employees connected to their employers, so that people arent just having to stay home and arent just feeling the stress of being laid off, but the uncertainty of whether theyll even have a job to go back to. Distressed companies can receive government bailouts but with strings attached. Loans for distressed companies would come from a $425 billion fund controlled by the Federal Reserve, and an additional $75 billion would be available for industry-specific loans including to airlines and hotels. [March 25, 2020] Tokyo-Based Phybbit, Ltd., Becomes the First Asian Vendor To Be Globally Certified Against Fraud by the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) TOKYO, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tokyo-based Phybbit, Ltd., developer of SpiderAF anti-advertising fraud software, has become the first vendor anywhere in Asia to be globally Certified Against Fraud by the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), an international advertising industry initiative fighting criminal activity in the digital advertising supply chain, and included in the list of companies awarded with the "Certified Against Fraud" Seal . SpiderAF is a powerful AI-driven anti-fraud system that can detect a range of online advertising fraud techniques such as fake impressions, clicks and conversions. Phybbit is also the creator of the SHARED BLACKLIST (SBL), a first-of-its-kind industry-wide list of fraudulent affiliates shared between major ad companies to cooperatively reduce fraud. In addition to the TAG Anti-Fraud Certification, Phybbit recently earned accreditation by the US-based Media Rating Council (MRC). Generally speaking, online ad fraud is the corrupt practice of stealing advertising funds by creating the appearance of human interaction and impressions of online ads. The techniques constantly become more sophisticated requiring constantly-improving technology to fight. Juniper Research has estimated that in 2018 fraud cost advertisers $19 billion worldwide which is projected to reach $44 billion by 2022. TAG is the only information-sharing analysis organization (ISAO) in the digital advertising industry, organized jointly by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A), the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) to address these issues. "We are very proud to be Certified Against Fraud by the Trustworthy Accountability Group," said Phybbit, Ltd., Founder, and CEO Satoko Ohtsuki. "As the only vendor in Japan or Asia that has received this recognition for global operations, we feel it reflects positively on Phybbit's overall mission to unify and clean up the ad industry." Mike Zaneis, President and CEO of TAG, said: "Phybbit has taken an important step in helping to tackle ad fraud: we hope this will be a stepping stone to a greater number of Japanese and Asian companies doing likewise as the adoption grows across all regions and markets." Phybbit sat with Nick Stringer, Vice President of Global Engagement & Operations at TAG, to discuss ad fraud in this Blog . Phybbit also recently released its " 2020 Ad Fraud Survey Report " whitepaper which analyzed more than 1.3 trillion impressions, 101.9 billion clicks and 148 million conversions to create the industry's most comprehensive snapshot of online advertising fraud. According to Phybbit's analysis of the Japanese market, out of 61 million mobile installs in the six months between July and December 2019, 9.96 million installs or approximately 16.3 percent, were found to be fraudulent. At a rate of $5 USD per install, the resulting damage would be $45.5 million during this six-month period. About the Trustworthy Accountability Group The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is the leading global certification program fighting criminal activity and increasing trust in the digital advertising industry. Created by leading industry trade organizations, TAG's mission is to eliminate fraudulent traffic, combat malware, prevent Internet piracy and promote greater transparency in digital advertising. TAG advances those initiatives by bringing companies across the digital advertising supply chain together to set the highest standards. TAG is the first and only registered Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) for the digital advertising industry. For more information on TAG, please visit tagtoday.net. About SpiderAF SpiderAF is an AI-equipped ad fraud tool specialized in automation and data visualization. Along with businesses involved with ad networks, SpiderAF aims to be a tool applicable to a wide variety of users from agencies to advertisers. The goal of the SpiderAF SHARED BLACKLIST is to build a safer digital advertising industry. About Phybbit, Ltd. Phybbit is the developer and provider of the automated, AI-driven fraud prevention tool, SpiderAF. Phybbit's team of data scientists are working to help fight the ever-evolving issue of ad fraud. Founded on the belief that the happiness of each team member must be realized to fully support the company, Phybbit is committed to creating a "work-life integration" corporate environment that allows people to live their lives in their own way by promoting more flexible work lifestyles. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tokyo-based-phybbit-ltd-becomes-the-first-asian-vendor-to-be-globally-certified-against-fraud-by-the-trustworthy-accountability-group-tag-301029541.html SOURCE Phybbit, Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Restive Ghanaians are calling for a lockdown in Accra and Kumasi, the countrys two major cities, as the countrys coronavirus case count increased Tuesday, rising from 27 to 53. Shortly after the countrys Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, at a press briefing Tuesday morning in Accra, updated the nation on the chilling spike in the trajectory of the disease, waves of commentators took to social media, the radio, and street corner debates asking for a prompt shut down on movements, and work in the two major cities, which according to Mr Agyemang-Manu are the epicentres of the disease in Ghana. Radio commentators and phone-in callers were uncontrollable in their loud calls for a government action to truncate the trajectory of the pandemic. The regularly talkative Ghana Twitter went into a frantic overdrive as tweets after tweets ran over each other with proposals that the authors thought could help the government take a hold on the crisis. In no time, a hashtag, #LockdownGhana, had emerged as the organising mechanism for the public discontent and frustration. Lockdown is a must now. Only medical facilities should be opened. This is getting out of hands, now is not the time to wait until matters are worse. Wash ur hands & drink a lot of water, exercise the body. lets fight this coronavirus together, all of us. Be safe #LockdownGhana, a tweep tweeted. #LockdownNow. Expects are advising a #LockdownGhana and our president is playing deaf and dump. We will pray to our God to deliver us and not these our leaders. I know the #Lockdown will come with a high cost, just as the spread will come with a greater and even higher cost, another tweeted. Other social media users held a different view. H.E @NAkufoAddo I have seen so many people requesting a possible lockdown of the country and I would like to bring to your notice some reasons why the lockdown wouldnt help. First of all, so many people always have to go out there to hustle for their daily bread and for that matter, how is that person going to eat if the country is locked down? A lot of people just think locking down is the best but dont know the negative aspect of it and Ill say, Ghana, our beloved country isnt yet ready for a lockdown. In countries where theres lockdown, they have access to about 90% of amenities and needs but is our country having the same things ?, a Twitter user said. the lock down is a good initiative but that would mean others dying slowly off of other important commodity as water. Some dont even have lavatories in their homes and need the public once to ease themselves. Lock down in Ghana would be a blow to many, another said. The Tuesday count was the biggest jump since the first two cases were reported on March 12 provoking the countrys Information Minister, Kojo Nkrumah, to suggest the possibility of a lockdown, in response to a question at the press briefing. All options are on the table. Government continues to receive advice which is subjected to analysis by experts. The decision to lockdown is not one that is taken lightly or because weve seen other persons doing it. Experts continue to provide advice to decision makers, he said. The 26 new cases were confirmed after respiratory residue samples were taken from travellers who have been mandatorily quarantined, a statement on the Ghana Health Service dedicated website for citizens information on the COVID-19 crisis indicated. The sudden spike in case incidence is as a result of the mandatory quarantine and compulsory testing for all travellers entering Ghana, as directed by the president. As of 24 March, total of 1,030 are under mandatory quarantine; 844 have had their samples taken; 510 have had the samples tested; and out these twenty-six (26) tested positive for COVID-19, the website said. The majority of confirmed cases are Ghanaians who had returned from countries who have been affected by the coronavirus. Great majority of the confirmed cases are Ghanaians, who returned home from affected countries. Seven (7) are of other nationals namely: Norway, Lebanon, China, France, UK, it added. Mr Nkrumah disclosed at the press briefing that testing is still ongoing for the travellers who have been quarantined. Mandatory Quarantine and Border closure Ghanas President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had on Saturday, March 21, 2020, directed a total closure of all its borders to human traffic with effect from Sunday, March 22, 2020. The president said the move was to aid prevent the spread of the Covid-19. All our borders, that is, by land, sea and air, will be closed to human traffic for the next two weeks beginning midnight on Sunday, he said. Travellers who arrive before the directive took effect were to undergo mandatory quarantine and Covid-19 testing. Anybody who comes into the country before on Sunday will be mandatorily quarantined and tested for the virus, President Nana Akufo-Addo added. As of early March 25, there are four infected people in the city; they previously traveled in Egypt and France Open source Volodymyr Buryak, the mayor of Zaporizhya city declared the emergency situation in this city. He himself posted that on Facebook. Buryak reported that four citizens of Zaporizhya suffered from the Chinese coronavirus, as they returned from abroad. The patients previously traveled in Egypt and France. Their age made from 41 to 55 years old. "Coronavirus is already in Zaporizhya, so today we impose the emergency situation in the city since 14.00. But I'm asking everyone not to show any panic, and I once again insist that you need to stay home and only walk outside if there's an urgent need to do so", the official said. Earlier, Dnipro city committee for emergencies ruled to suspend the movement of passenger traffic and set the special working mode for the municipal transport since March 26. Borys Filatov, the mayor reported that on his Facebook page. According to him, it's a painful but forced measure. "Many cities of Ukraine did that already. Know this: I'd rather take curses from people than bury hundreds of them later", he said. President Trump's approval ratings have jumped five points to 49 per cent as voters signal they are happy with the way he is handling the coronavirus crisis, according to the latest Gallup poll. The poll found that 49 per cent of American adults approve of the job Trump is doing as president, up from 44 per cent earlier this month. The president's approval ratings now match those at the high point of his presidency in late January and early February, after the Senate impeachment trial resulted in his acquittal. President Trump's (pictured yesterday) approval ratings have jumped five per cent to 49 per cent as voters signal they are happy with the way he is handling the coronavirus crisis, according to the latest Gallup poll It is not uncommon for a president's approval ratings to increase during a national crisis. Former President George W. Bush's approval rating shot up by 39 points to 90% in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to Gallup polling service. According to Gallup, Americans give the president generally positive reviews for his handling of the coronavirus epidemic, with 60% approving and 38% disapproving. Unusually for Trump, the rise appears to be among people of all political persuasions, with 94 per cent of Republicans, 60% of independents and 27% of Democrats approving of his response. Trump has received mixed reaction for his handling of the coronavirus, and initially attracted criticism from the general public and health experts for downplaying the threat of the virus Trump has received mixed reaction for his handling of the coronavirus, and initially attracted criticism from the general public and health experts for downplaying the threat of the virus. His televised address to the nation on March 11 marked a more serious approach to the unfolding health crisis, in which he announced a temporary ban on travel from Europe and plans to provide low-interest loans to small businesses. By March 13 Trump had declared a national emergency, freeing up as much as $50 billion in financial resources to assist citizens affected by the outbreak. Trump also promised last week to invoke the Defense Production Act, a Korean War-era measure that would compel US businesses to suspend their normal production schedules and begin manufacturing particular materials needed in a time of crisis. People walk by shuttered stores on Massachusetts avenue, typically full of traffic all day, in Boston, Massachusetts on March 24. There are now cases of COVID-19 in all 50 states, and the rapid spread of the illness, combined with the lack of testing kits and other protective equipment, has led many states and communities to shutter non-essential businesses, require residents to stay at home and ban large gatherings Earlier this week, President Trump drew criticism from health advisers who accused him of rushing to end lockdowns before it was safe to do so. The President on Monday said that he will reconsider the nation's social distancing policy within a matter of days, and America would be open for business 'very soon', sparking concern that he was focusing on the economics rather than the health aspect of the crisis. At 1am this morning, the White House announced a deal with leaders of the Senate on a $2 trillion stimulus deal to aid economic recovery. The legislation aims to flood the reeling economy with capital by sending $1,200 checks to many Americans, creating a $367 billion loan program for small businesses, and setting up a $500 billion fund for industries, cities and states. President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters as he speaks about the coronavirus in Washington on Monday Coronavirus deaths in the United States rose to 783 Tuesday evening after a sharp rise of 197 in just one day, the nation's biggest jump to date. The total cases number of cases in America now stands at 54,905 with the infection rate climbing above Italy. Over the past week, there have been a surge of new cases as testing across the country increases. On Tuesday alone, more than 8,000 new positive cases were confirmed. There are now cases of COVID-19 in all 50 states, and the rapid spread of the illness, combined with the lack of testing kits and other protective equipment, has led many states and communities to shutter non-essential businesses, require residents to stay at home and ban large gatherings. By Express News Service CHITRADURGA: COVID-19-positive cases in Karnataka jumped to 51 on Wednesday. Daughter of Davanagere MP G M Siddeshwara is one of the fresh cases the state recorded in the past 48 hours. Sources from the Siddeshwara family said that the MPs daughter, along with her two children, who started from Guyana, first landed at New York airport and from there, she took a flight to New Delhi. From Delhi, she flew to Bengaluru. And then, she and her children travelled with her father in a chaffeur-driven car on March 21 to their house in Bheemasamudra. Siddeshwara said that protocol for COVID-19 had been followed and all who returned were under self-quarantine at his house. However, the administration was not informed of her travel history till the samples were given for test, Chitradurga Deputy Commissioner Vinoth Priya R told TNIE. The DC said the test results of the MPs daughter were collected by district health authorities and sent to Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences on March 22. The test turned out to be positive for COVID-19 and she was shifted to the isolation ward at Chigateri district hospital in Davanagere. This is the first positive case in Chitradurga.The patient, who is the wife of an Indian Diplomat in Guyana, complained of flu-like symptoms and remained self-quarantined at her house at Bheemasamudra. Her condition was informed to the health department, which collected her samples and forwarded it to the SIMS for tests, results of which arrived on Tuesday evening. The DC said that samples of family members including the two children, and those working at the MPs house would be collected and sent for testing to ensure proper protocol is followed. The administration has declared a red zone of a 5km radius around Siddeshwaras house at Bheemasamudra. DHO Dr Palaksha said that the patient is not suffering any serious problems and is normal. However, we have put her in the isolation ward of Chigateri District Hospital in Davangere, he said. Amanda Holden has praised the NHS for 'literally saving her life' when her baby son was stillborn at seven months in 2011. The broadcaster, 49, urged Heart FM listeners to support the #ClapForCarers event at 8pm on Thursday as she detailed her own experience with the health service on Wednesday morning's Breakfast Show. The Britain's Got Talent judge praised the NHS by saying: 'They [the NHS] have always been important to Great Britain. Candid: Amanda Holden said on Wednesday's Heart Radio that the NHS 'saved her life' and 'looked after her family when we lost a baby' as she urged to take part in #ClapForCarers event 'They've always been important to all of us, but now more than ever we should be appreciating them. 'I know for me personally, without getting tearful, they saved my life, literally. My sister was in a car accident two years ago, they saved her life, literally. They looked after us as a family when we lost a baby.' Amanda lost her beloved son Theo seven months into her pregnancy in February 2011. Amanda was fast approaching her due date with her son when she was given the devastating news that Theo's heart had stopped beating. Family unit: The actress has two daughters with husband Chris Hughes, Lexi, 14, and Hollie, eight (pictured). She lost her beloved son Theo seven months into her pregnancy in 2011 A year before, she had miscarried a little boy at 16 weeks. In an interview about that time, she said: 'It was without doubt the blackest period of my life. 'I have such a charmed and lovely life and I just never imagined I would miscarry a baby. Never. You never think it might happen to you.' The actress, who has two daughters with husband Chris Hughes, Alexa, also known as Lexi, 14, and Hollie, eight, said their baby boy would never be forgotten. Experience: Of how the NHS helped her, Amanda said: 'I know for me personally, without getting tearful, they saved my life... they looked after us as a family when we lost a baby' She said: 'I'll literally do anything for the National Health Service because they got me through it, they got Chris through it and I now thankfully have two healthy girls and a little boy who is still part of the family but just not here.' Going on to discuss the #ClapForCarers event on the radio show, which will see the public clap in their homes to say thanks to the medical professionals at the frontline of the coronavirus crisis, Amanda said it was 'the least we can do.' Adding that everyone in Global radio stations would be taking part, she said: 'We're going to make some noise for the doctors, nurses, carers, GPs, pharmacists, the mechanics who looks after all the vehicles. 'Just literally everybody who are involved in the NHS and are working so hard to help those affected by the coronavirus.' Sharing her hopes that listeners would take part, Amanda added: 'We would love you to join us, you just need to make sure you've got Heart on, turn your radio up, and then we're going to give them a massive round of applause. 'I mean we're all going to look ridiculous, all standing on our doorways, hanging out the windows clapping but we don't care because it's a small gesture, but if we join together and give them a round of applause, it would just spur them on.' Over the past two weeks, the VU has received countless questions concerning COVID-19 (the coronavirus) and the business income policy. As authorities require businesses to limit activities or shut down completely, the fear and reality of the loss of income looms large. Insureds call their agents to ask about business income coverage and agents call us. Or, the agents contact us to get ahead of their clients. Either way, business income is a major topic right now. Every agent asks essentially the same question, Is there coverage in the business income policy for business closure or slow down as a result of the coronavirus? Im sorry to tell you up front, but the short simple answer is, no, there is no coverage. The longer answer is a bit more complicated, even though the ultimate answer is the same no coverage. In this short piece, three business income coverages are reviewed: The business income coverage itself; The additional coverage for civil authority; and Dependent property coverage. Business Income We will begin with the insuring agreement from the business income coverage. The form reads: We will pay for the actual loss of Business Income you sustain due to the necessary suspension of your operations during the period of restoration. The suspension must be caused by direct physical loss of or damage to property at premises which are described in the Declarations and for which a Business Income Limit Of Insurance is shown in the Declarations. The loss or damage must be caused by or result from a Covered Cause of Loss. Within this insuring agreement, there are three key coverage triggers to consider, suspension ofoperations, direct physical loss or damage and covered cause of loss. Lets review each trigger. Suspension of operations. Given the local, state or federal requirements, this condition may apply as the business may be shut down by a regulatory authority. As of this writing, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington have all shut down restaurants and bars. The debate may be the necessity, but government made it necessary. So, regardless of the abuse of power and intrusion into our lives by the government, this requirement is met. Direct physical loss or damage: Here is the first question that causes a bit of problem for whether coverage exists. Does or can a virus cause physical damage? Physical or property damage as understood and applied in the courts requires physical harm generally evidenced by changes in the physical characteristics that require repair. Consider an invisible virus on any property or even in the property, does the presence of a virus on a surface or in the air change the physical characteristics such that repair is required? Given the everyday application and meaning of those terms, no, the virus does not result in property damage. So, there is no property damage as required by the form, and without property damage, business income coverage does not respond. Covered Cause of Loss: Even if the presence of a virus can be forced by the courts to be considered property damage; is the mere presence of the virus a covered cause of loss? This is a longer discussion than the other two triggers discussed above; lets detail this trigger. Is a Virus a Covered Cause of Loss Is the presence of the virus a covered cause of loss? Of course, whether its a covered cause of loss or not matters only if presence of the virus can cause property damage according to the courts. There is a specific exclusion within the policy that may apply in addition to a mandatory exclusionary endorsement. Lets look at both exclusions. Within ISOs business income policy written on a special cause of loss form, the following is excluded: l. Discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release or escape of pollutants unless the discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release or escape is itself caused by any of the specified causes of loss. A pollutant is defined in the form to mean: any solid, liquid, gaseous or thermal irritant or contaminant, including smoke, vapor, soot, fumes, acids, alkalis, chemicals and waste. A contaminate, particularly a biological contaminant, is defined as a contamination of food or environment with microorganisms such as bacteria, VIRUSES, fungi or parasites. Based on the policy wording and the applicable meaning of contaminant, the unendorsed policy excludes coverage for the presence of a virus via the pollution exclusion. But even this isnt going to stop some attorneys from grasping at straws and any possibility of coverage. On March 16, the first business income suit was filed in Louisiana (Cajun Conti, LLC et al DBA Oceana Grill v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyds (and others including the governor and state)). But even if the virus is considered property damage AND the pollution exclusion is ignored, how long will the damage be present? Surface can be disinfected in one day. If not taken care of and disinfected by the owner according to recent scientific research, the virus can live for only a short time: Up to four hours in the air depending on the consistency (mist vs. droplets); and One to three days on surfaces depending on the surface Most Business Income policies have a 72-hour deductible or waiting period; so unless the waiting period has been reduced by endorsement (CP 15 56), there wont be qualifying property damage after a maximum of three days for there to be a qualifying loss. But what about recontamination? Every new contamination is a new event and a new waiting period begins. If the pollution exclusion is ignored, there is a mandatory endorsement attached to ISO property policies that removes all doubts, the CP 01 40. ISO Released the CP 01 40-Exclusion of Loss Due to Virus or Bacteria in 2006 as a mandatory endorsement to specifically exclude loss resulting from a Virus or bacteria. ISO stated in the initial filing that the presence of viruses was NEVER intended to be covered due to the pollution exclusion, but they anticipated that some would torture the policy. The CP 01 40 was introduced to negate efforts to expand coverage and to create sources of recovery for such losses, contrary to policy intent. (ISO wording in the release.) Business Income Result So, whats the result? There is no business income coverage. There is no property damage thus there is no coverage. If courts disagree about property damage AND ignore the pollution exclusion, what is the period of damage? According to scientist, a maximum of three days without human intervention. (Remember, there is generally a 72-hour deductible.) If CP 01 40 attached, there is no question that there is no coverage. Ultimately and overall, there is no Business Income Coverage. Civil Authority Lets go to the policy and look at the wording in regard to civil authority (slightly abridged): a. Civil Authority In this Additional Coverage, Civil Authority, the described premises are premises to which this Coverage Form applies, as shown in the Declarations. When a Covered Cause of Loss causes damage to property other than property at the described premises, we will pay for the actual loss of Business Income you sustaincaused by action of civil authority that prohibits access to the described premises, provided that both of the following apply: (1) Access to the area immediately surrounding the damaged property is prohibited by civil authority as a result of the damage, and the described premises are within that area but are not more than one mile from the damaged property; and (2) The action of civil authority is taken in response to dangerous physical conditions resulting from the damage or continuation of the Covered Cause of Loss that caused the damage, or the action is taken to enable a civil authority to have unimpeded access to the damaged property. Civil Authority Coverage for Business Income will begin 72 hours after the time of the first action of civil authority that prohibits access to the described premises and will apply for a period of up to four consecutive weeks from the date on which such coverage began and will end: (1) Four consecutive weeks after the date of that action; or (2) When your Civil Authority Coverage for Business Income ends; whichever is later. What are the requirements for there to be coverage? Some look very familiar: There must be a covered cause of loss. The damage, if there is any, is excluded by either the pollution exclusion or the CP 01 40. Access to the area must be prohibited by the civil authority. You can still get into the area you just cant go into the building (maybe). The property damage must have occurred within 1 mile of insureds premises. The civil authority must prohibit access due to dangerous physical conditions. Is it the property or the people that might lead to a civil authority decree? This is a biological condition not a physical condition. There is a 72-Hour deductible. What is the result of these requirements? There is likely no coverage. Dependent Property Coverage Before we look at the coverage, lets first define what qualifies as a dependent property. Dependent properties eligible for coverage in the business income form include: Buyers (ISO terminology Recipient Locations); Suppliers (ISO Contributing Locations); Providers (ISO Manufacturing Locations); and Drivers (ISO Leader Locations). Lets review the language from one of the four endorsements: A. We will pay for the actual loss of Business Income you sustain due to the necessary suspension of your operations during the period of restoration. The suspension must be caused by direct physical loss of or damage to dependent property at the premises described in the Schedule caused by or resulting from a Covered Cause of Loss. Note the common requirements found in this language. There must be direct physical loss or damage and the damage must be from a covered cause of loss. Given the similarities, how does this coverage respond? Applying the same reasoning as that found in the other two sections, there is no coverage. The Moral of the Story In the business income policy, with or without the CP 01 40, there is no coverage unless: Courts ignore the meaning and reality of property damage; Courts ignore the pollution exclusion (in the absence of the CP 01 40); or Governmental authorities intervene. Even if coverage is found there is generally a 72-hour deductible. The virus doesnt live in the air on surfaces beyond that amount of time. Here is the final reality, is it the property or the people that is the problem? Is this a biological issue or a property damage issue? The commercial property policy is not designed to cover biological issues, it is for property issues. To end this article, given the policy wording and requirements, there is no coverage for a business income loss resulting from the coronavirus. But let me give you this final warning if the insured wants to make a claim, do it and let the carrier decide. However, if the insured is just asking your opinion as to whether coverage exists, you can give it. But dont advise against filing a claim, simply say you dont think its covered based on policy wording, but that you will still file a claim if the insured wants you to do so. Last updated: March 16, 2020 Topics COVID-19 Profit Loss Property Pollution Eight Southeast Michigan hospitals operated by Beaumont Health are currently treating nearly 450 confirmed COVID-19 patients and are nearing capacity, officials said Tuesday. In a Tuesday evening press release, Beaumont Health Chief Operating Officer Carolyn Wilson said the health organization is facing limitations and nearing capacity with staffing, personal protective equipment and ventilators. We are taking steps to increase our capacity, such as converting some of our operating rooms into intensive care units, Wilson said. Beaumont Health hospitals in Wayne and Oakland counties are currently caring for nearly 450 patients confirmed positive for COVID-19, and another 185 patients have coronavirus test results pending as of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Officials said Beaumont currently has some ventilator capacity, but noted that could change as more people become infected. Beaumont Health CEO John Fox said their hospitals will soon be looking at the need for coordinating the care of acute COVID-19 patients across the region and beyond. All health systems in Michigan need to work together to help care for these patients, Fox said. "I am very pleased with the commitment all the hospital systems have expressed to work together to respond to the pandemic. At the same time, Fox said, Beaumont is continuing to care for numerous patients who are not infected by the coronavirus: People are still giving birth, having heart attacks and getting injured in auto accidents. The Beaumont press release confirms comments from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Oakland County officials earlier Tuesday. In an interview with WDETs Detroit Today program, Whitmer said Beaumont Health is almost at capacity" and said it would only get worse. And we havent seen the worst of it yet," she said. The numbers are going to continue to climb. According to the latest state numbers, there are 1,791 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Michigan and 24 confirmed deaths. Hospitals around the state have been caring for and preparing for coronavirus patients, including for potential overflow situations. Whitmer ordered non-essential businesses closed starting Tuesday, a move that is designed to slow the spread of the virus. She ordered Michigan residents to stay at home with some exceptions, like for getting food or medicine. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. Complete coverage of coronavirus in Michigan. Related coverage: Detroit-area hospital system almost at capacity, Gov. Whitmer says amid coronavirus outbreak Michigans Oakland County asks businesses to screen essential staff daily for coronavirus symptoms All Michigan residents, most businesses ordered to stay home to slow spread of coronavirus Read Michigan Gov. Whitmers entire coronavirus stay-at-home order Whats open, whats closed under Gov. Whitmers coronavirus stay-at-home order Tuesday, March 24: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigan marijuana shops to remain open with essential businesses amid coronavirus stay-at-home order 8 tips to keep parents and kids sane and safe during Michigans coronavirus outbreak How to report if your non-essential workplace is still open during Michigans coronavirus stay home order Michigan grocery stores slammed after Gov. Gretchen Whitmers coronavirus stay-at-home order Michigans coronavirus stay-at-home order torture, but good for some and way overboard for others Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday targetted Centre over surge in coronavirus cases in the country, alleging that the government has miserably failed in tackling the unprecedented situation and was still not managing the crisis well. "The government has miserably failed in tackling this very serious disease. They are not properly managing the crisis," senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah told ANI. Siddaramaiah's response comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that it is vital to break the chain of the disease and experts have said that at least 21 days are needed for it. The Prime Minister said the lockdown has drawn a "Lakshman Rekha" in every home and people should stay indoors for their own protection and for that of their families. Noting that the Centre has on Tuesday allocated Rs 15,000 crore for the treatment of coronavirus patients and to strengthen health infrastructure, he said testing facilities, personal protective equipment, isolation beds, ICU beds, ventilators and other necessary materials will be ramped up. The Prime Minister said the country will have to bear the economic cost of lockdown but saving the life of every citizen is his priority and the priority of the Central and state governments as also of local administrations. Noting that the virus spreads like fire, he said that if care is not taken for 21 days, the country, a family can go behind by 21 years. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India has reported about 536 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known positive cases. A total of 22,694 samples from March 24 till 8 pm. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Company streamlines operations to maximize results and names new CFO VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2020 / Weekend Unlimited Inc. ("Weekend" or the "Company") (CSE:POT)(FSE:0OS1)(OTCQB:WKULF) is pleased to provide an update on the strong growth of its operations as the day to day realities of the economic picture with Covid-19 unfold. The Company's branded product line is experiencing excellent growth in Oklahoma, with sales numbers doubling from the month of January compared to the period to date in March - in addition the Company's products are now in 74 dispensaries, adding to that total on a daily basis. In light of Covid-19 and the inherent uncertainties, the Company is focused on maximizing sales growth at a time where there is opportunity within the sector as consumer demand grows. With its strong cash position, Weekend is taking all necessary steps to focus resources on its US Cannabis and CBD growth to increase revenues and optimize its operations while also decreasing its monthly expenses by over 35%. Highlights 100% + increase in Oklahoma dispensaries carrying Weekend Branded Products from February 1 st with 35 locations to 74 locations by March 24 th , 2020 with 35 locations to 74 locations by March 24 , 2020 115% increase in overall branded product sales in Oklahoma from January to March Building on success in Oklahoma, the Company is preparing to launch its Orchard Heights branded products, which will benefit from existing production, sales and distribution "We are prioritizing our growth in US markets, deploying capital and building an operational team featuring great salespeople, under trying global times," said Mr. Chris Backus, Weekend President and CEO. "It is important to note that the cannabis and CBD sector is demonstrating signs of growth in this environment. Demand for our branded products is increasing and our team is operating at full throttle, meeting that demand and establishing the brand amongst more and more consumers. We are in a strong cash position and able to take advantage of the opportunities for growth, including the upcoming launch of our Orchard Heights brand in Oklahoma." The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Robert Payment as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Payment is a Professional Chartered Accountant with 12 years' experience in finance, reporting, regulatory requirements, public company administration, equity markets, and financing of publicly traded companies. Extensive experience in the cannabis, manufacturing, natural resource, and retail industries. Mr. Payment replaces Mr. Michael Hopkinson as CFO. "We are thrilled to have Robert on board, he will play an integral role on our leadership team going forward, and I want to thank Michael for all his efforts and wish him the best in his future endeavours," said Mr. Chris Backus. The Company is pleased to announce that, subject to regulatory approvals, it intends to extend the expiry date and reprice an aggregate of 8,679,972 previously issued warrants (the "Warrants") for an additional 12 months at an exercise price of $0.25. 4,546,920 Warrants were originally issued March 29, 2018, with an original expiry date of March 29th, 2020; 3,452,295 Warrants were originally issued April 5th, 2018, with an original expiry date of April 5th, 2020; and, 680,757 Warrants were originally issued April 16th, 2018, with an original expiry date of April 16th, 2020. The original exercise price of all of the warrants extended and repriced was $2.00. In addition the Company has issued 4,930,000 options at an exercisable price of $0.125 for a 5-year term, 1,250,000 of which are to be granted to insiders. For further information, please contact: Mr. Chris Backus, President & CEO, Director Telephone: 1(236) 317-2812 E-mail: IR@weekendunlimited.com About Weekend Unlimited Inc. Weekend Unlimited is a lifestyle-based recreational cannabis and CBD wellness company. We are developing and launching premium cannabis and CBD brands to deliver life's highs - any- time, anywhere. Our CBD products are available online and at a retailer near you. Weekend Unlimited is well-positioned to launch and scale the brands that will define cannabis and CBD. Learn more at www.weekendunlimited.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the poli- cies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward- looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking infor- mation reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Of- ten, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by state- ments to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward- looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic condi- tions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new in- formation, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws. SOURCE: Weekend Unlimited Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/582410/Weekend-Unlimited-Sales-and-Reach-Increasing-Significantly-During-Covid-19-Economic-Slowdown It will be a close run thing whether the NHS capacity will be exceeded over the coming weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak, chief medical officer Chris Whitty has said. At a press conference in 10 Downing Street, Prof Whitty said that there was not currently enormous pressure on critical care beds within the health service, despite a total of more than 8,000 patients testing positive for coronavirus across the UK. But he said that he could not guarantee that bed spaces would not run out within the next three weeks. The NHS has more than 4,000 critical care beds in normal times and efforts are under way to accommodate the expected surge in additional coronavirus patients by using private sector facilities and discharging patients able to go home. The ExCel exhibition centre in east London is being converted into a field hospital which will eventually be able to take 4,000 patients during the outbreak. Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Show all 12 1 /12 Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Agnetha Septimus, Matthew Septimus, and children Ezra and Nora Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Husband and wife filmmakers, Claire Ince and Ancil McKain pose for a portrait for the series by Shutterstock Staff Photographer, Stephen Lovekin, shot around the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Khadijah Silver and son Eliot Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Anna Beth Rousakis and daughter Mary Rousakis Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Mike Pergola and Denise Pergola with children Henry, Jack, and Will Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Artist Shirley Fuerst Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Jean Davis and Danny Rosenthal, with children Simone, Naomi, and Leah Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Robert E Clark Jr Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Lisa Draho and Josh Zuckerman, with children Ruby and Ava Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Professor and activist Dr Kristin Lawler Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Tom Smith and Laura Ross, with daughters Caroline, Elizabeth, and Abigail Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Callie Lovekin and Lucas Lovekin Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Prof Whitty said: The NHS is increasing supply by a combination of pushing out in time things which can be postponed and increasing the critical care and particularly the ventilated bed capacity over the next weeks. But he added: This is going to be a close run thing, we all know that. And anybody who looks around the world can see this is going to be difficult for every health system. Prof Whitty said that the lockdown announced by prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday, requiring people to stay at home as much as they can and avoid social contact, should help relieve pressure on bed spaces by reducing the rate of infection, while the NHS works rapidly to increase capacity. That is the way that we will narrow this down to the smallest possible gap over the next three weeks, he said. And, you know, we do think that if everybody sticks to staying in your households unless absolutely essential, this gap will be probably manageable by the NHS. But we cannot guarantee that, and nobody who is sensible would wish to guarantee that, but we think that is what we are planning for and that is what we intend to happen. Current pressure on critical care beds is not enormous compared to a bad, or even normal, winter day in the NHS, said Prof Whitty. But he added: We expect the demand for critical care beds to continue to rise over the next two weeks. That is entirely what we expect to happen and that is what will happen over that time. March 25 : Everyone everywhere is only taking about widespread of Corona. While people from Italy are trying their best to bring awareness amongst other nations to take it seriously, here in India some people are still not taking it seriously. Venting out his anger on those lunatics, Akshay Kumar shared a video on his social media where he is trying to make them understand the aftermaths of not following lockdown seriously. At the risk of sounding repetitive, sharing my thoughts...there is a lockdown for a reason. Please dont be selfish and venture out, youre putting others lives at risk #StayAtHomeSaveLives. @mybmc pic.twitter.com/G0Nms9hYoP Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) March 24, 2020 He wrote #StayAtHomeSaveLives At the risk of sounding repetitive, sharing my thoughts...there is a lockdown for a reason. Please don't be selfish and venture out, you are putting others lives at risk. #StayAtHomeSaveLives @my_bmc Khiladi Kumar starts the video by asking for forgiveness if he uses wrong words and posts, "Have some people lost it? What has happened to them, who doesn't understand the meaning of LOCKDOWN ? Lockdown means you are supposed to stay at home with the family. It doesn't mean you are roaming in the streets outside. All those who are trying to show how brave you are by moving out in the streets this time, let me tell you this won't help at all. You yourself will land up in the hospital and will also take your family there. Nobody will survive if you won't take care. I request all of you to please use your mind. I perform various stunts in my films, but this deadly disease has taken a toll of eveyone's life all over the world. You can become your family's hero but be a khiladi of life and stay at home. Till the time government is asking to stay at home, just stay at home. Be doing this you will save your life and your family's. We have raged a war against corona, we have to defeat it and we dont have a choice. The only way is to stay at home and wash your hands." Since the country has gone down for 21 days lockdown now, many other celebrities are also coming forward and are requesting the people to follow the lockdown strictly in order to prevent themselves and their families from falling a prey to this menace. During those decades when she was still travelling abroad, a small leather case went everywhere with the Queen. Divided into up to 60 compartments and replenished by aides before each journey, it contained a bewildering supply of homeopathic remedies. There was arsenicum album for food poisoning, cocculus for travel sickness, nux vomica for indigestion and arnica, for jet-lag and bruising. For the Queen, the presence of these cures was not just a reassuring element of comfortable travel. She considered it her duty to remain well on overseas engagements, not least because of the logistical nightmare if she were taken ill. Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (right) and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II laugh during a Ceremonial Welcome for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto (not pictured) at Horse Guards Parade in central London on March 3, 2015 In this file photo dated Monday March 9, 2020, members of Britain's royal family, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge attend the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London. The prince's Clarence House office reported today that 71-year-old Prince Charles is showing mild symptoms of COVID-19 and is self-isolating at a royal estate in Scotland, also saying his wife Camilla has tested negative Princess Anne likes to take a compound of arnica (pictured) with her when she is on horseback, to deal with bruises should she fall But above all, that leather case symbolised royal patronage for alternative medicine. And despite the shrill claims that such complementary treatments are quackery, who could say they have not served her well? At almost 94, she has enjoyed remarkably robust health for much of her life and has seldom been forced to cancel official duties because of illness. File photo dated 09/03/20 of Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales leaving after the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London on Commonwealth Day So while there will be anxieties about the Prince of Wales as he fights Covid-19, the question for millions will be: what about the Queen? Despite her extraordinary resilience, her age puts her in the high-risk category. Buckingham Palace aides have been crosschecking diaries to see when Charles last came into close contact with his mother and other members of the Royal Family. In fact, mother and son rarely meet in the course of their working days but the Prince likes to drop in on her when he is performing duties at Buckingham Palace. The last time the two met was on March 12, when he officiated at an investiture and called in on the Queen. Since last week, the Queen has effectively been self-isolating at Windsor Castle and is said to be well and in good spirits. In this photo made available by Buckingham Palace, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II speaks to Prime Minister Boris Johnson from Windsor Castle, Windsor, England, on Wednesday for her weekly audience Whatever arguments rage between believers and sceptics on the value of homeopathy, the royals have sided firmly, if generally privately, with its supporters. The Queens father, George VI, relied on it as much as he did on conventional medicine, and named one of his racehorses Hypericum after a remedy. So too did the Queen Mother, and she lived to 101. Even Prince Philip, generally more sceptical on such matters, for years wore a copper bracelet to ward off arthritis. Prince Charles has been the most public defender of alternative cures, once angrily claiming that so many myths had attached to his views of natural medicine that critics had accused him of an amazing cocktail of freakish interests and obsessions Princess Anne likes to take a compound of arnica with her when she is on horseback, to deal with bruises should she fall. Prince Charles has been the most public defender of alternative cures, once angrily claiming that so many myths had attached to his views of natural medicine that critics had accused him of an amazing cocktail of freakish interests and obsessions. His alternative medical guru, Dr Mosaraf Ali, is sure he will make a speedy recovery. The Prince is fit and well and rarely falls ill, Dr Ali told me. Hes in the right place to get better Scotland is good for him. The royals are zealous about trying to keep details of their health secret. Some years ago, Prince Philip threatened legal action after a newspaper published details of a condition he was suffering. And a biographer of a courtier to the Queens father had references to the Kings health deleted after submitting the manuscript to Buckingham Palace for fact-checking. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (L), Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (C) and Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attend the wedding ceremony of Britain's Princess Eugenie of York (C) and Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, on October 12, 2018 Even when it might suit the Royal Family for certain medical details to be made public, they have prevented that happening. It was widely reported that a whole passage listing concerns about Princess Dianas mental health was removed from Jonathan Dimblebys biography of the Prince of Wales, on Charless orders. Sometimes they have apparently authorised even more extreme action. In 1986, 50 years after his death, it was revealed that George V had been administered a lethal shot of morphine and cocaine to guarantee him a painless death but also so the announcement (of his passing) could be carried in the morning papers rather than the less appropriate evening journals. Quaint terms surround royal health. Their medical staff are known as physicians, apothecaries and ophthalmologists. Of course, as monarch and heir, some light has to be shed on the Queen and Charless health. Pictured: An arnica storage container and bottles. Whatever arguments rage between believers and sceptics on the value of homeopathy, the royals have sided firmly, if generally privately, with its supporters In January 1949, when then Princess Elizabeth was 22, it was announced that she had caught measles and was being separated from the infant Prince Charles. The first time the Queen was admitted to hospital was at the age of 56, in July 1982, when she had a wisdom tooth extracted at King Edward VIIs Hospital in Central London. It was headline news. So was her resilience in 1993 when she refused to cancel a visit to a factory despite having had three stitches in her left hand after being bitten by one of her corgis. In January 1994 she wore a plaster cast after breaking a wrist when her horse tripped during a ride on the Sandringham estate. And in 2003 she underwent surgery on both knees and, in the same year, to remove benign lesions from her face. Of course, there have been occasional bouts of influenza and colds. But whatever the affliction, we can be sure the contents of that leather case have been to the fore. Jonathon Seidl in his home office in Dallas. The coronavirus pandemic has made managing his anxiety disorder a challenge. (Brett Seidl/Associated Press) At first, Jonathon Seidl wasn't worried about the coronavirus despite his anxiety disorder. But that changed. The 33-year-old digital media strategist from Dallas, who takes medication for his condition, said his concern was less about getting sick than about the battering the economy could sustain. Would he be able to feed his family? Would there be a run on food stores? He could not shake his worries. So he paced. His heart raced. He wanted to go to bed early because sleep was the only respite." But his sleep was rarely restful. "I would wake up during the night, he said. The pandemic is worrisome enough for most people. For those with anxiety disorders, it presents a special challenge, especially if they are not receiving treatment. That's the case for about two-thirds of people with anxiety disorders, says Dr. Bruce Schwartz, president of the American Psychiatric Assn. Those are the ones I'm worried about, he said. Schwartz, who maintains a practice in New York, said those who are in treatment do pretty well in the face of the pandemic. Still, some therapists say they have noticed an uptick in symptoms with the spread of the virus. And for some anxiety conditions, the recommendations from health officials can appear to feed the problem. People who fear interacting with others now hear advice to avoid crowds. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder who fear germs so much they wash their hands excessively now hear public health authorities encouraging frequent hand-washing. Standard treatments can deal with coronavirus fears in people who already had anxiety troubles, helping them to avoid emotional extremes, psychologists say. The goal is accepting an appropriate level of anxiety and living with some uncertainty. You don't have to like that any of this is happening to accept that this is our reality right now, said Vaile Wright, director of clinical research and quality at the American Psychological Assn. People can focus on what's under their control, she said, like how to work from home or manage the kids with schools closed. Story continues Mary Alvord, a psychologist in Rockville, Md., said she sees increased anxiety in people whose fear of picking up germs drives them to rituals to ease that fear. Public health messages about cleaning surfaces and washing hands can make some patients think we were right all along, Alvord said. So we have to really deal with reality checks, she said. People with an anxiety disorder tend to focus on what-if ideas and worst-case scenarios more than what is going on in the present, she said. That's what we're trying to get under control. Psychologist Mary Alvord, left, holds an online video conference with a colleague instead of meeting in person. (Steve Ruark/Associated Press) It's tricky to get people with obsessive-compulsive behavior to focus on taking reasonable precautions without fueling their condition, said Neda Gould, associate director of an anxiety clinic at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. A mental health provider can help them set goals and limits, she said, while techniques for relaxation and meditation can help turn off that heightened anxiety or stress response ... or at least to turn it down. Somebody with obsessive-compulsive disorder might be encouraged to touch some surface they fear is contaminated, and then not wash their hands for 20 minutes, and even then for only the recommended 20 seconds rather than for five minutes with scalding-hot water, Wright said. For people apprehensive about dealing with others, the public health advice about avoiding groups also makes therapy challenging, Gould said. The key thing is to stay connected to other people, and that can be done via social media, email, video conferencing or phone calls, she said. Alvord, in fact, said she avoids the term social distancing and instead talks about physical distancing and social connectedness. That allows for connecting online, she said. It can be hard for anxiety-prone people to reach out when they feel overwhelmed, Wright said, so other people should put in the effort to contact them, just to ask how they're doing. There's nothing wrong in talking about the virus in a productive way, encouraging people to take care of themselves physically and emotionally without inducing panic and destructive riffs of what-if, she said. And it's OK to contact friends and family and talk not at all about the virus right now," she said. We need that too. We need a balance. Schwartz recommends that people staying home limit the amount of time spent listening to the news, which includes not leaving it on in the background. And he suggests staying busy with projects like cleaning closets and drawers and cooking with one's family, as well as getting outdoors for walks. Alvord, who directs 18 therapists in two offices, said her practice, like many others, has moved its patients to online contact. She noted that thousands of psychologists signed up for her recent webinar on practicing psychology remotely in the pandemic age. In her case, the shift was promoted both by people anxious about showing up in person and the practice's own precautions for a caseload that could land 50 people in a waiting room on a Saturday morning. Research shows internet therapy can be as effective as doing it in person, Alvord said. But it's different than having somebody in the office, she said. I only see you from the waist up ... I don't see you walking. I don't see all the full range of gestures." Gould said she recently moved all her sessions to telephone or videoconferencing, including group sessions. The goal is to help people like Seidl, who says he has found some solace in thinking about life after the outbreak. It's one of the things that gives me hope," he said, describing a point where his mind slows down and his heart stops racing. "There is so much relief, and there is so much rest. I AM writing to you with regard to an issue that is taking a back seat to the current pandemic which also concerns the Philippines. Because governments around the world were ill prepared for the outbreak, the world is now going through a pandemic. Governments around the world have forced businesses to close down as they would like to say here in the Philippines UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Well and good, if businesses will just shut down for a month or two. But what happens if governments still would like to see business closed for another six months or even until the time a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) becomes available? How then will millions of people without jobs support themselves and their families? What kind of preparations are being made by the PH government and governments around the world if the economic downturn continues to linger or worse slide further for the foreseeable future? For me the peoples of the world need to demand answers from their governments this early. Getting caught with our pants down with a pandemic is bad enough. Getting caught in a possible PANDEMONIUM because our governments did not prepare for a long-term economic downturn where the jobless and their families are pushed into a corner and become desperate, will be a scenario fraught with consequences that is nothing short of unspeakable for society. Don't get me wrong. Its not to say that the shutdown is not without purpose. But remember, when families start to get cornered by the economic downturn, without meaningful government intervention, fear of what the virus can do takes a back seat to the need to survive. Civil unrest could plunge society in the PH and the rest of the world into chaos. I suggest the Filipinos start asking their government the hard questions this early so they can be prepared for a possible scenario that is from Pandemic to Pandemonium. (By Jonathan Utonium) The Trump administrations daily coronavirus briefings have been carried live by Fox News, CNN and MSNBC, as well as the broadcast networks. These briefings have been highly informative, and apparently impressive, as recent polling indicates that a clear majority of Americans approve of President Trumps handling of the Wuhan virus issue. This caused MSNBCs Rachel Maddow to urge on Friday that television networks stop covering the press conferences because of the Presidents lies. In other words, the briefings informed Americans about the vigorous actions the administration is taking and thereby hurt Maddows political party. Yesterdays press briefing was a watershed, as all of the broadcast networks as well as CNN and Maddows MSNBC cut away midway through the press conference. (The broadcast networks left the conference earlier than that.) This refusal to make public the administrations information effort, which refusal presumably will continue, has enraged some on the right. To me, the real question is, what ratings were the press conferences getting? Television networks are ostensibly in business to attract viewers and thereby to draw advertisers, but that goal sometimes conflicts with partisan preference. History shows that CNN, for one, is happy to sacrifice viewers and profitability to pursue a political agenda. So what is going on here? Are CNN and MSNBC motivated by profit, or by politics? I havent seen daily ratings for the press briefings, but this Associated Press story sheds considerable light: ABC, CBS and NBC all covered Trump at the beginning of Mondays briefing, which began about 6:10 p.m. Eastern. After 20 minutes, they switched to the network evening newscasts, never to return to Trump. The president spoke until shortly after 8 p.m. The cable news networks have given Trump blanket coverage for his briefings, but CNN cut away Monday at around 7:20 p.m. MSNBC followed within five minutes. *** MSNBC, through a spokesperson, said that we cut away because the information no longer appeared to be valuable to the important ongoing discussion around public health. Really? As opposed to whatever programming followed? But this is the key point: For the three cable news networks, five Trump briefings last week each had more than double the audience the networks had for the same time period a year earlier, the Nielsen company said. For example, Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC attracted 8.28 million viewers for Trumps briefing Friday, nearly half of them watching Fox. [Ed.: That ratio is pretty typical of the three cable news networks audiences.] The audience for those networks a year earlier was 2.82 million, Nielsen said. When people are tuning in in droves to watch a news event, that tells you that theyre interested in it and you have to pay attention to that, said Jonathan Klein, a former CNN president. (Emphasis added.) People are interested and are tuning in? That is a problem, if your goal is to advance a left-wing agenda and not to make a profit for your shareholders. Based on the numbers, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that MSNBC and CNN have cut back on broadcasting the administrations press conferences because they give viewers a good impression of the administration and thereby hurt the prospects of the Democratic Party, whose interests those networks are dedicated to advancing. - An Italian priest tried to offer a live stream of his mass when things changed from spiritual to comical - The priest did not notice that filters were turned on during his stream leading to hilarious emojis appearing on his face - The sermon went on for a while before it was too late for him to notice with the video going viral on social media As Italy becomes the most affected country by the coronavirus pandemic, priests and other religious leaders are turning to the online platform to give sermons. One Italian priest tried to offer a live stream of a mass when things changed from spiritual to comical. READ ALSO: Kenyans hilariously ask Sweden to take them home: 'I feel very Swedish' An Italian priest's live stream mass on Facebook ended up seeming more comical than spiritual Source: UGC READ ALSO: Couple get married on New York street with friend officiating from 4th floor at his apartment Placing the phone some distance away from himself for a recording, he did not notice that emoji filters were appearing on his head during the recording. They went from robot emoji to him appearing to wear a cowboy cap with sunglasses. He continued doing the sermon before it was too late for him to notice, with the video going viral on social media. READ ALSO: US DJ thrilled after Oprah, Michelle Obama, Rihanna attend his online quarantine party READ ALSO: Wasafiri 3 kutoka Kenya miongoni mwa visa 17 vipya vya coronavirus Rwanda His act of kindness and will to help others during this difficult time did not go unnoticed as he actually put a smile on many internet users' faces. In what may seem like a plot twist, an Italian based priest was among eight coronavirus cases recently confirmed by the government of Kenya. According to the Daily Nation, the priest officiated a mass and attended a burial before he tested for COVID-19 and was found to be positive. Measures were then put in place to track down people the priest had come into contact with, fearing that he could have infected more with the deadly virus. All the eight confirmed victims were imported cases from Europe and America. The ages were between 20 for the youngest case and 67 years for the oldest. The health minister, Mutahi Kagwe, said it was a disappointment to see people coming from worst hit countries ignore guidelines of the 14-day quarantine period. "Much to our disappointment, we have noted that the majority of our people have continued to ignore these measures and are behaving as if it is business as usual. As I cautioned last week, this disease is not a joke," Kagwe said. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Lockdown Kenya: Mixed reactions as Kenyan leaders call for a complete country lockdown | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Oregon established a mechanism Tuesday for employees to report instances when businesses arent following health advisories for maintaining a safe environment amid the coronavirus outbreak. Workers can submit complaints about their employers online to Oregons Occupational Safety and Health division, which can enforce restrictions designed to keep workers safe, according to Gov. Kate Browns office. When Brown ordered Oregonians to stay home Monday, she ordered some businesses to close and instructed the states residents not to visit playgrounds, gyms or travel for vacation during the outbreak. She allowed many businesses to remain open, including grocery stores, factories and construction sites, provided they keep workers and customers six feet apart to avoid spread of the deadly coronavirus. Violators are technically subject to citation for a misdemeanor violation and penalties up to 30 days in jail, a $1,250 fine or both. However, the governor said she will not establish patrols to enforce the order and law enforcement agencies said they are more likely to warn violators than cite them. So while members of the public can call police to report a person or shop they believe is violating the governors order, it appears unlikely law enforcement would respond. People who continue to work during the outbreak remain in a potentially vulnerable situation, though, having to be on the job to earn their pay while subject to whatever working conditions their employers establish. Two of Oregons largest corporate employers, Intel and Precision Castparts, have each reported coronavirus infections among people at their facilities. And many workers, who asked not to be identified speaking about their employer, have expressed concerns about workplace conditions they fear could expose them to the virus. Some manufacturers in other states shut down after their governors issued orders keeping people at home, but practices varied widely from place to place. Michigans big three automakers closed their factories last week and Boeing said Monday it is closing its Washington factories. In Oregon, Brown said Monday that she wants to strike a balance between protecting peoples health and their livelihoods. I am gravely concerned, if I shut down every single business, that we will be in an economic hurt that it will be extremely hard for us to crawl out of, she said. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The Duchess of York has shared a poignant message amid the coronavirus lockdown, claiming Mother Nature has 'taken back control' and 'sent us to our rooms like spoilt children'. Sarah Ferguson, 60, took to Instagram to share the message, along with a spring-themed photo of a tree in blossom. It is not known where the photograph was taken, but it could be at the duchess' residence with Prince Andrew at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Writing on Instagram last night, Sarah mused: 'Mother Nature has sent us to our rooms.. like the spoilt children we are. The Duchess of York has shared a poignant message amid the coronavirus lockdown, claiming Mother Nature has 'taken back control' and 'sent us to our rooms like spoilt children' 'She gave us time and she gave us warnings. She was so patient with us. She gave us fire and floods, she tried to warn us but in the end she took back control. 'She has sent us to our rooms and when she is finished clearing up our mess. She will let us out to play again. How will we use this time?' Her thoughtful message resonated with many of her 260,000 followers, with a number taking to the comments to share their response. One wrote: 'Exactly my thoughts ...I said a few months back that Mother Nature was tired ...... and something was in the air, a strange feeling.' Sarah Ferguson, 60, took to Instagram to share the message, along with a spring-themed photo of a tree in blossom Writing on Instagram last night, Sarah mused: 'Mother Nature has sent us to our rooms.. like the spoilt children we are' Appreciating her photo, another commented: 'Went outside for the first time in 12 days after being ill, cut the lawn and marvelled at the bees, frogs and all of their spawn and a couple of butterflies. Spring has sprung!!!' And another remarked: 'Wise reflection, and at the same time a great photo full of hope. Thank you Sarah, at these times looking at your pics and reading your posts is so comforting!' Earlier today it emerged the duchess, along with daughter Princess Eugenie and son-in-law Jack Brooksbank, made a secret mercy dash to deliver supplies to frontline NHS staff. Keen to do their bit during this crisis, the family delivered care packages, containing essentials such as food, toiletries and cleaning products, to Hammersmith Hospital in West London on Wednesday and then again on Saturday. Sarah's thoughtful message resonated with many of her 260,000 followers, with a number taking to the comments to share their response Further drop-offs are planned at other hospitals, including the Chelsea and Westminster and Upton Hospital in Slough. A pal said: 'They wanted to do anything they could to help.' The couple were asked to help out by a hospital consultant friend, and the packages included toothpaste, soap, shower gel, hand wash, anti-bacterial wipes, dried pasta, pasta sauces, rice, cereal bars and tinned fruit. The Duchess is also working with British chocolate brand Love Cocoa, which is donating treats to hospitals for every product bought. Earlier today it emerged Sarah, along with daughter Princess Eugenie (right) and son-in-law Jack Brooksbank, made a secret mercy dash to deliver supplies to frontline NHS staff 'I am deeply grateful for the speed and kindness of Joel Cadbury, who called his cousin James Cadbury of Love Cocoa,' the Duchess told the Daily Mail's Sebastian Shakespeare. 'Immediately, the Cadbury duo went into overdrive and agreed they would donate chocolate to the NHS staff in hospitals and ICU units. 'For a small company to be so generous and kind is such an example of leading through goodness. They already support cocoa by planting trees in Cameroon.' Meanwhile Sarah's other daughter Princess Beatrice's wedding has been put on hold as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) Authorities at a quarantine checkpoint in Taguig City arrested two people in possession of illegal drugs on Wednesday. The two were caught at the quarantine checkpoint in Taguig's Seagull Avenue, Barangay San Miguel, the Southern Police District said. The police said the two were initially apprehended for roaming around the area without a quarantine pass. They were later found to be in possession of two sachets of suspected shabu, the police added. The arrested suspects will face charges for violation of the Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. Dont believe everything you see on the internet. The Oregon Poison Center on Wednesday warned Oregonians that there are no medications, supplements or remedies that are known to effectively treat or prevent coronavirus despite information swirling on social media. The Poison Center said several people in the U.S. have gotten severe toxicity from taking chloroquine, a drug used to prevent and treat malaria, that they got through non-medical sources. Other rumored remedies like ingesting bleach or hydrogen peroxide or taking excessive amounts of supplements could be dangerous and have long-term health effects, according to the Poison Center. CORONAVIRUS IN OREGON: THE LATEST NEWS We understand the public is concerned given the unfolding situation, but it is critical that people do not self-medicate, Dr. Robert Hendrickson, Poison Center medical director and OHSU School of Medicine professor of emergency medicine, said in a statement. The most effective way to prevent COVID-19 is to practice washing hands frequently, practice social distancing and stay home. Oregonians who develop symptoms of the coronavirus fever, cough or shortness of breath should contact their health care provider. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Subscribe to our Oregon coronavirus newsletter: Scotland Yard on Wednesday said that its officers stand ready to take enforcement action if "absolutely necessary" and called on the UK population to comply with the law and stay indoors as part of the lockdown measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick said that since Prime Minister Boris Johnson's "stay at home" announcement on Monday evening, officers have been on the streets of London to advise people and businesses of the new rules. "We will only use enforcement if we absolutely have to but we won't hesitate if there are people who are deliberately breaching the law. But I think the vast majority of people will want to comply with the law to keep their society safe. "We've shown time and again our ability to adapt, to rise to a challenge, to flex and surge our resources and our staff, and even in the darkest of time to be able to keep people safe and give a good quality police service. I am determined we will do that," she said. Her message came as it emerged that police had to step in to break up a barbeque gathering of 20 people in Coventry, central England. "Officers felt they needed to end the gathering by tipping over the BBQ and insisting the group dispersed to their homes," West Midlands Police said. "It's vital everyone follows the new lockdown instructions. They are essential and will save lives," the force said. Meanwhile, around 250,000 people have signed up in a single day to volunteer with the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) after a recruitment drive to help the vulnerable amid the coronavirus crisis. The helpers are needed for delivering food and medicines, driving patients to appointments and phoning the isolated. The scheme is one of many being launched to help relieve pressure on the country's health service. About 11,000 former medics have also agreed to return to the health service and more than 24,000 final year student nurses and medics will join them. The effort was lauded by MPs in the House of Commons on Wednesday, which will be the last day of sitting for Parliament as it rises earlier than planned for its Easter break to comply with the social distancing rules. Jeremy Corbyn said: "his voice will not be stilled" as he took part in his final Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) as the Leader of the Opposition Labour Party, which is undergoing a postal ballot for a new leader. He warned Johnson not to deliver his political "obituary", as he would not stop campaigning for social justice. "This crisis shows us how deeply we depend on each other. We will only come through this as a society with a huge collective effort," he said. Boris Johnson paid tribute to his opponent's "sincerity and determination to build a better society". The Commons, which passed the emergency Coronavirus Bill as its last major act, will not return until April 21 at the earliest, by which time Labour will have a new leader. The number of coronavirus deaths in the UK stands at 440, with more than 8,000 confirmed cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Bart H. Meijer AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Broad powers over U.S. factories brought in by President Donald Trump could fuel protectionism and jeopardise the supply of critical medical equipment to fight the coronavirus pandemic, Dutch health technology company Philips warned on Tuesday By Bart H. Meijer AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Broad powers over U.S. factories brought in by President Donald Trump could fuel protectionism and jeopardise the supply of critical medical equipment to fight the coronavirus pandemic, Dutch health technology company Philips warned on Tuesday. Trump said on Friday he had put into action the U.S. Defense Production Act, a law dating back to the Korean War of the 1950s that grants him sweeping authority to expedite and expand the supply of resources from U.S. factories. That could include hospital ventilators which Philips makes in factories in California and Pennsylvania. "We are worried", Philips spokesman Steve Klink told Reuters on Tuesday, referring to the act. Amsterdam-based Philips said on Sunday it would increase production of critical medical supplies for the diagnosis and care of patients with the new coronavirus disease COVID-19. Most importantly, it said it would double its production of hospital ventilators in the coming weeks to help meet soaring global demand, and was aiming at a four-fold increase by the third quarter. All these ventilators, however, are produced in its two U.S. factories, which makes Philips' promise to ship them to the regions where they are most needed vulnerable to interventions by the U.S. government. Such interventions could not only limit supply outside the United States, Klink said, but could also leave the country itself with less equipment than it would otherwise have - if retaliation in Europe or Asia squeezed the supply of critical parts. "We know we can meet our production promises", Klink said. "But only if the entire supply chain cooperates. A respiratory device has many parts, which come from all over the world. Protectionism can have a detrimental effect, no matter if it happens at the end of the production line or somewhere in between." In a tweet posted on Tuesday, Trump said the Defense Production Act was in full force, but had not been used yet. A few hours later, CNN reported the Trump administration was planning to procure 60,000 coronavirus test kits through the first use of the act. The Dutch ministry of foreign affairs said it was in talks with both Philips and the Trump administration on the matter, but declined further comment. Philips said it was optimistic its exports of ventilators would be unaffected, as Chief Executive Frans van Houten continued to be in talks with the U.S. government. "As long as we are in talks, we remain confident in a positive outcome." (Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Mark Potter) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio -- North Royalton City Hall is closed to the public, while city halls in Brecksville and Broadview Heights remain open, at least for now. Strongsville officials are asking residents short on toilet paper not to flush sanitary wipes or paper towels down the toilet, because the materials can clog sewers. And Brecksville police are warning residents against coronavirus-related email scams. Each municipal government along Ohio 82 in Cuyahoga County is responding differently, but also somewhat the same, to the COVID-19 pandemic. We live in unsettling times, but I assure you that I and my staff are working constantly to see that your city government is adapting to the changing landscape and rises to these challenges, North Royalton Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz said on the citys website. Antoskiewicz closed most municipal buildings, including City Hall, to the public on Friday (March 20). The one exception was the Building Department, which will remain open on a limited basis. Nevertheless, city workers are continuing to provide services for residents, who can call or email municipal departments using contact information on the North Royalton website. Although the North Royalton Mayors Court has suspended all cases through April 23, the court will answer phone calls and process tickets and payments. Antoskiewicz said that as businesses close and lay off workers due to COVID-19, the city may lose payroll and other taxes. As a result, the city may have to curb its spending in future months. Everyone is taking a financial hit, Antoskiewicz told cleveland.com Tuesday (March 24). We definitely have to look at our finances closely and make adjustments as we go. Antoskiewicz said the city will maintain its pre-coronavirus police and firefighter staffing levels, but will daily evaluate staffing levels in other departments. North Royalton businesses can contact Tom Jordan, the citys community development director, about emergency funding. The Service Department, which had been allowing residents to drop off trash and recyclables every Saturday, has suspended those services. A free paper-shredding day for residents, originally scheduled for April 25, has been postponed until June 27. Also, City Council has suspended its committee meetings until further notice. Council will meet once a month instead of twice. Caution in Brecksville Like North Royalton, Brecksville is continuing its services to residents, and although City Hall is open, city officials are asking residents to call or email if they have questions or concerns and avoid in-person visits. Police Chief William Goodrich, on the citys website, said police officers, firefighters and paramedics will continue to respond to 911 calls. If the matter isnt urgent or an emergency, residents should call the Police Departments non-emergency number before driving to the police station. If residents are instructed to visit the police station, they should limit the number of people entering. Goodrich said police will temporarily suspend some non-essential services, including assisting those who are locked out of their cars and fingerprinting non-offenders. Police will make exceptions if, for example, a child is locked inside a vehicle. Goodrich is warning residents about phone and intent scammers and thieves. He advised residents to hang up on suspicious callers seeking personal information, then call police. Email scams might involve, for example, people asking for money to help them deal with the coronavirus or to support a fake charitable cause. Some internet schemes target bank customers and, with emailers posing as bank executives, ask for personal information. Residents should also be cautious of emails claiming to be from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and even state and local governments. Goodrich advises against opening any suspicious attachments or links. Please be aware that phone and computer scams rise, especially with the elderly, during situations like the one we are in now, Goodrich said on the citys website. Goodrich said residents should also lock their houses and cars because thieves are looking for opportunities. Report any suspicious activity or individuals to the police and please look out for one another in your neighborhood, Goodrich said. Broadview Heights bills Mayor Sam Alai said the city will delay sending its quarterly sewer bills to residents. Instead, the 2020 first- and second-quarter bills will be combined and sent at the end of June. The city, although it has kept City Hall open, has reduced its staff, who are practicing social distancing and frequent hand washing. The Broadview Heights Human Services Department will continue to deliver Meals on Wheels to seniors and provide rides to medical appointments. However, all other activities at the senior center have been canceled. A free paper-shredding day for residents, scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon April 4; a Habitat for Humanity event, scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon April 11; and a Red Cross blood drive scheduled for 1:30 to 6 p.m. April 13 are still on. Other events are up in the air, Alai said Monday (March 23). City Council will continue to meet, but all Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and certain council committee meetings have been canceled through at least April. Strongsville strategy Although the city has closed the Walter F. Ehrnfelt Recreation and Senior Center, it is still offering takeout breakfasts and lunches to senior citizens. In a video posted on the citys website Tuesday (March 24), Mayor Thomas Perciak said that as of Tuesday, all of Strongsvilles outdoor facilities will be closed, although he wasnt more specific as to which facilities. Perciak said City Hall and the Strongsville Mayors Court will limit their hours of operation, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., through April 6. The citys Service Department will continue to work in two shifts, and the citys waste hauler, Republic Waste, will keep collecting trash as scheduled. Perciak asked residents to monitor the citys website, cable TV channel and social media sites for updates. Read more from the Sun Star Courier. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. President Donald Trump is seen before the start of a Fox News virtual town hall meeting from the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, on March 24, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Trump Approves Disaster Declaration for State of Texas President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration for the state of Texas, ordering federal assistance to help state and local recovery efforts amid the CCP virus pandemic. Texas is aggressively pursuing and implementing all necessary strategies to limit the impact of COVID-19, and I thank President Trump for his swift action to issue a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Texas, said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a statement on Wednesday. The Presidents declaration opens up new sources of funding for individual and public assistance that will help Texas respond to this public health emergency and protect public health and safety. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide. GREAT NEWS. President Trump just granted a Major Disaster Declaration for Texas. This will expand the resources available to Texas & speed our ability to robustly respond to #coronavirus. #COVID19 #txlege Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 25, 2020 The disaster declaration allows federal funding for state and some local governments as well as certain private nonprofit organizations. So far, nearly 1,000 CCP virus cases have been confirmed in the state. President Trump has said he would like the United States to get back to business by Easter, which is April 12. I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter, he said on Fox News. Easters a very special day for me. Wouldnt it be great to have all of the churches full? Trump added to Fox. Youll have packed churches all over our country. I think it would be a beautiful time. Until then, the Coronavirus Task Force is urging all Americans to adhere to the 15 Days to Slow the Spread campaign to urgently reduce the spread of the virus. Are you doing your part to help slow the spread of #COVID19? Get the latest from the @WhiteHouse, @CDCgov and others at https://t.co/68gjnc3RSl. pic.twitter.com/S4LPHAYruC U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) March 24, 2020 Charleston, SC (29403) Today Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds light and variable. A senior British diplomat has died after contracting coronavirus, the Foreign Office has said. Steven Dick, 37, was deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Budapest, Hungary. He died on Tuesday. Mr Dicks parents, Steven and Carol Dick, said: Steven was a much-loved son, grandson and nephew. He was kind, funny and generous. It was always his dream to work for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and he was very happy representing our country overseas. The British Embassy in Budapest. (Wikimedia Commons/Palotabarat ) / Wikimedia Commons/Palotabarat They added: We are devastated by his loss and ask for privacy at this tragic time. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: I am desperately saddened by the news of Stevens death and my heart goes out to his parents Steven and Carol. Steven was a dedicated diplomat and represented his country with great skill and passion. He will be missed by all those who knew him and worked with him. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab shared his condolences after Steven Dick's death / REUTERS Mr Dick had worked at the Foreign Office since 2008. His fellow officials at the Foreign Office added their condolences. British ambassador to Hungary Iain Lindsay said: I and my team and our families are deeply saddened and shocked at Stevens passing. We extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to his family and friends. Steven was a dear colleague and friend who had made a tremendous impression in Hungary since his arrival last October with his personal warmth and his sheer professionalism, not least his excellent Hungarian. As our fellow Scot Robert Burns, whose works we had recently recited together, wrote Few hearts like his, with virtue warmd, Few heads with knowledge so informd. We will miss him so much. And Sir Simon McDonald, the top civil servant at the Foreign Office, said: This is simply shattering news. I knew Steven personally and he was an exemplary officer and a lovely man. He was just starting out on what was sure to be an outstanding career and his friends around the world and across the FCO will miss him sorely. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Shaun Walker, the Guardian's eastern Europe correspondent based in Budapest, described Mr Dick on Twitter as "very intellectually curious and extremely helpful." Mr Walker added: "He was a really nice bloke and a great diplomat. Last week he told me he had the virus but was feeling fine." Hungary has had 226 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the virus' spread. ALBANY, N.Y.Gov. Andrew Cuomo awoke before dawn Tuesday, emerging after a few hours sleep to board a helicopter to New York City for the coronavirus briefing that has become a daily ritual for him and for the millions of people now watching. But this event would be different. The outbreak was moving faster than he had expected, with the number of confirmed cases doubling every three days, and he decided he needed to show people including the White House how desperate the situation had become. You want a pat on the back for sending 400 ventilators? the governor said, referring to a recent federal government shipment to New York. What am I going to do with 400 ventilators when I need 30,000? he said later. You pick the 26,000 people who are going to die because you only sent 400 ventilators. The governor repeatedly assailed the federal response as slow, inefficient and inadequate, far more aggressively than he had before. Cuomo was once considered a bit player on the national stage, an abrasive presence who made his share of enemies among his Democratic Party peers. He was too much of a pragmatist for his partys progressive wing, too self-focused for party leaders and too brusque for nearly everyone. But now, he is emerging as the partys most prominent voice in a time of crisis. His briefings articulate, consistent and often tinged with empathy have become must-see television. On Tuesday, his address was carried live on all four networks in New York and a raft of cable news stations, including CNN, MSNBC and even Fox News. In a sign of the way Cuomo has become the face of the Democratic Party in this moment, his address even pre-empted an appearance by former Vice President Joe Biden on ABCs The View in New York. Cuomos handling of the crisis has fostered a nationwide following; Biden called Cuomos briefings a lesson in leadership, and others have described them as communal therapy sessions. The same blunt and sometimes paternalistic traits that have long rubbed his critics raw have morphed into a source of comfort. The governors actions have not always been at the forefront: He waited several days last week, as the count of confirmed cases continued to rise, before instituting an order to close non-essential businesses and ask residents to stay at home, even as Gov. Gavin Newsom of California had already done so. The question of whether to enact a shelter-in-place edict degenerated into a semantics debate with Mayor Bill de Blasio, resurfacing a petty feud between the two New York Democrats. Cuomo also changed course within the span of a Sunday afternoon deciding to close New York Citys schools hours after casting doubt on such a plan. Still, Cuomos daily addresses have stood in stark contrast to the sometimes contradictory pronouncements coming from Washington. Cuomos briefings have been filled with facts, directives and sobering trends: On Tuesday, the governor disclosed that the number of positive cases in New York had risen past 25,000, and that the state now projects it will need up to 140,000 hospital beds to house virus patients. There were also signs that Washington was listening: after Cuomo spoke Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence said 2,000 ventilators were being sent to New York, with a promise of 2,000 more Wednesday. Cuomos explanation for his popularity is simple. Im not doing anything different than I have ever done, the governor said in an interview Monday. Its just a bigger audience. And its a more intense time. That fire was evident Tuesday, as he disparaged a remark by Texas lieutenant governor that older residents might not mind dying to save the economy. My mothers not expendable, Cuomo said, adding, Were not going to accept a premise that human life is disposable. And were not going to put a dollar figure on human life. Since the crisis began to take shape, the governors aggressive posture has won compliments from admirers ranging from conservative pundits like Sean Hannity, who recently hosted Cuomo on his radio show, to progressive comedian Chelsea Handler (Im officially attracted to Andrew Cuomo). Even President Donald Trump has taken notice: His team has scheduled his appearances in the afternoon so as not to interfere with Cuomos briefings, including Tuesday, when the presidents town-hall event on Fox News began after the governors briefing ended. Trump took issue Tuesday with the governors comments about not receiving enough ventilators from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. We are working very, very hard for the people of New York, the president said. We are working a lot with him. Then I watch him on this show complaining. With House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer practically sequestered in negotiations over economic relief measures and Biden at home in Wilmington, Delaware, Cuomo has effectively offered the Democratic response. He represents the kind of leadership we should have in the presidency and dont, said Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., who said her West Coast constituents are praising Cuomo. His stock has gone way up. For all of that positive press, the sudden spotlight has shone on Cuomo at a politically inopportune time: His friend, Biden, is quickly closing in on the Democratic presidential nomination, something that Cuomo like his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo had been said to covet. Cuomo has consistently insisted hes happy in Albany, where he has a deep understanding of levers of power. As the first cases appeared in New York, for example, Cuomo secured $40 million from the Legislature to fight the virus, as part of a bill that also greatly expanded his authority over disaster management, something he said he knew he would need as the virus began to spread outside of China. Anyone who was watching realized it right away, Cuomo said, adding, It was inevitable that what happened in China was going to happen here. Anyone who was watching realized it right away, Cuomo said, adding, It was inevitable that what happened in China was going to happen here. Since then, the governor has used his executive authority to close schools, shutter Broadway and send the National Guard to support the beleaguered residents of New Rochelle, a suburb just north of New York City that was an early hot spot for the virus. And while the states high caseload has put him on the front lines and the front page he may ultimately be judged by the final toll of the crisis, which he has said could last six months or more. Cuomo acknowledged that he is on a steep learning curve in dealing with the pandemic, and that mistakes might be made; on the day Cuomo ordered the closure of non-essential businesses, he said, I accept full responsibility. If someone is unhappy, somebody wants to blame someone, people complain about someone, blame me. Cuomos forthrightness has led to praise from an unlikely and diverse set of commentators: George Conway, a conservative attorney who is also the husband of White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway (Hes doing a terrific job with these presentations); Nikki Haley, the former United Nations ambassador and a potential future Republican candidate for president (I look forward to watching Gov. Cuomos news conference every day); and even the leading strategists for his old rivals in New York. A large measure of Cuomos sudden popularity seems to lie in the tonal and material differences between his briefings and those of Trumps. I think the rest of the country is witnessing and appreciating this because of the lack of leadership coming from the White House, said Rep. Grace Meng, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. Meng said Democratic lawmakers in Congress are now tuning into Cuomo daily and then group texting about what he says. Every morning they watch Gov. Cuomo and his briefing and discuss it on our text chains, she said. But unlike most Democrats, Cuomo has been careful to not criticize Trump personally for the federal governments response to the virus, while not sparing agencies like FEMA, which he castigated Tuesday. In fact, he has praised the president and vice president by name on several occasions, a calculated strategy that paid earlier dividends: The states public health laboratory in Albany, Wadsworth Center, was the first to be given approval by the FDA to administer its own coronavirus tests independent of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A military hospital ship is now planning to port at the New York Harbor, and a raft of federal field hospitals will be constructed in and around New York City, now one of the epicentres of the virus in the world. Cuomos approach to Trump has contrasted with the more confrontational style of de Blasio, who has frequently blamed Trump for not acting decisively to attempt to curb the spread of the virus. While the president seemed displeased with Cuomos broadside Tuesday, he had previously made it clear that he preferred the governors approach to that of City Hall. Im dealing with the governor, Trump said Friday. The governor agrees with me, and I agree with him. Even on Tuesday, before the president criticized Cuomo for complaining, he acknowledged that he had just seen the governors briefing. I watched Gov. Cuomo and he was very nice, Trump said. The governor has a history, of course, of working with Republicans: until 2019, the New York Legislature had largely been split by virtue of the Republicans long hold on the state Senate, a situation which some progressive groups accused Cuomo of encouraging, as a way to thwart policies he felt were too liberal or impractical. The governor also shares other personal touch points with Trump: They are both from Queens, have known each other for years and have followed in their fathers footsteps. Cuomos father, who looms large in the current governors life, also had a moment of national prominence: the famed Shining City on a Hill speech in 1984, which seemed poised to propel him to higher office. It did not. Cuomo has found a poetic, almost sentimental streak amid the dark news, appearing alongside his daughters at news conferences, and naming a new law, aimed at protecting older residents from infection, for his mother, Matilda. On Monday, sitting with his daughter, Cara Kennedy-Cuomo, the governor said the crisis had afforded him opportunity to spend more time with her as she has volunteered to help with the states response, staying with him in the governors mansion. Shes going to go do her thing, but this crazy situation is crazy as it is, came with this beautiful gift, Cuomo said. So one door closes, another door opens. Think about that. Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The eCommerce platform offers the full support of its ecosystem to help protect communities in Ghana. Accra (Ghana) - 23 March 2020 - Africas leading e-Commerce platform Jumia has offered the support of its integrated ecosystem which include a marketplace, logistics and online payments to governments in Ghana and other countries in Africa, as part of the global action against the COVID-19. We are proud to partner with relevant authorities to help fight against COVID-19 and support our communities which continue to support us. E-commerce platforms like ours, with e-payment and last mile delivery capabilities, are uniquely positioned to be part of Africas response strategy to this pandemic and we are swiftly taking actions. Our Jumia Heroes - delivery and warehouse operations staff - are at the frontlines taking all necessary precautions to ensure our customers receive their orders safely, said Diana Owusu-Kyereko, CEO of Jumia. Source: Jumia Source: UGC READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Finance ministers in Africa request for $100 billion stimulus package and tax holidays Jumias actions to support governments in their fight against COVID-19 include: Facilitation of social distancing by enabling consumers to buy online. By offering contactless delivery options, we eliminate physical contact and potentially reduce person to person infection. Providing access to affordable basic foods and sanitary essentials on the marketplace platform. By partnering with thousands of vendors, like Reckitt Benckiser and others, we are able to maintain fair prices and fight against speculation. Jumia has waived the commission on specific sanitary products to help consumers get them at the lowest price and implemented measures to control prices. Offering Jumias logistics networks to help health pamphlets & key products to where they are needed. Additionally, Jumia provides safe deliveries to consumers everywhere, including remote and rural areas, with Jumias integrated logistics network. This is important especially for elderly and sick people at home. Sourcing and distribution of face masks. Leveraging our access to supply, in particular through our network of vendors outside Africa, we are donating certified face masks to the health ministry in Ghana, and also in others countries like Kenya, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Nigeria, Uganda, we offered to coordinate the distribution across healthcare facilities and workers, leveraging the companys last-mile distribution. Incentives to pay online through JumiaPay, in support of the governments bid to reduce the risk of transmission through physical cash. In most countries where JumiaPay operates, we have offered special discounts for all payments done via Jumia Pay to promote cashless transactions. Enhancing the visibility of key health instructions. Jumia attracts millions of customer visits and searches on its platform. As such, we are collaborating with the Ministries of Health in Ghana, by using our online platform to share important health messages from the Ministries. We are also engaging with the Health Ministries in other countries where Jumia operates to offer the same. We anticipate that as the pandemic evolves, Health authorities may need to address different areas of concerns and a platform like Jumia can amplify the reach of much-needed information. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Kasapreko to produce hand sanitisers but not for profit Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Coronavirus in Ghana: Disinfection of Accra Markets against COVID-19 | #Yencomgh Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: YEN.com.gh A federal judge this week ruled that a high profile First Amendment case filed by PEN America against President Trump can continue to trial. In a March 24 ruling, Judge Lorna Schofield in the U.S. Southern District of New York dismissed four of PEN Americas six claims against the president, finding that Pen lacked standing. But she held that the case could go forward on two claims related to press credentials and security clearances, for declaratory relief only. The suit, PEN America v. Trump, was first filed in October of 2018. PEN America is represented by Protect Democracy, the Yale Law School Media Freedom of Information & Access Clinic, and Davis Wright Tremaine. The suit was initiated after president Trump made numerous threats against journalists and other organizations whose coverage he disliked, including a threat to "blacklist" reporters such as CNN's Jim Acosta. Just days after the suit was filed, the Trump administration revoked Acostas credentials after he asked a critical question at a press conference. The complaint points to at least five more situations in which the president has used or threatened to use the regulatory and enforcement powers of government to punish the speech of journalists. "This decision is a victory not just for PEN America and our own writers, but also for the journalists and media outlets doing the vital, risky work of keeping us all informed," said Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, in a statement. "We sued the president because we believe the First Amendment prohibits him from retaliating against speech he dislikes. We are grateful that this essential suit can move forward, vindicating the rights of all those who rely on a free press. Kristy Parker, counsel for Protect Democracy, said the president has the right to tweet about his media coverage, but that he "abuses his power and violates the Constitution" when he punishes members of the media. "This is not North Koreawe dont allow our politicians to control what the press says or punish the media for coverage that Dear Leader doesnt like. Just the oppositewe rely on the media to hold the powerful accountable to the people. Its important for all Americans that the press can do their jobs freely. The case will now move into the discovery phase. Twenty-four people that attended a lavish 50th birthday bash have been struck down with coronavirus. Guests enjoyed the event at Sails restaurant, in Noosa, QLD, on March 14 before falling ill. Dozens of attendees were diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and are now in isolation. Sails restaurant has temporarily closed. Mayor Tony Wellington announced the latest numbers during a meeting with the Noosa Local Disaster Management Group, according to the Courier Mail. Authorities have confirmed 24 of the guests that attended a luxurious 50th birthday bash at Sails in Noosa have been struck down with coronavirus 'With regard to the Sails restaurant event, this was a private 50th birthday party of which 24 people have now tested positive who attended that party,' he said. 'Only four of those live on the Sunshine Coast, the rest have dispersed elsewhere into southeast Queensland. 'Health authorities are tracing all those participants, and they say there is a low risk to the community generally to that event. Peter and Michelle Wright, the owners of a local butchery in Warwick, were the first guests from the dinner party who publicly confirmed they had been diagnosed with coronavirus. While the couple self-isolated as soon as they spoke with Queensland Health, they said they've faced a barrage of abuse from the community. Peter (pictured) and Michelle Wright, the owners of a local butchery in Warwick, were the first guests from the dinner party who publicly confirmed they were carriers 'We had no control over it, we were exposed through no fault of mine, it's just how it is,' Mr Wright told Sunshine Coast Daily. 'We'll be lucky if we survive this.' A spokesman for Sails said they were informed some of the guests had visited multiple locations and businesses - possibly while infected. 'A number of people... attended an exclusive-hire private function at the restaurant in mid-March... and have since tested positive for COVID-19. 'While the source of the infection has not been confirmed, as a precautionary measure, Sails immediately implemented all Queensland Health protocols and notified staff with direct exposure to guests.' The spokesman said the function was not open to the general public, but that anybody who did attend should consult medical professionals if they develop any symptoms. Symptoms for coronavirus include a fever, runny nose and dry cough. Sails, in Noosa (pictured) released a statement claiming they were informed some of the guests had visited multiple locations and businesses - possibly while infected Sails temporarily closed their doors on Monday along with many other hospitality businesses, which were forced to cease trading under Prime Minister Scott Morrison's stage one lockdown laws. Bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes, gyms and cinemas, as well as places of worship and other places of gathering, will be closed for an estimated six months as Australia attempts to slow the spread of coronavirus. Mr Wright said he never would have suspected he had coronavirus based on his symptoms, which were minor. He said he had a 'bit of a sniffly nose and headache' but the symptoms went away with panadol. He attributed general aches and pains to his work, and never experienced any high temperatures. The couple closed their butcher shop for a minimum of two weeks and all 20 staff are in self isolation to ensure they don't pass the illness on to any of their customers. No staff have showed any symptoms of carrying the illness. OTTAWA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged the Canadian parliament to pass emergency legislation against the COVID-19 pandemic for Canadians and businesses. Trudeau said proposed sweeping new powers to let his government spend money without parliamentary approval are needed because the COVID-19 pandemic presents an "exceptional situation." Those include broad new powers to authorize the federal cabinet to spend money until December 2021, and in some cases without any time limits at all, without having to put their proposals to a vote in the parliament. At his daily address to the nation Tuesday morning outside Ottawa Cottage where he has been in self-isolation, Trudeau said his government's intention was not to undermine the role of parliament to act as a check and oversight on federal spending. Trudeau said he has spoken with opposition leaders Tuesday and that work is underway to strike the right balance between parliamentary accountability and granting the government the power to act quickly. "We recognize that this pandemic is moving extremely quickly and it is an exceptional situation that requires extreme flexibility and rapidity of response by governments to be able to help Canadians and react to a situation that we've seen is moving quickly every single day," he said. "We've been in close discussion with the opposition parties to find a way to both get that flexibility to be able to get measures out the door and keep in place our democratic institutions and the values that are so important to us all," he said. "We will always ensure that our system works in a robust way both around accountability and helping Canadians as quickly as is necessary in these exceptional circumstances." The legislation includes the amendments needed to enact the promised emergent financial package of 82 billion Canadian dollars (about 56 billion U.S. dollars), which contain 27 billion Canadian dollars in financial aid for Canadians and 55 billion Canadian dollars in economic stimulus and tax deferral measures for businesses. All provinces and territories in Canada have declared some form of public health crisis or state of emergency. But questions continue to circulate as to whether the local efforts are enough to deal with those not following the physical distancing measures or whether it's time the Canadian federal government intervene with extreme powers. As of Tuesday noon, there are 2,176 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 24 deaths in Canada. Nearly half of Canada's COVID-19 cases are now being acquired through community spread, a significant shift as the number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths rises across the country. On Monday, the Public Health Agency of Canada said that 44 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the country are the result of community transmission, meaning they have no link to international travel and Canadians could contract the virus while visiting friends or buying groceries. (Photo : www.pxhere.com) Distilleries around the country are now following other companies and universities to assist the fight against COVID-19 by converting their whiskey and gin into hand sanitizers that are safe to use. Read More: Reading Funny Memes Can Boost Your Immune System Againt Coronavirus, Says Expert Here at Techtimes, we previously reported about how Whisky can help disinfect COVID-19 traces by only 30% alcohol solution. Also, we reported about the universities making their contributions to benefit society, which is now garnering attention worldwide and pushing others to follow. Distillers Who Now Joined The Fight Against COVID-19 Eight Oaks recently converted its production line from producing whiskey and vodka to hand sanitizers that the public and medical practitioners to use due to the high demand of sanitizers and low supply. The company is handing out its hand sanitizers to local nonprofits and community members in exchange for a donation to continue what they do without thinking about profits but rather to maintain a constant supply of hand sanitizers. Distilleries in Portland, Oregon, all the way to Durham, North Carolina, are making hand sanitizers as well to help with the high demand. Los Angeles based spirits maker, Amass, is selling "alcohol-based hand wash" right on their website right beside their dry gin and Copenhagen Vodka. Amass is now going to call the product "hand sanitizer" instead to avoid confusion. Morgan McLachlan, Amass co-founder and CEO said, "It needed to go to market immediately," The idea was also from McLachlan when she was trying to find hand sanitizers in the markets but found none and is already eight months pregnant. The company itself is ready to jump to a different kind of demand, so the switch wasn't that hard for them. Tito's Handmade Vodka was one of the companies that warned the public to be wary of using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, but only on Sunday has said that they are working on their production of hand sanitizers. Read More: [PHOTOS] Images of Medical Practitioners Fighting COVID-19, They Truly Deserve Our Support How Were They Able To Convert Their Alcohol To Sanitizers? They either use excess alcohol from their supply or halting the production of their spirits altogether. This can be done by containing the spirits with less acidic mixtures and even aloe vera. There are various means of creating hand sanitizers, and distilleries and breweries are in an abundant supply of, you guessed it, alcohol. Government Recommendations for Hand Sanitizers The Food and Drug Administration for public usage will be and should be inspected before commercial use. Even the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends hand sanitizers to contain at least 60 percent alcohol. Even the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has given the go signal for companies that manufacture alcohol to produce hand sanitizers in light of recent events due to the coronavirus and the lack of supply from major distributors. The FDA said last week that they wouldn't take any action against companies that produce alcohol-based sanitizers for commercial use and health-care personnel. If the distilleries are using their manufacturing powers for a profit or genuinely helping humanity fight the spread of the coronavirus, it is a good show that any company or business can convert their efforts into something that can contribute humanity. This shows genuine human ingenuity. Read More: Italy's Oldest Coronavirus Survivor: "I'm now fine, they'll send me home in a little while." 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Finding truthful information about coronavirus can sometimes be a problem with so much misinformation out there on social media. One could argue that listening to someone on a podcast talking about it would lead to just as much hearsay and confusion. When its on Joe Rogans podcast, this isnt necessarily true. Rogan has had some seriously prestigious guests as he tackles all of the most important issues of today. Of course, hes been talking about coronavirus often. One of his guests eerily predicted where the world currently is with this virus. Its Michael Osterholm whos director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Recently, he told Rogan the proper steps everyone should be taking to flatten that curve. When did Michael Osterholm predict our current pandemic? Comedian Joe Rogan | Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images Osterholm already gave a warning to America in 2005 that the country could face a pandemic no one was prepared to fight. When he wrote a piece for Foreign Affairs magazine back then, he noted the world was at a critical point in history to address encroaching pandemics. Later, in a 2017 book he wrote called Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs, he emphasized the above points and recommended leaders take his predictions seriously. Its easy to ignore scientists who think the sky is falling. Unfortunately, Osterholm wasnt the only one warning about this years ago if one includes Bill Gates. Rogan was able to get Osterholm as a guest recently where the latter described himself as a medical detective. After this, hes probably going to become the leading Sherlock Holmes of infectious disease to help our world through the inevitable next one. Michael Osterholms bitter reality about coronavirus on The Joe Rogan Experience During Osterholms appearance on Rogans podcast March 10, former noted everyone is in for a long inconvenience. Despite President Trump wanting to get business going again, it may be far too soon to properly weather this storm. According to Osterholm, the summer weather probably wont slow down the virus, meaning quarantining may be necessary through July/August and beyond. In other words, he says this will be a part of our lives for the next six months or more since a vaccine is likely more than a year away. Like many other medical experts on coronavirus (e.g. the celebrated Dr. Anthony Fauci), Osterholm points out some important things to do to keep the virus from spreading. Hes much more of a realist, though, and the way the virus can spread is still a bit chilling. Wearing a mask and gloves may not really help During Osterholms fascinating interview with Rogan, he notes wearing masks and gloves largely wont help. The reason, he says, is the virus is easily transmittable through the air. This is why theres so much concern about seeing too many people congregating in close quarters like on beaches and in other public places. On cruise ships, Osterholm says, the air keeps recirculating in the cabins, explaining how so many passengers were easily infected. Hearing about how easy it is to catch this might make anyone think twice about going to a public place, including grocery stores. While many have to go to grocery stores to keep their families fed, many are starting to limit how many customers go in at a time. Osterholm is on board for maintaining the social distancing to flatten the curve, and he gave Rogan many tips as heard from other medical professionals. Yet, considering how much he predicted of this so far in advance (and in giving warnings of whats ahead), he should become a leading consultant on coronavirus. What he says may clash with where the U.S. government wants to go, however, leading to a million more controversial topics Rogan will likely cover in the months ahead. With the NYDFS reapproval, Genworth has agreed to several things, such as contributing US$100 million to GLICNY at the closing of the transaction. A release explained that both Genworth and Oceanwide have communicated the terms of the agreement with the NYDFS to Genworths other domiciliary insurance regulators, and believe that the terms are acceptable. Genworth said that it is working on providing responses to limited regulatory requests for additional information as promptly as possible, but the company warned that the submission of additional information and the review processes may take more time than expected due to the coronavirus pandemic and the remote work policies that both parties and regulators have to contend with. The company and Oceanwide are currently discussing a short extension of the merger agreement beyond the March 31, 2020 deadline due to potential slowdown issues. After 72 new deaths on Tuesday, and with 2,750 patients in hospital, the situation in the French Grand Est region is threatening to become unmanageable. According to RTL sources, another French patient affected by coronavirus has been transported to Luxembourg via air ambulance on Wednesday. This brings the total of transferred patients to seven, say French sources. All patients are aged over 50 and will be included in the Grand Duchy's statistics. Last weekend, Luxembourg promised medical support to French authorities - a promise which has certainly been kept. No further patient transports are planned for the time being. The Grand Est region currently has nearly 600 patients in intensive care, with 407 deaths across the region. 41 of these were retirement home residents. On Wednesday, 30 coronavirus patients were transferred from Strasbourg and Mulhouse via a special TGV service to other hospitals in France. The "sanitary" TGV service was specially created following the Paris attacks. In France, 22,600 people have tested positive for Covid-19, while 1,100 people have died since the start of the epidemic. Since the beginning of the current pandemic, many websites were created to collect virus-related data. For example, the site 1Point3Acres offers a convenient interface to U.S. data starting at the county level. The site contains summary information about the number of cases and the number of deaths per state. However, such data were never analyzed from a political perspective. In fact, the adage is that the current coronavirus, like all other viruses and pathogen microorganisms, does not care about the political views of its sufferers. In other words, viruses cross artificial countries' or states' borders without any regard to the ideology of their victims. While it is undoubtedly true, the response of authorities does depend on their underlying ideology. The data on the 1Point3Acres are sorted by the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19. The site places the state of New York at the top of the list, but as we all know, that could be misleading because the populations of each state are different. If we normalize the data by the population, the resulting number of cases per million of the state population will allow us to compare all the states correctly. Finally, to look into the data from the political point of view, we'll add each governor's party (R or D) to the data. Also, we'll list the party affiliation of the previous governor i.e., (D, R) would mean that the current governor is a Democrat, but the previous governor was a Republican. The resulting five worst states (as of March 24, 2020) are: State Cases per million Governor's Party New York 1,313 D,D New Jersey 413 D,R Mississippi 329 R,R Louisiana 299 D,D Washington 291 D,D The resulting five best states (as of March 24, 2020) are: State Cases per million Governor's Party West Virginia 11 R,D Oklahoma 26 R,R Kentucky 27 D,R Idaho 28 R,R Kansas 28 D,R Four out of five governors of the states most affected by China's coronavirus are Democrats. The states least affected by coronavirus either have a Republican governor or had a Republican governor before. For example, the Democrat governor in Kansas assumed office in January of last year and was not able to contribute much to the previous Republican administration preparedness level. A similar situation occurs in Kentucky, where a Democrat governor replaced the Republican in December 2019 and did not have a chance to alter the preparedness of the state at all. Overall, 83% of all COVID-19 victims to the present day are under Democrat state government, and only 17% of victims are under the Republican government. No doubt, the spread of infection has not saturated yet, and the final numbers will change. We will return to this analysis in about one month and report the dynamics of the epidemics from the ideological point of view. (Do not forget that the governors in all states are elected by their current victims.) Gary Gindler, Ph.D., is a conservative columnist at Gary Gindler Chronicles and the founder of a new science: politiphysics. Follow him on Twitter and Quodverum. Image: Eric Fischer via Flickr (cropped). Pennsylvania students are about to dive into a whole new sort of new school day, with buildings closed since March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic. With Gov. Tom Wolfs decision to keep the states K-12 public schools closed until at least April 6, Lehigh Valley School districts are reimagining how they teach students now that they cant rely on face-to-face instruction. In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday residents should expect schools to remain closed for a long and extended period of time, though no timetable had been determined. The Bethlehem Area School District on Tuesday announced plans to start offering online instruction Monday, March 30. Our goal really is not to try to replicate a full day for students. Thats not going to happen, Superintendent Joseph Roy said in a video message. This is going to be far from perfect. But we do want to give learning opportunities to all of our students. In a letter to parents and students, the district said it is keenly aware that the home resources available to students vary greatly. District eighth-graders and high school students do have district-issued Chromebook computers. We dont want to over-stress families that are already in stressful situations because of the pandemic, Roy said. But we absolutely want to give learning opportunities to students, and students will be expected to participate in those learning opportunities and complete assignments that are made by their teachers through online instruction. Teachers and principals will reach out to Bethlehem Area students and families with more specifics. The district is offering both online resources and hard-copy learning packets for students K-8. Elementary grade students can also borrow Chromebooks. The district is also making wifi hotspots available to families; the districts foundation is allowing people in the community to sponsor a family for $85. The learning packets are available for pick up at the districts meal sites from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on weekdays. Roy has great faith in teachers and hes asking students to step up, participate and stay engaged. Were in a brave new world, Roy said. This is all new. In the Nazareth Area School District, administrators on Tuesday released a four-page Education Plan: Parent Guide with answers to anticipated questions. Nazareth will provide access to online educational opportunities through its Schoology system, with plans in place March 30 through April 8 for kindergarten through sixth grade and grades seventh through 12th. Wilson Area School District on Tuesday also released details on alternative instruction, for kindergarten through second grade and third through 12th grades. The Easton Area School District announced grab-and-go iPad pickup times Wednesday and Thursday for families of students who completed an online survey. More details of the districts plans are available under the Parents & Community heading on the district website. Northampton County families can find links to their public school districts here. In Lehigh County, the links can be found here; and in Warren County, here. According to the current timeline, Pennsylvanias teachers would return to school April 7 and students, on Thursday, April 9. District schools would be closed Friday in observance of Good Friday as planned. Schools would reopen Monday, April 13, which was originally scheduled as a spring break day. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Supervising reporter Kurt Bresswein contributed to this report. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. After another tie vote Tuesday night, the Boyertown Area School Board abandoned its plan to narrow its seven applicants for a board vacancy down to two finalists, and instead picked from the entire list, thereby choosing Marianne Scott as the newest member. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced total lockdown in the country from 12 o'clock in a bid to contain the spread of Coronavirus. "From 12 o'clock tonight there will be a complete lockdown across the country," said Prime Minister Modi said during his second address to the nation within days. He also hailed the people for the success of 'Janata Curfew' saying that they showed how Indians can come together and fight against any trouble which comes before the country. "The one-day Janta Curfew showed how we Indians come together and fight against any trouble which comes before the country and man kind," he added. While this decision was accepted nation-wide, there are people who pointed out all things that could have been done better in terms of this big announcement of a nationwide lockdown. Many blamed PM Modi's speech-writer for not been precise and accurate and missing out on some essential points. Twitter Vir Das pointed out that there was a big flaw with the speech because of the speech-writer. He wishes it was written better and was clearer in terms of questions that the general public may have had. This is a brave bold decision and I support and applaud our PM. Not his speech writer. The fact that people are panicking in response to a speech, means it didn't go as planned. This is the second time that's happened. Make the speeches clear and detailed. Vir Das (@thevirdas) March 24, 2020 Raj Nayak too pointed out that the speech missed answering some important points. It was an emotional speech. I was hanging on to every word he said. He managed to communicate effectively in simple terms. Just that his speech writer didnt write it well enough to cover all the key points. There are still many issues that the government needs to address. Raj Nayak (@rajcheerfull) March 25, 2020 Anurag Kashyap, who has always been vocal about expressing himself on what he feels about the country and the government, posted how the timing of the speech could have been better. Raising a valid point, he said, 8 , ? Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) March 24, 2020 Article 15 and Thappad director Anubhav Sinha took a dig at Modi's speech on how it missed out on elaborating all the important and genuine questions. He tweeted, PS- Sorry I missed a small point... The essential goods and services.... .................................... Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) March 24, 2020 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday had also announced an allocation of Rs 15000 crore to strengthen healthcare infrastructure to fight coronavirus in India. In a televised speech, he said, "Today the Centre has decided to give Rs 15,000 crore for testing facilities, personal protection, isolation beds, ICU beds, ventilators and training medical and paramedical staff. Healthcare should be the only priority of every state government." The PM also sought support from the private sector in healthcare to come forward and support the country in these tough circumstances. "Private labs and hospitals should come forth to extend their support to fight coronavirus," he added. He emphasized that the country is at a stage where our action will decide on our ability to contain the outbreak of coronavirus. Chevron leads another wave of massive oil-industry spending cuts FILE PHOTO: Dow Jones Industrial Average listed company Chevron (CVX)'s logo is seen in Los Angeles By Jennifer Hiller and Shariq Khan (Reuters) - Chevron Corp cut its capital spending budget by $4 billion (3.4 billion pounds) on Tuesday, leading a wave of cost-cutting announcements across the oil-and-gas industry as it reels from declining demand in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and a dramatic slide in prices. Crude oil prices have crashed by 60% since January as Saudi Arabia and Russia pump full bore to grab share in a dwindling market, and gasoline and jet fuel use has slumped. Demand worldwide is expected to fall by more than 12 million barrels per day, more than 10% of daily demand. The reset is being felt across the industry, as Chevron was joined on Tuesday in reducing expenses by oilfield service leaders Halliburton and Schlumberger , independent refiner Phillips 66 , and Canada's Suncor . "This is as unprecedented an oil price environment as I can recall seeing, Chevron Chief Executive Michael Wirth said in an interview. Chevron will spend $16 billion this year, down from a planned $20 billion, halving its spending in the Permian Basin, the top U.S. shale field. It is the lowest spending level for the company since 2005. This is the first indication from an oil major of how sharply it would pull back in the Permian, which has made the United States the worlds largest oil producer. The Permian accounts for about 4.8 million bpd of crude production, or more than a third of daily U.S. oil output. Dozens of smaller U.S. shale companies have curtailed spending, and analysts at Goldman Sachs expect a roughly 35% drop in capital expenditure in 2020, and for U.S. oil production to fall by 1.4 million bpd by the third quarter of 2021. Shale companies have been pressuring U.S. service companies for discounts, which is cutting into those firms' earnings as well. Halliburton said it was testing the possibility of cutting as much as 60 to 65% in spending. Story continues "The industry is facing an unprecedented dual impact on demand and supply side that none of us have witnessed over our professional lifetimes," Lance Loeffler, Halliburton's chief financial officer, told investors on a Tuesday webcast. Share prices were higher across the board on Tuesday, though many oil company stocks have been battered over the last few weeks. Chevron shares jumped 21% on Tuesday to $65.73 as investors cheered the company's budget cut, which was twice as big as analysts expected, as a sign it would not incur debt to finance operations. Even with those gains, the stock was still down 46% on the year. Halliburton shares rose 19% on Tuesday, while Schlumberger gained 9%. CUT IN PRODUCTION Chevron now expects to pump about 125,000 fewer barrels of oil and gas per day in the Permian Basin by the end of this year, down 20% from its 600,000 barrel per day target. The field is its "most flexible" for spending reductions. Chevron has 16 drilling rigs at work in the field now, down from 20 last year, and will drop to fewer than eight, Wirth said. Chevron will cut $2 billion from its Permian spending, from an expected pace of about $4 billion per year. Exxon Mobil , the largest U.S. oil company, has vowed to make significant cuts this year, while Norways Equinor also reduced its share buyback programme. Chevron's reductions were "much deeper than expected," RBC Capital Markets analyst Biraj Borkhataria said. Its $5 billion annual share repurchase programme was halted after $1.75 billion of shares were bought back during the first quarter. "Our focus is on protecting the dividend, prioritising capital that drives long-term value, and supporting the balance sheet," Chevron's Chief Financial Officer Pierre Breber said. The company would not consider an acquisition now, said Wirth, adding: "There will be a day when opportunities may present themselves. If we do the right things today we'll be in a position to consider that." Chevron was already in the middle of a reorganization when oil prices plummeted, but Wirth would not say how many jobs it may cut. (GRAPHIC: Oil majors' 2020 capex cuts - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/7/9213/9194/oil%20majors.png) (Reporting by Jennifer Hiller in Houston, Shariq Khan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli, Kirsten Donovan and Jan Harvey; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Tom Brown) Privacy Concerns Anonymized Data (TNS) Nine days before the World Health Organization announced that it had identified the novel coronavirus, a Toronto-based startup called BlueDot, which uses artificial intelligence to track the spread of diseases, picked up a local news article about an unusual cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China.Researchers at Boston Childrens Hospital who have been using similar technology to scrape disease-related chatter from social media and chat rooms since 2006 also flagged the news story. A third machine learning tool picked it up too: The WHOs own Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources project, which is now scraping information on the global spread of COVID-19 from up to 120,000 articles each day.The promise of melding artificial intelligence with digital epidemiology, which is the study of how diseases spread using the collection and analysis of large amounts of online data, has long since been established. But most of the information currently available to health researchers falls under the category of open-source data, meaning its publicly available.The largest sets of nonpublic data things like search queries, website access logs, private social media posts and location data belong to large technology companies such as Facebook and Google. According to a new report from Duke Universitys Center on Science and Technology Policy, online platforms hold a gold mine of data that could help digital epidemiologists track the coronavirus more accurately.Unfortunately, getting data from the internal servers of some of Silicon Valleys biggest companies into the hands of government and academic researchers isnt so simple. The primary obstacle is a set of concerns over the privacy of social media users whose data might be handed over by the companies. And the companies themselves must ensure they arent jeopardizing the trade secrets of their own technology.This data is a public good that should be shared, Sarah Rispin Sedlak, one of the Duke researchers who on March 19 published the report on information sharing during an epidemic, told. But something like that has to be done within a framework that ensures protections for both the companies and the individual users.You need a legal and ethical framework that allows the company to share data in a way that is sufficiently protective of individual privacy and that the digital epidemiologists agree not to use that data for other purposes or send it elsewhere, Rispin Sedlak said.In 2008, Google unveiled a tool called Google Flu Trends that aggregated specific search queries related to flu-like symptoms to estimate how many people throughout the United States were infected at a given time, promising an early-warning system for outbreaks of influenza. But the tool never fulfilled its own promise its estimates for the 2013 flu season were off by 140 percent, according to and it was the subject of complaints by privacy advocates.Since then, data privacy has become a hot-button political issue. On Capitol Hill, members of both parties are working on comprehensive data privacy legislation, which could include provisions allowing better information sharing with the aim of improving public health. But those efforts have stalled because of the coronavirus emergency and the vagaries of an election year.I dont think what we want to do is wade into the waters of broad privacy legislation, Rispin Sedlak said.However, as the coronavirus spreads and deaths from COVID-19 continue to increase, lawmakers could be spurred to action on a more narrowly focused measure related to public health.Last week, Facebook said it would begin sharing aggregated, anonymized location data and high-resolution population density maps with researchers at Harvard Universitys School of Public Health, the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, the Gates Foundation and others trying to understand how the coronavirus is spreading around the world.A Google spokesperson toldthat Google has not shared any location data but that the company is exploring ways that aggregated anonymized location information could help in the fight against COVID-19.One example could be helping health authorities determine the impact of social distancing, similar to the way we show popular restaurant times and traffic patterns in Google Maps, the spokesperson said. This work would follow our stringent privacy protocols and would not involve sharing data about any individuals location, movement, or contacts.But Rispin Sedlak says that search data, the likes of which powered Google Flu Trends, remains the most promising data for tracking diseases like COVID-19. But without establishing rules for how companies should anonymize it and researchers should keep it secure, it may not be shared anytime soon.Some sort of framework enabled by laws about how this exact type of data would be used for this exact type of purpose would be very helpful, Rispin Sedlak said. It would give the tech companies the rules of the road and some comfort that if they shared the data while following the rules, they would be safe from criticism over privacy concerns. A former NASA astronaut has revealed how to avoid arguments with your family while spending time with them at close quarters during lockdown. Scott Kelly, 56, spent a total of 520 days on the International Space Station, with his longest mission lasting 340 days, and shared his advice on how to cope with isolation - including how to avoid arguments with the people you're quarantined with. He appeared on Good Morning Britain via video link from his home in Houston and told that it's important to realise that 'everyone is vulnerable' at this time, and while it's important to support them - you have to air your grievances to avoid 'blowing up' This comes after Boris Johnson outlined emergency measures designed to tackle the spread of coronavirus , including demanding the immediate closure of all non-essential shops and promising fines for people who do not 'stay at home'. Scott Kelly, 56, (pictured) spent a total of 520 days on the space station, with his longest mission lasting 340 days and shared his advice on how to cope with isolation The former NASA astronaut has revealed how to avoid arguments with your family while spending time with them during self-isolation When quizzed by host Lorraine Kelly on how to avoid conflict with family during self-isolation, he said: 'The people youre quarantined with, try and help each other out. 'Raise them up, but realise we will all handle things differently, were all feeling vulnerable. 'Speak if something is bothering you, if you wait and sit on it it will blow up and thats not a great place to be.' He went on to emphasis the importance of maintaining a routine while in quarantine, and told that taking care of your environment is imperative - advising the public to 'treat their homes like the space centre'. He appeared on Good Morning Britain via video link from his home in Houston and told that it's important to realise that 'everyone is vulnerable' at this time 'On the space station, we had to have this routine that was incredibly controlled and I think you need that structure, scheduling time to take care of yourself. We had time in the morning and time in the evening to take care of your environment. 'On the space station, it is very easy for bacteria to spread, very similar to the situation we are in now. We need to think of our houses and our flats as our space station. 'So we so need to schedule time to connect with people outside your environment, exercise is important getting outside and getting the right amount of light and all these things will make the days go quicker.' This comes as the NHS writes to 1.5 million of the most at risk people in England urging them to stay home for 12 weeks to protect themselves from coronavirus. When quizzed by host Lorraine Kelly (middle) on how to avoid conflict with family during self-isolation, he said: 'The people youre quarantined with, try and help each other out' He went on to emphasis the importance of maintaining a routine while in quarantine, and told that taking care of your environment is imperative Kelly previously said the one thing he missed the most during his year on the ISS was being able to go outside, particularly the smell, sound and sights of nature. He told people should also, have a hobby, keep a journal, binge-watch TV series and 'get plenty of sleep' when forced to stay indoors. While he was on the ISS with other astronauts, there are only six people in the crew, so Kelly has more experience of being cut off from the rest of the world than most. He told the New York Times, :'I actually started to crave nature - the color green, the smell of fresh dirt, and the feel of warm sun on my face.' 'You dont need to work out two and a half hours a day, as astronauts do, but getting moving once a day should be part of your quarantine schedule (just stay at least six feet away from others),' he added. As part of the self-isolation and social distancing measures introduced in the UK people have been urged to remain 6ft apart where possible.If they are not in quarantine due to symptoms it is ok to go for a walk. Even people in household quarantine - where a family member has symptoms even if they don't - it is still ok to go out - but people should avoid direct contact with others while outside. The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, urged citizens to strictly observe quarantine regime, Kazinform reports citing the Presidents Twitter account. Head of State informed about his visit to the National Center for Biotechnology. The center has developed a test system which quickly detects the novel virus COVID-19. Scientists of the center have started work on creating coronavirus vaccine. The center will be provided with financial assistance, President stated. I urge citizens to strictly observe quarantine regime. You should panic in no case. Optimism and confidence in the future will help us to overcome difficulties. Coronavirus positive patients will receive the necessary treatment. All measures of financial support for citizens and businesses will be implemented, the President twitted. The museum was visited more than six million times in 2019 (John Walton/PA) The British Museum has maintained its position as the most popular visitor attraction in the UK after it was visited more than 6.2 million times last year, according to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva). The London museum increased its visitors by 7% from 2018 thanks to the success of its exhibitions which included a display of the work of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, the organisation said. The Tate Modern and the National Gallery finished second and third in the rankings respectively, with each attraction being visited more than six million times. The Tate Modern gallery was ranked second (John Walton/PA) Bernard Donoghue, director of Alva, said: The UKs leading visitor attractions had a great 2019 largely due to a record number of overseas visitors to the UK, more UK residents holidaying at home and re-discovering the wealth of collections, places and experiences we have, and some blockbuster exhibitions. These figures also show the importance of tourism to local, regional and national economies and the vast number of jobs tourism creates and supports in every constituency in the UK. All of the staff at attractions, whether paid or volunteers, front or back of house, not only create jobs and economic growth, they also create the backdrop for peoples happiest memories. The Natural History Museum also ranked highly (John Walton/PA) All of the top 11 most visited attractions are in London, with the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Tower of London all featuring high up the list. The two best-placed attractions outside of the capital are the National Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle. Video of the Day Mr Donoghue added that visitor attractions are currently suffering because of the coronavirus outbreak. He said: We continue to be delighted by the strength and popularity of our members as evidenced by last years figures, however we cannot hide from the current situation that nearly 95% of all Alva members had to close at the end of last week. Visitor attractions are creative and resilient and we would encourage people who are self-isolating at home to go online to visit our members website, to discover their extraordinary online collections and start creating their own cultural bucket list of places to explore and visit when they reopen. Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday the rising number of coronavirus cases poses a substantial challenge to Pennsylvanias hospitals. If cases continue growing exponentially, Wolf said, Our hospitals will soon be overwhelmed." The state needs to do whatever is needed to limit the spread of the virus so hospitals can obtain adequate supplies and prepare for a surge of patients, Wolf said in a news conference. Were trying to buy time to allow our health care system to ramp up, Wolf said. Wolf said its possible to ensure the health care system isnt overwhelmed but it requires the state to continue social distancing, along with the aggressive measures hes undertaken to stem the spread of the virus. The Pennsylvania Department of Health Wednesday announced that the number of diagnosed coronavirus cases has grown to more than 1,100. At least 11 people in the state have died due to the virus so far. The department reported 276 new cases today, the largest one-day increase to date. You can watch their virtual news conference online here. Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine provided an update on the virus and the states response efforts in the news conference. Earlier Wednesday, Wolf expanded stay-at-home orders to Lehigh and Northampton counties. Now, 10 counties are under stay-at-home orders, including the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas. The bulk of the cases have been reported in the Philadelphia area but cases are mounting across the state. More cases are being reported in western Pennsylvania and most counties in the Harrisburg area have confirmed cases. Levine said the state is actively purchasing masks and ventilators to help supply hospitals. She again stressed the importance of people staying home. The governor announced a program to provide loans of up to $100,000 for employers with 100 or fewer workers. The governor said $62 million has been set aside for this program. Wolf said the program is a step in the right direction." But he said that he knows more needs to be done and hed work to find other ways to help businesses and workers. I vowed to save Pennsylvanians lives and then save their livelihoods, Wolf said. Wolf said the best way to help Pennsylvanias businesses is to limit the spread of the virus. Were going to recover from this crisis but first we must get through it, Wolf said. Wolf has ordered businesses that arent life-sustaining to close temporarily to stem the spread of the virus. Some businesses have appealed for waivers to stay open and have sought more guidance from the state about whether or not they can operate. Wolf said the waiver process was established to allow businesses to show the state why it is necessary to remain open. Wolf said the state has received thousands of waiver requests. The idea is to apply common sense and the primary goal is to buy time," Wolf said. "We want people to keep social distance and stay home. The governor said he doesnt approve or reject any of the requests for waivers. Wolf was asked about the possibility of issuing a stay-at-home order statewide. He said the state has closed schools and businesses. He said he doesnt want to do less - or more - than is necessary in the crisis. Lawmakers have agreed to move Pennsylvanias primary, slated for April 28, to June 2. The governor said he supports postponing the primary. I will sign that, Wolf said. The governor was asked about President Trumps stated goal of getting the country up and running by Easter. Wolf said hes had good support from the federal government but said the state would need to follow the appropriate steps to protect public health and limit the spread of the virus. The governor has closed schools until at least April 6. School districts are working on remote instruction and also increasingly bracing for the possibility that schools wont reopen this year. More: 25-year-old N.J. man airlifted to Philadelphia hospital for trial coronavirus treatment: report Stimulus checks: How many months until payments go out, and what could you receive? Texas Roadhouse owner provides hot meals for teachers, first responders: coronavirus hero Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus, self-isolates in Scotland Pa. unemployment claims skyrocket to 540,000 since statewide coronavirus shutdown, shattering records The government has banned exports of Hydroxychloriquine and formulations made from Hydroxychloriquine. It also warned chemists and druggists not to sell the drug without doctor's prescription. It said, "The export of Hydroxychloriquine and formulations made from H Hydroxychloriquine falling under ITCHS code, is prohibited, with immediate effect. Exports shall, however, be only allowed in conditions." ALSO READ: Malaria drugs promise for coronavirus spurs hope, shortages "You are adivsed to kindly direct your members not to sell the Hydroxychloriquine(HCQs), Chloroquine, Lopinavir/Ritonavir and related products to anyone without the prescription of a 'Registered Medical Practitioner' having MD General Medicine Degree or Pulmonologist," the government wrote to All India Organisation of Chemists & Druggists (AIOCD). "All the Chemists and Druggists are hereby advised to strictly adhere to the above instructions as per the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetic Act, 1940 and Rules made thereunder," the government added. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Any deviation in this regard by any of the Chemists/Druggists will be viewed seriously and stringent action as per Drugs & Cosmetics Act. ALSO READ: ICMR recommends use of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloriquine for treating high-risk COVID-19 patients People have are scrambling to stock up on antimalarial drug hydroxychloriquine after ICMR recommended the use of the drug as one of the preventive measure in high-risk population. The high risk population who would be eligible for getting the drug include asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases and asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases. Moneycontrol learned that the announcement has led to shortages of Hydroxychloriquine in several cities. Several medical experts have expressed concern over ICMR announcement, as it would lead people to self-medicate without fully understanding the side-effects it causes. It's not uncommon in India to get prescription drugs over-the-counter as people self medicate, to cut doctor consultation fee. One chemist in Mumbai told Moneycontrol that even before ICMR recommendation, people have started asking for Hydroxychloriquine and Erythromycin, taking a cue from US President Donald Trump announcement that the combination of these two drugs could be a game changer in dealing with rising number of COVID-19 cases. ALSO READ: Coronavirus pandemic | Promising new treatment fails German elevator maker Thyssenkrupp said it will cut up to 3,000 jobs by 2026 as part of a steel agreement reached with IG Metall, the leading metalworkers' union in Germany. Thyssenkrupp and IG Metall agreed firstly on an immediate "Corona crisis package to deal with the pandemic and secondly on the conclusion of a collective agreement. The company regulations necessary for implementation, the reconciliation of interests and the social plan were also agreed. The framework conditions for the implementation of the 20-30 steel strategy are thus in place. The agreement applies to all German steel locations of thyssenkrupp. The collective agreement will enter into force on April 01, 2020 and run for 6 years until March 31, 2026. Of the total of approximately 3,000 jobs, around 1,000 will be cut in administration. Eight-hundred jobs are affected in the heavy plate segment. In addition, around 1,200 jobs will be cut beginning in 2022 through the optimization of the production network. The job reductions have been firmly agreed and will be carried out in a socially responsible manner. The job security is valid until March 31, 2026, a thyssenkrupp statement said. Oliver Burkhard, executive Board member for Human resources and labour director of thyssenkrupp AG: "The reorganization challenges all of us. Companies and employees. But: Such comprehensive changes are only possible with and not against the employees. Together we are now proving this once again at steel. With a good balance between economic necessity and social responsibility." Thyssenkrupp and IG Metall have also agreed on an immediate "Corona crisis package. The bargaining parties have agreed that in the current situation individual measures of the steel strategy 20-30 will be regularly reviewed in the course of implementation. To this end, a joint monthly monitoring of the situation for the duration of the pandemic has been agreed to implement the agreement. The immediate package also includes the requirement for thyssenkrupp Steel Europe's operations to increase short-time work compensation to 80% in the event of short-time working. In addition, it is agreed that a collectively agreed special payment will be converted into days off. "We will have to go into short-time work at many locations in the coming weeks. This will initially affect production-related areas, but also administration. We are taking a close look at all of them to see when which measures make sense. Even when we run out of work, we try to keep everyone in employment. So we can get back on track after the crisis, Burkhard concluded. TradeArabia News Service CNN When Brandon Waltman went to visit his newborn baby girl in the neonatal intensive care unit of an Alabama hospital Monday night, he was told she had been placed in isolation. His daughter Emmarie Grace Waltman has been in the NICU of the University of South Alabama Women's Hospital for the past month. After a nurse recently tested positive for Covid-19, Waltman said, he was told that as a precaution Emmarie was taken to another room and put in isolation. After watching the news about the spread of the virus over the last few weeks, Waltman says he wasn't surprised. "I felt like it was inevitable," he told CNN. Gary Mans, an associate vice president for Marketing and Communications at USA Health, said in a statement that a staff member within the health system had tested positive, but declined to say in which department. "A USA Health employee has tested positive for Covid-19. USA Health continues to implement all state and national guidelines to ensure we protect our patients, providers and staff," said Mans. Older adults and those with chronic conditions are most vulnerable to the virus, but young adults are catching and spreading it as well. Fortunately, children are not developing severe symptoms, said Dr. Arthur Reingold, an epidemiologist at the University of California at Berkeley. Emmarie was born February 20 and was in the NICU for issues associated with feeding, her father said. With the number of people caring for her and running tests, Waltman and his wife talked about the likelihood of exposure. Now the parents can only visit Emmarie one at a time in a low-pressure room in order to prevent any potential spread of Covid-19. "It's rough. But today is about pushing so some of this doesn't happen again to her or God forbid anybody else." Waltman says that in the weeks his daughter has been in the NICU, he's seen some doctors and nurses consistently wearing masks and gloves, while others are only wearing them some of the time. As the number of coronavirus cases grow, top healthcare officials have said the US does not have enough protective equipment stockpiled to meet the anticipated need of the healthcare system. Doctors and nurses have been scrambling to get what they need to keep themselves and their patients safe. According to the hospital's website, all visitors are screened for symptoms and possible exposure and the visitor policy was recently changed to limit one visitor per patient at a time for all patients. Waltman is anxious to get his daughter home to Mississippi to quarantine together as a family, but he isn't sure when Emmarie will be released. The family's home is about an hour away from the hospital. "With the times being like they are, we feel like we're better left at home where we know who's coming in contact with her." For now, he says his daughter isn't showing any symptoms of Covid-19, and he hopes it'll stay that way. "I don't think she's going to test positive," he says. "She's one of the, probably the biggest and the healthiest babies in the NICU." This story was first published on CNN.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 15:57:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- There are "huge opportunities" for China-New Zealand cooperation on epidemic prevention, a New Zealand epidemiologist told Xinhua in a recent interview. David Murdoch, dean of the University of Otago (Christchurch), said some cooperation projects on noncommunicable diseases between his university and Chinese research bodies already exist. "We've seen remarkable collaboration between different institutions worldwide, including identification and discovery of the virus, and then the genetic code of that virus, and the really quick sharing with the world," said the expert, who specializes in diagnosis and prevention of respiratory tract infections. The current pandemic will not be the last one, the professor said, adding that "there's a very good chance we will see another ... like this." As for vaccine research, the expert said in the past it took 10, 15 or even 20 years before a vaccine entered the market, though the process has quickened since the Ebola outbreak. "We'll probably be lucky to have a vaccine (for the novel coronavirus) within 12 or 18 months, but that's a lot faster than it used to be," he said, who is also a member of the Ministry of Health's advisor group. "Sometimes a crisis like this can move technology on," he added. Murdoch said he was impressed by the Chinese medical community's response to the coronavirus outbreak. "The rigorous and even aggressive response to contain the virus has got the outbreak under control more than we would have thought, and now many countries are using that experience to fight harder in their own response," Murdoch said. He said the economic impact of the disease is huge and that the current focus for China is to resume production, affirming the importance of sustained efforts to prevent "a secondary peak." Given that many Asian people who wear face masks in public places often receive suspicious responses in New Zealand, Murdoch said wearing masks is more of a cultural choice than a medical issue. "In New Zealand, it is unusual to go out with a mask," the expert said. "There is a feeling that you must be really unwell if you wear a mask, and if you are unwell you should stay home. So that's the thinking for New Zealanders, but it's also realized that for many cultures it's quite acceptable to do it." He said a mask is certainly effective at preventing the spread of a respiratory infection, while physical distancing should also be effective. "I think in a situation of a pandemic, we will see more New Zealanders wearing masks, and there will be a greater acceptance of why people do that," said Murdoch. WASHINGTON The Senate approved a massive stimulus bill to help families and businesses hurt by the coronavirus epidemic on Wednesday. The bill now moves to the House, which is expected to vote on the measure Friday morning and then send it to President Donald Trump for his signature. This is the third and by far the most expensive package Congress has put together to address the coronavirus. "This is a wartime level of investment into our nation," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. A fight has arrived on our shores. We did not seek it. We did not want it. But now, we are going to win it." Here are some of the major components of the historic relief package. Help for families The bill would provide direct payments of up to $1,200 for most individuals and $2,400 for most married couples filing jointly with an extra $500 for each child. Assistance would start to phase out for individuals earning more than $75,000 and for couples with more than $150,000 in income. Unemployment insurance benefits would be expanded, increasing the maximum benefit by $600 a week for up to four months. Benefits would be available to workers who are part-time, self-employed or part of the gig economy. People who are still unemployed after state benefits end could get an additional 13 weeks of help. Food assistance programs would get a boost as would programs to help low-income households avoid eviction and a program to improve internet access in rural areas. Homeowners with federally-backed mortgages would be protected from foreclosures for as long as 180 days. Students with federal loans could suspend payments until October. Students receiving Pell grants who have to drop out because of coronavirus would not be penalized. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., left, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., right, bump elbows as they attend a lunch with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 12, 2020. Help for small businesses The bill would give small businesses access to a nearly $350 billion loan program to cover monthly expenses like payroll, rent and utilities. The loans would not have to be repaid if businesses maintained their workforce. The eight weeks of assistance would be retroactive to Feb. 15, 2020 to help bring back workers who have already been laid off. Story continues Help for corporations The package includes a financial lifeline to the hardest-hit industries, including passenger and cargo airlines. Another pot of money would be available to help other businesses for a combined $500 billion. Companies receiving assistance would be barred from raising the pay of certain executives. Any company receiving a government loan would be prohibited from buying back stocks while getting assistance as well for an additional year. Businesses controlled by the president, vice president, members of Congress and heads of federal agencies are not eligible for loans. Companies that kept on workers despite a significant loss of revenue could get a tax credit. The bill provides other tax relief to businesses by deferring tax payments, increasing deductibility for interest expenses and allowing immediate expensing of qualified property improvements, especially for the hospitality industry. Help for health care providers Hospitals and medical centers would get billions to handle surging caseloads. Hospitals treating coronavirus patients would also get higher reimbursements form Medicare. Hospitals could request accelerated payments from Medicare. Across-the-board Medicare cuts that were part of a previous deficit reduction agreement would be temporarily halted. Extra funding for the Defense Department includes money to deploy the National Guard and use the Defense Production Act to help fast-track production of needed medical supplies to combat the coronavirus. Rules on using and paying for telehealth services would be eased. Funding would increase for federal agencies to speed work on therapies and a possible coronavirus vaccine, among other activities. When there is a vaccine, Medicare beneficiaries would not have to pay to receive it. Help for state and local governments The package includes $150 billion to help state and local governments, which have had major unanticipated expenses while losing revenue. States would get a minimum amount and other funds would be allocated through a population-based formula. Disaster relief funding that state and local governments can access as well as a popular funding program for local governments would also be boosted. Child care programs would get a funding boost to help meet emergency staffing needs so health care workers and other critical workers will have child care. States, which have been postponing primaries, would get additional funds to make voting safer such as expanding early voting and the ability to vote by mail. Public transit agencies, which have lost ridership, would get $25 billion in assistance. Airports and Amtrak would also get billions of dollars of assistance. Schools and colleges could access nearly $31 billion to continue to teach students as schools are closed. State and local police and fire departments could get help paying for overtime and for medical items like personal protective equipment. The deadline for states to meet Real ID requirements for enhanced driver's licenses would be extended a year, to no earlier than October of 2021. Help for the arts Museums, libraries and arts organizations across the country, which have been closing because of the pandemic, could get a boost from grants to state arts and humanities organizations. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which has been closed until May, would get $25 million so it can reopen its doors once the crisis is over. The Smithsonian Institution would get $7.5 million to help with teleworking, deep cleaning and overtime for security, medical staff, and zoo keepers. Contributing: Nicholas Wu and Christal Hayes, USA TODAY. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus stimulus bill: what it does for Americans, small business People waiting in line at an unemployment office. Yellow Dog Productions The coronavirus relief bill under consideration by Congress would significantly expand unemployment benefits for Americans who lose their jobs due to the country's recent economic contagion. However, there is concern that the unemployment benefits for some workers especially those making lower wages would exceed 100% of their current paychecks, creating an incentive for them not to work or induce companies to lay them off to cut costs. The measure, part of the bill unveiled Tuesday, would beef up the nation's unemployment insurance program, a state-administered program that provides temporary income support for out-of-work Americans. Under the legislation, unemployed workers would both collect bigger unemployment checks which could, in some cases, even exceed their typical wages and receive those payments over a longer period of time. The legislation would also extend benefits to a broader pool of people, like gig workers and freelancers. In some ways, the new provisions would eclipse similar actions the federal government took during the Great Recession a little over a decade ago, experts said. That recession was the country's deepest since the Great Depression. "It would represent a significant expansion over what is currently available," Susan Houseman, vice president and director of research at the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, said of the legislation. The bill The bill would offer jobless Americans $600 a week and pay 13 weeks of unemployment benefits, according to draft language of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. These provisions would be in addition to any benefits currently offered by a worker's state, which administer their own unemployment insurance programs. Workers are eligible for up to 39 weeks around 10 months of total federal and state benefits. The $600-a-week payments from the federal government would only last for up to four months. Unemployment benefits vary widely by state, which generally base payments on a worker's prior four quarters of wages. Most states currently offer a maximum of 26 weeks of benefits. In January, state programs paid an average $385 weekly to unemployed workers, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The [unemployment] numbers could be much higher than they've ever been before. Stephen Wandner labor economist with the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research Unemployed workers who wouldn't typically qualify for state benefits would receive 50% of their state's average benefits plus $600 a week, said Arindrajit Dube, an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This category includes self-employed workers (such as those in the gig economy), those seeking part-time work, workers who quit their job or can't reach their place of work as a result of COVID-19, or don't have sufficient work history to otherwise qualify for benefits. It's conceivable that, under the legislative proposal, unemployment could ultimately pay some individuals more money than their previous paycheck, experts said. Three Republican senators Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham, both of South Carolina called on Wednesday for an "immediate fix" to the bill to avoid "life-threatening shortages" among doctors, nurses and pharmacists. "A massive drafting error in the current version of the coronavirus legislation could have devastating consequences: Unless this bill is fixed, there is a strong incentive for employees to be laid off instead of going to work," they said. Americans who can telework with pay and individuals receiving paid sick leave or other paid leave benefits don't qualify for expanded unemployment benefits. Expanded benefits would last through December 2020. RUNSTUDIO 30% unemployment The boost in unemployment benefits comes amid mounting evidence of a looming U.S. recession, as businesses across the country have had to close, lay off workers, or reduce their hours. First-time claims for unemployment increased 33% last week, to 281,000, according to national figures released Thursday by the Labor Department. The agency attributed the increase to the COVID-19 virus. Economists expect a dramatic jump in claims when the Labor Department issues updated figures this week. James Bullard, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, said this week that the U.S. unemployment rate could hit 30% in the second quarter higher than during the Great Depression and about triple that of the Great Recession. Such an increase would be a dramatic turnaround from an unemployment rate that had been hovering around 3.5%, its lowest level in a half century. A 30% unemployment rate would equate to roughly 45 million Americans, said Stephen Wandner, a labor economist with the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research and senior fellow at the National Academy of Social Insurance. "We've never had anything like that," Wandner said. "The numbers could be much higher than they've ever been before." Unemployment insurance European nations like Italy and Spain have now become the epicentre of coronavirus outbreak outside China. Iran is also one of the countries to have reported a large number of Covid-19 infections and related deaths. Earlier this week, the World Health Organisation said that the pandemic is accelerating. With over 500 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths, India has also decided to up its ante against the virus and has put the nation under a 3-week lockdown. According to the WHO figures, the virus has infected 375,498 people globally and claimed 16,362 lives. Heres taking a quick look at coronavirus latest developments from across the globe. 1. Tokyo Olympics has been pushed to 2021. 2. Over 100 people died in the US on Tuesday. The WHO warned the country could be the next epicentre of coronavirus. White House authorities warn those who have travelled in and out of New York should self-quarantine for 14 days. Authorities are also expecting a steep surge in cases in New York. 3. US President Donald Trump said he wants the US opened up and raring to go by Easter hinting at lifting lockdown restrictions which have been enforced in New York, Los Angeles and other areas. 4. Australia has banned overseas travel and extended social restrictions to tackle Covid-19. 5. The UK has extended visa of stranded Indians till May 31. 6. Amazon has decided to stop non-essential sales in India in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak. Walmart Incs Flipkart has suspended services, a notice on the Indian e-commerce firms website said on Wednesday, as India began a 21-day lockdown to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. 7. Italy recorded 602 deaths on Monday taking the total death toll to 6,820. There is no decline in infection or deaths. 8. Financial markets rebound due to the US Federal Reserves offer of unlimited bond-buying. 9. Doctors are hoarding medications for Covid-19 by writing prescriptions for themselves and family members, according to pharmacy boards in the US. 10. Gilead Sciences has registered its experimental drug Remdesivir as rare disease treatment in the US, a status which could provide millions in tax breaks. Compliance audits are being conducted by the city to ensure that businesses that do not qualify as essential services will close their doors under emergency measures introduced by the province to combat the spread of COVID-19. As of 8 a.m. this morning, our team began conducting compliance audits across the city to run seven days a week and evenings until further notice, said Matthew Pegg, Torontos fire chief and general manager of the citys office of emergency management. Enforcement action will be taken against any non-essential businesses. On Monday, an ashen-faced Premier Doug Ford announced the shutdown of all non-essential businesses in the province and Mayor John Tory followed up by declaring a state of emergency in the city. All non-essential businesses were asked to close by midnight Tuesday. The shutdown was undertaken to encourage people to remain in their homes while those engaged on the front lines of fighting the virus struggle to contain its spread and treat the sick. Nearly 19,000 people have died worldwide, including 13 COVID-related deaths in Ontario. According to Toronto Public Health, as of Wednesday afternoon, there were 319 recorded cases of COVID-19 in Toronto, including 22 requiring hospitalization and four deaths. The audits are being undertaken by members of the citys municipal licensing and standards division, Toronto Public Health and the Toronto Police Service, Pegg said. He said that tickets for violating the order start at $750. Our audit team will take the enforcement action that is appropriate or reasonable in the circumstances, and that of course, as we can all appreciate, is always situationally dependent, said Pegg. Bars and restaurants in the city were closed last week, as were nail and hair salons. An audit conducted over the weekend revealed a high level of compliance with those orders, said Coun. Joe Cressy, chair of the board of health. As of Saturday, our non-compliance rate was down to about 0.3 per cent. Thats outstanding. The best solution is where everyone complies. If you get in a situation where its whack-a-mole (businesses opening, then closing, then opening) then social distancing isnt working. We need compliance, said Cressy (Ward 10, SpadinaFort York). City spokesperson Brad Ross said residents can call 311 to report non-essential businesses that remain open. Tory said he will consider whatever measures Torontos medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, says are necessary to slow the spread of the virus. I will rely, as I have throughout, on the advice of the medical officer of health, and if she says its a problem, then I will discuss what the options are to deal with it, but there is no discussion at the moment of other measures, Tory said. I think now were just absorbing and trying to see how the provincial order is followed plus doing everything else we can to identify where there are still unacceptable levels of social contact happening and try to address those in whatever way we can. PR-Inside.com: 2020-03-25 13:04:02 Trends Reveal Impact of Pandemic to Life Science Suppliers and Customers CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and BERLIN, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZAGENO, a leading enterprise marketplace solution connecting e-commerce to life science, today shared COVID-19-related data, which reveals the readiness and short-term impact to both supplier and biotech laboratory teams and the long-term implications of an industry disruption caused by a pandemic. Volumes have increased, considerably. Q1, year-over-year (2019-2020) volumes by laboratories to ZAGENO's marketplace: February volume increased by 80%. March volume increased by 160%. Greatest category increase: consumables and safety wear. ZAGENO experienced a +30% volume increase, representing an all-time high. Order surges have caused supplier backorders. Between February and March, backorders, from global distributors, have more than doubled. March backorder rates increased by more than 150%. Alternative Products Typical products for COVID-19 research is a viral RNA/DNA kit. Using ZAGENOs database and filter features, scientists can, for example, select 36 products from 12 brands offering kits with the right specifications. Customer Behavior Mobile purchasing is Up: Between March 1-14: mobile usage to ZAGENO.com in the U.S. increased by 17%. Customers are spending more time placing orders. Visits to ZAGENO.com have lengthened by more than 16%. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c9209958-e945-437a-b90a-2b452e44c63e ZAGENOs customer-centric business is driven by data relating directly to their needs. Data from February to March demonstrates order activity, from our scientist customers, which portends the severity of the disruption that COVID-19 would have on the industry, said Florian Wegener, co-founder and CEO of ZAGENO. To support the productivity of our customers ZAGENO is able to recommend alternative products vetted by our Scientific Content team to help avoid disruption. Further, to onboard new scientist teams, we are delivering remote training with an expanded schedule. About ZAGENO ZAGENO is on a mission to accelerate scientific innovation by streamlining biotech purchasing processes with its award-winning, first-of-its-kind e-commerce platform. With over 10 million products available, ZAGENO makes online shopping for any research material convenient, efficient and reliable. The ZAGENO experience includes its Scientific Score, a best-in-class product rating system that offers unbiased, peer-reviewed ratings to support accurate purchasing decisions. Available on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, ZAGENO makes biotech purchases easier than ever and is an ideal sales channel for suppliers and partners. Founded in 2015, ZAGENO has offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Berlin, Germany. Visit ZAGENO on the web at zageno.com ; follow ZAGENO on social media at LinkedIn , Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook . For more information: Greg Vitarelli greg@zageno.com +1 617 455 9627 Welcome to March 25, Day 10 of the New Normal and the first day under a countywide stay-at home order, which bans people leaving their homes until April 9, except for essential trips and outdoor exercise. And, no, going to get your nails done is not classified as essential travel. Your manicurist wouldnt be there, anyway. The city live-streamed a town hall on Tuesday night that answered the many questions of a worried and confused citizenry, and you can get the skinny here. My favorite question can you still get a face-lift? Really? In the coronavirus apocalypse, no one is going to notice your facial wrinkles as theyre trying to abscond with your supply of bottled water. (The answer is no. You cant get a face-lift or other elective surgery.) OK, I dont believe all this is going to end in an apocalypse. I think. I hope. Although Bexar Countys confirmed virus cases on Tuesday 69 represented a double-digit increase for the second day in a row. The city also saw its second COVID-19 death, a 40-year-old woman who worked at a local Catholic church. Here are some more updates: Area schools are extending their closures for about three more weeks, to April 24. (Sending a silent prayer to all parents out there trying to make this insane situation work.) And heres an updated list of local restaurants and breweries offering take-out, delivery and curbside service. Heres some more succinct info about the stay-at-home order. And another story about businesses that are open and closed. And perhaps the purest example of news-you-can-use in the pandemic: News about what you cant use. Namely, wet wipes, ripped up pieces of T-shirt and other nontoilet paper products to wipe your bum. It clogs up the sewage system, with potentially horrific results. Really, people. Use your heads about your rears. We try to stay upbeat here at the New Normal, to bring a little levity amid the pandemic darkness. Some days are easier than others. Tuesday, for example, the world tipped decisively toward acrimony and rancor. Partisan lines are forming across the state and nation, with conservatives balking at the stay-at-home movement, recommended by health experts to stanch the spread of the coronavirus. In related news (wink, wink), President Donald Trump, in a town hall with Fox News, reiterated his growing frustration with a closed-down economy, saying he wants to reopen the country on April 12 and envisioned packed churches at Easter. Horrified health officials said the virus would likely be reaching its peak in that time frame, and any such move would result in thousands, if not millions, of unnecessary deaths. Speaking of unnecessary deaths, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick caused a tumult across social media when he suggested on Monday that we should restart the economy sooner rather than later, even if it poses potentially fatal risks to elderly Texas residents. OK, lets see a show of hands here: Who would put MeeMaw and Paw Paw on the pyre, to more quickly pump up their 401(k)s? Anyone? Anyone? Yeah, me neither. And then the great minds at an exotic game ranch in Uvalde kicked things up further, by torching 50 to 60 rolls of toilet paper with a flamethrower as an online publicity stunt. The owners tried to justify the gambit, saying it enabled them to provide help (including toilet paper) to needy families and donate to first responders. Whatever. Really, what would you expect from an outfit that lets customers drive a tank and shoot machine guns? And then there were these physicians in a number of states, including Texas, who are accused of stockpiling possible coronavirus medications, writing prescriptions for themselves and their families. These are the drugs such as anti-malarial medications that have been touted by Trump in press briefings as potential cures, although theres absolutely no medical or scientific evidence backing up those claims. If theres any justice in the world, lets hope those drugs instead cause male pattern baldness, stretch marks and erectile dysfunction. For more in fear-based reactions to the pandemic, folks are lining up at San Antonio gun stores, to stock up on weapons and ammunition, in preparation for ... well, what? Ill just go ahead and place this study here, one among several indicating gun ownership doesnt make the owner safer, and in fact may do the opposite. You know, studies based on science. Something most of us have decided we very much like now, thanks to the virus. There are some glimmers of good news. Texas hospitals are about to receive $80 million in medical supplies no doubt a proverbial drop in the bucket, but still. The city and the Luminaria Artist Foundation on Wednesday released a new relief fund to help local artists hurt by the virus. To learn more, go here. And even though employers across San Antonio and Texas are laying off droves of employees, Walmart, H-E-B, Dominos and other companies are hiring thousands, to accommodate the surge in home deliveries and other services caused by the virus. Finally, the Senate got its act together and agreed on a $2 trillion emergency relief package. The bipartisan legislation includes billions and billions to help hospitals, businesses large and small, the unemployed, workers of every stripe. The news sent the stock market surging (although I still care more about my MeeMaw than my stock portfolio.) Im already planning how to spend some of my $1,200. Maybe a pair of sweatpants from Walmart? I would consider that essential travel. Dont tell the cops. Until tomorrow, my friends. Go outside and listen to the birds. You can hear them better now, without all the cars. Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje is a general assignment reporter covering breaking news, cultural trends and interesting people and goings-on around San Antonio and Bexar County, as well as all across South Texas. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | mstoeltje@express-news.net | Twitter: @mstoeltje Metro-North, beset by shrinking ridership caused by coronavirus protections, is implementing the largest service cutbacks in its history. We are in midst of biggest liquidity crisis ever, Patrick Foye, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Metro-Norths parent, said Wednesday during a press conference in New York City. No organization of our size can rely on internal cuts, Foye said as he announced system wide cutbacks. But we are not shutting down; we are not going anywhere, Foye said. Its crucial we continue the tremendous progress we saw before. On Friday, Metro-North will begin providing hourly service only on the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven lines, with extra trains added during peak ties. Weekday capacity will be reduced by approximately 50 percent, which means the railroad will run 424 trains, down from 713 during a normal schedule. Starting April 4, Metro-North will suspend shuttle service between Wassaic and Southeast on the Upper Harlem line. Subways in New York City will be running at about 75 percent of normal service and bus service is being reduced as well. Service on the Long Island Railroad is also being cut back. Foye said the reduced service is the result of massive ridership reductions Metro-North is now carrying 94 percent less commuters than usual that has gutted the agencys revenue stream. Those losses are the result of steps put into place to lessen the spread of COVID-19, such as social distancing, store closings and work at home directives. Foye noted that MTA employees are also battling the virus, with 52 workers testing positive so far. Officials said delays are occurring as the MTA adjusts to worker shortages. Our employees continue to show up day in and day out, Foye said, adding non-essential employees have been sent home. They are at their post again despite unprecedented challenges, Foye said. [But] the building is a ghost town. There are very few people here. Foye said the good news is reduced ridership preserves social distancing between customers and employees. The steps we are taking today helps flatten the curve. New York City has become the American epicenter of the virus. Of all confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S., 56 percent are in the New York metro area. Also, 31 percent of all Americans who have died from the virus are from the New York City area. The cutbacks are part of the MTAs essential service plan for its trains, buses and subways. Most people should stay off mass transit, Foye said. If you dont need to go out, dont go out. If you dont need to travel, dont travel. The MTA, along with mass transit systems in Chicago and other big cities, is asking Congress for $25 billion in relief money to help stem growing red ink caused by the virus. About $4 billion of that total would go to the MTA, officials said. MTA requires comprehensive, robust federal assistance, Foye noted. Its $25 billion for transit agencies. Still, MTA officials stressed the railroads, buses and subways will continue operating. Our crews and front line employees at Metro-North will continue to provide the service our customers deserve during these trying times," said Catherine Rinaldi, president of Metro-North. Our ridership has seen a steep decline over the past several weeks, but health care workers and other first responders continue to ride our trains every day, Rinaldi said. While some reduction in service makes sense right now, we will continue to run a safe and reliable service to get these critical employees to their places of employment every day, Rinaldi added. Foye said no one foresaw the magnitude of the ridership drop. We planned for disruption but not disruption on this basis, Foye noted. We drew down $1 billion on a line of credit yesterday. We are taking other steps. The worst case? I cant imagine, and its unthinkable. bcummings@ctpost.com Jim Shay contributed to this report China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page To prevent the spread of COVID-19, six Bay Area counties are extending school closures until May 1. In Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, schools will reopen on Monday, May 4. If further extensions become necessary, counties will make decisions and announcements at the appropriate time. The State of California requires schools to offer 180 days of instruction and many families may be wondering if days will be added onto the end of the school year, if and when schools reopen. "Just because schools are physically closed, doesnt mean that the learning has stopped," Kindra Britt with the California Department of Education said in a statement. "The situation that we are in right now is not considered a closure in terms of school days, but just a physical closure of the school itself." Britt added: "They certainly can add days of instruction if they want to. They have the local control to do that." Read the statement on the extended school closure from San Francisco Unified School District. See the statement from Santa Clara Unified. Find the statement from the Alameda County Office of Education. Read the statement from the Marin County Office of Education. See the statement from San Mateo County Schools. Find the statement from Contra Costa County Schools. This story was updated on March 25, 2020, at 3:35 p.m. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. One South Side couple may have had to close their coffee shop because of the coronavirus pandemic, but they are open for business helping feed San Antonio's senior citizens. As concerns over the virus grew and Tatu Herrera and his wife Emilie Herrera were forced to close the Folklores Coffee House, they started to think about what would happen to the senior citizens across the Alamo City who weren't able to easily stock up on supplies. "We just started thinking, what happens to the people who can't go out and get food? How are they able to eat?" Tatu said. So last week, the couple decided to start making meals to take to the elderly around town. Tatu and some of his friends who are local chefs have been making meals from hamburgers to lasagna that they then deliver to homes. They also run errands and go grocery shopping for those who need it. "Not all of the seniors qualify for Meals on Wheels for whatever reason, or they don't have family to check on them or they are on social media all day and scared about leaving because of what they see," Tatu said. Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news with mySA.com: "It makes us feel good to help," he added. "This is the right thing to do." After asking for referrals, the couple delivered about 40 meals on the first day. By the next day, the demand had grown to nearly 100 people. As of Wednesday, they have served nearly 900 meals. "When we deliver the meals, we hear so many sad stories one after the other and it just kills you," Tatu said. "For most, it may be the only meal they have that day and it's like how are you going to be able to eat without us? So we have to do our part and keep helping." While the deed is noble, it is a difficult task. The couple has paid for a lot of the food from their savings with some help from community donations. Tatu said he will go to the store and buy ingredients for meals he can make in large quantities with whatever money they have for the day and ration it out to be delivered. READ ALSO: San Antonians who have stepped up in the middle of the coronavirus emergency "We aren't thinking of the coffee shop or our bills, those will be there at the end of the day," he said. "But we need to help out however we can until we can't." To help, Tatu asks for monitory donations so they can buy the food. The couple is also looking for anyone who wants to be a delivery driver. To donate, click here. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Tommy Tallon, who has an underlying illness, is isolating himself at his farm in Duleek, Co Louth PHOTOS: Arthur Carron. Farming is considered to be one of the loneliest occupations. Many farmers often go days without seeing anyone, with the possible exception of a vet or a milk lorry driver. But this week, with the outbreak of Covid-19, social isolation is vital for Meath farmer Tommy Tallon. Tommy, from Duleek, has suffered from epilepsy for almost 40 years. Epilepsy Ireland say in relation to Covid-19: "The development of any fever, virus, flu etc can lead to increased seizure activity for some people." Tommy's epilepsy began in 1982, during the heavy snow, when walking home from his mother's house he slipped and cracked his skull. It didn't have much effect at the time, but it soon began to take its toll. "I worked on perfect for some years but I was probably working too hard. I was working in a coal yard, and I bought the farm and got married as well. Pressure began to come on and I began to have bad turns," he says. " I went to different GPs, was given different tablets which didn't agree with me. I eventually got a GP who said I might have epilepsy." Expand Close Tommy's farm manager Welder Raphael is keeping the the farm ticking over. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tommy's farm manager Welder Raphael is keeping the the farm ticking over. Eventually, Tommy had an operation but he's still on medication for it and has to mind what he's eating, avoid drinking too much and smoking, and he has to listen to his body. And Covid-19 has had a massive impact on his life. "I'm in complete lockdown, it's a disaster," says Tommy, who lives on his own. "The only people I see at the minute are the milkman and a workman I have that comes in and does tractor work for me and the occasional bit of milking, but I stay well away from them both. "I have an outfarm a short drive away from the farm on a public road which I go to every day so at least I get to see a little bit of what is going on outside in the real world. "I've been shut off for about a week from everyone. I used to go to my mother's house every Sunday morning for breakfast but I can't do that now, because she's isolating herself as well." Tommy has also taken several extra steps around the yard to make sure good hygiene is kept to minimise the spread of the virus. "I've gotten three or four footbaths in. There's also soap dispensers and paper towels in the dairy and calf shed and I've gotten face masks in as well." Despite the extra precautions and increased isolation, Tommy's working routine hasn't changed that much. "I still get up and around half five every morning, milk, feed the calves etc. The only difference is I don't see anyone," he says. When he isn't farming, Tommy is a keen fiddler. Before the outbreak, he could be found every Thursday night playing a trad session in his local pub Bennetts. Now, he's left to play at home on his own. "I'm playing it for over ten years and thank God I started it. I picked up the fiddle there recently and played a few tunes and it really lifted my spirits," he says. "A lady who I went to for music lessons told me that it would do me a lot of good and she was right. It really is a beautiful instrument." Despite not being a traditional Fine Gael voter, Tommy is quick to praise the Government's handling of the crisis, especially how they keep the country informed. "Simon Coveney, Leo Varadkar, Simon Harris and Tony Holohan (the Chief Medical Officer) are doing a fantastic job, they really needed to step up to the mark and they really did so," he says. But he says farm representative bodies need to do more for their members in a time of crisis. "The IFA is supposed to be my union and I don't know if they're doing anything for us. IFA needs to be more proactive, they've done some good in the past, but they need to offer more support in the current climate. "At the best of times, farming is a hard job but this coronavirus has really doubled that." A taxi driver in Beirut, Lebanon, burned his car and tried to set himself on fire on March 24 after receiving a fine for not adhering to coronavirus lockdown measures, according to local reports. Lebanese media said the army prevented the driver, Salim Khadduj, from setting himself on fire, but said he was hospitalized with some burns. According to a GoFundMe page set up for the driver, the fine was equivalent to about USD$2,000. Under the new restrictions, taxis in Lebanon are not allowed to carry more than one passenger, reports say. Storyful spoke to Khadduj, who said he was carrying three passengers because his whole family relies on this source of income. A policeman stopped and fined him, Khadduj said. Another video that circulated online shows Khadduj falling to the ground as men in military outfits tend to him. The person who filmed that video said Khadduj was also trying to set himself on fire. A fundraising campaign for Khadduj was launched to help him secure a source of income. According to the GoFundMe page, Khadduj was facing a fine of three million pounds, roughly equivalent to USD$2,000, and he had burned his car in a moment of anger. Credit: @al_assmar via Storyful Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. George Krall already counts himself lucky. The retired high school Spanish teacher from Long Island lives among more than 200 cooped-up residents of Lambeth House, the gated New Orleans retirement home where 11 of his neighbors have died in a week after contracting the new coronavirus. Krall, 77, is among 42 residents there who have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease that has erupted across Louisiana and stricken its nursing homes and retirement centers hardest of all. +5 Lambeth House death toll reaches 9; another coronavirus cluster found at 2nd Louisiana nursing home In a state that ranks near the top for the number of nursing facilities impacted by the new coronavirus, Louisiana officials on Monday identif Lambeth House was the first identified coronavirus cluster in the state, and Krall was among the first residents to test positive. But hes through it now, he said. Past the symptoms. Tylenol did the trick. I was just staying in my apartment, from when I came back from the doctors office on the 11th. I didnt leave my room until this last Saturday, which was the amount of time the CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] says you have to be without symptoms, he said. And they kept checking on me, and now Im allowed to leave my apartment. Ive gone two weeks with no symptoms, no fever. They didnt just decide arbitrarily. Krall said hes not alone among those recovering or having recovered already from COVID-19, a spate of good news for a senior home that has experienced little of it since the first coronavirus case was identified there on March 10. Lambeth House also has reported few new tests administered to residents over the past few days, in nightly updates slid under the doors of residents. A couple of my friends are in the same boat as I am. They were sick too, and theyre in their apartments now, he said. Whats done a lot of the people in (who died) is the pneumonia they get from this. That seems to have been the critical thing some people have not been able to get over. I knew almost every one of them. Krall said its been hard hearing the updates of which neighbors the coronavirus has taken. Hes among about 140 residents on the eight independent-living floors of Lambeth House, where most of the dead also lived. +2 Louisiana among top states with coronavirus infections in nursing homes, report says As the local death toll from the global coronavirus pandemic grows, especially among the elderly and infirm, a new report Sunday from the Fede State health officials say they believe the spread of coronavirus began on those floors well before it was discovered. Among the residents there are several retired doctors, university professors and lawyers. Residents said many of them were full participants in Carnival celebrations across New Orleans. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up State officials said they believe coronavirus spread from there into the nursing care section of Lambeth House, called St. Annas, with a little more than 50 beds on two lower floors. At least three of the 11 residents who died were living at St. Annas when they were killed by the deadly pathogen. +3 Coronavirus death toll at Lambeth House climbs to 8; one resident tests positive posthumously A 90-year-old man whose death last week at Lambeth House in New Orleans was deemed by the retirement home to be completely unrelated to the Krall said he and his wife, Susan, waited for a few years for a spot at Lambeth House, moving to New Orleans to follow their son, who had volunteered in the city after Hurricane Katrina and stayed. Susan died in 2018. George kept the apartment on the fifth floor of Lambeth House. He said he began feeling symptoms over the weekend of March 7 and 8 and took his temperature with a forehead thermometer. I experienced some chills. I took my temperature. It was about 102 on Saturday, and then on Sunday it was less than that, 101-point-something. I took Tylenol. I know thats good. My sisters a nurse. Krall said hed already had an appointment set for that Wednesday with his doctor at the Tulane Clinic next door. He walked over, telling his doctor hed been sick. The first coronavirus patient had just been identified at Lambeth House. Krall said his doctor called the CDC, got guidance and 20 minutes later, he was administered a coronavirus test. Two days it took for the results to come back, he said. In the meantime, at least 14 Lambeth House residents who were tested on site the day after Krall took his test were left waiting a week or longer for their results. State officials blamed the delay on incomplete information received by our lab. Krall bided his time until Saturday. Since Ive been here theyve been checking on me every day, seeing how Im doing. They have a nurse practitioner who comes and knocks on the door, and she has her gear on, and she has been taking my temperature a few times. Shes checked my lungs, Krall said. Hes been getting out of the apartment to move around, he said, after two weeks of confinement. It was pretty impossible to get any exercise, he said, except stretching and walking around the apartment. You cant walk too far. By PTI CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar on Wednesday said a 20-year-old male who had reported positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival from New Delhi was recovering well and would be discharged in a couple of days. The patient, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, had traveled to Chennai from the national capital and was in isolation at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here. "TN's second positive case for corona who traveled from New Delhi and undergoing treatment in #RGGH is recovering well (sic)," Baskar said in a tweet on Wednesday. "He is declared corona negative after two subsequent corona mandatory tests. He will be discharged in two days," the minister tweeted. Tamil Nadu had reported 23 positive cases of coronavirus which include the death of a 54-year-old man who had a medical history of prolonged illness with uncontrolled diabetes. The first COVID-19 case, a 45-year-old male from Kancheepuram who had a recent travel history of visiting Oman, has been discharged after recovery from the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. During the procession for Commonwealth Day, The National Enquirer has put up a statement claiming that the Queen disrespected Meghan at the event. This is about the issue of the couple deciding to step down from their royal duties. The Queen has stripped both of their titles and they will longer be addressed as "Your Highness Duke of Sussex," but instead "Your Grace Duke of Sussex." They now belong to the noble class of the country. It was posted that this is when the Queen got her revenge as a result of feeling insult by their sudden decision. The tabloid quoted the high-level courtier telling them that the Queen's message was clear that Harry and Meghan are out. Even though the Queen has ordered Harry and Meghan to join their family for their final appearance as working royals, she cut them out of the procession! The couple was forced to walk down to their seats, and both were downgraded to the second row, so they were behind the Queen herself, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William, and Kate. Added to this information, the gesture made Meghan upset, who was allegedly infuriated because that was a huge blow to her ego. But this is not sure to be true because the source where the information comes from is unreliable. The source also said that Meghan's first reaction when she knew that Prince William and Kate would be walking to the procession with the Queen but not them was to refuse to attend. And the couple argued this matter. But when Harry objected, she replied to him that she is sick, that she is sick of his family. But as this fickle source claimed, the real happening during the procession was that the Queen was indeed present at the said event together with the Archbishop of Canterbury and Prince Charles, who is the heir to the throne with his wife Camilla Parker Bowls, Duchess of Cornwall. And there was no Prince William and Duchess Kate at the event. So the information is untrue. And as per the seating arrangement, it was the same as last year. The only difference is that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were now seated alongside the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, instead of seating next to Prince Andrew. It is because Prince Andrew has been keeping his distance to the royal affairs for a while because of his involvement in the Jeffery Epstein scandal. It is quite unbelievable to know that the media has been planting bad seeds now to the Queen's favorite grandson. But it is somehow understandable knowing that the press is not so fond of Meghan Markle. Everything that the source has spread about Meghan during the Commonwealth Day is not valid. It is nor clear that the media must learn to process the information beforehand rather than post it immediately to the tabloid. After all, it is the royals that they are trying to ruin. Knowing that Meghan is now married to a real Prince, she is now considered as royal. Check these out: Tamil Nadu on Wednesday reported five new positive cases of COVID-19 said Dr C Vijayabaskar, Tamil Nadu Health Minister. Taking to Twitter Vijayabaskar wrote, "5 news cases of COVID19 in TN. 4 Indonesian nationals and their travel guide from Chennai test positive at Salem Medical College. Quarantined since March 22." Earlier on Wednesday Tamil Nadu Health Minister said that a COVID-19 positive patient passed away at a hospital in Madurai. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the number of confirmed positive cases in India of COVID-19 has reached 562. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today blasted the UK Government's 'unlawful' decision to bow to US pressure to share evidence on the so-called ISIS Beatles without receiving assurances the suspects would be spared the death penalty if convicted in the US. El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey are accused of belonging to a brutal four-man cell of executioners in Syria responsible for killing a number of Western captives. The pair were captured in January 2018, sparking an international row over whether they should be returned to the UK for trial or face justice in another jurisdiction. Elsheikh's mother, Maha Elgizouli, brought a challenge to the decision of then Home Secretary Sajid Javid to share evidence with American authorities without seeking assurances the men would not be executed if convicted in the US. Today, a panel of seven Supreme Court justices - led by retired president Lady Hale - called the Government's decision to share intelligence with the US 'unlawful'. Giving the lead ruling, Lord Kerr said former Home Secretary Sajid Javid's decision to transfer their personal data was 'based on political expediency'. El Shafee Elsheikh (left) and Alexanda Kotey (right) are accused of belonging to a brutal four-man cell of IS executioners in Syria responsible for killing a number of Western captives Elsheikh's mother Maha Elgizouli (centre, with El Shafee right and son Mahmoud left), brought a challenge to the decision of then Home Secretary Sajid Javid to share evidence with US authorities without seeking assurances the men would not be executed if convicted in the US He said that Mr Javid's behaviour did not meet 'statutory criteria' and argued the transfer would be 'lawful if it is based on what is called an adequacy decision'. Birnberg Peirce Solicitors, which represented Ms Elgizouli, said: 'Ms Elgizouli thanks the court for its careful consideration of her appeal and recognises the difficult issues it raises. She has always expressed her belief that her son, if accused, should face justice; and that any trial should take place in the UK. 'She has been asking since November 2018 for the CPS to conduct a review of the claim that there was insufficient evidence for him to be charged and tried in the UK - a review that the CPS now says should be completed by April 2020.' In a statement after the ruling, Maya Foa, director of Reprieve, a human rights organisation which intervened in the case, said: 'This is not only a landmark judgment, but an excellent result for anyone who cares about the rule of law and Britain's long-standing opposition to the death penalty. 'By sharing information without first seeking - and securing - assurances that the death penalty wouldn't be in play, this Government acted unlawfully. The pair were captured in January 2018, sparking an international row over whether they should be returned to the UK for trial or face justice in another jurisdiction (Elsheikh) Kotey and Elsheikh are said to have been members of the cell that also included Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John (left and right), who was killed in a US air strike in 2015 Aine Davis is said to have also been a member of the so-called ISIS Beatles. Davis was convicted for terrorism offences in May 2017 and jailed in Turkey 'In doing so they undermined the UK's strong assistance for people facing capital punishment across the globe, and so put hundreds of lives at risk.' Last July, Ms Elgizouli's lawyer Edward Fitzgerald QC told the Supreme Court that she 'recognises the enormity of the crimes alleged against her son, Shafee Elsheikh, and against his alleged accomplice Alexanda Kotey'. Mr Fitzgerald told the court that the Crown Prosecution Service had previously concluded there was 'insufficient evidence' to prosecute the pair in the UK. However, he said there was a 'historical decision in February 2016' that there was enough evidence to charge Kotey with five offences of murder and eight of hostage taking, and to prosecute Elsheikh for membership of a terrorist organisation. He added: 'It defies all common sense and legal logic that they can be tried in America on our evidence, but they can't be tried here on our evidence.' The Home Office told MailOnline it is 'clearly very disappointed with today's judgment' and is 'carefully considering next steps'. 'The Government's priority has always been to maintain national security and to deliver justice for the victims and their families,' it added. Lord Kerr said former Home Secretary Sajid Javid had behaved unlawfully, arguing his decision to transfer the suspects' personal data was 'based on political expediency' In June 2018, Sajid Javid (right) authorised the sharing of 600 witness statements gathered by the Metropolitan Police under a 'mutual legal assistance' agreement in a letter to then US Attorney General Jeff Sessions (left). Mr Javid faced intense criticism after the letter was leaked, with MPs accusing him of breaching the UK's opposition to the death penalty Mr Javid was accused of making a 'secret and unilateral' change to Britain's policy of seeking assurances the death penalty will be dropped for suspects facing trial in the US to avoid causing 'outrage among certain political appointments in the Trump administration' Why Sajid Javid's letter to the US Government was controversial Sajid Javid wrote to Jeff Sessions in 2018, in which he signified Britain's intention of agreeing to the transfer of Elsheikh and Kotey to Guantanamo Bay detention camps indefinitely. He appeared to break with past UK policy of seeking US assurances that both suspects would not face the death penalty if tried and convicted. Mr Javid, then Home Secretary, was accused of making a 'secret and unilateral' change to Britain's stance by MPs and human rights lawyers. The High Court heard in October 2018 that Mr Javid was intent on not 'outraging political appointments in the Trump administration'. Advertisement Sir James Eadie QC, representing the Home Office, argued that Mr Javid's decision was made 'after the most careful consideration', and in circumstances where the 'only prospect of Elsheikh facing justice' was if he were tried by a federal court in the United States. He described the activities of the so-called Beatles, including producing brutal propaganda videos that depicted the beheading of nearly 27 victims, as among the worst terrorist crimes. Ms Elgizouli appealed against a High Court ruling made in January by two leading judges, who concluded Mr Javid's decision was not unlawful. In June 2018, Mr Javid authorised the sharing of 600 witness statements gathered by the Metropolitan Police under a 'mutual legal assistance' agreement in a letter to then US Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Mr Javid faced intense criticism after the letter to Mr Sessions was leaked, with MPs accusing him of breaching the UK's opposition to the death penalty. According to the Supreme Court, civil servants wrote to then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in June 2018, a day after Mr Javid met with Mr Sessions. They advised Mr Johnson to urge the Home Secretary to seek a full assurance. Their submission accepted, however, that sharing information without assurances provided the greatest chance of the US pursuing a federal prosecution. According to Lord Kerr's judgment, the submission said: 'A successful prosecution will serve as a deterrent to others and give the public confidence in our ability to see justice served. However, there are wider national security risks if the prosecution results in execution as this could be used by radicalisers in the UK.' Mr Javid wrote to Mr Johnson on June 11, 2018, indicating that 'significant attempts' had been made to obtain assurances, but that the time had arrived to accede to the request for information without seeking any assurance. He acknowledged that there was a serious risk that Elsheikh and Kotey would, if prosecuted and convicted, face execution as a direct result of UK assistance. Mr Johnson replied on June 20: 'On a balanced assessment of the key risks... I agree that as this is a unique and unprecedented case, it is in the UK's national security interests to accede to an MLA request for a criminal prosecution without death penalty assurances for Kotey and Elsheikh'. On June 22, Mr Javid informed Mr Sessions that the UK would not seek death penalty assurances, in a move backed by then Prime Minister Theresa May. Kotey and Elsheikh were captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces in 2018. They are said to have been members of the cell that also included Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, who was killed in a US air strike in 2015. Elsheikh, who was born in Sudan but grew up in London, confessed to helping the terror group ransom Western captives back to their families. He and Kotey are accused of torturing their captives. Elsheikh is said to have earned a reputation for water-boarding and mock executions, but has denied murdering the hostages. Emwazi beheaded or participated in the beheading of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as well as UK humanitarian aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, US aid worker Peter Kassig, Japanese contractor Haruna Yukawa, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, and 22 members of the Syrian Armed Forces in 2014-15. He was killed in a US drone strike and Aine Davis was jailed in Turkey. All four were radicalised in the UK before travelling to Syria. TOCCOA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / March 24, 2020 / Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. (OTCQB:GAXY) ("Galaxy" or the "Company), a provider of interactive learning technology solutions, today announced that it received three additional purchase orders totaling approximately $225,000 from Thompson County School District in Colorado. The bell and intercom installations are scheduled for its Bill Reed Middle School, Conrad Ball Middle School and Lucille Erwin Middle School. The original district-wide contract was awarded to Galaxy in December 2019 and this is now the second additional, with the first being February 2020, purchase order, further demonstrating the ongoing relationship and outstanding product solutions and service by Galaxy. Gary LeCroy, Galaxy's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "This third purchase order in just over three months from Thompson County School District reflects a recurring revenue aspect of our business model. It also demonstrates the strength of our products and technology solutions causing a county or school district to share in our vision of a total district, school and classroom technology solution." The Thompson R2-J School District is located in Loveland, Colorado and covers territory in Loveland, Berthoud, a southern section of Fort Collins and portions of Windsor, Johnstown and unincorporated parts of Larimer, Weld and Boulder counties. It is the 17th largest school district in Colorado, serving more than 16,000 students within 33 schools (20 elementary, 5 middle, 5 high, 1 K-8 and 2 charter). For additional information on Thompson School District, please visit: https://www.thompsonschools.org About Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. Galaxy Next Generation (OTCQB: GAXY) is a provider of interactive learning technology solutions that allows the presenter and participant to engage in a fully collaborative instructional environment. Galaxy's products include Galaxy's own private-label interactive touch screen panel as well as numerous other national and international branded peripheral and communication devices. Galaxy's distribution channel consists of 22+ resellers across the U.S. who primarily sell the Company's products within the commercial and educational market. Galaxy does not control where resellers focus their resell efforts, although generally, the K-12 education market is the largest customer base for Galaxy products - comprising nearly 90% of Galaxy's sales. Story continues For additional information, please visit our website at: www.galaxynext.us Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the company's current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. A more extensive listing of risks and factors that may affect the company's business prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the reports and other documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Investors Contact: IR@GalaxyNext.us p888-859-1274 SOURCE: Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/582164/Galaxy-Next-Generation-Awarded-Three-Additional-Purchase-Orders-Totaling-225000-from-Thompson-County-School-District-in-Colorado BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 Trend: Turkmenistan continues to enforce measures to COVID-19 from entering the country,Trend reports with reference to Turkmenportal Information Portal. No cases of infection have been detected in Turkmenistan up until now, thanks to urgent government measures. Additional control points have been set up in big cities of Turkmenistan, where temperature of drivers and passengers is measured using infrared thermometers. Moreover, the children are being taught the importance of personal hygiene at schools. Media regularly publishes recommendations from UNICEF and health institutions in Turkmenistan about observance of preventive measures to prevent infectious diseases. In order to prevent the possible spread of the disease, Turkmenistan has postponed all the big public events until better time. Also, the cross of the Turkmen state border for foreign citizens and stateless persons from 20 March through 20 April 2020 has been restricted. If necessary, the following categories of people may enter the territory of Turkmenistan: diplomats of foreign countries, representatives of international organizations; air and sea crews; cargo transport drivers engaged in international transit transport; members of work crews on railway tracks; foreign representatives working at economic facilities located on the territory of Turkmenistan. It should be noted that those wishing to visit Turkmenistan must have a certificate of being coronavirus-negative or pass a medical examination, including laboratory tests for the detection of COVID-19 virus. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. The number of people killed by the disease has surpassed 18,900. Over 422,000 people have been confirmed as infected. Meanwhile, over 108,000 people have reportedly recovered. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. Several countries are working on a vaccine against the new virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. China Modern Dairy Holdings Ltd. (HKG:1117) investors will be delighted, with the company turning in some strong numbers with its latest results. Results were good overall, with revenues beating analyst predictions by 4.0% to hit CN5.5b. Statutory earnings per share (EPS) came in at CN0.055, some 8.8% above whatthe analysts had expected. Following the result, the analysts have updated their earnings model, and it would be good to know whether they think there's been a strong change in the company's prospects, or if it's business as usual. We've gathered the most recent statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their earnings models, following these results. See our latest analysis for China Modern Dairy Holdings SEHK:1117 Past and Future Earnings, March 25th 2020 Following the latest results, China Modern Dairy Holdings's eight analysts are now forecasting revenues of CN5.91b in 2020. This would be a reasonable 7.2% improvement in sales compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to surge 22% to CN0.068. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of CN5.75b and earnings per share (EPS) of CN0.065 in 2020. It looks like there's been a modest increase in sentiment following the latest results, withthe analysts becoming a bit more optimistic in their predictions for both revenues and earnings. Despite these upgrades,the analysts have not made any major changes to their price target of CN1.54, suggesting that the higher estimates are not likely to have a long term impact on what the stock is worth. There's another way to think about price targets though, and that's to look at the range of price targets put forward by analysts, because a wide range of estimates could suggest a diverse view on possible outcomes for the business. There are some variant perceptions on China Modern Dairy Holdings, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at CN2.02 and the most bearish at CN0.96 per share. Note the wide gap in analyst price targets? This implies to us that there is a fairly broad range of possible scenarios for the underlying business. Story continues One way to get more context on these forecasts is to look at how they compare to both past performance, and how other companies in the same industry are performing. The analysts are definitely expecting China Modern Dairy Holdings's growth to accelerate, with the forecast 7.2% growth ranking favourably alongside historical growth of 1.4% per annum over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to see revenue growth of 11% next year. So it's clear that despite the acceleration in growth, China Modern Dairy Holdings is expected to grow meaningfully slower than the industry average. The Bottom Line The most important thing here is that the analysts upgraded their earnings per share estimates, suggesting that there has been a clear increase in optimism towards China Modern Dairy Holdings following these results. They also upgraded their revenue estimates for next year, even though sales are expected to grow slower than the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates. With that in mind, we wouldn't be too quick to come to a conclusion on China Modern Dairy Holdings. Long-term earnings power is much more important than next year's profits. We have forecasts for China Modern Dairy Holdings going out to 2022, and you can see them free on our platform here. And what about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for China Modern Dairy Holdings you should know about. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Networks have experienced a surge in online traffic as people are working from home and relying on streaming services or social media for entertainment more than ever. Over the last few weeks more and more people have been working from home, surfing the web or following online education. RTL's Annick Goerens spoke to the government's Media and Communications Service to find out more. The service monitors all information on Luxembourg's networks in one place. In particular, the days following the announcement that Luxembourg would be entering a state of emergency on 17 March, online networks saw a huge surge in usage. Fixed connections saw around 25% more traffic than usual, explained Michel Asorne of the Media and Communications Service. He attributed this to an uplift in streaming services alongside many teleworkers connecting remotely to work networks. Mobile networks had stabilised and reached lower levels of usage, after a peak at the start of the coronavirus crisis. Asorne commented that there were fewer tourists and cross-border workers in the country, which reduced the amount of data roaming traffic as well. In normal times, the majority of people are online primarily in the evenings, but these days broadband networks are experiencing high amounts of usage during the daytime, alongside higher global traffic than ever before. However, internet service providers are well prepared for such eventualities. Luxembourg's networks are fully developed and have adequate capacity to support the increase in demand, as a consequence of infrastructure investments in recent years. Asorne acknowledged that from time to time some users could experience a lag in the network, but it did not mean the network as a whole was failing. Internet speeds are dependent on each user's broadband bandwidth. Occasionally some streaming services could experience difficulties depending on their servers. Netflix have already acknowledged their streaming quality may be reduced in order to allow for the additional demand. However this will not impact Luxembourg's network for other users, confirmed Asorne. Increase in text messaging and phone calls People are not just watching Netflix, taking conference calls, or doing online schoolwork, however - a large number of people have reverted to the classic phone calls and text messages, according to POST Telecom director Cliff Konsbruck. Konsbruck explained they had experienced a large uplift on their network over the last two weeks, particularly over the phone - citing a growth of 80%. POST had even experience an increase in text message traffic, which had dropped over recent years thanks to online messaging services. Konsbruck also mentioned an increase in their internet traffic, particularly when the government holds press conferences, causing many to follow updates online. The increase peaked at 70% more than average in recent days. Konsbruck was quick to reassure people that despite such an increase in numbers, they were far from reaching the limits of POST's capacity. POST also has its own infrastructures and capacities to continue offering streaming in high quality. Eltrona director Paul Denzle agreed, saying the company had quadrupled their capacity for their servers, ensuring customers could continue to watch television at normal speed and quality. US streaming service Netflix agreed they would reduce their streaming quality after discussions with the EU. Although many stores have closed throughout the country, telecommunications remains a key industry, supplying necessary services. Eltrona and POST engineers are only carrying out home visits in urgent situations, while less important visits are to be postponed until the crisis has passed. Many people cannot work from home without access to their employers' internal databases, which could lead to an increase in cyber crime. Konsbruck therefore urged businesses to be vigilant. A Monument Health caregiver from Meade County has tested positive for the coronavirus, which is the first case diagnosed in the Black Hills. Monument Health confirmed the COVID-19 positive test result on Tuesday night. "We are working through protocols to inform and isolate all who have been in direct contact with this caregiver," Robin Zebroski, Monument Health vice president for Strategic Marketing and Communications, said in an email. "We do know that this caregiver contracted the virus while traveling within the United States." She said the hospital is providing every available resource to the South Dakota Department of Health for its investigation. "Weve been preparing for positive COVID-19 patients in our communities," Zebroski said. "We will follow our capacity and emergency plans to scale our operations to meet the communitys needs." Previously, a New York state man tested positive for the coronavirus in his home state after getting sick while training employees at a Rapid City bank. The state's only coronavirus fatality was a Pennington County man who became ill in Davison County and died at a Sioux Falls hospital after traveling to Florida. According to the state Department of Health's website, 30 South Dakotans have tested positive for the coronavirus and another 268 tests are pending. At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed his way into a prominent gurdwara on Wednesday in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the strife-torn country. The Islamic State (IS) terror group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. "Unfortunately, 25 civilians were killed and eight others injured," the Ministry of Interior said in a tweet on the attack carried out by a gunman, who was killed by Afghan special forces. reuters It said 80 people stranded inside the gurdwara were rescued by the security forces. Earlier, the Afghan media reported that the attack that lasted for about six hours was carried out by four terrorists. The ministry said in a statement that 80 people, including women and children, were rescued from the gurdwara. The ISIS terrorist group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the latest attack. reuters The group issued a statement confirming that its members carried out the attack on Sikhs in Kabul city, Khaama Press News Agency reported. TOLOnews, quoting sources in the Afghan government blaming the dreaded Haqqani group for the attack. The Pakistan-based Haqqani group, designated by the US as a banned terror outfit, has conducted several deadly attacks inside Afghanistan. Earlier, the country's main militant group, the Taliban, denied their involvement in the attack on the gurdwara. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the militant group had no link with the attack in Shor Bazar area of Kabul. reuters Photos from the blast scene showed security forces carrying wounded people away on stretchers. Some Afghan media outlets shared videos of the family members of victims waiting outside a city hospital in tears. Police in Kabul said that at least 11 children were rescued from the gurdwara. Sikh lawmaker Nardendar Singh Khalsa told reporters that up to 150 people were praying inside the gurdwara when it came under attack. Khalsa, the only representative of the Sikh community in Afghanistan said he received a call from a worshipper inside the gurdwara, informing him about the attack. "I rushed over to help. There were about 150 worshippers inside the gurdwara at the time of the attack," he was quoted as saying by the official Bakhtar News Agency. "Afghan forces have cleared the first floor of a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul. A number of people have been rescued who were trapped inside the building," said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack on the gurdwara, TOLOnews reported. "The attack on the religious sites shows the extreme weakness of the enemy, religious sites should not be vulnerable to attacks and violence, it quoted Ghani as saying. The president's spokesperson described the attack as "yet another heartless, cowardly terrorist attack on a worshipping place in Kabul. The Afghan government strongly condemns today's senseless attack on Dharamsala Sikh temple. "Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of this heinous act," the spokesperson said. reuters Former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the attack on the gurdwara and expressed his condolences to the victims' families. In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the attack on the gurdwara. The Ministry of External Affairs also strongly condemned the terror attack and said the targeting of a religious place in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak reflects the "diabolical mindset" of the perpetrators and their backers. "India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan," it said while expressing condolence to the families of the victims. "Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID-19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers," the MEA said. It said India stood in solidarity with the people, the government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country. "We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country," the MEA said. War-torn Afghanistan is currently mired in a political stalemate with two politicians- Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah - both claiming victory in the presidential election. The US, keen to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, has been trying to break the deadlock and also save a historic deal it signed with the Taliban militant group that is supposed to pave the way for peace in the country. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Kabul on Tuesday in a bid to resolve a standoff between President Ghani and his rival Abdullah, who also proclaims himself president following a contested election. Sikhs have been target of attacks by Islamist militants before in Afghanistan. In July 2018, ISIS terrorists bombed a gathering of Sikhs and Hindus in the eastern city of Jalalabad, killing 19 people and injuring 20. Awtar Singh Khalsa, one of the country's best-known Sikh politicians then, was among those killed in the attack. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 08:44:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A health worker checks the temperature of a man before he enters a hospital in Sanaa, Yemen, March 24, 2020. Health authorities in Sanaa started on Tuesday checking temperature of people after they received medical equipment against the spread of coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) airlifted COVID-19 testing kits and personal protective items for health workers to the war-ravaged Yemen, the UN aid agency said Monday on Twitter. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) The obituaries posted on a board where the newspapers might otherwise hang tell the story of an Italian village living through a disaster the mayor calls "worse than the war". The war Vertova mayor Orlando Gualdi refers to is World War II -- a cataclysmic event more and more Italians cite while describing the damage wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. Italy's death toll is somewhat hard to grasp when they are read out every evening in Rome. The total across the country soared to 6,820 by Wednesday. It is 36 in Vertova. But the village -- its ancient stone houses hugging the side of a mountain 70 kilometres northeast of Milan --- has 4,600 inhabitants and usually sees around 60 deaths the entire year. "It's worse than the war," Gualdi told AFP in one of the village's empty squares. Four freshly made coffins are bunched together near the entrance of a chapel nearby. They are waiting to be cremated and then buried in the cemetery in the back. Funerals have been banned for weeks and the ceremony will be a muted affair attended by caretakers wrapped in protective suits and masks. The cemetery itself remains closed to the villagers because public gathering are banned -- so grieving for your loved ones with flowers at their grave is no longer allowed. "No one deserves such a horrible death," the mayor said. "It is absurd to think that there could be such a pandemic in 2020." Vertova and the city of Bergamo to its south are at the epicentre of the Italian outbreak. The rates of deaths and infections here are currently some of the highest in the world -- and worse than those officially reported out of China's Hubei province. Vertova's cobbled streets and winding alleyways stand hauntingly empty for days on end. Ancient frescos with the Virgin Mary overlook the locked squares. And anyone who does step outside is wearing a mask -- even if they might not be fresh ones. "Unfortunately, there aren't any masks left in the village. There is no more disinfectant," 63-year-old Augusta Magni said. "I had to make my own mask with a piece of cloth and a sewing machine." Another local says that almost everyone in the village knows someone who has been touched by the virus in some way. "Each one of us has relative, friends and loved ones who've been infected," sales agent Claudio Bertocchi said. But not everyone is downbeat. Children's drawings of rainbows and a message reading "Everything will be fine!" hang from some windows. Italian flags are tied to balcony railings. And the government-run National Research Council reports that 57 out of Italy's 107 provinces have already hit their peak of the virus's spread. Italy's numbers are improving "and the containment measures are delivering the desired effect, even if we are in the initial phase of the slowdown," the research council said. But the village mayor is still counting the dead. "Thirty-six deaths between March 1 and today," he said. "Only then do you understand the magnitude of what's happening here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL -- The Columbia County government has issued a statement concerning the closure of county offices because of the coronavirus outbreak. It reads as follows: "Beginning Thursday, March 26, 2020, in an effort to keep county employees and the citizens of Columbia County safe from the possible spread of COVID-19, Columbia County government offices are closed to the public through April 10, 2020. The County will continue to monitor the progress of COVID-19 and will assess any need for further closures. County offices will remain operational during normal business hours; however, if citizens need assistance, they may contact the various offices at their respective phone numbers. Please visit www.columbiacountyfla.com for contact information. We will provide services to the citizens of Columbia County during this unprecedented event and appreciate your patience during this effort to help protect our family and yours. Please follow CDC guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at www.cdc.gov. See below for how certain services will be handled during this time. Tax Collector As of March 26, 2020 and until further notice, the Columbia County Tax Collectors office lobbies are closed to the public. Accordingly, while our lobbies will be closed to the public, customers can continue to process transactions online at www.columbiataxcollector.com, by mail, by using our drive thru or by phone (386) 758-1077 or (386) 758-1080. Sheriff Office is open with controlled access to facility including the County Detention Center. Supervisor of Elections Main Office will be closed to the public through April 10, 2020. However, we will remain staffed and ready to assist voters of Columbia County by phone at (386) 758-1026. In-person services are available by appointment only. The Fort White Branch Office will be closed and re-open on May 6, 2020. Clerk of Courts Regretfully, at this time the Columbia County Clerk of Courts office has suspended marriage ceremonies and passport applications. Marriage licenses are still being issued by appointment only, please call (386) 754-7005 to schedule your appointment. The Florida Supreme Court has temporarily suspended jury selection proceedings from Monday, March 16, 2020 through Friday, April 17, 2020. Parties to a case should contact their attorney or appear at their next regularly scheduled court event. Please monitor the Clerks website for updates at www.columbiaclerk.com. As a reminder, many of the services offered in our offices are provided online and are available 24/7. Pay traffic tickets Search Official Records Search Court Records Pay Court fines and costs For any other questions regarding Clerk of Court related functions, please call (386) 758-1342. Property Appraiser The Columbia County Property Appraisers Office will be closed to the public through April 10, 2020. However, we will remain staffed and ready to assist the citizens of Columbia County by phone at (386) 758-1083. The deadline for all Tax Exemptions and Agricultural Classification applications have been extended. The Tangible Personal Property deadline has been extended until May 15, 2020. There will be no requirements for a written or oral request. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Columbia County Health Department Office is open, please call (386) 758-1068 for an appointment. Columbia County Environmental Health Department While the Courthouse Annex is closed, the Environmental Health Department will continue to serve the public by calling (386) 758-1058. The State Department of Health has a 24/7 COVID-19 Information Line (866) 779-6121." Rows of empty seats of an American Airline flight are seen, as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disruption continues across the global industry, during a flight between Washington D.C. and Miami, in Washington, U.S., March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria The federal government is set to give a bailout to industries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, from airlines to tourism. A bailout is not strictly free money from the government, and could come in the form of loans or grants with limitations. Here's what a bailout is, what could be included in the one to address the coronavirus fallout, and a look at past bailouts in the US. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. What a bailout is and isn't FILE PHOTO: U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testifies before the Senate Finance Committee during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 12, 2020. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas Reuters A government-funded bailout is more complex than just free money from the government. The bailout, while still being negotiated, is likely to give financial assistance to major corporations, small business, and individuals alike. The bailout will likely include grants money not to be paid back to corporations, as well as checks to Americans to help boost the economy. It is also set to include loans to be repaid by businesses after they bounce back from the economic fallout. The grants are also likely to come with some strings attached, such as limits on executive compensation or stock buybacks for the companies benefiting from the bailout. What could be included in the bailout us capitol The U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have struggled to agree exactly on what the bailout which is set to cost the government more than $1.8 trillion should include. A $500 billion fund proposed in current legislation to help industries like airlines which would receive around $58 billion if the bill passes and tourism has come under fire from Democrats who say that the fund lacks critical oversight, according to a report by Politico. The bill is also likely set to send Americans $1,200 checks to help boost the economy, though the exact amount is in flux as the bill is negotiated, and could change with income and dependents. Story continues Republicans and Democrats are also at an impasse on things like unemployment assistance and funding for hospitals, according to the Politico report. Which companies could get a boost from the bailout American Airlines AP Airlines For America, an airline industry group that represents major carriers like United, American, and Delta, as well as UPS and FedEx, asked for a $54 billion bailout. The request included $29 billion in grants (money not to be paid back) and $25 billion in loans and tax breaks. The airline industry has received criticism for asking for financial help even though many of the industry's largest companies, such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, spent billions on stock buyback in recent years. The restaurant industry is asking for help as many restaurants around the country have been forced to close and lay off employees. The National Restaurant Association asked the White House and Congress for a $145 billion recovery fund to pay employees and maintain financial obligations. The group also asked for $45 billion in loans, and assistance in deferring mortgage, lease, and loan obligations. Hotels are seeking help, too. The American Hotel & Lodging Association, which represents companies like Hilton and Marriott, requested $250 billion, according to a report by USA Today. The association is seeking $150 billion for companies to pay employees and loans, and $100 billion for suppliers. A look at recent bailouts financial crisis wall street Getty Images/Spencer Platt The coronavirus bailout is set to be much more costly than the Wall Street bailouts during the Great Recession. The bailout to help recover from the coronavirus fallout is set to top $1 trillion, which is much more than the nearly $500 billion spent to help Wall Street. The Wall Street bailouts, which included $311 billion for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, $90 billion for the Trouble Asset Relief Fund, and $6 billion for small business lending, cost the federal government around $498 billion, according to MIT's Sloan School of Management. The bailouts that helped the country recover from the Great Recession were, and still are, criticized as handouts to giant banks, and echo criticisms that this bailout is more of the same. Sen. Elizabeth Warren called for "No more slush funds or no-strings-attached handouts" for major corporations in the coronavirus bailout. Read the original article on Business Insider "The Chancellor Rishi Sunak visits a coronavirus testing laboratory in Leeds" by HM Treasury is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Advertisement Democrats got much of what they wanted in the historic $2 trillion coronavirus economic relief bill, which will put cash into the pockets of ordinary Americans and protect them against layoffs during this time of economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the United States. Senate Democrats and Republicans are now expected to approve the bill later Wednesday after two failed votes on Sunday and Monday. After approval by the Senate, the relief bill will go to the House of Representatives controlled by the Democrats. The Senate and House still need to pass the legislation before sending it to President Donald Trump for his signature. Pundits say House Democrats might push for some changes but won't likely alter any of the major points in the Senate version. "At last we have a deal," tweeted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) at 1:37 a.m. ET from the floor of the Senate. "After days of intense discussions, the Senate has reached a bipartisan agreement on a historic relief package for this pandemic." McConnell said the bill will rush financial assistance to Americans through direct checks to households. It will also offer enhanced unemployment insurance; provide hundreds of billions of dollars in emergency loans to small businesses, and provide more resources to hospitals and secure much needed medical equipment. The Senate hasn't released the final terms of the deal. But an earlier draft of the bill seen by media Tuesday provides for: * Cash payments of up to $1,200 for individuals. * $2,400 for married couples and $500 per child. This amount will be reduced if an individual makes more than $75,000, or a couple makes more than $150,000. * A one-time $3,000 payment for families. * A $350 billion fund for small businesses to mitigate layoffs and support payroll. * Allocate $150 billion to states and localities battling the pandemic, and starved of now-delayed tax revenue. * $130 billion earmarked for hospitals * Allow the U.S. Federal Reserve to leverage up to $4 trillion of liquidity to support the economy McConnell said the bill will "stabilize key national industries" to prevent as many layoffs as possible. U.S. passenger and cargo airlines want $58 billion in government relief to help manage the blow to their revenues they've said are worse than 9/11. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) described the moment as not one of celebration, "but one of necessity." He said the bill as "unemployment compensation on steroids," which would cover every American for four months. Schumer promised oversight on the loans the bill will provide to businesses. He said "every loan document will be made public very quickly" to make sure those loans are fair. He also revealed an inspector general and an oversight board will oversee these business loans. Democrats railed against the previous GOP proposal that left the fate of the $500 billion funds for businesses at the hands of treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin, a Trump sycophant. Trump's 11 hotels are in dire financial shape due to the massive lack of customers and Democrats fear Mnuchin might favor Trump in the handing out of loans. The deal also includes a provision, secured by Schumer, prohibiting businesses controlled by the president, vice president, members of Congress and heads of executive departments from receiving loans or investments from Treasury programs. China may not have fully recovered from the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, but it has still selflessly offered help to other countries that have been stricken by the disease. Chinese experts and local doctors pose for a photo in Padova, Italy. (Photo/Courtesy of Chinese expert team in Italy) Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed on multiple occasions that public health security is a common challenge faced by humanity, and all countries should join hands to tackle it. For countries that have assisted China in its fight against the epidemic, we will reciprocate their kindness without any hesitation if they need it, Geng Shuang, spokesperson of Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular press conference on March 23. So far, the Chinese government has announced that it will provide medical supplies to 82 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as the African Union. Many countries have recently received anti-epidemic supplies from China, including the countrys close neighbors that are separated by only a narrow strip of water, such as Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, as well as countries in distant continents, such as France, Spain, Greece, and Peru. China is the only country in the world that can help Serbia at this point, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on March 15 on television as he announced a national state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. That same evening, 1,000 rapid nucleic acid testing kits donated by China to the country arrived in capital Belgrade. On March 21, a team of Chinese medical experts arrived in Serbia to help with the countrys efforts to fight COVID-19. The medical team was warmly greeted by Vucic, who touched elbows with each member of the Chinese aid team and kissed the Chinese national flag to express his deep gratitude to China. On March 12, China sent a nine-member medical team to Italy to help contain the novel coronavirus outbreak there. The people of your hometowns are now safe because of your efforts. And now you continue to charge courageously towards the virusThe people of your motherland will wait for news of your victory and hope to take you home soon, said the captain in an announcement on the chartered plane carrying the aid team and tons of medical supplies. Only in difficult times can you know who your real friends are. We must remember this help from the Chinese people and cherish this friendship, an Italian netizen commented. The joint efforts of China and the European Union (EU) to fight COVID-19 and get through this difficult time demonstrate their good friendship and cooperation, stressed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a recent phone conversation with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. We are grateful for support from China, von der Leyen said in a videotaped speech given in English, French and German. On March 22, a large amount of medical supplies donated by Chinas Jack Ma Foundation to 54 African countries arrived in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. This shows the strong commitment and solidarity of these two countries and these two leaders to really bringing significant impact on reversing the outbreak of COVID-19 not only in Ethiopia but also in the whole of Africa, said Ethiopias Minister of Health Lia Tadesse, hailing the donation in front of journalists. On the morning of March 23, a seven-member Chinese expert team arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, along with tons of medical supplies. The team was the first Chinese medical team sent to a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to take part in the fight against COVID-19. Besides sending medical supplies and teams to help fight the virus around the world, China has also made great efforts to share its experience in fighting the pandemic and relevant materials regarding COVID-19 with various countries through multiple methods. The country has so far shared a number of technical documents on the pandemic with more than 100 countries and regions as well as more than 10 international and regional organizations, including documents on the prevention and control of the COVID-19 and its diagnosis and treatment plans for the disease. Technical exchanges with these countries and regions have been held in multiple ways, including discussions among experts and teleconferencing. On March 12, renowned Chinese respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan and the intensive care team at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University talked with Harvard Medical School and U.S. intensive care specialists via video link for the fourth time, explaining to the U.S. specialists the clinical manifestations and difficulties involved in treating severe and critical novel coronavirus patients. Chinese experts have spared no effort to share their experience, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the U.S. said after a video conference. Chinese experts have shared their abundant experience in great detail, which can serve as an important reference for diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, as well as the overall prevention and control of the pandemic, the professor added. After sharing their experience with Chinese experts at a video conference, the head of the COVID-19 emergency coordination team of the Bosnian Serb Republic said the video conference had been very useful and timely. So far, China has released seven editions of a guideline on diagnosis and treatment of the disease and six editions of a prevention and control plan for the disease, both of which have been translated into multiple languages. In addition, the Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment, which was compiled by dozens of top Chinese medical workers who recently returned from the front line of the countrys battle against the virus, was posted online a few days ago. These efforts by the country have touched people in a growing number of countries around the world. In recent days, the Chinese national anthem has been heard to play in the Italian cities of Rome and Milan, with Italians staying at home shouting Grazie China (Thank you, China) along to the grand melodies. Learning from Chinas experience in prevention, control, and treatment of COVID-19 can help Iran save time and avoid detours and mistakes, said Kianoush Jahanpour, a spokesman for Irans health ministry, noting that support from China has added to the countrys strength in fighting the pandemic. Gratitude to China has recently become a hot topic on major social media platforms in Serbia. Many people thanked China for its medical assistance via multiple media, such as video, pictures, and words in several languages including Serbian, English and Chinese. Comments from Serbian Internet users on Chinas support include: Thank you, selfless and fearless Chinese friends, Chinese experts, you have brought hope to us, and I will go to China to express my gratitude as soon as the pandemic ends. The rescue efforts of our motherland make me want to cry, said Zhang Yujie, a Chinese student in France. China has shown its sense of responsibility as a major country in its joint efforts with Spain to fight the virus, which makes us overseas Chinese in Spain feel warm and proud, said Xiang Jing, director of a news department of a local media outlet serving Chinese in Spain. The Supervisory Board of AS Printall the 100% subsidiary of AS Ekspress Grupp decided to extend the mandate of Mr. Tonis Peebo as a Member of the Management Board until 27 March 2023. The Management Board of AS Printall will continue with three members as before: Andrus Takkin (Chairman), Evali Mults and Tonis Peebo. AS Printall is one of the most modern printing houses in the Baltics, exporting more than 60% of its production to Europe and printing most of the periodicals and advertising publications published in Estonia. The sales revenue in 2019 was EUR 25.7 million and the company employed almost 230 people. Signe Kukin Group CFO AS Ekspress Grupp +372 669 8381 signe.kukin@egrupp.ee AS Ekspress Grupp is the leading media group in the Baltic States whose key activities include web media content production, publishing of newspapers and magazines and provision of printing services in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Ekspress Grupp that launched its operations in 1989 employs 1700 people, owns leading web media portals in the Baltic States and publishes the most popular daily and weekly newspapers as well as the majority of the most popular magazines in Estonia. You are here: World Flash Algeria on Tuesday said the death toll of the novel coronavirus reached 19 while confirmed infections hit 264. "The health authorities reported two new deaths from COVID-19, a 75-year-old man who contracted the virus from his daughter, and another 72-year-old man," Djamel Fourar, the chairman of the COVID-19 Detection and Follow-up Commission, told reporters. Both victims just returned from France for family visits, he added. Thirty-four new infections have been confirmed in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of infected patients to 264. Also on Tuesday, Algeria started imposing a curfew in the capital Algiers from 7 p.m.-7 a.m. and a full lockdown in neighboring province Blida, which will last for 10 days. For the past 30 years, I have tried to make sense of the interactions between science and politics, especially the challenge of making decisions under conditions of uncertainty and disagreement. Whydespite huge and ever-expanding bodies of relevant scientific researchis it so impossible to resolve disagreements around climate change, nuclear energy, mammograms, K12 public education, chemicals in the environment, genetically modified organisms, nutritional guidelines, trade policy, and on and on? Why, despite all the research and expertise, do the opposing sides of these debates remain fixed in their values and interests, certain in their own version of the facts and immovable in their sense of what should or should not be done? Advertisement Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the relation between science and politics is now at the center of the world stage. The novel coronavirus offers up a powerful and extremely clear lesson about the appropriate role of science in helping to guide us toward a better futurea lesson that sharply contradicts standard thinking about science and politics. Above all, we are learning that sciences place in politics is determined not by the logic of facts, but by the fundamental influence of human values. To understand why, we have to start by recognizing how the COVID-19 crisis differs in almost every important respect from more familiar controversies at the intersection of science and politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For once, we all agree. Advertisement Most importantly: The COVID-19 threat is immediate, global, and existential. The protection of ones own life depends on the protection of the lives of others. We are thus unified by the shared value of preserving life, which in turn means we are all actually talking about the same thing when we talk about the COVID crisis. A similar condition of value convergence emerges during time of war, but because the threat now is a pandemic virus and not an enemy nation, the desired goal of preventing loss of life is universally shared. My point is not that COVID-19 signals the dawning of the age of Aquariusthe battles in Congress this week make it clear that rancor remains. Its that as the reality of what we are facing sinks in, people everywhere are showing that they are increasingly willing to put their immediate interests and conflicting values aside in the service of achieving a much larger, shared goal of slowing the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement We can see what caused the crisis. Theres a second reason we are talking about the same thing: Causation can be attributed. Some wacko conspiracy theorists notwithstanding, the causal link between the novel coronavirus and the emergence of a new strain of potentially acute respiratory illness is clear, as is the exponential increase in both disease incidence and deaths resulting from the illness. Uncertainties about ease of transmission, asymptomatic cases, and misdiagnoses do not undermine knowledge of the fundamental chain of causation, which is simple, linear, and unmistakable: The virus is identified, people are getting sick, hospitals are filling up, patients are dying, and the number of deaths can be counted and communicated unequivocally. Advertisement The facts, that is, are being made authoritative not through scientists telling us what to believe about an invisible virus, but by occurrences in the real world, visible for all to see. If a researcher claims that a certain chemical in the environment, like the glyphosate in Roundup, will cause a certain number of increased cancer deaths per year or that a particular economic policy will lead to a certain number of new jobs, in most cases no one will ever be able to confirm that prediction. Even if the mechanism by which the chemical causes some variety of cancer is clear in lab rats, it is likely to have many plausible causes in humans. Even if the new jobs do appear, the cause might be trade decisions made by other countries or the expansion of new industries. In the years that might be necessary to test such claims (though usually they cannot be tested), other researchers may come up with entirely new explanations. No wonder scientific and political debates about such matters never seem to end. But for COVID-19, the basic scientific inferences quickly play outthrough changing incidence of the disease and its consequencesin ways that allow both scientists and the public to assess the current level of scientific understanding and the facts on the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The facts are good enough. What we know now has to be the basis for action. The facts have to be good enougheven if some of them turn out to be wrong. We cant wait around for more research. We can watch learning occur in real time as the consequences of actions are assessed and interpreted. For example, as I was writing the first draft of this essay, new evidence from Italy was showing that death rates were for the first time beginning to fall below the exponential curve that previous death rates were following. Fact: The nations radical social isolation policies were beginning to take hold. But a day later, death rates were on the rise again. Fact: Apparently the policies werent making a difference, at least not yet. What makes the science good enough on any given day is that we need it to be good enough if we are to act on behalf of the values we share. We dont use the facts because they are right, but because they are what we have, and because we must act, and because we all want the same thing. Advertisement Indeed, scientists and policymakers are for the most part being open about the significant uncertainties surrounding the disease and its future course. These uncertainties range from basic facts about the virus (how will it behave in warmer weather?) to inferences about the course of the disease (how many undiagnosed cases are out there? Whats the fatality rate?) to predictions about how policies (like social isolation) will slow the course of the pandemic. This openness about uncertainties may appear ironic or paradoxical; after all, if the experts are so worried, shouldnt they hush up the uncertainties so as not to undermine the need for urgency and compliance? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet the speed with which the pandemic is advancing and policies are being enacted also means that the consequences of decisions are likely to be revealed fairly quickly. Unfolding events will help reduce uncertainties and improve learning about what works and what doesnt. These conditions rarely hold for the more conventional sorts of controversies Ive mentioned, where causal inferences are often impossible to validate, and facts, decisions, and consequencesand the links among themare themselves mired in controversy and disagreement. But with COVID-19, convergent values about what we want to accomplish means that uncertainty (about the science and about the decisions that are being be taken) does not block actioneveryone agrees both on the need to act and on the desired goal. Scientists share those values (theyre people too!), so even if they disagree over aspects of the disease and its mitigation, they may not need to feel compelled to overstate the certainty of their results and beliefs, unlike more conventional interactions between science and politics, where competing sides enlist their own experts who then have a strong incentive to speak with more than warranted certainty. Advertisement Models can be used appropriately. For many problems at the intersection of science and policy, scientists use mathematical models to make inferences about the future, for time periods ranging from decades to centuries or more: How can new energy technologies best be deployed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? How will nuclear waste behave in a geological repository over coming millennia? How much will economic productivity increase if more investments are made in research? But such questions always involve enormous uncertainties, and the models used to try to answer them are laden with assumptions about more basic questions that are themselves unanswerable: How will the price of solar panels change in the coming decades? How many centuries will it take for groundwater to corrode the nuclear waste storage vessels? How efficiently do universities create economically valuable knowledge? Different assumptions about these sorts of questions allow models to fuzz the boundary between science and politics by providing competing views of the future, in support of competing political agendas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While epidemiological models used for predicting the future of COVID-19 are also assumption-laden and highly uncertain, they can be constantly tested and refined based on data that is emerging on a daily basis, to accomplish what everyone agrees must be done. For the most part, models are being used to help put boundaries around the range of plausible futures that we face, and we can see different versions of these futures unfold as different countries implement different policies at different speeds. The models are valuable because they allow us to test our assumptions about both the behavior of the virus and the impacts of different policy approaches, in real time. They are not crystal balls deployed to make the case for one preferred future or another, but navigation charts that help us narrow the plausible pathways to the future that we all hope for. Advertisement Political agendas fall away. For this crisis, the things that unite us are outranking those that divide us. Complex policy issues around problems as diverse as K12 education, climate change, health care, and immigration are all accompanied by a diversity of ideological and political sub-agendas that rarely get articulated yet may importantly influence why certain positions are supported or opposed. Different ideological theoriesfor example, about the role of government versus the private sector in problem-solvingare available to support competing interests, and they justify disagreement about what actions should be taken. Disagreement can be sustained because no one really knows what to do, because short-term testing of alternative policies is impossible. The problems are so complex that even defining them is controversial. Is climate change a problem of lifestyle or technological innovation or population growth? Is poor K12 public education a reflection of underpaid teachers and inadequate government investment, or too powerful teachers unions and insufficient focus on the basics, or racial and economic inequalities whose origins go deeper than anything that can be resolved at the level of school reform? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Your view on what counts as a policy solution will reflect your underlying ideological beliefs about what causes the problem. Were seeing this dynamic play out in spades right now as the Senate battles over an economic response package, Republicans and Democrats intent on spending the needed billions in ways that advance their ideological beliefs and political constituencies. But when it comes to fighting COVID itself, rather than fixing the economy, the combination of shared values and clear chains of causation makes it tough to import second-order political agendas into debates about what actions to takedespite the ongoing and acknowledged uncertainties. Politicians as ideologically distinct as New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, a liberal Democrat, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a conservative Republican, are implementing essentially equivalent strategies for addressing the pandemic. While President Donald Trump is at the moment threatening to loosen up social distancing rules, his spasmodic approach to pandemic policies isnt turning out to be significantly different from that of many other national political leaders. For this crisis, the things that unite us are outranking those that divide us; pandering and opportunism, while never absent from politics, are being brought to heel by the pincer combination of shared values and facts on the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COVID-19 is a hard problem, but not a complex one. We know what COVID-19 is because we see it around us. Experts, in expressing their deep concerns, are also talking candidly about the great uncertainties and exercising humility. Politicians are nonetheless listening to experts and taking action. They are, on the whole, acting for the common good. The tired, unhelpful, ever-wishful tropes of evidence-based policy and political will actually seem to have some meaning under these special conditions. None of this is to say that catastrophe can or will be averted. But we can say that the threat of COVID-19 is bringing out the best in both science and politics. The lesson is not that we need to always listen to experts and that science will show us the way to go. Its that a shared sense of our commonality as humans is the essential condition of a society that has the tools to deal with its problems. Common values, not expert assertions about facts, are what make science good enough to act on. Whether this message carries into the post-COVID world, we will someday see. But if it does not, no amount of research or expertise will ever take its place. This article also appears on the website of Issues in Science and Technology. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. The Uttarakhand Assembly on Wednesday held a brief one-hour session to pass the state's annual budget of Rs 43866.11 crore without holding a discussion on it. The assembly which had gone into recess on March 7 met on Wednesday primarily to pass the budget which was tabled in the house during the first phase of the budget session held in Gairsain. The budget session was to go on till March 27 after resumption as per the original schedule but it was curtailed by two days in view of the coronavirus threat The Question Hour and the Zero Hour were also suspended because of the brevity of the session. The little time at the disposal of the assembly was utilised to pass the budget. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat also gave his message to people on coronavirus before the assembly was adjourned sine die. Earlier, the MLAs were sanitised and offered masks to wear before they entered the assembly premises to attend the session. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As state after state closes all but essential businesses, many companies are laying off and furloughing employees. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin warns that unless the government acts appropriately, the country could end up with 20 percent unemployment. If you lay off (or furlough) your employees, they are eligible for unemployment. Unfortunately, in some states, the weekly payments--ranging from $235 in Mississippi up to $1,495 in Illinois--may be barely enough to buy groceries. As an employer, you can't directly increase the amount of income a former or furloughed employee receives when they apply for unemployment benefits. But here's what you can do: ?Never oppose unemployment Don't try to save your own wallet by further impacting the financial well-being of your employees. Offer severance pay when possible These are trying financial times for employers and employees alike, but if you can afford severance payments, your employees obviously need the money. Extend health benefits This crisis comes from an infectious disease. Some of your employees who lose their jobs may become ill or even be hospitalized. If you could cover their Cobra costs, the temporary health insurance to bridge the gap while unemployed, you'll save lives. Rehire as soon as possible Your doors are closed through no fault of your own. But when they open again, make job offers to your former staff as soon as possible. They will be your best choice moving forward--no training needed. Lobby your state legislature Unemployment is decided on a state level. While the federal government could set laws, right now it's up to the states. Your state legislatures should be anxious to help--this is a good thing to bring up. They are focusing on health and safety right now, but financial concerns will arise. An increase in unemployment payments could help recovery. Pictured: Model Ella Van Seters A young woman confronted a store owner who offered to swap toilet paper for a kiss amid coronavirus panic-buying hysteria. Ella Van Seters, a Brisbane-based model who boasts 73,000 online followers, confronted the male business owner in his Brisbane store this week after he offered her toilet paper in exchange for a kiss. Toilet paper has been hard to find in supermarkets after the coronavirus crisis sparked mass panic-buying. Ms Van Seters told the man she 'didn't appreciate' the comment because she felt objectified, but he argued no other customers had an issue with the 'joke'. 'How am I sexualising you? You're not as good as you think, sweetheart,' the man said back to Ms Van Seters. She recorded the exchange and uploaded the footage to her social media platforms before deleting it again when she realised the man was receiving phone calls and messages from her fans who had jumped to her defence. Ms Van Seters eventually deleted the recorded video which revealed the location of the store because she didn't intend to defame the owner or encourage her followers to call him to complain 'I think it went too far,' she told her fans on Tuesday. 'My intention with the post was to spread awareness and encourage people to stick up for themselves. It was not to harm or defame this person.' She said she took full responsibility for sharing the location of the business in her post. Despite deleting the original post to prevent any damage to the man's business, Ms Van Seters said she stood by her initial comments. In the video footage, she told the owner, that 'women don't like to be sexualised,' and described the comments as 'deeply inappropriate'. The model often posts about body positivity and said she would continue to stand up for herself and women The model uploaded a video of the altercation (pictured, the man's leg during the video) but Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to publish it in full 'It was all a joke... In this time of chaos and madness most people enjoy a laugh... It's no big deal,' he said, before adding that he thinks women do enjoy his comments. 'Its all nonsense, sweetheart... You know how many people I've said it to? I'm not into this left sh*t with everyone carrying on. It's no big deal.' Ms Van Seters asked if the man had a mother, sister or kids who he would want being spoken to in the same manner. 'Yes, because they'd laugh about it,' he said. 'You've obviously got a problem. A big problem... You're carrying on.' The owner kicked Ms Van Seters out of the store following the exchange. Ms Van Seters said she received about 200 messages from men and women condemning the business owner and praising her for standing up for herself. The US on Wednesday welcomed the release of former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, and urged the Indian government to release all Kashmiri political leaders. The statement of Acting Assistant US Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells came a day after National Conference vice-president Omar was released after charges under the Public Safety Act (PSA), slapped on him in February, were revoked. He was among the host of political leaders taken into detention on August 5, when the Centre announced the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 and its bifurcation into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Omar spent 232 days in custody. The US official also urged the Indian government to fully restore internet services in Jammu and Kashmir. "We welcome the release of former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Dr Farooq Abdullah. We encourage the release of all Kashmiri political leaders and the full restoration of internet services as the coronavirus fight intensifies," Wells said. Omar's father Farooq was also charged under the PSA and released on March 13 after 221 days in detention. Abdullah senior, who is also the NC president, expressed happiness over the revocation of his son's PSA detention, but said total redemption would not be possible until all political detainees were released. India has categorically told the international community that its move to scrap Article 370 was an internal matter. According to officials, internet is being restored in the Valley in a phased manner after reviewing the security situation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bronze artwork expected to fetch more than 20k when it eventually goes under the hammer at Special Auction Services A BRONZE plaque by Charles Sargeant Jagger entitled No Mans Land that was discovered in a house clearance is expected to fetch 20,000-25,000 when it goes under the hammer at Special Auction Services in Newbury. The plaque was going to be included in a sale at the auction house on Tuesday, March 31, but the coronavirus lockdown has meant that SAS has had to suspend all auctions for now. Jagger is one of the most celebrated sculptors of the 20th Century and following active service in the First World War, he is best known for his war memorials. Examples of his work can be seen in London at the Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner as well as the Great Western Railway War Memorial on Platform One at Paddington Station. No Man's Land depicts a "listening post", a technique of trench warfare in which a soldier would hide among the corpses, broken stretchers and barbed wire of No Man's Land, in order to listen for the enemy. Television expert and director of SAS Thomas Forrester said: This is a hidden gem that was bought to us at one of our free valuation days and is sure to have a wide appeal not only to those who love modern British art, but also for those for whom the depiction of war is significant. Fellow director of SAS Neil Shuttleworth said: "Due to the current health crisis, we have postponed all forthcoming auctions as the welfare of our staff and clients is of utmost importance. "We are working behind the scenes in order to establish our new ways of working that are in line with the daily Government guidance and hope to be able to provide an update soon. "Our fantastic and large new premises means we can store items easier ahead of and following auctions if needs be. We are offering free auction valuations by Skype, FaceTime, and email if you need any help. "In the meantime, we hope that all Newbury Weekly News readers stay safe and healthy." Over three months since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Chinas Wuhan province, India went into lockdown for a period of 21 days as the pathogen makes its way from one state to another. The Health Ministry which is leading the charge on the pandemic has roped in the armed forces as the first respondent to the crisis. While the Indian Army was the first to establish a quarantine facility in Manesar, which has since been increased to five across India, a positive case in the Ladakh Scouts regiment has sent the alarm bells ringing in the defence corridors. The 34-year-old ... Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 00:11:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Dana Halawi BEIRUT, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon will soon face social instability should the cabinet fail to adopt a proper rescue plan amid a complete paralysis in the country caused by the outbreak of COVID-19, experts said. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, Lebanon had been mired in the worst economic and financial crisis in the country's history, with the closure of thousands of businesses and the lay-off of thousands of people, resulting in nationwide protests that wreaked havoc on tourism, the mainspring of Lebanon's revenues. During the current COVID-19 outbreak, the cabinet has forced shops and businesses to shut down and obliged people to stay home in a bid to curb the pandemic in the country. Lebanese Economy Minister Raoul Nehme announced on Tuesday that the number of the most vulnerable families in Lebanon can reach as many as 400,000. The minister voiced his doubts about the cabinet's capacity to help such a big number of people amid deteriorating financial conditions in the country. Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs Ramzi Moucharafieh announced on Wednesday that his ministry has allocated 18 billion Lebanese pounds (12 million U.S. dollars) for the purchase of food and medicine to support over 100,000 vulnerable families who have lost their daily income amid the outbreak of COVID-19. "We will be ready within a week to start with this plan which will be implemented through mayors, municipalities and security forces," Moucharafieh said, adding this falls in the interest of the country and its stability. Pierre Khoury, dean of the Faculty of Business and Insurance at the Lebanese German University, warned that even those who have money in banks may need food and medicine support because of the restrictions imposed by banks on the money withdrawals. "We may reach a point where the government may have to distribute food and medicine for everyone," Khoury told Xinhua. The expert said a long-term plan by the cabinet is needed to support the large number of casual workers in Lebanon in case the situation deteriorates further. "These people cannot be left to their destiny because they would be ready to commit all kinds of crimes for their own survival," Khoury noted. The Lebanese expert highlighted the need to create a solid and quick cooperation system among mayors, municipalities, associations and all stakeholders to collect information about the most vulnerable families in Lebanon and provide them with essential products such as food and medicine. "We do not have social planning and municipalities are corrupt. The municipalities have already generated money from people and they can help with this money if they are really willing to do it," Hilal Kashan, chair of the Political Studies Department at the American University of Beirut, told Xinhua. While Khashan emphasized the need for an urgent rescue plan, he did not voice optimism about the cabinet's capacity to work properly on such a strategy. "It (the country) won't be able to help all needy citizens," Khashan said. The Seven Fs to a Fruitful Life: an inspiring read for all who desire to move beyond the norm in life and reach their full potential naturally and spiritually. The Seven Fs to a Fruitful Life is the creation of published author Roslynn Bryant, a teacher and an ordained minister who assists her father, Pastor Thomas F. Bryant Jr., at the New Beth-El Baptist Church in Queens Village, New York. Since 1996, her preaching and evangelistic work has moved so many hearts. She also taught as a mathematics professor at Bauder College in Atlanta, Georgia, for eleven years. She is presently teaching as a mathematics lecturer at Baruch College in New York. Bryant writes, Have you ever wondered if there is more to life than what you are living? Has the daily routine of life brought you to a place of displeasure and discouragement? Moreover, do the cares of life and their responsibilities overwhelm you and deter you from reaching your greatest potential? It is for these questions and more that this book, The Seven Fs to a Fruitful Life was written, being inspired by God. The Seven Fs to a Fruitful Life is an insightful work describing how to live life most effectively as God has intended. The seven Fs include our faith, our family, our friends, our finances, our fitness, our focus, and our future. The author, Roslynn Bryant, details how to maximize your potential in these seven key areas often giving Scriptural insight, words of wisdom, and practical advice. This book is reader-friendly, real-life related, and gives counsel that can be readily applied to your life. This work has the potential to empower you to be productive and successful in your personal attainments. Also, you will be given key principles to enjoying satisfying relationships with others. You will truly be able to experience the abundant or fruitful life that the Lord Jesus has made possible. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Roslynn Bryants new book is a gentle reminder for readers to find inspiration in walking in the fruitfulness that the Lord prepared in life especially for them. View a synopsis of The Seven Fs to a Fruitful Life on YouTube. Consumers can purchaseThe Seven Fs to a Fruitful Life at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Seven Fs to a Fruitful Life, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. WASHINGTON The once-a-decade U.S. Census will determine how billions in federal funding and congressional seats are allocated to Connecticut, but the coronavirus outbreak has delayed field operations in the count in the state and around the country. Census Bureau officials are urging Connecticut residents to complete the census by mail, by phone or for the first time this year online. Every American household should now have received in its mailbox an invitations to participate" in the census, said Albert E. Fontenot, Jr., associate director for Decennial Programs for the U.S. Census Bureau. "The current situation underscores the need for census data," said Fontenot of the coronavirus outbreak. "Census results are used to inform planning and funding for hospitals, health clinics and emergency preparedness, even school lunch programs." Nearly, one in four Connecticut residents have already responded to the census, based on estimates by the Census Bureau on Tuesday. But while many people can complete the census remotely, ensuring that every person in the country is counted requires many efforts in the community and even going door to door, so that so-called "hard to count populations" like college students, immigrants, children and the homeless are included. I do [have concerns] because it does mean $11 billion to our state, said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, who has been helping lead the states census response. At the same time I know that we have very active Complete Count Committees in every community, she said, referring to local groups that raise awareness about the census. Those committee members are very embedded in their community and they will make adjustments to do whatever they need in their community. Due to the coronavirus, the census has suspended all field operations until April 1, Fontenot said Friday. The target completion date for the census has been delayed from July 21 to Aug. 13. By law, the census must deliver a full count of the nation's citizens to the president and Congress by Dec. 31, 2020. Plans to send census takers to community events in areas with low census response rate to encourage participation are on pause, as are operations to count college students and the homeless, said Timothy P. Olson, associate director for field operations for the U.S. Census Bureau. For five percent of Americans on tribal lands, in rural areas and in Puerto Rico, census workers hand deliver census packets. These efforts are on pause, Olson said. The census also employs over 500,000 people to go to the homes of individuals who do not complete the census in the first month or so, Olson said. These census takers will be dispatched later this year. The Census Bureau is now in talks with the governors of New York and California, both which have implemented strict measures regarding business and school closures and people staying home, on how field efforts can continue as communities lock down during the epidemic. The Census has also seen a dramatic up-tick in people applying for jobs with the U.S. Census Bureau, perhaps correlated to business closures and lay offs in many states. Olson said 8,000 people have been applying for census jobs every day recently, and more than 2.4 million people have applied. The Census has paused all hiring and onboarding of applicants until April 1, but the bureau urges people to continue to apply for future positions. "We are urging people to consider applying because we may need more temporary employees than originally planned for, Olson said. The coronavirus delays and operational pauses come after the Trump administration attempted to add a citizenship question to the Census, a move that critics said would discourage undocumented immigrants from participating when the Census is intended to count all people regardless of citizenship status. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled to block the administration from adding the question in 2019. For now, the Census is adjusting its messaging and boosting its advertising to reach people where they are in their homes and often, online. "One of the best ways you can help your community right now and one of the best ways you can support a wide variety of public health (efforts) is by completing your 2020 census online today," said Ali Ahmad, associate director for communications for the U.S. Census Bureau. In October, Connecticut committed half a million dollars to boost census efforts in the state and the money was matched by nonprofits and private giving. The state receives about $10.7 billion in federal aid based on the census. The population survey also dictates political representation in Congress. Connecticut had six congressional seats but lost one after the 2000 Census. WASHINGTON Senate leaders and the White House have reached a deal on a sprawling $2 trillion economic stimulus package to respond to the coronavirus epidemic enveloping the nation. But the massive aid package is creating discord in New York, where Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo blasted it as "terrible," and "a drop in the bucket." Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., who negotiated the deal, fired back that Cuomo's numbers were "wrong." New York does very, very well in this package; $40 billion is just whats allocated to different parts of New York and then theres tens of billions more. Its more money than the federal government has ever gotten New York in one shot, more than Sandy," said Schumer, referring to the 2012 hurricane, in a press call Wednesday afternoon. Schumer insisted that Democrats fought to bring states direct aid in the legislation, something that he said was opposed by Republicans. "I have no beef with the governor. I think hes done a very good job," Schumer said. "But he should be pointing his fire at [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell who is the one who is stopping this from happening, not at the New York delegation. After five days of furious negotiating, the legislation is expected to pass the Senate late Wednesday or early Thursday. Final text of the bill was still being written Wednesday afternoon, as Schumer and Cuomo disputed its contents. The bill would send $1,200 checks to every American adult who makes less than $75,000 and $500 for every child before April 6, Schumer said. Higher income levels will receive reduced checks; Americans who make more than $99,000 will not get cash assistance. Retirees qualify for the money, which will be sent to Americans via direct deposit or mailed check. It will also expand unemployment benefits, send billions in aid to hospitals and health centers, provide billions in forgivable loans to small businesses and aid to hard hit industries like the airlines. The bill will also create a $150 billion relief fund for state and local governments, Schumer's office said, as requested by Cuomo. The fund will direct $5.1 billion to New York state and send hundreds of millions to individual counties in New York based on population, Schumer said. Taking a broad view, Schumer highlighted billions in other funds that will head to New Yorkers, their businesses and organizations. Expanded unemployment benefits will put another $15 billion in the pockets of New Yorkers, Schumer said. A fresh allocation for the Federal Emergency Management Agency will direct an additional $20 billion to New York state disaster relief. The bill would also direct billions to the state's education systems and mass transit operations, Schumer said. Small business loans will direct an estimated $60 - $100 billion to New York companies, Schumer said. In total, Schumer said the legislation includes $40 billion in allocated funds for New York and its residents, along with "probably over $100 billion from loans." In contrast, Cuomo said the bill would send $3.1 billion to New York and $1.3 billion for New York City. "That's a drop in the bucket as to need," Cuomo said. "We need more federal help than this bill gives us. The House bill would have given us $17 billion, the Senate bill gives us $3 billion. That is a dramatic, dramatic difference." Cuomo spokeswoman Dani Lever explained why Cuomo thought the bill is "terrible" in a statement Wednesday afternoon: "Based on initial reports, New York state government gets approximately $3.1 billion. As a percent of our total state budget 1.9% it is the second lowest amount in the nation. Literally 48 states get a higher percentage in funding than New York state. For example, South Dakota gets 17.9 percent. This is despite the fact that New York state is incurring the greatest costs as we have the highest number of cases in the country." Lever called the bill inequitable and "a gross political manipulation," noting that New York "contributes more to the federal government than any other state in the nation." Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., rebutted that the legislation was not intended to plug the state's budget holes, but "triage" for the unfolding health and economic crisis. This is just the first step," Schumer said. "No one should think this is going to complete the New York state budget for the year. It has nothing to do with the New York state budget or the holds that we have because of the amount of expenses we're making. What this does is provide emergency relief to hospitals, people, small businesses and big businesses right away." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. But on Wednesday afternoon, Senate passage was slowed by Republicans Sen. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott of South Carolina, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Rick Scott of Florida, who said a drafting error in the bill incentivized businesses to lay people off and opposed a speedy vote. President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke to the senators Wednesday afternoon. I dont think it will create incentives, said Mnuchin. Our expectation is this bill passes tonight. Trump said Wednesday the legislation is by far and away the biggest package ever passed by Congress and praised the measures to help workers and businesses. I encourage the House to pass this vital legislation and send it to my desk immediately, he said. Republicans and Democrats reached a deal late Tuesday following days of tense negotiations and two procedural votes in which Senate Democrats knocked down earlier Republican proposals for coronavirus relief. McConnell, R-Ky., on Wednesday knocked Democrats for "three days of delay in the face of this worsening crisis. Schumer said Wednesday the compromise bill is "far from perfect." The legislation does not include an extension of paid sick days and medical leave for all workers something that Schumer and other Senate Democrats included as a key pillar of their stimulus proposal. Led by Gillibrand, the Democrats wanted to institute a permanent paid leave program through the coronavirus package, one of several long-term reforms stretching beyond the coronavirus epidemic that they sought. House Democrats in their own stimulus proposal wanted to require airlines to cut their carbon emissions in half if they were going to receive government aid. They also wanted to create a program to create sustainable fuel for airplanes and have the government buy old airplanes off the market. Democrats also wanted to include emergency funding for the U.S. Postal Service, which has seen a critical fall-off in mail volume during the epidemic, and wipe out its $11 billion in debt. The House is expected to pass the bill by voice vote or unanimous consent so that lawmakers do not have to return to Washington, D.C., from their districts to approve it. Lee Mack has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus. The comedian, 51, is said to have contacted COVID-19 while attending the controversial Cheltenham Festival earlier this month. The racing event came under criticism at the time for allowing thousands of racegoers to huddle together, risking a spread of the virus. Unwell: Lee Mack has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus . The comedian, 51, is said to have caught COVID-19 attending Cheltenham Festival (pictured at the event) A friend of the comedian's told The Mirror: 'Lee has got coronavirus. It looks like he caught it from his driver when he went to the Cheltenham Festival.' The Not Going Out star attended the races for Ladies Day and for St Patrick's Day. Lee - whose real name is Lee Gordon McKillop - is said to be self-isolating at home whilst he battles the virus. MailOnline has contacted Lee's representatives for comment. Super spreaders? Over 250,000 people attended the Cheltenham Festival with Lee being one of them. The horse racing event was one of the last major sporting spectacles to close Over 250,000 people attended the Cheltenham Festival, with Lee being one of them. The horse racing event was one of the last major sporting spectacles to close as a result of the outbreak. Race course boss Ian Renton, speaking to 5 Live Sport, said organisers had been careful to ensure the safety of fans attending the event. 'We have heard from the government that racing does continue in this country and that the festival will continue to its ultimatum. 'We have put the measures in place as we said we would here and we've been pleased to see the crowds enjoying some fantastic racing.' Staying home: Lee - whose real name is Lee Gordon McKillop - is said to be self-isolating at home whilst he battles the virus (pictured at Cheltenham on March 13) Lee is just one of several celebrities who have tested positive for coronavirus. Among the stars battling the virus are Linda Lusardi, Cascada and Idris Elba. Tom Hanks was the first public figure to announce he had contracted the virus, and was hospitalised in Australia alongside his wife Rita Wilson. On Sunday, the Oscar-winning actor gave fans an update on his health, as he recommended those hoping to halt its spread should stay home. Tom tweeted: 'Hey, folks. Two weeks after our first symptoms and we feel better. 'Sheltering in place works like this: You don't give it to anyone -You don't get it from anyone. Common sense, no? 'Going to take awhile, but if we take care of each other, help where we can, and give up some comforts...this, too, shall pass. We can figure this out. Hanx.' As the number of cases of coronavirus continue to increase in Worcester, City Manager Ed Augustus said schools likely wont reopen at the beginning of April. Augustus announced Tuesday that the confirmed cases in the city increased to 19. He also confirmed three cases in Grafton and Shrewsbury, two of the four towns Worcester also offers support to. We know from being in contact with the hospitals in the area that these numbers are significantly higher at this point, Augustus said. But because theyre not official, we dont share those numbers with you. Overall, the number of COVID-19 cases spiked in Massachusetts by 382 from Monday to Tuesday, with the Department of Public Health reporting a total of 1,159 cases. The 382 cases represented by far the highest single-day total of new cases so far. Officials at Tuesdays briefing on the coronavirus in Worcester continued to warn residents that the cases the city is experiencing now are just the beginning. The virus is going to demonstrate its surge over the next several weeks, Worcester Director of Public Health Dr. Michael Hirsh said. Its not the time to open things back up and have happy Easter. President Donald Trump has expressed confidence in reopening businesses across the country by Easter. Medical experts, though, echo Hirshs point saying conducting business as usual that soon could be dangerous. Im certainly not at the level of power where Im getting information, the same information that President Trump does," Hirsh said. "But I can tell you that the medical community almost uniformly is very, very disappointed in the idea that were talking about opening up the country before we really got on top of this virus. Easter is a week after Worcester Public Schools are scheduled to reopen on April 6. Augustus wasnt prepared for an official announcement on Tuesday but said its unlikely schools will reopen on schedule. Given where we are in the pandemic, its probably unlikely the schools are going to open back up on April [6], Augustus said. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday said its unlikely public schools in the state will reopen before the start of the next school year. All schools in Massachusetts are closed until at least April 6, however, some districts like Boston which plan to reopen April 27, are closed through much of April. Related Content: During his 40 years as a home builder, Ken Anderson built only conventional, wood-framed homes. But after he retired, he and his wife Caril started planning a new home on 15 acres of land they own in Center Point, just south of Kerrville. They decided a barndominium was the way to go. Barndominiums are metal industrial buildings the type of utilitarian structures used to house auto repair shops, warehouses and the like that are tricked out inside and out, making them into spacious, comfortable, even luxurious living spaces. We wanted to build a barndominium because wed get more house for the money, said Anderson, 70. We also saved because I did a lot of the work myself, hanging cabinets, doing the drywall, things like that. He said the house cost about $90,000 to construct and that they spent another $60,000 to $70,000 on the finish-out. A mashup of the words barn and condominium, barndominiums (or barndos for short), originally referred to traditional farmyard barns that were converted into homes. When Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTVs Fixer Upper fame converted an old horse barn into a chic, two-story country home a few years ago, the episode served as a coming-out of sorts for this style of home. Ive dreamed of getting the opportunity to turn a barn into a home for years, Joanna Gaines wrote on her blog at the time. Since theres a finite number of barns waiting to be converted into homes, most of todays barndos are built from scratch, using metal buildings as the starting point. Don Sloan, who runs the BarndominiumLife.com website, called Texas ground zero for this modern version of the barndo, in which the living quarters are built in a large, sheet-metal shell. Hes posted dozens of stories about barndos from Florida to Montana, and while no one tracks this category of construction specifically, his monthly hits have increased from 15,000 to 60,000 in the two years since it launched. In addition to Sloans site, there are also several active Facebook sites, such as Barndominium Homes and Barndominium Living, where members swap photos, decorating ideas, floor plans and other information about building and maintaining their barndos. Erik Cortina of Texas Barndominiums in Floresville has been building them for about seven years. Because its got a large metal exterior shell with no load-bearing walls, you have a lot of flexibility inside, he said. You can cut up the interior any way you want. Thats why so many barndos feature open floor plans with stairways leading up to a second floor or a loft. The Anderson home, for example, has an overall footprint 40 by 80 feet. The outside walls are 16 feet high and the peaked roof tops out at 22 feet. Completely contained within that metal skin, like a box within a box, is their 2,000-square-foot, wood-framed living space. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and living area. Inside, the home is decorated with a warm, welcoming Texas ranch house vibe, with several trophy mounts, a wood-beamed ceiling, granite kitchen cabinets and a large, limestone-faced fireplace. The flooring is wood-grain tile and decorating details include plenty of Texas stars. In the master bathrooms, a restored wood china cabinet has been re-purposed into a two-sink vanity. The large, double front doors were custom made of steel. I figured the outside of the house is made of metal, so the doors should be, too, Anderson said. Speaking of the outside, covered porches on both the front and back take some of the industrial edge off the buildings appearance, as do several other subtle design elements. The front facade for example, is partially faced with Texas limestone mined from the nearby Sisterdale area. Overhanging eaves give it a more residential look than most commercial steel buildings, which usually have only minimal soffits. And what Anderson calls three fake windows above the front porch awning give the building the appearance of having a second story. Much of the non-living area inside the building is taken over by Andersons workshop, which is large enough to accommodate two full-size trucks and several pieces of ranch equipment, including a large sit-down mower and a four-wheel off-road vehicle. The pair of two-story garage doors are also tall enough to accommodate a recreational vehicle each. We dont have an RV, Anderson said. But we put in the doors just in case. Because the living area has 9-foot ceilings up to 12 feet in the foyer theres plenty of room in attic space above it for a person to walk upright. The space now serves as an expansive, unfinished storage area, but could be finished out as a second floor, complete with one or more bedrooms, a bathroom and even a small kitchen, according to Anderson. While homeowners have to accept a certain industrial aesthetic inherent in a barndo, there are several maintenance advantages built into the design. For example, the metal roof should never need replacing and the metal siding shouldnt ever need painting. And, once insulated, these buildings are very energy efficient. The walls of Andersons home, for example, are 8 inches thick and made up of the exterior aluminum sheathing and both wood and steel framing. He installed R30 insulation in the steel frame and R13 in the wood frame, for a total insulation value of R43. Its like a big Igloo ice chest, he said. Our highest electric bill in the summer has been $175. The box-within-a-box design also makes maintenance easier. With only water drainage pipes set into the slab, all other utilities, including electric, plumbing and heating and air conditioning run above the living area, so theyre readily accessible. I like so much about this place so much, Anderson said of his barndo, that if I was still in the home-building business I might just be building them exclusively. Richard A. Marini is a features writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMarini Police and local officials in Tamil Nadu pleaded with folded hands and used makeshift water cannons among other measures to enforce the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus as people moved around at several places, though road traffic dwindled to a trickle across the state. While officials put up barricades at key intersections and flyovers in the state to prevent movement of vehicles, several motorists managed to hit the road violating the norms and were cautioned by the police personnel of action. At some places the police personnel used batons on people too. In a moving gesture, a traffic police official on the arterial Anna Salai here, with folded hands, pleaded with motorists to stay at home and offered to even fall at their feet. A youth, on a two-wheeler with folded hands, said he was ready to reciprocate his gesture, adding that he will abide by the restrictions. At the temple town of Srivilliputhur in Virudhunagar district in south Tamil Nadu, local authorities resorted to spraying water from a tanker on people who had gathered in large numbers in a market place to disperse them. Taken by surprise, people took to their heels to avoid getting drenched. On day one of the three-week lockdown, groceries, vegetable and meat markets and pharmacies were open. Similarly, in several other markets, including in Namakkal and Nagapattinam districts, police had to intervene to discipline people to maintain social distance and avoid crowding. In the state-run low-cost Amma Canteens, authorities drew a one metre "divider line" on the floor to ensure gap and a similar measure was adopted by authorities in markets elsewhere in the state like Paravai in Nagapattinam. While over a dozen two-wheelers and a truck were detained in Madurai for violations, some motorcycle-borne youths were baton-charged for violating restrictions at Satyamangalam in Erode district. The exercise of pasting stickers on the doors of those home quarantined, which began on Tuesday, continued today as well. A major chunk of these people were either foreign returnees or others had been in direct touch with them. Chief Minister K Palaniswami, chaired a high-level meeting in his office here to review the effective implementation of the lockdown. Chief Secretary K Shanmugam and Director General of Police J K Tripathy were among the senior officials participated who participated in it. Following the meeting, Palaniswami said he has directed promotion of all students from first to ninth classes in view of the curbs Also, the ubiquitous tea-cum-snack shops across the state must be shut, he said. Flying squads comprising officials from local bodies, police and revenue departments were deployed throughout the state to monitor the lockdown. Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner K G Prakash said the flying squads would also advise maintaining distance when people come out to buy essentials and stern action would be taken against violators of curbs. Chennai Police Commissioner A K Viswanathan told reporters that 10 checkposts have been put up around the city as part of measures to implement the lockdown. Teams in coordination with civic officials were verifying if those quarantined were staying at home, he said. To a question, he said two people have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody for spreading a rumour that 11 people died here in connection with the contagion. While Section 144 of the CrPC, and the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 have already been invoked by the state government to place curbs, Viswanathan said now the provisions of the Disaster Management Act may also be used by the department, if necessary, in view of the nationwide restrictions. The top city police official warned that vehicles will be impounded if people continued to violate orders. "This not a holiday season and this is the time to act responsibly," Viswanathan said, appealing to people to avoid venturing out for flimsy reasons. Vehicular traffic significantly dropped across the state and key inter-state borders. With people scrambling to buy food items, meat stall owners had a reason to cheer as the price of broiler chicken, which had seen a dip recently, climbed to about Rs 100 a kilo in several places. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) But many of the people who cause problems are likely the ones who could benefit from a long-term city partnership with a mental health service provider. By Express News Service BHOPAL: A 65-year-old woman from Ujjain town has become the first Coronavirus related casualty in Madhya Pradesh. A native of Jansapura area of Ujjain district (55 km from Indore) the elderly woman died at around 3.30 pm at MY Hospital (state governments biggest hospital) in Indore on Wednesday. She was admitted at the Indore hospital on March 23 and her samples sent from Ujjain district had tested positive for the deadly virus only on Wednesday morning. According to Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) of Ujjain district Dr Anusuya Gawli, the aged woman was taking medicines from some private doctor since last few days and was brought to the Ujjain Charitable Hospital on March 22 as her condition worsened. With the doctors suspecting her symptoms to COVID-19 related infection, she was referred to the Ujjain District Hospital where the doctors took her samples and sent it for testing at the MGM Medical College in Indore. She was subsequently referred to MY Hospital in Indore on March 23. On March 25 early morning, she was found to coronavirus positive and passed away around 3.30 pm. With diabetes having already compromised her immune system, she could not be saved by doctors despite all possible efforts, Indore district collector Lokesh Jatav said. The woman's local contacts in Ujjain are under scanner as she had no abroad or inter-state travel history. The Ujjain CMHO further told The New Indian Express that they are checking all contacts of the woman, including unconfirmed inputs about her having attended prolonged anti-CAA demonstration at Begum Bagh colony of Ujjain in the recent past. Her death (despite having no travel history) is alarming and we need to track the possible hidden carrier of the deadly virus as soon as possible. Both her sons and the doctors who attended her at Ujjain Charitable Trust Hospital recently have been asked to self-quarantine. The locality where she resided too has been sealed, the CMHO added. Meanwhile, six new cases were reported in Madhya Pradesh over last 24 hours including the Ujjain case, four from Indore (two women) and a 55-year-old journalist from Bhopal, whose UK-returnee daughter had tested positive three days ago. With this total number of COVID-19 positive cases in MP has jumped to 15. Out of the total 15, six have been reported from Jabalpur, four from Indore, two from Bhopal and one each from Gwalior, Ujjain and Shivpuri. All six towns and cities have been put under indefinite curfew and affected areas have been sealed. The senior journalist who tested positive for the virus was among the dozens of journalists who had attended then Chief Minister Kamal Nath's press conference at the CM House in Bhopal on March 20. He was also among those scribes who had gone to Vidhan Sabha and later attended a press conference at state BJP HQ same day. According to health department and district administration sources, all those people who were present at the March 20 press conferences or had met the journalist are being traced and will be asked to self-quarantine at their homes. "The daughter-father duo has been admitted at AIIMS Bhopal and are stated normal," the CMHO Bhopal said. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. Netizens in India on Tuesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modis 21-day challenge to fight novel coronavirus, saying if millions can participate in virtual online challenges that gives nothing in return, this is the biggest opportunity for the country to come out a winner against the deadly COVID-19 disease that has devastated the world. Modi announced nationwide three weeks lockdown starting from Tuesday midnight. All states and union territories will come under its purview. @iamvsj "Folks, Let us take part in this 21 Days Challenge. The habit, for example, Yoga Practice, Reading, Writing Blogs, Cooking, and/or any creative ones. Are you ready?" tweeted one user. Another commented: "Don't panic on essential items. They obviously will be exempted in the #CoronavirusLockdown. And India has more than enough supplies of all essentials. Relax & tell friends to relax about it". PM Modi warned that if we don't follow a complete lockdown for the coming 21 days, the nation will go back 21 years and many families will be devastated. He also said many powerful countries in the world have become helpless, regardless of their efforts, reiterating that social distancing is the only way to deal with this deadly coronavirus that has infected more than 500 in India to date. "PM has ordered a national #CoronavirusLockdown for 21 days. Let's be responsible for safety of our nation and family," said one social media user. "A single biggest lockdown in the history for any country. It's a very bold step. And it's need of the hour," added another. Modi later tweeted: "Essential commodities, medicines etc. would be available. Centre and various state governments will work in close coordination to ensure this. Together, we will fight COVID-19 and create a healthier India". Even American social media users hailed Modi for the move, asking US President Donald Trump to do the same. "Narendra Modi just shut down INDIA. 1.3 billion people. For 21 days. All the science says that's what you are supposed to do. And the US of course won't do it,' tweeted a user. "India is going on a 21 day complete lockdown. Maybe Trump can now take advice from his fellow strongman and best friend Modi on this and do the same thing here. Praying for my family there," said another. Sen. Chris Coons on Wednesday put his full support behind the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package agreed to by the Senate and White House. "I think it was worth the day wait," the Delaware Democrat said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "I'm really excited about this package and excited to get it out the door." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced an agreement had been reached on the Senate floor around 1:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday. "At last we have a deal," the Kentucky Republican said. Wall Street and Main Street had been on edge as Americans awaited congressional action on the massive relief bill to soften the crushing economic blow from the coronavirus. Democrats in the Senate voted against the package in two key procedural votes on Sunday and Monday, arguing that it did not do enough to help workers and that the money set aside to aid large corporations lacked proper oversight. "The things that Democrats stood firm for, expanding unemployment, helping states and counties, investing in hospitals, transparency on the big fund" are now all included in the bill, Coons argued. The aid for local governments was one of the reasons an agreement on the relief package was not struck earlier, he added. "Most of the folks we are admiring and lauding, the paramedics and hospital nurses, many of them in this country work for county hospitals," said Coons, who added state governments are being hurt by a decline in sales tax revenue as the economy comes to a near halt. "There was very little for states and counties a few days ago. There's now a $150 billion in direct assistance," he said. McConnell said the Senate will vote and approve the legislation later Wednesday. Coons, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, said he wants the House to quickly agree on the legislation. "I am hopeful the House, rather than reconvening, rather than trying to revise or amend it, will simply pass it by unanimous consent so this record relief package can get out to the American people," he said. Doctors are urging New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to ban vaping to help fight coronavirus as cases continue to soar. The New York State Academy of Family Physicians (NYSAFP) is asking the governor to issue an executive order that would ban the sale of all tobacco products. The group point to a study from China, which found that smokers have a greater susceptibility of contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. What's more, researchers found that those who use use tobacco are '14 times as likely to have COVID-19 progression.' In the US, there are more than 54,000 confirmed cases of the virus - at least 26,000 of which are in New York - and nearly 800 deaths. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been asked by a group of doctors to issue an executive order that would ban the sale of all tobacco products. Pictured: Cuomo speaks to the media about coronavirus cases in New York on March 24 The group points to a study, which found smokers have a greater susceptibility of contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus (file image) 'As our state and country struggle to respond to the rapidly evolving and escalating COVID-19 pandemic affecting our residents and straining our healthcare system, mounting evidence demonstrates the link between tobacco use and increased risk for progressive COVID-19,' NYSAFP president Dr Barbara Keber, said in a statement to the New York Daily News. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Cuomo had taken measures to reduce vaping in New York. Last month, Cuomo launched the hashtag #NoVapeNY and announced that those who wanted to quit vaping could join a texting program. 'It wasn't that long ago that we were dealing with a separate respiratory crisis that was specifically tied to vaping products,' Dr Jason Matuszak, the group's president-elect, told WRGB. He is referring to a slew of vaping-related illnesses that sickened 2,807 people and killed at least 68 in 29 states and the District of Columbia. The 'key culprit' was a vitamin E-derived oil, called vitamin E acetate, which was found in nearly all of the cannabis vapors that sickened patients. It clings to the lungs and causes chemical-like burns likened to those suffered by soldiers attacked with mustard gas. Dr Matuszak says that if vapers with such serious lung damage contact coronavirus, it could leave them needing to be on ventilators. In a press conference on Tuesday, Governor Cuomo said that the state currently has 7,000 ventilators, but needs 30,000. 'If we have 14 times fewer people needing ventilators, that's a big difference,' Dr Matuszak told WRGB. 'Now all of the sudden our ventilators that we have in supply might be enough to help the vast majority of our population get through this really tough time.' But the New York State Vapor Association argues that such an overarching ban would lead to people buying tobacco products on the black market. 'I think it's responsible to not cause a separate panic by banning tobacco products,' the group's vice president, Andrew Osborne, told the station. 'I do understand the need to recommend people not to use combustible tobacco, especially during this point, but it's very disingenuous if they're going to try and take life saving vapor products away from hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who need them to stay smoke free.' Neither group immediately replied to DailyMail.com's request for comment. ANN ARBOR, MI The University of Michigan announced last week it would be ramping down all noncritical laboratory research activities by March 20. As a result, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent a letter to UM President Mark Schlissel calling on the university to shut down all animal labs. University of Michigan ramping down research activities amid coronavirus outbreak In the letter to Schlissel, PETA said the ramping down of research activities will likely lead to the destruction of many animals." The organization called on UM to do three things immediately: Prohibit approval of new animal protocols and experiments Prohibit breeding and acquisition of new animals for laboratories Finalize and end ongoing animal experiments The letter says UM has reported many violations to the federal government involving animal research, including sloppy surgeries on mice and rats, the dehydration of other mice and unapproved abdominal surgeries being performed by unauthorized staff. University of Michigan lab lost mutant rabbit, poisoned fish, gave mice cancer, reports show Feds looking into University of Michigans animal research after baboons fatal strangling When announcing it was ramping down noncritical research activities, UM said it planned to maintain minimal access to laboratories so critical activities the maintenance of animals, unique reagents and essential equipment and materials, along with research related to COVID-19 and the new coronavirus can continue. PETA fears this will lead to the killing of animals who are not considered high-priority or arent used in critical research. This begs the question why taxpayer dollars are being used on experiments that can easily be ended or that involve animals who, apparently, are considered extraneous to the testing in the first place, the letter reads. Equally troubling is that the experiments themselves are not critical to advancing human health, since more than 90% of highly promising basic science discoveries (most of which involve animal experiments) do not enter routine clinical use in humans. UM representatives said they are looking into the letter. In its March 18 announcement of the ramp-down, UMs Office of Research said its Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) will maintain mechanisms for providing daily care to all animals housed on campus. UM Research has also put together an FAQ page regarding researching operations during the coronavirus pandemic. PETA pointed to a number of colleges and universities that have restricted animal experiments, including Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The organization called on UM to release information to the public on how many research projects have been halted and how many are ongoing, the numbers and species of animals involved and how many might be euthanized. MORE UM NEWS: Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus Person with access to University of Michigan dining facility tests positive for COVID-19 University of Michigan spring, summer courses will be all online University of Michigan Board of Regents to hold virtual meeting Thursday amid coronavirus outbreak University of Michigan, Michigan State counseling services hope to help students navigate new reality University of Michigan offering $1,200 refund for students who move out of university housing SAGINAW, MI A Saginaw teen suffered a bullet wound to his back early Tuesday, but police say hes being uncooperative when it comes to them finding his shooter. In the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 24, a 19-year-old man arrived at a Saginaw hospital. He was suffering from one gunshot wound to his back, said Saginaw Police Detective Sgt. Oscar Lopez. The victim told responding police that he had been walking in the area of North Woodbridge Street and Irving Avenue on the citys West Side when he was shot by an unknown person. Michigan State Police Special 1st Lt. David Kaiser said police went to the scene but found no evidence a shooting had occurred there. Hes been very uncooperative, Kaiser said of the victim. He doesnt want to talk to police. The case remains under investigation by the MSP. This is the second time in a week a 19-year-old man from Saginaw has suffered a gunshot wound to the back. The first incident occurred the night of March 20 with one of several people inside a Dodge Avenger having taken a bullet to his upper back. Police responded to a 911 call at the Save A Lot store at 3805 Michigan Ave. in Carrollton Township and found the Avenger there. That victim was also uncooperative with police. He had told officers two males had shot at him, but he didnt know why, Carrollton Township Police Chief Craig A. Oatten previously said. Police believe the shooting occurred at another location in the township. They also believe the victim was driving the Dodge when the shooting occurred, Oatten has said. Related: Saginaw teen suffers gunshot wound to back U.S. tech firms are donating big supplies of N95 masks, raising questions about why they have them in the first place. It largely comes down to stockpiling for Californias wildfires. Why it matters: Health care professionals need all the masks they can get their hands on (far more than that, really). In fact, California workplace rules require companies to have a two-week supply for all workers in the event of wildfires. Yes, but: Not all of the recent donations have come from wildfire reserves. SoftBank told Axios it purchased the 1.4 million N95 masks it is donating in New York. Apple, which the White House announced on Tuesday will donate 9 million such masks, certainly had some on hand in California, but nowhere near that many. It does, however, have a pretty strong supply chain and a knack for getting the components it needs. Update, 12:50 p.m. PT: In a tweet, Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple is now planning to donate 10 million masks to the US and "millions more" in Europe and confirmed that it is buying the masks using its supply chains. M Sabari By Express News Service SALEM: Eight persons, including four Indonesian nationals, tested positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in the State to 26. The first patient to test positive in the state has been discharged, while the second is soon to be discharged. However, a 54-year-old man from Madurai, who was the 12th in the state's list to test positive, lost his battle on Wednesday. Health Minister C Vijayabaskar in a tweet on Wednesday said the four Indonesians and their travel guide from Chennai had tested positive at Salem Medical College. All of them have been quarantined at the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital in Salem since Sunday, he said. READ HERE | Tamil Nadu's second COVID-19 positive man recovers, to be discharged soon Health officials in Salem said, acting on a tip-off, they had inspected a mosque in the town on Sunday and found 16 persons, including 11 Indonesians, staying there. They were admitted to Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital and their samples were sent for testing. The results of five among them returned positive on Wednesday. The Indonesians are Muslim clerics aged 24, 38, 48 and 54 while their guide is a 63-year-old. "The 54-year-old man is a diabetic while the others do not have any medical condition," said SGMKMCH Dean Balajinathan. In a tweet later in the night, the Minister gave details of the three other cases. One of them was an 18-year-old from Rampur district in Uttar Pradesh and was a contact of the patient who had travelled from Delhi. The second is a 63-year-old man from Dubai who is now being treated at Walajah Government Hospital and the third is a 65-year-old man who was in contact with the Thai nationals in isolation at IRT Perundurai Hospital and is being treated there. Indonesian nationals came to Salem by train Officials said the 11 Indonesian nationals came to New Delhi and then reached Salem by Kerala Express on March 11. They went to Ragmath Nagar mosque in Suramangalam on March 12. They conducted religious sessions at Paal Market mosque in Shevapet (March 13 -15), Sheikh Umar mosque in Ammapet (March 16 - 18) and Bhuhariya mosque in Sanniyasigundu (March 19 - 21). On March 22, they conducted another session at a mosque in Kitchipalayam. READ HERE | Coronavirus pandemic: How to stay focussed in times of stress Officials have started to identify the persons who have been in contact with them and attended the sessions. On Wednesday, health officials disinfected all five mosques. They also checked for symptoms of COVID-19 among residents of nearby localities and instructed them to stay at home for the next 14 days. "As per Chief Minister's instructions, we acted quickly and identified 136 persons who had been in contact with that Tabliqh team (Muslim clerics). They have been quarantined at home. We have also put a mark on their hands denoting the home quarantine. They came to Salem from New Delhi by Kerala Express and did not travel to any other district. Steps are being taken to trace the passengers who were in contact with them on the train," Salem Collector SA Raman said. Earlier, in a press release, the Collector urged all those who participated in the sessions to get in touch with the district administration through toll-free number 1077 at Salem Collectorate or through 0427- 2450022, 0427- 2450023 and 0427- 2450498. Speaking to Express, Nirmalson, Salem District Deputy Director for Heath Department, said efforts are being made to trace the passengers who had travelled in the same compartment with the clerics by train with the help of the railways. While businesses welcomed the federal governments benefits package for Canadians losing income to the COVID-19 pandemic, whats really needed is more help for employers to keep workers from having to be laid off at all, they say. The benefit, announced Wednesday, will provide $2,000 a month for four months for eligible Canadians who have lost their income due to COVID-19, including self-employed people. This is an unprecedented situation with an overwhelming demand by Canadians to get money as quickly as possible, Trudeau said Wednesday, telling reporters the government received almost a million employment insurance claims last week. Finance Minister Bill Morneau said the measure allows companies to temporarily let go of workers to cut payroll costs and leave money in the affected employees pockets. Companies dont need to separate their employee from their company. They just need to say, We cant pay you during this time period. And when that happens, there is a direct wage subsidy to people, to employees, so that they can actually live their lives, he said. When this is done, they can go back to work for their employers and that we think is critically important. Trudeau said government employees are being reallocated to help deal with the demand for EI claims. Brian DePratto, senior economist at Toronto Dominion Bank, told clients in a note that the new program will hopefully simplify the application process, but that the government should roll out more measures to help businesses survive COVID-19. Business organizations say while the benefits are a start, theyre not enough. Dan Kelly of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said the CFIB believes the current 10 per cent wage subsidy for employers should be increased to 75 per cent, up to $5,000 per worker per month. The CFIB is calling on the government to expand this subsidy as soon as possible. CFIB vice-president of national affairs Jasmin Guenette said giving employers a higher wage subsidy would help them preserve their relationships with their employees, meaning that they wouldnt need to lay them off, necessitating employment insurance or other support. Guenette said he also believes it will lead to a faster economic recovery, as workers can get back to their jobs faster. Its less complicated, he said, adding that it would mean fewer people going on employment insurance or other benefits and slowing down the system. The CFIB isnt the only group calling for the subsidy to be increased to 75 per cent similar calls this week have come from the federal New Democrats and Greens. As well, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce put out a public statement asking for more support from the government for small businesses. The statement calls on the government to cover up to 80 per cent of workers lost incomes. The chambers chief economist, Trevin Stratton, said despite Wednesdays announcement, the organization still wants to see wage subsidies go up. Stratton said not only would a wage subsidy help keep employers connected to their employees, ensuring a quicker recovery, it would also help the employees. Psychologically, it would help people to know they still have a job throughout the pandemic, he said. As well, employees would still be able to access their benefits. Why not just avoid as many people being laid off in the first place? Stratton said. Both Stratton and Guenette said theyre confident the federal government is considering hiking wage subsidies. But Stratton said the change needs to come sooner rather than later. I think we need to act fast, he said. Theres a lot more work to be done. With files from Bloomberg and the Canadian Press Read more about: The supply of daily need items like milk, bread and vegetables was hampered in Dharamshala town as chaos prevailed on the first day of nationwide lockdown. Several localities in the town did not get the supplies as goods carriers transporting essential commodities were allegedly not allowed to enter territorial limits of Kangra district by the police. Prem Singh, a vegetable and fruit vender said he has not received the supply since two days. Today, the wholeseller informed me that the supply may not be available for next two-three days as their vehicles were stopped at the border, he said. A local Paramjeet Singh said his family had to do without milk as there was no supply in the town. Water supply was also hampered in parts of the town and consumers also couldnt get LPG refills due to inadequate staff at gas agencies. Deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati admitted that the supply of essentials was hampered. However, now onwards vehicles carrying fruits, vegetables, milk and other essential items will not be stopped at borders. Police will ensure smooth passage for such vehicles subject to condition that vehicles must have only a driver and co-driver, he said. Vehicles transporting essential items need no permission from authorities. SMOOTH SUPPLY IN OTHER DISTRICTS Supply of essential items like milk, bread and vegetables in other districts including Una, Hamirpur, Chamba and Mandi was smooth. The Una district administration also provided relaxation in curfew for three hours in the evening from 4pm to 7pm to enable people to buy essentials. SHOPKEEPERS ARGUE WITH POLICE A heated exchange took place between shopkeepers and police personnel owing to confusion over relaxation in the curfew. On Tuesday the district administration had said the daily need shops will be open throughout the day to avoid crowding. However, on Wednesday, the three-hour relaxation was given from 8 am to 11 am. Jagdish Rustagi, who runs a grocery store in Kotwali Bazar locality, said he had kept his shop open as he was not aware of the fresh orders. A police team came and forced-shut the shop, he said, adding that the orders by the administration should be clear and people should be made aware beforehand. Had they informed properly why should have I opened my shop after relaxation in curfew, he said. Kangra superintendent of police Vimukt Ranjan said, There may have been some confusion related to timings. The issue was sorted out. He appealed to the people to adhere to the orders issued from time to time. BAN ON NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION WITHDRAWN The administration on Wednesday withdrew ban on circulation of newspapers, magazines and pamphlets in the territorial limits of Kangra district. An amended curfew order was issued by deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati. Banks and post offices will also be open from 10am to 2pm for rendering basic services. However, authorisation is mandatory from the concerned sub-divisional magistrate. The district administration had banned circulation of newspapers in the district on Tuesday. The banks were also ordered to be closed. Meanwhile, instances of violation of curfew were reported from the town. A video of two people roaming on Khaniyara road locality being beaten by police personnel was making rounds on the social media. Ranjan said mobile police teams were patrolling the streets and strict action will be taken if anyone is found roaming without a valid reason. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form SpaceX founder Elon Musk recently announced he is donating 1,255 ventilators he procured from China to help address hospital demands amid the shortage of medical equipment as coronavirus cases rise. In two tweets on Tuesday, he said he bought FDA-approved ResMed, Philips & Medtronic ventilators from China after finding they had an excess supply. All ventilators were air-shipped to Los Angeles. He also sent his gratitude to his Tesla team in China as well as customs for their fast response in shipping the ventilators. California Governor Gavin Newsom called Musk's act "a heroic effort" during a press conference. He also said the Tesla CEO was working with hospital associations and healthcare authorities to distribute the equipment. The World Health Organization has continuously urged countries to "optimize the availability" of the breathing equipment. Musk proposed using his Tesla car factory to manufacture ventilators should there be a shortage. It has been projected that over 960,000 COVID-19 patients in the country would require the use of a ventilator. It is estimated only 200,000 units are available across the country. Musk's donation comes after he dismissed the panic surrounding the pandemic as "dumb" and claimed kids "are immune" to the disease despite evidence showing it possible for kids to contract a severe case of the virus. The SpaceX engineer spent days fighting with local officials before he idled production in his Tesla factory. Latest Coronavirus News: Numerous hospitals and healthcare facilities are looking far and wide for life-saving medical equipment as the rising COVID-19 cases deplete supplies. Experts say crucial medical supplies are facing shortages largely due to the fact that most are imported from China. Shipments of personal protective equipment and medical equipment have seen a decline since the Chinese government shut down factories to combat the rampant spread of the disease. Chinese government authorities required N95 manufacturers to reserve the supply for Chinese customers after factories reopened. Trade data from a news outlet showed no N95 shipment has arrived since February 19. A factory in South Dakota has doubled the output of N95 respirator masks over the last two months in response to the supply shortage. The plant, owned by Minnesota's 3M, aims to produce over a million masks a month. A factory in Honduras has started manufacturing surgical gowns while fashion designers Christian Siriano, Brandon Maxwell, and Prada have offered their sewing machines and services in creating and sending fresh protective gear to hard-hit hospitals. A hospital in New York has turned to experiment with different ways to disinfect and reuse masks which included using ultraviolet light or powerful chemicals. The hospital has also released a policy where an employee is given one mask per shift, while those who pose a higher risk of getting infected are given more. Top hospitals like Mass General have also reported a rapid decline in personal protective equipment supplies and nasal swabs. Other hospitals have medical supplies just enough for a day or two. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidance allowing healthcare providers to use a bandana or scarf when no other options are available. Good to conduct tests on all travelers from US The government said Wednesday it will conduct coronavirus tests on all passengers arriving from the United States, and place them under a mandatory two-week self-quarantine beginning Friday, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. The administration had already implemented similar measures for all arrivals from Europe last week, and has strengthened screening procedures for travelers arriving from other continents as well, although it has kept travel restrictions at minimal levels. The planned measures for those traveling to Korea from the U.S., albeit belated, will be helpful in containing the spread of the virus here as Korea, like other countries, has seen the number of COVID-19 cases in those arriving from overseas soar recently. The rise is largely thanks to the aggressive implementation of virus tests for travelers from abroad. Stricter measures must be applied, including expanding travel restrictions or quarantining inbound travelers in confinement facilities, if needed, as more people may enter the country in the coming weeks due to spikes of confirmed cases in the U.S. and Europe. South Korea has been relatively successful in dealing with the outbreak and there indeed have been encouraging signs of stabilization here. But it is too early to relax. We should learn lessons from Hong Kong, which is suffering from a new wave of infections after it rushed to ease restrictions and reopen government institutions. Some infected travelers who don't show symptoms at the time of arrival could become a major threat if mishandled. For instance, a 33-year-old Korean woman living in Busan was confirmed as the 108th patient in the city after returning from a month-long trip to the U.S. and Mexico. When she arrived at Incheon International Airport via a flight from Cancun on March 18, she had a fever, but it was not high enough to require her to be tested for the virus. In Busan alone, six people have been tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks right after returning from overseas trips. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the authorities detected 51 new "imported cases" 43 South Korean nationals and eight foreigners on Tuesday alone, the biggest single-day rise so far. Of the 51 cases, 34 were detected at airports. As of Wednesday afternoon, the country reported a total of 101 imported cases, but this is expected to surge once virus tests on all travelers from the U.S. take effect. What is also urgent is to map out measures for foreigners staying illegally in Korea who are avoiding tests due to concerns about possible repercussions. In particular, there should be a thorough inspection of nursing homes, restaurants and small factories, where many illegal immigrants are presumed to be working. The government estimates that roughly 400,000 foreigners are staying in the country illegally, or 15 percent of the total foreign population here. The UN Secretary-General announced on Wednesday the launch of a $2 billion global humanitarian response to fight COVID-19, which provides for the allocation of more than $30 million to combat coronavirus in eastern Ukraine. "The global plan, announced today by the UN Secretary-General, has an assistance package for Ukraine. Initially, it was allocated $20 million to combat coronavirus, but after negotiations with representatives of the relevant UN agencies, the sum was increased up to $33 million," Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Serhiy Kyslytsya said in an exclusive commentary to Ukrinform. According to him, these funds will be spent on the organization of humanitarian response in eastern Ukraine on both sides of the demarcation line. The plan provides for the support to healthcare facilities, provision with food and essentials, support for the elderly and people with disabilities in self-isolation, assistance in the organization of distance school education. "It is necessary to ensure that the most vulnerable categories of Ukrainians have the means to treat and minimize the negative effects of coronavirus," the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN said. In general, the United Nations global humanitarian response to fight COVID-19 envisages raising $2 billion to stop the uncontrolled spread of coronavirus across South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Meanwhile, Serhiy Kyslytsya informed that the Ukrainian side had elaborated in cooperation with WHO, UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme another assistance package worth $38 million. It covers support for the procurement of medicines and equipment, increased coordination on the ground and professional analysis of the situation in the country. ol AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Governors across the nation on Tuesday rejected President Donald Trumps new accelerated timeline for reopening the U.S. economy, as they continued to impose more restrictions on travel and public life in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The dismissal of Trumps mid-April timeframe for a national reopening came from Republicans and Democrats, from leaders struggling to manage hot spots of the outbreak and those still bracing for the worst. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, the head of the National Governors Association and a Republican, called the messaging confusing since most leaders are still focused on enforcing the restrictions, not easing them. He accused the White House of running on a schedule made of some imaginary clock. The pushback suggests Trump's talk of an early reboot is unlikely to gain traction. In most cases, it's state leaders not the federal government who are responsible for both imposing and lifting the stay-at-home orders and other restrictions intended to stop the contagion. But the governors' reaction also revealed the striking disconnect and growing tensions between Trump and the state leaders closer to the front lines of a crisis that threatens to overwhelm U.S. hospitals and claim thousands of lives. The president is eager to get the U.S. back to work as the crisis takes a political toll and the economy, which had been the cornerstone of his re-election bid, begins to wobble. The economic damage could be worse than the death toll from the virus, he has said. As soon as next week, Trump wants to take another look at recommendations about business closures and self-isolation, and said Tuesday the country could reopen by Easter Sunday less than a month away. Our people want to return to work," he said. But governors suggested that view had little connection to the reality they're facing. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said he and Trump are clearly operating under a different set of assumptions." California, home to 40 million people and the worlds fifth-largest economy, reported hundreds of new known cases of COVID 19 and now has more than 2,200, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday said the infection rate was doubling every three days and pleaded for more federal help as the number of cases in the state surpassed 25,000. If you ask the American people to choose between public health and the economy, then its no contest. No American is going to say accelerate the economy at the cost of human life," Cuomo told reporters Tuesday. "Job one has to be save lives. That has to be the priority. Even some of Trumps usual allies are continuing to move ahead with tighter controls on travel, commerce and mobility, despite the president's words. In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has endorsed stay-at-home orders that continued to spread through the biggest cities. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said public health needed to come first, and South Dakota Gov. Krisiti Noem is stressing limiting business activity, not relaxing them. This situation is not going to be over in a week," said Noem, whose state has more than two dozen cases. We have another eight weeks until we see our peak infection rate." The U.S. is now more than a week into an unprecedented effort to encourage all Americans to drastically scale back their public activities. The orders closing schools, restaurants and businesses have largely come from a patchwork of local and state governments with areas hit hardest imposing the most restrictions, while other communities are still weighing tighter rules. That means the White House is eyeing ways to ease the advisories while some areas are still ramping up their responses a mixed message that some governors worried would lead Americans to ignore the orders of local officials. Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, told WWMT-TV/Sinclair Broadcast Group that Trump's off-the-cuff statements are really going to undermine our ability to protect people. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Trump was not taking into account the true damage that this will do to our country if we see truly millions of people die." Trump has defended his handling of outbreak and argued that his administration is doing all it can to help governors. They shouldn't be hitting us," he said on Fox News. The fact is we've done a lot. Among the few statehouse leaders to publicly endorse Trump's view was Texas' lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, 69, who on Monday suggested that people his age and older can take care of ourselves " as the nation gets back to work. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people over 65 are at higher risk for the disease. Friction between Trump and the governors has been steady throughout the crisis. The president said last week that states should be doing more to obtain their own critically needed supplies and while insisting that the federal government was not a shipping clerk. States, meanwhile, have been pressing the government to help procure necessary protective and breathing equipment. On Tuesday, Trump suggested any shortage of ventilators was on the states. All they had to do was order them two years ago, but they decided not to do it. They cant blame us for that, he said on Fox News. "Some of the messaging coming out of the administration doesn't match," Hogan, the Maryland governor, told CNN. We don't think that we're going to be in any way ready to be out of this in five or six days or so, or whenever this 15 days is up from the time that they started this imaginary clock. For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Worldwide, more than 375,000 cases have been reported, and while most people recover in weeks, more than 16,000 have died from the virus. READ MORE: Where can I still go? What NYs coronavirus stay at home order means Coronavirus leftovers: Restaurants that close move broccoli, lettuce, eggs to CNY Food Bank and pantries Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Even Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, failed to hide her sadness over the fact that he lost his "brother" Prince Harry. A royal insider reported that when the Duke and Sussexes returned to the U.K, Kate pulled Harry to the side and expressed his sadness when the family-of-three spent their Christmas holidays away from the royal family. "Kate knew it could be the final opportunity to air her feelings, and she was incredibly emotional," the source said. The Duchess of Cambridge reportedly went on and told the Duke of Sussex how their lack of communication when they decided to spend time in Canada brought devastation to their lives. It also made them feel like they have shut out of Harry and Meghan's lives. To recall, before the Sussexes' bombshell announcement, they took a six-week-long break this year, and it included celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas away from the Sandringham Palace. Just a few days after they returned to the country, they dropped the shocking news about their departure as senior members of the royal family. How Their Closeness Broke Kate's Heart Since 2003, Kate became "the big sister Harry never had." They became so close that before the Sussex and Cambridge couples formed the "Fab Four," the royal family had a trio -- Prince William, Prince Harry, and the Duchess of Cambridge. But after Harry and Meghan got married in May 2018, things started to crumble down, leading to their relationship reportedly having broken and falling apart. So when the palace lost Harry, Kate felt like she lost a brother, too. According to Vanity Fair royal correspondent Katie Nicholl, a source revealed to her that the mother of three underwent a difficult time accepting their parting from the Sussexes. "It use to be just her, Prince William and Prince Harry as a "happy trio" and now she [Kate] is very sad by how everything has turned out," the source said after the Sussexes attended their final royal engagement at the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9. "To be honest, I think Kate has taken it all badly," the insider went on, The past few months indeed were not easy for anyone, and it made Kate even sadder now that they need to go on without Harry and Meghan. In fact, an insider told Us Weekly that the Duchess did not see Megxit coming. So when she found out about it, she experienced panic and even had bouts of anxiety. Also, following the emotional farewell, Kate is said to be afraid that she might never be able to be close to him again, most especially when she has not been able to reconnect with Meghan, as well. Meanwhile, another source shared how Harry and Meghan's new lives away from the royal family is a bittersweet chapter for them. The source believed that the Duke of Sussex is focused on the future of his family, and he does not intend to go back anymore. Harry and Meghan will welcome their new lives away from the royal family starting next month. BANK of Ireland is to postpone a planned hike in the fees it charges firms for handling cash until later in the year. The 33pc rise in charges was to apply to firms lodging and withdrawing cash and cashing cheques from May 18 next. Bank of Ireland's fee hike would have hit shops, pubs, restaurants, cafes and other cash-generating businesses hard - the very firms forced to close due to Covid-19. Newsagents had called on the bank to reverse the planned hike in cash-handling charges, but the pleas had been ignored up to now. The bank now says it will defer the implementation of these charges until later in the year. It comes after AIB said it was suspending the planned introduction of maintenance and transaction fees for personal customers who have been able to avoid them up to now. The low-interest-rate environment means banks are seeing profit margins hit, and are trying to boost their income from fees and charges to compensate for this. Bank of Ireland, headed up by Francesca McDonagh, had told business current account holders the cost of lodging cash would rise to 80c for every 100 lodged, from 60c. The fee for withdrawing cash is planned to increase to 80c for every 100 taken out. The fee for exchanging notes was due to rise from 1.20 per 100 to 1.60. Fees for cashing cheques will also rise. But in a statement, it said: "We previously said that we would keep the date for changes to cash-handling charges under review while the Covid-19 situation was evolving. "We will now defer the implementation of these charges until later in the year." CSNA, which is Ireland's largest independent retailer body, representing more than 1,500 convenience store owners, newsagents and forecourt operators, had called on the bank not to increase the cash-handling fees by 33pc for commercial customers. CSNA chief executive Vincent Jennings said: "This price hike will have a negative effect on all Irish retailers and CSNA is calling on Bank of Ireland to reverse this immediately." He said retailers were already under huge strain. Telecom companies are resorting to new methods to help encourage the world to stay home amid an ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Mobile operators including Vodafone and Orange S.A. have now started to include 'Stay Home' messages in the snippet of text that usually displays network information at the top left corner of one's device. Reports of the messages started to appear on Twitter in a thread created by social media consultant Matt Navarra. Mobile phone operators in Germany show a #stayhome message when users switch off WiFi #coronavirus ht Jannis Korner pic.twitter.com/IR197yCmvw Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) March 24, 2020 People across the world have reported 'Stay Home' messages appearing in the network information displayed at the top left corner of their screens According to the thread, customers of Vodafone in Germany, Peru, Turkey , and more started to see the notes. It's not clear how many telecoms are currently displaying such messages, but the move is a notable development in the way tech companies have chosen to tackle their role in helping spread vital information about coronavirus. Historically, companies have never turned to the small but crucial space on one's phone to deliver messages to customers. The decision also reflects the rapid spread of novel coronavirus, COVID-19, which quickly accelerated from an outbreak in China to a global pandemic. As a result, many across the world have been asked to remain home in an effort to stymie the viruses spread through isolation. Other tech companies, including social media giants like Instagram, have also joined the effort to encourage people to isolate. This week, to help encourage best practices, Instagram rolled out new stickers that can be posted in Stories on its platform. Among other things, the new stickers contain reminders to wash your hands, distance yourself from other people and more. Those include a 'Stay Home' sticker, which is currently available, and Instagram says it will roll out more of those stickers in the coming week. In addition to the feature, Instagram said it's also attempting to direct people away from misinformation about a novel coronavirus pandemic by promoting 'educational messages' from legitimate sources. 'People who search for information related to the coronavirus or COVID-19 on Instagram will start to see an educational message connecting them to resources from the World Health Organization and local health ministries,' the platform said in a blog post. 'We are working quickly to make this available globally over the coming weeks.' Tamil Nadu on Wednesday reported three fresh cases of COVID-19 which include a contact of the second positive case and a 63-year-old man who recently returned from Dubai, State Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said on Wednesday night. The third patient was a 66-year-old male who had received it from another COVID-19 positive case in Salem. With the latest positive cases, the total number of coronavirus patients in Tamil Nadu gone up to 28. "#UPDATE: 3 new positive cases of #COVID19 in TN. 18 year Male contact of 2nd Patient at #RGGH. 63 year male Dubai return at Walajah Government Hospital. 66 year old male contact of Thai nationals at IRTT, Perundurai (sic)" Baskar said in a tweet. He said the patients were in isolation and stable. Earlier in the day, five new cases were reported in Tamil Nadu which include four Indonesian nationals and the guide who travelled with them. Baskar said the five patients were tested. They were in quarantine since March 22 at the Salem Medical College. Giving some statistics he said 2,09,276 patients were screened so far and 15,492 were under follow up. Tamil Nadu reported its first coronavirus case on March 7 when a 45-year-old engineer from Kancheepuram who has now been discharged after treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai. The health minister said the second coronavirus patient, a 20-year-old male, who had come to Chennai from New Delhi through train was recovering and expected to be discharged in a couple of days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It was an office memorandum with an innocuous title: Preventive measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. In reality, though, it was a critical notice of curtailed but effective government functioning that applied not just to ministries but all public-sector undertakings and autonomous institutions. And it detailed the governments Plan B to keep the business of governance going. In these uncharted times, when whole communities have been shut down and the Union government itself is hunkering down, the countrys leaders and bureaucrats are not flying blind in the fog of a globally unprecedented pandemic. In running a nation of its size and to remain effectively in charge, while enforcing social distancing within the government, the Centre is working off the plan. The plan, which enforces social distancing, was vetted at multiple levels and signed off on by the two top bureaucratic establishments, the Cabinet secretariat and the ministry of personnel, according to details provided by at least five government officials, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity. HT reviewed some routine tasks, such as agenda-setting and approvals, performed during normal times by departments, but more onerously now, to gauge how a heavy-set central government is still running its business. The highest priority in day-to-day administration is to assist states, keep some of the largest federally funded national programmes running and run all divisions involved in financial decision-making, one official said. Steering schemes, such as PM-KISAN in agriculture (a cash transfer scheme aimed at farmers) and metro rail under urban development ministry, has been classified as essential. As the lockdown became certain, the National Informatics Centre worked urgently to configure software and fix remote access to dedicated management information softwares (MIS), the massive IT platforms that run the largest national schemes, such as PM KISAN, direct benefit transfers, subsidies and national pensions. Lockdown or no lockdown, people dependant on such payments have to get them. The remote access is through internet connections from state-owned telecom firms, but private-owned leased lines have been kept as back-up, a second official said. In Indias federal structure, subjects are divided by the countrys Constitution to be divided between states and the Centre. Its the official work on the long list of central subjects, from aviation to national security, that various ministries and their line departments must keep going. Yet, in important fields with a dual Centre-state jurisdiction, such as agriculture and health, Centres role is no less critical. Information during this critical time may be imperfect. Working hours may be longer. Staff may be less. But the government is not flying blind, a third official, at the additional secretary-level, said. The first step in devising the plan mentioned above, which was given shape starting March 14-15, was to prune the unessential or non-critical, a fourth official said. One example is tasks that dont involve financial approval. Second, each ministry communicated its own plans to the Cabinet Secretariat; these were vetted several times before the final roadmap was sent to the highest levels for approval, the second official said. On March 20, the ministry of personnel (order no. F.No. 11013/9/2014-Estt A-III), following up on two trial orders issued by it on March 17 and 19, asked a set of intermediate-level employees known as group B and C to be rostered in alternating batches. This was the start of a trial in social distancing within the government. In that notice, all consultants, who provide critical inputs for decision-making and many of whom are retired bureaucrats, above the age of 60 (and therefore considered vulnerable to the disease), were asked to work from home. Finally, came the definitive notice to all ministries, the Prime Ministers Office and the National Informatics Centre, the governments IT arm, was sent out from North Block on March 22. Sujata Chaturvedi, who is additional secretary to the government of India, signed off on it. This was the Plan B. It asked heads of departments to draw up a roster of staff (all officers and employees, including consultants/contract and outsourced employees) who are required to render essential services within each department. They alone may be asked to attend office from 23rd March to 31st March, 2020. What is considered essential was the discretion of each secretary of departments functioning under each Union minister, who was also required to approve it. The order did not apply to any employee on the Centres rolls tasked with any activity directly or indirectly related to fighting the coronavirus outbreak. What the rest of India didnt know at the time was that this notice would be followed by a similar advisory to all states through chief secretaries from the Centre. It is this advisory that became the basis of many states going into nearly simultaneous lockdowns till March 31, the federally determined cut-off date for the first phase of the shutdown, the third official said. So, how has government day-to-day functioning changed and how are decisions being taken now in a rapidly alarming public-health scenario? A mandatory daily task in all ministries, critical because it involves agenda-setting, decision-making and review, is a conference known as senior officers meeting. The jargon for it in ministries is SOM. Usually, its one of the first businesses in a ministry although it can be held any time of the day. Decisions taken there are passed down to line units and departments. These meetings are usually called by the secretary or sometimes delegated to additional or special secretaries. One ministry usually has several departments under it. For example, the agriculture ministry also has the department of agri-research. The finance ministry has the departments of economic affairs and revenue, among others. These meetings are taking place as usual but with some participants on video call, depending on who has been allotted work from home. In every room, entry gates and conference halls, sanitisers have been placed and it is mandatory to use them before any meeting. A fifth official, at the joint secretary level, said he was dictating decisions and minutes of meetings to be put up on file over the phone for note-making and drafting. In normal times, he would summon the note-taker into his room. The government already runs fully on e-governance platforms, but a crucial rule requires that all decisions are physically signed. This practice hasnt changed because government memorandums (as decisions are formally known) mandatorily require the hand and seal of the competent authority according to central office rules. Functioning will not be affected at all because of the rostering. About 90% of decisions are usually in the nature of approvals, financial or otherwise. These can still be taken via emails and the sign can be put on a later date. Thats no issue, said SK Pattanayak, former agriculture secretary who is currently the director of the Hyderabad-based Administrative Staff College. Video-conferencing is the key know. When the final matter is ready, it is printed, signed physically and then faxed and mailed to relevant officials, the fifth official added. Some practices are so ritualistic and a legacy of the colonial British era that e-governance doesnt mean everything. Each decision has to be manually filed in paper and a true physical copy still needs to be sent out to each recipient, whether downwards to a junior official or to a higher authority in the same building or in other establishments within the capital. This means that essential vehicles, drivers and courier personnel are functioning as they otherwise do, but only in a limited number. The current staff strength is down to about 15%, the second official said, but most secretaries heading departments are attending their offices. Understand that government people are working, whether in office or from home, just like you, Pattaniak said. The lockdown may be on, but the state is working. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Once upon a time, Woody Allen was known for being a brilliant filmmaker with a unique perspective on life. But a series of shocking accusations plus his publicly scorned relationship with his stepdaughter turned wife Soon Yi Previn were enough to change everyones perception of this Hollywood legend. Allen is making headlines all over again following the publication of his controversial memoir, Apropos of Nothing. In it, the 84-year-old director defends all the negativity hes faced over the years, plus justifies his May-December marriage with Previn. Long story short, their 35 year age gap is only the tip of the iceberg. Woody Allen and Soon Yi Previn | Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Woody Allens ex-girlfriend Mia Farrow found nude photos of her adoptive daughter at his house Allen and Previn didnt exactly start their relationship in the usual way. Mia Farrow adopted Previn from a Korean orphanage in 1977 when she was around 7 years old (her exact birthdate is unknown). Farrow and Allen became a couple in 1980. Their relationship came to an abrupt end in 1992 when Farrow found nude photos of 21-year-old Previn in Allens apartment. Instead of downplaying the images or promising it would never happen again, the Academy Award-winning director swore he was in love with Previn. He also claimed their sexual relationship began two weeks before Farrow found the photos. Woody Allen, Mia Farrow and Soon-Yi Previn | The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images Soon Yi Previn insists shes not a victim Allen was later accused of sexual abuse by Dylan Farrow, another one of Mia Farrows adopted daughters. No formal charges were ever brought against him and Allen fervently denies the claims. But the accusations did have a lasting impact on Allens career and reputation that hes never recovered from. As for Previn, she insists that she was a willing participant in their relationship from the beginning. Im not a retarded little underage flower who was raped, molested, and spoiled by some evil stepfather not by a long shot, Previn said in her infamous 1992 Newsweek interview. Woody Allens new memoir describes their affair in graphic detail Woody Allen and Soon Yi Previn | Monica Schipper/FilmMagic Its hard for most people to reconcile Allen switching from the role of stepfather to one of a romantic partner. Plus, they call into question the timeline of when it all began. Allen described the early days of their union in explicit detail in his new memoir. At the very early stages of our new relationship, when lust reigns supreme we couldnt keep our hands off each other, he wrote in the book, according to Page Six. Woody Allen has no regrets Allens initial publisher Hachette Book Group refused to release the memoir after Ronan Farrow, Allen and Farrows biological son, staged a walkout protest over it. Ronan is a journalist who helped publicize high-profile sexual abuse cases during the #MeToo movement. Hes currently estranged from his father. After all the drama, Allen was asked if it was worth it. And he says it is. Sometimes, when the going got rough and I was maligned everywhere, I was asked if I had known the outcome, do I ever wish I never took up with Soon-Yi? I always answered Id do it again in a heartbeat, he said. His memoir is dedicated to her, too. The inscription says, For Soon-Yi, the best. I had her eating out of my hand and then I noticed my arm was missing. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Immuneering Corporation today announced the addition of three leading oncology experts to the companys Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The new members, Daniel H. Ahn, D.O., Mitesh J. Borad, M.D., and Bijan Nejadnik, M.D., will join the companys SAB consisting of thought leaders in drug development, clinical trial design and oncology to provide strategic insights on how to best advance the development of Immuneerings oncology therapeutics, starting with those modulating the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway. Concurrent with the companys bioinformatics services business, Immuneering is advancing a pipeline of oncology medicines driven by its Disease Cancelling Technology. The companys initial area of cancer focus (ACF) is the RAS/MAPK pathway, a cellular signaling pathway commonly mutated in many different tumors and cancers. Immuneerings SAB includes top scientists and clinicians with expertise researching the effect of KRAS and MEK inhibition, two critical components involved in activation of the RAS/MAPK pathway, and the focus of several of the companys rapidly advancing programs. The SAB will collaborate with members of Immuneerings management team to support the development of drug candidates including for dual RAF/MEK inhibition, cancer cachexia and next-generation KRAS inhibition. As Immuneering accelerates our efforts to develop transformative medicines for patients with cancer, we are pleased to collaborate with world-class advisors on our scientific advisory board and welcome our newest members, said Ben Zeskind, Ph.D., MBA, co-founder and chief executive officer of Immuneering. This talented group of advisors has extensive experience in preclinical and clinical development of drug candidates and their collective expertise will be invaluable as we quickly progress toward the clinic. We look forward to our scientific advisory boards contributions and support in the development of new therapies to help cancer patients in need. Immuneerings full oncology scientific advisory board includes: Daniel H. Ahn, D.O. Dr. Ahn is an assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic and director of the GI Oncology Translational Research Working Group. Dr. Ahn is an experienced clinical study program leader and a well-recognized thought leader in KRAS-driven cancers. He is a member on the Academic and Community Cancer Research United (ACCRU) Board of Directors. His peer reviewed publications focus around early therapeutic clinical trials in GI Oncology. Dr. Ahn is well-positioned to provide clinical insights into the predicted therapeutic index across early-stage compounds and his experienced opinion about dosing and tolerability strategies. Vickie Baracos, Ph.D. Dr. Baracos is a professor in the department of oncology at the University of Alberta. Dr. Baracos has more than 30 years of clinical research focused on the underlying causes of muscle wasting in cancer patients including the role of tumor progression, specific drugs used in cancer therapy and of a putative muscle proteolysis-inducing factor. Dr. Baracos has made numerous contributions to the understanding of the mechanisms of cancer-associated cachexia and provides insight into how the disease is best measured in patients, including key contributions to a key publication on MEK inhibition. Tanios Bekaii-Saab, M.D. Dr. Bekaii-Saab is a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic and leads the Mayo Clinic-supported cancer research consortium Academic and Community Cancer Research United (ACCRU). He is a leading clinician-scientist in the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-supported cooperative research group. Dr. Bekaii-Saab was a key author on two clinical manuscripts describing the benefits of MEK inhibition for cancer cachexia. Dr. Bekaii-Saab provides a clinicians perspective on how effective various MEK inhibitors are at treating cancer. Mitesh J. Borad, M.D. Dr. Borad is the director of the Cancer Cell, Gene, and Virus (CGV) Therapy lab at the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine (CMI). He is a top-tier researcher, educator and clinician having served as director of the CGV Lab and director of the Liver & Biliary Cancer Research Program at the Mayo Clinic. He has also held the position of vice-chair of the International Cholangiocarcinoma Research Network (ICRN) of the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. Dr. Borad is the co-chair of the Mayo Clinic Hepatobiliary Cancers CME-accredited International Review Symposium. Dr. Borad serves as a resource for both preclinical and Phase I clinical trial designs, operations and regulatory approaches for registrational intent. Egidio Del Fabbro, M.D. Dr. Del Fabbro is the palliative care endowed chair and program director at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Massey Cancer Center. He also serves as an associate professor of internal medicine at the VCU School of Medicine. Dr. Del Fabbro directed a cachexia clinic from 2005-2011 and is the lead author on a clinical handbook on cancer cachexia. He is a member of the Richmond Academy of Medicine and serves on the board of Honoring Choices Virginia. Dr. Del Fabbro has invaluable insights into the clinical impact of cancer cachexia. Denis C. Guttridge, Ph.D. Dr. Guttridge is the director of the Charles P. Darby Childrens Research Institute and associate director of translational sciences for Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Dr. Guttridge's research focuses on the cancer syndrome cachexia which contributes to poor prognosis and a reduced quality of life. Dr. Guttridge is the senior author on a key publication showing the effectiveness of MEK inhibitors in a cancer cachexia mouse model and brings his expertise in cancer cachexia molecular biology, muscle biology and in vivo models. Bijan Nejadnik, M.D. Dr. Nejadnik is chief medical officer and head of research at SanBio, Inc. Dr. Nejadnik has more than two decades of experience in large pharma and small biotech companies. He has led research teams in academic institutions and programs from early phase to registration trials, with successful BLA/NDA/MAA submissions and market launch. He held multiple key roles at Johnson & Johnson working on numerous compounds in early and late stage registrational trials in Alzheimer diseases immunology, autoimmune disorders, hematology and oncology. Eric Roeland, M.D., FAAHPM Dr. Roeland is a faculty member at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). His research spans both palliative care and medical oncology with a focus on gastric cancer. He serves as the American Society of Clinical Oncology Co-Chair for the Supportive Care and Cachexia/Nutrition Guidelines Committees. Dr. Roeland is an experienced clinician with valuable insights into clinical trial design and patient recruitment. Michael Sawyer, M.D. Dr. Sawyer is a professor in the department of oncology at the University of Alberta. Dr. Sawyer has published extensively in the cancer cachexia space including both research articles and reviews. Dr. Sawyer was a key author together with Dr. Bekaii-Saab on two publications assessing the clinical benefit of MEK inhibitors for cancer cachexia patients. Dr. Sawyer provides valuable insights in comparing and contrasting existing MEK inhibitors, relevant indications and toxicity. Teresa A. Zimmers, Ph.D. Dr. Zimmers is a professor of cancer research at the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine. She is the founding director of the IU Simon Cancer Center Cachexia Working Group and the IUPUI Center for Cachexia Research Innovation and Therapy. Through multi-disciplinary collaboration, these groups seek to improve diagnosis, treatment and educational outreach for patients. Dr. Zimmers is experienced in high-throughput profiling of cancer cachexia and provides guidance on the molecular biology. About Immuneering Corporation Immuneering leverages more than a decade of leadership in bioinformatics to develop new medicines unlikely to be found by traditional drug discovery methods. Its current pipeline of drug candidates is focused on treating aspects of disease that have eluded conventional approaches, including cancer cachexia and metastasis. Utilizing its proprietary Disease Cancelling Technology, the company engineers medicines that reverse a disease signal across many relevant genes. Immuneerings technologies have proven exceptionally rapid and capital efficient in creating its pipeline. Concurrent with its internal programs, the company provides unparalleled computational biology services to leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Corporate Contact: Rebecca Kusko, Ph.D. Immuneering Corporation 617-500-8080 rkusko@immuneering.com LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has told airlines it will only consider stepping in to help them survive the coronavirus crisis once they have explored the possibility of raising capital from other sources including existing investors. The aviation industry is hoping for a specific aid package, in addition to the support measures already announced for British businesses, after the finance minister said last week that he would hold discussions with airlines and airports. UK airlines such as easyJet , IAG-owned British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have almost no revenue coming in after demand for air travel came to a standstill, forcing them to ground hundreds of planes, and putting thousands of jobs and the future of the sector at risk LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has told airlines it will only consider stepping in to help them survive the coronavirus crisis once they have explored the possibility of raising capital from other sources including existing investors. The aviation industry is hoping for a specific aid package, in addition to the support measures already announced for British businesses, after the finance minister said last week that he would hold discussions with airlines and airports. UK airlines such as easyJet , IAG-owned British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have almost no revenue coming in after demand for air travel came to a standstill, forcing them to ground hundreds of planes, and putting thousands of jobs and the future of the sector at risk. But any special aviation assistance package appeared to be on ice on Tuesday, after a letter from the finance minister Rishi Sunak to airlines and airports. The letter told airlines to look at their financial positions following the government measures for all business announced last week, which included a promise to pay a massive share of private sector wage bills and a deferral of value-added tax bills. "We would expect all companies to be pursuing all possible actions to preserve cash and maximise liquidity, including engaging with shareholders, lenders and the markets, and utilising all available assets and facilities," Sunak said in the letter, dated Tuesday, which was posted by media on Twitter. The British guidance came as the aviation industry body IATA called on governments to hurry up and provide bailouts or risk half of airlines facing possible bankruptcy within weeks. Sunak's letter also said, however, that the transport minister was still discussing industry-wide measures to help with the crisis. A report in the Financial Times on Saturday said that the British government was planning to buy equity stakes in airlines and other companies affected by the pandemic. JOBS, LIQUIDITY Earlier this month, easyJet and Virgin Atlantic asked for government support to help them survive. IAG, a long-time critic of state support for airlines, has not publicly asked for help. Both easyJet and IAG have said in recent weeks that they have strong balance sheets. IAG declined to comment on Sunak's letter on Tuesday. EasyJet said it was reviewing the letter alongside the government measures announced last week. "Our immediate focus is on liquidity and protecting jobs and we are working with the government to make best use of these measures," a spokeswoman added. The budget carrier specifically asked the government for access to finance to help with liquidity crunches, the suspension of passenger taxes and air traffic charges, and longer relaxation of airport slot rules. The company has come under fire for asking for government support in the same week as it paid out 174 million pounds to shareholders in dividends. It said it was legally obliged to make the payment following decisions made before the crisis. Virgin Atlantic, which had asked for the government to provide up to 7.5 billion pounds in emergency credit facilities, declined to comment on Sunak's letter. It is owned by billionaire Richard Branson and U.S. airline Delta. (Reporting by Sarah Young and William Schomberg; Editing by Estelle Shirbon and Pravin Char) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. As coronavirus infections in most countries worldwide continues to soar by the thousands daily, there has not been any confirmed Covid-19 case in Malawi so far. Despite this the countrys president Peter Mutharika declared coronavirus a national disaster as a measure to prevent cases of the virus in the country. At the moment, all schools, colleges, both private and public universities have been closed since Monday (Mar. 23). The countrys government is restricting public gatherings to less than 100 people. This restriction applies to all gatherings including weddings, funerals, church, congregations, rallies and government meetings. The national security has been ordered into action to enforce these restrictions. There arent any registered coronavirus cases in Malawi yet according to the health ministry which is believed to be checking temperatures of everyone coming through its land borders and airports. Twelve people who showed signs and symptoms of the disease have been tested and the results showed negative through the governments public health reference laboratory, said Joshua Malango, spokesperson for the health ministry. Despite there being no confirmed coronavirus cases, there are suspicions locally theres a likelihood of cases in the country given the testing process has been making it near impossible to efficiently test people. Malango insisted the Malawi government is doing everything it can to effectively carry out tests. But with most African countries affected by the virus, including neighbor country South Africa which now has the highest number infection cases in Africa and growing rapidly, there are fears the virus will easily find its way into the country. This is a very real possibility because of the high number of Malawians who live and work in their wealthier neighbor. Story continues There are an estimated 100,000 Malawian migrant workers in South Africa, driven there by few employment opportunities and low wages at home. Last week, Malawi Health Equity Network director George Jobe warned that the country should intensively prepare for the worst. Now the virus is closer to home than we ever imagined. Many Malawians travel to South Africa daily and people of the two countries are constantly trading with each other, this means that Malawi should intensify screening in all airports and boarders across the country, said Jobe. South Africa alone has registered 554 cases so far. Another Malawis neighbor Tanzania is a concern as well, as the country has so far registered 12 cases as of Sunday. Tanzania shares a border and quite often, Malawians go to the east African country to collect shipped goods at Dar es Salaam port since Malawi is landlocked. As Malawi is ranked among the worlds least developed countries with its GDP coming in at around $7 billion, a virus outbreak would only worsen its economic output. Malawi has plenty of experience dealing with public health crisis given the high HIV incidence in the country over the last few decades. It still has one of the highest HIV prevalences in the world despite the impressive progress the country has made in recent years. There are concerns in medical community that HIV carriers could be particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. South Africa, which has the worlds largest HIV positive population, is taking key steps to protect this group. Sign up to the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief here for news and analysis on African business, tech and innovation in your inbox Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: GE Healthcare and Ford Motor Company said that they will work together to scale the production of ventilators, arming clinicians with medical equipment important in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Through this collaboration, Ford will provide its technical and production expertise with the goal of manufacturing a simplified design of GE Healthcares existing ventilator. This new system would be built specifically to address urgent needs during the pandemic, equipped with the essential functions required to safely treat COVID-19 patients. We are encouraged by how quickly companies from across industries have mobilized to help address the growing challenge we collectively face from COVID-19, said GE Healthcare president and CEO Kieran Murphy. We are proud to bring our clinical and technical expertise to this collaboration with Ford, working together to serve unprecedented demand for this life-saving technology and support clinicians as they meet patient needs. Were so proud to be working closely with GE Healthcare on this important effort, and we have empowered our teams of engineers and designers to be scrappy and creative to quickly help scale up their production of this vital equipment, said Jim Hackett, Fords president and CEO. Additionally, in alignment with the US Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) guidance, GE Healthcare has provided information on its website on the use of its anaesthesia devices for patients requiring mechanical ventilation. This information helps make ventilation capabilities more widely available to support patients with respiratory failure or difficulty breathing caused by COVID-19. Clinicians can use these details in the treatment of patients at their discretion. As a leading global provider of anaesthesia devices with a global installed base of over 100,000 devices, this update provides immediate assistance in the global demand of ventilators. This update follows an earlier statement from Murphy around the companys efforts to increase its manufacturing capacity for medical equipment, including ventilators. Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, GE Healthcare has doubled its capacity of ventilator production and has plans to double it again by end of Q2 2020 to address unprecedented demand independent of the collaboration with Ford. TradeArabia News Service Men load rice bags to a ship for export at a rice processing factory in Vietnam's southern Mekong delta. Photo by Reuters/Kham. Rice traders are unhappy with the sudden government ban on exports that has million dollar worth of cargo idling at ports. When Hanoi Trade Jsc (Hapro) found out Wednesday that customs authorities had stopped clearing rice shipments, its rice cargo had already arrived at the port. Vu Thanh Son, CEO of the company, said that he was surprised to learn about the sudden ban, which means $2 million worth of Hapro rice on its way to Philippines and Malaysia are now stuck in the Saigon Port in Ho Chi Minh City. "Contracts have been signed and money has been transferred. The ban could result in a loss of reputation for the company and lawsuits from our partners." Another exporter, Co May Group in southern Dong Thap Province, has had to suspend the export of four rice containers to Australia worth VND1.2 billion ($50,700), which was due this week. "We have been preparing a month for this order. The ban will cost us a lot of human and financial resources," said a company leader who asked not be identified. The Loc Troi Group in southern An Giang Province has also had to cancel two rice orders on the way to the port. Group Chairman Huynh Van Thon said they would have to renegotiate and do not know how the buyers will react to the news. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered the export ban to be imposed 0 a.m. Wednesday after the government noticed an unusual 32.6 percent year-on-year upsurge in rice export value in the first two months of this year. Exports to China surged seven times in this period, according to official figures. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh Wednesday said that if the export surge persists in the upcoming months, Vietnam could face a domestic shortage of rice. Rice exporters have said they agree with the ban and the need to ensure food security, but the government needed to give them a time frame to conclude their export orders to minimize losses. Son of Hapro said that orders signed before Tuesday should be cleared for exports, while the leader of Co May proposed that exports be allowed until the end of April or early May. The Ministry of Industry and Trade had asked the PM Wednesday to postpone implementation of the rice export suspension, citing businesses' complaints regarding its immediacy. The ministry said it would reassess the actual output of the winter-spring rice crop, the amount of rice to be exported in signed contracts and the actual amount in businesses' inventories before suggesting a solution. The Government Office said Wednesday afternoon that the rice export ban will stay and businesses should not sign new contracts at this time. Vietnam is the world's third largest rice exporter after India and Thailand. Last year, the country exported 6.37 million tons of rice worth $2.81 billion, with the top markets being the Philippines, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, and China. For the past six days, Ayomuddin Kamolov has slept on the tiled floor of a Moscow airport, hoping to get a flight to his native Tajikistan. He is one of hundreds of Central Asian migrant workers stranded in the Russian capital's airports after borders were sealed and flights grounded to contain the coronavirus pandemic. "My flight was cancelled and the company promised me a hotel. But in the end I got nothing," Kamolov told AFP in a busy terminal at Vnukovo, one of the three main airports serving Moscow. Despite overcrowding and poor hygienic conditions, none of those waiting for up to several days had received disinfectant gel or surgical masks to protect against COVID-19, the 29-year-old said. No medical checks were carried out either, he added. Hundreds of thousands of men and women from ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia live in Russia where they often work low paid jobs to escape unemployment and feed families back home. But hundreds are stranded after Uzbekistan and Tajikistan grounded nearly all incoming flights as part of dramatic measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus. On Tuesday, 100 Tajik citizens at Vnukovo were stretched out on foam mats between baggage carts loaded with plastic-wrapped suitcases and crates of bottled water. Return flights were leaving sporadically and the price of some seats had nearly tripled. Trains from Russia to Central Asian countries have been suspended too. "We are waiting for the nightmare to end," said Sakhib Narzullaev, a 21-year-old student hoping to return to the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe. Over the four days he has been waiting, he helped distribute food and water among the other hopeful passengers, he told AFP. Beyond a row of check-in counters, 50 people were waiting for a flight to Uzbekistan. One of them, 21-year-old Ikbol who works for a food delivery service in Moscow, had been at Vnukovo for six days. "I decided to come back because restaurants are closing and I had fewer and fewer orders. Also my parents are worried about me because of the virus," he said, speaking through a mask. Ikbol said that he will have to sit through a compulsory two-week quarantine on arrival, a precaution authorities both Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have imposed. - Unpaid salaries - Adding to the congestion at Moscow's airports, the travel restrictions have coincided with spring celebrations in Central Asia when many migrant workers return home after labouring through the winter. Similar scenes have reportedly played out in Ekaterinburg in the Urals, where hundreds of Kyrgz citizens were stranded, and at an airport in Siberia's Novosibirsk in Siberia. Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, blamed the bottleneck on countries that cut the flights and said that "steps are being taken" to resolve the issue. To prevent those stranded from overstaying expiring visas, the Russian authorities announced on March 19 they would extend stays for foreigners and not impose fines or penalties. But the mass return of migrant workers from Russia poses a threat to economies in Central Asia reliant on money transfers from family working abroad. Ikbol, the courier from Uzbekistan, said he had not been paid his most recent salary and was worried he wouldn't be paid at all. "Here in Russia, factories are starting to close and we don't know how long it will last," Kamolov said. "What are we going to do if we can no longer feed our families?" Citizens of several Central Asian countries have been stranded at Moscow airports after former Soviet states closed their borders because of the coronavirus pandemic Hundreds of thousands of men and women from ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia live in Russia where they often work low paid jobs to escape unemployment and feed families back home Some of the travellers have been stuck for days Russia's civil aviation authority blamed the bottleneck on countries that cut the flights and said they were working to resolve the issue In these serious times, we need our government to work for us. And in order for that to happen, we need leaders who know how to govern and make government work for us. Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney is the leader Montanans need to make sure the Governors Office continues to fight for Montanans instead of being beholden to wealthy special interests. During Cooneys long and distinguished career in Montana, he has shown the kind of leadership and ability to bring people together to get things done. On every issue Mike Cooney has delivered for the people of Montana while U.S Rep. Greg Gianforte has turned his back on us. Montanans have trusted Cooney to serve in the legislature, as secretary of state and as lieutenant governor because they know he will always do right by Montanans, while Gianforte has shown his true colors in the swamp of D.C. On health care: As lieutenant governor, Cooney fought to reauthorize Medicaid expansion, which provides health care for 1 in 10 Montanans. Hes already announced a bipartisan plan to immediately lower the cost of prescription drugs when hes elected to office. Meanwhile, Gianforte has voted against protecting patients with pre-existing conditions and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. Gianforte also supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which has protected health coverage for 152,000 Montanans with pre-existing conditions, and expanded health coverage for nearly 100,000 Montanans. On public lands: As secretary of state and a member of the states Land Board for 12 years, Cooney has increased access to public lands and protected our rights to hunt, fish and recreate in the great Montana outdoors. He has pledged to fully fund the successful Habitat Montana program, which protects and enhances wildlife habitat across the state. This stands in stark contrast to Gianforte, who not only personally sued to block public access to a popular fishing access site, but has voted to gut the Land and Wildlife Conservation Fund and introduced numerous bills in Congress that would strip protections from public lands. On money in politics: In his first campaign for public office, Cooney ran on the foundation that he would represent people, not special interest groups. Hes carried this principle through every campaign in office and was the only candidate in the race for governor to disavow dark money, corporate PAC contributions and self-financing in elections. Gianforte, the wealthiest member of Congress, tried to buy himself the election in 2016 by spending millions of dollars of his own money, voted in favor of bills to roll back financial regulations on large financial institutions and voted against bills to require that corporations disclose their political spending. And lets not forget the values of civility and respect we expect in our leaders. Gianforte lied to law enforcement and all of us after he assaulted a reporter, he has sued Montanans to deny public access and hes failed to stand up for Montanans in Washington, D.C. Montanans know Cooney to be an honest man with a high standard for civility and integrity. Hes willing to sit down with everyone and have a discussion about how to reach common ground. The contrast is clear. We deserve leaders who are going to bring everyone together to tackle some of the toughest issues of our time: the immoral cost of prescription drugs and health care, the growing threat of climate change and the staggering influence of money in politics. Gianforte wants power to push his rigid ideology that benefits himself and his wealthy friends. Cooney wants to make government work for all of us. I ask you to join me in supporting Mike Cooney for governor. John Heenan practices consumer protection law in Billings. He was appointed a special attorney general to prosecute dark money violations and is a former congressional candidate. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Lee Man-hee, the founder of Shincheonji Church of Jesus speaks during a press conference held on March 3 in Gyeonggi Province./ Korea Times file By Kim Se-jeong The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it had filed a compensation suit against the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a religious sect blamed for the faster spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in Korea, and its founder Lee Man-hee. "We believe the church responded slowly to the city's request to hand out a contact list of its members and that caused us serious problems," a city official said. The local government is demanding at least 300 million won in order to have the case heard by a three judge panel. Claims up to 200 million won are adjudicated by a single judge. Seoul has become the first local government to file a compensation suit against the sect. Separately, the prosecution is currently investigating to see if the founder Lee ordered the church administration to delay the disclosure of its membership. As the confirmed cases skyrocketed among Shincheonji followers in Daegu last month, the central government asked the church for the contact information of its more than 200,000 registered members. It eventually gave the information and the central government shared this with local governments. Separately, local governments went after Shincheonji-related facilities in their areas and closed them down in an attempt to prevent the possible spread of the virus as well as enabling them to cross-check the information provided by Shincheonji. Shincheonji has been widely criticized for its role in spreading COVID-19 in Korea. The church quickly became the subject of scorn and even open-hatred nationwide. This led Lee to hold a press conference in which he apologized for the church's role in the spread of the outbreak. One critic filed an online petition at Cheong Wa Dae asking for the church to be "disbanded," which has gained more than 1.4 million endorsements so far. It is unconstitutional to disband a religious group, but the central government said it could hold it accountable for failing to deliver accurate information in a time of national crisis. Shincheonji claimed that the condemnation by society also made its followers victims, asking people to stop making negative comments. One follower allegedly committed suicide due to the large amount of criticism of the church and its members. At least four veterans have died from the coronavirus so far, and as of Wednesday, 365 have been sickened. Christina Mandreucci, a spokeswoman for the department, said that while there would be no pause, it would review requested referrals for nonemergency care on a case-by-case basis for immediate clinical need and with regard to the safety of the veteran when being seen in-person, regardless of wait time or drive time eligibility. Proponents of the law expressed unhappiness. I have serious concerns with the V.A. putting a temporary pause on community care, said Senator Jerry Moran, Republican of Kansas and the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. When the V.A. cannot provide care to veterans, the V.A. is required under the Mission Act to send them to the community. The Mission Act has been strongly supported by the Concerned Veterans for America, a group that generally espouses conservative views and has influenced veterans policies under Mr. Trump. We urge the V.A. not to proceed with any policy proposal that would limit the ability of veterans to access care in the community if they believe it is the best option for them and capacity is available, said Nate Anderson, the groups executive director. The two companies that the department has chosen to manage a network of health care providers and urgent care centers for veterans, Optum and TriWest, are introducing services across the country through a phased process, with completion scheduled this summer. Representative Phil Roe, Republican of Tennessee, said he was seeking more guidance from Mr. Wilkie about how and why V.A. made this decision and how veterans will continue to be cared for throughout this crisis, in V.A. and in the community. The ixlayer COVID-19 Clinical Test can plug into any health system and lab within 48 hours - enabling labs to digitize ordering and produce real-time results delivery while also streamlining healthcare so physicians can pre-screen patients, order tests, coordinate sample collection and triage patients to the right care ... all from afar SAN FRANCISCO, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ixlayer, an industry leader in technology solutions for health testing, has adapted its platform to address the need to rapidly launch and scale COVID-19 clinical testing. The ixlayer platform, already encompassing the security components that are complex and time-consuming to deliver, has been adapted for COVID-19 specific content and user flows, allowing physicians/health systems, organizations, and university groups to quickly connect with partnering labs to deliver COVID-19 clinical testing. "When the World Health Organization declared rapid and global testing was needed to address COVID-19, I knew that would present challenges. Bringing a new test online can be complicated and time-consuming without technology solutions. Thankfully, the ixlayer platform has been efficiently delivering precision health testing across the U.S. using the telehealth model for several years, so we already have the needed security and infrastructure in place," said Pouria Sanae, CEO of ixlayer. "I am proud of my team's swift modifications to the ixlayer platform, ensuring the additional measures needed to scale COVID-19 testing nationally are in place." Learning from the global responses to COVID-19, ixlayer made sure the platform addressed the issues facing U.S. clinical labs including: Scalable technology to support multiple labs and providers across all states, Telemedicine infrastructure so ordering physicians can connect with patients at home, Secure online (HIPAA compliant) collection of patient health screening and eligibility data, Third-party Telemedicine physician networks to support high demand, and Ability to schedule COVID-19 sample collection for patient drive-through. The ixlayer platform has specific user flows and content for each type of relationship, connecting clinical laboratories to: Organizations, Employee groups, and Physicians/health systems. For example, physicians order tests on the platform using their NPI number. Employee groups or researchers can access the platform through a clinical portal to order tests. Patients can also directly request testing by logging in to the secure Patient Portal and completing a Health Screening Eligibility Questionnaire that evaluates their current symptoms, recent travel, and community exposure to COVID-19. They then provide the contact information for their healthcare provider and the platform reaches out to the provider to review the patient's request and determine if the test is a good fit for their present situation. The COVID-19 Clinical Test platform also gathers real-time data, including demographics on positive and negative tests by age, gender and geographic location - allowing the Centers for Disease Control or other researchers to identify trends in disease transmission. In addition, if a large number of inconclusive or "no-call" results are present in a given area, issues with the testing pipeline can be identified and addressed rapidly. Finally, content throughout the platform was thoughtfully developed, using CDC and WHO guidelines, to ensure patients have accurate, up-to-date educational materials. The content is evaluated and adjusted regularly, as CDC and WHO guidelines and recommendations evolve. It can also be customized for an individual group's specific needs while maintaining the integrity of the message from these leading authorities. "We can support not only the infrastructure and technology issues of the clinical labs and healthcare system, but also deliver metrics to help researchers model and learn from disease trends. Now, employee groups can also order bulk testing to clear employees, so only the healthy are in essential positions," said Pouria Sanae, CEO of ixlayer. "I hope our platform can help connect the critical pathways in the national health ecosystem working diligently to combat COVID-19." For more information, visit: https://ixlayer.com/covid-19-testing-platform/ https://ixlayer.com/blog/technology-solutions-for-covid-19-testing/ About ixlayer: ixlayer is an industry leader in the health-tech ecosystem, providing innovative solutions to power precision health testing to physicians, health systems, health-focused companies, and pharmaceutical partners. The ixlayer platform delivers end-to-end solutions for the technical, security, regulatory, and user experience components of complex health testing. The ixlayer COVID-19 Clinical Test can plug into any health system and lab within 48 hours - enabling labs to digitize ordering and produce real-time results delivery while also streamlining healthcare so physicians can pre-screen patients, order tests, coordinate sample collection, and triage patients to the right care ... all from afar. Contact: Alecia Pritchett +1 (415) 758-1440 Alecia@ixlayer.com Related Files Ixlayer Launches COVID-19 Clinical Testing Platform to Power Labs and Health Systems .pdf ixlayer - Solutions for Scaling COVID-19 Testing.pdf Related Images ixlayer-logo.png ixlayer logo Related Links Ixlayer COVID-19 testing platform Ixlayer COVID-19 blog post Herrling Clark Law Firm The idea is to not only give local businesses the cash flow they need, but also create a sense of community and that were all in this together. Kristen Scheuerman, a partner at Herrling Clark. In an effort to help local small businesses during the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 virus, Appleton-based law firm Herrling Clark will be buying gift cards from local businesses and then giving them away to the community at large via social media. Herrling Clark will launch the effort, called #WereWithYouWednesday, on Wednesday, March 25th. Attorneys from the firm will purchase gift cards from a variety of local restaurants and retail businesses. The gift cards will then be given away via the firms Facebook and Instagram accounts. Herrling Clark will post the gift card of the day each Wednesday morning in the coming weeks on its Facebook and Instagram accounts. Anyone who comments on the cards before 9 p.m. that evening will be entered into a drawing with winners announced the following Thursday morning. Its possible that on some days there may be more than one gift card available. Things are uncertain and scary right now for so many people so we want to do what we can to help. And we want to make this fun. Some weeks well ask for people to comment with a favorite local business so we can help promote those businesses and other weeks we might ask folks to share ways theyre staying busy at home, said attorney Kristen Scheuerman, a partner at Herrling Clark. The idea is to not only give local businesses the cash flow they need, but also create a sense of community and that were all in this together. Herrling Clark is encouraging law firms and businesses statewide to implement a similar program. Scheuerman said the firm will continue the #WereWithYouWednesday campaign as long as the states Safer At Home order or other social distancing protocols remain in effect. About Herrling Clark As a hometown law office, Herrling Clark Law Firm, Ltd. is closely tied to the Fox Valley. In 1959, Don Herrling opened his law practice in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin. Since then, the firm has grown along with Appleton and the Fox Valley, but maintains a strong local connection to the community where many of the firms attorneys and staff live and support community events and civic activities. From personal injury to estate planning, family law to business law, our practice areas are built around meeting our clients' needs. Herrling Clark has offices in Appleton, Green Bay, and New London, WI. Papua is set to restrict entry into the province both through sea and air travel in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesias easternmost region. Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, together with members of the Regional Leadership Communication Forum, announced the measure shortly after the provinces first two COVID-19 positive cases were revealed on Sunday. "This is not a lockdown; only a restriction. However, we are considering whether it is necessary to completely block [access to] Papua to protect Lapago, Meepago and Animha because they are particularly vulnerable, Lukas said during a meeting in Jayapura on Monday. The three areas are Papuas indigenous territories. Lapago and Meepago have nine regencies and five regencies, respectively, both located in the Central Highlands of Papua, while Animha, located in South Papua, has four regencies. The travel restrictions exclude the transportation of goods into the province, Lukas said, asserting that the distribution of various supplies would continue as usual. The policy takes effect on Thursday and will be in place for the next 14 days," he said, adding that the provincial administration would evaluate the policy at the end of the two-week period. Read also: Explainer: Will Indonesia be Southeast Asias Italy? A review of how the nation is battling COVID-19 Papuan People's Assembly chairman Timotius Murib emphasized that restricting access to Papua was needed to prevent a surge of COVID-19 cases. We appreciate this decision. It is the right course of action to protect indigenous Papuans from the threat of death, he told The Jakarta Post on Monday. Timotius hoped this was a positive sign that Papua could overcome the spread of the novel coronavirus and asked for the publics participation to fight the disease. This does not mean that the people [in Papua] are free to move around. [They should] adhere to the governments appeal not to gather and to stay at home, he said. Papua has limited daily community activities to eight hours, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Meanwhile, large gatherings, including religious worship, were restricted starting on Wednesday. Separately, Papua COVID-19 response team spokesperson Silwanus Sumule conceded that the handling of COVID-19 in Papua was a cause for concern because the province lacked the necessary medical equipment, including rapid testing kits to examine swab samples from suspected patients. Read also: Greater Jakarta failing as floodgate to nationwide COVID-19 epidemic We need seven to 10 hours to examine a sample. Indeed, we have received information that the Health Ministry will send us as many as 2,400 rapid testing kits. This is what we are expecting, Sumule said. He added that Papua had only 45 hospitals, 15 of which were referral hospitals for coronavirus cases. Combined, they have 202 isolation rooms and can accommodate up to 4,500 patients. If [COVID-19] affected 20 percent of Papuas populations, that means 800,000 people would be infected. Of those, perhaps 160,000 would need to be treated in hospitals and 8,000 treated in isolation rooms, he said. In such a scenario, Papua would struggle to treat its own residents, let alone visitors from outside the province, he added. Papua has recorded three confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, with at least 19 people under surveillance and 716 people under monitoring. Five among the 716 people are foreigners. Meanwhile, the 19 people under surveillance comprise six in Merauke, two in Biak, one in Mimika, nine in Jayapura city and one in Jayapura regency. (syk) With members sitting several spaces apart from each other to abide by social distancing precautions, Pearland City Council voted March 23 to postpone its May elections until Nov. 3, citing the safety and health of residents amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. That decision was followed the next day by an announcement from Brazoria County election director Lisa Mujica that the county would not proceed with joint local elections on May 2, which means that Alvin ISD and Pearland ISD elections also will be delayed until the November general election. Would have been like playing Russian roulette During the Pearland council meeting, elected officials and residents said that the pandemic left no choice regarding the election. I feel very strongly that (having the election in May) is like asking voters and (election) volunteers to play Russian roulette with their lives, and thats not a request that Im willing to ask of them, City Councilman Luke Orlando said. Several residents who spoke on the issue agreed, including Jimmy Davis and former council member Derrick Reed. Reed pointed out risks for staging an election on May 2, saying that many voters and election volunteers are older, which makes them more at risk of serious complications or even death if they contract the virus. He also noted that many residents are facing financial challenges because of the pandemic and that many are keeping their children at home while schools are shuttered. It makes no sense to change leadership when something like this is going on, Reed said. We need to think about humanity. We want to make sure no one else gets sick and that we flatten the curve. Davis agreed. Theres no logical reason to think that by May 2 its going to be safe. Candidate slates to remain the same Incumbent trustees up for election in Alvin ISD, which has campuses in Pearland, will retain their offices until the district stages its election on Nov. 3, said Maryanne McWhirter, secretary to the superintendent. That election will feature one contested trustee race between Position 7 incumbent Vivian Scheibel and Floyd Hodges. Position 6 incumbent Earl Humbird is running unopposed. In Pearland ISD, board president Charles Gooden Jr. is running for re-election for Position 1 against Toni Carter. Vying for Position 2 are Kris Schoeffler, Edgar Pacheco Jr., Jessica Garcia Shafer and Carmine Petrillo III. The Position 2 incumbent, Mike Floyd, isnt seeking re-election. District trustees in posts up for election will retain their positions until the November general election. Gooden supports the county's decision to delay the elections. "I think every political consideration has to be taken off the table and just focus on the health and safety of the public, he said. I'm very happy the county made the decision to move these elections to November. I think this is the cleanest way to handle this." At the City Council meeting, Orlando joined Trent Perez and Adrian Hernandez in voting to move the election. Members Woody Owens and Gary Moore abstained from voting because they are candidates in the postponed election. Owens is seeking re-election to Position 7; Moore, who is in Position 3, is running for mayor in hopes of filling a seat held by Tom Reid, who is set to retire. Council members Tony Carbone and J. David Little were absent from the meeting. The council presaged the countys action by passing a resolution to request all county elections be moved to November. Perez pushed for the measure to ensure that no citizens of Pearland would be voting in May. He said he doesnt believe the public will be safe to gather for voting at that time in light of whats happening with spread of the virus. The purpose of postponing is for the safety of individuals, he said. greg.may@chron.com U.S. President Donald Trump appears on the South Portico of the White House with the Easter Bunny standing behind him as the annual White House Easter Egg Roll is held on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 2, 2018. Carlos Barria/Reuters President Donald Trump announced on Fox News on Tuesday that he's aiming to scale back social distancing guidelines to fight the coronavirus by Easter. When asked by Fox News' Bill Hemmer why he chose April 12 as the day to reopen the economy, Trump said it would be great to have "packed churches all over our country" despite experts' warnings that the highly-infectious virus will still be spreading throughout the country. On March 16, the federal government issued guidelines recommending that Americans avoid gatherings larger than 10 people to slow the spread of the virus. On Tuesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that experts believe New York's coronavirus outbreak will reach an apex in about 14 to 21 days. He said the virus could spread in the state for up to nine months. Trump repeatedly downplayed and made a host of unsubstantiated claims about the public health threat posed by the pandemic during his Tuesday town hall. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump announced on Fox News on Tuesday that he's aiming to scale back social distancing guidelines to fight the coronavirus by Easter because he wants to see "packed churches all over our country." When asked by Fox News' Bill Hemmer why he chose April 12 as the day to reopen the economy, Trump said Easter is a "very special day for me." "Wouldn't it be great to have all of the churches full? You know the churches aren't allowed, essentially, to have much of a congregation there," Trump said. "You'll have packed churches all over our country. I think it would be a beautiful time." He added, "I'm not sure that's going to be the day, but I would love to aim it right at Easter." First Lady Melania Trump canceled the White House Easter Egg Roll last week in response to the pandemic. Story continues Scientists and public health experts agree that millions of Americans should stay home as businesses and schools close in an effort to contain the spread of the highly-infectious virus. On March 16, the federal government issued guidelines recommending that Americans avoid gatherings larger than 10 people, home school their children, and avoid travel, among other social distancing measures. On Tuesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that experts believe New York's coronavirus infections will reach an apex in about 14 to 21 days. Easter is in 19 days. And World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that the US could soon become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris, told a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday there had been a "very large acceleration" in US cases in recent days, according to Reuters. Trump repeatedly downplayed the public health threat posed by the pandemic and insisted without evidence that more Americans will die if the country remains on lockdown than if the economy reopens and the virus spreads more widely during a Fox News "virtual townhall" on Tuesday. The president also insisted that the economic damage from the response to the virus will be more damaging than the loss of life an assertion even some of his most vocal supporters have condemned. "We had the best economy in the history of our country and then all of a sudden we're supposed to shut it down," Trump said, adding of the response to the pandemic, "It's been very painful for our country and very destabilizing for our country and we have to go back to work." The president also claimed on Tuesday that Americans can practice adequate social distancing while at work if they stop shaking hands and wash their hands more frequently. "We have to open this country up," Trump said. "We can socially distance ourselves and go to work and you'll have to work a little bit harder and you can clean your hands five times more than you're used to, you don't have to shake hands anymore with people." Read the original article on Business Insider Data from more than one million smart thermometers shows that areas where strict social distancing measures are in place may be slowing the spread of coronavirus. The maker, Kinsa Health, can't track the spread of the virus specifically, because it looks only at fevers tied to geographic data. But Kinsa's fever map shows that areas with strict shelter-in-place orders, such as counties in California, are seeing decreasing rates of cases while counties n Florida with less strict orders are seeing increasing rates. In the US, there are more than 59,000 confirmed cases across all 50 states and three territories and more than 800 deaths. Kinsa Health has been collecting about one million thermometer readings in an effort to predict where coronavirus is spreading (pictured) Data shows that illness rates are decreasing such in areas such as Santa Clara County, California, and increasing across Florida (pictured) The data appears to suggest that decrease are seen in places where strict social distancing measures are in place. Pictured: Medics transport a patient from an ambulance into Life Care Center of Kirkland - the epicenter of outbreaks in Washington - state March 24 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a fever is one of the most important signs that someone has the virus. Even Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he constantly gets his temperature taken. 'Every time I go into a different room, I get my temperature taken,' he told reporters at the White House over the weekend. Prior to using it to track COVID-19, Kinsa's tool has mostly been used to track where seasonal flu outbreaks are occurring. To create the map, Kinsa downloaded temperature readings from more than one million thermometers across the US. With the coronavirus pandemic a new tool has been added to the map, which the company calls 'atypical' illnesses. Some evidence appears to suggest closing spaces where people commune, such as bars and restaurants, the rate of infections are decreasing. 'Given that people aren;t interacting as much, now that I'm staying home, for example, if I'm sick, then people I'm usually around won't be infected and then they're not infecting other people,' Nita Nehru, head of communications at Kinsa, told DailyMail.com. 'That's what we mean by breaking the chain of infections. The less people are not around one another, the more those illnesses drop.' For example, the map shows that flu-related illness in Santa Clara County has decreased by 13 percent over the last seven days with observed illnesses listed as 'low'. This could be because eight days ago, on March 17, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a shelter-in-place order. But rates of 'widespread atypical illness' in Florida have been increasing, where less strict and aggressive measures have been taken. It could be due to coronavirus, or even due to H1N1 fu strain. 'We can't say that for sure - we don't whether it's coronavirus or something else,' Nehru said. Companys Ember Platform provides faster and deeper patient insights, leading to decreased health risks and lower costs Herndon, VA, March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) today announced that CIT GAP Funds has invested in Vienna, Va.-based MetiStream, developer of a platform that uses big data, Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning to reveal hidden insights in unstructured clinical data. MetiStreams Ember Platform delivers better analytics to decrease health risks, and improve quality and outcomes for healthcare organizations. MetiStream will leverage the GAP Funds investment to help expand and accelerate sales, marketing and product development efforts. Over 80% of healthcare data is unstructured. Improving outcomes requires analysis of patient and population details such as diagnosis, treatment, history and behavioral data that are often only found in the electronic health record (EHR) systems in the form of unstructured clinical notes and text. Health and Life Sciences organizations are forced to manually read and search for patient information, leading to gaps in care, higher costs and missed reimbursement dollars. Metistreams Ember NLP and AI platform is able to contextualize and curate the clinical notes information for faster, deeper and more accurate analytics that can be used by practitioners, nurses, researchers and analysts. Our interactive search interface also allows users to quickly find clinical evidence within seconds versus hours or days. We appreciate CIT GAP Funds support, and look forward to expanding our products and services, said Chiny Driscoll, CEO of MetiStream. MetiStream solves the problems surrounding the inefficiencies and complexities of abstracting healthcare insights from the high value data captured within the clinical documentation. MetiStreams HIPAA compliant SaaS-based platform is transforming healthcare by tackling the unstructured data problem to drive better analytics. MetiStreams mission to accelerate and simplify how clinical insights are delivered is solving a large market need for improved patient care and outcomes, said Tom Weithman, Managing Director of CIT GAP Funds. CIT is confident that the companys established customer success team, combined with Embers strong data integration capabilities to onboard a variety of healthcare datasets from clinical to genomics with limited coding required, will be a recipe for success. About MetiStream MetiStream specializes in addressing the challenging unstructured data problem in the healthcare industry. MetiStreams mission is to help organizations access and gain value from all of their data assets to develop a deeper understanding of the patient population, improve quality and proactively impact patient outcomes. MetiStreams SaaS-enabled Ember solution is an interactive healthcare analytics product delivering an end-to-end solution at the intersection of NLP and predictive analytics. Located in the Washington DC area, MetiStream is led by industry experts with backgrounds from top technology companies. For more information, please visit www.metistream.com. About CIT GAP Funds CIT GAP Funds makes seed-stage equity investments in Virginia-based technology, clean tech and life science companies with a high potential for achieving rapid growth and generating significant economic return for entrepreneurs, co-investors and the Commonwealth of Virginia. CIT GAP Funds investments are overseen by the CIT GAP Funds Investment Advisory Board (IAB). This independent, third-party panel has convened leading regional entrepreneurs, angel and strategic investors, and national venture capital firms in the interests of Virginias entrepreneurs. Membership has included New Enterprise Associates, Grotech Ventures, Harbert Venture Partners HIG Ventures, Edison Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Intersouth Partners, SJF Ventures, Carilion Health Systems, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, and Alpha Natural Resources. For more information, please visit www.citgapfunds.org. About the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) Investing in Virginia's Growth | CIT concentrates on the early commercialization and seed funding stages of innovation, helping innovators and tech entrepreneurs launch and grow new companies, create high paying jobs and accelerate economic growth throughout the entire state of Virginia. Founded in 1985, CIT accelerates next generation technologies and technology companies through commercialization, capital formation, market development initiatives, and expansion of broadband throughout Virginia. Our programs include | CIT GAP Funds | Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) | Virginia Founders Fund | Broadband/Rural Broadband | Smart Communities | Cybersecurity | Unmanned Systems | SBIR/STTR Support (Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs) | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement. CITs CAGE Code is 1UP71. Contact: 2214 Rock Hill Road #600, Herndon, VA 20170 | 703.689.3000 | www.cit.org | You can also follow CIT on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Taylor Hadley LaunchTech Communications 978-877-2113 Taylor@goLaunchTech.com Sara Pomakoy Poole Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) sara.poole@cit.org New data reveals Massachusetts is one of the top states when it comes to practicing social distancing amid the coronavirus outbreak. The human mobility data company Unacast launched Tuesday its Social Distancing Scoreboard, which grades county by county, and Massachusetts received an A. Using the change in distance traveled from pre-COVID-19 days as a proxy, Unacast was able to determine a social distancing score" for each county. Scores were broken down as: A: >40% decrease, B: 30-40% decrease, C: 20-30% decrease, D: 10-20% decrease and F: <10% decrease or increase. Furthermore, Unacast says they juxtaposed the Social Distancing score with the number of reported cases, sourced from the Corona Data Scraper, to show correlation with changes in behavior over time. According to the latest data, the United states is currently at a 'B' grade, with a -39.84% change in average distance traveled. The data revealed Massachusetts has seen a -47% change in average distance traveled, with Suffolk, Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex and Plymouth Counties receiving the highest scores. Barnstable, Dukes, Franklin, Hamsphire and Hampden Counties received the lowest scores. All of the data Unacast utilizes in its data is sourced from mobile phones. The company uses GPS location monitoring aggregated from mobile apps to determine anonymous locations. This type of data collection, however, is not without controversy. In our rapidly developing tech-focused society, privacy concerns are a mainstay for civil rights debates. Throw a global pandemic into the mix and the issue gets even more murky. The U.S. government is not currently using mobile phones to track peoples social distancing, but there is a possibility it might in the future. The Washington Post, recently reported the U.S. government is in talks with Facebook, Google and other tech companies about using anonymous location data to determine whether or not people are practicing social distancing in an effort to combat the coronavirus. The data would not be be held in a federal database, instead, managed by industry and health officials, who could query it for research according to the Post. Unacast is adamant they take privacy concerns serious and that The Social Distancing Scoreboard and other tools being developed for the COVID-19 Toolkit do not identify any individual person, device, or household. Thomas Walle, CEO and co-founder of Unacast, told the Washington Post all of the apps Unacast uses to acquire location data must let the users know it is doing so. Everything here is on the aggregated level, Walle said. We cant tell or disclose if any individual is staying at home or not. So, whether you know it, or not, your mobile data is probably being collected to help fuel a coronavirus watch-system. Unacast reinforced the importance of this data, and the social distancing scoreboard, stating it was made to, help raise awareness of and reinforce the importance of social distancing. We also believe it will not only help make sense of whats happening now, but unearth trends that will help project scenarios in the short- and mid-term future. Related Content: The Africa Institute of Healthcare Quality Safety & Accreditation (AfIHQSA) has charged countries on the continent to be aggressive in their efforts to combat the Coronavirus (Covid-19). The Covid-19 which was declared an outbreak in the City of Wuhan in the Hubei Province of China has spread across over 180 countries and has currently infected over 460,000 people. To add to that disturbing number, it has sent more than 20,000 people to their graves with as many 14,196 said to be in critical condition. Despite the slow spread of the virus on the African continent, it has been recorded in 45 countries and has so far infected 1,620 people. In a statement from the Africa Institute of Healthcare Quality Safety & Accreditation, they have commended African governments for tackling the Coronavirus pandemic with the seriousness that it deserves. Moving forward, they have stressed that governments must be aggressive and accelerate their efforts to curtail any further spread of the Covid-19. We are all vulnerable in the face of Covid-19. Let us be aggressive and accelerate our efforts, let us reach out in support of each other for we are all in this together, a statement from AfIHQSA dated Wednesday, March 25, 2020, said. In addition to urging governments to ensure all the required expertise such as health systems, quality, and patient safety experts and other relevant sectors are involved in the mitigation efforts, they have also charge countries to learn from the success stories of other countries and be bold to contain the spread of the infection by restricting social interactions (lockdown) and contact with high-risk persons (quarantine). Read the full statement below to know all the recommendations from AfIHQSA: The show will go on sometime. Thats what Mason City Community Theatre President Michelle Murray said this week, assuring theater patrons, donors and sponsors after the postponement of its April production, The Savannah Sipping Society due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like the rest of the world, we are watching and waiting to see what is to come, she said. The theater announced it was postponing The Savannah Sipping Society, directed by Marc Murray, last week after Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered the closure of bars, restaurants, gyms and theaters to curb the spread of the respiratory illness caused by coronavirus across Iowa. The governors order halted rehearsal for the shows four-person cast after two weeks of practice. Marc has encouraged the cast to occasionally review their scripts and make sure all blocking, or stage movements, have been noted, despite not knowing when they will return to the theater stage with the show. We are in limbo right now, Michelle said. Rehearsals for the community theaters next show in its 2019-2020 season Its Raining Cats and Dogs are scheduled to begin in late June for the new musicals world premiere in August. Because of that production and the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, performance dates for The Savannah Sipping Society are up in the air. It may have to be postponed to September or maybe even next spring, she said, adding season tickets purchased, including The Savannah Sipping Society, will be honored when the theater reopens. Stebens Childrens Theatre in Mason City, which offers classes, workshops and productions that more than 150 students participate in each year, has also been quiet for more than a week. Longtime Executive Director Tom Ballmer said the theater has canceled classes, workshops and rehearsals through April 10, aligning with the closure of local schools related to COVID-19. Were truly following instructions from the state government as well as the school district, he said. Were not going to start things back up until we get instruction to do so. We are a small cog in this big fiasco. Although in-person instruction has ceased at the theater, Ballmer and other theater staff have taken to social media to encourage their students to complete and video weekly theatrical challenges. The theaters Tier Six students were tasked with completing a two-minute skit about Cabin Fever, while incorporating a non-theatrical family member. Im still trying to offer the kids something to do theatrically, Ballmer said. The childrens theater has three productions remaining in its 2019-2020 season: Anything Goes in April, Stepping Out at Stebens 2020 in May and Buried Treasure in June. Ballmer said Anything Goes will be postponed until late May if students return to school in mid-April, but he said the production, and others, would likely be delayed further if thats not the case. Theres nothing else we can do, he said. The Stebens Childrens Theatre Board has already determined the 2020-2021 main stage production schedule, and although it hasnt been publicly released yet, Ballmer said the theater is looking to start with some huge titles to get everyone coming back. Mason City has always been so supportive of our theater that I dont worry too much, he said. I know that Mason City is not going to allow anything as fun and cool as Stebens to go anywhere but continue to flourish and Im also going to do my part to make it happen. Reach Reporter Ashley Stewart at 641-421-0533. Follow her on Twitter at GGastewart. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Just a month ago, Danny Lau was concerned that he might miss the deadline for deliveries to a U.S. client, as he was unable to reopen his aluminum facade panel factory in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan due to the coronavirus outbreak then ravaging the country. Now that 80% of his employees have returned to work, Lau's concern is that he might not receive enough orders to sustain the payroll. It is a dilemma facing many businesses in China: Just as the worst of the coronavirus passed at home, and Beijing pressed companies to resume operations, the virus is wreaking havoc in key overseas markets. In Lau's case, his company exports 40% of its products to the U.S., where infections jumped 10-fold from a week ago to more than 32,000 as of Sunday and business is increasingly coming to a halt. "The world economy will be affected in the long run, and that will affect orders for construction materials," Lau said, adding that he expects a slowdown in government projects and property developments around the world in the coming months. Lau said he has not secured any new orders since reopening his factory in late February. The official narrative is that Asia's biggest economy is getting back to business as usual. But with companies like Lau's struggling to find customers, the outlook may not be as rosy as Beijing would like to believe. "We are making a large downward revision to our forecast for real GDP growth in China in 2020 to 2.1%, from 5.4% previously, after factoring in a longer period of economic disruption and weaker global demand due to the international spread of the virus," said Wang Dan, a Beijing-based analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit. China exported 17.23 trillion yuan of goods and services in 2019, accounting for 17.4% of nation's gross domestic product. But all of its four top markets - the European Union, the U.S., Southeast Asian and Japan -- are now struggling to contain the spread of coronavirus themselves, with some areas placed under complete lock-down. And while Wang believes that generous government subsidies can give China's domestic consumption and related companies a boost, such policies will offer little relief for export-oriented enterprises. "It's a demand side problem. Tax cuts and subsidies do not help if companies are not getting orders," Wong said, adding that their situation will only truly improve once the virus outbreak is contained outside China. "Even June would be a very optimistic estimate," she said. Some of her clients making electric devices are now asking workers not to come back to work, she said. Richard Chan, who owns a factory making Christmas decorations in the eastern city of Dongguan, said he will have to let go 20-30% of his workers this year due to a drop in demand. "Almost everyone is cutting the size of orders," the Hong Kong businessman said. His regular clients, including British supermarket chain Tesco and retailer Marks & Spencer, ordered fewer holiday decorations to make room for more daily medical supplies. Retailers and supermarkets in Italy, which has the highest coronavirus death toll worldwide, did not place any orders with him this year, he said. Chan has secured a permit from the local government that allows 30 of his 200 or so workers to work in the factory, but said he is hesitating to request more permits given the weak demand. "I'll play it by ear," he said. There are also logistics issues as the worst of the coronavirus outbreak moves beyond China. "We were relieved after being allowed to restart operations on Feb. 13," said Chen Zhijian of Yige Trading in Guangzhou, referring to production of baby products and other goods. "But the first shipment has gotten stuck in a Malaysian port," he said. And hanging over factory owners is the fear that the coronavirus could flare up again. "I don't even dare to think about the consequence [of a relapse]," said Ye Zhenqing, founder and CEO of Zhen Qing Eyewear in Wenzhou, one of the worst hit Chinese cities during the outbreak. Ye, who has been in the export business for 20 years, said all his orders from European clients have either been delayed or cancelled. While business owners wrestle with these and other headaches, Beijing insists things are going smoothly. It claims a nationwide work resumption rate of more than 90% as of mid-March for companies with annual revenue of over 20 million yuan, excluding those in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. central and local governments have also rolled out a series of incentives, including offering low-interest loans and deferring social insurance fees, to help companies restart production. In a late February conference in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged all levels of the government to make "unremitting efforts" to resume work and production in an orderly manner, while also controlling the disease. The government's desire to present a narrative of triumph over the coronavirus has even led some local companies and officials to falsify data to meet targets. According to a Caixin report early this month, factories in a district in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou were instructed to leave equipment running idle for the entire day, while offices were told to keep lights, computers and air conditionings on. The move was an attempt to boost electricity consumption, which is regularly used as a metric for evaluating the back-to-business rate. Rushing to restart operations, moreover, can bring risks. Tesla, the U.S. electric vehicle makers, was held up as an "exemplary company" by State Council officials for continuing to operate its Shanghai Gigafactory while implementing effective disease control measures. The $2 billion factory restarted work on Feb. 10, one of the earliest in the nation. Tesla was one of the earliest companies to resume production in China, but the U.S. car maker stumbled over supply chain disruption. Reuters Tesla was one of the earliest companies to resume production in China, but the U.S. car maker stumbled over supply chain disruption. Reuters Early this month, however, Tesla faced a huge backlash after Chinese buyers discovered their newly delivered Model 3 cars were equipped with a lower version auto-pilot control chip instead of the newest one promised by the company. The EV maker blamed supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak for the inconsistency, but angry customers are threatening to take Tesla to court. As the situation in overseas markets grows more grim, China's business owners are having to adapt to survive. For Ye, the sunglass maker, this means reorienting exports to domestic sales. Half of his roughly 100 workers had returned to the plant as of late March, and he is under pressure to replace his lost European orders. "I am now learning how to use Tik Tok to sell our sunglasses," Ye said, referring to the ByteDance-operated video platform. He admitted that this is a "completely different business" for him. First, he must change the design of his sunglasses to suit Asian faces, and then he needs to bring down production costs, as Chinese consumers as a whole have less buying power than Western costumers. But what worries him the most is the uncertainties. "I don't know if the sunglasses will sell in China," he said. As an exporter, Ye said, he knew the demand before he started production. Now he can only produce first and hope the customers will buy later. He is not the only one wrestling with uncertainty. An executive from a key supplier to Apple and Google told the Nikkei Asia Review that they are ramping up production to meet the spike in demand for online learning and work-from-home devices, but he does not expect it to last. "The situation is very fluid. It's uncertain how the demand will look like for the future," the executive said. "All we can do is think about now, not do anything about the future." Nikkei Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Global eHealth market is expected to reach USD 308.0 billion by 2022, according to a new report by Grand View Research Inc. The transition of the healthcare industry into digital healthcare system for management and analysis of patient health is expected to be the most vital driver of the market. Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and technological advancements in this field are few impact rendering factors. Rising use of mobile technologies and internet along with increasing adoption for home care by patients is expected to propel market growth over the forecast period. Furthermore, expanding scope of IT companies pertaining to the development of real-time applications and software catering to the healthcare industry is expected to drive demand over the forecast period. Federal agencies such as the European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industry (COCIR), in order to encourage and popularise eHealth, formulated various policies since 2007. One of these is the eHealth Action Plan, formulated in December 2012, which includes 16 proposed actions to boost eHealth use, focused on increasing research, innovation, interoperability and adoption. The American Health Information Community (AHIC) was chartered in the U.S. to make recommendations leading to the likely development of eHealth to the Secretary of the U.S. Health Department. Based on these recommendations, efforts are being made to increase awareness levels for currently available mobile applications and wearable remote monitoring devices. The benefits encouraging higher demand include round the clock care service, wider and faster access to patient information, reduction of administrative and medical errors, self-monitoring and management by patients and centralization of entire healthcare industry chain. Further key findings from the report suggest: The diagnostics segment of eHealth services market is expected to witness the fastest growth of above 15.0% over the next seven years owing to, the increasing number of patients with at least one chronic condition and rising prevalence of infectious diseases. According to the CDC, more than 50% population of the U.S. accounting for about 117 million people suffer from at least one chronic condition requiring routine monitoring. The mHealth market is expected to be the largest and the fastest growing accounting for a market share of over 24.0% by 2022. According to statistics published by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), the number of mHealth patents has increased multi-fold from 2000 to 2015 and over 44 million m-Health applications were downloaded in 2015 within North America. North America is expected to dominate the market throughout the forecast period with a revenue share of over 30% by 2022. Presence of technologically updated population base and various current initiatives by the American Health Information Community (AHIC) are expected to be the drivers of this growth. Key players of the market include IBM, McKinsey & Co., Motion Computing Inc., Epocrates Inc., Telecare Corp., Proteus Digital Health and Apple. In June 2014, Apple announced the integration of HealthKit platform into the upcoming iPhone operating system (iOS 8) which will provide a complete health overview of a person such as weight, sleep patterns, heart rates measures, blood pressure and calorie intake. Grand View Research has segmented the Global eHealth market on the basis of products, services and region: eHealth Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2012 - 2022) Monitoring Services Vital Sign Monitoring Special Monitoring Adherence Monitoring Accessories Sensors Diagnosis Services Healthcare System Strengthening Others eHealth Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2012 - 2022) Electronic Health Record (EHR) E-Prescribing Clinical Decision Support Telemedicine Consumer Health Informatics Health Management mHealth Healthcare Information System eHealth End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2012 - 2022) Providers Public and Private Insurers Government Healthcare Consumers eHealth Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2012 - 2022) North America U.S. Canada Europe UK Germany Asia Pacific Japan China Latin America Brazil MEA South Africa Access full research report on global eHealth market: www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/e-health-market Turkey evacuates citizens from Europe All evacuees were referred to dormitories in Samsun and Sakarya provinces. They will be placed in quarantine for 14 days as part of Turkeys coronavirus quarantine measures. Turkey evacuated hundreds of its citizens early Wednesday from the UK and Italy, where it has suspended international flights due to the novel coronavirus. STUDENTS FROM SEVEN COUNTRIES WERE BROUGHT BACK Some 188 students from Italys Milan Malpensa Airport landed at Samsun Carsamba Airport in Samsun province on a Turkish Airlines flight. Another 213 students coming from Rome Fiumicino Airport also arrived in the province. Separately, 142 Turkish citizens evacuated from London landed at Istanbul Airport. Turkey evacuates citizens from Europe WATCH Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said 3,358 students would be brought back from seven countries with flight bans and will be quarantined at dormitories in various Turkish cities. Stray cows rest on a New Delhi street during a one-day civil curfew to combat coronavirus. Cattle may have been central to a coronavirus outbreak in 1890. Yawar Nazir/Getty Images Family relations One we might have missed a pandemic of respiratory disease recorded around 1890 in human history. One example was in 2003, when the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) caused an outbreak of the disease severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in mainland China and Hong Kong. Another was in 2012 , when the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) led to an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Korea, among other countries.In both cases, the coronaviruses were new to science. Happily, both outbreaks were contained thanks to a combination of human intervention and still unknown natural circumstances.In 2020 coronaviruses became a household name all over the world. Most people by now have heard of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), or Covid-19. But some may not be aware that SARS-CoV-2 belongs to a family of viruses. And the family is, we fear, expanding.Scientists know a great deal about human coronaviruses. But we dont know it all. And there is a chance that scientists failed to identify a coronavirus pandemic in the 19th century. This brief introduction looks at the growing dynasty, as well as the one that we may have missed which could have a lot to teach scientists about Covid-19 and the human immune response.The International Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses has approved the naming of more than 40 coronaviruses. The vast majority of these infect animals. The Covid-19 outbreak has brought the number of identified coronaviruses that infect humans to seven. Four of these are community acquired and have circulated through the human population continually for a very long time.The other three SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 appear to have jumped to the human population more recently. Worryingly, these three result in a high mortality rate All coronaviruses are zoonotic. They start off in animals and can then, following mutation, recombination and adaptation, be passed on to humans.Many animal coronaviruses cause long-term or persistent enzootic infections: they infect animals in a particular locale or during a particular season. At the same time, these animal coronaviruses have co-evolved and adapted with their reservoir host over a very long time. For this reason, the zoonotic coronaviruses dont typically cause symptoms in their reservoir host. Even if they do, symptoms are very mild.The worry, though, is that these extended periods of animal coronavirus infection together with a high recombination rate with other viruses as well as a high mutation rate increase the probability of a coronavirus mutant developing the ability to jump to another host.There is speculation that when an animal coronavirus enters this new host, the severity of the disease is significantly increased at the start of a new round of adaptation between the coronavirus and the new host. It is speculated but not yet proven that only after a very long period of adaptation and co-evolution could the new host adapt enough to the virus to be able to fight it off more effectively. This would result in milder symptoms.The seven human coronaviruses have been reported to have domestic and wild mammals as intermediate and amplifying hosts. This means that they transitioned into humans via a few other animals after originating probably in bats and rodents.The four community-acquired human coronaviruses meaning that they are acquired or arise in the general population typically cause mild cold-like symptoms in humans. Two of them, hCoV-OC43 and hCoV-229E , have been responsible for between 10% and 30% of all common colds since about the 1960s.Even though these coronaviruses cause infections throughout the year, spikes in infections occur during the winter and early spring months. As with other respiratory viruses, such as the influenza virus, the reasons for this are not entirely clear. This group of human coronaviruses typically infects all age groups; multiple reinfections are common throughout the lifespan of humans.Molecular dating is used in the biological sciences to estimate the age of evolutionary events. It has frequently been used to investigate the origin of viral epidemics.In 2005, a research group from Belgium postulated that the ancestor of hCoV-OC43 one of the current human coronaviruses responsible for a common cold jumped from cattle to humans, leading to what they described asThe researchers argue that in the second half of the 19th century a highly infectious respiratory disease with a high mortality rate, now known as contagious bovine pleuropneumonia , affected cattle herds around the world. Even though most industrialised countries mounted massive culling operations in the period between 1870 and 1890 and were able to eradicate the disease by the beginning of the 20th century, it is plausible that the culling personnel, animal handlers and farmers could have been exposed to coronavirus-infected bovine respiratory secretions.Around the same time as this coronavirus jump from cow to human could have taken place, a human epidemic attributed to influenza was spreading around the world. This 1889-1890 pandemic was characterised by a general feeling of illness and discomfort, fever, and pronounced central nervous system symptoms. Strangely, the observed central nervous system symptoms were more pronounced during this epidemic than in other influenza outbreaks.More than one million fatalities were linked to this pandemic. A significant increase in case fatality with increasing age was reported; this means that, as early findings on Covid-19 would suggest, the elderly were harder hit. Even though modern-day science investigation has linked this epidemic to an H2N2 influenza virus, absolute evidence linking this flu virus to the epidemic was never obtained. This is primarily due to the lack of preserved tissue samples from that period.So if the influenza virus was not the virus responsible for the 1889-1890 pandemic, could there be another culprit? Since the most recent ancestor of the bovine coronavirus and hCoV-O43 was also traced to about 1890, and hCoV-OC43 is now known to have potential to invade and attack the nervous system, could the 1889-1890 pandemic have been the result of the jump of cow coronaviruses to humans?If the answer is yes, the next question is this: could the adaptation and co-evolution in the 130 years since the pandemic explain why CoV-OC43 currently causes only mild cold-like symptoms in humans? How is it that the selfsame virus that killed one million people in the 1890s now causes no more than a few uncomfortable sniffles?This could possibly be a key case study in herd immunity.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article Editor's Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Gold prices are trading solidly down in early U.S. trading Wednesday, on a corrective pullback from the strong gains seen on Monday and Tuesday. Look for more daily high volatility in the metals markets in the coming days. April gold futures were last down $29.80 an ounce at $1,631.00. May Comex silver prices were last up $0.008 at $14.265 an ounce. Global stock markets were mostly higher in overnight trading. U.S. stock index futures are presently pointed toward lower openings when the New York electronic day session begins. The equity markets may be buoyed today by news the U.S. Congress has agreed to a $2 trillion financial aid package for U.S. businesses and citizens so negatively impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak. News reports said the U.K.s Prince Charles has tested positive for Covid-19. Given Tuesdays record daily gains in the U.S. stock indexes, many traders and investors are now wondering if the bottoms are in place for the U.S. stock indexes, which dropped into bear market territory at the fastest rate ever over the past three weeks. Some of the big shots on the TV business news channels are saying not yet. Its too early. Those big shot TV commentators being in general agreement on that matter makes at least a few long-time market watchers think they might be wrong, because they usually are. Metals traders are still buzzing about the wild price action in the gold futures and London cash (spot) market Tuesday. April Comex gold futures shot sharply higher Tuesday morning amid keen trader concern that London spot gold price quotes had become unreliable or had been halted. U.K. market-makers had ostensibly shut down as gold mines around the globe have curtailed operations due to the Covid-19 outbreak. With the U.K. government-ordered lock-down, many gold market makers were working from home Tuesday, creating even more confusion. The big gold traders in Europe who normally would base their trading decisions on the London spot gold price got spooked when the London spot price was way out of whack to the gold futures priceat as much as a $100.00 discount to Comex gold futures at one point early Tuesday morning. The confusion in the London spot market prompted the big European metals traders to rush to buy Comex gold futures as a hedge, as they felt they could not get what they felt were accurate or fair London spot gold prices. Also, there have been many reports the supply of physical gold bullion worldwide is hard to come by. That led to ideas Comex futures traders long (buyers) the gold market in the nearby contracts could hold their positions into expiration of those contracts and thereby take delivery of physical gold, per futures contract specifications. The credibility of this notion was bolstered late Tuesday evening when the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and major banks asked CME Group (parent company for Comex) to change physical delivery specifications for gold futures contracts to allow 400-ounce bars of gold, which is the standard for London traders. Currently, CME only allows 100-ounce bars to be delivered. Then later Tuesday evening the CME Group came out and announced a whole new gold futures contract was created, which would allow both 400-ounce and 100-ounce bars acceptable for delivery. The new gold futures contract, if approved by regulators, would start to trade in a few weeks. The upshot of this matter for all traders of all markets is that the London spot gold market had operated efficiently for over 150 yearsuntil Tuesday. Such are the times we are experiencing at present. The important markets today see Nymex crude oil prices slightly down and trading around $23.65 a barrel. The U.S. dollar index is sharply lower again after hitting a 17-year high on Monday. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield is trading around 0.85% Wednesday. U.S. economic data due for release Wednesday includes the weekly MBA mortgage applications survey, durable goods orders, the weekly DOE liquid energy stocks report and the monthly house price index. Technically, the gold bulls have the overall near-term technical advantage with this weeks big gains. Bulls next upside price objective is to produce a close in April futures above solid resistance at the March high of $1,704.30. Bears' next near-term downside price objective is pushing futures prices below solid technical support at Tuesdays low of $1,560.50. First resistance is seen at $1,650.00 and then at $1,665.00. First support is seen at the overnight low of $1,615.20 and then at $1,600.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 6.5 May silver futures bears still have the slight overall near-term technical advantage but this weeks gains and a bullish V-bottom reversal pattern on the daily chart suggest a market bottom is in place. Silver bulls' next upside price objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at $16.00 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at the March low of $11.64. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $14.895 and then at $15.00. Next support is seen at $14.00 and then at $13.50. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 4.5. ISTANBUL - The attorney general of Istanbul has demanded a life term for 18 Saudi suspects who are accused of being directly involved in the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018. Lighter sentences were sought for two others, who are accused of ordering the journalist's murder. The requests, signed by prosecutor Irfan Fidan, were filed after over a year of investigations. The 18 suspects are accused of ''murdering Jamal Khashoggi in a premeditated way, using barbaric methods''. The suspects include Mohammed al-Tubaigy, head of the forensic unit who was allegedly tasked with cutting into pieces the reporter's body after he was killed. Khashoggi's remains have never been found. The defendants are being tried in absentia as they are not in Turkey. The trial could therefore not take place given that none of the defendants would be in court. - The fun and eventful Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) seems to gradually be becoming the regret of many people - The Lagos state commissioner of health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, took to social media to alert guests who attended the event to self-isolate because a fellow guest has tested positive - A number of Nigerian celebrities have now taken to social media to say they are already isolating The eventful Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) that took place on March 14, 2020, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, was an eventful occasion filled with glitz and glamour. Celebrities had fun showcasing their gorgeous outfits on the red carpet as well as on the stage when they strutted out to receive various awards. After the award show, there was even an after party and other people went club-crawling after that also. Well, as days pass and the excitement of the evening wears off, fear and anxiety have started to set in after it was reported that a guest who attended the AMVCA and also went clubbing and mixed with a lot of people, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The Lagos state commissioner of health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, recently took to social media to advice guests who attended the event to self-isolate because a fellow guest has tested positive. Some Nigerian celebrities have now taken to social media to reveal that they have already been isolating themselves. See some of them below: 1. Iyabo Ojo: The Nollywood actress took to her Instagram page to share a video of herself acting like a baby and telling coronavirus to go away because it has made them stay indoors and continue washing their hands. See her post below: 2. Banky W: Nigerian music star, Banky W, took to Twitter to say that he and his wife had already been in isolation since last week after attending the event. 3. Adesua Etomi: Banky Ws actress wife, Adesua Etomi, begged guests who attended the AMVCA to stay indoors so as not to put others at risk. 4. Jemimah Osunde: Nollywood actress, Jemimah Osunde, begged guests who attended the AMVCA to continue to stay at home and that those who are showing symptoms should reach out to the government. 5. Beverly Naya: Nollywood actress, Beverly Naya, revealed on Twitter that soon after it was announced that there was a suspected case of COVID-19 at the AMVCA, she cancelled all her plans and has been self-isolating. 6. Toke Makinwa: The media personality also revealed on Instagram that she has been self-isolating. Nawa o. In other news, Legit.ng reported that Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham's husband, Kolawole Ajeyemi, shared a photo of himself praying on a mountaintop against coronavirus. The couple were also part of the guests who attended AMVCA. PAY ATTENTION: Do you have news to share? Contact Legit.ng instantly HELLO! NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better Coronavirus: 5 ways Nigeria is handling COVID-19 | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng With people staying at home during the 21-day lockdown called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the streaming services in India have decided to temporarily suspend HD and ultra-HD services to ensure smooth running of internet services. The lockdown, a measure taken to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country, will lead to more traffic on the cellular network infrastructure, a release from the digital industry said post the meeting of key players. "It was unanimously agreed that as an exceptional measure, all companies will immediately adopt measures, including temporarily defaulting HD and ultra-HD streaming to SD content or offering only SD content, at bitrates no higher than 480p on cellular networks. These voluntary measures will be in effect until April 14. All participants are immediately taking measures, the release said. The virtual meeting on Tuesday was called by Uday Shankar, Chairman, Star & Disney India and attended by NP Singh (Sony), Sanjay Gupta (Google), Ajit Mohan (Facebook), Sudhanshu Vats (Viacom18), Gaurav Gandhi (Amazon Prime Video), Punit Goenka (Zee), Nikhil Gandhi (Tiktok), Ambika Khurana (Netflix), Karan Bedi (MX Player) and Varun Narang (Hotstar). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nicole Walden-Hooks, a New Jersey salon owner, contracted the coronavirus and is speaking out to make sure others protect themselves. Read more If youre self isolating and taking other precautions to protect yourself from the coronavirus, this column isnt for you. You can go back to sanitizing your doorknobs and wiping down surfaces. This is for the naysayers. You know, the conspiracy theorists and hardheaded young people who still dont think the dire reports about the coronavirus apply to them. Its also for certain black folks who have worn me out with their theories about how melanin in darker skin somehow protects against contracting COVID-19. Lose me with the crazy already. This threat is real. And its happening to everyday people all around us. Take Nicole Walden-Hooks, the owner of a hair salon in New Jersey, whom doctors diagnosed with the coronavirus last week. I need people to see that this is real and that its touching us, the 49-year-old Blackwood resident told me on Tuesday by telephone. Many of us have had it and dont know that thats what we had. Her symptoms began last week with a scratchy throat. Suspecting seasonal allergies, she took over-the-counter medicine and went to work. But the next morning when she woke up, she knew something was wrong. My back was hurting really bad. I had the chills. The scratchy throat was more of a sore throat. I checked my temperature and I had a fever of 99.2, Walden-Hooks said. She got tested for the flu, a sinus infection, and strep throat, but the results came back negative. A physician she reached by phone suggested she be tested for the coronavirus, which has been spreading across the United States with a vengeance. Walden-Hooks notified her family and clients that she was being tested and quarantined herself in her bedroom. As the day went on, I started to feel worse and worse. By the time I went to bed that night my entire body was aching. My fever had gone up to 99.7. I had this excruciating headache. My neck started to get stiff. Even my skin hurt, she said. The next day, I felt I had been hit by a car. Everything was hurting. I started to feel a feeling of dread, Walden-Hooks added. I had to go through it alone. My family, the only contact they had with me was through my bedroom door to hand me soup and food and just to look at me." A client left some elderberry syrup on her front porch that she took with cold medicine before going to sleep. She woke up the next morning drenched in sweat. I started feeling bad again, so I called my sisters and started talking about it. They said you really need to get this out there because people are not taking this seriously, Walden-Hooks told me. I watched the news that day and saw people on the beach and people still standing close together in lines at grocery stores and at liquor stores and exercising in groups at the park, and Im thinking: No, this has to stop. Im going to get this out there.' " On Saturday, doctors confirmed that she had COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. She made a Facebook post that quickly went viral. Walden-Hooks isnt a celebrity like actor Idris Elba, who announced last week that he had contracted the coronavirus. Shes a regular person. She seems like someone you might know. Someone you can relate to. Thats why her post resonated so much. I just thank God that the word is out there now and people are seeing that this is real and that its happening," Walden-Hooks told me. "I just pray that they do what theyre supposed to do now and stay inside. And listen to our government officials and isolate yourself if youre having symptoms. Just dont be ignorant about it. Unfortunately, theres a whole lot of that still going around. If you can, go home and stay there. France will roll out a 4 billion euro ($4.33 billion) liquidity support plan for start-ups in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, junior minister Cedric O said on Wednesday. Investments in early stage digital companies have boomed in France in recent years, helped by tax cuts and business-friendly measures put in place by President Emmanuel Macron, who has vowed to turn the country into a "start-up nation". "We're announcing a specific plan to support the liquidity of start-ups," O told French radio station Radio Classique. "In total it will be a plan for 4 billion (euros)." The money injected by venture capital funds into French start-ups jumped 30% over the first three quarters of 2019 from a year earlier to 3.9 billion euros, according Dealroom, a data provider. The French government's liquidity plan for start-ups includes a short-term refinancing scheme (160 million euros), the early payment of some tax credits (1.5 billion), the accelerated payment of already-planned investments in the sector (150 million) and guarantees over cash flow costs (2 billion). "Given the global economic situation, there's a risk that some investors may become wary," O said, adding that he would meet some venture capital funds this week in a bid to shore up their support for French startups. Also read: White House, Senate make deal on $2 trillion coronavirus aid package Also read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Over 3.5 lakh labourers to get money directly in bank account Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano and Made Anthony Iswara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 14:55 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d57736 1 Business COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,Jokowi,loan,economy,coronavirus,interest,small-business,small-and-medium-enterprises,micro-entrepreneurs Free The Financial Services Authority (OJK) will extend loan payment deadlines for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for up to one year to help them cope with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said the new relaxation would apply to business loans worth up to Rp 10 billion (US$619,118), both from banks and non-bank institutions. He added that creditors were prohibited from demanding loan installments, especially through debt collection services, and also called on the police not to enforce such collections. "Therefore, to the motorcycle taxi drivers and taxi drivers who currently have vehicle and car loans or fishermen who have boat loans, do not worry; interest payments and installments will be put on hold for a year. The new relaxation could help MSMEs survive the pandemic, which has dealt a hard blow to Indonesia's economy. MSME Association (Akumindo) chairman Ikhsan Ingratubun estimated earlier this month that MSME sales revenue had dropped 30 to 35 percent across Indonesia from February until March 9. He predicted that the sector would continue to feel the impact of COVID-19 for the next three months. "There need to be concrete actions from the government so that the economy can recover as fast as possible. The government has already deployed two stimulus packages worth Rp 22.9 trillion and Rp 10.3 trillion, which include individual and corporate tax breaks and the relaxation of loan disbursements and restructuring requirements. However, economists have called on the government and businesses to roll out additional stimuli aimed at providing social safety nets, as several communities and workers are expected to feel the pinch of the outbreak. Among other experts, a group of researchers at the SMERU Research Institute said the government would need to provide incentives for micro and small businesses, in addition to having integrated data to effectively target the underprivileged. They added that the government must ensure the availability of goods on the supply side, including raw materials, to protect micro and small businesses from the impacts of the disease. "Financing access must be expanded and the burden of paying loans must be reduced for micro and small businesses by extending their payment deadlines until the situation improves," the researchers said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post. "The government must also expand fiscal incentives for micro and small businesses that operate in sectors such as transportation, services and trade. The world is in such a state, were in such a state, said Rick Elieson, the airlines president overseeing cargo and vice president for international operations. Its worth trying and figuring out. At Americans Dallas headquarters and at offices around the country, the company has instituted temperature checkpoints for people coming into the office. Those running a fever are not permitted inside. When customers make reservations, middle seats are being blocked to promote social distancing. Inside airports, kiosks and counters are disinfected regularly. Planes are being fogged with a special solution of chemicals meant to kill the coronavirus. Passengers can now scan their own boarding pass when getting on a plane, rather than handing it back and forth with a gate agent. Many airport lounges, including those in New York, Chicago, Miami and Dallas, are closed, with more expected to be shuttered in the coming days. In those still open, buffets have been replaced by prepackaged snacks, and there is no more free alcohol. In first class, there are no more hot towels or hot nuts. Glass Champagne flutes have been replaced with plastic cups. Flight attendants can wear masks and gloves as they walk the aisles. On shorter flights, there is no more beverage service or food for sale. Sixty-eight days ago it was about being present and visible in the aisle and having a high number of customer touch points, said Brady Byrnes, managing director of flight service. Now were faced with social distancing and limiting customer touch points. Executives at American had been monitoring the coronavirus since January, when it began to disrupt travel in China and then other parts of Asia. The companys pilots were among the first to take the outbreak seriously, suing American on Jan. 30 in an effort to stop flights into mainland China and Hong Kong. NEW YORK, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairway Market, together with its debtor affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (Case No. 20-10161) has announced winning bids for 6 Fairway stores on a going concern basis (five New York stores to Village Supermarket, Inc., a Wakefern member, and one store to Seven Seas Georgetowne, LLC, a Key Food member) and the sale of two real estate leases to Amazon Retail LLC. Village's winning bid includes four of Fairway's Manhattan stores as well as Fairway's production and distribution center for a purchase price of approximately $76 million. Seven Seas' winning bid is for the Georgetowne store in Brooklyn for a purchase price of approximately $5 million. Amazon's winning bid is for the leases in Paramus and Woodland Park in New Jersey for a purchase price of $1.5 million. Fairway Market continues to serve its communities by operating all of its stores, including stores not sold during the Court-supervised auction, and intends to do so for the foreseeable future to accommodate the current public need for our products. "We are pleased with the outcome of the auction and are grateful for our dedicated and hard-working employees, suppliers and distributors during this process which has taken place in these unprecedented times," said Abel Porter, Chief Executive Officer at Fairway Market. "Serving our community has always been our top priority and we remain committed to providing quality items and a safe shopping environment for our customers and our employees during this global health crisis." Fairway Market is a unique food retailer offering customers a differentiated one-stop shopping experience as "The Place To Go Fooding." Fairway has established itself as a leading food retail destination in the greater New York City metropolitan area. Fairway offers an extensive selection of fresh, natural and organic products, prepared foods and hard-to-find specialty and gourmet offerings, along with a full assortment of conventional groceries. Fairway Market's legal counsel is Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP, its M&A investment banker is PJ Solomon and its financial advisor is Mackinac Partners. The Ad Hoc Group of senior lenders is represented by King & Spalding, LLP. For more information about Fairway Market's Court-supervised sale process, please visit: www.omniagentsolutions.com/fairway SOURCE Fairway Market Weeks before Joe Biden launched his 2020 presidential campaign, he released a social media video to address allegations from women who said his uninvited displays of affection had made them uncomfortable. Social norms have begun to change. Theyve shifted, said the former vice president, then 76. Looking straight into a cell-phone camera, he added: I hear what they are saying. I understand. Kate Bedingfield, an adviser the same age as Bidens youngest daughter, was first to propose a direct-to-lens declaration. She joined forces with Anita Dunn, an alumna of President Barack Obamas West Wing and relative newbie to Bidens orbit. Together with two of Bidens longest-serving confidants Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon they convinced the almost-candidate it was the right course. When the boss was ready, Bedingfield held up her phone to record. Those early days of spring 2019 portended a defining new reality for Biden: His innermost circle for decades was dominated by men, with the crucial exceptions of his wife, Jill, and sister, Valerie. But the 50-year political veteran has expanded his brain trust, and the cadre of women now included have helped shape and even rescue a campaign that has whipsawed Biden from early favorite to disappointing afterthought and finally to prospective Democratic nominee. We dont have a senior meeting on the campaign where women are not at least half the meeting, said Bedingfield, the deputy campaign manager who had joined Biden during his final years as Obamas vice president. Biden, she said, is cognizant of the fact that we bring different life experiences to the table, and that that is valuable, while also seeing women and men as equals in presidential politics. Its a vital dynamic for a politician whose career is marked by both successes and controversies where women are concerned. Bill Barrow is an Associated Press writer. [March 25, 2020] Communications Platform Beekeeper Offers Free Crisis-Ready Kit To Companies Affected By Coronavirus OAKLAND, Calif., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, companies are trying to navigate the complexities of keeping every employee safe and informed through their crisis communications. Beekeeper is seeking to help businesses that have been struggling to effectively communicate rapidly evolving updates to their workforce. The mobile-first communication platform for frontline workers is now offering a free Crisis-Ready Kit to help support crisis communications. The secure platform is currently available for free to all companies - regardless of size or industry - for 30 days. Beekeeper has already seen a drastic increase in the usage of their platform, reporting a 25% increase in weekly active users since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Across the 20 different industries where Beekeeper is active, the top industries driving the increase are: - Logistics (+51%) - Health (+48%) - Construction (+44%) - Manufacturing (+32%) - Government (+32%) - Financial Services (+25%) The steepest increases happened in Italy on Feb 26, in France and Spain on March 11, in Switzerland and Germany on March 16, and in the United States on March 18th. Beekeeper's Co-Founder and CEO, Cris Grossmann, commented on the increase in activity saying, "These industries are uder more pressure than ever before to keep our supply chains, hospitals, and governance running under these exceptional circumstances. In many cases, they are onboarding thousands of new temporary workers. We're here to help them reach their employees with consistent and accurate information fast, rather than waiting for critical information to filter down via GMs, team leads, and briefings. This is not just critical to the continuing function of organizations - it is also a moral duty to employees, who have indicated that they are likely to look to their employers over their governments for information about the coronavirus." The Crisis-Ready Kit gives companies 30 days of free access to the Beekeeper platform, empowers teams to coordinate with up-to-the-minute information using real-time messaging, newsfeeds, document storage, shift schedules, and more. The kit also includes a Crisis Communication Checklist to help companies think through their COVID-19 response plan. Beekeeper customer Stefan Wey, Deputy Head of Marketing and Communication at Kantonsspital Baden AG, weighed in on his company's decision to engage with the platform, "At KSB, the Beekeeper app has now become the most important information channel for our employees. The app has once again proven its strength in overcoming the challenges posed by the coronavirus in a large acute-care hospital like KSB. The doctor in charge of Infectiology provides up-to-date information on all important aspects of dealing with the situation - this creates security for all professional groups directly affected." Beekeeper has set up an emergency rollout team to support new customers who need to reach their frontline workforce faster than ever before. The company has already helped many businesses implement the platform in less than 48 hours, with more than 80% of the workforce being active on the platform within just 3 days after rollout. Interested companies should fill out the company's Crisis-Ready Kit form and will be contacted shortly for information on how to get started. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/communications-platform-beekeeper-offers-free-crisis-ready-kit-to-companies-affected-by-coronavirus-301029385.html SOURCE Beekeeper [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Huawei is set to launch its new P40 flagship smartphones on Thursday, 26 March 2020. The series is reported to include three models the Huawei P40 Pro, P40, and P40 Lite. These new smartphones are expected to boast impressive camera hardware and network capabilities, according to leaked specifications for the Huawei P40 Pro. Included in these specifications is a Leica Ultra Vision Quad Cam camera system, which points to the new devices boasting a 50x zoom feature. Huawei therefore looks to continue its tradition of launching powerful smartphones which challenge Apple and Samsung, and the inclusion of Huawei Mobile Services on its new handsets should excite fans of open-access software and new ecosystems. Where to watch Huawei announced that it will stream the live presentation of its Huawei P40 Series launch online. This follows after the companys international launch event in Paris was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. The company is using the #VisionaryPhotography hashtag to promote the launch of its new smartphone range, pointing to powerful new camera features which will be a central focus of the new device lineup. Are you ready to experience #VisionaryPhotography? the company said on Twitter. Watch and WIN by joining us on 26th March and be one of the first to witness the future of photography #HuaweiP40. Huawei South Africa will host a live stream at 15:00 on 26 March, as detailed in the tweet below, of the launch event. You can watch the launch of the Huawei P40 Series on YouTube or the official Huawei website. MG Philippines continues its string of engaging partnerships with its participation in the Miss Universe Philippines (MUP) 2020 competition. The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI) MG Philippines MG Philippines has inked partnership with MUP 2020 competition, making it the Official Car for the said event. In a statement, MG Philippines said that is an honor to be able to partner with a Filipino-led organization that celebrates the modern Filipina. MG PH MUP As the Official Car of the MUP 2020, MG Philippines is excited and honored to provide the organization with modern, comfortable, safe, and stylish British heritage cars. These will be used by the candidates and MUP organization as they travel to and from various pageant requirements, all the way up to the coronation night." As part of the deal, the very first Miss Universe Philippines will drive home a brand new MG ZS Alpha Crossover SUV. A brand new, top-of-the-line MG ZS Crossover SUV will be awarded to the overall winner of Miss Universe Philippines 2020 The best-selling MG ZS Crossover SUV made up roughly half of the total sales volume of MG in 2019. The MG ZS is powered by 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine that produces 114 horsepower and 150 Nm torque. It is also equipped with an 8-inch LCD infotainment unit equipped with Apple CarPlay, a push start/stop button, a multi-function steering wheel, a host of modern driving aids such as a reverse camera, Antilock Brake System, Cornering Brake Control, Electronic Brake Assist, Electronic Brake Distribution, Hill Start Assist, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and a Traction Control System, and huge panoramic Stargazer sunroof perfect for when the weather outside is pleasant. 2020 is an especially significant year for MUP since, for the first time in Filipino pageant history, a locally-produced Miss Universe competition will entertain the bids of all aspiring Filipina aspirants to the crown. MG MUP Moving forward, the MUP competition will be recognized as the venue that will identify which confident, beautiful, and empowered Filipinas will represent the country in international competition. Story continues For Miss Universe Philippines, when we say that we are looking for a phenomenal woman, we are looking for a Filipina who can be an innovator in everything that she does. That includes driving an innovative car as well. With its edgy design and also modern and practical features, we believe that MG, together with the winner of Miss Universe Philippines, can empower people to do great and beautiful things, Shamcey Supsup-Lee, national Director of Miss Universe Philippines, said. For his part, Atty. Alberto Arcilla, President and CEO of MG Philippines expressed optimism over the recently forged partnership. The Miss Universe Philippines competition stands for confidence and empowermenttraits that we here at MG Philippines closely identify with, " he said. Each modern MG vehicle inspires confidence in its drivers and passengers and empowers them with a driving and ownership experience like no other," Arcilla added. MG PH MUP The MUP 2020 competition is also a platform for MG to reach an even wider audience. In 2019, the brand climbed up the ranks among locally available auto brands and slotted itself firmly in the ninth overall spot. Also read: A 33-year-old American woman running out of her life-saving medication to treat her auto-immune disease finally boarded a flight home Wednesday after being stuck in Peru for about 10 days, but hundreds of other U.S. citizens remained stranded after the South American nation closed its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic. I could not be happier, Anna, who requested that her last name not be made public due to privacy concerns related to her medical condition, said after getting on the plane in Cusco. At the same time, it was bittersweet. On the way to the airport, Anna and her husband saw a long line of Americans hoping to get on the flight. Her husband told The Associated Press that some people have been sitting outside the airport for a week. So obviously not everyone on line was getting on this flight, he said, adding that there were 167 passengers on the LATAM plane, which was organized by the U.S. State Department and allowed to land by Peruvian authorities, unlike previous planes. The flight from Cusco to Miami with a stop in the Peruvian capital of Lima was the culmination of more than a week of desperately trying to get out of South American nation. The couple had tried to charter a plane to leave Cusco, nestled high in the Andes near the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu, but the Peruvian government refused to give it permission to land. And when they asked the State Department for help, they said they were told the agency was working on the situation. There are other foreign governments that are able to take out their citizens, but it seems that with the U.S. there is some gridlock in the Peruvian government granting those airplanes permission to land, Anna said Tuesday. But there are many citizens here that are just desperate to go home. Thousands of U.S. citizens have found themselves trapped abroad because of the pandemic. Anna and her husband, like many others, said they had a hard time getting help or information. Ian Brownlee, head of the U.S. State Departments task force on repatriations, said Wednesday that State and the U.S. Embassy in Peru had secured the needed permissions from the Foreign Ministry for the flight Tuesday to land, but that agreement apparently did not trickle down to the appropriate people who run the airport. Brownlee said the situation was chaotic but it appeared to have been resolved and that two flights one from Lima and one from Cusco left Wednesday. More flights are expected to depart this week, he told reporters in a conference call. Brownlee said there were about 4,000 Americans still in Peru and another large number in nearby Ecuador. Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra, a soft-spoken U.S. ally, was among the first in Latin America to close borders over the coronavirus pandemic, deploy the military and require people to stay in their homes. Initially he allowed waivers for chartered repatriation flights, but that ended Saturday. The pandemic has infected more than 400,000 people around the world and killed over 20,000. The COVID-19 illness causes mild or moderate symptoms in most people, but severe, life-threatening symptoms are possible especially for the elderly or those with existing health problems like Anna. Peru confirmed its first case of the virus March 6, three days before she arrived to meet her husband who was there as part of a South American trip. When Vizcarra declared an emergency and closed the borders March 15, they were given just 24 hours to leave. Annas husband immediately turned to the U.S. Embassy for help, telling officials about her precarious health condition and dwindling supply of medication. He provided a note from her U.S. doctor attesting that it was very urgent and important that she returns to USA for treatment. Then he contacted political leaders in Texas including Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, who he said tried to help. The couple believed an American plane would arrive Tuesday, but that didnt happen. Another flight was also turned away that day. American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said a charter flight from Miami reached Peruvian airspace that afternoon but was denied permission to land, and circled until fuel levels dictated a return to Florida. The State Department said Peru also did not provide clearances for a LATAM flight to pick up Americans in Cusco. Various private air charter companies had been working feverishly to find a way to bring them home, according to communications that Anna showed to the AP. Steve Panzella, president of Horizon Jets Charter Inc., said Tuesday that the couple contacted him about an air ambulance and said they were willing to pay to bring other Americans home on any flight they chartered, but the holdup was securing permission from Peru. I have been getting calls 24 hours a day from people stuck all over Central and South America, but nothing like Peru, Panzella said. People are desperate. In interviews, other Americans who traveled to Peru painted a bleak picture of armed troops patrolling the streets during the lockdown and making sure they stay in their hotels. Some told AP they didnt know how or when they would get home. Others managed to leave by buying tickets through local travel companies. But they were given little advance notice about the flights and didnt know until they boarded if there would be enough seats. To help Peruvian aviation authorities, Brownlee said the State Departments Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement had vacated a hanger on the military side of Limas airport so it could serve as a waiting and staging area for passengers waiting to leave. Were doing what we can to help the Peruvians, he said. For Anna, at least, the ordeal is over. Shes looking forward to having access to her medications. And after more than a week confined to a hotel, she was looking forward to something else: Walking around the green grass of our backyard. ___ Associated Press writers Joshua Goodman in Miami, Franklin Briceno in Lima, Peru, and David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report. MANILA, Philippines The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday reported that the number of people infected with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country has climbed to 636 following the confirmation of 84 new cases. The DOH also reported three new deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 fatalities to 38. The department said the latest fatalities were all Filipinos, identified as Patients 319, 326 and 29. In its report, the DOH said that Patient 319 is a hypertensive and diabetic 56-year old male from Quezon City who had no travel and exposure history. He died on March 22 due to community-acquired pneumonia secondary to COVID-19. Patient 326 is a 57-year old male from Caloocan City with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia. He had no travel and exposure history. He died on March 16 due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome secondary to community-acquired pneumonia high risk and COVID-19. He was confirmed to have contracted the virus on March 21. Patient 29 is an 82-year old female from Marikina City with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and valvular heart disease. She had a travel history to the United States and exposure to a known COVID-19 case. She died on March 23 due to shock multifactorial (septic and cardiogenic), Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome secondary to COVID-19 pneumonia, and Acute Renal Failure secondary to sepsis. The DOH earlier explained that the surge in coronavirus cases is due to the countrys increased testing capacity. Meanwhile, six new recoveries were reported on Wednesday, bringing the total to 26. The post COVID-19 cases in PH rise to 636 with 38 deaths appeared first on UNTV News. (Photo : REUTERS/Brian Snyder) A father and daughter look out at the Seattle skyline amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Seattle, Washington, U.S., March 24, 2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Brian Snyder) A children's playground is closed with caution tape amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Seattle, Washington, U.S., March 24, 2020. Internet infrastructure is being put under massive stress globally due to government-imposed lockdowns throughout the coronavirus crisis, new statistics show. Australian researchers created a 'global internet pressure' map that exhibits the stress COVID-19 is placing on the internet as people are told to live at home. The software in the back of the map, advanced by data company KASPR Datahaus, collects and approaches billions of internet activity and quality measurements daily. ALSO READ: Internet Surge is the New Normal! US Officials to Allocate Funds to Boost Internet Access to Help Broadband Users Survive Coronavirus! More people at home would mean larger bandwidth appetites KASPR Datahaus said any bandwidth-extreme interest, which includes HD video streaming and graphic-intensive online gaming, can make a contribution to congestion. 'More people at home means more [humans] online - with large bandwidth appetites,' said Professor Paul Raschky, co-founder of KASPR Datahaus. Raschky said this situation is not dissimilar to a family looking to make their way in a crowded subway tunnel. According to him, streaming video or video upload during teleconferencing is made up of small packets of information. These packets must find its way down copper and fiber-optic cables across vast distances, he added. He explained the more streaming packets looking to make the activity at once, the more congested the pathway is and the slower the arrival time. The group tested how each nation's net was appearing amid the fast escalation of home-based activity. Thee activities include gaming and streaming films, video-conferencing, and other online communication. They observed adjustments in internet latency that emerged between March 12-13 when France, Spain, and Italy started government-imposed lockdowns, compared with February 13-14. ALSO READ: Internet Is Getting Slower Worldwide; Will Coronavirus Break The Internet Connection? Users are experiencing bandwidth congestion While the values may appear noticeably small, with three percent or seven percent, Raschky said results indicate that many users are probably experiencing bandwidth congestion. The team focused on international locations with at least 100 confirmed instances of COVID-19 as of March 13, as those are the most likely to have undertaken vast social distancing activities. The map reveals strain on internet networks is being especially felt in Italy, Spain, Sweden, Iran, and Malaysia, while Australia is increasing up. In the UK throughout this duration, there was an boom in internet latency among mid-February and mid-March of around four per cent. In most OECD international locations which might be laid low with COVID-19, Raschy said net quality is stable. Although he clarified the regions in Italy, Spain, and Sweden are showing internet strain. The figures in the map may be changing, as they are continuously being up to date and closely monitored. The crew additionally created a photo that indicates net pressure throughout workdays over a slightly prolonged period - February 12-14 to March 18-20. Governments, network providers urged to restrict few online services KASPR Datahaus said governments and network providers may want to restrict a few online services. However, networks might unlikely grind to a halt because of site visitors spikes. Eoin Keary, founder and CEO of computer security employer Edgescan, said the switch to corporate internet service providers (ISPs) to home ISPs could complicate problems. 'The site visitors is routed by distinct systems and providers, some of which are not designed for bandwidth,' he told MailOnline. Video game professionals urged video gamers to lessen the time they spend playing games online during working hours to reduce network stress. The suggestion provoked outraged responses from gamers on social media. Streaming services -- which include Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube -- have agreed to lower the streaming quality in Europe to lessen the risk of community overload. But need to networks start to pressure below developing usage, governments ought to step in and enforce further measures, Mann stated. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Doctors visits are considered essential during shelter-at-home orders, like the one called for Houston and unincorporated parts of Harris County. In response to COVID-19, many hospital systems are recommending non-emergency doctors visits be rescheduled if possible. Most non-critical surgeries and procedures have been postponed at Houston Methodist and CHI St. Lukes. For those in need of a doctor, theres another option: telemedicine. CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust Telemedicine apps have increased in popularity over the last few years as an alternative to in-person doctors visits. In 2017, online doctoring, or telemedicine, was approved by the Texas Senate, which removed a requirement for an in-person consultation between patient and medical provider. Since then, the apps have become more widespread in rural areas and medical deserts. Renew Houston: Get the latest wellness news delivered to your inbox In Houston, telemedicine apps are used by the major hospital and clinic systems, including Kelsey-Seybold, Memorial Hermann and Methodist Hospital. Ask your health care provider if they have an app to download for doctors visits or consultations. Kelsey-Seybold Virtual Health Kelsey-Seybold clinic patients are required to virtually visit their doctors first before an in-person visit. Doctors will then verify that an in-person visit is necessary. Kelsey-Seybold patients with accepted insurance can register for a MyKelseyOnline (MKO) account and download the MyKelseyOnline app. Virtual health offerings include video visits and telephone visits with primary and specialty care providers. The online patient portal allows patients to communicate with medical providers at all the Kelsey-Seybold clinics; schedule, change or cancel appointments; request prescription refills; access most test results; and complete payment for appointments. Memorial Hermann eVisit The Memorial Hermann Health Plan includes different options for telemedicine: Everyday Well, Memorial Hermann Virtual Clinic, eVisit and Teladoc. For any coronavirus symptoms or immediate concerns, try eVisit first. Anyone who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms is encouraged to use Memorial Hermanns eVisit for a virtual consultation. The service is available seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. A Memorial Hermann eVisit starts with an online questionnaire about your current symptoms and medical history. A health care provider will review the answers and respond with a diagnosis and treatment plan, which includes any necessary prescriptions, within 30 minutes. The systems eVisit Video is a live chat with a health care provider. Houston Methodist Virtual Urgent Care Houston Methodists Virtual Urgent Care is available 24/7 and eVisits can be scheduled from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. The appointment is $20, but other costs may vary depending on your insurance status. For people who are experiencing coronavirus symptoms, or possibly regular cold or flu symptoms, everyone is encouraged to use the MyMethodist app first. It can also be used for a number of other conditions, like cold sores, rashes, urinary tract infections or constipation. Once a health care provider has screened the patient, they will detail next steps. julie.garcia@chron.com Twitter.com/reporterjulie Care home staff are being told to self-isolate at work if they test positive for the deadly coronavirus, a union has claimed. The GMB claimed many care workers were not being given proper personal protection equipment (PPE), leaving them vulnerable to falling ill with the virus which has infected more than 9,500 people in the UK. Many carers have also been left without any childcare outside of school hours because of the unsociable hours they work, the union added. The GMB called for full pay for all social care workers in self-isolation and for the Government to underwrite any employers who cannot afford it. A woman in a face mask walks across Westminster Bridge in London today after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus Carers should also be given paid time off to look after their children when there is no other option available, and be supplied with gloves, masks, and sanitiser, said the union. GMB official Kelly Andrews said: 'Our care system is in danger of total collapse during the coronavirus crisis. 'Our carers are distraught that they have to work with little or no PPE and, horrifyingly, are being told that if a resident tests positive then they cannot return home. 'Despite being on the frontline, and utterly vital to stop our society from crumbling, they are on minimum wage, with unpaid breaks and are unable to rely on schools for childcare. A London bus driver wearing a face masks adjusts his sunglasses on Westminster Bridge in London amid the UK's coronavirus lockdown Care home staff are being told to self-isolate at work if they test positive for the deadly coronavirus, the GMB union has claimed (Pictured: A man on the Tube today) 'To rub salt in the wound, if they become ill they either have to try and support their families on poverty sick pay, or turn up to work ill, which could be a death sentence for residents.' Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said: 'Care workers are an absolutely essential part of the response to this pandemic and councils want to continue supporting them in every way possible. 'We take very seriously the concerns raised and are working closely with government and care providers to resolve these, including about distribution of PPE and making sure this gets to those who need it as soon as possible.' Coronavirus has infected more than 9,500 people across Britain, with some 465 deaths confirmed as a result of the virus. Among those infected is Prince Charles, 71, who has a 'mild' form of the illness and is currently on the Balmoral estate with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. The GMB claimed many care workers were not being given proper personal protection equipment (PPE), leaving them vulnerable to falling ill with the virus (Pictured: A couple in Hyde Park today) The duchess, 72, has tested negative for COVID-19 and is without any symptoms of the virus. A royal source said Charles' doctor's most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious on March 13 - 24 hours after 'briefly' meeting his 93-year-old mother the Queen. The Queen and Prince Philip, 98, had already travelled to Windsor Castle before the announcement from Clarence House today, after moving to the royal estate last Thursday. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2020 / CordovaCann Corp. (CDVA.CN) (LVRLF) ("Cordova" or the "Company"), a cannabis-focused consumer products company, announced today that the Company has entered into a letter of intent (the "LOI") to purchase certain real assets and intellectual property (the "Assets") of an arm's length Canadian cannabis corporation (the "Transaction"). The Assets being acquired will enable Cordova to quickly open five recreational cannabis stores and four medical cannabis clinics in Western Canada under an established brand name, with the exclusive right to open more stores in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. The vendor of the Assets (the "Vendor") is a British Columbia-based cannabis venture that owns one of the most significant medical cannabis clinic footprints in Western Canada, in addition to a network of recreational cannabis retail stores which can be opened upon obtaining provincial regulatory approvals. It is expected that these retail stores will be opened in the first few months following the closing of the Transaction, and the Company has plans to open additional locations in 2020 and future years. These stores will leverage a recognized brand name, the intellectual property of an established product line of flower, concentrates and edibles, and a proven business model that has already created one of the most profitable cannabis retail companies in the United States over the last six years. The Transaction is expected to close around March 31, 2020. Pursuant to the terms of the LOI, Cordova has agreed to issue a total of eighteen million (18,000,000) common shares of the Company, valued at $3,060,000, to the Vendor in exchange for the Assets held related to four medical cannabis clinics and five retail cannabis stores. Post closing of the Transaction, the Vendors would own approximately thirty-one percent of the outstanding common shares of the Company. Furthermore, Cordova has agreed to issue an additional three million (3,000,000) common shares of the Company, valued at $510,000, to the Vendor for each retail store that opens up, up to a total additional consideration of fifteen million (15,000,000) common shares of the Company, valued at $2,550,000. Each store must be opened by March 15, 2021 in order for the Vendor to receive the additional consideration. In addition, Cordova will assume up to one million ($1,000,000) in long-term debt of the Vendor. The Vendor will have the right to appoint two directors to Cordova's Board of Directors on or soon after the closing of the Transaction. Story continues "The Transaction is a strong step forward in progressing Cordova's current business strategy, as it gives us the exclusive rights to leverage the brand name and operational expertise of a strong U.S. cannabis operator in certain Canadian markets. This American operator currently operates 20 retail stores in 3 U.S. states, generating over $60 million in annual revenue," stated Taz Turner, Chairman and CEO of Cordova. "The stores we plan on opening in Canada over the coming months appear very attractive given their expected revenue and cash flow generation and will help establish Cordova's position in the global cannabis market." All securities issued by the Company are subject to a mandatory hold period of four months and a day under applicable Canadian securities laws. This press release does not constitute a solicitation or offering to purchase any securities of the Company. There are no fees being paid in relation to this transaction. All references to dollar amounts in this press release are in Canadian Dollars unless stated otherwise. About CordovaCann Corp. CordovaCann Corp. is a Canadian-domiciled company focused on building a leading, diversified cannabis products business across multiple jurisdictions including Canada and the United States. Cordova primarily provides services and investment capital to the processing and production vertical markets of the cannabis industry. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and management's views and assumptions regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. The Company cannot provide assurances that the matters described in this press release will be successfully completed or occur. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: global economic and market conditions; the war on terrorism and the potential for war or other hostilities in other parts of the world; the availability of financing and lines of credit; successful integration of acquired or merged businesses; changes in interest rates; management's ability to forecast revenues and control expenses, especially on a quarterly basis; unexpected decline in revenues without a corresponding and timely slowdown in expense growth; the Company's ability to retain key management and employees; intense competition and the Company's ability to meet demand at competitive prices and to continue to introduce new products and new versions of existing products that keep pace with technological developments, satisfy increasingly sophisticated customer requirements and achieve market acceptance; relationships with significant suppliers and customers; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in the Company's public filings on EDGAR and SEDAR. The Company undertakes no obligation to update information contained in this press release. For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's business, please refer to the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company's EDGAR and SEDAR filings. Company Contact: Taz Turner Chief Executive Officer taz@cordovacann.com (917) 843-2169 SOURCE: CordovaCann Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/582489/CordovaCann-Announces-Letter-of-Intent-to-Acquire-Cannabis-Retail-Assets-in-Canada Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Cairo Wed, March 25, 2020 19:09 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d63cbd 2 Art & Culture Museum,Egypt,Cairo,coronavirus,COVID-19,Egyptian-Museum Free Cleaning crews descended upon the landmark Egyptian Museum in Cairo on Monday, dousing it with disinfectants as fears mount over the spread of the novel coronavirus. Sporting white coats, gloves and face masks, the men sprayed sanitizers across the vast museum halls, home to thousands of precious relics spanning Egypt's prehistoric era through the Roman period. The museum also holds the priceless objects of the 18th dynasty Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun including his gold mask, a chariot and throne. Nestled in Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square, the museum has long been a major tourist draw. "The museum has been ordered shut from today (Monday) until March 31 and we started the cleaning operations on exposed surfaces," said Sabah Sediq, the museum's director. Read also: Borobudur sprayed with disinfectant, closed to public until late March The artifacts were kept behind locked glass vitrines as staff proceeded with the disinfection procedures. "We will be using special materials designed to clean and protect the artifacts in restoration labs," Sediq said. Similar cleaning operations are to be carried out at archaeological sites and museums across Egypt to guard against the COVID-19 pandemic. On Saturday, the antiquities ministry said disinfection and sterilization measures had already been taken at prominent ancient sites including the Kom al-Shoqafa catacombs and the Roman victory column of "Pompey's Pillar" in the coastal city of Alexandria. The operations have also swept hotels, sea and airports, metro stations and other sites across Egypt. Egypt's health ministry has so far registered 14 deaths out of 327 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 disease. Authorities have imposed tough measures to limit social interaction in the country of 100 million inhabitants, closing schools and universities and ordering cafes, restaurants, sporting clubs and malls to close by 7 p.m. Air traffic was halted from last Thursday until the end of March. Egypt's religious authorities have shuttered all mosques and churches and banned communal prayer gatherings for at least two weeks. Common noctules - one of the largest bat species native to Germany - are searching for their fellows during their hunt for insects above farmland. Scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) show in a paper published in the journal Oikos that bats forage on their own in insect-rich forests, but hunt collectively in groups over insect-poor farmland. They seem to zoom in on places where conspecifics emit echolocations during the capture of insects, an inadvertent clue that reveals high-yielding areas to others. However, "listening" to their hunting companions to find food only works when sufficient numbers of bats forage in the same area. If numbers continue to decline, density could fall below a critical level and joint hunting could become difficult or impossible. This could pose an additional threat to the survival of species such as the Common noctule. Human activities have massively changed the face of the earth over the past centuries. While Central Europe was covered by dense primeval forests in ancient times, today farmland, meadows and managed forests dominate the countryside. Humans have transformed natural landscapes into cultural landscapes and many wild animals disappeared, while others found new ecological niches. Bats were particularly successful in the latter process. As so-called cultural successors, many species were able to survive in modern environments, finding shelter in buildings and feeding above arable land and managed forests. But what is the secret of their success? Are they particularly efficient hunters? To verify this, a research team from Leibniz-IZW equipped two groups of the Common noctule with sensors that recorded the both spatial position and echolocations calls at the place of the tagged bat. From acoustic recordings of special hunting calls, so-called "feeding buzzes", the authors deduced when and where the bats preyed on insects. In addition, the recording of the acoustic environment made it possible to determine whether conspecifics were present. Individuals of the first population hunted for insects in an area north of Berlin, which is characterized by large wheat, rape and corn fields. Individuals of the second population went in search of food southeast of Berlin over an area dominated by pine forest. In both areas, bats showed two flight patterns - commuting flight and the small-scale search flight, in which the animals zigzagged around in above a small area. When hunting over the forest, the bats regularly emitted feeding buzzes, both during commuting flight and during small-scale search flight, regardless of whether other bats were around. Apparently, they were successful as individual hunters. Above farmland, however, commuting bats did not emit feeding buzzes. Only after encountering a conspecific, they switched to the small-scale search flight, which was accompanied by many hunting calls. The conclusion of the scientists: Above farmland, prey is presumably rare and only found in larger numbers at a few places - for example, on hedges or ditches. This is why bats eavesdropped on their conspecifics when foraging above farmland. When they recognized a successful hunt by the feeding calls of their neighbor, they joined the group of hunting conspecifics and switched to small-scale search flights in order to effectively feed on the swarm of insects they had tracked down. Over forests, on the other hand, there is likely to be more prey, which may also be more evenly distributed. Here the animals were successful even without eavesdropping on conspecifics. "Community hunting makes it possible for the bats to find food even above farmland with low prey density," says Christian Voigt, head of the Department of Evolutionary Ecology at Leibniz-IZW. "However, this only works if the population is sufficiently large. Due to insect mortality and collisions with wind turbines, the populations of the Common noctule and other species could decline further. These populations could fall below the critical population density, so that joint hunting may no longer be possible. Local populations that are dependent on this form of food acquisition would then be on the brink of extinction." ### Thats exactly why more people need to be released from the Lake County jail, McLemore said. He emphasized that not all carriers of the virus show symptoms, and so the screenings will be inadequate in preventing coronavirus from entering the jail. Guards are also coming and going, he said. Justice Cameron Mander remanded Tarrant in custody, but has not yet set a date for sentencing, when the summary of facts would be made public. Loading Few people knew of the special hearing, which was only scheduled late on Wednesday, on the eve of an unprecedented nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Six New Zealand journalists attended. Also in court were the imams from both targeted mosques. Al-Noor Imam Gamal Fouda was visibly upset as the guilty pleas were entered. The hearing concluded at 10.30am, NZ time, but the judge suppressed the outcome for an hour to allow victims, who were unaware of the hearing, to be notified. The decision to hold the hearing amid the national state of emergency was not made lightly. Earlier in the week Tarrant indicated to counsel that he might change his pleas. A formal request was made on Wednesday that the matter be brought before the court. Mander said both the Crown and defence asked to have the hearing expedited, despite the severe health restrictions. The courts were considered an essential public service that was able to deal with "priority proceedings without compromising people's health". The judge said he felt the court had the capacity to safely hear the matter by limiting the number of people in court. In total, 17 people were present. It was regrettable the victims were unable to attend, but the imams were asked to be present to bear witness to the proceedings. "It was my assessment that taking the defendant's pleas at this time was the appropriate course in the circumstances," Mander said. "The entry of guilty pleas represents a very significant step towards bringing finality to this criminal proceeding and I considered the need to take the opportunity to progress the matter was particularly acute coming as it has at a time when the risk of further delay as a result of Covid-19 was looming as realistic possibility." On March 15 last year, Tarrant drove from his Dunedin home to Christchurch with an arsenal of guns and ammunition he'd amassed since moving from Australia to New Zealand in 2017. The white supremacist entered the Al-Noor Mosque as Friday prayers were beginning and opened fire, killing and wounding dozens of people. Loading He then drove across town to the Linwood Mosque where he continued his shooting spree. Tarrant was arrested a short time later after his car, a gold Subaru Outback, was rammed off the road by two police officers as he tried to make his way to a third target, thought to be a mosque in Ashburton. When police searched the vehicle they found several guns and petrol bombs. Tarrant's grandmother, Marie Fitzgerald, had no idea about the plea until called by Stuff. "I feel sorry he did the crime, but he's got to pay the time now." She declined to comment further. Victim Support chief executive Kevin Tso said support was ongoing for hundreds of victims who still need help coping with the trauma and rebuilding their lives. "We're pleased victims no longer have to face the trauma of the trial," Tso said. MONTREAL, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TFI International Inc. (NYSE and TSX: TFII), a North American leader in the transportation and logistics industry, today announced that it will hold its Annual Meeting of shareholders on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. (eastern time) at the Companys head office, 8801 Trans-Canada Highway, Suite 500, Saint-Laurent, Quebec. The meeting will also be available by way of telephone conference call. The dial-in number for the meeting is (877) 223-4471. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, shareholders are asked to participate in the meeting by telephone and to vote their shares prior to the meeting by returning their proxy form or voting instruction form, voting online or using the toll-free telephone number set out on the proxy or voting instruction form. During the telephone meeting, shareholders will be able to ask questions but will not be able to vote. In light of government directives relating to COVID-19, attendance for the meeting at the Companys head office will be strictly limited to the Companys registered shareholders and duly-appointed proxyholders. Also on Tuesday, April 21, the Company will issue its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020 via news release after the market close. The Company will then hold a conference call for analysts and investors with Alain Bedard, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, on Wednesday, April 22 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, to discuss the quarterly results. Business media are also invited to listen to the call. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. Details of quarterly results conference call: Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time Call-in number: (877) 223-4471 A recording of the call will be available until midnight, May 6th, 2020, by dialing (800) 585-8367 or (416) 621-4642 and entering passcode 7078728. Finally, TFI International Inc.s 2019 Annual Report is now available on the Companys website at: https://tfiintl.com/en/presentations-and-reports/ . ABOUT TFI INTERNATIONAL TFI International Inc. is a North American leader in the transportation and logistics industry, operating across the United States, Canada and Mexico through its subsidiaries. TFI International creates value for shareholders by identifying strategic acquisitions and managing a growing network of wholly-owned operating subsidiaries. Under the TFI International umbrella, companies benefit from financial and operational resources to build their businesses and increase their efficiency. TFI International companies service the following segments: Package and Courier; Less-Than-Truckload; Truckload; Logistics. TFI International Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TFII. For more information, visit www.tfiintl.com . Billionaire Tilman Fertitta said he has had to temporarily lay off 40,000 workers at his casino, hotel and restaurant empire to limit the economic damage caused by government-imposed shut-downs. The Texas native, who owns the Golden Nugget casinos and hundreds of restaurants including Del Friscos and Bubba Gump Shrimp under the Landrys Inc. umbrella, is calling on the government to allow businesses to reopen at limited capacity in a couple of weeks to avoid economic disaster. I think what we are doing with the shutdown is good but in a few weeks people will need to be around people, Fertitta said on Tuesday. Otherwise you are going to go into an economic crisis that is going to take us years to dig ourselves out of. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Harris County has a stay-at-home order. What does that mean for you? He said restaurants and casinos could be allowed to operate at 30 percent to 40 percent of capacity to soften the economic impact of the restrictions and allow companies to stay in business. Fertittas companies have furloughed 70 percent of their employees in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has halted travel and large gatherings around the world. All of Fertittas casinos have been ordered to shut and even the restaurants that are operating by offering takeout are only bringing in 4 percent to 5 percent of their typical business. His company has been burning through a few million dollars of cash per day. We are doing basically no business, he said. This is very hard on a lot of working families, but we have to survive or there is no company. Ann Marston loved the idea. Like countless parents in the thick of the coronavirus pandemic, she was searching for a social distancing activity for her three children, all young boys, that didnt include baking their brains with hours of TV. Plus, the thing about rainbows is, they restore hope. They come after storms. Obviously, Marston said, were in the midst of a terrible storm. So Marston rummaged through the arts and crafts supplies in her West Orange home and got to work with her kids, the way so many have in New Jersey and throughout the world. They painted two rainbows, cut them out and hung them in their windows, facing the street. They did it for themselves. And they did it for the rest of the kids in the community who need breaks from being shut inside, fearing the rapidly spreading COVID-19. Families have been sticking rainbows in the windows of their homes so that other children, while walking with their parents, can find them scavenger-hunt style. Some houses have just one. Others have many. Marston said she learned about it from a Facebook group created specifically to share activities for kids in the neighborhood. It brings about a sense of community, Marston said. Even though were not together, it just makes you feel like were all in this together, trying to help each other. LATEST CORONAVIRUS UPDATES FROM NJ.COM The idea is believed to have originated in Italy, the nation the coronavirus has hit the hardest and where the population has been put on lockdown. Jason and Jill Baum, of Wood-Ridge, created one with their toddler daughter. There are a lot of parents who need to figure out what to do with their kids because its hard enough to do things indoors, Jill Baum said. Now, you cant visit friends, you cant go to the store or to a play place. You cant take them to the park or to walk the mall. In the morning, we made the rainbow, and now shes excited to go see other peoples rainbows. Dr. Thomas Massarelli, the co-chair of professional psychology and family therapy at Seton Hall University, thought it was a smart move. He said parents should look for interactive activities for their children in a time like this, such as puzzles. He added that exercise is important. As far as social distancing activities walking is wonderful, Massarelli said. So is modeling what appropriate behavior is when it comes to social distancing and doing things where you can kick or ball or play badminton and dont have to worry about friends or neighbors coming over. Its good to keep the activities within the parents realm so that they can monitor whats going on. Jessica Layton, of Short Hills, has a 5-year-old son, and it hit her that the pandemic could be one of C.J.s earliest childhood memories. Shes determined to make sure its not a bad one. I dont want him to look back on this time and remember as traumatic, Layton said. I want him to see it as a time he was happy, that we did a lot of things together. These kiddos miss their friends. Its hard. He understood its something a lot of his friends are doing and it was a cool way to bond with the community, even if we cant see each other right now. And he likes counting the rainbows in the windows on our bike rides and walks. He says, Its to help people. The Layton family displayed their rainbow in a window facing their front yard. The drawing also came with a message: Everything is going to be OK. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook. Terrence McNally, left, and Matthew Lopez in 2018 at the Young Vic, after McNally had watched "The Inheritance" for the first time. (From Matthew Lopez) Terrence McNally died on Tuesday from complications related to the novel coronavirus. Matthew Lopez, the playwright behind "The Inheritance" and "The Legend of Georgia McBride," spoke to The Times through tears from upstate New York, paying tribute to the theater giant in this edited remembrance, as told to Times staff writer Ashley Lee. I first accessed Terrence by watching the Tonys in the 90s, when it basically just became an annual tradition to give Terrence a Tony Award, between "Kiss of the Spider Woman," "Love! Valour! Compassion!" "Master Class" and "Ragtime." I remember the year that "Love! Valour! Compassion!" won I was not yet out but just starting to understand that I was gay. That play was important to me without actually realizing why. Even though there really wasn't any character that resembled me or my life, it didn't matter because I found a common humanity with them. Terrence's writing helped me be OK with being gay, it comforted me. He reached out and he spoke to me. Growing up in the 80s and 90s and in the very conservative panhandle of Florida an area of the country that was really hostile to the queer community there wasn't a lot of comforting voices for young queer kids, but Terrence was one of them for me. He was the first writer to show me there was more to being a gay man than dying of AIDS, that there was more to being a gay man than living tragically and dying tragically. Terrence taught me that it's possible to live a life filled with dignity as a gay man. That was his great gift not just to the queer community but to all of humanity. The one thing no one ever got about "The Inheritance" was that I wasnt chasing Tony Kushner, I was chasing Terrence. Terrence was the spiritual godfather of that play. None of the critics, whether praising or critiquing the play, ever saw it. But Terrence did. And that made me incredibly proud. Story continues I do not exaggerate when I say I wouldn't be a writer today if Terrence McNally hadn't encouraged me to write. When I moved to New York, I sent out a bunch of letters to different people in theater, asking for work and advice. Hal Prince suggested I reach out to Terrence, who invited me to assist him in a workshop of the musical "A Man of No Importance." It was so clear that Terrence had no need of an assistant whatsoever, and the reason he was doing it was because I asked. That was Terrence. He encouraged questions and would ask me things too: Do you see why we're cutting that line? Do you understand that decision we just made? He encouraged questions. It was like a two-week master class; my job really was to watch, observe and learn. In exchange for the "work" that I did for him, he read one of my plays. I remember telling him I wasn't sure if I was a writer or not, and I just needed someone's opinion. About a week after I sent something to him, I got a very long, very detailed voicemail from him in which he praised my work, critiqued my work, challenged my work and encouraged me. He ended the voicemail with, "I can assure you that you are a writer, and you need to keep writing." I doubt Terrence would've ever said, "You're terrible, go into another line of work, you should really think about dental school" and if he did, I probably would be a dentist to this day but it was the encouragement that I needed. That piece of writing turned into "The Whipping Man," the play that started my career. He was at the opening night. I remember asking him if he remembered reading that, and he goes, "Absolutely. Why do you think I'm here?" The cast and playwright Matthew Lopez on opening night for the "The Inheritance" on Broadway at The Barrymore Theatre on November 17, 2019 in New York City. (Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic) Terrence was always so lovingly blunt. "This is really interesting; this, I have no use for." I'm sure his honesty cuts both ways, but you always knew where you stood with him and you could always trust him, as a person and an artist. He would never lie to his audience. And it was because he was so honest and trustworthy as a storyteller that you believed him. He really could bring you as an audience to places that you never would've expected to go at the beginning of a particular story. More than any other playwright of his generation, he had the ability to look honestly at the world and not ignore its flaws but to actually see the beauty in the flaws. Terrence never ever sugarcoated anything, and yet, because of who he was as a person and a writer, he was able to find a tremendous beauty in the unlikeliest of places. I think that will be his great legacy. If anybody who's not familiar with the work of Terrence McNally is wondering why his death matters, it's because his whole life and his work was in service of moments just like these. And while I am heartbroken today, I'm also so grateful that he left behind a mountain of work that speaks to the very time that we live in. It's a reminder to us that when we are eventually on the other side of this horrible, horrible experience that all of the world is going through right now, we will remember to find beauty. He taught us how to be human in the face of heartbreak, how to find compassion for one another and for ourselves. He gave us a road map for how to be a survivor and how to honor those we lost. Terrence taught us, through his writing, how to remember him and how to mourn him. And we can extrapolate that not just for Terrence's life but to the lives of all of those who are being lost right now. In the last lines of "The Inheritance," Henry says to Walter, "What do I do now, Walter? Tell me what to do." And Walter says, "You do what they could not you live." I think, in some ways, those lines are the summation of the lessons that I've learned from Terrence as a gay man, as a dramatist, as a human being. The malaria drug that President Donald Trump has hailed as a 'game-changer' for treating coronavirus may be no better for treating the virus than standard care like being placed on a ventilator, a Chinese study found. Clinical trials of the drug, hydroxychloroquine, began in New York on Tuesday, and US doctors can now prescribe it to some coronavirus patients off-label under compassionate use. Hydroxychloroquine is FDA-approved to treat the parasitic infection, malaria, as well as certain autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Its supplies are already running dry in the US since President Trump praised its potential, but the small Zhejiang University study found that about the same number of untreated COVID-19 patients and those treated with the drug tested negative for the virus a week after the study began. The study was small, so its results were not statistically significant, but it involved only 10 fewer patients than the French study that suggested hydroxychloroquine helped more than half of patients clear the virus. A small Chinese study found that coronavirus patients treated with hydroxychloroquine (pictured) were no more likely than those put on bed rest, oxygen and fluids to recover President Donald Trump last week hailed the drug as a 'game changer' despite limited evidence that it is an effective treatment for COVID-19 The researchers from Zhejiang University recruited 30 coronavirus patients. Fifteen of them were given hydroxychloroquine and 15 were given 'conventional treatment,' which consists of measures like infection control and placing patients on ventilators if necessary. A week after they were added to the study, 13 of the patients treated the malaria drug tested negative for COVID-19. Fourteen of the fifteen untreated patients tested negative within the same amount of time. Admittedly, the study was small and the team said larger ones are needed to accurately work out whether hydroxychloroquine is helpful for treating COVID-19 or not. The upside to the study: 'The prognosis of common COVID-19 patients is good,' the authors wrote in the University's journal. Results from the study fly in the face of both Trump's optimism about the drug and the results of a French study of 40 patients that found that more than half of patients treated with hydrochloroquine cleared the infection within six days. Both extremes underscore the message repeated by public health experts like US coronavirus task force member Dr Anthony Fauci when asked if the drug was likely to work against coronavirus: 'the answer is no...the evidence you're talking about is anecdotal evidence,' he said in a Thursday press conference. To that end, clinical trials of the drug have started recruiting in the US, including one that began Tuesday in New York, where more than 26,000 people have coronavirus. Dr Anthony Fauci, top infectious disease expert on the White House's coronavirus task force has warned that evidence hydroxychloroquine works is merely 'anecdotal' Fauci interjected last week that President Trump needed to be 'careful' when expressing optimism about drugs like hydroxychloroquine HOW THE ANTI-MALARIA DRUG IS USED ABROAD TO TREAT CORONAVIRUS A version of the drug the US is now testing, chloronoquine, is already part of the recommended course of treatment in China. It is one of five antivirals included in the 7th edition of the countries guidance on caring for coronavirus patients. Scientists there have reported that it alleviated symptoms, shorten the duration of the illness, and patients who take it seem to break their fevers earlier. Chloroquine is also being used widely in South Korea, where officials have gone so far as to say it has 'a certain curative effect' and 'fairly good efficacy' in coronavirus patients. The World Health Organization has also launched a large-scale trial of a number of potential coronavirus treatments, including chloroquine. It will be tested in patients in Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand and perhaps others. The US is not slated for inclusion. Already in France, the drug has been tested in 36 patients. Hydroxychloroquine, the form of the drug that will now be used 'compassionately' in the US, was given to 24 out of 36 trial participants. Half of them cleared the infection entirely, according to an early announcement of the results on Wednesday. Advertisement The FDA's permission for doctors to prescribe it is on an experimental, 'compassionate use' basis only. But already pharmacists have reported that they are running out of the pills, with some warning that doctors are prescribing chloroquine to themselves and hoarding the drugs. One thing can be said for certain: Chloroquine has stirred excitement and controversy over conflicting findings and guidance from various countries, studies and experts. South Korea's COVID-19 task force went so far as to say that studies on the drug demonstrated it had 'certain curative effect' and 'fairly good efficacy.' Patients treated with hydroxychloroquine improved more quickly and broke their fevers earlier than those who did not receive the drug. The drug is also included in China's treatment guidelines for COVID-19 - described there as 'chloroquine phosphate - for use in patients between 18 and 65. It is one of five antivirals suggested in the 7th edition of China's treatment plan, which also cautions the drug should not be given to patients with heart disease, as it has potential cardiac side effects. After promising test results in petri dish studies, some Chinese scientists came to believe that hydroxychloroquine was powerful against viruses in general, and for COVID-19 in particular. 'Previous studies have shown that chloroquine phosphate (chloroquine) had a wide range of antiviral effects, including anti-coronavirus,' wrote scientists from China's Guangdong province. 'Here we found that treating the patients diagnosed as novel coronavirus pneumonia with chloroquine might improve the success rate of treatment, shorten hospital stay and improve patient outcome.' Nearly 55,000 Americans have coronavirus, fueling desperation for an effective treatment. Chloroquine is being tested in clinical trials, but is not yet proven to work Developed during World War II and approved by the the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1955, hydroxychloroquine cured about half of the 24 patients who received the drug (there were 36 included) in a French clinical trial published yesterday. It was the first clinical trial of the drug for treating COVID-19 after Chinese scientists found that it killed the virus in lab experiments, according to a study published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal on March 9. US patients with 'mild' coronavirus disease are currently being recruited for a trial of hydroxychloroquine (sold under the brand name Plaquenil), to be tested against the effects of another pair of antivirals, posted to clincaltrials.gov last week. Hydroxychloroquine is also used to treat some forms of arthritis in some instances. When it was released half-a-century ago, the malaria drug was hailed for having milder side effects than its predecessor. But its side effects are still not to be dismissed. If it's used long-term, the treatment can irreversibly damage the retina, as signalled by trouble focusing, streaks of flashes of light in patients' vision and eye swelling or color changes. Its side effects can even be deadly. The drug can cause strange, bad and vivid dreams and difficulty sleeping. Taking hydrochloronoquine can also cause your heart to race, trigger headache, fainting, severe dizziness, nausea, a slow heart rate or weak pulse, muscle weakness, numbness and tingly, anxiety and irritability and low blood counts. On the heels of Trump's announcement, stocks of Plaquenil, the brand-name form of hydroxychloroquine, have been depleted, leaving lupus patients in need of the drug without it Still, with the death toll of coronavirus nearing 200 in the US, even a drug with significant side effects would be cause for hope in the battle against coronavirus, for which there are currently no proven treatments. Because it is already on the market and FDA approved for other uses, hydroxychloroquine can be more easily used off-label, so long as patients qualify to receive it under the Compassionate Use Act. That may mean prescriptions of the drug will only be approved for use in the most severely ill patients, although Hahn did not specify the criteria for prescribing hydroxoychloroquine to coronavirus patients. It could be months before the drug is widely distributed, if the data the slowly trickles in on the select patients approved to be treated with it under Compassionate Use and clinical trials suggest that it is safe and effective. Trump continued to hail the expediency of the FDA's approval of the hydroxychloroquine for compassionate use. 'We took [the timeline] down from many, many months to down to immediately by prescription or states...Governor Cuomo wants to be first in line,' he said. 'So I think that's tremendous that [it will be available to] New York and perhaps other places.' New York is also beginning trials of an older therapy: the use of antibody-rich blood plasma taken from recovered COVID-19 patients to treat those who are still sick. The FDA approved broader use of the therapy for critically ill patients in the US, marking the first federally approved 'treatment,' for the virus in the nation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday expressed shock over the terror attack on a gurdwara in Kabul in which 25 people died. He also expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the early recovery of the injured. "I'm shocked by the of a terror attack on a Gurudwara in Kabul, Afghanistan in which over 25 people have died, Gandhi tweeted. "My condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives. I pray that the injured make a speedy recovery, he said. At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed his way into a prominent gurdwara on Wednesday in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the strife-torn country. The Islamic State (IS) terror group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WINDHOEK, March 24 (Reuters) - Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula announced on Tuesday that travel into Namibia from all countries is banned with immediate effect for a period of 30 days after the Southwest African country recorded its seventh confirmed case of coronavirus. Namibians and permanent residents of the country are also banned from leaving, and if they return from abroad they must go into mandatory supervised quarantine for 14 days at their own cost. Those residents will only be allowed to return into the country if their mission is critical to national interest, such as the safety and security of Namibia, the minister added. The government, however, added the flow of supplies, goods, commodities and services into Namibia from reciprocal neighbouring countries will not be interrupted. The government also announced a partial lockdown of the Khomas region, which houses the capital Windhoek and the Erongo region, home to the port town of Walvis Bay. The partial lockdown will start from midnight March 27 until midnight April 16. The latest three coronavirus cases announced on Tuesday involve a Namibian male studying at Wits University in South Africa, who was tested there but only got his results after returning to Namibia. President Hage Geingob told journalists that the extraordinary measures have been adopted with the sole purpose of protecting the health, security and safety of the Namibian people. "During this difficult period, I call on all Namibians to cooperate with the authorities and to remain calm, in order to ensure that public order is not compromised. Allow the authorities to work unhindered," the president said. Government workers and state-owned entity employees have been advised to work from home in the next 14 days and all bars and township pubs are required to close at 18.00 daily, the health minister said as part of precautions against coronavirus. Parliament has also been suspended for 21 days starting Wednesday to Thursday April 14. The Namibian Police announced earlier they stand ready to enforce rules directing the public to remain at home and avoid public gatherings. (Reporting by Nyasha Nyaungwa Editing by Alexandra Hudson) Chron.com offers these and other critical updates on the coronavirus outbreak for free. To support our journalists work, consider a digital subscription to HoustonChronicle.com. Hello, Houston. Here's your latest novel coronavirus news from our corner of Texas, the rest of the country and around the world: 11:26 am The City of Laredo has announced its tenth positive case of COD-19 in Laredo, per Louis San Miguel of the Laredo Morning Times. City officials say the patient has not travelled and is a case of community transmission -- making four such cases in Laredo as of this writing. The patient is currently quarantined and in stable condition. 11:20 am Liberty County has issued an emergency order for people to remain in their homes, non-essential businesses to close until April 3. The Galveston County Health district announced one additional positive coronavirus case Wednesday morning, bringing the countys case total to 22. The infected individual, who is self-quarantined, is a man in his 40s with no known travel or contact with a known positive coronavirus case. The health district believes this is a case of community spread. 11:01 am Houston may lend a $180 million helping hand to airlines, concessionaires, car rental agencies, writes Dylan McGuinness. City Council on Wednesday gave Mayor Sylvester Turner the power to negotiate with the companies, which are reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, to defer payments to the city until next year. 8:57 am A middle-aged deputy from the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Office is currently quarantining at his home after showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, according to a release. The deputy was in contact with another sheriff deputy who recently tested posted for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. Police said the man started to show symptoms just days after being exposed to the other deputy. 8:10 am As of Tuesday evening, 252 people in the eight-county greater Houston area have tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, and 1,044 people in Texas have tested positive for the virus, according to state data. Coronavirus Live Updates: Follow the latest developments | Full coverage The 411 on COVID-19 You can call local public health departments for more information on coronavirus in your community. City of Houston: 832-393-4220 (9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday) 832-393-4220 (9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday) Harris County: 832-927-7575 (9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day) 832-927-7575 (9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day) Fort Bend County: 281-633-7795 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) 281-633-7795 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) Montgomery County: 9365235040 9365235040 Brazoria County: 979-864-2167 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday) 979-864-2167 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday) Galveston County: 409-938-7221, option 1 To support vital coverage of this and other topics, consider a digital subscription. Coronavirus cancellations: All the Houston events, conferences and schools that are off What are the symptoms of COVID-19? Fever, cough and shortness of breath. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, sore throat or diarrhea. I think I may have COVID-19. What should I do? If your condition is not urgent, contact your doctor or an urgent care clinic. Call ahead in case they need to redirect you to another medical center or emergency room. If your health care provider uses telemedicine, such as video chatting, you may want to consider that to avoid potentially exposing others. Also, many counties have set up special phone lines for coronavirus inquiries from the public; your county public health department should have this information online. If you believe your symptoms are urgent and you need to go to the ER, try to call ahead so that health care providers are prepared to isolate you and take other precautions to protect you and other patients when you arrive. Todd Trumbull Individuals can request a test for coronavirus, but doctors and public health authorities will decide whether thats appropriate. Lets step back. What is the coronavirus? Coronaviruses are part of a large family of viruses. Two other kinds of coronaviruses are known to cause SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome). Coronaviruses also can cause very mild illness, and are thought to be responsible for 10% to 30% of all common colds. The new virus is already more widespread than either SARS or MERS. So far it appears to cause less severe illness than those viruses. How is COVID-19 different from the flu? COVID-19 and the flu are both infectious respiratory illnesses, but theyre caused by different viruses. They have similar symptoms and are spread by droplets that are expelled with sneezes and coughs. The flu can be prevented with a vaccine and treated with antiviral drugs, but there are not yet similar tools to fight COVID-19. Tens of thousands of people have died from the flu this season, far eclipsing deaths from COVID-19. But millions of people get the flu every year, and the influenza death rate about 0.1% is likely lower than that of COVID-19. Experts still dont know just how deadly COVID-19 is, but early studies suggest the death rate is about 2%. How serious is the COVID-19 virus? Who is most at risk? About 80% of people who have contracted the virus have had mild symptoms and do not need to be hospitalized, according to large studies of cases in China. About 14% become severely ill and 5% critically ill. Those most at risk of becoming seriously ill are over age 50 or have underlying health problems, such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, or have weakened immune systems. A Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention study found that most people infected were over the age of 30 and had mild symptoms. The death rate was highest close to 15% in those over the age of 80. The first U.S. deaths were all among residents of a long-term care facility in Washington state. The virus appears to be less deadly than SARS or MERS. SARS had a fatality rate of about 10% before it disappeared in 2004. MERS is fatal nearly a third of the time, but is far less transmissible than SARS or COVID-19. Still, the reported cases and deaths are constantly shifting and its too soon to know exactly the seriousness of the illness. How can I best protect myself? People who are not sick should wash their hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and avoid touching their face with unwashed hands. They should avoid close contact with anyone who is coughing, sneezing or otherwise obviously ill. People who are sick should cough or sneeze into their arm or a tissue, not into their hands. Ideally they should stay home and avoid being around other people. In some cases, doctors may advise people who are sick to wear a simple surgical mask in public to avoid infecting others. Healthy people do not need to wear a mask. Studies have found they are not very effective at preventing illness. Most people become infected by touching their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands because thats the easiest way for viruses to enter the body. Should I avoid school, work or places where large groups gather? Many Houston-area schools have already decided to close. You can see a full list of closures here. Public health experts have said that if you have recently returned from a country with a high number of cases, or if youve had contact with someone who has COVID-19, youre generally encouraged to stay at home and not go to work or school for 14 days. If you are sick and have not traveled recently and have not been in contact with someone who has COVID-19, you should stay home until your symptoms have passed. In some communities public health experts are advising that people at high risk of serious illness people over age 50 and those with pre-existing health problems avoid places where large crowds gather in close contact. Otherwise, healthy people do not need to take any special precautions. Should I cancel domestic or international travel plans? Keep track of advisories from the U.S. State Department and the CDC that discourage travel to certain countries. If you do travel to those areas, pay attention to what you will need to do upon return. Any U.S. citizen returning from Hubei province in China is subject to mandatory quarantine for 14 days. Anyone coming back from other parts of China or from countries with high numbers of infections will be asked to quarantine at home for 14 days. Anyone who is not a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident, or a close family member of one wont be allowed to enter the U.S. for 14 days after you visit China or Iran. Most airlines have canceled flights to China and are reducing routes to other countries. United has announced some domestic travel reductions, and other carriers may follow suit. Check The Houston Chronicle's live coverage and individual airline websites for the latest information. Meanwhile, many companies are setting guidelines for employee travel, and some have temporarily stopped domestic travel. Be aware that if you choose to travel, the situation is changing rapidly: Flights could be canceled or rules put in place at any time. Before booking, canceling or taking a flight, it helps to know what your rights and options are. Weve compiled tips for traveling during the coronavirus outbreak here. How did the coronavirus get started? Chinese health officials alerted the World Health Organization about a growing number of cases of pneumonia caused by an unidentified virus in the city of Wuhan in late December. The new coronavirus was identified about two weeks after that. Coronaviruses can cross over from animals to humans. The virus that causes SARS is believed to have passed from bats to civets and then to humans, and the MERS virus was linked to camels. But scientists have not yet determined the source of the new coronavirus. How long is the COVID-19 outbreak expected to last? Thats not clear. Other coronaviruses, such as those that cause the common cold, tend to be seasonal. But the coronavirus that causes SARS appears to have disappeared about a year after it was identified in 2004. Its too soon to say what will happen with the new coronavirus. Jordan Ray, Dana Burke, Alejandro Serrano, Mallory Moench, Erin Allday and Catherine Ho contributed to this report. A loss of smell or taste might be an early sign of infection with the pandemic virus, say medical experts who cite reports from several countries. It might even serve as a useful screening tool, they say. The idea of a virus infection reducing sense of smell is not new. Respiratory viral infection is a common cause of loss of smell, because inflammation can interfere with airflow and the ability to detect odors. The sense of smell usually returns when the infection resolves, but in a small percentage of cases, smell loss can persist after other symptoms disappear. In some cases, it is permanent. Now, theres good evidence from South Korea, China and Italy for loss or impairment of smell in infected people, says a joint statement from the presidents of the British Rhinological Society and of ENT UK, a British group that represents ear, nose and throat doctors. In South Korea, some 30% of people who tested positive for the virus have cited loss of smell as their major complaint in otherwise mild cases, they wrote. Lionel Richie Wants to Bring Back We Are the World For the Coronavirus Pandemic Torry Threadcraft Torry Threadcraft is a writer who covers music, sports, and Richie discussed the track with People Magazine for its 35th anniversary. 35 years ago, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and over 40 other recording artists recorded We Are the World. The song inspired Americans to raise $63 million dollars in charity towards African famine relief efforts. In honor of its anniversaryand the ongoing coronavirus pandemicLionel Richie wants to get the band back together. Two weeks ago, we said we didnt want to do too much, Richie told People Magazine. This is not the time to sell an anniversary. But the message is so clear. Richie, who now serves as a judge on American Idol, noted the divisiveness within modern-day politics. We were back to there are those people and those people, he said. If you find yourself saying those people then you are not thinking properly. In 2010, artists updated the song in an effort to assist victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Richie says he tried to write a different unity song but hasnt succeeded just yet. Every time I write another message, he said, I write those same words. Active shelter-in-place orders will likely prevent the recording of an updated version. Until then, Richie will continue to preach a message of unity across borders. What happened in China, in Europe, it came here, he said. So if we dont save our brothers there, its going to come home. Its all of us. All of us are in this together. Gardai are urging the public to report any incidents of people coughing or spitting at them, saying they will treat such cases seriously. Garda HQ has warned those involved in such behaviour that they could face prosecution and a criminal record. The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), representing frontline supervisors, described the actions as disgraceful and said they will not be tolerated. The comments come on the back of a number of such incidents, including one involving a youth coughing at a garda in Co Waterford and remarks from Health Minister Simon Harris that he was coughed at by a couple. There have also been various social media reports of similar incidents, some involving groups of teenage boys surrounding or closely passing people. In a statement, Garda HQ said it was aware of ongoing social media reports in relation to people engaged in coughing at individuals. Any member of the public should report such activity to An Garda Siochana and not on social media, the statement said. This activity could amount to an offence under the Public Order Act or Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. An Garda Siochana will treat any reports of this type of activity seriously. It confirmed that a teenage male was arrested for a public order offence in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, on Monday and that an investigation was underway. The arrest occurred after gardai tried to break up a kick-about involving 10 people on a green, but the youth verbally gave out to a garda, then allegedly coughed in his direction. AGSI deputy general secretary Antoinette Cunningham said: It is disgraceful that such actions are taken by members of the public. We do not condone such behaviour and it should not and will not be tolerated. "At a time when the country is going through an intensely difficult period, we need to work together. We appeal to the public to report any such incidents and also to follow public health guidelines at all times. Our members are on the frontline among communities for the greater good during this global pandemic. While these seem to be isolated incidents, they are an attack on Gardai and those communities and will not be tolerated. Minister Harris warned against people playing "games" over the Covid-19 virus after a man and woman randomly ran up to him on the street and coughed at him. This happened to me yesterday as I was walking from here to my department and a man and woman on the street thought it was hilariously funny to come up cough at me and run-off laughing. Mr Harris warned people about engaging in such irresponsible behaviour, given the large numbers of deaths from the spread of the virus in other countries. "Can we please as people just look at what's happened in Italy, in the European Union, where we're seeing several hundred people a day dying of the virus that can be deadly to certain people in our population. When you think, I think particularly older people who are being targeted in relation to this, there seems to be some sort of social media, a game, but it is not a game, it is disgusting, that you will target certain people in your community, generally older people, and go up and cough in their face and video it and have a laugh and run off. Just think if it was your own granny, grandad, mother, father, your own friends with an underlying health condition like cystic fibrosis. The Lord Mayor of Cork, Dr John Sheehan, a GP, said instances of coughing or groups drinking outside proved that more targeted public health messaging was required. "Convincing young people, especially, to take this seriously remains a challenge," he said. "A lot of them just don't get public health messages. When you're young, you feel invincible, as if nothing will happen to you. And there is always that sense of rebellion against authority." Fianna Fail TD for Kildare North James Lawless said he had heard of reports of people taking part in the corona challenge by deliberately coughing into the faces of people and uploading it on social media. Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, has subjected himself to self-isolation, following his close contact with the Bauchi State Governo... Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, has subjected himself to self-isolation, following his close contact with the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed and Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari. Governor Mohammed and Kyari had both tested positive for dreaded coronavirus. A statement by the Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, also disclosed that the Governor has sent his samples for testing. According to the statement, The Governor has gone into self-isolation after the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed and Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, tested positive for coronavirus. The Governor had met Senator Mohammed at the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and National Economic Council (NEC) meetings. He also visited Mr. Kyari. The Christmas Tree Effect: A Guide to Effectively Preaching the Gospel: a well-crafted masterpiece written for everyone to renew and restore the hope that was once lost. The Christmas Tree Effect: A Guide to Effectively Preaching the Gospel is the creation of published author Clark Dunkle, a writer who has spent the better part of his life as an administrator in the healthcare industry. He was called into the ministry in 2003. He has been an itinerant minister preaching to and assisting in pastoring small congregations in South Central Pennsylvania ever since. Dunkle writes, In June of 2011, on one of the hottest nights of the entire year in the small town of Franklin, Tennessee, God revealed to an obscure, unsuspecting itinerant minister a revelation in the form of an undecorated Christmas tree. In the hours that followed, God made clear to him this tree represented the Gospel that Jesus Christ commissioned both the original disciples and us to preach to every creature. It consists of only five powerful words, along with the star of grace to top it all off. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each had different ways of recording this commission of our Lord Jesus. Matthew tells us to go teach, Mark tells us to preach the Gospel, Luke tells us what the Gospel is, and finally, John tells us the most effective way of preaching it. Unfortunately, throughout the years, the church has decorated and thus obscured the Gospel through ornaments that were never intended to be placed on the tree. By preaching these ornaments, we effectively alienate and push away the very people that we hope to be saved. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Clark Dunkles new book is an awakening narrative that delivers a necessary message in these polarized times of decreasing church attendance. With this purpose, Dunkle aims to restore the hope of the readers for them to be able to have strength and courage no matter what they are going through in life. View a synopsis of The Christmas Tree Effect: A Guide to Effectively Preaching the Gospel on YouTube. Consumers can purchase The Christmas Tree Effect: A Guide to Effectively Preaching the Gospel at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Christmas Tree Effect: A Guide to Effectively Preaching the Gospel, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Crexendo Aims to 'Keep America Working' By Maurice Nagle , Web Editor In this time of great uncertainty, there should be no question about communication and collaboration in your operation, let alone the contact center. Cloud communication providers are coming to the rescue, ensuring businesses can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Crexendo announced a special package today with keeping America at work the aim. The Package offer extends through May 31, 2020, promising affordable rates and robust functionality. Steve Mihaylo Chief Executive Officer explained, "The Keep America working package is our way of supporting the businesses of this County. The need to work remotely has never been more apparent. This package allows businesses with legacy premise based phone systems to quickly move to the cloud so that they can continue operating from a remote location or from home. Our cloud communication services play an essential role in allowing businesses to operate seamlessly from remote locations. We have also provided additional incentives to current customers as the need for these services has never been greater. We all need to work together, albeit apart to get through this crisis." Specifically speaking, the keep America working package includes up to four months of free service for new customers; additional discounts for government, education and non-profit organizations; no activation fees for new customers; free mobile and softphone applications; and free collaboration licenses. As we migrate en masse home, its vital the working world has the tools available to remain productive and keep working. Are your communications in cloud, yet? Please enable JavaScript to view the Edited by Maurice Nagle WEDC spokesman David Callender said the corporation had received nearly 2,000 inquiries as of midday Wednesday regarding the order. WEDC is receiving an unprecedented volume of inquiries from citizens looking for help for their businesses and employees, Callender said in an email. WEDC staff are fielding hundreds of these inquiries every day and are trying to respond as quickly as possible. We are asking companies to be patient with us, to not re-submit their inquiries. Callender added that businesses that have been identified as nonessential under the rule are required to follow the order, while those that are unsure if they are subject to the directive should contact WEDC for clarification. Focus on caution Evers has said the order is based on input from health care experts and scientists along with those in the business community. Without the order to close more businesses, state health officials said the outbreak could rise to 22,000 cases of the respiratory disease, including 440 to 1,500 deaths, within two weeks. An increase in cases still is expected for the next few weeks, but officials have said the hope is to see numbers begin leveling off. Shared living firm, Stanza Living, is offering flexi-contracts and special pricing to those who have been stranded on account of the country-wide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. We are offering flexi contracts and special pricing for people stranded currently due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Contracts are generally for a one year period. The flexi-contracts being offered on account of the coronavirus pandemic are for shorter duration, as per the individual needs, and on a monthly payment model," said a company spokesperson. Coronavirus India Lockdown LIVE The company has also set-up a dedicated Employee Contingency Fund based on voluntary contribution from employees. Businesses have been going through a tough time with the COVID19 pandemic spreading, and the co-living space has been no different. As we offer homes to migrant youth from across the country, there is even greater onus on us to be sensitive and prepared to react to the changing environment, said Anindya Dutta, Co-founder and Managing Director, Stanza Living. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The company has also set up a Corona Warriors team. These are ground operations teams tasked with taking care of residents who are currently staying back at the shared residences. Stanza Living has an inventory of 55,000 beds across 10 cities in India. The company is backed by marquee global investors like Equity International, Falcon Edge Capital, Sequoia India, Matrix, Accel Partners and Alteria Capital. A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him May 13, 2017. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters) US Cybersecurity Experts See Recent Spike in Chinese Digital Espionage A U.S. cybersecurity firm said on March 25 it has detected a surge in new cyberspying by a suspected Chinese group dating back to late January, when the coronavirus began to spread beyond China. FireEye Inc. said in a report it had spotted a spike in activity from a hacking group it dubs APT41 that began on Jan. 20 and targeted more than 75 of its customers, from manufacturers and media companies, to healthcare organizations and nonprofits. There were multiple possible explanations for the spike in activity, said FireEye Security Architect Christopher Glyer, pointing to long-simmering tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade and more recent clashes over the coronavirus outbreak. The report said it was one of the broadest campaigns by a Chinese cyber espionage actor we have observed in recent years. FireEye declined to identify the affected customers. Chinas embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. The U.S. National Security Council and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence also did not immediately respond requests seeking comment. FireEye said in its report that APT41 abused recently disclosed flaws in software developed by Cisco, Citrix, and others to try to break into scores of companies networks in the United States, Canada, Britain, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and more than a dozen other countries. Cisco said in an email it had fixed the vulnerability and it was aware of attempts to exploit it, a sentiment echoed by Citrix, which said it had worked with FireEye to help identify potential compromises. Others have also spotted a recent uptick in cyber espionage activity linked to Beijing. Matt Webster, a researcher with SecureworksDell Technologies cybersecurity armsaid in an email that his team had also seen evidence of increased activity from Chinese hacking groups over the last few weeks. In particular, he said his team had recently spotted new digital infrastructure associated with APT41which Secureworks dubs Bronze Atlas. Tying hacking campaigns to any specific country or entity is often fraught with uncertainty, but FireEye said it had assessed with moderate confidence that APT41 was composed of Chinese government contractors. FireEyes head of analysis, John Hultquist, said the surge was surprising because hacking activity attributed to China has generally become more focused. This broad action is a departure from that norm, he said. By Christopher Bing and Raphael Satter German officials are trying to track down six million face masks ordered to protect health workers, which have gone missing from an airport in Kenya. Germany's Der Spiegel magazine said the shipment was due in Germany on 20 March but never arrived after disappearing at the end of last week. It is unclear why the masks were in Kenya. The authorities are trying to find out what happened, a German defence ministry spokeswoman told the Reuters news agency. Another government source is quoted as saying: Whether this [is] a matter of theft or a provider who isnt serious, is being cleared up by customs. According to Reuters, Kenyas health ministry declined to comment and a Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) spokeswoman said the situation was being assessed. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Trump administration is barrelling ahead with a rule aimed at curtailing scientific research used in public health laws while experts in the field are focused on battling the coronavirus. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dismissed demands from 14 attorneys general, the National Governors Association, the National League of Cities and dozens of other interested groups that it suspend non-essential rule changes while the pandemic rages. The proposal, titled Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science, means scientists would have to make public the raw data that supports academic studies like medical records, an impossibility given privacy laws. Experts say the so-called "censored science rule" would prevent the EPA from using findings of public health studies in future and stymie regulation on proven public health threats, for example, air pollution. James Goodwin, senior policy analyst with research nonprofit, the Center for Progressive Reform, told The Independent: A lot of the science needed to effectively respond to this pandemic would not be available if this rule existed today. He pointed to the EPAs research into the most-effective hand sanitisers for Covid-19. This rule would prohibit the EPA from using public health studies with patient data which doctors cant disclose for privacy reasons. Studies with information on what kind of chemicals would be good for sanitisers are public health and patient studies. These critical studies would be off-limits under this rule. He added: The question is why the Trump EPA is pushing this through now? Its because they dont have a lot of time to finish this rule before the election and its wildly unpopular. They are doing it while everybodys attention is focused on basic questions, like are my kids safe and where do I get toilet paper. The rule has attracted widespread criticism from the scientific and medical communities. The EPA says the rule is about transparency but since its introduction in 2018, it has had half a million comments, mostly in opposition. Joanne Carney, chief government relations officer at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, told The Independent: AAAS is requesting an extension to the 30-day public comment period. However, EPA appears to be moving forward with this rule, which has already received nearly 600,000 prior public comments and strong opposition from scientific, medical, and public health experts, as well as critiques from the EPAs own Scientific Advisory Board. We cannot speculate on EPAs intent for moving forward at such a fast pace during a time when much of the country is focused on the coronavirus pandemic. Our nations governors recognise this challenge and have requested that all public comment periods be paused, and we encourage the federal government to heed their advice. An EPA spokesperson told The Independent: EPA is considering all public comments on the 2018 proposed rule Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science and will also consider those comments received in response to the recently published supplement notice. Per House Report 116-100, within 30 days after enactment or 30 days after this rule is finalised, whichever is later, the Committee directs the Agency to enter into a contract with the NAS to review this rule. The review should assess the manner in which the rule alters the ability of the Agency to use publicly available peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies in its regulatory decision-making, including what the NAS considers to be the best available scientific information, and be completed within 270 days. While the country is focused on social distancing, stocking up on food and medicine and worrying about loved ones, other federal agencies pushed forward with policies. Donald Trump and his agency chiefs have focused on rolling back environmental rules that they see as hindrances to big business and the fossil fuel industry. The Interior Department is moving ahead with a measure that would greatly ease protections under the more than century-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Interior also ticked off required procedural steps in March on consideration of a ConocoPhillips oil and gas project in the Alaska wilderness and on a development plan for land surrounding New Mexicos Chaco Culture National Historical Park, a World Heritage site at the centre of a long debate over oil and gas development, among other projects. Interior spokesman Conner Swanson called it unfortunate that these interest groups are playing politics at a time when all Americans need to come together. All DOI actions, including comment periods, are being evaluated on a case-by-case basis and adjustments are being made to ensure we are allowing for proper public input, while protecting the health and safety of the public and our employees, Mr Swanson told AP. Associated Press contributed to this report The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) has announced the postponement of its largest annual fundraising campaign due to Covid-19, and has launched an urgent appeal for vital dementia supports to help them to continue their work with people with dementia and their families. It is estimated that there are 1,057 people living with dementia in Kilkenny and for every one person with dementia three others are directly affected. The number of people with dementia in Ireland is expected to more than double from 55,000 today to 141,200 in 2050. The Alzheimers Tea Day is the largest annual fundraising campaign for the ASI with an estimated loss of 1 million. The organisation has now launched an urgent appeal for vital dementia supports to help them to continue their vital work with people with dementia and their families during this devastating crisis. Alzheimer Society of Irelands CEO Pat McLoughlin says people with dementia are vulnerable and often confused and Covid-19 has heightened that for them. People with dementia are categorised as High risk. With 48 day care centres are closed; and its vital supports such as Social Clubs, Alzheimer Cafes and Support Groups are all postponed until further notice, the ASI are trying to support their members remotely. The ASI has developed some tip sheets to help support people with dementia and their families in a challenging and rapidly changing situation including the following: Tips for vulnerable adults. Tips for supporting vulnerable people in the community. Tips for nursing home restrictions. Supports available from organisations in Ireland during COVID-19 All of which can be found on their website. As part of the urgent appeal, members of the public are being asked to make a special emergency donation today on www.alzheimer.ie to help provide essential care and support to those living with dementia whose lives are being torn apart by Covid-19. Delhi Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on Wednesday expressed deep concern over some reports of misbehaviour with doctors, paramedical staff and healthcare personnel by their landlords. Baijal has directed all the District Magistrates, Zonal Deputy Commissioners of Municipal Corporations, District and Deputy Commissioners of Police to take strict penal action against such landlords under the relevant provisions of law and submit a daily Action Taken Report to the office of Additional Chief Secretary, Home, of the Government of NCT of Delhi. The Government of NCT of Delhi has already issued the Delhi Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020, under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, for prevention and containment of COVID-19 and such behaviour is punishable under the relevant law. The L-G has also directed concerned departments to ensure proper transport arrangements for the health care providers from their residence to hospitals. READ: Chidambaram suggests '10-point plan' to Centre to help India's poor amid 21-day lockdown Delhi HC suspends all District Courts' functioning After the Supreme Court adjourned matters amid 21-day lockdown, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday has suspended all district courts' functioning till April 15. It added that the respective District and Sessions Judges may also permit judges and other staff officials to work from home, wherever possible. Currently, India's total active Coronavirus cases stand at 553, with 10 deaths. Delhi High Court has further directed that the respective District and Sessions Judges may also permit judges and other staff officials to work from home, wherever possible. https://t.co/306wqm2wVv ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 READ: Prakash Javadekar announces Centre's scheme to provide ration for underprivileged Coronavirus crisis in India As of date, 563 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 41 have been discharged and Maharashtra reporting the highest at 122. Nine deaths have been reported till date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and the Prime Minister has issued a 21-day countrywide lockdown starting from 25 March to April 15. READ: Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India enters Day 1 of 21-day lockdown; total active cases at 553 READ: PM Modi busts myths around Coronavirus, appeals people to take disease seriously Libraries across Pennsylvania are closed indefinitely as Gov. Tom Wolf takes steps to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus across the state. The Bethlehem Area Public Library doesnt know when it will reopen, but the library wants patrons to know they can still head online to check out e-books, read magazines and stream movies. And if you already checked out items before the shutdown you just got some extra time to finish that novel youve been too busy to read. No items are due during the closure and no fines will be charged for anything already checked out. In fact, the Bethlehem library doesnt want you to try to return anything because book drops are closed. Just plan to return all items whenever the library reopens. The Easton Area Public Library is tentatively scheduled to reopen April 6 and no fines will accrue during the closure. Easton offers Hoopla, a digital medial service that allows you to borrow movies, music, audiobooks, e-books, comics and TV shows that can be viewed on a computer, table, phone or TV, said Jennifer L. Long, library director. Titles can be checked out simultaneously and streamed or downloaded, so theres never a wait for a popular book or movie. If you suddenly have a lot of free time on your hands, Long suggests using the librarys local history resources to start researching your family tree. Through HeritageQuest, you can also delve into historic Census records from 1790 to 1940 to see just why it is so important to participate in the 2020 Census process, Long said. Here are some suggestions from the Bethlehem librarys website on how to use its resources while the library is closed to visitors: Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. [March 25, 2020] Live Video App Ablo Sees Surge in Users and Conversations Amid COVID-19 Lockdowns GHENT, Belgium, March 25, 2020 /CNW/ -- As millions find themselves under lockdown, live video chat app Ablo is uniquely positioned to connect users across borders and languages over their shared experiences amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Ablo has seen an increase in users of 20% and messages on its platform increase by 50% as social isolation measures have been imposed in various countries. Ablo launched in early 2019 and enables people to start conversations, share their stories and make new friends across the globe. Since messages and video calls on the app are automatically translated in real time, users can have one-on-one conversations with anyone, in any language. Ablo has quickly grown in popularity last year Google named it a "Best App" of 2019, citing its mission of creating unlikely connections and its encouragement to learn about different cultures. While trending topics on Ablo have historically centered around daily routines, the coronavirus pandemic and social isolation measures have overtaken recent conversations. The app has allowed users in various parts of the world to connect over what they're experiening on the ground and how they are coping with quarantines. Ablo sees the number of active users per country following the lockdown wave across the globe. Since the Hubei lockdown on January 23, the number of messages sent has jumped by 120%. Right after Italy's lockdown, the number of sent messages out of Italy increased by 41% and since Spain is in lockdown, Spanish people have sent 31% more messages to people worldwide. "Ablo was already helping users around the world make friends across borders. In these days of physical distancing, we realize how important it is to stay socially connected," said Ablo CEO Joost Roelandts. "With Ablo, we will continue to empower our community to keep exploring the world and connect through these shared experiences and events." About Ablo Named by Google as a Best App of 2019, Ablo is on a mission to create unique connections and encourage learning about other cultures, customs, food and music. Talk with your international friends in your own language and the app will automatically translate. With Ablo, you speak every language. The app has been downloaded over 7 million times in more than 180 countries since its launch in 2019 and is creating over 50,000 friendships every day. Download Ablo for free on iOS, Android & Huawei. Discover more at https://ablo.to/live or download the app on https://ablo.to/download Press kit, logo & high res images: bit.ly/ablo-press-doc Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1137215/Ablo_stay_connected.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1056169/Ablo_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/live-video-app-ablo-sees-surge-in-users-and-conversations-amid-covid-19-lockdowns-301029247.html SOURCE Ablo [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. Airline executives in the US and internationally are imposing furloughs, layoffs and voluntary unpaid time-off against hundreds of thousands of workers in response to the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global airline industry. Meanwhile, the airline industry is appealing for tens of billions of dollars in bailout money from the federal government. President Trump in a recent statement made clear that his top priority was shoring up the airlines bottom line, not making whole hundreds of thousands of impacted airline workers and tens of millions of travelers. Bragging that the airline industry had been making record profits before the pandemic, Trump added, We are going to back the airlines 100 percent. Its not their fault. Previously, a reckless, almost delirious optimism colored the thinking of airline executives. I dont think were ever going to lose money again, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said in 2017. We have an industry thats going to be profitable in good and bad times. This past December, Parker expected American, the worlds largest airline with 130,000 employees, to pull down $3 billion in profits per year going forward. Now, industry analysts are considering that American, which has a crushing $34 billion debt burden, may likely go bankrupt for the second time in a decade. Airport at dusk In response to the collapse in passenger volumes as much of the worlds population falls under quarantine, and as international travel restrictions eliminate many of the industrys most lucrative routes, American began flying cargo-only flights this weekend for the first time in decades. The airline has reported that it has cut 75 percent of international and 30 percent of domestic flights to date. The International Air Transport Association trade association estimated at the beginning of the month that the air travel industry would lose over $113 billion in revenues for the rest of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic. It increased that forecast over the weekend to $200 billion and it is likely to rise further. Job cuts and layoffs are widespread throughout the aviation industry, including airplane manufacturers. GE Aviation, one of the worlds largest suppliers of aircraft engines, announced on Tuesday they were laying off 10 percent of their US workforce, or 2,600 people. Ground workers at airports, which include some of the most poorly-paid positions in the industry such as porters and baggage handlers, have been subjected to mass layoffs at major airports. Airport hospitality contractor OTG has laid off 1,200 workers at New York Citys LaGuardia, Kennedy International (JFK) and Newark Liberty airports. Another 2,500 workers employed in cleaning planes, preparing in-flight meals and handling baggage have also been laid off in the New York City area. New York City has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, with roughly half of the countrys confirmed cases in New York state. Up to a thousand workers at the Philadelphia International Airport are facing unemployment as well. Terminal workers are lowly paid, earning as little as $10 per hour in some cases, with few if any benefits. But they face some of the greatest risks in the pandemic due to their interaction with large numbers of travelers from all over the world. For OTG workers, this will be compounded by the loss of health insurance and severance pay by the end of the month. Airlines in the United States are lining up at the trough for a share of the $2 trillion bailout package for American corporations being prepared by Congress. Industry lobby group Airlines for America, in a letter to Congress last Saturday, requested $58 billion in funding, including $29 billion in payroll protection grants. Both the House and Senate versions of the bailout bill provide for the $58 billion sum, although there are reportedly differences in the specifics. Holding the jobs of 750,000 airline workers for ransom, the group, representing ten major US airlines, threatened that they will be forced to take draconian measures unless the funds are disbursed immediately. However, the letter commits the airlines to avoiding furloughs and layoffs only until September 1 even if these funds are handed over. Over the past decade we have reinvested over 73 percent of our operating profits back into our people and product, creating good paying jobs at a rate that has outpaced other sectors, the letter states. This is a lie. In fact, as has now widely been reported, US airlines spent 96 percent of their cash flow on share buybacks over the last decade. Meanwhile, through a series of mergers and bankruptcies, the industry has shed tens of thousands of jobs, including 167,000 full-time equivalents between 2001 and 2010. As of 2019 airline employment in the United States remained 106,000 jobs below 2001 levels. Delta Airlines, with 91,000 employees, is one of the most profitable of the four major US airlines. Its largest investor is Berkshire Hathaway, the investment firm headed by Warren Buffett, the worlds fourth-richest person with a net worth of $88.9 billion. Buffett could write a check for the entire bailout amount himself and still have $30.9 billion left over, leaving him the 24th-richest person in the world. Similar state interventions are being taken worldwide. The Italian government announced recently that it would halt privatization of flag carrier Alitalia, which was already facing significant troubles, and re-nationalize the weakened company as it faces bankruptcy. It is expected that the bailout will cost an estimated $670 million. Meanwhile, the airline has asked the Italian government for permission to slash its 11,000 member workforce by 4,000 workers. A radiographer who did a 'belly flop' on a pregnant woman's stomach has been struck off after a health watchdog found him incompetent. Nigerian-born Mr Senu Sejoro only lasted three months in his job after continual complaints about his work, including falling onto a pregnant woman's stomach at her 20-week scan and using her to get back to his feet. The hearing was told the incident at Burnley General Hospital, Lancashire, was witnessed by his line manager who was watching a clinic via Skype. Another mother-to-be said she was left upset after the sonographer made 'umming' and 'aahing' noises during her scan. She left the consultation in tears fearing something was wrong with her baby. His work rate was slow, which meant that he was performing three scans per session while his colleagues completed 10 or 12 per session. The Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service panel also heard he had made mistakes in checking a foetus, involving a third patient. Senu Sejoro only lasted three months in his job after continual complaints about his work at Burnley General Hospital, Lancashire, including falling on a pregnant woman Mr Sejoro had worked at Burnley General Hospital and Royal Blackburn Hospital as part of a six-month probationary stint from April 2015. Alarm bells were ringing from the onset and line manager, Julie White, told the hearing she had Skyped with Mr Sejoro on two or three occasions as concerns had been raised about his capabilities, before calling him on May 5. She said: 'I was trying to observe him without causing alarm to the patient. 'The next time I looked he had done a belly flop on the patient and his reaction was to push up using the patient. 'He pushed himself off the patient with his hands. 'I don't know how it happened at the time he should have been putting the glue on the patient's stomach. He may have tripped over his feet or got his feet locked. 'It was a complete surprise, I have never seen anything like that before. I think it was a split-second reaction to put his hands out and push himself up again. 'I was very conscious of the patient's reaction and I didn't want to interrupt.' The hearing was told the patient made a comment about the fall as she left. And when she called the clinic later she asked for a different radiographer. Mr Sejoro underwent an induction and his first probationary review was held on June 3, when areas of concern were identified in relation to his skills and practice. He was provided with an action plan with specific tasks for improvement, and it was agreed that there would be additional training sessions provided by staff on the ultrasound systems used in the hospital. Just one week later he was placed on a formal performance management plan because his performance had not improved to a satisfactory level. There was a further meeting on June 12, when the registrant was informed that he would be called to a formal hearing regarding his performance. His employment was terminated on July 28, 2015, and the Trust reported him to the HCPTS. After failing to attend the latest review hearing, as well as others in 2017, 2018, and 2019, the disciplinary panel imposed a striking-off order. Six professional conduct charges were found proved against the medic, who had already been dismissed by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. Mr Sejoro had expressed remorse for his level of performance, as part of the investigation, and indicated he wanted to improve. A HCPTS spokesman said: 'There was no evidence before the panel that there had been any change in the level of the registrant's insight. Prior to the substantive hearing the registrant had expressed remorse and demonstrated some insight. 'However, his reflections did not adequately explain what steps he had taken to ensure that there would be no repetition of the incidents found proved, and there was no evidence about how the reflections have been incorporated into his practice to ensure he is a safe and competent radiographer or sonographer.' Harris County may have to close its testing sites this week if the federal government does not refresh their dwindling supply of test kits and protective medical gear, officials warned Tuesday. With the nation already short on supplies, Harris Countys remaining tests as of Tuesday morning consisting of pre-packaged nasal swabs are being split between two sites they are operating and that cache is expected to last through Thursday. The estimate was provided after county officials reassessed their stock twice in one day. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, while announcing a stay-at-home order at a news conference, said their kits would certainly last through Tuesday, but after that, was spotty. That date was pushed back to Wednesday after another review of supplies, and again to Thursday with another check. The supplies stem from four to five palettes of boxes that FEMA delivered Thursday, which was then divided evenly between the county and city of Houston to help with testing the entire region for the novel coronavirus. The shipment was enough to get the testing sites up and running, according to officials. The Harris County Public Health District opened their test sites over the weekend to first responders and medical professionals before expanding it Monday to community members. Another shipment was supposed to arrive by Monday night, said Mac McLendon, head of the countys Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. The thought process was that wed be resupplied in three to four days, but that has not happened, he said Tuesday. According to McLendon, each site has been instructed to do no more than 250 tests a day to prevent inundating labs with a deluge of samples which will go bad if not attended to. A spokeswoman for Harris County Public Health expects that each site will go through the 250 tests daily. Weve either got to acquire some locally or were out of business, McLendon said. Harris County is not the only region running low, but some states are running lower, he said citing a conference call he had Tuesday morning with FEMA. The shipments have been prioritized to areas of greater concern, though McLendon did not disclose which regions that would be. New Yorks case level skyrocketed past 25,600 on Tuesday. The city of Houston, however, expects its supplies -- including swabs -- to last a bit longer. At their Butler Stadium site, more than 700 people were tested from Friday through Monday. Houston Health Department spokesman Scott Packard said they have enough test kits and protective medical supplies to last a few more days, without elaborating on how many swabs were left. Were not at a critical mass yet, he said. Packard said the city tested 159 people on Friday, 161 on Saturday, 198 on Sunday and 200 more on Monday, never reaching the 250 maximum. On Thursday and Friday, more than 750 people were tested at United Memorial Medical Center, a private hospital in Acres Homes that has been the focal point of U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lees call-to-action in treating the pandemic. Dr. Joseph Varon, chief medical officer for the hospital, said in a phone call that FEMA provided a modest amount of supplies but he was unsure when the next shipment would arrive. Remmington Belford, a spokesman for the congresswoman, said no FEMA supplies had been given to the hospital and they were using their own funds to purchase protective gear and tests. The results of tests at United Memorial are funneled through local health jurisdictions associated with the patients residence and then confirmed through that municipalitys health department, according to officials. [March 25, 2020] SixFifty and Wilson Sonsini Launch Free Automated Legal Tools to Help Businesses Manage Employment Issues Created by COVID-19 PALO ALTO, Calif., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SixFifty, the technology subsidiary of the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, today announced the release of free automated legal tools to help businesses manage coronavirus-related employment issues. The COVID-19 tools include automated policies developed by Wilson Sonsini's leading employment attorneys and a questionnaire system that can gather information from employees impacted by COVID-19, manage tasks and automate important communications. Companies can access SixFifty's COVID-19 tools for free at www.sixfifty.com/covid. "With Wilson Sonsini's expertise in this area, we realized that SixFifty is uniquely positioned to provide automated tools that address an immediate need during this pandemic," said Kimball Parker, CEO of SixFifty. "This is exactly what SixFifty is here forto help companies respond to situations like this by deploying affordable and scalable legal products." SixFifty's COVID-19 tools provide organizations with a framework to manage workplace issues that have arisen as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. SixFifty's automated COVID-19 policies cover extended sick leave, telecommuting, travel and reimbursements. The product prompts employers to answer a series of questions about their business. SixFifty's automation software takes those answers and generates customized policies that can guide a company's actions during this pandemic. SixFifty's questionnaire system helps companies take the pulse of their employees in real time. Businesses can create a customized set of questions and prompts that they can deploy to their workforce via a single link. Through SixFifty's dashboard, companies can track each response, create workflows to address any issues that arise and automate employee communications. SixFifty worked with Wilson Sonsini's employment experts to configure a COVID-pecific questionnaire that is available to any company that creates an account and addresses exposure to COVID-19, travel and when employees can return to work. "Dealing with issues such as telecommuting and leaves of absence can be complicated in a normal business environment, and they are compounded by this pandemic and the evolving legal landscape in response to the COVID-19 outbreak," said Marina Tsatalis, Wilson Sonsini employment partner. "Companies need to take into account existing state and federal law, new legislation that is being enacted to support employees during this outbreak, and local orders and other provisions that are impacting where employees work and their entitlements to paid and unpaid leave if they can't work. SixFifty's tools provide policies that have been prepared specifically for use during the crisis created by COVID-19 and a framework companies can follow to sort, prioritize, and address key issues." SixFifty and the employment group at Wilson Sonsini will continue to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak and will update the COVID-19 tools with any necessary changes. SixFifty will also hold a series of webinars on how to use the COVID-19 tools. The first is scheduled for Friday March 27, 2020 at 10:00 am PST. Companies can register for the webinars at www.sixfifty.com/covid. Wilson Sonsini formed SixFifty in February 2019 to develop automated tools designed to make legal processes more efficient and affordable. SixFifty combines the expertise of one of the world's leading technology law firms with technology such as automation to make the law more accessible for companies of all sizes. SixFifty recently released a privacy suite that automates compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act and the General Data Protection Regulation. Current CCPA and GDPR clients will have immediate access to the COVID-19 content via their existing client dashboards. About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati For more than 50 years, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offered a broad range of services and legal disciplines focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of corporate governance and finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities litigation, employment law, intellectual property, and antitrust, among many other areas of law. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offices in Austin; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com. About SixFifty Headquartered in the Silicon Slopes area of Utah, SixFifty is a subsidiary of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and combines the expertise of the world's leading technology law firm, made accessible through thoughtful technology. Led by a group of lawyers and software engineers that believe the law should be easier to navigate, SixFifty streamlines complex areas of the law by providing actionable, efficient and affordable solutions for individuals and businesses. For more information, please visit www.sixfifty.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sixfifty-and-wilson-sonsini-launch-free-automated-legal-tools-to-help-businesses-manage-employment-issues-created-by-covid-19-301028810.html SOURCE SixFifty [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Bangladesh on Wednesday released jailed former prime minister and main opposition leader Khaleda Zia for six months amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The 74-year-old opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief is serving a 17-year prison term in two graft cases since February 8, 2018. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Zia was freed conditionally on Wednesday afternoon on humanitarian grounds after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's approval. Zia served thrice as the premier since 1991. Her party suffered a miserable defeat in the 2018 elections bagging only six seats in 300-seat parliament. Her conviction on "moral turpitude" charges debarred her from contesting the polls. She was sent to jail in February 2018 by a local court on charges of embezzling foreign donations meant for an orphanage, named after her slain husband and president Ziaur Rehman, during her premiership between 2001 and 2006. Rehman, a military ruler-turned-politician, was the founder of the BNP. She was convicted in another corruption case later the same year, though her party claims both cases are politically motivated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PHOENIX, March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A March 16 survey by 720 System Strategies found that the coronavirus-related monthly income loss was just $831. In the most recent survey, just a week later, monthly income loss more than doubled to $2,112, a 154% increase. The time has come to stop paying debt. This advice came from a surprising source: a credit expert who has helped tens of thousands of people rebuild their credit scores. "Our clients are reporting an average monthly income loss of about $2,112 due to the coronavirus," said Philip Tirone, founder of 720 System Strategies, a bankruptcy marketing firm that surveyed more than 80,000 students in its credit-rebuilding program. According to survey results, almost 30% of Americans have lost their jobs or seen a significant drop in income due to the coronavirus, and 21% of them reported that they will be unable to pay their bills this month because of the coronavirus; 24% of people said that they have a one-month buffer before they are unable to pay their bills; and 12% of people said they have a two-month buffer. "In other words, more than half of this population will be unable to pay their bills within two months," said Tirone. "Keep in mind that these figures assume that no one else loses their job or sees any additional drop in income in the coming weeks. As the experts say, 'It is going to get worse before it gets better.'" Tirone had this advice for people facing financial hardship: "First, call the hardship department for your lenders and creditors immediately. Explain that you have been impacted by the coronavirus, and ask for a revised payment plan on all your debt. If you rent, call your landlord and explain to them the situation." Doing this will help borrowers protect their credit score, but this should hardly be their primary concern. "Spend your money, including your stimulus check, on essentials for survival," he said as his second piece of advice. "I believe that income will drop significantly more than it already has, so prioritize protecting your family over protecting your credit score. After all, you can always rebuild your credit score." Tirone predicted that the number of consumer bankruptcies in 2020 will skyrocket past the 2010 high of 1.5 million consumer bankruptcies. "We will bounce back," he said. "In fact, your credit score can be 720 just 12 months after declaring bankruptcy. But what if you don't have money to feed your family? It's harder to bounce back from that sort of emergency." Philip Tirone is the CEO of 720 System Strategies, a consumer bankruptcy marketing company, and creator of 7 Steps to a 720 Credit Score, a credit rebuilding program offered by 720CreditScore.com Philip Tirone | [email protected] | 602-691-7570 Related Files Philip Tirone BW Headshot, 1.9MB.jpg 720 Credit Score Survey, Week 2.xlsx Related Links Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney Marketing How to Rebuild Your Credit Score SOURCE 720 System Strategies Related Links https://www.720systemstrategies.com/ Calls have been made for the government to issue out 'rural proofed' support for businesses in the countryside impacted by the coronavirus. Some rural firms risk being 'missed out' in government support packages, the Countryside Alliance has warned. In a written submission of evidence to the Treasury Select Committee, the group said rural businesses 'in their nature differ considerably' to those in urban areas. They therefore need 'rural proofed' packages to help support them as the virus spreads in the UK. The campaign group argues that many rural businesses are in the hospitality and leisure sectors, but in some instances there are firms that may not be identified as part of the leisure sector, and therefore would not be eligible for support. For example, racing stables in the horse racing industry have been told they are not eligible for government support. The situation is also unclear for livery yards and kennel which like racing stables have been hit hard by the current crisis, the Countryside Alliance explained. The government has been urged to carry out an assessment of those businesses classified as part of the leisure sector. Tim Bonner, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: The government must clarify what businesses qualify for support. For example, it is suggested racing stables, despite being valued by the Valuation Office Agency as a leisure business, are not eligible. "To complicate the situation there is a discrepancy between how each respective Local Authority view certain businesses depending on their activities related to sport, and whether that activity is defined as a leisure activity. "This means that some businesses will be eligible for support and some will not be because of where that business is situated." He added: "There must be no discrepancy in how Local Authorities treats and views leisure businesses related to sport. Rural businesses need clarity on how they are viewed and treated, and support needs to be made available to them. "In all cases, these businesses have been significantly impacted due to Covid-19." Business owners and unions are working together to help save jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. The Australian Hotels Association and the United Workers Union successfully applied to alter the workplace rules stated in the hospitality award for up to three months on Tuesday. The chief executive of the Australian Hotel Association, Stephen Ferguson, said: 'Our employer members are at the coal face of this crisis. 'This agreement strikes the right balance between flexibility for employers and protection for employees,' he told The Financial Review. Almost one million hospitality workers risked losing their jobs this week as cafes, pubs and restaurants were all forced to close amid coronavirus shutdowns. The hospitality award also covers casinos, hotels and the bars and restaurants within those hotels, most of which were also closed in the government's restriction measures. The Australian Hotels Association and the United Workers Union worked together to suspend conditions in the Australian hospitality award amid the coronavirus crisis. Pictured: A closed restaurant in Sydney The president of the Fair Work Commission, Justice Iain Ross, approved the amended hospitality award at an urgent full bench hearing on Tuesday afternoon. He praised the association and union for working together on the agreement and said: 'This is a time for cooperation not conflict'. The changes seek to ensure that staff can be retained and it drops a full-time employee to 22.8 working hours a week, while part time employees can retain an average of 60 per cent of their guaranteed hours. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement Staff were also enabled to work across classifications, as long as they had all the necessary qualifications, such as a Responsible Serving of Alcohol certificate. Employers can now ask employees to take annual leave with 24 hours' notice and may provide half-pay or more flexible options for leave. Many hospitality venues are still operating at a limited capacity throughout the coronavirus crisis. Hotels are staffed with skeleton crews while some pubs and restaurants are operating on a takeaway basis. Mr Ferguson said that changing the hospitality award helped workplaces to find a balance: 'What this allows to happen is to provide work for more employees. Instead of two people getting 40 hours a week it might be three people sharing those hours.' Other unions and employer groups have also been in discussions regarding changes to their industry awards, including the restaurants award and the clerks award, which covers more than a million administrative staff. Author Amy Alznauer and illustrator Ping Zhu were scheduled to attend the Athens Children's Book Festival at the Athens-Clarke County Public Library on March 28 until it was postponed indefinitely due to safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo/Julian Alexander) In order to contain the spread of coronavirus, the government has so far prevented over 38,000 crew and passengers on board over 1,000 ships from disembarking on Indian shores and arranged safe transport of EXIM cargo, a shipping ministry official said on Wednesday. Apart from restricting cargo handling and scanning passengers and crew, the government has prohibited entry of any international cruise ship, crew or passengers with a travel history to coronavirus-hit countries post February 1 to its major ports. Besides, it has also asked port chiefs to make timely payments to casual workers. Till Wednesday, over 38,000 crew and passengers on board over 1,000 vessels arriving on Indian shores from China or travel history to the impacted countries were not allowed to disembark here, the official said. They have not been allowed to disembark as a precautionary measure to contain any possible spread of the virus, the official said adding that they were allowed to anchor at designated places, but no shore passes were issued to such crew and passengers after January 26. Of over 1,000 ships, 719 had arrived at India's 12 major ports while the remaining arrived at minor ports under the control of the state governments. According to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), all passengers and crew aboard the vessels are being scanned, and all necessary facilities are being extended to them, the official said. All required protocols are being followed and help is being provided in the case of fever or sickness, the official added. India has 12 major ports -- Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), V O Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia) -- that handled 699.04 MT of cargo during 2018-19. There are about 200 non-major ports under the control of states. Last month, the government directed all 12 major ports to immediately put in place screening, detection and quarantine system for disembarking seafarers and cruise passengers as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak. Directions had also been issued to ports to procure N-95 masks as well as thermal scanners to screen passengers, besides obtaining self-declaration from arriving crew and passengers. To prevent the spread of the deadly virus, the Ministry of Shipping had said it will allow only such international cruise ships that had intimated their call to ports by January 1, 2020. "Only those international cruise ships that had planned and intimated their call to an Indian port not later than January 1, 2020, will be allowed to call on such port," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) According to the information shared by one of Trump's official, the number of immigrants illegally crossing the border has been reduced to half since the strictest US-Mexico Border policy took effect. CDC's Policy on Illegal Crossing On Friday, CDC released a new restriction stating that anyone caught illegally crossing the border will be returned to either Mexico or Canada immediately. Mark Morgan, acting head of US Custom and Border Protection, confirms this restriction applies to all immigrants. In an interview with Fox News, Morgan mentioned that the CBP will not take anyone in custody since they assume that anyone crossing the border illegally has no documents and thus, they will not risk exposing their personnel, other immigrants and the American people to such. However, Mexican officials mentioned that they are only allowed to take individuals they encounter and not those who are already in CBP's custody. They later confirm that elders and minors will not be taken back but insist that they will not be accepting those who are not Mexican or Central American. The majority of the immigrants crossing the border are from Central America. However, in January and February of this year, several Brazilians and Chinese arrived on the border. Mexican officials believed they should be transported back to their countries immediately. CDC issued an order on Friday that restricts anyone from coming in. Migrants are kept in closed quarters, with poor staffing and less space which increases the risk of spreading COVID-19 easily. Chad Wolf, acting Homeland Security Secretary, announced that the border is still open but exclusively for trades and tourists are requested to stay at home. He said the number of migrants crossing illegally has decreased as the supply chain continues. Mexican Border Situation Patrol officers in the Mexican border fear that the number of migrants stuck in their side of the border will continue to increase. Shelters on their side are already on maximum capacity and will not be able to handle additional heads at this point. Hector Joaquin Silva, director of Senda de Reynosa shelter, said, "We have been a week without the United States asking for migrants and if they continue to not ask for people, we will be overcrowded." Silva confirms that they are not currently accepting additional migrants and the shelters are currently under quarantine to prevent any form of infection, however, migrants continue to arrive. Concurrently, US immigrant advocates filed a lawsuit in Washington DC asking for the immediate release of migrant families from detention centers. According to them, the detention facilities where the families are held were unable to protect the families from the coronavirus. ICE is working on containing the spread of COVID-19 in its detention facilities. The agency has no comment on the lawsuit filed. Suppressing immigration has been President Trump's trademark. He once tried to mitigate the asylum but the court ruled against him. A recent text from his re-election campaign says, "Pres. Trump is making your safety his #1 priority. That's why we are closing the borders to ILLEGALS." Related Articles: Seattle, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) - CFN Media (OTCQB: CNFN), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry announces the publication of an article discussing cashless banking systems for the cannabis space and beyond. CannaTrac Technology Inc. Cannot view this image? Visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5503/53766_cfncan1100.jpg The legal cannabis industry has had its ups and downs since its inception just a few years ago. Legislation and licensing decisions helped boost some companies, while overcapacity and regulatory issues depressed others. The best companies have found ways to diversify their revenue streams to generate consistent and sustainable growth over time. In this article, we will take a look at CannaTrac Technology Inc. and how it has diversified its revenue by providing merchant processing solutions to the hemp-based cannabidiol (CBD) space at some of the lowest rates in the industry. Are you an accredited investor? Click here to receive investor information and corporate updates. Hemp-based CBD on the Rise Projections predict that the market for CBD products could surpass $20 billion by 2024, according to BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research, which represents a blistering 49% compound annual growth rate. These figures suggest that CBD will make up just under half of the total cannabinoid (THC and CBD) market in the United States there by, making it a significant market opportunity. Unlike THC-based products, CBD products are widely sold in both online and offline shops. The U.S. Farm Bill legalized the production and sale of hemp-based products and the Food and Drug Administration has been warming up to the idea of working with CBD manufacturers to come up with a clear regulatory framework after years of back-and-forth. Roughly 43% of CBD products are purchased through general online retailers, which is more than is purchased through health food stores, organic grocery stores, convenience stores, or specific brand shops. The convenience of shopping online and having products shipped appears to resonate with many CBD consumers that tend to be well-educated individuals over 40. CannaTrac Eases Payments The biggest challenge for many online shops selling CBD products is payment processing. These products are often considered to be "high risk" by banks. In addition, many of these companies struggle with differentiating their products and retaining customers following an initial purchase - especially with rising competition. At the same time, mobile payments are becoming increasingly popular among consumers that are more comfortable with the technology. eMarketer found that the U.S. mobile payments market reached $98.8 billion in 2019, representing a 41% compound annual growth rate. CannaTrac is well aware of these challenges. CannaTrac has an established record of working within the cannabis industry to establish bank accounts. The company's CannaCard solution is a payment and loyalty rewards system that's akin to Starbucks mobile payment product - enabling customers to make payments and accumulate loyalty points with each and every purchase. CannaTrac Technology Inc. To view an enhanced version of this image, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5503/53766_8f198c07e4cd2a4b_002full.jpg Last year, the company aligned with top-tier merchant processors focused on CBD retailers that enables payments into their e-commerce platforms and brick & mortar stores. This allows medium to high risk merchants to benefit from some of the lowest payment processing rates in the industry. Are you an accredited investor? Click here to receive investor information and corporate updates. Well-Positioned for Growth CannaTrac developed the CannaCard to provide consumers and retailers with a convenient way to benefit from the increased safety and convenience of cashless purchases within the legal cannabis industry. By capturing early market share, the company aims to become the go-to payment solution for the cannabis, CBD, and many other industries. In addition, the company is rapidly scaling its merchant base. We offer some of the industry's highest payouts to Independent Sales Organizations, or ISOs, that are bringing in accounts to CannaTrac on a daily basis. These sales teams reduce the need for in-house sales and help scale higher revenue with a minimal cash outlay. In addition to diversified revenue streams, the company partnered with Valid USA Inc. in late-2019 to expand its CannaCard product around the world. Valid is best known as the fifth largest producer of SIM cards in the world and one of the top ten manufacturers of banking cards with 6,000 employees across 16 countries. The company also aligned with Pacific Banking Corp. to provide state-licensed dispensaries with the ability to apply for CannaCard and PBC banking services with a single application. For many customers, it's the first time they have an opportunity to access much-needed traditional banking services and payment processing. Are you an accredited investor? Click here to receive investor information and corporate updates. Looking Ahead CannaTrac is currently raising up to $20 million in an open round. The company intends to use the proceeds from the capital raise to expand its IP, for operations, and for working capital. For more information, visit the company's website at www.cannatrac.com or signup to download their investor presentation and receive corporate updates! Click here to read the full article: https://www.cannabisfn.com/cannatracs-diversified-revenue-streams-create-a-baseline-for-consistent-sustainable-growth/ CannaTrac Company Contact: Tom Gavin CEO tgavin@cannatrac.com CFN Media Contact: Frank Lane President flane@cannabisfn.com About CFN Media CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN) is the owner and operator of CFN Media, the leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the legal cannabis industry. For Visitors and Viewers CFN Media's Cannabis Financial Network (CannabisFN.com) is the destination for savvy investors and business people profiting from the worldwide cannabis industry. Viewers will see breaking news, exclusive content and original programming involving the people, companies and investments shaping the industry. For Cannabis Businesses & Companies CFN Media is a leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the cannabis industry. We help private, pre-public and public cannabis companies in the US and Canada attract capital, investors and media attention. Our powerful digital media and distribution platform conveys a company's message and value proposition directly to accredited and retail investors and national media active in the North American cannabis markets. Since 2013, CFN Media has enabled the world's preeminent cannabis companies to thrive in the capital and public markets. Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: https://www.cannabisfn.com/become-featured-company/ Disclaimer The above article is sponsored content. CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, have been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53766 And though some nontraditional manufacturers like T-shirt factories and other apparel makers have announced plans to rush-produce masks, its unclear that they will be able to meet required safety standards or shift over production in time to answer demand. Few in the protective equipment industry are surprised by the shortages, because theyve been predicted for years. In 2005, the George W. Bush administration called for the coordination of domestic production and stockpiling of protective gear in preparation for pandemic influenza. In 2006, Congress approved funds to add protective gear to a national strategic stockpile among other things, the stockpile collected 52 million surgical face masks and 104 million N95 respirator masks. But about 100 million masks in the stockpile were deployed in 2009 in the fight against the H1N1 flu pandemic, and the government never bothered to replace them. This month, Alex Azar, secretary of health and human services, testified that there are only about 40 million masks in the stockpile around 1 percent of the projected national need. As the coronavirus began to spread in China early this year, a global shortage of protective equipment began to look inevitable. But by then it was too late for the American government to do much about the problem. Two decades ago, most hospital protective gear was made domestically. But like much of the rest of the apparel and consumer products business, face mask manufacturing has since shifted nearly entirely overseas. China is a producer of 80 percent of masks worldwide, Laverdure said. Hospitals began to run out of masks for the same reason that supermarkets ran out of toilet paper because their just-in-time supply chains, which call for holding as little inventory as possible to meet demand, are built to optimize efficiency, not resiliency. Youre talking about a commodity item, said Michael J. Alkire, president of Premier, a company that purchases medical supplies for hospitals and health systems. In the supply chain, he said, by definition, theres not going to be a lot of redundancy, because everyone wants the low cost. In January, the brittle supply chain began to crack under pressure. To deal with its own outbreak, China began to restrict exports of protective equipment. Then other countries did as well Taiwan, Germany, France and India took steps to stop exports of medical equipment. That left American hospitals to seek more and more masks from fewer and fewer producers. (CNN) Remember the Louisiana pastor who defied the governor's order not to hold gatherings larger than 50 people? He held services again on Sunday, and he plans to do so yet again on Tuesday night. On Sunday, Pastor Tony Spell said, his Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge drew about 1,000 people to its services, in part by busing people in from across five parishes. On Tuesday evening, the pastor plans to hold services again, despite the governor's stay-at-home orders, a petition seeking his arrest and a flood of criticism from fellow Christians. "If they close every door in this city, then I will close my doors," Spell told CNN on Tuesday. "But you can't say the retailers are essential but the church is not. That is a persecution of the faith." Spell has told CNN he believes the pandemic is "politically motivated." Chief Roger Corcoran of the Central Police Department in Baton Rouge told CNN that the "matter is under investigation." Corcoran also disputed Spell's claim last week that the police department told the pastor that the National Guard would be brought in to disperse the church assembly. "That was never told to the pastor by my officer," Corcoran said. Spell stands by his account. A spokesman for the Louisiana National Guard said they have not been tasked with breaking up large gatherings. The pastor says he's heard from the White House As the novel coronavirus spreads across the world, nearly every faith group has closed its holy sites and houses of worship. But there remain a defiant few pastors and religious leaders who refuse to close their doors, accusing the government of overreach and imposing on their religious freedom. Earlier in March, Lousiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued an emergency order barring gatherings of larger than 50 people to stop the spread of Covid-19. On Sunday, Edwards went even further, asking residents statewide to only leave home for essential needs like shopping for food, going to the pharmacy or caring for a family member. Louisiana has the fastest growth rate of coronavirus cases in the world, Edwards said during a news conference on Sunday, citing a University of Louisiana Lafayette study. The governor's office did not respond to repeated requests from CNN for comment about Spell's church services. On Sunday, Edwards told CNN affiliate WVLA that he would "would urge that faith leaders and all faith leaders to heed this directive and not necessarily engage in mass gatherings where this coronavirus can spread." For his part, Spell said he is following social distancing guidelines, including instructions from Washington. The pastor said someone from the White House he declined to say who called him last week. The official, according to Spell, asked him to hold services outside, make his congregation stand six feet apart and prevent non-family members from touching. According to the Washington Post, Spell spoke with Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and a member of President Trump's informal body of evangelical advisers. A spokesman for Perkins said the conversation took place but that Perkins was not immediately available for comment. In a statement, the White House said, "During this public health crisis, the Trump Administration has been extremely proactive in reaching out to leaders from the faith community, hosting several calls last week with more than 1,200 inter-faith leaders. "The White House has strongly recommended that all Americans, including pastors, follow CDC guidelines by limiting groups to 10 people and practicing social distancing. President Trump encourages Americans of all religious backgrounds to do their part to stay healthy and stop the spread." Despite criticism, Spell remains undeterred A video of the Sunday service, posted on Spell's Facebook page, shows his congregation singing, praying, touching and otherwise worshiping in close proximity, mostly under a tent. The 1,000 congregants were spread across the church's seven buildings, Spell said. The pastor said he's heard a flood of criticism from fellow Christians urging him to close his doors. Many, Spell said, cite Romans 13, the passage in which the Apostle Paul urges Christians to submit to "governing authorities." Others ask him to consider the greater good. On Monday, the influential evangelical magazine Christianity Today published an editorial asking pastors and church leaders to consider the consequences of their actions. "We are being asked temporarily to convene remotely, not to deny our faith or to cease worshiping God," said the editorial, which was co-written with Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals. "It is one thing to risk your own life in order to worship together in person," the editorial continued, "it is quite another to risk the lives of countless others, when so many churches are finding creative and compelling ways to carry on in worship and community from a distance." An online petition from "The People of Greater Baton Rouge" asks that Edwards be arrested and charged with reckless endangerment. Spell, though, remains undeterred. The pastor told CNN that people been cured of HIV-AIDS and cancer at his worship services, which feature faith-healing, speaking in tongues and other spiritual hallmarks of Pentecostalism. Asked what he would do if a member of his congregation contracted coronavirus, Spell shifted the blame. "Did they contract it at Walmart or Target?" he asked. "They have more people in their parking lot than we get here in a week." This story was first published on CNN.com "Pastor again defies state order not to hold large gatherings. He says 1,000 people came to his church Sunday" FILE PHOTO: The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County (Reuters) - Oil and gas companies are cutting spending plans in response to the new coronavirus and a push by Saudi Arabia and Russia to ramp up output. International benchmark prices have more than halved since the start of the year, falling to around $25 a barrel. North American oil and gas producers have cut capital spending by about 30% on average, data compiled by Reuters showed. Below are plans announced by top energy companies (in alphabetical order): AKER BP Norwegian Aker BP will postpone non-sanctioned projects to cut its planned 2020 capital and exploration spending by 20% due to the coronavirus but maintains its production guidance. Capital spending for this year would be reduced to $1.2 billion and exploration spending to $400 million, while in 2021-2022 it expects capital spending to be "well below" $1 billion. The company said its ambition to continue paying dividends "remained firm", but the board still had to assess the situation. BPBP Plc said it planned to reduce capital and operational spending, which was about $15 billion last year. CHEVRON Chevron Corp said it aimed to trim spending and lower oil output in the near term. The oil major's 2020 organic capital expenditure guidance had been $20 billion. DNO Norway's DNO, which operates in Iraq's Kurdistan region, said it would cut its 2020 budget by 30% or $300 million and lower its dividend for the first half of the year. ENERGEAN Mediterranean gas group Energean said it would cut its investments by $155 million in Greece and Israel and could reduce its budget for Egypt by another $140 million if needed without endangering delivery of its long-term offtake deals. ENI Eni followed rivals by cancelling a share buyback and sharply cutting investments. It said it would withdraw plans it had to buy back 400 million euros ($433.84 million) of shares this year, adding it would reconsider a buyback when Brent was at least $60 per barrel. ENQUEST North Sea producer EnQuest aims to break even this year at $38 a barrel and does not expect to restart its Heather and Thistle/Deveron fields, which produced 6,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) last year. Story continues It is cutting operating costs by 30% to $375 million and investment will be lowered by $80 million to $150 million, which is expected to reduce output next year. EQUINOR Norway's Equinor has suspended its ongoing $5 billion share buyback programme and said it would cut total 2020 spending by around $3 bln, including capital spending reduction to $8.5 billion from previous plans of $10-11 billion, with drilling and completion activities being postponed in the U.S. onshore. EXXONMOBIL ExxonMobil Corp said it would make significant cuts to spending. It had previously budgeted $30 billion to $33 billion for projects in 2020. GENEL Genel Energy Plc, which operates in Iraq's Kurdistan region, said it could generate excess cash at a sustained oil price of $40 a barrel, would be resilient with an oil price of $30 a barrel and will continue to pay a dividend of $0.10 a share. It said it could reduce investments to $60 million this year, but expected the number to be $100 million, below previous guidance of $160-$200 million. Its production costs are $3 a barrel. It has yet to receive payments from local authorities for production in October and November. GULF KEYSTONE Kurdistan-focused producer Gulf Keystone suspended some of its drilling activities in the northern Iraqi region. KOSMOS ENERGY Kosmos Energy Ltd has suspended its dividend and said it aimed to reduce 2020 capital spending by 30% with a view to becoming cash-flow neutral with an oil price of $35. LUNDIN PETROLEUM Lundin Petroleum has decided to cut its proposed dividend for 2019 by 44%, and said it was cutting its total 2020 capital, exploration, decomissioning and G&A spending by an initial $170 million or around 13%. OIL SEARCH Papua New Guinea-focused Oil Search Ltd cut its 2020 investment by 38% and capital spending by 44%. PREMIER OIL Premier Oil Plc said it had identified at least $100 million in potential savings on its 2020 capital spending plans. Premier expects to be broadly cash-flow neutral in 2020, assuming a $100 million reduction in planned 2020 capital spending and a $35 oil price for the rest of the year. SANTOS Santos Ltd, Australia's No. 2 independent gas producer, said it was reviewing all its capital spending plans and would stop all hiring. SAUDI ARAMCO Saudi Arabia's state-run oil company Saudi Aramco said it planned to cut capital spending for 2020 to between $25 billion and $30 billion, compared with $32.8 billion in 2019. ROYAL DUTCH SHELL Shell lowered capital expenditure for 2020 by about $5 billion on Monday and suspended the next tranche of its share buyback plan, as the company tries to weather a hit from the recent oil price crash. TOTAL Total said that with prices of $30 per barrel, it would now target organic capital expenditure cuts of more than $3 billion, mainly in exploration. The company will also target $800 million in 2020 operating cost savings compared to 2019, instead of the $300 million previously announced, and suspend its outstanding $1.5 billion share buyback programme. TULLOW OIL Tullow Oil Plc said it would cut its investment budget by about a third to $350 million this year and reduce exploration spending, historically the group's focus, by almost half to $75 million. It said the oil price fall might jeopardise a plan to sell $1 billion in assets to refill its coffers, raising the risk the group's lenders could become reluctant to approve loans essential to shoring up its future. WINTERSHALL Wintershall Dea said it would cut 2020 investment by a fifth to 1.2 billion to 1.5 billion euros ($1.3 billion to $1.7 billion) and suspend its dividend until further notice. ($1 = 0.9220 euros) (Reporting by Ron Bousso, Sonali Paul, Shadia Nasralla, Nerijus Adomaitis; Editing by Jason Neely, Kirsten Donovan and Ken Ferris) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 03:36:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close British Prime Minster Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister's Questions, in London, Britain, March 25, 2020. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) The Palace of Westminster, home of both the House of Commons and House of Lords, had been scheduled to close soon for an Easter holiday recess. But the closing date was brought forward to Wednesday as a response to the coronavirus outbreak. LONDON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Houses of Parliament went into recess Wednesday after lawmakers rushed through the final stages of a bill to give the government emergency powers in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. One of the final acts of politicians before the shutdown was approving the emergency bill to give a list of temporary powers to Boris Johnson's government to fight COVID-19. The bill passed through the House of Commons in just one day on Tuesday before being passed to the House of Lords for the process to be concluded Wednesday. Deputy Speaker of the Commons Eleanor Laing told MPs the Coronavirus Act 2020 and the Contingencies Fund Act 2020 have been granted Royal Assent by Queen Elizabeth II, turning the two bills into law. The new legislation gives the government new emergency powers to combat the spread of COVID-19, and to release funds worth billions of pounds to deal with the current crisis. Photo taken on March 23, 2020 shows a general view of the House of Commons in London, Britain.(Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament/Handout via Xinhua) HOC MANDATORY CREDIT: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg said parliament would reassemble on April 21, but that will depend on the status of the pandemic at that stage. Rees-Mogg said talks with parliamentary officials will continue about how parliament can continue to operate safely after the recess. "Whilst my business statement is made with the aim of bringing the house back, as normal, on 21 April, we will continue to keep the situation under review in line with medical advice," he told MPs. The House of Lords also closed on Wednesday after bringing forward its recess. Photo taken on March 18, 2020 shows a general view of Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain.(Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) The Palace of Westminster, home of both the House of Commons and House of Lords, had been scheduled to close soon for an Easter holiday recess. But the closing date was brought forward to Wednesday as a response to the virus. Politicians had already started keeping at least two meters apart in the chambers as part of government instructions for the population to practice social distancing. An alleged "significant player" in a crime gang linked to a 720,000 cannabis seizure in Belfast must remain in custody, a judge ruled on Wednesday. Chinese national Wen Bin Lee (26) was refused bail on charges connected to raids carried out last summer. Police searched properties in the Donegall Quay area and in the south of the city. Bags of cannabis and a large quantity of cash were recovered during the operation on July 22. Lee, with an address at the Obel Building on Donegall Quay, is accused of possessing and conspiring to supply the Class B drug. He also faces charges of possessing and converting criminal property - namely high value goods - illegal entry to the UK and having a false identity document. Neither Lee nor any defence lawyer were present at Belfast Magistrates' Court for Wednesday's bail hearing. But opposing the scheduled application for release from custody, a detective claimed there was a risk of further offences. "This case involves drugs with an estimated street value of 720,000," he said. "The defendant is believed to be a significant player in this particular gang, he appears to be heavily involved." DNA and CCTV evidence allegedly connects Lee to the case, the court heard. The detective added: "We believe given his high-level involvement in criminality he's likely to return to that lifestyle to fund his losses." Denying bail, District Judge Fiona Bagnall ruled: "It's quite proper that he should remain in custody." Lee is due to appear again by video-link in four weeks time. Lee Nak-yon, DPK candidate for Jongno, talks with a vendor at a market in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, March 24. Yonhap This is the first in a series on battleground districts for April 15 general election. ED. By Do Je-hae The upcoming general election, scheduled to be held on April 15, has largely fallen out of media focus due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the battle in Jongno-gu between two former prime ministers Lee Nak-yon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Hwang Kyo-ahn of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) is capturing the attention of the press because it is considered a duel between potential presidential contenders. The so-called battle of Jongno has traditionally been the center of attention during election season mainly because of its unique history in producing the nation's leading politicians. Three candidates who have won in Jongno have gone on to become president Yun Bo-seon, Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak. With this history in mind, many people view the Lee-Hwang duel as something more than a competition for a National Assembly seat. The result of the Jongno race is expected to have a significant impact on the next presidential election slated for March 2022. So far, Lee has been consistently on top of polls for preferred candidates in the next presidential race. A four-term lawmaker, Lee is a seasoned politician who has also served as governor of South Jeolla Province. He had a lengthy career in journalism as a reporter and served as Tokyo correspondent for the Donga Ilbo before becoming a politician in May 2000. Currently, Lee is leading the DPK's committee for dealing with COVID-19 and co-heading another committee on election strategy. Many people know Lee as the nation's longest-serving prime minister. At the time of his nomination as President Moon Jae-in's first prime minister in May 2017, Lee was serving as South Jeolla Province governor and was not really considered a star politician. But during his service as prime minister, his political status made a noticeable leap as he led the Cabinet and assisted the President for two years and seven months. Lee also made a deep impression among the Korean public as the President's special envoy to Japan to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in October 2019. He visited amid severe bilateral tensions as Korea was considering discontinuing the military intelligence sharing pact with Japan, the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA). Lee has underlined that his extensive experience in government gives him the skill to identify and create policies that the people need. "During the time I worked as a journalist and served at the National Assembly, I was aware of the problems that the people faced but did not know much about the process of policy creation. One of my most cherished assets from serving as governor and as prime minister is that I gained more knowledge about how policies are established," Lee said during a press conference in December 2019, shortly before leaving his post as prime minister to run in the election. UFP Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn greets supporters during a campaign event in Gahoe-dong, Jongno-gu, March 25. Yonhap COLUMBUS, Ohio - President Donald Trump wants to have the countrys businesses back up and running by Easter, as the economy is sputtering due to restrictions on commerce and peoples movement during the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Mike DeWine, relying on scientific and medical advisers, says the coronavirus pandemic in Ohio wont even peak until around May 1. Yet, DeWine refuses to criticize his fellow Republican in Washington. I think the president and I are aligned," said DeWine during his Tuesday afternoon coronavirus briefing. "We want this over with as fast as we can. We want people back to work. The frustration he has, I share that frustration. And each day we cant move forward in that regard is a very frustrating thing. But DeWines ordered people to stay at home, hes closed schools, bars and restaurants. Trump has restricted mass gatherings but hasnt ordered a nationwide shutdown, which health experts want. Earlier Tuesday, Trump encouraged people on Twitter to return to work. Our people want to return to work. They will practice Social Distancing and all else, and Seniors will be watched over protectively & lovingly. We can do two things together. THE CURE CANNOT BE WORSE (by far) THAN THE PROBLEM! Congress MUST ACT NOW. We will come back strong! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2020 Maybe the lesson for me is not to tweet, DeWine said in response. But look, I dont think those are inconsistent. DeWine said that while Trump and many people in Ohio are anxious to get back to work, the health and well-being of every Ohioan is paramount. Each proactive step we take to protect Ohioans from contracting the coronavirus is also a proactive step for protecting our economy from crashing, he said. So theyre not inconsistent. The short-term consequences of slowing this economy down which is what were certainly seeing, far outweighs long-term economic meltdown, meltdown, from a deadly virus that is left unchecked. DeWines remarks also contrast Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican who suggested on Fox News that older Americans would be willing to die to help the economy. No one reached out to me and said, As a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren? Patrick said, according to USA Today. And if thats the exchange, Im all in. But DeWine said hes focused on the situation in Ohio. I have to take all the data I have in regard to Ohio, where we are in Ohio at this point and the progress of this insidious invader that has invaded us and make decisions based on the best medical evidence I can get." More coronavirus coverage: Confirmed Ohio coronavirus cases rise to 564 and 8 deaths: Gov. Mike DeWines Tuesday, March 24 briefing Gov. Mike DeWine gives Tuesdays Ohio coronavirus update: Watch live A middle-aged deputy from the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Office is currently quarantining at his home after showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, according to a release. The deputy was in contact with another sheriff deputy who recently tested posted for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. Police said the man started to show symptoms just days after being exposed to the other deputy. Mrs. Theodosia Jackson, the Principal of Jackson College of Education, has admonished Ghanaians to learn to be law-abiding in order to build a civilized and prosperous country. According to her, that is the way to go as a nation to effectively address the numerous social problems confronting the country including but not limited to especially, poor sanitation and widespread indiscipline. The renowned educationist further pointed out that though God has been faithful to Ghanaians over the years, the blatant disregard for basic laws by the citizenry is hampering the countrys development. The battle is the Lords, but if we dont change our bad attitudes as a people, we cant make any meaningful progress, the seemingly worried educationist pointed out. Mrs. Jackson underlined the need for Ghanaians to be conscious of personal hygiene and good sanitation practices as the country battles the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. She said much as it is important for people to protect themselves with hand sanitizers as recommended by health authorities, they must also not lose sight of the need to keep their surroundings clean and desist from the reckless littering. What is the essence of using sanitizers if people continue to engage in open defecation and live in absolute filth? she queried. The initiative by the government to fumigate all major markets across the country, she noted, is a laudable initiative but whether occupants of these markets would keep them clean after the exercise is another issue. It is disgusting how some market women defecate in plastic bags and dispose of them anyhow while others also throw garbage just beside litter bins, she decried. She expressed fears that thousands are likely to die due to other diseases such as cholera and malaria which thrive on filth as the country concentrates on the fight against the coronavirus. The country, she believes, would overcome the threat of the virus and other diseases by the grace of the good Lord but urged Ghanaians to ensure attitudinal change too. She alluded to 2nd Chronicles Chapter 20 where three nations declared war on Israel. She added that when the Israelites sought the face of the Lord, He told them the battle was His but asked them to go through the valley while singing the praises of the Lord. It is against this background that she commended the government for seeking Gods intervention in the wake of the covid-19 and charged the citizenry to back leadership by desisting from practices that could compromise the health of the populace. She further reminded the general public to be mindful of how they dispose of waste and called on the appropriate authorities to pay attention to the increasing filth across the country, warning that, the outset of the rainy season could also trigger cholera outbreak to compound the already volatile situation. Mrs. Jackson also called on the media to join the campaign to sensitize the general public to maintain a good and hygienic environment. This, she believes, would help change the bad attitude of Ghanaians towards proper sanitation. Imagine the impact the huge funds that successive governments have been committing to fighting diseases such as malaria and cholera could have on other sectors of the economy if we had kept our environment clean, she opined. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 01:09:20|Editor: yan Video Player Close HARARE, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday thanked China's Jack Ma Foundation for providing the country with much needed equipment to fight COVID-19. The country, which has so far recorded three positive cases of the Coronavirus with one mortality, on Tuesday received a consignment of commodities to ease shortages at hospitals dealing with COVID-19 as part of Chinese contribution to Africa. He said it is a true act of friendship that will be crucial to helping us fight the virus. "With unity, discipline and cooperation, we can prevail," Mnangagwa said on Twitter. The donation to Zimbabwe includes laboratory diagnostic test kits, medical face masks and protective suits. On March 24, Russian mercenaries landed seven attacks on Ukrainian positions in Joint Forces Operation area. The enemy used Minsk-banned weaponry. The HQ of Joint Forces Operation reported that on Tuesday evening. In Donetsk region, militants opened fire four times - in Krasnohorivka, Berezova, Mariinka and Pavlopil. They used small arms, heavy machine guns, man-portable grenade launchers and stationary grenade launchers. In Luhansk region, hostile armed gangs fired 82 mm mortars and IFV guns, as well as stationary grenade launchers. None of Ukrainian servicemen were killed or wounded in Donbas over the reported period. As of March 24, 2020, not a single case of Covid-19 was reported in the Ukrainian army. Colonel Andriy Halushka, the Deputy Commander of Medical Forces said so as quoted by ArmiaInform. "Currently, 130 servicemen are staying home on self-isolation. These are the people who returned to Ukraine from abroad or contacted people who are now on observation", Halushka said. According to him, Medical Forces received 10,000 express tests; they will be redistributed among all military clinic centers, garrison and mobile hospitals in the area of Joint Forces Operation. Previously, regional centers received 20,000 respiratory masks. From just three occupants on its first day, Delhis paid quarantine facilities in Aerocity, near the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), now has more than 600 people, making it the largest quarantine cluster facility in India, the city administration said on Wednesday. Opened from March 17, the paid quarantine rooms were first offered in three luxury hotels of Aerocity. But later, the demand surged and the Delhi government roped in more hotels to meet the requirement. As on Wednesday, a total of 602 persons were using 492 rooms in five luxury hotels, records with the citys revenue department stated. The hotels include Red Fox, IBIS, Aloft, Holiday Inn, and Pride Plaza. The government had first arranged 182 rooms and the initial response was lukewarm. But, the occupancy really picked up on days three and four, gauging which we arranged for a total of 525 rooms in Aerocity out of which 385 are single rooms and 107 are double rooms. This is now the largest quarantine facility (paid or unpaid) in the country, beating the cluster facility available in Jaisalmer where about 500 people can be accommodated, said Tanvi Garg, district magistrate (new Delhi). The demand particularly surged after the Delhi government, on March 19, decided to waive the GST and offer the rooms at a flat rate of 3,100 per night. The rate includes breakfast, lunch and dinner; two bottles of mineral water per day; tea and coffee and other facilities such as WiFi and TV. The corridors of the hotel have been covered with green biodegradable plastic sheets to avoid the virus being trapped in the carpet. (Photo courtesy: Sudipto Chakraborty) A day in the room Wednesday was 27-year-old Sudipto Chakrabortys third day in the facility at hotel Park Plaza. The arrangements are good. The food is delicious, except that it is sometimes delayed - like today. They keep it outside the room on the floor, Chakraborty, who returned from Miami in the United States on March 22, told HT over phone. Food is served only in disposal plates and clothes of the quarantined guests are laundered separately. But there is no clarity if the cost also includes laundry. My 14-day quarantine ends on April 5, but I might have to stay longer since there is no way I can go to my hometown in Assam under the lockdown, he said. Describing the seventh floor of the hotel, which is dedicated to those in quarantine, Chakraborty said it is covered in green biodegradable plastic sheets to avoid the virus being trapped in the carpet. Yesterday (Tuesday), I got a call from a psychologist. She asked me how was I doing and acknowledged how lonely it can get being in a room all alone for two weeks. She suggested I watch movies and talk to those who I miss. It felt nice, he said. Those in quarantine are not allowed to get out of their rooms. When asked how he spends his days inside the room, Chakraborty said he does mild exercises in the morning and watches movies on his phone most of the time since the hotel television has limited channels and no live streaming subscriptions. Every hotel has a medical team that operate in three shifts to ensure 24-hour presence. However, a common problem which Chakraborty and another person in quarantine also complained about is inadequate cleaning of the rooms. My room, including the bathroom has not been cleaned ever since I came on Sunday. In the corridor too, used food boxes are not picked up for hours together, he said. Sidharth Tewari, who is in quarantine at the Red Fox hotel also faced the same problem and took to Twitter to vent his frustration. Quarantine facilities in Delhi need to be monitored daily to ensure the virus does not spread. In Delhi (Hotel RedFox - quarantine facility) rooms have not been cleaned in 4 days! There is a severe shortage of staff as per hotel, he wrote. Recalling his arrival in Delhi on Sunday, Chakraborty said it took him gruelling 12-hours of airport procedures, followed by a hotel hopping to finally arrive at the Park Plaza hotel. They first took us to The IBIS on a government bus, but it was full. Then there were several elderly who were fighting and pleading with the authorities to let them go home. Many were refusing to be quarantined, he said. Additional district magistrate (south) D Karthikeyan said, We do not have any new passengers to be quarantined since all flight operations are suspended since March 22 night, he said. A functionary at the IBIS hotel said it has dedicated its sixth floor to quarantine rooms and those on the floor have to wear personal protection kits at all times. Dedicated entry and exit routes, including lifts and stairs, have been given to the guests as well as the staff attending to them, he said. The passengers who arrived at the Delhi airport from other countries had to undergo mandated quarantine and were divided into three categories on the basis of the severity of their symptoms by the Airport Health Organization (APHO). While category A comprised the high-risk passengers, requiring mandatory segregation and isolation, who were directly sent to hospitals, those under category B posed a moderate risk and needed to be shifted to dedicated state governments quarantine facility. Those availing the governments quarantine facilities, including the ones at hotels, were category B passengers. Passengers in category C, with low risk, need to be kept under home quarantine and are monitored. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A vicar and two officials of a local church here in Kerala were arrested on Wednesday on charges of conducting a funeral service, defying the government order against mass gatherings in view of the coronavirus outbreak, police said. Priest Reji Yohanan, vicar of St Peters Church at Thuvayoor South here, and church's trustee Suraj and secretary Mathew were those arrested, they said. They were later released on bail, police said. This is the second such instance of an arrest of a church priest for conducting a funeral with large people in attendance in Kerala since the government imposed curbs to contain the spread of the deadly virus. Over 50 people participated in the funeral service held at 11 am at the St Peters church complex amid the complete lockdown in the state. A case has been registered against the three persons under section 188 (disobedience of government order) of the Indian Penal Code and the Kerala Police Act section 118E (causing danger to the public), police said. On Monday, a priest, who conducted a holy mass at a church in Chalakudy in which over 100 people took part, was arrested. He was also later let off on bail. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) of the United States State Department has welcomed the release of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Dr Farooq Abdullah and restoration of internet services amid coronavirus battle. The bureau tweeted, "We welcome the release of former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Ministers @OmarAbdullah & Dr. Farooq Abdullah. We encourage the release of all Kashmiri political leaders & the full restoration of internet services as the #COVID19 fight intensifies." The government revoked the detention of Conference (NC) leaders under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and is also expected to revoke the detention of People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti soon. The Jammu and Kashmir Administration had in February invoked the PSA against former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah. Mufti and many other leaders of Kashmir including Dr Farooq Abdullah were put in detention when the government decides to revoke Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Foreign Minister Marise Payne has blasted Chinese authorities for formally indicting Australian-Chinese man Yang Hengjun on espionage charges, saying his poor health makes him especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. Dr Yang, a former University of Technology, Sydney academic has been imprisoned in China for 14 months. In this 2017 photo provided by his family, Yang Hengjun, left, poses with his family member in Beijing. Credit:Yang family photo via AP Lawyers for Dr Yang said on Wednesday that their case had been received by the Prosecutor-General's Office on the last day that formal charges could be transferred under China's opaque judicial system. Dr Yang's lawyer, Mo Shaoping, said the office would review the case and would make a decision whether to prosecute in the next six weeks. The latest restrictions imposed by the Government will help reduce the impact of Covid-19 but will make life harder for some of Irelands charities. The Down Syndrome Centre Cork had to postpone its biggest annual fundraiser, Rock Your Socks. Established in 2017 by a group of parents eager to supply vital supports to all children with Down Syndrome in the Cork region, the centre provides early intervention services at a heavily subsidised rate. Every year the Down Syndrome Centre Cork runs Rock Your Socks where students and staff from schools make a small donation and wear colorful socks/tights for the day. A spokesperson said: We receive no government support and are entirely dependent on community donations. "The centre is also closed to protect the clients who would be immunosuppressed. As no services can be provided at this time there is no income coming in either. A GoFundMe page www.gofundme.com/rockyoursocks is asking people to post pictures of their odd socks and donate. Meanwhile, the Irish Mens Sheds Association has had to close its 450-plus sheds around the country. There are over 40 in Cork alone. The reason the sheds were set up was to reduce isolation for men in the community. To counteract that isolation that the current restrictions bring, Mens Sheds is asking people to think of those who may be isolated and call them and their families up for a chat over a cuppa. CEO Barry Sheridan said: Today the Irish Men's Sheds Association launched our #CallThemForACuppa campaign. "We always say the kettle is the most important tool in the shed'. Thats where the best work is done, when were all gathered around the table, having a cup of tea and chat. Whether it's a shedder, neighbour, family member or friend, pick up the phone and call someone for a chat and cup of tea. "You'd be surprised at what the sound of a familiar voice can do during times like these. Today we launched our campaign calling on everyone to pick up the phone and call someone at risk of social isolation. Whether it's a neighbour, family member or friend pick up the phone and #CallThemForACuppa! More info here https://t.co/MmHcbyUcgi pic.twitter.com/dZ7b7Dkcml Irish Men's Sheds Association (@IrishSheds) March 23, 2020 Jigsaw, the national organisation that provides a range of free mental health supports for young people, has repurposed and refocused its supports over the past 12 days. Spokesperson Kate Longmate said: We have launched a range of new online supports and ways that we are there for people in these challenging times - our challenge now is to let people know that we are there for them. As an organisation this has also has a huge impact on our fundraising, and like every other charity we are cancelling events, seeing an impact on donations and wondering what this means for the future, but right now we are focused on trying to play our part and support the nation as we face this uncertain time. Online supports are available here. CRY Ireland (Cardiac Risk in the Young), which offers free screening services and emotional support to families who have lost a young person to SCD (Sudden Cardiac Death), has been deeply affected by the fallout. CRY was due to hold its annual Pure Style fashion event fundraiser this month which has now been postponed. It also receives a huge support from those participating in the VHI Mini Marathon, an event which has also been postponed. Kerry GAA five-time All-Ireland winner and CRY ambassador Aidan OMahony is due to walk the Camino in aid of CRY in September and those signing up to join him will now be significantly reduced. A spokesperson said: A number of regional fundraisers have been cancelled. Not only does this incur a loss of revenue for CRY, these events are usually held by families who have been affected by SCD and offer an opportunity for grieving communities to come together to support one another. CRY has closed its screening centre but is still operating a virtual clinic for emotional support. Donations are hugely appreciated and can be made online here. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Tolls on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge will be split in half and charged in both directions by the end of the year. On Wednesday, the MTA Board unanimously approved split tolling on the span with an expectation that the new tolling system -- which is expected to net the agency millions in additional annual revenue -- will be up and running by the end of 2020. We expect that split tolling will generate an incremental $10 million in revenue for the MTA on an annual basis, said MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye. In order to implement the split tolling system -- which is now federally mandated following a push from Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn) and others -- the MTA will need to install new cashless electronic tolling systems over the bridges Brooklyn-bound lanes. Im glad to see the MTA move forward with implementing split tolling on the Verrazzano to close the loophole that has benefited out of state trucks that clog up the expressway every morning. Staten Islanders will soon see improvements to their commutes this year, without paying a cent more -- a direct result of the broad, bipartisan support for this change," Rose said. The new cashless tolling systems will be similar to the ones used in the Staten Island-bound direction, with two sets of triple gantries, one located on the bridges upper-level approach and one located on the lower-level approach. The Cashless Tolling system on the Brooklyn-bound approach to the VNB would function in the same way as the system installed Staten Island-bound. Equipment on overhead gantries would read E-ZPass tags so that pre-existing E-ZPass accounts would be debited -- and for vehicles without E-ZPass tags, license plate images would be taken and matched with the applicable Department of Motor Vehicle registration data, and toll bills would be sent to the registered owner, according to MTA materials. The Staten Island Resident Rebate Program -- which currently carries an effective post-rebate toll of $5.50 in the Staten Island-bound direction -- will also be split in half, with eligible Staten Island residents being charged an effective post-rebate toll of $2.75 in each direction. HOW WE GOT HERE In late December, President Donald Trump signed a $1.4 trillion spending package that included a repeal of the split-tolling ban on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, including language to split the spans $19, one-way toll into two, $9.50 split-tolls. Prior to the signing, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge was the nations only bridge where tolling was controlled by federal mandate, a Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) bill put in place over 30 years ago and co-sponsored by former Congressman Guy V. Molinari to address growing congestion surrounding the spans tollbooths. Rose spearheaded the recent efforts to re-establish split tolling on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, including a speech made on the House floor in June encouraging passage of the legislation. Thanks to the overwhelmingly bipartisan support from every level of government, outdated federal laws will no longer create traffic on the expressway and let New Jersey truckers skip out on paying the same tolls we pay every damn day, Rose said in December. TRAFFIC ANALYSIS Split tolling is expected to correct the daily directional vehicle imbalance on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, decreasing eastbound traffic while increasing westbound traffic, with drivers no longer incentivized to only use the span in the uncharged direction. WSP, a global consulting firm, analyzed the potential traffic and revenue impacts of reinstating split tolling on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Under the current tolling system, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge handles approximately 112,000 eastbound and 105,000 westbound vehicles per weekday, a difference of about 7,000 vehicles. According to the report, the implementation of split tolling would help correct this daily imbalance. Traffic diversions between the key crossings may occur because reducing the VNB westbound toll by 50 percent would be a toll-based incentive to utilize the westbound VNB and I-278 corridor, while adding the equivalent toll to the eastbound direction would be a disincentive to use the eastbound VNB and I-278 corridor, according to the report. With split tolling implemented, the report estimates a reduction of 4,325 eastbound vehicles per day on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, with 4,361 additional westbound vehicles per day, a net increase of 36 vehicles per day. Of the 4,325 less eastbound vehicles per day, 254 of them are expected to be medium or heavy trucks. Of the 4,361 additional westbound vehicles per day, 489 of them are expected to be medium or heavy trucks. However, the changes in total traffic volume are not expected to significantly impact rush hour traffic. The highest changes in traffic volumes would occur during the off-peak periods when congestion is lower and when the VNB operates more like a regional bridge and less like a local bridge, as it does during the AM and PM peak periods, according to the report. Of the eastbound diversions, 12% are expected during the p.m. peak period, 13% are expected during the a.m peak period, 24% are expected during the midday period and 51% are expected during the late night and early morning period. Of the westbound diversions, 13% are expected during the p.m. peak period, 18% are expected during the a.m. peak period, 33% are expected during the midday period and 36% are expected during the late night and early morning period. Diversions are less likely to happen during the AM and PM peak periods in part because the VNB primarily serves as a local bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island, and because congestion along alternate routes is greater during these periods, resulting in lower anticipated diversions, the report continues. However, Sam Schwartz, a local transportation expert, reviewed the preliminary report provided by WSP, and said he is skeptical of the idea that the diversions would have such a minimal impact on peak travel periods. While more motorists may be more likely to travel longer distances and save on tolls when traffic congestion is lower, the diversions projected in the report seem too highly skewed away from the peak periods," he said. "We would like to hear a more in-depth explanation of their key statement that diversions are less likely to happen during the AM and PM peak periods in part because congestion along alternate routes is greater during these periods, resulting in lower anticipated diversions. The Staten Island Expressway would see relatively small increases in westbound traffic and decreases in eastbound traffic, with the highest changes in traffic volume occurring during off-peak periods. According to the report, the changes in traffic volume would have a minimal effect on travel speeds. Speeds may increase eastbound or decrease westbound up to about 0.1 mph during any hour of the day, with most hours experiencing no change in speed, the report states. However, if occurring at the right time, this slight increase could marginally improve traffic flow during the morning commute, the report claims. Currently, during the AM peak hour, the SIE is heavily congested and operates at a very low level of service. A relatively small decrease in traffic volumes during the AM peak hour may result in better traffic flow and thus better travel speeds, according to the report. Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has told all governors to go into self-isolation immediately after being e... Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has told all governors to go into self-isolation immediately after being exposed to contacts who have tested positive for Coronavirus. Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State tested positive for Coronavirus on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Bala and Kyari met with governors and ministers last week. However, Fayemi, on his Facebook page, said he just took Coronavirus test, having gone into self-isolation since on Monday evening. According to him, he is asymptomatic and felt well, but noted that he was in the meeting with two people who had since tested positive. He then urged all his colleagues to go into self-isolation and take the test. In his words: I just took a COVID-19 test, having gone into self isolation since yesterday evening. Im asymptomatic and feel well, but I was in meetings with two people who had since tested positive. I look forward to an all clear and have encouraged all my colleagues to take the test. As in China and Italy, the stay-at-home orders issued by the Spanish government on March 14, following the declaration of a state of alarm that placed the entire country on lockdown, has led to a sharp drop in pollution. The impact has been particularly significant in Madrid and Barcelona, where the levels of nitrogen dioxide, caused by traffic and fossil fuel power, plummeted during the first days of lockdown and are now at historic lows in both cities, according to a report by the environmental group Greenpeace. In Madrid, for example, the average level of nitrogen dioxide recorded on March 17 was almost 75% lower than the previous week. In Barcelona, it fell by over 45%, according to data gathered by Adrian Fernandez, the head of Greenpeaces Mobility campaign. Although Fernandez points out that weather conditions must also be taken into account as a storm at the start of the week helped improve air quality, he says the reduction in pollution is clearly linked to the reduction in traffic, which has fallen by around 60% in both regional capitals. We will not fight climate change with a virus United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres The conclusions drawn by Greenpeace are similar to those drawn by NASA and the European Space Agency in China and Italy after measuring pollution levels in the countries via satellite. The European Commissions Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reported on March 18 that in northern Italy, where dense surface observations of the pollutant nitrogen dioxide are available, it is possible to confirm a gradual reduction trend of about 10% per week over the last four to five weeks. And, according to a report by Chinas Ministry of Ecology, in Hubei province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, the average number of days with good air quality increased during February by 21.5% compared to last years figures for that month. It is completely logical that there is less pollution, says Xavier Querol, from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). On Sundays, there is generally less pollution because there is less industry and traffic, and now we have less traffic and industry. But he warned: The fight against pollution is a long-distance race, not a sprint. Like other experts, Querol is concerned about what might happen when the coronavirus crisis is over and activity resumes. Everything that has not been done will be tackled and activity will accelerate, he says, which could mean a rebound effect as seen in previous crises. The A-2 highway leaving Madrid after the lockdown came into force. SAMUEL SANCHEZ During the 2008 recession, global emissions of carbon dioxide, which is the main greenhouse gas, fell by about 1%. But in the years that followed, as measures to stimulate production and demand were implemented, emissions increased again, climbing even faster than before the financial crisis. We will not fight climate change with a virus, warned United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on March 13. The same could be said about pollution, as levels are not falling due to structural changes, but rather due to measures aimed at slowing the coronavirus outbreak that have paralyzed economic activity. When efforts are in place to revive the economy, Querol believes that it will be difficult to toughen limits on pollution. Environmental policies are not going to get stricter, he warns. English version by Heather Galloway. The Eagles added to their secondary on Wednesday. The team signed former Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman to a one-year contract. ESPNs Jordan Schultz was the first to report the signing. CB Nickell Robey-Coleman has agreed to terms with the #Eagles on a one-year deal, per source. Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 25, 2020 Robey-Coleman has played nickel cornerback throughout his seven-year career, though he does have some experience as an outside cover man. Introducing Eagles Extra: Sign up for a free trial now. Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text directly with reporters The 28-year-old nickel corner went undrafted out of USC in 2013. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound defensive back spent four seasons with the Bills before signing a multi-year deal with the Rams. READ: WHY NEW EAGLES DB WILL PARKS TURNED DOWN MORE MONEY IN FREE AGENCY TO RETURN TO PHILLY During his seven seasons in the league, Robey-Coleman has played in 111 games. He has produced 289 tackles, five sacks, 48 pass breakups, six interceptions and five forced fumbles. He graded out highly in all three seasons of his Los Angeles tenure, particularly in coverage. Here are three thoughts on the move: 1. Nickel corners are so fetch. In case you didnt get the Mean Girls reference, the Eagles have popularized the nickel cornerback position in their secondary. Avonte Maddox, CreVon LeBlanc, Trevor Williams, Sidney Jones and Will Parks all have significant experience in the slot. Adding Robey-Coleman to the mix further solidifies the belief that Maddox will move outside, leaving LeBlanc, Williams and the latest addition to battle for the starting nickel job. Thats not a bad thing, as Maddox played very well on the outside in 2018. 2. This move may be a prelude to a trade. The Eagles secondary is packed with similarly skilled cornerbacks. The Eagles are clearly moving toward a positionless secondary with several players capable of playing multiple spots. The Eagles have made it very clear that Rasul Douglas is only an outside cornerback to them. He has been rumored to be on the trade block and adding another nickel corner to the mix probably doesnt help his cause for sticking around. Look for the Eagles to potentially swap Douglas for another player in short order. EAGLES FREE-AGENT MOVES: Hassan Ridgeway re-signed | Javon Hargrave signed | Nate Sudfeld re-signed | Jalen Mills re-signed | Malcolm Jenkins option declined | Rodney McLeod re-signed | Acquired Darius Slay in trade | Jatavis Brown signed | Will Parks signed 3. Its probably time to accept that a veteran wide receiver isnt going to be added anytime soon. The Eagles watched as roughly a dozen talented wide receivers signed contracts over the past 48 hours. Their response was to sign an additional nickel corner. Its abundantly clear that the Eagles plan to land a top wide receiver (or two) in the draft. Get Eagles text messages from reporters: Cut through the clutter of social media and text directly with the Eagles beat writers. Plus, exclusive news and analysis every day. Sign up now for a free trial. Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter: @Mike_E_Kaye. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - The government of Burkina Faso has announced that the Council of Ministers will be held on Thursday in "e-Council" format, due to the spread of the coronavirus which has affected five ministers who tested positive SK Holdings CEO Jang Dong-hyun speaks during the company's annual general meeting at its headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap Hanwha, LS holding firms focus on financial stability By Nam Hyun-woo SK Holdings decided keep its dividend ratio unchanged despite its net profit declining significantly. During the company's annual general meeting, Wednesday, stakeholders approved Jang's reappointment as an inside director of the board. In addition to Jang's reappointment, the shareholders approved agendas proposed by the board, including the dividend ratio. SK Holdings' annual general meeting garnered attention as it took place amid the company's sluggish share price. Despite market expectation on the initial public offering of the company's pharmaceutical unit, SK Biopharmaceuticals, the investment-holding firm saw its share price declining, failing to buck the market downturn amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The company's weakened earnings also triggered concerns. Its consolidated net profit last year stood at 1.6 trillion won ($1.3 billion), down 73 percent from a year earlier. To soothe investors' concerns, Jang sent a letter to shareholders before the meeting and said the company would "continue to increase shareholder returns with the IPO of SK Biopharmaceuticals" and spare no efforts to "develop the optimal portfolio structure." Last year, SK Biopharmaceuticals licensed out its anti-epileptic drug XCOPRI to the European market and won an approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Buoyed by the achievements, SK Holdings seeks to debut the pharmaceutical unit on the bourse in the first half of this year, but the current market downturn is causing difficulties for the company to set desirable offering prices. Despite the concerns, the company proposed to maintain its common share dividend at 4,000 won for year-end and 1,000 won for mid-term, in order to buoy shareholder value. During the meeting, the company included shareholder value as one of the core objectives in its articles of association. Hanwha Group's holding firm, Hanwha Corp., also held its annual general meeting on Wednesday and approved three new directors in its board. Of them, Senior Managing Director for finance Seo Kwang-myung was appointed as new inside director and joined three existing inside directors including Hanwha Group Vice Chairman and Hanwha Corp. CEO Keum Choon-soo. Seo is a finance specialist leading Hanwha Corp.'s corporate bond issuance and fund raising. Citing this, the company said it will pay greater attention to improving its financial structure. The company posted 1.13 trillion won in consolidated operating profit last year, down 37.7 percent from a year earlier. The group's solar and defense units posted solid earnings last year, but the slowdown in the groups' financial units hampered the consolidated operating profit of the holding firm, raising the necessity for improving its financial structure. "Seo has a rich experience in leading the company's financial matters and is expected to serve his role well for the board," a Hanwha Corp. official said. A day earlier, the group's key chemical and solar power firm, Hanwha Solution, named Kim Dong-kwan as a member of its board. Kim is the eldest son of Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-youn. The appointment is expected to provide Kim a stronger grip on the group's chemical and solar energy businesses, which the group has identified as its next growth engines. LS Group's holding firm, LS Corp., also held its annual general meeting and reappointed group Chairman Koo Ja-yeol and LS CEO Lee Kwang-woo as inside directors of the board. During the meeting, Lee said the company has "focused on establishing fundamental business capability last year and will see actual improvements this year." For this, Lee said it will localize workforces at its global offices, secure enough liquidity for contingency and digitalize its management system. Of those goals, securing liquidity is one of the main tasks for the company. Last year, LS Corp. logged 352 billion won in consolidated profit, down 31.7 percent from a year earlier. During the same period, the company's debt ratio also inched up to 152 percent from 140.1 percent. Though a ratio below 200 percent is usually regarded as a stable level, Lee said the company will "improve its cash flow to secure more liquidity and enhance its readiness." A day earlier, LS Group's key affiliate, LS Industrial Systems changed its corporate name to LS Electric, to clarify its business objective of expanding its electrical equipment business globally. THE legal validity of a Supreme Court judgment which converted United States dollar debts to the Zimdollar at a rate of 1:1 in line with Statutory Instrument 33 of 2019, must be tested by a nine-judge panel of the Constitutional Court, according to lawyers acting for NR Barber, a mining company, locked in a fierce legal battle with Zambezi Gas Pvt Ltd. NR Barber is basing its challenge on its submission that the Statutory Instrument was unconstitutional and that it should have been declared so at the appeal hearing which overturned a previous High Court ruling that debts in US dollars retained their value in that currency. The firm, which is seeking permission to challenge the Supreme Court ruling and hired Advocate Thabani Mpofu to argue the constitutional matter, has filed its heads of argument at the apex court. It claims that it was unconstitutional for the lower court to uphold an executive measure that resulted in last years currency reforms. The Supreme Court judgment constitutes an abduction of judicial function and a breach of the principle of legality and rule of law calling for an appeal against the ruling, says Adv Mpofu. The judgment establishes the principle that a non constitutional determination may implicate a breach of the constitution and thereby provide a basis for a challenge before the Constitutional Court. It also the mining companys argument that if the Supreme Court has been engaged with a constitutional issue and fails to deal with it whose obligation it was to do so, a challenge would be competent. NR Barber lost its case early this year after Zambezi Gas Private Limited, a mining services provider, successfully appealed to overturn the earlier ruling by the High Court, which was in favour of NR Barber. The Supreme Court found that the statutory instrument made it clear that debts contracted before the statutory instrument were to be converted at 1:1. NR Barber was owed $3 885 000 plus interest by Zambezi Gas Zimbabwe (Private) Limited since 2014 and at that stage the debt was effectively denominated in US dollars The mining firm, which is a legal person in terms of the law, contends that the judgment has an effect of violating its property rights as enshrined under Section 71 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the section on property rights in the declaration of rights. It argues that the lower court erred in proceeding on a false basis being that the validity of Statutory Instrument SI33 of 2019 was not challenged and was consequently not an issue before it. PR-Inside.com: 2020-03-24 19:20:04 The board of directors of SpareBank 1 SMN recommend revising the dividend payout from last years profit from 53.5 per cent to 41.2 per cent. New dividend is recommended at NOK 5.00 per equity certificate. SpareBank 1 SMNs board of directors is following the crisis in the Norwegian economy closely, and is taking the consequences for our region seriously. The board considers the recommended change in the payout ratio to reflect a good balance between the need for stability and predictability for the banks owners and investors on the one hand, and the groups social responsibility towards its customers and local communities in Central Norway on the other. This recommendation further bolsters an already strong financial position, enabling SpareBank 1 SMN once again to keep its cool and to accompany personal customers and firms alike safely through the crisis. The economic ripple effects of the crisis could be far-reaching. SpareBank 1 SMN has capital and liquidity that puts the group in a solid position, well-prepared to meet these challenges. The banks equity capital is well in excess of government requirements, and provides scope to absorb future losses. This robustness enables the bank to initiate immediate measures for customers experiencing problems as a result of the crisis. For example, the bank is opening the way for mortgage payment holidays and for advances of unemployment benefit. The groups solid position enables it to maintain normal lending activity in a demanding market. Finanstilsynet (Norways FSA) has asked all Norwegian banks to reappraise their distribution of net profit in light of the economic crisis that has arisen. The board has accordingly revised its original recommendation for distribution of last years net profit. The original assessment was made on 5 February, before the consequences of the crisis for the Norwegian economy had arisen. At that point a dividend payout of NOK 6.50 per equity certificate was recommended, corresponding to a payout ratio of 53.5 per cent of the groups net profit. NOK 474 million was allocated to social dividend, comprising NOK 200 million to dividend payout and NOK 274 million to the foundation Sparebankstiftelsen SMN. In their reappraisal of the payout ratio, the board of directors emphasise that SpareBank 1 SMN should be even better prepared to safely negotiate a long lasting crisis. At the same time, the board takes heed of the governments expectations of reduced dividend, and upholds the banks most important social mission which is to ensure an ample supply of capital to people and businesses in the region. SpareBank 1 SMN also aims to be a sound investment for its owners and investors by delivering the best possible results and pursuing an attractive and prudent dividend policy. The board accordingly considers it appropriate to reduce the dividend payout to NOK 5.00 per equity certificate. This provides a payout ratio of 41.2 per cent, which is equivalent to a 23 per cent reduction on the original recommendation. The social dividend is reduced from NOK 474 million to NOK 364 million, in keeping with the banks dividend policy. The reduction in the payout ratio of about NOK 300 million strengthens the banks financial position by about 0.3 percentage points. Contact: CFO Kjell Fordal, phone +47 905 41 672 Head of Communications Hans Tronstad, phone +47 941 78 322 This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act Owing to the Coronavirus outbreak right now, we have all been restricted to staying in our homes as the nation is in a state of total lockdown. Everyone is finding ways to keep themselves busy throughout this self-isolation period, and yesterday, just after PM Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown, Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor decided to conduct an interactive session with his fans on Twitter. Chalo let's chat. Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) March 24, 2020 During the #AskMe session, the actor was asked some very hilarious questions and his responses were just bang on. One particular fan asked him, 21 din lockdown mei wife ko kaise khush rakhein? To which the Kabir Singh star replied saying, Adarpoorvak Seva Karo. Boss boss hota hai. I hope men are taking note of it as, during the time of lockdown when there's no domestic help, you will have to help your wives at home, without any doubt. Adarpoorvak Seva karo. Boss boss hota hai. https://t.co/YLSAr9NjVT Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) March 24, 2020 Another fan also asked a rather interesting question, What would Kabir Singh do during a lockdown for 21 days? On this, Shahid said, Hug Preeti ( the dog ) and make do. Rules are rules bro. Through this response, he made two things pretty clear. One, dogs can't catch Coronavirus so you can easily spend time with them and two, rules have to be followed and no exceptions can be made, even for Kabir Singh. Hug preeti ( the dog ) and make do. Rules are rules bro. https://t.co/M7UAaKdc1N Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) March 24, 2020 Shahid also requested his fans to stay home and stay safe, further advising them to pray, meditate and read during this lockdown time. Be at home. Stay safe. Stay mentally emotionally and physically strong. Spread love. Have faith. Pray often. Speak to all those who matter daily. Meditate. Read. Cook. See the sky turn bluer every day. 21 days. Will pass. Keep it real and make it count you all. Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) March 24, 2020 Not just Shahid, other Bollywood celebs too are helping the government in spreading the message of social distancing through their social media platforms as that's the only key to fight Coronavirus right now. In India, there are 560 active cases of Covid-19, so far, and to prevent it from spreading it any further, this lockdown has been imposed. MensXP also urges you to adhere to these guidelines and stay home, stay safe. Testing has been one of the Achilles' heels of the U.S. response to COVID-19. With not enough testing kits, it's been impossible for public health officials to adequately identify and track the scope of the virus across the U.S. But Mayo Clinic has been a bright spot in this fight with its ability to ramp up testing capacity. That was illustrated recently when the clinic helped the Minnesota Department of Health eliminate a backlog of 800 specimens. The PB talked to Dr. Bobbi Pritt, a testing expert and a director in Mayo's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, about the challenges that lie ahead. PB: Does our ability to contain this virus rely on rolling out and expanding our ability to test for COVID-19? Pritt: That is part of it. Having the ability to test is part of the identification and containment strategy. ADVERTISEMENT But other strategies rely on having people stay home if they're not feeling well. I would also agree that having tests is very important, especially for people with severe illness, because they're going to need to come into the hospital. You're going to need to know what they have, so you can accurately treat them. PB: Germany and Singapore have reportedly had strong and successful public health responses to the coronavirus because of their ability to test lots of people. To what degree will testing be part of the solution that will bring life back to normal in the U.S? Pritt: We're definitely going to need to ramp up around the country. There are different stages to an outbreak. During the acute stage, you're trying to test people and see what's in the community. As it peaks, there may be a time where we need people to stay home if they have a mild illness and not get tested. Later, as it starts to go down and I'm optimistic we will reach that point we may perform tests to see retrospectively if people were infected. PB: Mayo was the first develop a test with results in 24 hours. Are you working to improve the test? Pritt: We're not working on improving the test as much as we are expanding the number of tests we can perform. When we first rolled this out we had a lab test developed here at Mayo Clinic we could only do a few hundred a day, but we very quickly ramped up. We are now testing 4,000 a day. That's working three shifts around the clock. We're hoping in the next couple of days to go up to 5,000 tests in a 24-hour period. PB: What is limiting your testing goals? Pritt: Nationwide, all of us are facing shortages of everything you can imagine, like the swabs you use to collect the specimen, the liquid that you put the specimen in. We have people who want to send us tests, and we actually still have a little bit of capacity to perform more tests, but people don't have the swabs and don't have the transport liquid media to send us the specimens in. So we're now trying to make our own transport media, and we're trying to package it up and send it to people to help in any way we can. ADVERTISEMENT PB: What's it like to be a technician in your lab in these frenzied times? Pritt: We are really trying to watch out for the safety and well-being of staff. We're also developing plans in case one group of individuals becomes sick. Then they might all be taken out of work at the same time, so we're developing backup teams. I think there's a spirit that everyone is working together, and what they're doing is very important. PB: NPR reported that President Trump made an urgent request to South Korean President for testing kits. Does this underscore how unprepared we were as a country for a pandemic? Pritt: I would say to some extent. I think we've learned that having more stockpiled supplies, for example, and perhaps some changes in the regulatory structure would be helpful. We have some labs that can quickly respond, and so empowering those labs to respond in a time of crisis is something that the government is looking at. PB: What is it about this virus that set it apart? Pritt: The regular coronavirus causes the common cold, and it's a relatively common, mild illness. And they circulate among humans, so they're pretty much adapted to being with humans. But this new virus, like the SARS coronavirus and the MERS coronavirus, come from animals. And humans don't have any existing protection and immunity against them. So we're seeing it for the first time, and our bodies are responding in a way that''s making us sick. ADVERTISEMENT As our family of six continues to weather the Wuhan virus and the local, state, and national shutdown that has ensued, and before D.C. politicians spend another trillion or two that this nation doesnt have on a bailout, the Thomas family would like to make something abundantly clear: we dont need a China-virus check! This is not because we are wealthy -- at least not by American standards. As Ive often noted, my main source of income comes from the teaching of mathematics at government schools. Thats right, Im employed by two government schools: a day school where Im employed full time and an evening charter high school where Im employed part time. Like many other states, because of an order by Georgias governor, we are now doing school from home until at least the end of March. Both of the schools where Im employed are participating in school from home. At my day school, this means all teachers are still fully employed. This is likely the case all over the U.S. My evening school is keeping some teachers (all teachers at this type of school are part-time, hourly workers) employed -- Im one of them. Thus, at this time -- and I dont anticipate this changing -- I have suffered no loss of income. Also, as Michelle and I have pointed out on multiple occasions, Michelle is a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom with little to no income. Though this nationwide shutdown has us quite annoyed, things are running relatively normally at the Thomas Academy. In other words, we do not need a bailout. However, we do understand that many across the U.S. are not in our position, and because of this virus and the decisions of those in government, many Americans are suffering financially. This is especially the case with those who own small businesses. We know many such folks in our circle of family and friends. Let any bailout efforts from the government be targeted at those individuals and businesses. If our wishes here are ignored and we nevertheless receive a China-virus check (or checks), Michelle and I have decided to use that money to help those in our community who own small businesses and are suffering the most during these difficult financial times. For example, we will be intentional about frequenting locally-owned businesses, such as restaurants, our auto mechanic, our karate school, and gun stores -- northeast Georgia is blessed with several of these! For those who offer them, we will purchase gift certificates that we can use later or give away. Also, we plan to employ local contractors for home-projects that we might otherwise put off or do ourselves. We may, for those we know well and can trust, simply write a check. However, most small business owners we know dont want a handout and want to work for what monies they receive. However, the best thing government can do, and the quickest way out of this financial mess, is simply to get as many people as possible back to work as quickly as possible! Also, this is perhaps the best time in my adult life to share Gods wisdom when it comes to money and finances. As Michelle and I have pointed out on multiple occasions, because of the wisdom and direction of God, for over two decades now we have lived debt free. This is another reason that we are able to weather these current times better than most, even those who have significantly more income than do we. This would be the case even if we had a significant loss of income. Because we are indebted to no one for our possessions, we have no fear of foreclosure or repossession, even if my income went to zero. In addition, we have an emergency savings account that could keep us afloat for several months, if needed. Again, I must confess, our debt-free path was not my plan. It took a wise and financially disciplined wife and a wise and almighty God to open my eyes on most things concerning money. After marriage, our first financial decision was to honor God by always giving a tenth of all that He provides, and also to begin living on a budget. Over 22 years ago, we established a workable budget (based only on my income, even though Michelle was working full time then) that we maintain to this day. Michelle was already tithing and living on a budget, so she simply brought what she was already practicing into our marriage. All I had to do was agree to go along. Whether we are talking about the government, a business, a church, a family, or an individual, a good budget is essential in maintaining a healthy bottom line. A budget can help keep you from overspending during any particular income period or in any particular area; it can help you plan for non-regular expenses such as car and home repairs; and it can help you plan for your financial future. Establishing a budget can be a lengthy process. It can take as long as a full year for an individual or a family to get a budget working well, but the benefits are well worth the hard work involved. Our budget has played an essential role in guiding us through various financial times. We are a homeschooling family of six, with our four children growing from little ones into teenagers and before long, young adults. Our budget is in constant flux, but it helps us see the adjustments in spending that we need to make in order to maintain sound financial discipline. Early in our marriage, after agreeing to tithing and budgeting, I was still completely of the mindset of most when it came to the purchase of big-ticket items -- cars, homes, etc. Because she worked for and was financially discipled by the late, great Larry Burkett, and for various other reasons, very early in our marriage, Michelle was hinting at building our home without a mortgage. I only agreed to this, along with making a life-long commitment to living debt free, after God got my attention. Lastly, the most important financial principle that I have learned is the biblical principle of stewardship. Tithing, living on a budget, and becoming debt free all hinged on our understanding our roles as stewards. A steward is a manager of someone elses property. Scripture reveals that God owns everything. Psalm 24:1 says, The earth is the Lords, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Thus, from a biblical perspective, none of us really owns anything. We are merely managers of what God has given us. Whether material resources, or our talents and abilities, a proper biblical perspective means that we understand that everything we have comes from the One who made us. Until we come to grips with our role as stewards, we will never truly understand money and wealth and how to deal with financial blessings or difficulties. I take almost no credit for where we are financially. Michelle has always been more financially disciplined than me. Early in our marriage, through her efforts and the ministry founded by Larry Burkett, Christian Financial Concepts (now Crown Financial Ministries), I embraced the simple, wise truths put forth in Scripture concerning money and debt. In other words, we are where we are financially by the grace and wisdom of God. Our situation was and is a unique one (detailed in Debt-Free Living in a Debt-Filled World). I would not necessarily recommend that anyone do things exactly as we did them. Our path was literally a calling. However, I do believe that there are tried and true, simple financial principles that we applied and are still living by that would benefit most anyone -- especially in times like these. Trevor Grant Thomas At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason. www.trevorgrantthomas.com Trevor is the author of the The Miracle and Magnificence of America tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com The steel industry is racing to secure support from the Government as plunging demand leaves it on the brink of collapse. Companies are worried that measures announced so far to help workers and keep businesses afloat during the coronavirus pandemic may not apply to them. And with orders starting to fall, representatives have warned that a crisis could quickly become 'terminal' and put 32,000 jobs at risk. Companies are planning for demand to sink by as much as 50 per cent in the coming weeks. Steel firms are worried that measures announced so far to help workers and keep businesses afloat during the coronavirus pandemic may not apply to them The temporary shutdown of car factories and many construction companies opting to close sites to keep workers safe will deal a hammer blow to steel suppliers. Orders have already begun to dry up but the industry is bracing for work to dive sharply in the coming weeks. This is because it can take time for orders to pass up the supply chain. In a briefing document, industry body UK Steel warned: 'The coronavirus pandemic will make a challenging set of circumstances terminal if the Government is unable to put the right business support measures in place. 'The steel sector does not have the buffer of preceding 'boom years' that it did in advance of the financial crisis.' A source told the Mail that the industry has managed to speak to officials but was 'unsure' of whether or not the talks have filtered through to ministers, who will ultimately make any decisions on support. The source said: 'The Government has been talking about other matters publicly this week it's possible that it just hasn't got round to industry yet. 'When we speak to officials we know that they've heard us, but whether it's filtered through to ministers yet we can't be sure.' 32,000 jobs under threat as demand plummets by 50 per cent Steel industry on the brink of collapse UK Steel has asked the Government for a range of measures to help prop up the industry, including suspending state aid rules if necessary, providing loans, deferment of tax payments, support to cover late payments by customers and help with energy costs. UK Steel spokesman Richard Warren said the number one concern for companies in the immediate future will be running out of cash. Firms have huge fixed costs for running plants and, for the time being, paying workers. Steel companies would usually adapt to a drop in demand by bringing in reduced shift patterns rather than letting staff go. The industry is concerned that if it follows this route which sources say it would prefer to do because it means they can react faster to a subsequent pick up in demand firms may not qualify for the Government retention scheme. That is because the scheme pledges to pay 80 per cent of furloughed workers' wages up to 2,500 a month, but these steel workers would not be officially furloughed. And steel companies would not be covered by any of the Government's business loans, which require firms to have an investment rating far higher than steel groups have been able to secure for several years. Steelworkers' union Community has called for primary steel workers to be given key worker status so they could carry on. Primary steel workers include those working at sites with blast furnaces at Port Talbot and Scunthorpe. A worst-case scenario could see primary steel producers mothballing one or more of their blast furnaces an immense and costly undertaking that is difficult to undo. UK Steel has insisted that a support scheme should be put in place to cover the costs of mothballing and restarting blast furnaces. The source also said that a possibility could be for the industry to secure a 'tailored agreement' like airlines are seeking. The Government spent almost 300million keeping British Steel afloat until it was rescued by Chinese group Jingye earlier this month. Matt Ball, spokesman for Community, said: 'What they did at British Steel was a good example of ensuring the continuity of the business. 'There's no way that if they were doing this as recently as a couple of months ago, the Government could not do it again now.' Who knows what quirky ideas will lead to the next technological innovation? (Image credit: NASA) Science fiction has always been a medium for futuristic imagination and while different colored aliens and intergalactic travel are yet to be discovered, there is an array of technologies that are no longer figments of the imagination thanks to the world of science fiction. Some of the creative inventions that have appeared in family-favorite movies like "Back to the Future" and "Total Recall," are now at the forefront of modern technology. Here are a few of our favorite technologies that went from science fiction to reality. The mobile phone The communicator was often used to communicate back to the USS Enterprise. (Image credit: Paramount/Everett Collection Inc/Alamy Stock Photo) All About Space This article is brought to you by All About Space. All About Space magazine takes you on an awe-inspiring journey through our solar system and beyond, from the amazing technology and spacecraft that enables humanity to venture into orbit, to the complexities of space science. Subscribe for just $5 (or 5/5). From: "Star Trek: The Original Series" It's something that almost everyone has in their pockets. Mobile phones have become a necessity in modern life with a plethora of remarkable features. The first mobile phone was invented in 1973, the Motorola DynaTAC. It was a bulky thing that weighed 2.4 lbs. (1.1 kilograms) and had a talk time of about 35 minutes. It also cost thousands of dollars. The Motorola DynaTAC was invented by Martin Cooper, who led a team that created the phone in just 90 days. A long-standing rumor was that Cooper got his inspiration from an episode of Star Trek where Captain Kirk used his hand-held communications device. However, Cooper stated in a 2015 interview that the original inspiration was from a comic strip called Dick Tracy, in which the character used a "wrist two-way radio." The universal translator Star Trek characters would often come across alien life with different languages. (Image credit: Paramount Pictures/CBS Studios) (Image credit: Paramount Pictures/CBS Studios) From: "Star Trek: The Original Series" While exploring space, characters such as Captain Kirk and Spock would come across alien life who spoke a different language. To understand the galactic foreigners, the Star Trek characters used a device that immediately translated the alien's unusual language. Star Trek's universal communicator was first seen on screen as Spock tampered with it in order to communicate with a non-biological entity (Series 2 Episode 9, Metamorphosis). Although the idea in Star Trek was to communicate with intelligent alien life, a device capable of breaking down language barriers would revolutionize real-time communication. Now, products such as Sourcenext's Pocketalk and Skype's new voice translation service are capable of providing instantaneous translation between languages. Flawless real-time communication is far off, but the technological advancements over the last decade mean this feat is within reach. Teleportation The transporter is an iconic feature of the original Star Trek series. (Image credit: Paramount/AF archive/Alamy Stock Photo) (Image credit: Paramount/AF archive/Alamy Stock Photo) From: "Star Trek: The Original Series" The idea behind "beaming" someone up was that a person could be broken down into an energy form (dematerialization) and then converted back into matter at their destination (rematerialization). Transporting people this way on Star Trek's USS Enterprise had been around since the very beginning of the series, debuting in the pilot episode. Scientists haven't figured out how to teleport humans yet, but they can teleport balls of energy known as photons. In this case, teleportation is based on a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement. This refers to a condition in quantum mechanics where two entangled particles may be very far from one another, yet remain connected so that actions performed on one affect the other, regardless of distance. The information exchange between the two photons occurs at least 10,000 times faster than the speed of light. Related: Chinese Scientists Just Set the Record for the Farthest Quantum Teleportation 3D holograms This hologram of Princess Leia features the iconic line, "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope." (Image credit: Lucasfilm/AF archive/Alamy Stock Photo) (Image credit: Lucasfilm/AF archive/Alamy Stock Photo) From: "Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope" Not long into the first Star Wars movie, Obi-Wan Kenobi receives a holographic message. By definition, a hologram is a 3D image created from the interference of light beams from a laser onto a 2D surface, and can only be seen in one angle. In 2018, researchers from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, created a real hologram. Their technique, called volumetric display, works like an Etch-A-Sketch toy, but uses particles at high speeds. With lasers, researchers can trap particles and move them into a designated shape while another set of lasers emit red, green and blue light onto the particle and create an image. But so far, this can only happen on extremely small scales. Related: Cool! 'Star Wars'-Like Tech Warps Light into 360-Degree 3D Images Bionic limbs Even though using prosthetics had been common for a long time, Star Wars sparked an idea for bionic prosthetics. (Image credit: Disney/Lucasfilm) (Image credit: Disney/Lucasfilm) From: "Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back" Imagine getting your hand chopped off by your own father and falling to the bottom of a floating building to then have your long-lost sister come and pick you up. It's unlikely in reality, but not in the Star Wars movies. After losing his hand, Luke Skywalker receives a bionic version that has all the functions of a normal hand. This scenario is now more feasible than the previous one. Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, have been developing a way for amputees to control each of their prosthetic fingers using an ultrasonic sensor. In the movie, Skywalker's prosthesis uses electromyogram sensors attached to his muscles. The sensors can be switched into different modes and are controlled by the flexing or contracting of his muscles. The prosthesis created by the Georgia Tech researchers, however, uses machine learning and ultrasound signals to detect fine finger-by-finger movement. Digital Billboards In Blade Runner, digital billboards were used to decorate the dystopian metropolis of Los Angeles. (Image credit: Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection/Alamy Stock Photo) (Image credit: Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection/Alamy Stock Photo) From: "Blade Runner" Director Ridley Scott presents a landscape shot of futuristic Los Angeles in the movie "Blade Runner." While scanning the skyscrapers, a huge, digital, almost-cinematic billboard appears on one of the buildings. This pre-internet concept sparked the imagination of Andrew Phipps Newman, the CEO of DOOH.com. DOOH which stands for Digital Out Of Home is a company dedicated to providing live, dynamic advertisements through the use of digital billboards. The company is now at the forefront of advertising as it offers a more enticing form; one that will make people stop and stare. Digital billboards have come a long way since DOOH was founded in 2013. They have taken advantage of crowded cities, such as London and New York, to utilize this unique advertising tactic. Perhaps the more recent "Blade Runner 2049" will bring us even more new technologies. Artificial Intelligence Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford) can only distinguish the AI and real humans by a 'Voigt-Kampff' test. (Image credit: 1982 Warner Bros.) (Image credit: 1982 Warner Bros) From: "Blade Runner" The "Blade Runner" story heavily revolves around the idea of synthetic humans, which require artificial intelligence (AI). Some people might be worried about the potential fallout of giving computers intelligence, which has had disastrous consequences in many science-fiction works. But AI has some very useful applications in reality. For instance, astronomers have trained machines to find exoplanets using computer-based learning techniques. While sifting through copious amounts of data collected by missions such as NASA's Kepler and TESS missions, AI can identify the telltale signs of an exoplanet lurking in the data. Related: Why You Shouldn't Expect to See 'Blade Runner' Replicants Anytime Soon Space stations The inside design of the spacecraft in 2001: A Space Odyssey strikes an uncanny resemblance to the ISS. (Image credit: MGM/THE KOBAL COLLECTION) (Image credit: MGM/THE KOBAL COLLECTION) From: "2001: A Space Odyssey" Orbiting Earth in "2001: A Space Odyssey" is Space Station V, a large establishment located in low-Earth orbit where astronauts can bounce around in microgravity. Does this sound familiar? The Space Station V provided inspiration for the International Space Station (ISS), which has been orbiting the Earth since 1998 and currently accommodates up to six astronauts at a time. Although Space Station V appears much more luxurious, the ISS has accomplished much more science. The ISS has been fundamental to microgravity research since the start of its construction in 1998. The Space Station V wasn't just an out-of-this-world holiday experience, it was also employed as a pit-stop before traveling to the Moon and other long-duration space destinations. The proposed Deep Space Gateway would be a station orbiting the moon that would serve a similar purpose. Related: The 25 Greatest Spaceships of Science Fiction Tablets Tablets today are capable of recognizing fingerprints and even facial features of their owner for better security. (Image credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/AF archive/Alamy Stock Photo) (Image credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/AF archive/Alamy Stock Photo) From: "2001: A Space Odyssey" Tablets are wonderful handheld computers that can be controlled at the press of a finger. These handy devices are used by people across the globe, and even further upwards on the ISS. Apple claims to have invented the tablet with the release of its iPad. However, Samsung made an extremely interesting case in court that Apple was wrong: Stanley Kubrick and Sir Arthur C. Clarke did, by including the device in 2001: A Space Odyssey, released in 1968. In the film, Dr. David Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole watch news updates from their flat-screen computers, which they called "newspads." Samsung claimed that these "newspads" were the original tablet, featured in a film over 40 years before the first iPad arrived in 2010. This argument was not successful though, as the judge ruled that Samsung could not utilize this particular piece of evidence . Hoverboards Marty McFly was able to hover over any surface, even water, with the hoverboard. (Image credit: Universal Pictures/AF archive/Alamy Stock Photo) (Image credit: Universal Pictures/AF archive/Alamy Stock Photo) From: "Back to the Future Part II" The Back to the Future trilogy is a highly enjoyable trio of time-traveling adventures, but it is Part II that presents the creators' vision of 2015. The film predicted a far more outlandish 2015 than what actually happened just five years ago, but it got one thing correct: hoverboards, just like the one Marty McFly "borrows" to make a quick escape. Although they aren't as widespread as the film perceives, hoverboards now exist . The first real one was created in 2015 by Arx Pax , a company based in California. The company invented the Magnetic Field Architecture (MFA) used to provide the levitation of a hoverboard. The board generates a magnetic field, which in turn creates an eddy current, which then creates another opposing magnetic field. These magnetic fields repel each other against a copper "hoverpark" that provides lift. Driverless cars Johnny Cab wasn't able to move unless he had the destination, ultimately leading to his demise. (Image credit: TriStar Pictures) (Image credit: TriStar Pictures) From: "Total Recall" In the 1990 film, set in 2084, Total Recall's main protagonist Douglas Quaid (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) finds himself in the middle of a sci-fi showdown on Mars. In one scene Quaid is on the run from the bad guys and jumps into a driverless car. In the front is "Johnny Cab," which is the car's on-board computer system. All Johnny needs is an address to take the car to its intended destination. Although the driverless car wasn't seen in action before the protagonist yells profanities and takes over the driving, the idea of having a car that takes you to your destination using its onboard satellite navigation has become increasingly popular . The company at the forefront of driverless cars is Waymo , as they want to eradicate the human error and inattention that results in dangerous and fatal accidents. In 2017, NASA stated its intentions to help in the production of driverless cars, as they would improve the technologies of robotic vehicles on extraterrestrial surfaces such as the Moon or Mars. Additional resources: This article was adapted from a previous version published in All About Space magazine, a Future Ltd. publication. Email Lee Cavendish at lee.cavendish@futurenet.com. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. The British parliament is expected to close on Wednesday because of the coronavirus outbreak, with MPs sent home a week early for their Easter break. The government has put forward a motion for the House of Commons, the lower elected chamber, to shut at the end of Wednesday's proceedings until April 21. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told the BBC it was a "sensible" decision given the nationwide shut down of non-essential shops and services and the government order for people to stay at home. "Obviously parliament has to lead by example," he said, adding that it was also important to protect staff from the spread of infection of COVID-19. But he said he was "certain that parliament will return after the Easter holidays", saying it was important for lawmakers to scrutinise the government. Emergency legislation giving the government powers to force people into isolation has been pushed through parliament this week and is expected to become law on Wednesday. Before MPs head home, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will have his final head-to-head in the Commons against opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, before the latter steps down. A new Labour leader will be announced on April 4, with Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer the favourite to take over. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A mystery good Samaritan has paid for 171 villagers to enjoy fish and chips every Friday for the next three months during the coronavirus lockdown. Asking for anonymity, he has offered to pay for each of the villagers in Denchworth, Oxfordshire, to enjoy fish and chips - normally 5 per head. He will subsidise his local pub, The Fox, in Hyde Road, paying the landlord Stephen Davidson to cook meals for all villagers while the country remains under a lockdown. The generous gesture was applauded by many locals including Stephen, who was forced to shut down his 17th century pub on Friday after the Prime Minister announced strict measures to curb the increasing number of infections recorded. His gesture is an example of the generosity of Brits all over the country, as the nation battles the coronavirus pandemic. He will subsidise his local pub, The Fox, in Hyde Road, paying the landlord Stephen Davidson to cook meals for all villagers The man offered to pay for each of the villagers in Denchworth, Oxfordshire, to enjoy fish and chips - normally 5 per head Neighbours have been delivering packages to each other, the young have been shopping for the elderly, while businesses have been given discounts to the old and NHS workers. While the new government restrictions have forced closure on the hospitality industry, pubs, restaurants and cafes, they are still able to offer takeaways and deliveries. Businesses across the country are taking the opportunity to get rid of their food supplies. In Denchworth, referring to the benefactor, the landlord said 'He is really concerned about people in the village, so he wants to help in any way he can.' He was approached on Sunday morning by the 'very wealthy in-betweener' who splits his time between London and Denchworth. 'The pub is an important part of the village - we opened it back in 2000 - and it is the local boozer for this man. 'It will be a good thing for the locals, especially for the elderly who are stuck indoors.' He's still discussing with the benefactor about the funding, menu and deliveries, but he promised a hot plate of fish and chips for everybody. Over the weekend Stephen made takeaway soup for elderly and vulnerable neighbours and is now considering cooking Sunday roasts. 'I had ordered a lot of produce for Mothers' Day as we had more than 60 bookings in the diary. 'We had to shut the doors on Friday and I had a lot of groceries that were going to go to waste. 'Food is scarce at the moment and I had access to supplies, so I had to do it.' Next week's meal, he predicts, will be something simple like a roast dinner or a curry, however, he is still working out how to accommodate meat eaters and vegetarians at the same time. 'We are fortunate to have the community behind us, so the pub will weather the storm. 'I have faith in the Government and I know they are introducing a lot of grants. 'We are all in the same boat with this virus, so this is easing my mind.' The publican revealed that he will not be making a huge profit from the weekly meals he will be cooking for residents. He said he was going ahead because of his love for the village, saying 'It is part of my life.' The Fox pub is a tenanted Green King pub. Spain has overtaken China to become the country with the second-highest number of coronavirus fatalities in the world after Italy. The latest figures from the Health Ministry on Wednesday put the number of deaths at 3,434, above the 3,287 recorded in China, and behind Italy, where at least 6,820 people have died from the Covid-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. In the last 24 hours, 738 people died from the virus in Spain, a day-on-day rise of 27%, the Spanish government reported on Wednesday. The number of infections in Spain rose to 47,610 a jump of 7,937 or 20% since Tuesday. In comparison, the rate of infections and fatalities rose on Tuesday by 20% and 23% respectively. We have to take care with contacts in the home when they start presenting symptoms Fernando Simon, Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies More than 5,300 people have recovered from the Covid-19 disease and have been discharged from hospital, while there are still 26,960 in hospital, 3,166 of whom are in intensive care. Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts, said that the daily rise in fatalities has stabilized, meaning we are probably not far from the national peak of infections. The health expert warned, however, that Spains healthcare system would continue to feel the strain long after the peak is reached given the time it takes for patients to present symptoms. We know that deaths occur with a significant delay with respect to the date when symptoms begin showing, he said, adding that it is possible that Spain will see a rise in the number of hospitalizations, whether or not we see a drop in transmissions. We are controlling the transmission [of the virus], but we have to take care with contacts in the home when they start presenting symptoms, he added. Simon said that while the number of patients in intensive care was stabilizing overall, the northeastern region of Catalonia saw nearly a 50% jump in admissions since Tuesday. On whether hospitals were suffering from shortages, Simon replied: Protective equipment resources are not easy to get. There is an international battle for them. Spain is doing an enormous amount of work to get them. It is true that in some hospitals, there has been very limited access. Spain to spend 432 million on protective equipment Airbus has created an air link between Toulouse and Madrid to send face masks to Spain. An A400M delivered the first shipment on Tuesday. Health Minister Salvador Illa announced on Wednesday that Spain had reached agreements to buy a large supply of personal protective equipment to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Spain has closed [a deal] with China for the purchase of more than 432 million in material, said Illa. According to the minister, Spain will receive 950 ventilators between April and June, 11 million gloves over the next four weeks, 5.5 million rapid tests between March and April, as well as 550 million face masks that will be regularly delivered. Additionally, the government will activate the production of these categories of products, he added. Lockdown observation Jose Angel Gonzalez, the joint operational director of the National Police, reported today that 55 people were arrested on Tuesday, and 6,039 reports filed for disobedience. The police chief said that two men from La Linea de la Concepcion in the south of Spain attacked vehicles carrying senior citizens who were being transferred from a residence in the nearby municipality of Alcala del Valle, where an outbreak was detected at the care home. The general secretary for transportation, Maria Jose Rallo del Olmo, said that air travel continued to slow down under the lockdown. Operations have fallen 90% with respect to last years figures, she said. Deaths in senior homes Military personnel disinfecting the Amavir senior home in Usera district in Madrid. Samuel Sanchez Spains senior homes have seen numerous outbreaks of coronavirus. Twenty-three people, two of whom were nuns, have died at the Santisima Virgen y San Celedonio senior home in Madrid. More than 30 care workers at the home remain in quarantine due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to sources from the center, who have called for the facility which has 150 residents to be turned into a hospital. Meanwhile, in Barcelona three more residents at the Santa Oliva de Olesa de Montserrat senior home in Barcelona have died from Covid-19, bringing the total to 12, according to a press release from Barcelona City Hall. The city council said that another six residents had been admitted to hospital with the virus. An 89-year-old man named Rafael Garcia told EL PAIS that he fled a residency in Madrid because he feared for his life after several people died at the center. Although I am nearly 90 years of age, with slow legs and severe health problems, my mind is in a perfect state. I do not want to face my final moments of life, if it is my time, like so many others are, suffering in absolute loneliness, either from abandonment or neglect, he said. Over 65% of Spaniards support urgent measures According to the latest poll from Spains CIS public research institute, 65.2% of Spaniards surveyed were in favor of the government taking urgent measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, while 24.2% were against. The poll is based on surveys of 4,000 people taken between March 1 and 13 the day before the Spanish Cabinet approved a state of alarm that effectively put the entire country on lockdown. According to the results, 54.7% of respondents mostly agreed that health authorities had adequately informed them about the coronavirus. Health worker deaths Two family doctors have died from Covid-19 in Spain. Isabel Munoz, 59, who was in self-isolation with mild coronavirus symptoms, passed away on Tuesday in Salamanca before tests could confirm she had contracted the disease. The woman had been confined to her home since March 15 and had been communicating with her friends and neighbors remotely, but on Tuesday she stopped replying to messages. The National Police entered her home with emergency services where they found her body. In the southern Spanish province of Cordoba, Manuel Barragan, 63, died on Wednesday, according to Jesus Aguirre, the head of the Andalusian regional health department. The latest figures from the Health Ministry put the number of deaths in Andalusia at 113, with 3,010 confirmed cases. Around 5,400 health workers have contracted the coronavirus, according to the Health Ministry. Up until Wednesday, the only health worker to die from the disease had been a 52-year-old nurse in the Basque Country. English version by Melissa Kitson. The Nigerian army on Tuesday lost no fewer than 47 troop members to the deadly Boko Haram sect in Gorogi area of Borno state after they were ambushed by the extremists. This was made known in a statement by the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, in a statement on the official website of the Nigerian army. Statement reads: Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have dealt another crippling blow on Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East part of the country. This was achieved at Gorigi in the Allagarno Forest general area of Borno State. The routing occurred when the Land Component of the operation conducting clearance operations along the Allagarno Forest axis, as part of the ongoing subsidiary, Operation Ayiso Tamonuma, came into contact with mounted Boko Haram terrorists. Read Also: I Am Not Scared Of Trump Boko Haram Leader, Shekau Accordingly, air assets, including an Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance platform and fighter jets were immediately scrambled to provide close air support to the troops. While the ISR platform provided situational awareness to the troops, the fighter jets engaged the terrorists, immobilising a gun truck and neutralising some of the terrorists. Sadly, we suffered some casualties in the unfortunate attack. We lost 37 soldiers and we later picked up 10 more corpses. They were not killed by the terrorists; they were killed by a bomb explosion because they were conveying bombs meant for the operation. The Defence Headquarters commiserates with the families of our fallen gallant heroes who paid the supreme price in the course of defending our fatherland. A British national, who was administered HIV antiretroviral drugs for treating his coronavirus infection, has tested negative, doctors at the Ernakulam Medical College Hospital here said on Wednesday The patient, who had earlier tested positive for COVID-19, responded well to the drugs combination of Ritonavir and Lopinavir, and his latest test results showed he has tested negative for the virus, a hospital statement said. The doctors said the treatment was effective on the patient who was given the drugs for seven days. The result of the test of his samples conducted three days after giving him the drugs returned negative, they said. Doctors made the disclosure of his recovery after the second test result on March 23 also turned out to be negative. It is for the first time in Kerala that the HIV antiretroviral drug was used to treat COVID-19 patients, officials said. The drug combination was already used to treat patients in a hospital in Jaipur after the Indian Council of Medical Research had given permission to use it. Earlier, the Union Health Ministry had recommended the use of anti-HIV drug combinations to treat COVID-19 patients on a case-to-case basis. The Kerala State Medical Board had given permission to administer the drugs on the patient who was suffering from pneumonia. District Collector S Suhas had taken the initiative to make the drugs available and the doctors revised the treatment protocol after getting the patient's consent. The treatment was headed by a team of doctors. It was led by the medical college's principal Thomas Mathew. The swab samples of the UK national's wife, who is also admitted in the isolation ward, tested negative, the statement said. The two along with 17 others of their group from the UK, who were on holiday at the hill resort town of Munar, and a local were off-loaded from a Dubai-bound flight shortly before take-off at the airport here on March 15 after the man tested positive for the coronavirus. The local person had opted not to travel as a precautionary measure and was sent home, while the 17 others were quarantined at a hotel in the city. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: In a heartwarming gesture to fight against the coronavirus pandemic, actor-politician Kamal Haasan has offered to provide his old home in Chennai to be used as a temporary hospital to treat poor people with the help of doctors from his party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM). In a tweet posted in Tamil, Haasan informed that he written about it to the government and an approval is awaited. The building is currently being used by his party. Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) March 25, 2020 In an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier, Haasan had requested the government to provide financial aid to daily wage earners, farmers and fishermen, who have limited sources of income. Kamal Haasan and his entire family are under self-isolation in different cities. His ex-wife Sarika and elder daughter Shruti are in Mumbai but residing in separate apartments while he and younger daughter Akshara are in different houses in Chennai. They were having different travel schedules and hence, the family decided not to isolate together. As of now, to contain the spread of the coronavirus, a nationwide complete lockdown for 21 days has been announced by PM Modi. On the work front, Kamal Haasan will be next seen in Indian 2, directed by S Shankar. It is a sequel to his 1996 film of the same name. CMS has expanded telehealth coverage, which had been tightly restricted. Telehealth will be covered under Part B for all traditional Medicare enrollees during the virus crisis, and services are not limited to COVID-19 care. The definition of telehealth has also been expanded. Previously, patients were required to connect from a health facility, such as an outpatient center, that had approved videoconferencing technology; now, patients will be able to connect from home via video on a smartphone or other digital device. Hollywood hucksters, book hustlers, gallery exhibitionists, and grant applicants all sing the same lament about seeing themselves represented. And when indoctrinated young people join the chorus, having been taught that complaint is the beginning of self-assertion, you realize that none of them are aware how much multicultural representation already exists in popular culture. They surely cant know the work of Portuguese art filmmaker Pedro Costa, whose new film, Vitalina Varela (his ninth in his usual style) once again meets every criterion of race, gender, underclass representation and pushes them to the extreme. Costas acclaim by film cultures elite conflates his artistry with obsessive liberal sympathy: Vitalina Varelas middle-aged African protagonist (a nonprofessional portraying herself) arrives in Lisbon after the death of her estranged husband, who emigrated years earlier. (A group of airport workers advise, Here in Portugal there is nothing for you. Go back home.) Vitalina discovers her exs life in the dilapidated immigrant ghetto and begs a debauched immigrant priest, Ventura (another Costa alumni), to perform the funeral mass. But the opening shot itself already suggests a burial procession, anonymous blacks staggering through an empty street at night with cruciform objects towering overhead. Repeating themes of desolation, loneliness, regret, and immiseration from previous films, Costa expresses his sympathy in dirge-like fashion. This highly stylized film, as visually striking as the others, is representation by the Rembrandt of the ghetto. In this era of diversity by segregation, Vitalina Varela takes the representation movement about as far as it ought to go although the hustler-activists referred to above probably have no end in sight. Costas sophisticated approach outlines the limits of representation. Theres never a white face on screen; yet, given the deliberately constricted subject matter, a shot of dark brown hands pulling ruby-red beets out of brown earth constitutes an original vision. Costa is not influenced by prefabricated notions of racism like those in a Kara Walker art installation that manipulates pity, guilt, and sanctimony. Costas static group portraits models striking powerful poses or standing in zombified friezes painstakingly accomplish the direct expression of emotional experience that Julie Dash aimed for in Daughters of the Dust and missed. (Although todays gatekeepers still pretend to themselves that Dash achieved art, simply because it suits their political condescension.) Story continues But Costas art is astringent; his portraits of the black dispossessed betray no pathos. Through his abstraction gray-black, blue-black, black-brown, brown-black monochromes every image is a stunning, museum-quality composition. Cinematographer Leonardo Simoes uses gobos to project light on specific spaces or faces. This transcends Dashs romanticism, which is merely the art students failed pathos. *** These high-art studies on black misery seem super decadent; they probably offer a special thrill for white liberal exoticists at film festivals. Costa has finally come into his own at a time when open-borders Europe welcomes exotic pathologies of the Other. His spectral figures wander desolate alleys at night as if symbolizing the European empire as a darkened haunted house. This calls for a new conscientiousness among the Ava DuVernay set who exploit the representation craze through phrases such as When They See Us for no other reason than to secure career advantages. Hollywood race hustlers have not thought through the difference between how blacks are seen and how activist filmmakers choose to see them the aesthetic quality of black figuration. Meanwhile, Costa who stares at race and almost sees past it has commandeered the movement. Through the power of his imagery, he calls up the history of black representation: Grim-faced, liquid-eyed Vitalina is not pretty but handsome, like Juano Hernandez in Intruder in the Dust. A monologue about her husbands infidelity and her own pregnancy (One foot grew larger than the other) blends Mary Tyrone with I Walked with a Zombie and then evokes Faulkners Lena in Light in August. When Vitalina enters her husbands hovel and sits on the bed, her own reflection is revealed, framed by an engraved mirror on the other side of the room, a baroque double image. Its something the famed Harlem photographer Roy DeCarava might have done had he used color film. These characters imagined by a white European who must only know blacks as impoverished, drug-addicted derelicts lack the complex, politicized sense of social identity and Christianity as a moral, righteous, uplifting belief system that informs the experience of American descendants of slavery. The scene in which Vitalina takes a shower, running fingers through her thick lustrous hair, and plaster falls on her head recalls that in the Dardenne brothers La Promesse when the African immigrant heroine is urinated on from a balcony her ultimate humiliation in Belgium. This European emphasis on degradation aligns with the most facile aspects of the representation movement. Vitalina Varela proves that even at Costas high level, representation itself isnt enough. Vitalina Varela streams at GrasshopperFilms.com. More from National Review COLUMBUS, Ohio - On Wednesday afternoon, the state released a number of people who have been tested for the new coronavirus: 14,764. The number of negative tests havent been reported since March 15. The Ohio Department of Health is testing people for coronavirus, as well as several state hospitals and some private labs. As the COVID-19 response has developed, labs (hospitals and private) are now voluntarily providing ODH testing results, said Melanie Amato, press secretary for the Ohio Department of Health. The testing number is still not 100 percent accurate due to a small handful of labs still working on providing this data, but it is a better picture of the testing being done in Ohio. Ohio law doesnt require hospitals and other privately-owned facilities to share their negative results. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 704 confirmed coronavirus infections and 10 deaths, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That means, roughly 5% of tests are coming back positive. What about the 100,000 infection estimate? On March 12, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton said there had been two documented cases of community spread," of disease, meaning people who hadnt traveled to overseas coronavirus hotspots or interacting with a known infected person. From the number of two people getting it through community spread, she estimated 1% of Ohios 11.7 million population were infected, over 100,000 people. How many estimated people have it today? Acton said she didnt know. She clarified on Wednesday that earlier in the month, she was trying to convey to the public that infections were sprinkled throughout Ohio, and not just in one area -- as it had been in the onset in China, when it was located in Wuhan city. The 1% figure she said came from modeling, working backwards from data at the time. It came from working backwards from what we knew at that time, which is 40 to 70% of all of us, all of us, will get this virus in the course of a year.," she said. "Those numbers, Ive seen 56% in one study. Thats varying but that was the best science at the time. And I also knew when we would start to peak. We actually looked at some modeling others were doing at the time. Unemployment details Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said theres a need for drivers in the health care and grocery industries. The U.S. Department of Transportation is lifting some requirements for a commercial drivers license, he said. Unemployment.ohio.gov didnt crash today, which has occurred in the past, Husted said. Bad-acting employers If employers dont follow the states stay-at-home order to allow remote working and physically distance employees who have to come in, their employees and competitors will report them, Husted said. Gov. Mike DeWine said that the state has hesitated to list specific industries that need to keep employees at home. Theres a limit to how certain you can be, because if you say a specific businesses there will be times if they are doing something considered essential under the order, he said. DeWine said the state is taking action, beginning today, against a company thats not complying. He didnt identify the company. Enforcement is coming," Husted said. "We cant have people who are violating because its not fair. What about the homemade masks? The trend of home-sewn masks can be effective when a mask wearer coughs or sneezes, because they prevent respiratory droplets from spreading, Acton said. They are not as effective as N95 masks that keep a microscopic virus from coming into the mouth or nose of the wearer, she said. Other coronavirus stories: Ohio coronavirus cases rise to 704 and 10 deaths: Ohio Department of Health Wednesday update Gov. Mike DeWine gives Wednesdays Ohio coronavirus update: Watch live The train from Moscow is scheduled to depart on March 28 A special Kyiv-Moscow-Kyiv train will be used in order to evacuate Ukrainians from Russia. This was stated by Russian Railways, Interfax-Ukraine reports. The train will depart from Kyiv on March 27, and will arrive in Moscow the next day on March 28. It will depart for the return service from Moscow on March 28, and will arrive in Kyiv on March 29. "The train consists of 18 wagons (almost 800 seats)," the message reads. It will be passing without stopping for embarkation and disembarkation of passengers. The only stop will take place during border and customs control. As we reported earlier, Ukrainian citizens will be evacuated from the farthest corners of the globe by the German planes. It was stated by the Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba after a talk with his German colleague Heiko Maas. I am grateful to my German colleague that he supported our request and German planes will take and transfer our citizens from the farthest corners of the globe to Germany where we will help them to return home, Kuleba said. Nigerian scientists have advised the federal government to order a lockdown of the country to prevent further spread of COVID-19. The National Academy of Science, which acts as a scientific advisor to the Federal Government of Nigeria, gave the advice in a statement by its president, Mosto Onuoha. Mr Onuoha, a professor, said the lockdown should be national, with uniform regulations, and led by the federal government. He said the country should be locked down for four weeks to reduce the number of new importations of COVID-19 and provide the environment and condition for clear thinking and planning. In 4 weeks, virtually all COVID-19 cases and contacts should have been discovered or should have recovered, the professor said. It is now time for a national lockdown, especially now that the disease has invaded the highest level of our governance threatening our national security! While the effort of individual state governments is lauded, with a lockdown, all citizens are required (as much as possible) to stay at home leaving room only for essential activities that allow for basic functions such as feeding and accessing health care. He said only workers needed to provide essential services, such as health care and electricity, should be allowed go out. Explaining the reason for the suggestion, Mr Onuoha said since most of the confirmed cases are imported, and a few being contacts of the imported cases, Nigeria is beginning to have cases with unclear infection sources, this suggests the possible existence of community transmission and needs to be curtailed early. According to him, though the government and its agencies are working hard at containment, there are reports of people failing to self-isolate as advised. This is complicated by the VIP syndrome that seems to characterize our country, with some refusing to be checked or to self-isolate on arrival into the country, he said. It is unclear how widespread the disease might be in the country given the evolving number of cases at this point, and the difficulty in tracking their movements and those of their contacts, he said. Action Aid Concurs Expressing a similar view, a non-governmental organisation, Action Aid, called for 14 day lock down of the country. The Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi, said the increased cases of the imported virus in the country called for rapid steps to be taken by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the control of COVID-19. With the cases of infected persons increasing from 3 to 36 within a week, more need to be done quickly and promptly. Nigeria needs to be ready for the worst-case scenario, she said. She said the concept of social distancing and self-isolation may remain a mirage to many as average Nigerians particularly those offline and at the grassroots are still ignorant and lack the basic safeguarding information on symptoms and prevention of the spread of the virus. As a grassroots organisation, we are concerned that no proactive steps are being taken at the grassroots level and the average woman in the market is still unaware that the virus is so contagious that one infected person with high exposure can infect up to 2.5 million persons within 5 days as stated by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire during a press conference earlier today, March 23 2020, the country director said. Ms Obi said there was a need to re-prioritise the countrys budgetary provisions by investing more in healthcare facilities. In similar fashion, an economist, Odilim Ewegbara, in a telephone interview, said a total lockdown to curtail the spread of the virus is necessary now. He said the lockdown may come with financial hardships as the productive sectors would be forced to stop work but it is the safest way to keep the increasing figure at bay. He said the most likely way out of the economic hardship Nigeria is slumping into is that Nigerians should consume local products since importation would stop. He said this could be achieved if the government provides a social welfare package for the vulnerable group who would spend and stock up food during the lockdown. However, a public health expert, Faith Ajani, expressed a different view. He said Nigeria may not be able to afford a total lockdown even though it is the best method now. He, however, encouraged that personal hygiene and social distancing should be maintained at all times. Advertisements Nigerias Cases Currently, Nigeria has 46 cases of COVID-19 including one death. The Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and Bauchi State Governor. Bala Mohammed, are among Nigerias 46 confirmed cases. Some states, such as Lagos and Ogun, have already placed restrictions on public gatherings including in churches and mosques. Lagos, Nigerias most affected state with COVID-19, has also said it would shut markets from Thursday except for essential products. The federal government has, however, only advised Nigerians to stay at home but has told citizens to expect tougher measures. The COVID-19 has killed over 15,000 people globally, the majority of them in Europe and China. Arizona seniors are being warned by state and federal leaders about coronavirus-related scams, including fake miracle cures and identity theft to commit Medicare fraud. Thieves have been reported to offer door-to-door sanitization services, shopping services, are making robocalls and writing official-looking phishing emails, state Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a news release. Officials said government impostor scams are on the rise as the unethical try to gain access to the financials of Arizona seniors. Con artists frequently take advantage of headlines and are currently exploiting the anxieties of vulnerable seniors over COVID-19, said authorities. On March 18, 2020, I watched live via You Tube on how Doctors from China, who served on the front lines in the fight against coronavirus pandemic, share their experience of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with U.S. experts via a conference call. TCM has been proven effective in the treatment of an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in China, showing that the ancient system of healing plays a complementary role to western medicine in fighting the infection. WHO chief said Wuhan provides hope to the world that even the most severe situation of COVID-19 can be turned around. Yang Xiao, a doctor working in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, believes that the diagnosis and treatment scheme of COVID-19 plays an important role in the battle. China has updated the diagnosis and treatment scheme six times from Jan. 16 to March 4 based on its accumulating treatment experience. As an effective guide for the medical staff fighting against COVID-19, the scheme contributes to a continuous decline in mortality from the virus. "Every word in the scheme was written with great caution, which showed a responsibility for the patients' lives," said Yang." The scheme plays a guiding role, especially for hospitals in some counties and cities in central China's Hubei Province." About 20,000 boxes of the instant TCM mixture, which has proved effective in combating COVID-19 in Wuhan, Hubei province, reached the Netherlands on Tuesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] China experience in COVID-19 fight Three kinds of experience are crucial in the country's battle against the virus, said Zhang Boli, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The first is to strive for early detection, isolation, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 cases, and ask people under quarantine to take traditional Chinese medicine decoction, which effectively contained the spread of the epidemic. The second is expanding treatment capacity through establishing makeshift hospitals to cover all COVID-19 patients, cutting the transmission route of the virus. The third is the combination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine. In Hubei, TCM treatment has been given to 90.6 percent of COVID-19 patients. Clinical observation showed that the TCM has proven to be effective in the treatment of over 90 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland, said Yu Yanhong, Party chief of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, at a press conference in Wuhan. In Hubei, TCM treatment has been given to 90.6 percent of COVID-19 patients. Medical workers massage patients' acupuncture points at the Wuhan pulmonary hospital in Wuhan. Photo: Xinhua While many scientists are skeptical about its benefits, traditional medicine has official support and has been endorsed by President Xi Jinping. It has been credited with curing tens of thousands of patients during the outbreak and is also being promoted beyond Chinas borders, as an alternative medical solution and a source of national pride. One of the treatments being used is ephedra, which has been used to treat respiratory complaints since the 13th century, and a special soup in which it is mixed with poria, blackberry lily, apricot kernel and gypsum can help alleviate symptoms, according to official guidelines from the Chinese National Health Commission. The use of Chinese medicine has been supported by the national medical authorities during most recent pandemics, including the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009 and H7N9 in 2013. Chinese medicine mostly worked on the human immune system and could not replace invasive forms of treatment such as life support. Chinese health authorities have published a series of figures trying to prove the efficacy of Chinese medicine. Official figures showed that more than 50,000 recovered Covid-19 patients have been prescribed Chinese medicine in their treatment. According to Hubeis provincial health commission, Chinese medicine has been used on 91.91 per cent of the patients as of mid-March. In the makeshift hospitals built temporarily to treat patients with mild symptoms, between 94 and 99 per cent of people were given Chinese medicine. For instance, Artemisinin is a globally recognized remedy for malaria derived from sweet wormwood, a plant used in TCM. Tu Youyou, the Chinese scientist who turned to ancient Chinese medical texts to find artemisinin, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2015. The studies: In a clinical trial of 102 patients with mild symptoms in Wuhan, patients with combined treatments compared with the control group of patients receiving only Western medicine, Yu said. Their recovery rate was 33% higher, she added. In another study of more serious cases, patients receiving combined treatments also left hospital sooner than the control group and had greater levels of oxygen in their blood and a higher lymphocyte count -- an important indicators of the health of recovering patients, according to Yu. In another study by Wang et al 2020, titled Clinical characteristics and therapeutic procedure for four cases with 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia receiving combined Chinese and Western medicine treatment published in the journal BioScience Trends Advance Publication. The authors report the clinical characteristics and therapeutic procedure for four patients with mild or severe 2019-nCoV pneumonia admitted to Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. All the patients were given antiviral treatment including lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra ), arbidol, and Shufeng Jiedu Capsule (SFJDC, a traditional Chinese medicine) and other necessary support care. After treatment, three patients gained significant improvement in pneumonia associated symptoms, two of whom were confirmed 2019-nCoV negative and discharged, and one of whom was virus negative at the first test. The remaining patient with severe pneumonia had shown signs of improvement by the cutoff date for data collection. They concluded that results obtained in the current study may provide clues for treatment of 2019-nCoV pneumonia In another study by Zhang et al 2020, titled In silicons screening of Chinese herbal medicines with the potential to directly inhibit 2019 novel coronavirus published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine. The authors concluded that Chinese herbal remedies classically used for treating viral respiratory infection might contain direct anti-2019-nCoV compounds. Chang et al 2020 study titled An Update on the Epidemiological, Clinical, Preventive and Therapeutic Evidence and Guidelines of Integrative Chinese-Western Medicine for the Management of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease published in the journal The American Journal of Chinese Medicine. According to the study authors: In China, Chinese medicine is proposed as a treatment option by national and provincial guidelines with substantial utilization. They had this to say : We reviewed the latest national and provincial clinical guidelines, retrospective cohort studies, and case series regarding the treatment of COVID-19 by add-on Chinese medicine. We have also reviewed the clinical evidence generated from SARS and H1N1 management with hypothesized mechanisms and latest in silico findings to identify candidate Chinese medicines for the consideration of possible trials and management. Given the paucity of strongly evidence-based regimens, the available data suggest that Chinese medicine could be considered as an adjunctive therapeutic option in the management of COVID-19 Yang et al 2020, study also titled Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Patients Infected with 2019-New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A Review and Perspective published in the journal International Journal of Biological Sciences the authors also supported the fact that at the top of these conventional therapies, greater than 85% of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in China are receiving Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment. Ling CQ, 2020 study titled Traditional Chinese medicine is a resource for drug discovery against 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine also asserted that in 2003, patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) who were treated with TCM benefited from shorter hospitalization, decrease in steroid-related side effects, and improvement of symptoms Some TCM Formulas used Three formulas and three medicines have proved to be effective in treating the infection, according to the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here is a list of them. 1. Jinhua Qinggan granule The Jinhua Qinggan granule was developed during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. It consists of 12 herbal components including honeysuckle, mint and licorice and can remove heat from the body and detoxify lungs. It has a curative effect in treating patients with mild and moderate symptoms and can also improve the recovery rate of lymphocytes and white blood cells as well as lower the rate of worsening conditions. A comparative experiment showed patients who took Jinhua Qinggan granule tested negative for coronavirus 2.5 days earlier than a group that did not take it. The group treated with the granule also took eight days to show improvement, while the other group took 10.3 days. 2. Lianhua Qingwen capsule/granule Lianhua Qingwen medicine is a very common TCM used for the treatment of cold and flu. Composed of 13 herbal components, it has a curative effect in patients with mild symptoms and helps to relieve fever, cough and fatigue. It can also help prevent the disease from worsening. 3. Xuebijing injection This injection was developed and marketed during the SARS epidemic in 2003. It consists of five herbal extracts, and its main function is to detoxify and remove blood stasis. It is typically used to treat sepsis. It is effective in suppressing systemic inflammatory response syndrome induced by infection in the treatment of severe and critically ill patients, as well as repairing impaired organ function. Initial clinical studies have shown the injection, combined with Western medicine, can increase the rate of hospital discharge and reduce the rate of disease deterioration. Basic research has also found it has a certain antiviral effect in vitro that can significantly inhibit inflammatory factors induced by novel coronavirus. A comparative experiment of 710 cases jointly conducted by over 30 hospitals showed the injection, combined with regular treatment, can reduce the mortality rate of severe patients by 8.8 percent and shorten intensive care unit hospitalization by four days. 4. Lung Cleansing and Detoxifying decoction The lung cleansing and detoxifying decoction is derived from several classic recipes in a TCM book known in English as Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases (Shang Han Za Bing Lun), which was written by doctor Zhang Zhongjing some time before 220 AD. It has 21 herbal components and is mainly effective in improving symptoms of fever, cough and fatigue as well as lung conditions in severe patients, as shown by CT scans. Studies have proved the decoction can regulate multiple cell signaling pathwaysas cells communicate with each other by receiving and processing chemical signals in response to environmental changesto inhibit virus replication. Huang Luqi, president of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, said 1,264 patients in 10 provinces received the decoction and 1,214 have recovered, accounting for 96.1 percent, and no cases worsening. 5. Huashi Baidu formula Huashi Baidu formula is a core recipe developed by the national TCM team from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Made up of 14 herbal components, the formula is based on the recommendations of the early national diagnosis and treatment plan as well as the experiences from clinical practice at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital. Its main use is to detoxify, remove dampness and heat from the body and relieve cough to achieve an inner-body balance. It can be used to treat patients with mild, moderate and severe conditions. This prescription has a comprehensive treatment effect during different stages of novel coronavirus pneumonia. It can significantly shorten the length of hospital stays and improve clinical symptoms and lung conditions, as shown by CT scans and other examinations. Studies on guinea pigs found the formula can reduce lung viral load by 30 percent. 6. Xuanfei Baidu granule Xuanfei Baidu granule, with 13 herbal components, originates from several classic TCM recipes. It can detoxify the lungs and clear dampness and heat, and is used for treating patients with mild and moderate symptoms. Research has shown the prescription can shorten the time it takes for clinical symptoms to vanish and for temperatures to return to normal. It can also effectively prevent patients with mild and moderate symptoms from deteriorating. -China Daily/ANN Mr. President, I believe it is time to support the traditional Medicine industry and this is the right time to show your support. You could also invite these practitioners and appeal to them to find remedies to complement the conventional efforts by the Medical industry. This COVID-19 fight is not one sided approach; but needs an integrative approach to handle it. Traditional Medicine Practitioners and their centers are more in number than conventional centers and they also need training in testing in their various centers. In fact, they are the first line health workers patients visit before going to the conventional centers, so any efforts to do away with them could be suicidal in your efforts to deal with the pandemic. Hibiscus Tea could bring hope Mr. Prez, Traditional Medicine could support people under quarantine in Ghana. For instance, a well know hibiscus Tea has been proven effective in flu management and could also be incorporated as part of the integrative approach in the disease management for those affected by the disease. We can produce hibiscus Tea in large quantities to support the efforts. In a recent 2019 study by Takeda et al titled Antiviral Activities of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Tea Extract Against Human Influenza A Virus Rely Largely on Acidic pH but Partially on a Low-pH-Independent Mechanism published in the journal Food and Environmental Virology. The authors analyzed the antiviral activity of hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) tea extract against human IAV and evaluated its potential as a novel anti-IAV drug and a safe inactivating agent for whole inactivated vaccine. The in vitro study revealed that the pH of hibiscus tea extract is acidic, and its rapid and potent antiviral activity relied largely on the acidic pH. However, hibiscus tea extract and protocatechuic acid, one of the major components of the extract, showed not only potent acid-dependent antiviral activity but also weak low-pH-independent activity. The low-pH-independent activity did not affect the conformation of immunodominant hemagglutinin protein. Although this low-pH-independent activity is very limited, it may be suitable for the application to medication and vaccination because this activity is not affected by the neutral blood environment and does not lose antigenicity of hemagglutinin. Further study of the low-pH-independent antiviral mechanism and attempts to enhance the antiviral activity may establish a novel anti-IAV therapy and vaccination strategy. Also a 2016 study by High antiviral effects of hibiscus tea extract on the H5 subtypes of low and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses and published Journal Veterinary Medicine Science. The authors screened the antiviral effects of 11 herbal tea extracts (hibiscus, black tea, tencha, rosehip tea, burdock tea, green tea, jasmine tea, ginger tea, lavender tea, rose tea and oak tea) against the H5N1 HPAIV in vitro. Among the tested extracts, only the hibiscus extract and its fractionated extract (frHibis) highly and rapidly reduced the titers of all H5 HPAIVs and low pathogenic AIVs (LPAIVs) used in the pre-treatment tests of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells that were inoculated with a mixture of the virus and the extract. Immunogold electron microscopy showed that anti-H5 monoclonal antibodies could not bind to the deformed H5 virus particles pretreated with frHibis. In post-treatment tests of MDCK cells cultured in the presence of frHibis after infection with H5N1 HPAIV, the frHibis inhibited viral replication and the expression of viral antigens and genes. Among the plants tested, hibiscus showed the most prominent antiviral effects against both H5 HPAIV and LPAIV. Mr. President, taking into conclusion the possibility that hibiscus extract might prevent and treat life-threatening viral infection is all the more encouraging; especially considering that it is also known to have a very high threshold of safety. While the researchers did not speculate too deeply on the mechanism of action behind the observed ant-viral activity of hibiscus, noting only the possibility that its anthnocyanin pigment could be responsible, they suggested further studies should be conducted to identify the effectiveness components contained in hibiscus and to elucidate potential anti-viral mechanism in more detail. They concluded: "Our preliminary study showed that, in addition to the H5 subtype, hibiscus inactivated seven other subtypes (data not shown), whereas P. sidoides extracts inactivated human influenza viruses (H1N1 and H3N2) but not H5N1 HPAIV . Thus, hibiscus may be a promising candidate as a potent anti-influenza drug, irrespective of subtype". Mr. Prez, this is the right time to involve practitioners of Traditional and Alternative medicine and Conventional Medicine Practitioners together to work as an integrative team to deal with the disease. Most of them knows their stuff very well and they may help in the fights against the pandemic. If China had done it, we surely can! Thank You and God bless our home land Ghana! The author is a distinguished researcher, practitioner and an honorary Professor of Naturopathic and Holistic Medicine-Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University, Ukraine, President of Nyarkotey Collge of Holistic Medicine and currently LLB Law/MBA student. He is the formulator of FDA approved Mens Formula for Prostate Health & Immune booster, Womens Formula for general wellness Nyarkotey Hibiscus Tea for Cardiovascular Health & wellness. Can be contacted by 0241083423/0541234556. ZURICH Spiez Lab, a government-run institute in the Swiss mountains, was set up to protect the nation from nuclear, biological and chemical threats. For a world without weapons of mass destruction, runs its slogan. It is now fighting another global menace the coronavirus by providing face masks, the demand for which is growing faster than the disease theyre meant to fend off. Hospitals treating COVID-19, the pandemic caused by the virus, can need up to nine times the protective equipment they do when dealing with normal flu, according to the American Hospital Association. The Swiss lab acquires masks that are past their expiry dates, then tests them to see if they still work. If yes, theyre being distributed to the health care system via military pharmacies, said spokesman Andreas Bucher. So far, he said, Spiez Lab has distributed 10.2 million masks. Thats a lot for an institute better known for its expertise on deadly nerve agents. But globally, its a drop in an ocean of need. In Switzerland, whose population of 8.2 million is about the size of New York City, it would amount to less than 10 days supply, based on estimates by the Swiss government. N95 masks Various N95 respiration masks at a laboratory of 3M, that has been contracted by the U.S. government to produce extra marks in response to the Across the world, frontline medical staff are clamoring for face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE). Even as China, the worlds main supplier, comes back onstream, companies around the globe are battling a host of obstacles, from illness to freight costs, from hoarding to a supply squeeze on filter fabric. In the United States, the new epicenter of the pandemic, shortages are so acute that health workers have taken to social media to appeal for help under the hashtag #GetMePPE. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has said that over the next 18 months it aims to buy 500 million masks for the Strategic National Stockpile, the nations supply of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is distributing masks, but its not easy for the federal government to help states obtain the equipment, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. Frontline medical staff in many countries say shortages of masks and other equipment have left them vulnerable to catching the virus which forces them into isolation and reduces staff numbers. Madrids doctors union has filed a lawsuit to try to force the regional health authority to deliver scrubs, masks and goggles to hospitals and other health centers. A spokesman for the authority declined to comment. Medical staff in the Netherlands blame the lack of masks for the high rates of coronavirus infection among them the health ministry disputes that but acknowledges the shortage. Almost a quarter of the 2,994 people infected as of March 20 worked in health care, according to the last available data from the National Institute for Health. Switzerland alone, a country of 8.6 million, needs 1.2 million masks a day, said Daniel Koch, head of the Swiss Federal Office of Healths communicable diseases division. There are two main kinds of mask: The surgical masks worn routinely on many Asian streets, which can provide some protection; and the higher-standard respirators, often known by designations such as N95 or FFP (filtering facepiece), which are meant for medical procedures to protect workers from the droplets through which the virus spreads. Demand for all of them has skyrocketed. U.S. hospitals are rapidly running down their supplies despite efforts to procure more masks from private and government sources, healthcare executives and industry spokespeople say. Major providers of medical masks including 3M Co., Owens & Minor Inc., Cardinal Health Inc., and Medline Industries Inc. say they are working multiple shifts a day and producing as much as four times their typical output, said David Gillan, a senior vice president at Vizient Inc., which helps healthcare providers manage their supply chains. But many hospitals say they only have enough masks for several days, Gillan said. Prada and Porsches As unused masks age, the materials they are made of degrade so they offer decreasing protection: Spiez Lab identifies those that are still safe. Other institutions and companies across the world have also retooled their operations to produce face masks. The effort resembles the Allied munitions drives of World War II. Masks are being made in Germany by Zettl Automotive, a car supplier that usually makes seat covers for BMWs and Porsches; in Italy and Spain, by Prada and other fashion companies; and in the Czech republic, by a producer of boxer shorts and panties called Styx. We have completely switched production from underwear to masks, said its executive director Ruslan Skopal. Such surgical masks, while they may help meet consumer demand, are not always helpful in hospitals. Everything we use in hospitals must be regulated, said Benito Almirante, head of infectious diseases at the Vall DHebron hospital in Barcelona. The masks made in all these altruistic projects cannot be used in hospitals because they are not regulated.... Its better these kinds of masks are used for going to the supermarket, leaving the regulation material for health workers. The real boost to global supply of such masks will come from China, the worlds largest mask manufacturer which makes about half global production. It is now emerging from its own epidemic and ramping up production for both the domestic and international market. By Feb. 29, the country was producing 116 million masks a day, Chinas state media CCTV reported on March 2, citing data obtained from National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The NDRC told companies that it would buy and store any surplus output after the outbreak. Even the China National Petroleum Corp. has joined the effort to produce face masks. It expects to be able to make 1.5 million a day by the end of March, Xinhua reported on Wednesday. In February, at the peak of Chinas outbreak, the entire output of Shenzhen-based Allmed Medical Productss N95 masks was bought by the government. Since resuming commercial export orders last week, Allmed has been flooded with overseas requests, but has only signed deals from North American and only with clients the company is familiar with or which are backed by governments, said a company representative. Its factories in Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus, can produce up to 250,000 N95-standard masks a day, which is much higher than the pre-outbreak capacity, said the representative. Smuggling and bottlenecks Other problems remain. In some countries, manufacturing and distribution has been hampered by supply chain problems, a precipitous drop in available air freight, and export restrictions by governments desperate to hang on to dwindling supplies. Other countries including India, South Korea, Taiwan, France and Germany have restricted or temporarily banned exports of medical equipment. Turkish authorities carried out simultaneous raids on the depots of face mask producers earlier this week to demand they sign contracts with the Health Ministry and stop hoarding stock, local media reported. In Ukraine, which has banned mask exports, border guards last week arrested a man in a wetsuit who they said was trying to smuggle masks across a river into Romania. They have also seized thousands of masks at border checkpoints. Some governments and multinational companies are donating shipments of masks to countries in need. But industrial mask-makers also face a bottleneck of a key component: Melt-blown polypropylene, the non-woven polymer fabric that forms the filter in most masks, which is made by smaller companies with limited capacity. Trying to find a supplier who hasnt sold out for the next six months is hard, said Christopher Dobbing, the CEO and founder of Cambridge Mask Co., a small producer in Britain. Prices were up to 15 times higher than when the pandemic began, said Dobbing. Demand for his firms masks had increased twelvefold, he added, and that is for people willing to buy a mask now for delivery in 8 to 10 weeks time. Reusing masks In one sign of the strain many countries face, the Dutch minister for medical care, Bruno Bruins, collapsed from exhaustion last week during questioning in parliament about face masks, and resigned the next day. In the Netherlands as elsewhere, acute shortages have forced medical staff to use one mask with multiple patients or to buy masks usually used for construction work. Everyone just took matters into their own hands, said a doctor in the capital, Amsterdam, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. In a statement to Reuters, a spokesman for the Dutch Health Ministry said it was working around the clock to address the shortage, which he blamed on the surge in demand. The countrys National Institute of Health, which sets the guidelines for safety gear, has asked doctors to keep used masks for re-use after cleaning. Michael Shields reported from Zurich, Carl ODonnell from New York, Roxanne Liu from Beijing and Anthony Deutsch from Amsterdam. Additional reporting by Sonya Dowsett in Madrid, Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Kelland in London, Michael Kahn in Prague, Claudia Cristoferi in Milan, Giulia Segreti in Rome, Ludwig Berger in Frankfurt and Joern Poltz in Munich. Editors note: This article previously gave the incorrect amount of time that coronavirus can live on cardboard. The virus can live on cardboard for one day. Whether its groceries or a take-out meal, food and its packaging should be handled with care and disinfected before its put away in your home while the world grapples with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, a Grand Rapids doctor is advising. Jeffrey VanWingen, a doctor at Family Medicine Specialists, created a 13-minute video to show everyone how to bring food into their homes as safely as possible. While in-depth research about this novel virus and its spread is ongoing, recommendations from doctors about how to handle food items are varied at this point. To see the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, check here. VanWingens approach lands on the side of using an abundance of caution when it comes to bringing items inside your home. Imagine that your groceries are covered in glitter, and your goal at the end of this is to not have any glitter in your house, on your hands or, especially, on your face, VanWingen said. Imagine that disinfectants and soap have the power to dissolve that glitter. The National Institute of Health reports that coronavirus can live in air for three hours, on cardboard for one day, and on plastic and metal surfaces for three days. RELATED: Stores, apps that will deliver groceries to your home during coronavirus pandemic The best way to keep the glitter out of your home is to leave groceries outside (on the back porch or in the garage) for three days if possible, VanWingen said. If thats not possible, he adapted a surgical sterilization technique for use on groceries. HOW TO DISINFECT GROCERIES This all seems a bit time consuming, but, in truth, these days people do have a bit more time on their hands," VanWingen said. Lets be methodical and be safe, and not take any chances. RELATED: 11 ways to make grocery shopping safer as coronavirus spreads TAKE-OUT SAFETY Sanitize a table before bringing in take-out food Establish a dirty side of the table to place the take-out bags that are coming into the house, and a clean side to place items onto plates Dump food from inside their packages onto plates without allowing the item to touch your hands or the outside of the package Microwave hot food before eating RELATED: Burger King to offer free kids meals during coronavirus school closures The food isnt the main concern since coronavirus doesnt live long in hot food, VanWingen said. However, the packaging could be contaminated. Choosing hot foods from restaurants is safer than cold foods at this time, he added. Also note that coronavirus can live in frozen foods for long periods of time, he said. The freezer should not be considered a safe zone. Frozen food packaging should be disinfected like everything else. Go out there, use this knowledge and do the best that you can, VanWingen said. Since March 10, COVID-19 cases in Michigan went from 2 to 1,791 on March 24, which was the day that Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Shelter-in-place order went into effect. There have been 24 deaths. Forty-one of Michigans 83 counties are home to a resident who contracted coronavirus. About 85% of the COVID-19 cases -- 1,561 of 1,791 -- are in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. READ MORE: Is Michigan really social distancing? Phone data shows the answer Spectrum Health has capacity for surge in coronavirus patients Wednesday, March 25: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Faced with mounting coronavirus challenges on its home turf, Nike Inc. says its ready to implement the fight playbook it developed when it shouldered the same health battle just weeks ago in China. During the companys third-quarter earnings conference call, CEO John Donahoe revealed that the sportswear giants business underwent four phases to get back on track following widespread store closures and supply chain disruptions in China, where the virus originated in December: First, the containment of the outbreak; then the recovery period when stores reopen; normalization; and ultimately, a return to growth. We can extract learning and insight from each of our markets, said Donahoe. Tracking data from China, Japan and South Korea, where Nike has since reopened most of the stores that had been forced to close to prevent the spread of the illness, the Beaverton, Ore.-based company found fairly consistent patterns: Containment took five to six weeks, and although its locations were shuttered, e-commerce growth remained strong during that time, augmented by Nikes connection with consumers through its apps and digital platforms. Now, all three markets are [going] through what were calling recovery, that is, retails opening back up [and] consumers are back on the streets, Donahoe said. As we move into normalization, retail traffic is coming back. In the third quarter, Nike noted that revenues in Greater China were down 4% on a currency-neutral basis, breaking a streak of 22 consecutive quarters of double-digit improvement. Roughly 75% of Nike-owned and partner stores in the region had either closed or significantly reduced operating hours in February as the Chinese government attempted to stem the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. Although brick-and-mortar sales saw either declining foot traffic or none at all, Nike reported that e-commerce in Greater China during that period surged more than 30%. And today, nearly 80% of Nike outposts in China are open. Story continues In the U.S., where the government and leading health officials are focused on flattening the curve related to the coronavirus outbreak, Donahoe said were earlier in the cycle. In an attempt to help curb the illness spread, Nike became one of the first major global chains to announce the temporary closure of its stores in the United States. Its stores in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Western Europe are also shuttered through Friday. While it wasnt able to connect with shoppers in person, the company said it leveraged its omnichannel presence to keep its brand top of mind for consumers. It has remained active on social media, releasing this week a marketing campaign that encouraged Americans to stay at their homes to upend the virus spread and offering free workouts on its Nike Training Club Premium subscription app, where U.S.-based customers can engage in studio-style workouts and progressive training programs where they can get expert tips from Nikes master trainers. None of us can predict perfectly how long the containment phase is going to take in the U.S. and Europe, Donahoe admitted. But what we can know is, while stores are closed, were going to be there digitally with activity apps and commerce. And when the stores start reopening, were going to be leveraging our unique strengths with strong, compelling product; a digital connection with consumers that is unmatched; and the seamless digital-physical experiences of both Nike Direct and our partners. For the period ended Feb. 29, Nike logged earnings per share of 53 cents on profits that dropped 23% to $847 million, compared with analysts bets of 59 cents per share. Revenues, on the other hand, improved 5% on a reported basis (or 7% on a currency-neutral basis) to $10.1 billion, advancing past Wall Streets predictions of $9.8 billion. Digital sales were also up 36% over the previous year. Nike attributed the performance to solid growth across North America as well as the Asia Pacific-Latin America and Europe-Middle-East-Africa regions, offset by the impact of the pandemic on its business in Greater China. Want more? Coronavirus Disruption Puts a Dent in Nike Earnings, But Investors Are Still Bullish on the Brand Nike Is Offering Free Workouts on Its NTC App as the Coronavirus Forces People Inside Nike Delivers Inspiring Message for the Coronavirus Era: Play Inside, Play for the World More from Footwear News More behind the cutPanel talks new normal, crazy times, people being creative to connect on social media apps. Listening to live readings of childrens books. Sara hasnt been invited to adult happy hours while Sunny has so many she has to turn some down. Whoopi is trying to avoid information overload.Fascist T45 and TX Lt Gov are promoting the Nazi mantra that the elderly, disabled, and disabled are disposable. We live in hell, these people are trash. T45 likens it to car crashes [because people who observe the aftermath of a car crash are then infected with car crasheritis]. Panel talks insanity, discusses economic pitfalls, tests, healthcare priorities. Sunny has a rant, thought what Lt Gov said was despicable and disgusting. T45 wants people back at work because a-he's a narcissist who needs the Klan rallies to stroke his ego, b-his own trash properties are losing money, and c-plus he knows it will hurt him politically. And Donald Dum Dum ignores that younger people are sick, and capable of infecting others. Rand Paul got tested but didnt self-isolate until his results came back, and now hes infected. Completely reckless behavior. Sunny reads a legal note which is a complete sht excuse and takes no responsibility at all.Biden has ~mathematically secured the nomination. Whoopi asks how hes handling the self-isolation. JB says they set up a mini-studio from his home so he can communicate with media. He has daily briefings with his medical experts, then has briefings with his economic team, talks to congressional leaders, and has a fair number of news show by satellite like this one. Whoopi wants to know the one thing hes most concerned about. JB says the misinformation. We should be listen to the doctors and the medical experts, like Dr Fauci. Says Jill is upstairs on the phone with a woman with their cancer institute, to work out how to stay in touch and buoy there spirits, and also make sure there are ways for people to still get their medication and treatment. Tells another personal anecdote story. Sara asks about T45 remarks. JB says things. Emphasizes we have to flatten the curve. Should be focused on getting help for testing, getting the PPE for first responders, hospital workers, talks about map where there are areas with no ICU units. We should be acting with urgency. Sunny says JB is doing daily briefings from his house, yesterday hit 3.5M views so far, to counter propaganda from T45 daily lie-fests. JB says a Potus should be instilling confidence but his lies keep eroding that. Talks about how we knew this from January, things JB has said or written op-eds to re-focus how we should be proceeding. Says more things. Tells stories that people who have his number from whenever ago that are calling him in a panic. JB says that hes in touch with people in the Senate and thinks they're close to a final deal.Whoopi asks what are the 3 things hed do right now if he were Potus re/economy. 1-(already done)House moved to get necessary resources to deal with medical side of the equation, 2-first hit to rush monies to people and small businesses, and 3-longer term proposal re/stimulus spending. Compares back to financial crisis when Obama-Biden admin took office [after Bush43 bailed out Big Banks]. Talks about his work during that time, who he was in touch with, being transparent for how money would be spent. Gives props to NY Cuomo, says OH Mike Dewine is also doing a good job. But we need to take care of the person at home scared to death who is laid off and worrying about bills. Believes there should be a freeze on mortgage and utilities. Was informed a few mins before show that Senate deal is getting there, wont be perfect but a good first step. Says more reassuring things, and repeats we should be listening to medical experts. Sunny asks about people who are politicizing the issue. JB says hes trying to take approach that he doesnt criticize the Potus directly but talks about how we need to fact-check and get good info to people confused on all the mixed message. Talks about DPA, which T45 keeps talking about, but not taking action.Sara asks about him joining @dnice virtual dj set last weekend. JB says Symone Sanders tipped him off. Sara asks about campaigning in this environment. JB says virtual may reach more people than local events. He prefers meeting people in person, but with new technology available, hell be able to make his case. Talks about elections during 1918 Pandemic, WWII, etc, we can do both, we can figure it out. Whoopi talks about his evolution of the primaries. JB talks about his mindset over the sequence of caucuses and primaries. Thought hed do well in SC, then Super Tuesday, highlights voter turnout in a lot of states. Feels good for future primaries. Bad news and good new is people [already] know me -laughs. Sara brings up Bernie and how long he stayed in race in 2016. JB says they havent spoken directly but says their staff people have had discussions. JB says its up to Bernie to make his decisions in his own time. Hopes that no matter what happens, that we stay together instead of what happened last election. JB likes him and they get along, talks about his supporters, talks about EW and adopting some of her initiatives, and one of Bernies initiatives. Goes into more policy topics.Whoopi brings up female VP, shes turned it down -joke. Asks if there is a shortlist. JB says theres a shortlist of 12-15 and will start vetting people but wont name any now. Brings up his relationship as VP-Potus, they were in agreement strategically and they were open and honest but circumspect, so JB says if he becomes the nominee, that he picks someone who he can have that same relationship with policy-wise and personally. Sunny asks about black woman for SCOTUS. Whoopi turned that down too -joke. JB says there are at least 4 women fully capable and would be great additions to the court. Brings up Sotomayer and Kagan and RBG. Says he wasnt being solicitous, that he believes it matters to have a black woman on the court.Source links are below each video or section Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. LANSING, MI -- Protective gear is so scarce during spread of COVID-19 that medical staff are reusing face masks, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says. Whitmer is now asking Michigan residents and businesses to donate much-needed supplies, including hospital gowns, ventilators, sanitizer, gloves, surgical masks, protective face masks and no-touch thermometers. Our brave medical professionals and first-responders are on the front lines of keeping us safe, and we must do everything we can to protect them and every Michigander we can from the spread of COVID-19, Whitmer said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. Right now, medical professionals across the state are forced to reuse face masks. This increases the risk of spreading COVID-19 during a time when we should do everything we can to mitigate it. "Were not getting the tools we need from the federal government, so its on all of us to work together to protect each other. Whitmer said several business efforts illustrate the contribution she said is needed. She noted a new partnership created between Ford, 3M, the UAW and GE Health Care to manufacture respirators and plans by Mammoth Distillery, with locations in Central Lake, Bellaire and Traverse City, to make and donate hand sanitizer to health care workers. Whitmer last week loosened laws through an executive order so that alcohol distillers could also manufacture sanitizer. Our clinicians are working tirelessly to care for those affected by this pandemic, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Deputy for Health and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said. They deserve to be able to do their jobs safely and these donations will help protect the health and safety of both providers and patients. Anyone interested in making a donation is asked to contact the Michigan Community Service Commission at COVID19donations@michigan.gov or 517-335-4295. Michigan has 1,791 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 24 deaths, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday, March 24. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. Related coverage: Detroit hospital system almost at capacity How to report non-essential businesses still operating Michigans Oakland County asks businesses to screen essential staff daily for coronavirus symptoms All Michigan residents, most businesses ordered to stay home to slow spread of coronavirus Read Michigan Gov. Whitmers entire coronavirus stay-at-home order Whats open, whats closed under Gov. Whitmers coronavirus stay-at-home order Complete coverage of coronavirus in Michigan. Homeowners arrested in New Jersey after neighbors report wedding gatherings Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Two homeowners were arrested in Lakewood, New Jersey, for hosting large wedding parties amid the coronavirus outbreak last week after concerned neighbors reported them to authorities. Neighbors quickly alerted police after a large crowd was noticed at one home along Oliver Court, owned by Shaul Kuperwasser, 43, local media reported. Authorities quickly broke up the event and charged Kuperwasser with maintaining a public nuisance. The location was also deemed unsafe by the Lakewood Township Inspections Department. At another home on Spruce Street home, Eliyohu Zaks, 49, was slapped with a similar charge by officers for hosting a wedding with more than 50 people, Patch.com reported. The arrests come as New Jersey officials ramp up efforts to enforce social distancing orders in the state to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus. "The Lakewood Police Department takes the precautions set by Governor Murphy very seriously and will certainly do our part to protect those we serve by strictly enforcing his mitigation strategies over the next few weeks," Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith warned earlier last week after police broke up other weddings. "We stress that the public do their part in reducing the spread of COVID-19 by obeying the guidelines set forth by the State of New Jersey," he said. New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy urged residents in his daily briefing on Sunday to stop ignoring warnings to avoid large gatherings and remain in their homes as the number of coronavirus cases in the state neared 2,000. We are not happy with people out there ignoring what is a clear, unmistakable order to stay at home, Murphy said. He explained that while previous restrictions on gatherings had a 50-person limit, an executive order on Saturday actually dropped it to zero. The ramping up of restrictions on large gatherings in New Jersey comes in the wake of a close-knit Italian-American Christian family losing at least four members in a matter of days with several others becoming ill from the coronavirus after gathering for a family dinner in Freehold. Grace Fusco, 73, who usually sat in the same pew for worship at church on Sundays, died along with her eldest son, Carmine Fusco, of Bath, Pennsylvania, and her eldest child, Rita Fusco-Jackson, 55. Another of Grace Fuscos children, Vincent Fusco, also died in the tragedy. "This is an unbearable tragedy for the family," Roseann Paradiso Fodera, a cousin and the lawyer representing the Fusco family, said. Elizabeth Fusco, 42, the youngest of Grace Fuscos 11 children, recently told the New York Post that both her and her daughter, who has a preexisting health condition, have tested positive for the coronavirus since the death of her mother and her siblings. She still chose to cook dinner for her family the day she spoke with the Post. I have family to feed, she said while preparing the meal. My mother in her worst years, whenever she was scared or having a bad time, she cooked. So guess what Im doing? Im cooking. I feel very sad. I lost family but I still have to feed my family. I remember my sister and my mom when Im cooking. In this world there is no promise of tomorrow. No one can assume anything. Another Fusco relative, Gabrielle Cartagena, announced on Facebook Sunday that she tested negative for the coronavirus. As most of you have seen my family has been gravely affected by the COVID 19 pandemic sweeping the world. I am extremely grateful for all of the love and support received from everyone!!" Cartagena wrote. "I am happy to finally put everyones mind at ease, I am negative for COVID -19! I still have two family members in the hospital fighting and pray they come home soon. Please everyone stay safe and healthy during this time. Hope we can all be together again soon." An Extinction Rebellion splinter group faced online backlash after tweeting photos of stickers reading 'corona is the cure' and 'humans are the disease' amid the coronavirus crisis. The group, which claims to represent Extinction Rebellion in the East Midlands, tweeted: 'Earth is healing. The air and water is clearing. Corona is the cure. Humans are the disease!' Extinction Rebellion UK distanced itself from the group, saying it does not 'manage' the account and the tweet 'in no way represents' the climate change movement's position. The group, which claims to represent Extinction Rebellion in the East Midlands, tweeted pictures of the poster, above, which reads: 'Corona is the cure' and 'humans are the disease' Extinction Rebellion UK have distanced themselves from the group, saying it does not 'manage' the account and the tweet 'in no way represents' the climate change group's position Social media users reacted furiously to the tweet, which was accompanied by pictures of the poster plastered alongside a pavement. One posted: 'Get in the bin with this nonsense.' Another wrote: 'This is disgusting. Please delete this tweet.' A third added: 'This is ecofascism and the complete opposite of everything the climate movement stands for', to which the splinter group replied: 'EcoFascism would be to use the *state* to force people to live in accord with Eco principles. 'So this is not anything to do with "Fascism". We are pointing out that nature seeks balance, and from the perspective of the Earth, humans act like a disease. The idea is not to be.' Other Extinction Rebellion groups condemned the tweet, with the Sheffield branch of the movement writing: 'Please reconsider this! The message does not follows XR's principles and values - in this movement we fight for the protection of all life. The Twitter account, which has over 450 followers, was condemned by other Extinction Rebellion groups and social media users. It was accused of 'ecofascism' 'Humans are not the disease. The system that we have built may be toxic but we are beautiful.' Extinction Rebellion Belgium added: 'We do not agree with this nonsense. Delete your account.' The splinter group, which has over 450 followers, appeared to later try and defend itself, posting: 'We *are* the official XR East Midlands group, and have been involved in environmental activism for years. 'The fact that our actions has turned so many heads is only evidence that we are good at it. 'You may not like that the Earth is healing thanks to Corona, but it's true.' A spokeswoman for XR UK told ITV Central: 'It looks like the account was dormant for a long period of time - and it's never tweeted anything like this before.' She added: 'We don't know for sure who it is, but it screams of being a fake account.' Suzanne Savage, who represents the Midlands branch of the group, also said: 'The views expressed in the tweets by the fake account are contrary to Extinction Rebellions principles and values, and we entirely disassociate ourselves from anything posted there.' In recent weeks, there have been troubling but predictable reports about a wave of scammers capitalizing on the publics fear and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus. These scams are going to get much worse. They will ruin and possibly end the lives of many of the most vulnerable members of our society. And they were preventable: They are the result of a yearslong, systematic failure by the federal government to combat frauds that have been in plain sight and increasing at alarming rates. Advertisement Last week, CBS News reported that there has been a significant spike in coronavirus scams perpetrated online and in telephone calls. These include scams in which criminals try to hijack government relief checks, sell fake vaccines and test kits, or pose as charities claiming to help victims. Last Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issued notices to the public warning them about scams in which people offer to help get them relief checks that are in the works from the government, or in which they pretend to be representatives of federal agencies soliciting sensitive personal information to help them access their financial accounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Until recently, I was a federal prosecutor based in D.C. who prosecuted financial fraud, so I know very well how effective these scams can be. As part of my job, I led an effort to prosecute people abroad who perpetrated a crude but highly effective scamusing email and telephone communicationsdefrauding people by marketing obscure financial instruments known as binary options. That effort, largely conducted with the hard work of two excellent FBI agents, resulted last year in the conviction of the CEO of an Israeli-based company that defrauded tens of thousands of people across the world out of about $145 million. Advertisement Advertisement The new coronavirus scams use familiar tactics. These sorts of scams are extremely easy to perpetrate using software that obscures email addresses and phone numbers. They have a low yield (the rate of people who are successfully victimized), but because of the ease with which they can be executed on an enormous scale, they can be very lucrativeand very harmful to the victims, who are often elderly people with less technological facility. In the binary options investigation, I spoke with many victims who lost their entire life savings. One of them was left destitute and died shortly before the trial. Advertisement The current wave of coronavirus scamswhich is likely to persist, at least as long as the public is unable to get consistent and reliable information about what is happening in the countryis partially the result of the governments failure to prosecute these sorts of crimes on a mass scale, even as its own data has shown them rising at a startling rate. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that estimated losses have soared in the past five years from scams known as business-email compromises, in which swindlers con victims into directing money into accounts controlled by criminals. Just last year, estimated annual losses attributed to that form of fraud reached $1.7 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For its part, the Department of Justice has done little to deal with a crime that has proliferated in plain sight. Attorney General William Barr has pledged to do more to crack down on coronavirus-related scams, but so far these efforts are modest. On Sunday, the Justice Department announced its first enforcement action pertaining to coronavirus fraud, but that action highlights the limitations of the governments capabilities. The action was a civil case in which the DOJ persuaded a judge in Austin, Texas, to issue an order that shut down a website marketing access to supposed coronavirus vaccines. The department announced that it had brought the case against operators of a fraudulent website, but that is only half-true: The complaint identifies the defendant as John Doe, which strongly suggests that the DOJ does not yet know who was actually behind the website. It may never figure it out. The attorney general also announced on Friday that he had directed U.S. attorneys across the country to prioritize cases involving coronavirus scams, but there is no indication that they will receive any extra resources to do so. Such a decentralized approach is a recipe for ineffectiveness. On top of the lack of resources, most U.S. attorneys offices lack significant experience prosecuting complex international fraud schemes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal government has steadily lost interest in these types of crimes. The DOJs work prosecuting financial fraud is at its lowest point ever, according to data maintained by Syracuse University. The historically low volume of work in the area of financial crimes has also been devoted to questionable initiatives. For example, while working at my old office, I contributed to a systematic crackdown on spoofing in futures marketsthe placement of fake orders to move pricesbut the ongoing, programmatic emphasis on this conduct as an enforcement priority cannot be justified based on any reasonable cost-benefit analysis. The DOJ has spent more than $4.5 million alone on outside data analysts working on spoofing cases since 2017a stunning figureeven though no one has yet to go to prison for the misconduct, the victims include algorithmic trading firms, there has been no demonstrable relationship between spoofing and the real economy or the average person, and market losses are small and diffuse. Advertisement Advertisement The anti-spoofing initiative is, however, emblematic of the professional incentives that drive the decisions of many white-collar prosecutorsand those incentives work in the other direction for online and telephone scams. Ambitious prosecutors like to build their public profiles, and one way to do that is to try to prosecute people on Wall Street, even if the prosecutions are of questionable social utility. Those are the sorts of cases that get covered in the press and that you can cite if you then go on to try to get lucrative work at a large law firm defending the people you once prosecuted. Advertisement By contrast, crude online and telephone scams are marked by features that drive prosecutors away. They are tedious and can take years to investigate. Much of the evidencelike bank recordsmay be overseas, and obtaining it is a bureaucratic slog that may never end. Once you have the universe of relevant material, untangling it all requires intense and difficult work by FBI agents. The perpetrators are abroad, so one of the standard routes to building a criminal caseapprehending someone and flipping themmay be unavailable to you. And even if you build a good case, your best-case scenario may be years dealing with extradition matters, while your worst-case scenario is that they turn out to be in non-extradition-friendly countries. Last month, the FBI released its annual report on internet-enabled crimes and scams and reported that 2019 saw both the highest number of complaints and the highest dollar losses reported since it started tracking the data in May 2000receiving an average of nearly 1,300 complaints a day with more than $3.5 billion in reported losses to individuals and businesses. We are not doing nearly enough to combat these scams, and the coronavirus fraudsters will bring that into stark relief. The Department of Justice urgently needs to prioritize its resources toward aggressively pursuing these schemes across the globe, and it needs to be backed by a large investment of financial and human capital and with the coordination of international law enforcement partners. The work will be long and difficult, but the government is way behind, and the most vulnerable members of our society are paying the price. Michelle Keegan's Our Girl made a dramatic return to screens on Tuesday night, as Sergeant Georgie Lane struggled with flashbacks of her late fiance Elvis Harte. In heartbreaking scenes, Georgie continued to see visions of her late husband-to-be as she attended her beloved sister's wedding. Fans took to Twitter to praise the series' opening episode, which also saw Georgie reunite with 2 Section and the new recruits for a mission in Afganistan. Difficult: Michelle Keegan's Our Girl made a dramatic return to screens on Tuesday night, as Sergeant Georgie Lane struggled with flashbacks of her late fiance Elvis Harte In the series' opening scenes, Georgie continued to battle with visions of her late fiance Elvis (played by Luke Pasqualino) as she tried to enjoy her sister's wedding. Holding her engagement ring which she now wore around her neck, viewers saw flashbacks to the moment Georgie accepted Elvis' proposal. Fans were devastated when Elvis was dramatically killed by a bomb back in 2017, and it seems clear that Georgie still hasn't dealt with her grief around his death. RIP: Elvis was tragically killed by a bomb in 2018 after he and Georgie rekindled their engagement, leaving her devastated Hard: During series four's opening episode, Georgia continued to see flashbacks of Elvis as she attended her sister's wedding As Georgie headed back to Afganistan with 2 Section, it became clear that she hadn't grieved for her late fiance, leaving many fans in tears. One penned: 'Crying over the flashbacks of Elvis and now no Captain James #OurGirl,' while another posted: 'OMG all these Elvis flashbacks and playing theire song I'm gonna cry, already obsessed with this series.' A third fan also tweeted: 'It's so unfair to be showing Elvis flashbacks, as if we don't remember the sadness and don't miss him.' One viewer also praised: 'Oh my god... #OurGirl was amazing for the first episode I'm so excited to see the rest of the series.' Sharing a snap of Elvis a fan posted: 'My heart still aches for Georgie and I miss Elvis, as if the flashbacks aren't enough.' A viewer also tweeted: 'Every episode that comes out gets better, the amazing acting, the drama, the reality of war. I love it - got me feeling like #OurGirl.' Upsetting: Many viewers took to Twitter to share their emotional reaction to the episode, with the flashbacks leaving some viewers in tears Michelle has already revealed that series four of Our Girl will be her last, and recently revealed that viewers will see Georgie battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the wake of Elvis' death. The first episode also saw the introduction of several new recruits, who Georgia has to train up before they head to the front line in Afganistan. It remains to be seen whether Georgia will be able to overcome her demons, and come to terms with her grief surrounding Elvis' death. Our Girl continues on Tuesday at 9pm on BBC One. Boris Johnsons most senior aide is facing fresh allegations he flouted lockdown rules by taking a sightseeing trip on Easter Sunday. The prime minister is facing mounting calls to sack Dominic Cummings amid claims he made several trips to see his family in County Durham, while the country was being told to stay at home. Ministers vociferously defended Mr Cummings after it emerged he had made the 260-mile journey, insisting he had obeyed the rules by staying in one place while there. However, an eyewitness told The Observer and the Sunday Mirror he had seen Mr Cummings on 12 April, 30 miles from Durham in Barnard Castle. Another eyewitness said they saw the prime ministers most trusted aide in Durham on 19 April, days after he had been photographed returning to Downing Street. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 An aerial picture shows a worker using a quad bike and trailer to transport freshly harvested trees at Pimms Christmas Tree farm in Matfield, southeast England AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A shopper browses Christmas trees for sale at Pines and Needles in Dulwich, London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 November 2021 A murmuration of hundreds of thousands of starlings fly over a field at dusk in Cumbria, close to the Scottish border PA UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 24 November 2021 Migrants are helped ashore from a RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboat at a beach in Dungeness, on the south-east coast of England, on November 24, 2021, after being rescued while crossing the English Channel. AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 23 November 2021 The coffin of Sir David Amess is carried past politicians, including former Prime Ministers Sir John Major, David Cameron and Theresa May, Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the requiem mass for the MP at Westminster Cathedral, central London PA UK news in pictures 22 November 2021 The scene in Dragon Rise, Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset where police have launched a murder probe after two people were found dead Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 21 November 2021 London-based midwife Sarah Muggleton, 27, takes part in a 'March with Midwives' in central London to highlight the crisis in maternity services PA UK news in pictures 20 November 2021 Police officers monitor as climate change activists sit down and block traffic during a protest action in solidarity with activists from the Insulate Britain group who received prison terms for blocking roads, on Lambeth Bridge in central London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 19 November 2021 A giant installation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson made from recycled clothing goes on display at Manchester Central, as part of Manchester Art Fair, in a 'wake-up call for the Prime Minister to tackle textile waste' PA UK news in pictures 18 November 2021 The scene at a recycling centre in Stert, near Devizes in Wiltshire after a large blaze was brought under control. The fire broke out on Wednesday night the fire service has said and local residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut due to large amounts of smoke PA UK news in pictures 17 November 2021 The sun rises over South Shields Lighthouse, on the North East coast of England PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2021 ancer Maithili Vijayakumar at the launch of 2021 Diwali celebrations at St Andrew Square in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 15 November 2021 Forensic officers work outside Liverpool Women's Hospital, following a car blast, in Liverpool Reuters UK news in pictures 14 November 2021 Wreaths by the Cenotaph after the Remembrance Sunday service in Whitehall, London PA UK news in pictures 13 November 2021 Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is ending his hunger strike in central London after almost three weeks. Ratcliffe has spent 21 days camped outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London without food. He began his demonstration on 24 October after his wife lost her latest appeal in Iran, saying his family was caught in a dispute between two states PA Earlier, Downing Street had described the first trip as essential, saying Mr Cummings needed his familys help to care for his young son because his wife was sick with coronavirus and he feared he was next. Cabinet ministers lined up to defend Mr Cummings, saying he had put his family first and accused critics of trying to politicise the issue. Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, used the daily Downing Street press conference to suggest that Mr Cummings had not broken lockdown rules because he had stayed put upon arrival in Durham. But Robin Lees, 70, a retired chemistry teacher, told the papers he had seen Mr Cummings in Barnard Castle on Easter Sunday. Mr Lees compared him to Catherine Calderwood, Scotlands former chief medical officer, who stood down after visiting her second home twice during lockdown. Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP have written to Sir Mark Sedwill, the cabinet secretary, calling for an inquiry into Mr Cummingss decision to travel from London to Durham. They want the probe to include when the prime minister was made aware Mr Cummings had left the capital. Senior Tories also expressed concern that Mr Cummings's behaviour could encourage others to flout the rules, jeopardising the governments plans to gradually lift the lockdown. The Independent can reveal that senior MPs are set to question Mr Johnson over Mr Cummings later this week, as pressure grows on the prime minister to explain what he knew about the trip under lockdown. Parliament is in recess until June, meaning Mr Johnson will not have to face MPs at Prime Ministers Questions. But members of the Commons Liaison Committee, which is made up of the chairs of other select committees, said they expected Mr Johnson to be questioned about Mr Cummings when he makes his first appearance before them later this week. Pete Wishart, an SNP MP who sits on the committee and is a member of the "quad" which organises its business, said: If nothing has changed and Dominic Cummings is still in post by Wednesday, it would be very surprising if this was an issue that was not raised. Another member of the committee said: Im sure one of my colleagues will crowbar the Cummings question in. In a statement defending Mr Cummings, Downing Street said his trip had been essential to ensure his young son was properly cared for. After an offer of help from his sister and nieces, he travelled to a house near to but separate from his extended family. A spokesperson for No 10, said: "Yesterday [Friday] the Mirror and Guardian wrote inaccurate stories about Mr Cummings. Today [Saturday] they are writing more inaccurate stories including claims that Mr Cummings returned to Durham after returning to work in Downing Street on 14 April. We will not waste our time answering a stream of false allegations about Mr Cummings from campaigning newspapers." There was confusion about the involvement of police, however. No 10 also said that at no stage was Mr Cummings or his family spoken to by the police. On Saturday night Durham Police took the unusual step of confirming they had spoken to Mr Cummingss father. Steve White, the police and crime commissioner for Durham Police, a former head of the Police Federation in England and Wales, said it was "most unwise" for Mr Cummings to have travelled when "known to be infected". The SNP accused No 10 of a "cover up" after reports some in Downing Street knew Mr Cummings had made the 260-mile journey during lockdown. Former Tory cabinet minister David Lidington, Theresa Mays de facto deputy prime minister, told Newsnight: "There's clearly serious questions that No 10 are going to have to address, not least because the readiness of members of the public to follow government guidance more generally is going to be affected by this sort of story." Professor Neil Ferguson, the epidemiologist whose modelling prompted the lockdown, quit as a government adviser for flouting the rules when he was visited at this home by his lover. At the time Mr Hancock, the health secretary, said he was "speechless" and that he backed any police action against Mr Ferguson. Sir Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, called for Mr Cummings to quit over the allegations, while a spokesperson for Labour said: "The British people do not expect there to be one rule for them and another rule for Dominic Cummings." Asked by reporters on Saturday if he had considered his position, Mr Cummings said "obviously not". FLORENCE, Ala. - Teresa Hazelwood stopped by a Dollar General store in northern Mississippi to get some chips, and soon found herself riding out a suspected tornado in the parking lot and felt it lifting her car. She gripped the steering wheel and prayed. I just prayed to God, oh please God help me, Hazelwood recalled after Tuesdays storm. And things was going every which way. I could feel the vehicle move. It lifted, it moved me out of the parking spot. And I just kept praying please God help me. The suspected tornado heavily damaged the store in Tishomingo and other structures in northern Mississippi and Alabama as a severe storm system crossed the Deep South, authorities said. Tishomingo Police Chief Mike Kemp told WTVA minor injuries were reported in that community. National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Johnson said there were reports of widespread tree damage and some structural damage in Tishomingo County, which is in northern Mississippi abutting the Alabama border. He said the tornado touched down about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Its a pretty compact system that produced the tornado and its moved into parts of Alabama and Tennessee, Johnson said. The National Weather Service had issued multiple tornado warnings through the early evening, including a tornado emergency for an area of northwest Alabama. The National Weather Service in Huntsville tweeted shortly before 6 p.m. that TORNADO HAS BEEN REPORTED ON THE GROUND and told residents in an area of Colbert County in north Alabama to seek shelter. That county also abuts the Mississippi state line. The weather service also said there were preliminary reports of falling debris in the area. Robert Boyd, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Huntsville, Alabama, said severe weather warnings had been issued for northwest Alabama on Tuesday evening. Severe weather watches also were posted for parts of Georgia and Tennessee as the storm system moved across the South during the nighttime hours. Nearly a month after reporting its first positive case of the novel coronavirus, Pakistan's nation-wide tally of positive cases surged past 1,000 on Wednesday leaving people of the country to deal with a mounting crisis. Pakistan has reported 1,067 cases as on Wednesday with Sindh province the worst affected with 413 cases followed by 312 cases in Punjab province and 119 in Balochistan. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Sunday announced that a lockdown will be imposed throughout the province starting midnight for the next 15 days in order to control the spread of coronavirus. The statement from the Sindh government's home department laid down the fine details of the lockdown. Sindh has imposed a complete lockdown in the province despite Prime Minister Imran Khan's reluctance to call for a nationwide lockdown. The statement read, "There shall be a complete ban on movement of people including Intercity or Interprovincial travel or gatherings of any kind for social, religious or any other purpose at any place, public or private, including all offices, public or private situated within the territorial limits of the province of Sindh." The Sindh Chief Minister has also approved the purchase of 290 ventilators, 3.2 million items of personal protective equipment and 29 portable X-ray machines to deal with the coronavirus situation in the province. The chief minister has also approved the purchase of 100 rapid kit antigen test machines, which can be used to test for coronavirus from China as Sindh scrambles to save lives and contain the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, Imran Khan said that imposing a national lockdown would be damaging for the country's economy, adding that it was not possible to "rationally judge the repercussions of decisions taken out of fear and panic". In a televised message, Khan said that the country will not be put under the full-lockdown as it would harm the population living under the poverty line despite cases surging at a fast pace. "Sindh (government) believed that (they) should go beyond that. The 18th Amendment is in place and provinces are free to make their own decisions. The Centre and I were of the opinion that we should not go as far as Sindh at the time. But then there was pressure from the media [...] Under that pressure, KP, Punjab, and Balochistan also imposed incremental lockdown," the Prime Minister said. He told the parliamentary leaders that until yesterday, out of the 900 coronavirus cases reported in Pakistan, only 153 were locally transmitted. Khan also told the parliamentary leaders that the country does not have any imported case of the novel coronavirus due to the government's "tough but good" decision of not bringing back students stranded in Wuhan, the epicentre of the global pandemic. Meanwhile, chaos swept across Sindh as nobody from the port to manufacturers and industry, transport and tech, has been spared from the fall-out of the coronavirus in the country. Textile exporters from the city of Karachi lobbied the provincial authorities as well as federal for permission to be allowed to finish processing those orders that are already in the pipeline and which have not been cancelled or postponed. A full lockdown in Sindh and partial lockdowns in other provinces have hurt the daily-wage labourers the most, with no work other than essential services taking place anywhere. They are living in a condition worse than hand to mouth. Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) also took several decisions to enforce a virtual lockdown in the territory to save its inhabitants from the looming novel coronavirus threat. Sindh remains worst affected with 413 cases followed by Punjab with 312 cases, 121 cases in Balochistan, 82 in Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK, 82 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 16 in Islamabad. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Wednesday, Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding a Cabinet Meeting while at the same time practicing social distancing amid coronavirus outbreak. Since midnight of March 24, India has been placed under complete lockdown for a period of twenty-one days in order to break the chain of transmission of the novel COVID-19 and to contain the contagion. During this time, all private and commercial establishments have been shut although essential services are going to be available. PM Modi has encouraged Indians to avoid stepping out of their homes in order to curb the spread of the virus in the country. The Home Minister took to Twitter to spread the social distancing message and said that it is the "need of the hour". "We are ensuring it... are you?" Shah tweeted. The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also posted a picture of Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg earlier on Wednesday. Social distancing is need of the hour. We are ensuring it... Are you?Picture from todays cabinet meeting chaired by Honble PM @narendramodi ji.#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/Lr76lBgQoa Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 25, 2020 In the picture, the Prime Minister as well as all Cabinet Ministers are sitting at some distance as per the norms decided by health experts to avoid the spread of novel coronavirus which so far claimed 10 lives. Over 562 confirmed cases have so far been reported across India. This is how people responded to the tweet: Leaders setting an example. As the 1st day of the lockdown begins here is our PM @narendramodi chaired the cabinet meeting by following the principle of Social distancing.Yes sir we are following you all. Together #IndiaFightsCorona Harshadha Shirodkar (@shirodkarharshu) March 25, 2020 Thik hii aap jio hajar saal Avinash Kumar jha (@Niranja83004384) March 25, 2020 This Is Good For Everyone #IndiaFightsCorona Nikita Malviya (@NkMalviya10) March 25, 2020 (With inputs from IANS) Holidaymakers face losing thousands of pounds as travel companies become overwhelmed by the effects of the coronavirus crisis. Travellers fighting for refunds are being met with a chaotic response from airlines, hotels and tour operators. Many are being told they won't get their money back, despite airlines cancelling flights and Government advice against all non-essential travel. Others have been left unable to contact customer services due to high demand, while Ryanair's online refund form was down for days before being fixed. Holidaymakers face losing thousands of pounds as travel companies become overwhelmed by the effects of the coronavirus crisis It comes as National Trading Standards yesterday warned fraudsters were offering fake holiday refunds for customers forced to cancel their trips. Money Mail has been inundated with emails from bitterly disappointed readers who are desperately seeking help. Rachael Robinson, 22, says she and her partner, Ethan White, also 22, could lose 12,000 on a once-in-a-lifetime trip across Asia after STA Travel said they would not offer a refund. The couple had saved up for a six-month trip starting in July, but their plans were left in tatters by coronavirus. Their flights and bus tours are with Etihad and Stray Travel, both of which have been offering refunds from cancellations to customers who have booked directly. Rachael says STA's original terms and conditions stated her tickets were refundable subject to a 250 cancellation fee, but claims the operator has since changed its policy and will now only offer store credit of equivalent value. To make matters worse, Rachael, from Frome, Somerset, has already lost her job as a teaching assistant due to coronavirus and had planned to complete her teacher training next year, so can't defer her trip. Out of pocket: John and Gillie Coghlan had been due to tour Amsterdam with John's band, John Coghlan's Quo, from March 13 to 16 She says: 'I have lost my job to Covid-19, I'd rather not lose 6,000, too. I have no idea what to do.' Under the Package Travel Regulations, customers should be entitled to a full cash refund within two weeks of the cancellation becoming apparent, although you may have to wait longer given the circumstances. STA says it has been 'overwhelmed' with enquiries and asks for patience. It adds that it can help customers re-book their trip for a later date and where this isn't possible, it will be in touch 'when things get more under control'. Even rock stars are grappling with obstinate customer service. John Coghlan, 73, a founding member of rock band Status Quo, had been due to tour Amsterdam with his new band, John Coghlan's Quo, from March 13 to 16. But the Dutch Government announced the closure of all live music venues the night before they were due to fly. John's wife and the band's manager, Gillie, says she applied for a future travel voucher with British Airways, letting the band put its 444 tickets towards rescheduled flights. But a week later, the airline said they were not eligible for a voucher, without giving any reason. Many passengers are struggling to get a cash refund after they can no longer take their flight The company has since told Money Mail that only bookings made for travel between March 14 and May 31 qualified for vouchers, meaning the band had missed out by a single day. Gillie, 65, is now worried she won't get refunds for tours scheduled for April and May, with flights totalling more than 3,000. 'This is blatant profiteering,' she says. 'Of course bookings were made in advance. How would one know there was going to be a pandemic? 'This isn't a jolly for the boys, it's work. 'We'd have been happy with vouchers for future flights, but BA has just said 'no' '. John Vessey, 73, has been refused a refund for his 381 booking at The Abbey Hotel in Great Malvern, Worcestershire, even though the Government has told everyone over 70 to stay at home. John and his wife Marian, 72, from Seaton, Devon, had booked two nights from May 7, and had expected to pay a small administration fee for cancelling. Instead, the hotel deducted the full 381 from his credit card. John says: 'I don't think it's right 50 would have been reasonable, but certainly not keeping everything and not providing a service. When I asked them how they could justify it, I was just met with a wall of silence.' The Abbey Hotel says it doesn't comment on individual cases, but adds that it would allow customers who had made non-refundable or non-amendable bookings up to April 30 to rebook for a future date up to 12 months in advance. It says it would be continuously reviewing the eligible dates in line with Government advice. Martyn James, of consumer complaints website Resolver, says: 'If you don't feel that the warnings about the non-refundable nature of the deposit were made clear at the time of booking, complain and take it to an alternative dispute resolution scheme or trade body if you're still unhappy. Paradise lost: Travellers fighting for refunds are being met with a chaotic response from airlines, hotels and tour operators 'But bear in mind, if the firm can produce proof of the warnings, you're on quite shaky ground. If you are in this kind of situation and a compromise is being offered, then I'd take it.' Lisa de Gruchy expected to lose her 200 deposit when she cancelled her October family holiday to Rhodes, Greece, on March 19. But she was shocked to find travel agent First Choice had charged an additional 600 to her credit card without her knowledge. Lisa, from St Helier, Jersey, says when she phoned she was told it was in the terms and conditions that a deposit of 200 per person would be charged upon cancellation. The 42-year-old says had she known this she would have asked to rebook instead, but is yet to be told whether this is still possible. She adds: 'We absolutely have our health and that is the most important thing but I'm horrified that they have done this.' Mr James says: 'This is outrageous! You can't just pull a hugely expensive 200 per person charge out of the small print, this must be upfront and clear when you book.' He recommends telling your credit card provider that you haven't authorised the payment. First Choice says the booking was made under its 'low deposit scheme' and the total cancellation charge is 800 200 per person as this is what the full deposit would have been. The firms says the additional 600 is yet to be taken from the customer's account as it does not store card details, but its finance team will be in touch regarding payment. Some firms have changed tack following Money Mail's interventions. Jan Bullivant, 70, and her husband David, 73, had booked a holiday in Alnwick, Northumberland, for May 24. But both have underlying health conditions and are self isolating, as is advised. When they first tried to get a refund for the apartment they had booked for 550 on Booking.com, the firm refused to refund their 50 per cent deposit. It was only after Money Mail intervened that a full refund was issued. Booking.com says: 'In this case, we have worked with the property to refund this customer in full for the deposit that was paid up front.' Likewise Trevor Frid, 66, had initially been told he could not rebook his 230 trip with Brittany Ferries from Plymouth to Roscoff. But after Money Mail contacted the firm it agreed he was entitled to defer his booking. m.dilworth@dailymail.co.uk Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Research Future Published a Half-Cooked Research Report on Global Textile Coatings Market Research Report- Forecast to 2023 Regional Analysis: For an Exhaustive Geographical Assessment, the Global Textile Coatings Market Share has been segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). Asia Pacific is expected to hold the lions share of the market in the years to come. Increasing applications across the burgeoning industry verticals such as automotive, healthcare, construction, etc. is expected to increase the revenue generation of the market participants over the next few years in the region. In addition, the rising purchasing power of the population is also projected to favorably influence the growth pace of the Textile Coatings Market in the years to come. Europe and North America are significant regional segments and are poised to contribute substantially to the development of the Global Textile Coatings Market over the next couple of years. The increasing demand for PU based Textile Coatings is prognosticated to drive the proliferation of the market in the foreseeable future. Competitive Dashboard: The important players studied for presenting a detailed segmental analysis of the Global Textile Coatings Market are Lubrizol Corporation (U.S.), Covestro AG (Germany), Huntsman International LLC (U.S.), Clariant AG (Switzerland), Solvay SA (Belgium), Formulated Polymer Products Ltd. (U.K), BASF SE (Germany), Sumitomo Chemical Company (Japan), Omnova Solutions Inc. (U.S.), and Tanatex B.V. (Netherlands). Get Free Sample @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5913 Industry News: In May 2019, Covestro AG, Bayer's materials science division, has presented sustainable developments in Insqin technology designed for aqueous Textile Coatings and water-based polyurethane dispersion at Techtextil 2019. These developments are introduced for enabling biodegradable Textile Coatings. In May 2019, Archroma, a leader in specialty chemicals and sustainable solutions, has announced the launch of a break-through water-based textile coating binder named Appretan NTR which is based on natural renewable ingredients. Market Synopsis: Textile Coatings are gaining momentum and witnessing rising applications across major end-use industries. The assessment offered by Market Research Future (MRFR) has revealed that the Global Textile Coatings Market is poised to register a steady CAGR across the projection period 2017 to 2023. These Coatings enable depositing polymeric resin on Textiles. The benefits of the process have paved its way across different industry verticals. The growth of the Clothing Industry is the major factor responsible for the development of the Textile Coatings Market in the forthcoming years. Increasing disposable income is likely to favor market expansion in the foreseeable future. These coatings are also extensively used in the automotive sector for the manufacturing of upholstery. The growing demand for vehicles is poised to encourage the revenue growth of the Textile Coatings Market in the years to come. The construction sector has also unleashed developmental opportunities to the market. In addition, the rising demand for Textile Coatings for home furnishings is prognosticated to accelerate revenue generation for the players of the market over the next couple of years. On the flip side, rising environmental concerns, in conjunction with the implementation of stricter regulations, is poised to undermine the expansion of the Textile Coatings Market in the years to come. Browse Key Industry Insights spread across 100 pages with 47 market data tables & 12 figures & charts from the report, Textile Coatings Market Information: By Type of Coating (PVC, PU, Acrylics), A Coating Method (Direct, Direct Roll, Pad-Dry-Cure, Foamed & Crushed Foam, Hot Melt Extrusion, Calendar), End-Use Industry (Clothing, Transportation, Construction, Home Furnishing, Healthcare) and Region Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast 2023 in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/textile-coatings-market-5913 Market Segmentation: On the basis of Type of Coating, the Global Textile Coatings Market has been segmented into thermosets, thermoplastics, and others (silicon, fluoropolymers). The thermosets segment can be further sub-segmented into natural rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), and others (nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, and others). The thermoplastics segment has been sub-segmented into polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylics, polyurethane (PU), polyolefins, and others. On the basis of Coating Method, the Textile Coatings Market has been segmented into direct roll coating, direct coating, pad-dry-cure coating, hot melt extrusion coating, foamed & crushed foam coating, calendar coating, and others. On the basis of End-User Industry, the Global Textile Coatings Market has been segmented into transportation, clothing, building & construction, healthcare, home furnishing, and others (packaging, agricultural industry, geotextiles). Read our Blogs @ http://mrfrblog.com Related Chemicals and Materials Market Research Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/categories/chemicals-market-report About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. Contact: Market Research Future +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Harris County residents had been doing a good job keeping their distance, earning an A on a nationwide scoreboard derived via location data culled from smartphones But as the week came to an end, something went south. The Social Distancing Scoreboard, a creation of Unacast, a Norway-based company that provides location data for business clients, is giving Harris and all of Texas a much lower grade. The tool tracks the decrease of movement by people in a location over time to determine whether they are staying at home and assigns a letter grade, drilling down to the county level. The grade is tracked against the number of COVID-19 cases in each location. On HoustonChronicle.com: See our complete coronavirus coverage, including latest updates Tech columnist Geoffrey Fowler of the Washington Post first reported on Unacast, which gathers data anonymously and in aggregate from a variety of smartphone apps including games, shopping and utility. The company wouldnt say which apps it uses. Smartphone app-makers give their users the option of turning on location services, but may not always disclose when that data is shared with others, or may bury it in a privacy-statement document. Unacast said on its website that it is compliant with European privacy rules and is working on becoming compliant with Californias tough requirements. As of Friday, the entire United States scored a C, though it had a B earlier in the week. Texas had a C on Friday, as did Harris County. Both Texas and the county previously had an A. Release Notes: Get Dwight Silvermans weekly tech newsletter in your inbox King County, between Lubbock and Wichita Falls, gets the highest score in Texas; Oldham County, west of Amarillo, has the worst. The District of Columbia has the highest score in the nation, with an A. The worst state is Wyoming, the only state that gets an F. The data for Texas were last updated on Monday, so it doesnt include the spate of stay-at-home orders that began to be issued this week, including those in Harris County, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. Once the data catch up, it could show an even greater reduction in movement, which would improve the county and states grades. dwight.silverman@chron.com twitter.com/dsilverman houstonchronicle.com/techburger (Photo : REUTERS/Luke MacGregor) ARCHIVE PHOTO: A woman walks through an old graveyard in London January 30, 2013. With COVID-19 affecting an increasing number of Americans, people across the country are scrambling to make last will and testament documents. CNBC reported online will companies have seen an outburst in users over the last two weeks. As of Monday, Boston-based Gentreo has seen a 143 percent weekly increase in people filling out wills. San Diego's Trust & Will, on the other hand, has seen a 50% uptick in clients. ALSO READ: Can Heavy Cannabis Use Increase Chances Of Early Death? The upward push in online wills Over the previous couple of years, some of the online estate making plans startups have popped up, with all of them imparting users a reasonably-priced and smooth way to create a legally binding will. In only 30 minutes, a person can detail their every desire and make sure that every belonging will end up to the right persons if something unthinkable happens. Cody Barbo, Trust & Wills founder, and CEO, established Trust & Will in 2017. According to Crunchbase, Barbo's startup has collected US$8 million in funding to modernize the $170 billion estate-planning sectors. If the tax enterprise should make filling out taxes smooth to do online, then Barbo must to do the same with estate planning, he said. Plus, with only 37% of Americans having a will, according to Caring.Com, there's a considerable possibility to encourage more humans to create one. Instead of having to find a lawyer and speak about demise with a person you barely know, you can undergo the entire process at home for a lesser fee. ALSO READ: Google AI Can Predict Death For Patients With Amazing Accuracy Court confusion? As online will develop in popularity, a group of lawyers warned the users on the usefulness of the online feature. A brief Google search will carry up articles at the risks of do-it-yourself wills or memories of online wills that had been thrown out in court. Leslie Tayne, founder of New York-based Tayne Law Group, said using such a feature could be valid if documents meet all the legal necessities. She added a larger number of wills unexecuted in compliance with proper will formalities and without any oversight from an attorney could end up making the will invalid. For example, Sarah Wentz - a legal professional in Philadelphia - had a client who filled out contradictory records online will sites. After that individual passed away, the intention was contested in court. Wentz said the client left the identical property to a couple of people. She explained that the person concerned would understand the nuances of how things need to be written if there was a lawyer. The client, she added, could make sure that what they really want is being conveyed in the documents. Despite this situation, Wentz isn't against online wills. They are legal - she said all a client would need a notary and two witnesses to sign a will. The last step in creating an internet will, according to Wentz, is printing out the record and getting it notarized. She said the lawyers wouldn't ask the client a lot of the identical questions that an attorney could question. Those who are considering the use of the internet will make sure the website is compliant with state-specific rules. While wills are typically created in the same way throughout the country, there are a few nuances in every locale that, if ignored, should cause issues later on, says Wentz. Most online websites do take various regulations into account, and that they automatically update their software when policies change, but don't take it for granted. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Chef Floyd Cardoz was the co-founder and culinary director of popular and acclaimed restaurants like The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro, and Bombay Sweet Shop. He also received accolades for his New York restaurant The Bombay Bread Bar. Noted chef and entrepreneur Floyd Cardoz passed away on Wednesday, 25 March, at a hospital in New York; he had been diagnosed as positive for Covid-19 after complaining of a fever. The Hunger Inc (the parent company that runs Cardoz's business ventures), issued a statement confirming the news: "It is with deep sorrow that we inform you of the passing away of Chef Floyd Cardoz (59 years), Co-Founder, Hunger Inc. Hospitality, on 25 March 25, in New Jersey, USA. He is survived by his mother Beryl, wife Barkha and sons Justin and Peter. Floyd tested positive for Covid 19, in USA, on 18 March and was being treated for the same at Mountainside Medical Centre, New Jersey, USA." On 18 March, Cardoz had put up an Instagram post stating that he returned to New York from Mumbai on 8 March and since he was "feeling feverish", as a precautionary measure, had decided to admit himself into a hospital in New York. A few days ago, a statement by The Hunger Inc confirming the news of Cardoz's diagnosis, noted that the Health Department in Mumbai was informed about the same. "We are also reaching out personally to people who have interacted with him during his visit to India, so they can take necessary medical advice should they indicate any symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) and/ or self-quarantine," the statement had read. Chef Floyd Cardoz was the co-founder and culinary director of popular and acclaimed restaurants like The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro, and Bombay Sweet Shop. He also received accolades for his New York restaurant The Bombay Bread Bar. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak WASHINGTON - Pressure was mounting on the Trump administration Wednesday to release people from immigration detention facilities where at least one detainee has tested positive for COVID-19 and advocates fear tight quarters and overall conditions could cause rapid spread of the virus. The U.S. holds around 37,000 people in immigration detention. Detainees and advocates say many are vulnerable because of age and pre-existing medical conditions, and because they are often held in open rooms, beds 3-feet apart, and without adequate supplies of masks or other protections. Its impossible to stay calm, said Marco Battistotti, an Italian who is among 170 people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Bristol County jail in Massachusetts. People are panicking. People are in fear. The 54-year-old Battistotti was among about 100 detainees at the county jail near Cape Cod who signed a letter released by a local immigration lawyer detailing conditions inside. They asked to be released to await decisions on their immigration cases. I dont want to die in an ICE jail, he said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. Why cant I fight my case on the outside? The agency, which reported the positive test of a 31-year-old man from Mexico held in Bergen County, New Jersey, on Tuesday, has announced steps to protect detained migrants and staff from the virus, but hasnt said whether it plans to review cases for possible release because of the outbreak. It did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the complaints about conditions from the detainees and their advocates. The administration has tried to balance its overall hard line on immigration, a signature policy of President Donald Trump, and its response to the outbreak, with ICE announcing previously that it would temporarily adjust operations to focus on apprehending people who pose a risk to public safety or are subject to mandatory detention because of a criminal record. Immigrant advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, filed lawsuits in California, Maryland, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, seeking court orders for the immediate release of people in immigration detention, especially those at risk because of their age or medical conditions. Advocates have also asked a court in Los Angeles to order the Office of Refugee Resettlement to release to eligible sponsors around 1,200 migrant children who were apprehended without parents or legal guardians and have been held in government-contracted shelters for more than 30 days. They said two staff members at two such facilities in New York have tested positive for COVID-19. Its unclear how many immigration detainees overall are at higher risk, but one California suit alone had 13 plaintiffs, all over 55. A federal judge in Boston on Wednesday ordered the release of a 36-year-old man from the Dominican Republic who was detained in a local jail south of the city where an employee tested positive. The ACLU sued for the release of two others held there. A panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Monday, citing the rapidly escalating public health crisis, ordered the immediate release of a 37-year-old woman who is fighting deportation to Mexico. The womans lawyer, Max Carter-Oberstone, said the government told him it would not oppose the decision but she still had not been released as of early Wednesday. The court took the action on its own initiative in a rare move on behalf of a woman who says she has been threatened with death by members of a Mexican drug cartel. It wasnt something we asked for or were expecting, Carter-Oberstone said. The court is clearly reacting to the greater public health crisis that were in right now and re-evaluating how its going to dispose of its immigration cases in light of that crisis that were all experiencing. The situation in immigration detention, which include facilities run by local jurisdictions and private contractors, is similar to that facing jails and prisons, with staff also at risk from a virus that already has sickened at least 55,000 people and killed about 800 in the U.S. One difference is that more than half of ICE detainees have no criminal charges or conviction and are held only for immigration reasons. Under previous administrations, many would likely have been released on bond as they pursued their cases. ICE has reported one positive test of an employee at a detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and 18 confirmed cases among staff not involved in detaining migrants. A contractor reported a positive case of a staff member at a facility in Harris County, Texas. The agency says it is screening new detainees and isolating detainees who show symptoms of the coronavirus disease. Detainees say those measures wont do much, with people staying in dorm-like bays with no social distancing possible or in smaller rooms that they sometimes have to clean themselves, with insufficient cleaning supplies. Francisca Morales Diaz, a 45-year-old from Mexico who was released Friday from an ICE detention centre in Louisiana, said she and others were issued soap and toilet paper for their own use once a week and they would run out. When they complained, she says they were told there were shortages on the outside as well. There isnt enough medicine. Its not well-maintained, Morales told AP. Her fear is that at any moment, theyre going to come and take me back there. Pepper spray was used Tuesday by guards inside the Pine Prairie jail in Louisiana against migrants who say they were demanding the facility do more to protect them from the virus, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. ICE spokesman Bryan Cox said seven people were sprayed after they refused to follow guards directives. Ira Alkalay, a lawyer representing some of the detainees at the jail near Cape Cod, said the detainees are responsible for cleaning their unit, which includes a dining area and bathrooms, but arent even given bleach. Some who signed the letter suffer from respiratory ailments such as tuberculosis, emphysema and asthma that put them at higher risk to the virus. These are not sanitary conditions at all, Alkalay said. If the virus is introduced, many people could get sick all at once. Hospitals in the area can become quickly overwhelmed. The office of Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, who has made headlines for offering to send the jails ICE detainees to help build Trumps promised border wall, has stressed there are currently no confirmed or suspected cases of the virus at the facility. We suspect these detainees are working with outside political activist groups to use the coronavirus crisis to advance their political agenda, the sheriffs spokesman, Jonathan Darling, said this week. Eunice Cho, an ACLU lawyer, warned that if the virus spreads through a facility the number of sick people who would require advanced care could overwhelm nearby hospitals. Many ICE jails are in rural areas with smaller hospitals. This is closely related to the public health of our entire community, Cho said. ________________________________ Marcelo reported from Boston. Merchant reported from Houston. Associated Press writer Amy Taxin in Orange County, California contributed to this report. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new financial measures to help Canadians affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) provides $2,000 a month for up to four months for workers who lose their income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes people whove lost their jobs, are quarantined, caring for someone with COVID-19, and for parents who have to stay home to take care of their kids. The new system replaces the Emergency Care Benefit and the the Emergency Support Benefit to streamline benefits for those whose qualify for Employment Insurance (EI) and those who dont. The Prime Minister says nearly a million people applied for EI last week and the system wasnt designed to handle such a heavy load. The Prime Minister says he understand people are concerned about delays. Families are worried about when theyll get help. It can be hard to get through on the line, and that is frustrating. he said during a news conference. Public servants are working around the clock, while dealing with unprecedented demand and all of the same personal stress everyone else is facing. They will get to your application. Anyone already receiving benefits does not need to apply for CERB. Finance Minister Bill Morneau said CERB will be up and running by April 6th during a news conference. Payments begin 10 days after application every four weeks. CERB will be available until October 3rd. An online portal to apply will be set up through the government of Canadas website. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business welcomed the announcement and called it a step forward. We are particularly pleased that the federal government has indicated an employer will not have to lay off a worker to allow them to qualify for the benefit, said Dan Kelly, CFIB president, in a release. How this will operate in practice remains a question employers will need quickly resolved. But CFIB says CERB doesnt replace the what they say is a need to increase the 10 per cent wage subsidy to 75 per cent of wages for all employers, up to a cap of $5,000 per worker per month. Jessy Bains is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jessysbains. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. NEW YORK, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Astral Power Inc., a clean energy provider, has been helping local upstate New York residents save on their utility bills by providing them access to clean, renewable, and locally produced solar energy. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Astral Power is donating $50 to every household that enrolls for Community Solar with Astral Power, along with another $50 for the household's selected local business or charity, to help provide some relief to local communities. Astral Power, Inc. A subscription to Community Solar will ensure guaranteed savings of 10% on the household's monthly utility bill. "Social distancing and work from home orders could result in an increase in our electric usage, and electric bills," says Thom Smith, President of Astral Power. "Subscribing to community solar will help families reduce their utility expenses. We believe that the savings and extra cash could go a long way for many households and local businesses." Families and local businesses in New York state will be, if they have not already been, greatly impacted by this COVID-19 pandemic. An executive order, signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo and went into effect this past Sunday, requires that all non-essential businesses statewide close in-office personnel functions. Thus, local businesses like florists, theaters, and gyms would have to close until further notice. These businesses will need all the help that they can get from the community to survive these challenging times. "New York is a community. That means we rely on each other. We ALL need to practice social distancing. That's part of the social contract, especially now when it counts. Help your community! #StayAtHome," Andrew Cuomo tweeted, asking for residents of New York to stay at home and play their part in the community. "New York State is where Astral Power started," Smith continued, "and we want to give back to the community, especially amidst these times of crisis. We hope that what we're doing will bring some relief to the families and local businesses as we all work together to overcome this invisible enemy." About Astral Power: Astral Power provides access to locally produced clean energy from solar farms to households at a lower cost than their utility. By handling everything from initial enrollment to billing and support, Astral Power guarantees savings on its customers' utility bills without any hassle. Learn about how Astral Power can help you lower utility costs by visiting www.astralpower.com/crisis. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Media Contact: Kristy Tan [email protected] 717-382-8868 SOURCE Astral Power, Inc. The economy is currently on life support yet as that metaphor suggests, it could actually be worse. Imagine if, next week, we find that coronavirus infection has spread so far through major supply lines as to sicken large numbers of the workers who deliver goods and also begins to threaten their recipients. Or imagine what the economy would look like if broadband internet service were to go down for significant parts of the population. I raise this point because the current debate about the economy is focused largely on matters of the past and the future: how to help afflicted businesses bridge the crisis, whether industries like the airlines or cruise lines ought to be bailed out. Yet as important as that debate may be, we may be neglecting a very urgent question: How do we protect the touchless economy the part of the economy that is still working. To put it differently, we need to realize that the touchless economy (also known as the distance economy) may be what stands between us and a full-on economic depression. The touchless economy comprises the economic activities that remain possible without close physical interaction between people: the online meeting, the live-streamed yoga session, the virtual conference, the drop-off delivery of groceries and other physical goods. As it stands, this is pretty much all the economy weve got. Among the touchless economys key vulnerabilities are its delivery lines. We usually think about supply lines as the connections between producers and retailers like the delivery of produce from farms to supermarkets. But the coronavirus shutdown has brought into special focus the role played by the warehouse workers at Amazon, the drivers for UPS, FedEx and the United States Post Office and the many delivery workers for local restaurants and grocery stores. These are the people who translate clicks into economic consequence. By the time Patricia Nez's cough started, she was already familiar with the dreaded dry hacking sound tormenting patients who had for weeks been filling the Madrid emergency ward where she works. We were fed up of hearing it at the hospital, so it was just a matter of time before I would contract it, said Nez, a 32-year-old nurse who tested positive for the new coronavirus about a week ago. Speaking via video call from her home, Nez said she is eager to recover, so she can relieve overworked colleagues dealing with a rising wave of patients and dwindling numbers of healthy nurses and doctors. The worst thing is that you need to stay at home, worried about infecting relatives, while knowing that you are dearly needed at work, she told The Associated Press. The coronavirus is waging a war of attrition against health care workers throughout the world, but nowhere is it winning more battles at the moment than in Italy and in Spain, where protective equipment and tests have been in severely short supply for weeks. Spain's universal health care system is a source of national pride and often hailed as a reason for its citizens' legendary longevity, but the outbreak is exposing its shortcomings, some of which are the result of years of budget cuts. The country's hospitals are groaning under the weight of the pandemic: Video and photos from two hospitals in the Spanish capital showed patients, many hooked up to oxygen tanks, crowding corridors and emergency rooms. At the 12 de Octubre University Hospital, patients could be seen on the floor as they waited for a bed in recent days. The hospital says the patients have since been accommodated elsewhere. On Wednesday, the number of medical personnel infected was nearly 6,500 nationally, health authorities said, representing 13.6% of the country's 47,600 total cases and about 1% of the health system's workforce. At least three health care workers have died. We are collapsing. We need more workers, said Lidia Perera, a nurse who works with Nez at Madrid's Hospital de la Paz, which has 1,000 beds. This week, 11 of the hospital's 14 floors are devoted to caring for those suffering from COVID-19, and there is still not enough room: The patients with less serious cases of the disease are being put in the hospital's gym or in a large tent outside. If you had told me three months ago that I would be working in these conditions in Spain, I wouldn't have believed you, Perera said, adding that staff at La Paz are only being tested for the virus if they have symptoms. If they did (regular testing), they might end up without any workers. Widespread infections among health workers reflect the universal difficulty of stemming the spread of the pandemic. But sick health workers do double damage: They add to the toll while also hampering the ability to respond to the crisis. On top of that, they raise the specter of hospitals becoming breeding grounds of infection. Spain's experience has been reflected elsewhere. The World Health Organization's director-general this week called reports of large number of infections among health workers alarming. "Even if we do everything else right, if we don't prioritize protecting health workers, many people will die because the health worker who could have saved their lives is sick, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists. In Italy, where nearly one-tenth of about 70,000 infections are among medical workers, doctors and nurses have been begging the government daily to provide more masks, gloves and goggles. Please don't leave us alone: Help us help you," Dr. Francesca De Gennaro wrote in an open letter, asking for gear. De Gennaro heads a small private medical clinic in hard-hit Bergamo where some 90 of 460 workers have tested positive. Italian media have reported at least 19 deaths among health professionals in the country, which leads the world in coronavirus fatalities. There was no immediately available data on infections among health care workers in the United States. Neither Iran nor France is disclosing those figures. But in China, where the outbreak started and where more than 80,000 people became infected in three months, over 3,000 medical workers were believed to have fallen ill by the end of February, according to Dr. Liang Wannian, the leader of a team of Chinese experts working with WHO to study the outbreak. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. Spanish authorities have repeatedly said that protecting medical staff is central their efforts to do what's known as flattening the curve: spreading out the time period of over which infections occur, in order to reduce the burden on intensive care units. But health workers say that even simple things such as gowns and masks are still in short supply, as are tests. All over the country, you see examples of workers inventing homemade suits using plastics, said Dr. Olga Mediano, a lung specialist in Guadalajara, some 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of Madrid. Unions blame budget cuts during the decade that followed the last global economic crisis for leaving Spanish hospitals ill-prepared. In response to the criticism, authorities have promised to distribute hundreds of thousands of masks and COVID-19 fast tests this week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BETHLEHEM, West Bank The city would have been crowded with tourists this time of year, said Elias al-Arja, president of the Palestinian Hotel Association. Streets, shops, hotels, restaurants would all be packed with tourists, but this year, there is no one. It is a catastrophe. Every March and April, Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, comes to life as Christians from around the world flock there for anticipation of Easter. This year will be different for the historic West Bank city, which has been under lockdown since March 6, after the first cases of COVID-19 emerged in Palestine. There is no holiday to be celebrated amid these conditions, Arja said, noting that the current situation will not only affect the city financially, but will also deprive local residents of the usual joy surrounding Easter, one of the most festive occasions in the city. For Christians, Bethlehem is second only to Jerusalem in importance, while it is the most important on the international tourism map. Both Palestinian and Israeli tour operators offer itineraries for the city, which depends heavily on tourism revenue. Ramallah resident Khalil Dawood told Al-Monitor how his familys annual spring ritual will be upended this year. Part of his family lives abroad, and it has become a tradition for them to all gather for a reunion at Easter in Bethlehem, where his son, brother and aunt live. This present situation is more difficult than the wars and occupation we live through, Dawood said. This is the only time when I have not been able to visit the holy places on holidays. Never can I remember the Church of the Nativity being closed on Easter. Sitting next to Dawood, his wife, Juliet, nodded sadly in agreement. She laments not being able to pray in the Church of the Nativity and will greatly miss her sisters, who travel from the United States to visit every Easter. In addition, if the lockdown continues, she will not be able to see her sister who only lives an hour away, in Bethlehem. Elias Deais, head of the Holy Land Trust, an NGO that offers local tours, told Al-Monitor that his organizations program for the year had been completed and ready to go. In the high season, Bethlehem hotels operate at full capacity, so tour operators often book rooms at hotels in the nearby towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour. Many would-be visitors had also booked hotels for May, raising local hopes for a fertile year in tourism, he said. The novel coronavirus has dashed those hopes. Groups booked through May have since canceled, and Deais believes summer bookings will likely suffer the same fate. We just hope we don't lose the third tourist season, he said, referring to Christmas. The first season is from mid-February to May, encompassing Easter, and the second runs from September to November, when mild weather prevails. The more-pessimist Arja said he does not envision an economic recovery until next year. The tourism sector, the core of which is Bethlehem, had a remarkable recovery during the past two years, recording a significant increase in the number of tourists coming to Palestine, he said. This, in turn, encouraged dozens of investors to invest in building hotels and expand their existing ones. Arja further noted that tourists who come to Bethlehem also tend to visit other places in Palestine and Israel. The Ministry of Tourism has not issued precise figures on projected losses to the tourism sector, but Arja estimated that it could be as high as $720,000 a day for Bethlehem during the high season. There are 48 hotels and a total capacity of 4,800 rooms in the city, he asserted. As these rooms are fully booked in the high season, we accommodate an average of 9,000 tourists per day at a rate of $40 per person. Plus tourists spend around the same amount in shops and restaurants every day, which means that the loss is estimated at $720,000 for just one day. On March 17, Samir Hazboun, head of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was reported by Wafa, the Palestine News Agency, as saying that 92% of all businesses in Bethlehem, not just those in the tourism sector, had closed shop, in the process driving the unemployment rate above 50%. This loss will severely impact the Palestinian economy as a whole of course, as the Bethlehem governorate contributes 16% to 18% of gross domestic product. Bethlehem Mayor Antoine Suleiman told Al-Monitor that it is still too early to be talking exact figures. Amid such an unprecedented crisis, he said, it is difficult to calculate such results until the moment passes. That aside, Suleiman believes that with the crisis bringing major economies to their knees, the consequences for the feeble Palestinian economy will be especially trying and long lasting. Doncaster council has received praise online after using an informative story to help educate people about the importance of staying at home amid the coronavirus pandemic. The council took to Twitter to inform their followers about Stanislav Petrov - a Russian man who 'saved the world by doing nothing' in 1983. In a series of posts, they explained that the 'hero' was a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet military during the Cold War, and that part of his duty was to watch out for nuclear attacks from the Americans and to retaliate if they did. In 1983, Stanislav received news that five nuclear missiles had been launched from the UK, but he found it suspicious, and decided to wait it out, staying calm and collected in the meantime. By not panicking and launching nuclear missiles of his own, Stanislav avoided a nuclear holocaust and 'saved the world,' the council said, before advising people could also be heroes by doing nothing and staying indoors to prevent the spread of the virus. The Doncaster Council used the story of Stanislav Petrov (pictured) - a soviet army lieutenant known as the man who saved the world by doing nothing - in order to illustrate why people need to stay at home and respect the lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic The thread started by explaining who Stanislav was, before urging people to be more like him and to 'stay at home' (pictured) It comes after the UK entered lock down as the number of coronavirus cases reached 6,650 and killed 335. Doncaster Council started their informative thread by sharing a picture of Stanislav, alongside a caption which read: 'This mans name was Stanislav Petrov. Stanislav was a hero, and if you want to you can be just like him. Let us explain.' 'Stanislav was Russian, and was a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet military. Thats not how you could be just like him, though. Bear with us.' The thread continued: 'In 1983, Stanislav was the commanding officer of a Soviet nuclear early warning site. Basically, his job was to wait for the Americans to launch a nuclear weapon, and launch one back if they do.' The thread explained how Stanislav kept his cool and remained composed while he waited to see if the missiles would arrive 'On 26th September 1983, the unthinkable happened. It seemed that America had launched bombs. Stanislav watched in disbelief as it came up on the monitoring software that 5 nuclear missiles were on their way. The thread then went on to explain what exactly made Stanislav a hero. 'Instead of panicking, Stanislav Petrov stayed calm. He thought rationally why would America send 5 missiles when they have thousands? It didnt add up. Soinstead of springing in to action, Stanislav didNothing. 'Thats right he waited. And waited. And waited a bit more. All the while, remember, there were potentially 5 nuclear missiles hurtling towards his country.' 'In the end, Stanislav Petrov was proved right it had been a false alarm. His calmness, his level-headedness, and his choice to do NOTHING, literally saved the world from destruction.' The council explained their residents should follow Stanislav's example and remain calm during the coronavirus pandemic. The council then explained why people should follow Stanislav's example during the coronavirus pandemic (pictured) 'Heres where you come in. Now, were not saying the threat of #covid19 is the same as 5 nuclear bombs. What were saying is that YOU have the chance to be an absolute HERO by doing pretty much NOTHING,' they wrote. Who was Stanislav Petrov? Stanislav Petrov was born in 1939 and died in 2017. In the early 1980s, he was a lieutenant colonel of the Soviet Air Defence Forces. At the time, the Soviet instructions were that if the US were to send nuclear missiles, the USSR should retaliate immediately. On 26 September 1983, Stanislav was the officer on duty when it was announced the US had fired one missile, who was followed by up to five others. Suspicious of the report, Stanislav decided to wait and broke protocol by not retaliating immediately. In the end, it turned out to be a false alarm, and Stanislav was right to wait it out. However, he was not rewarded for his action because the false alarm had embarrassed his superiors. Advertisement 'Please, stay at HOME. Put your feet up. Relax! How many times in human history will we be able to say that the heroic thing to do will be to SIT DOWN,' they advised. 'Stanislav Petrov is known as "The Man Who Saved the World by Doing Nothing." In the coming weeks, use him as your inspiration.' The post quickly gathered over 7, 200 likes and 4, 100 retweets, with hundreds taking to the comments section to praise the inspirational story. 'Whoever came up with this thread and this analogy deserves a pay rise, frankly,' wrote one, while a second penned: 'You guys absolutely rock at social media comms. Just brilliant.' A third praised: 'Well done Doncaster Council,' while a fourth commended: 'This is superb.' Britain's 66million people are today beginning a new life in coronavirus lockdown after Boris Johnson ordered the immediate closure of all non-essential shops and threatened people with fines or even arrest if they do not 'stay at home'. The Prime Minister's shutdown will last for a minimum of three weeks and the UK's new state of emergency is unprecedented in modern history. Gatherings of more than two people will be banned in the most dramatic curbs on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war, as the government goes all out to stop the spread of the killer disease, which has claimed 335 lives. (Newser) If a commission's recommendation is accepted, young women will have to register for the draft when they turn 18, just like their male counterparts. After a three-year study into whether women should be eligible for the draft, the panel has decided they should, reports Politico. The outlet got the first look at the commission's report to the Pentagon. "This is a necessary and fair step, making it possible to draw on the talent of a unified Nation in a time of national emergency," the 11 commissioners write. It next goes to the White House and to congressional staffers, and it would be up to lawmakers to change the law if they wish. story continues below Forced conscription was abolished in 1973, notes the Military Times, but men are still required to register. In addition to the commission's report, the matter is being addressed in the courts as well. A federal appeals court is currently weighing whether a male-only draft registration is constitutional. About 224,000 women currently serve in the armed forces, notes Politico. And thanks to a Pentagon move five years ago, they can serve in combat roles. (The Green Berets will soon have its first female member.) Vietnam is enjoying strong growth in both rice export volume and value, and more export chances are still ahead as some FTAs have come into force and consumers around the globe are boosting purchase to ensure food security. Winter-spring rice is harvested in Tan An commune of Tan Hiep district, the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang In the first two months of 2020, about 900,000 tonnes of rice worth 410 million USD were shipped abroad, up 27 percent in volume and 32 percent in value year on year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Export prices averaged 478 USD per tonne in January, rising 7 percent from the same period last year. The Philippines was the biggest importer, accounting for 31 percent of total rice shipments. Meanwhile, Mozambique and Angola were among the markets with biggest growth rates. Phan Xuan Que, General Director of the Vietnam Northern Food Corporation (VINAFOOD 1), said after the Lunar New Year holiday in late January, the rice market has been very vibrant. Prices set for both export and domestic sale surged by 30 50 USD per tonne, depending on varieties and quality. He noted rice prices are usually adjusted on the quarterly or yearly basis, but they have been changed week by week in the first months of this year, which is a very rare situation, especially when the Mekong Delta the countrys largest agricultural production hub is currently in the harvest period of the winter-spring crop. These positive signs show Vietnam is likely to achieve the rice export target of 6.7 million tonnes worth over 3 billion USD this year, according to him. Explaining the reason for good prices in all segments, Que said as countries opened their markets for rice imports early, businesses have inked big contracts and stepped up purchase of inputs. Besides, China, which previously dominated the African market with about 3 million tonnes of rice annually, has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, creating a chance for Vietnamese rice in this market. Strong demand from the Philippines and Malaysia has also helped raise prices of Vietnamese rice, thus helping the grain to narrow the price gap with the Thai counterpart and surpass the Myanmar and Indian rivals. The MARDs Agro Processing and Market Development Authority said demand for Thai rice stays flat as drought in this country has driven concerns about supply sources. Export prices of Vietnamese rice are likely to rise further since they are still much lower than those of other producers rice, the authority noted, adding that global consumers are boosting purchase while China doesnt increase its shipments in order to ensure food security to cope with the COVID-19 epidemic. Que attributed the rosy export signs partly to the agricultural restructuring, which in turn has helped restructure export markets to reduce dependence on certain markets. Moreover, the competitiveness of Vietnamese rice, including that of components in the rice value chain from production, supply, processing and transportation, has been improved. However, he said the agricultural sectors as well as businesses should continue to keep a close watch on changes in the market to concurrently attain food security and export targets. According to the MARD, the COVID-19 outbreak has little impact on Vietnams rice sector, and there are likely more opportunities for export to East Africa. Besides, companies should also gear up to capitalise on advantages generated the FTA between the EU and Vietnam when this deal takes effect./. VNA What are the prospects for rice exports in 2020? Vietnamese rice exports in 2020 are expected to be more prosperous thanks to a series of free trade agreements (FTAs) coming into force, after plummeting in both export volume and value in 2019. The government decided on Tuesday to provide W100 trillion in emergency funding to businesses devastated by the coronavirus epidemic (US$1=W1,246). The government doubled the amount from W50 trillion mooted last week, and expanded beneficiaries to include even large conglomerates. President Moon Jae-in in an emergency economic policy meeting at Cheong Wa Dae vowed to do everything to "prevent corporate bankruptcies due to COVID-19." He promised that "healthy and competitive businesses will not close down due to a liquidity crunch" in this unexpected crisis and pledged to include conglomerates in the scope of aid. Hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure to tackle the rising coronavirus cases, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said that if people do not follow orders, he will be forced to issue a 24-hour lockdown and a shoot at sight order. He also said that in United States army had to be called to enforce lockdown. He urged people to not let that situation arise. In US,Army had to be called in to enforce lockdown.If people don't follow #CoronavirusLockdown,a situation may arise where we'll have to impose 24-hour curfew & issue shoot-at-sight orders.I urge people not to let such a situation arise:Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao (24.03.20) pic.twitter.com/he7KpLYrOb ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2020 Here are services that will remain operational and suspended under the 21-day lockdown PM Modi announces 21-day pan-India lockdown amid Coronavirus Amid the rising Coronavirus cases in India, PM Modi, on Tuesday, announced a 21-day curfew throughout India starting at midnight on Tuesday. He said that 21 days were necessary for breaking the transmission cycle of the pandemic. The 21-day curfew is applicable to all states, districts, and villages - irrespective of whether they are currently under curfew or not. Currently, India's positive cases stand at 519, with nine deaths. Coronavirus outbreak: PM Modi announces 21-day pan-India lockdown starting from midnight Coronavirus crisis in India As of March 25, 536 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) with Maharashtra reporting the highest at 106 and ten deaths have been reported. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and shut down over 32 states and Union territories. Complete lockdown imposed in India from March 25: Here are the guidelines India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. The government is monitoring all suspected cases and issued preventive advisories with states declaring the disease an epidemic shutting down all educational institutions, monuments, parks, gyms, swimming pools, pubs and banning large gatherings. All domestic airplanes and trains have ceased operation. Visit the official government here: MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE (Newser) She hasn't been tested, but Greta Thunberg is sure she has the coronavirus, though she says she's now "basically recovered." In an Instagram post, the teen climate activist says she went into self-isolation with her father two weeks ago after the pair returned home to Sweden from a trip around Central Europe, and both developed symptoms within days, per the Guardian. "I was feeling tired, had shivers, a sore throat and coughed," the 17-year-old writes. But "my last cold was much worse than this" and "had it not been for someone else having the virus simultaneously, I might not even have suspected anything and this it what makes it so much more dangerous." story continues below She explains her father "experienced the same symptoms, but much more intense and with a fever." Neither were tested for COVID-19 in Sweden, where test kits are reserved for those requiring emergency medical treatment. "But it's extremely likely that I've had it, given the combined symptoms and circumstances," Thunberg writes. She hopes others can now learn from her presumptive case. Some people "might not notice any symptoms at all, or very mild symptoms and can pass it on to people in risk groups." In other words, "our actions can be the difference between life and death for many others," she writes, urging others to stay at home. (The Thunberg family just released a book.) E-commerce giant Flipkart has announced a temporary suspension of its services in the wake of the coronavirus crisis and the 21-day lockdown announced to prevent its spread. The company, has, however, promised that it will be resuming its services soon, although a date is yet to be announced. "Hello Fellow Indians, We are temporarily suspending our services. Your needs have always been our priority and our promise is that we will be back to serve you, as soon as possible," a message displayed on the company's website read. "These are difficult times, times like no other. Never before, have communities stayed apart to stay safe! Never before, has being at home meant helping the nation!" it added. Meanwhile, clothing website Myntra, which is a part of the Flipkart group has also announced that it is "temporarily not accepting any new orders." The company also urged all Indians to stay inside their homes during the 21-day lockdown. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that it is vital to break the chain of the disease and experts have said that at least 21 days are needed for it. The Prime Minister, who had also addressed the nation last week, said the lockdown has drawn a "Lakshman Rekha" in every home and people should stay indoors for their own protection and for that of their families. Earlier yesterday, Amazon India had also said that it was 'prioritizing all resources' to provide 'high priority' products. "To serve our customers' most urgent needs while also ensuring safety of our associates, we are prioritizing (with immediate effect) all our resources to serve products that are currently high priority. Stay safe!" a tweet shared by Country Head Amazon India and Global Senior Vice President, Amit Agarwal on Tuesday read. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The fate of thousands of crew stuck aboard eight cruise ships off the coast between Sydney and Wollongong is shrouded in uncertainty as companies struggle to devise a plan for them. The coronavirus infected Ruby Princess and two other passenger ships owned by cruise company Carnival the Sea Princess and Carnival Spirit have been circling off the coast from Sydney for days after passengers disembarked, along with the Royal Caribbean-owned Celebrity Solstice. The Ruby Princess circles off the coast from Sydney. Credit:Peter Rae The uncertainty facing the crews comes as the Australian Border Force blamed NSW Health for allowing passengers who had contracted coronavirus to walk off the Ruby Princess when it docked at Circular Quay last Thursday. NSW Labor deputy leader Yasmin Catley said the state government and cruise companies needed to reveal how many crew were stuck on the ships and what the plans were for them. Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: In a unique move, nine liqour factories in seven districts of Rajasthan will be used to manufacture sanitizers as the state battles the COVID-19 crisis. Given the rising number of Corona positive patients and shortage of sanitizers in the state the Gehlot Government has pushed to take the decision to get sanitizers made on its own. To accomplish this, the government has issued orders to four private companies along with all 5 production units of the state-owned Ganganagar Sugar Mills to start production. Licenses have been issued to all of them for this purpose. As per the orders issued by the Finance Department, five liquor manufacturing units of Rajasthan State Ganganagar Sugar Mills have been ordered to start the production of hand sanitizers in Jhotwara (Jaipur), Mandore (Jodhpur), Kota, Udaipur and Hanumangarh. Apart from these, four private companies in Alwar and Jaipur districts have also been issued licenses to produce sanitizers. According to information, sanitizers built in these units will be made available free of cost to government employees engaged in government offices, police and other services. Also, the public will also be provided sanitizers at a very small amount or a discounted rate. The measure has been taken so that black marketing can be stopped by eliminating the scarcity of sanitizers in the market. During the lockdown, there is a huge need for sanitizers, masks and other essential items in the entire state. Sanitizers are being ordered from Jaipur, Gujarat, Delhi and other places. But due to increasing demand, supply is not up to the mark. The drug controller and his team from the Medical Department started the licensing process after an inspection on Monday itself. As Manish Kumar, the Vice President of ADS Agro Industries Ltd., Ringus, one of the private companies given the task, remarked, " we have started preparations to fight coronavirus in these difficult times. The sanitizer manufacturing will start as soon as drug control personnel come and we receive instructions from the Excise Department. " District Excise Officer, Sikar, Adaram Dahiya , said that on the instructions of the Excise Commissioner, sanitizers of spirit will be made. Drug control organization personnel and excise officers will be posted in the factories. ALBANY As the COVID-19 pandemic has put all non-essential court filings on pause, lawmakers and activists are ramping up calls to extend the Child Victims Act's "look-back" window that is set to expire this summer. Last August, the Child Victims Act opened a one-year period for survivors of all ages to pursue previously time-barred claims against their alleged abusers but, as some survivors have faced difficulty finding attorneys or coming to terms with their abuse, legislators have looked to extend the window another 12 months. Those calls are more pressing now, lawmakers and activists say, after the state court system on Sunday suspended most civil filings as the COVID-19 emergency has significantly reduced staff and operations. Advocates hope to include an extension in the state's annual budget package, due by April 1. "This is an extraordinary time for New York state, and circumstances around the budget are unusual to say the least, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that adult survivors of child sexual abuse will be further harmed by our legal system if we dont move to extend the window," said state Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, a sponsor of both the Child Victims Act and the extension proposal. The state Legislature and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo have been working to craft an expedited budget, which, each year, also includes a number of policy proposals unrelated to the state's financial health. Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, D-Manhattan, an Assembly sponsor of the CVA and the extension proposal, said the budget would be the "most expedient" vehicle to approve a widened filing period. "Most people think its doubtful that, after the budget is done, that well just resume session as normal," Rosenthal said. "So, its up in the air when we would return." Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage There is interest in both chambers to broaden the window, but the final decision will come down to the budget negotiations ultimately endured by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie. All are Democrats. The strongest push to extend the look-back period has come from the Senate: "We are certainly interested in this, and it has been discussed," Senate Majority spokesman Mike Murphy said. "We would hope to be able to move this forward." The other two elected officials at the budget negotiation table are reviewing the proposal. "It is something we would discuss with our members," said Assembly Majority spokesman Michael Whyland. And from Cuomo senior adviser Richard Azzopardi: "This is something we'll look at, and I'm sure we'll be discussing with the Legislature." Both declined to say whether Heastie and Cuomo, respectively, support extending the look-back window. Cuomo had previously cast doubt on efforts to extend the window, telling reporters in late February: "If there is a cause to believe ... that we were incorrect in setting the window, then but I would revisit it, but theoretically, we knew what we were doing when we passed the law in the first place." But, certainly, that was before a global pandemic shuttered nearly all aspects of daily life. In the meantime, activists who would typically rally at the Capitol in the days and weeks leading up to the budget deadline are corresponding with legislators over text, email and social media to continue rallying for an extension. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "This is a crazy time, and its true that systems have to adjust to the health crisis that were facing now, but it also shouldnt mean that promises that were long overdue to survivors shouldnt be kept," said Michael Polenberg, vice president of government relations for the victim advocacy group Safe Horizon. The pandemic fallout has exacerbated some of the issues already facing survivors who had hoped to file a Child Victims Act complaint, said Mary Ellen O'Loughlin, an Albany-area survivor and the executive director for the Foundation for Survivors of Abuse. She has had difficulty finding a lawyer to represent her case, as her alleged abuser is a family member who does not have large assets. The majority of complaints filed so far have targeted institutions with deep pockets and the potential for a large payday in court, including the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America. "For me, personally, I very much believe and am asking for an extension of the window, but certainly, too, there are so many people who are just coming to terms with their abuse," O'Loughlin said. "Its a trauma that is very, very difficult to talk about even for me." It is also unclear whether the time period for which the courts are not accepting non-essential filings will be tacked onto the end of the look-back period, which is set to expire Aug. 13. A spokesman for the state court system said there is "no answer yet," but it will likely be a discussion. As of March 16, nearly 1,800 cases had been filed under the Child Victims Act, according to weekly data from the court system. The state has stopped compiling weekly tallies amid the reduction in court services. But while the court system is stalled, some lawyers are continuing to work behind-the-scenes with their clients to prepare lawsuits to file on the first day the court system reopens. Hillary Nappi, a Manhattan-based attorney who is already litigating multiple Child Victims Act cases, said she has about 20 complaints ready to go as soon as she can begin filing again. She has spent the past few weeks working with clients over Zoom and FaceTime, trying to aid survivors who may feel discouraged as their cases face delays outside of their control. "Its very hard for a person to hear that their case is not essential," Nappi said. "It is essential to them because they were waiting their whole lives for this moment." DETROIT -- Detroit Police Chief James Craig says his department is hurting after Captain Jonathan Parnell, a 31-year veteran of the force died this week from complications from the COVID-19 virus. Jonathan was an extraordinary officer, a leader who contributed more to this department and the community more than I can ever say, Craig said during a press conference Wednesday. Craig expressed his condolences to Parnells family and the entire DPD force which is grieving his death. Parnell oversaw the homicide department for DPD and was beloved by his coworkers according to Craig. Everyone loved him, Craig said. I know we talk a lot about people serving with distinction, ,but really he did serve with distinction. Craig shared a story about Parnell from when Craig first arrived in Detroit approximately six years ago. Parnell was up for a promotion after taking the Lieutenants test. After passing the test and while being prepped for the promotion, Craig said Parnells team came to his office and asked not to promote Parnell because they loved him so much. He was a true leader, never a complainer. Just wanted to make sure his men and women were putting forth the very best, Craig said. Parnells death marks the second to hit the DPD this week after a 38-year-old emergency call taker with the department died less than a week after returning from an out-of-state vacation. Our hearts are broken in the City of Detroit and in this department today, said Mayor Mike Duggan. With Captain Parnell, its one that just hits so personally. He was one of the leaders in this department, somebody I interacted with regularly. Just the ultimate professional. During Wednesdays press conference, Craig also updated the numbers on how many employees with the DPD have tested positive or are in quarantine for possible infection of COVID-19. More than 400 employees, are in quarantine including 331 sworn officers and 70 civilians who work for the department. Craig said 18 officers have tested positive for COVID-19, but the department expects 135 of those in quarantine will return by the end of the week. PREVENTION TIPS Michigans State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips: What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases: Always cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve. Stay home if you are sick and advise others to do the same. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if soap and warm water are not available. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces(computers, keyboards, desks, etc.). Its not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season. READ MORE Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus Wednesday, March 25: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan The people of Louth are being urged to show their support for people living with cystic fibrosis and their families by donating online at 65rosesday.ie on Cystic Fibrosis Irelands 65 Roses Day, Friday April 10. The annual fundraising flag-day is the largest fundraising event of the year for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and unfortunately collections have had to be cancelled due to Covid-19. At this time of unprecedented challenge, now more than ever, Cystic Fibrosis Ireland need your support so they can continue to provide much needed support for people with Cystic Fibrosis in Ireland. You can get behind the appeal by donating online at 65rosesday.ie Among the well-known faces to lend their support to this very worthy cause, and encouraging the public to rally behind it, is local TD, Deputy Ruairi OMurchu who recently attended the national launch of the fundraising campaign. Ireland has the highest incidence of CF in the world and some of the most severe types. There are almost 1,400 people living with CF in Ireland and the number is increasing each year as a result of improvements in treatment and care. According to recently-published statistics from the Cystic Fibrosis Registry of Ireland, there were 27 people with CF registered as being from Co. Louth in 2018. 65 Roses Day collections cancelled CFI depends almost entirely on the public for the provision of its services and this 65 Roses Day is hoping to raise more than 200,000 for much-needed services for people with CF through the call for donations at 65rosesday.ie. This includes the additional counselling and advice and other services put in place to deal with support required in relation to Covid-19 for the CF community with people with Cystic Fibrosis in the high risk group from the virus. Funds are also need for normal support services including patient grants for exercise, fertility treatment, and transplant assessment, covering the cost of a number of CF clinical staff in hospitals, and raising funds to assist in the building of the new CF in-patient unit at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin which serves people with CF across the North East region and beyond. People can support 65 Roses Day by: Donating online at 65RosesDay.ie Texting Fight CF to 50300 for 4 (Text costs 4. Cystic Fibrosis Ireland will receive a minimum of 3.60. Service Provider: LIKE CHARITY. Helpline: 076 6805278.) For more information on how you can support Cystic Fibrosis Ireland on 65 Roses Day, please call Brendan on LoCall 1890 311 211, email fundraising@cfireland.ie or visit 65RosesDay.ie People can find the appeal on Facebook at facebook.com/CysticFibrosisIreland and on Twitter at twitter.com/cf_ireland. The campaign hashtag is #65RosesDay Advertisement A 17-year-old boy who was announced as the first American child to die from coronavirus may have succumbed to septic shock - as it is revealed his Uber driver father has also tested positive and is currently sick. Health officials in Los Angeles County announced on Tuesday that the teenager, who lived in Lancaster north of Los Angeles, had died of coronavirus - making the first fatal COVID-19 case involving a person under the age of 18 across the US. In California there are now 2,539 confirmed cases and 51 deaths due to coronavirus. Just hours later, after California Governor Gavin Newsom cited the boy's death as evidence the virus can strike anyone, health officials said there may be an 'alternate explanation' and that his death would be further investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'Though early tests indicated a positive result for COVID-19, the case is complex and there may be an alternate explanation for this fatality,' health officials said. The teen is not thought to have had any underlying health conditions until he recently started suffering from respiratory problems. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said the boy was treated in hospital but was released without being tested for coronavirus. He was then admitted to a second hospital where he died from septic shock, a reaction to a widespread infection that can cause dangerously low blood pressure and organ failure. The teen's positive coronavirus test did not come back until after his death. His father, who is an Uber driver, has also since tested positive for coronavirus and is currently sick. The mayor said he doesn't doubt that the teen died from complications of COVID-19, saying: 'We're the first city in the nation to lose a child and that is unbearable to me.' Los Angeles County reported the death of a child due to the novel coronavirus on Tuesday. In total LA County reports 669 COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths LA County reported four additional deaths - including that of a child from Lancaster - related to the coronavirus, bringing the county total to 11 on Tuesday. The child's death is a 'devastating reminder that COVID-19 infects people of all ages', Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of L.A. County Department of Public Health, said during a Tuesday press conference (above) This map shows some of the California cities grappling with the coronavirus outbreak. In San Francisco there are 131 cases and 0 deaths, in Los Angeles 662 cases and 11 deaths, and in Santa Clara 321 cases and 13 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon. Statewide there are over 2,200 cases and 49 deaths California's coronavirus crisis Statewide there are 2,539 cases and at least 51 deaths as of Tuesday evening Governor Gavin Newsom ordered a shelter in place order on March 19 to avoid the spread of COVID-19. California county cases break down: Los Angeles: 669 cases, 11 deaths San Francisco: 152 cases, 1 deaths Santa Clara: 375 cases, 16 deaths San Diego: 226 cases, 2 death San Mateo: 162 cases, 2 death Orange: 152 cases, 1 deaths Advertisement 'How do you take a kid in for having respiratory problems and you don't test him? I am so livid,' Parris told the New York Times. 'I'm really upset right now. I thought this was a disease that affected people my age. Now I realize our kids are at risk - that's something totally different.' The number of coronavirus cases in California has skyrocketed to more than 2,500 as cities on the West Coast scrambled to enforce lockdowns, manufacture medical supplies, procure hospital beds and slow the spread of the virus. On Tuesday, Los Angeles County reported four additional coronavirus deaths, including the teen boy. There are now 669 confirmed cases in the county, which has a population of 10 million. In San Francisco, the first city in the US to go on lockdown, officials have warned 'the worst is yet to come' and a surge in cases is expected within a week or two. Currently in San Francisco there are 152 cases and one death and in Santa Clara there are 375 cases and 16 deaths. Meanwhile, Gov Newsom and others took issue with President Donald Trump's announcement on Tuesday that he wants the United States 'opened up and just raring to go by Easter' - some two weeks away and far sooner than medical experts expect the fast-spreading outbreak will begin to diminish. Noting that results are still pending for thousands of Californians who have taken the virus tests, the governor said it will take at least until May to determine if quarantine and testing measures have reduced the spread of the virus enough to consider modifying tough stay-at-home orders that were introduced on March 19. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said his city might see a surge in coronavirus cases based on the ferocious outbreak in the New York area. 'We are anywhere from about 6 to 12 days behind what we are seeing in New York City ... where more than one American is dying each hour,' Garcetti said Tuesday. 'Everybody is hopeful and some are putting out that hope of us being back in churches by Easter or synagogues by Passover, of restarting the economy in a couple of weeks,' Garcetti said. \ But in Los Angeles, he added, 'we will not be back to that normal in that short period of time. I said to be prepared for a couple months like this.' The number of coronavirus cases in the state of California has skyrocketed to more than 2,200 as cities in the West Coast scramble to impose lockdowns, urge the public to stay indoors and brace for a surge in cases. Defiant locals pictured at Baker Beach near the Golden Gate Bridge on Sunday, ignoring orders to stay at home to curb the spread of the virus A sign announcing the closure of the Koret Playground is seen in Golden Gate Park as California continues its statewide 'stay at home order' to curb the public from loitering outside and potentially spreading COVID-19 People pictured waiting in line to check-in at a coronavirus testing center at the Hayward Fire Station #7 in Hayward, California on Monday as the state case toll surpasses 2,000 Workers sanitize streets where homeless people were living on March 20 in San Francisco Anticipating more hospitalizations and deaths, California and local governments have been scrambling to obtain gloves and safety gear for healthcare workers and ramping up the number of available hospital beds for virus patients and emergency beds for the homeless, who are considered at a disproportionate risk. 'Here in San Francisco we had private companies go out and get masks and (personal protective equipment) in general to go out support our health care workers. We have had to basically be innovative and work with the private sector to try and get the resources we need,' San Francisco Mayor London Breed told KGO-TV on Tuesday. 'The federal government just isn't moving fast enough.' Newsom announced that the 1,000-bed Navy hospital ship Mercy was on its way to Los Angeles from San Diego and would arrive Friday and could be ready as early as Saturday to provide care to non-coronavirus patients in order to ease the crush on hospitals. The governor also announced new measures aimed at reducing the spread of the virus in state prisons. He halted new admissions to prisons for 30 days, a move projected to lower the population by more than 5,000 inmates after one convict and seven prison employees tested positive for the coronavirus. His executive order responded to advocates' increasingly dire warnings of a lethal danger in facilities holding about 123,000 inmates, some stacked in bunks in dormitories and others paired in cells about the size of a parking space. Newsom did not order any earlier paroles, though his action is likely to speed releases of lower-level offenders from county jails that already have freed hundreds of inmates in response to the pandemic. Newsom warned this week that the state needs an additional 50,000 hospital beds to respond to the outbreak. He said the state's 416 hospitals were doubling so-called surge plans to 40 percent of their capacity. The hospital system alone will provide 30,000 beds in its plan to tackle the surge of COVID-19 cases. The state will seek to acquire 17,000 beds from outside the state hospital system through hotels, motels, fairgrounds, convention centers, and other facilities. California is expanding production efforts to manufacture 1 billion globes, 500 million N-95 masks and 200 million shields. On Monday, the California National Guard said it would be deployed across the state for humanitarian purposes to distribute food and medical supplies and help with food banks and aid officials on the Grand Princess cruise ship. Compared to the rest of the country, California has the fourth largest concentrations of COVID-19 behind New York, New Jersey and Washington state. Throughout the state, lawmakers pleaded with Californians to abide by local and state stay-at-home orders affecting some 40 million people. While most people and businesses were obeying the orders, there were hints that authorities were losing patience with scofflaws. Despite the unfolding crisis, crowds of bold locals have continued to gather at public beaches and parks across the state in defiance of warnings to stay at home. It prompted Newsom to close parking lots at those facilities. In San Diego, patrolling police were reportedly stopping people from walking on the sand at beaches. In Los Angeles, the mayor said there have been reports of so-called nonessential businesses ignoring orders to shut down. While he hopes for voluntary compliance, those ignoring warnings could face misdemeanor charges and the city could shut off the businesss water and electricity, Garcetti warned. Such businesses are 'irresponsible and selfish... it will put all of us at risk,' Garcetti said. It comes after San Francisco Director of Health Dr Grant Colfax issued a grim warning, saying: 'The worst is yet to come.' 'Every community where the virus has taken hold has seen a surge in the number of coronavirus patients who need to be hospitalized. We expect that to happen in San Francisco soon, in a week or two, or perhaps even less,' he said this week. Los Angeles County is also bracing for the worst as their case numbers rise with alarming speed. On March 6, there were five people in the county hospitalized with the coronavirus. Two weeks later that number had jumped to 48. By Monday, the total had climbed to 90. In Los Angeles County, 80 percent of the cases involve patients between the ages of 18 to 65 and 42 percent are in the 18 to 40 age group. San Francisco has taken great measures to slow the spread of the virus. A shelter in place order was placed in the city on Tuesday March 17 that will last until April 7 in an effort to contain the contagious virus. Under the shelter in place orders residents must remain indoors except to get groceries and medicine. On Monday, Gov. Newsom said the state needs an additional 50,000 hospital beds to respond to the outbreak. The Democratic governor said the state's 416 hospitals were doubling so-called surge plans to 40 percent of their capacity. A testing center in Hayward, California above Monday Despite orders to stay home some locals continued to head outside. People pictured walking at a safe distance from one another on Venice Beach in California on Monday During this process the cells not only shed any memories of their previous identities, but they revert to a younger state. They accomplish this transformation by wiping their DNA clean of the molecular tags that not only differentiate, say, a skin cell from a heart muscle cell, but of other tags that accumulate as a cell ages. Recently researchers have begun to wonder whether exposing the adult cells to Yamanaka proteins for days rather than weeks could trigger this youthful reversion without inducing full-on pluripotency. In fact, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found in 2016 that briefly expressing the four Yamanaka factors in mice with a form of premature aging extended the animals life span by about 20%. But it wasnt clear whether this approach would work in humans. Sarkar and Sebastiano wondered whether old human cells would respond in a similar fashion, and whether the response would be limited to just a few cell types or generalizable for many tissues. They devised a way to use genetic material called messenger RNA to temporarily express six reprogramming factors the four Yamanaka factors plus two additional proteins in human skin and blood vessel cells. Messenger RNA rapidly degrades in cells, allowing the researchers to tightly control the duration of the signal. The researchers then compared the gene-expression patterns of treated cells and control cells, both obtained from elderly adults, with those of untreated cells from younger people. They found that cells from elderly people exhibited signs of aging reversal after just four days of exposure to the reprogramming factors. Whereas untreated elderly cells expressed higher levels of genes associated with known aging pathways, treated elderly cells more closely resembled younger cells in their patterns of gene expression. When the researchers studied the patterns of aging-associated chemical tags called methyl groups, which serve as an indicator of a cells chronological age, they found that the treated cells appeared to be about 1 to 3 years younger on average than untreated cells from elderly people, with peaks of 3 years (in skin cells) and 7 years (in cells that line blood vessels). Comparing hallmarks of aging Next they compared several hallmarks of aging including how cells sense nutrients, metabolize compounds to create energy and dispose of cellular trash among cells from young people, treated cells from old people and untreated cells from old people. We saw a dramatic rejuvenation across all hallmarks but one in all the cell types tested, Sebastiano said. But our last and most important experiment was done on muscle stem cells. Although they are naturally endowed with the ability to self-renew, this capacity wanes with age. We wondered, Can we also rejuvenate stem cells and have a long-term effect? When the researchers transplanted old mouse muscle stem cells that had been treated back into elderly mice, the animals regained the muscle strength of younger mice, they found. Finally, the researchers isolated cells from the cartilage of people with and without osteoarthritis. They found that the temporary exposure of the osteoarthritic cells to the reprogramming factors reduced the secretion of inflammatory molecules and improved the cells ability to divide and function. The researchers are now optimizing the panel of reprogramming proteins needed to rejuvenate human cells and are exploring the possibility of treating cells or tissues without removing them from the body. Although much more work needs to be done, we are hopeful that we may one day have the opportunity to reboot entire tissues, Sebastiano said. But first we want to make sure that this is rigorously tested in the lab and found to be safe. Other Stanford co-authors are former postdoctoral scholar Marco Quarta, PhD; postdoctoral scholar Shravani Mukherjee, PhD; graduate student Alex Colville; research assistants Patrick Paine, Linda Doan and Christopher Tran; Constance Chu, MD, professor of orthopaedic surgery; Stanley Qi, PhD, assistant professor of bioengineering and of chemical and systems biology; and Nidhi Bhutani, PhD, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery. Researchers from the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, the University of California-Los Angeles and the Molecular Medicine Research Institute in Sunnyvale, California, also contributed to the study. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants R01 AR070865, R01 AR070864, P01 AG036695, R01 AG23806, R01 AG057433 and R01 AG047820), the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, the American Federation for Aging Research and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sarkar, Quarta and Sebastiano are co-founders of the startup Turn Biotechnologies, a company that is applying the technology described in the paper to treat aging-associated conditions. Rando is a member of the scientific advisory board. An MP is calling for any migrants coming into Kent to be taken straight into quarantine for 14 days - as up to 100 wearing facemasks were caught trying to cross the English Channel today. Dover and Deal MP Natalie Elphicke, 49, called for the action after Border Force officers detained and tested around 84 migrants for coronavirus after intercepting their boats off the Kent coast. Ms Elphicke said the Port of Dover is a vital supply line for the nation which 'can't be risked' and that the migrants should be isolated at other ports upon arrival. She also said it is 'not right' that migrants are reportedly being tested for COVID-19 using British resources - which she believes should instead go to frontline workers. Around five boats of migrants - many wearing facemasks - are believed to have been intercepted in the Channel despite the UK being on coronavirus lockdown. A further 14 people were rescued in the early hours by French authorities and returned to the port of Boulogne. So far 388 have been detained so far this year excluding today's figures which have yet to be confirmed by the Home Office. Dozens of migrants wearing facemasks were picked up by border force officials despite the UK being on coronavirus lockdown Pictures show the migrants being detained in Dover for testing as border force officials also wearing facemasks prepare to process them Around five boats carrying an estimated 80 migrants are believed to have been intercepted, with the operation underway off the Kent coast from around 5am (pictured, migrants detained in Dover today) Fourteen people including two children were discovered in a boat in cold waters trying to cross the English Channel after a emergency helicopter search Ms Elphicke said: 'It's vital the Home Office and the French authorities take immediate action to stop these illegal crossings. 'If people break into the country illegally, whether by small boats or lorries, they should be immediately quarantined for 14 days for the protection of our community and our country. 'There have been reports that illegal migrants are being tested on arrival and then released to the immigration authorities. 'If so, that's simply not right. We have a serious shortage of testing kits for frontline nurses and doctors and other key health workers. 'There is a national need to prioritise and that's where the testing resources need to go - not on testing illegal entrants. Illegal entrants must be placed into quarantine for 14 days. 'The Port of Dover, the ferry companies, lorry drivers and other local workers are a key part of the vital supply line of food, medicine and goods. 'These illegal crossings cannot be allowed to put any part of our national operation at risk. 'Illegal migrants picked up at sea must be taken to other smaller ports. 'Now more than ever, we need to put a stop to these illegal crossings across the English Channel. 'We must protect the nation. We need to be fully focused on beating the virus at this time.' Pictures show the migrants being detained in Dover for testing as border force officials - also wearing facemasks - prepare to process them. The large groups are being brought to the Port of Dover in Kent for processing. Border force officials apparently tested the migrants for possible cases of COVID-19 upon arrival into the country So far 388 have been detained so far this year excluding today's figures which have yet to be confirmed by the Home Office (pictured, migrants detained today) Mrs Elphicke also said it is 'not right' that migrants are reportedly being tested for Covid-19 using British resources - which she believes should instead go to frontline workers Dover and Deal MP Natalie Elphicke (pictured) today called for any migrants coming into Kent to be taken straight into quarantine for 14 days Many were seen wearing protective masks on the quayside at Dover Harbour in Kent as they were waiting to be driven away for processing by immigration officers. French coastguard were alerted at 2.14am to a dinghy crammed with with 14 migrants in difficulty on board off Berck. An air sea rescue helicopter from the French Navy found the boat four miles west of the resort of Le Touquet an hour later. Some 12 men and two minors were brought shore at the port suffering from mild hypothermia. Last month, 102 asylum seekers made it to the UK in one day - the highest number recorded - following a year where around 1,900 reached the country. Many of the migrants who come to Britain often claim to be Iranian - sparking coronavirus fears as the country has one of the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world at more than 27,000. The latest crossings are understood to have been made in rigid-hulled inflatable boats. Sea conditions are said to have been 'the best in a long time' for crossing the Channel in small boats - although it is still considered a huge risk to life to cross the Dover Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, in the inflatable vessels. Temperatures out in the Channel are thought to have been cold - around 3C to 4C - with force three winds. People smugglers charge desperate migrants thousands to cross the Channel from France. Last year, at least two asylum seekers are known to have died trying to reach Britain. One was a 48-year-old Iraqi man who tried to swim over, while a woman fell overboard and was found on Dutch waters weeks later. A large number of migrants have been detained by Border Force officers crossing the English Channel from attempted from France today despite the UK being on coronavirus lockdown So far 388 have been detained so far this year excluding today's figures which have yet to be confirmed by the Home Office (pictured, migrants detained today in Dover) It's the latest in a number of attempted crossing in recent weeks after migrants wearing facemasks were pictured arriving at Dover last week. Last week, more than 100 migrants risked their lives to make the treacherous crossing to the UK. Bella Sankey from Detention Action last week called for migrants to be given 'safe accommodation, instead of indefinite detention', and the means to self-isolate if they need to. Fears have been raised that 3,000 migrants living in northern France in desperate conditions are at high risk of contracting Covid-19. It is understood a number of migrants were detained by Border Force and taken into the Port of Dover before being handed over to Immigration Officers on Thursday last week. It is thought the group crossed the Channel by dinghy before being caught by Border Force once they arrived in the UK. A large dinghy was later discovered off the coast of Dungeness, Kent, containing personal belongings belonging to the migrants. The Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) was brought ashore by the crew of the Dungeness lifeboat at lunchtime on Thursday. Sea conditions are said to have been 'the best in a long time' for crossing the Channel in small boats - although it is still considered a huge risk to life to cross the Dover Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, in the inflatable vessels (pictured, migrants detained today) Border Force officials wearing face masks have reportedly intercepted a number of small boats containing refugees also wearing the protective masks amid the Covid-19 crisis Last month, 102 asylum seekers made it to the UK in one day - the highest number recorded - following a year where around 1,900 reached the country (pictured, border force officials today) The blue and white boat was left on the beach nearby. A black Nike trainer, a grey jacket, towels, bottles of water and pieces of bread were left scattered along the inside of the inflatable vessel. Elsewhere, sixteen migrants were rescued after setting off from France and trying to cross the English Channel to the UK. It comes despite the escalating coronavirus crisis in Britain, where cases are increasing every day and the country is in lockdown. Migrant aid charity Care4Calais warned this week that 3,000 migrants living in desperate conditions in northern France are at high risk from Covid-19. A Home Office spokesman confirmed Border Force are currently dealing with a number of ongoing small boat incidents off the Kent coast and will be releasing more details once the operation has concluded Many were seen wearing protective masks on the quayside at Dover Harbour in Kent as they were waiting to be driven away for processing by immigration officers It is understood the incident is ongoing, with Border Force vessels Hunter and Speedwell involved, along with the cutter Vigilant Up to 1,000 refugees are living in Calais, with many seeking to attempt the dangerous crossing despite repeated safety warnings. On Tuesday, UK Border Force intercepted two inflatable boats off the coast of Kent, carrying 25 migrants who were then expected to be checked for coronavirus symptoms, the Home Office said. And on Monday, 16 men were intercepted by French authorities five nautical miles off Dunkirk. Clare Moseley, founder of Care4Calais, said there are no known cases of Covid-19 in the makeshift camps on the northern coast of France, but it is only a matter of time. She said: 'They can't have showers. They can't wash their hands. They can't self-isolate. So all the things we are being told to do, they can't do. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The export of wood and furniture from Turkey to Uzbekistan increased by 10.82 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, amounting to $ 6.757 million, Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend. The ministry said that the export of furniture and wood from Turkey to Uzbekistan decreased by 4.12 percent in February 2020, compared to February 2019, amounting to $3.493 million. The export of furniture and wood from Turkey to world markets grew by 11.7 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period last year, amounting to $898.615 million. Exports of furniture and wood from Turkey amounted to 3.1 percent of the country's total exports from January through February 2020. Turkey supplied furniture and wood worth $ 445.286 million to the world markets in February 2020, which is 8.2 percent more than in the same period in 2019. Furniture and wood exports from Turkey in February 2020 amounted to 3 percent of the country's total exports. Turkey exported furniture and wood worth $ 5.624 billion over the past 12 months (from February 2019 through February 2020). --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu When unforeseen tragedy occurs, the only choice that remains is how we respond to it, and this mom from Connecticut chose love. On Dec. 14, 2012, Scarlett Lewiss 6-year-old son, Jesse, was murdered in his first-grade classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Connecticut. A former student named Adam Lanza gunned down 20 students and six educators in two first-grade classrooms, making it one of the United States most devastating mass shootings to date. In an email interview with The Epoch Times, Scarlett shares the unimaginable incident and the mission that was born of the tragedy that took her young sons life. Scarlett Lewis with her son, Jesse. (Photo courtesy of Scarlett Lewis) An Unimaginable Tragedy Explaining the tragic incident that took place that day, Scarlett said: Jesse stood up to the gunman, and when his gun ran out of bullets, directed his friend to run and saved nine of his classmates lives before losing his own. I am incredibly proud of his courage. For his brave action, Jesse was shortlisted for the 2020 Presidential Medal of Freedom. Upon hearing the news of her youngest sons tragic death, Scarlett recalled feeling absolutely devastated and stunned. Her eldest son, JT was 12 at the time, and Scarlett knew that she had to model resilience. She said: How I responded to this tragedy would impact my older son, and teach him how to handle difficulty, challenges, and adversity for the rest of his life. Jesse Lewis was murdered in one of the most devastating mass shootings. (Photo courtesy of Scarlett Lewis) Channeling Grief Into Love The grieving mother then decided to channel her energy into creating a movement in Jesses legacy; she left her career in the financial industry and began The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement. Scarletts inspiration to starting the movement came from a message that Jesse had left on the familys kitchen chalkboard shortly before he died: Norurting Helinn Love (Nurturing Healing Love). The words were spelled phonetically, Scarlett explained, because her son was a first-grader and was just learning how to write. But the meaning was clear to me, Scarlett said. If the shooter had been able to give and receive love, then the tragedy would never have happened. The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement is based upon a principle known as Social and Emotional Character Development (SECD), a learning theory that consists of skills, tools, and attitudes that constitute a healthy approach to living life, which include forming of relationships, resilience, and making responsible decisions. However, man isnt born with these skills, Scarlett explained, but it can be learned at any age. Photo courtesy of Scarlett Lewis There are decades of research that prove that these skills, tools, and awarenesses benefit us throughout our lives, Scarlett continued, and address the cause of much of the suffering were experiencing in schools that translates into society. Scarlett cited bullying, violence, mental illness, substance abuse, and loneliness, among others, as possible outcomes of a lack of SECD education. As such, the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, bolstered by the longest-running study on happiness and adult development from Harvard University, offers free-of-charge lifespanmeaning, for everyonesocial and emotional character-development programs via their website: www.chooselovemovement.org Scarlett shared, I realized this would have saved my sons life, and could prevent something like this from happening again. Photo courtesy of Scarlett Lewis The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movements Impact As of 2020, schools, homes, and communities in every state of the United States, as well as over 100 countries internationally, are implementing the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement syllabus in order to benefit from the life skills that are offered. Scarlett explained, Students and educators learn these skills together, take them home, and work on them with their parents and siblings, and then parents take them into the community for a consistent message and benefit for all of humanity! The Choose Love Formula focuses on four main aspects, namely courage, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion in action. According to their website, Jesses message and the movement have reached 1 million people worldwide. In September 2016, Scarlett launched a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement to help raise enough money to launch the website and begin to offer the online program free of charge. To date, the fund has raised over $48,000 of a $100,000 goal. Every state in the United States and over 100 countries have implemented the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement. (Photo courtesy of Scarlett Lewis) In October 2019, Scarlett and her education mission were honored as GoFundMe Heroes. In addition, Scarlett has also penned a book based on Jesses enduring message, titled, Nurturing, Healing Love: A Mothers Journey to Hope and Forgiveness, with Natasha Stoynoff. Now, Scarletts eldest son, JT, is 19 and is majoring in Political Science at the University of Connecticut. He is also running for State Senate in the familys hometown. He understands that we all must take responsibility for what is going on in our world and be part of the solution, Scarlett told The Epoch Times. JT is dedicated to creating safer schools and a better world for all. Meanwhile, Scarlett continues to lead the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement in Jesses honor. Much of the suffering that leads to the tragedies we experience around the world, she reflected, can be reduced and prevented with Nurturing Healing Love. Photo courtesy of Scarlett Lewis The movements latest endeavor is their Choose Love for the Workplace program, a branch of the movements founding principle of Social and Emotional Character Development, but this time specifically tailored to organizations and their employees. The goal of the program is to cultivate emotionally and socially intelligent individuals who have the necessary skills and tools to be their best, personally and professionally. We are all connected as human beings by the want and need to love and be loved, said Scarlett. We are all vulnerable, we all feel pain []and suffer, yet we all just want to be happy. The movement, Scarlett maintains, is in place to enable all of us to live our very best lives, love ourselves, and nurture close, loving relationships with others. When we choose love in our response, Scarlett concluded, we take our personal power back and make the world a better place! The Arizona Court of Appeals on March 24 upheld Jodi Ariass first-degree murder conviction and life prison sentence in the 2008 killing of her former boyfriend. Ariass lawyers had argued that a prosecutors misconduct and a judges failure to control news coverage during the case deprived her of the right to a fair trial. But the three-member appeals court, in a 29-page opinion, unanimously concluded that prosecutor Juan Martinezs conduct in the case didnt outweigh Ariass guilt. We conclude that Arias was convicted based upon the overwhelming evidence of her guilt, not as a result of prosecutorial misconduct, the ruling said. However, it noted an egregious case of misconduct by a highly-experienced prosecutor who improperly engaged in self-promoting conduct. The panel condemned Martinezs argumentative phrasing of questions to defense witnesses, adding that his aggressive tone and combative, bullying behavior were recurring issues in the trial and Ariass attorneys moved for a mistrial six times. We strongly disapprove of his actions, we are compelled to follow the well-established principle that we do not reverse convictions merely to punish a prosecutors misdeeds.' Arias was convicted of killing ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander at his home in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. Prosecutors have said Arias violently attacked Alexander in a jealous rage after he wanted to end their affair and planned a trip to Mexico with another woman. Arias has acknowledged killing Alexander but claimed she acted in self-defense after he attacked her. He was stabbed nearly 30 times, had his throat slit and was shot in the head. The case attracted worldwide attention as salacious and violent details about Arias and Alexander were broadcast live. The guilt phase of Ariass trial ended in 2013 with jurors convicting her of murder but deadlocking on punishment. A second sentencing trial ended in early 2015 with another jury deadlock, leading a judge to sentence Arias to life. The Maricopa County Attorneys Office moved to fire Martinez this year after suspending him. But the dismissal was stayed pending his appeal under civil service protections. Martinez has been a county prosecutor for 30 years. A call to Martinez seeking comment on the court ruling wasnt immediately returned Tuesday. Peg Green, one of Ariass attorneys, declined to comment on the appeals court opinion. By Walter Berry Co Down pastor Mark McClurg has appealed to the public to respect social distancing measures after spending the last week in intensive care with the coronavirus. The 40-year-old father-of three said if the public does not "keep six feet apart, we are going to end up six feet under". Speaking to the BBC's Talkback programme from the Ulster Hospital while still audibly suffering the effects of the virus, he said he prayed to God for help after feeling as if he was about to die while in hospital. He said he was worried for his family and told his wife: "This is it, I can't breathe no more. "I'm a Christian and I love Jesus, but I said to Claire, I know I'm going to heaven, I was so worried for them. "I even prayed, I said: 'Lord I am ready for heaven, but I'm not ready to leave my family they need me. "I prayed the Lord would help me through that night. I've never felt that feeling before like I'm going to die, when you can't even breathe. I have Coronavirus I have spent the last week fighting for my life in ICU. I wanted to share personal video about how deadly and dangerous this is. Can you help me retweeting this out. We must protect our amazing NHS staff. #coronavirus #Covid19 2/2 pic.twitter.com/ScAb4b4vXw Mark McClurg (@Mark_McClurg) March 25, 2020 Speaking about when he first became ill on March 12, Pastor Mark said he was prescribed viral antibiotics for an eye infection, which he believes weakened his immune system shortly before he suffered shortness of breath. "My chest became more painful and my breathing became more laboured. Last Monday I came up the stairs and I'm young and fit and healthy and my wife was putting the children to bed. I said: "Claire I can't breathe". Read More "I felt like I was drowning. [Coronavirus] came with pneumonia and it was sucking the life out of my lungs." What followed were nights where the pastor was struggling to breathe and hold on to his life, he said. Every breath is painful, sore Pastor Mark said he has listened to the staff in the intensive care unit, paying tribute to their bravery. "They're coming to work and they all know at one stage they're going to get the coronavirus. What really upset me is watching the news and people going out and not keeping their distance. I'm fit, I'm healthy, I'm only 40. "If someone was to come in to ICU because coronavirus, they're going to struggle to breathe, every breath is painful, sore." He said he doesn't want there to come a stage where staff have to choose who is helped. "There's only so many beds, so many ventilators. I don't want this to come to a stage where they have to pick and choose who lives and who dies." He added: "The social distancing is to protect us and more importantly to protect the NHS." I don't want this to come to a stage where they have to pick and choose who lives and who dies First Minister Arlene Foster earlier this week mentioned Pastor Mark by name and said she had spoken to his wife Claire. Pastor Mark said: "I was at the lowest point and Arlene Foster didn't need to do that but she phoned Claire and encouraged her. Politicians need to work together. Coronavirus doesn't care if you're Protestant or Catholic, it will kill us all. "Yes I'm sick but my wife is at home worried sick. In coronavirus, you're in isolation and no one can come near you. I've never been away from the wee babies and not being able to hold them in my arms." The pastor thanked his family at his church, Ards Elim, saying: "My church family never left me, they kept praying for me." He asked the public to show kindness to NHS staff, who he said are suffering due to the physical discomfort of the PPE masks they have to wear. "I'm the calm before the storm," he said, telling presenter Chris Buckler he does not want to be in a situation where he or any members of his family are in an intensive care unit due to coronavirus. MARYSVILLE, Ohio, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EnvyPak, an Ohio based company that specializes in clear packaging solutions, announced that as an essential and critical manufacturing business, it is continuing to operate and support hospitals, testing laboratories, and other organizations by offering packaging components they need to fight and help control the spread of COVID-19. "We are considered an essential business because we manufacture packaging products for the Medical and other related service industries. We're continuing normal EnvyPak production to meet the critical needs of our customers," said Michele Cole, President of EnvyPak. Cole continues, "We are taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our own employees, customers, and vendors." EnvyPak is currently providing these clear specialty packaging items for the retail, medical, industrial, and mailing industries: Healthcare and Medical Supplies Packaging - clear pouches pockets and adhesive-backed sleeves, with and without print Testing Laboratories that produce COVID-19 test kits - adhesive-backed CD holders Utilities - CD holders Radiation Therapy - CD holders and clear pouches with and without print USPS - Clear envelopes and mailing supplies, with and without print. EnvyPak clear envelopes and clear plastic products, manufactured in the USA, make an everyday impact in dozens of industries worldwide. The company is uniquely positioned to supply other essential businesses with the durable, clear polypropylene packaging products they need for the essentials used to support the fight against the impact of COVID-19. "It's extremely gratifying to know that we're helping our country in this time of crisis by our unique manufacturing capabilities and capacities. EnvyPak excels at manufacturing and supplying crystal clear, protective packaging for test kits and other products. We love supporting businesses that can provide front-line support to fight this virus," said Cole. EnvyPak production will continue to support the United States Postal Service (USPS) by manufacturing clear envelopes for the mailing and printing industry. Graphic designers, printers, and mail houses are critical and essential to the successful functioning of the United State Postal Service. For more information, please email EnvyPak or call 800-835-3052. Forward-looking statement EnvyPak continues to operate according to guidelines developed by the U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention and is adhering to all State of Ohio and local restrictions. We are requiring temperature checks of all associates. We are following strict social distancing, hand washing, sanitizing, and other precautionary measures at our manufacturing and distribution center located in Marysville, Ohio. After instituting these enhanced safety protocols, EnvyPak packaging has continued regular operations at the manufacturing facility. The company will continue to monitor this fluid situation and expects to continue to evolve its operations to react to the challenges of COVID-19 as deemed necessary. SOURCE EnvyPak Only in the fevered brain of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could things like forcing the airlines to be carbon neutral, making sure Planned Parenthood qualifies for small business assistance, cancelling the Postal Services debt, and requiring nationwide same-day voting be seen as a proper and valid response to the Wuhan Virus crisis that is crushing our economy and killing our people. People are dying, both from the disease of and the depression and anxiety caused by looming mortgage payments, job loss, and watching their retirement funds built up over a lifetime evaporate. Pelosi wants to make sure boards of corporations assisted in any relief measure are sufficiently diverse and that federal employee unions are given expanded collective bargaining rights. Meanwhile her dawdling increases the death rate from suicide as despair overtakes hope among those who watch their livelihoods and futures slip away. It is likely that more Americans will die from economic anxiety and hardship that from the virus. Poverty kills and so does Nancy Pelosi and her political boy toy Chuck Schumer. Parenthetically, can anyone imagine Harry Reid letting Pelosi telling Senate Democrats what to do? Americans are dying as we speak because Nancy Pelosi remembers Rahm Emanuels adage that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste and exploits a global pandemic to achieve her liberal agenda: House Speaker Nancy Pelosis newly announced "relief" proposal, titled the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act, cancels the U.S. Postal Service's $11 billion in debt and gives it $20 billion in cash. It mandates that the head of each federal department or agency shall submit to Congress a report on the actions taken to increase the use of minority banks and minority credit unions to serve the financial needs of each such department or agency." It empowers the newly proposed COVID19 Aid Oversight Panel to collect data on employee demographics, supplier diversity, pay equity, and corporate board diversity" for any organization that receives federal funds in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. The Speakers relief proposal makes early voting available in all 50 states. It mandates that each state must allow same-day voter registration. It has an entire section titled, Federal employee collective bargaining and official time," referring to taxpayer-funded unions. It requires that airlines fully offset their carbon emissions. It contains new rules for improving consumer information regarding release of greenhouse gasses from flights. Early voting? Student loan forgiveness? Offsetting carbon emissions? Bailing out the post office? Policing corporate board diversity? These have nothing to do with preventing further economic ruin or COVID-19-related deaths. They are merely items on the Democratic Party's wish list -- issues that excite their left-wing base. Americans want relief from the Chinese Wuhan virus and Pelosi offers them nothing but Green New Deal pork and carve-outs to key Democratic constituencies. Her goody bag will not cure a single virus patient. It will not resurrect a dying economy. Thank God we elected President Trump, who got our economy going to the point it could survive, at least so far, the impact of this global pandemic. Thank God President Trump imposed a travel ban on a lying and perfidious China while Democrats like Joe Biden were calling him racist and xenophobic. In January, Trump was busying saving American lives while the Democrats were trying to impeach him. Democrats worry about power and not the American people. They want to control our lives and not save the lives of Americans. Can you imagine what the burden on our tottering health care system would be currently if we had open borders and Medicare for all, including illegal aliens? Interestingly, Pelosis pork-filled pandemic bill, which in includes tax credits for solar panels and wind farms to help fight the virus, also includes some $300 million for foreign refugees under the heading Department of State: Migration and Refugee Assistance, to address hardships affecting illegal aliens breaking into our country. So much for a bill supposed to protect American citizens, American workers and American lives: The package calls for an additional amount for Migration and Refugee Assistance'" of $300 million to "remain available until expended, for necessary expenses to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus: Provided, That such amount is designated by the Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. As Democrats get the recession they prayed for, they want to help it along by burdening the economy with wasteful and expensive junk from their gift bag. They saw an opportunity over the weekend as multiple GOP senators either testing positive for the Chinese virus or were quarantined after possible exposure. Reduced GOP numbers gave Democrats the opportunity to put the squeeze on in pushing their agenda while the economy collapsed and people worried whether they would see tomorrow: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) worked to scupper the phase-three coronavirus relief package on Sunday after Majority Whip James Clyburn (D., S.C.) told caucus members last week that the bill was a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision. Texas GOP Senator Ted Cruz observed in response: The famed quote from Rahm Emanuel, thats President Obamas chief of staff: Never let a good crisis go to waste. Sadly, were seeing the embodiment of that cynical approach right now, Because with all the people out of jobs, the Democrats are using this to push -- what are they pushing for? Changing the emissions standards on airplanes, Cruz said. What the hell do the emissions standards on airplanes have to do with thousands to people dying and millions of people out of work in the coronavirus epidemic? It is Pelosi and the Democrats who stand in the way of restoring health to both the American people and the American economy that has provided them the highest standard of living on earth. Democrats are willing to hold our lives hostage and put them at risk to pursue their worthless socialist agenda. They are the pandemic we should fear and fight. Daniel John Sobieski is a former editorial writer for Investors Business Daily and freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Human Events, Reason Magazine, and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications. The measures imposed were sweeping and varied. In one state, police officers stopped motorists and demanded to know why they were outside. Rule-breakers were threatened with public shaming and even being shot. And anxiety is running high: Shelves in food stores and pharmacies have been emptied. Many Indians live hand to mouth, and their families will struggle to eat. In some places, doctors have been run out of their homes, shunned as carriers of the virus. Context: India still has only 600 confirmed infections, but the countrys high population density and weak health care system made experts nervous. Here are the latest updates and maps of the outbreak. Weve also compiled a daily tracker that shows the viruss trajectories by country and state. In other developments: Prince Charles has the virus. So do 8,076 other people in Britain as of Wednesday afternoon. He hasnt seen his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, since March 12, before he would have been infectious, palace officials said. The decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympics until next summer poses a lot of challenges for Japan from where to store the Olympic flame to how the country can hope to recoup its $10 billion investment. About 150,000 crew members aboard commercial ships worldwide are being forced to keep working to deliver gas, food and medicine. The seafarers say they would prefer to return home, but no port will let them disembark. Most Latin American leaders reacted quickly to the coronavirus, shutting down borders and enforcing quarantines early. But Brazil and Mexico have dismissed fears, an approach that could create new hot spots. Markets: U.S. stocks climbed on Wednesday, adding to Tuesdays surge, as investors sized up the governments rescue package. Asian and European markets closed higher. MARCH 25, 2020 UTSA is responding to the COVID-19 outbreak with a commitment to supporting the safety of the university community while enabling the academic progress of students. Here is your digest of updates and tips. SPREAD THE WORD People from across the university are stepping up to let everyone know just how supportive, resilient and Roadrunner Stronger our UTSA community is. Listen to their #UTSAtogether message: COMMUNICATION FOR STUDENT EMPLOYEE SUPERVISORS: Do you supervise students who are working remotely? Check out these helpful resources: ASK ONLINE: The Student Activities front desk is available online to answer questions for students, student organizations, faculty and staff. Reach out to the Student Activities Virtual Front Desk via Zoom between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. weekdays (until 5 p.m. on Fridays). CORONAVIRUS EXPENSES: Department administrators, in addition to your weekly coronavirus-related expenditure reports, the Texas comptroller of public accounts has requested information on personnel-related costs. Download the new weekly template for more information. HEALTH SUPPORT IS HERE: The UTSA Recovery Center supports students who are in recovery, struggling with substance abuse or interested in learning more. If you know any students who need support, encourage them to reach out to recovery@utsa.edu or join a meeting via Zoom. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @UTSARecovery. Recovery Support Groups Group members support each other while learning skills to build and maintain recovery and to develop positive social support typically lacking in early recovery. Faculty and staff are welcome to join. The first Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee to test positive for the coronavirus has been confirmed, the agency announced on Tuesday. A 31-year-old Mexican national who was being held at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, New Jersey had been quarantined and is receiving care, ICE said in a statement. Consistent with CDC guidelines, those who have come in contact with the individual have been cohorted and are being monitored for symptoms, the agency said. The organisation said it will be suspending intake at the facility until further information is available. Last week, a Bergen County Sheriffs Office Corrections Officer employed at the Bergen County Jail also tested positive for Covid-19. ICEs statement did not provide any information about how the detainee had contracted coronavirus. The agency has received significant pressure from immigration advocates to release some of its more than 37,000 detainees amidst fears of the coronavirus spreading within facilities. ICEs continued inaction made todays confirmed Covid-19 case in ICE detention a virtual inevitability and further highlights the urgent need to release all individuals in ICE custody immediately, New York public defenders said in a statement to CNN. For weeks, we have received many disturbing reports from our detained clients about the unsanitary conditions that are putting their lives at risk. About 47% of people kept in detention by ICE are being held on non-criminal violations of immigration law, according to the agencys most recent statistics, With high volumes of people being detained in close quarters it is thought that the sites could become extremely susceptible to severe outbreaks of the virus. People in detention centres are sitting ducks for the spread of this virus, Andrea Flores, the deputy director of policy for the organisations equality division, told CNN. The same experts have also predicted that once outbreaks in detention centres begin, they will spread rapidly. The suffering and death that will occur is unnecessary and preventable. ICE announced that it will halt most of its arrests and deportations in response to the escalating pandemic, but did not acknowledge whether it would consider releasing current detainees in the statement. An agency official told Mother Jones that there has been no announcement related to releasing individuals that are currently detained. There have been 375,498 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 worldwide, The World Health Organization reported. In the US 44,183 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed and 544 deaths have been recorded, according to The Centers for Disease Control. The disease mostly causes mild flu-like symptoms but can be fatal, significantly more so for the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions. The death toll for the disease worldwide has reached surpassed 16,000. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Pro-Western opposition supporters, who undergo training abroad, are regularly trying to break into Russian military facilities as they pick up Western accusations against the country, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th March, 2020) Pro-Western opposition supporters, who undergo training abroad, are regularly trying to break into Russian military facilities as they pick up Western accusations against the country, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday. "Western countries are regularly accusing Russia of being linked to some hard-hitting incidents, such as meddling in the US elections, different hacking attacks, concealment of combat losses and so on. In our country, a pro-Western opposition squadron, which is regularly undergoing training abroad, is picking up these accusations. Hiding behind laws on the media, activists are trying to break into our military facilities, hunting for relatives and witnesses. They are penetrating into hospitals where our military stay, into cemeteries and funeral receptions. They are making photos of our closed facilities' entrances and exits and posting this online. One can only imagine the accountability they would face in the West," Shoigu told the upper house of the Russian parliament. He also called for reviewing laws on the media, which pro-western opposition makes use of. GREENWICH Greenwich had planned to celebrate Greek Independence Day on Wednesday morning with a flag-raising at Town Hall. But it didnt quite go according to plan. For starters, only two people turned out thanks to the rules of social distancing in the time of the coronavirus. And even worse, they didnt have a flag. But First Selectman Fred Camillo went ahead with the event by reading a proclamation declaring the towns official observance of Greek Independence Day on March 25. We wish Town Hall wasnt closed ... but next year we will have that Greek flag flying outside of Town Hall, Camillo said. The United States is made up of so many different people who have contributed so much. We always have to remember those contributions and the contributions that all of the ethnicities, including the Greeks, who have helped us out of times of trouble in the past. Our strength is us coming together during times like these. Karen Fassuliotis, vice chair of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, organized the small ceremony to mark her familys heritage. And even though Fassuliotis couldnt find a Greek flag, she said the event was still important, even though she and Camillo were the only people who attended (except for the Greenwich Time reporter and a town photographer). Theres no big crowd, but as a Greek American, I am proud of my heritage, Fassuliotis said. Were not going to be able to have a big Greek Independence Day parade in Manhattan and were not going to be able to celebrate in our churches now because theyre all closed. So I just wanted to give people a sense that were still here. Were still alive and were still living our lives. This is an important day in the Greek heritage. Fassuliotis said she hoped the ceremony would become an annual tradition in town. Greenwich holds flag-raising events for St. Patricks Day, Columbus Day, Bastille Day and other major days of cultural significance. Theres a real sense of pride in the heritage of us Greek Americans in town, and when things return to normal, Id love to do this again, Fassuliotis said. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com Coronavirus: What you need to read Coronavirus maps: Cases and deaths in the U.S. | Cases and deaths worldwide Vaccines: Tracker by state | Booster shots | For kids 5 to 11 | Guidance for vaccinated people | How long does immunity last? | County-level vaccine data What you need to know: Omicron variant | Breakthrough infections | Symptoms guide | Masks FAQ | Delta variant | Other variants | Follow all of our coverage and sign up for our free newsletter Impact of the pandemic: Supply chain | Education | Housing Got a pandemic question? We answer one every day in our coronavirus newsletter In a significant development, deity Ram Lalla was relocated from the makeshift temple to a pre-fabricated structure within the Ram Janmabhoomi premise in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya on Wednesday (March 25) morning. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended the shifting ceremony which took place at around 4.30 am on Wednesday. It is to be noted that Wendesday is the first day of Navratri festival, which continues for nine days. Ram Lalla is the presiding deity of the Ram Janmabhoomi and the deity was present at the sanctum sanctorum of the temple since December 6, 1992. Some members oof the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust were also present during the shifting ceremony which was led by CM Adityanath along with several priests from Ayodhya, Varanasi and other parts of India. The deity placed in a palanquin before the start of shifting and was brought to the makeshift temple on an auspicious time. The chief minister and three other priests carried the palanquin to new location which is very close to the makeshift temple. Several priests had started the Vedic rituals at Ram Janmabhoomi on Monday ahead of the shifting of Ram Lalla. The Vedic rituals were completed on Tuesday and was cinducted by priests from Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi, Haridwar, Mathura, Varanasi and Ayodhya. A growing number of states in the U.S. are implementing new restrictions to help stop the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. Eighteen states have stay-at-home orders or advisories and have closed nonessential businesses. Six states and Washington, D.C. have shuttered nonessential businesses. Several states such as Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania have cities or counties under stay-at-home orders in the absence of a statewide declaration. The U.S. now has 55,568 confirmed cases of the coronavirus with at least 809 deaths, according to data provided by Johns Hopkins University. With the outbreak worsening, it's likely more states will come forward with new restrictions designed to curb the virus' spread through social distancing. Here are the states that made announcements Wednesday. New York Releasing 300 Non-Violent Inmates As CCP Virus Spreads Through Jails New York City will release around 300 non-violent inmates from Rikers Island in an effort to stem the CCP virus from spreading, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. De Blasio told a news conference that all of the inmates who will be released have been convicted of misdemeanors or some nonviolent felonies and have less than one year remaining in their sentence. There are over 500 inmates who fall into this category, however the mayor said he will not be releasing those who have been convicted of domestic violence or sexual assault, leaving 300 inmates who are eligible for release. The mayor also said he wants to release those inmates who are over the age of 70 or who have any of the five preexisting health conditions that make them most vulnerable to the CCP virus, based on advice by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), preexisting health conditions include chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma; heart disease with complications; and severe obesity and complications such as diabetes or liver disease. People who are immunocompromised including those undergoing cancer treatment, bone marrow or organ transplantation; those with immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS; or those with prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications, are also at risk. Pregnant women should also be monitored as they are known to be at risk with severe viral illness, however to date data on COVID-19 has not shown increased risk. My strong view is that at this point, I want to follow the exact same categories that I heard from Dr. Anthony Fauci in terms of those who are most in danger, and obviously Dr. Fauci has done an extraordinary job during this crisis, leading this country with the best information and guidance on how to address coronavirus, de Blasio said. Dr. Fauci told me last week that anyone over 70 years old or anyone with one of those five major preexisting conditions, those were the people who would most likely be in danger. This is my view. No one over 70, no one with any of those five preexisting conditions, should be in our jail system right now. The mayor noted that he will be working through some very intense complicated legal issues case by case, and that he does not have the direct power to release everyone in that category, adding, That can only be done with the approval of the state of New York or a district attorney. But that category of people, those in immediate danger because of the specific nature of coronavirus, I strongly believe they all should be released and we are working through those details immediately, he said. There are just over 5,000 people in New York jails and the city has previously released 75 other prisoners in relation to the spread of the virus. De Blasios announcement comes after The Guardian reported that at least 38 people had tested positive for the virus at Rikers Island and nearby facilities. Last week, a New York City Department of Corrections officer who was stationed at the prison died from the disease, one of 13 CCP virus-related deaths in the city. A statement from Department of Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann said the individual had limited contact with people in custody. The Rescue Plan Big companies could see tax breaks The stimulus includes several tax breaks that will largely benefit businesses although it would not necessarily get cash to the companies most in need today. For instance, the bill would temporarily make it easier for big companies to take interest deductions and would roll back losses into older tax years, potentially leading to refunds. HOW IT COULD PLAY OUT Companies that suffer enormous losses this year would be able to deduct those against profits from the past five years, potentially wiping out their old tax liabilities and generating cash refunds. If they had losses in 2018 and 2019 to offset taxes from profits in even older years, they could get quick cash refunds. But they would not see the cash from any refunds related to this year until at least early 2021. It is not targeted at the companies who are most in need today, so it is not an ideal way to allocate relief resources, said Stephen Shay, a tax law professor at Harvard and former U.S. Treasury official. It is clearly not the best way, but its reasonably fast compared to some alternatives. Stocks rose as Congress moved toward passing the aid package. Stocks on Wall Street rose on Wednesday as investors sized up a $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package intended to shore up the American economy, but the gains faded late in the day as debate over the bill continued without a vote in the Senate. The legislation would be the biggest fiscal stimulus package in modern American history, and more than double the size of the roughly $800 billion stimulus package that Congress passed in 2009, during the last recession. The S&P 500 climbed more than 1 percent, adding to a 9.4 percent gain on Tuesday that had come as investors anticipated that Democrats and Republicans would reach a deal over the plans. Some of the companies expected to benefit from government help led Wednesdays gains. Boeing was up more than 20 percent, helping lift the Dow Jones industrial average. American Airlines and Carnival Corporation both jumped more than 10 percent. THE NEW state-of-the-art Child and Family Centre in the city is "delighted and proud" to be part of Limerick's efforts to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. The Roxboro-based facility is the first of many HSE testing centres that will be located in the Limerick region, as the Government looks to expand its testing programme to some-50 centres nationwide. Last week, Limerick GAA announced that the LIT Gaelic Grounds is to become a drive-through, appointment-only testing centre. It is understood it will be in operation in the coming days. The Child and Family Centre was due to operate its first function as an 'early years' centre in autumn, but it will now act as the region's first testing centre for those in the surrounding community. The testing centre is not drop-in and is for people with appointments only. While led by the Limerick Social Service Council, the facility is an inter-agency product involving the council, Tusla, HSE, the Diocese, JP McManus Pro Am, Limerick Enterprise Development Board, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, Department of Education and Skills, Le Cheile national school and Gaelscoil Sheoirse Clancy. Commenting on its pivot into a testing centre, Brian Ryan, General Manager of Limerick Social Service said: The original efforts of the multiagency consortium behind the project were all about serving the community and that the facility is doing that in a way that we clearly could never have envisaged. We had begun to run some initial services there and the Early Years service and preschool werent due to open until the autumn so we just had to stand down those initial activities because of the Coronavirus concerns. In those circumstances then, we were both delighted and proud to make the facility available to assist in the fight against the Coronavirus. It has already been playing its part for a week and more now and our hats are off to the HSE personnel who are manning this testing centre. They are doing incredible work to help prevent and contain the spread of the virus. Mr Ryan, however, stressed that the centre is not a walk-up service and no member of the public will be admitted without a prior appointment through their GP. Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Michael Sheahan has welcomed the move: This is a perfect example of the spirit of partnership in Limerick that will help see us through the unprecedented challenge we face from the Coronavirus. The Child and Family Centre is a joint initiative between key stakeholders here, including the local authority, and was about to put a very special wrap-around service in place from the autumn. We never could have thought our commitment to the CFC would deliver such a critical return for Limerick outside its original intended use. We are really grateful to the Limerick Social Service Council that they were in a position to have it completed in time and step in at this hour of need. Nearly 200 Vietnamese citizens who had been stranded in the Philippines due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic were brought home on Tuesday evening. A charter flight of national carrier Vietnam Airlines carrying the Vietnamese citizens landed at Can Tho International Airport in the namesake Mekong Delta city at 11:30 pm on Tuesday. After making health declaration, they were transported to a military facility in neighboring Hau Giang Province for compulsory 14-day quarantine. They previously went to Cebu Province in the central Philippines as part of a packaged English course, which covers tuition, room, and board for learners. A flight attendant greets passengers on a charter flight from Cebu Province, the Philippines to Can Tho City, Vietnam, March 24, 2020. Photo: Khuong Xuan / Tuoi Tre Due to the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the closure of all schools in the country, including the English schools that the Vietnamese citizens were studying at, from March 17. They also had trouble finding a flight back to Vietnam as all domestic flights to and from the capital city of Manila had been grounded since March 15. Attempts to book flights from Cebu to Vietnam with transit time in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, or Thailand were also in vain as airlines announced they were canceling flights en masse due to travel bans imposed by those countries and territories. Passengers have their passports inspected on a charter flight from Cebu Province, the Philippines to Can Tho City, Vietnam, March 24, 2020. Photo: Khuong Xuan / Tuoi Tre With the help of the Vietnamese government and Vietnam Airlines, the charter flight was arranged to bring the citizens home on Tuesday. The flight took off as soon as Vietnam Airlines was granted a license by Filipino authorities. During the flight, crew members wore protective suits, face masks and gloves, and followed strict protocols to prevent the spread of the virus. Each passengers was disinfected as they deboarded the aircraft. Flight attendants greet passengers on a charter flight from Cebu Province, the Philippines to Can Tho City, Vietnam, March 24, 2020. Photo: Khuong Xuan / Tuoi Tre The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 421,000 and killed more than 18,800 globally as of Wednesday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics. Vietnam has confirmed 134 COVID-19 cases, with 17 having walked out of the hospital free of the virus. The Philippines had confirmed 552 cases infected with the virus by Tuesday afternoon, according to the Filipino Department of Health. Vietnamese citizens react after boarding a charter flight from Cebu Province, the Philippines to Can Tho City, Vietnam, March 24, 2020. Photo: Khuong Xuan / Tuoi Tre A flight attendant helps her colleague tighten his protective suit on a charter flight from Cebu Province, the Philippines to Can Tho City, Vietnam, March 24, 2020. Photo: Khuong Xuan / Tuoi Tre A flight attendant serves water on a charter flight from Cebu Province, the Philippines to Can Tho City, Vietnam, March 24, 2020. Photo: Khuong Xuan / Tuoi Tre Passengers are disinfected after deboarding a charter flight that landed in Can Tho City, Vietnam, March 24, 2020. Photo: Khuong Xuan / Tuoi Tre Vietnamese citizens fill out health declaration forms at Can Tho International Airport in Can Tho City, Vietnam, March 24, 2020. Photo: Khuong Xuan / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Donation is Focused on Supporting and Equipping Frontline Health Workers Globally and Investing in Responsive Local Efforts that Assist Vulnerable Populations DUBLIN and MINNEAPOLIS, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --The Medtronic Foundation announced an additional $10M in contributions to COVID-19 relief efforts across the globe. This adds to the initial charitable contributions made by Medtronic and the Medtronic Foundation of $1.2M in February to support immediate response efforts. The Medtronic Foundation's global and local response includes a comprehensive approach that is inclusive of cash contributions to over a dozen health and community nonprofits and will be used to fund: Training and supervising frontline health workers Ensuring the safety and well-being of frontline health workers, including provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and critical supplies Supporting preparedness efforts for the health workforce, including surge capacity; caring for chronic, at-risk patients; and remote patient monitoring Offering local community support of health, economic and food assistance for vulnerable populations Providing flexible support to nonprofit partners working in underserved communities "With roots in the world's largest medical technology company, the Medtronic Foundation has a responsibility to be a leader on global issues impacting access to healthcare," said Paurvi Bhatt, president of the Medtronic Foundation. "During this unprecedented global health crisis, we are committed to supporting and equipping the courageous frontline health workers who are delivering critical care to those in need. Through volunteerism and financial investments, we continue to partner with thought leading partners working globally, nationally and locally - with the flexibility and investment required to meet this critical need." In addition to financial contributions, the Medtronic Foundation is organizing virtual volunteer opportunities to help the more than 90,000 Medtronic employees globally support non-profit organizations that are responding to this global health crisis. Many of these opportunities will engage Medtronic employees in skills-based volunteerism where they leverage their professional skills to support organizations in need. The Medtronic Foundation also will continue to match Medtronic employee donations to nonprofit organizations. These efforts will contribute to the immediate response, and as the situation evolves, the Medtronic Foundation will evaluate needs and consider additional contributions and volunteer opportunities as appropriate. About Medtronic Foundation Medtronic plc is the sole funder of Medtronic Foundation, whose focus is on improving health for underserved populations worldwide, as well as supporting communities in which Medtronic employees live and give. For more information, please visit medtronicfoundation.org (http://www.medtronicfoundation.org/). -end- Allison Frailich Public Relations +1-612-413-2313 Erika Winkels Public Relations +1-763-526-8478 Los Angeles, March 25 : German-American model and Hollywood celebrity Heidi Klum has confirmed that she doesnt have coronavirus, 10 days after taking the test. "Day 14 of staying home #covid_19negative," the 46-year-old wrote on Instagram. "(I'm) much better thank you. I just have a bad cold and am trying to get over it. Sending love out to you and everyone," she added. Klum was self-quarantined in her Bel-Air mansion since falling ill on March 7, which effectively shut down production on the third season of "America's Got Talent: The Champions", reports dailymail.co.uk. Klums third husband Tom Kaulitz received his negative test results on March 16. She can now reunite with the 30-year-old Tokio Hotel guitarist, who spent Sunday making TikTok videos with his identical twin brother and bandmate Bill. The retired Victoria's Secret Angel met Kaulitz on the set of Germany's "Next Topmodel", and they celebrated their first wedding anniversary on February 22. PR-Inside.com: 2020-03-25 03:35:04 Sleemon Held Launch Ceremony of New Series of Anti-Bacterial Mattress on March 21 in Beijing Proexpo Communications Olivia Liang Olivia.liang@proexpo.cc 86 15999506699 Recently, Chinese mattress brand SLEEMON, the biggest mattress supplier for IKEA and NITORI in the Asian-Pacific region, released the latest anti-bacteria mattress products. The new mattress of Sleemon integrated technologies provided by American company DuPont and Swiss company Sanitized AG to prevent bacteria and dust mites. SLEEMON hopes to ensure people's sleep quality and health through topnotch anti-bacterial technology. Under the current circumstance, more and more people have raised their awareness of hygiene, the launch of new mattresses with anti-bacteria function undoubtedly received widely concerned and welcomed. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200324005 Launching ceremony of Sleemon's new series of anti-bacterial mattress on March 21 in Beijing (Photo: Business Wire) The latest anti-bacteria and self-cleaning mattress SLEEMON achieved the highest standard in the industry, which was closely related to the polymerization of two top technologies in the world and SLEEMON itself comprehensive innovation plan. In greater China market, SLEEMON obtained exclusive authorization of American DuPont Intellifresh technology. The two collaborated to develop Deepro anti-bacteria and anti-mite system, which combines silver ion (Ag +) with fiber organically to ensure the function of sterilization. For preventing mites, SLEEMON cooperated with Sanitized in the field of mite-controlling, which combined the original anti-mite sponge with Sanitized technology in order to make the mattress 360 degrees for anti-mite protection upgrade. Based on the above "dual core" technology, SLEEMON anti-bacteria mattress can meet the standards of resisting bacteria, removing peculiar smell and controlling mites at the same time. Behind this is the integration of global innovative technology application and production resources, which is not only the upgrading of products, but also a revolutionary development and progress of the whole industry. At present, China is the worlds No 1 mattress market for its mattress production and exports, according to CSIL Furniture Market Research. In 2017, Chinas mattress industry generated a total output value of more than $8.9 billion, accounting for 32 percent of global mattress output value. Innovative Chinese brand, including SLEEMON, produced influential health products and materials through technological innovation and cooperation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200324005 (Newser) A priest infected with the coronavirus was offered a ventilator at an Italian hospital earlier this month, but declined it so that a younger patient could use it instead. That priest has now died, USA Today reports. Don Giuseppe Berardelli, 72, had been the archpriest of the small northern town of Casnigo, near Milan, since 2006. Northern Italy has struggled with a shortage of the supplies needed to treat COVID-19 patients. The BBC reports at least 50 priests have reportedly been killed in the outbreak in Italy. story continues below "He was a priest who listened to everyone, he knew how to listen, whoever turned to him knew that he could count on his help," says the mayor of a town where Berardelli was previously a parish priest. Rev. James Martin compared Berardelli to Maximilian Kolbe, the Catholic saint who was killed during the Holocaust when he volunteered to take the place of a man condemned to die at Auschwitz. "Don Giuseppe Berardelli, patron of those who suffer from coronavirus and all who care for them, pray for us!" he tweeted. Berardelli did not know the man for whom he reportedly gave up the ventilator. (Read more coronavirus stories.) Turkey has promised to ensure the safety of the M4 highway and the expansion of the route that is patrolled by Russian and Turkish forces reports Sputnik. A senior Turkish officer has assured the Russian military that the area of Syrias M4 highway covered by their joint patrol will expand gradually. We will gradually expand the route, like we did it together in the area of Qamishli. We started small and gradually increased the length of the route. The main thing for us is to ensure security, that is why we will continue to cooperate. Our main goal is to bring peace to this land, Turkish Col. Ukay Sagir Oglu told Russian military police officers after the second patrol. On Monday, Russia and Turkey conducted the second joint patrol of the highway that connects Aleppo and Lattakia. The route was initially shortened for security reasons. The Russian military had previously stated that Turkey pledged to neutralize extremist groups and thereby ensure the security of patrols along the entire highway as soon as possible. Joint patrols along the strategically important M4 highway, which is currently controlled by militants, are conducted pursuant to a memorandum on a ceasefire in Idleb province agreed by the Russian and Turkish presidents during their talks in Moscow on Mar. 5, 2020. The first patrol was conducted on Mar. 15, 2020, and was similarly shortened due to provocations by militant groups not controlled by Ankara. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Boasting about his administration's response to the coronavirus crisis and arguing the outbreak would soon be under control President Donald Trump claimed that recent American efforts to test widely for COVID-19 surpass those of other countries. Weve done more tests in eight days than South Korea has done in eight weeks, Trump said during a March 24 virtual town hall hosted by Fox News, reiterating a statement made just moments before by Dr. Deborah Birx, the head of the White House coronavirus response. The statement was repeated during the White House briefing that evening. Trump doubled down the next day, tweeting that "over an eight day span, the United States now does more testing than what South Korea (which has been a very successful tester) does over an eight week span." Why the comparison with South Korea? South Korea has been heralded globally for its swift response to the pandemic, which appears to have slowed its rate of new infections. Meanwhile, a national shortage of tests has hamstrung American efforts, resulting in many people at risk being forced to delay testing until they are seriously ill. With that context, we were curious. Is the president's claim accurate? Has American testing been as robust as his statement indicates? We contacted the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but never heard back. But the numbers suggest his picture is inaccurate and, more important, missing crucial context to understanding the battle against COVID-19. The raw numbers South Korea publishes a daily report of how many tests it has performed. As of Tuesday, 348,582 people had been tested, and testing began in early February. About 9,000 of those people were confirmed to have the virus. (The 345,582 figure includes tests that were run but hadn't yet yielded results.) In the United States, it's harder to tell. The CDC doesn't put out updated, aggregated counts of tests performed in public and private labs which is important to note. Since the start of March, a large chunk of American-done tests have been conducted in commercial not government-run labs. Experts pointed us to a credible tally that suggests that, on the raw numbers, the president's stat is flawed. The COVID Tracking Project, a dataset managed and updated by volunteer journalists and scientists, estimates that, as of Tuesday, American labs had performed a total of about 359,000 tests for COVID-19. That tally comes from state and local health departments around the country, including testing done in both public and commercial labs. From March 15 through Tuesday, the United States conducted about 331,000 of those tests, per the tracker. The raw comparison, then, suggests that the United States' eight-day tally falls short of South Korea's eight-week tally. Out of curiosity, we looked at the March 23 data for South Korea as well. At that point, it had run 338,036 tests. So even if Trump was off by a day, the American figure falls short. And, experts reminded us, this raw-data comparison isn't that meaningful. If you want to compare data between the two countries, you need to look at the bigger picture. More effective comparisons Put simply, "raw numbers are not the best metric, given population size differences," said Jennifer Kates, a global health researcher at the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. (Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) That's because the United States is simply a much larger country than South Korea about 327 million people, compared with about 51.5 million. To account for that, researchers serious about comparing the nations' responses would adjust to per capita rates of testing. That shows the extent to which the number of tests performed gauges how many people are at risk of infection. "If a country has five people in it, of course they could only have five tests," said Dr. Robert Gallo, director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a co-discoverer of HIV. When you control for population, the American response compares poorly. Its tally of 359,000 tests per 327 million people works out to about 1,084 tests per million. South Korea has run closer to 6,768 tests per million. Put another way, South Korea's testing rate for coronavirus is more than six times that of the American rate. To catch up, Kates noted, American labs would need to perform 2.24 million more tests not an insurmountable task, but definitely a lift. It's not just the number of tests performed, either. Researchers have stressed repeatedly that the timing of when the tests were run is also a big part of the equation. Both nations reported their first cases on the same day, Jan. 20. In the entire month of February, American labs ran fewer than 1,000 coronavirus tests, per the volunteer COVID tracker. (Government health officials had begun sounding the alarm in January.) By Feb. 29, South Korea had completed more than 55,000 tests, with almost 30,000 awaiting confirmation, for a total of more than 80,000 tests performed. "For the assertion the U.S. has done more #COVID19 testing in the last 8 days than South Korea cumulatively, that doesnt mean anything," tweeted Dr. Eric Topol, a physician and researcher. "Nearly 0 tests were done for 2 months when they were desperately needed." What's needed now Many public health researchers say the U.S. is still not running enough diagnostics daily to meet demand arguing that, though there has been significant improvement, labs need to be doing about 150,000 tests per day. Right now, the COVID tracker suggests about 65,000 tests are being run per day. While that is a substantial increase from even a week ago, it's still well below the target number. Beyond testing, there's the question of what happened after results were confirmed. Patients infected, epidemiologists argue, should be targeted, caught early and quickly separated from other people. That's key to stopping the spread of the virus and something that still hasn't happened on a large scale. "South Korea followed up tests vigorously to support isolation and quarantine the steps needed to reduce spread," said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, vice dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. "The U.S. has a long ways to go to develop this critical capacity." Our ruling Trump claimed that the United States has "done more tests in eight days than South Korea has done in eight weeks." The CDC has not put out comprehensive data on this. But independent work on the subject suggests the comparison is flawed. In eight days, the United States performed almost as many tests as South Korea did in eight weeks, but not necessarily more. In addition, that statistic is relatively less important. The American rate of testing per capita is more than six times lower than South Korea's. It's certainly possible to catch up, but that hasn't happened yet. The president's statement frames the data in a way that is misleading and doesn't accurately represent the status of the American response to COVID-19. We rate it False. The First Minister and deputy First Minister have warned businesses in the construction and manufacturing sectors "we will shut you down" if they do not comply with social distancing guidance. Speaking at a joint press conference at Stormont, Arlene Foster said she and Michelle O'Neill have been contacted directly by families who are worried for the health of their loved ones having to go to work. "It is clear that some businesses and other sectors are operating without observing social distancing and best practice," said Mrs Foster. She appealed directly to those businesses to observe new guidance around social distancing. "You must facilitate social distancing in the workplace, you must provide your staff with the appropriate protective equipment. "If you don't get your act together on social distancing, the Executive will have no option but to enforce legislation against you. Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she continues to see men travelling to work in vans together, something she described as "unacceptable". Expand Close Magdalene Mitchell with her family. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Magdalene Mitchell with her family. "If you cannot make provision for safe working practices, you should not be operating. It's adding to the colossal burden on our health services," she said. "If you don't take action yourself, we will move in and shut you down." Meanwhile, Mrs Foster called for more former health workers to step forward to offer their services in the fight against the coronavirus. "If you are a former health service worker who has left the health service for whatever reason, we need you back. Your neighbour will need you back," she said. It comes as the Department of Health confirmed seven people have died as a result of the coronavirus outbreak in Northern Ireland. In its regular daily update officials said there was 37 new cases bringing the total to 209 of those that have been tested as of Wednesday, March 25. The family of a resident of a Belfast care was among the latest deaths, her family confirmed. She was 80-year-old Magdalene Mitchell. Radio Ulster's Nolan show reported that two residents in Bradley Manor, on Belfasts Crumlin Road, were admitted to hospital after taking sick. Frances Doherty told the programme her mother was one of the residents and she first heard she had a high temperature on Thursday. She said Magdalene had been suffering dementia. Read More She said her condition deteriorated on Friday and she was taken to hospital and placed in isolation. Ms Doherty said she was informed of her mother's death just after 6am on Wednesday morning. She said she did not know if they would be able to have a funeral. Here is how Wednesday unfolded: In the letter, sent on Tuesday March 24, the permanent secretary of the countrys transport authority, Misheck Lungu, suggests that the government suspend all cross-border traffic from March 27, with the exception of essential commodities such as food, fuel and health-related products.Lungu also suggests that cross-border passenger movements be curtailed and that selected airports be closed to reduce the number of people using local public transportation services.The recommendations were made after 12 coronavirus infections were confirmed in the country in south-central Africa.Zambian president Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu did not respond to the recommendations in his statement on Wednesday March 25, though he stressed that the government has devised a phased strategy, and that essential businesses dealing in goods and services would be kept running.But should the recommendations be accepted by the Zambian government, the lockdown of borders to non-essential cargoes will have a big impact on cobalt supplies from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), because Zambia provides a critical path into South Africa where cobalt hydroxide from the DRC is exported via the port city of Durban.Tanzania could be used as an alternative, however, with material being shipped out of Dar es Salaam, sources said.Earlier this week, the concerns over the cobalt supply chain were heightened by a two-day lockdown in the DRCs Haut Katanga province and a 21-day lockdown in South Africa , where bulk terminals will be closed to minerals shipments from midnight on March 26.However, Chinese cobalt consumers broadly downplayed any upward pressure the current disruption to transportation in Africa might have on cobalt raw materials prices in the short term due to faltering downstream demand from both the electric vehicle (EV) and consumer electronics sectors after the global impact of the 2019-nCoV pandemic became clearer this week.Fastmarkets cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, cif China , stood at 65-68% of Fastmarkets standard-grade cobalt price (low-end) on Wednesday March 18, down from 67-69.5% at the end of last month.The coronavirus hit both supply and demand, but the impact on the demand side is more formidable for now, a consumer told Fastmarkets.Editor's note: This story was updated at 14:15 on March 25 to include the latest coronavirus cases in Zambia and a statement by the country's president. As nursing homes deal with two outbreaks of Covid-19, Nursing Homes Ireland says the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, has not responded to numerous requests to meet it to discuss the health crisis. We view it as a failure by the minister that we have to keep endlessly pursuing him as this crisis escalates hour-by-hour, day-by-day, said Nursing Home Ireland chief executive, Tadhg Daly. Given the large cohort of people in the nursing home sector, it beggars belief that he (Mr Harris) has not even picked up the phone to ring us. We have sent at least five letters and emails over the last four weeks requesting engagement directly with Mr Harris but what we got is the standard civil service reply - that the matter was receiving attention." Issues of major concern include priority testing for Covid-19, staffing and the availability of personal protective equipment. Mr Daly said there is a lack of consistency being applied by the HSE at local level in facilitating access to equipment. It is astonishing we are now well into a health crisis of a magnitude never presented before and the Minister for Health and his government have not engaged with a sector providing care to thousands of the most vulnerable people. When asked for a response, a spokesperson for the minister said he would meet with Nursing Home Ireland but did not elaborate further. Minister Harris is aware his department and the HSE are engaging with Nursing Home Ireland on a regular basis on the issues facing the nursing home industry during Covid-19. "The minister will meet with Nursing Home Ireland," the spokesperson said. Nursing homes are coping very well and trying to maintain a sense of normality as much as possible but the situation is very challenging, Mr Daly said. "Members would be well used to dealing with enhanced infection control around the winter vomiting bug and seasonal flu but this is completely unchartered territory. Failure to appropriately engage and support our sector will actually diminish the capacity of our health services and increase pressures upon acute hospitals. LUCKNOW With Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath presiding over the early morning ceremony, Ram Lallas idol was moved to a pre-fabricated, temporary temple within the Ram Janmabhoomi premises in Ayodhya on Wednesday morning. The idol of Ram Lalla, the presiding deity of the Ram Janmabhoomi, had been in the makeshift temple since December 6, 1992. The ceremony, held on the first day of the nine-day-long Navratra, was organised by the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust. Only priests and Trust members were present at the event; no locals or media persons were allowed. Priests from New Delhi, Varanasi and Ayodhya performed Vedic rituals which began on March 23 and continued till the shifting of the deity took place at 4.30 am on Wednesday. Prominent among those present on the occasion were the general secretary of the Trust, Champat Rai, its members, including Mahant Dhinendra Das, Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra and Anil Mishra. Additional chief secretary (home) Awanish Awasthi, who is the state governments representative in the Trust and district magistrate of Ayodhya Anuj Jha (ex-officio member of the Trust) were also present. Chairman of the Trust Mahant Nritya Gopal Das was represented by his heir Mahant Kamal Nayan Das. Meanwhile, questions are being raised over holding of the ceremony despite the 21-day lockdown, beginning the same day, to contain the spread of Covid-19. Ramesh Dixit, former professor, political science department, Lucknow University, said, When there is a nationwide lockdown and the Prime Minister has appealed for us to remain indoors, the ceremony should have been postponed. The chief minister should have set an example by postponing the ceremony, he added. Social activist Nutan Thakur, tweeted to Prime Minister and Union home minister Amit Shah, seeking action against the CM for attending the ceremony. However, justifying why the ceremony was held, Trust general secretary Champat Rai said, The ceremony was organised by the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust. It was decided to shift Ram Lalla on the first day of Navratra, on March 25. Only members of the Trust and priests were allowed to attend the ceremony. Around 15 lakh devotees were expected to arrive in Ayodhya during the nine-day Navratri staring March 25 and for Ram Navami Mela on April 2, the last day of Navratri. However, the administration cancelled all the Navratri celebrations, including the mela.. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two fresh cases of COVID-19, including a three-year-old boy, have been reported in Telangana, taking the total number of people infected with the virus in the state to 41, according to a government bulletin on Wednesday. The other case is a 43-year-old woman from Hyderabad city who is "the family/primary contact of a previous positive case", it said. The woman "does not have any history of international travel. She is presently admitted and stable. She is a contact of another patient in Telangana," the bulletin said. The child, who has a travel history to Saudi Arabia, had also been admitted to a hospital and was in a stable condition, it said. Late on Tuesday night, three people, including two women, had tested positive for COVID-19. None of the three had any foreign travel history but came in contact with previous positive cases, a government bulletin had said. With the two fresh cases on Wednesday, the total number of positive cases in the state has risen to 41, including one person who has been discharged after recovery, the government bulletin said. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said the lockdown was being successfully implemented all over the state and instructed officials to ensure that it remained so in the days to come. The state health officials said containment process has been initiated in places where the latest confirmed cases have been detected. State Health Minister E Rajender held a meeting with officials on the measures taken to check the spread of coronavirus. Meanwhile, ruling TRS public representatives, including ministers, have pledged to contribute Rs 500 crore from various sources such as their salaries and constituency development funds to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the ongoing fight against coronavirus, an official statement said. The chief minister appreciated the gesture of his party representatives, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An investigation has been launched after a farmer was attacked after asking Peak District walker to go home during the coronavirus lockdown (David Jones/PA) An investigation has been launched after a farmer was allegedly punched 15 times and kicked in the ribs when he asked a Peak District walker to "go home" during the coronavirus lockdown. Derbyshire Police said the victim, from Edale, was "left shaken and bruised" after he was assaulted while disinfecting his gates at around 9.45am on Sunday due to the "hundreds of people" walking past. The force has asked all those considering a trip to the Peak District in the warm weather to stay at home - adding: "While we have this fantastic space in our county, right now is not the time to be using it". A message posted on Facebook on behalf of the farmer read: "I am a farmer in Edale I went out at 9 am to feed my sheep on the side of the footpath, I was spraying the gate handles with disinfectant due to the hundreds of people that went through them yesterday. "I got a very funny look of a man walking and said to him there are too many people here will you please just go home! "I have just had to phone the police as my thanks was to be punched about 15 times then kicked in the ribs as I hit the floor. What a lovely day! The perfect day to drive up into the #PeakDistrict for a walk, bike ride, climb or horse ride, isnt it? No, actually it isnt. pic.twitter.com/sNkgD2qSa3 Derbyshire Police (@DerbysPolice) March 25, 2020 "Please, please, please, leave us alone." Addressing the incident, Derbyshire Police said in a statement: "We were called at about 9.45am yesterday following a report of an assault on a farmer who was disinfecting gates due to the number of walkers passing through over the weekend. "The victim was left shaken and bruised but did not suffer any serious, life-threatening or altering injuries. "The offender was white, aged about 40, with fair hair and glasses. He wore standard walking gear, a hat and a 'snood'." A note left by a local on a car parked in the Peak District (Bakewell Police/PA) Speaking about those travelling to the Peak District in the warm weather, the force tweeted: "What a lovely day! The perfect day to drive up into the #PeakDistrict for a walk, bike ride, climb or horse ride, isn't it? No, actually it isn't. "We're seeing a lot of confusion over whether people are allowed to travel to the Peaks to undertake daily exercise while the Government are asking us to stay at home. "While we have this fantastic space in our county, right now is not the time to be using it. "Daily exercise should be taken locally to your home. Under government guidance all travel is limited to essential travel only. "This is to help ensure that our emergency services aren't put under even more pressure during this time. "Should you trip, fall or have a road traffic accident while you are travelling to, or are out in the Peaks, then this will add additional pressure to an already stretched service." Police have asked anyone with information about the assault to contact them via their website, Facebook or Twitter, and quote crime ref 20*157808. The Haryana government has decided to release convicted prisoners with up to seven years of sentences and undertrials ones liable to get as long jail terms on conviction, on parole or bail, in order to decongest prisons, state Jail Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala said on Wednesday. For the convicted prisoners to be released on parole, they have to have a track record of good behaviour in jail and should not be facing trial in other cases, said Chautala, adding the undertrial prisoners too should have displayed good behaviour, the minister added. The decision has been taken in accordance with the Supreme Court's directive to decongest crowded prisons to stop them from becoming fertile grounds for the spread of coronavirus, he said. The prisoners would be released subjected to the grant of the bail or parole for a period of 45 to 60 days by courts, he said. Prisoners already on parole or furlough will also get a four-week special parole, he said. Similarly, prisoners who have returned to jail after only one parole or furlough on time and not violated any rule during such parole or furlough will also be given six- week special parole, the minister said. As per a Haryana government statement here, Chautala said that inmates who are over 65 years of age and are involved in more than one cases but are not convicted for cases of rape, POCSO Act, NDPS Act, or for acid attacks and enjoy good behaviour, will also be given six-week parole. Foreign prisoners, however, are not included in this, he added. He said that inmates whose sentence is not longer than seven years and no other case is pending in the court and who owe no penalty will also be given six to eight weeks of special parole based on their good behaviour. Those convicted in cases like drug, rape, acid attack, however, will not get this benefit, he said. The Supreme Court had on Monday directed all states and Union Territories to constitute high-level committees to consider releasing prisoners and undertrials on parole or interim bail for offences entailing up to seven-year jail term to decongest prisons in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. The top court said overcrowding of prisons is a matter of serious concern, particularly in the present context of coronavirus (COVID-19). The jail minister, as per the statement, further said the cases of prisoners, whose parole or furloughs cases are already pending with the district collector or divisional collector will be shown leniency and will be disposed of soon. It will also be ensured that in such pending cases, a decision is taken within three to six days, he added. He also said that inmates with good behaviour in the jail will be given special remission of sentences for two months by the prison director general and for one month by jail superintendent according to their merit as per the provision of the Punjab Jail Manual. This remission will not be granted to prisoners who have been convicted in serious crimes, he added. He said every possible step is being taken by the department in view of the coronavirus pandemic and it is being ensured that the health of the prisoners in jail is taken care of. He said as per the directions of the Supreme Court, major decisions have been taken on humanitarian grounds for prisoners and detainees so as to reduce the pressure of prisoners in jails. Also, if any situation warrants that arrests are made by the administration as a precautionary law and order measure (those who may defy lockdown orders) then there is sufficient place for them in the jails. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 17:40 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d5e8f0 1 National Jokowi Free President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's mother, Sujiatmi Notomiharjo, has passed away in Surakarta, Central Java. She was 77. Deputy Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Budi Arie Setiadi confirmed the news through a text received by The Jakarta Post. "The President's mother passed away in Surakarta at 4:45 p.m. [on Wednesday]," Budi said on Wednesday. Presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rachman confirmed the death. "I have received the news from State Secretary Pratikno," Fadjroel said. President Jokowi departed from Jakarta and arrived in Surakarta at 5:52 p.m. on Wednesday, the Presidential Palace press bureau said in a statement. At the time of the writing, Jokowi had yet to issue a statement on the matter, including on the cause of death. (afr) Editor's note: This article has been updated with Sujiatmi's age and a statement from the Presidential Palace. Topics : Jokowi Northern Ireland should prepare to be in lockdown this summer, a top virologist has warned. Dr Connor Bamford, a research fellow at Queen's University, Belfast stressed that if everyone follows Government guidelines to stay at home, there could be a significant reduction in the number of Covid-19 cases here. His plea comes as a fourth coronavirus death in Northern Ireland - Ruth Burke (82) - was announced today. The development came after Boris Johnson ordered people on Monday to remain at home except for shopping for basic necessities, exercise once a day, any medical need, and travelling to and from essential work. Shops selling non-essential items were told to shut and gatherings in public of more than two people who do not live together are also banned. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd announced that PSNI officers would exercise new enforcement powers to take action against those who flout the lockdown. "We are fully behind the new measures announced by the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive to increase social distancing, and I urge everyone to adhere to them," he said. "The new legislation is expected imminently and we will carefully consider the implications this will have on allowing us to act in support of public health officials. I would remind everyone these measures have been introduced to save lives during this global emergency. "Until the new legislation is in place, we will be increasing police patrols in key areas across Northern Ireland to engage with and provide guidance to anyone who contravenes the measures." Dr Bamford also urged the public not to ignore the lockdown measures, which are in place for three weeks, although First Minister Arlene Foster has warned she expected this to be for a longer period of time. He described the lockdown measures as "sensible". "Hopefully we will see that this stops the spread but we won't be able to tell for quite a while," Dr Bamford explained. "In two or three weeks we'll be able to see its impact." He said that households remaining indoors could play a significant role in reducing the number of infections. "If we don't do anything, everyone will probably get infected at some point in the next few months, or years," said Dr Bamford. "So essentially if everyone stays locked in you could get a serious amount of reduction. At least 10-fold, if not 100-fold, but only if everybody does this. "Everyone's still susceptible, the virus is still out there. "I can see this (the lockdown) going on for months. "Or at least, in some predictions, you can have an intense period of lockdown now, then relieve it, and then lockdown again. "But it depends on how people take to that. Certainly the summer will be dominated by a severe lockdown or an on-off situation." He also warned the UK remains on the same trajectory as Italy, "at least in terms of numbers", although Northern Ireland is behind the "curve" compared to the other regions. "It's only going to get worse because of the virus' spread but because we're on the slower end we might have a bigger benefit on these lockdowns. "In London there might be a lesser benefit because it's already quite ahead," he said. The Czech Republic has closed its borders to travellers from 15 nations, including the UK, amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Andrej Babis declared a 30-day state of emergency, with foreign nationals travelling from Germany, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Norway, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, China, South Korea, Iran and the UK all banned from entering the country. Czech citizens have also been barred from entering the above nations. Although the ban is set to come into effect at 11pm GMT on Friday 13 March, according to Reuters, The Independent has already received reports of British travellers return flights from Prague back to Gatwick being cancelled. One passenger told The Independent: Weve heard nothing from easyJet or the airport we only knew this was happening because a friend of ours lives in the Czech Republic and saw a press conference saying we were banned. We didnt want to risk getting stuck there, so we turned back on our way to Gatwick. We still cant get hold of the airline or our travel insurance provider, so we dont know where we stand. An easyJet spokesperson told The Independent: Following a Czech Government travel update, easyJet has been advised that from today citizens from fifteen countries, including the UK, who dont have a residency permit will not be permitted to enter the Czech Republic. Currently easyJets flying programme to and from Czech Republic remains unaffected however we would advise customers from the listed countries not to travel as they will not be permitted entry. We have advised all affected passengers of their alternative options by email and SMS. easyJet complies with guidance from relevant authorities. International public transport vehicles with more than nine seats will also be banned from crossing the Czech border. Within the Czech Republic, special measures will be taken, including the closure of sport centres, spas and galleries; the cancellation of all public events of more than 30 people; and the implementation of 8pm curfews on restaurants It is clear there will be economic impacts. But now we have to do everything for the virus not to spread, to avoid having it here without control, said the Prime Minister. If we see the measures do not have sufficient effect, we will take more. Foreigners with permanent Czech residency and cross-border workers will be exempt from the ban. The Foreign Office says: On 12 March, the Czech government declared a 30-day State of Emergency in response. From midnight 13 March, (between Friday 13 March and Saturday 14 March), citizens from fifteen countries, including the UK, will not be permitted to enter the Czech Republic. Exceptions to this rule are UK citizens with permanent or temporary residency. As further information becomes available, we will add more details. At the time of writing, the Czech Republic has 96 confirmed cases of Covid-19. It follows President Trumps announcement that foreign nationals from the Schengen countries in Europe will be barred from entering the US for the next 30 days. The ban does not apply to legal permanent US residents, or to those travelling from the UK and Ireland. A tug boat was caught on camera trying to lift spirits as it sailed down the River Thames. The footage of the vessel was recorded along the North Greenwich Peninsula, London, yesterday morning. It blasted out Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, which was featured in the final scene of Monty Python's Life of Brian film. The cheering footage was recorded along the North Greenwich Peninsula, London, yesterday morning The track can be heard reverberating over the tannoy as the woman behind the camera begins to hum along in tune In the clip, the small boat sails into shot from the right-hand side of the screen. The track can be heard reverberating over the tannoy as the woman behind the camera begins to hum along in tune. Crowds watching on begin to cheer and whistle as the boat continues on its journey. Crowds watching on begin to cheer and whistle as the boat continues on its journey The moment was later shared on Twitter by @GreenwichDiary alongside the caption: 'Here's the famous police boat cheering #Greenwich up this morning with Always look on the bright side of life - THANK YOU!' And it has since been praised by social media users. One, @matthHolmes, wrote: 'Yes that's awesome, good on ya!' Another, @MalyndaAC, commented: 'That's good stuff. Be safe out there!' And a third, @sarahcairn, added: 'Brilliant... Good old watermen.' MIDDLETOWN To help lead the distribution of 185,000 book donations made by a Greenwhich couple to school districts across the state, Gov. Lamont and state Department of Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona created the Governors COVID-19 Learn from Home Task Force, which will consist of several superintendents from across the state, including Middletown. A second philanthropic donor stepped forward Tuesday to help Connecticuts school districts particularly those that are under-resourced employ remote learning methods as classes remain canceled statewide for an extended period due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release issued by Gov. Ned Lamont. Indra and Raj Nooyi plan to make a donation of high-quality, take-home books from Scholastic that will provide reading and writing instruction to more than nearly 200,000 prekindergarten to eighth-grade students while learning from home. The task force, which includs Middletown Superintendent of Schools Michael Conner, also comprises schools chiefs Paul Freeman (Guilford) and Nate Quesnel (East Hartford), who will serve as co-chairs; and Melony Brady Shanley (Winchester), Verna Ruffin (Waterbury), and Iline Tracy (New Haven), members; alongside Nick Simmons, manager of strategic initiatives in the Office of the Governor, as well as Desi Nesmith, deputy commissioner of the state education office, the release said. The group will be responsible for coordinating superintendents of districts that opt in for the donations to ensure a safe and efficient distribution process of these critical learning materials to districts and families across the state. Students in prekindergarten through the third grade will receive four books each plus a family resource guide, the governor said. Students from fourth through eighth grades will receive three books per student and a family resource guide. The books are aligned with Connecticut state learning standards, and parents are encouraged to work with students at home to complete these exercises. Students will be able to keep the books indefinitely. The donation is the second in as many days. On Monday, the Partnership for Connecticut, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Connecticuts disengaged and disconnected youth and young adults access education and career opportunities, announced that it plans to donate up to 60,000 laptops to students from some of the states most under-resources high schools. The laptops will be targeted toward the states 33 Alliance Districts that serve significant populations of high school students who are eligible for free or reduce-price meals. On February 28, the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) fired 82 teaching assistants for demanding higher pay to afford the areas high cost of living. In December, after months of back and forth with the university administration, about 200 teaching assistants went on a wildcat strike a strike not officially supported by their union and announced that they would withhold the fall quarter grades of undergraduate students until a living cost adjustment of $1,412 was made to their wages. In response, the university extended the deadline to submit the grades and encouraged the workers to end their strike immediately. When the workers refused to budge, it proposed a need-based housing allowance worth $2,500 per year, which translates to a meagre $200 increase in monthly wages. When the workers also refused this offer, the university unilaterally terminated the contracts of 54 teaching assistants who had already received spring appointments and told 28 others that they will no longer be considered for contract renewal. The decision by the university left dozens of already struggling teaching assistants unable to pay rent or buy food amid a global pandemic. Several foreign workers whose visas are sponsored by the university, meanwhile, are now facing the risk of deportation. Teaching assistants working across University of California campuses, however, are unwilling to back down. More teaching assistants vowed to withhold winter grades and more than 500 graduate students pledged not to accept positions made available by the firing of their colleagues. While the ongoing strike action is undoubtedly tied to the local housing crisis, it is also a symptom of a more fundamental, nationwide problem: the systematic exploitation of teaching assistants by academic institutions. The vicious cycle of exploitation Denying graduate students basic labour rights is a long-running tradition in American universities. This systematic exploitation is made possible by the over-supply of PhD candidates in the academic market. Research shows that in terms of future salary or employment, there is only a small additional incentive (or premium) for an individual to pursue a PhD instead of a less labour and cost-intensive masters degree. While a PhD degree is a basic requirement for a career in academia, the academic market does not create enough additional jobs to accommodate the high number of PhD degrees awarded every year. This leaves many PhD holders and candidates unable to find jobs in their chosen fields. Despite this well-established fact, however, thousands of young idealists continue to pursue PhDs every year, believing that a doctoral degree would afford them a respected position in society, that it would give them an opportunity to contribute to global scientific knowledge and that the academic market would eventually value their specialised knowledge. The universities, meanwhile, despite being well aware of the over-saturation of the market, continue to accept high numbers of PhD candidates in a bid to use them as cheap labour to generate higher research and teaching outputs. Upon admission to a graduate programme, most PhD candidates are employed as teaching assistants. As part of this job, they provide multiple hours of in-class instruction to undergraduates, hold weekly office hours, grade assignments and exams, make rubrics and answer keys for weekly assignments. Their duties vary across universities and programmes, but almost all teaching assistants perform most aspects of instructional labour related to undergraduate education. They do not deliver lectures, as these are the responsibility of professors. Even then, the hours of instruction by teaching assistants often exceed the hours of lecture by professors. Most teaching assistants are made to sign fixed-hours contracts that limit their working time to 20 hours a week, but their workload often exceeds this limit. These contracts are supposedly designed to protect teaching assistants from exploitation and ensure that they have enough time each week to focus on their own studies. However, they are used by university administrations simply to keep the weekly wages low. Beyond contributing directly to the education of undergraduate students, teaching assistants also significantly increase the research outputs of the universities they work for. First, by providing in-class instruction, holding office hours and grading papers, the teaching assistants allow the professors to find the time to focus on their own research and indirectly increase the universitys research output. Second, they conduct their own research under the direction of their professors. While their well-established advisers sometimes list themselves as first author in the resulting research papers, PhD candidates often singlehandedly do the necessary work to bring these projects to fruition by spending relentless hours in labs conducting experiments, setting up surveys and interviews, and collecting data. None of these significant contributions, however, seem to be enough for teaching assistants to be recognised as labourers in the US. While the public universities have acknowledged their right to unionise and bargain for wages, some of the private ones are stillfighting to prevent teaching assistants from acquiring even this basic right. In fact, under the Trump administration, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), attempted to ban the right to organise altogether, through a force of federal law. Meanwhile, almost all academic institutions in the US try to legitimise their refusal to pay their teaching assistants living wages by claiming that these students also receive intangible payments in the form of tuition waivers. For example, according to a report published by the Washington Post in 1996, Robert Arnold, the then vice provost at Ohio State University, argued that the salary of teaching assistants was equivalent to assistant professors when their tuition waivers were accounted for. This argument is flawed in its core, as graduate students neither receive any in-class tuition nor enrol in courses beyond the first couple of years of their PhD life. For the rest of their time as PhD candidates (varying from three to five years), they typically only receive supervision on research, in most cases from the chair of their thesis/dissertation committee. This invisible so-called payment, made in the form of tuition waivers, can be added to the reasons why higher education in the US resembles a pyramid or Ponzi scheme. Nevertheless, academic institutions are still adamant that they are paying their teaching assistants by cancelling the fees for tuition they never receive. This argument is so convincing for many that the Trump administration recently proposed to tax such tuition waivers. Had that proposal been approved, thousands of graduate students all across the US would have paid out of pocket taxes for money that they had never seen in their bank accounts. While that bullet was dodged, the insecurities generated by the move prevail. In the US, the functioning of the academic market is dependent on the exploitation of PhD candidates. It is a vicious cycle. Universities accept a high number of undergraduates to generate higher revenue from tuition fees, then employ a high number of PhD candidates, who they pay next to nothing, to teach these undergraduates. This allows them to increase their teaching productivity, research output and rankings without much effort and investment, and in turn, receive more undergraduate applications. While this exploitative system affects all PhD candidates, it harms international students, who account for more than half of the US PhD population, the most. First, despite not receiving living wages as teaching assistants, international students are not allowed to earn a supplemental income by working other jobs because of visa restrictions. Second, for the same reasons, the universities know that international PhD candidates are less likely to protest against the poor wages that are on offer. If terminated, for whatever reason, they end up facing the risk of deportation. Changing times While the exploitation of PhD candidates continues at pace across the United States, this massive but unrecognised labour force is now fighting back. In the past two years, be it at the eminent private universities like Harvard or Columbia, or at celebrated public university systems such as California or Texas, teaching and research assistants have taken to the streets in huge numbers with demands ranging from the right to unionisation to a living wage. Despite the mass firings, the teaching assistants of the University of California, Santa Cruz are still determined to continue their fight for a living wage. The sheer rate at which such protests have spread in the past few years should in itself compel the universities to break the vicious cycle of exploitation and start appreciating the workers that help these institutions function and prosper. Otherwise, the revolt of the academic subalterns may soon cause the Empire of Mind that is the US academia to crumble. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 15:38:49|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti warned on Tuesday that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic was still to come and local residents should prepare for more loss of life. Garcetti noted at the daily press conference that the city could see a situation similar to the outbreak in New York City in the coming six to 12 days, saying, "The peak is not here yet. The peak will be bad. People will lose their lives." He urged people to follow the city's "Safer at Home" emergency order, which requires local residents to stay in their residences in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We're all safer at home, and that's not a suggestion. It is the law," said Garcetti, "refusing to follow it isn't brave or funny. It's stupid and could wind up killing you or someone else. " Garcetti also urged nonessential businesses to comply with orders to close, saying those businesses violating the rules would face misdemeanor penalties, citations, fines and the possibility of the city Department of Water and Power shutting off utility service. He shrugged off the idea that restrictions might be eased quickly, saying that local residents should be "prepared for a couple months like this." "I know we're all anxious to return to our routines, to see the people we love and visit the places that make this city home. But please take this health pandemic seriously, stay home and practice physical distancing. Every single choice you make could save a life or risk one," he tweeted. Meanwhile, according to California Governor Gavin Newsom, the hospital ship USNS Mercy is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Los Angeles this weekend to aid coronavirus response. The ship, carrying more than 800 Navy medical personnel and support staff, will serve as a "referral hospital" to treat non-COVID-19 patients. Cho Ju-bin, a suspect who allegedly blackmailed women and minors to make sexually abusive videos and sold them, has his face go public outside Jongno Police Office in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul By Kim Se-jeong Cho Ju-bin, 24, who allegedly blackmailed minors and women to create sexually abusive videos and distributed the material in secret chat rooms on Telegram, appeared in front of the press Wednesday, outside Jongno Police Station in Seoul. "Thank you for putting a brake on the life of a devil that couldn't be stopped," he said unapologetically, drawing outrage from women's rights group activists and other citizens who were watching him speak outside the station. "You're a murderer," said an online commenter. "From the chat room to prison," said another, adding, "Find all men who watched the videos and prosecute them." Cho was wearing a neck brace and had a Band-Aid on his forehead. Earlier, police said he had attempted to injure himself, claiming he was innocent. During his statement to the press, he mentioned the name of prominent journalist and CEO of JTBC, Sohn Seok-hee, along with the names of two other men, offering his apologies to them. Their connection with Cho was not immediately made clear, but police said the three had nothing to do with the sexually abusive videos. The suspect didn't answer questions from journalists as he got into a vehicle that took him to the Seoul Central Prosecutor's Office. Former Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Prashant Kishor criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for abandoning poor people from Bihar stuck in Delhi and other states during the nationwide coronavirus lockdown. In a tweet, Kishor said that governments all over the world were trying to bring people back to home but Bihar residents were stranded because of him. "Hundreds of poor people of Bihar in Delhi and other places are locked down, trapped because of Nitish Kumarji. When governments all over are helping their people, why is the Bihar government not helping these people or arranging some immediate relief?" Prashant Kishor tweeted. Last week four trains left Mumbai-Pune region filled with people travelling back to Bihar. Yesterday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown, many day labourers are reportedly stranded in big cities, struggling to return to their home states. Dear @NitishKumar ji, Kindly communicate with Delhi Govt or @HMOIndia to make immediate arrangement for this innocent guy. Likewise, setup a centralized helpline for all those who are stranded outside Bihar& liaise with respective govts to make arrangements for their stay & food. https://t.co/FWxrIoEvns Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) March 24, 2020 Kishor earlier today criticised Modi saying that the quarantine period could have been much shorter if he had taken steps earlier on. India has reported more than 512 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 9 deaths. Also Read: Coronavirus blues: Who and how many are vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic Also Read: Coronavirus: PM urges people to not crowd at shops during lockdown bb wrote: Hi There and welcome to GMAT Club and congrats on your admits! Moving your topic into a better and correct place. Question #1 - can you realistically get funding for McDonough? Question #2 - Are you international? Neither offers stem options at the moment In general, neither school has strong product management recruiting but things are changing supposedly with 1) tech companies going out to lower-ranked schools in search for less competitive talent but for less competitive jobs and 2) economy does not seem to have a direction with the latest flare up of the virus. Hopefully it will go back to normal as quickly as it fell apart but i ain't got a crystal ball. My feel is that Smith is a better offer at this time just based on raw numbers. Looks like it is $56K for tuition and you can't go wrong with a free MBA. Thank you so much, BB. First of all, I would like to mention my background as well as the suggestions I was given by the Alumni of both the schools and several other T15 schools.1. I worked as a Product Manager for 6 Years at an Indian startup and I would like to pursue my MBA and move into Product roles at F500 companies like Amazon and Google, in the US.2. In terms of funding my education, I was planning on taking a student loan from to cover 80% COA at both McDonough and Smith. I agree with you on the funding I've received from Smith. The additional perks I'll be getting at Smith will make an MBA basically free for me.3. However, I was suggested by many Alumni that recruiting in the US is all about networking and that at McDonough, I'll have a greater chance to network for my job, given the large Alumni base and brand recognition McDonough has all over the US. On the other hand, Smith has a very small alumni network and lower brand recognition when compared to McDonough. (Both these colleges are in the DMV area, where most of the recruitment is with federal businesses, and as an international student I'll have to look for avenues outside DMV area)4. McDonough is rumored to have a STEM program by the end of the year (I was told that the STEM application is in its final stage) and Smith is offering me a STEM certification with the Business Analytics Dual Degree.5. Finally, I read that 60% of Smith's class find jobs within 1 month of graduation and that only 80% were able to find jobs within 3 months (not to mention the dearth in on-campus recruitment). On the other hand, 95% of McDonough class are able to land a job within 1 month and 98% within the next 3 months.All these factors have confused me whether to take a safer route by going with Smith or invest in a better program like McDonough. Also, I am confused about several things for which I hope you would help me find a solution:1. How important is brand value in the recruiting process?2. How much value/network does Smith have in Tech industry?3. Is it worth to invest $200,000 for an MBA from McDonough? (In terms of ROI) The Beach Boys have moved a local concert date to September in response to the continuing coronavirus crisis. Originally scheduled to play the Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, CT on March 29 at 3 p.m. , the group will now play a 7:30 p.m. show at the venue on Sept. 18. (Americas Band" also has shows in Rutland VT, on Sept. 16 and Portland, Maine, on Sept. 17.) Previously purchased tickets will be honored for the upcoming date. A March 31 date at the Hanover Theater in Worcester has not yet been rescheduled. The Beach Boys have sold over 100 million records worldwide and have received more than 33 RIAA Platinum and Gold record awards. The Rock And Roll Hall of Famers where also honored at the 2001 Grammy Awards with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Shop for concert tickets here: StubHub, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster Toyota Motor and Japanese telecom giant NTT are forming a capital tie-up to advance developments toward a so-called "smart city." The project is expected to incorporate the latest artificial intelligence and environmental technologies. Sources tell NHK that the two companies will take nearly 2 billion dollars of each other's shares. The two companies will hold a news conference later today. The tie-up would combine Toyota's next-generation auto technologies, like self-driving, with NTT's expertise in communications infrastructure. The two firms will team up on a wide range of mobile services. The project is expected to move beyond 5G network connectivity, into the world of 6G. Automakers have been in an intense global race for advanced technologies, known as "CASE." This refers to "connected, autonomous, shared, and electric." In the telecom field, competition has also been fierce over services that can instantly deliver massive amounts of data. With this tie-up, the two industry leaders appear to be aiming for a leading global role in developing eco-friendly cities. GREENWICH Following discussions with first responders, the state Department of Transportation is making tweaks to a bridge replacement on Route 29 over Batten Kill. The plan allows the Middle Falls Fire Department and the Easton-Greenwich Rescue Squad access to a traffic-control system. They can now change the alternating one-way signal to an all-red status, allowing department vehicles to safely cross. Around a thousand foreign nationals were evacuated on five special flights from Delhi amid the coronavirus outbreak that has led to suspension of flights and a three-week countrywide lockdown. Officials said over 150 Japanese nationals were evacuated on a special flight that flew in from Tokyo. Four other flights flew 500 people to Germany, 120 to Ukraine and 240 to two Baltic nations. Officials said two more special flights to Frankfurt (Germany) and Austria were scheduled from the Delhi airport on Thursday to evacuate 750 people mostly Germans. Since one of the three runways at the Delhi airport is being used to park grounded aircraft, another is kept clear to cater to such special flights that are scheduled over the next few days, said an official, who did not wish to be named. President Donald Trump fired off a sarcastic tweet Wednesday responding to the news that Sen. Mitt Romney had tested negative for the coronavirus, saying he was so happy he can 'barely speak.' The tweet made light of Romney, who voted to convict Trump on an impeachment article, as the disease ravages the nation, topping 50,000 cases with a majority of cases in Trump's former home state of New York and no sign of a slow-down. 'This is really great news! I am so happy I can barely speak. He may have been a terrible presidential candidate and an even worse U.S. Senator, but he is a RINO, and I like him a lot!' Trump wrote, retweeting a story about Romney's test results from the conservative Breitbart news site. RINO stands for 'Republican In Name Only,' and is sometimes used to deride those stray from conservative positions. President Trump wrote that 'I am so happy I can barely speak' at Mitt Romney's negative diagnosis, in a message where he also as a 'terrible' presidential candidate and senator Romney was the lone Republican to vote in February to convict Trump of abuse of power during impeachment for his dealings with Ukraine. 'Attempting to corrupt an election to maintain power is about as egregious an assault on the Constitution as can be made,' Romney said at the time, infuriating the president and his son Donald Trump Jr. Trump's statement that he likes Romney 'a lot' came on a morning when he also said he likes New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has clashed with Trump over ventilators to treat coronavirus patients and is demanding thousands more than the administration has provided. Romney announced his negative results of his test on Twitter from isolation in his Utah home. Trump tweeted about Romney's test results Wednesday morning Romney earlier hired a private jet to fly him to his home state after learning he had been exposed to Sen. Rand Paul, who tested positive for the coronavirus. He said he will be observing a two week quarantine despite his negative test results. 'Thankfully Ive tested negative for COVID-19. Nevertheless, guidance from my physician, consistent with the CDC guidelines, requires me to remain in quarantine as the test does not rule out the onset of symptoms during the 14-day period,' Romney wrote. Romney, a multi-millionaire former presidential candidate, gave a ride to to fellow Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who also had been exposed to Paul, who announced the results of his test on Sunday. 'If I were to get COVID-19 or if Mike were to get it, we would certainly want to be in a place where we have our own physicians and our own hospital,' Romney told the Salt Lake Tribune. 'If I'm in Washington, D.C., I don't have a relationship with physicians there. And I don't even know which hospital you go to,' he explained. Republican Senator from Utah Mitt Romney flew home to Utah on a private jet after being exposed to Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who tested positive for the coronavirus Romney will remain in isolation for 14-days despite the good news on his test Both senators wore in-demand specialized N95 masks on the journey, and remained six feet apart, Romney said. The pilot was informed was informed about the exposure. Romney spoke from his Utah home. His wife Ann, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, has been staying elsewhere to avoid infection. The Senate GOP majority has dropped to 48 votes due to virus-related quarantines, even as the chamber moved ahead with a $2 trillion coronavirus bailout package. 'It's very frustrating not to be there in the room where it happens, as they say,' Romney told the paper. 'But I am doing my best to influence thinking and action, particularly on the Democratic side of the aisle.' Romney wore a specialized N95 gas mask en route. He was accompanied by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah Romney was joined by Republican Senator from Utah Mike Lee on the private plane back to Utah U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) announced Sunday he tested positive for the coronavirus. He reportedly used the Senate gym that day The senators were dealing with the impact of the virus as Americans around the country were contending with the outbreak Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., right, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., left, have lunch at a Republican policy lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, March 20, 2020. Paul tested positive for the coronavirus Romney has family nearby who have been assisting him during his recommended 14-day quarantine. He said his daughter-in-law brought brought him food and his son Josh did a Costco run for him. Paul has come under fire for attending a Senate luncheon and mingling with colleagues while awaiting the results of his in-demand test. He said he did not experience symptoms and got the test due to undergoing travel and a past injury to his lung. Britain's last remaining Second World War veterans are calling on young people to do their duty to their country by staying on the sofa amid the coronavirus crisis. Harry Fenn, 95, of Jersey, was just 19 when he landed on the Normandy beaches as a Royal Navy medic on June 6 1944. The D-Day veteran published a video on Facebook urging the public to follow the Government's advice after the UK death toll jumped by more than 80 to 422 yesterday. He said: 'In 1944, I served my country and did my duty. Now it's your duty to sit on the couch. Please save lives. It's as simple as that.' Not only was Mr Fenn in the thick of the action on D-Day, he also survived the bombing of Portsmouth, where his family lived after being evacuated from Jersey in June 1940. Jack Bowden, 98, of Bolton, worked on the production on penicillin at the Royal Navy Medical School in Clevedon, Somerset, during the war. The 98-year-old has made a miraculously recovery after testing positive for coronavirus a week ago, but his family have still urged people to protect others and stay at home. Harry Fenn, 95, of Jersey, was just 19 when he landed on the Normandy beaches as a Royal Navy medic on June 6 1944 He said: 'In 1944, I served my country and did my duty. Now it's your duty to sit on the couch. Please save lives. It's as simple as that.' Blitz survivor Maureen Childs, 80, also called on the young to stay indoors wherever possible. She told the Daily Star: 'As soon as the sound stopped, we were all sitting there petrified because you didn't know if you were underneath it. A virus is nothing compared to that.' While in hospital for an unrelated issue, Mr Bowden was also tested for COVID-19, with the results coming back positive. The former pharmacist was taken to an isolation ward, but returned to his nursing home on Friday as his condition significantly improved. Mark Bowden, the veteran's youngest child said: 'Myself and my partner were due to cut his hair last week, but we thought that they may well be in lockdown so we phoned the nursing home last Monday. 'They said that they were not in lockdown but my father had been poorly during the night so I told him we would have to put off the haircut. He's suffered from urine infections over the past 4-5 years, but he's getting better at managing them. 'The doctor spoke to me and had concerns that he was getting confused. He was admitted to hospital and was treated for a suspected urine infection, they felt he improved a lot over the week. 'The doctors told me that they had tested him for COVID-19. On the Wednesday when my brother rang me to say that his test result was positive, I couldn't believe it. 'I spoke to my father on the phone and he said: 'I think I've actually got the real thing'. He was moved to an isolation ward on Thursday. 'By the Friday they rang me to say that they were discharging him, they said he had a healthy appetite and he was doing really well. 'I spoke to the him on Monday morning, and he was sat up in his chair, doing really well. The consultant even wants to use him as a case study.' Jack Bowden, 98, (pictured with his son Mark) worked at the Royal Navy Medical School during the Second World War and has miraculously recovered after contracting coronavirus last week Mr Bowden's granddaughter Nicola Hyams shared news of her grandfather's recovery online. She said: 'Everyone's so impressed by how he managed. He's gone back home now and by all accounts he's doing very well. He's complaining about having to stay in his bed.' His daughter, Joanne Drayson, believes that the medication Jack received for the suspected water infection may have a part to play in his recovery. She said: 'His medication has been shown to have anti-viral properties. I believe that's why he recovered so quickly. 'For somebody to of his age to go into hospital on the Monday and come out again the same week is remarkable. And now doctor's have approached him to be a case study. 'So he was a trailblazer back in WWII and he's clearly a trailblazer now.' Mr Bowden, 98, worked on the production on penicillin at the Royal Navy Medical School in Clevedon, Somerset, during the war (pictured) The Prime Minister's Monday evening announcement saw the biggest restriction on British civil liberties in peacetime. Boris Johnson warned the police would intervene if anyone was outside of their home and congregating in groups of more than two unnecessarily. Britons are now only allowed outside of their houses to buy food, collect medical supplies and exercise once a day. A group of 'key workers', including healthcare staff, supermarket workers and teachers are allowed to go to work, but everyone who can work remotely should do so. Yesterday the UK coronavirus death toll leaped by nearly 90 in one day from 335 to 442. There are now over 8,000 confirmed cases across the nation, but an Oxford University study claims more than half of the population could already be infected and we could be on our way to 'herd immunity'. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle Laguna Honda Hospital, a 750-person facility that serves some of San Franciscos most vulnerable, will be placed on lockdown Wednesday evening an aggressive step that officials say is necessary to contain an outbreak in the facility, where five staff members have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. A full lockdown means that residents, the majority of whom are over 65 years old with serious health conditions, will no longer able to re-enter the hospital. They will continue to have access to outdoor areas of the 62-acre campus. L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez and fellow council members will hold an emergency meeting Friday, with the public allowed to comment by phone or email. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The Los Angeles City Council will convene an emergency meeting Friday, allowing members of the public to comment by phoning in or sending email, an aide to Council President Nury Martinez said Wednesday. Martinez spokesman Rick Coca said the council president decided to call the meeting after staffers successfully tested a remote dial-in meeting Wednesday. Martinez plans to be on the council floor for the meeting, along with a city clerk, a city attorney and possibly a handful of other officials. "Last week we were going for 50 people or less," Coca said. "Now we're trying to go for 10 or less in the room." The decision to conduct a Zoom conference call for council members comes two days after Martinez abruptly canceled the last two regularly scheduled council meetings in March. Labor unions, nonprofit groups and community activists quickly voiced alarm, saying council members need to act swiftly on protections for renters and workers suffering financially amid the coronavirus pandemic before April rent is due. "The people who are the most vulnerable are being left behind," said Eagle Rock resident Jane Demian, a member of the Los Angeles Tenants Union, hours before Coca announced the upcoming meeting. Although Martinez had left the door open to an emergency meeting, she went days without indicating when that might occur. By Wednesday, one group of activists had begun calling for her to resign as council president because of the canceled meetings. The homeless advocacy group KTown for All said in an online petition that Martinez had given inconsistent explanations for her decision and left vulnerable Angelenos in limbo by failing to convene the council. Coca declined to address the petition, saying his boss wants the meeting to be safe for participants and capable of allowing public comment. But he said Martinez, who represents such working-class areas as Van Nuys, Sun Valley and Panorama City, is acutely aware of the need for the council to act. Story continues "She knows very well what people are feeling, because she has felt it herself. She grew up in poverty. She understands action is needed and hopefully we're going to be taking our action on Friday," Coca said. KTown for All, in a message on Twitter, called those remarks "a smarmy and cynical move aimed at damage control." Coca and the councilwoman "have zero respect for your intelligence and are desperately hoping you have the memory of a goldfish," the group said. KTown for All is part of the Healthy LA Coalition, a collection of groups pushing for the emergency relief measures. The Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, an advocacy group also involved in the coalition, said it opposes any effort to oust Martinez as president. "For us, the important thing is that we get a vote to protect workers and tenants at the emergency meeting on Friday," said spokeswoman Haley Potiker. City officials have struggled in recent days to convene public meetings in a way that allows the public to weigh in. The Board of Public Works and the Department of Water and Power commissions panels that are made up of appointees of Mayor Eric Garcetti both called for and then canceled meetings that were scheduled for Tuesday. Coca said Friday's meeting is expected to involve voice votes by council members. There's also a possibility that participants not just members of the public but also council members will get cut off during the session. "We're gonna fight our way through it best as we can," Coca said. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 9, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Phil Harris - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 9, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Phil Harris - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Britain's Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus, Clarence House confirmed today. The 71-year-old has been self-isolating in Birkhall, Scotland with his wife Camilla in recent days and the royal family confirmed he has contracted COVID-19. The heir to the British throne is showing "mild symptoms" but is in "otherwise good health", a statement said. The Duchess of Cornwall tested negative. "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus," the statement said. "He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. Expand Close Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 9, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Phil Harris - WPA Pool/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 9, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Phil Harris - WPA Pool/Getty Images) "The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland." Charles's test was carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. "It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks," the statement concluded. Queen Elizabeth and husband Prince Philip are self-isolating at Windsor Castle. Prince William and Kate Middleton are at Amner Hall in Norfolk with their three children, and Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle are in Vancouver Island. Monaco's Prince Albert also tested positive for coronavirus, making him the first head of state to do so. Other European royals have been tested for the virus, all of which have returned negative. D ozens of Britons are to remain in quarantine on a cruise ship after it arrives in Western Australia due to coronavirus fears. The Vasco da Gama is due to arrive in the port city of Fremantle on Friday, bringing with it 950 passengers and 550 crew. About 800 of the passengers are Australian and will be taken to nearby Rottnest Island for a 14-day quarantine period, Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan told reporters. There were 33 Britons on the ship who would stay aboard until they could be flown directly back to the UK, he added in comments carried by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA "All crew and foreign nationals will remain on the ship until arrangements are made to fly them directly out of the country," he said. "They will not be allowed to disembark at any time, unless it is to travel under strict supervision, directly to the airport, or they need urgent medical attention to survive." The ship's owner Cruise & Maritime Voyages told The Australian newspaper it had recorded no health concerns among its passengers or crew. The owner also said no-one has left the vessel since March 14, though some Australian and New Zealanders joined the da Gama on March 18 from Columbus, another of the company's ships. The ABC reported that two other cruise ships were being prevented from docking at Fremantle, about 14 miles south-west of state capital Perth. Mr McGowan said the Artania and the Magnifica were anchored offshore. With the deadly coronavirus showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, actress and comedienne Awkwafina spoke out about the 'cruelty' that has stemmed from it. The 31-year-old actress (real name Nora Lum) took to Instagram on Tuesday, sharing a photo of her with a black face mask on. While she didn't bring up any specific examples, Awkwafina made it clear that she was 'saddened' by the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak. Cruelty: With the deadly coronavirus showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, actress and comedienne Awkwafina spoke out about the 'cruelty' that has stemmed from it 'Have been away working for the past few months in all of this devastation, and wanted to make double sure I was OK to travel before coming back home to the US,' the Crazy Rich Asians star began. 'Havent said much about this whole thing because mostly I am just saddened by it. I worry for those who are most at risk for serious illness, the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions,' she added. 'I am saddened by the rhetoric that has come out of this, and the cruelty that came as a result,' the actress continued. Devastation: 'Have been away working for the past few months in all of this devastation, and wanted to make double sure I was OK to travel before coming back home to the US,' the Crazy Rich Asians star began 'I hope that while we self isolate and socially distance to stay safe, we also stay sane and calm. Wishing everyone a sense of peace during this batshit crazy time,' she said. She concluded by stating she will spend the next two weeks rewatching the hit Netflix series Tiger King, adding, 'Love you all ' While Awkwafina, a New York native born to a Chinese American father and Korean American mother, didn't specifically mention any specific instances of 'cruelty' and 'rhetoric,' her message comes just a day after The Real host Jeannie Mai opened up with a similar message. Stay safe: 'I hope that while we self isolate and socially distance to stay safe, we also stay sane and calm. Wishing everyone a sense of peace during this batshit crazy time,' she said The 41-yea-old Mai, who is of Vietnamese and Chinese descent, wrote a passionate editorial for People about how her heritage lead to 'vulgar remarks and racist memes' on her own Instagram, due to the virus' origins in China. 'It feels like theres two viruses. COVID-19 and fearful ignorance,' Mai began, adding, 'we all need to open up the discussion of Asian American-directed racial tension that has been caused by the novel coronavirus.' Mai went on to detail several incidents involving racist acts against Chinese people, including one from her hometown in San Francisco, where a Chinese man was collecting cans to be recycled, when he was, 'attacked and mocked by a group of men shouting racial slurs.' Editorial: The 41-yea-old Mai, who is of Vietnamese and Chinese descent, wrote a passionate editorial for People about how her heritage lead to 'vulgar remarks and racist memes' on her own Instagram, due to the virus' origins in China Awkwafina had been working on the Marvel Studios movie Shang-Chci and the Legend of the Ten Rings in Australia, where filming had been shut down after director Destin Daniel Cretton went into self-isolation. The filmmaker revealed a few days later that he had tested negative for the coronavirus, though he had been working 'in close proximity' with people who had been exposed to the virus. Awkwafina will next be seen in Breaking News in Yuba County, alongside Mila Kunis, Juliette Lewis and Allison Janney. Marvel: Awkwafina had been working on the Marvel Studios movie Shang-Chci and the Legend of the Ten Rings in Australia, where filming had been shut down after director Destin Daniel Cretton went into self-isolation An Italian nurse, Daniela Trezzi, has killed herself after testing positive for coronavirus, according to report. The 34-year-old health worker was said to have been terrified that she had infected others with the virus while treating patients. The sad news was confirmed by the national federation of nurses in Italy confirmed her death in a statement on Tuesday night. According to Daily Mail, the federation also described the development as shocking, adding that it received the news with pain. It said that the late Trezzi had been battling with heavy stress because she feared she was spreading the virus while trying to bring the COVID-19 crisis under control. Each of us has chosen this profession for good and, unfortunately, also for bad: we are nurses, the federation was quoted as saying in the statement. The condition and stress to which our professionals are subjected is under the eyes of all. Read Also: Coronavirus: Video Reveals How Hand Sanitizers Are Being Produced In Lagos Market Mario Alparone, the general manager of San Gerardo hospital, said Trezzis death comes days after she took ill which had kept her at home since March. Alparone said she was however not not under surveillance. Her death comes on the heels of rising concerns over the safety of health workers on the front line of the coronavirus crisis in Italy and across the world. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 01:18:11|Editor: yan Video Player Close MALE, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Maldives will suspend issuing visas on-arrival to inbound tourists amid the COVID-19 pandemic, local media reported Wednesday. President Ibrahim Solih said at a press conference in Male that foreigners would not be allowed to enter the country starting March 27 as a precaution against the COVID-19 pandemic. The president assured that the government would continue to guarantee basic rights and that electricity, water and public transport would continue to be supplied. He added that food staples would be supplied through the state's trade company State Trading Organization. He also announced the extension of the closure of schools and government offices for another week. Maldives had earlier barred entry of passengers who had a travel history in countries with a high number of COVID-19 cases. Other arrivals were being quarantined for 14 days. Maldives has had 13 confirmed COVID-19 cases, all of whom are foreign citizens. Five patients have made a full recovery, bringing the total number of active cases down to eight. An employee of Korea Animal Rescue and Management Association (KARMA), a non-profit organization based in Seoul, transports rescued animals from a river outside Seoul in 2006. KARMA has been active for two decades and the Seoul Metropolitan Government is now supporting KARMA to expand its rescue operation in Seoul during late night. Courtesy of KARMA By Kim Se-jeong What would you do if you saw a dog that had been hit by a car in the middle of the road in Seoul? You could either call 120 DASAN Seoul Call Center for help or the district office of the area where the accident occurred. Animal rescue staff from Korea Animal Rescue and Management Association (KARMA), a non-profit organization commissioned by district offices to carry out animal rescue, would arrive on the scene. One problem that has beset this otherwise functional operation was that rescue staff wasn't available from midnight to 9 a.m. But, this is changing now. Last week, the Seoul Metropolitan Government started support of KARMA's late-night and holiday rescue operations so that the emergency services can reach those animals, mainly dogs, stranded or injured in the city during nighttime hours. The service also operates on weekends. "The number of pets is increasing in Seoul; still, many are abandoned. The city's move is intended to install a system so that we can react quickly to rescue animals at any time of the day," a city official handling companion animals said. The late-night animal rescue project kicked off last Tuesday. "We had rescued seven dogs from the 17th to Monday morning," said Lim Seong-kyu, the secretary general of KARMA, told The Korea Times during a telephone interview on Monday. "The rescue mainly involves dogs and the most frequent case was that a dog has been hit by a vehicle or badly beaten." Unlike daytime operations where the city is covered by four rescuers, the night operation is covered by one KARMA staff who respond to situations around the city in an emergency vehicle. "When they get a call through the 120 DASAN Seoul Call Center or the district office they drive to the site. If needed, they take the animal to the nearest 24-hour animal hospital. After treating them, we try to find the animal's owner but those whose owner cannot be found are put down," Kim said. Seoul has three animal hospitals that are open 24 hours in the districts of Mapo, Joongrang and Gangdong. Lim said his team doesn't handle noise complaints involving cats. "I know cats' mating calls bother people when you hear them while trying to sleep and I heard people call the local government for that. But that's not an emergency situation that we can deal with." Recently, more and more people here are choosing to keep pets at home. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government last year, one out of five households in Seoul had one companion animal. The most popular pets are dogs, accounting for 85 percent, followed by cats, at 12 percent. The late-night rescue operation is part of the city's effort to become animal friendly. Also, it authorized private businesses, mostly cafes, to allow pets indoor and created pet playgrounds. The city is also encouraging owners to have their pets micro-chipped and for prospective dog owners to adopt abandoned dogs; a subsidy is on offer for their medical insurance. Running a 24-hour animal medical center was also part of the city's effort to take care of companion animals. KARMA has been conducting rescue operations around the country since 2000 and with the growing number of companion animals, has seen its activities expanding. Currently, 20 district offices in Seoul, out of 25, commission KARMA to handle animal rescue, animal transport, finding owners of lost pets and euthanizing abandoned pets. Divorce rates have rapidly increased in New York due to couples staying in for self-quarantine. In a report by Page Six, most of these couples seeking divorce are involuntarily spending time together in small apartments or houses that can cause tension throughout this critical time. Another factor contributing to the increased divorce rates is the recent loss of jobs and plummeting stocks among the wealthy. Divorce Attorney William D. Zabel said in a statement that his clientele increased to 50 percent since the "On Pause" order in New York City. He said: "Weve had an increased amount of calls in the past week from people seeking representation for divorce proceedings, a 50 percent increase, and I have been hearing the same from my colleagues at other firms." A similar occurrence has happened in China where couples were also divorcing during their mandatory quarantine (read here). According to Lu Shijun, head of the marriage registry in Dazhou, people mostly young people, are filing for divorce out of impulse. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Coronavirus South Africas confirmed number of coronavirus cases rose to 554 on Tuesday from 402 a day earlier, as businesses raced to make plans for a nationwide lockdown from midnight on Thursday. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the 21-day lockdown in an address to the nation on Monday, saying Africas most advanced economy needed to escalate its response to curb the spread of the outbreak. South Africa has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in sub-Saharan Africa, and public health experts are worried that the virus could overwhelm the health system if infection rates rise steeply. Health officials are working to expand the countrys coronavirus testing capacity and develop a plan to ensure there are enough intensive care beds with respirators. The numbers, we mustnt be shocked when we see them increase. But these measures if we all work together must turn the curve around, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told a televised news conference, saying South Africa could reach an inflection point in its infection curve two or three weeks after its lockdown restrictions enter into force. Two patients are in intensive care, but there have been no deaths from coronavirus in the country, Mkhize said. Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza said the government had taken steps to ensure the lockdown would not affect food security. There is no need to embark on panic-buying, the country has enough food supplies, Didiza said, adding the government would be monitoring food retailers to ensure sellers do not inflate prices. Aviation company Comair, a franchise partner of British Airways (BA), said it was suspending all flights it operates for BA and services on the kulula.com low-cost airline from Thursday until April 19. Tsogo Sun Gaming said its casinos and bingo sites would be closed by Wednesday. A bargaining council for the clothing manufacturing industry said it had reached a collective agreement for guaranteed pay for 80,000 workers for six weeks. Reuters On Wednesday, the morning of the UK's second day under lockdown after a stay-at-home order issued by Boris Johnson, the news broke that Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth's eldest son and heir to the British throne, has tested positive for coronavirus. He's currently self-isolating with mild symptoms in Balmoral, Scotland. His wife Camilla, who tested negative for the virus, is self-isolating in a separate part of the estate. His 93-year-old mother the Queen is isolating at Windsor Castle, alongside her husband Prince Philip, who is 98. Many will be able to relate to the experience of separation from their loved ones during the current outbreak. At least, the royals have provided a conspicuous example of how seriously everyone should treat the coronavirus. As is always the case with breaking news about the royals, it spread like wildfire, immediately prompting questions like 'how many servants serve his breakfast?' 'why did he get a test when my grandma didn't?' and, of course, 'when did he last see his mum?' (March 12, by the way, and a royal source told CNN that Charles had been advised he was contagious from March 13.) It is unlikely that much of the population will remain unaware of the Prince's status for long. And in a country which -- like the US -- has seen some of its older and more at-risk inhabitants hesitate to treat the coronavirus as a serious threat to their own health, this might prove to be a much-needed injection of public awareness about the urgent risks involved in not heeding the orders to stay home. There have been troubling reports from both sides of the pond about people failing to comply with government guidelines to stay isolated to stem the tide of the coronavirus. Many of those reports have focused thus far on spring breakers and St Patrick's Day partiers -- but there have also been conspicuous instances of older people who appear reluctant to take public health messaging to heart. Earlier this week, a 75-year-old caller to BBC Radio Solent said that people in her age bracket didn't care whether they caught the virus, as they'd 'had their lives,' and that if people are 'going to get it,' they're 'going to get it anyway.' Last week, Woman's Hour, a popular BBC Radio show with a broad listenership, featured a caller in her 80s who -- in the presenter's words -- was 'incandescent' with rage at what she felt had been patronizing government advice intended to see her left alone in her house 'to die.' I have many friends who report their own frustrations with older parents who remain unconvinced that they should give up socializing, keeping regular appointments, or visiting family -- despite the clear evidence that such behavior contributes directly to the coronavirus' spread, and puts them at huge personal risk. It's clearly a common problem -- and much advice in the lifestyle sections of various news sites has been aimed at millennials attempting to convince their elderly relatives that continuing as normal is dangerous. It's understandable why this has been a hard pill to swallow for some. The beloved 'Keep Calm and Carry On'-style rhetoric of World War II is emblematic of a feeling among many that wavering in the face of any threat is a sign of weakness or giving up. Rhetoric suggesting that younger people are overreacting to the coronavirus -- or that the elderly will easily weather it -- features regular references to the war, and the no-fuss personalities it apparently forged. The 84-year-old writer of a piece titled 'I survived rationing, I'm not scared of the coronavirus,' published in the The Sunday Times last week, mentioned that he'd spoken to others his age who were also sick of 'ageist propaganda,' and scoffed at thirty-something 'scaredy-cats.' Misapplied references to 'Blitz spirit' often create a sense of continuing on without allowing normal life to be impeded, rather than acknowledging that the history in question involved a huge sacrifice of personal freedoms. The sense that a lockdown marks the banishment of hard-won liberties -- as opposed to a necessary public safety intervention -- has even been reflected by royals' favorite newspaper. On Tuesday, the first day of the UK lockdown, The Telegraph, whose average reader as of 2018 was 61-years-old according to its own data -- the oldest audience for a British news brand, according to marketing site The Drum -- led with the front page splash: 'The End Of Freedom.' On the same day, the paper ran a column titled 'The self-pitying 'woke' generation needed a war. In the coronavirus, they've got one.' The heavy implication is that anyone who has lived through greater privations than millennials need not bother themselves with new disasters, for they already have the necessary coping mechanisms to weather them. Considering that so much media messaging has been confused, it is no wonder that many feel they don't need to make concessions to the coronavirus -- either because they have already paid their dues, or because it is simply an overblown fuss. But the seriousness with which Clarence House has dealt with Prince Charles' diagnosis -- despite his apparently mild symptoms -- sends a clear message to that isolation isn't just for one's own sake. It could prompt a rethink among those who have so far assumed that the advice to self-isolate doesn't apply to them. For many, it probably seems antithetical that the heroic thing to do in this moment is totally at odds with ideas of heroism many have had their whole lives. But as Prince Charles has demonstrated, the best thing to do right now is to keep calm, and stay inside. In what could be the most decisive and crucial action against the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nation-wide lockdown, a move that health experts say will help in flattening the curve. BCCL This means that once the people-to-people contact is reduced the chances of the virus spreading are also reduced. The next three weeks will be crucial for the country in its fight against the Covid-19 outbreak which has disrupted normal life as we knew it. But even as we go into lockdown there is some definite good news from the war-front. A total of 41 people who were tested positive for the virus have recovered and have been discharged from hospitals. BCCL As per the figures of the Union Health Ministry, there are 41 cases who have recovered, while independent, state-wise data showed the numbers at 48. With 11 cases each of recovery, Haryana, and UP have topped the list, followed by Maharashtra at 8. However, the Health Ministry figures showed '0' recoveries in Maharashtra. At 112, the state has also the highest number of positive cases in the country followed by Kerala where 109 people have been confirmed. Maharashtra has so far recorded three deaths while there are no fatalities in Kerala where four people have recovered. AFP There is also a slight dip in the number of positive cases being reported in the country. Around 20 new cases of novel coronavirus have been reported from across the country on Wednesday morning, taking Indias tally to 581. New cases have been reported from Mizoram, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Data showed that there is a dip in the number of cases being reported. On Tuesday, India saw 52 new cases of coronavirus against the 99 cases on Monday, the highest surge in infections to date. BCCL This comes as a surprise as health experts had predicted that the numbers are likely to spike this week before the curve begins sliding down next week and improve further in the third week. The death toll due to the Covid-19 has climbed to 11 in the country with Tamil Nadu reporting its first casualty on Wednesday. A 54-year-old man infected with coronavirus died at a hospital in Chennai in the early hours of Wednesday the first death recorded in Tamil Nadu due to Covid-19. The Union Health Ministry clarified that the second death in Delhi that was reported on Tuesday has tested negative for coronavirus. Uttarakhand Secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram on Wednesday issued an order directing all government or private schools in the state to collect tuition fees from students after situation, created by the threat of the spread of COVID-19 global pandemic, normalises. In a letter addressed to the District Magistrates, Sundaram said: "It has come to the notice of the government that certain private schools are pressurising the parents of wards to submit the tuition fees immediately. This is not right when there is a complete lockdown imposed in the state to contain the spread of COVID-19." "Hence, orders are issued to stop the collection of fees by all the government and private schools under CBSE, ICSE or state boards. Fees should be collected once the situation normalises," she added. Four persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand including one foreign national, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday. India has recorded 606 cases of positive cases which includes 43 foreign nationals. Ten people have died of COVID-19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Police are asking the public to use discretion when considering to report an alleged violation of the governors stay-at-home order in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Residents who see violations of Whitmers Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order can report them to the Grand Rapids Police Department through its non-emergency phone line at 616-456-3400. However, the department is urging discretion to avoid limiting its ability to respond to emergency calls. Grand Rapids police Sgt. John Wittkowski said the department is asking for residents to limit complaints related to the executive order to only egregious incidents, such as large house parties, open restaurant dining areas or mass gatherings. We will do our best to address the most egregious instances of non-compliance," Wittkowski said. "We simply do not have the capacity to answer all the other calls that come into our dispatch center related to lesser violations, while still maintaining service for true emergencies and other police related activities. The police department made the request Wednesday morning, March 25, after the Michigan Attorney General asked workers who believe their employer is violating the governors order to contact local law enforcement instead of the state office. Grand Rapids police department is appropriately staffed as of Wednesday morning. From a standpoint of coronavirus cases, the department and its dispatch center havent been impacted, Wittkowski said. But local police want to ensure their dispatchers arent being flooded with non-emergency calls that could slow their response rates for serious calls. Were not saying we arent taking calls, were not saying we wont abide by the order, were not saying we wont contact violators, Wittkowski said. But please use discretion when calling in complaints. Violations can be reported to the police departments non-emergency line at 616-456-3400, or to the city at 311. Police do not want people calling 911 to make those reports. On Tuesday, Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Payne released a statement in support of the governors executive order. He said calls to the department in general have decreased, and he thanked the community for its partnership during this challenging time. People are helping one another and there has been an outpouring of support for first responders and health care workers, Payne said. Please continue to follow public health recommendations and the governors executive orders. We will get through this together. Police in Grand Rapids are limiting proactive enforcement and taking precautions to prevent officers from being exposed to the virus unnecessarily while still upholding laws. Were mostly geared toward calls for service and reactive policing, Wittkowski said. Officers are told to use discretion when it comes to contacting the public. That being said, if you need to go to jail youre still going to jail. With no community engagement events to attend or open schools to visit, the departments community policing specialists are assisting patrol officers in responding to calls for service. One sergeant has been given a temporary full-time assignment as infection control supervisor. In that role, Sgt. Brendan Albert is responsible for ensuring the department has proper personal protection equipment, and that officers are healthy. We do have numerous contingencies in place in the event we have officers go out sick in mass or if we need to re-deploy resources or shifts, Wittkowski said. We have all of that set and ready to go if we need it. At the Kent County Sheriffs Office, Sgt. Joel Roon said his staff is responding to reports of violations of the governors executive orders. He said the dispatch center is still seeing around 1,100 calls per day which aligns with its normal caseload and is not causing extra stress on the department. The sergeant recommends that residents who believe theyve witnessed a violation of the governors order to read the order and subsequent FAQ and if they have further questions to contact their local law enforcement. Non-emergency calls in the countys jurisdiction can be made to 616-632-6357. No Kent County sheriffs deputies or dispatchers have had positive tests for coronavirus as of Wednesday and their staff is working through growing pains like most organizations across the country. Police arent exempt from the challenges that come with this thing, Roon said. Our office culture and dynamic has had to make a shift along with everyone elses. Thankfully we have a mission-driven group. They know its a marathon, not a sprint. They have to take care of their bodies so they can come in and answer calls and respond to calls." PREVENTION TIPS Michigans State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips: What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases: Always cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve. Stay home if you are sick and advise others to do the same. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if soap and warm water are not available. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces(computers, keyboards, desks, etc.). Its not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season. Read more on MLive: GVSU to provide space for hospital overflow if needed All Michigan residents, most businesses ordered to stay home to slow spread of coronavirus Whats open, whats closed under Gov. Whitmers coronavirus stay-at-home order Wednesday, March 25: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Menlo Park, Calif. -- Researchers from the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered a strange new feature of a protein that's thought to be important in the development of tuberculosis: The protein contains a "huge" interior pocket, the likes of which has never before been seen, that appears capable of passing a wide range of other molecules into the bacterial cell. Cornelius Gati, a structural biologist at SLAC, discovered the pocket while investigating the role this "transporter protein" on the surface of tuberculosis bacteria plays in sucking up vitamin B12 from surrounding cells. As far as anyone knew, transporter proteins that import molecules into cells tend to be quite specialized, with nooks and crannies tailored to grab onto particular molecules and move them into cells. This one, Gati found, was a generalist that could in principle bring in small nutrients, larger molecules like vitamin B12 or even some antibiotics. In theory, the new findings could lead to new ways to treat tuberculosis, but the for the moment Gati and colleagues are simply trying to get a better handle on what the protein can and cannot transport - as well as what purpose such an odd protein might serve. "We've never seen anything like this before," Gati said. "It doesn't really make sense." The research, which Gati performed in collaboration with researchers at the University of Groningen, Stockholm University, and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, was published March 25 in the journal Nature. A still-deadly disease Although tuberculosis is largely a thing of the past in the United States, it remains a serious public health threat in other parts of the world. There were 10 million new cases in 2018, and 1.5 million people died from tuberculosis that year alone, according to the World Health Organization. Worldwide, it remains one of the top 10 leading causes of death, the leading cause of death from infectious disease and the leading cause of death for people with HIV. Yet Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, remains relatively poorly understood, as does the process of turning a tuberculosis infection into active disease. In the United States, for example, around 13 million people are infected with the bacteria, but only about one in 10 will ever actually develop the disease, and no one is quite sure why. One clue to understanding the disease concerns the tuberculosis bacterium's uptake of vitamin B12, a step that seems to be crucial for the bacteria's survival and for the shift from TB infection to disease. How the bacteria imports the vitamin, however, was a mystery. Researchers could find no transporter protein in the bacterium's outer membrane that was dedicated specifically to vitamin B12. The one Gati and team studied had been linked via genetic studies to B12 uptake, but it was known for shuttling an entirely different class of molecules, including the antimicrobial bleomycin. Still, Gati and team knew that the protein and its connection to B12 was essential. "Without this transporter, tuberculosis bacteria cannot survive," Gati said. A cryogenic magnifying glass To get a handle on the transporter protein's structure, Gati turned to cryo-electron microscopy. Known as cryo-EM for short, the technique involves freezing molecules in place so that they can be studied in more or less their natural state under an electron microscope. Although the technique was first developed in the 1970s, a series of advances in the last few decades have made it more and more practical to use the technique to study biological molecules. Still, when Gati took images of the transporter protein and analyzed the data, he was not entirely prepared for what it was about to show him. Rather than uncovering a hidden nook tailored to vitamin B12, cryo-EM revealed a cavity within the transporter roughly 8 cubic nanometers in size - a tiny volume by our everyday standards, but absolutely enormous in the context of transporter proteins. The pocket could easily fit a number of water molecules, vitamin B12 and perhaps many other molecules. That generalist nature is particularly exciting, said Laura Dassama, a chemist at Stanford University and Stanford ChEM-H. "We have seen transporters that move a variety of drugs and molecules out of a cell, with little specificity, but not importers. If this is really an importer that can recognize and import multiple unrelated molecules, that would be fantastic" and might suggest a way to move antibiotics into the tuberculosis cell. The million dollar question Although the most tantalizing possibility is that the transporter protein discovery could lead to new treatments for the disease, Gati said the team still doesn't know what exactly their molecule can and cannot transport. While they have a sense of what can fit inside the cavity, for example, they still do not know what can get in and out. So far, the team has only been able to observe the cavity in its closed state. To figure out what can actually get into the cavity and back out again, the team needs to catch the cavity with its doors open. Even then, the team will not know what the molecule actually does transport in practice. Future structural studies and biochemical screens, Gati said, could help answer those questions, although they will not be easy: Tuberculosis bacteria tend to grow and reproduce very slowly, which in turn hampers the methods scientists would normally use to study transporter molecules. But even if Gati and his colleagues figure out exactly what their molecule is doing, there remain deeper questions: Why did nature cook up this molecule and its enormous interior cavity, why are such molecules so rare, and what purpose do they serve? On one hand, a cavity like the one the team has discovered is an "Achilles heel," particularly if it can help transport tuberculosis-killing antibiotics. On the other hand, it remains possible there is some evolutionary advantage to the structure. "That is the million-dollar question," Gati said. ### Gati is a Panofsky Fellow at SLAC. The research was supported by the European Molecular Microbiology Organization, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, the Swedish Research Council, the Carl Tryggers Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy, Laboratory Directed Research and Development program at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Citation: S. Rempel, C. Gati et al., Nature, March 25, 2020 (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2072-8) Press Office Contact: Nathan Collins, nathanc@slac.stanford.edu, (650) 926-2282 SLAC is a vibrant multiprogram laboratory that explores how the universe works at the biggest, smallest and fastest scales and invents powerful tools used by scientists around the globe. With research spanning particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, materials, chemistry, bio- and energy sciences and scientific computing, we help solve real-world problems and advance the interests of the nation. SLAC is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Mid-valley school districts have announced a number of new places for kids to pick up free meals while the novel coronavirus outbreak keeps classrooms shuttered. Albany Starting Wednesday, Greater Albany Public Schools will hand out breakfast and lunch bags to any young person from 1 to 18 years old at Albany Meadows Apartments and the Columbus Greens, Lake Creek Ranch and Three Lakes Estates mobile home parks in addition to 13 other locations already offering the service. Our services are considered essential, said school district spokesman Andrew Tomsky. Were trying to hit as many spots as possible. Every weekday regardless of spring break or other days off on the school calendar volunteers and school nutrition staff will be handing out pre-packaged food. Kids can pick up both breakfast and lunch if they want to. The packs, Tomsky said, generally include what students would get on a regular school day and are designed to be healthy and nutritional. Mom and dad cant come on their own kids have to be present to get their meals, Tomsky said. But they dont have to be enrolled in Albany schools to get food. The program is meant to support students who would otherwise rely on free or reduced-price lunches at school. The district is keeping count of how many meals its handing out, but not necessarily identifying whos who. Those interested in volunteering at one of the meal pick-up spots can email communications@albany.k12.or.us for more information. The service will continue for as long as the schools are closed. So far, thats scheduled to be until April 28. Tomsky said the district has seen a steadily increasing number of people picking up free meals, and were happy to provide our services. Heres the full list of Albany meal pick-up times and locations: 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. Columbus Greens 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. Oak Elementary School 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. Memorial Middle School 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. Tangent Elementary School 11:15 - 11:45 a.m. Lafayette Elementary School 11:15 - 11:45 a.m. Lake Creek Ranch 11:20 - 11:50 a.m. Waverly Elementary School 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Albany Meadows 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Sunrise Elementary School 11:40 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. South Shore Elementary School 11:40 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. Periwinkle Elementary School 11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Takena Elementary School 11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Albany Boys and Girls Club 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. Lexington Park 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. South Albany High School 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. Mid-Willamette Valley YMCA 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. Three Lakes Estates Corvallis The Corvallis School District will continue to offer grab-and-go meals from noon to 1 p.m. Monday-Friday at Garfield, Lincoln and Wilson elementary schools. The food is provided through the federally funded Summer Food Service Program. It reimburses the school district for serving free meals in low-income areas, according to district spokeswoman Brenda Downum. Our student support staff are reaching out to the families who we know are at greatest risk for food insecurity, Downum said. The same rule applies: Kids must be present to get their meals. Downum said social distancing best practices will be used when handing out the packages. Lebanon, Lacomb, Philomath, Sodaville, Sweet Home and Waterloo Lebanon High School and Green Acres have volunteers handing out meals from 9 to 11 a.m. on weekdays. Hamilton Creek School offers the same service from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Volunteers are also delivering meals to the following locations in the area: Old Waterloo School at 9:30 a.m. Fire Station 35 at 9:40 a.m. Turning Point Church at 10:05 a.m. Sodaville City Hall at 10:25 a.m. Kids can pick up meals at Lacomb School from 9:30 to 10 a.m., Providence Vineyard Christian Church at 9:25 a.m. or the pullout at the intersection of Brewster Road and Lacomb Drive at 9:55 a.m. Clemens Primary School in Philomath will have meal pick-ups from noon to 1 p.m. On the weekends, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Santiam will hand out bagged lunches in Lebanon and Sweet Home. Reporter Nia Tariq can be reached at nia.tariq@lee.net or 541-812-6091. Les Gehrett of the Lebanon Express contributed to this report. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Hyderabad, March 26 : A three-year-old is among two Covid-19 positive cases reported in Telangana on Wednesday, health officials said. The male child recently returned with his parents from Saudi Arabia. He has been admitted to a hospital where his condition is stated to be stable. A 43-year-old woman from Hyderabad with no history of international travel has also tested positive. She is the primary contact of a positive case reported earlier. With these two cases, the number of positive cases in the state has gone up to 40. As many as 50 persons with suspected symptoms were brought to different hospitals on Wednesday, taking the cumulative number to 813. In addition to the total lockdown, the state has strengthened surveillance, contact tracing and containment measures against the possible spread of the dreaded disease. The health department said the containment process has been initiated in places where confirmed cases have been diagnosed. The department has appealed to the citizens to kindly adhere to the lockdown and stay indoors. "This will enable us to break the chain of transmission and prevent infection," it said. It has directed that any person who has returned from any foreign country or has been in transit shall be in self-home quarantine for 14 days from the time of arrival in India, irrespective of having any symptoms or not. TRADERS conducting business at the Bukoba central market have been cautioned to adhere to directives issued by the Ministry for Health to avoid contracting COVID-19 disease. Chairman of Bukoba Traders Association (BTA), Hassan Mbailuka made the appeal as the nation intensified surveillance to control the coronavirus. Traders should ensure that they adhere to directives by washing hands regularly using soap. They should also avoid shaking hands as a precaution against coronavirus, he said. A spot survey made by this paper at Bukoba bus station revealed that sanitisers were available only at offices issuing tickets for buses but most of the hawkers were not aware of the exercise. The same scenario was seen at Bukoba central market where most of the petty traders had not been equipped with preventive gadgets. Mr Mbailuka said they were in the process of conducting a sensitisation seminar for the traders on how to avoid contracting the disease. Meanwhile, reports from Missenyi District said business at the Mutukula border has been paralysed after Uganda closed its borders on Monday as precaution against coronavirus. Sam BinOmugabi (32) who owns a retail shop at Mutukula said business has been heavily affected. Normally we exchange goods with our counterparts from neeighbouring Masaka District. The closure of the Ugandan border has negatively affected our business. The good thing is that most of the traders are knowledgeable and conscious about the dangers posed by coronavirus, he said. East African Community (EAC) member countries are taking drastic measures to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Representative image Thomas Isaac In recent days, especially since the Government of Kerala announced a Rs 20,000 crore financial package to revive the states economy, Ive been hearing questions about how the state can bring out such a package, is it implementable, can similar models be replicated, and, what role can the Centre play in this? There is no financial window dressing or skulduggery here, but a bit of innovation the type were forced to take when push comes to shove. At the outset I must also say that much of this depends on whether or not the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre adopts a liberal fiscal view towards an ongoing health crisis and the economic impact it entails. The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has created havoc with Keralas economy at a time when the state is limping back to normalcy after two consecutive state-wide floods in 2018 and 2019. A few months before the 2018 flood, there was first Okhi cyclone and then the Nipah virus outbreak in parts of the state. Despite these setbacks, the economy proved to be resilient because remittances from Non-Resident Keralites in Gulf (West Asia) did not decline. This year I fear that is not happening, and the states revenues have sharply gone down. Frontloading And Its Costs COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The motivation for such a package now is because the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government felt it is very important to make an effort to put money into the hands of the people. At this juncture when employment and income of common people are spiralling down, we decided to frontload our annual borrowing. For the next financial year, we are allowed an annual borrowing of about Rs 27,000 crore; of this, well frontload some Rs 10-12,000 crore in the first quarter. Through the Kudumbasree network we are expanding our microfinance window by another Rs 2,000 crore. We are also planning to implement employment guarantee programme worth nearly Rs 3,000 crore in the first two months. All these have enabled the Rs 20,000 crore package whose substantial portion is paying a whole lot of arrears, in old age pensions, scholarships, subsidies. Some advance payments will also be made. For the package some existing schemes have been tweaked. Initially the target was to open 1,000 shops by August to provide good, cooked meals for Rs 20 throughout the state. This was revised to be achieved by April first week. However, with lockdowns and social distancing kicking in, we have re-designed it. Now, instead of people coming and crowding at these shops, upon a phone call the meal will be delivered at the doorstep. The first such network has already been inaugurated in Alappuzha. This frontloading, of course, is going to put the state in a lot of difficulty in the later months but its a reality we must be prepared for. With a closure of the state governments revenue and excise streams, such as Bevcos, lotteries and other businesses, the state could be facing a fiscal crisis by the mid-2021. Also, due to various relief measures adopted, the states revenue growth is not just going to decelerate, it will be in the negative for 2020-21. With its third consecutive state-wide crisis, Kerala is at its wits end. There is a limit to what the state can do, and we will be in a serious crisis if the Centre does not help. The Centre Must Chip In The Government of India must immediately decide to raise the states fiscal deficit ceiling from the current 3 percent to 4 percent. There is no escape from the current pandemic and the economic crisis it presents the whole world is facing it. Now is not the time for the ruling party to cling on to its ideological positions. There is no choice other than to allow for a temporary raise of fiscal deficit for the states and Centre. The Centre should think of a quick and seamless way to put money in the hands of the people. A simple way would be to double the old age/widow pension from the current Rs 300 to Rs 600. The Centre should expand its reach from BPL families to everyone. It will be a universal pension scheme, and the advantage here is that the infrastructure for its distribution exists. At present Kerala pays about Rs 1,300 per month to about 5.5 million peopleof this, the Centres contribution is Rs 300 for 0.65 million people. The Centre must make food grains available to the states. Our godowns are flooded with grains and they are at a loss to know how to dispose of these grains. States like Kerala are in need of these grains. Let people be provided with food grains free of cost so that there is no starvation because of the lack of employment opportunities during this lockdown. The expenditure for the procurement has already been incurred and therefore central government does not have to make any new pay out. The Centre must double the allocation for the MGNREGS and increase the number of working days from 100 to 150. Wages must be increased by at least Rs 50. On a temporary basis this can be expanded to the urban areas as well. The Centre can raise the payment for the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. At present, the Centre foots just 20 percent of the bill the state incurs. Now we are facing a health crisis, so let the Centre and state share it on a 50:50 basis. The Centre can also increase its allocation for the national health mission, which increased by only 8 percent last year. The Centre can double that amount and transfer it to the state. It will not be an easy task for the Centre as well. This is because the total actual money in circulation is drastically going down as people are not spending. Our economy is shrinking be sure Indias GDP growth in the next quarter is going to be negative. In such a situation we need to spend money. The Centre can borrow from the RBI or monetise its debt. The BJP government must shed its neo-liberal obsession towards the fiscal deficit, especially when we are in such a crisis. Keralas Advantage The success of the Rs 20,000-crore package does not entirely lie in the volume of aid that is pumped in. In Kerala, the co-operative system, the Kudumbasree and local self-governments are three strong pillars of community participation that forms the artery system through which the relief package will flow. The co-operative system is a very robust one, and accounts for one-third of the total deposits in the co-operative sector in India. Now the state government has asked these co-operatives to disburse pensions to 5,500,000 people by the month-end and the state will pay when it borrows in April. This will ensure that there is no disruption in payments. We have the Kudumbasree the most comprehensive neighbourhood womens network in Indiathat cuts across all barriers of caste, religion, etc. The thousands of food stalls we intend to open will be possible because of these neighbourhood womens network. The role of local self-governments is not just token. We overcame much of the flood crisis because we empowered the local self-governments. We are raising a 350,000-strong social volunteer force at the village level, which will be trained and be ready to help the administration at the time of a crisis. All this shows that its not just finance. Financial wizardry has its limits. Prepare For New Realities If there is a lesson to be learned from COVID-19, it is the importance of a robust healthcare system. We should rethink the insurance model of healthcare. Signs are that even US President Donald Trump could look to revisit Obamacare. In India, we must revise the present model to one which has a robust public health system and for this we need to invest good money. It should not be a system which is based on private insurance. We need not do away with the private sector; the private will be there in the tertiary level, but primary healthcare is the duty of the government. This crisis points to the need for a public health system revamp. The world is entering into a new phase, a phase which weve been talking about for a while now the epoch of climate change. Frequent and severe natural disasters and zootonic diseases point to an imbalance in the ecosystem. This is an imbalance we cannot ignore anymore. The world needs to take ecological changes seriously, and have a larger disaster management programmes. Kerala has recognised this and is preparing for it India must also do the same. (As told to Viju Cherian) Dame Judi Dench or Sir David Attenborough should front public service broadcasts to help communicate key messages during the coronavirus outbreak, ministers have been told. Sir David Amess told the House of Commons the much-loved screen stars are 'very well respected' and are likely to be 'listened to in the way not all politicians are listened to'. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his ministers have led have the communications effort to help combat the spread of COVID-19, supported by medical and scientific experts. More than 9,500 people in Britain have been infected in the pandemic to date, with 465 deaths reported as a result of the virus. Sir David Amess told the House of Commons that Sir David Attenborough (pictured) and Dame Judi Dench are 'very well respected' and are likely to be 'listened to in the way not all politicians are listened to' Speaking in the Commons, Sir David said: 'Something that has occurred to me is not all parliamentarians are blessed with great oratorical skills because the way we deal with matters in this House has changed dramatically. 'I'm not offering my voice, it'd be a big turn-off. Now, the Dimbleby family had wonderful broadcasting voices which reassured the general public. 'I just feel if there is an issue for the Government in getting out messages to the general public - although I think it is getting better at the moment, I saw as I drove here this morning the queues outside supermarkets. 'People do seem now to be observing the distancing between each other and they do seem to be thinking more seriously about gathering in social places. 'But I do say to the minister, if we're going to do a few public service broadcasts, I can't think of anyone better than Sir David Attenborough or Dame Judi Dench to be asked would they do a couple of broadcasts for us. He said 'not all parliamentarians are blessed with great oratorical skills because the way we deal with matters in this House has changed dramatically' (Pictured: Dame Judi Dench) Pictured: Boris Johnson (left) and Sir David Attenborough at the launch of the next COP26 UN Climate Summit at the Science Museum, London 'Because I think they're very well respected, they're probably listened to in the way that not all politicians are listened to. 'I haven't been in touch with them but I would assume they'd only be too delighted to help.' The suggestion came after it was revealed today that Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus. The Prince of Wales, 71, has a 'mild' form of the illness and is on the Balmoral estate with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who has tested negative and is without any symptoms of the virus. A royal source said Charles' doctor's most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious on March 13 - 24 hours after 'briefly' meeting his 93-year-old mother the Queen. A couple sit on a bench in Hyde Park, London today after Boris Johnson announced strict lockdown measures urging people to stay at home The Queen and Philip, 98, were already at Windsor Castle when the announcement from Clarence House was made today. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'Her Majesty remains in good health. The Queen is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare'. The UK entered a three-week lockdown on Monday after Boris Johnson announced the closure of all non-essential shops, as well as playgrounds and churches in a bid to stop the spread of the virus. The Prime Minister also banned gatherings of more than two people and said family reunions, weddings, baptisms and other social events must be cancelled to stop the NHS collapsing under the strain of the pandemic. But Britons today continued to flout the rules by heading out to sunbathe on the second day of the draconian measures. Footage emerged showing police dispersing those gathered in parks and other public places despite strict advice from the Government to stay at home. PRESS RELEASE Paris, 25 March 2020 - 5.45 p.m. Your operational leasing solution for sustainable transportation 2019 RESULTS Growth in operating income (+87%) to 15.1 million Growth in Ebitda (+44%) to 36.9 million Positive net profit before tax of 0.7 million Strong tangible asset base with a market value of 327.3 million "After refocusing successfully on our transportation equipment leasing activities in 2018, the Group continued to roll out its ongoing improvement program in 2019, enabling it to generate an increase in its results," say Fabrice and Raphael Walewski, Touax SCA's managing partners. As a result, Touax saw growth across all of its operational performance indicators (a 44% increase in Ebitda and an 87% increase in operating income) along with a recovery in investment. The utilisation rates of the freight railcar (89.5%), container (95.9%) and river barge (85.3%) are at satisfactory levels at the end of December 2019. The modular building activity in Africa continues to show an improvement also, with significant growth in revenue. For the first time in six years, net profit before tax came out positive at 0.7 million, while net income, although still in negative territory, shows a significant improvement (+35% compared with 2018). Fund raising of 40 million, the issuance of a 10 million bond as part of a Euro PP, and syndication of 37.5 million of equipment to investors all demonstrate the renewed confidence of banks and investors, which is underpinning the Group's gradual investment strategy. Net book value per share stands at 6.791 and, based on the market value of our assets, the revalued NAV2 per share comes to 13.231. The consolidated financial statements at 31 December 2019 were approved by the Management Board on 24 March 2020 and were presented to the Supervisory Board on the same day. The audit procedures are ongoing. Key Figures Key Figures (in thousand of euros) 2019 2018 Revenue from activities 169.0 154.5 Freight railcars 61.1 56.3 River Barges 11.8 14.5 Containers 81.8 76.4 Others 14.3 7.3 Gross operating margin - EBITDAR (1) 90.3 83.1 EBITDA (2) 36.9 25.7 Current operating income 15.1 8.0 Operating Income 15.1 8.1 Profit before tax 0.7 -2.1 Consolidated net profit (loss) (Group's share) -2,7 -4.2 Including income from retained operations -2.0 -3.2 Including income from discontinued operations -0.7 -1.0 Net earnings per share () -0.39 -0.59 Total non current assets 325.2 307.6 Total Assets 446.8 439.4 Total shareholders' equity 123.1 129.1 Net Financial Debt (3) 199.3 195.5 Operating cash flow 8.3 4.7 Loan to Value 54 % 52 % (1) The EBITDAR (earnings before interest taxes depreciation and amortization and rent) calculated by the Group corresponds to the current operating income. increased by depreciation charges and provisions for capital assets and distributions to investors (2) EBITDA: EBITDAR after deducting distributions to investors (3) Including 155.4 million in debt without recourse at 31 December 2019 Revenue from activities increased by 9.4% to 169 million (164.2 million at constant currency and scope 3 ) compared with 154.5 million in 2018. Revenue from leasing activity came to 134.8 million versus 134.5 million in 2018, with an increase in freight railcars, a decrease in river barges (South America) and a decrease in containers (decrease in leasing revenue on managed equipment while leasing revenue on owned equipment increased by +53.5%). Sales came to 32.2 million versus 18.7 million in 2018, thanks notably to trading in new and second-hand containers. Syndication fees and capital gains increased to 1.9 million versus 1.3 million in 2018. increased by 9.4% to 169 million (164.2 million at constant currency and scope ) compared with 154.5 million in 2018. Revenue from leasing activity came to 134.8 million versus 134.5 million in 2018, with an increase in freight railcars, a decrease in river barges (South America) and a decrease in containers (decrease in leasing revenue on managed equipment while leasing revenue on owned equipment increased by +53.5%). Sales came to 32.2 million versus 18.7 million in 2018, thanks notably to trading in new and second-hand containers. Syndication fees and capital gains increased to 1.9 million versus 1.3 million in 2018. EBITDA came to 36.9 million, an increase of 44% in relation to the previous year. EBITDA in the Freight Railcars division came to 23.1 million compared with 22.9 million in 2018, with an increase in the utilisation rate (average of 88.7% in 2019: +3.8 points versus 2018). In a growing market underpinned by demand for equipment replacement, the division continued its investments and benefited from a gradual increase in leasing rates. The River Barges division generated EBITDA of 3.5 million over the year compared with 4.5 million in 2018, mainly due to a lack of momentum on the South American market and the lack of disposals in 2019. EBITDA in the Containers division increased significantly to 8.8 million, attributable to the impact of the resumption of investment and the increase in trading of new and second-hand containers. The strategy of growth in the share of owned assets boosted profitability, which quadrupled in 2019 compared with 2018. The utilisation rate stands at a resilient 97.1% on average over the year (98.7% in 2018). EBITDA in the other activities came to 1.5 million, a sharp increase of +5.4 million compared with 2018, with the Modular Building Africa activity showing an improvement thanks to an increase in its order book. The total impact on EBITDA related to leasing contracts from the implementation of IFRS 16 is 1.3 million. Operating income came to 15.1 million, an increase of 86.6% in relation to 2018 (8.1 million). came to 15.1 million, an increase of 86.6% in relation to 2018 (8.1 million). Net financial expense came to 14.4 million compared with 10.2 million in 2018. This incorporates a non-recurring exceptional foreign exchange loss of 1.2 million on intra-group loans in USD, which was not offset by the hedging of foreign exchange risk with Monex Europe Markets Limited, a UK broker accredited and regulated by the FCA. came to 14.4 million compared with 10.2 million in 2018. This incorporates a non-recurring exceptional foreign exchange loss of 1.2 million on intra-group loans in USD, which was not offset by the hedging of foreign exchange risk with Monex Europe Markets Limited, a UK broker accredited and regulated by the FCA. Profit before taxes came out at 0.7 million, versus -2.1 million in 2018. Corporate income tax amounted to 1.5 million, broken down into deferred tax of -0.6 million and a current tax charge of -0.9 million. came out at 0.7 million, versus -2.1 million in 2018. Corporate income tax amounted to 1.5 million, broken down into deferred tax of -0.6 million and a current tax charge of -0.9 million. Net attributable income came out at -2.7 million, an improvement of 35% compared with -4.2 million a year earlier. It includes (i) a residual loss of -0.6 million on the Modular Building Africa activity, (ii) a residual loss of -0.7 million on discontinued activities (modular building in Europe and the US), and (iii) the aforementioned exceptional foreign exchange loss of -1.2 million. FINANCIAL STRUCTURE The balance sheet shows a total of 447 million at 31 December 2019, compared with 439 million at 31 December 2018. Tangible assets amount to 364 million. Cash flow from operating activities came to 8.3 million, attributable to several investments (remember that investments relating to operating lessors are classified under cash flow from operating activities). Gross debt stands at 239 million, 65% of which is non-recourse debt. Group net debt stands at 199 million versus 195 million at 31 December 2018. The loan-to-value ratio is 54% (52% at 31 December 2018). Financing In February 2019, asset financing agreements within the Barges division were signed for a total of 6.8 million, of which 3.9 million to finance new barges. On 21 June 2019, Touax SCA signed a senior secured loan of 40 million with an institutional investor, maturing in five years. This enabled it to refinance its convertible bond to the tune of 23 million while the balance was used to help finance the Group's investment plan. On 1 August 2019, Touax SCA issued a senior unsecured bond in the form of a Euro Private Placement for a nominal amount of 10 million, maturing in 5.5 years. This enabled it to extend the average maturity of the Group's debt. The net proceeds of the issue will be used to finance the investment plan. OUTLOOK In a very uncertain economic environment in the short term, Touax's business model, focused on long-term sustainable transportation leasing services (rail, river and intermodal), remains resilient. From a structural perspective, green transportation should benefit from strong support from consumers and public authorities wishing to see a reduction in CO2 emissions, while significant investment is necessary in freight railcars, river barges and containers to replace old fleets. The deregulation of rail freight and the trend towards outsourcing should continue to underpin investment in these assets. As of the date of this press release, the Covid-19 pandemic had not had a significant impact on the Group and its activities. 76% of the leasing income budgeted in 2020 was already under contract on 1 January 2020. To date, no delay has been recorded in settlement times, no commercial contract has been broken and the rates on contract renewals have not decreased. Nevertheless, in the current environment of uncertainty and volatility linked to Covid-19, Touax remains extremely vigilant and is following the development of the epidemic very closely, including the exposure of its employees who work remotely, with the exception of those at the modular building plant in Morocco where the team has been split in two and are working on an alterning two-week basis. Special workshops have been implemented to (i) protect the teams, (ii) enhance the supervision of the potential impacts of the epidemic on our activities, (iii) meet our commitments to our clients on the continuity of our activity, (iv) stabilise the supply chains, and (v) ensure prudent management and monitoring of our cash flow. UPCOMING EVENTS 25 March 2020: Conference call to present the annual results in French 27 March 2020: Conference call to present the annual results in English 15 May 2020: Q1 2020 Revenue from activities 24 June 2020: Annual General Meeting TOUAX Group leases out tangible assets (freight railcars, river barges and containers) on a daily basis worldwide, both on its own account and for investors. With nearly 1.2bn in assets under management, TOUAX is one of the leading European players in the leasing of such equipment. TOUAX SCA is listed on the EURONEXT stock market in Paris - Euronext Paris Compartment C (ISIN code: FR0000033003) - and is listed on the CAC Small, CAC Mid & Small and EnterNextPEA-PME 150 indices. For further information please visit: www.touax.com Contacts : TOUAX ACTIFIN Fabrice & Raphael WALEWSKI Managing partners Ghislaine Gasparetto touax@touax.com ggasparetto@actifin.fr www.touax.com Tel: +33 6 21 10 49 24 Tel: +33 1 46 96 18 00 1Excluding the non-controlling interests of the Railcar division and excluding management fees. 2The market value is calculated by independent experts, based 50% on the replacement value and 50% on the earning rate for railcars, the earning rate for containers and the replacement value for river barges with the exception of a long-term contract in South America for which the earning rate was used. This market value is substituted for the net book value when calculating the net asset value. 3 Based on a comparable structure and 2018 average exchange rates. Attachment According to the army of social media influencers who appear to be battling it out for the title of Most Productive Person in the Time of Coronavirus, there are so many more interesting things one can do in quarantine besides avoid illness. For example, you can learn to crochet. You can do 100 squats a day. You can grow tomatoes in your backyard. You can read Jane Eyre, read your partners palms or learn 10 ways to wrap a sarong. According to USA Today, you can master advanced cooking techniques from homemade pasta to macarons. According to nearly every personal trainer on Instagram, you can do the gazillion pushups required to look like a lead in a Marvel movie. You can clean out your closet, remodel your closet (or come out of the closet if youve been putting it off.) You can find use for those single socks whose pairs are lost (for example, you can make sock puppets to entertain your children who will probably outgrow their own socks before theyre in school again anyway). You can learn to code, or if youre old fashioned, you can learn Morse code. You can audit an online course at Yale University. You can finally rearrange that drawer of mismatched Tupperware containers. Or permit me to make a radical suggestion: you can do none of these things. In fact, you can do nothing at all. You can take this unprecedented pause in normality to learn nothing new, do nothing new, acquire nothing new not a new skill, not a six pack, not even a new outlook on life. I say this because in the short but seemingly endless period that large swaths of society have been mandated to stay home, it feels like weve been mandated to do something else in the interim: to set goals. The time for New Years Resolutions has passed (the crowded gyms of January a grim and distant memory). In their absence though, weve entered an era of New Coronavirus Resolutions, in which social media professionals, celebrities and publications like this one advise those of us lucky enough to be at home what to do while were there. This advice is well meaning and for many people, crucial. It feels good to take control of our destinies in whatever small way we can, be it by alphabetizing a bookshelf or decluttering the kitchen pantry. Its healthy to put your body and mind to work in the face of terrifying uncertainty. But perhaps a gentle reminder is in order for those of us who are feeling overwhelmed by the constant stream of suggestions for self- and home-improvement that it is perfectly OK not to improve. Its OK if your basement remains cluttered for the duration of the pandemic. Its OK if after all this is over you still dont know how to make a quiche. Its funny: Instagram used to be a platform that provoked feelings of inadequacy because it was rife with content featuring beautiful people travelling to beautiful places. Now its rife with content featuring beautiful people travelling nowhere. Instead theyre reaching new heights at home by building, baking, sewing, singing, sanding, beading, squatting, lifting and sorting. This is all wonderful. But if youre just not up to it if youre social-distancing experience involves more crying than crafting its hard not to feel insufficient sometimes. (In response to the surge of coronavirus-inspired hobbying, my mother-in-law recently resorted to posting her own parody videos to Instagram in which she claims to have mastered a new skill in an impossibly short time; for example, learning to speak Latin in a day or weaving a Persian rug overnight). I mean no disrespect to hobbyists in the time of coronavirus. People must do whatever they can to reduce anxiety until such a time is over and no one ends a sentence that way ever again. My intention is only to remind the rest of us that there is no shame in being unproductive and uncreative, especially during a global outbreak. If youre only resolution at present is to emerge at the end of this, with your family, alive and well, thats OK. People will die but not because you didnt learn to crochet. Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown from Wednesday (March 25) to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday (March 25) assured the people of the nation capital that the government is prepared to ensure supply of essential goods to its residents during the lockdown. CM Kejriwal once again urged the people to respect the lockdown and do not come out of their homes during this period. "During this 21-day lockdown, we will do our best to make sure nobody goes hungry. This is a difficult time. We are not saying there will not be problems, but we will do our best to make sure everyone is looked after. There will be no shortage of essential goods," Kejriwal said at a joint press conference with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. Kejriwal also said that people providing essential services would be allowed to carry out their duties but they will have to carry their identity cards while coming out of their homes. He also said that shopkeepers selling vegetables and groceries will be given e-pass by the government to remain functional during the lockdown in Delhi. In a related development, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday directed all states and union territories to set up a round the clock control room for helping the providers of goods and services during this period. "In order to ensure that these provisions are seamlessly available at ground level it would be necessary for each state/UT to set-up a 24*7 control room/office with helplines (at state/district level) to address any grievance or undue problems faced by the providers of goods/services including during inter-state movement," the advisory issued by MHA to Chief Secretaries and police chiefs of all states and union territories read. In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that it is vital to break the chain of the disease and experts have said that at least 21 days are needed for it. New Yorks coronavirus outbreak has violently erupted over the past few days, and the state is now driving the national epidemic while on the West Coast, public health experts are wondering if an early and aggressive response saved California from a similar fate. California reported some of the earliest coronavirus cases in the United States in late January. And in the first week of March, California and New York were neck and neck on cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. But over the past week, New York case counts have doubled every few days, and the state now has 10 times the cases California does: 25,000 to 2,500. Infectious-disease experts say early maneuvers in California, especially in the Bay Area first discouraging people from gathering in crowds and then ordering them to shelter in place may have had a dramatic impact, even if they came only a few days ahead of those in New York. But other factors may also be in play. New York is testing far more people three times as many as California and therefore identifying more cases, for example. And its possible that whats happening 3,000 miles away could be Californias future. New York may just be three or four days in front of us. Were going to see an increase in the number of cases here as well, said Dr. Warner Greene, a senior investigator at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco who specializes in HIV but is studying the new coronavirus. Days matter they really matter. You think youre fine, youre absolutely fine, but this thing is just waiting to explode. But we went into shelter in place quicker; we got people apart quicker, Greene said. That could be a contributing factor to what were seeing in California now. And thats why I think the whole country should be sheltering in place. The World Health Organization on Tuesday identified the United States as the next potential epicenter of the pandemic, with China and South Korea both on a path to recovery and Italy starting to see signs of its outbreak slowing down, though gradually. New York state now makes up roughly half of the United States 50,000 cases of COVID-19. Tuesday afternoon, experts on the White House Coronavirus Task Force advised that residents who have fled New York City, where the bulk of cases are located, should place themselves in a two-week quarantine to avoid infecting people in other parts of the country. The state is also testing more people than anywhere else in the country 90,000 as of Monday, compared with about 27,000 in California. How and why New Yorks testing is so far beyond Californias isnt clear. California officials will explain the ambiguity on Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said earlier this week when asked about the discrepancy at a news conference. But testing alone doesnt explain why New Yorks case counts are so much higher than Californias, or why the rate is spiraling up so fast on the East Coast. The death toll in New York was four times higher than Californias 210 deaths to 51, as of Tuesday evening. Deaths tend to be a much more reliable marker of the spread of the disease than cases because determining how someone died is not dependent on the availability of testing kits. Also, hospitals across New York state, and in New York City in particular, are filling up, but California hasnt yet seen a similar surge. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued stay at home orders last Friday, one day after Newsom did the same for California and four days after Bay Area health officers told 6.7 million people to shelter in place. New York City and the Bay Area had about 450 and 300 cases, respectively, when the Bay Area stay-home orders were issued on March 16. When Cuomo shut down the state on March 20, New York City had 5,500 cases. The Bay Area: 539. Shelter-in-place orders hadnt been in effect long enough to entirely account for the dramatic differences, but the Bay Area issued other directives earlier, such as shutting down mass gatherings, advising people to work at home when possible, and asking older adults and people with compromised immune systems to stay home. We were more aggressive; we got out there a little earlier, said Dr. John Swartzberg, an infectious disease expert at UC Berkeley. We were maybe a week up on New York, and that doesnt sound like much time, but in terms of the spread of this pandemic, its enormous. Indeed, lessons from the 1918 influenza pandemic taught public health leaders that speedy, assertive actions could save lives, said Dr. George Rutherford, a UCSF infectious-disease expert who has been consulting with Bay Area officials on the coronavirus response. Time is critical. You cant be late, not even by a week, Rutherford said. We moved to lockdown, for lack of a better phrase, relatively quickly. I think were reaping the benefits. There are other explanations for New Yorks particularly brutal outbreak. New York City has the densest population in the country, and for a virus that spreads primarily by close contact, density could make a huge difference. For weeks, if not months, New Yorkers were crowding subways, high-rise elevators and even sidewalks while the coronavirus spread among them. Even in the Bay Area, where BART trains can be packed at commute hours, there isnt nearly the same level of close gathering. Different places appear to have very different disease dynamic, said Dr. Robert Siegel, a Stanford infectious-disease expert. You could have predicted New York was going to have a big problem because of the high density of people, which is ideal for spreading the virus. Were spread out more in California. Cultural issues also could play a role, though infectious-disease experts arent sure in what ways New Yorkers might differ from Californians that might explain the differences. New York City has a younger population than San Francisco, and its bars stay open two hours later every night perhaps that factored into the spread of the disease, experts said. And some of the explanation may come down to luck. In pandemics, certain individuals are sometimes found to be so-called super-spreaders, capable of infecting dozens or even hundreds of others. In the 2004 SARS epidemic, also caused by a coronavirus, one person in Canada was linked to 128 cases in a hospital. No super-spreaders have been identified in the current outbreak, but that doesnt mean a few particularly contagious people arent at the center of some clusters in New York, Rutherford said. Local and state leaders warn that California will surely see its case counts climb in the coming weeks. And California, too, is bracing for a surge on hospitals that could strain resources beyond capacity. New York may be on a more advanced track than California, but that doesnt mean the West Coast wont end up on a similar trajectory. I can feel confident that things are going to get worse before they get better, said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, at a news conference on Monday, during which he advised residents to take seriously the orders to stay at home. Every community where the virus has taken hold has seen a surge in coronavirus patients who need to be hospitalized, Colfax said. We expect that to happen in San Francisco soon, in a week or two, or perhaps even less. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Eminent photographer Nemai Ghosh, better known as Satyajit Rays favourite photographer as he worked with the Oscar-winning filmmaker in most of his films, died at his residence in Kolkata on Wednesday morning. He was 87 and survived by a son and a daughter. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2010. Ghosh is most known for chronicling the life and works of Satyajit Ray through his lenses. Besides, he also worked with two other master auteur of Indian new wave cinema Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen. For close to 25 years, Nemai Ghosh has been assiduously photographing me in action and repose a sort of (James) Boswell working with a camera rather than a pen, Ray had written of Ghosh. He had been unwell for quite some time but had started recovering. On Tuesday evening, he suddenly stopped eating and then developed lung congestions. He died at around 10 am this morning. The doctor said he died of cardiac and respiratory failure, his brother Chitta Ghosh said on Wednesday. Ghoshs son, who too is a photographer based in Mumbai, could not come to attend his father funeral because of the country-wide lockdown. Kolkata Police and the local administration helped the family with the cremation. Ghosh started working with Ray from the iconic film Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969) and worked with him till Rays last film, Agantuk (1991). Ghosh also worked with the legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. Through his visual gift, Nemai Ghosh allows us to be intimate with filmmaking, and to feel with great fidelity the drive, the alertness and the profundity of this giant of cinema in all his majestic stature, Cartier-Bresson wrote in the foreword of Ghoshs first book, Satyajit Ray at 70. On Wednesday, after the news of his death spread, Ray-admirers took to social media to express condolences at the death of one whose name had become synonymous with Rays works. Legendary photographer Nemai Ghosh is no more. Learnt a lot from Sir. A still from Jana Aranya. This is what we call photography, filmmaker Kamaleshar Mukherjee wrote on Facebook while sharing one of Ghoses still photos from the set of a Satyajit Ray film. (Bloomberg) -- Google and other digital advertising companies are seeing revenue growth wither as marketers slash spending ahead of an expected recession triggered by the coronavirus.The global pandemic and the ensuing slump in economic activity is crushing several industries that have been big buyers of Google and Facebook Inc. ads, including online travel agents, automakers, restaurants and retail.Im hearing some big numbers, with ad spending down 30% to 50% across the board, said Rob Griffin, founder of digital ad consulting firm G5 Futures. Some marketers will slash budgets by 80% or 90%, while others may stop for a while if theyre in sectors that are particularly hard hit, he added.Millions of people are sheltering at home and spending more time on social media, video streaming and other online services. Thats increasing the amount of digital ad space, but demand for those marketing spots is weak, so prices are falling.The consumption is irrelevant, its completely irrelevant, said Brian Wieser, president of business intelligence for GroupM, the media buying arm of advertising giant WPP Plc. The total amount of money available is independent of viewership trends. Facebook warned on Tuesday that its ad business is weakening in countries that are aggressively fighting the virus. Many of its services are being used more, such as messaging, but they dont run ads, the company added. The day before, Twitter Inc. said usage has jumped, but global advertising is curbed, forcing the social-media company to slash its sales forecast and project a loss in the current quarter. The sudden impact of the COVID-19 virus will ripple through the ad market, Michael Nathanson, an analyst at Moffettnathanson LLC, wrote in a note to investors. Given the sheer size of digital ad spending in todays marketplace (i.e., more than 50% of all ad spend is now digital), we would expect other digital platforms to see significant deceleration in ad revenues in the coming months. Story continues We would suggest investors avoid catching falling knives at Google and Facebook, he added. Google declined to comment on its ad business on Tuesday. On the companys YouTube video service, viewing has jumped in the past week, but CPMs, the industrys way of measuring ad prices, fell as much as 8%, according to one digital media executive who asked not to be identified discussing private figures. Shares of Google parent Alphabet Inc. and Facebook are down about 25% since the middle of February, so some of the digital ad downturn may already been priced in. Facebook stock dipped about 1% in extended trading after its warning. Alphabet was little changed. Longer term, Google and Facebook have big cash hoards and little debt, so they can withstand a deep recession, according to Bloomberg Intelligence internet analyst Jitendra Waral. The last major economic downturn was a boon to these companies. The 2008 financial crisis triggered a similar slump in advertising, but much of that was focused on traditional media. Online platforms took advantage of the moment, and pitched their ads as cheaper, more-targeted alternatives. Now, digital ads take in more than $300 billion a year from the largest corporations to the smallest businesses. Google and Facebook account for more than half of that, according to research firm EMarketer. Singapore Shuts Bars; India on Nationwide Lockdown: Virus UpdateLast week, as the scale of the crisis hit home, ad agency executives worked the phones, trying to help clients figure out what to do next. Some pulled out completely while others raced to adjust the tone of their ads. You have industries that were extremely active as of a week ago come to a screeching halt: restaurants, travel, retail, said Doug Rozen, chief media officer at advertising agency 360i. Other companies are still spending, but being more conservative, he added. Google and Facebook derive much of their revenue from small businesses, thousands of which could shut if a deep recession sets in. Both internet companies offer self-service ad platforms that can be switched off quickly.Advertising is the easiest expense to cut, you can literally log into Google Ads and turn it off and start saving money, said Ari Paparo, head of digital ad firm Beeswax Inc. and a former Google executive. Amazon.com Inc. recently cut back drastically on how much money it spends on Google ads. The online retailer is one of Googles largest ad buyers, usually snapping up product listing ads to lure web shoppers to Amazon. Expedia Group Inc. and Booking Holdings Inc. each spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year marketing on Google, but these online travel agents have been hammered by the abrupt halt in flights, business trips and vacations. Booking Withdraws Already-Bleak Forecast, Citing Coronavirus Booking Holdings has pulled back materially on brand advertising, RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney wrote in a recent research note after meeting executives from the online travel company. The industry accounts for about 10% to 15% of Googles ad revenue, with Booking and Expedia accounting for about 3% each, Mahaney estimates. Even businesses that dont sell through the internet often purchase Google ads to encourage people to visit their brick-and-mortar locations. Last week, Being Yoga, a yoga studio about 15 miles south of San Francisco, was still buying Google search ads, based on the query yoga near me, despite being closed. Bloomberg News contacted the business, which said it had forgotten to switch the ads off. Retailers often buy Google local inventory ads that show online shoppers whether products are stocked in nearby stores. With many non-essential retailers shutting locations, demand for these ads may slow. If stores are closed, we absolutely recommend they turn off local inventory ads, a Google spokeswoman said. Real numbers showing the virus impact are beginning to emerge from China, which was hit first and shut down travel and non-essential businesses weeks ago.Advertising sales on Chinas big digital platforms are projected to drop 20% to 30% in the first quarter of the year, WPPs Wieser said. Automobile ads slumped 79% in China in February, a far steeper decline than any time during the 2008 financial crisis, he also noted. Most Google services are unavailable in mainland China, but in the rest of the world, automakers are another big ad customer. Even industries that are seeing higher demand, like consumer goods, are unlikely to advertise more right now. Why would you advertise toilet paper right now? Its not helpful, Wieser said. They want to curtail demand. (Updates with YouTube ad prices in ninth paragraph.) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. A graffiti of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wearing a face mask is seen on a wall while a delivery man rides a bike in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP Photo Rio De Janerio: President Jair Bolsonaro condemned what he called "hysteria" over the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday, as Brazil confirmed its first death and Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro declared a state of emergency. Flying in the face of mounting global alarm over the pandemic, the far-right president lashed out at containment measures he said would hurt the economy. "People are acting like it's the end of the world," he said in an interview with Radio Tupi. "The economy was doing well, but now some governors are taking measures that are really going to hurt it... It's not like having groups of people here and there is the problem. What we need to do is reduce the hysteria." Bolsonaro has sparked controversy with his response to the pandemic. He had already drawn criticism for shaking hands and taking selfies with supporters at a rally Sunday, ignoring the recommendation of his own health ministry, which said he should remain in isolation for two weeks after being exposed to several officials who tested positive for COVID-19. His latest comments came after the South American country confirmed its first COVID-19 fatality: a 62-year-old man with diabetes and high blood pressure who died Monday in Sao Paulo, authorities said. "Unfortunately, this shows how severe this pandemic is, despite what some would like to believe," Sao Paulo Mayor Bruno Covas told CBN radio. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. Illinois would have to double the number of available hospital beds in the next two weeks to treat COVID-19 patients if the coronavirus is not contained amid a pandemic that has claimed 16 lives in the state, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday. The state would need almost 38,000 additional hospital beds, including more than 9,000 in intensive-care units, by April 6, in a worst-case scenario, the Democrat said at his daily briefing. And nearly 5,000 ventilators would be in demand more than double what's available in the state. But Pritzker said efforts to tame the potentially deadly virus, such as his order to close non-essential businesses and keep people from leaving their homes unnecessarily, should temper those numbers. Despite the fiscal hardships, he said he opposed President Donald Trump's suggestion that such social-distancing practices be lifted soon to spare the U.S. economy. We can revive our economy," Pritzker said. "We can't revive the people that are lost to this virus. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 250 new cases of the respiratory ailment, a 19% jump from a day earlier, to a total of 1,535. Officials reported four additional deaths Tuesday. South Africa reported that its number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus jumped to 709 on Wednesday from 554 the previous day, an increase of 28 percent. South Africa, which now has the highest numbers of infections on the continent, has ordered a 21-day lockdown which rolls into action at midnight on Thursday. "Right now we have actually increased from yesterday, we are now at 709 cases," Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said in an interview on the state broadcaster SABC. Follow live updates of coronavirus cases in India here Mkhize, who reported 554 cases on Tuesday, said he expects the numbers to rise further in coming days anweeks. Starting Wednesday last week the country closed its borders to non-citizens from high-risk countries. The flag carrier South African Airways has also suspended all international, regional and domestic flights to curb the spread of the virus. Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases The country's first infections were imported from Europe, but the minister said there were now recording internal transmissions. "The tendency is changing from imported to internal transmission. There is quite a lot of local spread," he said. South Africa has so far not reported any deaths and only two of its hospitalised patients are in intensive care units, he said. The owner of a small business, John Chirico wanted to give back to his community. With the coronavirus crisis effecting health care workers on the front lines, too, the Washington Township resident figured he could raise some money, collect a few donations and possibly provide a meal to those who were putting their lives at risk. Little did he know that a discussion between family members would explode into an act of kindness that has got bigger and better with each passing day. A text message from his mother with the idea of helping small businesses and providing meals to local hospital workers turned into Food4Staff. And through the power of social media, a small Facebook group of family and friends has exploded to over 8,000 members in less than a week. "We started a group and figured maybe we'd collect some donations, maybe a couple hundred dollars, and deliver some food," Chirico told NJ Advance Media Tuesday. "We shared it with 20 friends and it just took off. "It's been awesome to say the least; it's been insane. There are so many people that want to help." MORE CORONAVIRUS UPDATES A contractor by day, Chirico wasnt experienced in the food industry. His team fed 350 people on Tuesday, 450 on Wednesday. In six days, over 1,500 workers received a meal. Food4Staff has provided meals for over 1,100 health care workers in less than a week. "Weve all been a bit overwhelmed. The generous efforts of Food4Staff allowed us to pause for a moment, share some laughs and enjoy some delicious food together," said Courtney Montgomery, a registered nurse in the Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital's Emergency Department in Camden. "The South Jersey community has come together and we really appreciate all their support." Christy DiBernardo works in radiology as well as the emergency room at Jefferson Stratford Hospital. She's experienced just how excited workers have been, not only as one who's received a meal but also being a member of Chirico's team. "I delivered to the ICU and they saw me coming up the hallway with a tray or hoagies and pizza," she said. "They were blown away, just so excited. "From the receiving end, it feels good. But to also be a person who got to see the facial expressions when delivering the food ... It's been unbelievable." Christy DiBernardo works in radiology and the emergency room at Jefferson Stratford Hospital. She has experienced both sides of what Food4Staff has done for health care workers. Over 30 different establishments in South Jersey and Philadelphia have offered their services - Sollena's Pizza in Washington Township being the first to make a delivery. Food4Staff has also received a laundry list of donations, with Chirico hopeful that Venmo and Pay Pal will further assist as donors continue to do their part on a daily basis. Chirico said they may expand operations into other parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and possibly Delaware due to overwhelming interest. "We wanted to help fight to keep small business alive and give back to the community. In turn, we're feeding workers," he said. "People are reaching out to us and we're set to keep it moving forward." One small business - Groark Boys' BBQ, owned and operated by Washington Township High School teacher Matt Groark, jumped at the opportunity to help the cause. "I called him right off the bat," Groark said. "Groark Boys' BBQ is built on the idea and impact of what giving back has had on me and my family. It's the backbone of why I started it and what I enjoy the most. To see people that I personally know, how could I not jump on board? "The cool thing about it and what drove me to it was that it's not a one-way type of donation. Not only are they feeding people on the front lines in health care, but they're raising money to help small businesses." Groak said he plans to cook his barbecue and side dishes this weekend with the intent of feeding a hospital staff of approximately 100 people. "And I might get enough food to do more than that," he added. Chirico says hes working harder now than at his regular job. #MakeGivingContagious has quickly become a way of life. "It's great to look at the pictures of these workers and see how happy they are, to see business owners who want to help," he said. "To give back and help, to see the faces of people on the front lines that put their families at risk everyday ... We just wanted to give them a little escape from the stress they're dealing with. Just seeing how it makes those people feel is what keeps us driving. Joining as small businesses and providing meals is what its all about. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips. Kevin Minnick focuses on South Jersey and can be reached at kminnick@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kminnicksports. A man involved in a hit-and-run crash that killed an elderly person in December has been arrested on human smuggling charges after leading state police on a chase. READ MORE: Border Patrol agent was shot by wife in San Antonio, authorities say Webb County Jail records showed that Rigoberto Manuel Arevalo, 21, was released on bond in mid-January for the fatal hit-and-run crash. Regarding the human smuggling attempt, Arevalo eluded authorities at about 8 p.m. Monday in a 2018 Dodge van on mile marker 13 of Interstate 35, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. DPS said the vehicle continued evading until it reached West Village Boulevard near Springfield Avenue. Authorities identified the driver as Arevalo. He was charged with smuggling of persons, reckless driving, evading arrest with a vehicle and evading arrest on foot. His passenger, Alexandra Kristine Villalobos, 25, was arrested for endangering a child and engaging in organized criminal activity. She is out on bond while Arevalo remained behind bars as of Tuesday evening at the county jail. DPS turned over four illegal immigrants to the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol. Arevalo has been in and out of jail over the last three years facing various charges. His most recent arrest involved the death of 77-year-old Antonio Esparza Martinez. That crash occurred at about 2:18 p.m. Dec. 12. at the intersection of Lomas del Sur Boulevard and South Louisiana Avenue. Arevalo was operating a gray Dodge Ram when he crashed into Martinezs Ford Explorer. Arevalo then allegedly fled the scene. Martinez was pronounced dead at the scene. READ MORE: Webb Sheriffs ID man found hanged at Rio Bravo bus stop Authorities served Arevalo with a warrant on Dec. 13 charging him with accident involving death. He bonded out on Jan. 15, according to jail records. Amir Khan has offered to donate a 60,000 square foot, four storey building to the NHS to help with shortages amid the coronavirus pandemic. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, the boxer, 33, who is worth an estimated 22.5million, posed in front of the property while sharing the offer. The former I'm A Celebrity star revealed the building was due to be turned into a wedding hall and retail outlet yet he was happy to give the building to the NHS to help with the growing shortages of beds. A kind gesture: Amir Khan has offered to donate a 60,000 square foot, four storey building to the NHS to help with shortages amid the coronavirus pandemic He wrote: 'I am aware of how difficult it is for the public to get a hospital bed in this tragic time... 'I am prepared to give my 60,000 square foot 4 story building which is due to be a wedding hall and retail outlet to the NHS to help people affected by the coronavirus. Pls keep safe.' This is not the first time Amir has made public pleas regarding the global crisis as last week he was again reaching out to the public to be cautious. The star became a father for the third time at the end of February, meaning his son Muhammad's first weeks have been marred by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Reaching out: Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, the boxer, 33, who is worth an estimated 22.5million, posed in front of the property while sharing the offer Sweet: The star became a father for the third time at the end of February, meaning his son Muhammad's first weeks have been marred by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic Expressing his well-wishes to his followers, Amir captioned the image: 'With the little one Muhammad Zaviyar Khan at home. Stay indoors with your loved ones. 'Its getting bad out there with the corona virus. Me and the little one send our best wishes to everyone.' Amir joins a legion of stars in helping out with the situation, as Montana Brown signed up to the NHS' volunteering programme. You're not alone: Additionally, N Dubz star Tulisa posted a letter she gave her elderly neighbour in which she offered to act as a 'personal assistant' in the difficult period' Montana has joined the 170,000 people who have signed up as NHS volunteers in just 15 hours since the scheme was first announced. Earlier on in the day, Michelle Heaton revealed she had come under fire for doing a large online food shop before she revealed she was helping high risk friends. Additionally, N Dubz star Tulisa posted a letter she gave her elderly neighbour in which she offered to act as a 'personal assistant' in the difficult period'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed his condolences to those killed in the terror attack at a gurdwara in Kabul in Afghanistan. "I am saddened by the terror attack at the Gurudwara in Kabul. I express my condolences to the families of all the deceased," the Prime Minister said during his interaction with people of his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi, via video conferencing. At least 27 civilians were killed and eight others were wounded in a terror attack on a gurdwara in Kabul earlier today. All four terrorists have been killed by Afghan security forces. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As Midland County enters the second week of social distancing to combat the spread of coronavirus, the staff and administrators of Coleman Community Schools remain dedicated to doing all they can for their students. Utilizing several of the district's buses and a group of volunteers, Coleman Schools has been working diligently to provide breakfast and lunches meals for its students in need that can no longer get them at school. Coleman Community Schools Superintendent Jen McCormack said the districts distribution of meals to students is not only continuing after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home executive order, but it now is going to significantly more families as the need has increased. This week, were providing over 3,000 breakfasts and lunches to 256 kids, McCormack said. Last week, we gave out about 1,800 meals to 150 kids. Originally scheduled to last for three weeks, the current plan is to continue the deliveries until April 13, McCormack said. McCormack explained that families need for meals has increased as some parents have been laid off from their jobs or are staying at home due to the coronavirus. Buses go out at 11:30 a.m. on Monday each week. In addition to delivering meals by bus, the school district has four locations where families can pick up food: Coleman High School, Community of Christ Church, Faith United Methodist Church and Coleman Wesleyan Church. During its first week, the program drew about 30 volunteers from across the Coleman community, with bus drivers, food service staff and Coleman Schools staff adding about 20 more to the team, McCormack said. Among the volunteers was Lisa Filhart, a first-grade teacher at Coleman Schools. "I know that there are kids that won't have food if we don't deliver it," Filhart said. McCormack said the district is making its delivery process more efficient, taking precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus, and also including some books with the food distribution. Books that normally would go out (to families) in the summer, are going out now, she said. McCormack said she would like to give a huge shout-out to the districts Chartwells food service director, Krystal Hoernlein, who is coordinating the food distribution. "Every day, we're feeding kids, some that have a different (financial) status, therefore we never know how important those meals are to our kids," Hoernlein said. "In an event like this, we can really see who needs the meals, and just to be able to offer that, even if the need isn't there, is a wonderful opportunity." Hoernlein also serves as food service director Meridian Public Schools, which is also receiving help from the program. In the first week of the program, Chartwells provided about 2,200 meals for Meridian students. People have been incredible (in helping us with the food distribution process), McCormack added of volunteers who are helping. Its amazing. Curtis, you were a driving force in getting this show made, but what drove you to play Cassius? CURTIS JACKSON I wanted to make sure I was playing something that had some substance to it. And we came up with a character whos been in jail longer than hes been in the free world. So while hes incarcerated, he develops a comfort with being institutionalized. Theres a portion of the guys in prison, they cut themselves off from the free world, and because of that, the time goes by way faster you know, when youre heads not constantly outside the jail. Sort of the opposite of Aaron, the character based on Isaac, right? JACKSON Exactly, the polar opposite. And those are the most dangerous people. Because the guards are looking forward to going home. The inmates are looking forward to going home. And Cassius isnt interested in going home, because hes never felt that power in the real world. Ive known people who went away for two to four, and turned it into seven. Once they got into jail, they got into being in jail. And they build these reputations from jail that bleed off into the street because theyve become someone that they didnt become through the street. How does it feel seeing this part of your life represented onscreen, Isaac? ISAAC WRIGHT JR. There was a moment of discomfort, but that part has passed. Sometimes when a thing hits you, it hits you in levels, and the reality of whats happening has been a progression for me. There was a moment when we were onstage, I think we were at the premiere, and I leaned over to 50 and said: 50, man. Look what the [expletive] you did! And the reason I said that is because I dont even think he understands what this show is going to do in terms of social impact. What do you hope that impact will be? WRIGHT You know, 50 has said a couple of times that my story is singular. But what that means to me, personally, is that I left thousands of people behind. So for me, the show is a beacon of hope and inspiration that will allow me to touch people now that Im not able to touch. At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when heavily armed suicide bombers blasted their way into a prominent gurdwara on Wednesday in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the strife-torn country. The Islamic State (IS) terror group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. "At least 25 people were killed and 8 others were wounded in the attack at Dharamshala, a Sikh worship place in Kabul," TOLOnews quoted the Ministry of Interior as saying. "All four suicide bombers who attacked Dharamshala, a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul, were killed after nearly six hours of fighting. Afghan special forces confirmed," it said in a tweet. The ministry said in a statement that 80 people, including women and children, were rescued from the gurdwara. Former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the attack on the Sikh worship place and expressed his condolences to the victims' families, the report said. The ISIS terrorist group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the latest attack. The group issued a statement confirming that its members carried out the attack on Sikhs in Kabul city, Khaama Press Agency reported. Photos from the blast scene showed security forces carrying wounded people away on stretchers. Some Afghan media outlets shared videos of the family members of victims waiting outside a city hospital in tears. Police in Kabul said that at least 11 children were rescued from the gurdwara. Sikh lawmaker Nardendar Singh Khalsa told reporters that up to 150 people were praying inside the gurdwara when it came under attack. Khalsa, the only representative of the Sikh community in Afghanistan said he received a call from a worshipper inside the gurdwara, informing him about the attack. "I rushed over to help. There were about 150 worshippers inside the gurdwara at the time of the attack," he was quoted as saying by the official Bakhtar Agency. "Afghan forces have cleared the first floor of a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul. A number of people have been rescued who were trapped inside the building," said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian. Earlier, the country's main militant group, the Taliban, denied involvement in the attack. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the militant group had no link with the attack in Shor Bazar area of Kabul. In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the attack on the gurdwara. The Ministry of External Affairs also strongly condemned the terror attack and said the targeting of a religious place in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak reflects the "diabolical mindset" of the perpetrators and their backers. "India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan," it said while expressing condolence to the families of the victims. "Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID-19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers," the MEA said. It said India stood in solidarity with the people, the government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country. "We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country," the MEA said. War-torn Afghanistan is currently mired in a political stalemate with two politicians- Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah - both claiming victory in the presidential election. The US, keen to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, has been trying to break the deadlock and also save a historic deal it signed with the Taliban militant group that is supposed to pave the way for peace in the country. The attack comes a day after the US said it would cut its aid to the government by USD 1 billion over frustrations that the political leaders could not reach an agreement and form a team to negotiate with the Taliban. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Kabul on Tuesday in a bid to resolve a standoff between President Ghani and his rival Abdullah, who also proclaims himself president following a contested election. Sikhs have been target of attacks by Islamist militants before in Afghanistan. In July 2018, ISIS terrorists bombed a gathering of Sikhs and Hindus in the eastern city of Jalalabad, killing 19 people and injuring 20. Awtar Singh Khalsa, one of the country's best-known Sikh politicians then, was among those killed in the attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dozens of migrants were given coronavirus tests before being detained by the Border Force on entry to the UK today, as 169 people were intercepted trying to cross the English Channel, despite the state of national lockdown. It is understood 95 people, including nine who identified as children, were taken into the Port of Dover and handed over to immigration officers, after being tested for Covid-19. Natalie Elphicke, the MP for Dover, has now called for any migrants coming into Kent to be taken straight into quarantine for 14 days. She said it is 'not right' that migrants are reportedly being tested for the virus using British resources - which she believes should instead go to frontline workers. Pictured are migrants who were picked up by the Border Force and tested for coronavirus today They arrived in six boats and were tested before being detained by immigration officers in Dover In one of the busiest days for migrant crossings, Border Force dealt with six incidents in the Channel. As well as the 95 taken to Dover, French authorities have detained 'around 74' people, making a total figure of 169 migrants. At 5.20am, 42 people were found on a single inflatable boat, the Home Office said. They presented themselves as Iranian and Iraqi nationals. A spokesman for the Home Office said: 'All the cases from today will be dealt with according to the immigration rules, with detention used where appropriate. 'Coronavirus is not having an impact on our operational response to clandestine incidents and we still have the resources to deal with it.' The other incidents included 10 men presenting as Iraqi and Iranian nationals on a boat at 1am, 13 males who said they were Iranian and Afghan nationals at 2.30am and 11 believed to be from Iraq, Iran and Kuwait at 4am. A further eight claiming to be Iranian nationals were rescued at 5.30am, with 11 more intercepted at 7.30am, with those on board presenting themselves as from Iran and Kuwait. The MP added that the Port of Dover is a vital supply line for the nation which 'can't be risked' and that the migrants should be isolated at other ports upon arrival. Natalie Elphicke, the MP for Dover, has now called for any migrants coming into Kent to be taken straight into quarantine for 14 days She said: 'It's vital the Home Office and the French authorities take immediate action to stop these illegal crossings. 'If people break into the country illegally, whether by small boats or lorries, they should be immediately quarantined for 14 days for the protection of our community and our country. 'There have been reports that illegal migrants are being tested on arrival and then released to the immigration authorities. 'If so, that's simply not right. We have a serious shortage of testing kits for frontline nurses and doctors and other key health workers. 'There is a national need to prioritise and that's where the testing resources need to go - not on testing illegal entrants. Illegal entrants must be placed into quarantine for 14 days. 'The Port of Dover, the ferry companies, lorry drivers and other local workers are a key part of the vital supply line of food, medicine and goods. 'These illegal crossings cannot be allowed to put any part of our national operation at risk. 'Illegal migrants picked up at sea must be taken to other smaller ports. 'Now more than ever, we need to put a stop to these illegal crossings across the English Channel. 'We must protect the nation. We need to be fully focussed on beating the virus at this time.' Gathering signatures for two proposed Napa County ballot measures one on rural, commercial cannabis cultivation, the other on watershed protections is a daunting task amid COVID-19 shutdown orders. Californians are to shelter-at-home except when engaged in essential tasks such as buying food. Yet each measure needs more than 7,000 signatures from registered voters by May 8 to qualify for the Nov. 3 ballot. Proponents of both measures are asking the Napa County Board of Supervisors to simply place the initiatives on the November ballot. The watershed group on Wednesday announced it had suspended signature-gathering to avoid further spread of the virus. Wed like the democratic process to be assisted by the supervisors, said Mike Hackett, a proponent of the watershed protection initiative. This is not a demand. This is just a request. Supervisors are to discuss the issue when they meet at 2 p.m. Thursday in the county administration building, 1195 Third St. in Napa. People can go to https://bit.ly/2vP56cl to watch. There are potential complications. Citizens through the initiative process can place items on the ballot without the issues facing scrutiny under the California Environmental Quality Act. County Executive Officer Minh Tran said thats not true for the Board of Supervisors. That means Board action to place the proposed measures on the ballot might trigger the need for environmental impact reports or less-detailed documents. Initiative proponents would in normal times take tables and clipboards to shopping centers and collect signatures outside of stores. Hackett stressed that steps to try to stop the spread of COVID-19 have priority over the proposed watershed measure. I dont want to come across here that this (measure) is more important than life and death because its not, he said. We hope that at some point in the fall, things will return to normal and the issue of protecting our watersheds and water supplies will still be a viable concern for citizens. The proposed Napa County Water Sustainability Initiative of 2020 seeks to further strengthen county watershed protection laws. Proponents say the Board of Supervisors didnt go far enough when tackling the issue last year. Among other things, the measure would not allow people to mitigate for cutting down forests by protecting trees on slopes 30 percent or greater. Hackett said this land is already undevelopable. You cant protect whats already protected, he said. The Board of Supervisors during public hearings last year also heard from people who said that existing watershed protection laws go far enough. This group didnt view trees being cut down to make room for hillside vineyards as being at a crisis point. Stephanie Honig is representing an unrelated, proposed initiative that would allow commercial cannabis grows in the rural county. Having the Board of Supervisors place the measure on the ballot would save time, money and, most importantly, anxiety, she said. If you do this, in no way are you showing support for this measure, Honig told supervisors at their March 17 meeting. Rather, youre showing support for democracy and for public safety. Attorney Lance Olson on behalf of Eric Sklar, a member of the Napa Valley Cannabis Association, further elaborated in a letter to the county. The current extraordinary and necessary response to the COVID-19 outbreak is hindering the ability of voters to sign ballot measure petitions, thereby hobbling the electorates right to exercise the initiative power as guaranteed by the state constitution, he wrote. The proposed cannabis measure comes on the heels of Measure J, which backers pulled from the March 3 ballot in hopes that the county supervisors would craft a commercial cannabis cultivation law. This new measure submitted by Honig would allow one-acre commercial cannabis grows on parcels of at least 10 acres. The Napa Valley floor, the Carneros region and areas visible from Highway 29 and Silverado Trail would be off-limits. Growers would pay the county an annual tax of 50 cents per square foot of canopy. Cannabis manufacturing and non-storefront retail would be allowed in unincorporated county industrial areas. These businesses would pay the county a tax of 2.5 percent of gross revenues. Growing commercial cannabis is illegal in rural Napa County. Discussions at Board of Supervisors have brought up questions such as how cannabis grows might affect the wine country image and the Napa Valley wine brand. Supervisors in September talked of holding community workshops on cannabis in January. The dates got pushed back to March 25 and 26, only to be delayed again by the recent COVID-19-related shelter-at-home orders issued by the county and state. Both the proposed watershed and the cannabis ballot measures have the potential to generate ballot box controversy, based on recent history. The big question now is whether they can qualify for the ballot amid COVID-19 restrictions. Editors Note: Because of the health implications of the COVID-19 virus, this article is being made available free to subscribers and non-subscribers alike. If youd like to join us in supporting the mission of local journalism, please visit napavalleyregister.com/members/join/. You can reach Barry Eberling at 256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Los Angeles to Shut Off Water, Power for Nonessential Businesses That Refuse to Close Amid Pandemic Los Angeles will shut off water and power to businesses deemed nonessential that decline to follow an order to close amid the CCP virus pandemic. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Los Angeles issued an order requiring people in the city to stay home unless theyre conducting essential activities, such as getting groceries or medicine, or caring for children or the elderly. The order also requires some businesses to close but some of those establishments have remained open, Eric Garcetti, mayor of the city of 4 million, said during a press conference on Tuesday. You know who you are. You need to stop it. If you dont, we will shut you down, he said, calling business owners defying the order irresponsible and selfish. Garcetti said that the citys prosecutors will probe complaints filed against businesses that are remaining open despite not fitting the definition of essential. He also announced a program called the Safer at Home Business Ambassadors program, which will deploy city workers and volunteers with the Mayors Crisis Response Team to businesses with the emergency order with a goal of securing voluntary compliance, according to the mayors office. Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk on March 23, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) These are folks that can get even greater adherence without the threat of the law, Garcetti said. The easiest way to avoid a visit by the city is to follow the rules. After initial warnings, workers can share information on businesses to the police. That might result in a referral to the district attorneys office, and, potentially, misdemeanor charges. And the Department of Public Works will shut off power and water to the businesses. Believe me when I say nobody wants to be punitive at a time like this, Garcetti said. My ideal is 100 percent self-compliance, and we all hope for the same thingwe want fewer people to get sick and die, we want this crisis to end as soon as possible, and we want to be able to take care of the people that we love most dearly. We can achieve those goals but only if we all do our part, he added. Garcettis office shared a webpage where residents can lodge complaints against businesses allegedly out of compliance with the order. Los Angeles will see an increase in cases over the coming days, Garcetti asserted at the press conference. The county has 662 confirmed cases, as well as 11 deaths. The press conference comes on the same day that Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced that 1,700 inmates have been released several days after District Attorney Jackie Lacey told prosecutors to work to decrease the number of inmates in both jails and courthouses to try to slow the spread of the virus. While the entire world is adapting to new ways of life under quarantine, the efforts of an Italian priest in lockdown to preach while also practicing social distance brought some unwitting joy on social media this week. The current lockdown in Italy has restricted the movement of people and shut down the school, colleges, churches and restaurants. In such a situation, an Italian priest decided to live-stream his teachings in a Facebook live. However, it went completely wrong and viral after the religious preacher left the AR filters on, making him appear in various disguises. The incident happened with Paolo Longo, a parish priest of the Church of San Pietro and San Benedetto di Polla in Salerno province. He decided to do the service online in order to help all who cant come to search during the coronavirus outbreak. In the clip, the priest can be seen lifting weights or dressed up with fancy caps and flowers all around. If you think this might have hurt his sentiments, you are certainly wrong. He posted about it later, writing, Even a laugh is good. Italy has been under lockdown since March 9, after the number of positive COVID-19 cases surged rapidly. The government is putting all its efforts to curb down the spread, but nothing seems to be of help currently. Meanwhile, in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced a nation-wide complete lockdown for 21 days, starting March 25, as a precautionary measure. WASHINGTONThe United States has just applied additional pressure in its rush to get a new NAFTA agreement within several weeks, establishing a May 1 deadline, after which Canada and Mexico would face tariffs on steel and aluminum. Originally, Canada and Mexico received an indefinite exemption from the tariffs with no expiry date, then numerous countries were added to the exemption list and now theres an expiry date on the exemptions, when tariffs could snap into place. The latest tweaks came in presidential orders signed Thursday. An order on aluminum said: The exemption afforded to Canada, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, South Korea, Brazil, and the member countries of the EU shall apply only through the close of April 30, 2018. Every country seeking a permanent exemption is being asked to negotiate separate arrangements with the U.S., and quotas appear to be part of the American demand. In the case of Canada and Mexico, the U.S. is explicitly tying the issue to NAFTA. It so happens that May 1 deadline happens to coincide roughly with the last date for finalizing a new NAFTA this year. The Trump administration fears that any further delay could imperil an agreement, given political realities: the U.S. ratification process takes months to complete, the opposition Democrats could regain control of Congress in January and a firebrand leftist is favoured to become Mexicos president Dec. 1. We think theres a practical time limit, not a contractual one, not a legislated one, but a practical time limit on the negotiations due to the political calendar, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told a congressional hearing this week. Its my view that if we dont have a resolution within the next month or so, very likely itll be kicked over for quite a little while because of the election cycle. Especially in Mexico, where, as you know, there is one candidate who is running on a quite anti-American platform. There actually has been major movement at the NAFTA table lately. On an issue seen as arguably the No. 1 American negotiating objective, auto manufacturing, the U.S. has essentially dropped a controversial proposal deemed a non-starter by Canada and Mexico. The U.S. has proposed a more flexible formula for ensuring production in the U.S., rather than a hard rule demanding 50 per cent of every car to have American content. The Canadian government is buoyed by other recent developments in Canada-U.S. trade: this week Boeing has dropped its legal fight against Bombardier and there are indications of a potential settlement in a dispute over glossy paper. Now the U.S. is making a threat: Without a new NAFTA, there could be tariffs. I can assure you, if we dont get a better deal within the context of NAFTA from Canada and Mexico and refigure this, were going to have something happen, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told CNN this week. He said every country will have to agree to caps on steel and aluminum exports to the U.S. The Trump administration is concerned that a glut of Chinese steel will be dumped into countries that have an exemption, then squeeze into the U.S. market. Thats why its seeking quotas on exports. Every country that is not facing tariffs that were going to negotiate with will face quotas, so that we protect our aluminum and steel industries, Navarro said. Read more about: Much as we love links at NC, given the volume of material we are now getting, it would be really really helpful to the moderators, and would also improve comment quality, if well-intentioned readers didnt simply dump links, but explained the qualifications of the source, and ideally gave a quote. This goes double for YouTubes and videos generally. Think of it as informational hygiene. Supreme Court rules states are immune from copyright law Ars Technica Destroying Indonesias virgin forests to protect the climate? Qantara #COVID-19 Self-Isolated Woman Going So Crazy Shes Started Talking To Her Spouse The Onion Mans supportive tweets and posts getting on everyones tits Daily Mash This pandemic is changing how my family eats Treehugger Coronavirus: Denver mayor forced to reverse lockdown of alcohol and marijuana shops following panic buying Independent *** Countries Are Starting to Hoard Food, Threatening Global Trade Bloomberg UN SG issues call for global ceasefire given battle against COVID-19 Jurist Trump and Bolsonaro see coronavirus more as a political hassle than a public threat WaPo Coronavirus: Reopening the US by Easter a beautiful timeline BBC Imaginary clock: Governors reject Trumps virus timeline AP Slow Response to the Coronavirus Measured in Lost Opportunity NYT The People in Charge See an Opportunity Atlantic How location data could play a role in managing the coronavirus crisis The Verge WHO sees potential of US becoming new coronavirus epicentre https://t.co/wOKFtfLaZK The Straits Times (@STcom) 24 March 2020 *** Widening coronavirus crisis threatens to shutter doctors offices nationwide LA Times Doctors Are Hoarding Unproven Coronavirus Medicine by Writing Prescriptions for Themselves and Their Families *** Doctors threaten to quit NHS over shortage of protective kit Guardian More than 170,000 volunteer to help UK fight coronavirus Reuters SFO needs urgent fix to fight Covid-19 fraud FCPA Blog *** Doctors Note: What does having the coronavirus feel like? Al Jazeera Which Covid-19 drugs work best? MIT Technology Review *** Party Zero: How a Soiree in Connecticut Became a Super Spreader NYT Brady Sluder said he has realized hes not invincible after all. https://t.co/ZUxSt4K5Y3 USA TODAY (@USATODAY) 24 March 2020 *** Everybodys Scared: Panic At Immigrant Detention Center After Positive Coronavirus Test Marshall Project New York to release 300 nonviolent Rikers inmates amid pandemic The Hill *** Japans winning its quiet fight against Covid-19 Asia Times *** Coronavirus: Italys cases 10 times higher than reported, says emergency chief Straits Times *** Modi Orders 3-Week Total Lockdown for All 1.3 Billion Indians NYT Indias migrant workers flee cities and threaten the countryside FT Coronavirus: Did India rush into a full lockdown without planning? Or did it have little choice? Scroll Why 21 days? Experts guess Telegraph Modis Silence on Essential Supplies During 21 Day National Lockdown Sets Off Panic The Wire Coronavirus: Is this textile city set to be Indias Italy? BBC *** As virus recedes in China, anti-Xi revolt spreads Asia Times Thousands of covert coronavirus cases go under the radar in Wuhan, Chinese-led researchers say SCMP *** The untold origin story of the N95 mask Fast Company. Fascinating read. UPDATE: Luxury Brands Make Masks To Fight Global Medical Supply Shortages Jing Daily Markets/Economy Noted chef Floyd Cardoz has died after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, family sources said on Wednesday. Cardoz, 59, died of COVID-19 infection in a hospital in New York, the sources said. He was the co-owner of two popular restaurants in Mumbai, Bombay Canteen and O Pedro, and had recently launched his third venture, the Bombay Sweet Shop. Cardoz had been in Mumbai, where he was born, till March 8 and had informed on social media on March 18 that he had admitted himself to hospital in New York, where he lived, as he felt feverish. He had trained as a biochemist before he discovered his real passion - in a restaurant kitchen and had moved to New York after attending culinary school in Switzerland. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid the novel pandemic coronavirus outbreak, our national airline Air India has emerged as a saviour for those who were stuck overseas. The airline has operated special flights to evacuate Indian nationals from places like Wuhan in China and Rome in Italy - the two countries that have suffered the most from the deadly virus. The Centre issued a statement that no international flights will be allowed in the country for a whole week starting from March 22. however, Air India was still on duty, trying to rescue Indian citizens stuck in foreign lands. ANI On Sunday, Air India brought back 263 students from Rome in their Boeing 777 ER aircraft which landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. Aside from this, they sent a flight to Milan last week to evacuate 230 stranded Indian nationals, to make sure they get back home safely. This is not the first time that Air India has emerged as the hero when it comes to evacuating the citizens of our country from overseas. Way back in 1990, Air India had managed to carry out an evacuation mission to rescue 1.7 lakh Indian nationals from Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War. This operation is known as the 'largest rescue mission by a civil airliner'. AFP During this time of absolute distress and chaos, Air India has not rescued just Indian but foreign nationals as well. Air India 747 flew to Wuhan on the 1st of February to rescue 324 stranded Indians. Wuhan was the epicenter of the virus outbreak at the time and this was one of the first rescue mission by any government around the world. The same aircraft then flew to rescue 323 more Indians and 7 Maldivian nationals from the same place. In a message addressed to the crew, an Air India senior official said, "As you know these are testing times with even the aviation sector locked down but we as a national airline have special role to play in operating charter/rescue flights." Twitter Special measures were taken while choosing the crew to board these flights. Anyone with a compromised immunity system was not considered fit for flying and five doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital accompanied the crew in the rescue mission. The crew had minimal contact with the passengers when the flight landed in Wuhan and a box of food and 1 litre of water was placed on each seat. TOI The Boeing 747 being a double-decker airbus, the upper deck was solely for the crew and the first class was for the doctors and engineers accompanying them. All of these people wore masks, gloves and hazard suits when the flight landed at the epicenter of the virus. Passengers were checked by the doctors before they could board the flight and the cabin crew only manned the doors during take off and landing. Rules and hygiene protocol were explained to the evacuees before the flight took off. The aircraft also carried medicines in case of an emergency but luckily there was none. The crew, engineers and doctors were placed under a week of self quarantine after their return. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. The crew of @airindiain Boeing 777 led by Capt Swati Raval & Capt Raja Chauhan responded to the call of duty & displayed exemplary determination by airlifting 263 Indians, mostly students, stranded in Rome. pic.twitter.com/JfqC7kwmGG Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) March 22, 2020 Air India has always been at the center of a lot of controversies but these evacuation missions have proved them to be more than competent. Saving lives at a time like this not an easy job to do but it has gone out of its way to serve the nation. For that, it deserves a whole lot of respect. [March 25, 2020] Shuman Glenn & Stecker Investigates Advance Auto Parts, Inc. Shuman Glenn & Stecker announces that it is investigating potential shareholder claims against certain officers and directors of Advance Auto Parts, Inc. ("Advance Auto Parts" or the "Company") (NYSE: AAP). Advance Auto Parts sells automotive replacement parts and accessories online and in stores across North America. The Firm's investigation relates to allegations in a class action lawsuit filed against the Company and certain of its senior officers in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The lawsuit lleges that the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings were false and/or misleading and/or failed to disclose that (i) integration issues surrounding the Company's acquisition of Carquest resulted in systemic inefficiencies and cannibalization of sales; and (ii) increased competition was negatively impacting sales. The Company's senior officers also made positive statements in press releases and earnings calls beginning in 2016 and continuing into 2017. In a recent ruling denying the Company's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, the federal judge determined that at least some of the Company's projections "lacked a reasonable basis," because they ignored internal Company forecasts that actually predicted negative growth for that period. The lawsuit further alleges that the allegedly false and misleading statements by the Company and senior management led to damages to the Company's stock price. On May 24, 2017, the Company reported a quarterly decrease in gross profit. On this news, the Company's share price fell from $140.66 per share to $133.02 per share on May 24, a decline of 5%. On August 15, 2017, the Company disclosed, in part, that "[c]omparable store sales for the quarter were flat." On this news, the Company's share price fell from $109.32 per share to $87.08 per share on August 15, a decline of 20%. If you currently own Advance Auto Parts common stock and are interested in discussing your rights, or have information relating to this investigation, please contact Brett Stecker toll free at (866) 569-4531 or email Mr. Stecker at [email protected]. Shuman Glenn & Stecker represents investors throughout the nation, concentrating its practice in stockholder litigation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005616/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Nintendos latest system looks to have eclipsed the sales of the Wii in Japan, at least according to data gathered by Game Data Library. According to sales numbers shared on Twitter, the Nintendo Switch has, as of this week, sold 12,801,240 units in Japan, beating out the 12,739,002 on record for lifetime Japanese Wii sales. But, on top of that, Game Data Library points out that the Switch has so far sold considerably quicker than the Wii, and surpassed the older systems lifetime Japanese sales during only the 161st week of its lifetime while it took the Wii twice that to breach 12.7 million sales. This makes it the third quickest selling system in Japan when compared against other systems in their third year, just below the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo 3DS. Those curious about the data can find more informationand graphs!in Game Data Librarys Twitter thread. This makes for the second record Nintendo has unofficially broken this week, following in the footsteps of estimates from earlier today that put Animal Crossing: New Horizons as the systems top launch with 1,880,626 physical copies sold release week. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. With having published myriads of reports for global clients, Future Market Insights exhibits its expertise in the market research field. Our dedicated crew of professionals ride the wave of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and big data analytics, to project the adoption pattern and consumption trends regarding the market. A three-step quality check process - data collection, triangulation, and validation - is paramount while assuring the authenticity of the information captured. Global Food Testing Market Report The latest business intelligence study by FMI suggests that the global market of Food Testing Market reached US$ XX in 2019 with a CAGR of ~ XX% from 2019 to 2029 (Forecast period). The research study focuses on the drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends impacting the Food Testing Market. All the relevant vendors running in the Food Testing Market are examined based on market share and product footprint. Key players include- Intertek Group Plc., SGS SA, Bureau Veritas S.A., Eurofins Scientific SE, ALS Limited, Thermo Fischer Scientific Inc., UL LLC, AsureQuality Limited, Aspirata, Spectro Analytical Labs, Ltd., The SOCOTEC Group, EMSL Analytical Inc. and others. The data associated with each market player includes: Company Profile Main Business Information SWOT Analysis Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin Request Sample Copy of this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-10486 By Application -wise Segmentation Assessment: Bakery & Confectionery Dairy Products Processed & Packaged Food Infant Food Alcoholic & Non-alcoholic Beverages Functional Food Meat & Poultry Products Seafood By Target Tested -wise Segmentation Assessment: Pathogen Allergen Residues & Contaminants Chemical & Nutritional Shelf-life GMO Others Download Segment-wise Analysis@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/10486 By Region -wise Segmentation Assessment: North America Latin America Europe Middle East and Africa East Asia South Asia Oceania The Food Testing Market research also takes into account the important countries that hold significant share in the respective regions. 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In which year, the global Food Testing Market has the lowest YoY growth rate? 4. At what rate has the global Food Testing Market been growing throughout the historic period 2014-2018 ? 5. By end use segment, which segment currently leads the global Food Testing Market? And many more ... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 16:10 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d5b702 1 National religion,Indonesia,law,Supreme-Court,religious-freedom,society,house-of-worship,HRW Free A notorious joint ministerial decree that regulates the construction of houses of worship may be subject to a judicial review by the Supreme Court after going unchallenged for more than a decade. The 2006 decree on places of worship, issued jointly by the Religious Affairs Ministry and the Home Ministry, has been criticized by activists for being misused by local communities to prevent the construction of places of worship for minority groups across the country. According to a document obtained by The Jakarta Post, Tirtayasa, who represents a group of petitioners calling themselves the Peoples Lawsuit Presidium (PRM), filed a request earlier this month for the Supreme Court to review articles 13(1), 13(3) and 14(2)(b) of the decree. The last time the decree was challenged at the Supreme Court was in 2008 by another civil society group called the Team of Religious Freedom Defenders. Their case file was rejected. Lambok F. Sihombing, head of the Pemuda Batak Bersatu (PBB) civil society group that has joined the fight under the banner of the PRM, said he wished the court justices would think clearly and prioritize religious tolerance. The joint ministerial decree means [religious freedom is] free but with an asterisk [...] We want this to be tested and whether it is still relevant in our current situation, he told the Post recently. If it isnt, then it should be scrapped or at least modified. Religious minorities are particularly susceptible, because the decree stipulates a need to obtain consent from the majority of a local community, and even then such projects are easily stalled by complaints from other residents. Although Indonesias Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion for every citizen, the decree requires a congregation to obtain 90 signatures from its members and another 60 from other residents before building a house of worship. It also requires that the congregation obtain an endorsement letter from the local administration and a recommendation letter from the local regional affairs office and the Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) an interfaith forum that reflects the religious makeup of each region, with each faith or belief system represented by at least one person, if at all possible. These obligations have proven difficult for adherents to religions other than Islam, the countrys majority religion. Christians, the second-largest religious group in the country, make up about 10 percent of the population, while other minorities still face rejection because their small congregations struggle to satisfy the regulations requirements. Lambok said the controversy also went beyond traditional houses of worship, such as mosques and churches, and called on the court to alter or scrap the provision on community endorsement. He noted the recent vandalizing of the Tumaluntung village hall in North Sulawesis North Minahasa regency, which serves as an informal prayer hall for the local Muslim community in a region that is predominantly Christian. We arent fighting minorities or majorities talking in those terms ultimately depends on the area in question, Lambok said. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) Indonesia researcher Andreas Harsono said that Christians have found it particularly hard to get the required community backing, as certain denominations were quite small and exclusivist. Between January 2007 and November 2019, human rights watchdog Setara Institute recorded 199 cases of persecution against churches, followed by mosques (133), Buddhist monasteries (15), Confucian (10) and Hindu (8) temples and one against a Jewish synagogue as well as 32 cases against other houses of worship. And while the rejection of minorities houses of worship occurred more regularly in at least 24 provinces across the country, Andreas said the joint decree also put nonmainstream sects or denominations of majority religions in the crosshairs. For instance, in Bogor, West Java known as one of the most intolerant regions in Indonesia residents protested against the construction of places of worship for nonmainstream branches of Islam and Christianity. The Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal Mosque in North Bogor became a site of protest in 2017 when its organizer applied for the building to be renovated. Locals were wary, because it was linked to the purist Salafi school of Islamic thought that considers mainstream practices of Islam heretic. The Bandung State Administrative Court (PTUN) ruled in favor of the mosque that same year, after the Bogor administration had suspended its building permit (IMB). In 2008, a similar incident affected the Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church (GKI Yasmin), but the Bandung PTUN and the State Administrative High Court in Jakarta ordered the Bogor administration to revoke its decree freezing the churchs building permit. The Supreme Court also ruled in favor of GKI Yasmin in 2010, but the Bogor mayor revoked its permit a year later, forcing the congregation to hold sermons, including Christmas celebrations, outside the building for years. In other words, the 2006 decree enabled the majority group to clamp down on minorities, Andreas told the Post, noting that it provided dissenting locals with a legal basis for rejecting such projects. It is our position that [the joint ministerial decree] needs to be scrapped. UPDATE (4/1): Pa. stay-at-home order extends statewide for all of April UPDATE (3/30): The stay-at-home order has been expanded to four more counties Carbon, Cumberland, Dauphin and Schuylkill. The order will remain in place for all counties until April 30. UPDATE (3/27): The stay-at-home order has been expanded to include nine more counties Berks, Butler, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Luzerne, Pike, Wayne, Westmoreland and York. Already under the order were Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia. ORIGINAL POST (3/25): Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday expanded a stay-at-home order to 10 Pennsylvania counties, a list that now includes the Lehigh Valley, as a way to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Residents of Lehigh and Northampton counties will be asked to stay home except for specific, essential travel starting at 8 p.m. Wednesday and lasting until April 6. This is being done mostly in counties where the rise in COVID-19 cases or related factors are seen as a threat to the capacity of medical services, which could result in more sick people or deaths. There are at least 1,100 COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania and 11 people have died as of Wednesday. The governor and state Health Secretary Rachel Levine say a surge in new patients is expected in the coming weeks. For most of us, its not much different than the social distancing already practiced since schools and most businesses were closed. Wolfs order seeks to restrict residents movement to only essential matters. According to the governors order, that means: Ensuring the health and safety of family members and pets, like obtaining medicine, visiting doctors and getting supplies to work from home. Getting necessary services or supplies for themselves or their family, household members or pets, or to deliver those services or supplies to others. Traveling to care for relatives or pets in another household, for volunteer efforts or to aid the elderly, minors, dependents or other vulnerable people. Going to work at a life-sustaining business . (Anyone performing life-sustaining travel does not need paperwork to prove the reason for travel.) Getting to and from educational institutions for distance-learning materials, meals or related services. Traveling home from outside the county, or for non-residents to return home. Any travel required by law enforcement or court order. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has expanded his stay-at-home order to 10 counties, now including the Lehigh Valley, to stem the spread of COVID-19. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com Can I go outside during a stay-at-home order? Yes. The order specifically allows residents to go outside and exercise, including going for walks, runs or hikes provided that safe social distancing is observed. That means no large crowds and maintaining at least six feet of space between people to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Is there a curfew in Pennsylvania? No. The Pennsylvania stay-at-home order does not impose a curfew. What is exempt under Pennsylvanias stay-at-home order? Life-sustaining business activities are exempt. That includes doctors offices, banks, laundromats and restaurants that serve takeout only. (See the full list of life-sustaining businesses embedded below.) So are medical offices, services for low-income residents such as food banks, certain child-care facilities, news media, law enforcement, the federal government and religious institutions. What counties are under a stay-at-home order? There are now 19 counties under Wolfs amended order. As of March 25, the order covered Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia. Berks, Butler, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Luzerne, Pike, Wayne, Westmoreland and York were added March 27. The rest of the state is asked to practice appropriate social distancing. Why isnt all of Pennsylvania under a stay-at-home order? In a media briefing on Wednesday, Gov. Wolf said his administration is trying to take a measured approach to the coronavirus pandemic, focusing on areas where outbreaks are the heaviest or there is other cause for action. Specifically for the Lehigh Valley, Health Secretary Levine said there was concern about the rise and community spread of coronavirus cases, which totaled 82 in the region as of Wednesday, and particularly with the number of deaths in Northampton County three of Pennsylvanias 11 deaths have been reported here, the most anywhere in the state so far. "Staying home is vital to saving lives in our commonwealth, Wolf said. For more specifics, guidance on the stay-at-home order can be found on the governors website. If you may have been exposed or exhibit the symptoms of COVID-19 fever, cough and shortness of breath contact your health care provider. For more information on the coronavirus, consult your state health department at health.pa.gov and the CDC website. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Sign up for text message alerts from lehighvalleylive.com on coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley: Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. These gaps are particularly worrying because as of Wednesday, tens of millions of residents of Hubei province will be able to move around for the first time in months. Though Wuhan, the provincial capital, will remain in lockdown, some fear another wave of cases could be possible as people start to travel into and around the Chinese heartland. Connecticut has seen a rise of 200 coronavirus cases after it was revealed a 40th birthday gathering in the the state became 'Party Zero' and spread the disease around the world. About 50 guests reportedly gathered on March 5 at a home in the wealthy suburb of Westport for a lavish buffet and celebration. After the event, roughly half of those at the party became infected with COVID-19 and transmitted it to other US states and the rest of the world. On Tuesday Governor Ned Lamont announced Connecticut had more than 200 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the previous 24 hours. The state's total case count of infections is so far at 618 with 71 patients in hospital and 12 deaths. During the press conference on Tuesday, Lamont criticized President Trump for suggesting the lockdowns imposed by many areas could be over a matter of weeks. Main Street in Westport, Connecticut, where a party of around 50 people saw around half the guests infected with coronavirus Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont last week closed restaurants and public buildings statewide Westport Museum was one of the landmarks closed as the state of Conecticut tried to halt the spread of coronavirus He said: 'You're not going to get your economy back on its feet until we solve this public health crisis in a serious way. 'So I don't want to mislead people that, ''Hey it's just going to be a couple weeks and then you can get back to business as usual''. That's a mistake I think. The federal government has been sending the wrong message for too long.' The steep rise in the state comes after it was revealed the 40th gathering in upmarket Westport was dubbed 'party zero' after many guests became infected at a time before the state recorded its first case. According to the New York Times, guests left on March 5 for Johannesburg, New York City, other parts of Connecticut and the wider US. One of the guests was a 43-year-old South African businessman who started to feel ill during his flight home. He was later diagnosed with coronavirus and, after seeking medical advice, began contacting others at the party. But it became impossible to trace all the other guests because so many people at the party had moved around the county and beyond. Three days after the party, one of the guests woke up in Westport with chest pains, a fever that spiked to 104 degrees, and 'felt like she was dying'. Medical workers putting on fresh personal protective equipment (PPE) at a drive-thru coronavirus testing station at Cummings Park in Stamford, Connecticut, yesterday Julie Endich wrote on Facebook in a lengthy post: 'My journey started on March 8, 3 days after I attended an event with amazing friends. 'I woke up that morning, with incredible chest pain, tightness and heaviness like someone was standing on my chest. 'As the day went on I started to get body aches, chills, fever and headache. It hit me fast. It felt like the flu x 2!!! I couldn't move, I was bedridden and my fevers were spiking to 104.' She added it was four days before she could get test results confirming she had coronavirus. On the day of the party Connecticut did not have a single recorded case of coronavirus, but as of today 10 people in the state have died with 415 infections. More than 50 people currently are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Connecticut. In Westport state officials say there have been 74 cases of infection. The upmarket enclave remains the Connecticut community with the highest number of infections. The Connecticut town with the second highest number is Greenwich, with less than half the number of patients. Arpad Krizsan, who owns a financial advisory firm in Westport and lives in the community, told the Times: 'They think at least 100 times as many people are infected as what the tests are showing. And everybody [in the town] goes to the same four shops.' A health worker at a drive-thru coronavirus testing station at Cummings Park in Stamford, Connecticut, yesterday Last week Govenor Ned Lamont closed restaurants and public buildings statewide and begged federal officials for hospital capacity and protective gear to help battle the virus. In a video release on Friday, Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe said the party's hosts, attendees or others should not be vilified because the virus has simply spread so far too quickly. Mark Cooper, director of the Westport Weston Health District, in a statement on Sunday: 'The increasing number of positive cases is not surprising. 'Last week the number of testing sites and the resulting number of tests being conducted increased significantly. The more testing that gets done, the more COVID19 will be found in Westport and Weston, and across the state. Everyone should assume it is everywhere. 'Of those with confirmed cases in Connecticut, it is interesting to note that the 40 to 49 age group has the highest number of laboratory confirmed COVID19 cases. But no age group is spared, COVID19 can infect anyone.' So far nationally there have been more than 54,000 cases of the virus in the US with more than 783 people have died. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday encouraged citizens to work in the countryside and drive tractors as a way to overcome the coronavirus epidemic. The former collective farm director, who likes to emphasise his connection to the land and rural residents, told officials at a televised meeting that "there shouldn't be any panic" over the virus. "You just have to work, especially now, in a village", he said as the former Soviet country that borders Russia and Poland prepares to sow crops. "It's nice watching television: people are working in tractors, no one is talking about the virus," Lukashenko said. "There, the tractor will heal everyone. The fields heal everyone," he added. Belarus is famed in the former Soviet Union for its tractor production, with the Minsk tractor plant remaining a regional leader. The country of nine million has so far reported 36 cases of the coronavirus. Lukashenko is not the only post-Soviet leader to put a personal spin on anti-viral advice. In Central Asia, Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov on Friday recommended inhaling smoke from a burning desert-region plant called Peganuma harmala, also known as African Rue, Turkmenistan Today state news agency reported. The isolated authoritarian state has not reported any cases of coronavirus. Russia has sent it testing kits. Malin Andersson has reflected on her battle with suicidal thoughts. Whilst expressing concerns over the mental health state of those self-isolating, the reality star gave fans an insight into her own struggles. The Love Island star turned mental health and body positivity advocate, 26, spoke candidly about her own experiences in a bid to help out others. Candid: Malin Andersson has reflected on her battle with suicidal thoughts, whilst expressing concerns over the mental health state of those self-isolating Alongside a picture taken on a holiday in Bali, Malin warned that even when people appear to be coping, there's no knowing how they are really feeling. Explaining that repressed emotions can come through at any time, she recalled going on holiday after the death of her daughter, believing that she was dealing with her grief, but had instead buried it. Malin lost her baby daughter Consy last January, just one month after giving birth to her due to 'complications' with being born seven weeks premature. Advocate: The Love Island star turned mental health and body positivity advocate, 26, spoke candidly about her own experiences in a bid to help out others Honest: Alongside a picture taken on a holiday in Bali, Malin warned that even when people appear to be coping, there's no knowing how they are really feeling Recalling the holiday she took shortly afterwards, she said: 'I was in Bali, my first real escape after Consy. I had a freeing, amazing time. 'I then came back to normality tried to "live" but I didnt want to. 'Pause. This isnt spoken enough. Its only spoken about when it happens. Listen. 'I was happy. People thought I was ok again, they thought I was over everything. My actions said so. My social media said so too. To everyone else I was "Happy". 'Truth: I wasnt. I tried. I was suppressed. I wasnt feeling my pain. I was ignoring the fact I wasnt ok.' Tragic loss: Malin lost her baby daughter Consy last January, just one month after giving birth to her due to 'complications' with being born seven weeks premature Urging her followers not to ignore any signs, she encouraged them not to beat themselves up if they were struggling with their thoughts during isolation. She reasoned: 'Take all of this one step at a time. Nobody said this was an easy journey. Nobody prepared us for this. 'But remember this; they put you on this earth because you are strong. You are capable of fighting, and you will get through this and see the light that exists on the way out. 'Its going to be the most bitter-sweet journey youll ever have. Sending my warmest hugs. Tagged what helps me. Reach out, dont feel ashamed.' Malin, who appeared on series two of Love Island in 2016, gave birth seven weeks early on December 23, 2018. Just one month later she shared the devastating news with fans that sweet Consy had passed away after being cared for at Great Ormond Street. For Malin, her daughter's passing came after the devastating loss of her own mum who passed away in November 2017. If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org For help with the loss of a child, contact The Lullaby Trust on 0808 802 6868 or visit www.lullabytrust.org.uk [March 25, 2020] Sucuri Offers Free Year of Cybersecurity Software to Medical Service Providers Sucuri, an industry leader in website security, will be offering a year of their Web Application Firewall (WAF) service to medical service providers. After recent news reports of cyberattacks on hospitals and other medical care providers during the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic, the firewall software is expected to both block attacks and improve the load times of websites. Sucuri is now accepting applications to determine eligibility for the program. Bad actors often target medical service provider websites for ransomware attacks. These attacks can result in a lockdown of patient data or vital resources until a ransom is paid. It is likely these bad actors will also use the pandemic as an opportuity for these kinds of campaigns. Also, medical websites will see a surge in traffic as the public seeks information, which can result in website slowdowns. Sucuri's WAF is frequently updated with the latest and emerging threat definitions to block distributed denial of service (DDoS) and other attacks by bad actors. The WAF also mitigates traffic surges with the Anycast content delivery network (CDN). These two features will keep websites online and loading as quickly as possible if an attack or traffic surge were to happen. The software was also designed for users who must adhere to the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). "We want to help our medical crisis responders however we can," said Krystle Herbrandson, general manager at Sucuri. "By offering our services for free for one year, we can ensure their online presence will not be compromised during these critical times." Herbrandson noted that the Sucuri will also consider applications from food banks, government social services, and nonprofit volunteer services. Applications are now being accepted at https://sucuri.typeform.com/to/zg48b3. Sucuri is one of the most recommended website security services among web professionals. Founded in 2008, Sucuri's globally-distributed team has ceaselessly innovated with one goal in mind - to make websites safer and faster in a world of emerging threats. The company has been a subsidiary of GoDaddy since 2017. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005187/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] By Associated Press KABUL: Unidentified gunmen and suicide bombers stormed a Sikh gurdwara in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 11 worshippers and wounding as many, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the country, according to a media report. The gunmen attacked the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. "At least 11 people have been killed and 11 others wounded in attack at Dharamshala, a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul," Tolo News quoted a security source as saying. "Three attackers are still fighting with security forces and one has been shot. Foreign troops have also responded to the attack on Dharamshala, a Sikh temple in PD1," it said in a tweet. Kabul police said that at least 11 children have been rescued from the gurdwara. Sikh lawmaker Nardendar Singh Khalisa told reporters close to the scene that up to 150 people were praying inside the gurdwara when it came under attack. "Afghan forces have cleared the first floor of a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul, where suicide bombers are battling security forces," Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian was quoted as saying in the report. "A number of people have been rescued who were trapped inside the building," he said. The country's main militant group, the Taliban, has denied involvement in the attack. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the militant group had no link with the attack in Shor Bazar area of Kabul, Khama News agency reported. Sikhs have been the target of attack by Islamist militants before in Afghanistan. Two years ago, the Islamic State group targeted a Sikh gathering in Afghanistan, killing 19 people. Edelstein, the parliament speaker for the past seven years, called the Supreme Court decision an "arrogant intervention" in the legislative branch. Nonetheless, he said he was stepping down so as not to allow Israel to "descend into anarchy" and devolve into civil war. But in his last act he also said parliament would only reconvene next week, in apparent subversion of the Supreme Court order to hold the vote by Wednesday. Blue and White said the move put Edelstein in contempt of court and indicated they would file another petition against him to force his hand. The showdown marked the height of an ever-deepening standoff between Netanyahu's opponents and supporters in the wake of the country's third inconclusive election in less than a year. It also comes against the backdrop of a series of emergency executive measures the caretaker government has enacted to quell the spread of the new virus. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or even death. The virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those showing no symptoms. But the tide may be changing, after two court decisions this month addressed important aspects of how copyright applies to music and, in many cases, may make it more difficult to prove that one song copied another. That case and others raised serious questions about the legal protections available for music: When does homage become plagiarism? When does a common chord progression become one songwriter's property? Songwriters and producers worried that their next hit could make them the target of a lawsuit. In the five years since a federal jury decided that Robin Thicke's hit song Blurred Lines had copied Marvin Gaye's disco-era standard Got to Give It Up, the music industry has been in an anxious state about copyright. The catalyst is Led Zeppelin, which was accused of borrowing the pastoral opening to its 1971 classic-rock odyssey Stairway to Heaven from a lesser-known song, Taurus by the band Spirit; the two songs share a similar chord sequence and a bass line that descends along a chromatic scale. Led Zeppelin prevailed at trial, and this month the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the jury's verdict. In a footnote to its 73-page decision, the 9th Circuit which heard the appeal "en banc," or as a full panel of 11 judges also explained what constitutes illegal copying when it comes to works that involve generic or commonplace elements. In those cases, the judges said, only a minimal, or "thin," level of copyright applies, and a plaintiff must show that a work is "virtually identical" to a defendant's. The author of the panel's majority opinion, Judge M. Margaret McKeown, gave no specifics about what kinds of works may apply, just that they must be virtually identical "if the range of protectable expression is narrow." But lawyers, and at least one judge, seized on that statement as applying to brief musical passages that may recycle common chords or melodies exactly the situation with Perry's hit Dark Horse, which a jury last year found had infringed on an eight-note instrumental pattern in a Christian rap song. Just a week after the Led Zeppelin decision, the judge in Perry's case, Christina A. Snyder of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, cited the 9th Circuit's footnote in a ruling that threw out the Dark Horse jury's verdict and, with it, a $US2.8 million ($4.6 million) damages award. Those eight notes were "not a particularly unique or rare combination," Snyder wrote, and therefore could not be protected by copyright. (Lawyers for the plaintiff, Marcus Gray, who performs under the name Flame, have said they will appeal.) As many litigators and legal scholars see it, these decisions have quickly reset the balance of power in music copyright cases. Since Blurred Lines, a series of lawsuits have focused on short phrases or chunks of generic musical elements in combination; those cases may now be harder for plaintiffs to win. French President Emmanuel Macron today pledged 'massive investments' for the country's public hospital health system, which is close to breaking point as it copes with the coronavirus outbreak which has already caused 1,331 deaths in the country. 'Once this crisis is over, a massive investment plan and an upgrade of the career paths will be put in place for our hospital system,' Macron told a news conference in eastern France, where the disease outbreak is raging. He also said he had decided to launch an army operation, dubbed 'Resilience,' to help with health and logistics in mainland France and its overseas territories. French President Emmanuel Macron wears a face mask during his visit to the military field hospital outside the Emile Muller Hospital in Mulhouse, eastern France today, during a strict lockdown in France to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) French President Emmanuel Macron delivers speech after the visit of the military field hospital outside the Emile Muller Hospital in Mulhouse, eastern France, on March 25, 2020, on the ninth day of a lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) in France A night view of empty street on Ile de La Cite on Wednesday in Paris, France. The country has introduced fines for people caught violating its nationwide lockdown measures intended to stop the spread of COVID-19. The pandemic has spread to at least 182 countries, claiming over 10,000 lives and infecting hundreds of thousands more French President Emmanuel Macron (centre) wears a face mask during the visit of the military field hospital outside the Emile Muller Hospital in Mulhouse, eastern France, today, on the ninth day of a lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) in France Macron, speaking this evening outside France's debut military field hospital in Mulhouse, called for 'unity' and called the battle against the coronavirus a 'war'. 'We have only one goal, to be united against the virus,' he said, 'because when we go to war we must commit fully and mobilise in unity.' Macron's speech came shortly after France registered 1,331 deaths from the new coronavirus, a jump of 231 from the day before. French President Emmanuel Macron (C) wears a face mask during the visit of the military field hospital outside the Emile Muller Hospital in Mulhouse, eastern France, on Wednesday, on the ninth day of a lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) in France French President Emmanuel Macron wears a face mask during his visit of the military field hospital outside the Emile Muller Hospital in Mulhouse, eastern France, today, on the tenth day of a strict lockdown in France to stop the spread of COVID-19 A night view of an empty square in front of the Arc De Triomphe Wednesday in Paris, France. The country has introduced fines for people caught violating its nationwide lockdown measures intended to stop the spread of COVID-19 The President of the Republic, Mr. Emmanuel Macron is pictured today in Mulhouse at the field hospital built by the French army on the site of the Emile Muller Regional Hospital Centre. This field hospital, with a capacity of thirty resuscitation beds, which aims to take the pressure off services at the Mulhouse hospital A total of 11,539 people have been hospitalised in France so far, according to the country's top infectious disease doctor Jerome Salomon. France, like many other European countries, imposed a strict lockdown of movement last Tuesday, which top scientific experts estimate will last for another six weeks. Scientists advising Macron's government said that it was 'indispensable' to extend the measure from its initial duration of two weeks, having first been imposed last Tuesday. People gather at their windows every evening at 8 PM as a tribute to doctors and nurses on Ile de La Cite Wednesday in Paris, France A night view of an empty Pyramide of the Louvre square Wednesday in Paris, France view of an empty street with shut down stores and restaurants next to Saint Michel on Wednesday in Paris, France. The country has introduced fines for people caught violating its nationwide lockdown measures intended to stop the spread of COVID-19. The pandemic has spread to at least 182 countries, claiming over 10,000 lives and infecting hundreds of thousands more French President Emmanuel Macron wears a face mask during his visit of the military field hospital outside the Emile Muller Hospital in Mulhouse, eastern France, today, on the tenth day of a strict lockdown in France to stop the spread of COVID-19 Earlier this week, French border guards impounded trucks filled with 130,000 face masks bound for the UK leading to hurried negotiations between the British and French governments. The masks were meant for NHS workers battling coronavirus across the country. After realising what was on board, border guards in France held the truck in the wake of President Emmanuel Macron's promise to 'requisition' face masks for the French crisis, reported The Sun. Aircraft carrier Liaoning hosts fighter jet drills amid epidemic Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2020/3/24 18:02:22 The Liaoning, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's first aircraft carrier, recently set out for a voyage and hosted fighter jets carrying out takeoff and landing exercises, in an attempt to minimize the impact of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) outbreak on the training of more carrier-based fighter pilots, while experts said on Tuesday the carrier enjoyed success in epidemic control efforts. Under difficult sea conditions in the early spring in the Bohai Strait, multiple J-15 fighter jets took off from the flight deck of the Liaoning and successfully landed several hours later, indicating the success of the technique rehabilitation training for instructors at Naval Aviation University, the PLA Daily reported on Monday. Training for war preparedness will not be stopped even in the middle of the COVID-19 epidemic, and the training of carrier-based fighter pilots must continue, the report said, noting that the university had conducted safety evaluations to ensure the success of both training and epidemic control work. Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie told the Global Times on Tuesday that an aircraft carrier is a large warship with many people concentrated in its cabins, making it vulnerable to infectious diseases. Being able to successfully conduct related missions indicated that the Liaoning has done a great job in controlling the epidemic, he said. Training and developing carrier-based fighter pilots on an actual carrier rather than a simulated airfield is very important, as fighter jets are a carrier's weapons and the pilots need to gain experience under real combat scenarios, Li said. In just about a year, the Naval Aviation University was able to train and certify dozens of pilots for daytime and nighttime operations on an aircraft carrier, making historical breakthroughs for the biggest number of personnel in a single batch to fly on a carrier, the highest training intensity, the youngest average pilot age and the shortest period taken to fully train pilots, the PLA Daily reported. This indicated the Chinese Navy now has a complete system for independently training carrier-based pilots, which has a significant meaning for its overall aircraft carrier program, said Weihutang, a column on military affairs affiliated with China Central Television, on Monday. China's second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, also reported zero COVID-19 cases on February 17. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More than one-third (37 percent) of UAE firms are planning to shift to remote work due to the COVID-19 coronavirus public health issue, highlighting the need for organizations to enable a mobile workforce with access to business applications and data. Across the GCC, about one-third (35 percent) of firms are planning to shift to remote work, according to a recent survey by Gulf Talent. About half (45 percent) of all GCC firms plan to shift to remote work for all employees. While many UAE and GCC organizations have remote work plans in place, many need to implement them rapidly, said Condo Protego, a leading UAE-based IT infrastructure and information management consultancy and solutions provider. For UAE and GCC organizations, remote work is both a short-term goal, in the face of the coronavirus, and a long-term goal, because of the more flexible working styles of the Millennial and Generation Z workforce, said Praj Calthorpe, deputy GM, Condo Protego. Knowledgeable and experienced channel partners can advise on how to rapidly deploy remote working with laptops, access to business applications and data, and cybersecurity solutions. Condo Protego is working with one of the UAEs larger banks on remote working for hundreds of previously desk-bound employees, Calthorpe said. In the UAE, Condo Protego is seeing strong demand for Dell Technologies secure mobile workforce solutions for working on the go, and RSA SecurID identity and access management suite with two-factor authentication. Long-term remote working can also leverage VMwares virtual desktop infrastructure, for hosting cloud-based desktop environments and business applications With remote working, organizations can support a happier and more engaged workforce, which leads to higher productivity and return on investment, added Calthorpe. Millennial and Generation Z workers argue that work is less about location and more about tasks, which can be done as effectively at home. TradeArabia News Service The education ministry on Tuesday issued guidelines to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection in schools across Japan that are scheduled to reopen in April after monthlong closures, calling for thorough ventilation of classrooms and warning against gathering in clusters. The guidelines also request that students and staff avoid conversing with others at close quarters, check their body temperature frequently and wear face masks. If an infection is confirmed, the infected individual and those they were in close contact with are to be suspended, according to the guidelines. Temporary closure of classes or the entire school will also be recommended. "The situation has not improved. We want (schools) to prepare (for reopening) without lowering their guard," education minister Koichi Hagiuda told a press conference. The ministry asked education boards across the country on Feb. 28 to close their schools until the end of the spring break in early April as part of efforts to contain the virus outbreak. But the request targeting elementary, junior high and high schools in the country was not mandatory and it was left to local authorities to decide how long the suspension should last. Some elementary and junior high schools in Japan resumed classes on March 16, about two weeks after shutdown. Donald Trumps response to devastating hurricanes in Puerto Rico cost the lives of approximately 3,000 Americans, San Juan's mayor said, while warning the president's "botched efforts" in the coronavirus pandemic would have a similar result. The presidents botched efforts after Hurricanes Irma and Maria cost the lives of approximately 3,000 Puerto Ricans, Carmen Yulin Cruz wrote in a tweet on Tuesday. He then put the debt before the dead, she added. He is doing it again with his botched efforts in handling the COVID crisis [and] again it will cost thousands of lives. The San Juan mayor became a prominent critic of the president during Puerto Ricos recovery efforts from Hurricane Maria, lashing out at the White House in desperate pleas for aid as most of the island was left without power and critical resources for months. Nearly 3,000 deaths have been associated with the hurricane. She told CNN at the time that Mr Trumps administration killed the Puerto Ricans with neglect and said: The Trump administration led us to believe they were helping when they werent up to par, and they didnt allow other countries to help us. Shame on President Trump, she added. Shame on President Trump for not even once, not even yesterday, just saying, Look, I grieve with the people of Puerto Rico. Critics of the president said he failed to show strong support for Puerto Rico after the historic hurricanes, instead visiting the island two weeks after the disaster and throwing paper towels into a large crowd of people seeking immediate relief and resources. He meanwhile heralded his administrations response to the hurricanes and attacked the island as one of the most corrupt places on earth in a series of controversial tweets. Mr Trump has also celebrated his administrations to the coronavirus outbreak, previously saying his White House had total control of the novel virus as health officials warned it was spreading throughout the country rapidly. The president declared a national emergency over the deadly virus in mid-March, despite the US confirming its first official coronavirus case back on 20 January. The administration also faced significant issues in rolling out nationwide testing, as reports indicated bureaucratic red tape and other obstacles impeded on hospitals efforts to test patients for Covid-19. Health experts have said those initial weeks could have been a critical window for the US to save countless lives through expansive testing in the early phase of the outbreak, a move that would have helped lower the spread of transmissions and in turn prevent hospitals from reaching over capacity. Hospital staff have now warned they are facing a severe shortage of medical supplies like ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks, as doctors desperately urge Americans to stay at home and help flatten the curve. Mr Trump has also called on Americans to stay at home for at least 15 days as part of an effort to combat the spread of the virus. However, as his leading health experts have said those orders should likely remain in place for longer than 15 days, the president has insisted on reopening the country in an effort to save the economy from what analysts say could be a historic downturn. In recent days, Mr Trump has suggested he will decide whether to encourage Americans to resume their normal lives after the 15-day period, claiming in a Fox News virtual town hall on Tuesday that more people would likely die due to suicide and depression in an economic depression than from the coronavirus. A Washington State Patrol trooper was struck and killed trying to stop a suspect fleeing from law enforcement on Interstate 5 on Tuesday. Trooper Justin Schaffer, 28, was attempting to deploy spike strips to bring the pursuit to a close when the fleeing vehicle operated by William Thompson hit him, according to the Washington State Patrol. Schaffer was taken to a Centralia hospital where he died from his injuries. SWAT team officers then fired tear gas and threw flash bangs into Thompson's Ford F-150 truck, prompting him to surrender after a standoff. Scroll down for video Washington State Patrol trooper Justin Schaffer, 28 (left and right), was killed in the line of duty on Tuesday. He was struck by a vehicle while trying to stop a fleeing suspect Suspect William Thompson's pickup truck is seen wrapped around a light pole after driving over spikes Thompson surrendered after SWAT officers deployed tear gas inside his vehicle and flash bangs Thompson, 39, was booked into the Lewis County Jail on charges of vehicular homicide and attempting to elude. He is being held without bail. According to court documents cited by KING5, the suspect 'willfully' drove and 'veered' directly toward Schaffer. Authorities said police had been looking for Thompson since Monday, after he was accused of stealing lighter fluid from a convenience store and threatening the owner with a stun gun. Sophia Kang, who runs the Pacific Mini Mart, told KEPR she was scared the moment she saw Thompson, who she said appeared 'weird.' Kang followed him outside and tried to take a photo of his car, prompting the customer to allegedly point a Taser at her and a customer and threaten to run them over before driving away. On Tuesday, Thurston County deputies spotted Thompson's pickup truck on Interstate 5 and a chase ensued. After Trooper Schaffer spiked Thompson's vehicle and was fatally injured, the truck traveled another 3 miles and smashed into a pole. Schaffer is survived by his wife, Sandra (pictured left and right). For more than an hour, the driver refused to exit the truck, but he ultimately turned himself in after the SWAT team intervened. Schaffer was taken to Providence Medical Center and was being prepared to be airlifted to a hospital in Seattle, but succumbed to his injuries before the transfer, reported KIRO7. Schaffer joined the State Patrol in late 2013 and worked as a K-9 handler with his four-legged partner named Frankie. The dog was not injured during the incident. He is survived by his wife, Sandra, his parents and his brother. The fallen trooper's father, Glenn Schaffer, is the long-time chief of police in Chehalis, Washington. Justin and Sandra had been married for more than six years and lived with their two pet dogs. Ulster University has agreed that students living in the universitys student accommodation who wish to return home will be released from their contractual obligations. The University operates a Student Support Fund which makes funds available for those students suffering from genuine financial hardship at this time. The Fund is open to all students who can demonstrate they are experiencing financial hardship, whether they live in university or private sector rented accommodation and it is working to fast-track applications through this difficult period for all. A spokesperson for Ulster University commented: We understand that this is an extremely worrying time for our students. Like all universities across the UK we are actively working to deliver remote teaching for our students so they can continue to progress in their studies, will not be disadvantaged at the point of assessment and will graduate on schedule. Ulster University has agreed that students living in the universitys student accommodation who wish to return home will be released from their contractual obligations from 3 April 2020 with no financial penalties. More information on the process for early contract termination will be provided to students staying in accommodation by email in the coming days. University accommodation remains open for those students who wish to remain in their university home. It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic is having deep economic impact, with significant financial hardship for many across society and we understand our students are not exempt from this, with many losing part time jobs within the hospitality sector. The University operates a Student Support Fund which makes funds available for those students suffering from genuine financial hardship at this time. The Fund is open to all students who can demonstrate they are experiencing financial hardship, whether they live in university or private sector rented accommodation and we are working to fast-track applications through this difficult period for all. More information will be provided to students on the application process. WASHINGTON Senate leaders and the White House have reached a deal on a sprawling $2 trillion economic stimulus package to respond to the coronavirus epidemic enveloping Connecticut and the nation. After five days of furious negotiating, Senate leaders announced their agreement and started drafting final language. A vote in the Senate is expected in the next 24 hours, with the House quickly to follow. Senators said the bipartisan bill provide expanded unemployment benefits to Americans out of work, $375 billion in loans and grants for small businesses and over $150 billion in support for hospitals and health care facilities. This relief package recognizes the economic emergency will continue if theres a health crisis, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., tweeted Wednesday morning. To provide direct assistance to cash-strapped Americans, the government will send all adults four-figure checks to help with their bills, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Wednesday, describing the package. The checks will be $1,200 for all American adults who make less than $75,000, plus $500 per child. Higher income levels will receive reduced checks; Americans who make more than $99,000 will not get cash assistance. Retirees will also qualify for the money, which will be sent to Americans via direct deposit or mailed check in early April. Moreover, the bill expands unemployment assistance for people who lose their jobs as businesses close during the health crisis. The bill gives Americans four more months of unemployment assistance than usual and $600 on top of 100 percent wage replacement, according to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, who called it a big boon in an interview on Sirius XM Wednesday morning. The bill will also create a $150 billion relief fund for state and local governments, as requested by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Cuomo and the governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania previously requested $100 billion for their states so they could avoid laying off government workers and cutting funding for education during the coronavirus pandemic. The bill includes aid for industries hit hard by coronavirus, like the airlines, which have seen thousands of cancellations. Companies receiving financial support from the bill would be blocked from using the funds for stock buybacks, a provision which has seen bipartisan support in the past few days. The deal follows days of tense negotiations and two procedural votes in which Senate Democrats knocked down earlier Republican proposals for coronavirus relief. McConnell on Wednesday morning knocked Democrats for forcing three days of delay in the face of this worsening crisis. But on Wednesday afternoon, Senate passage was slowed by Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott of South Carolina, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Rick Scott of Florida, who said a drafting error in the bill incentivized businesses to lay people off and opposed a speedy vote. President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke to the senators Wednesday afternoon. I dont think it will create incentives, said Mnuchin. Our expectation is this bill passes tonight. Mnuchin and other administration leaders held discussions for days with McConnell and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. over the package. They were often seen going back and forth between the offices of Schumer and McConnell on Capitol Hill. Trump said Wednesday the legislation is by far and away the biggest package ever passed by Congress and praised the measures to help workers and businesses. I encourage the House to pass this vital legislation and send it to my desk immediately, he said. On Wednesday, Schumer called the compromise bill far from perfect. This is not a moment of celebration, but rather one of necessity, he said. The legislation does not appear to include an extension of paid sick days and medical leave to all workers something that Schumer and other Senate Democrats included as a key pillar of their stimulus proposal. Led by DeLauro, the Democrats wanted to institute a permanent paid leave program through the coronavirus package, one of several long-term reforms stretching beyond the coronavirus epidemic that they sought. House Democrats in their own stimulus proposal wanted to require airlines to cut their carbon emissions in half if they were going to receive government aid. They also wanted to create a program to create sustainable fuel for airplanes and have the government buy old airplanes off the market. Democrats wanted to include emergency funding for the U.S. Postal Service, which has seen a critical fall-off in mail volume, and wipe out its $11 billion in debt. They pressed for more tax credits for families and an extension of paid sick leave to some workers like health care providers and first responders who were left out of the second coronavirus bill passed by Congress and signed into law. Nevertheless, Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2, called the negotiated Senate bill much improved from where it was days ago. As soon as this revised agreement is drafted up for a vote in the Senate and House, both parties should cooperate to speed passage without any delay, Courtney said Wednesday. After the Senate vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., hopes to pass the legislation using mechanisms that would avert the need for House members to return to Washington for a vote, amid health concerns about traveling. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Nobody injured in Rome bus fire at dawn. A Rome city bus was destroyed by fire after it burst into flames in the early hours of 25 March, reports Italian news agency ANSA. The incident took place on Viale Vasco de Gamo in the coastal Ostia district, south-west of the capital, at around 04.00 this morning. There was nobody on board the bus, a number 03 which had been in service for 19 years. The driver attempted to extinguish the flames by himself before calling the fire brigade. Rome municipal transport agency ATAC has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the blaze, reports ANSA. A my-Leigh Hickman has said she found the filming of military drama Our Girl "challenging" because of the realism of the war scenes. The 22-year-old has joined the fourth series of the beloved BBC One show, playing nervous junior medic Mimi Saunders. One scene sees Saunders in a car that is flipped upside down after her group is targeted by suicide bombers. Speaking exclusively to the Evening Standard, Hickman explained: It feels impossible to not feel [like youre in a war] because it looks like that so much; with the way youre all dressed, the set that we film in, it feels so real - especially when youre doing all the shooting scenes and sequences. I think it would be hard to find that kind of performance if you didnt have it feel so real around you. I think thats probably why it looks so good because they make it feel like that. Further propelling the sense of war-time realism, the cast of Our Girl endured a short course of military training before flying out to South Africa for filming. However, Hickman was forced to miss training as it clashed with her filming Ackley Bridge, where she played troubled Nasreen. Pictured: Nas (Amy-Leigh Hickman) / Matt Squire / Channel 4 I was on the phone a lot to the military advisor, and he was letting me know what everyone was doing every day, she said I started training physically for it as soon as I found out I got the job. I probably ended up doing a bit more work as I was so panicky about missing that first week. Hickman added that graduating from the popular 8pm drama Ackley Bridge to a leading part in Our Girl presented other challenges particularly as her character Mimi becomes embroiled in a particularly emotional storyline. When you are in an 8pm drama, you can only go so far with it, but when youre in a 9pm drama they can push it that bit further, she explained. It was more challenging in that respect in terms of the quality of how its written and so much in what they say and do. Hickmans character sees her working very closely with Our Girls lead actor Michelle Keegan, who has since confirmed she will be hanging up her dog tags at the end of the series. It was an amazing opportunity to be working alongside such a brilliant actress, Hickman said. To be the other girl in that combination is an honour. I definitely feel a responsibility to do it justice. Balancing the emotional side with the physical side, both in the heat and in all the army gear, it was definitely challenging. I would have struggled without Michelle there. Hickman is being modest the actor has already established herself as a rising star within the industry, having acted for over ten years already. Unlike several other young actors hoping to make a name for themselves, Hickman has no formal training, having only pursued her passion for acting after her grandfather sent her to a local drama club just round the corner from her house. An agent came to teach a class once, and he's been my agent ever since, she said. It led to Hickman landing her big break at 12 in Tracy Beaker Returns, which led to roles in EastEnders, Netflix drama Safe, and of course, Ackley Bridge. Britbox TV Streaming Shows - In pictures 1 /17 Britbox TV Streaming Shows - In pictures The Office Love Island Rex Features Fawlty Towers BBC Sir David Attenborough documetray programmes for BBC BBC Gavin & Stacey BBC Only Fools & Horses Broadchurch ITV Doctor Who BBC Blackadder BBC Gentleman Jack BBC Happy Valley BBC Doctor Foster BBC The Great British Bake Off Tracy Beaker was my drama school, in a way, she explained. I was away from home six months a year. You had to learn on the job, and I do work better under pressure. I have friends who went to drama school, and I feel like I couldnt learn that way. But everyones journey is different. Some people go to drama school, some people literally get street cast. Some people go to classes. I try not to compare myself. But despite her stellar performances in Ackley Bridge, and fans raving about her debut on Our Girl, Hickman still fears about the future of her career. Im always so terrified of being typecast, she said. I love being in a job for a while, because I get familiar with the character. So after every job, I always worry I'm never going to work again! However, I do think that if you're going to be playing characters on TV, then you need to know what it is to be all different kinds of people. I think if I didn't worry about those kind of things, it would mean that I didn't care, and that goes for any industry. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the City of Laredo and Webb County is now up to nine. We received word of the new case just before 6 o'clock Tuesday evening. With this changing by the hour and at such as a rapid pace, officials provide an update on what measures they're taking and could take. In just the last 24 hours, five positive cases have been added, but according the Laredo Health Department the good news is that the vulnerable populations aren't being affected. In the daily media briefings, Health Department Director Doctor Hector Gonzalez explains the nine positive cases in the community. "Certainly you know about the three teachers, after school workers that involve two schools and our recreation center, and then the fourth case was a travel that person had a close contact with someone that now is positive, then we have the sixth case that's a person who had respiratory symptoms saw the providers. The provider tested and came out positive." The seventh case is a person who traveled to California, and the eighth came in contact with the seventh. The ninth case has not traveled and is a case of community transmission. They're currently doing an investigation into how these individuals came in contact with the virus. "The immediate group is the families to see if anyone's sick. Where they're at if they're students, if they work and then if they do work or go to school, see what kind of contact was there so we can do that." Doctor Gonzalez says these individuals are doing fine. "They've had from mild symptoms to no symptoms to respiratory symptoms: cough, chest congestion, shortness of breath. All of those are critical signs." All of the people who have tested positive continue under quarantine. The first COVID-19 case is close to completing the two week quarantine, but will have to get tested twice, both tests have to be negative before being cleared. So far, 112 people have been tested, and 37 of those results have come back negative. In a surprising new development in Britain's fight against COVID-19, none other than heir to the throne, 71-year old Prince Charles of Wales has been diagnosed with the deadly viral strain, after being tested earlier this Monday. Known as the 'Perpetual Prince' in British media circles, he holds the record for the longest-serving heir apparent (living) in British history - a legacy that's been the butt of several tabloid jokes involving him and his mother, Queen Elizabeth II - who, at 92, seems to be chugging along splendidly. While Prince Charles has his own detailed and multifaceted life behind him - the subject of countless biographies and historical books - there remains a lot of quirky, unusual and downright entertaining facts that have slipped by over the years. The Prince Was Bullied In School Wikimedia You might consider that kids would think twice before messing with the product of a 1,500-year old monarchy, but not every Scottish boarding school is as fun as Hogwarts. Attending classes at Gordonstoun, Scotland, when a classmate would talk to him, bullies would start making slurping sounds to imply his peers were 'sucking up', according to Robert Jobson in Charles at Seventy: Thoughts, Hopes and Dreams. While the young Prince kept himself composed and didn't get into any trouble during his schooldays, he would write home about his troubles. The people in my dormitory are foul, he wrote in a 1963 letter. Goodness, they are horrid. I don't know how anybody could be so foul. His Controversial Marriage With Princess Diana Reuters While most of Britain's general public were ecstatic to see Princess Diana enter the royal family back in 1981, future years saw many biographers chart how both Diana and Charles were not keen on tying the knot - one that was undone when the pair divorced in 1992. Diana met Charles at 16 when he was dating her elder sister Lady Sarah, beginning a series of coincidences that eventually led to the events captured in National Geographic's Diana: In Her Own Words - a documentary where archived interviews of the Princess revealed her disinterest in marrying Charles on their wedding day, and succumbing to the pressures of her sisters and the monarchy itself. Charles, who was reportedly in love for several years with his current wife Duchess Camilla, did not come out to his family about his regrets - although in Charles: The Misunderstood Prince, he was revealed as sharing a private moment of weakness with his valet. 'Stephen,' he asked his valet, 'Is it possible to love two women at the same time?' Looking at Charles' life now, perhaps the answer was yes. British Playboy Royalty, Or Not? Reuters Don't get him wrong though - while the prince was pretty sombre when it came to marriage, he certainly had his fair share of tours around London's tabloids back in the day, with any young woman of royal lineage turning into fodder for the press, and Lady Sarah Spencer was no exception. While the prince himself maintains that he was a shy, reserved person, the press and some members of the royal family suggested that Charles was quite the charmer - his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten told interviewers that the young prince was forever 'popping in and out of bed with a girl.' Yes, this is that Lord Mountbatten, believe it or not. Either way, Charles would go on to resent this image and denounce it later in his life. He Owns A Vintage Aston Martin That Runs On Wine GQ Move over, James Bond - while Prince Charles may not live up to the same kind of playboy reputation, he certainly matches up when it comes to cars. The prince owns an Aston Martin DB6 MKII that was gifted to him by Queen Elizabeth on his 21st birthday. While the car itself is a gorgeous piece of British motoring heritage, it also happens to literally run on white wine. The prince happens to be a patron and generous donor to environmental causes - and his vintage ride was pretty far off from passing any recent pollution checks. Determined to ride guilt-free, he went on to strongarm the engineers at Aston Martin - who after some convincing, managed to turn his Aston into the most delicious-smelling vehicle to roll out of their factories. He's A Skilled Illusionist Reuters Probably the coolest character trait for any member of the British royal family, Prince Charles actually has some skills in the art of illusions and magic - having passed the official examination to join the Magic Circle a British social organization of magicians back in 1975. His Secret-Service Codename is 'Unicorn' Reuters Certain visiting dignitaries to the U.S. are given code names of their own, and Charles was given Unicorn. The fanciful name is oddly fitting - the unicorn is the national animal of Scotland and has been part of its coat-of-arms for some 600 years, with the earliest banners and signs found in Rothesay Castle, Scotland. Among Prince Charles's earliest titles, which he received at age 5, is Duke of Rothesay. The Prince Is An Accomplished Author - Of Children's Books Reuters In 1980, Prince Charles wrote a children's book called The Old Man of Lochnagar, based on the stories he would tell his younger brothers, Princes Andrew and Edward. It centers around an old man who went to the caves near Balmoral looking for a quiet place to take a hot bath. The book was later turned into an animated short film, narrated by the prince. While this is one of his more famous and unusual works, the prince has shone as a writer with several books written on subjects ranging from architecture to philosophy, and has lent his forewords to 24 separate publications. Here's wishing him a speedy recovery. A foreign woman (L) receives a certificate from a Hoi An official for completing her Covid-19 quarantine, March 24, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh. 175 tourists in Da Nang, 66 in Quang Nam Province and 40 in Thua Thien-Hue Province have finished their 14-day compulsory isolation. None tested positive for Covid-19 during the quarantine period, either at hospital or centralized facility. Quang Nam, home to popular ancient town Hoi An, on Wednesday sent a batch of 66 foreigners to Da Nang International Airport from where they would fly home. These had previously met with patients who had contracted the new coronavirus, which causes Covid-19, and thus entered quarantine. The province has tested 508 people so far and found three positive cases, with 109 still pending. For now, Quang Nam is keeping 47 in quarantine, all in stable condition. Previously, it had released 54 foreigners from isolation. Da Nang City has so far admitted 118 foreign tourists into hospitals for quarantine as they had either arrived from stricken areas or come into close contact with Covid-19 patients, with all displaying Covid-19 symptoms (coughs, fever, shortness of breath, sore throat). By Wednesday, 107 had been discharged after testing negative more than once. The city has also released 68 other foreigners quarantined at centralized facilities after they arrived from stricken areas. It is now treating four Covid-19 cases, two Britons, one American and a Vietnamese woman who had close contact with the Brits. In Thua Thien Hue, 44 have been released from hospital after each tested negative for the novel coronavirus twice while in quarantine. The province now has two Covid-19 patients under treatment, both British. Previously, it had confirmed 53 foreigners were completing their two-week quarantine. Foreign tourists pose with Thua Thien-Hue officials as they hold souvenirs and quarantine completion certificates, March 24, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Vo Thanh. Vietnam has recorded a total of 134 infections, including 11 fresh cases confirmed Tuesday. Of the total, 17 have been discharged after treatment and among the current active cases, 15 have tested negative once, twice or thrice. By Wednesday, Vietnam had classified 1,596 people as potential carriers of the Covid-19 virus, marking the highest number of people deemed Covid-19 suspects in a day since the pandemic started as an outbreak in Vietnam late January. Suspected infections include those whove returned from stricken areas or have had direct contact with returnees from those areas and show symptoms like coughs, fever and shortness of breath. Those tagged as suspects are quarantined at hospitals specialized in Covid-19 treatment after testing positive twice. Aside from quarantining suspects, Vietnam has placed many others under medical monitoring - those entering Vietnam from virus-hit areas or have met with infected people but have not showed any Covid-19 symptoms. These are routinely checked at entry ports before sent to medical camps for 14 days of monitoring. Some with low infection risks are quarantined at home, and monitored and checked by local medical staff each day. Anyone showing signs of Covid-19 will be placed in hospital quarantine. If they test negative for the coronavirus, they will undergo additional monitoring at home or at a medical camp. Almost 45,000 are currently under medical monitoring, with over 26,100 quarantined at home. The Covid-19 pandemic has killed almost 19,000 people globally as it spread to 194 countries and territories by Wednesday afternoon, down from 196 the previous day. Regulatory News: The Combined General Meeting of Air Liquide (Paris:AI) will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at 3 pm, on first notice. Nonetheless, due to the international and national situation linked to the Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), the usual organization of this event has been reviewed to ensure that this moment of information and exchange takes place with the proper security level. Given the current circumstances that characterize the beginning of this year 2020, our General Meeting should be held at the Company's head office, 75 quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France and not at the Palais des Congres, in Paris. The proposed resolutions, approved by Air Liquide's Board of Directors on February 10, 20201 and to be submitted to the General Meeting, as well as all the information concerning the Meeting are available on the Group's website, www.airliquide.com, Shareholders section. The Notice of meeting published on March 25, 2020 in the French legal gazette (Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires), the Invitation to the General Meeting, as well as the letter from Benoit Potier, Chairman Chief Executive Officer, regarding this meeting are available on the Group's website, in the 2020 General Meeting section. The invitation to the Meeting will be sent to all shareholders of the Company, by mail or electronicallyfor those having opted for the electronic invitation. These documents include the voting form, the agenda of the Meeting, the resolutions submitted to shareholders with a presentation of the objectives of each resolution and practical information for attending, voting and exercising shareholder rights. Due to the exceptional circumstances of this public health crisis and in accordance with the regulatory constraints that limit gatherings, and in order to protect everyone's health, it is strongly recommended to follow this General Meeting by Internet. Every effort will be made to facilitate a remote participation at this important moment for the Group. This includes: prior to the event, the vote whether by post mail or by Internet (given the situation, we strongly recommend to vote by Internet in order to facilitate processing).The voting website will be open from Tuesday, March 31 until Monday, May 4 at 3 pm, Paris time (given the situation, we strongly recommend to vote by Internet in order to facilitate processing).The voting website will be open from on May 5, 2020, the live streaming of the General Meeting with a dedicated feature to allow questions online, on the airliquide.com website provided, of course, that the conditions for this broadcast can be met. To guarantee the safety of the shareholders, as well as that of Air Liquide teams, the Board of Directors will give preference to holding this meeting behind closed doors at the Company's head office, if legal developments allow it. You will then be informed in the press and via our airliquide.com website. The preparatory documents will also be kept at disposal of the shareholders within the Shareholder Services. In view of the sanitary situation, shareholders wishing to consult them are invited to contact Shareholder Services via the toll-free number or the contact form. The mandatory documents are published on the Group's website www.airliquide.com, Shareholders section, according to legal and regulatory requirements. Air Liquide share ownership (as at December 31, 2019) 32% of the capital held by individual shareholders of the capital held by individual shareholders 51% of the capital held by non-French institutional investors of the capital held by non-French institutional investors 17% of the capital held by French institutional investors Agenda of the Combined General Meeting of May 5, 2020 Ordinary General Meeting Approval of the Company financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 Approval of the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 Appropriation of 2019 earnings; setting of the dividend Authorization granted to the Board of Directors for a period of 18 months to allow the Company to trade in its own shares Renewal of the term of office of Mr Brian Gilvary as Director Appointment of Ms Anette Bronder as Company Director Appointment of Ms Kim Ann Mink as Company Director Statutory Auditors' Special Report on agreements covered by articles L. 225-38 et seq. of the French Commercial Code Approval of the elements of remuneration paid during or awarded in respect of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 to Mr Benoit Potier Approval of information relating to the remuneration of Corporate Officers stated in paragraph I of article L. 225-37-3 of the French Commercial Code Approval of the remuneration policy applicable to the Corporate Officers Setting of the total annual amount of Directors' remuneration Extraordinary General Meeting Authorization granted to the Board of Directors for a period of 24 months to reduce the share capital by cancellation of treasury shares Delegation of authority granted to the Board of Directors for a period of 26 months in order to increase the share capital through capitalization of additional paid-in capital, reserves, profits or any other amount that may be capitalized, for a maximum amount of 300 million euros Delegation of authority granted to the Board of Directors for a period of 26 months to perform share capital increases, with cancellation of preferential subscription rights, reserved for members of a company or Group Savings Plan Delegation of authority granted to the Board of Directors for a period of 18 months to perform share capital increases, with cancellation of preferential subscription rights, reserved for a category of beneficiaries Harmonization of article 11 of the articles of association (Composition of the Board of Directors) with the provisions of the PACTE law in relation to Directors representing employees Modification to article 15 of the articles of association (Powers of the Board of Directors) relating to management decisions taken by the Board of Directors (PACTE Law) Compliance of article 16 of the articles of association (Remuneration) with the provisions of the PACTE law relating to Directors' remuneration Modification of article 9 of the articles of association (Identification of shareholders) relating to thresholds notifications Statutory modification relating to the authority to decide or authorize the issue of bonds Extension of the Company's term and consequential amendment to the articles of association Ordinary General Meeting Powers for formalities. UPCOMING DATES First quarter 2020 revenue: Friday, April 24, 2020 Combined General Meeting: Tuesday, May 5, 2020 Dividend ex date*: Monday, May 11, 2020 Dividend payment date*: Wednesday, May 13, 2020 subject to the necessary approvals at the Combined Shareholders' Meeting scheduled for 5 May 2020 A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 80 countries with approximately 67,000 employees and serves more than 3.7 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide's scientific territory and have been at the core of the company's activities since its creation in 1902. Air Liquide's ambition is to be a leader in its industry, deliver long term performance and contribute to sustainability. The company's customer-centric transformation strategy aims at profitable, regular and responsible growth over the long term. It relies on operational excellence, selective investments, open innovation and a network organization implemented by the Group worldwide. Through the commitment and inventiveness of its people, Air Liquide leverages energy and environment transition, changes in healthcare and digitization, and delivers greater value to all its stakeholders. Air Liquide's revenue amounted to 22 billion euros in 2019 and its solutions that protect life and the environment represented more than 40% of sales. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE4Good indexes. www.airliquide.com Follow us on Twitter 1In order to cover the case of a potential adjournment of the General Meeting in view of the sanitary context, the Board of Directors' meeting of March 24, 2020 decided in such an eventuality, the payment of an interim dividend to be paid on May 13, 2020 and modified the wording of the third resolution accordingly. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005591/en/ Contacts: Media Relations media@airliquide.com Investor Relations IRTeam@airliquide.com Shareholder Services Patrick Renard +33 (0)1 40 62 51 86 Jeremie Creange +33 (0)1 40 62 52 03 But when Taylor, 49, of Crystal Lake, called around for a routine prescription refill Monday, her local Meijer, Jewel and Walmart stores all turned her down, saying the manufacturer was out of stock. She couldnt even get a 30-day supply of the popular lupus and rheumatoid arthritis medication, which is being snapped up as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus. Mike Pompeo US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sharpened on March 24 his criticism of China's handling of a coronavirus pandemic, saying its ruling Communist Party was still denying the world information needed to prevent further cases. The remarks, in an interview with the Washington Watch radio program, provoked a riposte from China that Pompeo should cease "politicizing" the epidemic and defaming the country. Pompeo had repeated previous charges that Beijing's delay in sharing information about the virus had created risks to people worldwide that had "truly put thousands of lives at risk." "My concern is that this cover-up, this disinformation that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in, is still denying the world the information it needs so that we can prevent further cases or something like this from recurring again," he added. Pompeo also accused Iran and Russia of waging disinformation campaigns about the virus. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show "The disinformation campaign from Russia and Iran as well as China continues," he said. "They're talking about it coming from the US Army and they're saying maybe it began in Italy, all things to deflect responsibility." Despite his strong criticism of China, Pompeo refrained from referring to the virus as the "Chinese virus" or the "Wuhan virus," labels that have angered Beijing and which he has used repeatedly. "The time will come for recriminations," he said, but added it was important for the world to know what was really going on. "This is an ongoing global crisis, and we need to make sure that every country today is being transparent, sharing what's really going on, so that the global community, the global health care, infectious disease community can begin to work on this in a holistic way." In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China had been transparent and shared information with the World Health Organization and other countries, including the United States. "We urge the US to cease politicizing the epidemic, and cease attacking and defaming China," Geng told a daily news conference. Pompeo, a persistent critic of Beijing and the Communist Party, said "very important decisions" would have to be made in future about how the US-China relationship was structured. He added that supply-chain challenges faced in the United States were due to companies "operating their supply chains out of China but not here in the United States." Pompeo did not elaborate, but US officials said last week the White House was preparing an executive order to help relocate medical supply chains from China and elsewhere overseas to the United States amid the pandemic. The proposed US push has sparked concern in China and elsewhere, although it is unclear when Trump might act. The United States "should never be reliant on a foreign country for the means of our own survival," Trump said at a daily briefing of his coronavirus task force. "Our goal for the future must be to have American medicine for American patients, American supplies for American hospitals..." As the world around us continues to change, seemingly by the minute, there is one constant. Dairy cows will keep producing milk. Thats a good thing because demand for fluid milk half gallons and gallons at retail outlets surged after the COVID-19 outbreak hit the U.S. Although theres not yet data to show this, theres a lot of anecdotal evidence. Empty shelves in grocery store milk coolers arent a sign of a shortage, just an incredible demand. A lot of bottlers have never seen sales so good as what theyve seen here in the last week or two, National Milk Producers Federations Chris Galen told the Dairy Radio Now program, March 18. Scott Higgins, chief executive officer of Ohio Dairy Producers Association, said he knows of some cheese manufacturers that diverted their milk deliveries to fluid milk processors to help them meet the demand. Some processors with schools as their primary customers were able to adapt quickly. Processors shut down lines producing half pints of milk and ramp up production of half gallons and gallons of milk, said Brian Wise, chief of the Ohio Department of Agricultures Dairy Division. The dairy industry has a tremendous ability to adjust on the fly, said Wise. In Pennsylvania, theyve also seen the retail milk boom, but the school closures may have created some temporary supply chain issues for those processors. Those processors are seeking outlets for their bulk raw milk in storage, possibly from cooperatives, said Carol Hardbarger, executive secretary for the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board, Other processors are seeking relief in being able to sell over supplies of half pints which were processed for sales to schools. The Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board regulates milk prices in Pennsylvania at the producer, wholesale and retail levels. The board voted, on March 20, not to enforce minimum prices on half pints of milk. That will allow processors to reduce inventory and change production to gallons and half gallons to meet the higher demand. The downside Will the demand for fluid milk in grocery stores make up for the decreased demand from schools and restaurants that were forced to close suddenly, due to the spread of COVID-19? Time will tell. Its just one of the many challenges dairy farmers are facing in this new drama that continues to unfold. As 2020 began, milk prices looked promising. But in March, milk prices began to fall. The April Class III milk futures were sitting around $16 per hundredweight, according to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Break even is around $18, said Jayne Sebright, executive director for Pennsylvanias Center for Dairy Excellence. Milk prices arent the only concern. While farmers and dairy manufacturing plants are considered essential businesses and continue to operate, employers have the task now of making sure their employees stay healthy. An outbreak of COVID-19 among the staff at a dairy plant could disrupt the milk supply chain, Sebright said. Farmers are also concerned about getting different supplies they need to keep running smoothly, Sebright said. Nitrile gloves that are in high demand in the healthcare industry are also used when milking cows. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered non-life-sustaining businesses to close physical locations, by 8 p.m. March 19, and initially called quarrying and wood product manufacturing non-life-sustaining. That had farmers wondering how theyd get sand or sawdust for bedding. The order was later revised and allowed businesses to ask for waivers. But it brought up concerns about how farmers would could get necessary supplies to keep these essential businesses going. The upside? Even with decreased need for half pints of milk, there is still a need for dairy products at schools. Many school districts are packing lunches to-go and getting them to students by curbside drive-through at school buildings or delivering them by bus. So, instead of bulk products, schools need prepackaged, single serving items like yogurt cups and cheese sticks, Higgins said. The American Dairy Association Mideast equips schools with cooler bags for classroom breakfast programs. Schools have ordered more cooler bags to house dairy products while getting packed lunches out in the community, Higgins said. Were trying to be creative in a time of crisis, he said. (Reporter Rachel Wagoner can be contacted at 800-837-3419 or rachel@farmanddairy.com.) The UN has expressed solidarity with India in its fight against coronavirus, with a top official at the world body's health agency praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 21-day nationwide lockdown as a "comprehensive and robust" response to the raging COVID-19 pendamic. Globally, the death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 18,915 with more than 422,900 cases reported in over 165 countries and territories, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The number of coronavirus cases in India stood at 562 on Wednesday with nine COVID-19 deaths reported so far, according to Health Ministry data. In an attempt to stem the spread of coronavirus in India, Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday announced a nationwide lockdown for three weeks. "United Nations stands in solidarity with India in its fight against COVID-19, said a video message tweeted by United Nations on Tuesday, the UN's multimedia service. The video also took note of the 'Janta Curfew' observed across India on Sunday, when the country's 1.3 billion citizens stayed at home from 7 am to 9 pm in an effort to practise social distancing. Heeding to a call by Modi, people came out on their balconies, windows and courtyards to applaud the selfless work of medical professionals on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19. The normally bustling streets across India wore a deserted look throughout the day as people participated in the curfew. The UN video showed footage of empty roads and urban spaces on Sunday, just two days before Modi announced the nationwide lockdown for three weeks. "India is on a 21-day lockdown to try and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from taking hold. The @UN health agency @WHO urged the Gov to take 'aggressive action', UN News tweeted. WHO Representative to India Henk Bekedam praised the country's response to the pandemic, describing it as "comprehensive and robust". "Massive efforts have been made towards prevention and containing the spread, including strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity, contact tracing and isolation and risk communications," Bekedam said. He said the Prime Minister's call for social distancing had received widespread community support across the country. "It is vital that we come together in solidarity and help in breaking the chain of transmission and flattening the curve," he said. The WHO and other UN partners have been working closely with the Indian government on preparedness and response measures, disease surveillance, laboratory and research protocols, risk communications, training on infection prevention and control and cluster containment plan, surveillance and tracking of travellers. Speaking at press briefing in Geneva on Monday, WHO Emergencies Programme Director Mike Ryan had said that it was important for India to ramp up measures at public health and societal level to control and suppress the disease. "India is a hugely populous country. The future of this pandemic will be determined by what happens to densely-populated countries," he said. Ryan said India, the world's second most populous country, had a tremendous capacity to deal with the coronavirus outbreak as it has the experience of eradicating the small-pox and polio through targeted public intervention. "India led the world in eradicating two silent killers and eliminating them from the country," he said on Monday. India, through targeted public intervention, ended smallpox and gave a great gift to the world. India also eradicated polio, he noted. "India has tremendous capacities. It is exceptionally important that countries like India lead the way to show the world what can be done. There are no easy answers. It is exceptionally important that countries like India show the way to the world as they have done before," he said. Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday warned that the coronavirus pandemic was clearly "accelerating" but said it was still possible to "change the trajectory" of the outbreak. "The pandemic is accelerating," Tedros told journalists in a virtual news briefing. He said it took 67 days from the beginning of the outbreak in China in late December for the virus to infect the first 100,000 people worldwide. In comparison, it took 11 days to reach a total of 200,000 cases and just four days for the third 100,000 cases to bring the total number of cases worldwide to more than 300,000, he said, estimates that Modi cited as he addressed the nation on Tuesday and announced the three-week long lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Africa have risen to 709, from the 544 announced on Tuesday, Heath minister Zweli Mhize has announced. The country has the highest number of confirmed cases in Africa. A church is Free State province is becoming an epicentre of the Covid-19 cases, the country's health ministry noted. He says the largest number of scattered cases are in JHB. In the Western Cape, scattered cases are around Cape Town. The church gathering in the Free State, which took place over four to five days, is becoming an epicentre for cases in that province. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Imagine being immunocompromised, having a fever, and yet also having a physical disability that left you unable to explain this clearly to a healthcare worker on the COVID-19 hotline. This was the situation faced by a Perth woman whose risk status has left her afraid to leave the house. Some members of our society face a higher risk of severe illness if they contract COVID-19, but are also less able to observe new social distancing protocols. Credit:Wolter Peeters The woman, who is not named to protect her privacy, has an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, and is at risk of a disastrous outcome if she contracts COVID-19. A stroke in her younger days also left her with difficulty walking, speaking and using one arm and hand. CNN Opinion asked commentators to weigh in on the Democratic debate -- and what it may mean for the primary ahead. The views expressed in this commentary are their own. Nayyera Haq: Biden shows he can evolve The challenge with having two septuagenarian, long-term senators on the debate stage is that serious discussion of the big issues facing the country so easily devolve into tirades about decades-old votes and political squabbles. Bernie Sanders reminded all of us that his once radical ideas have now become mainstream parts of the political conversation. But it was Joe Biden, "coming around now," on his adoption of Senator Elizabeth Warren's bankruptcy proposals, his rejection of the Hyde Amendment and his adoption of free public college for families earning less than $125,000, who showed that he is capable of listening and evolving. When a moderator asked for a commitment to having a woman as vice president on the ticket, the candidates' relative ability to adapt in response to feedback was clearly on display. Biden's answer was an unequivocal yes, followed by a commitment to appointing a black woman to the Supreme Court. Biden used the debate platform to make a first-time declaration aimed at assuaging the female voters who have been disheartened by seeing the debate stage narrow from five female candidates to zero, while also acknowledging that black women are the backbone of the Democratic party. Whether it was a calculated declaration does not change the fact Biden is committed, which stands in sharp contrast to Sanders' answer: "In all likelihood, I will...for me, it's not just nominating a woman, it's making sure we have a progressive woman." At a time when many Americans are panicked about the present, moving out of debating policies of the 1990s was critical for both candidates. Sure, Sanders proved that he was the purer, more progressive candidate -- we knew that. Biden consistently stayed focused on the future, with plans he would enact and what he would do differently than Trump. If Biden continues to look forward and embrace ideas from the left, he will show voters that he can do what he has talked about all along -- be the consensus candidate that brings Democrats to the White House in 2020. Nayyera Haq is a host on SiriusXM Progress and CEO of an international communications firm. She served in the Obama administration as a senior adviser in the State Department and a senior director in the White House. Follow her on Twitter @nayyeroar. Raul Reyes: A welcome discussion of immigration The good news from Sunday night's debate is that both Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders delivered spirited presentations of their ideas, and each gave a preview of how he might take on President Donald Trump. Biden needed to demonstrate that he can be effective in a one-on-one debate. Sanders needed to contrast his progressive ideas with that of his rival. Done and done. Democrats can take heart: Biden had his strongest debate performance to date, while Sanders showed that he is not about to cede the nomination without a fight. At its best, this debate showed both candidates' strength on issues like the coronavirus crisis and immigration. Biden asserted that any person who needed testing or treatment for the coronavirus "would be held harmless," regardless of immigration status, adding that women who are the victims of domestic violence should not be deported. He also committed to a moratorium on deportations (except for felons) for the first 100 days of his administration. Sanders noted that undocumented people would be covered by his Medicare for All proposal, and that he intends to stop ICE raids. This immigration discussion was good, as the topic has not been substantively discussed in the last few debates -- and the eventual nominee will face a president who has made immigration his signature issue. Kudos to both candidates for defending the legal right of asylum-seekers to seek humanitarian relief at the border. At other points, this debate devolved into unproductive bickering. Right now, the public is anxious, and the back-and-forth sniping was not a presidential look for either candidate. Biden said it best when he declared, about he and Sanders, that "we don't disagree on principles." The lack of a live audience turned out to be a plus, as it left more time for the debate itself, and the candidates could not rely on applause lines. It was also a highlight to see Ilia Calderon, who is Afro-Latina, as a moderator -- an important reflection of the diversity of the Latino community. Raul A. Reyes is an attorney and a member of the USA Today board of contributors. Follow him on Twitter @RaulAReyes. Frida Ghitis: Biden makes big news on his running mate For once, the loser by a mile in the Democratic debate was Donald Trump. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders offered presentations that were more reasonable, coherent and factual than anything the President has managed while reading a speech from the teleprompter or speaking from the podium. The contrast with a president floundering in a national emergency was striking. If Trump was the loser, the clear winner was Biden. The former Vice President made news, announcing he will choose a woman as his vice-presidential running mate (clear your calendars Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar). Gone is the Biden who seemed lost on a crowded debate stage. This debater was crisp, calm and cogent through the entire two hours. As the hours passed, he never lost his focus and remained totally articulate. He should be careful; he might lose the benefit of low expectations. Biden made few major gaffes -- except perhaps for parts of his China answer, but that may have been calculated. He looked confident and relaxed. If his body language was planned, it worked. His quarter-turn toward Sanders, with one hand in his pocket, made him look both in command and approachable. While Biden came across as profoundly compassionate and pragmatic, Sanders, who has been consistently strong in articulating what is wrong with America, remained hyper-focused on his ideological, revolutionary position. Sanders did himself no favors by refusing to agree with Biden's suggestion that the two Democrats share similar goals diametrically opposed to Trump's ("details make a difference," Sanders said); refusing to fully commit to choosing a woman running-mate ("My strong tendency is to move in that direction") and initially seeming dismissive of the Paris Climate Accord ("Who cares"). With the country facing a huge challenge, and the current President leading a dangerously chaotic response, one can only wonder why Democrats don't move on to unify the party without delay. This should be the last debate. That would be the biggest loss for Trump. Frida Ghitis, a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She is a frequent opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to the Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. Follow her on Twitter @fridaghitis. Van Jones: Democrats need a dose of Biden and Sanders to win in November Neither wing of the Democratic Party got what they wanted tonight: neither a knock-out blow for Vice President Joe Biden, nor a comeback shot for Sen. Bernie Sanders. But both were well-represented. On issue after issue, Sanders made it clear he understands the depth of America's need for big solutions. He noted that the seeds of today's COVID-19 response failure were planted in a broken healthcare system years ago. He showed that the progressive agenda can help Americans who are barely holding on when work no longer pays. He pressed Biden on the flaws in his record. And the exchange on climate showed how Sanders -- along with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Sunshine Movement -- finally forced our nation's leaders to think big about facing the existential threat of the climate crisis. In moment after moment, Biden made it clear he understands the depth of America's need for hope and normalcy. He passed up a debate over the politics of Medicare for All to talk about uniting the country around an urgent plan to stem the threat of coronavirus. He spoke to millions of too-long-overlooked women -- and women of color -- when he promised to pick a female running mate. This follows the former Vice President vowing to choose an African-American woman for the Supreme Court. And Biden went further on climate than many Democrats were willing to go just a few years ago -- during the Obama administration. The first 15 minutes on coronavirus might have been the most important of the debate. Biden was empathetic and unifying. Sanders was unflinching in his diagnosis of the deep problems and the big solutions. Both represented themselves well. Democrats will need some of both to beat Trump in November. Van Jones is CEO of REFORM Alliance and co-founder of #cut50, a bipartisan criminal justice initiative of the Dream Corps. He is also the author of "Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together." In 2009, Jones worked as the Green Jobs Adviser in the Obama White House. Jen Psaki: Biden's handling of a crisis sounded presidential Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders knew that the focus of tonight's debate would be on the crisis that is dominating not just the United States, but the global community. Both were significantly more clear, coherent and thoughtful than the current President of the United States. But their approaches were different. Biden focused on his experience and ability to address this crisis right now. Sanders focused more on how his ideology would help address what happens after coronavirus. Both are important. I have no doubt Joe Biden knows exactly what to do during a crisis. He lived through eight years of them in the White House, including health crises. And I have no doubt that Bernie Sanders would continue to be a voice for the millions of people who are worried about what happens when the crisis is over. But at a time when families are worried about whether grandparents are safe, kids are asking hard questions to answer about why they can't hug their friends, and President Trump continues to mislead and scare the public, Joe Biden's focus on what he would do about the crisis right now was a smart reminder of what a real President sounds like. Jen Psaki, a CNN political commentator, was the White House communications director and State Department spokeswoman during the Obama administration. She is vice president of communications and strategy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Follow her at @jrpsaki. Peter Bergen: Biden focused on the here and now of the coronavirus crisis Obviously, the question of who might better handle the coronavirus crisis was front and center in the debate between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders rightly said it was time for President Donald Trump to stop "blabbering" about the coronavirus and confusing the general public. Indeed, Trump has made multiple misleading statements about the crisis, not least just hours before Sunday's debate when he said that the US government had "tremendous control" of the virus. This is, of course, patently not the case. During the debate, Biden returned often to his role in mitigating the Ebola crisis in 2014, which doesn't seem that relevant since Ebola posed nothing like the scale of the threat that the US faces with coronavirus. Biden also deployed the bromide that he would assemble experts in the Situation Room at the White House to deal with the crisis, which is a lot like saying "we will study the problem." But overall Biden did better on the question about what to actually do now about the coronavirus. When CNN's Dana Bash asked Biden if he would call in the US military to help, Biden was clear that had would indeed do so to build additional hospitals, which could well be necessary, given that hospitals may be overwhelmed as the crisis deepens. Sanders ducked the same question, instead concentrating on his Medicare for All proposal, which is all fine and good but is not the kind of policy proposal that will help with the immediate crisis. Biden also called for immediate testing for the coronavirus among vulnerable seniors in nursing homes. Again, this is the kind of practical proposal that is needed right now as the crisis deepens. Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst, a vice president at New America, a professor of practice at Arizona State University. His new book is "Trump and His Generals: The Cost of Chaos." Alice Stewart: Substance and style in the midst of coronavirus With former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders facing off in the Democratic primary debate, it was the coronavirus pandemic that took center stage. There were two key takeaways for those tuning in: what the candidates had to say about the national emergency, and how they said it. Biden laid out his plan for taking care of those exposed to the virus and providing more access to testing for all. Sanders avoided details of a response plan, opting instead to voice his desire to "shut this president up right now." As expected, Sanders also used the coronavirus outbreak as an example of why his Medicare for All plan is necessary. In contrast, Biden was effective in making the case that Medicare for All is the wrong way to address health care in general, and it "would not solve the problem at all" when it came to COVID-19. Biden carried a different tone, full of empathy, and acknowledging the serious times we are facing. Sanders' delivery was similar to past debates -- pushing progressive policies and insulting President Donald Trump. It was a strong debate for Biden -- not only because of what he said, but also because of how he said it. Alice Stewart is a CNN political commentator, resident fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy Institute of Politics, and former communications director for Ted Cruz for President. Julian Zelizer: The divide between parties has never been clearer The contrast between parties was apparent right off the bat. Whereas President Trump has spent much of his time amid the coronavirus crisis speaking about how great things are, or spreading disinformation, both former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders took a very different path. They expressed their empathy for those who have suffered from the virus, talked about real and immediate policy needssuch as widespread testingand spoke about the economic fears of working Americans. Although many issues divide these candidates, together they displayed a fundamental difference on where the parties stand in 2020. Democrats remain concerned with governance, value expertise, and focus their attention on how public policy can help the lives of Americans. Republicans are operating in a Trumpian world of disinformation where institutions are not taken seriously and the work of running a government is no longer a priority. The severity of the crisis that the United States now faces has elevatedin ways we could not have imagined the political value of a party that stands for these principles. Biden's commanding lead and his solid debate performance tonight in his first one-on-one debate will greatly benefit his larger campaign. The value of his experience in the White House has greatly increased in value since the last time the Democrats met on the debate stage. The image of the party, as well as his leadership style, makes him stronger than at any point in this race. Americans are watching this debate as their cities and towns close down. Biden's ability to simply govern and run a stable White House will now seem to move voters as much as the ideas that Sanders offers. Julian Zelizer, a CNN political analyst, is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and author of the forthcoming book, "Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party." Follow him on Twitter: @julianzelizer. Sarah Isgur: Democrats are experiencing deja vu With the first half hour of the debate focused entirely on the public health crisis facing the country, Sanders' traditional economic populism message never found a solid footing. Instead, in an unusually uneven performance, he struggled and stumbled to answer questions about how he would respond to the current crisis, including whether he would deploy the military and how he would respond to China's initial suppression of information related to the coronavirus outbreak. But 45 minutes in, Sanders hit his stride in one area -- direct and sustained attacks on the frontrunner Joe Biden, challenging the Vice President on taking money from Super PACS, as well as voting for the bank bailout and the Iraq War. For Democrats, this may feel like deja vu all over again. Following a string of disappointing primary results -- and with more losses on the horizon in states like Florida and Arizona this Tuesday -- Sanders is facing the reality that it is becoming a near mathematical impossibility for him to receive enough delegates to secure the nomination. This has caused many leaders in the Democratic Party to raise concerns that Sanders' continued presence in the race could inflict lasting damage on Biden heading into the general election. The concern isn't a new one. In an interview after her 2016 loss, Hillary Clinton said Sanders' continued attacks on her "caused lasting damage, making it harder to unify progressives in the general election and paving the way for Trump's 'Crooked Hillary' campaign." That year, millions of voters for Barack Obama in 2012 either voted for Donald Trump or stayed home. The Democratic Party's first priority is to beat Trump in November. But Sanders' attacks on Biden tonight may have been a little too reminiscent of 2016 for those who want to win back the White House. Sarah Isgur is a CNN political analyst. She has worked on three Republican presidential campaigns and is an adjunct professor at George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School. Scott Jennings: The two didn't exactly cover themselves in glory I was surprised that the two candidates didn't walk out and at least have some prepared show of collegiality or unity. No, this debate opened and unfolded like this: Joe Biden wanted to knock out Bernie Sanders once and for all, and Bernie Sanders was not having it and very much believed he was still alive and viable for the nomination. I assumed Biden would just pretend he's the nominee and largely ignore and/or pat Sanders on the head, but he did not, instead repeatedly denigrating Sanders' signature health care plan: Medicare for All. By the end of the first hour, they were arguing about the size of their donations and how many Super PAC's they dealt with, about which no American gives a flying flip as they prepare to face their new coronavirus realities. Hard to know what to make of the first hour: Biden, prone to misspeaking and bungling lines, had a bizarre few seconds when he mixed up coronavirus and swine flu, then called the swine flu "N1H15," and then apparently forgot the word "Ebola" by referring to "what happened in Africa," a moment the Trump campaign was all too happy to amplify. Sanders then went off for a few seconds referring to coronavirus as "Ebola," appearing hung up on the term. I assume that because Biden is better at platitudes and pablum, he'll be judged the winner, while Sanders will be judged to have failed to move beyond the issues that motivate his base -- but not the broader Democratic electorate. Honestly, though, I am not sure either covered themselves in glory as this two-man debate kicked off. Sanders landed the toughest blows with his challenge about whether Biden had once talked about the need to cut Social Security and Medicare -- an exchange I bet the Democratic National Committee wish hadn't happened. Scott Jennings, a CNN contributor, is a former special assistant to President George W. Bush and a former campaign adviser to Sen. Mitch McConnell. He is a partner at RunSwitch Public Relations in Louisville, Kentucky. Follow him on Twitter @ScottJenningsKY. SE Cupp: Biden and Sanders should stick to criticizing Trump When Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden were focused on Donald Trump's lack of leadership and the urgency of now, they both shined. When they descended into squabbles over old votes -- whether it was Biden's Iraq War vote or Sanders' gun votes -- they both looked small and really out of touch. They need to understand and quickly adapt to the fact that there are new rules -- the ground underneath them has changed. The pandemic and resulting fear and chaos mean they need to pick new fights and leave the old ones behind. Whatever plans they had to take each other and Trump on should be discarded for campaigns centered around the need for a calm and steady hand, experience, a commitment to expertise, transparency, truth and strength. Voters are laser-focused on Trump's ability to guide them through this unprecedented health crisis, and whatever Sanders or Biden are talking about should keep that top of mind. SE Cupp is a CNN political commentator and the host of "SE Cupp Unfiltered." Aaron David Miller: Why Biden won the debate Tonight's debate reflected the different realities confronting the Biden and Sanders campaign. Vice President Joe Biden -- whose campaign is surging -- knew exactly what he wanted to do: act presidential. The other, Bernie Sanders -- whose campaign is in jeopardy and who may well drop out of the campaign soon -- didn't and it showed. Winner? Joe Biden. Who looked presidential? The debate was essentially won in the first 25 minutes during their discussion of the key issue on Americans' mind tonight -- coronavirus. Biden sounded and acted like a president -- "we're at war with a virus." Sanders' responses sounded like those of a policy wonk -- a wash, rinse and repeat of his commitment to Medicare for All, untethered from the national crisis we face now. Demeanor: Biden was as articulate and fluent as he's been in any of these debates, looking stunningly comfortable with few glitches and goofs. In contrast, Sanders too often seemed annoyed, irritated and, at times, angry. Moving Biden to the left: If Sanders' objective was to try to move Biden to the left on key issues such as income equality, taking money from big corporations, climate change and health care, he failed. Meanwhile, Biden may have missed a few opportunities in reaching out to Sanders supporters on an issue such as climate change. Democratic unity: Committed to unifying the Democratic Party to beat Trump, there wasn't much of an effort on either man's part to do that tonight. There was a good deal of hot debate and mutual attacks likely to push supporters of Sanders and Biden farther apart. It's very much an open question whether Sanders' supporters won't come around easily and could stay home instead of voting. Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of "The End of Greatness: Why America Can't Have (and Doesn't Want) Another Great President." Miller was a State Department Middle East analyst negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations. Charlie Dent: Solutions or revolution? In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the candidates at Sunday night's debate presented a clear contrast, more in style than substance -- with Joe Biden speaking in reassuring terms, while Bernie Sanders ranted on themes we have heard from him for decades. Sanders absurdly used the immediate COVID-19 crisis to advocate for Medicare for All and a single payer system as a solution. Biden called Sanders out by pointing to Italy's single payer system and its irrelevance to their country's inadequate response. Further, the former Vice President offered specific policy responses to the immediate crisis, while Sanders kept touting Medicare for All and warning about "profiteering" pharmaceutical companies. He called the very companies we are demanding to develop lifesaving diagnostics and vaccines "crooks." Americans today want reassurance and stability -- an advantage for Biden. Viewers were also treated to the usual Sanders bromides on big banks and big oil. The far left's war with industrial and agricultural America that contributed to Trump's 2016 victory never ends in Sanders' world. Biden appeared to drift at times toward positions held by Sanders. Caution to Biden: Millions of hard-working Americans pay their bills and repaid their student loans. Promising any form of free college will not endear them. "No new fracking" may placate the far left but is not a winning message in Biden's hometown of Scranton or western Pennsylvania. Overall, Sanders attacked aggressively. He focused more on the past than the future. Biden came off as more presidential and spoke directly to the current emergency. Nothing tonight changed the trajectory of Biden's impending nomination. The only remaining question is when and how Sanders recognizes reality and bows out. Republican Charlie Dent is a former US congressman from Pennsylvania who served as chairman of the House Ethics Committee from 2015 until 2016 and chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies from 2015 until 2018. He is a CNN political commentator. Apple CEO Tim Cook. Getty/Stephen Lam Apple is donating 10 million protective face masks to COVID-19 relief efforts in the US, Apple CEO Tim Cook said on Twitter on Wednesday. The company is also donating millions of masks to regions in Europe that have been deeply impacted by the pandemic. Cook's comments come after US Vice President Mike Pence said Apple would donate 9 million masks on Tuesday. Cook is one of several tech CEOs that has pledged to donate face masks, along with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Apple is donating 10 million protective face masks to help combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the United States, CEO Tim Cook said in a video posted to Twitter on Wednesday. "These people deserve our debt of gratitude for all of the work that they're doing on the front lines," Cook said of the medical community in his video. Along with the announcement about Apple's contribution, Cook also urged the general public to follow the advice from health experts and stay home as much as possible. The Apple chief executive also said he's currently working from home. Cook's remarks come after Vice President Mike Pence said during a press briefing on Tuesday that the tech giant would donate 9 million N95 face maks to US relief efforts. "And I spoke today, and the president spoke last week, with Tim Cook of Apple," Pence said. "And at this moment in time Apple went to their store houses and is donating 9 million N95 masks to healthcare facilities all across the country and to the national stockpile. " Apple is one of several technology giants donating masks as the US grapples with supply shortages as the coronavirus spreads. Doctors in at least two hospitals in New York City, which has been a hotspot for COVID-19 infections, have been told to reuse their masks to preserve their supply, Business Insider's Jacob Shamsian reported earlier in March. In Los Angeles, some doctors are turning to seamstresses in the city's garment district for new masks. Story continues Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also recently said the company will be donating the 720,000 masks it had purchased as a protective measure against the California wildfires and plans to source millions more. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also recently said in an email to CleanTechnica that he'll be donating at least 250,000 N95 masks. N95 respirators are different than surgical face masks in that they're able to form a tight enough seal to filter out at least 95% of particles in the air, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surgical masks, comparatively, are loose-fitting and protects the wearer from large droplets and splashes. Read the original article on Business Insider Dear friends and comrades, I am writing to you today because I know that all of you are affected by the Coronavirus/Covid-19 health crisis, that has obviously serious consequences on people's health, with thousands of deaths recorded to date, but also on all other sectors of the global economy. Many borders are closed, thousands of companies have shut down, many of our unions have had to close, as have the IFJ headquarters in Brussels and our three regional offices in Dakar, Sydney and Buenos Aires. As trade unionists, we have a duty to both protect the employees of our organisations and to advise journalists on the best ways to protect themselves from this pandemic. This health crisis, unfortunately, will have consequences on the media, the working conditions of our colleagues in newsrooms and the employment of journalists. And as it is too often the case, it is the most vulnerable among us who are already paying the price and who will lose their jobs in the coming days, without any social security cover nor any salary compensation. I know that, as trade unionists, you stand with those in need among us with all your strength. I congratulate you on this because we must protect journalists and save the media, working with all international workers' organisations. And in these difficult and exceptional moments, you can also count on us, elected members from the Executive and Administrative Committees, if you have the slightest need or any question. You can also count on our teams in Brussels, Sydney, Buenos Aires and Dakar, who work remotely. At the moment, it is very difficult to know exactly what the future holds - we have already postponed our Annual General Assembly and the Executive Committee of Oman in June. However, rest assured that we will do our utmost to maintain our missions at a very high level of quality. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Let us never forget that together we are stronger. With all my friendship and all my solidarity. Younes MJAHED IFJ President The hikers reported that they set out on the rugged Billy Goat Trail in the C&O Canal National Historical Park about 6 p.m. but that it got dark before they could finish, the county fire and rescue service said. The loop they were attempting requires climbing and scrambling over steep and rocky terrain along the Potomac River, said Pete Piringer, spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) Over 270 Indians stranded in Iran were brought back to India on Wednesday morning. According to sources, Iran-based Mahan Air brought back 277 Indians from Tehran to Delhi and then all the passe gers were taken to Jodhpur. Last week, Centre had given permission to Iran-based Mahan Air for evacuating Indians stuck in the Middle Eastern country due to the outbreak of COVID-19. As per plans, two ferry flights have been allowed to land in India. These will evacuate around 600 Indians from Iran. The first such flight arrived on Wednesday, while the second flight will be operated on March 28. Presently, only Mahan Air and Iran Air operate flight services between India and Iran. However, last month, the services of these two airlines to India were discontinued to prevent the spread of the global pandemic. Earlier, Mahan and Iran Air evacuated Indians from the Middle Eastern country on March 13 and 15. After preliminary screening conducted at the airport upon arrival, the evacuees were shifted to the Indian Army quarantine facility established at Jodhpur Military Station. "The Army in coordination with the Rajasthan State Medical authorities and Civil Administration, Jodhpur has made adequate medical and administrative arrangements to cater to a comfortable stay and provide prophylactic medical support," Indian Army stated. The facility has a dedicated team of Army doctors, who will be constantly monitoring the health parameters of the evacuees for the duration of their stay. Indian Defence forces have set up quarantine bases across the country for 5000 people who are suspected to be affected by coronavirus or are coming from coronavirus-affected countries. The Indian Army has set up quarantine bases for around 4000 people and Indian Navy and Indian Air Force set up facilities for 1000 people. --IANS rv/sk/skp/ WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Thursday, the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on a third coronavirus relief package designed to help the medical system, businesses, state and local governments, and average workers weather damage from the epidemic thats killed thousands of people around the globe. Details of the final package were negotiated Tuesday between Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and the agreement was announced Wednesday morning. The $2 trillion bill is the largest economic relief package in modern history, greatly exceeding the $800 billion stimulus enacted during the 2008 financial crisis. It calls for the government to send $1,200 checks to individuals who make less than $75,000 and $2,400 for couples making less than $150,000. Families with children would be eligible for an additional $500 per child. The amount would be reduced by five cents for every dollar that a tax filers adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000, or that a married couple filing jointly exceeds $150,000.The Petersen Institute for International Economics estimates more than 100 million Americans will get the relief checks. Schumer said his partys negotiations improved the bill on many counts." He said it would provide a more than $130 billion Marshall Plan," to fund the nations hospitals and medical needs, and that it includes an unemployment compensation plan on steroids where every U.S. worker who is laid off will have their salary remunerated by the federal government so they can pay their bills. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said the unemployment insurance benefits it provides would match the average paycheck of laid-off or furloughed workers," and the bill would provide billions in emergency education funding and eliminate the income tax on student loan repayment assistance by employers. The extended UI program in this agreement increases the maximum unemployment benefit by $600 per week and ensures that laid-off workers, on average, will receive their full pay for four months, said a letter Schumer sent to his colleagues in the U.S. Senate. "It ensures that all workers are protected whether they work for businesses small, medium or large, along with self-employed and workers in the gig economy. The measure will also provide strict oversight, transparency and accountability of all loans the bill provides for corporate America, said Schumer, with an oversight board and an inspector general to make sure things rae done on the level," and $150 billion to provide coronavirus relief for states, local and tribal governments who are so hard-pressed because of all the new expenses that COVID-19 puts upon them and because much of their tax revenues have been delayed. Schumer says the compromise package also includes: The Centre has asked state governments to set up a round the clock control room with a helpline number at its headquarters and in each of its districts to ensure seamless availability of essential commodities during the 21-day lockdown enforced to combat the coronavirus outbreak. The Union Home Ministry's letter to Chief Secretaries of all states came in the wake of reports that those involved in distribution and delivery of essential commodities and services were facing difficulties due to the restriction of movement of people and police vigilance. The ministry also said a dedicated helpline number should also be set up to help healthcare workers or others officials who are working in hospitals handling coronavirus cases as some of them are facing harassment by landlords, neighbours or locals. In its letter, the home ministry said to ensure that these essential provisions are seamlessly available at ground level, it would be necessary for each state and UT to set-up a 24x7 Control Room or office with a helplines (at state/district level) to address any grievance or undue problems faced by the providers of goods and services, including during inter-state movement. The ministry said a nodal officer at the state may be appointed to coordinate with the district administration and police in this matter. This is necessary to ensure continuity of supply chain for essential commodities, several of which may be perishable, the letter said. It may also be necessary to lay down a Standard Operating Protocol for unhindered operation of essential services, establishments and commodities, including appointment of nodal officers at inter-state borders, issue of vehicular passes etc. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown across India in a bid to combat the coronavirus outbreak. After the announcement, the home ministry issued guidelines about the services and people exempted from the restrictions. The guidelines listed several services, including government and private offices that will be out of bounds during the period, while exempting establishments such as hospitals, ration shops, dairies, banks, insurance offices, print and electronic media. Delivery of all essential goods, including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment through e-commerce has also been exempted from the purview of the lockdown, the guidelines said In the letter to the states, the ministry also advised that the state helpline facilities may be also made available to ensure adequate protection to essential service providers, government or PSU employees and healthcare workers from any unwanted stigmatisation by any local persons on any grounds. "In view of the above, it is accordingly requested to issue suitable directions to set-up a nodal control room or office with helplines in the state and appoint a nodal officer immediately. The details of such helpline number may be given wide publicity in the state and UT concerned," the home ministry said. There have been reports of several healthcare workers, doctors, aircrew facing harassment by landlords and neighbours who claimed that exposure to such environment can invite the disease and it may transmit to others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on police departments across the country as more and more employees fall ill, prompting fears about their ability to keep crime under control. In New York City, nearly one tenth of the NYPD called out sick on Tuesday after the number of coronavirus cases within its ranks spiked 38 percent overnight to 211. In Detroit, three members of the police department died this week after testing positive for COVID-19 - a police captain, a ranking officer and a civilian dispatcher. At least six other members of the Detroit Police Department have also been infected and roughly 200 others were placed under quarantine after the outbreak was first reported. In Los Angeles, least eight LAPD officers have tested positive for coronavirus as of Wednesday, including two of the department's most senior command staff. Police forces in large cities and small towns alike are bracing for outbreaks that threaten to wipe out entire units - leaving a shortage of officers on the street. The coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on police departments across the US as more and more employees fall ill, prompting fears about their ability to control crime. In New York City, nearly one tenth of the NYPD called out sick Tuesday after the number of cases within its ranks spiked 38 percent overnight. A lone NYPD officer is seen in Times Square on Sunday Nationwide, 59,986 coronavirus cases and 823 deaths have been confirmed as of Wednesday The coronavirus pandemic has forced a fundamental shift in policing in the US, as departments across the country urge officers to limit contact with the public. 'You can literally wipe out an entire platoon of officers if you didn't know whether someone really tested positive or not,' Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Washington DC-based consulting firm Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). 'Having someone sit at home for 14 days, two weeks, is a huge loss for a department. Huge. This is keeping officers safe and in service.' Officials have warned that major investigations could grind to a halt as desk staff are asked to put on uniforms and cover 911 calls and street patrols amid mounting fears of looting at businesses forced to shutter under containment policies. Adding to anxieties several prisons including in New York and Los Angeles have begun releasing inmates early to protect them from outbreaks inside crowded lockups. The coronavirus pandemic has forced a fundamental shift in policing in the US, as departments across the country urge officers to limit contact with the public. An NYPD officer is seen wearing a mask as he talks to citizens on Tuesday in Queens Several departments have asked desk staff to cover 911 calls as an increasing number of uniformed officers fall ill. Medics are seen treating a patient in Seattle on Monday NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea took to Twitter on Tuesday to urge people in New York and across the country to stay home to help protect first responders, healthcare workers and others who are still reporting to work amid widespread coronavirus closures. Of the 211 NYPD cases confirmed to date, 177 are uniformed officers and 34 are civilian employees. Nearly 2,800 officers - roughly 7.6 percent of the NYPD's uniformed workforce - were home sick on Tuesday, more than double the number of call-outs on a typical day. Last week, the 1st Precinct had to bring in the NYPD Movie and Television unit to cover shifts because so many officers called out sick. The NYPD has insisted that the depleted ranks will not interrupt usual patrols around the city, which has one of the highest crime rates in the nation. The department has also said it is hiring additional staff to clean facilities in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. New York currently has more COVID-19 cases than any other state, with 30,811 of the 59,986 confirmed in the US and 285 of the nation's 823 deaths as of Wednesday. The majority of the state's cases are concentrated in New York City, where 17,856 people have tested positive and 192 have died. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday announced plans to release 300 criminals from the notorious Rikers Island lockup to stop them from contracting coronavirus. The criminals will be those who have committed misdemeanors or non-violent felonies and who have less than a year on their sentence. De Blasio's move was expected to draw criticism from his political enemies and the NYPD, many of whom say he is too lenient on criminals. On Wednesday, family members confirmed that a former NYPD cop had died from coronavirus, the first death directly linked to the department. Retired NYPD cop Arthur L Green passed away aged 49 at a Bronx hospital on Monday Arthur L Green, who was nicknamed 'The Green Mile' because of his faint resemblance to the character John Coffey in the Stephen King movie with the same title, passed away aged 49 at a Bronx hospital on Monday, his wife Tiffany Whitlock told the New York Daily News. Green was known in the NYPD as a 'gentle giant' who once dreamed of joining the NBA after playing for the St John's University basketball team. After graduating and determining that professional basketball wasn't in his future, he changed course and became a cop. 'He was always eager to learn, very smart. A people person, everybody knows him in the street,' said NYPD Detective Tracey Travis, who worked with Green in Transit District 12. Another colleague, former NYPD Assistant Commissioner Robert Gonzalez, told the Daily News: 'Arthur Green was missed when he made the decision to retire early from the NYPD and certainly will be missed by friends and family and those who knew him.' Green's wife Whitlock said she believes her husband contracted COVID-19 while attending a friend's birthday party in Yonkers on March 14. That friend tested positive for the deadly strain days later. Green's wife, Tiffany Whitlock, said she believes her husband (pictured together) contracted COVID-19 while attending a friend's birthday party in Yonkers on March 14 Green was particularly susceptible to coronavirus complications as he suffered from poor health, including acute asthma. He was rushed to the hospital on Friday but doctors sent him home, believing his symptoms were caused by pneumonia. 'His symptoms weren't bad enough,' Whitlock said. 'They gave him something for the cough. He had a fever but it went away.' By Monday he was back in the hospital complaining of difficulty breathing, at which point doctors diagnosed him with COVID-19. He died hours later. Whitlock says she believes her husband was misdiagnosed the first time and said 'he could have had a chance' if they'd made the right call. 'I'm still waiting to pick up his belongings, but I can't go nowhere near the hospital,' she said. The majority of New Yprk state's cases are concentrated in the Big Apple, where 17,856 people have tested positive and 192 have died as of Wednesday Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday announced plans to release 300 criminals from the notorious Rikers Island lockup (pictured) to stop them from contracting coronavirus The Detroit Police Department recorded its first coronavirus fatality on Monday when a 38-year-old 911 dispatcher died from the virus, which has infected 574 people and killed 11 in the city to date. Police Chief James Craig, Mayor Mike Duggan and the city's medical adviser Dr Robert Dunne held a press conference about the dispatcher's death on Tuesday morning but did not reveal his name. 'On Monday (March 16), he wasn't feeling well,' Duggan said. 'He came back to work Wednesday; Thursday he was off sick; by Saturday, his mom called and said he was in ICU in a suburban hospital with what was thought to be bronchitis.' Captain Jonathan Parnell (pictured) was one of three members of the Detroit Police Department who have died from coronavirus this week Hours later officials announced the second death - Captain Jonathan Parnell. 'He was a well respected commanding officer in the Police Department,' Craig said of the 50-something father of three. 'Many revered him as an iconic figure, loved by many, but followed by more.' Parnell, who went by the nickname 'Recon', was the head of the department's major crimes unit and previously held several roles in homicide, sex crimes, child abuse and narcotics. 'He was a great guy, very tactical, very smart, he was a street cop, a real street cop, very polite, very humble,' a colleague of Parnell told Deadline Detroit. The captain had no known underlying health conditions, according to officials. On Wednesday morning a DPD spokesman confirmed that a ranking officer had died from COVID-19. That officer's name has not been disclosed. At least six other members of the Detroit Police Department have also been infected and roughly 200 others were placed under quarantine after the outbreak was first reported - stretching the remaining staff thin across the city (pictured on Tuesday) A police vehicle is seen directing traffic at the entrance to the Detroit-Windsor tunnel The Los Angeles Police Department has also seen a surge in positive cases in recent days as more officers have received tests after showing symptoms. As of Monday evening, eight police officers and one civilian employee had tested positive for the virus out of 14 total screened. Two of the highest ranking officers in the LAPD were among those infected, officials told the LA Times. A Pacific Division supervisor was the first person to test positive over a week ago and was subsequently hospitalized, the department said on March 15. The country's second largest law enforcement agency is expected to see more confirmed cases as the pandemic continues. 'The Department has strict protocols for any employee who experiences symptoms of the virus. They are instructed to go home and their work spaces are sanitized,' officials said in a statement. 'The health and safety of our men and women continue to be our top priority and we will make every effort to test individuals experiencing symptoms.' The LAPD has ordered thousands of additional protective N-95 masks for its officers making contact with potentially-infected members of the public and is expected to increase staffing in the coming weeks. Earlier this month, the department said it would shift half the detectives working in community stations to daily patrol to ensure public peace. Arrests made by the LAPD and the LA County Sheriff's Department have already dropped significantly due to the pandemic after both agencies ordered officers to cite and release people whenever possible for low-level offenses. A police cruiser is seen in the middle of an empty street in Los Angeles over the weekend LAPD Lt Jay Hom assembles safety kits to protect field officers from exposure to coronavirus Department outbreaks are putting a significant strain on operations as entire units are forced into quarantine. In San Jose, California, 30 employees were sent home after a reserve police officer tested positive for COVID-19 last week - including 10 members of the department's family violence unit. 'Just this one incident could create an issue with regards to investigations of those real high-profile domestic violence, child abuse cases,' Sgt Paul Kelly, president of the San Jose Police Officers Association, told USA Today. Kelly expressed concern that the pandemic could deplete the entire force in the city of more than one million people, grinding major investigations to a halt if detectives, administrative and special operations staff have to put on uniforms and respond to 911 calls. Departments in small towns are also bracing for the worst, as a single outbreak could take an entire staff out of commission. 'The next two to four weeks is critical in how we battle this epidemic,' said Robert Bongiorno, the police chief in Bedford, Massachusetts. Bongiorno says he is preparing for the pandemic to take out nearly half of his staff of 41 in the town of 14,000. The Iranian government has never admitted abducting Mr. Levinson, who would have turned 72 this month. On March 9, the anniversary of his disappearance, the F.B.I. said: During the past 13 years, the only credible evidence of responsibility in Mr. Levinsons disappearance has pointed to those working for the government of Iran. The family thanked the C.I.A. director, Gina Haspel; the F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray; and Robert C. OBrien, the national security adviser, in its statement. They were all in the White House meeting when the family was told, the person said. In a statement, Mr. OBrien called on Iran to release all Americans who remain wrongfully detained in that country. As President Trump said today, Iran must provide a complete accounting of what occurred with Bob Levinson before the United States can fully accept what happened in this case, he said. While the investigation is ongoing, we believe that Bob Levinson may have passed away some time ago. After retiring from the F.B.I. as a veteran investigator of drug cartels and organized crime, Mr. Levinson began working with C.I.A. analysts in a highly unusual arrangement. Though they had no authority to run spy operations, they paid him to gather intelligence, including on the Iranian government. Mr. Levinson disappeared from Kish Island, off the coast of Iran, on March 9, 2007. He had traveled to Kish to investigate corruption and was trying to renew his C.I.A. contract. After he disappeared, the C.IA. played down any relationship with Mr. Levinson and said he was not a current employee. For years, United States officials would only say that Mr. Levinson was working for a private firm on his trip when he vanished. Zain Group is enhancing its 5G network infrastructure in order to offer better service level agreements (SLAs) for enterprises and ensure bandwidth for mission critical services in a range of vertical industries in the Middle East. Zain, which offers mobile commercial services in eight Middle East countries as well as in Africa, has already deployed 5G in some of its territory, for example ending 2019 with 2,600 5G towers across Saudi Arabia, and offering 5G roaming services between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It claims to achieve 500Mbps upload and download speeds for 5G roaming. The company this week announced it will be incorporating Huaweis SLA IP (internet protocol) technology, using SRv6 routing functions, into its transport networks. SRv6 is a protocol that simplifies segment routing for IPv6 networks, allowing for finetuned control of network traffic to ensure enough bandwidth for mission critical applications. It thus enables network operators to enhance their SLAs by committing to higher levels of bandwidth and network resiliency. SRv6 traffic engineering lets operators turn a network into a multiservice infrastructure, optimising the same physical network for different services, including low-latency and high-latency applications. The concept, called network slicing, lets operators create different virtual networks over a common physical transport, optimising each network slice or virtual segment for a particular service. Zain says it plans 5G services in three major areas: enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC). The mobile operator also plans to develop new services such as VR/AR and high quality private lines. SRv6, as a next-generation IP network protocol, is simpler and more suitable for building intelligent IP networks, said Mohammed Al Murshed, core networks director for Zain, in a press release. Zain plans to deploy SRv6 and slicing ready IP networks in multiple regions in 2020, and works with Huawei to build intelligent IP networks featuring ultra broadband, committed SLA, and autonomous driving function. For so-called autonomous driving, SRv6 allows networks to more quickly identify flaws and bottlenecks than previous protocols, enabling network analytics to almost instantaneously reroute traffic to maintain the bandwidth needed by applications. The Middle East is starting to launch commercial 5G networks ahead of other regions of the world. In addition to Zain, for example, Etisalat and Ooredoo are already undertaking live 5G trials, with commercial launches expected over the course of the year. 5G is an umbrella term for a range of standards and technologies that can provide transmission speeds up to 20 times faster than 4G. Its expected to enable a new era of the Internet of Things (IoT) networks of industrial and consumer devices that provide data to analytics and control systems. These management and analytics applications can then, in turn, be used to better manage and service the sensors, devices and machines connected to the network. 5G is expected to lead to as much as US$11 trillion productivity gains for industry globally and allow for new participants in various industries including transportation, energy, manufacturing, education and healthcare, facilitating evolution and even disruptive transformation of traditional business models. (Natural News) As the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) began in the United States, it became clear immediately that Democrats and the unhinged Leftists who run deep blue cities and states around the country were going to use it as an opportunity to politically wound President Donald Trump. Not that the virus is fake or that its not as bad as what were being led to believe, of course. The virus is real, it is killing people, and it is spreading. One more thing: Regardless of what liberal hacks in the mainstream media say, the virus did come from China. In fact, COVID-19 is the second major outbreak that emanated from China in as many decades. Recall that the SARS epidemic also originated in the worlds biggest petri dish. Without question, the Communist Chinese government is to blame for the spread of coronavirus. The government hid the fact that it had a novel (new) virus on its hands as early as November 2019, but didnt alert the outside world and in fact allowed the annual Lunar New Year celebration, attended by hundreds of millions all over the country, to proceed. As Lifesite News reported: The truth is that Communist Party officials have been playing hide the demon for two months now. For weeks after the first coronavirus cases were reported, they pretended that it didnt exist. Even when the number of people who had come down with the coronavirus became too large to hide by early January, officials continually minimized the seriousness of the disease to their own peopleand to the world. Since the outbreak, the Communist Chinese government has lied about disease rates, hid the number of deaths, fudged production numbers to make it seem as though a recovery was underway, and refused to come clean about all it knows regarding coronavirus. Diana Zhang, writing for The Epoch Times, notes that the death toll from the virus in China alone may have surpassed 1 million people based on witness accounts and anecdotal data like the loss of millions of Chinese cellphone accounts. Eliminating CCP doesnt require World War III Now, we have become victims, as the virus has crossed borders. Should we continue to deal with CCP like we are dealing with a group of gentlemen? We have lost our manufacturing jobs; we have lost intellectual property; now, are we are going to lose our family members, and maybe our own lives? she writes. The time has come for the Communist Chinese government to pay a price for unleashing this bug on the planet. As tens of millions of Americans now exist under lockdowns; as scores of non-essential businesses are forced to close, leaving workers jobless; as 401(k) retirement plans tank on Wall Street due to uncertainty about the virus impact on the U.S. and global economy; as China fails to learn the lessons of what it takes to become a civilized great power in the 21st century its time for Beijing to pay a price. President Trump is looking more likely to be reelected in November. His polling numbers were improving before the virus and most Americans approve of the way hes handling it. Plus, Joe Biden has mental acuity issues and wont hold up under scrutiny. Therefore, when the president is reelected he must immediately put in place a pre-planned program of reducing Americas reliance on China to zero by the end of his second term. The Chinese dont deserve to have first-world status with a third-world mentality. When a cancer continues to grow, what is the end result? Zhang writes. Eliminating the CCP does not require World War III. If we cut our ties to it, it will starve to death quickly, like a cancer separated from its host. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com TheNationalSentinel.com An award-winning house with the ultimate open floor plan has landed on the market in Montecito, CA, for $7.5 million. The Ladera Lane home is mostly made of steel and glass. It features huge windowed doors that roll up, fully opening the house to the outdoors. So you have a really big great room, and you have three sets of doors like a garage where they fold back. There's 36 panes of windows in each one of those doors, [and] you can open them all the way up or you can have them any length that you want, says listing agent Cristal Clarke. The three-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home sits on an acre lot with great views. You have beautiful mountain views, and you get a peek of the ocean and the islands, Clarke says. Doors fully open Ciro Coelho/David Palermo Doors closed Ciro Coelho/David Palermo Mountain views Ciro Coelho/David Palermo The homeowners commissioned architect Barton Myers to design a unique property. Myers is known for his work using steel as the primary component, and he completed this home in 2009. It's been described as one of the six most beautiful homes in the world by an architectural magazine, Clarke says. It's just stunning. It really encompasses the outdoors to the indoors, and the scale is so beautiful. Steel ceilings Ciro Coelho/David Palermo The American Institute of Steel Construction gave the residence a Merit Award in the Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel (IDEAS2) program for sustainable design and the use of exposed structural steel. Structural steel is manufactured mostly from scrap metal, so it's a green material and doesn't generate as much construction waste as a wood-frame structure. There are two parallel wings to the home, one with the common areas and the retractable glass walls and the other with the bedrooms and private areas. A glass hallway connects the two. The kitchen and dining area floats in the middle of the room, without walls. Even though you have really high ceilings and lots of glass, it's still very warm inside, Clarke explains. Sometimes contemporary homes aren't. This one is. It's just pretty spectacular. Kitchen and dining area Ciro Coelho/David Palermo The property includes a lap pool as well as a guesthouse. Although the main home can be completely open to the elements, it doesnt have a critter problem. We are in such a phenomenal climate. We don't have the bugs. We will get the occasional flies that will come in, but we just don't get bugs here, Clarke says. California is a wonderful place to have a home like this. Lap pool Ciro Coelho/David Palermo The homeowners are ready to move on and let someone else experience the innovative property. It has been a permanent home for these clients. It could be a second home for somebody or a permanent home, Clarke says. I think its a great couples home. I think [the perfect buyer] is someone who really appreciates architecture and wants that indoor-outdoor living. The people who come to look at the home are impressed by the architecture. Even architects who come and take a look at it, you see their mouths drop open. They are looking at all the details and are just mesmerized, Clarke says. It's pretty spectacular how it is built. It's like a work of art is the best way I can describe it. You know when you go to museums and just kind of stand and you take the time to lookthat's what people do on this house. Bedroom Ciro Coelho/David Palermo Bathroom Ciro Coelho/David Palermo Exterior Ciro Coelho/David Palermo The post Steel and Glass Combine to Create the Ultimate Open-Concept Home in Montecito appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. The near-term future of Americas physical and financial health now depends on weighing public-health and commercial data in a gigantic cost-efficiency study as disease and economic recession compete as the principal public enemy and the main call upon the nations human and financial resources. This was a foreseeable stage but is on us more quickly than had been generally expected. In such an unprecedented crisis, the command decisions of the president will be determining, and he clearly signals that the time to choose is close. In this official process, where one would have hoped for bipartisanship and the smooth coming together of both parties in the national interest, the Democrats have walked off the table, and their presumptive presidential nominee treated us to a waxen live-stream from a little podium in his living room in Delaware on Monday, a nostalgic dip into rank amateurism. Harry Trumans home movies from Key West in his Hawaiian shirts look more presidential than Joe Biden frantically signaling the cameraman with what he thought to be an invisible hand as he pretends to be an alternate president. And in Congress, the administrations $2 trillion relief bill, backed by a $4 trillion Federal Reserve liquidity facility, has been stalled for two days by the far-left House caucus that propelled Speaker Nancy Pelosi into the spurious impeachment fiasco. They are demanding concessions to labor unions, diversity requirements in employment standards among beneficiaries, the imposition of parts of the Green Terror, including large acquisitions of solar panels and windmills, abortion subsidies, and $300 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, a worthy but at this point somewhat esoteric cause. This is profoundly unserious, and a bill will surely be agreed soon. The Democratic tactics will assure that the president gets all the credit for it. The Trump-hating media and their desperate Democratic allies dont dislike the president any less because there is a public-health crisis, and their principal effort has been to stir up and maintain a state of public fear that grips the country while they snipe and carp at any shortcoming they can discover or invent in the administrations response to the crisis. The pure fiction that Trump had disbanded the federal governments pandemic response group is an example of that. So are attempts to blame Trump when individuals self-medicate disastrously when they have mistakenly thought they were swallowing a remedy the president had recommended. Now that the numbers of coronavirus sufferers are taking on a pattern, a possible ameliorative treatment of the coronavirus is being distributed in New York, and testing will increase to 150,000 people per day next week, the fearmongers are howling that any relaxation of the virtual lockdown of the country will cause nightmarish numbers of needless dead. Some of those screaming this from the cyber-rooftops are doubtless sincere. But some are trying to provoke as much economic damage as possible to hang around the presidents neck on Election Day. Story continues The United States is now outdone only by Germany and Canada, among countries with sophisticated public-health systems that publish believable numbers, in the small proportion of reported cases who die from the coronavirus. This is 674 people out of 51,542 cases reported, as of late afternoon Tuesday, or 1.25 percent of identified cases, and if those who are immune-challenged are removed from that figure, the percentage descends to less than half of 1 percent of the identified cases. Even though most of the people tested appeared to have possible coronavirus symptoms, only a little more than 15 percent of those tested have tested positively. Because the United States is ramping up its treatment capabilities so quickly, it has an inordinate number of the worlds reported cases, 23 percent of the worlds new cases reported on Monday, though it only has about 4 percent of the worlds population, but the world fatality rate is about 4 percent, more than three times the American rate. The disease is still spreading unavoidably, but if care is taken to insulate the elderly and infirm from contact, the mortality rate descends to a point not greatly above seasonal flu fatality numbers. Though it is hard to be precise about it, less than 1 percent of the adult population of the U.S. have apparently reported coronavirus-like symptoms; of those, about 20 percent have been tested; of those, about a quarter have tested positive; and of those, apart from clearly vulnerable people, fewer than half of 1 percent have died. In epidemiological terms, this is a very serious penetration of the population by a very nasty virus, but it does not justify continuing the extreme restrictions on the economic life of the country, and specifically this lethal threat to the economic well-being of tens of millions of Americans. All lives are precious, and it is morally offensive to be forced to compare the cost in lives of the pandemic against the economic cost of extending maximum exposure-reduction measures. Democratic Party spokespeople are uniformly advising against premature relaxation of controls of travel and assembly as the president speaks of aiming for a staged reopening, starting with allowing people to go to church on Easter, April 12. The concern is that a premature relaunch of normalcy could bring a double-top on the virus and bring the fatality rates back up. Obviously, any return to normalcy will be in stages, and the next step in determining the way forward will be the president outlining the steps of restored economic life, which could vary between regions. As long as he can get a reasonable number of the scientific community, some of whom seem to have had a propensity to think the enemy is only a bacillus and not economic suicide, to agree that the steps he takes, sequentially and tentatively, are justifiable with careful monitoring, it will be hard for his enemies to ambush him. Psychotic media cases await any opportunity to tear the president to pieces, no matter the facts or the public interest. To the intense irritation of his enemies, who have engaged in great merriment mocking the evolution of the presidents views about the coronavirus and some of his communication lapses, he has led effectively, and the generally rather hostile Gallup polling organization reported on Tuesday that Mr. Trump has the support of 60 percent of Americans on this issue and has reached a high point of approval generally at 49 percent. The response to the absence of testing facilities and the mobilization of the resistance to the pandemic has been so swiftly and smoothly conducted with the governors irrespective of partisan matters, he is carrying and leading opinion, as he should. On Tuesday evening, he referred to winning the battle with the invisible enemy and reaffirmed Easter as his target date for beginning to relax some restrictions, but was careful to put humanitarian concerns ahead of commercial ones. He had Dr. Anthony Fauci of the White House Coronavirus Task Force standing beside him and addressing the media, squashing reports that there were some key differences between them. Anyone can see the progress the country has made in addressing this problem in the two weeks since it was really taken in hand, including the swift assembly of an astonishingly comprehensive financial-relief program. Joe Bidens discountenanced performance as he connected with the nasty, noisy morons on the ghastly television experience The View on Tuesday is comprehensible: This was his sequel to the farce he delivered on Monday at the podium placed in his living room. President Truman spoke nothing but the truth when he said the buck stops with the president. At times like this it is an onerous burden that, if successfully discharged, rightly raises the status of the person who leads the nation successfully in great crises. The vivid Democratic contemplation of Donald Trumps failure in this crisis is, with reason, giving way to the unspeakable fear of his success. More from National Review Millions of finger-prick coronavirus home-tests could be ready to order on Amazon or pick up in Boots in a matter of days, according to Public Health England. Sharon Peacock, of PHE's National Infection Service, said 3.5million antibody tests the Government has bought will be available in the 'near future'. Asked whether these could be within several days, she told the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee 'absolutely'. However, Professor Peacock did not explain if the test would be free on the NHS or if suspected patients would have to pay. MailOnline has contacted PHE for clarity. Health chiefs say the tests - which scour a sample of blood for antibodies made by the body to fight the virus - will initially be available for frontline healthcare staff. The Government's aim is to get thousands of doctors, nurses and paramedics who have had to self isolate at home as a precaution back to work. PHE has not revealed who is manufacturing the tests, which detect if someone has had the infection previously and is now immune. Boots today said that while it was keen to work with the Government, it had not yet heard about the plan to stock tests in its stores. The new antibody tests snapped up by the Government are thought to use a lateral flow device (LFD) which takes a drop of blood by a finger prick (like this one, pictured), according to Professor Ian Jones from the Unversity of Reading They work like an at-home pregnancy test and a colour develops if the patient is positive With immense pressure mounting on ministers to be more proactive with testing during the coronavirus crisis, Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night announced the purchase of the 3.5million new antibody tests Professor Peacock explained a small number of tests would be tested in a laboratory before being distributed via Amazon and in places like Boots. She added: 'Once we are assured that they do work, they will be rolled out into the community. Testing the test is a small matter, and I anticipate that it will be done by the end of this week. WHAT IS AN ANTIBODY TEST, AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT TO AN ANTIGEN OR SWAB TEST? ANTIBODY TEST An antibody test is one which tests whether someone's immune system is equipped to fight a specific disease or infection. When someone gets infected with a virus their immune system must work out how to fight it off and produce substances called antibodies. These are extremely specific and are usually only able to tackle one strain of one virus. They are produced in a way which makes them able to latch onto that specific virus and destroy it. For example, if someone catches COVID-19, they will develop COVID-19 antibodies for their body to use to fight it off. The body then stores versions of these antibodies in the immune system so that if it comes into contact with that same virus again it will be able to fight it off straight away and probably avoid someone feeling any symptoms at all. To test for these antibodies, medics or scientists can take a fluid sample from someone - usually blood - and mix it with part of the virus to see if there is a reaction between the two. If there is a reaction, it means someone has the antibodies and their body knows how to fight off the infection - they are immune. If there is no reaction it means they have not had it yet. SWAB TEST Antibody tests differ to a swab test, known as a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which aims to pick up on active viruses currently in the bloodstream. A PCR test works by a sample of someone's genetic material - their RNA - being taken to lab and worked up in a full map of their DNA at the time of the test. This DNA can then be scanned to find evidence of the virus's DNA, which will be embroiled with the patient's own if they are infected at the time. The PCR test is more reliable but takes longer, while the antibody test is faster but more likely to produce an inaccurate result. It does not look for evidence of past infection. ANTIGEN TEST Antigens are parts of a virus that trigger the immune system's response to fight the infection, and can show up in blood before antibodies are made. The key advantage of antigen tests is that it can take several days for the immune system to develop enough antibodies to be picked up by a test, whereas antigens can be seen almost immediately after infection. Antigen tests are used to diagnose patients with flu, as well as malaria, strep A and HIV. Advertisement 'In the near future people will be able to order a test that they can test themselves, or go to Boots, or somewhere similar to have their finger prick test done.' But Boots said Professor Peacock's comments today were the first the pharmacy chain had heard of the plan. A spokesperson added: 'We are keen to work with the Government to explore opportunities to support COVID-19 testing and to support the NHS in any way we can. 'However we do not have any type of COVID-19 tests in our stores. Customers should not make a trip to a Boots store or pharmacy for this purpose.' The UK's deputy chief medical officer today said antibody tests will 'initially' be available for frontline healthcare staff. Speaking on a webchat on Mumsnet - a popular forum for parents - Dr Jenny Harries said this was 'so we can manage patients and vulnerable people safely and keep our NHS and care systems running. 'But we will be able to roll out to other people after that,' she added. The new antibody tests are thought to use a lateral flow device (LFD) which takes a drop of blood via a finger prick and a colour develops if the patient is positive. The test looks for antibodies, the immune system's defence mechanism, which are produced to fight off the killer virus. They work like an at-home pregnancy test and take just minutes to produce a result. Britain has repeatedly been slammed for its lacklustre approach to the crisis after testing just 5,000 people each day and allowing hundreds of thousands to roam the streets undiagnosed. South Korea, the only country outside of China to flatten the outbreak's curve, has been conducting three times more daily tests despite having a population of 50million, compared to Britain's 66million. NHS England's medical director today warned testing must be ramped up to hundreds of thousands per day in the coming weeks to catch up with the crisis. With immense pressure mounting on ministers to be proactive, Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night announced the purchase of the new antibody tests. But the deal has raised fears about whether the Government has rushed into buying the tests. In the UK routine tests are only given to people so ill they have to go into hospital, or those who are already on wards - even NHS staff don't get tested. It means the official tally of just over 8,000 coronavirus patients is much lower than the reality. Those who test positive will have already been infected - sometimes without knowing or showing symptoms - and are likely to be immune to reinfection. But they are only around 80 per cent accurate, according to Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading. And the devices are even less effective at spotting if someone is currently infect, he added. Professor Jones told MailOnline: 'They [antibody tests] are typically around 80 pe cent efficient and at this figure I guess they are good enough to give an idea of what percentage of the population has been infected, which is the denominator that nobody really knows. Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has questioned the UK's policy to only test patients in hospital, asking: 'How can we possibly suppress the virus if we don't where it is?' HOPES LOCKDOWN COULD 'KEEP INFECTION AT MANAGEABLE LEVELS' It is hoped that once the coronavirus lockdown is lifted the infection can be kept at manageable levels, an expert has said. Professor Neil Ferguson, who is recovering from COVID-19 himself, told the Science and Technology Committee measures taken by the Government could tip the outbreak from a growing epidemic to a declining epidemic. He also explained there was some uncertainty, but that if current measures work as expected, then intensive care demand would 'peak in approximately two to three weeks and then decline thereafter'. Professor Ferguson, of Imperial College London, told the committee current predictions were that the NHS would be able to cope if strict measures continued to be followed. He said: 'There will be some areas that are extremely stressed but we are reasonably confident - which is all we can be at the current time - that at the national level we will be within capacity.' Drinking from a Keep Calm and Carry On mug, he explained: 'There will be some resurgence of transmission but the hope is that by employing more focused policies to suppress those local outbreaks, we can maintain infection levels at low levels in the country as a whole indefinitely. 'It remains to be seen how we achieve this and how practical it proves to be.' Appearing via videolink, he added that it was 'plausible' COVID-19 could behave like other coronaviruses and transmission could be somewhat reduced in the summer months but perhaps not by more than 10 per cent to 20 per cent. Professor Ferguson said it was clear that the country could not be in lockdown for a year, and that 'the long-term exit from this is clearly the hopes around a vaccine'. 'The challenge that many countries in the world are dealing with is how we move from an initial intensive lockdown... to something that will have societal effects but will allow the economy to restart,' he said. 'That is likely to rely on very large-scale testing and contact tracing. 'It should be stated that the entire world is in the very early stage of developing such strategies.' The committee heard that the current strategy aim is to suppress transmission indefinitely until other counter-measures are put in place, including a vaccine. It was also told that widespread testing was needed to help move the country from suppression measures and lockdown into something the country can manage longer-term. Advertisement 'It would be important to stress that they should only be used as directed and they are only a backwards look at the infection, they cannot be used in real time.' Professor Jones stressed the importance of scaling up testing methods which can tell if someone is currently contagious so patients are not roaming the streets infecting others. '...as far as I know only hospitalised patients [are being tested]. Ideally this would extend to random testing as capacity cranks up. 'This is obviosly more important when dealing with a current rather than historic infection - you wouldn't want to send someone home if they were actually infected. 'So in my view current tests would be better kept to reference centres where there is level of quality assurance. 'Its the scaling up of the throughput so that these could take general population samples that should be the focus.' It came after Mr Hancock confirmed a new testing facility had opened in Milton Keynes yesterday at a daily news conference. His announcement followed criticism from former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who questioned the UK's policy to only test patients in hospital, asking: 'How can we possibly suppress the virus if we don't where it is?' Ex-Tory leader Sir William Hague also called for more testing, saying in a comment piece for The Telegraph that a more rigorous swabbing strategy was 'the route back to a free society from coronavirus'. Mr Hunt told the House of Commons Britain currently had around 300,000 cases - a scientific estimate based on 1,000 cases for every death (335 in the UK). And in a stark warning, he admitted it may to 'too late to avoid Italy', which has seen more than 60,000 cases and 6,000 deaths. Last night it was revealed the army had been sent to seize testing machines from private labs and universities in a desperate attempt to get NHS medics tested. Without knowing if they have the virus, health workers face going into isolation for up to two weeks if they show symptoms of the virus - tests could release them early. Only 5,000 patients are tested for the deadly virus each day in the UK - despite the Government promising it would ramp up its daily capacity to 25,000. It comes after Boris Johnson was lambasted for his slow action on coronavirus testing today after it emerged he made an extraordinary plea for research labs to lend the government crucial kit as recently as Sunday. The premier was accused in the Commons of dragging his heels over the crisis amid a growing backlash over the UK's testing capacity, with jibes that he should have made the request 'months ago'. But in bruising exchanges at PMQs, Mr Johnson denied he had U-turned on the approach, insisting it had been a priority for 'weeks'. Jeremy Corbyn (right) accused Boris Johnson (left) in the Commons of dragging his heels over boosting coronavirus testing capacity In bruising exchanges at PMQs (pictured), Mr Johnson denied he had U-turned on the approach, insisting it had been a priority for 'weeks' The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other experts have been warning that mass checks are crucial for keeping the spread of the killer disease under control. Countries like South Korea and China have been praised for their wide-scale testing regimes, which seem to have helped limit cases. However, the UK shelved efforts to test everyone with symptoms earlier this month, when the response moved into a 'delay' phase. Instead people who thought they had the illness were urged to self-isolate unless their conditions became so severe they needed medical help. Countries like South Korea and China have been praised for their wide-scale testing regimes, which seem to have helped limit cases. However, the UK shelved efforts to test everyone with symptoms earlier this month, when the response moved into a 'delay' phase. Instead people who thought they had the illness were urged to self-isolate unless their conditions became so severe they needed medical help. At PMQs, Jeremy Corbyn highlighted the email sent by Downing Street to research institutes on Sunday, which was leaked to Politico yesterday. 'Why wasn't this done weeks ago, if not months ago, when the government was first warned about the threat of a global pandemic?' the Labour leader said. 'And what action is now being taken to get testing machines?' Mr Johnson replied: 'He is quite right that testing is vital to our success in beating the coronavirus. As the Health Secretary has explained many times, we are massively increasing our testing campaign, going up from 5,000 to 10,000 to 25,000 a day. 'In answer directly to his question this has been a priority of this government ever since the crisis was obviously upon up for weeks and week.' Mr Corbyn also demanded to know when all healthcare staff will get the PPE equipment 'they absolutely desperately need'. Mr Johnson responded: 'He's absolutely right to raise this issue and I know this has been a concern and we had a long meeting on it this morning, but I'm assured that not only are the stocks there now, the Army is now distributing the supplies to all the NHS staff, all the hospitals that need it and in the last 24 hours, they have distributed 7.5million pieces of equipment.' The message sent to research institutes on Sunday asked to borrow expensive equipment currently needed to carry out tests. 'We urgently need to scale up testing. There is only a limited supply of these machines, so the PM is making an urgent appeal for you to lend us your machine(s) for the duration of the crisis,' the email reportedly said. 'We will meet all expenses and assume all liabilities and requirements associated with the use of these machines for this purpose. We undertake to return or replace the equipment when the emergency is over. We would very much like to collect any machines you have tomorrow (Mon 23) or Tuesday.' An accompanying letter from Mr Johnson said 'there are no machines available to buy' and asked the institutes to cooperate 'in the national interest.' He added: 'if you have any staff who are experienced in using the machines that would also be very helpful.' A source told Playbook 'It's great that they are ramping up testing. But it should have been done weeks ago. This is costing lives every day.' Government sources have denied that the letter was the first time officials had been in touch with labs. All of the coronavirus treatments that are being tested, from HIV pills to an Ebola drug and a malaria medication NHS hospitals are coming under growing pressure to use experimental drugs to try and treat patients infected with the coronavirus. Doctors and pharmaceutical firms around the world are scrambling to find a drug that can stop the deadly virus, which has now killed more than 18,000 people. Medicines already in use for conditions ranging from HIV to rheumatoid arthritis, malaria, the flu and even Ebola are serious contenders and are being tested to see how they could help patients infected with COVID-19. Here, MailOnline reveals some of the drugs that experts believe have potential. Favipiravir is the active ingredient in a flu drug called Avigan which is sold in Japan Favipiravir What are the brand versions of the drug? Avigan What does it treat? Flu Who makes it? It is made by a subsidiary of the company Fujifilm Holdings, which is better known for producing cameras. What have studies shown? In a trial of 80 patients in China, those given the drug tested negative for the virus after an average of four days, while it took 11 days for those not treated with it, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. How does it work? The drug - known as an RNA polymerase inhibitor - stops viruses from making copies of themselves to spread through the body. Is it being tested in the UK? In the UK it is not licensed or recommended, according to a document released by Public Health England last September. No trials are thought to be taking place in the UK at the moment. What are its side effects? Animal studies have suggested the drug may be harmful for pregnant women, with it linked to birth defects and death. What do the experts think? Robin May, professor of infectious disease at the University of Birmingham, said: 'It looks encouraging. 'And this drug appears to significantly speed up recovery from coronavirus, which is a step forward. 'However the reports so far seem to suggest it may not work as well for more severe cases of coronavirus.' He added the data from the Chinese trial suggests that it might not be as effective 'for the severely ill people we are really worried about'. Remdesivir Remdesivir is an anti-viral drug that works in essentially the same way as favipiravir by crippling the RNA polymerase enzyme, stopping a virus from reproducing What are the brand versions of the drug? Remdesivir - no brand name currently exists because it is only experimental. What does it treat? It was developed around 10 years ago with the intention of it destroying the Ebola virus. It was pushed aside, however, when other, better candidates emerged. Who makes it? California-based pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, the firm behind the life-changing HIV-preventing pill Truvada, or PrEP. What have studies shown? Lab tests of remdesivir have shown promise against coronaviruses - but human trials are still in their early days. Doctors in the US have tried it on patients and it managed to speed up the recovery of the first person to be treated for the virus there. The a 35-year-old man in Washington state, close to Seattle whose infection was announced on January 20 recovered after being given the drug. A Californian woman who doctors 'thought was going to pass away' also recovered in the US after being given the drug. Four American passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship treated with the drug in Japan also recovered. Officials in Liguria a coastal region of Italy also announced an infected man in his 70s had recovered and could go home after 12 days in hospital. How does it work? Remdesivir is an anti-viral drug that works in essentially the same way as favipiravir by crippling the RNA polymerase enzyme, stopping a virus from reproducing. Is it being tested in the UK? It is not prescribed on the NHS because it hasn't been approved. Hundreds of patients - including some in the UK - taking part in a European mega-trial will get chance to take the drug to prove if it can fight the coronavirus. The drug is also being trialled on coronavirus patients in China and at the University of Nebraska. What are its side effects? Scientists are full of hope because the drug is proven to be safe in humans. Its side effects are still not well understood. What do the experts think? Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, hailed remdesivir as 'one of the most promising antivirals' being investigated. While Dr Alfredo Garzino-Demo, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said evidence shows it has the ability to treat COVID-19 patients. Lopinavir/ritonavir, marketed under the brand names Kaletra and Aluvia, is an anti-HIV medicine Lopinavir/ritonavir What are the brand versions of the drug? Kaletra and Aluvia. What does it treat? It is an anti-HIV medicine given to people living with the virus to prevent it developing into AIDS. Who makes it? Illinois-based manufacturer AbbVie donated free supplies of the drug to authorities in China, the US and Europe for tests. What have studies shown? Chinese media reported that the drug was successfully used to cure patients with the coronavirus, but the reports have not been scientifically proven. A separate Chinese study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the lopinavir-ritonavir combination did not improve survival or speed recovery of COVID-19 patients. However, the authors noted they had enrolled a 'severely ill population' of patients. In a clinical trial submission, scientists in South Korea said lab studies have: 'In vitro [laboratory] studies revealed that lopinavir/ritonavir [has] antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).' How does it work? It is a class of drug called a protease inhibitor, which essentially stick to an enzyme on a virus which is vital to the virus reproducing. By doing this it blocks the process the virus would normally use to clone itself and spread the infection further. Is it being tested in the UK? It is not prescribed on the NHS for coronavirus because it hasn't been approved - but it is being trialled by Oxford University. But it is available on the health service for HIV treatment and was prescribed around 1,400 times in 2018, either as Kaletra or ritonavir on its own. The drug is also being trialled on coronavirus patients in China and at the University of Nebraska. What are its side effects? Known side effects include diarrhea, headaches, upset stomachs, drowsiness, dizziness, a bad taste in the mouth, and trouble sleeping. What do the experts think? The drugs have been described as 'promising' by experts. But there has been some hesitancy about the drug combination due to the NEJM study. One drug being used by doctors fighting the coronavirus outbreak is chloroquine phosphate, an anti-malarial medication. It is sold under the brand name Arlan Chloroquine phosphate What are the brand versions of the drug? Aralen. What does it treat? Doctors have used the generic drug for 70 years to treat malaria. Who makes it? French drug giant Sanofi. Where has it already been tested? China recommended the drug to treat COVID-19 patients, after tests showed it could help them recover and keep the disease at bay. South Korea has already tried the drugs on COVID-19 patients. A trial at the University of Minnesota is scheduled to take place in the US next month. Officials in the Netherlands are already suggesting doctors treat critically-ill patients with the drug. What have studies shown? Chinese officials claimed the drug 'demonstrated efficacy and acceptable safety in treating COVID-19 associated pneumonia'. South Korea and China both say the drug is an 'effective' antiviral treatment against the disease. The Wuhan Institute of Virology in the city where the crisis began claimed the drug was 'highly effective' in petri dish tests. How does it work? It has the power to stop viral molecules replicating in red blood cells, and taking hold in the body. Is it being tested in the UK? Chloroquine was prescribed around 46,000 times in 2018 in the UK but a form of it is also available over-the-counter from pharmacies without a prescription. It is thought to be among 1,000 drugs being tested against coronavirus in a lab as part of a Queens University Belfast study. What are its side effects? Doctors say the medicine is generally safe, but it can cause a number of mild side effects including headaches, loss of appetite, upset stomach and skin rashes, to more severe ones such as hair loss and depression. What do the experts think? Professor Robin May, an infectious disease specialist at Birmingham University, said the safety profile of the drug is 'well-established'. He added: 'It is cheap and relatively easy to manufacture, so it would be fairly easy to accelerate into clinical trials and, if successful, eventually into treatment.' Professor May suggested chloroquine may work by altering the acidity of the area of cells that it attacks, making it harder for the virus to replicate. Hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil, may treat COVID-19 Hydroxychloroquine (Malaria) What are the brand versions of the drug? Plaquenil. What does it treat? Malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It is a less powerful and, by some experts' accounts, less toxic, version of chloroquine phosphate. Who makes it and where has it already been tested? Drug giant Sanofi carried out a study on 24 patients, which the French government described as 'promising'. French health officials are now planning on a larger trial of the drug, which is used on the NHS. What have studies shown? Results from the French study showed three quarters of patients treated with the drug were cleared of the virus within six days. None of the placebo group were treated. How does it work? It interferes with viral molecules replicating in red blood cells. Is it being tested in the UK? It is thought to be among 1,000 drugs being tested at Queens University Belfast. What are its side effects? Skin rashes, nausea, diarrhoea and headaches. What do the experts think? Chinese scientists investigating the other form of chloroquine penned a letter to a prestigious journal saying its 'less toxic' derivative may also help. In the comment to Cell Discovery owned by publisher Nature, they said it shares similar chemical structures and mechanisms. The team of experts added: 'It is easy to conjure up the idea that hydroxychloroquine may be a potent candidate to treat infection by SARS-CoV-2.' Sarilumab, a rheumatoid arthritis drug which is marketed as Kevzara in the US, is set to be trialled on patients in the US Sarilumab What are the brand versions of the drug? Kevzara Who makes it? Kevzara was developed by Sanofi and New York-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. What does it treat? Rheumatoid arthritis. The condition sees the immune system attack healthy parts of the body, such as the joints by mistake and causes inflammation. This can cause tiredness, anaemia, and damage to bones, cartilage and soft tissues. Where has it already been tested? It was given to 21 patients with severe COVID-19 in a study by the University of Science and Technology of China in February. Sanofi, which makes the drug, says it is also launching trials 'rapidly in Italy and the US in a matter of weeks. What have studies shown? According to the Chinese researchers, fevers returned to normal and all other symptoms 'improved remarkably' within a few days. Additionally, three quarters of patients had lowered their oxygen intake and one patient no longer needed breathing support. Nineteen patients were discharged after an average of 13.5 days following treatment, with the remainder 'recovering well' as of the time of the study's release, the researchers wrote. How does it work? The drug works by blocking part of the immune system which can cause inflammation, or swelling, which is overactive in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Inflammation is the body's natural response to infection but, in patients with coronavirus, it can get out of control, making symptoms significantly worse and even trigger multiple organ failure. Is it being tested in the UK? It is likely to be included in Queen University Belfast's study of 1,000 drugs on the new coronavirus. While the official list of drugs has not been made public, the university said it was testing medicines that may be able to reduce virus infection or replication and virus-induced inflammatory responses. What are its side effects? A cough or sore throat, blocked or runny nose, cold sores, urinary tract infections and redness and itching at the site of the injection. What do the experts think? Dr Cassandra Calabrese, a rheumatologist at the renowned Cleveland Clinic, said there is a 'growing body of reports showing the benefit' of the drug in COVID-19 patients. Interferon beta-1b/SNG001 What are the brand versions of the drug? The drug is still in development and goes by the name of SNG001. What does it treat? Interferon beta-1b (IFN-beta) is a naturally occurring protein that orchestrates the body's anti-viral responses. SNG001 is a formulation of IFN-beta developed by Synairgen to prevent severe lower respiratory tract illness caused by cold and flu infections. A different formulation using the protein is used to treat patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The drug called Extavia is self-injected every two days and works by slowing down the damage to the nervous system and by reducing the number of relapses. Where has it already been tested? Synairgen is a UK-based company, and it appears their formulation hasn't crossed overseas yet. But it does say has been approached by, and is in discussion with, a number of scientific and governmental bodies in the US and internationally since the COVID-19 outbreak began. What have studies shown? Laboratory studies have shown IFN-beta can protect cells from infection by a range of respiratory viruses. These include the MERS and SARS coronavirus strains, leaving scientists expecting IFN-beta to also protect against the COVID-19 strain. It has already been shown to improve the recovery of asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) patients who have other lung infections, such as flu. Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen, said: 'SNG001 has been well tolerated in clinical trials in over 200 respiratory patients to date and has accelerated lung function recovery in two Phase II asthma trials in patients with a cold or flu infection.' How does it work? SNG001 is inhaled with a nebuliser, which helps deliver drugs to the lungs. Scientists believe it will prevent the coronavirus from taking over lung cells to replicate. This would prevent patients deteriorating until the point they need ventilation to survive. Viruses, including coronaviruses, can evolve the ability to suppresses IFN-beta production in the body, thereby helping the virus evade. Is it being tested in the UK? Southampton researchers are conducting a Phase II SNG001 trial on COVID-19 patients to see if it could prevent worsening symptoms in those most at risk. The trial, led by Professor Tom Wilkinson at University Hospital Southampton, will involve 100 patients at Southampton and up to ten other NHS hospitals. Those patients will receive the best current COVID19 care, whilst inhaling either a placebo or SNG001 for 14 days. What are its side effects? Doctors are currently clueless. Side effects will be reported with the findings of the clinic trial. Other forms of interferon beta can cause headaches, vaginal bleeding and diminish libido. What do the experts think? Tom Wilkinson told Sky News: 'We are hoping that the drug will increase the rate of recovery from infection, that it will increase the protection in the bit of the lungs that are not infected yet and will reduce the number of patients that decline significantly and require intubation and ventilation.' Mr Marsden said: 'A successful outcome from this trial [at Southampton] in COVID-19 patients would be a major breakthrough in the fight against this coronavirus pandemic.' Dexamethasone What are the brand versions of the drug? Ozurdex and Baycadron. What does it treat? The steroid drug is used to treat allergies and asthma, as well as some types of cancer. Who makes it? Baycadron is made by Wockhardt Usa, Llc, while Ozurdex is made by Allergan, the manufacturer of a commonly used textured breast implant. What have studies shown? No studies have yet to prove dexamethasone can treat SARS-CoV-2 - but it has been tested on patients with MERS and SARS, two different coronaviruses. One retrospective study of critically-ill patients with MERS found that almost half of the people that received steroids needed additional treatments such as assistance in breathing, drugs to increase blood pressure, and a form of dialysis. Those given steroids were found to take longer to clear the virus from their bodies. Other studies found that the virus was still present in SARS patients who took the drugs up to three weeks after infection. How does it work? Steroids are often used by doctors to reduce inflammation, which is present in the lungs of patients with the coronavirus. However, steroids also impair the immune system's ability to fight viruses and other infections that often develop in patients with life-threatening illness. Is it being tested in the UK? Researchers from the University of Oxford have launched a new clinical trial to test the effects of potential drug treatments, including dexamethasone, for patients admitted to hospital with the virus. What are its side effects? The drug is known to cause an increase in appetite and heartburn, as well as muscle weakness and insomnia. What do the experts think? In a piece in prestigious medical journal The Lancet, three experts warned: 'No unique reason exists to expect that patients with 2019-nCoV infection will benefit from corticosteroids. 'And they might be more likely to be harmed with such treatment.'We conclude that corticosteroid treatment should not be used for the treatment of 2019-nCoV-induced lung injury or shock outside of a clinical trial.' Burma Myanmars Central Bank Says Banking Will Continue Despite Coronavirus Precautions at a private bank in Yangon. / The Irrawaddy YANGON Myanmars central bank has reassured citizens that banking services will not stop, including mobile banking and cash machines, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) said more cash than usual was withdrawn from banks on Tuesday, following Myanmars first confirmed coronavirus cases. On Wednesday, the CBM said it had ordered all banks to make contingency plans to ensure the continuous operation of services during any COVID-19 outbreak. The CBM said it had been supervising banking operations to ensure services operated smoothly in any situation. All banks would continue daily services, including cash withdrawal, during office hours, the CBM said. The central bank added that limits on mobile banking would be raised to increase public convenience. Banks had been advised by the CBM to make arrangements to ensure ATMs remain fully operational across the country, the CBM said. Since the COVID-19 cases were confirmed, panic buying hit supermarkets in Yangon and Mandalay. On Tuesday, Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi requested citizens not to panic and follow the advice from the health authorities on COVID-19. She said the government was tackling the situation responsibly and with transparency through real-time updates. As of Wednesday, Myanmar has confirmed three COVID-19 cases. They are all men and Myanmar citizens. A Chin State patient is a 36-year-old, who arrived from the US, and there are two 26-year-olds being quarantined in Yangon, who returned from the UK. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Central Bank Cuts Interest Rates Another 1% to Aid Economy Border Gate Forced to Open as Myanmar Migrant Workers Leave Thailand Amid COVID-19 Myanmar Bans Beach Tours Amid COVID-19 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 12:49 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d50d6a 1 National coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,officials,West-Java,Jakarta-COVID-19 Free At least five high-ranking central and regional government officials have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, two others who had yet to be tested died on Monday after reportedly showing symptoms of the disease: the Industry Ministry's metal, machinery, transportation equipment and electronic industry (ILMATE) director general, Harjanto, and the ministry's expert staff member, Amir Sambodo. Harjanto died at Medistra Hospital in Jakarta on Monday at around 9:30 p.m. The 58-year old suffered from shortness of breath prior to the death, Industry Ministry spokesperson Krisna Sulistyani said Tuesday as reported by kompas.com. Amir died the following day at around 8:15 a.m. He was 60. The State Palace announced on March 14 that Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi had tested positive for COVID-19. He was the first Indonesian official to be diagnosed with the contagious respiratory disease. Budi, who has long struggled with asthma, was directly involved in the evacuation process of 238 Indonesians from the epicenter of the virus outbreak in Wuhan, China, as well as 257 Indonesians from the virus-stricken World Dream and Diamond Princess cruise ships. The minister's health is reportedly improving as he undergoes medical treatment at the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital (RSPAD) in Jakarta. "He's getting better every day," Transportation Ministry spokesperson Adita Irawati said recently, confirming that Budi was in stable condition. Before being hospitalized, Budi attended a cabinet meeting led by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on March 11. After the announcement that Budi had tested positive, President Joko Jokowi Widodo and his Cabinet were also tested for the disease. Jokowi announced earlier this week that he and his wife, First Lady Iriana, had tested negative. The test results of the other ministers have yet to be announced. Adita announced on Tuesday that another high-ranking official at the Transportation Ministry had also been diagnosed with the new coronavirus. "The Transportation Ministry's railway director general, Zulfikri, has been tested positive for COVID-19. He's now in good condition and undergoing self-quarantine [at home]." Zulfikri and other officials at the ministry were given swab tests on March 18. The director general separately confirmed that he was self-isolating at home. Before taking the test, he had undergone treatment at Eka Hospital in South Tangerang, Banten, from March 9 to 13. He was initially diagnosed with pneumonia. "I encourage those who had physical contact with me recently [and] show symptoms of COVID-19 to immediately undergo a medical checkup to break the transmission chain," Zulfikri said Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil announced that Karawang Regent Cellica Nurrachadiana had COVID-19. Three top officials from the province have now tested positive. The other two are Bogor Mayor Bima Arya and Bandung Deputy Mayor Yana Mulyana. Read also: Greater Jakarta failing as floodgate to nationwide COVID-19 epidemic Bima took a swab test on March 17 after returning from a work-related trip to Turkey the previous day. Prior to the trip, he reportedly attended a seminar in Bogor, which has been scrutinized following reports that four participants had tested positive for COVID-19. Two have died at Moewardi Regional Hospital in Surakarta, Central Java. Yana, meanwhile, attended an event held by the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association in Karawang on March 9-10 prior to showing symptoms, including fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. West Java was among the worst-hit areas in Indonesia. It reported 60 confirmed cases on Tuesday, with 10 deaths. Jakarta topped the list with 424 positive cases and 31 deaths, followed by Banten with 65 cases and 4 deaths As of Tuesday, Indonesia has reported 686 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 55 deaths. California Gov. Gavin Newsom updates the state's response to the coronavirus at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova, Calif., Monday, March 23, 2020. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that the state has seen 1 million unemployment claims in less than two weeks as the coronavirus pandemic has led to businesses being shut down across the state. "We just passed the 1 million mark, in terms of the number of claims, just since March 13," Newsom said. Newsom's announcement comes one day before a key national data release on new jobless claims for the United States, which some have projected to be in the multimillions. The initial claims data has never before surpassed 1 million, and it was 285,000 last week. The San Francisco area was the first region in the country to install a "shelter-in-place" order, on March 16. Newsom signed a "stay-at-home" order for the whole state three days later. The governor praised the proposed Senate relief bill to help fight the coronavirus pandemic. California provides up to $450 per week for unemployment insurance, Newsom said, and the proposed Senate bill would add $600 per week for up to four months. "This bill will be very helpful, and it's very timely," Newsom said. California and its cities will get $10 billion from a block grant portion of the proposed relief bill in the Senate, not including the benefits to workers and individuals, Newsom said. Four Republican senators have said they oppose the unemployment benefits provision in the bill, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced he would oppose the bill if the Republicans did not drop their complaints. Yokogawa Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6841) announces that on March 20, 2020, it completed the acquisition of all shares in Denmark-based Grazper Technologies ApS (Grazper), as mutually agreed. Grazper has developed advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for analyzing images, and Yokogawa aims to leverage these technologies within its various existing businesses and to develop new industrial AI solutions. Recent advances in deep learning and related technologies have enabled the practical application of AI in industry, and it is expected that as image identification and data forecasting accuracy continue to improve, the use of AI will only expand further. In particular, by improving the recognition accuracy for moving imagery, it becomes possible to observe the overall environment and context of the whole image, opening up new applications in the security field and for image analysis and robot operations on production lines. Grazper is a venture company founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2015, and later funded by Danish venture capital firm Promentum Equity Partners. It possesses advanced AI-based technologies for image analysis, and one notable strength is a solution that allows AI software to run efficiently on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA*), a type of integrated circuit. The software employs image recognition methodologies that have been theorized using algorithms and 3D modeling, and it can be operated with limited computing resources. Yokogawa is developing and providing AI-based solutions for plants and public infrastructure projects. Acquiring Grazper's technology will enable the company to provide solutions that use AI for image analysis, such as capturing image information for robots, detecting abnormalities at plants, and monitoring security using cameras. As a first step, Yokogawa's subsidiary, amnimo Inc., will embed Grazper's FPGA IP core into its Edge Gateway industrial LTE gateway, which is currently under development. This will make possible solutions for smart city projects and security applications targeting airports and railways. As part of Yokogawa's Transformation 2020 mid-term business plan, the company is working with customers on digital transformation initiatives that utilize technologies such as AI and IoT. Through this acquisition and the addition of new technology, Yokogawa will create new value by co-innovating with customers. A device that allows the immediate rewriting of the logic circuit design in the hardware language Outline of Grazper Technologies ApS Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Founded: April 2015 CEO: Thomas Jakobsen Business domain: Development of AI technologies and solutions that utilize imagery Website: https://grazper.com/ For more information amnimo Inc. website: https://amnimo.com/en/ About Yokogawa Founded in 1915, Yokogawa engages in broad-ranging activities in the areas of measurement, control, and information. The industrial automation business provides vital products, services, and solutions to a diverse range of process industries including oil, chemicals, natural gas, power, iron and steel, and pulp and paper. With the life innovation business, the company aims to radically improve productivity across the pharmaceutical and food industry value chains. The test measurement, aviation, and other businesses continue to provide essential instruments and equipment with industry-leading precision and reliability. Yokogawa co-innovates with its customers through a global network of 113 companies spanning 60 countries, generating US$3.6 billion in sales in FY2018. For more information, please visit www.yokogawa.com. The names of corporations, organizations, products, services and logos herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Yokogawa Electric Corporation or their respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200324005287/en/ Contacts: Public Relations Integrated Communications Center Yokogawa Electric Corporation Yokogawa-pr@cs.jp.yokogawa.com Coronavirus update: Amid the measures taken to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country, the government has also announced financial aid to unorganised construction workers who are likely to be severely affected by the lockdown. The Ministry of Labour stated that it would utilise the cess fund of Rs 52,000 crore to provide relief to the construction workers through direct benefit transfer (DBT). In a notification, the labour ministry said, "To support unorganised construction workers who sustain their livelihood on daily wages, an advisory has been issued today by Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Union Minister of State, I/C, Labour and Employment to all Chief Ministers/ LGs of all states/UTs. In the advisory, under Section 60 of the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996, all state governments;UTs have been advised to transfer funds in the accounts of construction workers through DBT mode from the cess fund collected by the Labour Welfare Boards under the BOCW cess Act." The notification stated that Rs 52,000 crore is available in the cess fund and around 3.5 construction workers are registered with the construction welfare boards. However, the ministry is yet to clarify how much every construction worker will receive. Also read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Over 3.5 lakh labourers to get money directly in bank account This notification comes after PM Modi announced a 21-day long lockdown in the country from March 25. Unorganised sector workers including construction workers would be severely impacted during this lockdown period. Following PM's address to the nation, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that while the lockdown is necessary, PM Modi needs to answer who is going to provide money to the poor that they would need for the next 21 days. "I am certain the PM understands the urgency of announcing a financial package and putting cash in the pockets of the poor, daily workers, agricultural workers, self-employed etc," said Chidambaram. The Prime Minister announced Rs 15,000 crore to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure in the country. In his address to the nation, PM Modi said that the fund will be used to develop health infrastructure, increase the number of beds, testing kits, and even training of professionals to combat the disease. Also read: Coronavirus blues: Who and how many are vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic Also read: 21-day lockdown: Auto industry stares at a Rs 50,000 crore production loss CHICAGO, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, an Oxford Capital Group, LLC affiliate, is supplying the City of Chicago with up to 1,100 rooms at some of its hotel properties throughout Chicagoland to support efforts against the spread of coronavirus. In addition to housing asymptomatic guests and those requiring isolation, the rooms will also provide sanctuary for first responders who are involved in the war against COVID-19. "As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout our community, we wanted to do our part to provide a sanctuary for those who need it during this difficult time," says John W. Rutledge, founder, president, and CEO of Oxford Capital Group, LLC and Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC. "We're proud to help the city combat this crisis and allow our brave medical professionals to focus on their most critical patients in their hospitals." The hotels will also provide three meals a day. As hotels have been deemed essential businesses to house travelers, including medical personnel, Oxford maintains strict protocols across the country around sanitation procedures that help combat the spread of viruses between guests and employees. This includes frequent sanitation of high-contact points, such as elevator buttons, door handles, reception counters, and bathrooms. "Chicago is the first city to adopt this hotel plan, and we are gratified to be able to assist the city during this difficult time," says George Jordan, President, Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC. "In addition to helping the city, this arrangement allows Oxford to retain a number of its employees who are interested in contributing to the relief effort. It's inspiring to see our hospitality teams come together, even when they've had to weather the storm themselves." In building this partnership, Oxford Capital Group, LLC worked with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's office, organized labor including UNITE-HERE Local 1 and the Operating Engineers Local 399, and other parties, to bring an end to an 18-month strike at Hotel 166. As part of this resolution, Oxford helped craft an amended collective bargaining agreement and is simultaneously taking over management of Hotel 166, demonstrating that business, labor, and the private equity investment community can productively work together in Chicago. In addition to Hotel 166, the partnership includes Hotel Cass, Hotel Essex, Hotel Felix, and Hotel Julian. Oxford's hotels LondonHouse Chicago, The Godfrey Hotel Chicago, and Hotel Versey are not currently part of the agreement. Oxford's partners in this initiative include: Fillmore Capital Partners at Hotel 166, The Bricton Group and The Gettys Group at Hotel Felix and Hotel Cass. About Oxford Capital Group, LLC Oxford Capital Group, LLC is an award-winning international real estate investment, development, and management firm. Oxford, its affiliates, and principals have been involved in over $3 billion of real estate and private equity investments, with a primary focus on hospitality (13,000+ hotel rooms) and hospitality anchored mixed use projects including multifamily (approximately 1,000 units), senior housing (approximately 3,000+ units), retail, parking, multi-family residential, and other operationally intensive forms of real estate. About Oxford Hotels & Resorts Oxford Hotels & Resorts, a wholly owned affiliate of Oxford Capital Group, is an award-winning full-service hotel management company with a longtime track record in the ownership and operations of large-scale hotels, resorts and conference centers primarily in major metro markets within the United States. Oxford has a growing national collection of luxury lifestyle hotel brands that include Cass, Essex, Felix, Godfrey, Julian and LondonHouse. It also has a growing collection of restaurants, rooftops, bars and pool centric food & beverage venues including About Last Knife (ALK), I|O Rooftop, LH Rooftop, Ruka, Spa Boutique, SX Sky Bar, and WTR. SOURCE Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC Related Links https://ohrllc.com National Cathedral Finds 5,000 Masks That Had Been Stashed Away by Its Crypt for Over 10 Years As head stonemason at the National Cathedral in Washington, Joe Alonso knows the ins and outs of the church better than anyone. So as he read news of the CCP virus pandemic, Alonso remembered that there was something stowed away in the cathedrals crypt level that could help efforts to combat the virus: 5,000 N95 respirator masks. With the number of coronavirus patients soaring, health care workers are facing an extreme shortage of masks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has even advised health care workers to reuse masks or use bandanas and scarves because something is better than nothing. Workers in protective suits wait for people to be tested for Coronavirus (COVID-19) as they arrive by car at the states first drive-through COVID-19 Mobile Testing Center at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle, New York on March 13, 2020. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images) The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Knowing how desperately needed these masks were, officials at the cathedral immediately contacted both the manufacturer and the CDC to confirm that they were still safe to use. Then, they got to work figuring out a donation plan. In these difficult and trying times, the Cathedral community is doing everything we can to help protect the most vulnerable among us from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of Washington National Cathedral, said in a statement. On Wednesday, Hollerith and others helped load boxes of masks into a van to deliver them to local hospitals. The cathedral said 2,000 masks were delivered to Childrens National and 3,000 masks were delivered to Georgetown University Hospital. The Cathedral will retain a small number of masks to facilitate in pastoral care needs, it said in its news release. The masks were purchased back in 2006, when the bird flu known as H5N1 had the world on edge. They were meant to allow the cathedrals clergy to provide pastoral care without putting their own health at risk, according to the cathedral. But after the flu had dissipated without causing much damage in the United States, the masks were put in storage and forgotten about. We have made significant adjustments to our worship programs and made church services available online, Hollerith said. And now were prepared to take this additional, proactive step to ensure thousands have access to protection that otherwise may never have been available to them. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. A journalist from Bhopal was among the six new COVID-19 patients reported in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, triggering panic among the media fraternity as he was present at a press conference of former chief minister Kamal Nath here on March 20. Bhopal's chief medical and health officer Sudhir Dehariya said those who came in contact with the journalist should remain in home isolation for 14 days, and approach the coronavirus control room if they develop symptoms of cough, cold or fever in the next few days. The journalist is the father of the 26-year old woman, who earlier tested positive for coronavirus, Dehariya said. Both the journalist and his daughter are undergoing treatment at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, he said. The woman, a post-graduate law course student, returned to Bhopal from London last week and lived with her family for two days before testing positive for coronavirus on March 20. Her mother, brother and those working at their home have tested negative, he said. "Those who came in contact with the person, who has tested positive, are advised to isolate themselves at home for 14 days. In case any of the symptoms like cough, cold and fever surface in six-seven days, such people can contact the coronavirus control room," Dehariya said. The new COVID-19 case has created panic among media persons here as the journalist attended Kamal Nath's press conference last week. A senior journalist with a national daily here said, "Kamal Nath, Congress MLAs and leaders, government officers and a large number of journalists were present at the press conference. I also met him. All are in panic now. He should not have attended the press conference when he was aware about the international travel history of his daughter." He said mediapersons and others who met the journalist during the press conference should now isolate themselves, instead of panicking. Journalists Club, Bhopal, president Dinesh Gupta told PTI, "This is a very irresponsible behaviour. The Centre has repeatedly issued advisories about precautions pertaining to persons having international travel history and those coming in contact with them. Despite this, the person was present at the huge gathering." The district administration should have quarantined such persons in advance as they are aware about people coming from other countries, he said. Besides the journalist from Bhopal, five persons admitted in different hospitals of Indore, including a woman from neighbouring Ujjain district, tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh to 15. Till Tuesday, six positive coronavirus cases were reported from Jabalpur and one each from Bhopal, Gwalior and Shivpuri. Now, the number positive cases in Bhopal has gone up to two. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 16:29 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d5c2eb 1 Politics COVID-19,NGO,lockdown,Amnesty-International,Transparency-International-Indonesia Free A coalition of civil society groups is calling on the House of Representatives to perform its checks and balances function during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the governments policies are on the right track. The government has yet to formulate clear policies to address the pandemic, said the coalition, which comprised a number of NGOs, including Amnesty International Indonesia, Transparency International Indonesia and the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute. The coalition, for instance, questioned why the government had not yet declared a lockdown even as it has been asking members of the public to be disciplined in practicing physical distancing. The central government rejected calls for a lockdown but the call for people to stay at home has become coercive. This is evident from the use of the police force to disband gatherings and the announcement that those who break the [gathering] prohibition could be prosecuted, it said in a statement on Tuesday. The vague policy had disadvantaged the Indonesian people, particularly blue collar workers, online taxi drivers and traditional sellers who still have to work every day, it said. The government, it argued, should legally declare a lockdown and subsidize those affected by the policy so everyone could stay at home. The 2018 Health Quarantine Law stipulated that the basic needs of the people [...] affected by the quarantine policy are the responsibility of the central government in cooperation with the regional governments and other stakeholders, it said. The NGOs said they feared the government was deliberately refusing to formally impose a lockdown to evade responsibility. President Joko Jokowi Widodo has said that Indonesian people's cultural characteristics and discipline are the two main reasons why the government had ruled out a lockdown, adding that the decision was also made after evaluating policies enacted by other countries during the pandemic. I have gathered data about countries that have imposed lockdowns and, after analyzing them, I dont think we should go that way, Jokowi said during a meeting at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday. The President, however, has taken some measures to protect those affected by the outbreak. On Wednesday, Jokowi announced the government would increase the allowance for the Staple Food Card holders from Rp 150,000 (about US$9) to Rp 200,000. The government also plans to speed up the preemployment card program and has allocated Rp 10 trillion to ensure that participants of the program would get Rp 1 million per month, the President said on his official Instagram account. (glh) They claim he allegedly "approved the contract hit." Members of the Russia-controlled "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") terrorist organization have announced that the fifth president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, has been put on the "wanted list." "The so-called 'prosecutor general's office' of the 'DPR' has opened a criminal case against the fifth president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, on suspicion of organizing the murder of one of ['DPR'] leaders Arsen Pavlov nom de guerre 'Motorola,'" according to Ukraine's news outlet Novosti Donbasa, which cites announcements posted on "DPR"-controlled websites. Read alsoMysterious deaths of chieftains in Russian-backed "republics" since 2015 Infographic The terrorists claim Poroshenko "approved the execution plan of Pavlov's murder executed by the Ukrainian special services." As noted, "a preventive measure in the form of detention has been chosen" for Poroshenko, who is "facing" from 15 to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment in Russia-occupied Donbas. As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian citizen Pavlov AKA 'Motorola' was liquidated in the Russia-occupied city of Donetsk in October 2016. He was killed in a blast of an improvised explosive device in the elevator of the house where he lived. Transmission electron micrograph of new coronavirus particles. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) As a kid, growing up in the 1960s, I feared death from above: the A-bombs immense, blinding flash, its mushroom cloud. Nights during the Cuban missile crisis, I sat in bed, ear pressed to the window as I tried to gauge the height of planes overhead because I imagined bombers would fly low. For years, I checked every home I rented for its safest, least-windowed room, just in case. And during a nap when I was 20, I had a nuclear nightmare so vivid I remember it to this day. I never thought that in my lifes Act III, the terror would be death from something too small to see a microscopic virus, carried on someones random sneeze. But it feels appropriate somehow, a reminder of something my generation once knew, then forgot: vulnerability. Its become hip to hate boomers our arrogant refusal to retire and make way, our failure to change the world, and now our rejection of our status as the at-risk elderly. I cop to the arrogance. We were told from day one how important we were. Around us, science was making real what had been science fiction just a decade before jet planes, organ transplants, actual rocket ships. Remember this day! teachers were always saying. You will be able to say I was there when the first American reached space...orbited Earth...walked on the moon. Later, when we rebelled, we werent brats but a rag-tag youth army. I acknowledge our many political failures, though honestly, most people I know did struggle to make change, and are still trying. And we do have an insane sense of invincibility to everything, including old age (weight training! Botox! Viagra! Bionic knees!). But in the time of the coronavirus, our true sin seems to me that we let ourselves believe our specialness kept us immune from the world. When the bombs didnt drop after all, when those terrifying geopolitical forces over which we had no control receded, we mistook our lives of relative privilege for a guarantee that wed always be OK. Yes, we lost some of our generation to Vietnam, and later to AIDS losses compounded by governmental bungling. But to us, the memories of walking the streets jobless and destitute, and of world war, which haunted our parents dreams, were ancient, irrelevant history. Story continues We were safely vaccinated against once-fatal diseases, saw the civil rights movement suggest that the arc of history really was bending toward justice, went to college in droves and left mostly debt-free my four years at a University of California campus combined cost about $6,800 in todays dollars and pretty easily found jobs that paid the rent. Nobody burned our homes, the attack helicopters didnt hover overhead, the freeways hummed, new movies opened, beaches beckoned and store shelves stayed full of goodies. Sure, 9/11 was a reminder that it can happen here but for those living thousands of miles away without a personal connection to New York City, the dreadful, iconic images were only that. We were filled with a complacency so pervasive we stopped recognizing it. My own unacknowledged belief that I was immune from suffering was what most shamed me when I got to know people whod grown up in other places, their lives irretrievably shaped by war, repression, famine. In 1970 when I was in my bedroom burning incense to irritate my parents, one of those people was being exiled from Shanghai to pick rice in the countryside. In the mid-1980s, while I fretted about losing a rent-controlled house in Santa Monica, another was searching the San Salvador morgues for the body of her disappeared brother. They knew quite well that the world could step in and smash everything they loved. Who was I to imagine otherwise? Now, Im holed up at home, with my millennial daughter, who herself grew up with a constant sense of doom. Of course theres another market crash, she says. Of course another tsunami, hurricane, flood, mass shooting. I send are you OK? texts to friends as we all watch the death toll rise and our savings shrink, just when our laid-off kids and grandkids will need financial support. This new bomb was a message to boomers and maybe to all of us. History, like biology, doesnt care who you are or what stories you tell yourself. No one, not even a golden, blessed generation, escapes its hand. Carol Mithers is a Los Angeles journalist and coauthor, with Leymah Gbowee, of the memoir Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War. AS the country continues to battle Covid-19, the Ministry of Agriculture has directed the public especially traders gathering in agricultural products auctions, if necessary, to individually keep a distance of at least one or two metres. Equally, it has suspended all meetings of agricultural stakeholders, which were initially scheduled for March and April, 2020, until further notice. The directives were issued by the Minister for Agriculture, Japhet Hasunga while giving a report on the 2019/2020 season. The minister cautioned that any auction to be undertaken by the Cooperative Unions should not attract big crowds. All auctions that will be hosted by the Cooperatives to sell coffee, cashew nuts, tobacco and cotton, among others, should make sure that people individually keep a distance of between one and two metres, he added. The Minister equally directed all institutions focusing on any agricultural product sale to start preparations of marketing their products. The National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) and other related institutions should begin purchasing agricultural products for 2019/2020, pointed out Mr Hasunga. Expounding, he asked buyers of products like coffee and cotton to ensure that they pay stipulated levies of cooperatives and local government authorities as agreed in stakeholders meetings. The CBI has questioned two prime accused in the Rs 2,267 crore Employees' Provident Fund scam in Uttar Pradesh wherein savings of power sector employees was invested in the Dewan Housing Finance Corporation, which is facing multiple probes of swindling funds worth Rs 30,000 crore, officials said. The agency questioned Pravin Kumar Gupta, former secretary of the UP State Power Sector Employees' Trust; and Sudhanshu Dwivedi, former director (finance) of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) recently. The duo is lodged in a Lucknow prison after their arrest by the Uttar Pradesh police in November last year, they said. Gupta and Dwivedi were named as two accused in the CBI FIR, they said. The CBI team from the anti-corruption branch, Lucknow, which is conducting the probe had sought permission from the special court to question the duo, they said. The recent questioning spanned through several hours, the officials said, without elaborating on the line of questioning. Besides, the agency has already questioned at least nine more suspects who are lodged in the prison in connection with the scam, they said. The CBI took over the investigation into the scam on March 5 this year after taking over the FIR registered by Hazratganj Police station in Lucknow, they said. The Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) is facing multiple probes after a report suggested that the company, through layers of shell companies, allegedly siphoned off Rs 31,000 crore out of the total bank loan of Rs 97,000 crore. It is also alleged that the officials of UPPCL conspired to get the provident funds deposited in schemes of DHFL circumventing the rules which did not encourage such investments. Gupta and Dwivedi were principal decision makers who cleared investments in the deposit schemes of DHFL despite knowing it was not a scheduled commercial bank and an 'unsafe' company. A total of Rs 4,122.70 crore was invested in the DHFL, out of which Rs 2,267.90 crore is still outstanding, officials said. UPPCL employees Provident Fund was being invested in the fixed deposits of nationalised banks till October 2016. On a proposal of Gupta and former UPPCL managing director A P Mishra, the investment of funds started in PNB housing since December 2016, according to the officials. From March 2017-December 2018, Gupta, after getting endorsement from Dwivedi, violated the central government guidelines -- that such funds should not be invested in financial institutions other than scheduled commercial banks -- and invested over 50 per cent of funds in the DHFL, the FIR stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Noting the sound development of the bilateral relations despite complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the PM said Vietnam wishes to share information and experience and stands ready to cooperate with Japan in the fight against the disease. He said at his meetings with Vietnamese ambassadors, he often referred to Umeda as an exemplary ambassador, adding that during the diplomats term, the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia has continually been promoted via all channels, including between their parties, states, localities, organisations and peoples. Notably, high-level activities have been increased. The host leader said Japan is always a leading partner of Vietnam in terms of investment, trade and official development assistance provision. He also highly valued Umedas patience to tackle problems in bilateral economic cooperation. PM Phuc added he has visited Japan for many times during this tenure, and this is among the fine outcomes in the connections between the two countries which he partly attributed to the diplomats contributions. For his part, Umeda thanked the Vietnamese Government, especially PM Phuc, for supporting and facilitating him to fulfil his duties. He voiced his delight that the countries relations have been enhanced in multiple spheres in the recent past, including economy, trade, investment, security, defence and people-to-people exchange. He noted Japanese PM Abe Shinzo always attaches importance to bilateral cooperation. Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic which is developing complicatedly around the world, the ambassador expressed his admiration for the Vietnamese Government and PM Phucs drastic actions in the disease prevention and control, adding that his country is also working hard to fight the pandemic. Umeda also thanked the Vietnamese PM for sending a letter to his Japanese counterpart to express sympathies over the losses caused by this epidemic. At the meeting, PM Phuc appreciated the ambassadors raising of many practical ideas to strengthen the countries partnership, adding that aside from the two Governments ties, relations between him and PM Abe Shinzo are very good, too. This is a basis for the two nations to exchange viewpoints on bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and international matters, in a trustworthy, straightforward and constructive manner, he said, speaking highly of PM Abes strong support for ASEAN and Vietnams viewpoint on the East Sea issue for many times. Given negative impact of COVID-19, the leader called on the Government and businesses of Japan to continue bolstering trade and investment links. According to him, thanks to many drastic measures taken by the Vietnamese Government in the fight against the disease since the beginning, despite a large population, the country has a low COVID-19 infection rate. Therefore, investors from Japan and other nations could feel secure to do business in Vietnam in the long term. During more than 18 months of intensive incorporation planning studies, The Woodlands Township Board of Directors and staff have heard scores of reports, including road maintenance and pavement analysis, complex examinations of revenue, expenditures and financial models as well as explorations of policing scenarios if the community votes to becomes a city. At no time during public discussion of incorporation have township leaders mentioned another scenario: global pandemic. That term has taken on new relevance across not only Texas, but in The Woodlands, where the changing situation economically and socially brought on by the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic is forcing re-examinations of budgets at all levels of government. The postponement of events like the Ironman Triathlon, the Waterway Arts Festival and temporary closures and restrictions on restaurants, bars and hotels has led to an expectation of dramatic losses of revenue from sales and hotel occupancy taxes. Related: Woodlands officials express concerns over COVID-19 effects on tourism revenue Township Board Chairman Gordy Bunch said the decision of whether or not the incorporation question would be on the November 2020 ballot has not been decided, but he said in his opinion, the township should not move forward with an incorporation vote this year due to the COVID-19 situation. To add the question to the ballot, township directors would have to approve a resolution to pose the question to elections officials by Aug. 17. Our board has always communicated no decision has been made to add incorporation to a ballot and it would depend on the current conditions at the time of consideration, Bunch said in an email to The Villager. Todays economic reality is not the right timing for a governance change. This decision will need to be made by the full board during our Wednesday evening (March 25) meeting. When asked by The Villager if it was safe to say the incorporation question would not be put on the November 2020 ballot, Bunch said, Yes. The seven-member board is scheduled to host a virtual meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday during which the incorporation studies were to be discussed as an agenda item. The meeting will be live-streamed on the townships website. Julia Novak, who leads the Novak Consulting Group team helping the township analyze incorporation, said on Tuesday she will be an attendee of the virtual meeting, but her staff has no presentation and will follow guidance on the issue as pertinent from the board. Director Ann Snyder was blunt in her feelings, saying in an email to The Villager it was irresponsible to continue the incorporation studies during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. These are unprecedented times. The full board needs to focus our attention on the current situation. Any non-essential issues that do not directly affect the health and safety of our residents or the related economic issues that greatly impact our local businesses and our residents should be reserved for a later date, Snyder said in her email. The township is strong and our board has the flexibility to adjust to meet our communitys needs. But right now, no issue is more important than addressing the upheaval caused by COVID-19. It is irresponsible for this board to pursue monumental issues like incorporation when the publics attention is so clearly not on anything but coronavirus. Board Vice Chairman Bruce Rieser said on Tuesday that he supported Bunchs and Snyders views on the issue, and that he was not inclined to put the incorporation question on the November 2020 ballot as a question to residents. Given the high level of uncertainty about the short and long term impacts to our economy, I am not inclined to bring this forward, Rieser said of the possibility of putting the incorporation on the ballot. As for the financial model created over a months-long period of time by consultants from the Novak Consulting Group, Rieser said they are flexible enough models with conservative growth estimates and predictions that would make it easy for the models to be modified as needed. He rejected claims that the models are totally invalidated by the current economic situation. The financial models done by Novak are still valid, it is the baseline growth assumptions that need to be revisited. Our initial run of the numbers was based on very conservative growth numbers, obviously it is likely that we will see significant negative revenue growth in the Township for the first time in its history, Rieser said in an email to The Villager. The beauty of this study is that you do have a valid cost model that will be valid for the foreseeable future. Future boards can use it as a tool to model a range of incorporation scenarios, when the time is right to call for a ballot initiative. The financial stability of the township is in my mind, unparalleled. We have reserves that will allow us to weather the current storm. It is very fortunate for the community that the Board resisted calls to exhaust those reserves last year. Fellow board member Director John Anthony Brown, said he has turned his elected-official focus solely to COVID-19 and has not been thinking about incorporation much in the past month. Brown also said he believes the financial modeling done by the Novak team would need to be changed in some manner due to the economic crisis unfolding with loss of sales tax revenue, hotel occupancy taxes and other impacts from a collapsing market for oil and low price-per-barrel values. Currently the models take into consideration the projected financials pre-COVID-19, so its safe to say that the current and immediate future economy will need to be reviewed again and how that impacts the model, Brown said in an email to The Villager. We will have a lot to consider at tomorrow nights township meeting if this warrants moving forward this year. The last couple months has had my focus on how to keep our residents informed and safe from the COVID-19 and has not been on incorporation. Director Brian Boniface, who works in the medical profession as a nurse at a local medical facility, said it was too early to make any decisions on the incorporation question. We are, without a doubt, in uncharted territory when it comes to this pandemic and the impact it is having our nation, our state, and our local communities. At times like this we need to focus on solutions to the current problems we are facing while at the same time adjusting known variables that impact our long term planning. Do we know exactly when this pandemic will end or what the overall impact will be? No, of course not, Boniface said in an email. But that doesnt mean we cease to talk about it and how current events affect our previously known planning factors. We have until August to decide whether or not to put incorporation on the November ballot. I dont believe anyone can predict, one way or the other, where we will be as a community at that point and time. We have five months to scrutinize the pandemic impact and rerun the numbers to see if putting it on the ballot makes sense. Until then, I wish everyone the best during this very trying time. One of the newest board members, Director Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, who was elected in November, 2019, said in an email to The Villager, It is too soon to tell what what will happen on the matter of incorporation. (The) Novak study models will likely still work after the crisis has resolved. The numbers they use to generate their results will need to be adjusted, Sekula-Gibbs said in an email. The townships priority is and always will be the safety of the residents, visitors and workers in The Woodlands. There is no doubt that COVID-19 has dealt a blow but not a lethal injury to the economic outlook of our township. Restoring our township to pre-COVID levels of prosperity and maintaining our outstanding services and amenities is our priority. Other matters, including incorporation, are secondary. jeff.forward@chron.com The coronavirus is a fierce reminder of just how much we need credible journalism, especially in times of crisis. And theres been much to admire in the medias coverage of the coronavirus crisis. Timely, accurate, high-profile reporting has helped Americans understand the danger of the virus and how to contain its spread through measures such as social distancing. To varying degrees, the coverage has also held authorities to account for their handling of the crisis, with President Trump under particular scrutiny after spending weeks dismissing the pandemic as no big deal and even a hoax before pivoting to claim that he knew it was a pandemic all along. But the medias snapping to attention on coronavirus throws its coverage of the climate crisis into sharp relief. The press has never treated the climate story with anywhere near this level of attention or urgency. To be sure, climate coverage has improved in recent years. Flagship outlets including The Washington Post and The New York Times have significantly upped their game. And there was an unmistakable surge of climate coverage last September, amid global youth climate protests, the United Nations Climate Action Summit and the increased ambitions of news outlets affiliated with the Covering Climate Now initiative. At the time, it looked like coverage of the climate story had at last turned a corner. But coverage by most outlets, at least in the US, subsequently waned. ICYMI: How the COVID Tracking Project fills the public health data gap The contrast between the medias coverage of the coronavirus and the climate crisis illuminates another core truth about the media. Collectively, the media exercises perhaps the greatest power there is in politics: the power to define reality, to say what isand what is notimportant at any given time. The coronavirus has correctly been treated as supremely important, dominating virtually every homepage and broadcast. Stories on other subjects have all but disappeared, and some newsrooms have halted production on non-coronavirus stories altogether. While this is understandable given the scope of the COVID-19 threat, it is bizarre that the climate crisis has never been accorded comparable importance, even though it too stands to upend, impoverish, and even end the lives of countless people the world over. This is partly a matter of perception: coronavirus is an immediate and concrete threatit might sicken any of us todaywhereas climate change is often framed as an ever-looming threat that imperils other people, somewhere else. But that perception is faulty: just ask the millions of people who have already lost homes, livelihoods, or loved ones to the bushfires in Australia, the hurricanes that have pounded the Caribbean, or the droughts, floods, and other climate-related disasters that have punished communities from Missouri to Myanmar. Sooner than later, climate change will become less abstract for us all. But why must newsroomsespecially the lucky few that have sufficient resourceschoose between the coronavirus and climate stories? Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis carry enormous stakes, and neither puts the other on pause. With its threats to individuals health, national economies, and social life, the coronavirus is climate change at warp speed, Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at New York University, put it. A Guardian article explained that, Delay is deadly, adding that, globally, right-wing governments have denied the problem and been slow to act. With coronavirus and climate change, this costs lives. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Both scientific reality and journalistic responsibility call upon newsrooms to treat the climate crisis as an emergency no less pressing than the coronavirus. As with the virus, they can start with the necessity of flattening the curvewhich, thanks to all the media coverage, has become a household phrase. There is now widespread understanding that early and wide ranging intervention is crucial to limiting the viruss spread. Now journalists should help their audiences understand that flattening the curve of greenhouse gas emissions is just as imperative, and the longer we wait to reduce those emissions, the greater the eventual damages will be. There are dozens of ways to tell that story, which at heart is a story about solutions: which nations or companies or individuals have been most successful at flattening the curves? What are their secrets? What can the rest of us do to help? Just as the federal governments abrupt willingness to spend trillions of dollars to keep the US economy aloft demonstrates that a lack of money has never been the main reason for rejecting climate solutions such as a Green New Deal, so the medias all-hands-on-deck approach to the coronavirus suggests that lack of journalistic resources was not what kept news outlets from prioritizing the climate story. Newsrooms have the skills, smarts, and grit required to rise to both challenges; the question is one of will, more than capacity. No matter how well we cover one of these crises, it wont matter much if we fumble the other. Now, heres your weekly sampling of the latest in climate news, from across the Covering Climate Now collaboration. As wealthy residents of Miami move inland and to higher ground to escape sea level rise, the citys working class will pay the price, CBS News reports. More frequent flooding along the coastonly an early sign of whats to comeis driving real estate speculation in historically low-income neighborhoods, putting a climate spin on the all-too-familiar gentrification script. Mobile home parks are already being replaced by multimillion-dollar developments, and poorer city residents are being threatened with eviction or moving voluntarily as they are priced out of their homes. April was to be a major month for climate activism, with strikes and protests planned the world round. Coronavirus, however, has pushed much of that activism online. Climate groups are pivoting to an array of virtual actions and finding creative ways to keep the climate momentum growing, HuffPost reports. That includes the first Digital Earth Day, announced last week by the Earth Day Network, and online campaigns urging politicians to take action. Some activists, meanwhile, see the forced interruption as an opportunity to bring more people into the movement. The American Midwest is in for a grueling flood season, BuzzFeed News reports. As communities cope with the coronavirus outbreak, floods will only further test local health care systems and service support networks. Many cities will need to learn on-the-go how to cope with two upending crises at once. In a warming world, overlapping and compounding disasters will likely be the new normal, BuzzFeed notes. The same groups that have pushed climate change denial and misinformation are now also spreading falsehoods about COVID-19, Truthout reports. The American Council on Science and Health, in particular, which identifies itself as a champion of peer-reviewed mainstream science and takes funding from big oil companies, has dismissed climate activism as doomsday prophesying. Now it is downplaying the severity of the coronavirus outbreak and confusing the information space around it. Whats worse, Truthout writes, is that a variety of media outlets seem to be taking the bait. (Editors Note: After this piece ran, CJR received an email from Dr. Alex Berezow of the American Council of Science and Health objecting to the TruthOut articles claim that he and his group have downplayed the seriousness of the coronavirus. Dr. Berezow wrote that, On January 24, a week before the World Health Organization, we declared COVID-19 a global public health crisis. In fact we criticized them for dragging their feet.) Columbia Journalism Review, a CCNow co-founder, is out with a range of pieces zooming in on journalists coverage of a changing climate. Stories include a deep-dive profile of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (a CCNow partner); a look at the work of environmental journalists in China amid a hot-and-cold, but ultimately oppressive, government regime; and a visit to Alaska, where climate change leaves no shortage of compelling narratives but where, too often, journalists have turned to cliche and failed to report with nuance. Finally, a reminder to CCNow partners that from April 19 to 26 we will host a second week of coverage focused on Climate Solutions! If you plan to participate but havent gotten in touch, please let us know with an email to [email protected]! Not a partner? We hope youll consider joining our collaboration. NEW AT CJR: The Heat Reporter Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Mark Hertsgaard is the co-founder and executive director of Covering Climate Now and the environment correspondent for The Nation. The Ministry of National Defence (MApN) requested the Strategic Airlift Capability of NATO, which is operating from the Papa Air Base in Hungary, to conduct an emergency air mission, for the transport of approximately 45 tons of medical equipment from Seoul to Bucharest. According to a release of the MApN, the equipment - 100,000 protection coveralls, were acquired by the Romanian state through the National Office for Centralized Acquisitions, as part of efforts to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania. The flight is to be undertaken with a C-17 Globe Master III, as part of Romania's flight hour share allotted for Romania, as a member state of the Strategic Airlift Capability. One of the commanders of the crews that operate the aircraft during this mission is lieutenant commander George Craciun, a pilot of the Romanian Air Force, detached to the Strategic Airlift Capability. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 24, 2020 / Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (BAY.V)(ATBHF)(6AY.F) ("Aston Bay" or the "Company") announces that it has completed 1,218 metres (m) of drilling in ten diamond drill holes at its Buckingham Gold Property located in Central Virginia, USA. A total of 2,000 m had been planned (see March 2, 2020 Aston Bay press release). Aston Bay has decided to pause drilling operations in response to the COVID-19 outbreak to safeguard the Aston Bay and drilling contractor's personnel on site. Processing and sampling of the drilled core will continue with results expected in the coming weeks. The Company expects to resume drilling as health and safety conditions allow. The current drill program comprises follow-up and step-out drilling at the Buckingham Main Zone. Quartz veining and/or silica-sulfide-sericite alteration were present in all ten holes, expanding on Aston Bay's successful 2019 drill program. Alteration and veining were intersected up to 65 m to the northwest and 35 m to the southeast along strike from the 2019 drilling. In addition, quartz veining was intersected in a step-back hole at a down hole depth of 95.70 m. The veining and alteration are similar in character to that encountered in the 2019 drilling. The logging and sampling of the 2020 drill core is ongoing and analytical results will be released as soon as they are available. The Buckingham Main Zone comprises a series of visible gold-bearing quartz vein outcrops that occur along a strike length of over 150 m that have yielded rock grab sample assay values up to 701 grams/tonne (g/t) Au and recent (2019) drill intercepts of 35.61 g/t Au over 2.03m and 24.73 g/t Au over 3.57m (see June 5, 2019 Aston Bay release). "We are very encouraged by the visual results in the step-out and step-back drilling at our Buckingham property," stated Thomas Ullrich, CEO of Aston Bay. "We look forward to the assays from these holes, as well as resumption of drilling at both the Buckingham Main Zone and the recently discovered Buckingham East Zone." Story continues QUALIFIED PERSON As per National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Andrew Turner, P.Geol., a consultant to Aston Bay, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting its exploration activities. About Aston Bay Holdings Aston Bay is a publicly traded mineral exploration company exploring for gold and base metal deposits in Virginia, USA, and Nunavut, Canada. The Company is led by CEO Thomas Ullrich with exploration in Virginia directed by the Company's advisor, Don Taylor, the 2018 Thayer Lindsley Award winner for his discovery of the Taylor Pb-Zn-Ag Deposit in Arizona The Company has also acquired the exclusive rights to an integrated dataset over certain prospective private lands at the Blue Ridge Project and has signed agreements with timber and land companies which grants the company the option to lease the mineral rights to 11,065 acres of land located in central Virginia. These lands are located within a gold-copper-lead-zinc mineralized belt prospective for Carolina slate belt gold deposits, as well as sedimentary VMS, exhalative (SEDEX) and Broken Hill (BHT) type base metal deposits. Don Taylor, who led the predecessor company to Blue Ridge and assembled the dataset, has joined the Company's Advisory Board and will be directing the Company's exploration activities for the Blue Ridge Project. The Company is actively exploring the Buckingham Gold Project in Virginia and is in advanced stages of negotiation on other lands in the area. The Company is also 100% owner of the Aston Bay Property located on western Somerset Island, Nunavut, which neighbours Teck's profitable, past-producing Polaris (Pb-Zn) Mine just 200km to the north. The Aston Bay Property hosts the Storm Copper Project and the Seal Zinc Deposit with drill-confirmed presence of sediment-hosted copper and zinc mineralization. The Company's public disclosure documents are available on www.sedar.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements made in this press release, including those regarding the closing and the use of proceeds of the private placement, management objectives, forecasts, estimates, expectations, or predictions of the future may constitute "forward-looking statement", which can be identified by the use of conditional or future tenses or by the use of such verbs as "believe", "expect", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "anticipate", "project", "plan", and words of similar import, including variations thereof and negative forms. This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect, as of the date of this press release, Aston Bay's expectations, estimates and projections about its operations, the mining industry and the economic environment in which it operates. Statements in this press release that are not supported by historical fact are forward-looking statements, meaning they involve risk, uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Aston Bay believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which apply only at the time of writing of this press release. Aston Bay disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by securities legislation. We seek safe harbour. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Ullrich, Chief Executive Officer thomas.ullrich@astonbayholdings.com (416) 456-3516 Sofia Harquail, IR and Corporate Development sofia.harquail@astonbayholdings.com (647) 821-1337 SOURCE: Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/582180/Aston-Bay-Holdings-Drills-1218-Meters-in-Ten-Holes-on-Its-Buckingham-Gold-Property-Virginia-Announces-Pause-in-Drilling Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a stay-home order on Monday, saying that she and her staff had spent the weekend crafting the wording in hopes of making it definitive and less confusing than some other states coronavirus restrictions. That didnt quite work. Readers called, e-mailed and texted dozens of questions about it. They wonder whether the order applies to them or their employer and who to complain to when they think its being violated. Here are answers to some of the questions weve received so far. Well keep adding to it as more questions come in and as we track down answers. My company isnt on the must-close list. Can we stay open? This ones come in many forms, from a locksmith, self-storage operator, auto mechanic, house painter and plant nursery manager. Heres the bottom line: Gov. Brown ordered certain business categories closed because her administration felt those businesses could not operate safely with proper physical distancing a space of six feet between employees and customers. Heres the full list of businesses mandated to close. If your business or employer is NOT on the list, its OK to remain open as long as employees and customers can keep that safe distance and proper measures are in place to clean surfaces, keep hand-washing areas stocked and garbage emptied. Where do I complain if my employer is violating the order because employees and customers are too close? Workers can submit complaints online about their employers online to Oregons Occupational Safety and Health division, which can enforce restrictions designed to keep workers safe. Who do I call if Im a customer and I see a business breaking the order? Brown said she will not establish patrols to enforce the stay-home order. Law enforcement agencies have said they are more likely to warn violators than cite them. On Monday, Portland Police Chief Jamie Resch asked people not to call 911 if they suspect a violation. She said Portlanders should call the citys non-emergency hotline: 503-823-3333. What happens if someone violates the order? Violators are technically subject to class C misdemeanor citation, which carries penalties of up to 30 days in jail, a $1,250 fine or both. When will this order be over? The order did not have an expiration date and the governor told The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board on Monday that it would be in place for an indefinite period of time. Her hope is that if people significantly stop interacting, the spread of the virus can be slowed. At this point, the only timeline that has been spelled out is that Oregon schools must remain closed through April 28. Can I take my dog out for a walk around the neighborhood? Yes, the order allows Oregonians to go outside for exercise. Just be sure to keep six feet of distance between you and anyone you pass on the sidewalk or trail. More information is noted in the orders Outdoor Recreation and Travel section. My husband and I spend afternoons and evenings providing food and clothing to our homeless community. Can we still do this if we maintain a 6-foot distance? Ultimately, the governor wants people to stay home as much as possible, leaving only for essential needs and work. However, the order allows people to provide food, shelter or otherwise care for vulnerable persons as long as everyone stays six feet apart. Wording is: Individuals are directed to minimize travel, other than essential travel to or from home, residence, or workplace; for obtaining or providing food, shelter, essential consumer needs, health care, emergency services; for the care of family members, household members, elderly persons, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons. More information on this is located in the orders last section: Outdoor Recreation and Travel. Does the order preclude us from spending time at our romantic partners house? Well, the governor has said many times that she wants Oregonians to limit their contact with people outside of their household as much as possible. The thought is that if youre coming and going from multiple households, you risk introducing new and different germs. Perhaps an argument to move in together? Kidding. Ultimately, the governor asks people to keep six feet of distance between themselves and anyone outside immediate household. When asked a similar question on Wednesday, Brown replied the spirit of the executive order is to severely limit your social circles. Thats all Ill say about sleeping together at this point. More questions? Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Or, sign up below for texts from from the editors at The Oregonian/OregonLive with important coronavirus updates. -- Laura Gunderson, lgunderson@oregonian.com @lgunderson As weve recommended in recent stories, calling the 211 help line can be a great resource for people facing a variety of struggles during the coronavirus pandemic and resulting shutdowns of schools, public offices and non-essential businesses. But if youre not sure exactly what 211 is or how it works, here are a few more details. What is 211? Like 911, 211 is a special telephone number in the United States and Canada. While 911 provides emergency assistance, 211 is designed to provide information and referrals to health and human services and other social assistance programs. 211 services are largely supported by the charitable nonprofit group United Way - in our region, operating under the United Way of the Capital Region. When can I call? The line is free and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. What assistance do they offer? 211 calls can offer guidance on issues ranging from troubles with housing and shelter, rent payments, employment and education, income assistance, food and meal assistance, legal assistance, health and dental care, mental health, help with clothing and household items, substance abuse programs, transportation and reentry to society, family care and more. 211 does not offer direct financial assistance. Instead, the service puts people in touch with the programs who can, or point callers to resources to find the answers they need. Do they offer help specific to the coronavirus and COVID-19? Yes. While 211 is not a number for medical emergencies, they do offer guidance for people struggling with lost hours or wages, child care needs and similar issues from the coronavirus pandemic and related shutdowns. Are there online resources? You can take a look at the online 211 resources here, found on the United Way of Pennsylvania website, as well as the national 211 website. The local 211 resource in the greater Harrisburg region is Contact Helpline - you can visit their website here. How can I help support 211? To support 211 in our area, you can click here to donate to Contact Helpline directly, or click here to make a donation to the United Way of the Capital Region. To volunteer as a 211 operator with Contact Helpline, reach out to Kelly Gollick at kgollick@contacthelpline.org. Training and fielding 211 calls can all be done from home, but volunteers must have access to a computer, the internet and a headset for phone conversations (which can be as simple as a gaming headset or a pair of earbuds). More on how to get, or provide, help: Faced with more critically ill COVID-19 patients than equipment to treat them, hundreds of hospitals are mapping out how they can ration care and equipment in order to save the greatest number of patients possible. In the last two days, guidelines were provided to scores of hospitals around the country, including every hospital in Pennsylvania, that include a point system that could in extreme cases end up determining what patients live or die. "Priority is assigned to those most likely to be saved, and most likely to live longer," said Dr. Scott Halpern, professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania. On Monday, Halpern and Dr. Douglas White, chairman of ethics in critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, released guidance to hospitals that is now being adopted throughout the nation. White said "the existing approach to allocate ventilators was unfair because it excluded large groups of patients." Tune into ABC at 1 p.m. ET and ABC News Live at 4 p.m. ET every weekday for special coverage of the novel coronavirus with the full ABC News team, including the latest news, context and analysis. PHOTO: An undated stock photo shows a doctor and nurses standing next to a patient. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images) In recent days, internal memos from a chairman of surgery at New York Presbyterian, one of the citys largest hospital systems, raised alarms that the estimated crush of coronavirus patients within the next month would require 700 to 934 intensive-care beds, well beyond the current capacity. The Queens branch of New York Presbyterian is actively putting together an ethics committee to help make such critical-care determinations in an emergency, hospital staffers told ABC News, so individual doctors would know what to do at the moment it matters most. According to emails reviewed by ABC News, that hospital has already convened an ethics committee to address the "triage of ventilators," a process that dictates how medical staff would decide which patients are assigned ventilators in the event the number of patients needing those breathing machines surpasses the number available in the hospital. Story continues MORE: Immunity to COVID-19: Front line health workers consider deliberate infection According to Halpern and White, one important factor in making such excruciating decisions about patient care is to take the doctor at the patients bedside out of the equation. "What is clearly needed is an independent arbiter apart from the bedside clinician to assign priority to different patients," Halpern said. "Otherwise, you have different physicians advocating for their own patients, which is appropriate for clinical care but doesnt lead to just allocations." In the point system envisioned by Halpern and White, critically ill patients would be given a score from 1 to 8, the lower the score translating to a higher priority for critical care resources. Patients with things like advanced cancer, dementia or chronic lung disease would score more points and, therefore, be lower on a list for resources in short supply. "These are all tragic choices, but the work weve done is to try to make them more fair especially compared to other guidance that is out there," White said. PHOTO: An undated stock photo shows two doctors discussing a patient's results. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images) The guidance puts people into four age categories: 12 to 40; 41 to 60; 61 to 75; and older than 75. Ties could be settled by age, with first responders or healthcare workers who are vital to providing continued acute care to others also prioritized in the event of a tie. According to the guidance, patients who aren't able to receive ICU services would still get medical care including symptom management and, if needed, palliative care. Ethics committees are not new, though few hospitals have fully functioning panels. But for those committees that are in place, the types of decisions now being contemplated are rare in developed countries like the United States, more common in a faraway combat zone than in a big-city medical center in urban America. MORE: Government response updates: Trump wants country 'opened up' by Easter despite warnings from health experts Ventilators, also known as artificial breathing machines, are considered to be the most effective way to treat patients in respiratory failure from a critical case of COVID-19. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has repeatedly said the 6,000 ventilators currently operating in his state is woefully inadequate to handle the surge of patients caused by the pandemic that is now sweeping through his state. On Tuesday, the governor made an impassioned plea to the federal government to send to New York as many ventilators as can be found, calling the need "critical and desperate." "FEMA says theyre sending 400 ventilators," Cuomo said of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "You pick the 26,000 people who are going to die because you only sent 400 ventilators." PHOTO: An undated stock photo shows a group of medical practitioners analyzing data in a hospital. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images) Because of the anticipated shortage, the New York state Health Department is in the process of drafting rationing rules for hospitals in the state. "The conversations are happening," said Brian Conway, spokesman for the Greater New York Hospitals Association. "We are awaiting some kind of state guidance." MORE: Coronavirus map: Tracking the spread in the US and around the world Cassie Sauer, executive vice president of the Washington State Hospitals Association, told ABC News that hospitals in her state are also grappling with the issue of triaging ventilators. "I understand it's scaring the public," Sauer told ABC News. "The public should be scared. The public should be demanding action to keep this from happening." What to know about coronavirus: How it started and how to protect yourself: coronavirus explained What to do if you have symptoms: coronavirus symptoms Tracking the spread in the US and Worldwide: coronavirus map As coronavirus pandemic surges, hospitals prepare for grim possibility of ventilator triage originally appeared on abcnews.go.com E-commerce is one of the best solutions for woodwork enterprises to cope with the Covid-19 epidemic, which has led to a sharp fall in demand. The Vietnam 2020 International Trade Fair of Furniture and Handicrafts Exports, the largest woodwork trade fair in Vietnam and ASEAN, has been canceled because of Covid-19, according to Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (Hawa). Seventy six percent of enterprises asked to cancel or postpone the trade fair because the majority of their partners from the US, Europe and Japan have canceled their trips to Vietnam. The cancellation of the fair is a huge loss for businesses in the industry as they lost an opportunity to seek contracts. In fact, the demand for wooden furniture still exists. Covid-19 has made the Chinese woodwork industry stagnant. As most factories cannot resume production or maintain production at a moderate level, the supply chain has been interrupted. As China provides $54 billion worth of woodwork products a year, the interruption in supply from this source has created a big hole that needs to be filled. The Vietnam 2020 International Trade Fair of Furniture and Handicrafts Exports, the largest woodwork trade fair in Vietnam and ASEAN, has been canceled because of Covid-19, according to Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (Hawa). According to Hawa, big clients from the US, Europe, Australia and Japan have shown more interest in non-Chinese markets. In such conditions, Southeast Asian countries have emerged as the ideal alternative markets and Vietnam proves to be the best candidate in the region. The FTAs such as EVFTA and CPTPP are believed to bring competitive edge to Vietnamese enterprises. Vietnamese enterprises need to connect with clients. Nha Xinh, a well-known furniture brand and some of Hawas member companies, have tried the e-commerce model utilizing VR (Virtual Reality) technology to introduce their products to clients. The website set up by enterprises is just like a booth at a trade fair. Foreign buyers just need to use computers to see all the models the manufacturers offer and visit factories on 3D space. According to Tran Viet Tien from Hawa, through the e-commerce platform, the two sides can know each other's products, prices and production capacities. Foreign customers who cannot go to Vietnam can survey the production capacity of the partners through independent auditors. This is a long-term way not only for woodwork processors, but also for enterprises in other business fields to follow," Tien said. Traditional business model has shown many problems as they require high operation cost, and is less dynamic. The changes in peoples shopping habits force manufacturers to change their methods of approaching clients. Many manufacturers now sell products on Amazon. Kim Chi VN woodwork exports face new regulation on customs inspection The new regulation on certificate of origin (C/O) makes it more for Vietnam to obtain $11 billion in woodwork exports this year as planned. Health officials are working to determine how an inmate who has been in the Dallas County jail since late December contracted the coronavirus, the sheriff said Wednesday. Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown said the positive test for the inmate who is in his 40s was confirmed early Wednesday morning. The man is now being housed in another facility, Brown said. It is the first known case of the virus in an inmate at the jail. The man was housed in a shared pod with about 50 other inmates, the sheriff said. All the inmates in the shared area have now been screened for symptoms. Of those, Brown said, four who showed symptoms are being quarantined and tested for COVID-19. She said the others dont have symptoms but are still being quarantined. The affected area will be cleaned and disinfected, she said. Brown said employees who had contact with the man who contracted the virus are being asked to self-quarantine. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. In Texas, 974 cases of COVID-19 have been reported, along with 12 deaths. ___ Follow all of the APs coronavirus news: https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak. The Zaandam ship cruise, sailing under the Dutch flag and operated by the Holland America (Carnival) group, with 1,800 people on board, is seen docked in Punta Arenas, in southern Chile. AFP Photo Santiago: More than 1,800 people stuck onboard a cruise ship off the Pacific coast of South America, with 42 complaining of flu-like symptoms, are desperately hoping to be allowed to dock -- somewhere. "Testing times," Australian couple Dimiti and Neal Bates wrote on Facebook. "Please don't forget us." The Zaandam liner run by Holland America left Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 7 and was supposed to arrive last Saturday at San Antonio, near Santiago in Chile. Its plight is the latest affecting the global cruise industry, which has seen vessels refused entry to ports and others locked down after new-coronavirus cases were confirmed onboard during the pandemic. Along the way, the Zaandam docked in Punta Arenas, in Chile's far south, before leaving there just days before Chilean President Sebastian Pinera closed the country's borders on March 18. Soon after, the company suspended all its cruises due to measures including the closure of land, air and sea borders imposed by governments all over the world to prevent the pandemic's spread. It headed back to Punta Arenas in a bid to arrange for its more than 1,200 passengers and almost 600 crew to take flights back to their home countries. "Despite previous confirmations that guests could disembark in Punta Arenas, Chile, for flights, we were not permitted to do so," Holland America said in a statement on its website. "No one has been off the ship since March 14 in Punta Arenas." The 42 showing flu-like symptoms are quarantined. As concern grows over detention facility conditions that could heighten the risk of coronavirus infections among adult immigrants, officials in charge of migrant child shelters are taking precautions to avoid similar criticism. Its all new to us. Its moved so fast, said Gladys Gonzalez, executive director of two migrant child shelters run by Catholic Charities in San Antonio. One of the most important things is to maintain normalcy while mitigating the risk at any time of infection or disease, and it doesnt matter if its mumps or the coronavirus. More than 3,600 migrant children up to 17 years old are held in close quarters at Office of Refugee Resettlement shelters across the country. At least six of the facilities are in San Antonio. Those in New York, Washington and California states struggling to contain large coronavirus outbreaks no longer are admitting children into the shelters for fear of increasing their risk of infection. For now, shelters in Texas still are admitting them. As of Monday, no migrant children had tested positive for the coronavirus. Twelve children were tested. Five came back negative and the rest are pending, according to an ORR statement. In New York, three shelter workers have tested positive. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases The Congressional Hispanic Congress and Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey have sent letters expressing concern about the care of migrant children and calling on the federal government to provide more information about the steps its taking. But Gonzalez said she thinks there really is a lower risk of migrant children contracting the coronavirus inside ORR shelters because we dont have them going out into the community. Her two Catholic Charities-run shelters are caring for 44 migrant children and teenagers less than half of the agencys capacity and dozens of U.S. citizen children who were referred there by the states family services department. At the San Antonio-based Seton Home, which houses migrant mothers and babies, the mothers no longer are allowed to leave the facility, Gonzalez said. The shelter is caring for 11 young migrant mothers and their six infants. She said the news to the young mothers didnt go over well at first. They said You pulled my pass! I cant believe it! Just like any other teenager, Gonzalez said. We sat down with them, gave them a presentation (saying) were going to protect you so you can be a healthy mom. In St. Peter-St. Joseph Childrens Home, known as St. PJs, arriving children and their visitors receive additional medical screenings before entering, Gonzalez said, including specific questions about recent travel and any recent experiences of shortness of breath. She said new children are kept separate from the others for a period of time while theyre monitored for signs of illness. Baptist Child and Family Services, another ORR provider in San Antonio, declined to comment on the measures it was taking to prevent the spread of the virus, referring to ORR. On ExpressNews.com: Coronavirus cases in migrant detention called inevitable Unlike at ICE detention facilities, ORR still is allowing visitors. Last week, ORR mandated temperature checks for visitors, and two checks for each child every day. ORR medical team and affected programs are actively coordinating with the local public health departments on appropriate quarantine measures, the agency said in a statement. The situation remains extremely fluid and can change rapidly. San Antonios proximity to the border makes it a popular place for federal migrant child facilities. The nonprofits BCFS and Southwest Key Programs also run shelters in San Antonio, and the for-profit firm VisionQuest has lost two recent requests to operate one in San Antonio and one in the suburb Universal City. The children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border that are deemed unaccompanied which includes children traveling with a relative and not a parent, or with parents with red flags in their background checks either are apprehended by Border Patrol agents or admitted for asylum at ports of entry. From there, they are interviewed and given a health screening at Customs and Border Protection facilities before being transferred in unmarked vans to migrant children facilities across the country. After the Trump administration implemented Migrant Protection Protocols, or Remain in Mexico, U.S. asylum-seekers forced to live in dangerous northern Mexican cities have begun sending their children across the border alone, so they can live in an ORR shelter or a family sponsors home. Silvia Foster-Frau covers immigration news in the San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | sfosterfrau@express-news.net | Twitter: @SilviaElenaFF Nguyen, who is of Vietnamese and Filipino descent, had imagined this moment. Having read news stories about harassment and attacks against Asians as coronavirus cases rose, he wondered if he would be next. If he was, he thought he would take a stand on behalf of himself and other Asians. The big picture: What sort of impact if any the shutdowns will have on iPhone manufacturing remains to be seen. According to Bloomberg, the Indian facilities are mostly responsible for churning out older iPhone models meaning the impact on newer models could be minimal. Two of Apples key manufacturing partners have suspended operations in India to comply with local lockdown orders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week issued a 21-day mandatory and total lockdown of the countrys more than 1.3 billion residents. Its the worlds largest lockdown, encompassing close to a fifth of the globes population. Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai precision Industry Co., and Wistron Corp, help some of the worlds top electronics makers including Apple manufacture goods. Foxconn confirmed the shutdown in a message to Bloomberg, noting that production in India would be suspended until April 14. Wistron also confirmed it was adhering to the lockdown order but didnt say when it would again be operational. Apple did not provide an immediate comment when contacted by the publication. Both Foxconn and Wistron are headquartered in Taiwan, presumably where the majority of their manufacturing efforts also take place. As early as last week, there was optimism that the iPhone 12 would enter production on schedule and that its launch later this year wasnt in jeopardy. Of course, a lot can (and has) happened over the course of a week so who knows what Apples roadmap looks like today. Image credit: zhu difeng, Mykola Churpita Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) A few more months before her much-awaited retirement, 64 year-old Alita Gonzales is taking on one of the biggest challenges of her nursing life the COVID-19 pandemic. Gonzales has been working as a senior nurse at the Philippine General Hospital for over two decades. At her age, Alita is among the high risk group for COVID-19 but that doesnt stop her from continuing her job. Passion siguro. Bata pa lang pinangarap ko na maging nurse. Commitment and dedication na rin siguro, Gonzales told CNN Philippines. [Translation: I guess it's passion. Since I was young, I dreamt of being a nurse. I guess it's also commitment and dedication.] Everyday, Gonzales wakes up early so that she can catch the shuttle service to PGH provided by her local government unit in Cavita. Knowing the risks of her chosen profession, Gonzales said that her best weapon is her morning prayer. Araw-araw 'yun, pagbaba ko ng bus at bago pumasok sa PGH talagang nagdarasal ako na walang mangyari, Gonzales said. [Translation: Every day, when I get off the bus and before I go to work at PGH, I really pray that nothing happens.] The 64-year-old nurse said that she is not scared of dealing with the virus but she is more worried for her family every time she comes home, knowing that she could be a carrier of the virus. May takot din siyempre, kasi hindi mo nakikita 'yung kalaban mo. Tapos pag-uwi mo, baka ikaw na pala ang carrier may mga anak at apo pa naman ako, she said. [Translation: I'm afraid, of course. You can't see your enemy. And then when you get home, you may be a carrier of the virus and I have children and grandchildren.] Gonzales daughter, Maricon, said that there were countless times when they tried to persuade their mom to give up and stop going to work because of the virus pandemic. Pero hindi mo talaga sila mapipigilan eh. Ang magagawa mo na lang suportahan at ipagdasal sila kasi nga hindi nila nakikita 'yung kalaban nila, Maricon explained. [Translation: But you can't stop her. The only thing that you can do is to support her and pray for her because she can't see the enemy that she is fighting.] And it was not only her family who are talking Gonzales into retiring early. Mga kamag-anak ko, mga kasamahan ko sa ospital sabi nila magpahinga na muna ako, she said. [Translation: My relatives, my colleagues at the hospital tell me to now take it easy.] For now, Gonzales said that everything is normal in so far as her department at the PGH is concerned. But they are bracing for a possible influx of patients in the coming days. She also said that shes taking added precautions even when shes at home. Pagdating sa bahay may poso, maghuhugas na ako doon. Hindi ako agad papasok sa bahay. Pag akyat, takbo ako agad sa kwarto tapos malilligo. Hindi na muna ako pwede samahan doon, she said. [Translation: When I get home, I wash my hands from a faucet outside. I don't immediately enter the house. Once I enter the house, I run to my room and take a shower. No one can join me there just yet.] Gonzales said that she is happy that her daughters Facebook post about her has gone viral. She also wanted to thank the medical frontliners like her who continue the fight COVID-19. Sinumpaang tungkulin eh. Kailangan maglingkod talaga sa bayan, Gonzales said. [Translation: It's my sworn duty. I really need to serve the country.] President Donald Trump (2nd R), President of Liberty University Jerry Falwell (R), and others participate in the Pledge of Allegiance during Liberty University's commencement ceremony in Lynchburg, Virginia, on May 13, 2017. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Nearly 2,000 Students Return to Liberty Universitys Campus As colleges and universities across the United States tell students and faculty members to stay home after spring break, Liberty University students are returning to their campus in Lynchburg, Virginia. Although Liberty has already moved most of its courses online, it is allowing students who wish to return to their residence halls to do so. The Evangelical Christian universitys other facilities, including academic buildings, libraries, dining halls, and gyms, will also remain open. While some colleges basically threw their hands up and just shut down and left the problem for somebody else to deal with, Libertys executive staff rolled their sleeves up, Jerry Falwell Jr., Libertys president, said in a press release. Ive been so impressed meeting with them every day; they have stepped up to the plate and made necessary changes to help the students. Falwell said that by keeping the residence halls open, Liberty is able to house all the international students who are unable to return home due to travel restrictions, as well as those commuter students who have nowhere else to live. As of March 24, more than 1,900 of the Libertys more than 14,000 residential students had returned, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, citing a Liberty spokesman. It is unclear how many more students will return by the end of this week. The Virginia Department of Health sent an inspector for a surprise visit to Libertys campus after Gov. Ralph Northam signed an executive order that banned all gatherings of more than 10 people. The university was found to be in compliance with all restrictions, as gatherings in lecture halls and gyms are capped at 10 people, dining halls provide only take-out service, and the campus is closed to visitors. Annex I, a former hotel property owned by Liberty, is being used to quarantine those who have symptoms before they can get medical attention, according to Falwell. I think we, in a way, are protecting the students by having them on campus together, said Falwell during an interview with Lynchburg newspaper The News & Advance. Ninety-nine percent of them are not at the age to be at risk and they dont have conditions that put them at risk. At the time of this publication, Virginias health department reported nearly 400 COVID-19 cases, including 9 deaths. A majority of the cases are concentrated around Fairfax County on the southwestern outskirts of Washington. There has been no confirmed case in the independent city of Lynchburg, where Liberty University is located. Royals from across Europe are leading by example and working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. Official Instagram accounts for the monarchies of Belgium, France and Denmark, among others, have all shared posts in recent days showing family members working from their royal residences. Many of the images have been shared alongside captions urging people to stay at home and thanking health workers for their tireless efforts. It comes as governments around the world work to stop the rapid spread of COVID-19, which has so far claimed more than 16,000 lives worldwide. SWEDEN: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel yesterday shared this photo of them speaking to a number of agencies in order to better understand the national coronavirus situation. The photo was taken at Haga Palace, in Stockholm, where they live NORWAY: Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, who is married to Crown Princess Mette-Marit, shared this photo showing him on a video conference call with Norwegian healthcare workers. It was posted alongside a caption thanking them for their hard work during the pandemic BELGIUM: King Philippe of Belgium is seen speaking to elderly care home residents via a video link from his office in Chateau de Laeken, the palace on the outskirts of Brussles where he lives with his wife Mathilde and their four children. The photo was shared on Instagram on Monday Among those posting online is Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, who shared a series of photos showing him taking part in a video conference calls with local health leaders. In the caption he thanked Norway's doctors, nurses and medical staff for their hard work. Meanwhile Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, showed how he had FaceTimed Red Cross volunteers working at a local outpost. Elsewhere Queen Mathilde of Belgium shared an Instagram video addressing the nation in which she encouraged young people to read more while in lockdown. DENMARK: Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, shared this photo of his FaceTime call with volunteers at a local Red Cross centre. The photo, shared over the weekend, is thought to have been taken at Fredensborg Palace, where he lives with his wife Crown Princess Mary NETHERLANDS: King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands was photographed in his office at the royal palace in The Hague. King Willem-Alexander continues to carry out limited engagements, but these all pertain to better understanding the spread of coronavirus MONACO: Prince Albert II Monaco published this photo of him in self-isolation after he was confirmed to have COVID-19. The royal, who shares twins Jacques and Gabriella with wife Queen Charlene, is now feeling better and has since carried out a handful of engagements The British Royal Family has already gone into lockdown, with engagements cancelled and the Queen leaving London for Windsor. The Duke of Edinburgh was flown by helicopter from Sandringham to join Her Majesty in Windsor. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge recently paid an unannounced visit to an NHS 111 call centre to thank staff for their hard work on behalf of the family. BELGIUM: Queen Mathilde shared an Instagram video encouraging young people to read more while on lockdown. The video is thought to have been filmed in Chateau de Laeken This took place before Boris Johnson announced more stringent measures on Monday night in a bid to tackle the pandemic. Speaking from Downing Street in a televised address, Mr Johnson urged the nation to stay at home and said people should only leave for food, medicine, exercise or work if 'absolutely necessary'. He also announced a ban on all social gatherings of more than two people in a desperate attempt to stop the spread of the deadly disease. A 28-year-old Washington State Patrol trooper died at a Seattle hospital Tuesday evening after he was struck by a fleeing motorist on Interstate 5 near Chehalis, the agency announced. Justin R. Schaffer had served seven years in the state patrol, said agency spokesman Will Finn. This is a time of enormous grief for our agency family and the community he served, Finn said in a prepared statement. Schaffer died at Harborview Medical Center at 6:30 p.m. after he was taken there by helicopter. Hed been struck during the mid afternoon near Milepost 79 in the Chehalis area. The trooper's death in the line of duty marks the 30th in the Washington State Patrol's history. Southbound lanes were closed for about four hours, and traffic was detoured at exit 82 onto Airport Road and through Chehalis. The suspect is a 39-year-old Thurston County resident who is accused of robbing a Mini Mart the day before and threatening the clerk and customer with a stun gun. The store clerk followed the suspect outside and tried to take his picture, a spokesperson said. The suspect escaped in a truck and drove it towards the clerk and fled. According to KOMO, on Tuesday Thurston County deputies spotted the truck on I-5 near Maytown and began a pursuit on the southbound lanes. Finn said the motorist was barricaded on I-5 near mile post 76 until Thurston County deputies captured him. It was not immediately clear Tuesday night exactly how Schaffer got hit. The southbound lanes of I-5 near mile post 79 are blocked for the crash. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 65 Angry 12 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A box of coronavirus test kits at a medical office in Huntington Beach on Thursday. (Los Angeles Times) To the editor: I am a physician practicing in Southern California. I read with increasing anger the article on Dr. Jay Gordon and other physicians in private practice selling coronavirus test kits to their affluent patients. As I go to work in a hospital where the rationing of our personal protective equipment is a reality, and where guidelines for testing are rigid and conform with government guidelines, I find it disgusting that these high-end practices in a time of crisis are still catering to the rich and well-connected. I would ask Gordon if "providing the best medical care possible" involves alternative vaccine schedules and testing asymptomatic people when it won't change their medical course. If so, then he should provide his expertise to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as these are not their current recommendations. Look at the distribution of COVID-19 patients in Southern California, and you will find they are concentrated in the wealthiest communities. This just tells me that they are getting access to tests while everybody else waits in line. As physicians we must collectively lead as a group, setting profit and patient "wants" aside to assure that everyone gets the best care possible. Dr. Jacqueline Pachon, Chatsworth .. To the editor: From a public health perspective, we should make coronavirus testing widely available for triage, research and treatment purposes. Gordon has been justifiably criticized for supporting the rights of parents to refuse or delay vaccinations. But it is not as clear that helping his patients get test kits is wrong. If the federal government has withheld approval of home tests because they are dangerous or wildly inaccurate, they should not be sold by anyone. If the approval has been held up due to limited availability, then the government is letting the public down. Dr. Thomas Einstein, Santa Monica Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Istanbul, Turkey Wed, March 25, 2020 16:26 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d5bb55 2 World Saudi-Arabia,Turkey,Jamal-Khashoggi,Murder-trial Free Turkey has charged 20 suspects including two former aides to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the 2018 murder of Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Prosecutors accuse Saudi Arabia's deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri and the royal court's media czar Saud al-Qahtani of leading the operation and giving orders to a Saudi hit team. Khashoggi, 59, a commentator who wrote for The Washington Post, was killed after he entered the Saudi consulate on October 2, 2018, to obtain paperwork for his wedding to Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. Turkey carried out its own investigation into the murder after being unhappy with Saudi explanations. The Istanbul prosecutor's office said in a statement that Assiri and Qahtani were charged with "instigating the deliberate and monstrous killing, causing torment". Eighteen other suspects -- including intelligence operative Maher Mutreb who frequently travelled with the crown prince on foreign tours, forensic expert Salah al-Tubaigy and Fahad al-Balawi, a member of the Saudi royal guard -- were also charged with "deliberately and monstrously killing, causing torment". They face life in jail if convicted. Mutreb, Tubaigy and Balawi had been among 11 on trial in Riyadh, during which sources said many of those accused defended themselves by saying they were carrying out Assiri's orders, describing him as the operation's "ringleader". The Turkish prosecutor said a trial in absentia would be opened against the 20 suspects but did not give a date. The prosecutor had already issued arrest warrants for the suspects, who are not in Turkey. Khashoggi, a Saudi insider-turned-critic, was strangled and his body cut into pieces by a 15-man Saudi squad inside the consulate, according to Turkish officials. His remains have never been found. The CIA, UN special envoy Agnes Callamard and Turkey have directly linked Crown Prince Mohammed to the killing, a charge the kingdom vehemently denies. A medical worker wearing a protective mask and suit treats novel coronavirus patients in Italy. Flavio Lo Scalzo/Reuters Medical workers are in dire need of equipment to treat coronavirus patients, and both ventilators and respirators are in short supply. The coronavirus is a respiratory disease, and COVID-19 can wreak havoc on the lungs. Ventilators make sure the lungs can continue to work if they're failing. Respirators specifically N95 respirator masks help protect medical workers and are in short supply around the world. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. With a shortage of medical equipment required to safely care for patients with COVID-19, government agencies and private companies have stepped up to fill the gaps. Tesla, Ford, and GE are among the companies who have vowed their assistance in the production of respirators and ventilators. The Defense Department is also working to making millions of respirators available from their stockpile. There's a dire need for both respirators and ventilators. Many COVID-19 patients need a ventilator to survive, and medical workers need respirators like the N95 mask to protect themselves as they treat people. Here's why each of them is essential for the fight against the coronavirus. Ventilators help the patient breathe Ventilators are medical devices used in an intensive care setting. The machines assist patients who are having trouble breathing or can't breathe on their own. "What a ventilator does is takes over breathing for the patient. It does that is a very specific way," Dr. Burton Bentley II told Insider. "As opposed to just applying oxygen to someone ... it takes the next step." The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus. Severe cases can inflame the lungs and fill them with fluid. If that happens, a doctor would want to put the patient onto a ventilator to help support the lungs. An employee of Hamilton Medical AG tests ventilators at a plant in Domat/Ems Reuters To set up a ventilator, a medical worker puts an endotracheal tube down the patient's airway and connect it to the machine. That is then responsible for pushing air into the patient's lungs and removing it, Bentley, CEO of Elite Medical Experts, said. Story continues "The reason we do that is when people lose their own ability to have normal respiration," he said, "They are too fatigued, or their lungs are impaired because they're full of fluid, or they can't in their own power oxygenate themselves at an effective level." When a patient is on a ventilator, doctors can decide on the level of oxygen and at what pressure and volume the patient will receive it. Some medications can also be administered through the ventilator. FILE PHOTO: Gauges to regulate oxygen on a ventilator are seen at a lab run by the University Health Network in Toronto Reuters Typically, treatment on ventilators will begin in an emergency room, but then end up in intensive care. But there's a limited number of beds in intensive care units that can accommodate ventilators. "With COVID-19, the reason we're needing ventilators and the reason we're short on ventilators is that having to put someone in an intensive care unit on a ventilator is an extreme step," Bentley said. "Hopefully we've done everything prior to that point to oxygenate and to treat infection and to provide supportive care." The use of ventilators also requires a lot of staff, and so it's important to make sure that health care providers are protected from the coronavirus, he said. That's where respirators come in. Respirators specifically N95 respirator masks protect healthcare workers With the coronavirus infecting more than 400,000 people worldwide, there is a shortage of medical protective equipment. One of the most essential pieces of gear now in low supply is the N95 respiratory mask. The N95 is a protective device that filters out at least 95 percent of very small particles, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. It is designed to have a very close facial fit and remove dangerous airborne particles so medical professionals in close proximity to a patient can avoid catching infections. The 3M Global Headquarters in Maplewood, Minnesota, U.S. is photographed on March 4, 2020. The company has been contracted by the U.S. government to produce extra marks in response to the country's novel coronavirus outbreak. Nicholas Pfosi/Reuters The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged the public not to try and acquire the masks for themselves as they are needed in hospitals to keep doctors and nurses safe. Despite these warnings, some are still so eager to get their hands on the devices that they stealing them from hospitals. While N95s are usually worn once before being replaced, the shortage has prompted some hospitals to require staff to reuse the same mask throughout their shift. The CDC also recently changed its guidelines for mask use to respond to the shortage of N95 respirators. In places with shortages, it now says that N95 masks can be reserved for coronavirus cases involving "procedures that are likely to generate respiratory aerosols" meaning that airborne particles carrying the virus would be flying about. One such instance is intubation, one of the steps required to put someone on a ventilator. In other cases, medical staff should wear surgical masks and leave the N95s for the workers who need them, the CDC says. This article has been updated. Read the original article on Insider Irony dies a thousand deaths when those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. Last Friday (March 21) the 8th batch of medical workers from Inner Mongolia boarded a Chinese Air Force plane and travelled 723 miles to fight the Coronavirus in Hubei. Wuhan, Hubeis capital, is known to be the kick-off point of the global epidemic. Epidemics have a habit they plague periodically. China is not just the kick-off point of the current Covid-19 scourge it also has the unique record of being the first known site of any deadly prehistoric pestilence. Or possibly a couple of them. The prime and the oldest of these sites is the cute little 5000-year-old village of Hamin Mangha in Inner Mongolia dead now for millenniums. But as we say in newsrooms, even the dead tell stories. Inner Mongolia is a longish and largish autonomous zone of Northeast China. Between the winter of 2011 and the summer of 2015, archaeological excavations here led to the discovery of a peculiar Neolithic site a tiny little prehistoric village of just 29 homes where 100 charred skeletons were found stuffed inside a 200 square feet hut. How many residents could a 29-house village have? And if 100 of them died, how many were left? The skeletons seemed to have been piled one on top of the other in a great hurry, reveals a 2018 archaeological paper on the site. How did these people die? Anthropologists say, they seemed to have died of a lethal infection that spread so much fear that to stop the spread of the epidemic the villagers did not even care to bury their dead as was the practice. They incinerated the dead and left in a hurry never to return. And the village was buried in the sands of time forsaken, isolated and uninhabited for eternity. Chinas Jilin University team which conducted the study of Hamin Mangha found all the skeletons heaped in the middle of the floor of the single room hut. Such was the fear of the epidemic that the villagers had set the entire hut with dead bodies on fire and the thatched roof of the hut had collapsed. Researchers dont know what the disease could have been but most suggest that a disease that would have killed so many so quickly and led to such a ghastly mass cremation would only have been a virulent infection. A couple of other Neolithic sites in the region but from different time-bands also indicate similar footprints of epidemics, mass burials and abandoned sites. The only thing common to all however is the Holocene Climate Optimum Hamin Mangha epidemic seems to have taken place around the end of this warm climatic period on earth that lasted for over four millenniums. We are in yet another period of Climate Change today and the world is again a warmer place than it should be. China, where the story of the Pandemic of our times began, has a warmer a ground average temperature than the global rate. Is there a story that is repeating itself? Only Science and Time will tell. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. Some good news on coronavirus finally arrived yesterday. NHS hospitals are expected to just about cope with the thousands of coronavirus patients, even at the peak of the outbreak, according to an expert government adviser. Despite fears over a lack of intensive care beds and staff going off sick, Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, yesterday told MPs that he is confident the health service will remain within capacity. That is because of the current lockdown, which could also mean the worst of the outbreak in intensive care units is likely to be over in two-and-a-half to three weeks time. People Enjoy the sun in St James' Park in central London The prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted at the pubic should stay at home to slow the spread of the coronavirus Deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries agreed yesterday that the peak of the virus could be finished by Easter. Earlier this month Professor Ferguson, a key member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), produced a report suggesting more than 20,000 people might die from coronavirus. But yesterday he told the Commons science and technology committee the death toll could be substantially lower than that. In even more hopeful news, Andrew Pollard, professor of paediatric infection and immunity at the University of Oxford, who was also called before the committee, said a vaccine could potentially be available within six months. Previously many experts have said a vaccine which could end the devastation of the pandemic is at least a year away. I believe that six months is possible, but it needs a lot of things to fall in place in order for that to happen, Professor Pollard said. Professor Neil Ferguson, director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London, speaking via video link about the coronavirus outbreak at the Science and Technology Committee at the House of Commons in London today On the NHS, Professor Ferguson said: With the strategy being adopted now, we think that in some areas ICUs (intensive care units) will get very close to capacity but that it will not be breached at a national level. He said some regions would be extremely stressed by the surge of patients. But he added: We are reasonably confident its all we can be at the current time that at the national level we will be within capacity. A study involving Professor Ferguson had predicted 250,000 people could die in the UK under the Governments previous strategy of mitigation. He said: We assessed in that report that fatalities would be probably likely to exceed about 20,000 with effectively a lockdown and social distancing strategy, but it could be substantially lower than that. But Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said there was no guarantee the NHS would not exceed its capacity, although the lockdown and NHS work to increase resources would narrow the gap. Meanwhile, a study has suggested more years of life could be lost due to recession than will be gained through beating the virus. If Britain sees a fall in gross domestic product of more than 6.4 per cent, the measures could do more harm than good, the Bristol University research suggests. Medical personnel tend to patients before screening them outside the Emergency Room at Loma Linda University Medical Center. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) As the coronavirus pandemic spreads, its hard not to be alarmed by even a stray cough. But for people who suspect they have come down with COVID-19, the upheaval in the healthcare system is making it challenging to get a diagnosis and treatment. Tests to confirm a coronavirus infection remain relatively scarce in California, at least for now. The states hospitals, like those in Italy and Spain, could soon be overwhelmed by critically ill patients. Yet most people who get the disease do not need to be hospitalized. Their illness is mild, and their best course is to recover at home. For anyone feeling sick and wondering what to do, here is some guidance from doctors and public health authorities. What are the symptoms of COVID-19? Fever, cough and shortness of breath are the common symptoms reported by patients. Chills, body aches, sore throat, runny nose, headache, diarrhea and nausea are also possible, as well as a general sensation of severe illness. In recent days, some doctors have reported seeing COVID-19 patients who had lost their sense of smell. Could these symptoms be caused by something else? Yes. You could have the flu, a cold, bronchitis or strep throat, among other things. What should I do if I think I have it? If the symptoms seem life-threatening severe difficulty with breathing, for instance you should call 911 right away. If not, call a doctor for a phone consultation before you go anywhere. To protect yourself and your healthcare providers, its best not to show up at an emergency room, urgent care center or doctors office without calling first. You dont want to risk getting the virus if you don't have it. You don't want to spread it if you do. The people with the strongest chance of developing a serious respiratory illness if they're infected are those who are at least 65 years old, pregnant or facing other health problems such as heart or lung disease, diabetes or a compromised immune system. Story continues Depending on your symptoms, the doctor might ask you to come in to be tested for the coronavirus. In most cases, the recommendation will be home isolation. If you dont have risk factors for severe COVID, odds are that youll recover fully without any intervention at all other than just hydration and rest, said Dr. Rajesh Gandhi, an infectious disease physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. It goes away by itself. USCs Keck School of Medicine offers an online tool to help you evaluate your symptoms. What is home isolation? There is not yet a treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, so authorities urge those who become ill with it to follow strict guidelines to prevent its spread. Most important: Stay home and dont allow visitors. Dont go out until at least seven days have passed since the onset of your symptoms and at least three days since you've had a full recovery, with no fever and improved respiratory condition. If you must leave home while sick, avoid public transportation if you can. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommends that you use a personal vehicle. If you need someone else to drive, leave the windows down, wear a mask if you have one and keep as much distance as possible between you and the driver. How can I protect others in my home from catching the virus? Ideally, you should shelter in an isolated room with a private bathroom that no one else uses while youre sick. A caregiver can bring you food, but should leave it at the door, said Dr. James A. McKinnell, an infectious disease physician who teaches at UCLAs David Geffen School of Medicine. "Keep yourself supported by other people in your house as best you can," he said. If you're home alone, be sure someone you know well is checking in by phone at least a couple times a day, he said. While you're at home, you need to stay 6 feet away from others. Its especially important to keep away from anyone who is elderly or in one of the other groups with a higher risk of serious illness. Keep shared areas of the home well-ventilated; open windows or run a fan or air-conditioner if you can. Dont handle pets while youre sick, dont prepare food for others, and dont take care of children if you can avoid it. Wash your hands often, with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, throw it away in a lined trash can and wash your hands right away. Dont share dishes, cups, glasses, utensils, towels or bedding with other people or pets. Wash them thoroughly with soap after use. Do I need a face mask? If you are sick, yes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you should put one on whenever youre around other people and before you enter any healthcare facility. When caregivers enter a sick persons room, they should wear a face mask too. But if you're not sick, you're not taking care of anyone who is sick and you're not working in a healthcare setting, a mask is not necessary. Do I have to clean the area where Im recovering? Yes and very thoroughly. You should clean high-touch surfaces in your sick room and bathroom every day if you can, wiping them with disinfectant. That includes bedside tables, remote controls, phones, tablets, keyboards, counters, tabletops, doorknobs, light switches, toilets and faucets. Let someone else clean the homes common areas. If a caregiver is needed to clean your sick room or bathroom, they should wear a mask and wait as long as possible after youve used the bathroom. You have to imagine that this virus is on every single surface around you, McKinnell said. If you touch something anything you have to now assume the virus is on your hand. What should I do if my symptoms get worse? Seek prompt medical care, especially if you're in a high-risk group. The most worrisome sign, McKinnell said, is when someone who has been sick for four or five days starts feeling worse instead of better. When you start to feel like, 'I cant get out of bed,' thats a major transition point to me, he said. Warning signs include difficulty breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion, inability to get up, or bluish lips or face, according to the CDC. What might help me get better? Rest, drink plenty of fluids and eat nourishing food. Acetaminophen, or Tylenol, can reduce fever and pain. Ibuprofen is fine too, doctors say. "All the things our mother told us in terms of staying healthy they were right before, and theyre right now, Gandhi said. Founder, Chairman, CEO and President of Amazon Jeff Bezos at an event about Blue Origin's space exploration plans in Washington, U.S., May 9, 2019. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne Workers in six Amazon warehouses in the US have tested positive for coronavirus. The latest was in Jacksonville, Florida. A worker at a nearby facility told Business Insider that "Amazon, like Trump, was slow to respond, vague with the truth, and values dollars over lives." Another Amazon employee told Business Insider that they continue to ship non-essential items, such as prom dresses and expensive watches. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Workers at six Amazon warehouses across the US have contracted the novel coronavirus, with the latest report of a positive test coming on Tuesday at a fulfilment center in Jacksonville, Florida. US employees have now tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, at warehouses in Florida, Michigan, New York, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Texas, The Washington Post reported. A worker at a different Amazon fulfilment center in Jacksonville told Business Insider that whispers of a positive COVID-19 test spread through their facility early on Tuesday. The company itself never made a formal announcement. "Communication is very, very poor," the source said, requesting anonymity out of fear of losing their job. "A lot of unhappy employees," they continued, adding that "Amazon, like Trump, was slow to respond, vague with the truth, and values dollars over lives." In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider that the company is "supporting the individuals, following guidelines from local officials," and that it is "taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of all the employees at our sites." Business Insider asked for additional comments on specific employee complaints and will update as necessary. The first report of a positive COVID-19 test at an Amazon warehouse came on March 18. In that case, workers at a fulfilment center in Queens received a text informing them of the result, The Atlantic reported. Story continues An employee at the Queens facility, requesting anonymity, told Business Insider that the company has now stopped holding "stand up" meetings at the beginning shifts. Workers had complained that the meetings required them to congregate shoulder to shoulder, in violation of guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control. It has also suspended its per-hour targets for order fulfilment at that warehouse. That employee also sent Business Insider a photo from their break room which indicates that, at least in one warehouse, employees are being instructed to remain three feet apart, not six, per the CDC. The recommendations are in line with the Word Health Organization's recommendation to "Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing." A poster at an Amazon warehouse in Queens, New York. Anonymous And while online shopping has helped many Americans avoid the risk of crowds, the employee said Amazon's claim that it's only shipping vital goods which would allow for greater social distancing at its own warehouses isn't borne out by their experience. "I wouldn't call a prom dress or a Rolex 'essential items,'" they told Business Insider. Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider The Centre has asked all states and Union Territories (UTs) not to obstruct or close food processing units, and maintain uninterrupted supply amid lockdown in the country due to coronavirus outbreak New Delhi: The Centre has asked all states and Union Territories (UTs) not to obstruct or close food processing units, and maintain uninterrupted supply amid lockdown in the country due to coronavirus outbreak. In a communication to all chief secretaries of states and administrators of all UTs, secretary in the department for the promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) Guruprasad Mohapatra has also urged to allow workers and operators at retail outlets, pharmacies, manufacturing units to travel to their units. "In the wake of precautions being taken by various states for prevention of COVID-19 through lockdowns and various other precautionary measures, it is seen to issue clear instructions from DPIIT to state authorities to not obstruct and call for the closure of food processing units, since they manufacture foodstuff and to maintain uninterrupted supply for citizens of our country," the letter dated 23 March said. It added that for the consumer items to be readily available in the market, all food processing companies should be allowed to keep their manufacturing facilities open under the strictest of safety and hygiene guidelines and any executive order or section 144 restrictions should include the exemption of these units, distribution and sales channels servicing the food and beverage market, including food delivery services. The secretary also asked to give due permission to transport vehicles carrying raw material, intermediaries to and from the food processing units. "Clear advisory to ensure inter-state movement of goods for the food processing industry to ensure uninterrupted movement and supply of goods and services; specifically for e-commerce, food processing, delivery boys, and Movement of trucks," the letter said. Further, it has instructed to permit open all retail, grocery, organised trade, including cash and carry and wholesale, chemist and pharmacies, in order to avoid inconvenience to consumers and also to prevent panic buying. A little known Winnipeg company called Bomimed has found itself in the middle of the demand storm across the country for critical care ventilator equipment that even its own pandemic plan did not imagine. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/3/2020 (658 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A little known Winnipeg company called Bomimed has found itself in the middle of the demand storm across the country for critical care ventilator equipment that even its own pandemic plan did not imagine. Bomimed is the exclusive Canadian distributor for the Swiss company, Hamilton Medical, one of the world's leading ventilator manufacturers. Not only does Bomimed do all the sales, servicing, installation and clinical support, it makes all the hoses and breathing circuitry at the companys Fort Garry plant. "I have never imagined anything like this happening in my lifetime," said David Olivier, owner of Bomimed. David Olivier, owner of Bomimed, said the scary thing is there will be a four-month wait for any Canadian hospitals delivery. (Supplied photo) He said he and 75 staff are working into the wee hours of the night trying to keep up with demand. The company has multiple orders from hospitals across the country. But Olivier said the scary thing is, that even though Hamilton Medical has pledged to double its production by the end of the year it had been making about 220 ventilators per week there will still be a four-month wait for any Canadian hospitals delivery. "And that three to four months can turn into six or eight months," Olivier said, referring to the unprecedented global distribution challenges that have to be addressed. Because not only has demand superseded all normal conditions, the actual distribution logistics are now impossibly difficult. "I have never imagined anything like this happening in my lifetime." David Olivier "We have never experienced anything like this before, with borders closed all around the world," Olivier said. "Weve already had shipments stuck at port. We normally ship things by air on passenger planes but now all the airlines have shut down it is a challenge." Olivier is in daily contact with Bob Hamilton of Hamilton Medical and with senior government and airline officials. For instance, he has been told by senior Air Canada people that he will have access to humanitarian flights and Government of Canada planes if needed. "I have been in contact with every government agency you can think of," he said. "We have outstanding orders for ventilator from coast to coast, province to province, hospital to hospital. We are inundated. We actually had a pandemic plan but this has blown everything out of the water." Oxygen sanitizing spray bottle in huge demand JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSKevin Shale poses for a portrait with his product Enozo that turns ordinary tap water into a sanitizer on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Enozo is being sold around the world and has seen a large increase in sales in China, said Shale. Reporter: Martin Cash Kevin Shale has always been focused on sustainability as an entrepreneur. When the young Winnipeg entrepreneur, who is a member of North Forge Technology Exchange, heard about a product out of the U.S. that turns simple tap water into natures most powerful sanitizer, he spent about four years securing the Canadian rights and developing the market in this country. For the past year he was talking with industry about using the device, called the EnozoPRO activated oxygen sanitizing spray bottle, and talking to Canadian industry about its usage. click to read more Kevin Shale has always been focused on sustainability as an entrepreneur. When the young Winnipeg entrepreneur, who is a member of North Forge Technology Exchange, heard about a product out of the U.S. that turns simple tap water into natures most powerful sanitizer, he spent about four years securing the Canadian rights and developing the market in this country. For the past year he was talking with industry about using the device, called the EnozoPRO activated oxygen sanitizing spray bottle, and talking to Canadian industry about its usage. Then the pandemic hit, hand sanitizer was sold out everywhere and everyone wanted to buy one of the US$500 bottles. He sold right out in days. Literally the day after the World Health Organization called the COVID-19 coronavirus a pandemic my phone started ringing off the hook, Shale said. His company, Montra Canada, is expecting another shipment in about three weeks. He has been talking to federal government officials about allowing the distribution of that shipment to be deployed to the most vulnerable. Its not about trying to capture all the business now. Its really all about how can we help, he said. We want the product to go to where the need is the highest, not to who is screaming the loudest just because they are worried, but who is really overloaded. Shale is one of many Winnipeg businesses that have made it known they want to help in the COVID-19 containment effort. For instance, Kerry Stevenson, one of the founders of North Forges fabrication lab who is an international authority on 3D printing, talked to many people about using that technology to help make medical devices. But Stevenson said they quickly realized that the technology is really not suitable for the quality standards for the medical device setting. Tom Tessier, whose company Solara makes durable wireless communication devices, got a group together to see what could be made. He has put together a proposal to make face shields. Tracy Maconachie, president of Bioscience Association Manitoba, has been talking with Shared Health to see how Manitoba companies might be able to help with the cause. Shale didnt realize his business would become part of the effort. When there was an abundance of other sanitizer available on the market, the EnozoPRO was just a safer, better, more sustainable alternative solution to the status quo. We had no way to anticipate that our environmental direction would become more of a supply and demand thing, he said Close As the company waits for shipments Bomimeds inventory has been decimated the company is furiously trying to convert some of its production lines that had been used to produce hoses and components for anesthesia equipment that it also distributes. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Olivier said Bomimed engineers have created specially designed circuitry that can be used for COVID-19 patients taking into account the severity of the patients condition as well as the bio-security for the health care professionals who would be operating the equipment. Ventilators range in price from $18,000-to-$20,000 for portable ones to $70,000 for the most sophisticated models. Hamilton Medical has stated that it will hold all its prices at normal rates "We denounce any opportunistic utilization of this humanitarian crisis, including a raise in prices. Our prices will remain the same as before the coronavirus outbreak," it says on its website. Olivier said with the pandemic conditions changing so rapidly, he intends to be able to supply ventilators to the hospitals where the need is the greatest. "That is what we going to fight for," he said. "It is not an easy task right now. We are doing everything we can." martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca SpaceX is making hand sanitizer and face shields and donating them to local hospitals and other businesses, according to a memo sent to employees over the weekend. Many hospitals are now running low on personal protective equipment, ventilators and other supplies as their staff are overwhelmed by the work of fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Health care workers have taken to social media, using hashtags like "#getmeppe or #getusppe," pleading for a supply of disinfectant, wipes, respirator masks, glasses or face shields, gloves, gowns and surgical masks to protect them from transmission of germs. Donations from Musk and his companies can provide them some relief. Elon Musk's aerospace company told employees via an internal memo that it built 75 face shields over the weekend, and delivered them to Cedars Sinai, a local health system near its headquarters in Hawthorne, California. It also donated 100 "tyvek" protective suits to medical personnel at the hospital, and is scaling up efforts to produce and distribute hand sanitizer that "complies with CDC guidelines and is effective at killing the COVID-19 coronavirus." Employees have also convinced SpaceX to host a blood drive with the American Red Cross in Hawthorne later this week, the memo said. A spokesperson from Cedars Sinai could not immediately confirm that the hospital had received supplies from SpaceX. SpaceX did not immediately return a request for comment. Musk appears to have changed his tune about the novel coronavirus in recent days. On Twitter, he previously wrote that the "panic" about the pandemic was "dumb." In an e-mail he sent to all employees at Tesla, his electric vehicle company, Musk wrote: "My frank opinion remains that the harm from the coronavirus panic far exceeds that of the virus itself." He also incorrectly claimed that children are "essentially immune" to the virus in a tweet. But as the outbreak took off in California, where his businesses are headquartered, Musk began to share research about potential but still unproven treatments for COVID-19, and praise medical equipment makers like Medtronic. Most recently, he has touted his own efforts to get ventilators to hospitals that need them to treat COVID-19 patients, and said his companies would begin to produce ventilators, as well, if needed. At SpaceX, employees who are healthy enough to do so have continued to work, because the company is considered critical infrastructure and an essential business under the state's "Safer at Home" order since it is a defense contractor. Recently, SpaceX sent at least a dozen employees home after one employee and a medic at the on-site clinic in Hawthorne, were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. --CNBC's Christina Farr contributed to this report Sally Corscadden breathed a deep sigh of relief when she heard the IOC announcement regarding Olympic postponement. Corscadden, the eventing high-performance director at Horse Sport Ireland, had been tying herself up in knots in recent days and weeks as the job of getting four horses and the accompanying Irish eventing team of 15 people to Japan in mid-July became more and more complicated. The initial plan had been to fly the horses to Aachen in Germany for a week of quarantine, during which they would be assessed by a Japanese ministry vet; from there, the horses and Irish team were to cross the border into Belgium where they would fly from Liege to Tokyo, with a quick refuel in Doha to break up the 18-hour flight. But as Covid-19 stretched its tentacles throughout Europe, Corscadden quickly accepted that their planned route was no longer feasible. I was thinking to myself, would we all have to self-isolate for two weeks upon arriving in Aachen in Germany. But how would we manage that, or even social distancing, when we were all staying in the same apartments in Aachen. I was then looking at doing the week-long quarantine in the UK but then the situation developed there. Each day it became more and more unlikely of getting everyone to Japan as I just couldnt see how this could work. I was running out of alternatives as to how we were going to make it happen. It was becoming impossible so, yes, relief was the overriding emotion when news of postponement came. With the Olympics pushed back until 2021, Corscadden has instructed the Irish riders, who will compete over three disciplines (showjumping, dressage, and cross-country) at the rescheduled Games, to press pause for the time being. Priority, at a time of such uncertainty, must shift elsewhere. Theyve got to look at their businesses and families first of all, and all the things theyve got to do to survive the next few months because [Covid-19] is obviously going to hit them very hard financially. They cant train other horses, cant train riders, and cant go to competitions. All these sources of income are now gone. Everything has come to a standstill. Whenever normality resumes, Corscadden will use whatever qualifying competitions are staged as an opportunity to qualify some younger horses who may benefit from the postponement. Bahrain's Council of Representatives yesterday (March 24) approved a partial curfew from 6 pm to 5 am in the kingdom, with the exception of those whose work in providing essential services. The recommendation will now go the Cabinet for urgent review and decision. At the session of the council, Speaker Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal extended deepest thanks, appreciation and gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for the launch of the economic stimulus package, worth BD4.3 billion, to mitigate the effects of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) at the local level, said a Bahrain News Agency report. She also hailed HM the Kings directives to allow working mothers in the public sector to perform their duties from home during this exceptional period, and in line with the royal keenness to support working women in Bahrain. The session approved several urgent proposals, and referred them to the government. They included: * Giving illegal expatriate workers a grace period to rectify their legal situation and leave the country to limit the spread of COVID-19; * Setting up a new fund for contributions and donations of businessmen, national companies, banks and individuals to cover costs of COVID-19 and other disasters; * Including working mothers in companies, entities and institutions in which the state owns 50% in the working from home system for women in public sector; * Delivering e-services at ministries and service departments. * Paying an incentive bonus for volunteers in the National Campaign to Combat 'Coronavirus'. * The economic stimulus package should be limited to supporting small, medium-sized and micro private sector companies and enterprises which have been affected negatively by COVID-19, and the precautionary measures enforced to combat it. * Granting teachers a holiday like students. 03/25/2020 Photo (c) RiverNorthPhotography - Getty Images There has been an increase in the number of Amazon warehouse workers who have tested positive for COVID-19. Less than a week after confirming its first worker case of the virus (a worker in Queens, New York), Amazon has disclosed that eight of its workers have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Wednesday. The workers are scattered across U.S. Amazon facilities. Workers tested positive for the virus at warehouses in Staten Island and Queens, New York; Shepherdsville, Kentucky; Jacksonville, Florida; Katy, Texas; Brownstown, Michigan; Wallingford, Connecticut; and Oklahoma City, according to NPR. In a blog post published Wednesday, Amazon assured the public that it has been cleaning the affected facilities and that the infected individuals have been quarantined. Increased cleaning at all sites In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Amazon says it has relied on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to craft a series of preventative health measures at all of its sites. We have increased the frequency and intensity of cleaning at all sites, including regular sanitization of door handles, handrails, touch screens, scanners, and other frequently touched areas, the company said. We're also requiring employees and delivery service partners to clean and disinfect their work stations. Amazon has also implemented social distancing procedures at its work sites in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. The company says it has eliminated standup meetings during shifts and has started staggering start and break times. The e-commerce giant is currently dealing with a massive surge in demand among consumers heeding the advice of health officials to stay home. The company said it plans to hire an additional 100,000 employees in the U.S. to help it handle the unexpected spike in demand. Meanwhile, Amazon is prioritizing the shipment of high-priority goods. Some non-essential items may not ship for several more weeks while the company focuses on ensuring that its customers receive essential goods. We are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock and deliver these products to customers, the company said last week. China vows legal punishment on violators of border health laws, regardless of nationality Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/3/24 17:08:26 Irrespective of their nationality or even if they are stateless, people who violate China's border health quarantine law will be punished, said China's top court and procuratorate officials, as the country is on high alert to prevent imported COVID-19 cases. Officials of China's Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate said Tuesday that such violators will be subject to the country's law and judicial standards, China's national media CCTV reported. Infected patients and suspected cases entering China from abroad who refuse to follow health quarantine measures, or conceal or falsify their infection condition, are regarded to have harmed border health quarantine, according to an official document on ensuring the resumption of work and production amid epidemic prevention and control jointly made by five departments, including the top court and the top procuratorate. Other persons, such as drivers who pick up infected patients or suspected infections but refuse to undergo health quarantine and treatment, are also regarded as having obstructed border health quarantine. All of the acts mentioned above that cause or are highly likely to cause the spread of infection constitute a crime of harming border health and quarantine. If the offender refuses to follow the border health quarantine measures or refuses to follow the prevention and control measures after entry, this will constitute a crime of obstructing the prevention and control of infectious diseases and another crime of harming border health and quarantine, and the offender shall be convicted and punished in accordance with the provisions on heavier penalties. With the risk of imported infections escalating in China, prevention and control of imported cases has become a top priority for entry ports in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, which are maintaining vigilance against a possible second wave of outbreak and seeking to ensure residents' safety. For example, all people entering Beijing from overseas are now requested to undergo quarantine for medical observation and take nucleic acid tests starting from Wednesday, the city authorities said on Tuesday, responding to the increasing number of imported cases of the COVID-19. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address S truggling London stores, bars and restaurants were thrashing out deals with their landlords as over 1 billion of quarterly rents fell that were due on Wednesday Some of Londons largest landowners, the Duke of Westminsters property group Grosvenor and Cadogan Estates, laid out plans to help under-pressure businesses with rent holidays, but others remain locked in talks. Help from Mayfair and Belgravia landlord Grosvenor, and Cadogan, which owns large parts of Chelsea and Knightsbridge, comes as tenants struggle with no trade due to covid-19. Grosvenors UK chief executive James Raynor said: Waiving this quarters rent for hundreds of independent and smaller businesses is the first step in what will be a long-term, multi-faceted approach from Grosvenor to support the future of the West End. Family-owned Cadogan has agreed to rent-free periods for restaurants, bars and cafes over the next three months. That will also apply to some smaller retail and leisure firms. In addition, a switch from quarterly to monthly rents for retailers and many small businesses will be introduced. Hugh Seaborn, chief executive of Cadogan, said: We are doing whatever it takes to ensure the future vibrancy of the area. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 01:20:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A fifth Lebanese citizen on Wednesday died of the novel coronavirus, the National News Agency (NNA) reported. The number of COVID-19 infections remained unchanged at 333, NNA said. Meanwhile, the cabinet decided to extend the curfew to April 13, citing the increasing number of coronavirus infections. Earlier in the day, Nemat Ifram, a lawmaker and industrialist, announced that the first prototype of a Lebanese ventilator will be tried on animals before being manufactured according to international standards, with the aim of easing the shortage of equipment used to fight coronavirus. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. In the early stages of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, most Americans made some modest changes to their lives, such as using hand sanitizer more often, according to a new Consumer Reports survey. But few took more substantial steps, such as making plans for childcare if their kids school closed or how to work remotely, possibly because they didn't have options or because they didn't anticipate the problems. The nationally representative survey of 1,079 adult U.S. residentsconducted from March 5 to March 16provides a snapshot of a pivotal moment in the coronavirus outbreak, and shows just how fast the situation changed. When the survey began, many states had only recently reported their first cases of coronavirus. By the time it ended, many schools and businesses across the U.S. had closed, and several states had issued orders for residents to stay inside as much as possible. The survey found that 44 percent of Americans said they were highly concerned about the possibility of widespread transmission. Nearly 9 in 10 respondents said they took some basic steps to prepare for changes caused by the coronavirus. For example, 62 percent said theyd started using hand sanitizer more often, 48 percent said they were avoiding shaking hands, and 26 percent said they were stocking up on nonperishable food supplies. Over the 11-day survey period, an increasing percentage of people said they were taking some of those steps. But far fewer seem to have anticipated the more significant changes required because of the health crisis. Only 14 percent of those currently employed made plans to work from home. And only about 15 percent of people with children 12 and younger said they had alternative childcare arrangements. CR will be asking these questions again in another survey to see how the public mood has shifted as the crisis worsens. Story continues The results underscore how unprecedented the mandates for sheltering in place and working from home are, and how unprepared Americans were for those circumstances, experts say. Small, concrete steps such as stockpiling supplies are much easier to contemplate than big things, such as finding new childcare arrangements or planning to work from home, says Aaron Pallas, a professor of sociology and education at Columbia University. 'Not Configured' for Remote Work By early March, major corporations had already announced plans to have as many employees as possible work from home. But the finding that few Americans with jobs didn't make plans to do so perhaps reflects the reality that few jobs allow it. Many people have never worked from home, says Pallas, and many jobs are not configured to allow that. Multitasking is a challenge, because working and minding one's children both require a lot of attention, he adds. And switching back and forth between the two is very difficult. Last week as the coronavirus crisis accelerated, CR asked readers to share their stories of financial hardship. More than 800 have done so already, among them Nancy C. of New Hampshire. She said the small financial company she works for has 50 percent of its staff working from home. So she's doing a balancing act at home with her two children to ensure that her family doesn't contract the virus. My daughter, son, and I live together and are all practicing social distancing, she said. The survey, though, suggests that over time, more people are making plans to work remotely. On March 5 and 6, only 11 percent of Americans had made plans; by March 16, it was 23 percent. If you're working from home, here are some tips on how to set up a comfortable work space and some tech ideas to make you more efficient. 'Short on Cash' While Kids Are at Home Among families with children 12 and younger, only 1 in 7 said they had made plans for childcare if schools closed. But one of the biggest challenges for some parents has been the sudden adjustment to having kids home from school while trying to get work done. Major school districts across the country have temporarily closed as they scramble to contain the spread of the virus. Taryn Morrissey, a professor of public administration and policy at American University, says that adapting to having children at home can pose particular problems. She points out that even parents who can afford a babysitter might not want to risk bringing one into their home now because of the risk of spreading the disease. If youre really trying to isolate, Morrissey says, there is no alternative childcare arrangement. Its also an expensive option during what could be a grueling time for some. Jared F., another CR reader who shared his story last week, said last Friday that his employer announced a company-wide salary cut of 10 percent until further notice. Thats preferable to being laid off, of course, but living in a costly city like Boston, Jared said his financial situation was very lean, particularly because of childcare expenses. Before the pandemic, we were already slightly underwater, dipping into savings to cover basic expenses as we stick it out until our son graduates up to a less expensive classroom at day care, he said. But now, he added, even living at our leanest, we'll be short on cash for the equivalent of 12 weeks of childcare by the end of the year. We don't know how we'll make ends meet, especially with so many industries suffering similar or worse fates. In our ongoing coronavirus coverage, CR is offering extensive advice on how to cope with kids while at home. I Have No Income While CR didnt ask about potential job loss in our survey, several consumers contacted us about losing their job as a result of the coronavirus. Kristina P., a massage therapist in New Jersey, said she has worked in that capacity for three years at a medical office. During that time, she said, she could adequately cover her bills, including a car lease. Now, she said, with coronavirus, I lost my job. I have no income and Im [now facing] with credit card payments, car lease payments, and other payments, she said. At this point Im devastated. I need to buy food but also pay bills. With no income, how can I pay? That could become a challenge for many in the coming weeks. The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, for example, estimated last weekend that unemployment could reach 30 percent in the second quarter of 2020. If the pandemic is putting you in a financially difficult position, CR has tips on what to do. And all of our ongoing coverage is available in our Guide to the Coronavirus. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2020, Consumer Reports, Inc. (Newser) The woman in charge of the US response to the coronavirus says everyone leaving the New York metro area should self-quarantine for 14 days, the AP reports. Dr. Deborah Birx said at a White House briefing that people leaving the hardest hit area of the United States might not be sick, but could have been exposed to the virus. She advises people heading for other parts of the state or country to stay home for two weeks. Birx says about 56% of the cases in the United States are coming out of the New York metro area. Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is advising President Trump on the pandemic, says about one per 1,000 people leaving New York are infected. He says that's eight to 10 times more than in other areas. (Read more coronavirus stories.) Some things are bigger than party politics. The video of Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill getting emotional in the Stormont chamber when asked about cancer patients having their treatments cancelled as a result of the coronavirus was a powerful illustration of where we're at in the fight against Covid-19. Inevitably, there were some on social media who jumped in to make disparaging comments about the Deputy First Minister, but most people understood how she felt. It wasn't a republican or unionist issue, but a human one. Politicians should expect to be pulled up when they do things that damage the collective effort against the virus, as Sinn Fein did after going on a solo run over school closures; but when it comes to the day-to-day response of the Executive to this deadly threat, ministers deserve to be given the benefit of the doubt. They're only trying to do their best to respond to a situation which is bigger and more terrifying than anything they've had to deal with before, or, fingers crossed, ever will again. It's just a pity that the same presumption of decency isn't extended to the Prime Minister. There will be as many opinions of Boris Johnson's address to the nation on Monday evening as there were people watching at home. Some of the 27 million of us who reportedly tuned in will have liked it; some will have hated it. Some will have been reassured; some alarmed. That's only natural. Different leaders have different styles. When he spoke directly to the Irish people on St Patrick's Day, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's tone was softer, more empathetic. Other politicians adopted a tougher, no nonsense manner. Personally, if asked to choose, I'd prefer the second approach, but there's no single right or wrong way to do it. The only thing that really matters is whether the message which the Prime Minister was trying to convey is getting through to those who need to hear it. As such, the six-minute speech should have left nobody in any doubt about what's now expected of them, which is that they should stay home except for a small number of essential reasons, or to exercise for limited periods each day. There may be some who claim to find that message confusing, and who are desperate to personally blame Boris for the behaviour of a minority of idiots putting vulnerable people's lives at risk by refusing to practise social distancing; but it's hard not to conclude that they just want to cut down Boris because he's Boris, not because of anything he's actually doing, and that they'd be nitpicking no matter what he did or how he spoke. When he's a bit bumbling and shambolic, they say he's an incompetent buffoon who doesn't inspire confidence. If he was too slick and polished, they'd claim that he was all spin and no substance. There are always valid questions to be asked about particular policies of government, not least the row over whether to keep building sites open, which saw Arlene Foster line up at the latest Cobra meeting with the Scottish and Welsh First Ministers and the Mayor of London against the Prime Minister. Certain elements of the plan to fight Covid-19, and to alleviate the economic damage caused by the lockdown, definitely need to be fine tuned or better communicated. Just because the country faces a long drawn out emergency doesn't mean we should all become mindless cheerleaders for the powers that be. This isn't a communist state like North Korea, where everyone must pledge full-throttled support to the Supreme Leader or face the consequences. Constructive criticism should not mean, however, instantly assuming the absolute worst about the Prime Minister's character and motives, or knocking everything he does for its own sake. Too many seem unable to help themselves, unfortunately. They're still stuck in that toxic divisiveness which erupted after the 2016 vote to leave the EU. That political infection will take a long while to work its way out of the system, but surely this is the moment when those who still insist on seeing the world in the most simplistic black and white terms - where Tory Brexiteers are, by definition, wrong about everything - ought to make an effort to get the hell over it and move on? Whether they like it or not, Boris Johnson is the Prime Minister, and constantly demonising him as either wicked, useless or out of his mind just feels gratuitously abusive, as if the people shrieking at him would rather we stayed divided than give some hated Tory bogeyman any credit. There's no doubt that, if Jeremy Corbyn had won the election in December, plenty of those who are now urging support for Boris Johnson would be attacking a Labour Prime Minister for not getting it 100% right either. I struggle to believe, though, that they would actively believe Jeremy Corbyn wanted people to die, or didn't care if they did, which is what is being widely alleged about the current inhabitant of10 Downing Street. They've spent so long denouncing Boris as "far right", or even a "fascist", that they now seem unable to see the world through anything other than hysteria-tinted spectacles. Where's the value in painting everything he does in the worst possible light, or in apparently wanting him to fail just so you can say "I told you so" afterwards? Anyone who knows the slightest thing about Boris Johnson should be able to see that shutting down the country, and sending out the police to enforce social distancing, really isn't his style. He'd rather be a leader in a time of good news, than during a crisis which will tragically leave many people dead before their time. The same goes for here in Northern Ireland. When Arlene Foster stuck by the medical and scientific advice on the most effective way to halt the spread of coronavirus, her actions were maliciously misinterpreted in an equally toxic way. Some on the other side won't want to believe Michelle O'Neill is doing her best either. The evidence is that the priority of both women at this moment is to save lives, and that they and other ministers are working flat out to put in place, and enforce, whatever measures are needed. We can all go back to the knockabout partisanship afterwards. There will be years ahead for that. In the meantime, it's going to take good-natured solidarity and willing, informed consent to what's being asked of us to get through the worst days ahead, and that can only be undermined by sneering and sniping from the sidelines. The Nepalese government has declared a one-week lockdown of the country after health authorities detected a second COVID-19 infection on Monday. The 19-year-old student who returned from Paris, via Qatar, last week is currently being treated at the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital in Kathmandu. Her family is being kept in home isolation. The first coronavirus infection in Nepala student returning from Chinawas detected in January. The defence ministry said the lockdown, which began yesterday, would be a strict stay-at-home order and curfew. All government offices, businesses and shops are closed with international and domestic flights and public transport shut down. The hardest hit will be daily wage earners. Already, 1.5 million people, many of them workers, have left Kathmandu, the capital, for their homes in rural districts. The government has now sealed the countrys 1,800-kilometre border with India. The landlocked countrys main entry-exit points are with India and recently established transit points to China. A week ago, cross-border movements were partially restricted. Hundreds of Nepalese previously blocked at Indian border crossings were allowed to return home on Monday, a day before the curfew began, after taking a temperature test. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and his so-called Left Alliance government have been denounced in the national media for failing to take adequate precautionary measures over coronavirus or to provide health workers with sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment, face masks and caps or training. On Monday, the Nepali Times said that most public health experts were convinced that there were infected people in the country and reported that there had been a lack of preventive measures and diagnostic tests until this week. The Kathmandu Post noted on March 20 that health workers panicked and burst into tears when a person suspected of contracting COVID-19 visited the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital. A few days later, doctors and nurses at the Tribhuvan University (TU) Teaching Hospital threatened to stop attending work if they were not provided with proper protection. At Sumeru Hospital in Lalitpur, over 20 workers, including nurses and doctors, applied for leave on Saturday. The number of staffers applying for leave has been rising by the day, Hemraj Dahal, the hospitals chairman, told the Post. Its not difficult to guess the reason. Health workers fear that the coronavirus could spread. Nurses, lab technicians and other health workers also applied for leave last week at Green City Hospital in Basundhara. Weve been sewing our own cloth masks to use in the hospital, manager Manish Dawadi told the newspaper. Dr. Subhash Prasad Acharya, head of critical care at the TU Teaching Hospital, said: It would be disastrous to compel them to attend to such patients without providing them with safety training and equipment. Government officials and health authorities have attempted to downplay the coronavirus dangers and their inaction. COVID-19 has so far killed over 17,000 people and infected more than 400,000 globally, but Department of Health Services director-general Mahendra Prasad Shrestha claimed no special training was required. It is impossible to impart [new knowledge] to all health workers whenever new diseases emerge, he declared, claiming that this was only necessary for those involved in critical care. The National Public Health Laboratory is currently the only facility in Nepal able to test for coronavirus. Laboratory director Dr. Runa Jha told the media that it was only equipped to test 500 coronavirus cases per week. This could be increased to 3,000 cases, he said, if adequate human resources, proper infrastructure and chemical reagents were provided. The laboratorys chief medical technologist admitted that the facility had been using only 1,000 testing kits provided by the WHO. Authorities had requested 5,000 more kits but they had not arrived. The Nepali government currently does not have any plan to conduct tests at other locations, let alone provide proper health care for those infected. The Himalayan Times noted: The government has this indifferent attitude at a time when the South Korean experience tells that containing the spread of the virus could be a tough nut to crack. Although mass testing for coronavirus, quarantining and treatment of those infected should be the immediate response to this deadly disease, those reporting coughs, fever and other symptoms are being turned away in Nepal because of meager resources. Dr. Sundar Mani Dixit told the media on March 17 that three patients he referred to the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital were not tested. His patients had just returned from overseas. The governments main concern, however, is not the health and safety of medical professionals and ordinary people, but the impact of the lockdown on the tourist business which employs 1.5 million and provides the government with $US2 billion in annual revenue. While thousands of people in the tourist industry will lose their jobs, the government has not announced any relief program for these workers and their families. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in Asia with around 50 percent of children up to five years old suffering acute malnutrition. A quarter of its 29 million-strong population lives on less than 35 rupees ($0.29) a day and 66 percent of all deaths in the country are the result of non-communicable diseases. Nepal has the second worst rate of deaths from lung disease in the world, with 101 per 100,000 dying from lung ailments every year, including around 70,000 people infected with tuberculosis. The criminal, grossly inadequate response of the Nepali government to COVID-19 guarantees that tens of thousands of people will die from this highly contagious disease. Pakistan announced halting of domestic flight operations after number of cases infected with coronavirus disease Covid-19 rose to 1000 in the country. The government said that seven people have died of the disease. The domestic flight ban will begin on Thursday, civil aviation spokesman Abdul Sattar Khokhar said on Wednesday. Islamabad had previously cut train service and international flights. Initially, most of those infected were Pakistani pilgrims returning from neighboring hard-hit Iran, which has seen the Middle Easts worst outbreak of the virus. Now, the virus is being reported in people with no travel history, officials say. More than 400 of the infected people are in the southern province of Sindh. The eastern province of Punjab has the second highest number of cases (296), the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 78 cases, Balochistan has 110, while capital Islamabad has 15, as per media reports. More on Covid-19: Your guide to staying safe What you need to know today What to keep in mind for your money How coronavirus is different from seasonal flu and common cold The Sindh provincial government has imposed a lockdown to contain the spread of the virus, but Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he will not impose a country-wide lockdown and urged people to go in self-quarantine to fight the Sars-CoV-2 virus. Khan said that the impact of a countrywide curfew on Pakistans economy would be immense. Twenty-five percent of the population of our country lives under the poverty line. Putting the country under lockdown would mean that my daily-wage workers, street vendors, small shop-owners would be locked inside their homes. How would they earn then? he said in his address to the nation. The country had reported its seventh death on Tuesday, involving a 57-year-old patient who was undergoing treatment at Mayo Hospital in Lahore. Six civil servants were, meanwhile, suspended on Tuesday after they posed for a selfie with a coronavirus patient in a quarantine centre, an official said. The selfie - widely shared on social media - pictured a group of men around the apparent patient, several of them smiling broadly and none wearing face masks. News has just come in that Prince Charles has been tested positive for the coronavirus. The 71-year-old Prince of Wales is in self-isolation at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. However his wife Camilla has not tested positive for the same. A Clarence House spokesman said, The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. The spokesman further added, The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. Well, we hope he recovers soon! Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 00:34:46|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's Zanzibar health authorities on Wednesday confirmed the second case of COVID-19 in the archipelago, bringing the total confirmed cases to 13 in the country. Hamad Rashid, Zanzibar's Minister for Health, told a news conference that the newly confirmed 29-year-old German female is wife of a Ghanaian national who tested positive for the disease last week. "We have been monitoring the German female and when she was tested today (Wednesday) she was found positive," said Rashid, adding that the woman was transmitted with the virus by his Ghanaian husband. Rashid said the couple have been self-isolated and were receiving treatment to ensure that they did not transmit the virus to other people in Zanzibar. The minister added that one person suspected to have been infected by COVID-19 has been quarantined on Pemba Island and underwent test. Rashid said 65 people have been quarantined for 14 days on the islands and they were being monitored by health authorities. Sacked Ipswich councillor Paul Tullys local Labor Party branch plans to censure the party's state MP Jennifer Howard for speaking out in State Parliament against Mr Tullys record as a councillor. Ms Howard on March 17 used parliamentary privilege - a term which refers to legal protection given to people speaking in parliaments - to condemn the sacked long-serving Ipswich councillor. Mr Tully served for 39 years in the Ipswich City Council, which was dumped by Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe on August 22, 2018 after a damning, two-year Crime and Corruption Commission report. Then Ipswich councillor Paul Tully (centre) at the council's final meeting in August 2018. Credit:AAP Mr Tully was not charged by the CCC. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) A doctor is free after being held captive by the Abu Sayyaf group for more than a month, the military's Western Mindanao Command announced Wednesday. The victim, identified as Daniel Moreno, was rescued in Indanan, Sulu Tuesday night amid military operations against the Abu Sayyaf, Wesmincom chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said. Sobejana said members of the 1102nd Infantry Brigade encountered Abu Sayyaf fighters at around 7:30 p.m. He said government forces saw the armed men leave Moreno behind. "'Yun ang nakikita naming dahilan kung bakit nila nirelease dahil nga sinundan sila nang sinundan ng tropa, considering the age and of course the health condition of the doctor siguro may kabagalan yung kanilang movement," Sobejana said. [Translation: That is the reason we see for the release -- because they were chased by the troops, considering the age and health condition of the doctor, he might have been slowing down their movement.] Moreno had a medical examination after his release and there was "no adverse report" on his health, Sobejana said, adding that the doctor also went through debriefing. Meanwhile, five more kidnap victims remain with the Abu Sayyaf group, Sobejana said. He said the group was asking for 3 million in exchange for Moreno's freedom, but stressed that no ransom was paid by the Moreno family. "Although sabi nila there was a demand, that sila'y nagkukuhamahog na maghanap ng pera pero sabi nila hindi namin nabigay yung pera," Sobejana added. [Translation: Although the Moreno family said there was a demand, and they were struggling to find money, they were never able to give it.] Moreno was abducted by armed men from his clinic in Jolu, Sulu on February 4. As Pennsylvania, and the nation, struggles to respond to the growing coronavirus pandemic, many are already feeling the effects - not just of the disease itself, but of the social distancing and shutdowns of schools and businesses intended to stem the rapidly growing number of COVID-19 diagnoses. And as many are struggling to make ends meet in the face of reduced hours, furloughs or other lost income, or the loss of other public services on which they rely, many organizations public and private are hoping to meet their needs. Stefani McAuliffe, vice president of community impact with the United Way of the Capital Region, said with school not in session and businesses closed, there is an immediate need for food, shelter and clothing. Many people have called United Way asking about services. Those who need help can call a 211 non-emergency line to connect them with programs and services based on where they live, she said. Moving forward, McAuliffe added there are a lot of unknowns about what resources people will need in the future. For now, she noted agencies are focused on short-term needs. This is truly a unique situation, and its fluid, day by day, added Tim Fatzinger, United Ways president and CEO. To that end, several organizations are in need of help as the number of COVID-19 cases grow. And if youre in a position to offer your own assistance, heres how you can help, either by volunteering or submitting financial donations. If you operate an organization assisting the community during the coronavirus pandemic and are in need of volunteers or donations, please submit information by emailing features@PennLive.com. We will continue to update this list. Before you volunteer: Anyone who is interested in volunteering should be aware of the guidelines for preventing the spread of the coronavirus, which includes limiting gatherings to less than 10 people and keeping a distance of at least six feet from others whenever possible. If you have any reason to think you are infected, or may have been exposed to someone who was infected, stay home and practice the self-isolation guidelines suggested by the Center for Disease Control. The American Red Cross is looking for community organizations to host blood drives, due to the current severe shortage of blood. Interested parties can contact Laura Hughes at laura.hughes2@redcross.org to coordinate efforts. For information on how to give blood individually, click here to visit the American Red Cross Greater Pennsylvania Region website. You can also click here on information on how to donate financially. 12 Central Pa. Food Bank Healthy Steps Diaper Bank Healthy Steps Diaper Bank is seeking donations to replenish its stock as diapers and other necessities become hard to find or afford at stores. The nonprofit is the only diaper bank serving central Pennsylvania and provides diapers to families in need in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster and York counties. Donations being accepted through PayPal. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank non-profit needs volunteers to help pack Crisis Response Boxes. The volunteers will be separated into groups of 10 or less, and accommodations have been made to increase the distance between them and adhere to CDC-recommended cleaning and sanitation precautions. Interested parties can contact volunteer manager Chris Grey at cgray@centralpafoodbank.org or visit centralpafoodbank.org. Click here to donate directly to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. The Contact Helpline runs the 211 phone line, a 24-hour informational and referral service that helps connect callers to services such as SNAP, unemployment compensation and other vital resources for assistance. (Note that this is not an emergency number, and that life or death calls should still go to 911.) Contact Helpline is looking for volunteers, who can be quickly trained and can take calls from home. Volunteers must have access to a computer, internet and appropriate headset for phone conversations, which can be as simple as a gaming headset or a pair of earbuds. Interested parties should reach out to Kelly Gollick at kgollick@contacthelpline.org. Click here to donate to the Contact Helpline. The Harrisburg School District is looking for volunteers to help with family food box distributions from 4-5 p.m. on March 27. Meals are being distributed to families at Foose School, Rowland Academy, John Harris Campus, Cougar Academy at the Lincoln Administration Building, Downey School and Ben Franklin School in the city. Contact Ruth Rivera at covid19@hbgsd.us for more info. Follow this link for a list of community fundraisers that benefit the Harrisburg School District. The New Hope Ministries is a Christian-based social service agency that provides services such as help with food and basic needs, job placement and skills training, help with rent, mortgage, transportation and more. The group is looking for volunteers to help pack and carry food, particularly with the possibility of home deliveries to people who need them. For more information on how to help, visit nhm-pa.org/ or call 717-432-2087. Details on donating food, resources and time can all be found by following this link to New Hope Ministries. Those looking to help can also register with the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Pennsylvania, a database which organizations can use to reach out to those interested in lending a hand. Visitors will be asked to submit their names and contact information, as well as any training or certifications relevant to statewide emergencies. Click here to register. The United Way of the Capital Region is accepting donations for its COVID-19 Basic Needs Fund, which serves those in need in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties. Donations can be made on the United Ways website, or print this check payment form and mail to the United Way. The Salvation Army, another Christian-based charitable group, is also accepting donations for My Brothers Table carry-out breakfasts and dinners, which are made available to anyone in need throughout the week. Donations of items are appreciated: the group specified a need for fruit cups, individual serving size bags of chips and cookies, bottled water, saltine crackers, individual servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, canned vegetables, plastic silverware, individually packaged hand wipes, disposable coffee cups with lids, disposable soup bowls with lids, napkins, and disinfecting wipes. Click here to donate to the Salvation Army of the Harrisburg Capital Region, and add COVID-19 in the memo section to ensure the funding goes toward the coronavirus relief efforts. Cumberland Goodwill Emergency Medical Services is a nonprofit group that provides life-saving care to the Carlisle area. Those looking to donate can send their money specifically to the organizations COVID-19 relief fund, which goes towards funding for masks, gloves, gowns, and goggles to protect the EMS providers. Click here to donate to the COVID-19 fund. KABUL: A group of heavily armed gunmen attacked a Gurudwara in the Shor Bazar area of Kabul on Wednesday (March 25, 2020), killing at least 27 Sikhs and injuring over 150 people who were present during the time of the incident. New Delhi has trongly condemned the attck on the Sikh Gurudwar in Kabul. ''We convey our sincerest condolences to the immediate family members of the deceased and wish speedy recovery to the injured. India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan. Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID 19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers. We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country. India stands in solidarity with the people, the Government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country,'' the MEA said in a release. Though the Islamic State group has claimed the responsibility for the attack on the a Sikh Guridwara located in central Kabul, according to the SITE intelligence group, the Indian security agencies believe that the deadly attack was orchestrated by Pakistans 'ISI' which is backing ISKP to counter Taliban which has recently signed peace deal with the United States. "Taliban will deny so that they are projected as responsible organisation in line with US Taliban agreement. The ISI will use the name of ISKP or unknown outfits to claim responsibility" an officer working in a Central Security establishment told Zee News. After the attack, the ISIL claimed that it had killed several people and left over 150 people injured on its website - Amaq. IS said that its fighters were currently carrying out an attack on the temple, according to a statement released by SITE, which monitors jihadist networks worldwide. The Afghan security sources had told the countrys media that the Haqqani Network, an ISI controlled group which is part of Taliban, wanted to attack the Indian Mission in Kabul but could not do so due to tight security cover. Hence, they attacked the Gurudwara instead, they added. The Ashraf Ghani government has also blamed the Pakistan-backed Haqqani network for the terror attack. Though, no one had initially claimed responsibility for the attack but later Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted and clarified the Taliban were not involved. Under the Taliban rule, all minorities including Sikh were asked to identify themselves by wearing yellow armbands. News agency Reuters claimed that the death toll was slightly higher. More than 30 people were killed and 42 wounded, 20 of whom were in a serious condition, the agency reported. This is the deadliest attack since the peace deal was signed between US and the Taliban in Doha, where the US has agreed to completely withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. At the same time, Pakistan has taken advantage of this opportunity to help terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan. "The attack started with a boom, apparently a rocket landed in the area, Abdullah and some other politicians ... escaped the attack unhurt," Fraidoon Kwazoon, Abdullah's spokesman, was quoted as saying by Reuters. Sources said Afghan security forces were engaged in a gun battle with terrorists who stormed Gurudwara in the Shorbazar area Wednesday morning. Around 150 people were worshipping in the Gurudwara at the time of the attack. However, the security forces, sources said, rescued some worshippers from the Gurudwara. The Sikhs constitute a minuscule minority in Afghanistan. LAKE CITY, FL -- The city of Lake City has issued a statement concerning changes at city hall because of the coronavirus outbreak. It reads as follows: "The Coronavirus (COVID19) is a grave threat to our community, especially for those with chronic medical conditions. COVID19 is known to cause a serious lung infection that may present symptoms ranging from mild to severe. In some cases, it may cause death. The City of Lake City is fighting this menace in a number of ways. Staff are maintaining good hygiene, social isolation and encouraging the public to do the same. With these steps, we can slow the spread of this virus, and allow healthcare professionals to care for the needs of those who are infected. We are confident that if everyone does their part, many people who would otherwise perish, will be saved from this dangerous threat. In an effort to protect the at-risk population, general public and city employees, effective Friday, March 20th, the Lake City - City Hall will be closed. Employees and staff are instructed to minimize contact with the public. Payment of bills may be done on-line. Checks or Money Orders can be deposited in the drop box located outside the City Hall building. If further assistance is needed, you may contact City Hall by phone and ask for the specific department. Every effort is being made to accommodate your needs while minimizing contact with other people. In addition to closing City Hall effective March 20th, all City Parks will be closed. We are taking every effort to minimize contact and discourage social gatherings and events. Any pre-paid reservations will be refunded. 'The closing of City Hall and all City Parks will remain effective through the end of March. We will re-evaluate the situation at that time to determine if the closing needs to continue' said City Manager, Joe Helfenberger. 'We are confident that, with your help, we can slow the spread of COVID19. We appreciate the cooperation of all citizens as we protect each other from this dangerous menace.' The City of Lake City is committed to being responsive to the public and will continue to conduct business, with some modifications, as described below. Police, Fire, Public Works, and Lake City Gateway Airport services will continue as normal, as will internal departments such as Information Technology and Finance. Customers who need to make utilities payments are encouraged to do so online at www.lcfla.com or by using the drop box on the east side of City Hall. For more information regarding these payments, customers may call (386) 752-2031 or email [email protected]. A doorbell has been installed on the west and north entrances for customers with disabilities or special needs. Any payment made at the door must be in the form of check or money order. Credit Card payments must be made online. All Utility services (Water / Gas / Sewer) issues will be scheduled by appointment only. Customers requesting services at their home will be screened by phone first to verify lack of symptoms. Call (386) 752-2031 for information. Growth Management and Zoning / Code issues can be addressed by calling (386) 719-5750 or emailing [email protected]. Permitting, inspections, business licenses, and planning/zoning issues will continue to be processed during this closure, with modified processes. Those impacted should call or email for additional information. The Lake City Girls Club and Boys Club at Teen Town will also cease operation. Parents with questions should contact Recreation Director Terri Phillips at [email protected] or call (386)758-5427. The Lake City Clerks Office is available for Public Record requests or other needs by emailing [email protected], calling (386)719-5756, or by fax at (386)752-4896. In addition to City Hall, the City of Lake City has ordered all City Parks closed until further notice. Emergency Order signs are being posted at these locations prohibiting access: Kiwanis Park (NW American Ln), Campbell Park / Lake Montgomery (SW Baya Dr), Halpatter Park (SE Clements Pl), Isabella Park / Lake Isabella (SE Hernando Ave), Youngs Park (NW Madison St), Wilson Park / Darby Pavilion / Lake Desoto (NE Hamilton St), Sallie Mae Jerry Park (NW Long St), and Olustee Park (N Marion Ave). Additional Information: Center for Disease Control COVID-19 Updates: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html Florida Department of Health COVID-19 Information: https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/ Florida COVID-19 Information Hotline: (866)-779-6121 | [email protected] " HEFEI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Medical experts from eastern China's Anhui Province shared their experience on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) via a video conference with peers and officials of Poland on Tuesday. A total 25 representatives from the Lower Silesia Province of Poland attended the remote meeting that lasted more than one hour. At the conference, Gao Junwen, deputy director of the Health Commission of Anhui Province, introduced detailed experience on epidemic prevention and control including the commanding system, epidemic monitoring, nucleic acid testing, concentrated quarantine and closed-off management on residential communities. Doctors of the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China also answered questions about the treatment programs, diagnostic tests, recovery criteria and technical problems. "Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope it will help us to fight against the novel coronavirus," said Marcin Krzyzanowski, vice governor of Lower Silesia, who attended the conference. Nigerian celebrities who attended the AMVCA two weeks ago have begun self-isolating following the announcement by the Lagos State government. A few celebrities who were present at the event, took to social media to announce that they have begun taking measures as it concerns their health. Banky W pointed out that he has started social distancing even with his wife Adesuwa as other celebrities also shared updates. READ ALSO Kiki Of Jenifas Diary Speaks Up As AMVCAs Participant Tests Positive For COVID-19 Other celebrities like Beverly Naya, Jemina, and Kemi Akindoju also shared updates. See Posts Here: We woke up to the news this morning that Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate, along with the White House, had reached an agreement in principle on a stimulus package aimed at bandaging the medical and fiscal wounds of the COVID-19 outbreak in this country. But as of my deadline today, it hadnt even gone up for a vote in the Senate, and questions arose about how done a deal it was. Subscriber content preview Unlike 2008, banks are not the cause of the economic crisis gripping the nation. And banks now have plenty of capital on hand to handle the crisis. By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK Tarred as villains during the 2008 financial meltdown, banks of all sizes are trying to help out Americans reeling from the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Banks are scrambling to put into place loan forgiveness and relief programs, working to keep their customers from panicking or falling into financial ruin. They have a vested interest preventing millions of people and businesses from defaulting on hundreds of billions of loans at once, something that would do significant damage to the banks' own finances. . . . ROME, March 25 (Reuters) - Italy's trade unions said on Wednesday the government had agreed to extend the number of companies that would temporarily close to protect workers' safety, as the country struggles with a coronavirus outbreak. "We have revised the list of the activities (that can remain open)... removing everything that was not essential," the three main unions, CGIL, CISL and UIL said in a joint statement after a meeting with the government. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte issued a decree at the weekend shutting all companies not deemed strictly necessary to the country's supply chain, in an effort to prevent coronavirus infections which have caused some 6,820 fatalities in the country so far. However the unions said on Monday that it contained too many exceptions and loopholes, and threatened to strike. The union statement on Wednesday added that the defence minister had pledged to reduce production in the military sector, which would be limited to "indispensable activities". (Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Gavin Jones) Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday strongly condemned the attack on a gurudwara in Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul in which at least 11 people were killed. The civil aviation minister said that these killings are a grim reminder of the atrocities that continue to be inflicted upon religious minorities in some countries. "Suicide attack on a Gurudwara Sahib in Kabul needs to be strongly condemned. "These killings are a grim reminder of atrocities that continue to be inflicted upon religious minorities in some countries & the urgency with which their lives & religious freedom have to be safeguarded," Puri tweeted. Unidentified gunmen and suicide bombers stormed a Sikh gurdwara in Kabul on Wednesday, killingat least 11 worshippers and wounding as many. Kabul police said that at least 11 children have been rescued from the gurdwara. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Anambra State House of Assembly has adjourned plenary indefinitely to avoid spread of Coronavirus in the state. The Speaker, Uche Okafor, made the announcement while addressing journalists after an Executive Session, in Awka on Wednesday. Mr Okafor said the decision was taken following directive from Governor Willie Obiano asking workers in the state to stay at home for two weeks to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the state. I wish to announce that the Anambra State House of Assembly has proceeded on an indefinite adjournment due to the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country. Lawmakers will, however, embark on sensitisation tour of their various constituencies to educate their constituents on the dangers of the Coronavirus in the country and ways to stay safe, he said. Mr Okafor commended Mr Obiano for the proactive measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the state. He said such proactive measures are in the interest of the people of the state. He appealed to residents to adhere strictly to the directive of the state government in their own interest. The state government is doing all it can to ensure that the virus does not enter the state. As legislatures, we promise to assist the Governor to achieve his good intentions for the people of the state, Mr Okafor said. (NAN) This weekend's local government elections in Queensland will go ahead despite a massive public backlash from health experts and voters as Australians are told to stay home to halt the spread of coronavirus. The Electoral Commission of Queensland insists it's 'perfectly safe' for voters to head to the polls this Saturday, despite the rapidly growing pandemic. Of the 2,368 confirmed cases in Australia, 443 are in Queensland. The electoral commission cited advice from the state's Chief Health Officer that the 77 council elections should go ahead, despite a national ban on gatherings of 500 people outdoors and 100 indoors. Queenslanders will cop a $135 fine if they don't vote, unless they have unless a valid reason. Queenslanders have expressed their outrage about being forced to head to the polls this weekend as the coronavirus continues to spread. Pictured are voters queuing for pre-polling for Brisbane City Council elections on Wednesday The ECQ insists it carefully considered the impact of coronavirus before it agreed to proceed. 'This is on the basis that: the elections facilitate an essential service by providing for continuity of democratic representation for Queenslanders; and measures will be put in place at polling places to limit the number of people inside the building to fewer than 100,' the commission states on its website. Another recent post on its Facebook page adds: 'Voting allows local government to form so that they can make decisions about providing essential services to the community waste, transport, and community services. People need their governments now more than ever.' The ECQ has been inundated with criticism on its Facebook page in recent days. Queensland's local government elections will go ahead on Saturday despite the coronavirus threat. Pictured are voters at the Coorparoo pre-polling booth in Brisbane's south-east On Wednesday, the ECQ posted a video urging voters to bring their own pen or pencil on Saturday, to keep the required 1.5 metres from each other and to use hand sanitiser. The post sparked anger from furious voters, who renewed calls for the elections to be postponed. 'This is an unnecessary and dangerous risk to everyone's health and safety. Please postpone the elections or make other options available. It is socially irresponsible to continue,' one voter commented. The Electoral Commission of Queensland Facebook page has been inundated with public backlash (pictured) in recent days after proceeding with the local council elections Another added: 'We need to do literally everything we can at the moment to prevent Queensland and Australia from experiencing the devastation currently happening in Italy & other countries. It is extremely risky and dangerous to proceed with these elections as currently planned.' Queensland-based Dr Ellinor Johnston emailed the ELC on Monday expressing serious concerns about the risk the elections will pose by potentially exposing a large proportion of the population to the deadly virus. Her desperate plea has since been posted on Facebook. 'We have seen widespread social distancing measures put into effect across all states and territories around Australia. The upcoming election is in complete contradiction to that,' Dr Johnston wrote. 'Despite that, you are asking the entire community come out AT ONCE to place their votes. Hand hygiene will not be enough. Keeping people 1.5m away from each other will not be enough. 'I am concerned for myself and my family. I am concerned for our volunteers. And I am deeply concerned about the impact this will have on the health and well-being of Queenslanders.' Many Queenslanders have pre-polled to reduce the risk of being affected by coronavirus. Pictured are voters at a pre-polling booth in Brisbane on Wednesday Griffith University's Infectious Diseases & Immunology Program Professor Nigel McMillan fears workers at polling stations are most at risk. 'I would urge every one to bring their own pen and observe the distancing rules we have,' Prof McMillan told AAP. 'I am really hoping they have hand sanitiser stations at every polling booth.' As of Tuesday night, one third of Queenslanders have pre-voted or opted to post their votes. QUT public health emeritus professor Gerry Fitzgerald, a former Queensland chief health officer believes there will be not exceptional risk if voters heed the recommended precautions. At least one third of Queenslanders such as those pictured have either pre-voted or opted to post their votes to avoid the massive queues at polling booths this Saturday 'Without substantial community transmission, it's not risk free of course, but the risk can be managed reasonably,' he told the Courier Mail. 'As long as there's reasonable social distance the risk should not be significantly enhanced.' Australian Medical Association Queensland president Dilip Dhupelia called for more empathy and for voting fines to be waived. 'Under these warlike conditions, there should be some compassion,' he told the publication. Traffic slowed to a crawl at a key crossing on the Bavarian-Austrian border on Monday, as Germany introduced new controls to combat the spread of the new coronavirus. Motorists were forced to wait up to an hour to go through the Kiefersfelden crossing, with police under orders to turn back any drivers without a "particular reason" to cross the border. While lorries were allowed to pass -- goods can still travel freely -- numerous cars coming from Austria were stopped from crossing a border that is usually completely open. Yet despite the sudden and dramatic change to their daily lives, most motorists seemed to tolerate the new checks. "This was communicated through the media, so it's not a surprise for the people here," Maximilian Wirz, chief of police in Freilassing, 100 kilometres (62 miles) away on the border near Salzburg, told AFP. Interior minister Horst Seehofer announced Sunday that Germany would reintroduce checks on the borders with five countries. Austria, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Denmark are all affected by the checks, while other neighbouring countries such as Poland the Czech Republic have themselves introduced measures to close or control the German borders. "From 8:00 am (0700 GMT) today, only Germans, those living in Germany and cross-border commuters with a note from their employers are allowed to cross the border," police chief Wirz told AFP. People with another "significant reason" would also be allowed to cross on a case by case basis, he added. - Infections soaring - The drastic measure came in force as cases of COVID-19 infections soared in Germany, reaching 4,838 including 12 deaths, according to the tally posted on disease control agency Robert Koch Institute's website. The state of Bavaria, which shares a border with the Czech Republic and Austria, declared on Monday a "disaster situation". State premier Markus Soeder ordered all but essential shops closed, and promised up to 10 billion euros ($11 billion) of aid for Bavarian businesses. "There is no need to panic, but there is a need for diligence and seriousness," he said. Soeder stressed that goods would not be affected by the border controls, and said that crucial outlets such as supermarkets and pharmacies would have extended opening hours. The state premier said that the government was working to guarantee supply chains, adding that there was "no need for panic-buying". Yet he also warned citizens to "think carefully about what you buy and what you don't". Nearly 400 kilometres away on the French border, Strasbourg resident Gilbert Tordjman found himself unable to buy anything on the German side of the border. Attempting to cross the Europe bridge into the city Kehl on his scooter to "get some fuel and pick up one or two things", Tordjman was turned away by German officers in high-visibility jackets. "(Kehl) is sort of like home for us Strasbourgers, and vice versa, but that's not the case today. It's a shame," he said. Others were allowed through at the bridge, with one driver saying he was "going to work at McDonalds. Is that ok?" - 'Break the chains of infection' - Announcing the new checks on Sunday, Interior Minister Seehofer said that the "most important thing was to break the chains of infection". That means drivers are now checked for possible symptoms, and in some cases turned away as a result. "The officers here are checking for people with possible signs of illness," Heiko Kraft, a police spokesman in Flensburg near the Danish border, told broadcaster NTV. Yet he insisted that the police were not able to carry out tests or health check-ups. "We don't have any doctors here. And the officers aren't going to start fiddling about with thermometers." Donald Trump appears to have announced he wants all or large swathes of the United States reopened by Easter without first informing his top public health officials. The president appears in public with Anthony Fauci, his infectious disease official, and Deborah Birx, a State Department infectious disease expert, daily. Mr Fauci told reporters he had a candid conversation with Mr Trump in the Oval Office just before the two, along with Dr Birx and other officials, appeared in the briefing room for a coronavirus update. But it appears the president did not inform the duo and other members of his coronavirus task force that he was going to tell Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer during an afternoon town hall program that he wants all or most of the country "open for business" by 12 April. Stephanie Grisham stopped by Fox News studios in Washington, DC, before her first day back at the White House after 14 days of self-quarantining at home after coming in contact with a Brazilian official at Mr Trump's South Florida resort who later tested positive. The White House press secretary was asked whether the president huddled with his experts before making the declaration, which has been panned by Democrats and health experts. "I don't know how well informed they were," Ms Grisham admitted. She echoed her boss by saying "the president listens to his medical team." But, when it comes to just when Mr Trump might say parts or all of the country should go back to work, Ms Grisham made clear who will make the call -- even if governors and mayors will not be bound by it. "They'll make some recommendations and he'll make a final decision," she said of the Fauci-Birx team and Mr Trump. Her comments came hours after the Senate passed a $2tn economic stimulus package intended to shore up the US economy amid the pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of jobs already have been lost and a Labor Department unemployment report due Thursday morning is expected to report a substantial number more -- likely sending stock markets back into a free fall. That measure contains billions in direct payments to Americans, loans for small and large business and enhanced unemployment benefits. The upper chamber is expected to vote on the measure later Wednesday, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi trying to find a way to pass it and send it to Mr Trump's desk without calling the 435-member lower chamber back to Washington. Ms Grisham told Fox News that the president "looks forward" to the Senate vote and is ready to sign the massive stimulus package into law. 'Rally' around Trump? That signature will come as a majority of Americans, 60 percent, approve of the president's handling of the pandemic crisis. That's according to the nonpartisan Gallup organisation, which found a majority of a key voting bloc, independents, approve of his crisis management. Sixty per cent of that group voiced approval, as did 94 per cent of Republicans and 27 per cent of Democrats. The same survey also put Mr Trump's approval rating at 49 per cent, tying the highest level of his term. The Gallup poll, which has a 4 per cent margin of error, was conducted March 13-22, a time period during which Mr Trump shifted from his dismissive tone about the scope and severity of the virus to a more serious and measured one. His overall approval rating jumped 5 points from the last version of the survey, taken March 2-13. Notably, his approval rating jumped 8 points among independents and 6 points among Democrats. "Trump's response to the novel coronavirus pandemic may be behind his higher overall approval rating," according to Gallup's Jeffrey Jones. Another likely reason is what Mr Jones calls the "presidential approval rally effect." "His rating shows a fairly sudden increase, and that increase is seen among both independents and Democrats -- both highly unusual for Trump in particular," he said. "Historically, presidential job approval has increased when the nation is under threat. Every president from Franklin Roosevelt through George W Bush saw their approval rating surge at least 10 points after a significant national event of this kind." Pink has been mastering the art of self-quarantine, recently making a thorough schedule for her family while they're stuck at home. And the What About Us artist has even managed to fit some haircuts into her busy day of isolation amid the coronavirus pandemic. She took to Instagram Wednesday after deciding to cut her own hair at home with the help of a little bit of liquid courage, and the result actually looks pretty decent. DIY chic: Pink took to Instagram Wednesday after deciding to cut her own hair at home with the help of a little bit of liquid courage The 40-year-old hid the results under a red beanie in the video, captioned: 'Hair cuts and drinking. Quarantine diaries.' She said to the camera: 'I don't know how much you guys have been drinking during this whole quarantine thing. But I've decided to make it a sport. 'And I wanted to share something I did last night. When I drink, I get really, really brilliant ideas. And last night, I got an idea: "I can cut hair." I can totally cut hair. Why have I been paying people all this time.' Pink then showed off the results, a buzzed undercut that actually looked pretty good on her brunette locks. Quarantine vibes: The 40-year-old hid the results under a red beanie in the video, captioned: 'Hair cuts and drinking. Quarantine diaries' Liquid courage: She said to the camera: 'When I drink, I get really, really brilliant ideas. And last night, I got an idea: "I can cut hair"' Vidal who? Pink then showed off the results, a buzzed undercut that actually looked pretty good on her brunette locks She continued: 'What do you think? Good look? ... I think I'm looking pretty good. Am I giving you like Alyssa Milano vibes right now? Charlize Theron?' The Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle star concluded: 'Stay safe! Stay home! Cut your own hair, screw it!' Last week, she got motocross star husband Carey Hart, 44, in her barber's chair for a buzzcut of his own. The mother-of-two posted a video of the tatted shirtless Hart sitting on their porch as daughter Willow, eight, got him started. She buzzed a little off the top before dad took over, as Pink said: 'We're going full metal jacket, people.' Family barber: Last week, she got motocross star husband Carey Hart, 44, in her barber's chair for a buzzcut of his own People in Latin America face difficulties amid the newly imposed lockdowns and restrictions to control the spread of the new coronavirus pandemic. Two charter flights carrying stranded American tourists left Guatemala on Monday and another two on Wednesday. The flights are all leaving from La Aurora airport in Guatemala City to Dallas-Fort Worth, and two more flights are expected to leave in the next days. Remi Sanchez, born in Guatemala and raised in New York City, said it had been very difficult and expensive to find a way to get back to the United States. The estimated cost of the flight is $605 US dollars and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala said that travellers are expected to sign a promissory note to repay the amount. In Colombia, people were preparing for a mandatory lockdown commencing Tuesday midnight that will last until April 13. The local government in Bogota announced that people breaking the lockdown will be fined. Similare measures have been imposed in Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela and Peru. Governments in Latin America have reported more than 5,700 COVID-19 cases with 83 deaths. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The pandemic has infected more than 417,000 people and killed over 18,600. More than 107,000 people have recovered so far, mostly in China. Haiti - Politic : The public administration operates at a slowing pace The Office of the Secretary of State (Eddy Jackson Alexis) for Communication, informs the population that the public administration operates at a slowing pace but that the offices of the State services are always open to provide the services. Many public institutions such as the Directorate General of Taxes (DGI), the National Port Authority (APN), customs, banks, transfer offices, immigration, the National Office of Old Age Insurance (ONA), the National Identification Office (ONI), the Office Insurance Vehicles Against Third Parties (OAVCT), the Office of Work Accident, Sickness and Maternity Insurance Office (OFATMA), police stations and many shops like supermarkets and pharmacies are open. However, these private institutions and businesses have to operate with fewer staff. Arrangements are made to allow customers to comply with hygiene and public health guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Office of the Secretary of State invites everyone to continue to respect the distance of 1.5 meters (5 steps) with people as the easiest way to prevent the disease from spreading and recalls that the best way to prevent the disease from spreading to gain ground is not to leave your home without reason. HL/ HaitiLibre However, he did have contact with two corona+ Thai nationals Health workers subject a truck driver to thermal screening at the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh interstate border on the outskirts of Chennai on March 24, 2020. (AFP) Chennai: Tamil Nadu reported its first Covid-19 death at the Rajaji Government Hospital in Madurai this morning. The 54-year-old man from Madurai had no history of travel to any coronavirus-affected state or country. However, he did have contact with two Thai nationals who had tested positive for Covid-19 and are undergoing treatment in isolation in Erode. "Despite our best efforts, the #COVID-19 +ve Pt at MDU, #RajajiHospital, passed away few minutes back. He had medical history of prolonged illness with steroid-dependent COPD, uncontrolled Diabetes with Hypertension, Tamil Nadu health minister C. Vijayabaskar tweeted. The patient tested positive for the coronavirus on March 23. Yesterday the minister had disclosed that the patient had not responded well to treatment due to his medical condition. He has a medical history of prolonged illness with steroid dependent COPD, uncontrolled diabetes with hypertension, he said. As of Wednesday morning, the total number of Covid-19 infected patients in Tamil Nadu was 18, including one patient who has recovered. The latest patients include a 65-year-old man who returned from New Zealand and is currently in isolation at a private hospital, a 55-year-old woman from Saidapet who is currently in quarantine Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, and a 25-year-old who returned from London and is undergoing treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. Pune, March 25 : A team of medicos from the Goa State Health Department arrived here for a three-day training to set help up a COVID-19 test facility in that state, officials said here. In view of the ongoing lockdown in the country, the medicos team was airlifted by an Indian Navy Dornier aircraft from the INS Hansa in Goa. Led by Savio Rodrigues, Head of Department, Microbiology, Goa Medical College, it will be trained by the Maharashtra health authorities to set up a testing facility in that state. A request was made to the Indian Navy for providing air transport to the medical team which was also carrying samples of COVID-19 suspects for testing here. The team is expected to return to Goa on Friday (March 27) after completing the training, said a defence spokesperson. Maharashtra's Mumbai and Pune belt have the maximum number -- 116 so far -- of the COVID-19 cases and four deaths have happened in the state. The medicos at the Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai and Naidu Hospital in Pune are considered leading experts in treating viral diseases like coronavirus. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) A security guard limits the number of clients going into a bank to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 through social distancing, in Ottawa on March 24, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang) Canada Should Partner With Taiwan on COVID-19 and Distance Itself From Beijing, Expert Says To combat COVID-19, Canada should follow the example of the United States and the European Union and partner with Taiwan, while further distancing itself from China, says Marcus Kolga, senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Taiwan is a fiercely democratic and transparent nation that can be trusted, and was among the most effective in combating this pandemic, Kolga told The Epoch Times. In contrast, he says, the Chinese government has lied, deflected, and created a mountain of fake information about [COVID-19] to avoid any responsibility for their negligence in enabling the initial outbreak. The United States recently announced that it is partnering with Taiwanwhich, despite being next door to China, has very few cases of COVID-19to collaborate on measures to combat the pandemic. The partnership includes cooperation on research and development on vaccine and medicine to fight the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, and supply and exchange of medical supplies and equipment, among others. Officials with the EU also recently met with Taiwanese researchers to discuss collaboration on fighting COVID-19. Among the actions Taiwan took to control the spread of the virus was stopping all travel from China in the early days of the outbreak and enforcing a mandatory two-week quarantine for all those who recently entered Taiwan. Other countries around the world, including the United States, also eventually restricted travel from China; Canada, however, still had no restrictions on flights from China or other countries until recently. Chinas foreign minister praised Canada in early February for not restricting flights from China, and blasted the United States for doing so. Kolga says Canada should take a more principled stance toward Beijing and not be pressured by business interests to give Chinawhich he says is responsible for enabling the initial outbreak by hiding the factsa pass on its bad behaviour. Canadian corporations who are partnered with Chinese regime-linked firms, such as Huawei, will continue pressuring our government to absorb Beijings propaganda attacks and bully diplomacy and ignore their ongoing mass human rights abuses, he says. Kolga adds that Canada should be partnering with other like-minded countries in the region to better counter the regimes aggressions. China has proven itself time and time again to be an unreliable, untrustworthy, and dangerous adversary, which we should be working towards shielding ourselves against, he says. One way to do that is to embrace those states and nations in the region that we share values withnamely, Taiwan and Japan. Another area of concern, Kolga says, is the CCPs intimidation of members of the Chinese diaspora to act in the regimes interests through its United Front organization, a CCP agency in charge of spreading Beijings influence abroad. What is needed to combat this, he says, is principled leaders who do not fear intimidation from Beijing. Only then will Canada break free from Beijings tightening grip. In a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19, Uttarakhand government has come out with a colorful poster explaining people the benefits of staying indoors and how it will help to combat the menace. In the poster, a slogan "Hum Ghar Par Rukenge, Tabhi Corona Rukega" has been inscribed. (If we stay indoors, then only spread of CORONA can be halted). It also asked people to follow the ethics of shopping during a global pandemic and refrain from practicing panic buying. The poster shows a couple of people with over stacked shopping baskets due to the fear that there will be a dearth of essential commodities in the market due to the lockdown. The Trivendra Singh Rawat-led government has also provided a helpline number - 18001801200/104 for the people in case of emergency or to seek any sort of aid from the government during the lockdown period. The Central government has announced a complete lockdown of the entire country for 21 days to fight COVID-19. All road, rail and air services will remain suspended during the lockdown, which came into force at midnight. India has recorded 512 active coronavirus cases till now. A total of 9 deaths have been reported from across the country and 40 people have been cured. This data was compiled by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A visiting Doctors Without Borders contingent in Isfahan has been barred from offering its relief services to coronavirus patients because of indecision, chaos and conflicts surrounding Iranian government organizations. President Hassan Rouhani says three of his cabinet ministers, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli and Health Minister Saeed Namaki had invited the France-based NGO. However, the Governor General of Isfahan, also an employee of Rouhani, disclosed that it is the Health Minister who says Doctors Without Borders should leave Iran. The chaos has once again given rise to the key question: Who is in charge in Iran? Clearly the health minister cannot overrule something approved by Rouhani and his cabinet. So, he must have got his orders from someone above Rouhani and that would be either Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, or the Revolutionary Guards, IRGC that furthers its agenda, often by use of force, regardless of Rouhani's position. A vocal member of the Iranian Parliament Ali Motahari has called on the health minister on Wednesday to explain who made the decision to prevent Doctors Without Borders to set up a hospital in Isfahan. However, Namaki is unlikely to respond to the lawmaker's call. Motahari called the officials' treatment of the French medical team "non-Islamic and against the people's well-being." Whoever was behind the decision, one of the reasons could be pleasing Khamenei who said earlier that he does not want foreigners, particularly Americans to intervene in the fight against COVID-19, as they might manipulate the virus to make it a lingering problem. He also charged that American relief workers might also collect data about Iran. Fanning the flames of Khamenei's conspiracy theory, one of his confidants, Hossein Shariatmadari said on Tuesday that there is no difference between the French and the Americans as they both want to do harm to the Islamic Republic. Regardless of the statements made by hardliners, their involvement in stopping Doctors Without Borders' activity cannot be proven at this point. Based on what is available in the public domain, including statements by Rouhani, the Governor General of Isfahan and the Iranian Intelligence Minister, it could just as well be another example of indecision, chaos and conflict within the Rouhani administration. Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said on Tuesday that his ministry has approved the arrival of the French doctors. However, not only there have been conflicts between what Rouhani has said about lockdown and restrictive measures and what other officials in his administration have said during the past days, at times Rouhani himself contradicted what he had said before. The latest examples are his ideas about imposing quarantines or restricting travel. On Tuesday, he said people are free to go around but they need to observe social distancing. On Wednesday he ordered a ban on the exit of any vehicle from any city, particularly from Tehran. Iranians on social media speculate that generally the Iranian government does not want foreigners to be involved in disease control as their efficiency might highlight the haphazard performance of Iranian officials. On Wednesday the Iranian army revealed the outcome of what it earlier described a hospital with 2,000 beds for patients discharged from hospitals. Pictures published today show several rows of beds covered with army blankets in a bare gallery with hardly any resemblance to even a makeshift hospital. The place, a former venue for book fairs, lacks essential hygienic services such as toilets and showers inside. Very few toilets built outside for book fair visitors are by no means suitable for patients whose immune system has been impaired. President Rouhani has said once again at the cabinet meeting that Iran welcomes aid from any country. However, with what happened to the French team, it appears what he meant was Iran welcomes cash, not medical experts and equipment. After Iranian officials told Doctors Without Borders to leave Iran, they have said they are deeply surprised by Iran's behavior. Semi-official news agency ISNA reported on Tuesday that they have brought equipment to set up a makeshift hospital with 48 beds worth 970,000 Euros. The agency later removed the report from its website. Meanwhile, explaining the officials' treatment of the French doctors, Iranian MP Mahmud Saedqi said on Tuesday that some hardliners in Iran are simply against international cooperation. One of the sources, a senior government official, said the stimulus plan could be as large as Rs 2.3 lakh crore, but final numbers were still in discussion. New Delhi: India is likely to agree an economic stimulus package of more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore ($19.6 billion) to fight a downturn in the country that is currently locked down to stem the spread of coronavirus, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Indian government has not yet finalised the package and discussions are ongoing between Prime Minister Narendra Modis office, the finance ministry, and Reserve Bank of India (RBI), said both the sources, who asked not to be named as the matter was still under discussion. One of the sources, a senior government official, said the stimulus plan could be as large as 2.3 trillion rupees, but final numbers were still in discussion. The package, which could be announced by the end of the week, will be used to put money directly into the accounts of more than 100 million poor and to support businesses hit the hardest by the lockdown, the sources said. India woke up on Wednesday to a sweeping lockdown of its 1.3 billion people, one of the worlds most ambitious efforts to fight the coronavirus. India has identified 562 confirmed cases of the disease, which has so far killed nine people in the South Asian nation. Modi announced the three-week shutdown in a late evening speech on Tuesday. The government will also increase its borrowing plan for the fiscal year 2020/21, which starts from 1 April, from the current planned gross borrowing of 7.8 trillion rupees, both sources said. The sources added that the government had asked the central bank to buy some of the government securities being issued, a move not undertaken by the Indian central bank in decades, due to fears of inflation spiking. The RBI will have to buy bonds like other central banks in the world, the first official said. The second official added the government could also use the central banks ways-and-means facility - an overdraft facility the RBI offers to the state - if it faces a cash crunch. The Finance Ministry declined to comment on the plan and the RBI did not immediately respond to an e-mail requesting comment. On Tuesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will soon announce a package to address the coronavirus impact on the economy, while relaxing timelines for filing taxes and raising default thresholds for invoking bankruptcy proceedings. Washington U.S. new home sales fell 4.4 percent in February with bigger declines expected in coming months as the coronavirus puts a major crimp on home sales. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that February sales dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 765,000 homes, down from a rate of 800,000 homes in January. The January figure was revised up from an initial estimate of 764,000 but economists are warning that home sales, along with many other parts of the economy, are expected to take a big hit in coming months due to the shutdowns that have occurred to try to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The report showed that the median price for a home sold in February was $345,900, up 6.3 percent from a median price of $325,900 in January. Economists are forecasting big declines for the overall economy with a wave of layoffs already starting due to the big hit the economy has taken in the wake of the virus. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Larry Kudlow, head of the president's National Economic Council, told reporters at the White House Tuesday that overall economic growth was "going to be rough" in coming months but he said that the support that the economic stimulus package that Congress is working on means "we'll be setting the stage for a good rebound in the second half of the year." Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at MUFG in New York, said, "New home sales will likely plummet in the next few months not because of a recession per se, but the reality is the public has been told to stay in their homes." By region of the country, home sales in February surged 38.9 percent in the Northeast, a huge gain that was attributed to warmer than usual weather. Sales were up 1 percent in the South and fell by 17.2 percent in the West and were down 7.3 percent in the Midwest. Burma Nine Year-Old Killed in Rakhine as Myanmar Military Launches Air Strikes Against AA Zani Aung (lying) and his 13-year-old son Maung Tun Nay Lin (sitting on another bed) at Sittwe Hospital. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy SITTWE, Rakhine StateA nine-year-old child was killed and 15 civilians were seriously injured in a village in Rakhine States Minbya Township in an air strike by the Myanmar military on Monday. The Myanmar military responded with air strikes on Monday evening after the Arakan Army (AA) launched attacks on an advanced military training school in Minbya Township earlier that day. Bombs landed on Che Taung Village, where the majority of people are ethnic Chin, resulting in the childs death and multiple injuries, according to villagers. My brother got serious injuries. His skin was burnt. One of his sons was killed on the spot and another was injured. He said his house was hit in an air strike, Inga Oo, brother of Zani Aung, who was injured in the incident, told The Irrawaddy. Zani Aung and his 13-year-old son were sent to Sittwe Hospital and other injured villagers are receiving treatment at Minbya Hospital. Tatmadaw spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun confirmed that the military used helicopters to return fire against the AA on Monday, but denied that they shot at the village. We have no reason to shoot where there is no fighting, and we have no reason to fire into villages. They said helicopters dropped bombs after the fighting. But that helicopter cant be used for bombing raids. It is just propaganda, he said. The military spokesperson suggested that the injured villagers are in fact AA fighters who participated in the attacks on the military training school. The Irrawaddy went to Sittwe Hospital on Tuesday evening and found that Zani Aung was in pain on his hospital bed, but that his son could speak a little. According to the Myanmar military, around 300 AA fighters attacked the militarys advanced training school in Minbya between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Monday. The AA fighters approached the school through nearby villages, including Che Taung. The military also said that it used air strikes to attack the AA fighters as they retreated after suffering heavy casualties. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Govt Declares Arakan Army a Terrorist Group Civilians Killed, Wounded by Landmines in Southern Myanmar Mon State MPs Urge Govt: Ban Pilgrimages to Myanmars Golden Rock Over COVID-19 Yesterday, a post on the official Windows Release Information site said that Microsoft will, at least temporarily and starting in May, stop sending out the pesky optional, non-security, C/D Week patches weve come to expect. Those optional second-monthly patches are usually laden with many dozens of fixes for miscellaneous, minor bugs in Windows. For example, the second-monthly cumulative update for Win10 version 1903 released yesterday lists 31 different fixes, most of which only matter in very specific cases. For example: Addresses an issue that fails to return search results in the Start menu Search box for users that have no local profile. Addresses an issue that prevents applications from closing. ...and many more of that ilk. Starting with Win10 1903, those optional, non-security, C/D Week patches arent automatically applied to your PC. They arent installed when you click Check for updates, either a horrendous relic of a bygone era. In order to install the patches these days, you have to click on a specific link just for that patch that says Download and install now. The optional, non-security, C/D Week patches are nothing more than a surrogate for a Windows Insider ring devoted to testing non-security patches on a released version of Win10. Microsoft shouldve turned the patches into an Insider ring years ago. But I digress. Heres what I dont get. The official announcement goes like this: Timing for upcoming Windows optional C and D releases We have been evaluating the public health situation, and we understand this is impacting our customers. In response to these challenges we are prioritizing our focus on security updates. Starting in May 2020, we are pausing all optional non-security releases (C and D updates) for all supported versions of Windows client and server products (Windows 10, version 1909 down through Windows Server 2008 SP2). There is no change to the monthly security updates (B release Update Tuesday); these will continue as planned to ensure business continuity and to keep our customers protected and productive. That's the whole announcement. I see what it's trying to do stop releasing optional, non-security, C/D Week patches and thats a laudable goal. That means fewer people will click and install a beta test version of Win10 without realizing what theyve stepped into. But the specific wording of the announcement still has me scratching my head. Heres the ugly truth: Microsoft isnt going to stop doing non-security patches. It cant. Windows is so buggy in its current form that important things go bump in the night and need to be fixed. For example, this fix in the February optional non-security, C/D Week patch: Updates an issue that prevents the Windows Search box from rendering properly. tackled a problem that was encountered by thousands (millions?) of users. Then there are specific bugs that cry out for fixing, like this one from yesterday: Addresses an issue that fails to return search results in the Start menu Search box for users that have no local profile. Win10 bugs arent going away any time soon, and Microsoft would be foolish to ignore them completely. With that in mind, heres what I think Microsoft is trying to say: We wont be sending out any more bundles of "optional, non-security, C/D Week" patches after April. (Hey, can we get an Insider Ring, folks?) Patch Tuesday patches continue. Starting in June, the Patch Tuesday patches will include as few non-security patches as possible. Of course, the point of this exercise is to improve the stability of Windows patches. Im skeptical after all, the non-security patches inevitably slipped into Patch Tuesday wont be tested any more than the security patches. But there is hope. Perhaps by increasing the number of "Won't Fix" bugs, the resulting patches will be more stable. Perhaps. And theres one huge, looming question: How does Win10 version 2004 fit into all of this? Is Microsoft saying that the latest version of Windows will ship so bug-free that it doesnt need loads of non-security patches? One can always hope. Well be following intently on AskWoody.com. The US made its most direct intervention yet in the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, urging Riyadh to "rise to the occasion and reassure" energy markets at a time of economic uncertainty. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo spoke to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the eve of a conference call between the leaders of the Group of 20 on the global pandemic and its economic fallout. Prices have been hit hard as Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin continue their oil stoush. Credit:AP "The secretary stressed that as a leader of the G20 and an important energy leader, Saudi Arabia has a real opportunity to rise to the occasion and reassure global energy and financial markets when the world faces serious economic uncertainty," the State Department said on Wednesday. Oil prices have plunged as the Russian-Saudi price war compounded the unprecedented hit to consumption from the coronavirus pandemic. Futures pared losses after news of Pompeo's call, with Brent crude little changed near $US27 a barrel. The Midland City Council talked about stricter measures but ultimately decided to follow Gov. Greg Abbotts orders announced last week. City leaders on Tuesday approved the implementation of a disaster declaration that is basically in line with what the states Republican leader submitted last week. Abbotts order is in place through April 3. There was a push by Michael Trost and Jack Ladd for more stringent measures than what the governor put into place last week. The at-large and District 3 representatives specifically wanted to limit the number of people who could be in stores including grocery stores -- to 100. Trost and Ladd argued the health risk was too great not to consider limitations, while admitting there were too many questions about how to enforce such a mandate. Ladd, in particular, stated that the local medical community could benefit from a two-week break that he believed stricter measures could provide. Ladd attempted to add amendments to the resolution. The first amendment called for big box retailers to self-regulate by limiting customers to no more than 100 at one time. That motion failed for a lack of a second. The second amendment attempted to mandate that if a person is found to have been diagnosed with COVID-19, then all family members should be required to shelter in place for 14 days. Trost seconded the motion; it failed by a 2-4 vote. Ultimately, Mayor Patrick Payton pointed out that the Midland Chamber of Commerce will communicate with larger stores about best practices and interaction minimization efforts. There also was a concern that mandates could create an adversarial relationship with businesses in the community. I would like to keep it that way, said District 4 Councilwoman Lori Blong of the current relationship with business. She, like the mayor, said Midlanders are already responding favorably to requests and declarations already in place, and additional mandates might make people more angry. Payton said after the meeting that other areas have introduced or passed what appear to be more strict shelter-in-place resolutions. However, with the pages of exceptions in places such as Dallas or Waco, those measures become toothless or at least bring those communities basically back to where the governor is, he said. When asked about enforcement of stricter mandates, Police Chief Seth Herman said Midland is already seeing an uptick in crime with the current restrictions. He said juveniles had stolen around 20 guns during burglaries of vehicles. Herman also said he favors asking store operators to use conscious compliance when handling matters of their customers. Last week, Abbott announced an executive order that will limit social gatherings to 10 people, prohibit eating and drinking at restaurants and bars while still allowing takeout, close gyms, ban people from visiting nursing homes except for critical care and temporarily close schools. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) - Centaurus Energy Inc. (TSXV: CTA) (OTCQX: CTARF) ("Centaurus" or the "Company") announces that it has entered into a binding term sheet with respect to a debt financing agreement with Maglan Distressed Master Fund LP (the "Agreement") pursuant to which the Company will have access of up to US$23 million, accruing interest on draws at the rate of 7% per annum, in the form of convertible and non-convertible loan facilities (the "Maglan Facilities"). Proceeds from the convertible loan facility shall be used by the Company to fund capital expenditure while proceeds under the non-convertible loan facility shall be used for the ongoing working capital requirements of the Company. The Maglan Facilities will have substantially similar terms as the Company's existing credit facilities, being the Working Capital Loan Agreement dated May 8, 2017, as amended April 7, 2019 between the Company and Hispania Petroleum S.A. and the Amended and Restated Convertible Loan Agreement made effective as of April 7, 2019 among the Company, Hispania Petroleum S.A., and KD Energy International Capital Limited. The Company is pleased to announce that it has appointed David D. Tawil and Steven Azarbad to the board of directors of Centaurus (the "Board"). In addition, the Company has terminated the employment of Jose Penafiel as President and Chief Executive Officer, the employment of Alejandro Penafiel as Vice President, Growth and Capital and the employment of Ezequiel Martinez Ariet as Chief Financial Officer. The Board has appointed David D. Tawil as interim Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Tawil commented: "I am proud to assume the leadership of Centaurus. I am confident that Argentina's vast energy resources will be profitably developed and Centaurus' involvement can support the nation's success and maximize value for Centaurus shareholders." Mr. Tawil is a co-founder of Maglan Capital, an event-driven fund, and has served as President since its founding in 2009. Prior to founding Maglan Capital, Mr. Tawil was an investment banker with Credit Suisse, where he served as Director of Leveraged Finance. Before joining Credit Suisse, Mr. Tawil was an attorney with Davis Polk & Wardwell, specializing in corporate restructuring. He began his legal career as an associate at Skadden, Arps. Mr. Tawil earned a BS degree in Business Management, graduating magna cum laude, from Yeshiva University, and he earned a JD degree from the University of Michigan Law School. Steven Azarbad is a Co-Founder of Maglan Capital and has served as Chief Investment Officer since its founding in 2009. Prior to founding Maglan Capital, he was an investment banker with Credit Suisse, where he served as Director of Leveraged Finance. Before joining Credit Suisse, Mr. Azarbad was an attorney with Weil, Gotshal & Manges, specializing in bankruptcy and restructuring. Before joining Weil, Gotshal & Manges, he clerked for The Honorable Mary F. Walrath, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. He began his legal career as an associate at Skadden, Arps. Mr. Azarbad earned a BS in Accounting from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, and he earned a JD from Brooklyn Law School. The appointments of Mr. Tawil and Mr. Azarbad to the Board are subject to confirmation by the TSX Venture Exchange. The Maglan Facilities will be subject to applicable regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Related Party Transaction As Maglan Distressed Master Fund LP (together with its affiliates) has beneficial ownership of, or control or direction over, securities of the Company carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all of the Company's outstanding voting securities, it is considered a "related party" for the purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Accordingly, the Maglan Facilities will be deemed to be "related party transactions" and may be subject to the formal valuation and minority shareholder requirements under MI 61-101, unless exemptions are available. About Centaurus Energy Centaurus is an independent upstream oil and gas company with both conventional and unconventional oil and gas operations in Argentina. The Company's shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CTA and on the OTCQX under the symbol CTARF. For further information please contact: David Tawil Interim Chief Executive Officer email: info@ctaurus.com phone: (403) 262-1901 Reader Advisories Forward Looking Information Disclaimer The information in this news release contains certain forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance, in particular, but not limited to, expectations that the Company will be able to complete the terms of the Agreement and enter into the Maglan Facilities, or that the Company will receive applicable regulatory and TSX Venture Exchange approvals for the Maglan Facilities or the appointment of the new directors. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. These statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. The forward-looking statements in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Investors are encouraged to review and consider the additional risk factors set forth in the Company's Annual Information Form, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53787 (Reuters) - Bombardier pulled its 2020 outlook on Tuesday and said it would stop work at most of its Canadian operations until April 26 to help slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The suspension includes aircraft and rail production in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, the Canadian company said (Reuters) - Bombardier pulled its 2020 outlook on Tuesday and said it would stop work at most of its Canadian operations until April 26 to help slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The suspension includes aircraft and rail production in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, the Canadian company said. The Ontario plant does final assembly for the Global 5500, 6500 and 7500 business jets. Ontario's premier announced a two-week shutdown of non-essential businesses starting Tuesday, while Quebec's order will last until April 13. Bombardier confirmed it was placing 12,400 of its employees on furlough, which makes up 70% of the company's Canadian workforce. The company's chief executive and senior leadership team will forgo pay for the furloughed period. "We expect the company's current cash position should help it face this crisis although we acknowledge that the operations shutdown will have an impact on cash flows in the short term," Desjardins analyst Benoit Poirier said in a client note. The planemaker also said it was cutting all discretionary spending and was pursuing additional measures to enhance liquidity. It added that production would be temporarily halted at all of its Northern Ireland sites until April 20. Reuters had reported on Monday that Bombardier would suspend Canadian production of its corporate jets to comply with restrictions imposed by provincial governments. The deadly coronavirus outbreak has spread to almost all countries of the world, prompting large-scale lockdowns and virtually wiping out demand for air travel. Some of the workers at Bombardier's plant in Toronto were sent home after a contractor tested positive for the novel coronavirus called COVID-19, the union's acting plant chair Bill Bell said in an interview on Monday. (Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru and Allison Lampert; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Maju Samuel) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The client is a Swedish automotive spare parts retailer who was looking forward to evaluating the capacity and effectiveness of their new warehouses before bringing a significant change in their multi-level distribution network. The Swedish automotive spare part retailer collaborated with Quantzig to leverage its rich portfolio of warehouse management solutions. The client was also looking forward to having an accurate inventory plan which would result in efficient supply chains. To help the client devise and implement an accurate warehouse management plan, Quantzig's experts conducted an end-to-end warehouse strategy review. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Yet ageism in the age of coronavirus runs deep. A couple of days ago, I passed one of my neighbors, younger than I am, on the sidewalk. As we stood 6 feet apart and talked, he said we might just have to accept that a lot of old people are going to die, and so be it, if thats what it takes to keep the economy strong. The number of Oregonians confirmed to have contracted the new coronavirus surpassed 200 on Tuesday. The true total, however, is likely much higher. Limited testing has made it difficult for some people to obtain tests, both in Oregon and across the nation. Here are key developments about the pandemic to know Wednesday: CASES: Three more Oregonians died of coronavirus, bringing to eight the number of deaths linked to COVID-19. The latest people to die are a 78-year-old Clackamas County man, a 63-year-old Multnomah County man and a 90-year-old Washington County woman. All three had preexisting medical conditions. Symptoms of the coronavirus now account for 1 in 20 emergency room visits statewide. JOBS: Oregon workers can now report employers stay-home violations. The new state complaint system follows Gov. Kate Browns order to shut down certain businesses and to enforce social distancing measures at businesses that stay open. The mandate to close businesses such as hair salons has left some independent contractors with few options for financial relief. RESPONSE: President Donald Trump suggested that social distancing initiatives aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus be lifted by Easter. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown made clear the Presidents doesnt trump her stay-home order. Oregon lawmakers are planning a special legislative session to address the states immediate economic and health needs amidst the coronavirus pandemic. IN PORTLAND: During a news conference Tuesday with police, fire and other bureau leaders, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler extended the citys state of emergency order. He said he anticipates being under the declaration through April, when he said state medical officials suspect the outbreak could peak. Even though the city has told many of its employees to start working from home, parking enforcement officers are still patrolling streets. RAIN CHECK: Cancellations and postponements have stretched into July. Among the latest: the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, the U.S. Olympic track trials in Eugene and all Hawaiian Airlines flights between the islands and Portland International Airport, for the time being. LIFE TODAY: A Forest Grove woman aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship was among the first wave of U.S. citizens to contract the coronavirus. She chronicled her experience fighting the disease caused by the virus. At the end of it, I recovered," Rebecca Frasure wrote. "But my journey wasnt over. -- The Oregonian/OregonLive The Bauchi State Commissioner for Education, Aliyu Tilde, on Wednesday said Nigeria may not be able to handle a large Covid-19 outbreak due to a shortage of test kits. Mr Tilde, who suspected he had been exposed to a positive patient, said he was unable to get tested because test kits brought to the state were not enough. Mr Tilde was one of the state government officials suspected to have been in contact with the state governor, Bala Mohammed. The governor tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. Mr Mohammed had gone into isolation on Monday and took a Covid-19 test after confirming that he was in contact with someone who had tested positive for the virus. After he tested positive, aides and cabinet members who had been in contact with him were advised to self-isolate and get tested. However, Mr Tilde on his Facebook page said he could not test for the virus Wednesday because the test kits brought from Abuja finished early. He said results for those tested on Tuesday would be available on Wednesday. I wonder what will happen when the virus reaches the community level and thousands need to be tested daily. I will resubmit myself today and pray that I will be lucky to get tested. I am in self-isolation at home anyway. No visitors into the house, he wrote. More tests kits Mr Tilde told PREMIUM TIMES that the country needs to take testing seriously by having enough testing kits for the virus. He said testing is so essential at this stage to prevent spread. It seems Abuja does not have sufficient quantity or maybe not enough was ordered. Today, we expect more will come but preference has to be given to people who were in direct contact with the governor, not us, who were just us in his vicinity at meetings. He also called for more testing centres to serve the northern part of Nigeria. For now, Nigeria has five testing laboratories, three located in the south-west (two in Lagos and one in Osun State), one in Abuja and one in Edo State. Abuja conducts testing for the North. Mr Tilde, however, said for tests to be conducted only in Abuja for the entire Northern Nigeria shows that we have formidable challenges before us. We need to act fast and make all the necessary equipment and facilities available in all our local government headquarters if possible, he said. Careful Mr Tilde hopes he would not test positive as he had been very careful with executing his duties in the past few days. He said he is not sick and so far does not have any symptoms. According to him, he has limited exposure, especially and limited trip as he was able to be part of the governors German trip. He was, however, present when Mr Mohammed launched the 2,500 housing project at Dungal and at the Exco Chamber for stakeholders meeting on COVID-19 on Sunday. The last event he said was attended by many traditional rulers and religious leaders in the state. He said the governor did not shake hands with members of the public on both occasions but was close to many. At the time of reporting, Lagos has recorded 30 cases, FCT 8, Ogun 3, Ekiti, Oyo, Edo and Osun have one each. Advertisements So far, most of the infected people are those who have recently returned to the country from high-risk countries. Among the people who have tested positive to the disease in Nigeria are government officials and administrators. These include Bauchi State Governor Mohammed, and Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari. No response Meanwhile, more cases are still expecting to be reported as the country has intensified contact tracing to get people who have had contact with infected patients. The reporter, however, could not get a response from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on whether Nigeria has enough testing kits as the Director-General did not pick his calls. However, the minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire had said earlier that the country is prepared to handle the Covid-19 outbreak. Retailing powerhouse Premier Investments has become the latest major retailer to shut stores and stand down staff, with the Smiggle and Just Jeans owner also telling landlords it would not pay rents during the shutdown. The ASX-listed group, which is 42 per cent owned and chaired by retail veteran Solomon Lew, told investors on Thursday it had "no choice" but to temporarily close all of its retail stores until April 22, standing down over 9000 staff worldwide, bar a small number of the company's 500 head office staff. Premier, which owns Just Jeans, Portmans, Smiggle and Jay Jays, will close its stores and stand down 9000 staff globally. Credit:SMH/The Age The company will also stand down its entire executive team, which will work from home during the period for either no pay or reduced leave entitlements. Premier's brands include Smiggle, Peter Alexander, Jay Jays, Just Jeans and Portmans. Continuing the company's hardline stance against landlords, Premier said it also intended to pay no rent across any of its stores during the period. Seventy per cent of its store leases either expire this year or are in holdover, providing the company with "extraordinary" flexibility. Salesforce won't be cutting employees over the next few months even as the economy digests the consequences of the coronavirus continuing its spread. The commitment, directly from Salesforce co-founder and CEO Marc Benioff, represents corporate determination from the top of a major employer with more than 49,000 employees as of January 31 to avoid contributing to a swell of unemployment. Last week the U.S. reported the highest week-over-week percentage increase in unemployment in history, triggered by decreases in travel and local business lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19. California has received more than 1 million unemployment claims in less than two weeks, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday. "Salesforce is pledging to its workforce Ohana not to conduct any significant lay offs over the next 90 days," Benioff wrote in a tweet on Wednesday. "We will continue to pay our hourly workers while our offices are closed. We encourage our Ohana to pay their own personal hourly workers like housekeepers & dog walkers." (Benioff often uses the Hawaiian word "ohana," or "family," to refer to Salesforce employees.) Compass, TripActions and Triplebyte are among the companies that have reportedly cut employees in recent weeks. On Wednesday the White House and U.S. Senate leaders reached an agreement on a stimulus bill. WATCH: Stimulus won't work immediately, there will be layoffs and bankruptcies: Allianz's Mohamed El-Erian Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Crisis: Benjamim Netanyahu has been accused of clinging to power. Photo: Gali Tibbon/Pool via Reuters Israel appeared on the verge of a constitutional crisis yesterday as top members of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud urged their party colleague and parliament speaker to defy a Supreme Court order to hold an election for the prime minister's successor. After suspending parliamentary activities last week, citing coronavirus, Yuli Edelstein dismissed the court's call to explain his delay in convening the Knesset, or parliament. It sparked an unprecedented judicial rebuttal, with Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut ordering him to hold a vote by today and ruling that "the continued refusal to allow the vote in the Knesset plenum on the election of a permanent speaker is undermining the foundations of the democratic process". Even after that, at least two Likud ministers, including Mr Netanyahu's surrogate interim justice minister, called on Mr Edelstein to defy the order, deeming it a judicial "coup" against elected officials. Cabinet minister Yariv Levin led the charge, accusing the court of trampling the principle of separation of powers. He said it was creating "anarchy". Mr Netanyahu has yet to comment, but others in the party, while equally lambasting the high court, called on Mr Edelstein to respect its ruling to avoid a fully fledged constitutional crisis. The developments marked the apex of a stand-off between Mr Netanyahu's opponents and supporters in the wake of the third inconclusive election in less than a year. The opposition Blue and White party, backed by a slim majority in the Knesset, said the legislature must function at such a critical time to oversee the government. The party accuses Mr Netanyahu and his caretaker government of carrying out undemocratic measures amid the crisis, and using it as cover to cling to power. State health officials revealed for the first time Tuesday that 27% of the people who have been tested for the coronavirus in New Jersey have tested positive. Of the 12,000 tests that have been conducted, 3,600 have been positive which is key data to have to help plan where to deploy resources, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said. New Jerseys rate of positive tests is much higher than other hard hit states such as Washington (6%) and California (14%). New York State, with 28% of its tests positive, is similar to New Jersey, according to data at The Covid Tracking Project. Officials emphasized how knowing the number of people who test negative for COVID-19 the illness caused by the virus is just as important as knowing the positive cases. Thats a really important rate, Persichilli said at Rutgers-Newark during the states daily press briefing on the outbreak. That will help us in our predictive modeling. Persichilli said health officials were getting 92% of the test results, which further helps to prepare medical officials. We always work with the commercial labs long before COVID-19, said Dr. Edward Lifshitz, Medical Director for the state Health Departments Communicable Disease Service. But typically what they do is they just give us those positive results. With a full accounting, It tells me whats going on in the community, Lifshitz said. The figures were released as Gov. Phil Murphy announced that New Jersey now has at least 3,675 known cases of the virus, including at least 44 known deaths, after 846 more people tested positive. It marked the largest single-day increase in deaths since the pandemic began. Officials have not said how many people in the state have been hospitalized with or recovered from the illness. Its also unknown how many residents may have the virus but have not been tested yet. Testing in New Jersey has increased in recent days, with two state-run drive-thru testing centers opening in Paramus and Holmdel. Both have hit capacity early each day. A number of hospitals and private companies are running testing sites. Officials expect the number of positive cases in the state to keep rising as testing ramps up. But they also say more testing gives them a better idea how to respond to the outbreak. In an effort to slow the coronavirus spread, Murphy has closed all schools in the state, ordered people to stay at home except for necessary travel, banned social gatherings, and ordered non-essential retail businesses to close until further notice. Officials have promised to prosecute those who violate the orders. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-24 21:33:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Mongolia has resumed coal exports to China. The resumption started on Monday via Gashuun Sukhait border port after the Mongolian government lifted a ban that was imposed in February to curb the spread of COVID-19. Coal transport trucks will be disinfected and drivers will wear protective suits. As of Monday, a total of 10 people, including nine Mongolian citizens and a French national, tested positive for COVID-19 in Mongolia and their conditions remain stable, according to the country's National Center for Communicable Disease. Kashmiri political activists have slammed Pakistan for shifting coronavirus affected people from the eastern province of Punjab and the rest of the country to Mirpur city in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The activists said that the Pakistani establishment was deliberately spreading the coronavirus to get international aid. Nasir Aziz Khan, spokesperson of United Kashmir People' National Party: "When Coronavirus started spreading across the world, many countries took it seriously and used their best infrastructure to fight the pandemic. For example, Italy has the best infrastructure in medicine. Similarly, Switzerland and other European countries like Germany, France, Great Britain, and Belgium, spared no attempt to fight the pandemic". "And despite having the best medical infrastructure, they are not able to stop the number of casualties. The virus continues to spread rapidly", said Nasir, a political activist from the PoK, now settled in Zurich, Switzerland. He condemned Pakistan's move to shift coronavirus patients to PoK, despite it having a lot of free areas and hospitals. Nasir said: "As soon as coronavirus started spreading across Pakistan, they did not take it seriously. In Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), there was only one positive case. Positive cases of coronavirus from Punjab province are being shifted to Mirpur city of PoK. Here, there are no basic health facilities and they used to take their patients to other parts of Pakistan for treatment. Some patients die while transporting them to hospitals due to poor road infrastructure". The activist said that there is no testing facility in the PoK that could do basic blood and urine tests and noted the coronavirus test needs trained doctors and testing kits. "In Pakistan, there are better hospitals as compared to PoK, but they are shifting coronavirus positive cases to this region. When the locals started protesting, they were harassed," he said. Nasir added: "27 people were brought here on Monday, of which 13 were coronavirus positive. The results of the rest of them are awaited. Locals said that there are plans to shift hundreds of other patients from Pakistan". The governor of Kentucky has ordered a halt to any and all coronavirus parties in his state after someone who attended one tested positive for the disease. We have a positive case today from someone who attended a coronavirus party, Andy Beshear said at a press briefing in the state capital. And this is the part where I, the person that tells everybody to be calm, have to remain calm myself. Because anyone who goes to something like this may think theyre indestructible, but its someone elses loved one that they are going to hurt. Kentucky has seen more than 160 cases of Covid-19, with four deaths. Mr Beshear has ordered all non-essential retail businesses closed until the end of a state of emergency, which has also seen him activate the national guard. The governors tone remained even throughout his address, but he made clear that the circumstances of the new case had infuriated him. My job in these press conferences is to talk to you about how were going to get through it and we are and that were going to do everything we can to protect the lives of those around us. But this is one that makes me mad. And it should make you mad. Ultimately, the power of forgiveness we get through this, we should forgive that person. But no more of these, anywhere, statewide, ever, for any reason. The party seems to have been held by a group of young adults defying social distancing orders. Similar gatherings have been condemned in other states. In New York, now the epicentre of the US outbreak, a full lockdown has had to be imposed to stop people violating distancing rules. In Florida, meanwhile, CBS interviews showed young college students on spring break openly dismissing the risk of infection while drinking and mingling on the streets. If I get corona, I get corona, said one. Mr Beshear clearly has no truck with this behaviour. Laying the potential consequences uncompromisingly at the distancing-defiers feet, he had sharp words for them: We are battling for the health, and even the lives, of our parents and grandparents. And dont be so callous as to intentionally go to something and expose yourself to something that can kill other people. We ought to be much better than that. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has appealed to Government to take bold steps now, including a phased lockdown and a rapid deployment of funds, to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. According to the party if there is a need to give the country a fighting chance to stop the spread of the Coronavirus Pandemic then the government has to the chance and act now adding The window of opportunity, as we have already said, should be measured in days and certainly not weeks. Member of the response Technical Team by the opposition NDC, Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson, MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam and former Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning at a press encounter in Accra, Tuesday, March 24, 2020 stated that But these or any other proposals will require the rapid deployment of funds to procure needed equipment and supplies; improve awareness and accelerate our readiness; reinforce the healthcare system; establish a morally sound safety net for the vulnerable; and safeguard our economy & enterprises against the inevitable shocks. We must be able to use those funds in response to the evolving situation in the interest of the nation, which requires us to also have great flexibility to reassess and reprioritize over the coming weeks To him, the party is reliably informed about Government approach to the IMF and World Bank for an amount close to $1 billion adding We harbour sincere reservations about the wisdom of that course under the time pressures we face We are reliably informed - and the government is aware - that any such facility would not be available to us until the second or third week of April. Read full report of Hon. Ato Forson To be effective at implementing solutions to any of the measures outlined by my colleagues in a timely manner - and if we are to give ourselves a fighting chance - we will have to act now. The window of opportunity, as we have already said, should be measured in days and certainly not weeks. But these or any other proposals will require the rapid deployment of funds to procure needed equipment and supplies; improve awareness and accelerate our readiness; reinforce the healthcare system; establish a morally sound safety net for the vulnerable; and safeguard our economy & enterprises against the inevitable shocks. We must be able to use those funds in response to the evolving situation in the interest of the nation, which requires us to also have great flexibility to reassess and reprioritize over the coming weeks. We are aware that our Government has approach the IMF and World Bank for an amount close to $1 billion. We harbour sincere reservations about the wisdom of that course under the time pressures we face. We are reliably informed - and the government is aware - that any such facility would not be available to us until the second or third week of April. That timeline is constrained by the meeting schedule of the boards of the respective organisations and the processes involved in receiving the funds even under emergency approval. Our current state of readiness and the exponential growth of the plague we are fighting suggests that we cannot wait that long. It is with this in mind that my colleagues and I wish to propose an alternative strategy that would avail Ghana immediately of the needed resources to drastically escalate our readiness and resilience. We humbly appeal to Government to amend the proposed utilization of the $3 billion Eurobond proceeds to make funds available to cater for COVID-19 related expenses and the possible adverse economic shocks that may occur. The proposed utilization plan for the 2020 Eurobond proceeds as originally presented to the Finance Committee of Parliament indicated that the proceeds were tied to three (3) main expenditure items, namely: budget support, restructuring of the energy sector, and liability management. The distribution of the proceeds according to the proposed utilization plan were as follows at the exchange rate of GH5.72: We humbly appeal to government to amend the proposed plan to address the pressing COVID-19 related expenditures and financing gap that is inevitably awaiting us as a result of this pandemic, to keep Ghanaians safe and to safeguard the economy against potential macroeconomic shocks and revenue shortfalls while we await the expected IMF and World Bank Loan in the near future. It is our view that the proposed restructuring of the energy sector does not constitute a priority at this time in the face of a rapid escalation in COVID-19 cases in Ghana. Government may have to consider deferring the planned restructuring of the energy sector to make available one (1) billion United States Dollars, an equivalent of five billion, seven hundred and twenty million Ghana Cedis (GH5,720 million) to help fight any further spread of the pandemic. In emergency and pandemic situations, we have what we call "reprogramming" of development projects. We propose a review of the non-urgent expenditure in the 2020 budget. This, when reprogrammed, will release funds to fund the urgent pandemic. Ghana has already recorded a total of fifty two (52) cases and two (2) deaths. These worrying developments require urgent and pragmatic measures to manage and contain the situation. The economic impact of the outbreak is likely to affect almost all sectors of the economy, hence the need for immediate funding to minimize the effects of the outbreak. We hope that Government will view this recommendation favourably and act immediately to ensure that precious Ghanaian lives are saved, and that there can be a rapid restoration of economic activity in the wake of this difficult time. We owe no less to every household and business in this country. May the Good Lord protect us all, God bless our homeland Ghana. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video On the Frontline Against China, the US Coast Guard Is Taking on Missions the US Navy Can't Do Competition with China has drawn more Pentagon resources to the Pacific, but the most visible U.S. military presence there... Cronopete Current version: 4.14.0 Cronopete is a Linux clone of Time Machine, the backup utility for Mac from Apple. It aims to mimic it as closely as possible. As a backup utility, it makes periodically a copy of all the user files in a separate hard disk, thus allowing to recover them in case of accidentally deleting a file, or if the main hard disk gets damaged. Each copy is stored separately (one copy per hour is kept for the last 24 hours, one daily copy for the last 15 days, and one weekly copy for the rest), which means that the user can choose which copy to restore. Files that do not change between backups are stored as hard links, and thus each new copy uses much less disk space than a true full copy. Internally, it uses RSync to do all the backup work. The name comes from anacronopete ("who flies through time"), which is a time machine featured in the novel from Enrique Gaspar y Rimbaud, and published in 1887 (eight years before than H.G. Wells'Time Machine). Downloads GIT Repository Package for Debian sid 64bit (838 Kbytes) Package for Debian sid 32bit (835 Kbytes) Package for Debian bullseye 64bit (817 Kbytes) Package for Debian bullseye 32bit (813 Kbytes) Package for Ubuntu impish 64bit (884 Kbytes) Package for Ubuntu focal 64bit (827 Kbytes) Package for fedora35 64bit (699 Kbytes) Package for Arch Linux 64bit (734 Kbytes) History of versions A 'Keep your distance! warning sticker on the floor of the departure lounge at the airport in North Rhine-Westphalia, Duesseldorf, Germany. (Federico Gambarini/Picture alliance via Getty) The German government met to pass a historic 750bn (683bn) stimulus package on Wednesday 25 March to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and help companies survive, and safeguard jobs and livelihoods. It remains to be seen, however, whether the measures will be able to boost the confidence of company bosses, which is now at its lowest level since the financial crisis in 2008/2009. The Ifo Institute released its monthly business morale index today. It showed a drastic slump in the business climate in Europes largest economy in March, dropping to to 86.1 from 96 in February. "This is the steepest fall recorded since German reunification and the lowest value since July 2009," Ifo president Clemens Fuest said in a statement. The German economy is in shock." An economist from the Ifo institute told Reuters that the German economy could shrink by as much as 20% this year, depending on how long the country remained on coronavirus-lockdown. Read more: Germany bids goodbye to black zero with 750bn coronavirus package ING Germany chief economist Carsten Brzeski noted that during the financial crisis, the German economy contracted in four consecutive quarters with an accumulated loss of 7%, but could contract by that much now in two quarters, or in a worst-case scenario even in a single quarter. Brzeski estimates that even if the country-wide shutdown were to be lifted gradually after the Easter holidays, the economy would still shrink by more than 4% year-on-year in 2020: The longer the lockdown lasts, the more the size of the contraction will resemble numbers normally only seen in emerging economies simply unprecedented. Covid-19 cases top 33,000 German chancellor Angela Merkel makes a press statement on the spread of the new coronavirus at the Chancellery, in Berlin on 22 March. Photo: Michael Kappeler/AFP via Getty Images The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has now hit 33,000, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center. Despite the very high number of infections, there have only been 164 deaths from the virus so far. Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch Institute which monitors the virus in Germany, said that it was still totally unclear how the epidemic would develop and that it was too early to say if the new social isolation measures were having an effect. Germany now bans all but essential movement outside the house, and meetings of more than two people. Story continues Experts have attributed Germanys comparatively very low mortality rate partly to the fact that the country began testing extensively early on, when the virus first arrived in the country, and partly to the fact that the first wave of cases were among younger people, many of whom had returned from winter-sports holidays in Europe and recovered. Read more: Coronavirus: Merkel goes into quarantine as Germany imposes extreme restrictions on public Unlike in Italy, young German people tend not to live near or with their parents, which could also be a factor in terms of spreading the disease to the vulnerable elderly population. However, the Robert Koch Institute expects the death toll to rise considerably in the coming weeks. This week the government announced funding to almost double the amount of emergency room beds; currently there are around 28,000 in the whole country. An unknown woman was arrested for killing a young girl at a park and attempting to run after she stabs her. The murderous woman later got held under the Mental Health and charged for the cold-blooded murder. Police were summoned to Queens Park in Bolton, last Sunday afternoon after an attack which resulted in a seven-year-old girl's death. She was out in the park with her family on Mother's Day and the fatal attack came when a woman stabbed her with a knife. Injuries suffered were multiple stabs, added the police from which she died later from the trauma. The female assailant was not known to the grieving parents. Witnessed saw how the stab victim was given CPR, as two adults were covered in the child's blood. Other people saw the deranged murdering woman run away. The guilty woman in her 30s was caught by a bystander who chased her. She was arrested for suspicion of murder. Russ Jackson, Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, said, ''The woman arrested yesterday at the scene of the attack on the little girl in Bolton has now been detained under the Mental Health Act." He added that the family knew of the detention. The family is distraught over her death and will help the family liaison officers in the coming months. The terrible attack was not expected, especially when the girl little died in front of her parents. It was supposed to be a relaxing afternoon but ended in death. One bystander did his brave act by chasing and restraining her for officer's to arrest the assailant later. The police gave their thanks for helping capture the deranged woman, who stabbed the young girl to death. Also read: Guilty Mom Arrested After Son Was Found Dead Inside Hotel Bathroom Some officers in the park were inexperienced and were only new on independent patrol. Most of the officers were visibly upset in the sudden attack. Many shared their grief to the little girl's immediate family. Chief Constable Russ Jackson added that the criminal investigation will not end, all the evidence and consulting with the Crown Prosecution Service will be done, seek criminal charges against the killer. Police are still the scene of the murder with a big part of the north-east part of the park closed to the public as the vicious attack is still under investigation. This attack has not made sense to the social media users, and are still struggling to process it. One comment said, "R.I.P to the little girl who's life has been cruelly taken by a woman on Queens Park in Bolton. Stabbing her in the neck. What has this world come to at all?" The motivations for the deadly attack at 2.30 pm in Queens park is unknown, and why the woman knife attacked and killed the girl. After the attack, the 22-acre park was vacated nd everyone sent home for forensic investigators to work in gaining evidence. Ten police cars were sent to the park and North-West Air Ambulance was on the scene, but to no avail with the fatal wounds. Police added that they were trying to find out what caused the deranged woman to attack, but she was mentally unstable and they are investigating more on the angle. The police are determined to act quickly and are supportive of the trauma suffered by the family of the young girl. Related article: Wife Accidentally Kills Husband in Utah But Further Investigation Reveals a Different Story @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. SAN FRANCISCO, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As Americans settle into a state of lockdown, demand for popular food items and cleaning supplies continues to outweigh available supply. Since 2016, Cheetah, an e-commerce platform for restaurants and small businesses, has delivered wholesale food and supplies to restaurants using its fleet of 100 refrigerated trucks. The San Francisco-based startup is now pivoting its business model to support consumers and opening up its wholesale services and facilities to give Bay Area communities access to the supplies they need. "I started Cheetah as a way to empower small business owners to thrive by sourcing and delivering their supplies with an easy to use app, transparent pricing, and next day delivery service. When we saw what was happening to our loyal customers during this crisis and to their customers, the consumer we knew we had to do something to help," said Na'ama Moran, Co-Founder and CEO at Cheetah. Cheetah for People In response, Cheetah turned its trucks into mobile micro-fulfillment centers whereby consumers can place their order through the mobile app and pick it up the next day from a Cheetah truck parked at one of several designated will call locations across the Bay Area. The company has been testing the service, Cheetah for People, with a sampling of consumers, retirement homes, assisted living facilities, animal shelters and homeless shelters in the San Francisco area for the past week. The program has been met with tremendous success and appreciation. In its first week, Cheetah processed over $72,000 in consumer sales from more than 450 new customers; more than 12 percent of new customers have already placed a second order. Depending on the success of the program, Cheetah hopes to hire more warehouse employees and delivery people. For a current listing of open positions, visit https://www.gocheetah.com/careers. Getting Started To order through Cheetah's direct-to-consumer service, visit https://www.gocheetah.com/people and download the Cheetah app for iPhone or Android. Cheetah carries everything from bakery items to beverages, cleaning products, dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, fresh produce, condiments, snacks and paper supplies. Available inventory is updated in the app in real-time as orders are fulfilled. Customer service agents are available to help when consumers are placing their orders, which are available for next-day pickup. Once the order is completed, each customer will be given an order number and can choose a three-hour window for safe, contactless pickup, from a designated pickup location. #Cheetah4You Campaign Supports Independent Restaurants Cheetah continues to serve and support its restaurant customers with provisions needed to fulfill delivery and take out orders, and resources that can help them through these difficult times. Cheetah has waived the subscription fee for all of its restaurant customers to help offset the loss of revenue, for so long as restaurants are not allowed to offer dine-in services. While some restaurants have made the tough decision to close their doors, others are finding innovative ways to stay afloat and help their communities by selling excess supplies, or simply holding out hope this pandemic passes quickly and will allow them to re-open. Additionally, the company launched its #Cheetah4You documentary series, featuring independent restaurant owners who are struggling to survive. Cheetah's CEO, Na'ama Moran, together with Cheetah customer and owner of Opa! Greek Taverna, Kostas Lazanas, have been producing short testimonial videos in an effort to give the service industry a voice, encouraging those watching to order takeout, sign petitions and support their local businesses while the restaurant shutdown is in effect. New videos will be published regularly sharing personal stories of small business owners across America. About Cheetah Cheetah is an e-commerce platform designed for independent restaurants to order wholesale food and supplies for next-day delivery. Due to high consumer demand for groceries and supplies during the COVID-19 crisis, and the unfortunate closure of many restaurants, Cheetah has opened up its wholesale services and facilities to give local communities access to the supplies they need. Cheetah has turned its refrigerated trucks into mobile fulfillment centers whereby consumers can place their order through the Cheetah mobile app and pick it up from the truck, which will be parked at multiple designated will call locations in the Bay Area. Founded in 2015 by Na'ama Moran, Christopher Elliott, Alon Har-Tal and Vincent Matranga, the company is financially backed by Eclipse, Floodgate, Hanaco, and ICONIQ Capital with headquarters in San Francisco and offices in Israel. For more information, visit www.gocheetah.com and follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @gocheetah. Media Contact: Cast Influence for Cheetah Technologies: [email protected] Press Kit: http://ow.ly/Xp3b50yVkkV Related Images cheetah-logo.png Cheetah Logo cheetah-now-offers-drive-thru.jpg Cheetah now offers drive-thru, contactless grocery pick-up chef-julian-rodarte-co-owner-of.png Chef Julian Rodarte, Co-owner of Beto & Son in Dallas, TX Related Links Cheetah For People #Cheetah4You documentary series SOURCE Cheetah Technologies Inc. En cumplimiento con nuestro compromiso de cuidar a nuestros profesionales de la salud, seguimos intensificando la entrega de insumos medicos e implementos de seguridad para la atencion de los casos de COVID-19 en todo el pais. #CuidamosAQuienesNosCuidan pic.twitter.com/vHJ2DPbWOs Abba Kyari Doctors attending to the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, have obtained his medical records from Wellington Hospital, St. Johns Wood, London, The PUNCH can confirm. Kyari, The PUNCH learnt, had some other ailments which could hamper his rate of recovery from COVID-19. A source at the Ministry of Health said, From the information at my disposal, chiefs (Kyaris) medical records have been sent via email from Wellington Hospital where he goes for his check-up and also gets his treatment. He has some other health conditions which will be kept confidential. We are hoping for the best. The Wellington Hospital, which is located in North London, is the largest independent hospital in the UK. It offers cardiac services, neurosurgery, liver and HBP medicine, rehabilitation, gynecology, orthopedics, and other services, according to Wikipedia. Kyari was in December 2016 flown from Nigeria to London on emergency and attended to at Wellington Hospital. Panic on Tuesday gripped some governors and ministers as Kyari, and the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, tested positive for COVID-19. The panic among the governors and the ministers stemmed from the fact that Kyari after his return from foreign trips a few days ago attended the Federal Executive Council meeting last Wednesday, while Mohammed was at the National Executive Council meeting last Thursday. After Nigeria recorded the first coronavirus case on February 27, Kyari visited Germany and Egypt. In Germany, he and the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, on March 9, met Siemens officials over the power deal signed with the company. *** Source: The PUNCH Border Patrol agents have expressed outrage after it emerged that two agents have tested positive for coronavirus but the agency has not made the information public. In a leaked message sent to employees Tuesday, the leader of operations in Tucson, Arizona, informed agents that two of their colleagues had tested positive for the deadly virus. Tucson Chief Patrol Agent Roy D. Villareal said one Tuscon Station employee assigned elsewhere and one Nogales Station employee had been struck down by the disease. 'Two Agents within Tucson Sector have tested positive for COVID-19; in an effort to keep you informed here's what I know,' Villareal said in a text to the region's 3,700 agents obtained by The Washington Examiner. Pedestrians are pictured wearing protective masks walk past a section of a US-Mexico border wall in Tijuana, Mexico, on Monday, March 23. Two Border Patrol agents in Tucson, Arizona, have tested positive for coronavirus 'A Tucson Station employee, who had been assigned to an alternate work location, has tested positive. Neither the employee, nor spouse, also an Agent, have been to a Tucson Sector facility recently. 'Additionally, a Nogales Station employee tested positive for COVID-19. That employee, along with others who worked along-side the employee, remain in a variety of off duty statuses including weather and safety leave as well as sick leave.' While the Tuscan station employee had not been to an agency facility 'recently', it is not known when the second case was last in contact with other border agents and with the wider public. In a leaked message sent to employees Tuesday, the leader of operations in Tucson, Arizona, Chief Patrol Agent Roy D. Villareal (above) said one Tuscon Station employee assigned elsewhere and one Nogales Station employee had been struck down by the disease Tucson Sector Chief Roy Villareal (center) with Vice President Mike Pence (right) at the border in Arizona back in April. News of the cases caused outrage among some agency staff, with one agent slamming Border Patrol for putting other workers and members of the public at risk by not identifying the confirmed cases The news caused outrage among some agency staff, with one agent slamming Border Patrol for putting other workers as well as members of the public at risk by not identifying the confirmed cases. The agent voiced concern that by not going public with the information, agents who came into contact with the individuals are unaware they may have also contracted the deadly virus. The individuals may also have come into contact with people who have crossed national borders between the US and Mexico in recent weeks, potentially spreading the virus far further afield. The decision to not inform the public but only staff also raises questions over the wider impact of the cases. 'I understand [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] but does this person/persons privacy trump the safety of nearly 600 agents in Nogales?' the Tucson agent wrote in a text. 'Who has this person had contact with at the station over the last two weeks? Is claiming [HIPAA] the Agency's way of us not connected [sic] a coronavirus diagnosis to work?' Questions are also being asked over the safety of agents coming into contact with people from areas prone to the infection at border crossings. Villareal's message said agents out of the region's Douglas and Ajo stations had 'encountered differing groups of illegal border crossers who had traveled through at risk countries prior to their crossing' but said all steps were being taken to protect staff. People wearing protective masks walk towards the San Ysidro port of entry in Tijuana, Mexico, on March 23 'All of these individuals were evaluated, continuously monitored, and had no signs or symptoms of COVID-19. Precautions were taken to limit exposure by isolating these groups,' Villareal wrote. Last week, the US and Mexico agreed to restrict non-essential travel across their border as both nations scramble to bring the coronavirus outbreak under control. Trump said the move is necessary to prevent the 'spread the infection to our border agents, migrants, and to the public at large.' It puts Mexico on par with Canada, after Trump had alos announced the closure of the US northern border on Wednesday. 'Both northern and southern border they're both being treated equally,' the president said during a White House briefing Friday. 'The actions we are taking together with our North American partners will save countless lives,' he said. The decisions have been reached jointly between the countries, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced, and went into effect by midnight Saturday with a review after 30 days. 'The United States and Mexico have agreed to restrict nonessential travel throughout our shared border. Both countries know the importance of working together to limit the spread of the virus and ensure the commerce that supports our economy continues,' Pompeo added. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said the border would be closed to everything but cargo and essential travel, such as for medical purposes or attending school. As well as the border closure, authorities announced that illegal immigrants will be returned automatically to their home country and not allowed a hearing to make their case or plead sanctuary. The Homeland Security secretary said it was being done to prevent the spread of the disease to border agents and the greater public, and was based on a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'The CDC director has determined that the spread of the coronavirus and border patrol stations, detention facilities presents a serious danger to migrants, our front-line agents, and officers end of American people,' Wolf noted. Wolf said the move was being done to prevent a strain on the American health system during the pandemic. A State of National Emergency has been declared across the country as the Government pulls out all the stops to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Today we put in place our countrys second ever State of National Emergency as we fight a global pandemic, save New Zealanders lives and prevent the very worst that weve seen around the world from happening here, says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. As the country moves into Alert Level 4 Eliminate, at midnight, we need all the tools at our disposal to ensure everyone reduces down contact with one another across the board. Through the early and hard measures weve taken at the border, using the powers under the Health Act, the signing of Epidemic Notices, and now, being in a State of National Emergency, we have all of the legislative means possible, all the enforcement powers, all the tools we need, at our disposal to combat the spread of COVID-19. Under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002, todays State of National Emergency declaration allows the Director Civil Defence Emergency Management to direct and coordinate personnel, material and other resources, and provides access to other extra-ordinary powers that will support delivery of an effective and timely response to COVID-19. While in force, the State of National Emergency will allow the Director and local controllers, as needed, to provide for the: conservation and supply of food, fuel and other essential supplies regulate land, water and air traffic to close roads and public places to evacuate any premises, including any public place and if necessary to exclude people or vehicles from any premises or place. Failure of anyone to play their part in coming days will put the lives of others at risk, and there will be no tolerance for that. We do not expect to use the full extent of these measures but, as with everything we have done in response to COVID-19, we plan, we prepare, we have in place everything we need to get through. For now, I ask that New Zealanders do their part. Stay home, break the chain, save lives." The timing of the princes meetings with other family members, especially the queen, is also likely to draw scrutiny. On March 10, Charles sat across a table from Prince Albert II of Monaco, who nine days later tested positive for the coronavirus. On March 12, officials said Charles had his last meeting with Queen Elizabeth after an investiture ceremony. Medical advisers, they said, estimated that the earliest date the prince could have been infectious was the day after that, March 13, though it was not clear how they had arrived at that assessment. The palace declined to identify the members of Charless medical team or to discuss his prognosis in detail. The incubation period for the coronavirus varies by patient, according to the World Health Organization, with most people showing symptoms about five days from the date they were infected. But it can incubate for as long as 14 days, which, given when Charles began showing symptoms, would be before he met with his mother. It is not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks, the palace said in its statement. In addition to public meetings, officials said Charles had been in contact with employees of the Duchy of Cornwall, his hereditary estate, and staff members at Highgrove House, his country residence in Gloucestershire. After suspending his public schedule on March 12, an official said, Charles stayed at Highgrove until Sunday, when he traveled to the more remote Birkhall. The princes decision to travel even after experiencing symptoms, which the government has strongly discouraged, also raised questions. Officials at the palace said the symptoms were not pronounced enough to cancel his plans, and that Charles decided to go after consulting his medical team. On March 16, the government advised people over age 70 to avoid nonessential social contact for 12 weeks. A few days later, the queen canceled her schedule and left Buckingham Palace for Windsor, where officials said she would be exposed to fewer people. She was joined there by Philip, who lives in retirement on the grounds of another royal house, Sandringham. A former deputy leader of the SNP has said Alex Salmond was 'set up' by his own party and allegations of sexual assault were 'a clear political conspiracy at the highest levels of the party to bring him down'. Mr Salmond, 65, on Monday vowed evidence of a plot to discredit him will 'see the light of day' after he was cleared of 13 charges by a jury following an 11-day trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. His trial has caused infighting within the SNP as a series of prominent SNP politicians and activists demanded further action, as well as 'resignations' from senior officials following his acquittal. Now, former deputy leader of the SNP Jim Sillars, 82, has said that the allegations against against Mr Salmond were the 'dirtiest blow' he has ever seen delivered in his 60 years of political life and that there is 'compelling evidence' to show it was a set up. Mr Salmond, 65, (pictured outside the High Court in Edinburgh) on Monday vowed evidence of a plot to discredit him will 'see the light of day' after he was cleared of 13 charges by a jury following an 11-day trial at the High Court in Edinburgh Mr Salmond's trial has caused infighting within the SNP as a series of prominent SNP politicians and activists demanded further action, as well as 'resignations' from senior officials following his acquittal (he is pictured bumping elbow with Gordon Jackson QC in Edinburgh yesterday after he was cleared of sexual offences) He said: 'Whatever criticism I had made of his leadership, when he was charged with serious sexual offences from 2008 to 2014, I did not believe he was guilty, and I phoned to tell him that. 'I went further and asked to meet him, and did so. He shared with me the evidence he had showing he was being deliberately set up; a clear political conspiracy at the highest levels of the party to bring him down, and stop him re-entering the political front-line. It was compelling evidence.' Mr Sillars served under Mr Salmond in the early 1990s until their relationship soured due to comments he made at the end of the 1992 general election in which he said Scottish people were '90 minute patriots'. But despite their falling out of favour with one another, Mr Sillars said that he never believed Mr Salmond was guilty. 'It was the dirtiest blow I have ever witnessed in 60 years of political life, and delivered to a man who, for all my criticism, had done more for independence than any other person alive or dead,' he said. Mr Sillars (pictured) served under Mr Salmond in the early 1990s until their relationship soured due to comments he made at the end of the 1992 general election in which he said Scottish people were '90 minute patriots' His comments come after Mr Salmond's trial reignited a civil war within the party, which has seen deep splits between those who support the former First Minister of Scotland and those who back current First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Her husband, Peter Murrell, is also facing questions about the partys role in the internal probe. The Scottish Conservatives said this remains a national political scandal with profound questions of integrity for the First Minister and her SNP government. Ex-deputy leader with 60 years in politics Jim Sillars started out in politics as a Labour Party MP for South Ayrshire from 1970 to 1976. He later founded and led the pro-Scottish Home Rule Scottish Labour Party in 1976, continuing as MP for South Ayrshire until he lost the seat in 1979. In the 1980s he joined the Scottish National Party in 1980 and later served as MP for Glasgow Govan after winning a by-election in 1988, and was Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party. He was a a leading figure in the campaign for Scottish independence. Mr Sillars served under Mr Salmond in the early 1990s until their relationship soured due to comments he made at the end of the 1992 general election in which he said Scottish people were '90 minute patriots'. His comments came after he lost his his Glasgow Govan seat in the election. Advertisement A Holyrood inquiry into the way complaints were handled about Mr Salmond is likely to be delayed until much later in the year, due to the current focus on the coronavirus crisis. Just minutes after the verdict was delivered, SNP MP for East Lothian Kenny MacAskill said: Delighted for Alex Salmond. Some resignations now required. Joanna Cherry, SNP MP for Edinburgh South West, said that serious questions now arise about the background to these cases, especially given the considerable sums of public money which have been expended. In a statement, she said: Some of the evidence that has come to light both in the judicial review and at this trial raise very serious questions over the process that was employed within the Scottish Government to investigate the alleged complaints against Mr Salmond and I am sorry to say some of the evidence also raises serious question marks over how these complaints were handled by the SNP. She added: There should also be an independent inquiry into how the SNP dealt with these allegations and an inquiry into our internal complaints procedure with which many members have expressed significant dissatisfaction. Im sure the complaints manager and chief executive (Peter Murrell) would welcome the opportunity of an independent review to assist them in developing a proper system for the management of complaints and the support of party volunteers, staff and elected members. It is understood that Mr Salmonds allies believe Miss Sturgeon and Mr Murrell must answer questions about how the party dealt with allegations from a woman who claimed he had attempted to rape her. The woman told the jury she had contacted SNP compliance officer Ian McCann in 2017. In a text message responding to the woman, the compliance officer said: I appreciate how difficult that must have been. I will sit on that and hopefully never have to deploy it. Mr Salmond was seen at an earlier hearing with his wife Moira Salmond who was by his side One source said: There is a lot of chatter in the SNP groups about how abhorrent it is that someone says they have got information, potentially false allegations, which the party is going to sit on and use for political damage if they need it. We know his supervisor is the chief executive - what did he know? The question people will be asking is what sort of ship is Peter Murrell running if he knew of allegations and was happy to sit on them, or if he didnt know this from a senior official then why not? Another party source said: There was a lot of pressure put on people before this case, people in the party were being called and targeted by others asking if they had any information on Alex, or if they would come forward. It was people who were in the party, or used to be, or who had worked with Alex in the past. Alex was facing the rest of his life, or a large part of it, in prison if he had been found guilty - he is not going to take this sitting down. He was right, this isnt the right time for it, people are getting very ill and we need to be putting all our efforts on stopping the virus. But the First Minister has serious questions to answer. SNP MP for the Western Isles Angus MacNeil suggested Mr Salmond should return to frontline politics. He said: Glad that Alex Salmond found not guilty. A man with much more to contribute to Scotlands cause. Chris McEleny, SNP group leader on Inverclyde Council, said: From an internal party position, the business convener of the SNP, Kirsten Oswald MP, must now take immediate action in suspending staff members that the trial heard held information about false sexual assault allegations - rejected by the jury - that were to be used if needed for political damage. The First Ministers husband, Peter Murrell (pictured with Nicola Sturgeon), is also facing questions about the partys role in the internal probe Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said there are very serious questions facing the SNP, the Scottish Government and Miss Sturgeon. He added: This remains a national political scandal with profound questions of integrity for the First Minister and her SNP government. However, that opportunity must be deferred for the time being while all our efforts and resources concentrate on Covid-19. On Monday, the former first minister of Scotland thanked his supporters as he left court and said the ordeal of his arrest and trial was nothing compared to the 'nightmare every single one of us in this country is living through' due to the coronavirus pandemic. A charge that had originally been on the indictment was dropped earlier in the proceedings. Mr Salmond had denied all the charges and giving evidence claimed some were 'deliberate fabrications for a political purpose'. Photographs in an article on 28 November 2019 about Justin Timberlakes co-star arriving at Barcelona airport were wrongly identified as Alisha Wainwright. The photographs were, in fact, of Rebecca Aihun. We apologise to her for the error. To report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@dailymail.co.uk. To make a formal complaint go to www.dailymail.co.uk/readerseditor. You can also write to Readers Editor, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or contact IPSO directly at ipso.co.uk Astrophysicists using NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory have looked for signs of an as-yet undetected particle predicted by string theory, a set of models intended to tie together all known forces, particles, and interactions. Until recently I had no idea just how much X-ray astronomers bring to the table when it comes to string theory, but we could play a major role. If these particles are eventually detected it would change physics forever, said studys lead author Dr. Christopher Reynolds, a researcher at the University of Cambridge. The particle that Dr. Reynolds and colleagues were searching for is called an axion. This as-yet-undetected particle should have extraordinarily low mass. Theoretical physicists do not know the precise mass range, but many theories feature axion masses ranging from about a millionth of the mass of an electron down to zero mass. Some scientists think that axions could explain the mystery of dark matter, which accounts for the vast majority of matter in the universe. One unusual property of this ultra-low-mass particle would be that it might sometimes convert into photons (that is, packets of light) as they pass through magnetic fields. The opposite may also hold true: photons may also be converted into axions under certain conditions. How often this switch occurs depends on how easily they make this conversion, in other words on their convertibility. Some scientists have proposed the existence of a broader class of ultra-low-mass particles with similar properties to axions. Axions would have a single convertibility value at each mass, but axion-like particles would have a range of convertibility at the same mass. While it may sound like a long shot to look for tiny particles like axions in gigantic structures like galaxy clusters, they are actually great places to look, said studys co-author Dr. David Marsh, a researcher at Stockholm University. Galaxy clusters contain magnetic fields over giant distances, and they also often contain bright X-ray sources. Together these properties enhance the chances that conversion of axion-like particles would be detectable. To look for signs of conversion by axion-like particles, the astrophysicists examined over five days of Chandra observations of X-rays from material falling towards the supermassive black hole in the center of NGC 1275, the central galaxy of the Perseus galaxy cluster. They studied the Chandra spectrum, or the amount of X-ray emission observed at different energies, of this source. The long observation and the bright X-ray source gave a spectrum with enough sensitivity to have shown distortions that scientists expected if axion-like particles were present. The lack of detection of such distortions allowed the researchers to rule out the presence of most types of axion-like particles in the mass range their observations were sensitive to, below about a millionth of a billionth of an electrons mass. Our research doesnt rule out the existence of these particles, but it definitely doesnt help their case, said studys co-author Dr. Helen Russell, a researcher at the University of Nottingham. These constraints dig into the range of properties suggested by string theory, and may help string theorists weed their theories. The results appear in the Astrophysical Journal. _____ Christopher S. Reynolds et al. 2020. Astrophysical Limits on Very Light Axion-like Particles from Chandra Grating Spectroscopy of NGC 1275. ApJ 890, 59; doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ab6a0c To the Editor: Re Dollar Signs Versus Vital Signs, by Frank Bruni (column, March 25): I cannot imagine the mind-set that would allow President Trump to believe that we would react with joy and relief, and not horror and confusion, to his description of packed churches at Easter. Here we are separating ourselves from one another, facing the devastation of loneliness and possible infection, and listening to health experts warn us that this is only the beginning, and he invokes a preposterous vision, a beautiful timeline, that can come only from a disordered brain and, as Mr. Bruni suggests, a lack of any emotional depth. Carol Lefelt Tucson, Ariz. To the Editor: I completely agree with all the criticism of President Trumps handling of this crisis. But I just read that a Gallup poll shows that 60 percent of the respondents say the president is doing a good job on the virus, and his overall popularity has increased to a record 49 percent. Am I living in a parallel universe? I have suspected it for three years, and now I am convinced. Mary Hargrave Fair Oaks, Calif. To the Editor: Re Balancing Local Control With a Pandemics Threat (news article, March 25): This morning I thought about how Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of Texas, said that grandparents should be willing to sacrifice their lives for the economy, and I wept. My only granddaughter is just past six months of age. I am 70 years old, have waited for her for a very long time and am hoping to accompany her through her life for as long as I possibly can. Press Release March 25, 2020 Dispatch from Crame No. 750: Sen. Leila M. de Lima's proposal to enlist the help of nursing students amid COVID-19 crisis 3/25/20 A 2014 report revealed that the Philippines "only has 3.5 doctors for every 10,000 population - a far cry from the ideal ratio of 1 to 1.5 doctors for every 1,000 population." Medical professionals have long demanded the government to "take immediate, sustained, and dramatic steps to solve this crisis." They said that infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases are killing thousands of Filipinos, but "most disturbingly, 47.6% of deaths among Filipinos are unattended by a medical doctor or allied health provider." Those were gentler times compared to what the country has to survive these days given the unabated spread of COVID-19, and yet those medical professionals have, at that time, already declared that the data amounts to an "indisputable proof of a healthcare workforce crisis". Exacerbating the crisis is the fact that there has been, for a long time, a nursing shortage that has plagued the country - forcing hospitals to shut down rooms or even entire floors which has resulted in many patients being forced to wait long hours in emergency rooms or in hospital hallways - unchecked, unattended and exposed to even more risks. The situation is getting worse. The no. of available health workers to attend to the sick and dying COVID-19 patients, and the PUI and PUM cases, is dwindling as many medical frontliners have to undergo self-quarantine themselves, having been exposed to COVID-19 patients. Some doctors already died. Indeed, the numbers of those infected are fast growing exponentially vis-a-vis the no. of qualified and competent nursing students who have successfully undertaken medical-related courses. There is an urgent need to review our current medical workforce capabilities and adjure other members of the medical field to assist the government in providing the medical needs of patients affected by this pandemic, without risking the welfare and health of the existing patients already admitted for other illnesses. I urge our health authorities, particularly the DOH, to conscript or avail of the services of nursing students as back-up manpower, in response to the looming shortage of medical frontliners. Nursing students, particularly those who are in their junior and senior years, may be asked to assist the current medical workforce, after a quick special training. Such calling out of qualified nursing students must be in accord with existing laws and circulars in order for these students to be properly protected while they are helping our medical professionals to protect the nation from the spread of the deadly virus. The DOH must issue the guidelines regarding the students' limited practice, and ensure that the persons so conscripted are sufficiently compensated and protected. This I humbly propose. ### (Access the handwritten version of Dispatch from Crame No. 750, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_no._750) Lateral flow tests can detect Covid from day 3 to day 8, for RT-PCR it's up to 20 days: ICMR DG The Centre on Wednesday said lateral flow tests, which includes rapid-antigen and home-antigen tests, can detect Covid from the third day after exposure to the virus to day eight while the RT-PCR test can diagnose the infection for up to 20 days. At a press conference, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava said on the first day one will test negative whatever tests they undertake. "It takes time for the virus to grow in your system and that is known as the latent period. From day three it will be detectable in the Lateral Flow Tests and up to day eight which is the infectious period. "That is why, the discharge policy and home isolation policy are focusing on the seven-day period," Bhargava explained. Amid the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday appealed to people not to venture out of their homes and assured that the state has adequate stock of essential commodities. Greeting people on the occasion of Gudi Padwa, Thackeray said the poor and daily wagers should understand that the government stands firmly behind them in this time of crisis. "There is enough stock of essential commodities and the essential services will continue to function," he said. The chief minister also said that corporates were coming forward to set up hospitals and manufacture masks. "I appeal to employers not to cut wages of their workers or stop their services. "Don't flock the markets. To purchase essential commodities, go to market alone and maintain distance (with one another)," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four days after coming down with flu-like symptoms, Nick Tango, 32, found himself isolated in a room at Monmouth Medical Center with medical staff wearing protective equipment. But after a round of flu tests and a chest x-ray found nothing, he was told he didnt meet the criteria to get tested for coronavirus. The doctor came into the room and popped off his gloves and mask, Tango said. Then, he said, the doctor shook his hand. I thought that was weird but I guess that was his way of telling me Im alright. But he was not alright. In fact, Tango said a later test at Jersey Shore University Medical Center verified he did have the virus and everyone he came in close contact within the 10 days in between including that ER doctor was exposed. The test results were further delayed, he said, because the Jersey Shore Medical Center lost his test kit. The hospital did not respond to a request for comment. On top of his frustration with the medical system, Tango said he is dealing with rumors and the stigma of being infected with the virus, even though he has recovered and is not contagious. After posting about it on Facebook, one neighbor commented that he shouldnt go outside in their complex because its just not safe. Tango was home self-isolating most of the time between falling ill and getting his results. But he said there was one day March 9 when he went back to work because the Monmouth Medical Center ER doctor told him he probably had some other virus and could work as long as his fever was gone for 24 hours. When he finally found out March 20 that he had had the virus, Tango, a market manager in the liquor industry, had to call everyone he had been in contact with March 9. It was really uncomfortable. I spoke with one gentleman who was sick, Tango said. He wasnt angry, but I could have given it to him. New Jersey, like the rest of the U.S., has dealt with coronavirus testing problems from defective tests to a shortage in test kits from the federal government since the first cases were detected on American soil. And while testing restrictions have been eased somewhat since then, the state had instructed doctors to stick to CDC guidelines for testing, prioritizing people who had serious symptoms or underlying conditions, had been out of the country, or had contact with a known COVID-19 patient. Tango believes he caught the virus at a trade event in New York City with many international attendees. On March 4, he spiked a fever and felt run down, though he never developed respiratory symptoms. When his fever came back March 7, he decided to go to an urgent care center. You know your body. I knew something was wrong, he said. Urgent care staff referred him to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch if he wanted to be tested for coronavirus. Staff at the medical center took him seriously, he said, but when the tests for other flu and virus strains were negative, staff told him he still didnt meet the criteria to be tested. Three days later, March 9, he went to work because he was feeling better. But he said his fever, nausea, exhaustion and a mental fogginess came back at night. He decided to seek out COVID-19 testing at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, on March 11. He said staff there carefully isolated and tested him for the virus, telling him to self-quarantine while he awaited results that would probably take two days. Tango said that two days later, after demanding answers, he was informed that his samples had been lost and he needed to go back to have another nasal swab taken. I couldnt believe it, he said. His positive results came back a week later, long after his symptoms had gone away. Tango said that while he was feeling better physically during the week he spent waiting for those results, he felt trapped inside while the rest of the world was making preparations for a potential lock-down. I just sat there and felt defeated all week. I didnt know what to do, he said. He said his wife was mildly ill for a few days, but they dont know whether she really caught the virus because health officials didnt want to test an asymptomatic person. Jersey Shore Medical Center staff told him he is no longer contagious, he said. Tango said he told an official with the state health department about his handshake with the Monmouth Medical Center ER doctor and she said they would look into it. He also met with staff at the center to discuss what happened, he said. Asked to comment for this story, RWJBarnabas Health sent the following statement: Monmouth Medical Center is committed to ensuring the health and safety of all patients, staff and clinicians. We are strictly adhering to all recommended procedures and guidelines as directed by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NJ Department of Health. We cannot comment on individual patient cases. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Coordinating efforts of the military in controlling COVID-19 spread, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat has said that at this juncture, the uniformed force needs to extend all type of assistance ranging from creating quarantine infrastructure to providing specialist care to help the nation combat Coronavirus. Speaking to ANI, the Chief of Defence Staff said the time has come when the armed forces will have to operate beyond their mandate in this battle against the novel coronavirus and the defence personnel should be ready for the challenge. "Uniformed forces are expected to support the government and provide every type of assistance from developing infrastructure for isolation and quarantine to preparing speciality medical care centres for those who need immediate care," the CDS said. Prompting the defence forces to prepare for the challenge, he added, "At this juncture, it is time for the uniformed services to operate beyond their mandate." Gen Rawat stressed that the overall coordinated effort by all the government agencies to contain COVID-19 would succeed only if the people follow the instructions that are being sent out from time to time. "The Armed Forces have already issued instructions to all the ranks and families to strictly follow those instructions," he said. The CDS, who is also the Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, has been attending the meetings with the Cabinet Secretary and other top government functionaries, has been coordinating with the three defence forces for quarantine of people being evacuated from abroad. Around 1500 people brought back from Italy, Iran, China and Southeast Asian countries have been quarantined by the forces at places such as Gurugram, Jaisalmer, Mumbai and Hindan. Over 15 facilities have also been created where the evacuees are being made to spend their quarantine time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Controversial on-air-personality Daddy Freeze has mocked churches for shutting down over the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking via his official Instagram page, he stated that they shut down indefinitely because they can not cure the deadly disease. He wrote: And the churches they built on every street corner cannot cure #Covid19, so they have been shut down indefinitely. This is the despondency of our reality, yet they will not learn! They will still vote these same leaders and build bigger churches! The average Nigerian is a mini reverses pharaoh, with a hardened heart; no matter the plagues, they will keep disobeying God by returning to Egypt. Delhi Police PRO MS Randhawa has said that police have issued passes to delivery agents of e-commerce platforms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address had said that e-commerce platforms will be allowed to provide and deliver essential services during the 21-day lockdown. "I had a meeting with e-commerce website representatives, they shared the problems faced by them in the movement of essential goods," said Randhawa He also said that the Delhi police has set up a platform for e-commerce websites where they can share the problems faced by them so that the police can help in solving the issues. Similar passes have to be issued to government workers who provide essential services and thus have been exempted from the lockdown, according to an order issued by the Home Ministry on Wednesday. While the police were taking measures to increase co-operation with the e-commerce retailers, Walmart backed online retailer Flipkart on Wednesday announced that it has temporarily suspending its operations and services including grocery items. The operations and services will remain suspended as the company assesses the possibilities of operating in the 21-day lockdown. Flipkart has made this decision even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, had clearly said that e-commerce platforms will be allowed to provide and deliver essential services during the 21-day lockdown. Flipkart posted a note on its website informing all its customers that they had temporarily suspended services. The note said, "We are temporarily suspending our services. Your needs have always been our priority, and our promise is that we will be back to serve you, as soon as possible." Rival E-commerce giant Amazon has decided to prioritise the delivery of critical goods for customers. These include household staples, packaged food, health care, hygiene, personal safety, and other high priority products. Also Read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Positive cases rise to 562; 54-yr-old patient dies in Tamil Nadu Also Read: Coronavirus in India: 21-day lockdown begins; key highlights of PM Modi's speech Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 11:36:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUNMING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Police in southwest China's Yunnan Province have busted a drug case and seized over 17 kg of drugs, local authorities said Wednesday. At around 3:00 p.m. on March 20, police in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan found a suspect surnamed Wang who tried to take a mountain road to avoid the inspection from the border police. The police seized about 17.14 kg of drugs in a woven bag hidden in his bamboo basket. The suspect confessed that his friend promised to give him 10,000 yuan (about 1,418 U.S. dollars) if he could take the drugs to Menghai County in the province. Further investigation is underway. Yunnan is a major front in China's battle against drug crime, as it borders the Golden Triangle known for its rampant drug production and trafficking. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 16:19:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Medical experts to Italy prepare to board a plane in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 25, 2020. A team of 14 medical experts from eastern China's Fujian Province departed on a chartered flight to Italy on Wednesday morning to aid the European country's fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. Previously, China had sent two medical groups with a total of 22 people along with more than 20 tonnes of medical supplies to support Italy's epidemic fight. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) FUZHOU, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A team of 14 medical experts from east China's Fujian Province departed on a chartered flight to Italy on Wednesday morning to aid the European country's fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. The team consists of experts from several hospitals and the center for disease control and prevention (CDC) of Fujian, as well as an epidemiologist from the national CDC and a pulmonologist of Anhui Province. The experts specialize in areas including respiratory, intensive care, infectious disease, hospital infection control, traditional Chinese medicine and nursing. Their missions will include sharing experience in COVID-19 prevention and control with local hospitals and experts and providing treatment advice. They will also provide disease prevention and control know-how to Chinese communities and students in Italy, and offer them protective supplies and traditional Chinese medicines. The experts will mainly work in the Tuscany region of Italy. The flight took off at about 11:10 a.m. from Fuzhou Changle International Airport and is scheduled to arrive in Milan at 4:45 p.m. local time. Also on board the plane were about eight tonnes of medical supplies donated by the province, including 30 ventilators, 20 sets of medical monitors, 3,000 protective suits, 300,000 medical masks, 20,000 N95 masks and 3,000 face shields. Previously, China sent two medical groups with a total of 22 people along with more than 20 tonnes of medical supplies to support Italy's epidemic fight. COVID-19 had claimed 6,820 lives as of Tuesday evening in Italy, which has lost more lives than any other country to the pandemic. The cumulative number of the novel coronavirus cases in Italy reached 69,176, the largest number outside China. Huang Yu, a provincial health official and leader of the team, said China has acquired extensive experience in its fight against the disease, and they are ready to share it with their Italian colleagues. "We are honored to be given the task assigned by our country, and we will do our best to help the Italian people tide over the difficulties," Huang said. Xu Nengluan, director of the infectious diseases department of Fujian Provincial Hospital, has been treating COVID-19 patients for over two months. "For our medics, saving lives knows no borders," Xu said, commenting on his new task in Italy. The Chinese government has announced assistance to 82 countries, the World Health Organization and the African Union, including test kits, masks and protective suits. Many batches of supplies have reached the recipients, China's foreign ministry said last Friday. CLEVELAND, Ohio Pro-immigration groups want state and federal officials to release as many inmates as possible in Ohio, including anyone awaiting deportation and asylum decisions, to prevent a coronavirus outbreak in jails. The letter is signed by the Ohio Immigrant Alliance and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, among dozens of other state organizations and hundreds of people. The organization sent the letter to Gov. Mike DeWine and the state Health Department, as well as the four sheriffs offices that operate jails that contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Medical doctors have been warning that the jail setting is a veritable Petri dish for infectious disease, the letter says. Proactive, sweeping measures are needed to keep COVID-19 out of our jails and slow its destructive path. The letter asks for leaders to dramatically reduce the number of people in jails and prisons, suspend deportations and ICE arrests and close the Cleveland Immigration Court. Jail staff should also provide free access to soap, hand sanitizer, health care and phone and video calls to inmates, the letter says. The letter mirrors recommendations made by other groups who have advocated to reduce jail populations. Immigration organizations have long pushed for ICE and immigration courts to release people awaiting a decision out on bond, though the number of detainees has increased under President Donald Trump. Ohio had 564 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday. Some jails, including the one in Cuyahoga County, have taken steps to reduce the inmate population. Advocates complain, however, that immigration authorities thus far have declined to take meaningful action. In Ohio, the federal government houses immigrant detainees in jails in Geauga, Morrow, Seneca and Butler counties. ICE ended its contract in February with a private prison in Youngstown. Khaalid Walls, a spokesman for ICEs operations in Ohio and Michigan, said Wednesday that none of the roughly 280 detainees in custody in Ohio have tested positive for the coronavirus and that officials were taking steps to protect those in custody. However, an ICE detainee in a jail in Hackensack, New Jersey tested positive, CNN reported Tuesday. The Justice Departments Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees the immigration courts, has delayed many hearings for people not in ICE custody as a precaution. Hearings involving immigrants in custody, often done via videoconference, remain scheduled. Dr. Laura Chambers-Kersh, who practices family medicine in Beavercreek near Dayton, said during a conference call Tuesday that immigration detention centers are the perfect arrangement to cause an explosion of COVID-19 cases. Chambers-Kersh, who worked to combat an outbreak of the Ebola virus in Liberia in 2015 and has done exams on asylum seekers in ICE custody, said action is necessary because of conditions. Cramped, overcrowded quarters with limited access to basic preventive measures like soap and water, hand sanitizer and the ability to social distance, she said. When asked what authority the state had to take such actions, especially for immigrants in federal custody, Lynn Tramonte of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance suggested that the state could a legal and health-related reason to do so, like it did to halt last weeks presidential primary election. Read more: Immigration courts, including one in Cleveland, postpone many hearings due to coronavirus ICE to stop housing immigrant detainees at private Youngstown prison Ohio counties earn millions on ICEs hunt for undocumented immigrants Response coordinator for White House Coronavirus Task Force Deborah Birx speaks, while US President Donald Trump listens, during the daily briefing on the CCP virus, at the White House in Washington, DC on March 24, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Anyone Who Leaves New York City Should Self-Quarantine for 14 Days: White House Officials Any person who has left New York City and the New York Metro area should self-quarantine for 14 days since the time they left the area to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 throughout the country, White House officials announced Tuesday. We remain deeply concerned about New York City and the New York metro area, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Debbie Birx said. About 56 percent of all the cases in the United States are coming out of that metro area and 60 percent of all the new cases are coming out of the metro New York area, and 31 percent of the people succumbing to this disease. It means, because they still are at the 31 percent mortality compared to the other regions of the country, that we can have a huge impact if we unite together, Birx said, adding that it is critical that everyone is following new presidential guidelines (pdf) put out by the White House Coronavirus Task Force on March 15. To everyone who has left New York over the last few days, because of the rate of the number of cases, you may have been exposed before you left New York Everybody who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days to ensure that the virus doesnt spread to others, no matter where they have gone, whether its Florida, North Carolina, or out to far reaches of Long Island. We are starting to see new cases across Long Island that suggests people have left the city. This will be very critical that those individuals do self-quarantine in their homes over the next 14 days to make sure that they dont pass the virus to others based on the time that they left New York. So if theyre already 4 days out then its just 10 more days. Vice President Mike Pence said that everyone in the United States should be heeding the guidelines which recommends to avoid non-essential travel. He called New York City metro area a high risk area. Doctors test hospital staff with flu-like symptoms for the CCP virus in tents set up to triage possible COVID-19 patients outside before they enter the main emergency department area at St. Barnabas hospital in the Bronx borough of New York City on March 24, 2020. (Misha Friedman/Getty Images) A commuter crosses 42nd Street in front of Grand Central Terminal during morning rush hour on March 23, 2020, in New York. (Mark Lennihan/AP Photo) Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, concurred with Birxs assessment and called New Yorks situation very serious. Its a very serious situation, theyve [New Yorkers have] suffered terribly through no fault of their own, he said. If you look at the statistics, its disturbing, about 1 per 1,000 of these individuals are infected, thats about eight to ten times more than in other areas, he said, and noted that New Yorkers are understandably wanting to leave the city for other areas in the United States. When they go to another placefor their own safety, theyve got to be careful, monitor themselves, if they get sick bring it to the attention of a physician, get tested, Fauci said, and again reiterated that a self-isolation of two weeks since leaving New York will be very important because we dont want that to be another seeding point for the rest of the country wherever they go. Confirmed cases of the CCP virus continue to rise in the United States as testing and access to it improves and as more people are becoming exposed to the virus. New Yorks case count appears to be doubling every three days, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo. New York surpassed 25,000 cases on Tuesday and has logged at least 210 deaths due to the CCP virus. The United States confirmed more than 10,000 new cases on Tuesday, the highest number of new CCP virus cases reported in one day in the country so far. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. View our special coverage on the CCP virus here. Read More Editorial: Giving the Right Name to the Virus Causing a Worldwide Pandemic The White House and Senate struck a deal on a roughly $2 trillion economic rescue package early Wednesday that lacks separate energy provisions sought by Republicans and Capitol Hill Democrats. Driving the news: It omits $3 billion to buy roughly 77 million barrels of oil for the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a plan Democrats called a "bailout" for the oil industry, per Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. The money was in the prior GOP-crafted Senate bill that stalled earlier in the week. But, but, but: The plan also apparently does not include provisions that renewable power companies sought as they warn of widespread project delays and layoffs due to COVID-19 and the economic slowdown. The industry's asks included flexibility around deadlines to use tax credits and the ability to quickly monetize the incentives. What they're saying: A Democratic aide familiar with the talks says Schumer and Democrats told Republicans that they either cut the SPR provision or "give Dems a litany of clean energy tax credits, including solar and wind energy tax credits." Where it stands: The deal also does not include provisions in the House Democrats' package that would impose new carbon emissions requirements on airlines receiving aid. Some Senate Democrats had also wanted to include these measures. What's next: I'll be looking to see if negotiations around the oil and renewables provisions resume if and when probably the latter there are subsequent economic packages. Go deeper: 10 ways coronavirus is changing energy and climate change Editor's note: This story has been updated to include new information about the absence of carbon emissions requirements for airlines. COLLEGE PARK, Md., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- If you admire your CPA for that unflappable aura of calm at the height of tax season even during this unusual tax season there's something you should know. "That's just a facade," says Samuel Handwerger, a practicing accountant and full-time lecturer in the department of accounting and information assurance at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. "When you put the fear of the virus, the economy, and the future all together in one moment in time, it's a formula for something not at all reposeful." In his less-than-tranquil free moments, Handwerger decided to focus not on all of the economic and societal uncertainties brought by the global pandemic, but instead on what he knows to be true. Here's the advice he's giving to his clients, and anyone else who needs to hear it. First, watch out for cybercrime. "It is a rather sad part of our world at large. Even at times like this, there is an evil element waiting to take advantage of people," he says. Bogus charities already exist, asking you for money for the coronavirus crisis whether for cures or to help people in need. Do yourself and your money a favor, he says, and give only to registered charities as found on guidestar.org or the IRS website. Understand what's tax-deductible. Understand that a legitimate charity can raise money for a particular individual or family, but money donated with such in mind is not tax deductible. In essence, it is considered a gift to the person(s) so named. The charity should so inform you. Prepare for jobless benefit taxes. Many companies may be laying off employees, some of them just temporarily. These workers will be eligible for unemployment compensation. But they should remember that these monies are taxable. No withholding tax will be taken out initially, but the income will be reported later, and tax may be owed next tax filing season. Budget accordingly, if you can. Be careful tapping into savings. In a financial crisis, you may look to your retirement account for money. If you are under age 59 and a half, pulling money from retirement might be not only taxable, but also subject to a 10% penalty. There are possible exceptions to the penalty, depending on the kind of retirement account you have and the reason why you require the money. "Understand that needing the money just to pay the rent might not avoid the penalty, no matter how desperate that sounds," Handwerger says. Take money first from a Roth IRA that has been funded for at least five years or from non-retirement savings. Know the costs of working from home. Many of us are working from home for now. Prior to the tax law changes made by the TCJA of 2017, the costs incurred while working from home for the convenience of the employer may have been tax deductible, subject to certain limitations. The TCJA eliminated all of that for employees. The self-employed can more easily deduct home office type costs. If you are an employee and can convince your employer to reimburse you for your trouble to work from home, the employer need only establish what is called an "accountable" plan and it will be tax deductible to the employer and not taxable to you. "This could be a great way to create a little happiness within the dark cloud. The types of costs eligible for this often do not add up to much, but, hey," Handwerger says, "every little bit helps." Examples may include a portion of your utility costs, internet fees, cellphone use, supplies and so on. Count your added childcare costs. If you need to hire someone to come take care of the kids while you work from home, these costs will invariably be eligible for the childcare credit or for reimbursement from a childcare program at work, if your employer has one. Remember that eligible caregiving employees can include certain family members, such as grandparents, but, Handwerger adds, "given the health risks to the elderly (like me!) this is probably not the right thing to do to those grandparents just for a tax break!" Take a deep breath. The IRS last week announced that tax returns are not due on that infamous April 15, rather both the returns and any payments due, including the 1st 2020 quarter estimates, are due July 15th, 2020. "Hopefully," Handwerger says, "it will ease some stress in an otherwise stressful period and help us all appear a bit more serene if only from the outside." Go to Smith Brain Trust for related content at http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/faculty-research/smithbraintrust and follow on Twitter @SmithBrainTrust. About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, specialty masters, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia. Contact: Greg Muraski at [email protected] Related Links https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business Related Links https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu Oil companies are already beginning to pare back their activity in the Permian, with cutbacks coming not just from smaller drillers, but also the oil majors. Chevron said on Tuesday that it would cut capex this year by 20 percent, or $4 billion, with half of that cut concentrated on its Permian operations. Given the decline in commodity prices, we are taking actions expected to preserve cash, support our balance sheet strength, lower short-term production, and preserve long-term value, Chevron CEO Michael Wirth said in a statement. Lower spending will translate into the majors Permian output ending the year 120,000 barrels per day lower than previously expected. The flexibility of our capital program allows us to respond to these unexpected market conditions by deferring short-cycle investments and pacing projects not yet under construction, Jay Johnson, Executive Vice President of Upstream, said. Chevron also said that it would suspend its share buyback program, but the spending cuts were aimed at defending its dividend. Our focus is on protecting the dividend, CFO Pierre Breber said. Prior to the announcement, Chevron needed oil prices at around $50 per barrel in order to finance its operations and cover its dividend, according to an estimate from Goldman Sachs. The oil majors decision to slash spending is aimed at maintaining those shareholder payouts in a world of much lower pricing. The decision was couched as a temporary measure, with the companys Permian project ramping up as soon as the pandemic and oil market bust blew over. This is the fourth time in my career Ive seen [crude] prices drop by more than 50% in a very short period of time, Wirth told CNBC. Weve been here before, we know what to do, were taking action. Related: What Happens If U.S. Shale Goes Bust? But the language sounds rather optimistic, given the historic rout in global demand. Morgan Stanley said that U.S. GDP could contract by a whopping 30 percent in the second quarter. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said that U.S. unemployment could reach 30 percent, a level not seen even during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The airline industry is preparing for a nationwide shutdown of virtually all passenger flights for a period of time. While everyone is hoping that the shutdown related to the global pandemic is temporary, there will almost certainly be lasting economic scars. More directly related to the oil industry, the piling up of oil inventories to unprecedented levels means that oil prices wont simply return $50+ after the worst of the pandemic passes. The only thing that will help the oil price long term is a lasting removal from the markets of overcapacities, which is already beginning now, Commerzbank said in a report on Tuesday. Be it state-owned oil companies, large international energy corporations or US shale oil companies, all of them will soon (have to) massively reduce their investments. On Monday, S&P Ratings cut its outlook for Chevrons credit to negative from stable. The Permian basin lost 13 rigs last week, but because there is typically a several-month lag between major price movements and changes in the rig count, the worst for the Permian lies ahead. Schlumberger, the worlds largest oilfield services company, announced on Tuesday plans to cut spending by 30 percent this year. The company said that the U.S. rig count could fall below the 2016 nadir, when Permian rigs bottomed out below 150 (less than half of current levels) and total U.S. rigs fell to around 400, compared to 772 currently. In other words, the shale industry is set to scrap hundreds of rigs in the coming months, according to the worlds largest oilfield services company. Last week, Halliburton announced plans to furlough 3,500 workers. Related: Cesium - The Most Important Metal Youve Never Heard Of ExxonMobil has yet to reveal its revised spending program, but it too will likely cut spending. Exxon needs oil prices as high as $70 per barrel in order to finance its dividend and cover expenses. Its dividend yield is trading at around 10 percent, which many analysts see as unsustainable. Exxon has borrowed to cover its shareholder payouts, but it also just saw its credit rating cut. Something has to give, and Exxon will almost certainly feel compelled to follow in Chevrons footsteps and slash its Permian operations. Reuters reports that Exxons large offshore gas drilling project and LNG export terminal in Mozambique could be delayed. Exxons East Africa campaign is one of just a handful of flagship projects worldwide for the major, along with offshore drilling in Guyana, LNG in Papua New Guinea, and, of course, fracking in the Permian and associated petrochemical projects on the Texas coast. The cuts from Chevron and likely forthcoming cuts from Exxon are a substantial climb down from just a few weeks ago. Both majors gave their annual Investor Day presentations just three weeks ago, in which they reiterated their aggressive drilling and production targets in the Permian. But everything has changed since then. With Brent in the $25 per barrel range, roughly 10 percent of global supply is uneconomic. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: KABUL: Some unidentified gunmen and suicide bombers attacked a Sikh religious premise in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Wednesday (March 25, 2020). According to the Interior Ministry, defence forces had blocked off the entire area and are trying to counter the attack. Arian confirmed that a group of suicide bombers intruded into a Sikh temple in Shor Bazar area at around 7:45 am local time. Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said that it was not immediately clear who the attackers were or whether there were any casualties. Officials in Kabul Police Headquarters confirmed that the police forces are responding to an attack inside a Sikh Temple in Shor Bazar area of Kabul city. Till the last report came in, the Afghan security forces were trying to clean the temple from the attacking insurgents. However, an eyewitness close to the Gurudwara said, on the condition of anonymity, that he had heard two blasts so far. The Afghan security sources later told the country's media that the Haqqani network (Quetta Shura) wanted to attack the Indian Mission in Kabul but could not do so due to tight security. Since they were not able to attack the Indian Mission, they attacked the Gurudwara instead, the sources said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 20:31:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Wednesday urged Israel to immediately release over 5,000 Palestinian prisoners from its jails amidst an outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. In a press statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Israeli Prisons Service (IPS) is not providing proper health protection to Palestinian prisoners, despite an alarming increase of coronavirus cases in Israel. "Israel is in violation of its obligations under international law, the Geneva Conventions and human rights principles that demand Israel, as the occupying power, to take full and direct responsibility for the life and health of the prisoners," said the statement. "Palestine will continue to follow up on the health conditions of the prisoners in light of the outbreak of this pandemic with the relevant international parties, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross," it added. Earlier, a Palestinian prisoner in an Israeli prison located in the south of Israel set fire to a room used by the prison guards in protest of the prison authorities "neglect of the health conditions for the prisoners," according to official sources. Qadri Abu Bakr, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Detainees Affairs Commission, said IPS reduced the medical staff in jails to only one nurse in every facility, warning that this situation could lead to serious reactions from the prisoners. Last week, Palestinian and Israeli sources said that four Palestinian prisoners in Megiddo prison were quarantined after they were suspected of contracting coronavirus disease from an Israeli interrogator. Abu Bakr urged the International Red Cross and other human rights organizations to intervene on behalf of the prisoners to make sure they get the proper health care amid the global coronavirus pandemic. There are over 5,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including around 300 children, according to official data. New Yorks coronavirus outbreak has violently erupted over the past few days, and the state is now driving the national epidemic while on the West Coast, public health experts are wondering if an early and aggressive response saved California from a similar fate. California reported some of the earliest coronavirus cases in the United States in late January. And in the first week of March, California and New York were neck and neck on cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. But over the past week, New York case counts have doubled every few days, and the state now has 10 times the cases California does: 25,000 to 2,500. Infectious-disease experts say early maneuvers in California, especially in the Bay Area first discouraging people from gathering in crowds and then ordering them to shelter in place may have had a dramatic impact, even if they came only a few days ahead of those in New York. But other factors may also be in play. New York is testing far more people three times as many as California and therefore identifying more cases, for example. And its possible that whats happening 3,000 miles away could be Californias future. New York may just be three or four days in front of us. Were going to see an increase in the number of cases here as well, said Dr. Warner Greene, a senior investigator at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco who specializes in HIV but is studying the new coronavirus. Days matter they really matter. You think youre fine, youre absolutely fine, but this thing is just waiting to explode. But we went into shelter in place quicker; we got people apart quicker, Greene said. That could be a contributing factor to what were seeing in California now. And thats why I think the whole country should be sheltering in place. The World Health Organization on Tuesday identified the United States as the next potential epicenter of the pandemic, with China and South Korea both on a path to recovery and Italy starting to see signs of its outbreak slowing down, though gradually. New York state now makes up roughly half of the United States 50,000 cases of COVID-19. Tuesday afternoon, experts on the White House Coronavirus Task Force advised that residents who have fled New York City, where the bulk of cases are located, should place themselves in a two-week quarantine to avoid infecting people in other parts of the country. The state is also testing more people than anywhere else in the country 90,000 as of Monday, compared with about 27,000 in California. How and why New Yorks testing is so far beyond Californias isnt clear. California officials will explain the ambiguity on Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said earlier this week when asked about the discrepancy at a news conference. But testing alone doesnt explain why New Yorks case counts are so much higher than Californias, or why the rate is spiraling up so fast on the East Coast. The death toll in New York was four times higher than Californias 210 deaths to 51, as of Tuesday evening. Deaths tend to be a much more reliable marker of the spread of the disease than cases because determining how someone died is not dependent on the availability of testing kits. Also, hospitals across New York state, and in New York City in particular, are filling up, but California hasnt yet seen a similar surge. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued stay at home orders last Friday, one day after Newsom did the same for California and four days after Bay Area health officers told 6.7 million people to shelter in place. New York City and the Bay Area had about 450 and 300 cases, respectively, when the Bay Area stay-home orders were issued on March 16. When Cuomo shut down the state on March 20, New York City had 5,500 cases. The Bay Area: 539. Shelter-in-place orders hadnt been in effect long enough to entirely account for the dramatic differences, but the Bay Area issued other directives earlier, such as shutting down mass gatherings, advising people to work at home when possible, and asking older adults and people with compromised immune systems to stay home. We were more aggressive; we got out there a little earlier, said Dr. John Swartzberg, an infectious disease expert at UC Berkeley. We were maybe a week up on New York, and that doesnt sound like much time, but in terms of the spread of this pandemic, its enormous. Indeed, lessons from the 1918 influenza pandemic taught public health leaders that speedy, assertive actions could save lives, said Dr. George Rutherford, a UCSF infectious-disease expert who has been consulting with Bay Area officials on the coronavirus response. Time is critical. You cant be late, not even by a week, Rutherford said. We moved to lockdown, for lack of a better phrase, relatively quickly. I think were reaping the benefits. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. There are other explanations for New Yorks particularly brutal outbreak. New York City has the densest population in the country, and for a virus that spreads primarily by close contact, density could make a huge difference. For weeks, if not months, New Yorkers were crowding subways, high-rise elevators and even sidewalks while the coronavirus spread among them. Even in the Bay Area, where BART trains can be packed at commute hours, there isnt nearly the same level of close gathering. Different places appear to have very different disease dynamic, said Dr. Robert Siegel, a Stanford infectious-disease expert. You could have predicted New York was going to have a big problem because of the high density of people, which is ideal for spreading the virus. Were spread out more in California. Cultural issues also could play a role, though infectious-disease experts arent sure in what ways New Yorkers might differ from Californians that might explain the differences. New York City has a younger population than San Francisco, and its bars stay open two hours later every night perhaps that factored into the spread of the disease, experts said. And some of the explanation may come down to luck. In pandemics, certain individuals are sometimes found to be so-called super-spreaders, capable of infecting dozens or even hundreds of others. In the 2004 SARS epidemic, also caused by a coronavirus, one person in Canada was linked to 128 cases in a hospital. No super-spreaders have been identified in the current outbreak, but that doesnt mean a few particularly contagious people arent at the center of some clusters in New York, Rutherford said. Local and state leaders warn that California will surely see its case counts climb in the coming weeks. And California, too, is bracing for a surge on hospitals that could strain resources beyond capacity. New York may be on a more advanced track than California, but that doesnt mean the West Coast wont end up on a similar trajectory. I can feel confident that things are going to get worse before they get better, said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, at a news conference on Monday, during which he advised residents to take seriously the orders to stay at home. Every community where the virus has taken hold has seen a surge in coronavirus patients who need to be hospitalized, Colfax said. We expect that to happen in San Francisco soon, in a week or two, or perhaps even less. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The export of jewelry from Turkey to Kazakhstan increased by 4.4 times from January through February 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, amounting to $ 1.854 million, Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend. The export of jewelry from Turkey to Kazakhstan increased 38.86 times in February 2020, compared to February 2019, amounting to $ 1.507 million. The export of jewelry from Turkey to world markets grew by 28 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period last year, amounting to $664.298 million. Jewelry exports from Turkey amounted to 2.3 percent of the country's total exports from January through February 2020. Turkey exported jewelry worth $ 372.356 million to the world markets in February 2020, which is 49.7 percent more than in the same period in 2019. Turkish jewelry exports amounted to 2.5 percent of the country's total exports in February 2020. Turkey exported jewelry worth $4.248 billion from February 2019 through February 2020. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The Syrian Interim Government has provided an update regarding their efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in their areas of control reports Ana Press. The health minister in the Syrian Interim Government affiliated with the National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, Maram al-Qadi, told Ana Press over the phone about recent developments regarding confronting the coronavirus in northern Syria. Qadi said: After communicating with the World Health Organization with regards to speeding up the scheduled work plan, the cluster (participating organizations) coordinator promised swift analyses that would be within three days in the early warning laboratory in Idleb. He said that, awareness efforts are accelerating the work of the awareness committee, which was also promised by the coordinator of participating organizations, Jorge Castilla. He said that, The Turkish side have a full plan to deal with the coronavirus in the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch areas, adding that, We are coordinating with them in that. He said that, in terms of individual efforts, there are a number of educational activities that are being carried out by ministries, directorates, the Civil Defense, and other organizations, as part of the unification of awareness efforts a clear and unified strategy has been developed to deal with awareness. He said that, three suspected cases occurred in Afrin. Samples were taken and two were negative and the third was an invalid sample for testing. He said that with regards to Idleb, the plan there involves three advanced isolation centers and 28 social isolation units that will be set up soon. The health minister told Ana Press that, The four cases in Atmeh that were suspected were not confirmed due to the need to establish laboratories Samples were taken by the early warning network and the network is coordinating with our Turkish brothers to send samples to Turkey for examination. He said: Tomorrow, we have an online workshop with many actors in this field, including the World Health Organization, and added, We will evaluate what the awareness committee and the needs assessment committee have done, and we will discuss what we can do according to our capabilities outside the plan that has been developed. He stressed that all public institutions, including the Ministry of Defense and the National Army, are being used in the plan. There is a forthcoming meeting between the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the government to coordinate the process. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. GRAND RAPIDS, MI The Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan is launching a new podcast tonight as a resource to support those struggling with isolation, anxiety, depression and financial uncertainty during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. In partnership with Infinity Podcast and the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, the foundation will launch Navigating Mental Health During Quarantine, its first podcast segment at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 25 on its website, www.benice.org. It will be available in eight languages. On Thursday at 8 p.m. the group will also host a Facebook Live event answering the publics questions. Our goal is getting information out there to people and making sure that we are paying attention to peoples mental health right now, not just dismissing it as them having to stay inside, Buck told MLive. I want to go beyond that and look at, for example, if in two weeks the typical behavior of a good friend of mind is different now. I need to reach out and make sure I am connecting them with resources such as a help line. During the podcast, Christy Buck, executive director of the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, will share the signs to watch for that could be a change in mental health, how to continue human connection during social isolation, spring being a high-risk time for suicide, and how we can empower ourselves and others to stay healthy. Tonights 30-minute podcast uses the organizations be nice action plan, which is a four-step plan to notice, invite, challenge and empower individuals to take action when they or someone they know may be experiencing a change in their mental health. Besides English, the Hispanic Center is making it available in Spanish, Kinyarwanda, Swahili, Nepali, Burmese, Vietnamese, and Arabic. Buck said we are all struggling in our own ways with the pandemic but for some people it can overwhelming. As of Wednesday, there were 1,791 confirmed cases in the state and 24 deaths. Kent County has 31 cases and one death. A number of people across the state and country have been laid off as businesses close their doors either voluntarily or by executive order to halt the spread of the coronavirus. This week, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered people to shelter in place. Businesses deemed non-essential are required keep their employees offsite through April 13. Buck said she wants people to focus on what they can control, including washing their hands for 20 seconds, practicing social distancing and connecting with friends and loved ones. "This podcast will offer a greater understanding that we need to be watching each others mental health and when it gets serious we need to get somebody some assistance,'' Buck said. Buck said the centers leaders reached out to her last week about providing a resource for people in the community. She said their organization has worked closely with the Kent County Health Department but their studio because the building is off limits due to conronavirus restrictions. So, she said she teamed up with John Mackay, founder of Infinity Podcast and host of the John Mackay 360 radio program. Buck said Mackay recently lost a friend to suicide and had reached out to the organization earlier in the year about partnering on an initiative. Beside Buck and Mackay, Jessica Jones, program promotion coordinator for foundation, will also participate in tonights podcast. The second podcast is planned for next Wednesday, April 1 at the same time. The foundations website has additional resources under the Get Help to complement the conversation. The group is expanding the resources available online. More on MLive: Wednesday, March 25: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigan Attorney General asks local law enforcement to handle violations of coronavirus stay home order Three generations make sure 85-year-old man doesnt spend birthday alone while social distancing A draft copy of the massive $2 trillion Senate coronavirus rescue package expected to be passed on Wednesday would bar companies receiving federal loans from stock buybacks for one year after the loan is paid back. The bill authorizes $25 billion in loans to passenger air carriers, $4 billion to cargo air carriers, and $17 billion for "businesses critical to maintaining national security." It also authorizes up to $454 billion in loans to other eligible businesses otherwise unable to receive credit. The legislation would also bar large companies from paying dividends to shareholders for one year after the loan is paid back, and from reducing their employment levels by 10% until the end of September. Midsized companies would be barred from paying dividends while the loan is outstanding. In addition to loans, the legislation also authorizes cash grants to those in the airline industry. It calls for $25 billion in grants for passenger airlines, $4 billion for cargo carriers and $3 billion for contractors. The grant conditions call for a pause on dividends and buybacks through September 2021 and a pledge to "refrain from conducting involuntary furloughs or reducing pay rates and benefits until September 30, 2020." Liberals and some high-profile conservatives expressed support for conditions on taxpayer assistance to companies hit by COVID-19. President Donald Trump, during a White House news briefing last week, said he supported such a provision. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a former Democratic presidential candidate, contended that bailed-out firms should be barred from conducting buybacks permanently. The text of the legislation will have to be finalized and voted on by the Senate, approved by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and signed by Trump before becoming law. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation later Wednesday. The House is unlikely to vote on the matter until Thursday. -- CNBC's Kayla Tausche contributed to this report. Every pandemic in history has had its share of miracle potions and magic cures, most of which, sadly, have been anything but. Nonetheless, there is a real sense of the miraculous about the contraption sitting before me in a factory workshop on the outskirts of Worcester. It is the prototype of a mass- production hospital ventilator, built from scratch in a week and it has been running for several days without a glitch. In Wales, meanwhile, an ex-Army medical officer-turned-hospital consultant, Rhys Thomas, has teamed up with a local engineering company to produce a basic ventilator which could release sophisticated equipment for the most critical patients. Nick Grey is a former vacuum cleaner engineer who created Gtech (short for Grey Technology) in 2002. He has now invented a ventilator to help with the coronavirus crisis It has already been used with encouraging results on a Covid-19 patient in Llanelli. A further four are being sent for hospital trials this weekend, and it could enter production shortly. Across the UK, household names from Dyson to McLaren and Rolls-Royce are busy on similar projects as the Government seeks to triple its stock of ventilators from around 10,000 to 30,000 in a matter of weeks. No fewer than 3,000 companies, large and small, have stepped forward to help. In short, we are witnessing the greatest instant industrial revolution since World War II, when Churchill created the Ministry of Aircraft Production on the eve of the Battle of Britain. That was a decision that changed the course of history. Back then, British production lines re-tooled almost overnight to make Spitfires and other aircraft. Race Today, we need ventilators. And so I have come to meet one of the teams in the vanguard of what is a genuine life-or-death race against time. I am at Gtech, the Worcester-based maker of cordless vacuum cleaners, hedge-strimmers and much else. But theyre not bothered with household appliances right now. Instead, they have built what, to the untrained eye, could almost be an A-Level physics project. However, in a matter of days, one of these may already be supporting a Covid-19 victim. There is nothing remotely fancy about this modest assembly of tubes and cylinders. There are no flashing lights, no screens. It has been specifically designed to be electricity-free and run off an oxygen tank in order to make it as portable as possible and the finished product will have just three controls (apart from the on/off switch). I am at Gtech (pictured), the Worcester-based maker of cordless vacuum cleaners, hedge-strimmers and much else, writes ROBERT HARDMAN But it fulfils the original brief from the Government: give us a machine that can pump 400ml of air into the lungs 12 times a minute, with variable speed and pressure settings. Two senior consultants from a major hospital came to inspect it on Sunday, liked what they saw and suggested some modifications (all now completed). Another inspection was due last night. Subject to alterations and approvals, the doctors said they could do with 80 of these machines. We would aim to make 100 a day, says Nick Grey, the former vacuum cleaner engineer who created Gtech (short for Grey Technology) in 2002 and has since sold more than 22 million products in 19 countries. Never before, though, has he got a product from the pencil and paper stage to production in just over a week. But then, as he points out, weve never known a challenge like this. It was in the early hours of Sunday, March 15 that Nick, 51, received an email from the Governments Chief Commercial Officer asking for help. At first I thought it was some sort of hoax, he says. Come Sunday afternoon, though, he realised it was deadly serious when he was invited to join a conference call to discuss specifications. So he contacted his research and development (R&D) team the same day with a simple message: Were going to do ventilators. They quickly rose to the challenge. Nick tracked down an old hospital ventilator a Blease 2200 on eBay, of all places, for 200 to focus minds. One former employee drove up from Dorset there and then to assist. By Tuesday, we had a ventilator that was working but not automatic, says Nick. By Thursday, we had one running reliably and, on Friday afternoon, we had a video conference with the Government and a panel of clinicians. They were very positive about what they saw, asked for some changes and told us to move on to the next stage preparing to manufacture. Nick (pictured) reminds me of the late Trevor Bayliss. I once spent a fascinating day in Trevors shed on Eel Pie Island in the River Thames, the same one in which he invented, among other things, the clockwork radio, writes ROBERT HARDMAN The last piece of the jigsaw has been to perfect a pneumatic valve which Nick calls a spring toggle to switch the direction of air flow, using a spring rather than gravity. As I arrive at the high-tech plant outside Worcester, one of Nicks team dashes up with the news that a business in Wolverhampton has just called to say it can make this device and will have some ready overnight. I want to keep the components to a minimum right now its 23 to make it as easy as possible for other people to manufacture it, Nick explains. He has already had calls from as far afield as Australia, Spain and Venezuela. Well make what we can here, but we want people making them wherever. As soon as the plans are approved, anyone can have them. Theres no patent and Im not asking for money, says Nick. There is no reason why, in time, even a good school DT department couldnt make one. Inside the R&D modelling shop, I watch his prototype puffing away while some of his engineers all young, enthusiastic think-out-of-the-box types beaver away at their workbenches refining valves and tubes. Persistence Here is a really rather moving reminder of that great British talent for deploying lateral thinking, dogged persistence and a few bits and bobs to produce world-changing inventions. When it comes to the pinch, I think Britain is generally pretty good at ideas, says Nick, pointing to our wartime development of radar. He reminds me of the late Trevor Bayliss. I once spent a fascinating day in Trevors shed on Eel Pie Island in the River Thames, the same one in which he invented, among other things, the clockwork radio. He was later made a CBE and was praised by world leaders, including Nelson Mandela, for changing the lives of millions. There is a touch of Sir Christopher Cockerell, too. Whos Christopher Cockerell? asks Nick. I remind him that he was the man who invented the hovercraft with two tin cans and a vacuum cleaner. I never was much taken with school, laughs the father of four young children. As Nick runs through his spreadsheet of all the local metal-bashing, steel-bending, laser-printing companies with whom he and his 180-strong staff work on a regular basis and who are flocking to help I am also reminded what a formidable engineering powerhouse we have in the West Midlands. On my way out, a man is waiting for Nick in the car park. He introduces himself as Derek French, a 64-year-old ex-spanner man from the local motor trade. He has just heard about the ventilator project on the radio and wants to work on the production line free of charge. We are not there just yet. The Government says it is at the proof of concept stage with several devices, and hopes to see the first prototypes enter production within weeks. The Gtech Ventilator will still need fine-tuning. Many other great British companies may come up with something similar or better. But right now, after watching this truly uplifting exercise in brainstorming and hard graft on a Worcester industrial estate, I am more convinced than ever: we ARE going to nail this thing. JACKSON, MI Two weeks ago, people could leave the Grand River Brewery with bottles of locally-distilled bourbon, vodka, gin, rum, whiskey and more. On Tuesday, March 24, brewery employees were hauling a different kind of liquid out the doors hand sanitizer. They loaded two 55-gallon drums of sanitizer onto a truck, which hauled it off to Henry Ford Allegiance Health, up the road in Jackson. Hand sanitizer is a growing need across the country, as people pump it out by the handful in hopes of steering clear of COVID-19, the disease caused by novel coronavirus. "It's really nothing," said brewery owner John Burtka. "It's a no brainer." HFAH covered some costs of making the sanitizer, but Burtka said hes donating the rest. Burtka started talking with hospital officials last week, and they told him they could use more hand sanitizer. Using a World Health Organization formula, brewery workers manually blended ethanol, glycerol, hydrogen peroxide and distilled water to make the sanitizer on Tuesday. Employees load a pair of 55-gallon drums of hand sanitizer onto a truck, to be taken to Henry Ford Allegiance Health on Tuesday, March 24. Dont expect to see any GRB-branded hand sanitizer bottles on the shelves, however. Grand River Brewery is a small-batch distillery, so it doesnt have the capacity to make large batches of sanitizer. But if Burtka can get more supplies, he hopes to make more. The brewery closed last week, not long after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the temporary ban on dining in at restaurants, to limit community spread of the coronavirus. "Everybody in our company is laid off right now, and these people just came in to volunteer to do this," Burtka said of the employees who helped concoct the sanitizer. "Which was really cool." As the pandemic financially stomps on small businesses across the area, Burtka said he's been proud to see the attitude of the small business community. The Jackson-area business community has stepped up in the past week from businesses giving free food to their employees and random strangers, to a metal fabricator retooling to make face masks for hospitals to the Consumers Energy CEO giving $1 million of her own money to help small businesses stay afloat. Were just trying to do a little bit of our part, Burtka said. I think theres a lot of people that are doing that. Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here See what Jackson looks like on first day of stay-at-home order due to COVID-19 6th Jackson County person tests positive for COVID-19, officials call it tip of the iceberg Florist hopes to bring smiles to care home with flower donation Jackson metal fabricator retools factory to make face shields for hospitals Why didnt I get my haircut 2 weeks earlier? Jackson resident reacts to stay-at-home order Consumers Energy CEO Patti Poppe gives $1M in coronavirus aid to Jackson small businesses Rooftop preaching, drive-thru services encapsulate church in the age of coronavirus Jacksons collaboration muscles paying off, says nonprofit CEO creating COVID-19 relief fund How Grandma Sarahs soup is inspiring goodwill amid coronavirus crisis Canada announced Wednesday it is imposing mandatory self-isolation for those returning to Canada under the Quarantine Act. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said it will begin at midnight Wednesday and the requirement will be for 14 days. It will be a legal obligation for people entering Canada from outside Canada, Freeland said. Essential workers are excluded. Freeland said penalties will be announced later Wednesday. More than a million Canadians and permanent residents returned to Canada between March 14 to March 20, according to Canada Border Services. The mandatory quarantine will not apply to truck drivers and health care workers crossing the border. Canada relies on cross border trade for essential goods like food. Canada and the United States already closed the border for all non-essential travel. Freeland said those who have already returned should be be self-isolating at home already. She said it is critical to protect the health of Canadians and ultimately to ensure that the country's economic rebound comes more quickly. If we can flatten the curve then we can go back to normal life more quickly, she said. Health Minister Patty Hajdu said on Twitter that the government is making self isolating for returning Canadians and permanent residents mandatory to better protect Canada's most vulnerable. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced his his government will offer $2,000 Canadian (US$1,395) a month, for the next 4 months, for workers who lose their income as a result of the pandemic. Trudeau said Canada is facing a once in a generation challenge and noted a million Canadians applied for employment insurance in a week. "Help is on the way," Trudeau said. Trudeau said if a Canadian loses their job because of COVID-19 - whether they are full-time, contract, or self-employed - the new benefit is available. He said if you are sick or quarantined, or looking after someone sick, the benefit is available. And and he said even if a worker is still employed, but not receiving income because of this crisis - the benefit is available. The prime minister also said his government will also announce supports to keep journalists working amid the financial impact of the crisis. "Right now, it's more important than ever that Canadians have access to the latest and information," Trudeau said. To ensure that journalists can continue to do this vital work, our government is announcing new measures to support them. Canada's minister of heritage will release more details later. Trudeau made the remarks outside his residence, where he is self isolating after his wife tested positive for the virus. He says his wife is doing "much much better" and he and his kids have no symptoms. Canada is now testing 10,000 people a day and has tested more than 142,000 people. Canada has more than 3,197 confirmed cases and at least 27 deaths. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) Local government units consider converting more establishments into quarantine and treatment facilities in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. In a televised briefing on Wednesday, Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno said they will convert some 5,000 classrooms in public elementary and high schools into quarantine facilities should the COVID-19 outbreak turn for the worse in the city. Moreno said this is a fallback in the event the number of COVID-19 cases in the countrys capital continue to rise. He added this will augment the quarantine sites they have as the city is also turning evacuation centers into quarantine facilities. The mayor also said they are also considering turning Sta. Ana Hospital into a COVID-19 referral hospital if the crisis spirals out of control. The Manila Infectious Disease Control Center, which opened a day before the Luzon-wide quarantine, is housed at the Sta. Ana Hospital. He also admitted other cities are doing better in terms of implementing social distancing measures, which experts said could stop the dreaded virus from spreading, as Manila is more crowded than other cities. If we talk about social distancing, ang pinakamabisa diyan ay iyong ibang siyudad kasi (other cities are more effective as they are) subdivided or gated communities. But he said he is thankful most of the Manila residents are compliant with the national directive to stay at home so far. Manila reported Tuesday it has 30 confirmed COVID-19 cases with two deaths and two recoveries. Meanwhile, Makati City said it has converted a hotel into an isolation facility for PUIs and is now ready to accommodate them. Mayor Abby Binay said the Makati Friendship Suites in Barangay Cembo could house 100 individuals and would be under the supervision of doctors and nurses of the Ospital ng Makati. Binay gave assurance that the isolation facility has all the necessary equipment including X-ray machines, defibrilators, and cardiac machines. The Baguio City government is also eyeing the Sto. Nino Hospital, a 36-bed capacity medical facility which ceased operations in 2009, as an exclusive critical care unit for COVID-19 patients. Mayor Benjie Magalong said the hospital owners have already agreed to the citys use of the facility for free. The city government said it intends to isolate those infected with the virus from other non-COVID-19 patients to prevent contamination risks in Baguio General Hospital and other hospitals in the city. Health authorities have recorded 636 COVID-19 cases in the country, including 38 deaths and 26 recoveries, as of March 25. These funds will help to put the sources of the Healthcare Ministry to top results of the search Open source Google company allocated a $500,000 grant to Ukraines Healthcare Ministry for information campaign against panic amid coronavirus spread. These funds will help to put the sources of the Healthcare Ministry to top results of the search as the ministry reported on Facebook. Google supported the information campaign of the Healthcare Ministry on the counteraction coronavirus. The Healthcare Ministry of Ukraine agreed on the cooperation with Google company within the information support, aiming for the prevention of the spread of the coronavirus infection in Ukraine, the message said. The ministry noted that it will allow the users of Google in Ukraine to get accurate data, up-to-date information, instructions and recommendations on the situation of the spread of coronavirus in Ukraine and minimize the use of the unreliable sources. Earlier, EU reported that Russian media hold a disinformation campaign against the West amid the Covid-19 pandemic to spread panic and disrupt. As of 7:00 am, on March 25, 113 cases of Covid-19 coronavirus infection were recorded in Ukraine. Of all 113 cases, four were lethal, one patient has recovered and has already been discharged from the hospital. Besides, Ukraines government has introduced an emergency situation throughout the country for 30 days until April 24, 2020 and prolonged a lockdown across the country for 30 days. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he wants to see all Australian students back in school by Anzac Day despite some states telling students to remain at home. Across most of the country schools remain open unless a case of coronavirus is detected, except for the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria, which have brought the Easter holidays forward so students stay home. Schools in New South Wales will remain open despite reports that only a quarter of students are attending classes across the state after premier Gladys Berejiklian said attendance was optional. A group of school students at Queen Street mall in central Brisbane on Tuesday after the Queensland premier advised schools to remain open Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he wants to see all students back in school by Anzac Day (file image) 'This is not something that we do lightly,' Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said. He added that the shutdowns were 'consistent with the health advice provided by the Victorian chief health officer.' Mr Andrews also said he would take advice from the chief health officer on whether to reopen schools after the holidays. Queensland schools remain open, however, the elite Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane was closed on March 25 after a case of coronavirus was confirmed. 'Students who arrive at school today will be safely accommodated in the Prep and Senior School administration areas for collecting as soon as possible,' the school said. 'The School will provide further advice to the Churchie community as soon as possible today regarding operations for Thursday and Friday.' Scott Morrison held a meeting with the Australian Education Union on Wednesday morning to discuss what arrangements can be put in place to keep schools open in some form. Mr Morrison said it was his expectation all schools would reopen after the Easter break, around Anzac Day, but recognised many might have switched to distance learning. 'It's going to be a tough year in 2020 and one of the things I don't want to have yielded up is a year of a child's education,' he told reporters. He says it's vital that essential workers - who he defined as anyone with a job - were able to send their kids to school if they needed in order to keep earning. He also said it was important frontline health workers were able to keep working. SCHOOL CLOSURES STATE BY STATE AS OF MARCH 25 NEW SOUTH WALES Premier said on Monday schools will remain open but parents should keep children at home where possible. Easter Holidays start on April 13. Schools that have confirmed cases of coronavirus will close. VICTORIA Schools will close. The Easter holidays were brought forward by a week to start on Tuesday. QUEENSLAND Schools remain open but will shut individual schools if a case of COVID-19 is detected. School Easter Holidays start April 3. AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY Schools close from Tuesday. WESTERN AUSTRALIA Schools remain open unless identified with a case of the coronavirus. Some private schools have shifted to online learning. NORTHERN TERRITORY From Tuesday schools are open but it is optional for students to attend. SOUTH AUSTRALIA Schools remain open and the Premier has requested students to keep attending school. TASMANIA Schools remain open but attendance is optional. Advertisement Scott Morrison held a meeting with the Australian Education Union on Wednesday morning about what can be put in place to keep schools open in some form Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said it was also safer to keep children in schools than spread out in the community or come into contact with vulnerable people. 'We know that some of those children who have not been at school have been mixing in shopping centres, milling in groups, or being with grandparents,' he told ABC TV on Wednesday. The medical advice continues to be that it is safe to send children to schools, but if there is a coronavirus outbreak in any particular institution it would be shut temporarily. 'We do not see children, fit, healthy children, as vulnerable people with this virus and schools can do a lot of things to make them a safe place to be with good hygiene,' chief medical officer Brendan Murphy told reporters. 'Of course, we need to do measures to protect vulnerable teachers, because older teachers with chronic disease shouldn't be in schools.' What those measures might be is one of the topics for discussion with the unions. It is understood no decisions have yet been made on how the disruptions to schools would affect Year 12 exams. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison cooks sausages with daughter Lily (centre) alongside the NSW Liberal candidate for Miranda, Eleni Petinos at the Sylvania Heights Public School, on 2019 New South Wales election day Jeremy Renner donned a sloth onesie in a clip he shared on social media Tuesday as he quarantined with his daughter. The Academy Award-nominated actor, 49, was clad in a furry grey ensemble, saying, 'DJ Sloth!' as he spent time with daughter Ava, seven. He captioned the shot: 'In these CRAZY times for all of us, were finding CREATIVE ways to keep our spirits up, body and minds active, and our hearts full. Much love to everyone out there ! #threetoed #staysafe."' The latest: Jeremy Renner, 49, donned a sloth onesie in a clip he shared on social media Tuesday He was later seen dancing and playing on roller skates with his seven-year-old daughter in the outfit, as they had party lights on, set to the tune of Lil Was X's Old Town Road. 'We're gonna get it done here at Camp Renner!' he said. He wrote in the caption: 'Anything for my number one! This is our dance/lunch break from our home school lesson.' Renner earlier this week cited the work stoppage in Hollywood amid the global coronavirus pandemic in asking a Los Angeles judge to reduce his child support payments to ex-wife Sonni Pacheco. Showman: The Academy Award-nominated actor was clad in a furry grey onesie, saying, 'DJ Sloth!' Message: He captioned the shot, 'In these CRAZY times for all of us, were finding CREATIVE ways to keep our spirits up, body and minds active, and our hearts full' Doting dad: He wrote, 'Anything for my number one! This is our dance/lunch break from our home school lesson' Renner said in court docs that he was expecting to work less since his part with The Avengers is complete, and that the work he had on tap is now in question, TMZ reported Monday. 'It is likely that most productions will not resume again prior to the end of the year,' The Bourne Legacy star told the judge. 'As such, the projects that I had previously lined up to film this year are likely cancelled or postponed.' The Captain America: Civil War star told the court that he's not confident that Pacheco, a Canadian model/actress, is not allocating their $30,000 monthly payments toward Eva's expenses, but rather her own 'slush fund' for a high-end lifestyle and expensive court battle against him. The latest: Renner cited the work stoppage in Hollywood amid the global coronavirus pandemic in asking a Los Angeles judge to reduce his child support payments to ex-wife Sonni Pacheco 'Sonny's voracious appetite for Jeremy's money has no end in sight,' lawyers for the Hollywood star told the court, the outlet reported. Renner has requested the court rule that his business managers provide over allocations of the funds toward Eva. He told the court that nearly $11,000 monthly would meet the 'reasonable needs' of the child. Uncharted waters: The massive impact of coronavirus has touched a number of celebrities, including actor Idris Elba, who Renner worked with in the 2007 film 28 Weeks Later Focused: Elba (seen in the film) told Oprah Winfrey that he's OK and feels fine after testing positive for coronavirus earlier this month Renner met Pacheco in Vancouver on the set of Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol. They welcomed Ava in March of 2013 and tied the knot 10 months later, in January of 2014. Pacheco wound up filing for divorce in December of 2014. The massive impact of coronavirus has touched a number of celebrities, including actor Idris Elba, who Renner worked with in the 2007 film 28 Weeks Later. Elba on Monday spoke with Oprah Winfrey for Oprah Talks COVID-19, saying that he's OK and feels fine after testing positive for coronavirus earlier this month. 'If Im really honest, its been incredible to just sit still, I never sit still and so from a mental point of view, I feel pretty focused,' he said. As of Monday evening, the death total for COVID-19 - declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization - had soared to 675 people in the U.S., The COVID Tracking Project reported, with 51,970 total positive diagnoses. An Australian school principal has written a letter cautioning parents of the behavioural changes or issues they may notice from their kids due to the coronavirus pandemic. A woman from Sydney shared the anonymous letter to the Facebook group Five Minute Mum, where others were comforted by the supportive and informative words. 'Over the coming weeks, you will see an increase in behaviour issues with your kids. Whether it's anxiety, or anger, or protest that they can't do things normally - it will happen,' the principal wrote in the letter. 'You'll see more meltdowns, tantrums, and oppositional behaviour in the coming weeks. This is normal and expected under these circumstances'. While many schools around Australia currently remain open, others both nationally and internationally have chosen or have been forced to close, leading to further behavioural issues to arise among children. A school principal has written a letter cautioning parents of the behavioural changes or issues they may notice from their kids due to the coronavirus pandemic The principal wrote how children are 'just as scared' as parents about the current global crisis, ultimately leading to a possible increase in stress, paranoia or loneliness. 'Our kids not only can hear everything that is going on around them, but they feel our constant tension and anxiety,' the letter read. 'They have never experienced anything like this before. Although the idea of being off of school for weeks sounds awesome, they are probably picturing a fun time like summer break, not the reality of being trapped at home and not seeing their friends'. The principal outlined how children are 'just as scared' as parents about the current global crisis, ultimately leading to a possible increase in stress or paranoia The school principal's full letter to parents Dear parents with school aged children You might be inclined to create a minute by minute schedule for your kids. You have high hopes of hours of learning, including online activities, science experiments, and book reports. You'll limit technology until everything is done! But here's the thing... Our kids are just as scared as we are right now. Our kids not only can hear everything that is going on around them, but they feel our constant tension and anxiety. They have never experienced anything like this before. Although the idea of being off of school for weeks sounds awesome, they are probably picturing a fun time like summer break, not the reality of being trapped at home and not seeing their friends. Over the coming weeks, you will see an increase in behavior issues with your kids. Whether it's anxiety, or anger, or protest that they can't do things normally - it will happen. You'll see more meltdowns, tantrums, and oppositional behavior in the coming weeks. This is normal and expected under these circumstances. What kids need right now is to feel comforted and loved. To feel like it's all going to be ok. And that might mean that you tear up your perfect schedule and love on your kids a bit more. Play outside and go on walks. Bake cookies and paint pictures. Play board games and watch movies. Do a science experiment together or find virtual field trips of the zoo. Start a book and read together as a family. Snuggle under warm blankets and do nothing. Don't worry about them regressing in school. Every single kid is in this boat and they all will be ok. When we are back in the classroom, we will all course correct and meet them where they are. Teachers are experts at this! Don't pick fights with your kids because they don't want to do math. Don't scream at your kids for not following the schedule. Don't mandate 2 hours of learning time if they are resisting it. If I can leave you with one thing, it's this: at the end of all of this, your kids' mental health will be more important than their academic skills. And how they felt during this time will stay with them long after the memory of what they did during those weeks is long gone. So keep that in mind, every single day. Advertisement The letter outlined the importance of comforting children during this time, ensuring them everything is 'going to be okay' and to 'tear up' home schedules to make time for other activities. The school principal strongly encouraged playing games, baking, painting, snuggling under a blanket to watch movies or completing science experiments together. The letter also explained parents should avoid yelling at their children if they resist completing school tasks at home after long periods of time. 'Don't worry about them regressing in school. Every single kid is in this boat and they all will be okay,' 'Don't pick fights with your kids because they don't want to do maths. Don't scream at your kids for not following the schedule. Don't mandate two hours of learning time if they are resisting it.' The letter concluded with perhaps the most significant advice of prioritising the child's mental health over their academic skills, which the principal said should be kept in mind 'every single day'. What behavioural changes should parents expect from their children? An increase in stress, worry and anxiety leading to more meltdowns, tantrums, and oppositional behaviour Resistance to start or complete school-related activities An increase in feeling lonely or sad Source: Five Minute Mum Advertisement What should parents do to assist their children and help their mental health? Comfort and play with them more than usual Assure everything is going to be okay Bake, paint, play outside, complete puzzles or do science experiments together at home Source: Five Minute Mum Advertisement The letter concluded with perhaps the most significant advice of prioritising the child's mental health over their academic skills, which the principal said should be kept in mind 'every single day' The letter has since been shared to other mum and parental groups on Facebook to spread the advice further across Australia and the world. 'As a homeschooler I must say please don't try to copy the public school regimen, it's designed to control a large group of kids. It simply doesn't work at home,' one mum said online. 'Routine and learning is good, but also an opportunity for some special quality time as a family,' another wrote. A third said: 'My kids are super excited to stay home until I made up a lesson plan now they know this isn't a holiday'. Downtown San Antonio is normally bustling with tourists roaming the River Walk and visiting sites like the Alamo. The coronavirus pandemic, however, has turned the city's center into an "eerie" and "calm" ghost town. Two San Antonio photographers captured the empty streets as residents stay indoors to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Alejandro Aldana strolled through the River Walk area Friday, snapping shots of what was a busy hang out only two weeks ago. In a Facebook post, Aldana described downtown as "eerie" but "beautiful." Aldana wasn't the only photographer to capture an empty downtown. Aimee Wyatt, a blogger and and photographer for Scenes of Texas, wrote on her website that she could immediately see the drastic measures of social distancing had over her hometown, adding that she truly saw the beauty of San Antonio without its normal crowds. "I have always enjoyed the architecture of our city, the landscaping, and the splashes of culture and color throughout, but, there was definitely an indescribable and rather eerie feeling of mourning intertwined with the emptiness and quiet," she wrote. The following photos are what the empty streets of downtown San Antonio look like through the lenses of Aldana and Wyatt. Joining the battle to combat the novel coronavirus, car firms across the world have now started making more ventilators and face masks. According to reports, on March 23 Fiat began converting one of its car plants in China to start making about one million masks a month. Meanwhile, other major car firms are looking at ways they can shift manufacturing towards ventilators. General Motors, Ford and Tesla in the US have all pledged their support to offer resources to make more ventilators, along with Japanese carmaker Nissan and Formula 1 teams in the UK, international media reported. Major car plants in the US, Europe and Asia have halted production to try to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. However, they were still pledging to help make ventilators and other vital medical equipment. Read: Greece Receives 5 Lakh Masks From China To Combat Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak Read: World Struggling With Coronavirus, China Now Talks With Boeing About Aircraft Orders Ford on March 24 said it was working with GE Healthcare and 3M, another health industry manufacturer, to design modified respirators and ventilators, which could be produced using fans, batteries and other parts that Ford typically uses for its cars. However, Ford has already started making transparent face shields, to complement existing protective gear for hospital staff, with the first 1,000 set for delivery at three Detroit-area hospitals this week. It reportedly expects to produce about 75,000 of such shields this week. China sends masks to Greece Meanwhile, as China is recovering from its loses, it is now helping other nations which are close to becoming pandemic epicentre. China has reportedly dispatched an aircraft carrying over 500,000 masks to Greece to help the country combat the deadly coronavirus pandemic. The aircraft landed at Athens International Airport on March 21 with the supplies and the Health Minister of Greece, Vassilis Kikilias, was among those at the airport to receive it. According to the reports, China has lately been involved in the PR offensive to counter the criticism by sending medics and supplies to countries across the globe. The masks are the donations by the Chinese public electricity company State Grid and Greek electricity supplier Admie, in which the Chinese firm held a 25 per cent stake. Image: AP Read: China Reports Death From Hantavirus: All You Need To Know About The Deadly Virus Read: Jose Mourinho Stuns London Natives By Donning Mask To Volunteer For Local Community Gov. Gavin Newsom hopes to re-open a California Pacific Medical Center campus in San Francisco as part of a statewide plan to round up hospital beds in anticipation of a surge of coronavirus patients in the coming weeks. The campus in Pacific Heights halted inpatient services a year ago. The state is in talks with Sutter Health, which owns CPMC, to identify and activate locations for additional hospital beds throughout the state, including the Pacific campus at 2333 Buchanan St., said a spokeswoman for the health network. Newsom said earlier this week that the state needs 50,000 additional hospital beds to cover an expected surplus of patients as the California outbreak worsens. Thats 30,000 more beds than the governor called for just the week before. But as cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronanvirus, continue to mount, so does the need to expand hospital capacity, Newsom said. Were preparing always for the worst, Newsom said at a news conference Wednesday. The state already has deals to lease Seton Medical Center in Daly City and St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles for three months for $30 million. Between the two hospitals, which are owned by Verity Health System, thats up to 366 more beds for COVID-19 patients. St. Vincent closed in January, and Seton has been on the brink of shutting down, after Verity filed for bankruptcy in 2018. CPMCs Pacific campus closed to inpatient care in March 2019, when Sutter moved those services to its new hospital on Van Ness Avenue. The Pacific site could provide about 150 beds to the states coronavirus care network. We got a lease on Seton, and its already operational today. Thats a significant milestone, Newsom said Wednesday. We are also in advanced conversations on a number of other hospitals, including CPMC, to provide for more surge capacity. Nearly 3,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in California, including 1,162 in the Bay Area as of Wednesday afternoon. More than 60 people have died. Nationwide, nearly 63,000 people have been infected and nearly 900 have died. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Newsom said that public health and emergency service experts are keeping a close watch on the state numbers, and especially how quickly the case counts are rising. Those statistics are feeding into models that are used to predict when hospitals may see a surge of patients. Theyre also keeping an eye on New York state, where case counts have been doubling every two or three days and the health care system is being inundated. New York makes up roughly half of all U.S. cases. Were getting assets in place so we can buy ourselves some time, Newsom said. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com FILE PHOTO: One kilo gold bar is displayed in shop in Dubai's gold souk By Sumita Layek (Reuters) - Gold prices slipped on Wednesday, after gaining over the previous three sessions, as rising coronavirus cases and the global economic toll from the disease overshadowed hopes fueled by a $2 trillion U.S. government stimulus package. Deficit-hit palladium, meanwhile, soared more than 15% as coronavirus-led closures further squeezed supply of the auto-catalyst metal. Spot gold was down 0.2% at $1,607.57 per ounce at 10:56 a.m. EDT (1456 GMT). Prices surged as much as 5% on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures slid 1.6% to $1,633.70, having posted their biggest one-day jump since 2009 in the last session. "It's very volatile because we have a coronavirus-hit gold market now, we've got supplies from three of the biggest refiners offline in Switzerland and gold is not in the right place where it is needed. So it's creating a lot of nervousness," said Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen. The benchmark spot gold prices traded below U.S. gold futures in a sign that the market is worried that air travel restrictions and refinery closures will hamper shipments of bullion to the United States to meet contractual requirements. U.S. exchange operator CME Group on Tuesday announced a new gold futures contract to combat price volatility caused by the shutdown of gold supply routes, but traders and bankers said it would not immediately calm markets. Investors are now awaiting U.S. Senate's vote later in the day on a $2 trillion package to alleviate the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. "Governments are putting a lot of money into the hands of people, but the only thing that people are worried about is buying food, so it's not going to have any immediate impact," Hansen said. The Wall Street also gave up its gains after a massive bounce in the previous session. The virus has infected nearly 421,000 people, forcing lockdowns across the globe to combat its spread and has prompted countries and central banks worldwide to step in with policy aids. Story continues Among other metals, palladium soared 15% to $2,207.06 per ounce, while platinum gained 1.7% to $719.94. Both metals climbed more than 10% in the previous session. "Platinum and palladium have also surged heavily in recent days, as a positive precious metal environment was met with a 21-day mine closure in South Africa amid virus concerns," analysts at TD Securities said in a note. The country on Wednesday said that the processing of platinum group metals (PGMs) would continue during national lockdown. Silver fell 0.2% to $14.24 per ounce. (Reporting by Swati Verma and Sumita Layek in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Brown) Student achievement in New York City public schools, on average, has improved under Mayor Bill de Blasio. Students in the city now score higher than the average for the rest of New York state on annual state tests. This school year may well be lost to the COVID-19 crisis and the state of New York has cancelled the 2020 state assessments, so we wont be able to know how things stand at the end of this year. But when schools return to normal, there still will be a crisis in the New York City school system: the persistent failure of schools in certain areas of the city. These individual failing schools and unlucky communities deserve bold action, something that the mayor has failed to provide, despite rosy promises of renewal early on in his mayoralty. In the final two years of his tenure, de Blasio should admit defeat in one critical area of education policy and bring back an approach that worked well for his predecessor. New Yorkers may be surprised to learn that if each of the citys boroughs had its own school system, and if each borough were compared as a county against the other 57 counties in the state, four of the citys boroughs would be among the top seven highest performing counties in the state in English language arts, and among the top nine counties in math. The exception, as I document in a forthcoming Manhattan Institute issue brief, is the Bronx. The Bronx is among the six lowest performing counties in math and is 23rd from the bottom in English. While the Bronx is at the epicenter of the citys educational challenge, unacceptably low school performance is found in other schools and neighborhoods around the city. Seventy-one city schools (including 30 in the Bronx) have English proficiency rates below 20 percent and 100 (37 in the Bronx) have math proficiency rates below 16 percent. De Blasio came into officepromising to fix these schools like these, rather than closing and replacing them as his predecessor Michael Bloomberg had done. He pouredhundreds of millions of dollars into his Renewal Schools program, whichdelivered little to no improvement in participating schools. When Richard Carranza became chancellor in 2018, he looked into this initiative, then four years into operation, andreported that it lacked tight, cohesive guidelines describing what exactly the Renewal schools were meant to be accomplishing and how New Yorkers would know if they were succeeding. Later that year,The New York Times uncovered and reported that in 2015, the city Department of Education staff had warned the mayor that about a third of those [Renewal] schools were likely tofail. Despite those warnings, the program continued for four more years before de Blasio finally threw in the towel on this ill-conceived effort at the end of the 2018-19 school year. Enrollment in the Renewal schools had been declining prior to the programs inception families were avoiding these schools before they were even enlisted in the Renewal effort and continued to decline as the program rolled out. Still, tens of thousands of youngsters trapped in the failing schools lost the only chance they had at a decent elementary, middle, or high school education due to the mayors stubbornness in pursuing this lost crusade. It's not that more promising approaches were unknown. In the Bloomberg years, 109 low-performing schools were closed and the Department of Education empowered teams of community groups and teachers and supervisors to produce plans for new, innovative, and smaller schools to replace those closed; 484 such brand-new schools were opened. Not all of them worked; some were among those closed when it became clear that they were lacking what it takes to succeed. However, rigorous research fromthe Research Alliance for New York City Public Schools at New York University found that the Bloomberg-era efforts to close and replace low-performing high schools produced positive effects for future cohorts of students while creating no negative impact on those students who were in the low-performing schools as they closed. The citys ownIndependent Budget Office found similar results for future students, while also uncovering small negative effects on some students who remained in the schools as they were being phased out. Those negative effects suggest that perhaps students should have been dispersed to other schools immediately rather than being allowed to remain in schools as they phased out. As the Department of Education was creating these new schools, it also encouraged and facilitated the start-up and physical placement of over 170 new charter schools during Bloombergs time in office. These schools provided over 100,000 seats, largely in elementary and middle schools, in neighborhoods that sorely needed viable school programs. And their success rates became well-documented. My own analysis, for example, demonstrates that while achievement gaps exist between black and Hispanic students and white students in the city as a whole, these gaps narrow in public charter schools. Whats more, students in New York Citys charter schools outperform their peers of the same race in district schools. This holds true for every major racial group in the city. Some critics argue that charters obtain these results by cream-skimming higher-performing students or because they receive higher funding than traditional public schools, but a substantial body of research, which I summarize ina 2019 issue brief, refutes these claims. Yet despite the proven success of the charter sector, de Blasio has steadfastly refused to continue the approach of removing students from failing schools and providing them with better opportunities. Today, growth of charters in the city has been frozen by the state Legislature, with de Blasio vocally supporting this suspension. Bloomberg did not leave behind a perfect school system, but he did put in place a dynamic process to respond to parental demand, close failing schools and encourage the growth of new and improved schools, both charter and district. His successor, meanwhile, tried to fix failing schools and failed. Now, under hisdiversity initiative, de Blasio wants to rearrange students among low and high-performing schools, apparently under the impression that there is a ceiling on the number of good schools that the city can have but this is simply not the case This initiative sprung from local efforts in Park Slope and on the Upper West Side to better integrate a number of academically screened middle schools. It has since met strong community opposition in District 28 in central Queens and is now onsomething of a hiatus. As the school system continues to respond and adapt to the current public health crisis, it will need to address the lack of well-functioning structures in the lowest-performing schools. There are limitless opportunities for improvement in our citys schools, especially under leadership willing to embrace innovative new approaches, even when some may entail expanding school choice. Lets hope the next mayor sees this clearly and acts accordingly. With the unofficial motto Politically incorrect since 1971, Liberty University has long prided itself on bucking many of the norms of American higher education. The private Christian school does not offer its professors tenure, for example, and its president gleefully insults his political enemies online. And now, as colleges across the country are shuttering their campuses in the name of public health, Liberty has reopened to any students who want to return. President Jerry Falwell Jr. told CNN on Wednesday that about 1,900 of its 15,000 residential students had returned to its Virginia campus from spring break. This week, he told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, I think we have a responsibility to our studentswho paid to be here, who want to be here, who love it hereto give them the ability to be with their friends, to continue their studies, enjoy the room and board theyve already paid for and to not interrupt their college life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not exactly business as usual. Professors will conduct most classes online, keeping lecture halls empty. But residence halls are open to any students who want to be on campus. And several students who are back on campus or living nearby told me they are not reassured by the universitys response and that many of their fellow students do not seem to be taking the virus seriously. Calum Best, a senior, has been back on campus since last Friday and said other students have been offering him hugs and handshakes, and inviting him into their rooms. On social media, he has seen images of quarantine parties and other gatherings of more than 10 people. Theyre creating a space where students can come and be stupid, said Best, the Student Government Association chief of staff. Theres a general carelessness, and our leadership isnt doing what they could be to stop that from spreading. Advertisement Advertisement Last weekend, English professor Marybeth Davis Baggett wrote an op-ed for Religion News Service asking the schools board of trustees to overrule Falwells decision and shut the campus down before its too late. She wrote that instructors without health exemptions were also expected to hold office hours for students who want to meet one on one. Since then, Falwell has said publicly that faculty are working from home. But Libertys campus information page about the virus instructs faculty to make individual arrangements with their deans, and many instructors remain on campus. Advertisement Public officials in Virginia have also expressed alarm. A Liberty press release this week claimed that Lynchburgs city manager and mayor thanked Falwell for moving most instruction online. But the city manager told the Daily Beast that Falwell was not honest with her when they discussed the schools plans. She said Falwell suggested to her and the mayor, Treney Tweedy, that the dorms would remain open only for international students who could not return home. In fact, Falwell opened the dorms for anyone who wants to return. Tweedy called the decision to reopen reckless and said Falwell had not kept his word to the city. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northams press secretary said this week that he is concerned and that members of his administration had spoken directly with Falwell. (There were not yet any confirmed coronavirus cases in Lynchburg, which includes Libertys campus, as of Wednesday morning.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Falwells public statements about the coronavirus have consistently downplayed its threat. On March 13, before he communicated with students at all about the virus, he gave an interview to Fox & Friends in which he said media was exaggerating it in order to hurt Trump and that the virus might be a bioweapon manufactured by North Korea. In the same interview he said that in-person classes at Liberty would go on. At an all-campus event streamed online later the same day, Falwell again dismissed the virus as hype. When a parent of three Liberty students challenged him on Twitter about the decision to stay open, Falwell called him a dummy. Four days later, after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam strongly discouraged any gatherings of more than 10 people, the university finally announced that most classes would move online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some current students said they were baffled by the lack of guidance they have received from the administration. We were asked if we would be returning and using our meal plans, but that was pretty much it, said senior Elizabeth Brooks. We have received little to no information. Students got an email press release from the presidents office last week, announcing the move online. Then they heard nothing until this week, when Falwells office sent another press release touting the universitys response to the virus. [Students] were talking about being glad to be back, the release quotes Falwell saying. I was joking about how they pretty much had the whole place to themselves, and told all of them to enjoy it. Advertisement Hes fully aware that this is a giant crisis, and hes choosing to downplay it. Its shocking to me. Liberty University student Calum Best Falwell said on CNN on Wednesday that the campus looks like a ghost town. And the school has taken measures to discourage group gatherings, including posting no trespassing signs and restricting access to some areas. Dining halls are allowing only 10 patrons inside at once and serving most meals to go from outdoor tents. But some students say that Falwells public dismissiveness about the virus has contributed to mixed messages about safety. Ellie Richards, a senior who lives off campus, said she is enrolled in a ceramics class in which the instructor has been encouraging students to come to campus to retrieve their clay and other materials. Richards does not want to leave her home because her roommate is immunocompromised. It just seems very foolish, she said. I think they just dont want to give students any money back. Many colleges closing their campuses are offering partial rebates for room and board payments. (A spokesman for Liberty did not respond to an interview request.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For now, Liberty has canceled campus events and is reevaluating future cancellations every two weeks. In the meantime, students are left to debate whether their college president knows the virus is a major threat and is choosing to minimize it or whether he truly believes that its a conspiracy or a minor bug. Richards speculated that Falwell might be like her grandfather, a chain email kind of guy who views the virus as an overhyped conspiracy. But Best pointed out that Falwell is a college president with a law degree from the University of Virginia. Hes not stupid, Best said. Hes fully aware that this is a giant crisis, and hes choosing to downplay it. For more on the impact of the coronavirus, listen to Slate Money. Germany's parliament voted through Wednesday a package of measures worth almost 1.1 trillion euros (USD 1.2 trillion) to shield Europe's largest economy from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Scattered sparsely throughout the chamber to limit the possibility of infection, MPs agreed 156 billion euros of new borrowing, backing up a broadside of support to business and the health system as well as hundreds of billions in guarantees for bank loans to firms. Germany's unprecedented support package began racing through the legislative process the same day Republican and Democratic leaders in the United States Senate announced a deal on a never-before-seen USD 2 trillion relief programme for the world's top economy. The package will now go to Germany's second house representing the federal states, with passage almost certain as state leaders have unanimously voiced their support. "Please keep in mind the rules on keeping your distance!" parliament president Wolfgang Schaeuble urged MPs between votes as they moved around the historic Berlin chamber. The new borrowing blasts through a financial-crisis-era constitutional rule drastically limiting budget deficits. Berlin will create an "economic stabilisation fund" offering 400 billion euros in guarantees for companies' debts, 100 billion euros for lending to or taking stakes in firms and 100 billion euros in support for state-owned investment bank KfW. With its firepower tanked up by 357 billion euros, KfW will in future be able to guarantee some 822 billion euros in lending. The federal government will offer smaller firms up to 50 billion euros of handouts. Wednesday's package also includes 3.5 billion euros of immediate support for supplying the health system with needed protective equipment and for developing a vaccine and other treatments, as well as 55 billion euros that can be freely deployed as needed to fight the pandemic. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In January, as the novel coronavirus spread at alarming speeds through China, Jennifer Walker began reading medical studies about the virus with increasing dread. A San Antonio resident with asthma, heart conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and other chronic illnesses, Walker knew how devastating the virus could be in the United States especially for people like her who have compromised immune systems. As I followed the news in China, I realized, given the trajectory of infectious diseases, there was no way its not going to come here, Walker said recently. And its not just the elderly that will be affected, she continued. Theres a whole other group of people who will be affected by this virus. Around 20 to 25 percent of Americans live with a disability. Walker, a local programmer who works for CreakyJoints, a national arthritis advocacy and research organization, decided to do something about it. In an effort to spread awareness about the higher risk COVID-19 poses for some, she helped create a social media campaign, called #HighRiskCovid19, that encourages people with autoimmune diseases and other ailments to share their photos and stories. Walker also hopes the campaign will remind people of the importance of social distancing, staying at home and reducing the size of groups in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Almost immediately, the campaign exploded. Within 24 hours, #HighRiskCovid19 was one of the top two hashtags on Twitter, Walker said. In the 10 days since, thousands with similar medical conditions have shared their stories on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The campaign also was featured in reports by NBC News, Forbes, BuzzFeed, Vice News and Al Jazeera. I almost cried, said Walker, who created the campaign with five other advocates. We didnt expect it to explode like that. We started getting notifications nonstop. We just kept getting pinged. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases Walker, who long has been vocal about her struggle with chronic illnesses, said the idea came about as she talked with a small group friends and advocates online about feeling dismissed by news coverage and public health messaging. Only the elderly are at risk of contracting the coronavirus, she saw people say online. Its just a 1 percent mortality rate. Its not a big deal. When people did talk about those with compromised immune systems, she felt like a secondhand citizen. She said the language of some public health messages was aimed at healthy Americans not people like her. It felt like our lives had been tossed aside to make healthy people feel better about themselves, their health and their risk of contracting the disease, Walker said. It was frustrating. We are part of the United States, too. Our opinion, our lives, what we do matters. According to the National Institutes of Health, autoimmune diseases affect between 15 million and 24 million people in the U.S. Many of those who suffer from autoimmune diseases, which consists of about 80 chronic illnesses that develop when the body attacks its own organs, tissues and cells, are seemingly healthy, making it hard to discern who is at risk. Walker said many with autoimmune diseases felt the same way she did. Molly Schreiber, a patient advocate who lives in Baltimore, suggested creating a social media campaign. Everyone said they were in. On March 14, Walker took to Twitter. She uploaded a photo of herself at work, with two computer screens behind her, staring at the camera with a slight smile. She has short hair, and shes wearing glasses and long, dangling earrings. Im immunosuppressed, have asthma and heart problems, she wrote. My life counts. Listen to us. We are real people. Walkers post exploded, receiving more than 3,000 likes and 25 times the number of views. She was shocked. Walker said the powerful response online is a reminder of the influence of storytelling. She said photos and stories of real-life people make abstract ideas more tangible. It a reminder of the people behind the numbers. Walker, who takes biologic and steroid medications, making her more susceptible to infections, is no stranger to the idea of social distancing. She spends a lot of her time in isolation. During late nights when she cant sleep because the pain is unbearable, she has found comfort online among others with similar ailments. She hopes the new hashtag will provide comfort to others who are worried about the virus. I know everyone is scared, she said. I have found this unbelievable sense of kindness and community through this hashtag. I hope others will, too. Emilie Eaton is a criminal justice reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | eeaton@express-news.net | Twitter: @emilieeaton IRGC gearing up for biodefense maneuvers, disinfection operations across Iran Iran Press TV Tuesday, 24 March 2020 3:13 PM Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) is gearing up for fresh biological defense drills as well as countrywide disinfection operations amid warnings that the new coronavirus pandemic may be the outcome of a biological attack targeting certain nations. Addressing a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday, Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the IRGC's Ground Forces, said the massive drills would start on Wednesday. "The clean-up operations will be carried out in 3,000 locations across the country and 100 spots in Tehran," he added. He noted that all medical centers belonging to the IRGC's Ground Forces, including field hospitals, will be put to use at full capacity during the exercise. The senior commander said a total of 100 units of the IRGC's Ground Forces operating in 10 bases have been organized to conduct the disinfection operations. Pakpour added that the exercises would be staged in coordination with the Health Ministry's National Headquarters for Managing and Fighting the Coronavirus and in line with the Armed Forces' policies. The maneuver, he added, would involve all units of the IRGC, with the Ground Forces taking the lead. He emphasized that all the IRGC's measures, including the treatment of the coronavirus patients and disinfection, have been conducted based on the requirements of the national HQ tasked with containing the virus. The IRGC has set up filed hospitals along with convalescent homes in many provinces across the country, including Kashan, Tehran, Urmia, Gorgan, Babol, Ahvaz, Kermanshah and Sanandaj. Similar drills were staged in mid-March after Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned in an edict addressed to Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri that the coronavirus outbreak might be the result of a "biological attack" against the Islamic Republic. "Since there is some evidence that this incident might be a 'biological attack', this measure could be also some form of biological defense drill, which would add to national power and strength [of the country]," the Leader said. The highly-contagious virus named COVID-19 first showed up in China and later spread to other countries of the world. Iran has been among the states worst hit by the pandemic. Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Tuesday that the number of coronavirus deaths had increased to 1,934 and the total infections to 24,811 during the past 24 hours. Jahanpour further put the number of patients who have recovered from the viral disease at 8,913. General Nasrollah Fathian, in charge of coordinating executive operations at the National Headquarters to Fight the Coronavirus, said on Monday that Iranian scientists and intelligence experts are examining the possibility of the coronavirus being a biological warfare waged against the Iranian people. Earlier this month, China also raised the possibility of COVID-19 being a biological weapon, saying "it might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan (where the virus initially emerged). Be transparent! Make public your data! US owes us an explanation!" NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address WASHINGTON A second New Jersey congressman announced Tuesday that he was self-quarantining after coming in contact with someone who had tested positive for the coronavirus. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., said on Twitter that he had attended a press conference Friday with Mike Maron, chief executive of Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, who tested positive for the coronavirus last week. The hospital was treating 18 coronavirus patients as of Friday. Gottheimer said he had no symptoms but was advised to get tested and to self-quarantine in the meantime. He said he was working from home. Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, who was at the same press conference, is also self-quarantining. Earlier, Rep. Andy Kim, D-3rd Dist., announced he had been tested for COVID-19 and the results were negative. Kim said last week that he was self-quarantining after a lawmaker he had been in close contact with, fellow rookie House Democrat Ben McAdams of Utah, tested positive for the virus. The House is on recess and most members are in their home districts. Theyre not expected to return to Washington unless they need to vote on a $2 trillion stimulus bill now being negotiated in the Senate, or their own version introduced Monday. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. [March 25, 2020] Asavie Delivers Initiative to Support Secure Distance Learning for Schools During COVID-19 Pandemic Asavie, a leader in secure Enterprise Mobility and IoT Connectivity services is proud to support AT&T's (News - Alert) initiative to provide qualified schools with a way to save on unlimited wireless broadband connectivity for students to enable secure remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through May 22nd, qualified schools activating new lines on qualified data-only plans for school-issued tablets, 4G LTE (News - Alert)-enabled laptops and hotspot devices will get AT&T's wireless data service at no cost for 60 days.1 In addition to providing Internet access, the initiative delivers online security ensuring safe distance learning for students. Schools understand the need to protect their students which is why AT&T is also making the Asavie (News - Alert) powered AccessMyLANTM for the qualified lines available at no cost for 60 days.1 This service allows school administrators to manage the internet sites their students can access to help protect them from unsafe conent and also to block malicious sites, malware and hacking attempts. "As schools respond to COVID-19 and plan for a new phase of distance learning, we need to ensure all students have Internet access to connect with their teachers and participate with their peers," said Ralph Shaw, CEO of Asavie "Schools know they need to protect their students while online - which is why the Asavie powered AccessMyLAN security offering is so important for the delivery of a highly secure internet experience. This initiative offers a digitally secure environment, where we can safely bring all students online, so they can engage with others and continue to learn during this very challenging time." AccessMyLAN is a mobile security and management service that is CIPA-compliant for all mobile devices. It ensures distance learning is safe for students by: Preventing access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet Blocking malware and phishing attempts from disreputable sources Protecting measures are tied to SIM so that even if inserted in different device, all security policies are still enforced 1 After 22GB, AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy. Offer limited to select data plans and may be used for educational purposes only. Receive bill credits for data plan (min. $50/mo.; max credit $100) and AccessMyLAN svc (min. $9.99/mo.; max credit $19.98) for 60 days. Restrictions apply. More details are available here. About Asavie Asavie develops and supplies the AT&T AccessMyLAN for distribution by AT&T. Asavie's on-demand mobility and IoT services deliver increased productivity, actionable insights and enhanced security for the digital business. Asavie's cloud-native platform provides software distributed edges that unify visibility and control across all mobile and IoT endpoints. Strategic distribution and technology partners include AT&T, AWS, Dell, IBM, Microsoft, O2 (News - Alert), Singtel, Telefonica, Verizon and Vodafone. Asavie is an ISO27001 certified company. www.asavie.com , follow @Asavie on twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005461/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Shrine of Our Lady of Knock, Ireland (ANSA) The Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin consecrates Ireland and its people to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for protection against Covid-19. By Vatican News The people of Ireland were Wednesday consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on this the Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord for protection against the Coronavirus. The Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin, at noon local time, joined with bishops and priests from all over the island for the moment of Consecration. People were invited to join in a moment of prayer with their families or as individuals. The Consecration also coincided with Pope Francis invitation to people all over the world to pray the Lords Prayer at 12pm Rome time on Wednesday. The countrys Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Tuesday announced new measures to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak. The restrictions which include, going to work if it is essential, to shop for essential supplies, to care for the vulnerable, and exercise, will continue until 19 April. There are 1,329 confirmed cases in the Republic of Ireland and seven people have died from the virus. In Northern Ireland, five people have died from the Coronavirus and the number of cases now stands at 172 Speaking about the Act of Consecration, Archbishop Martin said, As a Church now, more than ever, we are committed to offering prayer, solidarity and compassion in our society. In these trying days, while humanity trembles due to the thread of the pandemic, I would like to propose to all Christians that together we lift our voices towards Heaven. The Archbishop praised Pope Francis strong pastoral leadership at this horrendous time especially when we consider the impact that the rapid devastation COVID19 has wrought across Italy. SANTA FE, N.M. The Santa Fe New Mexican has announced nearly a dozen layoffs, salary reductions and a shortened workweek amid an economic downturn caused by the spread of COVID-19. Publisher Tom Cross said Tuesday the moves are intended to keep the family-owned newspaper, its website and other operations as healthy as possible while the media outlet deals with a decline in advertisement. Under the plan, New Mexican managers will see reduced salaries and staff will have reductions in hours worked. Its unclear if the layoffs affect the newsroom. In addition, staffers at the alternative newsweekly Santa Fe Reporter announced the publication also had layoffs and salary cuts. The weekly has set up a Friends of the Reporter website to seek donations. The Gallup Independent also said it would move its entire newspaper staff to part-time but still print regularly. The New Mexican will continue to publish seven days a week and also will continue its commercial printing operations. The New Mexicans printing plant produces a variety of other newspapers, including The New York Times. The New Mexican has been in business since 1849. As the economy improves, Cross said the newspaper hopes to restore hours, positions and wages back to pre-COVID-19 levels. The New Mexican, like other newspaper and media outlets, is defined as an essential service under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams recent stay-at-home order. By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 25, 2020 | 12:30 PM | FRANKFORT More businesses in Kentucky will be closing their doors to the public Thursday night. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has ordered all businesses that are not life-sustaining to cease operations effective Thursday at 8:00 pm, except as needed to conduct minimum basic operations. According to Beshear's order, life-sustaining businesses are all businesses that allow Kentuckians to remain healthy at home, including: All businesses operating in the federal critical infrastructure sectors Life-sustaining Retail Food, beverage, and agriculture Organizations that provide charitable and social services Media Gas stations and businesses needed for transportation Financial Services Housing, Buildings and Construction Mail, post, shipping, logistics, delivery, and pick-up services Laundry Services Restaurants for consumption off-premises Supplies for Life-Sustaining Businesses Transportation Home-based care and services Professional services Manufacture, distribution, and supply chain for critical products and industries Critical labor union functions Hotels and motels Funeral services All businesses permitted to operate must follow social distancing and hygiene guidance from the CDC and the Kentucky Department of Public Health. Failure to do so could subject businesses to closure or additional penalties. Full details of Gov. Beshear's Executive Order can be found at the link below. On the Net: The Odisha government on Wednesday launched a massive recruitment for thousands of doctors, nurses, paramedics and multipurpose health workers offering them lucrative remuneration to join the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. The government flooded newspapers with advertisements for healthcare professionals a day after predicting a doomsday-like scenario of a huge number of Covid-19 positive patients by May-end. The state has reported two positive cases so far. In its advertisement, the health and family welfare department asked qualified specialists, MBBS doctors, staff nurses and other paramedics including retired people to work on contract for next three months in the special coronavirus wards of district hospitals as well as medical colleges. While the state government wants to recruit around 8000 nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, radiographers and multipurpose health workers, it also wants to rope in as many doctors as possible. Follow coronavirus live updates here. While the specialist doctors would get Rs 5000 a day, MBBS doctors would receive Rs 3000 per day. Staff nurses, lab technicians and radiographers would get Rs 1000 a day while multipurpose health workers would be paid Rs 850 a day. We have given free hand to the districts to recruit as per their requirements. Its a dynamic situation now and the number may go up, said Bijoy Mohapatra, director of health services. Subroto Bagchi, the government spokesperson on coronavirus in Odisha, on Tuesday said if people do not adhere to a strict lockdown then there would be a minimum of 2345 and a maximum of 36,000 coronavirus-infected people by the end of May. Till Wednesday Odisha had only two positive cases. Also read: Covid-19: Why it will be difficult for India to emulate Hubei lockdown Bagchi said 78,233 people who have come from other states to different districts of Odisha have been told to put themselves under home quarantine. Many of these people have returned from states which have a high population of Covid-19 infected people. It would be a mistake to assume that none of them would be carrying infections. In maximum cases the symptoms of coronavirus infections is visible in five days while in other cases it is revealed after 14 days. Since the disease is basically asymptomatic, the people who have returned from other states will have to remain in strict home isolation for 14 days, he said. To boost the morale of healthcare workers, chief minister Naveen Patnaik also announced advance payment of salary for four months to doctors, paramedics and workers. In a video message issued by Health and Family Welfare department, Patnaik said, With folded hands I venerate doctors, paramedics, workers engaged in health service. For the benefit of the health workers and their families I have directed officials to pay advance salary of April, May, June and July to doctors, paramedics and other health workers next month. Patnaik also warned of strict action against those who misbehave with health workers. People must not create hindrances in their work. We must encourage and appreciate the sacrifice and service of the health workers. Odisha has about 6300 MBBS doctors working in various government facilities, but not all may be available to treat the coronavirus patients as some of them are senior residents in medical colleges. The sanctioned strength of doctors in government hospitals is about 11000. Officials are also worried about the dearth of adequate number of ICU beds with ventilator and oxygen facilities. The State has just about 90 such beds (including those in private facilities) to treat Covid-19 patients who need ventilator support. The state government is currently scouting sites to build special hospitals for coronavirus with 1000 beds and 150 ICU beds. The state government is also planning to ramp up its testing facilities from two labs (RMRC and AIIMS, Bhubaneswar) to two more that can test 200 samples a day. A senior doctor in a state government hospital said the number of positive cases in the State would spike up considerably in the coming days if lockdown is not strictly enforced. The State government has so far lodged 137 cases against people for violation of lockdown guidelines. The number of people who have returned from abroad and registered themselves in the state governments Covid-19 portal has risen to 4,015. Of these, the samples of 133 were sent for test. Test results of 129 samples resulted negative, two tsted positive while the results of the other two samples are awaited. However, the Odisha government is yet to trace out three of the 57 individuals in the state who had come in contact with the Covid-19 positives. Medical professionals are warning the public against using inappropriate drugs and household products to combat the coronavirus following the case of a man in Arizona diagnosed with COVID-19 who died after trying to treat himself with a chemical used to clean fish tanks. The mans wife is also in critical condition after the couple, both in their 60s, ingested chloroquine phosphate, a substance commonly used at aquariums for cleaning purposes. Within 30 minutes after consuming the chemical, the couple needed to be hospitalized, according to a statement from Banner Health in Phoenix. We understand that people are trying to find new ways to prevent or treat this virus, but self-medicating is not the way to do so, said Dr. Daniel Brooks, Banner Poison and Drug Information Center medical director. The last thing that we want right now is to inundate our emergency departments with patients who believe they found a vague and risky solution that could potentially jeopardize their health. Chloroquine can be used in medicinal form to treat malaria and liver infection. The chemical should not be used to treat or prevent the coronavirus, though, Banner Health said It does not appear the couple in Arizona ingested the chemical in its pharmaceutical form. The husband and wife consumed the substance as an additive, according to the health care systems statement. The Associated Press reported that chloroquine and a similar drug, hydroxychloroquine, showed encouraging signs in fighting COVID-19 during small and early tests. However, the medications have major side effects, and evidence that they may help treat the disease is limited. Still, President Donald Trump claimed over social media that the drug may prove to be effective in combating the pandemic. HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine. The FDA has moved mountains - Thank You!, the president tweeted. HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine. The FDA has moved mountains - Thank You! Hopefully they will BOTH (H works better with A, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents)..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2020 Banner Health urged the medical community to not prescribe chloroquine to any non-hospitalized patients, though. The routine use of specific treatments, including medications described as anti-COVID-19, is not recommended for non-hospitalized patients, including the anti-malarial drug chloroquine, the health care systems statement said. Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Related Content: Bourbon is out and hand sanitizer is in at a northern Illinois distillery. That transition is taking place at Kennay Farms Distilling in Rochelle, which under normal circumstances produces a full line of vodka, gin, whiskey, bourbon and craft beer. With the shortage of sanitizer amid the COVID-19 outbreak, however, a decision was made. We had basically a family round table last night and it wasnt about if we would do it, it was how do we do it and how do we get started and how do we meet the needs as quickly as we can, co-owner Doris Kennay said. Kennay said they have enough supplies on hand to make 3,000 gallons of sanitizer on a relatively quick timetable. We have basically ceased bourbon operations and transitioned the lines to produce the alcohol that we need, Kennay said. Its a different proof that goes out. Its more of a 60 proof that has to be in the sanitizer, which is lower than alcohol that you drink. The family owned business has been preparing for the switch, but had to wait for approval from the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau before starting. The first batch of the sanitizer was completed Friday. Our goal is to service the immediate area as quickly as possible, donating product to hospitals, clinics, first responders, and firemen, Kennay said. Weve already received several calls for orders from private industry, other health care facilities that are beyond our radius, and just private individuals. Information for health care facilities in need is available at the distillerys website. Any excess product is expected to be made available for sale to the public at cost. We could make the change very quickly from the bourbon production to the hand sanitizer, and the scale of our operation is large enough that we really felt we could make a good impact, Kennay said. We can really make a sizeable amount of product. Coronavirus cases on rise in France The country has continued to hold steady as it enters the second week of lockdown which started last Tuesday at noon, announced by President Emmanuel Macron in a televised evening address. Death toll from coronavirus in France reaches 1,100, with reported cases hitting 22,302. The number of cases rose by 2,153 over Monday, while the death toll surged by 240 over the last 24 hours. VIOLATORS WILL BE FINED Prime Minister Edouard Philippe aired his own televised address last night, telling the nation that the cautionary measures had become stricter, with outings limited to one hour, one time a day, with residents to go no further than 1 kilometer radius from one's home. Violators are presently fined up to 135 ($147) for those rebuffing confinement, which could rise to 1,500 ($1,615) for recidivism within 15 days or 3,700 ($3,985) and six months in prison for violations in 30 days. A ban on open-air markets was also put in place, except in regions where a market is the primary source of food. A British NHS worker living in Australia is flying home today to help the service that made her 'nurse she is today' - and says she is determined to 'work through' the problem of its lack of equipment. Laura McLaughin, 27, has worked Down Under for three years, but is returning to the UK to treat those suffering from coronavirus - which has claimed 424 lives so far. She appeared on This Morning via video link from Sydney, where she insisted she would help the NHS in its 'time of need'. Laura added that while the lack of equipment worries her, she and other medical professionals will 'work through that' to help people. British NHS worker Laura McLaughin, 27, (pictured) is flying to the UK from Australia today to help the service that made her the 'nurse she is today' Laura appeared on This Morning via video link today, where she told hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby she is determined to 'work through' the lack of equipment 'The NHS trained me up to be the nurse I am today. So I need to be there during its time of need,' she told hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. Laura admitted it had been 'emotionally charged situation' trying to get a flight out of Australia, as her planned British Airways flight with a stopover in Singapore was cancelled. She said: 'I was prompt on Monday booking a flight. On Monday - or Tuesday at midnight in Australia - they said Singapore Airport was going to be shut, so I started to panic about how I was going to get home.' Laura added: 'There are so many in the same situation as me, saying the Embassy isn't helping. They're still selling flights even though transits are shut.' Laura admitted while the lack of equipment worries her, she and other medical professionals will 'work through that' to help people Eventually Laura managed to get a flight with Quantas, and says she'll be heading to an area with large staff shortages. When quizzed on where that is, she said: 'Anywhere around Preston or Southport. Anywhere to help the staff shortages. The unions have messaged us, they know what they're doing, there's plenty of young fit people ready to do it as well.' When asked if she was worried about a lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Laura admitted: 'Yes. We need to work though that don't we, and hope we can get the equipment we need in the end and just try and help people.' Laura told how it had been an 'emotionally charged situation' trying to get a flight out of Australia, as her planned British Airways flight with a stopover in Singapore was cancelled NHS England said this week that millions more items of PPE had been delivered over the last few days to hospitals, ambulance trusts and care homes, among others. This follows a letter in the Sunday Times signed by almost 4,000 NHS workers who called on the Prime Minister to 'protect the lives of the life-savers' and resolve the 'unacceptable' shortage of protective equipment. In their letter, the 4,000-strong group said medical workers were 'putting their lives on the line every day' by treating coronavirus patients without appropriate protection, and called on Mr Johnson to ensure an adequate supply of masks, safety glasses, gloves, aprons and protective suits. The blues scene has to follow the same procedures the rest of us. With clubs and other venues now closed, two things are happening. First, we are losing our usual allotment of blues and second, the musicians are losing their gigs. Many people are working to ease the pain of both. One of the first to take advantage of Facebook was the Tipping Chair, with a live stream of Spellbound. The entire acoustic show went on March 20 from Milldale from 4-7 p.m. Requests were taken via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. These are challenging times for everyone, and music holds us all together and unified. Please watch and interact with artists and support live music until we can see you all in person again soon. BSP will live stream from the Tipping Chair on Saturday, where Facebook broadcasts have been a regular feature. It is currently closed to public, but service is available for take out and curbside pick up only and of course, for streaming live music. Dan Stevens Live Nightingale's Virtual Concerts began last week. Tune in from 6-8 p.m. and watch for the virtual schedule, which is regularly posted. The music must go on listen from the comfort of your home and sing out, play along and enjoy. Details at www.musicnowfoundation.org Breaking with 50 years of springtime tradition, the 2020 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has been rescheduled for the fall because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The new dates for the Jazz Fest weren't specified in an announcement by the festival's producers. Paul Gabriel is using this time to give teaching via Skype another try. Hes off to a good start, but everyone losing their gigs all at once and for an unknown length of time is disastrous. Anthony Geraci will live stream a show Friday from the Fallout Shelter, which is typically a live audience recording. Geraci will be highlighting stuff from his upcoming album. It will be free but you can donate. More info will be posted. Jamie Freitas Who's Playing Where posts has been keeping Southwest Connecticut informed on gigs, is now stepping up to help promote online performances. From Freitas, Hi everyone, during this time of isolation and live music void please let me know when new online live video performances are happening or posted. They will be linked to on the Who's Playing Where Facebook page. She has created a photo album, online performances/caronavirus that includes links. Check it out: https://is.gd/z2T5Np 25 Concert Films & Music Documentaries To Stream for free: You can now download over 300,000 books from the NYPL for free. That's good news for all the e-bookworms out there. The New York Public Library has released an app that allows anyone with a library card (and an iOS or Android phone) to borrow any of the 300,000 e-books in the collection. It's called SimplyE and will allow you to read books on your phone. Billy Bileca posted Social Distancing Kitchening Episode 1, The Trinity. He has been giving lessons on Upright & Electric Bass, Guitar and Ukulele for more than 25 years, and learned as much or maybe more from my students of all ages and very thankful for all of them. The switch to Online lessons came on suddenly and so far its been great. As we connect for the lessons, I notice how important the time spent playing music is. Richard Badowski writes, My Wife has been baking this bread for the last 10 years now. It's out of this World! Something to do at home while we're all trying to survive this crisis. Here's the recipe. Enjoy, https://youtu.be/13Ah9ES2yTU Moja zona piecze ten chleb juz od 10 lat. Jest nie z tej Ziemi ! The Blues Foundation has been tracking the global situation and assessing how to move forward in light of the current coronavirus pandemic and is writing to notify you of the following changes to its operations: Beginning immediately, and until further notice, The Blues Hall of Fame Museum will be closed to the public. We will notify you immediately as soon as City, State, and Federal Agencies give direction that we can re-open for visitors and tour groups. Both the 2020 Blues Music Awards Show and Blues Hall of Fame Inductions Ceremony are cancelled. In lieu of live events, The Blues Foundation is beginning work to create virtual events where we will celebrate our BMA nominees and winners and our 2020 Blues Hall of Fame Inductees. Please watch for updates on dates and times to tune in for these important blues events. In response to the current COVID-19 crisis, in which so many blues musicians are finding tours and events canceled into the foreseeable future, The Blues Foundation will be creating a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund for Blues Musicians. We are asking those who have purchased 2020 BMA tickets and/or Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony tickets to convert those purchases to donations to be applied directly to this Emergency Relief Fund. Our systems are open now to accept donations and donors can easily donate to this fund at this link or online at www.blues.org. There are many more virtual activities taking place. The music is our link to getting through this together. Get the complete Blues Beat schedule on Thursday at the blog http://bluesbeatnews.wordpress.com/. Any questions or comments should be sent to Domenic Forcella at TWBlus@aol.com. Three more COVID-19 cases in Phuket, official total hits 29 PHUKET: Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Thanit Sermkaew announced today (Mar 25) that three new COVID-19 cases in Phuket have been confirmed, bringing the total number of officially recognised cases of people infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus confirmed in Phuket to 29. COVID-19Coronavirushealthtourismpatong By The Phuket News Wednesday 25 March 2020, 01:04PM Three more cases were announced this morning (Mar 25). Image: PPHO According to the information released this morning, health officials have checked 1,270,890 people at the airport and a further 38,327 checked at other ports. So far 718 people have been put under observation for possible infection of the virus. Of these were three new cases, Dr Thanit said. Of the 718, 618 Persons Under Investigation (PUI) had been checked and gone home. The remaining 98 remain in hospital under observation. Of those 98 still in hospital, 71 are waiting for test results to confirm whether they have COVID-19. Dr Thanit gave limited details of the new cases announced today as follows: Case 27. A Thai woman, 35, a masseuse who came into close contact with an infected person. She became ill on Saturday (Mar 21). Case 28. A Thai man, 33, who worked at Phuket International Airport and was in frequent contact with many tourists. He became ill last Saturday (Mar 21). Case 29. A British national*, 42. No details of occupation or status of staying in the country, or even the patients gender. The British national "arrived" in Thailand, or last re-entered Thailand, on March 19. and became ill last Saturday (Mar 21). Dr Thanit said those who remained under observation in the hospital do not have severe symptom and repeated warning for those traveled or worked in Bangla Rd, from the beginning of March, to see doctor if having fever, coughing, and sore throat. Dr Thanit also asked other people to avoid visiting or attending events or places where crowds of people are gathered. Stay home and do not go out for unnecessary activities, he said. UPDATE: Not a Frenchman as originally reported by officials. Boris Johnson is under pressure to order the closure of non-essential construction sites as workers are forced to travel despite a nationwide coronavirus lockdown. The mayors of London and Manchester, and leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all joined industry officials in calling for a halt to non-essential building work. But communities secretary Robert Jenrick insisted it is sensible for construction work to continue if safe to do so and if employers follow Public Health Englands social distancing guidance. He admitted the health measures would prove too difficult for some site operators to adhere to when challenged on BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Wednesday morning. Thats why you have seen a number of companies choosing to close down their in the last day or two, Mr Jenrick said, as housebuilder Persimmon became the latest major firm to announce it would halt all non-essential work. He insisted some construction roles are essential, such as safety work and efforts to remove flammable cladding of the sort we saw on Grenfell Tower, adding: There is work that will need to continue if it is safe to do so throughout this crisis. Industry officials have demanded further clarity from the government, raising concerns that current measures are risking the lives of employees and those they may come into contact with. Sadiq Khan urged the government to halt non-safety construction work to help reduce demand for public transport, after commuters posted pictures of packed Underground carriages, along with pleas for change. It remains the case that too many of the people using [Transport for London] services at the busiest times work in construction, Mr Khan said, adding that TfL had already lost 30% of its staff to sickness and would soon likely have to reduce services even further. The idea that construction workers can stay two metres apart during the course of a busy day, but also the idea we cant put on hold certain construction work in light of this public health crisis, I find astonishing. Manchesters mayor Andy Burnham accused the government of prioritising the economy. This decision about allowing non-essential work appears to be taken for economic reasons when actually when youre in the middle of a global pandemic health reasons alone really should be guiding all decision making, he told Newsnight on Tuesday. One site worker, an electrician in east London who gave his name as Nelson, told Today he decided to stop working for fears he could be spreading Covid-19. He suggested workers are now faced with an impossible choice. People know of people who are now in hospital and theyve caught it onsite, he said. There seems to be a lot of continued lack of distancing taking place and obviously the cross-contamination is rife. Im at a bit of a loss for words ... Im really not sure where to go from here. Everyones situation is unique to them, and Ive been having ongoing arguments all day as to why I was onsite up until now. Personally, I need to be earning money, otherwise in a month Im going to feel the pinch. Some 1.3 million workers in the construction sector are self-employed, according to the BBC, meaning they are yet to receive any meaningful financial support from the government. As millions of self-employed Britons are kept anxiously waiting, senior Tory Sir Iain Duncan Smith said support packages will be announced within days. I believe the government has reached a conclusion about that, the best way to do it is to look back over the average for the year but that does leave out some who havent been self-employed for over a year, he told Newsnight. Additional reporting by PA New Delhi, March 25 : Retail stores in outer Delhi have begun strict adherence to social distancing since Wednesday, the first day of the 21-day lockdown. However, the biggest relief is for those who went into a panic buying mode after the lockdown was announced that big retail stores like Reliance Store, Big Bazaar and More have enough quantities of essential goods. But there was shortage of goods in the local shops. The Delhi government on Wednesday made it clear there will no shortage of goods in any shop in Delhi. Apart from this, the big retail stores have also not increased the rates of the items like the local shopkeepers have done. Reliance Fresh was still offering discounts on Wednesday like it used to give earlier. However, the entry to these stores now is not as easy as it used to be earlier. Entry to only five customers at a time is allowed in these stores as they have been asked to follow social distancing strictly. Customers standing in a queue outside the stores have been asked to maintain a minimum distance of one meter. They have been provided with a number for their turn and are not allowed in if they are not wearing masks. The guards at Reliance Store in Nangloi stopped a man from entering the store as he was not wearing a mask. The man called up the police after he was stopped but the police also didn't allow him to enter. Big Bazaar has even started home delivery of goods. Customers can place their orders through the numbers issued by the store and get the items at home. The store is also offering cash on delivery service. However, the store is also facing some problems with home delivery as the staff which is delivering the items is been stopped by the police. Apart from this, the store is also not able to deliver the items to those who are living at faraway places. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 14:10:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANGZHOU, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese cities have launched voucher campaigns with multiple enterprises to encourage residents to dine out and shop, in an effort to boost consumption hit hard by the novel coronavirus outbreak. "It is an enjoyable shopping experience because these vouchers enable me to buy snacks at a lower price," read a consumer's comment on Suning.com, one of China's retail giants. The online retailer has recently distributed vouchers worth 500 million yuan (about 70.4 million U.S. dollars) to its users nationwide to encourage them to purchase goods at its online and offline stores. The move came after the city of Ningbo in east China's Zhejiang Province launched a sales promotion campaign with a raft of enterprises providing consumers with vouchers and coupons worth around 20 billion yuan. A total of 12 Ningbo-based cross-border e-commerce companies have participated in the campaign and will conduct sales promotions with major online retailers including Suning.com. The campaign will guide the city's leading companies and advantaged industries to form an industry alliance to unleash consumption potential with lower pricing, according to Zhang Yan, head of the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Commerce. Ningbo is among a series of Chinese cities that have rolled out voucher programs to stimulate consumption. Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, has announced the issuance of over 300 million yuan of vouchers to its residents and those in difficulties to spur spending and accelerate the resurgence of its service industry. Also, Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, has handed out vouchers worth 20 million yuan to stimulate spending on tourism and culture, while Jiande city in Zhejiang has pledged to provide tourists with 10 million yuan of travel vouchers. In early March, Chinese authorities released a guideline aimed at boosting consumption and unleashing the potential of the domestic market to cushion the blow of the ongoing epidemic on economic activities. The guideline, jointly issued by 23 government departments, detailed 19 measures to remove institutional barriers for consumption growth and revive pent-up demands due to the coronavirus outbreak. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China's retail sales of consumer goods, a major indicator of consumption growth, declined 20.5 percent year on year in the first two months of this year. The voucher distribution, covering multiple aspects of the economy and society, is expected to precisely boost the consumption demand of targeted consumer groups, particularly those hit severely by the epidemic outbreak, said Pan Helin, an expert in economics at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. Consumer demand is rising rapidly as the country accelerates the resumption of work and production nationwide, noted Lin Tao, an official with the NBS, adding that the domestic consumer demand will be further released and the consumer market is expected to maintain steady growth. Pakistan's Punjab province police arrested the husband of a well-known fashion designer for "deliberately" letting their coronavirus infected cook flee Lahore city, but released him hours later on the intervention of Prime Minister Imran Khan. On early Tuesday police arrested Tahir Saeed, husband of fashion designer Maria B, for sending his coronavirus positive cook to his house in Vehari district, some 250 kms from Lahore. The couple (Maria and Saeed) neither informed the authorities nor took the cook to a hospital for treatment. Instead, the employee was sent to his native village in a bus. According to the First Information Report, the couple's servant was tested positive for coronavirus, but Saeed, the owner of the brand, sent him to his native village in Vehari through a bus. He changed two buses to arrive at the destination putting all so many people at risk during the journey. "This shameful couple should have been behind bars for endangering the lives of so many. After knowing that their cook was test coronavirus positive they sent him home (in a village in Vehari) instead of getting him admitted at any health facility in Lahore. They even could have called police or other emergency numbers to shift the patient to hospital but they are callous human beings, said police officer Muhammad Ikram. He said it was a criminal act of the couple and now the entire village (where the cook lives) will have to be kept in quarantine. The FIR has been registered against Saeed but spared Maria B under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) of the Pakistan Penal Code as well as Article 144 and 143 of the Police Order, 2002. However, Saeed was released on bail after Maria B made a passionate appeal to Prime Minister Khan to intervene. Later she thanked the premier for securing the release of her husband. Maria B, however, in a video message which went viral online on Tuesday, addressed Khan that last her house was raided by policemen as if she was the biggest drug mafia don in Lahore. She said the police arrested her husband without any reason and my family was treated like criminals. She said after the lab report, which declared their chef positive for the virus, they quarantined him in the servant quarter. Later, the servant asked them to send him to Vehari and they arranged a separate vehicle for him. They said, in fact, their chef had contracted virus while coming to Lahore from Vehari in a bus. On Wednesday Pakistan's coronavirus cases climbed past to 1,000 nearly a month after its first patient surfaced. Seven persons have died of coronavirus so far in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) Makati Medical Center on Wednesday castigated Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, who tested positive for COVID-19, for visiting the hospital despite strict home quarantine protocols. The hospital management in a statement denounced Pimentel who accompanied his pregnant wife to the hospital for unduly exposing health care workers to COVID-19. It said the former Senate President added to the "burden" of the medical staff responding to the coronavirus disease outbreak. He violated his home quarantine, exposed health workers to possible infection, and therefore, to me, that is reckless and unacceptable, Makati Medical Center Medical Director Saturnino Javier told CNN Philippines News Night. After several senators voluntary placed themselves on self-quarantine following interaction with a resource person who later tested positive for COVID-19, Pimentel said he hardly left his house since March 11 but admitted to attending two birthday parties, a meeting, and a Senate session. He admitted that during his quarantine, he experienced high fever, slight sore throat, body pains, and diarrhea all flu-like symptoms related to COVID-19 prior to his test. Pimentel had himself tested for the virus on March 20. He said he learned about the positive results while he was at the hospital with his wife Kathryna on March 24. He said he immediately informed her doctor and left the hospital. Javier said, if the senator was not yet aware of his test result, he should have taken extra precaution, considering his colleague Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Migz Zubiri tested positive for COVID-19. If you have a colleague who is positive, all the more you should be extra careful and you should consider yourself to have the infection, Javier said. Pimentel apologized for accompanying his wife Kathryna, who was about to give birth, effectively breaching infection control protocols at the Makati Medical Center. For Pimentel, however, his trip to the hospital was essential. Yung quarantine kasi for non-essential movement. From my point of view, manganganak yung misis ko. Sinong kasama yung misis mo? Eh di ikaw, he said. [Translation: Quarantine is for non-essential movement. From my point of view, my wife was about to give birth. Who would accompany your wife in that case? Of course its you.] Javier said two to three of Makati Med's personnel are now on quarantine, while their delivery room complex had to be disinfected after the couple entered the delivery room complex where Kathryna was examined. Pimentels wife earlier denied rumors that her husband entered the delivery room. She added that she herself did not enter the delivery room as she was required to get a swab test first before giving birth. Charges? Javier and the hospital did not say whether or not they will be filing charges against Pimentel. But for University of the Philippines law professor John Molo, Pimentel can face a string of charges and penalties. Among the possible penalties are disbarment and suspension or expulsion from the Senate for unparliamentary behavior. Molo said Pimentel may also be fined up to 50,000 or face a jail term of one to six months for failing to disclose that he is suspected of having COVID-19. For violating the enhanced community quarantine, Molo said Pimentel can be fined between 10,000 and 50,000 or jailed for up to a year. Molo added that Pimentel could also be sued for criminal negligence, disobedience to agents of a person in authority, graft and corruption and for damages. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said they will temper the rigor of the law with human compassion as people are prone to commit violations during abnormal times like these. But this is not to say that the DOJ (Department of Justice) will not act upon the filing of a proper complaint by any interested party, Guevarra said. He added that they will determine if the National Bureau of Investigation should probe the incident. CNN Philippines Justice Correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report. Tony Trongone thought he was ready. The Pemberton schools superintendent made sure his elementary school students took home four weeks of paper assignments March 13 before New Jersey schools were forced to shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. Surely, that would be enough to keep them engaged until school reopened, Trongone thought. Ten days later, he already knew he was wrong. There was a level of ignorance on my part, Trongone said Monday, as district staff rapidly developed a second wave of school-from-home plans. I didnt know the magnitude that this pandemic would have." Many New Jersey school districts planned for two to four weeks of distance learning as the coronavirus began spreading across the state. Instead, schools will stay closed for what Gov. Phil Murphy called a long and extended period of time, as the states COVID-19 cases keep multiplying with no end in sight. Teachers will keep working, day by day, week by week, on kitchen tables and laundry room floors. But an entire education system cant abruptly shift to remote learning for weeks without students being significantly affected, said Steve Baker, spokesman for the states largest teachers union. There is no question that something is lost here, but I think we are also seeing pretty exceptional efforts to mitigate that, Baker said. I think it remains to be seen what the longer-term educational consequences are." Warts of remote learning are already apparent. Lack of therapy services for special education students. Lack of direct instruction. Lack of equity between wealthier districts using online programs and lower-income communities relying on worksheets. Some colleges have extended deadlines to drop courses or allow for pass/fail options during their own chaotic switch to online learning. For K-12 students, the coming weeks will be trying, said Suzanne McCotter, dean of The College of New Jerseys School of Education. What we cannot expect is that their learning experience is going to be the same as in a regular year, McCotter said. It is just impossible. In a best-case scenario, teachers adapt and innovate to keep students motivated. Parents find a balance between working from home and serving as part-time teachers. Students stay engaged and truly learn, in some ways better than before. In the worst case which few in the education community want to acknowledge everything goes wrong. Teachers get sick or understandably struggle with an unprecedented challenge. Parents succumb to stress and fatigue. Students check out when the novelty wears off, putting them far behind at the start of next school year. In reality? Nobody will know how much students have learned until they return to class, Baker said. We have to really be thoughtful about all of this, Baker said. What role do grades play? How do we decide if someone has completed a course? How do we decide if somebody is ready to move on to the next grade? The normal rules just dont apply. Pushing boundaries Robert Zywicki didnt shy away from the truth. When the Mount Olive Township School District crafted initial plans for remote learning, the superintendent said there wouldnt be much new instruction. Skill maintenance is how Zywickis administrative team described the goal, and he said it was better than nothing at all. But Zywicki is now emboldened by his teachers creativity, he said. Hes seen a music teachers online sing-alongs, teachers video conferencing to share tips and students using a series of apps and web programs that make online learning more viable. The district is raising the bar with students learning at home for the foreseeable future, planning a more prescriptive and direct plan for instruction, Zywicki said. Fewer optional assignments. More online interaction. And, yes, new material. What we are seeing from our teachers is a pedagogical renaissance, said Zywicki, who will present the districts plans to parents via YouTube. They are pushing boundaries to try new and different things. Now that its apparent distance learning is not a Band-Aid but a new normal, schools across the state are trying to make the same transition. The Uncommon Schools charter school network, which has schools in three states, sent home thousands of K-8 students in Newark with two weeks worth of worksheets so they could practice lessons they previously learned. Since then, school leaders frantically called families, found free internet opportunities for students and distributed laptops and wireless hot spots, said Juliana Worrell, the chief schools officer for Uncommons K-8 schools. Starting March 30, every student will be on a virtual school program, watching daily lessons recorded by teachers and speaking one-on-one with them for at least 10-20 minutes each week. If you would have told me a month ago that we would have a whole online program up and running in less than a week, I would have told you you are crazy, Worrell said. But somehow we made it work. Pemberton is preparing to print more worksheets, but also readying iPads to give to every K-5 student, Trongone said. Students already have several hours of school work to complete each day, and now will have more access to connect with their teachers online, he said. Trongone is an optimist, he said. And he thinks virtual learning can work for as long as its necessary. If we maintain the energy level and the level of detail, but also a level of flexibility, I think we can last up until June, Trongone said. I really do. Gauging success But how much will students actually learn? So far, some students have celebrated distance learning because they get more sleep, have an easier time focusing and feel less stressed. But others have called out what they consider a lack of meaningful instruction and raised concerns over limited interaction with teachers. Mya Corby, a junior at Hunterdon Central Regional High School, suggested a virtual school experience might not work for her beyond a few weeks. Assignments were only being checked for completion and not graded during the initial days, and there was no indication when test and quizzes would come. Even with the environmental perks of school from home, Corby said she prefers the classroom. You kind of take for granted having your teachers there at school every day to help you do this stuff, Corby said. And now you have to learn it on your own." Theres a chance students wont see their teachers again until the fall. Kansas and Virginia already closed schools for the rest of this school year and other states have hinted at doing the same. New Jersey schools will remain closed until health experts decide its appropriate to reopen, and Murphy last week said he wont be tied to an arbitrary date. Realistically, students will have learning gaps whenever they come back to school, said Patricia Wright, executive director of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association. Schools will have to assess what remedial work students need and the best way to provide it without penalizing the children. People still have to remember this a very emotional time, Wright said. We need to understand that and be patient with the learning. McCotter, who taught sixth grade years before she became a dean at TCNJ, is sure students will still learn, she said. But piecing together what skills they didnt master could be especially challenging if districts dont reopen this school year. Every course, from kindergarten to AP Calculus, now looks different than before, and teachers will inherit students who had varying degrees of success with remote learning. They dont know what their students are going to be prepared for, McCotter said. She worries most about students in low-income communities, where families will be hit hard by the financial consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. If students are hungry or worried about their parents ability to pay the bills, they wont be able to focus on remote learning. The gap is just going to grow wider and wider," McCotter said. If we dont figure out the safety net for those kids, we are really going to be in trouble. The pandemic will be a defining event for this generation of students, much like 9/11 was for the last, said Baker, spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association. Some students will have other priorities that trump their ability to focus on academics. And some may fall behind in the absence of their teachers. All discussions involving how to make up for lost time must consider whats best for students, Baker said. We are going to have to deal with those questions in the context of what we are going through, what our children are going through and make the right decision for those individuals based on that, he said, and not on any regular set of rules. Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus singled out President Donald Trump , whom he said he spoke with Tuesday, for doing a "great job" in leveraging public and private sector resources to fight the pandemic. The World Health Organization praised the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has spread to all 50 states and infected at least 55,568 U.S. citizens. "Fighting this pandemic needs political commitment and commitment at the highest level possible and the president's commitment, you have already seen it," Tedros said at a news briefing at the agency's headquarters in Geneva. "And that kind of leadership is very, very important, the whole of government approach, to mobilize all sectors to suppress the pandemic. So I know he's doing all he can." Tedros said Trump was expanding testing and is putting in place other WHO recommendations. "He takes that seriously and that's what we see," Tedros said. WHO officials said they also spoke Wednesday with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci. Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO's health emergencies program, said he was "very impressed to see the work that their institutions and other institutions" are doing. Ryan said the WHO has been working closely with the National Institutes of Health, which has been fast-tracking work with biotech company Moderna to develop a vaccine to prevent COVID-19. They began their first human trials on a potential vaccine last week. "We rely heavily on the scientific innovation and public health prowess of the United States and very much appreciate the way in which Dr. Fauci broke down the issue yesterday when he spoke about the data," Ryan said. "And he spoke about getting down to the state and the county level and working through the problem and working through the issues." The United States has the third-highest number of confirmed cases in the world, behind Italy and China, according to data compiled by John Hopkins University. More than half of the U.S. cases are in New York state, where local officials have tested more than 103,000 people and spent $1 billion fighting the pandemic. Trump has imposed travel bans for much of Europe and Asia. The president's coronavirus task force is advising anyone who travels through New York to self-isolate for two weeks and monitor their symptoms if they leave the area. A woman has revealed she can't get the treatment she needs for her crippling endometriosis due to the coronavirus pandemic ripping through British hospitals. Rachel Grant, 29, from Glasgow, was diagnosed with endometriosis when she was 14, and has since had 74 operations in a bid to live a normal life with children Ava, eight and Harris, five, and her partner Mark, 33. The beautician, who had to have her stomach left open for six weeks, is about to have her 75th operation to try and cure her endometriosis which leaves her unable to work and in constant pain. But she is still unable to get a permanent fix and is currently left in limbo, unable to get treatment for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus pandemic, which is stopping doctors from being able to see her. Rachel said: 'I'm supposed to have an operation every few months, but I have to self-isolate because if I catch the virus it could kill me due my current health state. Rachel Grant, 29, from Glasgow, was diagnosed with endometriosis when she was 14, and has since had 74 operations in a bid to live a normal life with children Ava, eight and Harris, five, and her partner Mark, 33, she is pictured in hospital following an operation The beautician had to have her stomach left open for six weeks is about to have her 75th operation to try and cure her endometriosis which leaves her unable to work and in constant pain. She had to lose nine stone to help with the operation, she is pictured halfway through her weight loss 'At the moment it looks like I'm going to have to wait around three months, which will mean I'll have waited eight months for an operation. 'That is double the amount of time I usually have to wait, and the pain is becoming unbearable. 'What we need is more people paying attention to how damaging this condition is, rather than just managing it. We need to find a cure, because for me managing it is not good enough.' In 2015, Rachel's abdomen reopened after she was discharged from an operation - and contracted sepsis. She spent six weeks with a 30cm hole in her abdomen. She had a hysterectomy last year in what was supposed to be a final cure, which still has not worked. 'I have a history of this condition in the family, but never expected to get it at 14 because usually it doesn't effect women until they're older' she explained. She is still unable to get a permanent fix and is currently left in limbo, unable to get treatment for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus pandemic which is stopping doctors from being able to see her. She is pictured in hospital Rachel (pictured with her husband Mark) said: 'I'm supposed to have an operation every few months but I have to self-isolate because if I catch the virus it could kill me due my current health state' In 2015, Rachel's abdomen reopened after she was discharged from an operation - and contracted sepsis. She was then told to lose nine stone ahead of a hysterectomy, she is pictured here after her weight loss 'I was in all sorts of pain when I was growing up, and after my first surgery when I was 14, when the pain persisted, I was sent to a psychiatrist because they thought I was making it up. 'From the ages of 14 all the way until now, I have had 74 major surgeries on my uterus and stomach, as well as a hysterectomy recently. 'Before I had the hysterectomy I had to lose nine stone, which I did naturally, and I thought the nightmare would finally be over. One of the hardest moments for Rachel, she says, is when her laparoscopy wound re-opened at home. 'I was in all sorts of pain when I was growing up, and after my first surgery when I was 14, when the pain persisted, I was sent to a psychiatrist because they thought I was making it up' she said. She is pictured in hospital She was recovering and with her friends when she stood up and her two friends went 'ghost white'. She said: 'Because I had only just had the operation, I couldn't feel anything when I stood up, my friends nearly fainted. I looked down, and all I could see was blood. 'I got to hospital and they couldn't sew it up because the wound was so big so they used a vacuum bandage - which essentially forces my stomach back together. 'It looks like a botched tummy-tuck, but it saved my life so I can't be angry about it. At that point doctors cared about saving my life and not how I looked.' 'After one of my laparoscopies I was at home and I stood up and looked down and there was blood all over the floor. The wound they had cut in my stomach had opened up and I was rushed to hospital. Rachel explained: ''Nobody can work out what is wrong with me specifically, the laparoscopies are supposed to manage the condition, but they don't work for me, I have one every three or four months.' She is pictured after losing nine stone and having a hysterectomy Rachel explained that she can't work as a result of the pain, and also struggles to sleep. She is pictured with her husband 'Because of the size of the wound they could not seal it and it was left open for six weeks with just a bandage over it. 'I was walking around a hospital and my stomach was wide open. 'Nobody can work out what is wrong with me specifically, the laparoscopies are supposed to manage the condition, but they don't work for me, I have one every three or four months. Rachel explained that she can't work as a result of the pain, and also struggles to sleep. 'It has been exhausting, luckily I had two natural pregnancies with my partner before my hysterectomy, so I became a mother before things got too risky, eventually becoming impossible for me to do so' she is pictured after her hysterectomy 'I can't work, I can't seem to be cured and because of this it's impossible to have a normal life. 'As a result of all of this I now have other conditions, Insomnia is one of them, which means I can only sleep for three hours a night. 'It has been exhausting, luckily I had two natural pregnancies with my partner before my hysterectomy, so I became a mother before things got too risky, eventually becoming impossible for me to do so. WHAT IS ENDOMETRIOSIS? Endometriosis occurs when cells in the lining of the womb are found elsewhere in the body. Each month, these cells react in the same way as those in the womb; building up, breaking down and bleeding. Yet, the blood has no way to escape the body. Symptoms include pain, heavy periods and fatigue, as well as a higher risk of infertility, and bowel and bladder problems. Its cause is unknown but may be genetic, related to problems with the immune system or exposure to chemicals. Treatment focuses on pain relief and improving quality of life, which may include surgery or hormone treatment. Source: Endometriosis UK Advertisement 'Now I just want people to take a better look at the condition, there must be thousands of other women like that are being left to suffer. 'It's not that I blame the doctors, everyone I have dealt with has always been great, but there must be more research on this condition so mothers like me can recover.' It comes as Boris Johnson plunged the UK into coronavirus lockdown that could last months - ordering the immediate closure of all shops selling non-essential goods, as well as playgrounds and churches as he told Britons to 'stay at home'. Gatherings of more than two people will be banned in the most dramatic curbs ever seen in Britain in peacetime, as the government goes all out to stop the spread of the killer disease. Last week the NHS called off all non-emergency operations to free up resources to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed 422 people and infected 8,077 in the UK. TANZANIA, Tanzania - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday welcomed calls by some groups for immediate cease-fires in their conflicts because of the coronavirus, saying he sees a clear conscience emerging that it is time to concentrate on the war against the pandemic. He pointed to communist guerrillas in the Philippines announcing a cease-fire from Thursday to April 15 in response to his appeal, and said he was encouraged to see a truce in Libya between the warring parties holding with difficulties. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric also noted the humanitarian truce called for by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the countrys northeast to deal with the virus. It was allied with the United States in the fight against Islamic State extremists. Guterres said at a humanitarian briefing that the Palestinian Authority and Israel have also been able to work together on the virus, though we know the extreme division that exists politically between the two. He said U.N. envoys around the world are talking to warring parties about cease-fires and he expressed hope that it will be possible in Yemen and Syria to make serious progress to end fighting and tackle the coronavirus. Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, said Guterres welcomes the Communist Party of the Philippines order to its New Peoples Army guerrillas to stop attacks and shift to a defensive position. Guterres encourages the parties to find a lasting political solution and end the conflict that has continued in the countryside for more than half a century, he said. The secretary-general also hopes that this will serve as an example across the world to silence the guns and come together as we face the global threat of COVID-19, Dujarric said. Guterres issued the appeal for immediate cease-fires Monday, saying that the fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war. The Syrian conflict has entered its 10th year, the conflict in Yemen is in its fifth year and Libyas rival governments have been fighting for nearly a year. Africa also faces unrest from Somalia and South Sudan to Congo. The conflict in eastern Ukraine is nearly six years old, and Colombia has still not made peace with the smaller of the armed groups it had been fighting. Extremist groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaida and their affiliates are also actively engaging in attacks in southeast Asia, Syria, Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso and many other countries around the world Even as the state is reopening in phases, the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic continue to be felt in many homes in Connecticut. When businesses and schools were forced to close, many people lost their source of income, leaving them unable to pay for basic necessities such as food, rent, utilities and even urgent needs for infants. Help-A-Neighbor is an emergency drive that was created to help meet some of those needs. The Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time are working with nonprofit agencies Family Centers, Person-to-Person, Domus and Building One Community, which collectively serve many of the most vulnerable members of the community. For weeks we have been publishing stories about neighbors in crisis. Included with each story is an estimated dollar amount to meet their identified needs. The agencies are channeling 100 percent of donations to the clients, often within days of being received. So many families are living on the edge of a financial crisis every day, Family Centers CEO Bob Arnold said. Now that COVID-19 has left hourly employees and those working in the service industry unemployed, basic living necessities have become difficult to afford. Family Centers provides human service programs to more than 20,000 residents in Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan and Darien. Person-to-Person serves those communities as well as Norwalk, Wilton, Weston and Westport. Among other things, it provides food and clothing to families in need. Domus provides services for at-risk youth, and Building One Community delivers assistance to immigrants. Both are based in Stamford. The Help a Neighbor campaign couldnt have come at a better time, and gives Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time readers an opportunity to pitch in and help those in the community who need it most, Arnold said. Below are the cases that still need funding. This is your chance to help. To donate, go to helpaneighbor.isecuresites.com. Case No. 120 Nearly a year ago, Amy became severely ill and was hospitalized a few times and placed on leave from work. She has been fighting for her disability rights and has run out of savings. She needs to travel out of state for specialists and testing, which is difficult during the pandemic. Amy is behind on bills and a gift of $800 would be extremely helpful. Case No. 119 A senior with a disability, Corrine was previously homeless but now is living in a stable apartment. She has been sleeping on a sofa for the past few months because she does not have a mattress. She also has extensive physical injuries, illnesses, and trauma that have been exacerbated by her chronic homelessness and poverty. During the pandemic, she has not been able to get help. A grant of $500 would pay for a new mattress and delivery. Case No. 118 Beatrixs job as a beautician was closed for weeks due to COVID-19. She was looking forward to returning to work, however the opening date for her beauty salon has been pushed back. Beatrixs unemployment benefits just started, and she is desperately trying to catch up with all her past due balance on her rent. A grant of $500 would help her catch up on her bills. Case No. 117 Joyce was out of work for a few weeks to heal after a car accident. But as she was ready to return to work, the coronavirus pandemic hit and her job closed down. Joyce is left with a significant amount due for medical bills on top of her living expenses. She is waiting for her unemployment benefits but will need extra income to make a dent in all her debt. A grant of $500 would help alleviate some of her financial concerns. Case No. 116 Belinda has been out of work since January after suffering a terrible fall on her job, fracturing her wrist and injuring her hips and back. She has been back and forth with her employer, which has refused to provide her with the documents she needs to apply for disability. Belinda is without pay and her bills and living expenses have increased. Now with the COVID-19 crisis, she cant find a work placement on light duty. A grant of $500 would help her cover her bills. Case No. 115 The factory where Lucinda works closed when COVID-19 hit the area. She has applied for unemployment, but her case is still waiting for approval. As the sole supporter of her daughter and granddaughter, Lucinda is worried that her job will stay closed longer than expected. A grant of $500 would help her pay her bills and provide for her family. Case No. 114 Even before the pandemic, Josefina's kids were very sick; every month she had to take one of her kids to the ER with some type of flu. As the coronavirus arrived in Connecticut, Josefina decided to leave her job so she would not risk bringing the virus home to her family. After leaving her job with no secured income, Josefina is worried that this crisis will continue longer that she can afford to stay out of work. A grant of $500 would help her cover expenses while out of work. Case No. 113 A single mom, Gladys works as a cashier at a local restaurant. When the COVID-19 crisis hit Stamford, her job was shut down. She has applied for unemployment, but her case is taking longer than expected. As her bills keep coming in, she's worried that this crisis will persist longer than expected. A grant of $500 would help Gladys with her bills. Case No. 112 Amreen lost her job due to the COVID-19 crisis. She has applied for unemployment, but her case is taking longer than expected. As a result, her rent is overdue, and Amreen is worried about the delays. A grant of $500 would help her pay her rent. Case No. 111 Maria was working as a nanny when the pandemic hit. She has applied for unemployment, but because she was an independent worker, her case has been delayed. She is worried that she wont be able to recover because she is so far behind on her finances. A grant of $500 would help stay on top of her living expenses. Case No. 110 Lynn, who lives in elderly/disabled housing, works as CNA. Her rent recently increased, but her hours at work have decreased due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The uses the income she receives from working to pay insurance on the car that gets her to work, gas for the car, rent, food and medication. She is single and she is trying to make ends meet, but she is struggling and only pays a little toward her rent each month. A grant of $500 would help her lower the outstanding balance on her rent. Case No. 109 Kathy is still working during the coronavirus pandemic, but her hours have been drastically reduced. She is working on a payment plan with the management office to pay off her back rent. She was able to keep up with the plan until the pandemic hit and her hours were shortened. Kathy needs $800 to pay off her balance. This gift would allow her to catch up and stay current with her rental payments. Case No. 108 Charles had a fire in his apartment on Valentines Day. He lives on limited income from Social Security and receives support from Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging. The landlord is charging him the $5,000 insurance deductible for the fire. A grant of $500 would help him make payment arrangements with the landlord to get the deductible paid. Case No. 107 Brenda has been out of work for several months after having surgery. When she was ready to return to work, her place of employment closed due to COVID-19. She does not have any other income and has three young children who depend on her. She has fallen behind on her rent and struggles to meet her familys basic needs. She is stressed out because of her financial situation. A gift of $300 would provide some relief. Case No. 106 Ana lost her two jobs as a caretaker as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Ana is a devoted mother who provides shelter and security for her daughter, so she can focus on her college education. Along with the lost income, Anna and her daughter lost the peace of mind that allows her daughter to concentrate on her studies. Ana is afraid that this crisis will last for many months and her situation will get worse. A gift of $300 would help this family. To donate, go to helpaneighbor.isecuresites.com. Case No. 105 Jocelyn works as a cashier at a local restaurant that was shut down when the coronavirus hit the area. She applied for unemployment, but her claim is taking much longer than expected. Jocelyn is two months behind on her rent and doesnt know what shell receive from unemployment. A gift of $300 would provide some relief and help with her rent. Case No. 104 Maria works as an Uber driver while her child attends school. When the COVID-19 crisis hit, she had to stop working to take care of her child. As an independent driver, she doesnt get unemployment benefits. Without an income, Maria is debating whether to go back to work and risk getting the virus -- or lose her apartment. A gift of $300 would help with the rent. Case No. 103 -- Mario was preparing to start the season in his work as a landscaper when the COVID-19 crisis hit. As a result, his main source of income was lost. To make it worse, because he is an independent contractor, Mario does not get unemployment during the offseason. Now instead of preparing to start the season, Mario is worried how hes going to pay his bills. A gift of $300 would help provide groceries. Case No. 102 Maria works in a service industry that was closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Marias husband lost his job as well. They are worried about their bills and are unable to make the rent payment this month. A gift of $300 would be a big help. Case No. 101 Rose, an elderly single woman living in Stamford, works part time to supplement her Social Security income. But she became unemployed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and has been told that her job may not resume until August. She applied for unemployment benefits, however she has not begun to receive them. She has fallen behind on her rent, and a grant of $500 would help catch her up. Case No. 100 Rose is a mother of two children -- 3 years old and 9 months old. The family is struggling because Roses husband has been laid off from his job in construction, this after his hours were unstable in the winter. Now the family has no source of income. They were not able to pay their rent last month, and now Mays rent is coming due. A gift of $500 would help cover last months rent and provide some relief for this family. Case No. 99 Jack and Diane both lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. They have been in the U.S. for only a year, have very little savings and are unfamiliar with any area resources. They are parents to a 6-year-old child and three-month-old baby boy. With no income, they fear they will not be able to provide for their newborn. A gift of $500 would go a long way to help this family purchase groceries and necessary baby items. Case No. 98 Michael is an immigrant who was working full time at a hotel and part time at a restaurant, but as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, he has been laid off from both jobs. Michael is the sole provider for his family of four and is struggling to make ends meet with no source of income. Due to his immigration status, Michael does not qualify for any stimulus assistance, and is fearful he will not make rent this month. A gift of $500 would allow Michael to buy groceries for his family and pay half his rent. Case No. 97 In early April, Jimmy tested positive for the coronavirus and was laid off from his construction job. In the weeks following, Jimmys wife and two small children also tested positive, causing a terrible economic fallout for the family. With no source of income and in a compromised health situation, Jimmy fell behind on his rent and other bills. Although the family is largely recovered from the virus, theyve found themselves in a financial hole. A gift of $500 would help this family pay back rent and help get back on their feet. Case No. 96 Nelly is a single mother of a 12-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, and she recently became the guardian of her 8-year-old nephew. She worked as a waitress but lost her job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nelly is out of work until further notice. At this moment, neither Nelly nor any of her family members are receiving any financial support. A gift of $500 would be very beneficial for the family. Case No. 95 Jenny is a single parent with three children -- a 5-year-old, a 2-year-old and a beautiful and healthy baby girl born in January. When her maternity leave ended in March, she was excited and ready to return to work. However, her company closed during the coronavirus pandemic and Jenny was unable to return to work. She has used up all her accrued time off and does not qualify for unemployment. A gift of $500 would help with rent, food and other basic needs. Case No. 94 Ana lost her job as a caretaker when the coronavirus crisis hit. She is 5 months pregnant and considered high risk. Ana is afraid to go out to buy groceries for her family and is worried that if this crisis lasts much longer, she will not be able to take care of her family. A gift of $500 would allow her to take care of her family and get new baby items. Case No. 93 Before the COVID-19 virus became widespread, Josefina was busy working and taking care of her children, who were often sick. When the virus hit the area hard, she decided to leave her job because she could not risk bringing the virus home to her family. Because she left her job, Josefina may not be eligible for unemployment. A gift of $250 would allow her to take care of some necessities for the family. Case No. 92 John worked extensive hours as a kitchen helper in a local restaurant. But because of the coronavirus crisis, his employer had to shut down temporarily. Now John is worried that he wont be able to cover the basics needs in his house. A grant of $500 would help John cover his bills. Case No. 91 Pedro has been in the hospital with the coronavirus. He was out of work for three weeks, and his employer doesn't offer paid leave. Pedro stayed home while he was recovering from the virus, and his employer shut down while he was out sick. He is concerned that he will not be able to recover financially. A grant of $500 will help with his economic recovery as he regains his health. To donate, go to helpaneighbor.isecuresites.com. New Yorkers who leave for other parts of the US should self-isolate for 14 days, the White House coronavirus response coordinator has said. Dr Deborah Birx told reporters at Tuesday's coronavirus task force briefing that the New York City area was a particular cause for concern, where cases have been doubling every three days, according to The New York Times. Dr Birx urged anyone leaving New York to isolate and monitor their symptoms. There are now 25,665 confirmed cases almost 7 per cent of the world total in New York State, with 3,000 people hospitalised. About 56 per cent of all the cases in the United States are coming out of that metro area and 60 per cent of all the new cases are coming out of the metro New York Area and 31 per cent of the people succumbing to this disease, said Dr Birx. With new cases in Long Island suggesting that people had transported the coronavirus outside of New York City, the White House response coordinator warned about the continued spread of the virus. New Yorkers should isolate No matter where they have gone whether its Florida or North Carolina, she said. The recommendation comes as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis introduced an order on Tuesday requiring arrivals from New York, New Jersey or Connecticut to self-isolate. Diseases expert and White House task force member, Dr Anthony Fauci, said it was understandable that people want to get out of New York. He added: Its a very serious situation and they have suffered terribly through no fault of their own. Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday that New York is the canary in the coal mine, with similar scenarios set to play out across the US in the coming weeks. Mr Cuomo also appeared to criticise the federal governments response to the crisis in his state, saying: Four hundred ventilators? I need 30,000 ventilators. You want a pat on the back for sending 400 ventilators? Thank you for stopping the life of a demon that could not stop, Cho said as he was escorted away as cameras flashed and protesters shouted. He apologized to all the people who have been hurt by me, but he did not answer questions about the accusations he is facing. As it braces for COVID-19 surge, Pardee sees regular revenue drop A sign at the Pardee emergency room directs potential COVID-19 patients to a screening tent outside the ER. While it ramps up unprecedented safety precautions, prepares for a surge in patients and juggles calls to 14 different vendors seeking COVID-19 test kits, Pardee/UNC Health is seeing regular patient revenue drop precipitously, the hospital board was told Wednesday. During a regular meeting of the Board of Directors, CEO Jay Kirby and board members broadly praised the work of the UNC system, Pardee and its clinical staff, Henderson County and its emergency management officials and the community to respond to the pandemic. But Kirby warned that the growing trend of people staying home translates into fewer visits to urgent care clinics and physician practices, the usually steady profit engines for the county-owned hospital. As of Friday, March revenue had plunged 50 percent because patients are sheltering in place. They are not getting out, and we dont want to bring respiratory related illness into our urgent cares. Unfortunately, COVID has impacted our operations. Emergency rooms visits, which generally average 89-95 per day this time of year, have dropped to 43 a day. Physician practice revenue is down 35 percent. So all of this is beginning to impact the volumes of the hospital, Kirby added. Expecting a banner month in March, we budgeted it big. By mid-month, our volumes started to drop and our revenue started to tail off. Responding to the COVID-19 threat is an opportunity to serve that Pardee is proud to accept, he said, the challenge comes at the same time our revenues are dropping as people are not accessing health care as they have normally and customarily. The downturn in patient revenue comes amid what had been a profitable year for Pardee. Finance Committee Chair Chip Gould reported that through February the first two-thirds of its fiscal year in-patient revenue was 4.6 percent ahead of budget and 3.9 percent ahead of last year. ER visits were 1.1 percent under budget but 1.8 percent higher than last year. Overall patient revenue was up 7 percent and the profit margin was 2.7 percent, up from the projected 1.8 percent. Hats off to the finance (officials) and everyone else that toted the line prior to where we are today to keep us in good position, Gould said. Case numbers going up On the COVID-19 front, Dr. Chris Parsons, Pardees medical director for infectious disease, reviewed the hospital response to the coronavirus threat up to now and its plans going forward. When Parsons told the board that North Carolina had 398 cases as of Tuesday, Kirby broke in to share the updated numbers 24 hours later. Today, more than 500 and weve had our first reported deaths, so its a tremendous increase in one day and should give you some idea how fast this is growing and will continue to grow, the CEO said. While the states large population centers in Charlotte and the Triangle have had the highest number of cases its not surprising that well start to identify more patients with COVID-19 as it moves into mountainous area of the state, Parsons said. The health care team has moved on to mitigation, essentially meaning that containing the virus is no longer possible, so the most effective general measure is to stop the spread of the disease in all of its forms. The main message from the medical community would be stay at home if at all possible. 'A storm on the horizon' Pardee has been using LabCorp. to test samples taken locally, which requires a 2-3 day turnaround time. It is contact with a different private lab and expects to receive 400 test kits that can be read in-house to produce a result in under two hours. So far, Pardee has an adequate supply of personal protective equipment. Were working to keep the hospital supply and ER supply in good shape and it is in good shape as we speak, Parsons said. Physicians are focusing on hospitalized patients and those in at-risk groups, including nursing home residents, front-line doctors and nurses, people with compromised immunity systems and people over age 65, especially those with heart or lung conditions or other medical problems. Its an evolution almost daily, Parsons added. Were hopeful with the in-house test with the rapid turnaround, thatll help people in the community. The Pardee help line has been fielding about 175 calls a day from people seeking a COVID-19 test or asking about one. A screening site Pardee set up on March 15 tested more than 300 people before running out of test kits. It was a tremendous effort, Kirby said. We had calls from Buncombe, Advent, Transylvania and Polk County as to what our process was. We were the first to come on in Western North Carolina. Right now were moving to surge planning, and bracing for increased pressure on all entry points, including the ER, patient practices, urgent care centers and testing sites. Yesterday we had 400 cases (in the state) and today we find ourselves with over 500 in just one day, he said. The incidence and prevalence of this is ramping up. There is a storm on the horizon and it is coming. A 'cacophony of coughing' in packed emergency rooms. Beds squeezed in wherever there is space. Overworked, sleep-deprived doctors and nurses rationed to one face mask a day and wracked by worry about a dwindling number of available ventilators. Such is the reality inside New York City's hospitals, which have become the war-zone-like epicenter of the nation's coronavirus crisis. Faced with an infection rate that is five times that of the rest of the country, health workers are putting themselves at risk to fight a tide of sickness that's getting worse by the day amid a shortage of needed supplies and promises of help from the federal government that have yet to fully materialize. 'You're on 100% of the time - no matter what,' said Dr. Jolion McGreevy, medical director of The Mount Sinai Hospital emergency department. 'It's been a month of full force, and thats certainly very stressful.' People line up outside Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens to be tested for the coronavirus on Tuesday A medical worker gestures at a COVID-19 testing station at The Brooklyn Hospital Center on Monday Patients initially showed up with fairly mild symptoms, ranging from a runny nose to a mild fever, concerned they contracted coronavirus. That shifted over the past week, McGreevy said, and now hospitals are receiving far sicker patients in need of life-saving intervention. 'These are people in severe respiratory distress, needing to be intubated and needing the intensive care unit,' he said. 'We knew it was coming. We saw it in Italy and other places so we were prepared for it, and now we're seeing it.' Columbia University chief surgeon Dr. Craig Smith wrote in a note to colleagues: 'To think we could mimic Italy seemed risible a week ago. Not today.' New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday that new evidence suggests social distancing is 'working' in slowing down coronavirus, with the rate of hospitalizations slowing every day this week, but that we were 'still on our way up the mountain'. There are now 30,000 cases of coronavirus in the state of New York, including 17,000 in the city of New York. Across the state, there have been 285 coronavirus deaths, including at least 192 in New York City. The current hospitalization rate is 12 percent - a worrying figure especially given the looming 'peak' of cases which is expected to inundate hospitals in just three weeks. Three percent of cases require ICU. That means there are currently 888 people in the state of New York needing intensive care and experts say the city's hospitals are already close to overrun. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio discusses the arrival of a shipment of 400 ventilators with Dr. Steven Pulitzer, the Chief Medical Officer of NYC Health and Hospitals, at the city's Emergency Management Warehouse on Tuesday A medical worker wearing a single protective glove and a face mask walks past a line of workers and visitors waiting to be tested for COVID-19 at the main entrance to the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New York on Monday Khalid Amin, a doctor at Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, treated seven COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, ranging from 25 to 72, and he is struck by the way the disease has laid each low in the same way - the fatigue, the way they grasp for air with the slightest movement. One patient in his 50s, moving from the bathroom to his bed, a space of less than 12 feet, seemed to struggle at one point, his chest rising and falling rapidly. 'You seem short of breath?' Amin asked. Then came the reply, so low, Amin could barely hear him though he was inches away. 'Yes.' Moments later, a stethoscope on the patient's back, Amin heard the same telltale sound he had been hearing in other patients that day: 'It's a crackle, like crumpling paper.' Dr. Craig Spencer, who survived a bout of Ebola in 2014 and now is director of global health in emergency medicine at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, tweeted Tuesday of a 'cacophony of coughing' in the ER, saying nearly every patient he encounters has the same symptoms, regardless of age: a persistent hack, shortness of breath and fever. 'You're afraid to take off the mask,' he wrote. 'It's the only thing that protects you.' Smith said hospitals in the New York-Presbyterian system are burning through about 40,000 masks a day amid the crisis - about 10 times the normal amount - and have begun issuing staff members just one each day. Mayor Bill De Blasio said about 2.2 million masks were delivered to hospitals Monday, with additional supplies en route from the state and federal governments. But he said there would have to be a lot more where that came from. 'If we run out of it, it's like sending a soldier into war where everyone else has armor and we dont have armor,' said Dr. Joseph Habboushe, an emergency room physician at NYU Langone Medical Center. The city's health department last week advised health professionals to continue working after exposure - rather than self-quarantining - unless they show symptoms. 'The more we hear about doctors and nurses getting sick, the more we get nervous,' said Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, director of global health at Northwell Health. 'It's definitely on the mind of every health care worker in America. We don't want to be in a position where we're making decisions based on resources rather than the clinical care of patients.' Cioe-Pena has been following what he calls a 'decontamination routine' after every shift, in which he wipes down his phone and washes both his scrubs and street clothes. A man looks at over paperwork he was given after being tested for the coronavirus as he leaves the testing tent at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens on Tuesday 'We've ventured into a battle,' he said. Across the city, health care workers, hospital administrators and public officials were scrambling to preserve precious gear and find more treatment space before they were overwhelmed. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center was being converted into a 1,000-bed hospital, and a fully staffed and equipped Naval hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, was expected to arrive within two weeks to provide another 1,000 beds, not for coronavirus patients but to provide relief to hospitals dealing with them. NYU Langone's Habboushe said that while ER physicians deal with potential danger all the time, there's concern about what's to come with the coronavirus. While the vast majority recover from the illness, older adults and people with existing health problems are particularly vulnerable and could suffer more severe illness or even death. 'The anxiety and stress that I think all of us in society are feeling right now - we are feeling it all the more so in the hospital,' he said. 'How can we deal with the idea that this is going to be worse and worse before it gets better?' Among the biggest looming concerns, Habboushe said, is the prospect of medical professionals having to decide which patients get the potentially life-saving machines such as ventilators and which do not. 'It's one of those things you learn about. It's hard to imagine you actually would face that,' he said. 'And now we're all realizing theres a really high chance well be facing that, and that breaks my heart.' Disney has said it hopes to provide some much-needed moments of respite for families during the coronavirus crisis as it launched its long-anticipated streaming service in the UK and Ireland. Disney+, which has also launched in Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland, after a roll-out in the US in November, will debut with at least 25% less bandwidth to ease pressure on internet service providers during the outbreak. It will be home to more than 500 films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic, 26 exclusive original movies and series, and thousands of television episodes, including the Star Wars spin-off The Mandarlorian and more than 300 episodes of The Simpsons. The wait is over! TODAY ISTHE DAY! pic.twitter.com/jhfuz2vGDP Disney+ UK (@DisneyPlusUK) March 24, 2020 The company warned it has had to close some of its Disney+ customer services centres due to the coronavirus outbreak and customers should expect longer than normal wait times for live chat and phone support this week, suggesting people visit the online Disney+ Help Centre at https://help.disneyplus.com/csp. Kevin Mayer, chairman of Walt Disney direct-to-consumer & international, said: Launching in seven markets simultaneously marks a new milestone for Disney+. As the streaming home for Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and National Geographic, Disney+ delivers high-quality, optimistic storytelling that fans expect from our brands, now available broadly, conveniently, and permanently on Disney+. We humbly hope that this service can bring some much-needed moments of respite for families during these difficult times. Due to the impact of COVID-19, weve had to close some of our Disney+ customer service centres & expect longer than normal wait times for live chat/phone support this week. For answers to common questions & tips to navigate Disney+, visit our Help Centre: https://t.co/Gh0bNDOH9o Disney+ UK (@DisneyPlusUK) March 23, 2020 Discussing launching the service in the middle of the pandemic, Ricky Strauss, president of Disney+ content and marketing, told the PA new agency: We are, all of us in the world that we live in, facing really challenging times. Our focus at the moment is the same focus we had when we launched from the beginning here in the US and some other markets in November, which is to provide quality content and storytelling, and have the benefit of the backlog of our catalogue to entertain people and to provide hours of incredible content from the Walt Disney Company, and that continues to be our focus and our mandate. Ive been told week to week to week, she said of the schools decision to stay closed or to reopen. Printz said she appreciates that the Kearney community is understanding of her situation. I mean I have two rug rats running around because the reality is I went (to the school) this morning and picked up two trash bags full of stuff and I went home at lunch and read what I was supposed to do (as a parent), she said. Printz also has had to adapt the way she serves her customers. Like many other food service businesses she started to provide takeout and curbside service for customers. She continues to offer free delivery and keeps open her small dining room. We generally dont have big crowds in our bakery anyway, she said. To take extra precautions, she and her employees also individually package desserts that are sold over the counter. We have just packaged them differently so we handle them less, she said. The deputy British ambassador to Hungary has died after contracting coronavirus as his parents pay tribute to their 'funny and generous' son. Steven Dick, 37, passed away on Tuesday after testing positive for the Covid-19 disease. Mr Dick became Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy Hungary in December 2019. In a statement, his parents Steven and Carol Dick said: 'Steven was a much-loved son, grandson and nephew. He was kind, funny and generous. Steven Dick, 37, passed away on Tuesday after testing positive for the Covid-19 disease 'It was always his dream to work for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and he was very happy representing our country overseas. 'We are devastated by his loss and ask for privacy at this tragic time.' He started his career in 2005 with the Bank of Scotland as a Graduate Trainee, where he spent three years, before moving on to the Migration Directorate at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The 37-year-old then took a year out to learn Arabic, before being based at the British Embassy at Riyadh in 2011 for three years, before becoming a political officer at the British embassy in Kabul. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: 'I am desperately saddened by the news of Steven's death and my heart goes out to his parents Steven and Carol. 'Steven was a dedicated diplomat and represented his country with great skill and passion. He will be missed by all those who knew him and worked with him.' Hungary has recorded 226 cases of the deadly pandemic, and 10 deaths. The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George has boycotted sittings in the House over non-COVID-19 deliberations. In a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, the Ningo-Prampram legislator said he was of the view that the House has failed to live up to expectation in times like this. It is my considered belief Rt. Hon Speaker that, the august House of Parliament is failing to exercise its truly intended mandate in crisis times like this. I hold the strongest conviction that we are pandering whilst the flames that may engulf the state are being stoked. Sam George also added that for the past two weeks, the House has met to deliberate on the Imposition of Restrictions Bill and the approval of some loans which does not directly deal with the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. In the past two weeks, the House has met and deliberated on several issues. Top among them is the Imposition of Restrictions Bill 2020 and the granting and approvals of a number of commercial loan agreements. None of these deals with the coronavirus pandemic directly, he said. He further indicated, among other things, that the refusal of the Speaker to order all Members who have returned from foreign travels to be tested, and replace the existing sanitizer dispensing devices in the House with sensor-enabled ones such that no one would have to touch them were part of issues that informed his decision. He also stated that the call by the Speaker for a new Chamber which was big enough to support social distancing was misplaced. He said that the Speaker should have rather called for a digitized Chamber such that MPs could still hold sittings from their various locations. Sam George thus said as a result of the reasons he had highlighted, he would be excusing himself from parliamentary sittings until the House decides to deliberate on issues that are directly COVID-19 related. ---citinewsroom The State Department is preparing to evacuate thousands of Americans stranded overseas, with 16 flights scheduled in the next five days and more to follow, officials said Monday. About 30 State Department employees posted in embassies and consulates abroad have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the officials added. Small numbers of employees in six US locations Washington, Houston, Boston, New York, Seattle and Quantico, Virginia have also tested positive. A task force assembled by the State Department is working on getting flights out for the 13,500 Americans who have reached out asking for help, officials said. Consider whether you are ready to ride out an undetermined period of time where you are now or do you want to go to the United States to wait out events, a senior State Department official said of the advice he is telling diplomats to advise Americans. If its the latter, do so now, and that last bit is all caps. The effort to repatriate Americans has become the main focus of the State Department as it has suspended all routine visa operations and reassigned personnel to the often-complex task of getting people out of countries as borders and airports close. Many Americans in countries that have imposed travel restrictions have complained that the diplomatic missions have not been reachable or provided inadequate assistance. Roughly 10 million Americans are expatriates who reside in foreign countries and an unknown number are tourists or abroad on business trips. The State Department already has evacuated 5,000 Americans starting with about 800 flown out Wuhan, China, where the virus originated. A second official said the State Department expects to evacuate at least 1,600 more Americans over the next five days. We prioritise people, taking account of their vulnerability, the official said. If somebody is 70 years old and has an underlying condition such as diabetes or heart disease, that person has priority over a hale and hearty 20-year-old. Planes like these Delta ones, seen at an Atlanta airport, have been grounded at US airports and around the world amid Covid-19 (Twitter/@kimpaquette) The State Department has adopted new policies for voluntary, authorised departures, so some diplomats and civil servants have returned to the United States. They have been assigned to help evacuate Americans. Other employees have also been enlisted, including some who normally work on economics, diplomatic security, public affairs and legislative affairs. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under State Department rules for briefing reporters, said the window is rapidly closing for commercial flights. In some places, civilians have been flown out on US military flights when space was available. The State Department is working with the Defence Department to see if more flights and spaces can be arranged. Officials also are working with foreign governments to arrange evacuations on private chartered flights. Flights taking undocumented immigrants back to their countries also are returning to the United States with American civilians. Were hearing from people in very remote parts of the world, the first official said. Its complicated. In Peru, for example, diplomats are trying to move Americans out of areas reachable only by air, at a time when the Peruvians have shut down internal air travel. International flights are limited because the civilian side of the Lima airport has been closed, and the military part of the facility has less capacity. I hesitate to guarantee we can move every person, the official said. But we will move very large numbers. The Washington Post With the unprecedented nationwide lockdown shutting down factories, ONGC has been forced to cut natural gas production by up to one-tenth as customers refused to take supplies because of business disruption. Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), which produced 64.5 million standard cubic meters of gas per day till earlier this week, has reduced the flow to 59.8 mmscmd on Wednesday, and will further cut by another 3 mmscmd on Thursday, sources aware of the development said. The company has received requests from customers for reduction in gas supplies of around 7.7 mmscmd. Besides this, another 4-5 mmscmd supply reduction requests have been lodged with the gas transporter GAIL. The sources said these customers are largely small companies whose business has been completely shut because of the lockdown, and city gas distributors who have seen volumes vanish after CNG vehicles went off-road. In the most far-reaching measure undertaken by any government to check the spread of coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evening announced a three-week-long nationwide lockdown. The lockdown meant offices and factories, barring those involved in essential supplies business, are shut and people asked to stay at home. So far, 562 persons are reported to have infected with the virus and as many as 9 killed. Some states like the national capital Delhi had last week declared lockdown and now this has been extended nationwide. While factories across sectors have been shut down following the lockdowns, the ones seeking stoppage or reduction in gas intake are mostly in the Gujarat region. Out of the 7.7 mmscmd gas reduction request received by ONGC, 6 mmscmd has come from the Hazira region, the sources said, adding the remaining reduction was sought by factories in Andhra Pradesh and adjoining areas. Besides, GAIL has been piled with requests for cut in supplies for another 4-5 mmscmd along its Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur pipeline. It is the principal transporter of natural gas in India and also ships gas produced by ONGC. GAIL would accommodate 4-5 mmscmd of reduction by cutting the use of imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fuel sourced from fields other than of ONGC, they said. Gas is used as a fuel in a variety of industries - from glass to fertilizer plants. Large factories such as fertilizer plants continue to use gas as they have been classified in essential commodities. The demand for gas has also been hit by all vehicles, barring ones used by law enforcement agencies and that used in maintaining essential supplies, going off-road. This meant vehicles run on compressed natural gas (CNG) too have gone off-road in cities ranging from Delhi to Mumbai to Ahmedabad. Lesser CNG vehicles meant lesser need of gas and so city gas distributors too have sought a reduction in the volumes they used to take from GAIL/ONGC, the sources said. Indraprastha Gas Ltd, the company that retails CNG to automobiles and piped cooking gas to households in the national capital and adjoining cities, has already shut two-third of its CNG dispensing pumps in view of the demand constraints. The sources said more factories and businesses are likely to be impacted by the shutdown in the coming days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi elected 43 MLAs facing criminal cases in the recent assembly elections and 26 of them won against a runner up "with a clean background", a new report by the Association for Democratic Reforms and Delhi Election Watch said Wednesday. The report, released on Wednesday, also said the people in the national capital elected 52 "crorepati" MLAs with 15 of them winning against a "non-crorepati" candidate. Of the 26 MLAs who defeated candidates with a clean background, nine registered a victory margin of more than 20 percent. AAP''s Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha, who had declared several criminal cases pending against him in his election affidavit, registered the largest margin of victory in the polls -- 39.67 percent, the report said. Only eight MLAs with clean backgrounds won against a runner up with declared criminal cases, ADR, a non-government organisation working on electoral reforms, said. Among the 43 MLAs facing criminal cases, 37 had declared, in their affidavits, serious penal offences including those related to rape, attempt to murder and crime against women, pending against them, it said. Thirteen of the 37 MLAs have declared cases related to crimes against women. Of the 13, one has declared cases related to rape. In the previous assembly, 24 MLAs had declared criminal cases against themselves. "Fifteen out of 52 'crorepati' MLAs won against a 'non-crorepati' runners up. Of them, six won with more than 20 percent margin of victory," the ADR said. As per the analysis, 11 non-crorepati MLAs won against crorepati runners up. Four of them registered a victory margin of more than 20 percent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) by Kamel Abderrahmani At first radical Muslims claimed that the epidemic was a sign of Allah's anger and punishment. Now they claim the virus is a test of faith. If such characters, such obscurantists with dark ideas, intervene and interfere in such sensitive issues with impunity it is because the state does not do its duty, that of protecting people. Paris (AsiaNews) - Natural disasters, such as the ongoing coronavirus emergency, provide Islamists with an opportunity to "proliferate" and promote their "obscurantist ideas, this according to Kamel Abderrahmani, a young Muslim intellectual. The pandemic has prompted many Muslim countries to take measures such as closing mosques and other places of worship. Even the holy city of Makkah is in lockdown. However, some people oppose these measures, extremists, imams and preachers who until recently, when their countries were not yet affected by the outbreak, saw the virus as Allahs punishment. Now, they see the COVID-19 virus as a test of faith. This shows why Islamism is a deadly ideology that profits from the misfortune of others, from their tears and tragedies. Abderrahmanis thoughts follow. (Translation edited by AsiaNews) While the COVID-19 pandemic is raging with devastating consequences in several Western nations, other countries elsewhere have begun to prepare themselves before it is too late. Muslim countries in particular do not want to end like Iran, which is the most affected Muslim country with almost 1,300 deaths and a little more than 18,000 cases. So far, Tehran has failed to contain the epidemic. To curb any risk of spread, the authorities in all Muslim countries have closed public places, cafeterias, cinemas, stadiums, mosques, etc. in Saudi Arabia, the authorities have locked down Islams holiest place, Makkah, and suspended all forms of pilgrimage to the holy city for some twenty days. Muslims extremists, radical imams and virulent predictors have been quick to talk about this epidemic. Until recently, before the virus reached their countries, they saw it as a punishment from God against disbelievers. Such is the case of the delusional remarks and fantasies by, for example, the director of the Islamic Centre in Geneva, Guru Hani Ramadan who accused China of persecuting Chinese Muslims and for whom the COVID-19 is just divine punishment. He goes further claiming that "the epidemic is due to the wrath of Allah, and that Allah sent the epidemic to punish the peoples who anger him by their accursed deeds like music, nudity, debauchery, fornication, turpitude, freedom Mockingly, Id say that he is talking about his brother Tariq Ramadan who is on trial for rape. Other preachers say that the disbelievers think that they can defy the One with their scientific progress; lo and behold, he is making fun of them with a virus smaller than an atom. O Allah thank you for the blessing of Islam, the one and true religion. See here. However, as soon as the epidemic arrived in their countries, it became a test by Allah of their faith; a funny reasoning that comes only from bad faith; these gurus know how to manipulate the masses by promoting obscurantist religious arguments. For them, the COVIC-19 is not hard to explain. Their speeches in mosques, their preaching on TV, their followers on social media or in the streets are just mind-blowing. Pretentious and stupid, they reiterate what Hani Ramadan said above, namely that The world has only to learn from the lessons of the ancient peoples mentioned in the Quran, peoples who experienced the wrath of Allah like the peoples of Noah. In accordance with the provisions of the Quran, Sharia rules and the objectives of Islamic law, the" preservation "of human life is a duty. Hence, closing places of worship is a way of protecting people from contagion, which is why the authorities in almost all Muslim countries temporarily closed mosques and suspended group prayers and Friday gatherings. This however did not go unnoticed by Islamists and fanatical Muslims who consider it an offence against Allah and believe that "Islamic prayers protect from COVID-19", as a famous imam in Brest claims in a video on YouTube. Apparently, science is useless for them! All you need to do is call on Allah who answers! In Algeria, many believers did not hesitate from praying in groups in front of mosques, despite the call by state imams to pray at home to prevent the spread of the virus. Have my co-religionists become suicidal as well? Naively I ask myself the question. Such a dangerous mindset, such holy and obscurantist ignorance, such morbid and obsolete ideas will finish them off! This should not be surprising since Islamism is a deadly ideology that profits from the misfortune of others, from their tears and tragedies. This movement has brainwashed Muslims and shown once again that it is always acting in an infantile and insidious way even when disaster and serious crises threaten Muslim countries and the rest of the world! For example, in Algeria, the statements about mosques closures by the head of the Islamic Salvation Front, the sinister Ali Belhadj and the Islamist Abdallah Djaballah, president of the Islamist party, the Front for Justice and Development, are just laughable: Mosques should not be closed, they are houses of Allah, and he protects them. If that is the case, why was Makkah closed? So much the better, for the extremists will not be able for now to speak against the disbelievers, waiting for the enemies of Allah" to discover a vaccine against COVID-19. Are these obscurantist imams, researchers, scientists, virologists, politicians, etc., all in one? Under what capacity do they talk? As representatives of political parties or as muftis? Do they know that places of worship can cause coronavirus contagion quickly and devastatingly? If not, what gives first? Human life or mosque prayer? Is there anything more sacred in this life than human life itself? In any case, if such characters, such obscurantists with dark ideas, intervene and interfere in such sensitive issues with impunity it is because the state does not do its duty, that of protecting people. Muslims must not give in to fear and superstition. They must take serious action and learn from the lessons of the countries that are still suffering from this virus. Above all, we must not listen to Islamists who can only proliferate in situations of political crises and natural disasters, in which they exploit the misery of peoples for their political ends in an attempt to influence and control minds. (Video: radical Muslims protest against the closure of mosques in Alexandria, Egypt) We may end up having more deaths and injuries from military brutality than the feared coronavirus, said Ibrahim Sadiq, a 33-year-old manager at a flour supplier in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri. The city has been targeted by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram for more than a decade, and residents have suffered well-documented human rights abuses at the hands of the army. But if the virus spreads in Nigeria, officials have said, the use of the military is on the table. Kannalmozhi Kabilan By Express News Service CHENNAI: Mere days ago, amidst the increasing threat of coronavirus, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was still diligently at its job. It drafted a notification for issuing driving licences to people with colour blindness, albeit only if its not severe or complete. India is finally catching up to its global counterparts on this front, in an effort to make life easier for the colour deficient folk. But things are not that bleak on the paler side of the spectrum it seems. Vision deficiency Rakhil Ramdas certainly thinks so. Life has been relatively normal despite the diagnosis of red-green colour blindness, says the 23-year-old who is pursuing his Masters in Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. I do have trouble distinguishing certain colours green, violet, purple, pink and red. But soon enough you learn to deal with it. People around me have been helpful, he says. Like many children, his case with colour vision deficiency also came up in school. He managed to push it to high school before his condition started becoming apparent at the chemistry lab. His chemistry teacher was quick to notice that he reported the colours of his tests wrong, despite plain-sight evidence. After the initial nudge, his family took over and laid out the cause. For he wasnt the only one with the condition. Abhiram Bemmamchery, Rakhils cousin, had gotten the same diagnosis years earlier in class 2. His trouble began in art class, when he used the wrong colours for the national flag and painted the tree with green bark and brown leaves. With a couple of uncles known to have the condition, his mother knew what they were up against. For Aditya Chawla, his red-green colour blindness affects the way he perceives brown too. But life with the condition isnt all that difficult, only peppered with embarrassing moments, he says. He has trouble shopping for clothes, checking if the geyser light is on or off. Slipping in a factoid that he stumbled upon during his research on the condition, he points out that colour blindness was not eliminated by evolution because it was not fatal or a major impediment to the species. Rakhils talks about the time he and Abhiram had to go shopping for a wedding. They picked a shirt because both of them liked the colour but it wasnt till they were back home and showing it to the family that they realised that they both got the colour wrong. And all of them have been through the what-colour-is-this phase with friends. Coping mechanism Yet, each of them found their own way to cope. For Abhiram, his mother was instrumental with him coming to terms with the condition in the early years. My mother was of great help. She told my teachers about the condition and that helped in school. For arts class, I used to write the name of the colour of the pencils and take it to school. When I got older, I started being able to talk about it myself informing teachers, discussing it with friends, he narrates. Rakhil relied on his friends to get through everyday hiccups. In school, I would just ask my friends about the colours. Teachers knew that this was where I needed help. I survived through college that way too. I take my friends along for shopping, he says, adding that this has never been a struggle. Challenging the condition Living in the US where one can get a licence if the colour blindness isnt severe, Aditya says driving too becomes easier with practice. Traffic lights are in a particular order and it is easy enough to follow, he points out. But that he is now a painter goes to show how little hes let this deficiency hold him back. I was never into art or drawing. Picked up painting randomly as a challenge to colour blindness. Colour theory along with feedback from friends and family helped. Now, Im comfortable with my palette and tubes. Sort of memorised what goes where, he recounts. A look at his Instagram page @adityachawla_art and you'll see that's gotten great results with his way of work. Aditya pursues art professionally, while also working as a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers, US. Putting out another piece of trivia, he points out that Facebook is primarily blue as Mark Zuckerberg is red-green blind and blue is the richest colour in his spectrum. Having performed the vision test for many in the city, at the behest of recruiters, Dr Dhivya Ashok of Agarwal Hospital says that its a condition that doesnt even come up till people show up for a colour vision test mandated for a job. While it may rule out a career in the military, navy or aviation (not in every country and not for every job) it isnt limiting or debilitating, she says. While x-chrome lenses are available and it does offer better discrimination of colours, it is not something that doctors would recommend, especially where the work is completely dependent on the equipment. The makers of lenses sign them off for use at as young an age as five and it might work a great deal for the rare few with complete or severe colour blindness, but folks like Rakhil have little interest in it. I was born without the ability to see these colours and its fine. Ive never felt the need to look beyond that, he says. The silver lining in any colour would still be just that, it seems. A Dublin man trapped in Melbourne trying to get home finally managed to get a flight - at a cost of 2,500. Fionn Barron (21), from Terenure, was one of the many Irish people finding it a struggle to get a comm- ercial flight out of Austra- lia, with options limited during the current Covid-19 pandemic. His sister, Rua Barron (23), told the Herald that Fionn was in Australia with a working visa for the year, but decided to cut the trip short and come home. He travelled from Brisbane to Melbourne and had been due to catch a connecting flight via Abu Dhabi to Dublin, but non-UAE citizens were unable to board. Fionn had to leave the airport and stay with a friend while trying to find another flight out. He finally managed to get a flight with Air France so he could begin the long journey home. "He's leaving Melbourne for Shanghai, on to Charles de Gaulle in Paris and from there to Dublin," said Rua. "We're expecting him home tomorrow." However, she pointed out there are many more in the same boat trying to get home, but options have diminished as more restrictions have come into place. Sorry On its website yesterday, Emirates airline said that "as per the UAE government's directive", it will temporarily suspend all passenger services from today. "We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused to our customers and travellers. These measures are in place to contain the spread of Covid-19, and we hope to resume services as soon as feasible," it said. The UAE previously announced that, from March 19, holders of valid visas would no longer be allowed to enter or re-enter the group of emirates. Restriction will stay in place until at least April 2. A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs told the Herald: "We are trying to give all possible assistance that we can. We would encourage people to keep in touch with us, register with us. "If you are in the UAE, get in touch with our embassy there - we have an embassy in Abu Dhabi." He said the consulates in Sydney and Canberra are in touch with a lot of people, and the helpline in Dublin has been dealing with many calls as well. The department's advice to people has been that if they think they need to come home, then do so immediately. A group of Irish doctors who quit their jobs to return home from Australia also reported difficulties finding commercial flights back on Monday. Issues such as flight cancellations or lack of available bookings are among the issues that have emerged in recent days. The global COVID-19 pandemic affects all Australians and their loved ones at home and abroad. It is having a profound and enduring impact on our society, our resilience and our health. Professor John Shine. Image credit: Australian Academy of Science As Australians, we must do all that we can to aid those at the frontline including health workers and others providing essential services, whose collective efforts are saving lives. As the reported worldwide infections are escalating, it is vital that all Australians listen to, respect and act on the health advice provided by Australian governments that have received health advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, which is comprised of all state and territory Chief Health Officers and chaired by the Australian Chief Medical Officer. There is no doubt that public health measures to slow transmission of COVID-19 are becoming and will need to become more robust as the days and weeks go on. Every Australian, young and old, wherever they live, has a vital role in the effort to stop the spread of this virus. The Academy urges all Australians to do their part, follow the instructions of the authorities and take their role seriously. As an independent and authoritative scientific adviser to the parliament and to the nation, the Academy draws on the scientific expertise of Australias leading scientiststhe Fellows of the Academy. The science that underpins efforts to halt this pandemic is necessarily trans-disciplinary and draws on areas of translational research, clinical research and basic or discovery science. They include immunologists, virologists, geneticists, epidemiologists, mathematicians, biostatisticians, data scientists and a range of others. The Academys Fellows are doing all they can to contribute their scientific expertise to help decision makers, directly or indirectly, in the national and global interest. Indeed, their lifetime work is today paramount to the efforts to understand COVID-19, to chart its evolution, and to find anti-viral treatments and ultimately a vaccine that will restore our wellbeing and way of life. Australia must make full use of leading scientists expertise to deepen our understanding of COVID-19 and to sharpen our response. That is why the Australian Government must make public the scientific evidence that is informing its thinking. Importantly, the open publication of data and evidence supporting government decisions will allow all scientific knowledge to be brought to bear to solve this global crisis. A model for Australia to follow is that adopted in the UK, where the scientific evidence supporting the UK government response to COVID-19 is published by the UK Government Office for Science, led by the Chief Science Advisor. Adopting such a model will place in the public domain the scientific evidence that is shaping the recommendation of the health and medical professions advising Australian governments. It should include findings and results of published and unpublished data. In addition, in a fast-moving situation such as this, transparency must be at the core of government responses. It is critical that the public has confidence that governments are basing their decisions on the most up-to-date scientific advice and evidence. While Australian governments have correctly been listening to and acting on the advice of health and medical professions and rightly taking into account the economic impact of their actions, more could be done by publishing the data and evidence underpinning their response. The Academy calls on the Australian Government to publish the scientific evidence that is supporting its decisions so the scientific know-how of the nation can be brought to bear. Only science will solve this. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- Voters in three Washtenaw County communities will not go to the polls in May after local officials withdrew proposals to avoid the gatherings that may spread the novel coronavirus during the global pandemic. Proposals by Dexter, Scio Township and South Lyon Community Schools are being postponed to future elections, each municipality announced. The changes comes as Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson urged communities to consider postponement to reduce potential spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. The state will send absentee ballot applications for any elections still scheduled. Michigan sending absentee ballot applications to all May 5 election voters because of coronavirus outbreak Ballots in Dexter were expected to have a proposal to build a new fire station and city offices -- the citys first potential property tax increase since its incorporation in 2014. The $9.9-million bond will instead appear on the Tuesday, Aug. 4 election ballot. Scio Township voters were expected to vote on a .65-mill tax increase to develop and maintain parks and pathways, including nature preserves and trails. That vote was also rescheduled to August. About 2,500 Scio Township voters already received their absentee ballots, according to a special township newsletter. Already returned ballots can count toward the August election or the voter can submit a new application. South Lyon Community Schools, which serves some residents in northern Washtenaw County, has not yet determined when its nearly $97.2=million bond proposal will go on the ballot next. District leaders said it would postpone the election to do our part in preventing the spread of the coronavirus, in a letter to the community signed by Interim Superintendent George Heitsch and School Board President Carrie Hanshaw. Heitsch and Hanshaw warned the postponement may have a financial impact, in that it could delay when bond projects may start by a year or more, change the price in bond project materials and require the district to restore the 2019 millage rate. The school board will discuss the bond election at its April 20 meeting, Heitsch said in an email Wednesday. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Ann Arbor implements new park restrictions as coronavirus outbreak continues Ann Arbor woman gets amazing response to yard signs thanking health care workers 7 more hospitalized for coronavirus in Washtenaw County, officials say 10 days and 2 ER visits later, ailing Michigan woman describes grueling wait for coronavirus test results MEXICO CITY, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Credijusto, the leading tech-enabled lender in Mexico, announced today that it closed a USD $100 million debt facility with Credit Suisse AG. The transaction follows the closing of a landmark USD $100 million credit facility with Goldman Sachs last year. These two transactions were the first such deals that both banks had completed with a Mexican fintech. The transaction provides Credijusto with additional funding diversification and capacity to increase its lending across Mexico and support its mission to expand credit access for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). "This credit facility represents a significant milestone for Credijusto, particularly given the uncertain economic times that we are entering and allows us to continue to transform the way Mexican SMEs access capital," stated David Poritz, Co-CEO of Credijusto. "This financing will further support our growth trajectory and enable us to step-in and support the perennially underserved Mexican SME market segment as banks and other credit providers are retrenching," added Allan Apoj, the company's other Co-CEO. This new credit facility is further validation of the company's multi-product platform as it will be focused on funding its expansion into equipment lease financing adding to Credijusto's term loan and credit line products as well as its credit card which will be launched later this year. Since its founding in 2015, Credijusto has sought to address the market inefficiencies largely present throughout the Mexican banking system. The company promotes financial inclusion by providing affordable asset-backed financing products. Using a combination of cutting-edge software design, innovative applications of data science, and advanced internal processes for decision-making and product structuring, Credijusto provides better-priced products, faster delivery and superior customer experience. In its first five years of operation, Credijusto has successfully launched multiple financial products and originated over USD $120 million in term loans and leases, growing at a compounded annual rate of over +200%. This rapid growth and success has established Credijusto as a household name in the Mexican fintech space. Credijusto's operational success has been supported by its strong fundraising track record. In 2019, the company raised a USD $42 million Series B led by Goldman Sachs and Point72 Ventures. Prior equity investors include Kaszek Ventures, QED Investors, John J. Mack, Victory Park Capital, Elevar Equity, Ignia, City Hall Capital and Broadhaven Ventures as well as debt facilities with institutional credit funds such as Goldman Sachs, Calvert Impact Capital, DFC (formerly OPIC), Promecap, Eiffel eCapital, Partners Group and now Credit Suisse AG. Credijusto is based in Mexico City and currently employs 300 people. SOURCE Credijusto Not to be released, published or distributed directly or indirectly in the United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which offers or sales of the securities would be prohibited by applicable law This press release does not constitute or form a part of an offer of or solicitation to purchase securities in the United States of America or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons, except pursuant to an exemption from, or a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The bonds will be offered or sold only to non-U.S. persons in offshore transactions outside of the United States of America, in accordance with Regulation S of the Securities Act. Carrefour does not intend to register any portion of the proposed offering in the United States of America and no public offering will be made in the United States of America. The bonds may not be offered or sold or otherwise made available to retail investors. No key information document under PRIIPS Regulation has been and will be prepared. Regulatory News: Carrefour (Paris:CA) has launched a EUR 1,000,000,000 7.7-year senior bond (maturity: December 15th, 2027). The order book was several times oversubscribed and has attracted total demand of over EUR 6 billion with more than 300 investors. The new issue will bear a 2.625% annual coupon at an issue price of 99.471%. The proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes of the Group. After the confirmation of the Group's credit ratings by Moody's (Baa1 with negative outlook) and Standard Poor's (BBB with stable outlook), the success of this transaction demonstrates investor confidence in Carrefour's credit quality. Carrefour has a solid balance sheet. This constitutes an important asset in the context of the fast-changing food retail sector and amid the COVID-19 pandemic situation. In addition, the Group has two credit facilities totaling EUR 3.9 billion, which are undrawn to date. About the Carrefour Group With a multi-format network of more than 12,000 stores in over 30 countries, Carrefour Group is one of the world's leading food retailers. Carrefour recorded gross sales of 80.7 billion in 2019. The Group has more than 320,000 employees who contribute to making Carrefour the world leader in the food transition for all, offering quality food every day, accessible everywhere and at a reasonable price. DISCLAIMER Prohibition of sales to European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom ("UK") retail investors No action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make available any bonds to any retail investor in the EEA and in the UK. For the purposes of this provision: a. the expression "retail investor" means a person who is one (or more) of the following: a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); or a customer within the meaning of Directive 2016/97/EU (as amended or superseded the "Insurance Mediation Directive") where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; and b. the expression "offer" includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the bonds to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the bonds. Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the bonds or otherwise making them available to retail investors (as defined above) in the EEA or the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the bonds or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA or in the UK may be unlawful under the PRIIPS Regulation. France The bonds have only been offered or sold and will only be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in France to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies) as defined in Article L.411-2 1 of the French Code monetaire et financier, and the Base Prospectus, any Final Terms or any other offering material relating to the bonds have only been distributed or caused to be distributed and will only be distributed or caused to be distributed in France to such qualified investors. United Kingdom This press release is addressed and directed only at (i) persons located outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") or (iii) high net worth companies, and other people designated by Article 49(2) (a) to (d) of the Order or (iv) persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) may otherwise lawfully be communicated or cause to be communicated (the persons mentioned in paragraphs (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) all deemed relevant persons ("Relevant Persons")). The bonds are intended only for Relevant Persons and any invitation, offer of contract related to the subscription, tender, or acquisition of the bonds may be addressed and/or concluded only with Relevant Persons. All persons other than Relevant Persons must abstain from using or relying on this document and all information contained therein. This press release is not a prospectus which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority or any other United Kingdom regulatory authority for the purposes of Section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005630/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations Selma Bekhechi, Anthony Guglielmo and Antoine Parison Tel: +33 (0)1 64 50 79 81 Group Communication Tel: +33 (0)1 58 47 88 80 (TNS) During his first state-of-the-city address in February, 2019, University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan told of taking office in January, 2018 and experiencing an informational technology meltdown.City halls [computer] firewall had been breached, the password did not work, the installer could not be identified or found, and we soon learned that the citys IT had been handled on an ad hoc, a la carte basis, with no apparent planning or care, or consistency, or dedicated IT person or company," Brennan stated in his address. He added that, on that first day, city hall had no working server or meaningful backing up or archiving.More than two year since taking office and after having since used the services of two IT firms which he said have not been able to satisfactorily handle the job, Brennan is still looking for answers. To help find those answers, Brennan has assembled a new Technology Advisory Commission which met for the first time via an online Zoom meeting Monday (March 23) evening, chaired by Councilwoman Susan Pardee.The committee had been established more than a year ago, but hadnt met in some time. New members, with credentials in information technology and other backgrounds, were recruited.Members include residents Andrew Grau, who works in cybersecurity; attorney Steve Dlott; Christine Hudak, who has worked with hospital information systems for more than 35 years and is director of the health informatics program at Kent State University; Jiang Quian, a trained theoretical physicist whose interests include servers; Steve Washington, a lawyer who has started companies and who has interest in Smart Cities technology ; and Tex Troxell, the CEO of LIFTR, a firm that allows marketers to test ads before launching them. The committee also includes John Carroll Universitys Jim Burke, the only non-resident, but a man who has worked in the city for 35 years.Brennan explained to committee members that when he became mayor, he inherited an IT service provider from the previous administration and, while that firm worked out for a while, he soon found out that we were having issues with networking, issues with security, issues with Wi-Fi, and issues with the quality of service.A switch was made in 2019 to another company, Concord IT Solutions, which Brennan said, was not forthwith with us when it came to its certification for handling sensitive police information. Brennan said there were other issues with the company, including getting email credentials set up for interns, and the company not permitting a firefighter who was handling some IT matters continue on in that role.After parting ways with Concord, Brennan said he sought advice from other mayors as to who he should choose, and began working with Bailey IT Solutions. He was exclusively working for a short while with a Bailey representative who then, unexpectedly, left the firm, leading Brennan to speak with the head of the company as to what might next happen regarding the citys IT needs. It is with the current uncertainty with the Bailey partnership that Mondays meeting was held.Brennan is also looking for an IT firm because there will soon be a need to get a certified firm to handle police matters.The police department has a sergeant who has done IT for many years, Brennan said. Sgt. Brian Lombardo has done very well with IT, but we still have to consider succession because he is close to retirement.Troxell suggested, and other committee members agreed, that rather than just choose another IT firm to serve University Heights, it would be wise to audit the entire city system. Troxell suggested a third party, not Bailey, conduct the audit.When Pardee asked how much such an audit may cost, Burke said, Im going to guess $50,000. Theres probably a lot of issues we dont even know exist.As its first undertaking, each committee member will make suggestions, by April 6, as to who should conduct the audit. The committee was also tasked by that date to help Brennan form a request for qualifications so that bids for the audit work can be taken.In another order of business at the committees first meeting, it selected Troxell, who also volunteers as a computer science teacher at Cleveland Heights High School, to serve as its chairman. The peak of coronavirus cases in three of New Jerseys hardest-hit counties could be three weeks away, state officials said Wednesday as they revealed the states total of known cases has risen to at least 4,402, with at least 62 deaths. State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said hospitals in Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties are already feeling the strain of cases and the state continues to work on models predicting when the peak will occur. Weve asked the hospitals and the healthcare providers in those counties to just be aware," Persichilli said at the Trenton War Memorial during the states daily coronavirus briefing. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he expects the peak of his states cases to be the next 14 to 21 days. Persichilli said northern New Jersey counties are slightly behind but following that trend. Theres a good a possibility that theyre going to see a peak after that probably 21 to, it could be 60 days even," Persichilli said. Our exponential growth rate based on the number of positive cases reported daily is similar in northern New Jersey." New Jersey is second only to New York (30,611 cases) in total number cases in the country. As of Wednesday, Bergen County has 819 cases, Essex County has 381, and Hudson County has 260 cases. But Persichilli said "we expect that all of our mitigation strategies will reduce the impact on our state. Officials expect the number of cases of the virus to keep rising as testing expands, but knowing the numbers of positive and negative tests will give them a better grip on how to respond to the outbreak. Of the 14,000 tests administered in the state, officials said, 4,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus a rate of 29%. The others have been negative. To slow the spread of the outbreak, Gov. Phil Murphy has ordered residents to stay at home and closed non-essential businesses in the state to help slow the spread and ensure hospitals have enough space to care for patients. Murphy said Wednesday that hed be the happiest guy if he could start reopening businesses. But he said data and science doesnt show that will happen in the near term. The governor added that if the state tries to restart the economy before the curve of cases is flattened, we only throw gasoline onto the fire. Were gonna get through this, Murphy said during an appearance on CNBCs Fast Money" later in the day. Were New Jersey, after all, right? But it aint gonna be unscathed, and it wont be tomorrow. But if we all do our part, we will get there." Also Wednesday, officials said the first pop-up field hospital the federal government will construct in New Jersey will open up within a week at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus. Two other sites in Edison and Atlantic City will open up with within a month, officials said. The location of a fourth site is yet to be determined. The four sites are expected to bring 1,000 more hospital beds to the state. New Jersey currently has 18,443 acute care beds, including 2,000 critical care beds, officials said. These steps will allow us to expand hospital capacity in the short term" and give greater flexibility to the states health-care system to handle an influx of patients, Murphy said. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The recapitalization will improve their capital to risk weighted assets ratio. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday has given its approval for continuation of the process of recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) by providing minimum regulatory capital to RRBs for another year beyond 2019-20, that is, up to 2020-21 for those RRBs which are unable to maintain minimum Capital to Risk weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 9%, as per the regulatory norms prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India. The CCEA also approved utilization of Rs 670 crore as central government share for the scheme of Recapitalization of RRBs (i.e. 50% of the total recapitalization support of Rs 1340 crore), subject to the condition that the release of Central Government's share will be contingent upon the release of the proportionate share by the sponsor banks. A financially stronger and robust Regional Rural Banks with improved CRAR will enable them to meet the credit requirement in the rural areas. As per RBI guidelines, the RRBs have to provide 75% of their total credit under PSL (Priority Sector Lending). RRBs are primarily catering to the credit and banking requirements of agriculture sector and rural areas with focus on small and marginal farmers, micro & small enterprises, rural artisans and weaker sections of the society. In addition, RRBs also provide lending to micro/small enterprises and small entrepreneurs in rural areas. With the recapitalization support to augment CRAR, RRBs would be able to continue their lending to these categories of borrowers under their PSL target, and thus, continue to support rural livelihoods. According to data from the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, State Bank of India (SBI) has sponsored maximum RRBs, followed by Punjab National Bank, Bank of India, United Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and UCO Bank. Allahabad Bank, Andhra Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank, J&K Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank and Union Bank of India have sponsored 1 RRB each. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Manushi Chhillar is born to doctor parents. Despite the coronavirus threat, for her father Dr. Mitra Basu Chhillar and mother, Neelam Chhillar, working from home is not an option. They are dedicated doctors who have to continue their work daily despite the situation and are a huge inspiration to Manushi, who constantly looks up to their level of commitment and dedication. While Manushis father is working in Mumbai, her mother is neck-deep in work in Delhi and the 22-year-old actress salutes them and the entire medical fraternity for their incessant work every single day. Being the daughter of doctor parents, I can only say one thing - Im hugely proud of how my parents and the fraternity at large. They are continuing to work regularly and treating patients in need despite the crisis and the level of critical risk to their own lives, says Manushi. The former Miss World adds, I salute the doctors and nurses who are directly treating coronavirus patients and are in the thick of action. We do not have words to thank you enough. This community has worked tirelessly for generations protecting and helping people worldwide and they are the only people who can mitigate this growing crisis today. To the entire medical fraternity across the world, I thank you for your dedication, devotion and resilience. The entire world is in gratitude. Meanwhile, Manushi has been signed on as the leading lady of YRFs biggest historical film Prithviraj, based on the life and heroism of the fearless and mighty King Prithviraj Chauhan. The YRF big-budget entertainer features superstar Akshay Kumar in and as Prithviraj, and Manushi plays the role of the gorgeous Sanyogita, the love of the kings life. Manushi has been one of the most sought-after new faces in Bollywood and the ethereal beauty is getting the grandest launch any newcomer has seen in recent times. ALSO READ: Manushi Chhillar On Playing 'Sanyogita In Prithviraj: It Is A Dream Role For Me ALSO READ: Prithviraj: Manushi Chhillar Reveals Her Directors Vision Through A Doodle Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE The first person to die in New Mexicos coronavirus outbreak is an Eddy County man in his 70s with chronic underlying health conditions. A hospital official said the man had declined to be tested for COVID-19 a week earlier and had denied having had a fever or respiratory symptoms when he arrived at the emergency room Sunday. The man whose name wasnt made public died Monday at Artesia General Hospital. Test results came in late Tuesday confirming that he had COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. This is a tragic day, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Wednesday. Across our state, across the country, we are all reeling from the effects of this virus. The Eddy County man wasnt initially recognized as a coronavirus case when he arrived at the emergency room Sunday, said Dr. Marshall Baca Jr., medical director of the emergency department at Artesia General Hospital. The patient denied having had a fever or respiratory symptoms, Baca said, though its possible he misunderstood the questions about his symptoms. Nonetheless, health care providers on duty quickly identified his respiratory symptoms, Baca said, triggering more protective measures, such as full gowns and respirators to avoid infection. Even before then, hospital workers had been wearing masks, Baca said. There was exposure, Baca said, but it wasnt prolonged exposure. Five employees are now quarantined at home, Baca said. As for the patients denial of a fever and shortness of breath, Baca said the man may have simply misunderstood the questions as he checked in. The patients chief complaint, Baca said, was that he felt weak. The man had been seen twice earlier this month by health professionals. In fact, his visit to one clinic is a potential source of his infection, Baca said. A doctor at a Roswell outpatient clinic where the patient was seen March 12 had traveled to New York and is now in quarantine, Baca said. But the COVID-19 patient didnt actually see that doctor directly, Baca said. About a week later, in any case, on March 18, the man went to another location a family practice with a cough and respiratory symptoms. The patient was offered a COVID-19 test but refused, which is his right, Baca said. The man didnt have acute respiratory problems at the time, Baca said. He was nonetheless told to go home and self-quarantine, Baca said, though he added that he didnt know whether the man followed the instructions. 13 more infections In a written statement, Lujan Grisham, a former state health secretary, said New Mexico is likely to see more death as infections rise. I ask all New Mexicans to include the sick and their families in their prayers as well as the health care workers and those others on the front lines helping protect us from this disease, she said. The state Department of Health said the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 reached 112 Wednesday, after 13 more positive tests and the removal of an earlier case that was a clerical error. Public health officials also said its likely others have the virus but havent been tested. The disease has been detected in New Mexicans ranging in age from infancy to their 80s. For most people, symptoms of the virus are mild or moderate, and they recover. But older adults and people with chronic health conditions are most at risk. House Minority Leader James Townsend, R-Artesia, said the positive test after the Eddy County mans death was the first case of the disease in Artesia that hes aware of. I come from a small, close community, Townsend said, and we certainly are saddened to hear of the death. Nine patients were hospitalized for COVID-19 on Wednesday, officials said. A few of those hospitalized over the past two weeks have had to have a tube inserted into their airway to help them breathe. For anyone in our state who had not yet acknowledged this virus as the urgent public health crisis that it is, who has not accepted the extremely compelling need to stay home, today lays bare the very real, very life-or-death consequences of this disease, Lujan Grisham said. A number of people in New Mexico have recovered from the coronavirus, and state health officials said they are working to provide more details about recoveries. Limiting spread The Lujan Grisham administration has instructed people to stay at home amid the outbreak and ordered the closure of schools and nonessential businesses. The state began using its emergency alert system Wednesday to send notifications about public health instructions. Its similar to the Amber Alerts used for missing children. Limiting person-to-person contact, Lujan Grisham said, is a powerful strategy for slowing the spread of the coronavirus. This is why it is absolutely imperative that New Mexicans remain home except for only those most essential or emergent outings, Lujan Grisham said. Social distancing and isolation is the best tool we have right now for mitigating the spread of this virus and avoiding capacity issues within our states health care system. All of us must undertake these steps in order to save more lives and prevent more deaths. More than 800 patients with the virus have died in the United States. New Mexico health officials described the Eddy County mans death as the states first death related to COVID-19. The state laboratory received his test sample Tuesday and confirmed that he was positive for the disease later that day. Lujan Grisham, in a call with oil and gas industry groups, said Wednesday that Eddy County is at high risk of coronavirus infections because the man may have contributed to its spread in the community, according to a summary of the call provided by her office. Eddy County sits atop part of the Permian Basin, the heart of the oil and gas boom that has sharply expanded state revenue in recent years. Hospital preparation In a news release, Artesia General Hospital leaders extended their condolences to the family of the man who died and said, Many of us share the familys grief. Hospital leaders also said they had been preparing for the arrival of their first COVID-19 patient and are taking steps to maintain the safety of their staff and other patients. Baca told reporters Wednesday that the hospital was conserving its supplies of protective equipment to remain ready for more patients. As of right now, he said, we feel prepared. Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the "heinous terrorist attack" carried out by the Islamic State on a prominent gurdwara in Afghanistan that claimed at least 25 lives. "Such despicable attacks have no political, religious or moral justification and must be rejected outright," the Foreign Office said in a statement. The IS terror group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area in the heart of Afghanistan's capital city Kabul at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when heavily armed suicide bombers blasted their way into the gurdwara. Terming it as a "heinous terrorist attack", the Foreign Office said, "Our hearts go out to the families who have lost their loved ones in this inhuman act and we pray for the swiftest recovery of the injured. We also express our abiding solidarity with the fraternal people of Afghanistan." The statement said Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. All places of worship are sacrosanct and their sanctity must be respected at all times, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 25.03.2020 LISTEN The legacy of the coronavirus pandemic, at least in so far as responses are concerned, is thickening by the day. Behavioural changes are being urged, language is rapidly evolving (spot the covidiot amongst you) and the policy of health surveillance is being pushed. Another field where the virus has triggered interest is the very idea of incarceration. Prison may be a school for crime, but it is also the concentrated incubator for disease and infection. Social distancing, one of those oxymoronic terms uttered with little care to what it suggests, would tend to be a misnomer when it comes to controlling detained populations. It has sparked calls for releases and pardons across the globe. In beleaguered Iran, where COVID-19 is exacting an ever-increasing toll, tens of thousands have been released as a result. Latest figures suggest that 85,000 have been temporarily released; 10,000 more are due to receive pardons. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili stated that, Those who will be pardoned will not return to jail almost half of those security-related prisoners will be pardoned as well. One of Britains more prominent prison officials, Andrea Albutt, has been warning about the threat posed by COVID-19 for weeks. On BBC Radio 4s Today programme, the president of the Prison Governors Association was not optimistic. Prison populations dont completely mirror society with our demographic of prisoners so we do have a higher number of people in the vulnerable groups, so they will be ill and there will be deaths. With 85,000 people in Britains prisons, overcrowding was endemic, making transmission easy. Coupled with that, we have a significant ageing population the vulnerable groups, the people the Government keeps telling us will be more susceptible and more ill with this virus. While the temptation to release prisoners has yet to be succumbed to (the UK governments advice remains a feeble one: protective isolation for inmates showing symptoms), the warnings of not doing so are loud. This is more so after cases of coronavirus were detected at Strangeways in Manchester and HMP High Down, Surrey. Over the weekend, former justice secretary David Gauke insisted on the suspension of short sentences and early release. The advantage of not sending people inside for short sentences is that it reduces the churn. Reducing the movement of people in and out of the system would reduce the risk of spread. Eric Allison, who spend some 16 years in prison for theft offences, furnishes a view from The Guardian. The penal system in England and Wales, he proposes, is grim on the health front, packed with horror stories of medical neglect. Prisoners dying in hospital, still in chains, ignored by medical staff, is a not infrequent occurrence. With coronavirus, another killing agent awaits. The local jails, he warns, may well transform into charnel houses if nothing is done to release those who represent at worst a nuisance, rather than a danger to society. Australia has also become a site for discussions on early release. Release prisoners or see deaths, tweeted sombre legal advocate Greg Barnes. If it happens it will be industrial manslaughter. The state government of New South Wales has shown a willingness to come to the party. On Tuesday, legislation was speedily passed giving the Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Severin powers to permit the early release of prisoners on parole and pass measures to assist in social distancing. This would require Severin to be satisfied that COVID-19 posed a sufficient risk to public health or the good order and security of prisons. Such extraordinary measures, explained NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman, are only to be used to respond to the threat of COVID-19, and would allow the Commissioner to prioritise vulnerable offenders and others who pose a low risk to the community for consideration for conditional release. In the United States, which boasts, with dubious distinction, the largest prison population on the planet, states are taking their own measures to initiate releases. Jails can be incubators for disease so we need to take bold and drastic steps, stated New Jerseys Attorney General Gurbir Singh Grewal. To avert a coronavirus crisis within the prison system, the pained former prosecutor insisted on something against his pro-incarceration nature. On Sunday night, the Chief Justice of the states Supreme Court, Stuart Rabner, signed an order to suspend or commute sentences served by inmates for probation violations and municipal court convictions. The measure is set to free up to 1,000 inmates, though they would still be subject to stay-at-home orders. Across the country, albeit in piecemeal fashion, releases and reductions are taking place. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has promised the release of 40 inmates from Rikers Island jail, with another 23 to follow. The situation there is particular dire, with 35 confirmed COVID-19 cases and an absence of hand sanitiser and bleach. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villaneuva has also mucked in with the release of inmates with less than 30 days left on their sentences. A bar to any significant releases lies in the fact that court orders are generally required for state and federal prisoners, though President Donald Trump is considering an executive order that may permit the release of totally nonviolent prisoners. The risk posed by COVID-19 is not helped by the deplorable state of sanitation many face in empires prison land. As Maria Morris, staff attorney at the ACLUs National Prison Project describes it, They are also living in filthy conditions and often without adequate access to soap, other hygiene products, other cleaning supplies, and that exacerbates the likelihood of the spread of a contagious illness. Shane Fausey, President of the American Federation of Government Employees Council of Prison Local 33, has had an eye on both the policed and the policing agents in prison, issuing a plea in a phone interview to Attorney General William Barr to intervene. I am imploring the attorney general of the United States to stop all inmate movement, shelter in place at least for 14 to 21 days, following the guidance of the White House press briefings. Not exactly a heartening measure, given that such briefings on the matter have been sketchy, at best. As the United States takes to the stage as a confused combatant against a pandemic that continues its march, its institutional foundations are being challenged. A way of holding them is to consider penal conditions and their reform. The same might well be said of other countries who take pride in the prison industrial complex. Whether a vaccine is found or otherwise, the urgency of dealing with the spread is immediate and commanding. The narrow mind, traditional in penal matters, risks winning out. Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: [email protected] For Houston-resident Trinidad Rivera, 45, having an online funeral was never something shed considered. But when her mother Maria Trinidad Mendez died March 17, she realized it was her only option. How do you mourn under the current restrictions? We could also not have a church service because theyve been canceled. It was blow after blow, said Rivera. When Joe Morales of Houstons Morales Funeral Homes approached Rivera about streaming her mothers funeral service, she did not hesitate to agree. Had it been another time, I am not sure how I would have felt about it. But under the current circumstances, we all have to find a different way to do things, said Rivera. It turned out to be the best thing. It was a ray of light because we were able to get closure. The novel coronavirus has taken a toll on restaurants, retailers, schools and other industries. Add to the list, the funeral home business. During a Facebook Live event on March 16 with the National Funeral Directors Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that funerals could still take place with a 50-person limit. A week later, a gathering of 50 people is inconceivable and the CDC recommends live streaming of funeral services. Although the decision was easy for Rivera, the idea of webcasting funeral services is tough for many to grasp. It is hard to get people not to come to a funeral. They want to pay their respects in person, said Morales. Funeral homes across the region have COVID-19 notices posted on their websites. Among them is Bradshaw-Carter Memorial & Funeral Services on West Alabama. During this public health emergency and in light of new guidance from city, county, and national health authorities, Bradshaw-Carter will host only private gatherings within our funeral home, limiting guests to groups of 10 people or less to prevent the spread of potential illness and protect the health of those who visit our home, the sites notice says. CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust While Rivera and her immediate family were able to attend the viewing and chapel service in shifts, and in one small group, respectively other family members and friends could not. To allow them to be part of the service, it was filmed and uploaded to the funeral homes website. Rivera was provided with a link to the video, which she sent to her family, including her brothers who could not travel to Houston. I sent it to my nieces and nephews because they are all tech-savvy. They helped our family members with streaming it. Around 100 people had watched it as of Saturday, said Rivera. The webcast service is free of charge, although the regular costs associated with a funeral home service, including the viewing and burial, transporting remains to a funeral home, a casket, embalming and other preparation, remain at Morales Funeral Homes. Burial services, however, still pose an obstacle for funeral homes. We dont have the equipment to stream from the graveside. We are suggesting they go in a small group of less than 10, stand 6-feet apart and do a Facebook Live post, said Morales. Martinez has been webcasting funeral services for nearly two years. An online funeral last year for a native of India had 5,000 views by family and friends all over the world. We have used it for families who are unable to come into town or have to work. Offering webcasting at the burial site is also an issue for Martinez. It is hard to tell people they cant come because it is limited to 10 people. Ive thought about doing it through Facetime. Soon, Martinez sees funeral homes moving away from services entirely and focusing only on burials. I dont think we will have any services in the chapel. Just direct interment service, he said. We already dont have Mass. Deacons are not coming to the chapel, only to the graveside. If it gets to that point, we will have a memorial service after this is over, with a portrait of the deceased so people can pay their respects. Congregation Beth Yeshurun on Beechnut has already done away with memorial services. It is something they started planning for in advance. We started having discussions and making plans months ago fearing this would happen, said Rabbi Brian Strauss. On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston faith leaders are encouraging the community during virus Since the CDC allows groups of 10 to gather, the synagogue is still able to conduct a traditional minyan consisting of 10 Jewish adults in one room to say prayers. Any less than 10 and we cant say them, said Strauss. That includes the Mourners Kaddish, which is an important prayer said in honor of the deceased. Martinez said these are trying times for his staff. They are working long hours and risking possible exposure to coronavirus. It is an essential position that we are in. We have to be here for these families. Our staff has to be here just like medical and first responders, he said. Congregation Beth Yeshurun on Beechnut has already done away with memorial services. It is something they started planning for in advance. We started having discussions and making plans months ago fearing this would happen, said Rabbi Brian Strauss. On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston faith leaders are encouraging the community during virus Since the CDC allows groups of 10 to gather, the synagogue is still able to conduct a traditional minyan consisting of 10 Jewish adults in one room to say prayers. Any less than 10 and we cant say them, said Strauss. That includes the Mourners Kaddish, which is an important prayer said in honor of the deceased. The synagogue has stopped doing memorial services at Beth Yeshurun, moving them all to cemetery sites instead. It is hard because people want to hug each other and yet have to stand 6-feet apart, and dozens of others want to be there, Strauss said. Grieveing families are also not able to have a shiva minyan post funeral. It is a tradition that involves having relatives to your home for up to seven nights after the death of a loved one. We are not allowing those right now. Even in small groups, it is just not safe, said Strauss. Those in small groups who are able to attend cemetery services have begun streaming them from their tablets, laptops or phones using online platforms such as Facebook Live and Zoom. We are blessed to have all this technology, said Strauss. But it is so important that these families feel love from the community. We have told some that after this is over, we can have a bigger memorial service. marcy.deluna@chron.com They are said to be laying plans for a complete shutdown of flights in the US During that period major US airlines have cut domestic flights by almost half 280,000 passengers traveled by air on Tuesday, down 1.44 million from March 13, when the coronavirus pandemic was declared a national emergency Transportation Security Administration (TSA) data shows the number of daily passengers has fallen nearly 90 percent since the beginning of the month The number of passengers traveling by air across the US has plummeted nearly 90 percent in the face of the coronavirus crisis, but hundreds of thousands of people are still taking to the skies on a daily basis. Data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) shows that the number of daily passengers fell by almost 84 percent - or 1.44 million - between March 13, when a national emergency was declared, and Monday, March 24. During that period major US airlines have cancelled most international flights and slashed domestic flights by almost half as officials warn against traveling except when absolutely necessary. It's been speculated that airlines will soon shut down all domestic flights nationwide as sources say the average aircraft has been about 20 percent full upon takeoff over the past few days. The drastic drop in daily passengers is even more striking when compared with numbers from the same date last year. The daily number has not risen above two million since March 8, while last year the number did not fall below two million on any March day disclosed in the available TSA figures. The number of passengers traveling by air across the US has plummeted nearly 90 percent in the face of the coronavirus crisis, but hundreds of thousands of people are still taking to the skies on a daily basis. The graphic above shows daily passenger numbers from four dates this month (red), compared with the same day in 2019 (blue) Almost 280,000 passengers traveled by air on Tuesday, per TSA data. Passengers wearing face masks are seen in a crowded check-in area at JFK Tuesday above, ignoring social distancing advice International travelers make their way through Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday Slide me The maps above show the difference in flights between March 26, 2019, and March 25, 2020 On Monday, when the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US surpassed 46,000 with 586 deaths, nearly 280,000 people took flights in the US, down from about 2,152,000 on the same day in 2019. The difference was much lower on March 5, when only 220 cases had been confirmed in the US and 12 had died, with 2,133,245 passengers compared with 2,333,383 the same day last year. The declines ramped up significantly on March 13, when President Donald Trump declared a national state of emergency over the pandemic as more than 1,750 cases and 50 deaths were confirmed. On that day, 1,716,560 passengers were reported, compared with 2,559,206 last year. Since then the number of passengers has dropped by an average of nearly 130,700 each day - with a roughly 60 percent decrease from March 13 to March 24 this year compared with the same 12-day period in 2019. Data from airline tracking site Flight Radar 24 shows the massive reduction in the numbers of aircraft flying both in the US and across the globe compared with before the pandemic. The WHO has warned that the US could soon become the epicenter of the global pandemic as the nation continues to see a 'very large acceleration' in number of cases Nationwide, 54,905 coronavirus cases and 783 deaths have been confirmed as of Wednesday The coronavirus pandemic has prompted major US airlines to cancel most international flights and slash domestic flights by almost half as officials warn against traveling except when absolutely necessary. Two passengers are seen passing through a checkpoint at JFK on Tuesday, as about 8,500 domestic flights were cancelled nationwide US airlines recently announced plans to reduce service within the country by up to 40 percent in April - but the dwindling passenger numbers suggest the cuts will be even more significant. About 8,500 domestic flights were canceled on Tuesday, per data from tracking service FlightAware. United Airlines dropped 51 percent of its schedule, followed by American with 46 percent, Delta with 38 percent and Southwest with 15 percent. In some cases, flights were consolidated to avoid flying empty planes. An official with one major airline, who did not disclose their name or the company, told the Associated Press they counted more than a dozen flights which departed on Tuesday morning with fewer than 10 passengers - with the crew sometimes outnumbering the customers. The official said the average flight was just over 20 percent full, a figure that is expected to fall into the teens by the weekend. American Airlines passenger planes crowd a runway where they are parked due to flight reductions at Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Monday Slide me At Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah, where 298 people have tested positive for COVID-19, a photo taken on March 5 shows the planes at nearly every gate on the tarmac (left). A second photo from March 16 shows only a few planes scattered around the tarmac (right) Slide me A photo taken on March 5 shows the tarmac at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport filled with planes waiting to depart (left). A second photo taken on March 16 shows just one single plane preparing for takeoff (right) Major airlines have already begun drafting plans to shut down domestic flights due to a lack of air traffic controllers and TSA personnel in airports. 'We have plans in place in case that happens,' the airline official said. 'It's a dire situation.' An official with a different major airline called the preparations 'prudent contigency planning', citing health expert advice against gatherings of more than 10 people and possible action by the federal government. 'We do not have plans to voluntarily ground, [and] we're wary of government actions that could force us to ground the airline,' the source said. Agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration are currently considering a mandated shutdown of passengers, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. However, the newspaper said the Trump administration is reluctant to order a shutdown - a move not seen since the September 11 terror attacks in 2001 - in part because passenger planes also carry US mail and other important cargo. Administration officials have repeatedly declined to rule out the possibility of halting domestic flights, while President Donald Trump stated on Monday that he is not considering new travel restrictions. 'They thought we were going to have bans within the United States. We didn't do that,' Trump said at a White House briefing. Major airlines have already begun drafting plans to shut down domestic flights due to a lack of air traffic controllers and TSA personnel in airports. A man is pictured at JFK over the weekend 'We are not going to have that. Hopefully that will take care of itself.' The FAA has refused to confirm or deny reports that a shutdown is on the table. 'We don't comment on speculation,' FAA spokesman Ian Gregor told AP. 'The FAA is focused on the health and safety of its workforce while continuing to provide a safe air transportation system.' Air traffic controllers at 11 airports in the US have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Wednesday, prompting hundreds of flight delays and cancellations. Midway International Airport in Chicago and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas shuttered their control towers last week after employees tested positive and have yet to reopen. Traffic-control facilities at several other airports were also temporarily closed to be disinfected and cleaned as fear mounts that more workers will fall ill as the pandemic takes hold, making the workload of controlling the nation's skies impossible for those who remain in the towers. Air traffic controllers at 11 US airports have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting hundreds of flight delays and cancellations as control towers were closed for cleaning (file photo) Airlines and their labor unions are now lobbying Washington for billions of dollars in relief to counteract the economic effects of the pandemic. An Airlines for America spokesperson told Newsweek that the crisis 'has already caused rapid and severe economic damage to the industry over an unprecedented amount of time'. Senate Republicans have proposed $50billion in loan help for domestic airlines and another $8billion for cargo carriers. But airlines say they also need cash grants to avoid layoffs in the industry that employs about 750,000. House Democrats have proposed $40billion in grants for airlines and contractors to support pay and benefits for workers. Republicans in the House condemned the Democrats proposal as it comes with provisions ordering airlines to cut carbon emissions in half by 2050 and to include labor union representatives on their boards. Airline stocks and the broader market experienced significant gains on Tuesday amid reports that Congress and the Trump administration were nearing a deal on a $2trillion stimulus bill. American Airlines gained 36 percent, followed by United at 26 percent and Delta at 21 percent - but all three remained down more than 50 percent for the year. The Airlines for America spokesperson noted that amount of aid needed will depend on the length of the pandemic, which is unknown. 'This is getting worse each day,' the spokesperson said. As of Wednesday morning, 54,905 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the US and 783 people have died. The WHO has warned that the US could soon overtake Italy to become the epicenter of the global pandemic as the nation continues to see a 'very large acceleration' in number of cases. It was only a week ago that Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said health care providers in Oregon were dangerously close to running out of protective equipment amid a global pandemic. Anne Jin, a 47-year-old teacher who lives in Northeast Portland, saw the dire warning and asked her husband, an infectious disease physician, how serious the problem was. People need to start making masks, he told her. Jin went to a fabric store that night to get material and elastic. The next day, she got on Facebook and started asking people she knew to get involved with making masks. After an hour of responding to people privately, she realized she needed to start a group. Crafters Against Covid-19 *PDX* had about 100 members by the end of the day. When she woke up the next morning, it was up to 300. By midday Tuesday, Jin and a few other administrators were overseeing an army of more than 7,000 sewers, crafters and makers, all looking to ply their trade to stave off the shortage in supplies. As the coronavirus has spread across the globe, with nearly half a million cases worldwide and more than 50,000 in the U.S., the lack of supplies has become one of the most pressing needs. With demand so great, groups like Jins have popped up all over the country, a grassroots effort to fill the gap left by bureaucratic inefficiency and poor planning by both governments and hospitals. Soon after Brown made her dire warning, the governor ordered all nonessential medical procedures canceled or postponed to conserve equipment. She issued a plea for donations, asking medical professionals, contractors and the public to look through their supply closets for anything that could help the people treating coronavirus patients on a daily basis. Brown requested shipments of equipment from the federal government but has only received a fraction of what the state needs and, on Wednesday, the governor put the blame for the shortage squarely on the shoulders of the Trump administration. The question is, whats the barrier? From our perspective, from what were seeing, its frankly the federal government, Brown said. This outrageous lack of action will result in lost lives. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control relaxed standards for personal protective equipment, telling health care workers that, in crisis scenarios when no other option is available, scarves or bandanas can be used in place of medical masks. But supplies remain dangerously low. As of Tuesday, the state had gone through 80 % of the non-expired N95 masks in its stockpile, according to the Oregon Health Authority. A nurse in central Oregon reported using the same mask for three weeks. A nurse who works at a Portland-area hospital reported being instructed to keep their mask in a paper bag between treating patients. Some nurses at Oregon Health and Science University have started using swim goggles when no other eye protection was available. Were days from running out, and we havent even hit the surge yet, said Adrienne Enghouse, president of the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, which represents 5,000 frontline healthcare workers. No one knows when the last mask is going to be used. The lack of safety equipment is dangerous, said one nurse who works at a Kaiser facility in Northwest Oregon, but the danger extends beyond frontline doctors and nurses. As equipment is stretched far beyond the limits of its intended use, the risk to health care workers increases. If they get infected, even fewer people will be available to care for the sick. But given the risk of spreading the coronavirus before symptoms develop, the lack of safety equipment also increases the danger to patients who come to hospitals. All the frontline workers are going to become vectors, said the nurse, who asked not be named. That terrifying scenario is what spurred Jin into action. Her group does not make the highly sought after N95 respirators, which have tight seals and can filter up to 95% of small microbes. Instead, the group is working off a simpler template, crafting something akin to surgical masks that are given to patients who may be infected. They are intended to prevent patient-to-patient transmission, freeing up more masks for healthcare workers. Shes gotten guidance from doctors throughout the nation and locally from Paul Lewis, deputy health officer for Multnomah County. The group adheres to strict standards everyone works from the same pattern, and there are detailed instructions on cleaning workspaces and guidelines for what types of fabric is acceptable. We didnt want people using old socks or yoga pants, Jin said. When the masks are finished, crafters bag them and put them in a box along with a note indicating who made the masks, their phone number and the type of material used. The box is sealed, and the outside is labeled with the number of masks and the date they were made. Lewis has facilitated a deal to have the masks donated to the county for distribution. Jin isnt the only one heeding the call for personal protective equipment. Britt Howard, founder of the Portland Garment Factory, a small textile contractor in the Montavilla neighborhood, started seeing her business slow as social distancing measures went into place. She knew her 13-person operation could produce masks, and they had all the material on hand. By Monday, Howard had fully converted the factory to mask production, pumping out an estimated 700 masks in three patterns. She hopes to produce a minimum of 2,500 a week. Im getting emails from doctors that they don't have what they need, Howard said. It's ridiculous. Let's get them the masks. At the Santiam Hospital, a rural 40-bed facility southeast of Salem, service integration coordinator Melissa Baurer said they anticipated running out of some equipment in the coming weeks. Baurer is helping prepare fabric and patterns to distribute to the community for gowns and masks that can be made at home. The call for donations has worked, too. Several Southwest Washington school districts came up with nearly 150 boxes of gloves and almost 2,000 masks of various types. The Beaverton School District dug through their now-empty science classrooms and came up with similar numbers that it donated to Portland-area hospitals. Companies, government entities and individuals from throughout the region have rallied to provide for the caregivers who provide for the sick. WHERE TO DONATE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT IN OREGON As the pandemic has unfolded and much of society has been told to stay home in isolation, feelings of helplessness have followed. But the social distancing measures put in place have left many with a formerly scarce resource: time. This is a weird perfect storm for this to be happening, Jin said. You have a lot of idle hands and a depressing situation. If they can do something to help, its very comforting. Still, the fact that medical professionals are being forced to rely on donated gloves and makeshift masks represents a vast failure of the system, according to Enghouse, the union president. This is like watching a slow-moving trainwreck, she said. There has been inaction at every pivotal opportunity. They are asking us to face a battle without armor or a weapon. -- Kale Williams; kwilliams@oregonian.com; 503-294-4048; @sfkale Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Mainland China reported a drop in new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday as imported infections fell and no locally transmitted infections were reported, including in central Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak in China. The number of new cases totalled 47 on Tuesday, all of which were from travellers returning home, down from 78 a day earlier, the National Health Commission said. New imported cases in Beijing, Guangdong and Fujian declined, though the daily tally of new imported infections rose to a record 19 cases in the financial hub of Shanghai. New cases of infected international arrivals were also reported in Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Jilin, Zhejiang, Shandong and Shaanxi. The total accumulated number of confirmed cases in mainland China stands at 81,218, with imported infections accounting for 474 cases. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China reached 3,281 as of the end of Tuesday, up by four from the previous day. Mumbai, March 25 : In the second such operation in two days, the Vile Parle police swooped on a private warehouse and seized 400,000 masks worth around Rs 1 crore hoarded there, an official said here on Wednesday. The consignment stored in 200 boxes was apparently intended for sale in the black market or export since the masks are currently in high demand worldwide due to the coronavirus pandemic. While controlling the crowds at a market last night, Inspector Rajendra Kane got a tip-off of illegal storage of a large quantity of the three-ply face masks near the cargo complex warehouse near the Sahar Airport vicinity. Under directions from Deputy Commissioner of Police (VIII) Manjunath Shinge, a team was set up which raided the Shah Warehousing & Transport Godown near the international airport and seized the masks. This is the second big seizure after yesterday's operation in which 2.50 milion masks including 325,000 N-90 masks were recovered from a godown near the airport and a warehouse in Bhiwandi town in Thane by Mumbai Police Crime Branch. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has lauded the police efforts in detecting and busting the rackets of hoarding or smuggling of masks, considered vital in the war against virus' being waged in the country. Further investigations are under way in both the cases to ascertain whether these were being exported and links to other gangs that may be involved in the rackets. Hearst Connecticut Media file photo MIDDLETOWN - Beginning Monday, traffic on the Arrigoni Bridge will required will be reduced to one lane in each direction. The state Department of Transportation said construction in the first stage of rehabilitation of the bridge will mean a concrete barrier will be installed to reduce the number of travel lanes from two, to one lane in each direction. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Restaurants across the city and nation have converted to takeout and delivery-only mode. Most have made a la carte menus available, but there are some places that are taking a more creative approach with special meal packages and larger family-style dinners. Theyre convenient for feeding one, two or a family, and often, there are leftovers to enjoy. Amali and Calissa Amali, a Mediterranean restaurant on the Upper East Side, is offering a $95 dinner for four to six featuring grilled chicken, Greek-style appetizer dips with pita, and several side dishes including a copious salad. More elaborate menus are $125 and $145. The same food, with delivery available, can also be ordered in the Hamptons from Calissa, its sister restaurant in Water Mill, N.Y. 115 East 60th Street, 212-339-8363, amalinyc.com; 1020 Montauk Highway, Water Mill, N.Y. 631-500-9292, calissahamptons.com. Goldbelly This national food delivery service has just announced new, ready-to-serve meal kits from 10 restaurants around the country, a list that will expand. Among them are a bagel brunch for six from Ess-a-Bagel in New York, a biscuit and bacon breakfast for eight from Loveless Cafe in Nashville, and a lobster roll dinner for four from McLoons, a lobster shack in South Thomaston, Me. goldbelly.com. Fort Defiance St. John Frizell, a partner in the now-delayed Gage & Tollner, has family-style menus for pickup or delivery at Fort Defiance, his Red Hook restaurant. Short-rib pot roast or roast chicken dinners are $30 for two, $60 for four. Bottled cocktails are also available. 365 Van Brunt Street (Dikeman Street), 347-453-6672, fortdefiancebrooklyn.com. As the coronavirus was rapidly spreading across the continental United States last week, a person living thousands of miles away in American Samoa developed what appeared to be symptoms of the virus. Health officials In the U.S. territory located deep in the South Pacific rushed to determine if its first potential COVID-19 case would turn out positive. But they had one problem: they couldnt analyze the samples. Theres no way for us to test whether we have a case, Iulogologo Joseph Pereira, executive assistant to the American Samoa governor and the head of the territorys coronavirus task force, told NBC News. Without a certified lab to handle testing, American Samoa tried submitting the samples to the nearest public health lab in Hawaii, some 2,300 miles away, officials said. After the patient didnt meet that states testing criteria, the health department turned to its second quickest alternative sending them more than 6,500 miles away to be examined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Six days later, the territory still doesnt have the results, officials said. The difficulties in getting test results for possible COVID-19 patients, experts say, underscore the vulnerability of the U.S. territory, home to 55,000 people who are largely cut off from mainland America. The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. (CHCC / via via Facebook) If they cant get fast testing, they need to rely on other measures such as social distancing, Karen Levy, a microbiologist and epidemiologist at Emory University, said. It makes social distancing that much more important for them. American Samoa is one of only two jurisdictions among the nations 50 states, the five inhabited territories and the District of Columbia, that does not have the ability to test its own samples. It and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands -- another U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean -- must send their samples by commercial airline to labs in other parts of the mainland. But as air traffic decreases and case counts accelerate elsewhere, the territories worry delays could mean virus detection comes too late. Story continues In the absence of testing, any signs of fever or other symptoms associated with COVID-19 like cough and shortness of breath should be taken extremely seriously and should be immediately followed up by contact tracing and isolation, Levy said. Only two of the five U.S. territories - Puerto Rico and Guam - are able to test for COVID-19 in their public labs. The U.S. Virgin Islands, currently sending its samples to the CDC, is expected to begin local testing next week. Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa must depend on overseas labs for the foreseeable future. American Samoa is working on equipping its only hospital - the Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical Medical Center - to conduct local testing. But the upgrade wont be completed anytime soon. We are looking at about eight weeks, said John Faumuina, chief executive officer of the medical center. Once we get certified by CDC, then they would be able to send us the test kits. The hospital can currently accommodate only 10 coronavirus patients in a special quarantine facility. Health care workers are troubled by the prospect of even a single confirmed case. One is too many for us, Faumuina said. Both American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands have declared a state of emergency and taken protective measures to combat the virus. Travelers arriving on the territories from affected countries are subjected to a screening process and a full quarantine. Public schools have been closed. The Northern Mariana Islands' government offices and nonessential government functions have also been shut down. On March 13, the American Samoa leadership sent a request for assistance and an action plan to combat the pandemic on its shores to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Vice President Mike Pence and other public health and government officials. In his letter, Gov. Lolo Moliga highlighted that the territory would struggle in coping with a highly contagious disease such as the coronavirus. There is great fear that our healthcare service delivery system could collapse if the projections and estimates on the percentage of people who will be infected in any community hold true, Moliga wrote. With a population similar in size to American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands also has a single hospital, with a smaller capacity -- just 86 beds total. While it has no positive cases yet and has only tested four patients, authorities are preparing for what could be a devastating outbreak. The biggest challenge out there is were far away from the continental U.S. Everything comes by ship, said Warren Villagomez, the head of its coronavirus task force. The territory requested supplies such as masks and other protective equipment from the strategic national stockpile, but has to wait for them to arrive. Its 15-17 days of shipping for anything to get here. Preparing for an emergency, the territory has set up triage tents outside the one hospital and taken precautions such as screening travelers arriving in the islands. But that may not be enough. With only four ICU beds for the entire CNMI, preexisting nursing shortages, and a supply chain thats strained by airline route closures, COVID-19 could readily overwhelm our scarce resources, said Doctor Alexandra Pulst-Korenberg, an emergency physician at the territorys hospital, the Commonwealth Health Care Corporation. Already, the U.S. island territories face higher rates of chronic diseases, health risk factors and premature death, compared to other U.S. population groups. American Samoa faced a measles outbreak late last year, prompting dozens of health care workers from Hawaii to flood the territory and the CDC to send a shipment of the measles vaccine. The territory has a much higher rate of obesity and the Northern Mariana Islands has more than double the rate of high blood pressure as the 50 U.S. states and D.C. Those health risks, combined with their distance from the rest of the country, weaker public health infrastructure, technology limitations and small, dispersed populations, could make the territories populations more vulnerable to COVID-19. As a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it would only take a few extra critically ill patients to put us in crisis, Pulst-Korenberg said. Update: The CNMI confirmed its first two positive cases on Saturday, March 28 after it received test results from the Guam lab. The samples were sent to Guam two days earlier. The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus but is displaying only mild symptoms. Clarence House announced the news as NHS Englands medical director said hundreds of thousands of tests for Covid-19 per day could become a reality within weeks. The Clarence House statement said Charles, 71, was self-isolating at home in Scotland with his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, 72, who does not have the virus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. The news came as political pressure for more stringent rules on workers mounted and Parliament was set to adjourn for an early Easter break after emergency legislation to tackle Covid-19 is approved. The Coronavirus Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent on Wednesday, with a motion tabled for the House of Commons to rise the same day until April 21. With people filling busy Tube trains on Wednesday morning, Boris Johnson is being asked to ban non-essential construction workers from heading to building sites and help stop the spread of the virus. Voices from across the political spectrum have argued for more stringent rules so workers are not placed at risk, and public transport is not overwhelmed. Mr Johnson, who will appear before MPs on Wednesday for Prime Ministers Questions in the Commons, has so far resisted the pressure. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick insisted it is sensible for construction workers to keep heading to work if it is safe to do so and employers follow Public Health Englands guidance on social distancing. Story continues It comes as Professor Stephen Powis, NHS Englands medical director, said the NHS could start testing hundreds of thousands of people per day for Covid-19 within a matter of weeks. Prof Powis told LBC: We want to get hundreds of thousands of tests ramped up in the next few weeks per day. Asked to clarify whether he really meant hundreds of thousands of tests per day, Prof Powis said: Thats what we are aiming for. That is what we want to ramp up to, but remember this is a new virus and were starting from scratch. The kits which are required to do this testing are being manufactured as we speak. We are getting those into the country, we are ramping it up. I am talking of hundreds of thousands of tests. All of this is ramping up and increasing as we speak but yes, you heard me correctly, we need to get to hundreds of thousands of tests a day, and we will do that over the course of the next few weeks and we will be making tests available to NHS staff within the next few days. Prof Powis also told BBC Breakfast there have been outbreaks of altruism and people wanting to help, adding he has been bowled over by medics returning to the front line and the response from people signing up to help those in need. On Wednesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock called for 250,000 people to sign up as volunteers. Prof Powis said: Overnight 170,000 people have signed up thats three a minute to help the NHS. Its an absolutely astonishing response. But the top medic said people must play their part by adhering to the instructions laid down by the Prime Minister. When I see groups of 20 having a BBQ, frankly this putting pressure on our NHS, it is potentially costing lives and it means we need more ventilators, he said. That just has to stop, that behaviour has to stop. You are putting untold pressure on the NHS by that behaviour. Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged the Government to help to reduce demand for public transport in London. He said: It remains the case that too many of the people using TfL services at the busiest times work in construction. I repeat my call on the Government to ban non-safety construction work during this period, as TfL did yesterday. Some 500 British Transport Police officers were due on the rail network on Wednesday to remind passengers that only those making essential journeys for work should be using the Tube and trains. In India, some 1.3 billion people have been ordered to stay at home from Wednesday as part of the worlds biggest lockdown. The Australian government has also imposed strict domestic and international travel bans, while New Zealand has declared a state of emergency and is preparing to go into lockdown for a month. Meanwhile, the Chinese government is lifting the tight coronavirus lockdown in Hubei province, where the outbreak first originated. In the UK, the chairman of the Doctors Association UK, Dr Rinesh Parmar, has warned that medics will be forced to leave the profession over a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) available to safely treat patients during the pandemic. And some 50 staff were reportedly off sick at a hospital in Essex. This morning, I chaired the first ever video conference Cabinet meeting. We must all do our bit to stop the spread of coronavirus, protect our NHS and save lives. #StayHomeSaveLives https://t.co/Eew4i0Wr5q pic.twitter.com/LkWYYnMXnq Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) March 24, 2020 On Tuesday, Mr Hancock announced that an exhibition centre in London will be converted into a new NHS hospital. He confirmed that a temporary hospital the NHS Nightingale hospital would be opening at Londons ExCeL centre, with 4,000 beds spread across two wards. On Tuesday, it was revealed that the number of coronavirus dead in the UK had reached 422 up from 335 the day before and the largest day-on-day increase in the number of deaths since the outbreak began. Northern Ireland later said there had been a further two deaths in the region. Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, told Newsnight on Tuesday: This decision about allowing non-essential work appears to be taken for economic reasons when actually when youre in the middle of a global pandemic health reasons alone really should be guiding all decision making. The Government is also under intense pressure to set out a financial support package for self-employed workers measures senior Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith said were soon to be announced. New coronavirus cases in the UK (PA Graphics) I believe the Government has reached a conclusion about that, the best way to do it is to look back over the average for the year but that does leave out some who havent been self-employed for over a year, he told Newsnight. Elsewhere, Mr Hancock said 11,788 recently retired NHS staff had responded to the call to return to the service, including 2,660 doctors, more than 2,500 pharmacists and other staff and 6,147 nurses. Some 5,500 final-year medics and 18,700 final-year student nurses will also move to the front line next week. In other developments, a British patient became the first person to die with Covid-19 in Cape Verde. As the Covid-19 epidemic has been escalating, more people are buying things online or using shopping serviced. Phuong Vy, an office worker in Binh Tan district, HCM City, goes shopping only once a week. She has access to a website of supermarkets, choosing rice, noodle, milk and fresh food for one-week use, registering delivery time and clicking the mouse to complete the orders. Most supermarkets provide shopping service, she explained. "You do not have to go to public places and avoid gatherings, she said, adding that the service fee is reasonable. Not only providing fresh food, many online shops also provide preliminarily treated or finished food as per clients orders. Le Mai, the owner of Dichogiupban Facebook page, said she buys fresh food every day, processes it, and then delivers to customers. Food is stored in an insulated container with ice to ensure freshness for a certain period of time. As the Covid-19 epidemic has been escalating, more people are buying things online or using shopping serviced. Asked about the number of orders and service fee, Mai said she is very busy and though the service fee is a little bit high, she still gets many orders every day. Many supermarkets and food shops in HCM City said they have seen more online sales via websites and apps. They lists goods shown with images and quote prices. Buyers just need to order and make payment with ATM and Visa cards, and e-wallets, or pay cash on delivery. As the demand has soared, some shops have become overloaded with orders. On March 15, when reporters called Bach Hoa Xanh, the deliverymen said customers will have to wait 3-4 days to get deliveries. According to LOTTE Mart, the number of online orders and orders via website and Speed L app has increased by 150-200 percent. Saigon Co-op reported that orders via telephones and website has risen by 10 times. Lottemart, Satra, Co-op Mart, Big C, Bach Hoa Xanh, Di Cho Nhanh, Di Cho Dum Bam and Now Fresh are the best known names for such services. Individuals also via Facebook and Zalo provide shopping services and deliver food for dinner at the door. However, their clients are mostly relatives and those who have relations with them. The number of current clients is modest because of the lack of information about food safety. The Domestic Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) reported that because of the fear of the epidemic, sales at traditional markets have decreased by 20-30 percent. People are buying food at supermarkets or shop online. Le Ha E-commerce and FMCG markets shaken by outbreak Amid the current coronavirus epidemic, the fast-moving consumer goods and e-commerce sectors have experienced a tumultuous period. The federal government is considering non-scheduled flights to remote locations to rescue hundreds of thousands of Australians trapped overseas. In a joint statement, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is "working around the clock to assist Australians who needed to get home. Matthew and Gabe Ryan were cycling the length of South America when the coronavirus lockdown trapped them in Peru. The announcement follows DFAT's warning that Australians trapped overseas will be forced to stay where they are for "a longer period until departure can be arranged or border closures are lifted". Limited commercial flights are still operating from some countries and cities but we are aware that in many countries they are no longer an option. We urge Australians who do have access to these opportunities to act quickly," the joint statement said on Wednesday. Mari Van Gerwen, 54, was handed 17 years behind bars after being found guilty in 2018 The father of a world-renowned showjumper Jody Van Gerwen smuggled 4 million of cocaine into Britain inside a horsebox - and has now been ordered to cough up more than 200,000 in earnings. Mari Van Gerwen, 54, was handed 17 years behind bars for sneaking the stash into Dover after being found guilty in 2018, and he now has to pay 217,000 within 28 days or face another two years in prison. The investigation began when officers stopped Dutchman Van Gerwen as he arrived at the freight lanes at Dover Eastern Docks in a horsebox in July 2017. He was quizzed by Border Force officials who grew suspicious and began searching the box. Van Gerwen told them the two horses inside were not for jumping or racing but that he was heading to Bracknell with 5,000 euros (4,449) in his pockets. World-renowned showjumper Jody Van Gerwen (pictured) was devastated when her father was caught smuggling 4 million of cocaine into Britain inside a horsebox But officers found 51 kilos of cocaine in a purpose-built compartment in the wall of the horsebox. The stash had an estimated street value of 3.96 million. The horse dealer and former showjumper denied all knowledge of the drugs and claimed he was travelling to deliver the horses to a female associate. Following his arrest, Dutch police raided his home in Limbricht, Netherlands, and seized 270,000 euros in cash. Van Gerwen was found guilty of importing cocaine at Canterbury Crown Court in January 2018. Officers found 51 kilos of cocaine in a purpose-built compartment in the wall of the horsebox Following his arrest, Dutch police raided his home in Limbricht, Netherlands, and seized 270,000 euros in cash (pictured) Jody's father (left) was jailed after he was caught trying to smuggle the drugs into the country in order to fund his daughter's career (right) His daughter Jody wept as the jury returned its verdict and he was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Van Gerwen was acquitted of a similar charge at Reading Crown Court 18 months earlier. Further investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed Van Gerwen had pocketed 217,296 from his smuggling. Judge Rupert Lowe has now ruled the Dutchman must repay the money within 28 days - or face another two years inside. Jody (pictured) wept as the jury returned its verdict and he was sentenced to 17 years in prison NCA Senior Investigating Officer Darren Herbert said: 'Organised crime groups rely heavily on smugglers like Van Gerwen. 'He was bringing in substantial amounts of drugs into the UK, which will have fuelled exploitation and violence on the streets. 'Pursuing confiscation orders on top of criminal convictions means a double whammy of being hit in the pocket while also serving time in prison. 'If Van Gerwen doesn't pay he'll stay in there for two more years and still owe the money.' Samuel J. Munafo, who has led San Antonios Vantage Bank Texas since its 2018 merger with McAllens Inter National Bank, will retire Tuesday. Munafo will be succeeded by Jeff Sinnott, who joined Vantage in 2018 and has served as senior executive president of operations, technology and enterprise risk management, the bank announced Wednesday. Vantage is San Antonios fourth largest bank and the 44th largest operating in the state, based on its roughly $2.2 billion in assets at the end of last year. It has branches in the Rio Grande Valley, Fort Worth, Laredo, El Paso, Hondo and Refugio. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio banks benefiting from areas strong economy Munafo, 69, couldnt immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. Munafo had been CEO and president of Inter National Bank, or INB, since 2012. He was head of commercial lending at Cincinnatis First National Bank when he was recruited by INBs owners, Grupo Financiero Banorte of Mexico. In 2017, INB was acquired by the family of James W. Collins of McAllen. He had co-founded the bank in 1985. After the family assumed complete ownership of Vantage Bank in 2018, they merged the two banks. The deal increased the combined banks legal lending limit to $65 million per customer, Munafo said earlier this year. On ExpressNews.com: replace this text with your teaser head and add hyperlink Munafo arrived at a critical time in the history of Inter National Bank and his leadership was instrumental in building a strong community bank, Collins said in a statement. Sam is a great banker and well-respected leader in our communities. Munafo most recently has spearheaded Vantages expansion into Fort Worth. Vantage ended last year with a record $1.6 billion in loans. Net income rose 20 percent to $23.6 million, though revenue dipped 2.5 percent to about $98 million last year. Sinnott, 48, arrived at Vantage from Simmons Bank, formerly Southwest Bank of Fort Worth. He has been involved in commercial banking, operations and technology for more than 20 years. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD UK rescinds guidance legalizing at-home abortions during coronavirus outbreak Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The United Kingdom government has rescinded guidance temporarily allowing in-home medical abortions during the coronavirus outbreak. On Monday, the Department of Health and Social Care published online guidance explaining that the government has approved two temporary measures in England to limit the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) and ensure continued access to early medical abortion services. The guidance would have allowed women to take both pills required for medical abortion mifepristone and misoprostol in their own homes without having to go to a hospital or clinic first. It would have also given doctors the ability to prescribe patients abortion pills from their homes. The guidance came amid pressure from abortion rights groups ahead of Prime Minister Borris Johnsons announcement of a national lockdown enforced by police on Monday. But about five hours after it was posted on Monday night, the guidance was removed from UK.gov. A DHSC spokesperson admitted that it was published in error. There will be no changes to abortion regulations, the spokesperson was quoted as saying by BBC. The spokesperson did not provide any explanation of how the error occurred. John Smeaton, president of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, said in a statement that he had called the societys lawyers Monday night to ask them to initiate immediate legal action to overturn what he called an ideology-driven change to Britains abortion laws. Smeaton argued that it is disturbing and extraordinary that such an error could be made. Thank God that such a dangerous move for unborn children and their mothers is not, after all, being enacted by the Government, Smeaton said. We warmly welcome the Governments corrected announcement. However, we will be keeping SPUCs lawyers on stand-by. According to Right to Life UK, the rescinded guidance would have been the biggest change to [the U.K.] abortion provision since 1967 because it essentially would have allowed DIY abortions to be performed on women without a doctor present. The pro-life organization pointed out that such a change would have happened without any public consultation, Parliamentary scrutiny or debate. Under current law, abortions can only take place in hospitals or clinical settings approved by the secretary of state. The reversal was decried by advocates for increased abortion access, such as Clare Murphy of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. She told BBC that the decision to reverse the guidance made no sense. BPAS joined 12 other institutions such as the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in signing a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Monday, according to The Standard. The groups pushed for changes to the countrys abortion law to increase access at a time when doctors are self-isolating and the National Health Service is under immense pressure. It simply makes no sense at all that as the prime minister was ordering people to stay in their homes last night, the Department of Health was overturning a decision that would have enabled tens of thousands of women to access early abortion care lawfully at home, protecting their own health, that of their families, and that of the doctors, nurses and midwives who care for them, Murphy told The Guardian. Murphy said her organization is being contacted by women who are in desperate circumstances and are wondering what they should do. We urge the government to reinstate this safe and sensible policy as well as amend the law to enable one healthcare professional to authorize an abortion, Murphy stressed. Right to Life UK spokesperson Catherine Robinson said in a statement that the policy would have placed women at risk and could have resulted in the increase of medical abortion complications. She argued the guidance would put more strain on the countrys health system. We welcome the news that this extreme change to the law is not going ahead and that the announcement was an administrative error, Robinson said. The Department of Health and Social Care is working tirelessly at the moment so it is understandable that human errors like this are made. Armed men suspected to be bandits have killed at least 29 security officials in Niger State, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt. The victims were members of a joint security patrol team compromising officials of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police Force and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The attack occurred around Galkogo Forest, in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on Sunday. A military source said the security operatives engaged the bandits in heavy gunfire. PRNigeria on Wednesday reported that the bandits suffered heavy casualties. The bodies of security operatives and volunteers killed during the encounter were immediately evacuated and conveyed to the Minna General Hospital. A day before the attack, unknown gunmen attacked two villages of Galkogo and Zumba, also in Shiroro local government, killing and injuring several people. When contacted on the latest incident, the police spokesperson in Niger, Wadiu Abiodun, declined comments, stating that it is a military issue. When reminded that some police officers were also killed, he insisted that the military be contacted. That issue is a pure military issue, I urge you to contact the military because they are the ones handling it, he said. When contacted, the Nigerian Army spokesperson, Sagir Musa, directed all enquiries to John Enenche, the acting director, defence media operation, who did not respond to calls and SMS. Niger State has witnessed series of attacks by suspected bandits, leading to scores of deaths. Some parts of the state share boundaries with Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, that has suffered several attacks by bandits in the past few years leading to hundreds of deaths. On Wednesday, the Coalition of Birnin Gwari Associations and Union called on the government to as a matter of urgency establish permanent Security Checking points along Birnin Gwari-Kaduna and Birnin Gwari-Funtua highways. This is with a view to stopping the daily killings and abductions of defenceless citizens going on unabated on the two dreaded highways on daily basis, the association said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, signed by Salisu Haruna. We are fully aware Poland on Monday suspended all domestic flights as part of sweeping measures to try and halt the spread of the new coronavirus. The measure comes after the EU country banned entry for foreigners and suspended international flights from Saturday. Poland has so far registered 150 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, including three deaths. The ban on domestic flights came as the health minister warned the country could see a spike in cases of the coronavirus, which is sweeping across Europe. "We expect to reach 1,000 cases this week," Lukasz Szumowski said, urging Poles to limit their activities outside the home. The prime minister's office confirmed the domestic flight ban, adding that the measure would be in place until further notice. City streets across Poland were deserted as citizens worked from home and school universities and most shops were closed. Only grocery stores, pharmacies and laundry services remained open as Poland imposed unprecedented containment measures, in line with other European nations. Some 30,000 people have been placed in mandatory 14-day quarantine in Poland, including those who have returned from overseas or who have showed symptoms of COVID-19. Boy scouts, girl guides and ordinary citizens are helping housebound neighbours by doing their shopping or running essential errands. In neighbouring Czech Republic, several towns were put under complete lockdown after the country confirmed nearly 300 cases, while in the capital Prague, passengers were banned from public transport unless they wore face masks. The Czech Republic has already closed its borders to foreigners and shut restaurants, pubs and cafes. It said it did not have enough protective gear to cope with an outbreak, and has sent a special military plane to China to collect coronavirus test kits, the defence ministry said Monday. Elsewhere, as Lithuania prepared to close its borders to foreigners, a massive tailback of vehicles, mostly commercial goods trucks, stretched some 30 kilometres (nearly 20 miles) from a major border crossing with Poland, where border authorities are conducting strenuous health checks. burs-mas/gd 3 1 of 3 Friendswood Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Friendwood Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Video surveillance and a vigilant neighbor aided in the arrest of two suspected mail thieves during a traffic stop March 20 in the 2800 block of Everett Drive, Friendswood police said. Authorities charged Lucas Sheridan Trusty, 38, of Houston with forgery, unlawful carrying of a weapon and theft. The passenger, Patricia Lee Collins, 39, of Houston, had a Harris County felony theft warrant and was charged with theft, police said. Regulatory News: Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P. today released the following letter to investors: Dear Pershing Square Investor, On March 3, 2020, we disclosed that we had acquired large notional hedges which have asymmetric payoff characteristics; that is, the risk of loss from these hedges was limited, while their potential upside was many multiples of our capital at risk. We did so because of our concern about the negative effect of the coronavirus on the U.S. and global economies, and on equity and credit markets. Below, we summarize the events that have taken place since the initiation of the hedges that have led us to unwind them using the proceeds to increase our exposure to existing and new investments. Since our purchase of the hedges, U.S. and global equity and credit markets have declined dramatically while our hedges have increased substantially in value. Furthermore, beginning last week various U.S. state governments have aggressively confronted the health and economic risks of the coronavirus through unprecedented state-led, non-essential business closures and shelter-in-place/stay-at-home implementations or "lockdowns," (a word we don't love, but we haven't found a better one). As the virus has worked its way west, the only method that has proven successful to stop the rise in infections, sickness, and death is a strong-form lockdown, first implemented in Wuhan, on Monday night in the U.K., and Tuesday in India. In the United States, California and New York went into lockdown first, and were followed by Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, with more likely to come soon. Others like Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Texas have initiated weaker-form lockdowns in parts of their states. We believe it is inevitable that in order to halt the advance of the virus and preserve the ability of local, city, and state healthcare systems to deal with the volume of critical care patients, nearly all states will eventually initiate strong-form, non-essential business closures and stay-at-home regulations. Some have argued that we should fully reopen the economy now, as the coronavirus kills mostly the old and immune-compromised, and a relatively small percentage of those infected. Beyond the ethical considerations of such an approach, it has become increasingly clear that the high percentage of younger U.S. citizens with co-morbidities including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, as well as those who take medications for other conditions that reduce immunity, and/or who smoke or vape will have a substantially higher death rate than has been experienced in other countries. Furthermore, overwhelming the healthcare system will not only increase the death rate from the coronavirus, it will also magnify the loss of life from heart attacks, strokes, and automobile accidents as these trauma patients also lose access to overcrowded ICU beds and emergency rooms. Because states cannot close their borders, a rolling program of state-led lockdowns is highly suboptimal as states in lockdown can be re-infected by visitors, and their exiting residents can infect other states when they depart in advance of the lockdown. When the Chinese government announced the lockdown of Wuhan, millions of Wuhan residents left in advance of the curfew, spreading the virus throughout China and the rest of the world. As each U.S. state has announced its own lockdown, many of its residents have left, spreading the virus around the country. Even though California and New York went first, they will not be able to safely reopen their states for business until approximately three to four weeks after the last state initiates its shutdown, as they would risk reinfection by residents entering from non-lockdown states. For this reason, we believe that the federal government will soon initiate a total-US shutdown with a defined reopening date about 30 days later. If the federal government does not impose such a lockdown, we believe it is likely that effectively all fifty states will do so eventually, with the additional delay costing many thousands of more lives, and much greater economic destruction. You don't need to be a virologist, immunologist, or epidemiologist to understand why a 30-day nationwide lockdown makes sense. The coronavirus cannot live outside its host, the human body, for more than four or five days, and then, only if the virus is on plastic or metal. If we minimize human interaction for two weeks or so beyond the infection and viral shedding period of approximately two weeks, we can, therefore, vastly reduce, and eventually cap the growth in cases. A 30-day, countrywide lockdown will have the additional benefit of helping the healthcare system and its supply chain catch up to the growing case load in order to meet the immediate needs of our hospitals and their patients. State governors like NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, with the support of the federal government, are heroically working to address this problem on behalf of our citizens. As New Yorkers, we are incredibly grateful for Governor Cuomo's leadership which will save many lives. It is critical to have a defined lockdown period for the entire country. Most businesses can afford to, and will choose to retain their employees if they know that their business can reopen in a short, defined period of time as it is extremely time consuming, expensive and difficult to rehire high quality, trusted talent. This is even more true when the federal government provides financial support to these businesses during the lockdown. Unfortunately, the large job losses that we are seeing today are due to the indeterminate nature of the shutdowns that have been announced. It is the rare business that can afford to pay its employees for months without a date certain that they can reopen. Upon completion of an enforced lockdown, the country can be reopened carefully as China has so far successfully done. The key to a successful reopening beyond the maintenance of social distancing, hand washing, mask use and other related practices is a broad-based testing regime and tracing program. This will enable the inevitable viral breakouts to be identified early and minimized with localized quarantines, reducing the impact on the overall U.S. economy and the need for future shutdowns. Until there is a vaccine, however, seniors and other at-risk members of the population will need to exercise a high-level of caution. It has been extraordinarily challenging to fight the invisible enemy. We can fix this by using antibody blood tests to determine (1) who has been infected, is thereby immune and can return to work, (2) who is actively infected and needs to be quarantined, and (3) who is uninfected. Broad-based antibody-based screening will also give us an accurate estimate of what percentage of the population is actually infected allowing us to better estimate the percentage who become critically ill from the virus, who have limited if any symptoms, and a more accurate estimate of the death rate. Antibody blood screening tests have the advantage of being able to accurately and rapidly identify not only infected patients, but also those who have previously been exposed to the virus, but were not known to be infected, either because they never developed symptoms, or had symptoms that were never correctly diagnosed. Antibody tests can be deployed in a much more cost-effective manner to detect community spread, and with much greater accuracy and scalability than the current drive-thru, nasal swab PCR test. They require only a simple blood test and can yield results in hours rather than days and can be administered by Quest Diagnostics or Labcorp much like a traditional blood test. Imagine how differently and effectively we could have managed this crisis if we actually knew who was infected. The Pershing Square Foundation just invested capital to help scale the manufacture of antibody testing kits produced by Covaxx, a newly formed subsidiary of United Biomedical Inc., a company with decades of experience in the development, registration, manufacture and distribution of viral testing kits and vaccines. Covaxx has already deployed over 100,000 COVID-19 antibody tests across China (Hubei, Beijing, Shanghai) and in the U.S. Covaxx is currently deploying its COVID-19 tests across San Miguel County, Colorado (article link.) Covaxx believes it can scale its COVID-19 test to hundreds of millions of tests in relative short order. To learn more, please contact Mei Mei Hu at mhu@unitedbiomedical.com The federal government and the U.S. Treasury have intervened in financial markets in an unprecedented fashion, and the Congress is on the brink of passing legislation which will help bridge the economy and our country's workforce and citizens during what we believe to be a temporary but massive economic shock. We are encouraged by the Treasury Secretary's and Administration's all-in approach to mitigating the damage to the capital markets, and for keeping financial markets functioning and open, which are critical for our economy and capitalism to work. For all of the above reasons, we became increasingly positive on equity and credit markets last week, and began the process of unwinding our hedges and redeploying our capital in companies we love at bargain prices that are built to withstand this crisis, and which we believe will flourish long term. On March 23rd, we completed the exit of our hedges generating proceeds of $2.6 billion for the Pershing Square funds ($2.1 billion for PSH), compared with premiums paid and commissions totaling $27 million, which offset the mark-to-market losses in our equity portfolio. Our hedges were in the form of purchases of credit protection on various global investment grade and high yield credit indices. Because we were able to purchase these instruments at near-all-time tight levels of credit spreads, the risk of loss from this investment was minimal at the time of purchase. We have redeployed substantially all of the net proceeds from our hedges by adding to our investments in Agilent, Berkshire Hathaway, Hilton, Lowe's, and Restaurant Brands. We have also purchased several new investments including reestablishing our investment in Starbucks which we sold in January. The proceeds of the hedges have enabled us to become a substantially larger shareholder of a number of our portfolio companies, and to add some new investments, all at deeply discounted prices. Even after these additional investments, we maintain a cash position of about 17% of the portfolio. We continue to expect that markets (and our performance) will remain volatile, and therefore, new opportunities may present themselves that are superior to investments we currently own. This may lead us to sell certain of our existing holdings including investments we recently purchased. We may also choose to reestablish similar or different forms of hedges or raise more cash based on developments with the coronavirus and other market factors. In other words, we are more likely to have higher portfolio turnover in this environment. We are in one of the most challenging periods of time for our country, and for the world. Thousands of people have or will soon become severely sick, and many will die. This is a tragedy that could have been prevented with better long-term planning, which should have begun more than a decade ago. I have always said that experience is making mistakes and learning from them. And learn from this we must. Sincerely, William A. Ackman About Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P. Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P. ("Pershing Square"), based in New York City, is a SEC-registered investment advisor to investment funds. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005195/en/ Contacts: Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P. Fran McGill, 212-909-2455 McGill@persq.com SPRINGFIELD Christopher Fonville died Monday night at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston after being shot multiple times on March 16, according to a spokesman for the Hampden district attorneys office. Isaiah Taylor, 22, was charged with murder in connection with Fonvilles slaying. That shooting occurred at the intersection of Carew and Chestnut streets at 11:30 a.m. that day. Taylor also faces charges in an alleged attempted murder on March 24 a shooting on Clifton Avenue in this city as well as a carjacking March 19, a hit-and-run on Feb. 23 and a domestic assault on Oct. 27. He was arraigned via teleconference in Holyoke District Court Wednesday afternoon and held without the right to bail. A pretrial hearing was set for April 24. The tangle of cases was investigated by the Springfield Police Departments homicide unit of the Detective Bureau under Capt. Trent C. Duda, and Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gullunis Murder Unit. Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni expresses his sympathies to Mr. Fonvilles family, said spokesman James Leydon after releasing the victims name. No information has been released about a potential motive for the fatal shooting, or whether or how the separate alleged crimes were connected. A second man, Tyreese Amaro, 21, of Maple Street in East Longmeadow, also was arrested and charged as an accessory to the March 24th shooting on Clifton Avenue and in connection with the alleged hit-and-run. Aside from Fonville, no other alleged victims have been identified. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 20:21:52|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MOGADISHU, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed receiving medical supplies from Chinese business magnate Jack Ma, through his Alibaba Foundation to help intensity fight against COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that it received the shipment of Covid-19 testing kits, face masks and other assorted personal protective equipment (PPE) donated by Jack Ma at Aden Abdulle International Airport, Mogadishu on Tuesday. So far, Somalia has confirmed one case of Covid-19, saying 17 people who have no symptoms of novel coronavirus but recently traveled from the countries affected by COVID-19, have been quarantined. Jack Ma's donation to African nations is the latest in a series of initiatives by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation to support the world's efforts to fight the pandemic. NORWALK A Bridgeport man choked his pregnant girlfriend over a missing phone, according to police. Police said Demetris Lark, 23, of Bridgeport, and his girlfriend were staying at the Extended Stay America hotel on Main Avenue on Saturday when the alleged assault happened. The victim told police she and Lark were in their hotel room around 4 a.m. when Lark grew angry because he could not find his phone. Lark blamed her for the missing phone, police said, and began to strangle her. Police said the victim later escaped from the room and locked herself in a lobby bathroom, where she called 911. As officers arrived and made contact the victim, Lark was allegedly seen exiting an elevator with a bottle of liquor in hand. When officers approached Lark, police said he squared up as to try and fight. An officer tried to grab Larks hand to prevent an attack, but Lark slapped his hand away and continued to resist. Lark was eventually taken to the ground and placed in handcuffs, police said. In addition to actively fighting officers, Lark also gave police a fake name, police spokesperson Lt. Jared Zwickler said. After Lark was detained, his girlfriend was brought to Norwalk Hospital for further evaluation. Lark was charged with third-degree assault of a pregnant woman, third-degree strangulation, criminal impersonation, interfering with an officer disorderly conduct and second-degree failure to appear. He was held in lieu of $25,000 bond and given a court date of March 23. Description GIS 25 March 2020: The President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun, made an appeal to the population to act as patriots, responsible citizens and in solidarity to fight a common enemy, the Covid-19. The only way to win this fight in these dire moments and overcome the new coronavirus, is to act in togetherness, he underscored. In a special television address to the nation, tonight, President Roopun lauded the difficult but necessary measures taken by Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, for whom the safety and health of each and every Mauritian remains the priority, to ensure that the chain of transmission of the Covid-19 is broken. Mr Roopun highlighted the various measures initiated by the Government to help some 35 000 vulnerable citizens through a food assistance plan. Over the next four days, Government will distribute food packs to eligible persons according to a prepared list, he added. He further pointed out that a home delivery system is being worked out by Government in collaboration with the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the delivery of basic food items across the island. The President of the Republic also pledged, as other parliamentary members of the majority, ten percent of his monthly salary for a year to the Covid-19 Solidarity Fund set up by Government. President Roopun seized the opportunity to thank and commend all different stakeholders and individuals working together to ensure the safety of the population. Update: realme just announced that it has now postponed the online launch of Narzo 10 series in India that was scheduled for April 21st to a later date. We have noticed the update shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India. They have mentioned about the supply of non-essential goods by e-Commerce companies to remain prohibited during the lockdown. realme was planning to start online sales of its smartphones from April 20 and launch its Narzo series on April 21 through e-commerce platforms. But bearing in mind the current order from MHA, we are evaluating the situation and decision about the launch of the much-awaited Narzo series and online sales of our other smartphones will be made by tomorrow. On principle aligned, peoples health comes first at realme, and we will follow the Government directives issued in best interests of the people. Earlier With respect to the announcement made by our Honourable Prime Minister yesterday, we have decided to suspend all upcoming launches including #realmeNarzo series. Time for us to focus on our family & ourselves. Stay at home, stay safe & cooperate with local authorities. pic.twitter.com/4FmdanvgHL Madhav 5G (@MadhavSheth1) March 25, 2020 realme confirmed that the Narzo 10 and Narzo 10A smartphones will launch in India on March 26th on Flipkart. Due to the ongoing situation and lockdowns across the nation, realme India CEO Madhav Sheth has announced that the company will postpone the sale of the Narzo 10 series smartphones since the company has halted its Make in India facility till further notice from the Government and has asked its employees to work from home. During these tough times, we are taking initiatives to: Postpone sale of #realmeNarzo series, current stocks on hold. Halt our Make in India facility till further Govt. notice. WFH for all Hope the health of our people & countrys economy gets minimum impact. pic.twitter.com/6MDZq0na9A Madhav 5G (@MadhavSheth1) March 24, 2020 However, the company has confirmed that the online launch event will still happen 26th March, 12:30PM since it is a pre-shot video. While we are taking all the measures to fight #COVID19, we thought of bringing some joy to your lives as we continue with the online launch video premiere of #realmeNarzo series despite the postponement of sales. We are doing our bit, you can do yours too #StayAtHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/dHt0CO2u4E realme (@realmemobiles) March 24, 2020 We might already know the specifications of the phone since the Narzo 10 and Narzo 10a are expected to be the rebranded versions of realme 6i and realme C3 Indonesia version, respectively, but we will have to wait till tomorrow afternoon for the price. She has enjoyed a life of being a mother, actress, dancer, and television host. But through all the successes, Jenna Dewan admitted that one of the best things she has ever had the pleasure in partaking in is seeing her fiance become a father. The 39-year-old star looked stunning as she cuddled with 18-day-old son Callum in a sweet snap posted onto her Instagram Story on Tuesday. Though she definitely seems to be enjoying the experience of being a mother for a second time, Jenna has been most enamored in observing 44-year-old fiance Steve Kazee become a dad for the first time. Scroll down for video 'Good day': Jenna Dewan looked stunning as she cuddled with 18-day-old son Callum in a sweet snap posted onto her Instagram Story on Tuesday Jenna gushed to People magazine on Wednesday: 'It was incredible to watch the awe in his eyes of experiencing birth for the very first time, and the first time he laid eyes on our son. 'He was crying the whole time and he cut the umbilical cord. Seeing his transformation of becoming a dad was one of the best things Ive ever witnessed. It was beautiful. Birth is such a bonding experience, youre transformed at the end of it.' As she also has a six-year-old daughter, Everly, with ex-husband Channing Tatum, Jenna felt very prepared before welcoming Callum . She explained: 'Id heard this from a lot of people, that theres something that happens with the second baby, that theres a little bit more calm and peace in knowing whats happening. 'It was beautiful': Though she definitely seems to be enjoying the experience of being a mother for a second time, Jenna has been most enamored in observing 44-year-old fiance Steve Kazee become a dad for the first time 'You are able to be a little more present': As she also has a six-year-old daughter, Everly, with ex-husband Channing Tatum, Jenna felt very prepared before welcoming Callum 'Knowing whats coming down the line, you are able to be a little more present and enjoy all of it and its so true.' The Flirty Dancing host would play 20-minute Sanskrit prayer, The Devi Prayer, to aid in her relaxation including in the background while welcoming her second child via cesarean section. She said: 'Its a very peaceful song. It always puts me at ease. I put that on our playlist and I said to Steve, "If I ever start to look like Im getting anxious or if I was having a rough time, just please play that." He was actually born to that song.' Sweet: Jenna recently shared a cute video of Steve kissing his baby boy Jenna has made a conscious effort to document the familys time in quarantine on Instagram - from cuddles with Callum to bonding time with dog Cosmo. By engaging in a self-imposed quarantine, the couple are forced to limit all visitors, including family members. A source close to the family told People: 'They are limiting visitors to try and keep everyone healthy. The pandemic is obviously extra worrisome with a newborn.' Meanwhile, Dewan and ex-husband Channing Tatum's daughter Everly, six, is home for two weeks amid school closures. Dewan and Kazee welcomed Callum into the world on March 6; Jenna shared this picture of herself and baby Callum to her Instagram on March 10 The insider continued: 'They all plan on just staying home She is trying to focus on her happiness and stay calm so she can be the best mom to her baby and Everly. Steve has been great. He is changing diapers and carrying the baby around, said the insider of the first time father. Dewan and Kazee welcomed Callum into the world on March 6, less than one month after they announced their engagement to the world via Instagram. She posted a black-and-white selfie from the delivery room of the newborn sleeping on her shoulder, announcing the baby news. Less than a month prior to Callums birth, Kazee proposed to Dewan during the couples babyshower; Jenna shared this portrait of herself and her fiance on January 6 The caption read: 'And just like that, our hearts exploded into all of eternity and beyond. Welcome to the world you little angel! Callum Michael Rebel Kazee 3/6/20.' Kazee proposed to Dewan during her crystal-laden baby shower in February. Dewan first met Kazee in 2012 while backstage at Manhattan's Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre where the Tony-winning thespian was performing his hit Broadway musical, Once. I do! Kazee proposed to Dewan during her crystal-laden baby shower in February They didn't begin dating until March 2018, seven months before the former back-up dancer filed for divorce from her ex-husband Channing Tatum, which was finalised November 20. Tatum has moved on from Jenna with pop-star Jessie J. The 39-year-old actor and the Price Tag songstress ended their 13-month relationship back in December, but got back together in January. [March 25, 2020] Recursion Appoints Dr. Michael Secora as Chief Financial Officer Recursion, a digital biology company industrializing drug discovery, today announced the appointment of Michael Secora, Ph.D., as its Chief Financial Officer, focused primarily on the company's fundraising and strategic finance events and leveraging his decade-plus of experience investing at the intersection of biology and technology. "Decoding biology to radically improve lives is a bold ambition that requires substantial investment in a capital-intensive and revenue-deferred industry. We must be strategic in how we finance our company and achieve that ambition," said Chris Gibson, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO, of Recursion. "Michael brings that forward-looking, strategic finance perspective to Recursion. He has evaluated and invested in approximately 900 IPOs mostly in biopharma and tech and knows what makes a company attractive to the markets. I am extraordinarily excited for how his expertise and innovative thinking will support our goal of continuing our buildout of the industry's leading digital biology company." Before joining Recursion, Dr. Secora was Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets and Venture at Laurion Capital, an asset manager based in New York City who has been influential within the capital markets complex. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University in Applied and Computational Mathematics and B.S. degrees from MIT (News - Alert) in Mathematics and Physics. A self-proclaimed "student of the capital markets" with a scientific background, Michael has closely observed the emergece and evolution of technology-enabled drug discovery over the past few years, having worked with and invested in companies in that sector. However, Michael ultimately decided to join Recursion after spending 10 years at Laurion. "I believe that we are at an important time in history where the advances in biotechnology in the next half-century may eclipse advances made in silicon and computational technology in the previous half-century. Moreover, I believe that this novel field of technology-enabled drug discovery has transformative potential for the cost and time to develop therapeutics as well as improving the quality of life for people suffering from disease," said Dr. Secora. "To that end, I think that Recursion is best positioned to enact this vision and industrialize drug discovery. It is with passion that I accept the invitation to become Recursion's CFO and bridge conventions in the fields of technology and biotechnology while innovating the means to capitalize." For more information on Recursion, or to view our clinical-stage pipeline and opportunities for partners, please visit www.recursionpharma.com. About Recursion Recursion is a digital biology company industrializing drug discovery. Recursion does this by combining automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, in vivo validation capabilities and a highly cross-functional team to discover novel medicines that expand our collective understanding of biology. Recursion's rich, relatable database of 4 petabytes of biological images generated in-house on the company's robotics platform enables advanced machine learning approaches to reveal drug candidates, mechanisms of action, novel chemistry, and potential toxicity, with the eventual goal of decoding biology and advancing new therapeutics that radically improve people's lives. Recursion is proudly headquartered in Salt Lake City. Learn more at www.recursionpharma.com, or connect on Twitter and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005102/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday sharpened his criticism of China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, saying its ruling Communist Party was still denying the world information it needs to prevent further cases. In an interview with the Washington Watch radio program, Pompeo repeated previous charges that Beijing's delay in sharing information about the virus had created risks to people worldwide and said this had "truly put thousands of lives at risk." "My concern is that this cover-up, this disinformation that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in, is still denying the world the information it needs so that we can prevent further cases or something like this from recurring again," he added. Pompeo also accused Iran and Russia of waging disinformation campaigns about the virus. "The disinformation campaign from Russia and Iran as well as China continues," he said. "They're talking about it coming from the U.S. Army and they're saying maybe it began in Italy, all things to deflect responsibility." Despite his strong criticism of China, Pompeo refrained from referring to the virus as the "Chinese virus" or the "Wuhan virus," labels that have angered Beijing and which he has used repeatedly. "The time will come for recriminations," he said, but added it was important for the world to know now what was really going on. "This is an ongoing global crisis, and we need to make sure that every country today is being transparent, sharing what's really going on, so that the global community, the global health care, infectious disease community can begin to work on this in a holistic way." Pompeo, a persistent critic of Beijing and the Communist Party, said "very important decisions" would have to be made in future about how the U.S.-China relationship was structured. He added that supply-chain challenges faced in the United States were due to companies "operating their supply chains out of China but not here in the United States." Pompeo did not elaborate, but U.S. administration officials said last week the White House was preparing an executive order to help relocate medical supply chains from China and elsewhere overseas to the United States amid the coronavirus outbreak. The proposed U.S. push has sparked concern in China and elsewhere, although it is unclear when Trump might act. At a daily briefing of his coronavirus task force, Trump said the United States "should never be reliant on a foreign country for the means of our own survival." "Our goal for the future must be to have American medicine for American patients, American supplies for American hospitals..." Also read: US, New Zealand seek Tokyo Olympics 2020 to be postponed amid coronavirus pandemic Also read: Hantavirus in China: All you need to know about the virus, and how it spreads Tess Richey spent the last two hours of her life with Kalen Schlatter, and by the time he killed her he would have known what a warm, kind, trusting and funny person she was, her mother told a courtroom Wednesday. I will never understand why anyone would hurt another person the way that Kalen Schlatter hurt my daughter, Christine Hermeston said in an emotional victim impact statement. But I especially cant understand it because after spending those hours with her, he would have known exactly what he was taking. On Monday evening, a jury found Schlatter, 23, guilty of first-degree murder for strangling and sexually assaulting 22-year-old Tess Richey in an alley off Church Street in the early hours of Nov. 25, 2017. On Wednesday, in sentencing Schlatter to the mandatory sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years, Superior Court Justice Michael Dambrot referenced evidence of Schlatters interest in violent sex and choking which he did not allow the jury to hear. Your sexual appetite led you literally to take an innocent young woman by the hand down a path to her death, he said in his brief decision. To satisfy your lust, you took her life... you stole a large piece of the fabric of the very being of the members of her family and friends and, I could not fail to observe, you shed no tear for their losses. Richey was reported missing by her sister after she didnt respond to texts after she spent a night out dancing with a friend at a club in the Gay Village. The familys frantic search and the discovery of Richeys body four days later at the bottom of an outdoor stairwell in a Church Street laneway, not by police but by her mother, prompted outrage over how police conduct missing persons investigations. Varina Richey, Richeys oldest sister, said her sister was going to achieve great things in her life but sadly, it is from her murder that she changed the world a safer city for women, a new missing persons bureau in Toronto and she helped get justice for all those lost in the Village. Richeys disappearance and murder came at a time when Torontos queer and trans community felt vulnerable and afraid, said Becky McFarlane, a senior director with The 519 community centre located opposite where Richeys body was found. It was a time when we did not know why men were going missing from our community, and that a serial killer was responsible, she said. Schlatter, who identifies as a bisexual man, betrayed his own LGBTQ community in an unimaginable, unthinkable way, she said. He violated spaces that were supposed to be safe, like the Church Street bars he frequented, including Crews and Tangos, where both he and Richey had gone separately on the night he killed her. Schlatters self-described practice of picking up straight women at gay bars is a disquieting and insidious assertion, McFarlane said. To imagine that there are women who seek out spaces where they might be objectified in less aggressive ways, where they can dance without being hit on or groped by men in the same ways they are used to in straight clubs and then to imagine that there are men like Kalen Schlatter who take advantage of that fact is as chilling as it is enraging, she said. In a courtroom that would have been packed without the social-distancing requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic, Richeys mother, four sisters, brothers-in-law and friends shared their memories of Tess Richey or, as they called her, Tessie the baby of the family. As she read one statement on behalf of a friend of Richey, prosecutor Bev Richards began to cry. Tess was very kind and generous and giving, Richeys mother said. She loved animals, adopting two dogs and converting her mother into a vegetarian. She was an organ donor. She donated her hair. She ran marathons for charity and campaigned for animal rights. She was a doting aunt to her nieces. She earned a diploma she never got to see as she pursued her dream of becoming a flight attendant and travelling the world. But she was so much more than that, her sister said. Lost are the times she was silly to make someone comfortable, the compliments delivered in earnestness and sincerity that made you feel special, or the times where she stood up for someone who was being bullied or unfairly treated, said her sister Rachel Richey. Growing up in a house full of women is exactly as you would imagine it to be: chaotic, warm, happy, unpredictable and empowering. My sisters and I were fibres that were woven together to make a cloth, she said. Losing her, I lost a part of myself. Richeys family described the agony and lasting pain they continue to experience, and the fear they carry for their daughters and nieces. In a world that has been desecrated and destroyed, Ill recreate and rebuild this broken-down life into something beautiful for her, said her sister Hailey Richey. Although this pain will never leave and my heart may never heal, I know true love. I know Tess. At end of the Wednesday hearing, Schlatter was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs for the final time. Richeys mother said she made eye contact with Schlatter as she spoke in court, but he never showed any emotion. Schlatter declined to say anything prior to being sentenced. Outside court, Varina Richey thanked the jurors for continuing the trial to the end as the courthouse shut down due to the pandemic. The trial was the last one in Toronto, and likely the province, to conclude. It was a big ask on them, she said. I really do thank them. The trial is over, two-and-a-half years after Richey was killed, but the calendar in her mothers kitchen is stuck on November 2017. I will never change it, Hermeston said. I will never move on without my Tess. The Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi took place on Wednesday. The meeting took a few key decisions including the extension of scheme for rebate of state and central taxes on apparel export and the construction of the Aligarh-Harduaganj flyover. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar also spoke about PM Modi's announcement. Here are the key decisions taken at the Cabinet meeting today: The Cabinet approved the extension of scheme for rebate of state and central taxes and levies on export of garments and made-ups from April 1 till the scheme is merged with remission of duties and taxes on exported products. The Cabinet also approved the construction of Aligarh-Harduaganj flyover by Ministry of Railways. The total length will be 22 km and will be made at a cost of Rs 1,285 crore. The project is expected to be completed by 2024-25. CCEA approved the recapitalisation of regional rural banks to improve their capital to risk weighted assets ratio. It also approved the utilisation of Rs 670 crore as central government share for the scheme. Transfer of 8 acres of defence land at Old Cantonment, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for construction of Kendriya Vidyalaya was approved by the Cabinet. Cabinet approved the transfer of 5 acre of defence land in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for construction of Kendriya Vidyalaya. A MoU between India and Germany for technological cooperation in the railway sector was also approved by the Cabinet. Also read: Coronavirus: Auto dealers stuck with Rs 6,000 crore inventory; many fear permanent closure During the briefing Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the Cabinet kept social distancing in mind and that if India were to fight coronavirus then people must stay at home or maintain social distance. "The nation accepted and welcomed the decision of 21 days lockdown. If we are to protect ourselves from Corona, then this was necessary to save our lives," he added. Javadekar said that there were only a few do's to fight coronavirus -- stay at home, sanitise hands, if any symptom such as cough, cold, fever show then one should approach doctor, as well as maintain social distancing. Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: Will banks remain open? Also read: DBT to construction workers! Govt to spend from Rs 52,000 crore cess fund Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Ordnance Factory Board which functions under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is chipping in with 285 beds in isolation wards across the country to fight COVID-19. Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has designated 285 beds for isolation wards in handling Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, said the MoD. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE These beds are spread across the country with forty earmarked in hospitals at the Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, thirty each at the Metal and Steel Factory Ishapore, Gun and Shell Factory Cossipore, Ammunition Factory Khadki, Ordnance Factory Kanpur, Ordnance Factory Khamaria and Ordnance Factory Ambajhari, 25 at Ordnance Factory Ambernath and 20 each at the Heavy Vehicle Factory Avadi and Ordnance Factory Medak. In addition, the OFB is also making preparations to produce personal protection equipment and face masks to meet the requirements in coordination with HLL Lifecare Limited, a PSU under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The OFB is setting up these isolation wards in coordination with the MoHFW. The wards will add to the preparations of the Army, Navy and Air Force and various organisations of the Ministry of Defence collaborating with government agencies to provide medical and logistics support. The OFB comprises a group of 41 ordnance factories forming the oldest and largest industrial set-up functioning under the Department of Defence Production of the Ministry of Defence. Hype for actor Kang Dong-won's upcoming film is building after the release of teaser images on Tuesday. Zombie flick "Peninsula," a sequel to director Yeon Sang-ho's megahit "Train to Busan," deals with people's fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic world four years after the outbreak of a zombie virus. "Train to Busan" drew over 10 million moviegoers after its release in 2016. The film received rave reviews for its clever blend of zombie horror with a message of unity in times of crisis in a story largely told in the confined setting of a bullet train. U.S. magazine IndieWire has selected "Peninsula" as one of 25 films it hopes will make the cut for this year's Cannes Film Festival, which has been delayed to late June due to the coronavirus pandemic. The magazine said, "It's too soon to know if Yeon will be able to recapture the same lightning in a bottle on a much bigger canvas, but it's safe to assume that Cannes will be the first place to find out." The film is slated for release worldwide this summer. A nurse was beaten by a man at a Covid-19 isolation ward in south Keralas Kollam this week because his tea was late. The nurse, who had been working without a break for two weeks at the quarantine facility, was later admitted to the hospital with injuries, police said on Wednesday. A case was registered against the accused who had recently returned from Muscat and was forced into the facility after violating the home-quarantine order. But the assault on the healthcare professional in Kerala wasnt a one-off incident. There have been several incidents of such attacks in the state, prompting the state government to order the police to take strict action against the accused in such cases. A senior police officer said they had started filing FIRs against people who attack or misbehave with nursing staff and other officials for doing their job. Like the ones deputed to ensure that people have been ordered to stay at home-quarantine dont step out. In Kozhikode, former MP AK Premajam is accused of misbehaviour with staffers who came to inquire about her son who was ordered to be quarantined at home. The former CPM MP denied the charge, insisting that she only intervened when they behaved with her son like a convict. In another case, a 27-year-old man, who had also returned from a Gulf country, barged into the house of an Asha (social worker accredited with the health ministry) worker in Malappuram and attacked her. The man was angry that she had reported him to the authorities for flouting quarantine norms. The woman has been admitted to hospital. Police said the man had been arrested and sent to a quarantine facility at the medical college hospital. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON President Buhari Nigerian scientists have advised the federal government to order a lockdown of the country to prevent further spread of COVID-19. The National Academy of Science, which acts as a scientific advisor to the Federal Government of Nigeria, gave the advice in a statement by its president, Mosto Onuoha. Mr Onuoha, a professor, said the lockdown should be national, with uniform regulations, and led by the federal government. He said the country should be locked down for four weeks to reduce the number of new importations of COVID-19 and provide the environment and condition for clear thinking and planning. In 4 weeks, virtually all COVID-19 cases and contacts should have been discovered or should have recovered, the professor said. It is now time for a national lockdown, especially now that the disease has invaded the highest level of our governance threatening our national security! While the effort of individual state governments is lauded, with a lockdown, all citizens are required (as much as possible) to stay at home leaving room only for essential activities that allow for basic functions such as feeding and accessing health care. He said only workers needed to provide essential services, such as health care and electricity, should be allowed go out. Explaining the reason for the suggestion, Mr Onuoha said since most of the confirmed cases are imported, and a few being contacts of the imported cases, Nigeria is beginning to have cases with unclear infection sources, this suggests the possible existence of community transmission and needs to be curtailed early. According to him, though the government and its agencies are working hard at containment, there are reports of people failing to self-isolate as advised. This is complicated by the VIP syndrome that seems to characterize our country, with some refusing to be checked or to self-isolate on arrival into the country, he said. It is unclear how widespread the disease might be in the country given the evolving number of cases at this point, and the difficulty in tracking their movements and those of their contacts, he said. Action Aid Concurs Expressing a similar view, a non-governmental organisation, Action Aid, called for 14 days lock down of the country. The Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi, said the increased cases of the imported virus in the country called for rapid steps to be taken by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the control of COVID-19. With the cases of infected persons increasing from 3 to 36 within a week, more need to be done quickly and promptly. Nigeria needs to be ready for the worst-case scenario, she said. She said the concept of social distancing and self-isolation may remain a mirage to many as average Nigerians particularly those offline and at the grassroots are still ignorant and lack the basic safeguarding information on symptoms and prevention of the spread of the virus. As a grassroots organisation, we are concerned that no proactive steps are being taken at the grassroots level and the average woman in the market is still unaware that the virus is so contagious that one infected person with high exposure can infect up to 2.5 million persons within 5 days as stated by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire during a press conference earlier today, March 23 2020, the country director said. Ms Obi said there was a need to re-prioritise the countrys budgetary provisions by investing more in healthcare facilities. Expressing a similar view, an economist, Odilim Ewegbara, in a telephone interview, said a total lockdown to curtail the spread of the virus is necessary now. He said the lockdown may come with financial hardships as the productive sectors would be forced to stop work but it is the safest way to keep the increasing figure at bay. He said the most likely way out of the economic hardship Nigeria is slumping into is that Nigerians should consume local products since importation would stop. He said this could be achieved if the government provides a social welfare package for the vulnerable group who would spend and stock up food during the lockdown. However, a public health expert, Faith Ajani, expressed a different view. He said Nigeria may not be able to afford a total lockdown even though it is the best method now. He, however, encouraged that personal hygiene and social distancing should be maintained at all times. Nigerias Cases Currently, Nigeria has 46 cases of COVID-19 including one death. The Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and Bauchi State Governor. Bala Mohammed, are among Nigerias 46 confirmed cases. Some states, such as Lagos and Ogun, have already placed restrictions on public gatherings including in churches and mosques. Lagos, Nigerias most affected state with COVID-19, has also said it would shut markets from Thursday except for essential products. The federal government has, however, only advised Nigerians to stay at home but has told citizens to expect tougher measures. The COVID-19 has killed over 15,000 people globally, the majority of them in Europe and China. *** Source: PREMIUM TIMES UPDATE 3/26: More questions on coronavirus stimulus checks answered here. * * * * * When will checks for coronavirus relief go out? When will I get paid? How much money will I get? Congress and the Trump administration reached a deal late Tuesday on the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, also known as phase three of the coronavirus economic stimulus packages from the federal government. The unprecedented rescue plan includes expanded unemployment benefits; a $367 billion program for small businesses to help pay workers forced to stay home due to the COVID-19 pandemic; $500 billion for subsidized loans to larger industries such as hospitals and airlines; and direct payments to most Americans. The direct payouts will be a one-time payment of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child, but people with higher incomes would get less. The money aims to help the U.S. economy and help citizens through the coronavirus crisis, which has forced schools to close, sent non-essential workers home, and affected other businesses across the country. Heres what we know about the checks in the mail: When will I get my check? Mid-April, possibly later. We want to make sure Americans get money in their pockets quickly, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said last week. As soon as Congress passes this, we will get this out in three weeks. The payouts could arrive by April 15, but The Tennessean reports specific dates may change during the appropriations process in Congress. Individuals who set up a direct deposit with the IRS should still expect to see their money sooner than those waiting for checks in the mail. Could the money take longer? The Tennessean notes the last time the federal government sent checks to Americans was in 2008, under President George W. Bush. The Economic Stimulus Act was signed into law on Feb. 13, 2008, and provided individual tax relief in the form of tax rebates but the money didnt start going out until two months later in April. How much will my check be? Adults will get $1,200 each and children will get $500 each. A married couple could receive $2,400 and a family of four could receive $3,400. According to Vox, the checks will get smaller for those with higher incomes, ensuring the payouts benefit the lower and middle class. According to the CARES Act proposal on Monday, payments phase out at a rate of $5 per every additional $100 in income starting at $75,000 in adjusted gross income for singles, $112,500 for heads of household, and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly. For example, a single adult who earns $85,000 would get $700 (a decrease of $500 due to their higher income). Some will receive nothing. A single, childless adult who earns more than $99,000 would get no money, and childless couples with $198,000 would also be phased out entirely. CNBC reports the amount you receive will be based on income calculations from your 2018 tax return. Why only one check? Mnuchin said last week that families could receive another check in six weeks if the national emergency still exists, but the CARES Act only lists a one-time payment. Its unclear if a second payout could still happen, but President Donald Trump optimistically said he hopes to reopen the country and loosen social distancing guidelines by Easter. There is tremendous hope as we look forward and we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel," Trump said at the White House on Tuesday. Stay focused and stay strong and my administration and myself will deliver for you as we have in the past. Where will the money come from? Taxes, essentially. CNBC reports its unclear whether the money will be considered a loan or a gift, in which case some of it may have to be paid back. Recipients may have to repay it on a future tax return -- this years income tax filing deadline has been delayed to July 15 -- or if its a gift," it could be considered taxable income. Out of work because of the coronavirus? How to quickly apply for unemployment benefits Groceries and pharmacies are hiring, offering raises amid coronavirus pandemic Income tax filing deadline moved to July 15 from April 15 New York suspends debt collection amid coronavirus Coronavirus: Trump says US government should take equity stake in companies needing bailouts Coronavirus: Trump says he wants to reopen US by Easter Tips for managing coronavirus fears: monitor stress, triage threat level, seek support (Commentary) New Delhi: On Tuesday night, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown to fight the spread of the deadly coronavirus, social media is flooded with posts hailing the PMs decision. Bollywood celebrities have also come out in large numbers in support of the lockdown and have urged the citizens to stay home and stay home at this crucial time. Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan also took to Instagram to reach out to her fans and spread the message. With a photo of herself with son Taimur, she wrote, Dear India, let's do this. Be responsible. Be home. Be safe. #21DayLockdown #InThisTogether. She also tagged PM Modi in her post, along with Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Take a look at Kareenas post here: Kareena, via her Instagram posts, has been constantly urging people to maintain social distancing and stay indoors, which is the need of the hour to contain the spread of the virus. Coronavirus, which originated from Chinas Wuhan city, has brought the entire world to a standstill. The total coronavirus cases in India as of Wednesday afternoon stands at 536 and the death toll in 10. A Vietnamese tycoon and his wife have committed more than US$1.5 million and lent a major piece of land to the government as support for the combat against novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta. The chairman of Imex Pan Pacific Group (IPPG), Jonathan Hanh Nguyen, has agreed to let authorities in southern Tay Ninh Province, bordering Cambodia, use 5,000 square meters of the premises of the groups duty-free supermarket near Moc Bai International Border Gate in Ben Cau District for quarantine purposes, his spokesperson told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday. IPPG is regarded as one of the biggest multi-business corporates in Vietnam, operating in different fields, including fashion, F&B, real estate, and non-aviation service. The premises can be used to set up a collective isolation camp for Vietnamese returnees from Cambodia, the spokesperson said. Vietnam has denied entry to all foreigners since March 22 and demands all entrants declare their health status and be quarantined in collective camps for 14 days -- the advised incubation period of the virus. We think that our contribution in the form of land usage for quarantine is one way to stand shoulder to shoulder with our country to fight the epidemic, the spokesperson said. The IPPG will coordinate site clearance and outfitting with the Tay Ninh Department of Health. Johnathan Hanh Nguyen also donated VND30 billion for the government to fight COVID-19 and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta on March 20, as the region is battling historic saltwater incursion. He and his wife had given away over VND6 billion to build nine negative pressure rooms to treat COVID-19 patients in Ho Chi Minh City so their total donations amounted to more than US$1.5 million. On March 9, their daughter, 23-year-old Nguyen Thao Tien, was taken back to Vietnam from the UK on board a charter flight for COVID-19 treatment. The cost for the plane was believed to be around $360,000. Tien has tested negative for the virus for the first time and is still being treated in Ho Chi Minh City. I trust Vietnamese doctors so I put my daughters life in their hands, Jonathan Hanh Nguyen said. Its the right decision. She is recovering. Seventeen out of the confirmed 134 cases had exited Vietnam's hospitals by Friday last week, with no death having been reported so far. Vietnam treats local patients for free but the country charges foreigners a fee for their treatment. Quarantine and testing expenses are waived for all people. Vietnam had quarantined 46,933 infected patients' close contacts and arrivals from epidemic-hammered regions by Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Healths latest statistics. Health workers have tested 24,311 people to date, with 34,177 samples returning negative. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! [March 25, 2020] Building a Supercomputer to Fight COVID-19 Helio AG, creator of an open platform that connects idle data center compute to enable the quick and cost-effective execution of large-scale workloads, today announces that it is making its compute delivery network available free of charge for any research organization, laboratory, university or other compute-intensive applications. In an effort to support the international research community, Helio (News - Alert) is announcing that it will open its entire compute infrastructure free of charge to anyone working on COVID-19 and related research or applications. This empowers these organizations with the extra computing power needed to more effectively and quickly model solutions to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers around the world are quickly trying to understand the virus and develop an immunization program. What in earlier days would have been done with hundreds of manual experiments in laboratories is now often done with the aid of computers. Testing billions of combinations of substances and simulating the virus's response requires an incredible amunt of computing resources - especially when it's needed on short timelines. To aid this process, Helio's proprietary platform is rapidly connecting data centers across Europe to help researchers get the computing resources they need. The Helio platform connects a network of individual data centers to more efficiently perform computing tasks, such as the rendering of 3D films and animations or the simulation of physical phenomena. Kevin Hafeli, Founder and CEO of Helio, notes, "Switzerland is very much affected by the virus, and we started to wonder how we can help. We have worked with research organizations in the past and know that often the availability of computing resources is a key challenge. To do our bit, we will open up our network for anyone to use and make our team available to help connect computing tasks on short notice." Helio is currently connecting more and more data centers across Europe. Operators such as SysEleven in Berlin and Ops One in Zurich have already started connecting their infrastructure to Helio, making their spare capacity available. Christoph Buchli, CTO of Helio says: "Even though there is a surge in demand for digital services, many data centers still have a lot of unused capacity that we can make available via Helio. We will be connecting more and more data centers over the coming weeks and months." Data centers across Europe that would like to contribute capacity to this effort are asked to reach out to Helio via their website: www.helio.exchange About Helio: Founded by Kevin Hafeli and Christoph Buchli in 2018, Helio is on a mission to democratize compute, empowering anyone who is using technology to solve the world's most complex challenges. Through its compute delivery network, Helio makes the idle compute capacity of data centers available to computing-intensive applications such as Research, 3D Rendering or Artificial Intelligence. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005706/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A hoax device was discovered in Co Fermanagh yesterday morning A hoax device was discovered in Co Fermanagh yesterday morning. Bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion after the suspicious object on Clough Road in Rosslea was reported to the police. Dissident republicans have targeted the border village several times in the past. Sinn Fein councillor Sheamus Greene condemned those behind the hoax. "It was a very strange one. It's not often the security forces move in and deal with something like this so quickly," he said. "I had phone calls from a couple of people living up in Rosslea and they thought that the roads would be closed for a couple of days. "They weren't too happy about it and they're already extremely stressed at the minute with the isolation". First Minister Arlene Foster said it was "utterly despicable" that a hoax device had been left in the community. By Yan Zhang and Allison Lampert BEIJING/MONTREAL (Reuters) - As the coronavirus spreads across the United States, Chinese students from wealthy families are persuading their parents to pay tens of thousands of dollars for seats on private jets to get home. The alternative, in a world of locked borders and grounded commercial planes, is 60-hour flights with multiple transit hops over the Pacific. Jeff Gong, a lawyer in Shanghai, asked his daughter, a high school student in Wisconsin, if she wanted 180,000 yuan ($25,460) as pocket money or a ticket on a private flight home. "My daughter begged me to get her back home ... She said 'No papa, I don't want the money, I want to go home'," he told Reuters. U.S.-based Chinese students are scrambling to get home as U.S. infections top 50,000 while new cases in China - where the flu-like virus emerged in humans late last year - have fallen to zero. The sense of urgency is further heightened by the dramatic cutback in flight capacity. On Tuesday, 3,102 out of 3,800 planned commercial flights to and from China were cancelled, according to aviation data provider VariFlight. "(Education) agents and schools are the ones making contact on behalf of the Chinese families looking to group together to arrange a private charter, given the lack of airline flights," said Annelies Garcia, commercial director for Private Fly, a global booking service for charter flights. But even the window for chartered flights is closing fast, further elevating prices. Beijing has banned all chartered flights from overseas and Shanghai is expected to follow suit soon. Hong Kong and Macau have blocked transit flights. U.S-based Air Charter Service can fly passengers from Los Angeles to Shanghai on a 14-seat Bombardier 6000 for 2.3 million yuan ($325,300), or about $23,000 for a spot. "We have arranged a number of private jets travelling from the U.S. to China repatriating Chinese nationals with routes including New York and Boston to Shanghai, San Jose to Hong Kong and Los Angeles to Guangzhou," said Glenn Phillips, a PR and advertising manager at Air Charter Service. Story continues "The prices range greatly depending on the positioning of the aircraft on the dates and time requested, and the exact route." But even the well-heeled have to wrestle with logistics. Air charter providers have been notified informally that private jets registered in China are not allowed to land in the United States, and those registered in the United States cannot land in China, two sources at such firms told Reuters. "The Chinese government is reluctant to let people abroad to come back, though they cannot make it too obvious. We have received a lot of verbal guidance to restrict chartered flights these days and the door is closing rapidly," one of them said. Jet operators circumvent the restrictions by either getting planes from other countries to run the U.S.-China routes or arranging transfers in Tokyo, they said. "Operators of U.S. or Chinese-registered aircraft are not permitted to land in each other's countries at the moment, so for U.S.-China route inquiries, we are working with operators of long-range jets based elsewhere," said Private Fly's Garcia. The Civil Aviation Administration of China did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. ($1 = 7.0704 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Yan Zhang and Allison Lampert; Additional reporting by Stella Qiu in Beijing; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Stephen Coates) T he Prince of Wales could have picked up coronavirus at one of many royal engagements in recent weeks after meeting hundreds of members of the public during his official duties. Prince Charles is infected with Covid-19 and in isolation and recovering in Scotland, it was announced on Wednesday. Over the past weeks, he will have met hundreds of members of the public, and began the month holding a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Clarence House on March 3. Earlier in the day, he attended the Royal College of Musics annual awards ceremony. The following day, the prince and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, who has not tested positive for Covid-19, travelled from their London home Clarence House in a new electric double decker bus to the London Transport Museum to take part in celebrations to mark 20 years of Transport for London. Prince Charles steps off a new electric double decker bus / REUTERS The heir to the throne also held a number of private gatherings that day, from chairing a meeting of the Royal Collection Trusts trustees, in his role as the Trusts chairman, to hosting a dinner for the British Red Cross Society as their president. Charles was experiencing a busy week and on March 5 hosted a Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony presenting awards to dozens of recipients, as the Queen had done a few days earlier. But unlike previous ceremonies, the Queen wore long white gloves. At the time, Buckingham Palace declined to confirm whether the 93-year-old monarch was taking the precaution because of the coronavirus outbreak. Later that day, the prince made the trip to Oxford to visit Jesus College, to mark the reinstatement of the professorship in Celtic Studies at Oxford University, and then Kellogg College, to receive the Bynum Tudor Fellowship. On March 6, Charles attended a string of events in Newquay, visiting a school and a company, and at the start of the following week he attended major events marking Commonwealth Day. At Westminster Abbey, the prince had his last public meeting with the Queen as they attended a Commonwealth Day service. Also there was the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the latter couple making their last official appearance before stepping down as senior royals. Prince Charles met with hundreds of people in the last few weeks / AP Charles, and other members of the royal family, were following advice to avoid shaking hands in a bid to stop the potential spread of the virus, although Meghan hugged some of the congregation. That evening, Charles and Camilla met dozens of staff from the Commonwealth Secretariat. The following day, March 10, the heir to the throne met Prince Albert of Monaco at a WaterAid event in central London, sitting opposite the foreign royal who would later announce he had contracted the virus. Charles later attended a series of private meetings, ending with him hosting a Buckingham Palace dinner for his Princes Trust. Charles at the investiture ceremony / PA On March 11, during a day of private events, the prince greeted Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly with a namaste gesture at the Princes Trust Awards in place of handshakes. The next day, Charles met the outgoing Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, privately at Clarence House, one of a number of events staged behind closed doors, and hosted an investiture ceremony again, meeting scores of people. Charles last meeting with the Queen was on March 12 when he saw her privately in the morning. The Duke of Edinburgh was not present. Loading.... If you have watched a number of the daily briefings by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and the pandemic task force, you have probably noticed that the briefings tend to be relatively sober and orderly affairs until the question-and-answer period, at which point the White House press corps invariably succeeds in baiting Trump into the bombastic, combative bunker mentality we all know so well from the past four years. While Trump is of course responsible for acting like Trump, the reporters attending these briefings should reconsider whether they are serving their audience or the public interest in actively working to drive these press briefings off the rails. Specifically, it is time for them to put gotcha questions about things Trump did and said in the past on the shelf, for another day, or at least another place. The briefings serve a specific purpose: to inform the public about the ongoing status of the coronavirus pandemic and the federal governments response to it. That is, necessarily, a present-and-forward-looking process. It is why we have the briefings on a daily basis, giving the press far more access to the president, vice president, and senior administration officials than is usual. Making those officials available for questions serves a purpose, too. It is the job of the press to raise questions not already addressed, partly to focus the administration on things that may not have pierced their deliberations, and partly to hold their feet to the fire to deliver on promises. Naturally, that involves some backward-looking questions and challenges to the credibility of administration assertions: Last week you told us X, we can see that we are not there yet, can you give us a timetable, etc. Instead, you get questions like Are there things you regret in the way you handled the crisis so far? Are there words you regret? or Your administration eliminated a key position in China in July a medical epidemiologist embedded in Chinas Disease Control Agency and it was just months before the first cases were spotted in Wuhan. So the question is, basically, why the post was eliminated and if that Story continues Theres a time and place for inquiries of this nature, both by the press and by congressional oversight, but just trying to spin up the president and get his goat is inevitably going to run the briefing off topic. Its similar to the constant, badgering effort to drive a wedge between Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief infectious-disease specialist on the coronavirus task force. I have no illusions about the fact that a lot of this effort is driven by the press corpss deep personal and political antipathy to Trump. Now, nobody would argue that its the job of the press to make the president look good, but focusing exclusively on making him look bad is really a misreading of what journalism is supposed to be about, especially in a national crisis when leaders are taking time away from their duties managing the crisis to address the public. You will notice that press briefings by governors and mayors are not like this, at least not to this degree. It is not what citizens are tuning in for. Even Trumps harshest press critics seem to realize that the briefings are not always serving their purpose, and are beginning to turn against holding them. Its time to put an end to the free-form daily task force briefings featuring the president, the vice president and a rotating cast of other officials, sniffed the New York Times editorial board. One suspects that this is partly because the briefings are not accomplishing the goal of publicly discrediting and delegitimizing the president. Polls are, for now, showing improving ratings for the publics view of Trumps handling of the coronavirus. That may well change, but with much of the worst of the crisis likely still ahead of us, the average voter is more interested, for now, in hoping that Trump and his team can do a good job than in prosecuting his earlier missteps. Winston Churchill, when he came to power in May of 1940, had perhaps a stronger case than anyone in England to look backwards: almost alone, he had been right all along about the Nazi menace. Yet, in his Finest Hour speech a month into his tenure, as he grappled with the fall of France, he called on his nation to stay focused on the struggle ahead: I am not reciting these facts for the purpose of recrimination. That I judge to be utterly futile and even harmful. We cannot afford it . . . Now I put all this aside. I put it on the shelf, from which the historians, when they have time, will select their documents to tell their stories. We have to think of the future and not of the past. This also applies in a small way to our own affairs at home. There are many who would hold an inquest in the House of Commons on the conduct of the Governments and of Parliaments, for they are in it, too during the years which led up to this catastrophe. They seek to indict those who were responsible for the guidance of our affairs. This also would be a foolish and pernicious process. There are too many in it. Let each man search his conscience and search his speeches. I frequently search mine. Of this I am quite sure, that if we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future . . . It is absolutely necessary at a time like this that every Minister who tries each day to do his duty shall be respected; and their subordinates must know that their chiefs are not threatened men, men who are here today and gone tomorrow, but that their directions must be punctually and faithfully obeyed. Without this concentrated power we cannot face what lies before us. I should not think it would be very advantageous for the House to prolong this Debate this afternoon under conditions of public stress. Many facts are not clear that will be clear in a short time. We are in a presidential election year, so reckoning over the past is not far ahead. We, too, still need many facts clear that are not clear today. There is ample room for opinion writers to examine the presidents record. The daily briefing room, however, should stay focused on what comes next. More from National Review One undiagnosed coronavirus patient can single-handedly infect 400 people in a month, Australia's health boss has warned. Deputy chief health officer Paul Kelly issued the alarming warning as Australia's coronavirus cases jumped to 2,317 on Wednesday. Only 10 per cent of those - 197 people - are in hospital with 17 fighting for life in intensive care unit beds. Eight people have died. Deputy chief health officer Paul Kelly said one undiagnosed coronavirus patient can single-handedly infect 400 people in a month Australia's coronavirus cases jumped to 2,317 on Wednesday with 100 more people diagnosed since late on Tuesday night and case numbers growing every hour Australia's new figure is means 100 more people were diagnosed since late on Tuesday night and are growing every hour. 'That increase is worrying and we are concerned about that,' Dr Kelly said. 'We are looking to flatten the curve so we can have less stress on our health care system so that all of us, if we were to get sick, with COVID-19 or anything else, we would be able to go to hospital and receive the care we need.' Dr Kelly implored Australians to following social distancing guidelines to prevent the disease running rampant through the population. He warned coronavirus was so infectious that one carrier could infect 400 people without even knowing they had it. 'It is spread from person to person stop that spread happens when we are close to other people and a person who is sick,' he said. 'If that happens on average, a sick person will infect somewhere between two and three, publicly closer to three others on average. Just imagine that.' An arrivals board showing cancelled flights at the Brisbane Domestic Airport after Queensland shut its borders to the rest of Australia Melbourne Airport's car park is almost completely deserted after Scott Morrison banned international flights from leaving Australia Dr Kelly said without social distancing those three people would infect another three people and so on - adding up to hundreds. 'That is a disaster situation we have been seeing in other countries. That is what we are trying to prevent,' he said. Dr Kelly explained the various measures the country was taking, from closing borders to quarantines to shutting businesses, needed to work together to be effective. 'We have tried to turn off the tap in terms of border restrictions with people not coming from areas of the world that are very much affected by the virus,' he said. 'That is one component, that was strengthened overnight about the travel ban. 'The other components are about increasing social distance, decreasing the number of interactions between people, specifically talking about those that should stay at home and do not interact with anybody. The hygiene messages. 'All of these fit together to decrease the transmission from person to person of an infectious disease. If we do that, we will get on top of this.' Dr Kelly had good news as well - most of the cases being detected with widespread testing were from overseas, meaning local transmission was limited. He said much of the dramatic uptick of the past few days was due to the arrival of the Ruby Princess cruise ship in Sydney Harbour on Thursday. Why Australia is not in lockdown yet Deputy chief health officer Paul Kelly said there was a disagreement between Victoria and the rest of the country in how fast to implement restrictions. 'There is no dispute among experts all in states and territories or the federal government about those measures,' Dr Kelly said. 'What is at dispute is essentially two schools of thoughts. One is go hard and go fast. Other is about scalable, proportionate response. 'I am a scalable, proportional responder and so is the rest of the AHPPC. Victoria wants to go faster and further and that is their choice.' Dr Kelly said cases would go up rapidly in the short term, but that was due to improved testing and tracing of the infected. 'What I am hoping to see, and I remain hopeful, is that we will continue to find cases as quickly as possible, isolate them, find their contacts as quickly as possible,' he said. 'That will mean we have an increased number of cases but a decrease in the transmission. 'All of these measures being put in over the last week or two weeks now will I believe have an effect over the coming weeks to slow the curve and to decrease the pressure on our healthcare system.' However, he said it would be 'several months' before life began to return to normal in Australia. 'Turning them (the restrictions) off will be a very difficult question indeed. What I know we do if we flatten the curve is that this will prolong the matter,' he said. 'If we just allow things to happen naturally we would have a very large epidemic here with consequences that we are seeing in other countries. 'I'm sure that we will not see that, but it will be several months before we will be able to remove some of these things. It is the main argument in fact for not going too far too fast in my view.' Advertisement A nurse takes a sample for testing at the newly opened COVID-19 drive-thru testing facility at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre in Adelaide Australia has the highest per-capita testing rate in the world, which along with most cases being overseas travellers - who are younger and healthier - has contributed to a death rate of less than 0.4 per cent A spectacular blunder by authorities released at least 133 infected passengers into Australia with no checks, who have almost certainly infected many people. Dr Kelly said with only 197 cases in hospital and 17 in ICU, the likelihood of significantly more deaths this week was low. 'We're not overwhelming our hospital system at the moment with COVID-19,' he said. Australia has the highest per-capita testing rate in the world, which along with most cases being overseas travellers - who are younger and healthier - has contributed to a death rate of less than 0.4 per cent. However, questions were raised this week about the testing regime that only screens people who arrived from overseas or have been in contact with a confirmed case. Dr Kelly on Monday night flagged this would change as Australia's borders have been shut since Friday and quarantined since a week before. Vehicles arrive at a police checkpoint near the South Australian border, near Pinnaroo, South Australia, after borders were closed and all truckies let across are tested Dr Kelly expended testing criteria for coronavirus beyond the overseas traveller requirement so many more people can be tested - including at state borders He today announced the criteria would be expanded to those in high-risk settings such as aged care facilities, schools, prisons, and Aboriginal rural and remote communities. 'It is a long list that we have gone through to give very specific information to our clinical colleagues,' he said. 'It has been expanded and this is also in line with having more of oratory testing capability available.' However, he said doctors would not be testing everybody who has a fever and cough 'because I could be many other things'. Dr Kelly was referring to 97,000 new testing kits that arrived recently and the 100,000 that will be in use later this week. The Health Department has also ordered 1.5 million 'point-of-care tests' which can give an accurate result in as little as 15 minutes and be used by a GP. Other vital medical supplies soon to arrive are 3.5 million masks and 2,000 respirators - with another 5,000 being manufactured. Just before COVID-19 hit the U.S., I'd been deep in the planning process of a trip to visit a few different National Parks in California. In fact, I would have been leaving for the west coast in just a few days time. Instead, I'm sitting here nestled on my couch in NYC with two kitties at my feet. And while many of us wish we could be out exploring the depths of the Grand Canyon, Alaska's stunning glaciers or any of the country's other 60 national parks, for now we'll have to satisfy our wanderlust virtually. That's right, Google Arts & Culture, Google Earth and the National Park Service all offer gorgeous, interactive video tours of almost all 62 national parks. So look on the bright side: Now you won't have to deal with any crowds. Or pesky bugs. 1. Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona Whether you prefer hiking, rafting or just zooming along with a birds' eye view, you're sure to be in awe of the Grand Canyon's jaw-dropping scale. Watch the stripes of rock change from shades of beige and dusty rose to deep red, rust and brilliant orange as the sun sets over the canyon. This is one of the most popular parks in the entire U.S., but for one afternoon (or multiple), you can feel like you have it all to yourself. Take the tour 2. Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida Located just past the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, Dry Tortugas National Park is made up of seven islands and Fort Jefferson, an unfinished island military fort. There are coral reefs to explore, abundant sea life to watch and lots of exciting history to learn (think shipwrecks and legends of buried treasures). Take the tour 3. Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska You don't need to go all the way over to Norway to see epic fjords (or even over to Alaska thanks to Google Arts & Culture). We have them right here in the U.S. And while rappelling into a crevasse, kayaking through icebergs and trekking over moving glaciers might not be mom's idea of an ideal vacation, you don't need her permission to tackle all these daring-dos through a laptop. Story continues Take the tour 4. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Ever wonder what a real lava flow looks like up close or wished you could peer over the edge of an active volcano but without any of the actual danger associated with those thrilling adventures? Well, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has not one, but two active volcanoes. First up is Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes (the park was closed to vistors due to activity as recently as 2018). Second is Mauna Loa, the second largest volcano on earth not so much in terms of height but in size (it has an volume estimated at approximately 18,000 cubic miles). Take the tour 5. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho Pay a visit to the country's very first national park and see just what Teddy Rosevelt thought all the fuss what about, including the Old Faithful geyser, wild buffalo herds and multiple waterfalls, peaks and canyons. There's a lot to explore here, so you might want to break up your digital vacation into multiple days, just as you would an IRL trip to Yellowstone. Take the tour 6. Zion National Park in Utah A personal favorite, Zion is best known for its wild rock structures. You can hike through shallow rivers flowing between tall cliffs of red stripes, catch a glimpse of Kolob Arch and see if you can spot the exact filming locations for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Take the tour 7. Shenandoah National Park in Virginia Folks on the east coast will be more accustomed to seeing far-reaching forests, gurgling streams and shade-covered hiking trails than bare mountain tops or rust-colored canyons. And that's exactly what you'll find in the 200,000-plus acre Shenandoah National Park. Virtually hike along the tops of the Blue Ridge Mountain range and count the hundreds of different types of birds and other wildlife you spot along the route. Take the tour RELATED: 12 Virtual Museum Tours for Kids You Can Do Right This Second Prince Charles has tested positive for the coronavirus. The 71-year-old royal is the most prominent member of the British family to test positive for the virus and has joined the more than 400,000 people around the world who have contracted the respiratory illness since it first began spreading in China. The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual," a Clarence House press statement read Wednesday. Download the TODAY app for the latest coverage on the coronavirus outbreak. Charles' wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, has also been tested, according to Clarence House, and results came back negative. "In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing." Thank you for all your Get Well Soon messages for His Royal Highness. He is enormously touched by your kind words. pic.twitter.com/PRjqHWBWj8 Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) March 26, 2020 On Thursday, the Clarence House Twitter account posted a tweet thanking its followers for the get-well messages Charles has received. "He is enormously touched by your kind words," it read. The Prince of Wales is the oldest child and heir to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II, 93, who has not shown any signs of illness, according to Buckingham Palace. "Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health," the palace said in a statement Wednesday. "The Queen last saw The Prince of Wales briefly on the morning of March 12 and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare." Story continues Charles, who is the father of Prince Harry and Prince William, was at a water and climate aid summit in London on March 10 with Prince Albert of Monaco, 62, who tested positive for the coronavirus just a few days later, according to London's ITV. Remember we reported recently that Prince Charles had met Prince Albert of Monaco - at a @WaterAidUK summit in London. Prince Albert tastes positive for #coronavirus just a few days later https://t.co/m0k28nY7qm Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) March 25, 2020 Public health experts have found that people over age 60 appear to be more at risk for complications from the coronavirus. A top official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended earlier this month that people over 60 and anyone with chronic medical conditions should prepare for a lengthy stay at home. This seems to be a disease that affects adults and most seriously older adults," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters on a conference call. "Starting at age 60, there is an increasing risk of disease and the risk increases with age." The CDC recommends anyone over 60 or with underlying conditions should stock up on medications, groceries and household items so they can stay home "for a period of time." Many grocery stores across the world have implemented elderly-only shopping hours to help keep the most at-risk people safe from the coronavirus. A Bangladesh woman has been tested positive of deadly coronavirus near Rohingya refugee camp in Coxs Bazar on March 25 marking the first case from the area. Moreover, the hospital in the town of Coxs Bazar is at least an hours drive away from the sprawling camps which currently houses more than one million Muslim minority refugees who had fled from Myanmar in the face of genocide. An official from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Louise Donovan told an international media outlet that no case of fatal COVID-19 has been confirmed among Rohingyas, yet. The official also acknowledged that the health and well-being of the refugees at world's largest refugee camp is their organisations top priority and assured that UNHCR is closely monitoring the situation very seriously. Just on March 20, the Bangladesh government had announced the suspension of most services from the refugee camps as a precautionary measure against the drastic spread of coronavirus. Read - Coronavirus: HC Directs MEA To Ensure Safety Of Indian Students Stranded In Kazakhstan Read - US Doctor Offers Glimpse Of His Hospital Life Amid Coronavirus Pandemic Non-essential activities would stop The refugee relief and repatriation commissioner, Mahbub Alam Talukder to an international media outlet that all non-essential activities would stop including the educational programs and other advocacy work carried out by the organisations. However, emergency work would continue. But, reportedly, since the markets in the camps are closed, it has become harder for people to get supplies. A Europe-based Rohingya activist also reportedly said that an increase in demand has also led to prices being hiked making Rohingyas feel helpless. According to reports, all people who are entering or exiting the camps are being closely monitored and controlled. Moreover, for potential coronavirus patients, 47 beds have been readied and at least 342 beds have been kept on standby. The UNHCR official had also said that the hygiene measures, communication and staff training have been increased inside the refugees camps and planning for a medical facility is underway. Currently, Bangladesh has confirmed 39 cases of COVID-19 and 4 fatalities due to the virus disease. Read - Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India Enters Day 1 Of 21-day Lockdown; Confirmed Cases At 519 Read - War-torn Libya Reports First Coronavirus Case (With agency inputs) One day into the worlds largest coronavirus lockdown, Indian state officials were sending mixed messages to a population of almost 1.4 billion struggling to adjust to the prospect of three weeks confined to their homes. Health and law and order are devolved matters under Indias federal system, and in the southern state of Telangana the chief minister warned that extreme measures would be taken if people did not observe the lockdown. If people do not listen and stay indoors, we will be forced to implement a 24-hour curfew, said K Chandrashekar Rao. If people continue to be on the streets, then the army has to be called out and shoot on sight orders may be issued. At the same time, the chief minister of northern Uttar Pradesh state was seemingly flouting orders for all religious gatherings to be suspended. Along with around 20 others, Yogi Adityanath a right-wing Hindu monk and leading light of Narendra Modis ruling BJP party offered prayers at a temple for the beginning of the spring festival season. The clear contradiction of social distancing guidelines, by one of the Hindu rights most popular figures after Mr Modi himself, laid bare the challenge of enforcing a strict set of virus containment measures in a country of this size. In his prime-time national address announcing the lockdown on Tuesday night, Mr Modi had assured the public that the government would maintain supplies of food and other essential daily supplies, saying there would be no difficulty in daily life. Clearly some police officers hadnt got the message. K Ganesh, an investor and promoter associated with some of the countrys largest food delivery services, told reporters there had been incidents of police at checkpoints abusing, assaulting and in one case arresting delivery workers. In many cases, [the police] are being harsh, they are beating up people. People are risking their lives, please dont beat them up, he said. E-commerce websites like Big Basket, Grofer and Licious carried messages saying their services were not available. The former said its outage was due to restrictions imposed by local authorities on movement of goods in your city. Bikram Singh Bedi, a Grofer executive, told NDTV that the company was working very closely with the administration to try and get the supply chain moving again. To imagine a country like India under lockdown and to expect everything to go smoothly within an hour is unrealistic, he said. Social media videos showed some panic buying taking place, with long queues forming outside local shops minutes after Mr Modis lockdown message on Tuesday night. That seemed to have eased on Wednesday, but shops were still busier than usual and little effort appeared to have been put into encouraging customers to practise social distancing. It is impossible to know at this stage what impact the virus will have on Indias healthcare system. The government is taking such stringent measures precisely because it can ill afford a rush of severe cases there are only 70,000-100,000 ICU beds in the entire country. But the economic impact of the lockdown could already be seen on day one, with those worst hit being the unskilled workers who, as Indias informal labour market, make up some 90 per cent of the nations workforce. One widely-shared video showed a huge queue, four people wide, waiting for a cooked meal at the Yamuna Pushta homeless shelter in Delhi. The shelter normally caters to 2,000 people a day but saw that number swell to 7,000 on Wednesday, according to the Delhi government official Nagendar Sharma. Hunger trumps social distancing, one reply to the video on Twitter read. India as a whole has more than 600 confirmed coronavirus cases and 10 deaths, with the number rising as the government finally rolls out more widespread testing. Previously only those with a history of foreign travel and who still had symptoms after 14 days quarantine would be tested. Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters Extreme examples of stigma and prejudice relating to the virus are also on the rise. In Delhi, a man was arrested on suspicion of spitting at a woman from the north-east of the country where people are more likely to bear a closer resemblance to ethnic Chinese people and calling her corona. There have been reports of abuse towards airline crews after many, after travelling to countries with more virus cases, had red notices plastered to their homes by police reading Covid-19 Home Under Quarantine. State airline Air India issued a statement appealing to all, particularly the law enforcement agencies to ensure that Air India crew are treated with respect and freedom that every citizen deserves, especially those who have been discharging their duties in selfless manner for return of fellow Indians. And a health ministry statement on Tuesday said there had been multiple complaints from doctors and other health workers that landlords were evicting them from their houses and apartments, citing coronavirus fears. The ministry said police and municipal authorities would be tasked with taking strict action against the landlords. Israel has been teetering over a slide into anarchy with unbridled attacks on democratic institutions inspired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Monday, March 23, Israel took another big step closer to the edge. And unlike in previous conflicts, the prime minister did not defend the power of the Supreme Court and other democratic organs of the state. For the first time in Israeli history, senior government ministers from the ruling party were heard urging disobedience of a High Court order for Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) to convene the plenum and hold a vote for his replacement by March 25. For the first time, the speaker of the Knesset quit his job to avoid obeying a court ruling. Such events should have meant a judicial and constitutional earthquake in the country, but Netanyahu has exploited the coronavirus crisis to sail through the storm. Acting on behalf of Netanyahu, Justice Minister Amir Ohana and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin led the assault on the nations top court. Ohana's is a bizarre appointment of a young junior Knesset member perceived as a puppet of the prime minister. Levin has been perhaps the minister closest to Netanyahu for quite some time. Neither minister minced words on Monday after the court instructed Edelstein to explain why he was refusing to convene the plenary to elect a new speaker. The justices also ordered Edelstein to allow the resumption of Knesset deliberations after he suspended the parliament on March 18 in a bid to keep control of the legislature from the Blue and White Party, which won a majority with its allies in the March 2 elections. Ohana and Levin called on Edelstein to defy the courts orders in unheard-of language. Levin said, "If Chief Justice Hayut wants to put herself above the Knesset, she is invited to arrive to the building with her guards and open the session herself. That way it will be clear we are witnessing a coup. Until recently, such a chain of events would have been unimaginable in a country that considered itself a state of law where the courts have the final word. Previously, when right-wing politicians challenged the courts rulings, Netanyahu has been quick to weigh in. In 2015, for example, he stated, I reject outright statements against the High Court. Israel is a law-abiding democracy that respects the rulings of the court. That is the way it's always been, and that is how it will remain. In 2019, he reiterated the same position in response to similar attacks. But now he's keeping mum. The difference is obvious: Back then, he was a confident, complacent prime minister. Today he is under criminal indictment for corruption. To save himself, Netanyahu is willing to crush the High Court, paralyze the parliament and undermine public trust in Israeli democracy. The prophecy President Reuven Rivlin made two years ago is coming true. Rivlin warned that Netanyahu would never quit his position of his own free will. Hed burn down the club first, stopping at nothing to save himself. Rivlin argued that Netanyahu wont resign to face justice as a private citizen, but drag the entire country with him to court. Netanyahus trial is no longer a certainty. At a late-night meeting of his cabinet on March 24, the ministers enacted emergency regulations to circumvent existing law and allow court hearings by video. The ministers voted on a proposal that would allow such hearings for detainees whose continued detention requires court approval as well as trials of indicted individuals not in detention. The cabinet approved video court hearings for detainees, but rejected them for people under indictment like Netanyahu. It will allow him to keep putting off his trial, which was supposed to begin on March 17 but was postponed due to the coronavirus-induced closure of the countrys courts. The distinction between video hearings for those in detention and those under indictment came from none other than Netanyahus envoy, Ohana. Netanyahu didn't even bother to recuse himself from the discussion and took part in the vote despite the clear conflict of interest. Most stunningly, the move failed to make headlines. The coronavirus outbreak allows Netanyahu to keep undermining the rule of law for his own survival, almost unchallenged. Edelstein's resignation offers Netanyahu precious time, as it will go into effect after 48 hours, which brings us to March 27. The Knesset will not reconvene until March 30. Thus, Netanyahu has stolen from Blue and Whites Benny Gantz four days out of the 28 he was allotted to compose a new government. The Knesset was hamstrung, the High Courts order ignored, customary conventions and proceedings were disparaged and the Knesset speaker simply walked away. In all of its 72 years, the country had never faced such a political and constitutional crisis. What would have happened had Edelstein decided to thumb his nose at the justices without resigning? Would the police have entered the Knesset and forced him to hold a vote on his replacement? Would a tussle have broken out between the police and the Knesset guards, who protect the sovereignty of the parliament? Israel now faces an internal battle between its ruling branches that could ignite a much larger conflict. Throughout the history of the people in the land of Israel, Jews were twice caught in terrible internal conflicts. Israel of 2020 is a regional power house, facing little existential or immediate threats. The only danger if faces is its internal chasm that is widening at an alarmingly exponential pace. Netanyahu has managed to postpone the political process in the Knesset to next week as Gantz' deadline nears. The coronavirus overshadows public criticism against him, while the exhausted free press is too overwhelmed with the rapidly developing public health threat to make any waves. Netanyahu might survive this crisis, exploiting the chaos the country is now mired in. Still, he will surely be unable to survive the judgment of history. Under his watch, in his personal struggle for survival, Netanyahu pushed the country to the edge of the deepest abyss Israel has faced in its modern history. Canadian charities from the United Way to the Daily Bread Food Bank are urging Ottawa to set up a $10 billion emergency fund as a lifeline for the sector to help the most vulnerable to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emergency Coalition of Canadian Charities, made up of 140 organizations, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday warning about the impacts of the irreparable collapse of the sector and the vital programs Canadians count on to ride out the crisis. The very nature of this pandemic is striking at the heart of (our) service capacity, drastically reducing the availability of volunteers due to social isolation, spiking demand for basic needs, putting frontline community service staff at risk and threatening the very existence of this critical service capacity as revenues dry up, said Dan Clement, president & CEO, United Way Centraide Canada. Flexible community funding to support our most vulnerable and delivered in local communities is what we need immediately. Equally, a broader charitable sector stabilization program to backstop our essential community service infrastructure is critical to ensuring it will be there to serve Canadians today, in six months and in the years to come. According to the coalition, Canadian charities contribute more than 8 per cent or $162 billion to the countrys GDP and employ more than 10 per cent or 1.4 million of working Canadians. Without immediate support from the federal government, it warns, most Canadian charities will have to lay off massive numbers of employees, greatly impeding their ability to support vulnerable people and communities. Many are already facing a very real threat of permanent closure. The impact of current events on charities cannot be overstated, said Dr. Samantha Nutt, founder and president of War Child Canada. Few charities have the financial reserves and access to capital that will allow them to stay afloat through this pandemic. It is a brutal irony that as vulnerable groups in Canada and around the world are confronting the social hardship and economic fallout of COVID-19, charities who might support and assist them are struggling themselves to figure out how they will continue to resource their operations. The coalition said the emergency fund would help charities survive, retain staff and cover critical expenses while continuing essential, frontline operations during the pandemic. They are also seeking loan guarantees from Ottawa to Canadas banks to grant them access to urgent short-term loans at low or no interest, as well as an increase to the Charitable Donation Tax Credit through to the end of 2021, to 75 per cent from 50 per cent. We risk losing the core of the non-profit sector in Canada, said David Morley, CEO of UNICEF Canada. We will have to rebuild these non-profits that are so important for the life of Canada. We mustnt lose this incredible social structure. Members of the coalition also include the Canadian Cancer Society, YMCA, Indspire, Kids Helpline, Womens Shelters Canada, Covenant House, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, and Heart and Stroke Foundation. Read more about: As an expected surge of COVID-19 patients approaches, hospitals in the Portland area continue their desperate attempts to secure more personal protective equipment for its employees. Those caregivers got a boost Tuesday from an unexpected source: Sportswear giant Nike. Nike executives revealed Tuesday that the company is working with Oregon Health & Science University to develop face shields and perhaps other safety gear that will give health care workers some protection from the highly contagious virus. Nikes innovation and manufacturing teams are exploring designs for PPE to support doctors and nurses and others on the front line of this outbreak, Nike CEO John Donahoe said. We know that this is a moment in society where the private sector has a major role to play. Companies like Nike need to do our part. OHSU is extremely grateful to the team at Nike for their generous offer to help OHSU in our coordination with other health systems during this unprecedented time, OHSU said in prepared statement. We are committed to ongoing discussions regarding their efforts to develop prototype face shields to help ensure the safety and well-being of health care professionals. Little else is known about the effort. OHSU officials deferred to Nike. Nike declined comment beyond the remarks from Donahoe, which came after the company announced its third-quarter earnings. Just about every hospital and health system in the Portland area is scrambling to obtain additional supplies of PPE. The shortage developed in part because many of the Chinese factories that make them shut down after COVID-19 breakouts. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus. The worst-case scenario is that COVID-19 victims will overwhelm local hospitals, in part because doctors and nurses contract the virus because they lack the proper safety gear. The Oregon Medical Association on Monday told members of a joint Legislative committee on COVID-19 that an adequate supply of safety equipment is vital. We need an all-hands-on-deck and practical approach to working with the appropriate Federal and State authorities to ensure that our providers have needed personal protective equipment and devices, the group said in a statement. "Currently, many ER physicians and other clinicians are being asked to reuse the same equipment throughout an entire shift, or to conserve the very limited supplies in some cases. This is a significant risk and we must do all we can to protect our healthcare workforce. In response to that concern, donors big and small have offered their time, money and expertise. Multinational corporations like Nike, alongside grassroots efforts from local sewing clubs, have lined up to help. On Tuesday, retired businesswoman and philanthropist Nancy Lematta donated $2 million to Providence Health Systems, which will help finance PPE and other hospital equipment. Lematta, the 82-year-old widow of the Columbia Helicopters founder Wes Lematta, said the only thing remotely similar to COVID-19 that shes ever seen was the polio scare that swept the nation in the early 1950s. The PPE shortage has become a heated issue among management and frontline hospital workers. Privately, doctors and nurses wonder how the ranks of senior managers at these multi-billion-dollar health systems could have failed to stock up when it became clear that the coronavirus posed a deadly threat. They also resent hospitals demands that they conserve and reuse masks and other safety gear, some of which is intended for one use. Some area health systems claim they have enough PPE for the time being. That's the case at Legacy Health, the $2.2 billion-a-year nonprofit that operates Good Samaritan hospital in Northwest Portland and Emanuel Hospital in North Portland. Were in fine shape right now, Legacy spokesman Brian Terrett said. Internally, the message is not quite so cheery. In a memo obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive, Lewis Low, Legacys chief medical officer, said the shortage is real and that the organization will rely in part on its employees to remedy the problem. There is no doubt you have heard stories from our colleagues or read national headlines about hospital staff in Seattle and other cities concerned for a future where they battle COVID-19 with bandanas and parts from Home Depot, Low wrote. Legacy has a strong plan in place to keep you safe -- but we need your help. Low said Legacy employees are using too much protective equipment and said they must cut back. It is important to remember that a misused mask worn today means a clinician tomorrow may be without when they need it most, Low said in the memo. Legacy is asking its workers turn in any excess safety equipment they have put aside to a central repository. In particular, Legacy needs masks, gowns, face shields, hand sanitizer, wipes, and lab testing supplies such as swabs. At OHSU, nurses are celebrating the unexpected delivery of hundreds of so-called P-1000 respirators to staff in the OHSU emergency department. The rank and file did not know that OHSU had stashed the respirators in a warehouse. The last couple days have been difficult ones at OHSU emergency department as a relatively large number of patients with respiratory symptoms consistent with COVID-19 arrived for treatment. Some nurses were exhausted after working 16-hour days. But the delivery of the P100 face masks offered some good news. Dr. James Heilman, who works in the emergency department, said he hopes the new masks will ease the tension over PPE. Obviously, its been a very hot topic internally and out in the community, he said. Jeff Manning 971-263-5164 jmanning@oregonian.com What just happened? Apple's recent track record of buggy software updates has been far from stellar, that's likely why the company went with six developer betas before coming out with the latest public release of its operating systems. These include iOS/iPadOS 13.4, macOS Catalina 10.15.4, watchOS 6.2 and tvOS 13.4, with the updates packing several productivity features and bug fixes for Apple's extensive (and growing) product lineup. The cost of adding more features, along with added bells and whistles has been rather high for Apple. iOS 13 in particular didn't go as planned and had the company scrambling until the last minute. This reportedly forced them to modify its iOS development process for future updates. With this latest update going live on multiple platforms simultaneously, Apple has applied some extra polish as the margin for error for major bugs becomes narrower, including plenty of bug fixes for iPhone/iPad/Mac users in this release. iOS 13.4 Apple's iCloud Drive gains a much-needed folder sharing feature, allowing users to share folders from the Files app either through explicit invites or a public link, with other iCloud users. The Mail app gets a revised button layout with always-visible controls to delete, move, reply, or compose an email. The new design improves on the old one which made it easier to accidentally delete messages. For users on the move, CarPlay now supports third-party navigation apps as well as display in-call information on the CarPlay dashboard. Being able to use alternative navigation apps is certainly a welcome feature and hints at Apple's changing outlook on third-party software. Other updates include nine new Memoji stickers, universal purchase support for participating apps in the App Store and a minor redesign to the Apple Arcade tab. iOS 13.4 also adds a status bar indicator for all-screen models (iPhone X and later) to notify users of VPN disconnection, while bug fixes in this update address issues like the Camera app showing a black viewfinder upon launch, excessive storage usage and image sharing problems with Photos app, usability issues with Mail, along with fixes to CarPlay, Safari, Settings, Reminders, and Home app. iPadOS 13.4 The iPad received rudimentary mouse support with iOS 13 back in June last year, however, the latest update brings proper mouse and trackpad functionality that's optimized for the tablet's touch interface. Apple just launched the 4th-gen iPad Pro demonstrating the functionality with the new Magic Keyboard accessory (arrives in May) and with this update, users of older iPads will also be able to take some of the advantages on offer. Multi-Touch gestures on the iPad, for instance, are only supported on the Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2, and the Magic Keyboard, while the latter accessory itself is limited to the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd-gen or later) and iPad Pro 11-inch (1st-gen or later). Thankfully, all iPads getting this update will work with older peripherals like the 1st-gen Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad, as well as support third-party products over Bluetooth and USB. As expected, all the aforementioned feature updates for the iPhone are headed to the iPad as well, along with related bug fixes and added improvements to the on-screen keyboard. macOS Catalina 10.15.4 Mac users can now use Finder to share their iCloud Drive folders and can set iOS-like Screen Time limits on FaceTime and Messages. Those looking to decide between Google Chrome and Safari will now find it easier to switch to the latter as Apple's browser will now let users import Chrome passwords into their iCloud Keychain. Owners of the Pro Display XDR will receive customized reference modes, allowing them to adjust values like color gamut and luminance, provided they have updated their monitor firmware to version 2.2.2. Bug fixes and improvements in this update include the following: High Dynamic Range output to HDR10-compatible third-party displays and TVs connected with DisplayPort or HDMI OAuth authentication support with Outlook.com accounts for improved security CalDav migration support when upgrading to iCloud reminders on a secondary device Resolves an issue where text copied between apps may appear invisible when Dark Mode is active Fixes an issue in Safari where a CAPTCHA tile may display incorrectly Resolves an issue where Reminders may send notifications for completed reminders Fixes an issue with screen brightness for the LG UltraFine 5K display after waking from sleep WatchOS 6.2 Owners of Apple Watch Series 1 and later can now purchase in-app items and should no longer experience music playback issues when switching between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The smartwatch's useful ECG feature, which arrived with Series 4 along with its irregular heart rhythm notifications, expands to three more countries with this update namely Chile, New Zealand, and Turkey. tvOS 13.4 This update brings Family Sharing integration to 4th- and 5th gen Apple TV models along with minor interface improvements to the app. Apple also issued security updates for macOS Catalina 10.5.4, Mojave 10.14.6 and High Sierra 10.13.6. These cover issues related to kernel, Bluetooth, graphics, FaceTime and Mail, among others. Devices on iOS 12.4.6 also received a security update with no published CVE entries from the company. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With New York officially on pause, due to the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), thousands of people have been laid-off or are temporarily out of work due to a massive shuttering of all non-essential businesses across the city. But some of the essential businesses that need to remain open are hiring. AMAZON TO HIRE 500 ON STATEN ISLAND Amazon is hiring across New York, including 500 people at its Staten Island fulfillment center in Bloomfield. As part of Amazons recent announcement to add 100,000 new roles across the U.S., the company expects to add more than 4,000 new jobs throughout New York majority of which are in the NYC metro region, including more than 500 on Staten Island, said an Amazon spokesperson. As part of this announcement, the company has raised its starting wage by $2 per hour, bringing the minimum wage for employees in the United States to $17 per hour (and up) through April. For our Staten Island employees, this $2-per-hour increase is on top of their current wage of $17.50 - $23 an hour, said the spokesperson. The company said it is practicing social distancing at all of its facilities. In order to ensure the safety of our teams, weve consulted with medical experts and health authorities and taken a number of actions over the past few weeks. For employees and partners whose work requires their physical presence in their workplace, those individuals have access to all of their usual paid and unpaid time-off benefits should they, for any reason, choose not to come to work, said the spokesperson. She noted that all Amazon employees diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine will receive up to two weeks of pay. This is in addition to unlimited unpaid time off for all hourly employees through the end of March. In addition, Amazon has implemented a broad suite of new benefits changes for employees in our operations and logistics network throughout this unprecedented pandemic event, including double time for overtime and paid time off benefits for regular part-time and seasonal employees, said the spokesperson. Interested candidates can apply here: www.amazon.com/jobsnow. SHOPRITE The dramatic increase in demand for groceries and household items has made Wakefern Food Corp., the parent company of ShopRite, kick off a hiring push to fill a variety of positions across its warehouses and stores, including the Staten Island locations. We see our customers many of whom are also our friends, family and neighbors turning to us for the food, supplies, and reassurance they need during this difficult time," said Joe Colalillo, chairman and CEO of Wakefern Food Corp. "Our associates are providing that support as they work hard to keep all our stores shelves stocked with fresh produce, meat, seafood and fresh baked goods so people can care for their families the way they always have. We are grateful and inspired by their work during this challenging and unprecedented time. Wakefern Food Corp. is also providing a temporary wage premium and enhanced sick and leave benefits. Available positions are listed here. CVS CVS Health is also embarking on an ambitious hiring drive, with plans to immediately fill 50,000 full-time, part-time and temporary roles across the country. Roles include store associates, home delivery drivers, distribution center employees and member/customer service professionals. The company will utilize a technology-enabled hiring process that includes virtual job fairs, virtual interviews and virtual job tryouts. The company also is awarding bonuses to employees who are required to be at CVS facilities to assist patients. Bonuses will range from $150 to $500, and will be awarded to pharmacists and certain other healthcare professionals. Our colleagues have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to providing essential goods and services at a time when theyre needed most, said Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO, CVS Health. As they continue to be there for the individuals and families we serve, were taking extra steps to provide some peace of mind and help them navigate these uncertain times. For more information, visit: COVID-19 resource center. DOMINOS TO HIRE 2,000 Dominos franchise-owned locations are looking to hire about 2,000 new team members across more than 280 stores throughout the tristate area. The positions include delivery drivers, customer service representatives, assistant managers and managers. Dominos works hard to serve local communities across the country and the tristate area is no different, said John Hall, a local Dominos franchise owner. Stores across this area are continuing to provide pizza to those who are looking for a delicious, hot meal, and at times like this, staffing is critical. Those who are interested in applying for a position should visit jobs.dominos.com. TLC TO HIRE OUT OF WORK UBER/LIFT DRIVERS The citys Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is seeking TLC-licensed drivers to help with important work related to COVID-19, such as delivering food to senior citizens who need to stay home. Initially, the need for drivers will be small, but expected to increase as more residents request meal delivery, the TLC said in a written statement. Drivers will be paid $15 per hour, plus reimbursement for gas mileage and tolls. Drivers will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit www.nyc.gov/DeliveryTLC for more information. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Sign up for text message alerts from SILive.com on coronavirus: RELATED COVERAGE Coronavirus: NY officially on pause; all non-essential businesses shuttered Coronavirus: Temporary hospital sites chosen; none on Staten Island Coronavirus: DMV shuts down all offices, auto bureaus Relief for homeowners: 90-day mortgage extension and more Rapidly shifting real estate market: Canceled open houses, virtual tours Coronavirus: Senate passes paid-leave bill for all New Yorkers Staten Island sees 120% jump in confirmed coronavirus cases, with 165, as testing capacity expands Small business owner: Coronavirus is going to crush us Governor: 75% of non-essential employees must work at home Coronavirus: NYC travel industry in triage mode FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER [March 25, 2020] EML Partners with Connecticut United Ways to Distribute Dollars for the COVID-19 Response Fund KANSAS CITY, Kan., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EML PAYMENTS LIMITED (ASX: EML) ('EML') and United Ways across the state of Connecticut are joining forces to respond to the increasingly dire economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The combined groups of United Ways have created the Connecticut United Ways COVID-19 Response Fund. The Fund is being coordinated with philanthropic efforts statewide. It will rapidly deploy financial resources to individuals and families economically affected by the pandemic, including those who are out of work or have reduced work hours. In the coming days, the Fund will prioritize and qualify those who will be eligible for assistance. The Fund is launching with $100,000 in support from the Aetna Foundation. Understanding the importance of providing funding to individuals and families as quickly as possible, the Connecticut United Ways organization has partnered with EML Payments to distribute these funds via virtual cards which can be loaded and used in the recipient's mobile wallet. EML's solution will allow United Way to get dollars in the hands of those in need much faster than traditional programs that require the mailing out of plastic cards, and reinforces social distancing guidelines. "In times like these, where immediacy of action is as important as ever, EML is honred to partner with organizations like United Way to leverage our technology to help distribute funds to those impacted by this pandemic," said Jamison Jaworski, CEO of EML's North American division. The Fund will be used to help individuals and families that United Way calls ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These are our hard-working neighbors who already live paycheck to paycheck. Many of them provide crucial services in our communitysuch as caring for our children and elderly parents. Without a financial cushion, they are particularly vulnerable to the rapidly changing scenario our country now faces. United Way expects that the number of individuals and families in the state that fall into the ALICE income threshold will grow as the crisis continues. "We want to support people in the communities we serve by ensuring they have access to basic needs during this uncertain time," said Eileen Howard Boone, SVP of CSR and Philanthropy for CVS Health. "Through this donation to the Connecticut United Ways, we hope to provide access to food and financial support resources to help those most in need as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic." Connecticut United Ways hope to mobilize a response quickly to get money to individuals who most need it to pay for food, utilities, and other basic necessities. ABOUT CONNECTICUT UNITED WAYS Connecticut United Ways advance the common good by creating opportunities for all, with a particular focus on education, income/financial security, health, and basic needs the building blocks for a good quality of life. We engage people and organizations throughout our communities who bring passion, expertise, and resources needed to get things done, and we invite everyone to be part of the change. About EML Payments Limited With EML, you will be empowered with more control, transparency and flexibility over your payment processes. Whether you serve businesses or consumers, EML makes your payment processing more efficient and secure from start to finish, while helping you improve customer service and increase brand loyalty. Our portfolio offers innovative financial technology that provide solutions for payouts, gifts, incentives and rewards, and supplier payments. We issue mobile, virtual and physical card solutions to some of the largest corporate brands around the world, processing billions of dollars in payments each year, and manage more than 1,500 programs across 23 countries in North America, Europe and Australia. For more information on EML Payments Limited, visit: EMLpayments.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eml-partners-with-connecticut-united-ways-to-distribute-dollars-for-the-covid-19-response-fund-301029989.html SOURCE EML Payments [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The cancellation of this year's IPL looks inevitable with the BCCI under tremendous pressure after the declaration of a 21-day nationwide lockdown to contain the the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. When the BCCI postponed the IPL to April 15 earlier this month, it said conducting the tournament would only come into the picture if the pandemic subsides. However, there hasn't been any remarkable change in the situation with positive cases crossing the 500-mark in India, including 10 deaths. Speaking to PTI, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly did not have much to say on the current scenario, which was made worse by the postponement of Tokyo Olympics to the summer of 2021, on Tuesday. The global COVID-19 death toll is nearing 19,000. "I can't say anything at the moment. We are at the same place where we were on the day we postponed. Nothing has changed in the last 10 days. So, I don't have an answer to it. Status quo remains," Ganguly's helplessness was palpable. Kings XI Punjab owner Ness Wadia was more forthright. "The BCCI should really consider postponing the IPL now. As a premier event, we need to act with great responsibility. Contemplation of IPL is inhuman right now. We need to save lives, not IPL," KXIP co-owner Wadia told PTI. "Let's say even if the situation improves by May and I hope it does, who is going to come and play? Will the (foreign players) be even allowed to enter the country?" he asked. Earlier on Tuesday, a conference call between BCCI officials and team owners was postponed. The star-studded eight-team league was originally scheduled to start on March 29 in Mumbai. It seems the BCCI is deferring the announcement hoping against hope for things to improve. "If Olympics can be postponed by a year, IPL is a much smaller entity in that regard. It is becoming increasingly difficult to organise. At this point the government is not even thinking about allowing foreign visas," a BCCI official, in know of things, said. Currently, each stakeholder is discussing ways to limit the financial damage with insurance companies as well as broadcasters. "With a 21-day lockdown, it is virtually impossible that things will return to normal by April 14. It might improve but a lot of restrictions will be in place. So it will be foolish not to cancel the league," a BCCI veteran said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 65-year-old woman succumbed to coronavirus at a government hospital here on Wednesday, becoming the first case of COVID-19 death in Madhya Pradesh, officials said. The woman, who had no history of travelling abroad in recent times, originally hailed from neighbouring Ujjain and was undergoing treatment at the government-run M Y Hospital here. This woman was a resident of Ujjain and her treatment was going on at the M Y Hospital here, Indore collector Lokesh Jatav told reporters while confirming the first death in Madhya Pradesh due to the dreaded virus. She was facing difficulties in breathing which led to further deterioration in her condition. Besides, she was diabetic and despite all efforts by doctors she could not survive, the collector said. Jatav informed that set protocol will be followed while performing her last rites so that those taking part in it don't get infected by the dreaded virus. Those performing her last rites will be provided with protective gear, he said. The collector said elderly woman was among the five coronavirus-affected persons undergoing treatment in different hospitals of the city. Doctors have so far examined 29 persons closely related to them but none of them were found with symptoms linked to the viral infection, he said. Officials are keeping an eye on their health and making them undergo further medical tests, he said. Health officials said the deceased woman and four others admitted in different city hospitals have no history of travelling overseas in recent times and this means they contracted the infection in the country. Madhya Pradesh has so far reported 15 coronavirus positive cases. After cases of coronavirus were reported from Indore and Ujjain, authorities imposed curfew in both the cities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) KALAMAZOO, MI -- Amid a statewide mandate to stay home and the closure of non-essential businesses, some employees at Western Michigan University are without work and using paid time off to ensure paychecks continue. Under the governors latest executive order in response to the coronavirus pandemic, WMU announced it would provide only the most critical functions. Some employees considered non-essential were sent home and are now drawing down allowances for paid leave. Some university employees have taken to social media to express concerns for the future of their income and health insurance, and WMU union representatives are calling on university leaders to reverse course. The university is operating under a major operational change for the next several weeks, said WMU Vice President of Marketing Tony Proudfoot. Proudfoot said most of the universitys 1,847 staff members must follow the governors executive order that people work from home and avoid going into public. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an order Monday, March 23, instructing Michiganders to stay at home for the next three weeks in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Related: Tuesday, March 24: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Beginning Monday, March 23, many members of WMUs staff began taking time off, using paid annual leave, sick leave or a special additional allowance the university provided, Proudfoot said. If there is very limited work to do, its sound stewardship to reduce these hours while softening the impact to staff, he said. WMU has designated staff as essential or conditional essential. Essential staff are completing critical functions of the university, including delivering online learning for students, Proudfoot said. For employees who use up their paid time off allowance before the end of the closure, they will enter "no-pay status, but will remain as employees of the university, Proudfoot said. He said the university cannot provide the number of employees considered conditional essential now using leave allowances to continue being paid. The WMU chapter of the AAUP said in a Facebook post the decision is impacting a large number of loyal, productive employees. The ramifications of this hasty, extreme move are dire and can be expected to push some of WMUs most vulnerable employees into poverty, the post said. Please consider the consequences of this unprecedented action, both on employees families and on the future reputation and viability of our university and contact WMUs president, provost, and your dean to voice your concern. AAUP President Carol Weideman said Western staff not covered by a union contract, like the one for her member teachers, have a lot of unanswered questions about their income and benefits. Theres a tremendous amount of uncertainty and stress theyre experiencing, Weideman said. Union leaders are trying to find the best way to support their non-bargaining colleagues, she said. President Edward Montgomery said in a statement provided by Proudfoot that employee health benefits can continue through the end of the closure period, regardless of an employees leave balances. Let me be clear: this is not a layoff, Montgomery said. A special paid leave allowance, the COVID-19 allowance," was established by the university to help ease the burden of the closure on employees, Proudfoot said. The allowance, which equates to 80 hours of paid time off, is available for full-time, benefits-eligible, non-bargaining employees. The time off can be used in the case of quarantine, isolation or family care needs, illness or other scenarios, including a temporary lack of work assignments. Childcare challenges brought on by the closure of K-12 schools will also qualify for the added benefit. Proudfoot said the university will recommend to employees who are not paid for more than two weeks to file for unemployment. Employees who exhaust paid leave and enter no-pay status would still continue to receive health insurance for 30 days through COBRA, a state benefit Proudfoot described as a safety net" for workers. Because Western employees qualify for 30 days of COBRA insurance, those who exhaust their leave and lose their pay will still continue to be covered by health insurance through April 25, Proudfoot said. Bottom line is, nobodys going to lose their health insurance, he said. The university president, in his statement, said he and other university leaders did not take the decisions lightly. Our actions should not be in anyway interpreted as saying that any of our activities and work is not important, Montgomery said. Everything we do is important as are the people who do it. But we have chosen to delay some work and focus our energies on managing the work that must be done this semester, even during this crisis. In its Facebook post, the WMU AAUP criticized the university for exempting top university leaders from the draconian measures." Montgomery said his cabinet of senior leaders, which includes vice presidents, have forfeited their paid annual leave, a benefit beyond their salaries, valued at about $142,000. The senior leaders have also contributed an additional $10,300 to the Student Emergency Relief Fund, which assists students with unexpected financial needs outside of the cost of education, the president said. Libraries, residence halls, exercise facilities, Miller Auditorium and other university operations are closed during the governors mandate. All classes will be taught online through the remainder of the semester and most students moved out of WMUs residence halls. In an update on Monday, the university listed examples of employees exempt from the governors executive order, including staff providing grab-and-go meals to those students who remain on campus, staff providing disability services for students, necessary maintenance staff and university police. Assuming the governors order is not extended, Proudfoot said, the university hopes to resume regular operations at the end of April or sooner. Also on MLive: All Michigan residents, most businesses ordered to stay home to slow spread of coronavirus How to report if your non-essential workplace is still open during Michigans coronavirus stay home order Almost 109,000 in Michigan filed for unemployment last week compared to 5,000 in typical week [March 25, 2020] Kneron Named Winner in 2020 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards The Business Intelligence Group today announced that Kneron was named a winner in its Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards program. Kneron is a leading on-device edge artificial intelligence (AI) company based in San Diego, California. Kneron provides complete end-to-end integrated hardware and software solutions that enable on-device edge AI inferencing in mobile devices, personal computers, and IoT use cases including smart home devices, surveillance, payments, and smart cars. Their solutions augment cloud-based AI to accelerate AI inferencing on any device. As the entire on-device edge AI industry is still emerging, Kneron's early investment and commercialization of its technology have positioned it in a leadership position to enable AI adoption in mass-market devices. Kneron product offerings include: AI chips - Kneron's KL520 AI chip accelerates neural network models whether from Kneron or 3rd parties on mass-market devices enabling 2D/3D visual recognition and audio recognition applications in everyday devices On-device AI algorithms - Machine learning algorithms, which have among the smallest memory footprints in the industry according to recent NIST test results, include face detection, facial recognition, body detection, and gesture recognition Neural Processing Units (NPU)- Kneron's NPU provides commercially proven, high-efficiency solutions designed for devices with low power, low thermal profiles and yet complex neural network computational requirements "We are so proud to name Kneron as a winner in our inaugural Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards program," said Maria Jimenez, chief nominations officer for Business Intelligence Group. "It was clear to our judges that Kneron was using AI to improve the lives of their customers and employees. Congratulations to the entire team!" About Kneron Kneron, established in San Diego in 2015, is a leading provider of edge AI solutions. It is dedicated to the design and development of integrated software and hardware solutions for the smart home, smart security systems, smartphones, personal computers, robots, drones, and various IoT devices. Their corporate mission is to enable AI everywhere through simplifying and making affordable the adoption of on-device edge AI. Kneron's investors include Horizons Ventures, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, CDIB, Himax Technologies, Inc, Qualcomm, Thundersoft, Sequoia Capital, and CYZONE. To date, Kneron has received financing of more than US$70 million. For more information about Kneron, please visit: http://www.kneron.com. About Business Intelligence Group www.bintelligence.com The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs, these programs are judged by business executives having experience and knowledge. The organization's proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005738/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 08:24 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d465d4 1 National KPK,Firli-Bahuri,KPK-Law-revision,ICW,corruption,harun-masiku,Most-Wanted-List,independence Free Despite various controversies and an allegation of ethical violations, police general Firli Bahuri was selected by the House of Representatives as the new chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the countrys leading antigraft agency, last year. President Joko Jokowi Widodo eventually inaugurated Firli and four other commissioners to lead the KPK until 2024. Firli has asserted that the antigraft body will prioritize preventive, rather than law-enforcement, measures, making the arrest of officials suspected of committing corruption a thing of the past. Firlis appointment, as well as the revision to the KPK Law, have been slammed by observers and anticorruption activists as an effort to defang the commission and limit its independence. Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has slammed the new chairman for his poor performance, but [abundance] of controversy during his first 100 days of leadership, as written in a statement on Monday. Here are several controversies in which Firli has been involved, as highlighted by the ICW. Failure to capture fugitive suspects As of today, the KPK has yet to arrest two individuals who are still at large months after the commission named them suspects, namely former Supreme Court justice Nurhadi and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Harun Masiku. Nurhadi is suspected of allegedly accepting bribes amounting to Rp 46 billion (US$3.2 million) in connection with three cases handled by the countrys highest court between 2011 and 2016. Meanwhile, Harun has been accused of bribing General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan in exchange for a seat in the House. The antigraft body had been known for its track record in finding fugitive graft suspects quickly, ICW researcher Kurnia Ramadhana said. He cited the case of former Democratic Party politician Muhammad Nazaruddin as an example, as investigators captured him after he hid in Colombia in 2011. Read also: Where is Harun? Family fears for fugitive's safety Lack of transparency in investigations In the past, the KPK was well known for its accountability in investigating corruption cases. However, things started to go south after Firlis leadership began, as the ICW highlighted its lack of transparency in handling the graft case against Harun. A KPK investigator was reportedly detained in the Police Staff College (PTIK) complex in South Jakarta as he hunted Harun. However, the antigraft body has revealed little-to-no details regarding the incident. None of the KPK commissioners has provided complete and honest information about the incident. [Firli] even refused to give an answer upon being asked by House Commission III [overseeing legal affairs], Kurnia said. Arbitrary treatment of employees The ICW highlighted the current KPK leaders arbitrary treatment of employees, referring to the dismissal of investigator Rossa Bekti who was handling Haruns case. The KPK commissioners claimed Rossa was transferred back to the National Police per the latter organizations request. The police, however, denied sending such a request. Rossa's term in the KPK was supposed to last until September. He had also never received any sanctions during his service, Kurnia said, questioning the KPKs decision to relieve its investigator of his duties. Read also: KPK supervisors summon union head for criticizing investigators mysterious dismissal Trial without defendant KPK commissioners are mulling a plan to push for an in absentia trial of Harun, who is a key suspect in a bribery case. Instead of seriously looking for the missing suspect, the KPK has pushed for an in absentia trial of Harun Masiku. The regulations, however, only allow for such an approach in cases involving state losses, Kurnia said, adding that the alleged bribery committed by Harun did not inflict any state losses. Taking the reins: Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Comr. Gen. Firli Bahuri (left) and Agus Rahardjo, head of the antigraft body for the 2015-2019 period, smile as they shake hands after the inauguration of the new KPK leadership and supervisory council members at the State Palace in Jakarta on Dec. 20, 2020. (JP/Seto Wardhana) Fewer prosecutions As Firli pushed for more graft prevention, Kurnia highlighted that the KPK has prosecuted fewer people under the new chairmans leadership compared with under previous leaders. According to data from the KPK, the antigraft body made 87 arrests with a total of 327 suspects between 2016 and 2019. However, under the leadership of Firli Bahuri, the KPK has only made two arrests, of the KPU commissioner and the regent of Sidoarjo [in East Java] Kurnia said. He added that the investigations leading to the two arrests were started during the chairmanship of the previous leader Agus Rahardjo. Read also: KPK Law may hinder Indonesias performance in corruption perception index Meetings with other state institutions Since Firli has taken the position of KPK chairman, antigraft commissioners have visited other state bodies and institutions. They claim the meetings are to discuss graft prevention, including with the House, which has produced many graft suspects. According to data from the KPK, graft busters have named 247 lawmakers and regional council members since the establishment of the commission. The new KPKs code of ethics even stipulates synergy with other state institutions. Between January and February, KPK commissioners visited 17 state agencies, including the House. This clearly illustrates that the KPK commissioners do not understand the importance of maintaining institutional independence, Kurnia said. Announcing termination of preliminary investigations The antigraft body announced in February that it had dropped 36 cases during the preliminary investigation phase. While such terminations are a common occurrence with law enforcers, the ICW pointed out that announcing them was unnecessary and had never been done before by the KPK. The cases could still be pursued if investigators later discover additional evidence, if only their termination was not announced. There are no regulations that stipulate the announcement of a preliminary investigation termination, Kurnia said. Read also: 'Maybe it's working': KPK says lack of raids thanks to successful prevention method He went on to say that such blunders made by the new commissioners had severely eroded the publics faith in the commission. Kurnia blamed the stagnation in KPK progress on President Jokowi and House lawmakers, who were responsible for the revision of the KPK Law as well as Firlis appointment as the new KPK chairman. KPK acting spokesperson Ali Fikri said the commission appreciated the ICW for giving its insights for improvements. We will keep working as hard as we can with other law enforcers to eradicate corruption from this country once and for all, Ali said, as quoted by Antara news agency. (mfp) The load monitoring systems market is poised to grow by USD 603.98 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 4% during the forecast period. Request free sample pages This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005562/en/ Technavio has published a latest market research report titled Global Load Monitoring System Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Read the 142-page report with TOC on "Load Monitoring Systems Market Analysis Report by Product (load cell, indicator and controller, and data logging software) and Geographic Landscape (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America), and the Segment Forecasts, 2020-2024". https://www.technavio.com/report/global-load-monitoring-systems-market-industry-analysis The market is driven by the growing need for custom load monitoring. In addition, the rapid adoption of industry 4.0 is anticipated to boost the growth of the load monitoring systems market. The advent of custom load monitoring systems has allowed end-users to modify load monitoring systems as per their requirements and tasks. It helps them cover all configurations and capacities that match with their applications. Vendors are also incorporating sensing elements with load monitoring systems to support their customers by enhancing their delivery times. Thus, the emergence of custom load monitoring systems is expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Major Five Load Monitoring Systems Companies: Eilersen Electric Digital Systems AS Eilersen Electric Digital Systems AS is headquartered in Denmark and operates the business under various segments such as Digital load cells, Weighing modules, Weighing terminals, and Scales. The company offers products such as weighing terminals, weighing modules, and digital load cells. FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology Inc. FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology Inc. is headquartered in the US and offers products through the following business units: Load Cells, Torque Sensors, Pressure Sensors, Multi-Axis Sensors, Instruments, Software, and Others. The company offers load cells such as Miniature Load Column Load Cell and Cantilever Bending Beam Load Cell. Indutrade AB Indutrade AB is headquartered in Sweden and operates under various business segments, namely Benelux, DACH, Finland, Flow Technology, Fluids Mechanical Solutions, Industrial Components, Measurement Sensor Technology, and Measurement Sensor Technology and UK. James Fisher and Sons Plc James Fisher and Sons Plc is headquartered in the UK and offers products through the following business segments: Marine Support, Specialist Technical, Offshore Oil, and Tankships. The company offers load cells such as load cell simulators and compression load cells. LCM Systems Ltd. LCM Systems Ltd. is headquartered in the UK and offers products through the following business segments: Load Cells, ATEX/IECEx Load Cells, Pressure Sensors, Instrumentation, and Others. The company offers products such as load cells and ATEX/IECEx load cells. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Load Monitoring Systems Market Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2020-2024) Load cell size and forecast 2020-2024 Indicator and controller size and forecast 2020-2024 Data logging software size and forecast 2020-2024 Load Monitoring Systems Market Geographic Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2020-2024) APAC size and forecast 2020-2024 Europe size and forecast 2020-2024 MEA size and forecast 2020-2024 North America size and forecast 2020-2024 South America size and forecast 2020-2024 Key leading countries Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005562/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Shes been passing the time in self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic by posting sexy photos to Instagram. But on Tuesday, Emily Ratajkowski broke the pattern, choosing instead to toast herself with a can of wine in a mirror selfie she then shared on her social media. The model, 28, was unusually covered up in a long-sleeve gray top with her long brunette hair loose and swept back from her forehead. Cheers! Emily Ratajkowski toasted herself with a can of wine in a mirror selfie she then shared to her Instagram on Tuesday Ratajkowski has been holed up in New York City with husband Sebastian Bear-McClard and dog Colombo. She and Bear-McCloud tied the knot in a surprise ceremony in February 2018 after dating for just a few weeks. Ratajkowski found fame after appearing in the provocative music video for Robin Thicke's single Blurred lines in 2013. She's gone on to be featured on magazine covers and has had small supporting roles in a number of movies. Relaxing: The model, 28, who likes to entertain her followers with sexy snaps, was unusually covered up in a long-sleeve gray top with her long brunette hair loose and swept back from her forehead Stepping out: Ratajkowski has been holed up in New York City with husband Sebastian Bear-McClard and dog Colombo after Governor Andrew Cuomo locked down the state A day earlier, on Monday, she had branded 2019 'the hardest year of her life'. The model shared a candid confession about her struggle with 'serious depression' as well as a reflective note she wrote during that time on a piece of lined A4 paper. Ratajkowski admitted she was feeling at her lowest ebb when her mom Kathleen Balgley, 66, was taken ill, and while Emily has never divulged full details of the condition she stated in December that her mum had received treatment at the Mayo Clinic. Im happy to say that I have learned how to take better care of myself, she explained in the caption to her Instagram post. At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed his way into a prominent Gurdwara on Wednesday in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the strife-torn country. IMAGE: An Afghan Sikh woman mourns for her relatives near the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photograph: Mohammad Ismail/Reuters The Islamic State (IS) terror group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07.45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. 'Unfortunately, 25 civilians were killed and eight others injured,' the Ministry of Interior said in a tweet on the attack carried out by a gunman, who was killed by Afghan special forces. It said 80 people stranded inside the gurdwara were rescued by the security forces. Earlier, the Afghan media reported that the attack that lasted for about six hours was carried out by four terrorists. The ministry said in a statement that 80 people, including women and children, were rescued from the Gurdwara. The ISIS terrorist group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the latest attack. The group issued a statement confirming that its members carried out the attack on Sikhs in Kabul city, Khaama Press News Agency reported. TOLOnews, quoting sources in the Afghan government blaming the dreaded Haqqani group for the attack. The Pakistan-based Haqqani group, designated by the United States as a banned terror outfit, has conducted several deadly attacks inside Afghanistan. Earlier, the country's main militant group, the Taliban, denied their involvement in the attack on the Gurdwara. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the militant group had no link with the attack in Shor Bazar area of Kabul. Photos from the blast scene showed security forces carrying wounded people away on stretchers. Some Afghan media outlets shared videos of the family members of victims waiting outside a city hospital in tears. Police in Kabul said that at least 11 children were rescued from the Gurdwara. Sikh lawmaker Nardendar Singh Khalsa told reporters that up to 150 people were praying inside the gurdwara when it came under attack. Khalsa, the only representative of the Sikh community in Afghanistan said he received a call from a worshipper inside the Gurdwara, informing him about the attack. "I rushed over to help. There were about 150 worshippers inside the Gurdwara at the time of the attack," he was quoted as saying by the official Bakhtar News Agency. "Afghan forces have cleared the first floor of a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul. A number of people have been rescued who were trapped inside the building," said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack on the gurdwara, TOLOnews reported. "The attack on the religious sites shows the extreme weakness of the enemy, religious sites should not be vulnerable to attacks and violence, it quoted Ghani as saying. The president's spokesperson described the attack as "yet another heartless, cowardly terrorist attack on a worshipping place in Kabul. The Afghan government strongly condemns today's senseless attack on Dharamsala Sikh temple. IMAGE: NATO soldiers inspect near the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photograph: Mohammad Ismail/Reuters "Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of this heinous act," the spokesperson said. Former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the attack on the Gurdwara and expressed his condolences to the victims' families. In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the attack on the Gurdwara. The Ministry of External Affairs also strongly condemned the terror attack and said the targeting of a religious place in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak reflects the 'diabolical mindset' of the perpetrators and their backers. "India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan," it said while expressing condolence to the families of the victims. "Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID-19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers," the MEA said. It said India stood in solidarity with the people, the government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country. "We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country," the MEA said. Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri too strongly condemned the attack, saying that these killings are a grim reminder of the atrocities that continue to be inflicted upon religious minorities in some countries. 'Suicide attack on a Gurudwara Sahib in Kabul needs to be strongly condemned. 'These killings are a grim reminder of atrocities that continue to be inflicted upon religious minorities in some countries & the urgency with which their lives & religious freedom have to be safeguarded,' Puri tweeted. In another tweet, Puri, who is also the Union housing and urban affairs minister, said that he spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who assured him that necessary steps are being taken to extend a helping hand. 'Members of Sikh-Hindu Association of Afghanistan in West Delhi conveyed their deep sense of anguish at the heinous terror attack on a 400 yr old Gurudwara Sahib in Kabul when I spoke with them through a call arranged by my party colleague Sh Rajiv Babbar earlier today,' Puri tweeted. He also said on Twiiter, 'I conveyed their concern & anger to my friend & colleague @DrSJaishankar after the GoM today. He assured me that he has been in touch with our ambassador in Kabul & that all necessary steps are being taken to extend a helping hand.' Pakistan also strongly condemned the 'heinous terrorist attack' carried out by the IS. 'Such despicable attacks have no political, religious or moral justification and must be rejected outright,' the Foreign Office said in a statement. Terming it as a 'heinous terrorist attack', the Foreign Office said, 'Our hearts go out to the families who have lost their loved ones in this inhuman act and we pray for the swiftest recovery of the injured. We also express our abiding solidarity with the fraternal people of Afghanistan.' The statement said Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. All places of worship are sacrosanct and their sanctity must be respected at all times, it said. War-torn Afghanistan is currently mired in a political stalemate with two politicians -- Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah -- both claiming victory in the presidential election. The United States, keen to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, has been trying to break the deadlock and also save a historic deal it signed with the Taliban militant group that is supposed to pave the way for peace in the country. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Kabul on Tuesday in a bid to resolve a standoff between President Ghani and his rival Abdullah, who also proclaims himself president following a contested election. Sikhs have been target of attacks by Islamist militants before in Afghanistan. In July 2018, ISIS terrorists bombed a gathering of Sikhs and Hindus in the eastern city of Jalalabad, killing 19 people and injuring 20. Awtar Singh Khalsa, one of the country's best-known Sikh politicians then, was among those killed in the attack. Today is Sams birthday, wrote Mark Pegram on 20 February this year. We should be celebrating with him. Instead I am sat here trying to summon the strength to visit his memorial tree. This is just part of the true cost of the 737 Max. Sam Pegram, a 25-year-old aid worker from Lancashire, was one of 157 passengers and crew who died aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. On 10 March 2019, they boarded an almost-new Boeing 737 Max, the latest variant of a plane type that has been flying since the late 1960s. Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia Show all 15 1 /15 Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia People stand near collected debris at the crash site AFP/Getty Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia A man carries a piece of debris on his head at the crash site AFP/Getty Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia Wreckage lies at the crash site of the Ethiopia Airlines Boeing 737 near Addis Ababa EPA Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia Debris at the site of the crash near Addis Ababa Reuters Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia CEO of Ethiopia Airlines, Tewolde Gebremariam inspects the crash site AP Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia Debris from the crashed aeroplane AP Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia UN staff observe a minutes silence for the victims of the plane crash. 19 UN workers were killed in the crash AFP/Getty Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia Rescuers work at the scene of the crash near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia AP Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia Rescuers work at the scene of the crash near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia AP Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 (ET-AVM), the same type of aircraft that crashed EPA Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia Rescuers work at the scene of the crash near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia AP Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia Members of the search and rescue team work at the scene of the crash near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Reuters Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia A boarding pass at the scene of the crash Reuters Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia Rescuers remove body bags from the scene of the crash near Addis Ababa AP Plane crash kills 157 in Ethiopia Wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopia Airlines flight AP ET302 was a routine service from the airlines home base to the Kenyan capital Nairobi. But within minutes of take-off, the aircraft crashed at high speed with the loss of all on board. Five months earlier, a Lion Air Boeing 737 Max had come down soon after it left Jakarta airport in Indonesia, killing all 189 passengers and crew. But according to the regulators who signed off the redesign of the 737, the fact that the Max was the aircraft lost in both crashes was simply a tragic coincidence. Our review shows no systemic performance issues and provides no basis to order grounding the aircraft, insisted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), even as other safety regulators including Britains CAA were ordering their airlines to ground the 737 Max. Accident investigators quickly revealed a struggle between the pilots of ET302 and their aeroplane that paralleled the Lion Air crash forcing a 180-degree turn by the FAA. The plane that Boeing believed would deliver billions in profits has not flown a single paying passenger since. Ethiopian Airlines stance on using Boeing 737 Max following Flight 302 tragedy For over a century, aeronautical engineers have designed out risk to a degree unmatched in any other industry. They work to eliminate as much danger as possible from mechanical failure or human frailty. Boeings engineers inadvertently wired in potential for disaster into the very heart of the Max. While the basic appearance and key dimensions of the very first Boeing 737 remain, the Maxs engines and flight control system have changed radically. Larger engines are much more efficient. But because the distance between the wing and the ground is unchanged from the early days, when much thinner cigar-shaped engines were used, for the Max they had to be hoisted up and forward until they are blended with the wings. Early on in the 737 redesign, Boeing engineers identified a theoretical aerodynamic problem with this arrangement. In some unusual circumstances, they concluded, there was a risk of stall in which the wings do not generate sufficient lift to keep the plane aloft. The engineers devised an electronic correction that would impose the correct response to tip the nose downwards should the pilots failed to do so. The new software came with innocuous-sounding name of Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). It relies on the angle of attack: the angle between the wing and the airflow, measured by a vane just below the flight deck. If MCAS detects that the angle is getting dangerously steep, it operates an elevator in the tail to nudge the nose downwards and continues to do so, for as long as the perceived perilous condition persists. The designers accepted that they were pushing the Boeing 737 to its engineering limits. They aimed to protect passengers and crew against inept pilots with a system that overruled their commands. Navy divers recover cockpit voice recorder of Lion Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea in October But the system was built with two flaws that twice proved fatal. The wisdom of redundancy has served aviation well: the life-saving principle of having multiple systems in case one fails is long-established in aviation. Yet it was inexplicably ignored by Boeing. MCAS could be, and was, triggered by a single faulty sensor. And once it had automatically kicked in, MCAS was trained to force down the nose with such pressure that humans could not overpower it. On 29 October 2018, the Boeing 737 Max operating as Lion Air flight 610 took off from Jakarta. A single faulty angle-of-attack sensor woke up MCAS, which initiated a fatal struggle between the pilots and the anti-stall system. While there is a procedure to deactivate MCAS, the two pilots of the Indonesia plane were unable to identify it before they plunged into the Java Sea at an unsurvivable angle and speed. Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta Show all 13 1 /13 Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta Indonesia President Joko Widodo inspects the items recovered from Lion Air flight JT 610 Getty Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta A member of Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency inspects debris AP Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta Rescue teams have been joined by fisherman and volunteers in the search for survivors Getty Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta Lion Air CEO, Edward Sirait (centre) speaks during a press conference at Lion Air Branch office at Soekarno Hatta Airport EPA Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta No bodies have yet been discovered among the wreckage of the Lion Air flight EPA Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta Indonesian search and rescue personnel prepare for a recovery mission Getty Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta Rescuers searching the site of the plane crash lift a body bag onto a nearby vessel EPA Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta A relative of passengers arrive at Lion Air's crisis center at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia AP Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta In this photo released by Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency rescuers inspect debris believed to be from a Lion Air passenger jet AP Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta A relative of passengers prays as she and others wait for news on a Lion Air plane that crashed off Java Island AP Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta A rescue team member points to the location where Indonesia's Lion Air flight JT 610 had crashed into the sea, at Tanjung Priok seaport in Jakarta Getty Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta Officials evacuate a body bag containing the remains of one of the victims of the crash EPA Lion Air plane crashes minutes after take-off from Jakarta Indonesian relatives of the plane crash victims cry as they wait for the news at the airport in Sukarno Hatta Airport EPA The profile of the short flight revealed a bizarre series of ascents and descents. The two black boxes confirmed that MCAS deployed in response to a faulty sensor, and the relatively inexperienced pilots were unable to cope. The FAA issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive, circulated to 737 Max pilots worldwide. MCAS, it warned, could cause the flight crew to have difficulty controlling the airplane, and lead to excessive nose-down attitude, significant altitude loss, and possible impact with terrain. As the families of the Lion Air victims grieved, Boeing kept making the 737 Max at a prolific rate to meet an order book of around 5,000 jets. In terms of numbers sold, the 737 is the worlds most successful airliner. This is the plane that, more than any other, helped to democratise aviation. Over the past half-century, more than 10,000 have been built placing it well ahead of its main competitor, the Airbus A320. Safety is an obsession in aviation, but two airlines stand out: Southwest and Ryanair. Both of them fly the 737 exclusively. Until a freak accident aboard Southwest Airlines flight 1380 on 17 April 2018 cost the life of Jennifer Riordan, Southwest had flown around 2 billion passengers without a single fatal accident. Ms Riordan lost her life when she was partially sucked out of a window after part of an housing disintegrated and hit the fuselage. After that tragedy, the mantle for the worlds safest airline passed to Ryanair which has now flown around 1.5 billion people aboard 737s with zero deaths in crashes. Both airlines are eager to fly the Boeing 737 Max. It has better fuel efficiency than current models, and in Ryanairs case has eight additional seats within the same cabin profile. Southwest is the largest customer for the Max, and was flying them safely and successfully until the worldwide grounding. Ryanair had scheduled the Max for the summer of 2019, but had not received any of the planes by the time the no-fly order was received. At first Boeing confidently predicted that the jet would be flying commercially by the end of 2019. But while the company made software changes, conducted test flights and promised training enhancements, incriminating internal messages emerged. They portrayed a toxic corporate culture that put profits, not passenger and crew safety, first when creating the 737 Max. Designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys, wrote one Boeing employee in 2017. The comment, whose writer also describes the plane as piss poor, is among hundreds of emails and text messages released to regulators and the US Congress. To make the Max more appealing to existing Boeing 737 customers, the planemaker presented the differences between the Max and the previous NG version jet as minor. How about explaining why your pilots misled the FAA about the nature of the MCAS? tweeted Mark Pegram. Training pilots is expensive, and all the while they are in a flight simulator they are not flying profitably. So Boeing insisted that current 737 pilots required only a short tablet-based exercise rather than time in a simulator. I want to stress the importance of holding firm that there will not be any type of simulator training required to transition from NG to Max, wrote one pilot working for the planemaker. Boeing will not allow that to happen. Boeing does not understand what is to be gained by a three-hour simulator session, when the procedures are essentially the same. MCAS was glossed over. An Asian airline asking for simulator training was told that it would create a difficult and unnecessary training burden for your airline, as well as potentially establish a precedent in your region for other Max customers. Boeing now recommends simulator training for 737 Max pilots when the jet finally returns to service. But there is no certainty about when that might be. The FAA, wounded by accusations that it became too close to Boeing in a case of regulator capture is determined to play hardball. The aircraft will return to service only after the FAA determines it is safe, it declares. During a year of intense scrutiny of the Max, other problems have come to light including concerns over wiring bundles. They may need to be re-positioned in the hundreds of aircraft standing idle on airport aprons across the world as well as the staff car park at the Boeing plant in Washington State. Airlines no longer expect to be flying the Max during the summer peak and, indeed, are suddenly glad to have the aircraft off their books. The coronavirus crisis has triggered an unprecedented slump in air travel worldwide, and carriers former desperation for capacity has vanished replaced, in many cases, by a desperate battle for survival. The planemaker says: Boeing has made significant progress over the past several months in support of safely returning the 737 Max to service as the company continues to work with the FAA and other global regulators on the process laid out for certifying the 737 Max software and related training updates. These two tragic accidents continue to weigh heavily on everyone at Boeing. Even when demand returns, Boeing has a huge reputational battle to fight. If airlines find, as successive Independent polls have done, that a significant slice of the travelling public is anxious about the 737 Max, they will be in no rush to take delivery. As the families of the victims of Ethiopian Airlines 302 and Lion Air 610 prepared for their first Christmas without their loved ones, Boeings CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, was sacked. His replacement, David Calhoun, was tweeted by Sam Pegrams father, Mark, on 22 February: We are approaching the 1st anniversary of flight ET302 that cost the lives of 157 people including my son. Tonight I am going out with friends of Sam to toast his memory. The life of Sam Pegram, and every victim who perished in the Boeing 737 Max, deserves to be honoured with a vow to put people before profit. Russia's economy needs about a trillion rubles, or roughly $12.7 billion a month over the next few months to emerge stable from the coronavirus pandemic and the oil price crash Russia's economy needs about a trillion rubles, or roughly $12.7 billion a month over the next few months to emerge stable from the coronavirus pandemic and the oil price crash, the chairman of a business organization told TASS. "The way I see it implies that we should maintain GDP and spend several trillion rubles to stabilize the [economic] situation. For now, we can talk of about one trillion rubles a month," Alexey Repik, chairman of Business Russia, told the news agency in an interview. He added, however, that Russia's debt load is much smaller than that of other economies, so recovery should be relatively smooth. Russia's debt to GDP ration is indeed among the lowest in the world, at 19.48 percent, according to data from the International Monetary Fund. In comparison, China's debt to GDP level is 54.44 percent, and Japan's is the highest in the world, at 234.18 percent of GDP. Following the oil price crash from earlier this month, Russia's Finance Ministry said Moscow had enough resources to cover budget shortfalls amid oil prices that are between $25 and $30 a barrel for six to ten years. The Russian budget, according to the ministry, was balanced at a price for the Urals blend of $42.40 a barrel. Still, the country's sovereign wealth fund had, as of March 1, assets worth over $100 billion, equal to 7.3 percent of GDP and enough to compensate for lower oil revenues due to the drop in oil prices, the finance ministry said. Last week, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Russia's revenues from oil and gas would be US$39.5 billion (3 trillion rubles) lower than planned due to the tumbling oil prices. Admitting that the economy was not doing as well as it could be, Siluanov said the oil price fall alone would cost the Russian economy $39.5 billion this year. At current oil prices, the Russian economy will tip into a deficit, although a moderate one, at 0.9 percent, Siluanov said separately. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: As supermarkets and pharmacies continue to run low on hand sanitisers due to the coronavirus pandemic, people are starting to make their own homemade germ repellents. While this may seem like a good alternative, Australian consumer organisation CHOICE has revealed essential facts everyone should know prior to making the hand sanitisers. The company revealed most homemade sanitisers contain inconsistent ingredients or lack certain elements, making the product ineffective. In order to kill and repel germs, hand sanitisers need to contain 70 to 95 per cent alcohol, and many home recipes don't meet this standard Not every home recipe is reliable There are a multitude of do-it-yourself recipes online to make hand sanitisers, though it's difficult to distinguish which formulas are the most effective. In order to kill and repel germs, sanitisers need to contain 70 to 95 per cent alcohol, and many home recipes don't meet this standard. CHOICE explained store-bought products contain emollients to keep your hands soft while reducing damage from the alcohol. With homemade remedies, there's also a high chance your skin will imperfect if inconsistent amounts of alcohol is used. Should you use hand sanitiser or hand wash? The WHO recommends washing your hands regularly and using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser only if soap and water are not available. The US-based Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing hands with soap and water whenever possible because handwashing reduces the amounts of all types of germs and chemicals on hands. They explain that alcohol-based hand sanitisers can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands in some situations, but sanitisers do not eliminate all types of germs. If soap and water are not available, using a hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol can help you avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. The guidance for effective handwashing and use of hand sanitiser in community settings was developed based on data from a number of studies. Source: The CDC Advertisement CHOICE doesn't recommend using store-bought vodka as most doesn't contain a high enough alcohol percentage to kill germs. In order to kill and repel germs, sanitisers need to contain 70 to 95 per cent alcohol, and many home recipes don't meet this standard Can I use vodka as a core ingredient? Most hand sanitisers contain ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, but some online recipes suggest using vodka as an alternative. CHOICE does not recommend this option as most store-bought vodka doesn't contain a high enough alcohol percentage to kill germs. If used with other ingredients, such as essential oils or aloe vera, this will dilute the ingredient further making the homemade formula inefficient. CHOICE strongly advises washing your hands wish warm, soapy water rather than using a sanitiser Handwashing is strongly recommended over sanitiser Rather than making your own hand sanitiser if unavailable at the supermarket, CHOICE strongly advises washing your hands with warm, soapy water. 'Handwashing with soap and water is the best thing to use to kill this virus,' physician Dr Norman Swan told CHOICE. Only when you do not have access to water and soap is it recommended to use hand sanitiser. A chemist's guide to making your own hand sanitiser can be found here. Carsten Thiel, President of European Commercialization, EUSA Pharma By CorpGov Staff In recent months, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the outbreak of a public health emergency of international concern also known as the disease labeled COVID-19, or the Coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can be commonly found in people and numerous different animal species. The virus rarely spreads from animals to people, or vice versa. However, COVID-19 reports do spread mixed signals to our worlds population. Some sources claim that the initial spread did indeed happen through animal to person contact through a large seafood and live animal market in China. Later on, word spread that patients diagnosed with the coronavirus were not exposed to animal markets, and that person to person spread is how the virus continued to thrive amongst populations. The coronavirus appears to spread from person to person mainly through respiratory transmission, which makes it difficult to differentiate between a common cold and a COVID-19 symptom. The most important signs and symptoms to look out for include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Such instances typically occur within two to fourteen days of exposure. Reports state that travel related COVID-19 is the common culprit meaning, if you or your loved ones are traveling out of the country, youre more likely to catch the disease. Current status of coronavirus spread The beginning of the coronavirus disease outbreak started in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. It didnt stop there, though. Since December, 31 additional countries and territories including the United States have reported affected citizens. Worldwide, the current rate of associated deaths trailing back to the disease is 2,462. That was as of February 25, 2020. Most cases found in the EU/EEA and the UK have found that an increasing number of coronavirus cases have been popping up with no defined chain of transmission even though respiratory transmission is said to be how you can catch the disease. Story continues Countries around the world are currently implementing extraordinary public health measures to ensure safety and wellbeing to all citizens. Some areas are suggesting and preparing themselves for isolation, with school and work cancellations to protect their personal health. Right now, the percentage of further transmission of COVID-19 is technically considered high, especially in EU/EEA countries and the UK. Sporadic cases may continue to surprise even more countries in the near future. What are pharma companies currently doing to help? Efforts to develop a reliable vaccine for future prevention of the coronavirus is in the works from different countries around the world. Carsten Thiel, president of European commercialization for the biopharmaceutical company EUSA Pharma, says that the latest estimates indicate that eventually 40 60% of all people who are socially active will get infected. While he acknowledges that is a scary number, he says the real question is over which time or how many years that will happen. Chances are that the warmer temperature in May could dry out the infection rate, but next winter would see a new outbreak, said Thiel. So it comes down to winning time to have more people immune and to have a vaccine commercially available. The United States of America The United States is a part of the solution. President Donald Trump is planning to set up a sit down with pharmaceutical CEOs in the states soon. Trump claims, Weve asked them to accelerate whatever theyre doing in terms of the vaccine, absolutely. Thiel says there is clearly a lot of miscommunication and misperception related to the virus. Many people take appropriate action to prevent infection and thus the spreading of the virus. However some people are overreacting and are more scared than they should be and others dont seem to really care, said Thiel. Drug pricing and implementation into hospitals and pharmacies are just two of the topics that need to be tackled. Rapidly producing a preventative for hundreds of thousands of people across multiple countries to take will be the #1 challenge pharma companies will face in the near future. Johnson & Johnson President Trump is not the only leader responding to the outbreak of coronavirus, though. Johnson and Johnson recently announced that theyll be working collaboratively with Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies to produce antiviral therapies and vaccines against certain strains of the virus specifically 2019-nCoV. Theyll do so by screening their library for compounds with anti-2019-nCoV activity to see what relief they can provide to patients fighting off the virus and to people that may potentially acquire the virus. Their additional game plan is to review all the coronavirus pathophysiology pathways to see what has and hasnt worked in previously tested medications. From there, the trial and error will begin to create a lasting fighting mechanism to the virus. APEIRON Biologics As for Europe, APEIRON Biologics is currently working on a way to combat the coronavirus, too. A little about APEIRON: APEIRON is a privately held European biotech company based in Vienna, Austria, and its primary focus is targeted towards the discovery and development of novel cancer immunotherapies. APEIRON received EU marketing approval for APN311 (Dinutuximab beta, Qarzib) in May 2017 for the treatment of pediatric neuroblastoma patients and out-licensed global, exclusive rights for this product to EUSA Pharma Ltd. Now, APEIRON leverages its proprietary master checkpoint blockade mechanism to enable the human bodys natural defense mechanisms to fight the tumor. APEIRONs clinical lead program APN401 is a first-in-class autologous cellular therapy to strengthen immune reactivity via an intracellular master checkpoint, Cbl-b. APEIRONs projects and technologies are bolstered by a strong patent portfolio. APEIRONs development expertise is validated through partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions. APEIRON is working on a respiratory drug product to start pilot clinical trials to treat the coronavirus disease in China. APEIRON is known for attaining EU marketing approval for APN311, a product whose exclusive rights belong to EUSA Pharma Ltd. Thiel says one of the main risks involved with the virus is its sudden spread. In Italy, this led to a desperate situation in primary healthcare, clinics, and hospitals, where nurses and doctors are overwhelmed, protective clothing is running out of stock, and there is just not enough capacity to handle so many patients. It is for this reason that many pharmaceutical companies have been working in tandem to quickly devise a vaccine. This is what brings an otherwise functioning healthcare system on its knees, said Thiel. To see an entire list of coronavirus treatments, vaccines, and drugs in the works right now, please visit https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/analysis/coronavirus-mers-cov-drugs/. More on EUSA and Carsten Thiel EUSA Pharma is a European-based, dynamic, global specialty pharmaceutical company created to bring innovative medicine to its patients. The passion and commitment behind EUSAs mission enables them to consistently provide available medications to help patients live and embrace a better life and Carsten Thiel is the President behind the operation. Carsten Thiel has been in the pharmaceutical industry for 25+ years with focuses in oncology and rare disease, making him a highly experienced commercial professional in the department. Before his leadership role at EUSA, Thiel was a CEO of Abeana Therapeutics, Inc. at Alexion, and he was Head of Europe at Amgen. Thiel Currently holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, making him an asset to the team at EUSA Pharma. Like Thiel, EUSA also focuses on oncology and rare disease specifically. The professionals at the pharmaceutical company strive to be passionate for their patients wellbeing day-in and day-out, and experience, compliance, excellence, and global reach all keep that passion fully intact. The committed and dynamic management team is 100% dedicated to improving overall health. Currently, rare diseases are affecting less than five people out of 10,000 within the general population. There are between 6,000 and 8,000 rare diseases in the world today, with approximately five rare diseases being mentioned in medical literature every single week. Thats reason enough for EUSA to want to make an impact in the field. EUSA is now weighing in on the coronavirus and making valid attempts to create a vaccine and treatment mechanism. Even though COVID-19 is no longer a rare disease, pharmaceutical professionals over at EUSA Pharma dont want it to continuously progress and effect more peoples lives around the world. Action for the future Determined action needs to be taken by pharmaceutical companies in all countries for the coronavirus to fully be pushed out of communities. Established pharmacy institutions like Johnson & Johnson and EUSA getting on board together to establish different aids and mechanisms will only get the world one step closer to a healthier planet. Slowing down the spreading of Covid is the best thing we can do to save more lives, said Thiel. CorpGov Contact: www.CorpGov.com Editor@CorpGov.com Twitter: @CorpGovernor WASHINGTON - For almost two weeks, the Capitol has witnessed a slow-motion version of some of the most terrifying days inside Congress. The atmosphere boiled over with anger as legislative gridlock helped fuel the precipitous drops in financial markets at levels that dwarfed the Wall Street panic after a failed House vote on a 2008 rescue package. Lawmakers grew more bitter as negotiations dragged on over a $2 trillion relief package as the U.S. coronavirus death toll soared past 600 and climbed higher, with some experts warning that it will exceed the 3,000 lives lost in the 2001 terrorist attacks. Yet what truly distinguishes this crisis from those others is fear, the fear inside the Capitol hallways. Three lawmakers and several aides have now tested positive for the disease. They are racing against the clock to pass an emergency package to try to save hospitals from the wave of cases and to provide a floor for a cratering economy - and they are racing a second clock they cannot see, the spreading virus inside the Capitol. "It's in the building. It's sort of insidious. It's here, but we can't see it," said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio. Portman recalled how on Sept. 11, 2001, lawmakers raced out of the building in a confused state, learning later that a hijacked plane was likely headed to the Capitol. But hours later, they realized they were safe, returning to the Capitol steps that night in a show of defiance to sing "God Bless America." This week, whenever Congress passes the coronavirus legislation, lawmakers will leave the Capitol for an unknown length of time. Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., described the "push and pull" of wanting to get this legislation done right but also the need to get home to family, friends and the community leaders who have spent the past week on the phone describing a looming disaster. "Feeling as if there is an invasion or a disaster about to really hit," Coons said. That powder keg of tension blew up on the Senate floor Monday as normally mild-mannered senators lobbed allegations at one another over whose fault it was that the rescue plan had not been approved yet and that they were still there debating it. When Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., blocked the right of Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, to speak, the floor erupted. Curses could be heard from the Republican side of the floor. Any sense of social distancing disappeared as 13 Republicans crowded their side of the floor. Collins walked to within a foot of Schumer, raised her finger and repeatedly pointed at him, saying, "This is appalling!" The rest of Monday and Tuesday unfolded like that in public as a Senate that for almost a decade has withered away in terms of grand debate and compromise saw its members turn on one another. All the pent-up frustration boiled over. Portman, who served as a GOP negotiator on the unemployment insurance provisions of the package, said he got "fired up" because he is taking these negotiations more personally than any crisis of this century. "Unlike the financial crisis, or even 9/11, this is affecting everybody and everything. And we all know people who are unemployed and we all know people who are sick. I know someone who died. It's very personal," he explained. It was also the first time senators were on the floor together since Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., tested positive for coronavirus, which followed a six-day journey from when he got tested March 16 until he got his results Sunday. Any of them could have the deadly virus, and they all know it now. That wasn't the case after the 2001 attacks. The days that followed were frantic, with Congress setting off on a wave of recovery for New York and Washington and retribution for America's new enemy. Even when two anthrax-laced letters were sent to two senators in October 2001, they were handled by staff and mail service workers, thus never posing an imminent danger to senators. There were occasional pell-mell evacuations that occurred because of suspected bombs or plane mishaps - perhaps none more terrifying than the arrival service for former president Ronald Reagan's lying-in-state honors after his 2004 death. The Kentucky governor's plane had a communication malfunction as it approached Washington, triggering a Capitol evacuation. The police screamed at visitors and staff, "Plane, three minutes out!" An F-16 nearly shot the aircraft down but quickly determined that it was not a terrorist attack, ending the threat in a half-hour. Congress reviewed its doomsday plans after 9/11. It never envisioned a threat like the coronavirus. The past two weeks have been those 30 minutes of that day, playing on a recurring loop, mixed in with the same slow-motion 2008 meltdown on Wall Street. On a Thursday night in September 2008, the Bush administration's top advisers and Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve at the time, showed up in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office for a bipartisan congressional leadership meeting. They asked for $700 billion, by Monday. The leaders blew that deadline, just as this era's congressional leadership missed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's Monday deadline for a package almost three times as big. For two weeks in the fall of 2008, House and Senate leaders haggled over how to structure a bailout for Wall Street firms that had placed their own bad bets, including a failed vote that led to a nearly 800-point drop in the Dow. Senators and Mnuchin expressed growing confidence throughout Tuesday that they were on the cusp of a massive deal that would probably pass the Senate on Wednesday and, as Pelosi has requested, a unanimous consent vote in the House later that day. That's because huge numbers of House members do not want to board planes and travel across the country to return to a chamber with more than 430 members to vote, fearful that they could spread the virus or catch it in transit. All of which makes this crisis unlike anything congressional veterans have seen. Nerves are frayed, ranging from gallows humor to downright tense moments. "Keep your distance," Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., joked to Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., coming off an elevator Monday. "We're gonna want you all to step back a little," Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., told reporters Tuesday as they were inside the six-foot zone health experts recommend. At least they made progress on legislation, to put aside "the bickering" and pass a massive bill, Coons said. "Pass it and then get home." For how long? "We have no idea." Recovery in global stocks after the US Senate and White House reached agreement on a USD 2 trillion stimulus package Mumbai: Benchmark Sensex soared 1,862 points on Wednesday led by massive gains mainly in heavyweights RIL, HDFC twins and ICICI Bank as investors shrugged off concerns over the 21-day nationwide lockdown in anticipation of a stimulus package by the government to cushion the economic blow of Covid-19. Domestic market was also enthused by recovery in global stocks after the US Senate and White House reached agreement on a USD 2 trillion stimulus package for the US economy. After opening on a choppy note, the BSE barometer ended 1,861.75 points or 6.98 per cent higher at 28,535.78. Similarly, the NSE Nifty settled 516.80 points, or 6.62 per cent, up at 8,317.85. Reliance Industries was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying up to 15 per cent, followed by Kotak Bank, Maruti, HDFC twins, Titan, L&T and Axis Bank. On the other hand, IndusInd Bank, ONGC, ITC and Bajaj Auto closed with losses. Receding uncertainty in domestic markets following defined lockdown announcement and assurance of domestic stimulus by the government boosted investor sentiment, said Narendra Solanki, Head- Equity Research (Fundamental), Anand Rathi. Earlier in the day, the US Senate and White House reached agreement on a USD 2 trillion stimulus package for the US economy. The deal aims to buttress the teetering economy by giving roughly USD 2 trillion to health facilities, businesses and ordinary Americans buckling under the strain of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the latest Union Health ministry update the number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 562, while the death toll rise to10. The number of global Covid-19 infections has shot past 4,20,000. Worldwide fatalities have topped 18,000. Devastating impact of Covid-19 highlighted as The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) postpones Alzheimers Tea Day and launches urgent appeal for vital dementia supports in County Kildare and further afield. This is the largest annual fundraising campaign with an estimated loss of 1 million for ASI, who have now launched an urgent appeal for vital dementia supports to help them to continue their vital work with people with dementia and their families during this devastating crisis. Read more Leinster Leader news The Alzheimer Society of Irelands CEO, Pat McLoughlin stated that "people with dementia are vulnerable and often confused and Covid-19 has heightened that for them." People with dementia are categorised as High risk. With 48 day care centres are closed; and its vital supports such as Social Clubs, Alzheimer Cafes and Support Groups are all postponed until further notice, the ASI are trying to support their members remotely. The ASI has developed some tip sheets to help support people with dementia and their families in a challenging and rapidly changing situation including the following: Tips for vulnerable adults. Tips for supporting vulnerable people in the community. Tips for nursing home restrictions. Supports available from organisations in Ireland during COVID-19 All of which can be found on their website. As part of the urgent appeal, members of the public are being asked to make a special emergency donation today on www.alzheimer.ie to help provide essential care and support to those living with dementia whose lives are being torn apart by Covid-19. Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar on Wednesday said a 20-year-old male who had reported positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival from New Delhi was recovering well and would be discharged in a couple of days. The patient, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, had travelled to Chennai from the national capital and was in isolation at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here. "TN's second positive case for corona who travelled from New Delhi and undergoing treatment in #RGGH is recovering well (sic)," Baskar said in a tweet on Wednesday. "He is declared corona negative after two subsequent corona mandatory tests. He will be discharged in two days," the minister tweeted. Tamil Nadu had reported 23 positive cases of coronavirus which include the death of a 54-year-old man who had a medical history of prolonged illness with uncontrolled diabetes. The first COVID-19 case, a 45-year-old male from Kancheepuram who had a recent travel history of visiting Oman, has been discharged after recovery from the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Marion, North Carolina--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) - Greene Concepts Inc. (OTC Pink: INKW) is pleased to announce it has recently signed a purchase order agreement with the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians' Pit Stop gas station and convenience store. This purchase order agreement serves as the first sales purchase order for Greene Concepts' BE WATERTM bottled water brand. In collaboration with Sunflower Consulting Group (SCG), Greene Concepts recently reached an agreement with the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, out of Mountain Center, California, to offer its' BE WATERTM within the soon-to-open Santa Rosa Pit Stop gas station and convenience store. The station, set to open late-April of 2020, will be located 1 miles east of Bull Canyon Road on the south side of the highway 74. The convenient store offers shoppers a fresh experience along with modern amenities and room for future expansion. According to the National Association of Convenience Stores, an industry advocacy group, over the past decade convenience chains have increased sales inside their stores around 30%. The convenient store will serve as a modern travel station with plenty of amenities to benefit the local community. The convenient store will also serve the numerous commuters passing along the Santa Rosa reservation on highway SR 1-74. According to the California Department of Transportation's 2017 traffic volumes (see here), the area near SR I-74 and SR 371 receives an average daily traffic count of 3,450 vehicles with SR I-74 and SR 111 at Palm Desert reporting an average daily traffic count of 19,300 vehicles. Multiple visitors will have the opportunity to frequent the Santa Rosa Pit Stop and receive goods and services. According to a local newspaper (Idyllwild Town Crier) in its October 22, 2019 edition, a recent feasibility study reported positive outcomes for commuters to and from the desert area along with the surrounding community. The new Santa Rosa Pit Stop gas station embodies one of the local area expansion projects which also includes a 28,000 square foot local park, a first of its kind, on the reservation. Sales of the BE WATERTM brand along with other convenient store items assists the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indian tribe with an additional revenue stream to allow the tribe to expand its assistance to tribal members to include infrastructure expenses, basic housing and educational needs for tribal members on and off the reservation. The Santa Rosa Pit Stop manager Ray Suarez notes, "Ours is the first store in the country to carry the BE WATERTM brand. We are proud to 'Be First' in this operational venture and look forward to sharing a wonderful product with not only the citizens of the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians but also to all of the visitors who frequent our convenience store to enjoy a refreshing product that is both unique and of great quality. A collective quote from the tribal board conveys, "We have deep roots in our environment and great respect for the forces of nature that surround us. Water is one of the world's greatest forces and we are proud to see that Greene Concepts has not only turned this great force into an essence of purity but that they have offered a name to the product that enhances man's inner soul, "BE WATERTM". Be Generous, Be Kind, Be Strong, Be Courageous, Be Caring, Be Yourself.those traits described on the BE WATERTM label are a strong reminder to find that inner joy toward spiritual transformation. We are proud to take this next step with a company that cares so much about our way of life and intent on capturing a piece of our native spirit within its daily operations and strategic plans morally, ethically and operationally." Lenny Greene, CEO of Greene Concepts Inc. states, "We are extremely happy to announce that the first sales of our BE WATERTM brand is with the Santa Rosa Cahuilla Indian tribe. They embody the traits of our BE WATERTM product, Be Strong, Be Generous, Be Caring, Be Courageous. The tribal board leaders of the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians embody these traits through the work of successful alliances, a focus on sustainable housing and infrastructure for tribal members, economic development, charitable works, the support of its youth, tribal health, tribal longevity and tribal wellness." Mr. Greene continues, "The strength of the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians is second-to-none and an inspiration for us all. It is truly an honor to have our BE WATERTM brand associated within a community of such positive influence politically, economically and environmentally. I am particularly glad to see the community focused on environmental health to include the preservation of natural resources and the local support of Earth Day. My hope is to continue to expand the partnership between Greene Concepts and the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians in support of sustainable positive change, increased recognition of the wonderful people of the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians to include the tribe's customs and traditions, and also the continued recognition and growth of our BE WATERTM brand across the southwest United States." About Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians The Santa Rosa Indian Reservation is in Riverside County, between Palm Springs and Anza, and occupies 11,021 acres of land. The Reservation is composed of four non-contiguous parcels; the largest being in the area of Sew'ia, or New Santa Rosa (Vandeventer Flat) where residents of the Reservation reside. The three remaining parcels, which include Toro Peak where the Tribe operates a telecommunications relay station, are located east of the main parcel. Elevation ranges from 4,200' elevation at Sew'ia (Cahuilla name for "New" Santa Rosa) to 8,700' elevation at Toro Peak. Currently, there are 139 recognized Tribal Members (18 and over). Approximately 70 individuals live on the Reservation. The General Council (which consists of adult members 18 years of age and older) elects a Tribal Council for two-year terms. The Tribal Council consists of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and three Council members. The people of Sew'ia are one of eight Cahuilla Bands which include Cahuilla, Ramona, Los Coyotes, Torres-Martinez, Augustine, Cabazon, Agua Caliente, and Morongo. The Santa Rosa Reservation was established on February 2, 1907, under authority of the Act of 1891 as amended. The Act of April 17, 1937 authorized the Secretary of Interior to purchase 640 acres to be held in trust for the Tribe. All reservation land is tribally owned and un-allotted, though some of the land is under assignment and has been passed from generation to generation. https://santarosacahuilla-nsn.gov/ About Sunflower Consulting Group Sunflower Consulting Group (SCG), founded by Harold Wingert, specializes in all aspects of convenience store operations: consulting, store design, operational set up and ramp up, controls, inventory, and vendor contracts. Since 1985, when Mr. Wingert bought his first store, he has been engaged in the industry in some fashion, including operations, consulting, construction, and design. Over the last 34 years he has owned and operated 8 stores, successfully sold them, and has been consulting for the past decade. SCG has the team in place to provide the level of support you desire, from concept design, through opening the store, and establishing policy and procedures. SCG will work with vendors to achieve optimal sales and manage vendor contracts to take advantage of rebates or other incentives, which will result in more profits for ownership. SCG will assist ownership in hiring and training employees, continuing education, benefits package for management, and will assist in developing an employee manual. Sunflower Consulting Group looks forward to working with you to bring your concept to reality. https://sunflowerconsultinggroup.com/ About Greene Concepts, Inc. and Mammoth Ventures Inc. Greene Concepts, Inc. (http://www.greeneconcepts.com) is a publicly traded company. Through its recently acquired wholly owned subsidiary, Mammoth Ventures Inc., the Company has entered the specialty beverage and bottling business and is an emerging leader in the global scientifically formulated beverage industry. Safe Harbor: This Press Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the company's current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. A more extensive listing of risks and factors that may affect the company's business prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the reports and other documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission and OTC Markets, Inc. OTC Disclosure and News Service. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. CONTACT: Greene Concepts, Inc. Investor Relations info@inkwayusa.com Lenny Greene lenny@greeneconcepts.com 559-434-1000 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53775 T he governments decision to hand over information to the US about an alleged ISIS terrorist in the notorious Beatles cell when he could face the death penalty was unlawful, the Supreme Court has ruled. El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey were captured in January 2018 and face a potential prosecution in the US over claims they formed part of a brutal four-man execution squad in ISIScontrolled Syria. The group, who videoed themselves killing British and American hostages, were nicknamed The Beatles because of their British accents. The US made a request in 2015 for help with the criminal case from the UK, and then Home Secretary Sajid Javid agreed in 2018 despite not receiving the customary assurances that the British-born men would not face the death penalty. Elsheikhs mother, Maha Elgizouli, challenged that decision, and the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the government had acted unlawfully in agreeing to hand over her sons personal data to American authorities. Lord Kerr, delivering the ruling, said Mr Javids decision had breached data protection rules, while Lord Carnwath said the decision was based on political expediency, rather than strict necessity. Lord Hodge said British laws represent the very high value which our society places on human life by requiring the courts to adopt an especially intense scrutiny when reviewing the legality of a decision which may imperil a persons life. Mrs Elgizouli told the court in the initial hearing that she recognises the enormity of the crimes alleged against her son, but is fighting for her son, with Kotey, to be tried in the UK where the death penalty does not exist. Hongkongers who once scrambled to buy face masks to protect themselves from Covid-19 now queue up to send them to family and friends overseas, amid a global shortage of the protective gear. Residents lined up for hours outside post offices and drop-off counters of courier companies around the city to send surgical face masks to foreign destinations, as shelves storing the once-common product were emptied by shoppers around the globe during the coronavirus pandemic. People the Post has talked to were delivering masks to locations including the United States, Britain, Canada, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. Some said they had benefited from relatives and friends living abroad when they failed to get a mask during an earlier buying craze in the city, but now it was their loved ones who struggled. In February, Hongkong Post increased staffing levels and extended delivery hours to cope with an 80 per cent surge in the daily volume of inbound parcels. Around 30,000 express items containing masks were delivered in the first nine days after postal service resumed on February 3, following a temporary suspension. A spokeswoman for the postal service said while the volume of incoming mail had stabilised, demand for the outbound express service had doubled since last week, with up to 40 per cent of parcels believed to be anti-contagion items. The change in tide followed the worldwide outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, which was first reported in mainland China. More than 400,000 Covid-19 infections have been recorded around the world, and over 18,000 people have died. Recently, the mask shortage in the city has eased, with at least 13 organisations and firms setting up local production lines. Among them, seven have started or plan to begin operations in April, and three have already opened for pre-orders. On Tuesday, saleswoman Mandy Tam, 50, lined up outside a post office in Yuen Long to return more than 200 of the 400 masks her elder sister had sent to her from London. Story continues She said many people in Britain remained nonchalant about the virus and had yet to pick up the habit of wearing a mask when they went out. Also in the queue was Kary Mak, who wanted to send 150 masks to her cousin in New York. The 40-year-old jewellery shop worker was repaying the favour, after her relative in the US sent her a box of 30 masks last month. Estate agent Mike Lam said the surge in confirmed cases outside China was the result of a general lack of sensitivity to the global health issue. People didnt expect an outbreak in their community, thinking that it was a China problem, Lam said. The 38-year-old had spent around HK$5,000 on 800 masks, which he sent to his friends in the Netherlands and Belgium over the past week after they failed to buy masks. Lam said people living there were not alert enough and said if they did not have masks, they may just cover their face with a scarf. Retiree Mr To, in his 60s, was sending masks to his cousin in Rotterdam. He said his cousin had witnessed locals insulting and attacking Asians for wearing a mask. People know they have to wear a mask, but the problem is that youll get into trouble if those Europeans spot you wearing one, he said. At a courier office in Admiralty, local resident Leonor Herbet sent 600 masks to her friends in New York, London and Barcelona. She said people overseas had reacted late and were now struggling to get protective gear. Herbet said she had previously been turned down by friends overseas when she said she could send masks to them. They said no problem, this is London. Now theyre panicking, she said. Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get exclusive access to our webinars for continuous learning, and interact with China AI executives in live Q&A. Offer valid until 31 March 2020. More from South China Morning Post: This article Coronavirus: Hongkongers sending surgical masks overseas as shortages hit friends and family around the world first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. [March 25, 2020] BlueCross Foundation Giving $3.25 Million to Tennessee Food Relief Efforts The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation is donating $3.25 million to multiple food banks across the state. The financial gift will help Tennessee food banks meet the needs of the communities affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Food banks can often purchase supplies at a much lower cost than individuals can, stretching to provide as many as four meals for each dollar they receive in cash donations. "Every day, families count on local food banks for help - and that's especially true now," said JD Hickey, M.D., chairman of the BlueCross Foundation. "Tennesseans can get through these challenging times by coming together, and we're expanding our support for food banks statewide as another way to bring peace of mind to our neighbors." The BlueCross Foundation will distribute food relief funds to the following organizations: $750,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee (Nashville) $750,000 to Mid-South Food Bank (Memphis) $500,000 to Chattanooga Area Food Bank $500,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee (Knoxville) $500,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee (Tri-Cities) $250,000 to Regional Inter-Faith Association (Jackson) The state of Tennessee declared a state of emergency to facilitate the treatment and containment of COVID-19, a global pandemic, on March 12. And due to the oronavirus outbreak, the demand for food assistance is expected to increase with school closures and time away from work. Community members who want to help can find and donate to their local food bank by visiting www.FeedingAmerica.org. As the philanthropic arm of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, which has offices in Chattanooga, Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, Knoxville and Johnson City, the BlueCross Foundation also provided financial and volunteer support for Middle Tennessee relief efforts after a devastating tornado swept through the region earlier this month. For more on how BlueCross is responding to COVID-19, visit BCBSTupdates.com. About BlueCross BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is a taxpaying, not-for-profit health plan serving more than 3.5 million members in Tennessee and around the country. The Chattanooga-based company was founded in 1945 and is celebrating its 75th anniversary of bringing peace of mind to its members and local communities. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company's news center at bcbstnews.com. About BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, Inc., was established in December 2003 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized to promote the philanthropic mission of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. The foundation provides funding for the BlueCross Healthy Place program, which creates active, healthy spaces across Tennessee. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005444/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal On Monday, 854 passengers boarded airplanes at the Albuquerque International Sunport, according to preliminary data. Thats 88% fewer than the same day in 2019. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller on Tuesday called the city-owned airport an absolute ghost town. Albuquerques situation is not unique. With the global coronavirus pandemic growing each day in the U.S., the countrys airlines have already cut most of their international flights and have announced plans to reduce service within the U.S. by up to 40% in April, The Associated Press reported. Those drastic planned cutbacks in service now seem hopelessly optimistic, given the few people who continue to fly, according to the AP. On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines said it would cancel about 1,500 of its nearly 4,000 daily flights starting Friday and continue until its previously revised schedule takes effect April 14. Southwest accounts for about half of all Sunport traffic, although it was not immediately clear which of the Albuquerque flights would be affected. An airline spokesperson said the cancellations will vary by day and market based upon demand. Local officials have been warning against travel since the state announced its first coronavirus case earlier this month. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham urged the states residents to avoid out-of-state travel on March 11, when she declared a public health emergency. The state Department of Health now recommends that anyone who has traveled out of state self-isolate for 14 days to limit potential spread of coronavirus. Keller said people should be traveling now only for emergencies or to get back home. The mayor said he had some early fears that a crowded local airport would contribute to the diseases expansion in New Mexico, but that is no longer a major concern. I think the market and peoples own behavior is really taking care of this; almost no one is traveling, he said. There are planes leaving our town with one person on them. The Sunport is by far the states largest airport, with over 5.4 million total incoming and outgoing passengers in fiscal year 2019. It normally averages about 150 departures and landings a day. But the recent drop-off has been significant. The Sunports daily boardings last Wednesday were 71% lower than the same day in 2019, according to preliminary data that may change before official reports come out. The year-to-year decline was 81% on Thursday and 88% by Monday. While passenger traffic has plummeted, the airport remains open and has active cargo facilities for FedEx and UPS. Often people focus on the public facing sides of an airport the travelers and airlines. Its easy to forget the role airports play in the logistics of emergency operations by supporting statewide response and providing a base for the distribution of supplies, Nyika Allen, the citys aviation director, said in a statement. Our partnership with cargo air carriers, Kirtland Air Force Base, and our many tenants providing essential services is more important now than ever. Even if February is the shortest month, this one couldnt end soon enough. Tom and I started practicing social distancing before it became a part of everyones life. My cold had lasted for the first half of it, and Toms the second. Meanwhile, there were the stresses of moving. Id spent the better part of the month clearing out my 94-year-old mothers apartment. We had recently moved her to an assisted-living facility that, fortunately, she loves. I had hoped March would bring a blessed turnaround. But, before that could happen, on Feb. 27 my mother received some very bad news about her health (nothing related to the coronavirus). Then, on a confounded extra day known as leap day, my cat disappeared. Fifteen years ago, my father and my cat died two months apart. I was terrified that the situation was repeating itself. We had to find Moki. At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed his way into a prominent gurdwara on Wednesday in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the strife-torn country. The Islamic State (IS) terror group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. "Unfortunately, 25 civilians were killed and eight others injured," the Ministry of Interior said in a tweet on the attack carried out by a gunman, who was killed by Afghan special forces. It said 80 people stranded inside the gurdwara were rescued by the security forces. Earlier, the Afghan media reported that the attack that lasted for about six hours was carried out by four terrorists. The ministry said in a statement that 80 people, including women and children, were rescued from the gurdwara. The ISIS terrorist group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the latest attack. The group issued a statement confirming that its members carried out the attack on Sikhs in Kabul city, Khaama Press Agency reported. TOLOnews, quoting sources in the Afghan government blaming the dreaded Haqqani group for the attack. The Pakistan-based Haqqani group, designated by the US as a banned terror outfit, has conducted several deadly attacks inside Afghanistan. Earlier, the country's main militant group, the Taliban, denied their involvement in the attack on the gurdwara. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the militant group had no link with the attack in Shor Bazar area of Kabul. Photos from the blast scene showed security forces carrying wounded people away on stretchers. Some Afghan media outlets shared videos of the family members of victims waiting outside a city hospital in tears. Police in Kabul said that at least 11 children were rescued from the gurdwara. Sikh lawmaker Nardendar Singh Khalsa told reporters that up to 150 people were praying inside the gurdwara when it came under attack. Khalsa, the only representative of the Sikh community in Afghanistan said he received a call from a worshipper inside the gurdwara, informing him about the attack. "I rushed over to help. There were about 150 worshippers inside the gurdwara at the time of the attack," he was quoted as saying by the official Bakhtar Agency. "Afghan forces have cleared the first floor of a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul. A number of people have been rescued who were trapped inside the building," said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack on the gurdwara, TOLOnews reported. "The attack on the religious sites shows the extreme weakness of the enemy, religious sites should not be vulnerable to attacks and violence, it quoted Ghani as saying. The president's spokesperson described the attack as "yet another heartless, cowardly terrorist attack on a worshipping place in Kabul. The Afghan government strongly condemns today's senseless attack on Dharamsala Sikh temple. "Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of this heinous act," the spokesperson said. Former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the attack on the gurdwara and expressed his condolences to the victims' families. In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the attack on the gurdwara. The Ministry of External Affairs also strongly condemned the terror attack and said the targeting of a religious place in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak reflects the "diabolical mindset" of the perpetrators and their backers. "India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan," it said while expressing condolence to the families of the victims. "Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID-19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers," the MEA said. It said India stood in solidarity with the people, the government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country. "We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country," the MEA said. War-torn Afghanistan is currently mired in a political stalemate with two politicians- Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah - both claiming victory in the presidential election. The US, keen to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, has been trying to break the deadlock and also save a historic deal it signed with the Taliban militant group that is supposed to pave the way for peace in the country. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Kabul on Tuesday in a bid to resolve a standoff between President Ghani and his rival Abdullah, who also proclaims himself president following a contested election. Sikhs have been target of attacks by Islamist militants before in Afghanistan. In July 2018, ISIS terrorists bombed a gathering of Sikhs and Hindus in the eastern city of Jalalabad, killing 19 people and injuring 20. Awtar Singh Khalsa, one of the country's best-known Sikh politicians then, was among those killed in the attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Public school teachers worried about whether missing at least three weeks of school would cost them a paycheck or two or impact their pension can breathe a sigh of relief. The state Legislature has your back. An emergency school code bill that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is set to vote on Wednesday addresses the payment of teachers. The bill would ensure that anyone employed by a school on March 13 shall be paid the same as they would have if the pandemic had not occurred. Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the closure of schools on March 13. On Monday, Wolf said schools would be closed until at least April 6 as part of the coronavirus mitigation effort. Additionally, the school code bill guarantees school employees will not see their pension credit or contributions reduced in any way either. The measure also includes a waiver from the states mandate that a school year include a minimum of 180 instructional days. These changes were amended on Tuesday by the House Appropriations Committee into a Senate-passed school bill that alters the teacher and principal evaluation system to reduce reliance on student performance measures, starting in 2021-22. The committee met on the first day the House operated under temporary rules that allow members to vote remotely to give them the opportunity to obey social distancing rules during the COVID-19 outbreak. About two-thirds to three-quarters of members chose to make use of that option judging by the number who showed up on the House floor. Wolfs order closes schools until at least April 6, but he said that could be extended longer if it is considered necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus. If schools are closed for an extended period, it will become difficult for schools to make up the missed days before the end of June. Another part of the emergency changes to state law is a relaxing of rules on schools use of flexible instructional days. These are days when schools could give out school assignments to students to do at home and still have the day count. State law limits districts to a maximum of five flexible instructional days in a school year. Districts also must obtain approval from the education department to include flexible instructional days in their arsenal to help avoid making up days when school is closed for weather or some other emergency situations. The deadline for seeking that approval has long since passed. The emergency school bill authorizes the states education secretary to determine a new maximum number of flexible instructional days schools can use and waives the previous application deadline for gaining department approval. It further goes on to require schools to provide a written notice to parents of students with an individualized education program to ensure the student receives a free and appropriate public education. It also requires schools to make a good faith effort to offer continuity of education to students using alternate means during the period of closure, submit a plan for doing that to the education department, and post it on their districts website for parents to review. Among other provisions, the bill also ensures that no school shall receive any less state funding than it would have if the pandemic had not occurred. It ensures charter schools would receive the same tuition payments they would have received based on their March 13 enrollment. It also requires schools to provide employees who clean school facilities during the pandemic with the appropriate cleaning materials and protective clothing and gear. If approved by the House, the bill moves to the Senate, which is also scheduled to be in session on Wednesday. The bill is expected to receive a Senate vote later in the day. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. PR-Inside.com: 2020-03-25 19:43:02 The first OSC 3.0 Appthe Inspection Project Managersimplifies and streamlines corrosion inspection WALTHAM, Mass., March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data handling can be heavy, disorganized and complicated, but the Olympus Scientific Cloud (OSC) version 3.0 offers powerful new tools that simplify it, enabling users to leverage the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 for their inspection and analytical applications. Accessed directly from the Olympus-IMS website, users will experience a streamlined UI, a new App Marketplace, instrument fleet and personnel management tools, cloud data storage and more. Expanded Capabilities The OSC 3.0 is a single-source platform for all connected Olympus industrial devices to provide continuously enhanced, comprehensive solutions. By signing up for a free OSC account, users with Olympus wireless-enabled devicesincluding the Vanta XRF analyzer, EPOCH 6LT flaw detector and 38DL PLUS thickness gage with a 38-Link adaptorcan expand their instruments capabilities with free features such as 10 GB of storage per tenant, wireless software updates, cloud access to manuals and calibration certificates, user registration, role management and more.* Users can also browse free and paid applications designed to ease some of their most pressing pain points in the new App Marketplace. The first of these new apps, the Inspection Project Manager (IPM), was released with OSC 3.0. The IPM app transforms thickness gage inspection workflows by making them more agile. For supervisors, it provides the tools they need to manage their projects efficiently. Projects can be broken down into as many jobs as required, with tasks and instruments assigned to specific inspectors. Managers maintain visibility throughout the inspection and can monitor the status of each project, job and task. Inspectors in the field can download survey files that have been provisioned for them by a manager and share data with supervisors in the office as soon as it has been captured. Future updates will expand the capabilities of this app to work with other Olympus industrial products. Secure Access and Control The OSC provides a single location where administrators can control the users and devices associated with their cloud tenant. Admins can control users privileges and roles, add/remove members, manage their data and manage subscriptions. For devices, users can add new devices to their tenant and view previously registered instruments. Critical documentation associated with each instrument, such as calibration certificates and user manuals, can also be viewed and downloaded. Your Data, When and Where You Need It The OSC makes it easier to get the right information in front of the right people quickly and efficiently. Each OSC tenant receives 10 GBs of free data storage, and you can upload any type of file that you want. If more than 10 GBs of storage is required, users can add more by subscribing to a higher tier of service. The OSC is protected by leading-edge security features and is built on the Microsoft Azure platform. Users maintain full ownership and control over their data, and Olympus does not access or share customer information. For more information about the Olympus Scientific Cloud, or to sign up for a free account, visit Olympus-IMS.com. About Olympus Olympus is a global technology leader, crafting innovative optical and digital solutions in medical technologies; life sciences; industrial solutions; and cameras and audio products. Throughout our nearly 100-year history, Olympus has focused on being true to society and making peoples lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling. Our Industrial Solutions Business is committed to the safety and betterment of society through the pioneering, development and manufacture of world-leading test and measurement solutions. These solutions are used in industrial and research applications ranging from aerospace, power generation, petrochemical, civil infrastructure, automotive and consumer products. For more information, visit https://www.olympus-ims.com. OlympusTrue to You. True to Society. True to LIFE. *Available features vary by instrument. Olympus, the Olympus logo and the Olympus Scientific Cloud are trademarks of Olympus Corporation or its subsidiaries. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. [music] Today: For the past decade, governors have been relegated to the sidelines of American politics. Alex Burns on how the pandemic is changing that. Its Friday, April 3. So Alex, up until the past few months, how would you describe the role of governors in the United States? alex burns Look, I think that they were very much the supporting cast of American politics. They perform a function that I think people in their states recognize is super important. But they have not been seen for a decade or more now as the kind of people who the great mass of American voters look to for inspiration, direction, national leadership in any kind of crisis. michael barbaro You said a decade or more. So thats a change. alex burns Right. Now for most of that three or four decades prior to that, governors were seen as the most capable leaders in the country. Between 1976 and 2008, the country was exclusively led in the White House by former governors, except for a four-year period. archived recording (jimmy carter) I remember when I announced for president in December of 1974. alex burns Jimmy Carter. archived recording (jimmy carter) There was a major headline on the editorial page of The Atlanta Constitution that said, Jimmy Carters running for what? And the what the what was about this big. alex burns Followed by Ronald Reagan. archived recording (ronald reagan) Good evening to all of you from California. Tonight Id like to talk to you about issues. alex burns A little interregnum there for George HW Bush. Then back to Bill Clinton. archived recording (bill clinton) Welcome to one of my favorite places. The Old State House is an important building to all Arkansans, but its particularly special to me. alex burns Then George W. Bush. archived recording (george w. bu.s.h) I come from Texas. Ive got a record as a governor. Ive been setting agendas. alex burns It was a country led for decades by governors. [music] And starting with Barack Obama, and now obviously President Trump, that pattern has been totally broken. michael barbaro And why do you think that was during that 30- or 40-year that we all looked to governors? alex burns You know, for decades governors would run for president on a narrative of getting stuff done. And so many of the issues that were at the forefront of American politics relating to the size and function of government, relating to the budget and education and health care, issues like abortion rights these were issues that governors could deal with at the state level and then take that narrative to the national level. Starting in 2008, and really, the years before that, all politics become so heavily nationalized. The media environment is totally different, where people are learning about the political scene more from cable news and the internet than from their local paper. And the issues facing the country are so much bigger, or seem so much bigger, than the issues facing any one state. The Iraq war, the financial crisis, and the Great Recession. These are not challenges that a governor necessarily has a good story to tell about confronting. michael barbaro So the nationalization of American politics is kind of the death knell for the governor as the go to figure in our politics. So how does this crisis change that dynamic? alex burns You know, I think it didnt need to change that dynamic. But because you have had such absent or inconsistent leadership from the federal level for months now, it has really fallen to leaders on the state level to deal one by one with this crisis that has completely consumed everything else going on in public life. michael barbaro And when do you think you started to see that, when it came to the governors? archived recording (jay inslee) I want to welcome everyone to the state of Washington, a place where people are very much united and active and confident in our ability to take strong measures to slow down the spread of this epidemic. alex burns So this really starts in Washington State, which is the first place in the country with a large cluster of coronavirus cases. archived recording (jay inslee) Im very pleased that the seven million people in Washington, I think, are united themselves as being leaders in acting responsibly right now. And I want to alex burns Jay Inslee, hes a respected longtime figure in Democratic politics. He ran for president last year for a couple months on a platform of mainly confronting climate change. And he became sort of a popular figure in the party, but didnt make it very far in the Democratic race. archived recording (jay inslee) So starting today, I am ordering, pursuant to my emergency powers, that certain events in Kings, Snohomish and Pierce County with more than 250 people, are prohibited by order of the governor. alex burns Early in March, he takes steps to lock down big sections of his state, especially in the Seattle area, which has the most severe early outbreak of the coronavirus. archived recording (jay inslee) Go ahead. archived recording What are the penalties, exactly, for not abiding by the ban? archived recording (jay inslee) The penalties are you might be killing your granddad if you dont do it. And Im serious about this. The principle reason this is going to work is for people to understand the consequences of lack of community responsibility. alex burns Not far from Washington State, you have other outbreaks in California. archived recording (gavin newsom) The fact is, the experience were having on the ground throughout the state of California require us to adjust our thinking and to adjust our activities. alex burns Where governor Gavin Newsom, a guy who has been talked about in Democratic politics for a long time as a future presidential candidate, decides by the middle of the month that he is going to need to take much more aggressive steps than the federal government. archived recording (gavin newsom) And theres a recognition of our interdependence that requires of this moment that we direct a statewide order for people to stay at home. alex burns He is one of the first big state governors to issue what we now think of as a lockdown order. archived recording (gavin newsom) We are confident that the people of the state of California will abide by it. Theyll do the right thing. Theyll meet this moment. Theyll step up, and they have. archived recording (mike dewine Were now at a critical time here in Ohio in regard to the coronavirus. alex burns But its not just Democrats, and its not just heavily coastal urban states taking these kinds of steps in March. archived recording (mike dewine The decisions that we make as individuals in the next few days, the next several weeks will really determine how many lives are going to be lost in Ohio. alex burns Pretty early in the month, you also have Mike DeWine, the Republican governor of Ohio, taking some of the most aggressive measures to close schools, ban large public gatherings, even at a point when Ohio has a tiny number of confirmed cases. But at the time that Mike DeWine essentially shuts down Ohio, you dont have any kind of message like that coming from the leader of his own party, President Trump. archived recording (mike dewine And here is the truth. With or without a test, the virus is here. It lives among us. And we must be at war with it. This enemy is dangerous, it is relentless, and we must stop it from surviving, multiplying and thriving. alex burns But at this point in the middle of March, most governors are not taking steps like these at all, and many governors are not even speaking publicly about the coronavirus as a looming threat to their own states. archived recording (andrew cuomo) It is deep breath time. alex burns Thats why, all of a sudden, Andrew Cuomo comes to the forefront. archived recording (andrew cuomo) This first of all, this is not our first rodeo with this type of situation in New York. 1968 we had the Hong Kong flu. 2009 we had the swine flu. Avian flu. Ebola. SARS. MERS. michael barbaro And what strikes you about the way Cuomo is handling this? alex burns Look, when you have a national scale crisis, typically it is the president who people hear from every day about the threat that is coming into their homes and into their neighborhoods and what their government is going to be doing to help protect them. Thats not happening here from the White House. Where it does start to happen is Albany, where Andrew Cuomo, who is one of the longest serving, most prominent governors in the country in the state that is home to much of the national media, uses that platform to speak to an audience across his state, but well beyond his state, about the dilemma confronting governors like him. archived recording (andrew cuomo) This is a dramatic time and an unprecedented time. And great challenges require great leaders and great solutions. And thats what this is. alex burns Every single day now, the country hears from Andrew Cuomo about the nature of the threat confronting New York, in many cases, the really specific resourcing issues facing the state. archived recording (andrew cuomo) We have 53,000 hospital beds in the state of New York. We have 3,000 ICU beds. alex burns This is the kind of nitty gritty of governing that most Americans have not paid a whole lot of attention to over the last decade, at least as it pertains to government at the state level. He mixes it together with these sort of philosophizing pep talks for the state. archived recording (andrew cuomo) Sometimes in these positions, you have to make difficult decisions. alex burns Talking about the emotional strain and the anxiety that people are facing in a way that I think most people would traditionally expect from a president. archived recording (andrew cuomo) But my adage in these disasters, emergencies, has always been do everything you can, prepare for the worst, hope for the best. alex burns And the most consistent message throughout all this time is that the measures he is taking are an effort to hold back the worst of the problem, but that in order to actually meet the problem and fix the problem, he is going to need a lot more help from the federal government. Each of these governors is experiencing what is probably the most important moment in their political lives. They are all saying quite pointedly that they cannot master this moment on their own, that without the resources and the leadership of the federal government, there is only so much that each state can do piece by piece. michael barbaro Well be right back. [music] Alex, so far weve talked about what a handful of early acting governors have been up to. As this pandemic has spread across the country and more and more governors have to decide how to approach this, how are you seeing that breakdown, kind of governor by governor? alex burns Well, by late March archived recording (larry hogan) This morning I have signed an executive order which institutes a stay at home directive. No Maryland resident should be leaving their home. alex burns You have 16 states that are in some form of lockdown. archived recording (gretchen whitmer) Today Im issuing a stay home stay safe executive order for all Michiganders. alex burns With a population totaling nearly half the country. archived recording (phil murphy) I signed a second executive order stating clearly that the rules I have laid out supersede all other orders issued by county or municipal officials. They are a sobering reminder of the challenge we are confronting as one New Jersey family, as Ive said before. alex burns Most of these states are pretty blue, pretty urban. There are a couple redder states in there, states with Republican governors. But for the most part, the overarching pattern here is big states with Democratic governors moving fastest. michael barbaro But that, of course, creates a pretty messy and inconsistent approach in a state-by-state way. alex burns Thats right. And some of the biggest states in the country that dont have cases detected early, governors who are inclined to act aggressively, go weeks and weeks without taking similar steps. These are states largely with conservative Republican governors who are closely aligned with President Trump. Florida is probably the best example of this. This is a state governed by a Republican named Ron DeSantis. His whole campaign in 2018 was about his support for President Trump, and he doesnt shut down the state for weeks and weeks. archived recording (ron desantis) You know, its just a different situation. Were a big, diverse state. If you look at New York State, obviously New York City, surrounding areas, some of the other places, yeah, theyre just in a different situation. But I look forward to the guidelines. alex burns And he gets publicly frustrated with people leaving other states that are locked down and coming to Florida, pointing a finger at New York in particular. archived recording (ron desantis) But yet people are riding the subway in New York City. People fly all over the place from some of the hot zones. I mean, you know, really? How does that make any sense if were trying to contain this thing? alex burns But this is what happens when you dont have a uniform response around the country. And it becomes very, very clear, over the course of March and the very beginning of April, that Florida is going to have a huge problem on its hands. michael barbaro Alex, you have identified a bunch of contiguous states in the South where the leaders, generally Republicans loyal to President Trump, seem resistant to closing down their states. And I wonder why you think that that is the case. alex burns You know, I think some of this is ideological, that Republican governors, and particularly Southern governors, have a different view of whether its appropriate and when its appropriate for a governor to use his power to halt business, commerce, normal cultural life. Some of these states are more rural states. And in much of the country, I think even to this day, theres still the perception that the coronavirus is an urban problem. And clearly, that is the case that it is an urban problem, but its also clear that its not just an urban problem. And you know, in so many of these Southern states, it really does also boil down to loyalty to the president and partisanship. Governor DeSantis in Florida is really the perfect example of this. archived recording (ron desantis) So Im in contact with them, and basically, you know, Ive said, are you guys recommending this? alex burns As he, for weeks and weeks, resists taking more aggressive action to mandate social distancing, says pretty much explicitly, if the White House told me to act differently. archived recording (ron desantis) The task force has not recommended that to me. If they do, you know, obviously, that would be something that would carry a lot of weight with me. alex burns That would carry a lot of weight with me. Its as close as we get to hearing a Republican governor whos not taking action say to the White House, please tell me what to do. And so its not an accident that the Republican governors, for the most part, who do break with the president are people who are so well-established in their home states, like Mike DeWine, or who are leading states that arent really that conservative to begin with, like Maryland and Massachusetts, where they may have more political freedom to go their own way than a Republican governor of Georgia in President Trumps Republican Party. michael barbaro I can also imagine how, as a governor of a more rural state where the virus is not really hugely present, there would be a natural inclination not to shut down social and commercial life because many of those states kind of have an institutional social distance. Houses are really far away from each other. There isnt density. And so it would be natural to wait until the federal government said no, no, no. You need to do this now. alex burns I think thats really right. And I think that sort of magnifying that even further, the governors in these states are largely elected by constituencies who are the most representative of the dynamics that youre talking about, that the Republican governor of Georgia, which is not an overwhelmingly rural state, is elected with the overwhelming support of the rural parts of the state. So even at the point where you see an outbreak in Atlanta, an outbreak in Miami or Tampa or Jacksonville, the governors of these states still have to worry about pressure from the business community statewide and from voters who may see whats going on in Miami or Atlanta as largely irrelevant to their own lives. And so these governors are really looking to the White House for leadership and direction on what exactly they should be doing. archived recording ( donald trump) We will be extending our guidelines to April 30 to slow the spread. On Tuesday we will be finalizing these plans and providing a summary of our findings, supporting data and strategy to the American people. michael barbaro Right. And they got it, many of them, in the last couple of days is my sense, when the president disclosed those really scary models that said archived recording ( donald trump) Theyre shocking numbers. You know, youre talking about deaths. Even at the low end you were shocked, when you see 100,000 and 120,000 and 200,000 people over, potentially, a very short period of time. michael barbaro 200,000 could die. And it felt like one by one, the holdout states started to lock themselves down. archived recording (ron desantis) The president just the other day announced they are going to do a 30-day extension for the current guidelines. I mean, I think its clear that that represents, effectively, a national pause. alex burns Thats really how you know so much of this was about partisanship and presidential leadership. When the president goes out and says basically, best case scenario, 100,000 people are going to die, you see, one by one, these states flip almost overnight. archived recording (ron desantis) So given those circumstances and given the unique situation in Florida, Im going to be doing an executive order today directing all Floridians to limit movements and personal interactions outside the home to only those michael barbaro So in the end, Alex, now that we know that a lot of these holdouts would only act when they got a definitive signal from the president to act and in some cases, that meant waiting months into this pandemic do we think that there are going to be meaningful consequences, either good or bad, for the governors who waited, as these governors did, or for the governors who acted very early on behalf of their constituents? alex burns You know, right now, the public opinion information we have suggests that governors across the board are enjoying a real surge in confidence and support from their voters. The overwhelming political test going forward is going to be how did you handle this crisis, and how many lives did you save, and how quickly did you bring back the economy? Looking at the trend lines in the states that have moved most slowly to confront this, its hard not to anticipate a very, very difficult stretch for these governors as the consequences of their choices become really clear. michael barbaro Finally, Alex, I wonder about another aspect of this, the rule of the president, typically, as the source of calm and comfort in moments like this. Thinking, of course, of F.D.R. and his fireside chats. That hasnt necessarily happened here. It has been, instead, the governors. alex burns Thats right. You know, what people have heard from President Trump when he has been attempting to calm the country has been a message that this isnt so bad, and it might actually be over pretty fast. Thats a message he has moved off of in the last week. What they have been hearing from governors archived recording (mike dewine In time of war, we have to make sacrifices. And I thank each and every one of you for all that you are doing every single day. alex burns has been a different kind of candor about just how tough this is going to be and how long it might last. archived recording (gretchen whitmer) This crisis can take a toll on our mental health. Check in with family. Call your loved ones. Go for a walk. Read those books on your list, or even go outside and put your holiday lights back up. alex burns Really a pretty direct message of comfort to people who are understandably really scared right now. archived recording (andrew cuomo) Practice humanity. We dont talk about practicing humanity. But now, if ever theres a time to practice humanity, the time is now. The time is now to show some kindness, show some compassion. alex burns You hear them talking with a level of emotional rawness and directness about the difficulty ahead, really telling their states that they are facing many, many long and difficult months, and asking voters to trust them that it will be OK in the end. michael barbaro Alex, thank you very much. alex burns Thank you. archived recording (mike dewine I am convinced that we can do this. We can do this. archived recording (gretchen whitmer) We must keep our wits about us. That means all of us. archived recording (andrew cuomo) Yeah, we have a problem. Yes, we will deal with it. Yes, we will overcome it. But lets find out better selves in doing it. michael barbaro Heres what else you need to know today. On Thursday, the Department of Labor said that 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the pandemic wiped out jobs across the economy. Over the past two weeks, 10 million Americans have filed for such benefits in what economists are describing as a financial catastrophe and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, during a conference call, called a stunning development. archived recording ( nancy pelosi) More than 6.6 million filing for unemployment last week alone. Doesnt that just not take your breath away? I mean, the virus does, too. But 2.6 million filing for unemployment. alex burns The government is likely to unveil an economic stimulus package as the country battles to curb the spread of coronavirus, a source from Finance Ministry told ANI on Wednesday. The package will be focused on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and daily wage workers besides injecting liquidity in the market, said the source. The government has been in consultation with the Reserve bank of India, capital market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India. The official said a task force has also been formed to give suggestions to the Finance Ministry and top officials are intensively working on the plan, said the official. Earlier a report by news agency Reuters quoted an unnamed source in the Ministry of Finance pegging the bailout package at 20 billion dollars. However, there was no confirmation of this figure. A day earlier, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the economic package is in works. Sooner or later, the government will announce the package to help the markets and industry, she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a 21-day countrywide lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, crippling MSMEs as economic activity comes to a virtual halt. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China urges U.S. to stop politicizing COVID-19 People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:17, March 24, 2020 China has called on the United States to manage its own business well and play a constructive role in international cooperation on fighting the pandemic and safeguarding global public health security. BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China urged the United States to stop politicizing COVID-19 and stigmatizing China, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said Monday. Geng made the remarks at a press briefing in response to a question regarding recent allegations from the U.S. side. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on March 21 that he wished "China would have told us more about what was going on in China." Meanwhile, the White House is reportedly launching a communications plan across multiple federal agencies that focus on accusing China of orchestrating a cover-up and creating a global pandemic. Geng said the Chinese side has noticed relevant reports and added that on March 20, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused China, Russia and Iran of "carrying out disinformation campaigns related to the coronavirus pandemic." Calling the U.S. accusations clumsy slander, Geng stressed China has kept the World Health Organization (WHO) and relevant countries and regions, including the United States, updated with its domestic epidemic situation in an open, transparent and responsible manner. China's efforts have been appreciated by the international community, Geng said, adding that Chinese people have gone all out to fight against COVID-19 in the past two months and won precious time for other countries. "With routine exchanges of information with the WHO and other countries including the United States since Jan. 3, China announced the closure of Wuhan's outbound channels on Jan. 23," the spokesperson said. On Feb. 2, the U.S. government announced its decision to completely ban foreigners who had visited China in the past 14 days from entering the country when only around 10 confirmed cases were found. Within 50 days, the number soared to around 30,000, said Geng. "What effective measures have the United States taken in the 50 days?" Saying the United States has completely wasted precious time won by China in COVID-19 fight, Geng reiterated that defaming, scapegoating and shifting blame to others is immoral and irresponsible. "It will do nothing to help the U.S. COVID-19 prevention work and global cooperation in pandemic control," Geng stressed. China called on the United States to manage its own business well and play a constructive role in international cooperation on fighting the pandemic and safeguarding global public health security, Geng said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Americans Make Unprecedented Civil Liberties Concessions to Battle Coronavirus By Masood Farivar March 24, 2020 The growing coronavirus pandemic has forced millions of Americans to make a once-in-a-lifetime tradeoff: temporarily relinquishing numerous individual rights to protect public health. Consider what has happened in just the last two weeks. Churches, synagogues, and mosques have closed their doors to congregants while thousands of small businesses in parts of the country have been forced to shut down. Courts have delayed trials despite the American constitution's guarantee of a speedy trial while families and lawyers are barred from visiting inmates at state and federal jails and prisons. Across the country, residents have been ordered to avoid large public gatherings. In California, New York and other hard-hit states, more than 80 million people have been ordered to "shelter in place" to avoid contracting or spreading the virus. All of which has raised questions about freedom of movement and the right to travel. It's not just the freedom to assemble or operate a business that many Americans have been forced to give up. Democratic norms such as government transparency have been affected as well. States and municipalities have suspended so-called open meeting laws that ensure citizens access to the inner workings of government. Experts say these civil liberties strictures are unprecedented. Never before have the federal government and all 50 states declared states of emergency in response to a public health disaster, according to James Hodge, director of the center for public health law and policy at Arizona State University. "As a nation, we've thrown at COVID-19 every foreseeable type of emergency declaration that we can issue," Hodge said. "We're doing it in a way that is trying to calibrate and balance civil liberties and consistent with the threats and risks that we face." The declarations have in turn enabled officials to take sweeping measures, from relaxing regulatory standards for vaccines and treatments to restricting people's movement and ability to assemble. The measures are based on a long-recognized legal principle: extraordinary circumstances can justify extraordinarily action. "Pandemics can justify restrictions that burden civil liberties much more than we'd normally tolerate but perhaps they can't justify restrictions that completely deny some right," said Eugene Volokh, a law professor at the University of California at Los Angeles. The crisis in the U.S. has rapidly grown in the past week or two, with reports of more than 46,000 coronavirus cases of more than than 580 deaths as of early Tuesday. Protecting public health while protecting constitutional rights is a balancing act -- and a recurring theme in American history. Ben Franklin, one of America's most beloved founding fathers, once said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." For Volokh, a libertarian constitutional scholar no less, Franklin's famous line cries out for an update amidst the country's worst public health disaster in more than a century. "Those who would give up essential Safety, to purchase a little temporary Liberty, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," Volokh wrote in a recent blog post. It is a message that Americans are increasingly embracing despite pushback by some individuals. Rabbi Jack Moline, president of the Interfaith Alliance in Washington, said American churches, synagogues and mosques have heeded calls to limit and in some cases eliminate -- public worship. "What we're balancing here is the safety of the general population and the sacredness of individual rights," Moline said. "As long as everyone is being treated equally in the public interest, I think Americans will absorb the temporary limits on some of their freedom of expression. "While authoritarian countries such as China have a freer hand in taking hardline steps, U.S. laws governing emergency declarations such as the National Emergencies Act come with constitutional protections that can't be put aside, said Latisha Nixon-Jones, an expert on disaster laws at the University of Oregon. "All of these things (National Emergencies Act, the Stafford Act), when crafted by our own legislature have taken into consideration our own constitutional rights," Nixon-Jones said. But just how far the government can go before it bumps into violating rights is a question many scholars are asking. Volokh said he worries that officials might use the current crisis as a convenient excuse to impose unrelated restrictions. In California, the mayor of San Jose, the state's third-largest city, last week declared that "gun stores are non-essential." In Ohio, the state attorney general ordered several health clinics to stop non-essential abortions. Volokh said it "might not be OK to completely close abortion clinics or gun stores [even alongside all other businesses] if the result is that people just can't get abortions or guns at all." On the other hand, banning political rallies might be acceptable because "people can still speak and organize political action online," Volokh said. Hodge said restrictions such as suspending certain patients' privacy rights and barring visitors to prisons are justified during the pandemic. "Can we do that without violating constitutional rights? Yeah, absolutely," Hodge said. What is unlikely to pass constitutional muster is what China did to fight the virus, ranging from complete lockdowns of entire cities enforced by guards to digital surveillance of at-risk residents to mass testing. While successful in China and elsewhere, such methods are too draconian and unlikely to be tried in the United States, Hodge said. While authorities have the power to quarantine large groups of infected individuals, large-scale domestic travel bans and cordon Sanitaire are constitutionally problematic. "We're not an authoritarian nation," U.S. Surgeon-General Jerome Adams said during a recent "Fox & Friends" interview. "So we have to be careful when we say, 'Let's do what China did, let's do what South Korea did." Rabbi Moline warned that Americans' tolerance for the civil liberties restrictions will run out once the crisis is over. "The time I'd begin to worry is if the emergency is lifted and there were some continuation of the restrictions on our civil rights that are necessary in crisis but unnecessary when there is no crisis," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address While teachers and students are separated as schools close to prevent the spread of COVID-19, educators are finding creative ways to stay in touch. For Conroe ISDs Kaufman Elementary students, that means a parade. The idea started when second-grade teacher Stephanie Shaw was sent a video of teachers from a different district driving through their students neighborhood to say hello and tell the kids they missed seeing them in class. A simple yet effective way to stay connected during a time of high anxiety. It was just going to be our team at first, Shaw said, but as word spread, teachers from multiple grades at Kaufman wanted to join. They gathered at a nearby parking lot in the Imperial Oaks neighborhood Wednesday afternoon as temperatures reached tnto the 80s, lining up around the old Ace Hardware store grouped by grade. With the help of the Conroe ISD police department, the parade wound its way through several miles of the neighborhood, playing music and waving excitedly to the students and parents who came out to see them. A sense of normalcy Were really just hoping that theyll feel joy, a sense of normalcy, Shaw said before the parade. Our kids are little. Weve got kinder all the way through fourth. Especially those little guys, they get so connected really all of them do - to their teachers. During this time, Shaw said the younger students may not fully understand whats going on. She wanted the parade to be a glimpse of normalcy for them in an uncertain time. We cant give hugs but we thought this was the next best thing, Shaw said. Kaufman kindergarten teachers Kim Ferrand and Karen Brunson wanted their students to know that they missed them and were thinking about them, and hoped that the kids would feel a sense of security by seeing their teachers. The separation has been hard for them too. Tough times When you walk into your classroom, thats when it hits me, Brunson said. Its the emptiness that we feel, Ferrand said. I would say this is the most difficult time we have ever had. Namita Lamsal and her son Nirav, a 6-year-old kindergartner at Kaufman, came out to the parade with their handmade sign to show the teachers they care about them too. We wanted to be here, in this, Lamsal said. Its so much that theyre doing for our kids, its the least we could do for them. She and her family have been social distancing for two weeks and Nirav misses his teachers and his classmates. He was excited to be able to say hi to his teacher in the parade. Missing learning Learning. Thats what Leah Besio misses most about not being in school. The first-grader, along with her 3-year-old brother Grant and her parents, was out on their block to wave and make noise as the parade went by. I think it was very kind of them to do that, and I think it gave everyone a sense of community, Shelley Besio, Leahs mom, said. The parade gave the kids something to look forward to and get them out of the house, said Ben Besio, Leahs dad. Its tough on the parents, its tough on the kids, he said of having to stay home. Message of resilience Shaw estimated around 40 cars joined the parade, decorated with messages of resilience and hope for the students. Along the route, parents and students alike were decked out in Kaufman shirts, their own messages of hope put on signs they waved as their teachers drove by. I think our message to them would be that were finding out how resilient we really are, and when times are uncertain and difficult that we can rise to any challenge were given and make the most of it, Shaw said. We can still find ways to choose joy and bring joy to others. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com Jaipur, March 25 : All the 277 evaccues who arrived in India from COVID-19 hit Iran on Wednesday are coronavirus negative, said additional chief secretary of Rajasthan Rohit Kumar Singh. Of the 277 Indians, 273 are pilgrims and 4 are non-pilgrim passengers including 5 children and one infant. They arrived early morning on Wednesday in Jodhpur, confirmed officials. This number includes 149 females and 128 males. They Arrived at Jodhpur in Air India aircraft after landing in Delhi by Mahan Air. All have been taken to Army Wellness Facility at Jodhpur Military Station. Col Sombit Ghosh, PRO, Rajasthan Defence said, "a preliminary screening was conducted at the airport upon arrival and thereafter the evacuees were shifted to the Army Wellness Facility established in Jodhpur Military Station. The Army in coordination with the Rajasthan State Medical authorities and Civil Administration, Jodhpur has made adequate medical and administrative arrangements to cater for a comfortable stay and provide prophylactic medical support. The facility has a dedicated team of Army doctors, who will be constantly monitoring the health parameters of the evacuees for the duration of their stay." New Yorkers have been packing onto subway trains after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority took trains out of commission during the coronavirus pandemic. Video footage from inside one of the carriages shows subway riders standing just inches from each other yesterday as the number of infected people in the city soared over 25,000, making up more than half of cases in the entire US. But despite Gov. Andrew Cuomo's 'stay-home' order on Friday there are many in the city who still feel they must travel. The MTA said: 'Taking precautions against COVID-19 means we have fewer train crews available while our employees follow steps that health officials recommend for everyone.' The MTA said last week that 23 of its employees had tested positive for coronavirus. Video footage from inside one of the carriages shows subway riders standing just inches from each other yesterday as the number of infected people in the city soared over 25,000, making up more than half of cases in the entire US Damaris Sierra, who took the subway from the Bronx to Manhattan early on Tuesday morning said 'we're hopeless.' She told The New York Post: 'This is our reality.' The city's subway service is reducing in the wake of an 87% drop in ridership, MTA officials added. Subway service is being reduced by about 25%, chief operating officer Mario Peloquin said. Morning and evening peak service will be preserved. Service also will be reduced on the MTA's bus lines, the Long Island Rail Road and MetroNorth Railroad. Passengers standing on a busy carriage this week after the MTA slashed the number of trains A subway customer uses a tissue to protect her hand while holding onto a pole as COVID-19 concerns drive down ridership Ridership has fallen more than 70% on all of the MTA's services, chairman Pat Foye said. A shortage of available employees has caused hundreds of subways to be delayed. Twitter user @linerider wrote yesterday: 'People sitting squashed together and standing shoulder to shoulder. Brilliant as always MTA.' Another tweeted: 'You're letting the platforms pile up with people doing more harm then good. I've been waiting on a 2 train at Newkirk Ave well over 30 minutes already.' Although Cuomo's order means that there is less need to travel their are still employees of businesses which are considered 'essential', including supermarkets and pharmacies. Cuomo said of the virus yesterday: 'We are not slowing it. And it is accelerating on its own. One of the forecasters said to me we were looking at a freight train coming across the country. We're now looking at a bullet train.' Commuters wear face masks while riding the subway last week ahead of the schedule changes New York officials have been racing to essentially double their hospital capacity to up to 110,000 beds. Cuomo now said there could be a peak need of 140,000 beds. There were more than 25,000 positive cases in New York state and at least 210 deaths, according to state figures. Most of the cases and deaths have been in New York City, an emerging worldwide hotspot in the outbreak. White House officials urged people who have left New York City amid the outbreak to self-quarantine for 14 days after their departure because of the widespread rate of infection. New York officials are planning to add at least 1,000 temporary hospital beds at the Javits Center for non-COVID-19 patients and thousands of beds elsewhere. But Cuomo said 'they're nowhere near' the number that will be needed. The state also faces shortages of ventilators and protective equipment for medical workers. The death toll from COVID-19 has left people in mourning around the state. People wearing medical masks on the New York subway during a Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic Coronavirus outbreak A passenger wearing surgical gloves riding on the subway last week In Brooklyn, Dez-Ann Romain, 36, principal of a school for students who had struggled in traditional high schools, was remembered as a dedicated educator who gave her all to her students and staff. In the Albany area, 92-year-old technology pioneer Walter Robb died just days after being admitted to the hospital with a severe cough and being put on a respirator. Robb had spent years working at General Electric Co., pushing advancements in imaging equipment used in health care. Alan Finder, a former reporter at The New York Times, was remembered for his decency and kindness. Current Times reporter Kevin Sack said on social media that Finder was a terrific reporter, a calming presence and one of the 'menschiest' guys around. The losses included those who had made New York City their artistic home. Renowned American playwright Terrence McNally, whose work was a mainstay of New York theater, died at 81 in a Sarasota, Florida, hospital. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 09:12:09|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Universal Studios Hollywood, one of the most visited tourist attractions in U.S. Southern California, said Tuesday that it has extended closure through April 19 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We know Coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted many parts of your life -- including your travel and leisure plans and we look forward to welcoming you back to Universal Studios Hollywood when the time comes," said the theme park in a statement. "We continue to follow guidance from health agencies and government officials and are extending the closure of Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk through April 19," it said. "We are closely monitoring the situation and will make adjustments as needed," said the statement. Universal Studios Hollywood said earlier this month that it will be closing for two weeks in response to the guidance of the California Department of Public Health and reopen on March 28. Universal Orlando Resort will also be closed through April 19, according to a statement from Universal. The closure of Universal Studios Hollywood and other theme parks around the world came after the fast spread of COVID-19. California has taken extraordinary steps to protect public health in response to the pandemic. California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order last week, demanding all Californians, nearly 40 million, stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary to head out. U.S. President Donald Trump approved California's request for a presidential Major Disaster Declaration on Sunday to bolster the most populous U.S. state's COVID-19 emergency response efforts. As many as 871 people have been arrested in the city in a span of 24 hours since Tuesday 5 pm for defying the lockdown order imposed by the government in its attempt to contain the spread of Covid-19, a senior police officer said. The arrests were made by the Kolkata Police during naka-checking and patrolling across the length and breadth of the city, he said. Of the 871 held, 235 are from southeast division and 185 from eastern suburban division. A total of 131 offenders were arrested from the central division and 81 more from southwest division, the officer said. Another 71 people were nabbed in port division, while 54 were picked up from south suburban division, he said. Apart from that, police arrested 46 from north division, 47 from south and 21 from east division for violating the 'Total Safety Restrictions' put in place by the Mamata Banerjee government, he stated. All of them will be prosecuted under IPC sections dealing with disobedience of order, the officer added. Earlier in the day, a woman allegedly tried to assault a policeman and bite him in Salt Lake area when her car was stopped for defying the lockdown. The woman, in her early 20s, was arrested for violating the restrictions and assaulting a public servant on duty, a senior officer of the Bidhannagar City Police said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had repeatedly urged people to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, and follow the guidelines set by the government. Nine people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the state so far. Of them, one died at a city hospital on Monday afternoon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A new death caused by infection with the novel coronavirus was registered on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, thus the death toll of the persons who have died from COVID-19 in Romania hits 12, the last patient being a man of 74 from the Ialomita County who had been admitted to the Comanesti Hospital of Bacau, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS) informs Wednesday. The man, who had received oxygen through the mask, manifested symptoms since 19 March, was admitted on 22 March in serious condition. The patient suffered from obesity, arterial hypertension and chronic kidney failure, the GCS release reads. The source adds that the 11th patient who has died was a woman of 64 from Suceava County who had been admitted in a very serious situation to the Suceava County Hospital - the ISU section where she was intubated. Then, she was transferred to the Iasi Infectious Disease Clinical Hospital where she died Tuesday. She suffered from associated illnesses (arterial hypertension, ischemic cardiopathy, atrial fibrillation) and she had traveled, from 13 to 29 February, to the Islands of Mauritius, Seychelles, Dubai," the CGS informs. NEW YORK New York area hospitals are so inundated by COVID-19 cases that they are no longer able to test medical workers who fear their exposure to sickened patients may have made them ill. With cases rising at an alarming rate in the region, hospital executives confirmed that dozens of their own medical workers have been stricken by the virus. Some hospitals are abandoning tests of workers who show no symptoms and are sending them back to care for patients. They are acting reluctantly and wary of alienating their staffs, but can do so within the emergency guidelines issued by the state and federal government. One doctor at an NYU Langone Hospital said that if workers had been in contact with an infected person at home or at work they must report to work unless they show symptoms. Theyre not being tested and are told to wear a surgical mask at all times. At the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, one nurse is under treatment in the intensive care unit, and union officials complain that members who fear theyve been exposed must return to work without testing if they have no symptoms. Many health care workers feel besieged and betrayed, said Karine Raymond, a Montefiore nurse. The looser standards, as well as shortages of masks and other protective equipment, leave nurses in constant fear that they may contract or spread the virus. Because Im in a leadership role, I have to put a brave face on it and be an example of strength to the other nurses who are looking to me for help and leadership, said Raymond, an official at the New York state Nurses Association. But I have all of their anxiety and all of their fear. The shifting practices are causing friction internally and creating a dilemma for hospital administrators who must mobilize as many health care personnel as possible at a time of exploding cases and dwindling supplies. As our capabilities to test continue to expand, more employees will be tested for COVID-19, responded a spokesman for NYU Langone Health. A Montefiore spokeswoman referred to federal guidance. Strict policies and protocols are in place to protect our health care workers who are heroes, saving lives on the front lines every day, Lara Markenson said on behalf of the hospital. When there is exposure of any kind from community spread or otherwise, staff follow all protocols to self quarantine and return to work at the appropriate time per DOH guidelines. In New Jersey, the Hackensack Meridian Health System reports more than 20 employees have confirmed cases throughout its 17 hospitals. Another 200 are being monitored while they work because they were exposed to patients who tested positive, said Dr. Daniel Varga, chief physician executive. As long as they have no fever and wear a mask, we are allowing them to work, he said. If they develop a fever at all, then they are quarantined and tested. Caregivers and emergency personnel are falling ill just when they are most needed, as the New York area has overtaken Seattle as the nations primary hot zone. Coronavirus testing also hasnt been available to the citys more than 3,000 emergency medical services personnel, including paramedics and emergency medical technicians, said Anthony Almojera, the vice president of the Local 3621 FDNY EMS officers union in New York City, one of the largest unions of its kind in the nation. At least 150 of the personnel are sidelined with what they take to be coronavirus, he said. We are here to help, Almojera said. Nobody is complaining about that. What we are complaining about is not having enough of what we need to keep us safe. The masks, testing for first responders. There was no plan for this by the city and department, and it shows. Staff shortages have also forced the closure of the Brooklyn Heights and West Village locations of CityMD, which runs 43 urgent care centres in New York. Quarantines of 14 days have generally been advised for anyone with direct contact with an infected person as a safeguard to protect individuals and slow the spread of the virus. For health care workers, the practice was similar. New York state recently issued emergency guidelines allowing exposed workers to simply self-monitor taking their temperature twice a day and wearing masks while in the hospital. They are instructed to work only in wards dedicated to COVID-19 patients. But a state directive of March 16 warns that those standards may be impossible to uphold. As the pandemic grows, all staff will need to be assigned to treat all patients, regardless of risk, it said. At Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey, about 35 employees are in quarantine. One of their colleagues, 44-year-old food services worker Andres Benitez, died Monday. He was loved for his huge personality and warm smile, said Michael Maron, the chief executive officer. Maron himself has been quarantined at home after his test came back positive. The entire hospital is traumatized, said Dr. Adam Jarrett, the chief medical officer. When you lose someone from that type of condition when youre all in the trenches trying to help patients with that condition, it takes an even harder toll on the staff. The toll among hospital staff is mounting. Dr. James Pruden, the director of emergency preparedness at St. Josephs University Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey, is in critical condition. The nurse in intensive care at Montefiore is on a ventilator, according to Raymond. Officials at Hackensack Meridian and Holy Name noted that workers may have been exposed in the community rather than at the hospital. Speaking for a broad group, Raymond said that nurses feel incredibly disrespected by their leaders. We dont understand why outside governmental agencies rolled back the guidelines and were able to do that, Raymond said. We dont understand why larger government hasnt mandated industry to mass produce this equipment that they desperately need. We just dont understand it. We feel as though we are fodder and lambs to the slaughter. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (2L), White House Director of Legislative Affairs Eric Ueland (3L), and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows (4L) arrive at the U.S. Capitol to continue negotiations on a $2 trillion economic stimulus in response to the CCP virus pandemic in Washington, late March 24, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) White House, Senate Reach Deal on $2 Trillion Relief Package for COVID-19 The White House and U.S. congressional leaders in the Senate reached an agreement on a $2 trillion relief package amid the COVID-19 pandemic, White House official Eric Ueland said shortly after midnight on Wednesday. Ladies and gentlemen, we are done. We have a deal, he said. The text of the deal was not expected to be available until later on Wednesday. The package would give direct payments of up to $3,000 to most U.S. families, and provide some $367 billion to a program for small-business loans to help them keep making payroll as workers are forced to stay home due to orders in several states across the country. The package also includes a $500 billion fund for guaranteed, subsidized loans to help larger industries, $250 billion for expanded unemployment aid, and $75 billion for hospitals. Democrats twice blocked the $2 trillion package prior to the agreement. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. The pandemic has killed more than 800 people in the United States and infected more than 55,000 to date, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Confirmed cases of the CCP virus continue to rise in the United States as testing improves and as more people are becoming exposed to the virus. The United States confirmed more than 10,000 new cases on Tuesday, the highest number reported in one day so far. White House officials announced Tuesday that any person who has left New York City and the New York metropolitan area should self-quarantine for 14 days since the time they left to minimize the risk of spreading the CCP virus throughout the country. Stay at home orders have been issued over the past week in multiple U.S. states, affecting about one in three U.S. residents, in efforts to curb the spread of the virus. The states include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, West Virginia, and Washington. Residents are recommended to remain at home unless they need to leave for essential activities. Non-essential businesses have also been ordered closed. Each state has slight variations as to what qualifies as essential, but generally the list encompasses grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, and basic health services. Congress earlier passed an $8.3 billion emergency spending package (pdf) over the CCP virus in early March that Trump signed into law on March 6. The legislation enables funding to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 and other prevention measures. The president on March 18 signed off on the Houses emergency aid packagethe second such aid package in Marchthat provides paid sick and family leave for a number of Americans, free COVID-19 testing, and a boost to unemployment insurance. On the same day, Trump said he was invoking the Defense Production Act to directly order firms to produce critical goods in response to the outbreak, allowing for the hastening of production of medical supplies like ventilators, masks, and test kits. Trump also directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development to suspend evictions. Trump declared a national emergency on March 13, which enabled up to $50 billion in disaster relief funds to be provided to state and local governments to respond to the CCP virus pandemic. Jack Phillips, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report. Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State says he is in self-isolation as a precautionary measure against the spread of Coronavirus. Mr Fayemi, also Chairman of the Governors Forum, made this known on Wednesday in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Olayinka Oyebode, in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. The governor, in the statement, said his going into self-isolation, should not be misconstrued to mean that he already has the COVID-19 disease. There is no cause for alarm. I just took this step as a precautionary measure. I have been in contact with those suspected to be having the case of COVID-19, and I felt I have to do this to help the situation. With the circumstance we find ourselves today, every citizen must engage in personal hygiene and take actions that can help us overcome this challenge, and that is exactly what I have done, he said. Mr Fayemi, therefore, urged Ekiti residents not to panic over the development. I took the precautionary measures in the best interest of all and to prevent the spread of the disease, the governor said. READ ALSO: He urged Ekiti indigenes to abide by his directives on social distancing and obey fully the restriction of gathering to only 20 people and handwashing to prevent the spread of the disease. Mr Fayemi had earlier announced his self-isolation on his twitter handle, following unfolding revelations that some top presidential aides and governors, whom he had contacts with, had tested positive to the virus. (NAN) Bergen County, which continues to have the most cases of the coronavirus in New Jersey, will begin accepting donations of protective gear as critically needed supplies of medical masks, gloves and robes quickly run out, an official said. Personal protective equipment, including respirators, surgical masks, medical face shields, medical gowns and latex gloves can be donated at the Annex Building at 220 East Ridgewood Avenue, in Paramus, announced Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco. Starting 9 a.m. Thursday, donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. The donation site is drive-thru, with anyone donating asked to have donations in the trunk or back of their vehicles, ready to be unloaded by county staff. The county will accept small and large donations, with equipment necessary to unload donations that fit on pallets. The county has been the hardest hit by the coronavirus in New Jersey since the states first case, a Fort Lee healthcare worker who was just released from Hackensack University Medical Center on Saturday. Bergen County has 819 cases as of the Wednesday afternoon briefing by state officials. Bergens cases account for more than 18 percent of the states 4,402 confirmed cases of the virus. We are asking for donations of PPE from hardware stores, hair salons, nail salons, tattoo shops and any other business that is able to help our health care professionals get the equipment they need to treat residents suffering from this dangerous virus," said Tedesco, who is himself in self-quarantine after a March 15 press conference attended by a person that tested positive for COVID-19. The announcement comes as police, first responders and medical workers across New Jersey have begun pleading for more supplies as the battle against the coronavirus continues. Staff at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck - the epicenter of the countys outbreak with 145 cases as of Wednesday morning - have taken the unprecedented step of publicly pleading for supplies. On Sunday, the hospital said it was down to a four-day supply of respirator masks and had no hospital gowns left. Dr. Suraj Saggar, the hospitals chief of infectious disease told NJ Advance Media the hospital looks like a war zone. Anyone who wants to donate can email PPEdonations@co.bergen.nj.us with any questions they might have, the statement said. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rodrigotorrejon. T he government is considering releasing offenders from Britains prisons to ease the pressure caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Justice Secretary has confirmed. Robert Buckland QC told MPs prisons are facing a huge challenge from the Covid-19 outbreak and inmates are now spending longer confined to their cells to try to stop the spread of the virus. However he said to alleviate pressure on the overcrowded jails, the release on licence of low-risk inmates is now being contemplated. Mr Buckland said around 9,000 people are currently on remand awaiting trial, and - subject to risk assessments - some may be put into bail hostels during the crisis. In an evidence session to the House of Commons Justice Committee yesterday, he added that around 50 pregnant women are behind bars and may also be considered for temporary release. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland / PA Asked by committee chairman Sir Bob Neill if it is necessary or wise to keep prisoners in custody if they pose little or no risk to the public, Mr Buckland said: I absolutely take on board the point, and release on temporary licence is available. Im keen to make judicious use of that as much as possible in order to achieve the necessary leeway. Pressed on the question of releasing inmates, Mr Buckland added: I have to bring that as part of the equation here. However, I want to reassure the committee that the question of risk has to be up there in the question of the way this is done, if we are to do this. The Minister said he is striking a balance between the need to save lives and protect the vulnerable, and maintaining law and order and public protection. Mr Buckland said work is already underway to assess bail hostels as accomodation for prisoners on remand, saying it would allieviate some of the pressure that clearly exists within the system at the moment. However he cautioned that it would heap pressure on to the probation service. Prison charities have been calling for the release of non-violent offenders, inmates over 70 or with serious health conditions, pregnant women, and anyone being held in minimum security jails. Mr Buckland outlined some of the challenges they are facing across the prison estate while attempting to enforce social distancing, including inmates sharing cells and handcuffing. Prisons are facing a huge challenge from the COVID-19 outbreak / PA Archive/PA Images The committee heard indoor gyms in prison have now been shut and public visits and education sessions halted, while inmates are being kept in their cells apart from meal times, to shower and make phone calls, and to exercise in the open air. Twelve prisoners have tested positive for coronavirus across nine prisons in England and Wales, but Mr Buckland accepted there will be many more suspected or undetected cases. Around 3,500 prison staff are in self-isolation, the committee heard. The Ministry of Justice has said 900 phones are being distributed across 55 prisons, to ensure that those who do not have a phone in their cell can contact loved ones during the crisis. B aywatch star David Hasselhoff has bought a villa on the Indonesian island of Gili Meno. The small and pristine, car-free retreat is focused on preserving nature and looking after its wildlife. The Hoff, 64, seen below with fiancee Hayley Roberts, 37, a Welsh former shop assistant, said: The search for freedom is one of my biggest songs in life. At Gili Meno, I knew Id found it the moment my feet hit the sand. I thought, wow, I can breathe here. The water was unlike any Ive seen it was paradise. The waves were fantastic and there were very few people. I think there were more turtles on the island than tourists. The Hoff is now encouraging others to follow in his footsteps and buy one of the 86 remaining properties in the Bask development. Ranging from studios and lofts to three-bedroom villas, they are being marketed as investments rather than homes. Buyers and their guests are entitled to use their property for up to 30 days a year, with the villas let out as part of the resort for the rest of the year. The official opening will take place in early 2019 and prices currently start at 172,000, about half the cost of comparable property in Bali. Owners will receive annual returns of 7.5 per cent guaranteed for the first two years, and thereafter a share of the resorts gross rental revenue. The Hoff's slice of paradise and other A-list pads... 1 /38 The Hoff's slice of paradise and other A-list pads... The Hoff's slice of paradise Baywatch star David Hasselhoff has bought a villa on the Indonesian island of Gili Meno. Scroll right... Getty Images for Paramount Pictures Gili Meno The Hoff said: The search for freedom is one of my biggest songs in life.... baskgilimeno.com Gili Meno ...At Gili Meno, I knew Id found it the moment my feet hit the sand." baskgilimeno.com Gili Meno There are 86 remaining properties in the Bask development. baskgilimeno.com Gili Meno Ranging from studios and lofts to three-bedroom villas, they are being marketed as investments rather than homes. baskgilimeno.com Gili Meno Buyers and their guests are entitled to use their property for up to 30 days a year, with the villas let out as part of the resort for the rest of the year. baskgilimeno.com Gili Meno The official opening will take place in early 2019 and prices currently start at 172,000, about half the cost of comparable property in Bali. baskgilimeno.com Gili Meno Owners will receive annual returns of 7.5 per cent guaranteed for the first two years, and thereafter a share of the resorts gross rental revenue. baskgilimeno.com Gili Meno The resort features 24-hour room service, daily housekeeping and luxury catering. Its Baywatch, but not as we know it > Scroll right for more A-list homes... baskgilimeno.com Liams Hampstead oasis is 1.65m Liam Gallaghers old cottage is for sale in Vale of Health bordering Hampstead Village. The rocker and his girlfriend Debbie Gwyther, pictured, now live in an apartment in the next-door north London village of Highgate. If you fancy a summer cottage in a quiet spot, the property is for sale for 1.65m. Rex Brand Beckham hits Covent Garden David Beckham and his business partner Daniel Kearns are leasing a unit in Floral Street, Covent Garden, for their Kent & Curwen British heritage sportswear flagship store which is expected to open in September. Designed by Paris-based Architecture + Associes, the concept is inspired by a skylit vintage gym and features a central box in aged metal and hand-blown green glass. Getty / Alamy Megs neighbours are Justin and Harry Actress Meg Ryan has bought a flat in New Yorks fashionable Tribeca district. The Harry Met Sally star splashed out 7m on a three-bedroom, three-bathroom flat in the same building as singers Justin Timberlake and Harry Styles. Getty Haslams house for a born entertainer Nicky Haslam, interior designer to celebrities including Mick Jagger, Roman Abramovich, Bryan Ferry and Rod Stewart, created a glam Knightsbridge home thats now on the market for 16.95m. The five-bedroom house is pure Haslam luxury, with a spa floor including gym, Jacuzzi, steam room and rainshower room. > Scroll right for more A-list homes... Damien McFadden Kims 7 million TV mansion Seen by more television viewers than just about any other mansion in recent years, Palazzo Dei Sogni is for sale in the Hollywood Hills for 7.08m. Styled to resemble an Italian castle, it has been the TV home in several big shows including Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Built in 1983 and remodelled in 2005, the 7,800sq ft pile has seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms and sits in an acre of grounds. > Read more... Getty Home of an icon Pop star Diana Vickers will portray the late, great Dusty Springfield in the new musical Son of a Preacher Man and, as part of her research, she should surely book a viewing at the lateral Art Deco house in Aubrey Walk, Kensington where Sixties icon Springfield lived with her lover, Norma Tanega. The modern, seven-bedroom home is for sale for 15.5m after a 1m price drop. > Read more... Dave Benett Sugar sidekick sells sanctuary Lord Sugars aide Claudine Collins is selling her Belsize Park flat. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat close to Primrose Hill, South End Green and Hampstead Heath, is on the market for 1.35m. Warm in winter and cool in the summer, Collins says her house has been an ideal sanctuary away from her hectic business lifestyle. > Read more... Rex In vogue A slice of British Vogues heritage is for sale as the fashion powerhouse enters a new era, with Alexandra Shulman handing over the editorship to Edward Enninful. Beatrix Miller edited the magazine for 21 years until 1985, and now her Mulberry Walk house in SW3 is for sale for 8.95m. > Read more... Fancy Fitzrovia or Cornwall? Film-maker Monty Whitebloom, who will release Look Away starring Chloe Sevigny and Aiden Poldark Turner this year, is selling both his home in Fitzrovia and his retreat in Cornwall. The 18th-century mews, just off the media hotspot of Charlotte Street, has been listed for 2,425,000. > Read more... Getty "Paparazzi-proof" Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel have reportedly bought a NY penthouse in a block favoured by celebrities for its "paparazzi-proof" credentials. The A-list couple are thought to have forked out almost 15.6m for the Tribeca home. > Read more... Getty Plenty of room for the girl squad Singer Taylor Swift has her sights set on west London so she can be close to her British actor boyfriend Joe Alwyn. She needs plenty of space for her squad, plus a pool and an extravagant interior design, so this 8,000sq ft four-bedroom Chelsea townhouse, with interiors by Rabih Hage, could be a hit with the Shake it Off singer. > Read more... Getty Uptown Funk The publisher of mega chart hit Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars, New Songs Administration's HQ is one of London's more discreet celebrity addresses. But the building's musical days could be numbered as the licence has been changed to residential use - offering the chance to create a three-bedroom house - with permission in place for a basement. It's on the market for 1.65 million, through Lurot Brand. > Read more... Getty Rentals royal links Fashion designer Lindka Cierach counts royals as clients. The Duchess of Cambridge and actress Dame Helen Mirren have been spotted in her designs. So its fitting that Cierachs former Parsons Green home has an understated glamour. The five-bedroom house is for rent at 2,300 per week with Hamptons International. > Read more... Getty LA housewife heads for NYC high life Former Real Housewives reality star, Yolanda Hadid is swapping Los Angeles for New York's 30 Park Place, where a penthouse would set you back 23.3m. Hadids new home is in the tallest Downtown residential tower at 926ft, with 82 storeys and sweeping 360-degree views of New York City. > Read more... Getty Harry's new direction Only weeks after snapping up a bachelor pad in New York, Harry Styles has listed his Hollywood Hills mansion for sale. He bought the three-bedroom home in January last year for 5.3m and seeks 6.6m after renovating it. > Read more... Getty A lake view pool Muse singer Matt Bellamy has listed his four-bedoom penthouse in a historic lakeside Italian villa for sale for 1.5 million. The band recorded their 2011 Emmy-winning album The Resistance in a studio, which is included in the sale. The flat is spread over the top two floors of the 19th century building in Moltrasio, a village on the banks of Lake Como and offers panoramic views of the lake from its large terrace. > Read more... Getty Diane Keaton's former beach house The former home of Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton in Laguna Beach, California, is for sale. The Annie Hall star, 71, bought the four-bedroom, six-bathroom house in 2004 for 5.7m and worked her magic in the restoration. She sold the 4,158sq ft residence in 2006 for 9.8m and it has just come back on the market at 12.3m. > Read more... Getty A home in Hampstead fit for Kimye A Hampstead home is for sale by architect Claudio Silvestrin, who has designed for rapper Kanye West. The five-bedroom, five-storey house has panoramic views across the city and a terraced garden designed by Chelsea Flower Show Gold winner Chris Beardshaw. All this grandeur comes with a hefty price tag. The 7,940sq ft property is 22.5 million through Beauchamp Estates. > Read more... Alamy Gaga's fashion designer's cut-price home Fashion designer Ashley Isham, whose designs have been worn by Lady Gaga has knocked nearly 1 million off the asking price of his Holloway home. The former tram shed which Isham turned into a vibrant loft space on feng shui principles, was listed last year for 4.35 million. Its back on the market at 3.5 million, this time with The Modern House. > Read more... Getty A Rolling Stones crash pad A five-bedroom detached home where the Rolling Stones stayed before some of their concerts has been listed for sale for 1.1m. The late Stones co-founder and guitarist Brian Jones with the band in the Sixties, was born in Cheltenham and was a good friend of Kerry Hamer, then-owner of the house. > Read more... Getty The resort features 24-hour room service, daily housekeeping and luxury catering. Pakistan has suspended all domestic flight operations until April 2 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus after the country reported over 1,000 cases and seven deaths from the COVID-19 infection, authorities said on Wednesday. The nationwide tally of COVID-19 patients touched 1,037 with 413 cases in Sindh; 115 in Balochistan; 296 in Punjab; 117 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; 80 in Gilgit-Baltistan; 15 in Islamabad and one in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, The Express Tribune reported. The National Disaster Management Authority has said that so far seven people have died due to the coronavirus and 18 recovered. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the country has halted its domestic flights operations. Abdul Sattar Khokhar, the spokesman of Aviation Division, said that the decision was part of ongoing efforts to contain the deadly coronavirus. The ban will be effective from Thursday, Khokhar said. According to a statement on the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority's website on Tuesday, the government has "decided to suspend all types of domestic scheduled/non-scheduled, chartered and private aircraft passenger flight operations with effect from Thursday, March 26, at 6:00am up to April 02, 2020." Pakistan has already suspended international flights this week. However, cargo flights are exempted from the flight suspension ban. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the homegrown cases of coronavirus were very limited but the threat of the spread of the infection was not yet over. Addressing a meeting of parliamentary leaders of various parties via video conference, he said: "You would be happy to know that till yesterday only 153 cases were of local transmission and the rest were people who entered the country from abroad", defending the policy of not bringing students from China due to which the country did not witness a single case of coronavirus coming from the neighbouring country. Khan was still ambivalent on the issue of complete curfew like lockdown, which he said would hit hard the daily wagers and those living below the poverty line. He said the current lockdown in Sindh was a bit too much. "In the federal government, we were of the view that we need to tailor our response according to the number of cases. Sindh reacted further. Due to the pressure by the media and the people, the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab also initiated incremental lockdown," he said. He asked the provinces to continuously reassess the lockdown as it may have serious impact on the economy. "Even in the western world, there is a debate on whether coronavirus comes first or the economy," Khan said, adding that the construction industry should not be effected by the lockdown otherwise problems of poor workers would increase. He said that the national coordination committee on the coronavirus would meet on Thursday to see if there was a need to impose curfew and if the transport across the country should be suspended. "Only the people can fight this war, no government can," he said. Meanwhile, there is complete lockdown in the country and people have been told to remain inside of their homes. They are only allowed to go out in case of emergency. The government has pledged to increase testing capability and other facilities in hospitals as new medical supplies are expected to start pouring in from China by Friday, according to NDMA chief Lt-Gen Muhammad Afzal. According to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker, there are 417,966 confirmed cases across the world, 18,615 deaths and 107,705 recoveries. On Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced a multi-billion rupee stimulus package to combat the deadly coronavirus and to facilitate poor people in the prevailing circumstances. The government also suspended all passenger train operations through the country till March 31 and deployed army to assist the civil administration to enforce a nationwide lockdown to contain the virus outbreak. Khan said Rs 200 billion has been allocated for the labour class to mitigate their sufferings, while the government is also reaching provinces and the business community to extend their assistance. He said the government was highly conscious of its responsibilities and it was due to various policies and steps that the coronavirus was still contained in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Married At First Sight's Jessika Power has doubled down on claims her former friend Martha Kalifatidis cheated on her 'husband', Michael Brunelli. Jessika told Hit Mid North Coast's Krysti & Bodge on Wednesday that her co-star Ines Basic has 'text messages' that support her allegations. 'Ines is going to kill me because she just said to leave it, but it's true!' she said. Unproven: Married At First Sight's Jessika Power (pictured) has doubled down on claims her former friend Martha Kalifatidis cheated on her 'husband', Michael Brunelli Jessika claimed there 'was a lot of cheating going on' around Christmas 2018, after the MAFS cast had finished filming the sixth season. Her allegations should be taken with a grain of salt, however. Not only has she not provided specific details, but she doesn't even have access to the text messages that supposedly corroborate her claims. 'There is text messages that I've read. But Ines won't give them to me,' she said. Evidence? Jessika told Hit Mid North Coast's Krysti & Bodge on Wednesday that her co-star Ines Basic (pictured) has 'text messages' that support her allegations What's the truth? Jessika's allegations should be taken with a grain of salt, however. Not only has she not provided specific details, but she doesn't even have access to the text messages that supposedly corroborate her claims. Pictured: Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli It comes days after both Jessika and Ines accused Martha of cheating on Michael during a bitter war of words on Instagram. When contacted by Daily Mail Australia last week, Martha denied the allegations but refused to comment further. The saga began last Monday when Martha slammed her former friends in an Instagram Live video, telling fans she'd rather undergo 'root canal surgery' than speak to them again. Hitting out: It comes days after both Jessika and Ines accused Martha of cheating on Michael during a bitter war of words on Instagram Hitting back at the snub, Jessika claimed on Instagram that Martha had cheated on Michael at the start of their relationship, and wanted to leave him for a richer man who could 'take her shopping at Gucci'. Jessika alleged Martha was 'sleeping with her ex-boyfriend' over Christmas in 2018, after she'd left the show with Michael but before the cast reunion in January 2019. She went on to accuse Martha of plotting to leave Michael and live with 'an Arab sheikh'. By Richard Cowan and David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. senators and Trump administration officials have reached an agreement on a massive economic stimulus bill to alleviate the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, the negotiators said on Wednesday. The Senate will vote on the $2-trillion package later in the day and the House of Representatives is expected to follow suit soon after. "This is a wartime level of investment into our nation," Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a speech announcing the pact after days of negotiations between Republican and Democratic lawmakers, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other top aides to President Donald Trump. "We're going to pass this legislation later today," McConnell said. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the measure "the largest rescue package in American history," describing it as a "Marshall Plan" for hospitals and medical needs, in a reference to the U.S.-funded program that helped rebuild Europe after World War Two. "Help is on the way, big help and quick help," Schumer said. The text of the pact was not due to be available until later on Wednesday. McConnell said the package would rush checks to help Americans pay bills during job layoffs related to the outbreak, expand unemployment insurance and deliver emergency loans to small businesses. It would also "stabilize key national industries" and provide financial help for hospitals and healthcare providers struggling to get equipment for sick patients, he added. The stimulus package had been expected to boost the economy with a massive infusion of aid, including a $500 billion fund to help hard-hit industries with loans and a comparable amount for direct payments of up to $3,000 to millions of U.S. families. Other provisions are expected to include $350 billion for small-business loans and $250 billion for expanded unemployment aid. Story continues Schumer said it also included $100 billion for hospitals and health systems, along with additional money for other health care needs. Another $150 billion would go to help state and local governments fight the outbreak. Schumer said Democrats won strict oversight rules for the hundreds of billions of dollars in loans on offer to U.S. industries. TARGETING TRUMP FAMILY One provision, according to a Schumer aide, would bar businesses controlled by real estate mogul Trump and his family, Vice President Mike Pence, members of Congress and heads of executive branch departments from receiving loans or investments from Treasury Department programs. The global pandemic has killed more than 660 people in the United States and sickened more than 50,000, shuttered thousands of businesses, thrown millions out of work and led states to order 100 million people - nearly a third of the population - to stay at home. (Interactive graphic tracking global spread of coronavirus: open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.) The money at stake in the stimulus legislation exceeds the amount the United States spends on national defense, scientific research, highway construction and other discretionary programs, combined. On Tuesday, top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the $2-trillion stimulus bill would work in tandem with $4 trillion in bolstered lending power from the Federal Reserve. Investors had welcomed news that agreement on the package was near. Wall Street bounced back on Tuesday from three-year lows on word the negotiators were close to a deal. Trump, who is campaigning for re-election on Nov. 3, has said he wants Americans to return to work more quickly than many medical experts had advised. On Tuesday, he set a target of the April 12 Easter holiday, which would ease a public health clampdown intended to slow spread of the virus. To become law, the stimulus deal must pass the Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority, and the House of Representatives, which is led by Democrats, and then be signed by the Republican president. Mnuchin told reporters after the agreement was announced that Trump "absolutely" would sign it if it passed Congress. The package "is going to be very important to help American workers, American businesses and people across America," he added. Mnuchin urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to quickly schedule a vote on the measure once it clears the Senate. Aides to Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, did not immediately respond to a request for comment when the deal was announced well after midnight. (Reporting by David Morgan and Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell and Patricia Zengerle; Writing by Andy Sullivan and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Peter Cooney and Clarence Fernandez) Seniors left to die at retirement homes amid coronavirus outbreak, Spains defense minister reveals Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Several patients at senior homes in Spain have been found dead after being abandoned by staff during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the countrys defense minister revealed, and prosecutors are now promising to prosecute those responsible. The bodies were discovered by soldiers who were sent in to offer emergency healthcare assistance and disinfect the elderly people's homes, Spains Ministry of Defense said, according to The Telegraph. An unspecified number of abandoned dead bodies were discovered at the privately-run homes where most of the staff had stopped going after getting infected with the new coronavirus themselves. The army, during certain visits, found some older people completely abandoned, sometimes even dead in their beds, Defense Minister Margarita Robles told the TV channel Telecinco. "We are going to be strict and inflexible when dealing with the way old people are treated in these residences. Were going to be very blunt and implacable over this and we have a very clear message: The full weight of the law will fall on those who dont meet their obligations. Dozens of deaths have been reported at retirement homes across Spain, which is the second worst affected country in Europe after Italy. Italy now has the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in the world, numbered at more than 6,000. A week ago, at least 19 deaths were confirmed at the Monte Hermoso senior center in Madrid, where some 400 senior living facilities are located. While authorities in Spain threaten to prosecute the workers who left the sick seniors to die, some complain that they are being forced to work in dangerous conditions, without proper equipment. Funeral homes, they say, have also been coming late to collect bodies senior home staff are unable to touch due to protocols in place to prevent the spread of the disease. Workers are putting themselves on the line, without resources, without healthcare support, without protective gear, Jose Manuel Ramirez, president of the Association of Social Services Directors and Managers, told El Pais in response to the threat of prosecution he called unfortunate and shameful. He urged the public not to criminalize employees who are acting like heroes and heroines. About 14% of Spains approximately 40,000 coronavirus infections are among health workers, Reuters reported. Officials revealed that the military disinfected 179 nursing homes on Monday and plan to clean another 96 on Tuesday. Rafael Aguilera, mayor of Alcala del Valle, a small town in Andalusia, pleaded for help after reporting 38 of 42 residents at the local nursing home had tested positive for the virus, along with 60% of staff. The virus doesnt kill people ... whats killing people is the system, he said at a news conference. Our seniors need a permanent solution now. We need oxygen, ambulances and hospitals, he said in a video posted on the towns Facebook page. A person died in our arms because we couldnt get hold of oxygen. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 09:24:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman wearing a face mask walks through a commercial zone in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, March 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso) Xi said China is ready to provide assistance within its capacity for Brazil and contribute to curbing the global spread of the disease. BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday night that China stands ready to provide assistance within its capacity for Brazil's battle against COVID-19 and help contain the global spread of the coronavirus disease. He made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Brazilian counterpart, Jair Bolsonaro. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi extended sincere sympathies and firm support to the Brazilian government and people over their fight against COVID-19. Noting that the disease has recently broken out in many parts around the world and been spreading rapidly, Xi said the top priority now is for countries to strengthen cooperation. Upholding the notion of a community with a shared future for mankind, and with an open, transparent and responsible attitude, China has been releasing epidemic information in a timely manner, said Xi. China, he added, has also been sharing prevention, control and treatment experience with the World Health Organization and the international community without reservation, and doing its best to provide assistance for other parties. Xi said he follows the outbreak in Brazil closely, and hopes that Brazil will arrest the epidemic's spread as soon as possible. Noting that China and Latin American and Caribbean countries held a video conference on epidemic prevention and control on Tuesday, Xi said China is ready to provide assistance within its capacity for Brazil and contribute to curbing the global spread of the disease. Xi stressed that the international community has already arrived at a consensus that China made enormous sacrifices in the fight against COVID-19 and bought precious time for the world. As comprehensive strategic partners, he said, China and Brazil need to maintain strategic focus, support each other on their respective core interests and major concerns, and jointly send to the international community a message of solidarity and a positive signal that they are in the COVID-19 battle together. Meanwhile, the two countries should push forward practical cooperation in various fields, enhance communication and coordination within such multilateral frameworks as the G20 and BRICS, and jointly safeguard and advance their comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi added. The Chinese president said he is confident that China and Brazil will certainly beat the disease hand in hand and lift their all-round cooperation to higher levels. For his part, Bolsonaro said that the COVID-19 epidemic is spreading in Brazil, and that the Brazilian side thanks China for facilitating its purchase of necessary medical supplies in China. Brazil, he added, hopes to enhance exchanges on epidemic prevention and control with China, make joint efforts against the coronavirus disease, and contain its spread in Brazil as soon as possible. The Brazilian president said he salutes the great Chinese people, reiterating that the friendship and the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries are indestructible. Brazil stands ready to strengthen bilateral cooperation with China, and enhance communication and coordination within such multilateral frameworks as the G20, so as to make due contributions to combating the epidemic and reinvigorating the economy, he said. Taechit Taechamanodom/iStock(NEW YORK) -- The nation's hospitals, facing dire shortages of lifesaving ventilators as the coronavirus outbreak continues, are finding help from an unlikely source: animal doctors. The country's largest veterinary schools, animal hospitals and even zoos are offering up ventilators to hospitals that are scrambling to care for a growing number of critically ill coronavirus patients. Similar efforts elsewhere could produce hundreds of machines and save countless lives. "Every single one of these ventilators makes a difference," Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe, chief executive officer of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, told ABC News. Ventilators used on animals are identical to machines at hospitals, according to several animal doctors and hospital officials who spoke to ABC News. Dogs and cats with pneumonia and other respiratory issues, not unlike their human counter parts, benefit immensely from the breathing machines, which quickly can be repurposed. "It's actually the same equipment that we use here," Dr. Leslie Lussier, director of Respiratory Care and the Pulmonary Function Lab at Tufts Medical Center, told ABC News. The Boston-area hospital received three ventilators the same models used by respiratory therapists at their facility -- from the veterinary school at Tufts University on Monday, and had them inspected, cleaned and outfitted with new equipment for human patients within several hours. "We have them in our arsenal, in our fleet, ready to use," Lussier said. The mechanical breathing machines, used by patients unable to breathe on their own, are among the most crucial tools available to doctors in the fight against severe cases of COVID-19, for which there is no vaccine. Ventilators remain in short supply in the United States and around the world. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose state has become the center of the epidemic in the U.S., urged the federal government on Tuesday to provide more respirators from a national stockpile to help the state meet its projected need of 30,000 in the coming weeks. While manufacturers have pledged to produce more machines, and American auto companies are exploring how to help with ventilator production, supplies still trail demand. "This is a critical and desperate need for ventilators," Cuomo, who said New York had 3,000 to 4,000 and had ordered an additional 7,000, said at a news conference. In a sign of how severe the shortage had become, earlier this week New York hospitals began exploring ways to use individual ventilators on multiple patients at once, and working up protocols to determine how to ration a limited number of machines to save the greatest number of patients. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates medical devices, has shown a bit more flexibility on rules as the desperation mounts. That has included allowing the use of devices that "may be used outside of traditional use" if ventilators supplies stay low. Animal ventilators also have been transferred in New York state. Cornell University's veterinary school has loaned two ventilators and an oxygen unit to Cornell's medical school in New York City, through its location in Stanford, Connecticut, and is preparing to send another three ventilators and 19 anesthesia machines to Cayuga Medical Center in upstate New York, in addition to nearly 1,000 masks and diagnostic testing materials. "From our point of view, if everybody can pitch in and make available what we have, that will help and help some patients in critical need," Lorin Warnick, dean of Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, told ABC News. The animal machines may be especially helpful in rural areas that may not receive as much attention as urban hot spots stricken by novel coronavirus. In Colorado and Alabama, veterinarians have already loaned their ventilators to nearby hospitals in smaller communities facing shortages. "They called back on Sunday and said, 'We need them now,'" said Dr. Ellen Behrend, acting director of the Auburn University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which sent three ventilators to East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Alabama. Dr. Beth Davidow, a Seattle-area critical care veterinarian and president-elect of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, said she began collecting information on ventilators from veterinarians around the country after speaking to the chief operating officer at the University of Washington's medical center. "Many people on the human side don't realize we use ventilators on animals, and hadn't even thought that that would be a place to look," she told ABC News. They don't realize that they're human-grade machines we're buying, either new or refurbished." In a matter of days, she's already identified nearly 250 ventilators that could potentially be repurposed to help humans. "Even though this is a small supply, if we save even one more person, it's worthwhile to do this," Davidow said. Veterinarians around the country also are donating extra protective equipment, testing materials and other supplies to local hospitals despite facing shortages of their own. "We're here to serve pets, but we're also here to serve the public health needs of our area," Hannah Thomas, a veterinarian at Snodgrass Veterinary Medical Center in Bowling Green, Kentucky, told ABC News. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. KAMPALA The Ministry of Health has on Wednesday confirmed five new cases of COVID-19 in the Uganda. Dr. Joyce Moriku, the minister of State for Primary Healthcare said the five new cases bring the total number of confirmed patients to 14. The five people who confirmed positive, include the two of the six Chinese nationals that were arrested in Zombo, after they escaped from mandatory quarantine. They cannot be presented in court for fear of further spread, the Minister said. Dear Ugandans, this is a very critical moment for everyone as the number of positive cases keeps scaling up. Five more people have been confirmed positive, including two of the six Chinese natinals that were got in Zombo. They cannot be presented in court for fear of further spread, she tweeted on Wednesday afternoon. So far, the country has 12 Ugandans and two Chinese nationals who have tested positive. Ugandas new cases 63 year old male Najjanakumbi traveled back from Germany 57 year old male Adjumani has not travelled before salt trader 8 month old baby, Iganga hospital, father travelled from Kisuumu. 2 Chinese arrested in Zombo after escaping from Quarantine The government has since banned all public gatherings as well as closed schools and institutions of learning, bars and night clubs. Uganda has also banned all travels in and out of the East African country to stem the Coronavirus spread, which would challenge the healthcare system. Only emergency landing by plane will be allowed on the Ugandan soil, President Museveni announced on Saturday last week. Related Sandy Lohr honored for her contribution to the local search industry SANTA MONICA, California, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, March 24th, Localogy announced that MatchCraft's CEO, Sandy Lohr, has been awarded the Localogy Excellence Category Builder Award in recognition of the work that she continues to do to help shape the future of the local search industry. This was the first installment of the Localogy Excellence Awards, hosted by the newly rebranded Localogy (formerly the Local Search Association). The goal of the awards program was to recognize organizations and individual leaders shaping the future of localization for the over 30 million local businesses that depend on them every day. The award nominees were judged based on factors such as contribution to the local search space via their roles and through board memberships, volunteer work and thought leadership. "I am extremely humbled by this recognition. Highlighted in today's troubled world is the need to help local businesses understand consumers as they change their search behavior. We join Localogy and our clients in the importance of educating local businesses on the best marketing opportunities in this crisis. We are honored and humbled to accept this inaugural award from our industry partner, Localogy." said Sandy Lohr, MatchCraft's CEO. About Localogy Localogy, formerly the Local Search Association (LSA), is a not-for-profit trade association comprised of technology, marketing, and media service providers, agencies and multi-location brands whose services aim to help small businesses thrive in an increasingly localized world. Localogy's members represent today's top organizations in local commerce. Localogy is dedicated to helping its members succeed through data and insights, education, events, consulting services and more. About MatchCraft MatchCraft provides a best-in-class marketing platform that enables companies to successfully sell and manage search, display, and social campaigns for their advertisers. Unlike other marketing technology platforms, MatchCraft's platform adVantageTM helps organizations efficiently manage campaigns of all sizes, enabling clients to deliver spectacular results to their advertisers. MatchCraft's sophisticated real-time bidding algorithms, and team of digital marketing enthusiasts, work relentlessly to deliver exceptional ROI for merchants around the world. MatchCraft has headquarters in the heart of "Silicon Beach," in Santa Monica, Calif., with additional offices in The Netherlands, India, and Brazil. For digital marketing news, advice and to stay in the loop on product rollouts, follow MatchCraft on Facebook , MatchCraft on Twitter , or visit www.MatchCraft.com Contact: info@matchcraft.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1137245/Localogy_Award.jpg Garry Kirstenfeldt (pictured left), a passenger on board the Voyager of the Seas, died from coronavirus on Wednesday afternoon Port authorities were warned of 'woefully inadequate' coronavirus screening measures weeks before infected cruise ships were allowed to unload thousands of passengers without health checks at Sydney Harbour. As COVID-19 swept the country and the world, ships were on March 15 barred from docking at Australian ports - but the Federal Government granted exemptions to four vessels which were already on their way back to Australia. Those ships - Ruby Princess, Ovation of the Seas, Celebrity Solstice and Voyager of the Seas - arrived in Sydney between March 18 and March 20. All have had cases of coronavirus since docking. Garry Kirstenfeldt, 68, a passenger on board the Voyager of the Seas, which docked in Sydney on March 18, died on Wednesday. The Ruby Princess returned to Sydney last Thursday with 1,148 crew and 2,647 passengers on board - all who disembarked the vessel without going through any health screenings or assessments for COVID-19. Since then, at least 133 passengers have tested positive for coronavirus - which makes the ship Australia's largest source of infections - and one woman, aged in her 70s, died. Port officials, cruise ship staff, and the state and federal government have all come under fire for their bungling of the situation, which has been blamed for the spike in coronavirus cases across the country this week. Emails have emerged revealing authorities had been aware of the lack of biosecurity protocol at NSW ports before the outbreak was declared a pandemic. The Princess Cruises-operated Ruby Princess ship returned to Sydney on Thursday with 2,647 passengers on board - all were allowed to disembark without Since then, at least 133 passengers have tested positive for coronavirus and one woman, aged in her 70s, has died of the illness Rona Dobrin said she and her husband Michael (pictured left) developed a cough a day or two before the ship docked, but had no other symptoms. They got tested after news broke of the other cases. Passenger Greg Butler (pictured right with his partner) is currently in ICU in Tamworth Hospital with coronavirus An email from the Maritime Union of Australia to PANSW, obtained by The Australian, reveal it had pushed for reforms to address the 'failure to implement adequate checks for coronavirus infections' at seaports. The documents also raised concerns over how ship masters - who are not medically trained - are authorised to 'self-declare' any biosecurity risks. 'Undoubtedly, there is a global concern regarding the potential spread of this deadly virus,' Maritime Union of Australia assistant secretary Paul Garrett told PANSW chief executive Philip Holliday in an email. 'Any accurate diagnosis of a virus like the coronavirus is left to medically untrained seafarers as well as ships masters who simply would not be familiar with the symptoms and diagnosis of coronavirus as part of their Medical First Aid on board Ship Certificate. ' ABF Commissioner Michael Outram made clear that his officers are responsible for checking passengers' visas and making sure no contraband enters Australia - not to check passengers' health While on the cruise, Mr Butler posted a photo on Facebook saying 'Drinking Corona in the Crooners bar on a Princess Cruise... watch this space' Ship masters are known for not reporting sickness among crew on board because staff tend to hide any illness in fear of being sent home and losing out on their jobs, Mr Garrett later told the publication on Wednesday. There have been multiple confirmed coronavirus outbreaks on cruise ships across the globe, with other Australian cases linked to the recently docked Ovation of the Seas and the Voyager of the Seas. On Wednesday, Australia confirmed its ninth coronavirus-related death after a 68-year-old man who had travelled on the Voyager of the Seas died of the illness. The man's death was reported one day after an elderly woman in her 70s who contracted coronavirus on board the Ruby Princess died in hospital. Cases linked to the ship have since emerged in Tasmania, WA and the Northern Territory. Elisa McCafferty, 48, her husband and her parents were among the 2,700 passengers on the Ruby Princess. She said she only learned about the outbreak on the ship when she got to London's Heathrow Airport on Sunday. 'They should not have let us on, and they should not have let us off, and they should not have let us out of the country,' she told The Australian. Mr Butler received this letter as he disembarked the ship, but claimed not enough was done to stop sick people being released into the community New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told a confidential partyroom meeting the agency should take the blame for further spreading coronavirus around the country The incident has sparked outrage among Australians who have questioned why they were permitted to disembark, and federal and state officials have clashed over who is to blame. Operator Princess Cruises last week said everyone who had developed symptoms had been in isolation on board. Health authorities had classed the Ruby Princess as low risk, given it had sailed from Sydney to New Zealand, and the Border Force issued a notice instructing the 2,700 passengers that they could travel home in the normal manner, but should self-isolate for 14 days. NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said most infected passengers hadn't displayed symptoms until the day they left the ship or later. She said there was little health authorities could do to prevent the disembarkation of asymptomatic cruise passengers. Australian Border Force chief Michael Outram on Wednesday insisted his organisation was responsible only for checking for contraband and ensuring orderly migration. They were two of three 'green lights' required before passengers could disembark. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement The third biosecurity green light was given by federal agricultural authorities and NSW Health, which had decided not to conduct additional checks on the 'low risk' vessel. 'The decision to allow them off in relation to the health and biosecurity issue was one of NSW Health,' Mr Outram said. 'I'm not here to apportion blame, we are all in it together in Australia ... but the public needs to know the facts. My officers are not trained to take temperatures.' On Tuesday NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian allegedly said the ABF was responsible for the disaster. A report in The Australian, citing 'several state government MPs', said Ms Berejiklian had told a party-room meeting of Liberals that the Australian Border Force ultimately made the decision to allow the passengers ashore. 'She said it wasn't our failing - it was the feds,' an MP at the meeting was quoted to say by The Australian. The publication also reported that a a second MP had described Ms Berejiklian's response as an 'a**e-covering exercise'. Because they were given no warning about the potential of having caught the virus on the ship, Mr Butler and Ms Russ caught the light rail from Circular Quay to Central Station, then a train to the Central Coast, before driving to Tamworth On Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was accused of blaming the New South Wales government. 'The chief health officer of NSW said this was a low risk,' Mr Morrison said. Meanwhile, a passenger who walked off the Ruby Princess vessel without any health checks or warnings by authorities is now in intensive care unit after testing positive to the virus. Greg Butler, 56, and his fiancee Robin Russ travelled for six hours on public transport to their hometown of Tamworth, in northeast NSW, and spent the next four days at home before Mr Butler felt unwell with 'pins and needles', a headache and cough. He took himself to the doctor on Monday and was diagnosed with coronavirus. Ms Russ said both she and Mr Butler could not believe how easily they were allowed off the ship. She said if there was even the slightest belief someone on the ship had coronavirus, they should have been locked onboard. 'We were told we could get off and go home, take public transport or whatever we wanted, it was just ridiculous,' Ms Russ said. 'We got into Sydney Harbour at 2am and then took the light rail to central and a train from there. 'By the next morning the government has got onto us to tell us to self-isolate, so they clearly knew someone had it. 'We just can't understand how they let us do that, and now we're getting the blame for it.' T wo African antelopes escaped from a zoo in Wales, with members of the public urged to remain calm if they see them. The animals went missing from Borth Wild Animal Kingdom in Ceredigion, which is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. In a post on Facebook, the zoo appealed for anyone who sees the Letchwe antelopes to contact it "immediately". "We have located the male and are doing our best to keep him in one place as our dart team are on their way," the zoo said. "The female is not dangerous at all; the male, however, has big horns, but is not aggressive. "They will run away from people so please keep your distance and call us so that we can contain them until the dart team arrive. "There is no reason to be afraid; please remain calm, especially if you see them so that we can get them safely back to the zoo." In a statement, Ceredigion County Council said it had received information that the antelopes had escaped on Wednesday morning. It said a number of closure notices had been issued to the zoo, against which the operators are appealing. "In the meantime, officers are at the scene to assess the situation," a spokeswoman said. After a TV interview in which he suggested that he himself and other older Americans would be willing to risk their own health even their lives for younger people to return to their normal routines, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick put out a new statement to explain. Patrick wants to make it clear that he supports the current 15-day plan for limiting public activity and social distancing, and would support going further if President Donald Trump thinks its appropriate. On Monday Patrick, a Republican who lives in Montgomery County, was on Fox News when he told host Tucker Carlson that he agreed with the presidents hopes to lift public activity restrictions soon and that he would be willing to risk his own life to return to normal conditions. For subscribers: Conservative opposition grows as stay-at-home orders are enacted in Texas No one reached out to me and said, as a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance for your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren? And if thats the exchange, Im all in, Patrick said on Monday. Patrick, who turns 70 next week, later said: So, my message is that, let's get back to work. Let's get back to living, let's be smart about it, and those of us who are 70-plus, we'll take care of ourselves. But don't sacrifice the country, he said. Those comments have come under fire from critics who say as cities try to enforce stay-at-home restrictions, Patrick is contradicting them. More Information Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's full statement following his appearance on FOX News: "I was very clear last night that we should continue President Trump's 15-day plan and if he believes we need more time, then we need more time. I trust his judgment. "But at some point, sooner rather than later, we must get back to work before our nation totally collapses. "We can do two things at once - address the health care crisis and get people their jobs back -while following the CDC guidelines in a smart way. "When you close the doors of every business in America, you cannot help but destroy the economy and with it, the opportunity for the next generation to live the American dream." See More Collapse It certainly sends a mixed message, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said during an interview on CNN. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, slammed Patrick on Twitter for the comments, calling him a very troubled man. And dangerous to Texans and Americans. In his follow-up statement Tuesday, Patrick said: I was very clear last night that we should continue President Trumps 15-day plan and if he believes we need more time, then we need more time. I trust his judgment, Patrick said. But at some point, sooner rather than later, we must get back to work before our nation totally collapses. He added: We can do two things at once address the health care crisis and get people their jobs back -while following the CDC guidelines in a smart way. When you close the doors of every business in America, you cannot help but destroy the economy and with it, the opportunity for the next generation to live the American dream. Then on Wednesday, Lubbock conservative radio host Chad Hasty asked Patrick in an interview about how some have taken his comments to mean he wants old people to die of the coronavirus. Thats the left interpreting what I said, Patrick said on KFYO radio in Lubbock. Gov. Greg Abbott was asked on Tuesday by reporters about Patricks comments and wanting to lift stay-at-home restrictions so people can get back to living and help the economy rebound. I will base my decision as governor of the state of Texas on what physicians say, Abbott said. If the goal is to get the economy going, the best thing we can do to get the economy going is to get COVID-19 behind us. The Union health ministry website revised Indias Covid-19 death toll to nine on Wednesday as confusion prevailed over a patient who succumbed in Delhi a day ago. On Tuesday, the website reported that a second person died due to the fast-spreading disease in the national capital, prompting Delhis Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) unit to frantically call its officials and the health ministry to find out who the casualty was. The report of this death took Indias toll to 10. On Wednesday, the confusion persisted, with the health ministry website saying that the person had tested negative, but Delhi IDSP saying the reports were not available yet. While officials of the Delhi health department said they did not inform the Centre about the a second death, the Union health ministry pointed out it gets information from on-ground workers and hospitals (effectively, the Delhi health department). Authorities later figured out that a 60-year-old man with Covid-19-like symptoms fever and cough who died in Rajiv Gandhi Superspeciality hospital in Tahirpur. The man came to us with arrhythmias and needed an angioplasty. However, he had symptoms of mild fever and cough. When the doctor took a history, they came to know that one of his family members had just returned from Saudi Arabia. Hence, we sent his samples. But, before the test results could come, he died of complications on Tuesday in the hospital, said BL Sherwal, director, Rajiv Gandhi Superspeciality hospital, an autonomous hospital under the Delhi government. The hospital has an isolation facility for Covid-19 patients where currently 16 suspected and five positive cases are admitted. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anonna Dutt Anonna Dutt is a health reporter at Hindustan Times. She reports on Delhi governments health policies, hospitals in Delhi, and health-related feature stories. ...view detail A n intensive care consultant has described how coronavirus left him sleeping for up to 18 hours per day and feeling absolutely terrible. Dr David Hepburn, who works at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, south Wales, posted a video online to raise awareness of the virus. He urged people to follow the Governments advice to protect people and the NHS throughout the pandemic. His video, posed on the Twitter page of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, has been viewed more than 15,000 times. The consultant believes he 'probably' contracted Covid-19 from a colleague / Aneurin Bevan Hospital My name is David, Im one of the intensive care consultants in Aneurin Bevan, he said. I just wanted to share with you how I got coronavirus. At the moment, my team at the intensive care unit are looking after a lot of patients who are critically unwell with coronavirus. Some of them are younger than I am and theyre certainly not the frail, elderly people that maybe some of us have been led to believe that we would be seeing. Theyre young, theyre fit and they have young families. As do I." London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /66 London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures A woman jogging near City Hall, London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast on Sunday to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA A pedestrian walks past a billboard reading "Please believe these days will pass" on Broadway Market in east London AFP via Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge Getty Images Boris Johnson Jeremy Selwyn Sun-seekers cool off in the water and sunbathe on the riverbank at Hackney Marshes in east London AFP via Getty Images Ed Davey is shown on screens as he speaks via videolink during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London PA A herd of fallow deer graze on the lawns in front of a housing estate in Harold Hill in east London AFP via Getty Images A woman wearing a mask crosses a bridge over Camden Lock, London PA An empty Millenium Bridge PA A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images People push to enter the Niketown shop in Londo AP Jo Proudlove and daughter Eve, 9, follow the daily online "PE with Joe" Joe Wickes' exercise class on "Fancy dress Friday Reuters Police in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Waterloo station looking empty PA Getty Images A quiet Parliament Square Getty Images PABest A man walks along a passageway at London's Oxford Street Underground station the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus PA Social distancing markers around the camel enclosure at ZSL London Zoo PA A police car patrols Greenwich Park in London PA The Premier League in action in front of empty stands AP Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed. A deserted Piccadilly Circus PA A general view is seen of a deserted Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Getty Images The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings Getty Images A view of 20 Fenchurch Street (the 'Walkie Talkie' building) in the City of London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus PA A deserted Chinatown PA A person looks at graffiti on a JD Wetherspoon pub in Crystal Palace, south London. Wetherspoons workers have described founder Tim Martin's lack of support for his chain's 40,000 employees as "absolutely outrageous" PA The London ExCel centre that has been turned into a makeshift NHS Hospital and critical care unit to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic PA The Palace Theatre, which usually shows the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA The Sondheim Theatre, which usually shows the Les Miserables musical, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA Two members of a British Army mounted regiment exercise their horses in Parliament Square AP Westminster Bridge is deserted PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA An empty street and bus stop at St James's Park AFP via Getty Images Whitehall Jeremy Selwyn A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn Buckingham Palace looking empty in London, PA London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn London's Carnaby Street empty as shops closed after a lockdown was announced in the latest bid to stop the spread of coronavirus through the UK AP A quiet Jubilee line westbound train carriage PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA Empty Embankment Jeremy Selwyn The consultant then revealed that he "probably" contracted the virus from a colleague. Id like to tell you that I got coronavirus from heroically looking after some of these patients, but actually the reality is much more mundane," he said. I think I probably caught this from contact with colleagues at work or possibly somebody out in the street before any of the coronavirus patients really arrived on the intensive care unit. It started off very innocuously. I had a burning sensation in my nose, I lost my sense of taste, I never had a cough and then Ive had a week of just feeling absolutely terrible. Aching muscles, aching bones and unable to get out of bed sleeping 16, 18 hours a day." A message reading "Thank you NHS" is displayed on the outside of Wembley Stadium / Reuters While he is now on the mend, the consultant wanted to emphasise how ill the virus can make someone. Im on the mend now thankfully, I hope, but I cant emphasise to you how sick this can make you. Please, please listen to the advice thats going round at the minute. This is a small sacrifice for a short period of time and then life will go back to normal again. But we have to protect everybody and we have to protect the NHS. Thanks. On Tuesday, Public Health Wales confirmed that 248 people in the Aneurin Bevan area had tested positive for Covid-19 more than twice the number elsewhere in Wales. Health minister Vaughan Gething told a press conference in Cardiff on Tuesday that there was a particular cluster of cases in that area. The number of people breaching quarantine regulations is growing, the operative board said. Tibor Lakatos, the head of the operative boards emergency centre, told a press conference that the authorities have ordered home quarantine in 4,207 cases so far. Altogether 177 irregularities have been recorded, he said. The authorities have fined 24 people and filed misdemeanor charges against 130, he said. Those who have been exposed to the risk of infection, having recently returned from abroad or for other reasons, may carry the virus without showing symptoms, Lakatos noted. They may pass the virus on to people for whom it may be life-threatening, he said. Hospitals received protective gear for intensive care workers by early Tuesday morning, he said. Protective equipment is being continuously supplied to those who may come in direct contact with virus-carriers through their work, he said. The protection of health-care workers, policemen, disaster management staff and others participating in the epidemic relief efforts is a priority, Lakatos said. Regarding the work of operative groups at strategic companies, Lakatos said the groups are reporting any operational problems to avoid supply interruptions. Further, companies may be involved in taking measures if necessary, Lakatos said. Lakatos also warned that a growing number of people are trying to exploit the epidemic to defraud others. The police have taken action in connection with 16 cases of scaremongering, 14 instances of fraud and 13 cases of endangering the public, he said. Shops are being monitored to ensure they observe shortened opening times, Lakatos said. Hungarys border crossings are currently operating seamlessly, mostly without congestion, he said. Regional epidemic response committees have started working in all Hungarian counties, coordinating protection efforts locally, Lakatos said. Playwright Terrence McNally poses at the Kennedy Center in Washington, on April 1, 2010. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo) Playwright Terrence McNally Dies From CCP Virus Complication Acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally has died of complications from the CCP virus. He was 81. McNally died on March 24 at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Florida, according to representative Matt Polk. McNally was a lung cancer survivor who lived with chronic inflammatory lung disease. Playwright Terrence McNally at the 73rd annual Tony Awards Meet the Nominees press day in New York, on May 1, 2019. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) McNally was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, and grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, listening to radio broadcasts of The Green Hornet and the Metropolitan Opera. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University in 1960 with a degree in English. McNallys first Broadway play And Things That Go Bump in the Night was released in 1965. His absurdist, symbolic melodrama about good and evil confounded critics. Newsday called it ugly, perverted, tasteless. It closed in less than three weeks. McNallys controversial play Corpus Christi, depicted a modern-day Jesus as a homosexual. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Self isolators from across the world have shared their DIY beauty disasters as they struggle to adjust to life without a hairdresser, barber or nail salon. Taking to Twitter and Instagram, some simply gave into their 'quarantine hair', admitting it had been a while since they had brushed or washed their hair, while others attempted to cut it themselves - with questionable outcomes. Elsewhere women were left unimpressed at the state of their nails, admitting 'corona nails' weren't to their taste as they embarked on learning new beauty skills. And in one instance a bored home dweller even got drunk and attempted to shave his head - much to the amusement of his flatmate, in a round-up of beauty fails. Self isolators from across the world have shared their DIY beauty disasters as they struggle to adjust to life without a hairdresser, barber or nail salon. Molly from New York joked that she had 'quarantine hair' as she embraced being in isolation Elsewhere make-up artist McCall Butler from Utah joked: 'Hey guys let's start a thread on how ugly our nails look right now!' Writer Holly Becker from Carolina joked: 'Even authors can get bed head! I bet many kids and adults are rocking some quarantine bed head these days!' Meanwhile Eirian Wynn from Wales took to Twitter in her cosy wear with a picture of her peeling nails, writing: 'Corona nails!' Meanwhile Imani Gandy from California wrote: 'Welp, I heard that Cali my be shut down for 3 months, so I tossed back a bourbon and decided to try to loc my hair last night. I cant go to the salon and my braids needed to come out, so I figure why the hell not. I dont even know what is happening here!' American Twitter user Brodie shared a picture of his housemate, writing: 'Day 13 of quarantine. My roommate got drunk and tried to cut his own hair' An unnamed lady took to Instagram and wrote: 'Good morning faux hawk?! #bedhead #quarantinehair' Elsewhere one user looked slightly alarmed and wrote: 'I think I need a haircut - thoughts? Quarantine hair and social distancing!' Daniel posted a picture of his tousled locks, adding: 'Send for hair product #quarantinehair' Nicola from Germany explained that she had a shelac manicure in January and had kept up her appointments in an effort to look professional. She added: 'Then corona came and my business lady look was over 'coronanails' Lili Jean posted a picture of her hair and added: 'Day three of social distancing. Haven't washed hair. Couldn't even style it this way if I tried Elsewhere Fardid admitted he was in need of a barber, writing: 'Quarantine day 3: Tried to cut my hair with immediate regret' And Kimberly Annie posted a picture of her voluminous do, writing: 'Dare you to post your quarantine har' Elsewhere Brock wrote: 'Quarantine hair, someone help me!' with a snap of his own do American user Jasmine Lopez posted a picture of her nails, writing: 'Quarantine has me doing my own acrylic nails since all the salons are closed!' Devin Scott took to Twitter with a picture of his hair and wrote: 'When it's day 30 of quarantine and you have to cut your own hair!' Heather Hunter from Brooklyn wrote: 'Quarantine diary, day 10: I haven't painted my own nails in at least 4 years (I hope my nail ladies are doing okPensive face) And have resorted to painting my own nails. What have I done? Am I a monster? We have more questions than answers. Anyway, STAY HOME.' Dublin's biggest prison is dealing with a major increase in drug parcels being thrown over the walls as inmates stockpile for an expected drugs 'drought'. Officials in Mountjoy have intercepted a number of packages in recent weeks containing thousands of euro worth of pills and smartphones. It is believed the decrease in prison visits has meant inmates are more reliant on drugs being thrown over the wall. Sources said the coronavirus pandemic is causing prisoners to stockpile drugs over a feared shortage behind bars in the coming months. At the weekend, one inmate caused a security alert after managing to climb on to the roof of Mountjoy. The 27-year-old thug, who has links to the Kinahan cartel, was on the roof for several hours before coming down without further incident. Officials are investigating whether the criminal, who has more than 120 convictions and was arrested over a foiled hit on a Hutch family member, is involved in organising drug drops into the prison. A source said that the man is being investigated for orchestrating, along with his inner city associates, items being thrown in. "There was no reason given for him going up on to that roof, and it's being probed now if he's behind the increase in drugs that are being thrown over the walls," the source said. "There have been around five parcels seized by either prison staff or gardai in the past week, but there are many more getting in. "Visits have decreased significantly as part of the coronavirus measures, so inmates are using other means to get drugs in. "An expected drought in the capital's drug supply because of the current situation means they're also stockpiling to make sure there are enough drugs in the jail." The 27-year-old prisoner, who was quizzed over a suspected plot to murder a relative of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, is serving a lengthy jail term for a range of offences. The thug carried out bur- glaries at a pub, a restaurant and a rugby club on separate dates in 2017. He was one of a number of dangerous north inner city criminals who have aligned themselves with the Kinahan cartel. In 2018, he was arrested with another Kinahan-aligned north inner city criminal - a 29-year-old thug - in an intelligence-led operation into the ongoing Hutch-Kinahan feud. Gardai, backed up by members of the Armed Response Units from the southern and eastern regions, arrested him ahead of what they believe was an imminent hit on a Hutch family member. More than 200 prisoners have also been released temporarily in the past fortnight in a bid to reduce the numbers in the nation's prisons to a "safe" level. The group on temporary release increased to 552 this week from 349 on March 9, with the focus in particular on jails where the population was close to or, in some cases, exceeded the bed capacity. With the number of coronavirus cases rising in the country, several parents want schools to not reopen soon and have suggested that academic loss if any can be reduced by curtailing the summer vacation. Several schools, which are already offering classes through digital modes of learning, say a decision in this regard will be taken only after March 31 once a review of the situation is done and also if the lockdown is curtailed. According to a survey by online platform Localcircles.com, 81 per cent parents are in favour of schools being shut through May and reopening on June 1. Over 10,000 parents were interviewed for the survey. The way cases are rising, I believe even if the lockdowns are eased, schools should not reopen for at least a month. Kids are very sensitive and their safety should be of utmost concern, Ritvik Ahuja, an architect by profession, told PTI. Another parent P K Shukla, said, Schools are already conducting online sessions, assignments are being done online. I am sure with technology at hand, lot can be managed so there is not going to be much academic loss. Echoing similar concern, Shweta Babber, an IT professional said, The loss of the number of days in the academic calendar can be made up by not giving any summer vacation this year. Rashi Kuldeep, who is admission counsellor at a private school in Gurgaon, said, We have not suspended any academic activity, we have just moved it online. Even for admissions that were supposed to happen in the new session, all of that is going on online. But as a parent, I believe the schools should continue to remain closed till the situation is completely under control. The classes and examination have been suspended in all schools till March 31 amid the coronavirus outbreak. Jawahar Navodya Vidyalayas (JNVs) across the country have already announced advanced summer break and will reopen on May 22. The Delhi government has called a meeting on March 26 to discuss measures that can be taken if need arises to keep schools closed after March 31 in view of the COVID-19 situation. According to a senior official of the Directorate of Education (DoE), incase schools need to be closed further, we need to have an alternate plan so that academic loss of students can be minimised. With the kind of situation around, if need arises, of course this step will be taken. We will review the situation after March 31 and also see if the lockdown is lifted, said Principal of a school in Mayur Vihar, who did not wish to be identified. Neena Kaul, Principal, Heritage Xperiential Learning School, told PTI, as an educational institution it is our responsibility to work with all our stakeholders to ensure the safety of our children and staff as well as the continuity of our students learning. We understand and are sensitive towards the request of the parent community on the change in summer holiday schedule. We are awaiting necessary directives from the government and will take action accordingly. During the break, we have advised parents, teachers and other staff to avoid making any travel plans until we have more information on the summer holiday schedule, she added. A representative of a private school chain with schools in Gurgaon and Noida said, As of now no decision can be taken unilaterally. The government is assessing the situation and we are following the directives. The CBSE will issue instructions in this regard after March 31. Students safety is of priority for us, for parents as well as the government. Coronavirus cases crossed 500 and one more death from the infection reported taking the toll to 10, as the Centre on Tuesday asked the states and union territories to clamp curfew wherever necessary in the wake of people defying lockdown orders in several parts of the country. As 32 states and union territories announced complete lockdown till March 31 to deal with the pandemic, authorities are taking a serious view of people continuing to venture out despite the lockdown considering that the coming days and weeks are going to be extremely crucial to contain the spread of the infection. Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) delivers a statement at the hallway of the Speakers Balcony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on March 23, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Speaker Nancy Pelosi Confirms that Phase 3 Relief Bill is Nearing Finish Line Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday morning that the revised Phase 3 relief package to combat the economic effect of the pandemic is much closer to what the Democrats want and will likely be finalized after review. Pelosi said that the bipartisan legislation is much closer to meeting the needs of the American people. She praised the House Democrats for their unity and tenacity in reaching a compromise. She said while the bill did not go as far as the Democrats Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act, it gets much closer to Democrats targets than the original Phase 3 bill. America is facing a grave health crisis with a serious impact on our economy. I salute the strong leadership of Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats. I especially thank our House Democratic Committee Chairmen, who worked hard to move the Republican proposal from corporations-focused to workers-first and who will now review the legislative text of this agreement with our Caucus. Meanwhile, the Republican Senate Leader also sent out a hopeful message late last night about the CCP virus relief Phase 3 bill being closer to the finish line. At last, we have a deal. After days of intense discussions, the Senate has reached a bipartisan agreement on a historic relief package for this pandemic. Were going to pass this legislation later today, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a tweet early Wednesday night. The new package would give direct payments of up to $3,000 to most U.S. families and provide some $367 billion to a program for small-business loans to help them keep making payroll as workers are forced to stay home due to orders in several states across the country. The package also includes a $500 billion fund for guaranteed, subsidized loans to help larger industries, $250 billion for expanded unemployment aid, and $75 billion for hospitals. Democrats twice blocked the $2 trillion package prior to the agreement. They argued that the package did not do enough for small businesses or the American workers, and gave too much to big corporations. What we need to do is be focusing on the people that have really been affected. Thats the people on small businesses front lines that are sent home with no hope whatsoever and no unemployment compensation. Im just not in favor of bailing out for the sake of bailing out people that got the greatest tax breaks in the world. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said last Thursday. The Speaker highlighted five amendments to the latest Phase 3 bill she was most pleased with; the large investments in hospitals, securing an increase in unemployment insurance benefits for both laid-off and furloughed workers, large relief for small businesses, emergency education and loan repayment funding, and accountability and oversight for bailouts. House Democrats will now review the final provisions and legislative text of the agreement to determine a course of action, Pelosi said. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global The pandemic has killed more than 800 people in the United States and infected more than 55,000 to date, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. 404 This page could not be found . S cottish brewery BrewDog is recreating all of its closed UK venues and many beyond as online bars in response to the coronavirus lockdown. The company has revealed that it will build BrewDog Online platforms for every one of its 48 UK bars, as well as for its locations in the US, Germany and Australia. The host platform for the virtual boozers is yet to be confirmed, but BrewDog says it is aiming to to give locals and regulars a chance to reconnect and share a beer, as well as provide access to interactive online content we'd imagine it will be something akin to a Zoom session. Launching from 6pm this Friday (March 27), the online bars will host interactive events including beer tastings with founders James Watt and Martin Dickie, virtual pub quizzes, live music and comedy, Q&A sessions and merchandise giveaways. Dickie will also host homebrewing masterclasses for those looking to get creative during the social distancing period. The brand has 12 bars across London, and the schedules of events will be shared on the brewerys Instagram and Twitter accounts in advance. The virtual bars are not the only way the company has looked to react to the government-enforced closure of pubs, restaurants and more social spaces amid the coronavirus crisis. All venues now operate a Hop Drop click-and-collect service, home delivery, and a minimal contact DriveThru service which means that customers can drive to their nearest BrewDog bar, and staff will bring their order to their car on arrival. It has also begun production of hand sanitiser at its Aberdeenshire brewery. Other pubs and breweries have also looked to host virtual meet-ups for their regulars, with the likes of the Pembury Tavern in Hackney and Big Drop Brewing Co. both setting up online pub quizzes. Beavertown brewery also hosted a virtual cheers last Friday, to bring people together to raise a glass at the end of the week. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says a group of 27 lawyers are blackmailing Rotimi Jacobs, one of its lead prosecu... The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says a group of 27 lawyers are blackmailing Rotimi Jacobs, one of its lead prosecutors, over an alleged 2.5 billion fraud case. In a statement by Tony Orilade, EFCC acting spokesman, the commission said the lawyers in a petition addressed to the national executive of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) alleged that Jacobs was using the anti-graft agency to intimidate them for winning a monetary suit against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. It said the lawyers alleged that Union Bank induced the EFCC and Jacobs to file criminal charges against their client, Petro Union Oil, in order to frustrate the execution of the judgment. But the EFCC countered the allegation, describing it as false and misleading. The commission described Jacobs as a reputable lawyer who has successfully prosecuted several high-profile cases for the agency. For the purpose of clarity, the purported 2.5billion is a fictitious fund Petro Union Oil drew against an account in Barclays Bank( United Kingdom) through a cheque issued in 1994, the EFCC said. The company made a fraudulent attempt to present the cheque for clearing through Union Bank but enquiries made by Union Bank at Barclays Bank showed that the account against which the cheque was drawn was closed in 1989, five years before the cheque was presented in Lagos for clearing. Besides, the company had also been voluntarily dissolved by its promoters in the United Kingdom. The same promoters are the mastermind of Petro Union oil. For some inscrutable reasons, Petro Union Oil was able to procure a court judgment for the 2.5billion against the CBN and Union Bank on the basis of an alleged CBN Statement of Account when it is elementary that the CBN ,like all Central Banks across the world, does not maintain accounts for private entities. Based on the foregoing, the EFCC filed a 7-count charge against Petro Union oil and its directors and trial is ongoing at the Federal High Court. The EFCC said the blackmailing of Jacobs is a ploy to divert attention from the ongoing trial and frustrate the agency. It should be pointed out that, the publication alleging intimidation and harassment by the lawyers is a desperate attempt by the shady elements and their promoters to divert attention from their ongoing trial and frustrate the EFCC in its determination to rid the country of corrupt and manipulative elements , including the lawyers and other professionals who lent their names to aid the fraud, it said. Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, is a highly respected member of the legal profession who has worked assiduously in conjunction with the EFCC to secure convictions of many notable convicts in the society. Thailand's government announced plans Tuesday to declare a state of emergency, taking stricter measures to control the coronavirus outbreak that has infected hundreds of people in the Southeast Asian country. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced the decision in a brief televised address to the nation, saying the one-month state of emergency will go into effect Thursday. The move will give the government enforcement powers not normally available to it, including implementing curfews, censoring the media, dispersing gatherings and allowing deployment of military forces for enforcement. Most attacks around the country are waged by the Taliban, who continue to embrace violence as leverage despite signing a peace deal with the United States that has been expected to lower the bloodshed in Afghanistan as the parties continue negotiations for a political settlement. The peace process is hamstrung by disagreements between the Taliban and the Afghan government over a plan to exchange prisoners, a step meant to advance efforts to establish a power-sharing government among the Afghan sides. On Wednesday, negotiations took place via video conference to try to resolve the issue. Still, the Taliban is continuing its deadly assaults, while Afghan security forces remain largely on the defensive in the hopes of encouraging the Taliban to cease their fire. On Wednesday, a vehicle carrying civilians was blown up by a roadside bomb in the Musa Qala district of southern Helmand Province, killing eight people, including children, local officials said. Over the past week, just as the authorities warned that the spread of coronavirus in the country had become alarming and could infect millions, violence appeared to have intensified. In about a dozen provinces with coronavirus cases, the Taliban have launched more than 300 attacks over the past week, according to a Western military official who requested anonymity to share sensitive data. In Herat province, identified as the epicenter of the virus in Afghanistan, the insurgents carried out about 40 attacks in the past week. At least five provinces with positive cases of coronavirus suffered 30 attacks or more in the past week. An incomplete tally by The New York Times showed at least 40 attacks of the past week were deadly, with nearly 100 security force members and civilians killed in Taliban assaults. Two airstrikes by Afghan security forces launched in response to Taliban attacks in Kunduz province killed at least 14 civilians. Herats lockdown was ordered after 32 new cases of coronavirus had been confirmed on Tuesday. Most of the citys shops remained closed, and the streets deserted. Security forces were deployed to prevent gatherings of even small groups. As around 20 ships carrying thousands of passengers still seek ports that will accept them for disembarkation, leading cruise lines have pushed back the dates when they intend to restart operations. One of the longest ordeals has been suffered by passengers aboard Holland America Lines Zaandam currently off the north coast of South America. The last time any of the 1,243 passengers and 586 crew were ashore was on 14 March in Punta Arenas, Chile. Thirteen passengers and 29 crew have reported to the medical centre with flu-like symptoms, though with no testing kits it is impossible to say if coronavirus is responsible. All ports along Zaandams route are closed to cruise ships, said Holland America Line in a statement. Because the ship is running short of supplies, a second vessel, Rotterdam, has been despatched to rendezvous with Zaandam of the coast of Panama on the evening of 26 March. Rotterdam has no passengers but will be carrying extra supplies, staff and Covid-19 test kits. Recommended All the cruises cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic The intention is for Zaandam to continue to Fort Lauderdale in Florida, arriving four days later. Fort Lauderdale is also the destination for Coral Princess which late on Tuesday was turned away from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Diplomats from the UK and other countries with nationals on board had pleaded with the Brazilian health officials to allow passengers with confirmed outbound flights from the city to get off the ship. On Monday, Princess Cruises had said permission had been secured. But Anvisa, the Brazilian health regulatory agency, denied disembarkation. Coral Princess will proceed directly to Fort Lauderdale, with no foreseen need for additional port calls, a spokesperson said. No known risk of Covid-19 has been identified on board. The ship is expected to take 10 days to sail to the Florida port. The TUI ship Marella Explorer 2 is currently in port in Barbados after four members of crew tested positive for coronavirus. Circle game: P&O Arcadia has been held off the coast of Durban in South Africa (Marine Traffic) Many, but not all, of the passengers were flown back to the UK on Tuesday. But some have been refused permission to fly. A spokesperson for TUI said: Although none of our guests have been tested positive for Covid-19, a small number of guests were unable to travel back to the UK as they are showing flu-like symptoms. We will continue to work together with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and local governments to get these guests and any UK crew home as quickly as possible. Anyone on board the ship showing symptoms will remain isolated. Our staff onboard are taking care of guests with food and drinks being delivered to cabins. P&Os Arcadia has been waiting for two days to enter the port in Durban in South Africa to obtain fuel and stores. A spokesperson for the cruise line said: Yesterday the authorities in Durban insisted on a local doctor visiting the ship as we have three South African crew who will be leaving Arcadia in Durban. The visiting doctor wanted to screen them so they are permitted to travel home. The doctor arrived by helicopter and was winched down onto the top deck of Arcadia. The ship has now had full clearance from health and port authorities but is still waiting. The P&O vessel will take on enough supplies to sail nonstop to Southampton, where she is expected to arrive on 12 April. Meanwhile other cruise lines have pushed back the dates on which they intend to take new passengers on board. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line now says it will begin operations on 12 May, one month later than originally planned. Its sister company, Celebrity, has followed suit. But the planned closure of some cruise ports means that some itineraries will be cancelled beyond that date. Singapore is keeping its cruise port closed until 1 June 2020 at the earliest, while all Canadian ports will remain closed to cruise ships until 1 July. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and the 21-day nationwide lockdown, thousands of migrant workers from Rajasthan working in different parts of Gujarat have started walking back to their native places in the absence of any transport facility. IMAGE: Migrant workers along with their children walk home to Rajasthan amid the 21-day lockdown. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters Gujarat Police have been trying to convince them to abide by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to avoid travelling. A Congress leader from Ahmedabad has asked the party-led government in Rajasthan to arrange some transportation after these workers reach the Gujarat-Rajasthan border near Shamlaji town of Arvalli district, also known as the Ratanpur border. Radheshyam Patel, a native of Rajasthan's Dungarpur district and working in Ahmedabad, said there is no point in staying here without any income. "Most of us work here at tea stalls or food joints. Since everything is shut, our employers have asked us to come back only after things get normal, as they don't have money to pay us. Since buses and other modes of transport are not available, we have decided to walk to reach home," he said. Patel was part of a 50-member group that started its journey on foot on Tuesday night from the city's Naranpura area to reach the Ratanpur border, a distance of around 150 km. "I know there is the threat of virus, but we are helpless. How would we survive without any income for three weeks? We don't have money to pay to our landlord. It's better we move back to our native places," said Mangi Lal, who belongs to Rajasthan's Udaipur district. He was part of a group of 100 people who left from Gujarat's Mehsana district to return to their homes. IMAGE: Many labourers began their journey on foot after their employers and landlords asked them to leave. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters Inspector General, Gandhinagar Range, Mayanksinh Chavda said police is providing food packets and water to the migrant workers on humanitarian grounds. "We are trying our best to discourage these migrant workers from moving to Rajasthan. This will defeat the purpose of lockdown," he said. "Since they are desperate to reach their homes, we are providing them food and water during their journey. We are also taking action against the factory owners who have not done enough to keep these workers here," Chavda said. Gujarat Migrant Workers' Congress president Ashok Punjabi claimed that over 50,000 workers left on foot from Ahmedabad alone to reach their homes in Rajasthan. "I spoke to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot yesterday about this issue. I urged him to arrange bus service for migrants once they reach the Ratanpur border," he said. Many migrant labourers started their journey on foot from as far as Surat, as they have been asked by their employers and landlords to leave, said Punjabi. Poland extradited the co-owner of a Siberian shopping mall to Russia to face bribery charges on the eve of the second anniversary of a fire at the mall that killed 60 people. On March 24, Vyacheslav Vishnevsky, who is an executive of a company that co-owns the Zimnyaya Vishnya (Winter Cherry) mall in Kemerovo, was sent to a pretrial detention facility in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, local news agencies reported. He must spend 14 days in quarantine because of concern over the spread of the coronavirus. Vishnevsky is suspected of paying 7 million rubles ($88,800) during construction of the mall to receive permission for it to open, according to the press service of Russias Prosecutor-Generals Office. The transaction was disguised as a payment for services provided, the press service said. Vishnevsky fled to Poland amid a preliminary investigation into the March 25, 2018, fire that engulfed the shopping mall. More than half of the 60 people killed were children trapped inside a move theater. Prosecutors also said he is under investigation in relation to the fire without specifying in what capacity and on what possible charges. Polish authorities apprehended him on an international arrest warrant in March 2019. According to Russia's Investigative Committee, officials at the Emergency Ministrys regional branch and others responsible for permits and inspections didnt properly review the malls compliance with fire-safety requirements. Days after the fire, investigators said that blocked fire exits, an alarm system that was turned off, and "glaring violations" of safety rules before the blaze started led to the high death toll. Residents, relatives of the victims, and Russians nationwide blamed corruption and government negligence for the high number of casualties in the blaze. With reporting by TASS and Interfax News Updates Would you like to receive our newsletter? Get local, Wyoming, and national news, the weather forecast, and more, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. The Together We Are Good programme launched by the Authority of Social Contribution Maan to channel the communitys efforts towards the current health and economic priorities has received an overwhelming response in its first 24 hours. Since the programmes launch on Monday, hundreds of people and businesses across the UAE have come together to show their support, with more than Dh45 million ($12.25 million) received through contributions as of Tuesday evening. As well as receiving over 300 calls, more than 1,000 meals have also been donated, 42 in-kind donations have been received including apartment buildings, hotel rooms, villas and furniture. More than 200 people have signed up to volunteer their time and expertise including doctors, retired military personnel and various other specialties. Contributions include: Dh25 million from Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank; Dh12 million from an anonymous benefactor; Dh500,000 from an anonymous benefactor; 400 hotel rooms from Al Masaood Group; Dh3 million from Mohammed Rasool Khoory & Sons Group; Hotel rooms from Ali Lakhraim Al Zaabi, Lakhraim Business Group; Dh1 million from an anonymous benefactor; and Dh2 million from Humaid bin Saeed Al Neyadi Mohammed bin Rashid Al Kitbi in-kind for medical equipment and kit and a hospital with 30+ clinics. By working alongside relevant partners, the funds will be put towards providing medical and educational aid as well as food supplies, according to the social priorities of the Government of Abu Dhabi. As the first project of Maans Social Fund which enables community contributions to help solve social challenges, the Together We Are Good programme encourages social responsibility by providing a platform for individuals and companies to contribute financially or through in-kind contributions. The Social Fund is the official government channel to receive contributions from the community to tackle pressing social challenges and the Together We Are Good programme will continue to support the health sector on an ongoing basis, even after the current challenges are over. Salama Al Ameemi, Director General of Maan, welcomed the contributions so far and encouraged the community to keep coming forward and make a difference during these unprecedented times. It is incredible to see so many people and businesses unite together and show their support by contributing to the Together We Are Good programme. In just 24 hours, the contributions we have received whether its financial or not, speaks volumes for the generosity of our community. It is evidence that Abu Dhabi, and the UAE, is a hugely philanthropic society with everyone ready to step up and do what they can to help the country through this period. I encourage everyone who wishes to contribute to get in contact. By taking small steps, we can all help make a big difference. Participants wishing to contribute financially can send SMS messages to 6670 (Dh1000), 6678 (Dh500), 6683 (Dh100) and 6658 (Dh50). They can also call 8005-MAAN for volunteering and in-kind and financial contributions above Dh1,000 or send messages on WhatsApp on 0543055366. Transfers can also be made via First Abu Dhabi Bank using the IBAN number: AE100351011003988349032. In-kind contributions include equipment, buildings, services, and time as well as expert volunteering efforts.-- Tradearabia News Service Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media at a press conference on March 25 in Wellington New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has admitted thousands of New Zealanders could be infected with COVID-19 if people fail to follow the new military-enforced lockdown laws. A state of emergency was declared in New Zealand by the Minister for Civil Defence Peeni Henare on Wednesday afternoon as the number of infections soared to 205 overnight - a rise of almost 50 per cent. By midnight on Wednesday, the government will have the powers to close roads for at least four weeks. Police will move around the country and question people who are outside their homes. As the country prepares for the full lockdown, the New Zealand Prime Minister issued a dire warning to residents telling them to stay indoors and 'act like you have COVID-19'. A lone shopper in the city centre on March 25 in Napier, New Zealand as the nation prepares to go into lockdown 'Breaking the rules could kill someone close to you,' Ardern said in a press conference on Wednesday. 'Every move you make could be a risk to someone else.' She told residents that the number of people infected would rise, possibly by thousands. 'Modelling suggests we could have several thousand cases before we see the measures we're taking today having an impact.' People wearing face masks leave a supermarket after buying supplies one day before the country goes on lockdown to stop any progress of the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Wellington While Ardern acknowledged military enforcement of the lockdown policies might seem daunting at first, she ensured Kiwis they would be able to go outside and get fresh air without being questioned by authorities. The nation's leader also told residents they would not be alone during the isolation period. 'You will hear us and see us daily as we guide New Zealanders through this period.' In a previous press conference, Ardern said the inevitable jump in cases should not be alarm Kiwis. 'I wouldn't expect us to see a slowdown any sooner than ten to 12 days... It will get worse before they will get better,' she said. A couple wearing face masks wait for their flight at Wellington International Airport one day before the country goes on lockdown to stop any progress of the COVID-19 'There is a lag (between) the transmission and the manifestation of COVID-19 symptoms. 'Over the next few weeks cases will go up, particularly as we have New Zealanders returning home (who) still represent the vast majority of cases.' Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management Sarah Stuart-Black said the emergency was declared due to the 'unprecedented nature of this global pandemic'. '[It will] ensure the government has all the powers it needs to slow the spread of Covid-19 and reduce its impact,' she said. Kiwis will be notified of the lockdown by a text message between 6pm and 7pm tonight. Pictured: A store staff member allows customers to enter a department store in Christchurch 'Each of you has a role in helping to save a life,' she said. Kiwis will be notified by a text message between 6pm and 7pm on Wednesday. Legislation will keep the state of emergency in place for seven days, but it can be extended. 'We're really hoping people have heard the messages and understand how horrendous this could get,' Ms Stuart-Black said. 'We have emergency services available now, the police would have the powers necessary.' The New Zealand government is contemplating mercy flights for Kiwis who can't get home as global airport hubs shut down. New Zealand has 205 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19. During today's complete shitshow of a White House coronavirus task force briefing, impeached and obviously bonkers president Donald John Trump said the U.S. is "near the end of our historic battle" with COVID-19 and has begun to see "the light at the end of the tunnel." That's wrong. That light is an oncoming train. The death toll continues to rise. Today was the deadliest day of the outbreak yet in America. Pres Trump just said: "As we near the end of our historic battle" with the coronavirus and that there is now "light at the end of the tunnel." FACT CHECK: Government's own plan warned pandemic "will last 18 months or longer." Trump himself said this could last until August. Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) March 24, 2020 also, "the light at the end of the tunnel"https://t.co/5iDlvuanK4 Tom McCarthy (@TeeMcSee) March 24, 2020 Today is already the US' deadliest day yet in the coronavirus crisis, surpassing yesterday. The President just said we are starting to "see the light at the end of the tunnel" as we "near the end of our historic battle with the invisible enemy." Kyle "Please Mute Your Line" Feldscher (@Kyle_Feldscher) March 24, 2020 "I can tell you that there's tremendous hope as we look forward and we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel," Trump says, even though the U.S. death toll is continuing to rise. Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) March 24, 2020 "We can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel," says @POTUS. pic.twitter.com/r2QiIVi58W Steve Herman (@W7VOA) March 24, 2020 "What the President is suggestingthat light at the end of the tunnel, could be a train coming at us if people are out and about." House Speaker Pelosi responds to the President suggesting he'd like to reopen the economy, adding "I don't want to waste any energy on his tweets" pic.twitter.com/HPJWzIvpqk CNN (@CNN) March 24, 2020 Pakistani security agencies on Wednesday arrested five militants from the banned separatist group Balochistan Republican Army during a raid in Punjab province. The Counter Terrorism Department of Punjab police raided the hideouts of the militants who were planning to attack security personnel at Rojhan in Rajanpur district, some 400 kms from Lahore. Some 7 kg explosive material, detonators, safety fuses, prima cord, and two Kalashnikov rifles and bullets have been recovered from them, officials said. "Five terrorists of proscribed organisation BRA were arrested during the raid and explosives and weapons were recovered from them, they said. The group, which is fighting Pakistani rule in Balochistan, has carried out a number of attacks in the restive province. Pakistan has classified the outfit as a terrorist organisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All the caution about social distancing seems to go out the window for shoppers at some of Massachusetts largest supermarkets. Now the Baker administration is trying to reduce the risk people face when they rush into the grocery store. Monica Bharel, commissioner for the state Department of Public Health, issued an order on Wednesday that makes stores set up a marked social distancing line at least 6 feet from all checkout counters, among other things. Its important that these places, which are often visited by large amounts of people on a daily basis, are observing DPH guidance on sanitation and social distancing," Gov. Charlie Baker said on Wednesday. The order also states that grocery stores must close to the public at night long enough for employees to properly clean and restock shelves. Grocery stores and pharmacies are exempt from Bakers executive order shutting down non-essential businesses. The governor announced those restrictions on Monday, along with an advisory limiting gatherings to 10 people and prohibiting contact sports. We will always allow all grocery stores, pharmacies and other types of businesses that provide essential goods and services to Massachusetts residents to continue to operate, Baker said on Monday. We will not stop anyone from accessing these essential businesses. At least 15 people have died in Massachusetts due to illnesses linked to COVID-19, and at least 1,838 people have tested positive, according to figures released by DPH on Wednesday. Heres what to know about the grocery store guidance: Who can shop during alternative hours? Under Bharels order, grocery stores and pharmacies must set aside at least one hour for shoppers age 60 or older to minimize their risk of being infected. The hours must be clearly posted and enforced by grocery stores and pharmacies. What can stores do? The order requires pharmacies and grocery stores to sanitize frequent touch points throughout the day, including cash registers. They must offer employees and customers access to public restrooms with a sink and alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Disinfectant wipes must also be made available at the entrance, at cash registers and other parts of a store. Above all, employees should stay home if they feel sick, and they should be sent home if they start experiencing symptoms during their shift, according to the order. If you feel sick, dont go work. I cant say that enough, Baker said, noting that telehealth is now a covered benefit in Massachusetts. Are there food restrictions? Any supermarket that still has its salad bar or self-serve food stations open is directed to close it immediately. The order also prohibits any free samples or testing during the state of emergency declaration. What about at-risk employees? Grocery stores and pharmacies must accommodate employees who have a higher risk of getting severely ill from the coronavirus, including older workers and those with compromised immune systems or other pre-existing health conditions. Those workers should be allowed to stay home or given a lower-exposure assignment at work. How can I practice social distancing? At least for checkout counters, the order requires that stores set up a marked social distancing line" that begins 6 feet away from the counters. State guidance urges people to keep their distance from each other in public, even in grocery stores. Can I still bring my reusable bag? No. Are plastic bag bans still in effect? No. Under the order, grocery stores, pharmacies, food banks and emergency food banks can use recyclable paper bags, compostable plastic bags or single-use plastic bags, effectively reversing the local plastic bag bans during the coronavirus pandemic. Stores also may not assess a charge for reusable paper bags, compostable plastic bags or single-use plastic bags. Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Related Content: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD is seeking the publics help to identify an individual sought for questioning in connection with thefts reported at Apple stores on Staten Island and in Manhattan. Police identified the grand-larceny pattern that includes two incidents. The first was on Jan. 17 at about 10:43 a.m. when an individual entered the Apple Store at 103 Prince St. in Manhattan and removed about six Apple watches before fleeing, according to a statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. The second alleged grand larceny was on March 13 at about 10:40 a.m. when an individual entered the Apple store inside the Staten Island Mall at 2655 Richmond Ave. in New Springville and removed about six Apple watches, police said. The NYPD supplied images of a person sought for questioning, captured from surveillance video at the Apple store on Prince Street. Police did not provide a detailed description of the person sought. People with information are encouraged to contact the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477 (TIPS) or for Spanish, 1-888-577-4782 (PISTA). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential. Whether or not schools remain open for key workers' children during the Easter holidays remains "under consideration, the Department of Education has said. Almost 600 schools stayed open on Monday and nearly 800 will be open by the end of the week, according to Education Minister Peter Weir. The NASUWT, Northern Ireland's biggest teachers' union, said it was unaware of plans directing schools to remain open over the holidays. It added it would not agree with teachers having to work. Northern Ireland national officer Justin McCamphill said: "During the period of continued closures, some schools may seek to provide childcare to priority households outside of term time (e.g. during the Easter holidays). "However, I have not been made aware of any plans by the Department of Education to direct schools to open. "The NASUWT recognises that some staff may agree voluntarily to support such provision. "It is important that where teachers volunteer in this way there is clarity on how staff will be appropriately remunerated and with regard to insurances and indemnification. "The NASUWT does not agree that teachers may be compelled to work during holiday periods." The Ulster Teachers' Union said it was engaging with the Department of Education on a daily basis. Union general secretary Jacquie White added: "Anything which may impact on teachers and schools in the coming weeks will be fully explored and interrogated." Earlier this week a home childcare initiative was announced to meet the needs of key workers in the NHS. It is open to those providing clinical care to coronavirus patients, health and social care workers supporting life-threatening emergency work and critical primary and community care provision, all other health and social care workers and key public sector workers. Floyd Cardoz was much more than just a business partner for us, said Hunger Inc. Hospitality. co-founder Yash Bhanage in a Facebook message. He was our mentor, guide, father figure all rolled into one amazing human being. He kept us grounded and humble during the high moments and lifted our spirits whenever we felt down in the dumps. He played a huge role in the success of Hunger Inc Hospitality and our restaurants, bringing perspective and contributions that only he could. His passing has left a deep void that can never be filled. We will truly miss him. In this time of incredible struggle for local businesses, and with many non-essential shops having to close their doors, a local food store has stepped in to try and help a closed book shop keep books available for the public to buy. Arthur's XL store on the Newry Road in Dundalk has kindly offered to stock books from Roe River Books on Park Street, which had to close amid the Covid-19 crisis. Owner of Roe River Books, Tom Muckian, explained via a Facebook post, how Arthur's XL has come to the rescue. "Much as we like to think of books as essential items here at Roe River Books, we are currently closed due to the Corona Virus. "For those of you stuck for something to read however, those really nice people at Arthur's Xl on the Newry Road have kindly offered to give some of our books a temporary home. We have set up a stand with a selection of great titles (over 100) with fiction. nonfiction, Irish Interest and books for younger readers. We'll be topping this stand up as the need arises. "Robert has also kindly offered to act as a collection point for orders if any of you want a particular title. We don't have our stock online unfortunately, but you can e-mail us and if we have what you need we can drop it out for collection within a day or so. "And remember Arthur's has a full range of daily essential available and you can shop there without the long queues. Independent shops are the backbone of any town and Arthur's are a fine example." Tom was quick to praise Arthur's for helping during a difficult time. "We really appreciate the generous offer from them to keep us ticking over like this. Front line shops like Arthur's are doing an incredible and brave job staying open and serving local communities. They deserve your support now, more importantly, will need it when this is all over. Shop local (where you can)." As the coronavirus took hold in Wuhan earlier this year, staff from the Chinese government-backed global property giant Greenland Group were instructed to put their normal work on hold and source bulk supplies of essential medical items to ship back to China. A whistleblower from the company has told the Herald it was a worldwide Greenland effort - and the Sydney office was no different, sourcing bulk supplies of surgical masks, thermometers, antibacterial wipes, hand sanitisers, gloves and Panadol for shipping. The company even posted its efforts of packing pallets in the companys Sydney headquarters on social media. Chinese property developing group Greenland scoured Australia to purchase bulk medical supplies - including masks, gloves and thermometers - which were flown to China. "Basically all employees, the majority of whom are Chinese, were asked to source whatever medical supplies they could," one company insider told the Herald. This exercise went on for weeks through January and February, he said. Writings on the Wall In 1990, my wife Rose and I decided to take my three nephews on a vacation to Huntsville, Alabama, and Disney World in Orlando, Florida. They Read more Flavio Briatore has revealed that he had a coronavirus-like illness - in December. It was only on December 31 that China admitted it was grappling with a mysterious flu-like problem causing pneumonia in Wuhan. But former F1 boss Briatore thinks he had coronavirus before that in Italy. "I was sick in December," the Italian told Italian broadcaster LA7. "I had a very high fever, pain in my lungs and shortness of breath. It lasted for a dozen days. My doctor couldn't understand what was happening. "They took X-rays and CT scans that showed a shadow in my lungs. After the virus broke out in Italy, my doctor told me that I must have had coronavirus. Fortunately, I have already recovered," the 69-year-old added. Briatore thinks countries have made many mistakes so far in dealing with what is now a global pandemic. "They all underestimated the virus," he said. "No one took it seriously. "In January, the WHO told everyone to prepare and nobody did. It was a mistake on the part of world politics," added Briatore. He revealed what he would have done if he were a world leader. "If I had been a minister and had known of an illness in China, and in an area with which my country has many contacts, I would have sent someone or I would have gone myself," said Briatore. "I remember that there were two flights a day between Milan and Wuhan. "When I arrived in Formula 1, I had never seen a race. So after two months, if Ferrari organised a test on any circuit, I would immediately send my engineers to see what they were testing because that was my job. "But I don't think any European minister went to Wuhan, and no one prepared with masks and respirators at this time. It implies that we are governed by inadequate people," Briatore concluded. (GMM) (Photo : POOL New on Reuters ) Royal Family: Prince Charles of Wales Tests Positive With Coronavirus; Source Still Unindentified (Photo : Pool New on Reuters ) Royal Family: Prince Charles of Wales Tests Positive With Coronavirus; Source Still Unindentified Coronavirus has now infiltrated the British royal family through Prince Charles of Wales that tested positive with the disease after experiencing "mild symptoms." Where did Prince Charles get his Coronavirus? Unfortunately, another influential person in the world is now positive with the deadly Coronavirus. Prince Charles of Wales, 71 years old, is now the newly added Coronavirus positive person in the United Kingdom-- adding to the more than 8,000 cases in the country with over 400 deaths as of Wednesday, Mar. 25. "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus," the statement said. "He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual." The heir to the British throne has shown "mild symptoms" on Sunday after attending several gatherings and events. He was tested with the disease the next day, and the results came on a late night of Tuesday, Mar. 24. Now, the Prince is staying in Scotland for its self-quarantine procedures, and the British officials confirmed that the next King of the United Kingdom is not feeling any symptoms anymore and "otherwise remains in good health." Meanwhile, Prince Charles's spouse, the Duchess of Cornwall, 72 years old, tested negative from the disease. Both of them will be staying in Scotland to be monitored by health officials of the palace. "The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland," said a statement. Prince Charles might be contagious since Mar. 13 Sky News reported that Prince Charles might already be infected with the disease since Mar. 13, which was more than two weeks from now. A day before this, he even visited his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in the Buckingham Palace, but authorities said that the Queen is not feeling any symptoms or sickness since Prince Charles' visit. The Queen, the palace added, "is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare." The Prince's last public engagements happened on Mar. 12, along with his private meetings with Highgrove and Duchy of Cornwall individuals. Aside from that, he was also present in aid of the Australian bushfire relief effort, which took place at Mansion House in London. Earlier that day, the Prince of Wales had attended an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, where he greeted recipients with a non-contact gesture due to concerns about the spread of the illness. "The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire, where they met the criteria required for testing," said the statement. "It is not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks." 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Most important, every effort should be made to respect the privacy and anonymity of infected individuals. If my location data shows I have been in close contact with someone infected, I dont need to know that persons age or gender or where I came into contact with him or her I just need to know that I have an increased risk of infection. We can learn from the mistakes of South Korea in this regard, where coronavirus alerts have included far too much unnecessary information about infected individuals characteristics and movements. That information may be useful in aggregate, but there is no need for it to be attached to individual reports of coronavirus cases. We should also put into place restrictions on how location data will be used and mandate when it will be deleted. This will require limiting the analysis of personal data to individuals location data and coronavirus test results, anonymizing that data to the extent possible when it is shared with the public, limiting who has access to the raw data and securing those databases. Understandably, many people fear that governments could use this access to advance other agendas besides stemming the spread of disease. So when these efforts lead to new uses of personal data by government agencies, it is essential that they include specific timelines for how long the data will be used or stored by those agencies and what exactly those agencies can do with that data. Israel, for instance, has just approved emergency powers to track location data of infected individuals and ensure they are adhering to quarantines as well as alerting people they have come into contact with. The Israeli government has limited its use of that data (at least initially) to a 30-day period, which is a good first step, but has not made any guarantees about when, or if, that data will be deleted by health officials, or whether it could be employed for any other uses during that 30-day period. HALIFAXHealth officials in Newfoundland and Labrador reported a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, announcing 32 new presumptive positive results almost doubling the provinces previous total. The easternmost province now has a total of 67 cases four of which have been confirmed as positive. Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, chief medical officer of health, said those diagnosed range in age from eight to 78, and all were recuperating at home. Fitzgerald said health officials are focusing on contact tracing related to known cases as the provinces tally increases. We are casting our net wide to ensure that we identify all cases - as many cases as we can - and to help curtail the spread, she said. The fact that we are finding more cases right now is an indication that public health is doing its job and that its working. Premier Dwight Ball, who has complained about people and businesses ignoring social distancing and isolation orders, said he welcomed the arrival of a snowstorm that was keeping residents in their homes. The premier said his government would begin suspending peoples drivers licences if they violate the health directives. That penalty would be in addition to recently announced fines. We will take the strictest measures that we have to, to protect our residents, he said. On Tuesday, a woman in western Newfoundland was arrested for refusing to stay at home after she returned from a trip outside the province. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said the 53-year-old woman was arrested in Corner Brook and placed in a jail cell overnight. She was charged with contravening the public health order, appeared in court and was released Wednesday morning. She is scheduled to return June 9 to enter a plea. Fitzgerald said 44 of the cases in eastern Newfoundland are linked to Cauls Funeral Home in St. Johns, where an individual who tested positive for the novel coronavirus attended visitations at some point between March 15 and 17. In Nova Scotia, 17 additional confirmed cases were identified Wednesday, bringing the provinces total to 68. Every case in Nova Scotia is believed to be travel-related or connected to earlier reported cases. Dr. Robert Strang, the provinces chief medical officer of health, said the increase in cases in recent days was expected because of the large number of people returning from March break vacations. He said that on average, the province is identifying just under two close contacts for each case. That tells us that people are adhering to the self-isolation (rules) and many of the contacts they are having are within their household, Strang said. Its minimizing the potential for the spread of COVID out in our communities. Strang said Nova Scotia is about two to three weeks behind some of the larger provinces in terms of the spread of the virus. He said strict adherence to social distancing will pay off. If we stick with it for the next few weeks, we have the opportunity to really stay out in front of this and minimize the spread, he said. In New Brunswick, eight new confirmed cases were reported, bringing that provinces total to 26. Premier Blaine Higgs said the province will follow Nova Scotias lead and prohibit non-residents from entering the province unless they are performing an essential service. He said border checks will be conducted at points of entry shared with Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. The identities of travellers will be verified, contact information will be collected and destinations will be tracked for all travellers, including through-travellers, Higgs said. As for the Canada-U.S. border, he said, all commercial traffic and essential services are already exempt. In Prince Edward Island, the total number of confirmed cases rose to five on Wednesday as the illness was found in two international travellers. The provinces chief medical officer of health, Dr. Heather Morrison, stressed that anyone arriving on the Island, including visitors, must remain isolated from others for 14 days. We are not shutting borders to other people, but they need to abide by the same rules and the same messages that everybody in P.E.I. has, and I want to make sure that is very clear, she said. Read more about: KABUL - A lone Islamic State gunman rampaged through a Sikh house of worship in the heart of the Afghan capital Wednesday, killing 25 worshippers and wounding eight, Afghanistans Interior Ministry said. The gunman held many worshippers hostage for several hours while Afghan special forces, helped by international troops, tried to clear the building. At least one of the dead was a child. Within hours, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. The Afghan special forces rescued at least 80 worshippers who had been trapped inside the Sikh house of worship, known as a Gurdwara, as the gunman lobbed grenades and fired his automatic rifle into the crowd, the ministry said. Earlier, Afghan lawmaker Narindra Singh Khalsa said he rushed over to help after receiving a call from a person inside the Gurdwara telling him of the attack. There were about 150 people inside at the time, he said. The SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks militant postings and groups, said IS claimed responsibility for the attack on the groups Aamaq media arm. The communique identified the gunman as Indian national Abu Khalid al-Hindi, who carried out the attack to avenge the plight of Muslims living under severe restrictions in Indian-ruled Kashmir, Hindu Indias only Muslim dominated state. At a Kabul hospital, Mohan Singh, who was in the Gurdwara when the attack began, said he first heard the sound of gunshots and ducked for cover under a table. Later he heard explosions, adding that he believes they were hand grenades. He was wounded when parts of the ceiling fell on him. In photographs shared by the Interior Ministry, about a dozen children were seen being rushed out of the Gurdwara by Afghan special forces, many of them barefoot and crying. As news of the attack first broke, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed tweeted that the Taliban were not involved. Earlier this month, Afghanistans IS affiliate struck a gathering of minority Shiite Muslims in Kabul, killing 32 people. Afghanistans National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib condemned the attack in a tweet while neighbouring Pakistan and India both issued statements of condemnation. Pakistan described the attack as heinous. Such despicable acts have no political, religious or moral justification and must be rejected outright, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry statement said. India said the attack was particularly egregious coming as Afghanistan sought to deal with the growing coronavirus pandemic. Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, India said, reflect the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, reiterating that attacks against civilians are unacceptable and those who carry out such crimes must be held accountable, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan called for a reduction of violence leading to a cease-fire by all combatants in Afghanistan Sikhs have suffered widespread discrimination in the conservative Muslim country and have also been targeted by Islamic extremists. Under Taliban rule in the late 1990s, they were asked to identify themselves by wearing yellow armbands, but the rule was not enforced. In recent years, large numbers of Sikhs and Hindus have sought asylum in India, which has a Hindu majority and a large Sikh population. In July 2018, a convoy of Sikhs and Hindus was attacked by an Islamic State suicide bomber as they were on their way to meet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in the eastern city of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. Nineteen people were killed in that attack. Elsewhere in Afghanistan, at least eight civilians were killed in southern Helmand province when their vehicle hit a roadside mine, said Omer Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor. The area is under Taliban control but no one took immediate responsibility. In a separate incident in northern Kapisa province, insurgents opened fire on a vehicle killing three civilians and a security officer, said Shahiq Shoresh Kohistani, spokesman for the provincial police chief. Washington signed a deal with the Taliban on Feb. 29 and has begun to withdraw its troops in keeping with the agreement but it has run into trouble as Afghanistans political leadership battles relentlessly for power. Two presidents sit in Kabul. Even a surprise visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, who threatened to withhold $1 billion in aid if they didnt get their act together, could break the impasse. A glimmer of hope appeared late Wednesday with a tweet from Taliban political spokesman Sohail Shaheen. He said the release of Taliban prisoners a must before intra-Afghan negotiations can begin could start by March 31. The decision came after a four-hour video conference between the Taliban, the government, Washingtons peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the Qatari government representative. The Taliban maintain a political office in the Middle Eastern State of Qatar. The U.S.-Taliban deal calls for the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners as well as 1,000 government captives as a good will gesture to launch intra-Afghan negotiations, but until now Kabul has been resisting the release. Shaheen also said four Taliban members may travel to the prison at Bagram, north of the Afghan capital Kabul. Meanwhile, with more than 137,000 Afghans returning from Iran so far this year travelling throughout the country before being tested and without follow up there have been concerns that the countrys already war-devastated health system could be overwhelmed. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Wednesday called for a reduction of violence leading to a cease fire by all combatants in Afghanistan to better prepare for the looming health crisis posed by COVID-19, and to give a chance to intra-Afghan negotiations between warring groups. _______ Associated Press writers Kathy Gannon in Islamabad and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, UAE contributed to this report FAQ: COVID-19 Impacts to BMT and Technical Training By 37th Training Wing / Published March 24, 2020 JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) -- The COVID-19 pandemic is a dynamic and rapidly evolving situation. The 37th Training Wing wants to make sure our internal family and external community all have access to factual and up-to-date information. This frequently-asked-questions acts as a resource for anyone who has questions or concerns about themselves or a loved one that is part of the 37th Training Wing, including Basic Military Training at the 737th Training Group and technical training at the 37th Training Group. To help lessen confusion key terms are defined below. Key Terms Restriction of Movement (ROM) : Healthy individuals with no known exposure or illness, administratively placed on restriction of movement. This is to "prove their health" prior to introducing them into a previously healthy population. Separate living quarters and limiting their exposure to other populations is imposed. There is no medical requirement for temperature checking or other active surveillance. Members are to monitor their own health status and immediately notify their chain of command of any decline in their health. Quarantine : Quarantine is a medical form of Restriction of Movement. Healthy individuals who were exposed to contagious material (e.g. COVID-19). Quarantined individuals are separated from others until a sufficient incubation time from their potential exposure occurs (14 days for COVID-19). Persons-Under-Investigation: Individuals who have become symptomatic and are awaiting test results for COVID-19 (currently 24-48 hours). These members need to be isolated while awaiting test results. Isolation : Isolation is a medical form of Restriction of Movement. COVID-19 positive individuals are isolated from other healthy individuals to prevent spread. General Q1: If Joint Base San Antonio is in Health Protection Measure Charlie, why is the military as a whole still sending people TDY for training and meetings in small classroom environments? A1: Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, commander of the Air Education and Training Command, declared Basic Military Training (BMT), Technical Training, and Flight Training as mission essential. Training in the "non" mission-essential category is suspended. In order to meet Air Force requirements around the world, we must continue training. These are unprecedented times, with the situation evolving daily. Leaders at every level are making continuous assessments in order to protect the force's health and safety. Q2: Can we get a confirmation that at this point there are no cases of COVID-19 at the 37th Training Wing to include among the BMT trainee and tech school Airmen populations? A2: At this time there are no positive COVID-19 cases in BMT or Technical Training. Q3: What if someone is feeling sick but doesn't tell anyone for fear of getting held back in training? A3: Our concern is for the greater good and health of our entire population students, instructors and all our support personnel from civil engineering to our food-service teams in the dining facilities. To that end, we highly encourage all our Airmen to be mindful of the risk they could pose if they don't self-report or seek medical attention as soon as possible. Hundreds of Airmen have been tested for COVID-19, with no positive cases to date, and all training days were made up. The 37th Training Wing and leadership at all levels highly encourages all members of the wing to self-report symptoms of COVID-19 to their chain of command as soon as possible. Additionally, a drive through screen process has been established at Wilford Hall by the 59th Medical Wing. More information can be found at https://www.37trw.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2119059/whasc-opens-drive-thru-covid-19-screening-testing/. Q4: Where can I find more up-to-date JB San Antonio information about COVID-19? A4: Health updates for JB San Antonio can be found at https://www.jbsa.mil/Information/CDC-Novel-Coronavirus-Response-Support/. Q5: If there is a positive case, what will be the decontamination process of barracks/dormitories/common spaces/etc? Will others in the same squad be isolated? A5: If someone tests positive, the medical community will conduct contact, tracing and identifying all areas which were impacted. These areas will undergo extensive professional deep cleaning. The positive trainee will receive the required medical care and other trainees who were exposed to that member will be placed in a 14-day quarantine and monitored for symptoms. Once they clear the incubation period without symptoms under quarantine, they can return to training. Basic Military Training, 737th Training Group Q1: How can I watch my loved one graduate from Basic Military Training? A1: BMT graduation will be live streamed on the USAF Basic Military Training Facebook page @USAFBMT and will be archived for later viewing on the 37th Training Wing YouTube channel. Q2: My Airmen graduated Basic Military Training March 19, how do I view his/her graduation? A2: Our BMT graduations are posted to the 37th Training Wing YouTube channel. Links to live streams from the March 19 graduation are broken down by Squadron/Flight. Q3: BMT continuing because it is considered mission essential, what is being done to keep them and those around them safe? A3: New trainees coming into the BMT pipeline are restricted from movement for 14 days and do not interact with technical training students. Commanders at every level are charged with maximizing health and safety during these unprecedented times. You can read more at the the following article: Latest Air Force trainees continue BMT with enhanced mitigation efforts Q4: How will BMT graduates get to their tech training? How do you mitigate those travel risks? A4. BMT works with each Technical Training location to ship Airmen in a variety of transportation means. All departing Airmen receive a pre-departure health, morale, welfare and safety briefing from leadership to ensure the latest DoD travel protocols are being met. These briefings are modified as needed to mitigate risk as the situation changes. Q5: What quarantine/isolation measures will you take for the BMT flights? A5: BMT has begun screening all recruits upon arrival and will monitor every member during their time at BMT for symptoms. Schedules have been adjusted to reduce interaction with other flights and have increased cleaning measures across all components. We are working with our medical and support experts to ensure our Airmen are protected to the maximum extent possible. Q6: Why is BMT graduation now on Thursday's? A6. During the COVID-19 pandemic, BMT graduation will take place on Thursday's to allow Airmen to start transiting to Technical Training on Friday and freeing up space on the BMT campus. This allows BMT to have additional cleaning time of the dormitories. Q7: Since BMT trainees are in a 14-day restriction of movement, upon arrival, does this mean that their time at BMT is now 10.5 weeks as opposed to the typical 8.5 week BMT schedule? A7: BMT is not extended for these trainees, they will continue to graduate at the 8.5 week-mark. BMT leadership is looking at creative ways of accomplishing the required curriculum to allow trainees to graduate on time. Technical Training, 37th Training Group Q1: How can I watch my loved one graduate from technical training? A1: At this time technical training graduations are not streamed to the public. Regardless of family members being allowed to attend graduation, we are very proud of your Airman and what they have accomplished. We can assure you they will be celebrated within their units. Q2: There is online chatter about the security forces dorms having sick Airmen, is this true? A2: All Airmen tested from COVID-19 at the 343rd Training Squadron have had negative results. The safety of our Airmen is extremely important to us. Airmen who are tested for COVID-19 are immediately isolated in their room for the 24-48 hours period while waiting test results. Airmen are routinely checked on and have access to their personal items, to include cell phones, so they can make contact with their family. Q3: Why is Tech Training continuing during this COVID-19 pandemic? A3: We understand the concerns being expressed for the safety of all those attending technical training at JB San Antonio. At this time, the AETC has deemed technical training to be mission essential and will continue on as planned. We take the safety and well-being of our personnel and trainees very seriously and will continue to re-evaluate as needed. Please visit the following link for more information on AETC mission essential training the following article: AETC issues official COVID-19 mission essential training determination, authorizes travel. Q4: Is it possible to make arrangements for instructors to stay with trainees during this time so they are not going home and exposing family members? A4: Yes. We are in the process of identifying Instructor Cadre, Military Training Leaders, and Animal Caretakers who can temporarily relocate to on base quarters. This would be a temporary relocation that is at no cost to the member. Q5: Can Airmen who do not have orders and are stuck in between BMT graduation and tech school go home to be with their families? A5: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and to limit unnecessary exposure risks, the DoD has implemented a domestic travel suspension until May 11, this includes leave for Airmen at BMT awaiting technical training. Please know your son's, daughter's and every Airman's, health and safety is our top priority. Q6: After BMT graduation, will Airmen still transit to tech schools that are outside of JB San Antonio? A6: Currently, yes. BMT graduates are transitioning to Technical Training schools both inside and outside of JB San Antonio. Q7: Tech training is continuing because it is considered mission essential, what is being done to keep them and those around them safe? A7: All standard COVID-19 protective measures are taking place and being enforced, to include handwashing, cleaning routines and enforcing social distancing. Commanders at every level are charged with maximizing health & safety during these unprecedented times. Q8: Once at Technical Training, what's the plan once Airmen graduate? How will they get to their first duty station? A8. Upon graduation for both technical training and flying training students, losing units will coordinate with the gaining units to work specific mitigation and travel issues as needed. Overseas travel will be coordinated in accordance with DoD guidelines. Q9: What about students in Technical Training right now? Are they being allowed to PCS to their first duty station? A9. All technical training and specialized undergraduate pilot training graduates will continue to out-process and travel to their first duty station upon completion of training. Q10: Can you tell me about phases in Technical Training and whether or not students will be allowed off base during tech training? A10: That depends on the location of the Technical Training school. The owning installation commander will determine when it is safe for Technical Training Airmen to travel off base, based on the current health protection conditions and DoD guidance. Q11: Will tech schools make exceptions to families to visit their new Airmen in the next few weeks since they were not able to see them graduate? A11: Once Airmen arrive at Technical Training, their new squadrons will provide them an update on the ability to travel off base or have visitors visit based on the direction of the installation commander and DoD guidance. This determination is based on the priority of keeping them safe and the completion of their technical training requirements. Q12: Where is the best place for Airmen in Technical Training to seek out answers about his/her next assignment and how they'll get there? A12: The best answer is to continue to discuss your individual situation with your instructor, supervisor and chain of command. Q13: What measures are being taken if trainees or tech school Airmen are sick? Are they being tested for the coronavirus, placed into quarantine, etc.? A13: As determined by medical professionals, Technical Training Airmen are being tested for COVID-19 if they are symptomatic. Once tested, the Airmen are placed in isolation for 24-48 hours until their test results are returned. During that time, food and essentials are provided to our Airmen. Airmen are routinely checked on and have access to their personal items, to include cell phones, so they can make contact with their family. (Originally published: March 23, 2020 at 9:45 p.m.) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Auto Lease Prices Drop On Several Mid-Size Cars And SUVs In March SEE ALSO: 2020 New Car Reviews Automotive Manufacturers Offer Aggressive Lease Deals on Many Vehicles Amidst Sales Slump in Response to COVID-19 CINCINNATI, OHIO (March 24, 2020) Wantalease.com, the nations first online marketplace for new lease deals, reports the latest update on new lease offerings for the month of March. Several brands offered significant discounts on mid-size cars and SUVs, likely a result of falling sales due to COVID-19. OEMs are offering aggressive deals on lease payments to attract shoppers and potential buyers. The Nissan Sentra is currently priced the lowest of all vehicles, coming in at just $139 per month for the fifth consecutive month. While many vehicle lease offers have remained steady in March, dealers have offered more aggressive lease pricing on mid-size cars and SUVs especially. In fact, the vehicle that saw the largest price drop moving in the month of March was the Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 with a -17.85% decrease. The vehicle is offered at $749 per month, followed by the Honda Accord at $249 (-8.72%), the Volkswagen Jetta for $239 per month (-7.62%), and the Volkswagen Passat at $289 per month (-6.39%). Were seeing manufacturers offer aggressive pricing on most mid-size cars and SUVs as the COVID-19 outbreak has made a significant impact on consumers and their desire to shop for cars and trucks, said Scot Hall, Executive Vice President of Wantalease.com. With a significant pullback in new-vehicle sales, automakers are looking for ways to attract consumers back into the consideration set for a new vehicle. We fully expect these budget-friendly lease offers to stick around for the next few months. The vehicles with the largest increased monthly payment are the Mercedes-Benz C300 with a +5.43% increase, and the Ford Expedition with a +3.69% increase in price from February. The C300 is currently offered at $459 per month, while the Expedition is offered for $545. Wantalease.com is a sister marketplace to Swapalease.com, the nations largest online marketplace for leases. About Wantalease.com: Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wantalease.com is the worlds first online automotive marketplace for new car leases. For more information visit www.WantAlease.com. Former union boss and Labor minister Simon Crean has urged workers, businesses and the government to come together in a grand bargain to offer training, wage subsidies and new jobs in thriving industries to the unemployed during the coronavirus crisis. Mr Crean, who as president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions helped negotiate the accord between unions and industry that underpins Australia's modern workplace system, said the challenge of COVID-19 was bigger than another accord. Simon Crean, who served as a minister under four prime ministers and helped negotiate the Accord, has praised collaboration to help workers cope with coronavirus. Credit:Arsineh Houspian "We're in a crisis that we've never known before and this is the time in which people need to pull together," Mr Crean said. "Let's make something of this crisis." There were already negotiations under way on Wednesday for big revisions to the awards that determine pay and conditions for hundreds of thousands of workers in administrative roles and in the restaurant and catering sector as part of a bid to save jobs. New Delhi: The US on Wednesday said it was in contact with the Indian government to help find accommodation for American citizens stranded in the country because of the Covid-19 lockdown till the time it can arrange flights to evacuate them. The Indian government imposed a 21-day lockdown from midnight on Tuesday to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease. The exact number of stranded American travellers in the country could not immediately be ascertained but it is believed to be in the hundreds. The US Mission to India continues to work with @StateDept & airline companies to arrange flights from India to the US for US citizens. Once flights are arranged, we will work with the GoI to arrange to the greatest extent possible safe passage to airports for US citizens, ambassador Kenneth Juster tweeted. In a separate tweet, the US embassy said, We are in contact with the Indian government to emphasize the need for hotels to continue to lodge US citizens during the nationwide curfew. The US embassy said daily updates will be provided about its repatriation efforts through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) application and asked US citizens to enrol online for the programme. An alert posted on the embassys website said: While the exact parameters of the curfew are still unclear, US citizens should cooperate by sheltering in place. US citizens are required to comply with Indian law and obey directions from law enforcement officers. It added, We know there is great interest from US citizens in obtaining assistance to depart India, and we are working to support necessary arrangements. On Tuesday, French officials said they were working with the Indian government to try and arrange flights to evacuate about 1,000 French travellers. So, strictly speaking this is not a lockdown. But - on the day after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics became Tokyo 2021 - we are very much headed in that very direction. True, we can still go to the shops, get out and take a bit of exercise, and go to medical or dental appointments - assuming it is still possible to get such appointments. Unlike the UK, we can gather as non-family groups of four rather than two, as obtains on that other island. If necessary, we can also travel to our workplace, provided it is essential to be there. But people are urged, wherever possible, to work from home. All non-essential retail will now close with, in the main, just supermarkets and pharmacies staying open. Restaurants and cafes are now just takeaway and delivery only. Gone are theatres, gyms, bingo halls, libraries and hairdressers. So, too, are all playgrounds and caravan parks. All sport is cancelled, bidding adieu to 'behind-closed-doors' racing, and hotels only open for essential services. Many of us will feel there was a certain inevitability to all of this. The fine weather at the weekend brought tens of thousands of people to beaches, parks and hills, understandably seeking fresh air, sunlight and a break from the growing and all-pervasive coronavirus anxiety. The vast majority taking to the great outdoors respected the guidelines on social distancing. But sadly some people did not and that intensified many people's anxiety that we were headed for a greater spread of the virus, looking nervously at the experience of Italy, Spain and France. The little bit of calibrated freedom which stays, essentially the ability to get out for a walk, run, cycle or drive, offers a vital help to maintain sanity. Over time it could become even more important to avoid a more long-term epidemic of mental health problems. Schools remaining closed until at least April 19 tells us this problem will linger. Whether or not there is another turn of the screw, with further curtailments of our freedom, now depends on all of us. An Garda Siochana, augmented in some cases by park rangers, will have the power to enforce the new rules on curbing social gatherings and maintaining the vital social distancing. But it was reassuring to hear the Taoiseach emphasise consent and the voluntary goodwill of the people to ensure these rules are respected. The Government's audacious and generous moves to protect people's incomes for the foreseeable future at least must also come into play here. The authorities' generosity of response - which of course we will all pay for later - has to be considered by anyone contemplating these new rules. Tougher and more rigorously policed rules in Italy, Spain and France were caused in large part by a lack of trust between the authorities and the people. This was evidenced by runaway figures in rising instances of the coronavirus. If Irish people do not behave wisely, we are likely to all face more severe rules, like those experienced on mainland Europe. But, given that Ireland is a small country with a largely cohesive population, the odds are that we can be more optimistic about avoiding even more draconian measures. The number of test centres in Ireland is increasing and planning to avoid the health service becoming totally over-run is encouraging. The challenge for Irish people is to match this endeavour with a popular demonstration we can self-police our public behaviour. Kenya Cephas has owned her hair salon for 16 years, and last Thursday probably was her busiest day. Anxious black women called her Bloomfield shop, Salon Femi, for appointments and advice, and before the day was over, 32 women packed her place as news spread that hair salons, considered non-essential businesses, would be closed because of the coronavirus. To the governor, salons are non-essential. To Cephas customers? Theyre fundamental to the complicated hair care of black women, who now feel like they have nowhere to go. The expression of identity through hairstyles has been a part of black culture for decades. There have been books written on the cultural significance of womens hair in the black community. Last week, Cephas customers were worried. They wanted to know: What are we going to do without the salon?" she said. Depending on the texture of their hair and their hairstyle, some women require a relaxer every six to eight weeks, Cephas said. Others visit every two weeks for a wash and wrap, a natural hair care treatment, a trim and/or coloring. These needs are fed by culture and hair. Our hair takes a tremendous amount of care, Cephas said. It takes more time and needs more nurturing." But theres also the risk: Its difficult to practice social distancing in a crowded salon while having your hair cut or colored, your nails painted or your eyebrows waxed. And theres another complication: Wigs, weaves, and hair extensions come from factories primarily based in China, where the coronavirus has halted the economy and disrupted supply chains. Sabrina McGirt, of Totowa, is one of Cephas most loyal customers. Two weeks ago, she came for a relaxer and coloring. And she was back again on Thursday. An account manager in financial services, she works from home, but she appears frequently on video conferencing, and for her, hair styling is important. The shop has been instrumental in calming anxieties about her appearance, she said, but now she wasnt sure when it would be open again. Theres angst, but when you step into Salon Femi, there is a calmness," she said. You feel like youre sitting there with your family. Cephas, as she often does, gave her customers strategies on how they can care for their hair and scalp during this pandemic. We dont know how long this is going to last," she said. Leslie Faison of Hackensack, however, was stressing, because her usual salon -- which is in Brooklyn -- was shuttered before New Jersey closed its salons. Faison said she is past due for a relaxer and color treatment, describing her hair as a wreck. Co-workers, however, wouldnt know. Thats because Faison, who works in asset management, said she turns the camera off on video conferencing calls. They can hear her, but theres no visual. Im trying not to stress, because Im one of those people when stress happens, my hair falls out and thats the last thing I want," Faison said. A Willingboro resident, who asked to remain nameless, said she drove to Maryland -- I had a small window of time -- for her hair treatments before the state cracked down on non-essential businesses. With just a three-hour window, Dashay Carter pulled it off. At 5 p.m., Newark announced that non-essential businesses would close by 8 p.m. In that span, she found a nail and hair shop and was done. Carter, who is the director of human resources for the Newark Housing Authority and an Army reserve specialist, was worried about nail and hair businesses, and their workers, who are now left without an income. Cephas said salon owners must wait it out. Safety is first right now. As the virus spreads and New Jersey expects the numbers of the infected to increase, Cephas predicts black women will get creative and endure -- until the shops are re-opened. They may have to pull the hair back, smooth it out with a deep conditioner and tame the edge, but ... Were black women, Cephas said. Were resourceful. Read More Barry Carter may be reached at bcarter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 13:56:34|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen speaks during a meeting with a group of volunteer doctors in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on March 25, 2020. Hun Sen said on Wednesday that he is considering to put the country in a state of emergency after a spike of COVID-19 cases. (Photo by Li Lay/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Wednesday that he is considering to put the country in a state of emergency after a spike of COVID-19 cases. "I'm letting (the legal team) examine the possibility to use the Article 22 of the Constitution to request the King to put the country in a state of emergency," he said during a meeting with a group of volunteer doctors in Phnom Penh. "I don't want to use this (measure), but I will if my appeal produces no effect," he said. The Article 22 of the Constitution said when the nation faces danger, the king shall put the country in a state of emergency after agreement with the prime minister and the presidents of the National Assembly and the Senate. Meanwhile, Hun Sen said the Southeast Asian country has prepared hotels, vocational training centers and school-dorms with more than 3,000 rooms into standby facilities to treat people with COVID-19. He advised health officials and local authorities to use loudspeakers to broadcast health warnings and advice on preventing virus transmission across the country. "I call on people not to leave home if unnecessary," he said, advising people to practice hygiene and to contact a 115 hotline if they have any suspicious symptoms of the virus. Hun Sen also warned to seize face masks and close drugstores that sell face masks in high prices. Cambodia has recorded a total of 93 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 to date. Six Chinese, one British and four Cambodian have fully recovered and been discharged from hospitals. Last week, the country banned foreigners from Italy, Germany, Spain, France, the United States, and Iran from entering the country for 30 days. Also, the kingdom ordered the closures of all schools, karaoke clubs, night clubs, cinemas, and museums nationwide, with religious gatherings and concerts also being prohibited. The prime minister assured that the country will not shut down markets, restaurants, coffee shops and garment factories. Syracuse, NY -- There are now 81 confirmed coronavirus cases in Onondaga County, a jump of 21 cases from a day ago, according to county officials. There are now 10 infected people in the hospital, two more than Tuesday. The number of critical patients remains at three. There were no deaths reported in the past 24 hours. The county suffered its first Covid-19 death on Tuesday. There are now 248 people in mandatory quarantine. Thats up from 206 people in quarantine on Tuesday. (Those only include people who have the virus or are suspected of having the virus. Hundreds more are required to quarantine while awaiting their test results for the virus.) We knew we were going to get some busy days coming up, and weve had one, County Executive Ryan McMahon said at his daily 3 p.m. news conference. There had been 60 confirmed cases as of Tuesday. The 81 confirmed cases marks a 35 percent jump in one day, he noted. Floods of test results -- and likely confirmed cases -- will continue in coming days, McMahon said. There have been roughly 1,550 test results returned out of nearly 2,400 tests taken countywide. A positive trend continues: the number of people needing testing at the countys triage site remains steady at around 100 a day. Between 4 and 5 percent of tests have returned positive results, so far. The flood of results were getting now date back to testing done last week, when nearly 300 people a day were seeking testing, McMahon said. That flood will subside after reaching its peak this week. The key then, he said, will be continuing social distancing and avoiding stupid actions that could lead to another spike in infections. The geographic breakdown of confirmed cases is as follows: Syracuse: 27; Clay: 9; Salina: 9; Cicero: 6; Camillus: 5; Manlius: 5; Onondaga: 5; Pompey: 4; Lysander: 3; Skaneateles: 3; DeWitt: 1; Geddes: 1; LaFayette: 1; Spafford: 1; Van Buren: 1 The ages of the known cases are (incomplete list): Under 19: 3 In their 20s: 20 In there 30s: 10 In their 40s: 9 In their 50s: 11 In their 60s: 12 In their 70s: 10 In their 80s: 2 Infected cases involving public places: The following are cases of Covid-19 involving people who worked or attended functions in public places. Some of those situations have led county officials to issue warnings of a possible public threat. In other cases, the county says its confident that its investigation showed there is no known public health threat. If you become sick, contact your primary care doctor. For those without doctors, call Upstate University Hospitals Covid-19 hotline: 315-464-3979. Possible public threat: Bethany Baptist Church: Infected person attended on Sunday, March 15. Asciotis Market, located at 3249 Milton Ave. in Solvay: Infected employee worked from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17. Americas Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, located at 3401 Erie Blvd East, DeWitt: Infected employee worked: Monday 3/9 8:30 am-5:30 pm Tuesday 3/10 9:30 am-6:30 pm Wednesday 3/11 10:30 am-7:30 pm Thursday 3/12 9:30 am-3:30 pm No known public threat: North Syracuse schools: Infected employee was not symptomatic while at work, has not been to work since March 13, superintendent said. No further information has been released. Solvay schools: Infected employee confirmed Tuesday, March 24. District says everyone who came into contact with the staff member has been notified. No further information has been released, including where the staff member worked. Two Syracuse schools, Roberts Elementary and Institute of Technology: Infected staff members did not appear to have contact with children or others, teachers union says. Infections apparently happened since schools closed on March 16. Syracuse Veterans Hospital: Infected employee suspected of getting disease outside the hospital. No other information announced. VA says those with contact to employee being monitored. Syracuse Hancock Airport: Officials have said that the infected worker did not appear to have extensive contact with travelers or other employees. No other information announced. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Editors note: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported 22 additional coronavirus cases Wednesday. In fact, there were 21 new cases. The story has been corrected. Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The coronavirus pandemic and the countrys collapsing economy are forcing Democrats and Republicans to rethink the messaging they thought would help them win Novembers elections for White House and congressional control. Shattered, certainly for now, is President Donald Trumps ability to tout a brawny economy and record stock market prices as the predicate for his reelection. And it could be hard for Republicans to call Democrats socialists with a straight face as Congress approaches a bipartisan deal on a near $2 trillion rescue package that would essentially have government drive the economy indefinitely. Democrats say theyre the party that will protect peoples health care, but its unclear that would be heard by people focused mostly on when life will return to normal. And by pounding away at Trumps competence, theyd risk alienating voters who, during a stressful time, want policymakers to produce solutions, not partisan wrangling. Were in the middle of a hurricane. We dont know all the political consequences. We dont know if its a Cat 1 or a Cat 5, said GOP consultant Matt Mackowiak, referring to categories used to express the strength of storms. Trump has seized public attention with almost daily briefings about the governments response to the pandemic. Thats left former Vice President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, and his partys congressional candidates searching for ways to break into the news cycle. Clearly, campaign themes are changing. Five political advertisers had run ads mentioning the coronavirus through last week, according to Advertising Analytics, a firm that tracks ad data. That included one in Florida, in Spanish, by Biden, and two by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. In times like this, we must work together, Collins, who faces a competitive November reelection in a state that prizes independence, tells the camera. Priorities USA, the largest outside Democratic political organization, planned to start ads Tuesday in election battlegrounds Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The spot contrasts the skyrocketing number of coronavirus cases with Trumps own words, including, We have it totally under control, and ends with the words, America needs a leader we can trust displayed against a black background. GOP operatives say Republican candidates must emphasize rallying behind the effort to battle the twin crises. The message is, We all need to come together, support the president and vice president and do all we can to fight the virus, Republican strategist John Feehery said. Throw everything else out the window. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee provided a memo last week offering guidance to its candidates. Remind followers through your actions that you take this seriously and would be a calm voice through crisis, the House Democratic political arm said in the guidance obtained by The Associated Press. It urged candidates to discuss the significance of health care access and affordability issues that helped the party capture House control in 2018. It suggested asking voters, How are you doing? and Do you need anything during phone calls. Both parties say its too early to know if the virus will be contained and the economy resuscitated by the time voters focus on the fall campaigns and whether theyll blame or laud Trump and the GOP for the outcome. Either way, Trump is casting himself as a wartime president in hopes of garnering the broad public support that usually goes to national leaders in times of crisis. A Trump campaign fundraising committee emailed supporters Tuesday that despite the emergency, Democrats have proved yet again that theyd rather hurt our Nation than work with their President and do whats right. Biden used a fundraiser, held by phone, to swipe at Trump, whos made numerous false statements about the virus, including on its seriousness and the availability of tests. We need to tell the American people the truth, the unvarnished truth, Biden said. Look what we have in the White House right now, said Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., using that same theme. Bustos, who heads House Democrats campaign arm, cited Trumps lashing out at reporters during new briefings and said, We all look for leaders to lead in a crisis. Democrats are also using the virus spread to reprise their call for better health care. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats marked Mondays 10th anniversary of President Barack Obama signing his health care overhaul into law. We couldnt need it more than during this pandemic, Pelosi told reporters about the statute. She blamed Trump for making mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake in handling the outbreak. And on the Senate floor Monday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., underscored something both parties will be looking for: ways to taint the other for using the life-altering crises to seek political gain. McConnell accused Democrats of viewing the chambers blocked economic bill as a juicy political opportunity and trying to stuff it with environmental requirements and other priorities. Are you kidding me? This is the moment to debate new regulations that have nothing to do with this crisis? he said. Still, Republicans concede the party faces a huge downside should the virus remain uncontrolled. If we become Italy, said the consultant Mackowiak, citing the country with the highest death toll so far, theres no question the party in power would pay a political price for that. Absolutely no question. A.O. SCOTT Even though some of our readers have questioned my credibility as a film critic, Im not sorry I waited so long to see Top Gun for the first time. Back when I was a 20-year-old undergraduate film snob, I might not have been as susceptible to its charms or as tolerant of its limitations. Seen through middle-aged eyes, the movie takes on an extra glow of nostalgia, and also looks much stranger than it might have on a night out at the multiplex in 1986. Im intrigued by how divisive it still is, based on the comments weve received. They range from What a bunch of hooey to landmark of cinematic excellence. The glorification of the American military was inspiring to some, off-putting to others. One reader, Cheryl from Fullerton, Calif., remembered that 30 years ago this film blew me away only to find it trite, misogynistic and actually boring when she rewatched it with her grandsons. That a movie so well known can provoke such divergent responses after so many years is a sign that its still alive. I have no doubt that well get into the sexual politics and the homoerotic can we even call it a subtext? There are a lot of themes to unpack! But what struck me what I didnt expect was the extravagant beauty, the dreaminess, the foregrounding of poetry rather than plot. I expected something more like the action movies Im used to reviewing: a violent, overblown spectacle of aggression. Not anything so deliciously campy and sincerely silly. Those wide-screen compositions! That sand and surf! Those flight sequences! The rippling torsos and smooth faces! It made me feel young again, and also ancient. As a teen in the 1980s, I ate this up. Its hard to tell whether it was the nostalgia propelling the smiles and cheers as I watched it with teens of my own. But they ate it up, too, so there must be something here. Yes, the romance is implausible, but at least Kelly McGilliss character has a brain. S. Trainor, Bethesda, MD DARGIS Rippling, glistening muscles have rarely been so lovingly photographed. If nothing else, I hope that our viewing party inspires those skeptical about the director Tony Scott to revisit his work. For better or worse and Im a longtime partisan Scott was a visual maximalist who embraced delirious excesses. He started out in advertising (like his brother, Ridley), a background that shaped his style and meant that he could, with economy and beauty, convey a movies meaning in images and often better than the boneheaded dialogue. Air India staffers have been instrumental in the return of hundreds of Indians stranded abroad, including in Iran, China, Japan and Italy, as the coronavirus cases continue to increase Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to celebrate frontline warriors fighting coronavirus pandemic received an overwhelming response from Indians, reports indicated that professionals who face the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus due to the nature of their jobs are facing harassment and discrimination. Just on Sunday, Indians clanked utensils, blew on conch shells and clapped en masse in an invigorating display of solidarity and gratitude towards all those associated with essential services. But Tuesday brought reports where flight crew members, doctors and others whose jobs put them at the high risk of contracting the contagion, complained of being ostracised and outright harassment at the hands of fellow citizens. A woman, who claimed to be a staffer with an airline, said in a video that she and her family were being discriminated against by the members of her housing society because she had to travel internationally as a part of her job. Adding that the airlines' crew takes ample precautions and get themselves checked if they have any symptoms, she claimed that her mother is being turned away from grocery stores as people believe she may be infected with the coronavirus. In another video that has gone viral, an Air India staffer and his family residing in Delhis Keshav Puram are seen being harassed by their neighbours, who were suspicious the family may be suffering from COVID-19. And look at this. @AirIndiain crew being harassed ar 10 pm last night Lawrence Road, Keshav Puram, Delhi. And they are dying to come back to India if stranded outside the country on special AI, IndiGo etc flights. Cc : @DelhiPolice pic.twitter.com/Y1dI62oLQ2 Tarun Shukla (@shukla_tarun) March 24, 2020 A Mumbai-based crew member told India Today that she was told by her society to look for alternate accommodation while a Delhi crew member said her house was marked quarantined by neighbours. In a letter to her seniors, one of the staffers wrote, "Is working for a national carrier and getting back our people safely back home a crime. My society called up my husband to inform me that we should move out and manage something elsewhere as a precautionary measure." Air India staffers have been instrumental in the return of hundreds of Indians stranded abroad, including in Iran, China, Japan and Italy, as the coronavirus cases continue to increase. With the crew and staff of airlines facing such incidents, Air India released a statement that said that "crew members who are landing into India from affected cities are sent on home quarantine, and also to designated hospitals for check as part of the protocol. Safety measures have been providing adequate protection to our crew, who have been discharging their duties." The statement added that the ostracisation of the crew in many localities is alarming. The airline appealed to societies to treat the employees with the respect they deserve. "These vigilantes have conveniently forgotten that many a spouse, parent, sibling, child and near and dear one have been brought home safe and secure from affected countries, thanks to the heroic efforts of these Air India crew," the airline said. #FlyAI : Dear all, we invite your attention towards this press release . Kind cooperation is solicited. pic.twitter.com/cbTGXIr0tP Air India (@airindiain) March 22, 2020 A day after Air Indias statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that their "outstanding efforts are admired by several people across India". Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri shared a picture of a crew of the Air India Boeing 777, Captain Swati Raval and Captain Raja Chauhan, that evacuated 263 Indian stranded in Italy, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Extremely proud of this team of @airindiain, which has shown utmost courage and risen to the call of humanity. Their outstanding efforts are admired by several people across India. #IndiaFightsCoronahttps://t.co/I7Czxep7bj Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 23, 2020 Likewise, doctors at Sanjay Nursing Home in Delhi claimed to have been facing housing and food issues amid the lockdown due to the novel coronavirus. Senior resident doctor Amandeep Singh was quoted by ANI as saying, "Doctors who are living on rent here are being asked to vacate their houses as their landlords believe that they will spread the virus." Another doctor, said, "Police are prohibiting our mess workers from bringing food from outside. We request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to solve the problems faced by the health professionals." Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said that he was "deeply anguished" over reports of discrimination against doctors treating coronavirus patients. "Im DEEPLY ANGUISHED to see reports pouring in from Delhi, Noida, Warangal, Chennai etc that DOCTORS and PARAMEDICS are being ostracised in residential complexes & societies. Landlords are threatening to evict them fearing #COVID2019 infection. Pls dont panic!" he said. GRAND RAPIDS, MI Steelcase has temporarily laid off nearly all its hourly manufacturing and distribution employees in Michigan in response to state orders aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus, the office furniture manufacturer announced Tuesday. In addition, company CEO James Keanes base pay was reduced to $1, while executive team members saw a 60 percent base pay cut. Meanwhile, nearly all of Steelcases U.S. salaried workers will receive a 50 percent base pay cut and a similar reduction in hours, the company said in an earnings report posted online Tuesday. Steelcase, which is based in Grand Rapids, has suspended all activities at its Michigan factories except those serving essential industries such as healthcare. The company is helping manufacture isolation masks and face shields for West Michigan hospitals that are running short on the materials amid the coronavirus pandemic. Steelcase remains open actively working on new projects, continuing to manufacture products to meet customer needs and core functions, company spokesperson Katie Woodruff said in a statement. However, due to Michigans governor issuing a state-wide mandate for all residents to Stay Home, Stay Safe, coupled with international jurisdictions issuing similar guidelines, Steelcase needs to pause a portion of its operations. Woodruff wasnt immediately sure Tuesday night how many Michigan Steelcase employees were laid off. On Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a temporary stay-at-home order aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The order mandates that Michigan residents stay home unless they are doing something essential, like getting food or medicine or going outside to exercise. It also requires the closure of most businesses except those deemed necessary to sustain or protect life, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and public safety officers. The order has hit other West Michigan furniture manufacturers as well. On Monday night, Zeeland-based Herman Miller announced it was shutting down all manufacturing through April 13 the day Whitmers stay-at-home order ends. The company did not respond to a request for comment Monday night. In addition to its facilities in Michigan, Steelcase is suspending or reducing operations at locations in California, Pennsylvania and Texas. The same is true for Steelcases operations outside the U.S. in France, India and Malaysia. Similar actions will soon be taken in Spain and the United Kingdom, the company said. As we enter fiscal 2021, we had strong backlog, strong orders and a growing pipeline, particularly in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and the Americas, but the COVID-19 crisis has interrupted our operations in a way that makes it impossible to provide meaningful estimates of revenues or earnings per share," Keane said in a statement. In the short run, we are confident the actions we are taking will protect our people and therefore our relationships with customers, dealers and suppliers. These actions will also protect the companys capital, so we can navigate through this crisis and emerge strong and ready to compete. The companys employees in Michigan who are being laid off will be eligible for unemployment. Steelcase has committed to pay the full cost of employee health insurance premiums during the layoff, according to the earnings report. Steelcase, which made $3.7 billion in revenue in 2020, had 3,500 employees as of 2017, according to a list of the regions top employers maintained by The Right Place, a Grand Rapids-based economic development group. PREVENTION TIPS Read more: Michigan coronavirus cases now at 1,791 with 24 deaths biggest daily increase to date How to report if your non-essential workplace is still open during Michigans coronavirus stay home order Jackson metal fabricator retools factory to make face shields for hospitals Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 21:43 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d661c7 1 National COVID-19,COVID-19-Indonesian-patients,COVID-19-Jakarta,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,Kemayoran Free At least 144 people were admitted to the emergency hospital for COVID-19 cases in the Kemayoran Athletes Village in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, two days after the facility officially opened for business. Joint Defense Area Command I commander Rear Adm. Yudo Margono said the patients comprised 86 males and 58 females. Only nine patients among the 144 have so far tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, he said. "Forty-one patients are ODP [people under surveillance] and the remaining 94 people are PDP [patients under treatment]," he said as quoted by kompas.com. The number of patients increased by 56 since Tuesday, when the hospital was only treating 88. Two among them had been referred to Gatot Subroto Army Hospital because of comorbidity issues. During the 2018 Asian Games, the Kemayoran Athletes Village was able to house 24,000 people. However, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said the complex would now be able to handle about 3,000 patients. The majority of the emergency hospital's staff members were doctors and nurses from the Indonesian Military and the National Police. Earlier on Tuesday, Health Ministry Disease Control and Prevention Director General Achmad Yurianto said that 31 patients in the athletes village had been sent home because they did not need hospital treatment. Yurianto said that the four apartment towers of the emergency hospital would not be used to treat asymptomatic people or those showing minor COVID-19 symptoms, which made up about 80 percent of all COVID-19 positive cases in the country. Self-isolation by staying at home is enough. Not all people with the disease should depend on hospital services," he said, adding that asymptomatic people did not need to be hospitalized, unless there was a comorbidity issue. (nal) As a proof of their claim, they have issued photos of the three Maoists killed along with their names, area of operation and villages they belonged to Rebutting the Chhattisgarh police's claim that a large number of Maoists have been eliminated in the fierce gun-battle that took place on 21 March, the Naxals in a first -- issued a statement along with photos today claiming that they lost only three fighters against 17 jawans of the security forces. It seems that the Maoists have unleashed a propaganda war against the State to counter the claims made by Chhattisgarh police. As a proof of their claim, they have issued photos of the three Maoists killed along with their names, area of operation and villages they belonged to. Unlike in the past, this is probably for the first time that they have mentioned all these details. It may be an attempt to prove Chhattisgarh police wrong as the latter had claimed on 22 March that eight to 10 Maoists were killed during the gunfight. On 21 March, a fierce gun-battle took place -- inside the hilly and forested area of Minpa-Elamguda-Koraj Dongri near Chintagufa and Burkapal in Sukma district -- between nearly 600 security force personnel and 250 Maoists. It was a joint operation launched by CRPFs elite CoBRA battalion, Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Guards (DRG) of Chhattisgarh Police against Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) -- the military wing of CPI (Maoist). The Naxal cadre was reportedly led by the dreaded Madvi Hidma commander of Battalion-1 of PLGA. This was one of the biggest setbacks and the most horrifying Maoist attack on security forces after 2017 incident, in which 25 CRPF personnel were killed. Later, in 2019 during Lok Sabha election, Maoists triggered an IED blast and killed BJP MP from Dantewada, Bhima Mandavi, along with his five security guards and a driver. After the Saturday encounter, even Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, on the basis of inputs from the police, had said that a large number of Maoists had been killed. The police team failed to recover a single body of the killed Maoists from the encounter site, while they had recovered bodies of 17 slain jawans five from Special Task Force (STF) and 12 District Reserve Guards (DRG) of Chhattisgarh Police besides 14 injured jawans. Its a known fact that Maoists usually take away the bodies of their slain comrades, to show that the security forces failed to incur any damage to the Maoist cadre. Counter-terrorism analyst and an expert on Left Wing Extremism (LWE), Anil Kamboj had called the polices claim as a face saving exercise. On what basis the police claimed that 10 or more Maoists were killed, including their leaders? This is surprising, Kamboj, a former BSF official and a senior fellow at Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses told Firstpost. According to the statement issued by CPI (Maoist), South sub-zonal bureau, Dandakaranya, and accessed by Firstpost, the three Maoists killed in the gunfight were Sakru, Rajesh and Sukku and all three belonged to Naxal-affected Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh. While Sakru belonged to village Gond Metta (operated from Indravati area), Rajesh and Sukku were from villages Burgil (operated from Gangaloor area) and Ganar (Bhairamgarh area) respectively. Three of our comrades got martyred while fighting bravely with the security forces. While paying our tributes to our martyrs, we are determined to continue our struggle against the state and fulfil the unfinished job. Its a victory of the people (of Bastar) and PLGA, the statement read. The Maoist unit has also circulated photos of the funeral procession of three Maoists among the locals, which took place inside the forest in an undisclosed location. In contrast to polices claim that Maoists had snatched 12 AK 47 rifles, one Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL), one INSAS rifle and one Excalibur rifle, the Maoist statement gave details and posted a photo of weapons they took away from the slain jawans: 11 AK 47 rifles, two INSAS rifles, one SLR LMG, two UBGLs, 1550 bullets and six UBGL shells. In an earlier statement, the Maoists had called the police claim of the success of Operation Prahar - an anti-Naxal offensive as fake and with malafide intentions. The latest statement is an attempt to reinforce Naxals claims against the police and the state. In the latest statement, the banned CPI (Maoist) has appealed the tribals of Bastar to join hands with the Naxals to fight against the State for their rights and for Jal-Jungle-Zameen (water, forest and land) and against fake encounters and oppression by the state on tribals. "The Maoists have issued the photographs of arms and ammunitions looted by them, three killed Maoists and their funeral procession to tell the world that the claims made by the police were false. Its also a part of their propaganda strategy. Through this statement the CPI (Maoist) has again challenged the state that their offensive against security forces and government would continue. They have also tried to justify their horrifying misdeeds as revolution," a retired senior police official, who had earlier served in Bastar, told Firstpost on condition of anonymity. According to a Chhattisgarh police official, the Maoists could be hiding the true figure, which they usually do. "Maoists never reveal their actual loss and always blame police to keep the morale of their cadre high," the official claimed. THE chairman of the Limerick Association in London has urged people to "cop onto themselves" and ensure they respect the lockdown under way in Britain. Caherdavin man John Giltenan, now based in the British capital was speaking after Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a series of measures never seen in our lifetime for people to stay home, and only make the most essential journeys. It's all being done in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus, which had claimed 335 lives in Ireland's neighbouring country by last night. Speaking on Live95FM this morning, Mr Giltenan, who lives in south London said: "I hope the message broadcast by Boris Johnson last night [is taken on board], it was an address to the nation in a time of national emergency. I'd like to think a lot of people who wouldn't normally watch the news would have taken notice of it. They would have the good sense and common sense to take notice." "We are only at the tip of the iceberg I really hope people, for want of a better term, cop onto themselves and show common sense. This is our new reality. We must do the right thing," he added. Prior to the lockdown announced last night, the British government had urged people to stay at home where possible. Despite this, across the weekend, many people in both Britain and Ireland appeared not to heed this advice. It is this which caused Mr Johnson to act. However, Mr Giltenan said despite pictures showing crowded tube trains, above the ground at least, things did appear to be winding down. "My last visit to central London was three weeks ago, and even then it was very quiet. It was a Saturday morning, and we walked down Oxford Street at 11am, and it was like walking down O'Connell Street on Christmas Day. It was quiet. Shops were open, but you could count the number of people on one hand," he added. In the last few days, the Caherdavin man said trains are running empty in the British capital, while buses are going around with no-one on them. Instead, key workers like nurses, doctors and supermarket workers are making journeys by bike or on foot. Asked if he thought the British government was going a good job, he said: "Quite honestly, up until yesterday? No." "People were not looking at the bigger picture in that it was coming, and if you are carrying the virus, are you infecting someone else? Something had to be done which showed common sense and was practical. I am really pleased Boris Johnson acted and did the right and sensible thing to do. People's lives are far more important than anything else," he concluded. A passenger stretches on the balcony of a cabin of the cruise ship Diamond Princess on February 11, 2020. Reuters/Issei Kato A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found traces of the coronavirus in the cabins of the Diamond Princess cruise ship 17 days after passengers disembarked, but before the surfaces were disinfected. Tara C. Smith, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Kent State University, warned against misinterpreting those findings, and pointed out that the researchers didn't specify what surfaces they found it on, how common it was, or whether it was live virus that could infect people. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine published March 17 found the virus was able to live 3 hours in the air and up to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Researchers found traces of the new coronavirus on surfaces in cabins of the Diamond Princess 17 days after those who were quarantined on board disembarked, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. The novel virus' RNA was found in the cabins of both asymptotic and symptomatic passengers before the surfaces were disinfected. The report didn't specify what surfaces it was found on. The researchers wrote that they couldn't tell whether disease transmission actually occurred from the contaminated surfaces, and that more research is needed. Tara C. Smith, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Kent State University, also pointed out that the researchers didn't say how many rooms they found the RNA in or how common it was. "Say it with me: *viral RNA doesn't necessarily mean live virus was present,*" Smith said on Twitter. "Now you're going to see 'coronavirus can live on surfaces for 17 days!' over and over, but we don't know that based on this study and for those using live virus, it's much shorter." She told Insider: "There could be infectious virus present, though I'd think that's unlikely based on the other research that has shown SARSCoV2 generally dies on surfaces after 24-72 hours. We couldn't say for sure unless someone did viral culture." Story continues Previous research has shown that how long the coronavirus can live on an inanimate object depends on the type of surface and the temperature. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine published March 17 found the virus was able to live 3 hours in the air and up to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel. Results from a peer-reviewed study in the New England Journal of Medicine published March 17. Shayanne Gal/Business Insider While it's possible to get the new virus by touching an infected object then touching your face, it's a respiratory illness, so it's primarily transmitted by inhaling droplets of it in the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes. That's why it's so important to wash your hands often, avoid touching your face, and disinfect objects that people touch regularly. The CDC warns against the risk for 'rapid spread of disease' on cruise ships The new CDC report focuses on COVID-19 on cruise ships, and the public health response to the virus in that setting. "COVID-19 on cruise ships poses a risk for rapid spread of disease, causing outbreaks in a vulnerable population, and aggressive efforts are required to contain spread," the report said. Passengers wearing face masks have their body temperatures taken after leaving the coronavirus-hit cruise ship Diamond Princess at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, Japan on February 21, 2020. Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters The Diamond Princess, which initially had over 3,700 passengers and crew, was quarantined in early February off the coast of Japan, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong in late January tested positive for the coronavirus. The quarantine lasted nearly a month. As more people on board tested positive, those still on the ship were confined to their cabins. Positive coronavirus cases were taken off the ship to be treated, but by the time the quarantine was over and many began to repatriated and tested for the virus, more than 700 people were positive for COVID-19. Nine people from the ship have died. Some experts criticized the quarantine and said it allowed the virus to spread. "The quarantine was not justified, and violated the individual rights of the passengers while allowing the virus to literally pick them off one-by-one," Dr. Amesh Adalja, who works at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Business Insider's Morgan McFall-Johnsen. The CDC concluded: "Cruise ships are often settings for outbreaks of infectious diseases because of their closed environment, contact between travelers from many countries, and crew transfers between ships." The agency issued an unprecedented travel advisory warning Americans not to go on any cruises worldwide because of the coronavirus pandemic. Read the original article on Business Insider Los Angeles, March 25 : Actor Idris Elba has slammed accusations that he was paid to say that he had contracted coronavirus, calling it a "bullsh*t" theory. The 47-year-old actor, who recently announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus, took to Instagram Live to shut down rumours and conspiracy theory claiming that celebrities have been paid to say that they have been infected by the virus, reports etonline.com. "I think the debate about rich and poor and who's getting it and who's not, I think, is not a healthy debate. It's like, I got a test but I also got COVID. Does that make me preferential? I don't understand that," Elba told his followers. "It shouldn't be about whether rich or poor gets it. I think that the negativity around test-shaming is counterproductive. I don't see what people get out of that. And also this idea that someone like myself is gonna be paid to say I've got coronavirus, that's absolute bullsh*t. Such stupidness," he added. The actor continued: "People wanna spread that as if it's news. That's stupid. It's the quickest way to get people sick because there's no benefit to me and Sabrina sitting here saying we've got it or we ain't got it. I don't even understand the logic of that." Elba, whose wife Sabrina Dhowre, also tested positive, added that he is "not an actor right now". "I'm just a human being and I just happen to be in the public eye. So I want people to understand that this is very real. I don't feel like I'm privileged because I got a test because I actually contracted it," he explained. Earlier this month, rapper Cardi B shared a conspiracy theory. She said that celebrities who have said that they tested positive for COVID-19 are all paid. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Car exports from Turkey to Turkmenistan increased by 67 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, amounting to $4.492 million, Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend. The supply of cars from Turkey to Turkmenistan increased by 53.89 percent in February 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, amounting to $2.079 million, said the ministry. Car exports from Turkey to world markets grew by 1 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period last year, amounting to $4.923 billion. Car exports from Turkey accounted for 16.7 percent of the country's total exports from January through February 2020. Turkey exported $2.522 billion worth of automobiles to world markets in February 2020, which is 0.9 percent less than the same period in 2019. Car exports from Turkey in February 2020 amounted to 17.2 percent of the country's total exports. Turkey exported cars worth $ 30.638 billion from February 2019 through February 2020. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Starting today, healthcare workers in New York City can get free rental cars from Hertz at any one of the company's 19 NYC-area locations. The promotion is scheduled to last through April 30, 2020. The deal includes economy, compact, midsize and full-size cars and compact, small and regular SUVs and is available to workers with valid medical IDs and driver's licenses. The one-time rental term can be up to one full month. "It's vital that healthcare workers have safe and reliable transportation during this time, and we are eager to help," Kathryn Marinello, Hertz President and CEO said in a statement. She highlighted the reduced number of rental contracts the company is seeing due to actions designed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus as key to Hertz's ability to offer the service. "The dramatic decrease in travel means we have more vehicles to serve the most critical needs of the community," she said. Last week, Bloomberg reported that Hertz was one of three rental car agencies to sign a letter addressed to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asking that they be included in the federal government's plans to prop up industries damaged by the coronavirus pandemic. In an interview, Marinello said, "We are being hit by this as hard as airlines, maybe harder. ... The volume just went away. We have had the same kind of drop-off that the airlines have had." Another Bloomberg article says the company began laying workers off without pay on March 21. Related Video: Click here to See Video >> Announcing an unprecedented three-week national lockdown, which will be akin to a curfew, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed citizens to stay at home, and not come out for the next 21 days. If people did not abide by the directive, the PM warned, they risked setting themselves, their families, and India, back by 21 years. In his second address to the nation on the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in less than a week, Modi underlined the gravity of the outbreak and its rapid spread; emphasised the importance of social distancing as the one and only way to break the chain of transmission; acknowledged the economic costs of the lockdown but underlined that the priority was to save lives; announced a 15,000 crore fund to strengthen the health infrastructure to deal with the pandemic; and assured citizens that the Centre and state governments were working to ensure adequate supplies, minimise inconvenience, and help the poor. Modi also acknowledged the role of those in the front-line of essential services doctors, nurses, paramedics, those in hospital administration, ambulance drivers, ward boys, safai karmchari, police officials, and media professionals that would continue to function through the lockdown, which has been enforced by using the Disaster Management Act, 2005, for the first time at a pan-India level. The PM began by praising the resolve of citizens in observing the peoples curfew of Sunday, and said that the pandemic had made the world helpless and that this was not because of lack of effort or lack of resources. The PM, later in the speech, pointed out that while it took 67 days for the virus to affect the first 100,000 individuals, it took merely 11 days for it to affect another 100,000 cases, and just four days to infect another 100,000 people. This shows you how rapidly it spreads, and how once it spreads, it is difficult to control. The PM said that based on the study of all the countries which had got affected in the last two months, there was one, and only one, way to battle the pandemic social distancing. Social distancing, which means staying away from each other, staying at home, is the only way to battle the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). If we want to stop the spread, we need to break the chain of transmission. Some people believe that social distancing only applies to the ill this is wrong. Social distancing is for every citizen, every family, every member of every family, even the Prime Minister. He underlined that peoples carelessness could put individuals, their families, friends, and ultimately, the nation, in great danger. If this carelessness continues, India will have to pay a huge price and it is difficult to assess the extent of this price. The PM then announced that from midnight on Tuesday, India was going in for a full lockdown for three weeks. To save India, to save Indian citizens, to save yourself, to save your families, there is a full ban on getting out of your homes. All states, all Union territories, all towns and villages will be locked down. This is a curfew in one form. This is a step ahead of the peoples curfew. This will be more strict. This step is essential for a decisive battle against the coronavirus pandemic. Modi said that while there was an economic price of the lockdown, saving lives was the highest priority for him, his government, and for state and local governments. I pray to you with folded hands that wherever you are in the country, stay there... The next 21 days are critical for all citizens. These 21 days are critical to break the chain of transmission. If we cant control it in these 21 days, then we will slide back by 21 years. Many families will get ruined forever. I am saying this not as PM but as a member of your family. Forget what it means to get out for 21 days. Stay at home, just stay at home. The PM added that the lockdown had created a Laxman Rekha or a strict boundary, a classical allusion to the Ramayana in front of ones home. One step outside your home will bring the corona inside your home. Explaining the asymptomatic nature of the disease, the PM said that it often takes several days for an infected person to show symptoms. In this process, consciously or unconsciously, he transmits it all those who he comes in contact with. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this one person can transmit it to hundreds. Modi gave the examples of China, the United States, France, Germany, Italy and Iran to show the rapid spread of the disease, despite their well developed health infrastructure. The only ray of hope comes from those countries which have controlled it to some extent. In these countries, people did not come out for weeks, listened to the government, and they are now emerging out of it. We cannot exit our homes, come what may. From the PM to the villager, everyone has to practice social distancing. We have to break the transmission. We have to break the chain. The PM emphasised that the Central and state governments were working together to minimise inconvenience, ensure adequate supply of essentials, and minimise the pain of the poor who are suffering. This was coupled with the effort of the Centre to strengthen health systems. The PM announced a special allocation of 15,000 crore, with a focus on quickly enhancing testing facilities, personal protective equipment, isolation beds, intensive care units beds, ventilators and training of paramedical staff. The PM also urged citizens not to fall for rumours as superstition, and avoid taking medicines if symptoms appeared without medical advice, for it could jeopardise lives. Soon after the PM spoke, the Union home ministry issued a notification and a set of guidelines detailing what would be permitted and the penalties for violations. Hopefully the 21-day lockdown will cut down transmission and flatten the curve, but we should not make the mistake of assuming that the number of cases will not go up. It will, said MC Misra, former director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, and president and vice chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Jaipur. However, the lockdown could avoid a situation like Italy or Spain, he said. Through Title 32, the letter said, the activations are federally funded, which would save these states from acute financial burden, standardize the (federal) benefits and entitlements across all those who become activated, and would most importantly keep those soldiers and airmen under their governors oversight. US President Donald Trump has requested novel coronavirus test kits from South Korea, his counterpart Moon Jae-in said on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for a quick reopening of the world's biggest economy. The South was once the hardest-hit country outside China, where the virus first emerged, but appears to have brought its outbreak under control thanks to a huge testing and contact-tracing effort. By midnight on Tuesday more than 367,000 people in the South had been tested -- processes that are free to anyone referred by doctors, those who have links to a confirmed case, and individuals who test positive. The US has the third-highest number of confirmed cases globally with 55,000, behind China and Italy, and did little testing initially. Trump's request for test kits came as he called for a quick end to social distancing and declared the beginning of the end of the health crisis in the US. "President Trump of the United States... made a request to us for the urgent provision of quarantine items such as diagnostic kits," Moon said while visiting a test developer in Seoul. During their phone call Moon told Trump the equipment could require US FDA approval, which Trump said he would seek "within the day", the South's presidential Blue House said earlier in a separate statement. "If there is a domestic surplus, I will support as much as possible," Moon told Trump. No indication was given on quantities, or whether the supplies would be donated or provided on a commercial basis. The White House confirmed that the two leaders spoke on Tuesday, but did not say whether Trump made any such request. Trump, who is keen to get his reelection campaign back on track, on Tuesday said social distancing has caused too much pain to the US economy, adding "we lose thousands and thousands of people a year to the flu. We don't turn the country off." Seoul and Washington are in a security alliance but their relations have recently been strained by the Trump administration's demands the South pay billions of dollars more towards the costs of 28,500 US troops stationed in the country to protect it from the nuclear-armed North. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Story Stand Together, Stay Apart Public HealthSeattle & King County has launched a new public information campaign called, Stand Together, Stay Apart in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign urges people to stay home, limit their contact with others, and take the necessary precautions when making essential trips outside the home. It includes a 30 second video message from Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health, shared on Twitter. Additional social media messages are appearing on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The purpose of everyone staying home, even people who are young and healthy, is to slow the spread of COVID-19 and help preserve the stability of our healthcare system. Data dashboard shows total cases, deaths and demographics Starting today, Public HealthSeattle & King County will be announcing daily updates to COVID-19 cases and deaths in a new format. A data dashboard goes online today that includes much more information about the status of COVID-19 cases in King County. Many residents have been wondering how many people have tested positive in their city or zip code. Some have been asking about the age ranges of those who test positive or who have died. All of this information is available via the new dashboard, at www.kingcounty.gov/covid/data The dashboard will be updated daily between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m., pending the receipt of data from key sources, including the Washington State Department of Health. Yesterday, due to reporting difficulties, the totals supplied were estimates. The dashboard includes a timestamp of the most recent updates. Because there are delays in reporting data from various laboratories, meaning case totals for any given day are commonly reported two or three days later, a graph showing the trend of COVID-19 cases may appear to be flat or declining but we must assume that this does not actually represent a decline. As more data arrives, each recent days count will go up. The total case count and its rate of increase is a better indicator of current trends. The dashboard includes important information that appears when a user hovers over key data points. A mobile version is also available. For additional information about COVID-19 and the response in King County, be sure to check our webpage: www.kingcounty.gov/covid Case updates Public HealthSeattle & King County is reporting the following confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 through 11:59 p.m. on 3/24/20. 1,359 confirmed positive cases (up 82 from yesterday) 100 confirmed deaths (up 6 from yesterday) Important note: With the launch of the new data dashboard described above, Public Health will no longer be listing individual deaths by age and gender in our News Release. Detailed information about demographics of those who died from COVID-19 is available on the dashboard. Be sure to click the button to filter by positive results only to see age and gender of deaths. Isolation and quarantine facilities update Isolation and quarantine is a proven public health practice for reducing the spread of disease. Examples of people who may need this assistance include people who cannot safely isolate from a family member who is elderly or medically fragile, or people experiencing homelessness. Individuals can only be placed into the King County sites after a health professional with Public HealthSeattle & King County has determined that they need isolation or quarantine. Five people are currently staying in a King County isolation and quarantine facility. King County has opened the second of several planned isolation and quarantine sites. Located at 1132 N. 128th Street in North Seattle, this location will have space for 31 people. The number of people in King County's isolation and quarantine sites will be included in regular updates provided by Public HealthSeattle & King County. No other identifying or personal information will be provided. Some of China's most popular tourist sites have resumed their business after staying closed for nearly two months to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing partially reopened yesterday while the Terracotta Army in Xi'an welcomed its first visitors today after the temporary shutdown. Other renowned scenic spots, including the West Lake, Canton Tower and Leshan Giant Buddha, have also opened their doors. The Shanghai Disneyland, Potala Palace and Forbidden City, however, remain shut. Visitors are seen climbing the Badaling section of the Great Wall in rural Beijing as the historical site has partially reopened yesterday after shutting on January 25 World-renowned tourist attractions including the Great Wall and Terracotta Army have reopened their doors to Chinese tourists after shutting for two months due to the coronavirus People must book their tickets in advance and have their temperature taken before entering the Great Wall in Badaling. They are also required to show their green health code upon arrival to prove that they are virus-free. Tourists must wear face masks and stay at least one metre (three feet) away from each other at all times while climbing the historic fortification, according to a notice. Medical workers and active military personnel will get free entry 'for the huge sacrifice they've made during the outbreak,' the management of Badaling told the press. Less than 1,000 people visited the Great Wall on its first day of reopening, a dramatic plunge from the daily quota of 65,000 tourists last year, according to the press. The Terracotta Army Museum has adopted a similar set of rules and only allowed visitors to book their tickets online beforehand. It has reopened to the public today The Terracotta Army Museum has adopted a similar set of rules and only allowed visitors to book their tickets online beforehand. Group tours and tour guides are currently not available in the ancient tombs to avoid the risk of cross-infection. The museum said it would temporally close if the number of visitors exceeds the daily limit of 8,000 people. One of the tombs of the Terracotta Warriors at the Terracotta Army Museum in Xi'an of China Nearly 130 scenic spots in Hubei Province have resumed business as of yesterday while the former epicentre slowly gets back on its feet. Video shows local residents taking a stroll and enjoying the early spring at some of such tourist attractions. The Yuquan Mountain Park in Yichang has reopened to the public on Satuday, Li Xuejiao, a spokesperson from the scenic spot told Pear Video. 'We are disinfecting the public areas of the park every day. All visitors and staff members must wear face masks at all times,' Ms Li added. Nearly 130 scenic spots in Hubei Province have resumed business as of yesterday while the former epicentre slowly gets back on its feet. People are pictured visiting a park in Hubei People wear protective masks as they sit and walk near an overlook at the Ritan Park in Beijing The news comes as millions of Chinese residents have been allowed to leave Hubei today after officials lifted a two-month lockdown on the former coronavirus epicentre. Authorities today removed the travel restrictions across the central province, except in the city of Wuhan. The clampdown on Wuhan will be enforced until April 8. Latest footage captures the moment local firefighters cheered as they removed traffic barricades on a highway at midnight to let cars leave the region. A queue of cars is seen waiting to pass. Hubei residents can now resume travel with a green health code issued by the provincial government to prove that they are not potential coronavirus carriers. Passengers wearing face masks travel with their belongings at a railway station in Xianning of Hubei Hubei residents can now resume travel with a green health code issued by the provincial government to prove that they are not potential coronavirus carriers. Travellers will also have their temperature taken and ID checked before leaving Hubei. After more than eight weeks of draconian measures, the city of Wuhan has witnessed a sharp drop in the number of patients. It reported zero new cases for five consecutive days between March 19 and 23. Since Monday, small groups of Wuhan residents have been allowed to leave their residential complexes for the first time in weeks. Migrant workers from other cities in the province also arrived on a train back to Wuhan over the weekend. The move comes as China claims to have largely contained the outbreak, reporting only imported cases and few new domestic cases in the past week. The epicentre shifted to Europe in March, with Italy and Spain among the worst affected. Globally, over 430,000 people have been infected with the contagion and the death roll has risen to 19,557. There are 8,077 confirmed cases in the UK and the death toll has spiked to 422. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 24 times, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on March 25 The Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns and sniper rifles. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. The administration is also exploring whether it will offer bonus payments to doctors who use the technology. This raises ethical concerns among some health officials, who fear that will further promote the use of unproven drugs, according to a person familiar with the plans, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to share the conversations. Some of the presidents top health officials have urged the government to proceed with randomized clinical trials to ensure they have definitive data about what does and does not work, several senior administration officials said. A 68-year-old cruise ship passenger has died from coronavirus, taking Australia's death toll to nine. Garry Kirstenfeldt was on board a Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas that docked in Sydney on March 18. He died in Toowoomba Hospital in Queensland, where he was being treated in intensive care, on Wednesday afternoon. Queensland Health confirmed the man's death on Wednesday evening and said he had 'serious underlying medical condition before contracting the virus.' Garry Kirstenfeldt (pictured left, with family) died from coronavirus on Wednesday afternoon, taking Australia's death toll to nine The 68-year-old died in Toowoomba Hospital in Queensland, where he was being treated in intensive care Mr Kirstenfeldt was on board a Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas (pictured) that docked in Sydney on March 18 'Queensland Health offers its sincere condolences to his family,' the department said in a statement. 'The man's family remains in isolation as close contacts.' The family issued a statement saying Mr Kirstenfeldt was 'kind and adorable'. It is the second coronavirus-related death in Queensland after a 77-year-old woman from Noosaville died last week after flying in from Sydney. Seven people have died in NSW, the country's worst-hit state, and one in Western Australia. Mr Kirstenfeldt's death comes one day after an elderly woman who contracted coronavirus on board the Ruby Princess died in hospital. The family issued a statement saying Mr Kirstenfeldt was 'kind and adorable' Health officials confirmed the man (far right, in red striped shirt) had a 'serious underlying medical condition before contracting the virus' The woman in her 70s, who was one of the first passengers to test positive for the illness, was taken from the cruise ship to hospital after the ship docked in Sydney on March 19. She died in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Tuesday morning, making her the eighth person to die from the virus in Australia. Ruby Princess was one of four ships controversially allowed to unload thousands of passengers at Sydney Harbour despite the government having announced a 30-day ban on cruise arrivals just the day before. There are also 13 cases in NSW linked to the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship which docked in Sydney last Wednesday, and another seven cases who were on board the Voyager of the Seas which disembarked on the same day. Both ships are owned by Royal Caribbean. aQuelle donates R500K to Solidarity Fund to tackle Covid-19 in SA Following President Cyril Ramaphosa's call for all South Africans to unite in the battle against the Covid-19, aQuelle has donated R500,000 towards the newly established Solidarity Fund. The independent fund will focus on combating and tracking the virus, caring for the sick and supporting those whose lives are disrupted. Administered through the private sector, it will complement the work already being done by government. aQuelle staffer Vumani Nazo at the companys Kranskop bottling plant in KwaZulu-Natal. Image supplied. Said aQuelle director Michael Ngubane: The Covid-19 pandemic is a definitive 'thuma mina' moment for South Africa. We love our country and its people and, as a brand, we are answering that call. Its a challenging time where we are called to be united, committed and courageous and we trust that our contribution is a start and will create ripples of change. Let us all join together with our president in the prayer for our country, Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika, he said. aQuelle plans to continue to supply water to retailers during the 21-day lockdown in South Africa. Said aQuelle director Michael Ngubane: The Covid-19 pandemic is a definitive 'thuma mina' moment for South Africa. We love our country and its people and, as a brand, we are answering that call.Its a challenging time where we are called to be united, committed and courageous and we trust that our contribution is a start and will create ripples of change.Let us all join together with our president in the prayer for our country, Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika, he said.aQuelle plans to continue to supply water to retailers during the 21-day lockdown in South Africa. T he son of a barrister is facing jail for killing a university student in a hit-and-run crash during a high-speed police chase. Quincy Anyiam, 26, knocked down philosophy and Spanish undergraduate Anisha Vidal-Garner as she stepped off the pavement on Brixton Hill in south London. The 20-year-old victim was on the way to a concert with her boyfriend when she was killed, suffering multiple injuries when she was struck by Anyiams speeding Mercedes on February 19. Police officers in an unmarked van had spotted Anyiam doing 56mph in a 30mph zone at 9.45pm and pursued him, activating their blue lights. Anisha Vidal-Garner died in Brixon Hill / Met Police But he refused to stop and instead swerved between two lanes of traffic and drove through a red light before hitting Ms Vidal-Garner at 62mph. Anyiam, whose father is a barrister, failed to stop after crash, ditching the damaged car in a nearby road where it was later found by police officers. He surrendered himself to police two days later and was remanded in custody. Police in Brixton Hill / Lucy Young Ms Vidal, from Epping, died at the scene from her injuries. Appearing via videolink at the Old Bailey yesterday, Anyiam, who lives in Oxsted in Surrey, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, dangerous driving, and failing to stop after an accident. Judge Anuja Dhir QC adjourned the case for a sentencing hearing on May 5. The last survivor of the transatlantic slave trade has been revealed as a West African woman who died in 1940 aged 83. Historians previously believed the last living slave brought to the United States from Africa was a woman called Redoshi Smith, who died in 1937. But now Matilda McCrear has been revealed as the most recent surviving captive. Much of her fascinating life story was unknown to her family, who were unaware she was brought to America on board the Clotilda - the last slave ship bound from Africa to the US. After emancipation McCrear had 14 children with a white German-born man who historians believe was most likely Jewish. And in the 1930s she launched a legal bid to try and get reparations for former slaves. Matilda McCrear died in Selma, Alabama, in 1940. She is thought to be the last survivor of the the slaves brought to the US on board the Clotilda ship in 1860 The Clotilda slave ship brought more than 100 slaves to Mobile, Alabama in 1860 as was the last known transatlantic vessel to do so Dr Hannah Durkin, at the University of Newcastle, who first identified Smith in 2019, has now discovered McCrear while researching the Clotilda. Drawing on a newspaper interview with McCrear in the 1930s and by piecing together genealogical data, her study charts her experiences from slavery to the Great Depression, right up to the start of World War II. Dr Durkin, whose research is published in the Slavery and Abolition journal, said McCrear may not have discussed her past as a slave, even with her family, due to the stigma attached. She told the BBC: 'But Matilda's story is particularly remarkable because she resisted what was expected of a black woman in the US South in the years after emancipation. 'There was a lot of stigma attached to having been a slave. The shame was placed on the people who were enslaved, rather than the slavers.' Slaves aboard a slave ship being shackled before being put in the hold circa 1835 The last known ship to take slaves from Africa to the US The schooner Clotilda was the last known US slave ship to bring captives from Africa to America. It landed at Mobile Bay, Alabama, with around 110 slaves in July 1860, although some historians believe it arrived in autumn 1859. Under the command of Captain William Foster, the ship was commissioned by wealthy Mobile shipyard owner and steamboat captain, Timothy Meaher. Meaher launched the expedition to smuggle slaves into America, despite the importation being illegal, as part of a wager with another wealthy businessman from New Orleans. Captain Foster carried $9,000 in gold for purchase of slaves and was said to pay $100 for each. He met with the King of Dahomey - modern day Benin - after learning West African tribes were fighting and prisoners captured in warfare were available for purchase. Those taken on the Clotilda were primarily Tarkbar people taken in a raid in present-day Ghana. Fearful of criminal charges on his return to the US, the ship was disguised as it sailed to its destination. Captain Foster then brought the schooner into the Port of Mobile at night and had it towed up the Spanish River to the Alabama River at Twelve Mile Island. He transferred the slaves to a river steamboat, then burned the Clotilda before sinking it. The West Africans taken by Meaher were held on his plantation and some were sold to other slave traders. Advertisement McCrear was captured by slave traders in West Africa at the age of two and was taken to Alabama in 1860 on board the last known transatlantic slave ship. She was one of around 110 slaves taken from Dahomey, which is now modern day Benin, and transported to Mobile Bay, Alabama, in secret as the importation of slaves had been banned by Congress in 1807. McCrear's mother, Grace, and sister Sallie, were also taken, while her father and two brothers were left behind in Africa, Dr Durkin's research found. All three tried to escape the plantation soon after they arrived but were recaptured and after being sold to different plantation owners, McCrear never saw her mother again. Although the importation of slaves has been made illegal, slavery in the US was not abolished until 1865. When emancipation came, McCrear and her family, like many other former slaves, became trapped in poverty and worked the land as share-croppers. But McCrear refused to conform to what was expected. She never married and had a common-law marriage for decades with her German-born man partner. Even though she was taken as a toddler, McCrear wore traditional Yoruba dress and had facial markings that are still practiced in the African region today. She is believed to have initially lived in a community of surviving African slaves in Mobile, known as Africatown, that worked to preserve their traditional way of life such as their West African music and language. While in her 70s, McCrear fought to get compensation for her enslavement with a legal action at the county courthouse. But unsurprisingly her claim, brought during a time of racial segregation in the Deep South, was dismissed. Dr Martin Luther King Jr, and his wife, Coretta Scott King, leading off the final lap to the state capitol at Montgomery, Alabama, after marching from Selma in March 1965 Civil rights marchers carrying flags and playing the flute as they approached their goal from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 Her bold move did bring attention from local newspapers and an interview with McCrear at the time shed light on her life story and formed the basis of Durkin's research. McCrear died in Selma, Alabama, in January 1940. Just 20 years later the town became a flashpoint for the Civil Rights movement when Martin Luther King and his followers carried out their famous protest march to Montgomery. Johnny Crear, her 83-year-old grandson, says he had no idea about his grandmother's historic past. He was born in the house where she died and would have been a baby when his grandmother died. Crear witnessed the violence against civil rights marchers in Selma, but did not known his grandmother had been a slave. He told the BBC: 'I had a lot of mixed emotions. I thought if she hadn't undergone what had happened, I wouldn't be here. But that was followed by anger. 'This [the research] fills in a lot of the holes that we have about her.' In the 1960s, he had witnessed violence against civil rights marchers in Selma, where protesters had been addressed by Dr Martin Luther King. It was the news that calmed the nerves of small bar owners across NSW, as they teetered on the precipice of financial ruin caused by the coronavirus shutdown. The state government had on Tuesday ordered an immediate relaxation of alcohol licensing restrictions, allowing bars, restaurants and cafes to pivot to a takeaway and delivery service model. But not everyone got the message, including it seems some NSW Police officers. The Rio, a small bar in Summer Hill, was shut down just hours into their first evening of trade as they attempted to roll out a new menu of door-to-door delivered cocktails. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 00:26:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, March 25 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for a cease-fire in Yemen amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said his spokesman. Guterres called on those fighting in Yemen to immediately cease hostilities, focus on reaching a negotiated political settlement and do everything possible to counter a potential outbreak of COVID-19, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement. The call followed Guterres' appeal on Monday for an immediate global cease-fire in face of COVID-19. More than five years of conflict have devastated the lives of tens of millions of Yemenis. The current fighting in Al Jawf and Ma'rib threatens to further deepen human suffering, said the statement. The secretary-general calls on the parties to work with his special envoy to achieve a nationwide de-escalation; progress on economic and humanitarian measures that will alleviate suffering and build confidence; and the resumption of an inclusive, Yemeni-led political process, it said. Guterres emphasized that a political solution is the only way to a comprehensive and sustainable resolution of the conflict in Yemen. Yemen has been in a civil war since 2015, pitting Houthi rebels against government forces. Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition force defending the internationally recognized Yemeni government against Houthi rebels allegedly supported by Iran. With various NGOs having to stop organising blood donation camps due to the lockdown imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, blood banks in the state are facing an acute shortage of supply, officials said on Wednesday. The blood bank at the states premier medical institute, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) has almost run dry. The blood bank at IGMC has the capacity to store 250 units of blood. On routine days, the blood availability remains between 200- 250 units. However, blood donation has come to grinding halt due clampdown enforced in the state, even as hospital authorities have already ordered to pend the routine surgery. Though the blood requirement has declined in the hospital due to surgeries being put on hold, there is an acute shortage of blood in the hospital, said Janak Raj Pakhretia, senior medical superintendent at IGMC. There were less than 50 units of blood left in the bank to meet the exigencies. The other two government hospitals in Shimla Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and Kamla Nehru Hospitalwas also facing a shortage of blood. Umang Foundation, a non-government organisation has taken special permission from the government, to organise blood donation camps in Mashobra in the periphery of Shimla town. We have a list of nearly 200 donors. Due to the curfew, they are unable to visit the hospital to donate blood. Hence, we have sought permission from the government to organise blood donation camps to ramp up blood collection, said Ajay Srivastava, convenor at Umang Foundation and a donor. In a letter to CM, Ajay appealed to him to consider blood donation as an essential service during the lockdown. After several efforts by the foundation, the health department has issued an advisory that blood donation camps could be organised after taking certain precautions. But now it will be a difficult task for blood banks, NGOs and donors to organise such camps after the lockdown announced by the government. Jai Ram has appealed to the people to come forward to voluntarily donate blood so that there was no scarcity of blood in the blood banks. He said the health department has issued guidelines to organise blood donation camps in the state. The instructions have also been issued to all deputy commissioners, chief medical officers and in-charge of blood banks in this regard. He said voluntary organisations would be encouraged to organise blood donation camps. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dissident republicans have been accused of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic after they were blamed for a disruptive bomb hoax in Co Fermanagh. A senior officer branded the extremists a disgrace after the fake device was left in the Rosslea area. PSNI Superintendent Clive Beatty said the perpetrators went to great lengths to make the object look like a bomb. It was found by a member of the public on Monday night, prompting a day-long security alert involving police and British Army bomb disposal experts. Fermanagh and Omagh District Commander Superintendent Clive Beatty condemns hoax device left by dissident republicans at time of national emergency.https://t.co/2HCbXt7wNu Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) March 24, 2020 Given the unprecedented challenges the PSNI is facing in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, it is hard to fathom there are individuals in our community who are intent on causing such disruption by exploiting this global emergency for their own ends, said Mr Beatty. Superintendent Clive Beatty said the mindset of the dissidents was hard to fathom (Liam McBurney/PA) Superintendent Beatty added: It beggars belief that dissident republicans would want to exploit this situation for their own ends. Their selfish behaviour ended up diverting valuable police resources away from other community priorities for a significant number of hours. This says so much about dissident republicans that in the face of a national emergency their first thought is to use the opportunity to target emergency services and first responders the very people who are doing all they can to help communities and take care of the vulnerable. I would like to thank the Rosslea community, who were disrupted today, for their patience and co-operation during the security alert. The dissident republicans responsible for this senseless act went to great lengths to make this device appear viable and to plant it on Clough Road. They didnt care about the consequences of their actions and how it would affect others. Sharon Caddell has always wanted to go to work. After 39 years of caring for other peoples children, starting at the adventurous age of 17, she still wants to go to work. And all of that experience in childcare helps when life brings roadblocks. But she, nor very few businesses, could be prepared for a state-ordered shutdown. Coronavirus has rocked almost every industry in the country, and Alabamas more than 1,800 child care centers are feeling the changes directly and on behalf of working parents all over the state. Closures can send caregivers, workers and small-business owners into emergency preparations. Its been almost a week since that order came down from Montgomery and since then Caddell, who runs seven different Little Peoples Child Care centers, has reopened one of her locations for first-responders. Children younger than 14 should not be left at home alone and 29% of health care workers in Alabama have children younger than 14, according to research by American Progress. Within three days, daycare centers around the state had received two different orders on whether to close or not. On Thursday, March 18, owners were told they can only care for the children of a specific category of employees like first responders, hospital workers or law enforcement. Many centers around the state closed in a panic. And on Friday, a revised order said they could open as long as 12 or more children are not in the same room or other enclosed space at the same time," in most Alabama cities. Daycare centers in Jefferson County had a different order: As of Sunday, March 22, child care centers with 12 or more children must close unless they serve government employees, first responders and officers. The statewide order released on Thursday was never supposed to close daycares, but instead, put regulations and precautions in place, said Barry Spear, communications director for the Department of Human Resources. The clarification was sent out soon after which let daycare owners and workers know they could reopen under the new precautions if they had closed because of misunderstanding. A parents nightmare: Coronavirus in an Alabama NICU This clarification was a blessing to some in the industry. We are concerned for our parents, said Tonyia Carter, head of Open Door Church Daycare in Sheffield, Alabama. Our parents are in a tough situation because they are still having to go to work. Meg Bailin, Birmingham resident and mother of a 2-year-old, is lucky in that her work is normally done from home. The addition of her curious son to her work calendar has definitely been difficult, though. Bailins sons center closed on Monday when the Vestavia Hills City Schools announced they would be closing. I would have kept him out, Bailin said. To me, the risk of him going wasnt worth me sending him. Carters daycare, outside of the Florence area, was closed Friday-Monday, and they reopened to those who need their services on Tuesday, March 24. Carter, like daycare workers and owners around the state, will be abiding by ADPH regulations as they welcome children back. Our daycare was started to help single parents and low-income parents with affordable childcare, she said. When the state ordered us to close they put parents and businesses in a tough position. And bringing the children back to the centers carefully will not just help working parents, but also might save small businesses like Carters. Her clients pay out-of-pocket for the childcare provided in Sheffield, and the business needs that money to pay employees and keep the place running. Other centers receive government subsidies through The Child Care and Development Block Grant, a federally funded program for low and moderate-income parents of young children, as payment for some of their clients. The state has committed to continue paying childcare providers for those children until April 6, as of right now. And while that helps daycare centers like Caddells in Tuscaloosa, the center in Sheffield does not have that wall to lean on. In response, the First Five Years Fund is drawing national attention to childcare centers and professionals like Carter. The non-profit is pushing legislators to include the child care industry in the Congressional economic stimulus package. Alabamas K-12 schools: Heres what we know right now Camille Goldston Bennett, owner of Focus-Scope Child Enrichment Center in Florence, is one of the Alabama-based advocates for child cares inclusion in the stimulus package. Bennetts two childcare centers closed Monday of last week after seeing recommendations from ADPH. Nobody is thinking about having to make this decision for weeks at a time, Bennett said. I cant speak for a center that has 90% cash-payers. They wont be able to survive without help. Bailin said her sons daycare handled the transition conservatively and generously. The Hoover-based center announced that it would not be charging parents for the time the center was closed, and costs would be pro-rated. Later, Bailin said, the school sent out another email thanking parents who had offered to pay the full amount of tuition to help pay the workers during their time away from the clinic. Centers are doing what they can to survive while helping their parents as much as they are able. My hat comes off to the people that do what we do, Caddell said. The love of kids isnt the only thing that gets you through this job. Its a calling. She sent her Tuscaloosa parents home with activity packages for Pre-K children. Over the next week, each child will be learning to recognize their name through tracing patterns, learning the color red and studying a number and letter of the week. And parents were asked to sign a form pledging that they would read to their children once a day, Caddell said. Bailin, a working mother juggling online meetings, is doing what she can to keep her son busy and happy in a period of many unknowns. Creating a schedule for her son has helped him stay steady, and so far, the only thing he seems to miss is swimming lessons. Bailin said shes learned to give her and her son grace over the past two weeks. I keep reminding myself, 'This isnt regular parenting -- this is survival parenting." Resources: Follow our live updates. Find all of our coronavirus stories. A continuously updated vital information post. A free text-messaging service so you can receive the most urgent coronavirus updates on your cellphone. And ask questions. To sign up, subscribe to Alabama Coronavirus Urgent Alerts. A new weekday newsletter is available. You can subscribe here. Also, download our mobile app where you can receive on-the-go notifications. Need to know more about coronavirus in New York? Sign up for our daily morning newsletter. Across a city on edge, doctors, nurses and lab technicians working the coronavirus front lines are embracing improvisation as a means of survival finding new ways to make shrinking resources work against an enemy that claims more casualties by the day. Under trying circumstances from Bellevue in Manhattan to New York Presbyterian in Queens to Montefiore Medical Center in The Bronx, medical staffers are devising protocols on the fly to protect themselves and aid their ailing patients. At the same time, the hospitals are creeping closer to the line where their resources including intensive care unit (ICU) beds and ventilators for patients, and N95 masks and other protective gear for medical workers begin to get outstripped by crushing need. The apex could be here in as little as 14 to 21 days, and youre talking about a very significant logistical operational movement to increase that number of hospital beds and do everything that you need to do related to the increased hospital beds, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday during a press briefing at a soon-to-be makeshift hospital at the Javits Center in Manhattan. New York has 53,000 hospital beds, but could need as many as 140,000 at the peak of the crisis and an additional 37,000 ICU beds on top of the 3,000 statewide, the governor said. Mayor Bill de Blasio has said the city will need 15,000 ventilators far more than the roughly 6,000 it will have after the latest commitment from a federal stockpile announced Tuesday. As the number of hospitalizations in the city from COVID-19 hit at least 2,850 Tuesday night including 660 or more patients in intensive care heres a look inside some of the busiest hospitals in New York City: Were Drowning Here NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, Flushing Hospital Beds: 535 ICU Beds: 29 An impromptu conversation among four frazzled doctors in a hospital hallway earlier this week led to an unusual work-around to address a pending shortage of ventilators: Use anesthesia machines instead. Right now, weve got maybe 20 to spare. They deliver gases and theyve got monitors, so theyll work, said high-ranking medical staffer at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. This is a chronic mass-casualty situation, the source added. Our plan from a week ago is out the window. We need help. As of Monday, 214 of the 438 people admitted through the hospitals emergency room were designated as COVID-19 patients under investigation. COVID-19 patients have essentially taken over the hospitals seventh floor. All medical and surgical ICU patients have been relocated to a cardiac recovery unit on the second floor. The internal rejiggering has opened 16 beds, the staffer said. Were drowning here and its getting worse by the day, the source said. Were at 50% capacity already and weve got 30 patients on ventilators who are not going to get better. Within a week, well be a 100% COVID-19 facility. Like at other medical facilities throughout the city, the hospital is facing real shortages of protective equipment, including N95 face masks. But the obstacles havent slowed the all-hands-on-deck response. Everyone here is really hyped up, and my colleagues have really been so tremendous about stepping up and doing whats needed, the source said. New Battle Garb Bellevue Hospital, Manhattan Hospital Beds: 912 ICU Beds: 40 At Bellevue and all 11 city Health and Hospitals Corporation public hospitals, coronavirus patients who dont require intensive care are discharged to make room for more serious COVID-19 cases. Bellevue with dozens of coronavirus patients spread across multiple units now has a limited number of available ventilators. On entry, all staff are supposed to be checked for fever but not all are getting their temperature taken, according to a source at Bellevue who described the scene on condition of anonymity. Emergency alerts are also being handled differently than before with responding teams of 12 or more now limited to seven to reduce staff exposure. Like at all city hospitals, Bellevue medical workers must reuse N95 face masks, even after the masks have been exposed to the virus. Theyre allotted one mask per employee and must stash the equipment after every shift in a paper bag. The new battle garb of a frontline nurse assigned to COVID-19 patients, according to the source: a surgical mask over the N95, rubber gloves that go to the elbow and under gown sleeves and a second pair of gloves over the first that snags the gown so it doesnt pull up. To take a swab of a suspected patient a nurse in full gear does the job in a sealed room, puts the swab in a sealed bag and wipes down the bag. The nurse brings the bagged specimen to the door of the patients room and drops it into another bag held by a second masked nurse. The specimen is then sent to the lab via an internal tube system. And when the shift is over, taking this get-up off requires choreography: staying in the patients room, the wearer washes the outer gloves, cleans off equipment with anti-bacterial wipes and washes the gloves again. The gown is removed by grasping it behind the neck and pulling over the head, keeping arms inside to avoid touching the outside of the gown, then balling it up with the inside out and tossing it in a bin. Next step: The outer gloves are washed again, then peeled off and discarded. The inner gloves are washed and the surgical mask and N95 are removed, leaning forward so they dont fall on your body. The surgical mask is discarded, the N95 placed in a paper bag. The inner gloves are washed again, removed and discarded. Equipment is removed from the room. Then the hands are washed again. Like a War Zone Montefiore Medical Center, The Bronx Hospital Beds: 816 ICU Beds: 48 Stretcher beds full of patients wearing masks are lined up in rows in the emergency department at Montefiore Medical Center. There are no curtains or other dividers separating them, according to a doctor who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Patients with the most severe symptoms are given a quick-turnaround test for COVID-19 that takes just hours to produce a result. But patients whose symptoms arent as severe are given a test that can take days to return with an answer, the doctor said. There are some people that have been there for anywhere from one to three days just in the emergency department, which is kind of insane. Because if they came in without COVID, by that time theyre getting COVID, the source said. The hospital also has run out of single rooms in which to house coronavirus patients for treatment, so now theyre being doubled up with another patient with COVID-19. Medical staffers are given a packet for their shifts that has one N95 mask, a yellow gown and a face shield. Gloves, surgical masks and hand sanitizer are available for the taking. The N95 masks are supposed to last the entire shift even when staffers come in contact with multiple patients with COVID-19. Tensions are running high, but then theres this Were all in this together feeling, said the doctor. Like a war zone. Were Out of Fentanyl Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan Hospital Beds: 632 ICU Beds: 15 On top of the normal shortage concerns at hospitals across the city, Lenox Hill is facing secondary shortages related to the operation of ventilators for the sickest coronavirus patients, according to a nurse who works there. Lenox Hills ICU unit is filled entirely with COVID-19 patients, and they comprise about half the patients in the hospitals intermediate care unit, the nurse said. We just found out that were out of fentanyl and running very low on all of the meds we use for intubation and sedation, said the nurse, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The fentanyl is used as a painkiller, and is typically standard for someone whos breathing with the aid of a ventilator, the nurse said. Theres a substitute for the two medications commonly used for sedation propofol and precedex but its side effects are intolerable for many patients. And its not ideal for long periods of sedation, the nurse said. Meanwhile, rationing of N95 masks has gotten more strict: Theyre now designed to last for four shifts per employee, regardless of patient load. Theyre kept in baggies between shifts, under the watch of management, and distributed from under lock and key. Nurses are still anxious, the source said, but a bit more so than last week. Worried I Will Die NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Washington Heights Hospital Beds: 1,022 ICU Beds: 99 The head of surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center has been sending out daily updates to staff to inform them of the latest challenges theyre facing and to cheer them on. The latest note from Dr. Craig Smith says that new COVID-19 cases are increasing across the NewYork-Presbyterian hospital system by about 10% per day. Consult a compound-interest calculator to get a sense how quickly we are approaching infrastructure capacity limits, he wrote on Tuesday. The city Department of Health has instructed medical staffers who had high-risk contact with a known COVID-19 case to keep working as long as they dont have symptoms and only to pull themselves from the rotation once they start showing signs of illness. One doctor said not all the medical staffers are given the coveted N95 masks, with many getting ordinary surgical masks believed to be less effective at preventing transmission. So the doctor felt compelled to buy bandanas, just in case surgical masks run out. It doesnt feel like my health or well-being is a priority, said the doctor. I am most worried I will get sick and die. Want to republish this story? See our republication guidelines. SUPPORT THE CITY You just finished reading another story from THE CITY. We need your help to make THE CITY all it can be. Please consider joining us as a member today. DONATE TODAY! Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 10:30:58|Editor: Liu Video Player Close FREETOWN, March 24 (Xinhua)-- Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio on Tuesday declared a state of public emergency as a preventive measure against COVID-19. "The rapid global spread of the coronavirus poses a great risk to human life and can cause enormous socio-economic disruption in Sierra Leone. This situation, therefore, requires effective measures to prevent, protect, and curtail the spread of the coronavirus disease in Sierra Leone," said the president. The president's declaration made it clear that it is not a lockdown and nobody should use it as an excuse to hoard goods, hike prices, or engage in acts of lawlessness. "This public emergency is not meant to make the lives of Sierra Leoneans difficult or unbearable," he said. Though no case has been reported in the country, the government has taken a raft of measures to prevent the pandemic including a ban on international flights. People line up to get a test at Elmhurst Hospital due to coronavirus outbreak on March 24, 2020 in Queens, New York, United States. There are now more than 35,000 cases of COVID-19 in the United States as governments scramble to contain the spread. The top surgeon of a major New York City hospital dealing with a flood of hundreds of patients infected with the coronavirus rallied his staff with a letter that compared the pandemic to a typhoon, and urged them to stand strong in its face. "A forest of bamboo bends to the ground in a typhoon but rarely breaks," wrote Dr. Craig Smith, surgeon in chief at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in upper Manhattan. "We are that forest and we must not break," Smith wrote. "By the people, for the people." Hospitals in New York City now have more than 2,800 patients with the coronavirus, straining their existing capacity. Many of those patients are at Smith's hospital or in other New York-Presbyterian facilities around the Big Apple. Smith said in his letter that admissions of patients for COVID-19 to his hospital system have continued increasing by about 10% percent each day. A nurse at Columbia University Medical Center in upper Manhattan said several hundreds of patients there alone had the coronavirus. About 20% of the hospital's coronavirus patients are in intensive care units, according to Smith's letter. And 80% of ICU patients require ventilators, which are in extremely short supply in New York state, the epicenter for the pandemic in the United States. "Consult a compound-interest calculator to get a sense how quickly we are approaching infrastructure capacity limits," Smith wrote. "We are scheduling very urgent cases in 3 ORs (operating rooms) each day, with 2 rooms for true emergencies." New York state has more than 30,800 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with more than 5,000 more cases reported Tuesday. New York City alone has more than 17,850 cases, although most of those people are not hospitalized. Dr. Craig Spencer, who works as an emergency room doctor at Columbia University Medical Center, warned that patient "case numbers are increasing on a daily basis and soon our hospitals are going to be overwhelmed." "At the rate that we're putting people on ventilators, at some hospitals one to two per hour, the simple math shows it's only a matter of time until we run out," Spencer said during an interview on NBC's "TODAY Show." Ukraine's hryvnia strengthens to UAH 27.77 to U.S. dollar on March 25 09:59, 25.03.20 6803 The official forex rate against the euro for Wednesday is fixed at UAH 30.11 per euro. Longer lockdown would hit retail industry hard Chennai: Around 20 lakh employees of modern retail stores will lose their jobs if the lockdown continues for three months. The job losses in the unorganised retail may run into crores, say trade bodies. Retail stores have been operating at 80 per cent less than average sales. Now that the country is in lockdown, the stores will remain closed. If the closure continues for three months, retailers will lose up to 50 per cent of their revenues, said Kumar Rajagopalan, the CEO of Retailers Association of India (RAI). According to him, it will take at least two to three months for the sector to get back into shape even after the virus subsides and the total impact would be 50 per cent loss of annual revenues. This in turn would affect the jobs in the sector and almost 20 lakh people or more than 30 per cent of the 60 lakh people employed in the sector, would lose their jobs. The unorganised sector, which employs 45 crore people, too will have to suffer if the same situation persists. If the situation continues only for a few days, the retailers will be able to absorb the losses. But if it continues for a month or more, people will start losing jobs," said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). The industry body has asked government to provide 50 per cent job subsidy to retailers. As per the formula, government can pay 50 per cent of the wages, 25 per cent will be borne by the retailer and the employee will forego the remaining 25 per cent, said Khandelwal. The industry body has also asked the government to provide 90 days of grace period for depositing all statutory dues, like Income Tax, Advance Tax, GST, ESIC and PF, moratorium on bank loans, letter of credit and purchase bills, additional working capital credit and relaxation on NPA reporting guidelines. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 18:49:57|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close A staff member patrols at Luokou freight station in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, March 24, 2020. The freight station of China Railway Jinan Group Co., Ltd has transported 14,409 tons of supplies in the last three months, including 378 tons of food and medical materials to Hubei Province, helping the full resumption of work and production across China. (Xinhua/Wang Kai) Press Release 25 March 2020 Bench Events (https://BenchEvents.com/), the leading organiser of conferences and forums for the hotel, aviation and restaurant sector is organising a complete live conference experience on the internet to bring together industry leaders to discuss the unprecedented economic circumstances caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and what the industry can do collectively to rebuild confidence. The virtual conference will take place on April 7th from 10.00-16.00 BST and registration is free of charge for all participants; although an optional donation is requested to selected charities helping out those in the hospitality industry, suffering from the worst effects of the coronavirus. Puneet Chhatwal, CEO, Indian Hotels, said: "With COVID-19 sweeping across the globe, many companies in the hospitality industry are facing an unprecedented threat. As we will combat the pandemic much better united than divided, we all need to come together to share ideas. This meeting on the internet will set a great example of what we can do by thinking in a bold and imaginative way." Bench Events has lined up a stellar list of speakers, including: Paul Stoltz, the world's leading expert and consultant on resilience and creator of the Adversity Quotient; Roger Bootle, the award-winning Founder and Chairman of Capital Economics; Hon. Minister Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Kenya; Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association and dozens of top executives from across the hospitality industry worldwide. Topics on the agenda will cover: the economics of coronavirus, how to survive the greatest adversity of our time, the nine essential leadership behaviours needed in a crisis, the outlook to recovery, how to capitalise on the upturn when it comes and the new post-COVID reality. These discussions will be moderated by the presenter of HARDtalk and conference chair, Stephen Sackur and Anita Mendiratta, Special Advisor to Secretary General, UNWTO. State of the art video conferencing technology will be used to bring virtual main-stage panel sessions to an audience of up to 100,000 online participants. The plenary debates will be complemented by more focussed roundtables, drilling into the detail of specific subjects. People joining remotely will be able to ask questions and post comments in real time, using a live chat facility. Other activities popular at Bench Events' regular conferences will also be replicated online, including speed networking, which will give participants a series of three-minute one-on-one video calls with other delegates. There will also be an on-line exhibition, where it will be possible to browse through virtual exhibition booths and engage in a live video conversation with a representative of the exhibitor. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & Founder, Bench Events concluded: "Devastating is the word most governments are using to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on society and the economy. The sector that stands to suffer the most is travel and hospitality. Today, nothing is certain, except that our world will never be the same again. We need business leaders to come together to discuss the best strategies to cope with the immediate crisis and to plan how to capitalise on the recovery when it comes. That is what Hospitality Tomorrow will do." More information about the agenda, speakers and how to register can be found at https://www.HospitalityTomorrow.com/. He's like his lord and savior Donald Trump. He could shoot someone in the street and people would still ride hard. Or find a way to blame Kim. Reply Thread Link They're both such oxygen thieves and I almost feel terrible for the people around them who have to deal with their narcissistic antics. Reply Thread Link Ah shit here we go again San Andreas character enters circus for being a clown with clown wig on reaction video meme pic.twitter.com/MCV7SHr6RG all reaction videos (@allreactionvidz) July 22, 2019 Reply Thread Link fuck idk when this became a meme but the variations have been killing me lately Reply Parent Thread Link An 80 year-old, 300 lb tub of shit speaking, let alone tweeting, the words Fake news! will never not be tragic as fuck. Im embarrassed for him, tbh. Reply Thread Link oh and bonus to the ONTD'er who called that Kris dropped that tape to offset that Ye was gonna say some real stupid pro trump shit during this pandemic. Reply Thread Link they probably got sent an early edition of the article Reply Parent Thread Link Yep. Also bb, I know your health is not the best. I hope you're "ok". I know that's loaded but thinking of you in this time. Reply Parent Thread Link Thanks. <3 that means a lot. you and your BF have been in my thoughts too since all we know about NYC is it will be bad. And you both have so many ties to the community that well, I just hope you and yours are ok. I really hope and pray you guys come through it. and idk bb what good prayer is anymore, or ever was, but for me, right now, i figure it can't hurt. and hey, it gives me something to do beyond shake with fear or anger. lol I hope in general we all make it here. even the resident pains in the ass. I'm hanging in there. Everything is day by day. It's weird because after that last cardiology appointment I had hope. Real hope for the first time in a long time. Then the world went nuts. So. I'm hanging in there. We'll see what comes. I'm taking as many precautions as I can but its hard when you never feel good, and that was your normal. but now you are somehow supposed to suss out if that changes what it means. And i know most folks with auto immune issues are dealing with that. Wondering if it's normal sick or not. So, day by day. <3 Reply Parent Thread Link which is hilarious because all it did was make kanye look worse anyway. so now he just looks like a double clown. Reply Parent Thread Link he sounds confused Reply Thread Link He sounds like an imbecile Reply Parent Thread Link Dear Mr. President, @realDonaldTrump I wanted to thank you for ur recent decorum, sincerity, & care towards us. Youre taking charge & leading in a manner needed & wanted for this country. I highly commend you for ur boundless energy & willingness to solve problems. Thank you Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) March 24, 2020 Reply Thread Link oh my god! Reply Parent Thread Link i stared at this for 3 minutes trying to decide if this is sarcastic or not Reply Parent Thread Link it's kirstie alley so it should've been easy Reply Parent Thread Link Same. I was like where is the /s or punchline. Reply Parent Thread Link Gross Reply Parent Thread Link my brain mixed her up with jennifer coolidge for a second and i almost had a heart attack Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I got an aunt that is a practitioner. I wonder if she's taking requests? someone sick xenu on this clown. Reply Parent Thread Link Tldr: idk what the word "decorum" means I thought the whole point of his presidency was none of that Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I fucking can't with this goddamn scientologist Reply Parent Thread Link WTF is she on? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link ok crazy lady Reply Parent Thread Link two cults at the same time? unemployment really gives you so much free time Reply Parent Thread Link OH so this is what had everyone angry the other night Reply Parent Thread Link Keep it. Reply Parent Thread Link Scientologists being a part of the Trump cult, not surprised. Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like there's a lot of folks in Hollywood who support him tbh but stay behind the scenes Reply Parent Thread Link I.....need more wine Reply Parent Thread Link I've never before felt so much hatred in my life. Reply Thread Link Hows that cult of his going? Also has he mailed in his Black card yet? Can someone contact headquarters and make sure he received his release papers? Reply Thread Link Bish please. Kim snatched that card and framed it Reply Parent Thread Link Truth lol. Reply Parent Thread Link At this point, I doubt Kanye will get "cancelled." His fans obviously don't care and he's still seen as trendy so people buy into his ventures, and now he even has his cult thing. Reply Thread Link NBC and CNN producers say they're through airing Trump's virus pressers. We might take it from the top and then cut away after the first lie, and return when the lies stop. https://t.co/kNhwJGhVe3 Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) March 25, 2020 they better follow through on this Reply Thread Link I had to tell my 80+ Aunt that no, she really couldn't do Easter dinner for the family and you could hear her heartbreak. Airing his BS is doing real damage on a lot of levels. Reply Parent Thread Link The Pope fucking cancelled Easter. THE POPE! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Thank God. Reply Parent Thread Link DO THE RIGHT THING Reply Parent Thread Link PLEASE I really hope they do this! Reply Parent Thread Link I want them to stick to this. They should've stopped airing him years ago but this is a start. Reply Parent Thread Link good!!! Fauci is prob relieved. Reply Parent Thread Link lol I hope so but we'll see Reply Parent Thread Link Ah, so this is why the Klan leaked the tape tbh though he sounds like a lot of people on ontd talking about why they won't support the democrats-- it's a fair point, democrats haven't earned the black vote etc.... but that doesn't mean vote for trump Edited at 2020-03-25 10:09 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link except people here aren't talking about voting for trump. at least not the smart ones/ones i've seen. they're simply not here for how right leaning a lot of the democrats are. Reply Parent Thread Link lmao the only black people i know who vote republican are as nutty as the clown they support. Reply Parent Thread Link nobody on here is voting for Trump... Reply Parent Thread Link must be wild to just go on the internet and say things Reply Parent Thread Link What are you talking about? Black people voted for Hillary the most out of any race. Reply Parent Thread Link pretty sure they meant earned as in didn't deserve... Reply Parent Thread Link it sounds like hes saying the only reason he supports trump is for the shock value?? that doesnt sound anything like hard-left ontders. Reply Parent Thread Link Kind of OT but I just got tested for the virus. The nurse I was talking to said theres a respiratory infection going around and its possible I just caught it. Im so hoping to god thats what it is. I dont care if I get it but if I do that means Ive exposed it to my family. Reply Thread Link Hopefully it's something less serious!! Reply Parent Thread Link nothing i can say will really help. i'm sorry you're going through this. i'm sorry it's scary. come what may, you'll face it. day by day. and hopefully you can find a way to let go of the fears. if it's this, it's not your fault you got sick. it's not your fault if someone gets sick from you. you didn't know. disease doesn't target us to be mean. it's not a judgement on who we are. or others. i know you know that, but as someone whose been sick for 22 years, i also know, a lot of folks need that reminder now and again. and maybe especially now. we're here for you to vent to. and i hope and pray that things go as well as they can. come what may. Good luck bb. <3 Reply Parent Thread Link I really needed that thank you. Im honestly guilt ridden about it but I need to be optimistic for the time being. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I hope it's something mild! Reply Parent Thread Link My so has that respiratory infection, it's around the area here. It's nasty. No covid, but nasty. Take care of yourself and feel better soon. Reply Parent Thread Link fingers crossed <3 Reply Parent Thread Link I hope you have a safe and speedy recovery! Do you mind me asking what your symptoms were? I've been having a tight chest and sore throat (though the sore throat seems to have cleared a lot today) for the past few days and i'm debating whether or not to call the doctor. I don't want to waste their time. Maybe I have something like that as well... And I know what you mean. Not knowing what you have and knowing you could have spread it is a terrible feeling :( Reply Parent Thread Link The KOONERY. Please don't equate wearing a MAGA hat which is a CHOICE to being stared at for being black. Kanye absolutely has so many mental health issues but that does not absolve him of legitimizing Trump. There are still people, esp white dudes, who still fuck with him because of his stellar PAST music. It's just frustrating. I have always felt that Kanye is so deeply uncomfortable with being black that he will do absolutely anything for white validation. It's sad, understandable, and infuriating all in the same boat Reply Thread Link Several prison riots have taken place across Argentina that were sparked by the poor conditions prisoners are living in amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The two biggest riots took place in the cities of Florencio Varela in the eastern Argentine province of Buenos Aires and in the city of Coronda in the north-eastern province of Santa Fe, according to reports. The first clip shows a building on fire at the Unidad Penitenciaria No.1 in the city of Coronda as prisoners climb on the roof in a bid to escape. Prisoners can be seen on the roof of the prison in Coronda, North-eastern province of Santa Fe. A fire rages from within the prison as smoke rises According to local media, guards managed to stop the attempted prison break by firing warning shots from the control towers. However, one prisoner was reportedly stabbed to death during the riot and the incident is being investigated by the authorities. A map showing Argentina the location of where the two largest prison riots are happening. The Coronda riot has been brought under control, but the one in Florencio Varela still rages Another video shows a riot at the Unidad No.54 prison in the city of Florencio Varela where several prisoners reportedly got out of their cells and took control of corridors. According to reports, the local authorities have so far been unable to control the riot at Unidad No.54. In a video taken by a prisoner inside Unidad No.54, inmates can be seen banging on gates and wielding what appear to be makeshift spears or clubs fashioned from what they could get their hands on inside the prison. Prisoners bang on gates and wield makeshift weapons as they take control of a prison in the city of Florencio Varela, Argentina Videos from inside third prison in Las Flores, which is also in the province of Santa Fe located in the north-east of the country, show prisoners battling with authorities attempting to get the riots under control. A prisoner uses a mattress as a shield against anti-riot weapons as prisoners take control of corridors. Other prisoners hide behind cabinet doors in a prison in Las Flores Using mattresses as shields and hurling objects down the corridor, prisoners can also be seen hiding behind walls to cabinet doors to shield themselves from what sound like anti-riot guns being fired back at them. Local media said that the prison authorities recently imposed measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the temporary suspension of family visits. However, a prisoner named Juan from Bouwer prison in the province of Cordoba said on social media: 'I sleep with eight men in a cell where there is room for four. 'Prison workers do not wear masks or gloves. We are demanding toiletries and food we normally don't get or is only half-cooked.' Prison official Walter Galvez told local media: 'Packages of food and hygiene products will arrive at the prisons between Wednesday and Friday.' Argentina currently has 387 confirmed coronavirus cases and 6 deaths recorded, according to figures from the Johns Hopkins coronavirus resource centre. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) Dr. Marcelo Jaochico, the provincial health chief of Pampanga, died on Tuesday after his professional and personal battle with COVID-19. He also previously served as a doctor in rural communities. His daughter Cielo Jaochico said, despite her father's death, she is grateful they were able to receive his test results before he passed away. Cielo, in a Facebook post, said her father is more than the COVID-19 statistics, saying Dr. Jaochico was the first Most Outstanding Awardee of the Doctor to the Barrios. "You deserve better than this. When you speak of him, please speak only of good words. Please do not remember him as someone who just died because of COVID-19. Sobrang dami niyang ginawa para sa bayan [He did a lot for the country]," she wrote. She imagined how painful it must have been for the man of their household to fight alone in his hospital bed. "You will never be prepared for your parents death. Dad, you didnt deserve to die alone, nang di naririnig gaano ka kahalaga sa amin at gaano ka namin kamahal... Uuwi ka ritong nasa kabaong na," she said. [Translation: You will never be prepared for your parents death. Dad, you didnt deserve to die alone without hearing how much we value and love you. The next time we see you, you will be in a casket.] Cielo added Dr. Jaochico's body will be cremated in line with the protocols for cremation and burial set by health authorities. Several other frontliners have died due to COVID-19. Esteemed cardiologist and internist Raul Jara, young cardiologist Israel Bactol of the Philippine Heart Center, anesthesiologist Gregorio Macasaet III of Manila Doctors Hospital, and oncologist Rose Pulido of the San Juan de Dios Hospital have passed away recently. Medical workers are hit by the health crisis. In Medical City, 137 of their healthcare and frontline workers are in quarantine. More than 500 members of the staff of the UST Hospital are also under quarantine for possible coronavirus infection, The Varsitarian the university's official student publication reported. Several premier hospitals in Metro Manila have announced they cannot accomodate more COVID-19 patients due to over capacity. The number of people who tested positive for the coronavirus disease in the Philippines jumped to 552, with the death toll rising to 35. The number of patients who have recovered is now at 20. There are over 600 persons under investigation and over 6,300 persons under monitoring. TO VIEW MORE NEWS STORY, PLEASE CLICK ON NEWS TAB ON MAIN MENU BAR Gov. Phil Murphy is touting a new report that New Jersey ranks among the top five states on a Social Distancing Scoreboard that tracks how much people reduced travel during the coronavirus pandemic. Unacast, a company that studies cellphone GPS location data, gave New Jersey an A grade based on a 50% decrease in travel. Murphy ordered on Saturday all residents to stay at home with the exemption of some necessary travel, and closed non-essential retail businesses. Areas that have seen a greater than 40% decrease in travel received an A, while those that have seen a less than 10% change received an F. Nearly every New Jersey county received a A, except Salem and Hunterdon counties. New Jersey, Alaska, Nevada, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia ranked in the top five. Great work, New Jersey, Murphy said on Wednesday morning as he retweeted a Washington Post story about Unacasts scoreboard ." This IS WORKING. Keep doing your part and we will #FlattenTheCurve. Great work New Jersey! We are in the top five nationwide for social distancing! This IS WORKING. Keep doing your part and we will #FlattenTheCurve.https://t.co/r28LIIdKfA Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 25, 2020 The Washington Post reported that Unacasts data comes from game, shopping and utility apps that Americans download onto their phones. The company usually analyzes this data for retailers, marketing companies and real estate firms, but has turned its abilities toward the pandemic.i The Washington Post story, however, notes that the scoreboard does not track proximity between phones. Social distancing guidelines suggest people maintain a 6-foot distance to make the spread of coronavirus less likely. New Jersey has reported 3,675 coronavirus cases and 44 deaths as of Tuesday. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The NIA on Wednesday filed a supplementary charge sheet against one of the prime members of an illegal weapons trafficking network for his alleged involvement in supplying arms and ammunition to Naxals in Jharkhand, an official said. Santosh Kumar of Ara district in Bihar has been charged under relevant provisions of the IPC, Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the charge sheet filed before a special NIA court in Patna, the official of the premier investigation agency said. Santosh, one of the prime members of the weapons trafficking network that supplied arms and ammunition to Naxals in Jharkhand, had extensively used banking and hawala channels for transfer of funds for the procurement of weapons and such transactions worth more than Rs 2.2 crore have been identified, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) official said. The case pertains to interdiction of highly sophisticated weapons and ammunition on February 7 last year by Bihar Police, including Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGL), AK series rifle and large number of 5.56 x 45 mm ammunition from Suraj Prasad, Varengnow Kahorngam and Clearson Kabo who were travelling in an SUV in Purnia, it said. A large number of illegal sophisticated weapons and ammunition were supplied by Ningkhan Sangtam, a self-styled major of Naga insurgent group NSCN(IM), through illegal arms dealers of Bihar to Bhikhan Ganjhu, a Zonal Commander of banned Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), a Naxal terrorist gang proscribed by the Jharkhand government, it said. Two charge sheets were filed against six accused - Prasad, Kahorngam, Kabo, Tripurari Singh, Mukesh Singh and Ningkhan Sangtam - on August 3 and November 22 last year, the probe agency said. Further investigation against the co-conspirators and other suspects including Ganju, who is absconding, continues, the NIA added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The group noted that not all of the approximately 50 members of the state chapter agreed with the position in the letter, but that most did. The state's professional associations for both plaintiffs and civil defense attorneys filed objections. The Montana Defense Trial Lawyers wrote that in admitting to the misconduct that Harada has admitted to, she has shaken the publics confidence in the integrity of the justice system. Her admitted lack of candor throughout the Judicial Standards Commissions investigation demonstrates a lack of commitment to the values that are integral to our profession and our system of justice, the defense group wrote. The Montana Trial Lawyers Association called for removing Harada, saying anything less would undermine public faith in the system. In addition to the formal organizations, 105 attorneys in Montana most of them practicing in Billings signed on to a letter of objection. They raised the example of another Montana attorney who ran for judge and was disbarred by the Montana Supreme Court for making false statements, or statements he knew could have been false, during his campaign to unseat an incumbent judge. SEATTLE After Mary Flo Werner died last week of cancer, her nine grandchildren filed in through the big white doors of their Catholic church in Janesville, Wis., for the funeral Mass. Nine plus the priest made 10, the maximum number allowed to gather since a widening coronavirus outbreak led to strict limits on public gatherings. Left to grieve in the church parking lot were Ms. Werners four adult children. They sat in their cars and watched their 74-year-old mothers service on their phones and tablets. In Staten Island, N.Y., the family of Arnold Obey, 73, a retired school principal, does not know when or how his funeral might occur. Mr. Obey died Sunday night while vacationing in Puerto Rico, and his wife is in isolation in a San Juan hotel room, awaiting her coronavirus test results. Meri Dreyfuss, a tech worker in the San Francisco area whose older sister, Barbara Dreyfuss, died in Seattle this month of complications from the coronavirus, has put off a funeral until the fall. facebook like button Tweet tweet button for twitter Published March 25, 2020 Dear faculty and staff, The university campus is currently closed to the general public but remains open to essential employees who are arriving daily to complete necessary university business. It is extremely important to utilize ID card access ONLY. If your ID card is not working, please contact your department head for guidance. Employees that are coming to campus during work hours must vacate your building promptly at 5:00pm every day. Any employee needing access to a building after 5:00pm will need permission from their Vice President who will then forward the request to the Director of University Police Tom Torregrossa (torregrossa@ulm.edu). UPD is asking that at no point does any employee unlock a door and secure the crash bar in the open position allowing for total access. Once the crash bar is placed in the open and/or locked position, one would only have to pull open the door to gain entry. Facility Managers are checking the doors to confirm that they are operating correctly. The University Police Department will continue to assist employees during this time. Tom Torregrossa Director of University Police Toronto Uber driver Jeff Perera has spent the last few weeks sanitizing door handles, seats and belt buckles each time a passenger exits his car to stop the spread of a novel coronavirus. But he may soon get a break from scrubbing because hes debating dropping his driving gig. Im taking precautions, but I dont want to be a carrier passing coronavirus on, said Perera, who has driven on-and-off for Uber for almost four years, while working as a professional speaker. I had this one lawyer I was going to take to Liberty Village to pick up some weed and hes just one of these people who was saying (COVID-19) is all a hoax, its overblown and its not that big of a deal. That was one of my last rides and that made me really angry and I thought I dont know if I can do this. Such situations are familiar to Pereras fellow drivers, health-care and transit workers, cleaners, couriers and supermarket staff, who have been deemed essential by many provinces. They head into workplaces while others have the luxury of toiling away from home. Their jobs put them in the path of the unruly virus by exposing them to scores of people, who may unknowingly be carrying COVID-19, and surfaces, where experts say it can linger. More than 1,600 Canadians have contracted the virus. The latest wave includes a Real Canadian Superstore worker in Oshawa, Ont., Loblaw president Galen Weston told customers in an email Monday. Its stories like those that have worried the family of Stanley Maranion, a cleaner at Tsawwassen Mills, a shopping mall south of downtown Vancouver. They dont want me to go in, but its a chance to make money, to pay the bills, he said. When he hops off the bus at the mall, clad in gloves and a mask, he now often finds it empty. Most stores have closed, but a South St. Burger and Dollarama remain open. I feel better because the mall isnt that busy and with less people going, I feel safer, he said. That emptiness is far from what Thomas Hesse, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401, hears from the 32,000 workers from companies like Cargill Inc., JBS Canada and Safeway, who the union represents. He recently encountered a grocery clerk who hauls heavy loads of flour through busy aisles, while fretting about an ill family member in Arizona who cant access health care and fighting with his ex-wife over child care because schools are closed. I talked to one employee whose brother recently received chemotherapy and she lives with her brother, he said. Shes torn about coming to work because theres a risk she might take (the virus) home, exposing her brother. The places where these workers are employed are encouraging staff to wash their hands constantly. Others prod staff to don a mask or gloves, which comes with a new challenge. Were being as vigilant as possible and trying to make sure that everythings on order, but theres shortages (on sanitizer, gloves and masks) all over North America, so were doing our best, said Devon Almond, the owner of Calgary cleaning company Time to Shine. Some of his church, dental office, restaurant and office building clients have slashed or reduced cleanings, but none of his roughly 60 workers have refused work yet. Markham, Ont.-based Anthony Cappuccio juggles stocking produce at a supermarket with working as a restaurant cook. He isnt worried about catching the virus at work, but wishes shoppers wouldnt cram stores and snatch up more groceries than they need. We cant keep up with demand because every time we have canned goods, even if you put a limit on it, people are gonna buy it, and with all of our stuff being delayed a bit because of the initial huge rush shopping everyone did, its more difficult, he said. Grocers like Loblaw Companies Ltd., Sobeys Inc. and Metro Inc. are installing plexiglass shields in front of cashiers, whose pay they recently raised by $2 an hour. Other retailers have stopped customers from dining-in or paying with cash as they keep up with the demands of delivery. Cappuccios restaurant job is far quieter. He used to work 45 hours a week there and now, he says, hes working maybe 20. We laid off most of our staff except for me and three other people just to keep it running, but honestly, Im standing around No one wants take-out food, he said. He worries about laid-off co-workers, who rely solely on the restaurant to pay bills. Cappuccio, however, counts himself lucky because he lives with his parents and the grocery sector is in demand, with Walmart and Loblaw looking to immediately hire thousands. Uber driver Perera has been less calm as he mulls whether to park his car. Hes weighed how much he enjoys helping health-care workers get to their jobs with his own situation including a mother in her 70s and his brothers babies he doesnt want to endanger. He doesnt know what hell do instead, since his speaking work has dried up because COVID-19 has forced the cancellation of events. Im debating doing Uber Eats, but there are so many people doing that that I cant see me having much more financial success doing that but I guess its safer, said Perera, who doubts he will qualify for employment insurance or other government support because he is self-employed. I wanted to look into Amazon, maybe doing deliveries for them. I just hope I can get something going. League City Police Chief Gary Ratliff believes most city residents are taking the coronavirus outbreak seriously. But in order for that to continue, Ratliff asked the city council Tuesday night to give him authority to enforce the citys stay-at-home order. The council agreed to allow police officers to issue fines of up to $2,000 for residents who violate the orders included in its local disaster declaration. The ordinance passed by the City Council extends the disaster declaration for 21 days, when it will be revisited. The ordinance also amends the local disaster declaration to include language that mandates the closure of League City bars, taverns, nightclubs and lounges, as well as gyms and fitness centers, game rooms, arcades, hair and nail salons, massage establishments, and tattoo parlors. Ratliff specifically sought an enforcement mechanism because the states disaster declaration was geared towards the individual patrons and not businesses. He added that Galveston Countys stay-at-home order issued Monday is not an enforceable order because no penalties were attached to it. When you do have folks who come in violation of those orders, in a situation like this, theres nothing you can do with it, Ratliff said. What the city did last night by passing the order was taking that step to say that We believe that this is necessary to help stop the spread and were gonna do our part to try to make that happen. As of Wednesday morning, the Galveston County Health District reported 22 people had tested positive for the coronavirus countywide. While the health district does not specify the place of residence for any positive coronavirus case, Ratliff said that six of those positive cases are League City residents. The police chief said he would not be overzealous in enforcing coronavirus restrictions. League City police officers will not be pulling every car off the road or going door-to-door ensuring businesses are closed. In a situation where we run into somebody that doesnt fall into any of those exemptions, then we need to address what theyre doing, Ratliff said. The way were approaching it is were not trying to impede on peoples individual liberties any more than what all of these declarations are already doing, its just trying to ensure peoples safety. Not all city officials see it that way. City Councilman Nick Long ensured that the amended language in the disaster declaration exempted religious and worship services from the citys requirement that social events with more than 10 people shall be canceled, postponed, or held virtually. Long, the only council member to vote against the final ordinance, said he didnt know of any area churches or places of worship that were still holding in-person services, but he included that language as a matter of philosophical principle. My church and most of the large churches in League City, I know for a fact, have already gone virtual, Long said. But I also dont think its the governments place to decide that for people. I believe its protected and we need to not just trample over peoples religious freedoms. Ratliff, however, noted that in-person church and worship services are still prohibited under the state and countys disaster declarations. Everybody has their own opinion as far as that goes, I respect that completely, Ratliff said. But right now if you listened to most of the experts out there that are in health care or in those different industries, they are telling us all that the best chance we have to slow this is to quarantine yourself in your homes and get out as little as possible. nick.powell@chron.com MILAN (Reuters) - Italian-U.S. car giant Fiat Chrysler has confirmed plans to produce a million face masks a month and said it will distribute them to emergency services in North America to help the fight against coronavirus. FCA, which is also trying to help produce badly needed respirators for patients in intensive care in Italy, is one of a number of large manufacturers adapting production lines to make products in desperately short supply. "Production capacity is being installed this week and the company will start manufacturing face masks in the coming weeks with initial distribution across the United States, Canada and Mexico," it said in a statement released late on Monday. The monthly output of one million masks will be donated to police, emergency medical staff, firefighters and to workers in hospitals and health care clinics, it said. The decision to begin distribution of masks in North America rather than Italy, the company's other home country, underlines the difficult balance global companies are having to maintain as they weigh where to offer help in the emergency. Face masks and other protective equipment for medical staff have been running out across the world as thousands of new cases of the highly contagious virus have arrived in hospitals daily. Fiat's position as a historic pillar of Italian industry makes the issue of where to provide help sensitive, especially as Italy is the country worst hit by the virus so far. Both FCA and its controlling shareholder Exor, the investment firm of Italy's Agnelli family, have offered significant assistance to efforts to handle the crisis in Italy, where almost 6,000 people have died. FCA and luxury automaker Ferrari, also controlled by Exor, are in talks with Siare, Italy's biggest respirator manufacturer, to help it double production of the life-saving machines. In addition, the Agnelli family said last week it was donating 10 million euros to fight the virus emergency in Italy. It said companies controlled by Exor bought 150 ventilators and other medical equipment abroad, provided vehicles for support of people in need and were in touch with Italian authorities to help them buy medical equipment and healthcare products abroad. As part of the process, an Exor spokesman said on Tuesday the group had made an initial purchase of 250,000 face masks in China which would be distributed in Italy and were expected to arrive by the end of this week. (Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by James Mackenzie and David Clarke) The high-tech video app used by Boris Johnson to host a 'virtual' Cabinet meeting this week been banned by UK defence chiefs over hacking fears, it was revealed today. The Prime Minister used the Zoom video-conferencing system yesterday in Downing Street in order to observe rules on social distancing to curb the coronavirus outbreak. It allows a large number of people to 'dial-in' to a conference call and use computer and phone cameras to be seen by other participants. The weekly Cabinet meeting, which usually involves ministers tightly packed around a large table can include discussions on sensitive information like matters of national security. But it emerged today that Ministry of Defence (MoD) staff were told this week the use of Zoom was being suspended with immediate effect while 'security implications' were investigated. Users within the military hierarchy weres reminded of the need to be 'cautious about cyber resilience' in 'these exceptional times'. One source told PA Media: 'It is astounding that thousands of MoD staff have been banned from using Zoom only to find a sensitive Government meeting like that of the Prime Minister's Cabinet is being conducted over it.' The Prime Minister used the Zoom video-conferencing system yesterday in Downing Street in order to observe rules on social distancing to curb the coronavirus outbreak It allows a large number of people to 'dial-in' to a conference call and use computer and phone cameras to be seen by other participants The Prime Minister and the Health Secretary Matt Hancock were the only two politicians in the room in No 10 yesterday morning, Downing Street confirmed. It came after Monday's decision to place the UK in lockdown and avoid gathering as much as possible. The rest of his top team used the Zoom conferencing app to join the discussion. The only other people in the room were Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Witty and Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill. The use of US-based Zoom has 'exploded' in popularity but concerns have been raised over its security, according to an industry expert. It is thought swathes of businesses and organisations have flocked to use the technology in the last week as the UK went into lockdown, in a bid to continue meetings with employees who have been forced to work from home. Growing numbers of people are also using it socially to catch up with friends virtually while stuck indoors. It has prompted some online debate as to whether there are security and privacy concerns about using the platform. How Cabinet meetings normally look, with ministers crowded around a table in No 10 Downing Street A message to MoD staff, seen by PA, said: 'We are pausing the use of Zoom, an internet-based video conferencing service, with immediate effect whilst we investigate security implications that come with it.' A decision will then be made about whether to continue using the programme, the email added. Paul Bischoff, from Comparitech.com which researches and tests out security, privacy and networking technology, told PA that Zoom is 'exploding in popularity' and usage is becoming more 'commonplace'. While the programme is 'fairly secure', he warned the company was 'slow' to address a 'webcam security flaw' last year which 'angered' some users and security experts. The problem allowed an attacker to hijack the user's webcam through Safari on Apple Macs, he said. According to a media reports earlier this month, users were warned against 'Zoom bombing' after sessions were hijacked by strangers sharing porn videos. Around the same time, Zoom, which describes its service as reliable and easy to use, published an article with advice for users entitled 'How to keep the party crashers from crashing your Zoom event'. Mr Bischoff said: 'The software has no known serious vulnerabilities at the moment, but that doesn't mean a hacker won't find a new vulnerability tomorrow. 'The company also collects some personal information about users and shares it with a few third parties.' He added it is important to verify links and senders before clicking on them because 'criminals will probably create phishing pages designed to look like Zoom pages, but they really just steal your passwords and other information'. The six young women set down their bombs and stood around the well, staring into the dark void. As captives of Boko Haram, one of the deadliest terror groups on Earth, the women had been dispatched for the grimmest of missions: blow up a mosque and everyone inside. The women wanted to get rid of their bombs without killing anyone, including themselves. One of them, Balaraba Mohammed, then a 19-year-old who had been blindfolded and kidnapped by Boko Haram a few months earlier, came up with a plan: they removed their headscarves and tied them into a long rope. Mohammed attached the bombs and gingerly lowered them into the well, praying it was filled with water. She let go. We ran for our lives, Mohammed said. Recommended At least 65 dead after suspected Boko Haram attack in Nigeria In the decade-long war with Boko Haram that has coursed through northeast Nigeria and spread to three neighbouring countries, more than 500 women have been deployed as suicide bombers or apprehended before they carried out their deadly missions a number that terrorism experts say exceeds any other conflict in history. Some, like Mohammed and the women at the well, have bravely resisted, foiling the extremists plans in quiet and often unheralded ways. But most women who broke away from Boko Haram keep their abductions secret, knowing they would be stigmatised as terrorist sympathisers even though they were held against their wills and defied the militants. They walk the streets of Maiduguri, Nigeria, in the shadow of billboards celebrating the heroism of Malala Yousafzai, who was shot for standing up to the Taliban. Once-bustling towns have been decimated by jihadists (Getty) The women are often forgotten, not unlike the schoolgirls kidnapped from the village of Chibok who remain missing nearly six years after their abduction caused such global alarm. Dozens of women interviewed by The New York Times have said that Boko Haram gave them a terrible choice: marry the groups fighters or be deployed as bombers. Captives have said some women chose instead to blow up only themselves. But some survived and want to tell their stories. Mohammed is one. Some of them were raped and forced to take birth control pills. Some of them were used to test suicide vests Mohammed says she arrived at the Boko Haram camp in a daze in 2012. Boko Haram had murdered her husband in front of her after he criticised the group. Days later they came back for Mohammed, throwing her baby to the ground and abducting her. She thought her daughter was dead. New women captives would arrive every time fighters left the camp. Some of them were raped and forced to take birth control pills, she said. Some of them were used to test suicide vests. At the camp, Mohammed said she listened as two women began discussing ways to kill themselves so they would no longer have to suffer there. A militant overheard them and became angry. What is so difficult about killing yourselves? he asked. He shot them both to death. I was so scared, Mohammed recalls. Mohammed considered suicide, but she thought of her ailing grandmother who needed her as caretaker. To get out of being married off to a fighter, she said she feigned sickness. To get out of weapons training, she faked mental illness. When fighters gave her a bomb, she said, I felt as if I was dead. She knew she would have to go or be shot too. Which is how she found herself with five others at the edge of that well. The bombs didnt detonate, and the young women, scared and unsure what to do, ran back to the Boko Haram camp, Mohammed said. They swore on a Quran to their captors they had accomplished their mission and that they ran so fast to escape that they lost their hijabs on the way. Cheers went up, and the fighters convened a feast to celebrate the women they thought had become killers. The six women, two of them barely teenagers, had outsmarted Islamic extremists. One of the girls who had thrown her bomb into the well was so distraught that she ran into the hail of bullets in the firing squad, killing herself But the womens relief was short-lived. Fighters soon decided they were ruthless enough to be ready for weapons training, handing them guns and lining up other captives for live target practice. One of the girls who had thrown her bomb into the well was so distraught that she ran into the hail of bullets in the firing squad, killing herself, Mohammed said. For women trying to escape Boko Harams clutches, all the options are bad. Those trying to surrender to authorities are sometimes killed by nervous soldiers, according to Unicef. Members of a civilian vigilante force said they had shot one woman last year who approached their outpost on the edge of Maiduguri, and her bomb exploded. One teenager, whose name was withheld for security reasons, was 16 when she said she was drugged and strapped with a suicide belt and sent out with two other women who also carried bombs to blow up soldiers at a checkpoint. One of the women had an infant strapped to her back. The three decided they would turn themselves in. As the group approached the checkpoint to surrender, one of the women stopped behind a tree to urinate, the teenager says. When the woman squatted, her bomb accidentally detonated. Soldiers heard the blast and ran towards the group. Terrified, the woman with the infant ran off, untying the baby, who dropped to the ground. The baby girl sat on the ground crying, and the teenager thought of her own baby, who had died of starvation a month earlier in the Boko Haram camp where they were held hostage. The teenager, her bomb still attached, says she picked up the child and soothed her until soldiers removed her explosives. She still cares for the girl, now age 3, and plans to never tell her that she is adopted. To her, I am her real mother, she said. This is what God sent to me. They prepared Mohammed and other women for a major operation: to blow up the Monday market, the biggest in northeast Nigeria After the trick at the well, fighters sent Mohammed and the other women on a second suicide mission, replacing the girl who had died by running into the firing squad with a new captive. She said their target was to be a market in Banki, a once-bustling town. One of the fighters planned to escort the women. But the new captive assured the militants she was from Banki and knew her way through the countryside. Again, the women collected their bombs and used their hijabs to lower them into the well. They sprinted back to the fighters camp expecting the same joyous reception. But fighters were shocked to see them arrive so soon. Just then, the radio crackled with news: a bombing had been reported in Banki but in a small village outside the main town, not in the market. The fighters turned on the new captive, thinking she had led the women to the wrong place. They shot and killed her. Days went by, and fighters came and went, engaging in fierce battles that claimed some of their lives. They wanted revenge. They prepared Mohammed and other women for a major operation: to blow up the Monday market, the biggest in northeast Nigeria. They loaded some 20 cars, motorbikes and stolen military trucks with bombers and fighters and drove to the market. Mohammed says she was sick and too weak to even get out of the car. She sat inside as bombs exploded, and the vehicle sped away. Mohammed was driven back to the camp and remained ill for several days, locked in a tin shack with other captives as they listened to fighters preparing for vigilante forces to invade the camp. More than 100 schoolgirls were kidnapped from the village of Chibok by Boko Haram (Getty) I was saying in my heart that Oh God, even if I would die, let my relatives find my corpse, she says. She heard gunshots and a loud noise. She lost consciousness. Hadiza Musa, who had joined the local vigilante force to avenge the Boko Haram capture of her sister, arrived to find a horrific scene: The entire camp was on fire, and there was carnage everywhere. In an attempt to distract the vigilantes, Musa said, it appeared that Boko Haram had blown up their own camp and their captives and fled. Musa said she sifted through the dead and came across Mohammed, who was unconscious with burns covering her body and blood pouring from what looked like a bullet wound to her leg. Musa cried as she helped ferry Mohammed to a hospital. Some neighbours who know she was abducted are suspicious and think she might be loyal to Boko Haram Musa stayed by Mohammed, caring for her until she was conscious. She tracked down her grandmother and told Mohammed the first good news she had heard in months: her baby, Hairat, was alive. Boko Haram is still plaguing Maiduguri, where their movement began. Last month, militants attacked vehicles lined up at a checkpoint outside the city, killing at least 30 people, some who burnt to death while sleeping in their cars, local officials said. When president Muhammadu Buhari arrived in Maiduguri to console mourners, he was jeered. The Nigerian military has struggled to gain the upper hand against fighters now armed with drones, machinery and weapons they have stolen from raiding military encampments and convoys. Recently, the numbers of suicide bombings have declined as Boko Haram and its factions have focused on targeting military forces. Yet the incidents persist. In January in nearby Chad, a woman bomber killed nine people, and in Maiduguri, two female bombers blew up a market, killing two people. President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to gain the upper hand against the terror group (Getty) In all, more than 540 women and girls have been deployed or arrested as bombers since June 2014, according to an estimate by Elizabeth Pearson, a lecturer at Cyber Threats Research Centre and at Swansea University in Wales who reviewed years of media and United Nations reports. Musa and Mohammed now consider themselves sisters. Mohammed still bears scars from burns to her face, arms and legs. In Maiduguri, where she lives with Hairat, who is now in school, some neighbours who know she was abducted are suspicious and think she might be loyal to Boko Haram. The best thing is for you to be killed, a neighbour once told Mohammed. She tries to ignore those kinds of comments. After all, she knows none of the ordeal was her fault. She pays for Hairats schooling by knitting caps and selling soft drinks from a rented mini-refrigerator. She makes regular trips to the morgue to search for her brothers body; he disappeared after he dropped out of college to join the vigilantes to avenge Mohammeds capture. Mohammed has started training to become a nurse. She wants to give back. But she couldnt afford fees for recent exams after an uncle kicked her out of his house, still suspicious of her time with militants. Until she can save up money for the exam, she keeps a first aid kit with her, in case she comes across anyone needing help. The New York Times The coronavirus outbreak has forced Hollywood to grind to a halt, with productions shutting down and television tapings suspended across the board. Carrie Ann Inaba, co-host of The Talk on CBS, decided she wasn't going to let the shutdown stop her from bringing fans some version of her hit talk show, so she decided to take it to Instagram. The 52-year-old star spoke exclusively with DailyMailTV via video chat from her home about what quarantine has been like and how doing The Talk on social media has helped keep her sanity. Keeping talking! Carrie Ann Inaba spoke exclusively to DailyMailTV about how she helped bring The Talk to Instagram during the COVID-19 outbreak and what she is doing to stay sane during quarantine at her home 'I think just like everyone else, self-quarantine and isolation is hard,' Carrie Ann said. 'It's challenging. There's like a roller coaster of emotions.' The television personality explained that she uses 'anything with a routine around it' to keep her sanity while practicing social distancing, even something as simple as getting her morning coffee. For the Dancing With the Stars judge, isolation has been particularly challenging, as she suffers from various autoimmune conditions like lupus and fibromyalgia. 'I'm one of those people that is at higher risk. So I've been very, very cautious,' she explained. 'I actually haven't seen anybody for quite a while. I've been very isolated.' Making it work: After the difficult decision was made to suspend taping The Talk due to coronavirus, Carrie Ann thought it would be great do bring some form of the show to fans through Instagram and producers agreed 'I think just like everyone else, self-quarantine and isolation is hard,' Carrie Ann said. 'It's challenging. There's like a roller coaster of emotions.' Thanks to some amazing friends and neighbors, Carrie Ann is getting groceries dropped off to her door so she doesn't have to risk going out. When the decision was made to suspend taping The Talk, the host said it was a difficult one but it prompted her to get creative and find a way to bring the series to viewers via social media. 'We were gonna come back and do it without a live audience. Just the five women maybe create a little distance between us,' she explained. 'And then we heard the word that they were just going to shut down production completely. 'I was really grateful to talk with the producers about maybe continuing something on Instagram. I am technologically addicted and I love technology.' 'It's really an interesting time, as much as it's very scary and everyone's unsettled, it's also a time to create peace,' Inaba explained. 'It's important to remember we're all in this together '(The Talk hosts pictured in October with Helen Mirren) The Talk Chat Room already has some amazing guests lined up like Erin Andrews, Julianne Hough, Tyra Banks and Raven Symone. 'I'm happy to be doing The Talk every day because we get to remind people of what day it is,' Carrie Ann told DailyMailTV. 'We've got great guests, it's going to be fun and we're going to make you laugh and we're going to bring back the life. And, just for a few minutes every day we're going to bring you what we can. 'It's great because every once in a while now we get out of our pajamas and we change into regular clothes. And that gives us some sort of sense of normalcy, which we need,' Carrie Ann said. 'I'm happy to be doing The Talk every day because we get to remind people of what day it is,' Carrie Ann told DailyMailTV. 'We've got great guests, it's going to be fun and we're going to make you laugh and we're going to bring back the life. And, just for a few minutes every day we're going to bring you what we can. Impressive line up: The Talk Chat Room already has some amazing guests lined up like Erin Andrews, Julianne Hough, Tyra Banks and Raven Symone Inaba says that keeping up our connections is 'more vital and more important and meaningful' in the current COVID-19 pandemic. 'It's really an interesting time, as much as it's very scary and everyone's unsettled, it's also a time to create peace,' Inaba explained. 'It's important to remember we're all in this together and Viacom CBS has this great hashtag that we're trying to spread everyone so people feel less alone and it's hashtag alone together.' Tune into The Talk Chat Room on Instagram Monday through Friday on Instagram at 2 and 3 PM eastern. Pakistan only SAARC nation to skip COVID-19 fund India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Mar 25: Pakistan is the only SAARC nation that has not contributed to the COVID-19 fund for grouping. The grouping has already received commitments to the tune of 18.8 million USD. It may be recalled that the fund was created with an initial contribution of 10 million USD from India. This was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a video conferencing with the leaders of the grouping on March 15. Afghanistan has contributed 1 million USD, while in the case of Bangladesh and Bhutan it was 1.5 million and 100,000 USD respectively. Maldives has contributed 200,000 USD while Nepal and Sri Lanka contributed 1 million and 5 million USD. #Stayathome and send us your selfie Pakistan it may be recalled during the video conferencing was not represented by the head of the country. Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan had in fact sent a representative for the video conferencing. So far there has been no pledge from Pakistan for the fund. The External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that the contributions by these nations truly reflects the deeply shared sense of determination in the participating countries together. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, March 25, 2020, 10:03 [IST] While Irans death toll from coronavirus reached almost 2,000, Iranian officials reportedly rejected the help from foreign forces to deal with the deadly virus. According to international media reports, Iran rejected the help from France-based medical charity and charged that Doctors Without Border (MSF) staff would serve as spies. Irans advisor to health ministry also took to Twitter and wrote that as of now it is not necessary for foreign forces to set up hospital beds. Alireza Vahabzadeh, the advisor, said, Due to Iran's national mobilisation against the virus and the full use of the medical capacity of the armed forces, it is not necessary for now for hospital beds to be set up by foreign forces, and their presence is ruled out. READ: Flight Carrying 277 Indians From Iran Lands In Jodhpur; All Coronavirus Negative While speaking to an international media outlet, MSF reportedly said that they had planned to send nine-member team and equipment to set-up a 50-bed hospital. They added that they had even obtained necessary permissions from the Iranian authorities and voiced its incomprehensive at its offer of help being rejected. As per reports, two cargo planes had also arrived in Tehran carrying the necessary equipment to build the facility and an international team of nine people and arrived in Esfahan. Currently, Iran has more than 24,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and the deadly virus has claimed more than 1,900 lives in the country. However, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has defended its governments efforts to stem the spread of the fatal virus and said that despite not announcing a lockdown, the government as intervened significantly and stopped the disease from spreading. Rouhani said that some ask why the government isnt intervening but he further added, I think we have intervened significantly. READ: Despite Almost 2000 Deaths Due To Coronavirus, Iran Backs Itself & Shuns Foreign Help Call for easing sanctions in Iran Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights chief called for ease of sanctions on Iran and other countries to support the lives of millions of people during Coronavirus pandemic. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on March 24 that the broad sectoral sanctions should urgently be re-evaluated in countries which are facing serious challenges due to the novel Coronavirus. Bachelet, who has also served as President of Chile, gave the example of Iran which has reported over 1,900 deaths and facing crippling sanctions from the United States. She underlined the impact of sectoral sanctions on access to essential medicines and medical equipment. She added that a variety of sanctions may also impede medical efforts in Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. READ: UN Rights Chief Calls For Easing Sanctions On Iran & Other Countries Amid Pandemic READ: COVID-19: 'One Person Dies In Every 12 Minutes,' Says Iranian Health Ministry Hundreds of students are expected to return to campus from spring break after Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr announced that college dormitories will begin housing up to 5,000 students this week, despite a growing coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, more than 1,100 students returned to the private Evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, the same day that the state's governor announced that all K-12 schools will remain closed at least through the academic year. He also ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses. Virginia had 290 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 45 hospitalisations and at least six deaths, as of Tuesday. Mr Falwell said he believes he's "protecting" students by keeping them on campus together. He said told the university news service: "They were talking about being glad to be back ... I was joking about how they pretty much had the whole place to themselves, and told all of them to enjoy it." Students who become sick will be moved to a nearby hotel owned by the university. The university enrols roughly 100,000 students, nearly half of which are undergraduates. Nearly 60 per cent of Liberty's students live on campus. Mr Falwell a vocal supporter of Donald Trump who has shared several coronavirus-related conspiracies and echoed right-wing dismissals of the virus told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the university has a "responsibility to our students who paid to be here, who want to be here, who love it here to give them the ability to be with their friends, to continue their studies, enjoy the room and board they've already paid for and to not interrupt their college life". The decision to reopen the campus follows his praise of the Trump administration's response to the virus: "Thank God [Donald Trump] is managing this Corona Flu like you would expect from a successful CEO v a career politician!" On Tuesday, the president doubled down on recent claims that the economic fallout from the virus is as damaging as the virus itself, saying that the economic lapse would "destroy" the US as he vowed to reopen the country next month, regardless of guidance from health officials and a skyrocketing number of confirmed US cases topping 40,000. He also repeated a false equivalence to the flu, which unlike coronavirus has a vaccine and proves deadly in only a fraction of cases compared to the mortality rate of coronavirus. "We lose thousands and thousands of people a year to the flu, we don't turn the country off", the president said in a Fox News town hall. "We have to get back to work." Earlier this month, Mr Falwell appeared on Fox News to make a similar assertion, saying that "it's just strange to me how so many are overreacting" and falsely comparing the virus to the H1N1 outbreak in 2009, which was a flu. "There was not the same level of hype. You just didn't see it on the news 24/7 and it makes you wonder if there's a political reason for that." ROME - Italy on Wednesday marked the first national Dante Day, celebrating the 700th anniversary of the Divine Comedy poet's death a year early than when it falls in 2021. Florence's Uffizi Gallery set up virtual tours of Dante protagonists and a show on the 'Sommo Poeta' (Supreme Poet), while actors including Stefano Accorsi, Gabriele Lavia and Glauco Mauri are set to read some of the Comedy's cantos on Florence TV tonight. RAI State broadcaster has put on its streaming service the popular Dante readings by Vittorio Sirmonti and Roberto Benigni, while a 1965 film, The Life of Dante starring Giorgio Albertazzi, is also on stream. Students are taking part in video lectures with their professors across Italy. Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said "Dante is the Italian language, the peak of our culture". The theatre world in Ravenna, where Italy's greatest poet died in 1321, has responded to appeals for a Dante festival while the surrounding Emilia Romagna region has organized a slate of events to celebrate the poet. Dante's Divine Comedy is widely considered the most important poem of the Middle Ages and the greatest literary work in the Italian language. This is an opinion column. Gov. Kay Ivey and legislative leaders have said they want Alabama back at work soon, but first, let me show you where it is they work. That building you see in the pictures of Goat Hill is the Alabama Capitol but its not where the Alabama Legislature meets. That thing on top of the hill in Montgomery is a museum piece. Except for one night a year, to hear the governors State of the State address, lawmakers work across Union Street in a plain white government building that was never meant to be the Alabama State House. And you can tell if youve ever walked through its doors. Built in 1963, the State House was designed to house the Alabama Department of Transportation, but in 1985, the Legislature bogarted the building while the capitol across the street was being renovated. Like bad house guests, lawmakers moved in but they never left. Before you get past the metal detectors, the place feels cramped. Theres no lobby. No atrium. Just low-slung ceilings and three elevators shuttling people between floors. During legislative sessions, theres a line for each one. And the further up those elevators take you, the deeper it feels like youre underground. This is where lawmakers and lobbyists rub elbows, and if you step onto the fifth or seventh floors, youll rub elbows with them, too. You cant help it. Its just that small, that busy, and that crowded. But not right now. Most years, the Legislature takes a week off for spring break, but this year for reasons no one has yet explained lawmakers decided to take two weeks off. They were scheduled to return next week, but now it seems the Legislature might not return until Well, no one seems to know for sure when or how long the Legislature will reconvene. Some have said May. Some have said fall, when the law says Alabama has to have budgets and such. The reasoning is obvious and sound. Theres no way to social distance in the Alabama State House. Lobbyists who would share bathroom stalls with these lawmakers three weeks ago dont want to walk past the State House steps. In the middle of the coronavirus outbreak, if you pack a bunch of over-the-hill frumpy old folks into that submarine-like building, somebodys going to die. Maybe a lot of somebodies. Alabama lawmakers are sheltering in place. And yet, many of Alabamas top elected leaders want you back at work. Gov. Ivey said in a conference call Tuesday that she wants to keep Alabama open for business. An order to shelter in place as other states have? Not happening. Folks, at this point, we have no current plans to do so," Ivey said. "We have seen other states in the country doing that as well as other countries. But however, yall, we are not California, were not New York, we arent even Louisiana. Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, to his credit, is taking the situation seriously, and last week he taped a public service announcement encouraging all Alabamians to take the situation seriously, as well. But other legislative leaders are ambivalent or even defiant. State Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh has shared his concerns with the governor of what a shelter-in-place shutdown might do to the states economy. Money? Lives? Its six in one hand or one half-dozen-thousand dead of the other. Its not yet clear whether the state will keep schools closed for the rest of the year, either, which epidemiologists have said is among the most important protective measures against spreading the virus. Since this crisis befell our country, Gov. Ivey has been largely absent from the picture, but for a few press conferences. Thats understandable. Last year she was diagnosed with cancer and had spots cut from her lungs at UAB. She checks all the boxes for who is at risk in this pandemic, and she should stay safe. She should stay home. She should shelter in place. But heres the thing. Throughout Alabama, there are many, many people just as vulnerable to the disease who are facing the dilemma of staying home and getting fired or going to work and risking their lives. There are workplaces even more crowded than the halls of the Alabama State House. If its safe enough for the rest of us, why isnt it safe enough for them? President Trump has said he wants America reopened for business in two weeks, and woe unto the Alabama elected official who contradicts him. OK, fine. But if the risk is good enough for us, lawmakers can take it, too. So can Ivey. Throw open the State House doors. Call lawmakers back to Montgomery. If we can go to work, they can go to work. Make them stay there. Lets see who among them will walk through them. Lets see who will ride those elevators, who will shake hands with lobbyists, who will pose for pictures with school kids on class trips through those dismal halls. Lets see if Alabamas elected officials are brave enough to go back to work before they push us back to ours. Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group. You can follow his work on his Facebook page, The War on Dumb. And on Twitter. And on Instagram. More columns by Kyle Whitmire The global biologics market has been displaying an aggressive competition divided among a handful of household organizations and a decent count of worlds best pharmaceutical companies. You could see such players competing among themselves to win an offer in this highly productive market. Transparency Market Research (TMR) has foreseen top players to upgrade their product portfolios with the help of bargains and co-improvement exercises as they get involved in strategic mergers and acquisitions. Players have also been observed to grow their assembling units and services across the globe. Biologics has witnessed billions of dollars put in by pharmaceutical behemoths such as AstraZenca, Novartis, and Eli Lilly and Co. If the expected CAGR of 10.9% holds true for the global biologics market between 2016 and 2024, the revenue valuation could ascend to a US$479.7 bn by the end of the forecast tenure, as per a TMR report. In 2017, the market had paraded a valuation of US$231.2 bn. By product, the segment of monoclonal antibodies has been envisaged to rank higher while growing at an 11.9% CAGR. By 2024, North America could bag a share of more than 40.0% of the market. Request Sample Of Report https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/global-biologics-market.html Biologics Specificity Attracts Investment from Large Pharmaceutical Giants Analysts authoring the report have foretold the world biologics market to find greener pastures created with constant efforts and collective investments directed toward the development of biologics with specific applications. An over US$1.5 bn have been invested by top 10 pharmaceutical giants in the past five years, which has translated into capacity expansion and focused research and development. Drug companies have been earning strong profits through premium prices increasing their profit margins somewhere between 20.0% and 40.0%. Factors such as product approvals and the ability of biologics to successfully treat significantly complex diseases, which was close to impossible earlier, have been key for market growth. Pharmaceutical firms patenting biologics products have been anticipated to make healthy gains in the coming years. With the robust growth in the biopharmaceutical industry, an over 13% of biomolecules that enter phase I of clinical trials have been expected to be likely approved as a drug. Increasing annual product approvals and strong biologics pipeline has been an indication of a robust development of the world biologics market. Request For Custom Research https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=15509 Expensive Initial Capital Investment and Stringent Approval Process Deter Growth Compared to conventional drugs, biologics have had a higher success rate in terms of approval. However, high capital investment required for research and development could hamper the demand in the international biologics market. Only biopharmaceutical firms have been observed to enter the market due to costly initial setup. A success product launch primarily requires an over US$1.0 bn investment and takes approximately 9 years. Moreover, the regulatory approval of biologics is quite detailed since the molecules are complex. On the other hand, the approval process of substitutes such as biosimilars has been made easily accessible by regulatory agencies. Furthermore, biosimilars offer cost savings while being priced at a 30.0% to 40.0% lesser cost than the original products. Taking advantage of patented timeframes, biologics manufacturers usually sell their products at high prices, which most of the patient population may not be able to afford. During such a time, manufacturers could face some competition due to the lower cost of generics. Buy Biologics Market Research https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=15509 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. 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The rescue puppies were fed at the same time, examined by the same veterinarians and often transported on the same day as the commercial ones sold to suburban pet shops, state records show. The vast majority came to the Chicago area at 8 weeks old the earliest a puppy can be separated from its mother under Illinois law. Consider Light and Sound To make sure you can be easily heard, Mr. Mendelson advised using a room with carpeting and window treatments to absorb sound. (He was speaking by phone from his childrens bedroom, which he described as having an area rug, two upholstered headboards, Roman shades and stuffed monkeys.) His home office is all wood and glass and a beautiful place to work, he said, but too echo-y for conversations. And to look your best, Ms. Rottet warned never to sit directly under a light source; it will throw under-eye and next-to-nose shadows. A lamp or window positioned two feet directly opposite to you that lights you evenly will be most flattering and will not cast glare on your screen. (People adept at videoconferences also swear by ring lights: circular fluorescent or LED lamps that reduce facial shadows and the appearance of imperfections.) To avoid glare and unwanted reflection, Ms. Rottet said you should not let a light source, either from a light or window, be seen directly in the camera. Have the light source in front of you or beside you, but not in camera view, she said. Or Give Them Something to Look At But how much fun is neutrality? Some homebound workers are finding in videoconferencing setups a chance to project an upbeat attitude or convey a hopeful message. Ms. Minervini, for example, prefers her own surroundings to be vibrant. I love having video chats from my kitchen its new, modern and bright, even on a cloudy day, she said. For a background, she recently hung a mixed-media work by an artist friend, showing swirling waves, battleships, a rustic house and what looks like the profile of George Washington. She described the piece as energetic. Mr. Hart said he chose to sit in front of a Whats Up? South! map while teaching remotely because it is attractive and makes a humanistic point: North and South are relative to each other, he said. Depending on your perspective the world may appear upside down, and yet there is no absolute up or down. He also wears school swag. The message to his dispersed students, he said, is that we are all still at Amherst regardless of where we are currently. Both the BBC & CNN have reported on global shortages, with many hand sanitizer brands out of stock. According to Radiant Insights, Inc. the hand sanitizer market is expected to reach $5.5 billion by 2024 owing to rising consumer awareness towards hand hygiene and well-being. As a protective measure against the coronavirus, the World Health Organization advises to, among other things, "wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use hand cleaner if your hands are not visibly dirty." "Our hand sanitizer is scent free so many hospitals or organizations and customers don't have to worry about perfumes or scented oils. The active ingredients kill 99.99% of the germs." says Apothecary Naturals CEO Brad Kersch. "In response to surging interest in natural wellness products worldwide, this product is yet another of our innovations designed to promote health and wellness with a focus on natural ingredients. " The proprietary blend contains: Benzalkonium Chloride is an antimicrobial agent. It works by killing microorganisms and inhibiting their future growth, and for this reason is often used as an ingredient in antibacterial hand wipes and antiseptic creams. It is also an alternative to alcohol. Aloe has potent antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties that help inhibit the growth of certain bacteria that can cause infections in humans. Tea Tree oil - makes an ideal natural hand sanitizer. Studies have shown that it kills several common bacteria and viruses responsible for causing illness, including E. coli, and pneumonia. An Australian company with a similar base ingredient has been fast-tracked tested to be 99.99% effective against the COVID-19 virus in Australia. Geyser makes no claims of this but uses the same base ingredients in its products. "Antiseptic Hand Cleanser is your best friend," says Kuldip Gill, Head of R&D. "People are looking for the most effective, convenient solution to stay clean and be healthy. Plant-powered products are not just good for human health, they are also good for the health of our planet." The product will come in four sizes 10ml personal use, 60ml personal use, 150ml foam family pump version, and a 250ml refill. he products will be available direct to consumer through the website www.apothecarynaturals.ca and at leading retailers across Canada. About Geyser Brands Geyser Brands Inc. develops consumer product brands in the health and wellness sector that use hemp and CBD as a value-added ingredient. These involve next-generation formulas that focus on the mix of cannabinoids for specific conditions such as insomnia, anxiety and pain. Proprietary delivery technologies include all natural nano-technology, slow-release mechanisms and non-molecule degrading baking processes. In anticipation of coming edibles legislation, and with its Health Canada approved Licensed Production Facility, Geyser Brands has 15,000 square feet in two GMP facilities in Vancouver, BC. For more information, visit Geyser Brands' website at www.geyserbrands.com . On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Andreas Thatcher" ____________________________________ Andreas Thatcher Director and CEO [email protected] Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forwardlooking statements and forwardlooking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forwardlooking statements or information. Forwardlooking statements and information are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "appear", "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "approximate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe", "would" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forwardlooking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with the marijuana industry in general such as operational risks in growing; competition; incorrect assessment of the value and potential benefits of various transactions; ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; failure to obtain required regulatory and other approvals and changes in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws and government regulations. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forwardlooking statements, timelines and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Additional information relating to Geyser is available at www.sedar.com. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. SOURCE Geyser Brands Inc. Related Links http://www.geyserbrands.com/ Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Bulk supplies of vital medical items were shipped from Sydney to China at the request of a Beijing-backed property giant as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Australia. Greenland Group, which manages property developments across the globe with the support of the Chinese government, told employees at its Sydney office to stop their normal work in January. Instead, they were tasked with sourcing face masks, hand sanitisers, thermometers and other medical items, storing them at their office and shipping them to China. A whistleblower told The Sydney Morning Herald the exercise was a worldwide effort and continued until the end of February. Bulk supplies of vital medical items were shipped from Sydney to China at the request of a Beijing-backed property giant 'Basically all employees, the majority of whom are Chinese, were asked to source whatever medical supplies they could,' the insider said. 'There were numerous requests from the HR manager and even our direct reporting line [which] prioritised the assisting of the company in gathering these supplies over other work activities.' Greenland Group told Chinese language media in Australia the company collected three million protective masks, 700,000 hazmat suits and 500,000 pairs of medical gloves during the global effort. It is unclear how many of those were sourced in Australia. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement Greenland Group confirmed the shipments from Sydney to China in a statement to Daily Mail Australia, saying it 'felt compelled' to assist 'in efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus, which had caused a shortage of critical medical supplies in China'. The supplies were 'dispatched to China, which at that time was the epicentre of the outbreak', the statement read. 'As such, Greenland Group initiated a drive for medical supplies, and provided accommodation services for front-line medical staff in China via the companys hotel group. 'Greenland Australia supported Greenland Groups initiative by arranging for medical supplies to be dispatched to China. Again, it should be noted that this proactive response occurred in late January and early February, at a time when the worldwide spread of the virus, and all response efforts, were focused on China.' Photos show pallet-loads of medical items stored in company-stamped boxes at Greenland's Sydney offices and at various airports. Sherwood Lou, Greenland Australia's managing director, shared photos of the supplies on February 13. He wrote at the time: 'The second batch of non-contact forehead thermometers will soon take off to China! Coronavirus situation is serious, Chinese people, local and overseas, are trying their best, fighting together to combat the virus.' Greenland Group told Chinese language media in Australia the company collected three million protective masks, 700,000 hazmat suits and 500,000 pairs of medical gloves during the global effort The company has sold a billion dollars worth of property in Sydney and Melbourne since its 2013 arrival to Australia. Meanwhile, the Federal Government is scrambling to produce enough medical supplies as confirmed local coronavirus cases surge to more than 2,400 - and doubling about every three days. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said a 'war production unit' had been convened at the weekend to prepare Australia. GREENLAND AUSTRALIA STATEMENT IN FULL Greenland Australia can confirm that in late January and early February 2020, the company organised shipments of medical supplies to Greenland Groups global head office in Shanghai, to help contain the rapidly-developing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in China. At this time, China was the epicentre of the outbreak, and Greenland Australias efforts corresponded with those of many other companies and individuals around the world organising similar donations. Greenland Australias parent company, Greenland Group, felt compelled, as a major international company, to assist in efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus, which had caused a shortage of crucial medical supplies in China. As such, Greenland Group initiated a drive for medical supplies, and provided accommodation services for front-line medical staff in China via the companys hotel group. Greenland Australia supported Greenland Groups initiative by arranging for medical supplies to be dispatched to China. Again, it should be noted that this proactive response occurred in late January and early February, at a time when the worldwide spread of the virus, and all response efforts, were focussed on China. However, Greenland Australia also recognises that Australian people are currently at risk, and with the more recent and ongoing domestic spread of COVID-19, the company is focussed on helping people in this country, just as Australias many friends around the world are doing. Greenland Australia continues to take this pandemic very seriously, and in conjunction with Greenland Group, we will continue to do everything we can to assist. Advertisement The Federal Government is scrambling to produce enough medical supplies as confirmed local coronavirus cases surge to more than 2,400. Pictured: Two young women in face masks walk along Circular Quay in Sydney on Wednesday 'We have four companies that have indicated that they are willing to make ventilators and will be seeking approvals which have been given at light speed,' he told Nine News on Monday. 'At the same time, we are working on imports and procurements, large volumes of masks have arrived over the course of the weekend, additional volumes of testing kits.' Australia has only one face mask factory in operation, The Med-Con in Shepparton, a regional area of northern Victoria. It is facing an unprecedented demand to make face masks and hospital gowns during the crisis. FireEye, a US cybersecurity firm, says that it has seen a concerning spike in activity from what appears to be a Chinese hacking group called APT41. The attacks are being deployed against companies in the US, Canada, the UK and several other counties, which is atypical of Chinese hackers' typical strategy of focusing on a few particular targets. According to FireEye's report, the group is exploiting software flaws in applications and hardware developed by Cisco, Citrix and others to gain access to target companies' networks and download files via FTP, among other strategies. According to the firm, the attacks began on January 20th, dipped during the Chinese New Year celebrations and COVID-19 quarantine measures and are now back at full scale, affecting 75 of FireEye's customers. Cisco and Citrix both told Reuters that they have patched the vulnerabilities that were being exploited by APT41. Citrix is also coordinating with FireEye to find "potential compromises." Reuters reached out to Dell Technologies' cybersecurity arm, Secureworks, which stated that the company has also seen increased activity from Chinese hackers "over the last few weeks." Chinese government contractors carrying out cyber attacks is nothing new, but the scope of these current initiatives is concerning. Companies in about 20 countries are being targeted, and APT41 is carrying out subsequent attacks frequently: "This activity is one of the most widespread campaigns we have seen from China-nexus espionage actors in recent years," says FireEye. "This new activity from this group shows how resourceful and how quickly they can leverage newly disclosed vulnerabilities to their advantage." Whether the attackers are purposely taking advantage of a reduced cybersecurity workforce during the coronavirus pandemic or the timing is just a coincidence remains to be determined. Continue Reading Below Advertisement Binging has been linked to restless sleep, bad eating habits, cardiovascular problems, blood clots, mood disorders, loneliness ... it's all the usual problems of a sedentary lifestyle, plus late night blue light exposure that shreds your circadian rhythm. The same problems are caused by long stretches of gaming, extended erotic Cats fanfic writing, or any other stationary activity, but Netflix pushes it perhaps more than anyone. That's why they autoplay new episodes, that's why they autoplay trailers, that's why they dragged their feet on providing the option to disable both. That's why they experimented with a random button to get you started on something -- anything -- and that's why they tried letting kids earn "patches" for watching episodes until angry parents shut that down. Shows are even written with the assumption that you finished the last episode seven seconds ago, not seven days ago. Continue Reading Below Advertisement It's nice to get a quiet moment once in a while, but ideally without training our kids for a lifetime of compulsion. Until health concerns started rolling in, Netflix called binging a "universal value." Investors were told it was the crux of their business model and a key part of their long-term strategy, among other accolades. At least Hulu and Disney+ are using ads and features that explicitly court viewers happy to risk muscle atrophy, rather than saying "Remember not to do what our business encourages and needs you to do!" Don't get us wrong, we're as guilty of binging as anyone, but denying its side-effects is like KFC claiming that the customers who eat their food five times a week are all just bulking up for a bodybuilding competition. The city of Worcester now has 27 cases of COVID-19, City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said Wednesday. Those confirmed cases are an increase of eight over Tuesdays total. There are also three cases in Shrewsbury, four in Grafton and two in Holden, Augustus said. There are no new cases among first responders, said Augustus, who noted that about 200 first responders had been tested so far. Augustus said officials continue to expect the numbers to grow as testing continues to ramp up. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Wednesday afternoon said 15 people have died of COVID-19 related illness in the state and that 1,838 have tested positive. DPH said Wednesday that two deaths reported today were of a man in his 70s from Worcester County with unknown pre-existing conditions and a woman in her 70s from Worcester County with pre-existing conditions. Asked if any Worcester residents have died from illness related to COVID-19, Dr. Michael Hirsh, the citys director of public health, said that the city receives information about deaths related to COVID-19 through the state Department of Public Health. Hirsh said there have been deaths in the citys medical centers, but that those deaths were still under investigation and could not formally be declared as related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Worcester County has a total of 129 cases, per DPH data. Statewide, 19,794 people have been tested for the virus. Theres room for 14 more people at the citys new satellite shelters for the homeless population, Augustus said. Related Content: MOSCOW, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, said that Moscow urges Washington to immediately lift its inhumane sanctions against Tehran, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. The Russian side reaffirmed its intention to continue the comprehensive development of Russian-Iranian trade and economic ties and investment projects, including helping to increase the supply of agricultural products, which Iran urgently needs due to U.S. sanctions, it said in a statement. "Sergei Lavrov emphasized that the Russian Federation strongly urges Washington to immediately lift its inhumane sanctions that prevent the respective governments from fully combating COVID-19," it said. The ministers also discussed pressing issues on the international agenda, including the Syrian settlement and the situation in Afghanistan. An emergency aid package for Canadians facing economic harm from the coronavirus outbreak was stalled on Tuesday as a related move by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to gain new spending powers raised opposition concerns. Legislators were meeting in Ottawa to approve a C$27 billion ($18.6 billion) cash injection. To maintain social distancing in the face of the highly contagious respiratory illness, only about three dozen of the 338 members of the House of Commons convened to debate the legislation just hours before Ontario, the most populous of Canada's 10 provinces, shuts all non-essential businesses. The number of people in Canada diagnosed with the novel coronavirus jumped to about 2,800 from just over 2,000 on Sunday, and the death toll hit 28, four more than the day before. Discussion on the aid package was quickly suspended after the official opposition Conservative Party threatened to block the legislation, saying the Liberal government wanted to give itself the power to spend without parliamentary approval until the end of 2021. "The government should not attempt to eliminate parliamentary oversight during a crisis," Conservative leader Andrew Scheer said. Trudeau's minority government requires opposition support to pass legislation. Scheer later told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp that the emergency cash injection could quickly pass if the Trudeau government separated that vote from a debate about new powers. "If they insist on dealing with both at the same time, they are making a choice to have a longer process," Scheer said.The crisis "requires extreme flexibility and rapidity of response by governments," Trudeau told reporters outside his home, where he has been in quarantine since his wife tested positive for the disease almost two weeks ago. "We've been in close discussion with the opposition parties to find a way to both get that flexibility to be able to get measures out the door, and keep in place our democratic institutions and the values that are important to us all," Trudeau said. He gave no further details. The package of measures will only become law once the Senate, or unelected upper chamber, has approved it. As lawmakers wrangled behind closed doors, more Canadians lost their jobs. Air Canada said it would furlough up to 600 pilots, while privately held WestJet Airlines said 6,900 employees would leave the company. Trudeau, upset by pictures of people flocking to beaches and parks despite repeated requests that they stay home, repeated that Ottawa could impose restrictions on movement if necessary. Parks Canada said it was banning all motor vehicles from national parks to "significantly reduce visitation." Trudeau last week pledged C$27 billion in direct support to families and businesses and said he was ready to do more. The government will provide C$55 billion ($38 billion) in additional aid through tax deferrals. Also Read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Positive cases rise to 562; 54-yr-old patient dies in Tamil Nadu Also Read: Coronavirus in India: 21-day lockdown begins; key highlights of PM Modi's speech This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. Floyd Cardoz, an international restaurateur and the first chef to bring the sweep and balance of his native Indian cooking to fine dining in the United States, died on Tuesday at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, N.J. He was 59. The cause was the coronavirus, his family said. Mr. Cardoz was the first chef born and raised in India to lead an influential New York City kitchen, at Tabla, which he and the restaurateur Danny Meyer opened in the Flatiron district of Manhattan in 1998. Soon after, Ruth Reichl of The New York Times gave Mr. Cardozs cooking a rapturous review. Yes, I thought. This is what I have been waiting for, she wrote. This is American food, viewed through a kaleidoscope of Indian spices. LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Britain has provided Chinese students studying here with health packs containing an anti-epidemic guide and medical kits, as the number of COVID-19 cases has topped 8,000 as of Tuesday in the country. During an online speech on Monday, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming told representatives of the students from regions across Britain that the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government have always been concerned about their safety and health. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson via phone that the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the health and safety of Chinese citizens overseas, hoping that Britain will take concrete and effective measures in safeguarding the health, safety and legitimate rights of Chinese nationals on its soil, particularly those studying here. Saying that Britain is now at a key point in containing the spread of the novel coronavirus, Liu called on Chinese students in the country to combat the disease in a rational and scientific manner, reduce long-distance travel, avoid cross-infection and properly arrange studies and future plans from a long-term perspective. China attaches great importance to its cooperation with Britain in the fight against the virus, said Liu. Since the outbreak, the Chinese embassy and consulates in Britain have maintained close communication with the British police and relative departments such as the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Home Office and Department for Education. The Chinese diplomatic organs have issued a series of consular reminders, opened an emergency helpline and held talks with the British side on reported discrimination against Chinese citizens, among others, said Liu. "We have also established contacts with more than 150 universities with Chinese students in Britain to respond to your needs as soon as possible. We tie the safety and life situation of each student to our hearts and leave no one behind," said Liu. The student representatives, for their part, told Liu that since the outbreak earlier this year, many Chinese students have actively donated money and medical supplies to their motherland. The Chinese Students and Scholars Association in Britain will continue to take active measures to unite students studying here and help each other in combating the outbreak, they said. The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. Prince Charles has tested positive for Coronavirus. Credit:Getty "He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. "The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. "The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. "It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks." (Photo : REUTERS/Erik De Castro) Residents walk along a street as a police vehicle patrols the streets of Tondo, Manila, Philippines July 2, 2018. Picture taken July 2, 2018. (Photo : REUTERS/Jorge Silva) A guard holds keys in the long-term sentence zone inside Klong Prem high-security prison in Bangkok, Thailand July 12, 2016. Hell hath no fury, just like the cybersecurity network in the course of a pandemic. Federal officers warned that hackers smelled blood as thousands and thousands of people frantically pivoted to far off work last week, which caused new strains on computer networks. But the fallout from coronavirus-related breaches may remain to be clear for weeks, months, or even longer, professionals claim. The foreseen put off highlights how confusion from the pandemic has created long security dangers that could eat up treasured sources as the economy hurtles closer to a recession. As nonessential businesses have temporarily suspended their operations, the setup could prove to be easy targets for cyber crooks. However, overstretched IT teams won't be able to hold up with updating their networks, experts say. ALSO READ: Working From Home Due to Pandemic? Experts Say Your Prersonal Privacy is At HUGE Risk! Cybercriminal chaos: A timeline Cybercriminals are capitalizing at the chaos as COVID-19 continues to spread around the planet. While malicious hackers are pumping out scams that prey on fear, those assaults have infuriated cybersecurity professionals. Mikko Hypponen, chief studies officer at Finnish cybersecurity company F-Secure, told British news site Verdict that hospital and medical enterprises are already strained, and their work must now not be jeopardized by hackers. "We have an obvious message to ransomware gangs: do now not target hospitals; [or else] you face the overall wrath of the cybersecurity network," Hypponen said. Hypponen has good reason to be angry. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District had a malware attack on Mar. 11 as Illinois prepares for its coronavirus response. Malicious hackers, two days after, launched a cyberattack towards Brno University Hospital in the city of Brno, Czech Republic. The strike forced the hospital to close down its entire IT community. What the hackers did was severe enough to postpone pressing surgical interventions as the range of coronavirus cases elevated in the European country. Then, on Mar. 15, hazard players released a cyberattack towards the United States Health and Human Services Department (HHS). The assault seemed to be a low level, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) assault that flooded HHS' servers with tens of millions of hits for some hours. The World Health Organization told Reuters that hackers targeted it with a malicious look-alike website. The attack also caused panic among those who fell on the hacker's trap. Jake Moore, a cybersecurity specialist at Slovak internet security firm ESET, told Verdict that crooks show no ethical boundaries. He added the criminals will continue to attack wherever there could be a vulnerability. ALSO READ: Hackers Can Now Impersonate Mobile Device Users With LTE's Vulnerability; Should You Be Worried? The grassroots fightback "Enough is enough" for Lisa Forte, an associate at Red Goat Cyber Security. Forte, alongside PwnDefend's Daniel Card and Radosaw Gnat, data security expert at pharmaceutical corporation GSK, set up the Cyber Volunteers 19 organization to provide cybersecurity assistance to healthcare corporations. Forte said they have decided to help healthcare providers defend against attacks so hospitals can focus on making people well again. And for the cybercriminals taking advantage of the essential health disaster in more than a century, the message is clear. "We'll do what it takes to defend our hospitals," says F-Secure's Hypponen. He added the group will hunt attackers down "no matter how long it takes." 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Around 1.60 lakh families in Srinagar city would get ration delivered to their homes from Saturday as part of measures by the administration to contain the spread of coronavirus in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir amidst the lockdown announced by the government. "Home-delivery of PDS (public distribution system) ration to 1.60 lakh families in #Srinagar will start from 28th March under strict safety-protocol. Depts (departments) of Food, Agri (agriculture), police along with magistrates, SRTC (State Road Transport Corporation), SMC (Srinagar Municipal Corporation) and volunteers included. Pl #StayAtHome and #BreakTheChain. Spread the word," District Development Commissioner, Srinagar, Shahid Choudhary, wrote on Twitter. In another tweet, Choudhary said the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Srinagar and Srinagar Smart City has launched a social protection plan to help women, children, poor/destitute, specially-abled and the elderly in need of food or medicines or emergency services. "DDMA & Srinagar Smart City launched social protection plan from today - women, children, poor/destitute, specially-abled, aged, & others in need - food packets, medicines, emergent help/services," he posted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brown currently is a member of the board of directors at the Daniels Fund and led the Daniels Fund as its president and CEO from 2002 to 2005. He is recognized as a distinguished leader who served Colorado in both the U.S. Senate and for five consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Brown also previously served as the presidents of both the University of Colorado and the University of Northern Colorado. "It isn't often that an organization has an individual on its board as experienced and as respected as Hank Brown, who is also so well-prepared to serve in an executive capacity," said R. James "Jim" Nicholson, chairman of the board of directors of the Daniels Fund. "Hank will provide the stability and continuity necessary for the organization to seamlessly continue its work with grantees and scholars to implement the vision Bill Daniels created." Childears announced earlier this month that she would retire in late April after 15 years leading the organization. Following her retirement, she will be recognized as the Daniels Fund's President Emeritus. The Daniels Fund was established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels. It is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grants program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative. Since its founding in 2000, the Daniels Fund has granted nearly $900 million to deserving scholars and organizations, while simultaneously growing the foundation's endowment from $1 billion to nearly $1.5 billion. About the Daniels Fund The Daniels Fund, established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grants program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative. Visit DanielsFund.org to learn more. Contact: Jeremy Story, GroundFloor Media 720-984-2730 [email protected] SOURCE Daniels Fund Related Links https://www.danielsfund.org JUNEAU, Alaska - Allegations made against Gov. Mike Dunleavy by those seeking to recall him from office are insufficient or fail to show his actions caused any harm, an attorney for the state Division of Elections argued before the Alaska Supreme Court Wednesday. The state contends Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth too loosely interpreted recall standards in ruling the recall effort could advance and has asked the Supreme Court to reverse his decision. The Recall Dunleavy campaign says the recall laws should be read in favour of letting Alaskans vote on the matter. The Supreme Court did not immediately rule. Assistant Attorney General Margaret Paton-Walsh, representing the elections office, urged the court Wednesday to interpret the laws consistent with the goal of a for-cause recall system. That goal, she said, is surely to permit the removal from office only of individuals who really should not be in positions of power, not just anyone who is less than ideal ... . The grounds for recall in Alaska are lack of fitness, incompetence, neglect of duties or corruption. The Recall Dunleavy campaign said the governor violated the law by not appointing a judge within a required time frame, misused state funds for partisan online ads and mailers and improperly used his veto authority to attack the judiciary. The group also says Dunleavy mistakenly vetoed more funds than he told lawmakers he intended to cut and that the action could have cost the state Medicaid funds if not corrected. In court documents, state attorneys said the recall campaigns statement of grounds are inadequate and can only be sufficient if the court construes the terms so liberally as to erase their meaning and render Alaskas recall system as pure politics based on policy differences. Attorneys for the recall campaign, in court documents, say the state is seeking to impose stricter new requirements that have no support in any prior case or the legislative history of the recall statute. Anger over budget cuts Dunleavy proposed last year helped fuel the recall push. But Jahna Lindemuth, an attorney for the recall campaign and a former state attorney general, said the case isnt about mere policy disagreements. Paton-Walsh, in speaking about the judicial appointment, said theres no allegation that Dunleavy didnt appoint a judge or that there was any impact. So what we have is, the governor refused to meet a statutory deadline. Why is that a reason to remove him from office? she said. Perhaps because the governor is charged with applying the laws faithfully, Justice Craig Stowers said. Dunleavy eventually made the appointment, after a meeting last year with Chief Justice Joel Bolger. Dunleavy at the time said the meeting provided important clarification on the nominations process that he was seeking when he delayed the appointment. Bolger recused himself from the recall case. Justices peppered Paton-Walsh and Lindemuth with questions Wednesday. Both appeared by telephone, as did several justices, amid concerns with the coronavirus. Stowers asked Lindemuth about the Medicaid issue, and Lindemuth conceded the Legislature fixed it. But the fact that the Legislature corrected the mistake later down the line doesnt mean that the governor is off scot-free and that this cant be grounds for recall, she said, calling Dunleavys actions a serious mistake. The Division of Elections in November rejected the recall application. Aarseth later ruled the recall effort could proceed. The Supreme Court allowed recall backers to begin a new signature-gathering phase while the appeal was being considered. Chennai, March 25 : The Greater Chennai Corporation on Wednesday allowed all e-commerce companies to deliver food items, groceries and others by following contactless deliveries. The Chennai Corporation also announced acceptance of grocery, masks, sanitisers, handwash liquids and disinfectants as donations from non-governmental organisations and also cash donations from people and organisations. According to Chennai Corporation, e-commerce company officials engaged in production to delivery operations have to wear personal protective equipment like masks, gloves, caps right from production to delivery. The companies have to follow non-contact delivery at all delivery locations. The Chennai Corporation has warned companies of inspections and if they are found to violate the norms then they will be barred and action will be taken against them. The Corporation has also banned distribution of cooked food by any voluntary agency. Dyson said it had been working 'round the clock' to develop the new ventilator. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) Vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dyson has announced it is developing a ventilator for the NHS to help treat coronavirus patients. The move comes as a response to the governments call for help in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The company said it has been working round the clock with medical technology and development company The Technology Partnership to develop the new ventilator. The development work will include using components from vacuum cleaners and testing prototypes on pigs lungs, according to ITV News. However,some industry critics have suggested that Dyson's process of designing a new model will take too long. The usual timeline for designing and producing a new ventilator is two to three years and there is concern that the NHS could run short of equipment within weeks. Read more: UK manufacturers to use 3D-printing to build ventilators for NHS A Dyson spokesperson said: Dyson has responded to the Governments request for support with its Covid-19 response by focusing resources into the design and manufacture of a ventilator for the NHS. This is a highly complex project being undertaken in an extremely challenging timeframe. We have deployed expertise in air movement, motors, power systems, manufacturing and supply chain and are working with medical technology and development company TTP, The Technology Partnership, based in Cambridge. Together we have been working around the clock and through the past two weekends to develop a meaningful and timely response. We are conducting a full regulated medical device development, including testing in the laboratory and in humans, and we are scaling up for volume. Read more: Elon Musk donates over 1,200 ventilators to California hospitals Meanwhile, a group of more than a dozen companies is planning to build ventilators based on two existing designs. UK manufacturers such as Vauxhall and Airbus (AIR.PA) are planning to repurpose their factories and utilise 3D-printing technology to create parts for ventilators to treat coronavirus patients. Story continues Engineers, anaesthetists and surgeons from the University of Oxford and King's College London, known as the OxVent team, are also working on developing another new type of ventilator. Their model is less advanced than existing commercial models, but is quicker to construct, according to the BBC. Creating new designs which can complement existing models might help meet demand," Dr Federico Forment, from OxVent, told the BBC. Companies can't switch overnight you can't put a Formula One component into a ventilator, it will take time. The project is still waiting to hear back from the government. Read more: One of UK's richest men pledges to build hand sanitiser plant in 10 days Recreating established prototypes is likely to be a faster way to deal with the immediate demand, Dr Marion Hersh, senior lecturer in biomedical engineering at the University of Glasgow, told the BBC. They may not have to go through all the regulatory hoops, but regulation will still need to be done properly. However, there could be value in more than one option in the slightly longer term. Cole cautioned that many municipalities do not have the financial wherewithal to provide the kind of relief Elk Grove Village approved. However, he said he has heard numerous reports from around the state of cities and towns offering varying levels of help from waiving or delaying fees to offering free parking to make it easier for residents to pick up food from restaurants. One of the first three disengagement sites came under attack. Russia-led forces mounted eight attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, on March 24. "The enemy opened fire on our positions, using 82mm mortars, which are prohibited under the Minsk agreements, as well as BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles' armament, grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns, rifles," the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Headquarters said on Facebook in its morning update on March 25. Read alsoRussia-led forces mount seven attacks on Ukraine army in Donbas on March 23, two soldiers wounded Hot spots were areas near the towns of Krasnohorivka and Maryinka and the villages of Berezove and Pavlopil. What is more, proscribed 82mm mortars were used to shell Ukrainian positions near the villages of Novo-Oleksandrivka, Krymske, Novotoshkivske, and Travneve. "Units of the Joint Forces fired back to suppress the enemy's provocations," the JFO HQ said. One of the first three disengagement sites in Donbas came under attack enemy troops used rifles to shoot near Bohdanivka-Petrivske disengagement site No. 3. "Ukrainian soldiers did not fire back, adhering to the ceasefire," the JFO HQ said. From 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on Wednesday, March 25, enemy troops attacked JFO positions only once, using a grenade launcher and large-caliber machine guns near the town of Avdiyivka. No Ukrainian army casualties have been reported over the period under review. CHICAGO Illinois consumers have filed more than 700 price gouging complaints accusing stores of raising prices on household goods during the rush to stock up because of the new coronavirus. State investigators who are working from home because of the coronavirus are conducting phone interviews with consumers who file price gouging complaints with the Illinois attorney generals office, said Tori Joseph, a spokeswoman for that agency. We are handling these using our authority under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. We are contacting businesses directly some businesses say they have only increased prices in response to suppliers increasing prices. We ask for information on suppliers so that we can follow up with those entities. We have not taken any enforcement actions to date, Joseph said in an emailed statement. In Illinois, the price gouging law only applies to petroleum and fuel products. But Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an executive order March 16 that extends the states authority to police price hikes on household products and medical supplies. Attorney General Kwame Raouls office announced last week it will look into complaints regarding the price of essential medical supplies, including protective gear, and other products like toilet paper and food. State investigators also are monitoring products on websites like Amazon, eBay and Facebook, and the department is contacting companies regarding ads or offers that may be misleading. The city of Chicago received 175 price gouging complaints between March 1 and Monday. The state received 526 complaints during the same period.. Most of the complaints filed with the city involved toilet paper and hand sanitizer, but a few also cited price increases on food and beverage products, said Isaac Reichman, a spokesman for the citys Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Department. YOUR GUIDE TO CORONAVIRUS / -- Suburban Diagnostics has been appointed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Health Research as one of the private labs to test for COVID-19. Suburban Diagnostics is accredited by NABL and CAP and is ready to serve the community in this crisis. With utmost credibility and all requisite lab provisions in place, Suburban Diagnostics is ensuring reporting within 24 hours, by running two batches daily at 10 am and 2 pm. Moreover, their PCR facility is equipped with Class 2 Biosafety cabinets with BSC level 2 compliance, an unidirectional work flow with a 5-room concept with a dedicated area for sample handling and processing. The PCR setup at Suburban Diagnostics is well-equipped with two Roche real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and one Qiagen Rotor Gene platform manned by technically competent staff. They are facilitating home collection as well, as a visit to dedicated sample collection facilities across Mumbai and Pune. A dedicated team of expertly trained staff, with adequate personal protective equipment, for sample collection and transportation is in place. "At this time of need, we at Suburban Diagnostics are looking forward to this opportunity of being of service to society and accept this task with utmost responsibility. We are hopeful that with wider testing services, we will be able to contain this pandemic," says Dr. Sanjay Arora, Managing Director - Suburban Diagnostics India Pvt. Ltd. Laboratory testing for COVID-19 will only be offered when prescribed by a qualified physician as per the ICMR guidelines. Suburban Diagnostics has also formed an internal task force comprised of medical experts to assist with all queries; they can be reached via email or a direct number to each team member. The company looks forward to impacting medical outcomes by actively being a part of the fight against COVID-19 with precise testing, promoting healthier living. About us: Suburban Diagnostics has been serving millions of patients since the last 25 years. We are a leader in medical diagnostic services in Western India, having more than 160 centres and an 8000 sq. ft. central lab at Andheri, Mumbai. We continue to serve over 4000 patients a day with pathology and non-pathology services and perform over 15000 tests daily. By choosing Suburban Diagnostics as your diagnostic services partner, you can expect cutting-edge, state-of-the-art diagnostic facilities, home visit facilities as well as online reports at your disposal. Suburban Diagnostics offers a comprehensive menu of Preventive Health Check-ups including Pathology, Radiology and Cardiology tests with several other value-added services. To Know More : https://bit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday termed as "extremely reprehensible" the terrorist attack on a Sikh Gurdwara in Kabul in which 25 worshippers were killed, and said he is praying for the speedy recovery of those injured. At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when heavily armed suicide bombers blasted their way into a prominent gurdwara on Wednesday in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the strife-torn country. The Islamic State (IS) terror group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. "The terrorist attack on a Sikh Gurudwara in Kabul is extremely reprehensible. My heart goes out to the families of those who have lost their loved ones in this heinous act against humanity. I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," the minister said on Twitter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Companies have activated a comprehensive pandemic response plan with requisite risk mitigation protocols for keeping networks working as telecom is an essential service. Telecom companies are dealing with an unprecedented challenge, other than COVID-19 - of providing seamless internet services for a smoother work-from-home for India Inc. In a bid to do this at the available capacity, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have said they are doing everything to keep the situation under control. Companies have activated a comprehensive pandemic response plan with requisite risk mitigation protocols for keeping networks working as telecom is an essential service. It is learnt that Airtel has a full-fledged contingency plan in place to deal with any event. This includes quarantining any of the companys critical network operating centres and call centres, among others. The company has enabled each location to operate in a distributed as well as virtual way. Every team has also been broken into two in order to reduce the number of people on a site and make the workplace safer. The company has started the process of monitoring and managing networks from different locations in case any geography is not accessible for some time. It has also enabled work-from-home for its employees through secure connections. Airtels networks are in business continuity planning mode and are fully prepared to support any exigency. "Our mobile, fixed broadband, DTH and fibre networks are fully geared up to serve customers in the emerging scenario, said Randeep Sekhon, chief technology officer (CTO), Bharti Airtel. All operations are running smoothly with over 80 per cent employees working from home seamlessly, he said. A comprehensive pandemic response plan with requisite risk mitigation protocols has been activated while ensuring continuity of mission critical processes for keeping our networks working as telecom is an essential service, Sekhon added. We are strictly adhering to the governments instructions while operating the telecom network uninterruptedly as an essential service during this crisis, a Vodafone Idea spokesperson told Business Standard. Vodafone Idea has a litany of flexible work policies that enable flexible working hours, work from home and working from different locations across the organisation. This has allowed us to respond quickly to the current situation by enabling our workforce to adopt alternative forms of work. "Majority of our staff members across offices are working remotely from home, he said. The firm is also reviewing its business continuity plans across all operations. Our centralised network monitoring facilities, across multiple locations like Pune and Hyderabad, have been prepared for any kind of emergency evacuation due to the corona threat at any particular building, Vodafone Idea said. Adequate provision has been made to provide resources, enabling work from home for technical teams working across these facilities. This is to enable undisrupted services to our customers 24X7," it added. All of the companys enterprise services continue to be monitored through our own network operating centres and operations to ensure business continuity, Vodafone Idea said. The spokesperson added, We are continuously monitoring the traffic pattern and are confident of handling the growing demand of voice and data services during the lockdown. On Monday, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) asked the Centre to instruct over-the-top players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Zee 5 to take steps for easing the pressure on network infrastructure. This pressure is due to increased demand for online video streaming, amid lockdown and quarantine measures. COAI has also approached streaming platforms, cautioning them about surge in digital use, thus straining network infrastructure of telecom operators. It urged companies to take urgent steps like temporarily switching to SD (standard definition) from HD (high definition) streaming, removing high bandwidth- consuming advertisements and pop ups, and replacing them with public announcements on awareness regarding the virus. In a letter to the telecom department secretary, COAI has said, Due to lockdown and quarantine measures in parts of the country, a sudden surge in demand for online video streaming is also expected. COAI said that during this crucial time, it is absolutely essential for the streaming platforms to cooperate with telecom providers so as to manage the traffic distribution patterns that are likely to strain the network infrastructure at a time when it is needed for various critical requirements." Sources said that data consumption in the last few days has gone up by 15-20 per cent and consumption of HD data requires 6-7 times higher bandwidth. Therefore, companies have requested the government to intervene and mandatorily ask people to switch to standard definition, the way countries like the US have done in the current scenario. As data usage jumps, telcos ask govt for more spectrum Indias fixed broadband penetration is only 6 per cent. Thus, bulk of the pressure due to the work-from-home traffic (around 70 per cent of total traffic) is expected to be on the cellular network. Surajeet Das Gupta reports. Telecom operators have demanded additional spectrum urgently on a temporary basis from the government, with traffic surging 15-20 per cent from Sunday. They say such a move will help them cope up with the unprecedented increase in data usage as a result of work from home and self-quarantine across the country. A senior executive of a telco that saw a spike in data traffic, said: We saw a huge spurt of 15-20 per cent in dense areas on Sunday, when there was a call by the Prime Minister to stay home. Last week, the traffic stood at only 10 per cent, according to feedback given by telcos to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). In a letter to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the COAI has demanded additional spectrum for both access and backhaul microwave for a short term, and temporarily as they need to augment their capacity to meet the growing demand. COAI director general Rajan S Mathews, however, said they were still waiting for a response from the government. The COAI has also sought expedited permission from the DoT for tower enhancement from states (as they ramp up capacity), extension in minimum roll-out timelines by six months, and consent to go for digital acquisition of new customers instead of physical documentation (will reduce time to on-board customers) - given the sharp rise in new subscribers. According to BofA Global Research, Indias fixed broadband penetration is only 6 per cent. Thus, bulk of the pressure due to the work-from-home traffic (around 70 per cent of total traffic) is expected to be on the cellular network. India has only 19 million fixed broadband users compared to 630 million (3G and 4G) users. Analysts say operators like Airtel are not charging for installation or security for new customers of fixed broadband, while ACT has upgraded speed to 300 Mbps at no extra cost. BSNL, meanwhile, is offering free-of-charge broadband for a month to those who have a BSNL landline. The demand from COAI is valid, considering that the Federal Communications Commission in the US has granted AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and US Cellular temporary access to more spectrum to enable them to increase their wireless capacity for around 60 days. DoT, which is planning to go for a mega spectrum auction, has no shortage of airwaves in various bands from 700Mhz to 1800Mhz, besides the 5G spectrum that it could release in times of crises. Mobile networks have been working at 60-65 per cent capacity. However, the COVID-19 impact has sent their traffic up 20 per cent. While the COAI says it still has capacity, a long lockdown of cities and offices could lead to more pressure on the network, and might call for more temporary spectrum capacity. COAI has already received a positive response from over-the-top platforms, which consume about 30 per cent of their network capacity to use less bandwidth. Hotstar (300 million customers), Zee5, and Viacom 18-controlled Voot have already committed to use less capacity, and shift customers from high definition to standard definition services, if the need arises. Photograph: Darren Omitz/Reuters (Photo : Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash ) Coronavirus Best Medicine is Laughter! Reading Funny Memes Can Boost Your Immune System Says Expert (Photo : Freshh Connection on Unsplash ) Coronavirus Best Medicine is Laughter! Reading Funny Memes Can Boost Your Immune System Says Expert Coronavirus spread is a piece of everyday devastating news to all of us. It makes us sad to all frontliners risking their lives while gets us mournful to all lives that ended due to the virus. However, experts claimed that everyone should not be sad. In fact, being depressed during these times might even get you to be more prone to getting the virus since your immune system slowly weakens due to your stress hormones. Which is the best medicine to fight COVID-19? Laughter! Laughter is still the best medicine. According to a Reuters report, humor can soothe the nerves on a body, which may result in a stronger immune system that normally fights against all kinds of viruses. Psychologist Sean Truman of St. Paul, Minnesota, mentioned in the report that comedy, whether through social media, watching funny films, or simply reading lighter news, could be a source of happy hormones that are released by the body. This results in a "mental armor" on your body that may protect you from getting weak and be more prone to Coronavirus. "It's a really powerful way to manage the unmanageable. Just to make fun of it and to gain control by laughing at it. That's a really powerful psychological move we can make," Truman said. Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack also supported this claim by saying that "Humor is healing." Late-night TV hosts and personalities continue to give funny skits in the midst of Coronavirus Of course, laughter is not the only thing that a human body needs in order to protect yourself from COVID-19. Health experts still strictly advise everyone to practice proper hygiene, social distancing, and always to cover your mouth and nose whenever you cough or sneeze. Though these are the official tips to prevent the virus, laughing can be the least thing you can do at home. This is the reason why late-night television hosts like Jimmy Fallon, Steven Colb-Air, and others were still uploading funny stunts on their pages in order to soothe the mood of everyone stuck at home. Jimmy Kimmel also joins the team of work from home comedians and still pushes its "Quarantine Minilogues." Coronavirus update As of today, Mar. 24, the official numbers of positive Coronavirus victims around the world are over 400,000 people, while death tolls still increase with over 18,000 cases worldwide. The United States of America already currently reported over 50,000 cases since its first confirmed case while having more than 700 deaths, which continues to increase even as of today. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. PASO ROBLES, Calif., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As a thank you to America's hard-working truckers in these hard times, the San Paso Truck Stop , in cooperation with its partner Melton Technologies, Inc. , will be providing free breakfasts to all truckers who come to the truck stop at 81 Wellsona Rd, Paso Robles, starting today. The free breakfast bags will include a breakfast burrito, hot coffee, and a thank you card from Melton Technologies and the truck stop. "You have been helping us for years by visiting our San Paso Truck Stop and buying food, fuel and goodies from us," said truck stop owner Andy Pham in a letter to truckers. "It's helped a lot! Now our nation is in peril, and it is you the truckers who are the backbone for bringing our nation back on its feet again. Who in America knows the hard work you do? WE DO!" Located just north of Paso Robles on the Highway 101, the San Paso Truck Stop has been serving motorists in wine country since the 1950s. Its partner Melton Technologies, a developer of fleet dispatch technology, has been providing transport technology solutions since 1984. "Truckers, we thank you for all that you do!" Pham wrote. "Spread the word that you're appreciated here at San Paso Truck Stop and by our partners at Melton Technologies, and together we'll all get through this, one breakfast bag and one smiling face at a time. WE LOVE YOU!" About Melton Technologies, Inc. Already a pioneer of PC-based trucking software, MTI offers a next-gen suite of web and mobile apps called HorizonGo. As always, this suite covers every function needed for fast, reliable fleet management operations, from dispatch and billing to settlements, maintenance, and compliance. Now, with enhanced features and the ease and convenience of mobile technology, dispatchers and drivers are linked in real-time. About San Paso Truck Stop San Paso is a full-service truck stop on the Highway 101, serving day and overnight truckers, RVers and day-trippers. The 10-acre friendly facility is known for its clean restrooms, Catscale, and exceptional service. It is also home to Jose's Country Kitchen, voted the best breakfast place in Paso Robles. SOURCE San Paso Truck Stop Related Links https://sanpasotruckstop.com The UK government is shooting itself in the foot during the coronavirus crisis with its migrant workers nurse tax. As the United Kingdom prepares to enter the peak phase of the coronavirus cases curve the point at which it expects the largest number of critically ill patients at the same time the countrys National Health Service (NHS) is facing the greatest challenge in its 72-year history. It is preparing to weather a perfect storm of lack of staff and critical care beds as emergency services and healthcare provision risk becoming overwhelmed by patients needing critical care because of the global pandemic. The UK has fewer doctors and nurses serving its population than many countries in the developed world. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the UK has only 2.8 doctors and 7.8 nurses per 1,000 people in the population, ranking it lower than Costa Rica, Russia and Hungary, but slightly above the US and Canada. The average across the OECDs 36 countries was 3.5 doctors and 8.8 nurses. The UK has the second-lowest number of doctors in leading European nations relative to its population. Only Poland ranks lower. This lack of staffing is compounded by the continuing brain drain of foreign workers from the NHS. More than 22,000 European Union (EU) nationals have left the NHS since the countrys referendum on leaving the EU in 2016. Responses by 88 NHS hospital trusts to freedom-of-information enquiries have revealed that the 22,600 EU nationals leaving the service over the past three years included 8,800 nurses and midwives. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has been criticised for saying that EU migrants have been treating Britain as their own for too long. The UK government sought to address the exodus of migrant NHS workers by creating a new NHS visa last November with the aim of making it quicker, easier and cheaper for foreign doctors and nurses to work in the UK. But this has been undermined by its ratcheting up of what has been dubbed the nurse tax, although it applies to all foreign healthcare workers. This is the annual immigration health surcharge (IHS) that they must pay if they wish to apply for the new NHS visa. The IHS must be paid by applicants and their dependants seeking leave to enter the country under the UKs domestic Immigration Rules (those applying from outside the UK) unless it is for six months or less. Short-term visitor visa applicants are not required to pay. This charge is to increase from 400-624 pounds ($475-741) in October 2020, the government has announced. The rise was confirmed during the Budget on March 11, which Chancellor Rishi Sunak presented to Parliament. An accompanying policy costings document stated: This measure increases the Immigration Health Surcharge from the current level of 400 per year to 624 per year for each surcharge liable non-EEA temporary migrant (including dependants). The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has repeatedly called on the government to scrap the cruel and heartless surcharge after calculating that many will have to work for over a month just to pay it off. The fee is payable for each member of a family migrating (it is slightly less for children 470 pounds). This means healthcare workers from popular recruitment spots such as the Philippines and India who come to the UK with a spouse and two children will have to pay the government more than 2,000 pounds ($2,376) a year for the privilege of working in the NHS from October this year. RCN analysis shows that it will take the same nurse 183 hours to work off this fee before they see any benefit from their salary. This payment by migrants comes on top of their income tax and National Insurance payments which are deducted by the government from their salary. The RCN has criticised the UK government for this prohibitive immigration policy by stating that it is morally questionable for foreign nurses to pay the health surcharge, given that they pay national insurance and income taxes, as well as providing a vital service to the public. In effect, foreign nurses are being hit with a double tax to work in the UK through the migrant nurses tax and also their standard and mandatory contributions to national insurance and income taxes. The extent to which health and care services in the UK now depend on staff from outside the EU, with 568,000 employed in the NHS at this time, for social care and in other areas is clear. Right now, during its biggest-ever challenge in terms of demand and supply, the NHS needs more foreign NHS staff rather than a prohibitive nurse tax policy that disincentivises migrant workers to join. During the December 2019 General Election campaign, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged: The NHS is this one nation Conservative Governments top priority. And so we will deliver 50,000 more nurses. If the UK government is genuinely serious about wanting to welcome additional NHS staffing supply from home and abroad particularly at this time of critical need it must scrap the nurse tax on migrant NHS workers. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Arlene Foster has said sweeping new Covid-19 restrictions will last more than three weeks (Liam McBurney/PA) Office workers gather on both sides of Donegall Street following a fire alarm as Belfast goes into its first day of lockdown on March 24th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Belfast City Council workers continue working as Belfast goes into its first day of lockdown on March 24th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) The Westlink in west Belfast at 8.45am as Belfast goes into its first day of lockdown on March 24th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) The Department of Health has confirmed a total of five people have now died after contracting the coronavirus in Northern Ireland. The patient who was in their eighties and had underlying health conditions has sadly died at Antrim Hospital. In addition, an earlier death has also been confirmed as Covid-19 related. Health Minister Robin Swann stated: My deepest sympathies are extended to the families affected. These deaths must never become mere statistics. Behind each of them is a family plunged into grief. The Public Health Agency confirmed there has been 24 new case of coronavirus confirmed since yesterday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 172 in Northern Ireland. There has been 2989 tests for the virus as of Tuesday morning. Ruth Burke was the first woman to die of the virus. Her daughter Brenda said her mother suffered illnesses over the years and the virus was the last straw. I dont want my mother to be a statistic, she was a strong person, she told the BBC. In an emotional Facebook post she appealed to people to wise up and take the necessary precautions and look after others and not to panic buy. It comes as First Minister Arlene Foster said everyone is "going to have to make sacrifices" as attempts are made to slow down the spread of coronavirus. Speaking at a press conference at Stormont with Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, she said the challenge of slowing down coronavirus is immense "but not impossible". Mrs O'Neill said shops and service providers including hairdressers, salons and gyms should not be open, saying the advice is not to shut your doors in a few days or a few weeks. Supermarkets, pharmacies,credit unions and post offices can all stay open. "If you are not an essential service, shut your doors," she said. The list of facilities that can remain open also includes credit unions and post offices," she said. "Hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts and caravan and camping sites should all be closed, except where caravans are being used as permanent residences." Arlene Foster said she understood people are frustrated. "It is a question of us trying to get messages out to people in terms of what we're doing," she said, adding she was disappointed a package had not been announced by Westminster on Tuesday to support people who are self-employed. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Coronavirus: Northern Ireland enters 'lockdown' [Photos] Close In pictures, the coronavirus outbreak in Northern Ireland: Ellie McAuley tends to the lambs on her family farm as Northern Ireland goes into its first day of lockdown on March 24th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The Westlink in west Belfast at 8.45am as Belfast goes into its first day of lockdown on March 24th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph People queue outside Iceland in east Belfast. Pic Presseye All play parks in the Belfast area have been closed by Belfast City Council for the next 3 weeks as the country tries to tackle the coronavirus. Pic Pacemaker Belfast City centre on Tuesday with most businesses closed due to the Coronavirus, with restrictions on movements in Northern Ireland expected to last longer than three weeks. PHOTO COLM LENAGHAN/PACEMAKER PRESS Belfast City centre on Tuesday with most businesses closed due to the Coronavirus, with restrictions on movements in Northern Ireland expected to last longer than three weeks. PHOTO COLM LENAGHAN/PACEMAKER PRESS General view of family members praying in St Peters Cathedral in west Belfast. The church remains open for individuals who wish to pray but all services have been cancelled. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press E The Westlink in west Belfast at 8:45am as Belfast goes into its first day of lockdown on March 24th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Office workers gather on both sides of Donegall Street following a fire alarm as Belfast goes into its first day of lockdown on March 24th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Belfast City Council workers on the city streets as Northern Ireland goes into its first day of lockdown on March 24th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Graffiti on the walls at freedom corner in east Belfast as COVID-19 claims a third life in Northern Ireland on March 23rd 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In pictures, the coronavirus outbreak in Northern Ireland: Ellie McAuley tends to the lambs on her family farm as Northern Ireland goes into its first day of lockdown on March 24th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) DHAKA, Bangladesh - Bangladeshs government on Wednesday released imprisoned opposition leader and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for six months on condition that she stays at home and does not attempt to leave the country. Zia had spent more than two years in the prison cell of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in the capital, Dhaka. Her family and senior party leaders received her as hundreds of supporters ignored calls to avoid gathering to stop the spread of coronavirus. Wearing a mask, Zia came out in a wheelchair and rode a car to her home in Dhakas Gulshan area. On Tuesday, Law Minister Anisul Huq said Zia, 74, was being released on humanitarian grounds considering her age. She will receive her remaining treatment at home, he said. Zia was sentenced to 17 years in prison in two corruption cases. Her Bangladesh Nationalist Party says the cases were politically motivated. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Zias archrival, denies the allegation. Zias party says she is seriously ill with ailments including respiratory problems and arthritis. In February, the High Court rejected an appeal by Zia seeking her release for medical treatment in the United Kingdom for chronic arthritis. Zia was convicted in February 2018 on charges of misusing her power by embezzling some $250,000 in donations meant for an orphanage trust. She was later convicted in another corruption case. Zia and Hasina are both part of political dynasties. Zia is the widow of Ziaur Rahman, a general-turned-president who was assassinated in 1981. Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the countrys first president and independence leader, who was assassinated in 1975. Bangladesh gained independence through a nine-month war against Pakistan in 1971. The World Health Organization has seen a very large acceleration of COVID-19 infections in the world and the United States has the potential of becoming the new epicenter of the virus according to a recently published article. COVID-19 CASES IN THE UNITED STATES COVID-19 cases and the death toll in the United States continue to swell. This has affected the country that led to the temporary closure of schools and non-essential establishments. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the total number of persons who are tested positive for the virus has reached more than 33,400 and the death toll is more than 400. Moreover, 50 states have already been infected by the virus. The number of cases in the country has increased day by day. Every time there are confirmed cases, there are also 5 to persons who are potentially infected and they need to be tracked as soon as possible. COVID-19 does choose anyone either your are rich or poor, young or old, healthy or not, everyone is susceptible to this virus most especially if the guidelines like proper social-distancing and to avoid mass gatherings will not be followed. U.S. HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME THE EPICENTER During the press conference of the World Health Organization on Tuesday, they are very alarmed because they have seen a very large acceleration of COVID-19 infections most especially in the United States. WHO Spokeswoman Margaret Harris told the reporters during the press conference that around 85 percent of new cases were from Europe and United States in just 24 hours. She also added that 40 percent of this came from the United States. When she was asked if the country has the potential to become the new epicenter of COVID-19, she said: "We are now seeing a very large acceleration in cases in the U.S. So it does have that potential." She also added in her statement that the United States has a very large outbreak and that outbreak is increasing in intensity. According to the data of Johns Hopkins University, there are a total of 46, 450 COVID-19 cases reported in the country as of Tuesday morning. However, when it comes to number of cases, China still accounts for the largest number of cases that are about 81,588 but their infection rate has significantly slowed down due to the stringent implementation of lockdown. The two months lockdown in Wuhan, where the virus was believed to be originated, will be lifted anytime soon if its cases continue to plummet. Italy is still the epicenter for the meantime because they have 63, 927 cases and they are followed by the United States. But, if people living in the United States will not follow the guidelines set by President Trump's administration, CDC, and health experts then it is not a surprise anymore that the U.S. will become the new epicenter. The infection rate of COVID-19 is also very rampant in countries like Spain where there are around 35, 212 cases and in Germany with 30,081 cases. With the global cases that continue to accelerate where there are around 334,981 cases and 14,510 deaths reported, it is also not a question anymore why the WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said: "the pandemic is accelerating." In his statement, he said: "It took 67 days from the first reported case to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for second 100,000 cases, and just four days for the third 100,000 cases." Read related articles: Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE The City of Santa Fe and New Mexico Environment Department reached a settlement concerning the death of Tobin Toby Williams, a city employee who died in April 2019 after being electrocuted. According to the settlement, the city will pay citations totaling $120,000, over half of which go toward training and safety improvements that must be completed within six months. The settlement comes nearly a year after Williams was electrocuted while attempting to replace a light fixture at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center. He had no electrician training. An investigation launched by the Occupational Health and Safety Bureau found in September 2019 that the city had committed multiple violations by having untrained workers replace electrical equipment, the settlement states. The bureau had originally fined the city more than $183,000 for these citations, seven of which the department vacated, department spokesperson Maddy Hayden wrote in an official statement. When accidents like these happen, it is critical that employers take action to protect worker safety in the future, she wrote. The measures included in the settlement are intended to do that. Lee Hunt, a lawyer representing Williams family, said the settlement does not do enough to hold the city accountable. I think its fair to say the citys getting off easy, considering the consequences to the Williams family, he said. No lawsuit has yet been filed on behalf of the family for Williams death. Hunt said the family was waiting for the results of the settlement before deciding whether to proceed with formal litigation and that he needs to investigate the death further. City spokeswoman Lilia Chacon said she could not comment on the settlement because it is not official until 20 days after signing on April 1. New Delhi, March 25 : With the coronavirus pandemic causing nationwide lockdown and affecting businesses, the government has decided to pitch in with its support for the corporate sector to prevent any liquidity problems for them. The Centre has asked banks to be ready to extend emergency credit lines on easier terms to corporate borrowers so that business activity didn't suffer on account liquidity squeeze. It has discussed the issue with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The State Bank Of India (SBI) has already come out with an ad hoc loan facility 'Covid-19 Emergency Credit Line (CECL)', which is aimed at meeting the temporary liquidity mismatch caused by Covid-19 effects. Three other public sector banks -- Union Bank, Indian Bank and Bank of India -- have also come out with emergency credit lines to largely support fund needs of SMEs. "More banks will come with such schemes given that small and medium businesses are taking the brunt of lockdowns most and facing a situation where they may have to go for massive cost cutting as well as layoffs," said a government source. The SBI emergency credit line will remain operational till June 30. A borrower can get maximum loan of Rs 200 crore or 10 per cent of the existing fund-based working capital limits, by paying fixed 7.25 per cent interest. The credit line will remain open for a year and repayment starts only after six months in six instalments. The emergency loan facility is aimed at helping MSME borrowers. The schemes of other three banks are also similar. M ost of Hubei province has lifted its severe coronavirus lockdown restrictions after social isolation measures appeared to curb Covid-19 cases. While the province's capital Wuhan remains under lockdown until April 8, employees have been told to return to work in the rest of the province. It follows a relaxing of social distancing measures in Beijing, where people could be seen hugging each other on the streets for the first time in weeks. Meanwhile, Europe has become the new epicentre for the virus, with deaths in Italy surpassing those of China, where the flu began. Employees eat their lunch while staying 2 meters away from each other at the Dongfeng Fengshen plant on March 24, 2020 in Wuhan, Hubei province / Getty Images The rest of China has also reported a drop in new confirmed coronavirus cases as imported infections fell and no locally transmitted infections were reported. The Hubei government on Wednesday told workers who had been quarantined at home to go back to work as soon as possible. People were also able to leave Hubei by train and bus, while the Wudang Mountains, a top scenic site, reopened for visitors, according to state media. Passengers wearing face masks travel with their belongings at a railway station in Xianning of Hubei province / REUTERS Hubei Party Secretary Ying Yong said on Tuesday that while the lifting of traffic restrictions means life is gradually getting back to normal, the government will continue to work hard to prevent a rebound in infections as population movements increase. To prevent a surge in imported cases, China is ramping up quarantine and screening rules for all international arrivals. The city of Quanzhou in Fujian province will cancel all international and regional flights, starting on March 26, after four imported cases from the Philippines were found on Tuesday. The Quanzhou Jinjiang international airport will cancel 17 routes including those connecting Manila, Hong Kong, and Macau, the Fujian government said in a notice. Beijing has already diverted flights to other cities where passengers will be screened and quarantined. The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA The number of new coronavirus cases in China totalled 47 on Tuesday, all of which were from travellers returning home, down from 78 a day earlier, the National Health Commission said. New imported cases in Beijing, Guangdong and Fujian declined, though the daily tally of new imported infections rose to a record 19 cases in the financial hub of Shanghai. New cases of infected international arrivals were also reported in the city of Tianjin, the Inner Mongolia region, and the provinces of Jiangsu, Sichuan, Jilin, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Shaanxi. In Hubei, no new infections were reported despite three new deaths, including two in Wuhan, where the virus first appeared late last year. On Wednesday, local authorities downgraded Wuhan's epidemic risk level from "high" to "medium". The Hubei Health Commission announced it would lift curbs on outgoing travellers starting March 25, provided they had a health clearance code. Authorities in Kashmir said they are worried that the coronavirus cases might be more than the four reported so far in the Valley as a significant number of people have concealed their travel history Srinagar: Authorities in Kashmir said they are worried that the coronavirus cases might be more than the four reported so far in the Valley as a significant number of people have concealed their travel history. Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary said the administration was flooded with messages about people concealing travel history, apparently to avoid undergoing mandatory quarantine. "Flood of messages about travellers who concealed travel history; and about contacts. I wish such people acted responsibly. Those appeals weren't without reason. Control room and teams are having a tough time," he tweeted on Wednesday. "Doctors suggest actual cases in the community could probably be more than those tested positive," Chaudhary said in a tweet on Wednesday. He appealed to the people to stay indoors during the lockdown period so as to break the chain of transmission of the virus. "For heaven's sake stay at homes and report to designated hospitals if you have symptoms/travel history. Consult on phone before visiting the hospital. Please. Spread the word," he added. Four persons have so far tested positive for the coronavirus in the Kashmir valley. The first COVID-19 patient, a woman, is recovering fast and is likely to be discharged soon from the hospital, officials said in Srinagar. The deputy commissioner said there are more than 1,700 persons at various quarantine facilities in the city who had returned from various countries during the past week. "With the last two flights coming in the late evening (on Tuesday), we have 1,741 guests at Srinagar quarantine facilities. Teams from health, essential services, magistrates, police, SMC, and others/nodal officers taking care. Family members requested not to throng there," he said in another tweet. TRAVERSE CITY, MI People who have recently been diagnosed with COVID-19 coronavirus were out-and-about in Traverse City while showing symptoms. The Grand Traverse County Health Department is advising the public of two possible exposure sites. The county has three confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, March 24. Anyone who was at the Target store on South Airport Road West in Traverse City between 5-6 p.m. on Sunday, March 22 should self-monitor for coronavirus symptoms, which include fever, cough, body aches and shortness of breath, the department said. The second exposure site is Cherry Capital Airport, the department said. Anyone who was on Delta Flight DL4991 departing from Detroit Metro Airport and landing at Cherry Capital on Monday, March 16, should self-quarantine until Monday, March 30. Anyone experiencing symptoms should contact their healthcare provider. Community exposure is a worst-case scenario when conducting case investigations at the health department as it increases the potential for community transmission, said Wendy Hirschenberger, Grand Traverse County Health Departments Health Officer. She asked residents to take Gov. Gretchen Whitmers shelter-in-place" order seriously by staying home, especially if youre sick. The order went into effect on Tuesday. As of Tuesday, the state had 1,791 confirmed coronavirus cases, and 24 deaths from the virus. Forty-one of Michigans 83 counties are home to a resident who contracted coronavirus. About 85% of the COVID-19 cases -- 1,561 of 1,791 -- are in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. We will undoubtedly see a toll on our Northern Michigan healthcare systems if people do not comply with the Governors Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order, Hirschenberger said. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. READ MORE: Wednesday, March 25: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Is Michigan really social distancing? Phone data shows the answer Petoskey manufacturer making hospital isolation gowns to prep for coronavirus cases Marquette County confirms first coronavirus case, second in U.P. HOUSTON, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- McDermott International, Inc. today announced that Chevron Lummus Global (CLG), McDermott's joint venture with Chevron, has been awarded a sizeable* contract by a Southeast Asian refiner for the license, engineering and supply of proprietary catalyst and equipment for its Lubricant Base Oil Group II Project to be built in Southeast Asia. The new 5,200-barrels-per-day unit will employ CLG's state-of-the-art lubricant base oil technologies for premium lube base oil production. Currently, the refinery produces only Group I lube base oils, and this project will allow them to meet growing regional demand for premium lubricant base oils. "The lubricant base oil technology that we license through Chevron Lummus Global has helped our customers produce greater yields and better quality base oils, which was an important factor in the selection process of this project," said Leon de Bruyn, Senior Vice President of McDermott's Lummus Technology business. "With the recent award of several new projects in the region, CLG cherishes solid, long-standing relationships with refiners in the Asia Pacific region." This contract was signed in the first quarter of 2020. * - McDermott defines a sizeable contract as between USD $1 million and USD $50 million. About Lummus Technology McDermott's Lummus Technology is a leading licensor of proprietary petrochemicals, refining, gasification and gas processing technologies, and a supplier of proprietary catalysts and related engineering. With a heritage spanning more than 100 years, encompassing approximately 3,400 patents and patent applications, Lummus Technology provides one of the industry's most diversified technology portfolios to the hydrocarbon processing sector. About McDermott McDermott is a premier, fully integrated provider of technology, engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. For more than a century, customers have trusted McDermott to design and build end-to-end infrastructure and technology solutions to transport and transform oil and gas into the products the world needs today. Our proprietary technologies, integrated expertise and comprehensive solutions deliver certainty, innovation and added value to energy projects around the world. Customers rely on McDermott to deliver certainty to the most complex projects, from concept to commissioning. It is called the "One McDermott Way." Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott's locally focused and globally integrated resources include more than 42,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabrication facilities around the world. To learn more, visit www.mcdermott.com. Forward-Looking Statements In accordance with the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, McDermott cautions that statements in this press release which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties that may impact McDermott's actual results of operations. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the expected scope, execution and timing of the project discussed in this press release. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit markets, our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog, changes in project design or schedules, the availability of qualified personnel, changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties, changes in industry norms and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. For a more complete discussion of these and other risk factors, please see McDermott's annual and quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. This press release reflects management's views as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Contacts: Investor Relations Scott Lamb Vice President, Investor Relations +1 832 513 1068 [email protected] Global Media Relations Gentry Brann Senior Vice President, Communications, Marketing and Administration +1 281 870 5269 [email protected] Lummus Technology Media Relations Chris Huk Manager, Marketing & Communications, Lummus Technology +1 281 588 5675 [email protected] SOURCE McDermott International, Inc. Related Links www.mcdermott.com As many as 11 wind projects with cumulative capacity of 660 MW have achieved Financial Closing and are likely to attain commercial operation by December 2021 ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Mar, 2020 ) :As many as 11 wind projects with cumulative capacity of 660 MW have achieved Financial Closing and are likely to attain commercial operation by December 2021. Official sources told APP here Wednesday that these projects included 50 MW Master Green Energy Ltd, 50 MW Tricom Wind Power Pvt Ltd, 50 MW Lakeside Energy Pvt. Ltd, 50 MW Artistic Wind Power Ltd and 50 MW Liberty Wind Power 1 Pvt Ltd. Similarly, 50 MW Indus Wind Energy Ltd, 50 MW Master Green Energy Ltd, 50 MW ACT2 Wind Pvt Ltd, 50 MW Liberty Wind Power 2 Pvt Ltd, 60 MW Metro Wind Power Ltd, 50 MW Masda Green Energy Pvt Ltd, 50 MW DIN Energy Ltd and 50 MW Gul Ahmed Electric Ltd would attain commercial operation by December 2021. These all projects were being set up at Jhampir District Thatta, they said. Meanwhile, As many as 24 wind power projects having cumulative capacity of 1,233.37 MW have achieved commercial operation so far and are supplying electricity to the national grid. These projects included 49.5 MW FFC Energy Limited, 56.4 MW Zorlu Enerji Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd, 49.5 MW Three Gorges First Wind Farm Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited, 50 MW each Foundation Wind Energy-I and II Ltd, 52.8 MW Sapphire Wind Power Company Ltd, 50 MW Yunus Energy Ltd, 50 MW Metro Power Company Ltd, 30 MW Tapal Wind Energy Pvt. Ltd and 49.5 MW Tenaga Generasi Ltd. Similarly, Master Wind Energy Pvt. Ltd is supplying 52.8 MW, Gul Wind Energy Ltd 50 MW, Hydro China Dawood Power Pvt Ltd (CPEC) 49. 5 MW, Sachal Energy Development Pvt. Ltd (CPEC) 49.5 MW, United Energy Pakistan Pvt Ltd (CPEC) 99 MW, Hawa Energy Pvt Ltd 49.737 MW, Jhampir Wind Power Ltd 49.737 MW and Artistic Energy Pvt Ltd 49.3 MW to the national grid. It is pertinent to mention here that the Alternative Energy Development board (AEDB) has formulated of a new Alternative & Renewable Energy Policy (ARE Policy 2019) consequent to expiry of RE Policy 2006 in March, 2018. The policy aims at creating a conducive environment for the sustainable growth of ARE Sector in Pakistan. The government of Pakistan's strategic objectives of Energy Security, Economic Benefits, Environmental Protection, Sustainable Growth and Social Equity will further be harnessed under the ARE Policy 2019. The draft policy has an expanded scope encompassing all alternative and renewable energy sources, competitive procurement and addresses areas like distributed generation systems, off-grid solutions, B2B methodologies and rural energy services. The draft ARE Policy 2019 sets a target of achieving 20% capacity from ARE technologies by 2025 and 30% capacity by 2030. The draft ARE Policy 2019 envisages development of large scale ARE projects in all parts of the country through active participation of the provinces and also lays down procedure for development of provincially sponsored projects. The development of new ARE projects shall be initiated under the new ARE Policy 2019 once it is approved from the competent forum. \395 Trolling has become so common nowadays that it isnt even a surprise to see some of the comments on celebrities posts. Be it shaming the female actors for their choice of clothes, or mocking the male ones for their flops, even the stars turn a blind eye to it most of the times. However, there are times when they cant take it anymore and vent it out. READ: Coronavirus: Taapsee Pannu, Arjun Kapoor Support PM Modi's 21-day Lockdown Announcement Thats what happened a few days ago, when Arjun Kapoor fumed at a troll after he commented on a picture of Kareena Kapoor Khan with Taimur. The actor had termed the son of his Ki & Ka co-star, as the real nawaab, taking on from Nawab that Taimurs father Saif Ali Khan is known as. However, a netizen abused Arjun and asked if he felt good about another Hindu kid becoming a Muslim, referring to Kareena-Saifs respective religions. The Ishaqzaade star used the C-word for the troll, and replied that it did not matter to Taimurs parents whether their child was a Hindu or Muslim, and then what right he had to make a communal comment on the picture. READ: Arjun Kapoor Has Epic Nickname For Katrina Kaif As She Washes Dishes Heres the comment: This is not the first time that Arjun Kapoor has lost his cool at trolls. Earlier, he had a strong response after his sister Anshula was flooded with negative comments after his Koffee with Karan episode. He had also made his displeasure known over the offensive memes of his character based on Maratha warrior Sadashivrao Bhau in Panipat. READ: Janta Curfew: Kareena Kapoor's 'boys' Saif & Taimur 'doing Their Bit' Is A Visual Delight Meanwhile, on the professional front, Arjun is currently working on a film opposite Rakul Preet Singh. However, all shootings have been halted at the moment owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. His film Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar also could not release on the scheduled March 20 date. READ: When Taimur Ali Khans Nanny Acted Like A Shield Between Him And The Paparazzi Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. The Department of Personnel and Training issued an order on Wednesday, asking the police to issue letters of authorisation for essential staff across ministries. The order comes in the wake of a 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to halt the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). However, defence personnel, central armed police forces, treasury department, public utilities (including petrol, CNG, LPG, PNG), disaster management, power generation and transmission units, post offices, National Informatics Centre and early warning agencies are allowed to keep their offices open. The DoPT order issued by joint secretary R Jaya notes that exigencies have arisen in various departments that are not exempt from the lockdown. The department has asked the heads of departments (HoDs) to draw a list of essential staff that is absolutely necessary to carry out services. The HoDs will draw up a roster by tomorrow or day after ( for the absolutely necessary employees), a DoPT official said. The list has to be forwarded to deputy Commissioner of police (DCP) Eish Singhal via email. The police, in turn, have been asked to issue an authorisation letter. A printout of the letter has to be made available to the staff concerned. The essential staff has been asked to carry their official id-cards along with the authorisation letter on their way to work. All other employees have been directed to work from home. CLEVELAND, Ohio While many Ohio businesses have been shuttered to slow the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus, Ohios gun and ammunition dealers have remained open in a nod to constitutionally protected rights, a spokesman for the governor said Wednesday. The businesses are specifically exempted from order signed Sunday by Ohio Health Director Amy Acton that instructs most people to not venture from their homes except for essential needs and that only businesses that offer essential services remain open. The gun shops are included in an exception for supplies considered essential to businesses and operations, described as firearm and ammunition suppliers and retailers for purposes of safety and security. Governors spokesman Dan Tierney acknowledge that the provision was included in deference to constitution rights protected under the U.S. and Ohio constitutions. Other exceptions are included, too, for constitutionally protected religious activities and work by the media. Tierney said its important, though, for Ohioans to look at the order in its entirety. While some businesses are listed as essential and may remain open, they must follow guidelines in the order meant to keep workplaces safe for employees. And patrons should consider what activities are essential enough to warrant them leaving their homes. Whether a business is essential is just one aspect of the order, Tierney said. The purpose of the order is to make sure Ohioans are focused on precautions to help contain the spread of the virus. Can the government force places such as gun shops or churches to shutter? Thats unclear, said Jonathan Entin, a constitutional law expert and professor at Case Western Reserve University. Ohio may have chosen not to test the limits of its authority as the best course for tackling the bigger issue containment of coronavirus, Entin said. I wouldnt necessarily interpret the governments position as saying, We believe we lack the authority here to do this. Entin said. Rather, DeWine administration might not want to take on a fight over rights when its dealing with a health emergency, Entin said. Battling over the limits of state authority could have an impact on how well people follow other parts of the order. You know there are going to be plenty of people, rightly or wrongly, who are going to say, I need to be able to protect myself. I think they drafted this order in a way to maintain the credibility of what they are doing, Entin said. They dont want to start a controversy on whether theyve overstepped their authority, Entin said. This order doesnt work unless people voluntarily comply. In other states, efforts to shutter gun shops have been meet with opposition. In California, the Los Angeles County sheriff ordered his deputies Tuesday to make sure gun shops are closed during the coronavirus crisis, saying the shops are not essential businesses. The move was contradicted hours later when the countys legal counsel said gun shop could remain open. In Pennsylvania, gun shop owners lost a court fight to remain open, but Gov. Tom Wolf backed off his order after several dissenting justices on the states supreme court urged him to do so. Rob Sexton, legislative affairs director for the Buckeye Firearms Association, applauded the states decision on gun shops, not just on constitutional grounds but also because many Ohioans will view it as an essential step for self-protection. Just like everything else, its a time to be careful. But its not a time to interfere with peoples ability to protect themselves, Sexton said. Ultimately, Ohioans should look to the spirit of the states stay-at-home order, Tierney said. While some businesses remain open, Ohioans need to be smart about venturing out and maintain social distancing. The governor has said just because you can legally be allowed to do it, doesnt mean its wise to do it., Tierney said. Theyre to stay home unless they go out for one of those essential services, Tierney said. We all need to go to a grocery store, but figure out a time when youre going to run into the least amount of people. More coronavirus coverage Ohio hospitals not at capacity, but looking to hotels, dorms, temporary structures as coronavirus boosts demand for beds Does saving lives trump saving the economy? Reasonable minds disagree on coronavirus measures Cleveland OKs steps to address coronavirus hardships, calling for eviction relief, aiding troubled businesses Cleveland, Childrens Hunger Alliance to provide free meals for children in wake of COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak Coronavirus and the lungs: Does COVID-19 cause more severe pneumonia or ARDS than other viruses? (Alliance News) - Publisher Quarto Group Inc said it expects to a report an annual revenue fall but a swing to profit. Revenue in 2019 is forecast to fall 9.0% to USD135.8 million from USD149.3 million, but Quarto expects a pretax profit of USD2.9 million, swinging from a GBP600,000 loss. "The board is pleased with this expected result which reflects an improvement on its year-on-year performance," Quarto said. The company said it has not yet seen a "material impact" from Covid-19, though it noted order volumes in the UK and US have fallen in recent days. Quarto added: "The board notes the financial support commitment made by the UK government as part of a package to support businesses in recent days. Whilst there is still uncertainty around this package, the board believes, based on the initial details circulated as part of the announcements, that the group would qualify for some elements of this financial support." Shares in Quarto were untraded at 48.00 pence each in London on Wednesday morning. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. U.S. automakers to extend shutdown into April: sources Ford logo is seen at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Detroit's Big Three automakers plan to extend a current shutdown of vehicle production in North America into April as the coronavirus pandemic continues, people briefed on the matter said Tuesday. The automakers had said on March 18 they would halt production until at least March 30. Ford Motor Co said in a statement Tuesday it was "not planning to restart our plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico on Monday, March 30 as originally hoped." Two people briefed on the matter said Ford does not plan to restart production until at least April 6 but warned it could be further delayed into April. General Motors Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV also do not plan to resume production on March 30, three people briefed on the matter said. It was unclear when they may resume production or if some plants could restart before others. GM declined to comment Tuesday but said last week when it announced the shutdown it would last "until at least March 30. Production status will be reevaluated week-to-week after that." Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an order on Monday barring non-essential businesses from operating until April 13. A spokeswoman for Whitmer was unable to clarify on Tuesday whether auto production is considered essential or not. Michigan has declared vehicle sales by auto dealers to be impermissible under the order, but dealerships and other facilities can make repairs. United Auto Workers President Rory Gamble said in a letter to union members on Tuesday that Fiat Chrysler had told the union that it would comply with the Michigan governor's order and had "no plans to reopen on March 30." Fiat Chrysler declined to comment on the UAW letter. The UAW also said two Fiat Chrysler union members -- one in Indiana and one in Michigan -- have died after contracting the coronavirus. Gamble's letter said the union is "waiting to hear from GM and are demanding that they put our members safety first and adhere to government and health officials recommendations to stay-at-home." A group representing major U.S. and foreign automakers warned in a letter to U.S. lawmakers with other industry groups on Monday that "Auto industry analysts are expecting sales to be down by as much as 40 percent in March compared to 2019." The letter said 95% of North American auto plants are currently closed. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) FIVE people tragically lost their lives with six others escaped with injuries after a lorry knocked three cars at Kiegeya Bridge in Morogoro Region. The accident occurred on Sunday evening when the lorry smashed the small vehicles from behind. One of the vehicles was a Toyota Noah T.403 DQP which had passengers onboard. The passengers died after the car slipped into a trench of Kiegeya Bridges construction site. The Police in the region were hunting the driver of the lorry identified as Said Kifaila (30) who escaped after allegedly causing the accident. Mr Kifaila was driving a truck with registration number T 623 DGY and trailer with registration number T. 233 BXZ property of Road Stell Haulage Company. According to the police, the Toyota Noah and other vehicles heading to Dodoma were in a queue waiting for their turn to cross the Bridge. The lorry, which was also heading to Dodoma, lost direction and knocked the Toyota Noah, consequently both of them veered into the trench. Morogoro Regional Police Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP), Wilbroad Mutafungwa confirmed the incident yesterday, saying it occurred at around 6:30pm on Sunday, at the Kiegeya Bridge on Mkange River, Kilosa District. Commander Mutafungwa explained that when the driver was approaching the area the brakes of the lorry failed and lost direction and knocked three vehicles from their back. The truck carried a cement cargo from Dar es Salaam heading to Dodoma. According to SACP Mutafungwa, four people died on the spot and the other one died later when receiving treatment at Dumila, St Joseph Health Centre. The bodies have been preserved at the mortuary of the same health centre, waiting for relatives to collect them. He named the deceased as Sijaona Chamene (29), a farmer and resident of Majawanga village in Gairo District, Mahungo Martine (25), a resident of Gairo. The other three were still yet to be identified. The injured were the driver of the Toyota Noah, Mr Ramadhan Mohamed, resident of Dumila, Eliwahad Mshana (28), a resident of Dumila, Mkoa Michael (25), a farmer in Gairo, Elimalek Msigula (28 ) and Neema Braiton (27) both were residents of Pandambili, Kongwa District in Dodoma capital city. He said the injured people were in critical condition and were rushed to Morogoro Regional Referral Hospital for further treatment. We are still looking for Mr Kifaila, driver of the lorry, who disappeared immediately after the accident. L egal measures will be taken against him once arrested, he stated. He said the police have heightened security at the Bridge area at which the construction works were still ongoing following recent damages caused by floods. On his part, Doctor in charge of Morogoro Regional Referral Hospital Dr Rita L yamuya said the conditions of the casualties were improving. Asian equities soared again Wednesday after US lawmakers finally agreed a mammoth stimulus package to support the world's top economy against the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. While the deadly disease continues to spread, traders have a rare semblance of optimism after weeks of carnage across global markets, with eyes fixed on Washington where lawmakers in the early hours thrashed out an emergency bill worth as much as $2 trillion -- around 10 percent of US gross domestic product. "At last, we have a deal," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, citing the massive "wartime level of investment into our nation". The prospect of a massive spending splurge, combined with the Federal Reserve's pledge to essentially print as much cash is needed, sent Wall Street into overdrive Tuesday, with the Dow seeing its biggest rise since 1933, while the S&P 500 enjoyed its best day in more than a decade. And the gains spread into Asia, which rallied for a second straight day, with extra impetus later in the day coming from the news out of Washington. Tokyo ended eight percent higher, with investors there also relieved that the 2020 Olympics had been postponed rather than cancelled. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore climbed more than two percent, Sydney and Manila rallied more than five percent and Seoul piled on more than four percent. Taipei added almost four percent, while Bangkok and Wellington were also well up. Adding to the more upbeat mood was the G7's promise to do "whatever is necessary". The unprecedented moves are part of a worldwide response to the rapid financial shock caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, which has locked down countries including the US and brought the global economy to a juddering halt. - Not out of the woods - "Risk assets are enjoying a nice rebound as the market digests the Fed's broadening QE move into the corporate space while the prospect of a big US fiscal stimulus edges closer to fruition," said National Australia Bank's Rodrigo Catril. Hopes for the US deal and the Fed's promise to ramp up its bond-buying, also sent the dollar lower, a relief to investors as demand for the unit had seen it soar against peers, including a 35-year high against the pound. The crude market -- which has been hammered by the outbreak's impact on demand, as well as a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia -- also enjoyed a much-needed lift, though analysts cautioned the commodity still faced uncertainty. However, observers warned that world markets were not out of the woods just yet as the number of infections and deaths continues to rise rapidly and the full economic impact is still unknown. "In 'buy the rumour, sell the news' fashion, the stock market could easily take another sharp leg lower once the good news is out, and investors conclude that it won't be enough (yet) to address what's going on in the real economy," said AxiCorp's Stephen Innes. "Given the rapid succession of downgrades, we should likely expect more pain over the short term, as the situation in New York and California continues to deteriorate. And with the entire population of India going into a government-enforced a 21-day nationwide curfew, it doesn't suggest blue sky." Still, he did say that the US package "should be sufficient to avoid buttress Main Street from falling into a worst-case depression type scenario". - Key figures around 0620 GMT - Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 8.0 percent at 19,546.63 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 2.7 percent at 23,264.71 Shanghai - Composite: UP 2.1 percent at 2,779.21 Brent North Sea crude: UP 3.4 percent at $28.08 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: UP 4.0 percent at $24.97 Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0816 from $1.0782 at 2100 GMT Dollar/yen: DOWN at 111.23 yen from 111.32 yen Pound/dollar: UP at $1.1849 from $1.1754 Euro/pound: DOWN at 91.28 pence from 91.75 New York - Dow: UP 11.4 percent to 20,704.91 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 7.5 percent at 5,367.45 points (close) United Nations, March 26 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday launched a $2-billion global humanitarian response plan to fight COVID-19 in some of the world's most vulnerable countries. "COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity, and so the whole of humanity must fight back. Individual country responses are not going to be enough," said Guterres at the launch, a virtual event, Xinhua reported. "We must come to the aid of the ultra-vulnerable -- millions upon millions of people who are least able to protect themselves. This is a matter of basic human solidarity." The response plan will be implemented by UN agencies, with international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and NGO consortia playing a direct role in the response, said Mark Lowcock, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs. The plan will be coordinated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which Lowcock heads. The plan will deliver essential laboratory equipment to test for the virus, and medical supplies to treat people; install handwashing stations in camps and settlements; launch public information campaigns on prevention; and establish airbridges and hubs across Africa, Asia and Latin America to move humanitarian workers and supplies to where they are needed most, said Lowcock. Guterres said the world faces an unprecedented threat as COVID-19 has rapidly covered the globe. "It has spread suffering, disrupted billions of lives and endangered the global economy." Wealthy countries with strong health systems are buckling under the pressure. Now, the virus is arriving in countries already in the midst of humanitarian crises caused by conflicts, natural disasters and climate change. These are places where people who have been forced to flee their homes because of bombs, violence or floods are living under plastic sheets in fields, or crammed into refugee camps or informal settlements. Those people do not have homes in which to socially distance or self-isolate. They lack clean water and soap with which to do that most basic act of self-protection against the virus -- washing their hands. And should they become critically ill, they have no way of accessing a health care system that can provide a hospital bed and a ventilator, said Guterres. Helping the vulnerable people is crucial for combatting the virus, he said. "The world is only as strong as our weakest health system. If we do not act decisively now, I fear the virus will establish a foothold in the most fragile countries, leaving the whole world vulnerable as it continues to circle the planet, paying no mind to borders." Properly funded, the plan will save many lives and arm humanitarian agencies and NGOs with laboratory supplies for testing, and with medical equipment to treat the sick while protecting health care workers. The plan also includes additional measures to support host communities that continue to generously open their homes and towns to refugees and displaced persons, said Guterres. The response plan asks for $450 million for the World Health Organization (WHO), $405 million for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), $350 million for the World Food Programme, $255 million for the UN Refugee Agency, $120 million each for the UN Development Programme and the UN Population Fund, $110 million for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and $100 million for the International Organization for Migration. It asks for $100 million for NGO response. Guterres appealed to governments for their full support to the humanitarian response plan, which, he said, is a necessity for global health security. The plan is a moral imperative and in everyone's interests. And it is a crucial part of winning the fight against the virus, he added. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore also joined Wednesday's launch via video teleconference. An American tourist was allegedly raped on a Thai island by a local resort worker who opened her hotel room door as she slept, while his colleague kept guard outside. Pongsathorn Patint, 26, and Rajan Kaewkohlaba, 23, were arrested on Thursday and have confessed to the charges laid against them. The young woman, who cannot be named, checked into the bungalow with her partner in Koh Phangan last Thursday afternoon. Thai resort worker Pongsathorn Patint, 26, (left) entered the room and allegedly raped the American tourist while his alleged accomplice Rajan Kaewkohlaba, 23, (right) kept watch outside Alleged rapist Pongsathorn Patint, 26, and his alleged accomplice Rajan Kaewkohlaba, 23 with police at the scene of the crime The suspects - who were taken back to the scene by police and pointed at the bed where the alleged attack happened - said they were delivering and installing furniture in the same block of bungalows when they saw the tourist sleeping alone in her room The two men waited until the boyfriend had left before Pongsathorn entered the room and lay down on the bed next to the victim while Rajan kept watch, police say. The woman said she thought it was her boyfriend at first but quickly realised it was an intruder and tried to push him away. The alleged attacker is then said to have raped her while his colleague stood at the door and watched. They fled together before police arrested both of them. Police said the woman waited for her boyfriend to return before they made a complaint to the local police station. She was taken to hospital before being questioned by the police. Officers arrested the two suspects at the island's pier as they were allegedly about to leave. The suspects pictured at the scene of the crime. Officers arrested the two suspects at the island's pier as they were allegedly about to leave The suspects point to the room number where the alleged rape took place. Pongsathorn reportedly said: 'We were hired to install furniture in the bungalow and after we finished work we walked by the tourist's room and saw her alone' Police said that Pongsathorn admitted to raping the American woman while Rajan kept watch. The suspects - who were taken back to the scene by police and pointed at the bed where the alleged attack happened - said they were delivering and installing furniture in the same block of bungalows when they saw the tourist sleeping alone in her room. Pongsathorn reportedly said: 'We were hired to install furniture in the bungalow and after we finished work we walked by the tourist's room and saw her alone. 'I tried to open the door and found it was not locked, so I went in and raped her while my friend helped me by watching the door.' Police officers took the two men back to the bungalow to take them around the scene of the alleged crime before remanding them in custody Police officers took the two men back to the bungalow to show them the scene of the alleged crime before remanding them in custody. Police Lt Col Somsak Nurod said the two suspects were being detained while the alleged victim's hospital test results were returned, statements were taken and CCTV was collected. He said: 'Initially, the two workers will be charged with rape as one of them was an accomplice. 'They will be imprisoned while we are waiting for the victim's test result which will be used as evidence in court.' Ispeaken.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 24 Dec 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the ispeaken homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the ispeaken homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the ispeaken homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if ispeaken has a Facebook fan page). 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Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Africa is using digital finance as a means to stem the spread of COVID-19. Governments and startups on the continent are implementing measures to shift a greater volume of payment transactions toward mobile money and away from cash which the World Health Organization flagged as a conduit for the spread of the coronavirus. It's an option facilitated by the boom in fintech that's occurred in Africa over the last decade. By several estimates, the continent is home to the largest share of the worlds unbanked population and has a sizable number of underbanked consumers and SMEs. But because of that, fintech and startups focused on financial inclusion now receive the majority of VC funding annually in Africa, according to recent data. As COVID-19 cases began to grow in the continent's major economies last week, Africa's leader in digital payment adoption Kenya turned to mobile-money as a public-health tool. The country's largest teleco, Safaricom, implemented a fee-waiver on East Africas leading mobile-money product, M-Pesa, to reduce the physical exchange of currency in response to COVID-19. Image Credits: Flickr The company announced that all person-to-person (P2P) transactions under 1,000 Kenyan Schillings ( $10) would be free for three months. The move came after Safaricom met with the countrys Central Bank and per a directive from Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta to explore ways of deepening mobile-money usage to reduce risk of spreading the virus through physical handling of cash, according to a release provided to TechCrunch from Safaricom. Kenya has one of the highest rates of mobile-money adoption in the world, largely due to the dominance of M-Pesa in the country, which stands as Africa's 6th largest economy. Across Kenya's population of 53 million, M-Pesa has 20.5 million customers and a network of 176,000 agents. M-PESA Sector Stats 4Q 2019 per Kenya's Communications Authority With all major providers in Kenya there are 32 million subscribers, which means roughly 60% of the country's population has access to mobile-money. Story continues Ghana is also using digital finance as a monetary policy lever to reduce the spread of COVID-19 On March 20, the West African country's central bank directed mobile money providers to waive fees on transactions of GH100 ( $18), with restrictions on transactions to withdraw cash from mobile-wallets. Ghana's monetary body also eased KYC requirements on mobile-money, allowing citizens to use existing mobile phone registrations to open accounts with the major digital payment providers, according to a March 18 Bank of Ghana release. The trajectory of the coronavirus in Africa is prompting more countries and tech companies to include mobile finance as part of a broader response. The continent's COVID-19 cases by country were in the single digits until recently, but those numbers spiked last week leading the World Health Organization to sound an alarm. About 10 days ago we had 5 countries affected, now weve got 30, WHO Regional Director Dr Matshidiso Moeti said at a press conference Thursday. Its has been an extremely rapidevolution. Source; World Health Organization By the World Health Organizations stats Monday there were 1321 COVID-19 cases in Sub-Saharan Africa and 34 confirmed deaths related to the virus up from 463 cases and 10 deaths last Wednesday. The country with 40% of the region's cases is South Africa, which declared a national disaster last week, banned public gatherings and announced travel restrictions on the U.S. Unlike Ghana and Kenya, the government in Africa's second largest economy hasn't issued directives toward mobile payments, but the situation with COVID-19 is pushing fintech startups to act, according to Yoco CEO Katlego Maphai. The Series B stage venture develops and sells digital payment hardware and services for small businesses on a network of 80,000 clients that processes roughly $500 million annually. Image Credits: Jake Bright With the growth in coronavirus cases in South Africa, Yoco has issued a directive to clients to encourage customers to use the contactless payment option on its point of sale machines. The startup has also accelerated its development of a remote payment product, that would enable transfers on its client network via a weblink. "This is an opportunity to start driving contactless adoption," Maphai told TechCrunch on a call from Cape Town. In Nigeria home to Africa's largest economy and population of 200 million the growth of COVID-19 cases has shifted the country toward electronic payments and prompted one of the country's largest digital payments startups to act. Lagos based venture Paga made fee adjustments, allowing merchants to accept payments from Paga customers for free a measure "aimed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus by reducing cash handling in Nigeria," according to a company release. Parts of Lagos which is connected to Nigeria's largest commercial hub of Lagos State have begun to require digital payments in response to COVID-19, according to Paga's CEO Tayo Oviosu . "We're seeing some stores that are saying they are not accepting cash anymore," he told TechCrunch on a call from Lagos. Cash only Nigeria Paga Image Credits: Paga Paga already offers free P2P transfers on its multi-channel network of 24,840 agents and 14 million customers. The startup (that recently expanded to Mexico and partnered with Visa) will also allow free transfers up to roughly 5000 Naira ( $15) from customer accounts to bank accounts, to encourage more digital payments use in Nigeria. Paga's CEO believes the current COVID-19 crisis will encourage more digital finance adoption in Nigeria, which has shown a cash-is-king reluctance by parts of the population to use mobile payments. "I think it will help move the needle, but it won't be the final straw that breaks the camel's back," he said. Time and research will determine if efforts of African governments and tech companies to encourage digital payments over physical currency yield results in halting the spread of COVID-19 on the continent. It is a unique case-study of mobile finance in Africa being employed to impact human behavior during a public health emergency. Lynas has opened its first pop-up in Carryduff A family-owned food firm is opening up pop-up grocery stores in Northern Ireland in a bid to help reach wider communities here, it can be revealed. Lynas Food Outlet, which is part of the wider Lynas Foodservice group, is turning its attention to new, smaller food locations. Its just opened its first new pop-up food shop in Carryduff, outside Belfast on the Ballynahinch Road. But its understood the company is also looking at expanding the pop-up stores to other locations across Northern Ireland. Its first new pop-up in Carryduff opened its doors to the public yesterday morning. Its planning to open to customers between 9am and 5pm each day, aside from Sunday. Addressing customers on social media, the company is asking the public to keep a two metre social distance from others and use the hand sanitising stations provided. If we feel that there are too many people within our pop up, we shall control flow of customers at the door, it says. Lynas Foodservice has its main base in Coleraine, and services thousands of hospitality business across Northern Ireland. But with the majority of pubs, restaurants and cafes having to shut their doors, the wholesaler has begun to offer home deliveries as it moves to the retail market. The firm said that all eight of its Lynas Food Outlets would be open for local communities, but it has also created a new website for home delivery. It also said it understood that many within our communities cannot visit a food shop. Lynas said it would deliver within a 15-miles radius of any of its eight food stores across Northern Ireland. The business is owned and run by the Lynas family. In November, tributes were paid to the firms founder Norman Lynas, after his death following a short illness. The 77-year-old Coleraine man had suffered a suspected stroke in August, spending several weeks in an intensive care unit. He was diagnosed in September with an advanced and inoperable brain tumour. The devout Christian, whose business cards read 'Husband, father, grandfather and follower of Jesus', employed 540 staff in food distribution after building his company from its beginnings as a modest fish shop owned by his father in Coleraine. He grew the business from fresh fish to selling a wide range of frozen food in the early 1970s. That placed Mr Lynas at the forefront of the frozen food revolution across Northern Ireland at the time and saw the business grow steadily, even throughout difficult times. Owner of the car spotted the thief and used his remote car key to lock him inside tt Hunt, 45, from Bournemouth, was trapped the BMW he was trying to steal An ill-fated car thief was left trapped inside the BMW he was trying to steal when the owner of the vehicle locked him inside. Scott Hunt, 45, was in the midst of stealing the parked in a residential street in Bournemouth, Dorset, when the owner spotted him from the window and decided to stop him in his tracks during the early hours of the morning. The owner immediately used their electronic car key to active the car's deadlock system, which prevented Hunt from opening the vehicle door from the inside, before calling the police. The owner of the parked BMW, in Bournemouth, Dorset, spotted the car thief inside his vehicle and locked him inside using his electronic remote. (Stock image) As police arrived to the scene they soon discovered that the blundering criminal, who was left helplessly waiting for officers to arrive, was in the possession of a satellite navigation system that they had stolen from another vehicle. A Dorset Police spokesman confirmed that they had received a report at 4.10am of an attempted theft in progress involving a car. The spokesman added that officers attended shortly afterwards and found the offender was still inside the vehicle. On Friday, Hunt appeared before magistrates in Poole in relation to the two offences - theft from a motor vehicle and attempted theft from a motor vehicle. During the hearing, the court heard how Hunt had lost 300 the day earlier on fruit machines and had decided to break into the cars in an attempt to acquire more money. During a hearing, the court heard how the thief had decided to break into the vehicle just days after losing 300 on fruit machines. (Stock image) Prosecuting Jane Nott read a victim's impact statement in which the unnamed owner of the car said it had left them and their family scared. In the statement shared to the court, the owner said the theft was a 'real intrusion of my privacy' and that they had been left feeling 'very uneasy' as Hunt had moved a picture of their child that was in the car. Hunt, from Bournemouth, who admitted theft from a motor vehicle and attempted theft, was given unconditional bail following the hearing. He must now await sentencing on April 20. Aircraft are sterilised after every flight The last international flight departing from Germany and arriving to Vietnam today (March 25) carrying 170 passengers will land at Van Don International Airport. Besides this, Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific have already cancelled all international flights until April 30, while Bamboo Airways has stopped its only remaining flight to South Korea and delayed the launch of new routes. Vietjet Air has interrupted international flights to Southeast Asia, China, Taiwan, South Korea, India, and Japan. This airline will still operate routes between Hanoi and Tokyo on March 31, April 2 and 4. In addition to local airlines, international airlines have also ceased all flights to Vietnam. Yesterday (March 3), Noi Bai International Airport received 264 Vietnamese passengers only travelling from Taiwan, Singapore, Ma Cao, and Japan, far less than last week (2,000 passengers arriving a day). All of these passengers have been isolated for 14 days. At present, Vietnam has closed immigration for foreign visitors and only allows passengers with official passports to enter. The government also requested the Ministry of Transport to limit licensing international flights to Vietnam. In order to prevent the epidemic from spreading, local airlines are sterilising all flights, especially those that have been confirmed to have carried passengers infected with COVID-19. As of March 25, Vietnam reported 134 cases infected by COVID-19, 17 of whom have already recovered. Earlier, on March 23, the Ministry of Transport requested the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to halt receiving overseas Vietnamese at Tan Son Nhat International Airport from March 25 until the end of March 31, because isolation areas in Ho Chi Minh City are at full capacity. Moreover, the Ministry of Transport asked the aviation sector to facilitate outward flights carrying foreign visitors to help them return to their home countries. Problems: Then and Now A Cyberproblem Where We're Headed: Two Perspectives Before the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) took over as the single biggest threat to the 2020 presidential election, the security of state voting infrastructure was chief among the concerns held by many elected officials.Since 2016, foreign interference in American elections has been a critical concern, and direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting systems or paperless voting machines are increasingly viewed as a critical target that foreign adversaries might exploit.Touchscreen and electronic, the machines were once considered the most efficient, credible means to tabulate elections, but over the years many facets of them in particular their lack of an auditable paper trail have led experts to warn against their adoption. Hackers could gain entry, change votes and sway elections, cyberprofessionals fear.Here's a look at how DREs became such a prominent fixture of U.S. voting infrastructure, and why they have since seen a precipitous decline in use as states ditch them for old-fashioned paper.The reason governments originally turned to paperless voting machines was, ironically, the same one that is now causing them to replace them: election interference, said Charles Stewart, director of the MIT Election Lab , which studies the history and evolution of voting systems and administration.The predecessor of the DRE, the mechanical lever machine, was borne out of a need by governments to restrain the rampant illegal activity surrounding U.S. elections during the 1800s, Stewart said. During this period, it wasnt uncommon for bands of hired thugs to kidnap or murder poll workers as they trekked between polling places and municipal courthouses, and fraud like ballot theft and box stuffing occurred frequently.That's why lever machines, which were paperless and automated, and with a weight of some 875 pounds could not be easily carried away or manipulated, were built to be corruption proof, said Stewart: The reason counties did it that way is because of the fraud and violence that was rampant around polling places, especially around cities during the 19th century, he said.Lever machines became the mainstay of elections and maintained that status for much of the 20th century. This stayed true until around 2000, when technological shifts, lobbying from interest groups, and the scandal over the U.S. presidential results in Florida helped catalyze a large-scale shift to electronic forms of voting.The constitutional crisis in Florida, where older forms of voting were faulted, spurred the subsequent passage of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in 2002, which represented a big push by the federal government to modernize state voting systems. HAVA banned the use of punch-cards and mechanical lever machines in federal elections, while providing millions of dollars to counties to replace them with upgraded systems.Like the lever machines of the 19th century, the DREs of the early 2000s were viewed as a fraud mitigation mechanism, and their sales to states spiked in the ensuing years. Meanwhile, similarly automated technology, like optical scanners, took over most of the rest of national voting infrastructure.As a result, between 1980 and the mid-2000s, the U.S. saw a massive shift from almost all of its counties using mechanical lever machines, paper ballots and punch cards, to a majority using optical scanners and DREs. By 2012, people bid farewell to the lever machine officially , and by the 2016 presidential election, DREs "dominated" large parts of the eastern and southern U.S., according to the MIT Lab.The love affair with these new machines was short lived, however.Almost immediately after their widespread adoption, there was a severe backlash against DREs by many in the computer science field.One of those early critics was Rebecca Mercuri, a computer scientist, who is known for her "Mercuri Method," being an early proponent of auditable paper trails for totally electronic voting equipment. Speaking with, Mercuri said that concerns over DREs by people like herself went back all the way to the '90s when governments were still just beginning to introduce them.These criticisms mostly fell on deaf ears, she said.Since then, Mercuri's concerns have been reiterated by many national security professionals and researchers. During U.S. Senate hearings regarding the 2016 hacking of the U.S. presidential election , computer science expert J. Alex Halderman said both DREs and optical scans could be exploited by foreign actors. Halderman said he and many of his peers had easily hacked into DREs over the years and knew techniques that could sway elections."I know America's voting machines are vulnerable because my colleagues and I have hacked them repeatedly as part of a decade of research studying the technology that operates elections and learning how to make it stronger," Halderman said, in his testimony. "We've created attacks that can spread from machine to machine, like a computer virus, and silently change election outcomes. We've studied touchscreen and optical scan systems, and in every single case we found ways for attackers to sabotage machines and to steal votes. These capabilities are certainly within reach for America's enemies."However, Stewart, like a lot of academics, is less than impressed with concerns about large-scale, coordinated interference.Whenever I hear these scenarios it always sounds like really interesting science fiction, he said, explaining that hackers trying to intrude at such a large scale would need "not only a lot of local knowledge about individual elections but would require a degree of physical access to a large number of machines of the sort that is highly unlikely."The argument against these hypotheticals takes into account the deeply decentralized nature of U.S. election administration, in which the nation's many individual counties are responsible for conducting local votes, making a coordinated "hacking" a huge challenge.Voting systems now seem to be trending towards a combination of automation and traditional paper.The trends are tending to go towards the ideal, said Stewart. So I can imagine that in 2024 we would no longer be seeing paperless DREs...You need paper in order to conduct post-election audits. A number of states are moving in that direction. Colorado was a real pioneer, and other states will be moving that way.Hybrid digital-paper solutions, DREs with a Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), are becoming the norm for the communities that insist on using such machines. They are still touchscreen but print out ballots that verify a voter's selection. Georgia, for instance, just spent $107 million to purchase such devices.Only six states now have communities that deploy DREs without a VVPAT, while a majority deploy a combination of paper ballots and DREs with VVPATs.Mercuri, meanwhile, isn't so inspired by these machines, and favors a simple return to paper.What I believe is that we need to have well-designed, ergonomic paper ballots, she said. You want to design them in such a way that youre not making stray marks or mistakes or anything like that, and that its very clear what you have to do. These systems would be significantly more affordable for most localities, Mercuri remarked, as studies have shown that hand-marked paper ballot systems generally cost about half the price of more advanced systems In addition, there are a number of common-sense steps that could be implemented that would improve transparency and lessen the opportunity for fraud, she said.Ballot counting is one such area. Risk-limiting audits (RLA) are a growing trend , one Mercuri doesn't look favorably upon, either. With RLAs, a statistical sample of ballots are counted in an effort to validate the entire election. Mercuri says this doesn't go far enough, and that it wouldn't be difficult for the U.S. to publicly count all ballots by hand, as is done in numerous other countries.Instead of relying on closed-door counts involving precinct officials, public showings could be used, where the results are projected live onto a large, public screen. Counters could be drafted for this task in much the same way that people are picked for jury duty, she said.You can do this whole thing in a couple of hours at the precinct right after the election. It should be open to the public ... people should be able to see whats going on," she said. "That is how Canada does their elections, thats how the U.K. does it. Its been going on for years. Sonora, CA State park officials continue to work with local public health officers towards keeping amenities open and accessible during the COVID-19 crisis. This week, California State Parks announced more safety measures its facilities are taking to reduce crowds and help prevent the spread of the deadly virus. The amended precautions came in the wake of record visitation this past weekend at several parks and beaches that made it impossible for the public to implement social distancing. As a result, at some of these highly visited destinations, traffic and parking controls were put in place with peace officers patrolling all state park units to ensure that all regulations were being followed. During Governor Gavin Newsoms shelter in place mandate period, state park officials are supporting the publics need to enjoy the benefits of nature by taking a break in the outdoors. Public health officials are recommending walk, run, hike and bike activities in local neighborhoods and accessing parks on foot. Columbia State Historic Park, Railtown 1897 in Jamestown and Big Trees State Park in Arnold remain open to the public, although some amenities such as guided tours, rides and shopping are closed. These parks are also doing outreach such as remotely guided tours that are available to the public and being used to provide distance learning opportunities for students while they are out of school. A Columbia State Park ranger provided one this week, viewable by clicking the image box video link. A Big Trees State Park ranger is scheduled to conduct one on Thursday. Above all, officials are specifically warning people not to congregate while they are in the outdoors and to take personal responsibility to help Flatten the COVID-19 Curve at Parks. This means keeping a social distance of six feet or more and staying home when sick. It also includes leaving a park in instances when it is not possible to maintain social distancing. State park officials say they are continuing to monitor visitation and social distancing at all state parks and if the newly implemented directions are not sufficient to protect public health, additional measures may be taken to fully close parks including trails, bathrooms, and other amenities. Due to local public health officials concerns, Yosemite National Park has entirely shuttered its operations but encourages folks to visit its website to interact remotely, as reported here. Court upholds 14-month prison sentence for doctor who refused to abort baby at 23 weeks Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An appeals court in Argentina has upheld the conviction of a gynecologist who refused to perform a late-term abortion on a teenager who was five months pregnant. The court upheld Dr. Leandro Rodriguez Lastra's 14-month suspended prison term and 28 months of disqualification from holding public office earlier this month, according to a report by BioEdge. Judges Miguel Angel Cardella and Maria Rita Custet Llambi concluded that "the gender perspective should be applied" to the case and therefore found Rodriguez Lastra guilty of "failure to comply with the duties of a public official. "A woman who is pregnant as a result of rape has the right to access the medical practice of legal abortion in public health facilities and the defendant obstructed that process," ruled the judges, as quoted by BioEdge. "The accused did not respect the personal autonomy of the woman in the exercise of his medical profession as an employee of the province's public hospital. Judge Custet Llambi also wrote, "Faced with the intersection of so many vulnerabilities, the accused overpowered the young womans self-determination, giving priority to the reproductive function that she symbolized as a woman, over her dignity, over her right to health and to be informed, accompanied, sustained and respected in the process of interrupting the pregnancy, an interruption to which she had a right over any other right or interest," according to Life Site News. Rodriguez Lastra plans to appeal the decision. Argentina currently bans abortion in most circumstances. However, the procedure is allowed in cases of rape and a life-threatening medical emergency for the mother. In 2017, a 19-year-old woman who was raped by a relative and suffering pain after taking the first of two abortion pills while over 20 weeks pregnant was brought to Rodriguez Lastra, at the time the head of the gynecology department at Pedro Moguillansky Hospital in Cipoletti. The doctor refused to perform an abortion on the teenager when requested, concluding that the procedure would have been dangerous to both mother and unborn child. The woman gave birth and gave the baby up for adoption. In May of last year, Rodriguez Lastra was found guilty of failing to carry out his duty as a public official, with Judge Alvaro Meynet ruling that he did a delaying maneuver to take advantage of a vulnerable woman, as reported by Catholic News Agency at the time. The appeals court ruling comes as Argentina seriously considers legislation that would make it the first major Latin American country to broadly legalize abortion. Argentine President Alberto Fernandez recently called on the countrys legislature to pass a bill that would legalize the procedure. A previous effort in 2018 failed. The state must protect its citizens in general and women in particular, stated Fernandez in an address to the legislature, as reported by The Guardian. Society in the 21st century needs to respect the individual choice of its members to freely decide about their bodies. This article was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. WASHINGTON The military judge presiding in the Sept. 11 death penalty trial at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has scheduled his retirement for later this year, in the latest blow to efforts to start the long-running trial in 2021. The judge, Col. W. Shane Cohen, wrote in a one-page letter to the chief war court judge that he was ending his 21 years of Air Force service on July 1. Unless another judge is appointed sooner, he wrote, April 24 would be his last day presiding in the case against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other men who are accused of orchestrating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed 2,976 people in New York, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. The looming departure of the judge, coupled with a current shutdown of legal team access to the United States Navy base prison zone because of the coronavirus pandemic, cast a shadow on the prospects of meeting the target start date of Jan. 11, 2021. A new judge has to be chosen, and he or she will need time to read the more than 33,150-page transcript of the case as well as hundreds of legal filings, some still awaiting rulings. Colonel Cohens decision to leave the case also comes as he has been hearing testimony and has scheduled more witnesses in an ongoing set of hearings on the defense lawyers requests to exclude from the trial the F.B.I. interrogations of the men in 2007. The defense lawyers say those interrogations are tainted by the torture the defendants endured during their three and four years in secret C.I.A. prisons. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 22:27:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, March 25 (Xinhua) -- As a bus left its departure station at Hankou Railway Station at 5:25 a.m. on Wednesday, Wuhan started to resume bus service after nine weeks of lockdown. Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei Province which was once hit hard by COVID-19 outbreak, resumed a total of 117 bus routes starting Wednesday, around 30 percent of the city's total bus transport capacity, the municipal transport bureau said. Apart from a driver, a safety supervisor was also on each bus, whose duty was to make sure all passengers scan a QR code using their mobile phones to certify their health status before boarding. "For those who do not have health codes, they should bring with them a health certificate issued by their residential community," said Zhou Jingjing, a safety supervisor aboard a bus departing from Wuchang Railway Station complex. The bus drivers and safety supervisors should be screened for fever every day, wear masks and gloves during the trip, open windows for ventilation and disinfect the buses after each trip. Zhou said all passengers must wear masks and sit apart from one another to reduce the risk of cross-infection. Bus passenger Shao Xuefen, a supermarket worker in Wuhan, spent around three hours commuting to work by bike every day since the supermarket resumed business on March 10. "I am excited that the bus service has been resumed. It helps a lot. I hope more bus routes can return to normal," Shao said. Having worked for 12 years as a bus driver, Zhou hopes to get back to the driver's seat soon. "I'm looking forward to the day when the epidemic is over and life in Wuhan returns to normal," she said. From Saturday, six metro lines are expected to reopen to the public in Wuhan. The service time will be published at the stations, the municipal transport bureau said. According to a spokesperson of the bureau, passengers must wear masks, have their temperatures checked, register with their real names and scan a QR code before taking buses and subways. To minimize the infection risk, people who are vulnerable to the virus including those aged above 65 are not recommended to take public transportation. On Jan. 23, Wuhan declared unprecedented traffic restrictions, including suspending the city's public transport and all outbound flights and trains, in an attempt to block the spread of the epidemic to other areas. Similar restrictions were soon introduced in other areas in Hubei. As the virus outbreak continues to subdue in Hubei, the province is bracing for more reviving activities. No new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported Tuesday in Wuhan. The health commission of Hubei said Wednesday the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wuhan and Hubei remained at 50,006 and 67,801 by Tuesday. Hubei provincial authorities ended restrictions on outbound traffic starting Wednesday, with the exception of Wuhan, which is expected to lift outbound travel restrictions on April 8, according to a provincial government notice issued Tuesday. The first batch of over 800 people stranded in Hubei Province arrived in Beijing Wednesday, with the transport of the people carried out in a well-organized and spot-to-spot way, said Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government, at a press conference. At Hubei's Huangshibei Railway Station, the first train resumed operation was G2045 from central Chinese city of Zhengzhou to the eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, with more than 100 people boarding the train from the station at 11:11 a.m., according to Feng Yulin, Party secretary of the station that had been closed since Jan. 24. "Today, a total of eight trains passed through the station that welcomed about 1,000 passengers, and the number is expected to hit around 2,000 tomorrow," Feng said. "I feel relieved to see the operation gradually return to normal." For the safety of passengers, the station has invited a professional team to conduct comprehensive disinfection of platforms, elevators, toilets and other areas, according to Feng. All outbound interprovincial-level highways will open by Friday to allow passengers to leave Hubei, except for Wuhan, said the provincial department of public security Wednesday. After more than 10 hours drive, Cheng Peng, starting from Hubei's Macheng, arrived in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen this afternoon, where he worked for a science and technology enterprise. The 28-year old said he returned to Hubei for the Spring Festival holiday but was stranded in his hometown for over two months due to the virus outbreak. "After entering the highway, I was checked the body temperature for four times and showed my health code at different service stations and the traffic police checkpoints," Peng said. According to him, there was little traffic in Hubei, probably because the restrictions have just been lifted. Cheng said staying at home for more than two months, he "can't wait to start working." "Life is too short. We should cherish every day and everyone we love," he said. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Home delivery of cooked food by online food delivery applications like Zomato and Swiggy, has been banned, according to an official statement by the Greater Chennai Corporation on Wednesday. However, the corporation has allowed e-commerce companies to home deliver essentials including grocery and vegetables, in the city. This announcement comes as a blessing for a lot of people, especially senior citizens, who find it difficult to step out for shopping. "The companies must strictly follow protocols of contactless delivery. Employees must wear safety gear like masks, gloves and caps, right from the production to delivery," said corporation commissioner, G Prakash. He added that companies found violating these protocols at any point of inspection will be barred from delivering further. Also, all tea shops in the city have been asked to close down by 6 pm, to avoid crowding of people in large numbers. Cooked food distribution by an agency or a volunteer has been completely banned. The civic body officials said anyone found guilty will be dealt with, by provisions of law. K. T. McFarland: The World is Reassessing China [CPAC 2020 Special] At CPAC 2020, K. T. McFarland, former deputy national security advisor under Gen. Michael Flynn, told Zooming In host Simone Gao that the world is reassessing China because of the COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus. She believes the U.S. government should take a leadership role in encouraging and directing the American tech sectors to develop the next generation of communication technology. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mishandling allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Some Trump administration officials have been calling it the Chinese virus or the Wuhan virus. Subscribe for updates on YouTube and follow us on Facebook. Official website: https://www.ntd.com/zooming-in Follow Simone on Twitter: @ZoomingIn_NTD. Download our new podcast, now available on iTunes, Spotify, and Google. Haiti - FLASH : Repatriation of French and European citizens, it remain 7 hours left to register The French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, with the support of the European Union, sets up a flight to Paris Charles-de-Gaulle, which will take off from Port-au-Prince airport Toussaint Louverture, Thursday March 26 at 4:10 p.m. This flight is open to French citizens and nationals of the European Union, as well as their spouses with European residence permits and their children. To embark, you will need: Appear on the list established by the French Embassy, Present a valid French or European passport when boarding. Spouses who are not French or European must have a valid passport and an official document authorizing their entry into the European Union (valid residence permit, circulation visa, short stay visa or visa long stay equivalent to residence permit). Have signed a commitment to reimburse the ticket price which is fixed at 300 Euros but is free for children under two years of age. Download the registration form : https://ht.ambafrance.org/IMG/docx/declaration_sur_l_honneur.docx?4959/5b523f9662506e310b7738362cd994e398b60677 This form must be completed and returned by email to: crisis.port-au-prince-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr) Those who cannot carry out this procedure remotely must do so before boarding. It is allowed to carry only one piece of hold baggage with a maximum weight of 15kg and one cabin baggage of 5kg. A light food and beverage service will be provided during the flight. If you wish to take this flight, please contact the dedicated team of the French Embassy : by phone at 29 99 90 90 or by email: crisis.port-au-prince-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr Registration will be closed this Wednesday, March 25 at 6:00 p.m. without exceptions. HL/ HaitiLibre YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. A total of 512 million and 607 thousand drams has been donated to the Armenian government for its anti-coronavirus efforts, the government said. The treasury account (900005001947) was opened on March 17th for citizens and organizations willing to make donations. The government said a total of 2582 payments were made since. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan also commented on the issue today. ''More than $1 million donations were received for fight against coronavirus in Armenia. Thank you all for your contributions! Each and every penny will be spent to help our society to overcome the pandemic'', Pashinyan tweeted. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan As people are bracing for a longer stay indoors during the lockdown, many students studying in West Bengal, including foreigners, are stuck in their hostel rooms away from home, with no sign of their plight ending soon. Institutes have been closed since March 16 over the Coronavirus outbreak, and boarders of hostels of Jadavpur, Presidency and Visva-Bharati universities are spending their time completing project works, managing to get food and playing indoor games. In Jadavpur University, 30 students are stuck in the boys' hostel with a majority of them from Nigeria, Somalia, and Bangladesh, an office-bearer of Arts Faculty Students Union told PTI on Tuesday. Of them, there are students also form Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar, said Teerna, the office-bearer. A JU official said the foreign students had come to the hostel long before the COVID-19 outbreak and they have no other place to go. "None of the students has any reported symptoms like flu," he said. The students from Bihar and Kashmir had to remain in the hostel as train services have been cancelled, he said. There are 11 women, all Indians, at the female hostel, the official said. "We are spending our time completing project work and reading books. While in normal situations, we had to be back at the hostel by 8 pm, now it is becoming an endless wait for us to go out. But with 10 other girls put up in different rooms, we are not complaining," said Nehal Mishra, one of the 11. "Let's hope the situation will end for the better soon," she said. Ninad Lohakare, the VP of Technology Students Gymkhana and one of the inmates of the IIT Kharagpur hostel in its campus, said many students are spending their times finishing projects online. "We are actively working on online research projects and other study-related works. We are also playing indoor games during breaks. We are prepared for a long battle but hope normalcy will return soon," he said. At Presidency University Hindu Hostel for boys, around 20 outstation students are currently lodged as they have no other option, a varsity official said. "The students staying at Hindu Hostel are having difficult times as they cannot go outside the building. I heard they are working on projects from hostel rooms apart from reading books," Subho Biswas, one of the total 120 boarders who had gone home vacating the hostel, said. The newly built girls hostel at Salt Lake is, however, empty with only the warden staying there at present. At Visva-Bharati hostel, all the Indian students have left but about 50 foreigners, most of them Bangladeshi and a few Japanese, are staying on, a spokesman of the university's SFI unit said. Last week, the American Red Cross announced that nearly 2,700 blood drives were canceled due to coronavirus resulting in about 86,000 fewer donations. The Red Cross referred to the situation as a severe blood shortage. To bolster those numbers, GLAAD has started a petition asking the United States Food and Drug Administration to lift its ban that prevents men who have had sex with men from donating blood. The FDA doesnt allow blood donations from men who have had sex over the last 12 months. There are no restrictions on women who have sex with women. This antiquated ban is not only discriminatory, but has been debunked by leading medical organizations for years, GLAAD said in a statement. The American Public Health Association has argued that the current ban is not based in science but appears to be modeled after other countries choices and fears. GLAAD, citing a study by the Williams Institute, said that lifting the FDA ban could provide an additional 360,000 men that would likely donate blood. That amount of blood could save a million lives. Holding on to an antiquated, discriminatory ban during these uncertain times is absurd. The FDA needs to put science above stigma, GLAAD said. Gay men, bisexual men, and men who have sex with men want to give blood and should be able to contribute to help their fellow Americans. The goal of the petition is to reach 10,000 signatures. As of Wednesday afternoon it had 3,383. Amid the cancellation of thousands of blood drives, the Red Cross reminded the public that precautions are being taken to ensure those who are donating blood can do so in a safe environment. We understand why people may be hesitant to come out for a blood drive but want to reassure the public that blood donation is a safe process, and that we have put additional precautions in place at our blood drives to protect the health of safety of our donors and staff, president and chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Gail McGovern said. Individuals can schedule an appointment to give blood with the American Red Cross by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or activating the Blood Scheduling Skill for Amazon Alexa. Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Related Content: [March 25, 2020] Live Music Tutor Offers Distance-Learning App with Essential Educational Features for Home-Schooling Students and Teachers AUSTIN, Texas, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Teachers and students who are looking for a robust educational app to improve their distance learning classes are turning to Live Music Tutor, an online learning platform and also newly released apps that has helped more than 50,000 K-12 schools and music students learn their lessons in public school classrooms as a supplement to music programs or at home with many of homeschoolers, virtual and charter schools while their teachers are from around the world. Unlike business apps that are designed only for video conferencing, Live Music Tutor was designed from the ground up to provide the curriculum resources and interactive tools teachers and students need, such as recorded sessions that students can review any time. "Our technology and platform are transferable to core subjects such as English, math, and science, as well as verticals including cooking, languages, fitness and yoga," said Ted Gee, president of Austin-based Live Music Tutor. "The difference between our platform and the business apps is that Live Music Tutor can provide for individual or group instruction in interactive environments very similar to live classrooms," he said. Additionally, with Live Music Tutor: Administrators can monitor classes and curriculum for quality control Lesson can be recorded by teachers and played back by students Special instruction can be offered with multiple views and split screens Schools and studios can license th curriculum and keep their branding, instructors, students, and pricing. Proven quality in more than 60 schools and districts across the United States Successful music therapy pilot at the Veterans Administration Hospital Platform complies with the Child Online Privacy Protection (COPPA) and Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) "Our platform and model will allow K-12 schools, music schools, and fitness enthusiasts to keep teachers employed, by licensing our technology and essentially moving in-person classes to interactive online classes," said Gee. TESTIMONIALS "Our students have been able to develop and enhance knowledge for music by working with Live Music Tutor. Parents have raved about the in-depth one on one instruction they've received from skilled instructors. We hope to continue this partnership for years to come," said Dr. Michelle Clayton, Superintendent, University View Academy, Baton Rouge, La. "The Live Music Tutor platform provides veterans real time access to skilled pools of talented music therapists and music educators to help, heal and treat our veteran community," said Hope Young, MT-BC and President Center for Music Therapy, Austin, Texas. ABOUT LIVE MUSIC TUTOR Founded in 2011, Live Music Tutor, Inc. (LMT), a public benefit corporation, is a software technology company that provides interactive virtual music lessons by vetted instructors and credentialed music therapists to individuals, schools and those in need of music therapy services. All programs are tailored to meet the needs of individuals, K-12 schools, veterans and other similar groups. Live Music Tutor apps are now available for android and apple products. For more information about Live Music Tutor, Inc., email us at [email protected] or go to our website www.livemusictutor.com Contact: Darlene Cortez Live Music Tutor 321-209-2078 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/live-music-tutor-offers-distance-learning-app-with-essential-educational-features-for-home-schooling-students-and-teachers-301029521.html SOURCE Live Music Tutor [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Javad Zarif held a phone conversation on March 25 at the initiative of the Armenian side, the foreign ministry said in a news release. Minister Mnatsakanyan congratulated his Iranian counterpart on Novruz and conveyed the Armenian peoples solidarity and support to the good people of Iran in the fight against the novel coronavirus. Presenting the Armenian governments efforts in the direction of preventing the further spread of the novel coronavirus, minister Mnatsakanyan highlighted international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic, particularly the coordinating of actions between neighboring countries. In this context both sides were pleased to note the existing close partnership and continuous exchange of experience between the Armenian and Iranian authorities in fighting the pandemic. During the talk, the Armenian FM highlighted the UN Secretary Generals call for maintaining ceasefires in conflict zones and revision of sanctions, emphasizing that the fight against the pandemic must become a chance for nations reconciliation and global solidarity. The Armenian and Iranian foreign ministers underscored bilateral readiness to take measures to maintain the dynamics of the bilateral agenda, boosting trade turnover in the existing conditions, as well as in the direction of addressing the issues concerning the repatriation of citizens of both countries. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan MELBOURNE, Australia, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enphase Energy, Inc. (ENPH), a global energy technology company and the worlds leading supplier of solar microinverters, today announced an expanded partnership with Rexel Group, a global multichannel solar distributor of products and services, to include Australia-wide distribution. The agreement makes Enphase products available to solar installers via Rexels extensive electrical wholesale network in both metro and regional Australia. Rexel Group operates in 26 countries with over 2,000 branches, has a distribution network of more than 40 businesses, and employs more than 26,000 workers worldwide. In Australia, Rexel has an electrical industry heritage that dates back more than 100 years and operates a national network of 146 wholesale branches across four brands, including Rexel, John R. Turk, Ideal Electrical, and Lear & Smith. The company is committed to providing expert customer service and an extensive range of reliable products that meet the highest safety standards. We pride ourselves in supporting our customer base with market-leading levels of product knowledge, customer service, pricing, and product availability, said Rob McLeod, managing director at Rexel Australia. We believe Enphase products offer an innovative AC solar solution that delivers the highest standards for solar safety to help installers grow their businesses, while minimizing their risk of exposure to high-voltage DC electricity. Rexel Australia will provide solar installers with Enphase IQ 7 and IQ 7+ microinverters as well as the full suite of Enphase IQ accessory products, including the Enphase Q Cable wire system and the Enphase Envoy communications gateway, to ensure one-stop-shop convenience at its nearly 50 specialist solar branches across the country. IQ 7 and IQ 7+ microinverters leverage Enphases unique software-defined architecture and semiconductor integration for excellent reliability and economies of scale. Story continues Enphase microinverters are subjected to a rigorous reliability and quality testing regimen with more than one million cumulative hours of power-on testing to ensure exceptional performance under heat, high humidity, salty air, extreme cold, and harsh climate conditions. The Companys microinverters are designed to be long-lived energy assets and are backed by a 10-year warranty in the Australian solar market, which can be extended for a fee to 15, 20, or 25 years by the homeowner. Enphase and Rexel have been working together in the United States and Europe, and we are pleased to extend this collaboration to Australia, said Dave Ranhoff, chief commercial officer at Enphase Energy. Rexels long history and brand strength in Australia, combined with its vast retail presence, means that solar installers can benefit from even more convenient access to Enphase products at competitive pricing and supported by our outstanding customer service. About Enphase Energy, Inc. Enphase Energy, a global energy technology company, delivers smart, easy-to-use solutions that manage solar generation, storage and communication on one intelligent platform. The Company revolutionized the solar industry with its microinverter technology and produces a fully integrated solar-plus-storage solution. Enphase has shipped more than 25 million microinverters, and over one million Enphase systems have been deployed in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit www.enphase.com/au and follow the company on Facebook , LinkedIn and Twitter . Enphase, IQ, IQ 7, IQ 7+, Enphase Q Cable, Enphase IQ Envoy, the Enphase logo, and other trademarks or service names are the trademarks of Enphase Energy, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes and may be trademarks of their respective owners. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements related to the expected safety, reliability, life expectancy, value, performance and advantages of Enphase Energys products and technology; quality of its customer service; and the capabilities of its installation partners. These forward-looking statements are based on Enphase's current expectations and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties including those risks described in more detail in Enphases most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents on file with the SEC and available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Enphase Energy undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations, except as required by law. Enphase Contact: The coronavirus pandemic has placed many passenger airliners around the world, including Alabama, in a less than lofty position: on the ground. Now airports around the state are enduring a precipitous drop in revenue and enplanements. Its been nearly 19 years since the world last saw the unsettling images of parked commercial airplanes lining airports around the globe. That occurred after the 9/11 terrorism attacks on the United States, resulting in all aircraft being grounded for several days. Chris Curry, the president of the Mobile Airport Authority, was an air traffic controller in England at the time and remembers the sudden jolt to the industry. All the airplanes were grounded then, unlike today where airplanes are still flying, said Curry. It (the 9/11 grounding) was much more robust. While the slowdown in airplane traffic triggered by the coronavirus pandemic is a different situation, its also more difficult to say how much longer it will last than 9/11, when the industry slowly rebounded with heightened security measures. The depressing statistics, as of Monday: -Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport has seen its operating revenues decline. In the past week alone, automobile parking revenues have plummeted 82%. According to airport spokeswoman Candace ONeil, the TSA checkpoint activity has been down 54% this month and down as much as 89% on certain days within the past week. She said that three weeks ago, the TSA checkpoints ranged between 3,000 to 4,700 people per day. Now, the activity is less than 1,000 people per day. -Huntsville International Airport is anticipating an astonishing 75% drop in revenue, projecting that over the next three months that the airports revenue loss will be $7 million to $10 million. -Passenger enplanements are down 65% at Mobile Regional Airport and down 50% at the Downtown airport, according to Curry. -Montgomerys revenues are down 60% on items such as parking, customer facility charges, rental car fees to the airport, concessions, etc. -According to the Aviation Council of Alabama, Auburn University Regional Airport is currently experiencing a 95% reduction in flight school operations, and is experiencing a projected loss of $600,000 in the next three months. Tuscaloosa National Airport is reporting losses in the 20-30% range, the council reports. Dothan Regional Airport has also been hit hard. While all our airports operate independently, the challenge are facing right now is the same immediate decline in revenue that was expected, said Todd Storey, president of the aviation council, in a news release updating the status of the states airports. One operational issue Curry and airline officials throughout Alabama are also scrambling to address is making sure they have enough room to allow airlines to temporarily park their aircraft while the traveling industry recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. At Mobiles Downtown Airport at the Brookley Aeroplex, 13 airplanes are parked, and Curry is anticipating a total of two dozen arriving in the near future. We may entertain parking narrow bodies such as the (Airbus) A320s there, he said. We are putting parking plans together now to make sure we understand our capacity. At Birmingham-Shuttlesworth, 64 Delta aircraft are parked throughout the airport. Huntsville International and Montgomery Regional have also been told to be on standby in case more planes need to temporarily parked during the pandemic. According to a Wall Street Journal article published on Monday, U.S. airlines are preparing to shut down and virtually ending all passenger flights in the country during the coronavirus pandemic. Curry said he doesnt foresee the entire industry grounded to a halt like it was during 9/11. He said a lot of that depends on what happens in Washington, D.C. I think a lot of the airlines decisions are specifically contained in the stimulus plan, he said. Harrowing scenario American Airlines employees wait for passengers to check in at LaGuardia Airport, Saturday, March 21, 2020, in New York, N.Y. The Federal Aviation Administration briefly suspended flights to New York City-area airports on Saturday after a trainee at a regional air-traffic control hub on Long Island tested positive for coronavirus.AP Photo | Mary Altaffer Right now, Alabamas airports are not reporting any immediate layoffs even though some airports have been hammered by unimaginable losses in revenues for the next three months. Airports in other parts of the country are slashing jobs as the coronavirus rattles the industry: Close to 80 workers have been laid off at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, and 310 from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. Layoffs are also occurring at other large airports in New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago and Orlando. Delta Airlines placed 10,000 workers on unpaid leave, while American Airlines sent layoff notices to 11,000 employees. Its a harrowing type of scenario that is going on with travel, said Marshall Taggart Jr., the executive director at Montgomery Regional Airport. Contingency plans Indeed, Alabamas commercial airports are suffering since restrictions began on travel since the COVID19 outbreak began two weeks ago. Cost cutting measures have started. The contingency plans include: -In Birmingham, airport officials implemented a hiring freeze, reduced expenses by freezing staff travel and overtime, and projects funded by the airport are postponed. -Huntsville is operating in mission critical mode, according to Kuner, which means the airport is operating with two teams that alternatives weekly from working inside an office while the other works from home. This is our plan going forward so that if we have someone who tests positive that we will still have another team of folks who can operate the airport onsite, said Kuner. -Montgomery has put its future long-range expansion plans on hold for the now. Taggart said plans to add an extra baggage carousel and improvements throughout the facility as well as a new on-site hotel, will be delayed. -Mobile is operating on a day-by-day basis acknowledging the fluidity of the coronavirus crisis as airport officials explore aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue sources to soften the financial impact, according to Curry. Mobile, however, is still on target to push ahead with a switch of commercial operations from Mobile Regional Airport in west Mobile to the Downtown airport at Brookley. The conversion is part of an ongoing study that is expected to be completed this year. Curry said the switch, however, wont likely by buoyed by new carriers entering the Mobile market. He said the switch will involve the three legacy carriers American Airlines, Delta and United. And he said he believes COVID-19 could expedite the switch of commercial activity as airlines seek financial relief and as the Downtown airport offers a lower cost structure for them to operate, Curry said. Disruption Some of the airport officials as well as industry analysts believe there is reason to be confident in a bounce back because the industrys economic fundamentals before coronavirus crisis were solid. The biggest concern, they say, is when the passengers will flock back to the terminals without being worried over the spread of COVID-19. The load factors for us were 75-80% full about two weeks ago, said Taggart at Montgomery Regional where close to 390,000 passengers flew through in 2019, representing the highest total since 2010. Everything just started (last) Monday. He added, I think (the airlines) will (bring back passengers) with incentives, reduced pricing, and you will see a lot of things unprecedented in the industry to grow traffic, he added. Im very optimistic. William Gartner, a professor within the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota, said the airports need to brace for a disruption that will last as long as people are afraid of coronavirus. This economic disruption was not caused by underlying fundamental weaknesses, but it is having a severe impact on our economic foundation, said Gardner. I do not see an immediate return to normal traffic loads once the virus is under control. The amount of time it will take for air traffic to return to pre-virus levels will be based more than anything else on consumer sentiment and psyche. Critically crippled Airports have been largely vacated in the past week following orders throughout the country for people to social distance and avoid groups of 25 or more people an almost impossibility at most terminals. Kim Kenville, a professor at the University of North Dakotas John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, said she doesnt anticipate airports closing as the crisis continues. She said they are considered critical infrastructure by the federal government, which means they will remain open as coronavirus continues to spread. Staffing, though, will likely be tight. My guess is that most organizations dont have deep reserves to keep funding employees, so there could be layoffs, Kenville said. Airline bankruptcies could emerge and then they would not be paying rent/commissions either. The Aviation Council of Alabama and other airports are hopeful that Congress can come through with assistance. Storey, the president of the state council said he hopes the federal government can provide enough emergency assistance to help offset the unexpected losses. He said without the help, the airports could be critically crippled. U.S. airports are asking for $10 billion from Congress as part of an overall stimulus plan federal lawmakers are considering. Airlines, as part of a $2.5 trillion U.S. House plan, would get $37 billion in grants. Said Kuner, at Huntsville International, Our hope, alongside airports across the country, is that the federal government will provide emergency assistance for the airports. Even so, will airports be safe places to go if social distancing restrictions are lifted, but the coronavirus continues to spread? Brandon Brown, associate professor at the Center for Healthy Communities in the Department at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine, said the virus will continue to be a problem for the travel industry. He said that airports contribute to the spread of COVID-19 simply by their nature as travel centers. Airports are often filled with thousands of people, with limited personal space and lots of touching of surfaces, said Brown. If one person is shedding virus, it becomes simple to spread the virus to others, either through physical touch or aerosolized particles. Let us all observe the National Prayer and Fasting for Allah's intervention against the coronavirus. We give praises and thanks to Allah for the gift of life He has blessed us with. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) is the messenger of Allah. As we observe these days of National Prayer and Fasting on Wednesday and Thursday as directed by the President and the National Chief Imam, we continue to call on all to adhere to the preventive measures against the spread of the coronavirus in our country, and also ask all of us to repent, ask for forgiveness from Allah and also cry to Allah to relieve the world of the Coronavirus, heal those affected and stop the spread. We urge all Muslims to take note of the following measures at this moment: 1. We should offer more prayers during the breaking of our fast since it is one of the best times that Allah answers the prayers of the believers. 2. We should also pray for those who have been infected by the virus, those in isolation and quarantine. 3. We comfort those who have been quarantined due to suspicion of infections and all those in isolation. It is not a moment of distress but rather a good time for meditation and reflection on the activities of our life and especially about Allah as it is the best moment to get close to Him. This is true for almost all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah including Moses, Jesus and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). 4. It is important for us to acknowledge our sins against the world especially the most abominable acts such as homosexuality, lesbianism, transgender, destruction of water bodies and forests. 5. I urge the Muslim Ummah to continue and intensify the Sunnah fasting on Mondays and Thursdays especially during this period to seek for Allah's Mercies. These measures I believe will bring us Allah's Mercies and intervention in fighting the pandemic in Ghana and the rest of the world. OUR PRAYER Oh Allah save us, our families, the Ummah, our country Ghana and the whole world from this COVID-19 pandemic and any other disease that threatens our very existence. We pray for the lives of the health workers, that you protect them from this deadly virus as they seek to save humanity. We pray for all the officials working against the spread of the virus, we pray for the leadership of this country, for wisdom and guidance. We pray for the elderly, the children, the sick, the poor and vulnerable that Allah in this time of need you offer them protection and sustenance. We pray that you grant us a cure for this virus and heal the entire world. Forgive the entire world for all the sins we have committed. Comfort those in quarantine and isolation and cure those infected with the virus. Protect all of us from getting infected. Allah show your Mercy to the world. Ameen. From: SHEIKH DR. AMIN BONSU, CHAIRMAN, GHANA MUSLIM MISSION Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 25.03.2020 LISTEN We failed to shut out COVID-19 when we could. We may have underestimated it, or we may have been bothered about the international opprobrium other than the implications for our citizens. Whatever the reason, we have ended up importing a disease or virus that we have no capacity to manage head-on. As I often say, when a tap is flooding your room, you dont dry up the room by using a spoon to fetch out the water. Neither do you use a pail. You must first shut the tap. You can then mop-up or fetch out. Even if it is a drop at a time, you will surely finish dealing with the problem. We failed to shut the tap on COVID-19 by not shutting our borders early. The COVID-tap is now running among the citizenry through community spread. Just as in the analogy of the flooding tap, we need to shut the COVID tap now. This means just one thing, LOCK GHANA DOWN NOW! Whether in regions considered epicenters or nationwide, Ghana must be locked down now. Every day we fail to act escalates our situation, especially when we know we do not have adequate health infrastructure nor resources to deal with the consequences. Will people suffer for it? Yes, but millions more will suffer more permanently if we do not lockdown now. It is war! We must clearly define our strategy and choose our casualties. A 100 now or a million later? The true character and measure of leaders are not established in happy moments but in challenging moments, when difficult decisions are made to steer the larger population to better times. This is time for leadership, not electoral syllogism. Dear Mr. President, please LOCK GHANA DOWN NOW before it locks us OUT! Ghana is its people and not just a geographic location. Dealing with the Lockdown Key challenges with a lockdown in Ghana include: Dealing with the social impact on citizens who are economically marginalized, like Kayaye, whose meagre earnings are made daily; how will they and the homeless feed and survive? The doctors, nurses, security services, supply chain operatives and others who are part of the essential services of the state required to combat Covid-19, also depend on support service operators like food vendors, trotro and taxi drivers, fuel stations and the like. How will such support services be sustained in a LOCKDOWN? These are difficult challenges but scalable. The following and improved versions of this may suffice. Use our Secondary Schools and University Residential facilities The secondary schools and university facilities may be used as social shelters to house the socially deprived and homeless. With centralized locations established, Government will be better placed to implement support interventions like food and water supplies. Involve the Churches and Mosques These religious bodies are places of love and these times are big moments to show that love. We should have our church buildings temporarily converted into social shelters to augment the school residences if inadequate. The religious bodies should be rallied to gather support in kind from their membership to feed and fund the persons in defined social shelters and quarantine centers. If we can find $100mn for a cathedral that God never lives in, then we should find support to sustain the needy in these difficult times. Centralize Accommodation and Service to Essential Officers Isolate all required essential officers and service providers in centralized locations like hotels and university student residences. This will better Governments capacity to facilitate support logistics for their operations. Prioritize and lead by example Citizens expect Government to set its priorities right; not chasing the luxury of a new voters register over saving the lives of would-be voters. Cut budget provisions for such expenditure and allocate funding to the COVID-19 war with increased transparency in its spending. When citizens see honest commitment, the benevolence and humanity of Ghanaians and corporates will flow with much ease. It is time to rally the people to save Mother Ghana. Appeal to Corporates The PAYE taxes paid by corporates over the period of the lockdown should be recognized as corporate social responsibility and the period be not considered a part of employee leave. It is time for all to shed some gains to save all. #LOCKDOWNNOW -Partial or whole? The lockdown ideally ought to be absolute but if personnel and resources are inadequate to enforce it, it must at a minimum be fully deployed in urban centers and their related peri-urban areas. The whole of Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions must be locked down plus all capital cities and major commercial towns like Obuasi and Hohoe. As is often said, in the abundance of time, there is no time. And when there is no time, action must BE ROLLING! Ghana is its people and needs its people to be healthy and safe to thrive. We need that boldness and swiftness in leadership shown in the shutdown of our schools NOW. Senyo K. Hosi Finance and Economic Policy Analyst #LOCKDOWNNOW! Teachers are overwhelmed by the flood of online educational resources on social media since schools across the country began a rapid and unexpected transition to remote learning in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Professional organizations, school districts, and individual teachers have started running lists of materials and programs. Many curriculum companies have made portions of their offerings free for the next few months, while nonprofit organizations like the Smithsonian Institution have posted free resources specifically for educators. Several states, including California, have also developed curated collections of free materials as part of their remote learning guidance for districts. For teachers, sifting through the outpouring of lessons, videos, simulations, and activities can feel like trying to drink from a firehose. Anyone else feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of the resources shared? asked one teacher on Twitter last week. It is an abundance of awesome for sure but not quite sure how to navigate it. See Also: Free Online Resources for Remote Teaching Many experts say that even while teachers will have to transition to new platforms and ways of interacting with students, now isnt the best time to switch over to a new curriculum or set of materials. The school year has been disrupted on an unprecedented scale. There is a bit of a risk here in fragmentation, said Amy Briggs, the president of Student Achievement Partners. Ensuring continuity and coherence is essential. Leverage What Is Already Adopted While some teachers have guidance from their principals or administrators on what to use, others are cobbling together an online classroom themselves, said Briggs. Ive talked to people who have seen nothing from their district. Ive talked to parents whose kids are already in day two of daylong Google classroom, she said. I think its a real range right now. For teachers who are pulling together their own online materials, it can be unclear where to start. How much of their curriculum should they plan to use? And if theyre looking for new resources designed for online learning, how do they evaluate the quality? If schools already have a full-year curriculum sequence in place, that can be the starting point for teachers, said Eric Hirsch, the executive director of EdReports, a nonprofit curriculum reviewer. Leverage what your district has adopted thats already online and available to you, added Briggs. A lot of high-quality curricula have online resources teachers can access, she said. These recommendations are also reflected in some of the plans that states and large districts have already put together for online learning in the months ahead. In Kansas, where Gov. Laura Kelly has ordered all school buildings to remain closed through the end of the academic year, the states learning plan for the rest of the semester emphasizes continuity. One of the guiding principles is to encourage use of materials, resources, and platforms that are already in use. This advice also surfaces in plans for general e-learning that some states were already using before COVID-19 in the event of snow days or other short, unexpected school disruptions. In Indiana, for example, instruction during e-learning days is expected to cover the same content that students would have learned if they were in the classroom. Michael Quist, a high school chemistry and Spanish teacher in Eminence, Ky., tried to keep his students engaged in the same readings that they were doing in Spanish class when they switched over to online learning last week. He read aloud from the short novel they were studying in class, and posted the video recordings to Flipgrid, a platform that his students were already familiar with. I think that was the key for making this work. I wasnt doing anything unusual, weird, unexpected, Quist said. Still, schools should be prepared to pare back their expectations of what teachers and students can get done during this time, said Trena Wilkerson, the president-elect of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. What are the key things? Wilkerson said. Were not going to be able to do everything we had planned for the academic year. Too Many New Resources For many teachers, though, using new resourcesand new platformswill be inevitable. Kaitlyn Barker, a 10th grade English/language arts teacher at Avon Community School Corporation in central Indiana, said shes trying to introduce them slowly. I dont want to throw too many new resources at them at once, she said. Shes started with some videoconferencing, so that she can have class discussions with her students about the book theyre reading. There are sources that teachers can turn to for evaluating materials and online curricula. Briggs recommended the EQuIP rubric, designed to evaluate ELA and math lessons against the Common Core State Standards. And while Hirsch emphasized that EdReports only reviews full-year curricula, its reviews include information about specific pieces of curriculafor instance, which lessons or units are especially strong on application or fluency, he said. Educators should be working toward the same standards that they were before schools shut down their physical locations, but ultimately, materials are just one piece of the puzzle, Hirsch said. Theres the curriculum and the content, and then theres the instruction around it, he said. New Delhi, March 25 : A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a 21-day nationwide lockdown in view of the coronavirus outbreak, BJP President J.P. Nadda also held meetings with party leadership and cadres alike through video conferencing to chalk out how to help in relief measures. A little after 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nadda spoke to select leaders of the party and cadres on possible ways the BJP can use its vast resource of cadres at a time when 133 crore Indians are locked inside their homes. Since there is a total clampdown on any movement, all state units were asked to offer help to respective state governments who can use them as they deem fit. The Delhi BJP was the first such state unit which earlier wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to offer its resources to fight the outbreak in the capital. Nadda is also believed to have asked to up the ante on social media to fight any misinformation by quoting Ministry of Health data. He also highlighted how Prime Minister Modi has reached out to different stakeholders. This move comes a day after Nadda was engaged in a similar exercise where he communicated with BJP cadres of north India through audio conferencing on Tuesday to discuss about the party's role in fighting coronavirus. He not only urged them to take this fight against coronavirus to its logical end but also warned against hiding any party meeting or agitation for the next one month. On Wednesday, India's confirmed cases of COVID-19 crossed 600. Think of it as Super Postponed Day. June 2 had been an afterthought on the Democratic primary calendar. Ever since Joseph R. Biden Jr. seized the mantle of front-runner, voters in New Jersey and a few other states scheduled to vote that day assumed the Democratic horse race would be over before their primaries rolled around. But with numerous states pushing back voting to June 2 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the date has gained sudden prominence. It now confers a huge bounty of delegates, second only to Super Tuesday in early March, with Indiana, Pennsylvania and others moving to hold their primaries on the first Tuesday in June. Although Mr. Biden has built an all but insurmountable lead, June 2 which is a long 10 weeks away will be his first chance to clinch the presidential nomination. Only then would the former vice president have a definitive reason to press for the withdrawal of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has shown no inclination to leave a race that feels frozen in place. Some Democratic strategists see possible perils in the delay. Having to wait until June 2 for the next major chapter in the nominating race largely deprives Mr. Biden of a chance to rack up interim victories that would bring media attention; President Trump, meanwhile, is promoting his leadership in a global pandemic. A Monmouth University Poll on Tuesday showed Mr. Biden with a three-point lead over Mr. Trump among registered voters nationally, 48 percent to 45 percent, an edge the pollsters called negligible. Kuwait City, March 25 (IANS) Kuwait reported four new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 195, the Health Ministry announced on Wednesday. At a daily briefing, the ministry's spokesman Abdullah Al-Sanad said that two cases are a Kuwaiti woman who has recently returned from Britain and a Kuwaiti man who has recently arrived back from Saudi Arabia, Xinhua news agency reported. The other two cases are two expats from the Philippines and Somalia, he said. In addition, six patients are being treated in ICU, and a total of 717 cases have completed the quarantine period, he added. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Minister of Health Bassel Al-Sabah announced on Wednesday that four more COVID-19 patients have recovered from the infection, bringing the total number of those overcoming the disease to 43. The Kuwaiti government has decided to impose a nationwide curfew to contain the spread of the coronavirus. On March 13, Kuwait suspended all commercial flights. The government also decided to close stores, malls and barbershops. --IANS sdr/ [March 25, 2020] Rokk3r, Momentum Events partner to bring exponential company-building methodology to SMBs combatting world-changing circumstances NEW YORK and MIAMI, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rokk3r, a Miami-based company-building platform, and Momentum Events, a New York City-based B2B live and digital events provider, are pleased to announce the launch of a strategic partnership to deliver critical information via interactive webinars and virtual events to small- and medium-sized businesses navigating the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its economic impacts. Registration is complimentary . Rokk3r's methodology, used by the firm to launch more than 50 companies over the last eight years, leverages exponential technologies, such as AI/machine learning and Big Data; worldwide connectivity; and assets of established companies, to build new value propositions that have the potential of growing exponentially, or at least 10X. The first webinar, "Building Companies that Thrive in Times of Crisis," will provide attendees with the knowledge and practical tools to develop the foundation for navigating the current crisis and preparing for the recovery. It will be hosted Wednesday, April 1, at 3 p.m. EST. "We are used to working in crisis mode; we've seen many industries disrupted by new companies who see an opportunity in times of change," said Rokk3r General Partner Lorenzo de Leo. "This current crisis is no different. Companies need to understand the world has simply changed once again, and they need to act fast." Attendees to the webinar will gain several key insights including: How to lead with an optimistic mindset that lets your team and the industry know that you have a promising and reliable future; How to develop new value propositions to set your business ahead of the hungry competition; How to leverage technology and innovation intelligently to fuel efficient growth; How to make sense of the resources that are being made available to help small businesses bridge the gap to the new normal and how to assess which ones make the most sense for your company. Ben Greenzweig . "We're thrilled to partner with such a forward-thinking company to deliver this much-needed content." About Rokk3r Inc. Rokk3r is a company-building platform, founded and headquartered in Miami, Florida, that enables aspiring entrepreneurs and established companies to successfully launch exponential, tech-driven businesses. By leveraging Rokk3r's global network of engineers, UX designers and technology business strategists, such groundbreaking companies as SoStereo , AdMobilize , and Uniko have been #PoweredByRokk3r. To learn how Rokk3r transforms businesses from traditional to exponential, visit rokk3r.com . Keep up with Rokk3r on social media via Twitter , LinkedIn , Instagram and Facebook . About Momentum With over 80 years of combined experience, Momentum proudly develops events that attract the best and brightest minds who come together to share their knowledge and connect with the individuals that matter most. We are here to ensure your career always stays in motion, gaining the energy it needs to tackle any challenge and capitalize on every. For media inquiries, contact: Debora Lima | [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rokk3r-momentum-events-partner-to-bring-exponential-company-building-methodology-to-smbs-combatting-world-changing-circumstances-301029893.html SOURCE Rokk3r Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Scam artists are cashing in on the desperate search for N95 respirators the fitted face masks frontline health workers need to keep themselves healthy as the coronavirus swiftly spreads across New Jersey, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said Tuesday. Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, one of the hardest-hit hospitals by COVID-19 cases in New Jersey, discovered that about 1,000 respirators it recently acquired did not meet government safety standards, hospital spokeswoman Jessica Griffin said. The real respirators are form-fitting, made from fibrous material, and that like the N95 name suggests filters out 95 percent of airborne particles. The phony masks are made from cloth and look more like surgical masks, Holy Name Chief Medical Officer Adam Jarrett told NJ Advance Media. We are not using ones we dont trust, Jarrett said. Even without those (1,000) masks, we have been able to stay three to four days ahead, he said. The N95 masks typically cost $1 a piece, but some providers in this sellers market are asking as much as $9 each. Thats sad, Jarrett said. Weve had to spend more than $1 but not the $9. I dont know where we have capped it. But the care of our patients and the safety of our staff are of the utmost importance. During the states daily coronavirus press briefing Tuesday, Persichilli and Gov. Phil Murphy acknowledged the problem of phony personal protective equipment is becoming a widespread problem. Under the pressure of trying to keep their employees safe, I know some of the hospitals have responded to those calls and I know they have spent an awful lot of money more than they normally would for these products," Persichilli said. I get about 15 to 20 emails a day about people who claim to have some big warehouse somewhere if only we could fork over $1 million in cash up front, theyll be happy to sell us some n95s," the governor added. You cant argue with why folks are as desperate as they are, given the heroism of the health care workers and first responders. While his surgery center temporarily closed since the outbreak, Stavros Christoudias of the Heritage Surgical Group in Bergen County said he has been running down leads on where to find protective equipment. Legitimate masks and manufacturers are regulated by NIOSH the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. But when Christoudias has asked sellers to demonstrate their bona fides by showing a certificate from NIOSH, he says they have provided an obviously forged document from U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fakes are easy to spot if you know what you are looking for, he said. The FDA alone would not verify the authenticity of the product or the manufacturer. Three companies have the same FDA approval number, he said. There were no raised seals, no names or dates. White-out is visible on some forms, he said. Surgeon Stavros Christoudias said he encountered this phony certificate in the hunt for the N95 respirator masks that are in short supply for medical professionals. Note the white-out at the top. You have to do your due diligence. Unless it was tested by NIOSH or the FDA after NIOSH, look at that supply as suspect, he said. The New Jersey Hospital Association has created a vetting process to assist hospitals, spokeswoman Kerry McKean Kelly said. People seeking cash payment are not legitimate, she said. Were also asking for proof that their supplies are approved by NIOSH the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health," she said. Unfortunately, this crisis has brought some bad actors out of the woodwork, Kelly said. Weve had countless vendors reaching out to us here at (New Jersey Hospital Association) with offers of supplies and no doubt the hospitals have as well. Many of those companies are legitimate but some, we suspect, are not, Kelly said. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. As Maharashtra grapples with the rising number of coronavirus cases, the nationwide lockdown has cost daily wagers their livelihood. However, in several parts of Thane district, good Samaritans, including the police, have come forward to provide essential commodities to families of workers who have been rendered jobless. Labourers who survive on the day's earnings have been severely hit by the COVID-19 lockdown that has shut establishments and suspended construction activities. In a bid to ease the blow of the lockdown, policemen from Kolsewadi police station in Thane district's Kalyan town distributed food packets to families of daily wagers in different localities. The initiative will continue for some time till the situation normalises, a senior official said. Thane resident Taki Chaulkar visited several tribal hamlets of Sawroli, Ghagas Pada, Navi Vasati, Boroligaon, Vapalwadi and Padgha and distributed packets of food grains to over 100 families of daily wagers. Meanwhile, Thane Municipal Commissioner Vijay Singhal directed officials to ensure that street vendors maintain at least a 100 metre distance from customers. Those who do not abide by this directive will be prosecuted, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just like many Australians, radio presenter Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald is in self-isolation with his wife, Belinda, and their two young sons. And on Wednesday, the Nova host, 43, shared a distressing photo of his eldest son Hewie, 10, after chaos broke out in his home among his stir crazy children. Hewie received a puncture mark on his leg from being stabbed by his younger sibling Lenny, six. Intense: Nova's Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald's 'stir crazy' son was STABBED in the leg during a disagreement over a boardgame . Fitzy is pictured with his co-host Wippa here 'Lenny stabbed Hewie in the leg (with a pen) over a game of Cluedo,' the post explained of the situation. Medical supplies were seen behind the child as he sucked on a lollipop. The incident appeared to have occurred after a disagreement between the children while playing a boardgame together. 'Lenny stabbed Hewie in the leg (with a pen) over a game of Cluedo': Hewie received a puncture mark on his leg from being stabbed by his younger sibling Lenny, six Negative result: Fitzy and his co-host Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli were tested for COVID-19 this month after having contact with coronavirus-positive Richard Wilkins Fitzy and his co-host Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli were tested for COVID-19 this month after having contact with coronavirus-positive Richard Wilkins. While the Nova FM breakfast duo were both found to have negative results, they are broadcasting their radio show from home as a precaution for the time being. The presenters were commended on Thursday by Prime Minister Scott Morrison for setting a 'great example' to the general public by putting the safety of others first. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness characterised by fever, coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath and fatigue. The government is encouraging social distancing and self-isolation to limit the number of potentially infected people in public spaces, which could endanger vulnerable Australians. As of Wednesday morning, there are 2,317 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, including eight deaths. Authorities in Argentina are investigating a local pastor who is hawking a phony sanitizer which he claimed could cure people from coronavirus. Hector Anibal Gimenez was denounced last Wednesday after a video surfaced of the pastor attempting to sell a $16 bottle of gel produced with extracts of tuberose plants. 'The pastor is going to provide me with gel alcohol, with pure tuberose. What am I going to put in your hand? Gel alcohol with pure tuberose,' Gimenez said during his minute-long presentation. The pastor, who heads the Temple of Waves of Love and Peace, a church with almost 30,000 congregants in Almagro, a middle class town in Buenos Aires, promised the the bottle in his hands could miraculously heal anybody infected. There is currently no cure or vaccine for coronavirus, which has killed more than 19,000 globally. The disease has sickened at least 430,000 in 172 countries. Health officials in Argentina have reported seven deaths related to the coronavirus and 387 confirmed cases as of Wednesday. Hector Anibal Gimenez (center), a pastor in Argentina, is being investigated for selling a alcohol hand gel which he claimed cures the coronavirus Argentine pastor Hector Anibal Gimenez went on national television to say he was only spreading the 'word of God' and that he was not selling the hand gel but accepting donations from his church's parishioners 'Brother, you are going to be ready to overcome the crisis, the coronavirus, and we are going to overcome death itself,' Gimenez claimed. Surrounded by a crowd of children on stage, the pastor boasted the product was extremely limited. 'I wish I could get alcohol gel for all of you. I have to put gel alcohol all over your hands. But I have only 12 of these,' Gimenez claimed. 'I have only 12 of these. I want you to represent your family, your neighborhood with these 12. Those who can make a pact have to help us,' he added. 'If you come here, it is because you are going to give 1,000 pesos, so do not rush.' The 1,000 peso price tag is equivalent to $16 in the US. According to Infobae, Gimenez has been charged with allegedly violating article 208 of the penal code which could net him 15 days to a year in jail if found guilty of illegally 'prescribing, administering or regularly applying medications, waters, electricity, hypnotism or any means intended for the treatment of people's illnesses, even free of charge.' He tried to defend himself in a recent appearance on Argentine network America TV by saying that 'pastor Gimenez does not sell alcohol [sanitizer], I preach the word of God which allows me to reach 1 million Argentines.' Gimenez then added that the parishioners did not buy the phony gel, instead they made a charitable contribution to his church before bolting from the live television interview. The pastor said the gel contains extracts from a natural plant he identified as tubercose Authorities around the world have warned consumers against buying into phony cures for coronavirus. The state of Missouri is suing disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker for selling a fake coronavirus cure on his website and show. Attorney General Eric S Schmitt named Bakker and his production company, Morningside Church Productions, as the defendants in the suit which was filed in the state's circuit court of Stone County. Both Bakker and the church are based in the state. The suit states that the defendants 'violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act by falsely promising to consumers that Silver Solution can cure, eliminate, kill, or deactivate coronavirus and/or boost elderly consumers' immune system and help keep them healthy when there is, in fact, no vaccine, pill, potion or other product available to treat or cure coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).' Jim Bakker is being sued by Missouri for marketing Silver Solutions as a cure for coronavirus During a February 12 episode of the show with guest 'naturapathic doctor' Sherill Sellman, Bakker posited that the Silver Solution sold on the show's website would be effective against the coronavirus. Bakker - an ardent Trump supporter - asks guest Sherill Sellman if the solution will work against the virus, to which she responds: 'Let's say it hasn't been tested on this strain of the coronavirus, but it's been rested on other strains of the coronavirus and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours'. The suit calls for a temporary restraining order against Bakker and the production company. It states that the defendants 'solicited the business of Missouri and non-Missouri consumers to purchase Silver Solution as a product to "support your immune system", "speed up natural processes that have positive effects on the body", and "resonating at just the right frequency"... to... "disrupt foreign elements without disturbing the body's natural environment.' Attorney General Eric S Schmitt named Bakker and his production company, Morningside Church Productions, as the defendants in the suit which was filed in the state's circuit court of Stone County The suit mentions that Sellman and Bakker's exchange was referenced on the show's website, where the Solution was sold. Missouri is the first state to sue Bakker in connection to Silver Solution, with the suit mentioning an Food and Drug Administration (FDA) letter from last week that slammed the company and others for selling unapproved coronavirus drugs. 'The FDA considers the sale and promotion of fraudulent COVID-19 products to be a threat to the public health,' the FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., said in the letter. We have an aggressive surveillance program that routinely monitors online sources for health fraud products, especially during a significant public health issue such as this one. 'We understand consumers are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and urge them to talk to their health care providers, as well as follow advice from other federal agencies about how to prevent the spread of this illness. We will continue to aggressively pursue those that place the public health at risk and hold bad actors accountable.' According to Brazilian newspaper UOL, agents with the Minas Gerias Civil Police arrested a 38-year-old man who was selling $6 counterfeit medicine bottles that promised the cure of COVID-19. The illicit homemade drug contained an extract from a plant named geranium. In a separate operation, police in Sao Paulo dismantled a clandestine warehouse where fake hand sanitizers were produced and sold for $2. Cops arrested a worker and the factory owner. Sao Paulo cops busted a clandestine warehouse where fake hand sanitizer was being produced to be sold for $2 Verizon will provide free internet access to all students who need it in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the company announced today. This could help as many as 100,000 students continue to learn while schools are closed. Reliable internet access is critical during this pandemic, but Verizon (Engadget's parent company) is a little late to step up. Spectrum is offering free internet installation and service to students and their families. Comcast is making its Internet Essentials program free for new, qualifying customers for 60 days, and it is boosting broadband speeds for existing Internet Essentials customers. AT&T has removed data usage caps. While Verizon's support for students in LAUSD is critical, that's only one school district. As Superintendent Austin Beutner said, "the digital divide is very real." With learning moving online, closing the digital divide across the entire country may be more important than ever. Several states are reporting only positive COVID-19 test results from private labs, a practice that paints a misleading picture of how fast the disease is spreading. Maryland, Ohio and others are posting the numbers of new positive tests and deaths, for instance, but don't report the negative results, which would help show how many people were tested overall. "This matters because it gives you a false sense of what is going on in a particular location," said Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. He said states should be required to report both positive and negative results for review by public health experts. "They should all be pulled together," Topol said. "It should be automatic." Many states display a more comprehensive picture of their pandemic data, including the total numbers of tests run and those yielding negative results. The COVID Tracking Project, a private effort to collect testing information nationwide, has found at least nine states that have reported complete results only from state labs, or are missing some reports on negative results. Melanie Amato, press secretary for the Ohio Department of Health, said her state is collecting only positive test results as many private labs have begun testing residents. As of Tuesday afternoon, the state reported 564 confirmed cases, 145 hospitalizations and eight deaths on its website. "We don't require private labs to report negative labs in any infectious disease," she said. Asked if that policy might change, she said: "That is a discussion for later down the road." Similarly, the Maryland Department of Health "is currently reporting the number of positive cases only. We are working on a process to provide timely testing number data," the department told KHN in a statement, adding: "We will provide additional information as soon as it is available." As of Tuesday afternoon, the state was reporting 349 confirmed cases. In states that do report all test results, the rate of infections varies widely, with some reporting 5% or fewer tests as positive, while others confirm the virus in 10% or more of specimens. The results can change by the day. As of Tuesday, Utah reported 298 confirmed cases out of 5,823 tested, or about 5% positives. Officials noted that some results may have a lag time of up to 72 hours. Florida officials had conducted 10,338 tests as of Sunday, of which 1,007 were positive, for a rate just under 10%. Florida officials said they partnered with commercial labs to "increase the number of tests conducted each day and ensure Floridians receive the critical health information they need in a timely manner." As of Monday afternoon, hard-hit Washington state had reported 2,221 positive test results and 31,712 negatives, for a positive rate of 7%. The state also reported 110 deaths. Having a more complete picture in those states that limit reporting "could provide useful information of tracking transmission and timing," said Charles Root, a veteran laboratory consultant in Chicago. The U.S Surgeon General's Office on Sunday tweeted: "not all labs are reporting yet (or promptly), but the ones that do, report that 90% of tests (which are usually people exposed or w/ symptoms) are #COVID19 negative. That means even among the highest risk people, most don't have #coronavirus" It's unclear how federal authorities are adjusting to underreporting of negative tests, which could blur what's actually happening across the country. On Monday, the White House task force took steps to ramp up nationwide reporting. "We also reminded the governors today that all state laboratories, all hospital laboratories are now required by law to report the results of coronavirus tests to the CDC," Vice President Mike Pence said, according to a transcript of the White House briefing. Topol said the nation wasted precious time by not marshaling the resources to test large numbers of people over the past two months and tallying all results. "We should be doing a massive screening, a million people randomly by age and gender to get our arms around it," he said. "If we do that, we would get answers. Until then, we don't have any clue. It is all very fuzzy." Complicating things further, criteria for testing people have changed as COVID-19 cases soared. At a New Jersey drive-thru testing site on Monday, an electronic sign flashed the message: "No symptoms. No Test." Other areas have allowed doctors to order tests when people suspect they might have been in contact with someone who had the disease. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website says: "Not everyone needs to be tested for COVID-19." The CDC also notes that most people have mild illness and will recover at home, adding "there is no treatment specifically approved for this virus." Decisions about testing "are at the discretion of state and local health departments and/or individual clinicians," it says. The agency notes that older adults and individuals with chronic medical conditions and/or an immunocompromised state may be at "higher risk for poor outcomes." And as the disease has spread, hard-hit areas have asked that tests be reserved for people in the hospital and health care workers, both to ensure they can stay on the job and to conserve protective gear. Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in a tweet last week noted that the nationwide 10% figure for positive test results is "significantly higher" than in the United Kingdom, South Korea and China. "Until we see the positivity rate decline significantly, we are still not screening enough," Gottlieb wrote. WASHINGTON, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is at the forefront of providing literacy resources and support to educators, parents and caregivers for use at home to provide continuity in children's learning. The nation's leading literacy organization is creating opportunities to ensure all children have access to its breadth of eBooks, children's reading activities, bilingual resources, and parent and educator tips and tools for use at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced today. With schools nationwide closing due to COVID-19, many parents are expanding their role as parent and caregiver to now include educator, and educators are learning in real time how to teach remotely. Both parents and educators are navigating a new learning environment with a common goal ensuring their children can continue to learn and grow. To meet this moment, Reading Is Fundamental is providing a broad range of high-quality tools and resources designed for remote instruction and continued learning, with resources like read-alouds that can be shared virtually, activities that are designed for at-home use, and age-appropriate books that encourage independent reading at home. "It is more important than ever that we support continuity in a child's learning and development in a fun and engaging way in this time of disruption and home learning," said Alicia Levi, President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental. "RIF has developed resources that support children, parents/caregivers, and educators as they continue their children's reading journey. These interactive and impactful resources include Skybrary, RIF's digital library of eBooks, interactive activities, social and emotional learning resources and more. We are honored to support parents, caregivers and the millions of children nationwide as we navigate this incredibly trying time." Reading Is Fundamental is continually evolving its collection of resources to reach children and engage them in the power of reading anything, anytime, anywhere. The following resources can be used immediately to help children continue their reading journey during these disruptive times: Free 30 day access to almost 1,000 eBooks with Skybrary: Created by LeVar Burton Kids, Skybrary provides children ages 2 9 with the opportunity to embark on their own reading adventures anytime and anywhere through this interactive and engaging digital library. Children will be educated and entertained while reading or taking an adventure through the many books and video field trips. Parents can be assured that young or struggling readers have the benefit of a read-to-me narration option and all will enjoy the interactives included throughout each book. To learn more about Skybrary, visit RIF.org/Read-With-Skybrary . Access to an array of activities to keep children engaged at home: Online resources include RIF's recommended reading lists available by grade level, ability to create their own puzzles using our Puzzle Creator tool, and games such as Book Bingo, activity sheets, read-aloud tips, coloring sheets and more on RIF's Literacy Central . Resources for educators to share with parents: How to Connect Home Literacy Practices to School Literacy Practices suggests simple ways to integrate literacy into daily experiences such as story-telling, cooking, music and more. Educators can share links to activities aligned with popular books and parents can download these free resources any time. Additional RIF online resources for teachers and parents can be found here: Parents: https://www.rif.org/literacy-network/resources/quick-guides/quick-guides-families Parent read-aloud resources: https://www.rif.org/literacy-network/resources/quick-guides/read-aloud-support Teachers: https://www.rif.org/literacy-network/resources/quick-guides/quick-guides-educators Talk to kids about their feelings: This is a scary time and finding books that support social and emotional learning (SEL) will help children express how they are feeling about what is going on in the world. RIF offers resources for educators and parents at RIF.org/SEL. Book examples: What to Do When You Worry Too Much -- This interactive book is designed to lead children and their parents through techniques often used to treat anxiety. Jacqueline and the Beanstalk -- This modern retelling of the classic fairy tale aims to help kids face and live with their fears. When a princess climbs up a beanstalk, she meets a giant who is afraid of the unknown. Emily Grace and the What-Ifs -- Bedtime can be a scary time for kids. As soon as Emily Grace tries to go to sleep, her mind begins to race and worry. After taking a moment to calm down, she figures out a method to cope with her fears. Support for bilingual households: RIF's Spanish language resources include word search puzzles and memory match games for books like Tikki Tikki Tembo . Examples of RIF's Spanish language resources can be found at Literacy Central Bilingual Center . The importance of reading aloud to your child: There have long been studies on the importance of reading aloud to children and how it supports their developmental reading skills as detailed in " Reading Aloud, Play and Social-Emotional Development ," published in the journal Pediatrics. To help parents and caregivers get the most out of the time spent reading to their children, here are a selection of read-aloud books and activities for families and children: The Cat in the Hat read aloud by Justin Bieber Read-aloud support Reading Logs and Activities To help RIF provide children in need with books and digital resources visit www.rif.org/donate. About Reading Is Fundamental: Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is committed to a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children, providing quality content to create impact, and engaging communities in the solution to give every child the fundamentals for success. As the nation's largest nonprofit organization for children's literacy, RIF has provided more than 416 million books to 53 million kids in all 50 states, inspiring generations to read, learn and grow. SOURCE Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. Related Links http://www.rif.org A breakdown of the number of coronavirus cases per municipality in Hunterdon County was made available to the public via the county website Tuesday evening. As of Tuesday, there are 26 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Hunterdon County, and no deaths. The age range of these patients varies from 21 to 80 years old, and the majority of them are self-isolating in their residences. Heres the total breakdown of positive cases in the county, in order of highest to lowest per municipality: Raritan Township: 8 Clinton Township: 3 Readington Township: 3 Delaware Township: 2 Lambertville: 2 Bethlehem Township: 1 Bloomsbury: 1 Califon: 1 Flemington: 1 Hampton: 1 Holland Township: 1 Kingwood Township: 1 Tewksbury Township: 1 As of Tuesday evening, the remaining 13 municipalities in Hunterdon County do not have any confirmed positive cases of the coronavirus. Raritan Township, which has the highest number of cases, is the most populous town in the county. As of the last U.S. Census, in 2010, Raritans population was 22,185. Statewide, New Jersey has at least 3,675 known cases of COVID-19, as well as 44 deaths, state officials announced Tuesday afternoon. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips. Caroline Fassett may be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com 25.03.2020 LISTEN ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, March 25th, 2020,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- The human dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic reach far beyond the critical health response. All aspects of our future will be affected - economic, social and developmental. Our response must be urgent, coordinated and on a global scale, and should immediately deliver help to those most in need. From workplaces to enterprises, to national and global economies, getting this right is predicated on the social dialogue between governments and those on the front line - the employers and workers. So that the 2020s don't become a re-run of the 1930s. ILO estimates are that as many as 25 million people could become unemployed, with a loss of workers' income of as much as USD 3.4 trillion. However, it is already becoming clear that these numbers may underestimate the magnitude of the impact. This pandemic has mercilessly exposed the deep faultlines in our labour markets. Enterprises of all sizes have already stopped operations, cut working hours and laid off staff. Many are teetering on the brink of collapse as shops and restaurants close, flights and hotel bookings are canceled, and businesses shift to remote working. Often the first to lose their jobs are those whose employment was already precarious - sales clerks, waiters, kitchen staff, baggage handlers, and cleaners. In a world where only one in five people are eligible for unemployment benefits, layoffs spell catastrophe for millions of families. Because paid sick leave is not available to many carers and delivery workers - those we all now rely on - they are often under pressure to continue working even if they are ill. In the developing world, piece-rate workers, day labourers and informal traders may be similarly pressured by the need to put food on the table. We will all suffer because of this. It will not only increase the spread of the virus but in the longer-term dramatically amplify cycles of poverty and inequality. We have a chance to save millions of jobs and enterprises, if governments act decisively to ensure business continuity, prevent layoffs and protect vulnerable workers. We should have no doubt that the decisions they make today will determine the health of our societies and economies for years to come. Unprecedented, expansionary fiscal and monetary policies are essential to prevent the current headlong downturn from becoming a prolonged recession. We must make sure that people have enough money in their pockets to make it to the end of the week - and the next. This means ensuring that enterprises -- the source of income for millions of workers -- can remain afloat during the sharp downturn and so are positioned to restart as soon as conditions allow. In particular, tailored measures will be needed for the most vulnerable workers, including the self-employed, part-time workers and those in temporary employment, who may not qualify for unemployment or health insurance and who are harder to reach. As governments try to flatten the upward curve of infection, we need special measures to protect the millions of health and care workers (most of them women) who risk their own health for us every day. Truckers and seafarers, who deliver medical equipment and other essentials, must be adequately protected. Teleworking offers new opportunities for workers to keep working, and employers to continue their businesses through the crisis. However, workers must be able to negotiate these arrangements so that they retain balance with other responsibilities, such as caring for children, the sick or the elderly, and of course themselves. Many countries have already introduced unprecedented stimulus packages to protect their societies and economies and keep cash flowing to workers and businesses. To maximise the effectiveness of those measures it is essential for governments to work with employers' organizations and trade unions to come up with practical solutions, which keep people safe and to protect jobs. These measures include income support, wage subsidies and temporary layoff grants for those in more formal jobs, tax credits for the self-employed, and financial support for businesses. But as well as strong domestic measures, decisive multilateral action must be a keystone of a global response to a global enemy. The G20's virtual Extraordinary Summit on the Covid-19 response on 26 March is an opportunity to get this coordinated response going. In these most difficult of times, I recall a principle set out in the ILO's Constitution: Poverty anywhere remains a threat to prosperity everywhere. It reminds us that, in years to come, the effectiveness of our response to this existential threat may be judged not just by the scale and speed of the cash injections, or whether the recovery curve is flat or steep, but by what we did for the most vulnerable among us. by Adam Koffler | Wed, Mar 25th 12:11pm EDT Former Panthers DT Dontari Poe has agreed to terms with the Dallas Cowboys, per sources. (Ian Rapoport on Twitter) Fantasy Impact: Details of the deal are not yet known, however, Poe will become a member of the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. Hell join forces with Pro Bowl DT Gerald McCoy on the Cowboys line. The former 2012 first-round pick out of Memphis started his career in Kansas City before joining Atlanta and then most recently Carolina. Poe played 11 games last season for the Panthers, recording 22 tackles (seven tackles for loss) and four sacks. Hell add some veteran toughness up front for Dallas this upcoming season. Official confirmation won't come for months but the queues outside Centrelink offices tell the story: we're in for a shattering economic downturn. For Australia it will be the first recession since the early 1990s. But three decades of continuous growth has transformed the national economy since then. Illustration: Simon Letch Credit: One important change that gets little attention is how the regional economic picture has become more complex. Powerful forces including the rise of knowledge-intensive service industries, the mining construction boom (and bust), the changing nature of manufacturing and the growing importance of health and aged services have affected cities and regions differently. Six Haudenosaunee women from upstate New York came to Philadelphia to investigate a piece of land given to the Haudenosaunee, (Six Nations from the Iroquois Confederacy) in 1755 by John Penn, William Penns grandson. The land was granted to the Haudenosaunee as a place to meet, to camp, and discuss treaties. That piece of land is now the southeast corner of Welcome Park, right, and under a portion of the Moravian condominiums. The women gathered in prayer on Feb. 4, 2020. Read more Six women from the Iroquois Confederacy in upstate New York traveled to Philadelphia recently to reconnect with a patch of tribal land. They came to retrace the footsteps of ancestors, to feel under their feet the earth that was deeded to them by colonial leaders centuries ago. Instead, they found themselves walking amid cracked marble and crumbling slate near 2nd and Walnut Streets in Old City. I anticipated a park in a natural pristine state. Like any other park, it would have trees, grass, water, said Louise McDonald (Native name Wakerakatste), a Mohawk Bear Clan Mother from Akwesasne, N.Y. I was frozen for a minute because I felt it had been choked and that it wasnt a true representation of the original intentions of the space. It just seemed to be purposely buried with a cover-up narrative. There certainly seems to be a feeling of erasure intended to remove any spirit that would imply that we were once there. Instead of the bucolic setting the women envisioned, they stood in an urban canyon enclosed on three sides by apartment buildings, the historic Thomas Bond House, and a multilevel parking garage. The space, called Welcome Park, was created as an open-air attraction in 1982 by the Friends of the National Park Service to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Pennsylvania by William Penn. But the women found nothing welcoming about it. For while the park walls listed Penns accomplishments, there was no mention of Native Americans and their ties to the land. The plot had been given to the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations from the Iroquois Confederacy) in January 1755 by John Penn, William Penns grandson. In the 1700s, Native American groups often visited Philadelphia for diplomatic and trade meetings. They sometimes numbered in the hundreds and visited so frequently that John Penn asked the Provincial Council of Philadelphia to consider setting aside a piece of land for these gatherings. The delegations often refused to negotiate treaties until they could stand on their own ground and build a council fire. Philadelphias Department of Records researched the site, at the request of The Inquirer, and found that if the land "was located somewhere between Walnut Street, South 2nd Street, Sansom Street, and South Hancock Street, then its safe to say that no part of it currently belongs to the Iroquois Confederacy. In an email, the records department said that every inch of ground between those streets is now owned by either the United States of America or by the condominium owners at the Moravian Condos. History tells a different story of the Native Americans long association with the tract. The Haudenosaunee were given a strip of land behind the Slate Roof House, a home William Penn once rented. The property, deeded with a wampum belt and presented to 12 visiting chiefs in perpetuity for the conduct of Native diplomacy, was referred to as the Wampum Lot. Its size is in question. According to The Quaker in the Forum by Amelia Mott Gummere (published in 1910) and Haudenosaunee tradition, it was roughly one square city block. Other sources describe the lot as 15 by 47 feet. Today, it appears to sit under a portion of the Moravian condominiums and the southeast corner of Welcome Park and behind what had been the famous Bookbinders Restaurant. Haudenosaunee ownership of the tract was acknowledged by the city well into the 20th century. After the demolition of the Slate Roof House in 1867, the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce tried but failed to negotiate a deal with the Iroquois to purchase the land to expand the Commercial Exchange Building constructed in its place. In November 1922, the Wampum Lot was rededicated by five visiting chiefs, along with William Penn descendant William Penn-Gaskell Hall, Philadelphia Mayor J. Hampton Moore, and Pennsylvania officials. A pipe of peace was smoked on the spot where they believed John Penn originally deeded the land. In the late 1970s, the Commercial Exchange, which had become the Keystone Telephone Building, was demolished. Welcome Park would arrive a few years later. Its unclear how ownership of the land was viewed by the city when it made a portion of the property available to build the park. The city records department, citing the demands brought on the coronavirus, said it was not able to further research decades of property records. In 2015, a group of Native leaders, including Chief Sid Hill, Tadodaho of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, gathered with members of the Society of Friends and local residents in the Wampum Lot. For the six women, their day in Philadelphia last month, which included a private tour of Independence Hall, was bittersweet. It was a reminder of how powerful their confederacy was during colonial times, and how it inspired the United States form of government. The U.S. Senate acknowledged the confederacys contributions in a 1987 resolution honoring the bicentennial of the Constitution. We almost became the 14th colony, said McDonald. We gave our government structure to the United States, said Michelle Schenandoah (Native name Kaluhyanu:wes) of Syracuse, the lone Oneida in the group. We were a very highly evolved people with a highly sophisticated form of government. We know about democracy. This form of government and this form of democracy is over 1,000 years old and is based on principles of peace, and it still exists to this day. The important thing, and the thing I walked away from it with, is that there is a deliberate erasure of our history, said Schenandoah. Why is this history not known to the public? Yet within our oral history we still have these pieces of information, living history. We still keep those stories very much alive." The minimalization of true history it just seems to capture one point of view McDonald agreed. It misses the richness of other people present. There has to be some sort of concerted effort to bring it back. Before the group left Welcome Park, they burned sage to cleanse themselves and the area. They gathered in a circle, said an ancestral prayer, and shouted a few cheers as a reminder their people were alive and had returned. We will be back, and we wont be alone. We are going to bring many people with us, McDonald said later. We are shaping up a letter to the Mayor of Philadelphia, seeking an explanation of what has occurred on their land and recognition of its historical significance. They hope to hand-deliver it in June. "This was a sacred site, a place of convergence, said McDonald. We would like to see it returned to its earthly state, a place to have a fire, to have a historical marker to explain the history, and a place for us to return to so we can carry forward the memory in our children and grandchildren. In the Haudenosaunee tradition, women have the final say in tribal land sales. When the women show up, it gets serious," she said. We are here to recall the memory. We are here to reassert and to authorize. We dont like to call ourselves feminists. We like to call ourselves Ladies of the Law.' London: Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus, making him the most high-profile patient since the global pandemic began. Clarence House said the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne had been displaying mild symptoms "but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual". Prince Charles using the "namaste" greeting. Credit:AP His wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has tested negative. "In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland," the statement said. Moscow, March 26 : A Russian Su-27 fighter crashed in the Black Sea on Wednesday, the Russian Defence Ministry reported, citing preliminary data. "At around 8.10 pm Moscow time on March 25, a Su-27 fighter disappeared from radar during a scheduled mission over the Black Sea near Feodosia," the ministry's Zvezda broadcasting service said, Xinhua news agency reported. "According to preliminary data, the fighter crashed into the sea," it said. The search for the pilot is complicated by difficult weather conditions, it added. Nearly 75 per cent of the economy will be shutdown, resulting in a direct output loss of approximately 4.5 per cent Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, March 25 : As the Indian economy eagerly awaits a financial package to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from causing major harm, a new report said on Wednesday that the 21-day nationwide lockdown will result in a direct output loss of nearly 4.5 per cent, with further indirect effects. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government is currently addressing the compliance related issues and an economic package covering issues of concern to the industry would be announced separately later. According to Tokyo-based financial services group Nomura, nearly 75 per cent of the economy will be shutdown, resulting in a direct output loss of approximately 4.5 per cent. "Additionally, there will be indirect effects such as the persistence of public fear factor (even after the lockdown ends) -- a high risk that the livelihoods of the predominantly unorganised workforce will be hit and a sharp increase in corporate and banking sector stress, which are likely to further weigh on growth is beyond Q2 in H2 2020," the report warned. While the states have been largely leading the fiscal charge against COVID-19 so far, the report said it expects the Central government to soon announce a stimulus package of around 0.7-1.1 per cent of the GDP. "Along with the growth hit and poor tax collections, we expect the fiscal deficit for FY21 (year ending March 2021) to balloon by over 1 per cent of GDP from the 3.5 per cent target set in the budget (more than the escape clause leeway of 0.5 per cent of GDP)." Monetary policy proactiveness has been missing so far, it said. However, "we expect at least 50bp of policy easing on or before the April 3 policy meeting, accompanied by a host of liquidity injections and unconventional policy measures to reduce financial sector tightness, including large scale open market operations." The government's concern is that India is reaching the exponential part of the epidemic curve, with the number of COVID-19 cases currently tracking 562 (512 are active, and 11 deaths so far), which is now an average daily growth rate of around 23 per cent. In the top 2 infected states of Maharashtra and Kerala, the number of cases have breached 100, while most states are seeing their numbers increase. "Experience from other countries show that this could be the inflection point for a sharp jump in cases from here on," the findings showed. Given India's large population, limited testing and contact tracing facility and relative scarcity of quality healthcare, it is understandable that the government is attempting to contain the spread rather than move to the mitigation stage, the report mentioned. Media reports on Wednesday claimed the government may announce a financial stimulus worth $20 billion (Rs 1.5 lakh crore) to help revive the economy. The Indian economy that had already slowed down before the outbreak of novel coronavirus, is in for a more difficult period in the coming months with businesses almost coming to a standstill. The Finance Ministry and the RBI have taken several steps to ensure that liquidity in the system remains intact. But the industry has called for more stimulus measures to fight depression like conditions setting in the economy. The report said that the lockdown is essential to slow COVID-19 transmission, "but this will come at a very heavy economic cost in the short term with potential medium-term spillover effects". Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A mother is said to have branded her daughter a 'shopaholic' who would 'fritter away' her 325,000 estate if left anything in her will - forcing the retired bank manager to fight her brother for her share. Jean Clitheroe, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, left her daughter Susan Bond nothing when she died, aged 76, in September 2017, despite the pair previously sharing a close relationship; regularly shopping and going to Liberace concerts together. But now Jean's Last Will and Testament is at the centre of a highly charged family feud, with Susan's lawyers claiming her mother was too unhinged to draft it. Jean Clitheroe (second left), from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, left her daughter Susan Bond (bottom left) nothing when she died, aged 76, in September 2017, choosing instead to leave the bulk of her thousands to her son John The mother and daughter fell out after Jean 'formed various delusional beliefs about Susan with no rational foundation,' including about her spending habits, claimed her lawyer Edward Hicks. In her written instructions for a will made in 2010, Jean stated: 'I don't leave Susan anything else as she's a shopaholic and would just fritter it away.' Mr Hicks told London's High Court that Jean turned against Susan after being left devastated by the death of her beloved eldest daughter, Debra, who died from cancer, aged 46, in 2009. He argued the wills Jean made in 2010 and 2013 were invalid because her mind was unbalanced by her grief at her daughter's passing. The barrister argued that Jean died intestate - without making a valid will - and her fortune should be split equally between Susan and her brother. Susan flatly denied being a spendthrift or shopaholic, and also insisted this would never have been a 'rational' reason for her mother cutting her out of her will. But John's barrister, Henry Hendron, replied the 'strong-willed' Jean was of sound mind. The mother and daughter used to share a close bond. They regularly went on shopping trips and Susan took Jean to see Liberace (pictured in 1960) in concert Her 2010 will left the bulk of her estate to John, while Susan was to receive only a diamond and garnet ring that once belonged to her great aunt. Three years later, in 2013, Jean made a second will which again left John most of her estate, but this time Susan was to receive nothing at all. Susan, of St Osyth, Essex, is now asking the judge to overrule both of her mother's wills on the basis she was not mentally fit to draw them up. 'She maintains that neither the 2010 nor 2013 wills are valid by reason of want of testamentary capacity on Jean's part,' her barrister said. 'It's not suggested that this impaired her cognition, but following Debra's death Jean formed various delusional beliefs about Susan with no rational foundation, which she persistently maintained until her death,' he added. Jean thought Susan had taken an assortment of toy trolls from her elder daughter Debra's home following her death from cancer in 2009 (file image) These 'delusions' led to Jean 'severing her relationship with Susan for the final years of her life and influenced her in making two wills which effectively cut Susan out of any benefit from her mother's estate,' said Mr Hicks. In court, the barrister also accused John of 'keeping his mother and Susan apart by blackening Susan's name' after they became estranged, although John insisted he repeatedly 'begged them to get back together.' 'In addition, or in the alternative, Susan maintains the wills are invalid on the basis of fraudulent calumny to the extent that John, rather than Jean's disorder, contributed to her false beliefs about Susan,' Mr Hicks said. The judge heard Susan and her mother once had a 'close and loving relationship' and she even took her to see Liberace in concert. Before Debra's death in 2010, the two sisters and their mother enjoyed going on regular shopping expeditions together - particularly to the Bluewater Centre. Far from disapproving of spending sprees, Jean herself bought high quality clothes at M&S and amassed a 30,000 collection of Swarovski crystal, said Mr Hicks. But she formed fixed delusions about Susan after Debra's death, said the barrister, including the false idea that she took various items from Debra's home after her death. These items, Jean believed, included Swarovski crystals given to Debra for safe keeping, an assortment of toy trolls, and a collection of prized Harry Potter books. Susan was no shopaholic, Mr Hicks said, adding that her mother had 'encouraged' her to spend her hard-earned money before they became estranged. Jean became hostile to Susan either because she was deluded or because her mind was poisoned by her son, claimed Mr Hicks. But John in his evidence insisted he tried to make peace between mother and daughter. 'I suggested to my mother that she should let my sister come and see her but she always said no. There was an impasse,' he said. Far from disapproving of spending sprees, Jean herself bought high quality clothes at M&S and amassed a 30,000 collection of Swarovski crystal, said Mr Hicks (file image) 'Towards the end when Sue came round she said she would rather die than have help from her. She said she didn't want to talk with her because Sue is an evil woman.' Mr Hendron told the judge: 'John says that Jean, a strong-willed lady, grew estranged from Susan for a variety of reasons - none of which were to do with any complex grief disorder or undue influence, since neither existed. 'The main reason that Jean cites for excluding Susan from her will, and indeed the only reason that is common to all three letters of wishes, is Jean's belief that Susan was a spendthrift and would only fritter away anything that was left to her. 'Put another way: Jean's view that Susan was a spendthrift was, even if wrong, not delusional.' Jean also believed Susan to be rich enough already, argued Mr Hendron, having 'married well' and also retired on a generous bank pension. John was struggling financially and so needed the money more, it was claimed. Susan, a former Lloyds Bank manager, said the first time she knew she had been written out of her mother's will was after the funeral - which she had arranged. And she explained that she and Jean had fallen out when her sister Debra was dying, as Susan wanted her to have stronger pain relief. She told the court: 'I was desperate to see my mother and begged my brother to be able to go and see her. My mother didn't think I cared about her, but I did. I was estranged from her.' Susan had done her best to keep close to her mother, but Jean pushed her away, it was claimed. At the end of the hearing, the judge reserved his ruling in the case. Our Girl returned for its fourth series last night, but a new character's accent left some viewers baffled. The BBC One military drama introduced Doctor Antonio, played by Josh Bowman, and while many fans insisted the 'handsome' British actor was just what the doctor ordered, others were left perplexed by his fake American accent. Josh is best known for his role as Daniel Grayson in hit US drama Revenge, where he also had to put on an American twang. Scroll down for video Our Girl returned for its fourth series last night, but a new character's accent left some viewers baffled. Pictured: Doctor Antonio, played by Josh Bowman The BBC One military drama introduced Doctor Antonio (pictured), played by Josh Bowman, onto our screens in the first episode Yet while he did't appear to receive any complaints for that role, he hasn't been so lucky this time around. Some social media users found his American accent during his Our Girl debut 'annoying', and were also left trying to figure out where he was supposed to be from. One person wrote: 'What an annoying b****** with a s***** accent!', while another added: 'What kind of accent is that?' While many fans insisted the 'handsome' British actor was just what the doctor ordered, others were left perplexed by his fake American accent (pictured) But it wasn't all bad reviews for the doctor's entrance, as many viewers praised the 'handsome' character as their new favourite person in the drama (pictured) A third unimpressed Twitter user fumed: 'Worst American accent ever!' But it wasn't all bad reviews for the doctor's entrance, as many viewers praised the 'handsome' character as their new favourite in the drama. One person said: 'Aah - there's the handsome doctor we ordered,' as another admitted: 'Oooh hot doctor alert... he's no Elvis but he'll do.' Josh (pictured in Our Girl) is best known for his role as Daniel Grayson in hit US drama Revenge, where he also had to put on an American voice A third added: There's a LOT of new characters. I liked the American doctor best, funnily enough.' Meanwhile, Michelle Keegan - who plays Sergeant Georgie Lane in the series - was seen struggling to cope after the army vehicle she was travelling in was hit by a suicide bomber. With Georgie already highly emotional in the wake of her fiance Elvis Harte's death in the last series, the attack triggered her PTSD. Meanwhile, Michelle Keegan - who plays Sergeant Georgie Lane (pictured) in the series - was seen struggling to cope after the army vehicle she was travelling in was hit by a suicide bomber With Georgie already highly emotional in the wake of her fiance Elvis Harte's (pictured) death in the last series, the attack triggered her PTSD and she took a moment to process everything whilst washing off the dirt of the day in the shower Struggling to come to terms with it all, Georgie was seen taking a minute to process everything whilst washing off the dirt of the day in the shower. In heartbreaking scenes, Georgie continued to see visions of her late husband-to-be as she attended her beloved sister's wedding elsewhere in the show. Fans took to Twitter to praise the series' opening episode, which also saw Georgie reunite with 2 Section and the new recruits for a mission in Afganistan. Article Image: Cyndi Monaghan / Getty My Dear Shepherds, Technology is a gift in this season of distance, to be sure, but theres not much warmth in its touch is there? Ive watched pastors preaching to an empty sanctuary in the hopes that their congregation will populate the unseen space from their living rooms. Its a helpless feeling. One pastor reminded me of a story Id forgotten. A plague overwhelmed the people of God. Nothing like it as far back as memory could carry. Locusts had invaded their land like a mighty army, with the teeth and appetites of lions, leaving only a wasteland in their wake. The prophet Joel gave them words for their grief, a lament scripted for them by the Lord God. Mourn like a bride left alone at the altar, a bride dressed in a forlorn sack instead of her wedding gown. All our offeringsall our grain and wineare cut off, swallowed by the locusts. No one has anything to bring into the Lords house. No one even has reason to come. [My paraphrase] Then Joel said this: The priests are in mourning, Those who minister before the Lord. (Joel 1:9) Pastor Donnie wrote me, I have been thinking about the mourning priests in Joel 1 who are unable to perform some of the sacrifices in the temple because of the locust plague. It is weird to not meet physically with people for church services. This Sunday will be our first Sunday live-streaming. I am thankful for the technology, but it is also sad to not carry out my duties as a pastor the way I would like to - in person with the people God has called me to shepherd. I relate to the priests in Joel 1 more than I ever have before. Those priests had reason to mourn. Gods people had been incorrigible. The plague that stripped bare their land was Gods megaphone, his last call. Having no grain or wine to offer the Lord was the least of their pastoral problems. But for you, pastor, what is there for you to pour out before the Lord on behalf of your people? What can you bring to signal to God their desire for fellowship with him and their recognition that he alone provides? Or are you, in this sad season of distance, as empty-handed as those priests? Ive never forgotten a story Ben Patterson told years ago. It came by way of two ruptured lumbar discs. The doctor prescribed six weeks of total rest. The horrible pain prevented me from lying in bed. Those weeks were spent on my back on the floor. My eyes didn't focus well, due to the pain-killers and muscle relaxants, so I could scarcely read. I was of no use to the church, I thought. So I asked my wife to bring me the pictorial directory. I decided I'd pray for every member, every day. It took me nearly two hours. This was no great piety; mainly I was bored and frustrated. But toward the end of my convalescence, I said to the Lord, "You know, these times of prayer have become sweet. It's too bad I don't have time to do this when I'm at work." "Stupid," the Lord replied pleasantly, "you have the same 24 hours each day when you're well. The trouble with you, Ben, is when you're well, you think you're in charge; when you're sick, you know you're not." Im sure you can see how timely that story is for pastors who feel empty-handed. Prayer isnt the only thing we can offer God on our peoples behalf but Im hard pressed to think of anything more lovely than that precious incense. Through Joel God promised a day when he would pour out my Spirit on all people. You are the pastor of those divinely anointed people. They are not in desperate need of your priestly work because a far better Priest always intercedes for them, even when it seems your hands are empty. Near the end of his prophecy, Joel assured Gods people, But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. So he is for the flock he has entrusted to you. Lift your precious people into the refuge of the Almighty. Be ye glad! Pastor Lee Preaching Today, from Men of Integrity (July/August 2004), Vol. 7, No. 4; adapted from Ben Patterson, Deepening Your Conversation with God (Bethany, 2001) Lee Eclov recently retired after 40 years of local pastoral ministry and now focuses on ministry among pastors. He writes a weekly devotional for preachers on Preaching Today. LOANS advanced by banks extended to various zones increased by 2.4 per cent to 15.05tri/-at the end of September last year compared to 14.69tri/- extended in the corresponding period due to expansion of construction and trade activities. According to Bank of Tanzania (BoT) Consolidated Zonal Economic Performance Report for the period ended September last year shows that the highest growth of bank loans was recorded in the central and south eastern zones, consistent with expansion of construction and trade activities, respectively. Much of banks lending was directed to personal, wholesale and retail trade activities which all together accounting for 52.4 per cent of total loans, stated the report. Loans extended to economic activities in the Dar es Salaam zone was 8.25tri/- in the period under review compared 8.38tri/-, representing negative 1.6 per cent change but 54 percentage contribution. The northern zones received 2.58tri/- slightly down from 2.72tri/- registered in the corresponding period 2018 which is -5.2 percentage change with 17.2 percentage contributions. The amount of loans extended to economic activities in the lake zones increased to 1.57tri/- compared to 1.36tri/- in the period ended September 2018 which is equivalent to 15.7 per cent change and 10.5 percentage contributions. The central zones received 1.14tri/- in the reference period equivalent to 33.2 per centage change and 7.6 per cent contribution compared from 860.9bn/- offered in the corresponding period 2018. The total loans disbursed to various economic activities in the southern eastern zones were 611.4bn/- which is about 5.8 per cent change for the period under review compared from 499.9bn/- in 2018. Furthermore, credit extended to the southern highlands was 878.9bn/- compared to 861.8bn/- in the corresponding period 2018. Banks deposits mobilisation improved across all zones except in Northern zone. On aggregate, banks deposits increased by 17.4 per cent to 19.26tri/-, with Dar es Salaam zone contributing the largest share of 62.8 per cent, while south eastern zone accounted for the least share of 3.0 per cent. Three employees at Laguna Honda, San Franciscos huge city-run nursing home, have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the frightening possibility of a wider outbreak in the 750-person facility. But a medical professional who spoke to The Chronicle was told that even if people had direct contact with one of the infected health care workers, they might be tested for the coronavirus only if they show symptoms. People are scared, people are worried, people are trying their hardest to do their best, one health care worker at Laguna Honda said on Tuesday. The worker is not authorized to speak publicly and asked not to be named. News that the highly contagious and deadly virus has arrived at the facility left staff scrambling to find critical protective equipment and to get tested themselves and some employees say the city is keeping them in the dark. Brent Andrew, a spokesman under the San Francisco Department of Public Health, which operates the facility, said Tuesday that stopping the spread of the coronavirus there is one of the citys top priorities. Within the next day, Andrew said, the department plans to order a total lockdown of the facility, with no residents allowed to come back in if they leave the facility an extraordinary step in the citys effort to curb the outbreak. Still, several frontline workers at Laguna Honda interviewed by The Chronicle fear that, without closer monitoring and more testing than the city is now willing or able to provide, they might contract the virus and unknowingly spread it to patients. So far, 15 patients at Laguna Honda have been tested, with 12 negative results and three tests still pending, the department said. It is unclear how many Laguna Honda health care workers have been tested. Laguna Hondas patients are among the most vulnerable and disenfranchised in the city. More than 60% of residents are 65 or older, and many are diagnosed with dementia and HIV. Miles LeBoeuf, a receiving clerk at Laguna Honda, wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday that he is terrified for the residents. It seems exposure is inevitable, he wrote. Over a thousand employees go in and out of perhaps a dozen entry points, most unmanned, at all hours of the day and night. No one is testing us. The health department has released only minimal information about the outbreak at the facility, even to employees at the hospital, staff members say. Instead, they say, they are learning about their own institution through the rumor mill. According to the department, two nurses tested positive. They work in a unit (Laguna Honda calls them neighborhoods) that houses 60 residents. It is served by 33 staff working in three shifts. The unit is now under quarantine, and residents and staff who live and work there are being closely monitored for symptoms. The unit where the two medical staff work is on the fifth floor of the South Tower; Laguna Honda is a 62-acre campus. The department did not provide details on the third staff member who was infected, saying only that the worker had no contact with patients. Andrew said the city is following Centers for Disease Control guidelines for the testing of health care workers. He did not say how many Laguna Honda health care workers are being tested as part of the citys investigation into the outbreak. In a situation where limited tests are available, he said, workers should be tested only if they show symptoms. For now we need to prioritize vulnerable populations, he said. We need to know that those people have access to the tests they need to save their lives. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. At this point, weve been told to monitor our own symptoms and go to our doctor, said Brandon Dawkins, Laguna Hondas activity therapy supervisor and a representative for SEIU Local 1021, the union that represents nurses and other workers at the facility. I feel that all public health employees should be tested, especially if we are on the front lines. You cant expect us to go to war and not give us the equipment. The Chronicle reported Friday that nurses and doctors at Laguna Honda have trouble finding N95 masks and face shields to prevent airborne transmission, while city Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax said on Thursday that health care workers are getting the protection they need. Since last week, administrators and others have made intense efforts to get more protective gear for Laguna Honda staff, and some items, like N95 masks and gowns, have been resupplied, the medical professional said. Andrew said the department is doing our best to balance the existing supply of personal protective equipment. He said that Laguna Honda currently has enough equipment. Do we have enough for today? Yes, we absolutely do, he said. And for the week? Yes. But doctors and nurses say items like face shields remain in short supply. Also, regular surgical masks which provide less protection than N95s but are easier to use and have been adopted by hospital staff in places like Singapore and Hong Kong are running low. I heard that some people downtown have said theres no problem with PPE (personal protective equipment) supplies at Laguna Honda, the professional said. It just makes my blood boil. Why are they saying that? Its not true. Chronicle staff writer Cynthia Dizikes contributed to this story. Jason Fagone and Trisha Thadani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jason.fagone@sfchronicle.com, TThadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfagone, @TrishaThadani A man murdered his 38-year-old wife over a petty dispute in Ambernath on March 19. The police said the accused is yet to be arrested. He killed his wife by hitting her head with a stone and then threw her body in Waldhuni nullah. On March 19, the couple had a fight. Manoj Yadav, 31, is from Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, who had come to meet his wife, Rekha, who lived at Phansipada in Ambernath, said a police officer from Shivaji Nagar police station, Ambernath. The accused murdered his wife over a petty dispute. After hitting her head with a big stone, he burnt her body and threw in Waldhuni nullah in Ambernath, said the police officer. A case has been registered against the accused under sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code. Cristiano Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes will donate three intensive care units to Portuguese hospitals to help them cope with the coronavirus pandemic, local health officials said on Tuesday. The Portuguese pair will donate to at least two institutions and will give "two intensive care units", with a "capacity of 10 beds each" to the University Hospital Centre of Northern Lisbon (CHULN), a group of hospitals in the country's capital city, a spokesman told AFP. CHULN currently has a capacity of 77 beds. Mendes and Ronaldo will also donate a unit to the Santo Antonio Hospital of the University Hospital Center of Porto. "This is a very important investment that includes more than a dozen respirators and other necessary equipment," Eurico Castro Alves, director of the hospital's surgery department, told newspaper Jornal de Noticias, adding the unit would bear their names. "If necessary, Cristiano Ronaldo would like to do the same in Madeira," he added. Juventus forward Ronaldo has returned to his home island, which has 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19 out of the 2,362 in Portugal. The country has recorded nore than 30 deaths. He was visiting his mother, who is recovering from a stroke, when he was placed in confinement after Juve team-mate Daniele Rugani tested positive. The local authorities said on 12 March Ronaldo showed no symptoms. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Since earning its pandemic status, the novel coronavirus has drawn comparisons to the 1918 flu pandemic not the typical seasonal flu with regard to its potential. And thats an unnerving sentiment, considering the numbers cited by state epidemiologist Zack Moore when talking in 2018 about a museum exhibit on the 1918 outbreak. World War I claimed about 18 million lives. The influenza epidemic that swept across the world in 1918 claimed the lives of an estimated 50 million people, Moore said in an N.C. Department of Health and Human Services blog. One third of the world's population was infected with this virus. Within a few months, it had become one of the deadliest outbreaks in recorded history. Here in Winston-Salem, there was a three-month period that, among other things, shut down a church that pre-dated the Declaration of Independence and closed one of the city's economic stalwarts. A look through the Journal archives including newspapers from October 1918 while the flu ravaged the county and reporting from decades later in the 1960s and 1970s paints a gloomy picture. In the Twin City, more than 10,000 people, nearly a quarter of the citys 40,000 residents, came down with the virulent strain of flu. Indian Navy Tracks Fast Chinese Warship Near Andaman Islands Sputnik News 09:45 GMT 24.03.2020 New Delhi (Sputnik): The Indian Navy has enhanced its surveillance procedures after Forbes reported that the Chinese Navy had deployed at least 12 underwater drones in the Indian Ocean. In December 2019, navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh warned that any vessels entering India's Exclusive Economic Zone would be forced to withdraw. The Indian Navy has tracked a Chinese vessel near India's strategic Andaman Islands after it passed through the Strait of Malacca on Tuesday. The Indian news agency ANI reported that Indian Navy warships were tracking a Chinese Navy Type Y-901 class vessel. The Type Y-901 is a large combat support ship which is fitted with five wet cargo transfer stations for fuel and water and two dry cargo stations. The development comes a day after Forbes reported that China had deployed at least 12 underwater "Sea Wing" drones in the Indian Ocean. The drones can play crucial role in submarine warfare. Forbes reported that the long-range Sea Wing drones had made "more than 3,400 observations" for a "joint ocean and ecology research project". Indian Navy sources said on Monday that they they "could not vouch for the authenticity" of the Forbes report. In December 2019, Chief Admiral Karambir Singh confirmed that Indian Navy warships chased away a Chinese research vessel as it entered India's Exclusive Economic Zone in the Bay of Bengal. Admiral Karambir Singh said at the time: "If anyone operates in our region, they have to notify us first." India opened a third air base on the Andaman Islands last year to beef-up surveillance of Chinese fleet activity in the Indian Ocean. There have been reports of Chinese ships and submarines entering the the area. China claims that it deploys subs and warships to the region for international anti-piracy missions. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ralph Hakman, a Holocaust survivor, shows prisoner photos of himself from 1942, along with his prisoner number, which was tattooed on his left arm. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Before he left in January for his fourth return to the Auschwitz-Birkenau prison camp where he labored as a teen, Ralph Hakman explained why he wanted to go back to the site of the worst years of his life. I would be guilty not to go.... What if these are my last chances? he said in an interview with The Times, which published an account of his journey to the death camps on the 75th anniversary of their liberation. Hakman was right. Fifty-five days after he stood to pray with more than 100 survivors in front Birkenau's "death's gate" where cattle cars once arrived to dump Jews into gas chambers he died Sunday afternoon at his Beverly Hills home. Hakman had just celebrated his 95th birthday. Born Rachmil Hakman on March 11, 1925 as a middle child in an Orthodox Jewish family of 10 kids, Hakman never imagined life being far different than that of his parents, who ran a kosher butchery. At the time, a third of the 81,000 residents of Radom, a Polish town near which he lived, were Jewish. Everything changed when German soldiers invaded. It was Sept. 8, 1939. He was 14. Gone were the Jewish schools, synagogues and his father's ability to work freely. In 1941, Nazis set up two ghettos, including one that surrounded the family's two-room house in suburban Glinice. Hakman's father, Yitzhak, was arrested in a roundup of Jews the next year. After he escaped, family members went into hiding. Police caught an older sister and her 2-year-old. Hakman's mother, Rose, approached him with an idea. If you turn yourself in, they will let your sister and the baby go. He arrived in Auschwitz in a tightly packed train. His head was shaved, his face was bruised, and he was marked with identification tattoos as the Nazis took away his name: 37,495. It was June 6, 1942. He was 17. Ralph Hakman, photographed in January, browses a display of books about the Holocaust at the Jewish museum and cultural center in Krakow. (Jacek Taran / For The Times) They sent him to Birkeau three days later. Hakman survived in the camp for three years. "The jobs were fake, just to keep us busy," he said in January as he described the time he was assigned to dig trenches when a Nazi suddenly beat his head with the butt of a rifle. It split open to his skull. He suffered from back pain much of his life after a Nazi lashed him 25 times with the wooden handle of a pickax for being caught with extra bread. Story continues Hakman's last job was to staff the bathhouse, where new prisoners who were not immediately put to death undressed and showered before putting on striped uniforms. It was 75 feet from the gas chambers. In 1945, Allied powers closed in. Nazis sent prisoners on death marches. Hakman's group made it to Grafenberg, Germany, where they dug trenches until a small group escaped that spring. On May 6, he ran into a Russian soldier on a bike who said the Nazis had lost. Germany officially surrendered on May 8. He was 20. Back in Radom, Hakman learned that his parents and every sibling but one an older sister who fled to Russia was killed. In a displaced persons camp in Feldafing, Germany, he met a second-cousin named Esther for the first time. They moved together to a displacement camp in Stuttgart, Germany. In 1949, Hakman received approval to resettle in the U.S. He landed in Indianapolis, where he found work at the Stark and Wetzel packinghouse and adopted the nickname Ralph. When he visited Esther that year in Toronto, she met him at the train station and told him she had found a tailor to make a suit. "Just like that, she told me we were going to get married!" Hakman said earlier this year with a laugh. On Dec. 31, 1949, they did just that. Esther gave birth to a son in Indianapolis in 1956. A year later she and Hakman moved to Los Angeles where he cofounded Jersey Meat Provision, a meat storage company. They had a daughter soon after. The Hakmans lived in Beverly Hills when communities of Holocaust survivors on the Westside thrived, with picnics in Roxbury Park, group vacations to Lake Elsinore and organizations like the Radomer Society and 1939 Club. Ralph Hakman shows his tattoo while in his Beverly Hills home. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Were really not normal people, us survivors, Hakman said in January. So we had to be around each other because we understood. It's the same reason he kept returning to meet other survivors who visited the former concentration camp, first in 1983 with his kids, then in 2010, a year after Esther died of cancer at 82. He came back again in 2015 after marrying Barbara Zerulik, who he met through the survivor networks. Zerulik, who lived in Florida at the time, was visiting her sister and brother-in-law, who was also a survivor from Radom. "Going back this last time helped him complete his journey in the way he always wanted to do," said Zerulik, 88, who joined Hakman in Poland in January. Hakman had planned to return again this spring be part of a documentary film. As more survivor friends died and he worked less frequently, he connected to his past by telling his story. Each month, he would talk with college students or tour groups visiting the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. "It's my responsibility to share what happened," Hakman said. "To make sure it doesn't happen again." His last public testimony was on Jan. 26 in Krakow during a World Jewish Congress observation of the liberation anniversary. Hakman's family has asked for donations to be made to the L.A. Holocaust museum in his name. Because of restrictions on gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak, the family is unable to have a traditional funeral. "We have decided we will have something befitting my father when this crisis passes and G-d willing that will be soon," his daughter Deborah wrote in an email. "We will have a memorial when possible so all who loved him and he loved can honor his memory." President Donald Trump has insisted that the US will soon be "open for business." Getty The US could soon become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday. A WHO spokeswoman, Margaret Harris, noted that there had been a "very large acceleration" in cases in the US in recent days. In the past 24 hours, 85% of all new coronavirus cases were in the US and Europe. In the US, 553 people have died from COVID-19 . President Donald Trump has refused to impose a national lockdown, however, and has instead insisted the US will soon be "open for business." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Though President Donald Trump insists the US should soon be "open for business," the World Health Organization has instead warned that the US could soon become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. A WHO spokeswoman, Margaret Harris, told a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday there had been a "very large acceleration" in US cases in recent days, according to Reuters. Video: What Coronavirus Symptoms Look Like, Day by Day Harris said that in the past 24 hours, 85% of all new reported coronavirus cases had been in the US and Europe, with 40% of those in the US. Asked whether the US could become the "epicenter" of the crisis, she replied: "We are now seeing a very large acceleration in cases in the US. So it does have that potential." She added: "We cannot say that is the case yet, but it does have that potential." Her assessment came after Trump insisted the US should soon be "open for business." "America will, again, and soon, be open for business -- very soon," Trump told a White House coronavirus briefing on Monday. The president is resisting calls to impose a national lockdown on the US, despite growing numbers of countries imposing strict restrictions on public movement. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a national lockdown on Monday evening, with members of the public restricted from leaving their homes for nonessential reasons. Business Insider How many people will die from Covid-19? And why is the range of any study reporting deaths so wide? For instance, the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention estimates deaths between 200,000 and 1.7 million in that country. There are other estimates as well and all with ranges as wide. There are no studies for deaths in India yet (and if there are any, they are premature and based on insufficient data which means neither this writer nor this newsroom will consider reporting on them). There will be, but perhaps when the number of infections and deaths rises substantially. I say when although I very much want to say if but it is always best to expect and prepare for the worst even as one hopes for the best. As of Tuesday, India has 536 infections, and ten deaths. Click here for complete coverage on coronavirus pandemic If the experience of epidemic hotspots such as Italys Lombardy and New York City (and state) are any indication, this is the number at which things start to get hairy. But it isnt necessary that the virus will follow the same trend everywhere. For instance, the New York Times, quoting Dr Deborah L Birx, who is coordinating the White Houses response to coronavirus, said that in NYC, 28% of tests are returning positive results, while in the rest of the country the rate is less than 8%. The virus continues to rage through Italy, with 602 people dying on Monday alone. That number is lower than the 651 deaths seen on Sunday and the high of 793 on Saturday, but it is not clear whether the country has seen the worst. Total deaths in Italy stood at 6,077 as of Monday night. On Tuesday, the total number of infections in the world were over 400,000, and deaths more than 18,000. The lockdown was smoother across India on Tuesday. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended it to the entire country for 21 days, effective midnight. That means it will last till April 15. Grocers and greengrocers, pharmacies and medical centres, continue to stay open and the newspaper continues to be printed in most parts of the country. Many are concerned that the newspaper could transmit the infection. That seems unlikely . Most newspaper presses, including Hindustan Timess are operations with a high-level of automation. And most are regularly fumigated and sanitised. All distributors and delivery people have also been made aware of the need to wash hands regularly, use sanitisers (which are provided), and gloves. Given all this, the chances of contracting the virus from the newspaper are actually lower than the chances of contracting it in some other way. And no doctor or health agency anywhere in the world has so far termed newspapers unsafe. People who are still not convinced (although there is no reason for them not to be) should ask for deliveries to be stopped an additional point of stress of anxiety is something all of us can do without at this time but continue to follow the websites or read the electronic (e-paper) version of newsrooms such as Hindustan Times, which they can trust. The university of WhatsApp can be diverting at normal times, but it isnt a great source of factual information especially at times such as these. Speaking of lockdowns, the one in Wuhan, the city in Chinas Hubei province where the virus was first reported, will end on April 8, the Chinese government has announced. The city was put under a lockdown on January 23. The world will never know the true extent of the damage in the city. Nor will we ever know whether the pandemic could have been averted had China and the World Health Organization acted differently in December. And speaking of lockdowns, the big question to ask, in India and anywhere else where a lockdown has been enforced, is this: How should the government be using the time it has bought through a lockdown? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Delhi Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on Wednesday expressed deep concern over some reports of misbehaviour with doctors, paramedical staff and healthcare personnel by their landlords. Baijal has directed all the District Magistrates, Zonal Deputy Commissioners of Municipal Corporations, District and Deputy Commissioners of Police to take strict penal action against such landlords under the relevant provisions of law and submit a daily Action Taken Report to the office of Additional Chief Secretary, Home, of the Government of NCT of Delhi. The Government of NCT of Delhi has already issued the Delhi Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020, under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, for prevention and containment of COVID-19 and such behaviour is punishable under the relevant law. The L-G has also directed concerned departments to ensure proper transport arrangements for the health care providers from their residence to hospitals. Delhi has recorded 35 positive cases of COVID-19 and has witnessed one death due to the disease, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday. India has recorded 562 cases of positive cases which includes 43 foreign nationals. So far, nine people have died of COVID-19. The World Health Organisation (WHO) termed coronavirus as a pandemic on March 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ease sanctions against countries fighting COVID-19: UN Human Rights Chief 03/25/20 Source: UN News Center As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday called for an easing of sanctions against countries such as Iran to allow their medical systems to fight the disease and limit its global spread. It is vital to avoid the collapse of any country's medical system - UN Human Rights Chief @mbachelet calls for easing of sanctions to enable medical systems to fight #COVID19 and limit global contagion. Read https://t.co/FNGNxez2xd pic.twitter.com/CRM5riDqZG UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) March 24, 2020 Michelle Bachelet said humanitarian exemptions to sanctions measures should be authorized for essential medical equipment and supplies to avoid the collapse of any national healthcare system. "At this crucial time, both for global public health reasons, and to support the rights and lives of millions of people in these countries, sectoral sanctions should be eased or suspended. In a context of global pandemic, impeding medical efforts in one country heightens the risk for all of us", she stated. COVID-19 has affected nearly 190 countries, with more than 330,000 cases reported globally as of Monday, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). At least 1,800 people in Iran have died from the disease, including 50 doctors. Human rights reports on the country have repeatedly highlighted the impact of sanctions on access to essential medicines and equipment, such as respirators and protective equipment for healthcare workers. Ms. Bachelet feared sanctions could also impact medical efforts in Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Venezuela and Zimbabwe. "The majority of these states have frail or weak health systems. Progress in upholding human rights is essential to improve those systems - but obstacles to the import of vital medical supplies, including over-compliance with sanctions by banks, will create long-lasting harm to vulnerable communities", she said. "The populations in these countries are in no way responsible for the policies being targeted by sanctions, and to varying degrees have already been living in a precarious situation for prolonged periods". The UN rights chief underscored the need to protect health workers in these countries, who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis, while authorities should not punish professionals who point out any deficiencies in response. Ms. Bachelet urged world leaders to come together at this time as no country can combat the pandemic alone. Delhi to ease restrictions, if Covid cases come down in next 2-3 days: Health Minister Lata Mangeshkar health update: Doctor says,'She in ICU with Covid-19 and pneumonia, will be under observation' Coronavirus lockdown: PM Modi practices 'social distancing' while holding Cabinet meet India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Mar 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's crucial cabinet meet on Wednesday exhibited a glimpse of social distancing, which is largely seen as the vital solution to control the spread of novel coronavirus. All the ministers were seen seated at a distance from each other, maintaining social distancing, maintaining social distancing to contain spread of coronavirus. The Cabinet is expected to discuss the nationwide lockdown and measures to control the coronavirus pandemic that has already claimed 11 lives in the country. Stay at home, it is the only way says Modi after announcing 21 day lockdown Modi while announcing a nation-wide lockdown for three weeks reiterated that the only solution to control the spread of novel coronavirus is social distancing. "Social distancing is for every citizen of the country including the Prime Minister as well in our fight against the coronavirus," said Prime Minister Modi in his second address to the nation on Tuesday evening. #WATCH Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg earlier today, social distancing was seen during the meeting. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/zeisrEgiHR ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 India has so far recorded 560 confirmed cases of coronavirus with around 40 having recovered and discharged from hospitals. PM Modi addressed the nation at 8 pm and announced that the entire country will go under lockdown from Wednesday for 21 days. #Stayathome and send us your selfie The Centre has asked the state governments to ensure unhindered operation of essential services and their seamless availability for the general public during the 21-day lockdown period announced to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. Coronavirus lockdown Day 1: Uttar Pradesh administration tried to take the sincere steps to control the spread of coronavirus in the highly populated state. CM Yogiadityanath ensured the people that their will be no scarcity of the essentials in the state. Coronavirus lockdown Day 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced the countrywide lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak in the world. State governments also took some important decisions to control the spread of the virus. Uttar Pradesh banned the sale and the manufacturing of the Pan Masala. As the consumption of the pan masala is much in the state and people could move out for it because of their habits. Also, people spit it on roads and walls that may unhinge a society. To maintain the hygiene and to maintain the lockdown UP administration has taken the decision and claimed that it will work and it is necessary to do so. Although the people are not yet convinced by the governments decision and Prime Ministers decision. They are roaming out for common needs. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured people that he will not let UP natives to suffer for essentials. He said that he will make sure that everything will reach to the doorsteps. The regions where the delivery boys were not planted government allowed the local shop keepers to open their shops for essentials. They have been given certain guidelines and restricted to follow the. People are continuously violating the rule of lockdown and gathered to store ration, medicines etc. Because of the lockdown people instantly became impatient and panicking can be seen everywhere. Whereas the government has done all possible measures to stabilize the situation. Lets cooperate and help the task force. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App A young gym manager who queued up for hours outside Centrelink after losing her job has been brought to tears after her generous father secretly purchased coffees for the unemployed strangers waiting in line with her. Georgia Mascarenhas, from Sydney's Northern Beaches, was unable to return to work on Monday after the Australian government closed all gyms, pubs and dine-in restaurants and cafes indefinitely to slow the spread of coronavirus. While the 22-year-old waited in the rain outside of Centrelink in Brookvale on Tuesday between 7.30am and 11.45am, her father Kevin arranged to have the coffees delivered to those waiting in a massive queue stretching down the road. As his daughter faced the reality of unemployment for the first time in her life, the good Samaritan quickly called up the nearest cafe to make the special order. Georgia Mascarenhas queued up for hours outside Centrelink on Tuesday after losing her job when her generous father Kevin secretly purchased coffees for the unemployed strangers waiting in line with her (pictured together) The 22-year-old was unable to return to work on Monday after the Australian government closed all gyms indefinitely to slow the spread of coronavirus One woman shared the story on social media after she received a free coffee while waiting in line at Centrelink on Tuesday. She wanted to thank the kind stranger who paid for it 'I received a message from dad at 8:38am saying the owner from Fuel Espresso would be coming out to shout some coffees. I didn't realise that meant 30 nor did I know it meant my dad had paid for it all,' Georgia told Daily Mail Australia. 'Funny I actually didn't get one after all but I saw staff handing the coffees out and I was smiling to myself, thinking how nice it was that they were doing that given the tough circumstances. But I quickly put two and two together - it was my dad behind this. 'It was raining and we were all out in the cold. I was waiting in line after losing my job on Monday and he was trying to help me and all of us who are in the same situation. 'He knew I was in a tough, low situation and that everyone was the same - he wanted to do what he could to help the community and the local business. I am beyond emotional that he would do this.' Georgia said she was keeping her dad updated with the queue over the phone when he decided to surprise her with the coffee delivery. 'He called me, asking how I was and I told him how long the line was. He then asked if I needed anything and I said I was fine... In the time after that conversation, he went and organised the coffees by calling up the cafe,' she said. While she waited in the rain outside of Centrelink on Tuesday morning, her dad Kevin arranged to have the coffees delivered to those waiting in a massive queue stretching down the road Mia was one of 30 people to receive a coffee while waiting in line. She shared the heartwarming story in a Facebook group to thank the kind stranger after he 'lifted' her spirit Georgia responded to the thread, revealing her father was the good Samaritan behind it all Georgia said her father refuses to be 'acknowledged or praised' for his random act of kindness but she wanted to share the story in the hope of bringing a smile to those doing it tough. 'I think we all need something heartwarming to read at the moment and I just can't believe it was my dad to give all of us this hope,' she said. 'He's a legend. He helped me and all of our community on Tuesday morning by showing there is still good people and positivity despite the circumstances. 'We were standing in the cold and rain for hours and that just gave us hope. I don't know anyone else who would voluntarily go buy 30 coffees for strangers. 'He wasn't even there, he was working from home yet he was able to make everyone's morning and day just a little bit better.' The story of his touching act of kindness emerged after a woman praised the kind stranger on social media for lifting her spirits when she was waiting in line at Centrelink. 'This made my day. Waiting in the massive queue for Centrelink, staff from Fuel Espresso offered a free coffee. A customer paid for 30 coffees for all people waiting in the rain. It's important to see food things in a difficult time,' Mia said. Like any Australian facing uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia said she knew her job was on the line in the weeks leading up to the gym closure The 22-year-old is facing the reality of unemployment after losing her job as a gym manager After waiting more than four hours in line at Centrelink, Georgia said she finally got to the front counter so she could seek unemployment benefits. 'I don't like the idea I have to claim [benefits] but I needed to. I like working hard and making my own money so it is frustrating for me,' she said. 'The staff were amazing at Centrelink. I went in grumpy after waiting for so long but they were so nice and helpful.' Like any Australian facing uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia said she knew her job was on the line in the weeks leading up to the gym closure. 'It has been a really hard few weeks. I knew it was coming but I didn't think it would come so quick. I felt deeply sad that I was about to be out of work,' she said. 'There was some financial stress, though the main thing I worried about was that I wouldn't get to see everyone. I felt like we had let people down by having to shut down the gym as I know it's a safe place and outlet for so many people.' Georgia - who also runs her own fitness, wellness and personal training business called GMFIT - said she has been trying to remain 'positive and practical'. 'The uncertainty is difficult as I don't know when or if I will be able to return to gym work but I have been pouring every little energy into my GMFIT community,' she said. 'My business has a very strong emphasis on mental health and self care. This helps me at the same time by offering me a sense of purpose and I feel like I am able to help others. Georgia - who also runs her own fitness, wellness and personal training business called GMFIT - said she has been trying to remain 'positive and practical' For any young people who recently lost their jobs due to coronavirus, Georgia said: 'Find the silver lining - no matter how hard it is, find it' 'I really don't know what my next plans are yet. I absolutely love what I do and the community I have created - I will do my best to keep that up to motivate others to be happy and healthy. 'To provide everyone with home workouts, recipes, tips and tricks and mental health support during this hard time. If it comes down to it, I will need to look for further employment elsewhere.' For any young people who recently lost their jobs due to coronavirus, Georgia said: 'Find the silver lining - no matter how hard it is, find it.' 'Find out what this allows you to do - does it give you time to rest? Study? Exercise Cook? Or paint? I'm trying to believe that my silver lining is that I can take some time out to have a rest myself and I have been given the time to grow my online platform.' 'My heart goes out to everyone who is struggling too. We are in this together. Everything will be ok in the end, if it is not ok, then it is not yet the end.' For home workouts, recipes, fitness tips or support, please visit Georgia's GMFIT business via Facebook and Instagram. 25.03.2020 LISTEN Some business operators in the Kumasi Metropolis are lamenting over poor sales as a result of the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19). According to them, the outbreak and the subsequent public restriction orders by the Government had affected the movement of people to the markets, thereby affecting daily sales. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi, the business operators pointed out that things were not going well at all. Mr Yussif Toure, a forex bureau operator, said the situation had been compounded by the misinformation and the spread of uncertainties by social media. He said social media had been amplifying misinformation, which was causing fear and panic among the populace, making some people unable to even go out. Mr Toure stressed the need for the Government to intensify public education to the pandemic in order not to put the country's economy into total collapse. Mr Patrick Asker, a shop owner at the Kejetia Market, prayed that God would intervene to stop the pandemic in the country. ---GNA For the past three days, Russian military transport planes with medical specialists and aid on board have been landing at an air base near Rome to help Italy in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Critics immediately started looking for some ulterior motives behind Moscows move, describing it as just a political PR stunt, a demonstration to Europe of the Kremlins capabilities and its immunity to a global pandemic, completely oblivious of the fact that this unselfish gesture of goodwill is not the first in the history of Russias relations with the West. Suffice it to recall how, 75 years ago, the Soviet people selflessly saved the world from the Nazi plague without asking for anything in return. Russians like to joke about there being no such a thing as an ex-doctor, soldier or police officer, but it looks like in Russia there are no former emergency specialists either. Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu spent many years at the head of this countrys Emergency Situations Ministry, and is the one who dispatched Russian rescuers to Japan in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake there. Russians have a predilection for saving everyone; its a sort of a national trait here. Are they doing this to win kudos abroad? Hardly so... The first thing Japan did after recovering from the consequences of that devastating natural disaster was to reiterate its claim to Russias South Kuril islands, so Moscow is hardly expecting Italy to make any decisive calls for lifting the EUs anti-Russian sanctions. Russia was still very quick to send out 14 planes with 100 military virologists and professional nurses, special equipment and instruments to Italy in keeping with an earlier agreement between President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Russia even sent in its most experienced medics - military doctors, who had earlier experience of tending to potential COVID-19 carriers from China, who had fought the Ebola epidemic in Africa, and who have a long history of participation in humanitarian missions. Whether these few dozen people are able to turn the tide in the fight against the pandemic is another question, but in any case, their contribution will be extremely important. Meanwhile, as a brief interview with one of the Army nurses, staff sergeant Natalya Krivosheyeva, aired on Russias Channel One television showed, the Russian military doctors arrived in Italy to help the country out of trouble, and this is exactly what they are all set to do. In any case, 100 professional doctors with vast experience and military discipline are providing urgent vital assistance to Italy, which is struggling with a shortage of medical staff. This assistance is all the more valuable now that the NATO countries have all refused to line up similar support, the Western defense alliances mobile hospital has moved to Luxembourg, closer to the center of European decision-making, and there is virtually no support coming from Italys EU partners. Why is Putin lending a helping hand to Italy? Does he really expect any gratitude from Rome? He is a realist. The news about dozens of professional Russian medics being sent overseas will hardly contribute to his popularity back home. Moreover, on April 22, or later Moscow will hold a referendum that would allow Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036. Russians are way more concerned about the situation with the coronavirus pandemic in their own country than in faraway Italy. And still, Beijing and Moscow have so far been the only ones to provide real assistance to Rome. From the standpoint of national mentality, Russias actions are fairly understandable. A popular Russian joke says that if you want to do something well, call the military." Russian military medicine is one of the best around, and Russian doctors are going to Italy to gain experience and hone their skills. They are going because such missions are part and parcel of the algorithm of the Russian military. They do not expect anything in return, all they want is expertise. Some critics were sure to be like Why ask for help from the Russians? What will the Kremlin want in exchange for helping us out? The thing is, however, that Putin and Shoigu have created a system, which initially implies emergency assistance even for countries that are not Russias best friends. Moreover, if an epidemic of such magnitude flared up in Poland, which reportedly closed its airspace to Russian planes carrying aid to Italy, Putin would still offer similar help to Warsaw. This is how the Russian Defense Ministry works, for the good of the whole world. The Russian military specialists are at work now and are sure to save lives. What is more precious than human life? Certainly not politics, and this is exactly what European leaders need to realize. Story by Alexander Sheffner, expert of International institute for Political Information The Louisiana National Guard has activated more than 600 soldiers and airmen so far to assist with the state's coronavirus response. That number does not include the full-time guardsmen and women who are already aiding in the effort. The Guard is expecting to bring on more soldiers as the state's response to the public heath emergency continues. The soldiers are working at food banks, providing medical support, assisting in traffic control and pitching in at parish emergency operations centers. The Louisiana National Guard is actively taking steps to ensure its soldiers remain healthy by limiting non-essential travel, educating and enforcing strict hygiene measures, as outlined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and monitoring soldiers' temperature readings and overall health on a daily basis, officials said. Advertisement Members of the public are continuing to flout the government's rules by heading out to sunbathe on the second day of the coronavirus lockdown. Footage has emerged showing police dispersing Britons gathering in parks and other public places, with people gathering despite strict advice to stay at home yo avoid the outbreak overwhelming the NHS. In Shepherd's Bush in West London, people soaked up the sun, seemingly oblivious to the tight restrictions imposed by the government on Monday. Police were seen telling the sun worshipers to leave and go home. Others were seen enjoying the weather at Battersea Park in South West London, on the beach in Portsmouth and in the sea off Eastbourne today despite the Prime Minister urging people to stay at home. Meanwhile in Manchester, officers today dispersed groups, some of which greeted each other with a hug, along with sunbathers in Piccadilly Gardens. Police also used megaphones to tell people to stay at home unless absolutely necessary, saying 'this is serious, we need to beat corona.' It comes as: The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus but is only displaying mild symptoms, Clarence House announced. NHS England's medical director said hundreds of thousands of tests for Covid-19 per day could become a reality within weeks. Boris Johnson urged London Mayor Sadiq Khan to 'get more Tubes on the line' but resisted calls to ban non-essential construction workers from heading to building sites. Parliament is set to adjourn for an early Easter break after emergency legislation to tackle Covid-19 is approved. The Prime Minister confirmed that ministers are considering asking black taxi drivers to act as a transport service for NHS workers. A total of 435 patients who tested positive for coronavirus had died in the UK as of today, however the latest figures for England have not yet been announced. In Westminster, the Prime Minister insisted the Government is 'working as fast as we possibly can' on a package of support to help the self-employed despite 'particular complexities' amid growing political pressure. Last week, the Government announced an unprecedented plan to underwrite the wages of millions of workers who face being laid off as activity dries up - but it has been criticised for doing nothing for the country's five million freelancers, contractors and other self-employed workers. British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced strict lockdown measures on Monday urging people to stay at home and only leave the house for basic food shopping, exercise once a day and essential travel to and from work (groups pictured in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester) People enjoy the sun in Battersea Park in South West London while the UK is in a coronavirus lockdown Members of the public on the seafront in Portsmouth today after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown A man and a woman embrace in Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester on Wednesday despite the strict lockdown Two men greet one another with a high five in Piccadilly Gardens on March 25, 2020 in Manchester seemingly oblivious to the new lockdown rules Police had to disperse sunbathers in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester on Wednesday as people continued to flout lockdown rules On Monday the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson addressed the nation and told Britain's 66million people they must stay at home unless they are front-line workers, need to shop infrequently to buy food or medicine or are helping a vulnerable person. He also said one form of exercise was permitted each day, such as dog-walking - but not sunbathing or merely sitting outside. Mr Johnson ordered the immediate closure of all non-essential shops and threatened people with fines or even arrest if they did not 'stay at home'. The Prime Minister's shutdown will last for a minimum of three weeks and the UK's new state of emergency is unprecedented in modern history. Gatherings of more than two people are banned in the most dramatic curbs on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war, as the government goes all out to stop the spread of the killer disease. The footage showing brazen sunbathers comes as families who have lost loved ones after testing positive for coronavirus have appealed on social media for people to stay inside as the outbreak tightens its grip across the UK. Twitter user, @mollyacejay, paid tribute to her grandmother on Tuesday and urged members of the public to stay indoors. 'please please please stay indoors. I will forever be grateful for the love my grandma had for all of us, for the kindness she showed. we sadly lost her to covid19 earlier today. please stay inside,' she wrote. Twitter user, @mollyacejay, paid tribute to her grandmother and urged members of the public to stay indoors Underneath her Tweet @mollyacejay retweeted a message her grandmother had sent her earlier in the year. 'my grandma crocheted a pride blanket for me after I finally spoke to her about being gay at christmas. lucky, blessed, loved.' The UK's coronavirus death toll stood at 437 on Wednesday with more than 8,200 cases. Mark Foran took to Twitter to pay tribute to his dad who was one of those who died yesterday. 'After suffering a brain hemorrhage back in November and being in hospital ever since fighting to survive, our Dad got diagnosed with Covid-19 last week and he sadly passed away today. Rest In Peace Dad x' The humanitarian cost of the pandemic continues to mount globally as more than 415,000 people have been infected with the deadly disease, and more than 18,000 have been killed. Meanwhile Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating at his home on the Balmoral estate, it was revealed today. The Prince of Wales, 71, has a 'mild' form of the illness and is with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who has tested negative and is without any symptoms of the virus, which has killed 435 and infected 8,000 more in the UK so far. A royal source said Charles' doctor's most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious on March 13 - 24 hours after 'briefly' meeting his 93-year-old mother the Queen. A Buckingham Palace spokesman has said: 'Her Majesty remains in good health. The Queen is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare'. Shoppers have also been pictured squeezing together at supermarkets Wednesday morning, ignoring social distancing rules and raising fears that stores could become the new superspreaders of coronavirus. Under government guidelines, people are supposed to stay 6ft apart from others if they have to go outside, but shoppers at several supermarkets all over the UK this morning have been flouting the rules while stocking up on essentials. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ordered Brits to stay at home to halt the spread of the virus, imposing curbs on everyday life without precedent in peacetime. However, people are still allowed to leave their homes to shop for basic necessities, leading to supermarkets being flooded with customers and fears that they will become hotbeds of the virus. Several major chains are now introducing new measures to try and enforce social distancing and protect staff. Morrisons, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland and Sainsbury's have brought in protective screens for staff, and Waitrose - which is introducing 'two-metre marshalls' who will manage queues outside shops - has ordered screens and visors for its workers. Waitrose calls its policies 'a set of strong, new measures' to help its customers shop safely. The company said the number of customers allowed in at any one time will be limited so that social distancing can be observed, and a 'one in, one out' policy will be operated when it is judged that the shop is at capacity. Customers coming to Waitrose will see marshals who will help to manage queues outside shops and if necessary remind people to respect the two-metre social distancing rule. Waitrose will also dedicate the first opening hour to elderly and vulnerable customers and those caring for them, while NHS staff will continue to be given priority checkout service. There will also be 'safe distance' floor signage, protective screens at checkouts, and additional security. Morrisons, which has already put up perspex screens, is introducing signage in stores to support social distancing, including floor stickers, posters and banners which will ask customers to keep one trolley distance apart, as well as giving guidance on where to wait and where to queue. Asda has also announced similar measures, saying it will introduce floor markers and directional barriers to help customers keep their distance, and will install perspex screens at its checkouts. Hand sanitiser will be available for customers to use when entering and departing. A number of self-service machine will also be shut in order to enforce the two-metre rule, a spokesperson told MailOnline. Mark Foran took to Twitter to pay tribute to his dad who was one of those who died yesterday Sainsbury's said it is 'working through the detail' but expects to restrict the number of people allowed in stores at any one time, and will also be introducing barriers outside to ensure people queue at a safe distance when waiting to get in. The supermarket said it will also have reminders to keep two metres apart displayed throughout stores, screens at manned checkouts, and will close every other payment point to help keep people apart. On Tuesday afternoon, Marks & Spencer said its 31 outlet stores selling only clothing and homeware will be temporarily closed. M&S said when customers arrive at its food stores, they will see a 'greeter' who will ensure the number of customers in the store at any one time is managed. Lombardy, Italy, replaced Wuhan in China, as the most badly impacted region in the world, with authorities in the European country announcing that 743 more people had died in the country on Tuesday, bringing the total dead to 6,820. Italian authorities believe some of the restrictive measures taken may be beginning to have an impact after officially registered new infections rose by just eight percent, the same percentage increase as Monday- the lowest level since Italy registered its first death on February 21. Early morning shoppers queue outside waiting for the Sainsbury's supermarket to open in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne on Wednesday The trajectory of the rapidly spreading virus shows that Madrid and London could become the next hotspots of the disease, with deaths now doubling every two days in the respective capital cities. In the UK, 87 more patients died overnight in England, including 21 at the one NHS trust in London. The UK's death toll has risen almost six-fold in the space of a week, with just 71 fatalities recorded last Tuesday. And in Spain the armed forces asked NATO for humanitarian assistance to fight the novel coronavirus as the national death toll touched 2,700 and infections soared towards 40,000. The Madrid region has suffered the brunt of the epidemic with 12,352 infections - just under a third of the total - and 1,535 deaths, or 57 percent of the national figure. Outside of Europe, in the United States, the death toll has risen quite slowly compared to other nations so far, but the trajectory for New York's mortality curve is much steeper, suggesting it could overtake Madrid. More than 12,000 people have tested positive in the city and 125 have died. A state-wide lockdown took effect on Sunday night. How has coronavirus affected your family? Get in touch at chantalle.edmunds@mailonline.com For a leading indicator of the COVID-19 pandemics impact on the economy, consider your regional food bank. The Houston Food Bank typically takes in and distributes 480,000 pounds of food a day, or about 12 tractor-trailer loads, according to CEO Brian Greene. That changed last week. Now we have less coming in, and it looks like we have distribution levels of around 800,000 pounds, he explained. Thats not as much as is being requested, thats just what we can do. Demand has jumped 40 percent at the San Antonio Food Bank and CEO Eric Cooper is forecasting a 100 percent rise in the weeks to come. The trucks he sends out to procure surplus food from grocery stores and distributors are coming back with half as much as usual, he added. The analogy of a food bank is a checking account, Cooper told me. When there are more withdrawals than deposits, we worry well be overdrawn. Tomlinsons Take: America needs broader measures of success beyond GDP About 40 percent of American families do not have $400 to cope with an emergency, according to the Federal Reserve. A little less than half of Americans make less than $24,000 a year. They work overwhelmingly in hospitality, retail and travel, and half of them are their familys sole breadwinner. These people have seen tough times before, and with layoffs spreading like wildfire, they are flocking to food banks. In San Antonio, where tourism is one of the biggest employers, the number of families seeking help has tripled from 400 to 1,200, Cooper said. Photos of bare grocery store shelves are misleading and making conditions worse by encouraging hoarding. There is no food shortage, and supply chains are functioning. The problem is panicky families are overbuying and taking all the surplus food out of the system, Cooper and Greene explained. Food banks rely on surpluses. Cooper said his team anticipated a run on grocery stores when COVID-19 emerged in February, and his organization began providing extra food to its regular customers earlier this month. Greenes team is providing more fresh produce, rather than canned goods, since perishable fruits and vegetables are more readily available, though harder to distribute. Labor presents a tougher challenge. Most banks rely on volunteers to stock and distribute food, and companies are usually great about organizing employees to work a few hours every month. But many of those companies are now urging workers to stay home. Due to the new coronavirus, food banks must take extra steps to ensure volunteers are healthy and maintaining safe distances. They also need to distribute food safely. Every volunteer is temperature-checked at our door, and then were practicing good social distancing and keeping our groups to smaller groups than we normally do, Cooper said. Greene and Cooper are hoping companies that have shut down, but are keeping workers on the payroll, will send help. If you can still pay your workers, but you dont have somewhere for them to work, can we work something out? Greene asked. Especially if theyre a kitchen worker, a truck driver, a warehouse worker, or something like that. Cooper is grateful to the hotels and restaurants that are keeping workers on the payroll, knowing that those are potential food bank customers that hed rather not see, unless they want to sign up as volunteers. Just as we are only beginning to see the anticipated rise in COVID-19 infections, we also are witnessing only the beginning of hunger in our communities. Counties are declaring shelter-in-place orders, putting even more people out of work. Closing more businesses will lead to more layoffs. While medically necessary, these move are economically devastating to those barely scraping by. Tomlinsons Take: U.S. responds to COVID-19 with needed socialism School closures are complicating matters because many parents relied on schools to provide breakfasts and lunches five days a week. While many schools are still providing meals, many parents are struggling to deal with higher grocery bills. Food banks are mobilizing to distribute food at schools, but for that, they need volunteers and supplies. A working-class familys resources will dwindle rapidly after their last paycheck is cashed. Parents will have to decide whether to spend their savings on rent or food. Food banks alleviate that tough choice, which is why they are an essential service and exempt from the shelter-in-place orders. To get help, families should contact the Houston Food Bank at 832-369-9390 or the San Antonio Food Bank at 210-431-8326. They can help you stay fed. Food banks are hoping that federal and state officials will intervene by providing more resources to cope with this growing health crisis and economic disaster. But all of us need to step up. An old-fashioned canned food drive is not the answer, however. Anyone who wants to help should send money because every $1 helps the food banks collect 10 pounds of food. If you can volunteer, even better. A little sweat equity goes a very long way. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a pan-government meeting on coronavirus responses at the Government Complex in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye The government will implement stricter screening procedures for travelers from the United States, starting Friday, amid a continuous spike in the number of foreign-origin COVID-19 cases here, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Wednesday. The enhanced measures require entrants from the United States who show any symptoms associated with the new coronavirus to be moved to a quarantine station at airports to undergo coronavirus tests. Korean nationals, and foreigners who will stay a long time in Korea, are required to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine even if they do not show any symptoms. Chung said during a pan-government meeting on the coronavirus response that it was an urgent task to tighten quarantine measures on arrivals from the United States as the risk of an influx of cases from other countries has kept increasing. "There is no time for delay as an increasing number of Korean nationals in the United States including students studying there are expected to return home amid the rapid spread of the infectious virus in that country," Chung said. The government had already begun conducting coronavirus tests on all arrivals from Europe, Sunday. With regard to entrants from the U.S., the government will conduct tests only on those who show symptoms for now, as the number of people who were infected in the U.S. has been less than those infected in Europe. The government said it would conduct tests on all arrivals from the U.S. if the number of infections increases. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) detected 100 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, bringing the total here to 9,137. Of the new cases, 51 patients were infected abroad, including 34 detected at airports. "Of the 51 imported infections, 43 were Korean nationals and eight were foreigners," Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official in charge of containment measures, said during a briefing. "Of the total 9,137 patients, 227 were infected abroad, with Korean nationals accounting for 91 percent. The government has a responsibility to protect its citizens living abroad." The number of infections of foreign origin here has rapidly increased this month from four in the first week to 18 in the second week to 74 in the third week. The government has faced growing calls to extend tests to people coming from all countries, not only Europe, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic crisis. The prime minister said the KCDC and Ministry of Health and Welfare are working to come up with sustainable measures to effectively contain the contagious disease. He also called for the need to more thoroughly monitor the health of not only medical staff but also caregivers at nursing homes as sporadic mass infections have continued to occur at facilities housing elderly people who are especially vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Maple Gold outlines Covid-19 response and provides corporate updates Posted by Publisher Internet Maple Gold Mines Ltd. ?Maple Gold? or the ?Company?) (TSX-V: MGM, OTCQB: MGMLF; Frankfurt: M3G https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/maple-gold-mines-drilling-new-high-grade-extension-531-zone/ ) is taking a number of risk-mitigating measures in response to Covid-19, Provincial legislation and the current market conditions. ? Maple Gold?s President and CEO, Matthew Hornor, stated: ?The potential duration of turbulence in the capital markets as a result of the coronavirus pandemic remains unclear. We believe a number of macroeconomic factors point towards a very strong gold environment in the near to mid-term, but in the immediate term defensive action is required. The adjustments we are making will allow us to ensure the health and safety of our employees and contractors, and to preserve further financial flexibility, while continuing to make progress at the project-level.? Maple Gold Executives to Reduce Pay by 50% Maple Gold is fortunate to have committed executive and exploration teams that are willing to work for reduced pay during this period of uncertainty. Protecting the cash in the treasury without limiting the Company?s ability to make key advancements at the Project helps position Maple Gold for success once market conditions stabilize. The Company?s senior management team has agreed to work for 50% pay during Q2 2020. The Company has also consolidated certain roles and is making arrangements to reduce its camp size and related costs at site in the coming weeks to save additional costs, while still being able to accommodate up to 40 people at any given time in the future. Covid-19 Response & Drilling Update Maple Gold is responding to COVID-19 within the framework of Company protocols and local government and national health authorities? guidelines and recommendations. The health and safety of the Company?s employees and contractors is paramount. The Company has suspended all non-essential business travel and is implementing new measures at site, and will monitor the situation closely to ensure the risk of COVID-19 exposure is reduced significantly. Maple Gold did not mobilize additional drill rigs in recent weeks given the evolving Covid-19 pandemic. This measure was undertaken in order to conserve capital and also limit the number of people at site at any given time. The Company has completed approximately 4,100 metres to-date and will be suspending drilling shortly and demobilizing drill rigs in accordance with new orders from the Quebec Government pertaining to all non-essential businesses. ALS laboratories in Val d?Or will also be suspending operations, so remaining samples will be shipped once their operations resume. Assays will be released once results are received, verified and interpreted. Maple Gold?s VP, Exploration, Fred Speidel, stated: ?We have completed a series of additional drill holes within the NW, Nika and Porphyry Zones, mainly targeting near-surface higher grade gold mineralisation. The Company did not drill at any of the sites that have year-round gravel road access, as these targets can be drilled later in the year. Our IP work continues to define additional discovery targets as well, so this staged approach to our drilling will provide additional time to evaluate ongoing results and the growing pipeline of new drill targets across the Douay property.? Management Updates The Company?s VP, Corporate Secretary, Michelle Borthwick, recently resigned to pursue other opportunities. Gregg Orr (CFO) will now act as the Company?s CFO and Corporate Secretary. Joness Lang has been promoted to Executive Vice President (formerly VP, Corporate Development) to better reflect the various corporate initiatives being led by Mr. Lang. Qualified Person The scientific and technical data contained in this press release was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Fred Speidel, M. Sc, P. Geo., Vice-President Exploration, of Maple Gold.?Mr. Speidel is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.?Mr. Speidel has verified the data related to the exploration information disclosed in this news release through his direct participation in the work. Click the following link to review the Company?s QA-QC standards and protocols: http://maplegoldmines.com/index.php/en/projects/qa-qc-qp-statement. About Maple Gold Maple Gold is an advanced gold exploration and development company focused on defining a district-scale gold project in one of the world?s premier mining jurisdictions. The Company?s ~355 km? Douay Gold Project is located along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone (55 km of strike) within the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt in northern Quebec, Canada. The Project benefits from excellent infrastructure and has an established gold resource that remains open in multiple directions. For more information please visit www.maplegoldmines.com. Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains ?forward-looking information\ and ?forward-looking statements? (collectively referred to as ?forward-looking statements?) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada, including statements about the prospective? mineral potential of the Porphyry Zone, the potential for significant mineralisation from other drilling in the referenced drill program and the completion of the drill program. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and management?s best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company?s expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding timing and completion of the private placement. When used herein, words such as ?anticipate?, ?will?, ?intend? and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on certain estimates, expectations, analysis and opinions that management believed reasonable at the time they were made or in certain cases, on third party expert opinions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, and uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual events, results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future events, results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Maple Gold Mines Ltd.?s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company?s website at www.maplegoldmines.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Sanctions on Iran, others facing coronavirus must be urgently re-evaluated: UN Iran Press TV Tuesday, 24 March 2020 6:25 PM The United Nations rights chief says any sanctions imposed on Iran, among other countries grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, should be "urgently re-evaluated" to support lives of millions of people worldwide. "At this crucial time, both for global public health reasons, and to support the rights and lives of millions of people in these countries, sectoral sanctions should be eased or suspended," Michelle Bachelet said in a statement on Tuesday. She warned, "In a context of global pandemic, impeding medical efforts in one country heightens the risk for all of us." She stressed the importance of giving broad and practical effect to humanitarian exemptions from sanctions measures "with prompt, flexible authorization for essential medical equipment and supplies." Bachelet pointed in particular to the case of Iran, one of the hardest-hit countries by the pandemic, and said the COVID-19 outbreak was also spreading to neighboring Afghanistan and Pakistan. She said even before the pandemic, human rights reports had repeatedly emphasized the impact of sectorial sanctions on Iran's access to essential medicines and medical equipment, including respirators and protective gear for healthcare workers. Nearly 500,000 people worldwide have been infected and over 17,000 have died of the viral disease, according to the latest tallies. Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Tuesday that the number of coronavirus deaths had risen to 1,934 and the total infections to 24,811 during the past 24 hours. "There have been 122 new deaths and 1,762 new infections since Sunday," he said. Jahanpour further put the number of patients who have recovered from the viral disease at 8,913. US President Donald Trump reinstated Washington's sanctions on Iran in May 2018 after he unilaterally left the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed between Iran and major world powers. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) known as the World Court has ordered the White House to lift the sanctions it has illegally re-imposed on humanitarian supplies to Iran. The US claims the bans do not get in the way of food and medicine exports to Iran, but the Islamic Republic says Washington has been working to make problems for a Swiss humanitarian channel launched to enable the transfer of commodities to Iran. In a phone conversation with Tunisian President Kais Saied on Monday, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the United States' move to prevent the dispatch of medical and humanitarian aid and the facilitation of banking interactions to meet the Iranian people's needs suffering from the deadly new coronavirus contravenes human and the United Nations regulations. Rouhani said the US administration has intensified its cruel measures and sanctions against the Iranian people even under the current difficult conditions caused by the virus outbreak. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fine Gael and Fianna Fail say they will meet again in the coming days as efforts continue to form a new government. It has been revealed no new laws can be passed from next week because approval of both the Dail and Seanad is needed. Seanad elections are underway but 11 members must be chosen by the Taoiseach, and that canot happen if the current Taoiseach is outgoing. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail say they need to form a stable government to help Ireland recover post-Covid 19. In a statement, Fianna Fail said the parties hadh had a "productive" meeting this afternoon, and both agreed the need to form a "strong, stable government". The parties "are working to develop a Programme for Government that provides stability and majority support in the Dail", the statement says. They will meet again over the coming days and will both continue to reach out to other parties. Earlier, Green Party TDs ruled out any government formation talks with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael as the Covid-19 crisis continues, insisting a unity or national government is required. The party has come in for criticism for advocating a cross-party government at a time of national crisis, but TDs have argued that rather than cause confusion, such a government would address the pressing issues facing the country. A medical staff wearing protective clothes in the National Hospital For Tropical Diseases in Hanoi on March 24, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh. Vietnams Covid-19 tally has risen to 141 with seven new cases being confirmed Wednesday by the Health Ministry. Of the seven, six people are in Hanoi, including a doctor, and the other is in the central city of Da Nang. All seven people are Vietnamese citizens and are in stable condition. "Patient 135" is a 27-year old woman from the northern city of Hai Phong. She left the Danish capital of Copenhagen on March 19 and transited in Doha (Qatar) and Bangkok (Thailand) before landing March 21 in Da Nang on Bangkok Airways flight PG947. "Patient 136," a 23-year old female resident of Hanois Hoang Mai District, is a student who returned from the U.S. March 16, landing at the Noi Bai International Airport. Upon arrival, she isolated herself at home. On March 21, she developed a fever and the next day, swab samples taken by medical staff tested Covid-19 positive. "Patient 137" is a 36-year-old man from the central Nghe An Province who travelled in Germany and returned to Hanoi March 15. He was taken into a quarantine camp upon arrival. The flight details of Patient 136 and 137 were not available at the time of publication. "Patient 138", a 23-year old resident of Hanois Dong Da District, is a student in the U.K. who landed March 21 in Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines flight VN54. He was also quarantined on arrival. "Patient 139," a 24-year-old woman who lives in Hanois Hai Ba Trung District, is also a student returning from the U.K. She landed March 21 at the Noi Bai Airport on Vietnam Airlines flight VN54 and quarantined upon arrival. "Patient 140", a 21-year-old man from Hanois Tay Ho District, is yet another student returning from the U.K. on the same flight as "Patient 139". He was also quarantined on arrival. "Patient 141" is a 29-year old doctor with the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Dong Anh District, Hanoi. She is said to have contracted the virus when setting up a ventilator for "Patient 28", who is one of the three Covid-19 patients in the country reported to be in a critical condition. She also came into contact the same day with "Patient 116", another doctor in the department. Vietnam has confirmed 141 Covid-19 cases so far, of whom 17 have been cured and discharged from hospitals. Most of the active cases are those coming back from Europe and the U.S. and people whod come into close contact with them. The Covid-19 pandemic has spread to 196 countries and territories thus far, claiming 18,500 lives. World News Significant cost savings with a combined separator for EGR and Bilge Marinfloc CD EGR Separator 25.03.2020 13:52:39 - Varekil, Sweden, 2020-03-25: Marinfloc today announced their combined Exhaust Gas Recirculation Bleed Off water treatment system and Bilge water separator. Their innovative solution is approved by both DNV GL and MAN Energy Solutions and fulfils the requirements of MEPC 107(49) and MEPC 307(73). (live-PR.com) - Varekil, Sweden, 2020-03-25: Marinfloc today announced their combined Exhaust Gas Recirculation Bleed Off water treatment system and Bilge water separator. Their innovative solution is approved by both DNV GL and MAN Energy Solutions and fulfils the requirements of MEPC 107(49) and MEPC 307(73). The approval means that only one separator is required instead of two. Reducing the amount of equipment - Varekil, Sweden, 2020-03-25: Marinfloc today announced their combined Exhaust Gas Recirculation Bleed Off water treatment system and Bilge water separator. Their innovative solution is approved by both DNV GL and MAN Energy Solutions and fulfils the requirements of MEPC 107(49) and MEPC 307(73). The approval means that only one separator is required instead of two. Reducing the amount of equipment needed on a vessel will provide shipyards, engine makers and ship owners with a significant cost saving solution. Reduce both CAPEX and OPEX Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is used to reduce NOx as per the Tier III requirements when use with compliant fuel. The EGR process will generate a portion of bleed off water that must be treated to < 15 PPM which is also the requirement for bilge water. By combining the two treatment systems, the Capital Expenditures will be significantly reduced without any negative impact on performance. Additionally, there will also be a welcomed reduction in Operating Expenditures as maintenance, spare parts and training are needed only for one unit. The system is based on Marinflocs well-known flocculation technology with thousands of references worldwide. The Whitebox is included as standard to segregate the waste streams, to eliminate cross contamination and record all activities. Moreover, the Whitebox fulfils the EXXON requirements and is Marinflocs recommendation on all US calling vessels. Both treatment units are mandatory, so why not combine them. It would be foolish to have a separate treatment unit that might not even be in use for the majority of the year. This way neither crew nor owners will lose any sleep going into NECAs as they are already operating the unit on a daily basis says Martin Gombrii MD at Marinfloc S&P The development of this solution started back in 2016 at MAN Energy Solutions facilities in Copenhagen and concluded when DNV GL approved the system design in early 2020. Sometimes new products are done overnight, sometimes they take five years. Looking at the result Im glad that we didnt rush anything. We have developed a truly unique product and are proud to be a MAN Energy Solutions approved supplier says Mr. Benny Carlson, Chairman of Marinfloc. To learn more visit ENDS For further information Mr. Fredrik Andersson Area Sales Manager Phone: +46 304 606 373 Mail: Mr. Kristofer Ericsson Marketing Manager Phone: +46 304 606 300 Mail: About Marinfloc Since the start of Marinfloc, we are the leader in innovative systems for treatment of wastewater on ships and offshore units. Our treatment equipment includes bilge water, EGR bleed off water, drill slop, black and grey water and oily sludge. The success of Marinfloc is founded in our knowledge and long experience in marine engineering. We take pride in the fact that all Marinfloc technology is thoroughly developed on board ships and offshore installations to meet onboard conditions and not just to fulfil regulations that do not mirror reality. To clean water we use the flocculation technology as it is proven to be by far the most effective method. The effluent water quality from all our treatment units supersedes all current regulations. All our equipment is fabricated at our factory in Varekil, Sweden to meet the highest quality standards using only top-quality components and materials. Our dedicated service organization consists of skilled service engineers ready to offer quick responses to assist our customers as required. Please visit us at: needed on a vessel will provide shipyards, engine makers and ship owners with a significant cost saving solution.Reduce both CAPEX and OPEXExhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is used to reduce NOx as per the Tier III requirements when use with compliant fuel. The EGR process will generate a portion of bleed off water that must be treated to < 15 PPM which is also the requirement for bilge water. By combining the two treatment systems, the Capital Expenditures will be significantly reduced without any negative impact on performance. Additionally, there will also be a welcomed reduction in Operating Expenditures as maintenance, spare parts and training are needed only for one unit.The system is based on Marinflocs well-known flocculation technology with thousands of references worldwide. The Whitebox is included as standard to segregate the waste streams, to eliminate cross contamination and record all activities. Moreover, the Whitebox fulfils the EXXON requirements and is Marinflocs recommendation on all US calling vessels.Both treatment units are mandatory, so why not combine them. It would be foolish to have a separate treatment unit that might not even be in use for the majority of the year. This way neither crew nor owners will lose any sleep going into NECAs as they are already operating the unit on a daily basis says Martin Gombrii MD at Marinfloc S&PThe development of this solution started back in 2016 at MAN Energy Solutions facilities in Copenhagen and concluded when DNV GL approved the system design in early 2020.Sometimes new products are done overnight, sometimes they take five years. Looking at the result Im glad that we didnt rush anything. We have developed a truly unique product and are proud to be a MAN Energy Solutions approved supplier says Mr. Benny Carlson, Chairman of Marinfloc.To learn more visit www.marinfloc.com/EGR ENDSFor further informationMr. Fredrik AnderssonArea Sales ManagerPhone: +46 304 606 373Mail: fredrik.andersson@marinfloc.com Mr. Kristofer EricssonMarketing ManagerPhone: +46 304 606 300Mail: kristofer@marinfloc.com About MarinflocSince the start of Marinfloc, we are the leader in innovative systems for treatment of wastewater on ships and offshore units. Our treatment equipment includes bilge water, EGR bleed off water, drill slop, black and grey water and oily sludge. The success of Marinfloc is founded in our knowledge and long experience in marine engineering. We take pride in the fact that all Marinfloc technology is thoroughly developed on board ships and offshore installations to meet onboard conditions and not just to fulfil regulations that do not mirror reality. To clean water we use the flocculation technology as it is proven to be by far the most effective method. The effluent water quality from all our treatment units supersedes all current regulations.All our equipment is fabricated at our factory in Varekil, Sweden to meet the highest quality standards using only top-quality components and materials. Our dedicated service organization consists of skilled service engineers ready to offer quick responses to assist our customers as required.Please visit us at: www.marinfloc.com Contact information: Marinfloc AB Industrivagen 10, 472 95 Varekil, Sweden Contact Person: Fredrik Andersson Area Sales Manager Phone: +46 304606373 eMail: eMail Web: http://www.marinfloc.com Author: Roland Persson e-mail Web: http://www.orn.nu Phone: +46 411 18400 25.03.2020 13:52:39 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. DES MOINES A conversation with one of her Amish neighbors left Mary Swander feeling uneasy. It was March 13, five days after Iowa announced its first coronavirus patient, and the man Swander was speaking with seemed unaware of the pandemic that was just then creeping into Iowa. The longer they spoke, the more her worry grew for her friend and the other 1,200 Amish residents in Johnson and Washington counties. Swander decided to talk to a few more people at a store that caters to Amish customers. That confirmed her fears. They had a vague inkling about it, but they were kind of making a joke out of it. And thats what got me really concerned, because without TV, radio, internet, they wouldnt know how bad it is, Swander said. They were kind of half taking me seriously and half-thinking I was alarmist. I could feel that tension. The Amish started as a Christian sect that arose in Switzerland and Germany in the 16th century as part of a schism with the Catholic Church. They arrived in Kalona in 1846 and have eschewed modern technology, from automobiles to telephones. They maintain a traditional lifestyle in the clothing they wear and in the way they worship, farm and educate their children. But they are far from isolated. An Amish horse-drawn carriage rides along Highway 1 outside of Kalona, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, in Johnson County, Iowa. Amish horses and buggies are ubiquitous around Kalona, an eastern Iowa town of about 2,500, as they ride to town to shop or bank or attend auctions. There are local car chauffeurs who make a living bringing Amish people into Iowa City, where Menards and Walmart are popular stops. The Amish will rent buses or vans for trips to Indiana or Ohio for weddings and funerals, Swander said. Lacking health insurance, they will travel by train to Mexico if they need a major medical procedure. Back to work? Trump says he hopes to lift coronavirus restrictions by Easter Swander is a retired University of Iowa professor, an author and a poet. She has lived among the Amish and studied them for 30 years. Her house used to be a one-room schoolhouse used by Amish families. Story continues From her window last week, she could see Amish children still riding their bicycles to attend their current school. Swander knew what exposure to the coronavirus could mean for a segment of society that hadnt gotten the word about social distancing. Theyre a very communal culture, so they have these large gatherings, especially weddings and funerals. And they have church in their homes, so they might have like 200 people in their house for church or their barn or their basement, Swander said. They have their own businesses as blacksmiths or wheelwrights or doing concrete work. They all have customers coming to their farm from the outside world. Get daily coronavirus updates in your inbox: Sign up for our newsletter now. On March 15, Swander made copies of the latest information about COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She placed those in the mailboxes of as many Amish families as she could. But she wanted to do more. She called her friend, Stephanie Leonard, who has lived for two decades among the Amish in nearby Riverside. Be cautious: New Yorkers told to go into self-quarantine if they travel Leonard is an industrial hygienist by trade who was already isolating herself against the coronavirus. She, too, grew alarmed when she thought about how to get the message to her Amish friends about the severity of the public health threat. Theyve got grandparents living on the same farm and sometimes in the same home. So there would be an easy spread among age ranges if it took hold. Its very worrisome, Leonard said. They wouldnt know how to call in to get screenings from clinics. They wouldnt have the ease of getting to the hospital. Thats all part of the concern and compounding them being a risk population thats vulnerable. Leonard reached out to the Johnson and Washington county health departments, asking if there was any way their personnel could communicate with the nine distinct Amish communities in their midst. Danielle Pettit-Majewski fielded Leonards call in Washington County. She, too, had recently begun to think about how to educate a group of citizens that can be shut off from the outside world. She thought about how quickly a measles outbreak spread among Orthodox Jews in New York a year ago. Pettit-Majewski told her counterpart in Johnson County that she would handle the situation, since that county has been the hardest hit in Iowa by COVID-19 cases so far. She felt she had a good relationship with the Amish population. She provides vaccines to the children each year. Amish households dont have telephones, but each community typically has one phone booth that will be checked for messages daily. Each has a bishop as well. Pettit-Majewski left a voicemail for one bishop, who returned the call and listened to her message about the importance of limiting sizes of groups to 10, of washing hands frequently, about maintaining at least 6 feet of space from other people and about how vulnerable the elderly and those with underlying health issues are to the coronavirus. She told him Gov. Kim Reynolds had recommended the temporary closure of schools throughout Iowa. That, in particular, seemed to resonate. That bishop put Pettit-Majewski in touch with others. They were very amenable to wanting to make sure that they kept their communities safe, Pettit-Majewski said. Late last week, the message seemed to take hold. Nyle Kauffman, a retired Iowa City doctor who has worked with Amish families throughout his career and continues to instruct schoolchildren about farm safety, heard from a friend in that community that school sessions and Sunday gatherings had been suspended. Young adults who frequently would gather to spend the evening singing have halted that activity as well. On Thursday morning, 5 Star Auction house in Kalona was still planning a big Saturday sale that would certainly have drawn hundreds of Amish people. By Thursday evening, it had been canceled. No one is sure what exactly was the tipping point for the change in behavior. But everyone who reached out was relieved. I think they paid attention to the governors proclamation, Kauffman said. I think in the beginning, they kind of thought they were safe. Kauffman pointed out that there are thousands of Amish people living in other parts of Iowa, mainly near the town of Bloomfield and in Buchanan County. He wasn't sure how much they know about the pandemic. Leonard said she was just doing what she hopes everybody would in a time of great uncertainty. We all should try to be good neighbors, I think, she said. Everybodys in it together. Its pretty apparent at this point. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Coronavirus: How an Iowa woman informed Amish about social distancing The intensity of the outbreak in Spain which identified its first mainland coronavirus case only a month ago drives home the notion that Italy is no outlier, epidemiologists say. Across Europe, hundreds of millions of people face severe restrictions on their daily lives, as authorities attempt to battle community transmission. But some countries, including Spain, have been criticized for being too slow to intervene and to mandate social distancing. High-powered computer-industry players, government entities and universities are teaming up to further technology that can be used in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium includes IBM, AWS, Google, HPE, and Microsoft as well as US National Labs, NASA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, U.S. Department of Energy and others. The idea is to meld the high-performance computing systems supported by consortium members to let researchers run massive amounts of epidemiology, bioinformatics, and molecular modeling calculations. These experiments would take years to complete if worked by hand, or months if handled on slower, traditional computing platforms, according to IBM. By pooling their supercomputing capacity the consortium can offer extraordinary supercomputing power to scientists, medical researchers and government agencies as they respond to and mitigate the coronavirus spread, wrote Dario Gil, Director of IBM Research in a blog. As a powerful example of the potential, IBMs Summit, the most powerful supercomputer on the planet, has already enabled researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee to screen 8,000 compounds to find those that are most likely to bind to the main spike protein of the coronavirus, rendering it unable to infect host cells, Gil wrote. They were able to recommend the 77 promising small-molecule drug compounds that could now be experimentally tested. This is the power of accelerating discovery through computation. Researchers will be able to submit COVID-19-related research proposals to the consortium via this online portal, which will then be reviewed for matching with computing resources from one of the partner institutions. An expert panel comprised of top scientists and computing researchers will work with proposers to assess the public health benefit of the work, with emphasis on projects that can ensure rapid results. The tech world has responded to the novel coronavirus in other ways recently, for example: Cisco said it would donate $225 million in cash and products to help support global and local response to COVID-19. In a blog announcing the plan, CEO Chuck Robbins wrote: We are allocating $8 million in cash and $210 million in product to the global coronavirus response. We are focusing these resources on supporting healthcare and education, government response and critical technology. Part of this will go to the United Nations Foundations COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, supporting the World Health Organizations (WHO) worldwide efforts to help prevent, detect, and manage the spread of COVID-19. Through Ciscos Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program, we are providing funding for heads of state, government agencies, and businesses to rapidly deploy COVID-19-related technology solutions. We are also empowering those on the front lines with access to our critical technologies with our free Webex and Security offers, Robbins stated. The Allen Institute for AI, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), Georgetown Universitys Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), Microsoft, and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health released the COVID-19 Open Research Dataset (CORD-19) of scholarly literature about COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, and the Coronavirus group. The dataset represents the most extensive machine-readable Coronavirus literature collection available for data and text mining to date, with over 29,000 articles, more than 13,000 of which have full text. The CORD-19 resource is available on the Allen Institutes org website. AWS said it launched Diagnostic Development Initiativea program to support customers who are working to bring better, more accurate, diagnostics solutions to market faster and promote better collaboration across organizations that are working on similar problems. It sais it is committing an initial investment of $20 million to accelerate diagnostic research, innovation, and development to speed understanding and detection of COVID-19 and other diagnostic solutions to mitigate future infectious disease outbreaks. The program includes 35 global research institutions, startups and businesses. Palo Alto Networks, said it join forces with 24 other Bay Area companies including Autodesk, Box, DocuSign, Cisco, Dropbox, GitHub, Intuit, LinkedIn, NetApp, Okta, Salesforce and SAP to commit an initial $22 million for organizations on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. Funds will support the evolving local, regional and global response efforts through several beneficiaries. European affairs ministers agreed Tuesday to allow Albania and North Macedonia to begin European Union membership talks, paving the way for the bloc's leaders to sign off on the move that could end years of setbacks and disappointment for the two Balkan nations. Croatia's European Affairs minister Andreja Metelko Zgombic described the decision as "good news, historic news" and said EU leaders were likely to rubber stamp it on Thursday. No date was announced for the start of the membership negotiations, which can take several years. North Macedonia, previously known as Macedonia, has been a candidate for EU membership since 2005, but a long-running dispute with Greece over the country's name stood in the way of accession negotiations. The two neighbors struck a deal for Macedonia to rename itself North Macedonia in exchange for Greece dropping its objections to the country joining the EU. North Macedonia's caretaker prime minister, Oliver Spasovski, described the news as 'beautiful'. Albania's prime minister Edi Rama also expressed delight at the development. The Union of Students in Ireland is calling for student nurses to be paid during the current health crisis. Standard practice means hundreds are in unpaid placements across the country to earn enough hours to get qualified. More than 150 years after being brought to the United States as illegal slaves, the human cargo of the infamous slave ship Clotilda continue to provide breathtaking stories of fortitude and survival. Earlier this week, a British researcher again unearthed the story of an African woman who is believed to be last surviving slave to have lived in the United States. Matilda McCrear died in Jan. 1940, aged 83, according to recent research released by Newcastle University professor Hannah Durkin. McCrear was brought to the United States from West Africa as a toddler in either 1859 or 1860, noted historical references from the time. The exact date and year has long been debated by researchers. It was almost a year ago this week that Durkin found another person who was previously thought to be the last survivor of the transatlantic slave trade, which continued for more than 330 years until being abolished in the United States in late 1865. The United Kingdom abolished it more than 20 year earlier. Sally Smith, known by her indigenous name Redoshi, died in Selma in 1937 after being brought to the U.S. from modern day Benin aboard the Clotilda. For more than 80 years Cudjoe Lewis, also known as Kazoola, was thought to have been the last surviving slave to have endured that particularly dark period of American history. A Department of Agriculture work called The Negro Farmer: Extension Work for Better Farming and Better Living" featured Redoshi. While McCrear lived in the U.S. after slavery was abolished, she became one of the many to be trapped in poverty as a sharecropper, according to Durkins research, published in the journal, Slavery and Abolition. A sharecropper is farm tenant who is forced to hand over part of each crop as rent. Matildas story is particularly remarkable because she resisted what was expected of a black woman in the South in the years after emancipation," said Durkin to the BBC. She didnt get married. Instead, she had a decades-long common-law marriage with a white German-born man, with whom she had 14 children. Durkin also said that her partner appeared to be Jewish, underscoring how the couple overcame the racial, religious, class and social expectations of the time. McCrear appeared to be a trailblazer for most of her life. This is Cudjo Lewis, known in his native land as Kazoola. He was the last survivor of the Clotilda incident. He lived in Africatown until 1935, when he died at age 94. (Courtesy of the Mobile Library) Even though she left West Africa when she was a toddler, she appears throughout her life to have worn her hair in a traditional Yoruba style, a style presumably taught to her by her mother, said Durkin. It also believed that McCrear was in contact with other slaves who lived in Mobiles Africatown settlement, including Redoshi and Kazoola. Multiple searches for the Clotilda have taken place over the last few years. In May 2019, wreckage of a ship discovered in Mobile Bay was finally confirmed as the Clotilda, according to the Alabama Historical Commission. During the yearslong search for the ship, new light was shed on the lives of people like Kazoola and Redoshi, while also raising debate about the legacy of the slavers who brought them to the United States. Parts of Redoshis story was recorded in the early days of the Civil Rights era by author Zora Neale Hurston, according to Durkins prior research. Using census and public records, she was able to piece together a fuller version of Redoshis story. Durkin also came across a Department of Agriculture film featuring Redoshi, which was released one year after her death. Durkin believes she may be the only woman Clotilda survivor who was ever filmed. After being taken from what Durkin described as a peaceful life in Benin, Redoshi was subject to vicious beatings and whippings throughout her time on the plantation. McCrears grandson said that the family knew his grandmother was from Africa, but didnt know much past that, owing the stigma of having been a slave at that time. I was born in the same house where she died, said her grandson, Johnny Crear, to the BBC. "This fills in a lot of the holes that we have about her. San Francisco Mayor London Breed made an appearance on KGO on Tuesday afternoon to elaborate on her warnings to San Francisco residents on Monday, and to respond to comments made by President Donald Trump in a virtual town hall Tuesday afternoon. Speaking with anchors Kristen Sze and Reggie Aqui, Breed reiterated she hopes that the city of San Francisco doesn't have to decide to close public parks to stunt the spread of coronavirus, but that she's concerned residents are still not adequately following social distancing guidelines. "We don't want to get to a point where we have to close down everything in order to get people to comply. We know people need fresh air; they need to get out with their families they live with is most appropriate," she said. "But when you start adding friends and you're having meet-ups ... and you're not doing what we've asked you to do by social distancing with people who are not a part of your household, you are putting lives in danger." RELATED: Mayor Breed issues stern warning to city, threatens parks closure: 'You are putting lives at stake' Aqui then asked Breed to respond to comments made by Trump earlier Tuesday regarding his hopes to open the country to business by Easter on April 12. In a one-on-one after the town hall with Fox News correspondent Bill Henner this morning, Trump said he wanted to reopen businesses by Easter, adding that he wanted to see "packed churches" for the holiday. Breed had a blunt answer to Aqui's prompt. "My response is, 'Why are we still listening to the president?'" she replied. "We've demonstrated we have to jump in and make this work without government support. ... The federal government just isn't moving fast enough." The mayor also spoke to the status of hospitals and medical resources ahead of the peak of coronavirus, saying that the federal response to the crisis has been lacking. "The fact is we knew this was going to be a problem a long time ago," she continued. "This is when real leadership from the federal government should have happened, to prepare for this, to make sure hospitals all over this country have what they need. The fact that it's difficult to get things from other countries because of various federal issues is ridiculous, especially when we need these things the most ... . We're trying to make sure we have what we need." Breed added she appealed to private companies in the area to manufacture medical supplies to assist hospitals. "This is going to impact all of us," she said. "No one is immune from contracting it and so we're all in this together." MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Alyssa Pereira is an SFGate digital editor. Email: alyssa.pereira@sfgate.com | Twitter: @alyspereira Iran's president warned that his government was poised to introduce tough new measures against the coronavirus on Wednesday as the death toll from one of the world's deadliest outbreaks neared 2,000. President Hassan Rouhani said that the new measures, which could be adopted as soon as Wednesday evening, included Iran's first restrictions on movement to try to stem the spread of the virus and were likely to be "difficult" for the public. So far, Iran has resisted imposing any lockdown, choosing instead to rely on verbal appeals for people to stay home. But those have been widely ignored. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the roads as usual last weekend to spend the two-week Persian New Year holiday with family despite fears of the disease spreading from the big cities to the countryside. "There has been a long debate within the National Committee for Fighting the Coronavirus about how to strengthen the measures we have taken," Rouhani said in televised comments to the cabinet. "We need to step up those measures," he said, adding that the health ministry had "presented the committee with a plan" that could be "approved and published" during the day. "It may create problems for people's travel plans and require that people return home early," the president said. "It could stop the next wave of journeys. People have to realise that these are difficult decisions that are being taken to protect people's lives. "But we have no choice, because the lives of Iranians are important to us." Rouhani said the new measures would be adopted for 15 days and would be "implemented thoroughly until Saturday, April 4," the day when children normally return to school after the holiday. Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on Tuesday that a record 1,762 new coronavirus cases had been confirmed in Iran over the past 24 hours, taking the total so far to 24,811. He announced 122 new deaths from the virus, raising the official toll to 1,934, the worst in the world after Italy, China and Spain. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Telangana Chief Ministers Office (CMO) on Tuesday said the government employees and teachers have donated a days basic salary amounting to Rs 48 crore to the Chief Ministers Welfare Fund (CMWF) to fight the menace of coronavirus. Actor Nithiin has also donated Rs 10 lakh to the fund. Earlier in the day, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadellas wife Anupama Venugopal Nadella donated Rs 2 crore to the state government to help the poor with the supply of essential commodities during the lockdown. Her father KR Venugopal handed over the cheque to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Heres the latest on the stimulus/relief bill making its way through Congress: Democratic lawmakers are blocking the stimulus bill proposed in Congress, slamming their Republican colleagues for refusing to include reparations for transgender Native Americans affected by climate change. If we arent handing billions of dollars to Native Americans with gender dysphoria displaced by our current climate emergency, then what are we even doing here? shouted Chuck Schumer in a scathing speech outside the Capitol Building. The American people are waiting for us to pass this bill, and the evil Republicans are stubbornly insisting we dont earmark billions for our transgender indigenous brothers and sisters and others. OK, fine, actually, thats the Babylon Bee. But the real version of the stimulus bill put forth by House Democrats has so many appalling provisions that its hard to tell the difference. And, yes, I know that there are serious objections that the Senate Republicans bill provides too much money to big business without oversight. But the scale of what the Democrats have done is so appalling to me that well, I wrote an article at Forbes which I tried diligently to focus on the retirement elements but I ultimately had to ask my editor to tell me what I really knew already, that it was too political and not retirement-oriented enough to be suitable. I am also reading, in the meantime, that the Senate bill will be the basis of whatever finally comes out of negotiations, which means that everything the House Democrats did was just for show, to play to their base, or as a negotiating tactic, or as, I dont know, indulging in some kind of fantasy. But heres what Ive seen in the bill myself (based on the text currently at Congress.gov) and thats only a small fraction of its enormous economic crisis-unrelated provisions. What set me off was Division T, Title IV. Thats the Butch Lewis Act. If you read what I write at Forbes, youll know that I think that this is offering false promises to truckers and other multiemployer plan participants. As stand-alone legislation, its been rejected by the Senate because it claims to rescue multiemployer plans by providing them loans (which have a balloon payment of all the principal after 30 years, which is then forgiven if the plan cant afford to pay) rather than providing a direct solution, and it lacks any funding or other reforms going forward. But then youve got way more. Division R (airline funding), section 702 is a sort of cash for clunkers for aircraft, except that instead of rendering the planes destroyed and using them for scrap, theyre to be used for parts. There are also provisions requiring carbon offsets and fuel-efficiency targets. Section 208 of that division specifies that all airline employees, and all independent contractors doing work for airlines, must henceforth be paid $15.00 per hour. Division I, Financial Services, section 407, requires that for any accelerated filer corporation receiving assistance, permanently, 1/3 of its directors must be chosen by workers via election. I dont know what an accelerated filer is and I couldnt find that in the definitions, but this is garbage. Also in 407, all corporations receiving aid must boost their minimum wage to $15/hour. And, again, permanently, the ratio of median worker pay to CEO pay must not be greater than 50:1. Permanently. And until the crisis is deemed to have ended, corporations receiving aid must keep the same workforce level, the same benefits, the same pay for all workers, including contractors. No reduced hours permitted. Section 100115 of Division J provides for $10,000 student loan forgiveness for everyone. Division T, section 405 provides that a pension plan for a charity that who been in existence since at least 1938, who conducts medical research directly or indirectly through grant making, and whose primary exempt purpose is to provide services w/r/t mothers and children will be able to be deemed a small employer charity pension plan and given exemptions from various pension plan funding requirements. Others have found more: enabling ballot harvesting in all 50 states, expansive collective bargaining boosts, endless requirements for diversity and inclusion, and more. This is appalling. Again, it may indeed be the case that absolutely none of this comes to pass. But at the same time, there were legitimate provisions tucked in there. I wrote at Forbes yesterday about an issue facing traditional pension plans, who need to save their cash but are facing a quarterly contribution on April 15. The House bill defers that contribution. The (most recently publicly available) Senate version does not. Will all the garbage provisions in the House bill mean that this funding relief and whatever else is legitimate but not visible to my eyes because I dont know the issues will be lost when the final compromise is hammered out? GARDAI are warning businesses and retailers which remain open to be vigilant after a number of counterfeit notes were detected in recent days. In one incident, a fake 10 note was tendered at a retail premises in Caherconlish. This turned out to be Movie Money which is cash used in the making of films or TV series. These notes came to light a number of weeks ago but they are out and about again, said divisional crime prevention officer, Sergeant Ber Leetch. There is actually the word copy printed on the note but of course you must know what to look for, she added. Retailers are being advised that marking pens will pick out counterfeit notes and they are being encouraged it take the time to examine all notes. Anyone who comes across counterfeit notes, are asked to report the matter to their local garda station. Afghan security forces inspect near the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 25, 2020. (Mohammad Ismail/Reuters) Gunmen in Afghanistan Kill 25 at Sikh Complex, ISIS Claims Responsibility Gunmen and suicide bombers raided a Sikh religious complex in the Afghan capital of Kabul on March 25, killing 25 people before security forces killed all of the attackers, the government said. The ISIS terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. Sikhs have been the target of attack by radical Islamic terrorists before in South Asia. Their community in Afghanistan numbers fewer than 300 families. Several hours after the early morning attack was launched, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said an operation by the security forces was over and all of the attackers had been killed. He did not say how many. The ministry said 25 people who had been in the religious compound had been killed, eight wounded, and 80 rescued. Afghan policemen inspect the Sikh religious complex after an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 25, 2020. (Mohammad Ismail/Reuters) Narender Singh Khalsa, a member of parliament who represents the tiny Sikh community, said he had had reports that up to 200 people had been trapped in the temple during the attack. Three suicide bombers entered a dharamsala, he said, referring to a sanctuary area in a temple compound. The gunmen started their attack at a time when the dharamsala was full of worshippers. Outside, families gathered and women cried as they waited to find out the fate of their relatives. In the late 1980s, there were about 500,000 Sikhs scattered across Afghanistan, many from families that had been there for generations, but most fled after years of civil war and the rise of the Taliban. A Taliban spokesman, in a message on Twitter, denied responsibility for the attack. Human rights activists and countries including the United States, India, and Pakistan condemned the attack. An Afghan policeman inspects inside a Sikh religious complex after an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 25, 2020. (Mohammad Ismail/Reuters) We are shocked and disheartened the authorities have a responsibility to protect minorities and their places of worship in Afghanistan, Amnesty International South Asia said on Twitter. In 2018, a suicide bombing targeting the Sikh community and claimed by ISIS killed more than a dozen people in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad. The United States last month struck a deal with the Taliban on the withdrawal of U.S.-led international troops but the agreement does not include ISIS terrorists. The attack comes a day after the United States said it would cut aid to the government by $1 billion over frustrations that feuding political leaders could not reach agreement and form a team to negotiate with the Taliban. An official with Afghanistans NATO mission said the response to the attack had been led and executed by Afghan forces but they had received some advice and assistance from NATO. By Abdul Qadir Sediqi and Orooj Hakimi Our teams are working round the clock to fight the pandemic. The World Health Organization is coordinating with governments and industry to boost the production of personal protective equipment. It has shipped this essential equipment to 68 countries and has sent 1.5 million coronavirus test kits to 120 countries. Now, the United Nations system is joining forces to expand the fight, specifically to help countries with weaker health systems. The campaign will need funding from the worlds wealthier countries to protect its most vulnerable the right thing to do on humanitarian grounds but also as a matter of simple self-protection. It's a brave soul who puts a large lump sum into volatile markets - and the 20,000 annual Isa allowance is a very big sum for most. But you can now put your money into an investment Isa wrapper, leave it in cash and invest it in stocks gradually over the course of the year. All the major fund supermarkets will allow you to hold cash though you can forget about earning interest. Panic stations: It's a brave soul who puts a large lump sum into volatile markets - and the 20,000 annual Isa allowance is a very big sum for most It might seem counter-intuitive to invest in falling markets, but buying as prices fall may mean getting more for your money, so long as you're in it for the long term. Jason Hollands, of Bestinvest, says: 'A sensible approach is to drip-feed in stages over weeks, to help smooth out your average purchase price. A sensible approach is to drip-feed in stages over weeks 'Few people like the idea of investing a large sum, potentially only to see a dramatic slide in value within days: this can prove a deterrent to investing during periods of market turmoil. 'Investing gradually or on a regular basis is a great discipline to overcome this fear.' You can also use this as a time to put extra balance into your portfolio. If you're stacked with UK funds then look globally, and vice versa. Tom Stevenson, at Fidelity International, says: 'Ensuring your portfolio is well-diversified across a mix of assets, from shares and funds to bonds and cash, and across different sectors and geographies, is important at any time.' Dividend hero trusts A ray of light has arrived for investors from the Dividend Heroes. This is the annual Association of Investment Companies round-up of the investment trusts that have raised their payouts year-in, year-out for the longest time. And while these trusts certainly havent been immune to the carnage on the stock market, they can reassure investors with some very long records of lifting dividends. Top of the league are City of London, Bankers and Alliance Trust, a trio who have achieved an astonishing 53 years of successive increases in their dividend payouts. > Read the full report on the Dividend Heroes 2020 There are several types of fund which invest in a mix of shares and may be run by a specialist manager or a robot (in the case of those tracking a particular index). If you are planning to try to buy on the dips that is, after a heavy fall then investment trusts have a key advantage. Because they are themselves companies with shares, you will be quoted a price when you buy and sell. The same goes for exchange-traded funds, which include many market trackers. How to decide where to invest So where should you look? The young should not take too much notice of market volatility. Even if markets fall further, there is plenty of time to recover. Older investors might want to exercise more caution, although there is an argument that this no longer applies because even in retirement, many will be wanting to keep their money invested to supply an income. So which funds stand out for the experts? Tom Stevenson says new investors might consider Artemis Global Emerging Markets Fund. Jason Hollands says he's 'a huge fan' of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust. Ryan Hughes, head of active portfolios at AJ Bell, says: 'Using a passive tracking strategy will give the investor an instantly diversified portfolio and keep costs as low as possible. 'For those interested in investing in well-known names in the UK, the iShares UK Equity Index fund looks to track the FTSE All-Share Index and charges 0.06 per cent a year. For investors who want to look globally, the Lyxor Core MSCI World ETF tracks the world's biggest companies for 0.12 per cent.' Older investors may want to consider Fidelity Select 50 Balanced Fund, Mr Stevenson says. When investing remember the following: this crisis is unlike anything we have known before 'This fund divides its assets between shares and bonds and invests all around the world, so it is well-placed, whatever the environment.' Mr Hollands suggests considering well-managed income funds, such as Threadneedle UK Equity Income and JO Hambro UK Equity Income. But when investing remember the following: this crisis is unlike anything we have known before. We do not know how long it will last, what the long-term impact on the economy will be or how long recovery will take. Anyone who says any different is guessing or bluffing. The attention of Kano State Ministry of Health has been drawn to fake news being circulated on the social media on purported outbreak of Corona Virus disease in Kano. The fake news, carried on fake logos of CNN and BBC Hausa service, alleged that two students of Bayero University, Kano have been confirmed positive of the Corona Virus disease (Covid-19). The news is indeed untrue, false and nothing but a white lie by mischief makers intended to cause panic in the state. To make the record straight, there was never at any point in time since the recorded outbreak of the disease in the country when Kano State had any confirmed case of Covid-19, The Commissioner of Health, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, therefore urged all concerned organizations, groups, individuals and the general public to disregard the news as just a lie, fake and unfounded rumour being circulated with an intent to cause panic among the general public. The commissioner however advised people to take precautionary measures against the disease including regular hand washing social distancing and report any suspected case to the nearest health facility. I don't want to read another article about the little fishies coming back to the Venice lagoon because Covid-19 is keeping the tourists out of the city. Lets keep our focus on people. Covid-19 is killing them, more in Italy than anywhere else right now, between 600 and 750 a day this week. Theoretically, I have known this for three weeks but I have not let it enter my heart. These dead had nothing to do with me. They were old Italians with underlying health conditions. These bubbles of immunity will have to rupture because they are not real. Italian society is not much different to ours. Nor is Spanish, where the same horrific cull of innocent lives is now on-going, with the number of the dead climbing above 500 a day this week. I know more about Italy because I used to live right in the so-called red centre of infection, close to the town of Codogno, which we always mocked as about the most boring place on earth. I took the big step this week of listening into Italian radio, alone in the kitchen, late at night. Its been like listening to a closed society talking to itself. The scale of the horror is immediately obvious. The broadcasters assumption that the listeners are all going through the same thing and have only one enemy the virus is striking. On Monday night, I was plunged, on Radio24Ore, into a radio essay by Rafaella Calandra with the title, The Massacre inside Homes for the Elderly. In Brescia, seven elderly people had died within a few days of each other at one house of repose, as the homes for the elderly are called in Italian. Fifteen other inmates and staff members had been diagnosed and those not affected had been sent away to quarantine. Similar tragedies were playing out in old age homes all over northern Italy. To the strains of La Cura (The Cure) by Franco Battiato, which has become the rallying song for Italians against the virus, Calandras broadcast brought us into the horror hidden behind those walls so sadly penetrated by the virus. A nurse spoke of the anguish felt by elderly inmates. Some of them have dementia and are wholly disorientated by being quarantined. Some are grieving their forced separation, not only from family, but from friends at the home. Many are distressed by the fact that staff are wearing masks because they cant see them smile and for some, facial expressions had been the only means of communication. Psychological and psycho-social supports are entirely gone. If these elderly citizens of the EU have a fall or a heart attack, the nurse said, the hospitals wont accept our patients. Then on Tuesday, the most horrific news since the pandemic began the Spanish military finding elderly inmates dead in their beds with other inmates left to their own devices in homes for the elderly near Madrid which were abandoned by their staff. What these people, our fellow EU citizens, have gone through is beyond imagining. The Spanish government has been loud in its determination to prosecute. There can be no excusing staff who knowingly abandoned old people, no matter how badly paid and ill-supported they are. The question for the rest of us is this, however: did we abandon frontline staff to their fate? The question for the EU as a whole is: Did we abandon worst-hit countries to their fate? The answer is yes. It was China which came to the aid of Italy by sending face masks and ventilators; they were stolen in transit through the Czech Republic. Not even the stories I heard this week on Italian radio of nurses working 16 hours without drinking because taking off their protective gear would mean changing it moved any better-provisioned member states to help. The simple fact is that on some level we have tried to believe that the Italians and now the Spanish did something to deserve their fate. When the truth is that Covid-19 is nothing more than itself. It is a virus, it isnt a metaphor for anything else. It is vital that we dont give the virus morals. It wasnt born to show us the wrongs of the capitalist system. It may make us appreciate the important things in life, as some columnists have claimed this week, but the way we are living now is not a new system of living; it is borrowed time bought with borrowed money. Nor is a global pandemic is any kind of strategy for addressing climate change. Covid-19 must not be construed as a punishment to Western societies for destroying the environment with their lifestyle. Not only would such a suggestion break our vigour in combating the virus internationally, it could also destroy social democracy and environmentalism. A vaccine will be produced most likely by capitalist drug companies working with and for democratically elected governments and that will be the end of the virus for those with access to good medical care. There is no vaccine for climate change or social inequality. Those challenges will be staring us in the face when we wake up from this. There have been 18,000 deaths so far from Covid-19 but in 2018, the most recent year for which there are figures, 405,000 lives were lost to malaria, a preventable and curable disease, most of them to children under five. Climate change, coupled with inequality, increases the risk of contracting not only malaria but also of contracting a range of diseases from TB, to cholera, to dengue fever and lyme disease. The WHO estimated five years ago that climate change and inequality will kill an extra 250,000 people a year from 2030 to 2050, a figure recently described as conservative by a reputable scientific journal. Of course it is possible the pandemic will teach us some strategies for managing climate change and inequality our best hospitals, modern nursing practices, public sanitation and public housing projects were born from epidemics. It is, however, just as possible that fear for ourselves and for our own economic future will destroy whatever environmental and social concern we had. The truth may be staring many of us in the face that we need a truly public health system and that we need uncrowded housing to withstand shocks to our system and that without a collective approach to tackling climate change, hunger and pestilence will come back to haunt us. But the snake oil merchants will be out there, trying to sell us the world exactly as it was before Covid-19. Thats why no one with a conscience can make a friend of Covid-19. It is not the friend of the environment and it didnt even bring back the little fishies to the Venice lagoon. Its just the gondoliers have stopped stirring up the mud. They were there all the time but we couldnt see them. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] Remains found in Ohio on Sunday have been identified as Paige Johnson, a Kentucky teenager who went missing nearly 10 years ago. Johnson was 17 years old when she vanished on Sept. 23, 2010 after attending a party with friends. She had a daughter, who family members said has been forced to grow up without her mother. On Sunday, Clermont County Ohio Sheriffs Office said they were contacted by an individual who said they located what they believed to be was human remains in a wooded area near Williamsburg Township. When Clermont County sheriffs deputies arrived at the scene along with the Clermont County coroner, Covington Police Department investigators were contacted and responded to the scene. Investigators with all three agencies continued to search the scene for two days and recovered additional items that were also believed to be human remains. All items collected were sent to the Hamilton County Coroners Office for analysis and possible identification. On Tuesday, the Clermont County Sheriffs Office and Covington Police Department were officially notified by Hamilton County that through dental records the remains have been positively identified as Paige Johnson. Paiges family was notified by the Covington Police Department Wednesday morning of her recovery. A cause of death has not yet been determined, officials said. Countless efforts have been made over the past 10 years to find out what happened to Paige that night. A website was set up in her name so people could submit any tips they had. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was set to take on Paige's case this year along with an investigator from Washington, D.C., to comb over evidence for new clues. The last person to see her, Jacob Bumpass, said he dropped her off in Covington that night. She was never seen or heard from again. Bumpass is not considered a suspect. Now, authorities said Wednesday many questions still remain and they will continue to search the scene and look into everything they have investigated to this point. Obviously this was not the outcome any of us wanted, Covington Police Chief Robert Nader said, adding, "We want to be hopeful that this will lead to more information. We still have work to do." Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders said they are looking into every piece of evidence surrounding the case and said those interviewed previously who didn't cooperate or lied should be "very worried." Doctors and hospital staff in New York City have found themselves at the epicentre of an unfolding crisis over coronavirus, as Covid-19 patients inundate emergency rooms throughout the city most impacted by the pandemic. With at least 30,811 confirmed cases in the state of New York, over 17,000 city residents have tested positive for the novel virus that so far has a death rate of nearly 1.2 per cent in the US. As hospitals across the country warn they are near-capacity amid an influx of Covid-19 patients, health officials say the current state of medical facilities in New York City foreshadow what emergency rooms across the country will look like in just a matter of weeks, as the virus continues to spread. Dr Jolion McGreevy, medical director of The Mount Sinai Hospital emergency department, said patients have recently begun showing up to the ER with some of the most severe symptoms associated with Covid-19, including major respiratory complications and pneumonia. These are people in severe respiratory distress, needing to be intubated and needing the intensive care unit, he said in an interview with Associated Press. We knew it was coming. We saw it in Italy and other places so we were prepared for it, and now were seeing it. The doctor described dealing with the coronavirus outbreak in recent weeks as a month of full force that has been certainly very stressful, adding: Youre on 100 per cent of the time no matter what. Other doctors in New York City have shared desperate pleas warning residents to stay at home in order to help flatten the curve by slowing the spread of transmissions, so hospitals can stay within capacity as health care workers deal with the surge of new patients. There is a cacophony of coughing, Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia Medicine, said in a viral Twitter thread about what its like working on the front lines of the pandemic. The doctor shared a personal look at what his average day has been inside the New York City emergency room since the start of the outbreak, writing: Nearly every patient is the same, young [and] old. Cough, shortness of breath, fever. He described a near-crippling level of work doctors have been forced to perform each day in the face of the outbreak, while having difficult conversations with patients about their symptoms, including one example in which he had to tell a female Covid-19 patient and her family over the phone that it was best to put her on life support now, before things get much worse. Two patients, in rooms right next to each other, both getting a breathing tube, he wrote. Its not even 10am yet. Dr Eric Cioe-Pena, director of global health at Northwell Health, said doctors in New York have ventured into a battle while treating Covid-19 patients, telling the AP hes nervous about the potential for medical staff to contract the virus. "The more we hear about doctors and nurses getting sick, the more we get nervous," he said. "It's definitely on the mind of every health care worker in America. We don't want to be in a position where we're making decisions based on resources rather than the clinical care of patients." Doctors across the country have meanwhile posted online seeking donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) like medical-grade face masks as hospitals run dangerously low on the life-saving supplies. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a news conference this week the apex of the virus could hit the state in as little as 14 to 21 days, adding: Youre talking about a very significant logistical operational movement to increase that number of hospital beds and do everything that you need to do related to the increased hospital beds. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 10:20:47|Editor: zyl Video Player Close KINSHASA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Felix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), declared on Tuesday a state of emergency across the country to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was prompted by the gravity and dangerous nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the president, who has announced several other additional measures, including the prohibition of all trips between the capital of Kinshasa and the provinces to quarantine Kinshasa. "I will requisition the units of the Congolese National Police and those of our Armed Forces in order to organize mixed patrols to enforce these measures, for the good of all," Tshisekedi said in a televised speech. The president also announced the closure of all the country's borders, except for traffic of trucks, ships and cargo planes with essential freight. The DRC reported its first confirmed case on March 10 in Kinshasa and a total of 48 cases so far, including three deaths and a recovery. NEW YORK, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- QBE North America today announced it will help support healthcare workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by donating 95,000 3M standard ear loop face masks to hospitals around the country. The masks were part of QBE North America's emergency preparedness supply and will be donated to a number of hospitals and medical facilities facing shortages in communities countrywide including Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Hartford HealthCare for use at Hartford Hospital, and New York Presbyterian in New York City. "As we all work through the uncharted territory of this devastating outbreak, we are doing everything we can to help those affected by COVID-19," said Todd Jones, Chief Executive Officer, QBE North America. "While this evolving situation is new, caring about the health and well-being of our employees, customers, partners and communities is not newit's part of our culture. This donation serves as a sincere thank you to our healthcare workers, who are working tirelessly on the front lines of this battle." About QBE QBE North America, an Integrated Specialist Insurer, is part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, one of the largest insurers and reinsurers worldwide. QBE NA reported Gross Written Premiums in 2019 of $4.7 billion. QBE Insurance Group's 2019 results can be found at www.qbe.com. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, QBE operates out of 31 countries around the globe, with a presence in every key insurance market. The North America division, headquartered in New York, conducts business through its property and casualty insurance subsidiaries. The actual terms and coverage for all lines of business are subject to the language of the policies as issued. QBE insurance companies are rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best and "A+" by Standard & Poor's. Additional information can be found at www.qbe.com/us, or follow QBE North America on Twitter. SOURCE QBE North America Advertisement The Navy hospital ship being sent to help coronavirus-stricken Los Angeles traveled just nine miles from San Diego in 24 hours - and spent most of Tuesday anchored off Imperial Beach, California, DailyMail.com can disclose. USNS Mercy, a converted oil tanker that has space to treat up to 1,000 patients, left its home port at Naval Base San Diego on Monday afternoon to begin its 139-mile journey north. But the ship then anchored off Imperial Beach - just nine miles from its regular berth where it has now been sitting for more than a day. Despite its lack of motion Donald Trump used Twitter to boast it was 'underway' and spoke about it at two successive White House coronavirus briefings. Tracking records show the vessel has been moving around the same spot at approximately 0.2 knots for over 24 hours. On its way! How Donald Trump retweeted the Navy's boast that its hospital ship was 'steaming' to Los Angeles Very close to home: This was the Mercy's position 24 hours after leaving port - it had sailed a total of nine miles The USNS Mercy's deployment has been heavily publicized, with the Navy releasing photos of the vessel being loaded with supplies over the weekend. Its departure from San Diego on Monday at 3.30pm PST was also widely reported and flagged up on the Navy's social media pages, including in a tweet that read: 'Steaming to Assist! #USNSMercy departs Naval Base San Diego in support of the nation's #COVID19 response efforts'. It was accompanied by video footage of the ship leaving port. But a spokeswoman for the Navy told DailyMail.com that she believed the ship was en route to Los Angeles and appeared taken aback when told it had only traveled nine miles in total and was just two miles off shore. Another spokeswoman was also unable to explain the lack of movement. Finally, Lieutenant Rochelle Rieger of the 3rd Fleet told DailyMail.com that the ship was still on track to reach coronavirus-hit LA within the week and is currently making final preparations to sail. Explaining why Mercy has only sailed nine miles, Lt. Rieger said: 'The ship is underway [but is] doing routine operations to prepare it such as ballasting the ship which you have to do to lower the draft of the ship so it can get effectively underway. 'That's why it hasn't started going up towards Los Angeles yet.' Under way - but not very far: The USNS Mercy set off from San Diego on Monday. But it then traveled a total of nine miles and spent much of the day clearly at anchor Still on track? The Navy claimed the USNS Mercy would make it to Los Angeles 'within the week.' Asked how long the final preparations will take, Lt. Rieger said: 'We expect that the ship will be at the Port of Los Angeles within the week.' The 1,000-bed hospital ship is due to provide support for overwhelmed Los Angeles County hospitals from its new berth at the Port of Los Angeles in Long Beach. It will not treat Covid-19 patients but the 800 US Navy medical personnel on board will help urgent-care patients with other conditions or injuries. LA County currently has 662 confirmed cases of coronavirus and has seen 119 people hospitalized for the viral illness so far. It has also recorded the first American child to die of the virus. On Tuesday, it was announced cases in California as a whole have surged to 2,561 1,000 of which are in the Bay Area around San Francisco. New York has the largest outbreak within the US, with 20,875 confirmed cases and 157 deaths. Mercy, one of the US Navy's two Mercy-class hospital ships, began life as an oil tanker in 1976 but was converted and entered service as a hospital ship in 1984. Since then, she has provided support in wars and disasters around the world, including the 1991 Gulf War and during the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2005. Her deployment to Los Angeles to help victims of the coronavirus crisis was announced last week. 'The Department of Defense has been given direction to dispatch it to Los Angeles immediately,' Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Peter Gaynor said Sunday during a press conference. Her sister ship, the USNS Comfort, is due to sail from her home base in Norfolk, Virginia, to provide support to hospitals in New York within the next few weeks. Over the weekend, the Navy released photos showing Mercy's preparations for her voyage north, with supplies including crates of Canada Dry ginger ale and Red Bull seen being loaded. The ship had originally been due to travel to Washington but its destination was changed to Los Angeles after the situation there was deemed worse by officials. The USNS Mercy is docked at Naval Base San Diego as it prepares to deploy to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic. A Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest forklift driver, preparing to deliver pallets of supplies aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) at Naval Base San Diego in San Diego on Saturday Navy Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy is loaded with supplies in support of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) 'The ship will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals, and will provide a full spectrum of medical care to include critical and urgent care for adults,' the Navy said in a news release Monday. 'This will allow local health professionals to focus on treating COVID-19 patients and for shore-based hospitals to use their Intensive Care Units and ventilators for those patients.' The ships are not built to deal with respiratory disease outbreaks because they don't have segregated compartments, meaning they will not treat COVID-19 patients. Mercy is loaded with supplies in support of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response efforts at the naval base in San Diego This handout picture released by the US Navy shows the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) taking on supplies last week Images show crates of water bottles prepared to go on board where 1,000 people can be moved from hospitals in LA so beds there can go to coronavirus patients in need of ventilators Sugar snacks and drinks including Twix, Starburst Duos and Crush Orange are packed and ready to go on Mercy Saturday The USNS Mercy, a Navy hospital ship, departs the Naval Station San Diego and heads to the Port of Los Angeles to aid local medical facilities dealing with coronavirus disease. Workers are see on board the Mercy Members of the army look on as the USNS Mercy, a Navy hospital ship, departs the Naval Station San Diego for LA Members of the army are seen, as the USNS Mercy, a Navy hospital ship heads to the Port of Los Angeles to aid local medical facilities The 894-foot modified supertankers are decked out with 12 operating rooms, a medical lab and digital radiological services It seems that in the post-Soviet space Georgia has the most difficult coronavirus situation. The situation in the Central Asian countries, which are not traditionally very open, is uncertain, but, according to these countries' authorities, the situation is under control and nothing really happens. The situation in Georgia, despite the dedicated work of doctors and the government (yes, the work of the Georgian government is much more efficient than those of the governments of more powerful and developed countries), is getting worse. This is due to several reasons. 1. Georgia is open to foreigners more than other ex-Soviet republics, and its way to Europe is also open - the exchange of "delegations" before the pandemic was announced by WHO was very active. 2. The part of the population is still traditionally disorganized and violates quarantine - the authorities had to impose large fines and use violent methods to place violators in special quarantine zones. 3. The stubbornness of the Georgian Orthodox Church, in a state of emergency which not only didn't refuse mass events, but even temporary changes in rituals, implying the use of the same church utensils. 4. The country's multinationality and its citizens' active contacts with relatives in neighboring states. Actually, the latter circumstance was the reason for the emergency measures taken in two cities of the Kvemo Kartli region - the region where Georgian Azerbaijanis live. Marneuli and Bolnisi have been put under quarantine. Entrances and exits are controlled by army and police units dressed in chemical protection suits. In order to gain a view of the situation in the region, it is enough to recall or watch some Hollywood blockbuster about some epidemic and law enforcement agencies' actions. However, the actions of the Georgian security forces don't have "Hollywood cruelty". It's tight control prohibiting entry and exit without emergency. Up to the point that several residents of Marneuli told local television channels that "they unsuccessfully trying to get into their homes the second day." However, one can say that in Marneuli there were all the above-mentioned reasons for the difficult situation in Georgia at once. During Novruz, a woman in her 60s visited relatives in Azerbaijan before traveling to Turkey for business. Having returned from Azerbaijan, according to doctors and police, she had a lot of contacts with local relatives, she participated in Novruz celebrations, with a lot of hugs and kisses between relatives as usual. She fell ill, but local doctors could not determine the nature of the disease. And there were no suspicions, because the patient was silent about her travels, and there was no coronavirus cases in the region. Only when her condition became critical on the third or fourth day they asked for help in Tbilisi. Then a terrible diagnosis was made, and a terrifying truth of the patient's numerous contacts with relatives, neighbors and acquaintances. The only way out was to declare Marneuli and Bolnisi (many guests from this neighboring city arrived in Marneuli to celebrate Novruz) as an emergency zone. With all this, one can only guess that the woman was infected in Turkey and managed to infect relatives not only in Georgia, but also in Azerbaijan, or was infected when she visited her relatives in Azerbaijan. In any case, the Georgian authorities notified the Azerbaijani colleagues about the incident. The patient's circle of contacts includes at least several dozen people. How many of them have infected and could infected others - now it is a task with a geometric progression. In addition, it turned out that she managed to attend a funeral event dedicated to the anniversary of her relative's death, which was attended by at least 200 people - residents of both Marneuli and the surrounding villages. Sources in Marneuli say that the citys hospital where the sick woman was treated, the largest in the region, was put on quarantine. As a result, many people were locked up in the hospital - both the medical staff and other patients. This hospital is visited by many people, which means that the whole region is in danger. And now a field hospital has been deployed in Marneuli. The situation is aggravated by the fact that if in this district center the situation was more or less taken under control, it is difficult to achieve the same result in villages with their own way of life, and a police inspector couldn't stand near each house. However, another Marneuli interlocutor said that now volunteers took up the matter - small groups of local youth began to visit the villages in the district and convince their residents to comply with quarantine standards. A flight that deported Peru on Tuesday was one in a series of international flights this week that will be bringing Canadians home amid the coronavirus pandemic. The flight from Lima followed the first planeload of 444 Canadians, which left Morocco and touched down in Montreal on Sunday. Others Air Canada flights are planned from Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Tunisia and Ukraine. One more flight is scheduled to leave Casablanca. The government is prioritizing its assistance to airlines in locations where there is currently a large critical mass of Canadians, and a lack of local air service or local restrictions on travel, Global Affairs Canada said in a statement Tuesday. Ensuring the health and safety of Canadians, both at home and abroad, is our top priority. There are currently more than 423,500 Canadian citizens and permanent residents registered with the voluntary Registration of Canadians Abroad, according to the federal government. Canadians overseas are encouraged to register for government travel updates and exit/entry requirements of the countries through which they may be transiting. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have been caught off-guard by the rapidly changing situation around the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced countries around the wold, including Canada, to restrict air travels and close borders. As a result, many international flights have been suspended or cancelled. Over the past week, Canadian officials have been working with other countries, through diplomatic channels, to let flights in and Canadians out. On Monday, Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne held further talks with his counterparts in New Zealand and Singapore. Last week, the federal government launched an emergency loan program for as much as $5,000 to help Canadians abroad return home in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The passengers on the newly arranged flights pay their own airfare, but the federal government says it is working with airlines to make sure they passengers are offered a reasonable commercial price and that those who cant afford it can apply for the loan. To date, 93 loans have been approved, totalling $170,000, said Global Affairs, with more than 380 loan applications being currently processed. Canadians stranded abroad and their families in Canada can contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa at 613-996-8885 (collect calls accepted) or by email at sos@international.gc.ca in case of emergency. Since Canada announced its travel ban of foreign visitors and the closing of its border with the United States last week, more than a million Canadians have returned home: 553,000 by air, 449,000 through land border and the rest by sea. Read more about: 21-Year-Old UK Woman Dies From COVID-19: Family A 21-year-old woman is believed to be the youngest person with no pre-existing health conditions to have died after contracting coronavirus in the UK. Chloe Middleton, from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, died from the CCP virus on March 21, according to her mother. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide. Diane Middleton warned other people on Facebook about her daughters death. To all the people out there that thinks its just a virus please think again, she wrote on social media, reported The Telegraph. Speaking from a personal experience this so-called virus has taken the life of my 21-year-old daughter. And her aunt, Emily Mistry, stated that Chloe didnt have any preexisting health problems. She also said on social media: My beautiful, kind-hearted niece, Chloe, has passed away from COVID-19. She had no underlying health issues. My loved ones are going through the most unimagineable pain. We are shattered beyond belief, Sky News reported. Reports said that she is believed to have been the youngest person in the UK without preexisting conditions to have died from the CCP virus. Meanwhile, an 18-year-old male is said to have been the youngest person in the country to have died from the virus. Professor Kiran Patel, Chief Medical Officer for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, stated on March 22 that the teen had significant underlying health issues, without elaborating. Researchers on Wednesday said that at least 8,100 people have tested positive for the virus in the United Kingdom, while more than 420 people have died. Panamas government halts cement production and distribution ICR Newsroom By 25 March 2020 Through its Executive Degree No 506, the Panamanian government has suspended all construction activity, except construction projects provided by the health authority, in the country, reports Panama America. The measure includes the production, distribution and dispatch of cement, concrete and its derivatives. Quarrying has also been suspended. The new legislation takes effect from 23.59h on Wednesday, 25 March 2020. Published under Bayelsa state governor Doye Diri has reacted to the reports that say he had contact with the duo of Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed and Abba Kyari who have both tested positive for coronavirus. Speaking in a new statement on Wednesday, he describes such report as false and malicious adding that he never had contact with the duo during the period. He said: I had no link with Bala Muhammed and Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Buhari when cases of the outbreak of the pandemic were recorded in Nigeria. What happened was that in our National Executive Council meeting we normally sit in alphabetical order. After Bauchi is Bayelsa, and on that Thursday last week, that we had the meeting I had seat next to the Bauchi governor. Read Also: Take Politicians With Coronavirus To Poor Health Centres: AY Comedian But at that time he had not tested positive to the Covid-19. And before that meeting, he had not had any contact with Atikus son or Abba Kyari. As a matter of fact, Kyari was not in that meeting. We were told that he was somewhere in Germany. So, I am even taken by surprise, where that speculation that I had contact with the Chief of Staff is coming from. As for the governor of Bauchi, he sat next to me because we are neighbours due to the sitting arrangement of our meeting but before the meeting he had not met with the Chief of Staff. It would be easy for Unorthodox to lean hard on a negative portrayal of this insular and rigid community; whats impressive about the series, created by Anna Winger and Alexa Karolinski (and directed by Maria Schrader), is how it builds out the story by indulging the viewers curiosity, in flashback form, in a way that adds shape and empathy to both the Hasidic tradition and Estys rejection of it. Its all in the details: the ritual purity bath, the requirements of keeping kosher, the customary blessings and harsh restraints of marriage none of which are treated in a cavalier way. WESTFIELD Shed only planned on driving past St. Marys Roman Catholic Church Wednesday afternoon while running a few quick errands in this time of social distancing and self-imposed isolation. A Catholic, Cynthia A. Montanaro said she usually attends Mass every day. But with public masses canceled for going on two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic, she said shed felt a spiritual void. She said she figured the consecrated host what Catholics believe is the real presence of Jesus was inside St. Marys. "I just wanted to wave," she said, shrugging in acknowledgment of how odd it might sound. But as she rounded the corner she saw the monstrance the elaborately decorated ceremonial holder for the host carefully placed against a white backdrop in a small outbuilding that displays the churchs antique bell. St. Marys turned the building into a tabernacle for a drive-up Eucharistic Adoration. About 10 Catholic churches in the Springfield diocese are doing them to provide solace at a time when it is not safe to gather in worship. Across the county, churches a doing drive-in services or drive-by confessions. Drivers had pulled about a half dozen cars into the parking lot at St. Marys High School across Bartlett Street. Inside those cars, Catholics prayed. Most were alone. A few had a single passenger with them. Some of them moved their lips. Some bobbed their heads gently. Some held their hands out, palms up, in an ancient gesture of prayer. Some played soft music to themselves in their cars. Montanero joined them. "I happened across Jesus on Bartlett Street today," she said. "We all miss him." The Rev. Daniel Pacholec, pastor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Westfield a few blocks away, also provides the same opportunity using a window that faces a parking lot. "We believe as Catholics that Christ is truly present in the eucharist, in the host that we receive every week," he said. In addition to the Mass, Catholics also have a practice of praying in the presence of the blessed sacrament; thats what Eucharistic Adoration is, Pacholec said. Usually its done in the church or a chapel. Just sit quietly in his presence, Pacholec said. The only way we can do it safely now is to put it in the window. Pacholec said he's gotten a positive response from his parishioners at Blessed Sacrament. Its like he was coming to the window, Pacholec recalls being told in an email from one visitor. Hes reaching out. God is saying Im still with you. Its important for people to feel that. At St. Mary's on Wednesday, the Rev. Frank Furman walked between the cars dressed in a long black cassock with a plain knit winter cap pulled down over his head against the March chill during a brief flurry of snow. He spoke briefly with some, keeping a 6-foot distance from their rolled-down windows. "They long for God's presence in their lives," Furman said. St. Marys plans to do another drive-up adoration Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Drivers are asked to park carefully so as not to block each others view. Related Content: Pennsylvania lawmakers have passed emergency legislation that shortens the school year and provides financial guarantees to schools and their employees as part of the states response to the coronavirus outbreak that led to Gov. Tom Wolfs decision to close schools now for at least three weeks. The measure will soon be on its way to the governors desk for his signature after the House passed it on Wednesday by a 198-0 vote and shortly thereafter, by the Senate on a 50-0 vote. On March 13, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all K-12 schools to close for two weeks over COVID-19 concerns. On Monday, he extended that closure order until at least through April 6, and said that could be extended longer if it considered necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus. With that long of an ordered closing at this time of year, it is becoming difficult for schools to meet the state-mandated 180 instructional day school year. This bill waives that mandate, along with granting waivers that shorten the hours required for a career and technical program, days for preschool instruction; and the 12-week requirement for student teachers. It allows for expanded use of flexible instructional days, which allow schools to give out school assignments to students to do at home in emergency situations and have it count as a school day. Currently, schools were limited to no more than five flexible instructional days in a school year. Additionally, it states that any school employee, professional or support staff, employed by a school entity as of March 13 will be paid and earn pension credits the same as they would had schools not closed and the pandemic not occurred. Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford County, who offered the amendment providing for these emergency measures, said it would not apply to employees of firms with which a school district contracts. It also ensures schools will not lose any state funding and charter schools will receive the same amount they were receiving for the students they enrolled on March 13. It also addresses payments to school bus contractors and private residential rehabilitative institutions. It also requires the Department of Education to apply for a federal waiver from PSSA and Keystone Exam testing in 2020, and authorizes the secretary of education to waive exams for career and technical education students as well. Among other provisions in the emergency measure, it requires schools to: Make a good faith effort to plan to offer continuity of education to students using alternative means while their buildings are closed. Provide employees tasked with cleaning school facilities with the proper protective gear and cleaning materials; Give notice to parents of students with individualized education programs that the student will be ensured of an appropriate education; Waives the minimal instructional time and standardized testing requirement for private schools. This bill was among several coronavirus response-related legislation that the General Assembly passed on Wednesday using their temporary rule changes that for the first times in both chambers history, allowed members to vote remotely to avoid a gathering of more than 10 people to slow the virus spread and practice social distancing as is recommended. Senate Education Committee Chairman Wayne Langerholc, R-Cambria County, said through his remote connection to the Senate floor that this bill will serve as a template as we continue to navigate the uncharted waters" created by the coronavirus even though it remains unknown when students will return to school. This bill is about the students of this great commonwealth, he said. Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-Chester County, said he supported the bill but voiced concern about the continuity of education for students, saying that continuity is in crisis. He noted in Philadelphia, about half of the students do not have access to online learning. The same goes for students in rural parts of the commonwealth. The Legislature, the Department of Education and each and every one of us as senators need to assist our local districts so we can bring about the continuity of education, Dinniman said. The Pennsylvania State Education Association applauded the bills passage, saying it is grateful that lawmakers and the governor have provided this clear policy guidance to educators during this unprecedented emergency, said the unions spokesman Chris Lilienthal. Teachers across Pennsylvania are doing their best to provide instruction and enrichment to their students while support staff are cleaning and maintaining school buildings, preparing for new kinds of instruction, and making sure students get breakfast and lunch every day. This bill will help educators and support staff do their jobs and keep kids safe and engaged in learning. The emergency provisions were attached to a Senate-passed school bill that was noteworthy in its own right. It calls for changes in the way teachers and principals are evaluated to reduce the reliance on student performance measures, starting in 2021-22. That bills sponsor, Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster County, said this change will help drive up student performance by moving away from the teaching to the test mentality that he said diminished teachers ability to creatively instruct. The new evaluation system increases the weight classroom observations carry in those job performance reviews to 70 percent, up from the current 50 percent. The measure would also apply a factor for student poverty level - in addition to student performance measures - in the remaining 30 percent. Interest in changing the educator evaluation system was spurred by a 2017 law change that ended seniority-based teacher layoffs in Pennsylvania and tied those furlough decisions to educators job performance evaluation. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Bottom Line: A HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate, fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu), showed signs of clinical activity in multiple non-breast/non-gastric cancer types, according to results from a phase I study. Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research Author: Lead author: Junji Tsurutani, MD, PhD, medical oncologist at the Advanced Cancer Translational Research Institute at Showa University in Tokyo; Senior author: Bob Li, MD, medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Background: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a gene that can promote cancer progression when mutated or expressed at high levels. High expression levels of HER2 have been observed in many different cancer types, including breast, gastric, lung, and colorectal cancers. Several HER2-targeted therapies are approved for the treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer, and one such therapy is approved for gastric cancer. "HER2-targeted therapies have proven successful for patients with breast and gastric cancers; however, there are no approved HER2-targeted therapies available for patients with other HER2-overexpressing or HER2-mutated malignancies," said Li. "Conventional therapies for these other HER2-overexpressing cancers tend to have limited efficacy and considerable side effects. Additional treatment options are urgently needed for these patients." "Therapies that target HER2 can be selectively directed to HER2-overexpressing or HER2-mutated cancer cells, which could improve efficacy and help reduce toxicities caused by off-target effects on normal cells," said Tsurutani. Moreover, advances in diagnostic testing have improved clinicians' ability to determine a tumor's HER2 status and have thus expanded the population of patients who might benefit from HER2-targeted therapies, explained Tsurutani. In this phase I study, Tsurutani, Li, and colleagues tested the safety and clinical activity of the HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) in patients with several different advanced HER2-overexpressing or HER2-mutated solid tumors. T-DXd combines a cytotoxic inhibitor of DNA replication called DXd with an antibody directed to HER2. The antibody selectively binds to HER2-expressing cancer cells, and DXd is then released into the target cell, where its inhibitory effect on DNA replication leads to cell death. DXd can also enter and kill neighboring cancer cells due to its ability to pass through cell membranes. Results published within the last year demonstrated promising antitumor activity of T-DXd in HER2-overexpressing breast and gastric cancers. In December 2019, T-DXd was granted accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have received two or more prior treatments with HER2-targeted therapy in the metastatic setting. How the Study was Conducted: The latest publication reports data from 60 patients with HER2-overexpressing non-breast/non-gastric solid tumors and/or HER2-mutated solid tumors. Of the 60 patients, 20 had colorectal cancer, 18 had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and 22 were classified as having "other" cancer types. "Other" cancer types included salivary gland tumors (eight patients), esophageal cancer (two patients), endometrial cancer (two patients), biliary tract cancer (two patients), Paget's disease (two patients), pancreatic cancer (one patient), uterine cervix carcinoma (one patient), extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (one patient), and small intestine adenocarcinoma (one patient). Additionally, two cases of HER2-mutated breast cancer were included in this category. Results: All 60 patients were evaluated for response. The overall objective response rate was 28.3 percent with a median progression-free survival of 7.2 months. The median overall survival was 23.4 months. The objective response rate was greatest for NSCLC, with 55.6 percent of patients having a confirmed objective response (10 partial responses). In HER2-mutant NSCLC, the objective response rate was 72.7 percent (8 partial responses). The objective response rates for colorectal cancer and "other" cancer types were 5 percent (one partial response) and 27.3 percent (five partial responses and one complete response), respectively. The frequency of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) was similar across the different tumor types. Overall, 62.7 percent of patients experienced a TEAE that was grade 3 or higher, and 30.5 percent experienced serious TEAEs. The most common TEAEs were anemia; decreased counts of neutrophils, white blood cells, and platelets; decreased appetite; increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase, which is a biomarker for liver damage; febrile neutropenia; and decreased blood levels of sodium. Five patients had drug-related interstitial lung disease. Five patients experienced an adverse event with a fatal outcome, of which two were reported to be treatment-related. One of the treatment-related deaths was due to drug-related interstitial lung disease. Forty-nine patients discontinued treatment due to disease progression, adverse events, death, patient withdrawal, or other reasons. In another study published by Li and colleagues in Cancer Discovery, T-DXd led to a partial response in a patient with lung cancer who had relapsed after treatment with another HER2-targeted ADC, ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). This study also demonstrated that T-DM1 treatment led to clinical responses in patients with HER2-mutant or amplified lung cancers, and that combining T-DM1 with an irreversible HER kinase inhibitor enhanced cellular uptake of the drug in cell culture. Furthermore, combination treatment with T-DM1 and an irreversible HER kinase inhibitor led to a partial response in a patient with breast cancer who had previously relapsed on T-DM1. Together, results from this second study suggest that T-DXd or a combination of T-DM1 and a HER kinase inhibitor could be explored as potential treatment options for patients with relapse on T-DM1. Author's Comments: "The safety profile of T-DXd is consistent with the previously reported breast and gastric cancer cohorts from this phase I study," said Li. "Interstitial lung disease is an important identified adverse event that may be serious - even fatal - and thus requires monitoring and prompt intervention. Further research is required to minimize and manage this risk." "T-DXd demonstrated promising antitumor activity in a heterogeneous patient population," said Tsurutani. "These results indicate that T-DXd should be explored in larger studies as a treatment option for patients with HER2-overexpressing or HER2-mutated solid tumors." Li noted, "We are very excited by the results of this preliminary study. T-DXd shows early promise for transforming the standard of care for patients with HER2-overexpressing or HER2-mutated cancers and we look forward to continuing this important research in future clinical trials." In regard to the second study, Li said, "This study shows the power of translational science through bench-to-bedside-and-back discoveries. This team approach has provided mechanistic understanding and helped us to develop ADCs as a potential new class of drugs for patients with lung cancers and other solid tumors." Study Limitations: Limitations of the study include the small sample size, both overall and within each tumor type, and the limited diversity of HER2 mutations included in the study. Larger clinical trials are ongoing. Funding & Disclosures: Both studies were funded by Daiichi Sankyo. The second study was also funded by the National Cancer Institute, the AACR-Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Young Investigator Award for Translational Cancer Research, the Carol Lowenstein Fund, a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Peter Pritchard, MORE Health, Genentech, and Puma Biotechnology. Li has served as an advisor for Biosceptre International, Guardant Health, Hengrui Therapeutics, Mersana Therapeutics, Roche/Genentech, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, and he has received research grants to his institution from AstraZeneca, BioMed Valley Discoveries, Daiichi Sankyo, GRAIL, Guardant Health, Hengrui Therapeutics, Illumina, Amgen, Eli Lilly and Company, MORE Health and Roche/Genentech. Li is an inventor on two pending institutional patents at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Tsurutani is an advisor for Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly and Company, and Asahi Kasei. Tsurutani has received honoraria from Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Kyowa Kirin, Nihon Kayaku, Novartis, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Ono Pharmaceutical, and MSD. Tsurutani has received funds for travel from Daiichi Sankyo and research funds from Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly and Company, Eisai, and Ono Pharmaceutical. ### About the American Association for Cancer Research Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world's first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes 46,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates residing in 127 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 22,500 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes nine prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients, and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual investigator grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit http://www.AACR.org. CHICAGO, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Nanocellulose Market by Type (MFC & NFC, CNC/NCC, and Others), Application (Pulp&paper, composites, biomedical & pharmaceutical, electronics & sensors, and others), Region (Europe, North America, APAC, and Rest of World) - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Nanocellulose Market is expected to grow from USD 297 million in 2020 to USD 783 million by 2025, at a CAGR of 21.3%. PDF Download: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=56392090 Browse in-depth TOC on "Nanocellulose Market" 70 - Tables 35 - Figures 110 - Pages View Detailed Table of Content Here: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/nano-cellulose-market-56392090.html The major factors driving the nanocellulose market include growth in the sustainable products demand and increasing funding for nanocellulose R&D from government & private sectors of developed nations. MFC & NFC is projected to lead the global nanocellulose market during the forecast period. Based on type, the nanocellulose market has been segmented into three types, namely, MFC & NFC, CNC/NCC, and others. MFC & NFC is projected to lead the global nanocellulose market during the forecast period. The demand for MFC & NFC is the highest as they provide various advantages such as material efficiency, strength enhancement, lightweight and renewable barrier materials. Pulp & paper applications accounted for the largest share in the overall nanocellulose market in 2019. The nanocellulose market has been segmented based on application into five categories, namely, pulp & paper, composites, biomedical & pharmaceuticals, electronics & sensors, and others. Among these applications, the pulp & paper application accounted for the largest market share in 2019. Nanocellulose helps to increases the absorbency of several paper products and helps to cut down the overall production cost. This is driving the market for nanocellulose in the pulp & paper segment. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=56392090 Europe is the leading nanocellulose market. Europe is the largest market for nanocellulose. The competitive and diversified industrial sector is supporting the growth of the nanocellulose market in Europe. The increasing consumption of nanocellulose is also influenced by the excellent business environment and a strict regulatory framework of the region. The significant applications of nanocellulose in the region are pulp & paper and composites. The major vendors in the nanocellulose market include Fiberlean technologies (UK), Borregard (Norway), Nippon Paper Industries (Japan), Celluforce INC (Canada), Kruger INC (Canada), Stora Enso (Finland), Rise Innventia (Sweden), American Process Inc. (US), FPInnovations (Canada), UPM-Kymmene Oyj (Finland), Melodea (Israel), Cellucomp (Scotland), Blue Goose Refineries (Canada), Oji Holdings Corporation (Japan), VTT (Finland), and Sappi (South Africa). Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=56392090 Browse Adjacent Markets: Fibers and Composites Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports : Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) Market by Application (Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetics & Personal Care), Raw Material Source (Wood-based, Non-wood - based), and Region (North America, Europe, APAC, RoW) - Global Forecasts to 2024 Cellulose Fiber Market by Fiber Type [Natural Cellulose Fibers (Cotton, Jute & Others), Man-Made Cellulose Fibers (Viscose, Lyocell, Modal & Others), by Application (Apparel, Home Textile, Industrial, and Others) & by Region - Trends & Forecast to 2020 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Sanjay Gupta MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/nano-cellulose-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/nanocellulose.asp Logo:https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg India has axed the royalties that local seed companies pay to German drugmaker Bayer AG for Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) cotton, a government order said, after cutting them back since 2016. More than 45 local cotton seed companies pay royalties to Monsanto, acquired by Bayer in 2018, for GM cotton using a gene that produces its own pesticide. The American company was headquartered in St. Louis before Bayer bought it in a $63 billion deal in 2018 and India's decision to start reducing the royalties triggered a long-running feud. The U.S. ambassador to India at the time, Richard Verma, approached Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, but India kept lowering the royalties. After cutting the royalties, or trait fees, paid by Indian seed companies to Bayer's Monsanto unit by 49% to 20 rupees for a packet of 450 grams in 2019, the farm ministry on Tuesday scrapped the royalty altogether, dealing a fresh blow to the German company. Bayer said the decision was disappointing. "While it is disappointing to see the full elimination of trait fees, we will, in collaboration with other technology providers, continue to highlight the need to maintain a reasonable level of trait fees," a Bayer spokesman said. The decision could dissuade other foreign seed companies from scaling up their investment in the sector. New Delhi approved Monsanto's GM cotton seed trait, the only lab-altered crop allowed in India, in 2003 and an upgraded variety in 2006, helping transform the country into the world's top producer and second-largest exporter of the fibre. Monsanto's GM cotton seed technology went on to dominate 90% of India's cotton acreage. However, Monsanto became embroiled in a dispute with Indian seed company Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd (NSL), which argued that India's Patent Act did not allow Monsanto any patent cover for its GM cotton. Monsanto and NSL are engaged in a maze of arbitration proceedings and legal cases. Hindu nationalist groups close to Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have opposed both Monsanto and GM technology in India's agriculture. Other than cutting Monsanto's royalties, the government raised the prices of GM cotton seeds by 2.8% to 730 rupees ($10.16) a packet. By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has suggested that the state government ensure that every individual who returns to the state is quarantined. It is important that we take great care to screen the students returning from various metro cities of India. My suggestion to the government is that we quarantine all those who come from outside the state until we get full assurance that they are free of coronavirus, Tuki wrote in a letter to Chief Minister Pema Khandu. It is necessary to have all the medical facilities to fight the onslaught of coronavirus. Prepare and train the medical personnel and equip them with the equipment that are necessary for testing and treating the patients who may have contacted the virus, Tuki, a Congress stalwart, wrote. He insisted that the government allot sufficient funds to combat the menace. We are happy that till today no coronavirus positive case has been reported in our state. However, it is possible that people from outside may have entered the state undetected of coronavirus, he said, adding, All precautionary measures should be taken to ensure that our people are protected. It is important that we advise the people to avoid unnecessary travels. People from urban areas should not move to rural villages and similarly, village people should avoid travelling to urban areas. He said every effort should be made to inform and educate people to maintain personal hygiene and take necessary preventive measures to protect themselves from contracting the virus. In an appeal to the people, he wrote, It is now necessary to take practical precautions to protect ourselves and our family members from this virus. In such a crisis, everyone has a part to play. I, therefore, request everyone not to panic but maintain good personal hygiene. Nemai Ghosh, a master lensman also known as Oscar winner Satyajit Rays official photographer in Kolkatas film circles, died at his residence in the city on Wednesday after prolonged illness. He was 87. Ghosh, who was the still photographer in 20 of Rays 36 films, was awarded the Padma Shri in 2010. He is survived by his wife Shibani, son Satyaki, and daughter Sharmistha. His photographs of Kolkatas experimental theatre (during 1960s-1990s), capturing moments involving some of the most iconic (BENGALI) actors, have also earned him a place as a photo artiste. Ghosh, whose camera chronicled an important part of Rays life, has several books on photography and a memoir of Ray to his credit. His works have been exhibited in India and abroad, and are also in the collection of National Gallery of Modern Art. He had been unwell for quite some time, but started recovering. On Tuesday evening, he suddenly stopped eating and then developed lung congestions. He died at around 10am this morning. The doctor said he died of cardiac and respiratory failure, his brother, Chitta Ghosh, said on Wednesday. Ghosh started working with Ray in the late 1960s; their first film together was the iconic Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969). He continued working with Ray till his last film, Agantuk (1991) (He used to take production stills) For close to 25 years, Nemai Ghosh has been assiduously photographing me in action and repose a sort of Boswell working with a camera rather than a pen, Ray wrote of Ghosh in the foreword of the lensmans first book of photographs (first book; compilation of photos of Ray), while referring to the Scottish biographer, James Boswell. The book, titled Satyajit Ray at 70, was published in 1991. Ghosh met legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris in 1966 and became friends with him. Cartier-Bresson was also a favourite of Ray. Ghoshs camera angle, the use of light and the ability to capture candid moments the last quality is also the one for which Cartier-Bresson is known earned Ghosh a stature of his own. He had often described theatre as his first love and his photographs carried elements of drama as well. Cartier-Bresson, too, wrote a foreword to Ghoshs book Satyajit Ray at 70. Through his visual gift, Nemai Ghosh allows us to be intimate with filmmaking, and to feel with great fidelity the drive, the alertness and the profundity of this giant of cinema in all his majestic stature, he wrote. Ghoshs other books include Dramatic Moments: Photographs and Memories of Calcutta Theatre from the Sixties to the Nineties (2000), Barefoot Light (2002), Ray and the Blind Painter: An Odyssey into the Inner Eye (2004), Satyajit Ray: A Vision of Cinema (2005), Manikda: Memories of Satyajit Ray (2011), and Nemai Ghoshs Kolkata (2014). Ghosh also worked with two other masters of Indian new wave cinema in one film with Ritwik Ghatak and in three films with Mrinal Sen. Ghosh was born in Kolkata in 1933 and married in 1957. Ghoshs son, who too is a photographer in Mumbai, could not come to attend his fathers funeral because of the country-wide lockdown due to Covid-19. Kolkata Police and the local administration helped the family with the cremation. Legendary photographer Nemai Ghosh is no more. Learnt a lot from Sir. A still from Jana Aranya (a Ray film). This is what we call photography, filmmaker Kamaleshar Mukherjee wrote on Facebook while sharing one of Ghoshs still photos from the set of a Satyajit Ray film. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Fringe supporters of Donald Trump have turned on the White House disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci, as rumours about tension between the pair were aired this week. As the US president called for an end to the economic shutdown on Monday, the New York Times reported that Mr Trump was tiring of Dr Fauci contradicting him in public. Mr Fauci cautioned that the coronavirus pandemic would not come to a sudden end by Easter, the Presidents preferred date for ending emergency measures. Pro-Trump blogs and pundits have accused Mr Fauci of siding with the Deep State, with some far-right Republicans viewing the 79-year-old as an establishment figure obstructing the president. Podcast host, Ben Mitchell, said he hoped Mr Trump was listening, and called the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Dr Doom Fauci. He said on Twitter: Has anyone else noticed that every suggestion by Dr Doom Fauci just happens to also be the worst possible thing for the economy? Thats not an accident folks. Thats Hillary, added Mr Mitchell. The accusation that NAID director was also a plant for Hillary Clinton has appeared in pro-Trump blogs in recent days. Mr Fauci was described by The Gateway Pundit as a Hillary Clinton fanboy, after it obtained two emails stolen by Wikileaks in which the disease expert praised Ms Clinton. On Tuesday, the 2016 Democratic nominee for president angered Trump supporters with a caution not [to] take medical advice from a man who looked directly at a solar eclipse. Republicans and most Trump supporters have, however, moved to back Mr Fauci. I think hes obviously excellent at his job, and I think hes aware that hes on that stage to offer detail and help finesse language, and he seems cool with it, said Raheem Kassam, the former editor of Breitbart London and host of the podcast War Room. On Tuesday, the president appeared to rebuke claims about his relationship with Mr Fauci, after he called his performance very good. Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday directed all district magistrates, DCPs and deputy commissioners of municipal corporations to take strict action against landlords who were harassing healthcare personnel in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The direction comes a day after AIIMS resident doctors sought government intervention, saying a number of their colleagues were facing eviction by house owners, who fear the medical staffers could become the carriers of the virus. Lieutenant Governor Baijal expressed deep concerns over such developments. "LG directed all the DMs, deputy commissioner of MCDs, Deputy Commissioners of Police to take strict penal action against such landlords under the relevant provisions of law and submit a daily action taken report to the office of additional chief secretary Home)," said a statement by the LG Office. Baijal also directed authorities to ensure proper arrangements for transportation of medical staff from their residence to their workplace during the 21-day lockdown announced by the government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 15:49:11|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close COLOMBO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has urged for all political parties in the country to unite to assist the government in its efforts to combat the COVID-19 virus, local media reported Wednesday. Quoting a statement from the Prime Minister's office, media reports said that Prime Minister Rajapaksa held an All Party Political Leader's Conference at his official residence in capital Colombo on Tuesday evening in which he urged party leaders to make their recommendations. He said the government wanted to obtain the assistance of all politicians as the number of COVID-19 patients rose to 101 since the first local patient was detected in the second week of March. "The opinions of the party leaders and their representatives will also be taken into consideration in the prevention of COVID-19 in the future," the prime minister said at the discussions. Party leaders commended the measures taken by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country and also assured their fullest cooperation towards the measures to be taken by the government in this regard in the future. Health Services Director General of the Health Ministry, Dr Anil Jasinghe, at the discussions, apprised the party leaders and their representatives on the present situation in the country. The party leaders also focused on the impact caused by the outbreak on the country's economy and measures that need to be taken in this regard. Sri Lanka has to date detected 101 COVID-19 infected patients while over 200 are under observation. Over 11,000 are under quarantine in their homes and at the quarantine centers. Health Minister Robin Swann has said he would call in the Army if it became necessary - and would even welcome the Irish Army in Northern Ireland. However, it is understood he does not have the power to unilaterally call on the military. "Folks, will I use the Army? Will I call in the Army if I have to?" he told the Assembly. "If we get to a stage where they can provide a service that we can't, I'll use whoever's at my disposal. "I'll use whatever tool I have at my disposal to tackle this virus. If the Irish Army want to come up and help us too when they've it sorted down there, I'd be more than happy to welcome them." However, First Minister Arlene Foster said it is for the Secretary of State and PSNI to decide whether the military will be called upon to support efforts to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. She said she does not think it is the time for such action at present, although this will be kept under review. "The Police Service of Northern Ireland are putting contingency plans in place for what they need to do, they are working very closely with myself and the Deputy First Minister," she said. "It is important that we don't go off down rabbit holes in relation to this issue." Billionaire retailer Gerry Harvey now calls it his "60 Minutes bungle" but admits he is mortified that Australians "now think I'm a heartless, greedy old bastard". "That was never my intention," the 80-year-old said on Wednesday afternoon, 48 hours after being engulfed in a stinging public backlash following an ill-fated attempt on Sunday night "to offer some hope ... provide a positive view" of the COVID-19 crisis. Gerry Harvey appears on 60 Minutes last Sunday. Credit:Channel Nine Mr Harvey, the executive chairman of Harvey Norman, shocked viewers when he ridiculed public fear of COVID-19, only to then claim the coronavirus pandemic had been good for his business, offering massive sales figures for freezers and air purifiers as proof. The retailer said he was now remorseful and deeply regrets making the comments, admitting he had not anticipated the social media storm he created, leading to a campaign for customers to boycott his chain of electrical, furniture and homewares stores. In the eyes of some Sanders aides, there was little he could have done to reverse the loyalty that Biden spent decades building among black voters. Others felt that the campaign misjudged how impactful Bidens institutional support would be. At the same time, a wipeout of nearly 30 points was hardly inevitable, some said. Violating Harris Countys stay-at-home order could result in up to 180 days in jail or a $1,000 fine, according to County Judge Lina Hidalgo's office. Policing agencies will use discretion in enforcing the law, however, as the Harris County Sheriffs Office tries to free up space in the jail to prevent a catastrophic COVID-19 outbreak there. The thing thats guiding us and the overwhelming majority of law enforcement agencies in Harris County is doing everything we can to get voluntary compliance, said sheriffs office spokesman Jason Spencer. People can call 211 or 311 to report violators, said Mary Benton, Mayor Sylvester Turners spokeswoman, but the city is mostly relying on business owners to follow the rules, she said. We dont want to have our police to become the restaurant police, Benton said on Tuesday. Hidalgo shared similar thoughts when she announced the order on Tuesday. We are not a police state, we are relying on folks to do their part. I trust that they will, she said. If folks are willingly violating the order in a way that puts people at risk, then we will work with law enforcement. But I really believe, and I trust, that folks will comply, because this is about the health of all of us. Most businesses will first receive warnings if theyre out of compliance with the order. If their refusal to comply becomes egregious, the sheriffs office could hit them with fines or arrests, Spencer said. Legal action will be a last resort. If they comply, end of story, he said. The Harris County District Attorney's Office affirmed that was the case throughout the county. Law enforcement agencies are first educating the public about the order and seeking voluntary compliance, before resorting to a criminal charge for Violation of Emergency Management Plan--Stay Home, Work Safe Order of March 24, 2020, spokesman Dane Schiller said. Municipal ordinances, such as health and fire code violations, can also be utilized if agencies choose to cite offenders, Schiller said. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo on Tuesday said his officers would be using "courtesy" in how they approach the law. We are going to be enforcing the spirit of this law, not necessarily the letter, Acevedo said. I think most people will do what we all do which is obey and comply with the common sense measures. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who was released from detention on Tuesday, has expressed hope that PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and others will be released from detention as well. In a tweet on Wednesday, Omar Abdullah said, "It's callous and cruel to continue to detain Mehbooba Mufti and others at a time like this. There was never much justification to detain everyone in the 1st place and none at all to keep them detained as the country enters a 3 week lockdown. I hope @PMOIndia and @HMOIndia will release them." The Jammu and Kashmir Administration had on February 5 invoked the Public Safety Act (PSA) against former Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah. The duo was detained after the Central government abrogated Article 370 last year. Omar Abdullah was released on Tuesday after more than seven months in detention in Srinagar. Abdullah was among several political leaders who had been put under house arrest after the Central government revoked Article 370 of the Constitution that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir. While Omar Abdullah's father Farooq Abdullah was released earlier this month, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is still under detention. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) OTTAWAThe federal government is coming under increasing pressure to boost its promised wage subsidies to businesses to keep workers on their payrolls and ensure the economy can rebound when the health crisis passes. On Wednesday Ottawa rolled out a streamlined benefit for workers hit by the fallout of COVID-19, promising $2,000 a month for four months to those who dont qualify for Employment Insurance. But a growing number of companies are urging Ottawa make its proposed wage subsidy, another benefit promised last week, more generous. They say that would keep workers employed and avoid further burdening a bureaucracy already struggling to cope with a tsunami of EI applications close to a million in the last week. In a joint statement Wednesday, more than 60 business organizations called for direct funding from the federal government to employers in order to keep workers on the job rather than face layoffs. Its critical at this point, said Perrin Beatty, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Small and medium-sized businesses that account for most of the employment in Canada do not have the ability to survive an extended shutdown, Beatty told the Star. We have to control the spread of the virus but the question is how do we do this in a way that minimizes the economic damage to the country in the process, he said. If we do not substantially increase the support for employers to keep their employees on the payroll, we will find that many of these businesses, thousands of them, will not reopen when we come out the other side of this. Help is on the way, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says in announcing the emergency response benefit that will provide $2,000 a month for four months for people who have lost their income because of COVID-19. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit combines two benefits announced last week to streamline application process. The economic aid package unveiled by the federal government last week promised small businesses a wage subsidy for three months equal to 10 per cent of salary, up to a maximum of $1,375 per employee and $25,000 per employer. But businesses have said thats not enough and point to jurisdictions such as Denmark and the United Kingdom, which offer subsidies of more than 70 per cent to companies in return for guarantees that workers wont be laid off. Its important we dont leave ourselves with a massive chronic unemployment problem because the businesses have closed, Beatty said. The coalition of business organizations includes chambers of commerce across the country, the Retail Council of Canada, the Canadian Construction Association and the Hotel Association of Canada. The Conservatives and New Democrats have also made the same appeal. Dennis Darby, president and CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters organization, said more supports are needed as the crisis worsens. Direct wages subsidies through employers would enable businesses keep production workers employed throughout the crisis, Darby said. Another signatory, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, applauded the emergency benefit announced Wednesday and the fact that an employer will not have to lay off a worker to allow them to qualify. Still, the organization wants the government to boost its wage subsidy to cover 75 per cent of a workers wages to a cap of $5,000 a month, saying such a program will deliver money faster to employees than any government benefit. It would also maintain connections between workers and employers. This is imperative to ensure employees can go back to work the day after the emergency ends, allowing Canadas economy to return to normal as quickly as possible, the organization said in a statement. But it seems Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are split on the merits of enhancing the benefit. Trudeau said Wednesday that Ottawa is looking at ways to provide more direct help to businesses and looking very carefully at what is being done in Denmark and Germany, and looking at how we can make that work or make equivalent things work here in Canada. But in a Senate appearance Wednesday, Morneau defended the governments approach and said it was better than the overseas examples often cited. Sen. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu challenged Morneau, asking why Canada did not follow the lead of Denmark and subsidize wages. Boisvenu said the approach taken by the federal government in forcing companies to shed employees will cause problems. When this crisis will be over and things are going better, those companies will be facing a major problem in trying to recruit people, he said. Morneau insisted the government approach would maintain ties between companies and their employees. Clearly we do not agree with you, he told Boisvenu. We believe our approach will work and in my opinion it is ... better than what we are seeing in Denmark. The goal, Morneau said, is to deliver financial assistance to Canadians facing severe strain. People in short order wont have enough money for groceries. We need to find a way to make sure we get money to them, we need to find a way to make sure we bridge for these businesses so that employment will be there when we come back, he said. Still, he said the government is open to ideas. Trust me. Should we find we need to change, we will change. There are other roadblocks for businesses seeking help. For example, the wage subsidy is only available for small businesses that are incorporated, which shuts out many smaller businesses. We agree that this should be addressed, the CFIB said in a statement. As well, businesses for which liquor sales make up the bulk of their revenue, such as bars and lounges, are not eligible for loans from the Business Development Bank of Canada, one of the avenues chosen by Ottawa to provide credit support to companies hit hard by the shutdown. Our eligibility criteria have not changed, BDC spokesperson Jean Philippe Nadeau told the Star. Two NDP MPs wrote to the government last week, asking it to change the criteria, and the CFIB has added its voice to that call. Hospitality and restaurants are amongst the most severely hit sectors by the current crisis, the organization said in a statement to the Star Wednesday. It wants the BDC to make it less burdensome to get a loan, provide relief on interest and payments and make assistance available to more businesses, including cannabis shop owners and those where liquor sales make up most of the business. MEDFORD, Ore. Officials in Jackson County are investigating after their counterparts in a California county asked passengers on a flight from Seattle to Medford last week to self-quarantine as a precaution due to possible exposure to the new coronavirus. The original advisory came from public health officials in Humboldt County, California on Tuesday. "Three recent flights may represent a possible exposure for COVID-19 infection, either because an individual on board has become a confirmed case or because a close contact whose test is pending was on board," the Humboldt County Joint Information Center said in a statement. Officials listed three flights, only one of which came through Southern Oregon: March 16: United Flight #5827 from Los Angeles Airport to Arcata March 18: Delta Flight #4124 from Seattle to Medford, OR March 18: United Flight #5555 from San Francisco Airport to Arcata Health officials said that the actual exposure risk for most passengers would have been low, but all passengers are still advised to quarantine at home for 14 days, and contact a healthcare provider if they become ill with a fever, cough, or shortness of breath. RELATED: Back tracking confirmed COVID-19 cases to help slow the virus' spread After learning of the advisory, NewsWatch 12 reached out to Jackson County Public Health for more information. Officials said on Wednesday morning that they had not been notified of any potentially infected individuals on a flight into Medford. However, they said, such investigations are generally the purview of the CDC. "When there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 on an airline, CDC will do the investigation, and will then share airline passengers contact information, that were close contacts, with the state public health department, who then provide that information to the local health department to investigate further and isolate/quarantine any individuals who may have been in close contact with the person," Jackson County said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. The Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport was likewise unaware of any precautions related to a Delta flight. RELATED: Fourth case of coronavirus confirmed in Jackson County, public health officials say Following Humboldt County's advisory, Jackson County reached out to the Oregon Health Authority to report the information. Eventually, the California State Department got in touch and confirmed the information about Delta Flight #4124. "At this time, Jackson County Public Health does not have a list of who would be a close contact on this flight from the OHA," the County said, adding that the agency "continues to investigate this situation and is working to get flight information from the Oregon Health Authority in order to contact those that would be a close contact." Regardless, Jackson County has joined Humboldt officials in asking those who were on the flight to self-quarantine for 14 days. It is still unclear at this time why or how the flight to Medford was identified by Humboldt County officials, but never reached their local counterparts. NewsWatch 12 reached out to Humboldt County, which said the following: "The Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services - Public Health Branch made the appropriate notification to the California Department of Public Health who handles state-to-state notifications such as these." Health officialsin both states are strongly recommending that people cancel all non-essential travel, which is included in both the California and Oregon stay-at-home orders. "This travel not only increases your own risk of acquiring a COVID-19 infection, it increases the risk within our community," Humboldt County said. On Tuesday, officials in Humboldt County identified a fifth case of COVID-19 in the county. Jackson County just announced its fourth case on Wednesday. EDIT: This article has been updated as of 3/25 with responses from Jackson County Public Health and Airport Authority, as well as Humboldt County Joint Information Center. Air New Zealand has unveiled new lie-flat bunk beds for economy that could revolutionise travel on long-haul flights. The Economy Skynest was developed by the airline at its innovation centre in Auckland, Hangar 22, with input from 200 customers over three years. Just one Skynest, which is still at the prototype stage, will be available on each flight. Each Skynest has six sleeping pods, which are arranged in a bunk-bed style. The pods themselves measure 200cm in length and 58cm in width. The traditional seat pitch in economy is around 30 inches, or 76cm. 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Customers cant currenty book the Economy Skynest, and no prices have been confirmed the airline said that it will be making the final decision on the Skynest next year. Air New Zealand has unveiled their new Economy Skynest (Air New Zealand) Its not yet known which routes the Skynest could be introduced on, although the New Zealand flag carrier has said that it will see how its ultra-long-haul route between Auckland and New York, which takes up to 17 hours and 40 minutes, is performing first. The airline has also filed patent and trademark applications for the Economy Skynest and said it could be licenced to other carriers in the future. Nikki Goodman, general manager of customer experience for Air New Zealand, said: We see a future flying experience where an economy-class customer on long-haul flights would be able to book the Economy Skynest in addition to their Economy seat, get some quality rest and arrive at their destination ready to go. This is a game changer on so many levels. She added: We expect other airlines will want to explore licensing the Economy Skynest from us just as they have with the Economy Skycouch. Air New Zealand already offers a Skycouch option that lets passengers lie flat in economy. The airline has also recently introduced edible coffee cups in a bid to cut waste. The number of coronavirus cases increased to 122 in Maharashtra on Wednesday, registering an increase of 15, while two COVID-19 patients were declared as cured of the deadly infection. On Tuesday, the number of patients was 107. Of the 15 new cases, 11 persons had come in contact with COVID-19 patients who had returned from abroad, while other four had overseas travel history themselves, said a state health department official. Seven of these patients are from Mumbai, five from Islampur in Sangli district and one each is from Kalyan- Dombivli near Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Panvel. The Navi Mumbai resident who tested positive had come in contact with a Phillipines national who died earlier this week. The Phillipines national had been cured of COVID-19 and died because of other ailments, the government had said. A couple from Pune, who were among first to test positive for the infection, were discharged from hospital on Wednesday as they were completely cured, authhorities said. Mumbai alone has now 48 coronavirus patients, while Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad (which is adjacent to Pune) have 18 and 12, patients, respectively. Nine patient are from Sangli and six each are from Navi Mumbai and Kalyan-Dombivali. Four COVID-19 patients each were found in Nagpur and Yavatmal, while three each were detected in Ahmednagar and Thane, followed by two each in Satara and Panvel. Ulhasnagar, Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, Vasai-Virar and Pune district have one patient each, officials said. As many as 2,988 persons were admitted to isolation wards of hospitals since January 18, while currently 932 persons are in hospital quarantine for suspected exposure to the virus. As many as 14,502 people have been put under home quarantine to date. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Harry and Meghan could be planning to build a 3 million UK 'bolthole' at their favourite private members' club Soho Farmhouse, it has been reported. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are thought to have been inspired to build a three-bedroom home at the Cotswolds retreat by David and Victoria Beckham. It has now been claimed the pair have chosen a plot at the opposite side of the farmhouse to the Beckhams, according to The Sun. Pictures have emerged of a building site close to the farmhouse, where the couple could be constructing their new home. Duke and Duchess of Sussex are thought to be building a three-bedroom home at the Cotswolds' Soho Farm house (Meghan is pictured during a break there with Millie Mackintosh in 2016) The building site rumoured to be where Harry and Meghan want to construct a 3 million home near Soho House The area has special significance to the couple as they enjoyed romantic getaways to the 725-a-night club - often called 'Butlins for toffs' - at the beginning of their relationship. Meghan held her two-night hen do there in 2018 where she enjoyed social media-free time with her closest friends. A source told the paper: 'This house will be their bolthole when they are in the UK. 'It is costing around 3million and will be on the opposite side of the Farmhouse to the small house being built for the Beckhams.' MailOnline have approached Buckingham Palace for comment. Ahead of her wedding to Harry on May 19, 2018, Meghan spent a weekend at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire. It is thought the plot of land chosen is the opposite side of Soho Farmhouse to where David and Victoria Beckham are setting up home The area has special significance to the couple (pictured earlier this month) as they enjoyed romantic getaways to the 725-a-night club - often called 'Butlins for toffs' - at the beginning of their relationship It is thought this could be the secluded cottage that was knocked down to make room for Harry and Meghan's new home This patch of land is reportedly where the Duke and Duchess are setting up their UK home Wooden cabins (pictured) are on offer at the private members' retreat for 725-a-month Building work has begun at a site nearby but it is not known if the Duke and Duchess are definitely behind the construction The 6,000-a-night farmhouse boasts celebrity guests such as Eddie Redmayne, Mark Ronson, Poppy Delevingne and George and Amal Clooney. It comes after the couple agreed to pay back the 2.4 million spent on renovating Frogmore Cottage, their Windsor home. In January it was reported Harry and Meghan will pay commercial rent on the five-bed cottage to allow them to use it as their base when they are in Britain, and will pay its running costs, whether they are in residence or not. The site where the cottage once lay has been overrun with construction vehicles as building work started Construction vehicles can be seen in the distance on the site which is thought to be where the new 3million house will be built The 6,000-a-night farmhouse boasts celebrity guests such as Eddie Redmayne, Mark Ronson, Poppy Delevingne and George and Amal Clooney No price has been put on how much that might be. Experts said the house in Windsor's Home Park could cost around 10,000 a month in rent on the open market. The Grade II-listed property was converted from five separate apartments into their official residence, which required significant structural work paid through the Sovereign Grant, which funds senior members of the Royal Family. Fixtures and fittings were paid for by Harry and Meghan, and Prince Charles also helped to finance the project. It comes after the couple agreed to pay back the 2.4 million spent on renovating Frogmore Cottage (pictured), their Windsor home A statement from Buckingham Palace said Harry and Meghan had 'shared their wish to repay' the public funds used in the refurbishment. It did not set out how or when the costs would be repaid. The couple moved into Frogmore last year after it was offered to them by the Queen. The two-storey, stucco-faced building is in the grounds of Frogmore House, a 17th century manor house that is part of the Crown Estate. The couple previously lived in Nottingham Cottage, in the grounds of Kensington Palace, but said it 'could not accommodate their growing family'. Their decision to move out of Kensington Palace inevitably fuelled speculation over their rift with Prince William and wife Kate. Francis Chan tells Church: Coronavirus is 'one of our greatest opportunities to reach a lost world' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Francis Chan encouraged the Church to view the coronavirus pandemic as one of our greatest opportunities to reach a lost world and show them we havent lost our love, joy, and peace instead of succumbing to fear and anxiety. We can do all things through Christ, and that means even during this time, Chan said in a March 20 video message posted on his Crazy Love YouTube channel. There needs to be this resilience in us as believers. I think that is what the world, in the church, is being shown right now is how vulnerable, how volatile we are that one little thing could mess things up. Chan stressed that for seven years, hes been exhorting Christians to prepare to live out their faith and thrive in their walk with God regardless of the circumstances surrounding them. Thats been our heart for you guys as elders in the church, he said. There's going to come a day when we won't have the luxury of all the leaders being together with all of the people, and you need to be ready for that. It's kind of crazy. I've been preaching that for seven years. And then two weeks after I leave, you're living [that]. And the whole country is having to live that. I believe it's God's grace on us to show us: Am I prepared? Have I lost my love, my joy, my peace? he continued. This is the fruit of the Spirit, guys, take advantage of this time. Don't miss this opportunity. This is one of our greatest opportunities for reaching out to a lost world and showing them that we haven't lost our love, joy, and peace. Even at this moment, the enemy can't take that away from us, he concluded. We love the Lord Jesus Christ, and His Church is alive and well. The coronavirus pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, has affected over 46,168 people in the United States as of Tuesday and led to 544 deaths, the CDC reports. Health officials have said social distancing is key to slowing the spread of the virus, prompting many churches around the country to suspend worship services. Many states have also imposed a ban on gatherings considered non-essential. In February, Chan and his family moved to Hong Kong to become international missionaries. Opening his video message, the pastor admitted that he wished he could be in the United States right now because everything is so crazy. But I thought, well at least I could send you a quick video and just share some thoughts that God has put on my heart for the church during this time, he said. The Crazy Love author encouraged Christians to not lose their love for others amid the outbreak, offering the reminder that believers are supposed to be people who are loving that are concerned that hundreds of people every day are dying and many headed to an eternity apart from Christ. Thats my prayer for you guys, he said. Number one is that you stay loving, that during this time that you really be thinking, God, I love you. What do you want me to do? Look at the others around you in love and [ask], How can I serve these people? Because this is one of the greatest opportunities we've ever had as a Church. Second, Chan encouraged Christians to rejoice in the Lord despite difficult circumstances, adding: I know it's a weird time. You can't gather together as a big church, but don't stop rejoicing over the fact that you can be alone in your room, even if you're isolated, and be in the presence of Almighty God. Finally, the pastor called on believers to not lose your peace or succumb to fear. The crux of everything we believe is that I don't have to fear death, he emphasized. The resurrection of Christ took away all of that fear. ... I sure hope that right now, you are so fearless for yourself. It not, the first thing you have to do is get alone with God and say, Why this fear? You don't want me living like this. This is a time where we thank God and go, God, it is so good that I am with you, and nothing, nothing can separate me from your love, he concluded. I'm loved by you and nothing can separate this no disease, no death, no life, death, angels principalities, nothing can separate me from the love of God. The number of confirmed cases in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic across the world has surpassed 400,000 on Wednesday after Italy, Spain, other parts of Europe, and the United States saw steep rises of infection. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center pitched the total numbers of cases worldwide at 420, 000 cases as of Wednesday with over 18,900 fatalities. It also revealed that well over 100,000 people are said to have recovered. In spite of lockdowns and containment efforts by many governments, the virus has continued to spread all over the world. Meanwhile, cases in China where the virus originated from have been on a decline for over a week. This, however, does not mean that the country has overcome the outbreak. As at the time of reporting, the virus has spread to all continents except Antarctica. At least a case of Coronavirus has been reported in 188 countries, including Nigeria. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the pandemic activity was accelerating, noting that it took only four days for cases to jump from 200,000 to 300,000 and three days to leap to 400,000. Africa Cases in Africa has surpassed 2000 as 43 of the continents 54 countries now have confirmed Coronavirus cases, according to Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though the tally is still low compared to global figures, it has doused the debate on Africans having some kind of immunity against COVID-19 due to its sunny temperature. 46 persons have tested positive in Nigeria, Africas most populous nation with the majority in Lagos, the countrys largest city. Governments across Africa are now rushing to reinforce measures to contain the spread of the disease, knowing that their fragile health systems will be swiftly overwhelmed if the disease spreads beyond a small number of cases. Social distancing and complete lockdown measures are difficult to maintain in the continent. It has bared deep cracks of inequality. Five countries are experiencing rapid local transmission South Africa, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Cameroon. All but six countries in the region have reported local infections in contacts of imported cases. The WHO said many of the cases are still linked to travel and that the region still has a window of opportunity to contain the disease. Actor Radhika Apte believes at a time when the country is battling the coronavirus pandemic, it is important for people to stay at home and maintain social distancing. The actor said something like this has never happened so people may find it bizarre but the 21-day lockdown should be taken seriously. "It is important for celebrities or anybody who has slightest influence to pass on information that is valuable because people are not taking it seriously. Something like this has never happened before and people are finding it bizarre. "And the immediate need of feeding their families and getting work done seems important. People think nothing is going to happen to me and that it is just flu and I am going to do it. But it is spreading so rapidly and people do not understand the seriousness of it," Radhika told PTI. The actor said with the industry in the shutdown mode, celebrities are doing their bit by reminding people to not venture out of their homes. The actor said people should also spare a thought and extend help to those who are most affected by the crisis, the daily wage earners. "I will advise people to stay at home and try to feel grateful for what they have as there are lots of people, who are in a bad place at the moment, like the daily wage workers and so many. Try to make people aware of the situation and if you have domestic help or workers, if you can keep (them) on payroll, it will be extremely wise to do that, she added. Radhika, who is currently in London, said the period of social distancing has given her time to focus on her creative side as an artiste. "I am trying to write, watch, read but more important than that there are so many things that you forget when are busy, like caring for yourself. The first thing I did was to clean and organise my house, it took me a while. "But it was so satisfying, de-cluttering everything, throwing things I do not need. I made a whole bag for charity and did shopping for charity, which was important to do, she said. The actor is making her debut as a director with a short film Sleepwalkers that stars Shahana Goswami and Gulshan Devaiah. The film is shot but nothing has been finalised yet regarding its release. As an actor, she said everyone has suffered a setback, including her, as there are no film shoots happening. The situation at the moment is so difficult, you are living in such strange times that the work for everybody has suffered so I don't know how much of the work will happen or what will happen in the future. As of now, I have finished a mini-series, a futuristic mocumentary sci-fi comedy, which is actually a murder mystery. "I have film called Raat Akeli Hai' to be released and I was supposed to do Shantaram' which has got pushed." The actor celebrates Gudi Padwa (a Maharashtrain festival) every year with her family but this time she is away from home due to coronavirus pandemic. "I don't plan to celebrate Gudi Padwa this year as I am in London and there is nobody to celebrate it with. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) - A heavy rain which hit several parts of Rubavu district in northwestern Rwanda late Tuesday has destroyed some 17 residential homes, local administrative officials in the region confirmed on Wednesday A man awaiting trial on fraud and deception charges has been allowed out on short term bail after a judge described him as a vulnerable person in an overcrowded environment. Michael Hennessy's trial for his part in alleged property purchases frauds was adjourned last week after a circuit court judge heard that the Covid-19 pandemic would prevent witnesses travelling from Spain. Hennessy (63) of Coney Avenue, Coneyboro, Athy, Co Kildare was due to go on trial next month (April) at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court heard that the alleged victims purchased property which are all based in Spain. On Friday Bernard Condon SC, prosecuting, told Judge Melanie Greally that a number of witnesses are in Spain, where the pandemic situation was more catastrophic. He asked for the trial date next month to be vacated. Judge Greally told Mr Hennessy at that hearing on Friday that there is no reality of getting the trial on because of the Covid-19 situation. Hennessy's case was mentioned again on Tuesday. Judge Greally admitted him into bail after hearing that his wife was attempting to sell a car to pay his surety. She said that she was releasing Mr Hennessy from prison in the short term as he was a vulnerable person in an overcrowded environment. Judge Greally ordered that Hennessy present investigating gardai with all the relevant bank documentation in relation to his case and said he was to abide by a number of strict conditions. The court heard that Mr Hennessy's father-in- law has recently passed away and Judge Greally gave him permission to attend that funeral on his release from prison. Any problems and he will be returning to custody and will remain there until his trial, Judge Greally advised Hennessy, who was observing proceedings via video-link from prison. She adjourned the case to June 16 next when it is expected a trial date will be fixed. During Friday's hearing, Ian Fitzharris BL, defending, said his client is 63 years of age and comes within the category of people at risk of contracting Covid-I9. He said Mr Hennessy's family members have been unable to visit him in prison due to restrictions currently in place. Mr Fitzharris said the family could afford a bond of 500 and they have been under severe financial difficulties since Mr Hennessy went into custody. [March 25, 2020] Tiger Pistol Named Localogy Excellence Award Winner AUSTIN, Texas, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tiger Pistol, the only social advertising platform that delivers local activation at global scale, today announced that it has won the prestigious Localogy Excellence Award for "Best Localized Marketing Campaign." "Very few industry groups understand marketing success in the local marketplace the way Localogy does," said Paul Elliott. "Time and again, Tiger Pistol's global-to-local approach outperforms comparable brand-level campaign executions, and Localogy's recognition of Tiger Pistol for 'Best Localized Marketing Campaign' further emphasizes our category leadership and business impact." Tiger Pistol stood out among industry competitors based on the remarkable social advertising results achieved for Realogy, a Fortune 500 real estate services provider, with a network of over 200,000 real estate agents serving multiple Realogy franchises, including Sotheby's International Realty, Coldwell Banker, and Century 21 Real Estate. The collaboration between Tiger Pistol and Realogy resulted in the highly successful launch of Social Ad Engine, Realogy's exclusive instance of Tiger Pistol's platform that utilizes a custom integration with Realogy's APIs, providing a seamless experience for agents to access the platform via single sign-on from their brand intranets. The solution enables Realogy's agents to easily promote their listings and themselves with auto-configured, best practice Facebook and Instagram campaigns. "Social Ad Engine's power lies in the ability for agents to publish campaigns directly from their own agent-branded Facebook Page," said Talia Wachtel, VP Client Management, Tiger Pistol. "While other real estate marketing platforms support Facebook ads, such ads are usually rudimentary, driving impressions around the listing, with little room for the agent to generate leads. Social Ad Engine leverages the most relevant Facebook Ads Objectives to drive the results that matter. Our platform supports the ability for agents to publish Facebook Lead Ads, and auto-creates best practice Facebook Lead Forms that have unique qualifying questions, making it easy for the agent to launch the ad with little knowledge of Facebook ads." Tiger Pistol is also proud to announce that two of their partners were also honored by Localogy. Hibu, the leading provider of digital marketing solutions to local businesses across the United States, won a Localogy Excellence Award for "Most Significant Business Transformation" as the company made the titanic shift from a print and Yellow Pages-driven business to a digital marketing solutions provider, and BrandMuscle, and integrated local and channel marketing solutions provider, won "Best Go-to-Market Strategy." The Localogy Excellence Awards recognize organizations and individual leaders shaping the future of localization for the more than 30 million local and small businesses who depend on them every day. To learn more about Tiger Pistol's social advertising tools and how Tiger Pistol, the world's #1 social advertising automation platform for local, unlocks local activation at global scale for brands, resellers, and agencies visit www.tigerpistol.com . About Tiger Pistol Tiger Pistol is the world's #1 social advertising automation platform for local. For nearly a decade, the company has been obsessively focused on building the world's most effective social advertising platform for global brands, resellers, and agencies who realize the power of local activation at scale. As a preferred Facebook Marketing Partner and the largest third-party publisher of social advertising for local, Tiger Pistol creates, deploys, manages, and optimizes high-performance Facebook and Instagram ads at unprecedented scale, with over 800k Facebook and Instagram campaigns published to date. Tiger Pistol's first of its kind technology delivers meaningful and measurable business impact for brands, resellers, and agencies alike, helping to unlock value and efficiency through innovation-led social advertising automation. Tiger Pistol has been recognized by Digiday as the Best Social Media Marketing Platform , and by Street Fight for Best Social Media Campaign . To learn more, call (888) 400-8845, visit TigerPistol.com , or follow on Twitter , Facebook , or LinkedIn . About Realogy Holdings Corp. Realogy Holdings Corp. is the leading and most integrated provider of U.S. residential real estate services, encompassing franchise, brokerage, and title and settlement businesses as well as a mortgage joint venture. Realogy operates a diverse brand portfolio, featuring some of the most recognized names in real estate: Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, CENTURY 21 , Coldwell Banker , Coldwell Banker Commercial , Corcoran , ERA , and Sotheby's International Realty . Using innovative technology, data and marketing products, best-in-class learning and support services, and high-quality lead generation programs, Realogy fuels the productivity of independent sales agents, helping them build stronger businesses and best serve today's consumers. Realogy's affiliated brokerages operate around the world with approximately 189,900 independent sales agents in the United States and more than 112,500 independent sales agents in 113 other countries and territories. Recognized for nine consecutive years as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies , Realogy has also been designated a Great Place to Work and one of Forbes' Best Employers for Diversity . Realogy is headquartered in Madison, New Jersey. CONTACT: Christina Morello Director, Marketing and Communications [email protected] (330) 354-0899 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tiger-pistol-named-localogy-excellence-award-winner-301029700.html SOURCE Tiger Pistol Advertisement Britain's airports could be temporarily closed, aviation bosses have warned after ministers were accused of a U-turn on a promise of special support. Flatlining footfall could see airports shut within weeks, with plummeting passenger numbers forcing airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair to ground their whole fleet. London City closed to commercial and private flights today. Meanwhile bigger carriers such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have cut schedules by up to 90 per cent as Britain's skies have fallen quiet in recent weeks. But the lack of flights has been welcomed by many Londoners more used to the noise overhead - with one, Pav, tweeting: 'I'm taking a walk where I live in London. The air has never smelt so fresh since I've lived here. No planes, you can hear the birds chirping. Actually lovely.' Another, author Jill Hopper, said: 'In London I try to stargaze but the sky is always full of planes. Tonight the sky is a deep pure navy blue and every bright object is a star.' The lack of flights has been welcomed by many Londoners more used to the noise overhead - and now amazed at the clear sky Empty car parks behind British Airways aircraft parked at Cardiff Airport today amid reduced flights and travel restrictions A British Airways jumbo jet parked at Cardiff Airport today after a huge drop in demand as a result of the pandemic British Airways aircraft parked at Cardiff Airport today amid travel restrictions brought in due to the coronavirus Chancellor Rishi Sunak had said last week he was preparing a package to help the aviation industry, rumoured to include a multi-billion-pound deal which could have seen the Government purchase stakes in the hardest-hit airlines. But he has now told industry leaders that the Treasury will provide support only 'as a last resort' and only if individual companies have 'exhausted other options' such as raising extra capital from investors. London City Airport has suspended all commercial and private flights from tonight until the end of April amid plummeting passenger numbers during the coronavirus outbreak. The airport said in a statement: 'Following the Government's latest instructions in response to the coronavirus outbreak, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily suspend all commercial and private flights from the airport. An empty London Heathrow Airport is pictured this morning as people stop flying due to the coronavirus pandemic The view over London Heathrow Airport this morning shows just six active aircraft, given the coronavirus restrictions The drop in air traffic over Europe is seen over the past month, with just 1,700 flights on Monday, compared to a normal 7,000 'At this point in this fast moving and unprecedented situation, we think this is the responsible thing to do for the safety and well-being of our staff, passengers and everyone associated with the airport.' The airport added: 'We have offered the use of London's most central airport to the Government in case it can be used by the emergency services or other agencies to support the national effort to combat the outbreak of this virus and provide care to people in need.' The Airport Operators Association, which represents UK airports, accused the Government of abandoning the sector amid fears some airlines could collapse within weeks. Chief executive Karen Dee said: 'Our industry will now have to fight on its own to protect its workforce and its future. With passenger numbers approaching close to zero, airports have seen a major drop in revenue. A woman wears a face mask at a very quiet London Heathrow Airport Terminal Five yesterday A solitary passenger wears a mask as he arrives at Heathrow Airport in London yesterday Passengers self distance as they wait at London Heathrow Airport Terminal Five yesterday 'They are taking unprecedented steps to safeguard airport staff and operations, which could include in some cases considering shutting down for a period of time. This could have major impacts for UK communities and businesses.' The AOA has demanded a support package that included measures such as relaxing regulations relating to mandatory training requirements, extending business rate relief to airports and deferring all aviation taxes for the duration of global flight restrictions. Virgin Atlantic has also urged the Government to offer a 7.5billion bailout, while the Balpa pilots' union warned last week that aviation companies could begin 'winding down' in the coming days without more support. Many of the country's smaller regional airports were already struggling before the pandemic following the collapse of Flybe earlier this month. A line of grounded British Airways planes at Cardiff Airport today amid the coronavirus pandemic These KLM, British Airways and Transavia aircraft have been parked up in Norwich Airport today due to the lack of demand A line of British Airways jets has been parked in Glasgow today. They have been fitted with engine covers to prevent damage In his letter to the industry, the Chancellor says: 'Given the significant importance of the aviation sector to our economy and economic recovery, the Government is prepared to enter negotiations with individual companies seeking bespoke support as a last resort, having exhausted other options. 'However further taxpayer support would only be possible if all commercial avenues have been fully explored, including raising further capital from existing investors and discussing arrangements with financial stakeholders.' The Mail understands the decision not to provide a single package of support was taken after it became clear that each aviation company had very different needs. Ministers are confident that bigger firms with wealthy shareholders will weather the storm without the need for billions in taxpayer cash. TODAY: This map shows the low number of planes now travelling across the world, with only a handful over North America LAST WEDNESDAY: Flight traffic today is also down on this time last week when there were still a significant number of flights CHRISTMAS DAY 2019: Flight usage was higher even on Christmas Day last year, as this Flightradar24 graphic shows above SIX MONTHS AGO: Flight usage on a normal Wednesday in September 2019 shows a comparison to the low figures today This was underlined last week after easyJet pressed ahead with a 174million payout to shareholders - days after calling for a state loan to help them survive. One third of the cash went to founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Sir Richard Branson has pledged 215million to support Virgin Atlantic, which he part-owns, but the airline is still calling for a taxpayer bailout. A Treasury spokesman said: 'The aviation sector is important to the UK economy, and will be able to draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor in recent days, including a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and VAT deferrals. 'We are continuing to work closely with the sector and are willing to consider the situation of individual firms, so long as all other government schemes have been explored and all commercial options exhausted, including raising capital from existing investors.' A woman wears a mask as she walks through London Heathrow Airport Terminal Five yesterday A sign at London Heathrow Airport Terminal Five arrivals warns of coronavirus yesterday The British Airline Pilots Association warned last week that aviation companies could begin 'winding down' in the coming days without more support. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK - an industry body representing UK-registered airlines, welcomed the announcement that the Government will enter negotiations with individual airlines. He added it was 'essential' that wider measures to support businesses 'are implemented as quickly as possible, with accompanying further guidance, to support airlines'. The government has warned people against the indiscriminate use of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine after reports that there has been a rush to buy the medicine, which India has approved as a prophylaxis (a treatment to prevent a disease) in the fight against the deadly coronavirus infection (Covid-19). With the medicine proving to show some effect against Sars-Cov-2, the virus that is causing the fast-spreading disease, India has also banned the export of this drug. To be sure, large, controlled clinical trials are needed to come to a conclusion on the efficacy of the drug. We are giving hydroxychloroquine to a specific section of the population on an experimental basis, and it must not be taken over-the-counter by all. After a thorough study, we have selected the category (of people who will be administered the drug); that number is small and can be closely monitored. This is not for everyone, said Raman R Gangakhedkar, chief, epidemiology division, India Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The use of the drug for prophylaxis of the infection with flu-like symptoms has been recommended for two categories --- asymptomatic (not showing symptoms of the disease) healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19, and asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases that live in close proximity with patients. ...it (the drug) is not supposed to be given to children below 15 years of age or people above 60 years of age, for example, because of the known side-effects. Self-medicating is an absolute no, he said. The Union health ministry also issued directives on Tuesday to states to curb the misuse of prophylactic drugs, including hydroxychloroquine. Since news that health workers and the direct contacts of Covid-19 patients are being given hydroxychloroquine came out, people have been going to chemist shops to purchase these. Everybody doesnt need it. So we had to issue an advisory reiterating that chemists should refuse to sell the medicine without a prescription. These drugs anyway...cannot be sold without a prescription, said Atul Nasa, Delhis drug control officer. In a related development, in order to tide over the problem of shortage of ventilators and hand sanitisers in the country, India has also banned their export. The ministry of commerce and industry issued a notification on the amendment in the export policy of ventilators, including any artificial respiratory apparatus or oxygen therapy apparatus or any other breathing appliance/device and sanitisers falling under the ITCHS Code (Indian Trade Clarification based on Harmonized System), which prohibits their export with immediate effect. The government is also encouraging Indian manufacturers to create ventilators under make in India. In a recent review meeting held by cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and other main organisations of the government that are research-oriented were consulted on ways to promote indigenous manufacturers. We are evaluating preparedness levels at the highest level on a daily basis, and as and when the situation arises, the government is taking action such as curbing exports etc. We are working with Indian manufacturers so that sufficient ventilators can be provided to the country. For the AIIMS ventilator prototype, minor changes have been suggested before it can be taken up for use, said Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary, health ministry. To ramp up the production of hand sanitisers, the Centre has asked states to direct distilleries to either start manufacturing sanitisers themselves or provide companies that manufacture the product with the raw material in order to enhance access to the product. Distilleries supply extra neutral alcohol (ENA), a raw material used in the manufacturing of sanitisers. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi: Actress Disha Patani always makes sure she remains at the top of her social media game. She is one of the most-followed stars on Instagram and hogs limelight with every post. On Wednesday, she set the internet ablaze with a sultry picture of herself from American luxury fashion line Calvin Klein (CK)s photoshoot. She poses in a two-piece lingerie set, paired with jeans and writes, Those were the days. #quarantinebodynotreadyyet. Check out the picture here: Disha is the face of the brand and her Instagram timeline is full of pictures from its photoshoot. Take a look: Disha never fails to impress the fashion police by her stylish appearances, be it on or off the screen. Her pictures often go crazy viral. As of now, like all of us, Disha is under isolation due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, but is constantly keeping her Instafam posted with throwback photos and videos. (Were glad). On the work front, Disha, who was last seen in Malang, has Salman Khan's 'Radhe' and 'KTina' coming up. She recently signed up for 'Ek Villain 2', which stars Aditya Roy Kapur and John Abraham. 'Ek Villain' released in 2014. It was an action-thriller and a tragic love story featuring Sidharth Malhotra, Shraddha Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh. New Delhi/Kabul, March 25 : A delegation of Taliban will visit the Bagram Jail to identify and verify their prisoners to be released in accordance with the US-Taliban peace agreement. Sources told IANS that the decision was taken during the second video conference held between the technical teams of the Afghan government and the Taliban on Wednesday. Suhail Shaheen, spokesman of Taliban Qatar office, tweeted the video of the conference which lasted for four hours. The conference was also attended by the representatives of Red Cross, the US and Qatar. The process of the prisoners' release is likely to start on March 31 when the Taliban will send its delegation to Bagram Jail to identify and verify their prisoners as per the list they had given to the US. Though the peace deal had finalised March 10 as the date for beginning the process, it got delayed because Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani said that they had not made any commitment about the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners. Asserting his authority, Ghani had said that the US could not take this decision on his behalf. Though President Ghani agrees that the release of Taliban prisoners is necessary for initiating the intra-Afghan talks, neither the Taliban nor the Afghan government has so far announced their teams for the dialogue. New Delhi, March 25 : The government has decide to convert the Noida Institute of Medical Sciences as a 300-bed bed isolation centre for infected patients as number of Covid-19 patients are rising. The Group of Ministers (GoM) was informed that Gujarat, Assam, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and J&K are setting up hospitals dedicated for the management of Covid-19. A total of 118 laboratories have been included in the ICMR network of Covid-19 testing. The GoM was also apprised that the Cabinet Secretary has also written letters and conducted video conference with state and UT Chief Secretaries, Health Secretaries and DGPs and instructed them to enforce implementation of lockdown measures. The GOM discussed about strengthening capacity of states, which need to devote adequate resources for creating dedicated Covid-19 hospitals, equipping the medical institutes with PPEs, ventilators and other essential equipment etc. Meanwhile, states have been asked to ensure that essential services and supplies remain open. These include hospitals, medical shops and establishments engaged in manufacturing of medicines, vaccines, sanitizers, masks and medical devices. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan reiterated his appeal to all those who are in home and facility quarantine about observing the restrictions according to the protocol laid down by the government. BERLIN The coronavirus crisis contributed for the first time to the collapse of a national government on Wednesday after a majority of lawmakers in Kosovo voted to bring down the countrys ruling coalition, following a political dispute related in part to the pandemic. Prime Minister Albin Kurtis administration collapsed after his main coalition partners sided with opposition parties in a no-confidence vote against their own government, defeating Mr. Kurti by a vote of 82 to 32. Mr. Kurti remains caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed. But his governments collapse leaves Kosovo without strong leadership, at a time when most other national governments are seeking to extend their powers to battle the pandemic. The vote was welcomed in advance by the United States, whose diplomats have placed Mr. Kurti under heavy pressure since his government was sworn in last month because of his opposition to aspects of an American peace deal in the region. Senate Armed Services Committee member Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) questions witnesses during a hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Dec. 03, 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) US Lawmakers Demand Probe Into Beijings Outbreak Coverup Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) are calling for an international probe into how Beijings initial handling of the CCP virus pandemic may have endangered the United States and the rest of the world. In a resolution introduced in both chambers on March 24, the lawmakers asked Congress to condemn the Chinese regime for its coverup of the outbreak, which almost certainly heightened the rapid global spread of the CCP virus, they said. Congress should also quantify the damage of such acts on the health and economic being of afflicted nations, the resolution states. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mishandling allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. The resolutionone of three legislative proposals introduced that day that focuses on the Beijing regimealso calls on the international community to design a mechanism for the CCP to deliver compensation accordingly. It is time for an international investigation into the role their coverup played in the spread of this devastating pandemic, Hawley said, in a joint press release with Stefanik. The CCP must be held to account for what the world is now suffering. Media reports have detailed how Chinese authorities censored critical information when the virus first emerged in the city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. On Jan. 1, Hubei health officials ordered a genomics testing company to stop virus testing, destroy all virus samples, and to keep their findings a secret, according to reporting by Chinese media Caixin. Police tracked down multiple doctors who voiced concerns about the virus on social media, accusing them of spreading rumors and inciting public fear. Critics of Chinese authorities outbreak response were summoned and punished, and several outspoken citizen journalists disappeared after they tried to share firsthand videos from Wuhan. On Jan. 13, Thailand confirmed the first infection outside of China, a day before the World Health Organization, citing Chinese investigations, announced that there was no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission. A University of Southampton study, currently in preprint and not yet peer-reviewed, found that China could have stopped up to 95 percent of the viruss geographical spread had it enacted containment measures earlier. There is no doubt that Chinas unconscionable decision to orchestrate an elaborate coverup of the wide-ranging and deadly implications of coronavirus led to the death of thousands of people, including hundreds of Americans and climbing, Stefanik said. The resolution also took note of how senior Chinese officials have tried to push the conspiracy theory that the virus originated in the United States. Since day one, the Chinese Communist Party intentionally lied to the world about the origin of this pandemic, Hawley said. Also on March 24, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) introduced a bipartisan resolution to condemn the CCP for the outbreak coverup and disinformation. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), meanwhile, introduced legislation called No Chinese Handouts in National Assistance Act, to prevent any virus-related relief funds from flowing into China. Allowing American taxpayers money to go to companies owned by the Communist Chinese government is antithetical to our America First agenda, he said in a statement. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) on March 24 called the CCPs handling of the outbreak one of the worst coverups in human history. This is a systematic whitewash of what the Communist Party has done in China, he told Fox News. He added that the virus is now wreaking havoc all across the world, costing not only the lives of people but economic chaos. For the harm, loss, and destruction their arrogance brought upon the rest of the world, China will need to pay, Stefanik said. Simply putChina must, and will, be held accountable, she said. Launched annually from March 1 to 30, this year, the Companion Month will offer timely and comprehensive updates on tax policies and the tax settlement process via slides, videos, and clips, while developing a column on directions to tax settlement. This year, the department allows taxpayers to make an online appointment through a mobile application for tax settlement with tax agencies on a trial basis. The department also opens electronic mailboxes to support taxpayers in their tax declaration and completing procedures for tax settlement. Le Thi Tuyen, a lecturer at Thang Long University, who visited a tax agency on March 25 to make an individual tax settlement, shared, The procedures are so much simpler than expected, with whole-hearted directions from tax officials. It took me about 20 minutes to complete all produces for online tax payment, and about 30 minutes at the site. I also had my temperature checked at the gate and given a mask and hand wash gel. The entire process is simple and the authorities take care of safety amidst the outbreak, she added. In order to prevent the COVID-19 outbreak, the department encourages taxpayers to make tax payments online or send in hard copies via post. In compliance with the spirit of the prime ministers Direction No.11/CT-TTg on urgent tasks and solutions to help enterprises affected by the novel pandemic, the Hanoi Tax Department called on tax agencies to propose solutions to better support taxpayers while taking preventive measures to fight the novel pandemic. In line with the Ministry of Healths recommendations, tax agencies in the city have been equipped with thermometers, hand wash, masks, and documents on preventing the pandemic. As Industry 4.0 is exerting significant impacts on all economic sectors, the tax sector is promoting sci-tech application to facilitate individual taxpayers and business activities. According to statistics from the General Department of Taxation, since the launch of the first online public service in 2009, it has deployed over 182 online public services of level 3 and 4, allowing taxpayers nationwide to make tax declarations, make payments, and apply for a refund. Additionally, now applicants are offered e-billing to replace paperwork and the e-portal has been upgraded. By the end of 2019, 99.86 per cent of operating businesses nationwide used online tax declaration, 99.49 per cent used online tax payment, and 89.77 per cent used online tax refund services. This year, the sector aims to offer more than 60 additional public services of level 3 and 4. As planned, It will continue to integrate 95 administrative procedures on tax declaration with the national public service portal, allowing taxpayers to make online tax declarations and payments after logging in once in the portal. In the first quarter of 2020, the sector will integrate online tax payment services for individuals with the national public service portal. Ho Chi Minh City suggests halving land lease tax for real estate companies Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee has just submitted a proposal to the prime minister to introduce a range of supportive measures to help out ... Hanoi Tax Department to scrutinise transfer pricing in 2020 The Hanoi Tax Department will scrutinise transfer pricing among foreign-invested enterprises in 2020, announcing it as its key task for the year. Trial Begins for Former US Marine Accused of Espionage in Russia By Charles Maynes March 24, 2020 The long-awaited trial of a former U.S. Marine facing charges of espionage got under way in Moscow on Monday with U.S. officials accusing Russia of providing no evidence in a spy case that has proved an added irritant to already troubled relations between the two countries. Paul Whelan, 50, was arrested by FSB security agents in late December 2018 after allegedly accepting classified materials on a computer thumb drive in a central Moscow hotel. Whelan has repeatedly denied those charges, insisting he was in Moscow for a friend's wedding and had accepted the drive from a Russian acquaintance without ever knowing or viewing its contents. The former Marine, who in addition to U.S. citizenship holds passports from the U.K., Canada and Ireland, also says he's been mistreated and denied medical treatment while in detention an assertion that U.S. officials have backed repeatedly and did so again Monday. U.S. Ambassador to Russia John J. Sullivan joined his counterparts from the U.K. and Ireland at the courtroom Monday, where the presiding judge allowed them to speak with Whelan briefly before closing the hearing to the public a standard practice in Russian-led "top secret" espionage cases. "It's a sad day for me as an American and a U.S. ambassador, in these circumstances, to come and see a citizen of my country held in such circumstances, with serious health problems unaddressed, with no evidence that's been produced to justify his incarceration for well over a year, and his inability to communicate with his family despite repeated requests by him and by me to the Russian government," said Sullivan, in a statement afterward to the press. "I am hoping that, as this process moves forward, we see a fair and transparent judicial process," Sullivan added. "Every person, every citizen, of every country in the world, deserves that." In turn, Russia's foreign ministry has accused Whelan of feigning illness part of what the ministry says is Whelan's playbook training as a U.S. intelligence officer after being caught "red-handed" by Russia's security services. If convicted on existing charges, Whelan faces the possibility of 10-20 years in prison. COVID-19, witnesses, and 'a goat rodeo' The Whelan trial proved one of the rare court proceedings currently in session in Russia, after the country's high court postponed most judicial work last week out of fear of the spread of the coronavirus. Whelan's Russian lawyers, Olga Karla and Vladimir Zherebenkov, said that barring unforeseen delays because of the contagion the closed trial would last about a month in which they promised to mount a vigorous defense. Speaking to reporters, Zherebenkov said he planned to call at least a dozen witnesses, all of them Russians with whom Whelan had been in contact during multiple visits to the Russian Federation in recent years. Whelan's legal team also indicated they planned to call embassy officials to the stand, a move they assured would prove Whelan's innocence of the spy charges. "We'll interrogate the embassies to prove that Whelan physically could not be an agent as a citizen of four different countries," said Zherebenkov, in comments carried by the Interfax News Agency. "It's simply not possible," he added. Yet, throughout the run-up to Monday's hearing, Zherebenkov has repeatedly acknowledged that politics may play a larger role than material evidence in resolving the case. Last December, the lawyer publicly floated the idea of including Whelan in a wider prisoner swap between Russia and the West. "Paul is a citizen of four countries. None of them has asked to organize his exchange yet," noted Zherebenkov before pleading: "Take the initiative gentlemen!" Meanwhile, Whelan has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene on his behalf, asking the American leader "to tweet your intentions" about a case that Whelan has colorfully labeled "the Moscow goat rodeo." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The city of Chicago has started reserving thousands of hotel rooms for people with mild cases of the coronavirus and others unable to return to their homes while awaiting test results. Chicago has partnered with five hotels that will have 1,000 rooms available, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says. The first patients were moved into a lodging, renamed Hotel 166, on the city's North Side Tuesday. A hotel on the north side of Chicago (pictured) which has been renamed 'Hotel 166' is one of five that will be used to help quarantine people with mild cases of the coronavirus and others unable to return to their homes while awaiting test results Chicago has partnered with five hotels that will have 1,000 rooms available, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says. She is pictured during a coronavirus briefing The view from a rooftop lounge at Hotel 166, one of the lodgings in Chicago that has been set up to take in coronavirus patients with mild symptoms, and others who are awaiting their test results to know if they are infected with the deadly illness The city did not release how many people were moved into the hotel, and did not name the other hotels that have agreed to join the effort. Lightfoot estimates 2,000 rooms will be available by the end of the week. Meanwhile, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that he's also considering hotels and dormitories for treatment sites as work continues to turn the city's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center into a temporary field hospital. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that he's also considering hotels and dormitories for treatment sites Cuomo mentioned his interest in hotels and dormitories as work continues to turn the city's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center into a temporary field hospital. He is pictured against a backdrop of key supplies, including masks, needed to contain the outbreak New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is being converted into a 1,000 bed medical facility for combating the coronavirus outbreak Chicago's move comes as government officials nationwide are searching for facilities that could act as a relief valve for hospitals amid building concern that demand will exceed available space and equipment for coronavirus patients with severe symptoms. Samir Mayekar, deputy mayor for neighborhood and economic development in Chicago, said the city's public health team wanted a plan that teamed with hotel owners and their staff, rather than a takeover run entirely by public employees as in cities in Asia and Europe. 'Quarantine and isolation units are going to be used in every city across the country eventually, in their own way, shape and form,' Mayekar said. 'Every hour, every day counts.' There have been in the US close to 60,000 confirmed cases of the deadly, virus, also known as COVID-19. The infection has been blamed for at least 823 known deaths across the country. Illinois has had 1,865 cases and 19 known deaths blamed on the outbreak. There have been in the US close to 60,000 confirmed cases of the deadly, flu-like virus, also known as COVID-19. The infection has been blamed for at least 823 known deaths across the country The reserved hotel rooms in Chicago are intended for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 but have mild symptoms that don't require a hospital stay. They also could be used by people awaiting test results who are unable to stay home due to the risk of spreading the virus to family members, particularly those who are vulnerable to more severe symptoms due to their age or health issues. 'We need to build this excess network of other spaces so we can take pressure off of hospitals and reserve those acute care beds for those that are most in need of intensive medical treatment,' Lightfoot said Tuesday. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. Public health officials or hospitals will inform patients who test positive that the rooms are available, but the decision to use a room is voluntary, Mayekar said. No one is making public predictions about demand. City officials have said Chicago's hospitals aren't at the critical level seen in New York this week. But Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday that the state will need almost 38,000 additional hospital beds - double what's available - as the number of cases continues to rise. Chicago officials say local hospitals aren't at the critical level seen in New York this week. Workers dismantle the awning on the city's Norwegian American Hospital to install a second coronavirus testing and screening tent outside the facility Workers outside Norwegian American Hospital in Chicago install a second coronavirus testing tent. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says that the state will need almost 38,000 additional hospital beds to treat coronavirus patients - double what's available - as number rise. A coronavirus tent is seen outside the emergency room at Chicago's Norwegian American Hospital. On Wednesday afternoon, Illinois reported 1,865 COVID-19 infections and 19 deaths linked to the virus Americans are unlikely to respond positively to being forced into quarantine outside their home, so it's wise to choose appealing options like hotels that can provide comfort and familiarity, said Effi Benmelech, director of the Guthrie Center for Real Estate Research at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. A more forceful approach, as deployed in China and Israel, would likely be rejected here, he said. 'In the U.S., we need to think about the carrot, the incentive,' he said. In the Chicago hotels, public health and other city employees will handle all face-to-face interactions with patients, delivering food to their doors and announcing it with a quiet knock, Mayekar said. Hotel cooks will prepare three meals per day and housekeeping staff will receive training from public health employees on cleaning linens and handling trash or meals. Fresh linens will be delivered outside patients' rooms as needed, not daily. If maintenance staff are needed inside a hotel room, the patient will move to another room and their first room will be sanitized before workers enter, Mayekar said. 'This is not going to be a day-to-day, normal experience in a hotel,' he said. The agreements also made the city responsible for extensive cleaning of the hotels when they are no longer needed for quarantining patients. The deal comes as a life raft for some Chicago hotel industry workers, who saw customers and their income disappear as the virus began to spread in the U.S. Hotels in some markets have seen occupancy dive to single digits and reports of hotel employees being laid off throughout the country began this week, said Michael Jacobson, president of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association. 'By no means is a hotel making money off of this,' he said of Chicago's plan. 'The money that is being collected is really just helping these hotels get by.' SILVER SPRING, Md., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the following actions taken in its ongoing response effort to the COVID-19 pandemic: The FDA is facilitating access to convalescent plasma, antibody-rich blood products that are taken from blood donated by people who have recovered from the COVID-19 virus, that could shorten the length, or lessen the severity, of the illness. The agency will be using multiple pathways to support these efforts and has posted information for investigators wishing to study convalescent plasma for use in patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections through the process of single patient emergency Investigational New Drug Applications for individual patients. The FDA also is actively engaging with researchers to discuss the possibility of collaboration on the development of a master protocol for the use of convalescent plasma, with the goal of reducing duplicative efforts. In response to this evolving public health emergency and continued filtering facepiece respirator (FFR or respirator) shortages, FDA has concluded based on the totality of scientific evidence available that certain imported disposable FFRs that are not NIOSH-approved are appropriate to protect the public health or safety. Under this EUA, authorized respirators listed in the letter are authorized for use in healthcare settings by healthcare personnel when used in accordance with CDC recommendations to prevent wearer exposure to pathogenic biological airborne particulates during FFR shortages resulting from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Letter of Authorization Non-NIOSH Approved Respirator EUA FAQ The FDA issued a Consumer Update advising consumers to be beware of fraudulent coronavirus tests, vaccines and treatments. The FDA is particularly concerned that deceptive and misleading products might cause Americans to delay or stop appropriate medical treatment, leading to serious and life-threatening harm. It's likely that the products do not do what they claim, and the ingredients in them could cause adverse effects and could interact with, and potentially interfere with, essential medications. There are no FDA-approved products to prevent COVID-19. For example, the FDA is aware of people trying to prevent COVID-19 by taking a product called chloroquine phosphate, which is sold to treat parasites in aquarium fish. Products for veterinary use or for "research use only" may have adverse effects, including serious illness and death, when taken by people. The agency warns not to take any form of chloroquine unless it has been prescribed by a health care provider and obtained from legitimate sources. Diagnostics update: In certain emergencies, the FDA can often quickly issue an emergency use authorization for diagnostic tests based on FDA's rolling review of data and where the request meets certain criteria. In the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has worked with more than 190 test developers who have said they will be submitting applications to make tests that detect the virus. To date, 16 emergency use authorizations have been issued for nation-wide use, including one today. Under our laboratory developed test policy during COVID-19, the FDA has been notified by more than 65 laboratories. The FDA issued a Letter to Industry that includes steps the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) has taken to prioritize work that advances the nation's response during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. These steps seek to address the impact of COVID-19 public health emergency on day-to-day operations in CDRH and in the medical device industry, while ensuring that government and private sector efforts to respond to this national emergency receive the highest priority. The FDA provided flexibility to veterinarians who want to utilize telemedicine to prescribe certain drugs for animals by temporarily suspending enforcement of portions of the federal veterinarian-client-patient relationship requirements. This helps veterinarians continue to care for animals while minimizing person-to-person contact between veterinary staff and the animal owner or caretaker, allowing for the social distancing that is so important in limiting the further spread of coronavirus. The FDA explained how the agency is working with experts around the world to find ways to prevent and treat COVID-19, including collaborating with international organizations to facilitate the development of a vaccine: FDA Voices: FDA and EMA Collaborate to Facilitate SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Development. The FDA took action to increase U.S. supplies to support the U.S. response to COVID-19 by providing instructions to manufacturers importing personal protective equipment and other devices. The agency is engaging with importers and others involved in the import trade community during this pandemic to facilitate the entry of needed products, including PPE, into the U.S. These instructions to importers clarify the types of PPE that can be imported without engaging with FDA. They also include information about the type of information importers can submit to facilitate their entries. The FDA provided an update, FDA Offers Assurance About Food Safety and Supply for People and Animals During COVID-19, to explain that the U.S. food supply remains safe for both people and animals. There is no evidence of human or animal food or food packaging being associated with transmission of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Additionally, overall, retail supply chains remain strong, and the FDA is working with food manufacturers and grocery stores to closely monitor the human food supply chain for any shortages. The same is true for animal food. The FDA is monitoring the availability of foods for livestock and pets. There are no shortages, and no current disruptions in the pet and livestock food supply chain. Additional Resources: Media Contact: Stephanie Caccomo, 301-348-1956 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products. SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration Related Links http://www.fda.gov Markets in Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and environs have closed in response to the governments stay-at-home order while panic buying is intensifying. Although the stay-at-home orders differ from state to state, PREMIUM TIMES visits to some markets and supermarkets in Abuja and Lagos on Wednesday showed some hustlings by buyers and shoppers to stock up their homes with essentials to last the period they are expected to stay at home with their families. Indications are that Nigerians are gradually coming to terms with the reality of the dangers the country is facing with the coronavirus pandemic, with about 46 cases recorded so far, some of which involved prominent Nigerians. The markets visited on Wednesday included those in Utako, Wuse, and Garki 2. The three markets, considered the busiest in the Federal Capital Territory, were almost empty on Wednesday as almost all the shops were locked. The new businesses now enjoying huge patronage in and around the markets sell hygiene products like sanitisers, hand gloves and face masks. Some of the petty traders were seen making brisk business as they hawked these items at prices above the usual. Wuse At Wuse market, there was partial compliance with the directives by the FCT Minister, Musa Bello, for all markets to be closed by Wednesday morning. The only exemptions were stores selling essentials such as foodstuffs, vegetables, fruits and medicines. The minister said the shops are to remain closed for 14 days as part of measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Sellers and buyers at Wuse market When PREMIUM TIMES reporters visited the market, most of the hairdressers and salon workers who once used to call out to customers for pedicure and manicure were nowhere to be found. One of the vendors said the directive to lock up their shops took most of them unawares. Kabir Abdullahi, a jewellery vendor, said the closure is terrible, as it was unexpected. However, he urged Nigerians not to complain, but take it as a collective national sacrifice. Although some traders attempted to put up a resistance to the order, it was learnt that the enforcement task force was able to compel them to lock up their shops and go home after they were threatened with a N170,000 fine. Over 30 security officials were deployed in the market to ensure that stores remained closed. Sellers and buyers at Wuse market Utako At the Utako market, there were many buyers and sellers in the market with the majority seen using face masks and hand gloves. They claimed they were not aware of the ministers directives. A meat vendor, Ibrahim Ahmed, said no directive was issued to them from the minister or any other person. There is nothing like coronavirus in this country. So, nobody can shut the market. How do we survive and feed our family if the market is closed? he shouted. This is my only source of livelihood. Closing the market will cause lots of problems for most families, he said. Umaru Yusuf, a tomato vendor, said he did know what coronavirus was and was not interested in knowing. Coronavirus is not our business in the market. I came here to sell my tomatoes. So, the government should handle their virus and leave us alone, he said. Advertisements Sellers and buyers at Wuse market Garki The situation was not different when our reporters visited Garki, where commercial activities were ongoing in the fruit sections. But some of the market women could be seen gathering in small groups to lament the outbreak. One of the market women, who gave her as Nneka, told our reporter although the closure of the market was necessary, government handling will likely expose the people to untold hardship and difficulties. Let the government know that it is not fair what they are doing us. We were just told late yesterday (Tuesday) by the Wuse Market Association that we will not be allowed to open for two weeks. People have come from different parts of Abuja, including Suleja, Gwagwalada and other places to come and sell, only for them to be told to lock their shop. They cannot just ask the people to shut down without making provisions for them on how they are going to cope for the two weeks. Other countries made provisions for their people. We are aware of the dangers and the reason everybody has been asked to shut down. But what I am saying is that it would have been better for the government to allow the virus to kill us than to ask us to close our market without providing an alternative for us. If one dies of coronavirus, is it not the same thing as going back home to die, because we have nothing to do? Death is death! Sellers and buyers at Wuse market A trader, Iya Ibeji said: We hear the government has asked everybody to stay at home. If that happens, it means the farmers who produce the vegetables would not be able to go the farm. Even if they are able to go, they would not be able to take the produce to the markets. I am afraid, the days ahead is bleak for Nigerians. Panic However, the situation in markets located in the outskirts of the capital territory was that of panic, as buyers were anxious to stock up their homes with as much foodstuffs as possible. As would be expected, the panic among buyers has triggered a massive hike in the prices of available foodstuffs in the markets visited. Chidinma, a resident of Kubwa, spoke with our reporter about her experience when she went to the market on Wednesday. At Kubwa village market, there is panic everywhere. People are (were) rushing to the market to buy things, because they have heard of rumours that the market in the area and other locations in the outskirts of the FCT will be shut down after the ones in town. The people are even afraid that the government is going to impose a curfew so, the prices of commodities have doubled, even as the quantities available have drastically reduced. A measure of garri, which used to go for N150 now attract a N300 price tag, while a bag now goes for N15,000, against the usual N7,000. Also, a measure of rice, which used to be N300, now cost about N800, while a 10 kg bag of rice goes for N5,000 now, where available. A measure of beans now costs N600, against the usual N350. One of the traders, Abdulkareem Yusuf, who sells tomatoes, told our reporter his concern was how to exhaust his stock before the closure of the market. If these tomatoes go bad, I will be owing my dealer. I need to sell to be able to pay back. Again, if the market does not open in two days, it means my family will also go hungry. Its a vicious cycle. Supermarkets At many supermarkets, buyers are stocking up as if they are preparing for war. At NEXT Supermarket, one of the attendants said the population of shoppers has been unprecedented. Sellers and buyers at Wuse market He said many of the people say are out to stock up their homes with essentials as no one knows how long the stay-at-home will last, or when the COVID-19 crisis would abate. Some of the shelves in the big store were almost empty. The payment queue is also unusually long with lots of people waiting to make payments. One of the buyers identified as Anthony said Everyone is engaging in panic buying. So, I decided to join, because my sister, wisdom is profitable. More cases of COVID-19 are coming up, and at this time, its advisable to stay at home with your family. So, everything Im buying today should last for at least three weeks. We hope by then, all of this will be over, he said. At Sahad stores, the traffic in the popular shop more than doubled the usual as customers experienced difficulties getting parking spaces for their cars. Most imported products, like honey, dates and other essentials were said to be out of stock because of the heavy demand. Lagos Meanwhile, in markets around Lagos, where the state government had also issued a stay-at-home order, the situation was not different. At the popular Mile 12 market, things took a new turn on Wednesday, hours after the Lagos government announced the closure of all major markets in the state and markets selling non-essential items. The hustle-bustle of the popular food market in Lagos quadrupled on as thousands of Lagosians stormed the market to purchase food items. Porters and wheelbarrow pushers were seen panting and sweating at Ketu bus-stop as they carry loads of food items all the way from the market, about two kilometres distance to where their owners parked their cars. While the owners of the food items were on their heels trying to catch up with the fast-paced alabarus, honking of cars and busses were heard non-stop. The congestion at the market could be felt from a far distance as people kept trooping to and from the market. The banks along the market corridor were not left out of the congestion, as scores of customers were outside the banking hall, waiting for when they would be allowed into the bank, while others formed long queues at the ATMs. Cars at the other side of the popular market inward Ikorodu suffered a traffic gridlock, cars inward Ojota were slowed down as the walkway was too crowded for human movement. The market population was a mix of men and women who came to buy foodstuff for their household consumption and traders who were at the market to stock their stores in preparation for the lockdown. The population of people outside the market borders suggested that the entire trading for the day was outside the market. But a step into the market suggested otherwise as the density of people gave no room of free movement. Haggling of prices between buyers and sellers was brief, as sellers snapped at customers, with their countenance showing the urgency of the moment. Skyrocketing prices Also, prices of food items have skyrocketed following the announcement of the closure of major markets in Lagos by Thursday. Sellers and buyers at Wuse market While traders that sell provisions, seasoning and other related items maintained their prices, other traders, including tomatoes and pepper sellers inflated prices. The price of rice, beans, semovita, and others relatively remained the same but traders selling garri, yams, fish, meat, tomatoes and other perishable items inflated the prices of such goods. Commercial buses were not left out as conductors hiked prices. In what seems to be an unending market day, scores of people were stranded at the market, hoping to get commercial buses to convey them to their location. Lagos is the state most hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. It accounts for over 30 of Nigerias 46 confirmed cases as at the time of this report. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on March 25, 2020 2020/03/25 According to the latest figures from the NHC, March 24 saw 491 patients cured and discharged from hospital in China's mainland, bringing the tally to 73,650. To help Italy fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government has decided to send the third team of medical experts to Italy. The team, organized by the National Health Commission, consists of experts selected by the Fujian Provincial Health Commission. The team left for Italy at noon on March 25. CCTV: It is announced today that President Xi Jinping will attend the G20 Extraordinary Virtual Leaders' Summit on COVID-19. What is China's expectation for the meeting? What are the initiatives and proposals that China will put forward this time? Geng Shuang: Currently, COVID-19 is engulfing many parts of the world, endangering the life and health of people in all countries and hitting the world economy pretty hard. The international community expects all parties to work together to combat the pandemic and stabilize the global economy. The G20 is a premier platform for global crisis response and economic cooperation. It played an important role in responding to the 2008 international financial crisis, and the international community looks to the G20 once again for leadership at this critical moment. This virtual summit, the first in the G20 history, presents an important opportunity for world leaders to discuss joint actions. The virtual summit will be the first major multilateral event that President Xi Jinping attends after the outbreak. Under the direct leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has achieved notable results in the pandemic prevention and control and is now actively supporting other countries in their battles against the pandemic, which has been highly praised by the international community. China expects that this virtual summit will deliver positive messages of pooling consensus and taking actions to strengthen solidarity, work together to counter the pandemic and stabilize economy. China is ready to work with G20 members for practical outcomes of this summit. China News Service: You mentioned that the Chinese government is ready to facilitate the commercial procurement of medical supplies by foreign countries from China. Could you give us more details? Geng Shuang: since the outbreak of COVID 19, China has always maintained that the international community should jointly safeguard an open world economy and ensure the stability of global supply chains and industrial chains. At present, while meeting the domestic demand, we are trying to facilitate the procurement of medical supplies through commercial channels by all countries. We have no restrictions on foreign trade, and we support and encourage enterprises to expand exports in an orderly manner. As far as I know, buyers from Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, the Czech Republic, Djibouti, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Qatar, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and the UK have signed purchasing contracts with China companies for goods like testing reagents, masks, protective suits and goggles. In addition to facilitating commercial procurement, China has also provided supplies of protective equipment to the WHO in support of other countries' epidemic response. After the WHO expressed its wish to buy medical supplies from China to support global anti-epidemic response, Chinese enterprises quickly signed the first batch of supply contracts with the WHO. I am confident that China's business community will continue to provide more of such supplies to the international community, and the resumption of work and production and China's economic development will continue to provide stronger support for the international community's response to the pandemic. I also believe that it is in the common interests of the international community to make cooperation strong, barriers low and trade unfettered. RIA Novosti: First, you announced that China sent the third expert team to Italy. How many are on this team? Second, the IOC and Tokyo 2020 organizing committee confirmed in their statement the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games but no later than the summer of 2021. Do you have any comment? Geng Shuang: Regarding your first question, I don't have that specific number at hand but I will come back to you once I have it. As to the second question, the decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympic Games shows the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Japanese government and Tokyo Organizing Committee's responsible attitude towards the health and safety of athletes, participants and all mankind. It also manifests the IOC's commitment to the Olympic Movement. China respects this decision and will continue supporting Japan in hosting the Tokyo Games. Phoenix TV : US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in an interview yesterday talked about moving medical equipment supply chain back to the US from China and elsewhere. President Trump also stressed in a daily briefing on coronavirus that the US should never be reliant on a foreign country for the means of its own survival. US media reported that the US is preparing an executive order to relocate the supply chain of enterprises. Do you have any comment? Geng Shuang: I have taken several similar questions recently and I just want to reiterate our position on this issue. In an era of globalization, the interests of all countries are closely intertwined. The formation and development of global industrial and supply chains are determined by market forces and companies' choices. As such, it is unrealistic and insensible to try to sever them or even trumpet "shifting" or "decoupling" theories as they run counter to economic law. In the face of the pandemic, such practice will not help solve problems at home. It will only harm the interests of US businesses and people. China is a leading manufacturer as well as a major producer and exporter of epidemic-related and medical supplies. As the situation is getting better at home, China is gradually resuming its normal socio-economic order. We are providing support to the steady operation of global industrial and supply chains by accelerating resumption of work and production. Chinese businesses are speeding up manufacturing of urgently needed medical supplies for the world. China has pledged assistance to 82 countries, WHO and African Union, and facilitated commercial procurement in China for countries in need, like I said earlier. Our responsible practice has been well recognized by the international community. To sum up, I want to stress that no country can face the pandemic by going it alone. It's time for solidarity and cooperation rather than division and decoupling. Beijing Youth Daily: China released information on several video conferences on COVID-19 recently. Could you give us a number of such meetings? Will there be more? Geng Shuang: After the outbreak of COVID-19, China has been fighting it with all-out efforts. The most comprehensive, stringent and thorough measures taken have produced positive effects. Thanks to the Chinese people's arduous efforts, the situation at home keeps trending for the better. China has made tremendous sacrifice in this battle and its efforts are an important contribution to the world as they bought precious time for other countries. We have also gathered valuable experience in this process. With the pandemic breaking out and spreading in many places across the globe, China, with the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and a responsible attitude towards global public health security and people's well-being, has been sharing its experience through communication, coordination and cooperation with relevant countries and regional organizations in an open and transparent manner. As of today, incomplete statistics show that China has held about 20 video conferences for experts with more than 100 countries in Northeast Asia, South Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and South Pacific as well as international organizations including ASEAN, the EU, the AU, the SCO and the Caribbean Community. The latest conference was held yesterday with over 200 specialists and officials from Nicaragua and 24 Latin American and Caribbean countries having diplomatic ties with China. Exchange through this mechanism has helped countries across the globe. The Chinese side shared via video link what we have learned about COVID-19, including epidemiological features, prevention and control strategies, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and tracing of close contacts, and offered suggestions to foreign counterparts. Participants all expressed thanks to China and spoke highly of the open, transparent, information-rich and professional meetings, where Chinese experts shared everything within their knowledge that their foreign counterparts can learn from. As we speak, China is still receiving requests for such conferences from many countries. Competent departments are doing all they can to coordinate arrangements. We will continue close communication and exchange with other parties through video link to help developing countries enhance capacity-building and mount a concerted response to the pandemic for regional and global public health security. Besides these conferences, China has also released the seventh version of its diagnosis and treatment protocol and sixth of prevention and control protocol. They are a collection of combat experience gathered over the course of more than two months. They represent the wisdom and hard work of tens of thousands of frontline medical personnel in China. With the protocols translated into many foreign languages, we are sharing them with WHO and the international community. The video conferences and diagnosis and treatment protocols are both examples of how China is contributing to the global response through technical assistance and public goods. I want to stress that large-scale infectious diseases are major unconventional security threats to mankind. The virus is a common scourge facing all. With our future linked together, countries can only overcome the challenge by standing in solidarity. China will stay committed to the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, work together with other countries to defeat the virus through mutual assistance, and contribute our wisdom, experience and prescription to the international community. Bloomberg News: We are wondering if you had any comment on President Trump's decision to stop using the term "Chinese virus" ? Geng Shuang: China has made clear its stance on the origin of the virus. We firmly oppose stigmatization on China. This stance has not changed. The virus knows no borders and ethnicity. It can only be defeated by the concerted efforts of all mankind. COVID-19 has taken footholds and is rapidly spreading in many parts of the world. We hope that the US will work with China and the larger international community to jointly fight against the pandemic and safeguard the global public health security. AFP: I wanted to ask about the Australian Foreign Minister Payne's comment that writer Yang Jun has been formally indicted in China on espionage charges. Australia has strongly objected to the formal indictment. Can China confirm this? What is China's comment? Geng Shuang: Yang Jun, an Australian national, is suspected of engaging in criminal activities endangering the national security of the People's Republic of China. Relevant Chinese authorities are handling the case in strict accordance with the law. In this process, Yang Jun's legal rights are fully protected. In view of the current epidemic control needs and for the sake of the detainee's safety, the relevant departments will not arrange for visit for the time being until the epidemic situation is stabilized and improved. Relevant departments of the Chinese side have fully communicated with the Australian embassy in China. Finally, we urge the Australian side to respect China's judicial sovereignty and stop interfering in China's law-based handling of cases. Reuters: On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Pompeo said China is still denying the world information it needs to prevent further cases of the coronavirus. What's your response to this? Geng Shuang: In recent press conferences, we have repeatedly responded to the US accusations. At a press conference last week, I also detailed how China has kept the US updated on the epidemic by retracing the timeline. China has always shared information, stayed in communication and cooperated with WHO and countries and regions including the US in an open, transparent and responsible manner, which has been widely praised by the international community. We urge the US to respect facts and the international public opinion, stop politicizing the pandemic and discrediting China, and focus on getting its own house in order and stemming the spread of the pandemic in its country. Houston exploration and production company Occidental Petroleum is enacting across pay cuts after making a second round of budget cuts as crude oil prices remain stuck at record lows. Occidental plans to cut $2.5 billion from the its capital budget and $600 million from its operating budget. After the cuts, the company plans to spend between $2.7 billion and $2.9 billion on drilling and completion projects, a 47 percent reduction from its original budget of $5.2 billion to $5.4 billion. "We are making solid progress with additional cost reductions to help withstand the low commodity price environment and other macroeconomic pressures impacting our industry and the global economy," CEO Vicki Hollub said. Price War: U.S. shale industry braces for pain as budget cuts run deeper In a memo obtained by the Houston Chronicle, Occidental told employees it was cutting their pay by 30 percent and suspending many benefit programs as of April 1. Senior executives will take even larger pay cuts, with CEO Vicki Hollubs pay being reduced more than 80 percent. During this unprecedented time impacting our industry, and the global economy, were taking aggressive actions to ensure the health of the company while protecting jobs, Occidental spokeswoman Melissa Schoeb said. We deeply value our employees and want to keep them working for the health of their families, the communities we serve, and the overall economy." In addition, Occidental has suspended bonuses and hiring, while also offering unpaid leaves of absence to employees who want to make use of these current and unique circumstances to return to school, spend time with children or parents or engage in other personal goals. Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox The company enacted the cuts as Chevron, Shell, Total and numerous others in the industry are cutting billions of dollars in response to decades-low oil prices. A price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia has exacerbated a global supply glut while the coronavirus outbreak has lowered global demand. West Texas Intermediate crude oil is trading around $23 per barrel, a price that has not been seen since February 2002 and is too low for most shale drillers. Oxy is ranked as the third most-active driller in Texas. The company filed for 488 drilling permits for projects in Texas during 2019 with the bulk of that activity in the Permian Basin. Report: One in five oilfield servce jobs could be cut worldwide Last year's decision to buy rival Anadarko Petroleum in a $38 billion deal put Oxy's management at odds with billionaire investor Carl Icahn. After months of discord, Oxy announced Wednesday that the company reached an agreement with Icahn that allows the billionaire to appoint three members to the board of directors. One of the board members Icahn chose was Oxy's former CEO Steve Chazen. We believe Oxy is a good company with good assets," Icahn said in a statement. "We are pleased to have reached this settlement and can now focus on working with Steve Chazen to enhance value for all Oxy stockholders. Read the latest oil and gas news from HoustonChronicle.com Congress is currently poised to pass a $2 trillion economic stimulus package that would give Americans more relief from lost wages during the coronavirus crisis. The package, reached after days of negotiations and partisan posturing, is designed to help businesses that have closed and workers who have been told to stay home in an attempt to stem the spread of COVID-19. It offers a big boost for those who are eligible for unemployment, adding payments of $600 a week for four months over and above state benefits. This will ensure that most employees receive their full pay for a quarter of the year. The expanded unemployment benefits are especially important given that Gov. Phil Muprhy, in an effort to slow down the spread of the fast-moving coronavirus in New Jersey, ordered all non-essential businesses to close and has urged people to practice social distancing. Since scores of businesses across the state have closed, many people are now without work. Unemployment claims are already climbing. For the week that ended on March 14, a total of 9,467 people working in New Jersey applied for unemployment benefits, according to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Thats a 20 percent jump from the same week a year ago. Data from last week will be released Thursday and is expected to show a huge surge in unemployment claims. On just one day last week, at least 15,000 people tried to submit online applications, crashing the system. But who qualifies for unemployment benefits during these troubling times? Heres what you should know. Who qualifies for unemployment? Heres a breakdown from the state Department of Labor: If you cant work because your childs school or daycare closed: You can use your You can use your paid sick leave If you cant work because your employer voluntarily closed: You may be eligible for unemployment compensation. If you cant work because your employer was ordered to close: You can use your sick leave and then You can use your sick leave and then apply for unemployment compensation If you still have a job but are losing hours because of the coronavirus: You may qualify for You may qualify for partial unemployment benefits If you wont work because a health care provider has deemed you high-risk: You can use your sick leave and you may qualify for You can use your sick leave and you may qualify for temporary disability insurance If you have the coronavirus or symptoms and cant work: You would have to tap into your own accrued sick leave. If you burn through all of your sick leave, you may be able to apply for temporary disability insurance. And if you contracted the virus at work, you may be able to apply for workers compensation. If you were exposed to the coronavirus through your work and were told to self-quarantine: You may be able to use your sick leave or apply for workers compensation. If you were exposed to the coronavirus outside of work and were told to self-quarantine: You can use sick leave. If you cant work because you have to care for a relative who has the coronavirus or symptoms: You can use sick leave and then apply for : You can use sick leave and then apply for family leave insurance , which allows you to care for an ill member of your family or someone you consider family. If your job has been directly impacted by #COVID19, HELP IS AVAILABLE. We have some of the nations strongest and best guaranteed paid sick leave and paid family leave laws for situations like this. For more information: https://t.co/Fls5v5MDsd pic.twitter.com/Too0Fh6wg7 Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 18, 2020 What about freelancers or gig workers like Uber drivers? Self-employed Americans can qualify for unemployment insurance for the first time thanks to the stimulus package, according to the Washington Post. In addition, they can be treated as small businesses and therefore seek loans or grants through the Small Business Administration, according to Katie Vlietstra, vice president for government relations and public affairs for the National Association for the Self-Employed. Who is eligible for federal paid leave? A new coronavirus law allows for two weeks of paid sick leave equal to 100 percent of someones salary (up to $511 a day). Its for workers who cant work due to coronavirus. They must already be an employee for more than 30 days. Small and mid-size companies are now required to pay paid leave, although companies with fewer than 50 employees can apply for exemptions. Companies with 500 or more employees are excluded from this legislation. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. NJ Advance Media reporters Samantha Marcus and Karin Price Mueller contributed to this report. Tennyson Donnie Coleman may be reached at tcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @TennysonTV. Find him on Facebook. Have a tip? Let us know at nj.com/tips. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday warned of tough action against those misbehaving with people on the frontline of the fight against coronavirus like doctors and airline crew, and sought the cooperation of citizens with the administration to deal with the crisis. Modi chose a video interaction with residents of Varanasi, the constituency he represents in Parliament, to respond to several queries related to the pandemic and his government's response to it, and asserted that focusing on a few incidents of shortcomings will not help at this hour. If he claimed that all is well, then he would be deceiving himself, the prime minister said, and then added that what is a more important question is that whether the pandemic has to be defeated or not even if it means facing certain difficulties. Even in normal times, people face certain problems, he said. Noting that 'Navaratri' has started from Wednesday, he asked people to take care of nine poor families on each of the nine auspicious days, saying nothing can be of more devotion to goddess Durga. "Karuna" (compassion) is also a step toward defeating the coronavirus, he said to a question about difficulties being faced by the poor and daily-wagers during the lockdown across the country. The Centre and states are taking measures to help them, he said. "The difficulties being faced are only for 21 days. But if the coronavirus crisis is not over and its spread is not stopped, then we cannot imagine the harm it will cause," Modi said. Asked about reports of misbehaviour with medical personnel and airline crew, he said he was pained by this and has asked the home ministry and state DGPs to take tough action against culprits. If anybody targets doctors, nurses and all those rendering their service during this crisis, then it will cost them dearly, Modi said, adding people in white like doctors and nurses are like gods. He also asked people to cooperate with the government and the administration, and not to pressure them, for better results during the lockdown period. "There may be incidents of some shortcoming or negligence. But looking for such cases and focussing and publicising them, discouraging some sector will not benefit at this time. There can be a thousand reasons to spread pessimism. I am not saying they are all wrong but life runs on hope and trust," he said. Doctors, police personnel and many others have been working very hard and should be encouraged, he said. Modi also asked people to shun superstition, rumour and self-medication and emphasised his message of self-distancing if the battle against the deadly virus has to be won. "The war of Mahabharata was won in 18 days and our effort is to win this war against the coronavirus in 21 days," he said, noting that over one lakh of COVID-19 patients have recovered the world over and many dozens have in India as well. This disease does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, among regions and infects even those very conscious about their health, he said, adding that social distancing is the only way out and people should have patience and should follow guidelines. The government has joined hands with WhatsApp to start a help desk, and people can get proper guidelines about the virus by contacting a number (9013151515), the prime minister said. Kashi, another name for Varanasi, can show the way to the country with its patience, coordination, empathy, peace, tolerance, service and solution, he said, noting that the holy place is known for annihilating sins and crisis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 41,000 test positive for COVID-19 in U.S. People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:33, March 24, 2020 WASHINGTON, March 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Monday that 313,000 coronavirus tests have been completed in the United States, and more than 41,000 tests were positive. During a White House press briefing, Pence said all state and hospital labs are now required to report their coronavirus test numbers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will distribute 8 million N95 masks, and that personal protective equipment for medical professionals is being shipped to "hotspots" around the country. According to Trump, 73 pallets of personal protective equipment will be shipped to New York, and 36 pallets will be sent to the Washington state -- two areas hit hard by COVID-19. Trump said he had signed an executive order to prohibit hoarding of medical equipment and supplies used for treating and preventing coronavirus. Pence said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved self-collected samples for COVID-19 testing, adding it would reduce the strain on medical supplies and professionals. He said the FDA has also been asked to pursue "less invasive methods of testing" after both Pence and Trump endured their own tests, which require deep nasal swabs. "I'm pleased to report that self-collected swabs can now be collected in clinics and drive-through testing sites," Pence said, adding that asking doctors to perform the swabs creates a "drain on personal protective equipment." While speaking on NBC Monday morning, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams expressed his concern on the worsening situation this week. "I want America to understand -- this week, it's going to get bad," Adams said, adding that some people have not been properly practicing social distancing. The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has topped 43,667 as of 20:00 Eastern Standard Time Monday (0100 GMT on Tuesday), with 557 deaths, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Perspective Atlanta, Georgia Updated March 26, 2020 A Maryland County diaspora organization based mainly in the United States has donated several pieces of equipment to Tubman Universitys Radio Phoenix 102.7 (The Voice of Tubman University (TU)). The equipment include a high quality 12-channel audio console for the radio station as well as cameras, complete with tripods, software, a high-end laptop, multi adaptors and other smart gadgets for the opening of an online TV station. Several pieces of MFP 20th Anniversary souvenirs flashlights were also included in the package. Mr. Jefferson Elliott who presented the items on behalf of Board Chair of the MFP, Dr. James Elliott, conveyed good tidings from the organization and prayed the items be used for the intended purpose of community and social outreach throughout the county. Receiving the items on behalf of Radio Phoenix, Professor Dr. Elliot Wreh-Wilson, President of the William V. S. Tubman University, thanked the MFP for another milestone presentation worth thousands of United States dollars, while noting other significant donations and projects the organization is involved within Maryland County, including the construction of water wells for safe drinking water in populated urban and rural communities in the County among others. Dr. Wilson also used the occasion to admonish Phoenix FM to use the equipment with care. He noted the MFPs non-political motives and highlighted its sole intention of bringing hope to the people of this historic county of Maryland. Meanwhile, the MFP has expressed satisfaction with the objectivity of Phoenix FM in its programs which are sometimes shared on social media and other online media outlets like SoundCloud. In a letter addressed to university President Professor Dr. Elliot Wreh-Wilson, dated 11th March 2020 and signed by incumbent MFP President Madam Roberta Brown-Cooper, the organization expressed willingness to continue its support to the institution and the county. It must also be noted that it was the MFP which donated the initial equipment for the opening of Radio Phoenix in 2014 and officially commissioned by the LTA in an elaborate ceremony on 14th September 2015, during the universitys 6th Charter Day celebrations under the regime of founding President Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Russell. Donations by the MFP to the William V. S. Tubman University since its inception as a full-fledged university are worth tens of thousands of United States dollars. Radio Phoenix covers three counties, including a good part of Ivory Coast, broadcasting twenty-four hours a day in several other languages including Grebo and French. In a related development, a rest-stop under construction in Pleebo, Maryland Countys commercial hub is nearing completion. This project is being undertaken by the umbrella diaspora Maryland County organization NAMCAL. STAMFORD Stamford teachers and students have had to quickly adapt to online education due to the new coronavirus, and its likely theyll have to get used to it. On Tuesday, Gov. Ned Lamont said schools across the state would likely remain closed until the fall in a radio interview. The day before, he had mentioned April 20 as the earliest schools could re-open, but on Tuesday he referred to that date as the minimum. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Stamford schools to move to online education for teachers and students, mirroring what is happening across the state and country. Superintendent Tamu Lucero is overseeing the district during an unprecedented time, in which teachers and students have had to adapt to a distance-learning approach. So far, shes happy with the returns. I believe we have gotten off to a great start, she said. I dont doubt that we are going to continue to get better. She said feedback from families so far has been positive. And all of them are saying that were getting better, she said. Still, nothing is written in stone, even if the governor is skeptical schools will restart before graduation day. We always like to have things official before we start to make official plans, Lucero said. Max Reiss, spokesperson for Lamont, said the governor sees the coronavirus pandemic lasting longer than originally expected. The goal is to have frank discussions with superintendents and the education community as this situation unfolds, he said. Lamonts comment isnt an official ruling, but hes made clearer in recent days that schools should be prepared for long-term closures, far beyond the initial two-week shutdown he ordered on March 15 and likely past the current April 20 target date. Were saying, look, right now its going to be April 20 but youve got to be ready for the reality that its going to be closed for the foreseeable future, Reiss said. What the governor is saying is that school systems across the state need to be prepared to not return this year. Were hoping for the best, but were planning, if the entire school year has to be called off as a result of this, were prepared to do that if its going to mean increasing safety and flattening the curve, Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona said. In recent guidance on school closures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said data indicate that closures of two to four weeks likely do not affect the spread of COVID-19, but that there may be some impact of much longer closures of eight to 20 weeks. Handwashing and home isolation have more impact, the CDC said, and countries that have closed school havent had more success reducing spread than places that have. While we have data that can contribute to decisions about when to dismiss schools, there is almost no available data on the right time to re-start schools, the CDC said. We would advise to plan for a length of time and then evaluate based on continued community spread. For school districts, what was first seen as a temporary educational fix could become the norm for the foreseeable future. For Lucero, that just means doing much of the same. We work together to try to figure things out and try to work through any issues that might come up, she said, referring to the districts plan if schools remain shuttered until the fall. Ive been very proud of what we have accomplished so far. Andy George, president of the Stamford Board of Education, praised the school districts response to the spread of the virus. From a standpoint of preparedness, I think we jumped on it pretty quickly, and so far, quite successfully, he said. Overall, theres a sense that its working pretty well. Still, there is a concern that if students are out of school for the rest of the spring, the states achievement gap could be widened, said Don Williams, Executive Director of the Connecticut Education Association, the states largest teachers union. Students who need help the most are the least likely to get that during a period like this, he said. Everyone is going to do the best they can, given the distance-learning limitations, but thats an area where, come the fall, come the resumption of a normal school day, well have to address those issues. The real challenge for the rest of the school year will be providing students the information they should learn in a normal semester, with the information that they should learn in the time period, Williams said. And while educators are focused on the immediate issues, long-term ramifications are possible: I think we will find that, come fall, some form of remediation and catch up during the regular school day and regular school year will be necessary, he said. There has been at least one advantage to having schools free of teachers and students in Stamford. Namely, schools dealing with longstanding mold issues, such as Toquam Magnet Elementary School, are being worked on during the distance-learning period. And if the status quo holds until the fall, the school district will have roughly six months to continue the improvements before classroom teaching resumes. ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com FBI Supervisory Special Agent Brad Cadard, who oversees cybercrime investigations in Chicago, told the Tribune that phishing messages may look like theyre from a reputable institution such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. He noted that email chains cost little for scammers to set up and are designed to get readers to click on links that lead to malware, ransomware or other malicious material. Indian Council of Medical Research Director General Balram Bhargava had on Monday recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating healthcare workers handling suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases. IMAGE: Volunteers donate blood at at a camp to support coronavirus patients in Mumbai. Photograph: PTI Photo Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government on Wednesday banned export of anti-malarial drug hydroxycloroquine, with immediate effect to ensure sufficient availability of the medicine in the domestic market. Indian Council of Medical Research Director General Balram Bhargava had on Monday recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating healthcare workers handling suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases and also the asymptomatic household contacts of the lab-confirmed cases. The treatment protocol recommended by the ICMR-constituted National Task Force for COVID-19 has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India for restricted use in emergency situations. In a notification issued on Wednesday, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, an arm of the commerce ministry which deals with export and import-related matters, said, "The export of hydroxycloroquine and formulations made from hydroxycloroquine is prohibited with immediate effect". It, however, said the government will allow export of the medicine on humanitarian grounds on case-to-case basis on the Ministry of External Affairs' recommendation. Export will also be permitted from the special economic zones/export oriented units and in cases where the outbound shipment is made to fulfil export obligation under any advance authorisation license issued on or before the date of this notification, which is March 25, 2020. It added, "Export will be allowed in case of shipments where irrevocable letter of credit has been issued before the date of this notification or in case where full advance payment has been received by the exporter in India against specific shipment, subject to submission of documentary evidence." According to some reports, demand for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, a related compound, have jumped after US President Donald Trump said that these salts were effective in treating COVID-19. People are panic buying this medicine. Over the last few weeks, India has banned exports of host of medical devices including sanitisers, all types of ventilators and surgical masks. PTI RR Manila (CNN Philippines Life) The Filipino science community remains largely underappreciated and underfunded. Within the last five years, the Department of Science and Technology has faced a consistent decrease in their annual budget allocation, posing great difficulty for scientists and researchers in the Philippines. In a brief online statement released on March 11, Senator Panfilo Ping Lacson expressed his frustration about the matter and called for an increase in the presently miniscule budget allocation for research and development in the Philippines. For the same five-year period, the DOSTs average budget is only 20 billion or a meager 0.56% against the trillions of pesos that we pass every year as our national budget, he wrote. While the limited financial support poses great challenge for the community, Filipino scientists and researchers continue to attain breakthroughs and all for the service of the general public. Their latest achievement is a test kit to detect cases of novel coronavirus, an essential tool today as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country continues to rise at a rapid rate. The detection kit is expected to aid Filipino frontliners in confirming positive cases of the virus. Dr. Raul V. Destura, the deputy executive director of the Philippine Genome Center, spearheaded the development of the SARS CoV-2 detection kit. Photo by JILSON TIU The GenAmplify COVID-19 rRT-PCR Detection Kit was developed by a team of scientists from the Philippine Genome Center and the University of the Philippines Manilas National Institutes of Health the same team that developed the Lab-in-a-Mug test kits for dengue. Leading the core team of 15 members was the conductor of the symphony: Dr. Raul V. Destura, a microbiologist and infectious disease specialist who currently serves as the deputy executive director of the Philippine Genome Center. His research is geared towards developing low-cost technologies for the control of infectious diseases in the Philippines and the generation of new knowledge to find sustainable and equitable solutions to disease of poverty." Destura believes that it is his and his colleagues responsibility to assist the efforts of the government in providing technology to help our nation, as well as develop technologies to aid in the labor of our frontliners in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 outbreak. Hindi siya madali, pero pinilit nating kayanin dahil gusto nating ipakita din na kaya nating gawin dito sa ating bayan, na i-address ang pangangailangan ng bansa natin, he says. Destura adds that the intention is to remind fellow Filipino scientists to dream bigger. The Thermal Cycler is used in conducting the test of COVID-19 and is available in most hospitals in Manila, but the expensive equipment will most likely not be available in provincial hospitals. Photo by JILSON TIU The team started developing the test kit in January, immediately after scientists from China released the whole genome sequence of the virus and disseminated the information to scientists from other countries. Destura explained that all research organizations from across the globe who had the information started on the same foot and were provided with the same timeline to address the needs of their respective countries. Very important na sa simula pa lang ng mga ganitong situation, involved na ang scientific community, he notes. Destura was hands-on with the test kit development. When asked about the specifics of his tasks, he shared that he was the one to validate, challenge, and resolve the teams findings. Im the one that gives them solutions when theyre hitting a wall. Assisting him through the process was his co-developer, Joy Ann Santos, university researcher at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, National Institutes of Health, whom he said had to stay in the laboratory longer than he did. The SARS CoV-2 detection kit is currently being manufactured and stockpiled by Manila HealthTek, Inc., and will be used for field testing coupled with gene sequencing at the PGC. Using the local GenAmplify will only cost around 1,320 per test, an affordable alternative to the high-cost foreign-made kit. Around 200 GenAmplify can be produced within a week. Photo by JILSON TIU In managing a team of scientists, he noted two things: one needed an idea and an experimental design. He also emphasized on the need for collaboration inside the laboratory. The process of developing this new technology was very tedious as it does not solely end on one positive result. Rather, the team is required to repeat every step to recreate the tool 40 to 60 times more in order to ensure effectiveness. The budgetary restrictions did not go unnoticed. Lagi namang problema yan sa Pilipinas, said Destura. However, the scientist prefers to keep it optimistic when looking at the situation. Ang maganda, na-train tayo to do the best with what we have. So financial management of resources is very important in managing research labs. Talagang kailangan mo lang talagang ibigay ang lahat despite our restrictions and limitations. The development of the COVID-19 rRT-PCR Detection Kit is also a promise of better accessibility to the public, as it will be made available at lesser cost compared to its existing foreign-developed counterparts. GenAmplify will likely cost around 1,320 per test, whereas foreign-made kits are at 8,500 per test. So we are one with the government in providing this technology, para sana maging accessible sa lahat, Dr. Destura said. A scientist at the Philippine Genome Center demonstrates how the laboratory works at the center. There still remains the need, however, to remind everyone that the developed technology is not a cure to the novel coronavirus, but rather a tool for detecting positive cases. He shared the likelihood of a vaccine for COVID-19 being developed by the European team, and expressed his hope for the Philippines to one day have its own vaccine development capacity. His takeaway from the experience as the lead scientist in the project is quite simple: We [scientists] are also a citizen of this country. We are also bound to respond to the countrys needs. Its our duty, actually. We are scientists, then we should be scientists. Were not politicians. Were not artists. Max Siegel plays with a rescue dog outside of the Doggie Style Pets store in Narberth, Pa., while his mother Jennifer and brother Alex watch on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. Doggie Style is a chain of pet stores that also works with an animal rescue organization to get dogs fostered and/or adopted. The Siegels stop by Doggie Style two or three times a week to walk whichever rescue dogs are there at the time. Read more Since last summer, the favorite happy place of the Siegel family Jennifer and Barry, and their boys, Alex and Max has been Doggie Style Pets in Narberth. Doggie Style, a chain with 10 locations around the Philadelphia area and one in San Diego, Calif., offers pets for adoption at its shops, where the animals are sheltered in cozy adoption rooms and cared for by staff until Doggie Style finds them permanent homes. At many of the stores, the dogs lounge in the front window, easily seen by passersby. The chains staff relies heavily on volunteers to exercise the animals, and each store has a devoted core of dog lovers including the Siegels who do just that. The coronavirus has put a temporary pause on Doggie Styles volunteer dog walking, and its adoptable animals are being fostered by volunteers and at a rescue shelter for now. Doggie Style co-owner Howard Nelson said he hopes to start placing dogs for adoption at his stores again next week. Dog walking (at a safe distance apart from other dog walkers) cant return soon enough for the Siegels its become a passion project for the whole family. Heres how their devotion played out and how they expect it to again, once things return to normal: At least three times during the week, usually after dinner, two or more Siegels would make the short ride from their home in Penn Valley to Doggie Styles Narberth shop on Montgomery Avenue, leash up the dogs, and take them for brisk laps around the block. On Saturdays, though, Barry and Max, 11, would go into warp speed. After walking the Narberth animals, theyd head to Doggie Styles other shops to do the same. They were regulars at the chains locations in Fishtown, Northern Liberties, and South Philly, but have logged time at all 10 local shops. Some days, they wouldnt get home until dinner time. It takes up the whole day, but its worth it, laughed Barry, 56, who works in finance. Jenn and I try to instill a sense of service and volunteerism in the kids, and the staff at Doggie Style have made it easy. This has been one of the best things weve ever done as a family. Added Jennifer, 49, a consultant, This has bonded us in an incredible way. Their words are music to the ears of Doggie Styles Nelson. A rabid animal advocate, he started working at the company in 2007, finalized its in-house animal adoption program (for dogs and cats) in 2008, and then bought the business in 2014 with partner Kenneth Karlan. (The company is currently involved in litigation with a former client, whom the company has sued for defamation following the death of the clients dog, who had undergone grooming at the Narberth shop.) They have since founded the nonprofit Saved Me Inc., an animal rescue shelter, and the Pet Mechanic, a two-site veterinary practice that provides medical care, gratis, to Saved Mes animals to get them adoption-ready. As of February, Doggie Style had overseen the adoption of 10,375 animals, a staggering number that would not be possible, said Nelson, without the passion of its animal-loving employees and volunteers like the Siegels. We could never do this alone, he said. The seeds of the Siegel familys obsession were planted last summer when Alex, 13, a seventh grader at Welsh Valley Middle School, was preparing for his bar mitzvah. Part of the process involved taking on a themed service project, and he chose animal advocacy. In the course of learning about abandoned and rescued dogs and volunteering at fund-raising events for the cause, he started walking the pups at Doggie Style, accompanied by his family. The volunteering continued long after Alexs bar mitzvah in October. They even fostered one of the dogs over the winter holidays, when volunteers are scarce. They loved everything about the experience: The kind, animal-loving staffers who patiently indulged endless questions from their sons (especially Max) regarding all things canine. The customers, some of whom adopted the dogs the Siegels had come to love and then stayed in touch so the family could keep the connection. The chance to care, as a family, for vulnerable beings so clearly in need. The experience has especially impacted Max, a fifth grader at Belmont Hills Elementary School, who now follows every animal advocacy group he can find on social media, according to his dad. He envisions a future career in the field. I know all the breeds now, he said proudly on a recent Saturday weekend, before the quarantine went into effect, as he, Alex, and their parents leashed up one of the Narberth dogs for a morning walk. But the biggest convert to the animal cause may well be Jennifer. For years, her sons had hankered for a dog, but her family is busy. She and Barry work full time, their home life is filled with after-school activities and homework, and their weekends are crammed. Adding a dog into the mix didnt make sense to her and Barry neither of whom grew up with animals. They hoped that volunteering at Doggie Style would sate their boys desire for puppy love. But then the Siegels walked Jax, a chocolate-brown Labrador puppy, and Jennifer felt a lock on her heart like shed never felt with any other animal. Her family adopted Jax soon after. I cant describe this feeling, said Jennifer, whose sons are over the moon with joy to have a dog of their own. I guess you have to find the right dog. Because Jax was just meant for us. IVF babies are knit together by God but Christians should be hesitant, says theologian Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Babies conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) are knit together by God in the womb like babies conceived in the traditional manner, according to notable Bible teacher John Piper. In an episode of Ask Pastor John posted to DesiringGod.org on Monday, Piper was asked by a listener named Carly about how to explain the Christian perspective on babies conceived by IVF. The question of being knit together derives from Psalm 139:13, which reads, For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb. How can a Christian explain to non-Christians that every child is a gift from God when some children are conceived medically through IVF and other fertility treatments? Im at a loss and I really want to be able to answer this question, inquired Carly. I believe all children are from God. But how do I answer this question? I recently saw a story about a lesbian couple who conceived a child through IVF. The child was fertilized by donor sperm and implanted in one woman and then harvested and implanted in the other woman to carry to term. Its so unnatural, but I know that child is meant to be here. Piper began by saying Christians "should be very careful, thoughtful, and hesitant to walk very far outside the natural processes God has put in place for making babies." "There is an entire global industry of baby-making which is shot through with unanswered ethical and medical questions," he said. Pointing out the problem of thousands of frozen embryos being abandoned, Piper said he is not opposed to adopting such embryos. There are people at our church that have done that: adopted an embryo, put it in Mom, and raised the baby. I dont think we should make decisions that contribute to that problem," he stressed. "Weve got ourselves with these thousands of frozen little babies because of all kinds of technological things that we didnt foresee would create all these issues." Piper then argued that creating human babies is decisively Gods work, not mans and cited multiple Bible verses, among them Job 10:11-12, Psalm 71:6, and Ecclesiastes 11:5. No baby decides if he or she is human. No parent decides if their baby is human. No sperm donor, egg donor, or womb donor decides if the baby is human, said Piper. I conclude from these passages and others that humans dont bring humans into being; God does. Humans contribute genetic material, but God makes the union of egg and sperm the living, eternal human soul. In arguing that IVF babies are knit together by God, Piper pointed out that God often uses foolishness and even evil to bring beauty into being. If God really creates a human soul that once did not exist, and now exists forever as a person, then doing this Godlike thing through natural or unnatural, good or bad, sinful or un-sinful ways of uniting egg and sperm is a piece of cake," he added. "Its relatively easy. I mean, creating a human being is the great glory and mystery. The how is relatively unimportant when it comes to whether God can do it or not. If God can orchestrate Herod, Pilate, brutal Roman soldiers, and unbelieving Jews to bring about the greatest life-giving event that ever was the death and resurrection of Jesus then making a human baby with sinful humans is not a problem, he concluded. IVF is a controversial topic in certain Christian circles, with many questioning the ethics of the practice. For its part, the Roman Catholic Church outright opposes the practice. Techniques involving only the married couple (homologous artificial insemination and fertilization) are perhaps less reprehensible, yet remain morally unacceptable, reads the Churchs Catechism in part. They dissociate the sexual act from the procreative act. The act which brings the child into existence is no longer an act by which two persons give themselves to one another, but one that entrusts the life and identity of the embryo into the power of doctors and biologists and establishes the domination of technology over the origin and destiny of the human person. The Ask Pastor John episode comes a month after Swedish researchers found that babies born through the use of IVF had a 45 percent higher mortality rate during their first 12 months of life. The proportions of children who were born preterm or with a low birth weight for gestational age were higher in assisted reproductive techniques-conceived than in natural conceived children," stated Kenny Rodriguez-Wallberg of the Department of Oncology and Pathology at Karolinska Institute. The main drivers for the first year mortality risk among children conceived with assisted reproductive techniques included respiratory distress, incomplete lung development, infections and neonatal hemorrhage, which are conditions often linked to prematurity. 'Since it was the last day of flights, the feeling was weird. There were hardly any aircraft on the ground or in the air.' "We didn't have to hold, we just taxied, came to the runway and took off. It felt like what it used to be flying 20 years back," a pilot tells Archana Masih/Rediff.com. I flew with 170 passengers yesterday, but the return flight was quite light. The Delhi-Mumbai sector has been seeing been 60-70 passengers, it seems as if people are running back to their bases. It is our duty to fly. There is no way you can refuse. You have to behave like a soldier. At the same time, we are anxious because we have old parents and children at home. I've had first officers tell me they have not held their 3-month-old babies for a week because they don't want to pass on the infection, if they have it. They go, take a bath and sleep in the hall. It is difficult, but life has to go on, somebody has to do the job, right? It is like our doctors and healthcare workers, housekeeping staff -- some jobs have to be done, so you take precautions and carry on. We also have to protect ourselves because we are also coming back to our families. I wash my hands, use sanitisers, leave my bag in a corner of the house when I get home and see that nobody touches it. I go straight have a shower, wash the clothes -- that's all that you can do. Today when I was walking into my building, someone from another building called from behind "pilot, pilot". I guess it is in reference to news and video clippings of airline staff being harassed by neighbours etc. My housing society group has been very supportive of doctors, pilots, airline crew. I think this harassment of airline, crew and doctors is a fallout of social media -- people who are sitting quietly also get provoked by it. First it was with airline staff and now people are doing this with doctors -- imagine? This is shameful. We have been trying to keep minimal contact with passengers, and other staff have been taking measures to keep the aircraft clean. The government may be giving directions to keep distance at check in and security counters, but the public doesn't understand the seriousness of it. Everybody is wearing a mask, but each one is climbing on the other one to board. Yesterday when I returned, the arrival hall was like a fish market. I am not blaming passengers since it was was the last day and panic-stricken people were trying to get back home. You could feel the fear in the atmosphere. People are trying to get away from the city and return to native places like Patna, Ranchi, Raipur and Coimbatore. Since it was the last day of flights, the feeling was weird. There were hardly any aircraft on the ground or in the air. We didn't have to hold, we just taxied, came to the runway and took off. It felt like what it used to be flying 20 years back. It was eerily quiet. At other times you would feel happy when there is no traffic, but not this time, it was sad feeling. Our job as pilots is better than cabin crew and check-in staff. At least we can distance ourselves, but these young staff have no choice. They face the crowd. It's a tough job for them and they have done it well. Many passengers could not even reach the airport because of the transport problem. Some flights were delayed because pilots could not reach in time because of non availability of taxis. We have a revision in our roster. We have been told to stay at home and be safe. Coronavirus: 410 arrested in Turkey for 'provocative posts' Messages on social media criticized government on emergency (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, MARCH 25 - Turkish police arrested ''as of today'' 410 people accused of sharing ''challenging'' messages and fake information on social media on the spread of coronavirus, Turkish Interior Ministry Suleyman Soylu said Wednesday. Mass arrests and citations began last week after several posts criticized authorities over their management of the coronavirus emergency. In the posts, authorities were accused of initially hiding the truth on the spread of CODIV-19 to the population. A reported 1,872 cases have been confirmed in Turkey with 44 deaths reported so far.(ANSAmed). Amiya Meethal By Express News Service KOZHIKODE: As all the resorts, homestays and lodges in the district have been shut down and flight services cancelled, as many as 69 foreigners are stuck in Wayanad. They include 27 women. The majority of them are from the US, the UK and Germany. A good number of them came for ayurveda treatment and Vedic studies and another sizeable number was at an ashram at Thondernad. They also include circus artistes from Ethiopia who came with a circus group to perform as part of Valliyoorkavu temple festival in Mananthavady. Among the foreigners, there are those who came in February and completed the two-week quarantine as part of the advisory from the Health Department. At present, the foreigners are staying put at the same properties. They were given food and other essential items by the resort staff. As this is a totally unexpected situation, the foreigners might have a shortage of money. We have asked them to alert us in case of any need, said Wayanad District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) secretary B Anand. Their complete plans derailed A staffer of Yoga Village, where 27 foreigners, were staying told TNIE that many of them were disappointed as their schedule had gone haywire.They came for a rejuvenation yoga therapy and to learn the Vedas. But the prolonged stay has derailed all the plans, said the staff. Many of them are hooked to video call and they are in constant touch with their kith and kin in their home country. National Health Mission (NHM) district programme manager Dr B Abhilash said that all the facilities, including counselling, have been arranged for foreigners as well. We have a team of 18 counsellors and three psychiatrists to take care of people in home isolation. Many of the foreigners are availing counselling over the phone, he told TNIE. Essential items to be distributed free-of-cost to transgender people TPuram: The state government will distribute kits containing essential items, including foodgrain, free-of-cost to 1,000 transgender people across the state. According to Social Justice Minister KK Shailaja, the decision has been taken on account of various difficulties transgender people face in the wake of restrictions imposed to curb Covid-19. KCBC offers its hospitals for Covid-19 treatment Kochi: Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, president of Kerala Catholic Bishops Council, has offered all hospitals under its management for the treatment of Covid-19 patients in the state should there be a need. Cardinal Mar Alencherry made the offer to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. In a statement, the chief minister said the cardinal has promised all support to the state government in its efforts to tackle the pandemic. If there is a need, all doctors, nurses and other workers in the hospitals under the Church management will also be offered to the government, the cardinal informed the chief minister. The government is thankful to the Church for offering the support in these troubled times, the chief minister said. New York, March 24, 2020 -- Authorities in Niger should immediately release journalist Kaka Touda Mamane Goni and halt legal proceedings against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On March 5, police arrested Kaka Touda, an independent journalist who publishes news reports on his Facebook and Twitter pages, at his home in Niamey, Nigers capital, according to the journalists lawyer, Boudal Effred Mouloul, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app, and news reports. His arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by the local General Reference Hospital, which alleged that Kaka Toudas posts on social media on March 4 about a suspected COVID-19 case at the hospital posed a threat to public order, according to Boudal and Chaibou Samna, the public prosecutor in charge of the case, who spoke to CPJ over the phone. On March 9, Kaka Touda was presented before a public prosecutor, who said that the state would pursue a case against the journalist for "dissemination of data likely to disturb public order" under Nigers 2019 cybercrime law, Boudal told CPJ. He said Kaka Toudas next court date has been postponed twice, most recently on March 23 due to court delays related to the virus, and is now scheduled for March 26. If found guilty, Kaka Touda could face up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of five million West African francs ($8,169), according to the cybercrime law. Kaka Touda is being held at Niameys Civil Prison, Boudal said. The journalist is suffering from an upset stomach, dizziness, and a worsening injury to his left foot, according to an individual recently in contact with him who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. Kaka Touda Mamane Goni and all other journalists in Niger should be free to cover the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak without fearing that they will be thrown in jail. Niger authorities should release Kaka Touda immediately, ensure he is given proper medical care, and drop their case against him, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator. Authorities should not confuse censorship and the detention of a journalist with prudent public safety measures as part of their coronavirus response. Kaka Touda has over 3,800 followers on Facebook and over 6,300 followers on Twitter, where he frequently covers national defense and alleged corruption. After Kaka Touda published his post about the suspected COVID-19 case on March 4, the General Reference Hospital issued a statement, which the journalist posted on Twitter, denying that it had any such case. Nigerien authorities publically confirmed the countrys first coronavirus case on March 19, according to news reports. Samna told CPJ that Kaka Touda was arrested because, after he posted his report that there was a suspected COVID-19 case at the hospital, all the people ran away, and they refused to go to the hospital. Samna said that he was simply applying the law in the case, and added that he was traveling and had not yet reviewed the formal complaint. CPJ called the General Reference Hospital at its publicly listed number, but the call did not go through. The Electoral Commission (EC) has suspended the compilation of the new voters register over the coronavirus outbreak. The exercise was scheduled to commence on April 18, through to the end of May. However, after a meeting with political parties Wednesday, Serebour Quiacoe, the Director of Electoral Services at the Commission said, because of the pandemic, we cant do it on April 18. Addressing journalists after the meeting with the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) he said the EC is looking to conduct the registration from the end of April but only subject to advise from health authorities. We are with the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and other experts; they are also monitoring the situation advising us. When it gets to a time when they think the situation is fertile to go ahead with the registration then they tell us he said. Regarding the possibility of using the existing register, he said that will not happen. Dr. Quiacoe said in all the discussions they have had, there is no way they are using the existing register for Decembers general elections. We are going ahead with the new one, he said. He reiterated that the EC has already employed District Supervisors and other personnel who will help in the compilation exercise. The biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), however, has been leading a front of opposition parties who are against the compilation. The coalition says there is no need for a new register and all the EC needs to do is to update the current one. The EC, however, insists the Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) and the entire Voter Management Solution must be changed as they are at the end of life. Article 45 1992 Constitution gives the power of compiling voters register to the EC solely. The Electoral Commission shall have the following functions (a) to compile the register of voters and revise it at such periods as may be determined by law. The NDC has, however, sued the EC over the new register, arguing that that Article 45 of the Constitution only gives the EC the power to compile the register once and revise it thereof. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Philadelphia Eagles gave up two potentially valuable draft picks in their deal for Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay, and that was before they signed him to a contract extension worth $50 million over three years. It was a steep price to pay to fill a need on the defensive side of the ball, and its a risk, given Slay is a 29-year-old at a position where decline can come quickly. But the Eagles got a potentially top-flight cornerback. And based on the contract numbers, it could be a good deal for the Eagles. Here are the numbers via Over The Cap: There are a couple numbers that stand out right away. The first is that Slays cap number for 2020 is only $4.3 million. That gives the Eagles some flexibility this year. Given the team has overall been quiet in free agency and plenty of notable free agents are already off the board its unclear what that space could go to. But its there in case the Eagles want to make a splash. The other numbers that pop out on the Over The Cap table are the cap savings in 2022 and 2023. If the Eagles cut Slay after only two seasons, theyll save $13.25 million. If Slay lasts three seasons, the Eagles would save $17.5 million and owe him only the $3.25 million from his prorated signing bonus. Thats significant for a player scheduled to carry cap hits of $19.75 million and $20.75 million in those two seasons. Slays contract has a shade more than $26 million guaranteed, and the Eagles can get out of it after two years. Thats a pretty good deal for the Birds. Daniel Gallen covers the Philadelphia Eagles for PennLive. He can be reached at dgallen@pennlive.com. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Follow PennLives Philadelphia Eagles coverage on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. As the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic ripples across Canada, another wave may crest within the week as rent comes due for residential tenants. April 1 is a pressing deadline for tenants and landlords alike as the novel coronavirus keeps people at home and closes businesses, leaving tens of thousands of Canadians out of work. It reminds me of a Mission: Impossible movie, where tick, tick, tick, the time is ticking down and someone has to try to save the day before everything explodes, said William Blake, a landlord who spoke Tuesday on behalf of the Ontario Landlords Association. This is how a lot of tenants and landlords feel about this April 1 rent deadline coming up. Advocacy groups for both landlords and tenants are calling on the federal and provincial governments to offer some kind of relief before April 1. Geordie Dent, the executive director of Torontos Federation of Metro Tenants Associations, spoke on behalf of a group of six tenant associations from across Canada that issued a joint statement on Wednesday asking for governments to ban evictions due to lack of payment and to offer financial assistance to renters. Tenants have basically had the legs cut out from under them, said Dent, noting employment insurance applications are even higher than during the 2008 financial crisis. British Columbias Premier John Horgan said Wednesday the province would suspend evictions and offering a $500 monthly rebate to help renters and landlords during the pandemic. B.C. joined Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and the Northwest Territories in banning any evictions resulting from non-payment of rent. But other provinces and territories have moved to teleconference hearings, with Saskatchewans Office of Residential Tenancies noting on its website that rents are still due. Grassroots movements have sprung up in several cities in the past two weeks, calling on tenants to withhold their rent payments either out of necessity or in solidarity with those who cant make ends meet. We definitely agree that the government should be making a rent freeze and finding ways to support low-income people. But for now, were focusing on just organizing amongst ourselves because we cant really wait, said Paterson Hodgson, a spokesperson for a Toronto-based neighbourhood group calling on tenants to go on rent strike. Dent recommends that any tenant worried about making their rent on April 1 should first check to see what steps their province or territory has taken in regards to tribunals. You dont want to see people prioritizing their landlords mortgage payments over their ability to feed themselves and their families, said Dent. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that federal officials are looking at ways to get money to community housing providers and the nations renters. Another government source, who was not authorized to detail behind-the-scenes talks, said there is an ongoing push with at least six provinces to sign up for a new rent supplement to avoid evictions for hundreds of thousands of renters. Blake, who owns small rental properties in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, said he sympathizes with his tenants and doesnt want to have to evict any. But he said banning evictions or going about business as usual are just delaying an inevitable wave of evictions as landlords will eventually need the money to pay taxes, mortgages and maintenance fees. What were pushing for, and we were hoping the tenant groups across Canada would be pushing for, is for the government to give tenants ... something like student loans, where youre in trouble, you need a loan, you can get it to pay your rent, said Blake, who pointed to the City of Torontos rent banks as a model example. Landlords dont want government handouts. We only want the legal system that we use to continue to be efficient and run and operate, which means that the tenants pay rent, he said. With files from Jordan Press in Ottawa This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2020. Zurich Insurance Group is expanding the roll-out of a new marine insurance platform for small and medium cargo, following its successful introduction in selected markets around the world. The Zurich Swift Insurance Platform provides intuitive, web-based access to insurance that users can tailor to their needs, said the company. The Zurich Swift Insurance Platform uses automation technologies to allow marine insurance brokers and intermediaries to manage the full policy lifecycle for single shipment and annual cargo insurance policies. This includes receiving quotes, checking existing trade & economic sanctions, binding and renewing policies, making mid-term adjustments and issuing certificates. The platform was launched in selected markets in 2019, including Spain, Germany, Singapore and Mexico. As a result of the very positive feedback, Zurich plans to make it available in additional countries and regions, including North America, the Nordics and further countries in Latin America later this year. Marine insurance requirements have changed with the expansion of international trade. While globalization gives a growing number of companies the opportunity to ship goods worldwide, it creates more complex supply chains and risk exposures that can impact the ability to deliver goods safely, Zurich explained. The Zurich Swift Insurance Platform provides comprehensive and tailored marine insurance for small and medium cargo in a very timely manner, and is a perfect example of our commitment to simple and efficient solutions, said Howard Kingston, Zurichs global head of Marine. Source: Zurich Insurance Group The Prince William Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. Louisianas governor has asked the White House to declare a major disaster in his state to free up more direct federal aid to cope with the surging coronavirus outbreak, warning that the New Orleans area could run out of hospital beds by early April. Gov. John Bel Edwards request to President Donald Trump comes as the number of people in Louisiana confirmed to have the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus surged to nearly 1,200, only two weeks after the states first positive test. At least 34 Louisiana residents have died from the disease, according to the state health department. Edwards issued a statewide stay at home order for most of Louisianas 4.6 million residents that began Monday evening. The response to the spread of COVID-19 has overwhelmed the capabilities of state and local resources, the Democratic governor said in his letter to the Trump administration, released Tuesday. I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of state and local governments. Trump has granted federal disaster declarations for California, Washington and New York, according to the Louisiana governors office. Edwards said Louisiana has the third-highest rate of confirmed virus cases per capita behind only New York and Washington. Louisianas governor said with the current rate of increasing virus-related hospitalizations, the New Orleans region which is the epicenter of the states outbreak is estimated to run out of hospital capacity to treat patients on April 4. To supplement the diminishing hospital space, the state is contracting with hotels to provide additional hospital beds when needed and converted three state parks into isolation sites that can receive quarantined patients who cant go home, Edwards said. Louisiana also has purchased trailers to house virus patients. Edwards also has asked the Trump administration to set up a military field hospital in the state. The governor requested federal reimbursement for state and local agencies emergency response work and other types of disaster assistance, as FEMA typically provides after a damaging flood or hurricane. He also asked for full federal payments for activities deemed a homeland security defense. He said state and local government in Louisiana already have spent $66 million on virus response efforts. This coronavirus causes only minor flu-like symptoms in most people, who recover in a matter of weeks. But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness or death in higher numbers among the elderly and people with underlying health problems. Edwards has ordered nonessential businesses to close and restaurants limited to takeout and delivery, banned gatherings over 10 people and called on residents to voluntarily stay at home unless they need to carry out essential tasks such as getting food or medicine. First responders and workers in grocery stores, pharmacies, doctors offices and other critical operations are exempt from the directive, which remains in effect until at least April 12. The virus is here, and everybody needs to act as if they already have it., Edwards urged his states residents in a primetime TV broadcast Monday night. As more businesses are forced to shutter because of the coronavirus, unemployment claims have skyrocketed. The states labor secretary Ava Dejoie said 71,000 people filed new unemployment applications last week, compared to the usual 1,400 or 1,500 people per week. Amid the disruption caused by the epidemic, Louisianas state revenue department on Monday announced the deadline for filing state income taxes has been pushed back to July 15. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Louisiana People close to the erstwhile royal family underline that Jyotiraditya Scindia is neither as accessible nor as unpretentious as his father. Sandeep Kumar reports. Photograph: PTI Photo IMAGE: Jyotiraditya Scindia felicitated by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was sworn in as Madhya Pradesh chief minister on March 23, at the BJP office in Bhopal, March 22, 2020. In June 2018, the people of Guna saw with interest a new face at Congress meetings: Mahanaryaman Scindia, son of Jyotiraditya Scindia who was then the Congress campaign committee in charge. Whether it was Guna, Gwalior or Shivpuri districts, Mahanaryaman assisted his father by travelling to places the latter was not able to visit. On Tuesday, March 10, when Scindia Sr parted ways with the Congress, his son tweeted: 'I am proud of my father for taking a stand for himself. It takes courage to resign from a legacy.' History repeats itself It was in 1967 that Jyotiraditya's grandmother, Vijaya Raje Scindia, parted ways with the Congress and toppled the then Dwarka Prasad Mishra-led Congress government. Rajmata, as Vijaya Raje was known, had lured away 36 MLAs from the Congress after tensions with Mishra came to a head. Now, after 53 years, Jyotiraditya has done the same. But will the Bharatiya Janata Party greet his entry with the same kind of warmth it extended to Vijaya Raje five decades ago? Highly unlikely. The lines from a famous Hindi poem on Laxmibai, the queen of Jhansi, suggesting the Scindias were a 'friend' of the British -- Angrezon ke mitra Scindia ne chhodi rajdhani thi (Friends of the British, the Scindias had abandoned the capital) -- is part of a legacy that still haunts the family. The poem was written by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan (1904-1948), herself a freedom fighter, and was a rallying cry for youths to join the freedom movement. In August 2017, in a direct attack on Jyotiraditya, the BJP's Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was then the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, read out the poem publicly. Presumably Yashodhara and Vasundhara, the two daughters of the Rajmata, escape castigation because they are married into other households/royal families! In 2010, the BJP-ruled Gwalior municipal corporation wrote on its official Web site that the Scindia family had conspired against Laxmibai and provided her a weak horse. It was the time when Yashodhara Raje was the member of Parliament from Gwalior. But Shivpuri-based historian Pramod Bhargav rejects the claim and says that the Scindias never had any ties with Laxmibai or with other leading lights of the revolt of 1857. However, the Scindias's proximity to the British has haunted the family for decades. In August 2006, Jyotiraditya's aunt and then Rajasthan chief minister, Vasundhara Raje, had faced angry protests in Indore when she was invited to unveil the bust of Laxmbai. Vasundhara, however, dismissed the charge and claimed that 'as a woman' she had the highest regard for Laxmibai and considered her a role model. The Scindias's proximity to the British had earned them many rewards. In the Imperial Durbar in Delhi in 1877, Jayajirao Scindia, the maharaja of Gwalior from 1843 to 1886, received the rank of a general and a 21-gun salute. Journalist Rakesh Dixit says, "Mocking Jyotiraditya Scindia for what his ancestors did is not correct. Most of the royal families of that period chose to be with the British. Their aim was to protect their interests first. We have to see the whole picture." Gandhi's assassination and Gwalior Although Vijaya Raje started her political career with the Congress, her husband Jivajirao Scindia was a patron of the Hindu Mahasabha in Gwalior. Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Badal Saroj, who comes from Gwalior, says, "The gun used in Gandhi's assassination was brought from Gwalior. It is shocking that how Nathuram Godse acquired the gun and where it came from was never thoroughly investigated." "Although no direct link between Jivajirao and Godse was found, it is true that people close to the mahal (palace) provided the gun. All the accused, including gun-seller Jagdish Goyal and the man who purchased it, Dr D S Purchure, were close to the royal family," alleges Saroj. On March 11, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted: 'Also the revolver by which Godse killed Mahatma Gandhi was given to him by one Parchure from Gwalior. Need to do some more research about who was Parchure.' At one time, the Congress had a very weak presence in the region. Jawaharlal Nehru, then the prime minister, convinced Vijaya Raje to join the party and contest from Guna. She did and in the 1957 Lok Sabha election, defeated the Hindu Mahasabha candidate from the constituency. Senior journalist Vijay Dutt Shridhar writes in his book Sheh Aur Maat -- Madhya Pradesh ki Rajneeti ki Kahani (Check and Mate -- The Story of the Politics of Madhya Pradesh): 'In 1967, when Rajmata went to discuss elections and ticket distribution, then CM D P Mishra forced her to wait for 15-20 minutes. This didn't go down well with Scindia.' 'She took it as an insult and left the Congress with 36 legislators. Madhya Pradesh got its first government without the Congress when Govind Narayan Singh became chief minister. This government lasted for 20 months.' The presence of the mahal was so strong that even during the Indira Gandhi wave in 1971, Vijaya Raje managed to win three Lok Sabha seats in the Gwalior region for the Jana Sangh which she had by then joined. Her son, Jyotiraditya's father Madhavrao, once recalled: 'I was just 26. Amma maharaj told me to contest from Guna and I followed her instructions.' Family feud and the role of Angre Saroj, who contested against Madhavrao in the 1989 election, says: "Till the 1971 elections, Madhavrao was with Vijaya Raje. Later, disputes of property and Vijaya Raje's closeness to Sardar Sambhajirao Angre made him drift away. He used to say: 'These (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) people conspired with Angre and that is the main reason for differences with Amma maharaj'." Who was Angre? Vijaya Raje's private secretary and confidant of four decades. The Angre family served the Scindias for eight generations as commanders-in-chief. In her autobiography, The last Maharani of Gwalior, Vijaya Raje wrote, 'Sambhajirao came to my husband to offer his services in the spirit of the historical ties between our families. He became my husband's most trusted confidant. I too soon began to call him by his nickname 'Bal' while the children by instinct began calling him uncle.' She further admits: 'Madhavrao believed that it was Angre's influence over me which gave my political beliefs their rigidity.' But she had only praise for Angre, saying since her husband's death, he had become indispensable. She also admitted to a close affinity between their political beliefs and their common concerns for the Hindu faith. A source close to the Scindia family says, "There was such bad blood that when Jyotiraditya got married, his grandmother was not even invited." The family bitterness later transformed into legal battles, which ran into crores of rupees and continued even after the deaths of both Vijaya Raje and Madhavrao Scindia. Vijaya Raje had five children. The eldest daughter, Padmavati Raje, married Kirit Deb Burman of the Tripura royal family. The second daughter, Usha Raje, married Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana from the royal family of Nepal. And Vasundhara Raje and Yashodhara Raje are both BJP leaders. Shridhar writes in Sheh Aur Maat: 'Once an angry Vijaya Raje recalled how Queen Ahilyabai Holkar had ordered the killing of her only son by getting him trampled under the feet of an elephant for his activities. To this, Madhavrao had replied, "She is my mother and has every right to say so".' People close to the erstwhile royal family underline that the Harvard and Stanford-educated Jyotiraditya Scindia is neither as accessible nor as unpretentious as his father. After his switch to the other side, will Gwalior still echo with the rallying cry that sustains monarchies all over the world, 'Long live the King'? Ghana has turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial support to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic. The IMF in a press release disclosed that the government had requested a rapid credit facility disbursement. IMF's African Department Director, Abebe Aemro Selassie is quoted as saying: Last week, the IMF received Ghana's request for a disbursement under the Rapid Credit Facility to help the country address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are working hard to evaluate the authorities' request and bring it forward for Executive Board consideration as soon as possible, the statement added. So far, President Nana Akufo-Addo has directed the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to make available the cedi equivalent of $100 million to enhance Ghana's Coronavirus preparedness and response plan. Before this directive, the total budget for preparedness with regard to the novel coronavirus stood at GHS35 million. Support from Government was going towards the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), coordination activities and health declaration forms. This amount, according to President Akufo-Addo, is to fund the expansion of infrastructure, purchase of materials and equipment, and public education. There have, however, been calls for stimulus packages to cushion Ghanaians who may be affected by the measures put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, including a possible lockdown. Rely on BoG reserves The Minority in Parliament has urged the government to rely on reserves at the Central Bank to implement pro-poor measures to support individuals and firms that will be worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The measures the Minority is proposing include rent subsidies and freezes, deferral of tax payments and a stimulus package for businesses. We expect the government to tap into the reserves. We have the stabilization fund and things like the Central Bank reserves that they have posted out thereIn times like this, there is the need for the Central Bank to make available some reserves to make the government draw from it, the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, Cassiel Ato Forson said. About the Rapid Credit Facility The Rapid Credit Facility provides rapid concessional financial assistance with limited conditionality to low-income countries facing an urgent balance of payments need. The Rapid Credit Facility was created under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust as part of a broader reform to make the Fund's financial support more flexible and better tailored to the diverse needs of low-income countries, including in times of crisis. The facility places emphasis on the country's poverty reduction and growth objectives, according to the IMF. Access to facility financing is determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the country's balance of payments need, the strength of its macroeconomic policies, capacity to repay the Fund, the amount of outstanding Fund credit, and the member's record of past use of Fund credit. In addition, it also takes into account the size and likely persistence of the shock. ---citinewsroom Camila Cabello's tour which was scheduled to kick off on May 26 in Oslo, Norway has been postponed in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. In an Instagram post on Wednesday Camila said, "With all the news constantly coming out and so much that is really unknown, we're also taking extreme precautions to protect ourselves, our team, our dancers, our band, our crew and ultimately you guys". "i'm truly heartbroken to say that we've decided we need to postpone the tour... we can't start rehearsals without putting people at risk and with so much up in the air with no real and definitive end in sight, I feel this is the responsible thing to do," she added. "I promise I'll see you and cuddle your faces off when it's safe and this all passes," Cabello noted, adding that she was working on a tour that was really magical and special. She concluded the note with an inspirational quote that read, "when the danger passes, all this love that we are putting into the world will heal us. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UN's health agency has faced criticism in the past for overreacting and for moving too slowly in fighting epidemics, but it has rarely faced as much scrutiny as with the coronavirus pandemic. The World Health Organization was deemed too alarmist when it faced the H1N1 epidemic in 2009 but five years later it was accused of dragging its feet in declaring an emergency over the Ebola outbreak in west Africa, which would go on to kill more than 11,000 people. After that debacle, the WHO reformed and created a rapid response unit that has since helped to tackle two Ebola outbreaks in Democratic Republic of Congo. And yet, the organisation is once again under fire, with critics saying it did not react quickly or strongly enough to the new coronavirus, which emerged in Wuhan, China, late last year. The agency has been accused of delaying sounding the alarm for fear of offending Beijing, for waiting too long to declare the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic and for failing to coordinate a coherent international response. Also, a consensus appears to be emerging on the need to close down public spaces to limit the spread but the WHO has given little guidance on these measures. "WHO remains surprisingly silent and absent in all of these pragmatic questions," Antoine Flahault, head of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva, wrote in The Lancet medical review, asking: "Is there any orchestra conductor?" - 'Enemy of humanity' - However, other commentators have praised WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and his team for giving sound guidance, instead criticising countries for failing to heed the advice. Devi Sridhar, a professor of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, said the WHO's reaction was "hard to fault", adding that countries like South Korea that followed the advice to test, trace and contain have done better than others. One of the central planks of criticism is that the WHO waited until March 11, when nearly 120,000 cases had already been registered, to declare the outbreak a pandemic -- a move that truly hit the accelerator on global efforts to rein in the virus. By that time, the virus, dubbed an "enemy of humanity" by Tedros, had already taken hold in Europe, which soon overtook Asia as the epicentre of the outbreak. With a dearth of tests, shortages of protective gear for health workers and vital medical equipment like ventilators, health systems even in wealthy nations have been pushed to the breaking point. In a bid to halt the spread of a pandemic that has already claimed more than 18,000 lives, more than 2.5 billion people worldwide are now largely confined to their homes and economies have largely ground to a halt, threatening a global recession. - China conundrum - Despite the chaos, and evidence that Chinese officials hid the crisis for weeks and stifled doctors trying to sound the alarm, the WHO has praised Beijing for its early response. Joseph Amon, a professor of global health at Drexel University in the United States, told AFP it was a "clear mistake and set an early tone by WHO that the epidemic was perhaps not as severe and that the initial response was adequate". China told the WHO about an unknown form of pneumonia circulating in Wuhan on December 31, 2019. Experts say that if the world had learnt of the problem weeks earlier it could probably have been reined in. "If we had known about it then, then that could have made a huge difference," Roland Kao, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, told AFP. But while experts agree there was certainly much to criticise in China's initial response, many say the WHO was right to highlight what the country got right, including quickly sharing the genetic sequencing of the virus and taking dramatic lockdown measures to slow the spread. "To alienate China early in the process by pointing out mistakes would have been a mistake," Ann Lindstrand, in charge of WHO's expanded immunisation programme, told AFP, saying Beijing's cooperation was crucial. "Tedros did the right thing." Tedros himself has dismissed claims that he and WHO have bowed to Chinese pressure, stressing the collaborative relationship the agency has with its members. "I don't consider anything that comes from member states as pressure," he told a news conference this month. Some say the COVID-19 pandemic has actually revealed the opposite problem -- states need to feel pressure from the WHO but the agency simply does not have the power. "Dr Tedros and WHO are working hard to conduct the orchestra, but the players are not cooperating," said Suerie Moon, the co-director of the Graduate Institute's Global Health Centre. Individuals Intentionally Spreading CCP Virus Could Face Federal Terror Charges: DOJ Individuals who deliberately spread the CCP virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, could be faced with criminal charges under federal terrorism-related laws, according to the Justice Department. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen directed U.S. attorneys, department heads, and law enforcement chiefs around the country to focus their efforts on prosecuting pandemic-related crimes in a memo on Tuesday. One of the categories of offenses Rosen said offices may encounter involves individuals who may engage in the purposeful exposure and infection of others with COVID-19. Because coronavirus appears to meet the statutory definition of a biological agent such acts potentially could implicate the nations terrorism-related statutes, Rosen wrote in the memo obtained by The Epoch Times. Threats or attempts to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated. The departments second-in-command also asked prosecutors and investigators to pay attention to other types of crimes such as fraud, sale of fake drugs and cures, price-fixing, bid-rigging, and the hoarding of medical supplies or devices, while adding that the list was not exhaustive. The department has also formed a new task force to address CCP virus-related market manipulation, hoarding, and price gouging, according to a separate memo sent by Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday. The memo notes that the task force will be led by U.S. Attorney in the District of New Jersey Craig Carpenito with the assistance from the antitrust divisions criminal program. Barr also directed each U.S. attorney general office and relevant department component to designate an experienced attorney to serve as a member of the task force. While this crisis has brought out the best in most Americans, there appear to be a few unfortunate exceptions, Barr wrote in his memo. We will not tolerate bad actors who treat the crisis as an opportunity to get rich quick. This comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to prevent the price gouging and hoarding of critical resources used to combat the CCP virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus because the regimes coverup and mismanagement of the outbreak in Wuhan allowed the virus to spread across China and fan a global pandemic. The executive order was made pursuant to the Defense Production Act, which prohibits the hoarding of designated items, and directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to protect scarce medical and health items. Barr emphasized on Monday that individuals who stockpile essential supplies will not be the target of the presidential action, but those who hoard items to sell with hiked up prices are and may be subject to investigation. If you have a big supply of toilet paper in your house, this is not something you have to worry about, but if you are sitting on a warehouse with surgical masks, youll be hearing a knock on your door, he said. In the memo issued on Tuesday, Barr said the HHS Secretary has yet to formally designate medical items under the order. He added that the department is beginning to receive reports of individuals who are hoarding vital medical items and then making inappropriate, windfall profits at the expense of public safety and the health and welfare of the American people. Several state attorneys general have announced charges against individuals for allegedly exposing people deliberately to the CCP virus. New Jersey attorney general announced on Tuesday that his office had charged a 50-year-old-man for terroristic threats among other charges for allegedly coughing on a food store employee and telling her that he had the virus. Similarly, a Missouri man has been charged with making a terrorist threat after he was filmed licking a number of items at a Walmart. Isabel van Brugen contributed to this report. Your Brand Cafe has launched a new line of disposable food service products that includes work gloves, food containers, and utensil kits. They are also featuring special promotions on their collection of disposable drink cups and dessert cups. The COVID-19 virus has heavily impacted the restaurant industry, causing many businesses across the country to temporarily close their dining areas and rely on delivery services or pickup options to continue operating. Your Brand Cafe believes this new collection of products - combined with new low prices, low order minimums, and quick turnaround times - can help independently-owned restaurants as they make this transition. It is our everyday goal to support small businesses by providing them with the resources needed to grow, said CEO Craig Warner. But during this unprecedented time in our world that goal is shifting, and we want to do everything in our power to help these businesses stay afloat. Some highlights of the current promotions include: New low prices on unprinted products like 12 oz and 16 oz drink cups Waived printing fees for any carry-out messages on custom cups Expanded selection of recyclable products and disposable gloves that help stem the spread of germs and emphasize sanitary practices If your business is in need of quality and affordable carry out products to support your new delivery and pickup operations, call the Your Brand Cafe customer service reps today at (866) 566-0390 or reach at contactus@yourbrandcafe.com. Founded in 2008, Your Brand Cafe has helped build independent restaurant and coffee brands with a dedicated and personalized approach to each client. With over 20,000 businesses served, they have established a reputation as a trusted source for food service brand marketing and superior custom printed restaurant products. Pressure is growing on the UK to use a promising therapy for critically-ill coronavirus patients, after the US yesterday approved a blood-based treatment. The US Food and Drug Administration gave the green-light to using the plasma from patients who have fought off the life-threatening infection. Blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients is rich in antibodies their immune system has purposely developed to fight the virus. China began using the century-old method to treat its patients last month - but the UK has still yet to even trial the treatment. Leading British scientists say the therapy could 'make a life or death difference' for patients in the most critical states and that doctors should 'definitely' try it. More than 400,000 people around the world have now caught the coronavirus, with 19,000 patients known to have died since the outbreak began in December. US regulators have approved a blood treatment for coronavirus patients which could be lifesaving but the UK Government are trailing behind. The treatment uses blood from recovered COVID-19 patients. Pictured, Dr Kong Yuefeng, a recovered COVID-19 patient, donates plasma at a clinic in Wuhan, Hubei province, China on February 18 Blood plasma therapy - known formally as convalescent plasma - has been around for centuries. Doctors in China, where the COVID-19 outbreak began in December 2019, were the first to attempt treating patients this way. Pictured, Dr Zhou Min shows his plasma New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that plasma would be tested there to treat the sickest of the state's more than 25,000 coronavirus patients. Pictured, a recovered patient donating blood for convalescent plasma treatment in Wuhan The treatment may be the best hope for COVID-19 patients while scientists work to develop new, specific treatments for the disease. Researchers around the world are scrambling to find a cure, with dozens of drugs - including remdesivir and chloroquine - being tested. The FDA yesterday said it was 'facilitating access' for the treatment to be used on patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections'. Although the body - the US equivalent of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) - acknowledged it doesn't work for every disease. It came after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo the day before said that plasma would be tested there to treat the sickest of the state's coronavirus patients. The treatment, known as convalescent plasma, could treat the sickest patients by bolstering their own immune system. And researchers say it could work as a temporary shield for the most vulnerable by protecting them if they catch the virus, almost like a vaccine. Doctors in China, where the COVID-19 outbreak began in December 2019, were the first to attempt treating patients this way. Recovered patients in China, including in Wuhan, Shanghai and Beijing, have been donating their blood in hospitals since February. Special units for blood donation have been set up in hospitals in China with leading doctors claiming to have had encouraging early results with COVID-19 patients. A top World Health Organization (WHO) expert said 'it is a very important area to pursue', according to Retuers. Dr.Mike Ryan, head of WHOs health emergencies program, said using convalescent plasma was a 'very valid' approach. He said: 'It must be given at the right time, because it mops up the virus in the system, and it just gives the new patients immune system a vital push at the time it needs it. But it has to be carefully timed and its not always successful.' Leading scientists have now called for the 'promising' treatment to be used in the UK, where tens of thousands of patients are feared to be infected. Recovered patients in China, including in Wuhan and Beijing, have been donating their blood in hospitals since February. Pictured, a recovered patient prepares to donate his blood Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed last night that the government has purchased 3.5million antibody tests that will show if people have already had the coronavirus. If people knew they had beaten the virus, they could donate their blood, scientists say WHAT IS CONVALESCENT PLASMA AND WHERE HAS IT BEEN USED? Convalescent plasma is a type of therapy has been used to treat infections for at least a century. Use of convalescent plasma has been studied in outbreaks of respiratory infections, including the 2009-2010 H1N1 influenza virus pandemic, 2003 SARS epidemic, and the 2012 MERS epidemic. Convalescent plasma was used as a last resort to improve the survival rate of patients with SARS whose condition continued to deteriorate despite treatment. Convalescent plasma has been proven 'effective and life-saving' against other infectious diseases, including rabies and diphtheria, said Dr Mike Ryan, head of WHOs health emergencies program, according to Reuters. 'It is a very important area to pursue,' Dr Ryan said. Although promising, convalescent plasma has not been shown to be effective in every disease studied, the FDA say. Is it already being used for COVID-19 patients? Before it can be routinely given to patients with COVID-19, it is important to determine whether it is safe and effective through clinical trials. The FDA yesterday said it was 'facilitating access' for the treatment to be used on patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections'. It came after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo the day before said that plasma would be tested there to treat the sickest of the state's coronavirus patients. The UK has not started trialling it on patients. COVID-19 patients in Beijing, Wuhan and Shanghai are being treated with this method, authorities report. Lu Hongzhou, professor and co-director of the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre, said in February the hospital had set up a special clinic to administer plasma therapy and was selecting patients who were willing to donate. 'We are positive that this method can be very effective in our patients,' he said. Meanwhile, the head of a Wuhan hospital had said plasma infusions from recovered patients had shown some encouraging preliminary results. How does it work? Blood banks take plasma donations much like they take donations of whole blood; regular plasma is used in hospitals and emergency rooms every day. If someone's donating only plasma, their blood is drawn through a tube, the plasma is separated and the rest infused back into the donors body. Then that plasma is tested and purified to be sure it doesn't harbor any blood-borne viruses and is safe to use. For COVID-19 research, people who have recovered from the coronavirus would be donating. Scientists would measure how many antibodies are in a unit of donated plasma - tests just now being developed that aren't available to the general public - as they figure out what's a good dose, and how often a survivor could donate. There is also the possibility that asymptomatic patients - those who never showed symptoms or became unwell - would be able to donate. But these 'silent carriers' would need to be found via testing first. Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda is working on a drug that contains recovered patients antibodies in a pill form, Stat News reported. Could it work as a vaccine? While scientists race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, blood plasma therapy could provide temporary protection for the most vulnerable in a similar fashion. A vaccine trains peoples immune systems to make their own antibodies against a target germ. The plasma infusion approach would give people a temporary shot of someone elses antibodies that are short-lived and require repeated doses. If US regulator the FDA agrees, a second study would give antibody-rich plasma infusions to certain people at high risk from repeated exposures to COVID-19, such as hospital workers or first responders, said Dr Liise-anne Pirofski of New York's Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. That also might include nursing homes when a resident becomes ill, in hopes of giving the other people in the home some protection, she said. Advertisement Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist from Warwick Medical School, praised the treatment - which has also been used to treat Ebola and SARS. He told MailOnline: 'We should definitely be looking at the using convalescent plasma from recovered patients' in the UK.' The MHRA has not yet convalescent plasma treatment. MailOnline has asked the Government-run body for comment. Dr Derek Gatherer, of Lancaster University, added there is every reason to believe blood plasma therapy can save lives during the global coronavirus pandemic. He told MailOnline: 'Plasma therapy is a promising avenue... for really critical cases, it could make a life or death difference.' 'Recovered patients will normally have a lot of antibodies, and transferring those directly into acute cases ought to help. 'We've seen plasma-derived antibody therapy work in Ebola, so there is a good rationale for believing it would work for COVID-19. Although the treatment isn't proven to work for COVID-19 yet, the 'historical evidence is promising', Dr Arturo Casadevall of Johns Hopkins Universitys school of public health said. Blood plasma therapy - known formally as convalescent plasma - has been around for centuries. The treatment was used to fight off flu and measles outbreaks in the days before vaccines, and tried more recently against coronaviruses SARS and MERS, and Ebola. A paper in the Journal of Clinical Investigation earlier this month cited evidence that 1918 flu patients given the infusions were less likely to die. And a 1935 medical report detailed how doctors stopped a measles outbreak from sweeping through a boarding school using 'serum' from prior patients. There are still questions around the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma. While regular plasma transfusions are a mainstay of medicine, very rarely they can cause a lung-damaging side effect. It's also not clear the extent to which the really severe pneumonia symptoms are due to the virus, and the body's own immune response. Any therapy that attacks the virus directly won't be much use when there is a cytokine storm when the immune system goes into overdrive and produces a lot of inflammation and therefore symptoms, Dr Gatherer explains. One obvious downside to the treatment during a global pandemic in which more than 426,000 have been infected with the coronavirus is figuring out how to get it to the masses. 'There is a lot of work involved in production. It's all a bit more complicated than a drug in pill form would be,' said Dr Gatherer. 'You need to get recovered patients to volunteer, then you need to plasmapherese them, the antibody product has to be kept cold and will have limited fridge life, the antibody will need to be administered in hospital.' One solution is to extract the blood of people who have had an asymptomatic infection, those who have fought of COVID-19 without having symptoms. 'This is called passive immunisation and works very well in the management of infections where a vaccine is not yet available or difficult to produce,' Dr Young said. These 'silent carriers' account for around 30 per cent of all COVID-19 positive cases, according to research from China. They could be fast-tracked to donate blood through services such as NHS Blood and Transplant, Dr Young said. But first, these people need to be sought out. This is unlikely to happen any time soon because the Government insist on only testing people for the virus if they are receiving medical help. Dr Young said: 'To do this we urgently need serological testing it's on its way, according to Matt Hancock in last night's press conference, and is really important in allowing us to identify and trace all who have been infected in the community as once infected, people are safe from subsequent infection.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed last night that the government has purchased 3.5million antibody tests that will show if people have already had the coronavirus. It came after Mr Hunt was repeatedly questioned the UK's policy to only test patients in hospital, with Former Health secretary Jeremy Hunt asking: 'How can we possibly suppress the virus if we don't where it is?' Known as serological testing, the antibody test would also allow officials to understand exactly how many of the population have been affected. This would help with strategies to reduce transmission. MailOnline have contacted the MHRA and Department of Health and Social Care for comment. All the coronavirus treatments that are being tested, from HIV pills to an Ebola drug and a malaria medication Favipiravir What are the brand versions of the drug? Avigan What does it treat? Flu Who makes it? It is made by a subsidiary of the company Fujifilm Holdings, which is better known for producing cameras. What have studies shown? In a trial of 80 patients in China, those given the drug tested negative for the virus after an average of four days, while it took 11 days for those not treated with it, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. How does it work? The drug - known as an RNA polymerase inhibitor - stops viruses from making copies of themselves to spread through the body. Is it being tested in the UK? In the UK it is not licensed or recommended, according to a document released by Public Health England last September. No trials are thought to be taking place in the UK at the moment. What are its side effects? Animal studies have suggested the drug may be harmful for pregnant women, with it linked to birth defects and death. What do the experts think? Robin May, professor of infectious disease at the University of Birmingham, said: 'It looks encouraging. 'And this drug appears to significantly speed up recovery from coronavirus, which is a step forward. 'However the reports so far seem to suggest it may not work as well for more severe cases of coronavirus.' He added the data from the Chinese trial suggests that it might not be as effective 'for the severely ill people we are really worried about'. Remdesivir Remdesivir is an anti-viral drug that works in essentially the same way as favipiravir by crippling the RNA polymerase enzyme, stopping a virus from reproducing What are the brand versions of the drug? Remdesivir - no brand name currently exists because it is only experimental. What does it treat? It was developed around 10 years ago with the intention of it destroying the Ebola virus. It was pushed aside, however, when other, better candidates emerged. Who makes it? California-based pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, the firm behind the life-changing HIV-preventing pill Truvada, or PrEP. What have studies shown? Lab tests of remdesivir have shown promise against coronaviruses - but human trials are still in their early days. Doctors in the US have tried it on patients and it managed to speed up the recovery of the first person to be treated for the virus there. The a 35-year-old man in Washington state, close to Seattle whose infection was announced on January 20 recovered after being given the drug. A Californian woman who doctors 'thought was going to pass away' also recovered in the US after being given the drug. Four American passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship treated with the drug in Japan also recovered. Officials in Liguria a coastal region of Italy also announced an infected man in his 70s had recovered and could go home after 12 days in hospital. How does it work? Remdesivir is an anti-viral drug that works in essentially the same way as favipiravir by crippling the RNA polymerase enzyme, stopping a virus from reproducing. Is it being tested in the UK? It is not prescribed on the NHS because it hasn't been approved. Hundreds of patients - including some in the UK - taking part in a European mega-trial will get chance to take the drug to prove if it can fight the coronavirus. The drug is also being trialled on coronavirus patients in China and at the University of Nebraska. What are its side effects? Scientists are full of hope because the drug is proven to be safe in humans. Its side effects are still not well understood. What do the experts think? Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, hailed remdesivir as 'one of the most promising antivirals' being investigated. While Dr Alfredo Garzino-Demo, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said evidence shows it has the ability to treat COVID-19 patients. Lopinavir/ritonavir, marketed under the brand names Kaletra and Aluvia, is an anti-HIV medicine Lopinavir/ritonavir What are the brand versions of the drug? Kaletra and Aluvia. What does it treat? It is an anti-HIV medicine given to people living with the virus to prevent it developing into AIDS. Who makes it? Illinois-based manufacturer AbbVie donated free supplies of the drug to authorities in China, the US and Europe for tests. What have studies shown? Chinese media reported that the drug was successfully used to cure patients with the coronavirus, but the reports have not been scientifically proven. A separate Chinese study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the lopinavir-ritonavir combination did not improve survival or speed recovery of COVID-19 patients. However, the authors noted they had enrolled a 'severely ill population' of patients. In a clinical trial submission, scientists in South Korea said lab studies have: 'In vitro [laboratory] studies revealed that lopinavir/ritonavir [has] antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).' How does it work? It is a class of drug called a protease inhibitor, which essentially stick to an enzyme on a virus which is vital to the virus reproducing. By doing this it blocks the process the virus would normally use to clone itself and spread the infection further. Is it being tested in the UK? It is not prescribed on the NHS for coronavirus because it hasn't been approved - but it is being trialled by Oxford University. But it is available on the health service for HIV treatment and was prescribed around 1,400 times in 2018, either as Kaletra or ritonavir on its own. The drug is also being trialled on coronavirus patients in China and at the University of Nebraska. What are its side effects? Known side effects include diarrhea, headaches, upset stomachs, drowsiness, dizziness, a bad taste in the mouth, and trouble sleeping. What do the experts think? The drugs have been described as 'promising' by experts. But there has been some hesitancy about the drug combination due to the NEJM study. One drug being used by doctors fighting the coronavirus outbreak is chloroquine phosphate, an anti-malarial medication. It is sold under the brand name Arlan Chloroquine phosphate What are the brand versions of the drug? Aralen. What does it treat? Doctors have used the generic drug for 70 years to treat malaria. Who makes it? French drug giant Sanofi. Where has it already been tested? China recommended the drug to treat COVID-19 patients, after tests showed it could help them recover and keep the disease at bay. South Korea has already tried the drugs on COVID-19 patients. A trial at the University of Minnesota is scheduled to take place in the US next month. Officials in the Netherlands are already suggesting doctors treat critically-ill patients with the drug. What have studies shown? Chinese officials claimed the drug 'demonstrated efficacy and acceptable safety in treating COVID-19 associated pneumonia'. South Korea and China both say the drug is an 'effective' antiviral treatment against the disease. The Wuhan Institute of Virology in the city where the crisis began claimed the drug was 'highly effective' in petri dish tests. How does it work? It has the power to stop viral molecules replicating in red blood cells, and taking hold in the body. Is it being tested in the UK? Chloroquine was prescribed around 46,000 times in 2018 in the UK but a form of it is also available over-the-counter from pharmacies without a prescription. It is thought to be among 1,000 drugs being tested against coronavirus in a lab as part of a Queens University Belfast study. What are its side effects? Doctors say the medicine is generally safe, but it can cause a number of mild side effects including headaches, loss of appetite, upset stomach and skin rashes, to more severe ones such as hair loss and depression. What do the experts think? Professor Robin May, an infectious disease specialist at Birmingham University, said the safety profile of the drug is 'well-established'. He added: 'It is cheap and relatively easy to manufacture, so it would be fairly easy to accelerate into clinical trials and, if successful, eventually into treatment.' Professor May suggested chloroquine may work by altering the acidity of the area of cells that it attacks, making it harder for the virus to replicate. Hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil, may treat COVID-19 Hydroxychloroquine (Malaria) What are the brand versions of the drug? Plaquenil. What does it treat? Malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It is a less powerful and, by some experts' accounts, less toxic, version of chloroquine phosphate. Who makes it and where has it already been tested? Drug giant Sanofi carried out a study on 24 patients, which the French government described as 'promising'. French health officials are now planning on a larger trial of the drug, which is used on the NHS. What have studies shown? Results from the French study showed three quarters of patients treated with the drug were cleared of the virus within six days. None of the placebo group were treated. How does it work? It interferes with viral molecules replicating in red blood cells. Is it being tested in the UK? It is thought to be among 1,000 drugs being tested at Queens University Belfast. What are its side effects? Skin rashes, nausea, diarrhoea and headaches. What do the experts think? Chinese scientists investigating the other form of chloroquine penned a letter to a prestigious journal saying its 'less toxic' derivative may also help. In the comment to Cell Discovery owned by publisher Nature, they said it shares similar chemical structures and mechanisms. The team of experts added: 'It is easy to conjure up the idea that hydroxychloroquine may be a potent candidate to treat infection by SARS-CoV-2.' Sarilumab, a rheumatoid arthritis drug which is marketed as Kevzara in the US, is set to be trialled on patients in the US Sarilumab What are the brand versions of the drug? Kevzara Who makes it? Kevzara was developed by Sanofi and New York-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. What does it treat? Rheumatoid arthritis. The condition sees the immune system attack healthy parts of the body, such as the joints by mistake and causes inflammation. This can cause tiredness, anaemia, and damage to bones, cartilage and soft tissues. Where has it already been tested? It was given to 21 patients with severe COVID-19 in a study by the University of Science and Technology of China in February. Sanofi, which makes the drug, says it is also launching trials 'rapidly in Italy and the US in a matter of weeks. What have studies shown? According to the Chinese researchers, fevers returned to normal and all other symptoms 'improved remarkably' within a few days. Additionally, three quarters of patients had lowered their oxygen intake and one patient no longer needed breathing support. Nineteen patients were discharged after an average of 13.5 days following treatment, with the remainder 'recovering well' as of the time of the study's release, the researchers wrote. How does it work? The drug works by blocking part of the immune system which can cause inflammation, or swelling, which is overactive in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Inflammation is the body's natural response to infection but, in patients with coronavirus, it can get out of control, making symptoms significantly worse and even trigger multiple organ failure. Is it being tested in the UK? It is likely to be included in Queen University Belfast's study of 1,000 drugs on the new coronavirus. While the official list of drugs has not been made public, the university said it was testing medicines that may be able to reduce virus infection or replication and virus-induced inflammatory responses. What are its side effects? A cough or sore throat, blocked or runny nose, cold sores, urinary tract infections and redness and itching at the site of the injection. What do the experts think? Dr Cassandra Calabrese, a rheumatologist at the renowned Cleveland Clinic, said there is a 'growing body of reports showing the benefit' of the drug in COVID-19 patients. Interferon beta-1b/SNG001 What are the brand versions of the drug? The drug is still in development and goes by the name of SNG001. What does it treat? Interferon beta-1b (IFN-beta) is a naturally occurring protein that orchestrates the body's anti-viral responses. SNG001 is a formulation of IFN-beta developed by Synairgen to prevent severe lower respiratory tract illness caused by cold and flu infections. A different formulation using the protein is used to treat patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The drug called Extavia is self-injected every two days and works by slowing down the damage to the nervous system and by reducing the number of relapses. Where has it already been tested? Synairgen is a UK-based company, and it appears their formulation hasn't crossed overseas yet. But it does say has been approached by, and is in discussion with, a number of scientific and governmental bodies in the US and internationally since the COVID-19 outbreak began. What have studies shown? Laboratory studies have shown IFN-beta can protect cells from infection by a range of respiratory viruses. These include the MERS and SARS coronavirus strains, leaving scientists expecting IFN-beta to also protect against the COVID-19 strain. It has already been shown to improve the recovery of asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) patients who have other lung infections, such as flu. Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen, said: 'SNG001 has been well tolerated in clinical trials in over 200 respiratory patients to date and has accelerated lung function recovery in two Phase II asthma trials in patients with a cold or flu infection.' How does it work? SNG001 is inhaled with a nebuliser, which helps deliver drugs to the lungs. Scientists believe it will prevent the coronavirus from taking over lung cells to replicate. This would prevent patients deteriorating until the point they need ventilation to survive. Viruses, including coronaviruses, can evolve the ability to suppresses IFN-beta production in the body, thereby helping the virus evade. Is it being tested in the UK? Southampton researchers are conducting a Phase II SNG001 trial on COVID-19 patients to see if it could prevent worsening symptoms in those most at risk. The trial, led by Professor Tom Wilkinson at University Hospital Southampton, will involve 100 patients at Southampton and up to ten other NHS hospitals. Those patients will receive the best current COVID19 care, whilst inhaling either a placebo or SNG001 for 14 days. What are its side effects? Doctors are currently clueless. Side effects will be reported with the findings of the clinic trial. Other forms of interferon beta can cause headaches, vaginal bleeding and diminish libido. What do the experts think? Tom Wilkinson told Sky News: 'We are hoping that the drug will increase the rate of recovery from infection, that it will increase the protection in the bit of the lungs that are not infected yet and will reduce the number of patients that decline significantly and require intubation and ventilation.' Mr Marsden said: 'A successful outcome from this trial [at Southampton] in COVID-19 patients would be a major breakthrough in the fight against this coronavirus pandemic.' Dexamethasone What are the brand versions of the drug? Ozurdex and Baycadron. What does it treat? The steroid drug is used to treat allergies and asthma, as well as some types of cancer. Who makes it? Baycadron is made by Wockhardt Usa, Llc, while Ozurdex is made by Allergan, the manufacturer of a commonly used textured breast implant. What have studies shown? No studies have yet to prove dexamethasone can treat SARS-CoV-2 - but it has been tested on patients with MERS and SARS, two different coronaviruses. One retrospective study of critically-ill patients with MERS found that almost half of the people that received steroids needed additional treatments such as assistance in breathing, drugs to increase blood pressure, and a form of dialysis. Those given steroids were found to take longer to clear the virus from their bodies. Other studies found that the virus was still present in SARS patients who took the drugs up to three weeks after infection. How does it work? Steroids are often used by doctors to reduce inflammation, which is present in the lungs of patients with the coronavirus. However, steroids also impair the immune system's ability to fight viruses and other infections that often develop in patients with life-threatening illness. Is it being tested in the UK? Researchers from the University of Oxford have launched a new clinical trial to test the effects of potential drug treatments, including dexamethasone, for patients admitted to hospital with the virus. What are its side effects? The drug is known to cause an increase in appetite and heartburn, as well as muscle weakness and insomnia. What do the experts think? In a piece in prestigious medical journal The Lancet, three experts warned: 'No unique reason exists to expect that patients with 2019-nCoV infection will benefit from corticosteroids. 'And they might be more likely to be harmed with such treatment. 'We conclude that corticosteroid treatment should not be used for the treatment of 2019-nCoV-induced lung injury or shock outside of a clinical trial.' GREENVILLE, S.C., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Prisma Health announced today that it has received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for VESper, a unique ventilator expansion device that allows a single ventilator to support up to four patients during times of acute equipment shortages such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. Produced using 3D printing technology, the device is developed with material already in use for medical devices and produced at minimal cost. Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8708651-prisma-health-vesper-ventilator-expansion-device-covid-19/ Prisma Health experts are working with national COVID-19 teams who have no more ventilator capacity and who can initiate emergency use of the prototype. We will be working closely with these teams during their field testing to monitor clinical outcomes. Those field tests will determine whether the device performs as designed, per FDA guidelines. Emergency use authorization can offer critical care patients access to a medical device that has not gone through normal FDA approval; this is used when no comparable or satisfactory alternative options are available. "When we see rapid increases in patients who require machine-assisted breathing, an acute shortage of necessary equipment can happen overnight," said Peter Tilkemeier, M.D., chair of the Department of Medicine at Prisma Health-Upstate. "The VESper device can be lifesaving when the number of critically ill patients requiring breathing support is greater than the number of available ventilators. A number of U.S. hospitals are likely to begin experiencing this with COVID-19." A Prisma Health emergency medicine physician realized the opportunity of using a single machine to breathe for multiple patients. Working collaboratively with her husband, a software engineer and with a Prisma Health pulmonary critical care physician, this team began developing specifications for a "Y" splitter tubing that would meet international quality standards (ISO), be easily produced, allow for appropriate filtering of bacteria and viruses in the ventilator tubing, be strong and impact resistant, and would not impact the care of other patients connected to the same machine. "Immediately, we realized we had an opportunity to impact patient outcomes all over the country, and potentially beyond the U.S.," said Marjorie Jenkins, M.D., chief academic officer for Prisma HealthUpstate and dean of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. "What we needed was a collaborative team to put the plan in motion and close the loop between design, production, FDA approval and distribution to hospitals with critical need." Drawing on the strength of Prisma Health's existing academic partnerships, specifications were sent to engineers at Clemson University and University of South Carolina for 3D materials testing and printing of prototypes. The team began working to secure FDA approval and collaborations with private sector businesses came together within a matter of days. Physicians used Prisma Health's Healthcare Simulation Center to begin testing the VESper device with medical manikins, allowing for the simulation of multiple clinical scenarios. The device was able to deliver the appropriate breathing parameters without difficulty, creating an opportunity to pursue an application for emergency use authorization with the FDA to rapidly bring this life-saving device directly into clinical use. Hospitals can begin to apply to receive the free source code and printing specifications for the device today by registering on Prisma Health's Website www.prismahealth.org/VESper for their use in printing the VESPer device. Prisma Health is collaborating with other major companies such as HP Inc. and its Digital Manufacturing Network to quickly scale 3D production of validated parts for distribution in areas of greatest need and areas with the potential to exceed their ventilator capacity in the near future, such as COVID-19 "hot spots" as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Currently Prisma Health and South Carolina hospitals have enough ventilators available for patients. "This is an exemplary demonstration of rapid innovation and collaboration," said Mark O'Halla, president and chief executive officer of Prisma Health. "I am so proud of the creativity and perseverance of our clinical team who came together to develop a potentially life-saving solution at a critical time for our country, our communities and our patients. We are anxiously awaiting the results of the prototype field tests." About Prisma Health Prisma Health is a not-for-profit health company and South Carolina's largest private employer. With nearly 30,000 team members, 18 hospitals, 2,984 beds and more than 300 physician practice sites, Prisma Health serves more than 1.2 million unique patients annually. Its goal is to improve the health of all South Carolinians by enhancing clinical quality, the patient experience and access to affordable care, as well as conducting clinical research and training the next generation of medical professionals. For more information, visit PrismaHealth.org. About UofSC School of Medicine Greenville The School of Medicine Greenville is a partnership between the state's largest university, the University of South Carolina (UofSC), and one of the largest health systems in the Southeast, Prisma Health. Located within the Prisma Health's Greenville Memorial campus, the medical school graduated its first physician class in spring 2016. This "different school of thought" is dedicated to providing exceptional training for new physicians in transforming healthcare delivery. Learn more at greenvillemed.sc.edu. About University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina is a globally recognized, high-impact research university committed to a superior student experience and dedicated to innovation in learning, research and community engagement. Founded in 1801, the university offers more than 350 degree programs and is the state's only top-tier Carnegie Foundation research institution. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of 20 locations throughout the state, including the research campus in Columbia. With 56 nationally ranked academic programs including top-ranked programs in international business, the nation's best honors college and distinguished programs in engineering, law, medicine, public health and the arts, the university is helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and around the world. SOURCE Prisma Health Related Links http://www.prismahealth.org In a horrifying turn of events, Spain on Wednesday shot past China as the death toll in the country due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic reached 3,434. As of 5 pm (IST) on Wednesday, Spain reported a total of 738 new coronavirus deaths. The spiralling number of deaths came as Spain entered the 11th day of an unprecedented lockdown to try and rein in the COVID-19 epidemic that has now infected 47,610 people, the health ministry said. The leaders of EU institutions on Wednesday expressed solidarity with Spain as it struggles with an escalating coronavirus emergency. "I want you to know that we are working tirelessly to help you -- you are not alone," European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a video message posted on her official Twitter account. Charles Michel, the head of the European Council that coordinates between the leaders of the EU member states, said in a public letter to Spain that "Europe stands by your side in full solidarity, and we will spare no effort to help you". European Parliament speaker David Sassoli joined in by tweeting to Spanish citizens that "the difficulties and problems you are experiencing are also ours". Spain is the second-worst-hit country in the EU, after Italy. The country of 46 million -- the EU's fourth-biggest economy -- has been in lockdown since March 14 in a bid to slow the spread of the virus causing COVID-19. Madrid has been seeking more supplies of protective gear for its health workers, 5,400 of whom have been infected, and has turned to the EU and NATO for help. The European Commission has launched a joint purchase of medical supplies, especially face masks, on behalf of 25 member states, but demand far outstrips supply. Nevertheless, von der Leyen promised that masks, gloves and protective gowns would be sent to Spanish hospitals within two weeks. with PTI inputs KYODO NEWS - Mar 26, 2020 - 02:19 | World, All, Coronavirus Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations on Wednesday reaffirmed their cooperation in tackling the global coronavirus pandemic, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo following a teleconference with his G-7 counterparts, Motegi said they agreed on the need to coordinate efforts to develop a treatment for COVID-19, and to closely communicate in imposing temporary travel restrictions. More than 19,000 people have died from the novel coronavirus that was first reported in central China late last year, with more than 438,000 confirmed infections worldwide, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University of the United States. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a press conference in Washington that the G-7 members were all aware of China's "disinformation campaign" regarding the coronavirus outbreak, as the two countries dispute the origins of the disease. Countries around the world have imposed travel restrictions to slow the spread of the virus, with the United States instituting an entry ban on foreign travelers from mainland China, Iran and many European countries that have been hardest hit. As social distancing is encouraged and businesses temporarily shutter, concerns are growing that the global economy is heading toward a recession. In a teleconference last week, G-7 leaders vowed to do "whatever it takes" to mitigate downside risks, including deploying fiscal and monetary measures. The foreign ministers' meeting had been slated to take place in the U.S. city of Pittsburgh but was held in a virtual setting due to concerns over the pandemic. It was the first time the top diplomats of the G-7 -- consisting of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union -- held a conference in this format, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The G-7 foreign ministers also supported the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics due to the coronavirus pandemic, Motegi said. He added that the foreign ministers discussed regional issues including the situation in North Korea, China and the Middle East. They agreed that recent ballistic missile tests by North Korea are unacceptable, and they intend to continue supporting the United States' efforts to achieve the country's complete and verifiable denuclearization, he said. Amid a stall in talks with Washington, Pyongyang launched a series of what are believed to have been ballistic missiles into the sea this month in defiance of U.N. resolutions. "The G-7 and all nations must remain united in calling on North Korea to return to negotiations and stay committed to applying diplomatic and economic pressure over its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs," Pompeo told the press conference. Motegi said he also briefed his counterparts on his phone call last week with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, without providing details to reporters. Tensions in the Middle East remain high as Iran has stepped away from a landmark 2015 deal that placed limits on its nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. Give Joe Biden some credit. On Jan. 27, he published an op-ed in USA Today recognizing that the coronavirus outbreak could become a big problem. But he devoted nearly the entire piece to bashing President Trump who was then fighting off impeachment from Bidens old Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill and nearly none of it to explaining what he, Joe Biden, would do to fight the pandemic. Since then, where has Biden been? Its been eight weeks since the Iowa caucuses, when Biden began a terrible stretch at the polls that threatened his presidential candidacy. Its been three weeks since South Carolina and Super Tuesday, when he roared back and took a big lead over rival Bernie Sanders. Two weeks since primaries in Michigan and other states, when Biden took a prohibitive lead in the delegate race. And its been one week since primaries in Florida and elsewhere, when Biden essentially became the presumptive nominee. During that time, the coronavirus outbreak has turned into a historic national crisis. So what has the man who wants to be the next president, now confident of his path to his partys nomination, done? Not a lot. Biden is largely out of sight hunkered down in Delaware, The New York Times reported recently. Biden did give a speech on March 12 to explain what he would do as president to confront the virus. But his plan was not much different from what the Trump administration has already been doing. And why did Biden, after his initial op-ed, let so much time pass without offering a comprehensive proposal for dealing with the crisis? Especially since his main criticism of Trump is that the president has not acted swiftly enough? In short, Biden has been slow to explain why he would have reacted more quickly than Trump. Now, Biden, who has devoted lots of time during the virus crisis to holding virtual fundraisers, is playing catch-up with a plan to start briefings from his house in Delaware. They put a new high-speed line into my home, Biden told reporters. Theyve converted a recreation room, basically, into a television studio. Meanwhile, when he has addressed the crisis, Biden has been offering little more than boilerplate. Look at this, from a recent virtual fundraiser, according to a pool report: This is a time for this nation to come together, because, folks, were all in this together. This virus doesnt care whether youre a Democrat or Republican. It doesnt discriminate on the basis of your gender or race or ethnicity or anything else. And from the Great Depression to two world wars to 9/11 to the pandemic of 1918, this country has always overcome every crisis we faced in our history. Were gonna overcome this one, too. Biden had nothing more to offer in a recent web ad. He focused on a small snippet of Trumps news conference Saturday, where the president took questions from NBCs Peter Alexander. After an extended exchange with Alexander, Trump snapped, Youre a terrible reporter. The ad was an attempt to contrast Trumps temperament with Bidens, with Biden saying things like, This is about America. This is about the world. This is about how we bring people together. The Trump campaign has fired back. When President Trump took the critical step of restricting travel from China in response to the coronavirus, Biden called it xenophobic, campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said recently. Most of what Biden says the government should do are things President Trump is already doing. Biden has, in fact, accused Trump of xenophobia in the virus crisis. When the president announced travel restrictions on China, Biden cited what he called Trumps record of hysteria and xenophobia, hysterical xenophobia. When Trump referred to coronavirus as a foreign virus, Biden said the president was [falling] back on xenophobia. On the substance of Bidens plans, an earlier Trump campaign statement said Biden plagiarized his response from the president echoing a long-ago incident from Bidens 1988 presidential campaign when he dropped out after it was revealed he had plagiarized a British politicians speech. Now, with the briefings, Biden is starting a new phase of his campaign. Yes, the briefings will be about coronavirus, but they will also be about Bidens standing in the Democratic Party. For a party out of the White House, in an election year, the presidential nominee is the leader of the party. Biden is not the nominee yet, but he is all but there. Does he appear to be the leader of the Democratic Party? No. Meanwhile, other Democrats, like New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, are actually in power and on television every day giving briefings dealing with the crisis. So Bidens new move is a front-runner playing catch-up while the rest of the political world deals with an unprecedented crisis. Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner. Carnival's Diamond Princess cruise ship became a hotbed for infection in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, infecting more than 700 passengers and crew members on board. In an interview with "Axios on HBO," Carnival CEO Arnold Donald said his company wasn't to blame for the outbreak on the Diamond Princess. He said "cruise ships are not a source for coronavirus" and claimed that the infections on the Diamond Princess occurred "when no one understood hardly anything." Donald's remarks come after cruise ship and health experts criticized Carnival's slow response to address the infections on board the Diamond Princess and to halt global operations in the midst of the pandemic. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Carnival CEO Arnold Donald deflected blame for the company's response to the outbreak Diamond Princess cruise ship, saying in an interview on "Axios on HBO" with journalist Dion Rabouin that a cruise ship is not a riskier environment for infection despite its shared swimming pools, compact spaces and quarters, and shared meals in large dining rooms. "It's more like Central Park. There's lots of natural social distancing [because] the ship is so large. People are not always gathered and clumped together," Donald told Axios. Carnival has recently come under fire from both health officials and cruise industry experts for several major missteps in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. On February 4, Carnival discovered 10 people onboard its Diamond Princess cruise ship had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. At its home port in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan, after a nearly month-long ordeal of quarantine orders and disease response more than 700 passengers and crew members were infected in what has been called "a floating epidemiological disaster." "I'd like to sugarcoat it and try to be diplomatic about it, but it failed," Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told USA Today. "People were getting infected on that ship. Something went awry." Story continues It took more than a month for the company to suspend operations Despite having knowledge of the rapidly spreading virus and several COVID-19 cases onboard several ships, Carnival did not suspend its global operations until five days after the CDC first warned Americans that it "should not travel by cruise ship." "Cruise ships are not a source for coronavirus. We have hundreds of cruise ships out there. Very few had cases on them," Donald said in an interview. "The one that had the most cases was very early on, when no one understood hardly anything." Shared swimming pools, compact and enclosed spaces and quarters, frequently touched surfaces from handrails to slot machines, and meals shared with hundreds create an "increased risk of infection of COVID-19 in a cruise ship environment," according to a warning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warning issued on March 8. There have been at least eight cruise ships with confirmed coronavirus cases across the entire industry, including the Diamond Princess, Grand Princess, A Sara, MSC Meraviglia, Costa Luminosa, MS Braemar, Silver Shadow, and the Silver Explorer. Carnival and other major cruise companies, halted all travel only after the State Department advised Americans not to travel on cruise ships and the CDC published a no-sail order on March 13. Roger Frizzell, Carnival's chief communications officer, told Business Insider that the company's brands "recently voluntarily paused any new sailings around the world as information evolved on COVID-19." The cruise ship Diamond Princess is anchored off the Yokohama Port in Yokohama, near Tokyo. Eugene Hoshiko, File via AP In his Axios interview, Donald countered the CDC's assessment that cruise ships are a breeding ground for infection, claiming that "a cruise ship is not a riskier environment." The CEO claimed that the large cruise ships were less like a crowded theater or arena, but more like New York City's Central Park. "Today's cruise ships are extremely spacious, certainly more so than close-contact seating environments in communities at sporting events, schools, churches, etc, that were not shut down until just recently," Frizzell told Business Insider. Donald acknowledged that while there is a lot of social interaction on board cruise ships, he argued that they are better suited to "control the spread" of infection with its medical isolation protocols than a public library, restaurant, or school. "If [a coronavirus case] manifests, there's a medical clinic on board. We isolate and, in effect, you control the spread," Donald told Axios. Frizzell said Carnival regularly cleanses and sanitizes its ships and that the "cruise ship environment is viewed to be more sanitary than other environments such as movie theaters or concert halls." Experts say the company was slow to react Despite Donald's claims that the cruise company followed "every protocol in place," cruise industry expert Ross Klein told Business Insider that the company was not assertive enough in taking steps to prevent the coronavirus from spreading on the Diamond Princess. "[The ship's captain] had the ability to segregate crew members who may have been ill from those who weren't ill or to find ways of ensuring that crew members who potentially were ill were not eating at the same crew mess as the people who weren't ill," Klein said. Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases investigation recently found that likely spread from passengers who started showing symptoms to workers who prepared foods. A spokesperson for Carnival defended its response to the coronavirus infections on the Diamond Princess, claiming it was "an unprecedented situation for the cruise industry and health authorities as well." A passenger stretches on the balcony of a cabin of the cruise ship Diamond Princess on February 11, 2020. Reuters/Issei Kato Donald later chalked up its delayed response to the general lack of knowledge around the novel disease. "20/20 hindsight, could everyone have done something sooner? Perhaps," Donald told Axios. "But it was an evolving, learning situation." Frizzell told Business Insider that the company has been working closely with health authorities and that the cruise industry will come out the other end of the coronavirus pandemic with "significant learnings" in place. "This is a fluid situation, but we have been working closely with WHO, the CDC, and other health officials on the issue during the past few months and this is significant learnings for everyone that will benefit our brands, our industry and other industries, as well as the medical profession, in the days to come," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider Harris County may have to close its testing sites this week if the federal government does not refresh its dwindling supply of test kits and protective medical gear, officials warned Tuesday. With the nation already short on supplies, Harris Countys remaining tests as of Tuesday morning consisting of pre-packaged nasal swabs are being split between two sites they are operating, and that cache is expected to last through Thursday. The estimate was provided after county officials reassessed their stock twice in one day. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, while announcing a stay-at-home order at a news conference, said their kits would certainly last through Tuesday, but after that, was spotty. That date was pushed back to Wednesday after another review of supplies, and again to Thursday with another check. The supplies stem from four to five palettes of boxes delivered Thursday by FEMA. That shipment was then divided evenly between the county and city of Houston to help with testing the entire region for the novel coronavirus. The shipment was enough to get the testing sites up and running, according to officials. The Harris County Public Health District opened their test sites over the weekend to first responders and medical professionals before expanding it Monday to community members. Another shipment was supposed to arrive by Monday night, said Mac McLendon, head of the countys Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. The thought process was that wed be resupplied in three to four days, but that has not happened, he said Tuesday. According to McLendon, each site has been instructed to do no more than 250 tests a day to prevent inundating labs with a deluge of samples which will go bad if not attended to. A spokeswoman for Harris County Public Health expects that each site will go through the 250 tests daily. Weve either got to acquire some locally or were out of business, McLendon said. Harris County is not the only region running low, but some states are running lower, he said citing a conference call he had Tuesday morning with FEMA. The shipments have been prioritized to areas of greater concern, though McLendon did not disclose which regions that would be. New Yorks case level skyrocketed past 25,600 on Tuesday. The city of Houston, however, expects its supplies including swabs to last a bit longer. At its Butler Stadium site, more than 700 people were tested from Friday through Monday. Houston Health Department spokesman Scott Packard said they have enough test kits and protective medical supplies to last a few more days without elaborating on how many swabs were left. Were not at a critical mass yet, he said. Packard said the city tested 159 people on Friday, 161 on Saturday, 198 on Sunday and 200 more Monday, never reaching the 250 maximum. On Thursday and Friday, more than 750 people were tested at United Memorial Medical Center, a private hospital in Acres Homes that has been the focal point of U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lees call-to-action in treating the pandemic. Dr. Joseph Varon, chief medical officer for the hospital, said in a phone call that FEMA provided a modest amount of supplies but he was unsure when the next shipment would arrive. Remmington Belford, a spokesman for the congresswoman, said no FEMA supplies had been given to the hospital and they were using their own funds to purchase protective gear and tests. The results of tests at United Memorial are funneled through local health jurisdictions associated with the patients residence and then confirmed through that municipalitys health department, according to officials. nicole.hensley@chron.com twitter.com/nkhensley In an effort to reassure residents wary by the coronavirus outbreak, Montgomery County constables offices took to social media this week. Precincts 1, 3 and 4 each published a message, videos in three instances, letting residents know they were working to keep them safe. Were still open and were still here, Pct. 1 Constable Philip Cash said in a video posted Monday on Facebook. Just remember, be sensible, be safe. This is about us as a community pulling together. Cash warned against misinformation about COVID-19 disseminated on social media. He directed people to the Montgomery County website, mctx.org, for information. Use credible sources, Cash said. Dont use a friend of a friend on Facebook said this and that. On the video, Pct. 1 Lt. Tim Cade reminded people to practice washing their hands, not touching ones face and social distancing. He also advised people do over-the-phone screenings with medical professionals if they present symptoms. Cash urged people adopt an elderly neighbor or relative and to run an errand or fetch groceries for that person. Adopt that person. Contact them. Do it over the phone. See what they need, Cash said. Theyre the most vulnerable right now. Meanwhile, a March 19 Facebook post attributed to Precinct 1 Constable Ryan Gable spoke to concerns about personal safety as carried out by officers. We are doing our best to provide our personnel safety supplies, to keep them healthy when responding to calls and working within the public, Gable said. Pleading for patience as the COVID-19 situation unfolds, Gable asked for prayers for law enforcement, their families, the military and first responders. We are in this together, he said. We are praying for you! Stay safe and healthy and may God keep you protected. At Precinct 4, a Facebook video posted Friday, featured Chief Deputy Barry Welch making appeals to residents as he reminded them of the agencys patrolling presence. If you see a black car rolling around through your neighborhood at nighttime with the blue lights on, slow-rolling through your neighborhoods, were just out patrolling, he said. Constable (Kenneth Rowdy) Hayden would like to pass on the message, Stay safe. Stay put if you can. And keep those hands clean. On Monday, Precinct 4 also posted on Facebook a video demonstrating the process of cleaning and disinfecting their patrol cars. It included wiping down and spraying disinfectant in the interior of the vehicle, just as Lt. Jim Slack had previously detailed to The Courier. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx Samsung recently confirmed that it is working on One UI 2.1 for its older flagships. The update is now rolling out starting with the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 phones. The new software brings several exciting features from Samsungs Galaxy S20 lineup, including Single Take, improved Night Mode, Night Hyperlapse, Pro Video mode, Quick Share, and more. The One UI 2.1 update is currently rolling out for the Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 Plus, Galaxy Note 10, and Note 10 Plus users in Germany and Switzerland. Even the recently released Galaxy S10 Lite and Galaxy Note 10 Lite are receiving the new update. The latter two miss out on a few features though, with Samsung specifically mentioning that the improved Night mode and Night Hyperlapse are not applied to Galaxy Note 10 Lite. Advertisement One UI 2.1 update for Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 The One UI 2.1 update brings a host of new features and improvements in the photography department. First up among the new features is Single Take, a new camera mode that lets you capture the perfect moment. Single Take captures a mix of photos and videos and recommends the best shot for you using Samsungs integrated AI technology. For videographers, One UI 2.1 brings a new Pro Video mode. This feature allows you to adjust settings like ISO, shutter speed and exposure level for videos. You can also switch between the front and rear cameras while recording video. Night Hyperlapse is another new camera feature thats part of One UI 2.1. Samsung has also better low-light photography with improved Night Mode. Advertisement With the new Custom Filter feature, Galaxy flagship users can create their own image filters. They can use colors and styles from an existing photo as an inspiration. Those filters can be saved for later reuse as well. The latest software also brings some intelligent Gallery features. With Quick Crop, you can easily cut an image exactly to the size you want by zooming in on it. Clean View, meanwhile, automatically brings all photos of the same subject together. Not only is Samsung making capturing and editing photos easier, but the company is also offering features that make sharing those perfect shots seamless. With Quick Share, you can easily share photos, videos, and other files directly with multiple people around you. Advertisement Theres also this Music Share feature which lets you share your paired Bluetooth connection with a friend. You dont need to disconnect for a friend to play their music on a speaker or car stereo. The One UI 2.1 update is now rolling out over the air (OTA) for Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note devices in Germany and Switzerland. The OTA download size weighs in at around 1.5GB, though it may vary by region and model. The new update also brings the April 2020 Android security patch. It should be available in other regions and markets soon. A 26-year-old Missouri man seen in a social media video licking items at a Walmart to mock fears of the coronavirus pandemic was arrested and charged with terrorist threats. Cody Lee Pfister posted a video of himself licking deodorants at the Warrenton store on March 11, according to court documents. As he wiped his tongue across the packages he asked, "Who's scared of coronavirus," according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Pfister was arrested on Monday. Cody Lee Pfister posted a video of himself licking deodorants. As he wiped his tongue across the packages he asked, The City of Warrenton Police Department in a Facebook post that said it received calls from local residents as well as people overseas in the Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom to report the video. "We take this incident very seriously especially with this infectious disease and the state that the country is in," Lt. Justin Unger told NBC News. "We take these things seriously to protect our community. A criminal complaint states that Pfister "knowingly caused a false belief or fear that a condition involving danger to life existed" by posting the video online. He appeared in court on Wednesday and is due back in May. An attorney for Pfister could not immediately be reached. A New Jersey man was charged with making a terroristic threat and harassment after he allegedly purposely coughed on a Wegmans grocery store employee and said he had the coronavirus. New Jersey's attorney general said George Falcone, 50, was asked by the employee to step back but instead he leaned forward and coughed in the worker's face. Falcone then laughed and said he had been infected with the virus, the attorney general said. Kishore Biyani live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Future Group chief executive officer (CEO) Kishore Biyani is in a difficult situation as lenders have sought more collateral against his pledged shares, according to a Mint report. The coronavirus, or COVID-19 outbreak, has impacted Future Group's business. The company had signed deals with Amazon, Blackstone, and Nippon group over the past six months. Stocks of the group's listed entities plunged over the past month, due to fears over the outbreak's economic impact. Future Enterprises, Future Lifestyle Fashions, Future Retail, and Future Supply Chain Solutions have lost around half of their value since the start of 2020. On March 24, Future Retail said some lenders who held non-convertible debentures (NCDs) through IDBI Trusteeship Services invoked pledged shares worth 8 percent. Future Group is evaluating several ways to solve the debt problem, said the report. One such method is selling the entire business of Future Lifestyle Fashions. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Future group is also exploring the option of fundraising at the promoter level, through a combination of equity and structured debt, the report said. The promoters are engaged in talks with various investors to raise money. They would need an infusion of around Rs 1,000-1,500 crore in the near term," a source told the publication. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. Scientists say early data, generated with new NGS research panel from Thermo Fisher Scientific, suggest coronavirus is genetically stable, and could increase the effectiveness of vaccines in development CARLSBAD, California, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Two teams of infectious disease researchers in Italy say they have further analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 genome from samples acquired locally to generate early data that reveal a level of genetic variability suggesting the rapidly spreading virus's genome is stable. The findings, developed using a new next-generation sequencing (NGS) research assay from Thermo Fisher Scientific, increase the likelihood that future coronavirus vaccines can have a higher rate of effectiveness and could help the global scientific community's effort to better understand the epidemiology and spread of COVID-19. The two independent research teams from "Lazzaro Spallanzani" National Institute for Infectious Diseases (IRCCS) in Rome and the Forensic Division of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health (DSBSP) at Ancona University Hospital sequenced multiple samples and identified the presence of gene variants when compared against the original Wuhan coronavirus reference genome. Viruses that mutate rapidly over short periods of time make it challenging to develop effective vaccines that protect people against infection. The low number of variants discovered in the Italian samples two months after the virus was first sequenced in China suggests that SARS-CoV-2, which has infected more than an estimated 64,000 people in Italy and 380,000 globally, is a relatively slow-mutating pathogen. Both teams in Italy carried out the sequencing work with Thermo Fisher's new Ion AmpliSeq SARS-COV-2 Research Panel, which features a 24-hour, end-to-end workflow. "The ability to very quickly run multiple samples and accurately decipher key changes in the virus's genetic code will be crucial for the global scientific community to stay ahead of SARS-CoV-2 and to develop strategies against it that, ultimately, can be leveraged to help resolve the pandemic," said Dr. Maria Rosaria Capobianchi, head of the Virology Department, Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases, which was the first research center in Europe to generated whole genome sequencing data of the coronavirus on Thermo Fisher's Ion Torrent NGS platform. "Viral genomes are dynamic and these preliminary data need further analysis to determine the biological significance of the gene variants and to investigate the evolutionary path of the coronavirus." Professor Stefano Menzo, head of Virology at Ancona University Hospital, said: "Had we investigated other viruses we might have expected up to dozens of new mutations after so many infectious cycles in patients. Our initial data show that this is a very stable RNA virus, with only five novel variants. A virus with a stable genome is good news for vaccine development because it indicates that the effectiveness of vaccines could be more consistent, possibly over many years." The scientists now plan to further analyze the data with Thermo Fisher's new Ion SARS-CoV-2 analysis solution* for variant annotation and consensus sequencing assembly to better understand the impact on disease severity, mode of transmission, and phylogenetic studies. The Ion AmpliSeq SARS-COV-2 Research Panel is a targeted NGS solution that analyzes the entire SARS-CoV-2 genome. It provides an efficient, high-throughput end-to-end workflow for monitoring genomic evolution, which is critical during a rapidly developing pandemic. The panel is optimized to run on the Ion GeneStudio S5 Systems.* Panel Optimization for Genexus System Underway To further expedite NGS analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and to help meet growing customer demand, Thermo Fisher has begun to optimize the Ion AmpliSeq SARS-COV-2 Research Panel for the Ion Torrent Genexus System.* Launched in November 2019, the company's newest sequencing platform automates the entire targeted NGS workflow and can deliver specimen to report economically in as little as 14 hours. Optimization and validation of the research panel on the Genexus System is now underway in collaboration with Thermo Fisher customers. "Thermo Fisher's immediate response to first develop a PCR SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic** assay and now a next-generation sequencing research solution to help customers investigate coronavirus is at the core of our mission," said Peter Silvester, senior vice president and president of Life Sciences Solutions at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "We share the global community's heightened concern during this unprecedented public health crisis and, for this reason, we are continuing to maximize our efforts to provide our laboratory partners, infectious disease researchers and vaccine developers with the most advanced tools in support of their very important work." About Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $25 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 75,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com. * For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. ** Designation as an IVD or as an IVD for emergency use / special access varies from region to region. Mauricio Minotta Thermo Fisher Scientific +1 760 929 2456 +1 760 805-5266 (mobile) Mauricio.minotta@thermofisher.com Jen Heady Greenough Communications +1 617 275 6547 jheady@greenough.biz live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Amid the coronavirus outbreak Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio Infocomm may roll out 'cells on wheels' (CoWs) to ease the increasing pressure on network providers, according to a report by The Economic Times. CoW sites are pieces of infrastructure on which base stations and antennae can be mounted and wheeled to boost capacity and congestion. India is in a lockdown for 21 days starting from March 25, which will place increasing pressure on network providers as people have started working from home. Increased consumption of video services will also add to the network congestion. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the story. A spokesperson for Vodafone Idea told ET that the company was boosting capacity through various means, including addition of CoW sites. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Also Read: Digital companies to cut video-streaming quality to ease network congestion "We have also requested DoT to clear our pending applications for spectrum allocation and are hopeful it will expedite our spectrum liberalisation requests and regularise our backhaul spectrum as well," the spokesperson said. Coronavirus India Lockdown LIVE Once the telecom department clears additional spectrum allocations, telecom companies will apply to local municipalities for approval to set up CoWs. : Reliance Industries Ltd., which owns Jio, is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd) The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has said its members would continue operations as well as scale up the production of essential commodities as the Coronavirus pandemic begins to take a toll on the nations economy. Mansur Ahmed, the MAN president, in a statement Wednesday urged the government to ensure that manufacturers have reasonable access to industrial supplies and inputs such as gas, electricity supply, fuel and other essential infrastructure needs. Given the fundamental role manufacturers will be playing at a time like this, they have been encouraged to sustain ongoing operations to avoid reduction or shut down of production activities; and scale up their production especially of essential commodities such pharmaceuticals, consumables, sanitary and hygiene products needed to curtail the spread of the virus (COVID-19), Mr Ahmed said. Nigerias confirmed coronavirus cases reached 46 on Wednesday as various states adopt different measures in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. States such as Anambra, Ondo, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, and Enugu have ordered the shutdown of schools, markets, motor parks among others. On Wednesday, Nigerian scientists urged the federal government to order a lockdown of the country to prevent the further spread of the virus. Assurances In its statement, MAN lauded the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for not resting on their oars through the drafting of the different protocols for safety disseminated to the general public. The association asked that the financial support offered by the Central Bank of Nigeria be extended to the supply of Forex to the manufacturing sector at pre-COVID-19 rates. They further asked the CBN to consider directing commercial banks to freeze interest charges in the event of a lockdown. In the case of an eventual lockdown, government should consider the introduction of fiscal measures such as waivers on import duties on Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), and other essential products; extend tax holiday to companies on corporate tax, and waive the Value Added Tax (VAT), and reduce the burden of personal income tax as a way of increasing the disposable income of an average Nigerian worker. Government should ensure that all regulatory agencies such as Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Standards Organizations of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) should treat all requests from Manufacturers expeditiously and with the required sensitivity to the prevailing situation. The group also urged the government to ensure its agencies do not act contrary to its directive of permitting essential manufacturing sectors to operate. Ultimately, the association advises safety in all lines of operation. Therefore, manufacturers have been urged to make it a point of duty to assure their employees, vendors, customers and all relevant stakeholders of best health practices, Mr Ahmed said. As manufacturers adhere to safety rules and keeping the economy running, it is expedient that government provide safety nets for these group of its public to ensure seamless operations. By Park Si-soo Fever and a dry cough are said to be among the common symptoms people infected with coronavirus experience. But here is a case defying the norm. , 83, who recently defeated the viral disease, said she had had neither fever nor cough. Instead, she suffered an "extreme headache" whose severity was like "being struck on the head with a hammer." Park put herself into a self-isolation on Feb. 19 after she was told that a churchgoer she had contact with contracted the virus. She felt nothing wrong at the beginning but symptoms emerged on the last day of the 14-day isolation, which was March 4. "Extreme headache struck me," Park recalled. "It felt like being hit on the head with a hammer." She later learned the headache was the result of a coronavirus-driven rise in her blood pressure. "The pain continued even after taking a headache pill," she said. After testing positive for coronavirus, she was taken to Busan Medical Center where she spent two weeks combating the virus. The "hammer-struck" headache continued at the hospital but there were no typical symptoms of coronavirus infection, she said "The pain was relieved after taking a headache pill but it returned shortly after," she said. Throughout the treatment, Park said, she felt tired and lethargic and had no appetite. After recovering fully, she now has no headache. "Don't let your guard down believing you won't be infected," Park said. "Everybody can be infected. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to all the people who treated me." How sick Canadian travellers are masking COVID-19 symptoms to get through airport screening Canadians desperate to return home from abroad in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic are easily circumventing air travel screening aimed at preventing sick and infected passengers from boarding planes, CBC News has found. Some are simply hiding symptoms from officials to ensure they can get back home. CBC News has found a number of instances where sick travellers have boarded airplanes back to Canada, no matter the risks of spreading infection. "Now is just the worst time to be coughing, sneezing or reporting any kind of symptom at an airport," said one university student in Toronto, who flew home from Spain on March 14. She admitted she purposely hid her symptoms and the fact she'd been suffering a fever hours before boarding the flight. "It wasn't information you volunteered. So I just stayed quiet about it." CBC has agreed to withhold her name to shield her from backlash, given that she travelled two days before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced anyone with symptoms would be barred from boarding return flights. Further, she was only officially diagnosed with COVID-19 after she got home, and public health officials are now tracking all of her contacts. WATCH | Canadian woman talks about decision to fly home despite feeling ill She said she wasn't sick when she bought her ticket, but developed a fever the day before her flight and took precautions to wear a mask and gloves on the plane to prevent the spread of any illness. Although she didn't technically flout the rule set out by the government, her experience reflects that of many Canadians stuck abroad during the pandemic. "My priority was just being able to get on the first flight back to Canada. You know, no matter what the consequences were," she said, citing pressure from her university, the Canadian government and family, who all implored her to come home. Her case demonstrates just how weak Canada's screening of air travellers is, given it relies solely on voluntary reporting of symptoms. Story continues Even the "enhanced screening" adopted in recent days amounts to a simple series of health questions put to air travellers and does not involve any physical detection, testing or thermal screening now being used in many other countries. Temptation 'to lie' Jane Salhani of Aurora, Ont., which is north of Toronto, flew home from Munich on Sunday aboard an Air Canada flight where an obviously sick traveller had passengers and attendants on edge. "This one woman, she was wearing a mask. She coughed the entire nine hours. I mean, everybody on that flight was extremely unnerved by it," Salhani told CBC News. (Disclosure: Salhani is related to one of the authors of this article.) Nathan Denette/Canadian Press Salhani recalled airline officials asking passengers whether they felt ill or had fever before boarding, but figured it isn't terribly effective in keeping sick people off planes. "I'm sure the temptation is there to lie, because you want to get home to your own health system ... if you're not feeling well, right? You don't want to be stuck in a foreign country," she said. Now at home in self-isolation with her husband, Salhani wondered whether airline and public health officials will be in touch about potential exposure. She noted the sick passenger was taken aside and interviewed on arrival at Toronto's Pearson Airport, as all arriving passengers were handed pamphlets instructing them to self-isolate for 14 days. "I'm sure we got on that plane healthy," Salhani said. "I'm not sure we got off that plane healthy." Reliance on honour system The World Health Organization issued an advisory in mid-February calling on all countries to question all travellers about symptoms, and to implement "detection of ill travellers" at airports and border crossings to stem the COVID-19 outbreak. Canada, facing criticism over a lack of screening both at international airports and upon arrival in Canada, imposed new orders to all airlines last Wednesday to prevent travellers with COVID-19 symptoms from boarding international flights to Canada. But the "health check" imposed by Transport Canada billed as "detection of ill travellers" is a total honour system that simply requires airline staff to observe boarding passengers and ask them if they've felt ill or have had a fever. Both Air Canada and WestJet said they have barred some passengers from boarding flights, but declined to say just how many. CBC has spoken to many travellers who've recently returned to Canada who noticed the new questions posed when they boarded their flight homes. Facebook/Eugene Haslam Eugene Haslam, who flew home to Montreal from Paris on Sunday on Air Transat, said the airline had signs, overhead announcements and staff asking questions before boarding. But he acknowledged this approach will only work if travellers are honest. He said that he understands the need to "act accordingly" and not put "others at risk," but acknowledged that other travellers think differently. "A lot of people will say, 'Screw it! I don't care!' And that's where the problem lies," Haslam said. 'We don't have superpowers' The situation has air crews and their unions calling for more safeguards to prevent sick travellers from boarding aircraft. "We're being told daily that there are people coming back ill. [There are] people coming back, you know, wearing masks, protecting themselves, but they're still ill passengers," said Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. WATCH | Union president describes some of the anxiety airline workers feel He said flight attendants are currently exempt from the 14-day self-isolation rules and that many are worried they are being unfairly exposed to the virus. "We don't have superpowers. We need to realize that we're humans, too. And we can contract the same things that a passenger can on board," he said. Canada has not yet adopted measures to test arriving passengers for the coronavirus, as is being done in at least a dozen countries around the world. Commonly these are temperature checks or thermal screenings to detect passengers with a fever, and it's being done in countries like the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Indonesia. REUTERS A number of Canadians flying home from Mexico this past week report that airport authorities in that country are screening all passengers for fevers using thermal-sensing cameras, noting Canada has no such technology in place. 'Dangerous' working conditions Signs of stepped-up screening at the four Canadian airports that are still receiving international flights in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal include increased signage and additional Canadian Border Services Agency officers asking passengers questions. Flight attendants say its simply not enough. In recent days, they have been provided N-95 masks and gloves, but one flight attendant for Air Canada who works on transatlantic flights said she and her colleagues are being put at risk. "Why aren't we forced to quarantine when we get back home?" she asked. (CBC is not naming her as she is not authorized to speak publicly.) Ben Nelms/CBC "If I've caught something, I pass it on to many, many more!" she wrote in a text message. "We are just going to keep spreading it all over the world again." "As much as I'm proud to repatriate all my fellow Canadians, I'm also getting scared to work in these dangerous conditions." With files from Matthew Pierce Putin, Modi exchange views on situation surrounding coronavirus pandemic India pti-Madhuri Adnal Moscow, Mar 25: Ahead of the G20 emergency summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation on Wednesday during which they exchanged views on the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. "In line with the ongoing confidential dialogue reflecting the special nature of the Russian-Indian strategic partnership, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi informed each other in detail about the measures introduced in both countries to counter the spread of this infection," said a statement issued by the Kremlin. Mutual appreciation was expressed for the efforts being made to ensure the health and safety of Russian citizens in India and Indian citizens in Russia, it said. The two leaders agreed to strengthen coordination in the fight against the coronavirus, it added. Saudi Arabia, which currently holds the G20 presidency, last week called for the "virtual summit" following criticism that the powerful group of major economies had been slow to address the global crisis. Saudi King Salman will chair the summit, which would be attended by G20 leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, President Putin and US President Donald Trump, on Thursday to advance the coordinated response to the novel coronavirus pandemic that has claimed nearly 19,000 lives and upended life and businesses across the globe. This article was reported and written in partnership with Type Investigations, where the authors are on staff. AMID THE ONGOING COVID-19 OUTBREAK, which by some counts has infected more than 50 thousand people in the US, shops and restaurants are not the only operations shutting down. Across the country, local, state, and federal agencies have slowed their responses to public records requests to a crawl. While some agencies face tricky logistical challenges because of how records are kept, others have added new barriers that dont seem directly related to the pandemic. The FBI has stopped processing electronic records requests, reported BuzzFeed News; now, the bureau requires that requests be sent via postal mail. Due to the emerging COVID-19 situation, the agency wrote in a message posted to its FOIA website, the FBI is not accepting electronic Freedom of Information/Privacy Act requests or sending out electronic responses through the eFOIPA portal at this time. You may still submit a FOIPA request via standard mail. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. The message did not explain the relationship between the pandemic and the restriction to postal requests only. READ: How the COVID Tracking Project fills the public health data gap The State Department has gone further, reporter Jason Leopold found, suspending FOIA operations entirely until further notice. Journalist Emma Best, who has filed more than 1,600 FOIA requests with the FBI, is concerned that the FBI and other agencies are using the virus as an obstructive step. Last week, Best FOIAd 27 federal departments and agencies for their COVID-19 freedom of information request policies, in an effort to track to what extent the governments transparency programs are faltering. The Defense Intelligence Agency told Best it couldnt provide a timetable to process Bests request for information about the impact of COVID-19 on its records response processes, because of COVID-19s impact on its records response processes. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The city of Philadelphia has entered a state of emergency in which all nonessential city government operations have been halted, including the processing of public records requests. Those with urgent requests, according to guidance from the city, may email the citys public records division asking for continued processing. The Washington, D.C., city council has gone further, passing emergency legislation that, among other measures, explicitly permits delaying all FOI requests until the district declares the crisis over. Other agencies, including the Fresno, California, city government; the Hawaii state Judiciary; the Chicago Police Department; and the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Department of General Services have similarly notified requesters that responses to their requests are on hold indefinitely due to the countrys public health crisis. Part of the slowdown is the shift by many agencies to a work-from-home model, in order to promote social distancing. Some materials may not be accessible from public records officers homes. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has called on agencies to provide their employees and contractors the necessary tools and resources to continue processing records requests remotely. The Reporters Committee is crowdsourcing a database of impacts across the country, with updates from 22 agencies in 14 states thus far. Texass Public Information Act requires state agencies to promptly produce public information in response to requests. If an agency takes longer than 10 business days to fulfill a request, it has to provide an estimate of when it will release the information. However, if an agency closes its physical offices for public health reasons, days during the closure are not considered business days, even if staff is working remotely, according to a press release from the attorney generals office. Its always been the case that if a governmental office is shut down, that doesnt count as one of the business days, says Kelley Shannon, executive director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. We do have concerns about what will happen if it goes on too long or we start seeing abuse of the situation. Governments are going to have to operate even amid this COVID-19 concern. I certainly hope they come up with systems to abide by not only the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law. That is, the public has the right to information about how its government is operating. Its of utmost importance at all times, but particularly now in a time of crisis. The Markup, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to monitoring the tech industry, recently filed public records requests to government health agencies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., to try to get information about COVID-19 testing protocols. So far, they have only received the requested documents from two or three states, says Colin Lecher, a reporter at The Markup, and several states have told him to expect delays. A lot of reporters would say the FOIA system is already broken, but this is just exposing the seams of it. Additional reporting by Maha Ahmed RELATED: COVID-19 is spawning a global press-freedom crackdown Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Richard Salame and Nina Zweig are staff members of Type Investigations, where Salame is a journalist and assistant editor; Zweig is a fact-checker and researcher; and Ahmed is the head of research. Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli and wife Lisa welcomed their third child, a baby girl, earlier this week. But the Nova host claims he was almost banned from witnessing the special moment amid coronavirus fears. On Wednesday's Fitzy And Wippa show, he said a nurse was hesitant to let him into the birthing suite with his wife after having contact with TV host, Richard Wilkins, who has tested positive for COVID-19. Scroll down for video 'Have you been in contact with Richard Wilkins?!' How a nurse tried to stop Wippa (pictured) from entering the birthing suite as his wife went into labour The couple, who have been in self-isolation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, also share sons Theodore, four, and Jack, three. 'Were about to wheel her into the surgery where all the doctors are waiting, and then this Irish nurse says, "Stop everything! Theres a note here (that says) Ive got to ask this question: Youve been in touch with Richard Wilkins. Who is Richard Wilkins and why is he important?"' he recalled. Luckily for Wippa, he tested negative for COVID-19 last week after the entire Nova team underwent testing on March 15 as a precaution. Richard, a Weekend Today star, had appeared on their show as a guest on Thursday, March 12 and soon after tested positive for COVID-19. Thumbs up! The baby announcement comes after the entire Nova FM tested negative for coronavirus last week. Pictured: Michael broadcasting from home Positive case: Richard, a Weekend Today star, had appeared on their show as a guest last Thursday and soon after tested positive for COVID-19. Pictured on March 24 Wippa later joked that while in the delivery room he unintentionally upset one of the operating doctors. 'One guy was talking about how hed booked his flight for the Olympics. He hadnt got the news yet that the Olympics had been postponed,' he explained. 'I said, "Oh, I think theyve cancelled it mate." He was holding forceps, hes got tools in his hands he stopped and went, "what do you mean? Youre breaking the news to me now?"' Baby joy: The couple, who have been in self-isolation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, are now parents to a baby girl but they're yet to decide on a name. Pictured: Lisa during her pregnancy The couples' baby news was announced on Fitzy & Wippa on Wednesday, and during the show Wippa confirmed their daughter was yet to be named. Despite his son Jack claiming his little sister was going to be named Ruby, the radio host instead it wasn't true. 'Its a point of discussion,' Wippa joked about not seeing eye-to-eye with his wife on a name. Chinese students are paying tens of thousands of pounds for seats on private jets to escape the US, as the countrys coronavirus outbreak threatens to spiral out of control. With the number of deaths and cases in America rapidly accelerating more than 780 people have died so far the World Health Organization has warned that the US could establish itself as the new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic. In a world of closed borders and grounded commercial planes, those people with the means to are now fleeing the country in anticipation of a nationwide lockdown that would further restrict movement in and out of the US. Rather than making the long 60-hour journey home via a series of transit hops over the Pacific, wealthy Chinese students are using private planes to ensure their safe return home. Annelies Garcia, commercial director for Private Fly, a global booking service for charter flights, said education agents and American schools were typically making contact on behalf of the Chinese families looking to group together to arrange a private charter, given the lack of airline flights. Whereas the first two months of the year saw a spike in private jet flights out of China to the US, Australia and elsewhere, the phenomenon has since been flipped on its head as the pandemic takes root in the West while Asia slowly returns to normality. Earlier this month, Hong Kong international airport reported one of its busiest days on record for private jet activity, as wealthy residents and Chinese visitors rushed back to the region. This comes amid a reduction in commercial flights, which is making it harder for people living and working overseas to return home. ForwardKeys, a travel analytics company, has estimated that as many as 3.3 million seats on transatlantic flights alone are disappearing, while aviation data provider VariFlight recorded that 3,102 out of 3,800 planned commercial flights to and from China were cancelled on Tuesday. Jeff Gong, a lawyer in Shanghai, said his daughter, a high school student in Wisconsin, had begged him to fly her home after he asked whether she wanted 180,000 yuan (21,440) as pocket money or a one-way ticket on a private flight. My daughter begged me to get her back home ... She said No papa, I dont want the money, I want to go home, Mr Gong told Reuters. Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Show all 12 1 /12 Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions NO2-concentrations-us-NEW-YORK-1.jpg Weighted mean NO2 concentrations in cities across US. They are weighted using quality information provided by the satellite data provider. Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions New York Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Denver Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Denver Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Chicago Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Chicago Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Detroit Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Detroit Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Houston Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Houston Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Los Angeles Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Los Angeles Descartes Labs Richard Zaher, CEO of a US-based private jet charter, said that while his usual clients were flying as they normally do, his company had seen a surge in queries from people who had never flown private before. Inquiries have gone through the roof, he told AFP, noting his company Paramount Business Jets had seen a 400 percent increase in queries, with bookings up roughly 20-25 percent. It is completely coronavirus, he added. But even the window for chartered flights is closing fast, further elevating prices. Beijing has banned all chartered flights from overseas and Shanghai is expected to follow suit soon. Hong Kong and Macau have meanwhile blocked transit flights. To complicate matters further, air charter providers have been notified informally that private jets registered in the US are not allowed to land in China, and vice versa, according to Reuters. Some companies, such as US-based Air Charter Service, which can fly passengers from Los Angeles to Shanghai for about $23,000, are circumventing the restrictions by either getting planes from other countries to run the US-China routes or arranging transfers in Tokyo Logan Ravishkansar, chief executive of MyJet Asia, a Singapore-based private jet firm, said it was far simpler to charter planes during the Sars outbreak of 2003: We also saw huge demand back then but it was a lot easier to fly in and out of countries. This time around, governments have put on more controls. Additional reporting by Reuters N ew Zealand has declared a state of national emergency as the country prepared to go into a complete lockdown at midnight to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Cases of the Covid-19 in the country surged to 205 as the government imposed self-isolation for everyone, with all non-essential services, schools and offices to be shut for a month. "From midnight tonight, we bunker down for four weeks to try and stop the virus in its tracks, to break the chain, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told parliament on Wednesday. "Make no mistake this will get worse before it gets better. We will have a lag and cases will increase for the next week or so. Then well begin to know how successful we have been." The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA Ms Ardern told parliament the lockdown was triggered by early evidence of community transmission of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. A record 50 new cases were confirmed on Wednesday. "If you have any questions about what you can or cant do, apply a simple principle: Act like you have Covid-19," She said. "Every move you then make is a risk to someone else. That is how we must all collectively think. Thats why the joy of physically visiting other family, children, grandchildren, friends, neighbours is on hold. Because we are all now putting each other first. And that is what we as a nation do so well. New Zealand, with about 5 million people, has fewer infections than many other countries, but Ms Ardern's government wants to move fast to halt the spread. It was one of the first to force all arriving travellers into self-isolation and to ban indoor and outdoor gatherings. All non-essential services, bars, restaurants, cafes, gyms, cinemas, pools, museums, libraries, playgrounds and any other place where the public congregate will be closed. Supermarkets, doctors, pharmacies, service stations and access to essential banking services will all be available. Ms Ardern warned the restrictions will be strictly enforced. This is only the second time in New Zealands history that a national emergency has been declared, with the first one on 23 February 2011 after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the South Island city of Christchurch, killing almost 200. Cases in neighbouring Australia have soared past 2,250 and officials have warned infections could overwhelm medical services. On March 4, the Supreme Court lifted the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) ban on cryptocurrency transactions. The RBI had imposed this ban since April 2018, which curbed a wide range of cryptocurrency based activity in India. Now, with this verdict, investors in cryptocurrencies and exchanges that allow trading in them have got a new life. Will this work in favour for both? Moneycontrol spoke to three crypto currency experts to get their views. Mukul Shrivastava, Partner, Forensic and Integrity Services, EY It is a mixed-bag of risk and rewards. Savvy investors track technological advances to reap benefits. However, it is equally important to be educated and aware as an economy, a crypto-exchange, a trader or a consumer to build a broader ecosystem where innovation thrives, and threats are mitigated. Cryptocurrencies gained acceptability, but they need to be seen as a double-edged sword in todays volatile, risk-averse environment. For instance, there is a no central authority to regulate, take ownership or provide security to safeguard crypto assets. There is ease of use and making transactions on a real-time basis, with no cross-border restrictions. Anonymity is offered, but there is virtually no know-your-customer (KYC) requirement, which makes it a concern from a traceability point of view. One of the major issues is that crypto accounts can be used for illicit purposes that are impossible to track. This makes it worrisome. Creating a crypto wallet requires just an internet-enabled device. With limited information technology literacy, this can expose users to high-risk situations and make them potential targets for cyber criminals. The resurrection of cryptocurrencies will depend on how the ecosystem can grow while mitigating risks. Nischal Shetty, Founder & CEO, WazirX We need to initiate dialogue with the Indian policymakers and regulators and work towards creating a crypto regulatory framework in India. Recently, South Korea legalised crypto. Japan and Australia have a positive outlook towards crypto as well. More and more countries are setting up regulation for crypto now. Regulating crypto will be a huge win for India as it will lead to more blockchain-focused startups, more jobs, and more tax revenue for the government. Crypto is a new-age asset class; we shouldnt pit it against fiat currencies. Currency is just one of the many possible use-cases of crypto. Moreover, the financial action task force (FATF) guidelines clearly states that crypto is not a threat to the global economy, and can be regulated properly. FATF has, in fact, even submitted a crypto standard regulation report to G20 countries, and India is a G20 member. Both crypto and fiat can co-exist and, in fact, crypto can help banks solve the existing problems for millions of unbanked people. Due to the note ban, Indians had to use peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms for transactions, but the banking channel will be even more successful as it's more convenient for users. It will make it very easy for Indians to start trading in crypto. Dr Garrick Hileman, Head of Research at Blockchain.com Cryptocurrencies will serve as a foundational layer for a new wave of global financial services that empowers end-users to effectively be their own banks. We've long believed that India will be one of the leading countries for cryptocurrency and digital asset adoption as a natural progression toward a cashless Indian economy. The Supreme Court's decision to support innovation by legalising bitcoin and cryptocurrency trading is a major step in the right direction for both India's consumers and crypto businesses that want to serve them. Not only will this decision expand the daily use of cryptocurrencies in India, it will also attract new talent and innovation that will support the countrys own blockchain and distributed ledger technology initiatives. Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that runs on blockchain technology. Countries that embrace public cryptocurrencies will attract talent and generate domestic technology advantages that will help them win the blockchain technology race. A recent example of this occurred in China, which partially relaxed regulations around cryptocurrency mining following President Xis speech announcing blockchain technology as a national priority. India has developed a strong position in developing next-generation blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, and this infusion of talent and enhanced regulatory clarity will only help Indian firms develop regional and global leadership positions. By Troy Stangarone The situation that the world faces today is grave. Borders are being shut and economies are coming to a standstill. French President Emanuel Macron put it simply, "We are at war." While the crisis being fought today is not a war in the sense of troops in battle, lives are at stake and the tactics used to preserve them will have significant economic consequences. The first priority must remain dealing with the public health emergency from the coronavirus. Despite steps to shut borders and isolate countries, the coronavirus can most efficiently be tackled through cooperation. Here South Korea can help the international community. Its rapid expansion of testing, transparency, and use of technology have helped to flatten the curve of COVID-19's spread. But an important secondary consideration is how nations handle the economic consequences of containing the spread of the coronavirus. As the world's major economies resort to social isolation policies to stop the spread of COVID-19, economic activity is increasingly becoming constrained. Four former chief economists at the International Monetary Fund believe that the global economy has already entered a recession, meaning global growth is expected to slow to less than 2.5 percent. Others, such as Bloomberg Intelligence think the damage could be deeper. It previously suggested that a global pandemic from COVID-19 could slow global growth to 0.1 percent. On a national level, Oxford Economics estimates that the U.S. economy could contract by 12 percent in the second quarter of this year, while Capital Economics estimates that China's economy may have contracted by 20 percent in the first quarter. Much of Europe remains under quarantine and will face similar economic challenges. For South Korea there has been a supply shock from the closure of key supply chains in China and increasingly a demand shock as South Korea's trading partners head for recession or enact travel restrictions. For some sectors the shock has been manageable to date. Through the first 10 days of March, South Korea's average daily exports were only down 2.5 percent after a decline of only 1.5 percent through the first two months. We should expect those numbers to deteriorate in the days ahead. In early March, the United States had yet to begin any social isolation policies and Italy's national quarantine had only been in place for a couple of days. Trade data is likely one area where the ultimate effects on the economy are lagging. Some areas, such as the airline industry, have seen immediate declines. With more than 150 countries placing travel restrictions or warnings on South Korea, travel has come to a grinding halt. Korean Air has reduced capacity by 80 percent. Asiana Airlines has cut its capacity by 70 percent and budget airlines have been largely grounded. Estimates only a couple of weeks ago from the International Air Transport Association suggested that minimal spread of COVID-19 around the world cost South Korea's airline industry $2.8 billion. Now there are increasing suggestions that airlines worldwide may be bankrupt by the end of May. The decline in international travel also means losses for the tourism industry. Based on those prior modest travel declines South Korea's tourism industry would have seen losses of $2.4 billion. These will likely be significantly higher now. As a result of the domestic spread of COVID-19 and the decline in international visitors, the restaurant industry has seen nearly a 60 percent decline in customers. All of these industries face direct economic challenges and little prospect in the near future of seeing customers return. Managing these and other economic consequences of the coronavirus in the months ahead will require South Korea to ensure that companies maintain access to liquidity. But in time, without customers, even cheap access to capital will not keep businesses afloat. If workers are laid off or placed on unpaid leave, domestic demand will weaken even further. President Moon Jae-in has formed the Emergency Economic Council to manage the economic situation and provide assistance to small- and medium-sized enterprises. During the council meeting last week, the government came up with an economic rescue package worth 50 trillion won ($40 billion) to help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the self-employed which have suffered the most from the impact of the coronavirus. On Tuesday, President Moon doubled the amount to 100 trillion won to provide more assistance not only to SMEs but also big businesses. And 48 trillion won of the money will be used to stabilize the financial markets. This rescue package forms important first steps. Financial assistance should be provided swiftly to hard-hit firms. Those businesses outside of the airline and hotel industry most vulnerable to the crisis are small shops that have the least ability to weather the crisis. But a more direct fiscal stimulus, perhaps coupled with a requirement that the airline industry and others retain their workers will be necessary. It may still be too early to know what the final damage from the coronavirus will be, but there is the real risk of a severe recession. To minimize that risk as much as possible it is better to be bold than to act too slowly. Troy Stangarone (ts@keia.org) is the senior director of congressional affairs and trade at the Korea Economic Institute. Wynford Dore ...the cerebellum has a far more important role than previously thought. AutismOne today announced the complementary presentations of Dr. Albert Mensah and Wynford Dore on May 23, 2020. Following a family members despair due to learning struggles, innovator Wynford Dore of the UK partnered with researchers to discover and implement life-changing methods for individuals to learn and flourish, thus improving their quality of life. Dores work stemmed from research from Harvard Medical School indicating that the cerebellum has a far more important role than previously thought. The cerebellum doesn't just control motor and balance coordination -- it is involved with a wide range of cognitive, memory, and emotional control functions. Dores Zing Performance, an individualized exercise program whereby brain plasticity is increased, has yielded rapid progress in learning and skill development. Dore teams with a world-class expert panel. He is a board member of The REACH Institute in New York, which is a charity dedicated to supporting families with children with learning issues. Wynford Dore will present at the AutismOne 2020 Conference on Saturday, May 23rd on Brain Plasticity, Neuroscience, and Overcoming Limitations to Unlock Hidden Potential. Albert H. Mensah, MD, is the co-founder of Mensah Medical in Warrenville, IL, a clinic that specializes in the treatment of biochemical imbalances and the cognitive (and physical) disorders caused by those imbalances. As a physician in this specialized field since 2005, Dr. Mensah has treated over 30,000 patients using all-natural, non-pharmaceutical, targeted nutrient therapy. His practice focuses on the management and treatment of cognitive disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, behavior/learning disorders, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, anxiety syndromes, childhood and adult schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and family medicine. More recently, Dr. Mensah co-founded the Mensah Research Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to conducting, supporting, and presenting research that provides scientific evidence of the efficacy of targeted nutrient therapy and other natural approaches to improving brain function and to enhancing and optimizing mind/body health and balance. Dr. Mensah will speak at the AutismOne 2020 Conference on Saturday, May 23rd on What We Know Now: Treating the Root Causes of Autism and Other Learning, Behavioral, and Neurological Conditions. Said DJ Wells of Mensah Medical: Mensah Medical collaborates with Wynford Dore in the use of Zing Performance. DJ emphasized that Zing is an excellent complement to biomedical remediation offered at Mensah Medical: Were seeing good results with individuals who use Zing Performance in our clinic. You need to get your chemistry straight so you can be most effective once you get started with the Zing Performance program. The AutismOne 2020 Conference will be held at the beautiful Loews Chicago OHare Hotel, which is just ten minutes from Chicago OHare International Airport, May 20-24. For more information or to register, please visit http://www.autismoneconference.com. WASHINGTON The rapid spread of the coronavirus has sent a large number of federal workers home to telework, in some cases limiting government services, raising concerns that some of the nations highly sensitive national security work, which can often only be done in secure facilities, could suffer. With national security agencies having to choose between forcing employees to show up for work and risk getting infected or staying home and not working, a number of people working in and around intelligence are raising the prospect that the work of espionage could be hampered. The COVID-19 pandemic provides an unprecedented challenge to the intelligence community, said Larry Pfeiffer, the director of George Mason Universitys Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security and a former senior intelligence officer. They are operating with one hand tied behind their backs. The acting head of the Office of Management and Budget, Russel Vought, has continued to issue increasingly strict guidance to federal agencies to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Most federal employees are now working from home, including some White House staffers. But for intelligence officers working on highly classified issues, whether satellite imagery of North Korean missile launches or an Iranian attack, telework often isnt an option. Its clear that government agencies plan for all sorts of crazy contingencies and things that may pop up, from acts of God to inclement weather to acts of terrorism. Theyve thought about and talked about pandemics, said Evan Lesser, the co-founder of ClearanceJobs, a website and career network for workers with security clearances. However, were definitely in uncharted territory at this point. Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP (3), Getty Images (2) Senior officials are now trying to decide on strategies for dealing with the pandemic, and many agencies, including the Office of the Director of National intelligence (ODNI), the FBI and the Defense Intelligence Agency, are implementing shift work and social distancing in the office for essential personnel, according to current and former intelligence and national security officials. They are also authorizing others working on open source intelligence, or other less sensitive areas, to work remotely. Story continues The ODNI is reducing staff contact through a variety of options including staggered shifts, flexible schedules, and social distancing practices, wrote a spokesperson in an email. Intelligence agencies are also developing and implementing appropriate response plans consistent with federal guidelines and regulations. Remote work isnt the only problem facing the intelligence community; its employees are also having to analyze and brief on threats, including the coronavirus itself, for a president who initially downplayed the severity of the pandemic. Morale is super low, said one former intelligence officer in touch with current employees. However, Lesser says, intelligence officers are accustomed to risk and working through challenges. Keep in mind, everyone with a security clearance understands they are willingly taking on risk, he said. The mission-critical national security work will go on. The impact of the pandemic is spread across the community in different ways. Many employees remain in their offices in Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities, or SCIFs, enclosed areas that are hardened against eavesdropping. Some work can be done from encrypted cellphones, and a number of top senior officials have rooms in their homes or nearby that are secured for remote work. The community has even deployed mobile SCIFs in certain instances, including for briefing the president at major summits in foreign countries or for the FBI while monitoring major events. However, those options dont extend to the vast majority of workers. Lesser of ClearanceJobs told Yahoo News that of his conversations with people in the intelligence field, workers fall into two categories: those that understand their jobs are critical and assume they will continue to come into the office, and those who are unsure whether their job duties are vital. Theyre trying to get understanding around it, said Lesser. As a result, the machinery of the intelligence community is slimming down, leading to smaller briefing teams and fewer analytic assessments going out to senior policymakers. For analysts who distribute their intelligence reports, its unclear whether their work is reaching the government officials who need to see them. And for case officers and undercover officials with and without diplomatic immunity, the challenges of meeting with and cultivating foreign sources are only made harder. The coronavirus and the limitations it imposes on socializing could make large swaths of the globe almost inaccessible, wrote former CIA officers Alex Finley, Jonna Mendez and David Priess for legal blog Lawfare. The biggest challenge [operations-wise] is meeting with agents worldwide, said one former senior intelligence officer. But we manage, as always. The coronavirus also threatens the contractors working on intelligence, a large bulk of the workforce. The Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), a nonprofit trade association for current and former national security workers, asked top government officials to bolster the health of governments industry partners in the national security sector, which face dire financial straits as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Lawmakers working on a stimulus package to recharge a wilting economy are considering provisions that would dole out continued payment to contractors, or equitable adjustments for delays in completing projects. This authority is greatly needed to ensure federal agencies maintain access to workers including highly skilled cleared national security personnel who can carry out their missions during this crisis and beyond, said Larry Hanauer, INSAs vice president of policy in an email to Yahoo News. All federal agencies are required to have continuity-of-operations plans in case of a national emergency to include pandemics most of the preparations involve securing people in a facility rather than having them work remotely. Theyve got all sorts of plans for national emergencies, said Greg Treverton, the former chair of the National Intelligence Council within the ODNI and current professor at University of Southern California. But there wasnt much effort at all as to how you might work remotely. This is so unique, he told Yahoo News. In years past, the focus of preparations for the intelligence community has been on external threats rather than disease. Global pandemics, although identified in worldwide threat assessments as of high priority, have surely never been resourced or funded with the priority of counterterrorism or regional threats like Iran, said Pfeiffer, the former intelligence officer who served as chief of staff to former NSA and CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden. Another unique problem intelligence officials face if they work from home is being a target of foreign attacks or espionage. Employees accessing the internet at home, even for unclassified purposes, create cybersecurity risk, says Jamil Jaffer, senior vice president of strategy, partnerships and corporate development at IronNet Cybersecurity. Bad actors may take advantage of the fact that secure methods of communication can be harder to access or use, and may leverage that difficulty to push users to more insecure methods, he said, citing a virtual private network being slow or malfunctioning as one such opportunity. In this environment where more people are remote than usual, its something an adversary might be looking at, continued Jaffer, who previously served in the White House, the Department of Justices National Security Division, and within the House Intelligence Committee. More generally, crises like the coronavirus present adversaries with a moment to get away with behavior that would normally elicit a strong U.S. response, such as attacks by Iranian proxies on American forces overseas, he said. If they think that we are weak in this moment, they will continue to seek to exploit that perceived vulnerability. Lesser of ClearanceJobs says he is urging national security workers to not try and work from home, because it is inherently not secure. They should be watching what they talk about on the phone, even a secure phone, because if they live in an apartment or townhouse, they may be sharing walls, Lesser said. Who knows whos listening. This story has augmented reality! Tap the video above to see how it looks and download the Yahoo News app to launch the full experience. Augmented reality is currently available to iPhone users (iPhone 8 and later) with the latest version of iOS. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: [March 25, 2020] OPTIZMO Focuses on Client Data Security AUSTIN, Texas, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OPTIZMO Technologies, the industry leader in email and SMS suppression list management and compliance, announces product enhancements that will allow the delivery of an even higher level of data security to all of its clients and partners in 2020. For many companies, data is their most valuable asset. Whether this relates to customer data or other product and marketing data, it is vital that this data be secured and protected. As a trusted steward of its clients data, OPTIZMO works to not only maintain but constantly enhance its industry-leading data security capabilities. With this in mind, the company has made two recent enhancements to its technology platform and processes. OPTIZMO recently rolled out an enhanced authentication process for marketing partners who access the companys platform in order to obtain suppression data they use to ensure their email campaigns are not sent to any addresses that have previously opted out. This new authentication process is just the first step in creating a robust platform for advertisers email partners that will empower them to more effectively manage their compliance initiatives. Another key component of info security is providing options for encrypting customer data in vrious ways. OPTIZMO empowers clients to use either MD5 or SHA-512 as methods for hashing their data, to protect their data. MD5 has been the industry standard for email address security for years, but SHA-512 is now the most secure form of data hashing available to the industry. While similar to MD5, SHA-512 utilizes a 512-bit hash value, as opposed to a 128-bit output, which greatly increases the complexity of the hashed records, making them even more secure. Our clients data security has been at the core of our platform and business practices since our inception in 2009, said Khris Thayer, CEO of OPTIZMO. Our development and product team is always working on ways to enhance our current processes and technology to ensure we continue to offer our clients and partners the absolute best options when it comes to protecting their data. These two recent updates take our industry-standard data security process and technology to an even higher level moving forward. OPTIZMO will continue to roll out enhancements and new capabilities to its technology platform in 2020, to further support its clients needs around email marketing. Going forward, digital marketing will be more important to advertiser success than ever before, and OPTIZMO is dedicated to supporting the continued growth of the email and SMS marketing channels in a way that protects client data and empowers consumers to make choices in how they receive marketing messaging. ABOUT OPTIZMO OPTIZMO Technologies is the recognized thought-leader in the email and online marketing space for email suppression list management, email campaign management, data management, and risk mitigation services relative to email compliance. With an expert staff in pursuit of unrivaled efficiency, innovative technology and an insatiable desire to problem-solve, clients find a customer-centric business model that not only enhances the way OPTIZMO clients do business but drives the company forward. The company is headquartered in Austin, TX, and has offices and team members in Charleston, Denver, and Brisbane, Australia. www.optizmo.com Media Contact: Tom Wozniak Executive Director of Marketing [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Nobel Prize winning biology professor has provided a bit of good news amidst the coronavirus gloom; the US may see a downturn in new cases sooner than some models have predicted. Michael Levitt, a Stanford University biology professor and a 2013 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, said his models predict the virus is not likely to dwindle on for months or years and most importantly is not likely to cause millions of deaths. Mr Levitt previously predicted correctly when China would experience and endure the worst of its coronavirus crisis. Speaking with the LA Times, Mr Levitt said he wasnt prepared to offer a specific date for the end of the coronavirus crisis in America, but said that there are clear signs of slowed growth. What we need is to control the panic were going to be fine, he said. In an interview with Calcalist, an Israeli financial newsletter, Mr Levitt explained why he didnt agree with models of exponential growth that many organisations were using as the basis of their predictions. In exponential growth models, you assume that new people can be infected every day, because you keep meeting new people. But, if you consider your own social circle, you basically meet the same people every day, he said. You can meet new people on public transportation, for example; but even on the bus, after sometime most passengers will either be infected or immune. Mr Levitt said that social distancing measures have been helpful in reducing the virus ability to spread rapidly. He suggested that the higher percentage of elderly people in Italy paired with the countrys vibrant social culture resulted in the explosion of cases in that country. Furthermore, Italian culture is very warm and Italians have a very rich social life. For these reasons, it is important to keep people apart and prevent sick people from coming into contact with healthy people, he said. That was his initial concern with the United States. Currently, I am most worried about the US. It must isolate as many people as possible to buy time for preparations. Otherwise, it can end up in a situation where 20,000 infected people will descend on the nearest hospital at the same time and the healthcare system will collapse, he said. Mr Levitt said that while isolating was an important step to fighting viral spread, he also believes a certain segment of the population may be naturally immune to the disease. We know China was under almost complete quarantine, people only left home to do crucial shopping and avoided contact with others. In Wuhan, which had the highest number of infection cases in the Hubei province, everyone had a chance of getting infected, but only 3 percent caught it, he said. Even on the Diamond Princess [the quarantined cruise ship] the infection rate did not top 20 percent. He said those numbers suggest that some people simply are immune or especially resistant to the virus. Mr Levitts predictions stand in contrast to those that suggest we may be dealing with the coronavirus for months or even years. A man has been arrested in North Carolina after filming himself lying about having coronavirus. In a Facebook Live video, Justin Rhodes claimed that he was breaking a 14 day quarantine while shopping in Walmart. He added that he had a tickly cough, but apart from that he was symptom free. In the video, the 31-year-old can be seen walking around the store talking about his supposed diagnosis. Definitely tested positive for coronavirus, Mr Rhodes said. Definitely was asked to self-quarantine for 14 to 21 days. He then went on to joke about the other people in the store contracting Covid-19 from him, saying: They say its highly contagious, obviously Im in Walmart because Ive got to eat too. So Ive got to deal with it. If Ive got it, yall gone get it too. F**k all yall thats how I feel about it. The Albemarle Police Department confirmed that Mr Rhodes had not tested positive for coronavirus and that the video was a hoax. Mr Rhodes was arrested on Friday and received a $10,000 secured bond. He is due in court on 30 March at 9am in Albemarle. The 31-year-old is facing charges of felony perpetrating hoax in a public building and disorderly conduct. According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, upwards of 51,542 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 674. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended a two-week ban on gatherings of more than 50 people as part of the battle to contain the spread of the contagion. All-non essential shops to close Copyright Jim Barton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. All retail shops across the Island have been ordered to close by end of business tomorrow. Places such as supermarkets, newsagents, pharmacies, banks and pet shops will remain open to the public. The Manx Government will release a full list shortly. More to follow. Finding rentals in Santa Fe has been notoriously difficult. And with the recent COVID-19 outbreak, it has become even tougher. The New Mexico Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday halting evictions throughout the state if tenants are unable to pay their rent. But for those facing eviction for reasons other than failure to pay, they now face the difficult task of finding housing in a city with a sizable housing shortage during a pandemic. Jennifer Griego said her landlord did not give her an official reason when he said she and her boyfriend and 3-year-old daughter were being evicted from their east side Santa Fe home in early February. He just said, Im giving you this 30-day notice to leave the premises, Griego said. Griegos landlord, Jerome Gomez, filed a restitution order in Santa Fe Magistrate Court on March 16 saying Griegos family was being evicted because the property owner wanted to sell the home. It is unclear whether Gomezs restitution claim falls under the Supreme Courts order. Nearly two months after the fact, Griego still has not moved due to the increasingly tight housing market in Santa Fe. Were looking; its just difficult because a lot of people have all these restrictions, she said. In her hunt for a new home, she said, potential landlords have denied her for many reasons, including because the unit is too small for three people and because she has a child. And at least 12 landlords, she said, have told her they have stopped renting their units altogether due to the COVID-19 outbreak and are taking their listings off websites such as Craigslist. The Journal called three apartment complexes in Santa Fe, all of which are no longer providing tours of vacant apartments. Those interested in renting are told to look at pictures on their websites. A representative with one of them, Vista Alegre Apartments, said the complex has canceled tours of apartments because of the coronavirus. Although she is not being evicted for financial reasons, Griego said, her income as a home health aide has been cut because of the spread of the virus. She reduced her number of at-home visits, fearful that she could contract the virus from a client and give it to her daughter, who suffers from severe asthma. I always ask before I go take care of a client if they have symptoms, a fever or anything like that, she said. Im physically touching these people, helping them wash their face or brush their teeth. Recently, Griego has had to start asking friends and relatives for money to buy essentials, such as food and gas. She also cannot afford to pay the $600 to get her car out of a mechanics shop, where it has been repaired. Its not that much money but when you dont have a steady income, it is, she said. Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar on Wednesday said that a COVID-19 positive patient passed away at a hospital here. "#update: Despite our best efforts, the #COVID19 +ve Pt at MDU, #RajajiHospital, passed away few minutes back. He had a medical history of prolonged illness with steroid dependent COPD, uncontrolled Diabetes with Hypertension.@MoHFW_INDIA @CMOTamilNadu," Vijayabaskar tweeted. Earlier, the minister said that three new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the state and patients were kept in isolation. "#coronaupdate: 3 new cases for #covid19 in Chennai. 65Y M return from New Zealand at Pvt.Hosp, 55Y F Saidapet at #KMC. 25Y M return from London at #RGGH. Patients are in isolation & under treatment.@MoHFW_INDIA @CMOTamilNadu," Vijayabaskar tweeted. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has earlier reported ten deaths due to COVID-19 in India and about 536 confirmed positive cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After being in detention for almost eight months, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was given the free pass to return home. After posting a heartwarming picture with his parents and talking about having a meal with them for the first time in 236 days, he posted a hilarious meme that sits quite well with the present times. Twitter In the meme, you can see Abdullah himself with a very serious expression and the caption is going to leave you in splits. After all, being in detention for almost a year is not an easy thing to do and he definitely has the liberty to make matters a little better for himself and the rest of us. These are serious & scary times so a little humour doesnt hurt. pic.twitter.com/V0NA7tb0sU Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 25, 2020 His tweet, captioned, 'These are serious & scary times so a little humour doesnt hurt' has gone super viral on the internet. With over 60K likes and 8,000 retweets, the micro-blogging website is flooded with people sharing a laugh with the National Conference leader. People are loving the meme and leaving comments on the tweet. Palash Agarwal (@palashposts) March 25, 2020 Im glad to see you havent lost your sense of humour after 236 days in lockdown! Aryan DRozario (@aryandrozario) March 25, 2020 Ha ha Omarji ur wit level is intact. Solitary confinement also cant take it away. Whatever , remain in best of health n with family. Wish u all the best KT (@KT62779984) March 25, 2020 This is too good. Aparna (@chhuti_is) March 25, 2020 Aside from this, he also tweeted that if anyone was looking for some tips on how to survive the quarantine, he'd be more than happy to help since he has 'months of experience' by now. On a lighter note if anyone wants tips on surviving quarantine or a lock down I have months of experience at my disposal, perhaps a blog is in order. Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 24, 2020 Mr Omar Abdullah was placed under detention on August 5, 2019 along with hundreds of other politicians when the Narendra Modi-led government decided to put an end to the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divided it into two union territories much to the disapproval of many. AFP The former J&K leader's release has come due to the entire country going under lockdown in order to contain the spread of the novel pandemic coronavirus. Arnold Schwarzenegger is doing his part to help stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus, donating $1 million to the Frontline Responders Fund. The 72-year-old actor and former California Governor revealed his donation on Instagram on Thursday morning, asking his fans and followers to do the same. His plea has seemingly worked, with nearly $500,000 more donated to the fund since his original donation. His part: Arnold Schwarzenegger is doing his part to help stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus, donating $1 million to the Frontline Responders Fund 'I never believed in sitting on the couch and complaining about how bad things are, I always believed we should all do our part to make things better,' Schwarzenegger began. 'This is a simple way to protect our real action heroes on the frontlines in our hospitals, and Im proud to be part of it,' he added. 'I donated 1 million dollars, and I hope that all of you who can will step up to support these heroes. Go to the link in my bio to help out,' he concluded. No couch: 'I never believed in sitting on the couch and complaining about how bad things are, I always believed we should all do our part to make things better,' Schwarzenegger began He linked to the GoFundMe page for the Frontline Responders Fund, which was created just one day ago and already has $3.3 million in donations. The fund was created by an organization called Flexport, which is 'focusing all its resources on, 'getting critical supplies to frontline responders combating COVID-19.' The fund is trying to supply hospitals around the world with masks, gowns, gloves and other critical supplies they need to fight the virus. Donate: He linked to the GoFundMe page for the Frontline Responders Fund, which was created just one day ago and already has $3.3 million in donations Schwarzenegger was on board early, issuing a statement for the GoFundMe Page that began, 'Our doctors, nurses and hospital staff are the real action heroes of this crisis. I just play one in the movies.' 'We have an opportunity and a responsibility to provide them with personal protective equipment right now to keep them safe as they fight this virus, so when I heard about Flexport.orgs plan, this was a no-brainer to me,' he added. 'With all of the courageous work they are doing on the frontlines to keep us safe, buying a few hundred thousand masks with a million dollars is the least I can do. Please take a moment to join me in supporting our heroes,' he concluded. Statement: Schwarzenegger was on board early, issuing a statement for the GoFundMe Page that began, 'Our doctors, nurses and hospital staff are the real action heroes of this crisis. I just play one in the movies' Flexport supports all of the various companies that are involved with getting these critical items to the doctors who need them. These include not only the manufacturers who make the supplies, but also the trucks and cargo planes that transport them to their destination. Last week, Flexport assisted MedShare in donating 60,000 surgical masks, 34,000 gloves, 2,000 surgical gowns and 50 thermometers to San Franciscos Department of Public Health. Schwarzenegger is also part of the fundraising team, helping to raise an additional $7,148 from 177 donations. Singer James Taylor and his wife Kim have donated $1 million to Massachusetts General Hospital, earmarked to testing, telemedicine and protective gear, among other needs, WCVB reported. EU finance ministers argued over crisis measures to help European countries withstand the economic shock of the coronavirus outbreak Tuesday, with powerful Germany cautious about rewriting the rulebook. The COVID-19 outbreak has brought the European economy to it knees and Italy, with the backing of France and Spain, wants a massive response from EU partners in a historic act of financial solidarity. "We will have to start working on a Marshall Plan as soon as possible," Spain's Economy Minister Nadia Calvino said, referring to US-backed reconstruction of western Europe after World War II. "A plan so that once the health crisis has been solved, Europe... can ensure that the economy recovers as robustly as possible, as soon as possible," she said before a video-conference with her EU colleagues. But northern countries, led by Berlin and the Hague, are not in a hurry and believe a huge stimulus announced by the European Central Bank, backed by national spending, is adequate for now. "Our aim is to add new lines of defence to the euro, preventing this economic crisis to morph into a financial one," said Eurogroup chief Mario Centeno, whose task it will be to find a consensus. "My aim is to report solutions to a leaders summit this Thursday, not curtailing any possible way forward," added Centeno, who is also Portuguese finance minister. At the heart of the split are deep doubts among the northern and wealthier European nations about the financial discipline of their southern partners, especially since the dark days of the eurozone debt crisis. - 'Wrong at this time' - Countries like France, Spain and Italy have long called for a eurobond, that is in effect joint borrowing by the 19 members of the euro single currency, that could serve as the bedrock of a safer and more unified European economy. Italy, backed by France, recently renewed the call by asking for EU-wide "corona bonds", but ahead of Tuesday's talks Germany angrily dismissed the idea as the return of the politically poisonous "eurobond" under another name. "I can only recommend that we don't hold a mock debate for ideological reasons, in which everyone digs out their preferred solution from five or ten years ago," German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said in Berlin. "It's not about a fundamental change of strategy for ideological reasons, that would be wrong at this time and we won't go along with it," he added. Given the acrimony, ministers will instead work towards agreeing on a more surgical approach that would tap into the eurozone's massive bailout war chest to help countries in need, especially Italy. Controlled by the 19 finance ministers from the euro single currency bloc, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) has over 400 billion euros in firepower and could raise more. Based in Luxembourg, it was created in the depths of the debt crisis and has the primary purpose of rescuing countries that are shut out of the markets -- which is not the case now. But the ESM can also offer loan guarantees for countries that ask for it, though Italy, already under a pile of debt, is reluctant to do so, afraid of signalling to the markets it has money problems. ESM programmes also come with demands to enact painful reforms, which Italy is reluctant to accept when what it actually wants is an act of friendship in a desperate moment. If ministers agree to make ESM funds available, they will propose it to EU leaders who would take up the matter at a videoconference on Thursday. A eurozone source said credit lines would likely be agreed in he end, but even that would be difficult. "I don't think we can agree today if you look at the mood between member states," he added. NORWALK A Wilton man was arrested on Monday for the seventh time this year after he threatened to harm a hotel employee, police said. Gregory Goldstein, 22, allegedly told an assistant manager at the Doubletree Hotel on 789 Connecticut Avenue, that he would slit his throat during an argument on Monday afternoon. Goldstein fled the scene in an SUV before police arrived, but officers were able to identify him thanks to a picture taken by a bystander, police said. Police said Goldstein was arrested later that afternoon during a traffic stop and charged with second-degree threatening and breach of peace. Goldstein also had an active warrant for his arrest stemming from an incident at a local Dollar Store, in which he attacked one employee and choked another after he was caught trying to steal merchandise, police said. For this incident, he was charged with third-degree assault, second-degree strangulation, sixth-degree larceny and breach of peace. He was held in lieu of $35,000 bond in total and given a court date on April 3. This marks the seventh time Goldstein has been arrested since January, according to police spokesperson Lt. Jared Zwickler. His cases include multiple violations of a protective order and assaults, as well as drug charges. An aerial view of Minbya township in western Myanmar's Rakhine state in an undated photo. More than 1,000 civilians in Minbya township have been displaced by fighting between Myanmar forces and the rebel Arakan Army in the latest flare-up in a conflict that has raged in Rakhine state for more than a year and uprooted 140,000 people, local villagers said Wednesday. Villagers from five communities in the township fled when Myanmar soldiers open fire in their areas, they said. People from Kyautmaw, Phone Thar Paletaung, Kwa Sone, Taung Pauk Kay and Sattara villages fled from their homes to other villages said an area resident who declined to give his name out of fear for his safety. We dont want the military to open fire on villages, he said. The villagers are worried about getting into trouble, [but] people dont know anything. Both the AA and Myanmar soldiers have apprehended villagers they believe may be abetting the enemy. Civilians have reported that government troops have interrogated and at times tortured villagers in an effort to find people who are helping the AA. Myanmar soldiers opened fire on Kyautmaw and Taung Pauk Kay villages, and the villagers ran away, said a resident of Kyautmaw who also declined to give his name out of fear for his safety. A military convoy is near Phone Thar Kwa Sone village, he added. We dont know where they were shooting, but bullets landed on our house in Kyautmaw village. We didnt leave when we heard that the military convoy was coming, but we fled when they opened fire on the villages. Thursday marks the second time that residents of the villages have been forced to flee their homes amid the 15-month-old conflict. They also left their homes in June 2019, local residents said. Myanmar military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun said that the government army was not engaged in any battles in Minbya township. There is no fighting in that area. We had fighting in the Paletwa area, he told RFAs Myanmar Service, referring to hostilities in a township in neighboring Chin state. On Monday, a Myanmar military airstrike following fierce fighting killed a child and wounded 15 people in a village in Minbya township, hours after the government formally branded the AA an unlawful association and a terrorist group. The Myanmar military confirmed the use of helicopters to return fire against the AA, which conducted an attack on a military training school, but denied that soldiers bombed the village. Armed conflict intensified in late 2018 as the AA ramped up its efforts to gain greater autonomy for the ethnic Rakhine people in the state. Many difficulties, obstacles Clashes between Myanmar and Arakan forces have recently increased in other areas of the state and in Chins Paletwa township, said Zaw Zaw Tun, secretary of the Rakhine Ethnics Congress (REC), a Sittwe-based NGO that tracks the number of displaced civilians. There has been more fighting along the river road from Kyauktaw township to Paletwa and in villages in Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Myebon, and Minbya townships, he said. Many villagers have been fleeing because of the fighting and the government armys use of Air Force and Navy units, he added. More than 50 people have been killed amid the fighting between Feb. 26 and March 24, and more than 150 others have been injured, according to the REC. The REC puts the number of displaced civilians at more than 140,000, counting people who are in displacement camps as well as those who have taken shelter in Buddhist monasteries or in the homes of friends and relatives. The Rakhine state government list says there are about 60,000 displaced civilians living temporarily in 131 camps in the northern part of the state. Kyaw Min, director of Rakhine states Disaster Management Department, said his team is doing the best it can to assist displaced civilians despite obstacles. We have many difficulties and challenges in our department, he said. We are doing our best, although transportation is bad and the security situation is not safe. Kyaw Min also said his department has asked the states General Administration Department to distribute aid to locals who show up at its offices. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Pakistan, the only Saarc member state that hasnt contributed to the Covid-19 Emergency Fund, has called for finalising modalities for using the fund and for placing it under the secretary general of the South Asian grouping. The functioning of the emergency fund figured in a telephone conversation on Tuesday between Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who said the facility should be placed under the secretary general of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc). The fund was created with an initial contribution of $10 million from India following a video conference of Saarc leaders on the Covid-19 pandemic that was called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 15. The fund has so far garnered commitments worth a total of $18.8 million. Pakistans position on the fund was outlined in a Foreign Office readout of the conversation between Qureshi and his Bangladeshi counterpart, which said: Discussing the need to share resources, it was underlined that SAARC Covid-19 emergency fund should be placed under the Secretary General of SAARC and the modalities for its utilization should be finalized through consultations at the earliest. The current secretary general of Saarc is veteran Sri Lankan diplomat Esala Ruwan Weerakoon, who recently succeeded Pakistans Amjad Hussain Sial. There was no immediate reaction from Indian officials to Pakistans demand. Over the past few days, the external affairs ministry has accused Pakistan of politicising a humanitarian initiative such as the video conference of Saarc leaders on Covid-19. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was the only Saarc head of government who opted out of the video conference and the country was represented by its de facto health minister, who angered the external affairs ministry by raising the issue of Kashmir during the meeting. During his phone conversation with the Bangladesh foreign minister, Qureshi underscored that Pakistan considered SAARC an important platform for regional cooperation. Qureshi also reaffirmed Pakistans commitment to the Saarc process and said Pakistan is ready to host a conference of health ministers of the member states to enhance cooperation on Covid-19. Qureshi proposed a video conference could be organised first and Momen conveyed Bangladeshs readiness to participate in the video conference, according to the Pakistani readout. Qureshi also suggested Saarc should evaluate and coordinate on the economic and social disruption caused by Covid-19 and experts from member states should commence work in this regard immediately. The Indian prime minister had already mooted such an initiative during the March 15 video conference. Modi had suggested brainstorming by experts on the long-term economic consequences of Covid-19 and ways to insulate internal trade and local value chains from its impact. The external affairs ministry has also announced that a video conference of senior health professionals of Saarc states will be held on March 26. A person familiar with developments, who declined to be named, said: Pakistan hasnt done anything to contribute to the fund and is only taking steps that are coming in the way of meaningful cooperation within the Saarc framework. This isnt new and it isnt surprising. The Dawn newspaper quoted an unnamed Pakistani diplomat as saying that the country is expected to make a pledge to the Covid-19 Emergency Fund but after clarity about the fund was achieved. In recent days, Qureshi has held phone conversations with his counterparts from Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bangladesh. Though he had said he would be speaking to foreign ministers of all Saarc states, he is yet to call his Indian and Afghan counterparts. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ayodhya, March 25 : UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has donated a sum of Rs 11 lakhs from his personal account to the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for temple construction hours after Ram Lalla was shifted to a new makeshift temple on Wednesday. The Chief Minister gave the cheque to trust members. The idol of Ram Lalla was shifted to the new makeshift temple at Manas Bhawan here at 4 a.m on Wednesday on the first day of 'Navratri', amid pealing of bells and clanging of gongs. The deity has been seated on a silver throne, weighing about 9.5 kilograms. The throne has been 'gifted' by the Raja Ayodhya Vimlendra Mohan Mishra, who is also a member of the Shri Ram Teerth Kshetra Trust. The intricately carved throne has been made by artisans from Jaipur. Adityanath, who had reached Ayodhya late on Tuesday night, was present at the rituals held for the shifting of the deity and participated in the "puja". The makeshift temple structure, built over 432 square foot, is made of fibre and is bullet proof. The new temple, which is bound to attract thousands of devotees as soon as the lockdown is lifted, has separate entry and exit points which will make "darshan" more convenient. The head priest of the Ram Lalla temple, Acharya Satyendra Das said that after a gap of 28 years, the deity would finally have a roof over his head. The shifting of the deity has taken place to enable construction of the grand Ram temple at the site. Meanwhile, the rituals related to shifting which began on Monday were held amid tight security with limited presence of priests and trust members. Security personnel had been deployed to prevent local people and devotees from collecting at the site. Meanwhile, prominent temples in Ayodhya, including the 'Hanuman Garhi' have been shut down in the national lockdown though their priests will continue to hold the puja during the Navratri period. Devotees will be allowed to offer prayers at the new temple on Wendesday, but in small numbers. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Irish crime drama Taken Down will screen at SBS on Demand from next week. All six episodes available to stream, in English and Nigerian with English subtitles. This debuted internationally in January. In this Irish crime drama set in Dublin, Esme, a young Nigerian girl, is found dead at a bus stop opening an investigation into her death. This leads Inspector Jen Rooney (Lynn Rafferty) and her team of detectives to a nearby centre where asylum-seekers are housed and processed. The shaken residents there are reluctant to talk to anyone. We follow the team of detectives as they discover the world where refugees exist, and we see the unfolding impact their investigation has on fragile lives. Some of the refugees find themselves under suspicion in surprising ways. Others have traumas from their past unearthed by the police attention with tragic consequences. The interventions of the centres manager also become increasingly sinister. When Flora, another young Nigerian girl from the same detention centre, is reported missing, the police wonder if there is a connection. and if they have stumbled upon even more crimes in progress. It soon becomes a race against time for the investigative team to find Flora, which leads them into a world of trafficking and prostitution. When the police discover a brothel in the middle of the city that is connected to both Esme and Flora, they find that their moves are being countered by a cunning gang. As Jens team enter this murky underworld, the lead detectives find their personal and professional lives pushed to the limits as they do all they can to find out who killed Esme and to rescue Flora before she suffers a horrific fate. Thursday, 2 April 2020 on SBS On Demand. DANBURY Homeless individuals may move into dorm rooms at Western Connecticut State University as shelters face staff and space shortages due to the coronavirus. Details are still being worked out, so for now clients will stay at the Danbury War Memorial, which closed last week due to the virus. Crews in hazmat suits cleaned the facility Tuesday morning. Right now, we just want all the logistics set up and to get a roof over their heads, Mayor Mark Boughton said. The citys shelter on New Street is housing a few homeless individuals who may have been exposed to the coronavirus, while other shelters have closed, he said. This is part of a statewide effort to assist the homeless, who the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned are at high risk for the virus. The state is working on housing these individuals in dormitories at Western, Eastern, Southern and Central state universities, in addition to University of Connecticut, said the spokesman for the state Department of Housing. Students were forced to move out of residence halls earlier this month as campuses closed and classes switched to online for the semester due to the virus. Western has been preparing Fairfield Hall, a 108-bed residence hall on the Midtown campus, to be used by the public. Colleges could also be used to house patients or health-care professionals. The university does not yet know if the dorm would be used for both purposes or how soon people would move in, spokesman Paul Steinmetz said. An additional $735,000 was allocated from the state housing department to get individuals into permanent housing, while funding was provided for 100 hotel rooms to serve 200 elderly homeless. Three people in Danbury received vouchers Monday to stay in a hotel because there were not enough beds in the city, Boughton said. During a 2019 survey, 114 homeless individuals were counted in Danbury on a single night in January. The city has aimed to bring that number down by pursuing turning a city-owned building into apartments for the homeless. In the meantime, Boughton hopes individuals could go into the dorms within days. Dorothy Day Hospitality House, a non-profit with 16 beds, closed about two weeks ago, while its overflow shelter at the First Congregational Church closed Monday. The non-profit has been serving grab-and-go meals in the afternoon, in lieu of its normal sit-down lunch, and plans to reopen once the outbreak dies down, said Joe Simons, a volunteer with Dorothy Day. But it was not safe for clients to stay at the shelter on Spring Street, he said. Our shelter is very, very small, particularly the common areas, Simons said. We just felt it was not an appropriate environment. We couldnt get the appropriate social distancing for both guests and volunteers. He estimated more than half of the shelters volunteers are over 60, putting them at risk for the virus. Weve encouraged them, as everyone has encouraged them, to say home and not to volunteer, Simons said. They feel bad about it, but a lot of people have stepped up by making sandwiches and bringing donations. The city has struggle to staff its shelter, too, Boughton said. Some have been unable to because they need to watch their children, while others are in quarantine because they have been exposed to the virus, he said. Others declined because they fear being exposed, he said. Its put real pressure on our staffing, said Boughton, adding the state may send staff to help. Staff staying at the city shelter have been given protective equipment, while the roughly two to three clients in quarantine are in a segregated room, Boughton said. He believed the guests are not showing symptoms of the virus and may be awaiting test results. Before going to the War Memorial or dorm rooms, the clients would be screened for the virus, he said. If they are showing any kind of symptoms (that) meet the criteria of COVID-19 in any way, they will be quarantined and tested, Boughton said. Then, the rest will be housed in that facility until the duration of this event is over. Roughly 60 to 80 people can be housed, but that number has fluctuated, he said. The facility will be open during the evenings, and clients will not be required to shelter in place there during the day, Boughton said. He urged surrounding communities to consider opening at least a temporary shelter during the outbreak. Its very difficult and unfair for communities around us that have vastly greater resources to push this off on the city of Danbury, Boughton said. About 40 percent of homeless individuals in the city are not from Danbury, he said. Simons said clients have followed recommendations, such as social distancing, and understood the challenges facing the shelters. The guests have been remarkably resilient through all of this because the services that are available to them are changing daily, he said. But for the most part, theyve dealt with it. I think most of them understand how serious this is. Coronavirus Outbreak Live Updates: New cases emerged in Delhi, Kerala and Karnataka during the past 24 hours. The national capital saw 5 new cases today, whereas Kerala and Karnataka recorded 9 and 10 fresh COVID-19 cases, respectively. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh reported its first death due to novel coronavirus - a 60-year-old woman. Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 cases in India stands at 606, including 553 active cases, 42 cured/discharged people and 10 deaths. Ministry of Railways has decided to extend the cancellation of passenger train services on Indian Railways, mail, express and passenger trains, suburban train and metro train services in Kolkata till 2400 hours of April 14, 2020. Freight train operations will continue as usual to ensure supply of essential commodities. Meanwhile, talking to the people of Varanasi via video conferencing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned against medicating without consulting a doctor and professed social distancing as the only effective measure against coronavirus. In the United Kingdom, Prince Charles, who's first in line for the throne in the British monarchy system, has tested positive for the deadly novel coronavirus, the British media has said. "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual," says an official statement. 10.51 pm: An 85-year-old woman passes away due to novel coronavirus in Gujarat. One #COVID19 positive patient, an 85-year-old woman, passed away in Ahmedabad today. She had travelled abroad&after developing symptoms of COVID-19, she was admitted at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on 22 March. She was suffering from many complications:Health Department, Gujarat Govt pic.twitter.com/SWXjIbELBA ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 9.37 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin today. Both leaders exchanged views on the situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, said Embassy of India in Russia. 9.24 pm: Helplines are being set up to address the challenges in transport goods so that they can reach their destination, said Punya Salila Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs. We're also working with e-commerce companies and states and union territories, if people want to get supplies through online platforms, she added. 9.16 pm: Chennai-based Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited has announced free novel coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnostic testing for below poverty line (BPL) card holders. 9.14 pm: Delivery boys working with Flipkart, Big Basket or Grofers, and others e-commerce platforms have been issued identity cards their respective firms as access pass through nationwide lockdown to be able to deliver essential commodities and groceries ordered by consumers. Following this, the e-tailers resumed services from today. 8.42 pm: Coronavirus update: Fresh case emerges in Gujarat One more coronavirus positive case has been reported in Rajkot, informed Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary - Health, Gujarat. This takes the number of positive cases in the state so far to 39. So far, 147 FIRs have been registered for quarantine violation, Ravi further added. 8.41 pm: Coronavirus news: AIIMS to offer tele-consultation facility All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is going to start a tele-consultation facility, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria told ANI. This facility will be rolled out within a couple of days. "Our follow-up patients can consult doctors through telephone. Several patients had appointments which are now cancelled. Chronic patients can consult doctors through this facility," Dr Guleria said. Every department will have some doctors who will resolve the health related issues of the follow-up patients, said Dr Guleria. 8.08 pm: Inmates in UP jails make 1.2 lakh masks Prisoners lodged in jails across Uttar Pradesh have stitched more than 1,24,500 masks in the past 10 days. "UP prisons have set a record of sorts by stitching more than 1,24,500 masks in 63 out of the 71 jails in the state over the last 10 days. As a result all the inmates in our jails have protective masks and now we are in a position to supply masks to government, NGOs, and general populace on cost price basis. In addition, sanitisers and disinfectants are also being manufactured in some jails across the state," DG, Prison, Anand Kumar told India Today. 7.45 pm: Gurugram Police issues order allowing food, e-commerce, essential delivery services to operate in the city 7.30 pm: Delhi Government appoints Nodal Officers to address grievances or undue problems faced by providers of essential goods and services, including during interstate movement, informed a spokesperson for Ministry of Home Affairs. 7.26 pm: Coronavirus update: Total number of cases reaches 606 Total number of coronavirus positive cases rise to 606 in India, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This inlcudes including 553 active cases, 42 cured/discharged people and 10 deaths. Total number of active #COVID19 cases so far in the country is 553. 43 cured/discharged/migrated cases & 10 deaths: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. pic.twitter.com/TRxJHbvC3e ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 7.22 pm: Coronavirus scare reaches Mohalla Clinic Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Shahdara has ordered all those who visited or were present at Mohalla Clinic in Mohanpuri area of Maujpur between March 12 and March 18 to stay in home quarantine for 15 days, reported ANI. The direction was issued after a positive coronavirus case was reported from the clinic. 7.20 pm: Coronavirus update: 10 new cases in Karnataka, count reaches 51 Karnataka government informed that the state has recorded 10 new cases in the last 24 hours. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state till now is 51. Out of these cases, 3 people have been cured and discharged, while one patient has succumbed to the virus. 7.19 pm: Coronavirus news: Hydroxychloroquine to be used only in 2 cases, says Health Ministry Anti-malarial medicine Hydroxychloroquine can only be administerd in 2 particular cases for use as prevention - healthcare workers, dealing with suspected or confirmed cases, and the first contacts of confirmed cases, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry. No one else should use this, he further emphasised. 7.15 pm: 21-day lockdown: All disrict courts in Delhi suspended till April 15 Delhi High Court has decided to suspend functioning of all district courts in the national capotal till April 15, 2020. The decision came in the wake of a 21-day lockdown across the nation declared by the Centre. The High Court has directed that respective District and Sessions Judges may also permit judges and other staff officials to work from home, if possible. 7.12 pm: Coronavirus update: Kerala reports 9 new COVID-19 cases Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed that 9 new COVID-19 cases have been identified in the state today. Out of them, 4 travel history to Dubai, 1 to the UK, and 1 to France, he added. With this, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Kerala rises to 118. 7.09 pm: WATCH: Union Health Ministry officials brief media on COVID-19 #WATCH live from Delhi: Union Health Ministry briefs the media on #Coronavirus, on 25th March https://t.co/XGd0xhd1Vq ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 7.06 pm: Bengaluru Police issues curfew passes for delivery personnel of e-commerce platforms 6.43 pm: 126 tourists left from Dabolim, Goa today for Moscow onboard a charter flight arranged by a large Russian tour operator to bring back its clients, after India went into a 21-day lockdown, reported ANI. 6.42 pm: Coronavirus update: COVID-19 ministerial panel meets Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan chaired a high-level meeting of Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 held at Nirman Bhawan. The ministerial panel had detailed deliberation on the prevention and management of COVID-19. 6.38 pm: Coronavirus news: No evidence ties COVID-19 origin to China, claims Chinese Embassy A spokesperson for Chinese Embassy in India stated that research by scientists from US, Europe, China, Japan, World Health Organisation shows there is no certain conclusion to origin of COVID-19. Although Wuhan first reported the outbreak, there's no evidence that China is source of novel coronavirus, the spokesperson said, adding that Chinese people are also victims of the virus. 6.35 pm: 21-day lockdown: Kejriwal announces e-passes for essential services provides without ID Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that his government has decided to give e-pass to all those who provide essential services but do not have any ID. The step is meant to ensure continued availability of essential services for all. You can reach out to us at 1031 to avail the e-pass, Kejriwal said. #WATCH Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal: To continue the availability of essential services for all, we have decided to give e-pass to all those who are involved in such professions but do not have any ID. You can reach out to us at 1031 to avail the e-pass. #21DaysLockdown pic.twitter.com/aU29LWEca5 ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 6.32 pm: 21 day lockdown: Efforts underway to deliver essentials at doorsteps, says Dakshina Kannada MP Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel assured that efforts are underway to arrange a system to deliver essential items at doorsteps in Mangaluru during COVID-19 nationwide lockdown. PM Narendra Modi had announced a 21-day lockdown across the nation to contain the contagion 6.20 pm: Southern Railway has extended cancellation of passenger train services and closed ticket counters in view of the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 6.15 pm: FIFA said it is monitoring the situation regarding coronavirus in India and working with Local Organising Committee to identify any potential impact on preparations for FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2020. The global football is also looking for an alternative solutions to upcoming events planned in India. FIFA is monitoring the situation regarding #COVID19 in India & working with Local Organising Committee to identify any potential impact on preparations for FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup India 2020, as well as finding alternative solutions to upcoming events planned in India: FIFA pic.twitter.com/MsjwM9TRiS ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 6.12 pm: Coronavirus update: 5 new cases in Delhi 5 new case of COVID-19 have emerged in Delhi during the past 24 hours, informed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The total number of cases in the city is now 35, he added 6.11 pm: Uttarakhand Police has registered 51 FIRs and 335 persons have been arrested on Wednesday, over charges of violation of the countrywide lockdown. 6.10 pm: Coronavirus: 60-yr-old woman dies in MP A 60-year-old woman passed away in madhya Pradesh due to novel coronavirus. The total number of positive case in India is at 568. 5.57 pm: In this battle against coronavirus, I have noticed that our children are playing a crucial role, says PM Modi. In this battle against #COVID19, I noticed that our army of children are playing a major role. They are making their parents understand what to do&what not to do, how to wash hands and how not to follow wrong practices: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/34EZUIGLaL ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 5.55 pm: PM Modi on coronavirus: Do not treat yourself without medical consultation Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned against taking medication for coronavirus without consulting a doctor and professed social distancing as the only effective measure against the contagion. You might have seen in news that how lives have been threatened in some countries of the world after people took medicines on their own, said the Prime Minister. You might have seen in news that how lives have been threatened in some countries of the world after people took medicines on their own. We should steer clear of all kinds of superstitions and rumours: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/XL09oH8WFw ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 5.54 pm: Many Indians have requested that complete lockdown in India should be extended for a longer period of time and implemented strictly, says PM Modi. 5.43 pm: I appeal to all the citizens, if you notice any incident where doctors, nurses or lab technicians are ill-treated then you should take an initiative to make such people understand that they are wrong, says PM Narendra Modi. I have told Home Ministry & DGPs to take strict action against those who are not supporting or not co-operating with doctors, nurses & other professionals who are serving us in this critical time: PM Modi https://t.co/srZBq3PvRY ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 5.40 pm: 21-day lockdown: Ministry of Railways extends cancellanation of passenger trains till April 14. Ministry of Railways has decided to extend the cancellation of passenger train services on Indian Railways, mail, express and passenger trains, suburban train and metro train services in Kolkata till 2400 hours of April 14, 2020. Freight train operations will continue as usual to ensure supply of essential commodities. 5.39 pm: To mark the auspicious occasion of Navratri, help nine needy families during the 21-day lockdown, says PM Modi. 5.24 pm: Government has collaborated with WhatsApp to float a helpdesk which can be reached on 9013151515, says PM Modi. 5.21 pm: If people are patient and follow instructions, they can avoid coronavirus, says PM Modi. 5.16 pm: Coronavirus will not spare anyone just because they perform yoga or exercise daily, says PM Modi. At times, ppl don't pay attention to things which are important. The same is happening in India. I request ppl to understand facts believe in rumours. #COVID19 doesn't discriminate b/w rich&poor; it'll not spare anyone just because they perform yoga or exercise daily: PM pic.twitter.com/hfbEevlepx ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 5.15 pm: I should have been among as your MP; taking regular updates about Varanasi, says PM Modi As the MP of Varanasi, I should have been among you in times like these. But you know the things which are going on in Delhi. Despite being busy here, I've been taking regular updates about Varanasi from my colleagues: PM Modi in interaction with citizens of Varanasi pic.twitter.com/ABpGHRp0Bu ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 5.12 pm: Coronavirus update: 6 new cases surface in Maharashtra Maharashtra Health Department has informed that 6 new positive cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state. Out of them, 5 patients are in Mumbai and 1 is in Thane. With this development, total number of positive COVID-19 cases in the state rise to 122, the state health department said. 5.10 pm: WATCH: PM Narendra Modi addresses people of Varanasi Discussing aspects relating to COVID-19 with the people of Kashi. https://t.co/j1Mk00HluB Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 25, 2020 5.04 pm: 21-day lockdown: Newspaper printing, distribution to resume in Mumbai from April 1 Maharashtra Industry Minister Subhash Desai met newspaper hawkers and publishers today where it was decided that newspapers will be published and distributed in Mumbai from April 1, 2020, ANI reported. As of now, printing and distribution of newspapers is halted in the city. 5.00 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to interact with people of Varanasi via video conferencing shortly. 4.45 pm: Uttar Pradesh government has banned production, distribution and sale of pan masala in the entire state until further orders, reported ANI. The decision has been taken considering the fact that COVID-19 stays active in saliva. 4.45 pm: 21-day Lockdown: People practice social distancing in Mumbai while collecting groceries Maharashtra: People in Mumbai practice #socialdistancing outside a grocery shop at Andheri East. PM Narendra Modi in his address to the nation yesterday had appealed to people to maintain social distancing to combat #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/qmC17CaRHG ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 4.30 PM: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik sanctions 4 month advance salary payment to health care personnel. -ANI 4.24 PM: "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual," says an official statement. 4.19 PM: Next in line to the throne, Prince Charles has tested positive for COVID-19: UK Media 3.46 PM: Coronavirus deaths in United States The virus has killed more than 700 people in the United States and sickened more than 53,000. 3.45 PM: Cronavirus deaths in Spain Spain's Health Ministry has reported around 6,600 new cases and 500 deaths overnight. Spain is Europe's worst-hit country after Italy and has recorded 2,696 deaths. - Reuters 3.43 PM: Coronavirus deaths in Iran An Iranian health ministry official said on Wednesday that 2,077 people had died so far from the new coronavirus in Iran, with 143 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours. The total number of people infected with the coronavirus has climbed to 27,017, Alireza Vahabzadeh tweeted. - Reuters 3.42 PM: Coronavirus deaths in Italy The death toll rose by 743 on Tuesday, the second highest daily tally since the outbreak emerged in northern regions on Feb. 21, and up steeply from the 602 recorded on Monday. Italy has seen more fatalities than any other country, with latest figures showing that 6,820 people have died from the infection in barely a month. - Reuters 3.41 PM: Tally rises to 709 in South Africa South Africa's number of coronavirus cases has risen to 709, from 554 on Tuesday, health minister Zweli Mkhize said on Wednesday. "We are now at 709 cases," he said, speaking on local news channel SABC. 3.40 PM: Nepal reports 3rd coronavirus positive case Nepal has reported its third case of coronavirus after a31-year-old man who had a travel history to the Gulf countries was tested positive for the deadly virus. The Nepal government has also announced a week-long nation-wide lockdown in wake of the COVID-19 crisis. 3.30 PM: "We have to ensure that there is no scarcity of food. All Police stations will take responsibility to deliver food at doorsteps and it will be monitored by district magistrates and police superintendents," says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. 3.21 PM: A group of ministers meeting over COVID-19 underway at Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 3.20 PM: Coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu Five news cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Tamil Nadu. Four Indonesian nationals and their travel guide from Chennai have tested positive at the Salem Medical College. "They are quarantined since March 22," says Dr C Vijayabaskar, Tamil Nadu Health Minister. Total number of coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu has risen to 18, of which one person has recovered. 3.18 PM: Latest cabinet decisions CCEA approves recapitalisation of Regional Rural Banks to improve their capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio; approves utilisation of Rs 670 crore as central government share for the scheme. Cabinet approves transfer of 8 acres of defence land at Old Cantonment, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for construction of Kendriya Vidyalaya. Cabinet approves Transfer of 5 acre of Defence Land in Kanpur, UttarPradesh to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for construction of Kendriya Vidyalaya. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Germany for technological cooperation in Railway Sector. Cabinet approves extension of scheme for Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies on Export of Garments and Made-ups from 1st April, 2020, onward till the scheme is merged with Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products. 3.12 PM: Javadekar says there are only a few dos to fight covornavirus: Stay at home Sanitise hands Apparoach doctors in you have cough, cold, fever Maintain social distancing 3.10 PM: Javadekar says the nation accepts the 21-day lockdown decision. "If we are to protect ourselves from coronavirus, then this is necessary," he adds. 3.09 PM: Cabinet kept social distancing in mind. We had to show that if we have to fight coronavirus, then either stay at home or maintain social distance: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar. 3.06 PM: Coronavirus cases in Madhya Pradesh In a first, a journalist, whose daughter was recently found positive for coronavirus in Bhopal, has also been found been infected with the virus. With this, the total number of cases in Maharashtra has touched 15. India Today reported the journalist had attended the press conference called by Kamal Nath last week. Meanwhile, authorities have quarantined all those who came in his contact. 3.00 PM: Face masks worth Rs 1 crore seized Mumbai Police seized 4 lakh face masks worth around Rs 1 crore from a godown near Mumbai Airport Cargo Terminal, today. Case registered. More details awaited. Five news cases of #COVID19 positive in Tamil Nadu. Four Indonesian nationals & their travel guide from Chennai tested positive at Salem Medical College. They are quarantined since March 22: Dr C Vijayabaskar, Tamil Nadu Health Minister (File pic) pic.twitter.com/fFd06PbL3m ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 2.58 PM: Coronavirus cases in Bihar Nitish Kumar announces Rs 1,000 each to rashion card holders. "In wake of lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, the state government has decided to give Rs 1000 each to every family that holds a ration card," says the Bihar Chief Minister's Office. The state has reported three cases so far, including one death. 2.54 PM: Captain Amarinder Singh writes to Amit Shah, Thackeray Have written to HM Amit Shah & Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to facilitate the evacuation of devotees stranded at Nanded Sahib Gurudwara. The pilgrims have been stranded there for long & we owe them a safe return to their homes & families, says the Punjab CM. 2.53 PM: Follow lockdown: Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli Actor Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli ask people to adhere to the 21-day nationwide lockdown. "These are testing times and we need to wake up to the seriousness of this situation. Please let us all follow what's been told to us and stand united please. It's a plea to everyone," says kohli. Maharashtra: Mumbai Police seized 4 lakh face masks worth around Rs 1 crore from a godown near Mumbai Airport Cargo Terminal, today. Case registered. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/iL5TRO6n8u ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 2.42 PM: Maharashtra tally reaches 116; four more test coronavirus positive The coronavirus cases in Maharashtra has reached 116. State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the current count of COVID19 patients in Maharashtra was 116. "In Sangli, five people from one family are identified as positive due to contacts and four people from mumbai are identified as positive due to travel history or contacts," he Tweeted. These are testing times and we need to wake up to the seriousness of this situation. Please let us all follow what's been told to us and stand united please. It's a plea to everyone pic.twitter.com/75dDlzT6tX Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) March 25, 2020 2:30 PM: Delhi government allows drug, cosmetic manufacturer to make hand sanitiser All manufacturers of drugs and cosmetics in Delhi have been allowed to make ethanol-based hand sanitisers till June 30, 2020, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Wednesday. 2:25 PM: Odisha Mining Corporation has contributed Rs 500 crore to the chief minister's relief fund for supporting the state governmet against coronavirus. 2:20 PM: Strict action against landlords forcing healthcare workers to vacate: Delhi government Delhi government, on Wednesday, directed district adminitrations and police to take strict actions against those landlords who were forcing doctors, healthcare professions, paramedical staff to vacate their houses. 2:10 PM: Coronavirus: Gujarat tally 38; over 1 crore under surveillance The number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat has gone up to 38 as three more people tested positive for the coronavirus on March 25. One new case each was reported from Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara. Out of the three new cases, one patient has history of travel to Dubai, while the two others are cases of local transmission of the viral infection. Under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, Gujarat government has so far covered 1,60,62,000 people who have acute respiratory infection. 2:00 PM: Ordnance Factory Board designates 285 beds for isolation wards Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has designated 285 beds for isolation wards in handling coronavirus cases. 40 beds in hospitals at vehicle factory Jabalpur, 30 each at metal and steel factory Ishapore, gun and shell factory Cossipore, ammunition factory Khadki: Defence Ministry 1.55 PM: COVID-19 positive cases climb 116 in Maharashtra In Maharashtra, total of 116 people have got infected from coronavirus, according to Rajesh Tope, health minister of the state. He added, "In Sangli 5 people from one family are identified as positive due to contacts and 4 people from Mumbai are identified as positive due to travel history or contacts". 1.43 PM: It's a war: Maha CM It is a war-like situation so I have compared this Coronavirus with war, when we are not aware of the enemy then the enemy will attack us, so we have to be aware as we cannot see this enemy: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. 1.30 PM: I am at home listening to Mrs CM, you listen to your home minister, says Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray 14 people from these have been recovered and are in the process of being discharged from the hospitals.#CoronaVirusUpdates #MeechMazaRakshak Rajesh Tope (@rajeshtope11) March 25, 2020 1.20 PM: Labour ministry issues advisory In the backdrop of outbreak of COVID-19, to giverelief to workers, an advisory By Ministry of Labour and Employment to all States/UTs, for the usage of Cess fund for Welfare of Construction Workers. #WATCH Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray: I am at home listening to Mrs CM, you listen to your home minister. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/yl4AokjqA3 ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 1.10 PM: Auto industry stares at Rs 50,000 crore loss Industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has said the industry will suffer a production loss of an estimated Rs 2,300 crore per day due to the shutdown. The 21-day curfew would thus result in a production loss of around Rs 50,000 crore. Also read: Lockdown: Auto industry stares at a Rs 50,000 crore production loss 1.00 PM: Ranchi villages go under lockdown Three villages comprising over 150 labourers, some 25 km away from Ranchi, isolate themselves. They have put up 6-7 self made barricades to lock themselves. The youths of the village are patrolling in groups. They are neither allowing anybody in nor permitting anyone to go out. They vow to stay inside despite all odd and adverse conditions. 12.55 PM: Visuals of PM Modi convening a Cabinet meeting Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg earlier today, social distancing was seen during the meeting. In the backdrop of outbreak of COVID-19, to giverelief to workers, an advisory By Ministry of Labour and Employment to all States/UTs, for the usage of Cess fund for Welfare of Construction Workers. pic.twitter.com/sgAsMxFnXM Ministry of Labour (@LabourMinistry) March 25, 2020 12.50 PM: Coronavirus cases in Rajashtan Four new cases of COVID-19 have appeared in Rajasthan, including three from Bhilwara and one from Jodhpur. While the Jodhpur patient has a travel history, the two Bhilwara patients were medical staff. The total COVID-19 cases in Rajashtan have risen to 32. Three patients have recovered. 12.38 PM: CCMB may soon come up with Covid-19 kits To combat Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) insists that widescale "testing, testing, and testing" is the key as early diagnosis may help save lives. Aligning with the call of WHO, the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) is working overtime on the development of cost-effective and accurate diagnostic kits for wide distribution. 12.36 PM: Will work beyond mandate: Gen Bipin Rawat Involved deeply into the efforts to tackle COVID-19 spread, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat today said the country is at a juncture where the armed forces will have to operate beyond their mandate and help the country in the fight against Coronaviru 12.35 PM: Coronavirus cases in Delhi The national capital has reported 31 COVID-19 cases, which also includes six patients who have recovered so far. The UT has also reported one death. 12.32 PM: Coronavirus cases in Telangana The state has reported 34 active cases, of which only one has recovered so far. 12.30 PM: Coronavirus cases in Punjab State has reported 29 coronavirus cases so far. Punjab had imposed a state-wide curfew on Monday as a measure to check the spread of the deadly infection. 12.28 PM: Kejriwal govt provides free meal Free meals being provided by Delhi Government at a 'Rain Basera' on Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor Anil Baijal had assured in the media briefing earlier today that no one will sleep hungry in the city during 21-day lockdown. 12.26 PM: All GoAir employees to have pay cut in March as we are left with no choice due to travel restrictions over coronavirus, says CEO Vinay Dube. - PTI 12.23 PM: Key highlights of Kejriwal's press conference We will ensure strict implementation of lockdown in Delhi. We all should stay home during lockdown period to combat coronavirus. We will ensure essential services during lockdown period, request people not to panic. Will issue e-passes to vegetable-sellers, grocers among others to ensure essential supplies during lockdown. 11.42 AM: Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal holds a meeting with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at LG Secretariat. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is also present in the meeting. #WATCH Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg earlier today, social distancing was seen during the meeting. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/zeisrEgiHR ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 11.41 AM: Lockdown's necessary, says Anand Mahindra The lockdown's necessary, but will be devastating for the homeless, daily wage earners&contract workers. If each of us takes care of the daily rations&essentials of at least 3 less privileged families, it will have an exponential effect but unlike COVID, it'll be a 'good virus.' Free meals being provided by Delhi Government at a 'Rain Basera' on Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor Anil Baijal had assured in the media briefing earlier today that no one will sleep hungry in the city during #21daysLockdown. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/MidHoc7hDI ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 11.40 AM: Total 22,038 individuals screened so far: ICMR Total 22,928 samples from 22,038 individuals have been tested for SARS-CoV2 as on 25th March 2020 10 AM, says ICMR. A total of 539 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known positive cases, says the body. 11.32 AM: Mizoram person tests positive A sample of a Mizoram person, an Aizawl resident, has tested positive at Guwahati Medical College Hospital, confirms Assam Health Department Principal Secretary Samir Sinha. The patient is now admitted at Zoram Medical College. 11.30 AM: Wuhan resumes bus services; China reports 47 new cases Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus pandemic, on Wednesday resumed bus services within the city for the first time since the nine-week lockdown even as 47 new imported cases were reported from the country, threatening a second wave of infections. China on Tuesday decided to lift the three-month lockdown on more than 56 million people in the central Hubei province. However, the prolonged lockdown of Hubei's capital Wuhan will end on April 8, lifting the mass quarantine over the city with a population of over 11 million. - PTI 11.05 AM: WHO terms lockdown 'comprehensive and robust' United Nations, Mar 25 The UN has expressed solidarity with India in its fight against coronavirus, with a top official at the world body's health agency praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 21-day nationwide lockdown as a "comprehensive and robust" response to the raging COVID-19 pendamic. Globally, the death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 18,915 with more than 422,900 cases reported in over 165 countries and territories, as per data from Johns Hopkins University. - PTI 11.00 AM: No passenger train to run till April 14 After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of a 21-day lockdown across the country, the Indian Railways on Tuesday said that its suspension of all passenger services will continue till April 14. However, freight movement will continue to carry essential commodities across the country, officials said. The railways on Sunday had announced the suspension of all its passenger services from March 22 midnight to March 31 and said only goods trains will run during the said period amid concerns that coronavirus-infected passengers were spreading the virus further. - PTI 10.41 AM: Three new coronavirus cases in Gujarat Three new coronavirus positive cases have been reported in Gujarat. "Total 38 positive cases reported till date. FIR has been registered against 147 people for breaking home quarantine," says Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary, Gujarat Health and Family Welfare Department. 10.30 AM: Strict action against landlords for forcing doctors to vacate houses. 10.15 AM: As many as 277 evacuees from Iran arrived at Jodhpur Airport (from Delhi) today. A preliminary screening was conducted at the airport upon arrival and thereafter the evacuees were shifted to the Army Wellness Facility established in Jodhpur Military Station: PRO Defence Rajasthan 10.00 AM: Time to adopt humane approach: Govt to private firms The Ministry of Home Affairs issues advisory to private security agencies stating:"This is the time for the private security industry to adopt a humane approach and protect its workers and staff members from lay-offs and consequent decrease in earnings." 9.48 AM: Confirmed cases of contact transmission in UP A 33-year-old resident of Pilibhit has been tested positive for coronavirus. He doesn't have any travel history, it is a confirmed case of contact transmission: Dr Sudhir Singh, King George's Medical University, Lucknow. - ANI 9.47 AM: Five people test positive for COVID19 in Indore. Of the five, four are residents of Indore and one of Ujjain: Health Officer Dr Praveen Jadia. - ANI 9.46 AM: DPIT issues new directions to states The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIT) issues instruction to state authorities "to not obstruct and call for closure of food processing units". The lockdown's necessary, but will be devastating for the homeless, daily wage earners&contract workers. If each of us takes care of the daily rations&essentials of at least 3 less privileged families, it will have an exponential effect but unlike COVID, it'll be a 'good virus.' anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) March 25, 2020 9.45 AM: People in Bengaluru practice social distancing. Visuals of circles been drawn outside a grocery store. Three new #Coronavirus positive cases have been reported in Gujarat. 38 positive cases reported till date. FIR has been registered against 147 people for breaking home quarantine: Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary, Gujarat Health and Family Welfare Department pic.twitter.com/FRWg9aBEQS ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 9.44 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to interact with citizens of Varanasi via video conferencing, today at 5 pm. 9.43 AM: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to hold a meeting with Lt Governor Anil Baijal at 11 am today at LG Secretariat. 9.42 AM: Visuals from Delhi Noida Direct Flyway Police barricading continues at Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border to stop movement of vehicles except those rendering/availing essential services amid lockdown; visuals from DND flyway. District Administrations and Police are directed to take strict action against such landlords/house owners who are forcing doctors/paramedical staff/ health care personnel to vacate their rented residences: Govt of Delhi #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/UjROkZACuc ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 9.41 AM: Mahan Air flight carrying 277 Indian passengers landed at Delhi airport today early morning from Tehran, Ira. Ministry of Home Affairs issues advisory to private security agencies stating,"this is the time for the private security industry to adopt a humane approach and protect its workers and staff members from lay-offs and consequent decrease in earnings." #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/XGfcjrcv6B ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 9.40 AM: Another positive case in Bihar Another person test positive for coronavirus in Patna's Nalanda Medical college and hospital; the total number of cases rise to four in the state. 9.39 AM: Set up 24*7 helpline: Govt to states Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all states and Union Territories to set up round the clock control rooms/offices with helplines at state/district level to address any grievances or undue problems faced by providers of goods/services amid 21 days lockdown. 9.38 PM: No panic buying please, says PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people not to indulge in panic buying. "By converging around shops, you are risking the spread of COVID-19.No panic buying please.Please stay indoors. I repeat- Centre and State Governments will ensure all essentials are available," says the PM. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIT) issues instruction to state authorities "to not obstruct and call for closure of food processing units". #21daysLockdown #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/ZMS2jXt2hz ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 9.05 AM: Punjab CM set up COVID-19 Relief Fund Capt. Amarinder Singh has set up the CoViD Relief Fund to receive contributions from individuals, organisations and corporates to assist fellow Punjabis in fight against Covid19. "Your contributions will be used for the benefit of the underprivileged. I thank you all for your support," says the Punjab CM. Karnataka: People in #Bengaluru practice social distancing. Visuals of circles been drawn outside a grocery store (24.3.20) #COVID19 #lockdown (Source: Police) pic.twitter.com/hyic3Oz7Ce ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 8.57 AM: Punjab issues new curfew guidelines Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has announced new curfew guidelines to ease people's problems amid coronavirus lockdown. He has warned people of strict action under section 188 IPC against those violating curfew and home quarantine. Police barricading continues at Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border to stop movement of vehicles except those rendering/availing essential services amid lockdown; visuals from Delhi Noida Direct Flyway (DND). #CoronaVirus pic.twitter.com/ECvWHmzuA4 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 25, 2020 8.46 AM: Indian airspace being used only by international flights India's airspace, amid the suspension of the operations of all international and domestic commercial flights. The Indian airspace is being used only by the international flights which are passing through. Mahan Air flight carrying 277 Indian passengers landed at Delhi airport today early morning from Tehran, Iran. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/F46nHAc0Dm ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 8.45 AM: HRD Ministry announces closure of institutions All offices of Ministry of Human Resource Development Ministry and autonomous institutions under it will remain closed for three weeks. CBSE and NCERT have been asked to work on alternate exam schedule and academic calendar, respectively. 8.30 AM: Police to deliver milk in UP In wake of the nationwide lockdown, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath says the police will deliver milk, vegetables, essentials to doorsteps in the entire state. Mahan Air flight carrying 277 Indian passengers landed at Delhi airport today early morning from Tehran, Iran. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/F46nHAc0Dm ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 8.15 AM: Flipkart suspends services Online retailer Flipkart has announced that it is suspending services temporarily. On a notification on its website, the retailer said that it will be back as soon as possible. Flipkart's announcement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day complete lockdown of the entire country. "We are temporarily suspending our services. Your needs have always been our priority, and our promise is that we will be back to serve you, as soon as possible. These are difficult times, times like no other. Never before have communities stayed apart to stay safe! Never before has being at home meant helping the nation! We urge you to Stay Home to Stay Safe! We will get there. And we will get through. Together," stated the notification on its website. 8.00 AM: India under lockdown India's 1.3 billion population has now joined a growing list of countries that have imposed nationwide lockdowns like Spain, Italy, New Zealand, and others. Yesterday, it was PM Modi's second address to the nation. In his first address on March 19, he had enforced a one-day lockdown, known as "Janata Curfew". (Natural News) Spains oldest citizens are being left to fend for themselves as the coronavirus infects them in nursing homes. Health workers who are responsible for looking after the elderly say this is because they arent prepared to deal with COVID-19. According to reporters, more than 100 elderly people have died in nursing homes across the country. The Spanish government has neither confirmed nor denied the truth behind these numbers. Spain is currently struggling with the coronavirus pandemic. As of press time, the country has over 40,000 confirmed cases and 2,991 deaths. Their death toll just jumped by 514 in a single day a 19 percent spike in deaths. (Related: Coronavirus deaths in Spain surge 30% in a single day.) In response to the pandemic, the Spanish government has deployed its armed forces to supplement the rest of its frontline workers. They were sent to disinfect nursing homes across the country. During their operations, they reported several instances of finding older residents and elderly people abandoned with some even having died in their beds, said Maria Margarita Robles Fernandez, Spains Minister of Defense. In normal circumstances, bodies of those who die in nursing homes are put in cold storage while they await collection by funeral services. Now, however, if the cause of death is believed to be COVID-19, workers in nursing homes are instructed to simply leave the bodies alone until they can be collected by the proper personnel. In several elderly homes, working conditions have gotten so bad that many have walked out on the job in protest. Many say they are working in very dangerous conditions, especially since nursing home workers arent being given protective equipment and funeral services are taking 24 hours before they show up. Jose Manuel Ramirez, president of the Association of Social Services Directors and Managers, defended the actions of nursing home workers. He stated that Fernandez statements were unfortunate and that nursing home workers are putting themselves on the line, without resources, without healthcare support, without protective gear, which is why they are being forced to walk out of the job rather than stay and risk infection themselves. Because conditions have gotten so bad, Spanish prosecutors have launched an investigation into the working conditions in nursing homes. https://twitter.com/chefjoseandres/status/1242076949595422725 Madrid converting buildings into hospitals and morgues In Spains capital of Madrid, the situation is so bad that the region alone has more than 12,000 cases and 1,500 coronavirus-related deaths. In a letter to the Ministry of Health, Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, mayor of Madrid, said that funeral services in the city had to be suspended starting Monday because morticians in the city didnt have enough personal protective equipment to safely do their job. The bodies have begun piling up so high that the Palacio del Hielo, an indoor ice rink, has been converted into a temporary morgue. A draft report assessing whether or not the Palacio could be used in case of an emergency stated that the ice rink had the necessary cold conditions to preserve the bodies. Spain hastily transformed Madrids Olympic-sized ice rink into a makeshift morgue, as the country reported its sharpest daily increase in coronavirus cases and 500 deaths overnight https://t.co/aZgkPveJGX pic.twitter.com/y3guRr4Az2 Reuters (@Reuters) March 24, 2020 Several hotels in Madrid have also been temporarily procured by the Spanish government, including the 359-room Gran Hotel Colon, which is a 10-minute walk from a hospital. The local government also took control over the 869-room Marriot Auditorium, a four-star hotel. A total of 40 hotels in Madrid, amounting to around 9,000 beds, have offered their services to regional authorities to treat people. The hotels will house patients whose symptoms require medical attention without the need to be hospitalized, both at the start of the disease as well as during the final phase, said the regional government of Madrid in a statement. Both the Gran Hotel Colon and the Marriot Auditorium have been in use as makeshift hospitals since Thursday. To help ease the burden of both health and funeral workers, the Spanish army has begun transporting both patients and dead bodies to these emergency facilities. However, the number of cases in Spain continues to rise at an alarming rate, and theres no telling when the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic will slow down. Sources include: BusinessInsider.com English.ElPais.com BBC.com TheLocal.es Marriott.com Burma With COVID-19 Confirmed Case, Myanmars Chin State Makes Urgent Appeal for Protective Equipment A coronavirus case was confirmed at the general hospital in Tedim in northern Chin State on Tuesday. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy Mandalay The Chin State government says masks, protective equipment, medicines and disinfectant are urgently needed in its hospitals as the countrys poorest state deals with a confirmed coronavirus case. The patient, who came back from the United States for his wedding at Keptel village in Tedim Township, is in Tedim General Hospital, which has only two doctors and few nurses. We only have 100 sets of PPE [personal protective equipment]. And we need much more protective gear, disinfectant and medicines to be prepared for a possible outbreak in the state, U Soe Htet, Chin States municipal minister, told The Irrawaddy. Five volunteer doctors are on their way to Tedim Hospital with medical equipment but the state authorities think the supplies will be insufficient if the virus spreads. Since health care in our state is very limited, we worry about increased infections and want everything to be ready. Weve informed the Union government, said U Soe Htet. Keptel is under lockdown and proper equipment was needed to help stop the virus spreading, the state said. Keptel village administrator U Doh Za Tuang told The Irrawaddy that poor hygiene is the biggest challenge. Weve ordered villagers to stay in their homes and wash their hands properly but there is limited access to clean water, soap and hand sanitizers and it is still difficult to convince them, said U Doh Za Tuang. The administrator said masks were scarce in the village. We cannot find any masks. We hope that the government will provide us with basic protection and disinfectant to prevent the virus from spreading, he added. Keptel, 29 km west of Tedim, has been in lockdown since Tuesday and is under police guard. All the patients relatives are under home quarantine and their health is being monitored. The administrator said the village had 692 households with 3,611 residents, one midwife and two male nurses. We do not worry about food because the Chin State government assure us that rice and basic commodities will be sent soon. We are only worrying that the virus will spread elsewhere uncontrollably, he added. Some travel restrictions were lifted in Tedim and Kale Township on Wednesday morning. Buses and other vehicles are allowed to use the roads but body temperatures are being scanned and hands must be washed at checkpoints. People must provide their travel history at checkpoints. Anyone [who came from overseas] will not be allowed to travel and will be held in quarantine, said U Soe Htet. In Kale Township, which borders Chin State, road checkpoints have reopened. In both Tedim and Kale, only a few shops are open and the streets are nearly deserted. The authorities said some travel restrictions were being lifted to prevent food scarcities and because there are no cases of transmission reported. Although the towns are not in lockdown, people fear infection because the patient visited some areas of Kale and Tedim. The authorities called on people to stay at home and the roads are almost empty, U Soe Htet added. You may also like these stories: Myanmar is Combating Fake News in the Time of Coronavirus Myanmar-Based Diplomats Told to Cancel Events Amid Coronavirus Fears President Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom have been mutually complimentary during the coronavirus crisis, but they are on a collision course when it comes to how long to keep social distancing measures in place to blunt the pandemic. Californians could find themselves caught in the middle as Trumps stated desire to start returning to normal by mid-April conflicts with what they hear from Newsom. The governor issued a stay-at-home order last week and said he wouldnt back off before seeing evidence that the state has begun to bend the curve of the pandemic. On Tuesday, Newsom said an April restart would be sooner than any of the experts that I talk to believe is possible. Its going to confuse people, said Lee Riley, a professor of infectious disease and vaccinology at UC Berkeley. The only way to make it clear to people is to have a more uniform message. Trump said Tuesday that he wants the U.S. economy to be raring to go by Easter, April 12. The 15-day period for social distancing measures he suggested this month including avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people, skipping discretionary travel and staying away from bars and restaurants ends Monday. He hasnt said whether people should stick to those measures, which are now far more lenient than orders in place in California and several other states, in the 13 days between Monday and Easter. There are few signs that the pandemic is easing in fact, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, one of the hardest-hit places, said Tuesday that his states rate of infections is increasing. Trumps surgeon general, Jerome Adams, said Monday: I want America to understand this week, its going to get bad. Trump, however, is at the forefront of politicians who see soaring unemployment numbers and plunging 401(k) accounts and warn that the cure shutting down vast sectors of the economy indefinitely is worse than the problem. I gave it two weeks, Trump said Tuesday at a Fox News virtual town hall event. We can socially distance ourselves and go to work. Trump didnt cite any epidemiological predictions in choosing Easter to be the nations restart date. Instead, he obliquely praised the symbolism of the day Christians celebrate Jesus resurrection from the dead. Youll have packed churches all over our country, he said. I think itll be a beautiful time. Trump is letting the economy guide his decisions because the condition of the pocketbook re-elects presidents, David McCuan, a professor of political science at Sonoma State University, said Tuesday. The perception of past versus future economic conditions at home seems to matter most to voters. Medically speaking, however, relaxing social distancing guidelines that soon would be risky, Riley said. Look at what is happening the pandemic is still on the upswing, Riley said. Look at how long it took China and Hong Kong and Singapore to control the increase in cases. The U.S. is no different. Newsom says he is consulting scientific models tracking the pandemics path, which suggest the worst is yet to come and that measures to keep society isolated could be required for several months. Newsom said he is operating not just on a different timeline from Trump when it comes to the outbreak, but on an entirely different playing field. He has made it clear he doesnt see the crisis resolving anytime soon. The governor predicted last week that schools would not reopen before the summer break, and he has cited models developed by state health officials that estimate more than half of Californians will be infected by the coronavirus without extreme isolating measures. Newsom said Tuesday evening in a Facebook Live event that it would be misleading to think California could relax its stay-at-home guidelines by April. He said it would be at least six weeks before the state could make adjustments. April, for California, would be sooner than any of the experts that I talk to would believe is possible, Newsom said. His focus on the public health response has created its own uncertainty for residents wondering when they can resume normal life. Newsoms stay-at-home order has no end date, and he has offered no specific criteria for lifting it. When we bend the curve and we see that were getting our arms around this, Newsom said Monday, then well be able to ask that question. He has avoided any suggestion of conflict with Trump, and the president has praised Newsom at several of his coronavirus news briefings. Newsom said his many conversations with the president and the substantial resources California has received from the federal government suggest that Trump understands the states challenges. I have no trepidation that, whatever he decides to do from a national prism, will get in the way of our efforts here at the state level to do what we need to do to hit this head-on, Newsom said. Cuomo appeared to chart a middle course Tuesday when he argued that the country doesnt have to choose between economic ruin and mass death. The New York governor conceded Trumps argument that it would be unsustainable to close down the economy. ... But if you ask the American people to choose between public health and the economy, then its no contest. No American is going to say, Accelerate the economy at the cost of human life. Because no American is going to say how much a life is worth. Cuomo said it will soon be time, however, to start to refine the blunt public health strategy of sheltering everyone in place. Lower-risk individuals do not need to be quarantined, and they shouldnt be quarantined with an older person who they may be transferring it to, Cuomo said. Instead, he said, let the younger people go back to work. Let the recovered people go back to work ... and then ramp up the economy with those individuals. Doing so, Cuomo said, would be a way to refine your public health strategy at the same time youre restarting your economy. Those two can be consistent if done intelligently. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com, alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli, @akoseff Ireland will not have any issue borrowing from international markets to fund our recovery from Covid-19, the State's debt management agency has said. The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) said any additional borrowing will take place against a backdrop of a strong improvement in Irelands debt position in recent years with strong demand for Irish debt among international investors. A retired police officer in Kollam (south Kerala) was arrested on Wednesday for holding his daughters wedding which was attended by more than 50 people in violation of the rules in force during the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the epidemic through community transmissions. Earlier health officials had approached the brides father, a retired sub-inspector, with a request to reduce the wedding to a simple ceremony and limit the number of guests to not more than 10. But police later found out that more than 50 people participated in the wedding and the former police officer pleaded innocence saying some of his relatives rushed to the wedding venue ignoring his request to stay away. But police were not ready to entertain his version and arrested him. Kollam rural police superintendent S Harishnakar said the former police officer was booked under Section 118 (e) (knowingly does an act that endangers the safety of public) of CrPC and Section 188 of the Kerala police Act (disobeying the order of a public servant) and other sections. He was later released on bail. Police said they will also book guests who took part in the wedding flouting the lockdown guidelines that prohibit gathering of more than five persons. In another incident in Kochi, two youngsters were held for manhandling a police officer who blocked their two-wheeler. After the lockdown was announced police has booked 3612 person for flouting the guidelines in the state. Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, arrives at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall ahead of a meeting of the government's emergency committee Cobra to discuss the CCP virus response, in London on March 16, 2020. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) UK Appeals for 250,000 Health Service Volunteers as COVID-19 Cases Surge The UK government has launched an urgent appeal for a quarter of a million volunteers to help the National Health Service (NHS) handle the COVID-19 outbreak. The UKs health minister Matt Hancock announced the new scheme on Tuesday, appealing for the recruitment of 250,000 volunteers to support vulnerable people who are unable to leave their homes due to the pandemic. We are seeking a quarter of a million volunteers, people in good health, to help the NHS, for shopping, for delivery of medicines, and to support those who are shielded to protect their own health, Hancock told reporters. The NHS Volunteer Responders will be asked to help local services and the NHS by carrying out tasks such as driving patients to and from hospital appointments, delivering shopping and medicines from pharmacies to vulnerable people, and phoning people isolating at home to check up on them. The system aims to reach up to 1.5 million people who are shieldingself-isolating at home for 12 weeks under government advice to protect those with serious health conditions. By Wednesday morning, some 170,000 people had already signed up for the volunteer scheme on the NHS website, National Medical Director of NHS England, Professor Stephen Powis, told BBC Breakfast. The government has already called for thousands of final-year medical students and retired doctors and nurses to offer their help in hospitals across the UK. The Shambles, one of the most famous streets in York, is almost empty as the UK adjusts to life under the CCP virus pandemic, in York, United Kingdom, on March 18, 2020. (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) Hancock said Tuesday that as many as 11,788 had responded to say they will return to the NHS to assist, including 2,660 doctors, 6,147 nurses, and 2,500 pharmacists and other staff. He added that some 18,700 final-year student nurses and 5,500 final-year medical students will move to the frontline next week to help combat the CCP virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. I pay tribute to each and every one of those who is returning to the NHS at its hour of need, Hancock said. The health minister urged those well and able to do so safely, to sign up for the new scheme. I would urge you to sign up today to help the most vulnerable people in our communities as an NHS Volunteer Responder, Hancock said in a statement. The appeal came a day after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a total lockdown, following in the footsteps of neighboring nations in Europe. Johnson has previously held off from adopting the more stringent restrictions on freedom seen in much of Europe. The nation saw its biggest rise in deaths in 24 hours Tuesday. As of Wednesday morning, confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom rose to 8,164, with at least 423 deaths, according to official government data collated by Johns Hopkins University. Reuters contributed to this report. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) - Centaurus Energy Inc. (TSXV: CTA) (OTCQX: CTARF) ("Centaurus" or the "Company") announces that it has entered into a binding term sheet with respect to a debt financing agreement with Maglan Distressed Master Fund LP (the "Agreement") pursuant to which the Company will have access of up to US$23 million, accruing interest on draws at the rate of 7% per annum, in the form of convertible and non-convertible loan facilities (the "Maglan Facilities"). Proceeds from the convertible loan facility shall be used by the Company to fund capital expenditure while proceeds under the non-convertible loan facility shall be used for the ongoing working capital requirements of the Company. The Maglan Facilities will have substantially similar terms as the Company's existing credit facilities, being the Working Capital Loan Agreement dated May 8, 2017, as amended April 7, 2019 between the Company and Hispania Petroleum S.A. and the Amended and Restated Convertible Loan Agreement made effective as of April 7, 2019 among the Company, Hispania Petroleum S.A., and KD Energy International Capital Limited. The Company is pleased to announce that it has appointed David D. Tawil and Steven Azarbad to the board of directors of Centaurus (the "Board"). In addition, the Company has terminated the employment of Jose Penafiel as President and Chief Executive Officer, the employment of Alejandro Penafiel as Vice President, Growth and Capital and the employment of Ezequiel Martinez Ariet as Chief Financial Officer. The Board has appointed David D. Tawil as interim Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Tawil commented: "I am proud to assume the leadership of Centaurus. I am confident that Argentinas vast energy resources will be profitably developed and Centaurus involvement can support the nations success and maximize value for Centaurus shareholders." Story continues Mr. Tawil is a co-founder of Maglan Capital, an event-driven fund, and has served as President since its founding in 2009. Prior to founding Maglan Capital, Mr. Tawil was an investment banker with Credit Suisse, where he served as Director of Leveraged Finance. Before joining Credit Suisse, Mr. Tawil was an attorney with Davis Polk & Wardwell, specializing in corporate restructuring. He began his legal career as an associate at Skadden, Arps. Mr. Tawil earned a BS degree in Business Management, graduating magna cum laude, from Yeshiva University, and he earned a JD degree from the University of Michigan Law School. Steven Azarbad is a Co-Founder of Maglan Capital and has served as Chief Investment Officer since its founding in 2009. Prior to founding Maglan Capital, he was an investment banker with Credit Suisse, where he served as Director of Leveraged Finance. Before joining Credit Suisse, Mr. Azarbad was an attorney with Weil, Gotshal & Manges, specializing in bankruptcy and restructuring. Before joining Weil, Gotshal & Manges, he clerked for The Honorable Mary F. Walrath, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. He began his legal career as an associate at Skadden, Arps. Mr. Azarbad earned a BS in Accounting from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, and he earned a JD from Brooklyn Law School. The appointments of Mr. Tawil and Mr. Azarbad to the Board are subject to confirmation by the TSX Venture Exchange. The Maglan Facilities will be subject to applicable regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Related Party Transaction As Maglan Distressed Master Fund LP (together with its affiliates) has beneficial ownership of, or control or direction over, securities of the Company carrying more than 10% of the voting rights attached to all of the Company's outstanding voting securities, it is considered a "related party" for the purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Accordingly, the Maglan Facilities will be deemed to be "related party transactions" and may be subject to the formal valuation and minority shareholder requirements under MI 61-101, unless exemptions are available. About Centaurus Energy Centaurus is an independent upstream oil and gas company with both conventional and unconventional oil and gas operations in Argentina. The Companys shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CTA and on the OTCQX under the symbol CTARF. For further information please contact: David Tawil Interim Chief Executive Officer email: info@ctaurus.com phone: (403) 262-1901 Reader Advisories Forward Looking Information Disclaimer The information in this news release contains certain forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance, in particular, but not limited to, expectations that the Company will be able to complete the terms of the Agreement and enter into the Maglan Facilities, or that the Company will receive applicable regulatory and TSX Venture Exchange approvals for the Maglan Facilities or the appointment of the new directors. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. These statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. The forward-looking statements in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Investors are encouraged to review and consider the additional risk factors set forth in the Company's Annual Information Form, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53787 Bindi Irwin paid tribute to her mother, Terri, with her choice of dress at her wedding to Chandler Powell at Australia Zoo on Wednesday evening. The wildlife conservationist, 21, said 'I do' in a dress that looked remarkably similar to the one Terri wore at her wedding to Bindi's late father, Steve Irwin, 27 years ago. Bindi stunned in a breathtaking white gown, which featured an intricate lace bodice and full tulle skirt, complete with a delicately embellished headband. Thoughtful: Bindi Irwin paid tribute to her mother, Terri, with her choice of dress at her wedding to Chandler Powell at Australia Zoo on Wednesday evening The lace sleeves in particular are a tell-tale sign Bindi was inspired by her mother. Terri and Steve tied the knot in her hometown of Eugene, Oregon, on June 4, 1992, a year after meeting in Australia. Steve, who was known to millions around the world as 'The Crocodile Hunter', died in September 2006 at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary in Batt Reef, Queensland. Following her husband's death, Terri raised Bindi and her younger brother, Robert, now 16, as a single mother. She has never remarried. Whirlwind romance: Terri and Steve tied the knot in her hometown of Eugene, Oregon, on June 4, 1992, a year after meeting in Australia. Pictured on their wedding day Details: The lace sleeves in particular are a tell-tale sign Bindi was inspired by her mother Bindi and her professional wakeboarder husband, 23, married at Australia Zoo, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, on Wednesday evening (AEST). They made the 'difficult decision' to have no guests present to keep the community safe as the number of coronavirus cases in Australia continues to rise. The family had planned the wedding for nearly a year but decided at the last minute to hold a 'small ceremony' without guests due to the pandemic. Last-minute ceremony: Bindi, 21, and her professional wakeboarder husband, 23, married at Australia Zoo, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, on Wednesday evening (AEST) A TIMELINE OF BINDI AND CHANDLER'S ROMANCE NOVEMBER 2013: The pair first meet at Australia Zoo in Queensland. Chandler later asks Bindi's mother, Terri, if he can keep in touch with her JULY 2015: Bindi announces on Instagram that Chandler has become a 'Wildlife Warrior' as they embark on a long-distance romance SEPTEMBER 2015: Bindi and Chandler debut their relationship on the red carpet after her appearance on Dancing with the Stars LATE 2018: Chandler moves from Florida to Queensland to live with the Irwins NOVEMBER 2018: Bindi says she feels 'lucky' to have found 'the one' DECEMBER 2018: The couple dismiss engagement rumours, saying they are in no rush to marry JULY 24, 2019: The pair announce their engagement on Bindi's 21st birthday Advertisement Their nuptials came just hours after Prime Minister Scott Morrison enforced new restrictions on weddings, with only five people allowed to attend including the couple, the celebrant and witnesses. Terri's close confidant, U.S.-based author Steve Maraboli, is believed to have officiated the big day. Robert walked Bindi down the aisle and Terri helped her daughter get ready. After saying 'I do', the newlyweds lit a single candle at the altar in Steve's memory. Tragedy: Steve Irwin died in September 2006 at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary in Batt Reef, Queensland. Pictured with Terri and Bindi in Sydney on July 7, 2002 Heartwarming: The newlyweds lit a single candle at the altar in Steve's memory after making their union official. Pictured: Bindi aged five with her family at Australia Zoo on April 8, 2004 On Tuesday, Mr Morrison enforced tough restrictions on weddings amid the coronavirus pandemic. 'Large gatherings for weddings, sadly, won't be possible under these new arrangements,' he said. 'Sadly, also, and I know this will be very difficult, funerals to no more than 10 persons observing the rules around the four-square-metre rule and the social distancing practices. 'This is not an easy decision. Where we have already found, and Dr Murphy [Australia's Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy] can speak to this, some of the events that have been some of the major transmitting events, it has been exactly these types of events, particularly weddings. 'And that is why, regretfully, we have to be able to put these arrangements in place.' New rules: They made the 'difficult decision' to have no guests present to keep the community safe as the number of coronavirus cases in Australia continues to rise. Their nuptials came just hours after Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) enforced new restrictions on weddings, with only five people allowed to attend including the couple, the celebrant and witnesses Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness characterised by fever, coughing, a sore throat, shortness of breath and fatigue. It can cause pneumonia. The spread of the disease, which was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December, has resulted in over 460,000 cases worldwide and more than 20,800 fatalities. As of Thursday afternoon, there are 2,675 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, including 12 deaths. Shop owners are begging Scott Morrison put Australia in coronavirus lockdown before their businesses bleed to death. The Prime Minister is resisting following Britain and New Zealand in shuttering every non-essential business and confining everyone to their homes. Instead he and the National Cabinet favour a gradual staged approach in the hope of staving off economic catastrophe and preserving jobs. Australia has moved to stage 2 restrictions as coronavirus cases jumped to more than 2,400 with 197 in hospital and 17 in intensive care. Scott Morrison is delaying a full lockdown to keep businesses open and prevent depressing Centrelink lines from getting even longer - but retailers say this is bad in the long run Mr Morrison said on Wednesday that he didn't want to move too fast to stage 3 restrictions as it would cause 'needless economic loss'. 'We're managing two crises - an economic one and a health one... and both of them can be equally as deadly, both in terms of the lives of Australians and their livelihoods,' he said. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement However, the same business owners he is trying to protect believe they have a better chance of survival if lockdowns are imposed immediately. A senior executive at a large furniture chain said shops were bleeding money in overheads but couldn't close unless their competitors did. 'I just can't believe it hasn't happened yet,' he told Daily Mail Australia after Mr Morrison closed services like nail salons and tattoo parlours, but left retailers open. 'The government is keeping things open to keep jobs for as long as possible, but the fact of the matter is shops are not getting revenue so they can't sustain salaries, they can't pay rent or buy stock. 'The stores are ghost towns, how long can they realistically stay open if there's no money coming in? 'If things are going to close down it's better off being for two or three months rather than indefinitely. A lot of smaller shops won't survive that.' Vivian Chung, who owns Sincere Florist in Marrickville in Sydney's inner-west, said so few people were buying flowers she may as well be closed. 'The government should shut everyone down. At least then we will know how long it will last and everyone will have to close at the same time,' she said. Vivian Chung, who owns Sincere Florist in Sydney's inner-west, said her business was battered by both fewer walk-ins and many cancelled events 'The government should shut everyone down. At least then we will know how long it will last and everyone will have to close at the same time,' she said 'The longer we stay open the more money we lose as there are so few customers. But we have to stay open while everyone else does.' Ms Chung's business has been battered by both fewer walk-ins, many cancelled events like weddings and birthdays, and scaled back funerals. Australia's stage two restrictions limit weddings to the bride, groom, celebrant, and two witnesses, funerals to just 10 mourners, and ban parties. 'We can't afford to keep going like this. We had no customers from lunch to the end of the day,' she said. Downes Shoes, a 125-year-old shop in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, has lost two thirds of its sales in a few weeks and fears a long lockdown would bankrupt it. 'It's a big shock. A lot of our customers are cafe workers, shop workers, teachers,' manager Leah Sischle said. Downes Shoes, a 125-year-old shop in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, has lost two thirds of its sales in a few weeks and fears a long lockdown would bankrupt it (pictured is owner Barry Toombs with manager Leah Sischle on the right, and another employee) Ms Sischle said the longer the shutdown was staggered, the longer Australia will end up being in lockdown and the more businesses would suffer 'In my heart of hearts I think we need to stop, and we need to be given the advice to stop because it's just so difficult. 'The longer it's staggered, the longer we will end up being in lockdown. While one shop stays open, the other shops will stay open.' Ms Sischle said uncertainty was hurting shops the most and the government was 'pretty hopeless and giving mixed information'. 'The sooner our government makes that call, the better it will be for us. We don't know when the shutdown will come and for how long,' she said. 'I can't plan for how long its going to be and how to survive.' Helena Burton, owner of Ever Elegant women's clothes shop in Richmond, Melbourne, said a total shutdown meant she wouldn't have to pay staff and overhead costs and might survive Downes shoes is doing everything to survive, including starting a YouTube to keep in contact with its customers while they are in lockdown. It also plans to film what's on the shelves so customers can order online and the shop can operate without the doors open. Helena Burton, owner of Ever Elegant women's clothes shop in Richmond, Melbourne, said a total shutdown meant she wouldn't have to pay staff and overhead costs and might survive. 'Get it out of the way as fast as possible. I'm not making any money anyway, nobody is coming in, so I may as well be closed,' she said. The sun is pictured on the background of the almost empty Potsdamer Platz square in Berlin on March 24, 2020, amidst the new coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: Getty Images) A key indicator for the eurozone's economy recorded its lowest ever reading in March as the coronavirus spread. The result of the IHS Markit Purchasing Managers' Index survey made dark reading, at 31.4. The index reading was at its lowest level on record - worse even than in the depths of the financial crash - and fell from 51.6 in February. "The eurozone economy suffered an unprecedented collapse in business activity in March as the coronavirus outbreak intensified," IHS Markit said. "The March PMI is indicative of GDP slumping at a quarterly rate of around 2pc, and clearly there's scope for the downturn to intensify further as even more draconian policies to deal with the virus are potentially implemented in coming months," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist. Across the eurozone, businesses are shuttered, schools are closed and some countries like Italy have introduced draconian restrictions on movement in a bid to curtail the spread of the virus. The prior low in the index was seen in February 2009, when it hit 36.2. A reading below 50 indicates a contraction while one above 50 shows an expansion. The index does not actually tell you by how much the economies are set to contract as it is a survey of sentiment, but it does indicate the direction of travel. "March's slump in the euro-zone composite PMI is so sharp that at any other time it would look like a spreadsheet error. But now it is all too believable, and April's data could be even worse," said Jack Allen-Reynolds, senior Europe economist at Capital Economics. Mr Allen-Reynolds estimated the fall in economic output in the first quarter versus the prior quarter at 3pc. Read More The employment sub-index fell to its lowest level since July 2009 as companies laid off workers. That presents the risk of a sharp downward spiral for economies and the prospect of a slow recovery if redundant workers do not return to work soon. Governments across the world, including here, have stepped up wage subsidies in response, as well as unveiling large budget packages that are backed up by massive infusions of cash from central banks. Similar declines were reported in the US PMI data, which recorded its biggest fall since the series started in 2009 as the outlook for the world's largest economy darkened. Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis president James Bullard predicted this week that the US unemployment rate may hit 30pc in the second quarter and that gross domestic product could fall by as much as one half. Those projections are much larger than any others and, if they come true, would be a major blow to the economy here which is highly geared to that of the United States thanks to the presence of a large number of multinational companies here. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - March 24, 2020) - Bonavista Energy Corporation (TSX: BNP) ("Bonavista" or the "Company") and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce ("CIBC") as administrative agent on behalf of a syndicate of lenders, including CIBC, The Toronto-Dominion Bank, Bank of Montreal, Royal Bank of Canada, The Bank of Nova Scotia, National Bank of Canada, ATB Financial and Federation des Caisses Desjardins du Quebec, under its existing unsecured $500 million bank credit facility (the "Facility") have agreed, subject to certain conditions, to a waiver of conditions precedent to drawdown under the Facility until April 27, 2020. This will enable the Company to access the Facility, up to $25 million above the amount currently drawn, for ordinary course operational purposes. The Company continues to adapt to this unprecedented operating environment with numerous cost reduction and cost deferral initiatives including continued discussions with its creditors to design a practical path forward to reorganize the Company's near term debt maturities. The temporary waiver does not address, and is without prejudice to, the matters addressed in the Company's press release dated March 18, 2020 regarding the draw down request previously made under the Facility and referred to in such release. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Except for the historical and present factual information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release, relating to our plans to continue to adapt to the current operating environment with numerous cost reduction and cost deferral initiatives including continued discussions with our creditors to design a practical path forward to reorganize the Company's near term debt maturities are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on certain assumptions, which management considers reasonable, and include, among others, our ability to reduce costs, defer initiatives and reorganize the Company's near term debt maturities. Story continues The forward-looking statements contained in this news release necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause our actual performance to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, currency fluctuations, stock market volatility, and our ability to access sufficient capital and/or obtain the consent of our lenders to reorganize our debt. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing lists of factors are not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect our operations or financial results are included in reports on file with applicable securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com). Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and we disclaim any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Jason E. Skehar President & CEO or Dean M. Kobelka Vice President, Finance & CFO Bonavista Energy Corporation 1500, 525 - 8th Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2P 1G1 Phone: (403) 213-4300 Website: www.bonavistaenergy.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53757 Militants launched an attack on a Sikh temple in Kabul that left at least 25 people dead before security forces killed the attackers and freed dozens of hostages. Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian did not say how many attackers were involved in the March 25 assault on the temple, though he said all were killed. The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack via the online Amaq news agency, which it uses to distribute statements. Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said that in addition to the 25 dead, eight people were wounded and 80 being held in the compound were rescued. The AP news agency reported that one of the dead was a child, whose body was brought to a Kabul hospital. Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told RFE/RL that Afghan security forces had cordoned off the area and efforts were under way to clear the building of the assailants. Arian said at least four attackers were exchanging fire with Afghan special forces. He added that some people were rescued by Afghan security forces and that the operation is proceeding cautiously to avoid harming the people inside the compound. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul and rights group Amnesty International condemned the attack. Peace will only come when people resolve their differences through words, not guns, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. Amnesty said on Twitter that it was shocked and disheartened by the attack. Sikhs, a small religious minority in Afghanistan that numbers fewer than 300 families, have been targeted by Islamist militants before. A suicide bombing targeting the Sikh community and claimed by Islamic State killed more than a dozen people in 2018 in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad. The United States last month struck a deal with the Taliban on the withdrawal of U.S.-led international troops but the agreement does not include IS militants. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, and TOLOnews.com Even those who sincerely condemned the incident in Sanzhary, when buses with healthy Ukrainian citizens evacuated from China were stoned, are now genuinely concerned about the situation with the massive return of people with Ukrainian passports and citizenship People say there really is little of a human in a human: a subtle layer of civilization, which can easily fly off like a husk when faced with phenomena that return us to our wild ancestors: hunger, a threat to loved ones, fear of our own liquidation. The Covid-19 pandemic once again confronts us with difficult choices and difficult questions. Even those who sincerely condemned the incident in Sanzhary, when buses with healthy Ukrainian citizens evacuated from China were stoned, are now genuinely concerned about the situation with the massive return of people with Ukrainian passports and citizenship. The Foreign Ministry cheerfully reports that more than 50 000 Ukrainians have already returned to Ukraine with the assistance of diplomatic institutions. They fly by special flights, return by trains specially organized for this purpose, sail on ferries and even cross the border on foot. Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krikliy has already proposed to the Cabinet of Ministers to allocate more than $ 4 million from the state budget reserve fund for the return of Ukrainians from abroad. A week ago they talked about an organized evacuation of 35 479 citizens, for this it was planned to carry out 175 flights. Krikliys proposal was included in the protocol order to the relevant ministries. But instead of joy and delight by these actions of the authorities, a wave of indignation and anxiety is growing in the social networks: 50 000 people returned to the country from territories with coronavirus. These people did not go through quarantine, but authorities simply sent them home. A question: Why they make bad things to the whole country? .. Maybe theres a little flaw that needs to be corrected?" - lawyer Denys Fetisov writes on Facebook. Similar questions are asked in the comments under the Ukrzaliznytsia post about organizing the return of Ukrainians by special train from Poland. But if you look closely and deeply, people are outraged not so much by the fact of the return of compatriots, as by the actions of the Ministry of Health, officials and representatives of sanitary services in Ukraine. They are not trusted. No one fully believes in their ability to keep the situation under control. Let's be honest: there are reasons for disbelief and doubt. Commenting on the return to Odesa of a cargo and passenger ferry with 100 citizens who could not get home by air, the chief state sanitary doctor for water transport Mykola Golubyatnikov said that rapid testing for Covid-19 not carried out. "The order is such that healthy people who claim to have had no direct contact with a patient with coronavirus infection are not examined," he explained. Passengers filled out forms recommended by the Ministry of Health on which countries they were in, and left their contacts. They were given a memo on self-isolation and recommendations where to go when their health worsens. Most people who return from abroad, including those who cross the border on their own, simply measure the temperature (which, if you feel unwell, can be easily fixed with banal antipyretic drugs). And then all these people who fly, sail, grive, get to their homes in different regions. Only recently, the authorities have become preoccupied with this problem, and this is only because they themselves have limited the movement of most types of transport! Are there people already infected with the coronavirus? We will soon find out ... after the expiration of the incubation period and in the event that test systems appear in the regions, as well as the masks and antiseptics promised by the authorities. At least in the capital! Other countries more strictly and responsibly treat citizens entering into their territory after the start of the coronavirus pandemic. At the very beginning, one of the first to introduce mandatory 14-day quarantine for all entering the country was Israel. Today, mandatory quarantine (quarantine as a condition of entry into the country, rather than self-restriction) has been introduced by most countries in the world. In Ukraine, only 105 Ukrainians and foreign citizens were detained on the 14-day quarantine in Novi Sanzhary. And this is against the backdrop of 50 000 who entered without any lockdown! According to official recommendations published by the Ministry of Health for people who are returning to the country, every citizen of Ukraine who returns from a state in which cases of Covid-19 were recorded (and there are practically no more countries where the virus was not detected) must pass necessary control procedures at border crossings. " What kinds of procedures are mentioned? In particular, citizens are urged upon returning to Ukraine to "strictly adhere to the regime of self-isolation". It is explained that self-isolation "first of all means that a person should avoid contact with other people for at least 14 days," and if he doesnt live alone, he must "be isolated in a separate room." It sounds funny if we assume that many people live in one-room apartments with a single toilet and shower for the entire household. Violating of the regime of self-isolation, according to the Ministry of Health, is possible only when seeking medical help. In this case, you need to call your family doctor and get further recommendations. At the same time, changes in the recommendations for primary care physicians for the treatment of persons suspected of having Covid-19 have only recently been made. But the draft order on forced hospitalization is still a project in general. As well as the draft recommendations for disinfection of surfaces in case of virus infection. I would like to believe that people who make responsible decisions today, including with regard to creating a safe environment for all Ukrainians, and not just those who return from abroad or observe quarantine at home, understand they have nowhere to go given that the Covid- pandemic 19 already covered the whole planet! And if as a result of their irresponsible actions the most pessimistic scenario would be realized, they will remain in unenviable solitude - one on one with the coronavirus apocalypse. I would like to believe that they understand this and will not allow such a situation to develop. Although it is still unclear why it was impossible to quarantine all citizens who arrived at their homeland. For the good of the whole country. UPPER THUMB While there still have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Huron County, the number of Upper Thumb cases has hit three, with two confirmed cases in Tuscola County and one in Sanilac County. The first case was reported March 20, and was an 88-year-old man in Tuscola County with no travel history. The second confirmed case came from Sanilac County March 23. The Sanilac County Health Department reported it had confirmed its first positive COVID-19 case. "The patient is currently hospitalized at a local health care facility," a release from the SCHD states. No further information was provided about the patient. The third confirmed case came from Tuscola County the following day, March 24. The TCHD reported a 79-year-old man had tested positive for the disease. While no cases had been confirmed in Huron County as of Wednesday, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator with Tuscola and Huron county health departments Katilyn Alexander told the Tribune that doesn't mean there are no local cases. "That does not mean that we have no COVID-19 in Huron County," she said in an email Wednesday. "We just may not have detected it yet since some individuals can have such mild symptoms. Everyone should still be following all of the protocol put in place to protect themselves and their families." "We must look at this as a community and all do our part to protect everyone," she said. Alexander said there have been people in Huron County who have been tested, but she couldn't confirm how many. "I do not have a number as to how many tests have been sent in," she said. "However, we have submitted tests and received results back, so far all negative, and we do have some pending results. I am unable to provide an exact number." The health department is not naming public low-risk exposure locations, and according to Huron and Tuscola County Health Officer Ann Hepfer, all residents should behave as though the virus may be present whenever they are in public places. According to a press release, the health department is asking anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 to self-isolate for 14 days to avoid potentially exposing others. According to public health officials, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, people should: Wash their hands. Stay home when sick. Avoid close contact with sick people. Avoid touching their face. Disinfect commonly touched surfaces. Avoid shaking hands. Follow suggested guidelines for social distancing. For social distancing, we recommend the following: Keep six feet between yourself and others when possible. Avoid public places at their busiest times. Work from home when possible. Cancel gatherings of more than 50 people as required by Michigan law. However, it is recommended gatherings not exceed 10 people. Limit travel. People who are concerned that they may have COVID-19 should contact their health care provider and call ahead before visiting any health care facility. Mildly ill people are encouraged to stay home and contact their healthcare provider by phone for guidance. If you feel well, you do not need to be tested. Testing is determined based on risk assessment. Assistant Editor Scott Nunn contributed to this report. Bachasson bounced back to winning ways in the feature event on what proved to be the final days racing in Ireland for at least several weeks at Clonmel yesterday. Making his first appearance over fences since falling in the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Willie Mullins-trained Bachasson was the 4-6 favourite for the Download The BoyleSports App Chase off the back of a sixth-placed finish in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham a fortnight ago. Always in control on the front end under Paul Townend, the bold-jumping grey shook off the attentions of Death Duty from the home turn, with a couple of typically slick leaps at the final two obstacles sealing an emphatic 12-length victory. Mullins was claiming the two-and-a-half-mile contest for the third year in succession following the recent triumphs of Koshari and subsequent Thyestes Chase hero Acapella Bourgeois respectively. Townend said: He had the rating to do that and Death Duty didnt seem to fire. He lined up in a Gold Cup a couple of years ago, although its a long way from there now. His jumping was very good. He makes lengths everywhere and is a real quick jumper, which is a help. I didnt interfere with him and let him do it. He jumped well out of the ground and its not as deep as the hurdle course. Meanwhile, Farmix made it third time lucky over hurdles with a dominant display in the opening race. Fourth on his racecourse debut in a Punchestown bumper last December, Liz Doyles charge had since filled the runner-up spot twice in succession at Clonmel since the turn of the year. Ridden by Donagh Meyler, the five-year-old was the 6-4 favourite for the Money Back On The BoyleSports App Maiden Hurdle and led his rivals a merry dance from the front before pulling clear from the final obstacle to score by 20 lengths. Doyle was not present, but said from home: He did it well and Id say the slightly better ground has brought about a good bit of improvement. The twice he ran there before the ground was very deep and while he coped with it, I think the drier ground has helped him excel and it was never really in doubt. Hes a huge horse at over 17 hands and whatever he does over hurdles, I think hell be a 20lb better horse over fences. Well keep going with him for the time being before hopefully going chasing with him next season. The father-son combination of Philip and Luke Dempsey landed the Play Lotto On The BoyleSports App Maiden Hurdle with 7-1 shot Cosa Ben. A faller two flights from home when still in contention at Gowran Park earlier in the month, the French-bred mare bounce back with a 17-length verdict over Daring Disciple. I dont know how unlucky she was in Gowran, but she was going to run a big race, said trainer Philip Dempsey. Id say this wasnt a great race, but shes done it well. Shes not over big, but shes game and she jumps well. Danny Mullins was seen to good effect aboard the front-running Shantou Sisu in the Extra Places On The BoyleSports App Handicap Hurdle. Billy Lanigans 9-4 favourite steadily raised the tempo and ultimately won with plenty in hand, by six lengths. Lanigan said: Hes been running consistently well and his owner Hugh Laing has been a friend of mine for 45 years or more, so its nice to win. Hes a very difficult horse to train as hes a very hard puller and my son Billy rides him every day. Youd want to have your porridge before you ride him as he works the way he runs - at breakneck speed! Mutadaffeq was a 9-1 winner of the Live Streaming On The BoyleSports App Beginners Chase for Gavin Cromwell, proving a length and a half too strong for 5-2 favourite Bitsandpieces. Winning rider Jonathan Moore said: It was a very uncompetitive beginners and I just kept him out there and he jumped great. He enjoyed himself and he stays really well, so on that ground he was sticking out the trip better than the others. Hes a grand horse and its grand to win with him. Terence OBriens Ask Heather (15-2) struck gold in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase under 4lb claimer Simon Torrens, while the concluding Virtual Racing On The BoyleSports App Flat Race went to the Willie Mullins-trained Captain Kangaroo (10-1), ridden by Jody Townend. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The critical element when ripping off a Band-Aid is speed. Chevron Corp.s cut to its spending budget and suspension of buybacks, announced Tuesday morning, hurts of course. Looked at another way, though, it merely acknowledges the injuries inflicted already. It also leaves a certain large rival whose name rhymes with MexxonObil looking like a laggard again, so that probably helps. No Western oil companys economics balance at $25-ish a barrel. The market knows this; hence, energy stocks currently vie with the similarly challenged Materials sector for the title of smallest in the S&P 500. Under such circumstances, and with oil demand having dropped into a chasm of pestilence, the prudent thing is to abandon even minimal growth and conserve as much cash as possible without wrecking the business or ones relationship with investors altogether. Chevron is cutting its capex budget by 20% and, having bought back $1.75 billion of stock in the first quarter, suspending repurchases until further notice. Cutting guidance isnt pleasant, but given the drop in the stock already, theres no need to disburse more cash: Even without the buyback, Chevron yields more today on pure dividend than it did on its analyst day. Theres little point funneling more cash to investors if they arent valuing it. A similar situation exists for ConocoPhillips, which trimmed capex and cut, but didnt suspend, its buyback program last week. That leaves one mega-cap U.S. oil and gas producer that is yet to adjust course. Exxon Mobil Corp. had the unfortunate timing of defending its counter-cyclical spending splurge the day before OPEC+ broke up in acrimony and sealed the oil markets fate. The company has since indicated it is evaluating potentially big cuts to spending, having suffered a credit-rating downgrade from Standard & Poors in the meantime. But details are yet to come, and Chevrons move leaves Exxon looking flat-footed. Story continues Exxon now yields more purely on its dividend, but that indicates higher stress. Forecasts for 2020 are in flux to say the least. Still, using Ebitda as a proxy for cash from operations, current consensus figures imply Chevron needing to borrow a little to cover capex and payouts and Conoco covering from cash flow. Both have strong balance sheets. Exxon, on the other hand, has been borrowing or selling assets to cover dividends for a while. And consensus forecasts indicate cash flow wont cover capex, let alone the roughly $15 billion dividend payout. Despite Tuesday mornings bounce in oil prices, the market still faces the prospect of storage potentially being maxed out within a couple of months or so which would precipitate a further crash. It is, therefore, perhaps too early to speculate on which oil stocks offer relative safety and gains on the other side of this crisis. Yet Chevrons and Conocos yields, post spending cuts, look relatively robust. Chevron's stock is up 17% as of writing this. Exxons yield may be higher, but the Band-Aid hasnt come off yet. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy, mining and commodities. He previously was editor of the Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Street column and wrote for the Financial Times' Lex column. He was also an investment banker. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Artist Dave ORourke of Creative Dave hangs a mural on the boarded-up Palace Bar in Dublin. Photo: Frank McGrath Hospitals have already suffered six coronavirus outbreaks and clusters, a new analysis reveals. These involve linked or groups of cases, raising fears about the spread of the virus within hospitals. The news comes as a seventh person died from Covid-19 in Ireland yesterday. Health chiefs announced 204 more people were confirmed to have the virus, bringing the total number of confirmed infections here to 1,329. Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the criteria for testing has been tightened and will be limited to patients with a fever and also at least one sign of respiratory disease, such as a cough or shortness of breath. Unsustainable Expand Close The National Rehabilitation Hospital may be needed to treat Covid-19 patients / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The National Rehabilitation Hospital may be needed to treat Covid-19 patients He said around 20,000 people sought tests in the past 10 days and not all needed one, and this level of testing was unsustainable. New information from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, which analysed cases up to Monday night, show 11 clusters were travel-related, seven in private homes, four in nursing homes and four in workplaces. At that stage there were 836 confirmed cases in Ireland. In a clear message about the need for physical distancing of two metres, the study shows five clusters were found among extended family. The analysis lists, for the first time, all the countries where people returning to Ireland picked it up. They include 60 people who had been in Italy, 39 who came back from the UK, 37 from Austria and 16 who had been in Spain. Other countries where people diagnosed here had travelled to include the US, France, Switzerland and the Philippines. However, Ireland, rather than abroad, is the main location for infection, and 543 had caught it here up to yesterday. The east of the country has seen the highest rate of infection, followed by the south, while it is lowest in the south-east and north-east. Dublin had the highest number of confirmed cases of the virus at 471, with Monaghan and Wexford seeing the fewest so far. More men than women have been infected. Among those who ended up in intensive care, over-65s made up the largest group, accounting for eight patients. However, there were six aged between 45 and 54 and another six between 55 and 64. One child aged between five and 14 was put into intensive care, while four people in their 20s and 30s were also critical with the virus. Overall, 239 were hospitalised. The figures reveal the median age for those who get the virus here is 44. So far, the infected have ranged from a baby under one-year-old to a person aged 95. There have been 208 cases among healthcare workers, including as a result of travel abroad. Meanwhile, the new National Mental Health Hospital and an expansion to the National Rehabilitation Hospital are being lined up as locations for treating coronavirus patients. Both are nearing completion and could provide nearly 300 beds between them. Sources said these new hospitals have isolation facilities and, as a result, are being considered to boost health service capacity should it be needed. The National Forensic Mental Health Service (NFMHS) hospital at Portrane, Co Dublin, is due to be operational this summer. It will ultimately replace the current Central Mental Hos- pital facility in Dundrum. However, it has the capacity to provide care for 170 patients and will have an intensive care rehabilitation unit. It is under consideration as a possible site for coronavirus patients. Meanwhile, a 120-bed development at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire is also being lined up as a place to treat patients with the virus. The new facility has en suite single rooms. Sources said that any HSE-owned premises that have isolation facilities are under consideration for use if acute hospitals come under pressure. The start of the CervicalCheck Tribunal to hear legal cases by women who developed cervical cancer after screening has been delayed due to the pandemic. It has led to fears that some women may lose their legal right to seek compensation due to the statute of limitations. Vulnerability The 221+ group representing women involved in the controversy said it was informed of the delay by Health Minister Simon Harris yesterday. A statement on the tribunal website said the decision was "in response to both the measures which were announced by the Taoiseach on March 12 and the understanding that the intended claimants may be considered to be at risk if they were to contract the virus". A spokesperson for the group said: "We welcome the recognition of the inherent vulnerability that cervical cancer creates in all that suffer it and the respect shown for that vulnerability in the current circumstances. "We have, however, flagged to the department our concern at the possibility that the delay will now cause the statute of limitations to be reached for some of those planning to bring a claim before the tribunal." LA County Releases 1,700 Inmates in Response to CCP Virus Outbreak Californias Los Angeles County has released 1,700 inmates, or about one out of every 10 inmates, in response to the new CCP virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said that approximately 1,700 inmates were released as of the end of business Monday, lowering the jail population by roughly 10 percent. All of the inmates had fewer than 30 days left on their sentences and were in jail because of nonviolent misdemeanors. At this point now, the process is a lot harder because now were getting into the weeds of pretrial detention, he said. Officials at the sheriffs office are working with prosecutors and public defenders to try to curb appearances from inmates in court. Asked if he expected to release additional inmates, Villanueva didnt rule it out but said, Not any big amount. A traffic officer wears a mask as he directs traffic in Los Angeles , California, on March 24, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) Its not going to move the needle as much as weve done. All the low-hanging fruit, weve already picked it, he added. Any inmates in jail for violent crimes will not be released under any circumstances, according to the sheriff. No confirmed cases of the virus exist in the jail system and the inmates are being screened before theyre released. District Attorney Jackie Lacey told prosecutors last week to work to decrease the number of inmates in both jails and courthouses to try to slow the spread of the virus. I have asked my attorneys to consider the health risks in every decision they make, Lacey said. I have directed them to consider ways to keep nonviolent felony and misdemeanor offenders out of our jails and courthouses during this pandemic. Prosecutors were told to delay the filing of new cases and re-evaluate pretrial cases to let nonviolent criminals who dont pose a danger to the community to remain outside the justice system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lacey said she was working with Villanueva and other officials in reviewing approximately 2,000 cases of inmates to see if they could be released. Law enforcement is making other moves, such as shifting 1,300 deputies from assignments that are not essential to the field to augment the personnel that are already in the field, Villanueva said. Officers are focusing on patrolling supermarkets and big box stores and helping out those who are disabled. Other states and counties have also been releasing inmates, such as New York City and New Jersey. A cyclist rides past the Martin B. Retting, Inc. gun store in Culver City, California, on March 24, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Attempts to Close Gun Stores Halted Villanuevas office was attempting to shut down gun stores across the county, an effort that the sheriff defended during the press conference. The attempts to close stores didnt violate the Second Amendment because its not an issue of banning the sales of guns, the sheriff said. Villanueva told Fox LA later in the day that county counsel Mary Wickham issued an opinion that gun stores can be classified as essential businesses under Gov. Gavin Newsoms statewide executive order. The sheriffs office is trying to get clarification on how gun stores should be classified. No businesses have received citations so far, Villanueva told reporters. Kansas City Supports Homeless Amid Coronavirus Pandemic Two local restaurants step up to help serve those in need at City Union Mission KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- "This is our KC." We band together, especially when the going gets tough and it doesn't get much tougher than being homeless. Nearly 200 men at City Union Mission were served meals from two local restaurants, Extra Virgin and Farina. Raytown Hard Times Raytown family under quarantine as their father is in the hospital RAYTOWN, MO (KCTV) - Dozens of people are starting to feel the impact of the coronavirus in their own homes. We are hearing for the first time what it's been like to see a loved one fall ill. "It's very trying. We have to be in self isolation, quarantine," mother Misty Donaldson-Urriola said. 39th Street Good Deeds We're Open: Black Sheep feeds community in a 'pay-it-forward' way Black Sheep on 39th Street has been through a lot of changes over the past couple of weeks. The restaurant had to close its dining room and move to a curb-side pick up model. Now, the locally-owned restaurant is transforming yet again to become a community kitchen. Hottest Model In The World Keeps Her Distance Candice Swanepoel Sizzles In A Crop Top & Daisy Dukes As She Practices Social Distancing Candice Swanepoel showed fans how to social distance this week as she kept several feet away from a friend in a pair of Daisy Dukes and a crop top. The stunning Victoria's Secret model proudly showed off her fit and toned body in a new video, which was shared to the official Instagram account of her swimwear line, Tropic of C, on March 23. PRINCE CHARLES CATCHES CORONAVIRUS!!! Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus, Clarence House has confirmed. Prince Charles, 71, is displaying mild symptoms "but otherwise remains in good health", a spokesman said. The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. Prez Trump Timeline Confronts Scientific Push Back Trump says US could return to normal by Easter. Health officials and state leaders are gearing up for a longer fight President Donald Trump says he's hopeful Americans will be able to return to work in less than three weeks -- an outlook in stark contrast with that of world health officials who say the US may become the coronavirus pandemic's new epicenter. Missouri Family Outbreak 5 members of Missouri family test positive for coronavirus Five members of a Missouri family have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, including a woman who works at a preschool where several other teachers have also been infected. Jane Weinhaus, 63, and her St. Louis-area family, including her husband, two adult children and a daughter-in-law, have all tested positive. COVID-19 Party Flops A group of young adults held a coronavirus party in Kentucky to defy orders to socially distance. Now one of them has coronavirus At least one person in Kentucky is infected after taking part at a "coronavirus party" with a group of young adults, Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday. HUGE Prez Trump Deal!!! White House, Senate leaders strike deal on $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package Senate leaders and the White House struck a deal early Wednesday morning on a $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package to aid an economy that's been hampered by the rapidly worsening pandemic. "At last, we have a deal," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said from Senate floor at about 1:30 a.m. Chiefs Still Champs Arrowheadlines: The Chiefs remain the team to be beat NFL Power Rankings: Bucs, Bills shoot up via free agency/trades | NFL.com 1 CHIEFS The defending champions were quiet in the first wave of free agency. Which is ... fine. Kansas City slapped the franchise tag on Chris Jones when it couldn't get a long-term deal done with the standout defensive lineman. Fam Fights For Access 'Get us home': Local family among many stranded in Honduras after country locked down KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Aaron Gum and about a dozen of his family members had been looking forward to this vacation getaway to Honduras for months. Now, they're panicked over when they'll ever be able to get back. "For the first three or four, five days it was great," Gum told FOX4. Wednesday Weather Report Sunny and 70 Wednesday, storms in second half of week A cold front bringing stronger thunderstorms is on its way. Right nowreminds us that one day soon we'll be able to get together and share our affection for one another. But for now we maintain social distancing to protect one another as we review pop culture, community news and info from across the nation and around the world. blackbear - hot girl bummer is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . . With business slowing because of the coronavirus outbreak, Shaun Cho said he had no choice but to cut his 10 employees hours at New World Cleaners in Sacramento. He didnt want to do it. Most of my employees, Ive had for over 15 years. Theyre like family to me, Cho said. But if I dont stay afloat, theyre not going to have a job in a month or two when things get back to normal. Cho said that hes seen a precipitous drop in business because of COVID-19. Machines that once ran six days a week now are running only three. He said his income is down 70 to 80 percent. Its pretty bad right now, he said. More than three-quarters, 76 percent, of small businesses in America have been negatively affected by the spread of COVID-19, according to survey conducted by the National Federation of Independent Business. Of those businesses negatively impacted, 23 percent are experiencing supply chain disruptions, 54 percent slower sales, and 9 percent sick employees, according to the federation. There are resources available at both the state and federal level aimed at helping businesses struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Heres a look at some of the assistance available to them, and some of the ways companies are trying to keep workers on their payroll. Apply for a disaster loan The Small Business Administration is offering special, low-interest economic disaster loans to California companies suffering losses because of the outbreak. Businesses can obtain loans for up to $2 million and repay the money at a rate of 3.75 percent. Nonprofit organizations are eligible for a lower rate o 2.75 percent. The money can be used for debt, payroll or other bills, according to the administration. The California Governors Office of Business and Economic Development also maintains a Frequently Asked Questions page which points businesses to resources. Those resources include the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Banks, or IBank, loan program, which offers a $1 million small business loan guarantee program, with micro-lending up to $10,000. Avoiding layoffs At a time like this, many businesses might be tempted to make a clean break by laying off staff, said Daniela Urban of the Sacramento-based Center for Workers Rights. That would be a mistake, she said. Once you terminate a worker, its really hard to go back, Urban said. Tens of thousands of Californians are filing for unemployment insurance each day, due to either being laid off or because of reduced hours. Hundreds of thousands of private sector jobs could be lost by summer, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Where possible, Urban urged employers to consider offering employees who cant work additional paid sick days or accrued or future vacation benefits. Failing that, she said employers should try to at least keep their employees on unpaid leave in lieu of laying them off, saying that it will be easier to re-staff once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. Urban said its critical that workers be able to hold on to their work-provided health insurance benefits. Especially right now, we dont want workers having to switch health care providers in the middle of a pandemic, she said. Use partial unemployment California employers who need to cut hours to save money can also avail themselves of the states Unemployment Insurance Work Sharing Program. This program, from the Employment Development Department, allows employees to receive unemployment benefits while keeping their job at reduced hours, and is intended to help employers avert the need for layoffs. Watch for more help More help could be on the way. Los Angeles and San Francisco have suspended evictions of small- and medium-sized businesses for at least 30 days, giving companies time to sort out their finances. State lawmakers have submitted similar proposals, although the Legislature is out of session because of the outbreak. Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, are carrying bills that would halt commercial evictions. Congress is moving on a third coronavirus aid bill. It has not passed, but its expected to include more funds to support small businesses. Calling suppliers and creditors Creditors will be vital for small businesses looking to weather the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center for Regional Economics and California Center recommends that employers use available lines of credit in order to avoid cash flow problems that may arise due to further disruption in the lending environment. The center further recommends that employers keep open lines of communication with both creditors and suppliers to increase flexibility and provide more opportunities for adjustment. Back at the dry cleaner Drew Lewis, an employment attorney based in Roseville, said that a lot of companies are having to scramble to figure out what to do with their employees. The dust is in the air, nothing is settled yet, he said. Many white collar companies have been able to transition employees to working remotely, Lewis said, but other companies are faced with the question of what to do with their employees. Three of Chos full-time workers now are on part-time schedules. He said that he might seek out assistance to help his business stay afloat. His expenses arent going away any time soon. My landlord says, Pay on time. Cho said. Theyve got to pay their bills, too. Editors Note: Because of the health implications of the COVID-19 virus, this article is being made available free to all online readers. If youd like to join us in supporting the mission of local journalism, please visit napavalleyregister.com/members/join/. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. UN emergency aid coordinator Mark Lowcock says poorer countries need two billion dollars of international humanitarian aid to tackle the coronavirus (COVID 19) Mr Lowcock said this as the UN launched a major donation appeal in New York on Wednesday. Even though developed countries are taking expensive measures to protect their own economies from the pandemic, they will also benefit if they help less developed countries, he said. Mr Lowcock warned, while the aid plan was being presented in New York, that the virus would continue to pose a threat to the entire world if it were not fought everywhere. Nobody is safe until everybody is safe, he said. He also warned that the virus had the potential to destabilise countries, which could in turn boost migration. There is a risk of the effects of this virus tipping regions into chaos, Mr Lowcock said. (dpa/NAN) Texas and Ohio have ordered doctors to suspend abortions, amid the coronavirus pandemic. The two states ordered a stop of non-essential surgeries, which is defined in Ohios order as any procedure that can be delayed without undue risk to the current or future health of a patient. Both states cited the need to preserve medical supplies as the reasoning behind the decision and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton clarified that abortion providers were not classed as essential. Mr Paxton explained that no one is exempt from the governors executive order on medically unnecessary surgeries and procedures, including abortion providers, before adding: Those who violate the governors order will be met with the full force of the law. Kathy Miller, the president of abortion rights group the Texas Freedom Network criticised the decision but told AFP that its completely unsurprising to see this attorney general use any excuse to push his ideological agenda. But the truth is reproductive health care is essential health care, Ms Miller said. There are many reasons women decide to have an abortion in the already limited time window state law allows, and a delay means denying them the constitutional right to make those decisions in a safe, timely manner with the help of their doctors. Bethany McCorkle, a spokeswoman for the state attorney general told AFP that this is not an abortion issue. A letter was also sent to a urology group that was allegedly performing elective surgeries. Recommended Texas becomes latest state to halt abortions over coronavirus Jennifer Branch, a lawyer who has represented abortion providers in Ohio for 20 years, told The Independent that anti-abortion activists are using the pandemic to pursue their political agenda. They are trying to stir up politics. They are misunderstanding the governments order and thinking it is about stopping abortion rather than being about preserving protective equipment, she said. The abortion providers in Ohio are continuing to provide abortions but at the same time complying with the order to preserve personal protective equipment. Trainees and volunteers who are not necessary for the procedure are being kicked out of the room so they do not have to wear protective gear and they are reminding patients they can have medical abortions i.e. take pills. Ms Branch added: The state of Ohio has been trying to ban abortion in many different ways for years. In the past year, they have passed four new abortion bans. There are four suits pending against the state of Ohio. In reaction to the news, healthcare provider Planned Parenthood released a statement outlining why abortion is an essential procedure. Abortion is an essential and time-sensitive medical procedure, as confirmed by medical experts like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the statement read. Delays or additional barriers to care can make it more difficult or even impossible for some patients to access safe, legal abortion. According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, upwards of 53,268 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 696. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended a two-week ban on gatherings of more than 50 people as part of the battle to contain the spread of the contagion. Mr. Sherman, an American tabby often called the feline "mayor" of Little Tokyo, spends his day guarding his owner's boutique. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) The youngsters still came to see their feline elder, Mr. Sherman. Liz Ito, a Los Angeles artist, was just 11 when she first met the American tabby who reached the grand age of 23 this month. She had accompanied her mother to a Little Tokyo boutique known for selling whimsical prints. Her mama bought a print dress, she remembered, navy with a Peter Pan collar and splashed with frolicking wildlife. She passed the time petting "a cute little cat who seemed to own the place and was very confident in his approach." Ito's friend, Highland Park resident Mary Wilson, recalled visiting the store back in sixth grade. "There was a furry being lounging on a chair, and I didn't want to disturb him, but he came right up to sniff me," she said. "He was talkative. Curious, too. I think he could smell my two cats and I was wishing I could have taken him home since they needed an older someone to watch them. It's so special that he's still around." Mr. Sherman, adopted by Kiyoko Kimball, owner of Ashiya, spends his day guarding the women's boutique in Little Tokyo. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Before the Los Angeles lockdown sparked by the coronavirus, both women, 19, returned to downtown L.A. for an izakaya meal. They strolled outside the shop called Ashiya, hoping to say hello to the domestic short-haired cat usually found near owner Kyoko Kimball. Mr. Sherman, Little Tokyo's feline "mayor," had just turned 23. Birthdays now are a quiet rite of passage for the purring, throaty ambassador, who's been familiar to shoppers, merchants and passers-by in the cultural district where he has held court at the store facing the popular Marukai Market. Before the warnings sounded about the global pandemic, Mark Richards, who was picking up children's gifts and office supplies at a Kinokuniya bookstore in neighboring Weller Court, said he often saw Sherman in front of the boutique, keeping watch on foot traffic. "He has such intelligent eyes. Not much goes past him, it's like he's committing the scene to memory to tell someone about it later," said the medical researcher from Glendale, 43. Story continues At this stage in his life, Sherman, suffering from hyperthyroidism and kidney disease that caused his weight to plummet to eight pounds, sticks to a routine. He rises early, takes medication for his condition, which makes him more active around 11:30 a.m., and naps after lunch. He lets it be known that he does not care for leftovers. "Everything has to be fresh," says Kimball, the caregiver who adopted him more than 16 years ago and spends $1,000 monthly on his food, prescriptions and fluid therapy. "He's retired. I give him Social Security money. And you know, he thinks he's a person. We communicate every day." Kimball, 66, used to own multiple retail businesses, including one in a fancy hotel along Wilshire Boulevard, selling handbags and jewelry. Recently, she's been working at an office in the back of her shop because "Mr. Sherman knows the places around here," she said, while bustling between store aisles where foxes, pugs and koalas danced across print clothing, beckoning to buyers. "Where else would I take him? Beverly Hills?" she asked. "It's not as casual, low-key." Four years ago, in early March, a stranger "catnapped" Mr. Sherman outside Marukai Market. Kiyoko Kimball, owner of Ashiya, tries to encourage Mr. Sherman to pose for a photo in her boutique in Little Tokyo. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Security video showed a female figure picking him up and taking him away. Kimball distributed fliers, calling then-L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for help. An KABC-TV News team arrived at the scene for interviews. About two weeks later, Sherman reappeared, possibly accompanied by the same woman no questions asked. "All my customers had been looking for him and I just wanted him back I didn't need to ask for any reasons," Kimball said. She resolved then to be much more careful and "don't let him out of my sight." She always calls Sherman "Mr. Sherman," she says, since "he has that image" about him. Both caregiver and pet have evolved long enough to see Little Tokyo transform from mom-and-pop shops to a more urban, diverse district dotted with new apartments, filled with pet owners. "Definitely, younger tenants are moving in, but I'm glad Sherman is still here to have a sense of history," Ito said. "Not every kitty can make it to such a senior age," but Sherman has been "both lucky in terms of health and family care," said Lauren Matta, a registered veterinary technician working with Dr. Hye-Ok Chung, Sherman's veterinarian at the Little Tokyo Pet Clinic. They listed "affection from a loving family and wellness management" as factors that helped the cat live so long Chung estimated Sherman was born on March 22, 1997, after examining his teeth and physical condition compared with outdoor felines who on average only live for seven years. Matta described Sherman as "an outgoing individual who loves playing shopkeeper and greeting his guests. He has quite a voice." Ito plans to bring her school-age cousins to pay their respects. "Little Tokyo is a symbol and Sherman is a symbol," she said. "Both are treasures." TOWAMENCIN Emergency blood drives are being held this week and next by the American Red Cross through Peter Powerhouse Foundation blood drives at Towamencin Mennonite Church. The drives are scheduled for Monday through Saturday, March 23-28 and March 30-April 4. Nationally, we have seen more than 6,000 blood drives canceled, and in our region, that number is 376, said Alana Mauger, spokesperson for the Red Cross regional district that includes Southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. We have close to 12,000 donations that have gone uncollected because of 376 canceled blood drives, she said, so the need is dire. Its an unprecedented blood shortage, both here in our region and across the country. About 600 blood donors are needed each day in the region to meet the daily needs, with additional donors needed to rebuild because of the cancellations, she said. The blood supply and being a donor remain safe, she said. There is no evidence that this coronavirus or any other respiratory virus can be transmitted through blood transfusions, Mauger said. Additional safety measures have been implemented at the blood drives to make sure donors and the people staffing the collection are as safe as possible, she said. We are screening everyones temperature when they walk in the door before they can proceed to the blood drive, she said. If they have a fever, they will not be allowed into the blood drive, she said. That goes for staff and for donors and for anyone that comes in that door. Hand sanitizer is also being provided to the donors. Were asking them to use the hand sanitizer throughout the process as they move through the blood donation stations, Mauger said. Social distancing guidelines are being followed with donation beds at least six feet apart and attempts to keep people that far apart as much as possible, she said. Common surfaces in the blood drive area are disinfected throughout the day, she said. We are asking people to please make an appointment so we are able to continue to keep everyone as safe as possible, Mauger said. If additional people show up that had not been prepared for, it can be hard to keep social distancing, she said. Weve actually had to ask donors to wait in cars at other locations because we dont have the room to space them six feet apart, Mauger said. Appointments can be made online by going to the redcross.org website and typing Peter Powerhouse into the area that asks for your zip code, she said. The Peter Powerhouse Foundation was founded by Souderton Area High School 10th grader Peter Zucca, a pediatric cancer survivor. It works to improve the lives of children fighting cancer and to help support research to improve the lives of childhood cancer survivors, the organizations website says. The blood drives that have been held by Peter Powerhouse Foundation every two months are some of the biggest in the region, Mauger said. We really thank them for all their support throughout the years, she said. A lot of blood transfusions were needed by Peter Zucca in his cancer battle, Dawn Zucca, his mother and Peter Powerhouse Foundation president, said. Peter had 51 units of blood before he was two years old, she said. Thats why he runs blood drives. In Pennsylvania, 16 year-olds can be blood donors with their parents permission, she said. Hes not just a recipient now, she said. Hes a donor himself. Because of the number of donors coming to the regularly-scheduled Peter Powerhouse Foundation blood drives, beginning in April, the drives will take place over two days instead of one, she said. Were getting so big, its hard to get everybody on the schedule and run effectively, she said. The drives have received a lot of support from the Lansdale Chick-fil-A, which has generally provided gift cards to the donors for a free sandwich. The gift cards cannot be distributed during the blood drive now taking place, but donors will receive credit for a free sandwich at the Lansdale location through the Chick-fil-A app, she said. They got special permission from Chick-fil-A corporate to be able to do that, she said. Towamencin Mennonite Church is on Sumneytown Pike near the Lansdale exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. A man awaiting trial on fraud and deception charges has been allowed out on short term bail after a judge described him as a vulnerable person in an overcrowded environment. Michael Hennessy's trial for his part in alleged property purchases frauds was adjourned last week after a circuit court judge heard that the Covid-19 pandemic would prevent witnesses travelling from Spain. Mr Hennessy (63) of Coney Avenue, Coneyboro, Athy, Co Kildare was due to go on trial next month, April, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court heard that the alleged victims purchased property which are all based in Spain. On Friday Bernard Condon SC, prosecuting, told Judge Melanie Greally that a number of witnesses are in Spain, where the pandemic situation was more catastrophic. He asked for the trial date next month to be vacated. Judge Greally told Mr Hennessy at that hearing on Friday that there is no reality of getting the trial on because of the Covid-19 situation. Mr Hennessy's case was mentioned again on Tuesday. Judge Greally admitted him into bail after hearing that his wife was attempting to sell a car to pay his surety. She said that she was releasing Mr Hennessy from prison in the short term as he was a vulnerable person in an overcrowded environment. Judge Greally ordered that Hennessy present investigating gardai with all the relevant bank documentation in relation to his case and said he was to abide by a number of strict conditions. The court heard that Mr Hennessy's father-in- law has recently passed away and Judge Greally gave him permission to attend that funeral on his release from prison. Any problems and he will be returning to custody and will remain there until his trial, Judge Greally advised Hennessy, who was observing proceedings via video-link from prison. She adjourned the case to June 16 next when it is expected a trial date will be fixed. During Friday's hearing, Ian Fitzharris BL, defending, said his client is 63 years of age and comes within the category of people at risk of contracting Covid-I9. He said Mr Hennessy's family members have been unable to visit him in prison due to restrictions currently in place. Mr Fitzharris said the family could afford a bond of 500 and they have been under severe financial difficulties since Mr Hennessy went into custody. Students sue to stop Christian university from merging with art college in Tennessee Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Students and faculty at Watkins College of Art in Nashville are suing to stop the school from being absorbed by the nearby Christian nondenominational Belmont University. On March 10, two students who are members of the LGBT community and one instructor filed legal actions in Davidson County Chancery Court to stop Belmonts acquisition of the secular, four-year art college, which has faced declining enrollment and financial uncertainty in recent years. The merger drew concern from community members and a legislator who accused the Watkins board of trustees of acting in secrecy to complete the deal with Belmont without government oversight or the public being informed. Questions were also raised about whether non-Christian faculty at Watkins would be able to keep their jobs once the merger is complete in fall 2020. The agreement called for Watkins' 13-acre campus, which is about six miles from Belmonts campus and said to be worth about $15 million to $20 million, to be sold. The proceeds from the sale would be used to create an endowment for Watkins College of Art students at Belmont. But a collective of students, faculty members and alumni have banded together in an attempt to keep Watkins College of Art open in its current form, work toward a partnership with a different institution or change existing policies at Belmont for the benefit of all current and future Watkins students. The boards lack of transparency has severely impacted the lives of current students, reads a press release from Save Watkins collective. The plaintiffs allege a breach of faith by the Watkins Institute commissioners and the colleges board of trustees. They requested a restraining order to immediately halt any actions by the Watkins board toward dissolving or altering the Watkins Trust, or selling any Watkins property while the matter is being considered." The plaintiffs argue that Watkins College of Art is a public institution and the agreement between Watkins and Belmont is invalid. Watkins College of Art was founded as a gift to the state to be held in trust for the benefit of Nashvilles youth. It was founded on land willed to the state for an educational institute by Samuel Watkins. But in 1974, the Watkins governing board filed a charter to become a nonprofit organization. According to a legal response filed on behalf of Watkins College of Art, the institution has "no tie to the state of Tennessee" except for three commissioners appointed by the governor. "The state has no voting control and no oversight powers with respect to Watkins' management and operations," the legal response reads. As Inside Higher Ed points out, Watkins is technically a private institution with a unique relationship with the state as it is audited under government auditing standards that are rarely applied to private institutions. The management of the Watkins board is at all times to be subject to inquiry by the authority of the state. The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether the Watkins commissioners and board of trustees can unilaterally transfer the schools associated property to a private religious institution without legislative or judicial oversight and extinguish the Watkins public trust. The plaintiffs also question whether the schools trustees and administrators were allowed to conduct negotiations with Belmont, a school with a Baptist heritage, in secret and subsequently ignore an open records request. Additionally, the lawsuit asks the court to determine if the dissolution of Watkins College violates the terms of Samuel Watkins 1880 will. According to court documents, the student plaintiffs Kenneth Straw and Amari Harris are concerned that as members of the LGBT community they will not be welcome at the private Christian university. Straw argues that had he known about the merger three days earlier, he would have had time to reconsider signing his lease. It doesn't get much clearer that Watkins is a public educational institution, yet the current commissioners and board seek to ram through an insider deal that gives $20 million in state property proceeds to a private religious institution without public scrutiny or legislative oversight, adjunct professor Mark Schlicher, the third plaintiff, said in a statement. The plaintiffs' request for a restraining order to halt the merger immediately was denied. However, a hearing for a temporary injunction against the order took place last Friday. "In this case, Plaintiffs present affidavits containing hearsay, opinion, and mere speculation," the Watkins College of Art legal response reads. "The affidavits and Complaint together fail to establish that Watkinss actions will cause irreparable harm. Plaintiffs are unable to establish standing to challenge Watkinss actions and fail to state a claim upon which relief can be granted." Watkins President J. Kline, who played a large part in organizing the deal, was removed from overseeing the transition process in February after criticism of the merger. The transition instead will be coordinated by Watkins Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Cary Beth Miller. Watkins officials maintain that the college considered other offers before agreeing to the deal with Belmont. However, Sen. Brenda Gilmore earlier this month questioned why neighboring historically black colleges Tennessee State University and Fisk University were not approached for a potential deal. In a letter, Gilmore called for a suspension of the Watkins-Belmont deal and called on Watkins commissioners and trustees to answer community questions about the deal at a public meeting. Gilmore said she found it troubling that she a state senator from the district where the campus is located was not informed about the deal. A Watkins spokesperson told Inside Higher Ed that school officials will meet with Gilmore next week. James H. Clayton III, a duly appointed commissioner of trustees, filed an affidavit on March 19, explaining that the board turned to a "distinguished higher education consulting firm" in 2019 to assess the institution's financial struggles and declining enrollment. The firm's report indicated that Watkins' depleted endowment would be insufficient to sustain continued operating losses, Clayton relayed. According to Clayton, Watkins would be required by federal laws and regulations to "teach out" existing classes through graduation years if it were to close down rather than merge. "The cost of the teach out would be considerable," Clayton explained. "The only potential sources of funds to pay for the teach out would be (a) through the sale of the Campus coupled with a short-term lease obligation, or (b) if obtainable, a commercial loan secured by the Campus. Either option would severely deplete the Campus equity and result in fewer funds distributed to appropriate nonprofit entities as Watkins finalizes its ultimate dissolution and winding up process." In fall 2019, Clayton said the board created a special committee comprised of current and former trustees and commissioners to review all possible strategic options. Such options included attracting unrestricted gifts, obtaining significant loans secured by the campus or merging with another college or university with "overlapping curricula and a stable financial future." Clayton stressed that the committee determined that a merger was the "only viable option." He stated that the committee approached colleges and universities around the Middle Tennessee area and Belmont "was determined to be the most suitable merger partner for a number of reasons, including that Belmont currently offers many of the same degrees and degree paths as Watkins." Clayton assured that the board considered "feasible alternatives" to the merger. "Ultimately, the Board determined that a Belmont merger containing the favorable terms outlined in the Term Sheet was the best available strategic decision for Watkins," he wrote. A legal response filed by the office of Attorney General Herbert Slatery III on March 19 contends that the "petitioners do not appear to have the authority to challenge the actions" of Watkins College of Art. The attorney general's office argues that Tennessee law dictates when the actions of a nonprofit organization can be challenged and who may bring such a challenge. One stipulation states that a proceeding may only be brought by a "director, the attorney general, or the corporation directly..." "Petitioners do not allege that they are directors, members, or other legal representative, nor have they brought this action as a derivative proceeding," the legal response from the attorney general's office contends. Watkins argued in its legal response that Tennessee law makes clear that nonprofit corporations "are not answerable to the communities they serve or their employees with respect to asset sales or mergers." Earlier this month, the New York-based commercial real estate company Somera Road offered to buy the Watkins campus for $17 million and offered a generous leaseback agreement in which Watkins College of Art could stay one-year rent-free and then pay rent that is 30 percent under market rate. The deal would also include a $1 million escrow fund to cover short-term financial needs, according to Nashville Scene. In a media statement, the Watkins board of trustees said that it appreciates Someras offer and will review it along with multiple other offers for the property." Save Watkins is also calling on Republican Gov. Bill Lee to remove one of Watkins' commissioners, Susan Basham, after a process server for attorneys retained by plaintiffs said he was threatened with a gun by a man presumed to be Bashams husband at her home last Tuesday. A police report of the incident was filed. The Tennessee Department of Education secured a partnership with the states PBS stations to deliver daily instructional content for Tennessee students during COVID-19 school closures. This partnership will provide all students with access to daily learning opportunities right in their own homes.Starting April 6, Tennessees six PBS stations WNPT Nashville, East Tennessee PBS, WCTE Upper Cumberland, WKNO Memphis, West TN PBS and Chattanooga WTCI will deliver two hours of programming with high-quality instructional content from 10 a.m.-noon CST.Four hours of content will also be streamed overnight, which viewers can watch live or record."The content will be developed and provided by Tennessee educators in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education and meets a critical need to ensure all students have access to high-quality learning opportunities, regardless if their home has internet connectivity or capable devices," officials said.This is an incredible example of Tennesseans coming together to support kids, said Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn. We are so thrilled to be partnering with PBS stations across the state to make high-quality instructional content available to all students so they can continue learning during school closures. Families and students are hungry for content right now, and we are grateful our local stations have stepped up to help fill this need."This statewide partnership builds on the work many of Tennessees public TV stations have already been doing with local districts to provide instructional programming during school closures," officials said.Tennessees Public Television Stations are committed to serving the citizens of Tennessee and look forward to working with the Tennessee Department of Education during this challenging time to provide instructional educational programs to the students of our state, said Vickie Lawson, chairman of Tennessee Public Television Council and president of East Tennessee PBS. This partnership is another example of Tennessees Public Television Stations willingness to serve when needed."This new partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education will work to meet our shared mission of ensuring every child is inspired and educated, regardless of their circumstances. said Becky Magura, president & CEO, WCTE Cookeville. This programming will help ensure students without access to the internet or other instructional materials will still have access to high quality instruction during these school closures. For decades, we have been committed to inspiring and educating students for decades, and now more than ever, those services are critical."For additional Tennessee Department of Education guidance related to COVID-19, visit https://www.tn.gov/education/health-and-safety/update-on-coronavirus.html Public health advice during the COVID-19 pandemic is constantly evolving. Here is a province-by-province guide on finding the most up-to-date recommendations for physical distancing and self isolation, who to call for help and what to do if you are sick: ONTARIO Health Advice If you think youre sick the province has a COVID-19 self-assessment tool available online. Residents are asked to call their primary care providers or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if theyre experiencing symptoms. Local health units can also help, look yours up here. Provincial Directives and Restrictions Ontario has declared a state of emergency. Premier Doug Ford announced the shutdown of all non-essential services in Ontario beginning March 24 at 11:59 p.m. Schools will also stay closed past the original April 6 date. Latest Information Check the provinces ministry of health website and the Public Health Ontario website for the latest information. For the latest official case numbers in Ontario, check here. BRITISH COLUMBIA Health Advice If you think youre sick the province has a COVID-19 self-assessment tool available online or for mobile devices on the App Store and Google Play. If you have symptoms you should self-isolate immediately and call your doctor or HealthLinkBC, toll-free, at 811 or 711 for the deaf or hard of hearing. You can also visit the HealthLinkBC website here. Answers to some of the most commonly asked questions and advice are available at the BC Center for Disease Control website. Provincial Directives and Restrictions B.C. has declared a state of emergency. Bars, pubs, theatres, public events, and casinos have been ordered closed. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry also announced Saturday that salons, spas, tattoo shops and other such places must close. Latest Information Residents seeking non-medical information, including travel recommendations and advice about social distancing, can call 1-888-COVID19 (1-888-268-4319) from 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. PT, 7 days a week. The service is available in 110 languages. See the latest case numbers here. ALBERTA Health Advice If you think youre sick the province has a COVID-19 self-assessment tool available online. If you have symptoms you should self-isolate immediately and call Health Link at 811, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for advice on how to proceed. The Health Link website also has useful information. Provincial Directives and Restrictions Alberta has declared a public health emergency. The province last week banned gatherings of more than 50 people and shuttered schools, daycares and recreation facilities. It has also put hard limits on the number of people who can go to restaurants. Latest Information Check the provinces official site for information and the latest advice. See the latest case numbers here. SASKATCHEWAN If you think youre sick the province has a COVID-19 self-assessment tool available online. Residents whove travelled outside the country in the past 14 days are asked to self-isolate. Those with symptoms including fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing should call the health hotline, HealthLine 811 at 204-788-8200 or 1-888-315-9257, their family physician or the local public health office to obtain a referral to a testing centre. Provincial Directives and Restrictions Saskatchewan declared a state of emergency. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said the public health recommendation to self-isolate for 14 days upon returning from international travel is now mandatory. Those who refuse to follow the order could face up to a $2,000 fine or arrest. A ban on large gatherings will no longer allow more than 25 people in one room. Bars and restaurants are also closed for everything but takeout. Latest Information Check the provinces official site for information and the latest advice. See the latest case numbers here. MANITOBA If you think youre sick the province has a COVID-19 self-assessment tool available online. The tool is also available in Interactive Voice Response (IVR) format by calling 1-877-308-9038. Residents who are experiencing symptoms should call the Health Links - Info Sante hotline at 204-788-8200 or toll-free at 1-888-315-9257. Provincial Directives and Restrictions Manitoba has declared a state of emergency. Manitobas chief public health officer urged people to cancel all non-essential travel outside the province. Dr. Brent Roussin said anyone who returns from either international or domestic travel should self-isolate for 14 days. Officials also announced home-care workers will be screening clients over the phone before entering homes. Gatherings of more than 50 people are also being limited. Latest Information Check the provinces official site for information and the latest advice. See the latest case numbers here. QUEBEC Health Advice If you think youre sick you can call 418-644-4545 in the Quebec City region, 514-644-4545 in the Montreal area and 1-877-644-4545 (toll free) elsewhere in the province. Quebec has also published a self-care guide in English and French. Provincial Directives and Restrictions The province has declared a state of emergency and Quebec Premier Francois Legault ordered all non-essential businesses to close until April 13. He called on Quebecers to stay home and avoid all travel, including within the province. Latest Information Check the provinces official site for information and the latest advice. See the latest case numbers here. NEW BRUNSWICK Health Advice If you think youre sick the province has a COVID-19 self-assessment tool available online. Residents can also call provincial health hotline, Tele-Care, at 811 to speak to a bilingual registered nurse seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Provincial Directives and Restrictions The province has declared a state of emergency . Premier Blaine Higgs ordered all public schools, universities and colleges closed indefinitely. He ordered non-essential retail stores to stop admitting the public immediately. Higgs added that food and beverage companies can now only offer takeout options, while all bars must close. Latest Information Check the provinces official site for information and the latest advice. See the latest case numbers here. NOVA SCOTIA Health Advice If you think youre sick the province has a COVID-19 self-assessment tool available online. The tool will help residents decide if they need to call 811 for a referral to an in-person assessment centre. More information about when to seek help is available here. Provincial Directives and Restrictions The province has declared a state of emergency. Under the provinces Health Protection Act, people are now prohibited from gathering in groups larger than five. Individuals caught violating the limit face a $1,000 fine, and businesses allowing large groups to gather face a $7,500 fine. Latest Information Check the provinces official site for information and the latest advice. See the latest case numbers here. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Health Advice If you think youre sick the province has a COVID-19 self-assessment tool available online. Residents with symptons can call Tele-Health at 811. Those with general health questions can call or 1-800-958-6400. The hotline also allows residents to leave a message and get a call back from health officials. Business can call 1-866-222-1751 or email peibusinesshelpline@gov.pe.ca(link sends e-mail) with COVID-19 questions. Provincial Directives and Restrictions The province had declared a public health emergency. As of Saturday, anyone arriving on Prince Edward Island who has travelled within Canada is asked to self-isolate for 14 days a step beyond the federal governments request to those who have travelled internationally. New screening measures are being put in place for the next 10 days at all entry points into the province, including the Charlottetown Airport, Confederation Bridge and Magdalene Island Ferry dock in Souris. Latest Information Check the provinces official site for information and the latest advice. See the latest case numbers here. NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR Health Advice If you think youre sick the province has a COVID-19 self-assessment tool available online. Residents with questions can also call the Canadian Red Cross health line at 1-800-863-6582, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Those with symptoms can call the provincial HealthLine at 811. The province has also compiled a list of frequently asked questions, on topics including self-isolation and coping with anxiety. Provincial Directives and Restrictions The province has declared a public health emergency. Under the order, businesses including bars, cinemas, theatres, gyms and arenas must close effective immediately and gatherings of more than 50 people are not permitted. Travellers returning from international travel are ordered to self-isolate for 14 days. Health Minister John Haggie said individuals breaching the orders could be fined between $500 and $2,500 and could face jail sentences of up to six months. Possible fines for corporations range from $5,000 to $50,000. Latest Information Check the provinces official site for information and the latest advice and latest case numbers. NORTH WEST TERRITORIES Health Advice If you think youre sick the province has a COVID-19 self-assessment tool available online. Residents with questions about COVID-19, should contact covid@gov.nt.ca. For questions on self-isolation and travel restrictions, contact protectnwt@gov.nt.ca or call 1-833-378-8297. Additional information is availble in the following communities: Yellowknife: 867-767-9120, or book online at www.nthssa.ca/appointments Inuvik: 867-490-2225 Fort Smith: 867-872-6219 or 867-872-6221 Hay River: 867-874-7201 (between 08:30-16.30). After hours call Emergency Department at 867-874-8050. Other communities: https://www.hss.gov.nt.ca/en/hospitals-and-health-centres Provincial Directives and Restrictions The territory has declared a public health emergency. The territory is requiring that returning residents self-isolate in Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Hay River or Inuvik in an effort to stop the virus from making its way to smaller, more remote communities. The Chief Public Health Officer has advised all individuals and organizations that they should cancel all gatherings regardless of number of participants and has recommended the closure of some businesses and services, including gyms, museums, bars, theatres and buffet restaurants. Latest Information Check the official Northwest Territories website for the latest case numbers and advice. YUKON Health Advice If you think youre sick the province has a COVID-19 self-assessment tool available online. Residents with symptoms are asked to call 811 before visiting a doctor. Provincial Directives and Restrictions Yukon has declared a public health emergency. Dr. Brendan Hanle, Yukons chief medical health offcier says everyone who comes to the territory from outside Yukon is required to self-isolate for 14 days, even if they didnt travel outside Canada. The territory is also banning social gatherings of more than 10 people. Latest Information For the latest case numbers check the offical website of the territory. NUNAVUT Health Advice Residents with symptoms of COVID-19, those whove travelled to an affected area can call 975-8601 or 1-888-975-8601 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for information. Residents can also look up their local health centres contact details here. Provincial Directives and Restrictions Most travel into Nunavut is being prohibited by the territorys chief medical officer of health. Dr. Michael Patterson says that starting March 25 only Nunavut residents and critical care workers will be allowed into the territory. Any Nunavut resident returning home will have to undergo a 14-day period of self-isolation. Latest News For the latest advice and updates check the offical website. LONDON (dpa-AFX) - St. Modwen Properties plc (SMP.L) said, in response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 crisis, the Board intends to adjourn the company's AGM. Proxy votes received for the AGM will be valid for the reconvened AGM unless revoked. The payment of the final dividend will be adjourned accordingly. The Group said, building on the growing momentum across its three business units in 2019, St. Modwen had a positive start to 2020. The Group said its balance sheet remains strong and liquidity remains high. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. In a statement, Gilead said it had sought the orphan status to expedite approval of the drug, in particular a required pediatric study plan that, without such a designation, the company said could have taken up to 210 days to complete. But Gilead said that after speaking to regulators, it was confident the application would move quickly. Gilead recognizes the urgent public health needs posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the drugmaker said. The company is working to advance the development of remdesivir as quickly as possible and will provide updates as they become available. Peter Maybarduk, the director of a Public Citizen program that advocates for global access to medicines, rejected the companys argument that the requirement that it complete a pediatric study plan which would be waived with an orphan designation would have slowed the process. We have to know whether a drug may affect children differently than adults, he said. Gilead should not have been looking to skip this step in the first place. Remdesivir is being studied in several large-scale clinical trials around the world, including in a huge trial announced last week by the World Health Organization. But the results have not been reported yet, and it is still unclear whether the drug works against the coronavirus. It was studied to treat Ebola, but it did not work well enough against that virus. Last week, President Trump promoted the drug as one of a handful that might work against the coronavirus. Gilead has been inundated with requests for compassionate use access to the drug from doctors with dying patients who are desperate to try anything that might help. This past weekend, Gilead said that the overwhelming demand had created a backlog and that it was switching from approving access on a case-by-case basis to a system in which patients would be approved in large groups. But that new program has not yet gotten underway, leaving some doctors and patients scrambling. A Gilead spokeswoman said on Wednesday that the companys goal was to have the broader program up and running at some sites in the United States this week, with others to come after that. Robots are expected to demonstrate their value for "dirty and dangerous" medical tasks in the fight to quell the coronavirus pandemic, researchers said Wednesday. An editorial in Science Robotics noted that robots can help with telemedicine, decontamination, handling of hazardous waste and monitoring compliance with voluntary quarantines. "Historically, robots have been developed to take on dull, dirty and dangerous jobs," the researchers wrote. "As epidemics escalate, the potential roles of robotics are becoming increasingly clear." Some robots are already in use during the pandemic. Thai hospitals have deployed "ninja robots" to measure fevers and protect the health of overburdened medical workers, and robots in Denmark are using ultraviolet light to disinfect frequently touched surfaces. While robots have been used for years in disaster situations and some medical applications, the pandemic has highlighted the need to expand their role, according to the scientists. "Why are we are still letting the frontline (health care) practitioners be exposed to the pathogen?" journal editor Guang-Zhong Yang, dean of the Institute of Medical Robotics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, told reporters on a conference call. "Robots are here for taking some of those risks away from our people." Robots should also be used for infection control, dealing with patients in intensive care and delivering medication and food, according to the editorial co-authored by researchers including Howie Choset of Carnegie Mellon University and Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Science. "COVID-19 may become the tipping point of how future organizations operate," the authors wrote. "New generations of large, small, micro-, and swarm robots that are able to continuously work and clean (i.e., not only removing dust but also truly sanitizing/sterilizing all surfaces) could be developed." In terms of telepresence, the researcher wrote it was "a challenging area of development because social interactions require building and maintaining complex models of people, including their knowledge, beliefs, emotions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PARIS - France is pulling out its military forces from Iraq as French forces are increasingly called upon to help fight the coronavirus at home. The chief of staff of the French armed forces said in a statement Wednesday night that France is suspending its anti-terrorism training operations in Iraq and also bringing home its Iraq-based troops involved in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group. France, which has suffered repeated attacks on its soil by Islamic State extremists, is maintaining military operations in Kuwait and Qatar, and air force missions over Syria. The announcement came just after French President Emmanuel Macron launched a special military operation to support efforts to treat people infected with the new virus. France plans to deploy helicopter carriers in its overseas territories, and has transported the sick on military planes and an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. The French military also built a field hospital in the eastern city of Mulhouse, located in the region of France hardest-hit by the outbreak. France had almost 26,000 confirmed cases as of Wednesday and the fifth-largest number of virus-related deaths in the world at more than 1,300. Gen Eyre was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff on 25 November 2021. Gen Eyre grew up on a farm near Wadena, Saskatchewan, and spent his high school years in Medicine Hat, Alberta. He joined Army Cadets at age 12 and has been in uniform ever since. Gen Eyre attended Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) Victoria and Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Kingston. Upon commissioning in 1988 he joined Second Battalion, Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry, and has had the great privilege of spending the majority of his career in command or deputy command positions, including commanding 3rd Battalion PPCLI, 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, 3rd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force West, Deputy Commanding General Operations for XVIII (US) Airborne Corps, Deputy Commander Military Personnel Command, Deputy Commander United Nations Command in Korea, and for a short time Commander of Military Personnel Command. He became Commander Canadian Army on 20 August 2019. Operationally, Gen Eyre has commanded a rifle platoon with the United Nations Force in Cyprus; 2PPCLIs Reconnaissance Platoon with the UN Protection Force in Croatia (including the Medak Pocket); a rifle company in Bosnia with NATOs Stabilization Force; the Canadian Operational Mentor and Liaison Team in Kandahar, Afghanistan advising 1-205 Afghan National Army Brigade in combat; as the Commanding General of NATO Training Mission Afghanistan, where he oversaw the force generation, institutional training, and professional development of the Afghan National Security Forces; and as the first non-U.S. Deputy Commander of United Nations Command Korea in its 69 year history, and as such is the most senior Canadian officer ever permanently stationed in the Asia Pacific region. Among various domestic operations, he was the military liaison to the Government of Manitoba for the 1997 floods, commanded a company fighting the 1998 BC forest fires, commanded the Task Force that secured the 2010 G8 Summit, and commanded the military response to both the 2015 Saskatchewan wildfires and the 2016 Fort McMurray evacuation. As a staff officer, Gen Eyre has served with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Land Force Western Area Headquarters, in the Directorate of Defence Analysis at NDHQ, and as the J3 of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Special Forces Qualification Course, the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the U.S. Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting, and the U.S. Army War College. He holds a Bachelor of Science and three Masters Degrees (Military Studies, Operational Studies and Strategic Studies). His decorations include the Order of Military Merit in the rank of Commander, the Meritorious Service Cross, the Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation, the Chief of Defence Staff Commendation, the Order of National Security Merit from South Korea and was three times awarded the U.S. Legion of Merit, including at the rank of Commander. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fulya Ozerkan (Agence France-Presse) Istanbul Wed, March 25, 2020 07:01 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d4357d 2 Lifestyle Turkey,cologne-perfumes,coronavirus,COVID-19,health Free In Turkey, sprinkling hands with cologne has long been a ritual for a visit to the barber, a meal at a restaurant or even a trip on the bus. It is seen as a symbol of hospitality, as well as an aid to hygiene, in a country that sets great store by both. Now Turkish cologne -- found in almost every household, either in the fridge or a closet -- is seeing unprecedented demand as a weapon in the fight against the novel coronavirus. Many Turks believe cologne, which has a high alcohol content, is effective in keeping hands and faces clean and thus warding off the risk of COVID-19. Long queues could be seen outside cologne shops in Istanbul's busy spice market, in the historic Eminonu district, in early March before Turkey announced its first confirmed case. Now shops and pharmacies have put up signs reading "cologne sold out". People are commonly seen sprinkling cologne into their hands in the middle of the street, while taxi drivers offer doses to their clients. An association in the northwestern city of Izmit is delivering free cologne as well as bread to the elderly, local media reported. Read also: Homemade hand sanitizer recipes that could help protect against coronavirus Selling out Eyup Sabri Tuncer, a leading traditional cologne maker, said it has received tens of thousands of orders in recent weeks. "In order for a healthy delivery to the customers... we have temporarily suspended further online orders," company official Atilla Ariman told AFP. Bottles of cologne have flown off the shelves since Health Minister Fahrettin Koca urged Turks to use the liquid as an alternative hand sanitiser against the virus. One user, Ilyas Gocdu, said he is using cologne three times more than before. "I believe it is more effective against germs as it contains alcohol," he said. Demand is so great that a black market has developed for both cologne and other hand sanitizers, with Istanbul police raiding a manufacturing plant last week to confiscate products made "unhealthily". Announcing his government's economic stimulus package last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said face masks as well as cologne would be handed out free to people aged 65 and over. Turkey has so far recorded 37 coronavirus-related deaths and 1,529 cases. 'A good hand sanitizer' Is the belief that cologne is effective against coronavirus grounded in science? Professor Bulent Ertugrul, board member of the Turkish Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, said alcohol can destroy the outer membrane of the coronavirus. "As alcohol is a good solvent, it destroys this lipid envelope," he told AFP. Ertugrul said the best protection against the new coronavirus is washing one's hands after contact with the environment. But he added: "If soap and water are not available, using a hand sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol can help." Cologne fits the bill, he said. "As we know, cologne contains at least 70 percent alcohol," he said. "That's why it is a good hand sanitizer against COVID-19." A woman who does not mind her photograph being published, but who prefers not to have her name in the paper, exits the Whole Foods Market on South Street in Philadelphia, March 18, 2020. Whole Foods Market has instituted Senior citizen only shopping from 7:30-8 a.m. each morning. The store hours are now: Senior citizen shopping 7:30-8 a.m. the store is open to the general public 8 a.m.-8 p.m, the early close is for cleaning and restocking. Read more As the Philadelphia region continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic, some retailers are changing how they do business to help protect customers who are particularly vulnerable. Older people, individuals with underlying health conditions, and pregnant women are among the most at-risk for developing severe cases of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, they still need supplies like food and medicine. So, retailers from grocery stores and pharmacies to big-box stores and wholesale clubs are setting aside hours specifically for seniors, people with compromised immune systems, and similar groups. Heres a roundup of Philly-area shops doing this. We will update this list as more stores announce exclusive hours. See one we are missing? Let us know. Grocery stores Acme: Acme is reserving 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. every weekday for people ages 60 and older, as well as customers with compromised immune systems. Find a local market at local.acmemarkets.com. Aldi: Aldi announced on Facebook that its stores will be open to senior citizens, expectant mothers, and customers with health concerns from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A list of local stores is available at https://www.aldi.us/stores. Fresh Market: The Fresh Market is open to seniors and other individuals most at risk from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. weekdays, the company said in a Facebook posting. Find a store near you at https://www.thefreshmarket.com/your-market/store-locator. Giant: Giant Food Stores has designated 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. daily for customers 60 and older, as well as those who are immunocompromised. The company has since announced that in-store pharmacies will open at 6 a.m. for those customers. Find your local store at giantfood.com/store-locator. Trader Joes: Trader Joes said in a statement that every day between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., its stores will maintain an additional line outside the front door for senior customers so that they can have an expedited entrance to shop. Find your local store at https://www.traderjoes.com/stores?q=. Whole Foods: Customers 60 and older can shop at Whole Foods Markets one hour before regular operating hours. Find a local store at https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores. Pharmacies Walgreens: Customers ages 55 and older can shop at Walgreens locations from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. every Tuesday until further notice, the company indicates online. Additionally, Walgreens is offering free shipping for seniors, as well as expanded drive-through services. Find a location near you at https://www.walgreens.com/storelocator/find.jsp. Big-box stores Target: Every Wednesday, the first shopping hour of the day is reserved for vulnerable guests, including pregnant women, people who are 65 and older, and customers with health conditions. Find your local store at https://www.target.com/store-locator/find-stores. Walmart: Customers 60 and older can shop an hour before regular hours every Tuesday. In a statement, the company said the specialized schedule will last through April 28, and includes pharmacy and Vision Center services. Local stores can be found at https://www.walmart.com/store/finder. Wholesale clubs BJs: A designated shopping hour from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. daily is available for members 60 and older, the company said on Facebook. Find a store near you at https://www.bjs.com/clubLocator. Costco: Members 60 years and older can shop from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, though Business Centers are excluded. Pharmacy services will also be available, the company announced on Facebook. Find a store near you at https://www.costco.com/warehouse-locations. Dollar stores Dollar General: Senior shopping is the first hour that stores open daily, the company said in a statement. Find your local store at https://www.dollargeneral.com/store-locator.html. US-China Rivalry Plays Out as Pandemic Unfolds Commentary The Chinese government appears to be using the unlikely trigger of the coronavirus pandemic as a basis of escalating its rivalry with the United States as the worlds most important and influential country. This is such an unpromising sequel to the debacle they made of that crisis it incites the suspicion that the regime is motivated more by fear than by confidence. The Chinese masses are inscrutable and undemonstrative, and they habitually only bestir themselves to outright revolt in large numbers at intervals of two or three centuries. Certainly, no one can dispute that the Peoples Republic, after a very rocky time under Mao Tse-tung (19491976), has accomplished probably the greatest triumph of development economics in the history of the world. Under Deng Xiao-ping (principal leader 19781992), and his successors, China has advanced from a profoundly primitive condition where most people lived largely as they had two thousand years ago, to an economic power house. The United States has been the most important country in the world since the continental semi-suicide of Europe in World War I. Since then, four consecutive countries have risen to challenge Americas status. The Nazi regime was so evil and belligerent, it overran its neighbors, but was unable to subdue Great Britain and then made the catastrophic errors of attacking the Soviet Union and then declaring war on the United States after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, though Germany was not bound to support Japan. At the end of the Second World War, the United States had half of the entire economic product of the war-ravaged world, and an atomic monopoly. In a gigantic strategic blunder, the Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, forfeited the generous aid package that Roosevelt had offered, conditional on Soviet adherence to its commitment to evacuate what became the satellite states of eastern Europe, and began the Cold War. The Soviet Union, though it was almost as nasty a dictatorship as the Third Reich, was not as bellicose and strained for decades to exploit the attractions of Marxism to distressed peoples, as in Cuba, Nicaragua, and various other under-developed countries such as Ethiopia, Congo, and Guinea. But the United States was always the more productive and efficient system, the stronger ally for struggling countries, and the mystique of freedom and human rights was much too powerful for Marxist cant, especially in artificially stifled and retarded countries like those in Eastern Europe. Eventually, after Richard Nixon had triangulated Great Power relations by opening productive relations with China, the USSR struggled with ever greater difficulty to maintain something close to military parity with the United States. But when President Reagan announced his plan for a comprehensive missile defense system, the USSR, seeing that its deterrent and first-strike nuclear capacity could be compromised, and recognizing that it could no longer compete technologically with the United States, simply disintegrated. Japans Economic Threat As this astounding geopolitical triumph, almost a bloodless collapse of a global rival occurred, Japan, an American ally and protege, thoroughly reformed politically under the supervision of the post-war U.S. military governor, General Douglas MacArthur, launched a new kind of threat, entirely economic and based partly on the lack of any Japanese requirement to make a major defense investment, as it sheltered under the American defense umbrella. For almost a decade, Japanese manufactured products, especially automobiles, appeared to be sweeping the Western world and competitively routing American industry. But Japan became over-extended financially, suffered as oil prices skyrocketed because of political uncertainties in the Middle East and the greed of the oil cartel, and was countered by more brisk American competition and the insidious advances beneath and around it of South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. From the mid-1990s on, the United States enjoyed, but did not abuse, its status as the worlds unchallenged super-power. Somewhat as Commodore Perrys opening of the Japanese ports on the mission of Presidents Fillmore and Pierce in 1853 motivated Japan to surge into the modern world, President Nixons visit to Mao Tse-tung and Chou En-lai in 1972 helped bring forward the Dengist era, in which China transformed itself into an industrial giant with worldwide military, economic, and political influence. The United States, throughout its history, has had as its constant foreign policy goal not to be threatened. For this reason it enunciated the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, warning all foreign (in practice European) powers that they were not welcome in the Americas, beyond what they already possessed (principally Canada. In fact, the British, and not the Americans, enforced it for the first 40 years.) After the Civil War, there was no question of anyone challenging the position of the United States in the Americas, and the democratic powers of Europe asked American assistance in both World Wars to prevent Western Europe, and in World War II the Far East and Australasia also, coming under the domination of anti-democratic and aggressive rivals. The United States only engaged in the Cold War when the threat of communist domination of Europe and the Far East arose. Confronting China It was not threatened, but merely economically challenged, by Japan. With China, it is both economic and military and the United States is effectively assembling and coordinating a group of front-line states, a little like the NATO alliance containment of the USSR, but much less explicit in a much less abrasive confrontation. India, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, and other nearby countries have generally encouraged the United States in the Trump administrations trade initiatives to end Chinese practices of uneven agreements and systematic industrial theft and espionage, dumping of manufactures, and self-serving currency manipulation. The Chinese tech-giant Huawei was largely built on the outright theft of technology from the Canadian company Northern Telecom. India and Japan, in particular, are building up their navies to defend their interests against Chinese claims to international Far Eastern and South Asian waters. The United States possesses the scepter of the seas and is encouraging them. President Trump has responded very effectively to the Chinese economic challenge; China has been forced to retreat, and it has ceased to gain ground on the United States in absolute terms as American economic growth has sharply increased with Trumps tax, trade, and deregulation policies. The formerly commonplace talk of China surpassing the United States economically has effectively ceased. The coronavirus was exported to the world by Chinese negligence, compounded by its outrageous propaganda that the pandemic in fact was initiated by Americans. China is masquerading as a benefactor nation by sending medical supplies to Italy, which China infected originally. The United States is dealing with the coronavirus much more successfully than China did, and it is clear that the Trump administration intends to recover economically much more quickly than China. If Beijings provocations continue, the Trump administration may be expected to encourage the independentist sentiments of Taiwan, curtail Chinese student visas in the United States, and draw closer to Chinas uneasy neighbors, especially immense India, now under a three-week lock-down of its entire population of 1.3 billion people, thanks to Chinese ineptitude and dissembling. If China persists with the aggressive rivalry with the United States, as indicated by its imperialistic Belt and Road expression of world-wide ambitions, it will be no more successful than those who have preceded it in the last century as rivals to the United States. It is immense and confident, but it has no worthwhile institutions, a corrupt and semi-totalitarian government, and has very few resources. It could only become a rival to the United States if it had unlimited access to the wealth of Siberia that the Russians have never seriously exploited. This is what makes the relationship with the Kremlin delicate, and the Trump approach, cordiality with both Russias Putin and Chinas Xi Jinping, while strengthening America competitively in all spheres and aligning with similarly motivated countries, has been the correct one. The Chinese proceed farther on this aggressive path at their peril, and to their ultimate regret. Conrad Black has been one of Canadas most prominent financiers for 40 years, and was one of the leading newspaper publishers in the world. He is the author of authoritative biographies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, and, most recently Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Phillip Schofield has confirmed This Morning's backdrop is fake after enraged viewers slammed pedestrians ignoring social distancing guidelines. The ITV chat show, hosted by Phillip and Holly Willoughby, has a backdrop of busy streets and boats filled with people going up and down the Thames. Viewers thought people were ignoring Britain's lockdown and government orders to stay indoors, not realising the backdrop is an old recorded video. Illusion: Phillip Schofield has confirmed This Morning's backdrop is fake after enraged viewers slammed pedestrians ignoring social distancing guidelines Several unimpressed fans took to Twitter to express their distaste, with one writing: '#ThisMorning Ask Phil and Holly to look out the windows behind them. Why is it so busy?' Another wrote: 'Phil and Holly great show today as always. Is that a green screen behind you or is it the general public because if it is it doesn't look like people are on lock down or social distancing out there #lockdownmeanslockdown'. Another added: 'If UK are in lock down, why are there loads of cars and people walking around? You can see them through the window behind Holly and Phil. Also I counted about 8 boats sail by from 10:00/10:15?' Meanwhile, another unimpressed fan said: 'Hi Holly and Phil, have a look behind you and see all the people milling around and all the pleasure craft and cars, I'm sure that they all do not need to be outside.' Confusion: Viewers thought people were ignoring Britain's lockdown and government orders to stay indoors, not realising the backdrop is an old recorded video Clearing things up: Phillip informed a viewer that the screen behind him and Holly is actually a recording from two years ago Phillip cleared up the confusion on Twitter, writing: 'It's a plasma... recorded two years ago.' The co-hosts cleared the matter up again on Wednesday's episode of the show, with Phil confirming the backdrop is an old recording. The presenting duo confirmed on Monday's show they would be sitting further apart from each other for the foreseeable future to comply with social distancing guidelines. Unimpressed: Several viewers hit out at people not complying with stay at home orders as they were unaware the backdrop is fake Not live: One eagle-eyed viewer also pointed out that the screen is an old recording During Tuesday's instalment, the hosts insisted they're still required to come into work as the government have classed them as 'essential workers', after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson plunged the nation into a lockdown. Addressing their viewers following Boris' speech on Monday, media personality Phil said: 'Lets start off by explaining probably for the first time ever, why we are here today.' Holly added: 'The government has classed us as essential workers for the time being, as we are here to answer your questions and inform you on what is happening.' Phil highlighted that their studio crew has been scaled back, adding: 'We are running with a skeleton staff and for now on, with lots of people working from home. 'In fact, the mobile crew have brought the cameras through from GMB through a hole in the wall. There are millions of others quite rightly staying at home.' On Monday night, the head of the government ordered the immediate closure of all non-essential shops and threatened people with fines or even arrest if they do not 'stay at home'. Truck drivers have faced a number of hurdles in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But lately, traffic hasn't been one of them. A study released Tuesday by the American Transportation Research Institute found that trucks not only have been delivering critical groceries, medical equipment and other supplies, they've managed to do it faster. "Not only are trucks continuing to move, but they are doing so at speeds well in excess of normal traffic patterns," said Rebecca Brewster, the institute's president and chief operating officer. A big factor has been the reduction in rush-hour commuter traffic as workers have stayed home and worked remotely. That has allowed trucks to increase average speeds. Along Interstate 495 in Queens, for example, the average truck speed more than doubled from 16 mph to 38 mph, although that's still well below the posted speed. The speeds are collected from GPS data from more than a million trucks, according to the institute. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage The drivers also are being called on to deliver a variety of loads. "There's been a shift in the supply chain like we've never seen," said Kendra Hems, president of the Trucking Association of New York in Clifton Park. In many cases, trucking companies that may have seen a slowdown in demand are offering their drivers and truck cabs to supermarket chains that have seen a surge in demand, citing one Syracuse-based example. There were a few hiccups after the pandemic was first declared. Pennsylvania last week shut down its highway rest areas, and truck drivers suddenly had no place to park and rest. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. After complaints from drivers and industry organizations, Pennsylvania reopened them. Meanwhile, a nationwide association of privately owned truck stops has pledged to keep them open, said an industry spokesman. Meanwhile, the New York State Thruway Authority continues to keep its service areas open around the clock, although it has removed seating in its food service areas as part of the restriction against restaurant operations to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Carriers, meanwhile, are providing drivers with gloves and hand sanitizers, Hems said. And if the truck is carrying emergency supplies, some federal restrictions are being eased to expedite the shipments. "More than 85 percent of all goods arrive by truck," said a spokesman for the transportation institute. And happily, they're arriving more quickly. "Our GPS data -- we've never seen (such) truck speeds," he said. "It's a whole new game out there." As the coronavirus pandemic continues to worsen, and more and more people are quarantining themselves inside, tensions are running high for many. Thankfully, there is a very easy way to ease any anxiety and stress you may be feeling while isolating yourself inside, simply by changing up the scents in your personal space. According to a group of fragrance experts, scents can be used to totally transform your surroundings, as well as your mindset, during this time - with certain smells helping to relax you, while others will give your spirits a much-needed boost. Three fragrance gurus revealed the best anxiety-easing and uplifting fragrances to DailyMail.com, while sharing top tips for how to best incorporate them into your daily quarantine routine. Don't stress! Fragrance experts have revealed how you can use scent to relieve tension and lift your spirits while quarantined during the coronavirus pandemic TO EASE ANXIETY AND HELP WITH RELAXATION According to Laura Slatkin, founder of fragrance brand NEST New York, herbal scents are the best fragrances to help you relax. She recommends enjoying a calming candlelit bath to enhance the experience further, although she says that the fragrance alone will help to totally transform your mood. 'An herbal fragrance with notes of lavender, rosemary, and eucalyptus will help create a serene, calming mood in which you can really relax, unwind, and escape the days troubles,' she said, recommending the brand's Cedar Leaf & Lavender candle as being a great example of this combination. Scents to ease anxiety Lavender Rosemary Eucalyptus Amber Incense Neroli Vetiver Advertisement Atelier Cologne Senior Perfume Artist Ross Barry shared that his favorite relaxing scents are neroli and vetiver, explaining that both work well as evening options to help you drift off to a peaceful night's sleep. '[They are] great to spray on your pulse points or your sheets to help you relax into a deep sleep!' he explained, adding that they both 'provide a calm environment for positive dream affirmations'. Meanwhile Francis Kurkdjian, Creative Director and Co-Creator of Maison Francis Kurkdjan, explained that the form of fragrance can make a big difference to how relaxing you find it. For example, a candle can have a much more soothing effect than a diffuser. However he added that when it comes to preferred fragrances for relaxation, he turns to woody amber scents, explaining: 'Personally, I use scented candles or incense whether in the form of paper or stick. I use dedicated scents in dedicated ares of my home. 'To relax, I love chilling at my place in a cosy atmosphere, with an open fire, surrounded by candles and actually the candle Au 17, from my Homes Sweet Homes collection, translates this cozy and eclectic atmosphere of my apartment with the smell of Japanese incense papers, the smell of an open fire assembled on the base of an amber fragrance.' TO LIFT YOUR SPIRITS AND PROMOTE POSITIVITY If you're struggling to maintain an upbeat attitude while quarantining, many fragrance experts say that bright citrus scents can work wonders as far as helping to lift your spirits and give you a boost of energy. 'Think it about [citrus scents] as Vitamin C for your home to inspire health, vitality and youth with scents,' Barry shared, explaining that fragrances like Atelier Cologne's Orange Sanguine and Clementine California are perfect for this. 'Think about your space just like you would wardrobe fragrance for your body. Try exploring the idea of creating a scent profile for your home with smells that attract both daytime and night moods. 'For my living room, I light my Clementine Hollywood candle to evoke a positive energy as I work from home.' Slatkin agrees, saying: 'A fresh, citrusy fragrance with notes of pink pomelo grapefruit are sure to put a smile on anybodys face. Scents to boost positivity Fresh aquatic fragrances Citrus like orange and grapefruit Bright fruits Advertisement 'In fact, studies have shown that the aroma of grapefruit can actually increase your bodys level of serotonin, which is a chemical that controls ones feelings of well-being and happiness.' But if citrus scents aren't your style, Slatkin says that fresh aquatic scents are also great for helping to invigorate you and provide a boost of positivity, noting that 'notes of ocean breezes and coconut' will help to make you feel better in an instant. Similarly, if you don't want your home to be filled with a pure citrus scent, Slatkin recommends mixing it with something else - for example mint. 'We have a new home fragrance that has shot to the top of the charts that is perfect for creating a positive atmosphere called Amalfi Lemon & Mint,' she shared. 'It is a fresh, aromatic-citrus scent with notes of lemon, orange bergamot, and fresh-picked mint. Our customers love it and theyve been telling me it is an all-around crowd-pleaser in their homes!' For Kurkdjian, the most important thing when it comes to scenting your home is to ensure that you are picking something that suits your own personal style and personality. 'Home fragrances, like fine fragrances, set up your mood and give you feelings,' he said. 'Warmth, comfort, serenity, relaxation are part of the feelings that people want to experience when they are at home. You can find many ways to achieve that. It's very personal. Each of us has its own benchmarks, its own references on what make us happy, feel serene, relaxed.' Immigration advocates and health care workers on Wednesday slammed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for requesting tens of thousands of N95 masks for its agents as hospitals across the U.S. face a dire shortage of the protective masks to treat COVID-19 patients. ICE said it needs 45,000 N95 masks for 26 of its field offices that handle enforcement and removal operations in a proposal posted to a government bidding website Friday. Agency officials said they would like delivery within 30 days, even though the masks have been deemed critical for health professionals who treat patients infected with coronavirus. The masks are thicker than regular surgical masks and are designed to block out airborne particles and liquid. Health care workers in the Bay Area and around the world have made desperate pleas for more masks, which are among the only personal protective equipment, or PPE, that can shield them from the virus. Many doctors and nurses have reported reusing masks several times, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says they should not be shared or used more than once. As of Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. had more than 55,500 cases of coronavirus and more than 800 deaths, including more than 60 in California. More than 451,000 people have tested positive worldwide, and more than 20,400 have died. An ICE spokeswoman on Wednesday said the masks are part of standard law enforcement personal protective equipment, but she declined to answer questions about why the agency needs 45,000 masks and who would use them. It is unclear whether undocumented immigrants who are arrested or detained would receive masks. The agency said it has more than 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel in more than 400 offices in the U.S. and around the world, but officials did not say how many employees work out of the 26 Enforcement and Removal offices. The division within ICE oversees the transport, detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants. Amber Akemi Piatt, director of the Health Instead of Punishment program at Human Impact Partners, a social justice organization in Oakland, slammed ICEs request for the masks. Its deeply cynical, its disgraceful, and its not surprising, she said. ICE has long been an agency with a record of systemic abuses and no real consideration for the health and safety of our community members. Brian Grady, a physician and president of the San Francisco-Marin Medical Society, said the request flies in the face of all the public health measures to combat and minimize the spread of COVID-19. We are currently experiencing a severe shortage of PPE, particularly N95 masks, for health care workers, he said in a statement. Requisitioning a large number of these to further the effort to arrest and detain people sends exactly the wrong message at this time. Doctors, nurses and medical staff have posted videos online calling for mask donations, and many businesses and organizations have stepped in to try to fill the growing demand. Volunteers across the U.S. have started sewing their own masks and donating them to hospitals, and Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday said the Cupertino company will donate 10 million masks to the U.S. and millions more for the regions in Europe most affected by the pandemic. Facebook, which is based in Palo Alto, said it plans to donate 720,000 masks a combination of the coveted N95 respirators and more basic surgical masks and 1.5 million pairs of gloves to health care workers around the world. Facebook officials said they bought the masks for their offices emergency disaster kits following wildfires in California in recent years. Flexport, a San Francisco company that uses software to make international trade more efficient, donated 60,000 surgical masks, 34,000 gloves, 2,000 surgical gowns and 50 thermometers to health care workers across the city last week. Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: Tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez. Update: A Border Patrol agent with 21 years of service was shot to death by his 47-year-old wife in a San Antonio hotel early Tuesday, authorities said. Jon Travis Marburger, also 47, was found with multiple gunshot wounds about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in a La Quinta hotel room at 1017 North Loop 1604, San Antonio police said. Police performed life-saving measures on Marburger before he was transported to University Hospital, where he died. BORDER LOCKDOWN: U.S., Mexico to curb border travel at Texas border to control coronavirus Sherry Lee Marburger was later arrested and charged with murder, according to records. Jon Marburger was assigned to the Border Patrol's Del Rio Station. Update: A 47-year-old man has died after a shooting at a Stone Oak hotel on Tuesday. The Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Jon Travis Marburger. Original: A man was taken to the hospital in critical condition after a shooting at a North Side hotel on Tuesday, according to the San Antonio Police Department. Officers responded to a shooting in progress reported at 8:22 a.m. by a person in a La Quinta hotel room in the 1000 block of North Loop 1604. When officers arrived in the room, they found a man in his late 40s with multiple gunshot wounds. HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Border agent's death leaves many questions Police performed life-saving measures while EMS was en route. The victim was then transported to University Hospital with critical injuries. A woman in her late 40s, believed to be the mans partner, was detained and taken in for questioning. The couple were not from San Antonio, according to SAPD spokesperson Alisia Pruneda. Animal Care Services will take care of a small pet found in the hotel room until a permanent home can be found. Police said the investigation will continue. An immigration officer checks the passport of a foreign visitor at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on March 13, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Ba Do. All Vietnamese carriers suspended international routes starting Wednesday to contain Covid-19, with many active patients arriving from abroad. The last international flight from Germanys Frankfurt operated by Vietnam Airlines, the only Vietnamese carrier to operate direct flights to European cities, landed at Van Don Airport in northern Quang Ninh Province on Wednesday, carrying 170 passengers. The national flag carrier and Jetstar Pacific suspended all international flights from now until at least April 30. Low cost airline Vietjet Air also stopped all routes to Southeast Asia, mainland China, India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan until further notice. Bamboo Airways suspended its only international flight to South Korea and canceled its plan to open a direct flight from Hanoi to Prague in the Czech Republic, originally scheduled for March 29. The move came following Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs order to suspend all international flights to Vietnam amidst restricted entry into the country by air, road and sea. Many foreign airlines have delayed or canceled flights to Vietnam. On Tuesday, Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi only welcomed 264 Vietnamese passengers on four flights from Taiwan, Singapore, Macau and Japan, much lower than the previous week of over 2,000 entering per day. All passengers have been quarantined for 14 days. Earlier on Sunday, Vietnam suspended entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and family members with visa waivers. Only Vietnamese nationals and foreigners carrying diplomatic and official passports such as business managers, experts and high-skilled workers will be allowed to enter the country at this time, with all entrants quarantined for 14 days. The country recorded 117 new infections since March 6, the majority returnees from Europe and the U.S. or those passing through pandemic-stricken areas. The Covid-19 pandemic has killed over 18,800 people globally. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 14:01:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 20 provinces and cities across China have reopened their tourist sites as the coronavirus outbreak subsides, Beijing Daily reported Wednesday. As of Tuesday, tourism operations have been resumed in regions at the municipal and provincial levels including Shanghai, Jiangsu and Guizhou, with travel agencies organizing trips around neighboring places, according to the newspaper. China has steadily pushed forward the resumption of work and production in the tourism sector, which shows signs of fast recovery since the epidemic has leveled off late this month. The paper cited a report, conducted by China's largest online travel agency Trip.com Group, showing that more than 2,000 tourist sites have resumed their online booking or pre-sale services, with ticket orders soaring at a rate of 100 percent a week. The total number of tourists in the country during last weekend had increased by 91 percent over the previous weekend, according to data from qunar.com, another Chinese leading online travel service operator, cited by the newspaper. While the industry geared up for post-epidemic opportunities, there are no signs of relaxation in prevention. Measures such as registration of personal information, regular disinfection, body temperature monitoring and cap on daily visitors are strictly implemented at all tourist attractions to lower the risks of infection. Some places are taking things a step further by encouraging a shift in catering etiquette. Zhang Ning, executive deputy general manager of Huangling Village of Wuyuan County, said they have been providing tourists with packed food instead of a tableful of dishes for the guests to share. "Those measures made our trip much safer," said Zhou Zhipeng, who traveled from Shangrao City in western Jiangxi. The Government is trying to help more than 2,000 Irish people return home from 86 countries around the world. The Department of Foreign Affairs has said most of them are in Australia and New Zealand, with the rest in small groups in other countries. It said: We are witnessing the biggest shutdown in global aviation since the dawn of commercial flight. We have never seen anything like it before, it eclipses the shutdowns following the September 11th attacks and the volcanic ash crisis. The Department also said that situation is fast-moving and volatile. What we have seen in recent days is not only countries, but entire regions, close off airspace and ground airlines at short notice. This has lead to people who had confirmed and booked flights having them cancelled suddenly or being refused at airports. Currently we are trying to help over 2,000 of our citizens in 86 countries who are seeking assistance to return to Ireland. Many are small groups but the majority at the moment are in Australia with a couple of hundred in New Zealand. It comes as Irish people stuck in Italy are to be repatriated to Ireland on Thursday. More than 500 Italian citizens currently in Ireland are also to be returned home on two flights from Dublin to Rome. Italian carrier Alitalia says it will operate the services. The flight from Rome to Dublin will repatriate Irish people from Italy. While flight AZ 241, which will depart from Rome's Fiumicino Airport at 4:55pm tomorrow, will arrive in Dublin at 6:10pm local time. Alitalia will operate the flight with an Airbus A330 aircraft, a high-capacity aircraft which is usually only operated on long-haul routes. Alitalia says tickets for the AZ 241 flight are available on its website. The Government has advised against all non-essential travel in the State and overseas. While Italy remains classified as a 'Do not travel' zone by the Department of Foreign Affairs. A spokesperson from the department said we are witnessing the biggest shutdown in aviation history with entire regions closed off at short notice. She said: In the case of Australia, we have a significant group traveling commercially through London today and others will travel through Qatar tomorrow. We need to continue to take every seat possible on commercial flights in the coming days. In cases like Peru, where we have an arrangement in place with Aer Lingus and British Airways for a repatriation flight to go in, internal travel remains heavily restricted and many of our citizens are located hundreds of miles away from the international airport. We are working 24 hours to get the necessary transport and permissions in place to move them. We are also working very closely with other European countries, especially the UK, to get Irish groups on their flights. We have worked for example with the UK, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and Spain in getting our citizens home. She said officials understand the stress people stranded abroad are under and will leave no stone unturned in getting them home. She said: "We are in close ongoing contact with airlines and aviation companies and are exploring all options. There are still commercial flights, some of them multi-stop." The situation is no longer as simple as chartering flights, we need permission to enter airspace and regions on the way back to Ireland. "Therefore for the last 24 hours we have been focused on getting every possible Irish citizen on the shrinking number of commercial flights." "We know this is very stressful for those abroad and their families here but we are leaving no stone unturned in trying to get people home." The advice is for people to contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate to update them on their situation and to follow closely information on the Embassy Twitter account. Any Irish citizen who believes that an Embassy may not be aware of their presence should register online https://www.dfa.ie/travel/citizens-registration/ and email their contact information (full names, email addresses and contact phone numbers). Contact details for all our missions can be found at https://www.dfa.ie/embassies/irish-embassies-abroad/." Irish citizens looking for urgent assistance should call our COVID-19 phone line, +353 (0) 1 6131733, this operates from 7 am to 10 pm every day or they can use our web chat facility at https://dfa.ie/travel/contact/. We also recommend continuing to monitor our website at https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/coronavirus/, and social media updates from @dfatirl, @dfatravelwise, and the account of the relevant Embassy or Consulate. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] NORWALK As investigators continued to work toward what led a father to kill himself and his two young children Tuesday, the medical examiner ruled on the cause of death for the victims of the Monday morning double murder-suicide. Lt. Thomas Mattera, head of Norwalk detectives, said the department is working to determine a motive behind the murder-suicide involving 27-year-old Yimi Moncada, his 5-year-old daughter Giselle and his 4-year-old son, Jesus. We are continuing to investigate this horrific crime in order to ascertain a motive, Mattera said. At the same time, we want to respect the grieving process of both families. Calls made to friends and family of Moncada and his former wife were not returned on Tuesday. Police said in a news release Tuesday night that at 11 p.m. Sunday, the patrol division got a call about two children ages 4 and 5 not brought back to their mother after a weekend visitation with their father, in violation of a custody agreement. The children were supposed to be returned at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 22. The caller received text messages from the childrens father identified by police as Moncada around 8 p.m. saying he would bring them home. But, police said, Moncada never showed up. Officers reached out to Moncadas mother, who saw the children around 7:40 p.m. Sunday. Officers placed telephone calls to Yimi, whose phone went directly to voicemail, police said. At that time there was no additional information to believe the children were in harm, nor were any other locations given for officers to check. Police said the officers put information about Moncada, Giselle, Jesus and the vehicle into a national database to try to find them. At 7:35 a.m. on Monday, the Norwalk police said it got a 911 call from a location on Elizabeth Street. Responding officers found three people dead in a detached garage identified by police as Moncada, Giselle and Jesus. Police said Moncada died by suicide, according to the medical examiners findings. Both children, police said, died by ligature compression of the neck/homicide. According to court records, Moncada has no criminal history. Moncada and his then-wife divorced in 2017. Since then, they shared joint custody of the children, who stayed with their mother during the week and visited Moncada on the weekends, according to court records. The children were staying with their father the past weekend, but when they did not return home on time, a family member called police on Monday. Police said they later found Moncada and his two children dead on the property of a dilapidated home on Elizabeth Street around 7:30 a.m. that morning. A woman, described by police as a family member, discovered the bodies in a detached garage behind the home, which is planned for demolition and has ties to a relative of Moncada. Mattera said on Monday that he could not reveal whether Moncado left a note. I cant get into any of the specifics, he said. Giselle Moncada-Valdavinos was a kindergarten student at Rowayton Elementary School. In a statement posted Monday on its Facebook page, Norwalk Public Schools called for the community to pray for the children who were victims of a senseless act. The district said counselors will be available by phone, video chat or video conference for anyone needing support. In the coming days, Rowayton will find a way to come together virtually and celebrate these beautiful children, the statement said. In time, when activities have started returning to normal, the school will have the opportunity to come together in person and remember Giselle. The incident remains under investigation by the Detective Bureau. Anyone with information is asked to call 203-854-3011. Tara ONeill contributed to this report. CRUMB (1995) Stream on the Criterion Channel. Before directing films like Ghost World (2001) and Bad Santa (2003), Terry Zwigoff made two documentaries. The first, Louie Bluie (1985), was about Howard (Louie Bluie) Armstrong, a country blues musician, visual artist and gifted storyteller. Zwigoff continued his investigation of eccentric American creators with this portrait of the underground cartoonist Robert Crumb. The documentary surveys Crumbs career and highlights his most notable creations, including the comic Keep on Truckin and the character Fritz the Cat. But it also includes material about his wife, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, herself an important cartoonist, and his troubled brothers Maxon and Charles. All three, plus Crumbs two children, contributed to the life and work of one of the countrys greatest and most debated pop artists. MISS FISHER AND THE CRYPT OF TEARS Stream on Acorn TV. This feature film is an offshoot of the Australian TV series based on Kerry Greenwoods novels about a female private detective working after World War I. Essie Davis (The Babadook, Game of Thrones) returns as Phryne Fisher in the first new installment since 2015, when the third and final season aired in Australia. Fisher travels to British-controlled territory in the Middle East to solve a mystery that revolves around priceless emeralds and ancient curses. Along the way she saves a young Bedouin girl (Izabella Yena), whose tribes history might be connected with the hexed gems. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: Azerbaijan has enough of medical supplies to battle the COVID-19, the country's Health Minister Oqtay Shiraliyev said during a TV program, Trend reports. Shiraliyev pointed out that Azerbaijan additionally imports medical equipment, and as a result of urgent measures implemented, the situation in the country is stable. "The world practice shows that the countries that aren't going for urgent measures, are doing much worse. In Azerbaijan, as we see, it is different. The decisions made by the Operational Headquarters must be respected," said the minister. He also said the general public should stay aware and follow up on the measures and decisions made by the Operational Headquarters. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Azerbaijan is one of the countries affected by the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The country's official structures are applying necessary measures to prevent any possible exposure of coronavirus. Azerbaijan has also imported necessary medical equipment to carry out coronavirus tests. NORWALK An online fundraiser has been started for the grieving mother who lost her two young children in a double-murder-suicide this week. This account is for anyone who would like to gather and come together for a sweet loving human being that didnt deserve this, wrote Marco Gonzalez, who organized the GoFundMe page. The money raised will help the mother pay for the funerals of her 5-year-old daughter, Giselle, and her 4-year-old son, Jesus. The two children were found dead Monday morning in the garage on a vacant South Norwalk property connected with their fathers family, police said. Police said Yimi Moncada, 27, killed his children before killing himself. Gonzalez launched a GoFundMe page early Tuesday that raised about $7,000 before it was deactivated. It was not known why the page was taken down. Gonzalez then launched a new GoFundMe page to help with general expenses related to the tragedy. Anything and everything helps and is greatly appreciated, Gonzalez wrote. Thank you to everyone for their out pour of support and respect in this difficult time. Gonzalez did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. Meanwhile, investigators are still working to determine a motive behind the double-murder-suicide, Lt. Thomas Mattera said Tuesday. We are continuing to investigate this horrific crime in order to ascertain a motive, Mattera said. At the same time, we want to respect the grieving process of both families. At 7:35 a.m. Monday, Norwalk police said they received a 911 call from a location on Elizabeth Street. Responding officers found three people dead in a detached garage. According to court records, Moncada has no criminal history. Moncada and his then-wife divorced in 2017. They have since shared joint custody of the children, who stayed with their mother during the week and visited Moncada on the weekends, according to court records. The children were staying with their father over the weekend, but when they did not return home on time, a family member called police. The incident remains under investigation by the Detective Bureau. Anyone with information can call 203-854-3011. The Islamic State group has claimed an attack on a Sikh-Hindu temple in central Kabul, according to the SITE intelligence group, in the latest assault by the extremist outfit targeting a minority group in Afghanistan. IS said its fighters were currently carrying out an attack on the temple, according to a statement released by SITE, which monitors jihadist networks worldwide. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 24 asked Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava to ensure security of doctors who are facing harassment at the hands of some people in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, officials said. Shah's directive came hours after a representation was sent to him apprising him about the incidents of harassment of doctors by some landlords, claiming that coronavirus could be transmitted through the medicos. The home minister spoke to the Delhi Police commissioner and asked him to take immediate action to stop any such incident, an official of the Home Ministry said. In their representation, the doctors said that some of their colleagues were facing harassment at the hands of some people, particularly the landlords, asking them to vacate their rented premises. The doctors are claiming that the harassment was meted out to them by some people alleging that coronavirus could be transmitted through them as they are treating the positive cases. Prince Charles has tested positive for the dreaded virus, coronavirus. At 71, he is now considered very high-risk. It remains to be seen what measures the Palace would take with this sad news. The heir to the throne is reportedly experiencing some mild symptoms but on the larger scheme of things, remains in good health at the moment. The Prince is said to be self-isolating in Scotland with the Duchess of Cornwall, who already tested negative for the virus. Prince of Wales Has Minor Symptoms The full, official statement reads, "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual." Moreover, "The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland." The two were tested by the NHS in Aberdeenshire, where they have satisfied the criteria to be tested. As of the moment, it is unclear where he could have contracted the virus, given the many engagements he carried out for the past weeks. This, however, means that he had interacted with so many people on these recent weeks, and many could now be at risk of the dreaded virus as well. Could Queen Elizabeth be one of those he had engagements with? Hopefully not. Queen Elizabeth In Isolation It can be remembered that just a few days Queen Elizabeth set out of London for Windsor because of the coronavirus panic, Prince Charles and Camilla also left and went to Balmoral. Prince Charles and Camilla also had postponed their upcoming tour in different countries. The same goes for the Queen. The Queen also re-scheduled most of her engagements in the coming months. The Queen, even in isolation, is serving as a beacon of hope for the UK. Even in strict self-quarantine, the nation is turning to her for comfort. The British absolutely love her, so everyone is praying she does not get the scary virus. According to a royal commentator, despite her age, people still want to hear from her in times of national crisis, not just during national celebrations. Her wisdom, reliability, and consistency can make the British feel comforted even in dire situations such as this. Now that her own son has contracted the virus, people will surely start praying fervently that the Queen will not. Meanwhile, before this cruel twist of fate, Prince Philip was the victim of a crazy rumor that he has the virus and has died. However, it was revealed to be untrue and that he is in very good health. Prayers for the Palace, considering the ages of these well-loved members, are very much encouraged. The Queen is yet to comment on this sad and alarming news. Xiaomis sub-brand Redmi has launched the Redmi Smart TV Max in China. The TV runs on Xiaomis PatchWall UI. There is no information whether the TV is coming to India. You may not be able to go to the theatre to watch a movie for the next few weeks, but what if the theatre was at home? Well, a lot of people have home theatres these days, but that's not the story for today. Xiaomis sub-brand, Redmi has launched a 98-inch TV in China and it is priced at CNY 20,000 (Rs 2,15,220 approx directly converted). Youd pay about Rs 2,00,000 for a 65-inch flagship OLED TV from brands like LG and Sony. Coming back to the Redmi Smart TV Max, the TV size has led the official website to display dimensions for doors and staircases, so you can take the TV to your house without any problems. Speaking of the specifications of the Redmi Smart TV Max, it has a 4K resolution with a refresh rate of 60Hz. It claims to cover 85% of the NTSC color space along with support for HDR. The display has Direct LED backlighting with 192 local dimming zones. The TV boasts of a ninth-generation image engine with 20 image-enhancing technologies to enhance your viewing experience. When it comes to audio, the TV has four speakers with support for both Dolby and DTS decoding. Moving over to connectivity options, the Redmi Smart TV Max has three HDMI ports (one of which is ARC enabled) along with S/PDIF port for audio. It is powered by the Amlogic T972 chipset (4x Cortex-A55, Mali-G31MP2), along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage. The TV runs on Xiaomis PatchWall UI based on Android which is something we have seen on Xiaomi TVs in India and really like. It isnt clear whether the Redmi TV will come to India. Xiaomi TVs running on PatchWall have been available in India for some time now and you can check out our review of the Mi TV 4A Pro here. Kodak recently launched a bunch of 4K Android TVs. You can read about them here. We also have our first TV running on the Fire TV OS. You can check that out here. PR queen Roxy Jacenko is currently in self-isolation as a precaution against coronavirus after returning from New Zealand on Saturday. But on Wednesday, Roxy revealed that her Sweaty Betty PR 'empire' was struggling as the COVID-19 pandemic escalates in Australia. The 39-year-old publicist shared a picture of herself in her home gym, with a caption that revealed the harsh effects of the disease on her business. 'I can't help my team': Roxy Jacenko's (pictured) Sweaty Betty PR 'empire' has tumbled while she is in self-isolation after her trip to New Zealand 'Surreal times right now. 15 years it took to build into an empire with non stop commitment - 72 hours it took to tumble down all whilst I am in isolation and cant help my team and boost morale,' she wrote. 'Thinking of all the small businesses and entrepreneurs out there right now as well as the dedicated teams that have been made redundant. Keeping my training up at home to try and clear my mind. She then thanked her husband Oliver Curtis, who has taken charge in the Sweaty Betty office in her absence. 'I take my hat off to you for trying to navigate this for me whilst I cannot be there to help. Now to plan the return,' she wrote. Tough times: Roxy said it took her 15 years to build her business empire, but it has all come tumbling down in just 72 hours. She is pictured in February On Tuesday, Roxy encouraged her followers to take the threat of the pandemic seriously in a video posted to Instagram. 'Hi everyone, well this is just a message to really encourage you to stop and think at the moment,' Roxy began in the clip. 'While it doesn't seem real at this time, it seems like a bit of a vacation. 'The importance of really isolating and making sure you stay a safe distance away [is crucial].' She also shared a picture of her working from home situation, captioned: 'My at home desk situation today.' Her rock: Roxy thanked her husband Oliver Curtis (right), who has taken charge in the Sweaty Betty office in her absence Having returned to Australia from New Zealand on Saturday, Roxy will be allowed out of self-isolation on April 3. However, as the coronavirus pandemic worsens, Australia may follow suit with other countries such as Italy and force all people to stay at home in a complete lockdown. On Saturday, Roxy was met with an eerie scene as she touched down at deserted Sydney Airport, which is normally bustling with passengers. The 39-year-old publicist shared a video to Instagram of the bizarre experience, captioned: 'Sydney International Airport right now. Scary.' The current setup: On Tuesday, Roxy shared a picture of her working from home situation, captioned: 'My at home desk situation today.' Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Sunday, Roxy said: 'I am back home and will most certainly be observing the Isolation period. 'I am fortunate to work in a business which much can be done via email and phone calls. So it will be business as usual for me from tomorrow (Saturday).' In Australia, there have been 2,398 cases of coronavirus, eight of which have resulted in deaths. Governor Bill Lee has mobilized the National Guard to assist with expanded testing efforts. 250 personnel, including 150 medical personnel, are preparing to assist 35 remote assessment facilities in rural areas. The governor extended statewide school closure to April 24. The Department of Education has secured a partnership with PBS to offer instructional content on television while students are at home. State employees who are currently working from home within the Alternative Workplace Solutions program (AWS) should remain working from home until April 24, he said. The filing deadline for franchise and excise taxes has been delayed until July 15, 2020. Taxpayers will have until July 15 to file returns and make any payments, including quarterly estimated payments, originally due in April. Additional information can be found here. Drivers Services has suspended issuing REAL ID through May 18, 2020 as the federal government waived the deadline for REAL ID. The Attorney General, in consultation with the Lee Administration, has filed an emergency petition asking the Tennessee Public Utility Commission to prohibit utilities from disconnecting service for non-payment during the state of emergency. More information can be found here. Governor Lee has directed the Department of Commerce and Insurance to issue guidance to insurance providers requesting as much flexibility as possible for employers and individuals during this crisis. Additional information can be found here. Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday again warned New Jersey residents that his order banning gatherings in the state because of the coronavirus outbreak isnt a mere suggestion, saying two separate summons were issued to Lakewood residents who ignored the order. Disorderly persons charges were handed out to Lakewood residents, one for a large gathering and another for a wedding in a private residence, the governor said Wednesday. We mean business, Murphy added at the Trenton War Memorial during his daily coronavirus press briefing. Our social distancing directives are not polite suggestions. We will enforce these. The first incident happened at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday when police responded to a home where a large group of people gathered for a wedding reception outside, according to a statement from New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. When police arrived to disperse the gathering, the homeowner, Meir T. Gruskin, 37, continued the ceremony and was issued a summons that charged him with a disorderly persons offense for violating the emergency order, Grewal said. After he was charged, the ceremony ended and the crowd left. The second incident took place at a school located on Main Street in Lakewood around 5:52 p.m. on Tuesday when police discovered a gathering of about 25 teenage and adult men," he said. At the end of the gathering, officers told the schools 48-year-old headmaster, Abraham Bursztyn, that he was violating the emergency order and issued him a summons, charging him with maintaining a nuisance, a disorderly persons offense, Grewal said. Murphy also said another knucklehead from New Providence in Union County coughed on police and medical personal when they responded to a call and indicated he was infected with coronavirus. The man, who was not named, faces obstruction and harassment charges. And in Gloucester and Camden counties, police have added disorderly persons charges when responding to other criminal cases, he said. We want to put them up in lights particularly people who are being jerks, Murphy said. Acting State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan echoed Murphys remarks. Some of the egregious behavior weve seen over the last few days are not going to be tolerated, Callahan said. The news comes after Murphy administration officials put residents on warning Monday not to flout the governors executive orders. Consider this as your final warning, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said at the time. There will be serious legal consequences. On Tuesday, Murphy said police charged a knucklehead from Freehold who is accused of coughing on a Wegmans worker in Manalapan and telling her he had the coronavirus. Authorities identified the man as George Falcone, 50, of Freehold. He was charged with terroristic threats, harassment and obstruction, they said. Falcone was told by the employee he was standing too close to her and to an open display of prepared foods, according to the state Attorney Generals office. He then allegedly stepped forward to within 3 feet of her, leaned toward her, and purposely coughed," authorities said. Falcone also laughed and said was infected with the coronavirus, authorities said, adding, Falcone subsequently told two other employees they are lucky to have jobs. Also, Grewal announced the state was taking aggressive action to stop businesses that are price gouging during the outbreak. To date, our Division of Consumer Affairs has received over 1,400 COVID-19 related complaints concerning some 900 distinct business locations across New Jersey," Grewal said Tuesday. Let me tell you that our investigators have been on top of this. Theyre working with our county partners to complete about 350 inspections to date. Weve issued about 160 cease-and-desist letters and served nearly 30 subpoenas. In an effort to slow the spread of the virus, Murphy has closed all schools in the state, ordered people to stay at home except for necessary travel, banned social gatherings, and ordered non-essential retail businesses to close until further notice. Murphy also announced a way for workers to report companies where people who are able to do their jobs from home were told by their employers to report to the office. The governor said New Jersey employers should not be forcing their workers to go to their offices if those people are able to do their jobs remotely, per his executive order. Murphy said Wednesday that he plans to keep the restrictions in place for the foreseeable future because lifting them too soon would "only throw gasoline onto the fire. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. An activist organization backed in part by libertarian billionaire Charles Koch has shifted its operations to the digital realm as the coronavirus spreads throughout the United States. Stand Together, also known as the Koch network, has millions of employees, volunteers and activists in 35 states working for groups such as Americans for Prosperity, the LIBRE Initiative and Concerned Veterans for America. These groups often conduct in-person canvassing with voters but that appears to be changing as governments and businesses restrict gatherings and travel in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. "Our Stand Together community has taken our operations totally remote. Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the health and safety of our activists, staff, and voters, our staff are working from home and are utilizing digital organizing as one way to continue their grassroots engagement," Nicole Tardif, a spokeswoman for Americans for Prosperity, told CNBC. "We're engaging activists by showing them ways to educate their neighbors and expand their reach through social media and other peer-to-peer outreach." Americans for Prosperity and others are conducting some of their efforts through their i360 app, Tardif said. Their training events have all moved to a web-based platform. Volunteers and activists are moving toward working the phones from home to assist in their operations. The organization is also trying to hire more unemployed people to assist in making phone calls. AFP state chapters have also started calling activists to check in on their health and to make sure they have the resources they need. "We are simply calling you to make sure you are healthy/okay. As you have previously attended or volunteered for one of our events, or taken an action online, you are the heart and soul of our AFP efforts in Texas," according to a script of the calls to activists in Texas that was provided to CNBC. "Rest assured, as Americans, we will get through this together. At AFP we will get back very soon to assuring freedom reigns in our State and Nation!" The network's policy proposals are often based on libertarian ideals, with an emphasis on cutting taxes, government spending and business regulations. It is supporting several Republican senators as they seek reelection this year, including Cory Gardner of Colorado, John Cornyn of Texas, Steve Daines of Montana, David Perdue of Georgia and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Last week, AFP President Tim Phillips, along with other officials, hosted a tele-town hall to discuss how they believe the federal government should handle fighting the coronavirus. The network has publicly rebuked the idea of bailing out corporations as a way to combat the pandemic, including in a letter that was sent to leaders of Congress earlier this month. Beyond the calls for limiting bailouts, the letter, sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, pushed for a fiscal response to the virus but to only have it be enacted for a temporary period of time. "Any fiscal response or emergency policy changes should be temporary in nature and be closely tied to the impact and duration of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is a time to deliver swift and targeted relief to those who need it, not to address long term policy goals," leaders of the network said. The Senate and the Trump administration early Wednesday agreed to a deal on a $2 trillion stimulus package that includes a payroll tax holiday, cash payments to individuals and bailout funds for companies and industries. Americans for Prosperity CEO Emily Seidel has also called on non-essential businesses to remain open, despite some states demanding all of their workers stay home, forcing some companies to shutdown. "Rather than blanket shutdowns, the government should allow businesses to continue to adapt and innovate to produce the goods and services Americans need, while continuing to do everything they can to protect the public health," Seidel recently said in a statement. Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of top news as of 25.03.2020: Seventeen new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Armenia. Thus the total number has reached 266. In the meantime, 18 people have already recovered [UPDATE] According to the Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, there are currently cases of coronavirus both in Yerevan and other provinces. Meanwhile, a charter flight operated by Ukrainian SkyUp airlines has left for Yerevan with 62 people on board, most of them being Armenian nationals, Armenian ambassador to Ukraine Tigran Seiranian wrote on Facebook. Deputy PM, Commandant Tigran Avinyan has made a new decision to restrict the right of persons to move freely in the whole territory of Armenia until March 31, 2020, and to establish compulsory self-isolation of persons in their residence. People who leave their homes are required to have their IDs and the form of the sheet that citizens must fill out. By the way, in case of going out to make purchases or leaving for the workplace, transport of a maximum of two persons (including the driver) shall be permitted in personal cars. Armenian MFA issued a statement on Wednesday on the Russian governments new decision. Thus citizens of the CIS member states, including Armenia, who are abroad and want to return, can use the territory of Russia as a transit country. The MFA has recalled that citizens who wish to return from Russia to Armenia can use exclusively air transport due to the ban on foreigners entering Georgia. The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Desir, expressed his concerns about a package of amendments to the criminal and administrative codes, introduced in Armenia on March 23, in the context of the fight against disinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, during the current state of emergency, any organization that carries out journalistic activities would only be allowed to publish information about the coronavirus crisis that has been released by official sources. According to him, publishing only information provided by the authorities is a very restrictive measure which would limit freedom of the media and access to information disproportionately. There are over 436 thousand coronavirus cases confirmed globally. The death toll nears 20 thousand. And there are over 111 thousand people recovered. According to The Guardian quoting a statement by Clarence House, Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus and is displaying mild symptoms. The Duchess of Cornwall had also been tested but does not have the virus, the spokesperson said. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. In late 2019 Chinese media revealed that nearly two billion dollars was being spent over the next two years to purchase 1.4 million modern protective vests and other items of bullet and shell fragment resistant gear for Chinese troops. These protective vests, as they are called in the West, will also include nearly a million of the bulletproof ceramic composite plates (SAPI, for Small Arms Protective Inserts) for the protective vests front line combat troops wear. These are an American innovation, and since the 1990s, the U.S. has purchased over twelve million SPPI inserts. Why so many? It's because the plates are bullet-proof, but only once or twice. The plates will stop high-powered rifle bullets, but this weakens the plates, often causing them to crack or chip. So every time a plate is hit, it is discarded and a new one slipped into the vest. The brittleness of these plates means they can be cracked if dropped or otherwise allowed to hit a hard surface. Its an odd characteristic for plates that will stop high-powered 7.62mm bullets, but it works. The downside is that the plates are not particularly durable, and wear out quickly on the battlefield. Another reason for so many plates purchased is the development of new model plates, while many of the older ones were still available. Thus since 2011 the U.S. Army and Marines have been replacing existing SAPI ceramic bulletproof plates, with thicker, and heavier (by about 37 percent) ESAPI plates. The ESAPI appeared in 2008 and provided better protection from any kind of high powered bullet. The basic "Level 3" SAPI plates are 25.4x305cm (10x12 inches) and weigh 2.1 kg (4.6 pounds) each. For greater protection, the older Level 4 SAPI plates, weighing about 2.9 kg (6.4 pounds) each, could stop some types of armor-piercing bullets, but so can the lighter ESAPI, which are more expensive, at $450 a plate, down from $600 several years ago. The XSAPI plate appeared in 2011 but did not offer enough improvements to make ESAPI obsolete. Since 2012 the plates have become a little lighter and cheaper and more nations are buying them for troops and special police. Weight is a big issue for the infantry, especially when operating in tropical climates. Troops do all sorts of things to save weight, and using the less bullet-proof SAPI plates was just one of them. Thus the SAPI plates remained popular on the battlefield, even as the new ESAPI plates arrived. Many of the SAPI plates were given to combat support troops, who rarely got shot at, but wanted some protection for those occasions someone took a shot at them. These troops, in contrast, didn't mind the extra weight and preferred ESAPI. All these plates are made of boron carbide ceramic with a spectra shield backing. This combination causes bullets to fragment and slow down before getting through the plate. Occasionally, some fragments will get through, but these are stopped by the layers of Kevlar that make up the flak jackets. The ceramic plates require a manufacturing process that uses, and produces, a lot of toxic chemicals. As a result of this, much of the production has moved to China. The flack jackets have been around for decades and just used layers of bullet and shell resistant fabric to stop pistol bullets and shell fragments. Many police and even soldier still just use a flack jacket. The success of the plates plus frequent attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan led the U.S. Army to try and get enough plates for all troops in the combat zone, not just those in infantry units. This was more of a morale issue than anything else, as non-infantry troops are most frequently exposed to bombs and RPGs. Fragments from these weapons can be stopped by the flak jackets without the plates. But morale is important, so the army hustled to get enough SAPI plates for everyone. The U.S. military has spent over $12 billion on various types of SAPI, ESAPI and XSAPI plates since 2001. These plates first became available in the late 1980s but it wasnt until many combat veterans confirmed that the plates worked did more troops get them. It is not known what type of SAPI plates the Chinese are using but the purchase of this type of protection for their infantry shows the extent to which China has modernized their ground forces. Much of the new Chinese weapons and gear is of similar quality to that found in the West. This was something the Russians were never able to do during the Cold War. Thats because the Chinese military does not, as in most communist police states, get all their military gear from state-owned and operated firms. No, as part of the economic liberalization implemented in the late 1970s, the military was encouraged to get the most (and best) for their money by soliciting items from multiple, mostly privately owned and highly competitive companies. Chinese and foreign customers were both sought as customers for this gear. China began modernizing its army in the 1980s, an effort that was long overdue. By the end of the 1980s China had (at least on paper) motorized all of its infantry divisions. Before that, many infantry marched, or took the railroad, while some of their heavy equipment was still moved by horses. In effect, in the early 1980s, most Chinese infantry units were equipped like Western infantry were in the 1930s. By the 1990s more infantry divisions were getting armored vehicles and by 2012 many infantry units were getting a third generation of armored vehicles, or IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles). This makes them mech (mechanized) infantry. All the vehicles were Chinese made, and often Chinese designed. So was all the other new gear. This army modernization included new uniforms and combat gear, including two generations of new assault rifles. Military PR people made sure all this new stuff got plenty of coverage in the media. It was quickly discovered that all this new gear was very popular with most Chinese, who had seen their military regarded by foreigners and Chinese alike as antiquated since the 19th century. Now Chinese troops looked as spiffy and menacing as their Western counterparts. The Chinese were proud and civilians could buy many of the new military items. In China collecting modern military items became fashionable and popular. Patriotic Chinese, as well as foreign military gear collectors, are increasingly being serviced by Chinese entrepreneurs who are taking advantage of the fact that most Chinese army military equipment (except weapons and some electronics) is also available on the civilian market. Once these entrepreneurs saw how eager Chinese were to buy army uniforms, field rations (like U.S. MREs), patches and all sorts of odd bits of equipment, they began offering the stuff on eBay for the international market. There they found more collectors (or just curious eBay shoppers) than they anticipated. Chinese manufacturers have increased production of some items just to deal with this new civilian market. As a result, both Chinese and foreign collectors are seen as another market and that market is being serviced. Bulletproof plates were supposed to be only for military and police. But once China began manufacturing them they were widely available on the black market. Chinese weapons have long been available to foreign governments and, in some cases to well-financed criminal and terrorist groups with access to the weapons black market. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Construction Equipment Rental Market Overview The trend of rentals in terms of construction equipment in 2020 is not new but has gained popularity in recent times. The understandings into the industry of construction are developed by Market Research Future, which focusses on reports on industry verticals that review the opportunities for development. A 4.7% CAGR is expected to influence the markets expansion in the forthcoming period. The ability to use improved equipment on a particular project without significant investments is a key factor that may induce further development of the market. Moreover, the decreased labor and maintenance cost is expected to reinforce the market expansion in the upcoming period. Segmental Analysis The segmentation of the construction equipment rental market has been conducted on the basis of application, equipment type, and region. On the basis of equipment type, the construction equipment rental market is segmented into earthmoving, concrete & road construction and material handling. Based on the application, the construction equipment rental market is segmented into non-residential, residential, and infrastructure. Based on the regions, the construction equipment rental market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other global regions. Request for Free Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/7504 Detailed Regional Analysis The assessment of the regions in the construction equipment rental market is conducted for regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other global regions. The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to be responsible for the principal market portion in 2017, which is predicted to observe a maximum development over the forecast period, shadowed by the North American and European regions. China has developed as the most profitable national market in this region due to the incidence of construction machinery construction facilities. China is expected to assert its dominance further as it is one of the principal exporters of construction machinery and exports a huge portion of the machines to the European and Asia-Pacific region. The North American region was accountable for the second prime region in the construction equipment rental market, which is credited to the upsurge in demand for construction machines such as motor graders and excavators. Competitive Analysis The market forces are anticipated to motivate the expansion to a great extent in the coming period. The market opponents are encouraging the development of the product range to a great extent. The introduction of a new product is predicted to alter the overall market structure in the upcoming period. The financing level in the market is estimated to rise at a rapid rate in the coming period. The market is expected to increase its share in the forthcoming period, with the demand levels increasingly developing. The objectives for growth are predicted to be successfully achieved in the duration of the forecast period. The potential opportunities in the market are estimated to be utilized effectively in the course of the forecast period. The challenges in the market are projected to be neutralized, which will further induce favorable market growth in the market. The eminent companies in the construction equipment rental market are Ashtead Group, Nesco Rentals, Caterpillar, Inc., United Rentals, Inc, Blueline Rental LLC, Ahern Rentals, Inc., Cramo PLC, Shanghai Hongxin Equipment Engineering Co., Ltd., Herc Holdings, Riwal, and many others. Industry Updates: Sep 2019 klarx, an online platform for construction equipment rental, has now raised 12.5 million in a funding round run by B&C Innovation Investments GmbH (BCII), together with current investor Target Global. The capital will be used for additional product development and the companys development into new European markets. The startup strategizes to introduce new features onto its platform, such as a disposition tool that will oversee the equipment employed across any particular construction site, and track real-time telematics data from the machinery. A TTC subway operator has tested positive COVID-19, according to the transit workers union. In a message sent to members Tuesday afternoon, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 said that a subway driver operating out of Wilson division had received the diagnosis that afternoon. The employee had not been at work since the morning of March 16, when he went home after feeling unwell shortly after the start of his 5:30 a.m. shift, according to the union. ATU Local 113, which represents more than 11,500 TTC workers, said the employee has been at home since that time. ATU Local 113 is working with the TTC and Toronto Public Health to determine next steps/actions to further protect the health of workers and riders, the union said. TTC spokesperson Stuart Green confirmed the positive test Tuesday evening. He said in a statement that as soon as the transit agency was notified, it immediately engaged Toronto Public Health to determine next steps. The case marks the first confirmed instance of a front-line TTC worker testing positive for the virus that has ground much of the city and the country to a halt. Last Wednesday a TTC bus mechanic tested positive for the virus. In that instance, the transit agency responded by temporarily closing the garage the employee worked in, and sending workers at the facility home en masse. Between 130 and 170 employees were directed to self-isolate. By contrast, the TTC isnt ordering workers to stay home in response to the subway operators positive test. At this time, Toronto Public Health has advised that there is no increased risk to other employees or customers, Green said. We are, however, identifying a small number of employees with whom the operator had casual contact on March 16. They will be advised only to self-monitor for symptoms. In an interview, Local 113 president Carlos Santos said the worker hadnt travelled recently and it wasnt immediately clear how he contracted the virus. Santos said the employee was likely in contact with between 15 and 20 colleagues before he went home sick. The union and transit agency have been taking steps in recent weeks intended to prevent TTC bus, streetcar, and subway drivers, who normally interact with hundreds of riders every day, from contracting the disease. The measures include increased cleaning of vehicles, the elimination of paper transfers, implementation of rear-door boarding on buses, and allowing workers to wear masks on the job. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 19:56:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ACCRA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A former Ghanaian ambassador to China has urged his country to emulate the approach adopted by China to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking live on a talk-show on the national television station GTV, Anani Okuminyi Demuyakor, former Ghana's ambassador to China, said it took the Chinese discipline, patriotism, and strong leadership to take the measures that combat the disease in their country. Demuyakor, who had witnessed China's earlier battle with SARS in 2003, said the strong leadership was what mobilized the resources to put up health facilities in record time to be able to contain the current outbreak. "One good thing about the Chinese is that when there is a problem, they go into action to find solutions, and that is what they did in this fight," the former ambassador said. He lauded the Chinese authorities for their bold decision to lock down Wuhan and other cities affected by the pandemic, adding that the citizens also took it as a civic responsibility of adhering to the lock-down. "So we have to look at the way the Chinese did it, and in that regard, the civic responsibility of citizens is very crucial for Ghanaians," he stated. He added, "The Chinese saw that they had a crisis on their hands, so they came together to deal with it. You saw retired nurses, retired doctors, military, police who were all volunteering support." From that experience, he said China was now able to send personnel and logistics to support the fight in other countries, and he urged the leaders of Ghana to take advantage of the experience and data of China to find an early solution to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. M ore than 400,000 people have signed up to act as NHS volunteers to support vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic. The Prime Minister, speaking at the daily press conference inside Number 10, said he wanted to offer a special thank you to everyone who has now volunteered to help the NHS. When we launched the appeal last night, we hoped to get 250,000 volunteers over a few days," he said. But I can tell you that in just 24 hours, 405,000 people have responded to the call. Boris Johnson speaking in Downing Street / Sky News Matt Hancock said the drive for volunteers would help support the NHS and local services in the fight against Covid-19. He said the volunteers will help the NHS with shopping, the delivery of medicines and supporting those who are shielded to protect their own health. Responding to the staggering number of volunteers who had signed up on Wednesday, Mr Hancock said: "I owe you a debt of thanks and the country is proud." In a video posted on Twitter, he said: "Yesterday I put out a call saying we needed a quarter of a million volunteers to help our NHS and I'm thrilled that we've hit that target within 24 hours. "This shows just how much the great British public wants to help and are pulling together in the national effort to tackle coronavirus. "I'm incredibly grateful to each and every one of you that we've hit this target this quickly." On Tuesday, Mr Hancock also revealed that more than 35,000 extra staff would be joining the NHS. He said 11,788 recently retired NHS staff had responded to the call to return to the service - 2,660 doctors, more than 2,500 pharmacists and other staff and 6,147 nurses. Loading.... Announcing how many people had signed up to volunteer on Wednesday, Boris Johnson said the applicants would be "crucial in the fight against this virus". "That is already, in one day, as many volunteers as the population of Coventry," he told the second remote press conference. To all of you, and to all the former NHS staff who are coming back now into the service, I say thank you on behalf of the entire country. Mr Johnson also said that the Government was massively ramping up our testing programmes and hoped to be conducting 250,000 tests a day very soon. Professor Chris Whitty said there were shortages along many supply chains in the production of tests because every country in the world is simultaneously wanting this new thing. Ujjain/Indore/Bhopal, March 25 : Madhya Pradesh registered its first death due to coronavirus when a 65-year-old woman from the major pilgrim town Ujjain died on Wednesday afternoon. There has been a sudden spurt in the number of positive cases in the state with the virus striking India's cleanest city, Indore, on Wednesday. With four positive cases being reported from Indore and one from Ujjain, the number of Covid-19 cases has risen 15. State capital Bhopal also reported a positive case on Wednesday. In a freak chain of events, a journalist, who had attended former Chief Minister Kamal Nath's press conference last Friday and had received his daughter returning from England earlier in the week, tested positive on Wednesday. His daughter was reported positive on Saturday. Chief medical and health officer Sudhir Kumar Dehria said that everyone who contacted the journalist is required to remain in home isolation for 14 days. The press conference was attended by many newspersons. Samples of 10 persons who met the girl were sent for examination. Nine were reported negative, including her mother, brother and others at her place. Only her father tested positive and has been admitted to AIIMS Bhopal. Dehria, however, said there was no cause to panic. The cases in Indore and Ujjain were confirmed at 4 a.m. on Wednesday. All of them were admitted to three different hospitals in Indore. Three of the patients belong to one family who had visited Rishikesh a week ago. The contact history of the others is being traced. Indore collector Lokesh Kumar Jatav has imposed curfew in the town. Jatav said the Indore municipal corporation will take more measures to take quick control over the situation. On Tuesday, two men had tested positive for coronavirus in Gwalior and Shivpuri districts, an official said. Earlier, six Covid-19 cases were reported from Jabalpur, while a woman was found positive for the viral infection in Bhopal on Sunday. Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State said he has been tested for coronavirus and gone into isolation while awaiting the result. I just took a CoviD 19 test, having gone into self-isolation since yesterday evening, Fayemi tweeted, Im asymptomatic and feel well. He said he was in meetings with two people who had since tested positive for the virus. Fayemi said he looks forward to an all-clear result and have encouraged all his colleagues to take the test. See tweet: I just took a CoviD 19 test, having gone into self isolation since yesterday evening. Im asymptomatic and feel well, but I was in meetings with two people who had since tested positive. I look forward to an all clear and have encouraged all my colleagues to take the test. JKF Kayode Fayemi (@kfayemi) March 25, 2020 Fayemi is also the chairman of Nigerias Governors Forum (NGF) and had held meetings with some other governors in the country in recent weeks including Bauchi governor Bala Mohammed who tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. Mohammed reportedly got infected with the virus after having contact with Mohammed, son of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar who tested positive. Chief of staff to Nigerian Ruler, Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari who Fayemi also met recently had tested positive for the coronavirus. Nigerias total case of coronavirus as at Wednesday morning is at 46. As a doctor who is 38 weeks pregnant, I have been asked many times about pregnancy and covid-19. I provide the facts. Based on the research so far, pregnant women do not appear to be at elevated risk for contracting the virus or of having worse outcomes because of it. However, pregnant people are considered medically vulnerable and should take extra precautions. There has been no documentation of covid-19 being transmitted in utero or through breast milk, but if a laboring woman were suspected of having covid-19, she would need to observe many safeguards including being separated from her newborn to avoid infecting the baby through respiratory droplets. Military official, wife and two police officers confirmed positive for COVID-19 MANILA, Philippines A military official and two police officers have tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), military and police authorities revealed Wednesday (March 24). According to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos Jr. confirmed that a military official and his wife contacted novel coronavirus. General Santos confirmed that the couple had recently travelled overseas though the AFP Chief refused to reveal further details. The couple has been confined in isolation at the V. Luna Medical Center in Quezon City since March 15. The AFP leadership has ordered contact tracing to identify the persons with whom the couple interacted. General Santos said that even though he is currently on self-quarantine as he himself had interacted with the official in one of their conferences his condition is stable. All gates at the AFP Headquarters have been closed except for two gates to closely monitor all individuals entering the camp and curb further infection. Meanwhile, a member of Manila Police District also tested positive for COVID-19. This was confirmed by National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Police Major General Debold Sinas on Wednesday saying the police officer has been considered a patient under investigation (PUI) in March 17. All persons who had close contact with the Manila cop have been ordered to self-quarantine. Disinfection was also rendered to the station were the positive case was assigned. Likewise, one personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Chaplain Service also tested positive for COVID-19. PNP General Hospital Spokesperson Police Major Duds Santos said the patient is now confined in isolation at St. Lukes Medical Center in Taguig City after he was released from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Improving condition. He was critical a few days ago. Now, wala na siyang life support tinanggal na, (His life support has been taken off), Santos told reporters. Story continues The patient, Santos said, had no travel history abroad but had interaction with two foreign visitors from Europe. We did 100 percent contact tracing with that particular patient, Santos assured. So all of them finished their quarantine because they started March 8. We quarantined them for 14 days and then (they completed on) March 22, he concluded. MNP (with reports from Lea Ylagan) The post Military official, wife and two police officers confirmed positive for COVID-19 appeared first on UNTV News. What William McKinley was to the front porch campaign, Joe Biden is to the basement campaign. Sidelined and confined to his house by the dictates of coronavirus social distancing, the former vice president has been limited to intermittent appearances from a makeshift studio in his basement. They have been awkward and low energy, but that doesnt really set them apart from most other Biden appearances. If theres any candidate who could thrive by having very limited public exposure and existing mostly as a line on a ballot, its the longtime presidential aspirant who hadnt won a primary until a couple of weeks ago. Biden is winning the Democratic nomination on the basis of not being Bernie Sanders and wants to get elected president on the basis of not being Donald Trump. Hes as purely a negative candidate as weve seen in a very long time, running largely on who he isnt and what he wont do. Hes the presidential candidate as cipher. Prior to his recent media mini-tour, did anyone seriously miss Biden? Wonder what he had to say? Expect him to come up with a bold, captivating coronavirus plan, or an arresting formulation? There is no Biden movement. For much of the primary campaign, he couldnt build a crowd to save his life. He had no organization or money. There is no Biden charisma. Hes not young, handsome, eloquent, or interesting. There is no Biden catchphrase. He doesnt have hope and change, or make America great again. For decades, hes stayed reliably within the mainstream of the Democratic Party at any given time hence, his recent turn further left and his views have largely reflected center-left conventional wisdom. If the party had decided to order up a generic representative, with nothing original to say and a campaign utterly untouched by new thinking or methods, it couldnt have done any better than Biden. Hes led on everything across the past four decades, at least according to his own account, and yet has done nothing particularly memorable. Story continues Hes the opposite of a fresh face on the scene without an extensive record to defend think George W. Bush or Barack Obama. But hes proving that a very old slate can be almost as invulnerable to attack as a blank slate. The length of his career means that most of his past controversial positions lost their political salience long ago. They are such artifacts of another era that they cant be used against him any more. Kamala Harris learned this when she executed an exquisitely planned ambush on Biden on the issue of busing, which was an intense controversy 40 years ago. President Donald Trump will want to hit Biden on the crime bill, which passed more than a quarter of a century ago, and his vote for the second Iraq War, Bidens most contemporary legislative vulnerability since he took the vote less than two decades ago. Bidens candidacy holds interest only to the extent he is gaffe prone. His misfires arent Hillary Clinton-style gaffes, laced with arrogance and an insulting dismissiveness that makes them a rallying cry for the other side her question at a contentious Benghazi hearing, What difference at this point does it make?; her labeling of some Trump supporters as deplorables. Instead, Bidens gaffes the verbal tangles, incomplete sentences, weird mixups are amusing and concerning. They will be used to make the case that he isnt up to the job, but they dont make anyone hate Biden. He cant even generate strong feelings in his partisan opposition. All that said, Biden deserves credit for his insight from the beginning that the Democratic Party wasnt defined by woke Twitter and that Obama-Biden Democrats, as he calls them, still constituted the partys center of gravity. He correctly believed or hoped that African American voters would see him through. On top of this, he demonstrated the remarkable perseverance of a politician knocked down and humiliated, who got up every day and kept going. His greatest strength is obviously his ability to connect with others who have suffered personal loss. His victories on Super Tuesday and afterward showed that Democrats were willing to turn out en masse for an uninspired candidacy, and it may be that the same dynamic will hold in November. If so, Biden could do worse than stay in his basement for the duration. Last week, as the numbers of Pennsylvanians infected with the coronavirus kept rising, the folks at the Harrisburg Capital City Region Citadel of the Salvation Army distributed 16,602 meals. That, by the way, is four times the usual amount. And the eight dedicated, contagion-conscious staffers who are feeding the chronically and newly hungry amid this medical crisis dont expect theyll be having any breaks anytime soon. Maybe not even after the virus runs its course. Just last week we had about 75 new households that were in urgent need, said Jenny Gallagher-Blom, the citadels programs and operations director. When people need care, you just make it work. To make it work, citadel staffers who usually are administrators are instead answering phones, filling orders, pushing shopping carts filled with sealed boxes of food out to the roundabout in front of the facility at 506 South 29th St. This is an arms-length enterprise. The Army workers stack the food the equivalent of 14 meals - on plastic tables set up under a curbside canopy. They ask the clients if they want a Bible. Then, for the sake of everyones health, they stand off and let the clients load the goods into their cars, vans and trucks. Meanwhile, another crew is packaging food provided through the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in what in normal times would be the area where the Army serves its meals. In addition to Gallagher-Blom, the core crew that has been churning out sustenance included Kathy Anderson-Martin, Major John Griner, Meghan Zook, Julie Reese, Brian Yeich, Jennifer Fails, and Yolanda Haywood-Gross. Given the restrictions forced by the pandemic, every food transaction is arranged by appointment, said Anderson-Martin, the citadels resource development director. Hand sanitizer is used after each hand-off as a precaution, she said. With so much work, nobody on the staff can afford to come down with the coronavirus, or any other ailment, Anderson-Martin said. Ive been getting in 18,000 steps a day, she said, pointing to the fitness tracker on her wrist. The need is often dire. Anderson-Martin cited one case of a woman who was asked to estimate her level of need on a scale of 1 to 10. She was hesitant to assign a number to her own situation, so she gave a more specific response: I have three hot dogs, six cans of tomato sauce and I just ate my egg, Anderson-Martin said. She said another man didnt have a car, so he lugged a rolling suitcase to the citadel to secure some much-needed rations. He said he couldnt take anything heavy. When he finished filling his suitcase with what he could tote, He smiled and told us we had done a great job, Anderson-Martin said. A young lady called yesterday, Gallagher-Blom said. She was laid off on Monday. She said, Ive never had to do this before. There are just so many unknowns for everybody right now, she said. With the states schools closed until at least April 6, There are people caring for their grandchildren who need help feeding them. They werent planning on this. We see a lot of people who are at the low end of the economic scale. A lot of them have lost their jobs or had their hours cut, Anderson-Martin said. The Armys greatest need right now is financial donations to keep the charitable effort going, she said. She saw no sign of the demand for aid abating. Indeed, the vehicles kept pulling up to the curb of the roundabout. Monetary donations can be made to the Harrisburg Capital City Region Citadel online at this site. The Salvation Army in Carlisle also is seeking financial donations as it provides free meals for the needy during the pandemic. During the COVID-19 health crisis and after it has abated, we anticipate that the demand for our services will increase greatly, the Carlisle citadel said in a plea for help. The majority of the folks we serve are hourly wage earners who will be impacted by loss of hours during business shutdowns. Donations to that citadel can be made online at this site. The government is drawing up a relief package for industry with steps such as relaxation of asset-classification norms by banks, thus allowing companies to delay the repayment of loans, and tax holidays for the worst-hit sectors like aviation and hospitality. But it might not be enough to stop more bankruptcies from getting filed. A promoter of a stressed mining company had been working with financiers for weeks, almost ready with a plan to reach a settlement with the banks. The deal was about to be closed. But last week, the investment committee formed to give a final go-ahead refused to discuss the plan due to the changed market dynamics amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The company, a person close to the matter said, is now facing the threat of bankruptcy. Many funds who invest in such assets do it through their indirect portfolio which includes stocks, mutual funds etc...markets have tanked and now funds are in deep trouble, he said. As COVID-19 grips the markets and economy, companies are bracing for the impact it would have on bankruptcies - both new and ongoing. There is an impact on bankruptcy proceedings. "Acquirers dont want to evaluate the assets in these uncertain times. Many acquirers are also facing liquidity crunch due to impact of stock prices as well as business lockdowns in many states. "This will push back many deadlines for ongoing corporate insolvencies, said Anshul Jain, partner, PwC India. The government is drawing up a relief package for industry with steps such as relaxation of asset-classification norms by banks, thus allowing companies to delay the repayment of loans, and tax holidays for the worst-hit sectors like aviation and hospitality. But it might not be enough to stop more bankruptcies from getting filed. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans announcement on Tuesday that after monitoring the situation the government might consider suspending the provision for triggering insolvencies for a period of six months under section 7, 9 and 10 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code could bring a much needed breather for companies. If the situation continues beyond April we may consider this...so companies can be stopped from being forced into insolvency proceedings for such force majeure causes of default, Sitharaman said. The code allows operational creditors and promoters themselves to trigger insolvencies. Experts say while financial creditors such as banks may not go through that route, the operational creditors are already thinking on these lines. Many are considering invoking the force majeure clauses which refer to unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract. While contracts where the government is a party, such as a road contact with the national highway authority of India, there is no impact of such clauses, but when a private party comes into the picture such clauses are a cause of worry. "The government is looking at it more liberally...But in a lot of private commercial contracts, epidemics or health emergencies are not considered as force majeure. "This is impacting even genuine cases where the delay is not intentional but is forced due to this pandemic. "But parties are considering that as an event of default for those contracts. "Its a matter of time that we will start seeing those litigations appear in courts and NCLTs, Jain said. As far as filing insolvency applications goes, there could be a rise. However, how many of these will be admitted by the National Company Law Tribunal is still a matter of question, given the circumstances. Therefore, industry experts feel more cases could be filed but less admitted. In case of homebuyers, if a builder is unable to deliver the project because some equipment such as elevators is to be imported from China, the tribunal may take a view in favour of the builder. On the supply side, China is an important source of critical inputs for many sectors. The lockdown in China has resulted in supply disruption for sectors such as chemical and chemical products, electrical and non-electrical goods, metals and Textiles. A recent study by State Bank of India said supply shock was akin to higher price of inputs, which in turn affects the price of all the commodities up the supply chain. A simultaneous demand and supply shock to the economy will have implications for the banking sector. "The demand side shock is expected to lead to an output loss of 1.2 per cent in banking and insurance combined, the study said. Extension has to be given to the companies to be declared NPAs. We have to give time to society to settle down, said Soumya Kanti Ghosh, chief economic advisor, State Bank of India. However, industry experts said many would also try to take advantage of the situation and blame the delay or non-delivery of projects on the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chain shock will be felt across the board. Shock like this will be hard especially in the physical sector. This will also impact formation of new companies, said Chinmay Tumbe, economics professor, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. In 1918-19 as an after effect of the influenza or the spanish flu which claimed over 15 million lives, there was a steep decline in the number of new companies registered. The new paid up capital had declined from Rs 250 crore to Rs 20 crore, according to research done by Tumbe. After every crisis whether it was the 2008 financial crisis or the more recent demonetisation, the number of total companies drops drastically. Many companies may get struck off in this crisis, Tumbe added. Photograph: Joshua Lott/Reuters Rashad McCrorey patiently waiting for Labadi Beach and other social activities to resume. 24.03.2020 LISTEN Are you one of the billions of people around the world wondering when will life return to normal? Whether you are traveling to your local market, across the country or around the world, due to government mandate or personal fears, traveling and social interaction is at an all time low. People are growing restless as some countries have forced people to stay indoors, others had their favorite gathering spots shut down, while others have self enforced restrictions because of the fear of being around anyone who coughs or sneezes. If you are indeed one of the many individuals around the world anxiously awaiting for the green like to start traveling again, here are 7 signs to look out for. Ive listed these signs in the chronological order I believe they will happen so you can choose the place you feel most comfortable to jump in. 1. Tourists Attractions Re-Open Since most tourist attractions are government operated, the reopening of tourist attractions are in a way an announcement by the government that once again public gatherings and traveling is perceived to be safe. An official public announcement is one thing, but once you truly have the option to return to your favorite beach, museum, park, or recreational outlets, it is safe to assume you can travel safely again. 2. The Re-Opening of International Boarders Though some may beg to differ, government officials number one responsibility is the well being of their citizens. COVID-19 is a contagious virus that many countries originally contracted via travelers from outside regions. Government officials deciding to re-open their boarders to outsiders is a safe sign that it is safe to travel. 3. Airlines Resume Normal Traveling Scheduling Its one thing for airports and airlines to gradually allow flights to go in and out of the country, its another thing for airlines as a whole to go back to routine flights both internationally and domestically. When you start receiving notifications from airlines that flights are regularly flying again, then you know its safe to travel. 4. An Infinite Number of Social Activities Being Promoted and Advertised The significant influx of travel promotions, and invites to social activities including parties, bars and restaurants will be a clear sign it is safe to travel again. Many businesses based on social interactions are suffering and the owners are chomping at the bit to get back to business as soon as possible. Once the government gives people the go ahead to go back to business trust me the consumer, that means you, will be the first to know. 5. News Coverage You will know it's safe to travel again when local and national news isnt dominated by Corona Virus talk. Everytime you turn on the television it's Corona virus this COVID-19 that. When news goes back to normal life, (crime, sports, celebrity drama and politics) you will know its safe to travel again. 6. Daily Life and Routines Resumes Social ques to look out for include; streets are busy again, traffic jams at predictable times, public transportation back to being overcrowded, and society as a whole stops practicing social distancing. These will all be signs it is safe to start traveling again. 7. Other People Traveling When you start seeing other people travel again. Once people start posting their pictures on social media of new and recent travel experiences many will know its safe to travel again. People have FOMO fear of missing out. Ones people start seeing other people enjoying life and things going back to normal they in turn will give social activities a try again. But beware those people probably acted fast and got good sales prices on their experience, wait too long and you might miss out on a good sale or two! Bonus- The Stock Market Once the stock market for airline and travel affiliates go back up, and the stock for online streaming services, cleaning products, and in home activity items go down you can have an idea that people are going out again. Watching the market is usually a good indicator of social trends. There you have it, keep an eye out for these 7 signs to know when its safe to start traveling again. You can find Rashad McCrorey on Instagram at www.instagram.com/rashad_mccrorey Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. Isaiah 26:20 In reading this verse alone it probably seems eerily familiar to the coronavirus quarantine. Is this a warning, a command, a promise? What should we make of this verse today and how can we apply it? Lets start by looking at the full passage. The chapter title in Isaiah 26 is: A Song of Praise in the NIV and You Keep Him in Perfect Peace in the ESV. In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal. He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust. Feet trample it down the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor. The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth. Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the LORD. LORD, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame; let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them. LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone do we honor. They are now dead, they live no more; their spirits do not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all memory of them. You have enlarged the nation, LORD; you have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for yourself; you have extended all the borders of the land. LORD, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer. As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, LORD. We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life. But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer. Isaiah 26:1-21, NIV What Do We Know about the Book of Isaiah? Who Is Isaiah and Did He Actually Write the Book? Before we talk about Isaiah the prophet, what is a prophesy? The NIV Study Bible states, A prophecy is a God-given message that speaks to people about their condition, urges change, and may describe future events as a means to motivate the people to faithfulness. Isaiah (the LORD saves or Yahweh saves) was a prophet in the 8th Century BC, a contemporary of Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Jonah. His messages were delivered between 739 and 701 BC. Isaiah is named as the son of Amoz (not to be confused with Amos); the Bible says nothing more about Amoz, but the ESV Study Bible quotes Jewish tradition as claiming Amoz to be brother to Amaziah, king of Judah, which would put Isaiah into the royal family. What we do know about Isaiah is that he was married with a family in Jerusalem and he took up the call to be Gods prophet. Isaiah is the only author listed in the book. Though some scholars question if he is the author of chapters 40-66 due to a change in style and vocabulary; however, the traditional view is that Isaiah authored the entire book. One probable cause of the difference in style is that Isaiah switches from talking about his current time to talking about a distant future; another explanation is that a number of years may have lapsed between the sections. And lastly, even if a disciple of Isaiah wrote the last section, he would have used Isaiahs ideas from the Holy Spirits inspiration. Related Video on who Isaiah was from Emmanuel Bible Church. What Kind of Literature / Genre Is the Book of Isaiah? Isaiah is a prophetic book that contains historical narrative and messages of judgment; his writing includes (a lot of) poetry, imagery, and prophetic details. Isaiah records Gods message for the people of Israel and Judah as well as prophecies for the future, which point to the Messiah. In fact, the last third of Isaiah contains prophecies for the future. But its not just propheciesIsaiah seeks to assure Gods people of their place in His redemptive plan for the world. The book holds rich theological truths pointing out Gods presence from creation to redemption. The NIV Study Bible relays, These genres are mixed together in often bewildering ways. This variety supports the conclusion that Isaiah may have originally delivered many of the individual units independently from each other and later combined them in their present form. The ESV Study Bible seconds this notion, A book this large, and lacking a narrative line, must be viewed as an anthology or collection of individual compositions. It is often futile to look for a smooth flow from one unit to the next. The book swings bac and forth between oracles of judgment and oracles of salvation. What Is the Main Theme / Purpose of Isaiah? Isaiah is set in the midst of an ongoing political crisis due to dominating Mesopotamian powers. Israel was under an incorrect impression that as long as they just went through the motions that God would spare their cities and temple from harm. They learned a hard lesson when Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, followed by Babylons destruction and exile of the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 BC. Isaiah responds to questions and doubts from Israel about who God is and if He is for them. His message is to point the people of God to the only refuge they can trust in, their God. He is faithful and no matter what happens and no matter where they go, He remains their God. Yahweh is to be trusted over human power, and the people are called not to make alliances with these foreign powers though it is tempting in order to save their current way of life. Isaiah also covers theological questions about Gods desire to deliver His people from exile. Later chapters cover Israels return from exile and what it means theologically to exist as Gods people returned from exile without a king or an army. God requires righteous behavior and Isaiah assures the people that though they cannot keep the covenant on their own, God is sending One who can keep it for themthe Messiah who will destroy the real enemy: sin. What Is the Meaning of Isaiah 26:20? Chapter 26 is all about praising God for his sovereign care over His people. The ESV Study Bible points out the prophetic nature of Isaiahs words that the time perspective in ch. 26 shifts between the past, present, and future. It is a song of confidence in God, for He achieves the final victory on our behalf. Ligonier Ministries shares, The song in chapter 26 prophesies the deliverance of the Jewish people from captivity. When they initially were led into captivity, they undoubtedly would have despaired had they not been encouraged with such promises. Isaiah composed this song for the people, even before the calamity occurred, to help bolster them in their resolve. Thus, they might be better prepared to endure it and might hope for better things. On the basis of the song, they could rest assured that Jerusalem would be fully restored and the city of God would rise above the terrible city of man. Verse 20 shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. (ESV) creates a contrast to the open the gates idea in verse 2 of the chapter. The ESV Study Bible also relays that Isaiah is referencing Genesis 7:16 when God shut Noah into the ark so that he would be safe during Gods judgment. Chapter 26 is speaking of Gods judgment past, present, and future and how He keeps His people safe, hidden in Himself as their refuge. God will protect us in life and in death. The NIV Study Bible comments that this section Isaiah 26:1-27:13 reflects the meaning of the victory in the previous chapters; there is a longing for Gods judgment because with His judgment comes rescue and peace for His people. The song in chapter 26 is one of salvation, and in response, the people renew their trust in the Lord. Yahweh is the Rock eternal (v. 4) he can be trusted over all else. In vv. 9-11 there is a plea for Gods judgment, and v. 20 answers that plea with a command to wait with quiet faith, confident in Gods plan, assured of Gods promise. How Should We Apply Isaiah 26:20 Today? Just as the people of God learned in the Book of Isaiah simply being a person of God or doing the right things does not mean you will be spared from earthly harm, illness, or suffering. This fallen world is filled with illness and suffering, and we can often find ourselves in the midst of harm. In Psalm 53, David says: Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack. My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise in God I trust and am not afraid. Some days may feel like this, being afflicted all day long by whatever is happening or going on. What does David do? He puts his trust in God and does not fear because he knows that no matter what happens God will be his refuge. God will show mercy to His people and He will protect you for eternity whether in this life or through deathyou will be kept safe in the arms of God. Do not look at this life as all there is, for there is goodness and glory beyond comprehension awaiting us in eternity. James 4:13-15 reminds us that we are not in control, Now listen, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, If it is the Lords will, we will live and do this or that. Isaiah 40:7-14 and Is. 40:27-31 is part of a longer passage but well worth the read for the reminder and comfort it brings. The passage is reminiscent of Job, as well, who faced a multitude of suffering all at once. He came to the same conclusion who is God that we would question His purpose even in the hard things of life? 'The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, Here is your God! See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding? (Is. 40:7-24) Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Is. 40:27-31) This promise is everything. It should mean everything to Gods children what is most important in life is trusting God through all thingsknowing there is something infinitely better waiting for us at the end of this earthly race. So lets run it well, lets run it with peace in our hearts, and lets run it with our eyes on the One true God. He is our Heavenly Father, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace, Savior of the World, and Everlasting Spirit. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and JacobHe is your God and mine. Greatly is He to be praised in all circumstances at all times. Let us be grateful for each day we are given no matter the hardship, for His grace and mercy cover us in all things. Related: Are Christians to Be Free from Sickness and Disease? How Should We Act in the Midst of Uncertainty? Being grateful in the midst of trials does not mean that Christians are to be some sort of stoic never showing emotion or pain; it means when you are in pain, when you are down, when you are ill and when you are suffering you can go to Him in prayer, you can put your trust in His ultimate healing (whether on this earth or in death), you can find peace in His refuge because your soul is safe in His hands. It means you can call on your church and friends to pray with you and help you, it means in all things look to God and be comforted because He is in control. Quiet faith does not mean we stop working for God's kingdom. God will still provide opportunities in this quarantine from the coronavirus. Ask God to allow you to help people in this time, whether through prayer, a phone call, volunteering to get groceries for an older couple in your church etc. You can still share the gospel with others from home; share your hardship and share how God is with you every step of the way. Let them know that its not easy, sometimes we fail to remember God's promises, sometimes we fail to enjoy Gods presencebut theres grace, abounding grace, because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. His life covers all our misdeeds, our doubts, our caved temptationsthrough the helper He left us with. Through God the Holy Spirit, we are being sanctified each day for our good and God's glory. We are being made holy each day, through our failures and through our gratitude, the Lord is making us new each day. Do not be discouraged at what life brings or about personal failures because God is with us through it all. Jesus died while we were yet sinnersthat means we dont have it all together, we can never have it altogether without Jesus who grants us His perfect life record, paying the penalty for sin and death, granting us eternal life now and to come. Cling to the hope and promise that you belong to God and no one and nothing can remove you from His protection. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28 Related: Prayers for the Coronavirus Pandemic: Photo credit: GettyImages/tommaso79 Liz Auld is the managing editor for Salem Web Network; she edits and writes content across the editorial sites (Crosswalk.com, Biblestudytools.com, iBelieve.com, Christianity.com). She has a B.A. in Religious Studies and has taken post-graduate classes in Theology and Global Studies. She enjoys reading books from a variety of genres, trying new recipes, and visiting family. Its been about 10 days since a nurse at Shore Medical Center in Somers Point interacted with a patient who later tested positive for the coronavirus. The nurse, who asked that her name not be used to avoid repercussions at work, has been self-quarantined since March 21 and so far feels fine. It took about six days after she was within six feet of the infected patient to learn that the person had tested positive for COVID-19. She didnt touch the infected person, she said; and remaining isolated until March 30 instead of going to work is a decision she made to protect other hospital staffers and patients just in case shed picked up the virus. For the sake of ensuring the safety of those around her, though, the nurse at the Somers Point hospital is using her own sick time and paid time off. If the nurse is uninfected now, though, and later does catch the illness, she will again be asked to quarantine on her own time, she said, except then wont have any personal time to draw from. She fears going unpaid while recovering from the virus. If I do come back now and I get sick, I have no time accrued, the eight-year nursing veteran said. READ MORE: For the families of Philadelphias health-care workers, painful choices and growing anxiety amid coronavirus outbreak In a review of 23 Pennsylvania health systems, more than half, including Einstein Medical Center and, at the time the survey was conducted, Temple University Hospital systems, required nurses and technicians to use their own time for quarantine, which can include sick or accrued paid time off, according to a survey of members conducted by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents about 8,500 health-care workers statewide. An Einstein spokesperson said Wednesday evening that the system has modified its policies to enable those impacted to use sick time if needed. The outcry from health workers led to a policy reversal at Temple University Hospital, where as of Wednesday afternoon the hospital agreed to grant 14 days sick leave to workers exposed to the illness on the job and told to quarantine by the hospitals occupational health department, an internal department used by workers to medical and health issues and workers compensation, the hospital reported Wednesday night. The decision would affect almost 3,000 workers. Employees decision to self-quarantine, though, would still require the workers use their own accrued time. We need to encourage our workers to come forward with their concerns about their symptoms or their exposure, said Celeste Bevans, a radiology technician at Temple University Hospital and a representative of the Temple University Allied Health Professionals union, and encourage them to stay home. Temple had been contemplating a policy shift for the last 10 days, a spokesperson said in an emailed statement Wednesday night. The new policy also allows workers to file a workers compensation claim if their mandated quarantine extends beyond 14 days. Workers who are required to quarantine due to coronavirus exposure outside their jobs would still have to use their own time, the hospital reported. The policy applies to all workers in the Temple University Health System, including doctors. Two large Philadelphia health providers, Penn Medicine and Jefferson University Hospital, do not have unionized nurses and were not included in the survey. Penn workers exposed to the virus on the job who require self-isolation can use paid leave outside their accrued time off, a spokesperson said Wednesday night. Jefferson did not reply to a request for information on its quarantine policies. Doctors in the region are generally not represented by unions, and quarantine policies for physicians were not reviewed by the union. Temples policies, Bevans said, had discouraged workers exposed to the illness from staying away from the job. The policy is just one way hospital systems seem out of step with the new demands they are facing as the coronavirus spreads. Health-care workers describe conditions that invite the illness. Quick, easy-to-access testing would provide answers as to which workers need to be quarantined and which do not, but hospitals arent able to test all staff for the coronavirus, Bevans said. We cannot even get tested in our own facility, she said. We have to self-quarantine and find a location to test me. And the shortage of equipment like N95 masks, which can effectively filter inhalation of the coronavirus, are being held in reserve until patients are confirmed to have the illness, Bevans said. She described nurses and techs who have worked with suspected COVID-19 patients for days using surgical masks, which provide minimal protection. When those patients officially test positive, though, staff is then told to use the N95 masks. Of course there are going to be people exposed, Bevans said. Come this time next week I couldnt tell you how the number is going to rise. Most recently, Bevans said, Temple gave staff the instruction that they should not consider themselves exposed to the coronavirus unless they had 15 minutes or more of exposure to an infected person. The nurse at Shore Medical Center was told not to wear a mask at all before she was quarantined, she said. I was wearing a surgical mask and I got yelled at, she said. They said, Take the mask off. She also was told she could return to work before her quarantine period was over if she wore a mask. She was not tested for COVID-19 because she does not have symptoms, she said. The staff is being compensated when they are home, a spokesperson from Shore Medical Center stated in an emailed response to a request for comment, but did not address questions about why staff were being asked to use their own accrued time. READ MORE: Distancing while due: The coronavirus is rapidly changing pregnancy The PASNAP study found hospitals around the region were using a variety of options to account for quarantine time. St. Christophers Hospital for Children in Philadelphia is offering workers some paid leave to supplement their own time off. St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, part of the Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, is providing 14 days of leave for workers who need to be quarantined. Thats a new policy prompted by the coronavirus, a spokesperson said. The organization has put in place an additional level of paid time away from work during this period of uncertainty, said Ann DAntonio, vice president of marketing and communications for Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, which employs 9,200 in the region. Theres a pronounced correlation of foreign travel and corona positives detected so far in Karnataka A civic worker direct a jet of sodium hypochloride on prominent buildings in Town Hall in Bengaluru as part of efforts to arrest the spread of the coronavirus Covid-19 on Martch 24, 2020. (DC Photo: Satish B) Bengaluru: The COVID-19 count in Karnataka went up by 10 on Wednesday, reaching 51. The 10 new positives included two girls aged seven and nine who contracted the infection from their father. The 34-year-old man had returned from Amsterdam on March 19 and tested positive as the 17th confirmed case in Karnataka. Though his family were kept in isolation and under quarantine in their house, the children developed a cold. They were confirmed for COVID-19 infection while their mother is still negative. This evenings bulletin issued by the Karnataka health department continued to indicate the strong correlation of coronavirus infection and foreign travel. Among the positive cases identified today were A 63-year-old Bengaluru man and his 59-year-old wife, with a history of travel to Brazil and Argentina. Two 26-year-old men with a history of travel to Spain and arrived back in Bengaluru via Dubai. Two others, a 63-year-old woman and her 69-year-old husband, had a history of travel to Athens and London. A 34-year-old man, a resident of Udupi, who returned from Dubai A 37-year old woman, a resident of Chitradurga, with a history of travel to Guyana and arrived back in Bengaluru via Delhi Speaking to the media, medical education minister K Sudhakar said health officials were apprehensive the positives may go up tonight. Of the corona positive cases detected in Karnataka so far, three have been discharged after quarantine, and 47 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals in a stable condition. There has been one fatality. As per a recommendation by the high-level health committee, the government has decided to convert the Bowring Hospital into a coronavirus treatment hospital facility along with the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital for Chest Diseases and Victoria Hospital. The number of positive cases are growing at an alarming rate and the government needs more treatment facilities. The government is for burning of COVID-19 death cases. However, due to some of the religious practices, it has decided they would be buried under over eight feet deep pits,'' Dr Sudhakar said. The government remained tightlipped over whether or not a 70-year-old woman from Gouribidanuru who was put under house quarantine and died on Wednesday morning, tested positive for COVID-19. Government officials would neither confirm nor deny anything on the results of tests on the woman. Mondays announcement by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to begin offering alternative flexibilities to satisfy appraisal requirements and employment verification requirements was presented as a temporary policy to address social distancing and health-related concerns raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. And while the policy is scheduled to remain in effect through May 17, one prominent executive in the appraisal management company sector is speculating this temporary policy could transition into a new federal guideline. This is something that's been kind of a long time coming when it comes to the appraisals, observed Brian Coester, CEO of Real Estate Connection in Rockville, Maryland. Coester noted that the alternative flexibilities outlined by the FHFA is not a new idea, but a concept backed by years of testing that showed their viability as an appraisal strategy. Look at the difference between an appraisal with a full inspection and an appraisal with the alternative evaluation when they send out somebody just look at the exterior and have the homeowner take interior pictures, he continued. They're found to be just as accurate. So, it's not like the outside is a disaster or you need to have somebody physically inspect the property because of some known issue. Normally, that is not that necessary. At 4 a.m on March 19 captain Le Phi Hung tried to keep awake and focus on the work he was doing with colleagues. A group of them prepared rooms, snacks and water, others received passengers and their health declaration forms. People got down from buses, exhausted after hours of flying, with a lot of luggage. Hung welcomed them, checked if everyone was accounted for and helped them carry their luggage to their room. A military officer and quarantine worker rests while waiting for people to get off the bus at the quarantine facility in Hanoi's Hoang Mai District on March 18, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh. It was a busy night at a student dormitory in Hanois Hoang Mai District, with Hung and the other soldiers receiving 447 quarantined people over seven hours from 10 p.m. There are many people like Hung at the quarantine facility. Dressed in layers of protective clothes, they only show their eyes while helping the arriving people with the medical process, procuring food for them and delivering stuff sent by their family members. The 14 days of quarantine will also see Hung and his colleagues stay in the facility "eating together, staying together, taking care of others together, quarantining together." They have no idea when they will contract the virus and become F1, or people having close contact with infected patients. The previous day Hung was having lunch just before noon when he was summoned for an urgent mission. Fifteen minutes later 30 officers from Hoang Mai Districts Military Steering Board officially joined the team working inside the quarantine facility. They had had no time to prepare. Hung was hesitant about calling his wife because "she would cry no matter what happens." During his 10 years in the army Hung has sometimes been away from his wife for months to help with relief work during natural disasters. "I will protect myself carefully, do not worry," he comforted his wife, who was crying on the phone. The 30 officers arrived at the dormitory while many students were still there. They had six hours to help the students move out, pack their stuff, disinfect 19 floors in two buildings and prepare food and blankets for 500 rooms. At 10 p.m. the first bus arrived with 14 foreign passengers. Some of them were reluctant to get off the bus. "My friends stay in a hotel, why do I need to be here?" a person who had been traveling in a group of eight asked. A Russian tourist changed her mind after seeing the quarantine zone, saying she wanted to return to Russia. Hung had to convince her. Soon after that three buses arrived with Vietnamese. "Please change my room." "Where is my luggage?" "Give me a different blanket." Hung cannot remember how many questions he answered that night and how many telephone numbers he noted down. Each floor with 28 rooms is managed by one soldier and four militias. Not knowing when the next bus will arrive, they could not sleep at night since they had to be ready. Over the next three days Hung and his colleagues did not have proper sleep. Hung said he tried to avoid going to the restroom since "Taking off the protective clothes means I have to be disinfected again. Long process. So we just keep wearing them." The masks and glasses have left marks on their faces. The soldiers eat the same food as the quarantined people. Hung joked that he had to eat three portions to become full. On March 20 several buses arrived from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., leaving Hung and his colleagues no time for lunch. It took them a few days to realize that the rubber smell emanating from their food was because of the gloves they wear all day. Soldiers deliver food to people quarantined at the Son Tay Military School in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy. Sixty kilometers to the west, in the kitchen at the Son Tay Military School in Hanoi, seven men were making food for 776 people quarantined there. They are members of the 610 Communication Battalion stationed in Hanois Hoang Mai District, who were sent to the school on February 26, when Vietnam first started quarantining people coming from South Korea. Ensign Trinh The Anh, 23, is dexterous at making small packs of fish sauce with rubber bands. Now he finishes each within 10 seconds, but earlier the man from Thai Binh Province used to spill the sauce, causing a stink in the kitchen. On his first day at the quarantine, Anh went up or down 17,323 steps to clean the rooms before people arrived. He then became part of a team of 40 which was to work in a special area, or the quarantine zone. The facility has been divided into three areas: an outer one with security guards, a middle area where the 40-member logistics team works and the inner area, the quarantine zone, with 90 rooms managed by another 40-member team. These 40 people comprising soldiers, medical staff, drivers, disinfection workers are not allowed to leave the facility. "Is the meal okay? Are you hungry? Do you need anything?" soldiers ask the quarantined people these questions every day. Anh carries meals to each room three times a day. After people finish eating, he and his colleagues collect the plastic boxes and burn them. They throw all the boxes into a hole, burn them and scatter disinfectant powder. Only after this task is complete can they go and eat. At 10 p.m. every day they go to each room and tell people to turn off their lights and sleep in time. They take turns to remain awake and are ready for any situation. "Soldier, please help me turn on my fan." "Soldier, my roommate has a fever." "Soldier, can I borrow a kettle to boil some water for my kids?" Sleeping has been a luxury for Anh. He concealed his mission from his mother by never making video calls. She suspected and kept calling her son, and when the truth finally came out, she sighed and told him to always wear a mask. Trinh The Anh has some soup before collecting empty food boxes from quarantined people and burning them. Photo by VnExpress/P.X. On March 12 the last of those who arrived from South Korea left the quarantine facility, and Anh and his colleagues could walk out of the place. But the novel coronavirus was hitting Europe, causing thousands of Vietnamese to return home. On March 15 around 1,000 Vietnamese landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, and half were sent to quarantine at the Son Tay Military School. Anh and the others started to work around the clock one more time. He moved to the middle area with logistic works. Buses bring people to the camp in the middle of the night, giving the personnel no opportunity to sleep. Anhs team stays up to make food for hungry passengers. Sometimes, they take a nap and wake up when they hear the sound of vehicles. They are up and ready at 4 a.m. to make breakfast for the hundreds of people in the camp. "Tired but happy since I see people leaving epidemic hotspots and returning home safely," Anh said. They also work as delivery men, helping families send tea, fruits and snacks to their beloved ones in quarantine. Anh misses his mother. Just the night before going to the camp, he had called her and told her to cook his favorite dishes since he would be coming home. An hour later, after a phone call from his superior, he called her one more time and said his trip had been postponed. Vietnam said from March 21 all international passengers would be quarantined. As of Monday there are more than 16,500 people in military camps. Soldiers like Hung and Anh are always ready for a new mission to combat the Covid-19. These days there are only 20 people at the Hoang Mai District Military Steering Board. Women soldiers now have to do evening shifts when their male counterparts are away. "They are at the forefront, I must get their back," Lieutenant Nguyen Thi Thuong said. She looks out into the yard, recalling the time when she and her colleagues would play badminton and volleyball there. She misses them but rarely calls knowing they would be busy. Hung too does not call his wife much. Two days after entering the facility, he made his first call. "I am afraid she will cry when she hears my voice." The coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease COVID-19. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / Rocky Mountain Laboratories) About half of Kaiser Permanente's San Jose hospital has been filled with patients confirmed or suspected to have the new coronavirus, a hospital vice president said in an interview with a medical journal. There have been so many patients that Kaiser San Jose has had to boost its staffing, Dr. Stephen Parodi, a Kaiser executive vice president, infectious disease expert and incident commander for the health system's COVID-19 response nationally, told the Journal of the American Medical Assn. "Our San Jose facility in California actually has almost half of the hospital filled either with COVID-confirmed or persons under investigation," Parodi told JAMA. "So we've literally had to revamp the hospital to make sure that we've got enough capacity from a personnel standpoint. Because to provide the care to these patients requires resource intensive personnel." Silicon Valley has been one of the areas hardest hit by COVID-19. As of Tuesday, Santa Clara County had the highest numbers of deaths of any county in California, with 16 fatalities. The county reported 375 cases, second to Los Angeles County, which has 662 cases. Kaiser, based in Oakland, cares for 12 million patients, operating 39 hospitals and 706 medical offices across the country, with facilities in Oregon, Washington state, Hawaii, Colorado, Georgia, Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland. Parodi was unavailable for a followup interview earlier this week. Here are the key points of what he told JAMA on Friday: Younger adults also unable to breathe on their own It's not just the elderly who have deteriorated clinically, Parodi said; it's also younger adults who are unable to breathe on their own and require being placed on a mechanical ventilator, in which a tube is placed into the throat of a patient so the machine can push oxygen directly into the lungs. "I think the jury's still out about who is actually going to end up being the cohort that ends up in the hospitals. We have people that are as young as in their 30s and 40s who have clinically deteriorated and required mechanical ventilation," Parodi said. Story continues "There is, of course, the other cohort, the older cohort, in their 80s and 70s that are also in our ICUs," Parodi said. Big increases in coronavirus positive tests in NorCal and Washington Kaiser has been seeing significant increases in the number of patients confirmed positive in its hospitals, particularly in Washington state and Northern California. "Those appear to be the current hot spot," Parodi said. The number of calls Kaiser is receiving from patients complaining of cold-like symptoms has been rising dramatically. Typically, at this time of year, Kaiser gets about 4,000 calls daily complaining of cough and cold; on Friday, they were getting 14,000 to 15,000 calls a day. And that comes as positive flu tests have been significantly dropping. "That tells me we've got COVID circulating. I can't tell you what percentage of those calls are actually COVID positive. But I can tell you that this is the most calls we've ever gotten, period, writ large, over the last 10 years that I've been following the data," Parodi said. An intensive care unit just for COVID patients "Essentially we have filled one entire ICU just with COVID patients, which means that we have had to repurpose another unit to take care of the regular ICU patients as well," Parodi said. Of Kaiser's two hospitals in Santa Clara County San Jose and Santa Clara "about a quarter of the patients are in the ICU relative to the others that are not," Parodi said. A two-week stay in the ICU Once in the ICU, patients typically need somewhere between 10 to 14 days of mechanical ventilation, Parodi said. "So this is a long-term proposition, in terms of vent days, ICU days and personnel days," he said. "And I am concerned about planning for having enough ventilators I'm talking about across the country to be able to have this level of response." Preparing for a sudden surge in ICU patients There can be a sudden increase in intensive care patients. "This thing can come on very quickly. So when you go from zero to having 10 patients that happened for us ... in the ICU within one week," Parodi said. "So you've got to be prepared for that level of surge." Planning for running out of ventilators That means planning for an unthinkable situation, where the hospital may have to choose who gets a ventilator and who doesn't. The experience in Italy suggests that the hospital would have to do mass triage, and determine "who are the best patients that need mechanical ventilation, who are the patients that may not benefit from it." A sudden deterioration after a week of mild illness Some of those who end up in the intensive care unit actually come in as outpatients a week earlier before they need ICU care, Parodi said. "They were relatively doing well," Parodi said. "They had a cold and cough. And then they rapidly deteriorated the second week." The deterioration can be rapid within hours. And patients suffering from difficulty breathing can suddenly need a breathing tube inserted into their throat and need to be hooked up to a mechanical ventilator to push oxygen into their lungs. Slow coronavirus tests Current testing is a slow. Most areas across the country are still limited by manual testing, Parodi said. Depending on the state you're in, it can take one to two days before a test for an in-patient test result to come back, and five days or longer for an outpatient. How to deal with N95 mask shortages To deal with the national shortage of tightly fitting N95 masks, also known as respirators, that are designed to filter out 95% of airborne particles, Kaiser is moving toward reusing them, and getting some from a national strategic stockpile, some of which have expired. N95 masks are particularly important when healthcare workers do procedures that aerosolize a patient's saliva into tiny airborne particles that can float in the air, which happens when a breathing tube is inserted down a throat to hook up the patient to a mechanical ventilator to help them breathe when they can no longer do so. Kaiser's cancellation of elective surgeries earlier in March is also helping preserve masks and other personal protective equipment. Doing so has reduced the number of patients in the hospital by 15%, Parodi said, and instead of having just five to 10 days on hand of personal protective equipment, that's increased to more than 30 days of supply. Kaiser is also resorting to unorthodox measures "literally going to hardware stores" to pick up personal protective equipment and finding "different vendors local to us to be able to provide masks and literally surgical masks, sewing them together, [and] getting the face shields made from hardware store material." Restaurant owners will not need to get planning permission to turn their businesses into takeaways. Planning rules are being loosened to speed the response to the coronavirus pandemic - and help businesses adapt. Any new hospitals, isolation units, step-down care centres or other infrastructure needed to fight the pandemic will now bypass the planning process. Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has announced the move after consulting with local government planners in recent days. During the emergency period, restaurant owners will not need to get planning permission to switch to a takeaway. Businesses like supermarkets that have their opening hours limited by conditions to their planning permission will be allowed open longer too. Local councils said keeping food and other essential supplies moving has to come first - and they "don't envisage" taking enforcement action over technical breaches during the emergency. Meanwhile, new financial supports for businesses will bring some much-needed confidence to the sector, according to the Small Firms Association. Last night, the government upgraded payments to workers who've lost their job due to Covid-19 to 350. It also committed to temporarily pay 70% of workers salaries up to 410 a week. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] Cardston, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) - American Creek Resources (TSXV: AMK) (the "Corporation" or "American Creek") is pleased to announce its partner Tudor Gold Corp. (TSXV: TUD) (FSE: TUC) ("Tudor Gold") has sufficient funds to execute a significantly larger drilling and exploration program, than the 2019 program, on the Goldstorm Zone at Treaty Creek project this year. With the capital raised in December 2019, as well as the recent warrants exercises, the Tudor Gold has a good cash position to execute a fully funded and very ambitious drill program at Treaty Creek this year. Tudor Gold is currently in the final stages of finalizing all preparations needed for the upcoming 2020 drill program at Treaty Creek. Tudor Gold's Vice President of Project Development, Ken Konkin, P.Geo., states: "The Goldstorm system is currently open at depth and along the northeast axis of the mineralized body. The drill program is designed to extend and to explore the limits of Goldstorm system to the southeast as well as to the northeast and to depth. We anticipate drilling approximately 18,000 to 20,000 metres of HQ and NQ diameter core from 7-10 drill platforms with four diamond drill rigs. Compared to the drill program last year (14 diamond drill holes over 9,781.8 meters), the planned 2020 drill program will be much larger." The current known length of the northeast axis of the Goldstorm System is over 850 meters long and the southeast axis is at least 600m across. The system remains open in all directions and to depth. The best mineralization encountered to date is from the two consecutive 150m step-out holes to the Northeast: GS-19-42 yielded 0.849 g/t Au Eq over 780 m with 1.275 g/t Au Eq over 370.5m and GS-19-47 yielded 0.697 g/t Au Eq over 1,081.5m with 0.867 g/t Au Eq over 301.5m. The best southeast extension came from GS-19-52 which yielded 0.783 g/t Au Eq over 601.5m intercept with 1.062 g/t Au Eq over 336.0m intercept. (results from the company's NR dated March 3rd, 2020). Tudor Gold response to COVID-19: Tudor Gold has introduced additional precautionary steps to manage and respond to the risks associated with COVID-19 virus. This includes, for example the cancellation of all non-essential global travel and the reducing in person meetings and transitioning to teleconferencing where possible. Vancouver office staff are now working from home until government advisories change. Tudor Gold is regularly monitoring the situation and following local and national health authority requirements and recommendations. Walter Storm, President and CEO of Tudor Gold stated: "We are taking all appropriate measures to protect the safety, health and well-being of our people and all those who interact with our business. Tudor Gold is following guidance and directives as updated by federal, regional and provincial health authorities in respect of general and drill-site specific protocols. We are very fortunate to have a strong balance sheet amidst the volatile market created by COVID-19." Qualified Person The Qualified Person for this news release for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 is the Company's Vice President of Project Development, Ken Konkin, P.Geo. He has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this news release. Treaty Creek JV Partnership The Treaty Creek Project is a Joint Venture with Tudor Gold owning 3/5th and acting as operator. American Creek and Teuton Resources each have a 1/5th interest in the project. American Creek and Teuton are both fully carried until such time as a Production Notice is issued, at which time they are required to contribute their respective 20% share of development costs. Until such time, Tudor is required to fund all exploration and development costs while both American Creek and Teuton have "free rides". Treaty Creek Background The Treaty Creek Project lies in the same hydrothermal system as Pretium's Brucejack mine and Seabridge's KSM deposits with far better logistics. The Sulphurets Hydrothermal System To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/682/53763_07331b7734267a38_001full.jpg About American Creek American Creek is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company with a strong portfolio of gold and silver properties in British Columbia. Three of those properties are located in the prolific "Golden Triangle"; the Treaty Creek and Electrum joint venture projects with Tudor Gold/Walter Storm as well as the 100% owned past producing Dunwell Mine. More information about the Treaty Creek Project can be found here: https://americancreek.com/index.php/projects/treaty-creek/home The Corporation also holds the Gold Hill, Austruck-Bonanza, Ample Goldmax, Silver Side, and Glitter King properties located in other prospective areas of the province. For further information please contact Kelvin Burton at: Phone: 403 752-4040 or Email: info@americancreek.com. Information relating to the Corporation is available on its website at www.americancreek.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the Corporation's management discussion and analysis filed with applicable Canadian securities regulators, which can be found under the Corporation's profile on www.sedar.com. The Corporation does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53763 U p to one in ten Londoners at the outside may be infected by the coronavirus wave set to hit Britain, a leading expert said today. Professor Neil Ferguson stressed that the level of infection may vary significantly around the country. Appearing before the Commons science and technology committee, he was asked by chairman Greg Clark what proportion of the nation was likely to be affected by the epidemic over six months. Its possible that up to five - at the outside ten per cent of the London population will have...some form of infection in that time, explained Prof Ferguson, director of the Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College, London. Professor Neil Ferguson speaking via video link / PA With Londons population being around nine million, the scenario could mean up to 900,000 getting some sort of infection from Covid-19, though in most cases the symptoms would be mild. Once suppression measures ordered by the Government, including to stay-at-home and other social distancing, have taken effect then the number of cases is not likely to rise significantly, he added. Professor Neil Ferguson, director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College / PA Professor Ferguson said scientists were reasonably confident that the Governments surge in intensive care capacity, combined with the lockdown, means that at national level the NHS will not be overwhelmed but would be extremely stressed in some parts of the country. The military has been deployed in a race-against-time to create a new 4,000-bed Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre, London, to take patients if the capitals hospitals no longer have space. London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /66 London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures A woman jogging near City Hall, London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast on Sunday to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA A pedestrian walks past a billboard reading "Please believe these days will pass" on Broadway Market in east London AFP via Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge Getty Images Boris Johnson Jeremy Selwyn Sun-seekers cool off in the water and sunbathe on the riverbank at Hackney Marshes in east London AFP via Getty Images Ed Davey is shown on screens as he speaks via videolink during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London PA A herd of fallow deer graze on the lawns in front of a housing estate in Harold Hill in east London AFP via Getty Images A woman wearing a mask crosses a bridge over Camden Lock, London PA An empty Millenium Bridge PA A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images People push to enter the Niketown shop in Londo AP Jo Proudlove and daughter Eve, 9, follow the daily online "PE with Joe" Joe Wickes' exercise class on "Fancy dress Friday Reuters Police in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Waterloo station looking empty PA Getty Images A quiet Parliament Square Getty Images PABest A man walks along a passageway at London's Oxford Street Underground station the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus PA Social distancing markers around the camel enclosure at ZSL London Zoo PA A police car patrols Greenwich Park in London PA The Premier League in action in front of empty stands AP Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed. A deserted Piccadilly Circus PA A general view is seen of a deserted Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Getty Images The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings Getty Images A view of 20 Fenchurch Street (the 'Walkie Talkie' building) in the City of London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus PA A deserted Chinatown PA A person looks at graffiti on a JD Wetherspoon pub in Crystal Palace, south London. Wetherspoons workers have described founder Tim Martin's lack of support for his chain's 40,000 employees as "absolutely outrageous" PA The London ExCel centre that has been turned into a makeshift NHS Hospital and critical care unit to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic PA The Palace Theatre, which usually shows the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA The Sondheim Theatre, which usually shows the Les Miserables musical, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA Two members of a British Army mounted regiment exercise their horses in Parliament Square AP Westminster Bridge is deserted PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA An empty street and bus stop at St James's Park AFP via Getty Images Whitehall Jeremy Selwyn A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn Buckingham Palace looking empty in London, PA London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn London's Carnaby Street empty as shops closed after a lockdown was announced in the latest bid to stop the spread of coronavirus through the UK AP A quiet Jubilee line westbound train carriage PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA Empty Embankment Jeremy Selwyn Giving evidence by video link, the expert, who himself is recovering from Covid-19, explained that the epidemic was expected to peak in two-and-a-half to three weeks if the current measures work. He said it was clear that the country could not be in lockdown for a year, and that the long-term exit from this is clearly the hopes around a vaccine. He went on: The challenge that many countries in the world are dealing with is how we move from an initial intensive lockdown... to something that will have societal effects but will allow the economy to restart. That is likely to rely on very large-scale testing and contact tracing. It should be stated that the entire world is in the very early stage of developing such strategies. Loading.... MPs were also told that a coronavirus vaccine could be ready in as little as six months, although a timescale of 12-18 months was more likely. Andrew Pollard, professor of paediatric infection and immunity at the University of Oxford, said there should be support for firms to take the risk to invest in up-scaling manufacturing before testing is completed. People at Stratford station / Evening Standard / eyevine Asked whether 12 months was the earliest possible time that a vaccine could be ready, he added: I believe that six months is possible. School districts in at least five statesLouisiana, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginiahave suspended or adjusted their meal-distribution programs because their employees have contracted coronavirus or there is fear that they will. Near Baton Rouge, La., a cluster of a dozen districts have either suspended or reduced the days of service for their meal programs. The 110,000-student Shelby County, Tenn., school system also suspended its program after a food services employee tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus, or COVID-19. And a surge in coronavirus cases in the city of Detroit led the school district to cut the number of sites where meals are being offered by 70 percent. At least 16 school districts, serving nearly a half-million students combined, have either suspended or altered their meal-distribution programs due to coronavirus-related concerns, according to local media reports. In other districts, administrators report staff members are nervous about reporting for work and volunteers have stepped in to fill shifts as governors across the country order more businesses closed and issue stay-at-home orders. Millions of students rely on the free or discounted meals they eat at schooland that number could rise in the coming weeks as more people lose work. But, as the virus spreads, and illness and fear shuts down food sites, schools now face a new hurdle to feeding the hungry. In Houston, one of the nations 10 largest school districts, staff are encountering mile-long lines at the 50 meal-pickup sites the district runs per week. The sites will remain open despite a stay-at-home order issued this week by countywide leaders to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Texas. See Also: Coronavirus and Schools The order has left the school district thin on staff to serve thousands of families in dire need of food, said Betti Wiggins, the officer of nutrition services for the Houston schools. Wiggins began her tenure in the Houston schools two months before Hurricane Harvey leveled the city, causing catastrophic flooding that left many families homeless and hungry. But the current situation has been more challenging, she said. This is a crisis beyond crises, said Wiggins. Were losing volunteers. Were just trying to hold things together. In the time since Education Week interviewed Wiggins, the 225,000-student school system suspended meal distribution as the district re-evaluates its process for safely delivering this service, according to a statement issued Wednesday night. Workers at Risk Federal officials have tried to inform the public that coronavirus is not likely to be transmitted by food. There is no evidence so far with this that we are seeing foodborne-driven or food service-driven spread of this, Dr. Ian Williams, deputy incident manager for coronavirus response at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a webinar hosted this month by the Food Industry Association. Its really that close personal contact, that sustained exposure to a person who was actually ill. But the attempts have done little to calm public concerns. In a survey conducted this month by the nutrition group, more than 70 percent of food-services director expressed concern about the safety of employees preparing and distributing meals, and whether employees will continue to be available and willing to work during school closures. With concerns mounting about the spread of coronavirus in West Virginias Kanawha County schools, home to the states largest district, administrators discontinued daily grab-and-go meal distribution. When service resumes, the district will distribute meals by bus one day a week, handing out multiple meals per visit. The goal is to reduce the number of interactions between staffers and the public to reduce the potential spread of the coronavirus. I know theyre looking to be able to provide meals and theyre important, but we have to keep people alive, Joe White, the executive director of the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association, a union that represents food service workers and other school support staff. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice issued a stay-at-home order that was set to begin Tuesday night. At least two Kanawha County government employees have tested positive for coronavirus and White said his workers are worried they could be next. Our workforce is an aged workforce, he said. We have a lot of older people who are working and theyre at risk. If youre 65, 70 years old, you dont need to be out there. Helping Families Feel Safe In Detroit, the school system revamped food distribution as more employees began to test positive for the novel coronavirus. In the past 13 days, the number of COVID-19 cases in the city has surged from zero to 550, said Denise Fair, the chief public health officer of the Detroit Health Department. On Monday, the district informed families it was stopping food service in an automated call, initially tying it to a stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the Detroit Free Press reported . The district has since reversed its decision, with plans to resume service from 17 locations. Thats a 70 percent decrease from the 58 sites the district operated last week. The district has not released any information on how many district employees or contractors have tested positive for coronavirus. Families still need to be able to provide resources to their children, said Fair, the citys public health director. Were trying to help issue guidance to help families feel safe. I want to make sure children have food. The survey by the School Nutrition Association conducted this month found that most directors indicated that, to practice social distancing, their districts provided grab-and-go meals at school sites or drive-thru pick-up in school bus loops or parking lots. In Louisiana, the districts that have either suspended or altered their meal programs since Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a statewide stay-at-home order for all residents serve about 90,000 students. At least two of the districts, St. Helena and St. James, have employees who tested positive for COVID-19, the Advocate newspaper reported . In a speech this week, Edwards told residents that Louisiana, with roughly 1,200 positive tests, has the highest number of cases per capita in the country behind New York and Washington state. The governors office is partnering with the National Guard to help districts develop plans for meal delivery. Closing schools means putting our children at risk of hunger, acting state Superintendent Beth Scioneaux wrote in letter to districts this week. You have gone above and beyond and the Department of Education is truly grateful for your efforts. The Governor, too, expresses his deep appreciation for all you have done for our children and our communities during this uncertain time. In Shelby County, Tenn., where schools suspended their program last Friday after a food services employee tested positive for COVID-19, the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South and area food banks stepped in to ensure the program continued. More than 60 percent of the districts students are eligible for free- and reduced-price meals. Students basic needs must be met first, Shelby County Superintendent Joris Ray said. Were just thankful that we were able to make hard, fast decisions and that we had the full support of our community. The district moved early to try and stop the spread of coronavirus, shutting down schools before spring break and offering extra training and reminders to food service staff about safety precautions. But the communitys efforts didnt work: Shelby County, which includes the city of Memphis, now has more than 130 COVID-19 cases. Its just very difficult, this whole new way of living, said Wiggins, the Houston food services officer. This is a long-term issue. The things that were learning now, we may be doing for awhile. Nepal has reported its third case of coronavirus in a 31-year-old man who returned from the Gulf as the government has announced a week-long nation-wide lockdown to battle the pandemic. As of now, it remains unclear when the man entered Nepal, said the National Public Health Laboratory spokesperson Rajesh Kumar Gupta. Our laboratory confirmed the positive case yesterday night, Gupta said on Wednesday. The man is currently in isolation at the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital here and the laboratory has informed the Ministry of Health and Population about the result, the Kathmandu Post reported. This is Nepal's third confirmed case of COVID-19 and the second active case. Earlier, on Sunday, a 19-year-old Nepali student who had returned from France via Qatar had tested positive for the coronavirus. In January, a 31-year-old Nepali student who had returned from Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province in China had tested positive. The man recovered and was subsequently discharged from the hospital. The government mandated week-long nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the virus came into effect on Tuesday. The markets remained closed and roads wore a deserted look barring the vehicles of security personnel and medical facilities. The government has already closed its borders with India and China for a week starting Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. Theres good news and bad news in the United States efforts to test the public for the COVID-19 virus. Testing has gone up dramatically in recent days, but there is still catching up to do and states arent doing it equally. As of Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. had tested 433,545 people for the coronavirus, according to the unofficial COVID Tracking Project, which aggregates available state data. Thats up from only 103,000 people tested six days ago, when much of the country was already sheltering in place. However, nearly one-quarter of those tests were conducted in one state: New York. By contrast California, with double New Yorks population, had reported tested only 27,000 people until Wednesday, when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced 66,800 total had been tested. It was unclear how many of those new tests were still pending. California largely attributed the spike in testing to "commercial, provider and academic labs that have increased testing capacity and are now reporting that data to the state." The most recent numbers included 2,535 positive cases and 53 deaths. As recently as Tuesday, President Trump and others had called New York the epicenter of U.S. infections its nearly 31,000 cases make up almost half of the nations positive tests. But with many states lagging far behind it in per capita testing, health experts can only guess what the virus national impact really is. We have no systematic strategy to do the kind of surveillance necessary to understand the chain of transmission, Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist at Yale School of Medicine, told the Washington Post this week. Were basically flying blind because we have so little idea about its penetration into our society and the number of people affected. Up to now, coronavirus has been mostly equated with urban, coastal states. But Louisiana is an example of a more rural state that may be facing far more infections as testing ramps up. It reported 1,800 positive cases Wednesday, 400 more than a day earlier. Sixty-five Louisianans, out of 11,000 tested, have died just two weeks after the states first positive test. By contrast, California had reported 40 deaths after almost 28,000 tests before Wednesday. Reasons why the U.S. fell far behind nations such as South Korea in testing for the virus include faulty tests initially sent by the Centers for Disease Control, and private companies not being tasked with developing their own tests. Reporting state-by-state testing data is imperfect because each state reports it differently and not all report negative test results. But what follows are the states that have tested the most and least for coronavirus on a total and per-million basis, as March 25 in the afternoon, using the COVID Tracking Projects data. New York: 103,479 tests (5,322 per 1M) California: 66,800 tests (1,672 per 1M) Washington: 34,181 tests (4,383 per 1M) Florida: 18,289 tests (831 per 1M) Ohio: 14,764 tests (1,256 per 1M) Massachusetts: 13,749 tests (1,970 per 1M) Texas: 13,494 tests (457 per 1M) Pennsylvania: 12,320 tests (961 per 1M) New Jersey: 12,045 tests (1,347 per 1M) Illinois: 11,485 (907 per 1M) Minnesota: 11,475 tests (2,012 per 1M) Louisiana: 11,451 tests (2,465 per 1M) Tennessee: 11,184 tests (1,621 per 1M) North Carolina: 10,489 tests (988 per 1M) Wisconsin: 8,694 tests (1,485 per 1M) Colorado: 7,701 tests (1,317 per 1M) New Mexico: 6,842 (3,263 per 1M) Georgia: 6,179 tests (575 per 1M) Utah: 5,823 tests (1,774 per 1M) Virginia: 5,370 tests (622 per 1M) Connecticut: 5,300 tests (1,487 per 1M) Nevada: 4,572 tests (1,456 per 1M) Oregon: 4,559 tests (1,059 per 1M) Michigan: 3,860 tests (384 per 1M) Hawaii: 3,666 tests (2,595 per 1M) Indiana: 3,356 tests (497 per 1M) Maine: 3,326 tests (2,471 per 1M) Kentucky: 3,022 tests (671 per 1M) Alabama: 2,812 tests (572 per 1M) Iowa: 2,723 tests (856 per 1M) New Hampshire: 2,530 tests (1,845 per 1M) South Carolina: 2,470 tests (474 per 1M) Kansas: 2,184 tests (750 tests per 1M) Montana: 2,001 tests (1,841 per 1M) Idaho: 1,960 tests (1,073 per 1M) Mississippi: 1,943 tests (649 per 1M) North Dakota: 1,773 tests (2,327 per 1M) Alaska: 1,733 tests (2,361 per 1M) Vermont: 1,712 tests (2,725 per 1M) District of Columbia: 1,609 tests (2,232 per 1M) Rhode Island: 1,463 tests (1,385 per 1M) Nebraska: 1,365 tests (699 per 1M) Arkansas: 1,286 tests (423 per 1M) South Dakota: 1,128 tests (1,249 per 1M) Oklahoma: 969 tests (245 per 1M) Wyoming: 930 tests (1,640 per 1M) West Virginia: 804 tests (452 per 1M) Arizona: 736 tests (99.7 per 1M) Missouri: 624 tests (101 per 1M) Maryland: 517 tests (84.9 per 1M) Delaware: 151 tests (153 per 1M) Greg Keraghosian is an SFGATE homepage editor. Email: greg.keraghosian@sfgate.com "Listening to the PM like everyone here in Australia and what I understood was: 'It's essential. Unless it's not. Then it's essentially not essential. I can't be clearer'." This was former Australian cricketer Shane Warne's withering tweet following Prime Minister Scott Morrison's press conference on Tuesday night, during which he announced further restrictions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Morrison had described essential workers as "everyone who has a job". Hairdressers would remain open (although they should practise social distancing and clients should only stay for 30 minutes) but not beauty salons. No more than five people for weddings, but 10 for funerals and boot camps. The Government should guarantee 80 per cent of the incomes of the self-employed amid the economic crisis created by Covid-19, an influential think tank today urges. The Treasury is currently working on a plan to assist those roughly five million people in the UK who do not work for companies but many of whom, nonetheless, face a collapse of their incomes because of the enforced lockdown of the UK economy. Last Friday the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, unveiled a plan for the state to cover 80 per cent of the wages of UK employees in order to prevent a damaging spike in unemployment. That plan was similar to a proposal from the Resolution Foundation think tank presented just days earlier. And now Resolution is recommending that the Government roll out something similar for the self-employed. It estimates that over one third of the 5 million self-employed people in the UK could have to stop working either because they work in sectors heavily affected by social distancing orders, or because they care for children who can no longer attend school. The think tank says the Government should offer to cover 80 per cent of the incomes of these workers through a new compensation scheme. Workers would access this state support by reporting their average incomes over the past three years, with HMRC carrying out checks to detect fraudulent claims. However, Resolution also wants compensation to be available to employees who lose their jobs and those who find their hours cut, arguing that there is no good reason to protect the self-employed more than these other workers also hit by the economic emergency. Together, these new measures would complete a package of measures to limit the living standards hit from a huge economic shock, says Mike Brewer, the deputy chief executive of Resolution. If one million self-employed workers accessed the scheme the cost would be around 3.6bn for three months, according to the think tank. This would be on top of the estimated 4bn cost of the employeess compensation scheme already announced by the Government. Ministers, however, have stressed the administrative hurdles in getting support to the struggling self-employed, as opposed to regular company employees. Not all will have records showing their earnings. And some might not have been self-employed for three years, making it difficult to estimate their typical income. Mr Sunak told the Commons on Tuesday that creating a scheme to assist this group was proving incredibly complicated to design. But he added: Rest assured that we absolutely understand the situation that many self-employed people face at the moment as a result of whats happening and are determined to find a way to support them. We just need to be confident that can be done in a way that is deliverable and is fair to the vast majority of the British workforce. The Resolution Foundation acknowledges its own proposal is not completely watertight. This is not a perfect system at all, especially given the volatility of income of the self-employed...but it seems the best that can be done relatively easily, it says in a new briefing paper. The Government is under immense pressure to act swiftly given the economic impact of the lockdown on the self-employed is already being felt. Treasury sources indicate that the Government will announce an assistance package for the group later this week. Panic-buying grips major cities as the country brings in restrictions amid the coronavirus crisis. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has imposed a nationwide lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The restrictions came into force at midnight local time (18:30 GMT) and will be enforced for 21 days. "There will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes," Mr Modi said in a televised address. He appealed for people not to panic - but crowds quickly mobbed stores in the capital, Delhi, and other cities. Correspondents say it is not clear how - or even if - people will now be allowed out to buy food and other essentials. The new measures follow a sharp increase in cases in recent days. There have been 519 confirmed cases across India and 10 reported deaths. India - which has a population of 1.3bn - joins a growing list of countries that have imposed similar measures. Nearly 400,000 people have tested positive for the virus worldwide, and around 17,000 have died. "The entire country will be in lockdown, total lockdown," Mr Modi said on Tuesday. He added: "To save India, to save its every citizen, you, your family... every street, every neighbourhood is being put under lockdown." Mr Modi warned that if India does not "handle these 21 days well, then our country... will go backwards by 21 years". "This is a curfew," he said. "We will have to pay the economic cost of this but [it] is the responsibility of everyone." Mr Modi later warned that panic-buying would only spread the disease. He said the government would ensure supplies. But in Delhi and the financial capital, Mumbai, people fearing shortages quickly thronged shops and pharmacies. "I have never witnessed such a chaos in my life," the owner of one store in the Shakarpur district of Delhi said, quoted by the Press Trust of India. "All our stocks, including rice, flour, bread, biscuits, edible oils, have been sold out." Police in the busy city of Ghaziabad, in Uttar Pradesh state, patrolled the streets with megaphones to tell residents to stay indoors. Under the new measures, all non-essential businesses will be closed but hospitals and other medical facilities will continue to function as normal. Schools and universities will remain shut and almost all public gatherings will be banned. Anyone flouting the new rules faces up to two years in prison and heavy fines. In his address, Prime Minister Modi also: Stressed that the 21-day lockdown was "very necessary to break the chain of coronavirus" Emphasised the seriousness of the situation and said that even developed countries had faced problems in combating it Said that "social distancing was the only way to stop" the virus spreading Announced that nearly $2bn (1.8bn) would be made available to boost the country's health infrastructure Called on people not to "spread rumours" and to follow instructions His announcement came after several Indian states introduced measures of their own, such as travel restrictions and the closure of non-essential services. India has already issued a ban on international arrivals and grounded domestic flights. The country's rail network has also suspended most passenger services. Many parts of India, including cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, are already under tight restrictions. But this move extends those provisions to every corner of the country. An earlier one-day curfew, which was seen as a trial, was flouted by many. Mr Modi called on Indians to clap and cheer the emergency services from their balconies on Sunday. But many misunderstood the call and congregated in the streets as they danced and chanted. "It's impossible to fathom the cost that India may have to pay if such irresponsible behaviour continues," Mr Modi warned at the time. "Social distancing is the only option to combat coronavirus." The implications of a total lockdown in India are huge, not just economically, but socially. This is a nation where community is everything. Going to worship at a temple, mosque or church is an essential part of daily life for so many. This is a seismic cultural shift but - like the rest of the world facing similar restrictions - a necessary one. What's the latest from around Asia? Neighbouring Pakistan has almost twice as many confirmed cases - 878 as of Monday evening. Sweeping restrictions are in place although the government has stopped short of imposing a nationwide lockdown. However, several provinces have announced them independently. The army is being brought in to help enforce the restrictions Bangladesh, which has reported 33 cases and three deaths, is also deploying its armed forces to help maintain social distancing and boost Covid-19 preventive measures. The soldiers will also monitor thousands of quarantined expatriate returnees. Across South Asia, there are concerns that the actual number of cases could be much higher than is being reported. Indonesia, which has 49 confirmed Covid-19 deaths - the highest in South East Asia - has converted an athlete's village built for the 2018 Asian Games into a makeshift hospital for coronavirus patients. A state of emergency was declared in Jakarta on Monday In Thailand, a month-long state of emergency which will include curfews and checkpoints will begin on Thursday. The government has been criticised for failing to take strong action so far. Four people have died and nearly 900 tested positive The most populous country that was without a case until now - Myanmar - has announced two cases And what about the rest of the world? Elsewhere, governments are continuing to work to stem the spread of the virus which has now affected more than 190 countries worldwide More than 2.6 billion people are in lockdown now India has introduced its new measures, according to a tally by the AFP news agency Europe remains at the epicentre of the pandemic. On Tuesday, the death toll jumped by 514 in a single day in Spain and other European countries also reported sharp increases Italy is the worst affected country in the world in terms of deaths. The virus has killed almost 7,000 people there over the past month The UK, meanwhile, is spending its first day under tight new restrictions. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced unprecedented measureson Monday and ordered the immediate closure of shops selling non-essential goods And in the US, New York's governor has said the federal government is not sending enough equipment to combat the crisis. The state has been hit especially hard by the virus The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the US has the potential to become the new epicentre of the pandemic In other developments, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the International Olympic Committee has agreed that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics should be postponed by a year BBC By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As several more U.S. states moved to impose stay-at-home orders to limit the spread of the coronavirus, industries from steelmakers to auto dealerships were scrambling for exemptions that would allow them to remain open. A patchwork of state and local authorities are imposing business closures. While many manufacturing firms were declared "essential" and were being allowed to stay open, some suppliers were not. The stay-at-home orders are designed to stop the spread of the highly contagious virus, which has infected over 40,000 Americans in recent weeks and killed over 500. The manufacturing-heavy states of Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Michigan imposed stay-at-home orders on Monday, joining states such as New York, California, Illinois, Delaware and Maryland. "What we do now will slow this invader," Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said Sunday. "It will slow this invader so our healthcare system ... will have time to treat casualties. The National Association of Manufacturers has urged states to declare all manufacturing facilities and supply chains as part of the "essential infrastructure" and "essential businesses," allowing them to stay open under guidance https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publicationsCISA_Guidance_on_the_Essential_Critical_Infrastructure_Workforce_508C_0.pdf provided by the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), part of the Department of Homeland Security. As the virus halts physical commerce, keeping operations open provides companies a better chance of staying in business than waiting for a government handout, said Gary Hufbauer, a non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. "Cash flow and survival are the key words here," said Hufbauer. "As the shutdown continues, more and more firms will seek to be designated 'essential.'" Several letters to state and local officials from industry groups did not address how worker safety would be maintained for firms granted exemptions. According to the CISA guidance, working remotely is encouraged, but when that is not possible, the agency recommends following guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for social distancing, and off-setting shift hours to separate staff. Story continues "These steps can preserve the workforce and allow operations to continue," the agency said. Industry may get an opening as President Donald Trump voiced a desire on Monday to avoid a complete shutdown of the U.S. economy, Hufbauer said. Trump said he was considering ways to restart the economy in the coming weeks and wanted to avoid the pandemic becoming "a long-lasting financial problem" Pennsylvania imposed a stay-at-home order in seven counties, mainly in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas on Monday evening. Steel mills are allowed to operate, but not some critical suppliers such as metal fabricators and producers of limestone used in blast furnaces. "Without the continued operation of these businesses, steel mills will not be able to continue their physical operations in Pennsylvania and elsewhere," Tom Gibson, president of the American Iron And Steel Institute, wrote in a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. As of late Monday afternoon, those metal fabricators were not on a list https://www.scribd.com/document/452553026/UPDATED-5-45pm-March-21-2020-Industry-Operation-Guidance of the types of businesses that could stay open from Wolf's office. "We are issuing these orders because Pennsylvanians health and safety remains our highest priority," Wolf said in a statement. Pennlive.com reported https://www.pennlive.com/coronavirus/2020/03/business-rebellion-approaching-10000-pennsylvania-companies-have-sought-exemptions-from-gov-tom-wolfs-coronavirus-closure-orders.html that 10,000 businesses in Pennsylvania were seeking exemptions from the order. The Aluminum Association called on local state and federal agencies to ensure that industry operations and employees are designated as essential and exempted from any "shelter in place" orders. Groups representing the ports, chemical industry and hazardous waste transport also urged officials to keep them open as essential businesses Auto dealerships, which repair vehicles and perform warranty and recall work, also should stay open, to "ensure that our nation's motor vehicle fleet remains as safe and operational as possible" two automotive trade groups said in a letter https://www.nada.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=21474860819 to Trump. (Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Leslie Adler) Asia Thai Prime Minister to Invoke Emergency Powers as Virus Infections Climb Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha reacts while taking questions from journalists after a group photo session with the new government cabinet in Bangkok, Thailand on July 16, 2019. / Reuters BANGKOKThailands prime minister said on Tuesday he would invoke sweeping emergency powers in the face of surging coronavirus infections, and in a sign of toughening official action, a man was arrested over allegations of creating panic on social media. Thailand and neighboring Cambodia were among Southeast Asian countries accused by New York-based Human Rights Watch of using the pandemic to crack down on criticism. Both countries reject the accusations and say their measures are needed to keep order and combat disinformation. Thailand has the regions second highest number of virus cases after Malaysia, with a total of 827 after 106 new infections were reported on Tuesday. Four people have died. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who first seized power in a 2014 coup, said he would invoke powers to help suppress the virus that has swept the world since January, killing some 16,500 people and infecting more than 375,000. The emergency decree is due to take effect on Thursday and Prayuth said details of the specific powers to be used would be set out later. Among the powers in the decree is that to censor or shut down media if deemed necessary. Prayuth ruled by decree until an election early last year which opponents say was engineered to keep him in office, an allegation he denies. Other regional leaders have also taken on additional powers and ordered emergency security measures. The Philippines congress granted President Rodrigo Duterte extra powers overnight as infections also soared there and across the regionrising more than 20-fold across Southeast Asia to more than 4,500. Post Created Panic With growing concern in Thailand over the spread of the virus, the government said a man had been arrested after posting false statements about a lack of coronavirus screening at Bangkoks main international airport. The post created panic for the public and eroded their confidence in Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said. Artist Danai Ussama, 42, posted that he had gone through no health screenings and been given no instructions by officials when he arrived on a flight from Barcelona. He was charged under the Computer Crimes Act, punishable by up to five years in prison. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said Ussama was granted bail later on Tuesday and would appear in court on May 12. Human Rights Watch accused Southeast Asian countries of using the virus as an excuse to crackdown on dissent, saying that 17 people had been arrested in Cambodia over social media posts. What these government ministers forget is in the era of COVID-19, they need the cooperation of the people to share information and act responsibly, and slamming people into prison will achieve the exact opposite, said the groups deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson. You may also like these stories: Myanmar is Combating Fake News in the Time of Coronavirus Myanmar-Based Diplomats Told to Cancel Events Amid Coronavirus Fears An Iowa state panel that hears objections to candidate filings on Tuesday dismissed all but one complaint on the grounds that candidates, including four 4th Congressional District Republicans, had demonstrated substantial compliance with requirements for being included on primary election ballots. Most of the two-hour telephonic meeting of the Objections Panel dealt with challenges to U.S. Rep. Steve King and three of his GOP challengers state Sen. Randy Feenstra, Bret Richards and Jeremy Taylor in Iowas 4th District. Cynthia Hanson of Sioux City said their petitions were invalid because the information about the circulator the person circulating the petitions was incorrect. Based on sweeping reforms proposed by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, she said, the Legislature changed the rules for circulators to provide more oversight and eliminate the potential for fraud and misrepresentation. I call on you to take seriously the role you have today of setting precedent as to whether the laws passed by the General Assembly will be enforced, Hanson said in seeking to have those candidates removed from the primary election ballot. You alone are charged with determining legislative intent. In several cases, Hanson said, the names of the circulators on the nomination papers were not those of the people who actually gathered the signatures, but campaign staff members. The intent of the Legislature, she said, was for the circulators to verify the signatures. However, the panel members -- Pate, Attorney General Tom Miller and Auditor Rob Sand -- agreed with Ryan Koopsman, who represented Feenstra, that the intent of the Legislature is gauged by what the Legislature said. This panel and Iowa courts have repeatedly held that statutes governing nomination papers should be liberally construed in favor of ballot access, Koopsman said. Miller agreed that Iowa law doesnt specifically say that signatures have to be secured in the presence of the circulator. States that want that requirement of presence specify it in their laws. In the end, the panel dismissed the challenges, agreeing with Miller that consistent with our Pole Star that, when there is doubt, we allow people on the ballot and allow the public to make choices between candidates. The panel also disallowed a number of challenges from Hanson regarding duplicate names, incorrect information regarding the office being sought and the date of the primary election. It also dismissed a challenge based on Feenstra using Randy on his filing forms but using Randall on a Federal Election Commission form. Hanson did not indicate whether she would pursue her objections in district court. 2nd District challenges The Objections Panels dismissal of a challenge to the candidacy of Steve Everly of Knoxville means there will be a five-way race for the Republican nomination in Iowas 2nd Congressional District, which covers southern Iowa and includes Iowa City. The challenger, Marshan Roth, said by improperly filling out his petitions, Everly may have confused those signing his petitions. An attorney representing Roth said that in a similar case, the panel, as well as a district court and the Iowa Supreme Court, upheld the challenge. However, the panel rejected the objection. An objection to the nomination papers filed by 2nd District Democratic candidate Rita Hart was withdrawn before the meeting. The panel did uphold an objection in the case of Jordan Omstead of Lamoni, who planned to run in the GOP primary against Rep. Joel Fry of Osceola. It was agreed that he was ineligible because he was not a registered Republican. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Warm and humid weather may combat the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), a new study suggests, arguing that Asian countries experiencing monsoon may see a slowdown in the transmission of the deadly infection that has claimed 10 lives in India and almost 20,000 around the world. Analysing Covid-19 infection data from across the world until March 22, two researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) show that the cases have a correlation with two parameters: temperature and absolute humidity, which is a measure of water vapour per square metre of area (more humid countries will have higher absolute humidity). The study finds that 90% of the cases were reported from countries with a range of temperature between 3 and 17 degree C and absolute humidity between 4 and 9g/m3. The relationship between temperature, humidity and spread is evolving with time. The association between temperature and the spread of coronavirus is looking weak as we have so many new cases coming from warm US states such as Florida and Louisiana and warm countries such as Brazil, India, Malaysia. Absolute humidity might be an important factor as my paper suggests but it needs to be confirmed with laboratory measurements, said Yusuf Jameel, one of the papers authors. Indian authorities dont measure absolute humidity. The average relative humidity in Delhi this month is 47%, in Mumbai, 60%. Relative humidity is a ratio of water vapour in the air to the maximum amount of vapour it can hold, at a given temperature. Covid-19 is caused by the Sars-CoV-2 virus, which is closely related to the SARS-Cov virus that caused the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in 2003 and was shown to lose its ability to survive or infect at higher temperatures. Two previous studies one from China and another by researchers from Spain, Portugal and Finland have argued that Covid-19 spread is likely to be constrained by climate and that the virus favours cool and dry climates. But the MIT study is the first one to suggest that temperature alone may not make a dent on the spread of Covid-19 and that humidity also plays a role. Because humidity is a factor, the rise in temperature and approaching summer may not help many regions in the US and Europe because they remain dry. Our analysis shows that the chances of reduced spreading due to environmental factors would be limited across most of northern Europe and North America (USA and Canada) in summer, the researchers said. The MIT analysis showed that for each 10 day period between January 22 and March 21, the maximum number of new cases was reported from regions with mean temperature between 4 to 10C and absolute humidity between 3 and 9 g/m3. Between March 11 and 19, a surge was observed in countries with temperature greater than 18C this coincides with the initial rush of cases in India but was still much lower than the jump in cases in countries between 8 and 12C. We believe that the 10,000 cases in regions above 18C in the last week is unlikely due to rapid transmission of the virus in the last few days, the study says. Based on the current data on the spread of 2019-nCoV, we hypothesize that the lower number of cases in tropical countries might be due to warm humid conditions, under which the spread of the virus might be slower as has been observed for other viruses, the study added. What does this hold for India? Jameel said there is a possibility that with monsoon the spread might slow down a bit but that it is too early for the government to rely on such findings. The government should take appropriate steps assuming that the spread is not going to slow down in the coming days, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Despite the commands for social distancing, city dwellers still want to be out in the world, and people are out along the Race Street Pier near the Ben Franklin Bridge Mar. 15, 2020. Kacey Morrissey (left), 30, of South Philadelphia and Colette McDermott (right), 28, of Manayunk, work out with jump ropes. They both agreed that the space on the pier was open enough that they were not concerned about social distancing, Read more In mid-March, gyms were closed as officials hoped to stem the increase in coronavirus cases. For those used to a daily workout, that meant being a little resourceful. Some took the parks or trails for exercise and fresh air. Others headed to Race Street Pier, where Kacey Morrissey (left), 30, of South Philadelphia and Colette McDermott, 28, of Manayunk, worked out with jump ropes, a safe distance apart. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended people take care of their body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs. An article in Psychology Today suggested exercises like yoga or sit-ups, and to improvise and use books or jugs of water as weights. If getting outside to walk, run, or skip was not a possibility, it suggests that people put on music and dance. MALTA In a Wednesday morning call with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership revealed that of 234 county businesses surveyed, 93 percent said they have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of those, 41 percent have already laid off employees while and 59 percent said they are at risk of closing. Stefanik acknowledged in a call with nervous business owners that the need is urgent, but help is on the way in the form of a $2 trillion federal relief package. Though it had yet to be signed as of Wednesday afternoon, Stefanik - along with the regional administrator for the Small Business Association Steve Bulger - urged businesses to get their documents in order now and apply for the SBA's Disaster Recovery Loan Program as soon as possible. In the virtual meeting, Stefanik said the package will provide loans to businesses (including contractors and sole proprietors) and nonprofits with fewer than 500 employees. Those 7A loans will be forgiven if payments are used to retain employee payroll as well as make payments for mortgages, rents, utilities and debt. We want to make sure we provide the funding to get us through this, Stefanik said. I know it is frustrating and we need to take public health guidance seriously. The sooner we do that, the sooner we get back to business. Shelby Schneider, the president of the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, hosted the call because local businesses are getting hit and hit hard. Among the businesses that said they are under threat of closing, she said 22 percent have business interruption insurance. Many of those businesses have been told that a pandemic is not covered under the insurance. Businesses need working capital now, Schneider told the congresswoman. Our business community is crying for help. She also said that many businesses are trying to apply, but that the SBA website is crashing on them. Bulger said that SBA is working with technology companies to ramp up their digital capabilities to respond to the demand. That said, he urged every business to speak with their SBA lender so that they can be first in line to receive a loan that may take a few weeks to process. He also said questions can be directed to the SBA's toll free number, 1-800-659-2955, or by calling one of the local SBA offices, either in Albany or Syracuse. Stefanik said she understood businesses need liquidity now. Its not something that they can wait for weeks or months. She also said businesses with 500 employees or more can apply for the loans but must pay them back. Stefanik said this was important to her. We want it to focus on Main Street, not Wall Street, Stefanik said. We really understood that the small businesses are bearing the brunt of this. The legislation is designed to truly help small businesses. The Scouts of Luxembourg have launched a help service for people who are at risk or who cannot leave their home. The Luxembourg Scout Federation has been mobilised since the start of the pandemic. As soon as the first measures announced by Xavier Bettel, the scouts organised themselves to help the vulnerable. The elderly and the sick are the main beneficiaries of this completely free service, which comprises shopping for groceries, collecting medication from the pharmacy, or taking dogs for a walk. Raoul Wirion, the FNEL commissioner general, explained they received around 70 calls a day. In terms of dividing the services, adults tend to collect shopping as a car is required for transportation, while young people aged 16 and over can take pets for walks. The volunteers all adhere to precautionary guidelines and have put hygienic measures in place to avoid contamination. Shopping is left outside homes to avoid physical contact. For pets, the owners must tie them up outside their homes and the scouts collect them using their own leashes. The help offered by the scouts has become more essential as more people are placed in quarantine. To date, no volunteer has fallen ill - proof their precautionary measures are working. The scouts now hope to be able to continue their operation "A good deed every day". Anyone can volunteer to provide a little help to others. If you would like to support FNEL scouts or take advantage of their help service, visit the website to contact them (and to make a donation). Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Wednesday asked the Central government for Rs 4,000 crore to combat the coronavirus pandemic in the state. (File Photo: IANS/PIB) Image Source: IANS/PIB Chennai, March 25 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Wednesday asked the Central government for Rs 4,000 crore to combat the coronavirus pandemic in the state. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the text of which was released to the media here, Palaniswami requested special assistance of Rs 4,000 crore and other financial measures be considered expeditiously. Citing the hit taken by the government revenues due to coronovirus and the additional expenditure, he also requested Modi to relax the fiscal deficit limits of three per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for fiscal 2019-20 and 2020-21 as one time measure. "Further, additional borrowing of 33 per cent above the level permitted for the fiscal year 2019-20 may be allowed for 2020-21 to enable the states to meet the additional expenditure requirements." Palaniswami said the state needs Rs 3,000 crore for the augmentation and strengthening of the health infrastructure and for essential equipment, medicines and for preventive public health measures at this crucial juncture. He said Tamil Nadu is vulnerable to coronavirus because of the large number of international passengers who transit through its four international airports and four major ports and as it also adjoins states where the outbreak has been initially more severe. "Hence, while immediate measures have been taken, we will need to prepare for a significantly higher case load in the coming weeks and months," Palaniswami told Modi. According to Palaniswami, more resources are needed to face the projected number of cases effectlivey including through the establishment of isolation hospitals, quarantine centres, supply of hospital equipment including hospital beds, ventilators and personal protection equipments (PPE), medicines and testing kits and disinfection equipment and chemicals. He also said private hospitals also would need to be equipped and their services utilised to treat patients free of cost and extensive sanitation and disinfection measures would need to be undertaken. According to Palaniswami, Rs 500 crore is needed as special allocation to pay 50 per cent wages for the wage employment lost in the months of March, April and May for the MNREGA scheme. Another Rs 500 crore is needed towards payment of financial relief package for unorganised sector workers to help them overcome their immediate hardships, he added. Passenger traffic at the Helena Regional Airport has dropped off significantly in the last week due to concerns about the novel coronavirus, and airport officials say airlines will reduce the number of flights beginning next week. Last week, flights to and from Helena were only 25% full on average, Airport Director Jeff Wadekamper said. Some flights have higher numbers and others are lower, but the drop has been significant. Starting on April 1, Delta will operate two flights per day to Salt Lake City, dropping its 5 p.m. flight to Salt Lake and the flight between Minneapolis. United will have two flights per day to Denver and one flight per day to Seattle. Wadekamper anticipates that United may also reduce flights to one per day, but they still show two scheduled in April. We are hanging in here, just adapting as things change each day, he said. Wadekamper says that aggressive cleaning of the airport continues for the safety of travelers and staff. Touchless features in restrooms were already in place. The TSA has also implemented a new cleaning protocol for equipment, tables and bins at the passenger screening checkpoint, he said. With the uncertainty surrounding the longevity of business and school closures, restrictions and lost passengers, the airport is looking at its options. The airport has been setting new records for passenger travel numbers in recent years and recently announced an additional Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle to start later this spring. The airport has taken steps to consider a few different contingency plans, depending on how this issue evolves, to ensure the economic impact to the airport can be managed, Wadekamper said. The airport operates on revenues generated without the help of local taxes, however there has been some discussion at the federal level to include economic aid for airports, along with the ideas proposed to help the airlines who operate the actual flights. The Helena Regional Airport is unique in some respects, as 43% of its revenue comes from non-aviation sources such as land leases and aerospace manufacturing facilities. That will help to a point, but we still expect to see a financial hit, but it may not be as severe as other airports which solely rely 100% on aviation-based activity, Wadekamper said. Smokejumper Station, the airports restaurant concessionaire, has also seen a dramatic decrease in business due to both the reduction in travelers and the prohibition of sit-down dining, but has launched online ordering through www.smokejumperstation.com/. The airport is currently in the middle of construction of a terminal expansion. That work continues and the construction workers are distancing themselves from one another, Wadekamper said. Last week Montana Gov. Steve Bullock issued an advisory urging Montanans who have traveled internationally to self-quarantine for 14 days upon returning to the state. Across the country, airlines continue to cut and consolidate flights as passenger numbers have plummeted. On Monday, the TSA said it screened 331,000 people at U.S. airport checkpoints. That was an 86% drop from the corresponding Monday a year ago, when officers screened more than 2.4 million people. Major airlines are drafting plans in case they must shut down domestic flights because of a lack of air traffic controllers or airport screeners, the Associated Press reported. Airport towers at Chicagos Midway International Airport and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas remained closed Tuesday, nearly a week after shutting down because some employees tested positive for the new coronavirus. FAA workers at eight other facilities have also tested positive. Administration officials have repeatedly declined to rule out the possibility of halting domestic airline travel while saying no such shutdown was imminent. President Donald Trump said Monday he was not considering new travel restrictions. They thought we were going to have bans within the United States. We didn't do that, he said at a White House briefing. We are not going to have that. Hopefully that will take care of itself. The airlines and their labor unions are lobbying Washington for relief. A proposal by Senate Republicans would provide $50 billion in loan help and another $8 billion for cargo carriers, but the airlines say they need cash grants to avoid layoffs in an industry that employs about 750,000 people. House Democrats propose $40 billion in grants to airlines and contractors to preserve pay and benefits for workers. Democrats would add provisions including telling airlines to cut carbon emissions in half by 2050 and to include labor union representatives on their boards. Prominent House Republicans immediately trashed the proposal. U.S. airlines have already cut most of their international flights and have announced plans to reduce service within the U.S. by up to 40% in April. Those drastic planned cutbacks in service now seem hopelessly optimistic, given the few people who continue to fly. More than 8,300 U.S. flights were canceled Tuesday, according to tracking service FlightAware. In some cases, airlines consolidated flights to avoid flying empty planes. United Airlines canceled 51% of its flights, American dropped 46% of its schedule and Delta scrapped 39%, according to FlightAware. Southwest canceled 15%. As recently as March 8, TSA screened more than 2 million travelers, but the numbers have steadily declined ever since. The TSA said 24 screeners and six other employees at 14 U.S. airports have tested positive for the new coronavirus in the past two weeks. The most recent confirmed cases were at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Indianapolis International Airport and McCarran in Las Vegas. The new virus and a global recession will do more financial damage to airlines than previously estimated, according to an industry trade group. The International Air Transport Association said Tuesday that it now estimates that passenger revenue worldwide could fall as much as $252 billion, or 44%, compared with last year because of the decline in travel. That is based on strict travel restrictions lasting up to three months, followed by a slow economic recovery. Less than three weeks ago, the group estimated the virus could reduce airline revenue by up to $113 billion compared with 2019, before a new round of travel restrictions that have stopped most international air travel. Delta Air Lines is the world's biggest and most profitable airline. On Tuesday, Standard & Poor's cut Delta's credit rating from investment grade to speculative, or junk, status. Reporter Tom Kuglin can be reached at 447-4076 @IR_TomKuglin Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 3 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. More than half a million volunteers have signed up in just over 24 hours to help the NHS cope with the coronavirus outbreak. The mass sign-up follows health secretary Matt Hancocks call for 250,000 people to donate their time to help the 1.5 million people isolating for 12 weeks in an attempt to slow the spread of Covid-19. Prime minister Boris Johnson offered a special thank you to the volunteers who he said would be absolutely crucial in the fight against the illness. Mr Hancock tweeted on Thursday: NEWS: Fantastic that 560,000 people have now responded to our call to volunteer to support our NHS to defeat #Coronavirus. The army of volunteers will be delivering supplies, driving patients home from hospital and making regular phone calls to check in with vulnerable people who are isolating at home. Health professionals and social care staff will be able to request help for at-risk patients via a call centre run by the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), who will match people who need help with nearby volunteers. The prime minister commended the 405,000 people who signed up within the first 24 hours during a daily Downing Street press conference on Wednesday. He said: They will be absolutely crucial in the fight against this virus. That is already, in one day, as many volunteers as the population of Coventry. So to all of you, and to all the former NHS staff who are coming back now into the service, I say thank you on behalf of the entire country. Sir Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, praised the overwhelming response to the call for volunteers and thanked those who will devote their time to the health service. He said: Times like this show just how generous the British people are and how much they value our health service we are blown away by this response and the kindness of our country. Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters I cant thank those enough who have pledged to devote their time to helping others at what is a challenging and uncertain time for you and your families. The NHS is always there for you now is your time to be there for us too. The appeal came after more than 1.5 million vulnerable people were told to stay inside for 12 weeks to shield them from the virus, including those with certain cancers and severe respiratory illnesses. Shielding measures are being implemented to keep people safe and to ease the immense pressure on the NHS as medics battle to stem the tide of the coronavirus outbreak. More than 11,700 retired doctors, nurses and health professionals have already returned to the NHS following a government appeal for medics to return to the front line. In addition, 5,500 final-year medics and 18,700 final-year student nurses will begin working in the NHS next week. People can sign up to be NHS volunteers here. Some mothers in Abeokuta, Ogun state, came out topless to pray against the deadly coronavirus. In a video shared online, the women are seen parading a highway in just their wrappers tied around their chests. They beat a drum and sang as they prayed against Covid-19. Soyombo Abayomi said the parade is a "sacrifice to send away coronavirus." He wrote: "The mothers in abeokuta, Ogun State came out today for sacrifices to send away Corona virus. may God hear their prayers." Nigerians have reacted by slamming the women for not adhering to the rules of social distancing to curb the virus. Watch the video below. View this post on Instagram Group of women in Ogun state parade topless as they pray against COVID-19. A post shared by Lindaikejiblog (@lindaikejiblogofficial) on Mar 25, 2020 at 3:21am PDT Source: LIB Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his second address to the nation in just one week, imposed a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country from March 25 (12 AM) onwards till April 14. The PM's announcement comes in the backdrop of a rising number of COVID-19 patients in the country. There have been 536 confirmed cases across India and 10 reported deaths so far, according to Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). With a nationwide lockdown, India's 1.3 billion population joins a growing list of countries that have imposed similar measures like Spain, Italy, New Zealand and others. In his first address on March 19, PM Modi had enforced a day-long lockdown, also known as 'Janata Curfew'. Also read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Positive cases rise to 562; 54-yr-old patient dies in Tamil Nadu Here are significant quotes from PM Modi's speech on a 21-day lockdown: 1.Stay at home: Every state, district, village in India is under lockdown from midnight (March 25). There will be a complete bar on people from stepping outsides their homes, PM Modi said. He even folded his hands to emphasise his request to citizens to adhere to the call. 2. Economic cost: PM Modi said the decision will have an economic cost but saving people's lives is of paramount interest to his government. He stated, "If we don't handle these 21 days well, then our country, your family will go backward by 21 years". 3. Draw Lakshman Rekha: PM Modi told people to draw Lakshman Rekha on their entry doors. "Just do one thing, stay at home! Today's decision of countrywide lockdown has drawn a Lakshman Rekha around the door of your house," said PM Modi. 4.Significance of 21-day lockdown: PM Modi explained why he imposed a 21-day lockdown. The PM stated, "It took 67 days for the first lakh people to be infected from coronavirus. It only took 11 days for the next 1 lakh to be infected. Even more scary is the fact that it took only four days for the figure to rise to 3 lakhs". 5. Rs 15,000 crore announcement: PM Modi announced Rs 15,000 crore stimulus to fight COVID-19. "To strengthen the health infrastructure of the country, the central government has made a provision of Rs 15,000 crores," PM said. "This includes testing facilities related to coronavirus, personal protective equipment, isolation beds, ICU beds and ventilators. The number of other necessary equipment will be increased rapidly," he added. Also read: Coronavirus: Flipkart suspends services as India goes under lockdown 6. Avoid rumours: PM Modi appealed to all citizens to avoid believing in rumours or fake news. He also advised people to not take any medicines without consulting doctors. 7. Pray for health workers: PM Modi asked every Indian to think of the welfare of several essential service staff at the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19. "Think of those doctors, those nurses, the para-medical staff, pathologists who are working day and night in order to save lives. Pray for those who are working nonstop to keep your neighborhoods and the society sanitized. Think of the media persons who are working in life-threatening situations to bring you accurate news 24/7," he said. 8. Social distancing: Social distancing is the only way to combat novel coronavirus. Social distancing is not only for infected people but for every citizen, including the Prime Minister, said Modi. 9. Every Indian is my family: PM Modi said protecting the lives of Indians was his top priority. "I am speaking this not as a prime minister today, but like your family member. Please patiently follow the 21-day lockdown. To save the lives of every Indian is my, the state government and the central government's biggest priority". Also read: Amazon, Big Basket, Grofers locked down as local authorities misinterpret order Pennsylvania now has confirmed 1,127 cases of the coronavirus, with 276 new cases reported, the state Department of Health said Wednesday. The health department says at least 11 people have died due to the coronavirus. The virus has been found in 44 of Pennsylvanias 67 counties. The new figures mark the largest one-day increase to date. Gov. Tom Wolf also expanded stay-at-home orders to Lehigh and Northampton counties Wednesday. Ten counties are now under stay-at-home orders, including the Philadelphia region and the Pittsburgh area. The order also includes Monroe and Erie counties. More than 6 million people in Pennsylvania - about half the states population - live in a county with an order to stay at home. The bulk of the cases have been reported in the Philadelphia area but cases continue to rise across the state. Philadelphia leads the state with 257 cases, followed by neighboring Montgomery County. Delaware County reported its first two coronavirus-related deaths Wednesday, the Associated Press reported. Those deaths are not yet included in the data released by the state Wednesday. More cases are emerging in western Pennsylvania, according to the health department. Allegheny County has 88 cases; the county is under a stay-at-home order. Most counties in the Harrisburg area have confirmed cases of the coronavirus. York County has 20 cases, leading the midstate counties. Cumberland County has 13 cases, while Lancaster County has 12 and Dauphin has 10. There are 11,193 patients who have tested negative, the department said. The state health department no longer says how many tests results are pending. Most testing is now being done in commercial laboratories, the department said. State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine has urged Pennsylvania residents to stay home to reduce the spread of the disease. The first case in the state was reported less than three weeks ago. Levine has said shes concerned the exponential growth of cases could overwhelm hospitals. Our notable increase in cases over the past few days indicate we need everyone to take COVID-19 seriously, Levine said in a statement. Repeating a familiar refrain, Levine said, Pennsylvanians have a very important job right now: stay calm, stay home and stay safe." Wolf has ordered businesses that arent life-sustaining to close temporarily to stem the spread of the virus. Some businesses have appealed for waivers to stay open and have sought more guidance from the state about whether or not they can operate. The governor has also closed schools until at least April 6 and possibly later if necessary. School districts are working on remote instruction and also increasingly bracing for the possibility that schools wont reopen this year. Universities and colleges across Pennsylvania have said they wont offer in-person classes for the rest of the spring semester and are providing classes online. More from PennLive Stimulus checks: How many months until payments go out, and what could you receive? Grocery stores in central Pa. continue to operate with adjusted hours, limits on some products How to volunteer, donate in central Pa. during coronavirus pandemic A Co Kildare man stranded amid a Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand New Zealand declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak and a lockdown came into force at midnight Wednesday [March 25]. Gary Kelly (22) and his girlfriend Emily Healy from Nenagh have been Christchurch since October 2019 after spending 18 months in Sydney. He said: "The possibility of getting home is looking incredibly slim. I am desperate to get home." He added: "I would like to call on the Irish government to establish some sort of welfare payment plan for these people as well as myself as we are not entitled to any sort of benefit payment in New Zealand." Gary said: "Obviously getting home is our first and most important priority however with most countries closing there borders it seems unlikely. "There are many Irish citizens after spending upwards of NZ$12,000 (6,550) to try and get home to no avail, leaving many incredibly stuck, including myself." The number of coronavirus cases in New Zealand has surged to over 200 and the government imposed self-isolation for everyone with all non-essential services, schools and offices to be shut for a month. Earlier this week, Gary had booked flights from Christchurch to Dublin only to discover they were cancelled at the last minute as the country tightened travel restrictions amid the pandemic. Gary said: "Some citizens have ended leases and are going to be left with nowhere to turn. "Nobody is willing to step up to help Irish people get home." The number of people infected with the coronavirus in Indonesia reached 790 on Wednesday after another 105 tested positive, a government spokesman said. "The number of patients who tested positive was corrected to 685 from 686 reported yesterday. With 105 new cases today, the total now stands at 790," Achmad Yurianto was quoted as saying by CNN Indonesia at a press briefing. Three patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died, bringing the number of virus-related deaths in the Asian archipelago nation to 58. A total of 31 people have recovered. President Joko Widodo reiterated this week that he would not put the country into a lockdown, saying he relied on people's self-discipline. He reportedly cautioned regional authorities against taking the measure on their own. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Days after a magnitude 5.7 earthquake shook parts of Utah, residents continue to report damage. The Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District asked those within its boundaries to submit online notices of home or business damage from the March 18 earthquake, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. The municipal services district includes Magna, Kearns, Copperton, White City, and the unincorporated parts of Salt Lake County. About 100 people were driven from buildings and homes by damage near the epicenter in Magna, a suburb between the airport and Great Salt Lake west of the capital city. Tens of thousands more lost power after the states largest earthquake in nearly three decades. An online dashboard for damage reports in the municipal services district had 219 entries as of noon Monday, including reports from residents outside the district. Aftershocks may have caused additional damage, district Communications Manager Maridene Alexander said. Alexander asked residents to inspect buildings for cracks in masonry, foundations, drywall, and piping. Building owners should be especially concerned about loose bricks in chimneys and determining if they have working carbon monoxide detectors, Alexander said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The daughter of an 82-year-old woman who died from coronavirus has made a heartbreaking plea for people to "wise up" and "do as they are told" to reduce the number of deaths. Ruth Burke passed away at Antrim Area Hospital on Monday night. She was the fourth person to die from Covid-19 in Northern Ireland. Grieving and frustrated, Brenda Doherty said she was devastated that she could not kiss her mother goodbye or see her in her coffin. She has pleaded with people to follow government advice over social distancing, saying those who did not comply were "selfish". Yesterday the UK death toll reached 422 - a rise of 87 in 24 hours. There are now more than 8,000 confirmed cases. Northern Ireland's health minister Robin Swann has warned the death toll here could reach 15,000 unless people comply with social distancing guidelines. On Monday night Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced strict new rules to stop the spread of the virus. Ms Burke was named as Northern Ireland's fourth Covid-19 victim at her family's request. They said she was simply unable to fight the virus. "She was the queen of our family," said Brenda, "and I want her to be remembered as more than a Covid-19 statistic." Brenda paid tribute in a heartbreaking video shared on Facebook and also in an interview with Radio Ulster's Talkback. Mrs Burke had five children - Brenda, Jennifer, Paul, Colin and Richard, who died at 16 from a brain tumour. Brenda told the BBC: "I know mum has had her illnesses over the years but this was the final straw. She didn't have the strength. "I don't want my mum being a statistic, she was a loving mother, a strong person, she survived the death of a child which I simply can't imagine. "She lived for all of us, she lived for her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. She put smiles on all our faces, so much more than Covid-19 death number four." Recalling how her mother's health deteriorated, Brenda added: "She would have been in hospital two weeks on Wednesday with a cough and a cold from Christmas. She had a high infection level and they were tracing the source of that. "On Friday we had actually hoped that mum was going to get home but there were problems getting a care package in place in time for that to happen. "On Saturday I received a phone call to say that mum had developed a high temperature and that she was Covid-19 positive." Brenda said the last time she had been able to be with her mum was last Thursday night. "The hospital was down to one visitor per person by then, but unfortunately not everyone was respectful of the rules. I was able to take nightdresses up to mummy and I went in to see her. She was a wee bit upset so they let me have a couple of minutes with her, just to settle her. "She wanted to know where I was going. I told her I had to go home, I couldn't stay. I told her there was a virus going about, but that me and her, next Monday night, would be sitting together knitting. We'd be grand. "I told her 'we all love you mummy, we'll see you soon'. "On Thursday night, as far as we were concerned, she was recovering and doing well, still a bit confused but that's the sort of thing that would have happened with mum now and again. "There were certainly no other symptoms. We don't know exactly when she contracted this. I don't believe it was what she was in with." Ms Doherty had nothing but praise for the hospital staff who looked after her mother in her final hours. "I cannot fault the hospital, not one bit," she added. "I cannot praise the staff enough for what they are doing. The NHS staff have been absolutely fantastic. They've been very respectful to mum and our family. "When a doctor rang last night to tell me he didn't think mum would see the other side of this I asked him would he tell her we all loved her because we couldn't go and see her and he said he would. "The nurse who was with her last night had got information from the family and she was able to talk to mum about all of us and used our names. She was with her and she was the one who rang this morning to tell me mum had passed. "She said that on Sunday her and mum had been singing together. "It's not just about the medical care, it's about the emotional care they have provided to my mum these last few weeks and I can't thank them enough." But Brenda's frustration that some in society are still failing to grasp the full implications of their actions is strong. Photographs emerged in recent days of Belfast's streets packed with shoppers and beaches busy with families. Shops have also seen their shelves stripped by panic-buyers. Brenda added: "One of the frustrating things for me is when I see the posts on Facebook of people going in to supermarkets and getting everything off the shelves they possibly can. "I just don't understand how they can't see how they're putting themselves, their loved ones and other people in danger." Because coronavirus is so contagious, those who die with it must be placed in closed coffins. Brenda said not being able to say goodbye to her mother in person added to their grief. She said: "We know mum was 82. We were really lucky to have her with us for as long as we did. "My sister and my brothers pulled together these past nine years since we lost our daddy, to look after mum and keep her safe, so to lose mum to Covid-19, not be able to see her in her coffin, not to be able to put her in her favourite red outfit is heartbreaking. "I think about the last kiss that I gave my mum, it's just heartbreaking." She added: "None of us will see mummy now. There will be no celebration of her life for us. "I know that the nurse was with her last night and I am so appreciative of that and I cannot thank her enough for what she has done, but not to be able to kiss my mum and leave a lipstick mark on her face is heartbreaking. "It is what it is and we have to deal with it as a family." In a direct plea to people she added: "This will not go on forever. "This will pass, but the sooner people start heeding what they're being told to do the sooner we can all get back to normality. "My normality is not going to be the same. "We cannot appeal to people enough just to 'do as you're bid', as my mum would have said. "It's for your own safety and the safety of those that you love." ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in recent days has continued to highlight the accelerating surge in the state's confirmed cases of coronavirus a tally that stood at 30,811 on Wednesday morning as he seeks federal help to handle what he has described as the impending apex of the virus in New York. But that daily figure showing surges of 4,000 to 5,000 new confirmed cases per day which gives New York roughly 10 times the number of cases in other states still includes an unknown number of COVID-19 cases in which individuals have recovered and, in some instances, may have returned to normal activities after a period of quarantine. Asked if the figures he releases daily include cases of people who have recovered, Cuomo on Wednesday at the Capitol said, "The short answer: yes." That indicates the governor, who said that New York's hospitalization rate on Wednesday remained around 12 percent, is basing his calculation on the number of people currently hospitalized (3,805) in comparison with the total number of people who have tested positive for the virus (30,811), even if those individuals are no longer ill. That is also how the state is estimating that 3 percent (888) of those infected are in intensive care units. Asked about the state's reporting system, the governor pointed to data provided by Johns Hopkins University that indicates there has been 435,006 cases confirmed worldwide as of Wednesday, with 109,926 of those listed as "recoveries." But New York and many other states are apparently not gathering and providing data on individuals who have recovered from the illness, so their figures may not be included in the university's data. Officials with the governor's office acknowledged Wednesday evening the discrepancy could mean that the rate of hospitalization in New York is much higher, although that calculation is difficult without knowing how many individuals have recovered. Officials in several upstate counties, including Albany County, confirmed Wednesday that they are not tracking or reporting data on people who have recovered. Albany County has 152 "cases" of coronavirus, according to data released by the state Health Department on its website Wednesday but those cases include people who have recovered, including a sheriff's deputy who is scheduled to return to duty on Thursday. The federal Centers for Disease Control, which sets the reporting criteria, did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. "Yes, the recoveries are recoveries," Cuomo said. "People who I know, they stay home for two weeks and they then test negative. ... That is going to be the vast, overwhelming number of all people. ... The biggest number is going to be people who had it, who resolved, who never knew they had it." State Department of Health officials have not said whether they are tracking the number of resolved cases. State Health Department Commissioner Howard Zucker, who sat next to Cuomo at the Capitol news conference Wednesday, said that he would be able to provide more detail on the number of recoveries in New York, but his office did not follow up with that information. During the news conference, Zucker acknowledged there are "hundreds and hundreds of people who have left the hospital and those individuals have resolved, and there are many other individuals who never even came into a hospital (and have recovered)." Officials in some counties said they have not been tracking or reporting their resolved cases because no one asked for that information. Late Tuesday, the state Health Department informed counties it was changing at the CDC's direction the criteria for determining if someone is no longer infected or a danger to expose others to the virus. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Under the former system, health officials could not clear someone as "recovered" until they had no symptoms for 14 days and had received two negative tests for coronavirus taken 24 hours apart. The state has instructed local health departments that the new criteria to clear a person is to determine if that individual has been symptom-free at least seven days after onset, has had no elevated body temperature for 72 hours, and is not taking any medications, including anything that would reduce a fever. Zucker said the state is following the new CDC guidelines. Cuomo on Tuesday warned that the rate of coronavirus cases in New York is increasing dramatically, that the apex of the infections could strike the state in two or three weeks, and as many as 140,000 hospital beds may be needed to treat those afflicted. He has also noted that experts project the state will not have enough ventilators or intensive care unit beds. To help staff the makeshift hospitals if they are needed as well as the hospitals across the state being asked to double their bed capacity Cuomo said that 40,000 retired medical professionals have signed up to work if they are needed. That includes 2,265 physicians and more than 16,000 registered nurses. Cuomo said he is urging President Donald Trump, whom he spoke with Tuesday night and again Wednesday morning, to send New York the bulk of the medical supplies and resources in federal hands because the height of the pandemic is expected to strike here first especially in the greater New York City region. "We need help from the entire country right now because our apex is first and our number is highest," Cuomo said. "Send us the equipment that we need. Send us the personnel. As soon as we get past our critical moment, we will redeploy that equipment and the personnel to the next hot spot." New York had 25,665 confirmed cases of COVID-19 Tuesday morning, an increase of more than 4,700 cases from Monday evening and more than 10 times the rate of infections in other states, including California and Washington. There have been 210 deaths in New York due to coronavirus. New Jersey's 2,844 confirmed cases is second in the nation. "The increase in the number of cases continues unabated," Cuomo said. "As a matter of fact, the rate of increase has gone up. ... The rate of new infections is doubling about every three days. That is a dramatic increase in the rate of infection. Were not slowing it, and it is accelerating on its own." Nearly a third of all Gulf coalition air raids on Yemen have hit civilian targets including hospitals, schools and food stores, new data has revealed, as the war-ravaged country marks the fifth anniversary of the conflict amid the coronavirus crisis. According to the Yemen Data Project, more than 18,400 civilians have been killed or injured by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies since they launched a bombing campaign in 2015 to oust the Iran-backed Houthis and restore the government. Over 8,600, a quarter of them women and children, were killed across tens of thousands of raids, marking 70 per cent of the total civilian death toll documented by rights groups. The same report said over the last five years coalition aircraft have bombed medical facilities including hospitals and clinics 83 times, killing 95 civilians and injuring a further 116. Over 60 food stores have also been hit, alongside 134 water and electricity facilities. Recommended Western powers are protracting the war in Yemen for profit The Gulf coalition has repeatedly denied it targets civilians and maintains its Joint Incident Assessment Team (JIAT) investigates the impact of its raids to check violations. However, the JIAT has been accused by rights groups of mostly absolving the coalition. In its latest statement two weeks ago the JIAT cleared the coalition of any wrongdoing after United Nations agencies alleged it of carrying out a deadly attack on a North Yemen market in November killing 10 civilians and 18 inured more. The data clearly shows that over the five years [the coalition] has been consistently hitting civilian targets. Thats indisputable, said the Yemen Data Projects Iona Craig, adding that on average the alliance causes 10 civilian casualties a day. Its not just hospitals and medical facilities you have to take into account. Its the bombing of water and electricity infrastructure, the impact on food supply lines with food storage facilities and crucial road bridges being hit too, she added. Craig said that while the data shows there had been a steady decline in the rate of bombings, one of the deadliest ever bombings for civilians took place on 31 August 2019. That day over 150 civilians were killed in an air-raid on a prison complex in Dhamar, southwest of the country. Mass civilian casualty events are still happening even when there are fewer airstrikes, she added. The data comes as the country marks the fifth anniversary of the devastating conflict which according to the United Nations has sparked the worlds worst humanitarian crisis in terms of numbers. The conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis swept control of the country ousting recognised president, and Gulf ally, Abedrabbou Mansour Hadi. Fearing the encroachment of Iranian influence in the region in March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni allies including the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Egypt launched a bombing campaign. The alliance later sent in ground troops. Five years on an estimated 80 per cent of the population - or 24 million people - require some form of humanitarian assistance to survive. Two-thirds of the country is one step from famine. So far, the country has yet to record a novel coronavirus case but there are fears that when the deadly disease arrives it will quickly spread through the country, as the fighting has decimated the health care system. Only half of all hospitals and medical centres are functioning, according to the United Nations. Even those that are open are facing severe shortages of medicines, equipment and staff. According to Oxfam, 17 million people more than half the population have no access to clean water. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the Yemeni human rights group Mwatana released an extensive report last week saying in total between 2015 and 2018 there were 120 attacks on the health care sector committed by all sides of the conflict. It said the Gulf coalition, its affiliated forces, the Houthis and their allies have all damaged or destroyed health facilities through airstrikes and shelling, occupying medical facilities and excluding civilian use as well as assaulting medical professionals. On the fifth anniversary of the conflict, Mwatana spokesperson Osamah al-Fakih said it was not just bombing campaigns and artillery fire which had destroyed the country. Video shows damaged buildings and homes in Yemen village hit by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes All sides have committed violations including enforced disappearances, torture, as well as child recruitment, he told The Independent. The Gulf coalition has also restricted humanitarian access to Yemen through a blockade and closure of Sanaa international airport." It has also established arms groups in different parts of the country, a huge long-term problem, undermining the future of Yemen. Human Rights Watch warned the training of proxy groups was behind a new crisis brewing in the east of the country, Mahra, a province which until now has escaped most of the conflict. In a report on Wednesday it said Saudi military and Yemeni forces it was affiliated to, have carried serious abuses arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and illegal transfer of detainees to Saudi Arabia. Former detainees said that they were accused of supporting Saudi Arabias opponents and had been interrogated, and tortured at an informal detention facility at the citys airport. Saudi forces and their Yemeni allies serious abuses against local-Mahra residents is another horror to add to the list of the Saudi-led coalitions unlawful conduct in Yemen, said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. Saudi Arabia is severely harming its reputation with Yemenis when it carries out these abusive practices and holds no one accountable for them. Such arguments are specious in these terrible times. Iran has been overwhelmed by confirmed cases and fatalities, and theyre climbing by the day and thats according to the Iranian governments dubious numbers. The reality may be far worse. Iran has appealed to the International Monetary Fund for $5 billion in emergency funding and a long list of essential equipment ranging from gloves and masks to portable respirators. It should get all this immediately. No, the United States and its sanctions are not responsible for the rapid spread of the coronavirus in Iran, as Iranian hard-liners have claimed, though the economic hardships from the sanctions could not have helped. Last year, before the current crisis, Human Rights Watch wrote in a report that sanctions had drastically constrained the ability of the country to finance humanitarian imports, including medicines. But the Iranian government carries primary responsibility for the plague by initially denying the outbreak and then reacting far too slowly. The Trump administration says it has offered to help the Iranian people and to facilitate the delivery of medical supplies to Iran. But the offer is said to carry many conditions, and importers say they still have a major problem finding banks willing to maneuver through the daunting compliance processes to finance the trade. In any case, piling on more sanctions while Iran bleeds is morally wrong and looks terrible. Setting aside arguments over whether scuttling the Obama administrations nuclear deal with Iran and resuming sanctions made sense to begin with this editorial board argued that it did not the crisis should be treated by President Trump as a diplomatic opportunity. On the most elemental level of humanitarian compassion, the United States should be at the forefront of offering what help it can. That may not mean sending medical supplies like respirators, which are in short supply everywhere, but at the least it should mean clearing the way for the I.M.F. loan. About 70 House members including about 50 Republicans and 20 Democrats, with some sitting side-by-side were on the floor to consider several bills. Read more This story was produced as part of a joint effort among Spotlight PA, LNP Media Group, PennLive, PA Post, and WITF to cover how Pennsylvania state government is responding to the coronavirus. Sign up for Spotlight PAs newsletter. HARRISBURG Despite emergency measures to allow lawmakers to vote remotely and avoid contact with one another, many in the state House did not heed health officials calls to stay home and gathered Tuesday for their first session focused on the coronavirus. About 70 House members about 50 Republicans and 20 Democrats, with some sitting side by side were on the floor to consider several bills, including one to postpone Pennsylvanias primary until June 2. A smaller number worked from their Capitol offices. Public health officials, including Secretary of Health Rachel Levine, have urged people to stay at least six feet apart whenever possible and limit gatherings to no more than 10 people. On Monday, Gov. Tom Wolf issued a stay-at-home order for seven Pennsylvania counties, with an eighth added Tuesday. Both the state House and Senate have passed temporary rules that allow members to cast their votes from home. Currently, there are 198 lawmakers serving in the 203-member House because of vacancies and one members serving in the military. Only House leaders and committee chairs are required under the new rules to come to the Capitol in person, but members were not barred from attending. Many Republicans said they felt conflicted about balancing their duties as elected officials with their responsibilities as individuals to stop the spread of the coronavirus by staying home, said Mike Straub, spokesperson for House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler (R., Lancaster). Cutler and Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) made it abundantly clear members did not need to attend in person, Straub said. Rep. Keith Greiner (R., Lancaster) said he attended because I have the peoples work to finish and get accomplished. His Republican colleague Seth Grove from York County said it was important for elected leaders to be on the forefront and show up to work. We ask that of our health-care professionals, first responders, Grove said Monday after attending a committee meeting. I just think its my duty as an elected leader to physically show up for work. Several Democratic House members shared pictures of themselves on social media working from home, including Reps. Donna Bullock (D., Phila.) and Melissa Shusterman (D., Chester). Still, several of the Democrats present on the floor Tuesday were from Philadelphia and the surrounding counties that are under Wolfs stay-at-home order. Three Democrats from hard-hit Philadelphia read a resolution to honor Philadelphia Police SWAT Sgt. James OConnor IV, who was fatally shot on March 13 after serving a warrant. Rep. Jordan Harris, a Philadelphia Democrat who serves as the caucus whip, was required to come in as a leader. He was seen on the floor wearing blue gloves and at times holding a mask. Rep. Chris Rabb, another Philadelphia Democrat, participated remotely. He said hes taking a bold and controversial stance: I prefer not to be infected by the coronavirus. Everyone has to make their own choices, but if you are on one hand supporting efforts of the governor, secretary of health, CDC, and not practicing what we are preaching, then that sends a very mixed signal to folks back home, Rabb said. Bill Patton, spokesperson for House Democrats, said the hope is that most members will put their own health and safety first and that of their colleagues. That can be done at the same time as they conduct normal House business under abnormal circumstances, he said. State legislatures across the country are grappling with how they will continue to operate during the coronavirus pandemic, with at least 11 postponing or suspending their sessions and several others closing their doors to the public, Governing magazine reported. Congress is also considering whether members should be able to vote remotely, as Sen. Rand Paul (R., Kentucky) and at least two members of the House have tested positive for the virus. 100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA provides its journalism at no cost to newsrooms across the state as a public good to keep our communities informed and thriving. If you value this service, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate. Istanbul, Turkey -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/25/2020 -- Damas Turk Real Estate Company has successfully created a channel through which Turkish citizens and foreigners can use to invest in the nation's thriving real estate market. The company has pushed the limits in the industry and, through its agreements with leading construction companies in Turkey, maintains an active listing of the latest properties in the market. As a value-driven real estate company, Damas Turk Real Estate Company strictly provides its clients with properties that meet and exceed their modern lifestyle demands. Speaking about the reasons more investors are focused on their government-guaranteed projects, the company's spokesperson remarked, "A major factor that has propelled the growth of the real estate industry in Turkey is the direct government input and favorable policies that are in place. This has created the perfect environment that has seen the major cities and districts have a massive rise in mega construction projects. At Damas Turk Real Estate Company, we have a category of real estate projects guaranteed by the government, making them highly affordable and with lots of amenities." At the mention of investment in the Turkey real estate market, many people instantly think about Istanbul that is on record for its never-ending developments. As a city that attracts hundreds of thousands each year, the ever-growing demand has created a lucrative investment opportunity. Damas Turk Real Estate Company is out to assist its clients take advantage of this high-end market by giving them all they need to buy apartment in Istanbul, Turkey. A guarantee for all customers who opt for the company's services is the confidence of apartments that are strategically located in the city. Talking about the factors propelling the growth of Bursa, the company's spokesperson said, "Bursa has risen to become one of the largest cities in Turkey, thanks to its closeness to Istanbul and the peaceful living environment it provides. It has, therefore, become the alternative place of residence for individuals and families who want a quiet place away from the crowded areas. This is made better by the fact that the city has also attracted lots of businesses and is a top-rated tourist destination center in Turkey." Foreign investors interested in the Turkey real estate market can easily take advantage of the newest rules and regulations to obtain citizenship. As from September, 19th 2018, it was published in the official gazette that foreigners who invested more than $250,000 in one or more properties were eligible for citizenship. Damas Turk Real Estate Company has since this decree assisted lots of investors to use this path to become legal residents of the nation and is a partner to count on for these needs. About Damas Turk Real Estate Company Damas Turk Real Estate Company offers an exclusive listing of the newest real estate properties in different cities and districts in Turkey that local and foreign investors can cash on for high returns in the future. Inspira Health has submitted a capital plan to the state Department of Health for equipment, building, cleaning and readiness to reactivate a shuttered hospital in Gloucester County in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a spokesman said Tuesday. Gov. Phil Murphy and other state officials announced their plans last week to reactivate the facility within three to four weeks. Inspira Medical Center Woodbury closed in December after Inspira opened a newer facility in Harrison Township in Gloucester County. The Woodbury facility currently houses only a satellite emergency department, behavioral health services, and outpatient services including imaging and lab work. When its back up and running, it will be able to provide 300 new beds to meet the growing demand for health care, New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said. Last week, Persichilli said it would not be just for COVID-19 patients but would provide all types of medical services to absorb the surge as more patients need to be treated for the virus. We have begun moving services out of the Woodbury facility to other locations, including the medical office building on the campus of the Woodbury hospital, Paul Simon, an Inspira spokesman said Tuesday. It is important to keep in mind this situation is still evolving and there are many additional details that need to be worked out. Simon said Inspira also submitted architectural plans showing possible bed capacity scenarios as well as staffing and budget operational information at the end of last week. A crew of three landscapers spread piles of mulch around islands of vegetation in a parking lot of the Inspira Medical Center, Woodbury on Tuesday morning. There was little hint outside of the hospital that an all-out effort had been launched to reactivate it to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Movers filled a box truck with furniture and other equipment outside of the hospital from an adjacent, low-rise building. Carlos Ramirez said he worked for Brookfield School, which had occupied the second floor. The school for children with behavioral health issues is based in Cherry Hill and provides instructors for some of the medical centers behavior health services in Woodbury. Ramirez said his crew was moving items back to the Cherry Hill campus. He said he wasnt sure what would take the space they were vacating. Before Inspira acquired the facility, it was known for years as Underwood-Memorial Hospital. Persichilli said while there is a need for more beds is in the northeast part of the state especially Bergen County where there have been 701 coronavirus cases South Jersey has fewer hospitals and will likely see an increased demand. There are at least 3,675 people who have tested positive statewide. New Jersey opened its first government-run drive-thru coronavirus testing site Friday at Bergen Community College in Paramus.Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Adva The coronavirus pandemic that has killed at least 44 people in New Jersey this month is taking its toll on hospitals - some of which are running dangerously low on vital equipment such as ventilators. A study released by The Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs at Rutgers-Camden this month estimates that in a worst-case scenario New Jersey could face a 300,000 hospital bed shortfall over the duration of the outbreak. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. UPDATED: Wednesday, March 25 Officials with the Montgomery County Food Bank and the YMCA are teaming up as usual to help those in need. This time it is a food give-away from the mobile market scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Shadowbend YMCA in The Woodlands. The first 200 families will receive for free more than 70 pounds of different foods on a first-come, first-serve basis. Roxanne Davis, community liaison for the YMCAs two locations in The Woodlands, said the mobile market, a drive-through grocery store on wheels, is an effort done as part of the organizations duty and call to action to help combat the effects on the region wrought by closures, job losses and health issues from the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic. Davis said in order to continue addressing the basic needs of families coping with food insecurity throughout South Montgomery County, The Woodlands Family YMCA will host a mobile market in the Shadowbend YMCA parking lot on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, at 6145 Shadowbend Place in The Woodlands. According to a press release on the event, patrons will drive thru each station, never leaving their vehicles. Boxes of food will be loaded into their cars by volunteers and Y Staff. Mobile Markets are things the Montgomery Food bank does a lot. The boxes of food are already prepared with fresh produce, with canned goods, with frozen meats and a whole load of desserts, Davis said. The family drives up, the trunk opens and our volunteers put the food in and they drive away. It is real easy. It is all prepared, the Montgomery County Food Bank has a great system. We are just one of many agencies they work with to address food insecurity. It is free, but it is limited to the first 150 families. Officials said every family will receive 30 pounds of fresh produce, 30 pounds of dry or canned goods, 10 pounds of frozen meat and assorted bread products and desserts. They stressed that the distribution of food boxes will be on a, first-come, first-serve basis with enough food to serve 200 families. Signage will be available to help with traffic flow. Social distancing guidelines will be enforced, the release stated. The original plan was to distribute food to 150 families, however on March 25, Davis said the capacity had been expanded to 200 families to meet expected needs. Davis said the process is extremely easy and will allow recipients to stay in their vehicles. She also said the YMCA works with local apartment complexes where vulnerable economic populations reside in an effort to streamline food distribution to residents. Some complexes in the township have existing on-site services coordinated and staffed by YMCA employees. Part of addressing food insecurity, as part of our community outreach program, which we have several centers located throughout The Woodlands. Mobile Markets are just part of that. Due to the coronavirus and things at the apartment complexes they are trying to limit the comings and goings of (renters). That is why the Mobile Market is moving to the YMCA. We have several (complexes) we have partnerships with because we YMCA opportunity centers there, Davis explained. More Information YMCA Blood Drive Friday, March 27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Branch Crossing YMCA, 8100 Ashlane Way, The Woodlands. Make online appointments at: www.commitforlife.org. See More Collapse The majority of their tenants are very low-income families who have various needs, we provide after-school enrichment programs and .supportive programs like finding work or a food pantry. Those needs are still going on; even though our doors are closed and we have a skeleton crew on duty, we are still trying to serve those needs as much as possible, she added. The needs of the community dont go away because our doors are closed. In issuing a call for help to the wider community, YMCA officials said in the press release that because the entity is a non-profit organization, the Y depends on community support to continue to support those in need. For those who are YMCA members, we ask that you continue to support our work through your membership, officials stated in the release. For community member and businesses who would like to support our efforts, please reach out to our development team, scott.harper@ymcahouston.org. The food drive is being done in conjunction with the Montgomery County Food Bank, which is following the CDC guidelines to address the spread of COVID-19. For additional food distribution sites, please visit https://mcfoodbank.org/ County food bank starts virtual donations drive Officials with the Montgomery County Food Bank have partnered with both the Houston Food Bank and Feeding America to help deliver food to those in need during the COVID-19 novel coronavirua pandemic. However, in a press release issued Thursday, officials, said in order to, ensure the highest food safety standards for our community, we are not encouraging community food drives. The release stated that residents can help by participating in the food banks Virtual Food Drive, with officials saying a mere $1 donation is equal to five meals. Visit the food bank website for more information on how to donate. https://mcfoodbank.org/virtual-food-drive/ Volunteers are needed, but in limited numbers and under certain restrictions. Residents who may want to volunteer can find more information online. Friday blood drive expanded The blood drive planned for Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Branch Crossing YMCA, 8100 Ashlane Way, was expanded on Tuesday. Related: 2 blood drives planned for Woodlands YMCA locations I was able to reach the Gulf Coast Blood Center, and they expanded (hours) and opened up more appointments, Davis. And, the blood drive is going to go a little longer; two hours longer to allow donors to give. Weve had such a wonderful response. On (March 23) we had over 30 donors, and with that will save 109 lives. It is remarkable how the community came out and supported that on Monday. No walk-ins are accepted at the blood donation event, and appointments must be made online by potential donors with a preferred time of an appoiontment at www.commitforlife.org. jeff.forward@chron.com There arent many upsides to the closures, cancellations and postponements that have brought our common pop-cultural life to a standstill. But one might be the discovery that there are wonderful movies streaming online, some of them hiding in plain sight for years. Better still, more and more titles are becoming available through local theaters, who are finding economic lifelines through virtual ticket sales. When possible, please acquire your digital links through the websites of your neighborhood art houses; when we can finally get back into theaters, we want to make sure theyre still standing. College students have spent the past 10 days tracking passengers on flights carrying Covid-19 infected based on information provided by airlines. Dinh Thu Trang, 20, a sophomore student at Hanoi University of Public Health, received a notification from the Ministry of Health at her rented room on the morning of March 14, stating the Covid-19 task force were seeking volunteers. She quickly filled out and submitted the online application without knowing which "task" she would be assigned. Trang and 23 other students from the Hanoi University of Public Health reported to the ministry's office the next day and underwent two hours of training. "I thought we would be helping front line task forces and first responders handle infected patients. I did worry about getting infected and accepted the risks. Turns out I had nothing to worry about." Trang's group was in charge of finding and contacting passengers aboard Covid-19 infected flights based on information provided by airlines between March 6-17. She said volunteers from her school were assigned to the Prevention and Control Task Force under the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control. Volunteer students pose with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam (middle). Photo courtesy of Dinh Thu Trang. Due to job requirements, the number of volunteers eventually shrank to 14, which inevitably increased the workload. At 7:30 a.m., Trang arrived at International Convention Center, where a large room had been divided into specialized sections, and started calling those on the provided list. "In some cases, we could contact passengers right away. Talking to foreigners and those who did not want to participate proved challenging." "One time, I called a hotel trying to track some passengers and was informed the group had just left, which was very frustrating," she added. The army of 14 volunteers had to contact passengers on multiple flights, each carrying around 200-300 travelers. Trang described her work station as a "hotline customer service" with everyone constantly on the phone. Trangs workstation is a hive of activity. Photo courtesy of Dinh Thu Trang. A simple case will take Trang between five to seven minutes, including calling and explaining the situation to the passenger, before reporting to the local health agency. Trang said their main goal is to find passengers quickly, especially those who had close contact with patients, because "if a passenger is accidentally infected it could lead to a stream of consequences." According to schedule, Trang's team work the day shift, which ends at 7 p.m., while another group from Hanoi Medical University handle the night shift. But Trang leaves around 9-10 p.m. every day due to the workload, saying she ends up phoning about 100 passengers a day on average. "I sleep at most five hours a day. Actually, I can go home early, but if I don't do the work others have to do it. Everyone is fighting, everyone is tired, so I keep telling myself that I should keep trying harder." Last Saturday morning, Trang said her team was able to contact passengers on 11 out of 25 flights related to infected cases while other volunteers were able to contact 85-90 percent of passengers on another 14 flights. Vietnam has recorded 134 Covid-19 cases so far, 17 of whom have recovered and been discharged. Many of the remaining people in hospitals, are Vietnamese and foreigners arriving from Europe and the U.S. The pandemic has thus far spread to 197 countries and territories, killing more than 18,800 people. Railroad BBQ: Opening a restaurant in the middle of a global pandemic is hardIt should have been a glorious launch. For years, as folks have driven past the building at 2001 Hampton Street a busy spot in the road near the Richland County administrative complex and the campuses of Allen University and Benedict College theyve likely taken notice of the slow-but-steady progress of Railroad BBQ. Longtime Columbia activist and author Kevin Gray has long planned the barbecue joint, and had been methodical in selecting the decor the walls of the establishment are literally stuffed with hundreds of photographs, political posters, stickers and other pieces of historical ephemera and cultivating the restaurants vibe and pork-and-chicken-infused menu. Those years of planning and working came to a head with Railroads official opening on March 12 which just so happened to coincide with the escalation of the once-in-a-lifetime COVID-19 global pandemic. Now, just two weeks after the restaurant formally opened its doors, Gray has temporarily shuttered Railroad hes calling it a reset as business and everyday life have ground to a near-halt in Columbia and South Carolina. Restaurants across South Carolina have been grappling with an executive order put in place by Gov. Henry McMaster on March 17. That order, which went into effect just five days after Railroad BBQ opened, closed all dine-in services at restaurants and bars across the state, in an effort to discourage public gatherings and hopefully slow the spread of the coronavirus. After McMasters order, Railroad, like many other restaurants, shifted to a takeout-only model. Then, on March 20, another factor came into play that hurt the foot traffic of the nascent barbecue joint: Richland County closed its administration building to the public. That usually busy county building, which is directly across the street from Railroad, is now quiet. When a Free Times reporter visited Railroad on Wednesday morning, a sign on the door informed customers the business was closed until further notice. We shut down for this week because the county [building] shut down, Gray says when reached by phone. That kind of hurt us. Well, it didnt kind of hurt us. It did hurt us. Our sales were picking up after we opened. But when they shut down that county building? Dude, that was like, Bam. Gray insists to Free Times that the closure of Railroad is temporary. He says he is exploring getting infrastructure in place to have delivery, but a timetable for that is not set in stone. Gray, a tall, lanky figure with a low-rumbling, deep voice, has long been a fixture in Columbia politics and activism. Hes a past member of the American Civil Liberties Unions national board, and he was the South Carolina coordinator for the Rev. Jesse Jacksons presidential run back in 1988. Hes been integral in a host of community organizing efforts through the years, and has been a frequent contributor to African-American newspapers across South Carolina. But for the last several years hes also been prepping the barbecue joint on Hampton Street. At one point during its long gestation, the restaurant was known as Top Notch BBQ, but the name was later changed to Railroad, a nod the Norfolk Southern tracks that run just west of the building. Gray, 62, says it simply took time to get the restaurant together. The building was gutted and remodeled, and he did a lot of the work himself, with other members of the community. He knew how he wanted the place decorated inside, and that work was meticulous. I wasnt really operating on anybodys timeframe except my own, I must admit, Gray says in his trademark thoughtful cadence. Thats how I usually operate. It did take me a little while to say, OK, Im done, and open it. And now, after all the preparation, and just a couple weeks after officially opening Railroads doors, hes looking at the effects of a global pandemic, one that has gripped towns from Los Angeles to Columbia in fear and uncertainty. With the restaurant temporarily closed, hes planning on how things will look going forward. But Grays approaching the situation with pragmatism. Hes keeping an eye on coronavirus relief legislation making its way through Congress, and hes even recently given up smoking, though its a stressful time to do so. After being so careful in the long preparation of Railroad BBQ, he admits the timing of the opening has been a challenge. Opening a restaurant in the middle of a global pandemic is hard, Gray says, with a little chuckle. Thats all I can say. It is hard. Chris Trainor Granby Grill: Why not? Kipp Shives tells Free Times why not when asked about opening his restaurant Granby Grill during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rent is still due, the power bill is going to be due, we just figured to get it going in any direction you can, Shives explains. He then reassures, I believe if youre getting food from us youre getting it in a safe way. Shives is backed up by experts who agree that food delivery or takeout is fairly safe. He posits, too, that by opening his diner-like restaurant hes helping out folks who might not be adept at cooking, and helping everybody who gets food from him to avoid the grocery store. Still, its not ideal, he admits. We did a soft open for literally four days and it was great, but then were told we cant do that anymore, Shives details, referencing McMasters order closing all of the states public dining rooms. We definitely thought wed be a bar and grill and the delivery would come later. Shives Granby Grill is located in the former Bubbas Biscuit space, which opened a second location in Lexington earlier this year, and Shives is partnering with that business owner, Arif Ashfaq, on the new restaurant. Ashfaq says that Shives is manning the day-to-day operations, while hes overseeing the financial side of things. The two met while Shives worked at the next-door Village Idiot Pizza location, and he later helped Ashfaq open the downtown Lexington location of Bubbas Biscuit. I think it was a pretty easy transition that he and I both felt pretty comfortable with, Ashfaq says. We can really bring something unique. I think the ideas that he has for that location, I think Columbia has a lot to get out of it. The Lexington Bubbas and Ashfaqs other restaurant, RFs Corner Grill, are temporarily closed due to COVID-19, while he works on developing better delivery models for the two spots. Shives describes his restaurant as being in line with diners as well as iconic Main Street dive bar The Whig. In tracing his inspiration, he recalls a former diner on Devine Street where one could pay $1 for 11 songs on the jukebox. Were just trying to get that kind of good atmosphere, he says. Its a greasy spoon. Ashfaq feels that Granby will fit the Whaley Street location well, pointing to Granbys price point current food options are baskets that trend near $10 and include a sandwich or other entree and fries and later operating time as reasons why. As for Bubbas, Ashfaq is looking to relocate the Columbia outpost of his biscuit concept to a location downtown, Five Points or Devine Street. Ashfaq suggests those areas will fit the restaurant better with their stronger foot traffic something his Lexington spot has done well with. BB is really better-served for our guests and for our community if we were more on Main Street downtown, he says. Granby is located in a lower level space attached to The Mills apartment complex, which houses many University of South Carolina students. Shives says his restaurant fills an empty niche in the neighborhood. Theres hardly any food over here, Shives posits. In its first week of being officially open, business has been steady and exceeded his expectations, he reports. The restaurant will be able to cover its expenses if it can continue to match those first-week sales. Currently, the space is open for carryout and delivery Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Shives plans on maintaining those hours once it opens for dine-in service. He adds that the grill could potentially introduce lunch hours if demand is there. Granby is far from Shives first experience with restaurants. He previously worked at The Whig and at Hunter-Gatherer as a dishwasher in addition to his most recent stint at Village Idiot. I have this joke that I get out of the restaurant business for five year at a time, but for some reason it gets me back, Shives concludes. BERKELEY (BCN) A man who was fatally shot in Berkeley on Friday afternoon was identified by the Alameda County coroner's bureau on Wednesday as 29-year-old Diante Craig of Richmond. Craig was shot near the corner of University Avenue and Chestnut Street, two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue, at about 12:20 p.m. Friday and was pronounced dead at the scene. Hosea Askew, 52, of Richmond, was arrested on Saturday in connection with Craig's death but the Alameda County District Attorney's Office hasn't yet filed charges against him. Askew remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin without bail. At the request of Supervisor Keith Carson, whose district includes Berkeley, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors adjourned its meeting on Tuesday in Craig's honor and held a moment of silence for him. Carson said Craig's mother is an Alameda County employee. On her Facebook page, Craig's mother wrote, "As I sit here in my son's barber chair and stare into his room I feel his protectiveness and comforting spirit. I hear his whistle. I feel so proud of him and how he touched so many many. He was a bridge, connecting so many." Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. If people do not heed the warnings of our police department to not congregate, to stay at home if they at all possibly can, then were going to start issuing citations. Not because we want to but because we must, said Beck. Because if we do not do this, Chicago is at risk. Your families are at risk. The seniors in this city are at risk. And this is something that your police department has to do. Jeremy Gorner KABUL, Afghanistan Gunmen stormed a religious gathering of Afghanistan's minority Sikhs in their place of worship in the heart of Kabul's old city on Wednesday, killing at least four people, a Sikh lawmaker said. Within hours, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. Those killed included a child whose body was brought to a Kabul hospital, the emergency services and the hospital said. At least 15 people were wounded. Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said police responded promptly to the attack on the Sikh place of worship, known as a Gurdwara, with shooting still underway. The lawmaker, Narindra Singh Khalsa, said he rushed over to help after receiving a call from a worshipper inside the Gurdwara telling him of the attack. There were about 150 worshippers inside the Gurdwara at the time of the attack, he added. Several of the worshippers were being held hostage by the gunmen who were lobbing grenades at the Afghan special forces, Khalsa said, but added he couldn't say how many were being held. Image: Afghan security forces inspect near the site of an attack in Kabul (Mohammad Ismail / Reuters) The Interior Ministry said the first floor of the Gurdwara had been cleared but that Afghan special forces, aided by international troops, were moving slowly throughout the remainder of the building. The SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks militant postings and groups, said IS claimed responsibility for the attack on the group's Aamaq media arm. At a Kabul hospital, Mohan Singh, who was in the Gurdwara when the attack began, said he first heard the sound of gunshots and ran for cover under a table. Later he heard the sounds of explosions, adding that he believes they were hand grenades. He was injured when parts of the ceiling fell on him. In photographs shared by the Interior Ministry, about a dozen children were seen being rushed out of the Gurdwara by Afghan special forces, many of them barefoot and crying. Earlier, as the news of the attack broke, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed tweeted that the Taliban were not involved. Earlier this month, Afghanistan's IS affiliate struck a gathering of minority Shiite Muslims in Kabul, killing 32 people. Sikhs have suffered widespread discrimination in the conservative Muslim country and have also been targeted by Islamic extremists. Under Taliban rule in the late 1990s, they were asked to identify themselves by wearing yellow armbands, but the rule was not enforced. In recent years, large numbers of Sikhs and Hindus have sought asylum in India, which has a Hindu majority and a large Sikh population. In July 2018, a convoy of Sikhs and Hindus was attacked by an Islamic State suicide bomber as they were on their way to meet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in the eastern city of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. Nineteen people were killed in that attack. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban says that the police profession has become even more dangerous in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and calls on Romanian citizens to support their work by observing the laws in force and the rules imposed by the current health emergency, in a message addressed on the occasion of the Romanian Police Day. "Today, March 25, is the Romanian Police Day, a day that, this year, confirms, if needed, the difficult and risky mission that the people of the law have for our citizens' safety. Especially now, when we are going through an unprecedented period for Romania and for the whole planet, we see the continuous involvement of the police officers in the almost unequal fight with an invisible enemy before whom we do not want to give up," says Orban in his message.The prime minister emphasizes that the state of emergency involves even more efforts from the Romanian Police."There are unprecedented measures imposed by many other states in our situation and that citizens must understand and respect. The profession of police officer is risky by definition, but in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic it has become even more risky because they are exposed to all the dangers of illness. They are on duty, on the street, for us, and we, in our turn, need to understand that all their efforts are for our good, our health and our safety. I urge you all to be partners and support their mission through a gesture of personal and social responsibility: STAY HOME!", says Orban.The prime minister sends his admiration and congratulations to the Romanian Police for all they have done so far."I value their work, wish them all health and give them all their support. Many happy returns to the Romanian Police and all the employees in its structures!", says Orban. - Frankie Pangilinan learned about the bill that will give President Rodrigo Duterte special powers - The said powers are to be used to address the novel coronavirus crisis in the Philippines - Frankie shared a screenshot of her conversation with Senator Kiko Pangilinan about the said matter - She asked her lawmaker father about the worst thing that could happen because of the special powers given to the president PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Frankie Pangilinan did not hesitate to reveal the content of the recent conversation that she had with Senator Kiko Pangilinan. KAMI learned that the subject of their discussion was the emergency powers that were granted to President Rodrigo Duterte. It can be remembered that the head of state already signed the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act that will give him additional powers to address the COVID-19 crisis in the Philippines. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Frankie sounded really concerned about the measures stipulated in the newly-signed act so she decided to ask her lawmaker father about them. Senator Kiko assured his gorgeous daughter that all the controversial provisions in the said act were already removed before it was approved. One of those slashed out was the power to take over public utilities. The politician also mentioned that the powers will only last for 90 days. Frankie stated through the caption of her post that her conversation with the Senator about the special powers of President Duterte really eased her heart. Hope this eases your heart as it did mine tonight, she wrote. In a previous article by , Frankie touched the hearts of many people as she posted a heartfelt message for her dad Kiko. Frankie Pangilinan is the daughter of Sharon Cuneta to husband Kiko Pangilinan. She is also the half-sister of prominent actress KC Concepcion. POPULAR: Read more news about Frankie Pangilinan! Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! TikTok dance challenges are taking over social media. We are always on point in asking passers-by to dance to famous songs together with our host Andre! Dont forget to subscribe to HumanMeter! Source: KAMI.com.gh Stepping up measures against Covid-19 after the first positive case was reported in the state on Wednesday, the Mizoram government decided to use the services of retired doctors and rope in private hospitals to fight novel coronavirus. Facing a manpower crunch, the state government has collected details of retired doctors and prepared duty rosters, health departments principal director Dr F Lallianhlira said. Health Minister Dr R Lalthangliana told reporters that the state government has formed a medical operation team with private hospitals to strengthen coordination and medical facility in the fight against the novel coronavirus. He thanked owners of private hospitals for extending their help to the state government in its effort to contain the outbreak. The Mizoram government has also urged its Assam and Tripura counterparts to stop the movement of people across the inter-state borders during the lockdown period. Lalthangliana said he has called up Assam Chief Minister Sarbananada Sonowal and Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma and requested them to maintain strict vigil along the inter-state borders. The health minister also asked people of Mizoram currently staying in other parts of the country to remain where they are and not to enter the state. He said the state government has made special arrangement to accommodate stranded passengers at Mizoram Houses in various cities across the country. Lalthangliana also asked people not to panic after the state reported its first positive case on Wednesday. A 50-year-old pastor of Mizoram, who recently returned from Amsterdam, was tested positive for COVID-19. State nodal officer of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme Dr Pachuau Lalmalsawma said 15 out 16 samples have tested negative for Covid-19. Officials of the state health department said more than 60,500 people have been screened for the virus till Wednesday. At least 191 people have been placed under home quarantine while four have been isolated in two hospitals so far, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gun sales have exploded in the United States in the last two weeks as the coronavirus outbreak worsens, with people stocking up on weapons and ammunition out of fear the pandemic might lead to social unrest. "We have had about an 800 percent increase in sales," said David Stone, owner of Dong's Guns, Ammo and Reloading in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "I'm still not out of any caliber but I'm getting close to running out." Stone told AFP that the overall majority of customers rushing to stock up on firearms and ammunition are first-time buyers grabbing anything available. "It's fear over coronavirus," he said. "I don't understand it myself and I think it's unreasonable." Several other store owners across the United States said they have also seen a surge in sales as people fear social order will unravel if the health and economic crisis caused by the virus escalates. Tiffany Teasdale, owner of Lynnwood Gun, located in the state of Washington, one of the states hardest hit by the virus, said she has seen a massive uptick in sales with customers lining up an hour before the store opens. "We used to have on what we would call busy days, 20 to 25 firearms being sold," said Teasdale, who has hired a bouncer to keep everyone in check. "Today, we are seeing upwards of 150." She said shotguns were in shortage across the country, along with ammunition for them as well as ammunition for handguns. "A lot of people are buying shotguns, handguns, AR-15 (semi-automatic rifles), everything," said Teasdale, whose store is open seven days a week. Like Stone, she said most of her customers are first-time buyers who undergo background checks and, if need be, are given a quick course on how to handle their purchase. - 'Everybody buying guns' - "We have men, women, young, middle-aged, older, everybody buying guns," she said. "And all ethnic backgrounds -- black, Asian, Indian, Hispanic." She said one customer who came into the store recently decided it was time to arm himself after he witnessed two women fighting over the last case of bottled water at a store. "We have customers who are also scared because law enforcement is being told to not respond as much because they are so short-staffed," she added. "So a lot of people are scared that someone is going to break into their home... to steal cash, their toilet paper, their bottled water, their food." Utah resident Nick Silverri told the local CBS station that he recently purchased a shotgun for protection, but was having a hard time finding ammo. "A shotgun seemed like a prudent firearm for self-defense in case COVID-19 virus got people all riled up and crazy," he said. Jordan McCormick, marketing director of Delta Team Tactical, based in Utah, said his company, which mostly makes AR-15 kits, is working non-stop to meet demand. "Last week is pretty much when things got crazy," McCormick, whose products are sold online and in stores, told AFP. "It's like gasoline got poured on a fire." He said fears over gun shops being shut down across the country as more and more states impose lockdowns have driven sales, along with concerns by advocates who worry that the right to bear arms -- as laid out in the second amendment of the US constitution -- could be threatened. "A lot of people want to protect themselves," he said. "If people are out of work for a while and they start looting, they want to have the ability to protect themselves, their assets and their family." A worker restocks handguns at Davidson Defense in Orem, Utah on March 20, 2020 A worker inspects an AR-15 gun at Davidson Defense in Orem, Utah Gun sales have exploded in the United States in the last two weeks as the coronavirus outbreak worsens, with people stocking up on weapons and ammunition out of fear the pandemic might lead to social unrest A worker moves finished AR-15 rifle barrels for storage at Delta Team Tactical in Orem, Utah New Delhi, March 25 : After a purported news clip appeared on social media which was allegedly telecast on Republic TV where Dr Anish Singhal, Director of ESIC Hospital, Noida, was confronted by its reporter who accused the doctor of carrying fake ID card, the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has hit back. The ESIC accused the TV reporter of indulging in argument with Singhal . "The reporter also accused Dr Singhal of using fake identity card," it alleged. Singhal is the Director & Medical Superintendent of the 300-bed ESIC Hospital in Noida, it said. Clarifying the circumstances in which the video was shot, the ESIC said in a statement, "Dr. Singhal was trying to convince the police personnel to allow him to enter through teh checkpoint when the reporter interrupted and started arguing." Republic TV has not responded with any clarification, so far. The shocking incident, as alleged by the ESIC, came at a time when doctors are hailed all across the country for their selfless service in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that has affected more than 500 people in India so far. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had urged Indians to clap at 5 p.m. last Sunday to honor the doctors who are at the frontline. ESIC is a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, which provides social security and medical services to around 3.5 crore workers, mostly from the lower strata of the society. And ESIC harped on that fact to stress the irony, saying, "As per government directives, ESIC hospitals are involved in fighting the menace of COVID-19." It asserted that though it has no intention to undermine the role of the media, it highlighted the "testing time" that the society was going through. Referring to the incident, the body requested the media "to ensure that the personnel working in emergency services are not interrupted or inconvenienced in the performance of their duties." -IANS abn/arm The Delhi government on Wednesday permitted all manufacturers of drugs and cosmetics to produce ethanol-based hand sanitisers up to June 30 without a separate license to deal with the shortage of such cleansers in markets post coronavirus outbreak. This was announced by Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who shared a copy of a circular notifying the decision on Twitter. The decision was taken by the Drug Control Department of the Kejriwal government. "It has been observed that hand sanitisers are either not available with most of the vendors in the market or are available at exorbitant prices," the circular said. The decision to "grant conditional permission/approval to manufacture ethanol-based sanitiser/hand cleanser/hand rub to manufacturers of drugs, homeopathic medicine manufacturers/cosmetic manufacturers in Delhi for a period up to June 30 only shall be deemed cancelled/withdrawn automatically, unless otherwise extended," the circular said. The circular also said the label of all such bottles should specify for sale in Delhi only' so that the manufacturers' stock is not diverted outside the national capital. "The pricing of the products so manufactured by them is within notified prices under the Essential Commodities Act," it said. The WHO has declared coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) a pandemic, which has wreaked havoc globally, including in India. The number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 562 on Wednesday while the death toll due to COVID-19 in the country was revised down to nine, according to the Union health ministry data. The ministry in its updated figures on Wednesday morning, stated that the second death reported in Delhi was COVID-19 negative, thus bringing down the death toll to nine in India. In Delhi, 30 cases of coronavirus have been reported including a death. Many people have been rushing to markets to buy essential food items and hand sanitisers, especially since the lockdown announced by the Delhi government on Saturday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Park Inn by Radisson, Dubai Motor City, the citys only motor themed hotel, has appointed a new cluster management team. Driving the team is James Berry as the cluster general manager. Berry, who hails from England, began his management career as general manager in 2008 and brings with him over 20 years of experience in the hotel and hospitality industry. Prior to moving to Dubai, Berry had been serving as general manager at Sofitel London Heathrow Hotel after spending two years as a general manager at Sofitel London Gatwick Hotel. Prior to that, Berry spent four years with Guoman & Thistle Hotels, now known as glh, in London, as VC general manager at The Tower Hotel and Acting General Manager of The Cumberland in Marble Arch. Berry has also previously worked with Radisson Hotel Group as general manager of Park Inn Peterborough, during which, he also oversaw the opening of the Park Inn Rotherham, and at Park Inn Thurrock. Most recently, he was the general manager of Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City. Berry is joined by a cluster team from Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City; Taking charge of HR at the hotel is the cluster director of HR Roni Masri. A Lebanese national, Masri has been with the Radisson Hotel Group for the past seven years. With a passion for people, his responsibilities will include leading all HR-related operations talent-development strategies/policies, administration, compliance and management. Leading the sales is cluster director of sales Amjad Mohammad. His sales career spans over 19 years in the hospitality industry, having worked across many international markets including Oman and UAE within established and globally known brands such as Starwood / Marriott, Accor, IHG and Radisson Hotel Group. In his new role, Mohammad will be responsible for the hotel's strategy across key market segments and the achievement of sales targets. British national Tim Reynolds joins as cluster hotel manager. With his extensive knowledge of the market and over 14 years experience in the hotel sector, Reynolds will be overseeing the entire hotel operation, working with the relevant departments to drive top-line revenue, guest satisfaction and employee engagement. Cluster financial controller Lola Toplica brings more than 25 years experience in financial and management accounting to the team and will play a big role in moving the property forward with the right strategic direction. The team will be joined by Caroline Jonsson as cluster head of PR & marketing. With over 10 years of experience, she will be responsible for overseeing all public relations and marketing projects and campaigns of the hotel, as well as identifying areas of improvement to increase and communicate the Park Inn brand objectives. - TradeArabia News Service At a reception earlier, Deputy PM Minh lauded the diplomats active contributions to the strengthening of the Vietnam Japan extensive strategic partnership. He stressed that during the ambassadors tenure in Vietnam, the bilateral ties have been developed substantially in various areas, with regular high-level visits which helped strengthen bilateral political trust. On economic cooperation, Japan remained among the top investors, trade and tourism partners of Vietnam, Minh highlighted, thanking and hailing Japan for its continued supply of official development assistance to Vietnam, thus making active and effective contributions to the countrys socio-economic development. For his part, the Japanese envoy thanked Deputy PM Minh and the Foreign Ministry for helping him fulfill assigned tasks. According to him, Vietnam has become a top important and trustworthy partner of Japan in the fields of politics, security, economy and human resources training. He heralded drastic measures undertaken by the Vietnamese Government in response to the COVID-19 epidemic. The diplomat also pledged to continue contributing to bilateral ties in any position upon returning home. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The College of Staten Island (CSI) in Willowbrook is vacating its dorm buildings for the possibility that they may need to be used as temporary medical facilities due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to an email to members of the CSI community and acquired by the Advance/SILive.com. Residents of the Dolphin Cove residence halls are being asked to vacate the buildings by Thursday. Students unable to return home, including international students, can gather their belongings to prepare to be relocated into a single residential facility at City University of New York (CUNY) Queens College, according to a CUNY spokesman CUNY is doing all it can in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, including making dormitories available for use as medical facilities, as requested by the state, said Frank Sobrino, a spokesman for CUNY. Students residing in these facilities who are unable to go home are being offered placement in a dormitory at Queens College, where they will continue receiving full services. The news comes shortly after Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked private and public universities across New York State to prepare for the possibility that dorm buildings may need to be converted into temporary medical emergency centers. According to CUNY, college dormitories will serve to expand the number of hospital beds available downstate by more than 29,000 -- which will help close the gap between the 53,000 hospital beds currently available, and the 140,000 beds expected to be needed due to the spread of the coronavirus. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** CSI President William J. Fritz said in a video message to the school community that students may have heard him talk about how the college is built on the Halloran General Hospital -- a hospital for wounded soldiers coming back home from World War II. It is somehow fitting that we are getting conversations with the state and federal authorities about the possibility of using our facilities for health care and for providing daycare for children of medical first responders," he said in the video. The college has a history of stepping up in times of crisis during events like 9/11 and Superstorm Sandy. As Staten Islands anchor institution, we will do the same to meet this crisis. Everyone has contributed and will continue to contribute to the cause of supporting our students, each other and the borough throughout this time. CUNY and CSI are taking measures to reduce the number of university residential facilities to allow for more efficient supervision of social distancing and other containment measures in dorms, according to the email from CSI. By housing remaining dormitory residents in one building, CUNY can better serve these students by consolidating food, staffing and supply deliveries. CSI said it is working diligently to provide students with additional information regarding the duration of dormitory closures and planning for long-term housing, as well as the policy on refunds. The college began remote learning last week in an effort to safeguard the health and well-being of both students and employees. A small percentage of staff, deemed essential by their supervisor, will be reporting to campus to provide critical services to students. Sign up for text message alerts from SILive.com on coronavirus: 53 Fighting the coronavirus: NYC on pause RELATED COVERAGE: DoorDash will deliver meals to medically fragile NYC kids Will first responder child care centers offer special ed services? Staten Island parents on remote learning: Teacher, school support amazing' First responder child care centers open with a lot of precautions Mayor: NYC schools may be closed for rest of 2019-2020 academic year Coronavirus: AP exams will be online, shortened to 45 minutes Schools closed: Heres where NYC students can get free meals Coronavirus: Several Staten Island schools announce confirmed cases Schools closed: Heres where NYC students can get free meals Wagner College postpones commencement due to coronavirus 10 tips for families as NYC schools move to online learning How prepared are teachers, parents for remote learning? Child care for first responders: How many sites on Staten Island? Coronavirus: All standardized exams suspended this school year 2 coronavirus cases confirmed at Wagner College FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks to reporters after a March 20 meeting about the proposed stimulus package. (Associated Press) The era of small government is over and a Republican president is helping to end it. For more than a century, our two major parties have been defined by their attitudes toward the size and scope of the federal government. Democrats were expansionists; the GOP insisted on limited government, the smaller the better. But the coronavirus has made almost every politician a free-spending activist, beginning with President Trump. He has promised to use every resource of the federal government not only to counter the epidemic but to make sure the economy recovers. We are going to save American workers, and we are going to save them very quickly, he said Monday. If you had a viable business in January, we are committed to ensuring that the rescue is there. If a Democrat were in the White House, GOP deficit hawks almost certainly would have fought for a smaller, more targeted bill. When President Obama proposed a $787-billion stimulus to help the economy recover from the Great Recession in 2009, almost every Republican in Congress opposed the plan as too large. This time, almost every Republican is supporting a $2-trillion stimulus package that includes billions in loans for companies, states and citizens; help for state-run unemployment insurance programs; and direct payments of $1,200 to most adults a measure that once would have been mocked as shoveling money out of airplanes. The cost more than doubled in just a few days, making it the biggest economic stimulus package in history. One reason for the GOP support is that the economic crisis touched off by the pandemic could be worse than the Great Recession, with some forecasts of unemployment soaring to 20% or more. But another is that we have a Republican president and he knows that his chance to win reelection will plummet without vigorous action to save the economy. Trump decided to go big, and Republicans fell in line, Geoffrey Kabaservice, who has written a history of the GOP, told me. It raises a deeper question: Is conservatism separable from Trumpism anymore? Story continues In that unexpected and very limited sense, we may be lucky that Trump is in the White House at this moment. He may not know much about crisis management or epidemiology, but he wants to spend whatever it takes to save the economy and he can command his party to follow. But then, Trump was never really a fiscal conservative. When he ran for president, he broke with GOP orthodoxy by promising never to cut Social Security or Medicare, the two biggest federal domestic spending programs. He promised, implausibly, to balance the federal budget in eight years but in office, he has never tried to fulfill that pledge. Instead, the centerpiece of his first term was a $1.5-trillion tax cut that made the federal deficit much deeper nearly $1trillion last year, before anyone had ever heard of COVID-19. And hes always been a fan of government subsidies for business at least when he was the recipient. He was the first real estate developer in New York to win a public subsidy for commercial projects under programs initially reserved for improving slum neighborhoods. In 2016, the New York Times calculated that Trump had received at least $885million in tax breaks, grants and other subsidies for luxury apartments, hotels and office buildings. When he has listed priority targets for help under the coronavirus rescue package, he has often mentioned the tourism and hospitality industries. He said he didnt know whether his hotels would be among the beneficiaries. We have to work with the airlines. We have to work with the cruise lines, he said Monday. But those probably arent the right priorities. Airline companies have plenty of access to private capital markets, and several have shown that its possible to survive bankruptcy. Most major cruise lines are foreign owned and employ relatively few U.S. citizens. The largest, Carnival, is incorporated in Panama although its chairman, Micky Arison, is one of Trumps friends and advisors. When the first stimulus packages were proposed this month, there was a flurry of initial resistance from fiscal conservatives in Congress. Forty GOP House members and eight senators voted against a proposed bill that would require many employers to provide sick leave to their workers. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said he worried about incentivizing people to not show up for work. But as the crisis deepened, the only debate was between the two parties, as Democrats pushed to make the package more generous to unemployed workers and to impose stricter oversight for a $500-billion fund for corporations. William F. Buckley used to say that conservatism is the politics of reality, Kabaservice told me. If you are a realistic conservative, you have to concede that in a national emergency like this, the federal government is the indispensable actor. Someday, once the pandemic has waned and the economy has recovered, the GOPs fiscal conservatives will find a federal deficit ballooned far beyond their fears, and will begin campaigning to shrink it or blame Democrats for it. But thats for later. Now theres a war to fight and an election to win. Security researchers warn that a Chinese cyberespionage group has been attacking organizations worldwide by exploiting vulnerabilities in popular business applications and devices from companies such as Cisco, Citrix and Zoho. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the risk to companies is even greater, because IT staffs are working remotely and the rush to accommodate work-from-home employees might leave business applications exposed to the internet without adequate protection. "Between January 20 and March 11, FireEye observed APT41 attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in Citrix NetScaler/ADC, Cisco routers, and Zoho ManageEngine Desktop Central at over 75 FireEye customers," researchers from security firm FireEye said in a report released today. They also described the attacks as "the broadest campaigns by a Chinese cyber espionage actor we have observed in recent years." Who is APT41? APT41 is a sophisticated, likely state-sponsored cyberespionage actor that has been operating since at least 2012 and whose actions seem to be aligned with China's five-year economic development plans. Also known in the security industry as Barium or Winnti, the group has been involved in strategic intelligence collection from organizations in many sectors, but also in financially motivated attacks that predominantly targeted the online gaming industry. Some experts believe that it's operating as a contractor and has multiple teams with different goals. In the past, APT41 has specialized in software supply-chain attacks. The group hacked into the software development environments of several software vendors and injected malicious code into digitally signed tools that were then distributed to customers through the normal software distribution channels. One example is the 2017 attack against CCleaner that resulted in poisoned copies of the popular utility being distributed to 2.2 million users. The group is also believed to be responsible for ShadowPad, a software supply-chain attack that resulted in the distribution of malicious versions of a commercial enterprise server management tool called Xmanager. "APT41 leverages an arsenal of over 46 different malware families and tools to accomplish their missions, including publicly available utilities, malware shared with other Chinese espionage operations, and tools unique to the group," Fireeye said in a report about the group last year. "APT41 quickly identifies and compromises intermediary systems that provide access to otherwise segmented parts of an organizations network. In one case, the group compromised hundreds of systems across multiple network segments and several geographic regions in as little as two weeks." The researchers concluded that the group is well-resourced, highly skilled, creative and agile, adapting quickly to any attempts by its targets to remediate the infections. APT41 compromises are typically widespread and highly persistent with the group ready to fight to maintain its foothold inside networks. Companies could have an even harder time to respond to such breaches now when members of their security and IT teams are working from home or are sick as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent APT41 campaigns The attacks observed by FireEye this year have targeted companies from many industries including banking/finance, defense, government, healthcare, high tech, manufacturing, oil & gas, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, and transportation worldwide. Countries affected include the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland and the UAE. Unlike previous campaigns where the group used phishing emails or Trojan malware, its attacks this year primarily involved targeting vulnerable systems and devices that were directly exposed to the internet. One of the used exploits targeted a vulnerability in Citrix Application Delivery Controller (ADC), formerly known as NetScaler ADC; Citrix Gateway, formerly known as NetScaler Gateway; and the Citrix SD-WAN WANOP appliance. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2019-19781, was disclosed in December and APT41 already added it to its arsenal by the end of January. The attacks resulted in the execution of a shell command that downloaded a backdoor over FTP. "One interesting thing to note is that all observed requests were only performed against Citrix devices, suggesting APT41 was operating with an already known list of identified devices accessible on the internet," the FireEye researchers said. In late February, FireEye also observed an attack by APT41 that compromised a Cisco RV320 router at a telecommunications organization resulting in the installation of a malicious binary on the device. While the researchers don't know exactly which exploit was used, they suspect it was a publicly available one that takes advantage of a command injection flaw (CVE-2019-1652) and an information disclosure issue (CVE-2019-1653) that Cisco patched last year in April. Finally, starting March 8, FireEye observed APT41 attacks targeting ManageEngine Desktop Central, a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solution. ManageEngine is a division of Zoho. The attacks started only three days after a security researcher published proof-of-concept code for a remote code execution vulnerability affecting Desktop Central versions prior to 10.0.474. Zoho released a short-term fix for this flaw (CVE-2020-10189) in January in version 10.0.474 and a more comprehensive fix in build 10.0.479 on March 7. The Desktop Central exploits were used to install a payload that downloaded a trial-version of the Cobalt Strike Beacon loader. Cobalt Strike is a commercial penetration testing tool and its Beacon component is a backdoor payload used for data exfiltration and additional payload deployment. In fact, APT41 used the Cobalt Strike Beacon to then download Meterpreter, the attack payload component of the open-source Metasploit penetration testing framework. "It is notable that we have only seen these exploitation attempts leverage publicly available malware such as Cobalt Strike and Meterpreter," the FireEye researchers said. "While these backdoors are full featured, in previous incidents APT41 has waited to deploy more advanced malware until they have fully understood where they were and carried out some initial reconnaissance. In 2020, APT41 continues to be one of the most prolific threats that FireEye currently tracks. This new activity from this group shows how resourceful and how quickly they can leverage newly disclosed vulnerabilities to their advantage." Mitigation for the new APT41 attacks Organizations who use the targeted software or devices should deploy the available mitigations or patches as soon as possible. If the current physical movement restrictions mandated by authorities as a result of COVID-19 makes patching difficult, companies should at the very least firewall those devices off the internet. The vulnerable systems should also be isolated from the rest of the network or taken offline if alternatives can be deployed, because they could already be compromised. Companies can use the indicators of compromise and other information provided in the FireEye report to scan their networks. The recent APT41 attacks highlight the risks associated with exposing sensitive business applications directly to the internet, which is something that companies might be under increased pressure to do given the current work-from-home situation. However, remote management should always be performed through secure connections with VPNs or through zero trust access gateways. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th March, 2020) The first case of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been registered in Libya, the Libya Observer said on Twitter citing medics. It said the report had been received from the National Center for Disease Control. On December 31, 2019, China informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan in the country's central part (Hubei Province). Experts said the disease was caused by a new coronavirus. The disease was dubbed COVID-19. The WHO on March 11 announced a pandemic of COVID-19 worldwide. China's state health committee on March 12 said the epidemiological peak in the country had been passed. According to the latest WHO data, more than 372,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide, over 16,000 people have died. Thailand barred entry into the kingdom late on Wednesday, enacting sweeping emergency powers in a bid to stem the local spread of the coronavirus outbreak. The measures, which stopped short of a full lockdown after days of vacillation by the government, are a hammer blow to the country's vital tourism sector. Tens of thousands of travellers remain in the kingdom, facing uncertainty with airlines in chaos and restrictions on return to their countries. Bangkok, a city of 10 million, was hushed Wednesday as shops and restaurants shuttered, and Buddhist monks seated a metre apart led an anti-virus prayer session televised nationwide. But social media showed thousands of foreigners jammed in chaotic lines at the capital's immigration office to file for visa extensions. The Royal Gazette announced Wednesday night that authorities would "close all checkpoints and gates" for its land borders, while entry by air and ship will also be halted. Diplomats and returning Thais who have health certificates will still be allowed to return. All gatherings are also outlawed, and authorities have asked vulnerable people -- like the elderly -- stay home. But festive ceremonies, like weddings or family activities, may continue under rules issued by the government. Authorities also banned "reports of untrue which could lead to fear", under penalty of up to two years in prison. The state of emergency will continue until April 30. Thailand currently has 934 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including four deaths. The highly infectious virus has killed more 18,000 globally, spurring governments to introduce harsh measures forbidding citizens from leaving their homes. The kingdom was the first country to confirm a case outside China in January, but incremental measures were taken due to its flagging economy's reliance on tourism. The tripling in cases over the past week has sent Thais in a panic, and many have taken to social media to criticise the government's spotty containment measures. Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha warned earlier Wednesday against sharing "fake news" -- a rebuke coming days after a man was arrested for a Facebook post complaining of lax airport checks. Thailand has in the past enacted emergency laws to quell political riots, which critics say could be used to muzzle the press. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Trot Insider has learned that Canadas Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year in 2018, The Ice Dutchess, has been retired from racing in order to take on a new role -- motherhood. The four-year-old daughter of Muscle Hill-The Ice Queen was a $320,000 Harrisburg Yearling Sale purchase in 2017 by John Florens Coyote Wynd Farms of Vancouver, B.C., and the multi-talented performer managed to stash away $847,161 thanks to wins in major events like the $385,000 Peaceful Way, the $357,450 Jim Doherty Memorial, the $135,000 Zweig Memorial and the $120,000 Crossroads Of America. The Ice Dutchess spent her two-year-old campaign in the barn of Jimmy Takter, and following his retirement from the training ranks the filly moved to the care of Nancy Takter for her sophomore season. As enjoyable as it was watching the filly race, her owner is just as pumped to see what she can do in the new role in his growing band of broodmares. She's slated to be bred to Greenshoe in 2020. I am more a breeding operation than racing, John Floren told Trot Insider. I sell everything I breed and look to buy two or three well-bred fillies every year, race them at ages two and three and then decide to add them to my broodmare band or sell them. I consulted my team, and they overwhelmingly convinced me from an economic perspective I should breed her. I will sure miss watching her race. The fillys absence from the track is hard to fill, but Floren has some other star students to look forward to this season. I have two really talented three-year-old fillies, Sherry Lyns Lady and Madame Sherry, who I hope come back strong and fill a bit of the void left by Dutchie's retirement when we start racing again. Sherry Lyns Lady, a three-year-old daughter of Father Patrick-Demoiselle Hanover, assembled a 3-5-1 record and a bankroll of just over $300,000 during an 11-start rookie campaign under the guidance of trainer Jim Campbell while stablemate Madame Sherry, a three-year-old Father Patrick-Celebrity Angel filly, went 2-2-1 from eight attempts last season while stashing away close to $140,000. Clearly, Floren has a lot to look forward to with star power like that in his corner. He, like everyone in the industry, anxiously awaits the return to normalcy. While doing that, hes trying to remain as positive as possible given the circumstances the world is dealing with amid the COVID-19 pandemic. I wish everyone in the industry all the best and by working together we will get through this significant challenge, he added. Subscriber content preview HONOLULU (AP) The parking lot of a Honolulu stadium has become the temporary home for rental vehicles that have been idled following the outbreak of the coronavirus. A stadium official said 1,000 to 1,500 vehicles are expected to be stored at Aloha Stadium, the state's largest outdoor arena that has 6,000 parking stalls, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday. . . . After taking him to the vet, she discovered hed had an owner from 2011 who lived in Kentucky. They got in touch with him, but the man said he hadnt seen the dog in years and that was happy they were trying to find him a good home. She spent the rest of the weekend putting up flyers around the city and posting in lost animal groups online. The Conservative governments failure to provide testing and protective equipment for National Health Service (NHS) staff has resulted in the first cases of doctors and nurses contracting COVID-19 in the UK while performing their frontline duties. Their lives have been placed unnecessarily at risk and they are now on ventilators, which they would otherwise have used to treat critically ill patients struck down by the virus. They have been removed from emergency response, which even in the initial stages of the outbreak is being overwhelmed. This is the inevitable outcome of the criminal negligence of the Boris Johnson government and its key scientific and medical advisors, who two weeks ago advocated allowing infections to spread in order to create herd immunity. The governments chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, went on record at the time, stating, Its not possible to stop everyone getting it [COVID-19] and its also not desirable because you want some immunity in the population to protect ourselves in the future. [Emphasis added]. The implications of this policy are now being felt in hospitals around the country. National Health Service (Source: Wikipedia Commons) In the West Midlands, one of the main hotspots in the UK for the virus outside of London, a staff nurse has been taken into intensive care at Walsall Manor hospital, where she works. She is on a ventilator after testing positive for COVID-19. The 36-year-old mother of three, Areema Nasreen, had no pre-existing medical conditions. Her sister, Kazeema, informed Birmingham Live that Areema had been ill for some seven days, with symptoms including a soaring temperature, body aches and a cough, before the decision was made for her to be tested. In London, three junior doctors, all aged 30, have been taken into critical care and are now on ventilators, according to the Sun on Sunday. It is reported that they all worked at the same hospital. The location where they are being treated has not been disclosed. This follows a fortnight in which doctors and nurses have been raising the alarm regarding the disastrous consequences of NHS staff not being tested while having symptoms of the virus, and not being provided adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). In addition to the risk of exposure to themselves and their families, this raises the very real prospect that vulnerable patients have been placed at risk. The official wall of obfuscation with which these concerns were originally greeted has only been breached by doctors and nurses making a direct public appeal. In many instances, those who took this course of action on social media and in the mainstream media did so while retaining their anonymity. The fact that this was necessary speaks to a climate of fear and retribution within the NHS from management after years of underfunding and marketisation. Others have taken a collective stand. On the BBCs Andrew Marr Show Sunday, a doctorone of 5,000 who signed a letter to the prime minister to protest the lack of PPEstated: Weve had doctors tell us they feel like lambs to the slaughter, that they feel like cannon fodder. GPs tell us they feel absolutely abandoned. The letter states, Intensive care doctors and anaesthetists have told us they have been carrying out the highest-risk procedure, putting a patient on a ventilator, with masks that expired in 2015. It adds, Paediatricians have warned their stocks of protective glasses would run out in 48 hours, including in special-care baby units. It has emerged that at some hospitals frontline staff have even resorted to using bin bags as a substitute for protective aprons. Following pleas over social media about this desperate state of affairs, none of the assembled journalists from the mainstream media at the official government press conference held last Sunday pressed Johnson on the question of PPE or NHS staff testing. Millions see Johnson conducting his press briefings from a lectern bearing the slogan Protect the NHS as an affront. In France, medics have undertaken legal action against the Macron government for its negligence and are seeking the prosecution of top officials. Three medics filed a legal complaint with Frances Cour de Justice de la Republique (Law Court of the RepublicCJR) against Macrons prime minister, Edouard Philippe, and former Minister of Solidarity and Health Agnes Buzyn. The CJR rules on cases of ministerial misconduct. The complaint states that, as early as January, the two ministers were aware of the threat posed by the virus but refused to act. Among the evidence they cite is an interview that Buzyn gave to Le Monde, in which she expressed regret at leaving her post to stand in the municipal elections, the first round of which was held last Sunday, as a tsunami was coming and the elections served as a masquerade. The medics lawyer, Fabrice Di Vizio, stated in an interview with Russia Today, At some point the truth needs to be told, which is that these people have been lying to us from the start. Last week the government spoke about the masks. You remember those pompous speeches by the president, who was all commander-in-chief in tone and promised the masks. Masks are a primary tool of war since they protect the health workers. Have those masks arrived? This first wave of protest has served to reveal how atrophied the conventional channels for resolving elementary and legitimate grievances have become. The Macron government in France provides an example of how governments around the world are cynically exploiting the crisis to adopt police-state methods of rule. While the entire country is in lockdown and the army deployed to the streets, the health service is starved of basic resources to tackle the health emergency. The invocation of war-like rhetoric is to justify the tearing up of democratic rights and suppress social discontent, based upon the lying claim that we are all in this together. It is also used to promote nationalism, which runs counter to the international co-operation required to tackle the pandemic. Britain is no exception. In a functional democracy, Johnsons appearance before MPs at Prime Ministers Questions last week would have been the occasion for him to be confronted with something of the wrath of public opinion. But what unfolded was the opposite. In an act of sheer hypocrisy, the parliamentary benches were largely vacated as MPs heeded advice to practice social distancingthe very measures the government had failed to enact to protect the population weeks earlier. Jeremy Corbyn, in one of his last acts as Labour Party leader, went through the motions, in a limp and servile performance, of raising concerns about the failure to conduct testing for NHS staff and a host of other issues relating to the lack of a social safety net for the vast majority of society, following the governments 350 billion bailout to big business. Johnson was allowed to grandstand, claiming that the UK compared favourably to other countries on coronavirus testing. He felt able to make an empty promise to prioritise NHS staff and increase testing to 25,000 by an unspecified date. The reality is that the UK compares favourably only to America and Japan. It has already been proven that the government is playing fast and loose with its testing figures. Last week, NHS England said it was increasing daily testing from 5,000 to 10,000, when according to Sir Patrick Vallance the daily total was only 4,000. As in every other matter, Johnson felt confident that his government would not be challenged or held to account. For all their meek show of opposition, Corbyn and the Labour Party moved rapidly to rubber stamp Johnsons authoritarian emergency powers legislation and rush it through Parliament without being voted on. The mainstream media is well versed in the art of dissembling on behalf of the government and the political establishment. The emergency state measures will be directed against collective action and social protest. A warning must be sounded. Despite the social distancing advice in place and the lockdown of the country announced Monday evening, there has been no U-turn by the government. In its belated turn on matters such as social distancing, the government sought to deflect responsibility onto the general public. For days, the headline news was dominated by acts of bulk buying and people socialising in bars and at the seaside. This was all to conceal that it was the governmentwhich for weeks insisted that there was no problem and everyone should happily get infectedthat was responsible. It contributed to bulk buying through its refusal to provide any safety net for those who will be left destitute. The Johnson government and the Labour Partywhich for years have disastrously undermined the NHSare now hypocritically lauding it to the rafters, while elective surgeries are cancelled in their tens of thousands for sick and ill patients to compensate for the slashing of bed capacity over decades. Further beachheads are being created for private sector involvement in the NHS, with the announcement that a deal has been made with private firms for an extra 8,000 beds in England and 1,200 ventilators and 20,000 qualified staff. At least two coastal cities announced Tuesday that they will be closing parking lots to beaches indefinitely to further enforce San Mateo County's and California's shelter-in-place orders in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Both Half Moon Bay and Pacifica said their city lots to beaches are closed effective Wednesday. State beaches closed the parking lots to their areas on Tuesday after an influx of visitors crowded the coast this past weekend. A n east London man has pleaded guilty to coughing over police officers and claiming he had coronavirus. Darren Rafferty, 45, from Dagenham, admitted three counts of assaulting an emergency worker as well as grievous bodily harm to his former partner, Kerry Manning, at Barkingside Magistrates Court on Wednesday. All charges related to an incident in Gainsborough Road, Dagenham, on Monday at around 1.30pm. Prosecutor Ciro DAlessio said that Rafferty had been drinking and decided to visit his ex at her home. A physical altercation broke out and Ms Manning was struck from behind while she walking down some stairs, the court heard. Mr D'Alessio told the court that her leg had been stamped on and she was slashed on the shoulder with a knife, leaving her with a 6cm cut and multiple fractures to her knee. He said that when police arrived Rafferty had then coughed towards Pc Laver, Pc Richardson and Pc Andrews and claimed he had Covid-19. He said: The defendant makes comments about being in isolation and having coronavirus and then deliberately coughs towards the officers. The court heard Rafferty, who wore a white face mask during the short hearing, had been checked for the virus at the police station and the force did not have concerns. Mr DAlessio added: On any reading of the assault you either get someone threatening to give someone a communicable disease or you have someone trying to give it to them. Ivanka Trump, the senior advisor to President Donald Trump, has lauded an initiative by Ritesh Agarwal-founded Indian start-up OYO Hotels to offer free stays to doctors, nurses in the US helping in the fight against the novel coronavirus, describing the gesture as "impactful acts of benevolence". She made her comment as she retweeted a press release by the OYO, which said that the start-up is "opening the doors to its hotels" and offering free stays to doctors, nurses and other medical first responders who are helping in the fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19).The 38-year-old Ivanka, the first daughter, tweeted. OYO Hotels are offering free stays to our amazing medical professionals and first responders fighting this virus on the frontlines. These kinds of impactful acts of benevolence are what help keep this Nation and our world #TogetherApart. https://t.co/Ka4liIyHyg - Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) March 24, 2020 The OYO press release said that beginning March 24, medical first responders will receive free accommodations at any OYO Hotel in the United States so they can sleep, shower or just get off their feet and recharge. "All of us at OYO are grateful for the bravery and sacrifices all the medical personnel are making to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19," Agarwal, Founder and Group CEO, OYO Hotels & Homes, said in the press release. North Carolina Medical Society CEO Robert Seligson said OYO's offer shows what America is all about. Thank you @IvankaTrump. Medical first responders are working tirelessly for us. In these tough times, @oyorooms along with our hotel partners & OYOpreneurs want to do the right thing. We stand #TogetherApart to assist our frontliners against #coronavirus.https://t.co/ZQeBVC0Hg5 - Ritesh Agarwal (@riteshagar) March 24, 2020 "If we come together and help each other, show kindness and determination, there isn't a challenge we won't overcome. This is a great idea that will help physicians and other health care providers on the front lines during this unprecedented crisis, and I hope others will join them," Seligson said. OYO said it will do all it can to make the lives of the "brave" medical personnel a little better. "It is our responsibility to give back. To all the medical personnel fighting this disease on the front lines, we welcome you and we can't be grateful enough." The medical personnel can call a designated number to get their reservation for the nearest OYO and with a valid active First Responder identification, OYO Hotels will cover all the costs. Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma also appreciated OYO's initiative in a tweet. Bhaiyo, OYO hi Hoyo ! https://t.co/bdRVD6XZMX - Stay Home, Stay Safe (@vijayshekhar) March 24, 2020 Founded in 2013, Gurugram-based OYO's portfolio today includes 43,000 hotels with over one million rooms and 130,000 vacation homes in over 800 cities in 80 countries. OYO entered the US market in February 2019. Also read: Coronavirus blues: Who and how many are vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic Also read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Over 3.5 lakh labourers to get money directly in bank account Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) - House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Eric Yap disclosed on Wednesday that he tested positive for the coronavirus disease. He is the first member of the House of Representatives who got infected with the coronavirus. The ACT-CIS Party-list representative said that he underwent a test last March 15 after he had interactions with people who had contact with people who were later found positive for the virus. Yap said that it was the Department of Health who confirmed his results. The lawmaker said that he attended a meeting in Malacanang last March 21 and also attended the special session of Congress on COVID-19 last March 23. Humihingi ako ng patawad at pag-unawa mula sa mga taong nakasalamuha ko. I was paranoid dahil may kaunting ubo akong naramdaman but I felt it was normal for me, said Yap in a statement. [Translation: Im asking for forgiveness and understanding from everyone I have encountered with. I was paranoid because I had a slight coughing, but I felt it was normal for me.] Other politicians who have caught the virus include Senators Miguel Zubiri and Koko Pimentel. Meanwhile, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go said he will undergo self-quarantine after he interacted recently with Yap. Majority of the senators chose to go into a 14-day home quarantine early this month after a resource person during a committee hearing later tested positive for COVID-19. Despite being asymptomatic, other senators underwent testing but turned out negative of the virus. Pick-up and delivery service is not available at this time. Please take your mail and pick up your mail directly from the post office. All packages will be delivered by carriers to the post office also. A muscle-bound man clad in a Gucci singlet with a facemask on was arrested at Sydney Airport after he allegedly shot another man. The 38-year-old was arrested by Strike Force Raptor officers at Sydney International Airport on Wednesday around 10am after arriving from Thailand. The man had allegedly shot another man in the leg after an incident in Hindmarsh in Adelaide last September. A 38-year-old man was arrested at Sydney International Airport on Wednesday after he allegedly shot another man in the leg during September last year He was taken to Mascot Police Station and charged with an outstanding South Australian warrant for causing serious harm to another. The 38-year-old has been refused bail. He will appear at Central Local Court on Wednesday. Flight of labourers to their homes following the 21-day nationwide lockdown owing to the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on loading and unloading of agricultural produce at storage facilities in West Bengal, raising concerns over a possible crisis in the supply chain in near future. Chief advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on agricultural marketing, Pradip Kumar Majumdar, admitted that there is a dearth of labourers at cold storages and godowns as their family members are calling them back owing to the prevailing situation. Yes, there is a crisis. But we cannot stop them (from going home). We have asked cold storage owners to talk to the labourers who are working for them and convince them to stay back," he told PTI. Majumdar said the government has asked the owners of cold storages and godowns to provide the labourers with masks and gloves. "We have asked cold storage owners to take all precautionary measures to protect the labourers," Majumdar said. He, however, asserted that the situation was under control saying, "We are monitoring the situation and will take necessary measures as the situation evolves. Majumdar said 85 per cent of potatoes produced have been transported to cold storages from fields. With the nationwide lockdown in place, movement of trucks carrying essential commodities is also being hampered owing to the scarcity of labourers and lack of facilities for drivers, West Bengal Truck Operators' Association claimed. Truckers Association general secretary Subhas Bose said loading and unloading of vegetables, potatoes, fruits and other items during collection from farms and cold storages are also being adversely affected as most of the labourers who hail from Bihar and Jharkhand have gone home since the West Bengal government announced a lockdown in Kolkata and many other areas from Monday. West Bengal Cooperative Minister Arup Roy said labourers are going back home despite efforts to convince them that the ongoing situation is temporary and the government is monitoring it 24x7. "We have asked the police administration to ensure that the labourers are not harassed or face any problem while working," Roy said. State Agriculture Minister Ashish Banerjee said he has received complaints of labour scarcity. "I am looking into the matter. I have spoken to several cold storage and godown owners," Banerjee said. The Paschim Banga Pradeshik Krishak Sabha, the state CPI(M)'s peasants wing, said the situation is worse in north Bengal, where produce have been lying on the field. "We are getting reports from Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar that potatoes are kept on the field. If these are not shifted to cold storage, farmers would face a huge loss and this, in turn, will adversely affect the supply of potatoes to markets. The state and central governments should come up with a mechanism to tackle the situation," Sabha secretary Amal Halder said. Haldar's concern was echoed by Ramkrishna Pal of the BJP, who felt the state should immediately take steps to keep the supply chain intact. North Bengal Development Minister Rabindranath Ghosh admitted that there have been reports of potatoes lying on some fields and said he has instructed the administration to immediately send them to cold storage. Bose, the truckers' body general secretary, claimed that trucks are also being stopped by police citing the lockdown, though transporting essentials commodities such as rice, wheat, lentils, onions, etc are permitted. "Owing to the lockdown, eateries and other facilities like night shelters along highways are closed, leaving drivers and their assistants with little option to get food and other essentials," Bose told PTI. He said empty trucks are also not being allowed to return to garages after unloading of goods, leading to fear among drivers of getting stranded. While fish and egg are transported from Andhra Pradesh, tomato, onion and grapes are brought from Nashik in Maharashtra to West Bengal, Bose said adding that rice, potato and vegetables are sent to other states from here. "The supply chain may get affected if smooth transportation and loading and unloading facilities are not ensured by the governments in different states and the Centre," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When it became clear that some sort of quarantining was likely to be put in place to try to arrest the spread of COVID-19, the Agarita Chamber Players were in a good place to shift from live performances to sharing their work virtually. All of the ensembles concerts, going back to their first in 2018, have been filmed. And were not talking shaky footage from an iPhone in the audience: Sound engineer Stephen Krause captures the musicians sound vividly, and videoographer Jason Murgo shot and edited each performance with care: He treats each one like a little art project, said Agarita pianist Daniel Anastasio. The concerts are being streamed, one a week, on the Agarita website. Its just one of a slew of online offerings that have popped up as the city shelters in place. Another can be found on the website for Ruiz-Healy Art, which will be offering a virtual look at its latest exhibition. In each of the Agarita concerts, the ensemble collaborates with another artist. In the performance streaming this week on the site, its poet Laura van Prooyen. On ExpressNews.com: SAs indie bookshops connect with readers online Each of our concerts is a unique event because of that, Anastasio said. Because of the nature of the collaborations, we thought it was important to document musically, but also, if there was a poetry reading or (visual) art or speaking, it would be important to document for the sake of the collaborators in addition to us. So we were totally ready to throw these things up online. And it doesnt even cost us anything to put it up for free, because our concerts are free, anyway. Were not losing anything by offering it up to the public. The weekly performances wont just be footage from concerts past. The ensemble members Anastasio, violinist Sarah Silver Manzke, violist Marisa Bushman and cellist Ignacio Gallego are brainstorming ways to create new performances even as they are physically apart. Theyre also considering ways to continue offering more digital content even after restrictions on gatherings are lifted. I think there is definitely a silver lining here in that it is forcing us to up our game online and to find innovative ways of connecting with the public in a free and accessible way thats not only a live experience, Anastasio said. That being said, of course, live music and live collective events are our priority. Like the members of Agarita, Patricia Ruiz-Healy, owner of Ruiz-Healy Art, also was ready for the new normal. Thats partly because restrictions on gatherings were instituted much earlier in New York, where she has another gallery bearing the same name. My daughter, who is the associate director, she has been there, Ruiz-Healy said. Weeks ago, she was very worried about this. So we started talking, coming up with strategies about how we can continue being alive and to showcase various programs. Ruiz-Healy had announced early last week that the gallery would remain open for groups of up to four people by appointment. The shelter-in-place order put the kibosh on that. So while the new exhibit More Than Words: Text-Based Artworks II will be hung on the walls of the Olmos Park gallery, it can be viewed for the time being solely on line. The show features works by Katie Pell, Ethel Shipton, Nate Cassie, Andres Ferrandis, Richard Armendariz, Gary Sweeney and Cisco Jimenez. The works will be displayed in a slide show and in a video, and can be seen on the gallerys website as well as on Artsy, which spotlights galleries, museums and other exhibition spaces across the globe. On ExpressNews.com: SAs new poet laureate wants to help people get creative The gallery also will be debuting a sleek new website in the next few weeeks, complete with viewing rooms, where potential buyers can get a clearer view of works theyre interested in. Other virtual culture options up and running include: Invite to Write SA: Andrea Vocab Sanderson, the citys brand new poet laureate, is trying to help San Antonians occupy their minds while sheltering in place by doing some writing. She has created two Facebook pages Invite to Write SA and Invite to Write SA for kids where she and some of her fellow writers are issuing daily prompts designed to get the creative juices flowing. Adults have been asked to write poems about gratitude as well as about where they would rather be instead of at home; youngsters 17 and under have been asked to weave themselves into their favorite fairy tales and to write poems recalling times when they were brave. Night of Artists: The Briscoe Western Art Museum is shifting this years edition of the annual auction and exhibition entirely online. The event features almost 300 new works created by 80 contemporary Western artists, which can be seen in a gallery on the Briscoes website through July 26. The Public Potentials: The first offering in The Public Theater of San Antonios new script reading series The Public Potentials is moving from the performance space to Zoom. A reading of Sheila Rinears Bufflehead Bay, which is about a woman who returns to her childhood home to help her family and community recover following a storm. The reading is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Those who want to view it can register on the Public site. Deborah Martin is an arts writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN Woody Allen has claimed Timothee Chalamet only decided to denounce him in order to improve his own chances of winning an Oscar. Chalamet, who starred in Allens film A Rainy Day in New York, said he did not want to profit from the movie and announced he would donate his salary to three charities including Times Up. The actors decision came after allegations of sexual abuse against Allen by his daughter Dylan Farrow re-emerged. Allen has always denied the claims. In his new book Apropos of Nothing, Allen accuses Chalamet of only making such a statement because he was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for Call Me by Your Name. All the three leads in Rainy Day were excellent and a pleasure to work with, writes Allen. Timothee afterward publicly stated he regretted working with me and was giving the money to charity, but he swore to my sister he needed to do that as he was up for an Oscar for Call Me by Your Name, and he and his agent felt he had a better chance of winning if he denounced me, so he did. He added: Anyhow, I didnt regret working with him and Im not giving any of my money back. Chalamet did not win the Best Actor award, which went to Gary Oldman instead for his role as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Other actors who denounced Allen after Farrows renewed abuse allegations include Greta Gerwig, Mira Sorvino, Colin Firth, Michael Caine and Jeff Daniels. The fact these actors and actresses never looked into the details of the case (they couldnt have and come to their conclusion with such certainty) did not stop them from speaking out publicly with dogged conviction, writes Allen. Some said it was now their policy to always believe the woman. I would hope most thinking people reject such simple-mindedness. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johansson, Diane Keaton, Javier Bardem and Joy Behar are among those to have spoken out in Allens defence. Allens memoir was released by Arcade Publishing on Monday (23 March) after it was dropped by Hachette Book Group following mass walk-outs at the company. The filmmaker uses his new memoir to respond to allegations of child sexual abuse made against him. I never laid a finger on Dylan, he writes, never did anything to her that could be even misconstrued as abusing her; it was a total fabrication from start to finish. A woman wearing a protective face mask walks past a shop, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in London, March 20, 2020. [Photo/Agencies] President Xi Jinping spoke over phone on Monday night with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. China, Britain agree to support WHO's role in combating COVID-19 BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke over phone on Monday night and voiced support for the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi extended sincere sympathies to the British government and people over their fight against the coronavirus disease. Upon request, he introduced China's epidemic prevention and control measures. Xi stressed that China hopes that Britain will enhance coordination with China to minimize the risk of the epidemic's spread while ensuring necessary flow of people and trade. China is ready to provide support and help for Britain, said Xi, adding that he is confident that Britain will surely prevail over the epidemic under Johnson's leadership. Reiterating that the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the health and safety of Chinese citizens overseas, Xi expressed his hope that Britain will take concrete and effective measures in safeguarding the health, safety and legitimate rights of Chinese nationals on its soil, particularly those studying in Britain. Viruses know no national boundaries or races, and only by working together can mankind win the battle against them, Xi pointed out. He called on all nations to push forward cooperation within the frameworks of the United Nations and the Group of 20 (G20), enhance the sharing of information and experience, boost collaboration in scientific research, support the WHO in playing its due role, and improve global health governance. They should also increase macro-economic policy coordination, so as to stabilize the market, maintain economic growth, safeguard people's well-being, and keep the global supply chains open, stable and safe, added the Chinese president. Xi said he believes that after beating the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Britain will have deeper mutual understanding and more extensive consensus, as well as broader prospects for bilateral cooperation. For his part, Johnson said he congratulates the Chinese government and people on the remarkable achievements they have made in epidemic prevention and control with strenuous efforts and enormous sacrifices. At present, the COVID-19 situation in Britain is grave, he said, adding that Britain has been studying and learning from China's useful experience and taking scientific and effective prevention and control measures. He said the British side thanks China for its valuable support and help, and will do its best to take care of the health and safety of Chinese nationals in Britain, especially the students. The prime minister said he fully agrees with Xi that no country can wall itself off from the epidemic and all countries should strengthen cooperation. Britain, he added, supports the WHO in playing an important role, and hopes that all parties will deepen relevant cooperation within G20 and other multilateral frameworks. Noting that China and Britain will hold the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 26th UN Climate Change Conference respectively this year, Johnson said the two sides should take them as opportunities to promote international cooperation in health and epidemic prevention. He added that he looks forward to maintaining close contact with Xi and visiting China at an early date after the epidemic, so as to jointly promote the development of Britain-China relations. MEP Luke Ming Flanagan is calling for the government to place the country is lockdown immediately. He told the Leitrim Observer "Lets be clear, Ireland is very vulnerable in the face of the coronavirus, Covid-19. We are very low on ventilators and there is clear evidence that shows that a country with a low number of ventilators per head of population has a higher death rate than countries with high numbers of ventilators per head of population. This is why Germany has far fewer deaths than Italy. Ireland has half the number of ventilators that Italy has per head of population. "In last week's Irish Times Dr Muiris Houston outlined the following fact. 'You can accept this or you can bury your head in the sand. It's up to you. "'Irelands intensive care unit/high dependency unit bed capacity is one of the lowest in Europe. We have 50 beds per million people; Italy has 125 beds per million. If northern Italy has run out of intensive care facilities and we get the same surge in very ill coronavirus patients as it has, then some very difficult challenges lie ahead.' "We have failed to take the peak off the infection curve, the latest figures from the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, is proof of that. Our infection rate is soaring. We have not done inward travel restrictions, we have been slow to close schools, pubs etc. "This is all in the past, we must look to what is coming down the line. I believe that we must move to instigate a Total Lockdown now, similar to France. If we do not do this we will needlessly kill thousands of our citizens. Why wait? Why be behind the curve? We can see what works. "Lockdown is currently the only medicine against this virus. It worked in China. It is just beginning to work in Italy. Most countries in Europe are going towards lockdown. Poland, Denmark, Spain and many others have closed their borders. "Lets do it NOW. Dr Mike Ryan of the World Health Organisation has said the most important single factor in fighting coronavirus is speed. Minister Harris, Taoiseach Varadkar please move NOW. What are you waiting for? Every day is a loss. "TOTAL LOCKDOWN NOW, " he concluded. Dr Jim Watterston, a former teacher and dean of the Melbourne University Graduate School of Education, said some private schools had already successfully moved their teaching online and "there is capacity for kids to learn a lot". On a national level, he predicted the lost year from the coronavirus will "drag Australian education into the 21st century". "We've known about the online environment and the capacity for learning to be enhanced ... but we've never really taken that up," he said. "I think schools will be different [after coronavirus]. We'll not only be prepared for future crisis events, but we'll be able to stimulate and educate kids in a way that suits their generation." But amid the optimism, there is also concern about the children without up-to-date devices and fast internet access being left behind, even though schools will also provide hard copies of work. According to a 2020 Australian Council of Social Services/ University of News South Wales report, about 774,000 children under 15, or 17.7 per cent of Australian children are in poverty. "My real worry is the equity in all this," Dr Watterston said. "This always assumes people have online capacity." Loading While there is a lot of uncertainty ahead, the experts agree that a large number of students repeating the year is neither wise nor practical. Craig Petersen, the NSW Secondary Principals' Council acting president, said one of the main questions being asked by parents was the need for children to repeat the year. "My answer to that is no, because we simply can't. Some schools are bursting at the seems now," he said. "We can't stop kids who are in preschool coming to school next year ... We need to find the solution this year for getting through the content as best we can, focusing on what's really core." Grattan Institute school education fellow Julie Sonnemann said "the evidence shows repeating a year has negative effects" in usual circumstances. Loading Ms Sonnemann said all students will feel the impact of significant time away from the classroom, but there are particular vulnerabilities for children in the early years of school. "The evidence says each stage has its own challenges. When you miss certain concepts in your learning trajectory, often it impedes your learning further on," she said. "If your reading or times tables don't get cemented early on, that creates a whole backlog of problems." Others, however, say the impact of school closures will be be felt more by older high school students. Mr Petersen said there is more flexibility with younger students, as any content missed can be made up in future years. "If a child's in year 11 and 12, we haven't got the luxury of time." Ms Sonnemann said Australia should be thinking of targeted catch-up strategies to respond to the coronavirus, such as one-on-one or small group tutoring. She also points to US think tank, The Brookings Institution, which suggested summer school as a possible solution. "Students who struggled to learn during the coronavirus school closure period could attend in the summer to catch back up," non-resident senior fellow Douglas N Harris said. The approach has another advantage - the extra pay for teachers would also be an economic stimulus. As parents and students grapple with the idea of a disrupted school year, education leaders are also calling for calm. Dr Watterston said schools will be able to accommodate gaps in learning next year. "There will have to be some flexibility for teachers in 2021 about not being as faithful to the curriculum as they would have otherwise been," he said. On Tuesday, Nowra High School principal Glen Kingsley similarly told parents not to worry about their children falling behind in their studies, while emphasising the importance of mental health. "Don't worry about them regressing in school," Mr Kingsley posted in an open letter on Facebook. "Every single kid is in this boat and they all will be ok. When we are back in the classroom, we will all course correct and meet them where they are. Teachers are experts at this!" He also advised parents not to reprimand their kids if they did not "follow the schedule" at home. Across the planet, the grim COVID-19 toll mounted further, with more than 18,200 deaths and 405,000 declared infections People wearing face masks and plastic overalls, amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, walk with their luggage at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. AFP Photo New Delhi: India's billion-plus population went into a three-week lockdown on Wednesday, with a third of the world now under orders to stay indoors, as the coronavirus pandemic forced Japan to postpone the Olympics until next year. Financial markets soared after a catastrophic month as the US Congress looked set to pass a mammoth stimulus bill, joining the world's central banks in combatting the crisis with major cash injections. Donald Trump voiced hope that the United States would be "raring to go" by Easter, which falls on April 12 for most Christians, but despite the president's optimism, more governments are taking unprecedented action to stop potential virus-carriers going out and about. India ordered its 1.3 billion people -- the world's second-biggest population -- to stay at home for three weeks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "total lockdown" call doubled the number of people around the globe under some form of movement restriction to more than 2.6 billion people. "To save India, to save its every citizen, you, your family... every street, every neighbourhood is being put under lockdown," Modi said in a televised address. But China, where the new virus emerged last year, loosened tough restrictions on the 50 million people in its epicentre province of Hubei on Wednesday after a months-long lockdown as the country reported no new domestic cases. Across the planet, the grim COVID-19 toll mounted further, with more than 18,200 deaths and 405,000 declared infections, half of them in Europe according to an AFP tally. The medical situation is still critical in Europe, where hardest-hit Italy had mixed news. The Mediterranean country's death toll shot back up to 743 after two days of slight decline from a world-record peak of 793 on Saturday. But officially registered new infections rose just eight percent for the second straight day. Elsewhere Ireland ordered non-essential businesses shut, Britain planned a 4,000-bed emergency hospital in London and Spain called for practical support from the NATO military alliance. Countries in Africa, where health systems are often fragile, are also ramping up their response to the virus as cases and deaths rise. And nearly 130 million Americans, or 40 percent of the population, are under or will soon come under some lockdown order, including in the largest state of California. Many governments are listening to health experts who warn the only way to slow the epidemic -- and save the lives of the elderly and vulnerable -- is by imposing "social isolation" measures on a population. But Trump is not convinced the move is worth the enormous economic cost. "A lot of people agree with me. Our country -- it's not built to shut down," he told Fox News. "You can destroy a country this way by closing it down." Northern Irelands First and Deputy First Minister have expressed opposing views on newly published regulations for abortion services. The regulations were laid by the UK Government on Wednesday, after a landmark law change last October following a private members bill at Westminster which decriminalised abortion in the region. First Minister Arlene Foster described it as a very sad day for Northern Ireland, while Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill welcomed progress. Breaking: @NIOgov have published abortion regulations and have FAILED to provide for both abortion pills at home. At a time when travel to Eng for healthcare is neither safe nor viable this effectively means we are left without services. #COVID19 #StayHomeSaveLives #TheNorthIsNow pic.twitter.com/EE21ZwuUtB Grainne Teggart (@GTeggart) March 25, 2020 From March 31, the regulations will allow abortion on request for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and abortion up to 24 weeks on the grounds that continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or girl. Abortion will also be available in cases of severe and fatal foetal anomalies, with no gestational limit. Mrs Foster said she believes Stormont should have dealt with the matter. I have to say I fundamentally reject that Westminster have brought these forward today, it should have been this place (Stormont) that dealt with those issues, she said. We have a devolved administration, it should have been the devolved administration that dealt with those issues. But Ms ONeill said the legislation was out of date and had failed women on many, many fronts. Anti-abortion protesters stage a silent demonstration at Stormont (Brian Lawless/PA) I am glad to see progress on the guidelines in making sure it is very clear that we support women who find themselves in very vulnerable situations when they need our health service to support them, she said. Earlier, Amnesty International welcomed the regulations, but warned that they will fail to keep women safe during the current health emergency. Grainne Teggart, Amnesty Internationals Northern Ireland campaign manager, expressed concern that the guidelines do not permit women to take both abortion pills at home, during a time when Government advice has been against travel to stop the spread of Covid-19. The Governments decision not to allow women to self-manage abortions at home during the current health crisis is dangerous and puts women at risk, she said. Travel for this healthcare is neither a safe nor viable option at the moment and government should be doing what it can to help women in the safety of their home. Anti-abortion campaigners have called the regulations the wrong course for Northern Ireland. The fact the Northern Ireland Office is proposing a more liberalised law on abortion than the one currently in place in Great Britain adds insult to injuryCare NI chief executive, Nola Leach Care NI chief executive, Nola Leach, said it was a deeply sad day for Northern Ireland, adding there will be considerable anger at the framework. The fact the Northern Ireland Office is proposing a more liberalised law on abortion than the one currently in place in Great Britain adds insult to injury, she said. The reality is that Westminster should never have acted to override the devolved Assembly on this issue. Elected representatives from NI have been ignored and the voices of thousands of individuals have simply been set aside. The NIO has also clearly ignored the fact that the overwhelming majority of those who responded to the public consultation on the new framework were completely opposed. We understand the magnitude and scale of the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic in Northern Ireland and beyond. We also recognise Assembly members are understandably focusing on this issue at the current time. At Care NI, we believe both lives matter and that ultimately, the new abortion services being proposed will harm, not help, women and babies. Amid police concern about adequate protection from the Coid-19 virus, a trade union suggests officers might stop doing lockdown checks. In a communique on Tuesday evening, the trade union Unsa Police told its members they should not carry out lockdown checks without adequate protection from the Covid -19 virus. Although the vast majority of people co operate when checked by police, a small minority do not and faced with members of the public who spit and physically resist, police officers want more protection. Most ordinary officers conducting checks wear simple face masks but their eyes are not protected from the virus and they are not shielded from violence. There have been numerous incidents including recent clashes around Paris and in Toulouse. A policewoman was seriously injured in Beauvais on Tuesday when youths threw bricks as she approached on a lockdown check and in the city of Nice the CRS riot squad has been called in to conduct patrols in one area after disturbances on Friday. The Unsa statement said the Interior Ministry had a duty to protect its staff, describing the current situation as scandalous. With no protection: no lockdown controls, no fines issued, no reception in police stations, the union declared. One police officer in Hendaye told Le Figaro newspaper I stop and check people all day without the protection I need and in the evening I go home to my little flat to my wife and children who can't even hug me that's my life at the moment. Facemasks requisitioned Stocks of face masks are low and 1.2 million masks stored in the interior ministry were recently requisitioned for use by medical staff. Following a video conference last week, the idea of washable masks which can be worn all day, along with Perspex eye and faceguards is now being pursued. Those in violation of lockdown rules are fined 135 euros or 1500 euros if it is the second violation within 15 days. Anyone found in violation four times within 30 days can be fined 3,700 E jailed for up to six months. A man in the Loire region received a 4 month sentence yesterday. Parts of southern England could run out of water within 20 years unless ministers act, the public spending watchdog warned yesterday. The National Audit Office (NAO) said the countrys total water supply is forecast to drop by 7 per cent by 2045 because of climate change. In the coming years there will be decreased rainfall and a need to reduce the amount of water taken from natural waterways. Drier weather is expected to see a 600million litre reduction in rainfall in the next 20 years, the National Audit Office has warned And the South East is particularly at risk of shortages. This is likely because the region is already a water-stressed area where Londons consumption of water already outstrips supply during dry years. The NAO said water companies will need to limit the amount they take out of rivers, lakes and the ground because taking out too much from these sources could harm biodiversity. The auditor predicted that four billion litres of additional water will be needed per day by 2050 to counter the risk of drought caused by climate change. Drier weather is expected to see a 600million litre reduction in rainfall. And the amount removed from natural reserves will need to be slashed by 500million litres a day to ensure sustainable biodiversity can continue. According to NAO figures, the daily demand for water in England and Wales stands at 14billion litres, but roughly three billion litres of that is lost through leakage. And each person on average uses 143 litres of water a day. Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, criticised ministers for failing to act on the issue of water sustainability, with personal water consumption having risen every year for the past five years. He called on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to co-ordinate a national approach to encourage consumers to reduce usage to avoid shortages. Mr Davies said: The Government had made limited progress on reducing water consumption, tackling leakage and sharing water resources between regions in the last five years, but rapid progress was now vital for the Government to deliver its objective of a resilient water supply. He added: Defra needs to provide stronger leadership to water companies, regulators and consumers. The NAO also criticised water companies for making little or no progress on reducing consumption and leakage over the past five years. The auditor urged the Government to monitor the suppliers pledge to reduce leakage by at least 15 per cent by 2025. And the NAO has asked Defra to promote a more coherent and credible message about water efficiency and to work with other departments to reduce water consumption by large public sector users. A spokesman for Defra said: We thank the NAO for this report as an important contribution to our work... We recognise that we need to work harder than ever to ensure that we all have enough water in the future and that is why we are already working towards many the reports recommendations. Bollywood stars have came forward in support of PM Narendra Modi's announcement of a nationwide lockdown for 21 days as a preventive measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus. On Wednesday, actor Anushka Kapoor shared a video of herself along with husband Virat Kohli on Twitter, hailing the move. She wrote, "Show unity, save life and country." Anushka and Virat also dispelled some random theories floating around to fight coronavirus. They said, "Coronavirus won't go away by you participating in a march against coronavirus, by you shouting out aloud and making noise or by you clapping hands. Don't believe in superstitions, don't believe in rumours because that won't give India it's victory over COVID-19." In the hindi-recorded video, the duo strongly urged people to stay indoors and follow government guidelines during the lockdown. "Crowding the streets isn't going to help defeat the coronavirus. The nation could pay a heavy price for your mistake. We have to stay indoors for 21 days," the Kohli said. The couple concluded by saying, "Ekta dikhaye, jeewan aur desh bachaiye (Let's all unite to save lives and save our country.)." Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor wrote, "Good morning all. I totally believe in this. This shall happen by Gods grace!" Taapsee Pannu said that staying indoors for 21 days is not a big deal compared to our safety. "21 days ! Not a lot for us in return of our lives. Let's do this everyone ! And hopefully by the end of THIS lockdown we surely will have a reason n time to celebrate. Until then let's get through one day at a time," Pannu wrote on Twitter. 'Kabir Singh' actor Shahid Kapoor requested everyone to stay safe at home and said that these days will pass, have faith and meditate. Indian actor Nimrat Kaur wrote, "One hundred percent in solidarity with the upcoming 21 day national lockdown. Stay in to stay safe. Let's do this." Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown of the entire country for 21 days in an unprecedented drastic measure to halt the spread of coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Although Gwyneth Paltrows lifestyle website Goop has been careful in its coronavirus coverage - citing World Health Organisation guidelines - one of the site's contributors has deviated from its policy, touting unfounded conspiracy theories blaming 5G and vaccine companies that have been slammed by experts as "nonsense." Holistic healer Kelly Brogan, who has written pieces for Goop in the past, peddled conspiracy theories that there is potentially no such thing as the coronavirus, despite a wealth of scientific evidence otherwise. Experts have since called her assertion a "scourge of scientific quackery" and warned that she is a "very, very dangerous fantasist." Brogan, who is also a psychiatrist and anti-vaxxer, claimed the increase in deaths is instead likely being accelerated by fear itself and also promoted false conspiracy theories that the pandemic is a cover-up for the roll-out of 5G or a power play by vaccine companies. She cited a video that was taken down by Facebook for spreading false information (there is no proof that 5G is detrimental to health.) Brogan, who called the surge in deaths due to coronavirus the phrase du jour and said it was silly to villainise the coronavirus, also claimed that the pandemic was an effort by vaccine companies and members of the elite to gain financial power. AFP via Getty Images When reached for a comment by the Daily Beast, Goop declined to comment and said, "We would suggest reaching out to Dr. Brogan directly as she didnt make those comments on goops platform." There is no scientific basis for any of Brogans claims. Speaking to the Daily Beast, British pharmacologist David Colquhoun said, "Shes a very, very dangerous fantasist. I wonder whether she takes antibiotics if she gets a bacterial infection?" The deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer, a publication that critically examines fringe science claims similar to those that Brogan made, also weighed in. Benjamin Radford told the Daily Beast, "Theres always been this sort of populist appeal by people who reject science, and thats exactly whats going on here." A skateboader wearing a face mask in the City of London / PA "Unfortunately, outbreaks like this are exactly the wrong time to bring these things up because...they divert people from legitimate evidence-based treatments," he continued. In the space of one day, the number of coronavirus deaths in the UK jumped from 335 to 422 while the University of Oxford researchers claimed today that over half of the population may be infected. Brogan shared her conspiracy theories in a video titled What is Going On? which has had over 41,000 views. In it, she claimed she had been liberated from the concept of germ based contagion - though did say she had no idea how that happened. Calling herself a myth buster, she claimed that coronavirus did not pass the sniff test for her and was looking for a new story that feels better for me. She said, With this concept of contagion is it possible to really step back and say hold on a minute, you know, is this proven as fact for me right? Am I convinced that this is actually true? That there are little invisible pathogens you know that randomly jump around from person to person and have the capacity to really harm and injure and even kill? Saying that she had compassion for those who feel a bit stuck in the assumption around infection and contagion, she laughed as she described the description of the coronavirus pandemic - as well as the global call for self-isolation and vigilant hand washing to help contain the spread of the deadly disease. AFP via Getty Images Instead, she cited other narratives that this was a hoax that had a financial, economic underpinning and claimed, The collapse of the economy is being orchestrated for the reorganisation in the hands of the elite. Citing Italy, which has been devastated by the pandemic, she also said that this pandemic was a show of force, particularly in dissident nations like Italy where there were massive protests around recent mandates, and that people need to be put in their place. She continued, How else to show people whos really in charge but to strip them of all social and civil liberties virtually overnight? Italy has the third highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world and as of yesterday, the death toll in Italy rose to 6,820 - jumping 720 in the space of 24 hours. Over 17,100 people have died globally of coronavirus according to John Hopkins University. Saying there were other (false) theories that literally suggest there is no such thing as the coronavirus, she also claimed that it was not possible to prove that any given pathogen has induced death. She falsely claimed, This term, this phrase du jour, is just being put on these, you know, deaths that are likely being accelerated by the fear itself and Im sure you understand that, the role of fear in all this. Brogan also revealed in her video that she was a victim of "Google censorship." Google, as with other digital companies such as Facebook, has a policy that targets fake news and misinformation - two things that are spreading rapidly as a result of the pandemic. Gwyneth Paltrow / Getty Images Brogan has been interviewed as an expert for Goop in articles including how to process emotional pain, which saw her promote something called "morphic resonance" alongside meditation, Kundalini yoga and developing an "adult conscious" to deal with negative emotion. For accurate up to date information on coronavirus, the NHS has a dedicated guide to the illness as well as a list of precautions to take to protect yourself and others. IDTechEx have been examining the technological and commercial trends in this field for several years. Their report " Mobile Robots, Autonomous Vehicles, and Drones in Logistics, Warehousing, and Delivery 2020-2040 " focuses on automation of movement in every step of the logistics and delivery chain ranging from a warehouse or a factory to the delivery of goods to the final customer destination. This landscape and therefore, the scope of the report includes the following: 1. Automated guide carts and vehicles 2. Autonomous mobile industry vehicles (forklifts, tugs, etc.) 3. Goods-to-person automated carts/robots 4. Collaborative autonomous mobile robots 5. Mobile picking robot (regular- and irregular-shaped items) 6. Autonomous trucks (level 4 and 5) 7. Delivery vans and pods (level 4 and 5) 8. Last-mile side-walk delivery robots 9. Delivery drones The emerging technology research firm finds that this market in total will reach $81 and $290 billion in 2030 and 2040, respectively. This is a colossal transfer of value from wage expenses to a combination of capital investments and service subscription to autonomous robots of various types. This staggering headline is, of course, very large, and hides the key individual trends characterizing each technology and use case. In the remainder of this article, IDTechEx analysts seek to highlight the key trends. Goods-to-person automated carts/robots Large fleets of robots are already deployed to help automate the goods-to-person step in many fulfilment centres. These robots move racks within robot-only zones, bringing them to manned picking stations. This is a fast-growing market space. The landscape was set on fire when Amazon acquired Kiva Systems for $775M in 2012, thereby leaving a gap on the market. Today, significant well-funded alternatives such as GeekPlus (389$M), GreyOrange (170$M), and HIK Vision ($6Bn revenue) have emerged, achieving promising and growing deployment figures. The number of start-ups has also increased, especially within the 2015-2017 period. IDTechEx forecasts the annual unit sales to double within six years. Despite the large deployments already, they assess the real global inflection point to arrive around 2024 beyond at which point the pace of deployment will dramatically accelerate. Indeed, the research firm forecasts that between 2020 and 2030, more than 1 million such robots will be sold accumulatively. It is, therefore, an exciting time. To learn more, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Mobile. Collaborative autonomous mobile robots Another major trend is the use of autonomous mobile robots and vehicles. Autonomous mobile robots are emerging, which offer infrastructure-independent navigation in defined indoor environments. These robots boost productivity and enable many hybrid human-robot interaction modes. They can also bring automation to warehouses and fulfilment centres which were not specifically designed and built to support robotic goods-to-person. The technology is enabled by better SLAM algorithms. The algorithms based on different sensors, including stereo camera and 2D lidars are evolved enough to handle safe autonomous navigation within many structured indoor environments with a high degree of control and predictability. The technology options however are still many, and choices have long-lasting strategic consequences. The business models are also various and evolving. Some are offering their technology as RaaS (robot as a service). There have also been some notable recent acquisitions. Amazon acquired a company focused on camera-based navigation, which would enable object detection and classification, and thus more intelligent navigation. Shopify acquired a firm with a full solution, including the entire software stack. Overall, the IDTechEx report "Mobile Robots, Autonomous Vehicles, and Drones in Logistics, Warehousing, and Delivery 2020-2040" forecasts that more than 200k robots could be sold within the 2020-2030 period (this figure includes those that can perform picking of regularly or irregularly shaped items). The report "Mobile Robots, Autonomous Vehicles, and Drones in Logistics, Warehousing, and Delivery 2020-2040" provides a comprehensive analysis of all the key players, technologies, and markets. It includes technology roadmaps and twenty-year market forecasts, in unit numbers and revenue, for all the technologies outlined at the beginning of the article (13 forecast lines). It offers a twenty-year model because IDTechEx's technology roadmap suggests that these changes will take place over long timescales. In their detailed forecasts, the report clearly explains the different stages of market growth. Mobile Picking Robots Picking or grasping technology is an essential component of warehouse automation. Today, many firms and research groups are deploying deep learning to enable robots to pick novel and irregularly shaped items rapidly and with high success rates. A limited number of firms have integrated picking arms on mobile platforms. Today, these mainly pick box-shaped items in known environments. However, progress will bring these technologies to more varied items. It will also allow better integration of the robotic arm with the mobile platform. In the short term, more learning is required. However, recent advances on the algorithm side suggest that progress will be rapid although the algorithms will need to achieve not just high rates but also high-speed to drive down the ROI on these tools. In the very long term though, IDTechEx forecast that 36% and 38% of AMRs in warehouses sold in 2040 will be able to pick regular as well as irregular-shaped items, respectively. This points towards a major long-term technology transformation, requiring automation beyond just autonomy of movement. IDTechEx Analysts consider this a major technology development opportunity. Autonomous forklifts and other industrial vehicles Autonomous forklifts and tugs are emerging onto the market. The navigation technology has progressed significantly. Naturally, the cost of autonomous forklifts is higher, but the claimed ROI by many suppliers is within 12-18 months. The cost includes the installation and maintenance as well as the cost of the autonomous sensor suite, traction control and drivers, and the software, which can be amortized over a growing deployed fleet. Overall, price parity on an annual operational cost basis is nearly at hand in some high wage territories. The unit sales here can reach 1.8k in 2020, which seems a high number but still small relative to the addressable market. Over the past 1.5 years, however, this market has also entered the early stages of its growth phase. Analysis and interviews conducted by IDTechEx suggest that inflection point is likely to be reached around 2025-2027. After this point, they project the sales to grow, already exceeding 100k units by 2030. Note that IDTechEx generally develops 20-year forecasts for autonomous mobility as the technology will inevitably take time to be rolled out. Long-haul truck delivery Long-haul trucks are a prime target for autonomous mobility. This is because autonomous mobility can address many industry pain-points and because there is a clear commercial case, unlike passenger vehicles. The first pain point is that there is a shortage of drivers, which could increase to 160k per 2028 in the USA. The second pain point is the operating cost, this is because wages are high, and likely to go up given that demand outstrips supply. Safety requirements limit the number of uninterrupted hours a driver can spend on the road, limiting the productivity of the asset. Finally, the long stretches of highway lend themselves well to autonomous mobility, unlike the chaotic conditions in dense urban driving. IDTechEx has carefully analyzed the companies and technologies behind autonomous trucking. Their report "Mobile Robots, Autonomous Vehicles, and Drones in Logistics, Warehousing, and Delivery 2020-2040" offers deep technology analysis and granular market forecasts. It is plausible that the deployed trucks could exceed 1300 units by the end of 2020; this is still a small number but shows the direction of travel. The report finds that the deployment of level-4 autonomous trucks will grow slowly until 2025, after which point the growth has the potential to rise rapidly. IDTechEx's estimate suggests that the market could reach 550k level-4 units/year by 2030. Their roadmap suggests that level-5 will remain virtually non-existent for another decade and will only grow beyond 2030. To see the full 2020-2040 forecasts, segmented by autonomy level, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Mobile. Last-mile delivery vans and side-walk robots This is an interesting technological frontier. The cost of last-mile delivery is often 50% of the total cost. As such, there is a strong commercial incentive to automate this step to boost productivity. There are two approaches: on-road last-mile delivery vans or pods and side-walk robotic. The on-road vans and pods share many technological challenges with other on-road autonomous vehicles. The difference however, is that they can operate in limited well-mapped and known-environments and that they can potentially travel at low-speeds. They also will not have passengers on-board, simplifying some of the safety challenges. IDTechEx's report identifies and profiles the key companies active in this field. They analyze the technological progress, challenges, and innovation opportunity. The report develops short-, medium-, and long-term market forecasts segmented by level of autonomous. It finds that package (or similar) delivery vans and pods will be deployed in small number until 2026. Indeed, the annual deployments will remain below 3k units/year until 2026. The market growth for level-4 vans/pods will then accelerate, especially from 2027 onwards. Level-5 mobility will only arrive from 2032 onwards and even then, only in small numbers. The side-walk robots have their own unique design and technology challenges. The economics underpinning their business cases are also different. The key for them is extending the autonomy level of the side-walk robots to a point where very large fleets with a very small number of remote human teleoperators can be deployed. Here too, despite the progress, the deployment will remain small in the short term. IDTechEx forecast that annual deployment will remain around or below 3k unit/annually until 2024, their model however projects a hump in 2025. This is likely because the technology will have reached enough maturity to prove its business case and also to address many of the edge points in its autonomous navigation. The market has the potential to then rapidly accelerate to 30k units/year by 2030. The costs will, of course, be low especially as the camera and lidar costs (if lidar is deployed) will be dramatically reduced and the fleet-to-operator ratio driven up. The money as forecast in the report will be in the services which scale with the accumulated fleet size and utilization rate thereof. This report "Mobile Robots, Autonomous Vehicles, and Drones in Logistics, Warehousing, and Delivery 2020-2040" provides a comprehensive analysis of all the key players, technologies, and markets. It offers technology roadmaps and twenty-year market forecasts, in unit numbers and revenue, for all the technologies outlined above (13 forecast lines). It builds a twenty-year model because IDTechEx's technology roadmap suggests that these changes will take place over long timescales. In the detailed forecasts, the research firm clearly explains the different stages of market growth and outline the key assumptions/conditions as well as data points that underpin the model. To connect with others on this topic, join us at The IDTechEx Show! USA 2020, November 18-19 2020, Santa Clara, USA. Presenting the latest emerging technologies at one event, with six concurrent conferences and a single exhibition covering 3D Printing and 3D Electronics, Electric Vehicles, Energy Storage, Graphene & 2D Materials, Healthcare, Internet of Things, Printed Electronics, Sensors and Wearable Technology. Please visit www.IDTechEx.com/USA to find out more. IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Consultancy and Event products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information on IDTechEx Research and Consultancy contact [email protected] or visit www.IDTechEx.com. Media Contact: Jessica Abineri Marketing Coordinator [email protected] +44-(0)-1223-812300 SOURCE IDTechEx In recent years, the development of CRISPR technologies and gene-editing scissors in particular have taken the world by storm. Indeed, scientists have learned how to harness these clever natural systems in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, among other areas. New research from the University of Copenhagen shows that we are not the first to find a way to exploit the benefits of the CRISPR technique. Apparently, primitive bacterial parasites have been doing so for millions of years. The researchers studied the least described and most enigmatic of the six CRISPR-Cas systems found in nature -- Type IV CRISPR-Cas. Here, they uncovered characteristics that differ entirely from those in other systems. Redefining CRISPR "Until recently, CRISPR-Cas was believed to be a defense system used by bacteria to protect themselves against invading parasites such as viruses, much like our very own immune system protects us. However, it appears that CRISPR is a tool that can be used for different purposes by diverse biological entities," according to 28-year-old Rafael Pinilla-Redondo, a PhD at UCPH's Department of Biology who led the research. One of these biological entities are plasmids -- small DNA molecules that often behave like parasites and, like viruses, require a host bacterium to survive. advertisement "Here we found evidence that certain plasmids use type IV CRISPR-Cas systems to fight other plasmids competing over the same bacterial host. This is remarkable because, in doing so, plasmids have managed to turn the system around. Instead of protecting bacteria from their parasites, CRISPR is exploited to perform another task," says Pinilla-Redondo, adding: "This is similar to how some birds compete for the best nesting site in a tree, or how hermit crabs fight for ownership of a shell." "A humbling realization" The discovery challenges the notion that CRISPR-Cas systems have only one purpose in nature, that is, acting as immune systems in bacteria. According to Rafael Pinilla-Redondo, the discovery gives some additional perspective: "We humans have only recently begun to exploit nature's CRISPR-Cas systems, but as it turns out, we are not the first. These 'primitive parasites' have been using them for millions of years, long before humans. It is quite a humbling realization" What can we use it for? advertisement The researchers speculate that these systems could be used to combat one of the greatest threats to humanity: multi-drug resistant bacteria. Hundreds of thousands of people die from MDR bacteria every year. Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics by acquiring genes that make them resistant to antibiotic treatment. Very frequently, this occurs when plasmids transport antibiotic resistant genes from one bacterium to another. "As this system appears to have evolved to specifically attack plasmids, it is plausible that we could repurpose it to fight plasmids carrying antibiotic resistant genes. This could be achieved because it is possible to program CRISPR to target what one wants" says Pinilla-Redondo. FACTS: Carla Davis, Chief Executive Officer for Heart of Hospice, the largest hospice in Louisiana, believes hospices across the nation can be critical contributors in the COVID-19 fight. Louisiana currently has the third highest rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases per capita. Davis shares: "Hospice is uniquely positioned within the healthcare industry, designed to serve acutely ill individuals at home. We can keep our nation's most vulnerable patients out of the hospital where they might be exposed to COVID-19." She believes it is crucial for hospices to partner with local hospitals to get eligible patients out of their beds and at home safely. Davis adds: "By working with hospitals, are bringing vulnerable, hospice-eligible patients home. Together, we will protect patient safety by minimizing contact and decreasing the likelihood of community spread. We will also enable our physicians, nurses, and certified nursing assistants to focus on the needs of COVID-19. The battle against COVID-19 will be led by our healthcare workers, but the impact will be felt by the elderly and individuals with preexisting conditions. The hospice industry must come together to support our communities and partners during this crisis." Heart of Hospice has implemented many processes to support the safety of its staff, partners, and patients throughout the outbreak. These processes include: daily patient and staff screenings, education on proper PPE utilization, implementation of a televisit option for patients and facilities, and initiation of a grocery shopping program for patients. Dr. Sonali Wilborn, Chief Medical Officer for Heart of Hospice, illuminates how providers can get creative in their care delivery, including Advance Care Planning. "We want to ensure all patients and families feel supported in this changing care environment. Providers can offer televisits and frequent, telephonic check-ins to manage symptoms, show support, demonstrate availability, and help with advance care planning. If patients and families feel safe and cared for at home, they are less likely to return to the hospital." About Heart of Hospice Our vision is to transform end-of-life care in the communities we serve. We provide care to 19 regions across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. We believe all hospice-eligible patients and those who love them deserve the best care at the end of life. Our mission is simple: to serve all patients and their loved ones the way they desire to be served. CONTACT: Kimberly Workman, 843-642-5009, [email protected] SOURCE Heart of Hospice Related Links https://www.heartofhospice.net/ ANDERSON, Calif. - A human trafficking ring that spanned three North State counties was busted by a collaborating group of law enforcement officials leading to the arrest to two Chico residents. The operation was called "Operation Broken Promise." Officials from the Anderson Police Department told Action News Now Tuesday that they were notified in early 2019 that unusual behavior was observed at the Relax Chinese Massage, a business that had just opened in the City of Anderson. Police looked into the citizen complaint and uncovered an operation where multiple women were expected to perform sex acts for money and were being forced to live in massage parlors in Shasta, Tehama and Butte Counties. The two people arrested are 51-year-old Rui Wang and 47-year-old Junhua Wu, both of Chico. Anderson Police officials said Tuesday the two are believed by them to be the heads of the criminal enterprise. Wang and Wu are currently housed in the Butte County Jail are awaiting extradition to Shasta County. Their charges include four counts of pimping, one count of pandering, and fifty-three counts of money laundering. They currently have a bail amount set at one million dollars. Investigators said they believe that Rui Wang and Junhua Wu managed and profited from eight various illicit massage parlors spanning between Redding, Anderson, Red Bluff, Chico, and Oroville. Here is a list of massage parlors where search warrants were served on Monday. Forty law enforcement officers from seven different agencies served nine search warrants. Shasta County Relax With a Massage, located at 105 Hartnell Avenue in Redding Chinese Massage, located at 1556 Hartnell Avenue in Redding Relaxation Massage, located at 908 Hartnell Avenue in Redding Relax Massage, located at 3090 West Center St. in Redding The location searched in Tehama County was the Flower Massage, located at 108 Main Street in Red Bluff. Butte County Relax Massage, located at 1353 Feather River Blvd. in Oroville Relax Massage, located at 1194 East Lassen Avenue in Chico Relax Massage, located at 166 Cohasset Road in Chico Also, warrants were served at the residence of the suspects, Rui Wang and Junhua Wu of Chico. The officers encountered the two suspects, six victims, and three would be-customers throughout the operation. Rui Wang and Junhua Wu were located in Butte County at the very beginning of the operation. They were interviewed at a local law enforcement agency and provided statements to investigators. Both suspects were offered immediate extradition to Shasta County, but both declined, according to officers. Wang and Wu were booked into the Butte County Jail on their felony warrants, where they will remain until extradition procedures begin. The goal of "Operation Broken Promise" was to target the traffickers associated with this operation and rescue the women who have been forced, coerced, or defrauded into modern-day sexual slavery. Participating law enforcement said they wanted to make sure the victims were provided with resources to help them take control of their own lives. The Anderson Police Department extended their thanks to the Shasta County District Attorney Office for the resources they provided for this investigation and to the State Franchise Tax Board for conducting a parallel investigation revealing what is being called "significant" evidence of these suspects money laundering activities. The Redding Police Department, Shasta County Sheriffs Office, Red Bluff Police Department, and Chico California Highway Patrol Office were also thanked for providing personnel for the operation. Anderson Police also thanked DA Advocates, My Sisters House in Sacramento, the Northern California Anti-Trafficking Coalition. Shasta Pizza Company, Kaleidoscope Coffee, and Reign energy drink for donations of food and drinks for the victims and officers that were involved in the investigation. This operation could not have been completed without assistance from over twenty non-sworn support staff, Anderson Police officers said. This included Community Service Officers, Cadets, Victim Advocates, and a team of in-person and available phone translators. A Victim Center was established for the women who were found in the massage parlors. The women were transported there to meet with victim advocates and a translator. The victims were offered such services as housing, relocation, health screenings, and immigration assistance. The victims were housed locally overnight are continuing to meet with victim advocates on Wednesday. The lieutenant governor of Texas argued in an interview on Fox News Monday night that the United States should go back to work, saying grandparents like him dont want to sacrifice the countrys economy during the coronavirus crisis. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, 69, made the comments on Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight after President Donald Trump said he wanted to reopen the country for business in weeks, not months. Patrick also said the elderly population, who the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said are more at risk for COVID-19, can take care of themselves and suggested that grandparents wouldnt want to sacrifice their grandchildrens economic future. Daily coronavirus updates: Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox No one reached out to me and said, as a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren? Patrick said. And if thats the exchange, Im all in. Tx Lt Gov Dan Patrick says grandparents would be willing to die to save the economy for their grandchildren pic.twitter.com/wC3Ngvtsbj Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) March 24, 2020 "Open for business": How several states hunkered down the same day Trump promoted going back to normal "And that doesn't make me noble or brave or anything like that," he continued. "I just think there are lots of grandparents out there in this country like me... that what we care about and what we love more than anything are those children." Patrick claimed after speaking to over a hundred people over the phone that there's a consensus that they don't want to "lose our whole country" over the current public health crisis and face an economic collapse. Story continues Health experts have made clear the coronavirus poses a particular danger for older patients 60 years old and older who face the highest risk of serious illness or death from the rapid spread of COVID-19. They say unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction staying home from work and isolating themselves the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths. Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, warned in a series of tweets that curbing social distancing could cost millions of lives. Inglesby said the U.S has seen exponential growth and that health officials are just beginning to understand how pervasive it is. While the worst outbreaks are concentrated in certain parts of the country, such as New York, experts warn that the highly infectious disease is certain to spread. Texas has more than 350 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths related to the virus. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has resisted a stay-at-home order for all of Texas but local officials in Dallas and San Antonio have. Contributing: Associated Press. Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19: Texas official suggests elderly willing to die for economy WASHINGTON - With the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating in the United States, the federal government lowered the boom Wednesday on renegade globetrotters, ordering any non-essential travellers who recently returned to Canada to self-quarantine for 14 days, regardless of whether they have symptoms. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/3/2020 (658 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives to address Canadians on the COVID-19 situation from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick WASHINGTON - With the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating in the United States, the federal government lowered the boom Wednesday on renegade globetrotters, ordering any non-essential travellers who recently returned to Canada to self-quarantine for 14 days, regardless of whether they have symptoms. Those who defy the order, which went into effect in the wee hours of Wednesday, could face fines or arrests, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told a news conference in Ottawa. Freeland and other ministers at Wednesday's midday briefing initially said the order wouldn't take effect until midnight. Health Minister Patty Hajdu said the same in the Senate during an appearance there. But several hours later, government officials began making the rounds to clarify that the quarantine order had been in effect for more than 12 hours already. And late Wednesday, Hajdu's office issued further clarification: maximum penalties include a fine of up to $750,000 and six months in jail. "It is in fact in place now. I do concede there was a bit of confusion," Hajdu's spokesman Matt Pascuzzo said in an email. The new restrictions, which make compulsory what the government has been strenuously urging people to do voluntarily, do not apply to so-called "essential" travellers who are exempt from an ongoing mutual ban on travel between Canada and the U.S. "We have decided that now is the time to make that measure mandatory," Freeland said. "I think we all really appreciate that it is so important to have this self-isolation to protect the health and safety of Canadians." While the federal Quarantine Act gives Hajdu sweeping powers to control the spread of a viral contagion, including steep fines, arrest and even jail time, it wasn't clear Wednesday precisely how the government intended to enforce the new restrictions. "We will have mechanisms in place to enforce the quarantine," Freeland said, without elaborating beyond calling it a "legal obligation" for any non-essential traveller returning from outside the country. Hajdu's release said "spot checks" would be conducted by the government "to verify compliance." The measure comes amid growing apprehension about the widening scope of the pandemic south of the border, which the World Health Organization has warned is becoming the outbreak's new focal point, and where President Donald Trump has been musing about reopening parts of the country on the April 12 Easter long weekend, to the horror of public-health experts. The U.S. added more than 8,500 new reports to its total of more than 63,000 active cases Wednesday, a pace that now outstrips the spread in European hotspots like Italy and Spain. The hardest hit region is New York, which comprises nearly half the American total and which added more than 4,400 cases on Wednesday alone, mostly in New York City. Even so, "there are large sections of our country probably that can go back to work sooner than other sections," Trump told the daily White House briefing. "I'm not going to do anything rash, or hastily I don't do that," he added. "It could be we'll do sections of our country. There are big sections of our country that are very little affected by what's taken place." If indeed parts of the country are able to go back to work, people would still be able to defend against the virus by practising social distancing, hand-washing and "all the things you're supposed to do," Trump said. "They're not going to walk around hugging and kissing each other in the office when they come back, even though they may feel like it." Freeland pointed to the new mandatory quarantine when asked about Canada's contingency plans in the event the U.S. outbreak risks spilling over the border. But she made a point of noting that essential travellers truckers, cross-border health workers, airline crews and others keeping trade and commercial arteries open are considered essential for a reason. "We need to be really thoughtful about what we do there," Freeland said, citing the specific example of long-haul truck drivers who are ferrying critical goods and supplies between the two countries. In the same breath, however, she acknowledged the "fluid and evolving" situation both around the world "and on our continent" a suggestion that the government may need to constrict the border even more if the circumstances demand. "As the situation evolves, we are constantly and by constantly I mean every single hour reviewing additional measures, including measures at the border." Keeping store shelves fully stocked is as much about keeping people from panicking as it is about the provisions themselves, said Jenifer Bartman, a business adviser and consultant based in Winnipeg. Bare shelves "can create a sense of panic, of insecurity," Bartman said an especially dangerous circumstance among people who are supposed to be self-isolating at home to prevent spreading the virus. "All of a sudden people are running out and it's not even just getting this stuff, but it's running around trying to find it, too." Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The number of air travellers from the United States is down 80 per cent from the same time a year ago, and land crossings are down 71 per cent, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair told senators Wednesday as he acknowledged the "challenge" of keeping trade moving through a partial travel ban. Truck traffic is also down slightly, but that's a symptom of production stops in the U.S. as workers stay home to combat the spread of the virus. "It remains a challenge to maintain those supply lines but we are monitoring on a daily basis and I can tell you truck traffic is moving very freely and readily across our border," he said. "I am confident at this point that we have been able to maintain those supply chains." Drivers are being asked to rigorously self-monitor for any COVID-19 symptoms, to keep their distance from others, and use appropriate hygiene techniques, including frequent hand washing. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2020. More Houston-area residents younger than age 60 are testing positive for the novel coronavirus than are older persons considered most at risk of developing serious complications from the illness. Middle-age adults those in their 40s and 50s account for the lions share of cases where there have been positive tests, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis. A review of 164 cases from March 4 through Monday in counties with confirmed diagnoses Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, Liberty and Chambers show around 78 percent of COVID-19 cases in the Houston region are of children and adults under the age of 60. People older than that, who federal health authorities say are more likely to require hospital care if infected, make up about 21 percent of those who have tested positive. The data does not include Fort Bend County from March 22 onward as officials there have since stopped publishing individual case data, such as age and gender. The review also does not include people who tested negative for the virus because most counties have not provided that information. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat, last week noticed a similar trend among seniors at United Memorial Medical Center, a private hospital in Acres Home. She concluded that fewer seniors were showing up to be tested. The municipal health jurisdictions consider data from third-party testing sites, such as the hospital, to be unconfirmed until they have reviewed it. About 40 young adults in their 20s and 30s tested positive for the illness during the nearly three-week period, as local governments increased their calls for social distancing, according to the analysis. Even a handful of children in the Houston region tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of Harris County Public Health, was aware of the trend of younger people contracting the novel coronavirus. People like me, who feel like they can go out and do everything we, too, can test positive, Shah said Tuesday morning at a news conference, where officials also announced a stay-at-home order. All of us have the potential of transmitting that to others, he continued. Harris Countys stay-at-home order was issued as an attempt to drastically reduce the number of new COVID-19 cases before the virus overwhelms the local healthcare system. Already, the Houston areas rate of hospitalization has been higher than what was recorded in the Chinese city of Wuhan where COVID-19 originated and in New York, where authorities have watched more than 25,000 cases unfold. Health officials have attributed the increased hospitalization rate to the initial inability to test as the pandemic first crept into the community. Both ages groups those under 60 and those older have had nearly the same number of hospitalizations, data shows. The majority of the initial cases for the Houston region were from patients in their 60s, most of whom were vacationers on board a Nile river cruise in Egypt. While it is nearly impossible to compare local numbers to the national trend due to the lack of consistency among local health authorities on how to disclose the age of those testing positive, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that 29 percent of U.S. cases of 4,226 people were among those 20 to 44. Persons age 65 to 84 accounted for 25 percent of the case total. Data from the initial outbreak in China has indicated that older adults, especially those with underlying health issues, are at a higher risk of complications even death than younger people, according to the CDC study. nicole.hensley@chron.com Most suburban counties on Tuesday were joining Harris County to implement unprecedented measures to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Our number of cases are exponentially increasing, said Fort Bend County Judge KP George, a Democrat elected to office in 2018, said during a virtual press conference Tuesday afternoon. Our healthcare system will be overwhelmed if we do not take drastic action. However, Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough a , Republican , struck a different tone, noting that he was not yet issuing a shelter-in-place order . Im just going to ask citizens of Montgomery County to continue to self-regulate, he said, and were going to get through this at some point. Fort Bends move follows Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgos announcement of a similar order on Tuesday morning. Harris Countys stay-at-home order excludes going to the grocery store, completing errands and will take effect at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday and last until April 3. What these experts and leaders tell us is that if we keep going at the rate we are going, we will end up in the situation that New York is heading towards, that Italy is at, where we simply run out of ICU space, Hidalgo said. Earlier this week, George said he consulted faith leaders and hospital CEOs before coming to his decision. The Stay Home to Save Lives order will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday and stay in effect until April 3. George said residents are permitted to leave home to complete essential tasks, like visiting a health care professional, grocery store shopping, engaging in outdoor activities, performing work for an essential business and caring for a family member or a pet in another household. Religious services may only be provided by live-stream, teleconferences or other virtual means. However, Keough plainly stated at a commissioners court meeting Tuesday morning that he would not yet be putting any more restrictions in place. At this point, we are not doing that, he said. Our people are being compliant. Keough noted that they had already limited gatherings to 10 people and told restaurants to allow only pick-up or delivery. The tea-party backed judge stressed that if residents continued to follow the rules, they would remain free of more government control. If people violated them, he said the county of more than 500,000 people could end up with a shelter-in-place order. It is incumbent upon us as a county, as people, to self-regulate to keep from having our freedoms taken away, Keough. Despite this, Waller County is also expected to announce an order calling for residents to stay at home in the coming days, according to County Judge Trey Duhon. Although the county does not have any confirmed cases, Duhon said officials have been operating as if they have unconfirmed cases . If we dont take a regional approach to slowing or stopping the spread of this virus, then its not going to be effective, said Duhon over the phone. With that in mind, we feel its important for us to follow suit and do as much as we can. A Brazoria County spokeswoman, Sharon Trower, confirmed Tuesday that the county was in the process of ironing out the details on what a shelter-in-place order would look like. She noted the considerations for rural counties are different than counties like Harris with large urban centers. There is definitely something on the table, Trower said. There are discussions and plans were working on to make it fit for Brazoria County specifically. Chambers County also issued a stay safe order ordering residents to stay at their home, unless completing essential activities, starting Tuesday night at 11:59 p.m. until April 3. Galveston County officials are also issuing a shelter-in-place order Tuesday for all county residents due to the coronavirus outbreak. The order, which has been signed, was discussed Monday afternoon, after the county reported six additional coronavirus cases, bringing the countywide total to 18. The Galveston order is going into effect at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday and continue through midnight April 3. Residents can still go outside to exercise, for example. But the order requires people using shared or outdoor spaces to maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from any person when they are outside their residence. County residents may only leave their residence for essential activities, such as obtaining necessary supplies like food or household cleaning products, or seeking medical care. The order also mandates that all businesses cease operating during this time period. Essential businesses - such as health-care providers, government offices and grocery stores - would remain open. Trash collectors and childcare providers would also be exempted under the order. Dr. Philip Keiser, the countys local health authority, said in a statement the growing number of cases is evidence of community spread. As we look at the pattern of testing, we can assume (the virus) is everywhere, Keiser said. And you should assume that too. Zach Despart , Emily Foxhall, Nick Powell, and Jasper Scherer contributed to this report. brooke.lewis@chron.com In addition to handing out free premium subscriptions during the shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the porn megasite Pornhub has now made an even more meaningful donation. According to a report by the New York Post on Tuesday, Pornhub has shipped 50,000 protective face masks to healthcare workers and first responders in New York City and surrounding areas. New York state and New York City in particular have quickly become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. The state had more than 26,000 cases with 271 fatalities as of Tuesday evening, according to the population data site Worldometers. Of those deaths, 114 happened on Tuesday alone. New York City had 15,597 confirmed cases and 192 deaths as of Tuesday night, according to The New York Times. Protective masks are essential for health care workers to guard against contracting the highly contagious disease from patients. According to a Pornhub media statement, the site sent 20,000 masks to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital on Long Island. These masks are mission critical in the fight against the COVID pandemic, the hospitals senior vice preisdent, Joe Calderone, told the Post. They will help keep our nurses, physicians and support staff safe from infection while caring for those who are stricken with the disease. Pornhub also sent 15,000 surgical masks to Uniformed Firefighters Association Local 94, a New York City firefighters union, to protect its first responders, the statement said. Another 15,000 masks went to FDNY EMS Local 2507, the union representing the citys paramedics, who are on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus. In addition, the site announced that it would waive its $9.99 monthly premium fee worldwide for the next 30 days. With nearly one billion people in lockdown across the world because of the coronavirus pandemic, its important that we lend a hand and provide them with an enjoyable way to pass the time, Pornhub executive Corey Price said in the companys statement. Photo by Pornhub BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: On the instructions of the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and under his personal control, fundamental proactive work on the fight against coronavirus is ongoing in the country, MP Aydin Huseynov told Trend on March 25. Huseynov noted that the creation of the Fund to Support Fight Against Coronavirus and the initial allocation of 20 million manat from the Presidential Reserve Fund by the head of state should be emphasized. The donation of the annual salary of President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva to the above-mentioned fund was another manifestation of the unity of the state and people, and an example for every citizen. That is why the number of organizations, legal entities and individuals making contributions to the fund is increasing," the MP said. MP added that the work carried out by the state has one goal - to get out of this difficult situation with minimal losses. Everyone should know that if there is no cohesion between the government and citizens on this issue, then we will have to face the bitter consequences of this disease. Citizens must also be responsible, comply with the new rules, a special quarantine regime. National solidarity, unity and responsibility will help defeat this disease, Huseynov noted. MP stressed that all measures carried out within the framework of the decisions of the country's leadership are aimed at improving the peoples well-being and preserving national security. Huseynov added that at such a difficult moment, measures are being taken to mitigate the effects of sharp fluctuations in prices on the energy market and exchanges, which could negatively affect the economy, macroeconomic stability, business entities, as well as employment in Azerbaijan. The Nigerian army suffered heavy losses. At least 70 soldiers were killed in the attack on their convoy in north-eastern Nigeria, a region plagued by violence from the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) group. The attack happened on Monday but it was only on Tuesday that military sources revealed the information. According to a senior military source, at least 70 soldiers, died in the ambush on Monday in the Konduga region of Borno State. The terrorists specifically targeted a truck loaded with RPG rocket launchers and grenades before setting the vehicle on fire, another military source said. Seventy bodies were found but the toll could be much higher and the counting operation is still ongoing, the source added. The military convoy left Monday morning from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, and headed for camps where jihadists are based to carry out an attack, said a member of the civilian militia fighting alongside the Nigerian army. Members of ISWAP, a branch of Boko Haram affiliated to the Islamic State Group since August 2016, have been stepping up attacks against the armed forces and have killed several dozen or even hundreds of Nigerian soldiers. Almost 13 years worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) will start to arrive in Ireland by the end of the week, Health Minister Simon Harris said. "Usually in a year we'd spend about 15 million on personal protective equipment - we're going to spend about 225 million this year," he said. In an interview with Virgin Media News, Mr Harris said that he was "really pleased" that Ireland, through the HSE, had secured the equipment haul during the global shortage of supplies. He said that the supply, which is due to start arriving by the end of the week, is "probably what would normally do you for about 13 years." Read More Speaking about the latest safety measures announced by the Government yesterday, which saw the closure of non-essential retail outlets, the minister said that the public should follow the advice and "take it day by day". "We will do what we need to do, and we'll do everything we can do - but it will only work if we do it in partnership with the people," he said. He also urged the public to look at the breakdown of the figures and not just the daily cases, and that "the trend is going in one direction". "Of course the daily numbers of new cases in Ireland are of interest. It's of interest to me, it's of interest to all of us, on a human level and curiosity level it's of interest. "It's nowhere near though as important, in my view, as what we're seeing in relation to our ICUs. We are seeing a number of people in our country get very very sick and end up in intensive care. "There are more people in Ireland today with Covid-19 than yesterday, there will be more tomorrow and today. "But even more importantly than that we have seen a significant number admitted to ICU, and sadly we've seen several people lose their lives." By Carolyn Jones, EdSource State and federal education leaders have assured school districts they would have flexibility in serving out-of-school special education students, but some districts are still afraid of lawsuits if they are unable to appropriately educate those students amid the coronavirus crisis. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced over the weekend that school districts should continue providing special education services, despite the difficulties they may face in offering online instruction during the pandemic and the threat of lawsuits if they are unable to do so. The department also said it would grant districts and parents greater flexibility in meeting timelines spelled out in several federal laws governing special education. The California Department of Education also provided guidance, giving districts more leeway in implementing the special education laws. The issue has direct implications for the nearly 800,000 special education students in California, who comprise 12.5 percent of the state's public school enrollment, and who are now at home, with their often carefully constructed education programs completely upended. DeVos' announcement was welcomed by special education advocates, who said it provided clear guidance but enough flexibility for districts to find effective ways to meet the needs of special education students. However, school administrators feel that the guidance they are receiving from both Washington and Sacramento is inadequate to assure school districts that they won't face legal action if they are unable to provide all special education students with what is termed an "appropriate education" using online tools. "(The state and federal guidance) is not nearly enough," said Wesley Smith, executive director of the Association of California School Administrators, representing over 17,000 superintendents, principals and other administrators. "We need explicit waivers of explicit provisions. ... Our districts are asking for relief so they can enact the governor's orders to continue providing high-quality education." Some educators are seeking more specific waivers, which may be permitted in the education portion of the massive bailout legislation now being debated in Congress. Last week, thousands of school districts across the country closed campuses to stem the spread of the coronavirus and began offering instruction online, or were planning to do so. That could pose a challenge for students enrolled in special education, many of whom rely on in-person assistance for speech, occupational, physical or behavioral therapy, as well as instructional aides to help in regular classrooms. DeVos' announcement came late last week after reports that some school districts were limiting - or not providing - online lessons for all students for fear of running afoul of federal special education laws, which guarantee students with disabilities the right to an equal education. "Some educators have been reluctant to provide any distance instruction because they believe that federal disability law presents insurmountable barriers to remote education," DeVos said. "This is simply not true. We remind schools they should not opt to close or decline to provide distance instruction, at the expense of students, to address matters pertaining to services for students with disabilities." But some districts want more assurance from the state and federal governments that they will not be subject to lawsuits from parents for deviating from a student's special education plan, typically referred to as an Individualized Education Program, or IEP, which outlines all the services that a student is entitled to under federal and state law. During previous crises, such as wildfires, some parents still sued districts over the fact that their children did not get the services they were entitled to, claiming that districts still needed to comply with special education laws even during emergencies. Matt Tamel, an attorney at Dannis, Woliver & Kelley, a law firm that represents school districts in special education cases, predicted that lawsuits may not come immediately, but after the crisis ends. Some parents may feel the district didn't do enough to serve their child, and the child regressed. "Ninety-nine percent of parents are going to be appreciative and understand the situation," he said. "But there may be some who feel their student is being somehow shorted, and that could pose a problem for districts." A particular area of concern could be compensatory education - a provision in special education law that requires districts to provide services after-the-fact if, for example, a student has regressed because he or she missed therapy spelled out in their education plan, said Jan Tomsky, an attorney at Fagen, Friedman & Fulfrost, which specializes in education law. "It depends on so much that we don't know, such as how long this will last," she said. "That's the vast unknown. Right now, school districts are working around the clock to respond to this unprecedented world we're living in. It's an extraordinary moment. But I think the challenge is the uncertainty about what their obligations are." The U.S. Department of Education did acknowledge that school districts may have difficulty providing the necessary services in the middle of a pandemic. The guidance stated that "the department recognizes that exceptional circumstances may affect how special education and related services and supports are provided to students with disabilities, and the department will offer flexibility." District responses have been varied. Some districts have provided little guidance for teachers, while others have encouraged teachers to contact families daily via phone or video-chat, deliver educational materials directly to students' homes, and generally check in on students' welfare during the closure. DeVos' announcement, which came a day after California's guidelines were announced, was welcomed by special education advocates, who said it provided clear guidance but enough flexibility for districts to find protocols that work for their individual students' needs. "I think it's good news. ... It's a clear statement that services need to continue," said John Eisenberg, executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. "It says that districts need to do the best they can to provide the best possible services to students. It might not be perfect, but you need to try." DeVos also clarified any confusion about the U.S. Department of Education's position on online learning. "Nothing issued by this Department should in any way prevent any school from offering educational programs through distance instruction," she said. "We need schools to educate all students out of principle, rather than educate no students out of fear. These are challenging times, but we expect schools to rise to the occasion, and the Department stands ready to assist you in your efforts." In a follow-up letter this week, Kristin Wright, California's director of special education, acknowledged the "overwhelming challenges" students, families and schools face "in maintaining access to meaningful educational opportunities," but reiterated the federal message that implementing special education laws shouldn't get in the way of offering online instruction during the current crisis. Ron Hager, managing attorney for education and employment for the National Disability Rights Network, which advocates for the federal rights of disabled people, said the announcement left him "extremely hopeful." "As depressed as I was last week, I'm now optimistic we'll see a turnaround and districts will start providing services to all students," he said. "Saying that districts should not let their policies be dictated by fear was a very powerful statement." But Mayra Lira, an attorney for Public Counsel, a nonprofit law firm that has represented families of special education students, said that while the announcement was positive, it might be overly lenient with districts struggling to provide services to students in special education. Some students she represents have received no services during the closures, she said. While DeVos' guidance might provide short-term relief for districts, it could also open the door to districts curtailing their services for disabled students over the long term because they may claim they don't have the resources, she said. "For now, this is good news. It means some districts can no longer do what they've been doing, which is nothing," Lira said. "But I think the announcement includes enough caveats that allow schools not to make their best efforts. They'll say, 'Well, this is the best we can do.' That's a problem." Meanwhile, members of Congress are continuing to negotiate a coronavirus aid bill that includes a provision allowing DeVos to suggest waivers to special education laws. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, a $2 trillion bailout package, would give DeVos 30 days to create a plan for Congress recommending changes to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the 45-year-old law that guarantees students with disabilities a free public education. Advocates fear the provision could lead to permanent weakening of the law. As of late Tuesday, that provision was still in the bill, on which the Senate is expected to vote on Wednesday. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/25/2020 -- TMR Research has now come up with a brand new market research report about the global juicer market. The research report provides in-depth analysis of all the prominent segments, key driving factors, geographical outlook, and current situation of the vendor landscape. Over the past few years, the global juicer market has seen tremendous evolution both on domestic as well as international front. There are five key regional segments of the global market. These are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. Among these, traditionally, the regional segment of Europe has been the most dominant regional segment. Increasing and wide-reaching demand for vegetable and fruit juices among the European citizens is the chief driving factor for the development of the regional market. Moreover, improving health consciousness and nutritional awareness among the masses is also helping the growth of the regional market. Get Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=6409 On the other hand, the regional segment of Asia Pacific is expected to show a highly promising growth rate in the coming years of the forecast period ranging from 2019 to 2029. The growth of the region is primarily driven due to the increasing demand from the emerging nations such as India, Indonesia, and China, who all host majority of millennial and health conscious population. Another important factor for growth is the people in these countries are slowly warming up to the idea of using new age kitchen equipment and devices over traditional methods. Increasing Health Benefits of Juices is Key Driving Factor On the global front, there are several different factors that are helping to drive the overall growth of the juicer market. One of the biggest driving factors for the market development has been the increasing importance of fresh fruit and vegetable juices that are nutritious and necessary for all age groups. Elderly people in particular are benefitted extremely by regular consumption of these juices and thus this trend has helped in shaping the growth of the global market. In addition to this, growing health consciousness among people across the globe is also helping to drive the overall development of the global juicer market. Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=6409 In recent years, there has been a growing demand for ensuring that grinding juice on a daily basis is a streamlined affair. It has prompted not only the growth of the global market but also helped in bringing in more innovation in the product development. People are now increasingly preferring smart juicers in these recent years. Naturally, the leading companies in the global market are providing highly user-friendly devices with interactive interfaces. Machines that generate minimal noise, and those can provide juicing capacities for hard and thick fruits and vegetables has helped in driving the growth of the global juicer market. Improved Juicing Capabilities Is Gaining Popularity among Masses The leading manufacturers are now leaning towards cutting down the maintenance on these juicers. A range of features that help in prolonging the juicer lives is huge attractive proposition for purchasers. This a key trend that manufacturers are trying to take advantage of. Prominently, different features, which make juicers safer to use such as safety locks and built in circuits are gaining huge popularity among purchasers. Increasing popularity of centrifugal juicers with the capacity of providing high rotation per minute to juice hard vegetables and fruits is also a key driving factor for the overall development of the global market. Many companies operating in the global juicer market are concentrating on increasing the overall juicing capability of these juicing machines and subsequently create designs with good aesthetics to attract new consumers. Some of the key companies in the global market for juicers are Kuvings, Newell Brands Inc., Panasonic Corp., Groupe SEB, and Sharp Incorporation. Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/juicer-market About TMR Research: TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in today's supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients' conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends. Read More Articles: https://tmrresearchblog.com/ Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) The Department of Health has recorded another big increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 636 as of Wednesday. Three more infected people have died due to complications while six more others have recovered. The DOH said 84 new patients were confirmed to have coronavirus disease. Meanwhile, the death toll is now at 38. Among those who have recently died is a 56-year-old male Filipino resident of Quezon City with no travel history. He died of community acquired pneumonia," the DOH said. A 57-year-old male Filipino from Caloocan succumbed to acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to pneumonia and COVID-19, the agency said. The third death was an 82-year-old female Filipino from Marikina City who previously visited the United States and was exposed to a known COVID-19 case. She also died of complications caused by the disease. On the other hand, there are now 26 people who have been cured of COVID-19. Here are the six recent recoveries: - A 64-year-old Filipino female from Batangas who had been to Italy. She tested negative for the infection twice and had been discharged from the hospital on Tuesday. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 on March 14. She also suffered from hypertension. - A 57-year-old Filipino male from Quezon City also tested negative twice and left the hospital on Monday. He had travel history to Taiwan and tested positive on March 8. The patient also had asthma and diabetes mellitus. - A 41-year-old Filipino male resident of Pasig City who had been to Taiwan. He tested positive on March 9 and was discharged on March 24 after two negative results. - A 66-year-old Filipino male who lives in Quezon City. He had no travel history nor had he made contact with anyone confirmed with COVID-19. He tested positive on March 14 and was released ten days later since he no longer showed any symptoms. He has one negative test result. - A 28-year-old Filipino female resident of San Juan City. She was exposed to a known COVID-19 case and confirmed to have caught the disease on March 10. She tested negative once and was discharged on March 22. - A 30-year-old Filipino female from San Juan with no travel and exposure history. She tested positive on March 7 and left the hospital on March 24. She no longer exhibited symptoms and had already tested negative for the infection two times. COVID-19 is a disease caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, which is related to the virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, but is not as deadly, with the fatality rate standing at around three percent. According to the WHO, 80 percent of patients only experience mild illness and eventually recover. This is a breaking story and will be updated. Vietnam has reported 123 cases of the disease and no deaths Getty (Source: ft.com) The article said when the disease was raging over the border in China, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucwarned it would soon reach Vietnam and described the epidemic fight as the one against the enemy. However, Vietnams success in containing COVID-19 depends in part on the mobilisation of medical and military personnel, according to the article. The governments efforts to fight COVID-19 have garnered popular support, judging by social media posts cheering health workers and a viral poster-style meme reading: To stay at home is to love your country! Vietnams health ministry sends regular text messages about coronavirus-related news and health tips. The article cited a recent survey by Nielsen Vietnam as saying the market research firm found the majority of respondents were highly aware of COVID-19s symptoms. On February 13rd, Vietnam became the first country after China to seal off a large residential area. It imposed a 21-day quarantine in part of Vinh Phuc province, north of Hanoi, where more than 10,000 people live, after cases were traced. People found sharing fake news about the virus have been summoned by police and about 800 have been fined. It also quoted praise for Vietnams proactiveness and consistency throughout the response by Kidong Park, the World Health Organizations representative in Hanoi, and Carl Thayer, a professor at the University of New South Wales Canberra./. A Brisbane child has been tested positive for coronavirus after the year 3 student and their family were in self-quarantine since the weekend. One of the child's parents and their partner were also confirmed to have the virus. School parents and caregivers received an email from Stretton State College, in Brisbane's south, on Wednesday, who thanked the family for their "prompt action". "Queensland Health has advised that the student was not at school during the contagious period of their illness," the email read. "While there is a low risk of transmission given the early action by the family to self-quarantine, Queensland Health is now undertaking contact tracing and as a matter of further precaution, I have asked for specialist cleaners to conduct a deep clean of the campus." REUTERS/Mark Blinch Canada Goose (GOOS) will reopen two of its manufacturing facilities and begin producing medical scrubs and patient gowns to help in the fight against COVID-19. Starting next week, the high-end parka maker will produce scrubs and patient gowns that it says are in short supply at hospitals across the country. About 100 employees will manufacture the gear at its production facilities in Winnipeg and Toronto, with an initial goal of producing 10,000 units. The scrubs and gowns will be donated to local hospitals at no cost. Now is the time to put our manufacturing resources and capabilities to work for the greater good, Canada Gooses chief executive Dani Reiss said in a statement. Our employees are ready, willing and able to help, and thats what were doing. Its the Canadian thing to do. The company also said it will follow recommendations issued by the provincial and federal governments, as well as local health authorities, to ensure a safe work environment for its employees. Sanitation measures within the facilities will be increased. Manufacturing companies across the country have been holding discussions with various levels of government about using their facilities to help produce medical supplies and equipment to fight the spread and impact of the coronavirus. Last week, the federal government said it will help companies that are currently producing medical supplies such as masks, ventilators and hand sanitizer to massively scale-up production. Ottawa will also provide support for companies that have offered to pivot their manufacturing facilities to produce medical equipment. Many companies have also set up funds to ensure employees will receive financial support amid the coronavirus outbreak. Canada Goose set up an Employee Support Fund for those affected by store and manufacturing closures who are not eligible for government assistance. Reiss has said he will forego his salary for at least three months, donating it to the Employee Support Fund. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android and sign up for the Yahoo Finance Canada Weekly Brief. In seven minutes, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will issue an executive order that closes all nonessential businesses in Minnesota from midnight on Friday until April 10. Bars, restaurants and similar places of accommodation will be closed until May 1. If youve ever wondered what businesses are essential, this federal web page will be used as a reference. It turns out that there are a lot of essential industries. Here is one oddityradio and television employees are deemed essential: Workers who support radio, television, and media service, including, but not limited to front line news reporters, studio, and technicians for newsgathering and reporting But I cant find any reference to newspapers, unless that is what media service means. If all of Americas newspapers were to shut down, I suppose that could be a silver lining. I also note that essential workers include: Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies, convenience stores and other retail that sells human food, animal/pet food, and beverage products The question on everyones mind is whether beverage products means that liquor stores will remain open. No doubt we will talk about this latest overreaction on tonights VIP show. BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- China has shared with more than 100 countries its experience in the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic as the world witnesses a growing number of infected cases of the disease, a Chinese epidemiology expert said here Tuesday. Chinese experience underlines the core effect of separation between the source of infection and the susceptible population, Wu Zunyou, an epidemiology expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told a press conference. "China's epidemic control work mainly focuses on three aspects, tight control of the infection source, breaking the chain of transmission and protecting the susceptible population," said Wu. Timely detection, reporting, quarantine and medical treatment have contributed to effectively reducing the source of infection in China, said Wu. To cut off the transmission chain, Wu stressed the importance of wearing face masks, washing hands and ensuring ventilation. China prolonged holidays and advocates keeping a certain distance between people for the good of the susceptible population, he said. Many countries have adopted those methods in light of their conditions, Wu added. In the market for a little retail therapy? Make a beeline for brands that are working to making sure your clothing purchases help those in need. From the bags funding local community organisations to the cashmere sweater giveaway designed to spread a little love, here are just some of the ways brands are giving back. Sezane Sezane is donating 10 per cent of all proceeds to emergency aid fund for French hospitals / Sezane The new collection from the cult Parisian label has just landed online along with the news that 10 per cent of all proceeds will be donated to the emergency aid fund for French hospitals. Three Graces London Three Graces London / Three Graces London Until next Wednesday, 100 per cent of the online net sales generated by resortwear label Three Graces London will go directly to Crisis to help protect the homeless through the coronavirus outbreak. Cefinn Cefinn / Cefinn For the next four weeks, workwear label Cefinn will donate 5 from every order to Age UK and food bank charity The Trussell Trust to help those most vulnerable. Paradise Row Paradise Row (Paradise Row ) / Paradise Row East London bag brand Paradise Row is selling factory seconds of its core collection and giving 100 per cent of the proceeds to the local institutions which inspired them, from community arts social enterprise Stitches in Time to The Pearly Kings and Queens Society. Enter the code SUPPORTYOURLOCAL at checkout. Chinti & Parker Chinti & Parker / Adam Hinton Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) -March 25, 2020: Cordoba Minerals Corp. (TSXV: CDB) (OTCQB: CDBMF) ("Cordoba" or the "Company") today announces that it is closely monitoring the impact of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and is prepared for the potential short-term impacts on its development and exploration projects. Cordoba's primary focus remains on the health and safety of all its employees and contractors as well as its host communities. To this end, all staff and contractors in Colombia, the United States and Canada are now working from home and self-monitoring for signs of infection. There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 associated with Cordoba employees or contractors to date. In Colombia, a Presidential Order has been issued for mandatory nation-wide isolation, which includes strict limits on the movement of people, a restriction on international and domestic air travel and the closure of non-essential businesses. As a result, Cordoba has suspended all in-country operations, but will continue to advance desk-top work on the pre-feasibility studies for mine development at the Alacran Copper-Gold-Silver Deposit. About Cordoba Cordoba Minerals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the exploration, development and acquisition of copper and gold projects. Cordoba is developing the San Matias Copper-Gold-Silver Project, which includes the Alacran Deposit and satellite deposits at Montiel East, Montiel West and Costa Azul, located in the Department of Cordoba, Colombia. Cordoba also holds a 25% interest in the Perseverance Copper Project in Arizona, USA, which it is exploring through a Joint Venture and Earn-In Agreement. For further information, please visit www.cordobaminerals.com. Information Contact Evan Young +1-416-545-5371 info@cordobamineralscorp.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements including, without limitation, all statements in relation to the potential impact as a result of COVID-19 and related global disruptions; the suspension of Colombian operations; and the timing of completion of the PFS for the Alacran deposit;. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "potential", "target", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which the Company operates, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic, and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies. These include assumptions regarding, among other things: general business and economic conditions; the availability of additional exploration and mineral project financing; the supply and demand for, inventories of, and the level and volatility of the prices of metals; relationships with strategic partners; the timing and receipt of governmental permits and approvals; the timing and receipt of community and landowner approvals; changes in regulations; political factors; the accuracy of the Company's interpretation of drill results; the geology, grade and continuity of the Company's mineral deposits; the availability of equipment, skilled labour and services needed for the exploration and development of mineral properties; and currency fluctuations. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include actual exploration results, interpretation of metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required approvals, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators, including those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2018. The Company does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53755 US Secretary of State Micheal Pompeo on Wednesday condemned the Kabul Gurudwara terror attack which claimed the lives of 27 civilians and wounded eight others. "I want to address the ISIS-K claimed attack in Afghanistan. The United States condemns the horrific ISIS-K claimed attack on a Sikh temple and community center in Kabul this morning which took the lives of more than two dozen innocent people. The Afghan people deserve a future free from ISIS-K and other terrorist activity," said Pompeo. Over the issue of the Afghan peace process, he added: "Despite the country's political challenges, the ongoing Afghan peace process remains the primary opportunity for Afghans to come together to negotiate a political settlement and build a unified front against the menace of ISIS-K. We encourage all Afghans to embrace this opportunity." Earlier on Wednesday, Afghan interior ministry reported an attack on the Sikh religious site in Kabul, which included suicide bombers. All 4 terrorists involved in the attack were killed by Afghan security forces. Speaking to ANI from London, Premi Singh, an Afghan Sikh political activist said, "Whoever claimed responsibility for this barbaric attack, they are not human. By Sikh principle and code of principles, any atrocity against the civilians and any atrocity against the worship places is not justified at all in any way." India also expressed its condolences to the Sikh community of Afghanistan. MEA said: "We convey our sincerest condolences to the immediate family members of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan." The statement further said, "Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID 19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Auburn Community Hospital is one of many medical facilities in New York preparing for an influx of patients if, as projections suggest, the state's coronavirus outbreak peaks within the next few weeks. Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed hospitals to increase the number of beds by at least 50%. Beyond the order, he's encouraging them to double capacity to care for COVID-19 patients. Cuomo is pushing for the expanded capacity as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases soars in New York. So far, 25,665 people have tested positive for COVID-19. Initial projections suggested that COVID-19 cases in New York would peak in late April or early May. Now, Cuomo believes it will occur in two to three weeks. He also revealed that New York could need as many as 140,000 hospital beds and 40,000 beds in intensive care units. For Auburn and other hospitals, there's a short period of time to prepare for more patients. "You're talking about a very significant logistical operational movement to increase that number of hospital beds and do everything that you need to do related to the increased hospital beds," said Cuomo, who added that availability of beds, staffing and equipment are the most important elements of the expansion. Matthew Chadderdon, vice president of marketing and public affairs at Auburn Community Hospital, said the hospital has an internal task force that meets daily sometimes hourly to discuss preparations for COVID-19 cases. The hospital is working to comply with Cuomo's order by purchasing more beds. Auburn, which is a 99-bed hospital, will add at least 50 beds. The hospital is working with its planning department, architects and emergency preparedness team to complete the expansion. With the high demand for personal protective equipment and ventilators, Auburn is competing for devices and supplies like other hospitals. It's working with Cayuga County to place orders for gloves, gowns, masks and other equipment. Those supplies arrive on a rolling basis and are distributed to the hospital and healthcare providers. The hospital does have some ventilators, but Chadderdon acknowledged that more will be needed. Because hospitals could be overwhelmed if there is a large number of COVID-19 cases, Cuomo directed local governments to identify potential sites for temporary hospitals. The temporary sites could be used to ensure hospital beds remain open for COVID-19 patients, especially those that require placement in intensive care units. The hospital has been involved in searching for sites that could be used as temporary medical facilities. Inside the hospital, Chadderdon said they're trying to keep the emergency room "as available as possible" so that people with serious illnesses can receive treatment. "The idea is that the hospital is prepared for any surge in COVID-19," Chadderdon said. Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. To facilitate smooth movement of essential goods, Delhi police on Wednesday said they are proactively engaging with e-commerce portals for "seamless delivery" of essential commodities to residents of the national capital. The move comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days from Tuesday midnight, asserting that social distancing is the only way out for the country in its decisive battle against the novel coronavirus. Police also held a meeting with e-commerce website representatives in the regard where they shared the problems faced by them in movement of essential goods. "We have set up a platform for e-commerce websites where they can share with us difficulties faced by them, so we can solve them," said Mandeep Singh Randhawa, Delhi police PRO. Curfew passes have been issued to them and police have assured the delivery agents associated with e-commerce of ensuring smooth movement of essential goods, he added. Delhi police will be live on Twitter where in a one-hour session, they will respond to queries related to lockdown. "Hi! Delhi. Today is Day 3 of #Lockdown. Please comply with directions issued by Govt. If you need any clarification, join us today in: #LockdownQuery Session 2. Timing: 5 - 6 PM. "Just tweet your question with hashtag #LockdownQuery and we will answer it," Delhi police tweeted using its official Twitter handle. A similar Twitter session was held by the police on Tuesday, when they responded to several queries raised by people. "To assist the Emergency and Essential Vehicles in their unhindered and quick movement, we have also dedicated lanes with proper signages. #IndiaFightsCorona #StayHomeIndia," DCP (South) Atul Kumar Thakur tweeted. Besides patrolling the streets, police said they are also assisting local stores in ensuring social distancing with customers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) GRAND HAVEN, MI -- An employee at a Grand Haven assisted living center has tested positive for coronavirus COVID-19, but no residents or other staff have shown any signs of illness. The executive director for Robinswood Assisted Living Community confirmed Tuesday, March 24 that test results came back late Monday for a worker who was sent home March 17 with a slight fever. Don Trygstad, the director, said Robinswood began taking temperatures for all staff at the start of shifts about two weeks ago. The worker did not show any temperature at the beginning of her day, but developed one that reached 100 degrees during the shift. She was immediately sent home and ended up seeking a coronavirus test the following day. She was given a test and the results came back late Monday. Trygstad then sent emails to both staff and families of residents and began calling those that may not use email. Were not going to hide anything, he said. Michigan coronavirus cases now at 1,791 with 24 deaths -- biggest daily increase to date The employee remains in quarantine at home and is expected to be retested at some point. Robinswood, 1125 Robbins Road, has 85 residents and 55 employees. Trygstad said that since the coronavirus outbreak began to intensify around the world, Robinswood took precautionary steps and put a visitor prohibition in place even before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave orders to do so. Were even spraying the mail before it comes into the building, he said. He said staff also has been taking the temperature of residents twice daily as a precaution. A spiking temperature is one of the prime symptoms of coronavirus COVID-19, along with coughing and shortness of breath. Trystad said hes glad the employee was able to be tested because getting a test isnt a certainty given the shortage of medical supplies. Im happy we know. Its made us all more aware about what to be watching for, he said. He said families of Robinswood residents have been supportive of the centers actions. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. More from MLIve Tuesday, March 24: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Steelcase lays off nearly all production employees amid coronavirus pandemic One shot dead in Southwest Grand Rapids ReferWell, a full-service referral management solution focused on solving the last mile in healthcare delivery, today announced the completion of an equity investment led by Connecticut Innovations (CI), with participation from earlier investors, including Health Catalyst Capital (HCC), Meyer Ventures Investments and others. The investment will be used to accelerate ReferWells growth and add infrastructure and team members to support adding payers, providers and health systems across new markets in the United States. ReferWell has developed key features over the past year in the areas of care gap closure, behavioral health access and 340b management and looks to further expand on those capabilities in 2020. We are thrilled to welcome the team at CI, as well as to continue working with our existing investors, who have and will continue to provide us with valuable advice and guidance, says Vytas Kisielius, CEO of ReferWell. CI has been a cornerstone of the Connecticut technology investment ecosystem for decades, and we believe it is the right partner to help guide us during our next phase of growth. ReferWells technology is designed to enhance patient compliance when a patient is referred from one medical provider to another. The company believes that booking patients at the point of care is one of the biggest drivers of increased patient compliance. ReferWell has been shown to increase patient compliance significantly (compared with industry benchmarks) while also closing the loop to give the referrer information about the scheduled visit. The company has developed use cases for multiple payer types, such as Medicaid plans to improve access to care, Medicare plans to improve STAR ratings, commercial plans to improve employee convenience, and ACOs to reduce network leakage. ReferWell is positioned to help solve a unique problem in healthcare, says Matt Storeygard, Managing Director at Connecticut Innovations. It helps facilitate transitions of care by focusing on getting patients to go to their doctor, which is the last mile in healthcare. Every health system in America is looking to improve in this area, and that presents a real opportunity for ReferWell. Patient navigation and referral management remains a key thematic area of focus where HCC continues to see tremendous opportunity to drive improved outcomes and cost, says Charles Boorady, Managing Director of Health Catalyst Capital. We believe ReferWell is positioned to deliver outsized value because its cloud-based platform is interoperable with other systems and is configurable with the unique networks and preferences of each payer. For questions or inquiries about ReferWell, please reach out to sam.boochever@referwell.com. About ReferWell: ReferWell is a full-service referral management solution company focused on the last mile in healthcare delivery finding the right specialist for the patient, booking the patient appointment at the point of care, and enhancing patient and provider compliance. Certain evidence indicates that, with ReferWells software, patient compliance can increase significantly. The systematic process is designed to help healthcare networks stop out-of-network visits, increase referral capture, enhance coordination of care, and reduce cost while enhancing member experience and impacting STAR ratings. ReferWells cloud-based, EMR-agnostic software balances the needs of payers, primary care providers, specialty care providers and patients. For more information, please visit http://www.referwell.com. About Connecticut Innovations: Connecticut Innovations (CI) is Connecticuts strategic venture capital arm and the leading source of financing and ongoing support for Connecticuts innovative, growing companies. CI provides venture capital and strategic support for early-stage technology companies, financial support for innovation and collaboration, and connections to its well-established network of partners and professionals. For more information, please visit http://www.ctinnovations.com. About Health Catalyst Capital: Health Catalyst Capital (HCC) is an independent private equity firm that invests in growth-stage healthcare information technology and technology-enabled services businesses, including artificial intelligence, genomics, data analytics and informatics. HCC was formed by a team of experienced healthcare investors and operators seeking profitable investment opportunities, while at the same time seeking to improve the human condition and promote value-based care. For more information, please visit http://www.healthcatalystcapital.com. New studies show parents are more concerned than emergency room doctors about opioid use in children. A pair of new studies led by University of Alberta pediatricians indicate that parents are more reluctant to have opioids prescribed for their children than doctors are to prescribe them. In a newly published study, the researchers asked 136 pediatric emergency room doctors across Canada whether concerns about potential addiction or the opioid crisis hold them back from prescribing opioids such as fentanyl and morphine to children with moderate to severe pain. The doctors reported minimal concern, although they did say that parental reluctance, a lack of guidelines for opioid use in children and concern about side-effects play a role in their approach to prescribing opioids to children. Both the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend prescribing opioids for children with moderate to severe pain that does not respond to non-opioid medication, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. In a separate study published recently, U of A researchers asked more than 500 parents and caregivers about their willingness to accept an opioid prescription for their child. Only half said they would accept opioids for moderate pain and only 33 per cent would accept them for at-home use. The parents cited fears of addiction, side-effects and overdose. "Right now we don't have a lot of strong evidence to say how worried we should be about addiction risk of opioids for children," said lead author Megan Fowler, an emergency physician at Edmonton's Stollery Children's Hospital and clinical lecturer in pediatrics at the U of A. "We do know that treating children's pain is very important, so physicians do have to prescribe opioids responsibly," Fowler said. "More research and guidelines are going to be needed." Samina Ali, a U of A professor of pediatrics and adjunct professor of emergency medicine, as well as a pediatric emergency physician at the Stollery, said one in five children in North America are prescribed opioids by the time they are in their teens, usually to treat short-term pain from injuries or acute illnesses such as appendicitis. She said parental fears are likely shaped by media reports about the opioid crisis, which point to inappropriate emergency room prescriptions as part of the problem. At the same time, physicians must follow their training, which directs them to do what they can to treat children's pain. "We know for a fact that not treating children's pain has consequences," Ali said. "Short term, it makes investigation, diagnosis and getting kids home more difficult. Long term, there is a subset of children who develop true phobias of medical procedures, or they develop chronic pain disorders because their acute pain was not treated adequately." Ali said doctors must balance the unknown risks of opioid treatment with the known risks of untreated pain. "That's why they will still offer opioids in small amounts when pain is severe, and only as needed," she said. Her message to doctors is, "Don't stop prescribing. Prescribe in the most responsible of ways based on the evidence. And where evidence is lacking, our research teams will try to address that." Ali said a number of steps need to be taken to gather more information for both parents and physicians about the impact of opioids on children. Her team is working with the Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence on a systematic review of research evidence to determine whether there is a link between short-term opioid use for medical reasons and the potential to develop addiction later in life. "We know that being exposed to opioids as a child increases your risk of having an opioid use disorder, but there is very little research linking short-term use to long-term outcomes," she said. "We need to know more about that." The U of A team is conducting in-depth interviews with some of the physicians surveyed to better understand their thought process when prescribing opioids to children. They are also working with a federally funded initiative called Solutions for Kids in Pain to better disseminate evidence about how to treat children's pain. "In response to the opioid crisis, the Government of Canada has published guidelines for prescribing opioids to adults, but there is nothing for children," said Fowler. "Pediatric physicians are kind of left empty-handed." Ali said even without the concerns about addiction, half of patients who are prescribed opioids will get some combination of side-effects including sleepiness, dizziness, constipation, stomach pain and nausea. "None of that is pleasant when you're already feeling sick or injured," Ali said. The U of A team is exploring alternatives to opioids for treating pain in children, including the No-Ouch Study, which compares the effectiveness of ibuprofen on its own with a combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen, and another combination of ibuprofen and hydromorphone, an opioid. Ali encouraged health-care professionals and parents to always use non-medicinal comforts for children who are in pain. "If I have a broken arm, it should be in a splint, which will probably take away a third or a half of the pain if I just stop moving it for a few days," Ali said. "And then I put ice on it and that takes down inflammation. And then some nice person makes me a cup of tea and puts on Netflix, and now I'm distracted and feel cared for, and so my perception of pain goes down. "My arm is still broken, and I will likely still need pain medications, but likely a whole lot less than if these things were not provided," Ali explained. "Pain is so complicated." The studies on pediatric physician and parental concerns about opioid use were funded by the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation through the Women and Children's Health Research Institute. ### Two more persons tested positive for coronavirus in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, taking the total number of confirmed cases of the deadly infection to three in the state, officials said. One of them was reported from the state capital Raipur and the other from Rajnandgaon district. "The secretary of the health department has informed that two more persons have tested positive for the virus in the state," an official statement issued here said. Of the two, one was detected in Rajnandgaon district, and the other in Raipur, he said. All necessary arrangements are being made for their treatment, the release said. A 24-year-old woman, who had returned to Raipur from London, was the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the state. It was detected last week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Organic Cotton Face Masks are made and sold at cost (materials, labor, and shipping) and not for profit. These masks are not particulate filtering N95 face masks, but will offer a barrier to help inhibit the transmission of COVID-19. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), this type of face mask can help prevent transmission when N95 face masks are not available. The Organic Cotton Face Masks are made with two layers of 100% GOTS organic certified cotton canvas and feature two 14" tie straps to secure it in place. They are machine-washable, and should be done so using the warmest setting available. The CDC recommends adding Clorox Disinfecting Bleach to the wash, which is expected to be effective against COVID-19 based on data for harder-to-kill viruses. They should be machine-dried using high heat and completely dry before use. Masks are available in family packs of eight masks that contain four children's masks and four adult masks for $30 on AvocadoGreenMattress.com. There is a limit of three family packs per household, but bulk orders are available upon request. Additionally, Avocado Green has developed an internal task force to source and solve the needs of medical, state, and local governments most in need by producing emergency mattresses and bedding. Capabilities include: temporary and disposable mattresses, reusable/washable sheets, waterproof wedge pillows, toppers, and disposable/inexpensive pillows. Contact [email protected] for immediate product and bulk order assistance. Avocado is redefining what it means to be a sustainable, ethical brand. Their vision is as urgent as it is aspirationala world united by sustainability and social responsibility. They practice radical transparency and a "farm-to-bedroom" approach; they co-own a latex farm, factory, and wool collective in Indiafrom where they source and process raw materials. Mattresses are handcrafted in a Los Angeles factory that they also own. Their materials, factory, and finished products are GOTS/GOLS organic certified. Their mattresses are also GREENGUARD Gold certified for low emissions, MADE SAFE certified, and have achieved STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX for both human and ecological safety. As a Climate Neutral Certified business, Avocado is the world's first mattress brand to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its entire business scope. As long-standing members of 1% for the Planet, one percent of all revenue is donated to environmental nonprofits on an annual basis. As a privately held company, they currently employ a team of 500. Learn more at AvocadoGreenMattress.com. If you would like more information, please contact Jessica Hann at [email protected]. SOURCE Avocado Green Mattress Related Links https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com Some Alabama animal shelters across the state have temporarily closed or stopped handling adoptions due to the coronavirus pandemic, some veterinarians are meeting owners in parking lots to treat their pets and some pet stores are only allowing in a few customers at a time. Heres what pet-owners should know about the pandemic: Can my pet spread coronavirus? According to the CDC, there is no evidence that companion pets can spread COVID-19. The CDC does, however, state that since all animals can carry germs that can make people sick, its always a good idea to practice healthy habits around pets and other animals. A popular question being asked at this time: If I am ill, what about my pets? Posted by Alabama Veterinary Medical Association on Friday, 20 March 2020 The Alabama Veterinary Medical Association also advises any individuals who are sick to limit their contact with animals. Is it safe to walk my dog? I think depending on your social distancing practices while on a walk, that it is safe. I feel confident it is safe for the pet, said Dr. Jeremy Birchfield of Hueytown Veterinary Clinic. Will veterinarians continue to operate? Under the shelter in place ordinance ordinance Birmingham passed on Tuesday, which prevents people from leaving their homes except to report to their essential job, buy or pick up food or medicine, and exercise until April 3, people can take still their pets to veterinarians. Steel City Emergency Vets in Hoover has decided to remain open during their regular hours. To be cautious of spreading anything to patients, they have started taking patients using the drive thru drop off only. They have also started wearing gloves and masks at all times when doing anything with the animals. They are also only allowing one person in their main lobby at a time. You cant have that physical distance away from the patients and we need to make sure we are there for them and thats why we are taking the proper safety precautions to keep us and the animals safe. (The safety precautions) may be extreme but we have to be here. We have an obligation to serve the public. said Dr. Enrique Carlo, owner and veterinarian at Steel City Emergency Vets. Will pet stores stay open? Despite the closures of several animal shelters around the state, many pet stores are continuing to stay open. Pet Supermarket announced they will continue to remain open with a couple of limitations. The Pet Supermarket location on Montgomery Highway in Vestavia Hills is currently limiting two customers at once in their stores. They have also changed their hours from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. to 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Customers can also only stay in the front of the store and ask employees for assistance in getting certain items in the store. No customers have really come in skeptical of the (COVID-19) regarding their pets, said Matthew Vickery, assistant manager at the Vestavia Hills Pet Supermarket. Of course, you have people who are going to be skeptics but they havent vocally expressed that. What if my pet has a chronic illness? Pet owners whose animals are undergoing treatment for more chronic diseases are especially nervous, Birchfield said. "If we were to close or if medicines used to manage problems such as heart failure, autoimmune diseases and cancers become unavailable these pets would likely deteriorate or go from well managed to ill over a very short period of time. I tell them that we may be forced to change the way we practice as far as keeping the public out of our facility, but the doctors and staff of Hueytown Veterinary Clinic will be here to ensure continued care for their pets. AL.com reporters Mary Colurso, Ivana Hrynkiw and Carol Robinson contributed to this report. MERRILLVILLE Police tape marked two crime scenes Tuesday evening in Merrillville that included a gas station and a residential driveway a short distance apart. A town councilman confirmed one person suffering from multiple gunshot wounds was taken to a hospital. Merrillville police responded around 6 p.m. to both locations, including a residence near the intersection of 60th Place and Hayes Place and the GoLo Gas Station at 5689 Harrison St. Merrillville Town Council Vice President Leonard White, Ward 7, confirmed there was a shooting at the GoLo Gas Station and a victim was taken to Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus. White said police informed him suspects were in the area of the Barclay Village neighborhood off Harrison Street and 61st Avenue. The councilman said he lives less than a quarter-mile from the GoLo on Harrison Street and stopped at the scene when he saw all of the police at the scene. "I was told a man had multiple gunshot wounds," White said. "Obviously the suspects didn't care about the coronavirus, they're out dealing instant death." W ikileaks founder Julian Assange has failed in a bid to be released from prison during the coronavirus crisis, after a judge found he could not be trusted not to flee. The 48-year-old was seeking temporary release from maximum security HMP Belmarsh, claiming he is vulnerable to the virus and would adhere to a package of bail conditions. He is currently being held by UK authorities while battling against extradition to the US, where he wanted for a trial on espionage and hacking allegations. Lawyers for Assange made a bail application at Westminster magistrates court today, arguing he should be released to try to avoid catching the virus. However District Judge Vanessa Baraitser turned down the request, saying there is government guidance in place to keep prisoners safe. Assange is being held in the maximum security HMP Belmarsh / PA As matters stand today this global pandemic doesnt, of itself, provide grounds for Mr Assanges release, she said. His past conduct shows the lengths he is prepared to go in order to avoid extradition. Assange is accused in the US of conspiring with analyst Chelsea Manning over the leak and publication on Wikileaks of a mass of classified military documents. His extradition battle began last month, as Assange argued the prosecution was politically-driven and flawed, and was due to resume in May. However the hearing may be delay due to the pandemic. He was jailed for 50 weeks last year for refusing to come to court when his extradition was ordered in 2012, instead entering the Ecuadorian embassy and seeking asylum. Assange remained in the embassy in central London for more than seven years before his protection was withdrawn by Ecuador. Julian Assange supporters rally ahead of extradition hearing 1 /24 Julian Assange supporters rally ahead of extradition hearing A supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds a placard calling for his freedom outside Woolwich Crown Court AFP via Getty Images Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange demonstrate outside Belmarsh prior to his extradition hearing Getty Images Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, a supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, arrives outside Woolwich Crown Cour Reuters Police officers speak to demonstrators outside Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in London, where the extradition hearing of Julian Assange is due to take place PA Julian Assange's father John Shipton speaks to the media after visiting Julian Assange at HMP Belmarsh PA Supporters hold a banner which reads 'Free Assange' as they protest against the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange outside Belmarsh Magistrates Court AP Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, one dressed as a judge with a kangaroo mask on, call for his freedom outside Woolwich Crown Court AFP via Getty Images A supporter hold a placard which reads 'Free Assange' as she protests against the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange outside Belmarsh Magistrates Court AP Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange,hold placards calling for his freedom outside Woolwich Crown Court AFP via Getty Images A activist supporting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, wears a US flag over her mouth outside Woolwich Crown Court AFP via Getty Images Nina from Amsterdam, a supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, wears a face mask called for Assange's freedom as she poses for a photograph outside Woolwich Crown Court AFP via Getty Images A supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange dressed as Jesus and carrying a cross joins others with placards in calling for freedom for Assange outside Woolwich Crown Court AFP via Getty Images Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis talks to the media as he leaves Belmarsh Prison after visiting Julian Assange, Reuters Reuters Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images Judge Baraitser said Assange had previously been bailed in 2010 on a string of strict conditions, but he had breached that trust and broken all of the conditions imposed by entering the embassy. Clair Dobbin, for the US government, said the history of the case showed that Assange was capable of going to any lengths to avoid extradition. Making the application this morning, Edward Fitzgerald QC, for Assange, argued that the coronavirus outbreak and government imposed lockdown had changed the situation around bail. He said there was evidence of a high risk of an outbreak in Belmarsh, and the current global situation and travel bans had transformed the position in relation to risk of absconsion. Mr Fitzgerald presented statements from medical experts asserting there was a high risk that Mr Assange will be infected by COVID-19 while he is in Belmarsh. Assange raises his fist at the Embassy of Ecuador in London in 2017 / AFP via Getty Images Belmarsh went into lockdown yesterday afternoon, with no association save for one half-an-hour of exercise with 40 people in the yard which is obviously highly dangerous for someone who is susceptible, he said. Mr Fitzgerald said Assanges history of seeking refuge instead of coming to court should be put into deep background during the pandemic outbreak. In the current crisis, where the emphasis is not on flight but on survival, given the special problems he has and the overall picture, we submit that the risk of absconsion has been substantially reduced, he said. Yesterday, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told MP he is considering the release of some inmates to ease the pressure on the prison system during the outbreak, and conceded that prison authorites do not have enough protective equipment or coronavirus tests. Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government on Wednesday (March 25, 2020) announced a total ban on production, distribution and sale of pan masala across the state during the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister to contain the further spread of the deadly coronavirus. Additional Chief Secretary Home, Avanish Awasthi, had earlier said that since the coronavirus was found to be active in saliva, the state government was mulling a ban on paan masala and gutkha since people tend to spit it out. It may be recalled that when he took over as Chief Minister in March 2017, Yogi Adityanath had banned gutkha, paan masala in all state government offices. The Chief Minister had visited the government offices and was furious to see paan stains all over the walls and corners. The Chief Minister ordered an immediate ban on use of gutkha, paan masala and chewing tobacco inside all the government buildings in the state. However, after initial strictness, government employees were back to chewing tobacco and paan masala. This time, however, the government is serious about the implementation in view of the COVID-19 outbreak. It may be noted that the Prime Minister, for a second time in a week, on Tuesday evening announced a 21-day countrywide lockdown from midnight due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. PM Modi stressed that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. In his televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that it is vital to break the chain of the disease and experts have said that at least 21 days are needed for it. The Prime Minister, who had also addressed the nation last week, said the lockdown has drawn a "Lakshman Rekha" in every home and people should stay indoors for their own protection and for that of their families. As India goes under a lockdown with new coronavirus cases becoming a steady stream, its important to assess the role that lockdowns and strict social distancing can play in controlling the outbreak. The objective of any lockdown or social distancing mechanism is the reduction in the rate of infection. Health experts say that social distancing is the best way to prevent hundreds of thousands of cases appearing in batches, overwhelming a countrys health care system. When unchecked, the overwhelming nature of Covid-19 was seen in the initial outbreak of the disease in Chinas Hubei province through January and February, in Italy through the end of February and early March, and New York state most recently. In all three cases, governments eventually resorted to lockdowns with varied levels of success. What is the science behind lockdowns? TARGET R0<1 Any lockdown targets a reduction in the basic reproduction rate of an infection or to reduce the number of people each confirmed case infects, according to a study published by the Imperial College London Covid-19 Response Team on March 16. Scientists use a basic reproduction number, R0 or R naught, to indicate how contagious a disease is. R0 is the number of people who can contract a disease from one infected person. The R0 of Covid-19 remains a matter of research, but a study titled Early Transmission Dynamics in Wuhan, China, of Novel CoronavirusInfected Pneumonia published in the New England Journal of Medicine, determined a baseline assumption of R0=2.4. The larger goal for any government is to keep R0 below one that is each confirmed case infects fewer than one person. Heres what happens with various scenarios. 1: NO CURBS In this case people are free to move around and interact. Based on R0=2.4, research in Wuhan finds that each infected person will infect 2-3 people on average. As the first case is reported, the infected person passes it on to a second wave of two or three more people who are also moving without restrictions. The newly infected people again infect the same number of people creating a cycle. This leads to a very abrupt rise of cases as seen in both China and the US before any lockdowns were placed. Given an estimated R0 of 2.4, researchers at Imperial College London predicted 81% of the population would be infected over the course of the epidemic. The biggest issue was that most of these cases occurred at the same time, causing a spike in the epidemic curve, overburdening health care systems. 2: LOCATION-WISE LOCKDOWN In this case, a region with a high number of cases is locked down -- as in Chinas Hubei . In a study titled The effect of travel restrictions on the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak published in the journal Science by a group of American, Italian and Chinese researchers on March 6, scientists found that travel restrictions in Wuhan slowed the spread. While the model output showed no noticeable differences in the epidemic in Wuhan, it showed a delay of about three days for other locations in China. This strategy focuses on slowing down, not necessarily suppressing the epidemic. This flattens the curve slightly, buying time to strengthen health care facilities. It also means a reduction in peak health care demand, freeing up hospital beds and protecting those most at risk. 3 : LOCKDOWN AND HOME-QUARANTINE In this case, extensive social distancing is applied throughout the populace by limiting peoples movement through both home-quarantines and lockdowns over a period of time. The aim is to reduce R0, to below 1 and take case numbers to low levels or eliminate human-to-human transmission. In the Imperial College model, this required social distancing for the entire population, over a long period of time. It is likely such measures will need to be in place for many months, perhaps until a vaccine becomes available, one of the studys researchers, Neil Ferguson, said in a written statement issued by the college. The effects on countries and the world will be profound. This strategy yields the best results so far as the virus spread ends up being a trickle. By closely monitoring rise in the infections, governments may be able to lift curbs temporarily, and reinstate them if numbers began to rise. This is the kind of lockdown India has enforced for three weeks. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON (Rebecca Kirby / For The Times) As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world and in the United States, the airline industry is taking a major financial hit. Airlines have reduced flights dramatically because of decreased passenger demand. Delta has announced system-wide flight reductions of 70%. American will cut domestic and international flights by 20% and 75%, respectively. United is slashing international flying by 85%. The International Air Transport Assn. predicts airlines could lose more than $131 billion in sales if the coronavirus is not contained soon. In an attempt to stave off furloughs, carriers have asked employees to accept leaves of absence and early-out retirement packages. Im one of those employees. Im faced with grim choices as a flight attendant working for one of the worlds largest carriers. My airline offered an early-out retirement package that includes two years of medical coverage, free flights and no monetary payout. Like many in my position, I can neither afford to retire nor relinquish my precious medical benefits in 2022. My airline also offered leaves of absence for one month to one year. Again, these options provide free employee travel but zero income. Then theres the option to fly. Because flight schedules have been severely reduced, few opportunities exist for flight attendants willing to work. And social distancing a term weve all become familiar with is nearly impossible to accomplish on an airplane. Flight attendants work in extremely tight spaces for hours at a time. We squeeze past passengers shoulders while pushing a 200-pound beverage cart up a narrow aisle. We trip over protruding feet. We reach over bodies to serve food and beverages. We stand at arm's length before a captive audience, performing mandatory safety demonstrations. In best-case scenarios, we cant put 6 feet (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended distance) between our customers and ourselves to prevent the spread of , the virus. In worst-case scenarios, I wonder if some of us would choose self-preservation over passenger care. Story continues Consider, for example, a serious in-flight medical emergency. In the unlikely event a passenger loses consciousness and stops breathing, flight attendants are trained to retrieve a Laerdal pocket mask. The mask is placed over the victims nose and mouth. One attendant blows two breaths through the mask and then a second crew member begins chest compressions. The mask allows a user to blow while providing a barrier between the victims mouth and our own. Given the times, how many flight attendants would hesitate to treat an ill passenger because we have limited protective gear at our disposal? By now everyone understands that the coronavirus is transmitted primarily by human-to-human contact. Microscopic droplets passed by sneezing and coughing are believed to be the most potent methods of transmission, according to the CDC. Flight attendants are not healthcare professionals. Were trained to treat symptoms, not diagnose illness. Treating every symptom requires some form of attendant-to-victim contact. Although my airline issues latex gloves for protection, we don't have access to the N-95 respirator masks used by some healthcare professionals. So when a passenger collapses and a flight attendant performs mouth-to-mouth resuscitationeven while using a Laerdal pocket mask or when turbulence makes someone sick and a flight attendant cleans up the mess, the health of that flight attendant may be compromised. Restaurants have discontinued table service to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Schools, bars, houses of worship, gyms, concert halls all sorts of gathering places have shut their doors due to government decrees. But airplanes seem exempt from restrictions. Because of this reality, some flight attendants (and most passengers) are unsure about whether to fly. Thirty-five years with one airline likely grants me enough seniority to protect me from impending layoffs. Im single with no children and no credit card debt. I drive a 2008 Honda Civic paid off eons ago. Thanks to years of flying high time (overtime) and living well below my means, I have an emergency fund that can help me steer through bumpy skies. Many of my colleagues aren't so fortunate. Given my blessed circumstances, at least one roster spot will be available for someone who absolutely needs to work. I applied for and was granted a temporary leave of absence. Of course, flight attendants arent the only work group affected by flight reductions. Pilots, flight crew instructors, mechanics, customer service agents, dispatchers virtually every airline department has staff that has been asked to take a leave or put in for early retirement. Reservation agents are perhaps the only work group immune to job cuts because of the unprecedented volume of customer calls. A few nights ago, while preparing to write this column, I received a text message from a flight attendant friend. It was near midnight. She was moving 500 mph at 30,000 feet working a red-eye from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and had just finished the in-flight beverage service. It was strange she had logged on to in-flight Wi-Fi when she should have been attending passengers. Curious, I texted, How many passengers on ur flight? She was working an Airbus 321 configured with 16 seats in first class and 171 in the main cabin. On a typical day, most of the 187 seats are occupied. We got only seven passengers, she replied. Seven. And four of them are airline employees. On this flight as is the case on a growing number of flights in the age of COVID-19 social distancing proved easy to achieve. By Trend Two planes carrying China donations including 64 tons of face-masks and scrubs arrived in Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Air Port on Sunday, Trend reports citing IRNA. Managing director of Iran's Ministry of Mine, Industry and Trade for commercial services Mohammad Ghebleh said the shipment consisted of 2 million N-95 masks, 5 million three-layer masks and 200,000 scrubs. He noted that another consignment will also arrive in Iran tonight. The shipment will be distributed in Iranian Health Ministry and University of Medical Sciences, he added. Chinese people and government have so far sent 18 health and medical consignments to Iran for fighting coronavirus. Chinese people in less than 24 hours, donated half a million dollar to Iran for fighting coronavirus epidemic and called for launching a channel for collecting non-cash contributions. Iranian embassy in China on March 5 released a message in Weibo which is a leading social media in China and introduced a bank account for Chinese peoples cash contributions to fight COVID19 and people of China helped 4b Yuan ($576,000). In response to Chinese people memorable act, Iranian embassy in a message said Chinese peoples good-will "has impressed us and we now feel a heavy responsibility toward them." It added that aid provided by Chinese people will be spent for fighting coronavirus outbreak. Head of Iran's Health Ministry Public Relations Office Kianoush Jahanpour said on Sunday that 7,913 people out of a total of 21,638 infected by the coronavirus have survived the deadly disease while 1,685 have unfortunately succumbed to death. Jahanpour said that 1,028 new affected cases have been detected since yesterday. Over the last 24 hours, 129 people succumbed to death due to the virus, he added. A 50-year-old pastor, who recently returned from Amsterdam, tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, making it the second case of the disease in the Northeast, Health Minister R Lalthangliana said on Wednesday. The test report of the man, a resident of Aizawl, arrived on Tuesday night from the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), he said. "We received the test result late last night. It is an imported case and the patient is fine," Lalthangliana told reporters. The health minister urged people not to panic after the state reported its first case. Eric Zomawia, the mission director of National Health Mission (NHM) here, said the patient was in the Netherlands for higher studies. He took a flight from Amsterdam to Doha and then reached Delhi. He then flew to Guwahati and from there took another flight to Aizawl. He arrived here on March 16, said Zomawia. State health department's principal director F Lallianhlira told PTI that the patient was put under home-quarantine soon after his arrival here. The patient was having fever since March 18 but consulted a doctor only on March 22, following which his sample was sent to the GMCH for testing, Zomawia said. The patient, his wife and two children have been admitted to the isolation ward at the Zoram Medical College (ZMC), about 16 km from Aizawl, soon after his results came in on Tuesday night, he added. The state government is tracing the people he came in contact with and has advised his co-passengers on the Guwahati-Aizawl flight to go on self-quarantine, Zomawia said. The health condition of the patient is improving and he is now stable, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EUGENE, Ore. -- The words underlying health condition have been floating around as coronavirus continues to spread across the world, and many are left wondering what it actually means. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists underlying conditions as asthma, HIV, lung diseases, cancer and other conditions that affect the immune system. People with underlying health conditions and older individuals are among those at higher risk of having more serious complications if they contract coronavirus, according to the CDC. CORONAVIRUS IN OREGON: A TIMELINE OF EVENTS One Eugene resident, who won a major victory 14 months ago, said more awareness is needed regarding the gravity of the virus. My tough battle was surviving cancer, and I feel that this is just another step along the way of being a survivor, Joan Canty said. Canty has been taking every precaution to protect herself, and she said it is important for people to know that it does not just affect a specific demographic. We need to practice these safe practices for everybody's sake, Canty said. Not just mine or somebody else's -- for all of us. She has a message to share to all who feel that they may not be at risk of catching the virus. Please don't think that you're invulnerable or immune, Canty said. Its easy to go stir crazy in the house, especially if you've got young children but dont endanger them. Dont endanger yourself. Dont endanger everybody else." Others are concerned about those close to them who have an underlying condition. I have a friend who has something that really affects her lungs, Eugene resident Mary Beth Bonte said. "If she gets sick, shes really vulnerable if she catches this disease. Bonte said there are other ways to communicate than face-to-face. We can still communicate with each other by telephone or by Facetime," Bonte said. "I do that with my daughter and my grandaughter. We don't have to go to each other's homes. Eight deaths have been confirmed in Oregon from the coronavirus. The number of novel coronavirus cases in the Houston region continues to climb each day, creating an unprecedented, urgent need for food and assistance among some of Houston's most vulnerable populations. Now that a stay-at-home order has been issued for Houston and Harris County through April 3, Houston-area nonprofits, community leaders and churches are scrambling to continue their missions of helping those in need while also honoring social distancing guidelines. Many organizations have switched to drive-thru services, upgraded delivery procedures with no-contact measures and are taking extra precautions in regards to cleaning and sanitization methods as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A worker looks at chickens at a poultry farm in Hefei, eastern China's Anhui Province, on Nov. 20, 2015. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) CCP Virus Devastated Chinas Poultry Industry News Analysis Chinas lockdowns, strict quarantines and travel restrictions on hundreds of millions of its citizens to contain the spread of the CCP virus has devastated domestic chicken production. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus because the CCPs coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. With outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) since August 2018, which resulted in death or government culling of half of Chinas 440 million pig population, domestic chicken consumption was expected to hit 15.96 million metric tons. Domestic chicken production was forecast to jump from 13.8 million metric tons in 2019 to a record 15.8 million tons in 2020, according to an Aug. 14 report by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. With domestic production unable to meet booming demand due to capacity limitations and environmental restrictions, the USDA predicted that China would be forced to lift its bans on chicken product imports. But four of Chinas most important chicken producing provinces, including Hubei that was the epicenter of the outbreak, were issued lockdown orders starting in mid-January. Numerous highways were closed, and railways were shut down. The Hubei Poultry Association wrote a letter to the China Animal Agriculture Association (CAAA) in late January, saying that its members were very distressed due to a lack of poultry feed supplies. The CAAA responded by issuing orders for 18,000 tons of corn and 12,000 tons of soybean meal to be delivered to Hubei. According to the state-owned media outlet Global Times, Hubei had a population of approximately 348 million live chickens, and annually produced over 532 million marketable chickens before the CCP virus outbreak. As Chinas sixth largest poultry producing province, Hubei was also an important egg producer. But with transportation at a standstill in early February, the Poultry Association implored agricultural officials that without feed reaching Hubei: millions of chickens may soon perish. The association warned that many farmers were halving the amount they normally fed to each bird, and that some had already begun euthanizing young chickens. Similar situations where also playing out in other Chinese provinces where baby and live poultry transport had been curtailed and slaughterhouses shut down. The South China Morning Post in February interviewed a farmer who would only identify himself as Chen. He stated that the closing of the local wet markets and inability to transport food had caused prices he received for chicken to crash to as low as 0.5 yuan per kilogram, or about $.07. Chen added that the disaster would increase because chickens must be sold when they are 70-days old. Hubei Health Commission announced that at midnight on March 25, they will begin easing travel restriction for the province of 60 million, according to AP News. But the city of Wuhan will remain locked down until April 8. The 120,000 migrant workers that were stuck in the Hubei lockdown after coming home for the Lunar New Year have already been allowed to leave on special buses and trains, and residents with a clean bill of health will now be allowed to travel. With China food security concerns rising, American Shipper reported on March 24 that China and the USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service had reached a regionalization agreement. China justified banning American poultry imports during 2013, 2014 and 2015 when any U.S. farm reported an avian flu case. Both the United States and China agreed that when a poultry disease hits, unaffected regions should continue trading in poultry products. The USDA stated that China had lifted a five-year ban on U.S. poultry imports in November and signed the Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement in Feb. 14 that will allow more than $1 billion in annual American poultry export to China. Apple yesterday released the macOS Catalina 10.15.4 update with a number of new features and enhancements like Screen Time Communication Limits, time-synced lyrics in the Music app, and more. Among other things, Apple has also updated Safari in macOS 10.15.4 to automatically import passwords from Chrome to iCloud Keychain. If you have been looking to switch to Safari from Chrome for a long time but were avoiding doing so because all your passwords were synced with your Google account, this new feature will make your life easier. Once you import all your Chrome passwords to iCloud Keychain, they will also be automatically available across all your other Apple devices including iPhones and iPads which use the same Apple account. iCloud Keychain will also automatically fill the login details whenever you visit any website. The good thing is that Safari and iCloud Keychain work with Face ID so your identity will first be verified prior to your login details being entered automatically. Apple has also added HDR playback support for Netflix content in Safari for compatible computers. Do note that MacBooks do not ship with an HDR display so you wont be able to stream HDR content on your MacBooks display. This feature will be useful for Pro Display XDR owners as that monitor supports HDR, though Netflix will need to certify this setup from its end. The update also adds handy options for opening a duplicate tab and for closing all tabs to the right of the current tab. Apple has also added full third-party cookie blocking in Safari across all platforms. That statement was added to the website Monday, a day after Paul tested positive, amid growing concern inside the Capitol complex that the 57-year-old senator had either received special treatment from the doctor or had shown symptoms despite his public denials. Paul and his advisers have refused to say who provided the test, beyond that it was completed in Washington on March 16. An adviser to the attending physician did not respond to a request for comment on whether Paul had been tested there. Once the six-month suspension has concluded, the council may review the possibility of amending its ordinance to form a committee of a whole, suspend other advisory committees and have those topics report to the council or keep running business with the advisory committees. The decision on what direction to move forward is up to the council, Becker said. Business delayed Becker said the finance committee didnt have a quorum during a finance meeting July 8 to start the process of preliminary discussing what direction to take the 2020 budget, to increase or decrease the mill rate and tax levy. We just sat around and waited for the meeting but we didnt have a quorum so no business could be discussed, Becker said. It lead to Becker starting to build the 2020 budget without direction from the finance committee and discussing the budget with them later at a separate meeting when quorum was held. The finance committee and the council later approved a decrease in the mill rate from $10.82 to $10.69 per $1,000 of assessed value in the $6.8 million budget, setting the tax levy at $5.6 million tax levy. On March 14, Bai Xuesong, a guide at the Beilin Museum in Xian, northwest Chinas Shaanxi province, hosted a live broadcast showcasing the collections at the museum, which attracted over 300,000 viewers. Bai Xuesong works at the Beilin Museum (Photo provided by Bai Xuesong) Bai has become a hit on the Internet ever since he started giving tours of the museum collections through live streaming videos on Feb. 23. After viewing his broadcasts, many netizens expressed a desire to visit the museum when it reopens after the epidemic. Furthermore, the number of fans of the official online store of the museum on the e-commerce platform Taobao has grown to 25,000, with sales of related products seeing a huge increase. It is estimated that more than 30 museums in China, including the National Museum of China and the Dunhuang Academy China, have hosted live broadcasts on online platforms amid the epidemic, each gaining over 10 million views in one day. Live streaming at the National Museum of China (Photo via Taobao.com) The Gansu Provincial Museum, one of the museums that have been exploring online platforms, attracted as many as 900,000 viewers at one point in its live broadcasts, more than half of its total viewers last year, according to Shi Ce, deputy curator of the museum. Live streamingat the Gansu Provincial Museum (Photo viaTaobao.com) Cooperation between museums and Internet platforms is beneficial to both sides, said Huang Yang, vice professor with the cultural heritage and museology department of the Nanjing Normal University. Huang explained that while museums need to use live broadcasts to spread culture, Internet giants need the resources that museums possess to provide high-quality content for users. (Newser) Here's an incentive to stay home: A Rwandan man who breached a nationwide lockdown to go fishing was subsequently killed by a crocodile. The man was fishing in the Nyabarongo River Wednesday morning when the crocodile attacked, Alice Kayitesi, mayor of the southern Kamonyi district, tells the BBC. Kayitesi notes the unidentified man was "among very few people" to breach a two-week lockdown instituted over the weekend. story continues below Residents of Rwanda, which has 40 confirmed cases of COVID-19, are permitted to leave their homes only for essential services such as grocery shopping and to seek medical care, per the New Times. Local media have described a separate incident in which two men were reportedly shot dead by police in the southern district of Nyanza following a dispute about the lockdown, though there's been no confirmation from police, per the BBC. (Read more Rwanda stories.) Almost everything Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West do is controversial, whether or not they intend it to be. That extends to their interior design choices. How they decorated their home seems like a personal choice that should be above criticism, but thats not the case. After Kim and Kanye decided to show off their decidedly minimalist home on television, questions started pouring in. Fans just didnt get their style. Plus, their pristine home doesnt look like a place where a family of six lives. There wasnt so much as a speck of dust out of place. That left fans wondering whats up. Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West | David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Kim Kardashian West and Kanye Wests house confused fans In fact, Kanye and Kims house is so minimalist that she had to explain to fans how her sinks work. When you look at the counters, it seems like the faucet comes straight out of a flat surface. In fact, the Kardashian West sinks are so subtle that theyre almost impossible to see. The counter has a very slight downward incline. The water catches there and drains into an almost unnoticeable hole at the bottom. The sinks were the most confusing, but fans had issues with other aspects of Kim and Kanyes style as well. Their bathtub is a big cement square, for example. A lot of fans thought the look was too industrial, and not warm or inviting at all. The Kardashian West house does not look lived in Fans noticed right away that Kim and Kanyes house doesnt look like a place where kids live. The Kardashian Wests have four children, North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm. The little ones are between the ages of 6 and almost 1, so people expect the house to be a little bit messy. After all, kids are famous for creating general disorder. The Kardashian West home, as fans saw it, didnt even seem to have any toys. Some fans on reddit think thats because Kim and Kanye dont really show their full home on air. Kim and Kanye, like the rest of the Kardashians, live in a giant mansion. However, when Kim has recorded mini-tours of her home in the past, she seems to stop by the same six rooms. Shes talked about more spaces that fans dont see. For example, she says they have a room just for the kids, where theyre even allowed to color on the walls. Fans dont see that room, probably because it doesnt really fit Kims brand. The same goes for her mom, Kris Jenner, and her sisters, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian. All three of them have shown their houses on-air and in various magazines, but its probably not the whole house. None of the rooms look exactly comfortable or lived in. Kims sisters have children of their own, and Kris has a lot of grandchildren she has over frequently. There are probably spots for the kids that the KarJens dont show on the air because they dont fit their glamorous image. The robbery changed everything for Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West The other reason fans theorize that Kim and Kanye havent shown their whole home is for security reasons. Kim was robbed at gunpoint in Paris in 2017, so shes very security conscious. Showing her entire house on air would essentially be giving thieves or other nefarious individuals a blueprint for how to get around her home. The robbery changed Kims life forever. It really shook her up, and shes been much more aware of her security ever since. It makes sense that shed want to protect herself and her children from another potential robber. Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus but remains in good health, Clarence House announced on Wednesday. Prince Charles, 71, was tested for the virus in Scotland, where he is with the Duchess of Cornwall, who tested negative. A spokesperson for Clarence House said: In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. WATCH | Coronavirus: Prince Charles, heir to British throne, latest celeb to be infected It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. Queen Elizabeth, 93, last week moved from Buckingham Palace to the Winsor Castle, where she was joined by Prince Philip, 98, who was earlier in Sandringham. Health officials in the UK have been bracing for a spike in deaths and cases in the coming week, with thousands of retired doctors, nurses and final-year medical students joining the National Health Service, which was already facing severe shortage of staff before the crisis. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a silent House of Commons in a post-apocalyptic world, with MPs cowering in their second homes hiding from a deathly plague, Jeremy Corbyn rose at the despatch box to give what would, this time, surely, be his final performance at Prime Ministers Questions. It would be wrong to say you couldnt make it up. You could make it up very easily. If you did make it up youd be rightly accused of lazy writing. The celestial parodists in charge of our little lives are frankly phoning it in. Maybe theres some sort of pandemic up there and theyre all working from home. Still, the silence was no more deafening than any of the other 150 or so occasions Corbyn has stood up at the start of PMQs. His MPs were staring down at their phones and iPads as per usual, its merely that this time they were doing it from the comfort of their own sofas. Even in these rarefied times, Boris Johnson did his bit and thanked Mr Corbyn for his service. He praised Jeremy Corbyn for his sincerity. Not since a terminally ill Homer Simpson stood over Barts bed, searching for some final words for his son and coming up with I like your sheets can a compliment have been so excruciatingly hard to come by. It was hardly the prime ministers fault. Since Corbyn became leader of the Labour Party, humankind has made its confirmed observations of a super massive black hole and the Higgs boson. It is hoped, though not expected, that discovering one of Jeremy Corbyns actual achievements will be the next major breakthrough. Corbyn thanked him, but told him it had sounded like an obituary for a man who wasnt going anywhere, and would carry on demanding justice for the people of the world, for which we must assume the people of the world will carry on being very grateful indeed. If the occasion had been meant to serve as Corbyns political funeral, at least no one will later find themselves having to claim they were present but not involved. With less serious matters to attend to, it is nice to hope that more time would have been allocated to acknowledge the extraordinary depth and breadth of achievements of one of the true greats of British politics, and I am happy to do my small bit to make up that deficit here. When Corbyn became leader of the Labour Party, people laughed. They carried on laughing for quite a while, until that laughter turned to agonised tears. Now they laugh again, mainly as a psychological coping strategy. But all this is very unfair. The great man leaves a legacy the likes of which have never been seen. A proud Eurosceptic of four decades standing, whether Brexit would have happened without his contribution is a subject of such keen debate it is occasionally forgotten that his contribution was technically for the remain side. Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters People occasionally like to say that we live in Farages Britain, but if we ever did then it didnt last long. This is Corbyns Britain. Open your front door, if you dare, and take a look around. Richard Branson dared to cross him once, through having the temerity to point out that the ram-packed train on which he had sat on the floor filming a woe-is-me self-martyring video of himself, was in fact the same train in which polite staff found him a spare, unreserved seat then ushered him to it. And now look. Its not merely that the railways have been nationalised, the planes have been grounded too, and poor Dicky B is tapping up the government for a bailout. Dont mess with Magic Grandpa. Corbyn may never have entered government, but the government is nonetheless still investigating innovative digital ways in which it might fine us if we leave our houses without permission, turning a once conspicuously consuming society into a digital panopticon. Not even in his most dystopian fantasies did George Orwell ever dare to dream so big. The supermarket shelves are empty, the investment banks have sent everyone home, the state has taken over the private sector and is paying everybodys wages and the only people who arent going to get sacked at the end of it all are the ones who work for the NHS. At the time of writing, even the future of the monarchy is looking precarious. There could soon be no national anthem for any of us not to sing. Of course, the churlish among you may cling to the notion that all this has in fact been achieved not through Corbyns very long years of very well-paid and entirely ineffective public service, but by a bat who bit a pangolin then crapped on the floor of a Chinese market. But as the sign on Ronald Reagans White House desk said, There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he does not mind who gets the credit. Theres no point denying it. Its Corbyns Britain now, were all just climbing up our bedroom walls, praying that it wont last long. A doctor in Mumbai has shut his clinic for an indefinite period after an Italy returnee who came to him for medical advice later tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Dr Abdul Khalique, who runs a clinic in Kalina area of Santa Cruz in the metropolis, told PTI the man reached Mumbai on March 18 and came to his clinic the next day. "I asked him to get himself checked in Kasturba Hospital. His report returned negative, and he came to my clinic again on March 20 and March 21 complaining of cold. cough and body pain," the doctor said. "His ill health continued and he got himself tested and he was found to be infected with the novel coronavirus. I got a call from the BMC today inquiring about this patient. I have now shut my clinic, but am worried thinking about whether he has spread the virus to people he met in the last few days," he said. As the coronavirus makes a June 2 primary look increasingly sickly, New Mexico leaders need to devise a workable statewide vote-by-mail system. With early voting scheduled to begin in about seven weeks, staffing sites in every county typically with many poll workers over 60 years old and most at risk for serious COVID-19 complications seems irresponsible at best. Plus, theres no confidence voters would even show up. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams statewide stay-at-home order for non-essential workers runs through April 10, and health experts predict the outbreak could continue through the summer. Several states have delayed their primaries, but theres no guarantee those can take place safely later this spring or summer. Moreover, New Mexico is already among the last states to hold its primaries, on June 2. Libertarians national convention is in May. Democrats and Republicans are scheduled to choose their parties nominees for president and vice president in mid-July and late August, respectively. States that delay could find more voters choices moot come the national conventions. A spokesman for the Secretary of States Office told the Journal Editorial Board this week that Maggie Toulouse Oliver does not like the idea of setting precedent by delaying the June primary because election officials are deeply committed to making sure we conduct a free and fair election, that it happens on the day its planned and that we have as minimal disruption for voters as possible. Shes right. New Mexicans have cast ballots in every presidential election since statehood. Our votes should matter. And while her office emphasizes absentee ballots, that puts the onus on each voter, who must request their individual ballot. A better option? Have the June 2 primary via mail-in ballot. Officials can then decide on the general election, when hopefully more is known about the pandemic. (FYI, mail-in ballots should not be that hard its 2020, and we cast ballots by mail and online for everything from company shareholder and school board seats to finalists on The Voice.) Election officials say legislative approval would be required to abandon early and Election Day voting sites, but extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The governor has announced plans to call a special session on budget adjustments, economic relief and other emergency measures as the price of oil plummets and her 2021 budget appears to be based on a fairy tale. Emergency mail-in balloting legislation is a no-brainer that could be passed then. Unless theres a change in the law, early voting in every county will begin May 16. Unless poll workers find a cache of masks and hand out toilet paper, its hard to fathom that being done safely or drawing any turnout. Moving entirely to mail-in ballots will take considerable effort and presents many challenges, including the need to update voter rolls to ensure ballots are sent to the correct addresses and figuring out if theres an alternative to licking return envelopes. But New Mexico voters deserve a decision soon on when and where their primary will be president, an open U.S. Senate seat, all 112 state legislative slots, a Supreme Court seat, district attorneys and judicial officers are on the ballot. State leaders must start now to ensure the 2020 elections dont break our spotless history of voting during emergencies and wars. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. Even a global pandemic cant cause the wheels of justice to grind to a complete halt. On Tuesday, defence lawyer Megan Savard sat behind the wheel of her silver Mazda parked on an Etobicoke street, computer on her lap, as she read into her monogrammed cellphone a list of proposed bail conditions for her client who, at that moment, was in custody across the city in a Scarborough police station. Faced with a near-complete shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the reality that people still commit crimes the justice system is discovering new ways to keep functioning, such as conducting routine hearings by phone. Its just an illustration of how possible it is for us to do these things remotely, Savard told the Star after the virtual bail hearing ended and her client, who had been arrested for breaching a bail condition related to a domestic assault charge, was ordered released. Also participating in the teleconference were the Toronto police officer in charge of the man, his proposed surety, who listened in from a parking lot outside the station, and a Crown attorney who dialed in from another location. They would all normally have appeared inside courtroom 405 at the 1911 Eglinton Avenue East courthouse, where a justice of the peace and a court clerk also joined in via speakerphone. Only a day earlier, that courthouse was on lockdown after a prosecutor was diagnosed as a presumed positive case of COVID-19. Savard is a Criminal Lawyers Association representative at the Scarborough courthouse who, like other CLA members, had been volunteering her time during the COVID-19 crisis. She worked with police and prosecutors in Scarborough to develop a protocol to help maintain the rights of men and women accused of crimes while also containing the spread of COVID-19 by limiting unnecessary human contact, such as from transporting the accused to court. For now, this remote bail hearing project includes only consent releases, which happen when the prosecutor has agreed to the release of a prisoner. Savard would like to see the project expand to contested bail hearings at all Toronto courthouses, where all but emergency matters have been postponed access has been restricted to the public. So much depends on having the co-operation of everyone involved, particularly the police, she said and in Scarborough theyve been great. On Tuesday, Savard called in from her car because she had been running errands before non-essential businesses were set to close hours later. She said she has also recently conducted in-custody bail hearings from her living room couch and from the passenger seat of a car inching its way through a Tim Hortons drive-thru. Bail hearings, even those conducted remotely, still involve a three-part test: That an accused person wont run away, that they wont commit more crimes, and that his or her release is not contrary to the public interest, called the tertiary ground. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Savard said she and her colleagues are finding the tertiary ground now favours release, because the public can appreciate the desire to keep people out of jails, which are a high-risk environment for an outbreak. The higher courts have sent that signal. Last week, in a bail review teleconference in Superior Court at 361 University Avenue, a judge released a 20-year-old alleged drug trafficker, writing in her decision: the risks to health from this virus in a confined space with many people, like a jail, are significantly greater than if a defendant is able to self-isolate at home. The virus is clearly easily transmitted, absent strong social distancing or self-isolation, and it is clearly deadly to a significant number of people who it infects. The practical reality is that the ability to practice social distancing and self-isolation is limited, if not impossible, in an institution where inmates do not have single cells. Still, Savard said, the public should not be alarmed that everyone arrested is going to walk free. No one is treating this lightly, she said. Were trying to ensure that low-risk and non-violent people are released, and maybe erring a little bit more on the side of release in those grey area cases but the dangerous people are staying in custody, as they need to, unfortunately. So, while all of us are on lockdown and have to stay at home but still work, there's a part of us that misses our coworkers, even the ones we only say 'hi' to. Some have crying babies who are not exactly making it very easy to work and others have huge families who make it impossible to focus on anything. Whatever your situation, you're missing going to work and talking to your colleagues. However, some lucky ones have the luxury of having pets as their company because we all know that animals make up for the best coworkers. So, if you haven't come across any photos of people describing their pets as coworkers, you are missing out on the best content out there right now. Here are some of the best ones that will give you plenty of reasons to smile during these dark times. 1. Clearly, social distancing isn't a concept pets understand or even care about. My coworkers do not respect or acknowledge the concept of social distancing. pic.twitter.com/ikf4u9xMot Kathryn Chapman (@kathrynpchapman) March 18, 2020 2. Someone call HR! This worker is slacking off! I appreciate the relaxed dress code, but my coworkers won't stop sleeping on the job. pic.twitter.com/9nTbgEWUDE Earl Aguilera is prosocially distancing (@Mister_Ayyye) March 17, 2020 3. Is this the real life? Or is this a circus? The other 2 coworkers tend to be quieter, but one sat on my husbands laptop while the other screamed for food. All 6 living creatures crammed into our small dining/sunroom to work pic.twitter.com/srn436aQxN Angie Hull (@Ahully1) March 18, 2020 4. That's not very polite of him. One of my three coworkers licked my face pic.twitter.com/HX672Cq5XC Robert Pasley (@rwilloe) March 18, 2020 5. 'Dear HR, my coworker is distracting me from work by licking my face. Please look into it.' My coworker laid on the floor, lazier than whale shit, and ate a bone. After I pointed out to him that he was lazy, he licked my face! Going to inform HR later. pic.twitter.com/YG2PV4nCnN Jace Walden (@jacewalden) March 18, 2020 6. Sigh, don't we all? He tends to fall asleep on the job though pic.twitter.com/6RtKqIFAzS Wenderer (@Wenders38) March 19, 2020 7. What's worse than one HR rep? Two HR reps! Nashville & Luke are my go to HR fellasNash is high energy hes on TalentLuke is multi talented & global hes Labor Relations pic.twitter.com/6I537vYdOm Isabel (@duranduran219) March 19, 2020 8. Nellie FTW! This is Nellie Bly. She steals my pens and tries to hide my computer mouse, but shes a good assistant pic.twitter.com/quuG879h0U Jessica Domel (@JessicaDomel) March 19, 2020 9. *Dreams about virtual meetings Sleeping on the job pic.twitter.com/zo1OXIWmJv Jim Cox (@jpcoilandgas) March 19, 2020 10. Yes, Rusty! We feel you, buddy! This is Rusty. Working from home is hard! pic.twitter.com/kRhLsNnhcB Galynn Ponder (@GalynnPonder) March 19, 2020 11. It's always break time! 12. The perfect coworker is at your service. This is my coworker Coco. She is still picking her own hours for work. When she comes in, she doesnt stay long, really just checking to see if Im still here and to get a belly rub. Then she leaves pic.twitter.com/bXdfk4lgmo Tia Holliman (@Ms_Holliman) March 19, 2020 13. Bubbles, please? Teamwork is important. This is Bubbles, the big boss. She isnt really used to having to share her office with anyone but oh well, shell adjust pic.twitter.com/HiutiQ10Ox hattie benedetti (@benedetti_13) March 19, 2020 14. All of us can relate to Emmit for sure. Meet my favorite coworker Emmit! He sleeps a lot, but at least he comes to work He's always up for working alongside me, no matter how late I work! pic.twitter.com/pIqjefEeGd Jessica Williams (@jessicaslocum3) March 20, 2020 15. But exercise is important during these times, Rocco! My coworker is Rocco. He let me know, by refusing to take another step, that the 6th of our very long walks was just too much! pic.twitter.com/PxDdMAQAEz Jill A. Carter (@JillACarter1) March 20, 2020 16. This coworker does not understand the concept of space. This is a constant as I sit at my computer. The staring is nonstop! pic.twitter.com/HgGDJC5Tqn Leigh (@leigh71) March 20, 2020 17. This is not appropriate, guys. Get a room! I had to report my coworkers to HR today. They need refresher training on workplace PDA. pic.twitter.com/yijMNX0OZq bork (@GyngerPope) March 23, 2020 18. This is not very professional of her. Report her to HR. my co-worker woke up in the middle of the night, started screaming at me, and then proceeded to throw up on the carpet. then she layed down on the floor and fell asleep pic.twitter.com/5hHdPqntAP jordan #1 jj simp (@spoooglez) March 23, 2020 19. This calls for a lawsuit. my co-worker is straight-up assaulting me on a daily basis pic.twitter.com/nxfSBTX1jf Milo Szecket (@DocNum4) March 22, 2020 20. This coworker needs to learn some basic skills. my co worker keeps chasing her tail and getting stuck pic.twitter.com/wHcsQOlng4 rosalie (@morais_rosalie) March 22, 2020 21. You mean, assistant TO the branch manager? my coworker just got promoted to assistant branch manager pic.twitter.com/qqz0KyQJ1C liz (@renaissancebtch) March 23, 2020 22. This sounds like a very distracting situation. 10/10 would recommend. My coworker keeps licking my laptop while making direct eye contact with me pic.twitter.com/v48hlCA7WU Jbazz (@julia_bazz) March 22, 2020 23. The first picture is all of us during meetings, virtually or otherwise 24. The pot is NOT your work station! I have to keep pulling my coworker out of the toilet. pic.twitter.com/GWcblvGcJA Persephone (@malogranata) March 23, 2020 Do you have pictures of your 'coworkers' as well? Share them with us in the comments! The deadly coronavirus sweeping across the world has killed at least 50 priests, officials say. They include Father Giuseppe Berardelli, 72, who died early this month in Lovere, Bergamo one of the worst-hit cities in Italy. Reports on Tuesday that he had chosen to give his respirator to a younger coronavirus patient he did not know have been denied by close friends. Italy is the worlds worst affected country with 6,820 deaths so far. It has been under prolonged lockdown as it tries to stop the spread of infections from the worst-hit northern region of Lombardy. Coronavirus has been spreading rapidly across the globe, affecting more than 160 countries and claiming more than 16,000 lives. There are more than 360,000 confirmed cases worldwide. Europe is now at the epicentre of the crisis and the US is facing a surge in cases. Who was Fr Berardelli? Giuseppe Berardelli, the main priest in the town of Casnigo, died last week in Lovere hospital, close to Bergamo. Residents of Casnigo were reported to have applauded from their windows and balconies as the coffin was taken for burial. There was no funeral. Italian media reports quoted by the BBC on Tuesday referred to medical sources saying he had given his respirator to a younger patient. However, friends of the late priest say they are not aware this was the case. Giuseppe Foresti, who worked with him in the Casnigo diocese, said news that he had given the respirator away were fake and that Berardelli had simply not been able to tolerate it because he had a pre-existing condition. And the Catholic News Agency cites the secretary-general of his diocese, Father Giulio Dellavite, as saying: There was not a donated respirator. On Tuesday, Pope Francis led a prayer for the deceased doctors and priests, thanking God for their heroic example in serving those who were sick. What is the situation in Italy? Italy shut down most businesses and banned public gatherings nationwide on 12 March as it tried to halt the spread of the virus. Bars, restaurants and most shops have closed, as have schools and universities. The lockdown has been extended, and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has said it has helped prevent the collapse of the system. Priests have been celebrating funeral services without relatives in Italy There has been a slight slowdown in the rate of infection for a third day in a row. But at more than 600 deaths a day, it is far from bringing the pandemic under control. Italy has 69,176 people with Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. But the number infected could be far higher. Angelo Borrelli, Italys civil protection chief, told newspaper La Repubblica on Tuesday it was credible to estimate the numbers are 10 times higher in reality. In the next few hours we will see if the growth curve is really flattening, he told the paper. What is the situation worldwide? The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the coronavirus disease pandemic is accelerating, with more than 300,000 cases now confirmed. It took 67 days from the first reported of Covid-19 to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for the second 100,000, and just four days for the third 100,000. But WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was still possible to change the trajectory. He urged countries to adopt rigorous testing and contact-tracing strategies. In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday night that, with immediate effect, people will only be allowed to leave their homefor very limited purposes. The number of people who have died in the UK rose to 335 on Monday. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Fox News presidency has taken a dangerous turn. As the coronavirus crisis deepens all across the United States, the Trump administration is favoring Fox and turning down almost all other networks' interview requests. It's the politicization of a pandemic. The result: Key administration officials are not being subjected to much-needed scrutiny. And doctors are being drawn into a petty political game. Fox, the television home of the Trump administration, has been stocked with Trump aides and officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci, who appeared on "The Ingraham Angle" Tuesday night and said President Trump's insistence on a return to normalcy "by Easter" is just an "aspirational goal." By showing up on Fox and shunning other networks, top officials may be trying to get through to Trump -- or doing what they perceive he wants. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham appeared on "Fox & Friends" Wednesday morning and criticized the press. She said some unnamed "members of the media are using a really important time in our country to try and divide people on the task force." Grisham is a regular on Fox, but almost never agrees to interviews on broadcast networks, which draw more viewers." Clashes within the White House's communications team have exacerbated the problems. "There are some people on the task force who actually want to do TV but can't get any straight answers from the White House or the Vice President's communications shop, so interviews are falling through the cracks left and right," a television producer with knowledge of the matter said. The coronavirus task force was formed in late January as a response team to the outbreak in the US and it is composed of White House officials and doctors, including Dr. Fauci, Surgeon General Jerome Adams and Dr. Deborah Birx. Dr. Fauci has appeared on CNN's weekly global coronavirus town hall for the past three weeks, but the administration has declined to make him available for this week's town hall, according to a CNN representative. No government officials appeared on Wednesday's TV morning newscasts, either. But Surgeon General Adams made time for Sean Hannity's talk show on Tuesday night. According to Hannity, he will be interviewing Trump later this week. These are all signs of a shoring-up-the-base strategy by the White House -- which is incongruent while the entire country is fighting a virus that has no political party. Fox programs have soft-pedaled the government's shortcomings and promoted an imminent rollback of social distancing restrictions. Public health experts say such a change could be catastrophic because it would cause a surge in new coronavirus infections. But Trump was barely challenged on that point when Fox anchors interviewed him on Tuesday. The interview was billed as a "virtual town hall" live from the Rose Garden. It took place in the early afternoon, typically one of the lowest-rated times of day on Fox News, instead of prime time. (Ratings have been elevated across the board due to the national emergency.) "I doubt this would ever happen, but Trump should hold a town hall with another network in the very near future," Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones wrote Wednesday. Contract enabled IMI to build capabilities in-Kingdom and further strengthen its strategic partnership with ARO Drilling. DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- International Maritime Industries (IMI) announced today the completion of the ARO-2003 (SAR201) MRO project with ARO Drilling (ARO); a world-class offshore drilling contractor that owns, operates and manages a fleet of high-specification and premium jack-up rigs in Saudi Arabia. The ARO-2003 (SAR201) is a "Baker Marine" designed jack-up rig that is currently working for Saudi Aramco in the Arabian Gulf. The project was led by IMI at the Dammam Shipyard. "This successful project completion further strengthens the business relationship between ARO Drilling, IMI and Dammam Shipyard as well as contributing to the development of a localized industry. IMI is delighted to have been able to complete this project for ARO on-time and safely. We look forward to supporting ARO again in the very near future." Darren Macdonald, IMI Chief Operating Officer, Zones A & D. Commenting on the project, Thomas Schlueter, Director of Projects, ARO, said: "ARO is committed to increasing our presence in the region and we are pleased to have successfully completed the ARO-2003 (SAR201), on schedule, but most importantly safely. Awarding this project to IMI enabled us to use local manufacturing capabilities; to support our fleet refurbishment objectives." International Maritime Industries, located in The King Salman Complex for International Maritime Industries & Services at Ras Al-Khair, Saudi Arabia, will be the largest, fullservice maritime facility in MENA. When building is complete, the annual capacity of the facility will be four (4) new build offshore rigs and over 43 new build vessels including VLCCs, in addition to servicing more than 260 maritime products. Major production operations are expected to commence toward the end of 2020 with the facility reaching its full production capacity by 2022. International Maritime Industries is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco, Lamprell, Bahri and Hyundai Heavy Industries. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1137717/International_Maritime_Industries.jpg A Pune-based couple, the first COVID-19 patients in Maharashtra, received a warm welcome from their housing society members when they arrived in the premises on Wednesday after being discharged from hospital following recovery. IMAGE: Medical workers in protective suits look at a traveller as he leaves after a check-up for coronavirus at the isolation ward. Photograph: PTI Photo Residents of the housing society, located on Sinhgad Road, came out in their balconies and clapped and clanged their utensils to greet the 51-year-old man and his 43-year-old wife. The couple was discharged from Naidu Hospital on Wednesday after they tested negative twice for the coronavirus infection following the completion of 14 days of the isolation period. They were overwhelmed by the warm welcome from their housing society members. "When the ambulance reached the gate of our society, which has over 350 flats, the residents were already standing in their balconies. As we stepped inside the complex, people cheered, clapped and even clanged their utensils to welcome us," said the 51-year-old man. He said that since no in-person meeting was allowed, several society residents called him up to congratulate and express their support. "Some of them had already arranged essential items at our home to ensure we do not have any problem," he said. Earlier, while getting discharged from the civic-run hospital, the couple was greeted with flowers by senior district administration officials, doctors and hospital staff who maintained a certain distance from each other. The couple and their 23-year-old daughter were part of a 40-member tourist group that returned to Mumbai from Dubai on March 1. They travelled from Mumbai to Pune in a cab. Besides the couple, their daughter and the cab driver had also tested positive for the coronavirus. After the isolation period, the first test of their daughter, the cab driver and one more person from the Dubai trip tested negative on Tuesday, an official from the health department said. "Their repeat samples will be sent today and if the test negative, they will also be discharged," he said. The couple appealed to people to follow the instructions and maintain social distancing to contain the spread of the virus. "After the discharge, we will be under home quarantine and will follow the protocol and instructions given to us by health officials," the couple said. DUBLIN, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma) - Pipeline Review, H1 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This pipeline guide provides comprehensive information on the therapeutics under development for Hodgkin Lymphoma (Oncology), complete with analysis by stage of development, drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. The guide covers the descriptive pharmacological action of the therapeutics, its complete research and development history and latest news and press releases. The Hodgkin Lymphoma (Oncology) pipeline guide also reviews of key players involved in therapeutic development for Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma) and features dormant and discontinued projects. The guide covers therapeutics under Development by Companies /Universities /Institutes, the molecules developed by Companies in Pre-Registration, Filing rejected/Withdrawn, Phase III, Phase II, Phase I, IND/CTA Filed, Preclinical, Discovery and Unknown stages are 2, 1, 1, 42, 40, 1, 15, 1 and 1 respectively. Similarly, the Universities portfolio in Phase II, Phase I, Phase 0, Preclinical and Discovery stages comprises 6, 2, 1, 3 and 1 molecules, respectively. Hodgkin Lymphoma (Oncology) pipeline guide helps in identifying and tracking emerging players in the market and their portfolios, enhances decision making capabilities and helps to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. Scope The pipeline guide provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Hodgkin Lymphoma (Oncology). The pipeline guide reviews pipeline therapeutics for Hodgkin Lymphoma (Oncology) by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources. The pipeline guide covers pipeline products based on several stages of development ranging from pre-registration till discovery and undisclosed stages. The pipeline guide features descriptive drug profiles for the pipeline products which comprise, product description, descriptive licensing and collaboration details, R&D brief, MoA & other developmental activities. The pipeline guide reviews key companies involved in Hodgkin Lymphoma (Oncology) therapeutics and enlists all their major and minor projects. The pipeline guide evaluates Hodgkin Lymphoma (Oncology) therapeutics based on mechanism of action (MoA), drug target, route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. The pipeline guide encapsulates all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects. The pipeline guide reviews latest news related to pipeline therapeutics for Hodgkin Lymphoma (Oncology) Key Topics Covered Introduction Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma) - Overview Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma) - Therapeutics Development Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma) - Therapeutics Assessment Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma) - Companies Involved in Therapeutics Development Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma) - Drug Profiles Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma) - Dormant Projects Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma) - Discontinued Products Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma) - Product Development Milestones Companies Mentioned A. Menarini Industrie Farmaceutiche Riunite Srl AbbVie Inc Actinium Pharmaceuticals Inc ADC Therapeutics SA Affimed GmbH Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc AlfaSigma SpA Alissa Pharma Angiocrine Bioscience Inc Anhui Anke Biotechnology (Group) Co Ltd Apollomics Inc Astellas Pharma Inc AstraZeneca Plc Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd Avipep Pty Ltd Bayer AG Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd Bristol-Myers Squibb Co Carrick Therapeutics Ltd Catalent Inc Cell Medica Ltd Celldex Therapeutics Inc Cellectar Biosciences Inc Cellectis SA Celleron Therapeutics Ltd Cellestia Biotech AG Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc Celularity Inc Checkmate Pharmaceuticals Inc Checkpoint Therapeutics Inc Chipscreen Biosciences Ltd Constellation Pharmaceuticals Inc CSL Ltd CStone Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd Curis Inc Eutilex Co Ltd Faron Pharmaceuticals Oy Gibson Oncology LLC Gilead Sciences Inc Harbin Gloria Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd Hebei Senlang Biotechnology Inc Ltd Helocyte Biosciences Inc HRAIN Biotechnology Co Ltd Immune Cell Inc Immunomedics Inc Incuron LLC Incyte Corp Inhibrx Inc Magenta Therapeutics Inc Marker Therapeutics Inc Merck & Co Inc Merck KGaA Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc Miltenyi Biotec GmbH NantKwest Inc NewBio Therapeutics Inc Northlake International LLC OncoTartis Inc Protheragen Inc RAPT Therapeutics Inc Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc Rhizen Pharmaceuticals SA Rich Pharmaceuticals Inc Rizen (Suzhou) Biosciences Co Ltd Sanofi Seattle Genetics Inc Shanghai Fudan-Zhangjiang Bio-Pharmaceutical Co Ltd Shanghai Junshi Bioscience Co Ltd Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd Shanghai Unicar-Therapy Bio-Medicine Technology Co Ltd Shattuck Labs Inc Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceutical Co Ltd SpecificiT Pharma Inc Stemline Therapeutics Inc Syndax Pharmaceuticals Inc Tacitus Therapeutics Inc TaiGen Biotechnology Co Ltd Taiwan Liposome Co Ltd Tessa Therapeutics Pte Ltd Trillium Therapeutics Inc Tyme Technologies Inc Viracta Therapeutics Inc Wuhan Bio-Raid Biotechnology Co Ltd Zhengda Tianqing Kangfang Shanghai Biomedical Technology Co Ltd For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/q28n73 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com California Gov. Gavin Newsom will not offer official guidance on whether gun stores can be classified as essential businesses and remain open during the state's shelter-in-place order. Newsom was asked about the issue after Los Angeles County reversed course on a move to close gun stores amid the spread of coronavirus in the region and the county's shelter-in-place order. L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva initially ordered the closing of gun stores, but legal counsel for the county determined gun stores are essential businesses and must remain open. Villanueva then rescinded the order. During his Wednesday press conference, Newsom was asked whether the state would issue an official guidance for localities to follow, but Newsom said no guidance would be coming. "I belive in people's right to bear arms and I believe people are exercising that right," Newsom said of reports of increased sales at gun stores. "But I'll defer to the sheriff in this instance, and I'll defer to sheriffs in their respective jurisdictions for that clarification." Many have questioned whether the forced closure of gun stores runs afoul of the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment and Supreme Court precedent. The U.S. Supreme Court held in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to bear arms for self-defense purposes, and multiple groups stated they would bring legal challenges against localities closing gun stores. These groups argue that forcing gun stores to close would violate an individual's right to seek means of self-defense during a crisis. There are far more important things that the sheriff can be doing than sending uniformed officers to gun stores telling them theyre going to be shut down by force, said Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California. Weve got lots of stories from people who said, Id never thought Id own a firearm, and now I want them more than anything in the world.'" The full text of the Los Angeles County legal opinion that held gun stores were essential businesses was not released to the public. The Associated Press contributed to this report. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Eric Ting is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting Dr Aiswarya speaks to Dr Uma Devi, professor of Medicine at Stanley Medical College in Chennai, who is currently in the front line of the coronavirus taskforce in Tamil Nadu, in episode five of her podcast How are hospitals dealing with the numerous patients who walk in with coronavirus symptoms? With the number of COVID-19 cases rising by the day, how are healthcare professionals and hospitals in India readying up for the storm that is to come? In this episode, Dr Aiswarya speaks to Dr Uma Devi, professor of Medicine at Stanley Medical College in Chennai, who is currently in the front line of the coronavirus taskforce in Tamil Nadu. Dr Uma Devi explains what is being done to ensure strict hygiene practices in hospitals while taking us through the journey a patient goes through in a coronavirus virus ward. You can listen to the full episode here. Here is the full transcript of the interview. *** This is Day 1 of the national lockdown for dealing with the coronavirus crisis in India. The front line healthcare workers have put the interests of their patients with COVID-19 infection ahead of their personal interests and that of their families. Thats the commitment shown by these professionals. Our appreciation for them goes beyond words. I am Dr Aiswarya Rao, a paediatrician, and a public health consultant, and today, I talk to Dr Uma Devi, professor of Medicine at the Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital in Chennai. She has been working round the clock in the coronavirus clinic and ward set up by the Tamil Nadu Health Department. *** Uma: Hello! Aiswarya: Hi Dr Uma! U: Yes, hello, Aiswarya! A: How are you? U: Yeah, I am... going on. Life is going on. A: You are a front line medical professional, especially in this current coronavirus crisis. So I just wanted to talk to you and understand from you, how it is, being at such close proximity to this crisis that all of us are very unsure of. U: Yeah. A: I have a couple of questions for you and I will be very happy if you can very briefly explain to us, and I believe your answers and everything that you tell us will be veryermit will help us understand what the government is doing for us, and what it is doing for the people who will come down with the COVID-19 disease. U: Sure..sure A: I just want to understand how the Government Stanley Medical College in Chennai is gearing up to manage people who will be positive for coronavirus when they come to your hospital for hospitalisation. U: So now, whenever a patient comes to us with a travel history, fever, cough, sore throat... so each day now the criteria is evolving. So as on that day, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is issuing a notification. So based on that day, we also evolve. So, it's an evolving process. So, as of now, what the Ministry has told is, that people with a sore throat, fever, dry cough, if they come with a travel history from a corona-affected region, first, or if they come only with a contact, we divide them into whether they have symptoms or they dont have symptoms. If the patient does not have the symptoms and comes from these affected areas, we advise them home quarantine. 14 days plus 14 days. A total of 28 days. They should be symptom-free. That is the strict advice that we give them. Now, in case they have mild symptoms, like cough, sore throat, mild breathlessness, we do two tests. One, we do a complete blood count and we take an X-Ray. Now all this is done in an isolated area. We are not sure of those patients. A: Can you describe the facilities in your hospital? Did you have to create new wards, or, were existing wards turned into...? U: No. We turned available wards... because this was a very acute need, and we cannot go for new spaces, whatever was available we used the resources and turned into an isolation OP a COVID OP and restroom; the injection OP was shifted outside and those rooms were converted into rooms where services were required. A: In your hospital how many beds are earmarked for this COVID U: As of now, 31 beds are ready A: And can you describe the entire personnel involved in this corona care? U: So, the personnel involved is, of course, the frontline the doctors part that is a post-graduate or a junior resident, then there is an assistant professor and a professor who oversees all that. Now in the OP, we have three shifts of this is about the doctors. Staff nurses also, dedicated staff nurses are there. So, we divided the OP and isolation ward. So, for OP there is one batch going on and for the ward, there is one set of personnel... they are doctors, staff nurses and, of course, the workers who do the cleaning part, every three hours, surface spraying, mopping all that. So, that is the personnel involved. A: And, are you working round the clock? How are the shifts, and how have you organised that? U: Round the clock, it's going round the clock. A: And are you having enough personal protection equipment? Enough masks, and hand sanitisers? U: Yes, yes. All that is adequate. The government has adequately provided. A: Alright! Has there been any training or orientation, we know that there are guidelines and advisories issued by the MOHFW, but this is a new disease and how are you updating yourself on the scientific knowledge and management part? U: So, they have given us the website of the MOHFW and all of us are already physicians, and so... they asked us to go through it and update ourselves. And as and when we get our handovers from the government, our Dean sees to it that it is conveyed to us. A: Ok, so, we heard all that is going on in your hospital and asking you personally. Describe your feelings to me as you are involved in this work and as you are right there, how do you feel? U: So, definitely there is a feeling of fear. Initially, we had that panic reaction among our junior residents and all, so our senior colleagues sat and counselled them out and now they do the work, but the component of fear is always there. A: Always there, right! And how does your family, and your children feel about it? What are they telling you? U: Uh... they are like..., of course, they are worried. But I think they are keeping a brave face. Because we have to face it. So, I think I have good support. All of us medical professionals are receiving good support from our families. A: Describe the mood in your hospital. Last night we saw the tweets from the health minister of Tamil Nadu. He visited the hospital in the middle of the night and he was all praise for your professionalism and for your team. But just describe the mood in the ward and in the clinic for us, Uma. U: All health professionals and teams are now ready to work... the mood now, with all the motivation that has been coming in, is everybody is ready to do their best. A: Wow! These are very early days. The days ahead are going to be very challenging and we really thank you for your service, Uma. It has been lovely talking to you, bye. U: Thank you. *** So, if you are feeling scared and isolated, know that the doctors and other frontline healthcare workers and their families are scared too. But they are making the best of a bad situation by putting the interests of their patients forward. On Day One of this lockdown, if you are thinking of maybe, just maybe going outside for an errand, just because you are bored, think of those on the frontline and do a WhatsApp video conference with your friends and family instead. Stay at home. Do it for our healthcare workers. I am Dr Aiswarya Rao, and I will be back soon with my next podcast. Thanks for listening. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A man has been charged with shooting another man to death last week in Syracuse. Carlton Massey, 39, was arrested Tuesday by the Syracuse Police Department and charged with murdering Ronald F. Russell, police announced in a news release. His arrest came five days after the deadly shooting on the citys South Side. Officers responded to the 600 block of West Onondaga Street around 5:40 p.m. Thursday after gunshots were heard in the area. When they arrived, officers found Russell, who had been shot in the head. American Medical Response paramedics rushed Russell to Upstate University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was 39 years old. Syracuse detectives interviewed numerous people and canvassed the West Onondaga Street area, police said. Physical evidence was collected from the scene, police said, and search warrants were executed. Police said the investigation led to a suspect: Massey. Massey was arrested Tuesday by detectives and charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies. He is being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center without bail, inmate records show. Russell was the second person killed in a homicide this year in Syracuse. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Have a tip, a story idea or a comment? You can reach me at shouse@syracuse.com. Delhi to ease restrictions, if Covid cases come down in next 2-3 days: Health Minister Lata Mangeshkar health update: Doctor says,'She in ICU with Covid-19 and pneumonia, will be under observation' 3 new coronavirus cases in Gujarat, total up to 38 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Ahmedabad, Mar 25: The number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat has gone up to 38 as three more people tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, a health department official said. On Wednesday morning, one new case each was reported from Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara, principal secretary (health) Jayanti Ravi told reporters. #Stayathome and send us your selfie Out of the three new cases, one patient has history of travel to Dubai, while the two others are cases of local transmission of the viral infection, she said. With this, total number of cases in Ahmedabad is 14, Surat and Vadodara-seven each, Gandhinagar-six, Rajkot-three and Kutch-one, she said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, March 25, 2020, 12:00 [IST] The imposition of new standards on packaging authentication processes has become a major driver of growth to the packaging testing services market. Increasing concerns over plastic waste from packaging materials further supports the market growth. DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2020 / The global packaging testing services market is set to reach a impressive valuation of US$ 33 Bn by the end of the forecast period (2019-2029) at an exponential rate of growth, as projected by a new report of Future Market Insights (FMI). Leading market players are investing in sustainability initiatives and regulatory compliance to keep ahead of the competition. "Highly profitable economies including China and India will offer opportunities to market providers, as the demand for different solutions in these countries is on the rise," states the FMI report. Request report sample with 250+ pages to gain in-depth insights https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-11147 Packaging Testing Services Market: Key Findings The physical testing segment will witness high demand; driven by growing significance of tearing strength, friction, tensile strength, and compression. Food and healthcare applications will generate promising opportunities to bolster the market revenue. Compliance to standards by organizations such as the ASTM, ISTA, and ISO will remain key influencers in the industry. South Asia and East Asia will display strong growth owing to high production and exports from China, Japan, and India. Packaging Testing Services Market: Key Driving Factors The growth of end use industries such as food, healthcare, cosmetics, and personal care is expected to boost the market. Consumer awareness about sustainable packaging and the importance to regulatory compliance is fueling market growth. Advances in microbiological and chemical testing capabilities for packaging testing services are driving market growth. Rising numbers of product recalls owing to strict government regulations is an essential factor for global demand. Packaging Testing Services Market - Key Restraints The high cost of packaging testing equipment and services is a key restraint to market growth, which impacts newer entrants especially hard. Explore the complete packaging testing services market report with 64 illustrative figures, 34 data tables, and the table of contents. Also find detailed market segmentation on https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-11147 Competition Landscape of Packaging Testing Services Market Some of the key players in the global packaging testing services landscape that are covered in this study include, but are not limited to, ALS Limited, SGS S.A., Bureau Veritas S.A., TUV SUD AG, Intertek Group Plc, and Eurofins Scientific SE. Leading manufacturers remain focused on leveraging the growth of the e-commerce industry. Manufacturers are also targeting awareness campaigns and tech developments for greater accuracy in the global packaging testing services market. More About the Report This Future Market Insights study of 300 pages offers actionable insights on the packaging testing services market. The market analysis is based on testing type (physical, chemical, and microbiological), material (plastic, paper & paperboard, glass, metal, and others), and end-user (food, beverages, healthcare, personal care & cosmetics, and others) across seven regions (Latin America, North America, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, and MEA). Explore Extensive Coverage of FMI's Packaging Landscape Stretch Films Market- Obtain valuable insights on the global stretch films market with comprehensive segmental analysis, market statistics, key influencing factors, prominent players and critical developmental strategies adopted by them for a predefined projection period. Machine Glazed Paper Market- FMI's report on the global machine glazed paper market offers an in-depth commentary on the market poised for prolific growth during 2019-2029. The study covers comprehensive evaluation of key impacting forces, revenue sources, and market leaders along with instrumental market strategies. Bagging Equipment Market- Get a deep-dive analysis on the global bagging equipment market with key insights on growth levers, opportunities, restraints, retail policies, regional market forecasts and key forte of market leaders. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and take critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Contact Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates MARKET ACCESS DMCC Initiative For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com For Media Enquiries: press@futuremarketinsights.com Market Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/packaging-testing-services-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/packaging-testing-services-market SOURCE: Future Market Insights View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/582485/FMI-Projects-a-Value-Pool-of-US-33-Bn-for-Packaging-Testing-Services-Market-by-2029-End-Major-Players-Focus-on-Third-party-Solutions-for-SMEs Study Shows Goldfish Might Know More Than You Think Victims are losing confidence in the criminal justice system, new research has suggested as coronavirus delays cases. A report by the victims commissioner found there is growing dissatisfaction amongst victims with how cases are handled. Analysis of data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales found that more than a third of victims were dissatisfied with how police handled their complaint, and 36 per cent were unhappy with the wider criminal justice system up from 30 per cent four years before. More than half of victims said police did not keep them well-informed about progress with their case an issue cited as one of the factors driving down rape prosecutions. One in five victims did not report their crime in part because they did not think the police would have investigated it. Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK The usually busy Royal Mile in Edinburgh is empty as people stay away from public areas amid the coronavirus outbreak on 13 March Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Ho bart's Amusement Arcade in Westward Ho!, Devon is offering toilet roll and soap as prizes in grabber machines Rob Braddick/SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK An empty platform at Farringdon Station in London the morning after the Prime Minister said that Covid-19 "is the worst public health crisis for a generation" PA Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Shopkeepers Asiyah Javed and husband Jawad from Day Today Express, in Stenhousemuir, Falkirk are giving away facemasks, antibacterial hand wash and cleaning wipes to the elderly in a bid to stop the spread of Coronavirus Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A usually busy street in Cambridge is empty as people stay away from public areas amid the coronavirus outbreak on 2 March James Linsell-Clark/SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A hand sanitiser dispenser is seen inside the stadium during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on 8 March Getty Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Maaya Indian Kitchen in Milton Keynes is offerig customers a free roll of toilet paper with every takeaway order SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Oliver Cooper[L], was sent home from school for selling spurts of handsanitiser to fellow pupils at 50p a time. He poses with mum Jenny Tompkins by their home in Leeds Ashley Pemberton/SWNS Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK Empty toilet paper shelves at a supermarket in London on 12 March EPA Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A member of the public is swabbed at a drive through Coronavirus testing site set up in a car park in Wolverhampton Getty Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A passenger wears a protective face mask as she travels on a bus in the City of London AFP/Getty Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A Southampton fan wears a face mask before the match against Newcastle United on 7 March Reuters Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A loudspeaker placed in grounds of St Mary's Catholic Church in Broughattin, Dundalk, County Louth ahead of funeral mass later this morning. The loudspeaker has been placed in the grounds after the Catholic Archdiocese said that funerals and weddings should not exceed 100 attendees within the church building PA Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK A hand sanitising station set up outside Cheltenham Racecourse during day four of the Cheltenham Festival on 13 March PA Coronavirus fears lead to empty streets and shelves across UK People wearing protective face masks walk across London Bridge on 11 March AFP/Getty Dame Vera Baird QC, the victims' commissioner for England and Wales, said the poor experiences recorded will diminish the number of people willing to help the police and support cases to court. There is concern about police inaction and the expectation of victims that police will not be interested their crime, she added. Prosecutions have fallen to a record low in England and Wales, with only 7.3 per cent of reported crimes resulting in a charge or summons. Only 1.4 per cent of alleged rapes are now prosecuted, amid warnings that the treatment of victims including mobile phone seizures and delayed investigations are causing them to drop out of cases. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) says police have been referring fewer cases for consideration, while police leaders have cited the impact of budget cuts. Recruitment of 20,000 new officers which will not fully replace those lost through austerity measures imposed since 2010 promised by Boris Johnson started late last year. But the coronavirus outbreak has forced the College of Policing to shut its assessment centres for new recruits, while it searches for an online replacement. Senior officers have warned that a graduated withdrawal of service will be enacted if the pandemic worsens, causing the loss of officers and increased demand from the NHS. Emergency response, threats to life and serious crimes will be prioritised, sparking a warning that gang and drug-related violence could increase. The prime minister has said that police will enforce new measures imposed in a UK-wide lockdown, but the Police Federation said it was not realistic for stretched officers to monitor compliance with all rules. Police Federation chair says it's not 'realistic' for officers to enforce all lockdown rules New jury trials and the majority of magistrates hearings have been stopped because of coronavirus, but there are fears that domestic abuse and other crime types could rise as a result of isolation. Robert Buckland, the justice secretary, admitted that the outbreak would cause a backlog of criminal cases on Tuesday. My concern is the witnesses, the complainants, the victims of crime who are having to wait even longer because of what is happening, he told the Justice Committee. Dame Vera urged the government to ensure victims rights are protected. Although a Victims Code is in place to ensure a minimum standard of support, including referrals to other services, the report found under a fifth of victims had heard of it. A consultation on refreshing the code is ongoing and the government has pledged to enshrine the rights in law. 2020 offers the potential to transform the victim landscape, Dame Vera said. A government spokesperson said: Were pleased the majority of victims have a positive experience of the criminal justice system but know there is more to be done. We continue drive improvements at every level, including by boosting funding for vital support services and strengthening victims rights through a Victims Law. The capital's three metro lines will be operating until around 6:30 pm under the curfew The Cairo underground metro company announced the new schedule for operating the metro's three lines in the capital as the country declared a night-time curfew for two weeks starting Wednesday. The metro's operating hours will be significantly reduced, with trains now running from 6 am to around 6:30 pm, the Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation said. The new schedule of operation of the three lines during the two-week curfew is as follows: The first line (Helwan El-Marg): The last train from Helwan station departs at 5 pm to arrive at El-Marg at 6:35 pm and the last train from El-Marg leaves at 5:20 pm to reach the Helwan station at 6:45 pm. The second line (Shobra El-Kheima El-Mounib): The last train departs from Shubra El-Kheima station at 5:30 pm to arrive at El-Munib station at 6:25 pm. In the opposite direction, the last train leaves El-Mounib station at 5:30 pm to reach Shubra El-Kheima station at 6:20 pm. The third line (Attaba El-Shams Club): The last metro leaves Al-Shams Club station at 5:20 pm to reach Attaba Station at 5:45 pm, and the last train from Attaba station departs at 6 pm to reach Al-Shams Club station at 6:25 pm. Without the curfew, Cairo's metro trains normally run between 5:15 am and 1 am. On Tuesday, Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced a curfew from 7 pm to 6 am for two weeks as of Wednesday as part of broader measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus. All mass public and private transport will be suspended during the curfew hours. Shops and malls will be completely closed on weekends and will shut down from 5 pm to 6 am on weekdays. Only supermarkets, pharmacies and bakeries will be exempt from the closure. Egypt has so far registered 456 coronavirus cases, including 21 fatalities. Search Keywords: Short link: Iran remains the most affected country with more than 21,000 cases and more than 1,600 deaths. Its surpeme leader rejects offers of US help. Iraq imposes a curfew and closes borders. Saudi Arabia goes on 21-day lockdown. Exceptional containment measures are taken in the West Bank. Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) The coronavirus emergency is spreading in the Middle East, with the first cases reported over the weekend in Syria and the Gaza Strip. More and more countries are imposing a total curfew, closing borders and suspending international flights. The most critical situation remains that of Iran, where the number of victims and infections keeps rising. Despite this, Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has rejected offers of help and medicines from the United States. Yesterday in Syria, the authorities confirmed the first COVID-19 case, and announced new preventive measures to stem the spread of the epidemic in a country still at war. Health Minister Nizar Yaziji explained that the infected person comes from abroad, without specifying where the infection occurred. The Interior minister suspended public transit and the postponed local elections, from 13 April to May 20. The Gaza Strip reported its first two cases of coronavirus. Some 33 cases were reported yesterday in neighbouring Egypt, bringing the total to 327, with four more deaths for a total of 14. In Iran, the number of infections topped 21,000 with 1,685 deaths, 129 in the past 24 hours. There were 1,028 new confirmed infected cases in the past 24 hours... and 7,913 people have recovered, a Health Ministry's spokesman said As of yesterday until 28 March, Iraq is under a curfew with its borders sealed. So far, 233 cases have been reported, with 20 death. About 2,000 people have been tested. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh issued strict containment measures. Starting yesterday people cannot leave their homes, except for those who work in hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, in food stores and supermarkets. People will be able to shop. The West Bank has 59 COVID-19 cases, with 17 people already healed. The authorities also placed under quarantine all those returning from abroad. In Israel, 1,234 people have been infected, with a sharp rise due to greater coronavirus testing. Of the 1,234 people diagnosed with coronavirus, 1,142 had mild cases, 24 moderate cases and 24 serious ones - an increase of four people in serious condition. One person, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor, died over the weekend. So far 37 people have recovered. A 21-day curfew starts tonight in Saudi Arabia. Local authorities have confirmed 511 cases, no deaths, and 17 recovered. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the authorities suspended international flights. Overall, 153 cases have been reported with two deaths and 38 recovered. At a time when the face mask is in short supply, Samsung is assisting manufacturers to improve its production. Samsung assists face mask manufacturers to improve production, creates mold The face of Android is working globally in the face of the coronavirus crisis. It is helping South Korean mask manufacturers improve their output by offering them the benefit of its expertise. Samsung is sending three experts to domestic manufacturers (Evergreen, Lastek, and E&W) to evaluate and offer advice on how to speed things along. In addition to offering its expertise and lending three experts, Samsung is sending its mold to South Korean manufacturers. A mold is a cast of a persons face. Molds help manufacturers with facial dimensions for mask production. Samsungs own mold creation improves production from 40,000 masks to over 100,000. Advertisement Samsung donates over 600,000 masks to alleviate global shortage Last but not least, Samsung is also donating over 600,000 masks to China, Colombia, Canada, and Vietnam. China is receiving at least 100,000 masks, with a client in China getting 50,000 alone. China, Colombia, and Canada together are receiving 280,000 masks. Samsung Vietnam is donating 267,000 masks to its employees to keep them safe. Another 5,000 will go to schools in Vietnams Thai Nguyen province. Samsung: doing its part in the coronavirus crisis Samsung is, to many, the face of Android. The company ships around 300 million phones annually. But in a global crisis such as this, customers want to see respectable companies lending their resources to aid in a global fight. And Samsung isnt disappointing. As stated above, the company is lending mask production experts, creating facial molds, and donating over half a million masks to the supply shortage in a few countries. When its not doing these things, Samsung is closing down Experience stores in Best Buy retail outlets to protect employees and customers. With at least two of its employees having contracted coronavirus, Samsung understands that COVID-19 is something to take seriously. Advertisement The Korean giant is bringing its Galaxy Sanitizing Service to 19 countries, cleaning smartphones for free to help customers avoid exposure to unnecessary germs. At a time when global citizens are being encouraged to wash their hands, Samsung realizes that washing hands does little good when smartphones retain lots of germs. Samsung isnt the only company donating its resources to the fight. Gaming company Razer is doing the same. Razer recently said on Twitter that it is donating 1 million face masks to the coronavirus crisis in China, having converted some of its phone production lines to manufacture them. Razer also intends to supply face masks to markets where it has official office space. Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox signed an executive order Wednesday establishing a city-wide curfew starting Friday night that will last at least a week. Its goal is to reduce social gatherings, especially among young people, in our community, the mayor said at a press conference announcing the order. Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox gives an update on the Citys response to COVID-19. Posted by City of Tuscaloosa Government on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 The curfew, which will run daily from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., will be in effect starting Friday and stands through April 3. Maddox said the city would re-evaluate the policy when it ends. There are some exceptions to the curfew but the mayor did not immediately say which residents or industries the policy wont apply to. Maddox noted that Tuscaloosa has been forward leaning since the beginning of the crisis late last month, cancelling 300 public events and announcing a state of emergency. The mayor said that Tuscaloosa Countys healthcare system could be overwhelmed if further restrictions arent made to stop COVID-19s spread. In the last five days, Tuscaloosas coronavirus cases have increased from four to 10. We also know the more we stay home for ourselves, for our families, and for our communities, we will all be safer, Maddox said. So we also know that its time to do more within the authority granted to the city of Tuscaloosa and in all we must continue to be forward leaning. Resources: Follow our live updates. Find all of our coronavirus stories. A continuously updated vital information post. A free text-messaging service so you can receive the most urgent coronavirus updates on your cellphone. And ask questions. To sign up, subscribe to Alabama Coronavirus Urgent Alerts. A new weekday newsletter is available. You can subscribe here. Also, download our mobile app where you can receive on-the-go notifications. While it seems like headlines and conversations are dominated by talk of COVID-19 or coronavirus, one other very important and possibly long-lasting decisions was reached last week when the Montana Public Service Commission decided to slow NorthWestern Energy's purchase of more Colstrip power. We had previously said that too many questions raised by both citizens and the Montana Consumer Counsel were left unanswered. We urged the commission to get those answers so that there could be full transparency for any deal. In an unanimous vote last week, the PSC voted to require more details from the utility monopoly so that Montanans can have fuller, better answers as to why NorthWestern wants to buy more coal-fired power when so many other options seem plentiful and possibly cheaper. The Australian gunman who murdered 51 Muslims during the Christchurch mosque massacre has pleaded guilty to all charges. Brenton Tarrant, 29, appeared via video-link in the High Court at Christchurch on Thursday morning where he admitted to carrying out the attack on March 15, last year. He pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and a charge of engaging in a terrorist act. The white supremacist had originally pleaded not guilty and was preparing to stand trial on June 2. The shock hearing was scheduled late on Wednesday night, before the country was placed in a four-week lockdown to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Brenton Tarrant, 29, appeared via video-link in the High Court at Christchurch on Thursday (pictured) morning where he admitted to carrying out the attack on March 15, last year The Australian white supremacist is originally from Grafton in northern NSW but had moved to Dunedin in New Zealand's South Island The terror charge against him was the first prosecution of its kind in New Zealand. Tarrant will remain in a maximum-security jail in Auckland ahead of his sentencing and now faces life in prison. Tarrant stormed two mosques in Christchurch, on New Zealand's South Island last year, killing 51 Muslim worshipers and injuring dozens more. He live-streamed the horror attack on Facebook. Tarrant first entered the Al Noor Mosque as Friday prayers were beginning and opened fire. Worshipers scrambled as the shots rang out. Some managed to smash windows to escape, while others had to lay with the bloodied bodies and pretend to be dead. Tarrant then drove to the Linwood Mosque on the other side of the city and continued shooting. Tarrant, who is originally from Grafton in NSW, first entered the Al Noor Mosque as Friday prayers were beginning and opened fire (pictured during his first court appearance on March 16, 2019) Members of the the public grieve at a makeshift memorial at the Al Noor Mosque on Deans Rd in Christchurch, New Zealand after the attack in March 2019 Two police officers managed to finally stop the shooter by ramming their car into his gold Subaru Outback. They dragged Tarrant out of the car, and he was arrested. Inside the car were improvised explosive devices, which were later disarmed. A 73-page manifesto was published detailing how his actions were racially motivated and how he was inspired by Norway mass killer Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 in 2011. Both the live-stream and the manifesto are illegal to obtain or read in New Zealand. Tarrant, who describes himself as a far-right fascist, came to his radical views from conversations in dark corners on the internet, consolidated on trips to Europe. He grew up in the northern New South Wales town of Grafton, moving to New Zealand in 2017 and settling in the South Island town of Dunedin. The horrific terror attack in Christchurch, which left 51 worshipers dead, has been described as New Zealand's darkest day (Pictured: victims) TVNZ, one of just a handful of media outlets allowed into Thursday's hearing due to New Zealand's COVID-19 lockdown, reported every name of Tarrant's victims was read to him before he entered his guilty plea. Justice Mander imposed a one-hour embargo on reporting the news to allow for survivors and the families of victims to be informed, before the wider public. "It is regrettable that the Covid-19 restrictions that presently apply do not permit victims and their families to travel to be present in the courtroom when the defendant entered his pleas of guilty," he said. Imams from the Al Noor mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre, the two mosques targeted in the shooting, were both in the court. As Nigerias number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 36 Monday afternoon, there are concerns over the preparedness of Nigerias public health system for combating the pandemic. Abuja has six confirmed cases as of Monday afternoon, concerns over a wider spread have soared in the capital city. Schools, religious and public activities have been shut and or restricted to the barest minimum as it is in many parts of the country. Being the first point of contact in an emergency situation of any COVID-19 outbreak, the risk of hospital-related transmissions of coronavirus is very high in Abuja, PREMIUM TIMES findings showed. PREMIUM TIMES, during the weekend, conducted an investigation based on direct observation of several hospitals and health facilities in Abuja on their level of precaution against the spread of the virus. Our findings showed that the facilities, including the National Hospital, are not serving as a model in terms of preventive measures and also barely prepared to help stem a viral spread. National Hospital, Abuja People could walk into the National Hospital without even a basic temperature check. A five-second temperature check in the eye with a hand device has become a routine activity at various public places, especially at the airports. However, this is not so at the National Hospital, one of the most visited health facilities in the country. The administrative block appeared deserted and scattered. A renovation was ongoing. Workers were on ground painting and fixing new equipment in the hospitals emergency areas. Unkempt sink at the toilet of the National hospital. (Photo Credit: Ebuka Onyeji) Also being fixed Saturday evening were automatic hand sanitisers on the hospital walls just in the wake of the capitals first confirmed cases of COVID-19. The sanitising gels were being fixed at close intervals around the whole facility, a staff in the communication desk explained. She said it was a part of the hospitals safety measures against the spread of coronavirus. The staff who refused to give her name as she is not the official spokesperson of the hospital said there are clean water and soaps and other sanitary products in all toilets in the facility. However, when our reporter checked, there were no soaps or sanitising gels in any of the toilets in the admin block, though the water was running. A toilet in the admin bloc at the National Hospital Abuja. Water splashed all over the floor. No tissues or cleaning products. (Photo Credit: Ebuka Onyeji) The toilets were unkempt as dirty water and wet cartons lie scattered on the floor and sinks. There were no toilet papers and or hand wipes. Most of the health workers and staff were not wearing face gears and hand gloves. The maternity ward was a bit scanty, with no more than 20 people. The unnamed staff said that the facility had placed a directive of maintaining social distance at all times. There were no sensitising messages on the walls across the National Hospital on safety measures against COVID-19. Maitama General Hospital Unlike the National Hospital, our reporter was promptly screened by a zealous security official. Questions regarding symptoms of COVID-19 were also asked. Maitama General Hospital However, there were limited hand gels on the walls of the facility. Only a few health workers could be seen wearing protective gear. There were clusters of at least 20 patients at the open reception in breach of the governments social distancing advisory. Apart from the reception, no signs or precautionary messages were observed in other parts of the facility. Bwari General Hospital The general hospital at Bwari extends the indication that the public health facilities in Abuja are barely prepared for a possible COVID-19 spread A visit to this hospital Saturday afternoon indicated a low preparedness to stem the spread of the virus in Bwari area council as there are no visible measures being taken to checkmate the influx of people into the hospital. Bwari General Hospital At the entrance of the hospital, our reporter observed that there was neither temperature check being conducted nor hand-sanitiser being given to people. When the reporter approached the Accident/Emergency unit to seek medical attention, a male nurse the only medical personnel on the ground was about to attend to a woman who held her child, obviously ill, to her chest. Despite a bottle of hand-sanitiser in his front, he never used it before laying his hand to check the temperature of the child. Advertisements After some minutes when the reporter approached him to complain of abdominal pain and flu symptoms, he directed her to obtain the hospital card first. Unkempt sink at the toilet of the National hospital. (Photo Credit: Ebuka Onyeji) The record attendant, however, said he would not issue any card to her since there was no doctor to attend to her. I cannot give you any card; doctors are on strike. Wait till they resume, the attendant said with a blank face. Come back next time. Back to the nurse, the reporter relayed her challenge with the attendant to him and he said there was nothing he could do. He admitted he was not going to attend to the reporter initially because he was only attending to emergency cases involving children. Since the doctors are on strike, he advised take paracetamol as a painkiller or seek medical attention in private hospitals around the council. Wuse General Hospital On both sides of the entrance to Wuse General Hospital, one would be greeted with an instruction Please wash your hands. Although, no one manned the entrance to ensure this was done by visitors. Theyre all on strike, a security official told our reporter when asked if doctors were on duty. Inside the accident and emergency unit, two nurses attended to our reporter, checking his temperature, without hand gloves or face mask. Garki Hospital Unlike Wuse Hospital, at Garki Hospital, a security operative, with a pair of hand gloves and her face masked, was at the entrance ensuring people get their hands sanitised. Garki General hospital [Photo credit: hotels.ng] Nonetheless, there were no temperature checks on visitors to the hospital. Police Hospital, Area 1, Abuja PREMIUM TIMES also visited Police Hospital, Area 1, Abuja, on Saturday at about 4:50 p.m. While the main entrance to the hospital was unmanned for likely health checks, the hospital building had a sanitiser dispenser hung on the left side of its entrance. The hospital was deserted, save for a patient a nurse was running a test on. We are not on strike, one of the attendant nurses said. You can bring your sick brother. The hospital has an inner room which has only a bed space, suggesting that the hospital can only take but a few. Hand sanitizer on the wall of the entrance of the admin bloc at the National Hospital Abuja (Photo Credit: Ebuka Onyeji) Tucked beside Area 1 market, the hospital is flanked by stalls and shops which had people thronging around it at the time of visit. Barely any difference at Nyanya, Karu Karu General Hospital has hand sanitiser and water at the entrance, but visitors are left to make that provision a matter of personal choice. Did you not see it when you entered, responded a security man when told there was no instruction for people to use the sanitiser. You that entered should use it. Unkempt male urine toilet at the National hospital. (Photo Credit: Ebuka Onyeji) The staff observed had no protective equipment and there is no messaging on the walls or the notice board on COVID-19. The toilets have running water but do not have soaps or toilet papers. At Nyanya, however, a staff is stationed at the gate insisting every visitor should use hand sanitiser. Governments claim of preparedness The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, had said Nigeria was prepared to handle the COVID-19 outbreak. Osagie Ehanire [PHOTO CREDIT: @TheglobalhintC] To show preparedness for the virus, three laboratories were opened in Lagos, Abuja and Edo for testing the virus. Nigeria on Monday confirmed that one person had died of the 36 who had been confirmed to be infected as at Monday afternoon. What happens when a person tests positive for coronavirus in Alabama? State and county health departments play a frontline role trying to contain the spread of COVID-19. Heres how: How does the state count cases? All labs that test for COVID-19, including commercial and university labs, are required by law to report all positive tests within four hours to the Alabama Department of Public Health. Those tests results are entered into a database that includes some demographic information, including the county where the patient lives. Who is in charge? Staff members from the Alabama Department of Public Health reach out to the local health department where the person lives. Jefferson and Mobile Counties operate independently, but the rest of the counties fall under the jurisdiction of the main office in Montgomery. What happens to the patient? Infected people are required to remain in quarantine for 14 days. They can leave for all necessary medical appointments. Who tries to stop the spread of coronavirus? Disease detectives in the division of outbreaks and infectious diseases try to track down every person who spent at least 15 minutes within a 6-foot radius of the infected person. That includes family members, co-workers and acquaintances who might have traveled in the same car or plane. They notify the persons employer, and exposed people are asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. Who is on the front lines of Alabamas fight against coronavirus? What the difference between public health and the rest of the health care system? While physicians in hospitals and clinics work to restore the health of people with COVID-19 and other illnesses, doctors and epidemiologists in the public health department try to maintain the health of the community by preventing the spread of disease. That may mean tracking and quarantining patients, administering vaccines and inspecting restaurants and medical facilities. What kind of authority do health officers have? Public health orders and mandatory quarantines carry the force of law, but patients under quarantine also have rights. They must have access to food, supplies and medical care and can challenge a quarantine they believe is unnecessary. Some medical workers placed under quarantine during the Ebola outbreak challenged it as unnecessary. If the disease detectives are on the case, why do we have to do social distancing? Many infectious diseases can be successfully contained through quarantines and contact tracing, but since COVID-19 is spreading in the community, public health officials have had to take additional steps. In Jefferson County, Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson closed all nonessential businesses and banned gatherings larger than 10 people. Those actions are necessary because the disease is now spreading so fast, the disease detectives cant contain it. If people stay in and stop spreading COVID-19, it may slow the spread enough for public health teams and hospitals to catch up. Disabled people will be considered expendable under emergency government powers to cope with the coronavirus epidemic, Tanni Grey-Thompson fears. In a bleak speech, the champion Paralympian highlighted how a bill about to be passed could result in the complete removal of social care responsibilities for at least two years. The campaigner for disabled rights also raised fears of a drift to a register to decide which disabled people should receive services, as they shrivel. Decisions will be taken by someone else about our usefulness in the next few months that we will have no control over, Baroness Grey-Thompson told the House of Lords. I am starting to worry that disabled people might be seen as expendable during this pandemic. Recommended Fears that Johnson will escape scrutiny as MPs sent off for four weeks Explaining her presence in the chamber, despite increased personal risk from the virus, she added: This is a health and social care obliteration bill by a different name. Baroness Jane Campbell, former head of the Disability Rights Commission, echoed the fears, tweeting: Disabled people must not be invisible in the survival planning process. And David Isaac, the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said it was concerned that the rights of all disabled people are respected, adding: We continue to monitor the situation. The warnings came as the Lords debated the coronavirus bill, which is being rushed through in a single day to allow parliament to be shut down on Wednesday night for four weeks. Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters Baroness Grey-Thompson said part of the legislation was needed, but raised fears over: * Hard-pressed local authorities no longer assessing whether people require care, once the legal requirement is lifted. * Disabled children turning 18 and finding their care help will just stop. * Claimants of personal independent payments becoming stuck in the appeal process and losing vital cash. * That it will be possible for a single medical professional to section someone under the Mental Health Act. * A lack of support for victims of domestic violence, who will be at greater risk. * TV advice on the epidemic being broadcast without a sign language interpreter so that everybody can understand what is going on. I have huge sympathy for what the government are trying to do right now, but a bill of this magnitude will be life-changing for disabled people, she told ministers. In response, Lord Bethell, a junior health minister, said Baroness Grey-Thompson had spoken incredibly movingly, but failed to answer her questions directly. He said local authorities and providers will do everything they can to continue to meet all needs. But he added: We cannot rule out the possibility that, in the coming period, they will need to take difficult decisions and may need to be able to focus their resources on prioritising accordingly to meet the most urgent needs. China will take further steps to boost the country's international air freight capacity to stabilize supply chains, the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Tuesday. Premier Li Keqiang stressed that development of an international logistics and delivery services system must be accelerated to uphold the smooth running of the industrial chain. With the air passenger services dwindling worldwide due to the outbreak, the volumes of cargo carried by passenger planes have plummeted and shipping costs has risen significantly, said Li. In the course of the outbreak response, the weak links in our air transport capacity have been exposed. "We must facilitate both international and domestic air transport services, and keep up our international air freight capacity to avert potential shocks to the supply chains and facilitate the restart of business operation," he said. The Tuesday meeting urged effective measures to increase the country's international air freight capacity and ensure unimpeded shipments. This will both help bolster the Chinese economy and sharpen China's competitive edge in international logistics services. The meeting called for stronger international collaboration to keep international express delivery and other air freight services running smoothly. Policy support will be provided to international cargo flights during the outbreak. Airfreight carriers will be supported in expanding their fleets by bringing in more cargo jets through lease or purchase. The role of the market will be fully harnessed and all airfreight companies of different ownerships will receive equal support. The merger and reorganization of airfreight and logistics firms will be encouraged, and express delivery companies will be supported in expanding air services and overseas operations. "We must plan ahead and harness the initiative of logistics firms in developing an international air transport network," Li said. The meeting urged strengthening networks of air cargo hubs. Restrictions on peak hour slots for cargo flights will be lifted at airports with strong cargo handling capacity. International hub airports in regions with proper conditions such as Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao, Chengdu and Chongqing will provide 24/7 customs clearance services and improve the efficiency of security checks and clearance processes. "The manufacturing sector has been the first to resume operation, and experience has been gained in this process. The major challenge is about the clogged supply chains," said Li. To date, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises have yet to resume full-capacity production, and this has affected the entire industrial chain. It is thus critical that all the support policies for smaller firms be promptly and fully delivered, he said. The meeting required to harmonize the standards of air freight services, simplify the documentation requirements on freight services, and promote paperless handling procedures. Platforms for logistics information sharing will be developed to serve airliners, post services and express delivery companies, as well as freight stations. Existing airports will be modernized and better equipped with cold-chain and parcel sorting facilities, and new airports mainly serving freight needs will be developed, said the meeting. German chancellor Angela Merkel has tested negative for coronavirus for a second time but remains in quarantine, her office said today. Merkel, 65, has been working from home in Berlin since discovering that a doctor who recently gave her a vaccination had tested positive for the disease. An initial test came back negative on Monday, and a government spokesman told German media today that a second test had shown the same result. 'The chancellor continues to work from quarantine at home and will be tested again at the start of next week,' the spokesman said. It came as Germany's rate of new infections dropped from 21 per cent to 15 per cent today while the country's death rate remained strikingly low. Official figures from the Robert Koch health institute showed the total number of cases in Germany rising by 4,118, taking the total from 27,436 to 31,554. The death toll climbed by 35, rising from 114 to 149 - an overall death rate of just under 0.5 per cent, far lower than Germany's major European neighbours. German chancellor Angela Merkel, pictured during a press conference on Sunday, has tested negative for coronavirus for a second time but remains in quarantine This chart shows the death rate in the six worst-affected European countries. Germany's remains the lowest, with only one death per 200 patients Germany has recorded far more cases than the UK, possibly because of Berlin's policy of trying to find and test every case But the UK has recorded more deaths, with Germany's total death toll still only at 149 today The low death rate has not been fully explained, but may be linked to more comprehensive testing, younger patients and more intensive care facilities. Germany has a policy of 'doing everything to find, isolate, test and treat every case', unlike in the UK where people with mild symptoms are not routinely tested. However, the head of the Koch institute signalled today that people in Germany should simply stay at home if they show mild symptoms, suggesting that tests should not be used unnecessarily. More than half of Germany's deaths have come in either the populous western state of North Rhine-Westphalia or in southern Bavaria. In the latest daily update there were 879 new cases in North Rhine-Westphalia and 804 new infections reported in Bavaria. There are also more than 1,400 cases in Berlin, although only two people have died in the German capital. The overall increase across Germany was 15 per cent, lower than the 21 per cent rise on Tuesday and 22 per cent on Monday. However, the 4,118 new cases mark the second-highest daily jump in absolute terms. Germany's finance minister today asked lawmakers to suspend the country's strict debt rules to prepare for the economic impact of the crisis. Olaf Scholz told the Bundestag that the government needed to borrow 156billion (141billion) to protect public health and keep struggling companies afloat. He proposed using an exit clause for emergencies to get around Germany's debt rules, a notable departure from Berlin's usual fiscal discipline. An empty street in Munich yesterday, the capital of Bavaria which has been one of the hardest-hit regions of GErmany Barricades in front of a coronavirus testing centre in Munich, with streets mostly deserted 'That's a gigantic sum, nearly half of our normal budget for one year,' Scholz said. 'And since this is such a large sum, the German Bundestag must decide if it uses the envisaged exemption to the debt rule in the constitution for the case of an extraordinary emergency.' Scholz appealed to lawmakers to approve the unprecedented step, 'because we need the money so that we can fight the social and economic impact of the crisis with full force.' Scholz spoke instead of Merkel, who is still quarantined after a doctor who gave her a vaccination last Friday tested positive. The chancellor had received a vaccine shot against pneumococcus, a pneumonia-causing bacteria, and went into isolation after learning of his positive test result. Merkel, 65, has generally enjoyed good health, except for a series of mysterious shaking spells last summer which were never fully explained. In parliament, lawmakers were sitting several feet apart to protect each other from possible infection. 'We're currently experiencing a crisis unprecedented in the history of the Federal Republic [since 1949]. This crisis is big - totally different from the crises of the past time,' Scholz said. The government's package includes 100billion euros for an economic stability fund that can take direct equity stakes in companies, and 100 billion euros in credit to public-sector development bank KfW for loans to struggling businesses. On top of that, the stability fund will offer 400billion euros in loan guarantees to secure corporate debt at risk of defaulting, taking the overall package to more than 750 billion euros. The combined sum of new debt represents roughly 10 per cent of Germany's gross domestic product. That does not include a fiscal stimulus package promised by Scholz to take effect after the virus is contained and the economy is picking up again. Meanwhile, German hospitals with spare capacity yesterday welcomed their first coronavirus patients from Italy, where the health system were overwhelmed. German officials are still preparing for a larger wave of home-grown infections. Nonetheless, first group of six Italian patients arrived at Leipzig airport in the eastern state of Saxony on Tuesday morning. Germany is accepting coronavirus patients from nearby Italy, some of whom arrived at Leipzig/Halle airport early on Tuesday morning (pictured) Barricades on a deserted street in Munich yesterday. The German government is planning to relax its usually strict fiscal policies to tackle the crisis North Rhine-Westphalia also announced plans to take 10 Italian patients over coming days. 'We need solidarity across borders in Europe,' said state premier Armin Laschet. 'We want to preserve the European spirit.' Saxony premier Michael Kretschmer said the government in Italy, where deaths have risen above 6,000, had asked for help. Germany was the first country to take in Italian patients. Leipzig's university hospital took two of the transported patients, a spokesman said, both critically ill 57-year-old men moved from intensive care in Bergamo. A benefit to Germany is that its hospitals will gain valuable further experience in treating coronavirus patients before the country's tally of serious cases soars. The government is offering hospitals huge state subsidies to help accelerate plans to double its intensive care capacity, currently at around 28,000 beds. Germany has also been more rigorous than some other EU countries in testing for coronavirus, one possible factor behind the country's exceptionally low mortality rate. German hospitals also took in coronavirus patients from France on Tuesday. 'We have still three, five, seven days because we are before the (bigger) wave,' Hartmut Bueckle, a spokesman for the university clinic in Freiburg, told Welt TV. 'We want to use this time to offer our French neighbours the possibilities we still have for now.' Thomas Kirschning, a senior doctor and intensive care coordinator in the western city of Mannheim, said his clinic had taken a recovering 64-year-old French patient from Colmar, where the intensive care capacity is stretched to breaking point. 'Colleagues in France are overburdened at the moment,' Kirschning told Reuters in a television interview. 'At a time when our neighbours urgently need help, we would like to do our part...as an act of cooperation and humanity to take on the patients and help them,' he said. By ANI SRINAGAR: After revoking the detention of National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah under the Public Safety Act (PSA), the Centre is likely to release the former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti soon. Reacting to the reports of her likely release, the Twitter handle of Mufti (being operated by her daughter) stated, "My mother is hearing reports of her imminent release & is grateful for the concern. But she's upset about thousands of young boys jailed outside J&K . The trauma their families feel due to COVID outbreak is unimaginable." "She is 10 mins away from home but they are hundreds of miles away from families & loved ones. She would like to urge @PMOIndia to release all detainees immediately," she added. The demand for releasing Mufti also received support from Omar Abdullah who had, post his release, tweeted, "It's callous and cruel to continue to detain Mehbooba Mufti and others at a time like this. There was never much justification to detain everyone in the 1st place and none at all to keep them detained as the country enters a 3-week lockdown. I hope PMO India and HMO India will release them". The Jammu and Kashmir Administration had in February invoked the PSA against former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah. Mufti was put into detention last year along with many senior leaders from Kashmir, including NC chief Farooq Abdullah, when the Central government revoked Article 370 of the Constitution that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir. While Omar Abdullah was released on Tuesday, his father Farooq Abdullah was released from detention earlier this month. (ANI) The country and the world face a crisis of not only dealing with this virus but confidence in the resilience of us, all of us. And the announcement by Trump today to actually begin considering ignoring medical advice because Trump's election looms large. I went out today to get some cough medicine for my wife. So little traffic that the errand was finished in very short order. Can the United States just keep printing money to prop up the nation? One of the Central Bank leaders suggested recently that, yes, we can and we must. Don't we have a $23 trillion debt already? The United States works pretty well and problems arise and the people solve the problems. Something I read recently about totalitarian regimes controlled by a few. Make the few disappear and the country collapses. We, for example, have a central government. Our central government disappears and the country prospers. Might we all be better listening to the medical experts and the leadership of the governors rather then advancing Donald Trump's reelection chances? Robert Brooks As of Monday, there were four further coronavirus cases in the Southern District Health Board (SDHB) district, including one in Wanaka. The Wanaka teenager had returned to New Zealand after travelling in Europe. They are recovering in isolation at home with mild symptoms. A West Otago woman in her 50s, a Dunedin woman in her 30s, and a Dunedin woman in her 20s were also announced as having been diagnosed with coronavirus. This brings the total cases in the Southern district to 13; 12 confirmed and one probable, said Nicola Mutch, communications advisor for SDHB. The West Otago woman and Dunedin woman in her 30s both attended the World Hereford Conference in Queenstown from March 9-13. The Dunedin woman in her 20s had recently returned from travel in the US. All have been in self-isolation since their return to New Zealand. All four individuals are mildly unwell and are at home. About 100 close contacts are being identified and tracked by public health staff. There is an increasing risk of community transmission because cases are infectious for 48 hours before symptoms arise; many cases have very mild symptoms and may delay contacting their health provider. Some confirmed cases have been very social and active before their diagnosis and while infectious. Mutch said: Again, we call upon the community to provide support to and respect the privacy of the affected people, and we thank everyone who for cooperating with requests to self-isolate. If everyone follows alert level 3 and 4 actions, then we can significantly reduce the risk of widespread illness in the coming weeks. If we all do the right thing now, this will help protect us all. REDDING, Calif. - Living Hope Compassion Ministries continues to give food to clients. But are limiting contact. The organization set up a drive-thru style pick up where clients can pick up. Living hope even temporarily closed their office. Executive Director Michael Mojarro tells Action News Now, he's seen a lot of clients impacted by coronavirus closures. Right now is the best time for us to help them because there's no income coming in, said Mojarro. Living Hope says, it receives about $12,000 worth of food weekly. Right now, the organization is working on securing grant funding so they can up their food supply. (CNN) -- The checkout aisles at a number of the United States' largest grocery chains are going to look a little different. Walmart, Kroger / Fred Meyer and Albertsons are installing plexiglass sneeze guards in the coming weeks to help protect their employees from the spread of coronavirus as they continue to work on the front lines of a public health pandemic. It's part of a growing number of changes the companies are implementing as they continue to remain open, including enforcing social distancing guidelines. Walmart : Walmart, which is America's largest grocer, is adding the sneeze guards at its 4,700 US stores and at its 600 Sam's Club locations within the next three weeks. It's also adding floor decals at the checkout lines reminding people of the six-foot social distancing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control. The company said it also found a "new solution" for sanitizing shopping carts: a new backpack-style sprayer employees use to clean the carts "quicker and more thoroughly." Walmart employees will also have free access to telehealth doctor appointments. The copay is normally $4 per appointment. Walmart is also giving most of its employees extended ability to use a new financial services app that lets them receive early access some of their earned wages. The company announced last week it was shortening its store hours because of the demand for necessities during the coronavirus pandemic. It is also opening its stores one hour early on Tuesdays to seniors only, through April 28. Albertsons: Albertsons, which owns a number of grocery store brands across the US including Safeway and Vons, said it's installing the sneeze guards at all of its 2,200 stores within the next two weeks. It's also adding posters and floor decals at areas where people frequently wait including at the pharmacy, at check-out lines and the deli. Albertsons is suspending its self-serve bars used for wings and soups, adding special shopping hours for senior citizens and implementing more frequent cleaning of its stores and shopping carts. Kroger / Fred Meyer : Kroger is making similar changes, including installing sneeze guards and floor decals about social distancing at its 2,700 US stores in the coming weeks. It's also letting employees wear protective masks and gloves. The company also owns Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter and Ralphs grocery store brands. Target: Social distancing signs and floor decals are also being added at Target. The company announced Wednesday its check-out lanes will be cleaned after each transaction, and only some aisles will be open at a given time so the closed lanes can be deep cleaned. Target is also ceasing in-store returns and exchanges for the next three weeks to reduce the number of items its employees are touching. Return dates will be extended for those affected by the sudden policy change. Target is also suspending sales of reusable bags, so it will waive the fees usually charged in some locales for plastic and paper bags. Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: Hoy, a las 5:00 p.m. activaremos el @COENPeru con la finalidad de establecer una comunicacion directa con los COER en regiones, para generar un dialogo con los gobernadores regionales y coordinar acciones multisectoriales. pic.twitter.com/daI2reKvu9 Boris Johnson has said the government could bring in new laws to crack down on profiteering to prevent unscrupulous traders cashing in on the coronavirus outbreak. The prime minister said MPs may have to look at legislation to ban people from ramping up prices amid reports of sky-high price tags on vital goods such a toilet roll, hand sanitiser and baby milk. Tory MPAlexander Stafford challenged Mr Johnson to bring an end to the "disgusting scourge of black market profiteering" at prime minister's questions. He said: "Can the prime minister assure me that he's in regular contact with supermarkets and suppliers to ensure that goods are getting to the shelves where they are needed and will he join me in calling on people to only take what they need, not to stockpile and to stamp out the disgusting scourge of black market profiteering?" In response, the prime minister said profiteering was "something that we should be looking at from a legislative point of view in this house as has happened before in this country". He added: "But I can tell him that the supermarkets do have adequate supplies, our supply chains as he knows are very good. "We've relaxed delivery hours, but it is very, very important everybody in their shopping acts reasonably and considerably for other people." Downing Street said a new taskforce had been set up by the competition watchdog to end exploitation, which had the power to hand out "significant fines". The prime minister's spokesperson told a Westminster briefing: "The prime minister is clear that we don't want to see profiteering of any kind and traders must stop any excessive price increases. "The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has created a specific Covid 19 taskforce to address and remedy concerns that some businesses are exploiting consumers through harmful sales and pricing practices. Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters "We would urge anybody who has any concerns to report those to the CMA. The CMA can use a range of competition and consumer powers to tackle bad behaviour including significant fines." The government will also look at "further action" if necessary, the spokesperson added. It comes as online retail giants such as Ebay and Amazon were urged to stamp out price gouging, as some sellers reported products being sold at 10 times their ordinary prices. Consumer watchdog Which? found price hikes for disinfectant, hand sanitiser, tampons and baby formula, with one case where digital thermometers which usually cost around 40 being sold for 300 on eBay and almost 150 on Amazon. Hyatt Hotels announced furloughs and pay cuts as the hotel industry reels from the coronavirus pandemic. Hyatt on Wednesday said the pay cuts would affect all of its employees from April 1 through May 31. The company did not provide details on the amount of the pay cuts. The company will also impose temporary furloughs or significantly cut the schedules of two-thirds of its U.S. corporate employees. Hyatt is also temporarily closing some locations. The chain had about 55,000 employees at the end of 2019, according to its annual report. "Given the financial impact on our business, we have had to make difficult decisions that both support the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and guests, and protect long-term prospects for Hyatt," the company said in a statement. The move comes after rival hotel chains Marriott and Hilton also recently confirmed plans to place thousands of workers on furloughs. The hotel industry has been smothered by the COVID-19 crisis, which has led to massive room cancelations. Preventing coronavirus spread: Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons among grocers adding sneeze guards Coronavirus updates: Why most auto dealers, service departments are open for business during coronavirus Hyatt said its workers will still be eligible for health care benefits during this period. Furloughed employees can apply for unemployment benefits, though the company said it would encourage them to use vacation days to get full compensation while they're furloughed. A middle-aged British businessman who stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Singapore in January unwittingly carried the new virus across two continents and unwittingly infected at least five people upon his return to Europe. CEO Mark Hoplamazian and Chairman Tom Pritzker are giving up 100% of their salaries, while the rest of Hyatt's senior executives are taking 50% salary cuts through May. The amount of executive salary reductions will be devoted to a fund that will be used to ease the financial pain for Hyatt's most vulnerable employees. "Our ultimate goal is to emerge in a position of strength coming out of this crisis, with our world-class teams as intact as possible across the global Hyatt family," the company said. Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hyatt imposes furloughs, pay cuts as coronavirus hurts hotels Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 21:18:08|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a temple in the Afghan capital Kabul that has resulted in the loss of lives. A total of 25 civilians were killed and eight others injured as armed militants stormed a temple in Kabul on Wednesday, according to Afghan officials. "Such despicable attacks have no political, religious or moral justification and must be rejected outright," the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said. "Our hearts go out to the families who have lost their loved ones in this inhuman act and we pray for the swiftest recovery of the injured. We also express our abiding solidarity with the fraternal people of Afghanistan," the foreign office said in a statement. "Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. All places of worship are sacrosanct and their sanctity must be respected at all times," according to the statement. MOSCOW Russian authorities acknowledged Tuesday that a low number of coronavirus cases in the country could be a result of insufficient screening and warned that the nation must brace for the worst. President Vladimir Putin donned a yellow protective suit to visit the top Moscow hospital treating coronavirus patients and conferred with officials on how to stem the outbreak. Hospital chief Denis Protsenko told Putin the country needs to prepare for the Italian scenario. Russia has reported 495 cases and no deaths. Critics have argued for weeks that the numbers are too low for a country with a 2,600-mile border with China, blaming a low level of testing and a long tradition of hiding unpleasant truths. At the same time the coronavirus was engulfing Europe, Putin ordered an April 22 plebiscite on constitutional amendments that could allow him to stay in power until 2036. But he also has said the vote could be postponed if the contagion spreads. Some have accused the government of manipulating the statistics to downplay the coronavirus threat in order to prevent panic and ram the constitutional vote through at any cost. They themselves dont know how many actual cases they have, because testing is of such low quality said Anastasia Vasilyeva, a doctor for Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny and leader of the Alliance of Doctors union. Vasilyeva and some others pointed at a 37% increase in pneumonia cases in Moscow in January as a sign that the figure could include some unreported coronavirus cases. We receive information from medical workers in the regions. Hospital beds are full with these, supposedly, pneumonia cases patients, she said. The authorities have denied tweaking or concealing coronavirus statistics and argued that the increase in pneumonia cases could have been explained by a more proactive screening for pneumonia this year. Officials have ranted about fake news of covered-up deaths and said that those spreading them could face criminal charges. On Tuesday, Vasilyeva said the police were investigating her for claiming the government was manipulating statistics. The government and some experts have credited the low number of cases on an early closure of the border with China and a ban on entry for Chinese citizens at the time the epidemic was at full swing in that country. Starting early this month, Russia also has requested all travelers from Italy, France and other countries worst affected by the virus to self-quarantine for two weeks after arrival. And finally last week, the Russian government has denied entry to all foreigners except diplomats and members of official delegations. The Kremlin had sought to project an upbeat view on the situation, insisting that all measures have been taken to prevent a bigger outbreak. But on Tuesday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who leads a task force on dealing with the virus, warned that the situation could be worse than it seems. The number of tests has been quite low and a real picture is not known, Sobyanin said during a meeting with Putin, adding that provincial governors must receive orders to move more quickly to ready hospital beds for the gravely ill. For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover. Sobyanin ordered all Moscow residents over 65 to stay home starting Thursday, voicing hope that this measure, along with other moves by the city authorities, will help to flatten the curve and prevent the nations health care system from being overwhelmed with patients. Otherwise, the system wont be able to cope, he said. Doctors warn that Russia should brace itself for a major outbreak. We are looking at tens of thousands of infections down the line at the very best, Pavel Brand, the director of Klinika Semeynaya, a chain of private medical clinics in Moscow, told The Associated Press. The government said 163,000 coronavirus tests have been performed so far. Until recently, all tests in Russia were analyzed by just one lab in Novosibirsk and it took several days to get results. Sobyanin reported to Putin that Moscow this week launched its own network of labs, and that the number of tests will reach 13,000 a day for the city. Moscow, a city of more than 13 million, already has shut schools, canceled public events, banned gatherings of more than 50 people and encouraged companies to make arrangements for employers to work from home moves that already have been taken in other regions across Russia. The authorities in the capital also ordered the construction of a new hospital for coronavirus patients that is being built from scratch and should be ready in several weeks. In addition to three hospitals treating coronavirus patients in Moscow, several other clinics have been recently converted for the purpose. Dr. Melita Vujnovic, the World Health Organization representative in Russia, praised the measures taken in the country as very effective. The WHO recommendations from the very beginning are do not wait until it gets you and start doing it, she told the AP. And this has been the trick or the secret in Russia delaying of the epidemic. For the moment, I would say, that the capacity is sufficient to absorb the initial growth. Many have voiced concern, however, that Russias teetering, underfunded health care system could be hard pressed to cope with a big coronavirus crisis. Many medical facilities were shut down in recent years as part of massive cost-cutting reforms, and wards for treating infectious diseases were always first to go, said Victor Maleyev, epidemiologist with Russias Central Institute of Epidemiology. So now they have to find beds elsewhere, he said. Another big problem appears to be shortages of protective gear. Medical communities on social media are abuzz with reports of doctors and nurses not being given enough face masks, and Vasilyeva said her union receives a lot of complaints about that. More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition launched last week, demanding more action from the government and saying there might be thousands, or even tens of thousands of people infected with the virus. Among other things, the petition demanded transparency in telling people about the scale of the outbreak and the speed at which it spreads. The authorities cannot and should not have secrets from the people, the petition said. Daniel Kozin in Moscow contributed. Dublin, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Industrial Boilers Market by Fuel Type (Natural Gas & Biomass, Oil, Coal), Boiler Type (Fire-Tube, Water-Tube), Boiler Horsepower, End-Use Industry (Chemical, Food, Refineries, Metals & Mining), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The industrial boilers market is estimated at USD 14.6 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 19.3 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period. Natural gas & biomass is projected to be the fastest-growing fuel type segment in the industrial boilers market during the forecast period. Natural gas & biomass-fired boilers can either be fueled by natural gas or biomass with modifications accounting for the different characteristics of the fuels. Natural gas-fired boilers are most commonly used in western countries because of their easy availability and regulatory guidelines with respect to CO2 emissions. With increasingly stringent environmental regulations in developed countries, the natural gas & biomass segment is expected to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period. The chemical segment is projected to lead the industrial boilers market The chemical segment is the largest end-use industry in the market, owing to a large number of installations across the industry. Industrial boilers in the chemical industry are primarily used to provide large quantities of high-quality, high-temperature steam for production processes. Major sectors in the chemical industry that require heat energy and power include petrochemicals, industrial gases, alkali and chlorine, synthetic rubber, synthetic organic fibers, and agricultural chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides). 10-150 BHP segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR in the industrial boilers market between 2020 and 2025 The 10-150 BHP is projected to be the fastest-growing boiler horsepower segment in the industrial boilers market during the forecast period. Industrial boilers ranging from 10 BHP to 150 BHP are small size boilers in terms of capacity. These boilers are commonly installed across end-use industries for steam and hot water applications. They are majorly available in standard designs according to their sizes, and there are very low customizations in these boilers. This range of boilers are very easy to install and are the highest manufactured industrial boilers around the world. Based on the region, Asia Pacific is projected to grow at the highest CAGR in the industrial boilers market between 2020 and 2025 The industrial boilers market in the Asia Pacific region is projected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2020 and 2025. China accounted for the major share of the global industrial boilers market in 2019, which is driving the growth of the Asia Pacific region. China, India, and Japan are expected to be lucrative markets for industrial boilers in the Asia Pacific region during the forecast period. Growth can be attributed to the increasing demand for industrial boilers from the region's chemical, food, refineries, metals & mining, among other end-use industries, particularly in China and India, which are witnessing rapid industrialization. Story continues Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Opportunities in the Industrial Boilers Market 4.2 Industrial Boilers Market, By Fuel Type & Boiler Type 4.3 Industrial Boilers Market, By Country 5 Market Overview and Industry Trends 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Rising Demand for Industrial Boilers From the Food & Beverage Industry 5.2.1.2 High Demand for Clean Technology in the Chemical End-Use Industry 5.2.1.3 Increasing Demand for Electricity 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Significant Capital Investment and High Cost of Installation 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Aging Power Generation Infrastructure 5.2.3.2 Increasing Use of Natural Gas 5.2.3.3 Increasing Demand for Compact Designs and Lean Operations 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Boiler Efficiency and Steam Quality 5.2.4.2 Strict Emission Standards 5.3 Industrial Boilers Market: Trends 5.4 Value Chain Analysis 5.5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.5.1 Bargaining Power of Buyers 5.5.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 5.5.3 Threat of New Entrants 5.5.4 Threat of Substitutes 5.5.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry 5.6 Macroeconomic Indicators 5.6.1 Chemical 5.6.2 Energy & Power 6 Industrial Boilers Market, By Fuel Type 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Natural Gas 6.2.1 Natural Gas-Fired Industrial Boilers are A Major Substitute for Conventional Fuel 6.3 Coal 6.3.1 Asia Pacific is the Largest Market for Coal-Fired Industrial Boilers 6.4 Oil 6.4.1 High Availability of Crude Oil in Asia Pacific is Expected to Drive Growth of the Market 6.5 Others 6.5.1 High Demand for Industrial Boilers Fired With Propane, Butane, and Wood in Asia Pacific is Expected to Drive the Other Fuel Type Segment 7 Industrial Boilers Market, By Boiler Type 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Fire-Tube 7.2.1 Fire-Tube Boilers are Highly Preferred 7.3 Water-Tube 7.3.1 Asia Pacific is the Largest Market for Water-Tube Industrial Boilers 8 Industrial Boilers Market, By Boiler Horsepower 8.1 Introduction 8.2 10-150 BHP 8.2.1 Asia Pacific is the Largest Market for 10-150 BHP Industrial Boilers 8.3 151-300 BHP 8.3.1 Asia Pacific is Estimated to Register High Growth During the Forecast Period 8.4 301-600 BHP 8.4.1 Increasing Demand for High Pressure Steam Output is Driving the Growth of the Segment 9 Industrial Boilers Market, By End-Use Industry 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Chemical 9.2.1 High Demand for Bulk Chemicals in Emerging Countries is Driving the Growth of the Chemical Segment in the Market 9.3 Food 9.3.1 Increasing Demand for Packaged Food is Expected to Fuel the Growth of the Food Segment in the Industrial Boilers Market 9.4 Refineries 9.4.1 CFBC Industrial Boilers are Widely Being Adopted in Refineries 9.5 Metals & Mining 9.5.1 High Pressure and Temperature Requirements in the Steel Industry to Drive the Growth of the Metals & Mining Segment 9.6 Others 9.6.1 Asia Pacific is the Largest Market for Other End-Use Industries in the Industrial Boilers Market 10 Regional Analysis 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Asia Pacific 10.2.1 By Country 10.2.2 By Fuel Type 10.2.3 By Boiler Type 10.2.4 By Boiler Horsepower 10.2.5 By End-Use Industry 10.2.6 China 10.2.6.1 Rising Demand for Ammonia and Methanol in Chemical Applications Drives the Growth of the Industrial Boilers Market in China 10.2.7 India 10.2.7.1 Increased Manufacturing Activities are Contributing to the Growth of the Industrial Boilers Market in India 10.2.8 Japan 10.2.8.1 Growing Use of Boilers in the Chemical End-Use Industry to Drive the Growth of the Industrial Boilers Market in Japan 10.2.9 South Korea 10.2.9.1 Increasing Presence of Chemical Manufacturers Expected to Drive the Growth of the Industrial Boilers Market in South Korea 10.2.10 Malaysia 10.2.10.1 Rising Demand for Food Products is Expected to Drive the Industrial Boilers Market in Malaysia 10.2.11 Australia 10.2.11.1 Growth of the Chemical Industry is Fueling the Demand for Industrial Boilers in Australia 10.2.12 New Zealand 10.2.12.1 Growing Demand From the Chemical Industry Expected to Fuel the Industrial Boilers Market in New Zealand 10.2.13 Rest of Asia Pacific 10.2.13.1 Growth in the Manufacturing Sector to Drive the Industrial Boilers Market in the Rest of Asia Pacific 10.3 Europe 10.4 North America 10.5 Middle East & Africa 10.6 South America 11 Competitive Landscape 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Competitive Leadership Mapping 11.2.1 Visionary Leaders 11.2.2 Innovators 11.2.3 Dynamic Differentiators 11.2.4 Emerging Companies 11.2.5 Strength of Product Portfolio 11.2.6 Business Strategy Excellence 11.3 Market Share of Key Players in the Industrial Boilers Market 12 Company Profiles 12.1 Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. 12.2 GE Power 12.3 Siemens AG 12.4 John Wood Group PLC 12.5 Dongfang Electric Corporation Limited (Dec LTD.) 12.6 Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, LTD. 12.7 Thermax Limited 12.8 Sofinter Group 12.9 Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) 12.10 Harbin Electric Company Limited 12.11 IHI Corporation 12.12 Alfa Laval AB 12.13 Andritz AG 12.14 Robert Bosch GmbH 12.15 Cleaver-Brooks, Inc. 12.16 Byworth Boilers Limited 12.17 Other Key Players 12.17.1 AB&CO Group 12.17.2 Bryan Steam LLC 12.17.3 Cochran LTD 12.17.4 Forbes Marshall Private Limited 12.17.5 The Fulton Companies 12.17.6 Vapor Power International, LLC 12.17.7 Superior Boiler Works Inc. 12.17.8 Hurst Boiler & Welding Company, Inc. 12.17.9 Johnston Boiler Company 12.17.10 Parker Boiler Company 12.17.11 Rentech Boiler Systems, Inc. 12.17.12 Suzhou Hailu Heavy Industry Co. LTD. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vmzsoo Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 For the past several weeks, every single one of our three to four remaining brain cells has been working overtime to try to fathom the unintelligible reality of the coronavirus pandemic. We're keeping track of the day-to-day protocol changes in our communities, death tolls and infection rates; which cities are under lockdown and which friends have been laid off. It's easy to feel like the presidential race is just bad reality TV where no one's even fun or hot, or simply too overwhelming to keep up with on top of everything else. Related | How to Register to Vote in Your State However, the current crisis has everything to do with the White House. And it's more important than ever to plug in. The severity of the pandemic and how we recover from it will be decided by one of the guys on the ballot. As will the scale of reforms we make to our precarious healthcare system and social security net, which made COVID-19 more dangerous than it had to be, whether for patients facing huge hospital bills, undocumented or uninsured people afraid to seek care in the first place, gig economy workers out of the job, or those being laid off across sectors. We know you're too stressed and/or depressed to Google it, so we put together a quick cheat sheet to what's going on with the election right now. Who's still running? C'mon, you know this one. Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders became the last two candidates standing after Tulsi Gabbard suspended her campaign last Thursday. It's functionally been a two-candidate race since Super Tuesday, when Elizabeth Warren, Michael Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar suspended their campaigns. Who's winning? Since Biden's big win in South Carolina, he's pushed into a decisive lead with 1,147 delegates to Sanders' 861. A candidate needs 1,992 to win the nomination. The former vice president went three-for-three in Illinois, Florida and Arizona during last Tuesday's round of primaries. However, there's 26 contests left and a lot of uncertainty about logistics and voter sentiment in the wake of the virus. A comeback of this scale would be rare the race isn't as tight as either the 2016 or 208 Democratic primaries. But by the numbers Sanders can technically still win. He'd have to secure around 63% of the remaining delegates to beat Biden, including big wins in Pennsylvania and New York. Related | Every Celebrity Endorsement in the 2020 Primary Is Sanders going to drop out? Although Sanders says he's "assessing" his campaign, his representatives are shooting down rumors of him dropping out and say he'll participate in the next debate. His campaign has moved their massive organizing operation online, announced plans for New York and Pennsylvania and Senator is still holding virtual rallies, fundraising events and daily briefings. As the New York Times observes, Sanders has more or less turned his campaign into "a pandemic policy shop and vessel for progressive activism," focusing on the crisis in speeches and using his fundraising operation to benefit COVID-19 relief projects. While moderates fear Sanders remaining in the race will damage Democrats chances in the general, his supporters are committed to keeping him in the race to drive turnout for downticket races (voters are less likely to come out for uncontested races) and to pressure Biden adopt progressive policy commitments. "Bernie is not running a campaign so much as leading a movement," Winston Apple, a Missouri who supports Mr. Sanders tells the Times. "He will be a more effective leader for our movement if he remains in contention throughout the process." Has anyone picked a VP yet? Neither candidate has announced a running mate. Biden pledged at the last debate that his VP will be a woman. CNBC reports that Senators Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar and Catherine Cortez Masto, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer; and Florida Representative Val Demings are all possibilities. There's less intel on Sanders' side. Many progressives have dreamt of a Sanders-Warren ticket, and two weeks ago, his campaign co-chair Ro Khanna called Elizabeth Warren an "outstanding choice for VP." Warren's decision not to endorse any candidate makes that option look less likely. Names being thrown around also include his campaign co-chairs, Khanna or Nina Turner, and progressive Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin. Which primaries are postponed? Will they still count? The primary schedule is in flux. Eleven primaries are now postponed: Puerto Rico, Georgia, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Louisiana and Kentucky. Check your new primary date here. Louisiana and Kentucky have both rescheduled for after June 9: the Democratic National Committee's deadline for delegate selection. The DNC said in a statement, according to the New York Times, that it would "continue to work with every state party as they adjust their delegate selection plans around coronavirus," but warns that moving primaries past June 9 could result in states "losing at least half of [their] delegates." Will the Democratic National Convention be postponed? Right now, the DNC plans to move forward with its convention set for July 13-16, however it has said it's assessing "contingency options." Will the primaries switch to mail-in voting because of social distancing? Neither the federal government nor the Democratic Party has taken steps towards a mandatory mail-in voting policy, although conducting an election when people are afraid to go to the polls has already resulted in chaos, voter suppression and violation of the White House's ban on gatherings of ten or more. Early and mail-in voting salvaged turn-out in Florida and Arizona (Illinois took a hit), but in all three states some polling places failed to open because workers didn't show up, and others were relocated at the last minute from sites like nursing homes, shortening hours and confusing voters, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times. Some are cautioning against the complications of voting by mail, while others are calling the results of "coronavirus primaries" illegitimate. The three upcoming states to hold primaries Wyoming, Hawaii Alaska have all canceled in-person voting, extending mail-in ballot deadlines and offering for voters to pick up and drop off their ballots individually. Election officials in states like Virginia are urging their Democratic parties to do the same. Others are advocating at the national level. "In light of the threats that this virus poses, every American should be able to cast a ballot by mail without excuse," Klobuchar and Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, wrote Friday, urging Congress to fund mail-in elections in the COVID-29 emergency packages. "That means states will have to scale their vote-by-mail processes in a way that hasn't been done before." When are the next primaries? Alaska, Hawaii and Wyoming will vote on Saturday, April 4, all three by mail. They'll be followed by Wisconsin on Tuesday, April 7, where the governor has not yet cancelled in-person voting but encourages people to vote by mail. (Sanders won all four states in 2016). Puerto Rico is next on Sunday, April 26. April 28 was originally supposed to be the last major primary day with delegate-heavy New York and Pennsylvania. Now, only New York and Delaware will cast votes on the 28th, while Pennsylvania has re-scheduled for June 2, which gearing up to be a bonus "super Tuesday." Does Joe Biden have coronavirus? In addition to the ban on gatherings over 10, at ages 78 and 77, Sanders and Biden are both in high risk categories for the virus, so COVID-19 means both candidates have suspended in-person campaigning. But after the last Democratic debate, many felt "Joe Biden disappeared," only surfacing last week for a call with the press while Sanders held frequent briefings, roundtables with lawmakers and live speeches on Instagram. On Monday, Biden held a fifteen minute speech from his home in Wilmington, Delaware criticizing Trump's response to coronavirus. Rumors his absence is due to illness appear false. In an interview yesterday with CNN's Jake Tapper, Biden said he hasn't been tested for COVID-19, but has experienced no symptoms. The Biden campaign, according to The Hill, says the candidate will ramp up public appearances this week, both in broadcasts from his home and on TV. Could the general election be postponed or cancelled? While conspiracy theories are flying, thankfully, Trump using COVID-19 to avoid going on the ballot in November would be nearly impossible. While states set the dates of their own primaries, the Constitution mandates that the new president's term must begin on January 20, and the new congress' on January 3. Trump could not use an executive order: changing the constitution would take new legislation passed by Congress, signed by the president and subject to challenge in the courts. A presidential election has never been postponed before, although state and local elections have been. The 9/11 terrorist attacks postponed municipal primary elections two weeks in New York City in 2001. In Florida, in 2017, Hurricane Irma also pushed back municipal elections. "We voted in the middle of a Civil War," Biden told supporters at a fundraiser on Sunday. "We voted in the middle of World War I and II. And so, the idea of postponing the electoral process is just seems to me, out of the question." Related | The Queer NYC Designer Making PVC Masks for Hospital Workers Could the general election be vote-by-mail? We don't know what the country will look like by November, but we know it's going to be a long time before the way we interact in public goes back to "normal." While the date of the general election is set federally, states determine their own voting procedures, which is why voting is so inconsistent, confusing and complicated. States could individually opt for mail-in voting in November, if social distancing is still in effect. Some states like Washington and Colorado already conduct their elections mostly by mail. This process would be eased with federal guidelines and funding. According to voting rights experts, this is the way to go. In an op-ed titled "Voting by Mail Will Save the 2020 Election" Dale Ho, director of the Voting Rights Project at the A.C.L.U., laid out a four-step plan for protecting the general election that includes ramping up education on how to vote by mail, broadening access to vote by mail, permitting early processing of absentee ballots, and protecting the rights of absentee voters. "There is not much time left before November," writes Ho. "But these simple fixes could mitigate disruptions to our democracy caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and help ensure that every American can participate in November." Find out how to register to vote in your state here. Actor Tom Holland is best known for his role in Marvel Cinematic Universe as Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man. The multi-talented celebrity has been very busy focusing on other roles recently, but is currently self-quarantining during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Heres a look at his latest communication with his fellow MCU stars and a possible leak regarding the next film in his series. Tom Holland will be starring in a third Spider-Man film for Sony Tom Holland arrives for the Spider-Man: Far From Home World premiere on June 26, 2019. | Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images Holland first entered the MCU in 2017s Captain America: Civil War as new potential recruit made by Tony Stark (Iron Man) himself. He then got his first solo flick, Spider-Man: Homecoming, later that year. He followed this up with Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home. As with most Marvel heroes, a trilogy was expected. However, given that Sony owns the right to the character, this wasnt a done deal. For about a month there in mid-2019, fans were panicked that Holland wasnt going to return to the MCU. Fortunately, the studios came to an agreement, and the film was put back on track. He is currently self-isolating The coronavirus has already taken quite a toll on the MCU. Black Widow, which was due out on May 1, 2020, has been pushed back indefinitely. And Disney+ series such as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki had to halt production until its safe to begin again, potentially delaying their scheduled releases as well. Meanwhile, Holland, who just recently finished promotion for his Disney animated film Onward, has fallen ill. He took to social media on March 22, 2020, to tell his followers, adding, I dont think I have the coronavirus, but Im taking extra precautions. Im self-isolating inside. Holland posted an Instagram Story challenge Tom Holland is making sure the Avengers stay in shape (via @TomHolland1996 | IG) pic.twitter.com/el5sJjjXF2 Fandom (@getFANDOM) March 24, 2020 While he hangs out alone, Holland is doing his best to stay busy. On March 24, 2020, he participated in the push-up challenge thats been circulating. He may be feeling sick, but he managed to complete the task, while also calling his fellow Avengers into action. As seen in the video above, Holland tagged Chris Hemsworth, the Russo Brothers, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Elizabeth Olsen, Dave Bautista, Mark Ruffalo, Chadwick Boseman, and his love and Far From Home co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal. He also tagged Dwayne the Rock Johnson and Ryan Reynolds (the latter of whom is technically affiliated with the MCU now that Disney owns Fox and the Deadpool franchise). What do we know about the new Spider-Man film? Holland still has some time to get better before his next Marvel shoot begins. Previous reports started that the movie is set to begin shooting in July 2020 in Atlanta. (Of course, thats only if production schedules are able to resume as normal by then.) So far, very little is known about the upcoming film. Its set to release on July 16, 2021, and Holland, along with Zendaya (MJ) and, likely, Jacob Batalon (Ned). It is also thought to take place during Peter Parkers senior year of high school. An artist may have leaked the title The next information that is likely to be revealed about the film is the title. Aside from potential cast announcements (like the hope of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Kraven), this is the news most are looking for. And now, there might be a hint. Rumors have been circulating that the potential title might be Spider-Man: Home Run (keeping with the home theme of the previous two). Artist Christ Aves above rendering for another upcoming project backs up this theory, which has been floating around for about a week. Is it true? Well just have to wait and see. Lima, March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lima, PERU, March 23th, 2020 Credicorp Ltd.announces that its subsidiaries, Banco de Credito del Peru (BCP) and Mibanco, decided to donate S/ 100 million and S/ 10 million, respectively, initiating a donation fund to support Peruvian families that are under a situation of poverty or extreme poverty, whose income has beenaffected by the national emergency declared related toCOVID-19. Moreover, BCP launched a campaign, to motivate other companies and individuals, to join and increase the donation fund solidarizing with the most vulnerable families. Given the declaration of a national emergency by the Peruvian government through Supreme Decree No. 044-2020-PCM, which orders social isolation to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in Peru, the most affected population will be those who live generating income on adaily basis. The Peruvian government is already supporting each of these families through a S/ 380 one-off payment (solidarity bonus), and Credicorp, through its subsidiaries BCP and Mibanco, is additionally committingto further support these families. Additionally, BCP proactively launched the campaign Yo me sumo (I join), motivating other companies and people in general to join this social initiative and donateresources to help the most needed population. As such, BCP is making available all its digital channels (Home Banking, Mobile Banking and Yape) to facilitate clientdonations. Non-clients will be able to donate through interbank transfers, and through branches and agentesacross Peru. Porque cada sol suma, Yo me sumo(Because each sol counts, I join the count), says the campaign. As the leading financial institution operating for 131 years in Peru, BCP is committed, more than ever, to support the most vulnerable population during this difficult time, and through the Yo me sumo campaign, it expects to encourage other companies and individuals to do the same. Mibanco, joined this initiative showing strong commitment and contributing to alleviate basic needs of the affected population in Peru. Story continues The distribution of the fund to the families will be made through the same mechanism the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion has put in place to distribute the solidarity bonus to these families. About Credicorp Credicorp Ltd. (BAP) is the leading financial services holding company in Peru with presence in Chile, Colombia and Bolivia. Credicorp has a diversified business portfolio organized into four lines of business: Universal Banking, through Banco de Credito del Peru - BCP and Banco de Credito de Bolivia; Microfinance, through Mibanco and Encumbra; Insurance & Pension Funds, through Grupo Pacifico and Prima AFP; and Investment Banking & Wealth Management, through Credicorp Capital, Wealth Management at BCP and Atlantic Security Bank. For further information please contact the IR team: Investorrelations@credicorpperu.com Investor Relations Credicorp Ltd. The latest: Coronavirus case numbers Action News Now is tracking the latest numbers for the coronavirus pandemic. There are now 438,000 confirmed coronavirus cases around the world. The global death toll has now reached nearly 20,000. In the U.S. - there are over 55,000 confirmed cases, and 802 deaths. In California, there are now more than 2,600 cases with 54 dead. White House, Congress agree on $2 trillion virus rescue bill New overnight lawmakers have reached an agreement on economic aid. The Senate passed a stimulus package of $2 trillion to help workers and businesses. The exact wording and details of the relief have not been released yet but we know it includes increases in unemployment insurance and small business bailouts. Gov. Gavin Newsom pushes the need for more hospital beds Governor Gavin Newsom addressed Californians Tuesday evening - outlining the golden state's efforts to contain the coronavirus. The governor says new projections show an even greater need for more beds. California hospitals are pushing to expand capacity by as much as 40%. The governor says hospitals are now drawing up plans to convert unused buildings and perhaps even parking lots. Human trafficking ring operation leads to 2 Chico arrests Two suspects are behind bars this morning after a yearlong investigation busts a wide-spread human trafficking operation in several northern California communities. Anderson police served eight search warrants on a number of businesses' investigators believed to be involved. Police identified several massage parlors involved, including locations in Redding, Red Bluff, Anderson, Chico, and Oroville. Chico City Council to discuss Mayor Randall Stone removal The Chico City Council will meet today, as council member Ann Schwab calls for Mayor Randall Stone to be removed. Schwab has criticized Stone's ability to lead the city during the coronavirus crisis. That meeting will take place today at 6 p.m. at the Chico City Council Chambers. Butte County to construct emergency coronavirus tents Butte County General Services will construct and test the county's emergency tents this week. Those tents will be set up, most likely Thursday - located on the East Lawn of the Old County Hospital in Oroville. The tents can be used as storage space for COVID-19 supplies -- or to isolate people if the local hospital runs out of space. President Donald Trump praised both Republicans and Democrats in Congress for working to pass a multi-trillion dollar bill that aims to help businesses through the coronavirus pandemic. While a stimulus bill wasnt passed as of the news conference Tuesday evening, Trump was confident it would be resolved soon. They are really trying to get there, Trump said. I think they will. Behind a bill that Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow described as the largest Main Street financial package in the history of the United States, Trump remained optimistic that portions of the country could conduct business as usual by Easter, which falls on April 12. Medical experts, however, say reopening so soon would be dangerous. Were going to look at it, Trump said. Well only do it if its good. And maybe we do sections of the country. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said data driven by increased testing will dictate if it's safe to reopen part of the country. The United States has tested more than 370,000 people and 220,000 within the last eight days, according to Dr. Deborah Birx, who is part of the White House Coronavirus Taskforce. When we make policy about what were going to be doing with the rest of the country, particularly those areas of the country that are not hot spots, we need to know what the penetrants of infection is there, Fauci said. We need to put a light on those dark spots that we dont know. Fauci said the virus shouldnt be looked at as a single force across the country, but there may be some flexibility in a country as large as the United States. Trump referred to New York City as one of the nations hot spots. New York City has had 14,904 confirmed cases. As of Tuesday morning, New York State had 25,665 cases, with 210 deaths. The state now accounts for nearly 7% of global cases tallied by The New York Times. Birx said about 56% of all the cases of coronavirus in the United State are in New York Citys metropolitan area. About 60% of the nations new coronavirus cases are coming out of the New York area. Its a very serious situation, Fauci said. "Theyve suffered terribly through no fault of their own. Government officials, though, recommended anyone leaving the citys metropolitan area should self-quarantine for 14 days. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is coordinating with New York for the arrival of the USS Comfort in the next couple of weeks. More than 4,000 ventilators have been sent to the state as well, Vice President Mike Pence said. Three alternate hospital facilities are planned for New York City, Pence said, and the Army Corp. of Engineers is coordinating to construct those facilities. I want the people of New York City and the Greater New York City area to know that were with you, Pence said. Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Related Content: Turkey has charged 20 suspects, including two former aides of Saudi Arabias crown prince, over the October 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. An indictment prepared by the office of the Istanbul chief prosecutor Irfan Fidan accuses 20 Saudi nationals, including former Saudi Deputy Intelligence Chief Ahmad Asiri and former royal aide Saud al-Qahtani. The two men were charged with instigating a premeditated murder, according to a statement from the prosecutor. The remaining 18 were charged with "deliberately and monstrously killing the journalist and face life in prison if convicted. Turkish prosecutors have issued international arrest warrants for the suspects, all of whom are believed to be in Saudi Arabia. On Oct. 2, 2018, Khashoggi walked into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to pick up paperwork needed to marry his Turkish fiancee. Turkish officials say a 15-man team of Saudi operatives inside the consulate then killed and dismembered Khashoggi, whose body was never recovered. Before his death, 59-year-old Khashoggi was a vocal critic of the Saudi government, in particular Saudi Arabias de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The CIA later concluded that Prince Salman ordered the assassination, but the Saudi government insists Khashoggi was killed in a rogue operation without the royal's direct knowledge. Last year, a United Nations investigation found that Saudi Arabia was responsible for the deliberate, premeditated execution of Khashoggi and that there was credible evidence to investigate the kingdoms crown prince and other top officials. In December, a Saudi court sentenced five people to death and jailed three others over Khashoggi's killing in a closed-door trial, which the United Nations expert on extrajudicial killings called the antithesis of justice. Turkeys chief prosecutor in Istanbul said Wednesday a trial in absentia would be held for the 20 suspects. His office is also investigating individuals who helped destroy evidence from the crime scene. This story contains reporting from Agence France-Presse. Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate, will be suspending all passenger services to and from Muscat starting noon of March 29 until further notice. However, Oman Air domestic flights to and from Musandam Governorate will continue to operate as normal. Additionally, Oman Air's cargo operations will operate as normal too. "This is a temporary suspension of our passenger services. We regret the difficulty and inconvenience this may cause, but it's vital for us as the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman to assist in the country's efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19," said Oman Air's chief executive officer Abdulaziz Al Raisi. "We will prioritize the needs of our guests and employees as we continue to assess the evolving situation," Al Raisi added. "This is an unprecedented time for our industry, but I am confident we will emerge stronger from this crisis as we had successfully done so in the past." When its temporary suspension is lifted, Oman Air will take an orderly approach to restoring its international services with a focus on safety, quality and meeting our guests' travel commitments, an airline statement said. For rebooking, guests holding Oman Air flight reservations can contact its call centre or Oman Air representatives in their respective countries, it added. TradeArabia News Service Weekday mornings in Melbourne Magistrates Court are usually busy. The ground floor courts are crammed, spare seats are snapped up in seconds and even standing room is at a premium. Magistrate Jelena Popovic in court in 2018. Credit:Chris Hopkins Not anymore. In Jelena Popovic's courtroom on Wednesday the dozen or so people inside was still too many for the deputy chief magistrate's liking. "Can everyone please practice social distancing. If you're not needed in court please leave the precinct until your case is called," she said before even taking her seat. As the coronavirus crisis intensifies, many households are concerned about how they will top up their energy meters and mobile phone credit if forced to self-isolate for months on end. Some readers are also worried about the extra costs they might face when using telephones and the internet much more than usual to stay in touch with friends and family. Here Money Mail explains the practical help major firms are now offering customers... Many households are concerned about how they will top up their energy meters and mobile phone credit if forced to self-isolate for months on end Protecting access to power supply Emergency measures have been introduced to ensure households with pre-payment meters are not left without gas or electricity if they cannot leave the house to buy credit. Customers are being urged to speak to their supplier to find out what options they have. These could include nominating a friend or relative who can buy credit, being sent a card loaded with credit in the post or having their emergency credit limit increased. Suppliers have also been warned by the Government not to cut off any customers who are struggling financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and pause debt repayments where necessary. Households can top up smart pay-as-you-go meters using the internet by registering their account online or with their suppliers mobile app. British Gas customers can also purchase credit by calling its automated payment service (0330 100 0303). You will need your customer reference number. If you can, it may be sensible to purchase more credit than usual so you dont have to worry about topping up. Those with traditional meters should ask friends or family to help or call British Gas if this is not an option. British Gas says it is also looking at increasing the amount of emergency credit it allows households to access. Eon has already increased its emergency credit level for gas customers from 5 to 30. From April 1 it will increase again to 50. The supplier said it could also send an engineer to your home in an emergency. All suppliers are urging any worried customers to contact them online via its live chat service to free up phone lines for those more vulnerable. BT is also removing caps on homebroadband packages so all customers will have unlimited data for internet browsing at no extra cost Stay connected with loved ones BT has launched a host of helpful features for households. Most importantly, all BT, EE, Three and O2 customers can now access the NHS website and call 111 without charge. BT is also removing caps on home broadband packages so all customers will have unlimited data for internet browsing at no extra cost. Landline-only customers will no longer have to pay for calls to UK numbers outside of their packages, while other out-of-bundle fees will be capped at 5 a month. Meanwhile, around 2.7million Virgin Media customers who pay their mobile phone bills on a monthly basis are being offered unlimited calls to landlines and other mobile numbers, plus an additional 10 gigabytes (GB) of data, at no extra cost. Mobile phone customers will also be able to access NHS and gov.uk websites without eating into their data allowance. Following the cancellation of major sporting events, Sky Sport customers can now pause their subscriptions without charge. BT Sport customers, however, will not see their subscription costs waived. The telecoms giant says that it still expects to broadcast any remaining events over the coming months. It says that where events are cancelled it will work with relevant partners to decide appropriate compensation. Calls to UK landlines will be free for existing Sky Talk customers until the end of April. Sky is also giving mobile customers an extra 10GB of data. Sky Go Extra, which allows you to watch live TV on three devices, will be free for customers until the end of April. Plusnet has said customers with limited data allowances will not have to pay any additional charges as many are working from home. TOP UP YOUR PHONE FROM YOUR SOFA If you are self-isolating you can still top up your mobile phone credit without leaving the house. For example, O2 customers can call 4444 from their mobile or 08456 062 277 from another line and pay by debit or credit card. You can also choose to automatically top up your phone if you have an online account. EE customers must first register their debit or credit card online. You can then text 150 with the letters CR, the last four digits of your card number and the amount of credit you want to add. a.murray@dailymail.co.uk Sudanese Defense Minister Lieutenant General Jamal al-Din Omar died of an unspecified illness Wednesday while in neighboring South Sudan for peace talks with his countrys main rebel groups, the military announced. Omar had suffered from a number of chronic illnesses, armed forces spokesman Amer Mohamed al-Hassan said without elaborating. The government delegation in the South Sudanese capital Juba said Omar died at 2:30 am after a sudden heart attack during the performance of his sacred duty. Since October, Sudans transitional government has been locked in talks with rebel groups that fought Bashirs regime in the vast western region of Darfur and in the southern border states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan. Omar said on Monday that he was confident the two sides would sign a deal to form a national army, state media reported. By Ezgi Erkoyun ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Istanbul prosecutors said on Wednesday they had prepared an indictment against a close aide to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a former deputy head of general intelligence over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The prosecutor's office accused the two men of instigating Khashoggi's murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and named 18 suspects it said actually carried out the killing, which caused a global uproar. Khashoggi was last seen entering the consulate on Oct. 2, 2018, where he had gone to obtain documents for his impending wedding. Turkish officials said his body was dismembered and removed from the building. His remains have not been found. The list of 18 suspected killers includes a 15-strong team which flew to Turkey to carry out the operation, and three intelligence officials. The indictment accuses former deputy head of Saudi Arabia's general intelligence Ahmed al-Asiri and former royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani of having "instigated premeditated murder with monstrous intent", the prosecutor's office said. It says the others suffocated Khashoggi, who had grown increasingly critical of Prince Mohammed's actions, after agreeing in advance that he should be killed if he did not return to Saudi Arabia with them. Saudi Arabia's media ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Some Western governments, as well as the CIA, have said they believed Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia's de facto leader and heir to the throne, ordered the killing - an accusation Saudi officials have denied. Agnes Callamard, the U.N. investigator who led an international probe into the crime, welcomed the indictment, saying it was needed as a "counter balance to the travesty of justice at the hands of Saudi Arabia". In a statement to Reuters, she urged U.S. authorities to release their findings on responsibility for the death of the Washington Post columnist, "including the responsibility of Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman". Story continues Callamard said in a report last June that evidence suggested the crown prince and other senior Saudi officials were liable. On Wednesday, she said that the indictment would shed further light on the murder, "its premeditation and instigation by high-level officials". SUSPECTS STILL FREE The senior suspects accused by Turkey are still free, although both Qahtani and Asiri were dismissed from their positions after Khashoggi's killing. Asiri was subsequently tried in Saudi Arabia but released due to insufficient evidence, a Saudi prosecutor said. Qahtani was investigated but was not charged. Sources have said he remained active in state matters. In December a Saudi court sentenced five people to death and three to jail for Khashoggi's killing in a trial which Callamard described as a mockery of justice because it did not target those she described as the masterminds of the operation. The court did not identify those sentenced to death. Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice Cengiz, who was waiting for him outside the consulate when he was killed, also called on Washington to publish a defense intelligence report into the killing. Every independent investigation had concluded that "this barbaric murder...was premeditated, carried out by government officials and involved the royal court", she said. Wednesday's indictment was based on analysis of suspects' phone records, their entry and exit into Turkey and presence at the consulate, witness statements and analysis of Khashoggi's phone and computers, the prosecutor's office said. Khashoggi's killing, which Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said was ordered at the "highest levels" of the Saudi government, has strained ties between Ankara and Riyadh. Turkey accused Saudi officials of obstructing investigations, while Riyadh repeatedly said the Istanbul prosecutor has not complied with requests to share information. Prince Mohammed has denied ordering the killing but said he bore ultimate responsibility as the kingdoms de facto leader. Saudi Arabia initially denied any involvement in or knowledge of Khashoggis death but later changed its position multiple times. (Additional reporting by Stephen Kalin in Riyadh, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Yesim Dikmen in Istanbul; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) [March 25, 2020] Arena.io sends Girl Scout cookie care packages to healthcare workers across the country BALTIMORE, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Arena Analytics recently polled nurses and frontline workers, asking how they would like the general public to support them in the days ahead. Anticipating a sharp escalation in COVID-19 cases, everyone's first priority is that people take all precautions to stay healthy and minimize the need for acute care health services. Beyond 'staying healthy,' healthcare workers requested food -- pizza, cookies, donuts, coffee. Too busy for a proper meal during late night shifts, they would appreciate tasty, quick-energy treats. While investigating food options, Arena heard about the cancellation of all Girl Scout public cookie sales. Putting the two together, the company decided to support both the Girl Scout troops and the healthcare workers. Arena contacted regional Girl Scout offices, bu they all closed on March 13. Only one office - the Heart of the South in Memphis, TN - was able to take a large cookie order. Janet Wade, Customer Care Specialist from Heart of the South, delivered it herself to the human resources team for distribution at Regional One Health. Arena found local troop leaders who had hundreds of boxes stacked in homes and garages. Arena purchased, packed, and shipped them to contacts at hospitals in every region of the United States Several community members began contacting Arena. They had boxes to donate, and they wanted to support healthcare workers. Concerned citizens, with no connection to the Girl Scouts, joined the effort - sending money to purchase boxes. The grandfather of a second grader in Brownie Troop 20251 in Maplewood, NJ, donated 50 boxes. Kara Corridan, of Troop 40471 in Springfield NJ, donated 30. Trish Fuller, a film editor in New York, venmo-ed money for more boxes. And more donations come in each day. Arena has been organizing the donations and sending boxes to additional hospitals, local to the donors. The most recent delivery was dropped off at the center of coronavirus treatment in Northern New Jersey, Holy Name Medical Center, where every floor is 'a Covid floor.' With so many hospitals and post-acute care sites across the country, Arena is now hoping to spread the word and help facilitate local drives, donations, and deliveries in every state. While the care packages are greatly appreciated, nursing executives at several hospitals warn that people cannot simply mail or drop off a box of food without first identifying someone who can receive and distribute the treats. Arena can put any interested donors in touch with a contact person at a local hospital or post-acute site. We are grateful to you, healthcare workers of America. Thank you for all you do to keep us healthy in these uncertain times. About Arena (https://www.arena.io/) Applying predictive analytics and machine learning to talent acquisition and workforce challenges. Our technology helps organizations avoid the high cost of employee turnover by filling vacancies quicker with job candidates most likely to thrive. By revealing each candidate's likely performance in specific positions, departments, and locations, Arena transforms the labor market from one based on perception and unconscious bias, to one based on outcomes. Our clients include Mt. Sinai, Sunrise Senior Living, Benchmark Senior Living, and HCR ManorCare. For more information contact [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/arenaio-sends-girl-scout-cookie-care-packages-to-healthcare-workers-across-the-country-301029815.html SOURCE Arena [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia will have a phone conversation today to discuss and regulate issues related with cargo transportations, ARMENPRESS reports Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan said during parliament-Cabinet Q&A session. ''At the moment we have some problems with cargo transportations both in Lars and Bagratashen. The problem at Bagratashen checkpoint is mainly conditioned by the quarantine in Marneuli (Georgia-edit) and the trucks are slow in passing through that region. We have the same problem at Lars checkpoint. Anyway, today the Prime Ministers of Armenia and Georgia are scheduled to have a phone conversation to understand what kind of rapid regulations can be put in force to ensure the movement of the trucks'', Avinyan said. He noted that future slow-down of cargo transportations can further deepen the crisis and Armenia makes all possible efforts to find a solution together with Russian and Georgian partners. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan - Ghana has recorded 25 new cases of the deadly COVID-19 - All 25 cases have been imported into the country according to the Ministry of Health - 1030 people were mandatorily quarantined and Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The number of coronavirus otherwise known as COVID-19 cases in Ghana has risen from 27 to 52 cases after individuals who were mandatorily quarantined have recorded 25 new cases. It is reported that since the mandatory quarantine exercise was strictly enforced according to the directives of the President of Ghana, 1030 people have been mandatorily quarantined. Out of the number, 611 samples were picked up from the cohort out of which 25 have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus. READ ALSO: COVID-19: 521 suspected cases tested so far - Ghana Health Service President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo directed in his last address that all borders would remain closed beginning on the midnight of Sunday, March 22, 2020. This was because the number of cases of COVID-19 at the time which were 24, had 21 been imported into the country and only three from local transmissions. It is clear that Ghana's cases have been imported from Norway, China, the UK, France and Lebanon among others. READ ALSO: COVID-19: Man spends whole day at market warning ignorant people against fumigation (Video) In other news, a global pandemic with attributes resembling those of COVID-19 by name H1N1 or Influenza or Spanish flu occurred in 1918 and killed an estimated 100,000 Ghanaians. A report gathered by Cambridge.org, indicates that the disease was introduced into the then Gold Coast by shipping along the Southern Coast and overland across the Northern Frontier. The influenza epidemic killed 100,000 or more people in less than six months and was almost certainly the worst short-term demographic disaster in the history of Ghana. Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Only God can save Ghana from the Coronavirus outbreak - Pastor declares | #Yencomgh Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Another Delta flight carrying only medical supplies and no passengers is due to depart Dublin tomorrow (Photo: AP) US carrier Delta Airlines flew a cargo-only passenger jet carrying vital medicine from Dublin to Atlanta yesterday in what is likely to be the first of a number of such services by the airline in the coming weeks. The Irish Independent understands that Italian carrier Alitalia is also considering a charter flight to Dublin, while a charter flight from South Africa to Ireland is under consideration, it is believed. It is likely that both would be used to fly urgently needed medical supplies. Carriers including American Airlines have started to use idle passenger jet aircraft to carry freight as demand from flyers evaporates due to the coronavirus. Delta operated an Airbus A350-900 passenger jet for yesterday's service from Dublin, flying much-needed medical supplies to Atlanta. The ground handler for the carrier in Dublin is Worldwide Flight Services. The transport of pharmaceuticals is highly regulated, requiring specialised handling, storage and other procedures. Contrary to reports on social media that the aircraft was being used to repatriate members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, who were involved in missionary work here, airport sources said the Delta jet did not have any passengers on board. It was loaded with 66 pallets of Wixela, a treatment manufactured by drug company Mylan, which has a large manufacturing base in Ireland. The drug is used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients with such conditions are a high-risk category in the current Covid-19 pandemic. Another Delta flight carrying only medical supplies and no passengers is due to depart Dublin tomorrow. It is understood that up to 17 more such flights are planned by the airline in the coming weeks. Delta did not respond to a request for comment. The airline usually operates passenger services year-round from Dublin to Atlanta and New York's JFK Airport. It also normally operates a seasonal service between Shannon and JFK. Ireland is a key global pharmaceutical manufacturing location. It is also a major global manufacturing site for medical equipment and devices that are being used in the battle against Covid-19, such as ventilators. Ireland's airport ground handling firms have sought to have their work designated as an essential service during the Covid-19 crisis. They have asked the Government for income continuance for their 1,400 workers, and a number of other supports, including a deferment of corporation tax payments and a holiday from employer PRSI. LG introduced its V60 ThinQ 5G smartphone earlier this year and we got to visit the US office of the Korean manufacturer for some early hands-on experience. However, what we do best are complete reviews of smartphones, so the company shipped a unit that we can put through our thorough tests. What we have is a Classy White unit of the phone with the latest LG Dual Display add-on. In the world moving towards foldables, LG's basic secondary screen might seem out of place but it carries a series of advantages, most notably in terms of pricing and durability. We like the rather unique solution, and now LG is shipping it for free to users with the V60 ThinQ it looks like more people will get to try it. To call the LG V60 ThinQ a huge smartphone and that is probably an understatement. It is taller, wider, and thicker than the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra - and when you throw the LG Dual Display in the mix it's really one big device. Specs-wise, we are speaking of 6.8 OLED panel with Full HD+ resolution, latest Snapdragon 865 with Qualcomms X55 modem and 8GB RAM, coupled with up to 256GB of storage. LG sticks to the dedication to provide proper audio experience and the V60 ThinQ has a 3.5 mm audio jack on the bottom. There it certainly a lot to like about the LG V60 ThinQ 5G, but it's facing formidable competition and the tongue-twister of a name won't be enough to stand out. We will know whether or not it's a worthy package when were done with the full review. President Donald Trump on Wednesday complained the 'fake news' wants him to keep the economy shut down so he loses re-election this fall. 'The media would like to see me do poorly in an election,' he said at the daily White House coronavirus briefing. President Trump repeatedly refers to news stories he doesn't like or are unflattering to his administration as 'fake news' and he has grown visibly frustrated with stories critical of his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic. The White House has come under fire for the lack of surgical masks and ventilators needed by health care professionals. President Donald Trump complained the 'fake news' wants him to keep the economy shut down so he loses re-election this fall Additionally, the president has advocated reopening businesses by Easter Sunday to help the tanking U.S. economy but several medical experts have cautioned that could be too early to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Trump complained about the media several times on Wednesday, both in his briefing and on Twitter even as he tweeted he was too busy in meetings for this. 'I have been packed all day with meetings, I have no time for stupidity. Were working around the clock to KEEP AMERICA SAFE!,' he wrote. And he snapped back at a reporter who asked him about the issue. 'I think there are certain people who would like it not to open so quickly and they think that would be very good as far as defeating me at the polls,' he told CBS' Paula Reid in response to her question. 'There are people in your profession that would like that to happen. I think it's very clear -- I think it's very clear that there are people in your profession that write fake news,' he told her. 'You do.' President Trump has staked his re-election bid on a strong U.S. economy. But the stock market tanked after business shut down and people stayed home to avoid spreading the coronavirus. The market wiped out all the gains made since Trump took office. Additionally some experts have predicted the U.S. could see 20 per cent or 30 per cent unemployment as part of the fallout. Trump defended his administration's response to the coronavirus. His team came under fire early on for not responding aggressively enough and for not getting enough medical supplies to hard-hit areas of infection. 'They would love to see me for whatever reason because we've done one hell of a job,' he said, adding on to his complaints about the media. 'Nobody's done the job we've done, and it's lucky you have this group here for this problem or you wouldn't even have a country left.' Before he went before the cameras at his daily briefing, Trump fired off a tweet to complain about his press coverage. 'The LameStream Media is the dominant force in trying to get me to keep our Country closed as long as possible in the hope that it will be detrimental to my election success. The real people want to get back to work ASAP. We will be stronger than ever before!,' he wrote. Trump on Tuesday went all in on having Easter as the deadline to reopen the country's economy, calling it a 'beautiful time,' although he declined to name what kind of data he'd be looking at to make a decision. He said the Easter deadline - which is April 12, in nineteen days - was his idea. 'I thought it was a beautiful time. A beautiful timeline,' he said at his daily White House briefing on the coronavirus outbreak. But he didn't answer when asked what kind of data he based his decision on. 'It was based on a certain level of weeks from time we started and it happened to arrive, we were thinking of terms of sooner. I'd love to see it come sooner,' President Trump said. The president, however, appeared to temper those words on Wednesday, saying he wouldn't make hasty decision and would consult with Dr. Tony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the day-to-day response on the coronavirus. 'I'm not going to do anything rash or hastily,' he said. He warned some areas of the country that are battling high rates of infection would likely stay under stricter guidelines. 'People want to get back to work. I get it from both sides in all fairness and maybe it's a combination of both - Tony said before, combination of both is sometimes very good but there are areas that possibly they won't qualify and there are other areas where they qualify almost now. We will have to see what happens but it will be an interesting period of time. I would like to get our country back,' he said. President Trump has grown visibly frustrated with stories critical of his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic President Trump has been clear he's worried about the economic affect coming from all the businesses being shuttered because of the pandemic. Numerous states have closed restaurants, gyms, bars, and clubs. The hospitality industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. States like California and New York have advised people to stay home as much as possible. A decision on the matter is expected early next week, which would mark the end of the '15 Days to Slow the Spread' recommendations released last week. Those guidelines recommended no gatherings over 10 people along with eating take out and not going to bars. After revoking the detention of Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah under the Public Safety Act (PSA), the Centre is likely to release the former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti soon. Reacting to the reports of her likely release, the Twitter handle of Mufti (being operated by her daughter) stated, "My mother is hearing reports of her imminent release & is grateful for the concern. But she's upset about thousands of young boys jailed outside J & K . The trauma their families feel due to COVID outbreak is unimaginable." "She is 10 mins away from home but they are hundreds of miles away from families & loved ones. She would like to urge @PMOIndia to release all detainees immediately," she added. The demand for releasing Mufti also received support from Omar Abdullah who had, post his release, tweeted, "It's callous and cruel to continue to detain Mehbooba Mufti and others at a time like this. There was never much justification to detain everyone in the 1st place and none at all to keep them detained as the country enters a 3-week lockdown. I hope PMO India and HMO India will release them". The Jammu and Kashmir Administration had in February invoked the PSA against former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah. Mufti was put into detention last year along with many senior leaders from Kashmir, including NC chief Farooq Abdullah, when the Central government revoked Article 370 of the Constitution that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir. While Omar Abdullah was released on Tuesday, his father Farooq Abdullah was released from detention earlier this month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ernest Hemingway once spent several weeks in self-isolation with his sick toddler, his wife, nanny, and his mistress. So yes, you too can survive this quarantine, America. HistoryNet recently spoke with journalist and author Lesley M.M. Blume on that odd episode in history and her book, Everyone Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Hemingways Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises. We are currently in unprecedented times, and Hemingways self-imposed isolation in the summer of 1926 provides some much-needed levity. Who were the characters involved in the love triangle? Hemingway and Hadley had turned up in Paris a few years earlier at this point. Hadley is the epitome of an adoring wife. Her whole life is to be of service to Ernest Hemingway. Its important to note that Hemingway always felt that he was destined for something great. He was uniquely determined and talented and, at this time, on the verge of breakthrough with his novel, The Sun Also Rises. Hes about to become a mega-literary celebrity, like F. Scott Fitzgerald. So here he is with Hadley, who is, from one point of view, a starter wife. Shes gotten him through those early years on a modest trust fund, but now Hemingway is about to become world famous and his circle is suddenly very glamorous. Hadley is looking out of place. While the couple is in Paris, they meet Pauline Pfeiffer. At first, Pauline thinks Hemingway is a total boor, but then she comes around to his animalistic charm. She decides that shes a better fit for him than Hadley. Shes this slender pixie of a Vogue editor; shes an heiress; and shes not just more glamorous, but shes also, its important to note, a journalist. Pauline and Hemingway are connecting on a level that he cant with Hadley, so he begins a relationship with Pauline while hes still married. It develops into a really peculiar, complicated, and probably agonizing love triangle. Hadley, Jack "Bumby", and Ernest Hemingway. (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum) What forced the family to go into quarantine, and how did Hadleys swell joke, as she writes, lead to all three of them living together? Back in Paris, Hemingway and Hadley have a confrontation because she has figured out that Pauline is making a play for her man. In fact, Pauline tips her hat to Hadley by essentially saying, you need to know that were competitors now. Hadley confronts Hemingway and they have a big fight over it, but they decide they are going to stay in the marriage. Hemingway goes off to Spain to watch the bullfights, and originally Hadley is going to come with him, but their toddler son Jack, nicknamed Bumby, has a cough and they are worried that Spain is going to be too dank and damp for him. Hadley is invited to go down to the now very famous villa of Sarah and Gerald Murphy, Villa America. The Murphys have three children of their own, and when all four of the kids are playing down on the beach, the Murphys see Bumby hacking his brains out. Theyre understandably concerned, so they summon their doctor, and it turns out Bumby has whooping cough a highly contagious condition. At that time, all you can really do is isolate, so Hadley and Bumby are kicked out of paradise, as it were. Luckily for them, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald are summering nearby and allow the two to stay in a modest two-bedroom house that the they had rented near the coast. Bumbys nanny comes down from Paris, and then lo and behold, who else comes down from Paris? Pauline. There are a lot of different narratives as to why she came down, so its still kind of hard to parse exactly why she came. Hadley says in one biography that she had sent some kind of a note to Pauline, so Pauline came down. Theres another source that says Hemingway may have slyly written to Pauline asking her to go and look after them, which seems really strange to send your mistress to look after your wife. Whatever the case is, Pauline basically offers herself up as a nurse because she has already had whooping cough so she is immune to it. Theres a lot of speculation as to her motives maybe she just really wants to see Hemingway and knew he was going to go there. In any case, its a way to get her claws into him further, which actually proves to be the case. So, Hadley suddenly finds herself with her husbands mistress in a two-bedroom house with the nanny, her kid, and then Hemingway turns up. Theyre all living there in quarantine. I dont know about you, but Im quarantined at home with a husband who I like, and a kid whos not sick, and Im still going crazy right now. I cant even imagine how this must have shaken out. But Hemingway is the penultimate compartmentalizer. He actually later says that the setting was a magnificent place to write. So not only is he surviving in the quarantine, hes thriving creatively. Hadley and Bumby Hemingway. (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum) Theres a fake F. Scott Fitzgerald letter swirling around the internet in which he supposedly writes that Hemingway is a flu denier who doesnt wash his hands. The letter also humorously adds that Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, have stocked up on enough alcohol set to last a month. While the letter is a parody, do you think they all needed a stiff drink in order to survive the quarantine? Yes, they did drink their way through the quarantine. Hadley has unwanted company in the form of her husbands mistress and would sometimes take a walk into town to get a shot of whiskey. She should have been self-isolating, but I guess it was her way of preserving her sanity. The Fitzgeralds and the Murphys are in their in their villas nearby, while the Hemingways are in this crazy situation shoveled into this little house. I wouldnt even call it a menage a trois, I dont know what you would call it! The Murphys and Fitzgeralds are sending them supplies, but theyre also going over there every day for drinks because theyre kind of fascinated. Zelda Fitzgerald calls it their domestic difficulties. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald love gossip and they have a front row seat to this crazy setup. Hemingway himself is a very unique character. How fun was it to research and dig into archives for your book Everybody Behaves Badly? Complete deliciousness, but also totally stressful because Hemingway is a really beloved and well documented figure. I was following in the footsteps of really powerful male scholars, biographers, and journalists. Lets just say the Hemingway community can be really, really tough. On one hand, here I am spending my time documenting Hemingway, who is just heavenly source material, but at the same time sweating bullets because I felt that upon the release of the book, I was coming out to something of a firing squad. I was really lucky though, because I got more or less total support from the Hemingway community. Its been really awesome, but it did push me to be almost pathological with the research. Hemingway and Pauline in 1934. (Getty Images) Hemingway and company are quarantined for several weeks and Hadley and Hemingway split shortly after. How pervasive is Paulines presence? It is a campaign, an astonishing campaign on her part. To say that she is ubiquitous is an understatement. My jaw was on the ground the entire time reading all the accounts of her behavior during this period of time. They are really sequestered in the house for a few weeks, and then afterwards they move to a local hotel and Bumby and the nanny are still in a separate house. Paulines role as a nurse is over. The nanny is there, the situation is under control, but Pauline doesnt leave. She actually checks into the hotel. Hadley tells her first biographer that from that point on, everything is done a trois. They are never alone. Pauline is always with them. If they want to go on a bike ride, theres Pauline on the third bike. It got to the point where one day the Hemingways have a breakfast tray sent up to them in their room and who follows the person in bringing the tray but Pauline? She then crawls into the bed and shares their breakfast. Even after Pauline leaves to go back up to Paris, they cant get away from her. Hadley cant, anyway, as letters come in a daily stream. Theres this one letter where she writes along the lines of, Im going to get everything I want. And she does get what she wants. Hadley and Hemingway decide to split shortly after that and Hemingway marries Pauline. I like to end on a somewhat humorous note. If Hemingway had to self-isolate again, which of his four wives do you think he would choose to quarantine with? Oh, my God. [Laughs] Well, definitely not Martha Gellhorn. She was a total spitfire. I feel like he would have needed a new girl. He had a real thing for female journalists, which is kind of fascinating because as soon as they married him, he expected them to be in a role of subservience. Imagine being in quarantine with that? But if he had a gun to his head and somebody said choose among your four wives, I kind of want to say maybe Hadley because she was just so totally subservient. You want the person whos going to cause you the least amount of agitation possible. Hadley would have eaten her own shoe before shed see him go hungry, so thats my totally speculative, irresponsible take on the question. Thousands of New York City police officers have called in sick as hundreds on the force test positive for coronavirus in the city that has quickly become the main U.S. hotspot for the pandemic. About 3,200 cops, 9 percent of the department, called out sick on Wednesday, three times as many as usual, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said. As of Tuesday evening, 177 uniformed officers and 34 civilian NYPD employees had tested positive for coronavirus, and those numbers are continuing to spike, Shea said, adding an exhortation to sick officers not to come in to work. Backup plans are already underway, Shea said on MSNBC. We are making adjustments. We are back filling patrols when we need to. What were seeing internally as an agency on the frontline is that we are still on an upward climb, the commissioner said. So far, the weakened police presence has not caused an increase in criminal activity, with serious offenses down 17 percent so far this week compared to this time last year. Most businesses in New York City, including restaurants, bars, gyms, and other public gathering spaces, are shuttered temporarily at the order of Governor Andrew Cuomo as part of the states social distancing efforts. Were doing thousands and thousands of inspections every day, the commissioner assured regarding making sure businesses follow the order to close. The majority of New Yorkers recognize that were in unprecedented times. Theyre responding accordingly. The department is currently waiting to see whether the National Guard will be called in to assist the force, a possibility Cuomo has so far been coy about. Whatever needs he has, well figure out how to address, Cuomo said about the possibility of the National Guard helping the NYPD. These are uncharted waters for all of us. But were resourceful, smart, quick on our feet, whats the problem? Well figure out how to solve it. More from National Review Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, has pledged N50 million to a coronavirus relief fund for Nigerians. He announced this in... Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, has pledged N50 million to a coronavirus relief fund for Nigerians. He announced this in a statement he issued on Wednesday. He said the donation is being made on his behalf by Priam Group to form part of the stimulus package the federal government should create for Nigerians. He said: I commend all all individuals and corporate organisations who have one way or the other provided some form of relief for the Nigerian people. I further call on more more corporations and individuals with capacity, to assist the public in these trying times. To this end, Priam Group pledges N50 million on my behalf as my humble contribution to a relief Fund that will form part of the stimulus package. Abubakar, whose son is one of Nigerias coronavirus patients, also urged the federal government to put in place palliative measures to help Nigerians survive the economic crisis that may come with the pandemic. He said the government should distribute at least N10,000 to each Nigerian household to help them acquire food, while telecommunication companies should hand free airtime to subscribers. A large percentage of our people do not have the financial capacity to withstand long periods of self isolation and even lockdown, he said It is, therefore, incumbent on the Federal and state governments to provide palliatives to the Nigerian people to enable them survive, even as they abide by these necessary measures put in place for their own safety. At an approximate 30 million households or thereabouts, government should devise modalities to distribute N10,000 as supplement for food stuff to each household, among other palliative measures, with no one left behind. It is thus time for the National Assembly to reconvene in an emergency session, perhaps by teleconference (in line with the demands of social distancing), to legislate a Stimulus Package Act that will cater for all Nigerian citizens. I also call on all Mobile Telephony Companies in Nigeria to urgently develop mobile money platforms so that government can reach the unbanked with financial assistance. I also urge these telecommunications firms to offer each of the 100 million mobile phone lines in Nigeria free credit of at least 1500 per mobile line, so that Nigerians who show symptoms, or those who just want information, can call the nearest available health facility, or even an ambulance service, as the case may be. A normally busy Main Street is deserted as the small businesses that line the business district remain closed after the governor instituted a shelter-in-place order in an attempt to curtail the spread of the CCP virus in Rockton, Ill., on March 24, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Pandemic Paralyzes US Small Businesses Awaiting Federal Aid, Business Group Says Small-business owners are hopeful that a $2 trillion federal relief package will provide much-needed support as COVID-19 continues to weigh on the U.S. economy. A National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) poll released March 23 found that 76 percent of small businesses have been hurt by the pandemic. The majority of those are feeling the effects of slower sales. The poll illustrates a stark change from two weeks ago, when NFIB conducted a similar survey. The earlier survey showed only 16 percent of small-business owners were very concerned about the outbreaks potential impact on their businesses, compared to 68 percent in the recent poll. Theyre trying to save their businesses, NFIB Director of Research Holly Wade told The Epoch Times on March 24. Its impacting most industries across the board. Although 5 percent of businesses have instead experienced a boost, NFIB predicted those gains will likely decline once consumers begin to feel more secure about their personal supply levels. The biggest fear and concern of small-business owners is the uncertainty element, and not knowing how long this will lastthe severity of the outbreak and the economic disruption, Wade said. Its the unknown element of all of this that is incredibly concerning and stressful for small-business owners. Of those businesses negatively affected, 54 percent are experiencing slower sales, 23 percent have supply-chain disruptions, and 9 percent have sick employees. Business owners citing sick employees as a reason for negative impact likely responded thus because of heightened precautions concerning employees with cold or flu-like symptoms. Its not necessarily because their employees contracted COVID-19, according to the NFIB. About 20 percent of small businesses arent currently affected by the outbreak, but 77 percent of those anticipate this changing if the outbreak spreads in their immediate area over the next three months, the poll showed. Business owners are trying to survive. Whether its scaling back operations considerably or temporarily closing, theyre doing what they can to adjust to their current economic conditions that are rapidly changing day to day, Wade said. Solutions Almost all small-business owners are taking some sort of action to adjust or protect their businesses. Just 6 percent of owners havent taken any action in response to the outbreak, compared to 52 percent a couple of weeks ago. A worker sits in an empty gift shop in New York Citys Chinatown neighborhood on Feb. 13, 2020. The Department of Small Business Services in New York reported at the time that revenues were already down by 40 percent in Chinatown due to CCP virus concerns. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) While 47 percent of small-business owners say they havent approached banks about financing needs, 30 percent are planning to do so soon. Another 13 percent have talked with their personal bank already, 9 percent with the Small Business Association about its loan programs, and 1 percent with an online lender. White House and U.S. Senate leaders reached a deal on the federal relief package just after midnight on March 25. The legislation includes about $367 billion for small-business loans. It also includes a $500 billion fund for guaranteed, subsidized loans to help larger businesses. The Small Business Administration has been overwhelmed with requests for help, Wade said. The program just wasnt designed for something this large in scale, she said. NFIB had pushed for federal help, which Wade hopes will now reach business owners quickly. They are in desperate need of a cash infusion. As quickly as they can deploy those financial supports to small firms, the better. Theyre looking for immediate assistance, she said. Restaurants, which employ more than 15 million people nationwide, have been hit hard. In many states, they have had to scale back to take-out or delivery only, she said. And recreational or travel-related businesses, such as hotels and bed and breakfast establishments, are also reeling from the slowdown. [Las] Vegas, New York City, obviously Seattle, and some of these more impacted areas are just being devastated by the outbreak, Wade said. That includes thousands of small businesses that are having to shut down. Resilient Entrepreneurs It is a sad and challenging uncertain time, NFIB California Director John Kabateck told The Epoch Times. Its hard to watch and hard to witness, but we also know small-business owners are resilient, creative, and flexible as entrepreneurs. I think were going to see some great heroes on Main Street transitioning or transforming their products and services to help their own communities, be it food orders and services for those in need, emergency supplies for the elderly and disabled, and other things that will really allow them to shine as entrepreneurs, he said. Though its been hard for businesses, Kabateck praised the measures federal and state officials have taken to prevent the spread of the CCP virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. We have government leaders of every political stripe stronglyand rightlyurging mom-and-pops and their employees to be safe, and keep their workplaces and communities safe, Kabateck said. The NFIB Research Center randomly sampled employers with one to 360 employees from its national membership base of about 300,000 small-business owners. The poll, based on 700 useable responses, was conducted by email on March 20. US authorities on Tuesday urged anyone who has travelled to and from New York City metropolitan area in recent days to self-quarantine for 14 days and closely monitor their condition. This comes over concerns of people carrying coronavirus and seeding outbreaks in other parts of the country. President Donald Trump has, at the same time, doubled down on his resolve to roll back restrictions and have the country raring to go by Easter, April 12. The move has fanned a debate that he started on Monday by first suggesting the country could be ready to get back to business. A decision is expected next week. More than 700 people have died of coronavirus and more than 55,000 people have tested positive in the United States so far, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The continuing surge in cases has prompted the WHO to acknowledge that the United States could potentially be the next epicentre of the outbreak. New York City has been hit the hardest with 15,597 confirmed cases and 192 deaths, and it is now in danger of seeding outbreaks in other parts of the country through travellers. For anyone in the New York metropolitan area who has travelled, our task force is encouraging you to monitor your temperature, be sensitive to symptoms, Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the Trump administrations coronavirus task force, said at a White House news briefing. And we are asking anyone who has travelled out of the New York City metropolitan area to anywhere else in the country to self-isolate for 14 days. Two leading medical experts on the task force had first made that case citing high incidence of new cases and the danger of travellers and New Yorkers leaving the city for their own safety, carrying it to other areas. There have been cases that suggested infected people have left the city. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the task force, said because of the high incidence of cases in New York City 56% of all US cases and 60% of all new cases, 31% mortality there was a likelihood of people being exposed before leaving the city and they should self-quarantine themselves for the next 14 days to ensure that the virus doesnt spread to others, no matter where they have gone, whether its Florida, North Carolina, or out to far, far reaches of Long Island. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and a member of the task force, added that self-isolation for these people was necessary because we dont want that to be another seeding point to the rest of the country, wherever they go. These warnings and appeals to people travelling out of New York run contrary to President Trumps apparent eagerness to end the restrictions and put the country back in business. Trump is getting a push from the experts on the team, including Fauci, who has emerged as the most respected member of the task force. You can look at a date, but you got to be very flexible, Fauci said when asked to comment on the presidents plan to roll back restriction by Easter. And on a literally day-by-day and week-by-week basis, you need to evaluate the feasibility of what youre trying to do. Stay-at-home orders are in effect in 17 states, affecting 175 million people to slow down and prevent the spread of the virus. All non-essential services have been shut down. People can go out to get grocery, food and medicine or to exercise as long as they maintain safe social distance. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 18:33:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Palestinian nurses examine a child at Askar refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus on March 25, 2020. Palestine on Wednesday declared that two new cases of COVID-19 tested positive, bringing the total number of the infected in its territories to 62. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) RAMALLAH, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Wednesday declared that two new cases of COVID-19 tested positive, bringing the total number of the infected in its territories to 62. The two new cases are a woman whose mother recently returned to Palestine from the United States with the virus, and another woman in her 60s living in the village of Biddo, near the city of Ramallah, according to the Palestinian government spokesperson Ibrahim Milhem. Both women were moved to a quarantined hospital, he said. Of the total cases, two are in Gaza Strip and 16 who have recovered and sent to home quarantine. Milhem said that the Palestinian Health Ministry has carried out a total of 4,702 tests in Palestine since the outbreak of the deadly virus, most of which came out negative. Brightons chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber said the gesture was one way of showing their appreciation to the NHS staff Brighton & Hove Albion are donating a minimum of 1,000 tickets for workers from Britains National Health Service (NHS) to thank them for their role fighting the coronavirus. The Premier League is currently suspended until at least 30 April after the pandemic brought sport worldwide to a virtual standstill. Brightons chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber said the gesture was one way of showing their appreciation to the NHS staff, who Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned could soon be overwhelmed in the face of rising numbers of deaths. We feel this is a small way in which we can show our gratitude for those NHS staff on the front line who are fighting the battle on behalf of all of us and give them something to look forward to, Barber said on Wednesday. Follow LIVE updates on Coronavirus Outbreak here Of course the biggest support we can all show our NHS heroes is by following the crucial government advice on social distancing, self-isolating, hand hygiene and using tissues to catch, kill and bin coughs and sneezes. Brighton invited other Premier League, EFL, Scottish and Northern Irish clubs to get involved. Fellow south coast club Bournemouth pledged to donate at least 1,000 tickets. The club ... will ensure the match tickets will reach the hands of our heroic doctors, nurses and countless other medical staff putting the wellbeing of others over their own health, the club said. An epidemiologist who served as a medical consultant on the pandemic thriller Contagion has tested positive for coronavirus. Dr Ian Lipkin told Fox Business this week (24 March) that he was suffering from symptoms of Covid-19, adding: If it can hit me, it can hit anybody. Lipkin used the interview to stress the importance of social distancing in slowing the spread of the virus across the US. What New York, Chicago and Washington have done has been very, very helpful and I would like to see that implemented broadly across the United States, he said. Contagion, which was released almost a decade ago, has become an unexpected online smash in recent weeks. It is currently the fifth most rented film on iTunes, just under recent hits including Frozen II and Knives Out. Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow starred in the Steven Soderbergh-directed film, which explored the early days of a global pandemic. Lipkin said in 2011 that he had repeatedly turned down similar consulting roles on Hollywood films until Soderbergh came calling. [Contagion] was an effort to accurately represent the science and to make a movie that would entertain as well as educate, he said in a Columbia University press release at the time. Lipkin was also involved in the scriptwring process for the film, and said that he hoped it would alert audiences to the urgent public health challenges that we face in the 21st century. The films producer recently said that the movie was designed to be a cautionary tale. The Delhi government allowed district magistrates and zonal officers on Wednesday to take strict penal action against landlords who are forcing doctors, paramedical staff and healthcare personnel treating suspected or positive coronavirus cases to vacate their rented homes. Such behaviour amounts to obstructing public servants in discharging their duties, said the order, which HT has seen. The order came a day after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said he was hurt by news of harassment of health care officials from across the city. Wednesdays order said district magistrates, zonal deputy commissioners of municipal corporations and the deputy commissioner of police are directed to take strict penal action against such landlords and house owners under the relevant provisions of law. These officials have also been asked to submit an action-taken-report on a daily basis to the office of the additional chief secretary of the Delhi governments home department. Resident doctors of Indias premier hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), sought the governments intervention on the matter on Tuesday, saying their colleagues were facing harassment by their landlords, who fear medical professionals at the forefront of the fight against the Sars-Cov-2 virus could be infected and spreading the pathogen. In a letter to home minister Amit Shah, the resident doctors association said many staffers were stranded on roads with all their luggage, and urged him to immediately release an order, prohibiting landlords from evicting health care professionals. Shah has spoken to the Delhi Police chief and asked him to take immediate action to ensure the security of doctors facing harassment. A homelessness charity has said that a number of evicted students and prisoners who have been released temporarily over Covid-19 fears are sleeping on the streets. The CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless CEO, Anthony Flynn, slammed the provisions in place for the homeless during the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Flynn said: "The number of people sleeping out nightly has not reduced despite increased bed capacity put in place by the DRHE." He said that there were a number of key factors causing an influx of people into the homeless system, which included prisoners from the Irish Prison Service given a temporary release and students evicted from student accommodation. He added that these people were becoming homeless for the first time. Mr Flynn said: "There are still up to 90 people per night who are sleeping rough, and with the reduction in day services right through the system people cannot access showering facilities, nor are they able to wash clothes never mind wash their hands as per HSE guidelines. "Many services have been reduced because of the threat of Covid-19, which means those who are most vulnerable cannot simply wash their hands. With many cafes, shops, bars or libraries not open simple toilet facilities are unavailable. "More needs to be done to ensure that proper access to washing and sanitation is widely available for all those require it. Outdoor showers, sanitation devices need to be implemented without delay as it could save lives. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] A man furiously sprayed anti-bacterial disinfectant on his coffee cup before grabbing it from the ledge of a drive-thru window at a Tim Horton fast food restaurant in Canada. Video captured by workers at a Tim Horton shows the man pulling out a plastic bottle with what is likely a bottle of disinfectant. He then began feverishly spraying the substance on the coffee cup. A Tim Horton customer pulls out a bottle of anti-bacterial disinfectant and aims it at his cup of coffee sitting on a drive-thru window ledge The man begins spraying a bottle of anti-bacterial disinfectant at the cup of coffee sitting on a drive-thru window ledge The man slowly turns the cup of coffee to spray the others with the anti-bacterial disinfectant The fast food workers began making jokes about the man and laughing at him as he sprayed Then the man slowly turns the cup of coffee to make sure to disinfect all sides. The fast food workers serving the man in the drive-thru can be heard laughing at him. The man stops spraying the bottle and tells the workers 'no offense' before continuing to spray more. At one point, a person in a car behind him honks at the man to hurry up. The man responds by screaming 'f*ck off, wait' to the motorist. For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. Spreading nearly as fast as the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China are misconceptions, bogus cures and deliberate misinformation about the disease. As of Thursday, deaths from the virus were approaching the 3,000 mark. Some 82,500 cases have been confirmed. No cure or vaccine exists for COVID-19, but that hasn't stopped people and bots from pushing phony treatments and questionable health advice online. We have collected some of the more ludicrous of the claims flagged by the World Health Organization and other health observers in the above gallery. In addition, we included a few precautions that legitimate medical professionals recommend. The presumed source of the new coronavirus is an animal market in Wuhan, China. Some scientists believe it originated with bats but may have jumped to another animal before infecting humans. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. ALSO: What you need to know about coronavirus in the Bay Area "The risk to the American people remains very low," President Trump said Wednesday before announcing Vice President Mike Pence will lead the government effort in fighting the disease. A day earlier he said "were very close to a vaccine," but the White House said was referring to Ebola not the new coronavirus. --- Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate Some 15 political parties have been invited by the Electoral Commission (EC) to attend an Interparty Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on the compilation of the new electoral register Wednesday. The meeting, which is expected to be held at the IPAC room of the EC, will attract all registered political parties including the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People's Party (CPP), Progressive People's Party (PPP), People's National Convention (PNC), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and Ghana Union Movement (GUM). The rest are the Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere (EGLE), United Front Party (UFP), Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP), All People's Congress (APC), United Progressive Party (UPP), and Power United Party (PUP). In a correspondence to the parties, EC indicated that there would be two separate IPAC meetings to be held today with the political parties divided into two groups. The letter signed by the Deputy Chairman in charge of Corporate Affairs, Dr Bossman Eric Asare said the first group, which consists of NPP, NDC, CPP, PPP, PNC, LPG, GCPP, and GUM, would be held in the morning at 10 am. The Group B category comprising EGLE, UFP, GFP, NDP, APC, UPP and PUP will have their turn in the afternoon at 2 pm. It added that each of the political parties was expected to present one person for the meeting, explaining that the decision had come about due to the directive of the President for any social gathering not to exceed 25 people. The legislative process towards a fresh voters' register commenced on Monday, March 17, 2020 as the EC asked Parliament to amend the relevant Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) 91 to reflect the changes in the proof of citizenship. The first stage of the process was surmounted when the election management body asked Parliament to amend the germane C.I. to enable the national identification card and passport to be used as the only evidence of identification for a person who applies for registration as a voter. The Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, laid the document before the House on behalf of the EC thus triggering the next stage of the legislative process. ---Daily Guide A hairdresser who styles the tresses of Australia's best known models has revealed the three treatments you can still have professionally done after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a 30-minute time limit on clients in salons. Jaye Edwards is the founder of upscale salon chain Edwards and Co which operates outlets across eight locations in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. He told Daily Mail Australia that half hour appointments are long enough to complete a quick blowdry, a basic trim or the application of a leave-in hair mask or bonding treatment, but clients would be going home with their hair still wet. Mr Edwards slammed the government for 'crippling' the industry with 'completely impractical' restrictions which prevent hairdressers from giving their customers a full cut, colour, highlights or restyle. Sydney salon director Jaye Edwards (pictured) is helping people to achieve professional colours and cuts from the comfort of their own homes as strict social distancing measures deter clients from visiting hairdressers 'You could absolutely come in here and have a really quick blowdry, or get a short treatment and leave with your hair still wet. But who wants to do that? People are terrified, we've had people cancelling non-stop this week,' Mr Edwards said He plans to shut his salons on Wednesday evening in light of the stricter measures announced by Mr Morrison late on Tuesday, which aim to slow the spread of COVID-19 by limiting human to human contact. You could absolutely come in here and have a really quick blowdry, or get a short treatment and leave with your hair still wet. But who wants to do that? Hairdressers can now have only one person per every four square metres in their salon, and clients must spend no longer than 30 minutes having their hair done - rules Mr Edwards says render stylists 'completely unable to do their jobs'. 'You could absolutely come in here and have a really quick blowdry, or get a short treatment and leave with your hair still wet. But who wants to do that? People are terrified, we've had people cancelling non-stop this week,' Mr Edwards said. He said he respects his clients' decisions to stay home 'entirely', but cannot understand why the government has shuttered beauticians, waxing salons and nail bars yet allowed hairdressers to remain open. HOW SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES ARE AFFECTING HAIRDRESSERS IN AUSTRALIA The Australian government on Tuesday announced enhanced social distancing measures aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, forcing beauty salons, nail bars and waxing studios to shut their doors - but hairdressers are allowed to remain open, provided they follow a strict set of rules: - Hairdressers must have only one person per every four square metres in their salon. - Clients must spend no longer than 30 minutes in a salon. Many salons - including the Edwards and Co chain - have shut their doors in light of these rules, which they say render them 'unable to do our jobs'. Advertisement He also said the new regulations put stylists at significantly higher risk of contracting the coronavirus and spreading it to customers. Under new restrictions, Mr Edwards and his team could treat sixteen clients over the course of an eight hour working day if they filled their appointment book with half hour slots from morning until close of business. 'Mr Morrison is technically allowing hairdressers to see 16 people each day. If we stuck to what we normally do, we would only come into contact with four people a day because we spend an average of two hours with each client. 'How does that make sense? It's putting stylists and the public in danger. It's outrageous. He needs to wake up,' Mr Edwards said. Edwards and Co public relations director Billy Daniels agreed, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'We'd rather close than let the quality of our work slip.' Mr Edwards (left) will close his doors on Wednesday evening because he would 'rather close than let the quality of our work slip' In light of the stringent restrictions, Mr Edwards has shared tips on how you can colour, retouch and blowdry your hair to salon standard from the comfort of your own home. He has already transferred much of his business online, creating 'home colour kits' which clients can use to treat their own hair until restrictions are lifted. He told Daily Mail Australia he is already shipping dozens of kits to clients across the country, providing them with their choice of dye, brush and mixing bowl, towel, gloves, foils to prevent colour transfer and detailed instructions on application. Basic kits start from $119.95 with free shipping and contain enough dye and equipment to colour hair three times, making them an purchase for anyone practicing social distancing or living in self-isolation. Mr Edwards and his team are also offering $25 FaceTime consultations for new customers to help them find their perfect colour match. Covering the hairline with oil-based lubricant prevents colour from staining the face (left), while bouncy blow outs can be achieve with a basic hairdryer and a large, round brush (right) Mr Edwards says the trick to a perfect dye job lies in covering the hairline with a 'barrier cream' or oil-based lubricant, which prevents colour from spilling over onto your forehead and staining your skin. 'Because you'll be doing this for yourself at home, you don't need to colour the whole regrowth - only do what you can see,' he said. 'If you're covering grey hair, be careful not to overlap the colour. If you're doing a root shadow, you need to paint past where your regrowth is.' To maintain hair between colouring, Mr Edwards recommends investing in a toner from acclaimed French label Christophe Robin and leaving the product to soak in for up to 30 minutes. 'Christophe Robin toners are amazing - they get rid of the brass in blondes, the reddish undertone in brunettes and also make copper more vibrant in redheads,' he said. And when it comes to perfecting a blow out at home, Mr Edwards says it's best to keep it simple, using only a standard hairdryer and a large round brush to boost volume and enhance texture. JAYE EDWARDS' TIPS ON CARING FOR HAIR AMID COVID-19 As Australia braces for an avalanche of business closures and weeks - if not months - of social distancing, Mr Edwards says this is the perfect opportunity to let your hair rest and breathe. He shared these tips with Daily Mail Australia. 1. Avoid heat styling: Take the chance to air dry your hair and leave straighteners, curlers and crimpers to the side until this is all over. 2. Invest in a good leave-in conditioner: Mr Edwards' favourite is the $42 'Refresh and Purifying Leave-In Conditioner' from Virtue Labs. 3. Start bonding your hair: Bond building products are designed to prevent damage and protect your hair from chemicals found in permanent dyes. High quality bonding products repair hair and reconnect damaged strands, making hair softer and stronger. Mr Edwards' go-to bond builder is Redken's pH Bonder which costs $33 for 150ml. 4. Treat yourself to a mask: Hair masks are famous for adding shine, softness and moisture to dull, lacklustre locks. They also reduce frizz and hydrate the scalp, making it healthier and less inclined to flake. Mr Edwards recommends the $30 Restorative Treatment Mask from Virtue Labs, which should be left on for five minutes for best results. Source: Jaye Edwards Advertisement THE BEST SUPERMARKET HAIR DYES IN AUSTRALIA For all hair colours: Clairol Natural Instincts -$28 AUD For blondes: Brilliant Silver White Hair Toner For brunettes: Revlon ColorSilk - $19 AUD For black hair: Clairol Nice 'n Easy - $43 AUD For red hair: Revlon ColorSilk -$19 AUD For highlights: L'Oreal Superior Preference Glam Lights - $22.50 AUD Source: Good Housekeeping Advertisement Addressing the changing face of life in Australia as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, Mr Edwards said businesses must monitor developments and always stay one step ahead of the curve. 'We are a premium salon, but right now we need to adapt,' he said. 'People are going to need to do stuff at home and make themselves feel good, and we are here to help them do that. 'If you don't feel good about how you look on the outside, you don't feel good on the inside - and we all need that right now, more than ever.' To help clients further, Mr Edwards has launched an IGTV series 'The Lockdown with Edwards and Co' on Instagram, taking viewers through every step of the colouring process to help them master the technique themselves. 'Watch it with your boyfriend so he knows how to do it for you too!' he said. Upcoming episodes of The Lockdown with Edwards and Co will teach viewers how to trim hair at home, master a stylish five minute up-do and create the perfect ponytail. The four First Nations of Maskwacis have declared a state of emergency, activating Treaty 6 measures to ensure the safety of residents should COVID-19 reach their communities. The chiefs of the Samson, Ermineskin, Louis Bull Tribe and Montana nations met on Sunday night and agreed to declare a Maskwacis Cree state of emergency, states a news release issued Tuesday. "We all know it's a very challenging time for the community," Montana Cree Nation proxy chief Bradley Rabbit said at Tuesday's news conference. "For a lot of us, this really is uncharted territory." The communities are calling on the federal government to provide them with the necessary funds and resources to deal with a potential outbreak. "At this time, our Nations are experiencing a shortage of health-care facilities, emergency equipment, medical supplies and medical staff to sustain and support the more than 18,000 persons who reside within our territory," says the statement. The chiefs note that Maskwacis, about 100 kilometres south of Edmonton, is vulnerable due to its proximity to Alberta's two main cities and airports. "Our peoples are at greater risk as our territory is located in the geographical area between two COVID-19 hot zones Edmonton and Calgary," said the news release. "Calgary was chosen as one of four international airports in Canada that is still allowing international flights and is two hours south of our region. We are deeply concerned COVID-19 may reach our Nation(s), and we do not have adequate resources to effectively handle any local outbreak." Irvin Bull, chief of the Louis Bull Cree Nation, said he and the other three chiefs are "trying to stay on top of this virus" but need help. "We want to ensure that supplies, everything is provided to us," Bull told the news conference. Marlene Poitras, regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations Alberta, said the coronavirus could be devastating in First Nations communities. Story continues "We don't have the same level of health-care support services that the rest of Canada enjoys," Poitras said. "That's why it's very important to support prevention efforts and to prepare for the pandemic. Efforts must be stepped up now." Unique declaration The chiefs said the Maskwacis declaration is intended to activate the medicine chest and famine and pestilence clauses of Treaty 6. Poitras said it is unique in that respect. Treaty 6, signed in 1876, was the first treaty to include the clauses. At the time, Indigenous nations on the Prairies were starving and sick as a result of the depletion of bison and an epidemic of smallpox and tuberculosis that arrived with the European settlers, according to an online article published by the University of Alberta's Faculty of Law. The terms of the clauses included the storage of a medicine chest at the Indian agent's house, additional agricultural implements than were provided in previous treaties, and a promise to protect Indigenous people from future famine and pestilence problems. The clauses have been interpreted by Indigenous leaders to mean that the federal government has an obligation to provide all forms of health-care to First Nations people on an ongoing basis. Other declarations The four First Nations of Maskwacis join a number of First Nations in Alberta that have declared states of emergency or closed their borders. Twenty-four Alberta First Nations had declared a state of local emergency as of noon Tuesday, according to an Indigenous Services Canada spokesperson. The Assembly of First Nations also declared a state of emergency on Monday. National Chief Perry Bellegarde said in a tweet that First Nations "need to be included in planning and have the proper resources to fight the virus." As of Tuesday, there were 358 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alberta. Government data shows there is one case in Wetaskiwin County. The Ellison, above, has long been a focus for local activists and officials alarmed that apartments buildings have been illegally turned into hotels. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles is taking a longtime landlord to court, accusing him of illegally running a Venice apartment building as an unpermitted hotel outfitted with a reception desk, key cards and noisy shows for a revolving door of tourists. The Ellison has long been a focus for local activists and officials alarmed that apartment buildings have been illegally turned into hotels. City Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents Venice, has called it the "poster child" for the problem, which eventually spurred the city to pass new rules on renting out homes and apartments for short stays. In recent days, as Angelenos were urged to stay home to protect themselves and others from the novel coronavirus, tenants at the Ellison have complained that the ongoing crush of travelers could jeopardize their health. "Im a 'senior citizen with an underlying condition,' basically the far end of the at-risk group, and I have to share the elevator, stairwell and lobby with an ever changing stream of tourists," longtime resident Bruce Kijewski, 71, wrote in an email outlining his concerns. "Some are wearing masks and gloves, some are just partying like theres no tomorrow." In their new lawsuit, city attorneys accuse landlord Lance Jay Robbins and two companies tied to the Venice building of trying to push out longtime tenants so that more rooms can be rented to night-to-night guests who book rooms online. Doing so has pulled needed housing off the market and violates both municipal and state laws, they argue. The lawsuit calls for an injunction to stop the 58-unit building from being advertised and operated as a hotel. City attorneys stressed that the Ellison falls under L.A.'s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which limits annual rent increases for tenants. We will fight when a landlord tries to replace scarce rent-stabilized apartments with short-term rentals, City Atty. Mike Feuer said in a statement. L.A. desperately needs more affordable housing, not less. Story continues Attorney Thomas Nitti, who represents Robbins and the other defendants, said the city was retaliating for their lawsuits against the city "to establish the Ellison as a historical hotel." The building owners have argued in court that the Ellison was historically rented out for short stays and wrongly categorized decades ago by the city as an apartment house. "It's an act of desperation by the city," Nitti said. Tenants Bruce Kijewski, left, and Kelly Day talk about concerns with night-to-night rentals at the Ellison on September 11, 2018. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Tenants also lodged a lawsuit of their own nearly two years ago, alleging that running the Ellison as a hotel had created nuisances for longtime residents. One of those residents, Brian Averill, said this week that the problem had gone from a "quality-of-life thing" to "a life-or-death thing." He was especially alarmed for Kijewski, who uses an oxygen tank. "If there ever was a reason to shut down this building, the coronavirus is it," Averill said. Nitti said that fewer guests were staying at the Ellison than usual, and that nightly rates had been cut to ensure it could keep operating. Building management has been providing hand sanitizer, wiping down surfaces, and "deep cleaning the units the industry standard," Nitti said. Robbins rejected allegations of nuisances at the building, pointing to positive reviews posted online by travelers. He argued that the Ellison was less risky for coronavirus infection than other buildings because it had open spaces and an entrance that wasn't enclosed, as well as rooms and a rooftop large enough to practice social distancing. "If people want to be in a healthy environment, this is about as healthy an environment as you can be in," Robbins said. Averill, the tenant, disputed the idea that building operators were taking special steps to protect them and guests. "It's business as usual here," he said in a phone interview Wednesday. The Ukrainian Business Council has proposed that business activities are resumed from April 3, the introduction of additional measures should not be quitted and gradually cancel the restrictions imposed, the Council has said on its website. "We must save the economy. Business must work and pay taxes everyone. We must support healthcare as a whole and doctors... Therefore, we propose to partially resume business activity from April 3, by no means introducing new measures and gradually canceling the current restrictions," the Council said in the statement. At the same time, the Ukrainian Business Council offers the following steps to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19: extensive testing and isolation of infected people, enhanced control of infected people in self-isolation using electronic means, specific restrictions on public transport for risk groups cancellation of benefits for risk groups, equipment of medical facilities and protection of doctors. According to the Council, the state should move from banning the operation of a wide business segment to banning only certain segments, which involve large crowds. "The introduction of a state of emergency at this time does not seem appropriate, it is enough to introduce a state of emergency in some regions," the Ukrainian Business Council said. "Representatives of the Ukrainian Business Council coalition, which includes 84 Ukrainian associations, urge the president, parliament and government to immediately consider the proposed measures, initiate a joint meeting and create a Crisis Response Center with the participation of experts from the Cabinet of Ministers, the Office of the President, the Verkhovna Rada, business and independent experts to discuss and work on the actions that will ensure effective response to the epidemic and do not harm the economy," the Council said. Representative Image Ninety-two Chadian soldiers have been killed in the deadliest attack ever by Boko Haram jihadists on armed forces in the country, President Idriss Deby Itno has said. The attack is part of an expanding jihadist campaign in the vast, marshy Lake Chad area, where the borders of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria converge. Boko Haram launched an insurgency in Nigeria in 2009 before beginning incursions in its neighbouring countries to the east. "We lost 92 of our soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers," in the attack overnight Sunday in Boma, the president said on Tuesday. "It's the first time we have lost so many men," he added, after visiting the site of the attack in the Lac province, which borders Niger and Nigeria. The attack on soldiers on the Boma peninsula lasted at least seven hours, and reinforcements sent to help out were also targeted, one soldier told AFP. He said 24 army vehicles were destroyed, including armoured vehicles, and captured military arms were carried off in speedboats by Boko Haram. "The enemy has hit at our defences hard in this zone," a senior officer said. Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks in recent months on the islands of the Lake Chad basin. Boko Haram's insurgency has killed 36,000 people and displaced nearly two million in northeastern Nigeria since it began, according to the UN. Since 2015, countries in the region have cooperated in the Multinational Joint Force, a regional coalition engaged around Lake Chad with the help of local residents formed into vigilante groups. The Bombay High Court has rejected the pre-arrest bail pleas of two brothers accused of cheating and submitting fake documents to obtain membership of the prestigious Garware Club in south Mumbai. Justice Prakash Naik last week rejected the pleas of the two men, but granted anticipatory bail to their mother, who is also an accused in the case. A case was lodged at Marine Drive police station against the three persons in October 2019 for allegedly submitting fake and forged documents to secure membership of the Garware Club. According to police, Mrudula Narendra Jinandra and her sons - Uday Narendra Jinandra and Himanshu Narendra Jinandra - had submitted false and fabricated documents to the club and obtained its membership. As per the case, the woman allegedly submitted forged documents to show that she was the wife of deceased club member Narottamdas Jinandra and the two other accused were his sons. The ordinary membership of Garware Club, one of the most sought after in south Mumbai, costs Rs 25 lakh. But, if a deceased member's spouse and children apply for transfer of the membership card, it costs Rs 6,000. "There is material to show that documents which are false and fabricated were utilised for obtaining membership, Justice Naik said, noting that there was prima facie material to support the allegations made in the FIR. Hence, the court rejected the pre-arrrest bail pleas of the two men, saying they are not entitled to any relief. The bench noted that Narottamdas Jinandra was married to one Shantiben, as per documents submitted by the police, and not to the present applicant Mrudula Jinandra. Even the ration card of Narottamdas Jinandra does not include the names of the applicants, it said. The court, however, granted anticipatory bail to the Mrudula Jinandra, observing that she was a senior citizen and hence, custodial interrogation should be avoided. The high court directed her to cooperate with the investigation and appear before the police station concerned to record her statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Case Studies in Social Medicine is a new series in the New England Journal of Medicine that began in 2018 and concluded in March of 2020, totaling 15 brief cases along with an introduction and conclusion. Authored by a group of clinicians and scholars in the social sciences and humanities, each piece is an attempt to use the case to sharpen the value of social interventions in clinical practice. The social, cultural, and political dimensions of health have long been deemphasized in medicine. As the creators of the series put it in their introduction, medical training and research are built on an assumption that in clinical medicine, the biologic and behavioral world of a patients body is more important than the social world outside it. The series is an answer to this problem, elaborating clinical cases using social theory. Social structures, write the case series creators, are integral to the problems clinicians face every day. We are convinced that it is time to develop approaches to addressing those forces, allowing clinicians to participate in building more effective health systems and a healthier society. Central to the framing of these cases, structure is a concept with a long legacy in the social sciences that has been recently deployed in the context of structural competency in health care (Metzl and Hansen 2014). The structural competency framework is both a response to as well as a refinement of pedagogies of cultural competency, which often focus on questions of personal meaning to the exclusion of social and economic forces, and risk reproducing simplistic stereotypes of ostensibly cultural health behaviors. This series uses patient cases to illustrate the ways that social structures impact health, and suggest ways that doctors can use a structural understanding of health in practical ways. The cases are all authored by different people (though there are a few individuals who contributed to multiple pieces), and the collection is heterogeneous in some ways. But overall, what ties the series together is a goal of using the case to argue for the relevance of social theory to medicine. Each text is presented in a clinical case format, centered on a single patient and a presenting problem (or in some cases, a comparison of two patients with the same presenting problem). The clinical case is ubiquitous in medical literature and education, and it functions to transform the uniqueness and complexity of a patients story into a recognizable instance of a generic underlying pathology. For this series, rather than illustrating a biomedical principle, each case is used to demonstrate the utility of a social theoretical concept, which is used as a lens to understand and unlock the case. Some examples from the case series give a sense of how, while the terms presented vary, the case format is used to demonstrate a single social theory concept, which in turn leads the way to the clinical next steps. In one case, the authors present the case of a 43 year old man with rheumatoid arthritis who is blocked from obtaining his long-prescribed pain medications by a combination of clinic practices and insurance policies, and must purchase opioids from a friend. This demonstrates the concept of structural iatrogenesis, defined as, the causing of clinical harm to patients by bureaucratic systems within medicine, including those intended to benefit them. In another, we read about a 32 year old transgender man who presented to an Emergency Department with intermittent abdominal pain and a positive pregnancy test, but because of his gender presentation, was not determined to be pregnant for several hours. An emergency caesarean delivery was performed, but they baby did not survive. The authors analyze this case in relation to the concept of classification, writing: In medicine, classification provides powerful tools for diagnosis. However, classifications including those of race and sex often fail to capture complexity, preventing practitioners from taking the best course of action. While classification is a broad concept, other cases are anchored on more discrete and specialized theories from the social sciences. In a third example, the authors discuss the case of Mr. P, a 53 year old black man with schizoaffective disorder, PTSD, and substance use disorder who was thriving with the support of a psychiatrist and wrap-around social services intervention, until his documented clinical improvement prevented him from receiving SSI income, at which point he stopped attending appointments and was hospitalized. This case introduces the concept of biological citizenship, defined as a system in which claims to resources and access to care are contingent on a particular biologic status, such as an injury or disease state. These ideas from medical social sciences and humanities can shift how clinicians think and work. What is particularly successful here is how the series goes beyond a common-sense invocation of humanism or empathy, instead presenting a version of structural competence that deploys a careful analysis of social phenomena. Each case, in addition to the patients story and an analysis in terms of one concept from social theory, gives several recommendations for clinical practice. These vary, but common themes include being aware of the social and structural determinants of health, using the authority of physicians to advocate for patients, collaborating with other professionals and communities with specific skills or direct knowledge, and working on a community-wide or policy level to enact broader change. Each text is short: a focused explication of a single idea. This helps avoid the pitfall of social theory which seeks to do too much, resulting in a vague sense of complexity and contingency. At the same time, such atomized cases run the risk of clinicians who engage them feeling that they have simply observed the obvious and then attached a complicated label to it. What are the consequences of this approach, and what might be the alternatives? The clinical case and forms of ethnographic writing such as the fieldnote differ in their objectives and in the way that those forms of writing emphasize the production of knowledge from a particular fieldworkers experience at a specific time and place. At work in the construction of a clinical case is a kind of generalization that diverges from much ethnography but is necessary in medical literature; consider, in contrast, what Arthur Kleinman and Peter Benson describe in their own critique of cultural competency and call for clinicians to practice a kind of mini-ethnography: focus on the patient as an individual, not a stereotype; as a human being facing danger and uncertainty, not merely a case; as an opportunity for the doctor to engage in an essential moral task (2006). Yet thinking in cases can be used in different ways, including calling into question the very expertise upon which the construction of the case depends, as Emily Yates-Doerr and Christine Labuski suggest in their series on the ethnographic case. Case Series in Social Medicine invites us to reconsider the clinical case, as it brings the social world into the domain of medical knowledge, while simultaneously attempting to turn a critical eye to medicine itself. In thinking about the goal of applying social theory to medicine, it is worthwhile revisiting a well-known essay by Nancy Scheper-Hughes. In it, she critiques what she terms a clinically applied medical anthropology. Like the colonial allegiances of 20th century anthropology as a discipline, she argues, clinically applied medical anthropology offers no serious challenge to the broader power structurein this case, biomedicinethat enables it: Clinical medical anthropology has become a new commodity, carefully sanitized, nicely packaged, pleasant tasting (no bitter after-taste)the very latest and very possibly the most bourgeois product introduced into the medical education curriculum (1990:191). She offers in its place a critical medical anthropology, though one defined in uncertain terms, with multiple divergent possible trajectories. Yet the enduring value of her critique is to question whether it is possible for social science to be radical or even truly critical while remaining in the good graces of medicines powers-that-be. The Case Series in Social Medicine illustrates this tension. The cases authors are working in the tradition of critical medical anthropology that Scheper-Hughes advocated (in particular, within her third proposal for a critical medical anthropology, the radicalization of medical knowledge and practice). In one example, Dr. R, a physician in a poor community in Mexico, gradually recognizes that biomedicine could not provide the necessary tools to address his patients underlying malnutrition, and so Dr. R partnered with community members to foster long-term efforts to improve health and nutrition. These cases problematize the epistemology and politics of contemporary biomedicine and illustrate its limits. And yet, the project as a whole is circumscribed by the demands of medical ways of knowing: presented in a case format with a strict word limit, pared down to the essentials needed to elucidate a single concept, and circulated in the prestigious and paywalled New England Journal of Medicine. Scheper-Hughes writes, To the young, up-and-coming medical anthropologist I would say: Take off that white jacket, immediately! Hang it up, and put on the white face of the harlequin. Dont be seduced; be the seducer! Dont be subverted; be the subverter! (1990:195). While this seems to imply a neat dichotomy, the reality is blurrier, as valuable critical insights emerge in part from the practice of medicine itself, rather than solely from critical scholarship. This is evident in the case of J, a 16 year old boy with conduct disorder. The authors of this case discuss Js therapy in relation to the concept of dialogic praxis, and more broadly, the work of Paulo Freire. But they also point out that this way of working with patients was shaped by the clinical training Js psychiatrist had received in the 1990s. While that training itself derived from the writings of Freire and others, this is a good reminder that the lexicon of a 21st-century Case Studies in Social Medicineis in some sense a mode of labeling practices that already exist in medicine, even as it works to make contemporary biomedicine more responsive to social forces at play in the clinic and beyond. As the creators of the Case Series in Social Medicine note, the centrality of social factors in clinical care has long been recognized by physicians. The Case Series in Social Medicine is a valuable tool for engaging students and practitioners in clinical disciplines and the social sciences. Yet if we understand these cases as simply offering biomedicine what it lacksinsight into the social context of its practicesthey will become exercises in precisely the kind of clinically applied medical anthropology that Scheper-Hughes decried 30 years ago. We should think of the role of the case study in social medicine instead as an entry in to a set of debates that already exist among clinicians and engaged social scientists. In this way, they can serve as a point of departure for the necessary work still to be done in social medicine. Works Cited Kleinman, Arthur, and Peter Benson 2006 Anthropology in the Clinic: The Problem of Cultural Competency and How to Fix It. PLoS Medicine 3(10): e294. Metzl, Jonathan M., and Helena Hansen 2014 Structural Competency: Theorizing a New Medical Engagement with Stigma and Inequality. Social Science & Medicine 103: 126133. Scheper-Hughes, Nancy 1990 Three Propositions for a Critically Applied Medical Anthropology. Social Science & Medicine 30(2): 189197. Joshua Franklin is an MD/PhD candidate in anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. His dissertation, entitled Following the Childs Lead: Care and Transformation in a Pediatric Gender Clinic, studied the ways that health professionals engage young peoples agency and their desires for social transformation in the practice of gender-affirming care. Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] A large number of employees have staged a walkout at a major poultry plant in Northern Ireland over coronavirus concerns, a union has said. The mass walkout took place at Moy Park in Portadown, Co Armagh. The company is one of the UKs top 15 food companies and the regions largest chicken producer. Sean McKeever, Unite regional officer, said the walkout was caused by workers worries about health issues. Mr McKeever said: We need to see immediate movement ... to address the workers legitimate fears over coronavirus transmission. Unite has called for Moy Park to ensure effective infection control at its site, including adequate social distancing between workers. A spokesperson for Moy Park said: The health and wellbeing of our team is our most important consideration and we have put new, robust measures in place to keep them safe. Our teams are playing a vital role in keeping food production moving and feeding the nation. We are committed to ensuring they are safe and well to keep providing these essential food products, the spokesperson added. The company also claimed that 100 workers were involved in the walkout, and that they all returned to work after 15 minutes. Elsewhere in Co Armagh, a small number of workers walked away from an ABP meat processing site in Lurgan. Susan Fitzgerald, Unite regional co-ordinating officer, asked the government to protect workers. She said: Approximately 80 employees at ABP Meats in Lurgan who are deemed essential refused work today over fears for their safety. As well as social distancing, Ms Fitzgerald said employees wanted work-stations deep-cleaned, after some of their colleagues self-isolated with coronavirus symptoms. John ODowd, a Sinn Fein Assembly member, said the safety of workers in essential services and their families was paramount. Statutory bodies with responsibility for health and safety need to take action to make sure those businesses which remain open are not placing any of their workers or their families at risk, he added. Benzinga is covering every angle of how the coronavirus affects the financial world. For daily updates, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter. Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) is creating a website and mobile applications for collecting data on the treatment of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with antimalarial drugs, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. What Happened Oracle is donating the project to the federal government, which will maintain oversight, according to the Post. The platforms will collect information from doctors about administering the drugs to their coronavirus patients to determine their effectiveness based on data outside of more established methods of clinical trials. The Trump administration is also exploring whether the participating doctors should receive bonus payments, the Post noted. President Donald Trump was convinced of the effectiveness of two antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, for the coronavirus after multiple conversations with Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, multiple officials familiar with the matter told the Post. Why It Matters Ellison is a long-term backer of Trump, and earlier this year held a fundraiser for his re-election bid, even as hundreds of employees walked out as a protest, Time reported in February. The president has publicly advocated for the use of both drugs for COVID-19 based on anecdotal evidence from China and France. Many healthcare officials, including within the Trump administration, have called for more evidence, in particular for proper clinical trials to be conducted, before the drugs are recommended for COVID-19 patients. "Many of the things that you hear out there are what I had called anecdotal reports," White House Coronavirus Task Force member Anthony Fauci said on the antimalarial drugs on Saturday, as per the Post. "They may be true, but they're anecdotal. So the only thing that I was saying is that if you really want definitively to know if something works, that you've got to do the kind of trial that you get, the good information." Story continues At least 18,615 people across the globe have lost their lives to the deadly virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 418,000 have been infected, as the risk of further exponential spread remains. Price Action Oracle's shares closed 8.26% higher at $47.84 on Tuesday and traded another 0.23% higher in the after-hours session at $47.95. See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Doctors test hospital staff with flu-like symptoms for the CCP virus in tents set up to triage possible COVID-19 patients outside before they enter the main emergency department area at St. Barnabas hospital in the Bronx borough of New York City on March 24, 2020. (Misha Friedman/Getty Images) NY Health Commissioner Dismisses White House Call for New Yorkers to Enter Self-Quarantine New Yorks health commissioner on Wednesday dismissed a call from White House officials for anyone who left or is leaving the New York metro area to self-quarantine for two weeks. I would not follow that, Dr. Howard Zucker told reporters in Albany. These cases are all over the country, its not just in New York, he added. Zucker spoke after a reporter asked New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to speak on the White House guidance as well as answer whether he, himself, would enter quarantine because he was in New York City on Tuesday. The most important thing in life is to know what you dont know. I dont know medicine, Cuomo answered, directing Zucker to answer. Zucker said that people should follow guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before dismissing the guidance issued by White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Debbie Birx late Tuesday. Birx told reporters in Washington that officials are deeply concerned about the explosion of CCP virus cases in New York City and New York state. New York was up to 30,811 confirmed cases as of Wednesday. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Commissioner of New York State Department of Health Dr. Howard Zucker participates in a news conference on the CCP virus in New York City on March 2, 2020. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) Tests for hospital staff with flu-like symptoms wait to be analyzed for the CCP virus in New York City on March 24, 2020. (Misha Friedman/Getty Images) Everybody who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days to ensure that the virus doesnt spread to others, no matter where they have gone, whether its Florida, North Carolina, or out to far reaches of Long Island, Birx said. We are starting to see new cases across Long Island that suggests people have left the city. This will be very critical that those individuals do self-quarantine in their homes over the next 14 days to make sure that they dont pass the virus to others based on the time that they left New York. So if theyre already 4 days out then its just 10 more days. Florida earlier in the week announced it was requiring anyone entering the state from New York or New Jersey to enter a 14-day quarantine. The mandatory quarantine is the only way that we can be sure that that virus is not going to be reintroduced in the state of Florida and then spread, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference, adding that he discussed the measure with President Donald Trump. DeSantis said people in New York fled after Cuomo announced an order for people to stay at home except for essential trips. Were getting huge amounts of people flying in, he said. Jharkhand government has initiated several welfare measures, including low-price Khichdi distribution centres and two months advance ration to PDS beneficiaries, in a bid to ease the economic burden on the poor residents of the state during the 21-day long nation-wide lockdown to check the spread of highly infectious Covid-19. A total of 356 Khichdi(an easy to cook nutritious dish) distribution centres have started functioning from Wednesday across the state. However, beneficiaries are not allowed to have the food sitting at the centres due to the need to maintain social distancing. Besides, the centres would not offer plates for food but require the beneficiaries to bring their own plates from homes, officials said. Chief minister Hemant Soren on Monday had directed to convert all Mukhiya Mantri Daal-Bhaat Kendras, where rice, pulse and a vegetable was being served at Rs 5, into Khichdi centres for the needy in the state during this period of crisis. However, the food would not be for free. Beneficiaries have to pay Rs 5 for a plate of Khichdi. If it is done free, people might misuse the food. This is why a minimal price is being taken from the beneficiaries, said the principal secretary of food, public distribution and consumer affairs department, Arun Kumar Singh. In Ranchi city area, 11 Khichdi centres started functioning from Wednesday, while 18 centres started functioning in the in rural areas. Footfalls at these centres in village areas have dropped, while it is quite good in city areas due to the presence of hospitals, said Meena, in-charge district supply officer (DSO), Ranchi. Ravindra Kumar, a resident of Chhatarpur in Garhwa, said he is a migrant labourer and recently returned from Uttar Pradesh, where he was working as a contract labourer. Khichdi centre has come as a great relief in this crisis, as there is a crisis of food item at home. I will request such centres should also be operative at night, he said. Sub-divisional officer (SDO), Chhatarpur, Narendra Gupta said, We received a huge response on the first day. There is a good population of migrant labourer here. A total of 16 centres have been started, which would be taken to 46 very soon, he said. The state government has also decided to offer two months ration to the beneficiaries enrolled under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Singh said, We are allotting ration of two months-April and May- to the beneficiaries so that they do not suffer during the lockdown. Around 2.64 crore people from 57 lakh households are covered under NFSA in Jharkhand. However, there are many who are still deprived of ration cards. More than 6.97 lakh applications for ration cards are pending with the department. Since Centre has fixed number of beneficiaries under NFSA, these people might suffer during the lockdown. Keeping this in mind, the department has given Rs 30 lakh to each district and directed the district authorities to provide 10kg of rice to needy families, if they are lacking ration cards. Sanjay Kumar, director food, public distribution and consumers affairs, said, Additional Rs 5 lakh was given to each district on Tuesday to deal with any kind of hunger situation in the district. Meanwhile, the education department is giving one months mid-may meal ration to students under a take-home ration scheme so that no student suffers due to closure of the schools. MGNREGA wage rises by Rs 23, the state seeks unemployment allowance during the lockdown The Centre has increased minimum wage for MGNREGA workers in Jharkhand from Rs 171 to Rs 194, even as Jharkhand government has sought unemployment allowance from the centre for MGNREGA workers during the lockdown period, officials said. Jharkhand MGNREGA commissioner Sidhartha Tripathi said this was for the first time when the minimum wage for MGNREGA increased by Rs 23. However, we had demanded it to be made at par with states minimum wage, which is Rs 274, Tripathi said. He said the enhanced remuneration will come into effect from April 1. He further said the state has written to the Centre for unemployment allowance for the workers, who would not be able to work despite allotment due to the lockdown. We have engaged 54,000 worksite supervisor for sensitization regarding the threat of Covid-19 in rural areas. We have taken all precautions for the labourers who are working in sites, he said. ... SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In the wake of her mothers untimely death, a young woman from Bangalore--born into a life of privilege--drops everything and travels to the opposite end of India--to the state of Jammu and Kashmir--to search for a long-lost figure from her childhood--an enigmatic Kashmiri man named Bashir Ahmed. What follows is a tale of romance, intrigue, conflict, politics, self-discovery, and tragedy. Readers will find this and much more in the best-selling novel, The Far Field, written by author Madhuri Vijay. The book won the 2019 JCB Prize for Literature, one of Indias most prestigious literary awards. The Washington Post book critic Ron Charles says that The Far Field offers something essential: a chance to glimpse the lives of distant people captured in prose gorgeous enough to make them indelible and honest enough to make them real. This week, Milan Vaishnav (Director of the South Asia programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) speaks with Vijay from her home in Hawaii. They discuss Vijays journey as a writer, her decision to set her book in Kashmir, and the surprising connections between her idyllic adopted home of Hawaii and the conflicted state of Jammu and Kashmir. ALBANY Doug Estadt distills gin and vodka in a building tucked away in Albany's warehouse district. But he's found a new use for the so-called tails, what's left over from the production process. He's added aloe vera gel, lavender oil and something called tea tree oil to create a pleasant-smelling hand sanitizer. Lately, he's supplied the sanitizer to the local post office and given it to his customers at his Capital Distillery on Learned Street. "I'm making it as fast I can," he said Wednesday. "People love it." Estadt's company is probably the smallest of a number of local businesses meeting the demand for products ranging from face masks and hospital gowns to digital X-ray scanners and ventilators. As the Covid-19 pandemic spreads, hospitals and other healthcare providers are hoping industries nationwide will retool to meet the demand for such products. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage In Colonie, Comfortex Window Fashions is exploring ways with local hospitals and government officials to put its expertise with fabrics to work producing medical masks and disposable surgical gowns. "The Comfortex team has made clear in these conversations that if there is any way that our Company can help serve the needs of people and businesses during this crisis, we are prepared to do so," it said in a note to its dealers. Comfortex officials weren't available for further comment. In Latham, PVA Precision Valve & Automation is pursuing a number of initiatives in the Covid-19 effort, from manufacturing the machinery to produce hand sanitizer to providing Covid-19 test kit robotic dispensers. It also has produced a prototype ventilator as it offers to manufacture the breathing apparatus used to treat Covid-19 patients in hospitals. The ventilator initiative was first reported by the Albany Business Review. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said that New York needs 30,000 ventilators. PVA's Frank Hart, the company's managing director of global sales and marketing, figures PVA by itself, working round-the-clock, could produce at least 100 machines a day. But PVA is exploring cooperative efforts with at least two other Capital Region manufacturers, Plug Power in Latham and Core Tech Industrial Corp. in Ballston Spa, to boost output to as many as 1,000 machines per day. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "The response (to PVA's proposal to produce ventilators) has been pretty overwhelming," Hart said Wednesday. "A number of businesses have offered to help." Still, PVA wants to make sure there are actual customers if it produces the machines, which it can produce for "well under $8,000" for a single unit. Mass production could further reduce the costs, Hart said. "We gave details to the (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) this morning," he said Wednesday. The prototype, which utilizes PVA's existing supply chain, took two days to construct. If they receive the necessary approvals, "we would start building within a day or two," Hart said. "Our desire is to fulfill the state's needs" for the ventilators, Hart added. "We're committed to offering 100 percent of our resources to the state." Meanwhile, GE Healthcare also is ramping up production of ventilators, and on Tuesday announced a partnership with Ford Motor Co. to manufacture a simplified design of GE's existing ventilator that would meet the needs of Covid-19 patients. "Locally, GE Healthcares digital detector production facility at the RPI Tech Park in North Greenbush produces and refurbishes the detectors for mobile X-ray systems, which helps in keeping these systems operational in our hospitals," a GE spokesperson said. "Mobile X-ray imaging is one of the important tools utilized in COVID-19 screening." The digital detector technology was developed at GE's Global Research Center in Niskayuna. CANBERRA, Australia - Australia on Wednesday criticized China for formally charging a Chinese-Australian writer with espionage during the coronavirus pandemic. Yang Hengjun was taken into custody upon arriving in China from New York in January 2019 with his wife, Yuan Xiaoliang, and his 14-year-old stepdaughter. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said her government strongly objects to news that China had formally charged the 54-year-old spy novelist and democracy advocate. Crises are a time for nations to pull together. It is not in the spirit of mutual respect and trust that our continued advocacy for Dr. Yang has not been acknowledged, Payne said in a statement. The Chinese Embassy described Paynes statement as deplorable. The Chinese relevant authorities are investigating the case in accordance with Chinese law, an embassy statement said. We urge the Australian side to respect Chinas judicial sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the legal process in any form. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Yang was suspected of engaging in criminal activities that endangers the national security of the Peoples Republic of China. Consular visits would be arranged after the epidemic situation has improved, Geng said. Payne said China had refused Australia consular access to Yang since Dec. 30 because of COVID-19 concerns. Australia had requested telephone or written contact instead but had been refused. This is unacceptable treatment of an Australian citizen, Payne said. Yangs poor health made him especially vulnerable to COVID-19. Australia has appealed for humanitarian considerations to apply to Yangs situation, Payne said. We deeply regret that for over a year, our requests have not been taken up. Dr. Yang has had no access to legal representation and has been held in harsh conditions that have been detrimental to his physical and mental health, Payne said. Australia called for Yangs immediate release and that he be allowed to leave China and travel to Australia with his wife. We have asked repeatedly that basic international standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment apply, Payne said. Some analysts suspect Yang has been detained because of Chinese anger over Australian legislation passed by Parliament in 2018 that outlaws covert foreign interference in Australian politics and institutions. A Pune-based couple, the first COVID-19 patients in Maharashtra, received a warm welcome from their housing society members when they arrived in the premises on Wednesday afternoon after being discharged from hospital following recovery. Residents of the housing society, located on Sinhgad Road, came out in their balconies and clapped and clanged their utensils to greet the 51-year-old man and his 43-year- old wife. The couple was discharged from Naidu Hospital on Wednesday after they tested negative twice for the coronavirus infection following the completion of 14 days of the isolation period. They were overwhelmed by the warm welcome from their housing society members. "When the ambulance reached the gate of our society, which has over 350 flats, the residents were already standing in their balconies. As we stepped inside the complex, people cheered, clapped and even clanged their utensils to welcome us," said the 51-year-old man. He said that since no in-person meeting was allowed, several society residents called him up to congratulate and express their support. "Some of them had already arranged essential items at our home to ensure we do not have any problem," he said. Earlier, while getting discharged from the civic-run hospital, the couple was greeted with flowers by senior district administration officials, doctors and hospital staff who maintained a certain distance from each other. The couple and their 23-year-old daughter were part of a 40-member tourist group that returned to Mumbai from Dubai on March 1. They travelled from Mumbai to Pune in a cab. Besides the couple, their daughter and the cab driver had also tested positive for the coronavirus. After the isolation period, the first test of their daughter, the cab driver and one more person from the Dubai trip tested negative on Tuesday, an official from the health department said. "Their repeat samples will be sent today and if they test negative, they will also be discharged," he said. The couple appealed to people to follow the instructions and maintain social distancing to contain the spread of the virus. "After the discharge, we will be under home quarantine and will follow the protocol and instructions given to us by health officials," the couple said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lucknow, March 25 : A group of 37 people from Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh, back from a religious trip from Mecca in Saudi Arabia, has now been quarantined after it was found that they removed "home quarantine" stamp with the help of a perfume, local health and administration officials said on Wednesday. The suspicion arose when the health condition of a woman, a part of the group, deteriorated and later she was found coronavirus positive. Her son, too, has been declared corona positive, officials in Pilibhit said. The group belongs to Amaria town of Pilibhit district, sources said, adding the 37 people from about half-a-dozen villages had gone to perform 'umrah' in Mecca. The group returned to the villages via Mumbai on March 19 and all its members were stamped quarantine. "However, they were able to rub out the stamp with the help of a foreign perfume to avoid detection," said a Pilibhit health official on condition of anonymity. "The group avoided air route and chose to travel by train from Mumbai to Lucknow," said the official. Pilibhit district health and administration officials told IANS that all 37 members of the group have been quarantined. Pitt State grad: from clinics abroad to pandemic at home Tuesday, March 24, 2020 6:00 PM News, Alumni, People and Society, Science and Technology Pittsburg, KS Dr. Zach Krumsick, M.D., first got a taste of serving others in challenging environments as a student majoring in biology at Pittsburg State, when the Frontenac, Kansas, native journeyed with faculty and classmates to Peru, Belize, and Juarez, Mexico, to set up medical clinics in underserved areas. And, that experience continued in 2012, when after graduation he spent a year in the poverty-stricken area of Nairobi, Kenya, doing humanitarian work in public health and education before beginning medical school at the University of Kansas. It came to a head this month when he found himself as a third-year resident on the front lines of tending to patients during a pandemic that followed on the heels of a deadly tornado outbreak; one hit the Nashville area, home to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he works in the Emergency Department. The tornadoes killed 26 people, injured 300, left more than 70,000 including several of his fellow residents without power and water, and hit the hospital warehouse that housed the majority of supplies they use to restock. Days later, Krumsick and his colleagues turned their attention to preparing for COVID-19; a photo of a parking garage converted into an extension of the ED, with rows of beds and temporary walls, has gone viral. When I talk to my colleagues, it's very surreal, he said. None of us could ever have imagined this, but I feel like were doing really well, considering. Its required innovation. Were hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. Setting up a clinic in Belize; on a medical mission in Peru Krumsick recalls innovation also being important on his medical missions as a student; he and his classmates served patients from other cultures in small villages miles from even the most primitive of hospitals or clinics. It was those experiences, on those trips, my first patient encounters that laid a foundation for me to use today; I only had a few minutes to gain their trust and develop a relationship, to work with them and treat them, and I likely would never see them again, he said. Thats very much what life is like now in the emergency department. He and his colleagues have changed their patient triage process to mitigate the risk of those with COVID-19 infecting others, theyre protecting vulnerable populations, and theyre taking extra precautions themselves including being vigilant about the proper use and disposal of masks, gowns, and gloves. Its always at the back of my mind that I could get this, and I think about my family, bringing it home to my baby or my wife, he said. I think about my friends and family back in Southeast Kansas and their possible exposure. Im hyper aware. We all are. Life for he and his cohorts of 39 residents is focused completely on COVID-19 now, he said. There is technically no day off; were all on call and can get a call at any moment, he said. We stay until the job is done. But Ive wanted to do this since elementary school, and certainly that was reinforced in college in those clinics we set up abroad. It spoke to my heart, down there in Peru, in Belize, in Mexico, that this is really what I wanted to do. What would future Zach say to past Zach? I would 100 percent go for it I would take the exact same path. The Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, has sentenced Joan Uruvbu (alias Jay Jay) to two years imprisonment for internet fraud following her arraignment by the Benin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Joan Uruvbu, who among those declared wanted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for internet fraud, was dragged to court by the EFCC on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and intent to defraud. One of the counts reads: That you, Joan Uruvbu (alias Jay Jay) Daniel Mercedes, Paul Tommy and Sally (all at large) between 2018 and 2019 in Benin City within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did conspire to used attached E-mail to obtain personal identification information of others online to use same to file fraudulent tax returns with the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States of America ( USA) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section (27)(b) of the cybercrime(prohibtion prevention etc) Act ,2015 and punishable under Section 36(1) of the same Act. In view of her plea, counsel for the EFCC, L.P. Aso, prayed the court that the defendant is convicted and sentenced accordingly. However, the defence counsel, John Okhihiegbe, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as the defendant was a first-time offender, a youth who had a future ahead of her and has shown remorse. Justice Emeka Nwite after listening to the defence and prosecution convicted and sentenced her to two years in prison commencing from the date of arrest. Also, all items recovered from her are to be forfeited and restitution made to her victims. Pennsylvania lawmakers have passed emergency legislation that shortens the school year and provides financial guarantees to schools and their employees as part of the states response to the coronavirus outbreak that led to Gov. Tom Wolfs decision to close schools now for at least three weeks. The measure will soon be on its way to the governors desk for his signature after the House passed it on Wednesday by a 198-0 vote and shortly thereafter, by the Senate on a 50-0 vote. On March 13, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all K-12 schools to close for two weeks over COVID-19 concerns. On Monday, he extended that closure order until at least through April 6, and said that could be extended longer if it considered necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus. No matter how long schools remain closed, extending the school year past June is not an option, Pennsylvania Education Secretary Pedro Rivera said Wednesday. By statute, we cant extend school past June 30, Rivera told reporters during a conference call. Thats actually when schools fiscally close, then we go into the next years fiscal cycle. So no, we cant extend beyond June 30. With that long of an ordered closing at this time of year, it is becoming difficult for schools to meet the state-mandated 180 instructional day school year. This bill waives that mandate, along with granting waivers that shorten the hours required for a career and technical program, days for preschool instruction; and the 12-week requirement for student teachers. It allows for expanded use of flexible instructional days, which allow schools to give out school assignments to students to do at home in emergency situations and have it count as a school day. Currently, schools were limited to no more than five flexible instructional days in a school year. Additionally, it states that any school employee, professional or support staff, employed by a school entity as of March 13 will be paid and earn pension credits the same as they would had schools not closed and the pandemic not occurred. Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford County, who offered the amendment providing for these emergency measures, said it would not apply to employees of firms with which a school district contracts. It also ensures schools will not lose any state funding and charter schools will receive the same amount they were receiving for the students they enrolled on March 13. It also addresses payments to school bus contractors and private residential rehabilitative institutions. It also requires the Department of Education to apply for a federal waiver from PSSA and Keystone Exam testing in 2020, and authorizes the secretary of education to waive exams for career and technical education students as well. Among other provisions in the emergency measure, it requires schools to: Make a good faith effort to plan to offer continuity of education to students using alternative means while their buildings are closed. Provide employees tasked with cleaning school facilities with the proper protective gear and cleaning materials; Give notice to parents of students with individualized education programs that the student will be ensured of an appropriate education; Waives the minimal instructional time and standardized testing requirement for private schools. This bill was among several coronavirus response-related legislation that the General Assembly passed on Wednesday using their temporary rule changes that for the first times in both chambers history, allowed members to vote remotely to avoid a gathering of more than 10 people to slow the virus spread and practice social distancing as is recommended. Senate Education Committee Chairman Wayne Langerholc, R-Cambria County, said through his remote connection to the Senate floor that this bill will serve as a template as we continue to navigate the uncharted waters" created by the coronavirus even though it remains unknown when students will return to school. This bill is about the students of this great commonwealth, he said. Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-Chester County, said he supported the bill but voiced concern about the continuity of education for students, saying that continuity is in crisis. He noted in Philadelphia, about half of the students do not have access to online learning. The same goes for students in rural parts of the commonwealth. The Legislature, the Department of Education and each and every one of us as senators need to assist our local districts so we can bring about the continuity of education, Dinniman said. The Pennsylvania State Education Association applauded the bills passage, saying it is grateful that lawmakers and the governor have provided this clear policy guidance to educators during this unprecedented emergency, said the unions spokesman Chris Lilienthal. Teachers across Pennsylvania are doing their best to provide instruction and enrichment to their students while support staff are cleaning and maintaining school buildings, preparing for new kinds of instruction, and making sure students get breakfast and lunch every day. This bill will help educators and support staff do their jobs and keep kids safe and engaged in learning. The emergency provisions were attached to a Senate-passed school bill that was noteworthy in its own right. It calls for changes in the way teachers and principals are evaluated to reduce the reliance on student performance measures, starting in 2021-22. That bills sponsor, Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster County, said this change will help drive up student performance by moving away from the teaching to the test mentality that he said diminished teachers ability to creatively instruct. The new evaluation system increases the weight classroom observations carry in those job performance reviews to 70 percent, up from the current 50 percent. The measure would also apply a factor for student poverty level - in addition to student performance measures - in the remaining 30 percent. Interest in changing the educator evaluation system was spurred by a 2017 law change that ended seniority-based teacher layoffs in Pennsylvania and tied those furlough decisions to educators job performance evaluation. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Boko Haram extremists have killed at least 92 Chadian soldiers in the deadliest attack on the nation's forces, Chad's president said. The attack took place overnight Sunday into Monday in the village of Boma in the Lac province near the border with Nigeria and Niger. President Idriss Deby gave the toll on state television late Tuesday after visiting the site. "Never in our history have we lost so many men at one time," he said. Boko Haram extremists have killed tens of thousands and forced millions from their homes during their more than decade-long insurgency. They have carried out numerous attacks in the Lake Chad region where Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and Niger come together. The Islamic extremist group also killed 50 Nigerian soldiers on Monday in a separate attack in Yobe state in Nigeria's north. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing 21 days lockdown in wake of the unprecedented situation arising out of coronavirus outbreak in the country. "It is good that Prime Minister Modi has announced 21 days Lockdown. It was the need of the hour," said Deshmukh. Emphasising on situation of Maharashtra, he ensured that there will no scarcity of essential commodities in the state. "I assure everyone in Maharashtra that there will be no scarcity of essential items including grains, groceries, medicines. Govt will ensure supply of essential items," he said. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that it is vital to break the chain of the disease and experts have said that at least 21 days are needed for it. The Prime Minister said the lockdown has drawn a "Lakshman Rekha" in every home and people should stay indoors for their own protection and for that of their families. Noting that the Centre has on Tuesday allocated Rs 15,000 crore for the treatment of coronavirus patients and to strengthen health infrastructure, he said testing facilities, personal protective equipment, isolation beds, ICU beds, ventilators and other necessary materials will be ramped up. The Prime Minister said the country will have to bear the economic cost of lockdown but saving the life of every citizen is his priority and the priority of the Central and state governments as also of local administrations. Noting that the virus spreads like fire, he said that if care is not taken for 21 days, the country, a family can go behind by 21 years. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India has reported about 536 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known positive cases. A total of 22,694 samples from 21,804 individuals have been tested for SARS-CoV2 as on March 24 till 8 pm. Ten people have died so far due to the deadly virus, according to the data by Union health ministry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the coronavirus pandemic has drastically impacted revenues of the aviation sector, GoAir CEO Vinay Dube stated on Wednesday that all employees will be taking a pay cut in March. Dube had announced last week that only the top leadership of GoAir would be taking a pay cut of up to 50 per cent. During the last few days, the airline has also taken other cost cutting measures -- it has laid off its expat pilots, asked its employees to go on leave without pay on a rotational basis, and announced that its top leadership would be taking a pay cut of up to 50 per cent. In an official communication to employees, Dube on Wednesday said, "Under the current conditions we find ourselves in, we are left with no choice but to extend salary cuts for all of us for the month of March. We will ensure that the lowest pay grades suffer the least." India has banned international commercial passenger flights from Sunday. Moreover, domestic flights have also been suspended from Tuesday midnight. Last week, IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta stated that the senior employees of the low-cost carrier will have a pay cut of up to 25 per cent. Air India also announced that the pandemic has caused "insurmountable dip" in revenues and therefore, it is reducing the allowances of all employees - except cabin crew - by 10 per cent for the next three months. In his email to employees on Wednesday, Dube said, "With the grounding of our fleet for the next 21 days, GoAir will require only a skeletal base of employees to focus on the preservation of our aircraft and the reopening of our skies. I request the rest of our employees to stay at home and respect the 21-day lockdown announced by the Honourable Prime Minister." On the issue of pay cuts for everyone, he said he is acutely aware of the pain this decision will inflict on employees and their families, but he does not see another way for the airline to get through this crisis and provide the employees with long-term employment. "In GoAir's 14-year history, we have never cut employee salaries or deferred salary payments. And throughout our 14-year history our employees have stood by us and taken care of our customers with pride and honour," he stated. "When the tide turns once again, and it will, GoAir will find a way to compensate all of you for the sacrifice you are being asked to make at this juncture. Given the strong business fundamentals of GoAir, I believe that moment is not so far away," Dube added. Also read: Coronavirus update: IndiGo assures employees no salary cut during lockdown Also read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: Over 3.5 lakh labourers to get money directly in bank account The German elevator-to-car parts conglomerate Thyssenkrupp will cut 3,000 jobs at its steel unit by 2026 as part of a wage deal it struck with powerful labour union IG Metall, it said on Wednesday. Jobs will be cut in a socially responsible way, with no forced layoffs until March 31, 2026, Thyssenkrupp said. The deal also has an immediate "corona crisis package" that includes shortened working hours, which will be implemented over the coming weeks, the company said. As a result of the pandemic, Thyssenkrupp said it will make production adjustments in its steel ... When Muyambo Marcel Chishimba was referred to the Refugee Assistance Partners of New Jersey (RAP), he expected to be helped in his effort to navigate the government, housing and school systems in his new home of Elizabeth. What Chishimba did not expect was that RAP would be the organization to help jump start his career as an artist in the United States. RAPs slogan is, we choose welcome, and that is exactly what they work to do each day for refugees settling in and around Union County. Chishimba and his family have been attending RAPs tutoring and Sunday Sharing meetings, which are held in the basement of a local church, ever since they emigrated from Zambia nine months ago. One of the first things they did when they heard I was a painter was buy me new art supplies, Chishimba explained. RAP is the kind of organization that evolves each week depending on the differing needs of those coming to their sessions. If the children need extra help with school, there will be tutoring. If parents need help filling out paperwork, there will be someone to sit with and guide them. And if one of their members happens to be a talented painter, there will most certainly be help getting the word out about his work. Now, less than a year since he was approved for resettlement in America, Chishimba is set to make his artistic debut at the Maplewood Memorial Library. Chishimba, the nephew of acclaimed African artist Kabemba Albert Stounas, discovered his natural ability to paint as a child and parlayed that into a career that has spanned 50 years, three countries, two continents and, now, one library in New Jersey. I was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1950. My first memories of painting were of my uncle sending me off to school to learn to paint, Chishimba said. As a young boy, Chishimba split his time between his childhood home in the Congo and a school for young painters just south of the border in Zambia. Despite the growing conflict in the Congo during the 1970s and 1980s under President Mobutu, Chishimba managed to find success as a painter, exhibiting and selling his work in nearby Zambia, Malawi and Swaziland. Though hed taken the time to learn the art of portraiture, mosaic and landscape in his studies, abstractionism quickly became Chishimbas artistic playground. He admired the works of Pablo Picasso and adopted a similar, reality-bursting approach to his own craft. Im inspired by the things I see throughout the day. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with an image or an expression in my head that I have to paint, Chishimba said. A through-line in much of his work are his bold and colorful strokes that create highly-textured backgrounds, and his abstract figures in the foreground that, Chishimba explained, are meant to evoke the feeling and people of the Congo. In 1993, as tensions in his homeland were reaching a new fever-pitch, Chishimba suffered the loss of his wife and was forced to cross the border into Zambia this time as a refugee. This marked the beginning of a nearly 20-year period, during which Chishimba lived in a refugee camp with his family and, ultimately, with his second wife, Mary. In order to buy food and supplies for his family while living in the camp, Chishimba sold portraits and landscapes in nearby towns, eventually gaining the attention of former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda. The president was so taken by his talent, that he commissioned Chishimba to paint a portrait of him. President Kaunda loved the portrait I painted of him very much and he knew how my family suffered in the camp. He helped us move into the town, where we were able to stay in a house and the children were able to go to school, Chishimba said. Chishimba was also granted new freedoms by living in the town. He began to have his paintings exhibited again, began teaching art and began the lengthy process of filing for resettlement in America. It would be several years before Chishimba and his family, which now included seven children, finished the vetting process and were granted residency in the United States. When they were finally approved for resettlement, Chishimba packed only a suitcase of necessities to bring with him, leaving behind his art supplies and several finished works. Chishimba and his family are counted among the lucky few refugees who have managed to resettle in America during the Trump administration. The Elizabeth headquarters of the International Rescue Committeethe largest refugee resettlement agency in NJreported that refugee arrivals in Elizabeth dropped 63 percent toward the end of 2016, and that number has only become more dramatic over time. Chishimba, who is somewhat of a savant when it comes to languages hes fluent in Swahili, Lingala and French, and has a conversational understanding of English said restarting his life in America has proven to be a difficult task. So, the RAP assistance has been invaluable. My whole life, I have been a painter. I have never known another job. I only want to paint and I hope I can do that here, Chishimba said. His upcoming exhibit at the Maplewood Memorial Library is sponsored, in part, by RAP. On display will be paintings Chishimba has completed in the past year, each available for private purchase through RAP. The exact date of the exhibit will be determined after the need for social distancing as a result of the coronavirus outbreak subsides. My family is very excited to see my paintings exhibited again. My whole family paints. Its in our blood, Chishimba said. The spread of the new coronavirus has completely changed the daily routines of people around the world. Many are trying their best to find a new normal during a pandemic. Musician Jodi Beders new normal takes her to her homes front porch each afternoon. There, she sets up her music stand, sheet music for everything from Beethoven to the Beatles, and her cello -- a large stringed instrument that is held between the players knees while the player sits. At exactly 4 o'clock each day, Beder begins to play. Neighbors soon surround Beders home. They stay at least two meters from each other, smiling and greeting each other from a safe distance. Beder, who is 69, is a professional cellist. She has played in orchestras, folk groups and even a rock band. She currently works with a non-profit group that plays music for patients who are nearing death. She lives in Mount Rainier, Maryland, a small city just outside Washington, D.C. The city is home to a large number of musicians and artists. As Americans are urged to stay at home and avoid public gatherings, Beder is hoping to use her musical skills to make this new way of life a little more joyful. Live music shows are not currently possible in the United States and most other countries. Instead, famous musicians are offering live-streamed shows for their fans. John Legend, Pink, Bono and Yo-Yo Ma have all put on special concerts from their homes in recent days. But, Beder hopes her live cello music offers her neighbors and other listeners something that they may be missing in the age of social distancing. When you play music in a space -- whether it's outdoor or indoors -- it includes the space, and it plays to the space. And so, since were all having to be at a distance from each other, its almost like you can create a bubble with the music, and everyone is joined in that space. She adds, It bridges the space and it bridges the trauma that were all experiencing from being cut off from each other. On a recent day, Beder begins her performance with Bachs Suite I in G Major. The sounds of singing birds and cars going by are part of her space. Neighbors arrive on bicycle or on foot. Some stand across the street. People who live especially close to Beder stand outside their own homes and listen to the music. Even people passing by in cars roll down their windows and slow down for a short time. Lara Payne, a writer and neighbor, came to hear Beder play with her two daughters, ages 6 and 10. Her younger daughter, Delphine, brought her (tin) whistle to play along with Beder for one song. Payne said, When we found out she was playing every day at 4, we said we are going to make time for that. Beder says she chooses a mix of music so that there is something everyone may connect with. On this day, she ends her show with the famous American folk song This Land is Your Land. She said, Music touches memory a lot. Youre playing to things that people know -- and they know them from a happier time. They know them deeply and they usually have communal associations." So," she said, "youre helping people connect with things that are from a good place. Im Ashley Thompson. Ashley Thompson wrote this story. Hai Do was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story routine - n. a regular way of doing things in a particular order pandemic - n. an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world porch - n. a structure attached to the entrance of a building that has a roof and that may or may not have walls orchestra - n. a group of musicians who play usually classical music together and who are led by a conductor trauma - n. a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems usually for a long time bubble - n. a tiny, round ball of air or gas inside a liquid (tin) whistle - n. a small flute-like instrument RIO DE JANEIRO, March 24 (Reuters) - Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau SA is "cautiously postponing" all 2020 capital expenditure initiatives due to uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, it said in a securities filing on Tuesday. The company added it has suspended all operations in Peru and Argentina due to lockdowns declared in those countries, while operations in the United States are paralyzed due to the slowdown of the automotive sector in the country. (Reporting by Gram Slattery; Editing by Andrew heavens) Robots could be trained to disinfect surfaces, take temperatures, collecting swabs and provide social support for quarantined patients to help combat coronavirus. The 'dull, dirty and dangerous jobs' could be automated, but we would need to add many new functionalities to machines first, roboticists argued in a journal editorial. Many of these necessary capabilities, however, are neither being funded or developed at present, the experts cautioned. Scroll down for video Robots could be trained to disinfect surfaces, take temperatures, collecting swabs and provide social support for quarantined patients to help combat coronavirus. Pictured, a robot build at the Tsinghua University in Beijing that has been designed to help medical workers treat coronavirus patients remotely Among the signatories of the editorial are roboticist Howie Choset of the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the president of the National Academy of Science, Marcia McNutt. 'The experiences with the (2015) Ebola outbreak identified a broad spectrum of use cases [for robots],' the team wrote. Many of these applications would serve to help reduce the risk of humans being directly exposed to disease. 'But funding for multidisciplinary research in partnership with agencies and industry to meet these use cases remains expensive, rare and directed to other applications.' 'Without a sustainable approach to research, history will repeat itself, and robots will not be ready for the next incident.' According to Professor Choset, the authors did not intend to argue exactly how robots might be used in the event of a pandemic. 'Rather, we hope to inspire others in the community to conceive of solutions to what is a very complicated problem,' he explained. The 'dull, dirty and dangerous jobs' could be automated, but we would need to add many new functionalities to machines first, roboticists argued in a journal editorial. Pictured, robots are already being applied to routine medical treatments like this one at the Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Trust in Buckinghamshire, which can aid in keyhole surgery In addition, Professor Choset added, artificial intelligence might similarly be applied to assist in future responses to large-scale disease outbreaks. At Professor Choset's home institution of Carnegie Mellon, for example, researchers are exploring how AI-powered drones might play a role in providing humanitarian aid and helping respond to disasters. The full text of the editorial was published in the journal Science Robotics. Advertisement New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday that new evidence suggests social distancing is 'working' in slowing down coronavirus, with the rate of hospitalizations slowing every day this week, but that we were 'still on our way up the mountain'. There are now 30,000 cases of coronavirus in the state of New York, including 17,000 in the city of New York. Across the state, there have been 285 coronavirus deaths, including at least 192 in New York City. The current hospitalization rate is 12 percent - a worrying figure especially given the looming 'peak' of cases which is expected to inundate hospitals in just three weeks. Three percent of cases require ICU. That means there are currently 888 people in the state of New York needing intensive care and experts say the city's hospitals are already close to overrun. Gov. Andrew Cuomo stressed the need for more equipment - specifically ventilators - but said the arrows were pointing in the 'right' direction. 'Evidence suggests density control is working. On Sunday, the projection was hospitalizations doubling every two days. 'On Monday, it was doubling every 3.4 days. On Tuesday, it was 4.7 days. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday giving an update on the coronavirus spread in New York where numbers are going up continuously but hospitalization projections are slowing down The number of coronavirus cases in the city of New York has soared past 17,000 HOSPITALIZATION PROJECTIONS SHOWS HOW VIRUS IS SLOWING These are the hospitalization projections Cuomo used to show how we are heading in he right direction; Sunday: Expected to double every 2 days Monday: Expected to double every 3.4 days Tuesday: Expected to double every 4.7 days WHAT IS NEEDED 120,000 hospital beds There are currently 53,000 20,000 ICU beds There are currently 3,000 30,000 ventilators Currently there are 7,000 Advertisement 'That is almost too good to be true, but the theory is, given the density that we're dealing with, it spreads very quickly but if you reduce the density, you can reduce the spread.' Cuomo did not want to lean too heavily on the projections and said he'd seen them 'bounce all over the place'. 'I don't place a great deal of stock in them but this is a very good sign and a positive sign. 'I'm not 100 percent that it holds or that it's accurate but the arrows are headed in the right direction,' he said. He warned that while many seem to be heeding his advice and not going out, there was a 'problem' with New York City parks and public spaces. Over the weekend, scores of New Yorkers gathered in the parks because the weather was warm. Cuomo, like Mayor Bill de Blasio said it had to stop. If the city's residents do not listen, de Blasio said he was considering closing the parks and playgrounds. Cuomo said he does not want it to get to that but that he would close parks if he has to. He also spoke of a trial in New York City to open streets but only to pedestrians to allow them to safely get fresh air. He told that the social distancing was 'burdensome' but that if this was stopping the virus from spreading, it meant 'everything' to the fight against coronavirus because it means keeping the hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. 211 NYPD COPS HAVE CORONAVIRUS 211 NYPD cops have tested positive for coronavirus and more than 2,000 are out sick. Police officers are being given masks and gloves to face the public during the crisis but some have complained there are not enough and that the supplies they are receiving are not good enough. Fox News reports that on Wednesday, more than 2,000 cops had called out sick. Commissioner Dermot Shea is urging the public to stay at home as much as possible to reduce the risk officers are facing. Advertisement He said that in New Rochelle, where a huge cluster of early cases was found, they had been able to 'dramatically' slow the spread. Overnight, there were 800 new case there as opposed to New York City which had 5,000 new cases. After slamming President Trump on Tuesday for only sending 400 ventilators to New York when he has said repeatedly that he needs 30,000, Cuomo struck a gentler tone on Wednesday when giving an update on the president and how the federal government has helped. He said he was looking to turn hotel and dormitory beds into hospital beds but that existing hospitals must increase their capacity by at least 50 percent and double it if they can. He is also turning expo-centers and large sites into makeshift hospitals. I want to thank the president and his team for their cooperation,' he said. Cuomo shared this graph which shows how the number of coronavirus cases in New York is rising rapidly Cuomo is urging the president to implement what he called a 'rolling deployment' of resources to the states and cities that need them when they need them rather than trying to conjure up enough for everyone to battle the virus at the same time. NYC HOSPITALS 'MAXED OUT' Scott Gottlieb, a doctor and MSNBC contributor, said the hospitals in New York City were already 'maxed out' and were yet to hit peak hospitalizations. 'New York City hospitals right now are on the brink of what I would call being maxed out in terms of their available capacity. 'New York has another about five weeks to go for this between now and when theyre going to hit peak hospitalizations, so the fact that theyre stretched right now is worrisome,' he told MSNBC's Squawk Box. Cuomo has told all hospitals that they must increase their capacity by at least 50 percent but that he wants them to increase by 100 percent. He is also turning hotels into temporary field hospitals and exposition center. The USNS comfort brings an additional 1,000 beds to the system. Advertisement 'We're also talking to the White House about another concept. New York has the greatest need in terms of numbers and critical need in terms of timing. 'Localities are going to have different curves. 'We are in some ways first. Our case numbers went up first. Our trajectory is first by a long shot. 'Different regions will have their curve at different times. 'What I said to the president and his team was look - rather than we have to provide equipment for the entire country at one time, let's address the critical need in one hot spot,' he said. Cuomo added that if he can do that, then New York would be more than willing to help any other state down the line when it came to coping with the crisis when it hits them. He also sought to explain why New York was getting so many more cases than any other state. After New York, the next highest number of cases is in New Jersey, where 3,000 have been found. Not only is Cuomo 'hunting' positive cases in the state, he said it was because the virus had likely been in his state for far longer than anyone realized because it is a world hub. National Guard troops are part of the strategy in New York City to cope with the virus; they are building makeshift hospitals The National Guard at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan on Wednesday setting up an external coronavirus treatment center 'It really is breathtaking when you think about it. Why? Is the question people ask me. 'Two answers: because we welcome people from across the globe, we have people who came here from China, Italy, countries all around the globe. 6,000 SIGN UP TO GIVE FREE MENTAL HEALTH HELP Cuomo heaped praise on the medical volunteers who have stepped forward since the crisis began to lend their services. 40,000 have either come out of retirement or come forward to help, including 6,000 mental health workers who will now give free advice to people through a hotline. The hotline number is 1-844-863-9314. Cuomo praised them as 'beautiful'. 'We've talked about the emotional stress that this brings on people. And the mental health stress, and mental health challenges. No one's really talking about this. You know, we're all concerned about the immediate critical need. The life and death of the immediate situation, which is right. But don't underestimate the emotional trauma that people are feeling, and the emotional health issues. 'We asked for mental health professionals to voluntarily sign up to provide online mental health services. Six thousand mental health professionals agreed to volunteer to provide mental health services for people who need it. How beautiful is that? And the hotline, 1-844-863-9314, you can call that hotline, you can schedule an appointment with a mental health professional totally free, to talk to them about what you're feeling and what stress you're feeling. 'God bless the 6,000 mental health professionals who are doing this 100 percent free, on top of whatever they have to do in their normal practice. 'And I'm sure in their normal practice, they're busy. So this is really an extraordinary, extraordinary step by them,' he said. Advertisement 'We have international travelers who were in China, Italy, Korea. And who came here. 'I have no doubt the virus was here much earlier than we even know. I have no doubt that the virus was here much earlier than any other state because the people come here first 'The second answer is because we are close - we talk about the virus and how it transfers in a dense area. Literally because we are close. 'We live close to one another. We're close to one another on the streets. we live in close communities. we're close to one another on the bus. close to one another in the restaurant, in the movie theater. 'We have one of the most dense, close environments in the country. 'That's why the virus communicated the way it did. Our closeness makes us vulnerable. 'That spacial closeness makes us vulnerable. But it's true that your greatest weakness is also your greatest strength: our closeness is what makes us who we are. 'That is what New York is. Our closeness is what makes us special; our acceptance, our openness. 'It's what makes us feel connected to one another, It is the closeness that makes us the human beings that we are. 'The closeness is that New York humanity that exists nowhere else. 'But it is also that closeness and that connection and that humanity and that sharing that is our greatest strength, and that is what is going to overcome at the end of the day. I promise you that. 'I can see how New Yorkers are responding. I can see how New Yorkers are treating one another. I see the 6,000 mental health volunteers. 'I see the 40,000 health care workers stepping up. I see the vendors calling me, saying, "I can help." That's New York. That's New York. 'And that, my friends, is undefeatable. And I am glad in some ways that we're first with this situation, because we will overcome and we will show the other communities across this country how to do it. 'We'll be there for them. We want them to be there for us. And we will be there for each other, as we always have been,' he said. In the current straitened sanctions period, Irans focus in its oil sector is broadly to increase the capacity of its fields in West Karoun and from the huge fields that it shares with Iraq. This strategy allows it firstly to generate income even in the low price oil environment - its US$1-2 per barrel lifting cost is the same as Saudi Arabias - and secondly to position itself to take up any slack in supply caused by dint of the oil price war. According to a senior oil sector source who works closely with Irans Petroleum Ministry, Tehran expects Saudi Arabia, for one, to struggle to meet the fantastical supply figures that it has given to key potential buyers, particularly in the East, in the coming weeks and beyond. This view appears entirely reasonable, given that just last week Saudi Aramco reportedly rejected at least three Asian refiners requests (one Korean, one Taiwanese, and one Chinese) for additional crude for April, on top of their long-term supply deals. The development of the West Karoun fields does not just involve the continued exploration and development of the biggest well-known fields in the oil-rich region - North Azadegan, South Azadegan, North Yaran, South Yaran, and Yadavaran but also of the lesser-known sites as well. The development of this latter segment of oil resources will be necessary to achieve the aim stated by Irans Petroleum Minister, Bijan Zanganeh, which is that the West Karoun fields will produce at least one million barrels of oil per day when access to sufficient investment and technology has been restored. In the interim, the region is producing around a third of that level. Even at this point, though, every incremental barrel increase is being sought as, according to the Iran source, for every one per cent that the rate of recovery from West Karoun is increased the recoverable reserves increase by 670 million barrels. At an average Brent oil price of US$30 per barrel that equates to just over US$20 billion in additional revenues for Iran. Such a field is Darquain (or Darkhoein), located 45 kilometres north of the city of Khorramshahr and 100 kilometres south of the oil-rich city of Ahvaz, in the Khuzestan Province. With an estimated minimum five billion barrels of oil in place, 1.3 billion barrels of which are deemed recoverable, the field was initially developed by Italys ENI based on its successful 2001 buyback contract tender, together with local partner Naftiran Intertrade. Production of the light oil (API gravity of 39) began in 2005, with Darquin-1, and the Darquain-2 development followed in early 2011. Both of these have been focused on the exploitation of the Fahlyan reservoir formation, with the resultant oil flows being delivered into the Ahvaz-Abadan oil pipeline. Related: Oil Climbs As U.S. Pushes For An End To The Price War As it stands, Iran is laying the groundwork for final talks with Chinese and Russian developers to take a more central development role in the field, once the global oil market has settled into a new equilibrium. Indeed, before the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions in May 2018, the contract for Darquain had been one of the US$30 billion of strategic energy deals agreed by Iran with Russia during President Vladimir Putins visit to Tehran in November 2017. These were to involve the state-owned Russian heavyweights Rosneft (oil) and Gazprom (gas), according to the Iran source. Firm talks can only move forward again once the effects of the global lifecycle of the coronavirus have been fully factored in, irrespective of the rebound in Chinese demand that we are likely to see from the latter half of this quarter, said the source. Additionally, Iran will not want to make long-term deals even immediately after that if the oil price war is still going on as it will mean that the average pricing reference points in the contracts will be low, he added. Nonetheless, in preparation for this, the new contract to be offered any foreign developer for Darquain will not be the unpopular buyback contact but rather the new Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) model. The aim of the next phase Darquian-3 will be to get production up to 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) within a five year period from the commencement of the new contract, which the Petroleum Ministry estimates will cost around US$1.5 billion is extra funding to achieve. Before the public backlash in Iran over reports that China was aiming to take over its oil and gas sector, the understanding between the Petroleum Ministry and China had been that in order to get the very preferential terms offered on taking over Totals stake in South Pars [Phase] 11, China would guarantee that the output from West Karoun fields would go up to 500,000 barrels per day within two years, the Iran source told OilPrice.com last week. It may be that ENI comes back but the most likely outcome is that Russian firms continue to work on a contractor basis [to avoid tangential U.S. sanctions on Iran] for the time being and then are in prime position to take over development when the oil market returns to more of an equilibrium point, said the source. Related: Not Even The $2 Trillion Stimulus Package Can Save Oil Markets This third phase development of Darquian will not only involve exploiting the more difficult areas of the previously developed Fahlyan reservoir formation but also on the development of the Ilam and Sarvak reservoirs. This follows the findings of previous ENI studies indicating that heavy crude in the two layers are recoverable. Given this difference in product, both water- and gas- injection will be used across the field and already, according to Iranian sources, 31 oil well, 6 gas injection wells, crude oil processing facilities including line pipes, processing installations, gas compressors, infrastructure including crude oil storage tanks and roads are already underway. Based on these advances alone, according to a comment last week from Jahangir Pourhang, chief executive officer of Arvandan Oil and Gas Production Company (AOGPC), Darquains output capacity increased 20,000 bpd over the past year. Arvand itself is also seeing movement, spurred on by its status as also being a field Iran shares with Iraq. The two states share a number of major oil fields containing about 14 billion barrels of recoverable oil, principally: Azadegan (Iran side)/Majnoon (Iraq side), Azar/Badra, Yadavaran/Sinbad, Naft Shahr/Naft Khana, Dehloran/Abu Ghurab, West Paydar/Fauqa, and Arvand/South Abu Ghurab. For a long time, Iran was playing catch-up with Iran over exploiting the resources of these shared sites, given its previous period of long-running sanctions, especially when they were increased in 2011/12. Now, though, with Iraq in domestic political and economic disarray not to mention, its increasingly strained relationship with the U.S. Tehran believes that the time is right to drill more aggressively, including more horizontally. Arvand, therefore, is also one of the fields that saw its foreign participation contract model change from buyback to IPC. Also located in Khuzestan Province, around 50 kilometres south of Abadan, the field has around one billion barrels of oil in place, and the recovery rate is 15 per cent. It also has at least 14 billion cubic metres of dry gas and 55 million barrels of gas condensate in place, according to Petroleum Ministry estimates. Discovered in 2008, it has relatively light crude (API gravity of 44) and because of the estimated relative ease of extraction and relative small scale, requires just US$135 million of investment to achieve a sustained daily output figure of around 20,000 bpd, although this could be increased through enhanced oil recovery techniques. Arvand is regarded by the Petroleum Ministry as being an ideal, bite-sized site through which a big foreign player from China or Russia could come back in a full exploration and development contract, which would be profitable to it in itself but which would also allow it to gauge the reaction from the U.S. and from the Iranian people, the Iran source concluded. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The last time Cathy Konciak saw her husband, Edward, was March 12 at his room at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. Later that day, he was moved to the Family of Caring at Montclair nursing home to continue his recovery from a sports-related brain injury, but without family by his side. The day after he arrived there, I brought a bag with more clothing for him and an iPad. I had to leave the bag by a side door and (staff) told me they would take it and decontaminate it, Cathy Konciak told NJ Advance Media Monday, noting the the nursing homes visitor restriction policy aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus. Now, Cathy Konciak says her 65-year-old spouse is hospitalized at Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside with COVID-19. He was sent out of the nursing home Monday after he developed a fever, respiratory issues and a urinary tract infection, she said. Four people linked to the home have died after testing positive for the virus: a visitor, two 86-year-old patients and one administrator. The virus spread through the 68-bed long-term care facility on March 7 after the infected visitor, who was seeing his wife at the nursing home, was escorted out of the building with a cough, John Mechaly, a spokesman for Family of Caring, has said. Ed Konciak tested positive for the coronavirus after being admitted to Family of Caring at Montclair.Cathy Konciak Additional details about the severity of her husbands condition have been sparse, Cathy Konciak said, leaving her worried. She has only communicated with Edward Konciak by phone, but he had trouble speaking and was difficult to understand, she said. The frustration of not getting any information, not being able to get through, thats the hardest part," said Cathy Konciak, of North Arlington. Cathy Konciaks husband is one of 10 additional nursing home residents who have shown symptoms of coronavirus and are being tested, while three are hospitalized, according to a letter obtained by NJ Advance Media that was sent to employees on Saturday from an infectious disease consultant group contracted by Family of Caring to review infection control protocols. Melachy referred to the consultant group for information on the number of residents tested so far. "When we have all the tests back, we will isolate the infected patients on one floor, the letter reads. I want to emphasize that the death rate from this virus is less than 1% and most patients who die are elderly with multiple medical problems and more than 80% of patients have just mild cold or flu symptoms and dont need hospitalization, the letter continues. The Centers for Disease Control echoes those statistics, and says the rate of death is higher in those over age 85. Family of Caring nursing facility, in Montclair, N.J. March, 19, 2020 Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for The nursing home received test kits from a private lab last week and is swabbing anyone who has symptoms of the coronavirus, Melachy said. But workers there have voiced anxieties and concerns about their health as they interact with patients on a daily basis. One employee, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, described a panic that has fallen on the facility, with multiple staff members calling out of work. Everyone at the home, not just those with a fever and cough, should be tested so asymptomatic carriers dont spread the virus further, the employee added. Perform testing on all residents and staff, please, so this doesnt become a hot spot," the worker said. We dont feel safe. A shortage of test kits in the home and across the U.S. has meant the facility can only swab symptomatic individuals, Melachy said. Another employee who wished to remain anonymous described feeling guilty for considering calling out of a shift. I really want to go because I feel so bad for my residents. Its making me teary eyed. Theyre like family to me... But I dont want to expose myself to this or my own family, the employee said. Its a difficult decision. I feel helpless. Last Thursday, the nursing home administrator, 52-year-old John Cofrancesco, of Bergenfield, died after testing positive for COVID-19. He joined Family of Caring two years ago. Melachy said some staff members have visited a drive-thru testing site in Bergen County to get swabbed themselves while the nursing home is still waiting for the results of residents tests. Lona Erwin, middle, surrounded by her grandchildren and daughter. Erwin tested positive for COVID-19 a week after dying at Family of Caring at Montclair. "I didnt get a chance to say a proper goodbye," her daughter said. Alix Handy The labs are just so overdrawn, Melachy said. They are not getting back to us in a timely fashion." State officials have said the spread of coronavirus in nursing homes is a concern. Of the 13 new coronavirus deaths announced Tuesday, nine were associated with long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, state health commissioner Judith Persichilli said at a press conference. Alix Handy, whose 86-year-old mother died at the facility, said she finally received her moms positive coronavirus result Tuesday six days after her mothers death. Its not a surprise, but it actually feels good to have that closure that yes, she was positive (for coronavirus), she said. Her mother, Lona Erwin, spent most of her life in Framingham, Massachusetts and was a mother of five children. In her last years at the nursing home, Handy said her mom loved visits from her grandchildren. But the family was not able to visit Erwin in her final days; the hardest part of her death, Handy said. The nursing home has since begun arranging daily FaceTimes between patients and their family members, Melachy said. I didnt get a chance to say a proper goodbye. By the time I knew it was COVID-19, it was less than three hours before her death," Handy said. She was too far gone for me to even have a conversation with and I couldnt see her. Youre talking to air. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. S TOCK markets around the world rallied for the second day running after a $2 trillion US stimulus package finally passed through Congress. Despite reports that the coronavirus is surging through some major cities, including New York, major markets built on yesterdays boost. Asian markets led the way, with Tokyo up 7% and Seoul up 6%. In London the FTSE 100 added nearly 200 points, up 3.6% at 5638. Some dismissed this as a mere dead cat bounce but there were small signs of confidence returning following extraordinary moves by central banks. The high level of turbulence in markets is good for investment banks and traders. Revenues from commissions are likely to rocket given daily fluctuations, which see investors continually shifting their positions. Gerard Cassidy at RBC told the FT: Equity volumes have been off the charts. Such volumes and swings have not been seen since the 2008 financial crisis. Some major investors remain highly cautious. Emiel van den Heiligenberg, head of asset allocation at Legal & General Investment, advised: As central bankers and governments unveil increasingly powerful measures to mitigate the economic and financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak, many investors are asking: is now the time to buy the dip in equities? We believe the answer is no for now and are increasing our cautious tactical stance on stocks. Tom Stevenson, investment director at fund manager Fidelity International, said of the two-day rally: "When markets are falling, you get these big rallies but you shouldn't get stuck on that. They do bounce around in these situations." Early signs were that Wall Street was set to extend its own gains. US stock futures were up on Wednesday morning. German shares jumped 3.7% after posting their best day since 2008 on Tuesday, while Europe's fear gauge fell for the fifth day in a row as a modicum of calm returned to financial markets. The Vix fell 3.5% to 59.45. "The Vix ... most certainly needs to fall below 30 and only then the real buyers return," said Stephen Innes, a markets strategist at AxiCorp. "Ultimately none of that will happen until the data has bottomed and signs of life emerge around the world." The fight to restrict abortion in Texas has accelerated in recent years under the Republican-controlled legislature, which since 2011 has passed a battery of laws that abortion rights advocates say has had the cumulative effect of barring access to the procedure and violating the constitutional rights of women. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2016 struck down a Texas law that would have required physicians to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. By Fergal Smith TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian province of Ontario, the world's biggest sub-sovereign debtor, forecast on Wednesday a jump in its 2020-21 budget deficit as it provides a C$17 billion ($12 billion) financial package in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Canada's most populous province and economic engine forecast a deficit of C$20.5 billion in the fiscal year beginning on April 1, including a C$2.5 billion reserve, an economic update from the Progressive Conservative government showed. That compares with an estimated deficit of C$9.2 billion for 2019-20. Ontario scrapped its initial plans to release its budget on Wednesday because of the virus outbreak and instead provided an economic update. The C$17 billion package includes C$7 billion to support the health care system, people and jobs, as well as C$10 billion through deferring taxes and other payments, the update said. "We will do whatever it takes to protect peoples health and protect Ontario's economy," Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips said. This week Ontario announced the shutdown of all non-essential businesses for at least two weeks, in an effort to contain the virus spread. Canada's federal legislators on Wednesday approved a C$52 billion aid package, nearly double the value outlined last week, as well as C$55 billion in the form of tax deferrals. Ontario, home to manufacturers and Canada's major financial center, sees no economic growth in 2020 after an estimated 1.6% expansion in 2019, while unemployment is projected to rise to 6.6% from 5.6%. "I'd say that 2020 growth will probably be even weaker than they've assumed, but can't fault them since the economic backdrop is changing so quickly," said Robert Kavcic, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. He calculates that the province has "a pretty big cushion" built into the numbers of about C$5 billion. With economic activity constrained, revenue is forecast to dip slightly to C$156.3 billion in the coming fiscal year, while program expenses are seen rising to C$161.1 billion from C$153.1 billion in 2019-20. Story continues Net debt is seen rising to C$379.2 billion in 2020-21 from an estimated C$355.2 billion in the current fiscal year, which would raise net-debt-to-GDP to 41.7%. Long-term public borrowing is seen rising to C$43.6 billion after the province pre-borrowed C$4.1 billion. It was estimated at C$36 billion in the current fiscal year. (Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Alistair Bell and Grant McCool) Over the last several days the VU has fielded several auto insurance related questions. These questions cannot be classed simply as personal auto or business auto questions because the most common question involves both policies. As of this writing, 21 states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Washington) have shut down restaurants and bars to in-house dining. Restaurants in these states are limited to take out or delivery. Delivery is a new concept for most of the restaurants effected by this regulatory action. So, the new most-common question agents receive, Am I covered for delivery? What appears to be such a simple question simply isnt. The simple answer is, yes, the restaurant is covered for its auto liability exposure well, maybe there is coverage. The more complicated answer is, yes, the restaurant is covered, but is coverage adequate for the insured and the employee? Lets begin by looking at the reality of coverage when the employee is using his or her personal auto to make deliveries for the restaurant. The questions that must be answered include: Is there liability coverage in the personal auto policy (PAP) for food delivery? Is coverage provided by the business auto policy (BAP) for employees using their personally-owned autos for food delivery? Who is covered by the BAP, if coverage is provided? Which policy is primary? Which policy is excess? What key endorsement is needed? Coverage in the PAP Decades ago pizza and maybe Chinese food delivery began the PAPs delivery coverage debate. Does the personal auto policy cover pizza delivery or delivery of any kind of food? Note that as we answer this question in light of the current pandemic panic situation, we are completely ignoring Grub Hub, Uber Eats and every other such app-based food delivery service. The focus here is solely on food delivery by the employee of a restaurant. PAP Exclusions of Interest Whether the PAP provides liability coverage for food delivery is a function of two exclusions: the business use exclusion and/or the public or livery conveyance exclusion. Business Use Exclusion: The business use exclusion is a non-factor in this discussion. The PAP excludes the use of an auto when being used in an auto-related business (sales, service, repair, etc.), unless the car is owned by the named insured, a family member or others provided the car is listed on the PAP. So this exclusion can be ignored. Public or Livery Conveyance Exclusions: This exclusion may have more teeth. The applicable part of this exclusion reads: EXCLUSIONS A. We do not provide Liability Coverage for any insured: 5. For that insureds liability arising out of the ownership or operation of a vehicle while it is being used as a public or livery conveyance. Does an employee delivering food qualify as either public or livery conveyance? If it does, the PAP provides no coverage. Although generally phrased as one concept, public conveyance and livery conveyance are actually two different threshold requirements (notice the or between the terms). Lets define both terms to clarify coverage (or the lack thereof). Public conveyance : Making the vehicle available for public use (like a common carrier); : Making the vehicle available for public use (like a common carrier); Livery conveyance: Carrying persons or property for a fee. Is food delivery public conveyance? No, the vehicle is not available for public use; it is being used by the employee on behalf of his/her employer only, and only for a single purpose food delivery. Making the vehicle available for public use is what the ride sharing apps do (as well as the food delivery apps). The vehicle is not available to others. However, does food delivery trigger the livery conveyance exclusion? The employee is carrying property (namely food), but is the cost of the food considered a fee? And considering fees, does charging a separate delivery fee make a difference? Courts seem to agree that an employee delivering food for an employer is not livery conveyance even if a separate delivery fee is charged. In a livery conveyance, the fee is charged by the carrier as their remuneration for providing the service. In pizza delivery or food delivery, the fee is charged by the employer for its own purposes (probably a charge for convenience) and is not necessarily for the benefit of the driver. Remember, the public or livery conveyance is intended to exclude coverage for those who are in a common-carrier-like business, not the person using their personal auto to delivering property for their employer. This discussion is a long way around to answering the question of coverage in the PAP. Yes, there is coverage for food delivery in the PAP. But this doesnt mean carriers wont try to utilize the public or livery conveyance exclusion if the injury is bad enough. BAP and Employee Use of a Personally Owned Auto If, and this may be a big if, the employer/restaurant has a business auto policy, does that policy extend coverage for the employees use of their personal auto for any reason, particularly to deliver food? Secondly, who is covered? Is Coverage Provided? Whether liability coverage is provided by the BAP for an employees use of his/her personal auto on behalf of the employer is a function of the coverage symbol or symbols used. If Symbol 1 Any Auto is used, yes, there is coverage. If any other primary symbol is used (2, 3, 4 or 7), no, there is no coverage. If the primary liability symbol is 2, 3, 4, or 7, the only way there is coverage for use of the employee-owned auto is if Symbol 9 Non-Owned Auto is also used within the liability coverage. If either of these requirements is met (Symbol 1 or Symbol 9), then the BAP provides coverage for the employees use of their personal auto. But that is only part of the issue. Who is covered by the BAP? Who is Covered by the Unendorsed BAP? When the employee is using his or her personal auto on behalf of the named insured only the named insured is protected by the unendorsed BAP. The exclusion for the employee is clearly stated within the Who is an Insured provision: 1. Who Is An Insured The following are insureds: a. You for any covered auto. b. Anyone else while using with your permission a covered auto you own, hire or borrow except (this means they are excluded from coverage): (1) The owner or anyone else from whom you hire or borrow a covered auto. This exception does not apply if the covered auto is a trailer connected to a covered auto you own. (2) Your employee if the covered auto is owned by that employee or a member of his or her household. Again, this means the BAP protects only the named insured when the employee uses his/her personal vehicle to deliver food. Worse still, because the employee is not an insured in this situation, the employers business auto carrier can actually subrogate against the employee. But remember, this is how the unendorsed BAP responds, there is an endorsement that solves this problem. But before we get to the solution, we need to understand how the PAP and BAP dovetail. Which Policy is Primary and Which is Excess? Even though the business is benefiting from the employees use of his/her personal auto, the employees personal auto policy provides primary coverage in the event of a claim. This primary protection extends to both the employee and the employer. Dont believe me? Here is the policy language: PART A LIABILITY COVERAGE INSURING AGREEMENT B. Insured as used in this Part means: 3. For your covered auto, any person or organization but only with respect to legal responsibility for acts or omissions of a person for whom coverage is afforded under this Part. As is seen in this language, the employees personal auto policy extends coverage to the employer for its vicarious liability for the actions of the employee. Although this wording doesnt specifically state that the PAP is primary, we need only to review the BAP for proof. The Other Insurance provision in the BAP reads: 5. Other Insurance a. For any covered auto you own, this Coverage Form provides primary insurance. For any covered auto you dont own, the insurance provided by this Coverage Form is excess over any other collectible insurance. Remember, the PAP is always primary when the policys named insured owns the vehicle and it is listed on the personal auto policy. The BAP is excess, but only for the employers benefit (unless the policy is endorsed otherwise). Because the PAP is primary, the first issue for the employee and the employer is coverage limits. Are the employees PAP limits adequate in the event of an at-fault incident? Remember, both the employee and employer are covered. Consider this scenario, the employee, while delivering food for his/her employer, is involved in an at-fault accident hitting a surgeon on her way to the hospital. In the accident, the surgeon severely injures her right hand and can no longer perform her surgical duties. Will the insured (the employee) have adequate limits? Probably not (regardless of the amount). If the employees limits are exhausted, then the BAP responds on an excess basis but only for the employer (in an unendorsed BAP). Lets throw in another but or what if; what if the employer doesnt have a BAP? Lets end the suspense, this is a very bad situation for the employer. If the employer is held to be vicariously liable for the actions of the employee, the employer is financially responsible for damages caused by the employee over and above what the PAP pays. This is true even if there is no business auto policy in place. The lack of insurance does not relieve a legally liable party of its responsibility to the injured party. Legal liability can be direct or vicarious. To avoid this out-of-pocket expense, the employer needs a business auto policy to protect its financial assets at least to the level of coverage. Lest you get jaded and say, But Boggs, what is the likelihood the employee will hit a surgeon? Fair question. The victim doesnt have to be a surgeon, nearly any accident can be financially devastating under the right circumstances. Two recommendations so far: Require the employee to carry relatively high liability limits. At minimum 100/300/50. I recommend higher with an umbrella/excess policy, but there are certain financial realities that may make higher limits too expensive. But remember, dont limit the insureds options by not letting them know that higher limits are available. If the business doesnt have a BAP, explain the dangers of not having one; namely that the insured can still be required to pay because of their vicarious liability for the actions of the employee. Recent anecdotal reports are that carriers are not as willing to provide hired and non-owned liability coverage only at this point; but you have to try to find it (even in the E&S market). Some other reports are that certain carriers are going to automatically extend this coverage if the insured restaurant did not provide delivery service previously (if the insured did provide delivery but never bought the coverage, they are on their own, which is OK because they should have had the coverage A Key Endorsement Throughout this article, the fact has been highlighted that the unendorsed BAP does not extend protection to the employee when he/she is using his/her personal auto on behalf of the employer. This lack of employee protection can be detrimental to the employee. As was previously discussed, the BAP insurer can subrogate against (seek recovery from) the employee if the BAP has to pay to cover the business owners vicarious liability for the actions of the employee. Whether the BAP carrier would want the PR storm that comes with this is irrelevant; they can do it, and if the loss is bad enough, they may. But there is a remedy. To fix this gap and keep relations between the employer and employee intact, attach the CA 99 33 10 13 Employees as Insureds endorsement. As the title suggests, the endorsement extends insured status to employees when driving their personally-owned vehicles for the benefit of the employer/insured. But this endorsement does NOT change the order of response. Even with the CA 99 33 attached, the employees PAP still responds as the primary coverage. The BAP remains excess. The difference is that with this endorsement the employee is also protected by the BAPs excess coverage. Further, as an insured, the carrier no longer has the ability to subrogate against the employer if the loss requires the BAP to respond as excess. Always attach the CA 99 33 anytime an employee is using his or her personal auto on behalf of the employer, even in non-delivery situations such as are addressed in this article. Takeaways In these weird times, unusual measures are being taken by governments, employers and the general public. This reality (or unreality) of this pandemic panic has required us to review the insurance implications of certain situations more closely than in the past which ultimately may be a good thing. Keys to remember from this article: The PAP is always primary for an employee-owned auto; The public or livery conveyance exclusion is intended for those in common carrier type businesses, not food delivery for their employer; Dont put it past an insurance carrier to try to use the public or livery conveyance exclusion; An employer can be held vicariously liable for the actions of its employees, especially when the employee is using his/her personally-owned auto for the benefit of the employer; Because the employer can be held vicariously liable for the actions of the employees use of the employee-owned auto, the employee should carry relatively high PAP limits; Because the employer can be held vicariously liable for the actions of the employees use of the employee-owned auto, the employer should have a BAP; and Because there is no coverage for the employee in the unendorsed BAP, the CA 99 33 should be attached. Last updated: March 18, 2020 Topics Carriers COVID-19 Auto Excess Surplus Abuse Molestation Personal Auto Another two deaths from Covid-19 have been confirmed by the Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan. They were a man and woman in the east of the country. The woman had an underlying health condition. This brings to nine the number of fatalities in Ireland since the coronavirus emerged. At its daily briefing, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre also confirmed 235 new cases as of 1pm today. This now brings the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Ireland to 1,564. They said 55% of cases so far are male and 45% female, while the median age is 45. Of the new cases, 39 are in intensive care while 283, or 24%, are healthcare workers. The figures also revealed that community transmission accounts for 49% of positive cases, close contact accounts for 23% and travel abroad accounts for 28% Dublin has highest number of cases at 559 followed by Cork at 133. The Department of Health say that contact tracing for patients is now down to about five contacts per case, which indicates social distancing is working. Dr Holohan says he has not seen any signs of complacency. "People are worried and a little more concerned which we understand, our view is that many more people are seeking testing that is well beyond what is feasible," he said. "Over a week or so we predicted 350 or so cases per day by now, we haven't seen that. "It's too early for us to conclude if this is down to social distancing, but from contact tracing it shows people are taking note of the advice." The Department of Health changed the criteria for testing for Covid-19 today, now stating that to be tested, a person must have at least two symptoms and priority given to vulnerable groups. Concerns were flagged about the policy change that it would result in a decrease in testing. Dr Holohan said: Our data showed yesterday that only 6% of our tests so far returned positive; so for every 100 people we test we are only finding 6 people with Covid-19. In light of this, our case definition changed. Changing case definition is a standard practice in managing pandemics. Ultimately, we want our 6% detected rate to increase, we want to find as many people as possible with Covid-19, isolate them and contain the spread. Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer said that it was not the case that the department was trying to hide figures as the testing has a focus on those who are vulnerable and those who are at the highest risk to exposure. "The primary purpose of testing in the first instance is a public health purpose to help us understand the extent of the disease, to ensure we're contact tracing and to ensure it doesn't spread. The key to that is testing as many people as we can, it's why testing per capita in Ireland is up there with the best in the world. "That remains our strategy, but what we've said over last 24 hours, the vast majority of people have been tested have tested negative, what we've done in response is to tighten the case definition, that we're picking up the people who have the disease and target resources more effectively at tracing their contacts. "Our plan is to test as many as possible but in the short term, we're targeting the most vulnerable groups. "Over the coming weeks we plan to test more and more people." Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer with the HSE, said: There has been ongoing engagement with GPs over the past 24 hours. GPs are best placed to advise individuals with symptoms whether they need a test or not. "Ultimately, the test has no impact on the clinical course of this disease and the priority for anyone with symptoms is to isolate themselves. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] STOCKHOLM, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Soluno wants to contribute in society where we can facilitate for customers and other companies in the critical situation we're in. We hope that this action can facilitate communication within a company or externally. We hope that the tool can help continue sales and new businesses in a troubled economy. Soluno now opens their collaboration service MiTeam Plus, for free to all customers up until the last day of June 2020. This applies to all European countries where Soluno operates. The last few weeks have proven what tremendous actions Soluno can contribute with to help future companies, different types of emergencies will appear and companies can stand together with Soluno and be ready to manage the entire company from home. Today our customers use services that cover most of their needs, but today's situation has proven that many companies are blindsided, vulnerable and aren't able to manage and activate a good contingency. Soluno MiTeam Plus is a project management tool that primarily facilitates communication and collaboration through full availability with each other and the company's ongoing projects. Functions such as chat, document sharing, teleconferences, and video meetings are included. Beyond this, the service is also integrated in Soluno's standard telephony service which means that we collect all types of communication tools in one and the same platform. The complete Soluno service allows coworkers and the entire company to become mobile and flexible in their work. This means that all can work from where needed and continue to retain access to necessary work tools. In that way companies can secure their operations regardless of the circumstances. How the recent weeks have unraveled in the world, this is something Soluno takes seriously and will work diligently with in the future. Soluno will put in resources to develop current and additional services that can offer companies high availability, great reliability and that can provide long term security. We want to see more customers be prepared for when a situation like this appears, in order to be able to take drastic decisions in working conditions. "Many of Sweden's companies are facing a new era of remote work. We want all our customers to be able to meet unhindered regardless, where many today are missing the essential tools. We want to help with the remedy by offering the ability to use MiTeam for free. If you are completely mobile and missing the tools for the computer, we offer the interface too. We want to pave the way for cloud services and the modern digital coworker. By offering MiTeam, this is our contribution to facilitating day-to-day work for our customers." - Mattias Ohde CEO, Soluno Soluno BC AB Soluno BC is the largest and most expansive operator independent UCaaS provider on the Nordic market with +150.000 users in the cloud. Soluno is driving the future of business communications by offering a mobile first concept through wholesale partners in Europe. www.soluno.se For more information, contact details: Mattias Ohde CEO Soluno +46-(0)31-352-40-03 A pastor has been accused of endangering lives in a petition calling for his arrest because he continues to flout Louisiana's ban on gatherings to stop the spread of coronavirus. Reverend Tony Spell, leader of the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, led 1,825 congregants in worship on Sunday and said there would be a further service on Tuesday evening. This despite Gov. John Bel Edwards' order against gatherings of more than 50 people as the number infected in the state rose to more than 1,300 yesterday, including 46 deaths. Indeed, Louisiana has the fastest growth rate for cases in the world and Gov. Edwards warned just days ago the state could 'be the next Italy.' Rev. Spell, who has previously called the virus politically motivated, told CNN: 'If they close every door in this city, then I will close my doors. But you can't say the retailers are essential but the church is not. That is a persecution of the faith.' Pastor Tony Spell and his wife inside a helicopter, left, and during a service, right The petition calling for the prosecution of Rev. Spell says: 'We the people of this same area, already hard hit by more than our share of Coronavirus Covid-19 infections, believe that this charlatan and his brother cousin Tim are premeditated killers who must be stopped' The Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge which remained open to worshipers on Sunday and last night Spell claims that he has been warned by the police that the National Guard will be brought in to enforce the governor's measures. Chief Corcoran denied the pastor's account, saying his officers never issued such an ultimatum Chief Roger Corcoran of the Central Police Department in Baton Rouge said the issue was under investigation. Spell claims that he has been warned by the police that the National Guard will be brought in to enforce the governor's measures. Chief Corcoran denied the pastor's account, saying his officers never issued such an ultimatum. The petition calling for the prosecution of Rev. Spell says: 'We the people of this same area, already hard hit by more than our share of Coronavirus Covid-19 infections, believe that this charlatan and his brother cousin Tim are premeditated killers who must be stopped and held responsible for their sick and selfish actions. 'We ask our Governor to have Spell arrested immediately and charged with 1800 counts of reckless endangerment for a start, for the countless lives he will be brutalizing and even ending with his selfishness and ignorance. 'We further ask that he be made personally to answer legally for each and every infection and death in the 5 parishes surrounding his church in East Baton Rouge Parish occurring anytime after 17 March 2020.' The online petition has been 'signed' by more than 3,500. Pastor Tony Spell, who has previously called the virus politically motivated, said: 'If they close every door in this city, then I will close my doors. But you can't say the retailers are essential but the church is not. That is a persecution of the faith' More than 1,000 have been attending the services despite a state ban on gatherings of more than 50 Spell said coronavirus is 'not a concern' and 'politically motivated' as he called for other churches and religious leaders to defy the state ban Speaking about the virus last week, Spell told WAFB: '[Coronavirus] is not a concern. 'The virus, we believe, is politically motivated. We hold our religious rights dear and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says.' He boasted of sending 27 buses to five parishes on Sunday to collect people for the service, before a mass gathering in the church's main building. Still, he pledged to carry on regardless. 'We want to bring some peace, we want to bring some sanctity to this madness that's going on in our society,' he said. 'I encourage other religious leaders and churches such as us, do not let fear of any government official, any dictator law prevent you from worshipping God which our first amendment states you are not allowed to do in any form.' Louisiana put in place a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people on Saturday in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. Pictured, Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans Louisiana has so-far reported 347 cases of coronavirus, but state labs have only carried out 800 tests meaning that is almost certainly an under-estimate A patient is directed at the drive-thru screening for coronavirus at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Wednesday Announcing the ban on mass gatherings earlier this month, Governor Edwards said: 'I'm a person of faith. I happen to believe very much in the awesome power of prayer. 'I also believe in science, and the scientists at the CDC say that the measures we are taking will minimize the spread.' The state is home to 4.6million people, and in 2015 was in the bottom-half of US states ranked by healthcare spending. There are currently more than 55,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US with 784 deaths from the disease. Cafe Du Monde, usually one of the busiest restaurants in New Orleans, is deserted as it closes for business following state orders The federal government has advised all Americans to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people to slow the spread of the disease to allow health services to cope. However, it has stopped short of a legally-enforced ban and has also not ruled on school closures or closing public offices. In Europe, which has been worst-hit by the virus, entire countries such as Italy have been placed on lockdown with people banned from the streets without a permit. Globally, there are now more than a quarter of a million confirmed infections - almost certainly an under-estimate - and more than 9,000 deaths. jedit wrote: Politician: Now that we are finally cleaning up the industrial pollution in the bay, we must start making the bay more accessible to the public for recreational purposes. Reporter: But if we increase public access to the bay, it will soon become polluted again. Politician: Not true. The public did not have access to the bay, and it got polluted. Therefore, if and when the public is given access to the bay, it will not get polluted. Which one of the following most closely parallels the flawed pattern of reasoning in the politicians reply to the reporter? A- If there had been a full moon last night, the tide would be higher than usual today. Since the tide is no higher than usual, there must not have been a full moon last night. B- The detective said that whoever stole the money would be spending it conspicuously by now. Jones is spending money conspicuously, so he must be the thief. C- When prisoners convicted of especially violent crimes were kept in solitary confinement, violence in the prisons increased. Therefore, violence in the prisons will not increase if such prisoners are allowed to mix with fellow prisoners. D- To get a drivers license, one must pass a written test. Smith passed the written test, so she must have gotten a drivers license. E- In order to like abstract art, you have to understand it. Therefore, in order to understand abstract art, you have to like it. This is an old question with no timer in the original thread. I got it wrong and wanted to share here to see if I can find my mistake. If increase public access > then bay soon polluted Not bay soon polluted > then not increase public access. No public access > bay polluted Public access > then bay not get polluted In 700+ GMAT critical reasoning questions, applying some formal LSAT-style logic can be beneficial. For conditional statements a sufficient condition leads to a necessary condition.This can be diagrammed as Sufficient > Necessary, and from this information, one and only one inference can be made - the contrapositive - which is derived by reversing and negating the terms, e.g. Not Necessary > Not Sufficient. Let's apply this to the reporter in our scenario:Now, the correct contrapositive statement would be:In response, the politician introduces a new conditional statement asserting:However, the politician only does half of the contrapositive, incorrectly negating the terms to produce the conclusion:Now, diagram the answer choices to find one that matches this incorrect negation flaw.A- If full moon last night > then tide higher than usual; Not tide higher than usual > then full moon last night, is a correct contrapositive, so eliminate choice A.B- If stole money > then spending conspicuously by now; Jones is spending money conspicuously > then he must be the thief, is an incorrect reversal of the terms rather than an incorrect negation of the terms, so eliminate choice B.C- If violent prisoners kept in solitary confinement > then increase prison violence; Not violent prisoners kept in solitary confinement > then not increase prison violence, is an incorrect negation that matches the flaw in the given argument. Keep choice C.D- If drivers license > then pass a written test; If Smith passed written test > then drivers license, is an incorrect reversal rather than an incorrect negation, so eliminate choice D.E- If like abstract art > then understand it; If understand abstract art > then like it, is an incorrect reversal rather than an incorrect negation, so eliminate choice E.The correct answer is choice C._________________ London: Palace officials say it is impossible to know whether Prince Charles contracted coronavirus at a packed London fundraiser for Australian bushfire victims, as health officials defend their decision to test the wife of the heir to the throne even though she had no symptoms. The 71-year-old Prince of Wales announced on Wednesday that he had tested positive to COVID-19, making him the most high-profile figure affected by the worsening global pandemic. He travelled to the royal family's Balmoral Estate in Scotland over the weekend and was tested by National Health Service staff in Aberdeenshire after developing mild flu-like symptoms. His wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was also tested even though she had no symptoms. Her test came back negative. Work is underway to determine whether people who had contact with the future king over recent weeks are at risk, however Clarence House warned there was little chance of pinpointing the source of the infection. The siege is still underway in the Shorbazar neighborhood. Sikhs are a small religious minority of just 300 families in Afghanistan. The Taliban deny all responsibility. The stalemate in leadership undermining prospects for peace. US State Department cuts aid. Kabul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A Sikh temple was attacked in Kabul this morning, while the faithful gathered in prayer. Initial reports state that at least three men wearing explosive belts entered the Dharamshala (area dedicated to worship) in the Shorbazar district, and opened fire on those present. So far there are reports of 11 dead and there are fears of the presence of at least 200 hostages held captive. The attack began at 7.45 this morning and is still ongoing. Tariq Arian, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior, said that the security forces are operating in the area of the religious complex and are moving cautiously to avoid increasing the number of victims. So far no Islamic group has claimed responsibility for the assault and the Taliban spokesman has denied all responsibility. In Afghanistan, the Sikhs represent a small religious minority, with just 300 families. According to Narender Singh Khalsa, a deputy who represents the minority in Parliament, the attackers wanted to cause the greatest number of deaths, because at the time of the attack the place of worship was full of faithful. Experts say that the violence is a consequence of the tensions at the top that have been blocking the country for months, after the elections assigned victory to the outgoing President Ashraf Ghani. His main challenger Abdullah Abdullah, chief executive of the government, also claims victory and is blocking peace talks between the Kabul government and Taliban militants, after the historic Doha agreement between the United States and fundamentalists and the beginning of the withdrawal of US troops. Proof of the fragile climate came with the urgent visit to Kabul two days ago of the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to resolve the dispute between the two leaders and progress on the peace path established in Qatar. However, he left the capital a few hours later without an agreement to overcome the stalemate. The outcome was announced yesterday: the US State Department will cut aid to the Afghan government by $ 1 billion dollars. By Robert Langreth In a few short weeks, Seattle-based biologist Trevor Bedford, 38, has emerged as one of the most famous epidemiologists in the world. His frequent tweets are seized upon by many of the globes top scientists and health policy makers. So far he has more than 170,000 Twitter followers, with thousands more joining every day. But, unlike traditional epidemiologists, this disease detective working from his lab at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, doesn't do fieldwork to track down Covid-19 patients contacts. Instead, Bedford and a handful of colleagues spanning the globe from Seattle to Basel, Switzerland, and Wanaka, New Zealand analyse hundreds of virus genomes from patient samples to trace where outbreaks came from, how they spread from one corner of the Earth to the next and, most important, detecting early signs of infection clusters. The teams analytic approach relies on tracking how viruses mutate over time as they spread from person to person. In the case of the coronavirus, whose RNA consists of about 30,000 genetic bases or letters, it mutates about twice a month. These minor mutations tend not to change the potency of the virus. But they provide clues for genetic detectives to chart how they shift subtly over time, allowing them to create sprawling family trees, or phylogenies, that show how the coronavirus has spread from one part of the world or country to the next. Read: PM announces 21-day lockdown: Heres what Narendra Modi urged India to do So far Bedfords findings, which he summarizes promptly on Twitter, have been eerily on the mark, fueling his sudden celebrity status among fellow scientists and public health experts. Trevor Bedford offered some of the most careful analysis of this pandemic from the very beginning, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb wrote in a March 14 tweet. His estimates on the emerging epidemic in U.S. should be taken very seriously. Three weeks ago, when U.S. authorities still thought they might have the coronavirus somewhat under control, Bedford was among the first to argue that it had already been circulating undetected in the Seattle area for weeks. Virus-genome analyses suggested to Bedford that the very first patient in Washington in January, a 35-year-old man who had recently visited Wuhan, China, somehow infected someone else, allowing the disease to spread undetected for all that time around the Seattle area. There are some enormous implications here, Bedford said in a nine-part Twitter thread on February 29 that has since been retweeted thousands of times. I believe we're facing an already substantial outbreak in Washington State that was not detected until now due to narrow case definition requiring direct travel to China. Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases This genome work differs markedly from traditional epidemiology that focuses heavily on identifying infected patients and tracking all their contacts. Instead of talking to people about who they have been in contact with and shoe-leather epidemiology, we use the genetics of pathogens to see how they are spreading and how they are transmitting around the world, says Emma Hodcroft, a molecular epidemiologist at the University of Basel who works closely with Bedford. Genome sequencing has gradually become a more and more powerful tool over for tracking diseases. In the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, genome analyses helped trace the origin to a transmission strain that had been missed, allowing the disease to spread quietly for months in Sierra Leone. But that work took months to perform. Recently, genome sequencing has become a standard tool for tracing the source of bacteria-tainted produce. Twitter has also become a crucial tool. Bedford says he has long written Twitter threads to accompany his scientific papers. But the coronavirus has moved so swiftly he hasn't had time for scientific papers lately. Once the first genome came out in January, I basically started doing science over Twitter, he says. I believe we're facing an already substantial outbreak in Washington State that was not detected until now due to narrow case definition requiring direct travel to China. 6/9 Trevor Bedford (@trvrb) March 1, 2020 Along with the science sometimes comes an inspirational call to arms. We can bring this epidemic under control, he wrote in a thread that was retweeted 5,000 times. This is the Apollo program of our times. Let's get to it. In his 19-part March 18 Twitter thread, Bedford offers way to do just that. One path out of the crisis, he says, could be via a massive effort to roll out in-home testing kits and drive-through sites to spot cases early on and then combine those with cellphone location data to trace all the previous movements of those who test positive. He says he finds his newfound Twitter fame a bit bewildering. This has been very, very surreal, says Bedford, who's been working 16-hour days since the outbreak started. I am getting all this attention for doing this, and meanwhile everyone else's lives are being upended in terrible ways. Also Read: How the COVID-19 recession is like World War II One of his key collaborators, Richard Neher, is a computational biologist at the University of Basel. Neher says the two scientists hit upon the idea of tracking virus evolution in real time using an interactive website after meeting at a conference at the University of California Santa Barbara in 2014. Their original idea was focused on influenza evolution, with the goal of helping vaccine makers predict which strains are likely to spread around the world in the next flu season. But over time their website, Nextstrain.org, evolved to include data from multiple outbreaks including Zika, Enterovirus D68 and Ebola. When the coronavirus hit, Bedford and Neher had customized software ready to roll for rapidly analyzing hundreds of virus genomes. We hit the ground running here because all of this basic infrastructure was in place, Neher says. Since then, Nextstrain has become a 24/7 operation, staffed with researchers at Bedfords and Nehers labs in Seattle and Basel, along with another scientist in New Zealand. With global coverage, someone is always on call to start analyzing data as soon as a new viral genome is released to gisaid.org, a website where scientists are posting the information. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to analyze a new viral genome, allowing the website to be updated frequently. Bedford sees his work as expanding, not replacing, the utility of existing virus-tracing methods, providing new data streams to complement traditional epidemiology. And while the evidence he gathers stops short of proving a chain of transmission, my suspicion is almost everything we have seen in the Seattle area is part of the same transmission chain, he says. He started analyzing coronavirus genomes from China as soon as they began to flow into public databases on January 10th. At the time, health authorities were claiming that the virus had limited ability to spread between people. But Bedford found something alarming: The viral genomes were too similar to derive from viruses from different animals infecting people on multiple occasions. Instead, the genome data suggested that someone had acquired it from a single infected animal around early December and it had been spreading from person to person ever since. This genomic data represented one of the first and strongest indications of sustained epidemic spread, Bedford said in a Jan. 31 blog post. I spent the week of Jan 20 alerting every public health official I know. Bedford and Neher are limited by the amount of genome data that is available. So far almost 1,000 patients have had their viral genomes analyzed, out of more than 350,000 people who have been infected. There are few virus genome sequences from New York, which has surpassed Washington as the hardest-hit state in the country. Overwhelmed testing centers often don't have manpower to spare to do genome analysis when so many people are having trouble getting test results. Even so, a basic picture is emerging: Most of the coronavirus clusters now spiraling out of control in Europe and the United States likely date back to community spread that had been quietly percolating for many weeks. We were thinking , Neher says, it was all in China and China's problem, but that was not true." Pastor Paul Enenche donates medical and safety materials to fight coronavirus The Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr. Paul Enenche, on Tuesday, visited the Federal Capital Territory Authority, FCTA, where he donated safety items and medical equipment to combat the deadly coronavirus. The church also donated medical and non-medical equipment to Primary Health Care Centre (AMAC Clinic) Airport Road, Lugbe. The Senior Pastor was accompanied by his wife, Dr. Mrs. Becky Enenche and some medical experts from the church headquarters in Abuja. The cleric and his entourage were received by the FCT Minister for State, Ramatu Tijani Aliyu. Speaking during the visit, Dr. Paul said the gesture was part of the churchs efforts to fight against further spread of the disease. Dr. Enenche said the church would continue to pray for total deliverance of those already affected by the virus and its eradication from the earth. He urged everyone to continue to pray and hope in God for a divine intervention. Also speaking, Dr. Mrs. Enenche said the church would continue to support the government and other agencies in their quest to fight against the deadly COVID- 19. She urged everyone to continue to maintain a hygienic lifestyle. She urged members of the church and others believers out there to continue to take communion on daily basis. Dont forget to take communion and anoint yourself everyday. Prophesy to yourself that the disease will not come near you and your family. Dont also forget to maintain social distancing as advised by medical experts. Speaking shortly after receiving the items, the minister lauded Dunamis for the kind gesture. Dunamis has once again set an example of what church is all about. This is the not the first time you have done this. We are grateful to Dr. Paul and his wife for always showing a good example. We call on everyone out there to join hands in this fight against the deadly coronavirus. Let us continue to pray and observe the precautionary measures advised by the government and medical experts. We are grateful sir. Items donated by the church included: 8 units of hospital beds and mattresses. 2 units of height measuring sticks 1 unit examination couch 2units diagnostic sets 3 units sphygmomanometers 1standard unit Micro Haematoent centrifuge 1standard unit Gynecologic couch 2 units infant weighing scales 2 units sets of oxygen cylinders 5 packs of oxygen face masks 5 cartons of regular face masks 1 unit of automatic stretcher 6 pieces of drip stands 1 standard unit of ultrasound machine 20 liters of methylated spirit Personal protective equipment collective 20 liters of dettol 1 standard unit of hospital screen 10 pairs of medical boots In addition were other non medical equipment which included: 7 units standing fans 1 unit of 5 KVA generator and 2units water dispenser and other items. The 31-year-old advertising sales manager, who was identified only as Artyom by the news site Mediazona, was on the same plane as Berov and said he was later given a warning for violating self-quarantine rules after taking out the trash. Two police officers in sanitary masks turned up at his door the next day, serving a notice warning him against violating the rules again. The Indian airspace is currently being used only by the international flights which are passing through as the government has cancelled all international and domestic flights in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. The government on Monday said that operations of domestic flights have been cancelled from midnight of March 24. "The operations of domestic scheduled commercial airlines shall cease with effect from midnight on March 24," the government said. However, the restrictions will not apply to cargo flights. Earlier, the central government has banned the operations of international commercial passenger flights in India from March 22 to March 29. The circular was issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday. "No scheduled international commercial passenger aircraft shall take off from any foreign airport to land in India, from March 22, 2020 (05:30 hrs IST). These instructions shall remain in force till March 29, 2020," read the circular. In his address to the nation on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. According to ICMR, India has reported about 536 positive cases of COVID-19 and 10 deaths till date. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As people are bracing for a longer stay indoors during the lockdown, many students studying in West Bengal, including foreigners, are stuck in their hostel rooms away from home, with no sign of their plight ending soon. Institutes have been closed since March 16 over the coronavirus outbreak, and boarders of hostels of Jadavpur, Presidency and Visva-Bharati universities are spending their time completing project works, managing to get food and playing indoor games. In Jadavpur University, 30 students are stuck in the boys hostel with a majority of them from Nigeria, Somalia and Bangladesh, an office-bearer of Arts Faculty Students Union told PTI on Tuesday. Of them, there are students also form Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar, said Teerna, the office-bearer. A JU official said the foreign students had come to the hostel long before the COVID-19 outbreak and they have no other place to go. None of the students has any reported symptoms like flu, he said. The students from Bihar and Kashmir had to remain in the hostel as train services have been cancelled, he said. There are 11 women, all Indians, at the female hostel, the official said. We are spending our time completing project work and reading books. While in normal situations, we had to be back at the hostel by 8 pm, now it is becoming an endless wait for us to go out. But with 10 other girls put up in different rooms, we are not complaining, said Nehal Mishra, one of the 11. Lets hope the situation will end for the better soon, she said. Ninad Lohakare, the VP of Technology Students Gymkhana and one of the inmates of the IIT Kharagpur hostel in its campus, said many students are spending their times finishing projects online. We are actively working on online research projects and other study-related works. We are also playing indoor games during breaks. We are prepared for a long battle but hope normalcy will return soon, he said. At Presidency University Hindu Hostel for boys, around 20 outstation students are currently lodged as they have no other option, a varsity official said. The students staying at Hindu Hostel are having difficult times as they cannot go outside the building. I heard they are working on projects from hostel rooms apart from reading books, Subho Biswas, one of the total 120 boarders who had gone home vacating the hostel, said. The newly built girls hostel at Salt Lake is, however, empty with only the warden staying there at present. At Visva-Bharati hostel, all the Indian students have left but about 50 foreigners, most of them Bangladeshi and a few Japanese, are staying on, a spokesman of the universitys SFI unit said. The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Frank Okiye, has tested positive to Coronavirus. The state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing journalists in Benin City, the state capital. The index case of Coronavirus in Edo, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Frank Okiye, who travelled to the United Kingdom came back and has been on self-isolation. He was tested and proved positive. He is in stable condition and his family members have been tested and they all came out negative. Gov. Godwin Obaseki has also gone on self-isolation, following his close contact with Gov. Bala Muhammad and the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Abba Kyari, who have both tested positive to coronavirus, he said. Mr Shaibu said the state government had adopted measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the state. Government has acquired 40 drums of hand sanitisers for distribution across all Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. We are still maintaining that a gathering of persons above 20 is restricted, markets remain closed, except for those selling essential commodities like food and medicine, he said. Mr Shaibu said 111 persons had been tracked so far, 64 per cent of them located and five samples taken for test, assuring that the state has a very strong contact tracing team because of its experience with in the handling of Lassa fever. (NAN) Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) awaits the State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC on February 04, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) New House Bill Aims to Prevent Virus Relief Funds From Flowing to China As the U.S. Congress works to pass a $2 trillion dollar stimulus package to assist Americans and businesses affected by the current pandemic, a U.S. lawmaker has proposed a bill that would prevent funding from flowing into China. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) introduced the No Chinese Handouts in National Assistance Act, also known as the No CHINA Act, on March 24. The bill would prevent any fundsincluding virus relief refundsappropriated by Congress in fiscal year 2020 from being distributed to companies owned by the Chinese regime. Chinese corporations operating in America must not be eligible for the upcoming trillion-dollar bailout, now or ever, stated Gaetz in a press release from his office. He added: Every single American worker displaced by COVID-19 should be fully compensated, before one nickel from our treasury goes to Chinese-owned corporations operating here in the United States. To this, the congressman called for a full stop. The global pandemic started in Wuhan, the capital of central Chinas Hubei province, in December 2019. Since then, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus has spread to over 180 countries and regions and killed more than 10,000 people outside of China. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the CCPs coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. In the United States, the virus has sickened more than 55,000 people and caused at least 790 deaths. Thousands of businesses have been impacted by the outbreak and more than 100 million people across the country have been asked to stay at home. The $2 trillion proposal being deliberated by lawmakers would include one-time payments of $1,200 or more per individual, a $500 billion fund to assist industries hit hard by the outbreak, $350 billion in loans for small businesses, and $250 trillion for expanded unemployment aid. Gaetz also called out the Chinese regime for spreading false information to American audiences about the virus. The global coronavirus pandemic has been exacerbated by the Chinese governments malicious misinformation and propaganda campaign against the United States and its citizens, he said in the release. Allowing American taxpayers money to go to companies owned by the Communist Chinese government is antithetical to our America First agenda. Since early March, the Chinese regime has been aggressively pushing a global propaganda campaign to deflect attention from its initial mishandling of the outbreak. The Chinese regime silenced eight whistleblowers, among them ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, after they disclosed an unknown pneumonia outbreak on Chinese social media in December 2019. On March 13, the U.S. State Department summoned Chinas ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai, after Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of Chinas foreign ministry, accused the U.S. Army of bringing the CCP virus into Wuhan. Following that, three Republican senators wrote to President Donald Trump on March 23, proposing the establishment of an interagency task force under the command of the White House National Security Council to counter Beijings propaganda surrounding the CCP virus. Gaetzs bill pointed out that Taiwanese nationals and Taiwanese companies would be not subjected to the bills restrictions. Taiwan and the United States have recently intensified their partnership on combating the virus. The two sides agreed to cooperate on research and development of rapid diagnostic tests and vaccines, and exchange medical supplies and equipment. Reuters contributed to this report. THE Makati Medical Center (MMC) on Wednesday, March 25, denounced Senator Aquilino Koko Pimentel III for breaching the strict infection and containment protocols when he brought his pregnant wife to the delivery room complex even when he was supposed to be under quarantine. Pimentel announced earlier Wednesday that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the highly infectious pathogen that causes coronavirus disease (Covid-19). In a statement signed by medical director Saturnino Javier, the MMC said Pimentel unduly exposed healthcare workers to possible infection and a number of them may have to go into quarantine. This will further deplete the dwindling workforce of the hospital, the MMC said. The involved healthcare workers have been duly identified, evaluated and will be quarantined, if the risk of exposure warrants it, the MMC added. The entire delivery room complex also had to be decontaminated and disinfected. We denounce the irresponsible and reckless action of the senator. He added to the burden of a hospital trying to respond in its most competent and aggressive manner to cope with the daunting challenges of this Covid-19 outbreak, the hospital said. His admonition for everyone to observe social distancing, enhanced community quarantine measures, washing of hands and personal hygiene are nothing but empty rhetoric because he himself violated all those, MMC added. PDP-Laban spokesperson Ron Munsayac said they will issue a statement. Pimentels wife, Kathryna Yu-Pimentel, earlier defended her husband. She was supposed to give birth via caesarean section on Wednesday, but MMC doctors decided to postpone the procedure after they were informed that the senator has been found positive for the new coronavirus. Pimentel, in a statement earlier, said he received the call from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) while he was at the hospital Tuesday night. He said he left the hospital immediately. Story continues Read: Koko Pimentel tests positive for new coronavirus Kathryna, who has been put under isolation, clarified that the senator had not known that he was positive for the virus when he brought her to the hospital. She also said her husband never entered the delivery room. Then RITM called him around 9 p.m. that he was positive. But he was just in the room. As soon as he found out he was positive he left me already and told my OB about his situation. For weeks now he was in self quarantine and practicing social distance, Kathryna said. We dont even share a room for 10 days alreadyit was only yesterday that he went with me for admission because he was also excited to see me deliver sana which was scheduled today at 7 a.m. But was cancelled, she explained. Under Republic Act (RA) 11332, a person is required to disclose his or her health condition and possible exposure to diseases such as Covid-19. Section 9 of this law penalizes those who violate this with a fine of between P20,000 and P50,000, or imprisonment of not less than one month. (MVI with Jove T. Moya/SunStar Philippines) The boss of agribusiness giant Nufarm says the COVID-19 crisis underscores the need for quality, healthy food grown by Australian farmers, who are attempting to increase production after a bout of favourable weather. Nufarm chief executive Greg Hunt said there had been a jump in demand in February and March for Nufarm's agricultural products, including herbicides used to knock down weeds before sowing and seeds. The ASX-listed agribusiness Nufarm has booked a $122 million first-half loss, but says demand among Australian farmers for its products is now rising. Credit: "We are in unique and uncertain times. So accurately forecasting what will happen and what the impacts may be on our business over the coming months is very difficult at the moment. What we do know is that we need to produce food and therefore farmers need to plant crops," he said. "The products that Nufarm produces are an essential input into farmers' ability to successfully grow their crops," he said. By way of a working from home Twitter message, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the company has sourced and will be donating 10 million face masks. The number is a sizable increase over the two million reported last week, and a hefty bump over the nine million figure Vice President Mike Pence announced during last nights White House press conference. Apple has sourced, procured and is donating 10 million masks to the medical community in the United States, Cook says in the video. These people deserve our debt of gratitude for all of the work theyre doing on the front lines. Proud to share weve been able to source 10M masks for the US and millions more for the hardest hit regions in Europe. Our ops teams are helping to find and purchase masks from our supply chain in coordination with governments around the world. pic.twitter.com/uTsA6eA5ks Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 25, 2020 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Apple is joining fellow tech companies in donating masks amid a national shortage as COVID-19 takes an increasing toll on the U.S. population. Many of the donated masks have been stockpiled, in order to adhere to California Occupational Safety and Health Standards put into action following last years devastating wildfires. Other companies, like Ford, have transformed production facilities to create additional masks. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Quito, Ecuador Wed, March 25, 2020 14:07 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d56e5c 2 News Galapagos,travel,destination,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free The coronavirus pandemic has reached Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage site, an official source said on Tuesday. Norman Wray, president of the Galapagos Government Council, told the state EcuadorTV channel that tests results on Monday established that four people had contracted the COVID-19 disease. The four permanent residents of the archipelago had returned to the islands from the port of Guayaquil, the worst affected city in Ecuador with more than half of its near 1,000 confirmed cases. The archipelago of volcanic islands lies just over 900 kilometers to the west of Ecuador. English naturalist, biologist and geologist Charles Darwin developed his Theory of Evolution after studying endemic species in the Galapagos islands. More than 30,000 people live on the islands, which have a limited medical infrastructure. Read also: Bali urges tourist destinations to suspend operations to curb COVID-19 spread A week ago, the government ordered a total ban on visitors to the islands, where measures are already in place to restrict the movement of people. In 2019, more than 270,000 people visited the Galapagos islands, including many from countries that have been badly affected by the coronavirus, such as France, Spain and the United States. Without giving more details, Wray said there was "still a large number of people who went to Galapagos more than 14 days ago who haven't been able to leave," both foreigners and Ecuadorans. Ecuador, one of the worst coronavirus-affected countries in Latin America, has taken a number of steps to combat the spread of the disease, including closing its borders, nighttime curfews, restrictions on the circulation of vehicles, a closure of schools and universities, a lockdown, and a state of exception. The infected people in the Galapagos will undergo health protocols before being transferred to the mainland, the regional government said. The broadcast TV industry has been hyping a new standard for over-the-air channels over the past couple years. Its called ATSC 3.0, or Next Gen TV. The benefits of this standard are clear: Better reception, 4K HDR video support, Dolby Atmos and DTS-X support, on-demand video, and possibly even streaming to mobile devices and automobiles. (The standard also has also some iffier aspects, such as targeted advertising.) But ATSC 3.0 comes with one big caveat as well: While the new standard will work with any antenna, its incompatible with the ATSC 1.0 tuners built into todays TVs, converter boxes, and DVRs. To take advantage of Next Gen TV, cord-cutters will need new hardware. All of which has made me wonder at what point it no longer makes sense to invest in the current generation of antenna TV. With ATSC 3.0 set to roll out in the top 40 U.S. markets later this year, and with some TV makers starting to build ATSC 3.0 tuners into their 2020 sets, has the time come to hold off on buying TVs or over-the-air DVRs that only support ATSC 1.0? The answer is probably not just yet. Next Gen TV: Where it stands now Heres what we know for sure about the forthcoming rollout of ATSC 3.0: The top 40 U.S. markets as ranked by Nielsen plan to have at least one ATSC 3.0 broadcast up and running this year, with an additional 20 markets to follow. Collectively those will cover about 70 percent of the population. (A full list of markets getting ATSC 3.0 in 2020 is available at this link.) As for hardware, Samsung has announced that it will support ATSC 3.0 in 13 of its 8K TVs in 2020, while LG will support the standard in six of its OLED sets. Sony will offer ATSC 3.0 in its X900H range, totaling at least 20 TVs with Next Gen TV support this year. Beyond that, things get squishy. Dave Arland, a spokesman for both the ATSC 3.0 standards body and the broadcaster tech consortium Pearl TV, said discussions are underway with other TV makers, so its possible that more TVs will arrive in 2020; for now, the tech is destined for high-end televisions. Like everything, its going to start expensive and then work its way down, Arland said. Broadcasters do want to support existing TVs as well, but this will require external tuner boxes, and the plans for those are even murkier. A company called BitRouter has built an ATSC 3.0 set-top box that can connect to TVs over HDMI, and a brand called Zapperbox plans to sell the hardware to consumers this year, but neither company is announcing prices or availability yet. (Given that BitRouters current hardware is a small NUC desktop computer running an Intel Core i5 processor, one could imagine the consumer product costing hundreds of dollars.) Another firm, called AirWavz, is planning consumer ATSC 3.0 hardware as well, including a USB dongle with PC/Linux support similar to what it currently sells to broadcasters. But AirWavz isnt talking price or release date yet either. We might hear more details on these products at a trade show for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in April. Zapperbox Zapperbox might be one of the first set-top boxes with ATSC 3.0 support. I also asked Nuvyyo, makers of the Tablo over-the-air DVR, whether the company is planning an ATSC 3.0 version of its hardware. In an email, CEO Grant Hall said Tablo is evaluating its options, including tuner and demodulator chips that can support both ATSC 3.0 and 1.0 broadcasts simultaneously; but for now, the company is focusing on the current-gen Dual Lite and Quad DVRs. If broadcasters are able to meet the proposed timelines for transitioning major U.S. markets to ATSC 3.0 by the end of 2020, we may have something exciting to show off in this space at CES in January of 2021, Hall said. Should you wait for Next Gen TV? My overall impression from these conversations is that ATSC 3.0 will only appeal to the most bleeding-edge early adopters in 2020. We still dont know exactly which channels will be broadcasting in the new standard by years end, and the real boom in compatible hardware probably wont happen until 2021 at the earliest. Besides, the Federal Communications Commission is requiring all broadcasters to simulcast an ATSC 1.0 version of their primary channels programming until at least February 2023, and the FCC could still push that cutoff date back further. Even if you buy a new TV or over-the-air DVR now, itll work with an antenna for a minimum three more years, at which point upgrading to an external tuner or new DVR might be cheaper than being an early adopter in the next year or so. The simulcast requirement does have a few wrinkles to consider: Public broadcasters want an exemption, and the rules only apply to the primary video stream on each channel. That means public broadcasters and digital subnetworks (think MeTV and Comet) could move exclusively to ATSC 3.0 before the main broadcast networks do. Its also possible, if unlikely, that broadcasters could reduce the video quality of ATSC 1.0 channels to make room for the new standard. But even as broadcasters try to push ahead on ATSC 3.0, there are several factors keeping them tied to the current standard. Antenna use is now at its highest level since 2005, and cable providers retransmission of ATSC 1.0-based signals is still a lucrative revenue source for broadcasters and TV networks. Cable companies haven't yet agreed with broadcasters on how to adopt the new standard in their retransmissions. Broadcasters dont want to kill the golden goose, and thats 1.0, Arland, the ATSC spokesman, said. And that will be 1.0 for several years. Of course, if your TV upgrade plans call for a top-notch OLED or 8K set this year, I wont stop you, but dont let the hype around ATSC 3.0 make you second-guess your cord-cutting strategy. Nows as good a time as any to cut cable TV, with or without an antenna. Sign up for Jareds Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter to get this column and other cord-cutting news, insights, and deals delivered to your inbox. State and federal employees are exempt from the San Antonio and Bexar County orders for residents to stay home as the coronavirus continues to spread across the area. Government employees, including those who work for the city and county, account for 12.6 percent of the countys civilian population, census figures show. In Bexar County alone, 116,347 people are local, state or federal government workers, according to the census bureaus 2018 American Community Survey One-Year Estimates. The orders from Mayor Ron Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff each declare government functions to be among businesses exempted from the mandate. Both orders use similar language. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases Nirenbergs order describes government functions as business activity related to the operations or services provided by government for the continuing operation of the government agencies to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public. For example, public safety, solid waste collection and utility operations. Wolffs order uses largely the same definition but provides slightly different examples of those government functions: law enforcement, the operation of jails and detention facilities, fire services, emergency medical services or other services necessary for (the) health and safety of residents of Bexar County. Larry Roberson, civil division chief at the Bexar County District Attorneys Office, confirmed employees at state and federal government agencies are exempt from Wolffs order to stay home. We would encourage them to also stay at home if possible, Roberson said Tuesday, adding, however, The order does not include them. Nirenbergs stay-at-home order also includes an exemption for government employees, including both state and federal workers, city spokeswoman Laura Mayes confirmed. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio, Bexar County residents ordered to stay home as local coronavirus cases climb Administrative Law Judge Janice Holmes, a federal employee, said shes still required to report to work at the Social Security Administrations Office of Hearings Operations in San Antonio when she has cases on the docket. That requirement remained in effect Tuesday even though those facilities closed to the public last week and now conducts hearings only by telephone. Holmes estimated there were about 20 people working in that office Tuesday. None of them were showing any symptoms of the coronavirus, she noted. But the 58-year-old judge said she and some of her co-workers are uneasy that theyre still expected to go into work when so many other people have been ordered to stay home. I think that they should close the office anywhere that theres a shelter-in-place order, Holmes said. Theres a lot of work we can do from home ... We can reschedule these cases. Regional managers over the Social Security Administrations San Antonio hearings office did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Peggy OHare reports on the census, demographics and occasionally crime and general assignments in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: @Peggy_OHare Harvey Taratoot, 75, was arrested Sunday evening after pointed a gun at two women wearing medical masks because he believed they could give him coronavirus A Georgia man has pointed a gun at two women wearing medical masks because he believed they could give him coronavirus. Harvey Taratoot, 75, was arrested Sunday evening over the disturbing incident, which took place hours earlier in the town of Alpharetta, north of Atlanta. According to police, Taratoot pulled out a handgun and yelled at the two women to 'get back' as they entered a U.S. post office while wearing the masks and plastic gloves. The women have not been named, but have been identified as a grandmother and granddaughter. While medical experts claim face masks do not stop a person from contracting coronavirus, millions of people across America have taken to wearing the protective coverings due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It is not believed either of the women were carrying the virus. An arrest affidavit states that Tatatoot fled the scene after he pulled the gun, but not before ordering the women to avoid touching the post office's front door. One of the victims was able to obtain Taratoot's license plate and passed it on to police. Taratoot pulled out a handgun and yelled at the two women to 'get back' as they entered a U.S. post office while wearing the masks and plastic gloves Officers later arrived at his house, where he peacefully surrendered while armed with a holstered gun. He was arrested on a charge of pointing a pistol at another. While in custody, Tatratoot admitted to pointing the gun at the two women because he was scared that they had COVID-19. Fulton County Police described Taratoor's actions as 'an overreaction' in response the unfolding coronavirus pandemic. "Please do not allow fear to overcome your logic while were going through this,' the Department urged in a statement. Taratoot peacefully surrendered while armed with a holstered gun. He was arrested on a charge of pointing a pistol at another While medical experts claim face masks do not stop a person from contracting coronavirus, millions of people across America have taken to wearing the protective coverings due to the COVID-19 outbreak. People are pictured 'This could have certainly ended with tragic results for everyone involved,' they added. Taratoot has been released from Fulton County Jail on a $1,500 bond. It comes as the coronavirus crisis deepens in the United States, with nearly 60,000 people testing positive to the virus as of Wednesday afternoon. Georgia has been hard by the virus, with more than 1,000 cases and 38 deaths. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday strongly condemned the attack on a gurdwara in Afghanistan, describing it a cowardly and an inhuman act. In a statement here, PDP spokesman Harbaksh Singh expressed pain and anguish over the attack carried out on the Sikh temple in Kabul earlier in the day. "We share the pain and grief of those who have lost their dear ones in the attack. We pray for the recovery of those who have been wounded by such a reprehensible action," he said. Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) also condemned the attack. "Strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack on one of the religious places of our Sikh brothers in Kabul today killing innocent people. May better sense prevail.These acts are not part of Islam and humanity," JKPC leader Imran Reza Ansari said in a tweet. At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed his way into a prominent gurdwara on Wednesday in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the strife-torn country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sunda International Group, a Chinese multinational trade enterprises, and its partner, Keda Ceramics, have donated detergents to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. The items include softcare, Dr X Medicated Soap, Kleesoft, Dr K Savon Medical Soap, Athene Beauty Soap, among others. The donation of the truckload if detergents aims at helping Ghanas fight against the deadly coronavirus disease. It also aims to keep the premises of the Institute clean and safe due to its nature of research which sometimes involves highly infectious diseases. Ghana has so recorded 53 confirmed cases of the virus, with two deaths. Officials of Sunda International were led by the President of the Ghana Rugby Association, Herbert Mensah, to make the donation on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 in Accra Director of the Institute, Prof. Abraham Annan, thanked the company for its kind gesture Prof. Annan is optimistic that it will go a long way to support the work of his outfit. He stated that the Institute is at the forefront of testing for coronavirus in Ghana. According to him, the Institute since its inception has been assigned the front runner role for disease detection in Ghana. He indicated that the first HIV/AIDS case in Ghana was diagnosed at the Institute, and that it has helped with the testing of other global health pandemics and epidemics. He stated that the Institute has found out that there are a lot of COVID-19 cases coming out of Ghana and that because of the imported cases, Ghana is now having a lot of community transmission. He stated that the Institute has upscaled its testing and has had 100s of samples. Managing Director of Sunda International, Victor Zhang, prayed for the coronavirus pandemic to come to an end quickly. As a company, he said, Sunda wants to make more contributions to organizations in Ghana and Africa to help combat the COVID-19. He said the vision of the company is to provide factory products to Africans in these trying times. About Sunda International The Sunda International Group was formed in 2000 and is one of the international trade enterprises which penetrate into overseas markets such as Africa and South America at the earliest. It insists on the operational concept of appointing people with merits and advancing with the times. After over ten years of efforts, the Group has become a comprehensive transnational industrial group integrated with overseas industry manufacturing, international trade, industrial investment, consultation service, information technology service. Sunda dedicates itself to development and production of ceramics, sanitary ware, hardware accessories, daily cleaning products and personal care products. Moreover, the Group also has a marketing network covering more than 20 countries and regions. Keda Ceramics Keda (Ghana) Ceramics Company Limited, manufacturers of Twyford tiles based at Aboadze in the Shama District of the Western Region. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday used the reference of 'Mankad dismissal' to ask the citizens of the country to stay inside their homes as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 pandemic. Ashwin used the picture from the last year's Indian Premier League (IPL) where he used the 'Mankad' mode of dismissal to send Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler back to the pavilion. "Hahaha, somebody sent me this and told me it's exactly been 1 year since this run out happened. As the nation goes into lockdown, this is a good reminder to my citizens. Don't wander out. Stay inside, stay safe! #21DayLockdown," Ashwin tweeted. His appeal to the citizens comes one day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to impose a 21-day lockdown in the country as a precautionary measure against coronavirus. "In view of the current situation, the nationwide total lockdown will be in place for 21 days -- three weeks," said Prime Minister Modi during his second address to the nation."It is a kind of a curfew," PM Modi had said. The Prime Minister said: "If we are not able to manage the upcoming 21 days (of nationwide complete lockdown), we will be pushed back 21 years." "Today India is at the stage where our actions today will decide to what extent we can bring down the impact of this disaster. This is the time to strengthen our resolve again and again," he said. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday confirmed 539 positive cases of coronavirus in the country. The World Health Organisation had termed coronavirus as a pandemic on March 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sharon D. Clarke in Caroline, or Change. Photo: Helen Maybanks With Broadway currently closed due to the threat of coronavirus, several productions have started to reschedule their runs to the fall. Today, the Roundabout Theatre Company announced that it will shift its spring and summer productions, including the Broadway runs of its revival of Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesoris Caroline, or Change starring Sharon D. Clarke at Studio 54, and Noah Haidles Birthday Candles, starring Debra Messing at the American Airlines Theatre, into fall 2020. Both productions were yet to start performances this spring before the shutdown, and according to the Roundabout, both Clarke and Messing will return for the runs in the fall. The Roundabout is following in the footsteps of Lincoln Center Theater, which announced yesterday that it would reschedule its spring productions of Flying Over Sunset, the James LapineTom KittMichael Korie Broadway musical about LSD experimentation in the 1950s, and Intimate Apparel, the Off Broadway opera from Ricky Ian Gordon, Lynn Nottage, and Bartlett Sher into the fall. Theoretically, Broadway theaters have all shut down until April 13, as ordered by Governor Andrew Cuomo, but the theater shutdown will inevitably last longer, given the indefinite status of the closure of New Yorks other businesses. LCT and the Roundabout have the money and subscriber base to absorb the economic shock caused by the shutdown, but two commercial productions have already folded in the wake of the news: Martin McDonaghs Hangmen with Dan Stevens and the revival of Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? starring Laurie Metcalf, both of which were yet to open on Broadway. The status of the Tony Awards, which would typically take place in early June after all of the major Broadway productions open in March and April, is unclear. In addition to postponing its major shows, the Roundabout also announced its other scheduling plans. It will present Jireh Breon Holders what the end will be, scheduled to run this spring Off Broadway, in 2021; Dave Harriss Exception to the Rule, scheduled to play the Roundabout Underground this spring, will also be moved to spring 2021. The Roundabout is still planning to go ahead with the rest of its announced 202021 season, including a revival of 1776 next spring. Our desire is to provide certainty and confidence to our artists, staff and audiences that we will come back from this hiatus with a full season, Roundabouts artistic director and CEO Todd Haimes said in a statement. We are committed to the future of the theatre and its long-term sustainability in this crisis. Moving planned productions to dates certain in the fall protects the health and safety of everyone while ensuring employment for our staff and artists, creating clarity for our subscribers and donors, and providing a clear production timeline that allows everyone on stage and off to strategically plan to support the beautiful work coming to our stages in 20-21. During the shutdown, Roundabout says that it is also building remote-learning programs and working to provide subscribers and ticket holders the opportunity to experience 72 Miles to Go, which closed early for the shutdown, digitally. Welcome Diner has launched an ambitious plan to help feed Tucsonans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns and business slowdowns. The nearly four-year-old restaurant in the old Chaffins Diner, 902 E. Broadway, is offering its staff meal the daily meal offered free to employees and based on what ingredients Executive Chef Ian Rosales has on hand to the public on a pay-what-you-can basis. In the past week, that meal has included butternut squash bisque, Thai soup, jambalaya with red beans and rice, roasted veggies salad and Spanish rice with jackfruit. Rosales also is experimenting with dishes that can be frozen and eaten later including a fried green tomato Parmesan. You can also order off a streamlined version of the diner menu at regular prices. Welcome Diner officially launched its Welcome Care program Sunday and Manager Shanna Rosing said a couple people picked up meals. A pair of displaced Tucson bartenders pitched in $20 for two meals; another customer gave the diner $20 for a container of soup. Rosing said no one will be turned away and they will ask no questions of customers. The hope is that for every few people who can offer little to no payment, one or two customers will come in and overpay. We want to open these meals up to everyone, not just people who have been displaced by this pandemic, said Rosing, who is running the restaurant without any staff except Rosales. Amid coronavirus scare, several states and union territories across the country have imposed a strict curfew on people's movement, in a bid to stop the spread of the virus. Shops, except for those selling essential items, have been closed. However, according to a Times of India report, liquor shops in Kerala and Punjab continue to function in spite of the lockdown, in their respective states. Twitter The Kerala government has decided to shut all bars and liquor stores across the state as the number of cases increased over the last few days. The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, however, clarified that while state-run Kerala State Beverages (Manufacturing and Marketing) Corporation Limited (Bevco) liquor outlets will remain open, "Customers cannot sit and drink. The counter sale will be allowed later if needed." As per the TOI report, Kerala CM cited a tweet by Punjab CM, Capt. Amarinder Singh, during a press meet, to justify the state governments decision to include liquor as an essential commodity. I have with me a message from the Punjab CM. I will read it for youAll essential services will continue (there). He explains what these essential services and commodities are, groceries, liquor...the list goes on, he said. Facebook/Picture for representation A spokesperson for the Punjab government confirmed that liquor shops would be allowed to operate during the lockdown till March 31, but denied that the Chief Minister had mentioned it any tweet. However, Kerala governments decision to allow continuing the sale of alcohol through Bevco outlets has received widespread criticism from Congress and citizens of the state, despite the advisories issued against public gathering in the view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases across the country. In a desperate bid to contain the spread of the virus, Kerala had announced the closure schools, private offices and malls, and cancelled public gatherings along with urging people to push their wedding dates or limit the number of guests. As per the directive by the Punjab CM, the supply of beverages are declared "essential items, along with groceries, in view of the urgency due to COVID-19 pandemic. Vijayan said, "the peculiar situation in the state demands such a measure." Twitter Punjab government confirmed that liquor shops will be allowed to operate during the lockdown period till March 31. On the other hand, liquor shops across other states will remain closed on account of the lockdown to curb the spread of the deadly virus. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 01:31:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHICAGO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Researchers at the University of Illinois (UI) and Mie University in Japan found a bacterial protein fragment instigates lung tissue death in pulmonary fibrosis, a mysterious disease affecting millions of people worldwide, according to a news release posted on UI's website on Tuesday. Previous studies found that certain bacteria, such as strains of Halomonas, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, proliferate in the lungs of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients, likely as a result of high amounts of salt in the lining of patients' lungs. So the researchers cultured bacteria associated with fibrotic lung tissue in a salty environment and studied what the bacteria secreted. They found a small peptide, secreted by Staphylococcus nepalensis, that rapidly kills lung cells. They named the peptide corisin. To confirm that corisin was the exacerbating culprit, the researchers ran an experiment on mice with IPF. They compared mice given corisin itself, those infected with corisin-secreting Staphylococcus nepalensis, those infected with a Staph strain that did not secrete corisin, and an untreated control group, and found that the mice given corisin or the bacterium that secretes it showed much greater signs of acute exacerbation, a phase when a patient experiences a rapid worsening of breathing and loss of lung function. The researchers also looked at lung tissue samples from human patients and found that those who had undergone acute exacerbation had higher levels of corisin in their lungs. The researchers then searched the genome of Staphylococcus nepalensis to figure out where corisin comes from. They found that it is a fragment cut from a larger protein. They tested the larger protein on lung tissue and found it did not have the destructive properties of the fragment. "It's like a Trojan horse," said UI microbiology and animal sciences professor Isaac Cann. "Anybody trying to characterize the large protein to find what it does would never know it has this destructive element hidden inside it. The microbe makes the polypeptide and then it cuts out that small piece of it, the corisin, and that is very deadly." The findings may have important implications for the prevailing coronavirus pandemic, as some patients may develop pulmonary fibrosis after recovering from COVID-19, in similarity to the fibrosis seen in some patients after the outbreak of the SARS coronavirus, the researchers noted. In the next step, the researchers hope to identify the enzyme that cuts corisin out of its larger protein. They aim to create agents to block it. They also plan to identify which other strains of bacteria produce corisin or similar peptides, and to study other types of fibrosis, such as in the kidneys and liver, to see if corisin or other bacterial agents play a role in those diseases. In people with pulmonary fibrosis, lung tissue becomes progressively more scarred and stiffened, with a prognosis of only three to five years of life after diagnosis. About 50,000 patients in the United States die of IPF every year, more than those who die from breast cancer, according to the IPF Foundation. The findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications. Advice from the worlds happiest country - give all your kids the best possible education and care for each other and the environment, especially at this time of global crisis caused by the coronavirus epidemic. Finland has topped the annual global survey on happiness for the third year running, an accolade Prime Minister Sanna Marin said was all the more appreciated at a time when the coronavirus epidemic is testing the values and institutions of all nations. The survey also ranked Helsinki, the Finnish capital, as the happiest city in the world, in an additional boost for the Nordic nation of 5.5 million people best known for its lakes, saunas and long, cold winters. In essence this index says that the Finnish welfare state gives everyone an opportunity for well-being in life, she told a news conference on Friday held by video link to help counter the spread of coronavirus. Asked whether Finland could remain the happiest nation in the face of the epidemic, Marin said: ... I believe Finnish grit will take us through this and together we will build a country which is a good place to be for every child. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Finland has so far reported 450 cases of coronavirus and no deaths. Marins government earlier on Friday announced a 15 billion euro ($16.2 billion) aid package, ranging from loan guarantees to labour market support, as the central bank warned the economy could shrink this year by up to 4%. SOCIAL TRUST The U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Networks (SDSN) 2020 World Happiness Report ranked 156 countries according to their scores for things such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity and absence of corruption. The other happiest countries in the top-10, in descending order, were Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, Luxembourg and Austria. The United States came in at 18th and Britain was 13th. Time and again we see the reasons for wellbeing include good social support networks, social trust, honest governments, safe environments, and healthy lives, Jeffrey Sachs, director of SDSN and one of the editors of the report, said in a statement. For the first time since the report began in 2012, it also ranked the happiness of cities around the world based on subjective feelings of well-being. That survey ranked 186 cities worldwide, with Helsinki coming out on top. The U.N. survey uses a variety of polling organisations, official figures and research methods to calculate the rankings. This was happy news this morning, said Justice Minister Anna-Maja Henriksson. We are used to getting through tough times by doing things together. This is the way to weather this crisis too and to be the happiest country next year too. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday sought a Rs 1,500 crore package from the Centre to support the state government's efforts to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking to reporters through video-conference from the state secretariat, Banerjee said the Centre should provide a special package as the state is finding it difficult to do "everything" with its "limited resources". "We had made the same request at the all-party meeting two days back. The Centre should announce a special financial package for the state in the current situation," she said. The chief minister said that while the state has created a Rs 200-crore fund, it is inadequate to procure all necessary equipment such as ventilators. Banerjee said the Centre should work out special economic packages for all the states affected by the pandemic. She also appealed to the corporates, industrialists and other organisations in the state to donate to the relief fund to effectively tackle the disease. Responding to a question, she said the state government has the right to decide on certain provisions of the National Disaster Management Act and a call will be taken on whether some of them can be relaxed after reviewing the situation on March 31. The Act has been invoked by the Centre without consulting the states "but we will later on decide which provision should be enforced and which not", Banerjee said. She said people engaged by online platforms for delivery of food items, vegetable vendors and those in other essential services should not be stopped by police during the lockdown. Farmers working in fields usually maintain distance between each other and there is no reason they should not be allowed to work, the chief minister said. If required, passes should be issued to people employed for home delivery services, she said. Banerjee warned of action if policemen were found stopping people working in essential services. "Social distancing doesn't mean social isolation," the chief minister said. She also warned of stern action if doctors, nurses and health workers are harassed by their neighbours. Banerjee said that if someone runs out of food during the lockdown, the person should get in touch with the respective Block Development Officer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If you can't go to an art museum, bring the art museum to you. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Daphne Sashin and her family have been staying inside their Mountain View, California, home, only going outside for walks and bike riding. Last week, she thought of a way to beautify the neighborhood: have interested families use chalk to create works of art on their driveways and sidewalks. She sent an email out to neighbors, and gave interested parties a deadline of Friday at noon to finish their drawings. "My idea was this would be something that would brighten everyone's day and it would bring us together as a community, even though we can't physically be together," Sashin told CNN. She got to drawing with her kids Jack, 8, and Lucy, 5, and the Sashins weren't alone more than 50 homes in the neighborhood participated. Some recreated famous works by the likes of Vincent Van Gogh, while others drew their own original pieces. The art has made a difference, and could be a new neighborhood tradition, Sashin told CNN. "This was an extra motivation to walk around the neighborhood," she said. "It brought people together in a safe way." More stories from theweek.com Elton John to host 'Living Room Concert for America' with stars performing from home Here's how the U.S. government plans to spend $2.2 trillion to save the economy from coronavirus Trump campaign issues cease-and-desist letters over ad highlighting Trump's coronavirus response India on Wednesday strongly condemned the terror attack on a gurdwara in Afghanistan's Kabul, saying targeting of a religious place in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak reflects the "diabolical mindset" of the perpetrators and their backers. The External Affairs Ministry said India conveyed its sincerest condolences to the immediate family members of the deceased and wished speedy recovery to the injured. "India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan," it said. "Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID-19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers," the MEA said. It said India stood in solidarity with the people, the government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country. "We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country," the MEA said. Heavily armed gunmen and suicide bombers stormed a Sikh gurdwara in the heart of Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 11 worshippers and wounding as many, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The body armor market is projected to grow at a steady CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period (2029-2029). A significant escalation on the borderline - ensuring soldier survivability and cross border terrorist insurgencies - is the predominant factor driving the sales of body armor products in the market. Technological innovations and modernization initiatives will continue to propel demand from security agencies and military forces, reveals Future Market Insights (FMI), in its new study. Body Armor Market - Key Takeaways East Asia will emerge as a lucrative market, owing to the increasing focus on the defense and safety of soldiers. North America is expected to reign regional supremacy backed by a major presence of manufacturers. Further bolstering the sales in North America is the usage of body by police force, in addition to the defense and security sector. Level II segment body armors will witness a surge in sales owing to demand in the law enforcement application segment. Body armors made of composite ceramics will remarkably contribute to overall sales Body Armor Market - Key Driving Factors Technological advancements and growing security concerns for defense personnel are driving manufacturers to develop distinct body armors as per the needs of end uses. Increasing military spending in emerging economies such as China, India and other East Asian countries is creating substantial growth opportunities for body armor manufacturers. Body Armor Market - Key Constraint The shortage of body armors and personal protection equipment continues to hinder the growth of the market. Competition Landscape Some of the leading players in the body armor market are BAE Systems; Aegis Engineering Ltd., AR500 Armor, Craig International Ballistics Pty Ltd., Ceradyne, Inc., Hellweg International, Point Blank Enterprises Inc., Kejo Limited Company, Ballistic Body Armor Pty, Pacific Safety Products, and Safariland, LLC, among others. The players are focusing on expanding their product portfolio with product innovation. Furthermore, mergers and acquisitions continue shaping the competitive landscape. Source Link: https://www.accesswire.com/582247/Body-Armors-Set-for-a-Strong-Hike-in-Sales-Through-2029-Eat-Asia-Emerging-as-a-Key-Market-Forecasts-a-New-FMI-Study More About the Report FMI's 300-page study divulges compelling insights on the body armor market based on product type (hard, soft, accessories), material type (steel, UHMWPE, aramid, composite, ceramic, others), application (defense & security personnel, law enforcement officers, and civilians), level (level i, level ii a, level iii a, level iii, level iv), region (North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, Middle East & Africa). Explore Extensive Coverage of FMI's Retail & Consumer Products Landscape About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and take critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Contact Us: Mr. Abhishek Budholiya Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates MARKET ACCESS DMCC Initiative For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com For Media Enquiries: press@futuremarketinsights.com Future Market Insights FILE PHOTO: A UN worker monitors Congolese refugees who fled from the Democratic Republic of Congo by boat across Lake Albert, upon arrival at United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in settlement camp in Kyangwali KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda said on Wednesday it had closed its borders to all new refugee arrivals as part of efforts to contain the new coronavirus in a country which has long kept its doors open to those fleeing conflict and other troubles in the region. The east African country hosts roughly 1.4 million refugees mainly from neighbours where conflict and civil war have uprooted tens of thousands from their homes. Most of the refugees in Uganda come from South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. "Whereas Uganda has an open door policy for refugees and asylum seekers, Uganda has suspended receiving of new arrivals with immediate effect," a government statement said. "Refugees who are already in the country will continue to receive the support." According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR about 13,500 refugees have arrived in Uganda so far this year. Uganda over the years has won international plaudits for its liberal refugee policy that maintains open borders and allocates land plots to individual refugee families. Kampala also grants refugees free movement and employment, as well as some public services such as free education and healthcare. Some refugee camps are very crowded, however, and coronavirus containment measures such as social distancing could potentially prove hard to enforce and a possible outbreak difficult to control. Uganda has reported 14 cases so far. (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; editing by Omar Mohammed and Grant McCool) To sustain the contribution of telecommunications and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to Nigerias economic growth, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced a national sensitisation programme for lawyers on telecommunication regulations. The Commission said the country needs more lawyers with specialisation in telecoms laws and regulations to sustain the industry growth. Yetunde Akinloye, Director, Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC, made the call during the Meet the Regulator Forum organised by the Commission for lawyers and law school students at the Nigerian Law School (NLS), Abuja Campus. The event marked the commencement of the sensitisation programme designed for lawyers which will hold in all geopolitical zones to create more awareness about the legal environment of telecommunication regulations. According to Ms Akinloye, the Nigerian telecoms industry is principally governed by the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, which empowers the Commission, as an independent telecoms regulatory authority, to, among others, regulate stakeholders in the sector and implement governments policy on communications. Ms Akinloye said the Commission has also been using the Act to protect and promote consumer interests and grant licences to operators, and she also stated that the Act empowers NCC to manage scarce resources such as spectrum and numbering plan, to investigate and resolve disputes in the industry, and to develop and enforce regulations and guidelines in the general interest of the consumers. She averred that the exercise of the Commissions powers as enshrined in the Act has helped the NCC to bring about digital transformation in the country with impressive contribution to the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) and to trigger positive multipliers effects on all other sectors of the economy. According to the NCC Director of Legal and Regulatory Services, we have recognised the role of lawyers in telecoms regulations and laws. This is why we have put in place this forum to create a meeting point between NCC as a regulator and legal practitioners. We are here to sensitise you to NCCs activities from a legal perspective, knowing full well that you have a role to play in further development of the sector. More legal practitioners are needed in the country with specialisation in telecoms-related laws in our quest to continue to boost our regulatory frameworks for the continued growth of the telecommunications sector, she said. In his presentation, Jerry Ugwu, Deputy Director, Legal & Regulatory Services at NCC, also amplified Akinloyes position. He stated that the sector needed more telecommunications lawyers with a broad perspective on the NCC Act 2003. READ ALSO: He said as the gate-keeper of legal training in Nigeria, Nigerian Law School services are essential for compliance and enforcement. Being the institution that trains lawyers in the country, lawyers have a peculiar training that sharpens understanding of the essence of regulations and guidelines; and other regulatory instruments used in the telecom industry. He said the NCC has considered it imperative to sensitise new wigs and the institution on the activities of the Commission as a regulator in order to build a knowledge-based economy in the country. He stated that effective regulation is a key success factor in any economic ecosystem. Regulatory activities run on relevant legal instruments that guide service delivery, creating and interpreting these instruments are where lawyers have key advantage and role to play, Ugwu said. Also speaking, Ibe Ngwoke, Principal Manager, Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC, stated that through effective regulations, driven by various legal instruments, telecom sector has, over the years, become a major contributor to the national economy. Mr Ngwoke noted that, in the last quarter of 2019, the digital economy fetched Nigeria 13.1 per cent (about N2.6 trillion) of the countrys GDP, as against oil and gas, which contributed 11.32 per cent in the same period. He said it is hoped that, with the recently unveiled National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) in November 2019 by the Federal Government, and giving other extant necessary legal instruments, the contribution from the entire ICT industry is going to improve significantly. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday attended a ceremony at the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya when the deity Ram Lalla was relocated from the makeshift temple to a pre-fabricated one within the premises. The ceremony took place at around 4.30 am on Wednesday, on the first day of nine-day-long Navratri festival. Ram Lalla, the presiding deity of the Ram Janmabhoomi, was shifted from sanctum sanctorum of the temple after 27 years (December 6, 1992). On the occasion, members of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust were also present. Adityanath led the ceremony along with several priests from New Delhi, Ayodhya and Varanasi. The deity was shifted in a palanquin from the makeshift temple on an auspicious time decided by priests. The chief minister was among four people who carried this palanquin to new location which is few metres from the existing makeshift temple. The shifting of the deity is part of the plan to construct grand temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi. Vedic rituals had started at Ram Janmabhoomi on Monday morning ahead of the shifting of Ram Lalla and continued till Tuesday. Priests from Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi, Haridwar, Mathura, Varanasi and Ayodhya took part in the auspicious rituals. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON President Donald Trump granted Gov. Greg Abbotts request for an official major disaster declaration, making Texas the sixth state so designated. The move allows Texas to get financial support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That can include money for direct emergency aid, crisis counseling, legal services and nutrition assistance. The declaration also covers unemployment benefits, a critical area in Texas where mass layoffs might quickly drain the state fund that pays those claims. Texas is aggressively pursuing and implementing all necessary strategies to limit the impact of COVID-19, and I thank President Trump for his swift action to issue a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Texas, Abbott said. The presidents declaration opens up new sources of funding for individual and public assistance that will help Texas respond to this public health emergency and protect public health and safety. The latest: Interactive maps, charts show spread of coronavirus in Texas In his letter requesting aid, Abbott said Texas has already spent over $50 million to fight the virus. That will only rise as our efforts continue, Abbott wrote. Additional federal funding is essential for us to maintain our aggressive course of action to protect our state. On social media, Abbott applauded getting the designation. This will expand the resources available to Texas & speed our ability to robustly respond to #coronavirus, he said. The declaration request comes just days after Abbott warned Texas needed federal help to do more testing and acquire supplies for doctors and nurses to treat COVID-19 patients. In his letter to Trump, Abbott said Texas also faces shortages of protective and medical equipment, testing supplies, hospital beds and a healthy and adequate cadre of medical personnel. A 75-year-old woman who was found positive for the new coronavirus in an initial test died early Wednesday but doctors at a Karnataka hospital said a final confirmation was awaited about whether she was infected by COVID-19. The exact cause of her death would be known after the final report comes, two state ministers said. If confirmed, this will be second coronavirus fatality in the state. The woman, who returned from Mecca in Saudi Arabia recently, was said to be from Gauribidanur in Chikkaballapura and undergoing treatment at Bowring hospital here. "In the initial report the result was positive, finally a confirmatory report has to come... We are waiting for it," Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said in response to a question from reporters. Earlier Wednesday, Health Minister Sriramulu tweeted about the suspected COVID-19 death but said the exact cause will be know only after the test report is out. "A 75-year-old COVID-19 person from Gauribidanur who had returned from Mecca has died at Bowring hospital here at 1am. The patient was suffering from diabetes, chest pain and hip fracture. Exact reason for the death will be clear only after the test reports are out," Sriramulu said. "The patient was undergoing treatment in isolation ward at a hospital in Gauribidanur, later for more treatment the person was shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in Bengaluru, from where the the patient was shifted to Bowring hospital yesterday," he added. Earlier this month, a 76-year-old Kalaburagi man died "due to co-morbidity and was also tested positive for COVID-19", becoming the country's first coronavirus death. A total of 51 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the state, which include one death and three discharged, the state health department said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "What I've found, here in Nebraska, is that relationships matter and people are more than willing to work with you, if you have a conversation," he said. Duncan Aviation has seen a dramatic change in demand in business in the past couple of weeks. As a result, Duncan said, the company brought its employees together to communicate, stay together and work through this. "Open communication, transparency, is a big part of the business, letting people know what's going on, what you do know and don't know and when you're going to let them know how changes might occur," he said. Businesses need to be creative right now, Duncan said. Douglas County clarified it had effectively shut down beauty service businesses Tuesday because of the 6-foot distance rule. But the guidance for the rest of the state is that no businesses are being shut down, the governor clarified. "Douglas County has a different situation. They've got most of the cases in our state, and they are taking more-restrictive measures than we are doing in the state, broadly speaking," Ricketts said. "It's really up to the local folks to make that call." A special CBI court here has sentenced a former junior engineer of Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a bribery case, the agency said on Wednesday. "The Special Judge, CBI Cases, Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi has sentenced Ashok Kumar, then Junior Engineer (Civil) of Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board, Government of NCT, Delhi to undergo four years Rigorous Imprisonment with fine of Rs 35,000 in a bribery case," said CBI spokesperson R K Gaur. The agency had booked Kumar on August 10, 2015 after getting a complaint that he demanded a bribe of Rs 30,000 for preparation of bills for two works -- at a slaughter House and a poultry market -- in Gazipur, the spokesperson said. Gaur said the agency laid a trap and caught Kumar red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000. After investigation, a charge sheet was filed on January 2, 2016 before the designated court against the accused, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Express News Service With closed theatres, production houses across the world are looking forward to releasing their films on digital platforms. Joining the list of such films is Sony Pictures Bad Boys For Life starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. ALSO READ | 'Bad Boys for Life' review: Despite blemishes, the franchises best film The film will be making its digital release on March 31, according to reports. In addition to that, 4K Ultra HD, Blu Ray, and DVD will be available on April 21. Bad Boys For Life is the third film in the successful franchise which kick-started with the film Bad Boys in 1995. The second film in the franchise was released in 2003. The third part is one of the highest grosser of the year so far. It has reportedly earned $204 million so far. In this latest film, directed by Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence team up yet again to take down a Miami drug cartel. The Congress on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY), a minimum income guarantee scheme proposed by the party as a promise ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, as an immediate economic measure for the poor and daily-wage earners to tide over the ongoing crisis triggered by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. PM Modi on Tuesday evening announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The PM also announced an allocation of Rs 15,000 crore to strengthen healthcare infrastructure to combat the Covid-19 outbreak. On March 25, the then Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, had promised that 20% of the poorest families in the country would get Rs 72,000 each annually under the scheme if the party win the parliamentary elections. The scheme was envisaged to cover five crore families and benefit nearly 25 crore people and each family would earn at least Rs 12,000 every month. The total estimated expenditures of the scheme were around Rs 3.5 lakh crore. The basic arithmetic of the NYAY scheme, as explained by Gandhi, is if a family makes Rs 6,000, the government will chip in with another Rs 6,000, raising the monthly income to Rs 12,000. While the government waits to announce an economic package, experts are already voicing their opinion for the NYAY scheme proposed by Congress last year. The scheme will guarantee a minimum income to the poor aiding them in these times of crisis, the party said on its official Twitter handle. Congresss chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also tweeted, Dear PM, need of the hour is to implement forthwith Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme [NYAY] mooted by Rahulji & Congress. Please transfer Rs 7,500 to every Jan Dhan A/C, PM Kisan A/C; every Pension A/C to tide over nutrition needs of 21 days & give free PDS ration, he said in another tweet. How will daily wagers, workers in small businesses survive for 21 days? asked Surjewala. The governments think-tank, NITI Aayog, had dismissed the proposed move, declaring that India neither had the kind of fiscal bandwidth, nor the complete data needed to implement such an ambitious scheme. The scheme was widely seen as a variant of universal basic income (UBI), a concept that entitles families to a certain threshold sum of money, irrespective of whether they work or not. UBI made a debut in the official discourse when the then chief economic adviser, Arvind Subramanian, proposed it in the 2016-17 Economic Survey. But the Modi government did not pursue it. The PMs lockdown move was backed by several Congress leaders, including chief ministers of Punjab (Captain Amarinder Singh), Rajasthan (Ashok Gehlot), Chhattisgarh (Bhupesh Baghel) and former finance minister P Chidambaram. On Wednesday, Chidambarm described the lockdown move as a watershed moment in the battle against Covid-19 and called Modi as the commander and the people as foot soldiers. Chidambaram also suggested a 10-point plan to put money in the bank accounts of the poor and the marginalised, including farmers and labourers, and demanded a cut in Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates by 5% on all wage goods, essential goods and services, and all goods of mass consumption from April 1 to June 30. The Prime Ministers announcement yesterday of a nationwide 21-day lockdown is a watershed moment in the battle against Covid-19. We should put behind us the debates that took place before March 24 and look upon the nationwide lockdown as the beginning of a new battle in which the people are the foot soldiers and the PM is the Commander, he said. We owe a duty to extend our total support to the Prime Minister and the central and state governments, the Congress leader added. Chidambaram also urged people to stay home, saying STAYHOMEINDIA is a great rally cry. He also called for the protection of the current employment and wages, besides putting money into the hands of the poor and the marginalised. Here is a 10-point plan [without too much elaboration], which is intended to put cash and food immediately in the hands of the poor and the vulnerable. It is placed for the consideration of the government and for an immediate announcement of relief, the former finance minister said. Chidambaram called for doubling the amount paid/payable under PM-KISAN to Rs 12,000 and transfer the additional amount immediately to the bank account of each beneficiary. For tenant farmers, he called for bringing them under PM-KISAN after taking the lists from the state governments and transfer Rs 12,000 (in two installments) to the bank account of each tenant farmer. He also demanded to transfer Rs 3,000 into bank accounts of registered Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) workers. Chidambaram demanded transfer of Rs 6,000 into the urban poors Jan Dhan accounts, besides offering 10 kg of rice or wheat for free, as a one-time measure in the next 21 days to every ration cardholder. He urged all registered employers to maintain current levels of employment and wages. Guarantee to such employers who do so that the wages of the employees will be reimbursed by the government within 30 days of payment. Chidambaram also called for opening a register in every ward or block and invite persons who have not received payment under any of the categories. These, he said, include destitute. After minimal verification, open a bank account in each name [if there is not already one], seed it with Aadhaar and transfer Rs 3,000 into each bank account, he added. The Congress leader also sought extension of deadlines for payment of any kind of tax until June 30. In the interim, banks can be instructed to lend to panchayats, municipalities, and corporations against the security of the tax receivables. He said banks should be instructed to extend the date for any kind of payment of equated monthly installments (EMIs) until June 30. The former finance minister said these steps are for the present, one-time cash transfers and the need for more such transfers can be assessed depending upon the situation as it evolves. This plan would address only the immediate challenge of putting cash in the hands of the people who will STAY HOME. There are many other challenges that have to be addressed in the next few days, he added. BOISE Ada County has its first case of community spread coronavirus, Central District Health and Southwest District Health announced Tuesday night in a joint press release. Community spread or transmission is defined as illness within a community that lacks connection to travel or other confirmed cases, according to the health districts release. One additional case of coronavirus in Ada County is still pending an investigation. Two cases in Canyon County and one case in Payette County also remain under investigation. There is no way for definitive source identification with travel-related cases, CDH Public Information Officer Christine Myron wrote in an email to the Idaho Statesman. We rely on a persons travel history in conjunction with information like symptom onset to determine the likely acquisition risks. Idaho health districts have reported 92 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 24 in Ada County and six in Canyon County. The novel coronavirus causes the COVID-19 disease. BEHIND OUR REPORTING Why our case numbers might differ from the state's: The Idaho Statesman is tabulating confirmed coronavirus cases from Idahos seven health districts as theyre reported. The health districts report cases on their own schedules some issue press releases, some simply update totals on their websites. And the reports happen at various times throughout the day. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, meanwhile, updates its statewide numbers once a day at about 5 p.m. Its numbers only include the cases the health districts have reported directly to the department. In some cases, health districts have reported cases publicly but not to the department by the daily deadline. CDH and SWDH are closely monitoring COVID-19 cases in their jurisdictions and anticipate continued spread of this illness throughout Idaho and our counties, the districts press release said. Both local health districts urge their communities to follow outlined strategies to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and avoid overwhelming our health care system while protecting our most vulnerable populations. Ada and Canyon counties form the bulk of the Boise metro area. Community risk remains low, the health districts said, but that is rapidly changing. Ada is the second Idaho county with confirmed community spread, joining Blaine. Gov. Brad Little announced an Order to Self-Isolate in Blaine County, also known as shelter in place, almost immediately after the community spread was revealed. Boise is under a social distancing order from Mayor Lauren McLean requiring 6-foot spacing between people outside their immediate household, but policies vary throughout the Treasure Valley. McLean has closed restaurant dining rooms, indoor fitness facilities and city playgrounds. As you can imagine, we are investigating and tracking all of these cases closely and in our jurisdiction, Myron wrote. It is possible as we begin seeing additional community transmission that additional actions could come, but theres not a specific numerical threshold that would elicit a stronger course of actions. Little has been reluctant to take restrictive actions outside of Blaine County. Hes due to address the media Wednesday afternoon. I will make an important announcement about Idahos COVID-19 response tomorrow at Gowen Field at 1:30 pm., Little tweeted Tuesday night. A public release with more information will immediately follow. The Blaine County Order to Self-Isolate directed everyone living in the county to stay home with some exceptions. Violation of, or failure to comply with, the order could constitute a misdemeanor publishable by fine, imprisonment or both, the order said. Blaine residents may leave to provide or receive certain essential services, engage in certain essential activities and work for essential business and government services. The order also exempts individuals experiencing homelessness from the order, but urges them to find shelter or contact a government agency that can help; directs all businesses and governmental agencies to cease operations at physical locations in the county; prohibits any non-essential gatherings of any number of people; and orders all non-essential travel to cease. Restaurants still can provide takeout and delivery. Cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in 14 of Idahos 44 counties: Ada, Canyon, Bannock, Bingham, Blaine, Cassia, Jefferson, Kootenai, Madison, Nez Perce, Payette, Teton, Twin Falls and Valley counties. The Valley County case was a part-time resident of that county who was tested in Ada. Jefferson, Nez Perce and Payette were added to the list Tuesday. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 1,887 tests had been completed statewide at the end of the day Tuesday. About 4.9% have been positive for COVID-19. Today, Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, along with Tom Ford, Chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), launched 'A Common Thread' to help the American fashion community who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The fundraising initiative will include a video series telling the stories of those in the fashion industry (both designers and those working behind the scenes) whose livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic and its economic impact. The videos will live on both Vogue and CFDA digital platforms. Stylish support: Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, along with Tom Ford, Chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), launched 'A Common Thread' Help needed: The fundraising initiative will include a video series telling the stories of those in the fashion industry Helping the cause: The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund (CVFF) was originally established in 2003 in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund (CVFF) was originally established in 2003 in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It was created to help emerging designers and the next generation of talent within the United States. Today, the CVFF is being repurposed to raise and distribute funds to those in the fashion industry affected by the Coronavirus. Donors can support the cause by texting THREAD to 44-321 or by contributing online. Applications will be available on the CFDA website beginning Wednesday, April 8th. The fund is not limited to former Fashion Fund participants or members of the CFDA. Where it's needed: Today, the CVFF is being repurposed to raise and distribute funds to those in the fashion industry affected by the Coronavirus. For the cause: Donors can support the cause by texting THREAD to 44-321 or by contribute online Anna Wintour wrote: 'One of the worst feelings a crisis like this one can inspire is helplessness. And there is so much help that is needed, especially as small businesses and workers across this country suffer devastating economic consequences. 'Among those already affected are those in the fashion community, from designers to their employees and retail workers up and down the economic scale. 'There are inspiring stories of designers making masks and medical supplies, but I have also been hearing from those who fear they wont make payroll, or who have seen orders returned, their stores closed, who fear their businesses and their livelihoods may not survive what were going through. 'And all of us at Voguetogether with the Council of Fashion Designers of America - are determined to help. 'There is not a simple fix for our industry, I know. The challenges we face are profound. But this fund, I hope, is a step in the right direction, and Im looking forward to telling you more about it in the days and weeks to come.' Redpin Therapeutics, Inc., a NYC-based chemogenetics company developing controllable gene therapies to address intractable diseases of the nervous system, secured $15.5m in the initial closing of its Series A financing round. The round was led by 4BIO Capital and Arkin Bio Ventures, with participation from new investor Takeda Ventures Inc., the corporate venture arm of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., and existing investors from the seed round, New York Ventures and Alexandria Venture Investments. In conjunction with the funding. Dmitry Dima Kuzmin, Managing Partner at 4BIO Capital, will join Redpins Board of Directors as a Non-Executive Director. The company intends to use the funds to further progress the development of its ultra-potent ion channel based chemogenetics platform to address disorders associated with neural circuit dysfunction including epilepsy, neuropathic pain and Parkinsons disease. Redpin Therapeutics is a preclinical stage gene therapy company developing a proprietary chemogenetics platform for targeted cell therapies to address currently intractable diseases of the central nervous system. Its technology inverts traditional drug development by using gene therapy to target an engineered receptor to any cell type responsible for disease and modulating its function with an already-approved drug. This has the potential to deliver effective treatments for a wide range of currently intractable neurological and psychiatric diseases and disorders. Redpin has a worldwide exclusive license from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for the therapeutic use of this technology, and is working with urgency to apply it to advance important medicines for patients in desperate need of effective therapies. Current treatment of these diseases and disorders typically involve the use of systemic drugs to address local neuron dysfunction and can have limited efficacy due to adverse, off-target side effects. The platform is derived from many years of research pioneered by Redpins founders who include Dr Scott Sternson (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) and Professor Jeffrey M. Friedman MD PhD (Rockefeller University). Product development is being led by an experienced management team including the founding CEO, Elma Hawkins PhD MBA, and David Bleakman PhD, both veterans of the biopharmaceutical industry. FinSMEs 25/03/2020 Australian writer Yang Hengjun wishes Happy New Year to his Twitter followers at an unidentified location in this still image from an undated video obtained via social media. (Twitter@yanghengjun via Reuters) Australia Protests as China Charges Writer With Spying SYDNEYAustralia called on March 25 for the immediate release of Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun after China formally indicted him of espionage, with Foreign Minister Marise Payne saying he continued to be held in unacceptable conditions. The writers detention had strained ties already soured by Australias decision to ban Chinese technology equipment maker Huawei from its 5G broadband network and Canberras accusations of Beijings meddling in domestic affairs. The government strongly objects to the formal indictment of Australian citizen and academic Dr Yang Hengjun in China on suspicion of espionage, Payne said in an emailed statement, calling for his immediate release. It was unacceptable that Australian consular officials had been denied access to Yang since the end of 2019, she added. In December, Payne had said Yang was being shackled in his prison cell. A former Chinese diplomat turned online journalist and blogger, Yang was formally arrested in August 2019 on suspicion of espionage, seven months after originally being detained in the southern city of Guangzhou. Espionage is punishable by death in China. Australia denies that Yang has ever spied for it. Consular visits had been suspended during a coronavirus pandemic that emerged late last year in China but would resume once the situation stabilizes and makes a turn for the better, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily briefing. China is Australias largest trading partner, and previous diplomatic spats have disrupted exports of coal and wine, as Canberra has become increasingly wary about Beijings influence within its borders and across the Pacific. Last year, Reuters reported Canberra had determined that Beijing was responsible for a cyber-attack on Australias parliament and three largest political parties, just months before an election. By Colin Packham Demotion as an alternative to retrenchment during Covid-19 outbreak A number of international and local companies have requested that their employees work from home due to the dire consequences of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. With some employees also opting to self-quarantine, there are a number of labour law considerations that South African businesses will have to consider. Kayla Shadiack These include: South African workers will still be entitled to payment, should their employer ask them to remain at home during this crisis. If an employee is not sick and still willing to attend work, but it is a direct instruction from their employer to remain at home, such employees will still be entitled to earn and receive their normal salary and benefits. If, however, the employee has travelled to an at risk area or has been in direct contact with people who have the Covid-19 disease, the employer may consider flexi/remote working, unpaid leave or sick leave if the employee is sick. If an employee refuses to attend work because of concerns of contracting the virus (given the declaration of a disaster by President Cyril Ramaphosa), each case should be dealt with based on its own merits. If the employee has a particular health issue that would make them particularly vulnerable to the disease, this must be taken into consideration. If there is a reasonable concern that an employee may contract the virus while attending work, the employer must attend to an immediate investigation on an urgent basis. However, if the employer attends to a full and proper investigation and there is still no real or justifiable reason for concern or fear about contracting the virus (e.g. where it is found that false information has been circulating), employees who fail to obey a reasonable instruction to attend work can be disciplined. Demotion may be one of the ways to assist employers with financial issues due to COVID-19 Demotion can occur in the following ways: The employer gives the employee a letter stating that he/she has been demoted due to: The employees pay and/or responsibilities being reduced. The employees subordinates being taken away. The employee being required to report to someone who used to report to him/her. An employee acting temporarily in one position getting transferred back to his/her old position. Despite trying circumstances, employers are advised to take all labour law considerations into account before imposing demotion on an employee. The reason for this is that should the CCMA or bargaining council find the demotion to be unfair, the commissioner has the right to: Reinstate the employee into the position from which he/she was demoted; award the employee compensation; apply any other corrective measure that he/she may deem to be appropriate. In Plaatjies vs RK Agencies (2005), the employer offered the employee an alternative position at a lower salary due to the fact that the employer had lost a major contract. While the arbitrator accepted this as a valid reason, the demotion was still unfair because the employer had failed to consult with the employee before making the offer. In view of the above decision, employers should never implement demotion before obtaining the appropriate labour law advice as to: Whether the demotion is merited (in the case of Covid-19 it would be as the employer will no longer be able to afford salaries). The procedure to be followed in implementing a fair demotion. In terms of Ngxowa v Sebenza Manufacturing System (2009) (MEIBC], a demotion occurs when the employer diminishes the status of the work or responsibilities of an employee even when their remuneration remains the same. Section 186(2)(a) of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 provides that any act or omission involving the unfair conduct of the employer in relation to Demotion constitutes an unfair labour practice. There are three contexts in which Demotion arises and such are: As a disciplinary measure; as an alternative to dismissal for incapacity; and as an alternative to retrenchment. In Piki vs Development Action Group, the CCMA held that an employer is not permitted to unilaterally change the employment conditions of the contract of employment without the employees consent. Since a demotion without consent is a repudiation of the employment contract, it, therefore, entitles the employee to sue for breach of contract. However, an employer should always consider a demotion as an alternative to retrenchment. The main reason for this being that in most cases a person would rather have a job with less money than no job at all. Should an employee refuse the demotion, the employee will be entitled to severance pay, as long as the reason for refusal is justifiable. Should such refusal of demotion, as opposed to retrenchment be unreasonable, the employee will not be entitled to severance pay in terms of Sub-Sections 41(2) and 41(4) of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997. Employers must always obtain the employees consent to a demotion, in writing, as it entails the changing of an employees terms and conditions of employment. This means a demotion cannot be imposed unilaterally by an employer without consulting with the employee. Should an employer demote an employee without affording the employee the right to be heard, it could amount to an unfair labour practice with the employer being liable to the employee for either reinstatement or compensation. In the case of a dismissal for operational requirements, an employer may suggest that the employee consider accepting an inferior position to the one previously held, with a reduction of salary as an alternative to retrenchment. This may assist with small, medium and large businesses having to accommodate the financial distress that the COVID-19 has and will still bring to the economy of South Africa. Remember, consultation aimed at seeking alternatives to retrenchment is imperative. Please note, this content does not constitute legal advice and you are advised to seek professional assistance. For more information visit, https://www.lexisnexis.co.za/news-and-insights/covid-19-resource-centre The employer gives the employee a letter stating that he/she has been demoted due to:Despite trying circumstances, employers are advised to take all labour law considerations into account before imposing demotion on an employee. The reason for this is that should the CCMA or bargaining council find the demotion to be unfair, the commissioner has the right to:In, the employer offered the employee an alternative position at a lower salary due to the fact that the employer had lost a major contract. While the arbitrator accepted this as a valid reason, the demotion was still unfair because the employer had failed to consult with the employee before making the offer.In view of the above decision, employers should never implement demotion before obtaining the appropriate labour law advice as to: About the author Kayla Shadiack is a senior associate at Christodoulou & Mavrikis Inc and the head of the Labour Law Department, writing on behalf of LexisNexis South Africa. She advises clients and appears at the Labour Court, CCMA and Bargaining Council, and disciplinary hearings and settlement negotiations where necessary. Paris, March 25 : French Director General of Health Jerome Salomon has announced that 1,100 people diagnosed with the COVID-19 have died, an increase of 240 in one day, as the country entered the second week of a nationwide lockdown. An additional 2,444 positive cases were detected, bringing the tally to 22,300. A total of 10,176 people are now hospitalized, including 2,516 in intensive care, while 3,281 patients have recovered, Salomon said on Tuesday at a daily briefing, Xinhua reported. More than a third of the patients who need life support are aged below 60, and 85 percent of those who lost their lives are older than 70 years. Facing "rapid worsening epidemic," France would conduct 10,000 tests by the weekend, up from 9,000 currently, according to Salomon. He added that a special high-speed train TGV would transport on Wednesday 20 patients in critical condition from eastern city of Strasbourg to hospitals in Angers, Nimes, Nantes and La-Roche-sur-Yon in western France to help relief strained hospitals in Grand east region, the country's worst-affected area. "We are facing an unprecedented, serious and rapid virus circulation. Stay at home to avoid more deaths, more critical cases," Salomon said, adding that the effects of movement restriction could be assessed within days. France was in its second week of a national lockdown. Only trips for purposes of work, health needs or shopping of necessities are allowed. Early Tuesday, the scientific council, which advises the government on the epidemic crisis, recommended to prolong containment at least for six weeks, noting that three weeks were needed to obtain an initial estimate of the impact. Speaking after the council meeting at the Elysee Palace, Heath Minister Olivier Vera said: "it is an estimate among others," while calling for "great caution." "We will know when we can lift containment only when the epidemic curve allows it. It will last as long as it is necessary," he added. France has already ordered a country-wide closure of all public institutions and museums, suspending sporting events, halting non-essential shops, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and nightclubs. Starting on Tuesday, France's lockdown rules and measures have become stricter. People are allowed to go out for a walk with their children or to exercise once per day for no more than one hour, and within one km of their home. Flag carrier Air India will operate a 'relief' flight to Tel Aviv on Thursday to fly stranded Israeli nationals in the country in the wake of visa and travel restrictions on foreign citizens, a source said. The airline will fly its 342-seater Boeing 777-300ER from New Delhi and will return to the national capital as a 'ferry" flight, the source said. Besides, a similar 'relief' flight is being planned for Madrid to take back the Spanish nationals stuck in India, he said. "Air India will fly a relief flight, AI 139, on Thursday afternoon from New Delhi to Tel Aviv to take back Israeli citizens who are stuck here in the country due to the temporary suspension of international air services amid Coronavirus global pandemic," the source privy to information told PTI. The return flight AI40, however, will not be carrying any passenger and it will come back only as a 'ferry flight', he said. The national carrier has operated a series of rescue flights including to Wuhan, Japan, Milan and Rome to evacuate Indians stranded at these places. He said the modalities regarding the relief light to Madrid are still being worked out. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Liberias President George Manneh Weah, on Monday, March 22, 2020, appointed Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike as chairman of the countrys election commission, and this appointment has raised mixed feelings amongst Liberians. Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike, the Nigerian born naturalized Liberian, would sit at the throne of real power in Liberia, if confirmed by the Liberian Senate. He will be the principal decider, and chief referee of decisions relative to who (President of Liberia) governs Liberia. He will also decide the fate of those who (lawmakers both the Senate and House of Representatives) will represent the Liberian people in the national legislature. This position is the ultimate power and authority in any land. Before his recent appointment as election boss, Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike was appointed by the same President Weah and overwhelmingly confirmed IN SECRET by the same Liberian Senate to two key government positions of national importance. Namely, Chairman of Liberias Governance Commission (GC) and Chairman of the Liberia AntiCorruption Commission (LAAC), respectively. No one, including President Weah, forced the out-of-touch and visionless Liberian Senate to confirm Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike to those two prior positions, and I would like to assume the Liberian Senate vetted the newly nominated NEC boss before confirming him to the GC and the LACC. Such vetting might have included verifying the eligibility qualification, experience, moral rectitude, and nationality of Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike. Moreover, the Liberian Senate approved Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike to his two prior appointments in roughly two years; the most recent approval was granted in 2019. I want to state very clearly that I am not a friend of Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike nor a fan of the yardstick used in determining his appointment to a very patriotic, nationalistic, and politically charged national position such as Chairman of the National Election Commission. Still, I am vehemently opposed to critics and opposition Liberian politicians who are citing his alleged prior nationality as a native Nigerian at birth as a reason for his disqualification for the position of NEC boss as revealed in the domain of public opinion. The main question to the critics and opposition is, why question now? Why are Liberians suddenly so concerned that Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike is not a native-born Liberian and, therefore, should not ascend to the leadership of the NEC when in fact,, being chairman of the NEC has no constitutionally stated clause that one has to be a natural-born Liberian? Why are individuals in the Liberian Senate plotting to block Counselor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike, the current head of the LACC from transitioning to the NEC when they are the same people who approved of him as chairman of the GC and the LACC two critical positions in two significant commissions? Are they now worried because their deeds are coming back to haunt them? Stopping Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike from assuming his new duties as NEC boss based on a xenophobic backdrop is un-Liberian, indecent, and unnecessary. Liberia should not and must never be defined as a xenophobic nation. We are better than that. It does not mean I dont have serious concerns about Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike in some regards, especially when it comes to the issue of honesty and credibility concerning his naturalization stories. Honestly, I was a strong supporter of his appointment [based on my philosophy of inclusion] until he gave an interview this week to FrontPage Africa a prominent local Liberian newspaper. Based on the narrative of the interview, even my 12 years U.S. born daughter in middle school whose mother is a Kenyan -American and me her father, a natural-born Liberian citizen, read through the lines and concluded that his (A. Ndubusi Nwabudike) narrative in the FrontPage Africas interview was phony and appeared far from the truth. It would have been better if Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike had just focused on his story as a naturalized Liberian and backed it up with proofs legal naturalization documentation and witnesses. But to assume that all Liberians are fools, by claiming and providing a phony tail and a tribal lineage to the Gola ethnic group, stating he had [a non-existed] Gola grandmother by paternal marriage as well as suggesting that his father had naturalized as a Liberian before his family went back to Nigeria over six decades ago just unveiled the curtain. Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike, not all Liberians are fools, even if you think you know some and had deceived some including most members of the clueless Liberian Senate. Tell Liberians about your naturalization, your love for Liberia, and your work and character as a Liberian. I believe most Liberians, including me, might support you if you are honest in stating your facts instead of baking an unfounded and unwarranted story. It is also possible that Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudikes father did naturalize as a Liberian. But if so, where are the indications? If Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike is claiming Liberian citizenship based on his fathers naturalization, does it mean all his adult siblings in Nigeria and those we dont know are naturalized Liberians, too? Does he have any Liberian documentation such as old birth records, national identity card, or other records to validate his claims since he does not want to be a Liberian on his own merits? As a lawyer, does he know that under Liberian laws, if one of your parents were a Liberian at the time of your birth, you have up to 18 years to make a choice of nationality? Has he ever made that determination, if so, when, where, and how? He also cited his fathers ties with some prominent Nigerian-Liberians the Wariebis, Adhigibes, and others like the Ajavons and Gedegbekus. There is a contrast between the Liberianess of the Wariebis, Adhigibes, Ajavons, and others and that of the story of Counselor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike. The Wariebis, Adhigibes, Ajavons, and others maintained their Liberianess in Liberia and outside of Liberia. Their children took on the Liberian identity to the letter. This scenario, too, applies to descendants of Guinean, Malian, Sierra Leonean, Ghanaian, and other immigrants who settled in Liberia. Even in the time of distress and need, they never abandon being Liberians. The Liberianess of these families has never been a matter of convenience and opportunism. Also, it has always been based on honesty and real love for Liberia. One such example was the late Mamadee Diakitee, whose parents were Guinean immigrants in Liberia when he (Diakite) was born. Even in exile, Diakite never abandoned his Liberianess. It is not the case with counselor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike, who was a Nigerian, used Nigerian travel document, and identified as a Nigerian for the most of his adult life before migrating to Liberia a few years ago. The fact is the Liberian Senate has no valid justification now for rejectingCounsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike at this time, especially after unanimously confirming him twice to critical positions of national relevance. However, if Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike cannot be honest in a simple thing, such as revealing the real account of his naturalization, then why does he expect the majority of Liberians to trust him; as credible, honest and eligible for the most critical job in governing Liberia? Counsellor A. Ndubusi Nwabudike, as a naturalized Liberian, please speak the truth about your naturalization, and the truth shall set you on the path to the NEC chairmanship. If Liberians cannot buy your personal story now, why should they trust your stories as chief of elections in Liberia? About the Author: J.N. Williams is a Catholic educated public philosopher and a U. S. trained public policy and institutional governance professional with strong expertise in job creation policy, workforce development analysis, and socio-economic growth and development. He can be reached at [email protected] While the world is gripped by the fight against COVID-19, criminal organizations have turned this global pandemic into an opportunity to carry out their fraudulent activities, particularly by trafficking counterfeit medical supplies such as face masks and medical gloves. Recognizing the importance of permanent and real-time exchange of relevant information to fight these criminal activities, the World Customs Organization (WCO) launched the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) CENcomm Group on the newly modernized CENcomm 3.0 platform. The WCO stands for a united and strong response to any crisis, which affects the global supply chain and safety of societies, said WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya. This new IPR CENcomm group will globally enhance real-time intelligence sharing on fake medical supplies and medicines and enable Customs worldwide to fight illicit trade. Organized criminal groups will not be the winner in this challenge, added Dr. Mikuriya. This tool, a web-based communication system, will allow a closed user group of Customs officers to exchange intelligence information, messages and alerts via secure channels. This information exchange will empower and enhance participating administrations risk management and enforcement operations in the areas of countering IPR infringements and consumers safety capacity. The WCO urges its 183 Members to register for the IPR CENcomm Group and to submit the details of their national contact points of this group. The WCO is constantly monitoring the development of this situation and is updating its Members on any new development through the dedicated WCO webpage. For more information, please contact: IPRTeam@wcoomd.org Thanks to people hoarding toilet paper during the coronavirus pandemic, some Californians have completely run out of bathroom tissue. So what do they do when nature calls? They improvise. And that, communities are discovering, can cause problems. Big, stinky, overflowing problems. In Redding, Calif., wastewater management officials said someone apparently used shredded T-shirts as a toilet paper substitute, according to the Redding Searchlight. While the soiled rags evidently passed through the sewer line of the persons residence, they snagged on pumps at a lift station on one of citys sewer lines. If workers hadnt taken quick action to clear the clog, a dangerous brown spill might have occurred. Meanwhile, Napa Sanitation District officials posted a picture Monday on Facebook of hundreds of flushed wet wipes captured by a single screen at the districts pump station in Napa. The district reminded people to flush only toilet paper and human waste down the toilet. Remember to never flush wipes, paper towels, or tissues because they clog the pipes! Throw all wipes and other materials in the trash can! the post read. The same goes for sanitary napkins, tampons, and fats or oils. District officials noted that packaging on many wipes label them as flushable, which is not true. There are no truly flushable wipes, they wrote. Last week Tony Rubio, district manager for Sanitary District No. 5 in Marin County, told BuzzFeed News that two water sewage system overflows were caused by wet wipes being flushed down the toilet. Besides municipal sewage systems, residential sewer lines are often clogged by wipes and other non-toilet paper materials, especially older pipes that havent been cleaned for a while. Sump pumps also can jam on wipes. When such clogs occur, toilets typically back up and can spill out onto floors, creating a disgusting, noisome and unsanitary mess. If you don't have toilet paper, wastewater officials ask that you bag waste paper substitutes instead of flushing them. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. --- Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate They found romance on the set of their new film Pixie. And Ben Hardy's relationship with girlfriend Olivia Cooke seems to be going from strength-to-strength, judging by their loved-up stroll in Primrose Hill. The actor, 29, and his 26-year-old actress girlfriend shared a sweet smooch before continuing to walk hand-in-hand in the sunshine on Monday. Sweet: Ben Hardy's relationship with girlfriend Olivia Cooke seems to be going from strength-to-strength, judging by their loved-up stroll in Primrose Hill Ben cut a quirky cool figure in a cream striped jumper which he layered with a slouchy shirt and teamed with a pair of black trousers. The former EastEnders star shielded his eyes from the rays with a pair of gold-rimmed Ray Bans and kept his look casual with white trainers. Olivia looked equally stylish in a knitted navy jumper and cream jeans, adding a further chic touch with a cream overcoat. Loved-up: The actor, 29, and his 26-year-old actress girlfriend shared a sweet smooch before continuing to walk hand-in-hand in the sunshine on Monday Style! Ben cut a quirky cool figure in a cream striped jumper which he layered with a slouchy shirt and teamed with a pair of black trousers Fashion: The former EastEnders star shielded his eyes from the rays with a pair of gold-rimmed Ray Bans and kept his look casual with white trainers She showcased her natural beauty by going make-up free and wearing her brunette locks in loose, beachy curls. The actress is arguably best known for her role as Emma Decody in the drama Bates Motel as well as her turn as Becky Sharp in the miniseries Vanity Fair. Ben and Olivia are appearing alongside each other in the upcoming comedy thriller Pixie, where Olivia plays the title role. Chic: Olivia looked equally stylish in a knitted navy jumper and cream jeans, adding a further chic touch with a cream overcoat Au natural: She showcased her natural beauty by going make-up free and wearing her brunette locks in loose, beachy curls Stardom: The actress is arguably best known for her role as Emma Decody in the drama Bates Motel as well as her turn as Becky Sharp in the miniseries Vanity Fair New role: Ben and Olivia are appearing alongside each other in the upcoming comedy thriller Pixie, where Olivia plays the title role The film follows a woman and two men who find themselves on the run in the Irish countryside after a heist goes wrong. The flick, which began filming in Northern Ireland last August, also stars Alec Baldwin, Colm Meaney and comedy Dylan Moran. Ben became known to audiences for his role as Peter Beale in EastEnders which he played from 2013 to 2015. Plot: The film follows a woman and two men who find themselves on the run in the Irish countryside after a heist goes wrong Co-stars: The flick, which began filming in Northern Ireland last August, also stars Alec Baldwin, Colm Meaney and comedy Dylan Moran Rise to fame: Ben became known to audiences for his role as Peter Beale in EastEnders which he played from 2013 to 2015 Debut: He made his film debut in X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016, playing winged mutant Archangel He made his film debut in X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016, playing winged mutant Archangel. The star has also made appearances in other big films including Rocketman, Mary Shelley, Only The Brave and The Woman In White. Meanwhile, his character Peter had a tumultuous time in Albert Square in the last couple of years, most notably with his sister Lucy being murdered by their brother Bobby. Peter left the Square for a new life in New Zealand, with his ex Lauren Branning eventually joining him with their son Louie. Resume: The star has also made appearances in other big films including Rocketman, Mary Shelley, Only The Brave and The Woman In White Soap days: Meanwhile, his character Peter had a tumultuous time in Albert Square in the last couple of years, most notably with his sister Lucy being murdered by their brother Bobby Without a huge national effort to halt the growth of this virus, there will come a moment when no health service in the world could possibly cope; because there wont be enough ventilators, enough intensive care beds, enough doctors and nurses, Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared Monday. A massive audience of 27 million watched his address to the nation live on TV. Factoring in internet viewing platforms, it will likely be the most-watched broadcast in British history. But for those millions seeking guidance from the government, the message was one of calculated contempt. If too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS [National Health Service] will be unable to handle itmeaning more people are likely to die, not just from Coronavirus but from other illnesses as well, Johnson said. Therefore, to slow the disease he offered the British people a very simple instructionyou must stay at home. A lockdown was now in place, to be enforced by the police. Aside from this repressive measure, nothing else was on offer. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a news conference giving the government's response to the new COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at Downing Street in London, Thursday March 12, 2020. (Simon Dawson/Pool via AP) And when the caveats were piled up on Johnsons simple instruction, it became clear that millions of workers would have no possibility of staying at home. At the end of a list of reasons to leave home, including shopping for necessities, limited exercise and providing care to a vulnerable person, came travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home. Yesterdays newspapers and TV were dominated by pictures of platforms and tube trains in London full to overflowing, as millions of workers were forced to travel on a much-reduced service. They included nurses and other medical staff who risk infection, but also workers in construction, food production, retail, local and central government employees and delivery services. The list of exemptions for shop workers includes supermarkets, grocery shops, newsagents, pharmacies, petrol stations, garages, pet shops and banks. Workers who refuse to work can be sacked. Others are self-employed and will get nothing if they do not work. This includes construction workers employed by major concerns, only some of which suspended operations after a public outcry yesterday. Johnsons measures are necessary, given that every person infected with COVID-19 likely infects 2.5 peoplemeaning that after a month 406 people have the virus. Cutting exposure by 50 percent, to 1.25 people, reduces this monthly total to 15 and by 75 percent to 2.5 people. But his claim that the critical thing we must do is stop the disease spreading between households is false, given that most infections occur within households. The only way the spread of the disease can be properly combatted is if a rigorous programme of isolation is matched with a testing regime to establish who has the disease at the earliest opportunityas is the case in China, South Korea and Singapore, where temperature tests are carried out everywhere at the beginning of a regime leading up to sputum swabs and lab analysis. Johnson boasted that Day by day we are strengthening our amazing NHS, including increasing our stocks of equipment and buying millions of testing kits that will enable us to turn the tide on this invisible killer. But the reality behind such pledges to ramp up COVID-19 testing from 4,000 a day to 25,000 was laid bare by internal government documents leaked to Politico. An email sent by a senior Downing Street aide Sunday afternoon to UK research institutes asked to borrow COVID-19 lab testing kits because There is only a limited supply of these machines so the PM [prime minister] is making an urgent appeal for you to lend us your machine(s) for the duration of the crisis. An attached letter from Johnson admits there are no machines available to buy, adding that if you have any staff who are experienced in using the machines that would also be very helpful. As of yesterday, just 90,436 people have been tested, with only 280 people involved in laboratory testing in the entire UK. Even now, not even medical staff are being tested, despite being most at risk themselves and most likely to spread the virus to others. The situation is made worse still by the absence of ventilatorstalks only began last week with manufacturers on switching productionas well as proper full FFP3 respirator masks and other essential Personal Protective Equipment, including surgical gowns. This underscores the statement by Hans Henri Kluge, director for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe, insisting that The shortage of medical supplies can be never solved by market dynamics only But it also exposes the impact of decades of systematic underfunding and running down of Johnsons amazing NHS by his and previous governments, Conservative and Labour, as they sought to gut social spending and encourage private medicine. Writing in the Guardian, Devi Sridhar, chair of global health at the University of Edinburgh, provides a devastating condemnation of what Johnsons government has done and not done, stating bluntly that this will cost many thousands of lives. After detailing the unfolding of the coronavirus crisis since, Sridhar stressed: In the UK we have had nine weeks to listen, learn and prepare. We have had nine weeks to run outbreak simulations, set up supply chains to ensure sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators, and bring about the availability of rapid, cheap tests. We have had nine weeks to establish algorithms to support contact tracing, and start mass awareness campaigns not only about hand-washing, but about the risks that the virus would pose to social and economic activity if not taken seriously by all. Instead, Johnson pursued a policy of allowing the spread of the disease as part of a declared strategy of developing herd immunity. Only when faced with a backlash at plans to allow hundreds of thousands to die did he carry out his limited U-turn, closing schools, pubs, cafes etc., and appealing for household self-isolation. Sridhars critique, savage though it is, doesnt go nearly far enough. Johnson wasnt ignoring warnings from the past nine weeks, but the past nine years. In 2011, the Department of Healths (DoH) UN Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy set out a reasonable worst-case scenario of 50 percent of the population exhibiting symptoms during one or more waves lasting 15 weeks and mortality of between 210,000 and 315,000mainly during peak weeks of the infection when demand for critical care services outstrips supply, even at maximum expansion. Instead of expanding capacity to meet this challenge, the NHS and health services throughout the world were eviscerated to funnel money into the coffers of the super-rich. That policy continues. Johnsons measures to combat COVID-19 are always too little, too late. But the ruling elite is stressing that even these paltry measures must not set a dangerous precedent. Former Tory leader William Hague warned Monday in the Daily Telegraph, For radical socialists, the proof that the state can take over paying wages, direct vital businesses and create money without restraint will be a justification for decades to come of ideas in which they have always believed. As soon as possible, the ruling class will move to reinforce the dictatorship of the market at the expense of the working class. For now, the coronavirus crisis is being utilised to make available at least 350 billion to the banks and major corporations in an ongoing transfer of social wealth that dwarfs even the bailout following the 2008 crash. But once the anticipated surge in cases has passed, the government will employ its new powers of state repression directly against an increasingly restive and desperate working class. The police now imposing a lockdown, and the army, having been brought onto the streets, will inevitably be used to suppress rising social discontent among the millions made unemployed. They will force other workers back to work for a pittance, at a time of continued national emergency. NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. -- A global pandemic is no match for a central New Yorker who sees a need and wants to fill it. Cars lined up outside Joann Fabrics and Crafts, in the New Hartford Shopping Center, on Tuesday. By 1:30 p.m., more than 200 people had picked up donated supplies from the store, to make masks to protect local healthcare workers from the coronavirus. One of them, Ron Loubier, has problems of his own; his Whitesboro home was severely damaged in the halloween floods-a headache he's still dealing with on a daily basis. But there he stood, waiting for small swaths of fabric, so he and his wife could make the protective masks. "Oh, yeah, every day, you know, but life goes on and you've gotta help everyone else, also," said Loubier, outside the store. "...So we decided to make some for our pediatrician's office and another provider's office." People waited in their cars for store staff to bring out their kits, which they did, with a hearty "thank you." Joan McKenzie waited in her car with her daughter and two very friendly, enthusiastic dogs. "There are a lot of people that want to help, it's just how to help appropriately," said McKenzie. In Rome, Courtney Metz is temporarily out of work from her job with NYS Corrections. She's using her down time to make masks, counting on her children to pick out fabrics and as mannequins for fittings. "I already have some friends and family that have reached out. These are basic masks for right now. I've ordered supplies for the filtered, which are much better for the healthare so as soon as I get them I will make the filtered ones and I will mail them out to all our families and friends who need them," said Metz. "It does help mentally and it makes me feel good that I'm helping, that I could do something." UPDATE: Coronavirus peak in hard-hit N.J. counties could be 3 weeks away, health official says New Jerseys total known cases of the coronavirus rose to at least 4,402, including at least 62 known deaths as officials announced another 736 new positive test results Wednesday during an afternoon briefing on the expanding outbreak. These numbers are sobering, but not surprising to us, Gov. Phil Murphy said at the Trenton War Memorial during the press briefing. Weve been one of the most aggressive testing states in America. The 18 new deaths include four in Ocean County, three in Essex, two in Monmouth and one each in Bergen, Burlington, Cumberland, Hudson, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties. The range in age for those cases was 52 to 93-years-old, said Judy Persichilli, commissioner of the state Department of Health. Seven were woman and 11 were men. Murphy said more cases are expected and the state continues to work to expand hospital capacity. New Jersey which has 9 million residents has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases after New York. We must be ready for the time when the surge comes," Murphy said. "We have known that we will need to increase hospital capacity. We are in this fight to save lives. A partial county-by-county breakdown on the cases includes: Bergen County: 819 Essex County: 381 Middlesex County: 316 Monmouth County: 313 Union County: 262 Hudson County: 260 Passaic County: 255 Morris County: 223 Ocean County: 222 Somerset County: 117 Mercer County: 82 Camden County: 61 Burlington County: 48 Sussex County: 27 Hunterdon County: 25 Gloucester County: 23 Warren County: 18 Atlantic County: 9 Cape May County: 4 Cumberland County: 3 Salem County: 1 Another 933 cases remain under investigation to determine the location where the person resides, according to the state tracking website. Officials also said of the 14,000 tests administered in the state, 4,000 have come back positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus a rate of 29%. The others have been negative. Even if youve had a negative test, you should stay home and practice social distancing, officials said. Officials note that the more testing is done, the more they will know how to respond to the virus. They have not released numbers on how many people have been hospitalized with or recovered from the illness. Its also unknown how many people who havent been tested have the virus. Murphy said Wednesday 80 to 90 percent of cases across the globe are moderate to mild. In addition, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said Wednesday the peak of cases in three of New Jerseys hardest-hit counties Bergen, Essex, and Hudson could be three weeks away. Meanwhile, Murphy announced he is ordering children day care facilities to close by April 1, unless they offer services solely to essential workers. The governor also issued a sharp rebuke to those saying older people should be willing to die so the U.S. economy can be reopened. We will fight to save every single life, he said. In an effort to slow the virus spread, Murphy has closed all schools in the state, ordered people to stay at home except for necessary travel, banned social gatherings, and ordered non-essential retail businesses to close until further notice. Officials have promised to prosecute those who violate the orders. Murphy said Wednesday he does not plan to end those closures any time soon because doing so would only throw gasoline onto the fire." Murphy has also announced a way for workers to report companies where people who are able to do their jobs from home were told by their employers to report to the office. The governor said New Jersey employers should not be forcing their workers to go to offices if those people are able to do their jobs remotely, per his executive order. The virus has infected more than 458,000 people and killed more than 20,800 people across the globe, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Of those cases, more than 113,00 people have recovered. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. By Trend Foreigners, who cannot leave Azerbaijan for obvious reasons, are no longer required to apply for an extension of their temporary stay in the country, Trend learned from the State Migration Service. Appeals by foreigners, whose stay in the country from today until April 30 expires, are considered accepted by the State Migration Service, and their stay in our country will be considered legal for a period corresponding to the size of the state fee stipulated by the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On state duty" ( the state duty for minors for 30 days is 15 manat, for 60 days - 30 manat; the state duty for adults is 60 manat). The payment of state duty is an important requirement. Payment can be made online through the government payment portal, the ASAN payment system and through Expresspay terminals, having received the payment number through the track of applications section on the website of the State Migration Service. Payment numbers will be posted on the website of the State Migration Service within three days. Applicants are advised not to contact the reception departments of the State Service in connection with the extension of the period of temporary residence. For more information, please contact the Call Center 919 of the State Migration Service. Vilnius, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Mar, 2020 ) :Twenty NATO troops deployed in Lithuania have tested positive for the coronavirus, a spokesman for the multinational battalion said on Wednesday. Dutch captain Evert-Jan Daniels confirmed that two infected Dutch soldiers were flown to the Netherlands for treatment but declined to disclose the nationalities of the other affected troops. "At this moment there are in total 20 cases," he said, without elaboratingNATO deployed four multinational battalions of about 1,000 troops in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland three years ago to beef up defences on the eastern flank after Russia's 2014 annexation for the Crimea region from Ukraine. In a statement, the battalion said it was carrying on its mission while "conducting reduced trainings" in order to maintain its readiness. The Washington Post is providing this news free to all readers as a public service. Follow this story and more by signing up for national breaking news email alerts. Mali announced its first two cases of novel coronavirus on Wednesday, to fears that the war-torn and impoverished West African state will struggle to handle an outbreak. Two Malian nationals who arrived from France in mid-March tested positive for the virus, the government said in a statement on Wednesday, and are receiving medical treatment. The statement added people should "remain calm and strictly respect the recommended preventive measures". There are fears that Mali is at particular risk in the event of an outbreak, however. The country has been struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that erupted in the north in 2012, and which has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives since. The conflict has since spread to the centre of the country -- and large swathes of the vast semi-arid state lie outside of government control. All of Mali's seven neighbouring countries have also declared coronavirus cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 25.03.2020 LISTEN The Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Ernest Norgbey is draggging the Electoral Commission (EC) to court over its refusal to provide him with information relating to the procurement of a new biometric management system. Among other things, the MP wanted to know the processes the Commission adopted prior to contracting the services of Dr. Ofori-Adjei, IT Consultant and Mr. A. Akrofi, Procurement Consultant; and whether the said procurements were done in accordance with Part 6 of the Public Procurement Act. Mr. Norgbey is one of the people who have criticised the ECs attempt to procure a new voter management system which the consultants recommended. The contract for the new system has reportedly been awarded to a firm called Thales DIS. According to the lawsuit sighted by Citi News, Mr. Norgbey is seeking a declaration that the refusal, failure or neglect of the [EC] to furnish the applicant with information on the matters specified is a violation of his rights to information. He also insists that the refusal of the EC to grant his request is a violation, a continuing violation and a threatened violation of his right to information. Mr. Norgbey had based his requests to the EC in accordance with the Right to Information Law. The EC, however, denied the request arguing that the fees and charges applicable for the said information is yet to be determined in accordance with the law. The EC in rejecting the request said, an applicant seeking to access information under this Act [Right to Information] shall pay the fee or charge approved by Parliament in accordance with the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009 (Act 793). But Mr. Norgbey, in turn, argued that his right to information following the request cant be put on hold because of the failure or neglect of Parliament to specify the fees payable upon request to access information under the Right to Information Act 2019 (Act 989). The MP also said he will not be held back by the failure or neglect of the government to operationalize or put in place the institutional mechanisms for citizen access to information under the Right to Information Act 2019 (Act 989). Additional information requested from the EC includes a copy of the award letter from the EC to Thales DIS in respect of the contract for the acquisition of hardware component of the new voter management system. The MP also wants a copy of the procurement contract between the EC and Thales DIS for the acquisition of the hardware component, a copy of the entire record of procurement proceedings and all documents in relation fo the procurement process. ---citinewsroom SEATTLE, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To help ensure people will have access to a doctor during the current COVID-19 crisis, First Choice Health (FCH), a leading provider-owned healthcare administrator in the Northwest, has announced that it is covering the cost of telehealth services for its self-funded employer customers via on-demand primary care service 98point6. While patients are anxious and fearful for their health during this pandemic, the medical community is on the frontlines, and clinics throughout the country face difficult decisions about how to adequately screen who visits their offices. With many of them not equipped to provide virtual care, the Seattle-headquartered FCH will provide its employer customers complimentary access to 98point6 for 60 days to support social distancing measures while discouraging the utilization of ERs as the first line of care. "Whether we're watching the COVID-19 case numbers rise throughout the world or right here in the Seattle area, it's become clear that healthcare organizations need to do everything possible to ensure there is enough capacity in the system for people to receive care," First Choice Health CEO and President Jaja Okigwe said. "We anticipate telehealth and virtual care becoming a critical part of helping those in need over the next 30-45 days, and do not want cost to be a barrier in accessing 98point6's services for any of our customers in these unprecedented times." 98point6 conveniently delivers personalized consultation, diagnosis and treatment to patients. The virtual platform provides customers with unparalleled access to immediate, high-quality care, allowing FCH to meet members exactly where they are and clinics to help preserve safety for their facilities and the patients visiting them. "During this crisis, many clinics are choosing to not see patients with flu-like symptoms and others are closing their doors generally, leading to many unnecessary ER visits that can increase the transmission of viruses," Okigwe said. "Giving our customers access to 98point6's platform means that they'll instantly be able to consult with a doctor virtually, whether they are concerned that they have symptoms of COVID-19 or just want to avoid going to a doctor's office." In addition to the 98point6 offering, FCH has modified its provider search to flag providers who can provide telehealth access. Over the last year, FCH has prioritized telehealth services and other high-touch solutions focused on accessibility and convenience, and has nearly 500 providers in its provider network that can deliver care virtually. Along with 98point6's unique text-based primary care service, FCH has also improved behavioral health access in the workplace for the more than 600 FCH clients using its standalone Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The embedded service is offered through online counseling partner BetterHelp, connecting FCH EAP clients to the world's largest online behavioral health network. FCH represents the largest independent preferred provider network across eight states (Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota), with more than 110,000 providers, 2,350 facilities and 366 hospitals in the network. For more about First Choice Health and its offerings at www.fchn.com. About First Choice Health First Choice Health, headquartered in Seattle, Wash., is a forward-thinking alternative to traditional health care insurance, offering unparalleled access to providers, expert benefits administration, and an Employee Assistance Program, supporting members in every step of their health care journeys. Built by hospitals and physicians from the ground up, the provider owned FCH focuses on flexible health care administration and cost containment, giving employers of all sizes the opportunity to build a care management plan to suit their unique health care needs. Originating as a provider network in 1985, First Choice Health has grown to serve all of Washington and the Northwestern U.S., including Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota. For more information, visit First Choice Health online at www.fchn.com . About 98point6 Founded in 2015, 98point6 is pioneering a new approach to primary care. By pairing AI and machine learning with board-certified physicians, our vision is to make primary care more accessible and affordable leading to better health. We meet consumers where they are by offering private, text-based diagnosis and treatment via a mobile app. For employers and health plans, 98point6 increases primary care utilization among those not actively or appropriately engaged in their healthenabling earlier medical intervention and reducing overall cost of care. For more information about 98point6, visit www.98point6.com. Media Contact Kyle Wall / Aaron Blank / Natalie Engler of The Fearey Group for First Choice Health [email protected] / (206) 343-1543 SOURCE First Choice Health Related Links https://www.fchn.com DETROIT, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on High-Performance Thermoplastic Films Market by Material Type (PPS, PAEK, PSU, LCP, PEI, HPPA, and Others), by End-Use Industry Type (Aerospace, Automotive, Electrical & Electronics, Industrial, and Others), by Application Type (Barrier, Safety & Security, Microporous, and Others), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2020-2025. This strategic assessment report, from Stratview Research, provides a comprehensive analysis that reflects today's high-performance thermoplastic films market realities and future possibilities for the forecast period of 2020 to 2025. After a continuous interest in our reports on the High-Performance Thermoplastic Composites Market and High-Temperature Composite Resins Market from the industry stakeholders, we have tried to further accentuate our research scope to the high-performance thermoplastic films market in order to provide the most thorough picture of the market. The report segments and analyzes the market in the most comprehensive manner to provide a panoramic view of the market. The vital data/information provided in the report can play a crucial role for the market participants as well as investors in the identification of low-hanging fruits available as well as formulate growth strategies. High-Performance Thermoplastic Films Market: Highlights Thermoplastic is a plastic polymer material that is moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling. There are three types of thermoplastics that include standard thermoplastics (for continuous use under 100C), engineering thermoplastics (for continuous use between 100C-150C), and high-performance thermoplastics (for continuous use above 150C). Thin layers of high-performance thermoplastic are called high-performance thermoplastic films. These films can stretch over 200% with extrusion being the major production method. High-performance thermoplastic films offer better temperature stability, chemical resistance, and mechanical properties in comparison to standard and engineering thermoplastic films but at a higher price. The year 2020 is likely to be burdensome because of the recent outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which has already started hampering various industries with a colossal adverse impact on economic growth. All major end-use industries, such as electrical & electronics, automotive, aerospace, and construction, have already started portraying huge shortfalls with many manufacturing facilities being temporarily shut down for an undetermined timeline due to the outbreak of this virus. The high-performance thermoplastic film market is also not untouched with such severity owing to the halt of operations of many manufacturing facilities of the major markets, such as China, the USA, Italy, and France. Currently, the assessment of the real impact of coronavirus on each industry is unpredictable as the disease is continuously spreading and imprinting its dreadful impact on mankind. However, we expect the market to gradually recover in the coming years with long-term market outlook to be favorable. As per Stratview Research, the high-performance thermoplastic films market remains salubrious with consequential growth opportunities in the long-term scenario. The market is estimated to reach US$ 802.8 million in 2025, expecting a healthy rebound from 2021 onwards after registering a steep fall in 2020. The growing interest towards the use of thermoplastic films on account of their recyclability, trend of miniaturization in the electronics industry, superior injection molding properties assisting in the reduction of part cycle time, and films' suitability as an insulator in the electrical & electronics industry are some key factors fueling the growth of high-performance thermoplastic films in the major end-use industries. Further, the leading players are also forming long-term contracts in the market to smoothen their supply bottlenecks. For instance, in 2019, Solvay and Safran underwent a long-term agreement for the supply of Halar, ECTFE high-performance film, for Safran's LEAP aircraft engine acoustic panels. Click Here to Run Through the Detailed TOC of the Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/toc/821/high-performance-thermoplastic-films-market.html Based on the material type, the market is segmented as PPS, PAEK, PSU, LCP, PEI, HPPA, and others. HPPA is expected to remain the most dominant material type over the next five years. The high share is attributed to the huge demand from the automotive and electrical & electronics end-use industries, owing to properties of HPPA films such as good flexibility, excellent insulation, and superior heat resistance. LCP films also hold a significant share of the market. These films are a preferred choice for flexible electronics applications, such as flexible solar cells and electronic circuit boards for computers as well as mobile phones, owing to their superior electrical characteristics, dimensional stability, low moisture absorption, and excellent heat resistance. Based on the end-use industry type, electrical & electronics segment is likely to remain the biggest demand generator for high-performance thermoplastic films among automotive, aerospace, electrical & electricals, industrial, and others during the forecast period. High-performance films are preferably used in printed circuit boards as they fulfill key requirements, such as thermal conductivity and low moisture absorption. There is also an urge in the market demand for high-performance films from flexible electronics applications, especially from consumer electronics such as computers and mobile phones. Register Here for a Free Sample of the 270-Page Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/821/high-performance-thermoplastic-films-market.html In terms of region, Asia-Pacific is projected to remain the largest as well as the fastest-growing region for high-performance thermoplastic films during the forecast period. The high growth is attributed to the growing electrical & electronics industry in the region especially in India and China. The presence of major electronic device manufacturers (Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, and LG) and growing demand for flexible electronics are substantiating the market growth for high-performance thermoplastic films in the region. Further, there is also a continuous shift of the electronics industry from the developed western economies to the developing Asian economies. The outbreak of COVID 19 in major Asian economies may fade the growth trajectory temporarily, especially in 2020, but the region's attractiveness among all regions remains ubiquitously in terms of market growth and size. Key players in the high-performance thermoplastic films market are The 3M Company, Covestro AG, Honeywell International Inc., Evonik Industries AG, Solvay SA, Dow Chemical Company, Toray, E.I. DuPont De Nemours and Company, Eastman Chemical Company, and Sealed Air Corporation. Some of the Key Merger & Acquisition and Strategic Alliances in the Market: The market's attractiveness has led to a series of acquisitions of small fishes by the big guns, rolling the market towards greater consolidation. In January 2015 , Solvay completed the acquisition of the Ryton PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) business from Chevron Phillips Chemical Company for US$ 220 million . The acquisition enhanced the company's portfolio of high-performance polymers and led the company to gain a strong foothold of Ryton PPS in high-growth applications of automotive and electronics. , Solvay completed the acquisition of the Ryton PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) business from Chevron Phillips Chemical Company for . The acquisition enhanced the company's portfolio of high-performance polymers and led the company to gain a strong foothold of Ryton PPS in high-growth applications of automotive and electronics. In 2016, GE and Sealed Air Corporation went into an agreement and created a new film suitable for use across GE's portfolio of healthcare and life sciences business. In 2019, Sealed Air Corporation acquired MGM's flexible packaging business. The acquisition led the company to expand its capacity and footprint in the Asian market (especially in South-East Asia ) for a flexible packaging business. Report Features This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report: Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis. Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis. Market trend and forecast analysis. Market segment trend and forecast. Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities. Emerging trends. Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players. Key success factors. This report studies the high-performance thermoplastic films market and has segmented the market in four ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the four ways in which the market is segmented: High-Performance Thermoplastic Films Market, By Material Type: PPS (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) PAEK (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) PSU (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) LCP (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) PEI (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) HPPA (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) High-Performance Thermoplastic Films Market, By End-Use Industry Type: Aerospace (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Electrical & Electronics (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Industrial (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) High-Performance Thermoplastic Films Market, By Application Type: Barrier Safety & Security Microporous Others High-Performance Thermoplastic Films Market, By Region: North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico ) Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , The UK, France , Italy , Russia , Spain , and Rest of Europe ) Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China , Japan , India , and Rest of the Asia-pacific ) Rest of the World (Sub-Region Analysis: Latin America , The Middle East , and Others) Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the composites industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/market-reports/Advanced-Materials.html Related premium market reports in the advanced materials industry are: High-Performance Thermoplastic Composites Market by End-Use Industry Type (Automotive, Electrical & Electronics, Industrial, Aerospace & Defense, Medical, Consumer Goods, and Others), by Resin Type (PPS, PAEK Family, PASU Family, PEI, HPPA, and Others), by Process Type (Injection Molding, Compression Molding, and Others), by Fiber Type (Glass-Filled Thermoplastic Composites, Carbon-Filled Thermoplastic Composites, and Other Thermoplastic Composites), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2020-2025. Thermoplastic Resin Market in the Composites Industry by Resin Type (PP, PA, PBT, PPS, PC, and Others), by Compound Type (SFRT, LFRT, GMT, and CFRT), by End-Use Industry Type (Transportation, Consumer Goods, Electrical & Electronic, and Others), by Manufacturing Process Type (Injection Molding, Compression Molding, and Others), by Composite Type (GFRP and CFRP), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024. High-Temperature Composite Resins Market by Resin Type (BMI, Cyanate Ester, Polyimide, Thermoplastics, and Others), by End-Use Industry Type (Aerospace & Defense, Transportation, and Others), by Manufacturing Process Type (Prepreg Layup, RTM, and Others), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024. About Stratview Research Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas. We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies. Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making. For enquiries, Contact: Stratview Research E-mail: sales@stratviewresearch.com Direct: +1-313-307-4176 Logo:https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660595/Stratview_Research_Logo.jpg When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made the call to order non-essential businesses closed earlier this week, part of her calculations involved the math on hospital beds. We have roughly 10 million people in our state. Theres a model that anticipates that if we stay on our current trajectory, just like Italy, over 70% of our people could get infected with COVID-19, she said Monday in a live-streamed public address. Of that 7 million people projected, about a million of them would need to be hospitalized. Let me give you a little perspective here. We have about 25,000 acute care beds in Michigan. Think about that. On March 10, Michigan confirmed its first two coronavirus cases. As of March 25, there are nearly 2,300 cases. Capacity is something hospitals are considering, too, as they prepare to treat patients with respiratory issues caused by COVID-19. Henry Ford Health System, which operates hospitals in southeast and mid-Michigan, is making changes to allow for more capacity in its hospitals, officials said in a Wednesday conference call. We are now planning on making sure that we are prepared if we would have a surge of patients, and mapping that from the worst-case scenario to best-case scenario," said Bob Riney, president of health care operations and chief operating officer for Henry Ford Health System on a conference call Wednesday. Various Henry Ford hospitals are converting clinic space, operating rooms, surgical unit and pre-op rooms into space for COVID-19 patients. Two hospitals in the Henry Ford system are nearing capacity. Also nearing capacity is Beaumont Health in the Detroit area. Its hospitals are treating 450 COVID-19 patients. "We are taking steps to increase our capacity, such as converting some of our operating rooms into intensive care units, said Beaumont Health Chief Operating Officer Carolyn Wilson in a press release Tuesday. Statewide, the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb. A lot of the cases right now are centered in southeast Michigan. Cases in Wayne and Oakland counties account for 72.5 percent of all the cases statewide. And the numbers continue to grow. On Sunday, the whole state passed the mark of 1,000 confirmed cases. By Wednesday, there were more than 1,000 confirmed cases just in Wayne County. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Michigan Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun on a phone call with Michigan residents last week outlined the seriousness of the situation. I have been in the ER on the front lines during this outbreak, Ive talked to my colleagues across the entire country, and these are things that weve never heard of, Khaldun said. Its almost like a war zone across the country in our emergency departments and our intensive care units. On the west side of the state, Spectrum Healths three hospitals in Grand Rapids were not at a high percentage of occupancy as of Tuesday afternoon, March 24, according to a spokesperson for the health system. But the hospital system activated a longstanding agreement with Grand Valley State University that would afford it extra space, if needed. At Mercy Health in Muskegon, officials received emergency approval to start using 50 beds in a medical tower that was only recently completed, according to a statement Mercy Health provided to MLive. Mercy has another 27 beds at the Mercy campus that have been approved for expanded use, according to the statement. There is additional capacity at Mercys Hackley Campus, also in Muskegon, and health officials are exploring off site locations as well, the statement says. The state knows with the virus spreading in communities for weeks, the count will continue to climb. Since there is no cure, though, Khaldun said stopping the disease at the front end by getting people to stay home liek the governor ordered is important. If we do this well, and I believe we will as a state, we will be able to decrease the speed at which people get infected and decrease the number of people who have to go into the hospital, she said. MLive Reporters McKenna Ross, Lynn Moore, Taylor DesOrmeau and Justin Hicks contributed to this story. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. Read more at MLive.com/coronavirus. The world's biggest oil and gas firms should break an industry taboo and consider cutting dividends, rather than taking on any more debt to maintain payouts as they weather the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, investors say. The top five so-called oil majors have avoided reducing dividends for years to keep investors sweet and added a combined $25 billion to debt levels in 2019 to maintain capital spending, while giving back billions to shareholders. The strategy was designed to maintain the appeal of oil company stocks as investors came under increased pressure from climate activists to ditch the shares and help the world move faster towards meeting carbon emissions targets. A worker watches as a pice of drill pipe is lifted onto a drilling rig near Midland, Texas February 12, 2019. Nick Oxford | Reuters Now this strategy is at risk. Oil prices have slumped 60% since January to below $30 a barrel as demand collapsed because of the pandemic and as a battle for customers between Saudi Arabia and Russia threatened to flood the market with crude. "Long term, it is appropriate to cut the dividend. We are not in favor of raising debt to support the dividend," said Jeffrey Germain, a director at Brandes Investment Partners, whose portfolio includes several European oil firms. The combined debt of Chevron, Total, BP, Exxon Mobil, and Royal Dutch Shell stood at $231 billion in 2019, just shy of the $235 billion hit in 2016 when oil prices also tumbled below $30 a barrel. Chevron was the only one to reduce its debt last year. The latest collapse in oil prices has sent energy companies reeling, just as they were recovering from the last crash, which saw crude plummet from $115 a barrel in 2014 to $27 in 2016. Companies from Exxon to Shell have announced plans to cut spending and suspend share buyback programs to balance their books and prevent already elevated debt levels from ballooning. None has announced any plans to cut dividends so far. Pride and payouts Shell, which paid $15 billion in dividends last year, prides itself on having never cut its dividend since the 1940s. This week it announced plans to slash capital spending by $5 billion. But with the highest debt pile among rivals of $81 billion at the end of 2019 and an elevated debt-to-capital ratio, known as gearing, some investors say Shell might have to halve its dividend to balance its books. "The measures taken by Shell seem to be sufficient but, over time, if Shell (for instance) does not spend enough capital expenditure then production will start to fall and the underlying cash flow will not be sufficient to sustain the dividend long term," said Jonathan Waghorn, co-manager of the Guinness Global Energy Fund. A Shell spokeswoman declined to comment. No downside Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 01:41:22|Editor: yan Video Player Close VILNIUS, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania's government on Wednesday extended the nationwide quarantine until April 13, citing the rapid spread of coronavirus in the Baltic country. "This is a minimum term, another two weeks. It will depend on all of us if it will be prolonged later," Lithuania's Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis was quoted as saying by local media. "If some part of the society will behave as it did during the previous two weeks by ignoring the self-isolation rules, lying, visiting public places and spreading the virus within our country, then it will be natural that the quarantine will be prolonged for an uncertain period of time." The Lithuanian government had previously introduced a nationwide quarantine for the period between March 16 and March 30. The quarantine measures include a prohibition for Lithuanians from leaving the country, and shops are closed with the exception of food stores, pharmacies and online stores delivering items to parcel terminals or via couriers. Cafes and restaurants are closed unless they offer takeaway or delivery services. Mass gatherings are prohibited, education establishments are closed, and people are advised to work from home if possible. If people must leave home, they are advised to wear masks or otherwise cover their noses and mouths. Skvernelis will lead a newly established crisis coordination committee, local news agency Elta reported. "The crisis management system has been updated -- the special committee of the Lithuanian government will operate with the participation of all main ministers. It will coordinate the situation related to managing the coronavirus outbreak," said Skvernelis. Until now, the State Emergency Operations Center chaired by Minister of Health Aurelijus Veryga has been the main authority charged with managing the crisis. As of March 25, four coronavirus patients had died in Lithuania. According to the Ministry of Health, 3,471 samples have been tested, of which 255 came back positive. Kuwait City, March 25 : Kuwait reported four new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 195, the Health Ministry announced on Wednesday. At a daily briefing, the ministry's spokesman Abdullah Al-Sanad said that two cases are a Kuwaiti woman who has recently returned from Britain and a Kuwaiti man who has recently arrived back from Saudi Arabia, Xinhua news agency reported. The other two cases are two expats from the Philippines and Somalia, he said. In addition, six patients are being treated in ICU, and a total of 717 cases have completed the quarantine period, he added. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Minister of Health Bassel Al-Sabah announced on Wednesday that four more COVID-19 patients have recovered from the infection, bringing the total number of those overcoming the disease to 43. The Kuwaiti government has decided to impose a nationwide curfew to contain the spread of the coronavirus. On March 13, Kuwait suspended all commercial flights. The government also decided to close stores, malls and barbershops. Former cricketer Anil Kumble who has been appointed as the new head coach of Indian cricket team. (File Photo: IANS) Image Source: PK Bengaluru, March 25 : Former India captain Anil Kumble, known for his passion for photography, is spending his time at home by digging into his archive of pictures. "Staying at home and going through my archives had some sweet outcomes. Sloth bear snapped at #DarojiBearSanctuary #Karnataka," Kumble said in a tweet. The legendary leg-spinner had earlier underlined the importance of staying at home after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a pan-India lockdown for 21 days on Tuesday night. "Please Understand the gravity of the situation. #IndiaFightsCorona #StayHomeStaySafe and stay healthy. As advised by our Honourable PM @narendramodi Ji Let us follow a complete lockdown," Kumble had tweeted. India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane also urged people to not panic buy and stay at home. "In this situation, we need to support our government. They are doing everything to ensure our well-being. Request everyone to stay inside their homes and refrain from panic buying," Rahane said in a tweet. In India, more than 500 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported till now and 11 lives have also been lost. Earlier, India skipper Virat Kohli and actress wife Anushka Sharma also requested citizens to stay at home during the lockdown. 'India is too large a place to have just 10 labs performing these Covid-19 tests.' IMAGE: An isolation ward in a Hyderabad hospital. Photograph: PTI Photo Representatives from three companies, engaged in fulfilling different needs of the testing ecosystem that has now become so crucial to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, talk to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com about the challenges -- some created due to the pandemic and some due to bureaucratic bungling -- they are facing as India braces for a 21-day lockdown in its bid to defeat the virus that has resulted in more than 18,000 deaths worldwide. Dr Ajay Phadke, head, SRL and Dr Phadke Labs Have you received permission from the BMC (BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation) or the ICMR, whichever is the concerned authority, for conducting covid-19 tests? The BMC is telling us to do it, but the government (the Indian Council of Medical Research) has still not given permission to all of us. While they have given permission to SRL Goregaon (north west Mumbai), permission for our other labs will be coming soon. Actually, there are a lot of e-mails gone to them (ICMR for approving SRL's request to conduct Covid-19 tests). I think it's difficult for them to go through all the details quick enough. Which is the central authority that issues permission? The Indian Council of Medical Research, Delhi (that is the issuing authority). The way it is happening right now is that they (the ICMR) are going with the National Accreditation Board for Laboratories (NABL)-accredited labs only and we are already accredited. But we need official communication from them (ICMR) saying we can start testing. So, there is no official communication yet from ICMR for all SRL labs? Only SRL Goregaon and Gurgaon have got the online authorisation which has been put up on ICMR's Web site. How many diagnostic centres do you have across India? (SRL) Dr Avinash Phadke Labs has many collection centres and about 27 labs. ICMR is advising us to do home collection (of samples for performing covid-19 positive tests). We can do home collection, but the only issue is logistics right now (with Maharashtra being under a lockdown). That is a big challenge. Half the staff is not coming to the labs. Those who are coming are used to run the machines (that do various tests). We have a separate team of people who can do home collection. We've trained them and giving them those PPE (personal protection equipment) kits and N95 masks to ensure their safety during the home visits. All that is ready. How many tests can you perform a day across all your centres in India once you get ICMR permission? All centres cannot perform it because it's a molecular test. It can only be done at the main centres as per ICMR's current guidelines. Then there are point-of-care testing devices which will come into the market, I think, by next month. With those devices, tests can be done at many centres. You can just take the sample and you don't need a full size lab setup. It's like a small box and in that you put the sputum or whatever sample it is (throat or nasal swab), and then load it onto the machine directly. These boxes will be coming soon to India; we have got emergency (US) FDA approvals or are in the process of getting it. Once that comes, then depending on the supply all over the world, they will send it to India. Currently, ICMR has approved only two Indian suppliers iTona and My Labs. All three SRL labs together can perform 800 tests a day approximately as of now. Are you facing any shortage of testing kits because just two labs have been approved? And what is their capacity to supply this testing kit? They seem to have (the requisite) capacity, but the issue is that if we place the order today they will take about two to three weeks to deliver these kits. I think eventually all NABL-accredited labs should just be opened up (for testing) because India is too large a place to have just 10 labs performing these Covid-19 positive tests. What are the main challenges right now facing you as somebody who will be a part of the ecosystem that will help fight the covid-19 pandemic? Logistics is the biggest challenge right now. There is a huge shortage of PPE (personal protection equipment) kits. These kits too need to have a price cap because some of the vendors are charging exorbitant prices for it. We have to also make sure that the disposal of the waste is carried out in a very scientific manner. That's important too. The logistics, I would say right now is a big challenge. I understand it from the government's point of view because what they have done (curfew) is absolutely right. The only way to stop this from spreading is to put the city under lockdown. There's no other way to solve this. We have made arrangements of buses to get our staff back into action. Once I get all the approvals (for conducting covid-19 positive tests) we will talk to the state government and city police to help us make some arrangements to get our staff back to our offices and for home collection of samples. *** Dr Ajay Warke, Director, Cell Culture and Immunology, Himedia Laboratories What are the issues that Himedia is facing right now? The problem is that police has beaten our workers and so they are not able to show up to work. We are facing an emergency-like situation because the police are not letting our workers get to our factory. So, I have to go to the commissioner's office and get permission from them to get the workers back into manufacturing this kit. We don't need US FDA approval for our kits. We don't to manufacture (covid-19) test kits; we manufacture a virus sampling kit, which is used for covid-19 tests. We have been making this kit for the last 13 years. The first time we launched the kit was before the swine flu epidemic. In 2008-2009, the entire country was dependent on our kits; our kit was validated and approved by National Institute of Virology, Pune. How does this virus sampling kit or VSK help in covid-19 tests? Swabs are taken from two locations. You can get the swab from the nose, which is a naso-pharyngeal swab, and a flexible throat swab that goes to the back of the throat, and from there, you are able to take the mucosal sample, and suck in the mucosal fluid. This is then put in a tube, which is the transport medium, and then in this medium the mucus is released along with the virus in it. After taking these swabs, you put it inside the tube and dissolve it or leave it there. This is then sent to testing labs like at Kasturba Hospital or SRL where they then set up a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), which is USFDA approved or Indian FDA approved or NIV-approved. So that is how that works. So, what we make right now are the viral transport media or VTM. These VSKs are supplied to various hospitals as well as private laboratories which can conduct covid-19 tests. We also supply these VSKs to airport authorities; for example, Dubai airport is also using our kits. But right now we are not able to export anything as we are trying to meet our government's requirements. Why are your workers not being allowed into your factory? There are two reasons why epidemics like covid-19 can't be controlled. We have no sense; we will eat paan, gutka, tobacco and spit wherever we like. We will do all these things that we are not supposed to do. This helps in spread of viruses. Second thing is people lie. So when the authorities plead with us to stay home, don't travel, we do exactly that. When I met the (Nashik) police commissioner, he was exasperated. He said how can everybody become a doctor or a nurse in one day. At the nakabandi point everybody is saying 'Sir, I'm medical emergency personnel'. He is very frustrated because all his efforts at enforcing discipline is coming to a naught. People are congregating and taking this curfew for granted. So, today they have become high-handed to enforce this curfew. Unfortunately, in this melee what is happening is the police doesn't want to listen to anyone, even people like us who are genuine. But I am happy the way the police is handling this curfew because if they don't do this we won't be able to control the pandemic. How many VSKs can you produce in one day, once you get the workers in? We can produce one lakh tests kits per day. And we are ramping it up to around three to four lakh kits per day. Is the demand for VSKs so huge already or are you anticipating an exponential demand for VSKs in the coming days? The demand is huge. And why? If you listen in to all the healthcare experts and epidemiologists from Columbia University, Stanford, German epidemiologists, people like Ramanan Lakshminarayanan, believe that it's (the spread of covid-19) is going to be rampant. It's going to spread to around 20 to 40 per cent of the world population; the estimates are that in India up to 80 crore people might get infected. So, it's not a question of how many but when. So, when this is happening, we are focusing on scaling up our production. This is needed; the government needs to create an environment for more tests to be conducted. All the government experts, all the epidemiology experts are saying that testing should be enhanced. Blanket screening should be done and the government is working hard on it. They are getting more test kits, they are allowing Indian companies to come forward and set more PCR testing centres. To support all these tests, the basic premise is you need more VSKs, which we are making. If you are not able to take a swab sample from a patient then the chain of testing breaks. So, we are ramping up in a big way because we understand that the government is going to need it. *** Dr Arunima Patel, Partner, iGenetics Diagnostics Have you got approvals from the BMC for the xovid-19 test that you had validated a month-and-a-half ago? We are waiting for it actually as we are stuck between NABL and ICMR. What's the issue between NABL and ICMR? ICMR is looking at only NABL-accredited labs. Our lab is (NABL)-accredited. Now the challenge is my certificate is expiring on March 31. And while I have got my certificate renewed, I will be getting that fresh certificate only on April 1 without which ICMR won't let me conduct covid-19 testing. So I'm stuck in that whole bureaucratic procedure. From April 1, will you be able to conduct covid-19 tests? Yes. Hopefully. And what will be the cost of these tests? The government has capped the tests at Rs 4,500 and so we will charge the same amount. And you will be able to ramp it up to 500 tests per day? Yes, that's not a challenge. The capacity is not a challenge. Are people inquiring about your tests? Lots of doctors are inquiring about it. At least about 100 doctors have called us specifically to ask whether we can do this or not apart from patients who come for regular checkups. Who can come and get these tests done? A general physician should have recommended these tests and they should have had some travel history. ICMR has issued these guidelines. But the problem is the ICMR keeps changing these guidelines. While earlier they had said that anybody can go for these tests, but now a doctor's prescription is required along with a history of travel. While earlier anybody and everybody who showed symptoms could have gone for a covid-19 test, the latest is that a person should have travel history. What is the reason for NABL needing time till April 1 for sending your accreditation certificate? Our certificate is renewed, we have the accreditation but they will not share the certificate with us. Our renewal letter has come, but they just will not share the certificate with us till April 1. We are losing out on crucial days of testing. We use kits approved by ICMR and offer our service of testing covid-19 people. Are these kits available in abundance? There are reports of shortage of kits. There are shortage of kits right now as ICMR has approved only two vendors which makes these kits: a local vendor MyLabs, a Pune-based company, and Altona, a US-based company. ICMR is looking to increase the number of vendors who can supply these kits to diagnostic laboratories, which can then do the covid-19 tests. Three more COVID-19 patients, who were undergoing treatment at a hospital here, tested negative for the disease on Wednesday, paving the way for their discharge, officials said. One of them is the daughter of a couple who was discharged from Naidu Hospital earlier in the day. The trio's report of second round of tests came negative hours after the couple, who were the first coronavirus positive cases in Maharashtra, was discharged following recovery, they said. The couple's daughter, the cab driver who brought them to Pune from Mumbai and a person who was part of their Dubai tourist group, had also tested positive for the viral infection earlier this month. The repeat samples of these three people were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for testing on Wednesday morning. "All three samples have come negative in their second test and the process of their discharge has been started," said Dr Ramchandra Hankare, chief health officer, Pune Municipal Corporation. The Pune-based couple and their 23-year-old daughter were part of a 40-member tourist group that returned to Mumbai from Dubai on March 1. The trio had travelled from Mumbai to Pune in a cab. Earlier in the day, the couple received a warm welcome from their housing society members when they arrived in the premises after being discharged from the hospital following recovery. Residents of the housing society, located on Sinhgad Road, came out in their balconies and clapped and clanged their utensils to greet the 51-year-old man and his 43-year- old wife. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi made the highly anticipated K30 Pro (and its better-endowed sibling, the K30 Pro Zoom) official during an online event in China yesterday. The company chose the occassion to also brag about the sales of the K30 family's predecessor, and that is the K20 series, comprised of the Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro. In the nine months in which those two models were available to buy, more than 5 million units were sold. Interestingly, half of those went to people buying a Redmi branded smartphone for the first time. Furthermore, the company has already managed to sell more than one million Redmi K30 units in less than three months, the time elapsed since its release in China. This number is even more impressive when you consider that for the past couple of months China has been battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Apparently only 30% of the people who wanted to buy a Redmi K30 actually managed to, so there's still a lot of pent-up demand there. Source (in Chinese) | Via The Rajasthan government on Wednesday released a sum of Rs 310 crore in order to deposit Rs 1,000 per family in the bank accounts of economically backward sections amidst the lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus spread. With the cash coming in the hands of people, they will now be able to meet their daily needs, an official statement said. The eligible families have been selected on the basis of Jan Aadhaar database. Rs 1,000 will be deposited in the bank accounts of every selected family through direct bank transfers (DBT) and they will be informed through SMSs on their mobile phones. The state government has released additional funds to the collectors -- Rs 1 crore to the Jaipur collector, Rs 75 lakh each to collectors of other divisional headquarters, while the remaining districts have been released Rs 50 lakh each. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SKOPJE, North Macedonia In a desolate industrial zone of this capital city, a cannabis grow house is under construction that, when finished, will span 178,000 square feet, about the size of a Walmart superstore. At full capacity, 17 tons of marijuana a year, worth about $50 million, will be harvested. Among the planned offerings is an American strain known as Herijuana, a portmanteau of heroin and marijuana, which has received some rhapsodic online reviews. I feel blown to the dome omg, wrote a fan on Leafly, a cannabis review site. It also gave me the ability to rap. Pharmacon, the company behind this operation, has everything it needs for a thriving, dome-blowing business, including contracts with buyers in Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom. Construction here in Skopje has slowed in recent days, because new coronavirus regulations restrict the number of people who can work in groups. But the building will soon be completed and then Pharmacon will face a very different kind of impediment: the government. Dread Influenza Invades State. So there it was, the virus Montana knew was coming, as attested to on Page 1 of the Missoulian on Oct. 1, 1918. In exactly six weeks, the hell that came to be known as World War I would end with an Allied victory, but not the so-called Spanish influenza pandemic. However, before that: October and its own month of hell. Over the next few days, Missoula Rewound will leap out of its normal Monday slot to take a look at through the pages of the Missoulian. Draw for yourself the comparisons and contrasts to a city, state, nation and world in the throes of a new kind of virus 102 years later. Its Spread is Rapid, the subhead to that Oct. 1 story read. Next day: The state board of health is informed that there are 350 cases of influenza in Scobey, Sheridan county, and four deaths have resulted. Montanans were actually dying now. Health officials are of the opinion that only good luck coupled with hard work can prevent a wide-spread epidemic of this disease in Montana, the front-page story on Oct. 3 said. To work out some method of combating the disease, the executive committee of Montana volunteer medical corps will meet soon with the state board of (health). The Minneapolis-based northern division of the Red Cross sent a telegram to the state health board advising it was ready to organize groups of nurses in Montana and to prepare face masks to be worn to prevent workers from catching the disease. More than 100,000 soldiers in the nations army camps had the deadly flu, and 7,645 had contracted pneumonia since the second and most devastating wave of sickness hit the United States on Sept 18. Thered been 2,148 deaths in the intervening two weeks. WATCH OUT! begged a Missoulian editorial on Oct. 4. The most common way of spreading the influenza is by sneezing and coughing and spitting in public places. If we would avoid an epidemic that is holding up home war work throughout the country, let us have a care how and where we sneeze and cough and spit and if we must do that in public, let us, at least, use a handkerchief. The better way would be to stand in an open space or to sneeze in a closed room at home but since that is not always possible, let us do the next best thing. Also we should keep a spray in the bathroom closet to use when we feel a cold coming on. Another method of spreading influenza is by kissing. A word to the wise with regard to that should be sufficient. Let us conserve kissing for a time, as a war sacrifice. Remember that we are trying to make the world safe for democracy, but we will not get very far if we are so negligent as to permit ourselves to be conquered by a few billion influenza germs. Dont leave home without a gas mask, editor Martin Hutchens admonished. We wonder, he concluded, whether Spain is trying to get even for that little muss up in 1898. The Saturday, Oct. 5, paper said a rumor of two cases in Missoula could not be confirmed. One was said to be that of a woman in Orchard Homes. The other was a slight case of a man who recently came to Missoula from the east. Meantime, the citys anti-spitting ordinance must be rigidly enforced by the police, Chief Moore said. Mayor Wilkinson agreed. "It seems to me, the mayor said, that the people of the city are reasonably careful in the matter. At least, they are more so than used to be the case. However, I support strict enforcement of the ordinance." And then it was here for sure. Twenty-five enlisted men, in training at Fort Missoula, were placed in the hospital at the post last night and quarantined in the belief that the men may have Spanish influenza, the Missoulian reported on Oct. 7, a Monday. The men placed in the hospital were all examined upon their return from their usual Sunday off, which they had passed in the city. The cases are slight, and it may be that they develop into nothing more than grip, officers at the fort said last night. Later that Monday night, post commandant Capt. J.S. Maginnis notified the war department he had 25 cases of Spanish influenza on his hands. All were in the Fort Missoula hospital. Maginnis said the cases were slight, and in ordinary times would be considered little more than hard colds. However, we have established a quarantine and no one may enter or leave here, the captain said. The quarantine is established both for the protection of the soldiers at the fort and for the townspeople in Missoula." A rigid quarantine has been established at the post, by which no one is permitted either to enter or leave the military reservation, the paper said. There were 206 men stationed at the fort. And so the first week of October ended. Week 2 would bring closures, frayed nerves and the first flu deaths to Missoula. More on that next time. The Mandalorians nameless bounty hunter, played by Pedro Pascal, finds himself looking after Baby Yoda as the internet christened him In the months before The Phantom Menace (the first and least boring of George Lucass trilogy of plodding Star Wars prequels) was released in 1999, there were stories of American fans paying in to cinemas purely to see the trailer, then leaving without watching whatever film happened to be showing. Not all Star Wars fans are as annoyingly geeky, obsessive and insular as that. I know several grown adults who love the films, but underneath their Star Wars T-shirts, theyre fully-rounded individuals who live fully-rounded lives. But lets be honest: quite a few of them are like that. Disney knows its these people wholl be leading the charge to sign up for its new streaming service Disney+, which finally arrived here and in the UK yesterday, several months after its American launch, yet still a little earlier than was originally planned. This is the reason why The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars series, is the flagship offering. The first thing to be said about The Mandalorian is that it looks like a million dollars plus the other $14m its reportedly costing per episode. I watched the first two (the remaining six will drop weekly) on a laptop rather than a large-screen TV, and they were still stunning in HD. Even the end credits, which feature paintings of scenes from the episode, look classy. The second thing to be said about it is that its quite short. The first episode clocks in at 39 minutes, the second at just 30. This comes as something of a relief at a time when so many series have too many episodes that drag on beyond the hour mark. While showrunner/writer/director Jon Favreau, who set Marvel on the path to global dominance with the nifty Iron Man, throws in lots of fan service and callbacks to the original movies, you dont have to be steeped in Star Wars lore to enjoy it, because the series unfolds on the outer edges of the movies rolling storyline. Its enough to know that the title character played by Narcos and Game of Thrones star Pedro Pascal, hidden under a helmet that obscures his whole face is a heavily-armed, heavily-armoured intergalactic bounty hunter. Hes a man of relatively few words. Not surprising, really, since The Mandalorian is effectively a spaghetti western in outer space, and its hero a clone of Clint Eastwoods Man with No Name from Sergio Leones Dollars trilogy (Pascal even does his best Clint-lite voice from under the headgear). Video of the Day Expand Close Baby Yoda (Disney +) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Baby Yoda (Disney +) There are plenty of punch-ups and shootouts (bloodless, naturally, this being aimed at a PG audience), confrontations with shady characters, gloomy dive bars and near-fatal tangles with a variety of monstrous creatures. The Mandalorian delivers his latest catches frozen in carbonite, just like Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back to his paymaster, played by Carl Weathers, who points him in the direction of a new, even more lucrative job for a different client, who goes by the name of, believe it or not, The Client. Hes a sinister type, played by German film director Werner Herzog, whose bodyguards are stormtroopers. The Mandalorian is set after the events of Return of the Jedi, so presumably, they found themselves out of work when the Empire was defeated. All our hero is told is that his target is a valuable asset and 50 years old. You can imagine his surprise, then, when he finally locates his quarry and finds its a tiny baby from the same unnamed species as Yoda. Nobody watching will be surprised, however, since Baby Yoda, as the internet christened him, even though nobody is yet sure whether this is Yoda reincarnated, has been the source of countless memes already. This, then, is where The Mandalorian is at. Its lively and entertaining with colourful characters, including a wise, porcine alien voiced by Nick Nolte and a droll bounty hunter that fans of the original films will recognise. Yet, for all the money and time invested, it feels slightly thin. One-third of the planets population is now living under lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the most significant disruption the world has seen outside of war for more than a century. For many, the worst part is being cut off from the people they love. Millions of travellers find themselves unable to get home as travel bans come into force. The hard borders going up across the globe have in some cases come between married couples, and even separated children from their parents. ystein Lund Andersen was forced to say a painful goodbye to his wife Irma last week, when he and their four-year son Einar left the family home in Indonesia and flew to Norway, his country of origin. Its hard and crazy times for us, Mr Andersen told The Independent. Im working on getting [Irma] to Norway, but at the moment we are not sure how long it will be before we will get reunited. Mr Andersen, a 38-year-old photographer, has been living in Indonesia since 2003 and got married there in 2012. Worried about the spread of the coronavirus, he and his wife an Indonesian citizen decided it was the right time to move to Norway, with its excellent health care system. Arriving at the airport on 16 March, they were told Ms Anderson would not be allowed on the flight, since the Norwegian government had changed the rules and was only allowing Norwegian citizens and people with permanent residence entry. Without arguing with the staff, we sat down to make a decision together, he said. We landed on her returning to our apartment in Jakarta, and me and my son continuing the journey. It was a hard decision, but bringing our son to Norway was the tipping point. Others face arduous journeys as they try to get back home. Tim Kikke is stuck in Guatemala along with dozens of other British citizens after the country closed its borders. The 32-year-old doesnt know when hell next see his mum Tineke, at home in Dumfries in the Scottish borders. Tim Kikke, stuck in Guatemala with three friends after the country closed its borders (Tim Kikke) The 62-year-old is also due to go into hospital this week for an operation for a serious illness not related to the coronavirus. Shes worried of course but I should still be able to FaceTime and WhatsApp her when shes in hospital, Mr Kikke told The Independent. The traveller is currently with three friends at an Airbnb house in the small Guatemalan city of Antigua. The group is planning to head over the border into Mexico and attempt to get a flight to the US before heading back to Britain, if they can. We know with so many travel bans coming in its possible well get stranded in one of those countries. Its been a strange time for all of us but were looking after each other to get through it. Were possibly okay for money for at least one more month, but after that it gets more difficult. Louise Capel and her partner Peter Fitzpatrick are stranded in Peru along with hundreds of other British citizens. The Londoners currently in Cusco after ditching plans to see Machu Picchu in the Andes are hoping to be on one of the repatriation flights the Foreign Office has said it is trying to arrange for later this week. My mum has underlying health issues from Graves disease, which attacks the immune system, so Im worried about her, Ms Capel, 33, said. And shes been worried about me. I have brothers, my nieces and my nephew who Im missing too. We just want to get home. Id just like to get the chance to come home and at least be closer to friends and family. Some are now reconciled to the idea they will not see loved ones for many, many months. Cristian Angeloni, 25, has been living in London for the past five years and decided to stay in the city rather than head home to Rome to be with his 53-year-old parents and 18-year-old brother earlier this month. There were so many unknowns, said the Italian journalist. I didnt know if I might have [coronavirus] and give it to them, or whether it was sensible to travel, or what it would be like trying to get back into the UK again. It was a tough, tough conversation to have with my parents. Cristian Angeloni is unable to see family in Italian capital Rome (Cristian Angeloni) Thank God for FaceTime, he added. Theyve shown me how they rearranged all their furniture, how the music and the national anthem has been playing in the street each evening. But its not quite the same as seeing someone, as giving them a hug. Its sad to be 1,500km away. He added: Maybe can see each other again in August or September, if everything goes as well as it can. Lets hope so. The thought of hugging family and friends again, one day soon, will keep many of us going in the tough times ahead. Clarence House announced that Prince Charles tested positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The 71-year-old Prince of Wales started displaying mild symptoms after his last public engagement on March 12. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales | Eamonn M. McCormack WPA Pool/Getty Images How the Coronavirus has impact in the United Kingdom The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a global pandemic that is impacting people, businesses, and economies around the world. The BBC reported there are now more than 8,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the United Kingdom. The actual number of cases is likely to be much higher, as symptoms can take up to two weeks to become apparent. The virus has killed 422 in the UK so far. The royal family had already started preparing Queen Elizabeth and Charles were both considered at high risk of contracting the Coronavirus because of their age. To prevent contracting the virus, the Queen put herself in self-quarantine. Royal experts believed William would have to take on a more significant role in the monarchy in the weeks to come, especially if someone contracted the virus. Leading up to Charles diagnosis, Prince William was primed to be King by taking on more of a leadership role. Prince William was the first royal to address the pandemic on social media publicly. The royal family took additional preparations for the eventuality that one of them would be diagnosed with the virus. Much of the royal family had already begun to spread out across Britain away from London, placing themselves in quarantine. Prince Charles diagnosed with COVID-19 The 71-year-old future King tested positive for the Coronavirus. He is currently in self-isolation Balmoral Castle in Scotland with the Duchess of Cornwall, who tested negative for the virus. A Clarence House spokesman said: The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. Per Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. Clarence House Spokesman via CNN Charles tested positive just two weeks after meeting with Prince Albert of Monaco, who tested positive after the WaterAid event in London March 10. Before his diagnosis, Prince Charles had canceled the remainder of his upcoming engagements. The Clarence House spokesman said it was impossible to know where Charles contracted the virus, given the number of public engagements he has recently attended. Still, many are questioning whether he got it from Albert. Per a Buckingham Palace spokesperson, the Queen remains in good health. While she was in contact with Prince Charles just hours before he became contagious, the spokesperson explained: The Queen last saw The Prince of Wales briefly on the morning of March 12 and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare. Another source said Charles doctors most conservative estimate was that the Prince was contagious from March 13 to 24, just hours after he last saw his mother. Queen Elizabeth left Buckingham Palace earlier this week and is expected to remain in Windsor Castle until after her typical Easter break. This is a developing story. Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for updates on Prince Charles. Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and European Council President Charles Michel pictured during the second day of an extraordinary EU summit meeting on the European Budget 2021-2027, Friday 21 February 2020. Pressure is building up in Europe to come up with new ways to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus in the region that has become the epicenter of the outbreak. Nine European countries have called upon their EU counterparts to issue so-called corona bonds a new debt instrument that would combine securities from different countries. Corona bonds are a controversial issue that has been dividing the 27-country region. Conservative policymakers in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Austria are often wary of the idea of issuing debt together with highly leveraged nations, such as Italy, Greece and Portugal. Nonetheless, Europe is in crisis, having experienced a sharp rise in COVID-19, with several countries in national lockdown. As of Wednesday morning, more than 182,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Europe. "We need to recognize the severity of the situation and the necessity for further action to buttress our economies today," the heads of state of Italy, France, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Luxembourg said Wednesday in a joint letter seen by CNBC. The deadly virus has brought all the key EU economies to a standstill, with most people confined at home. Restaurants, cinemas and other retail spaces are closed, and airlines have basically stopped taking off. The death toll across Europe keeps rising, with Italy registering a higher number than China, where the virus emerged in December. "We need to work on a common debt instrument issued by a European institution to raise funds on the market on the same basis and to the benefits of all Member States," the nine heads of state said. As various state governments issue notifications, the FMCG firms are in discussions with them to ensure that manufacture and distribution of essential products are streamlined ITC, Nestle and Dabur on Tuesday said they are producing only the essential items at their manufacturing units amid the lockdown to prevent spread of coronavirus. Amazon.com Incs India unit on Tuesday said it will halt orders for non-essential products in India to prioritize customers critical needs at a time when much of the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, which is producing beverages and foods as well as essential personal hygiene products such as hand wash, soaps and sanitisers that are needed to fight COVID-19, is in talks with local authorities to resume operations at some their units, PTI said. Like others, FMCG makers have adopted 'Work from Home' for all employees at their head and regional offices to contain the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. According to ITC, it is "extremely critical" to ensure adoption of precautionary measures during this period, but it is also important, that during such challenging times, "essential products are made available to consumers in a safe and sustainable manner across the length and breadth of the country through continuity of supply". "As various state governments issue notifications, we are in discussions with them to ensure that manufacture and distribution of essential products are streamlined," said an ITC spokesperson. ITC, which manufactures personal hygiene products like hand wash, soaps and sanitisers under Savlon brand and food items under brands such as Aashirvad, is "operational with bare minimum people" as these are essential products, said the Kolkata-headquartered company. A total of 32 states and Union territories had already declared complete lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. From midnight, the lockdown will be imposed across the nation. Following this, several companies have halted their manufacturing operations till 31 March. Nestle India, maker of Maggi noodles, Nescafe coffee, Cereal for infants and KitKat chocolate, which operates eight factories in the country, have either suspended operations or scaled down the operations at its manufacturing units. "In view of the lockdown in many of the states and union territories across the country, the operations in some of the locations (manufacturing, distribution centres/ warehouses, offices, suppliers) are scaled down or suspended," said Nestle in a regulatory filing. However, the company said as it is "in the manufacture and sale of food and beverage products, the company is in discussion with the authorities to continue operations in the factories/ distribution centres where the operations has been suspended." Beverages major Coca-Cola India has also suspended its manufacturing operations and is only producing "essential beverages", such as water, juices, tea and coffee, at its manufacturing facilities in small number complying to the local government's regulations. "In compliance with the government directive, we at the Coca-Cola system in India have temporarily suspended production at our manufacturing facilities," said Coca-Cola India. With respect to the essential beverages, the company is "operating our manufacturing facilities in very small number", it said. Varun Beverages, PepsiCo India's bottling partner, has also suspended manufacturing operation. Home-grown FMCG major Dabur India has also suspended its manufacturing operations, excluding essential items such as Ayurvedic medicines, Chyawanprash, hand sanitisers and hand wash. "We have temporarily suspended production at our manufacturing units till March 31, 2020, except for essential products such as Ayurvedic medicines, Chyawanprash, hand sanitisers and hand wash in the larger public interest," said Dabur India in a statement. Over the financial impact, Dabur said, "The situation is still dynamic and uncertain and it is difficult to evaluate or quantify the impact at this point of time. A lot will depend on the stabilisation of the overall scenario arising from the COVID-19 pandemic." Similarly, Nestle India said, "Impact on the operations of the company cannot be assessed at this point." Amazon.com Incs India unit on Tuesday said it will halt orders for non-essential products in India to prioritize customers critical needs at a time when much of the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Walmart Inc's Flipkart has suspended services, a notice on the Indian e-commerce firm's website said on Wednesday, as India began a 21-day lockdown to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters said. Flipkart's move came after rival Amazon India said on Tuesday it will halt orders for non-essential products in India to prioritize customers critical needs, and focus on supplying essentials. The decision by the Seattle-based Amazons India unit follows a similar move to stop shipping non-essential products to consumers in Italy and France, countries hit hard by the virus outbreak. Amazon India will prioritize the sale and delivery of household staples, packaged foods, healthcare, hygiene and personal safety products, the company said in a blog post. The company said it was seeing a surge in demand for essential good and services, adding that it was giving customers the option to cancel undelivered orders for lower-priority products and get refunds. Amazon did not give a timeline for the resumption of normal operations. Walmart Incs Flipkart, Amazons main rival in India, said it was extending delivery timelines in the light of disruptions in several states. To enable millions of Indians working from home to access household supplies, the federal technology ministry on Tuesday advised state governments to allow e-commerce services to operate, especially with respect to essential items. The government's lockdown of several cities has disrupted deliveries by e-commerce firms and online grocers. According to data from the health ministry, over 500 coronavirus cases have been reported in India so far. --With agency inputs As the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) spreads, the elderly appear the most vulnerable. To be sure, young people have got infected, and even got severely sick. But senior citizens, with co-morbidities and compromised immune systems, find it harder to battle the disease. In India, over 20% of the population is above the age of 60. The elderly lack mobility and economic power as well as access to authentic information about how to keep themselves safe in these times. Given the lack of hospice facilities, the elderly will largely have to be cared for at home. This means that families have to be educated about how to keep older people isolated in order to protect them from infection, not easy in crowded joint family systems. The needs of the elderly are not always a priority as families, indeed society, view them as non-productive, even a burden on an overwhelmed health care system. The government must be more proactive by providing a degree of social security for the aged and ensuring mobile geriatric health services. As Kerala is doing, states must examine how provisions and medicines can be delivered at home to the elderly who do not have family support systems. A helpline should be instituted, specifically for the elderly. The National Policy on Older Persons, 1999, prescribes a number of provisions such as monthly stipends, free home health care and palliative care for the aged. These measures could help the elderly tide over the crisis. Covid-19 is a wake-up call. Institute geriatric care systems as the population ages. [March 25, 2020] Outlook on Data Storage Technologies (2020) - Key Strategic Directions to Remain Competitive DUBLIN, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Disruptive Opportunities for Data Storage Technologies" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Data storage technologies (DSTs) are evolving with the exponential rise in the demand for high capacity and secured storage systems in recent years. This is mainly due to the change in technological perception in the global community, which focuses on facilitating simplified interaction with the latest innovations happening around as data forms an integral part of this transformation. From offering high-capacity storage capabilities along with providing secure and advanced data management systems, DSTs will be a driving force for the majority of the technological advancements and trends in various industries. Advanced technologies and platforms such as wearable electronics, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet-of-Things (IoT), smart factories will be relying completely on the data storage media to generate meaningful output to support decision making. This technology and innovation report offers insights on prominent technologies, which are shaping up the current data storage market and are impacting various industries. The technologies include innovations in flash, hard disk drives, and embedded memory. The technology scope comprises an assessment of helium hard disk drives, embedded memory such as magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) and resistive random access memory (ReRAM), 3D NAND flash storage, and NVMe (non-volatile memory express) storge. Key questions answered in the report: What is the significance of emerging DSTs? What are the key trending applications impacted by DSTs? What are the innovations in DSTs and its impact in different applications? Who are the major players driving innovation and adoption? What are the key factors influencing adoption? How are patents and funding driving developments and widespread adoption? What are the key innovation themes? What are the key strategic directions for stakeholders to remain competitive? Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Research Scope 1.2 Research Methodology 1.3 Key Research Findings 2. Technology Landscape 2.1 Technological Overview and Significance 2.2 Emerging Trends in the Data Storage Industry 2.3 Lithography and On-board Memory are Propelling Innovations in the Data Storage Industry 2.4 Digital Platforms and IoT are Boosting Innovations in Data Storage 2.5 Major Challenges Prevalent in the Data Storage Industry 2.6 Glimpse of Disruptive Technologies in the Memory Industry 3. Disruptive Technologies in the Data Storage Industry 3.1 High-Speed Alternative for HDDs 3.2 Improved SSD Technology for Enhanced Performance 3.3 Embedded Memory Technologies for AI and IoT Applications 3.4 3D NAND Flash - High-Density Flash Storage Media 3.5 Non-volatile Memory Express Protocol for High-Speed Data Transfer 3.6 Patent Analysis Across Various Memory Technologies - 3D NAND Flash Memory 3.7 Patent Analysis Across Various Memory Technologies - ReRAM, MRAM, and NVMe Technologies 3.8 Innovations Across Various Memory Technologies 4. Emerging Opportunities for Data Storage Technologies 4.1 Impact of Advancements in Data Storage Across Various Industries 4.2 Healthcare, Industry Automation, Automobile, and Banking are Core Sectors Impacted by Advancements in Data Storage 4.3 Education, Retail, Government, Security, Aerospace, and Defense Sectors are Evolving with the Aid of Data Storage Technologies 5. Future Growth Opportunities and Strategic Perspectives 5.1 Future of Storage Technologies in a Roadmap 5.2 Competitive Market Aided by Innovation will Define the Future of the Data Storage Industry 5.3 From the Analyst's Desk: What are Key Attractive Applications and Future Opportunities for Data Storage? 6. Industry Contacts 6.1 Key Contacts For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/m75gpv Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/outlook-on-data-storage-technologies-2020---key-strategic-directions-to-remain-competitive-301029767.html SOURCE Research and Markets [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] This is not going to last forever, and, hopefully, it will be over sooner than later, but it is a time to tighten our belt and cut the cloth, he said. Lalmalan said he is hopeful some of the federal money being issued for assistance will make its way to Oak Brook. The two hundred and seventy-seven Indians evacuated from the coronavirus-hit Iranian capital Tehran, were shifted to the Army wellness facility in Jodhpur on Wednesday. The evacuees -- 128 males and 149 females -- had arrived in Delhi on special Mahan Air flight on Wednesday morning and were subsequently transferred to Jodhpur. Upon their arrival in the city, all the passengers underwent a preliminary screening and later shifted to the Army wellness facility established at the Jodhpur Military Station. In a statement, PRO Defence Rajasthan Sombit Ghosh said that the Army, in coordination with the Rajasthan State Medical authorities and Civil Administration, Jodhpur, has made adequate medical and administrative arrangements to cater for a comfortable stay and provide prophylactic medical support. "The facility has a dedicated team of Army doctors, who will be constantly monitoring the health parameters of the evacuees for the duration of their stay," Ghosh said. Iran is one of the countries worst hit by the coronavirus, having reported more than 63,000 cases, while over 6,000 people have died of the infection in the country, as per the latest data available on the World Health Organisation website. Earlier this month, Mahan airlines had offered safe repatriation of Indians struck in Iran without any commercial interest as a humanitarian initiative. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 'Let us all keep calm and face this medical emergency unitedly.' 'Our top priority is to fight the pandemic and win this war.' IMAGE: Residents dressed in traditional attire celebrate the Marathi New Year (Gudi Padwa) at Girgaon, south Mumbai, March 25, 2020. Photograph: Kunal Patil/PTI Photo "We have already been implementing the Rs 2-3 per kg rice and wheat package for poor families in the state," Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Anantrao Pawar tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com in an exclusive interview. "While the covid-19 crisis was felt in the state for the last eight days and now that it has assumed pandemic proportions, the state government has been contemplating modalities to improve upon and better financial schemes already in force," adds Pawar. More financial assistance will be provided in the days to come, Pawar promises, but the government will have to ensure that it reaches the targeted sections. "We have to figure out the deserving beneficiaries. We have a huge swathe of labourers in the state and the Maharashtra government has already told factory and mill owners to pay wages to their employees even if they don't work at these factories. We are sincerely contemplating what more can be done," says Pawar. Talking about the fate of construction workers and daily wage earners facing imminent unemployment due to the 21-day lockdown, Pawar says, "We have several lakh workers in the state employed in the construction sector. Our information is that a lot of these workers (before the outbreak) have left in search of employment to states like Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi." "Whatever financial programme we implement we have to ensure that it reaches the most deserving sections of the affected people suffering financial hardships because of this crisis," adds the deputy chief minister. "We have already released five per cent or Rs 475 crore out of the Rs 9,500 crore total budgetary allocation as emergency relief package for all the districts in the state from the district planning committee scheme to fight the covid-19 pandemic," Pawar points out. "These funds have already been released and will be spent to fight the pandemic." Apart from this, the state government has made provisions to issue rice and wheat to the poor for two months at Rs 2-3 per kg, he informs Rediff.com readers. "The food and civil supplies ministry has already issued instructions to this effect for ensuring that essential goods and services reach the needy without any disruption. Those belonging to the BPL sections will get this benefit. The Union government has also made additional provisions for the supply of these essentials for the poor." IMAGE: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar greets Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray looks on at the swearing in ceremony for Maharashtra ministers in Mumbai on December 30, 2019. Photograph: Mitesh Bhuvad/PTI Photo Pawar says the state cabinet meets at 10.30 am every day to take appropriate decisions to address and alleviate the problems of the poor in the state under duress because of the current situation. Outlining the emergency measures undertaken by the state government, Pawar says the Maharashtra administration has enlisted private hospitals along with local government-run hospitals to admit and treat covid-19 patients. "The number of diagnostic laboratories that undertook covid-19 testing were increased so that more people can go for these tests. Facilities were arranged to quarantine patients who needed isolation as well as admission into hospitals for treatment," the deputy chief minister says. "As part of this government I plead to the people of Maharashtra to voluntarily follow the curfew rules and regulations and help the state government and nation win against this medical emergency." When asked if the state government was planning any aid to ease the financial burden on the state's farmers, Pawar said, "We are already implementing the process of waiving off farmers's loans. We have provided for Rs 15,000 crore out of the total Rs 22,000 crore needed." "The state government is fighting spiritedly on all the fronts as a unit and the welfare of the people of the state shall remain our priority going ahead." Pawar says it is too early to come to a conclusion about the economic loss the state and Mumbai will suffer because of the lockdown. "It became a pandemic about a week ago and now that we are locked down for 21 days more, the wheels of the economy will come to a grinding halt. We have already lost several thousand crores in the stock market meltdown," Pawar says, "but we can't get bogged down by monetary losses." "The immediate priority is to contain the spread of covid-19 and save every possible life because every life matters." "Instead of financial losses, let's talk about positives like this couple from Pune who was successfully treated for coronavirus and were discharged yesterday (March 24) from the hospital." "This is the time to bring out the positives before the people and boost their morale. Let us all keep calm and face this medical emergency unitedly." "Our top priority is to fight the pandemic and win this war." It is important for each and every one of us to understand that the decision to continue to operate our ecommerce business as long as we can is not about making a profit, the Swedish company said in an open letter to employees Monday. It is about protecting our people and their livelihoods in this time of uncertainty. In these times, ecommerce is critical for the longevity of our business, and we need to protect the business, so that we can continue protecting our co-workers. KABUL Militants stormed a crowded Sikh temple and housing complex in Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 25 people in a six-hour siege just as war-ravaged Afghanistan is starting to struggle with the global coronavirus contagion. The attackers, believed to be Islamic State extremists, struck on a day when nationwide cases of the virus nearly doubled from 24 hours earlier. Officials feared the actual spread is even wider. The western city of Herat, with roughly 4 million residents, reported 58 positive cases and was put under lockdown. The area shares a porous border with Iran, where the contagion has been especially severe. After the attack in Kabul, police cordoned off the area, and special forces officers wore protective masks to guard against coronavirus infection. The attack began when a heavily armed militant entered a complex that houses dozens of families from the Sikh religious minority and contains a temple. Ahmad Tariq Arian, the Interior Ministry spokesman, said that eight civilians were wounded and 80 hostages were rescued. Photos provided by security officials showed a large number of crying children among the civilians rescued. Anarkali Kaur Honaryar, a member of the Afghan senate who had been inside the complex helping load bodies into ambulances, said only one of those killed was a Muslim, who was guarding the temple. The rest were Sikhs, she said, including several women and one child. Islamic State loyalists claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant media sites. Once waging frequent deadly attacks against vulnerable targets in Afghanistans urban centers, the Islamic State has shrunk in size because of sustained military operations by Afghan and American forces as well as hostility from Taliban insurgents, who view Islamic State militants as trespassers on their turf. Hindus and Sikhs, once numbering in the hundreds of thousands in the country, are oppressed minorities who have been frequently attacked in recent years. Only a couple of hundred Hindu and Sikh families remain in Afghanistan, with the rest migrating to India or the West over the past four decades. Most attacks around the country are waged by the Taliban, who continue to embrace violence as leverage despite signing a peace deal with the United States that has been expected to lower the bloodshed in Afghanistan as the parties continue negotiations for a political settlement. Mujib Mashal and Fahim Abed are New York Times writers. The alleged leader of a Mexican murder squad has been found guilty of assassinating a journalist as a 'birthday gift' to the head of a notorious drug gang. Juan Carlos Moreno Ochoa tracked Miroslava Breach Velducea to her home in Chihuahua on March 23, 2017 and shot her eight times inside her SUV. Moreno Ochoa boasted he executed Breach Velducea as a birthday gift for one of the Los Salazar gang's bosses, Jesus Alfredo Salazar, who was holed up in a jail at the time of the killing. Prosecutors said Breach Velducea drew the ire of Los Salazars over investigative stories that unmasked the gang's funding of local politicians and other criminal dealings. Miroslava Breach Velducea (pictured) was executed March 27 outside her home in Chihuahua, Mexico, by Juan Carlos Moreno Ochoa, the leader of an assassin squad, linked to El Chapo's old cartel. A federal court judge found Morena Ochoa guilty last week Juan Carlos Moreno Ochoa led a squad of assassins from Los Salazar, a gang know to have carried out some of the deadliest hits for El Chapo's old cartel Moreno Ochoa, who was also known as 'El Larry,' was convicted based on key trial testimony from a man identified in court documents as 'Apolo,' the son of Crispin Salazar, a lieutenant of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman and whose brother founded Los Salazar. The criminal faction is known to have carried out some of the deadliest hits ordered by El Chapo's old Sinaloa Cartel. 'Apolo' told prosecutors that Moreno Ochoa confessed to Crispin Salazar of the murder during an annual birthday party for his nephew, Jesus Alfredo Salazar, who was apprehended in 2012. Breach Velducea, 54-year-old at the time of her murder, was a correspondent for La Jornada newspaper. She also enjoyed a lengthy career with Norte, a local daily in Ciudad Juarez. Surveillance camera captured Juan Carlos Moreno Ochoa walking in the vicinity of the murder scene after killing Mexican journalist Miroslava Breach Velducea on March 23, 2017 Investigators searched area surveillance cameras, including one that positively identified Moreno Ochoa as the killer and the car he drove the morning of the murder. Authorities arrested him Christmas Day 2017 during an early morning raid in the Sonora municipality of Etchojoa. Moreno Ochoa is scheduled to be sentenced April 20. The Special Prosecutor for the Attention of Crimes Committed against Freedom of Expression recommended the judge should send him away for at least 70 years. Advocacy group Reporters Without Borders lists Mexico as the most dangerous country for journalists. VICTORIANearly 3,900 empty beds are available in hospitals around British Columbia in preparation for a possible influx of patients sickened with COVID-19, the health minister says. Adrian Dix said Tuesday the cancellation of thousands of elective surgeries was necessary to ready the health-care system for a much more difficult situation given that 617 people in B.C. have now been diagnosed with the virus. He said the number of cancellations will put a strain on home-care and assisted-living services for people needing operations. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said 145 people have been diagnosed with the virus in the past two days, with 59 people in hospital, 23 of them in intensive care. More and more people are being infected but greater adherence to measures such as social distancing will make a huge difference in the number of cases in next 10 days or so, Henry said, adding the virus can spread from people with very minimal symptoms. The way we break the chains of transmission is making sure that were not close enough that this virus can spread between people. Were doing everything we can and we need you to do the same as well. She said that while some people are asking whether 13 deaths in B.C. could mean the province is on the same serious trajectory as northern Italy, its important to remember that 10 of the deaths occurred in one long-term care facility in North Vancouver. Thats considered a single event in the community and reinforces that more awareness is needed about the fact that seniors are a vulnerable population, Henry said. Later this week, Henry will present information about B.C.s outbreak of COVID-19 cases compared with those elsewhere in the country and around the world. The province is working on having staff assigned to a single long-term facility to stop the spread of COVID-19 affecting the elderly, as workers later found to be positive spread the disease from place to place, Henry said. One piece of good news in B.C. is that 173 people have fully recovered from COVID-19, amounting to 28 per cent of the total cases, Henry said, adding young, healthy people with a mild form of the illness can recover at home. Were learning from around the world that once youve recovered from this, you have immunity for a period of time, at least for the next few weeks to months, which is really helpful, I think, in encouraging people and supporting people to be able to, if you are a health-care worker, to safely work with cases of COVID-19. Henry said 32 people who attended an international dental conference in Vancouver earlier this month have been infected with the virus and public health officials have contacted everyone who was there to tell them to self-isolate. A dentist who was at the event has died, but his cause of death is not known and the B.C. Coroners Service is investigating, she said. Anybody who was at risk from exposure to this individual was identified. It is tragic that he passed away. She said the dental college has notified all dentists to stop providing services except for emergency needs given the pandemic. Henry has also notified all the regulatory colleges for health-care professionals including dentists, chiropractors, doctors, nurses and massage therapists to also reduce their practices to the same level. Read more about: Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 25, 2020) - The Ontario government listed staffing as an essential service, allowing staffing companies to maintain operations during the COVID-19 imposed shutdown of the province until April 13, 2020. Bay Talent Group (TSXV: HIRE) (BTG) will continue to support businesses during this time by providing in-demand and flexible workforce solutions through their subsidiaries. "Our number one priority right now is to help essential businesses function productively through this challenging period and having the right resources, the right skillsets, is a key part of the solution," says Allan Hartley, Chief Executive Officer of BTG. "We are committed to doing our part in beating COVID-19 and making sure that the essential businesses that remain open will be at their optimal level for those that need them most." Last week, the executive team at BTG transitioned their employees and those of their subsidiaries to working from home in an effort to help combat the spread of COVID-19. Bay Talent Group is a parent company of recruiting firms for temporary and permanent back-office roles in finance, accounting, HR, office administration, and IT. For more information about Ontario's list of essential workplaces, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/list-essential-workplaces About Bay Talent Group Inc. BTG's strategy is to complete accretive acquisitions of staffing, information technology, and consulting firms that meet BTG's valuation, expertise, geographic, and operational criteria. BTG proposes to create value by providing diversified vertical and cross-selling opportunities to target firms, realizing savings from consolidating operations and leveraging a centralized back-office structure. BTG's two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, Provision IT Resources Ltd. and PTC Accounting and Finance Inc., are boutique consulting firms that offer a range of professional staffing services for accounting, finance, information technology, office administration and human resources. Their clients include large organizations in the financial, government, insurance, and pension fund sectors, as well as, small and medium sized businesses across a broad range of industries. For further information, please contact: Bay Talent Group Inc. Simon Dealy, President Phone: (647) 868-9611 Email: sdealy@baytalentgroup.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward looking statements, including statements with respect to the performance of the Company and the business plan of the Company. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties exist that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied in the forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others: the limited business history of BTG; reliance on key management; risks related to BTG's acquisition strategy, including that previous and future acquisitions do not meet expectations or potential acquisitions cannot be completed; dependence on and availability of third party financing; the business of BTG is subject to broader economic factors; disruptions or changes in the credit or security markets; financial results of BTG's operations; unanticipated costs and expenses; and general market and industry conditions. The forward-looking statements, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the Company's ability to carry out its business plan as contemplated. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, they can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53796 New York City will release more than 1,000 prison inmates due to coronavirus concerns, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday. According to the New York Post, approximately 300 prisoners in the Rikers Island prison complex and other city facilities will be released this week to limit the spread of COVID-19 through NYCs jail system. De Blasio said inmates chosen are serving less than a year in prison for misdemeanors or non-violent felonies. Some have many months, some have only a few months, some have only weeks, but Im going to treat this category across the board, de Blasio said. We will move to release those 300 inmates immediately." According to the Post, de Blasio is also working to release another 800 inmates, most of whom were jailed on technical parole violations. De Blasio says hes especially focused on prisoners who are older or have health issues that make them vulnerable to coronavirus. I am saying across the entire population it is imperative to me that anyone over 70 and anyone who has one of those five pre-existing conditions should be released as well, de Blasio said. NBC reports individuals with violent crimes like domestic assault or sexual charges will not be released; only those convicted on misdemeanors or nonviolent felonies will be eligible for release. De Blasio said at least 75 inmates have already been released due to concerns about coronavirus. At least 82 people in the prison system, including corrections officers and those in custody, had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday. An Auburn prison inmate recently tested positive and Harvey Weinstein, whos serving a 23-year sentence at Wende Correctional near Buffalo, has also contracted the virus. Inmates not being released are kept in isolation. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Onondaga County rolls out coronavirus map: Has your town been hit yet? Coronavirus stimulus payouts: When will I get my check? How much money? As CNY day-care workers prepared for a coronavirus surge, they often got layoffs Welch Allyn owner Hillrom ramps up medical device production in fight against coronavirus "NSW is now applying those conditions and I thank them for accepting the advice of the Border Force Commissioner, who rang to ensure they are fully aware of their responsibilities," Mr Hunt said. His office has declined to say which conditions NSW was not previously applying. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard countered that his state had gone beyond the protocols issued by the federal government, which allow a ship to continue to voyage while samples are being tested. But he conceded, "with the benefit of hindsight", passengers should not have been let off the ship. "Personally, I think the federal guidance is very lacking in appropriate directions," he said yesterday. "But I understand that everyday everybody is just trying to keep up with fast changing circumstances." His Chief Health Officer, Kerry Chant, said NSW Health acted swiftly as soon as it became known that passengers tested positive, but until that point there was nothing to indicate the ship was anything other than low risk. Cruise ships always had some level of respiratory illness, she said. "There was no evidence that coronavirus was on the cruise ship or we would certainly have acted in a different way," she said. The Ruby Princess departed Sydney on March 8 bound for New Zealand. At that time concerns about coronavirus were growing but the rush on supermarkets was unthinkable and toilet paper hoarding was still in its nascency. Trevor Spencer, 75, and his wife Julie Spencer, 71, with their luggage after disembarking from the Ruby Princess. Credit:Kate Geraghty Julie Spencer, who was taking the tour with her husband, Trevor, felt they were safer in the isolation of a cruise ship than they would be at home, news of which their captain was constantly updating for them. "Our state of mind was, 'We're going on a holiday, make sure you wash your hands, be very cautious,'" Mrs Spencer said. "We were all laughing about the toilet paper situation. That was an ongoing joke." Loading The ship docked at Fiordland National Park, Dunedin, Akaroa and, by the time it arrived in Wellington on March 14, several passengers were reporting flu-like symptoms. Five had tests that returned negative. According to a statement from Carnival Australia, the medical team isolated passengers who reported flu-like symptoms and reported them to NSW Health, which asked for swabs to be taken. Thirteen passengers were swabbed, though with no testing facilities on board they would have to wait until the ship docked in Sydney for the swabs to be analysed. But when the ship reached Napier on March 15, the captain announced that the rest of the itinerary would be scrapped and the ship would return to Sydney immediately. Loading New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had announced the 14-day isolation period for international arrivals a day earlier and it was due to take effect that night. Some passengers, including New Zealand nationals, wanted to disembark at Auckland and return home by plane but this was kiboshed by the captain. There was no real protest. "The cruise director said he couldn't believe how well everyone was handling everything," Mrs Spencer said. "He kept saying, 'I don't believe I've ever travelled with such a happy bunch of people.'" They are not happy now. Ms Dixon-Hughes said that, although the passengers had been warned to expect health checks to be conducted, these never took place and nobody took their temperature nor asked about their health when they disembarked. She is now suspicious about the speed with which they were unloaded from the boat. Loading "Who rushed us out that fast?" she said. "Was it the Health Department or the cruise liner? Their experience after the Diamond Princess [where 700 passengers contracted coronavirus after the ship was refused entry to Japan] was to get people off as fast as possible, ask them to self-isolate and it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission." Each passenger was told to isolate for 14 days in accordance with the new protocols for international travellers. By the time they learnt four passengers had tested positive for coronavirus, a full day later, many passengers had travelled back to their home towns unknowingly afflicted by the virus. One passenger was a resident at the Uniting Arrunga aged-care home in Sydney's north-western suburbs. The facility was only told the resident was on the ship when NSW Health officials asked that they self-isolate for a fortnight. The Ruby Princess now accounts for one in eight of the 818 coronavirus cases in NSW, and 26 cases interstate. The Herald can reveal a woman who travelled from Salt Lake City, Utah, to join the Ruby Princess has since tested positive to coronavirus. Marjorie Willardson said she and her husband had raised concerns with two passenger service representatives, expressing that they felt the cruise "should not be continuing", but they were told all was well. In an email to Princess Cruises, Mrs Willardson said its crew had assured her "we are taking all precautions and our passengers [are] completely safe on the ship". Mrs Willardson told a crew member that she believed the cruise was "very unsafe". "Large groups are meeting together in concerts, eating areas and on crowded bus tours. The people coughing and sneezing all around us," she said. "However the cruise just kept cruising as if nothing was going on around us. It was crazy. I couldnt believe it." Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan is citing the Ruby Princess as the reason he will not allow a cruise ship full of sick passengers off the coast of Fremantle to disembark. "I will not allow what happened in Sydney to happen here," he said. Its a great example of that. You see a similar sequence in old movie palaces from that era. Growing up in New Jersey, I remember going to a movie palace called the Mayfair that had moving clouds projected onto the ceiling. These were called atmospheric theaters. The idea was an exotic evening in the country. So when you went to the movies you were supposed to feel you were escaping the city. Was that experience as a boy in New Jersey when you first got interested in design and the theater? Corny as it sounds, my first interest was through community theater. After my father died, we moved from Chicago to New Jersey, four older brothers, my mom and I. Were talking about 1959-1960, so I was three or four. We settled in a little town called Deal, which has huge homes and not a lot of public space other than the beach. Then in about 62, 63 my mom helped start the Deal Players, a community theater. It turned out everyone in town wanted to participate, which was an eye-opener for me. Especially after my father died, there was something about all these people coming together that felt like a celebration. We also came into the city, and on my first trip in 1965, we went to see Fiddler on the Roof at the Imperial, walked around Times Square and ate at Schraffts. I can still remember the sound of that restaurant, the clinking glasses, the sense that you had joined a party. I think I got a sense that restaurants were a form of theater. Then Fiddler on the Roof was such a powerful experience. The combination of movement, storytelling and design it changed my life, especially this feeling of being welcomed, into a restaurant, a theater, becoming part of a larger drama. That seemed deeply human. Its what you can feel coming to Broadway. These theaters still thrive, I think, because of this human need to come together and celebrate. Weve now walked to 44th Street and headed east toward the Belasco, past the Hudson Theater. The Hudson is from 1903. The original architects were J.B. McElfatrick & Son. From outside, the scale of the architecture looks almost domestic. Some theaters reacted against the glitz and glamour by going for something quieter outside, more like an apartment house. When it opened, the Hudson billed itself as having a huge lobby. That was its calling card. By Trend The results for January through February of 2020 show that in Azerbaijan, economic growth is more obvious in the non-oil sector, MP Vugar Bayramov told Trend. While maintaining the order of 3 percent of growth rate of the gross domestic product (GDP), the non-oil sector is showing double increase. That is, in the structure of general economic growth, the non-oil sector has become the primary direction. Thus, an increase of almost 22 percent in the non-oil industry shows that currently the predominant emphasis in Azerbaijan is on creating conditions for the development of local production, which, in turn, is important from the point of view of sustainability and diversification of economic development, Bayramov added. Bayramov highlighted the reforms carried out in the mentioned period to strengthen the fight against the 'shadow economy'. Increasing transparency, combating the shadow economy made it possible to attract additional funds to the budget, in particular, from tax sources an additional 252 million manat ($148.2 million) beyond the forecast. These measures also allowed expanding informal employment activities, Bayramov noted. This has a positive effect on revenues to the state budget, and also creates an opportunity for citizens to work under an employment contract. All this provides protection of the labor rights of citizens, as well as the use of pension law in the future, the deputy said. Bayramov added that the results of this period indicate the deepening of economic reforms in Azerbaijan, and leads to a phased increase in the share of the non-oil sector in macroeconomic indicators and a further reduction in oil dependence. For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. The largest economic rescue measure in U.S. history apparently will not benefit businesses controlled by President Trumps family. The White House and Senate Republican and Democratic leaders announced an agreement early Wednesday on a $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill to aid businesses, workers and the battered health care system and stave off recession during the pandemic. The bill earmarks $500 billion for loans to struggling industries and a $367 billion program for small businesses, but the Trump Organization will not be sharing in the bailout, according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The senators office gave the following statement: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has secured a provision in the agreement that will prohibit businesses controlled by the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, and heads of Executive Departments from receiving loans or investments from Treasury programs. The children, spouses and in-laws of the aforementioned principals are also included in this prohibition. On Sunday, Trump said he had "no idea" whether his business would refrain from accepting federal aid. The previous day he said the COVID-19 crisis has hit his own hotels hard. The Trump Organization, headed by the presidents sons Donald Jr. and Eric, has closed hotels and resorts in the United States, Ireland and Scotland. Trumps favorite retreat, his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., is among the properties closed. The Associated Press contributed to this article. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate Parliament will be shut down for four weeks to help curb the coronavirus epidemic, prompting fears that ministers will be able to dodge questions about their handling of the crisis. The planned Easter recess has been brought forward to begin on Wednesday evening, with MPs and peers not due to return until 21 April and then possibly only in a limited form. The move triggered fierce criticism in the Commons, where Jacob Rees-Mogg failed to guarantee a return on that date if the crisis worsens. The Commons leader said the government would aim to be back in four weeks while Boris Johnson said MPs would be kept informed, which some said was not the same as scrutiny. I dont think its the right thing for parliament to go into recess early, and Im worried at how long it will be until we return, said Wes Streeting, a Labour MP. Demanding a guarantee, he pointed to concerns about the lack of testing for NHS staff, the fact we still dont have details on support for the self-employed, the fact the health secretary cant believe he can live on statutory sick pay of 94 a week but we still expect people across the country to do that. Sarah Jones, a fellow Labour MP, said all MPs were Zooming left, right and centre holding remote conference calls and said it must be possible for them to put questions to ministers via video links. And Peter Kyle, another Labour MP, said: Normally in times of crisis parliament is recalled, it isnt closed down. So, considering that he is doing something so extraordinary, shouldnt he also be announcing extraordinary new measures so that we remotely can hold government to account in this time? Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters Andrew Adonis, a Labour peer and former cabinet minister, pointed out that Winston Churchill had ensured that parliament found ways of meeting all through the Blitz. The move comes despite growing controversy over the governments telling construction sites to remain open where possible and workers that they must carry on turning up. Mr Rees-Mogg said ministers were exploring how scrutiny could be maintained, insisting: Parliament is not being closed down, the date for returning has been set. Parliament is expected to return for two weeks to pass the finance bill needed to enact the Budget and make progress on the immigration changes after Brexit. But the authorities are believed to be exploring a system where MPs sit for just two days a week probably Tuesday and Wednesday with limits on numbers. A Labour spokesman told The Independent its scrutiny would continue, saying: We have engaged constructively with the government to ensure that the emergency legislation to deal with the unprecedented coronavirus crisis could be passed quickly. Given the circumstances, it is appropriate that parliament goes into recess slightly earlier than planned. Lishui district plans to build the only high-quality development pilot zone of the manufacturing industry in the city of Nanjing in eastern Chinas Jiangsu province, said Xue Fengguan, secretary of the Communist Party of China Lishui district committee. Xue Fengguan, secretary of the Communist Party of China Lishui district committee, gives a speech at the conference. (Photo/Geng Zhichao) On the afternoon of March 24, more than 1,000 guests including leaders of relevant provincial and municipal departments, heads of universities and research institutes and new R&D institutions, and enterprise representatives, gathered in Jiangsu Baima Agricultural International Expo Center. They discussed the plans for the construction and promotion of a high-quality development pilot zone for Lishui Districts manufacturing industry. Xue said that it is the first conference in the history of the development of Lishuis manufacturing industry that has more than 1,000 participants, and the district vows to build the only high-quality development pilot zone of the manufacturing industry in Nanjing. "Lishui took the initiative to take responsibility and get this pilot zone approved. We just want to break new ground with the attitude of a hot-blooded soldier!" Xue talked about the districts determination to achieve the goal. Behind the determination is the background of the sound development of Lishui in recent years: with the strong support of the manufacturing industry, the GDP growth rate of Lishui in 2019 ranked first among the 11 administrative districts in Nanjing and ranked second among the 96 counties (cities and districts) in Jiangsu province. As for the actions Lishui will take to construct the pilot zone, Xue elaborated that in three years, the district will ensure that the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry is at the forefront of the whole province and in the whole country. Xue added that in five years, the district will build a new highland for industrial innovation and a cluster of foreign-funded enterprises, with both having nationwide influence; in 10 years, it will rank among the top 20 of the countrys top 100 districts in terms of comprehensive strength, and realize a high-quality development of manufacturing which will also become the next national standard. Lishui aims to achieve a regional GDP of more than 100 billion yuan (about 14 billion U.S. dollars) in two to three years, Xue pointed out, adding that in the meantime, the district plans to ensure that its general public budget revenue can reach 10 billion yuan. The output values of the three leading industries will all be able to exceed 100 billion yuan. According to Xue, Lishui will make efforts to double the total number of industrial enterprises above designated size, high-tech enterprises, and foreign-funded manufacturing enterprises in the district by 2023, making the amount of which exceed 1,000, 600 and 250 respectively. Xue stressed that Lishui will stay at the forefront of the achievements in introducing provincial-level and municipal-level major projects, attracting business and investment, and improving the business environment. To realize the above goals, Lishui will make efforts in four aspects, which include cultivating innovative enterprises with international competitiveness, building an advanced manufacturing industry cluster with international competitiveness, building an internationally competitive opening-up platform, and forming an internationally competitive business environment. Xue also disclosed that Lishui district will improve its comprehensive carrying capacity, accelerate the construction of southern Nanjing and a vibrant new region, and make greater contributions to Nanjing's urban primacy ratio. He believes that Lishui has the ability to carry more high-quality resources, the strength to gather more high-quality projects, the ability to provide more public facilities, and the advantage to meet more cultural needs. All sectors in Lishui will compete for the top, said Xue, noting that the district will formulate strategies to promote competition. We will release the first-class project book to ensure that in the next five years, 10 years or even longer, Lishuis investment and major projects will always be at the forefront of provinces and cities, said Xue. He added that officials are encouraged to make bold attempts without violating laws and regulations, so as to promote high-quality development of the manufacturing sector. Xue elaborated that Lishui district will allocate 1 million yuan each year to set up an award, praising individuals who have the courage to innovate, take responsibility, and make outstanding contributions. The district will also call on the society to respect and care for entrepreneurs, said Xue, noting that were bound to make the strongest voice of constructing the pilot zone resound throughout the country and go global. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 21:31:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People wearing masks walk past a countdown clock no longer showing the days left until the opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan on March 25, 2020. Organizers of the Tokyo Olympic Games (Tokyo 2020) will set up task force to resolve the issues arising after the postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi) TOKYO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Organizers of the Tokyo Olympic Games (Tokyo 2020) will set up task force to resolve the issues arising after the postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Tokyo 2020 said that the Planning Task Force, which will be officially called TBD, will hold its first meeting on Thursday at its headquarters, with president Yoshiro Mori and CEO Toshiro Muto participating. Japanese broadcaster NHK said that the most urgent issues to be resolved are deciding the tournament schedule and securing venue facilities. NHK quoted Muto as saying: "We would like to make the decision as soon as possible." WASHINGTON - The U.S. government has concluded that retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished more than a decade ago, died while in the custody of Iran, his family and administration officials said Wednesday. The circumstances and timing of Levinsons death were unclear, but White House national security adviser Robert OBrien said Wednesday evening that the U.S. believes Levinson may have passed away some time ago. Hours earlier, his family said information U.S. officials had received had led them to conclude he was dead. Neither the government nor the family described that information. The death is believed to have occurred before the recent outbreak of the coronavirus that has gravely affected Iran and another countries, according to a statement from Levinsons family. The governments acknowledgment of Levinsons death came hours after a White House briefing in which President Donald Trump appeared to equivocate on the news, saying, I wont accept that hes dead. U.S. officials communicated the news to Levinsons family in a meeting in Washington in recent weeks, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private encounter. The person said the information about Levinson had come from Irans foreign minister. It is impossible to describe our pain, the familys statement said. Our family will spend the rest of our lives without the most amazing man, a new reality that is inconceivable to us. His grandchildren will never meet him. They will only know him through the stories we tell them. Levinson disappeared on March 9, 2007, when he was scheduled to meet a source on the Iranian island of Kish. For years, U.S. officials would say only that Levinson was working independently on a private investigation. But a 2013 Associated Press investigation revealed that Levinson had been sent on a mission by CIA analysts who had no authority to run such an operation. The Trump administration has made it a priority to seek the release of American hostages and prisoners detained overseas. Last week, administration officials touted the release from Lebanon of a New Hampshire restaurant owner jailed on decades-old allegations and the medical furlough of a Navy veteran from an Iranian prison. The Levinson family thanked multiple U.S. officials for their help, including FBI Director Chris Wray, CIA Director Gina Haspel, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and OBrien, who before his post as national security adviser also served as the State Departments chief hostage negotiator. But the family statement also said: Those who are responsible for what happened to Bob Levinson, including those in the U.S. government who for many years repeatedly left him behind, will ultimately receive justice for what they have done. We will spend the rest of our lives making sure of this, and the Iranian regime must know we will not be going away. The family said it does not know when or if Levinsons body will be returned for burial. At a White House briefing on the coronavirus, Trump resisted confirming the familys account, saying that Iranian officials had not told the U.S. about Levinsons fate and that I wont accept that hes dead. But he also acknowledged that its not looking promising and said Levinson, who had diabetes and high blood pressure, had had some rough problems prior to his disappearance. He was a great gentleman, he said. Around the same time, though, the White Houses acting national intelligence director appeared to confirm Levinsons death with a tweeted statement conveying condolences to the family. And by the evening, the White House issued a new statement designed to remove some of the uncertainty expressed by the president. As President Trump said today, Iran must provide a complete accounting of what occurred with Bob Levinson before the United States can fully accept what happened in this case, OBrien said. While the investigation is ongoing, we believe that Bob Levinson may have passed away some time ago. The family received a video in late 2010 as well as proof-of-life photographs in 2011 in which he appeared disheveled with a long beard and wearing an orange prison jumpsuit like those given to detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison. Even then, his whereabouts and fate were not known. Iran repeatedly has said that it has no information about Levinson, though U.S. diplomats and investigators have long said they thought he was taken by Iranian government agents. In November, the Iranian government unexpectedly responded to a United Nations query by saying that Levinson was the subject of an open case in Iranian Revolutionary Court. Although the development gave the family a burst of hope, Iran clarified that the open case was simply an investigation into his disappearance. The announcement of his death comes just weeks after a federal judge in Washington held Iran liable for his disappearance, saying the country was in no uncertain terms responsible for Levinsons hostage taking and torture. The judges decision followed a weekslong trial of emotional testimony from Levinsons family, including from each of his seven children. ___ Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP A Minnesota surgeon has been praised by social media users for his 'beautiful' rendition of John Lennon's Imagine. Dr Elvis Francois, 34, an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, performed the song alongside his colleague, Dr William Robinson, 36, who accompanied him on the piano. The medical professional shared the video on his Instagram account yesterday, along with a caption noting how the coronavirus pandemic has united the world in the face of a common enemy. The clip has been watched more than 72,000 times and drawn thousands of comments from newfound fans who said it had 'soothed their soul'. Surgeon Dr Elvis Francois shared a rendition of John Lennon's Imagine, recorded with a colleague, explaining how the COVID-19 pandemic has bought people of all cultures together One posted: 'Thank you for this, your encouraging words and for all that you and your colleagues are doing on the front lines, we are all so incredibly grateful.' Another said: 'Thank you for bringing brightness to people during a difficult and scary time'. A third added: 'I love you king, grateful for you and all the souls on the front line. I'm with you. Thank you.' Dr Francois has won 58,000 Instagram followers with his posts, which document his travels, hospital life and musical talents. The multi-talented medic has shared a number of videos showcasing his soulful voice, including Christmas songs towards the end of last year. The 34-year-old (pictured) has gone viral on Instagram with his rendition of Imagine, which he filmed alongside fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr William Robinson, 36, who played the piano A stream of comments praised Dr Elvis's voice and thanked the health care workers who've continued to work throughout the pandemic The doctor shared the most recent clip alongside a lengthy caption, which reads: 'Imagine all the people... In life, there are so many things that divide us. Religion, race, politics, social status and many more....But today a global pandemic brings us all together as one. 'Over the next few months our health care system will be tested. Millions of lives will be lost. Health care providers will be under an incredible amount of stress to save thousands of people. But when times are as dark as they are today, nothing shines brighter than the human spirit. 'There is something beautiful about a collective struggle. And the beauty in what we are facing today is that the only way to overcome this pandemic is for us to all come together as one. 'Nurses, doctors, students, research scientists, politicians, Uber eats drivers, cashiers, factory workers etc...Getting through this will be hard but one thing is certain...the only way we will get through it is together, as one.' Dr Elvis (pictured) and Dr Robinson have shared footage of various other songs to lift spirits at the Mayo Clinic A senior journalist with a national English channel on Wednesday alleged he was beaten up by policemen while reporting on lockdown in adjoining Thane district. Uttkarsh Chaturvedi, deputy editor with ET Now, a leading business channel, said he showed his press card, but that did not stop men in uniform from hitting him with sticks. He said the incident took place near Dahisar Check Post in western suburbs which falls under the jurisdiction of the Thane Rural police. The media has been exempted from restrictions put in place under the nationwide lockdown clamped to contain the spread of coronavirus. Police personnel have been patrolling the streets to enforce the lockdown. The incident came to light when Chaturvedi tweeted his ordeal and tagged the Mumbai police and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on their Twitter handles. He said, Was reporting on my bike ahead of Dahisar Check Naka where policemen before beating me with sticks before even asking. "Four five policemen kept hitting until I had to race my bike ahead. Showed them my press card as well. In another post, the journalist said the SP of Thane Rural has been informed about the incident. Shivaji Rathod, the SP of Thane Rural, did not respond to phone calls and message sent in this regard. The incident led to criticism of the police on Twitter. And this is also happening. My colleague Uttkarsh faces police brutality as he goes to report. Media is a part essential services. "Our reportage gives people the true picture of action being taken in these extraordinary times @CMOMaharashtra," one of the Twitter user said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Seaboard Corporation (NYSE AMERICAN: SEB) announced today that the location of the Seaboard Corporation Annual Meeting to be held on Monday, April 27, 2020 will be changed to the Company's offices at 9000 West 67th Street, Shawnee Mission, Kansas, instead of the Weston Waltham, Waltham, Massachusetts, due to the cancellation by the Weston Waltham of event space rentals through the end of April as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There are no changes to the matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting and the form of Proxy and process for stockholders to vote their shares remains the same. In summary, the Seaboard Corporation Annual Stockholders meeting will be held as follows: Location: Seaboard Corporation 9000 West 67th Street Shawnee Mission, Kansas Date and April 27, 2020 Time: 1:00 p.m. Central Time SOURCE Seaboard Corporation Related Links http://www.seaboardcorp.com Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has expanded a stay-at-home order to include the Lehigh Valley, the latest measure to combat the spread of the new coronavirus. The order applies to Lehigh and Northampton counties, where at least 82 cases of COVID-19 and three deaths were reported as of Wednesday, almost two weeks after the regions first coronavirus patient was reported. The governors office officially announced the order in a noon news release. It will take effect at 8 p.m. Wednesday and will stay in effect through April 6. Just got word that Governor Wolf will be issuing a stay at home order for Lehigh County and Northampton County. It will begin at 8 P.M. tonight. This means the entire 131st District is now under stay at home order. I will keep you posted as I know more. Rep. Justin Simmons (@RepSimmons) March 25, 2020 Wolf has already given the stay-at-home order to Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Monroe and Montgomery counties. One was already in effect in Philadelphia. Erie County was added on Tuesday. Decisions about a stay-at-home order are made in conjunction with the governors office, Pennsylvania Department of Health and local leadership, according to Health Secretary Rachel Levine. An order is issued when there is evidence of community spread when a patient has no other known or obvious source of exposure to the virus and when there is sufficient concern about increases in cases. In the Lehigh Valleys case, Levine said there was concern about the rise and spread of coronavirus cases and particularly with the number of deaths in Northampton County three of Pennsylvanias 11 deaths have been reported here, the most anywhere in the state so far. Under the Pennsylvania stay-at-home order, residents are asked only to leave their houses for essential travel or other specific activities, such as: Ensuring the health and safety of family members and pets, like by obtaining medicine, visiting doctors and getting supplies to work from home. Traveling to care for relatives or pets in another household, for volunteer efforts or to aid the elderly, minors, dependents or other vulnerable people. Going to work at a life-sustaining business Getting to and from educational institutions for distance-learning materials, meals or related services. Traveling home from outside the county, or for non-residents to return home. Any travel required by law enforcement or court order. Outdoor activities such as walking, running or hiking are still OK as long as proper social distancing is observed, the order says. Grocery stores, pharmacies and other life-sustaining businesses will remain open. Also exempt from the order are health care providers, food banks, law enforcement, the federal government, religious institutions and news media. Lehigh County, in a news release, says it is looking for help from the community for residents who lack shelter or basic amenities and seeks donations of hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies. The county said it is setting up portable toilets for those who need them, along with access to shelters so homeless individuals who become sick can stay safely isolated or otherwise protected. Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said the order, which is more stringent than the current status, has one goal and thats to bend the curve in the increasing outbreak. The goal is to limit the current spike and draw out infections over a longer timeline to keep health care workers healthy and intensive care beds empty, he said. Were trying to keep the hospitals from being overrun, he said. Right now the number of cases is doubling within a short time, he said. It was very wise for the governor and secretary to issue the order through April 6, he added. His simple advice to county residents is to stay home unless it would adversely affect your health or that of someone with whom you live. McClure said hes guided by facts and science, not anecdotes, but driving around the county he said he sees most people staying off the streets and non-life-sustaining businesses complying with the governors recent order to close. Its not an incredible jump. People on average transact their lives within nine miles of home, he said. As financial actions both taken and pending by Congress indicate, we have to do as much as possible for businesses, McClure said. But this is a public health emergency that has caused an economic crisis, he said. I think Congress recognizes that. Lets get the public health emergency under control, then well unleash the great power of our economic engine and well be back on our feet again. In the short term, that means staying home. The county workforce was already deployed in a fashion so a significant percentage is already laboring at home, McClure said. The county has three 24/7 operations the prison, the Gracedale nursing home and 911 emergency dispatch along with care for children and the aging that may as well be, theyre that important, he said. County employees currently at home could be called on to fill in if the virus hits hard at one of those operations, he said. Were doing our part as of one of the (countys) larger employers to bend the curve, he said. But in the bigger picture, the executive said, one thing is very clear. Were all in this together, McClure said. We have to sacrifice now for the greater good. It may take a few weeks or a few months, but lets stay home. Lets do it to bend the curve. If you may have been exposed or exhibit the symptoms of COVID-19 fever, cough and shortness of breath contact your health care provider. For more information on the coronavirus, consult your state health department at health.pa.gov and the CDC website. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Sign up for text message alerts from lehighvalleylive.com on coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley: Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. The U.S. made its most direct intervention yet in the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, urging Riyadh to rise to the occasion and reassure energy markets at a time of economic uncertainty. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo spoke to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the eve of a conference call between the leaders of the Group of 20 on the global pandemic and its economic fallout. The secretary stressed that as a leader of the G20 and an important energy leader, Saudi Arabia has a real opportunity to rise to the occasion and reassure global energy and financial markets when the world faces serious economic uncertainty, the State Department said on Wednesday. Oil prices have plunged as the Russian-Saudi price war compounded the unprecedented hit to consumption from the coronavirus pandemic. Futures pared losses after news of Pompeos call, with Brent crude little changed near $27 a barrel. The U.S. view is that the oil glut aggravates an already difficult economic outlook, and it wants all nations to work together to reassure energy markets, according to an official who asked not to be named. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are in close cooperation about how to improve conditions for growth, the official said. This diplomacy matters, said Jason Bordoff, director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University and a former oil official at the White House. Both Republican and Democrat White House administrations have asked Saudi Arabia to help the global economy during crises, and in the past theyve responded. Oil is expected to be discussed on the G20 call, at least as part of discussions on the wider economy, according to a person familiar with the situation. Saudi view The price war was unleashed after Saudi Arabia failed to convince Russia to agree on deeper production cuts for the OPEC+ alliance. So far, the thinking in Riyadh remains that only a collective output cut, rather than unilateral action by the Saudis, can turn the market around. The magnitude of the oversupply is such that Russia and Saudi Arabia would need to completely stop all their output to balance the market. Top oil trading house Vitol Group puts the glut right now at about 20 million barrels a day. Even as policy makers committed trillions of dollars to offset the harm from the pandemic, recent price recoveries have been short-lived as large parts of the global economy shut down. Both sides show no signs of giving up their race to flood the world with crude and grab market share. The U.S. also tried in 1986 to convince Saudi Arabia to abandon a price war. At that time, President Ronald Reagan dispatched vice-president George Bush in an effort to persuade the kingdom to change course as the oil industry in Texas and Oklahoma was hammered. Bush was unable to convince Riyadh and the oil price war went for another six months. U.S appeals didnt work then, even less likely to work now, tweeted Suzanne Maloney, director of foreign policy at the Brooking Institution and a former U.S. diplomat. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont acted prudently, on the advice of Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, to move the presidential primary from April 28 to June 2. The shift is in response, of course, to the still-developing coronavirus pandemic, which has disrupted every aspect of daily life and created a public health crisis with more than nearly two dozen people in our state dying. It is too risky to have groups of people gather in halls to vote and for poll workers to deal with voters throughout the day while the virus is rampant. Merrill urged that voters be able to cast their ballots as safely as possible. We have argued that in normal times April 28 is too late for the state to have much influence on the outcome of the party primaries to select presidential candidates. Though the move to June is necessary, it could end up moot. If U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders withdraws from the Democratic race, as many are urging for party unity, then former Vice President Joe Biden would be the only candidate on the ballot and a primary not needed. In the Republican primary, party chairman J.R. Romano is calling on the lone opponent to President Donald Trump, after former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld dropped out, to withdraw. Likely most voters dont know the name of the challenger (Rocky De La Fuente). Although the primaries might not happen, we must proceed as though they will. Lamont should take the next step and issue an executive order to allow no excuses absentee balloting. By state statute, presently absentee ballots can be given only to registered voters away from home, such as in the military or at college, or because of illness. Restrictions should be removed, as Merrill requested of the governor on March 13, for any primary voter concerned about the coronavirus who wants to avoid crowded places. Lamont has time absentee ballots wont be available until May 12 but he should put voters concerns at ease now and act by executive order to allow concern about illness to be acceptable for an absentee ballot. It is too late to switch parties and vote in the presidential primary, even with the delay. That would have been by March 2. But new or unaffiliated voters can enroll in a party in person at Town or City Hall by June 1. Though the primary is the immediate concern, the governor would be wise to think ahead to the November election for no-excuses absentee ballots. The state and country could be in the second wave of the coronavirus in the fall with no vaccine likely yet available. An argument may be a concern for fraudulent voting, but with time measures can be taken to ensure a fair process. Connecticut needs to make it easier for voters to participate in elections as other states do including early voting not only during this health crisis, but also after it passes. Restaurants and cafes across Perth are turning to take-away and home deliveries as a majority of the state's hospitality venues battle to stay afloat under new restrictions on trade and physical distancing. WA Premier Mark McGowan on Wednesday announced new limits on alcohol purchases after the Prime Minister on Tuesday implemented tough new measures to further isolate communities and stop the spread of COVID-19. Mummucc' in Wembley has had to close but Monsterella a few doors down remain open for takeaways and deliveries. "I don't want to see a situation where we move towards buying up large amounts of alcohol during times where we may be staying at home for extended periods, to adhere to social distancing rules," Mr McGowan said on Wednesday. "This only will result in problems ... that will stretch our police force and only put more pressure on our hospital system." U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope Tuesday, in a phone conversation with President Moon Jae-in, that South Korea could provide medical equipment support, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Yonhap U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope Tuesday, in a phone conversation with President Moon Jae-in, that South Korea could provide medical equipment support, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Moon replied that his government would provide "maximum support" if available, as the two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic. He then pointed out that approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) might be required. In response, Trump said he would make immediate action for that "within today," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said. Trump showed his interest in the trend of infections in South Korea and said the country is "doing very good," he added. South Korea has been widely lauded for its effective and swift response to the spread of the virus, taking advantage of its advanced testing capabilities. It has been exporting test kits to a number of countries. In the 23-minute conversation, made at Trump's "urgent request," Moon said the establishment of a US$60 billion currency swap line between the two countries earlier this week was a "very timely" measure to help stabilize the international financial market. Held two days ahead of the Group of 20 (G-20) special teleconference, it marked their first phone talks of this year and 23rd in total. Regarding the G-20 session, Moon stressed the importance of its member states sending a "unified message" in both quarantine measures and efforts to prop up the economy hard hit by the pandemic. He also held out expectations for in-depth discussions on ways to promote trade and protect activities by business people in a way not to affect quarantine steps. Trump agreed to talk about the issue in the upcoming G-20 session. Moon and Trump also exchanged views on the issue of postponing the Tokyo Olympic Games, Kang said without elaborating. White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere issued a brief release stating that the two leaders discussed their nations' respective efforts to combat the pandemic. "President Trump reiterated his commitment to employ the full weight of the United States Government and work with global leaders to save lives and restore economic growth," he said. Earlier in the day, Moon also had phone talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak that has affected the entire world. (Yonhap) European Governments Shrug Off Brussels on Coronavirus By Jamie Dettmer March 24, 2020 Rising coronavirus infections aren't only testing Europe's national governments to their limits but also straining European Union solidarity with the governments of member states shrugging off pleas for greater coordination. Instead, national governments have been paying little heed to Brussels and are pursuing their own ways of containing the virus and coping with the economic fallout, say diplomats and analysts. One after another, the governments of the 27 member states have ignored Brussels' appeals to keep their borders open to each other, ending the bloc's hallowed principle of freedom of movement, and they have been ignoring the bloc's rules on state support for their domestic industries. While EU leaders have talked about the need for "more Europe," national leaders have elected to follow the path of "less Europe," say observers. "Logically, the coronavirus now ravaging parts of Italy and Spain and sweeping across the continent should be the ideal opportunity for the EU to move away from complacency and national individualism to solidarity and European integration. Instead, the pandemic, so far, has proven the opposite," according to Judy Dempsey, an analyst at the Carnegie Europe research organization. Each member state's government has adopted its own way of containing the virus, she says. "But this is not a European response. The pandemic has not generated a sense of solidarity among the member states or forced a reappraisal of the EU's role in setting the agenda, even on something as fundamental as safeguarding the health system," she adds. Italian politicians have complained about the lack of solidarity. Mauirzo Massari, Italy's representative to the EU, appealed for help. "Rome should not be left to handle this crisis alone." "In addition to national measures, this is a crisis that requires a global and first and foremost a European response," he wrote this month in an open letter in Politico Europe. But the early appeals for protective gear from neighbors for Italy's overwhelmed health workers fell on deaf ears, a breach, Italians say, of the principle of European Union solidarity. According to treaty law, member states are meant to act jointly to assist another to cope with "a natural or man-made disaster." Instead, France and Germany imposed bans on the export of medical equipment they anticipated needing, although Berlin lifted the prohibition earlier this week. Massari says Rome "asked for supplies of medical equipment, and the European Commission forwarded the appeal to the member states, but it didn't work." Today, this means Italy; tomorrow, the need could be elsewhere. Italy, like some central European states, has turned for support to China, which has dispatched medical equipment and doctors. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has heaped praised on China, pointedly noting, "We are not alone, there are people in the world who want to help Italy." Other Europeans have found China more responsive than near neighbors. Aleksandar Vucic, president of Serbia, which has applied for EU membership, has highlighted Chinese assistance over the "fairy tale" of European solidarity. Nor have member states adopted a common approach to detecting and reporting coronavirus cases, with common guidelines for the entire bloc, critics complain. With COVID-19 case numbers and deaths soaring only Germany has shown early signs of managing to "flatten the curve" of confirmed infections COVID-19 would seem to have torpedoed the logic of "more Europe," according to The Economist magazine. "The EU evolved to deal with a post-modern world, where borders are blurred and markets ruled. Pandemics are a pre-modern problem, best solved by the tool that brought order to a brutish world: the modern state." EU loyalists say the criticism leveled at Brussels is unfair. Health care systems are meant to be overseen by national governments and not the EU and Brussels has scant authority or power to act. Governments will always prioritize the health and well-being of their citizens. Critics say the breakdown of neighborliness has highlighted inherent flaws in the bloc and will leave a lasting imprint. Some Italian populist politicians say they doubt the Schengen open-border system will ever be fully restored at least they hope it won't. But while the virus has served mainly as a centrifugal force, the devastating economic fallout from the pandemic may well force EU member states closer together, say some analysts. The most Euro-skeptical states tend to be the weakest economically and as they struggle to right their economies, they will need their debts underwritten by the bloc as a whole most especially by Germany. On March 18, the European Central Bank launched a $809 billion bond-buying program with strong French backing, although some richer member states were less enthusiastic. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MINNEAPOLIS As Victoria Downey and her roommate, Elise Gangestad, were preparing to leave for London on March 3 Gangestad for an internship and Downey tagging along to experience the city Gangestads father gave the two face masks. It was a reminder that people were beginning to worry about the growing coronavirus threat at that time. Downey, 23, and Gangestad, 26, laughed. It was a joke, basically, Gangestad said. The two Iowa roommates living in Minneapolis Downey, a Charles City native, and Gangestad, a Clarion native didnt see any need to worry. At that time, Minnesota, like other Midwestern states, was still weeks away from closing schools, restaurants and bars, and travel hadnt yet been disrupted. So the pair traveled around London sightseeing in the mornings, with Gangestad heading to her internship in the afternoons while Downey continued to move freely around the city in her roommates absence. After a week, on March 10, Downey headed home while Gangestad stayed to complete her internship. On March 11, Gangestad called with bad news: Her days-long headache had morphed into chills, shivering and a high fever. At the same time, the number of coronavirus cases worldwide, including in the United Kingdom, were ramping up. And the actor Tom Hanks would be diagnosed shortly thereafter, which the pair said seemed to make the pandemic real for them. I said, Oh Victoria, Gangestad recalled. That confirmed for Downey that the mild symptoms like headaches and fatigue she had been experiencing might be tied to the virus as well. When youre back from a trip, youre not sure if youre just jet-lagged, tired, or you picked up a cold when traveling, Downey said. If I wasnt aware of things going on in a larger picture, its nothing that would be concerning. So Downey who works in clinical education at Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis told her supervisor about the trip and her symptoms. They agreed Downey would need to be tested, directing her to a drive-up clinic where she waited two hours in her car for a nasal swab and 72 hours for the results. They were positive. I was really surprised, Downey said. It made sense for Elise, because shed been so sick. But wed been together, Gangestad countered. I was thinking, if I had it, I would feel it by now I was relatively asymptomatic, Downey replied. I was stunned. Downeys positive test was Gangestads only confirmation that she had it as well, because the United Kingdoms national health system wouldnt allow her to be tested. Instead, she was told to isolate for 7 days, which she did in London. They told me they werent testing anyone unless they were hospitalized, Gangestad said. But Victoria did. So that was my diagnosis, basically. Despite things getting frantic, Gangestad was able to get a flight home on March 22 after her isolation period was over, and the roommates are now self-isolating together in their Minneapolis home. Gangestad, who works as a chef, was laid off as restaurants were shuttered, but Downey continues to work from home. While the two had different degrees of symptoms Downey said she had a fever on and off for 12 days both lost the ability to taste and smell, something that continued as of Wednesday, they confirmed. Family and friends get them groceries and needed supplies, and their symptoms are monitored daily by the Minnesota Department of Health until their self-isolation period is up April 1. I think whats been really eye-opening for me is that I wouldnt have thought I would be a dangerous person to be out in the world, in terms of what I was spreading or an illness I may have had and not been aware of, Downey said. Its been an amazing couple of weeks learning how interconnected the world is and how quickly things can spread. And Gangestad learned, in trying for days to get medical attention from the overwhelmed U.K. system, the importance of not seeing the pandemic as a joke. You need to take this seriously just to make sure you dont overwhelm our health care system, she said. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran says US entrepreneurs who have found themselves sidelined and out of work because of the coronavirus outbreak should stay in touch with clients and ask to work with their landlords while taking creative approaches to their businesses. 'Everybody is trying to get creative,' she said about US entrepreneurs she's staying in contact with during the crisis. 'The great entrepreneurs succeed greater than expected and the worst ones, not the worst ones, the least creative ones just don't survive,' she said Wednesday on Good Morning America. Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran says US entrepreneurs who have found themselves sidelined and out of work because of the coronavirus outbreak should stay in touch with clients and ask to work with their landlords while taking creative approaches to their businesses 'Everybody is trying to get creative,' Corcoran said in an interview, referring to American business owners she's in contact with during the coronavirus outbreak Corcoran also advises Americans workers forced to stay home to take advantage of the newly agreed upon US stimulus plan in response to the deadly pandemic. She adds that entrepreneurs, especially small business owners, should not forget that the virus outbreak is temporary. 'When this economy comes back, when this mess is over, people are going to be desperate,' she says, for services and products that entrepreneurs have to offer. There have been in the US close to 60,000 confirmed cases of the deadly, flu-like virus, also known as COVID-19. The infection has been blamed for at least 823 known deaths across the country. There have been in the US close to 60,000 confirmed cases of the deadly, flu-like virus, also known as COVID-19. The infection has been blamed for at least 823 known deaths across the country Federal health officials have warned that the worst of the pandemic has yet to hit the US. Meanwhile, lawmakers have agreed on an unprecedented $2 trillion aid package to bail out large corporations, provide relief to small businesses, and send $1,200 checks to Americans. Corcoran advised an out-of-work hair stylist who called into Good Morning America to rely on the federal resources as she waits out the worst economic impacts of the outbreak. .@ABCSharkTank star @BarbaraCorcoran gives advice for weathering this financial storm and helping small businesses survive. https://t.co/9KtTjoYfQB pic.twitter.com/rUnoNehJN1 Good Morning America (@GMA) March 25, 2020 Corcoran's tips for out of work American entrepreneurs as they wait out the worst of the coronavirus outbreak Corcoran also noted the creative measures small businesses were taking, like Daisy Cakes offering customers a new cake every week during the crisis. Cousins Maine Lobster, she says, switched to food trucks to continue operating. She advised idled small businesses to immediately reach out to landlords, because few are likely able to pay rent. 'You're in a very good negotiating position with the landlord because no one's out there looking for commercial space whatsoever,' she told Good Morning America. Her other tips for small businesses are to offer clients Facetime and other online video tutorials that they can charge for and to sell gift cards. Uplifting new videos show residents in North American cities cheering on healthcare workers from the confines of their apartment buildings as the coronavirus crisis worsens. Locals in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia have started to step out onto their balconies each evening at 8pm to applaud the doctors and nurses battling the COVID-19 outbreak in nearby hospitals. Residents in downtown Vancouver, Canada have also started a similar ritual, with residents cheering each evening at 7pm as a show of solidarity to those on the frontline. The scenes echo those from coronavirus-stricken cities in Spain and Italy, where locked down locals in Madrid, Milan and Rome pay tribute to their healthcare workers each evening. Residents on apartment balconies in Vancouver are pictured Tuesday applauding and making noise in a daily show of support for healthcare workers who helping fight the coronavirus Stirring footage shared to Instagram by Atlanta local Charles Phillip Langley shows hundreds of residents in high-rise apartment blocks whooping and hollering for their city's workers on Sunday night. In the clip, the entire neighborhood is drowned out in cheers, which continue for close to a minute. Langley stated that 'everyone' in the vicinity was involved in the heartwarming act, with viewers of the video describing it as 'awesome' and 'amazing'. It's likely that workers in nearby hospitals, including Emroy University Hospital, may have heard the rousing show of support. Meanwhile, the tradition continued on Tuesday night, with footage recorded by fellow Midtown Atlanta resident Murry Evans. His clip reveals that locals have now begun to bang pots and pans to create added noise for the doctors and nurses, as well as other workers who help keep the city running. Georgia is one of the US states hardest hit by the virus outbreak, with nearly 1,100 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 38 people have died in relation to the virus. Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms revealed Wednesday that ICU beds at the city's hospitals are already at capacity. Locals in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia have started to step out onto their balconies each evening at 8pm to applaud the doctors and nurses battling the COVID-19 outbreak in nearby hospitals Georgia is one of the US states hardest hit by the virus outbreak, with nearly 1,100 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 38 people have died in relation to the virus. A Georgia medical worker is pictured last Tuesday Nearly 60,000 people have tested positive to COVID-19 in the United States as of Wednesday morning. More than 800 have died Similar scenes have been playing out in downtown Vancouver, Canada, with the cheering happening each evening at 7pm. Local Caroline Rohaly shared the clip to Facebook Sunday, has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, which has already been 'liked' more than 12,000 times. Thousands have left comments beneath the video, with several claiming the footage left them in tears. 'We should all be doing this. A small gesture to show our support. Grab your bells and whistles,' one inspired viewer wrote. 617 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the Canadian province of British Columbia, with 13 deaths. A person dressed as a "Star Wars" Stormtrooper bangs a vodka bottle with a spoon in support of healthcare workers in Vancouver on Tuesday A woman claps from an entrance to a balcony in Vancouver as part of the evening ritual which occurs at 7pm each night Many of those have been recorded in Vancouver - with particular concern now that a cluster of cases has cropped up at one of the city's care homes. 15 residents and 25 staff members have all tested positive to the novel coronavirus at Haro Park Centre. Vancouver is just across the border from Washington state - where a care home became the first center of the coronavirus outbreak in the US. 37 people connected to the Life Care center in Kirkland, Washington have died in relation to COVID-19. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment With all of the uncertainty surrounding the current crisis, one thing churches and pastors can be sure about is that streaming your online service is simply not enough. As ministers of the Gospel, we have a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to shepherd and care for the people that God has entrusted to us. Thankfully we live in the digital age where technology can be the most important tool at our disposal. Even a few weeks ago, the idea of the digital Church was a mystery and was also scoffed at by many as an inferior expression of the Body of Christ. That was before the corona outbreak took its rapid escalation globally. As more and more Americans are requested to isolate themselves, the Church must not have a defeatist mentality; rather, we should view this as an opportunity that could potentially position the Church for its greatest evangelistic growth in generations. People are scared and confused; anxiety abounds; this is where we have the chance to share the words of Christ and encourage the people not to fear. This is also the time for Christians to remind each other that not only do we serve a risen Savior, but we also serve the great Physician. Realistically, now is also the time for Churches to prepare prudently for the coming days ahead. Loneliness and isolation can be dangerous breeding grounds for depression. Shortages in stores also present an opportunity to love our neighbors in new and unprecedented ways. Now is the time where the Church can really be the good Samaritan to the communities we have been called to serve. The reality is beginning to sink in for most Christians around the world that for the first time in the 2,000 years since Christ left this earth, the majority of the Church will not be able to celebrate a risen Savior together, at least physically. Even the early church has their catacombs. We have to not only move our Sunday services online, but we need to be thinking about building an intentional community online as well. We can't stop religious formation, catechesis, Sunday school, small groups, and community life as we know it simply because of quarantines. No, we can use many tools and resources at our disposal to turn this season into one of the most intentional opportunities for discipleship the Church has seen. Ministries like RightNow Media, which has tremendous online discipleship resources, have begun to make their content available online for free. People can find the comforting words of scripture on almost any devise thanks to YouVersion. Using these great Bible studies coupled with Facebook groups or Zoom, we can continue to provide excellent discipleship opportunities for our communities. Just because we can't meet face to face doesn't mean the Church gets a pass on our obligation to be the ministering hands and feet of Jesus, offering hope, life, and love to a hurting world. For years, persecuted Christians in the Middle East have had to resort to using the digital Church as their only means of gathering and worshiping freely without fear of death or persecution. Now, their ministry experience presents tremendous learning opportunities for churches in the West to learn just how to build an authentic, Christian community online. Churches across Europe are beginning to grapple with the difficulties of conducting services, particularly funerals, in an age where people cannot gather and find closure, comfort, or a shoulder on which to cry. Even at the most conservative of estimates, the reality is that almost every Church in the country may very well experience at least someone they know who is sick with the virus, and pastors may even be called on to conduct funerals virtually in the coming weeks and months ahead. We cannot afford to not build the type of community online that provides comfort to the hurting, peace to the distressed, and hope to the hopeless. The conversation around digital churches has been going on for years. In 2019 a group of digital church pastors and theologians from across the Christian tradition have been gathering and discussing how the future of the digital Church would look. This conversation has included scholars such as Dr. Daryl Boch from Dallas Theological Seminary, Jay Kranda, the online pastor at Saddleback Church, Dr. Jonathan Armstrong from Moody Bible Institute, and a host of other scholars and pastors. These conversations have also included futurists like Pastor D.J. Soto, who leads Virtual Reality Church, and Daniel Herron, who pastors the Robloxian Christian Church on the Roblox PC game. These conversations have included everyone from Anglicans to Southern Baptists, Roman Catholics to Pentecostals, and just about every other tradition in between. It is also included a number of pastors and leaders from the Middle East who are experiencing and leading the digital church movement in their region out of the necessity, because they have been so effective at reaching the majority populations in their country who do not come from a Christian background. From this group of leaders, a tremendous resource called the Digital Church Guidebook has been created, and it is freely available and can be accessed here. We are entering into an unprecedented new era for the Church. How we approach the next few weeks and months will determine just what type of Church we are. Are we focused on buildings, budgets, or people? Many of the resources required to develop an online community need little to no funding to get started. The finances saved from electric bills and air-conditioning costs of our churches could be turned into resources to provide food and much-needed supplies to our emergency responders and local hospitals. Now is the time for the Church to be the kind of resilient Church that best represents a risen Savior as we move into this Easter season. A Florida politician is in hot water after stating that the COVID-19 virus can be killed before taking hold in the body by blowing heat from a hair dryer up ones nose, WKMG News 6 in Orlando reports. Bryant Culpepper, an Okeechobee County commissioner, apologized for comments he made during an emergency meeting Friday where he claimed to have a seen a video online detailing how if a persons nasal passages were heated up, the COVID-19 virus just falls apart and disintegrates. RELATED: Arizona death prompts warning against self-medication At the meeting, Culpepper said, So you hold a blow dryer in front of your face and you inhale with your nose and it kills all the viruses in your nose. That sounds like a simplified way of doing things but sometimes the cures for some of the diseases are very simple. Theres just a lot of misinformation on how to cure this disease and I personally would just leave that to your medical provider, Tiffany Collins, an administrator for the Florida Health Department immediately countered during the meeting. Ive heard so much just sad information about how to cure this virus. The following day after the meeting, Culpepper posted an apology on his social media. I am Heartfully Sorry for comments I made on Social Media. I was only trying to give comfort to those in Okeechobee who have no insurance to treat there families, Culpepper wrote. I should have ignored the comments that I perceived as hateful and the embarrassment I caused to my Fellow Commissioners and our Administrator And her staff I will not offer anymore suggestions unless they are tried and proven I ask for All of your forgiveness for anything offensive that I uttered during these exchanges. Fernando Martinez is an editorial assistant at SFGATE. | Email: fernando.martinez@sfgate.com & Twitter: @fernan_dough NO FEAR ACT Equal Employment Opportunity Data Posted Pursuant to the No Fear Act Section 301 of the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (the No Fear Act), requires each federal agency to post summary statistical data pertaining to complaints of employment discrimination filed against it by employees, former employees and applicants for employment under 29 C.F.R. Part 1614. The specific data to be posted is described in section 301(b) of the Act and 29 CFR 1614.704. The required summary statistical data for EEO complaints filed against the Department of the Army available below. Pursuant to Title III of the No FEAR Act, federal agencies are required to post quarterly on their public Web sites certain summary statistical data relating to equal employment opportunity complaints filed against the respective agencies. In compliance with this provision of the No FEAR Act, the Department of The Army posts cumulative statistical data for equal employment opportunity complaints for the entire department. Individual Commands have been instructed to post on their own respective public Web sites statistical data for equal employment opportunity complaints that originate in their commands. This data is updated on a quarterly basis. The posting of EEO data on agency public web sites is intended to assist Congress, Federal agencies and the public to assess whether and the extent to which agencies are living up to their equal employment opportunity responsibilities. FY18 Q4 No FEAR Reporting Data (pdf) FY19 Q1 No FEAR Reporting Data (pdf) FY19 Q2 No FEAR Reporting Data (pdf) FY19 Q3 No FEAR Reporting Data (pdf) Gunmen stormed a religious gathering of Afghanistans minority Sikhs in their place of worship (gurdwara) in the heart of Kabuls old city on Wednesday, killing 25 people. Within hours, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. Those killed included a child whose body was brought to a Kabul hospital, the emergency services and the hospital said. At least 15 people were injured. The attackers targeted a dharamshala in Shor Bazar area of Kabul, which has a sizeable population of the Hindu and Sikh minorities. Some reports said the attack began at 7.45 am Afghan time. India strongly condemned the terror attack, saying targeting of a religious place in the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak reflects the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers. Watch l India condemns ISIS attack on Kabul gurudwara which killed 25 India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan, it said. Afghanistans Interior Ministry said police responded promptly to the attack on gurdwara, and shooting was still underway. Afghanistan-based Tolo News said there were three attackers - one of them has been killed, the other one escaped and the third one shot. Photos posted on social media by Afghan journalists showed security forces and local residents evacuating the injured in ambulances. The Afghan security forces had cleared the first floor of the Sikh place of worship and rescued a number of people who were trapped inside the building, interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said. Media reports said dozens of people were still trapped in the building. The Shor Bazar area of Kabul was once home to several gurdwaras but they were destroyed during the fighting in the 1980s. Many Hindus and Sikhs living in the area also migrated to other countries. Kabul is still home to several thousand Hindus and Sikhs. The foreign ministry issued a strong protest Tuesday after Japan authorized new school textbooks renewing territorial claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo. Japan's education ministry earlier approved 17 social studies textbooks in the social studies area for middle school students, including history, geography and civic studies, to be in use for next year. The new textbooks repeat Japan's claim that the islets are its indigenous territory and are illegally occupied by South Korea. "Our government strongly protests the Japanese government's approval of the middle school textbooks that distort, reduce and omit clear historical facts and contain unjust claims," the ministry said in a statement. "We urge that a correction be made immediately." The ministry also warned of a stern response to any unjust claims by Tokyo regarding the islets, reiterating that Dokdo is "clearly South Korea's inherent territory historically, geographically and by international law." Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young called in Japanese Ambassador Koji Tomita to lodge a complaint. Japan's latest claim to Dokdo comes as bilateral relations remain chilled after months of discord stemming from pending wartime issues, including the unresolved issue of compensating Korean forced labor victims. South Korea was under Japan's colonial rule from 1910-45. In 2014, Tokyo revised the teaching guidelines for modern history textbooks to reflect the government's assertion about Dokdo. Most editions published over the following years for use in elementary, middle and high schools contained the distorted information. The new textbooks for next year also contain similar descriptions for the Kuril and Senkaku islands at the center of territorial disputes with Russia and China, respectively. Japan's claims over the islets have long been a thorn in relations between Seoul and Tokyo. South Korea rejects the claims because the country regained independence from Japan's 35-year colonial rule in 1945 and reclaimed sovereignty over its territory, including Dokdo and many other islands around the Korean Peninsula. Since 1954, South Korea has stationed a small police detachment on Dokdo. (Yonhap) Latest News Understanding the 'perfect storm' that was the Sydney property market in 2021 Leading expert reflects on the crazy year that brokers and buyers experienced and throws forward to the 12 months to come How to manage home buyer regret Tips for brokers on how they can keep their clients onside once they have bought In January, the managing director and chief executive of a financial services group announced his resignation upon the completion of his contract in June 2020. However, yesterday, MyState Limited announced MD and CEO Melos Sulicich has agreed to extend his contract. Chairman of the Tasmanian based banking and wealth management group, Miles Hampton, explained the board had concluded that the uncertainty of the present time has made continuity in the leadership team crucial to maintaining success. As such, it approached Sulicich to request he delay his plans to leave the group. Sulicichs resignation came as part of his decision to permanently relocate home to Sydney, after almost six years living away from his family. According to Hampton, the board was delighted that Sulicich has agreed to stay on. Melos knows our business very well and his ongoing leadership will ensure we get through this challenging period as a strong bank, focused on our customers and our communities, said Hampton. Sulicich will remain with MyState for at least 18 months. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 09:45:20|Editor: Liu Video Player Close WELLINGTON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A state of emergency has been declared on Wednesday in New Zealand after 50 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the country. The state of national emergency was declared by Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare under the Civil Defence Emergency Act 2002, Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management Sarah Stuart Black said on Wednesday in a conference. "The state of national emergency has been declared because of the unprecedented nature of this global pandemic and to ensure the government has the powers it needs to slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce its impact," she said. New Zealand confirmed 50 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, which took the total number of cases in this country to 205, according to the Ministry of Health. Greeter is first coronavirus death at Ark. church where 34 infected Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment William Bill Barton, a greeter at Greers Ferry First Assembly in Cleburne County, Arkansas, where at least 34 people have been struck by the new coronavirus became first of the infected to die Tuesday. He was 91. State and local government officials confirmed the 91-year-old died at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Conway Regional Medical Center, and was the second coronavirus fatality in the state, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. The first was a 59-year-old Sherwood man who had underlying health issues. Sadly weve had our first death from COVID-19 and since that came about earlier today, weve had another death so now we have two deaths from COVID-19, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said at a press conference Tuesday. Today, Ive had meetings with hospitals, Ive had meetings with counties, legislators in talking to my public health team. They used this language and said what were seeing is the calm before the storm. I know that many people dont see this as a calm but I think the way that its phrased, makes us understand that were still on the lower end of the slope as it goes up, he warned. While the church has yet to release a formal statement on Bartons passing, member Gracie Campbell confirmed with the Gazette that Barton had passed and was a greeter at the church. His funeral arrangements are currently being handled by Bishop-Crites Funeral Home in Greenbrier, where owner Jeff Crites told The Christian Post Wednesday that Bartons family was distraught and wouldnt be available for interviews. My main concern is taking care of the family, Crites said. When asked if he had any concerns about the impact of the coronavirus on funerals in general, Crites said they were following universal precautions. I will not go into the church. Were restricting everything to graveside services only. Its sad, he said. We use universal precaution on everybody. Everybody is contagious. Thats the way youve got to look at it because we dont know when we first get them (the bodies). Bartons death comes just days after the churchs pastor, Mark Palenske who is recovering from the virus along with his wife Dena, warned others not to underestimate how dangerous the virus is and treat it with wisdom and restraint. There was very little in my training for the ministry that covered the full measure of what our church family has dealt with in the past few weeks, Palenske said in a statement on Facebook Sunday. The intensity of this virus has been underestimated by so many, and I continue to ask that each of you take it very seriously. An act of wisdom and restraint on your part can be the blessing that preserves the health of someone else. Donald Shipp, a deacon of the church who is also infected with the virus along with his wife, told The Arkansas Democrat Gazette on Monday that at least 34 people connected with the church tested positive for the virus and several others are still awaiting results after a childrens event held at the church on March 5-8. Of those who tested positive for the virus, 31 are on staff at the church or are members, Shipp said. The others are two evangelists who led the childrens event and a child who was visiting. "You've got to be about as tough as it is," Shipp said of the virus. "We are slowly but surely wearing it out." Campbell, who confirmed Bartons passing, told the Gazette earlier that both her and her husband, Chuck, have also been sick and are currently among those awaiting test results. "I think it was just bad timing," she said of the childrens event that is the suspected source of the massive community spread. "I'm sure there are plenty of people walking around exposed [to the virus] and don't even know it, and other people that don't care," Campbell said. "That's the sad thing. There are people that don't even believe that it is a virus and that's ridiculous." Of the more than 200 coronavirus cases in Arkansas, officials revealed on Tuesday that 11 are children. Data from Johns Hopkins as of Wednesday morning showed that more than 55,000 people across the U.S. have been infected with the coronavirus and just over 800 have died. Global figures stood at nearly 440,000 infections and nearly 20,000 deaths. Officials say the outbreak of the virus at Greers Ferry First Assembly of God is responsible for the spread of the disease in the relatively small Cleburne County, which has a population of 25,000. The county now has the second highest number of coronavirus cases in the state. "It appears, from what I know at this time, most of the cases that we have in our county" are related to the Greers Ferry church, Jerry Holmes, county judge of Cleburne County, told the Gazette. 25 Mar 2020, 12:59 PM Coronavirus: Flipkart suspends services as India goes under lockdown Online retailer Flipkart has announced that it is suspending services temporarily. In a notification on its website, the retailer said that it will be back as soon as possible. Flipkart's announcement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day complete lockdown of the entire country. Facebook eyes multi-billion dollar deal to acquire 10% stake in Reliance Jio: report Social media giant Facebook is reportedly planning to buy a multi-billion dollar stake in Indian telecom major Reliance Jio. Mark Zuckerberg-led social media conglomerate was close to signing a preliminary deal to buy 10 per cent stake in Mukesh Ambani's Jio, Financial Times reported on Tuesday.The report stated that the talks between Facebook and Reliance have been halted due to travel ban across the world in view of the coronavirus outbreak. Govt bans export of ventilators, sanitisers and other ICU equipment The central government on Tuesday prohibited the export of ventilators, sanitisers, and other ICU equipment with immediate effect in the wake of increasing novel coronavirus cases in India. Government is set to ramp up production of masks and sanitisers; several other measures are being undertaken. Coronavirus in India: PM announces 21-day lockdown Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his second address to the nation in just one week, imposed a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country from March 25 (12 AM) onwards till April 14. The PM's announcement comes in the backdrop of a rising number of COVID-19 patients in the country. There have been 562 confirmed cases across India and 10 reported deaths so far Flight carrying 277 Indians from Iran lands at Delhi airport As the entire country goes into lockdown from today, the total number of coronavirus cases in India has risen to 562, including 10 deaths. In one can be described as positive news, the number of infected persons also declined to 64 on Tuesday compared to 99 a day before. Of total cases 48 coronavirus patients have also been released so far. Meanwhile, The Mahan Air flight carrying as many as 277 Indian passengers landed at Delhi airport today early morning from Iran's capital city Tehran. [March 25, 2020] PG&E Shares Additional Ways Customers Can Lessen Financial Hardship Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E (News - Alert)) offers additional support for customers experiencing hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is implementing a series of billing and service modifications effective immediately to ensure the lights stay on and the gas continues to flow for customers experiencing financial challenges during this time. New Billing and Service Modifications for Impacted Customers Suspend service disconnections for non-payment and waive new service deposit requirements for residential and small business; Implement flexible payment plan options; and Provide additional support for low-income and medical baseline customers. As a reminder, PG&E has never charged late fees. If a customer is experiencing financial hardships and has trouble paying their bill due to the economic impact of COVID-19, we can help. Please call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000. We continue to offer flexible payment plans to support customers during these difficult times. "PG&E knows this is an unsettling and trying time and we want to reassure our customers they are not alone. PG&E is taking swift action to ensure that our customers experiencing hardship as a result of COVID-19 have access to a variety of resources and expanded programs to help manage their energy use and their monthly bills," said Laurie Giammona, PG&E's Chief Customer Officer and a Senior Vice President. In addition, PG&E has implemented a moratorium on service disconnections for non-payment. This suspension applies to both residential and small business customers and will remain in effect until further notice. PG&E will also suspend Medical Baseline removals. Customers on the Medical Baseline program will not be asked to re-certify through a doctor or other eligible medical professionals for up to one year. Customers can also take advantage of the following financial-assistance programs. Save on Monthly Bills PG&E's California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program gives almost 1.4 million income-qualified households discounts on their energy bills. Yet, PG&E estimates 65,580 eligible customers are missing out on the 20 percent or more savings on their monthly electric and gas bills. The top ten counties with the highest number of eligible customers not enrolled in the program are listed below. Top Counties with Most Eligible Customers Not Enrolled 1. Sacramento 2. Stanislaus 3. San Luis Obispo 4. Placer 5. San Mateo 6. San Francisco 7. Sonoma 8. Yolo 9. Humboldt 10. Shasta Customers can apply for CARE online at pge.com/CARE. Applying is easy and only takes about five minutes. Qualifying customers will begin receiving the CARE program discount within their next billing cycle. Separate from CARE, income-qualified households with three or more persons can apply for the Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) Program for an 18% discount on their electric bill. One-Time Assistance The federally-funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides financial assistance to help offset eligible household energy costs, including heating, cooling and home weatherization expenses. To learn more, dial 211 for LIHEAP income guidelines and a list of participating agencies. Receive Energy Support for Medical Conditions Residential customers requiring electricity-powered medical equipment may qualify for Medical Baseline, which is not based on income. Per month, eligible customers can receive an extra baseline allotment of 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity and/or 25 therms of gas. Certification by a doctor is required. No disruption in gas or electric service is anticipated due to the public health crisis. For more information, please visit www.pge.com/covid19 to read more about PG&E's response to the virus. About PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 24,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005578/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] What started out as a police call for a shoplifter at an Arlington, Texas, TJ Maxx shopping outlet ended with an officer rescuing two stray kittens. The icing on the cake followed later with a very special adoption. Arlington Police Department officers Adkins and Hilliard were on their way out of the TJ Maxx parking lot when the store manager revealed a secondary need for the officers assistance. There were two tiny kittens stuck beneath a customers vehicle in the lot, they said. On May 2, 2019, the department posted their version of the unusual event on Facebook. Who says firefighters are the only ones who rescue kittens? (Yes we didnt need a ladder on this call ), they began. They located the kittens inside the bumper, where most likely the mother cat had placed them for some reason, Jesse Minton of the department told The Dodo. The owner of the car advised she did not own a cat and had no idea how the kittens got in there. Illustration Shutterstock | Helen89 Officer Joe Bob Adkins crawled under the car and retrieved two tiny bundles of fur. Photos posted to social media depict the besotted officer and the two equally besotted kittens snuggling up in the front seat of the squad car, the kittens nestling into Officer Adkinss shirt for comfort. After making the most of the adorable photo opportunity, the two officers rushed the kittens to the nearest veterinary clinic. The siblings were declared to be in good health. Being only around 6 weeks of age, the growing kittens were ravenously hungry for food. Officers Adkins and Hilliard were invited to bottle-feed the kittens with kitten formula themselves. Both kittens [were] rescued, the department later confirmed on Facebook, and will be going to a great home! The department did not say to whose home the kittens would be going, but it soon transpired that all those cuddles had had a lasting impact on Officer Adkins. Who says Firefighters are the only ones who rescue kittens? (Yes. we didnt need a ladder on this Posted by Arlington Police Department on Thursday, May 2, 2019 The big-hearted officer, after being the one to lift the kittens to safety from their dangerous hiding place under a car in a TJ Maxx parking lot, had fallen in love. Adkins officially adopted the kittens. He thinks he may name them TJ and Max, Minton told The Dodo. Animal lovers were quick to post grateful messages on the APDs Facebook page. You two officers are so great! APD has the best there are, wrote one self-proclaimed Top Fan. That little kitty looks really comfortable on your shoulder, they continued. Thanks so much for saving them. God bless. Awwww its nice to see the softer side of police officers every now and then, added another supporter. Heres two of the good guys: Officers Adkins and Hilliard, praised another fan of the officers work. Thanks, gentlemen. (That is a direct quote from the kittens. Theyre very grateful.) Notably, adopting the kitten siblings was not Officer Adkinss first philanthropic act of 2019. Just three months before meeting TJ and Max, Adkins was awarded the South District Officer of the Year Award for outstanding service, according to Animal Channel. Proving that theres a warm and fuzzy side to law enforcement, two tiny kittens are now safe and loved in their forever home because two Arlington police officers took the time to go above and beyond the call of duty. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc By Ruma Paul DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh will suspend the jail sentence of its ailing former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia and release her for a period of six months, the nation's law minister said on Tuesday. "We have decided to release her on humanitarian grounds as per the instructions of the prime minister," Law Minister Anisul Huq said at a media briefing. "She can receive treatment staying at her home, but she cannot go abroad." Khaleda, 74, who has twice been prime minister, has been in jail since she was convicted in a graft case in February 2018. Her health has been deteriorating for months and she was moved to a hospital in April last year. The government decided to release Khaleda in response to appeals from her family, Huq said. Khaleda, who shares a long-standing rivalry with incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was later convicted in a separate graft case following her initial conviction in early 2018. Her Bangladesh Nationalist Party says the cases were fabricated and aimed at keeping her away from politics. She has been unable to secure bail despite repeated appeals. In February, the High Court again rejected her bail plea. Khaleda's brother, Shamim Iskander, thanked the government for its decision of releasing her saying: "We're very happy with the decision." (Reporting by Ruma Paul; Writing by Euan Rocha; Editing by Alex Richardson) The Senate language, which faces a vote in the House as early as Thursday, does not include any of the mandates that Democrats had hoped to impose on states as a condition of receiving the money. Those include requiring them to make mail-in voting available to everyone and, if an election is held during a national emergency, sending a mail-in ballot to every registered voter. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 07:31:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close N'DJAMENA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A total of 92 Chadian soldiers were killed and 47 others injured in an attack by the terror group Boko Haram on Monday in Boma in Chad's western province of Lac, Chadian President Idirss Deby Itno announced on Tuesday. "In this accursed island (Boma) we have lost 92 of our soldiers... We also have 47 wounded (soldiers) who were transported by our own means to N'Djamena for intensive care," said Deby who came to Boma Tuesday afternoon to evaluate the situation. He promised that the army would review all of its current arrangement to avoid what Boma has experienced. "Losing so many men in one operation is the first time in history. I would like to say to the Chadians, until the last breath, including the wounded, the defense and security forces have not given up the battle field," Deby said. The attack in Boma lasted more than eight hours, military sources said. The death toll of Boko Haram is still unknown. Chad's Lac province, which borders Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria, is regularly attacked by Boko Haram. Tackling COVID-19: Tough Measures in Tough Times By Lin Yang March 24, 2020 Although COVID-19 remains the same across borders---fast-moving and often fatal---how countries respond to the coronavirus may mean changing the outcome for their populations. China imposed strict measures which have controlled the spread of the virus. South Korea turned to testing, tracking and treating people to contain COVID-19. The United Kingdom initially relied on herd immunity---the notion that the best way to control the outbreak was to allow the virus to spread naturally so that as more and more people became infected and built up immunity, if they survived, the outbreak would slow as the virus found fewer people to infect. The British government pivoted hard on Monday night when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the closure of all nonessential shops, travel restrictions and imposed social distancing, enforced by police if necessary. The restrictions came after the government had closed schools, gyms, theaters, bars and restaurants and imposed social distancing. As of Monday, the number of confirmed cases in Britain rose to 6,650, up from 5,683 a day earlier, and the number of deaths rose by 54, bringing the toll to 335, according to John Hopkins University data. In all three nations, drastic times called for drastic measures. Beijing first reported a new pneumonia emerging in Wuhan to the World Health Organization on Dec. 31. On March 18, it reported no new domestic cases. In between, it tallied some 80,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths. After an early cover-up, China imposed tight social controls that restricted movement, tracked individuals and even employed drones to enforce the mandatory wearing of face masks. "At the beginning, there was a lack of information," Chen Xi, assistant professor of public health and economics at Yale University, told VOA Mandarin. "Therefore, when Hubei exceeded its capacity to treat patients, the government had to adopt a very aggressive disease containment policy, a comprehensive economic shutdown to prevent any new cases." These measures imposed after Jan. 23 included the complete lockdown of many cities throughout Hubei Province including Wuhan, the construction of a modular hospital and two field hospitals to treat a patient population that overwhelmed available medical facilities. The government also imposed punishments and rewards to encourage adherence to the measures. So far, "the policy seems to be effective, but the price is also very high," he said. "This includes the past price and the future price. " The past costs include what amounted to China's complete economic shutdown. Although there has been a gradual return to normal life elsewhere, power generation in Hubei has not resumed and nearly half of the migrant workers have not returned to their jobs. Most migrant workers are employed in factories, building sites and shops far from their homes. These economic indicators show that China's economic activity is still in a semi-stagnant state more than two months into the outbreak. At the same time, experts worry about a resurgence of COVID-19 when the lockdowns are lifted. "We have to talk about the future cost from the perspective of immunology," Chen said. With the lockdowns, China wanted to ensure the vast majority of people did not come in contact with the virus. Allowing free movement "will lead to a second round of infections in China if the flow of people is not well controlled down the road." The key to South Korea's response has been widespread testing and screening. South Korea tests 15,000 people daily. The health officials have tested 250,000 people, or one in 200 South Koreans, since the first case was diagnosed on Jan. 20, some of them at drive-through stations. WHO estimates the global mortality rate of COVID-19 at 3.4%. Yet as of March 17, the cumulative death in South Korea was 82, with a mortality rate of only 0.99%, far below the global average. South Korean authorities use bank records, phone GPS data, and surveillance footage in their effort to locate coronavirus clusters, investigate the path of infection, quickly isolate those involved, and warn the public. "In South Korea, health officials will perform [a] test whether you exhibit symptoms or not," Chen said. He said the healthcare workers perform tests at random home visits and at traffic intersections. "This actually reflects the East Asian model, which means that the government has a lot of authority. Once a person is diagnosed, he/she is strictly isolated and the chain of transmission will be monitored." Tests are free for patients with doctor's notes, people who have recently visited China or who have had contact with a confirmed case. If a South Korean citizen just wants peace of mind, a test costs a relatively affordable $135. Public health crisis management expert Dr. Randall Hyer was part of the WHO team that responded to the 2003 SARS outbreak. He told VOA that in South Korea, people have an incentive to get tested. Even at the peak of the outbreak, the government made sure test kits were available. And testing made all the difference, according to Hyer, who said "Without testing, it's the equivalent of running towards a forest full of trees with your eyes closed. You are going to hit the tree." South Korea managed to avoid shutting down its economy and imposing the social controls China imposed. Hyer likened South Korea to Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong with all of them have very similar concepts in place," Hyer said. "One of them is early social distancing to slow the rate of spread, and then this business of testing and screening, treating people who have it, isolating them and tracing their contacts. That is how we will slow and ultimately stop the disease." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Editor's Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Seabridge Gold (TSX:SEA) said Wednesday it is evaluating "whether or not it makes sense" to proceed with this year's exploration programs. "This year's budget includes drill programs at our 100%-owned Iskut Project in British Columbia, Canada and at our 100%-owned Snowstorm project in Nevada, USA. We are evaluating whether or not it makes sense to proceed with these programs given the difficult operating requirements imposed by the virus and the need to protect our work crews," said the company in a statement. The company said it will make a decision in May. Delaying a year would not impact the company's obligations to its land holdings, added the company. Seabridge claims one of the world's largest resource base of gold, copper and silver. During the first nine months of 2019, the company made cash expenditures of $18.3 million at its KSM, Courageous Lake, Iskut, and Snowstorm projects. Shares in Aryzta fell by almost 4pc yesterday after the Swiss-Irish food group said it expected the coronavirus to have a "material impact" on its performance this year. The maker of Cuisine de France branded goods is reducing staff to help cut costs. While trading in its most recent three-month period has been in line with market guidance up to March 15, conditions and prospects have since deteriorated, it said in a trading update. "We cannot reasonably gauge what consequences will result from the situation as neither the duration nor the depth of this issue can be fully assessed at this point in time," Aryzta said. In Europe, its quick service restaurant business - which accounts for 10pc of European revenue - and food service division have been strongly impacted by a significantly reduced footfall following government-related restrictions, the Kevin Toland-headed company said. Retail is performing well in the market, with a small uplift coming from this channel. A similar pattern is now visible in the major states of the US, Aryzta said. In the rest of the world, the food service channel, particularly in south-east Asia, is being strongly affected. The company is taking "decisive action" to maximise its cash, reduce costs and maintain a strong liquidity position. Among the cost-saving measures it is implementing is a reduction in the working hours and workforce in the most affected countries. The company, which makes the burger buns for McDonald's, did not provide details of the number of staff being let go. However, two of its smaller plants in Europe have been closed and there is an "ongoing evaluation" of further shuttering of plants. Aryzta said it had full business continuity plans in place and active where necessary to maintain its service levels, and to meet its customers' expectations. The company has no material debt maturities over the coming 18-month period. Countries have experienced economic depressions before, but not usually as a matter of choice. The nationwide coronavirus shutdowns over the past two weeks have ground parts of the country to a halt. Probably never before in our history has so much economic activity vaporized so quickly within days or even hours. The Great Depression and the panics of the 19th century are the only possible analogues. Goldman Sachs is forecasting a 24 percent drop in quarterly GDP. Morgan Stanley is anticipating a 30 percent decline. These are the top-line numbers of a vastation that will throw millions out of work, stress families and blight personal lives, destroy the dreams of small-business owners and bankrupt industries. This is a tale of human misery, not just of declines in the stock market and in GDP. The federal government can alleviate some of the damage, but even the biggest, best-designed stimulus bill is no substitute for shuttered storefronts and factories. And how many times can Washington pass $2 trillion bills? No, this is not sustainable, nor will people stand for it except as a temporary expedient. President Donald Trump is already expressing impatience with his own guidance against gatherings of more than 10 people for the next 15 days. If that sentiment is understandable, itd be foolish to give up on the lockdowns before they have much of a chance to, in the cliche of the hour, flatten the curve. And its important to remember that the disease itself is imposing an economic cost. It would have caused a recession regardless of government policy. Would New York City restaurants really be full if it werent for the Andrew Cuomo-ordered lockdown? Would people be eager to get on airplanes? To book a cruise? To see a Broadway show? To go to Disneyland? If the disease had been left unchecked, it would have exacted an enormous price, in lives of the infected, in the breakdown of the hospital system, in the follow-on effects on people ill with conditions that would have gone untreated. No matter how bad todays lockdowns are, imagine if we decided to undertake them at a time when the U.S. already had a million cases and the health care system was in deep crisis. The answer to our current situation doesnt require downplaying COVID-19 or going about business as usual and hoping for the best. The advantage of the lockdowns is that they make every other public policy option look cautious and inexpensive by comparison. What can be more radical than telling tens of millions of Americans to shelter in place? Our aim should be to shift from the blunderbuss solution of mass shutdowns to rifle-shot remedies, on the model of what South Korea has done with its widespread testing (although it has much more favorable conditions as a smaller, more cohesive country with an outbreak centered on one church). We should focus on the production of tests, ventilators, masks and other protective gear on an industrial scale. Whatever the government has to spend or do to get it done should happen just as if we were on a wartime footing. The first priority obviously should be backstopping the hospital system and protecting front-line medical workers. But, as economists Paul Romer and Alan M. Garber argue, we need to widen out from there to create a system of population-wide testing and the distribution of protective gear to workers interacting with the public to protect against the spread, while allowing for ordinary work. This regimen would depend on innovation cheaper, faster tests, etc. but that is surely within our power with enough will and resources. Then, we could begin to return to normal with much less risk, even if vulnerable populations and metropolitan hot spots still require extraordinary precautions. Whatever path we take will be costly and have its downsides. All we can know with certainty is that the current path is untenable. @RichLowry Were asking our readers to share their coronavirus-related questions, and were contacting experts to get answers. To that end, we spoke with two Quinnipiac University professors. Each has a different area of expertise. Dr. Dwayne Boucaud, a professor of biomedical science, specializes in virology. And Dr. Dennis Brown, who heads the universitys physician assistant program, specializes in emergency management and community health. You can find their answers to readers questions and some of our own below. A video recording of the full interview can be found here: Question: What should the public know right now? Answer: Boucaud had one big message he wanted to get out to the public: please do not take chloroquine. Its not safe, he said. (the drug is used treat the mosquito-borne illness malaria) And, he said, Be prepared for this [pandemic] to drag on The curve is not close to flattening. Question: Do you develop immunity to the novel coronavirus after getting COVID-19? Answer: At this point, there is not enough data out there to determine whether getting the virus gives you protective immunity, Boucaud said. If its like many other viruses, I would say that yes, you would probably have protective immunity, he said. But, the virologist warned, We cant say that for sure with COVID-19. Question: What is the difference between COVID-19-S and COVID-19-L, and if you get one, do you have immunity from the other? Answer: Scientists in China identified two strains of the disease, COVID-19-S and COVID-19-L, according to Boucaud. But they are so genetically similar that there is debate over whether scientists should even classify them as two different strains, Boucaud said. At this point, there is not enough data to know whether the strains manifest differently for example, whether one is more aggressive than the other or to know whether contracting one strain give individuals immunity from the other, Boucaud said. Question: How long does it take for COVID-19 test results to come back? Answer: Right now, the typical turnaround time for COVID-19 test results is between three and five days, Brown said. Brown also shared some good news. A few days ago, the Federal Drug Administration approved a new rapid test that should decrease the time it takes for patients to get results, Brown said. Connecticut Covid-19 Map and dashboard The test can deliver results in under an hour, National Public Radio reported. However, it will take time before that test comes to our communities, according to the professor. Question: If you have COVID-19, when do you stop being contagious? Answer: Brown listed three main criteria those recovering from COVID-19 should meet before it is safe for them to stop sequestering themselves: 1. You have to be fever-free without the help of medications for 72 hours. 2. Your symptoms have to have significantly improved. Fever, cough and shortness of breath should have gone away. However with the flu, it is possible for the cough to linger for weeks, which doesnt mean youre contagious but that your body is healing, Brown said. 3. At least seven days must have passed since the onset of symptoms. Certain gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting and nausea, have been added to the list of COVID-19 indicators, Brown said. People with COVID-19 tend to get those symptoms first, and respiratory symptoms develop afterward, according to Brown. The most critical symptom that indicates you may have COVID-19 is fever, Brown said. However, there have been cases of COVID-19 where patients do not present with fevers, Boucaud noted, emphasizing that if you are asymptomatic but know you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 you should self quarantine. Take serious precautions even if youre not getting tested, Boucaud said. Question: Is it safe to go to a friends for dinner? Theyre healthy and have been staying at home. Answer: Someone weighing whether to go to a friends house for dinner should consider a number of variables, Brown said. He named examples: 1. Has the host or guest has traveled recently? 2. How many people will be at the dinner? 3. How many people have gone in and out of the house? It also depends on the status of the virus in your area, Brown said. If there have been lots of cases of COVID-19, its best not to go to a friends house, Brown said. Evidence of asymptomatic spread also means folks should take extra precautions, Boucaud said. You dont have to be coughing in order to spread this, he said. Question: What can we do to protect healthcare workers? Answer: First off, Boucaud emphasized that unless youre really sick, you should not go into the hospital. Dont go in on a whim, he said. If youre just feeling under the weather, stay at home, hunker down. Otherwise, you risk exposing healthcare workers, he said. Even if you are really ill, call ahead before you go to a hospital and let staff know what your symptoms are, Brown said. Brown had one more piece of advice: dont hoard N95 respirators, which are vital protection for people on the front lines. Question: Is it safe to use hiking trails? Answer: Passing people on hiking trails comes with a low risk of exposure to COVID-19, especially because youre in open air, Brown said. However, its still vital that hikers social distance, doing their best to stay at least 6 feet away from others, Brown continued. In short, theres no reason you cant be on the trails as long as you maintain distance from people, according to Brown. Question: Does ultraviolet light kill the virus? A: Although certain waves of UV light kill the novel coronavirus, sunlight should not be considered an effective antiviral, Boucaud said, adding that you would have to have a lot of exposure to the sun in order for that to work. Sunlight might, for example, kill the virus on clothing that has been left in the sun for a couple of days, according to Boucaud. Question: Is there a certain room temperature that can kill the virus? Does heat help? Answer: The temperature in your home would have to be really, really high to effectively kill the virus, Boucaud said. In short: cranking up the heat is not a realistic antiviral. But it is a good idea to wash your clothes in hot water especially if youve tested positive for COVID-19, Brown said. One piece of positive news about coronavirus: basic detergents easily kill it, so theres no need to throw bleach in the wash, Brown said. Question: How do we know our food is safe? Are there any extra precautions we should take when we grocery shop to prevent the spread of the virus? Answer: Although the CDC has said there is no evidence of COVID-19 spreading via food products, its always a good idea to wash your food, Brown said. In addition, data indicates the coronavirus can hold onto surfaces for a couple of days, according to Boucaud, who noted that those surfaces are very particular and include stainless steel, hard plastic and cardboard. The virologist has heard of people wiping down packages from the grocery store, he said. Question: My mom is 89, living in her own apartment, feeling great. I am her caregiver, bringing her groceries and what not since I will not be taking her out to any stores. Other than washing my hands and no direct contact, what other precautions should I be taking? Answer: First, Brown thanked this reader for taking most of the proper precautions. He added just two suggestions: 1. If you start feeling under the weather, stop having contact with your mom. 2. Avoid bringing pets, as the virus can sit in their fur. Question: I work in a dental practice which is open for routine cleanings and non-emergency procedures. I am in the elder age bracket and have family with immune issues. Should I be working? Answer: Dental hygienists are at higher risk of contracting the virus because theyre exposed to lots of respiratory secretions, Brown said. Those in fields like dentistry should follow professional guidelines, he continued. While he would not tell the reader whether or not they should work that call varies the employee should protect themselves as much as possible, Brown said. Question: I have a co-worker who has a family member that may have been exposed to the virus. What should I be doing? Answer: For now, you dont need to sequester, as third-degree contact does not mean you will get COVID-19, Brown said. But you should practice social distancing, Brown said, and if your coworker does get sick, you should self-quarantine. meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com; 781-346-5236. WEST WHITELAND While Sunoco/Energy Transfer has suspended some Mariner East Pipeline work, the company has requested that construction and maintenance continue in several spots, including in Chester and Delaware counties. The request through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development comes in the wake of Gov. Tom Wolfs March 19 emergency order. While Sunoco is now able to inspect and maintain several pipeline right-of-ways, the pipeline builder seeks to address environmental, security and safety concerns as they may arise. Sunoco specifically wants to continue work within the Pottstown Pike/Route 100 roadway rights-of-way, near the Target, in West Whiteland Township. At Pottstown Pike, cessation of activities would mean the removal of equipment midway through the boring process, leaving an open bore hole underneath Pottstown Pike, creating the possibility of a road closure and/or collapse, reads the waiver request in a letter to the governor. Sunoco included in the letter that the Pottstown Pike road bore is shallow, with 161 feet of the 850 foot bore completed beneath the roadway. Sunoco also noted that the road bore includes open pits excavated on both sides of the roadway. Sunoco requests sufficient time for the proper completion within the rights-of-way. Backfilling and subsequent stabilization of current excavation, and demobilization of equipment, is estimated to end on April 27. Mariner East 2 will move hundreds of thousands of barrels of volatile liquid gases from the states Marcellus Shale regions to a facility in Marcus Hook, where they will be stored and eventually shipped mostly to overseas markets. The pipeline cuts 23 miles through the heart of Chester County and another 11 miles through western Delaware County. The multi-billion dollar project has sparked intense opposition from the community. Sunoco seeks a waiver to complete Horizontal Directional Drilling where the request reads as Arch Bishop/South Chester Road No. 541 (Chester County). That project likely also stretches into Thornbury Township, Delaware County. Sunoco writes that the 6,366 foot HDD at this site is 54 percent complete and in the final stage. Once the HDD process is done, Sunoco intends to pull back and complete the product pipeline through the borehole. Groundwater is also surfacing at this site. According to the missives written by Joseph McGinn, the companys vice president of public affairs, the pipeline builder also wants to address safety concerns to prevent adverse impacts to human health and the environment in Westmoreland, Huntingdon, Cumberland, Blair, Lebanon and Dauphin counties. Prior to the order, Sunoco was approved or actively constructing 46 HDD locations in the state. Dominique Lockett, press assistant with the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development talked about the departments response. We have received an extremely large number of requests, so we are working through them as quickly as possible. After a waiver requested is submitted, it is passed on to the commonwealths review team to examine whether a waiver has been approved, denied, or whether a waiver is not required because they fall under the Governors guidance of a life-sustaining business that is permitted to continue, she said. After the determination is made, we notify the applicant as quickly as possible. Sunoco said it will comply and released the following: All employees and contractors will follow guidelines from the CDC and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and take all possible precautions to protect personal and public health and safety while working within the project right-of-way, including: implementing social distancing practices, hygiene and infection control practices; regular cleaning and disinfecting of work surfaces; equipment and other materials; restricting outside site visitors to work spaces; requiring workers to stay home if they are sick or had been in contact with someone who is sick; and using additional engineering and administrative controls, safe work practices, and personal protective equipment. Sunoco also wrote the governor that pipeline construction sites generally have fewer than 10 workers per acre at one time and the company has taken measures to separate overlap between workforces, including seeing that clean-up crews do not arrive onsite until welding crews have left. Twice daily safety meetings remain mandatory but are being held in smaller groups while maintaining social distancing best practices. Sunoco/ET Spokesperson Lisa Coleman released the following Thursday afternoon: We have made several requests to the Department of Community and Economic Development related to construction activities we believe have the potential to adversely impact the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania if completely halted for an extended amount of time. Our top priority is the safety and protection of the Pennsylvania communities where this work is taking place. We will provide updates as appropriate related to these requests. Sunoco also requested a waiver at Milford Road/Little Conestoga Road in Chester County to maintain surfacing groundwater through the HDD bore hole to prevent flooding and address safety concerns. At Bow Tree, in Chester County, Sunoco also wants to address groundwater issues. At Valley Road in Delaware County, Sunoco requests a waiver to complete a geophysical investigation, and perform grouting mitigation work, as is necessary. State Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19, West Whiteland has been a thorn in the side of Sunoco/ET. He released the following statement: The governor issued an order to cease pipeline construction. In that order, he gave Sunoco/ET several days to comply and safely shut down construction. Sunoco now wants a waiver to continue with Mariner East and bore under one of our most vital thoroughfares. Unless Sunoco can prove that there is no way to safely shut down this site, there is no reason or excuse for them to be granted a waiver. Id also ask that those in the administration who are considering this waiver reach out to the Chester County Commissioners and state lawmakers in the southeast to learn why we have real concerns about this project continuing during an unprecedented public health emergency. Tom Casey is an activist and WCHE 1520 radio host. By Sunoco asking the state to allow them to continue working by giving them a waiver during this pandemic simply proves what we all can see, they are desperate to get this project completed no matter the cost to communities across PA, Casey said. It also shows that their estimates of being 98% complete were never true and that they feel they are above the communities in which they are constructing, although those communities are currently suffering through no fault of their own. Kristen Howard, D-167, Malvern will face off against fellow Democrat Ginny Kerslake in the upcoming primary. To be clear, the waivers granted to Energy Transfer Partners apply to existing work. No new construction will occur, Howard said. Having heard from the experts at the Department of Health, as well as the other regulatory agencies in the commonwealth, and having spoken with officials from ETP, I feel confident that these waivers will allow for continued oversight of the pipelines, and immediately address environmental and safety hazards raised by work stoppage. Ginny Kerslake is a Democratic candidate for the 167th state house and a West Whiteland resident. While Pennsylvanians are told to stay home and their businesses remain closed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Sunoco wants to restart construction on its proposed Mariner East export pipeline, Kerslake said. Even worse, it has submitted a restart request directly to Governor Wolf in an attempt to circumvent the process that would require it to explain why its proposal constitutes life-sustaining activity. To protect human lives and the well-being of hundreds of residents, including residents of House district 167, these waiver requests must be denied. Alex Bomstein, of Clean Air Council, is a lawyer opposing Mariner East construction and released the following statement: All told, Energy Transfer seeks Mariner East waivers for nine horizontal directional drilling (HDD) sites; four trench-digging sites; and two road-crossing sites. It also seeks a waiver to build a new gathering pipeline, without citing safety concerns. It is frankly outrageous that in this time of crisis, Energy Transfer is trying to get around the critical protections Governor Wolf has put in place to minimize deaths of Pennsylvanians, said Joseph Otis Minott, Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council. Energy Transfers waiver requests are broad and vague and lack technical verification. Determining which construction sites and activities, if any, must resume to protect the public is a question that requires both technical expertise and highly detailed factual information that Energy Transfer has failed to provide. No such requests should be granted without first being scrutinized by technically qualified agency experts. The current requests cannot stand up to that kind of review. Filmaker Christina P.K. Digiulio can hear pipeline construction from her home in Upper Uwchlan Township. I see no supporting scientific or engineering documentation, evidence or images showing the condition of these sites, and no testimony of the engineers as to the validity of any of their claims, she said. How will these health and safety dangers they use in the document, actually affect our health and safety any more than they have already? Seriously, I need somebody to explain to me in the context of the COVID19 Public Health Crisis, how is anything this company does, actually life sustaining? It seems Energy Transfer doesnt quite understand where we are at in the world today, nor does it seem like they care. In times of great uncertainty, Sunocos focus could be on the health of their skilled laborers and doing what they can as an organization to reduce the curve of infection, Rebecca Britton, Uwchlan Safety Coalition said. Instead, unclear variance requests seemingly use the pandemic as a tactical advantage to keep their deadlines and to finish the job for investors. Chester and Delaware County residents are finding their compassion for the elderly, emergency responders and healthcare workers by quarantining in their homes. Sunoco should be the life sustaining, safety focused and the community partners they contend they are and do the same. Grassroots organization Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety released the following statement: Rather than follow the established process, Sunoco has solicited the governor for authorization to resume construction on its proposed export pipeline. At a time when everyone else is being asked to stay home, Sunoco wants its workers in the field, travelling among worksites, hotels, grocery stores, and fast-food outlets-precisely the activities that can accelerate virus transmission. Getting things exactly backwards, Sunoco claims adverse impacts to the environment and public safety if pipeline work does not resume. The reality continues to be that Pennsylvania communities, plus Sunocos own workers, are at risk unless construction remains halted. Kurt Knaus, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance: When the governor issued his Emergency Order shutting down sectors of the economy, he provided a waiver for affected businesses. Mariner East is among the 10,000 or so companies that is abiding lawfully by that waiver process. The state will be diligent in its review, just as it has every step of the way with this project. The reality is, especially on large infrastructure projects, which Mariner East is, some construction work simply isnt easy to walk away from without putting the environment or community at risk, both in the short term and long term. Where maintenance or environmental controls are essential to safety, those waivers should be granted. Social distancing is inherent in outside work like this, and the workers who are building this project already are trained on proper guidelines for personal and public health and safety. Coming off his best sales month ever in December, Eric Powell, the founder of online retailer Ratio Clothing, was looking to keep the momentum alive with new spring and summer collections for his custom dress shirt business. The customary post-holiday hangover in January and February was winding down. But instead of a rebound, Ratios sales plunged sharply after the first week of March as the coronavirus outbreak suddenly and drastically changed consumer spending. It just hits you like a freight train, said Powell, 38, who is based in Denver. I knew things were coming, but I didnt anticipate how bad it was going to get. Ratios experience shows that e-commerce isnt being spared from the outbreak even companies that are technically operating normally since they have few or no stores to close. Since the start of 2020, online sales growth for apparel has plunged to zero from a growth rate of about 30 per cent the previous quarter, according to data from e-commerce software firm ChannelAdvisor. The steepest drop came at the beginning of March, the study shows. Meanwhile, data from e-commerce research company Edison Trends shows that from March 2 to March 22, a handful of e-commerce brands including Stitch Fix and ThirdLove saw a weekly average drop of 7 per cent in sales. As consumers grapple with the pandemic and a stalling economy, their spending priorities are shifting amid the uncertainty, said Mike Shapaker, chief marketing officer at ChannelAdvisor. Right now everybodys focused on getting enough food, toilet paper and whatever you need to live, Shapaker said. If we come out of this, we can see everything spike back up, or this becomes a new normal for quite a long time. Widespread Impact While its still early, major brands appear to be experiencing less of a blow amid the outbreak, Edison Trends data shows. Nikes online sales posted comparatively modest declines in the first two weeks of March, while Adidas experienced a sharp increase due to a broad promotion. Nonetheless, most retailers will only absorb a fraction of lost sales from store closures, according to a report from Moodys Investors Service. While companies selling groceries and essentials may benefit, most brick-and-mortar operations will not be able to offset the steep loss from store sales with their online platforms, Moodys analysts including Christina Boni wrote. Powell, meanwhile, is quickly running through his options to keep his business afloat. For now, he has furloughed several employees after scaling back advertising on Google and Instagram until the dust settles. Because Ratio sells customized shirts, it carries less finished product in its inventory, so offering discounts isnt feasible, he said. While were hoping for the best, we have to plan for the worst, and we simply cant predict how long this will last, he said. Cease to Exist Caitlin Mociun, 38, is facing the same bind at her jewelry business, Mociun. In early March, she said demand for her products, which include rings, necklaces and earrings, was strong. But then came a massive drop. For five days, she watched her online sales fall sharply. As a small business, if people dont keep buying things, we will cease to exist, Mociun said. YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian held a telephone conversation with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE's Armed Forces, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. During their talk the Armenian President and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi exchanged information about the situation in their countries and all over the world caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), highlighting the direct dialogue and exchange of opinions between the leaderships of the two countries. President Sarkissian said he is aware of the UAE leaderships ongoing preventive steps and informed that Armenia as well is taking respective measures to fight the spread of the disease. In the current crisis the sides attached importance to the direct and constant cooperation, exchange of experience and information between the two states. President Sarkissian said the UAEs experience is very important for Armenia. In his turn the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi said the UAE is ready to support Armenia with all means. The officials also discussed the January 2020 visit of the Armenian President to the UAE and noted that the agreements reached during the visit are in force and at the implementation stage. The Armenian President said in such situation the issue of food safety remains relevant in the world. An agreement was reached to accelerate the practical steps to make Armenia a regional platform. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan The following events are planned for the upcoming week throughout the region: Jurassic Quest, featuring more than 100 life-like dinosaurs, dinosaur themed rides, live dinosaur shows and more, opens Saturday and runs through Jan. 23 at the Pennsylvania Convention... [March 25, 2020] Major New Online Learning Resource for Eye Care Professionals WATERFORD, Ireland, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A transatlantic partnership between Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland and Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Penn., U.S.A. has created a new online learning resource allowing optometrists and eye care technicians to complete certified training about the importance of nutrition to eye health at their desk or using a mobile device. Set to become a valuable learning resource for busy professionals, MacuLearn.com is the brainchild of Prof John Nolan, Nutrition Research Centre Ireland, School of Health Science, Waterford Institute of Technology and Dr James Stringham, Visual Performance Laboratory, Duke University Medical School, North Carolina. The pair who have both earned international reputations for their research on how nutrition impacts on visual performance see a significant opportunity to open global access to a range of video tutorials. Those who complete each session will be tested with a short online questionnaire before receiving an online certificate as proof of successful completion. Speaking as the educational website was launched, Prof Nolan said: "We see this as a great way to communicate and share, making research findings and useful information globally accessible in a single source. There is a cnsiderable appetite for accredited programs like this that take large bodies of research and deliver it in digestible form. "The traditional model for continuing professional development where people came together in person to attend seminars is limited in reach and also coming under additional strain now as we are all more conscious of our carbon footprint and the need to reduce air travel. This is even more timely given the enormous impact of COVID-19 on education and continued learning, with most of this year's eye care conferences cancelled. MacuLearn will provide doctors and their staff with the latest information on eye nutrition, vision, retinal diseases, and also guidance on how we can enhance and protect vision for all our patients." Dr Stringham added: "The last two decades have seen huge strides made in our scientific understanding of the importance of nutrition to the eye. Part of the challenge we are responding to now is to continue to educate and inform eye health practitioners about those advances and how they can integrate ocular nutrition in to their frontline work with patients. "What MacuLearn is offering and we will build further over time is a different channel to access valuable learning opportunities. Over time, this can help eye health professionals keep their skills up-to-date and to acquire new knowledge and understanding without significant disruption to their working and personal life. It will also reduce costs and the online materials can be kept updated more easily so that learning is as current and relevant as possible." The www.maculearn.com site is now live and will be added to with further learning modules through the rest of 2020 and beyond. Media Contact: Brian Nolan [email protected] +353868191730 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/major-new-online-learning-resource-for-eye-care-professionals-301029285.html SOURCE MacuLearn [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] On the occasion of the death anniversary of state and political figure, former Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, third President of Armenia, President of the Republican Party of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan today visited Komitas Pantheon along with the renowned state and political figures son, ex-mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan and paid tribute to the late Andranik Margaryan, as reported on the non-official page of third President of Armenia. Yesterday, the Executive Body of the Republican Party of Armenia issued an announcement in which it asked its partisans and Andranik Margaryans friends, close ones and former colleagues and several citizens who have great respect for him and who always visit Komitas Pantheon on March 25, to stay at home this year and pray for his soul to rest in peace. India: Pastor says life becoming 'far more difficult' for Christians amid escalating persecution Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A pastor in India has opened up about the deteriorating state of religious freedom in the country, revealing things are becoming far more difficult for Christians who almost daily encounter persecution for their faith. Things have become far more difficult for pastors like me, Pastor Ramesh Kumar, a church planter who leads house churches in 12 villages outside of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, told persecution watchdog International Christian Concern. Almost daily, I encounter a situation where I am asked to stop preaching the Gospel and recant my faith in Jesus. Pastor Kumar described several incidents of persecution he has experienced over the last several weeks. Some days, it is only a mild warning, he said, but other times, it turns into a frightening physical assault. On March 16, the pastor was about to leave his home when four people showed up at his door. What started as a civil conversation quickly turned volatile after the pastor revealed he preaches Jesus to people who want to hear. When the four men asked if I receive money for converting people, I immediately sensed the trouble was going beyond my control, he recalled. I immediately called my landlord, who is a Hindu, and he came to my rescue. He dispersed the four men by explaining that I am not doing any harm to anyone. The pastor uses a bicycle to shuttle between villages to conduct prayers, lead Bible studies and various Sunday worship services, and share the Gospel message with people he meets along the road. He described a recent incident where one of his house churches was almost shut down. It was around noon after I had completed Sunday worship in Puran Patti village, he recalled. Suddenly, a four-wheel vehicle full of young men stopped in front of the church. These young men entered the church shouting anti-Christian slogans and started to hurl abuses at the Christians who had gathered. After an hour of intense abuse, the Hindu radicals locked and sealed the door of the church. They told my congregation and me that we were no longer allowed to assemble in the church. It was a very painful thing for my congregation and me. However, we took the matter to the village president. He came to the church and opened the locked doors. According to the village president, the people who attacked the church were outsiders, and the village president knew we were not harming anyone by holding worship in the church. Despite the persecution he continues to face, the pastor stressed that God has been very faithful. I am not going to stop witnessing and will continue to serve Jesus even though things are not favorable at the moment," he said. I do get worried every day when I go out. But I do know that God will help me. According to Persecution Relief, which tracks anti-Christian persecution and harassment in India, crimes against Christians in India increased 60 percent between 2016 and 2019. The majority of these incidents have happened in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India, with nearly 200 million people. However, only about 350,000 Christians live in the state. According to reports, police in the state have worked in tandem with Hindu extremists to mistreat Christians and other religious minorities. Illegal arrests and false criminal charges are among the most common forms of police harassment endured by Christians in Uttar Pradesh. In February, leaders of the Hindu nationalist group Vishwa Hindu Parishad held a press conference claiming they identified 30 locations in Indias Uttar Pradesh state where religious conversions were taking place, notes ICC. The VHP leaders vowed to end these forced conversions in a door to door Ghar Wapsi campaign. As part of Ghar Wapsi, or back to home campaigns, Hindu extremists storm into villages and lead reconversion ceremonies in which Christians are compelled to perform Hindu rituals. Since this announcement, attacks on Christians and their places of worship in Uttar Pradesh have skyrocketed, according to ICC, which notes that almost every weekend since the press conference, it has received reports of Christians in Uttar Pradesh facing intimidation, harassment, arrest or assault. India is ranked 10th on Open Doors 2020 World Watch List of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. According to the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, which has been documenting incidents of persecution against Christians since 1998, incidents targeting Indian Christians have risen steeply since 2014, when Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power. In 2019 alone, the EFI documented at least 366 violent attacks on Christians and their places of worship in India. Amid the rising coronavirus cases in the US, the World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Margaret Harris on Tuesday (March 24) expressed fear that the US could become the new epicentre of COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Addressing a press conference, WHO spokesperson said that though Europe is still the epicentre of coronavirus outbrealk but the US has registered a huge spike in coronavirus cases in the last few days. "Europe is still the centre of the pandemic, but there had been "a very large acceleration" in cases in the US," said the WHO spokesperson. According to Harris, as of last Saturday, 75 per cent of new infections across the globe were recorded in Europe, while 15 per cent cases were from the United States. Harris added that nearly 50% of the new cases over the past 24 hours were from Europe, while 40 per cent were from the US. Notably, the death toll from coronavirus outbreak in the United States has risen above 600, with more than 50,000 cases of infection confirmed, the John Hopkins University of Medicine said on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump on Turesday said that he is planning to lift the lockdown by Easter holidays. "I would love to have it opened by Easter (April 12). It is such an important day for other reasons, but I will make it an important day for this too. I would love to have the country opened up by Easter," said Trump during a Town Hall. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a major decision to tackle the COVID-19, announcing that India will observe a complete lockdown for 21 days from midnight of March 24 to fight coronavirus COVID-19. Addressing the nation for the second time in a week, PM Modi said, "From 12 am of March 24 entire country will be on complete lockdown for three weeks (21 days) due to COVID-19," said PM Modi." He added that the lockdown is in a way curfew and would be more stringent than Janata curfew. How long a shopper will wait for an online order varies by store and depends on when customers place orders, as well as whether they are picking up their purchase or having it delivered. About 67% of U.S. consumers expect to do more shopping online if the pandemic continues, and nearly 70% of those shoppers said they thought they would buy more food online, according to a survey conducted by Coresight Research last week. It's hard for grocery stores to react to growth like that overnight, said Neil Stern, senior partner at Chicago-based retail consultancy McMillanDoolittle. Delivering them isn't easy: A single order likely has a variety of oddly shaped products that need to be kept at different temperatures. Adding workers focused on online orders who pick items off store shelves and pack them up for delivery can help, but they also compete with other customers for merchandise, Stern said. In other words, there are no shortcuts. The employee filling your online order may lose out to another shopper reaching for the same product. "Now grocery stores look like war zones. They're not going to have any more success getting toilet paper than you are," Stern said. Well-known local charity worker and businessman Conor Hughes is currently stranded in Kotoka airport in the African country of Ghana due to the limiting of flights as the Covid-19 crisis escalates. Blackrock man Conor was on charity work in Ghana and was attempting to return home when the crisis struck. His charity, Crosscause, released the following update on Conor's plight: "As Asia, Europe and the USA are transfixed with the battle against the COVID19 virus Crosscause continues its battle against poverty on projects in Africa this March 2020. Conor Hughes has been caught up in delivering and distributing donated goods by the container loads in the Ghana, West Africa. "The donations include 1000s of school books, blackboards, a refurbished tractor, wheelchairs, sewing machines and lots more. Crosscause are building new homes for vunerable kids. "The initial project is to build 2 houses to cater for up to 15 orphaned children many of whom have been banished from their village just because of a disability. "Conor has finished this phase of the project but is stranded in Kotoka airport unable to get a flight back to Europe let alone Ireland. He is checking availability on a daily basis and liaising with the Irish consulate in Africa. He is in good health and spirits but is keen to get back home as soon as possible." A member of the public wears a a protective mask at a Tube station in London on March 25, 2020. (Alex Davidson/Getty Images) CCP Virus May Have Infected Half of UK Population: Oxford Study The CCP virus that causes the disease COVID-19 may have already infected as much as half of the population in the United Kingdom, a new study based on a model developed by Oxford University scientists suggests. If these preliminary results are borne out by widespread serological surveys of the population, this would mean that fewer than 1 in 1,000 people infected with the illness gets sick enough to need hospitalization. Confirmation of the conclusions of the study would support the notion that the initial herd immunity strategy of the British government may have been reasonable. I am surprised that there has been such unqualified acceptance of the Imperial model, said Sunetra Gupta, professor of theoretical epidemiology, lead author of the study, in remarks to the Financial Times. Gupta was referring to a key projection study that helped convince the British government to impose more stringent measures to contain COVID-19. It painted a worst-case picture of hundreds of thousands of deaths and a health service overwhelmed with severely sick patients. The modeling study, by a team led by Neil Ferguson, a professor of mathematical biology at Imperial College London, compared the potential impact of COVID-19 with the devastating flu outbreak of 1918. Fergusons team stated that with no mitigating measures at all, that outbreak could have caused more than half a million deaths in Britain and 2.2 million in the United States. The new Oxford study, done by a team from Oxfords Evolutionary Ecology of Infectious Disease Lab, isnt final and is subject to updates, a disclaimer notes. It concludes there is an immediate need for large-scale serological surveys to assess the stage of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. Serological surveys test for the presence of antibodies in people who have developed immunity to the virus after coming into contact with it. We need immediately to begin large-scale serological surveysantibody testingto assess what stage of the epidemic we are in now, Gupta told the Financial Times. The Oxford team is working with researchers at the universities of Cambridge and Kent to verify their results and quickly move to antibody testing. Less Reliance on Invasive Measures While there has been considerable focus on COVID-19 testing, the ability to detect whether someone has already been infected is a key factor in fighting the pandemic. If a sizable portion of a local community has some protection, authorities can be more confident in relying less on invasive measures. Once deployed, serological tests are cheap, straightforward, and easy to scale, said former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, according to The Wall Street Journal. A microbiology lab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, led by Dr. Florian Krammer, recently announced the development of this type of serological test for COVID-19, the first of its kind in the United States. A non-peer reviewed preprint was posted on medRxiv. Krammer was cited by Science Mag as saying that the serological test is simple enough so other labs can easily scale it up to screen a few thousand people a day. As of 9:46 a.m. ET on March 25, a Johns Hopkins tally indicated there were 8,317 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom, with 434 deaths. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, also called SARS-CoV-2, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mishandling allowed the virus to spread throughout China and spark a global pandemic. 69 Drugs, Compounds Potentially Effective Against COVID-19 Separately, researchers have identified dozens of drugs and compounds, some experimental and others already approved by health authorities, that may be effective in combating the CCP virus. In a preprint study not yet peer-reviewed, published on March 22 on bioRxiv, the research team indicated it found hundreds of high confidence interactions between SARS-CoV-2 virus proteins and druggable human proteins. Nearly 70 substances, including both drugs in clinical trials and those already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as preclinical compounds, have the potential to impact the virus, the team found. Among these, we identify 66 druggable human proteins or host factors targeted by 69 existing FDA-approved drugs, drugs in clinical trials and/or preclinical compounds, that we are currently evaluating for efficacy in live SARS-CoV-2 infection assays, the team wrote. The fact that the human proteins, or host factors, are impacted by existing drugs and experimental compounds makes it more likely that effective molecular targets can be identified that could be hit by potential antiviral therapeutics based on these drugs or compounds. The list includes chloroquine, which kills a parasite that causes malaria. The drug can also interact with a human protein called the sigma-1 receptor, the same one the CCP virus attacks. 3D print of a spike protein of SARS-CoV-2which The Epoch Times refers to as the CCP virusin front of a 3D print of a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle. (Courtesy of NIAID/RML) President Donald Trump has referred to chloroquine optimistically in terms of potential effectiveness against the virus. Chloroquine, or hydroxychloroquine, is approved by the FDA for treatment of malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, but not for COVID-19. Last week, the FDA approved chloroquine and remdesivir to treat patients with COVID-19 under the compassionate use framework. This lets doctors use experimental treatments or medications that have been approved for other ailments to treat COVID-19 patients. Under this model, medical practitioners are required to share all patient information regarding administration of and response to the drug, thereby helping inform ongoing trials and regulatory initiatives. A complete list of the other literature-derived drugs and reagents that modulate SARS-CoV-2 interactors is found in table 1a of the study (pdf). These include: JQ1, or thienotriazolodiazepine, which is an inhibitor of the BET family of bromodomain proteins and is at the pre-clinical phase; RVX-208, also known as apabetalone, a drug undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of atherosclerosis and heart disease; and entacapone, an FDA-approved drug used in the treatment of Parkinsons disease. Authorities caution against the use of non-approved drugs and reagents to treat medical conditions outside of clinical frameworks such as compassionate use, warning that unauthorized use may cause harm or death. Wits heroes confront COVID-19 Amongst the best in their fields, Wits experts are at the frontlines and behind-the-scenes against COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. Eminent academics at Wits University in disciplines including epidemiology, medicine, public health, biomedical engineering, governance, and others, are the unsung heroes leading the charge against COVID-19. The pandemic galvanized President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday, 15 March 2020, to invoke a state of disaster in South Africa, and then a national lockdown effective midnight, Thursday, 26 March 2020. There is hope against this viral pandemic, however. In concert with the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), the Department of Health, and the South African government, an army of heroic scientists at Wits are helping to understand, predict, and contain COVID-19, manage the public health and socio-economic impact, and develop treatment and care regimens. The Wits heroes mentioned here represent just a fraction of the Universitys community of academic, professional, and support staff who all are working tirelessly and contributing in multiple ways to mitigate this state of disaster. We salute you all. Understanding the enemy Professor of Epidemiology in the Wits School of Public Health, Cheryl Cohen is a medical doctor and co-head of the Centre for Respiratory Disease and Meningitis at the NICD. Through her work she aims to generate evidence to guide policy for the control of respiratory diseases. In 2009, she led the establishment of a national surveillance programme in South Africa for severe acute respiratory infections. She is at the forefront of COVID-19 case-finding, diagnosis, management and public health response. In this video, Cohen explains how the NICD Help Lines can assist the public and healthcare workers respectively. Adriano Duse is Professor and Head of Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Wits. On 12 March 2020, Duse delivered a public lecture entitled, Myths and Facts about SARS-CoV-2: The COVID-19 Outbreak 2019-2010 What you can do to reduce infection risk, hosted by the Wits Students Pathology Society. In January 2020, Duse delivered a radio Masterclass on Superbugs. Listen to the podcast. Kerrigan McCarthy is a clinical microbiologist and Head of the Division of Public Health, Surveillance and Response at the NICD. Here her responsibilities include oversight of the Outbreak Response Unit, Notifiable Medical Conditions and GERMS-SA surveillance. McCarthy lectures in the Wits School of Public Health. Amongst the virus hunters interrogating the epidemiology [patterns and causes of disease] of Covid-19 is microbiologist Lynn Morris, a Research Professor in the School of Pathology at Wits and the Interim Executive Director of the NICD. Morris is internationally recognised for her work in understanding how the antibody response to HIV develops. A National Research Foundation A-rated scientist, she is amongst the most highly cited researchers in the world. Morris has a lifetimes experience fighting viruses. She explains why COVID-19 presents one of the greatest challenges yet for South Africa and the world. Understanding each other A Distinguished Professor of Medical Anthropology and Public Health, Lenore Manderson is internationally renown for her work in anthropology, social history and public health. She has played a leading role in training and research in inequality, social exclusion and marginality, the social determinants of infectious and chronic disease, gender and sexuality, immigration and ethnicity, in Australian, Asian and African settings. The advent of COVID-19 prompted the Institute of Plumbing South Africa (IOPSA) to contact Wits for an expert to deliver a Q&A webinar for their members. Given the requirement of taps and plumbing for hand-washing, hygiene and sanitation against the virus, coupled with social distancing, quarantining and isolation protocols, plumbers were understandably concerned. Manderson participated in a 1.5-hour long Q&A session for IOPSA. Watch the PIRB Breakfast Tech Talk Virus Q&A webinar. Associate Professor Jo Vearey is the Director of the African Centre for Migration & Society at Wits and Director of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Centre of Excellence on Migration & Mobility. Given that the coronavirus spread originally via travelling, Vearey cautions against hypocrisy in a time of Covid-19 and advocates that foreign migrants be included in the Covid-19 response. The sanctimony of moving from blaming foreign migrants to now rendering them invisible in a critical public health moment will have implications for our response to Covid-19, says Vearey. In this podcast, Vearey discusses how South Africas impending winter, an historical HIV-AIDS pandemic, and xenophobic attitudes combine to generate surprising and unexpected responses to Covid-19. Towards treatment Professor of Vaccinology and paediatrician, Shabir Madhi is Director of the Medical Research Council Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit (RMPRU) at Wits. Madhi holds the NRF/SARChI Chair in Vaccine Preventable Diseases. His research has focused on the epidemiology and clinical development of lifesaving vaccines against pneumonia and diarrhoeal disease and has informed the WHO recommendations on the use of the lifesaving pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, rotavirus vaccine, and influenza vaccination of pregnant women. Madhi is the immediate past Director of the NICD and former President of the World Society of Infectious Diseases. He has consulted to the WHO in the fields of vaccinology and pneumonia and to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on pneumonia. Watch Madhi explain how coronovirus enters the body. Read why pregnant women are not more prone to contracting COVID-19. On the treatment front, Professor Helen Rees is Executive Director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI). She chairs the World Health Organizations (WHO) African Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group and she is Co-Chair of WHOs Ebola Vaccine Working Group. South Africa is one of 10 countries involved in an urgent global trial, "Solidarity", announced by the WHO to identify the most effective treatment for coronavirus. Listen to Rees discuss South Africa's role in this global study. Renowned HIV expert, Professor Francois Venter is Director of Ezintsha and Deputy Executive Director of Wits RHI. With an active interest in public sector access to HIV services, medical ethics and human rights, Venter is attuned to the impact of COVID-19 on those with comorbidities such as HIV and TB. He is an advisor to the South African government, to the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society and to the WHO. Venter speaks from quarantine about the changing landscape of COVID-19 and the fundamental role that behaviour change plays in reducing infection. Caring for the sick Professor Feroza Motara is Academic Head of Emergency Medicine in the School of Clinical Medicine at Wits and at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital - where the first COVID-19 patient in Gauteng was treated. Motara has since December 2019, when news of the virus broke, been preparing her team and the hospital to care for the ill. Read Motaras comments about how healthcare workers on the frontline of the pandemic are coping. Were in the profession because there is that dedication and commitment. You still have to go to work and do what you need to do, she says. Big Data battle lines Predicting and anticipating the trajectory of the virus to mitigate casualties and inform policy requires number-crunching, modelling, and analysis of Big Data. An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Wits this week launched the most comprehensive data dashboard to date on the COVID-19 virus in South Africa. Wits School of Physics Professor Bruce Mellado-Garcier, who initiated the project, says: We are experts in analysing and interpreting big data, and we believe that it is important that someone put this data together and present a bigger picture of the impact of the virus on the country. Similarly, the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) has developed an interactive map showing the provinces vulnerability to Covid-19. Dr Julia De Kadt, et al, devised this Map of the Month. The GCRO is a partnership between Wits University, the University of Johannesburg, and the Gauteng Provincial Government. Its mandate is building strategic intelligence through improved data, information, analysis and reflective evaluation, for better planning, management and co-operative government. Expert commentary advancing policy Professor Karen Hofman is Director of the SAMRC/Wits Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science (PRICELESS SA), a research-to-policy unit that provides evidence, methodologies and tools for effective decision-making in health. PRICELESS SA analyses how scarce resources can be used effectively, efficiently, and equitably to achieve better health outcomes. Some PRICELESS SA research has shown how fiscal, regulatory and legislative levers can improve health via social determinants. Hofman, with Susan Goldstein, Deputy Director of PRICELESS SA, wrote one of the earliest articles advocating hand-washing, which has since become COVID-19 protocol. Economist Prof. Imraan Valodia, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at Wits, is currently coordinating an international study, in 10 cities, of the informal economy. His research interests include employment, the informal economy, gender, and industrialisation. He is a part-time member of the Competition Tribunal and a Commissioner on the Employment Conditions Commission and Chair of the National Minimum Wage Advisory Panel. The COVID-19 crisis is first and foremost a health and humanitarian crisis that we are all living through, which is likely to have lasting impacts on how we live. It is also likely to have a lasting impact, in the long term, on how we conduct our economic lives, says Valodia. Read his analysis of the risks on economic inaction of COVID-19. In the School of Governance, Adjunct Professor Alex Van Den Heever holds the Chair in Social Security Systems Administration and Management studies, which seeks to develop the field of social security postgraduate teaching and research in Africa and South Africa. Van Den Heever has worked in the areas of health economics and finance, public finance and social security. His research interests span healthcare management, healthcare quality, healthcare delivery, cost and economic analysis, health equity, health inequality and disparities, and preventive medicine. Read Van Den Heevers analysis of the health and economic ramifications of COVID-19. Innovating against infection In the Faculty of Science, Head of the School of Molecular and Cell Biology, Prof. Marianne Cronje and her team took the initiative to synthesise virus-killing surface disinfectant and provided limited quantities of this disinfectant freely to University workers ahead of lockdown. The production plant has now been shifted to PIMD, while the school retains scientific oversight. In the schools Protein Structure Function Research Unit, Prof. Yasien Sayed coordinated the donation of 56 boxes of protective gloves to healthcare workers at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, after a Wits medical intern mentioned the shortage. Gloves and other PPE (personal protective equipment), such as masks, are critical to preventing infection. Michael Lucas, a PhD candidate in the School of Mechanical Engineering has developed a revolutionary infection control solution. WATCH Lucas explain how his self-sanitising surface coating will help to address nosocomial [hospital-acquired] infections, as well as mitigate contamination of food processing plants and public transport surfaces. The Antimicrobial Coating Technology is now in its fifth year of development, with implications of preventing infection beyond COVID-19. A British national, who was administered HIV antiretroviral drugs for treating his coronavirus infection, has tested negative, doctors at the Ernakulam Medical College Hospital here said on Wednesday The patient, who had earlier tested positive for COVID-19, responded well to the drugs combination of Ritonavir and Lopinavir, and his latest test results showed he has recovered, a hospital statement said. The doctors said the treatment was effective on the patient who was given the drugs for seven days. The result of the test of his samples conducted three days after giving him the drugs returned negative, they said. The doctors made the disclosure of his recovery after the second test result on March 23 also turned negative. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo: Steve Owens | Taxi | Getty Images With COVID-19 impacting more and more Americans 44,183 people have contracted the disease in the U.S. and 544 have died at last count individuals across the country are scrambling to set up wills and end-of-life directives. That includes 32-year-old Morgan Hopkins, who after seeing how much damage the coronavirus has caused across the globe, decided that now is a good time to write down who would get her possessions in case the worst happened. "I started seeing stories of young people who are in otherwise perfectly good health in the hospital or in critical condition with the coronavirus," she says. "I'm willing to think about the worst-case scenario, and I wanted to be prepared no one is immune." Last Thursday, as people began social distancing in earnest, Hopkins created an account with Cake, a company that lets people create wills and other end-of-life plans entirely online. From her home, she outlined who would get her things, including jewelry, assets from two retirement accounts and loads of Beyonce paraphernalia. "I'm obsessed with her," says Perkins. She also gave directives on the kind of funeral she'd want, how she should be cared for if she becomes mentally incapacitated and even who should manage her social media accounts if she passes away. "I was surprised by the things it asked me that I hadn't thought of," she says. Over the last two weeks, online will companies have seen an explosion in users. As of Monday, Boston-based Gentreo has seen a 143% week-over-week increase in people filling out wills, according to the company, while San Diego's Trust & Will has seen a 50% uptick in users. "We've had a massive increase over the last two weeks," says Cody Barbo, Trust & Wills founder and CEO. "It's parents with minor children or people over 50 who are concerned about their own health if they contract the disease." The rise in online wills Court confusion? However, as online wills grow in popularity, a chorus of lawyers increasingly caution against using them. A quick Google search will bring up articles on the dangers of do-it-yourself wills or stories of online wills that were thrown out in court. Leslie Tayne, founder of New York-based Tayne Law Group, says that "if the online will meets all of the legal requirements of your state, the will can be deemed valid. However, since the vast majority of DIY wills are created and executed without any oversight from an attorney, a larger number of wills (may not be) executed in compliance with the proper will formalities, and that could end up making the will invalid." Sarah Wentz, a lawyer with Fox Rothschild in Philadelphia, had a client whose parent filled out an online will but ended up writing down contradictory information as to who got what and, after that person passed away, the will was contested in court. "They left the same thing to multiple people," she says. "If there was a lawyer, they would understand the nuances of how things need to be written, and the client can make sure that what they really want is being conveyed in the documents." Wills (may not be) executed in compliance with the proper will formalities, and that could end up making the will invalid. Leslie Tayne founder of New York-based Tayne Law Group Despite this situation, Wentz isn't against online wills. They are legal all you need is a notary and two witnesses (this can vary state by state) to sign a will, and the last step in creating an online will is printing out the document and getting it notarized and they do ask you many of the same questions that a lawyer would. She does think they're better for simpler wills, because it's easier to make mistakes with more complicated estates. "Some of the biggest litigation cases I've ever had have to do with discrepancies in documents and no real ability to understand what that person was doing," she says. Barbo says anyone, not matter how complicated the estate, can use them, while Mary Kate D'Sousa, a veteran estate lawyer and co-founder of Gentreo, says that while they can be used for complex estates, she agrees with Wentz in that those with around $3 million in assets or below might find it more useful than those with multimillion-dollar estates. "You can still use these if you had millions of dollars," says D'Sousa. "But at that point, you may want to spend the $10,000 on a lawyer and do other things to protect your money." Those who are thinking about using an online will should make sure the site is compliant with state-specific regulations. While wills are generally created in the same way across the country, there are some nuances in each locale that, if ignored, could cause problems later on, says Wentz. Most online sites do take various regulations into account, and they automatically update their software when regulations change, but don't take it for granted. Virtual signing Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here. Joe Biden, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, elicited criticism on Tuesday after he accused President Trump of ignoring early warning signs about the coronavirus pandemic and worsening the dual health and economic crises the nation faces. On Monday, the former vice president, in a makeshift studio from his home in Delaware, made his first public comments about the epidemic in more than a week as some Democrats began to worry about Bidens lack of visibility. Biden used his platform to hammer the White Houses response to the virus as insufficient and called on Trump to act like the wartime president he says he is. Donald Trump is not to blame for the coronavirus, but he does bear responsibility for our response, he added. I, along with every American, hope he steps up and starts to get this right. But while Bidens comments may have assuaged fears among some Democrats that the leading Democratic candidate, whos not yet locked in the number of delegates he needs to secure the partys nomination, would cede the limelight to Trump during the unprecedented crisis, it also raised concerns that he could alienate independent voters. STOCK MARKET'S CORONAVIRUS PLUNGE CONJURES 1987 CRASH FLASHBACKS I think he sort of has to say that. Im not sure its a good look, said William McGurn, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush. Its a difficult position when youre trying to be president, and the president himself is always going to look presidential just by making decisions. People who normally wouldnt have sympathy for a president of the other party might have it in this case. Im not sure its a good look for Joe Biden. Plenty of Americans approve of the job Trump has been doing to address COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and his approval rating has risen over the past week. A Monmouth University poll released Monday found that 50 percent of respondents believe Trump has done a good job dealing with the outbreak, while 45 percent say he has done a bad job. Story continues Frankly, I think that if Joe Biden were smart and really wanted to get those marginal voters, hed be criticizing those Democrats in Congress for holding this thing up, McGurn said. Meanwhile the president is on television every day with a press conference making decisions and giving us updates. Thats a hard thing to beat. Biden released a plan at the beginning of the month to address the virus, including guaranteeing free COVID-19 tests for those who need it, rushing resources to hospitals and health care workers to ensure theyre equipped to handle the pandemic and creating a fund for paid sick leave, capped out at $1,400 per week, or about $72,800 in annual earnings. The Trump administration is currently pushing for the passage of a $2 trillion bill that would send checks of up to $1,200 to taxpayers who earn less than $99,000 a year, provide loans for small businesses and large tax cuts for big corporations. Lawmakers appeared poised to close in on an agreement on the package on Tuesday. Work on the bill follows the enactment of an $8.3 billion package of emergency funding for prevention efforts and research earlier this month, and the passage of a bill aimed at expanding the social safety net, including free COVID-19 testing, even for the uninsured, extending paid sick leave to more Americans and providing billions in funding to state and local governments for food programs and unemployment benefits. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS Related Articles Media conglomerate Network18 has launched #IndiaGives, a campaign to financially support the countrys most vulnerable citizens during the coronavirus lockdown. As a first step, the over 6,000 employees of the Network18 group have contributed a days salary to the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund, to be used to provide succor to daily-wage workers whose livelihoods have been affected due to the shutdown. Hundreds of millions of Indians have little or no financial security. Some 77.2% of Indian households, or nearly 200 million households, are either self-employed or are engaged in casual labour. (Source: Periodic Labour Force Survey report, May 2019). A shock on the scale caused by the three-week national coronavirus shutdown could be devastating. Which is why our journalists and our media brandsNews18 India, CNBC-TV18, CNN News18, News18 regional-language channels, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC Bazaar, Moneycontrol, Firstpost, News18.com and Forbes Indiawill pay particular attention to the stories of those whose livelihoods will be most badly impacted by the shutdown. While it is true that daily-wage workers are going to bear the brunt, it is equally true that when Indians come together to fight for the common good, we uplift ourselves and emerge victorious. The generosity of Indians is unmatched, and so are our empathy and resolve. Through the #IndiaGives campaign, the media brands of Network18 will channelize the generosity and empathy of Indians to the noble cause of protecting the Indian worker. The Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, has spoken of the urgent need to protect daily-wage workers and casual labourers. Contributions to the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund for this purpose will be a great national service. Network18 urges all large-hearted citizens to join #IndiaGives. Together we win. In a bid to fund the war on Coronavirus(Covid-19), Nandi county officials led by Governor Stephen Sang have agreed to take pay cuts for at least two months. Speaking after meeting with his Cabinet members, the governor said he and his deputy Yulita Cheruiyot will slash their salaries by 30% for the months of March and April. Governor Sang added that County Secretary, the County Executive Committee Members and the Chief Officers agreed to take a 25% pay cut for the same period. The resultant amount of money will be channeled into the emergency fund account to enable us continuously procure additional and any urgently needed medical supplies and items in response to the current emergency, said the governor. Sang also directed all health workers pursuing postgraduate studies and other cadres to report back to work for training on how to combat Covid-19. He also asked all those currently on annual leave to return to their respective health facilities for further directions. Those taking their courses at the University of Nairobi School of Medicine are hereby directed to report to the health chief officer, those at Moi University taking their registrar courses should report to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital CEO for training, Sang announced. The county CEO further assured residents that water would be availed to them throughout this period. He warned the Kapsabet Nandi Water Service Company (KANAWASCO) against disconnecting water supply in the county. We wish to further assure the public of our continuous provision of water and sanitation services especially during this time of the highly infectious COVID-19 disease, he said. In this regard, KANAWASCO is hereby directed not to cut any water supplies to homes and business premises for whatever reason. Users are however strongly advised to regularize their accounts with the company to avoid incurring huge penalties resulting from non-payment of their water bills. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Stephanie Huwyler, a senior at the University of New Mexico, baked a cheesecake on Tuesday. An interdisciplinary film and digital media major, Huwyler until recently was applying for internships and trying to get accepted into an industry union. But shes taken to practicing culinary arts and is trying to stay positive while preparing to launch her post-collegiate career in a world of uncertainty because of the spread of the coronavirus. For Huwyler and her peers, the other shoe dropped late Monday when UNM President Garnett Stokes announced that the school is postponing commencement for spring 2020 graduates. That one stings, Stokes acknowledged on Twitter. The decision applies to all college and school ceremonies and related activities. Huwyler, who is from Houston, had planned for her family to attend the graduation ceremony. And she and her close friends had envisioned a party with their families following the commencement. Obviously, its a really big bummer. Id like to share this moment with as many people as I can, including my family, she said. But right now I just dont know if thats going to happen. Theres so much uncertainty going on. Stokes, while announcing that the May 16 ceremony would be postponed, said the school is committed to celebrating its 2020 graduating class at some point. Last year, the spring graduation celebrated nearly 4,000 students, ranging from those who earned an associate degree to new doctors graduating from medical school. I know that walking across the stage wearing your cap and gown to accept that hard-earned diploma is one of the most significant and memorable parts of the University experience, Stokes wrote. We want to ensure that our Lobo class of 2020 is properly recognized and celebrated, especially under these particularly challenging conditions. In the coming weeks, we will engage our students to help develop a creative strategy to honor our spring graduates. Huwyler said the decision to cancel the ceremony is obviously for the best. But it was nonetheless another blow for the soon-to-be graduates, many of whom are worried about entering the workforce right now. My medical field friends are looking good, she said. A lot of my (fine arts) peers and I are very stressed that we may have to face unemployment. The university is planning on having students complete their studies this semester remotely. Stokes said in her message that students who are approaching graduation will be able to complete their degrees. Please know that we recognize the stress created by the transition to remote instruction and we continue to welcome ideas and feedback about how best to serve our students in their varying circumstances, she wrote. Anthony Jackson contributed to this report. Toronto Police are relaxing rush-hour parking rules during a state of emergency in the city as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. On Wednesday afternoon, a press release from the police service announced the changes, effective immediately, after reports of people being towed while trying to make deliveries and pick up essentials. The Toronto Police Service Parking Enforcement continues to exercise discretion with regards to street parking enforcement to accommodate the changing needs of our city, particularly for those who are now working from home, caring for others, or trying to ensure the flow of goods and services during this challenging period, the release said. Effective immediately, the highest level of discretion will be applied to rush hour route enforcement. Only when an offence is having a significant negative impact on traffic flow in the immediate area will an infraction notice be issued. Also, the impounding of vehicles from rush hour routes will only be undertaken as a last resort. On Tuesday, the Star reported restaurant owner Conor Joerin had his delivery van towed from Bloor Street as he was loading it for deliveries of food from his kitchen stores to families in need. The ticket and towing fee totalled $400, which Joerin paid to get the van back and make the promised deliveries. Star readers made offers to pay the cost on Wednesday, something Joerin said he is grateful for as he looks to get the towing fine reversed. He said he and his co-owner soon hope to accept donations to support their free food deliveries to neighbours in need. Joerins restaurants, Sugo and Conozos, have been closed after provincial orders to prevent any spread of COVID-19. The relaxation of rush-hour rules is in addition to enforcement already suspended in the following areas: On-street permit parking On-street time limit offences North York Winter maintenance bylaw Expired vehicle validation licence plates Boulevard parking School zones with posted no stopping/no standing/no parking signage All other violations are still being policed. The Cambodian government confirmed six new coronavirus cases in the country; two additional cases from a French tour group in Sihanoukville and four from the Viking Journey Cruise, whose passengers were quarantined two weeks ago. This takes Cambodias tally to 93 cases, a majority of the cases reported just in the last two weeks. Speaking to volunteer doctors and healthcare professionals in Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Hun Sen confirmed two more cases among the French tour group quarantined in Sihanoukville. So far, 33 of the 36 tourists in that group have tested positive, as well as two Cambodian guides accompanying them. However, the Health Ministry did not confirm the two new cases as of publication. The ministry did confirm four positive cases among passengers, who were aboard the Viking Journey Cruise and quarantined in a hotel in Kampong Cham. Previously, three British tourists had contracted the respiratory disease, with the ministry reporting Tuesday night that two Americans and two British tourists were now positive for the virus. The four new cases in Kampong Cham comes after all passengers were put in quarantine two weeks ago. Fifty-three other passengers who had tested negative at the end of their quarantine were allowed to leave the hotel Tuesday. U.S. publication, USA Today, published an article on March 15, in which two of the quarantined Americans from the Viking Journey Cruise said they were being detained and not quarantined. They also complained of being housed in a filthy and dilapidated hotel, with ants, flying insects, little lizards. "There are dead bugs everywhere and also live bugs," said Theresa Gordon-Knapp, one of the two passengers quoted in the article. Hun Sen took umbrage to the article Wednesday morning and mocked the American couple for saying the Cambodian government had put them in a lizard place. The [two] American nationals are the ones who said we put them in a lizard place, Hun Sen said, though it was unclear if the two new cases were the same American couple who spoke to USA Today. They are rich and they want to stay at five-star hotel, he said. If we listened to them, maybe the five-star hotel would be destroyed. The Kano State House of Assembly has approved the request by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to access N50 billion bond from the Capital Market. The Speaker of the House, Abdulazeez Gafasa, on Wednesday, read a letter signed by the governor, dated March 24, seeking for their approval to access the loan. The Speaker, who presided over the plenary, explained that the loan was to enable the government complete some ongoing projects as well as embark on new ones. READ ALSO: Mr Gafasa said the loan, as contained in the letter, would be repaid within 10 years. The request was subsequently approved after exhaustive deliberations by the lawmakers. Meanwhile, the House has adjourned sitting to April 13. The Speaker directed the members to go back to their respective constituencies and embark on prayers against the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Gafasa prayed for Gods protection of all Nigerians against the disease and wished those already infected speedy recovery. (NAN) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio is seven to 14 days behind New York City in the curve of coronavirus cases, Dr. Amy Acton said Tuesday. The director of the Ohio Department of Health said in the daily statehouse news briefing that cases in Ohio are still climbing the steep slope of the pandemic curve. The state is up to 564 cases, with eight deaths. If Ohioans were not following Gov. Mike DeWines stay-at-home order, there could be up to 6,000 new cases a day, Acton said. Thats why every move youre doing is making all the difference. New York state has over 25,000 cases of the virus, nearly 7 percent of the global total, according to the New York Times. The case count is doubling every three days, with the peak expected in two to three weeks. We havent flattened the curve. And the curve is actually increasing, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday. The apex is higher than we thought and the apex is sooner than we thought. That is a bad combination of facts. Hospitals in Ohio are at 60 percent capacity, Acton said. But beds in the intensive care units are key. Ohio currently has about 3,600 ICU beds, she said. About 11 percent of coronavirus cases need ICU care. Ohio is working to convert anesthesia machines into ventilators, to treat coronavirus patients, and considering other buildings to transform into makeshift hospitals. Researchers are trying to find ways to reuse protective masks for doctors and nurses. We will need to build extra capacity, Acton said. Im very interested in using existing structures... We stand ready to use all options." Californias ability to prepare for a dry and potentially dangerous fire season this year is being crippled as the coronavirus pandemic prompts fire agencies across the West to cancel or delay programs aimed at preventing catastrophic wildfire. From clearing out undergrowth in forests to training firefighters to tamp out flames, local, state and federal fire forces are trying to move forward within new social distancing guidelines, as well as with potentially sick employees, but thats making their work harder and sometimes impossible to do. The U.S. Forest Service, which oversees more than half of Californias wildlands, announced last week that it was suspending all prescribed burns, one of the most effective tools for increasing Californias resiliency to fire. The states Cal Fire agency, meanwhile, says it wont halt its vegetation management activities at least at this point but it is rethinking how, when and where theyre done. Spring fire preparations are considered vital to readying California for the warmer, drier summer and fall. Wildfire experts worry that disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak will not only increase the fire threat in the coming months but also sap momentum from a yearslong effort to make sure the state can weather the types of mega-fires recently seen in Butte County and Wine Country. If we dont increase prescribed fire, restoration thinning and managed wildfire, we will never get out of our current forest problems, said Scott Stephens, a professor of fire science at UC Berkeley. Suspending prescribed fire further puts us in a hole in terms of long-term activities to increase forest resilience to climate change, wildfire and drought. Officials with the U.S. Forest Service, which oversees the nations largest firefighting force, said they were halting their burn program indefinitely so that communities wouldnt have to deal with smoke during new shelter-in-place orders as well as for the safety of employees. About 5,000 Forest Service firefighters work in California. Those conducting prescribed burns routinely travel in groups to burn sites, often across long distances. The work itself is done in crews of up to 20 members. Health experts have advised people to stay at least 6 feet away from others to prevent spread of the highly contagious coronavirus, and the White House has issued guidelines discouraging gatherings of more than 10. The suspension of the burn program comes as the federal government, in concert with states like California, was beginning to initiate new, aggressive goals for prescribed fire in response to deadly blazes like the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people. Such infernos have helped put a spotlight on the perilous, overgrown condition of the nations forests, and burning off the thick brush and dead trees has proved a cost-effective solution. A lot of people were looking forward to this year being a ramping up of prescribed fire, said Malcolm North, a professor of plant sciences at UC Davis who works with the U.S. Forest Service in the Sierra Nevada. My concern now is that were going to be more reactive to fire than proactive. In response to the pandemic, the U.S. Forest Service has also called off in-person fire training through at least April 3 and canceled meetings where planning and risk assessment is done for fire season. Now Playing: Here is what you need to know about the coronavirus. Video: Manjula Varghese Like many businesses, the federal agency has moved many work discussions and training sessions online. However, surveying the landscape for fire danger and learning how to drive a fire engine are tough to do via Zoom. Training that cannot be done virtually will either be conducted in smaller groups or a waiver may be given until the training can be completed at a later date, said Jonathan Groveman, spokesman for the Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service, in a statement to The Chronicle. The biggest challenge may lie ahead as making adjustments, including social distancing, only gets harder come fire season. Its a reality that fire officials have just begun to ponder. The big wildfires that burn in California typically draw hundreds, if not thousands, of firefighters into densely packed tent cities, where they work, eat and sleep together for weeks. Norovirusoutbreaks are common, and the more severe coronavirus would probably find ripe breeding grounds there. If the virus continues to spread, as many medical experts expect, some firefighters might be too sick to make it to the front lines. Already, local fire departments have begun to report that some of their employees are infected by the virus or showing symptoms of the corresponding illness, COVID-19. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The thing I worry about is firefighter health and wellness, said Kelly Martin, the recently retired chief of Yosemite National Parks fire program. Our firefighting workforce is already stretched to the max in terms of the year-to-year response to these large fires where whole communities are being destroyed. The firefighters are already seeing a toll. Martin advises that residents in rural and wooded areas prepare for a less robust response from fire agencies this year. She encourages more home hardening for wildfire and clearing more vegetation around houses. Dont always count on the helicopters and the air tankers and the firefighters to be there, she said. In Grass Valley (Nevada County), a community in the Sierra foothills that has come together in recent years to address the areas high fire risk, residents are trying to continue neighborhood fire-prevention work despite the obstacles posed by the coronavirus. Were not going to have our April meeting, and we dont know about May, said Susan Rogers, 68, an organizing member of the Nevada County Coalition of Firewise Communities. But we can put stuff on our website and link people to it. Thats how well keep people updated for now. Officials at Cal Fire say theyre also continuing to help communities get prepared. They dont plan to stop their house-to-house safety inspections, which they do thousands of each spring, nor curtail the work of crews that trim trees and cut fire breaks around homes. Cal Fires academies for new and seasonal firefighters will go on as well. The agency expects to have close to 7,000 total firefighters at work during peak season. We dont know whats going to happen, but rest assured, we will respond accordingly, said Scott McLean, spokesman for Cal Fire. That is our job. Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has resulted in the arrest of an Alabama man for a homicide that occurred over the weekend in Jasper, Tn. At the request of 12th District Attorney General Michael Taylor, on Sunday TBI special agents responded to a report of a shooting death that occurred early that morning in the 400 block of Elm Street in Jasper. Marion County 911 dispatchers received a call about a shooting at that address. When Jasper police officers arrived at the scene, they found that Corbin Kain Hale, 24, had been shot. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was declared deceased. The investigation revealed that the victim and James Scott, an acquaintance from Alabama, had been involved in a confrontation. During that altercation, Scott fired multiple times at the victim, the TBI said. With the assistance of the Jackson County (Ala.) Sheriffs Department, and the Bridgeport (Ala.) and Stevenson (Ala.) Police Departments, James Hunter Scott, 27, was transported from Alabama and charged with one count of criminal homicide. He was booked into the Marion County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond. Over forty workers at the Perdue Perry Cook Plant, located in Kathleen, Georgia walked off the job Monday morning and protested outside the factory demanding sanitary working conditions, hazard pay and time off after multiple workers reported being exposed to COVID-19 at the factory. According to Bloomberg the factory has 600 workers who process chicken and pork products. Local news station 13WMAZ conducted multiple telephone video interviews with workers outside the plant before several black unmarked SUVs loaded with Houston County Sheriff's deputies surrounded the workers and forced them to disperse. There are no reports of any injuries or arrests at this time. Speaking to CBS reporters, Kendalyin Granville stated that several workers on the factory line have been exposed to the novel coronavirus while on the job. Perdue Agribusiness, which posted $7.3 billion in revenue for 2019, has done nothing to clean the facility or isolate infected workers according to Granville. Sanitize the building, she demanded. Everybody thats been exposed to it, they need to go home. These folks are still on the floor. Several workers stated that the company has failed to provide a safe and sterile working environment and appears to have been lying in regard to nightly maintenance and cleaning. Workers have reported food from the previous days shift found throughout the production floor in addition to overflowing trash cans in the bathroom. While there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted through the food supply, recent studies suggest the virus can survive on metal surfaces for 48 to 72 hours. Over two dozen fellow workers agreed with Granville and joined her in courageously walking off the line. You want us to go back on the floor to work? No, first sanitize the line, something, because this is not a playing matter. This is not a game, Granville told local media. Workers recognition of the companys indifference to low wages and dangerous conditions in the factory compelled them to take action. Were told theres going to be more promotions and more pay for the company, but no one has seen that, fellow worker Diamond Gray stated to CBS. I think a lot of people are just tired and with the virus involved. Also, I think its just gotten to the point where enough is enough. According to payscale.com, the average salary for a general laborer at Perdue foods is $12.66 an hour. Fellow worker James Braswell pointed to the contradiction of management continuing to receive their bloated salaries working from home to avoid contracting and spreading COVID-19 while essential factory workers are compelled to risk their lives in unsanitary work spaces. We feel like the people who they love, theyre letting them work from home, but they got us in here working, he told 13WMAZ. According to Braswell, management gets to stay home during the pandemic while its business as usual for production employees. In a follow-up email statement sent to 13WMAZ following the publication of their original story, Perdue Farms advised workers feeling ill to make use of up to four weeks of paid time off. Perdue reminded Associates that the federal government deemed food industry workers as mission-critical personnel. This is a huge responsibility, and we are committed to fulfilling it while keeping our Associates safe. Perdue Farms has been run by the Perdue family for four generations. According to Forbes, as of 2015 the Perdue family was worth an estimated $3.2 billion. The company has faced intense criticism for its abusive practices towards laborers and livestock. In what has become an industry standard, companies such as Perdue load farmers with debt while demanding higher yearly per pound chicken yields. Chickens have been filmed in putrid conditions, wallowing in excrement unable to support the weight of their hormone infused bodies as farmers are forced to wear masks to protect themselves from the dust particles thousands of fowl generate in an enclosed environment. The walkout of Perdue workers follows a Monday report that a Sanderson Farms slaughterhouse worker at its McComb, Mississippi plant was sent home after testing positive for COVID-19. The plant processes approximately 1.3 million birds a week, nearly 10 percent of the companys capacity according to Sandersons website. The company stated six other workers who were in close contact with the infected worker were sent home as well and that the processing station the worker utilized was sterilized. A Sanderson Farms spokesperson assured Reuters that production will continue at the facility uninterrupted. Shares of Sanders Farms shot up 5.15 percent on the news of no slowdown, reaching $136.68 a share, the highest since February 14 of this year. Across the United States, workers at Tyson Food, Sanderson Farms and Perdue Farms have reported an increase in forced overtime and production levels with the demand for meat soaring as bulk purchases skyrocket due to concerns in the population of possible shortages due to the pandemic and increased demand as restaurants are shuttered and millions of children remain home from closed schools in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. It was also reported by Bloomberg that the US pork industry is looking to circumvent travel bans in order to request more guest-worker visas to restock slaughterhouses and production factories in the event of a labor shortage. While the factories have been running at, and in some cases, above capacity in order to meet demand, there is evidence that COVID-19 has already infected a significant portion of the labor force. Capitalist interests demand that unproductive workers be excised while new laborers be lined up ready to replace them. HOSHIARPUR: The 31-year-old son of a coronavirus patient from Moranwali village in Garhshankar sub division of Hoshiarpur district tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday. Confirming the third Covid-19 case in Hoshiarpur district, civil surgeon Dr Jasbir Singh said that teams were immediately despatched to the village to collect samples of all those persons who had come in contact with the patient and his father, who is undergoing treatment in Amritsar. The health department said 18 residents of Moranwali were brought to the civil hospital here for testing following the governments strict instructions that no contact of the infected person be left out of sampling. At the time of filing of this report, health teams had reached the village to collect samples of more people, including relatives of the infected men. BALDEV SINGH INFECTED 22 PEOPLE Six people, including three of a family from Phillaur, who had come in contact with Punjabs first coronavirus death victim, Baldev Singh, 70, tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. Health officials said that the samples of a 50-year-old man, his 45-year-old wife and their 25-year-old son, all related to Baldev Singh, had tested positive. The three members of the family belonged to Virk village in the sub-division and were from Baldevs extended family. In Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, three more family members of Baldev Singh, including two from Pathlawa and one from Sujjon village, tested positive on Tuesday. Baldev Singh of Pathlawa village in Banga sub division of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar had returned from Germany via Italy on March 7. He died after a cardiac arrest at Banga civil hospital on March 18. His post-mortem was done the same day and so was the cremation. But his report of being Covid-19 positive was received on March 19. So far, 22 people, comprising 14 immediate family members, three relatives in the extended family, two persons who returned from Germany along with him, a 68-year-old and his son, contact from Hoshiarpur and the sarpanch of Pathlawa village, have tested positive for coronavirus after coming in contact with Baldev Singh. HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASES IN SBS NAGAR With the six new cases, the total count of positive patients has touched 30. These include 18 cases in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, including the one death, five in Mohali, three in Jalandhar, three in Hoshiarpur and one in Amritsar, health officials said. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A person shot to death Tuesday in Southwest Grand Rapids has been identified as Angel Armando DeLeon, 19. DeLeon was found with a gunshot wound in the 2100 block of St. Charles Avenue SW about 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 25. Police initially responded to the area on reports of shots fired and, soon after, that a person had been shot. The neighborhood is off Burton Street just east of U.S. 131. Grand Rapids police did not give any information about a possible shooter. More from MLive One shot dead in Southwest Grand Rapids 70K pieces of medical and protection equipment donated by GRCC In light of the on-going impact the Covid-19 pandemic, Prada and UNESCO have made the decision to postpone the start of their joint Sea Beyond project on ocean sustainability. The programme, which had been set to start this week, is designed to educate younger generations about the environment and how to look after it, specifically how to protect the ocean so that it can be used as a resource in the future. Prada and UNESCO had planned to work in secondary schools to promote the preservation of resources by teaching sustainable consumption practices and informing children of fashions role in safeguarding the ecosystem. But with the closing of schools across the world, particularly in the ten countries participating in the Sea Beyond project, Prada and UNESCOs Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) have found themselves unable to effectively deliver the main educational elements of the initiative. According to data released by UNESCO, and as of today, the COVID-19 outbreak is now impacting 1,254,315,203 learners worldwide, from the pre-primary to tertiary level, and including the higher education one. The figures show that 72.9% of total enrolled learners worldwide are staying away from school due to the COVID-19 crisis. Currently, 124 countries have ordered nationwide school closures, spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North and South America. Prada and UNESCO are committed to renewing the activity without delay once the crisis is finished, according to a statement released today. Central America is just one of those dry areas. In fact, the region is facing a drought this year. And while dry spells have always been a fact of life here, theyve become more frequent and more intense in the era of climate change. Countries in the region quickly shut borders and ordered lockdowns in response to the pandemic, but the drought means water is in short supply in much of the area. Sometimes we run out of water and we have to buy some, said Dr. Claudia Morales, a doctor at El Carmen hospital in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Other times we cant buy any. Thats especially a problem at hospitals trying to deal with the pandemic. Water shortage increases the risk of community transmission, said Dr. Marcos Espinal, director of communicable diseases and health analysis at the Pan American Health Organization. The virus can survive on some surfaces for days, but hand washing kills the virus and prevents it from spreading. A hospital without water, Dr. Espinal said, quickly turns into a breeding ground that could infect the entire medical staff. Dr. Morales has worked at El Carmen hospital for more than 15 years and said the hospital has been forced to ration water for the last four years. But now that they need water the most, its more scarce than ever. Its worse now, Dr. Morales said. We used to get water twice a week, now its once a week. Her hospital in Tegucigalpa lies in the middle of the Central American Dry Corridor, a 1,000-mile stretch of land thats home to nine out of every 10 people in Central America. Hugo Hidalgo, director of the Geophysical Investigation Center at the University of Costa Rica, has been studying the dry corridor for six years and said average temperatures in the region are rising by roughly 0.3 degrees Celsius (0.5 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade. Albion, IN (46701) Today Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low 26F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%.. Tonight Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low 26F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%. RIYADH, March 24 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has recorded its first death from the coronavirus in a 51-year-old Afghani resident, Health Ministry spokesman Mohammed Abdelali told a televised news conference on Tuesday. The man's health deteriorated quickly after reporting to a hospital emergency room in the city of Medina and he died on Monday night, Abdelali said. (Reporting by Stephen Kalin; editing by Jason Neely) RALEIGH, N.C., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Corral Corporation announced that it was forced to suspend operations for 35 company-operated restaurants as a result of COVID-19. Some franchise restaurants are still operating across the country in accordance with local and state mandates, while others have suspended operations. The announcement that company-owned restaurants were suspending operations was shared during a virtual town hall meeting with company leaders, coworkers and franchise owners. "It is truly an emotional and challenging time for our country," Golden Corral CEO Lance Trenary said during the meeting. "The realities of the current situation have forced us to make difficult decisions. We know these decisions are impacting the team members who we work shoulder to shoulder with every day." The company has furloughed 2,290 team members made up of restaurant coworkers, managers, field support and company support center employees. Trenary indicated that the company would assist restaurant coworkers with food for their families and provide guidance as they seek unemployment, adding, "We are committed to supporting our friends, colleagues and coworkers during this difficult transition." Operating Golden Corral franchise restaurants will continue the precautions they have been implementing, including providing sanitizer stations throughout each restaurant, handwashing every 20 minutes, sanitizing food preparation areas every 30 minutes and replacing serving utensils frequently. In markets with dining restrictions, operating Golden Corral restaurants offer carryout, curbside delivery or home delivery. About Golden Corral Founded in 1973 and based in Raleigh, N.C., Golden Corral is the nation's largest grill-buffet restaurant chain. Golden Corral strives to make pleasurable dining affordable for families across America. Service to others is a hallmark of the Golden Corral brand. Golden Corral restaurants nationwide have long been strong supporters of the U.S. Military and DAV (Disabled American Veterans). Golden Corral is also the founding sponsor of Camp Corral, a free summer camp for children of wounded, disabled or fallen military families. For more information, visit goldencorral.com and follow Golden Corral on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. SOURCE Golden Corral Related Links http://www.goldencorral.com Of course, they grieved for their children deeply, sometimes permanently. But these women also accepted death as part of life, as something ultimately beyond their control. It may with truth be said the ways of Providence are dark and mysterious far beyond our comprehension, wrote one Louisiana mother, whose fourth child died after a brief illness in 1836. But sometime in the middle of the 19th century, there was a marked change, Ms. Dye and Mr. Smith wrote. Individual mothers slowly came to replace God as the most important guarantors of their childrens welfare. This was part of a larger shift in the conception of gender responsibilities in the 1800s, according to Stephanie Coontz, the author of The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap. As economic production moved outside homes and into cities and factories, middle- and upper-class womens sphere of influence became entirely domestic. Women began to be responsible for making the home a sanctuary, Ms. Coontz told me. Morally, emotionally and yes, physically. Though much of the American population was still deeply religious, mothers began to blame themselves when their children got sick. One woman, whose toddler died after a short illness thought to be brought on by teething in 1848, was forever haunted by thoughts of what might have been avoided, the most pitiless of all. There was nothing that mother could have done with the knowledge she had at the time. And yet she tortured herself for years after her childs death. In the early 1900s, mothers and activists banded together to pressure doctors, the federal government and public health officials to take action on infant deaths. They were relatively successful: In the 20th century, it became culturally accepted that the state had a role in keeping children healthy. But American society, Dr. Dye and Dr. Smith wrote, has continued to define mothering almost entirely as an individual, private experience and to assign to individual mothers the primary responsibility for their childrens care and welfare. So what can we do? Some things are obvious. Children should be loved, have enough food to eat, clean water to drink and places to play outside; they should be vaccinated, and get enough sleep. Parents should heed public health recommendations about staying inside. If nothing else, the pandemic teaches those privileged enough to worry about the little things the truth: We never had complete control in the first place. We have no way of knowing which of the tiny choices were making every day about what kinds of greens to buy and whether the kids watched an hour too much Paw Patrol yesterday mean anything in the long run. Chinese media outlets have linked the origin of the coronavirus pandemic with Italy after a Milan-based professor said doctors there saw 'very strange' pneumonia cases as early as November. Beijing is now rejecting the widely held assessment that the city of Wuhan is the birthplace of the global outbreak after the number of daily infections there dropped to zero but soared in Europe. State-run news organisations including The Global Times and CCTV have flocked to report on comments made by Italian professor Giuseppe Remuzzi. The Bergamo-born expert claimed that the disease could have circulated in Italy for months before people became aware of the outbreak in China. Professor Giuseppe Remuzzi (pictured) has denied commenting on the origin of the coronavirus amid controversy. He later told Chinese media that the key point of his comments was how far the virus had spread before it was discovered, not where it came from The expert told US outlet NPR last week that local doctors 'remember having seen very strange pneumonias [ sic ], very severe, particularly in old people, in December and even in November'. The picture shows a medic at a coronavirus hospital in Rome on Wednesday Professor Remuzzi, Director of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan, said in an interview last week that local doctors 'remember having seen very strange pneumonias [sic], very severe, particularly in old people, in December and even in November.' He told American news organisation NPR: 'It means that the virus was circulating at least in Lombardy before we were aware of this outbreak occurring in China.' His comments were quickly seized by China's tightly controlled press, which used them to prove that the global health crisis did not start in China. State newspaper Global Times reported that 'virus might already be spreading in Italy before the epidemic erupted in China'. While state broadcaster CCTV cited another interview of professor Remuzzi to stressed that 'unknown pneumonia appeared in Italy as early as October last year'. Italy has now overtaken China as the country with the most coronavirus deaths. In the picture above, a truck drives past St. John Lateran Basilica spraying disinfectant as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus in Rome on Wednesday Globally, over 430,000 people have tested positive and more than 19,100 have lost their lives Media censors who are usually vigilant against rumours have also allowed Chinese social media users to spread similar claims about the virus emerging in Italy earlier than China. On popular social media app WeChat, numerous posts, some by independent media, have shown their support for the allegation. One such post said 'analysis from Italian experts show the novel coronavirus did not originate in China'. Without naming a specific study, the post said that the coronavirus started to spread in Italy in autumn, citing 'new data released by Italy and reported by foreign media'. Faced with controversy, professor Remuzzi told Shanghai-based outlet Jiemian in a report on Monday that his information came from a few doctors, but no evidence suggested that those patients had COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. In another interview with independent Chinese outlet DeepTech, the professor said the key point of his comments was how far the virus had spread before it was discovered, not where it came from. MailOnline has contacted professor Remuzzi for comments on the matter. China has lifted the travel restrictions on Hubei Province, but the lockdown will remain enforced in Wuhan until April 8. People are seen getting out of a bus in Wuhan on Wednesday Interestingly, Chinese media's attention on professor Remuzzi's remarks seems to contradict with their reports about the first coronavirus patients in Italy. Cover News, an outlet under state-run Sichuan Daily Group, reported that the very first confirmed sufferers of COVID-19 in Italy were a couple from Wuhan. The article, released on Monday, said the couple arrived in Italy on January 23 and were treated in Rome. Medics are pictured working in the temporary structures built next to the Brescia hospital due to the coronavirus outbreak, Brescia, Italy on Tuesday Italy has now overtaken China as the country with the most coronavirus deaths after the epicentre of the outbreak shifted to Europe this month. The country went into partial lockdown nearly three weeks ago after an outbreak was detected in Lombardy in northern Italy. Death daily toll there has been soaring. Officials yesterday reported 743 new fatalities while the country set a world record of 793 deaths on Saturday. So far, more than 69,000 have been infected and at least 6,800 people have died of the disease in Italy. Globally, over 430,000 people have tested positive and more than 19,100 have lost their lives in the pandemic. Stocks in the news today: Here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus in Wednesday's trading session based on the latest developments. Inox Leisure: Company has decided to temporarily close all of its cinema halls/ multiplexes across India till further notice. The duration of this shutdown will depend upon further directions from Government authorities and the evolving situation. Sterlite Technologies: Company board has approved the buyback of fully paid-up equity shares of the face value of Rs 2 each of the company (equity shares) at a price not exceeding Rs. 150. Jindal Saw Limited: The company will scale down its office operations at Delhi and scale down production facilities at Nashik, Nagothane - Maharashtra, Mundra, Gujarat, Indore - Madhya Pradesh and Bhilwara, Rajasthan with immediate effect till further notice. The duration of this scale down will depend on the Government regulation and the ground reality. Gayatri Projects: The company said as a part of the resolution process, the lending consortium has signed an Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) effective March 21, 2020, under 'The Reserve Bank of India. The ICA will facilitate a smoother resolution process under the leadership of Bank of Baroda. It will also protect the company from any coercive action, therefore ensuring smooth conduct of business, the filing added. Majesco India: Company said its balance sheet as of 31 December 2019 continues to reflect a debt-free company. The company is generating cash sufficient to fund its operations ending with the total cash, cash equal and short-term investment of Rs.359 crores as of 31st December 2019 compared to Rs.391 crores as of 30th September 2019. The cash balance provides significant flexibility to invest in growth-producing opportunities, the filing added. Arman Financial: The company announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary "Namra Finance Ltd" has raised Rs 66.3 crores of debt capital from MUDRA, and the IIV Mikrofinanzfonds, Germany (external commercial borrowing). Mawana Sugars: The company is constraint to close caustic soda/chlorine facility (operating as Siel Chemical Complex, a unit of Mawana Sugars Limited) with immediate effect. The movement of all incoming goods from chloro caustic manufacturing facility located at Rajpura, Punjab and movement of workers has virtually ceased, the filing added. Godawari Power & Ispat: Company said that all its manufacturing and other operations have been closed temporarily as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of the Coronavirus. Vakrangee: Company announced that more than 10,000 Vakrangee Kendras are operational to provide the key essential services and thus serving the nation. Her express test turned out to be positive A woman who has been infected with coronavirus has died in Sumy region, northern Ukraine. Sumy regional state administration reported that . The woman was checked for coronavirus by rapid test. "Causes of a womans death are being established because the results of the rapid test are preliminary and are not the basis for setting the final diagnosis. Only after a laboratory study we may speak about the cause of death. The tests were sent to the Sumy Regional Laboratory Center," the report said. Earlier, the first case of coronavirus infection in the region was recorded in Konotop, Sumy region. On March 25, 136 cases of Covid-19 coronavirus infection were recorded in Ukraine. Of all 136 cases, four were lethal, one patient has recovered and has already been discharged from the hospital. As we reported, the Cabinet of Ministers has prolonged a lockdown across the country for 30 days. The government also has made the decision to introduce an emergency situation in Ukraine for a period of 30 days. Thus, it is expected to end on April 24, 2020. "Statistics show that cases have been identified. Unfortunately, these statistics continue to worsen," Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmygal stated. On Wednesday morning, Libya became the latest African country to record its first case of the deadly Coronavirus rampaging the world. The index in Libya is a 73-year-old man, who crossed into the country from neighboring Tunisia on March 5. Also Read: Nigeria Confirms Fresh 2 Cases Of Coronavirus, All Cases Now 46 The patient had recently traveled to Saudi Arabia. According to the National Center for Disease Control, the patient who is a Libyan is receiving medical treatment for his fever and cough in isolation at a Tripoli hospital. Now, the virus is almost in two-third of the countries in Africa. Three deceased family members were discovered by authorities after they responded to a "wordless" 911 call. Connecticut police spotted the dead bodies of a man and two children in an empty garage of a Norwalk home. New York Daily News reports that the two young children are Gisselle Moncada, 5, and Jesus Moncada, 4 while the man, who is believed to be their father, is Yimi Moncada. Reports indicate that somebody dialled 911 at around 7:35 Monday morning and hung up without saying a word. Despite not hearing any report from the other end of the line, the Police traced the call and came to the residence on Elizabeth Street. Upon arrival, the police searched the home including a detached garage where the dead bodies were found. Local newspaper The Hour reports that the bodies went under medical examination to determine their cause of death. It is said that Moncada died by suicide while the children both died due to ligature compression of the neck/homicide. The motive behind the murder-suicide incident is not yet determined. Also read: Body of Missing Colorado Boy Found, Stepmother Faces 9 More Charges A sister-in-law of Moncada who lives near the location of where the dead family was seen said that she heard a woman screaming after she found the bodies in a family owned dilapidated home. No one is residing in the said home which is already subject for demolition. It is not yet known where there appears to be a disparity of the reports from the sister-in-law and that of what the police discovered. More than just a custody agreement violation It was found out that Moncado and the children's mother has divorced in 2017. The kids were spending time with their father since it is his scheduled visitation. A concerned relative called the police when Moncada did not return the children that day after the visitation which is a violation of a custody agreement. The kids were supposed to go home at 8:00 PM Sunday. Moncada's mother said that she still saw the children at 7:40 PM. Authorities has been calling Moncada's friends and ex-wife but their calls were not returned. Officers placed telephone calls to Yimi, whose phone went directly to voicemail, police said. At that time there was no additional information to believe the children were in harm, nor were any other locations given for officers to check. The authorities also added the names of Moncada and the two children in their national data base in an effort to find them. Little did they know that Moncada did not just violate the custody agreement but even killed his children. A traumatic incident Giselle Moncada-Valdavinos is a kindergarten pupil in Rowayton Elementary School. Norwalk Public Schools posted a statement on thier Facebook page calling everyone to pray for the children who are victims of the senseless act. In the coming days, Rowayton will find a way to come together virtually and celebrate these beautiful children, the statement said. In time, when activities have started returning to normal, the school will have the opportunity to come together in person and remember Giselle. Lt. Thomas Mattera, the head of the Detective Bureau said that what happened "was a very traumatic incident" and they are doing everything they can to help the family. Related article: Woman Stabs Young Girl to Death in Queens Park in Front of Her Parents @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The number of people diagnosed with the coronavirus COVID-19 in Michigan took another big jump, reaching 2,295 on Wednesday, March 25, up from 1,791 the day before. That includes more than 1,100 cases in Wayne County. The number of Michigan coronavirus cases has more than doubled in four days, although health officials say thats partly due to an significant increase in testing. Forty-three people have died, according to the states daily update on coronavirus numbers. Thats up from 24 on Tuesday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported 507 new cases on its daily update, setting another record for a one-day increase. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. The numbers have spiked since last week, when the state began to significantly increase the number of people tested for the coronavirus. Originally, you only had the state Bureau of Laboratories doing the testing, said Linda Vail, Ingham Countys health officer. Last week, some hospitals and private laboratories began performing tests, and those results are now showing up, "and a lot of these test results are now getting dumped into the system, she said. Forty-eight of Michigans 83 counties are home to a resident who contracted coronavirus. Abou t89% of the COVID-19 cases -- 2,046 of 2,295 -- are in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. The disproportionate number of cases in metro Detroit is a result of several factors, including the areas large population, more aggressive testing in those counties and community spread of coronavirus, said Lynn Sutfin, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. About 39% of Michigan residents live in Wayne, Oakland or Macomb counties. There are 705 patients who are Detroit residents; 417 who live elsewhere in Wayne County; 543 who live in Oakland County and 281 in Macomb County. Of the 43 patients who died, 12 were residents of Detroit, nine in Wayne County outside of Detroit, 10 in Oakland County, seven in Macomb, three in Washtenaw and one each in Kent and Livingston counties. Whitmer declared a state of emergency on March 10 after the first cases were identified. She has since closed schools, bars, restaurants and other establishments to prevent COVID-19 from spreading further. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. On Monday, March 23, Whitmer issued a stay-at-home order, requiring Michigan residents to stay at home except for essential business. There have been nearly 55,000 cases of the coronavirus and 400 deaths in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control. Every state in the country has reported a COVID-19 case. States with the highest number of cases include Washington, New York, California, New Jersey and Louisiana. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Coronavirus symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Many infected people exhibit mild symptoms and dont necessarily need to be tested or treated in-person, as theres currently no known vaccine or cure for the disease. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. Tyler Pletsch | The Intelligencer EDWARDSVILLE Prairie Farms Dairy recently had one of its branches team up with General Mills to help donate about 70,000 cartons of milk and cereal to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. A spokesperson from Prarie Farms Edwardsville headquarters said their Rockford branch in Northern Illinois had the milk and cereal in excess. The goods were donated to the food bank Friday. Published on 2020/03/24 | Source "I am a successful geek. Ha ha". Advertisement Yoo Su-bin, who played Kim Joo-meok in the drama "Crash Landing on You", introduced himself as a successful geek. It's ordinary for someone to say he or she is a fan of Son Ye-jin or Seo Ji-hye the actresses, but Yoo Su-bin claims to be a fan of scriptwriter Park Ji-eun ever since "My Love from the Star 2". "It's like a dream to be able to star in something written by Park Ji-eun. But I didn't get to appeal this to her". "I met her at the script reading, the first ceremony for the drama and the ending party, but I never got to tell her", he said. "I was so shy, but now I guess she'll know if she reads this". Although he's a fan, he didn't think he'd be starring in one of her works. He had a total of three auditions, but he thought he'd ruined the final one. Because of his anxious and shy personality, he forced a smile when he was supposed to make it look natural. He was in despair thinking he failed the part, when a staff member reached out to him. "I didn't think I'd get it, but I was so surprised to hear that I did. I didn't ask why they chose me, but I guess it's because the members of squadron 5 have strong personalities. That's what I think anyway". The character Kim Joo-mok played by Yoo Su-bin is a North Korean solider who is mania for Korean dramas. Yoo Soo-bn claims his character was the 'it guy'. "I didn't know how to prepare for this character. I was only hasty to make it work, so I ended up not being able to harmonize with anyone else. It was only after I listened to the PD and the writer that I realized everything was in the synopsis and I just had to understand it". It was later that he realized this, but his efforts were noticed by Park Ji-eun's keen eyes. Yoo Su-bin said, "She told me that the scene where Joo-meok cries watching "Stairway to Heaven" was funny, so I got a confidence boost". Kim Joo-meok was set to use to Pyeongyang dialect. He was used to the Hamkyeong dialect, which he used in the short film "I Love Myself", but he had to forget it all and learn the Pyeongyang dialect this time. There was a teacher and she was surprised I used the Hamkyeong dialect. The difference is like Kyeongsang-do and Choongchung-do". After numerous hours of practice, he's so used to the dialect that when the squadron 5 get together, they speak it. The most memorable moment for him was meeting Hallyu star Choi Ji-woo. "When I met her, I was in Joo-meok's shoes. I was so nervous and the squadron wasn't even around. I think she noticed, because she started talking to me first". Whilst filming the iconic scene from "Stairway to Heaven", he caused a few NGs. "It was funny and I was trying not to laugh, but the staff were snickering with their heads down so I ended up making an NG. I'm so sorry to Kwon Sang-woo". Yoo Su-bin's grandparents are from North Korea. They usually talk to him in their dialect. "My grandmother would make me Hwanghae-do rice cakes. She was so happy to see me in the drama". However, Yoo Su-bin still isn't sure about the taste of the Pyeongyang Naengmyun. "The clam bulgogi is something I'd like to try", he said. "I also want to try the North Korean soju and Daedongkang beer. I'm sure I'll get to enjoy Pyeongyang Naengmyun one day". Once unified, he says he wants to travel to the North with his grandparents. Yoo Su-bin dreamt of being an actor since his high school days. He's a developing actor. Unlike other actors who usually go through theater before they go mainstream, he debuted with movies and dramas. He hopes to expand his experience to theater as well. What's his next step, as he's achieved his dream of meeting writer Park Ji-eun? "My next goal is Lee Hee-jun. He's my favorite actor and I would love to work with him". ___________ "Crash Landing on You" is directed by Lee Jeong-hyo, written by Park Ji-eun, and features Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Seo Ji-hye, Kim Jung-hyun, Kim Sun-young, Kim Jung-nan. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2019/12/14~2020/02/16, Sat, Sun 21:00 on tvN. A week after checking into the hospital with a fever, beloved New York chef Floyd Cardoz has reportedly died of complications related to COVID-19. The award-winning originator of Tabla in Manhattan, Cardoz was 59. Cardoz was born in India and moved to New York City to pursue a culinary career. In 1997, he opened his most famous restaurant, Tabla, followed by North End Grill, Paowalla and Bombay Bread Bar. In 2011, he won the third season of "Top Chef Masters." "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi was among those who paid tribute to Cardoz. "I am beyond saddened to wake up today and hear the news of my dear friend @floydcardozs passing. Floyd made us all so proud," she wrote on Instagram. "Nobody who lived in NY in the early aughts could forget how delicious and packed Tabla always was. He had an impish smile, an innate need to make those around him happy, and a delicious touch. This is a huge loss, not only for the professional food world, but for Indians everywhere. My heart goes out to his wife Barkha and their whole family." New York Times food critic Pete Wells posted on Twitter: "Floyd Cardoz was an exceptional talent, a chef equally at home with undiluted Indian flavors as he was with the delicious union of French, Indian and American food, a personal idiom that he invented." A week ago, Cardoz posted on Instagram that he was "feeling feverish" and "as a precautionary measure" had admitted himself to a New York hospital. He also apologized for "causing undue panic" about an earlier post about his health. Cardoz had recently been in India and returned to New York on March 8 via Frankfurt. According to People, Cardoz is survived by his wife and business partner Barkha and their two adult sons Peter and Justin. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Katie Dowd is a senior digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: katie.dowd@sfgate.com The American Red Cross fears that the worlds blood bank supply is at risk amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, which has so far infected more than 417,500 people and killed more than 18,500 people. The urgent call-to-action by the Red Cross comes after the United States has reported 53,660 confirmed cases, a sharp increase in just a couple of days. In the country, at least 703 people have died from COVID-19. The Red Cross calls for blood donations since the nations blood supply needs to be replenished adequately. We need people to prevent the blood supply from getting depleted. We need it not to get to the point that surgeries are having to get canceled. Thats something we absolutely do not want to have happened. To ensure an adequate blood supply, we need people to come out and donate blood, Dr. Peter Marks, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said. The coronavirus health crisis may have placed fear on those who want to donate blood. Heath officials assure that the coronavirus does not pose any known risk to blood donors during the process or from attending blood drives. The Red Cross ensures that it is safe to donate blood. Blood donation. Image Credit: PPK_studio / Shutterstock Call for blood donors Federal agencies and the blood banking community calls for people to donate blood and let organizations host blood drives, as long as guidelines are followed amid the coronavirus outbreak. Kate Fry, the chief executive officer of Americas Blood Centers, urges people in the country, especially blood donors, to donate blood. She emphasized that the blood supply cannot be taken for granted as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak intensifies. Hospitals cannot afford to have depleted blood supply, since some patients may need them. Most blood drives across the country are being canceled due to the increasing number of coronavirus cases. In the long run, this could lead to a low supply of blood products, vital for essential medical treatments. The blood supply is not just for COVID-19 patients, but also for other sick individuals who need urgent blood transfusions. We are doing everything in our power to ensure that we dont get to a critical level of the blood supply. If we continue to see blood drives cancel, we are going to reach a level of inventory of which we havent seen in the past, Chris Hrouda, President of Biomedical Services for the American Red Cross, said. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the U.S., blood drives have been canceled at an alarming rate. About 2,700 Red Cross blood drives were canceled nationwide, due to concerns about crowding. Up to date, there are 86,000 fewer blood donations, with more than 80 percent of the blood supply of the Red Cross comes from blood drives. U.S. coronavirus status In the United States, at least 15 states have already issued stay-at-home orders effective this week, affecting about 137 million Americans. The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus in the country has prompted authorities to impose stricter rules as people ignore social distancing orders. Americans are advised to stay at least six feet away from others. Crowds are discouraged, but over the weekend, people kept ignoring the guidance. People were seen in beaches and parks, with crowds of more than ten people gathering. The President has issued an order than gatherings with more than ten people that should be canceled. The government also closed schools, but teens flocked to the beach and gathered in parks. In New York City, the most shaken state in the country, there are more than 25,600 confirmed cases and 210 deaths. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, the countrys top health official, said the number of confirmed cases is not subsiding. He urged everyone to stay at home and practice social distancing. At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when heavily armed suicide bombers blasted their way into a prominent gurdwara on Wednesday in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the strife-torn country. The Islamic State (IS) terror group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area at about 07:45 (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building. "At least 25 people were killed and 8 others were wounded in the attack at Dharamshala, a Sikh worship place in Kabul," TOLOnews quoted the Ministry of Interior as saying on the attack that lasted nearly six hours. "All four suicide bombers who attacked Dharamshala, a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul, were killed after nearly six hours of fighting. Afghan special forces confirmed," it said in a tweet. The ministry said in a statement that 80 people, including women and children, were rescued from the gurdwara. The ISIS terrorist group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the latest attack. The group issued a statement confirming that its members carried out the attack on Sikhs in Kabul city, Khaama Press Agency reported. Photos from the blast scene showed security forces carrying wounded people away on stretchers. Some Afghan media outlets shared videos of the family members of victims waiting outside a city hospital in tears. Police in Kabul said that at least 11 children were rescued from the gurdwara. Sikh lawmaker Nardendar Singh Khalsa told reporters that up to 150 people were praying inside the gurdwara when it came under attack. Khalsa, the only representative of the Sikh community in Afghanistan said he received a call from a worshipper inside the gurdwara, informing him about the attack. "I rushed over to help. There were about 150 worshippers inside the gurdwara at the time of the attack," he was quoted as saying by the official Bakhtar Agency. "Afghan forces have cleared the first floor of a Sikh worship area in PD1 of Kabul. A number of people have been rescued who were trapped inside the building," said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian. President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack on the gurdwara, TOLOnews reported. "The attack on the religious sites shows the extreme weakness of the enemy, religious sites should not be vulnerable to attacks and violence, it quoted Ghani as saying. The president's spokesperson described the attack as "yet another heartless, cowardly terrorist attack on a worshipping place in Kabul. The Afghan government strongly condemns today's senseless attack on Dharamsala Sikh temple. "Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of this heinous act," the spokesperson said. Former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the attack on the gurdwara and expressed his condolences to the victims' families. Earlier, the country's main militant group, the Taliban, denied involvement in the attack. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the militant group had no link with the attack in Shor Bazar area of Kabul. In New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the attack on the gurdwara. The Ministry of External Affairs also strongly condemned the terror attack and said the targeting of a religious place in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak reflects the "diabolical mindset" of the perpetrators and their backers. "India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan," it said while expressing condolence to the families of the victims. "Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of COVID-19 pandemic, is reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers," the MEA said. It said India stood in solidarity with the people, the government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country. "We commend the brave Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication to protect the Afghan people and secure the country," the MEA said. War-torn Afghanistan is currently mired in a political stalemate with two politicians- Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah - both claiming victory in the presidential election. The US, keen to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, has been trying to break the deadlock and also save a historic deal it signed with the Taliban militant group that is supposed to pave the way for peace in the country. The attack comes a day after the US said it would cut its aid to the government by USD 1 billion over frustrations that the political leaders could not reach an agreement and form a team to negotiate with the Taliban. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Kabul on Tuesday in a bid to resolve a standoff between President Ghani and his rival Abdullah, who also proclaims himself president following a contested election. Sikhs have been target of attacks by Islamist militants before in Afghanistan. In July 2018, ISIS terrorists bombed a gathering of Sikhs and Hindus in the eastern city of Jalalabad, killing 19 people and injuring 20. Awtar Singh Khalsa, one of the country's best-known Sikh politicians then, was among those killed in the attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A volunteer who reportedly had contact with the countys third confirmed coronavirus patient worked at the Longview Salvation Army for about 2.5 hours on Monday, the day authorities publicly announced the case, a Salvation Army spokeswoman said Wednesday. The staff deep-cleaned the Salvation Army center on Tuesday and is continuing to distribute boxes of food on a drive-up and walk-up basis, said Lora Marini-Baker, regional spokeswoman for the Salvation Army. She said the Salvation Army itself has not received confirmation from health officials that its volunteer had contact with a coronavirus patient, but it has read a TDN report based on an interview with Christine Schott, chair of the Salvation Army local advisory board. We have not seen verification of the person who has allegedly tested positive, Marini-Baker said by phone Wednesday. Health officials reported Monday that a woman in her 30s is the third confirmed COVID-19 case in Cowlitz County and that she was recovering at home. The Salvation Army volunteer came into contact with the woman, Schott told TDN. At this point it is unclear when patient No. 3 was tested for the virus, how much contact the patient had with other members of the community or whether the volunteer knew when they came to work Monday that the person had tested positive. Cowlitz County health officials have declined to provide any details of patients whereabouts and testing, citing patient privacy and that the public should assume the virus is everywhere. Rainier City Hall tagged RAINIER Rainier City Hall was vandalized Tuesday night with the spray painted words freedom of travel, an apparent objection to restrictions imposed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, which include shuttering City Hall. In a Facebook post, Mayor Jerry Cole said he was saddened by the act but the words will be removed Wednesday by the Public Works Department. I am a supporter of free speech, and I encourage it, Cole said. This is not a form of free speech. This is vandalism plain and simple. Cole said the vandalism did nothing but slap the face of every Rainier resident doing their best to join in the fight of COVID -19. Cole reiterated best practices for stopping the spread of the virus, and encouraged people to check on elderly neighbors. We are all impacted by the current situation, Cole said. Dont be a coward when sharing your frustrations, (and) dont vandalize our historic City Hall. WSP reports 112 mph driver Thinned-out highways have some motorists badly flouting speed limits, with one motorist recently clocked at 112 mph near Lexington, according to the Washington State Patrol. WSP spokesman Will Finn said troopers have seen an increase in speeding in the last two weeks and asked the public to slow down. Were talking over 100, Finn said Tuesday. We can attribute that probably to the reduction in traffic out there. With the lack of vehicles on the roadway, there are some motorists that are taking some more chances with their speed. Troopers are not patrolling neighborhoods, conducting checkpoints or interrogating motorists about where theyre going or whether theyre essential employees, the WSP said. Workers at essential jobs are encouraged, but not required, to possess a letter or card identifying them or their employer as essential, according to the Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management. Troopers do not have any desire to make any arrests or take anyone to jail for violations of pandemic restrictions that have been ordered by the governor, and we continue to urge voluntary compliance, Finn said. RiverCities adjusts fares, service To protect employees and riders from COVID-19, RiverCities Transit announced Wednesday that it wont require riders to pay a fare or show a bus pass, effective immediately. In addition, riders of the local bus service will get on and off through the rear door, whenever possible, to maintain distance from operators, according to a press release. The front door will be for riders who use mobility devices or need the assistance of the ADA ramp. Beginning Monday until further notice, RiverCities will reduce bus routes to the Saturday schedule Monday through Friday to address significant drops in ridership. This schedule is available at www.rctransit.org. Those unable to access essential services and jobs as a result of these reductions are encouraged to contact RCT at 360-442-5663 or customerservice@rctransit.org. International Festival Organizers of the annual International Festival, which had been scheduled to take place June 13, have cancelled this years event due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is the areas first major summer festival to cancel due to the disease. Amtrak cuts trains OLYMPIA Due to severe drops in ridership, the Washington Department of Transportation is reducing service of Amtrak Cascades trains and is suspending food service. Two daily round trips between Seattle and Portland are the only Cascades trains that will continue to operate in Washington. The Seattle-Portland evening trains 507 and 508 were suspended as of March 21, and beginning Thursday, March 26, trains 517 and 518 also will be suspended until further notice. The trains that will continue to operate between Portland and Seattle include trains 500, 501, 504, and 505. View schedules for those trains at www.AmtrakCascades.com by clicking on the Buy Tickets button. In addition, all Amtrak Cascades trains north of Seattle were suspended beginning March 17. Daily Cascades buses continue to offer service between Seattle, Everett, Mount Vernon and Bellingham. Amtrak long-distance trains continue to connect Seattle, Edmonds and Everett. In Oregon, train service between Eugene and Portland is reduced to one daily round trip (trains 500 and 505). All other Amtrak Cascades trains in Oregon are suspended. The Amtrak long-distance train, the Coast Starlight, will continue to connect Seattle, Portland, Eugene, and other cities in a daily round trip. Amtrak is deep-cleaning trains and stations and wiping surfaces frequently, according to WSDOT. With reduced ridership, there is room to easily maintain personal distances. Amtrak Cascades trains carry an average of 2,300 people per day and as many as 3,600 each day during peak periods. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday warned people against misbehaving with doctors and nurses amid reports that many healthcare professionals are facing harassment for caring for Covid-19 patients. The warning came during a television address to his constituency of Varanasi about the coronavirus pandemic. I have told the Home Ministry and DGPs to take strict action against those who are not supporting or are not cooperating with doctors, nurses and other professionals who are serving us in this critical time, he said. He also appealed to citizens to intervene if they see a medical professional being ill-treated. I appeal to all the citizens, if you notice any incident where professionals, such as doctors and nurses, are ill-treated then you should take an initiative to make such people (those who are ill-treating healthcare professionals) understand that they are wrong, Modi said. Watch | Covid-19 | Mahabharata won in 18 days but..: PM Modi on 21-day lockdown The Centre has taken serious note of the harassment and abuse of doctors and nurses. On Tuesday, Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to Delhi Police chief S N Shrivastava and directed him to ensure security of doctors in the wake of complaints of harassment for treating coronavirus patients. Shah also spoke Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) following their complaint about discrimination and unfair behaviour by landlords who have allegedly asked doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers involved in Covid-19 care to vacate their rented homes. The RDA had also claimed that some have even been forcefully evicted by landlords and house-owners due to the fear that those healthcare professionals make them more susceptible to coronavirus infection. Healthcare professionals are not the only ones facing harassment. Airline crews have also faced similar nuisance. Ironically, on March 22, following an appeal by Modi, the entire country had applauded the efforts of medical professionals, pilots and airline crews and others in the frontline of the fight against coronavirus. Backpackers and locals in Byron Bay have been slammed for heading to the beach, watching sunsets and going about life as normal despite the coronavirus pandemic. The Australian Government has encouraged residents around the country to stay at home where possible and abide by social distancing guidelines, including staying 1.5 metres from others. But the famous northern New South Wales holiday town doesn't appear too fazed by the strict restrictions, with hundreds of people being pictured hitting the waves and hanging out in large groups. Meanwhile in Sydney people are seen climbing through a fence after being asked to leave Bronte beach Meanwhile in Sydney, photos have emerged of Australians scaling fences to access closed off beaches. Ignorant tourists and locals in Byron Bay have been slammed for going about life as normal despite the coronavirus pandemic The famous northern New South Wales town doesn't appear too fazed by strict social distancing restrictions Pictured: Surfers hit the beach at Byron Bay, in New South Wales, on Wednesday The Australian Government has encouraged residents around the country to stay at home where possible and abide by social distancing guidelines, including staying 1.5 metres from others Tim Cassidy, who has lived in Byron Bay for nearly 50 years, snapped photos and shared them to Facebook on Wednesday. 'Byron Bay beachfront today... Yet AGAIN was in 'what coronavirus' mode,' Mr Cassidy wrote. 'I wore a mask, as you will see in the photos, when I chose to ACT again as 'The Bay Reporter' on scene! Mr Cassidy said the pictures were taken on Wednesday morning and at 4pm on the beachfront. 'Yes it was the most stunning day we have had here in months, and yes the ocean was irresistible... But just think about OTHERS for once people, please,' he wrote. The local also took pictures of light up signs which read 'limit your beach time' and 'comply with lifeguards'. Mr Cassidy told Daily Mail Australia he felt 'both bewilderment and frustration' about young people ignoring the guidelines and local authorities failing to police distancing requirements. 'I am a 4th generation local and I love my town and it's people with a passion,' he said. Tim Cassidy (pictured), who has lived in Byron Bay for nearly 50 years, snapped the photos and shared them to Facebook on Wednesday 'Byron Bay beachfront today... Yet AGAIN was in 'what coronavirus' mode,' Mr Cassidy wrote Surfers hit the waves at Byron Bay, New South Wales, on Wednesday 'I know the 'chilled vibe' and spectacular beaches and weather we have and how hard it is to not enjoy it. 'But we must not be 'chilled' about coronavirus, every minute is urgent. 'Just self isolate now and we'll all be enjoying our epic beaches again soon enough.' Mr Cassidy added he was sure to obey social distancing recommendations when taking the pictures on Wednesday. 'I was very quick in taking my photos, and I was wearing mask,' he said. 'I drove up to our beachfront hoping it would be clear of close gatherings. It was all spontaneous and quick.' Mr Cassidy, who was left 'bewildered' by members of the community, said the pictures were taken on Wednesday morning and at 4pm on the beachfront 'Yes it was the most stunning day we have had here in months, and yes the ocean was irresistible... But just think about OTHERS for once people, please,' he wrote Mr Cassidy also shared pictures of hundreds of backpackers defying social distancing directives to watch the sunset on Saturday evening. He told Daily Mail Australia that local hostel owners were carrying a heavy responsibility to stop the spread of COVID-19. 'Hostel companies and their managers are fully accountable here, and our council, particularly Mayor Simon Richardson. [There are] lives are at stake here,' he said. 'It is the responsibility of hostel management to enforce what we are all required to do at this heavy time 'I feel a deep responsibility, in this time of this heavy virus potentially spreading here, to request that all backpacker hostels are policed and if necessary, placed in lockdown now for everyone's wellbeing. 'The town was packed with Aussies too, so this isn't biased in any way. We should all be wise right now.' Locals and tourists gathered around the barbecues on Wednesday Pictured: Beachgoers lie on the grass at Byron Bay, in New South Wales, on Wednesday Beachgoers gather on the grass at Byron Bay on Wednesday 'Limit your beach time,' a sign at the Byron Bay beachfront read on Wednesday Mr Cassidy urged hostel managers to implement COVID-19 policies, including signs in all dorms, text messages to all guests, and announcements on a regular basis to all guests. He called on the local government to put in place restrictions like those elsewhere restricting public gatherings and to urge people to socially distance themselves from others. 'Lockdown if possible, but preferably organise emergency flights home for all these precious backpackers too. Their families my be worried back home,' he said. As of Thursday, NSW Police are now able to hand out on-the-spot fines to anyone who breaches public health orders or ministerial directions during the coronavirus pandemic. People in the firing line include returned travellers who contravene the requirement to self-quarantine for 14 days and those diagnosed with COVID-19 who similarly don't follow the rules. Fines will also apply for breaches of the prohibition on outdoor gatherings of 500 people and indoor gatherings of 100 people. Tim Cassidy, who has lived in Byron Bay for nearly 50 years, told Daily Mail Australia it's up to local hostel owners to lock down their accommodation Hundreds of backpackers in Byron Bay defied coronavirus social distancing rules to gather on the beach and watch the sunset on Saturday (pictured) Tourists and locals watched the sun set over the coastal New South Wales holiday town on Saturday evening SOCIAL DISTANCING IN PUBLIC GUIDELINES Stay at home unless is absolutely necessary Keep 1.5 metres away from others Avoid physical greetings such as handshaking, hugs and kisses Use tap and pay instead of cash Travel at quiet times and avoid crowds Avoid public gatherings and at risk groups Practise good hygiene SOURCE: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Advertisement By Thursday morning there were 1,219 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state. Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday said the public needs to step up to slow the spread of the virus which has so far killed nine people in Australia, including seven in NSW. She backed new public restrictions announced by the prime minister on Tuesday night to control the spread of COVID-19. 'This is a time that all of us have to step up,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'We need to make sure the community does the right thing by yourself, your family and others.' The premier said there will be thresholds in place allowing NSW to take further action, separate to other states, once the number of community transmissions reaches a set amount. Frustrated locals have called for hostel managers to lock down their accommodation After eight years living and working in San Francisco, I was forced to return home to Italy (that's a story for another time). Only a few months later, COVID-19 took over the country. Just a few weeks later, life in Italy was put on hold for, well, I still don't know how long. I live in Zelo Buon Persico, a small town close to Milan and about 50Km from Codogno, the first Italian city that was hit by the virus. Fear spread quickly here as people got sick, hospitals became overloaded, and ambulances dominated the streets. We all felt disarmed. People began to run to the supermarket to buy food to fill their refrigerator and cabinets. It felt like we were in a war against an invisible and powerful enemy. Bars, restaurants, retail stores all had to close and the streets became suddenly empty. No more happy hour, no more chit chat with the neighbors, no more kids at the parks. The silence was the only voice we could hear. In a week, we had all rearranged our lives. Companies asked their employees to work from home; the Italian government delivered a series of restricted rules to prevent people from going out. We can go to the supermarket or to the pharmacy, but only with an auto-certification, explaining our reason to be out, to show the police officers on the streets. It's been about two weeks since I have been lockdown and, even though I know the situation is uncertain, I still have hope that everything is going to be alright. Despite this madness and sense of precariousness, I have decided to lean on my inner hope and make the best of this time of stillness. In this forced staycation, having a routine is very important. I wake up every morning at 8am and I meditate for 40 minutes. I have been doing this for more than 15 years, so now I hold precious this time to strengthen my practice and my sense of peace. I take a shower, I dress up, I put on my makeup, and I sit in front of my computer. I work from nine to five, writing articles, doing interviews, and thinking about what kind of stories I can pitch and how I can improve my writing. I have more time to read newspapers, magazines, and most of all books. I watch more movies, and I bless Netflix every day. As I cannot see my friends, we e-meet on Skype or Zoom for a virtual happy hour where we can talk, make jokes, and laugh together as if we were at a bara good excuse to keep mixing up and drinking my Aperol spritzer. With a friend we are planning to do some video yoga sessions, just to practice together as we normally do. The writer, at right, sharing a virtual happy hour with a friend. (Anna Volpicelli) I do a lot of physical exercises to take care of my body, my mind, my emotions, and my soul. As I love dancing, I started to take some free dance classes and hip-hop tutorials on YouTube and I am having so much fun! Meals are very important, so I enjoy every dinner with my family, where we cheers to our health and this time under the same roof with a glass (sometimes two or three) of good wine. My dad has an amazing wine cellar. This is a plus. I am learning to appreciate the slow pace of my life, and even though I don't know what the future holds, I try to enjoy everything I have and I can do. Although the fear has become part of our lives, there is something truly positive that COVID-19 is serving on the table and showing meus. Italian people are supportive of one another and we are trying to find creative ways to shorten the distances. How? By organizing music flash mobs. Every day at 6pm people go out to their balconies to sing together, to play music, and to keep each other company. Many famous Italian musicians are even performing for free from their terraces as all the concerts are canceled. In some ways, the neighborhoods have never been so alive as they are in this moment. This behavior has changed our days. COVID-19 is highlighting compassionate, strong and positive souls, and it is showing off our humanity, creativity, and willingness to overcome this all together. Apartment buildings are covered with paintings made by kids: a rainbow in which there is written "Andra tutto bene" (everything will be alright). Anna Winger was one of the creators behind Deutschland 83 and Deutschland 86, the spy thriller series about East German espionage and the ordinary people who became caught up in the Cold Wars machinations. So Unorthodox, a four-part series about a young woman escaping a Hasidic community in present-day Brooklyn, might seem like a departure for her. It is not. Its not just that the show, which arrives Thursday on Netflix, shares the intensity, cultural specificity and psychological acuity of Wingers earlier series. Its that the story, which tracks its protagonists personal journey and peril across continents, is itself a kind of espionage caper, a thrilling and probing story of one womans personal defection. Its true that Esty (Shira Haas, Shtisel), a 19-year-old bride in an unhappy arranged marriage, is not trapped behind an international border. We find her in her apartment, looking out at the streetscape of Brooklyn. But as she tells a friend, Williamsburg is not America. The thin eruv wire that surrounds the Satmar Hasidic community where she lives might as well be an Iron Curtain. One day, with cash and a few papers stashed in her waistband, she breaks that barrier, catching a plane for Berlin alone, looking for the mother who herself fled the Satmars and her alcoholic husband when Esty was a child. A reveller who resisted gardai when they confiscated his bag of drinks realised "alcohol was a problem" when he woke up with a charge sheet in his hand, a court has heard. Derek Whelan (32) used a wall to hold himself up as he told officers he had drunk two bottles of wine and two cans before hurling abuse at them. Judge Michael Walsh adjourned the case for the accused to complete an alcohol awareness programme. Whelan, a part-time clerical administrator from Palmerstown Court, Palmerstown, pleaded guilty to public order offences following the city centre incident. He admitted public drunkenness, threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and resisting gardai. Dublin District Court heard gardai were on foot patrol at 6pm last February 14 when they came across Whelan leaning against a wall and sleeping at Anglesea Street. When they spoke to him, he smelled strongly of alcohol, his speech was slurred, he was unsteady on his feet and was using the wall to support himself. Shouted He told gardai he had drunk two bottles of wine and two cans of alcohol, and he had more cans in a bag. When gardai said they would confiscate the bag, Whelan became aggressive and abusive towards them and shouted at them, the court heard. He resisted gardai in an aggressive manner, would not desist and was arrested. The accused could not recall the incident, and when he came to his senses it was a "wake-up call" for him, defence solicitor Stephen O'Mahony said. Whelan had struggled on arrest and had been very intoxicated, to the point that he was "literally using the wall to keep himself on his feet", Mr O'Mahony said. This was "a normal day's drinking", but his client "simply over-indulged". He realised alcohol was a problem when he "woke up with the charge sheet in his hand". After reaching that level of intoxication, he now knew there were "issues" that he had to be mindful of, Mr O'Mahony said, adding that Whelan was very apologetic. RADNOR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / March 24, 2020 / The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP reminds investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (INO) ("Inovio") on behalf of those who purchased or otherwise acquired Inovio common stock between February 14, 2020 and March 9, 2020, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Important Deadline: Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Inovio common stock during the Class Period may, no later than May 12, 2020 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation please click https://www.ktmc.com/inovio-pharmaceuticals-securities-class-action?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=inovio. According to the complaint, Inovio is a biotechnology company focused on rapidly bringing to market precisely designed DNA medicines to treat, cure and/or protect people from infectious diseases. The worldwide outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has become a global "pandemic" due to its extraordinary speed and scale of transmission. According to the World Health Organization ("WHO") Director-General, the WHO is deeply concerned by both the alarming levels of spread and severity of COVID-19. During the Class Period, the defendants capitalized on widespread COVID-19 fears by falsely claiming that Inovio had developed a vaccine for COVID-19. The Class Period commences on February 14, 2020, when Inovio Chief Executive Officer, J. Joseph Kim ("Kim"), appeared on Fox Business News with Neal Cavuto, and stated that Inovio had developed a COVID-19 vaccine "in a matter of about three hours once we had the DNA sequence from the virus" and "our goal is to start phase one human testing in the U.S. early this summer." In response, Inovio's stock price rose more than 10% over the next few trading days. Two weeks later, following a well-publicized March 2, 2020 meeting with President Donald J. Trump to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak, Kim again claimed that Inovio had developed a COVID-19 vaccine, stating "we were able to fully construct our vaccine within three hours . . . . Our plan is to start [U.S. based COVID-19 trials] in April of this year." The market responded favorably to Kim's statement and Inovio's stock price more than quadrupled from $4.28 per share on February 28, 2020, and continued to increase in the following weeks, reaching an intra-day high of $19.36 on March 9, 2020. Story continues According to the complaint, on March 9, 2020, before trading commenced, Citron Research ("Citron") exposed the defendants' misstatements, calling for an SEC investigation into Inovio's "ludicrous and dangerous claim that they designed a [COVID-19] vaccine in 3 hours." Following this news, Inovio's stock price plummeted from its March 9 opening price of $18.72 per share to close at $9.83. On March 10, 2020, Inovio's stock price fell from its $9.30 per share opening price to close at $5.70 per share. The two-day drop wiped out approximately $643 million in market capitalization for Inovio, marking a 71% decline from its Class Period high. In a message to shareholders that same day, Inovio attempted to blunt the Citron revelations, but only highlighted its own misstatements, admitting that it had not developed a COVID-19 vaccine but rather had merely "designed a vaccine construct" - i.e., a precursor for a vaccine - and that it believed it had a "viable approach to address the COVID-19 outbreak." The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, the defendants falsely: (1) described their product as a fully completed vaccine when it was nothing of the sort; (2) claimed they had developed the vaccine in a matter of hours, which is a scientific impossibility; and (3) stated that they would be able to begin human trials in April 2020 when they had no reason to believe that they would have the necessary regulatory approvals to do so. If you wish to discuss this securities fraud class action lawsuit or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests with respect to this litigation, please contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check (James Maro, Jr., Esq. or Adrienne Bell, Esq.) at (844) 877-9500 (toll free) or (610) 667-7706, or via e-mail at info@ktmc.com . Inovio investors may, no later than May 12, 2020 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed as a lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class member's claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country involving securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties and other violations of state and federal law. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors from the United States and around the world. The firm represents investors, consumers and whistleblowers (private citizens who report fraudulent practices against the government and share in the recovery of government dollars). The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, please visit www.ktmc.com. CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP James Maro, Jr., Esq. Adrienne Bell, Esq. 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 (844) 877-9500 (toll free) (610) 667-7706 info@ktmc.com SOURCE: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/582302/Kessler-Topaz-Meltzer-Check-LLP-Announces-Reminder-of-Securities-Fraud-Class-Action-Lawsuit-Filed-Against-INOVIO-PHARMACEUTICALS-INC--INO - Wafula Buke's gesture comes at a time when landlords across the country have come under pressure to reduce or forgo rent amid COVID-19 crisis in Kenya - Sixteen cases of coronavirus disease have so far been confirmed in the country - Recently, another landlord in Nyandarua, Michael Munene, asked his tenants not to pay rent for the next two months Former Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) director of political affairs Wafula Buke has waived rent for his tenants until further notice amid the coronavirus crisis in Kenya. His gesture comes at a time when landlords across the country have come under pressure to reduce or forgo rent due to the tough economic situation that has been worsened by the pandemic. READ ALSO: Mombasa doctor goes into self-quarantine after close contact with COVID-19 positive patient Former ODM director of political affairs Wafula Buke. Photo: Wafula Buke. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Coronavirus: 3 travellers from Kenya among 36 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Rwanda Buke shared the good news on his Facebook page on Tuesday, March 24. "Don't pay me rent till further notice" my SMS to my three tenants," his post read. His bold move excited netizens who urged other landlords to follow suit. Here are some of the reactions. "I wish I was your tenant senior. This is very kind of you. God bless you," Ken Arek said. "How I wish all landlords/ladies follows suit," Isaac Juma opined. "Wonderful. May you never lack," Simon Kairo wrote. "Wafula Buke you are serving humanity with those kind gestures," Rodney Oganga said. Buke's good move also comes after another landlord in Nyandarua asked his tenants not to pay rent for the next two months due to COVID-19. The landlord identified as Michael Munene left the tenants smiling after telling them he was well aware of the tough economic situations in Kenya which have been worsened by coronavirus. Michael Munene speaking at his residential house in Nyandarua. Photo: Macharia Wangui. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Seneta wa Marekani aliyepinga mswada wa kufadhili coronavirus apatwa na virusi "When this pandemic (coronavirus) came to Kenya, life became unbearable and some of them could not afford to raise the rent early enough resorting to borrowing, that's why I have decided to not to charge them for the next two months," he said. Sixteen cases of COVID-19 have so far been confirmed in Kenya. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Kenyans call out Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi and Church Leaders | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Neuberg Diagnostics,a startup in the path lab chain segment, on Wednesday said it has commenced COVID-19 testing at its laboratory in Chennai after receiving approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The company has received the approval from the ICMR for all its four labs in cities ofAhmedabad (Neuberg Supratech), Bengaluru (Neuberg Anand), Chennai (Neuberg Ehrlich) and Pune (Neuberg AG), tooffer COVID 19 RT PCR tests. "COVID-19 has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread beyond China. India is currently between Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the disease spread. "The government is taking the right measures to curtail its spread and will support its efforts towards testing of a symptomatic individual currently and later asymptomatic individuals, as it may be required to augment the travel ban, identify individuals with the infection, isolate them so that the virus can be curtailed," its chairman and MD GSK Velu said in a statement. He further said the company hasalso set up a special support fund for the weaker sections of the society. However, he did not give details about the same. "Through this we will offerfree of cost testing to people with a BPL ration card and appropriate doctor prescriptions.Neuberg will be scaling up its capacity up to 2,000 to 2,500 tests per day as per ICMR guidelines by next week," Velu added. Currently, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 562. Eleven people have succumbed to coronavirus so far. To contain the spread of the virus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Something to look forward to: Over the coming year, CBS is planning to build out its streaming platform in a big way with material from MTV, BET, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon as well as flicks from Paramount Pictures. In total, users can expect some 30,000 new TV episodes and roughly 1,000 new movies over the next several months. CBS is scheduled to air its season finale of Star Trek: Picard on Thursday exclusively via its CBS All Access platform. Now through April 23, youll be able to get in on the action with one free month thanks to a generous offer from CBS All Access. Interested parties can head over to CBS website and click the Try It Free button. From there, you have the opportunity to select a plan with limited commercials for $5.99 after the free month or opt for a commercial-free experience for $9.99 monthly after the 30-day trial expires. Note that you will have to submit a credit card but are free to cancel or change your plan at any time from your account page. Our #StarTrekPicard season finale is Thursday, and starting today until 4/23, you can watch for free on @CBSAllAccess in the US with the code: GIFT. https://t.co/i2IfFQN3I8 It's felt good to bring Picard back. I can't wait to reunite with our cast and crew for Season 2. pic.twitter.com/lSmtMxgrN8 Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) March 24, 2020 I was up and running with my new trial account in about five minutes and look forward to seeing what all it has to offer. Im not personally familiar with most of these, although Ive heard good things about shows like Star Trek: Picard, Survivor, NCIS: New Orleans, Hawaii Five-O, Undercover Boss, Interrogation and Blue Bloods, just to name a few. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal have strongly condemned the attack on a religious gathering in a Gurdwara in Kabul in which at least 11 people were killed. Amarinder Singh described the attack as extremely "tragic and unfortunate". Heavily armed gunmen and suicide bombers stormed a Sikh gurdwara in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 11 worshippers and wounding as many, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the country, according to a media report. "Horrific coming from Kabul where a barbaric terror attack happened in the Gurudwara Guru Har Rai. It's extremely tragic and unfortunate. Request (Afghanistan) President @Ashraf Ghani Ji to find out the perpetrators and look after our people," Singh tweeted. Condemning the ghastly attack, Union Minister and Bathinda MP, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said she requests External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to issue immediate instructions to the Indian High Commission to ensure the safety of the Sikhs. "Shocked to learn about a ghastly terror attack at Gurdwara Sahib in #Kabul. I request EAM @DrS Jaishankar Ji to issue imm instructions to the Indian High Comm in Afghanistan to ensure the safety of our Sikh brethren trapped there..," she tweeted. Meanwhile,Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal also condemned the barbaric attack and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up the issue of safety of the Sikh community with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani urgently. In a statement here, the SAD President said as per initial reports four persons had been killed even as more than 150 Sikhs were holed up in the gurdwara complex. "These people need to be rescued even as quick action needs to be taken to bring to justice those responsible for this cowardly and ghastly act," he said. Sukhbir Badal said it was unfortunate that Sikhs in Afghanistan had been "victims of forced marriages and conversions and killings for more than two decades now but no concrete steps had been taken to ensure their safety". He said Sikhs were being systematically decimated in Afghanistan due to which thousands had fled the country to seek refuge in India. "Now only around 300 Sikh families live in Afghanistan in the vicinity of Gurdwaras but even they are not safe with even gurdwaras being targeted as has happened today morning," he added. Sukhbir said Sikhs who had been displaced by the wave of violence against them by fanatics should be rehabilitated. He said similarly all Sikh places of worship in Afghanistan should be given due protection by the State. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 24, 2020 / The inauguration of North America-China Dragon Business Association was hosted by The New York Harvard Club and was attended by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman from Dragon Business of China, Thompson Education Center representatives, as well as numerous locals and firms. The event was surrounded with vibrant business chemistry and positive energy for the economic development of the global business leaders. After the event, the Dragon Business Association group was invited to the NYGOP Empire Club Reception event featuring Chairman Edward Cox. Prior to the inauguration, the Dragon Business Association group visited Thompson Education Center"s project site, located in Upstate New York. The goal of the project is to build a bridge and create a platform between the two parties to share talent, resources, technology, business opportunities and other possibilities to help create a better and healthier international business atmosphere. Thompson Education Center project is set to develop a new education community in Sullivan County, New York. To date, the professional teams have gone through several meetings with the planning board and zoning board of Town of Thompson. TEC Project has received three well permits, one road permit and is currently on its way of obtaining an additional five well permits. The construction road is completed. Each Professional Team is working diligently to keep the project on track and moving forward. Thompson Education Center has been working closely with Sullivan County Partnership, Chamber of Commerce, Visitors Association and other local groups to bring more investors and visitors to Sullivan County to strengthen the economy. Thompson Education Center - Dedicated to Education, Communications, and Business Opportunities: http://thompsoneducationcenterinitiatives.com/ Thompson Education Center and Sherry Li Appreciated by Catskill Regional Medical Center Foundation: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/thompson-education-center-sherry-li-004500936.html Thompson Education Center and Sherry Li Invited to the Opening Ceremony of North America-China Dragon Business Association: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/thompson-education-center-sherry-li-034000392.html Contact Information: Thompson Education Center Sherry Li 212-845-9519 ccoanys@yahoo.com SOURCE: Thompson Education Center View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/582453/Sherry-Li-and-Thompson-Education-Center-Attend-the-Inauguration-of-North-America-China-Dragon-Business-Association In a memorandum, Apple retail chief Deirdre OBrien has revealed that the company will attempt to resume business operations in the U.S. The company has informed the employees that retail stores might start reopening from the first half of April. Apple had closed its retail stores outside China until March 27, later they said the stores are closed until further notice. Currently, Apple has closed its retail outlets due to the COVID-19 outbreak. OBrien has informed employees that the current work from home arrangements will be extended to at least April 5. Apple might consider extending or ending the arrangement by revaluating the situation after April 5th. Apple is planning to reopen stores in a staged manner. So it might take some time for the Cupertino company to reopen its entire U.S chain. Apple is already working on reopening the stores in Wuhan, the epicenter of Novel COVID-19 breakout. That being said, Apple is still catering to buyers via its online store. Recently the company launched the new MacBook Air and iPad Pro. The U.S. is one of the worst-hit countries and WHO has warned that it might become the epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic. However, it seems that companies are scuttling to restart their operations and get back on track. Needless to say, the lockdown and restrictions will have a bearing on Apples revenue. On the other hand, health officials have warned that opening up businesses prematurely might lead to a spike in the total number of cases. We hope that Apple takes stock of the situation and resumes retail store operation in a considerate manner. [via Venturebeat A spokesman for the Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment. Mr. Trump declined to respond to a question this week about whether his family business intended to take advantage of any of the tax breaks or other benefits included in the legislation. I dont know, Mr. Trump said at a news conference on Sunday. I just dont know what the government assistance would be for what I have. I have hotels. Many of these special-interest provisions would be impossible for a casual reader of the legislation to identify. For example, on Page 15 of the bill, there is a section with the title Business Concerns With More Than 1 Physical Location. It says this change in federal law will apply to companies that fit a North American Industry Classification System code beginning with 72 a reference that turns out to mean the hotel and restaurant industry. The provision says that if a company owns multiple hotels, even if the overall hotel or restaurant chain has more than 500 employees the limit to qualify for treatment as a small business it will still be able to take advantage of the small-business benefits offered in the rescue package. That means loans from the federal government worth up to 2.5 times the firms monthly payroll that will not have to be repaid if the company uses them to keep paying employees during any coronavirus shutdowns. Representatives from the American Hotel & Lodging Association reached out to Republicans and Democrats to push them to insert the language, arguing that it would allow the federal assistance to cover an additional 33,000 hotels, with a total of about one million employees. The large corporations that own the big brands like Marriott or Hilton would not be eligible. But any individual hotel, including from one of these brands, that has fewer than 500 employees would be. Many hotels are owned by franchisees. That position likely will set well with some healthy Americans who are out of work and worried about the future. According to recent polls, fewer people now believe the pandemic is a real threat than they did a month ago. Increasingly, people are beginning to think that the coronavirus is being blown out of proportion, polls show. Less than half of them are voluntarily changing their behaviors. The delay moved closer to reality on Sunday when the Canadian Olympic Committee said it was withdrawing from the games, and Australia's committee members informed its athletes they could not adequately train for the summer games after coronavirus control restrictions were imposed. The IOC and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee said in a joint statement the delay was necessary to "safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved on the Olympic Games and the international community." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the delay of the 2020 Olympics to no later than the summer of 2021 after holding talks by telephone Tuesday with Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. The games were originally scheduled to begin on July 24. Abe said Tuesday the postponement came after months of escalating pressure from some participating countries and athletes. The 2020 Olympics have been delayed for about a year after an agreement was reached between Japan and the International Olympic Committee. Italy, meanwhile, which has suffered by far the deadliest consequences of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported Tuesday a third consecutive day in which its daily deaths and new infections declined. The 601 deaths recorded Monday are still a staggering figure, but one that is a vast improvement from nearly 800 on Saturday. Italy has reported more than 6,000 deaths and has the second highest overall number of cases. Officials put the entire country on lockdown two weeks ago in hopes of stopping the spread of the virus that has reached nearly every country on the planet. Korea, which once held the position of being one of the hardest-hit nations, showed its own continued progress, reporting Tuesday a daily rise in new cases of 76. That was its 13th consecutive day below 100. Meanwhile China continues to report its own improvements with just four locally transmitted cases in its latest figures Tuesday. Officials said healthy people in Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, will be able to leave the province after two months of lockdown. The provincial capital, Wuhan, will see the same relief in early April. But worries persist about a comeback for the virus in China, the place it was first detected in late December, due to cases among people who arrive from elsewhere in the world. China reported 74 such imported cases Tuesday. Those fears have prompted governments all over the world to institute travel restrictions. Beginning Tuesday, Cuba is barring all tourists from entering the country. Those already there will go into mandatory quarantine, while Cuban citizens will not be able to leave the island. South African president Cyril Ramaphosa announced a three-week, nationwide lockdown will begin Thursday as the country's case count rose to 554. In the United States, about one-third of the population is under stay-at-home orders issued by state governors. The latest was the governor of Hawaii telling people to not go out except for essential trips, while the governor of the western state of Washington tightened an existing order to include closing non-essential businesses. U.S. President Donald Trump also signed an executive order Monday which criminalizes the stockpiling of personal protective equipment that medical personnel need to stay safe while treating coronavirus patients. With the national and global response to the outbreak taking an economic toll, U.S. political leaders met late into Monday night trying to finalize an agreement on a massive economic rescue package. They expressed confidence they can reach a deal on Tuesday. The number of people infected by coronavirus in India crossed the 600 mark on Wednesday with Maharashtra recording the highest rise of 16 new cases followed by Karnataka with 10 while Mizoram recorded its first positive case. By the end of Wednesday the count of infected people stood at 606. Two casualties were reported one each from Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Follow coronavirus latest updates here There were nine new cases in Kerala , seven in Haryana, six in Madhya Pradesh, five in Delhi, four each in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir, two each in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and one in Uttarakhand. Despite being the state with the highest number of infections, there was some cheer for Maharastra as a Pune couple the states first coronavirus patients - returned home on Wednesday after 17 days of hospitalisation to a rousing welcome from members of their residential society. Also read: 5 more coronavirus cases in Delhi, says Arvind Kejriwal; follows up with a request Prime Minister Narendra Modi who addressed the people of his constituency in Varanasi through a video link, reiterated that social distancing and staying indoors were the only way out and the best option to deal with coronavirus. People should focus on how deadly this virus is. This disease doesnt discriminate between rich and poor, Modi said, a day after he announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown to break the chain of transmission of coronavirus that has affected more than 4.3 lakh people across the world in three months. Modi underlined the enormity of challenge facing the country. He invoked the Mahabharata, and said the epic war was won in 18 days and his governments effort is to win the war against coronavirus in 21 days. The war of Mahabharata was won in 18 days and our effort is to win this war against the coronavirus in 21 days, he said. In Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reiterated his appeal to people to stay at home as part of the nationwide lockdown as five more people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen. In Odisha, the state launched a massive recruitment for thousands of doctors, nurses, paramedics and multipurpose health workers to join the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, while in Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee appealed to NRIs and corporate to donate funds to fight the pandemic. Click here for complete coverage of coronavirus Amid the 21-day lockdown, the Union home ministry has indefinitely suspended the exercise to update the NPR and collection of data for Census 2021. With the lockdown beginning to hit the poor, the Jharkhand government has initiated several welfare measures, including low-price Khichdi distribution centres and two months ration in advance to beneficiaries of the public distribution system (PDS) to ease the economic burden on them. After launching an official chatbot on WhatsApp to resolve queries related to the coronavirus pandemic, the government has now created an official Telegram group called 'MyGov Corona News Desk' as well After launching an official chatbot on WhatsApp to resolve queries related to the coronavirus pandemic, the government has now created an official Telegram group called 'MyGov Corona News Desk' as well. It is already being well received by the public with over 6 lakh members. The group is meant to dispel rumours and act as a means for the authorities to reach out to the masses. Government of India's official channel for communications regarding COVID -19, reads the about section. The Telegram group will only allow people to read government updates and not ask questions. It will only have vital information shared by various government authorities. There is a FAQ section about the virus, updates regarding the state of public transportation and infographs about basic dos and donts. For those who are already on Telegram, they can search for the online link to join the group. If you do not have the app, then download it to avail the new service. India is a under a 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The governments attempt to reach out to the public through social media is essential to stop the flow of fake messages. On March 24, just after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the countrywide lockdown, people resorted to panic buying fearing essential goods wont be available. The hundreds of fake messages on the scarcity of supplies added to the panic and confusion. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak This prompted PM Modi to tweet that essential services will be available for the citizens and they should not congregate and facilitate the spread of the virus. SPRINGFIELD Voting is now open in the final round of the inaugural Makers Madness contest, a bracket-style tournament hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers Association to determine The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois. The field of contenders has been narrowed to the top four from more than 260 individual products initially nominated from across the state. Almost 250,000 votes have been cast in the contest, which is designed to showcase the many amazing products made by companies in Illinois, along with the range of career opportunities, available in the industry. America is facing extraordinary times and manufacturers are answering the nations call and leading the way forward, said Illinois Manufacturers Associations Mark Denzler, president and chief executive officer. Statewide, manufacturing generates more than $304 billion in economic output, contributing 12% to Illinois Gross Domestic Product the largest share of any industry in the state. Illinois manufacturers employ 592,200 women and men, at an average salary of $88,691, providing $52 billion in wages and benefits. Amazing and innovative companies are making life-saving products, equipping first responders and ensuring that our food supply is strong, he said. Although we launched this contest before our state and country began feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, its been encouraging to see the outpouring of support for these products and companies. Our four finalists are a wonderful representation of our strong and vibrant manufacturing sector here in Illinois. The top four products are the Caterpillar 797F Large Mining Truck, made by Caterpillar Inc. in Decatur; Beer Nuts, made by Beer Nuts in Bloomington; The Clipper, made by Wahl Clipper Corp. in Sterling; and, Functional Hand, made by Thera-Solutions LLC in Elmhurst. More Information If you want to cast online vote for "The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois:" What: "Makers Madness" online contest "The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois," hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers' Association When: Voting now open through Sunday, March 29. Where: Online at www.makersmadnessil.com Info: Voters may cast one vote per day in the final round, narrowed to the top four products made in Illinois. The winner of "The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois" will be announced at www.makersmadnessil.com Wednesday, April 1. The winner, along with all 16 finalists, will be officially recognized at an event later in the year. Statewide, manufacturing generates more than $304 billion in economic output, contributing 12% to Illinois' Gross Domestic Product - the largest share of any industry in the state. Illinois manufacturers employ 592,200 women and men, at an average salary of $88,691, providing $52 billion in wages and benefits. See More Collapse Voting is now open at www.makersmadnessil.com and will run through Sunday, March 29. Voters may cast one vote per day in the final round, narrowed to the top four products made in Illinois. The winner of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois will be announced at www.makersmadnessil.com Wednesday, April 1. Due to precautions put in place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an awards ceremony will no longer take place at the Governors Mansion. The winner, along with all 16 finalists, will be officially recognized at an event later in the year. The Illinois Manufacturers Association is the only statewide association dedicated exclusively to advocating, promoting and strengthening the manufacturing sector in Illinois, as well as the oldest and largest state manufacturing trade association in the U.S., representing nearly 4,000 companies and facilities. Visit www.ima-net.org for more information. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today used a teleconference of foreign ministers of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations to urge tougher international action on Iran and its regional proxies in line with the US maximum pressure campaign. I thank the countries for holding the regime accountable through actions like banning Mahan Air and designating all of Hezbollah and other Iran-backed terror groups as terrorist organizations, Pompeo told a small group of reporters after the conference. Our pressure campaign remains designed to induce Iran to act like a normal country. I urged our G-7 partners to go further in joining us, and they should especially stand with the US in ensuring that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. Why it matters: The G-7 member states the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan have a wide array of divergent Iran policies, some of which are closer to the American position than others. For instance, Britain in January joined the United States and Canada in designating both the military and political wings of Lebanons Iran-backed Hezbollah group as a terrorist organization. But France, Germany and Italy maintain a distinction between the paramilitary wing of Hezbollah and the political party, which serves as part of Lebanons governing coalition. And while the United States sanctioned Irans Mahan Air carrier in 2011 for supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, the United States struggled for years to convince Europe to follow suit. France, Germany and Italy finally did and banned Mahan Air last year after Iran allegedly attempted to assassinate members of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq opposition group in France and Denmark. Still, the United States remains isolated in its decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. While Europe has activated the deals dispute resolution mechanism in a bid to force Iran back into compliance with the accord, the European parties to the agreement still hope to restore it. The State Department also rebuked France this week for releasing an Iranian wanted for evading sanctions in a prisoner swap with Tehran despite an extradition treaty with the United States. Whats next: Another fissure between the United States and Europe could emerge over Tehrans request for a $5 billion International Monetary Fund loan to help it fight the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit Iran particularly hard. Europe has come out in support of the loan, but a State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the loan this week in response to an Al-Monitor query. Know more: Iran has pointed to the US maximum pressure campaign to justify dismissing Washingtons effort to provide coronavirus assistance and has instead called for sanctions removal. Read more about President Hassan Rouhanis reaction to the US offer on Al-Monitor. Once again, Republicans and Democrats turn a deaf ear to the needs of the American people amid the deadly coronavirus. Both parties failed to agree on a financial aid bill. There was a time when both parties exercised toleration and forbearance with each other and got things done. No more! Warring factions opposed each other at the dawn of our country. Federalists and Democrat Republicans maligned and threatened each other. This lack of forbearance spurred President Jefferson to enact the Alien and Sedition Act. Eventually it wasnt tolerated and eliminated. Next came the lead up to the Civil War. At times congressmen from north and south threatened and beat each other while in Congressional chambers. No toleration or forbearance given. Jumping ahead a century, when the Republicans, in 1994, controlled the House, Newt Gingrich declared war on the Democrats. He urged his members to see politics as a war for power, not a compromise between parties. You saw that same partisan thinking with the impeachment of Trump. Democratic politicians refused to accept him as a legitimate president. Again, we see the lack of toleration and forbearance. This lack threatens democracy. And dont say it cant happen. It happened in once democratic countries in Latin America. Its up to the guardians of democracy, executive, congress, judiciary and our free institutions to view each other with mutual respect and compromise. Otherwise, we become a balkanized America. The American people deserve better. (Joseph Valente is a Dongan Hills resident.) FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images Airlines around the world may collapse and fail if governments do not intervene soon, an industry group is warning. Alexandre de Juniac, the chief executive of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) told reporters on a conference call Tuesday morning that many airlines do not have strong enough balance sheets to survive the crisis prompted by the coronavirus outbreak. Airlines everywhere are grappling with a severe decline in traffic as passengers stay home and governments impose strict travel restrictions. We need governments to act fast with financial relief to avoid a liquidity crisis, where (airlines) run out cash and almost half of the companies die in the coming weeks, IATA CEO Alexandre de Juniac said from Geneva. We are now working hard to survive. We need government help. The warning from IATA, an industry group that represents 290 airlines from around the world, comes as WestJet Airlines becomeese the latest Canadian carrier to slash its workforce. WestJet announced Tuesday that 6,900 workers almost half of its employees will leave the company. The Calgary-based airline said that 90 per cent of the employees are leaving voluntarily, through early retirements, buyouts and voluntary leaves. This is devastating news for all WestJetters, the companys chief executive Ed Sims said in a statement. The fact that we avoided a potentially worse outcome is a testament to the spirit and selfless attitude demonstrated by our people, who have enabled WestJet to continue operating with a collective remaining workforce of 7,100. WestJet has cut its domestic capacity in half and cancelled all international routes, including to the U.S., for 30 days. Air Canada has also slashed its capacity, suspending a majority of its international and transborder flights by the end of the month. So far, at least 15,600 people have been laid off from WestJet, Air Canada and Transat. Airlines have cut capacity, grounded planes and laid off employees in order to reduce costs amid the drastic decline in revenue. Over the last several weeks, IATA has urged governments to step in and provide financial support to airlines. Story continues IATAs chief economist Brian Pearce said Tuesday that the groups previous worst-case scenario estimate that airlines would collectively lose $113 billion in revenue as a result of COVID-19 was a gross underestimate. What this suggests now is well see a revenue loss compared to 2019 of over $250 billion, which is something like 44 per cent down from 2019 levels, Pearce said. Clearly, this is a tremendous revenue shock. Pearce said that, outside of the worlds top 30 airlines, many companies are in a position where they cant survive a prolonged stall in traffic. According to Pearce, the median airline has about two-months worth of cash or cash-equivalents on hand. There are lots of debt-servicing and fixed obligations for airlines to have to pay, he said. The challenge is that, before any recovery takes place, airlines may well run out of cash. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has held discussions with the chief executives of Air Canada and WestJet, and has signalled that financial relief for the airline industry is coming. So far, the government has not announced any supports for the industry, despite repeated calls from airlines. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android and sign up for the Yahoo Finance Canada Weekly Brief. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 24 Trend: Today, the world is facing the threat of coronavirus, Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva told reporters, Trend reports on March 24. All countries, including the government of Azerbaijan, are taking the most important, effective and urgent measures and the process is under direct control of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the spokesperson said. While the pandemic is widespread, Azerbaijan's borders with neighboring countries have been closed and flights have been suspended, the spokesperson said. The Azerbaijani government evacuated citizens who were abroad and returned up to 10,000 citizens to the country. Abdullayeva added that the citizens who returned to Azerbaijan are on quarantine for 15-20 days at the state expense. Today the Azerbaijani government has used all the opportunities to ensure the safety of its citizens, the spokesperson said. "We must be aware of our responsibility and support the Azerbaijani government, Abdullayeva said. While addressing citizens, we ask them to observe the rules of quarantine in the countries in which they stay. This will serve the security of both the citizens themselves and our society." The spokesperson said that the hotlines of the Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions in foreign countries work around the clock. The Foreign Ministrys hotline operates around the clock via 596 94 49 and from 09:00 to 21:00 (GMT+4) employees of the structural divisions of the Foreign Ministry receive incoming calls. From 21:00 to 09:00, calls are transferred to mobile numbers, and the employees receive the calls at home. The e-mail of the Foreign Ministry [email protected] is also available. Authorities in Niger should immediately release journalist Kaka Touda Mamane Goni and halt legal proceedings against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On March 5, police arrested Kaka Touda, an independent journalist who publishes news reports on his Facebook and Twitter pages, at his home in Niamey, Nigers capital, according to the journalists lawyer, Boudal Effred Mouloul, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app, and news reports. His arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by the local General Reference Hospital, which alleged that Kaka Toudas posts on social media on March 4 about a suspected COVID-19 case at the hospital posed a threat to public order, according to Boudal and Chaibou Samna, the public prosecutor in charge of the case, who spoke to CPJ over the phone. On March 9, Kaka Touda was presented before a public prosecutor, who said that the state would pursue a case against the journalist for dissemination of data likely to disturb public order under Nigers 2019 cybercrime law, Boudal told CPJ. He said Kaka Toudas next court date has been postponed twice, most recently on March 23 due to court delays related to the virus, and is now scheduled for March 26. If found guilty, Kaka Touda could face up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of five million West African francs ($8,169), according to the cybercrime law. Kaka Touda is being held at Niameys Civil Prison, Boudal said. The journalist is suffering from an upset stomach, dizziness, and a worsening injury to his left foot, according to an individual recently in contact with him who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. Kaka Touda Mamane Goni and all other journalists in Niger should be free to cover the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak without fearing that they will be thrown in jail. Niger authorities should release Kaka Touda immediately, ensure he is given proper medical care, and drop their case against him, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator. Authorities should not confuse censorship and the detention of a journalist with prudent public safety measures as part of their coronavirus response. Kaka Touda has over 3,800 followers on Facebook and over 6,300 followers on Twitter, where he frequently covers national defense and alleged corruption. After Kaka Touda published his post about the suspected COVID-19 case on March 4, the General Reference Hospital issued a statement, which the journalist posted on Twitter, denying that it had any such case. Nigerien authorities publically confirmed the countrys first coronavirus (COVID-19)case on March 19, according to news reports. Samna told CPJ that Kaka Touda was arrested because, after he posted his report that there was a suspected COVID-19 case at the hospital, all the people ran away, and they refused to go to the hospital. Samna said that he was simply applying the law in the case, and added that he was traveling and had not yet reviewed the formal complaint. CPJ called the General Reference Hospital at its publicly listed number, but the call did not go through. Flash The Saudi Arabian G20 Presidency will host the virtual G20 Summit on response to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 26, the G20 Saudi secretariat said on Tuesday. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will chair the meeting to advance a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its human and economic implications, it said in a statement. The leaders of G20 members will be joined by their counterparts from some invited countries, including Spain, Jordan, Singapore and Switzerland, as well as international organizations, including the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Financial Stability Board, the International Labour Organization, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the statement said. The chairing states of some regional organizations, including Vietnam, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, South Africa, the chair of the African Union, the United Arab Emirates, the chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Rwanda, the chair of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, will also be invited to the meeting, it added. The summit will be held at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic continues raging across the world, posing a grave threat to the human health and safety while fueling worries about its huge impact on the global economy. Nigeria has recorded two new coronavirus cases in Lagos and Osun states. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced this in a tweet on Wednesday. The centre said the cases are travellers who returned to the country. It did not give details on where they returned from. This brings the total number of cases in the country to 46. Two new cases of #COVID19 have been confirmed in Nigeria: 1 in Lagos and 1 in Osun. Both cases are returning travellers to Nigeria in the last 7 days, the centre tweeted. As at 07:00 am 25th March, there are 46 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria. 2 have been discharged with 1 death. Of the 46 confirmed cases, Lagos has 30, the federal capital territory (FCT) eight and Ogun three. Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Edo and Bauchi have one case each. Abba Kyari, chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, and Bala Mohammed, Bauchi governor, are among top officials who have tested positive for the virus. Suleiman Achimugu, a former managing director of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), is Nigerias first and only casualty of the virus so far. He died on Monday after returning from the UK. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, yesterday, exhibited its clout for upsetting human activities at the top echelons of the Nigerian government. Shortly after reports that Chief of Staff Abba Kyari tested positive to the virus, the Presidential Villa in Abuja was no longer the same. It retained all the trappings of a nations power core, but ripples of apprehension had already set in. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), yesterday, disclosed four new cases of COVID-19. It said: Till date, 44 cases have been confirmed, two cases have been discharged, with one death from COVID-19 recorded in Nigeria. Of the four new cases reported on the 24th of March, one is in FCT, one is in Lagos State, one is in Ogun State and one is in Bauchi State. All new cases have mild to moderate symptoms and are currently receiving care. A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre, activated at Level Three, continues to coordinate the national response activities. The villa immediately began a gradual lockdown, with a directive to non-essential staff and those who had come in contact with Kyari to stay away for two weeks. This was as three workers in Kyaris office reportedly tested positive to the virus, while their principal himself has since been flown to an intensive care unit in a Lagos hospital. A source, which craved anonymity, also said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has already embarked on self-isolation, a reason he did not report to the office yesterday. The presidency further announced it would scale down the number of media organisations permitted to cover its activities. The decision, which takes effect today, is expected to trim the number of persons who visit the Presidential Villa daily, in line with the need for social distancing. But the impact of Kyaris positive test to coronavirus may only become clear with the passing days. Widely regarded as the most powerful man in the Buhari presidency, his position meant he had daily contacts with almost every important personality who came to the Presidential Villa, and coronavirus thrives on contacts. According to a list drawn by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), yesterday, Kyari has recently come in contact with the vice president, all the ministers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, all the 16 All Progressives Congress (APC), governors who attended the APC leadership peace meeting on March 16 where Oshiomholes case was decided, Bayelsa State governor who also visited the president on March 17, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who also met with the president on March 16, all who attended the inauguration of the Emergency Number 112 by the president on March 19, all staff of the Villa and all the Heads of Security agencies. Others are all the Service Chiefs who visited him for the security briefing, all the Heads of Departments, Agencies and Parastatals, diplomats and foreign dignitaries, security personnel around the Villa, particularly those close to the Chief of Staff, the family, personal and domestic members of staff of Kyari, including his driver and orderly, any other friend, associate, a colleague of his who may have met with him within the time, every member of the presidency cabal who may have met with him for strategy within the time; president of Guinea Bissau and all his entourage and any other Nigerian who must have visited him within the time. BAUCHI State Governor Bala Mohammed also tested positive to COVID-19 yesterday, following his contact with Mohammed Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Mohammed, his family, and commissioners have already gone into self-isolation, said Mukhtar Gidado, the media aide to the governor. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) meanwhile charged Buhari to douse public anxiety by addressing the nation immediately on the status of the presidential villa in relation to COVID-19. The party said its demand is predicated on concerns about health safety issues in the villa, following reports that Abba Kyari tested positive to the virus. In a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said: An address on the situation in the Presidential Villa will further douse public concerns about the status of certain key officials, who have not been visible in the last few days. It said Nigerians, no matter how highly placed, should adhere strictly to directives by relevant agencies of government on health safety measures, particularly as they relate to the isolation of persons returning from foreign trips. The PDP urged the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to move into the Presidential Villa and immediately track and isolate all those who had made contact with President Buharis Chief of Staff, so as to check further spread of COVID-19 in our country. The party called on Nigerians to remain vigilant and observe all health safety directives, including social distances, self-isolation, personal hygiene and prompt report for medical assistance in the case of any symptoms. Also, the Senate yesterday adjourned its sitting for two weeks due to the pandemic of coronavirus ravaging the entire world. Therefore, the Senate resumes on the 7th of April, said Senate President Ahmad Lawan. Also, the chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, told journalists, following the adjournment, to discountenance reports that some senators, who recently returned to the country from foreign trips, tested positive for coronavirus. So, far, there is no senator that has tested positive, he affirmed. Besides adjourning for two weeks, the House of Representatives, yesterday, passed a bill designed to cushion the effect of the pandemic. Sponsored by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and other principal officers, the piece of legislation is entitled: A Bill for an Act to Provide for Relief on Corporate Tax Liability, Suspension of Import Duty on Selected Goods and Deferral of Residential Mortgage Obligations to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria for a Fixed Term to Protect Jobs and Alleviate the Financial Burden on Citizens in Response to the Economic Downturn Occasioned by the Outbreak of COVID-19 Disease and for Related Matters. Part of the bill states: Notwithstanding the provision of any other law in force in Nigeria, any employer duly registered under Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) Cap C20 LFN 2004, which maintains the same employee status without retrenching their staff as at 1st of March 2020 till the rest of the year ending 31st of December 2020 shall be entitled to 50 per cent income tax rebate on the total of the actual amount due or paid as Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Tax under the Personal Income Tax Act Cap C8 LFN 2004 (as amended). MEANWHILE, a consignment of medical supplies from the Jack Ma Foundation, to assist Nigeria in the fight against coronavirus arrived Lagos yesterday. Jack Ma is a billionaire Chinese tech titan and founder of Alibaba. The supplies arrived aboard an Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) at 3:20 p.m. They include 20,000 laboratory diagnostic test kits, 100,000 medical masks, and 1,000 protective suits and face shields. This was as the Federal Government disclosed that all international airports would remain closed for four weeks, with exemptions to some essential flights. Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika, via his Twitter handle, said: All international airports remain closed for four weeks as said, except for aircraft in distress. The following are also exempted but with prior approval from the Minister of Aviation in advance. They are, humanitarian, medical and relief; cargo, technical, alternate and safety. Post Views: 2 Four more persons tested positive for coronavirus in J-K on Wednesday, taking the number of cases to 11, a senior official said, while authorities in Kashmir expressed apprehensions that the cases could be more than reported in the Valley as a significant number of people appeared to have concealed their travel history. "Four new positive cases have been reported from Kashmir. All of them are from Bandipora district," Bhupinder Singh,Director of National Health Mission and incharge of measures on COVID-19, told reporters inJammu. He said that the new patients had come in contact with a person who had tested positive in Srinagar on Tuesday. As per a government bulletin on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir, as many as 5,124 travellers and people who came in contact with suspected and positive cases have been put under surveillance. Among them 3,061 are in home quarantine (including facilities operated by the government), 80 in hospital quarantine and 1,477 in home surveillance. As many as 506 people have completed their 28-day surveillance period, it said. While 326 samples have been sent for testing, 294 tested negative, 11 were positive including one patient who recovered. Reports of 21 are awaited, it added. Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary said the administration was flooded with messages about people concealing travel history, apparently to avoid undergoing mandatory quarantine. "Flood of messages about travellers who concealed travel history; and about contacts. I wish such people acted responsibly. Those appeals weren't without reason. Control room and teams are having tough time," he tweeted on Wednesday. "Doctors suggest actual cases in community could probably be more than those tested positive," he said and appealed to the people to stay indoors during the lockdown period so as to break the chain of transmission of the virus. "For heaven's sake stay at homes and report to designated hospitals if you have symptoms/travel history. Consult on phone before visiting hospital. Please. Spread the word," he added. Earlier, four persons tested positive for coronavirus in the Kashmir valley. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered 218 FIRs against people who violated the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, an official said. Restrictions on movement imposed in Kashmir to prevent the spread of coronavirus were tightened on Wednesday and strict action initiated against violaters, officials said. Forty-nine people were arrested in Srinagar, Sopore, Handwara and Anantnag areas of the Valley for violating the prohibitory orders on Monday, while 45 were arrested in Ganderbal and Kupwara districts on Tuesday. Security forces sealed off several roads and erected barriers across the Valley to enforce the lockdown, they said. Police vehicles fitted with public address systems went around the residential areas late Tuesday as well as on Wednesday morning, announcing the imposition of restrictions under section 144 of CrPC and advising people to stay indoors. Police also used drones in some parts of the city to announce the restrictions, they added. A suspected coronavirus patient, who had recently travelled to another country, Wednesday fled from a hospital in Srinagar but was immediately tracked and re-admitted, officials said. They said legal action would be taken against the patient for putting other people's health at risk. The patient, a resident of Batamaloo area of the city here, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday and his sample has been sent for the COVID-19 test, the officials said. Authorities in the Union Territory also announced more steps to assist the people who may be facing hardships due to the lockdown. The J-K Administrative Council has ordered forthwith release of one-month pension in advance to all its retired employees besides the wages for a month to its daily-wage workers, an official spokesman said. The Council had also decided to release advance ration for April and May to all ration card holders and one month's ration for Mid-Day Meals would also be distributed in advance amongst the parents of eligible children. It had also decided that in view of the difficulties being faced by them, ration packets be immediately distributed among the destitute and slum dwellers. Around 1.60 lakh families in Srinagar city would get ration delivered to their homes from Saturday. Authorities released toll free helpline numbers for support, guidance, and response to health related queries on coronavirus: National -- 1075; Jammu and Kashmir -- 0191-2549676 (UT level Cell), 01912520982, 0191-2674444, 0191-2674115 (For Jammu Division), 01942440283 & 0194-2430581(For Kashmir Division). Singh urged the people to strictly follow directions for a complete lockdown in the entire nation for the next 21 days in an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic as it is essential to break the chain of its transmission. "People are appealed to stay in their homes and take the lockdown imposed by the government with utmost sincerity as carelessness of few can throw us into grave jeopardy, keeping in view the experiences of other countries," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: G20 leaders committed to using all available policy tools to minimize economic and social cost of the COVID-19 pandemic and to restore global growth, market stability & strengthening resilience. G20 countries also committed to injecting over $5 trillion into the global economy. Auto refresh feeds The toll due to the virus increased to 10 with another fatality being reported from Maharashtra, according to official data. A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 90 more coronavirus positive cases were reported in India, taking the total number of cases to 606 on Wednesday. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had earlier announced that curfew will be imposed in the Union Territory till 31 March. It has been alleged that Kumar was distributing bags containing vegetables to a gathering of more than 200 people near his residence in Nellithope. A complaint was filed against Congress MLA John Kumar for allegedly violating the lockdown orders issued by the Puducherry government to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. This will not only reduce inconvenience to emergency services but also save critical time, he said. The minister said maintenance of roads and availability of emergency resources at toll plazas will continue as usual. In view of COVID-19, it has been ordered to temporarily suspend the collection of toll at all toll plazas across India, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced. The Centre on Wednesday announced to temporarily suspend toll collection on national highways to ease emergency services during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The owners of these vehicles will have to collect the passes from the DCP offices in their respective areas and hand them over to the drivers of the vehicles after which they would be allowed entry through the border posts. To ensure the smooth continuance of essential services, the Delhi Police on Tuesday had decided to issue curfew passes for goods vehicles driving into the city from the National Capital region (NCR) carrying essential items. The movement of vehicles carrying essential services has been permitted during the 21-day nationwide shutdown in the Delhi-Noida border (Noida Sector-14-Mayur Vihar border). "The Bank has decided to make maximum 10 percent of the existing fund based working capital limits (FBWC) subject to maximum of Rs 200 crore. This is in addition to existing adhoc/excess/standby letter of credit (SLC)/gold card limit, BoB said in a late night statement. This follows a similar additional funding facility announced by the country's largest lender State Bank of India for its borrowers, last week. Bank of Baroda on Wednesday said it has set up an emergency credit line to provide funds to its existing MSME and corporate borrowers impacted by the outbreak of coronavirus. Eighteen coronavirus positive cases were linked to a kindergarten centre, PAP Community Foundation (PCF) Sparkletots in Fengshan. It has been decided that all PCF centres, operated as pre-schools by the ruling People's Action Party, would be closed for four days from Thursday. According to the ministry, of the new cases, 38 people have travel history to Europe, North America, ASEAN and other parts of Asia, while the rest were locally transmitted cases. The 73 new cases reported on Wednesday has brought the total number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore to 631, the health ministry said. A three-year-old Indian girl was among the 73 new COVID-19 cases that have been reported in Singapore in a day, taking the tally to over 600. All three are male patients of ages 25, 29 and 55 years. They have travel history of returning to Goa from Spain, Australia and the USA, respectively, the officials said. The Directorate of Health Services, in a late night press statement in Panaji, said three suspected cases of COVID-19 from Goa, whose test results were awaited, have turned out positive. This is the first time the tourist state has reported coronavirus positive cases. Three persons, all with travel history abroad, tested positive for the novel in Goa on Wednesday, health department officials said, as the tourist haven joined the states which have reported COVID-19 cases. With these two cases, the number of positive cases in the state has gone up to 40. A 43-year-old woman from Hyderabad with no history of international travel has also tested positive. She is the primary contact of a positive case reported earlier. A three-year-old is among two COVID-19 positive cases reported in Telangana on Wednesday, health officials said. The boy recently returned with his parents from Saudi Arabia. He has been admitted to a hospital where his condition is stated to be stable. "Figures for the last seven days show load factors of over 80 percent for flights to the UK, France and Germany, with a fall to 36 percent for outbound services from those countries, illustrating the demand for homeward travel," said the airline. Our state-of-the-art aircraft with their advanced air filter systems, combined with strict bio-security screening of our staff mean that we can continue operating a significant number of flights to reunite stranded passengers with their loved ones, the airline said in a statement. Qatar Airways has informed that it continues to operate more than 150 flights per day to over 70 cities worldwide despite the COVID-19 crisis that has crippled global airline operations. Senate leaders were trying to overcome late objections to a $2 trillion economic rescue package to ease the financial pain of the pandemic. New York State alone accounted for more than 30,000 cases and close to 300 deaths , most of them in New York City. In Washington, President Donald Trump implored Congress to move on critical coronavirus aid without further delay. A makeshift morgue was set up outside Bellevue Hospital, and the city's police, their ranks dwindling as more fall ill, were told to patrol nearly empty streets to enforce social distancing. New York authorities mobilized to head off a potential public health disaster in the city on Wednesday, with its emergence as the nation's biggest virus epicentre. New York State alone accounted for more than 30,000 cases and close to 300 deaths. The tracker had shown 827 deaths a few hours earlier. The United States has the third-highest number of confirmed cases behind China and Italy, and the US death rate is now 1.5 per cent, based on reported cases. The number of fatalities due to the novel coronavirus rose to 1,031 in the United States on Thursday, with 68,572 confirmed cases nationwide, according to the tracker run by the Johns Hopkins University. IndusInd Bank, Tech Mahindra, Axis Bank, Sun Pharma and HDFC are among major gainers on Nifty, while losers are Yes Bank, Grasim, JSW Steel, Adani Ports and Maruti Suzuki. The Indian indices opened on positive note on Thursday with Nifty above 8,400 level. The Sensex is up 243.93 points or 0.85 percent at 28779.71, while the Nifty up 53.85 points or 0.65 percent at 8371.70. The paper said 22 of the fatalities were in the Bergamo diocese, at the heart of the outbreak not far from the financial centre Milan. "Priests get sick and die like everybody else, maybe even more than the rest," the Avvenire wrote. A total of 67 Italian priests infected with the novel coronavirus have died since the pandemic reached the Mediterranean country in February, the Avvenire newspaper said Wednesday. The youngest of those listed by the Catholic Church-affiliated paper was 53. Scientists investigating SARS-CoV-2 have found that the structure is very similar to the SARS-CoV. But there are also a number of marked differences. For example, one of the most startling differences of COVID-19 is its rapid spread across the world. An area of inquiry is its relationship to other coronaviruses. For example, its been identified as being part of the same family of coronaviruses which caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). SARS was first identified in 2002. It caused severe respiratory disease which was fatal in approximately 10% of cases. MERS, on the other hand, originated in the Middle East and although less infectious, caused death in around 37% of cases. Understanding the virus is the preoccupation of scientists who are trying to unravel its mysteries as a first step to finding ways to stop the disease spreading, and to finding a vaccine. On a daily basis scientists are finding out new things about SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the rapidly spreading disease COVID-19. COVID-19, which first emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019, is relentlessly sweeping across the world. The scale of the epidemic has caused chaos and led to the World Health Organisation declaring it a pandemic in March 2020. According to reports, four other individuals who came in contact with the patient also tested positive. He had a travel history of New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh where he was part of the Tablighi Jamaat, attended by people from Malaysia and Indonesia. According to Kashmir News Observer, the person died due to cardiac arrest and he had a long medical history of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Kashmir recorded its first death due to the novel coronavirus after a 65-year-old man from Soporev who tested positive to COVID-19 passed away at Chest Disease hospital Srinagar on Thursday morning. "The Saudi G20 Presidency has set the date of the extraordinary virtual Leaders' Summit for Thursday, March 26. King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will chair the meeting to advance a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its human and economic implications," an official statement said on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia, which currently holds the G20 presidency, last week called for the "virtual summit" following criticism that the powerful group of major economies had been slow to address the global crisis. Saudi Arabia's King Salman will chair an emergency virtual summit of G20 leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday to advance the coordinated response to the novel coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over 21,000 lives and upended life and businesses across the globe. "The test came out positive this morning. We are now taking the necessary precautions for her relatives as well," the official said. The woman, who hailed from Navi Mumbai, had symptoms similar to the coronavirus infection. Thus, as a precautionary measure, her samples were taken and sent for testing, he said. The test report of a woman who died on 24 March turned out positive for coronavirus on Thursday, taking the COVID-19 toll in Maharashtra to four, a health official said. Maharashtra, with rest of the country is under lockdown till 14 April. Essential services like food items, vegetables, fruits, grocery and bakery items are exempted from lockdown. "Two new positive cases of coronavirus in Mumbai and Thane; Till now, the total number of positive cases in the state is 124: Health Department, Maharashtra," ANI tweeted. Two more positive cases of coronavirus has been reported in Mumbai and Thane on Thursday. With this the total number of positive cases in Maharashtra has gone up to 124, as per the state health department. "The doctor's wife and daughter have also tested positive," the Delhi health minister said. A mohalla clinic doctor in Delhi and four others have tested positive for COVID-19 after coming in contact with an infected patient, said Health Minister Satyendar Jain. The woman had recently travelled to Saudi Arabia. With this, the positive cases in the National Capital have risen to 36. He informed," The company is adopting two pronged approach. At one end, we along with two large PSUs are working with An existing manufacturer of high spec ventilators to help them to simplify design and scale up capacity. Our engineering team is right now with them working on it." Goenka in a tweet said Mahindra is overwhelmed with pouring in of support from individuals and companies for its effort to make available ventilators. Mahindra and Mahindra in partnership with two public sector units is working with an existing manufacturer of high-spec ventilators to help them simplify design and scale up capacity, said Pawan Goenka, MD of Mahindra & Mahindra a few days after the chairman Anand Mahindra announced that the group will offer all possible support to deal with COVID-19 contagion. The two parties decided that the delivery person, along with the vehicle, will be issued passes. Passes can also be availed online after a couple of days. These passes will be produced at each DCP office to the organisations involved in the supply chain. The person must submit his Aadhaar card, and any misuse or false information given would lead to cognizable offence. On Wednesday evening, over 300 representatives of multiple e-commerce food, medicine, fruits and vegetables delivery aggregators were called for a meeting by the Bengaluru Police Commissioner. The meeting was about the smooth delivery of essentials during the 21-day-long lockdown. "24% of the confirmed cases in Pakistan so far are between 21 to 30 years of age. This constitutes a majority of the cases. The pattern is unlike other countries where cases mostly comprise older people," Geo TV quotes Mirza as saying. In contrary to the trend seen in China or any other COVID-affected country, a majority of the 1,022 confirmed cases in Pakistan constitute young adults falling in the age bracket of 21-30 years, Special Assistant on Health Dr Zafar Mirza informed during his televised media briefing on Wednesday. She also suggested a sector-wise relief package for business badly hit by the pandemic. "Centre must consider announcing sector-wise relief package, including tax breaks, interest subvention, deferment of liability," wrote Sonia. "At this challenging and uncertain time, it is imperative for each one of us to rise above partisan interests and honour one's duty towards our country and indeed, towards humanity." "As president of the Congress, I would like to state that we will support and collaborate fully with every step taking by the union government to ensure the containment of the pandemic," Sonia Gandhi wrote in the four-page letter. Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi supporting the 21-day national lockdown as a "welcome step" while suggesting economic and health measures in its fight against the novel coronavirus. The airline's entire commercial passenger aircraft fleet of 82 Boeing 737, two Airbus A320 and 32 Bombardier Q-400s is currently grounded as the government has suspended domestic and international flight operations to curb the spread of coronavirus. "The special flight will be operated as per Government of India's request and the airline will deploy its Boeing 737 aircraft for the assignment," the low-cost carrier said in its press release. Spicejet has said that it will conduct a special flight to Jodhpur on Sunday to bring Indians returned from Iran yesterday to Delhi. "Will conduct special flight from Delhi to Jodhpur on Sunday to take Indians who have returned from Iran to government quarantine facility," SpiceJet said in a statement. Press conference will also be live streamed on FINMIN SM Platforms and Telecast live by DD and ANI. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to address the media in New Delhi at 1 pm. The finance minister is likely to announce a relief package amid 21-day nationwide shutdown over coronavirus pandemic. Close to 900 people are under quarantine after a doctor of a mohalla or community clinic in Delhi tested positive for coronavirus, reported NDTV. They have all been isolated for 14 days, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain told the media house. He also said the number of coronavirus or COVID-19 cases in Delhi is now 36. The test is designed to seek out genetic material of the virus in secretions from a patient most commonly saliva and secretions from the nose, both of which would have small amounts of the virus in an infected person. These samples are collected using a swab, and fed to a portable device that will return a result in 5 to 10 minutes. It uses an extremely rapid method to multiply the genetic material in the sample (exponentially), called Cepat. Researchers at the NanoBio Lab at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) in Singapore have developed a rapid test that can diagnose a coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) infection in as little as five minutes. If and when the test seeks the necessary approvals, it would be the fastest test currently available for COVID-19. The team is currently optimising the test for a diverse range of potential patients and hopes to submit the test for approval in a month's time. Kejriwal said that people are largely keeping indoors and the situation is "under control" but more caution was needed to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. Also, concerned SDMs and ACPs have been directed to ensure shops selling groceries, vegetables and milk remain open and essential items are adequately stocked in their respective areas, Baijal said. In a joint digital press conference with Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that one case of coronavirus was reported in Delhi in past 24 hours taking the total number of such cases to 36. The Delhi government will allow shops selling essential items to operate round the clock so that there is no rush of people in the wake of the 21-day lockdown, Lt Governor Anil Baijal said on Thursday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Yojana will include cash transfers to the poor and migrants.The finance minister has announced medical insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per health worker for three months. Under the Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Yojana (food scheme), 80 crore people will be benfitted, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "Every one under this scheme will get 5 kg of wheat/rice for free in addition to what they are already getting. We will also give one kg of one choice of pulse to each household under this scheme for the next three months. They can take it in two installments also," said Sitharaman. "They receive Rs 6,000 per annum through the PM-KISAN scheme. We will now be giving the first instalment upfront. Around 8.69 crore farmer will get immediate benefit out of this," said the finance minister. "Wage increase under MNREGA scheme will benefit 5 crore families. Wage increase will result in additional income of Rs 2,000 per worker," said Nirmala Sitharaman. Centre will pay the EPF0 contribution both, of the employer and of the employee (12 percent each) for firms with over 100 employees for the next three months, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. An order by the department of health also stated that even the healthcare workers working in the facilities which are directly involved in drawing samples from patients at designated hospitals will also be tested for the disease. On Wednesday, the wife and a 17-year-old daughter of the mohalla clinic doctor was tested for COVID-19. Around 1,000 patients who were seen by the doctor between March 12 to March 18 are also being traced. The city has reported 36 confirmed cases of COVID-19 till Wednesday, of these 26 have a travel history and 10 are of local transmission. After a 49-year-old doctor working in a mohalla clinic tested positive for COVID-19, the Delhi government has decided to conduct tests for all the healthcare workers who are directly involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. With the help of NGO "Ek Noor" and peace committee members, the police officials of West district initiated a campaign for distribution of food, water and sanitisation in the slum area, a senior police official said. Approximately 1,000 food packets were distributed with the help of an NGO in slum clusters of West Delhi''s Raghubir Nagar and Ghondewala Mandir, they said. The Delhi Police on Thursday distributed food packets to slum-dwellers in West Delhi amid the lockdown and educated them about the precautions to be taken in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, officials said. Kumar had already announced that his state government will bear the treatment costs of coronavirus patients. In a bid to ease the hardships that the poor may face on account of the lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak, Kumar had also on Wednesday announced that all ration card holding families in the state will get an assistance of Rs one thousand each. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a grant of 100 crores for the coronavirus relief fund which will include shelter and food for labours, rickshaw pullers, roadside vendor and other poor people. He said that shelter camps will also be made along with the health facility. According to a WhatsApp message, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be addressing the nation on Friday night to announce the nationwide shutdown. "There is a rumour going around on WhatsApp - some of you may have heard the rumour - that there is going to be a lockdown in Singapore this weekend. Can I just make it very clear - there is no lockdown," Mr Wong said in a press conference. WhatsApp messages about Singapore going under possible "lockdown" this weekend over the COVID-19 outbreak are untrue, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said. "Following the latest government directive on the COVID-19 situation, SMG will be extending plant shutdown till 14 April, 2020," MSI said in a regulatory filing. Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday said that the Gujarat-based Suzuki Motor Gujarat Pvt Ltd (SMG) will extend its plant shutdown till 14 April in view of nationwide lockdown announced in the country. The sale will be regulated through first rule like online submission of prescription. In case of chronic illness, the chemist will not ask for prescription immediately and it can be presented within a month. Ministry said drugs can be supplied at the doorstep of the patients located within the same revenue district where the licensee (Chemist Shop) is located. The chemist will have to submit the email id through prescription is to be received to licensing authority These medicines fall under the schedule H category which means such drugs cannot be purchased without the prescription of a qualified doctor. The new rules allows submission of prescription in electronic forms if it gets delayed in case of acute crisis. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a gazette notification easing the rules to allow the retail sale of drugs to the doorstep of patients during the 21-day nationwide lockdown. "If even one link in supply chain is broken, India could run out of stocks of packaged foods in the next 7-10 days. The Centre has issued permissions but we need support at district level," Berry said. Government support and intervention is required to restore supply chains immediately or the country could run out of stocks of packaged foods in the next 7-10 days, biscuits and dairy giant Britannia Industries managing director Varun Berry said on Thursday, as supply chain disruptions continue to be crippled amidst the Covid-19 outbreak. ANI further added that a tripartite agreement was signed between the Odisha government, corporates, and medical colleges to set up a 1,000-bed exclusive COVID-19 treatment hospital. Odisha is to set up the "largest" COVID-19 hospital in the country, ANI reported on Thursday, however, there was no official statement from the state government about the same. "Will be a 1,000 bed hospital and will be functional in a fortnight. Odisha will be the first state in the country to set up such a large scale hospital exclusively to treat COVID-19 patients," the report said. Health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal on Thursday said, "Forty-two fresh coronavirus cases and four deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported in the last 24 hours. Total number of cases stands at 649." The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that the government is taking steps to ensure that production, supply or distribution of essential goods and services do not get affected during the 21-day complete lockdown over coronavirus. "States are working to provide food and shelter to migrant workers," said Punya Salila Srivastava, Joint Secretary, MHA. Joint Secretary of the health ministry, Lav Aggarwal, said that while cases of coronavirus are increasing in India, the rate at which they are increasing "appears to be relatively stabilising". "However, this is only the initial trend," he said in the daily briefing on Thursday. Iran on Thursday announced 157 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, AFP reported on Thursday. The total figure of deaths in the country is now 2,234. The report also said that Iran has imposed a ban on intercity travel to try to curb the spread. CNN-News18 reported that a few migrants were made to crawl by the Uttar Pradesh Police in the Badaun district. "Seventeen states are starting to build hospitals dedicated for COVID-19. States have been asked to make dedicated COVID-19 hospitals," he added. Health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal addressed concerns of the condition of daily wage workers and migrant workers stranded in cities after the 21-day lockdown was enforced and said that they will be given shelter and food from the government. "We have to stay where we are instead of moving around," he added, reiterating the need for self-isolation. R Ganga Ketkar of the Indian Council of Medical Research on Thursday said that the steps taken by the government "are so effective that if we follow them strictly, the coronavirus cases will hardly increase in the country". Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot replied to NC leader Omar Abdullah regarding some Kashmiri students stranded in Rajasthan's Kota district. Pilot said, "Kota district officials and local police are in touch with these students now. Will be provided transport and/or accommodation, meals. And also to all other such stranded students from all over the country." State governments like Jharkhand and Rajasthan have reached out to native migrants in other states as the 21-day complete lockdown over the coronavirus was imposed on Tuesday. The Mumbai Police on Thursday tweeted, "Essential pass, for essential services. Requesting all shops providing essential services & commodities, to reach out to their local police station for these passes, to ensure hassle-free commute and sale." He also said that COVID-19 "does not spread through mosquitoes". "Community transmission phase of COVID-19 will start if the community and we (the government) don't work collectively and follow guidelines. But it would never happen in India if we follow social distancing and treatment properly," said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry. He added, "Sanitizers developed by us have been distributed to many people. In the last 15-20 days, we have supplied more than 20,000 sanitizer bottles to various agencies." Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman, Dr G Satheesh Reddy was quoted by ANI as saying, "We have also developed N-99 and three-layered masks, we have produced more than 20,000 masks and supplied to various agencies, including Delhi Police." The Ministry of Food Processing Industries on Thursday wrote to state governments to ensure seamless production and distribution of essential food products during the 21-day lockdown over coronavirus. The statement also said that a grievance redressal cell has been set up. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday directed officials and vendors to practice social distancing, in a market in Kolkata. The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday said that a total of 13 people have been tested positive for the novel coronavirus till Thursday in the union territory. 5482 people in contact with possibly infected/positive cases have till now been put under surveillance, the statement added. As job losses mount, some economists say the nations unemployment rate could approach 13 percent by May. The pace of layoffs is sure to accelerate as the U.S. economy sinks into a recession. Revenue has collapsed at restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, gyms, and airlines. Auto sales are plummeting, and car makers have close factories. Most such employers face loan payments and other fixed costs, so theyre cutting jobs to save money. Nearly 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week more than quadruple the previous record set in 1982 amid a widespread economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus. The surge in weekly applications was a stunning reflection of the damage the viral outbreak is doing to the economy. Filings for unemployment aid generally reflect the pace of layoffs. "Being the police chief of the district, I feel sorry and apologise for this. Investigation is being conducted against the responsible person," said Ashok Kumar Tripathi, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Badaun. After a video of police personnel in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun making migrant workers crawl on the roads went viral on Thursday, the Uttar Pradesh Police issued an apology for the incident and said that disciplinary action had been initiated. The US Embassy in India issued an alert for its citizens stranded in India and said, "We urge US citizens to secure and keep your travel documents ready, as flights may be announced on short notice." Police personnel in several states like Rajasthan and Karnataka "punished" people for violating the lockdown over the coronavirus. Uttar Pradesh Police apologised for a similar incident in the state's Badaun area after a video of it went viral. Mahindra Group chairperson Anand Mahindra on Thursday congratulated two teams of the company for producing various renditions of a ventilator for coronavirus patients. A homeless couple living near Jantar Mantar in Delhi, Sapna and Sanjay, said that they were worried about sustenance amid the complete lockdown over the coronavirus. Sanjay was quoted by ANI as saying, "We have exhausted our rations and don't know what will happen now. My wife is 8 months pregnant, my heart aches that she has to go hungry." The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Thursday, "It has been decided that scheduled international commercial passenger services shall remain closed till 18.30 hrs (GMT) of 14 April, 2020. This will not apply to approved international all-cargo operations and flights." The Delhi Police on Thursday distributed food to people in the Najafgarh and Majnu ka Tila areas of the National Capital, ANI reported. Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said that there was no restriction on the timings of essential service shops. "I assure that the food delivery boys will face no difficulty in carrying out their duties," he said. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Thursday made a donation of Rs 33 crore to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. "We are dutifully committed to stand firmly with our Nation in this challenging time of COVID-19 spread. Its a unanimous decision and a sincere effort by our personnel. The effort was to make the immediate contribution with the noble intent to keep it unrevealed. The CRPF remains steadfast towards its motto of service and loyalty," the statement said. The Chhattisgarh government has reportedly taken over all the private medical colleges, nursing homes, and hospitals, including RIMS in Ranchi, to use as centres to treat coronavirus patients. The Jammu and Kashmir police is putting stamps reading 'corona lockdown violator' on the hands of people in Ranbir Singh Pura city who are violating the complete lockdown over coronavirus. Shabir Khan, SDPO, RS Pura said, "We are using a permanent ink that takes around 15 days to erase". The health ministry on Thursday said that 88 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in the country in a day, which is the highest jump of infections in a single day. The total number of cases rises to 694, the statement said. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said, "The government announcement today of a financial assistance package, is the first step in the right direction." The G20 nations on Thursday pledged $5 trillion for the global economy as the world struggles to combat the global coronavirus pandemic. The Delhi government on Thursday withdrew the permission it had granted to online delivery services like Zomato to function during the 21-day complete lockdown. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday issued a notification allowing inter-state travel of animal fodder, The Indian Express reported. "It is hereby clarified that exceptions under clause 6 covers the transportation/inter-state movement of animal feed and fodder, being the essential items," the notification read. Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said on Thursday, "Nearly 11,000 convicts and undertrials who are imprisoned for offences with prescribed punishment up to 7 years or less should be released on emergency parole or furlough to reduce overcrowding in prisons & to contain COVID-19 outbreak." In his remarks at the G20 virtual summit, Narendra Modi noted the alarming social and economic cost of the coronavirus pandemic. He added that 90 percent of the COVID-19 cases and 88 percent of deaths were in G20 countries, even as they share 80 percent of world GDP and 60 percent of world population, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that G20 leaders committed to using all available policy tools to minimise economic and social cost of the COVID-19 pandemic and to restore global growth, market stability and strengthening resilience. G20 countries also committed to injecting over $5 trillion into the global economy. "G20 leaders agreed to take all necessary measures to contain COVID-19 pandemic and protect people. They also supported the strengthening of WHOs mandate in the fight against pandemics, including delivery of medical supplies, diagnostic tools, treatments, medicines and vaccines," the MEA said on Thursday. Social workers on Thursday distributed food to people near the Kurla Terminus in Mumbai. On 25 March, he self-reported for collection of samples for the coronavirus test at the Gandhi hospital, and was tested positive for coronavirus on 26 March. On 14 March, the patient travelled by train to Delhi from Hyderabad and travelled back by train on 17 March. On 18 March, the patient arrived at the Secunderabad station, where he developed cold and fever, after which he went home in an auto with this son, the notification said. The same day, he consulted a doctor at Quthbullapur and was prescribed medicines. The Telangana government on Thursday reported four new cases, which brought the total cases of coronavirus in the state to 44, of which one has recovered. A man, in his mid-30s, tested positive for the COVID-19 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Thursday, the first case in the Union Territory, officials said. The man, a resident of Mayabunder, had returned from Kolkata on 24 March, Chief Secretary Chetan Sanghi said. Doctors in the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan plan to embark on a long-term study of COVID-19 impact on the male reproductive system to verify initial research, indicating that the pathogen could affect sex hormone levels in men, PTI reported. He added, "When the accident took place, factory workers admitted her to a govt hospital in Bharat Nagar. Doctors there were taking x-rays of her chest instead of treating her leg. They said that her lungs have filled up with water. So I came to Kanganwal." "Nobody was ready to drive us to the hospital due to the lockdown. Ambulance drivers were asking for Rs 2,000 which I could not pay, so I had to carry her on my bicycle," the husband, Devdutt Ram, said. A man carried his injured wife on a bicycle for 12 kilometres from Bharat Nagar to Kanganwal in Punjab to reach a hospital. The woman got injured during an accident which occurred on 20 March while she was working in a factory. While the number of positive coronavirus cases in India rose to 694, the toll rose to 16 on Thursday, the health ministry said. 44 people have recovered from the infection. The states of Kerala and Maharashtra are the worst affected by the COVID-19, with 125 and 124 cases, respectively. PTI quoted Maharashtra Police as saying that two container trucks carrying over 300 migrant workers heading home to Rajasthan from Telangana intercepted in Maharashtra. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that G20 leaders committed to using all available policy tools to minimise economic and social cost of the COVID-19 pandemic and to restore global growth, market stability and strengthening resilience. G20 countries also committed to injecting over $5 trillion into the global economy. "G20 leaders agreed to take all necessary measures to contain COVID-19 pandemic and protect people. They also supported the strengthening of WHOs mandate in the fight against pandemics, including delivery of medical supplies, diagnostic tools, treatments, medicines and vaccines," the MEA said on Thursday. Maharashtra: Social workers distributed food to the needy people today near the Kurla Terminus in Mumbai. #COVID19 #CoronavirusLockdown pic.twitter.com/cKlBB7iAGe Social workers on Thursday distributed food to people near the Kurla Terminus in Mumbai. On 25 March, he self-reported for collection of samples for the coronavirus test at the Gandhi hospital, and was tested positive for coronavirus on 26 March. On 14 March, the patient travelled by train to Delhi from Hyderabad and travelled back by train on 17 March. On 18 March, the patient arrived at the Secunderabad station, where he developed cold and fever, after which he went home in an auto with this son, the notification said. The same day, he consulted a doctor at Quthbullapur and was prescribed medicines. The Telangana government on Thursday reported four new cases, which brought the total cases of coronavirus in the state to 44, of which one has recovered. A man, in his mid-30s, tested positive for the COVID-19 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Thursday, the first case in the Union Territory, officials said. The man, a resident of Mayabunder, had returned from Kolkata on 24 March, Chief Secretary Chetan Sanghi said. Doctors in the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan plan to embark on a long-term study of COVID-19 impact on the male reproductive system to verify initial research, indicating that the pathogen could affect sex hormone levels in men, PTI reported. Ludhiana: A man carried his injured wife on a bicycle for 12 kilometers from Bharat Nagar to Kanganwal to reach a hospital. The woman got injured during an accident which occurred on March 20 while she was working at a factory. #CoronavirusLockdown #Punjab pic.twitter.com/tX9dgxZ14C He added, "When the accident took place, factory workers admitted her to a govt hospital in Bharat Nagar. Doctors there were taking x-rays of her chest instead of treating her leg. They said that her lungs have filled up with water. So I came to Kanganwal." "Nobody was ready to drive us to the hospital due to the lockdown. Ambulance drivers were asking for Rs 2,000 which I could not pay, so I had to carry her on my bicycle," the husband, Devdutt Ram, said. A man carried his injured wife on a bicycle for 12 kilometres from Bharat Nagar to Kanganwal in Punjab to reach a hospital. The woman got injured during an accident which occurred on 20 March while she was working in a factory. Around the globe, the death toll stood at nearly 8,200 in Italy, more than 4,100 in Spain and over 1,000 in the US, approximately 400 of them in New York State, the worst hotspot in the nation. The United Nations estimated that as many as 25 million jobs could be lost in the economic upheaval, more than during the global financial meltdown of 2008. In India, where the countrys 1.3 billion people were under orders to stay home, legions of poor were suddenly thrown out of work, and many families were left struggling for something to eat. As the number of infections around the globe reached a half-million and world leaders held a video summit to grapple with how long to keep the economy at a standstill to help flatten the rising curve, the damage to peoples livelihoods and their well-being started to come into focus. The human and economic toll of the lockdowns against the coronavirus mounted Thursday as India struggled to feed the multitudes, Italy shut down most of its industry, and a record-shattering 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in a single week. While the number of positive coronavirus cases in India rose to 694, the toll rose to 16 on Thursday, the health ministry said. 44 people have recovered from the infection. The states of Kerala and Maharashtra are the worst affected by the COVID-19, with 125 and 124 cases, respectively. Maharashtra: Yavatmal police stopped two trucks carrying people, at a border check post on the Maharashtra-Telangana border. They were going to their home state Rajasthan from Telangana amid #CoronavirusLockdown . (26.03.2020) pic.twitter.com/iQusa0zvCX PTI quoted Maharashtra Police as saying that two container trucks carrying over 300 migrant workers heading home to Rajasthan from Telangana intercepted in Maharashtra. Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: G20 leaders committed to using all available policy tools to minimize economic and social cost of the COVID-19 pandemic and to restore global growth, market stability & strengthening resilience. G20 countries also committed to injecting over $5 trillion into the global economy. The health ministry on Thursday said that 88 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in the country in a day, which is the highest jump of infections in a single day. The total number of cases rises to 694, the statement said. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Thursday made a donation of Rs 33 crore to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. "We are dutifully committed to stand firmly with our Nation in this challenging time of COVID-19 spread. Its a unanimous decision and a sincere effort by our personnel. The effort was to make the immediate contribution with the noble intent to keep it unrevealed. The CRPF remains steadfast towards its motto of service and loyalty," the statement said. After a video of police personnel in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun making migrant workers crawl on the roads went viral on Thursday, the Uttar Pradesh Police issued an apology for the incident and said that disciplinary action had been initiated. "Being the police chief of the district, I feel sorry and apologise for this. Investigation is being conducted against the responsible person," said Ashok Kumar Tripathi, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Badaun. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman, Dr G Satheesh Reddy was quoted by ANI as saying, "We have also developed N-99 and three-layered masks, we have produced more than 20,000 masks and supplied to various agencies, including Delhi Police." State governments like Jharkhand and Rajasthan have reached out to native migrants in other states as the 21-day complete lockdown over the coronavirus was imposed on Tuesday. Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot replied to NC leader Omar Abdullah regarding some Kashmiri students stranded in Rajasthan's Kota district. Pilot said, "Kota district officials and local police are in touch with these students now. Will be provided transport and/or accommodation, meals. And also to all other such stranded students from all over the country." Meanwhile, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren took note of people stuck in Chennai. Joint Secretary of the health ministry, Lav Aggarwal, said that while cases of coronavirus are increasing in India, the rate at which they are increasing "appears to be relatively stabilising". "However, this is only the initial trend," he said in the daily briefing on Thursday. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a gazette notification easing the rules to allow the retail sale of drugs to the doorstep of patients during the 21-day nationwide lockdown. These medicines fall under the schedule H category which means such drugs cannot be purchased without the prescription of a qualified doctor. The new rules allows submission of prescription in electronic forms if it gets delayed in case of acute crisis. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a grant of 100 crores for the coronavirus relief fund which will include shelter and food for labours, rickshaw pullers, roadside vendor and other poor people. He said that shelter camps will also be made along with the health facility. Kumar had already announced that his state government will bear the treatment costs of coronavirus patients. In a bid to ease the hardships that the poor may face on account of the lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak, Kumar had also on Wednesday announced that all ration card holding families in the state will get an assistance of Rs one thousand each. Under Ujjwala scheme women will be given free cylinders for the next three months. 8.3 crore families below poverty line will get free LPG cylinders for three months. Under the Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Yojana (food scheme), 80 crore people will be benfitted, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "Every one under this scheme will get 5 kg of wheat/rice for free in addition to what they are already getting. We will also give one kg of one choice of pulse to each household under this scheme for the next three months. They can take it in two installments also," said Sitharaman. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Yojana will include cash transfers to the poor and migrants.The finance minister has announced medical insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per health worker for three months. The Centre on Thursday announced the 'Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Scheme' for Rs 1.7 lakh crore. "This scheme includes food security and cash transfers," said Nirmala Sitharaman. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to address the media in New Delhi at 1 pm. The finance minister is likely to announce a relief package amid 21-day nationwide shutdown over coronavirus pandemic. Spicejet has said that it will conduct a special flight to Jodhpur on Sunday to bring Indians returned from Iran yesterday to Delhi. "Will conduct special flight from Delhi to Jodhpur on Sunday to take Indians who have returned from Iran to government quarantine facility," SpiceJet said in a statement. "The special flight will be operated as per Government of India's request and the airline will deploy its Boeing 737 aircraft for the assignment," the low-cost carrier said in its press release According to the Union Health Ministry, the number of cases of coronavirus infection has reached 649 across the nation. The number of patients who have recovered and discharged from hospitals are 42. So far, India has reported 13 deaths. Kashmir recorded its first death due to the novel coronavirus after a 65-year-old man from Soporev who tested positive to COVID-19 passed away at Chest Disease hospital Srinagar on Thursday morning. According to Kashmir News Observer, the person died due to cardiac arrest and he had a long medical history of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. The Indian indices opened on positive note on Thursday with Nifty above 8,400 level. The Sensex is up 243.93 points or 0.85 percent at 28779.71, while the Nifty up 53.85 points or 0.65 percent at 8371.70. IndusInd Bank, Tech Mahindra, Axis Bank, Sun Pharma and HDFC are among major gainers on Nifty, while losers are Yes Bank, Grasim, JSW Steel, Adani Ports and Maruti Suzuki. A three-year-old is among two COVID-19 positive cases reported in Telangana on Wednesday, health officials said. The boy recently returned with his parents from Saudi Arabia. He has been admitted to a hospital where his condition is stated to be stable. A 43-year-old woman from Hyderabad with no history of international travel has also tested positive. She is the primary contact of a positive case reported earlier. Amid the worldwide increase in COVID-19 cases, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said that a nationwide shurdown, which is being implemented by India and many other countries to curb the fast-spreading virus, will not be enough to eradicate the pandemic. "To slow the spread of Covid-19, many countries introduced "lockdown" measures. But on their own, these measures will not extinguish epidemics. We call on all countries to use this time to attack the novel coronavirus. You have created a second window of opportunity," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a press conference. A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 90 more coronavirus positive cases were reported in India, taking the total number of cases to 606 on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the number of cases was 519. The death toll due to the virus increased to 10 with another fatality being reported from Maharashtra, according to official data. Madhya Pradesh reported its first coronavirus death, a woman who succumbed to viral infection, an official was quoted by PTI as saying. However, in what may be seen as some reassuring news, joint secretary in the health ministry Lav Agarwal told CNN-News18 that no community transmission of the novel coronavirus has been reported in India yet. State-wise figures In its updated figures at 6.45 pm on Wednesday, the ministry stated that Maharashtra has reported three deaths and one death each was reported from Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, and Himachal Pradesh. The ministry said Maharashtra has reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases so far at 128, including three foreign nationals, followed by Kerala which has recorded 109 cases, including eight foreign nationals. Karnataka has reported 41 cases of coronavirus patients, while cases in Gujarat rose to 38, including one foreigner. Cases in Uttar Pradesh rose to 37, including a foreigner. The number of cases in Rajasthan increased to 36, including two foreigners, while the positive cases in Telangana stood at 35, including 10 foreigners. Cases in Delhi rose to 31, including one foreigner. Punjab reported 29 cases while In Haryana, there are 28 cases, including 14 foreigners. Madhya Pradesh recorded 14 cases, Ladakh has 13, while Tamil Nadu has reported 18 cases, including two foreigners. West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have nine cases each. Chandigarh, as well as Jammu and Kashmir, have reported seven cases each so far. Uttarakhand has four cases, including one foreigner. Bihar also has four cases. There are three cases in Himachal Pradesh while there are two cases in Odisha. Puducherry, Mizoram, Manipur, and Chhattisgarh have reported a case each. People in white coats like God, says Modi Narendra Modi, noting reports of doctors facing discrimination for treating coronavirus patients in several parts of the country, said that he is very pained with the discriminatory behaviour against the staff of essential services. Warning against discrimination, he said that "people in white coats and doctors are like God right now, they are protecting us". "I appeal to all the citizens, if you notice any incident where professionals, such as doctors and nurses, are ill-treated then you should take an initiative to make such people (those who are ill-treating healthcare professionals) understand that they are wrong. I have told Home Ministry and DGPs to take strict action against those who are not supporting or not co-operating with doctors, nurses and other professionals who are serving us in this critical time," Modi said in his address to the citizens of Varanasi on Wednesday. -, , , pic.twitter.com/XGTKx1V2yA Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 25, 2020 In a similar vein, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "Some landlords are threatening to evict doctors/nurses from their houses. They're saying they'll (medical personnel) spread the coronavirus. It won't be tolerated. God forbid, if someone gets infected from your house then they, and no one else, will come to your rescue...." States announce relief measures for underprivileged Newly sworn-in Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday announced an aid of Rs 1,000 for labourers in the unorganised sector. He also announced that beneficiaries of the social security pension scheme, widow pension, old-age pension and destitute pension schemes will get two months' pension in advance. Labourers in the unorganised sector will be given financial assistance of Rs 1,000 each through the Sannirman Karmkar Mandal, said Chouhan who took over as chief minister two days ago. Further, an advance of Rs 2,000 per family would be provided to members of the Shariya, Baiga, and Bhariya tribal communities, he said. As schools are closed, some 65.91 lakh students do not get mid-day meals at school. Therefore, Rs 155 would be transferred into the bank account of each primary school student and Rs 232 in the account of each middle-school student, adding up to an aid of total of Rs 156.15 crore, he said. The Kerala government is planning to come up with 'community kitchen' to cater food to the needy, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The state is also going to come up with 1,000 restaurants that will provide home delivery of food at a subsidised rate. Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday, the Kerala chief minister said that the local self government institutions would ensure the supply of food items to those affected by the lockdown so that there is no starvation in the state. "We expect people to cooperate and stay where they are as suggested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They should not violate the conditions enforced during the quarantine," he said. The state cabinet had decided to come out with the Kerala Epidemic Disease Ordinance 2020. Earlier in the day, the chief minister tweeted, "Kerala has taken extensive measures to ensure that no one will starve during the lockdown. Will be implemented through Local Self Governments, ward-level committees, and volunteer." Pakistan suspends domestic flights Meanwhile, in neighbouring Pakistan, the government suspended all domestic flight operations until 2 April to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus after the country reported nearly 1,000 cases from the COVID-19 infection, authorities said on Wednesday. The nationwide tally of the COVID-19 patients has soared to 990 with 410 cases in Sindh; 110 in Balochistan; 296 in Punjab; 78 in K-P; 80 in Gilgit-Baltistan; 15 in Islamabad; and one in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, The Express Tribune reported. The National Disaster Management Authority has said that so far seven people have died due to the novel coronavirus and 18 recovered. Meanwhile, Spain deputy prime minister Carmen Calvo reportedly tested positive for coronavirus. "She had tested negative in previous tests, the statement said, but doctors didn't think those provided conclusive data. Calvo is receiving medical treatment and progressing favorably, the statement said. She's in quarantine at a hospital," CNN reported. Spain recorded the worlds second-highest tally of coronavirus deaths after 738 more reportedly died on Wednesday, the country's deadliest toll in one day, according to AP. With 3,434 coronavirus patients dead, Spain surpassed Chinas death toll of 3,285. Italy still has the most deaths of any nation in the world with 6,820. Infections in Spain also rose 20 percent from a day earlier to 47,610. Meanwhile, in Britain, Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, has tested positive for the new coronavirus. The palace says he has mild symptoms. With inputs from agencies Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 00:47:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close KATHMANDU, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Nepali government on Wednesday decided to open borders with China only for cross-border movement of goods, a senior of Nepali government said. Cross border movement of goods and people between the two neighbours has remained halted for the last two months due to COVID-19 outbreak. A meeting of the High-Level Coordination Committee headed by Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ishwar Pokharel formed to tackle COVID-19 on Wednesday decided to open the borders with China for movement of goods with immediate effect. Nepal and China have two international border points -- Rasuwagadhi-Kerung (Geelong) and Tatopani-Zhangmu. Baikuntha Aryal, secretary at Nepal's Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply told Xinhua on Wednesday evening that the decision was taken to ensure supply of essential goods including that of health equipments as the Himalayan country has been imposing weeklong lockdown starting from Tuesday to prevent Coronavirus from spreading. "The goods will be allowed to import from China by completing all necessary protocols," he said. He however said that border points would remain closed for the people's movement. Nepal has shut down all land border points for the movement of people amid COVID-19 threat. Some Pennsylvania school districts on Tuesday announced plans to move forward with remote instruction, one day after the governor extended the school-building shutdown due to the coronavirus. Derry Township school officials announced the boldest action: They said they would start moving forward through their curriculum by distance learning starting on March 30. That means teachers plan to pick up where they left off and finish course requirements for all students without students having to get back into the classroom. Many of the particulars are still being ironed out, said district Spokesman Dan Tredinnick, but we expect to have guidance out to families no later than Thursday. Harrisburg school officials, meanwhile, are starting a survey Wednesday: asking parents if they have access to technology to see if the district can restart classes online. District officials previously said they only had enough laptops to serve the high school population. In Middletown, school officials are planning to hand out iPads to all elementary students next week. Older students already have school-issued devices at home. But the district said teachers will not be grading assignments, at least for the next two weeks. The Philadelphia School District superintendent said Tuesday the district planned to buy thousands of devices to be able to offer more rigorous virtual instruction since half of students said they didnt have access to technology at home, according to public news station WHYY. Under Gov. Tom Wolfs latest action, students could return to classrooms April 9, at the earliest, but many experts believe that may not happen because the coronavirus appears to still be spreading rapidly across the state. Instead, school districts are bracing for another potential extension to the shutdown beyond April 9 that could stall students education beyond one month and possibly through the rest of the school year barring remote learning. Many school districts had been hesitant to start online or remote classes that cover new academic material during a brief shutdown because of concerns about equity: Could a new style of instruction through computers or packets of handouts equally serve students who dont have access to technology or for special-education students or English language learners? Leaving some students behind could result in costly litigation, some superintendents said, because of federal requirements to provide equal education to all students. Federal officials on Saturday tried to discourage those concerns from stalling overall efforts to restart curriculums across the country. Some educators have been reluctant to provide any distance instruction because they believe that federal disability law presents insurmountable barriers to remote education. This is simply not true, the U.S. Department of Education statement said. We remind schools they should not opt to close or decline to provide distance instruction, at the expense of students, to address matters pertaining to services for students with disabilities. The national department said it would be as flexible as possible with federal requirements. Many disability-related modifications and services may be effectively provided online. These may include, for instance, extensions of time for assignments, videos with accurate captioning or embedded sign language interpreting, accessible reading materials, and many speech or language services through video conferencing, the statement said. It is important to emphasize that federal disability law allows for flexibility in determining how to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities. The determination of how (federal requirements) are to be provided may need to be different in this time of unprecedented national emergency. Chris Lilienthal, spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said additional state guidance published Tuesday indicates when schools restart instruction, they must determine if special education students have fallen behind during the shutdown and offer compensatory services to make up for any skills that may have been lost during the closure. While the federal statement encouraged districts to get started with distance learning despite the challenges, it really didnt relieve school districts from any of the federal requirements, said Mark DiRocco, executive director of the states superintendents association. Its basically saying, dont sit there and do nothing, said DiRocco, who represents the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. But heres the dilemma: whether districts try to move forward with instructional days (which carry federal requirements for special education,) or just continue with enrichment activities (which dont carry requirements for special education,) there are probably going to be legal challenges no matter what they do. DiRocco said districts that do nothing likely will face the most legal jeopardy. Districts may continue to do nothing until April 9 or tread water by offering review and enrichment material to students because that doesnt kick in the requirements to restart special education. Meanwhile, districts also must prepare for the possibility that buildings could reopen April 9. Thats the great unknown, DiRocco said. If I was still a superintendent, Id have three plans: a short-term plan for now until April 9; a plan if kids come back to classrooms April 9 and a plan for if schools are closed several more weeks. If Wolf extends the shutdown beyond April 9, DiRocco said, thats when districts will face the really tough decisions about how to finish the year out. Thats going to be a critical deadline. Will some districts simply cut their losses and end ongoing instruction for the school year? The state education department already has said districts wont be penalized for not providing the required 180-days of instruction this year that is required by state law. Still, the department said schools are strongly encouraged to plan possible adjustments to their calendars (e.g., use of snow days, Act 80 days, extension of school year, etc.) to provide as much instruction as possible during this unprecedented event. With three-fourths of the year completed, DiRocco said: No one wants to give up on this school year. Districts that dont finish their courses and even districts that try new remote methods will have to grapple with course credits and whether students are prepared for the next level of their education, which could be acutely problematic for older students. If youre currently in biology, are you going to be ready for chemistry in the fall? DiRocco said. What about if youre in Algebra 1? How prepared are you to jump into Algebra 2? School districts that cant finish coursework this school year may have to start next school year with the material that was lost this year. If districts dont move up the usual start date for school, that could mean trying to shoehorn about 230 days of instruction into 180 days next year. One district was talking about bringing kids back earlier in August, to try to do two to three weeks of instruction to finish out the last school year, DiRocco said. Then after Labor Day, they would start the new school year. Those are the kind of things we may need to look at if we lose an entire marking period. But those kind of ideas present logistical and labor issues, he said. Until we know something more definitive, DiRocco said. We dont know what scenarios were going to finally end up with. UPDATE: No matter how long quarantine lasts, school year must end June 30: Pa. education secretary READ MORE: Restarting kids education wont be easy: Its putting superintendents in a tremendous bind ISTANBUL As the coronavirus pandemic continues worldwide, Turkish authorities are drafting measures to reduce the nations prison population in an effort to stop the disease from spreading among inmates. On Tuesday, lawmakers with Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party and the allied Nationalist Movement Party submitted a law proposal to opposition party members that would release about 100,000 of the nations 300,000 inmates, switching select convicts jail sentences to extended probation periods to relieve overcrowded penitentiaries. The measure has drawn sharp criticism from womens rights groups, who note the draft law would reduce punishments for sex offenders and convicts of gender-based violence, potentially endangering women, children and victims of domestic abuse across Turkey. Gulsum Kav, a spokesperson for the Istanbul-based We Will Stop Femicide Platform (Cinayetleri Durduracagz Platformu), said reports of domestic violence have increased in recent weeks as women are stuck indoors with abusive family members amid the coronavirus pandemic, and that releasing offenders would only worsen Turkey's circumstances. As were trying to take precautions to reduce violence against women in this pandemic, this draft law is doing the complete opposite and we find it absolutely unacceptable, Kav told Al-Monitor. A copy of the draft law obtained by Al-Monitor includes protocols that would conditionally release nonviolent offenders who have completed half of their sentences, though such measures were not extended to political prisoners or those convicted of terrorism and murder. The proposal would release prisoners convicted of sexual assault, gender-based violence and drug trafficking who have completed two-thirds of their sentences, a shift from current laws that bar the release of such convicts before they complete at least three-fourths of their sentences. Those released would complete their sentences outside prison walls through an extended probation period. The reduction is legitimizing these actions by men and this draft law will increase violence against women, Tuba Torun, a lawyer focusing on womens rights issues in Turkey, told Al-Monitor. She added, I received many messages from women who say they are terrified because the fathers, brothers and partners that used violence against them will be released and they could come back and continue that violence. Coronavirus cases have surged in Turkey. As of Wednesday, 1,872 confirmed cases and 44 virus-linked deaths were recorded in the country, which has seen a steep rise in infections since the first case was announced two weeks ago. On Tuesday, Turkey's first inmate with the coronavirus was diagnosed in Ankaras Sincan prison and has since been transferred to intensive care. Citing health concerns, human rights groups and 14 Turkish bar associations have called for the release of political prisoners, such as former Peoples Democratic Party co-chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, journalist Ahmet Altan and human rights defender Osman Kavala. The Turkish authorities have yet to respond. The draft law will apply to certain crime groups. For example, mafia leaders like Alaattin Cakici will be released, Eren Keskin, a prominent lawyer and co-chair of Turkeys Human Rights Association, told Al-Monitor. Whereas Demirtas, who is in prison for his opinions, will remain. She added, This is a violation of all the international conventions to which Turkey is a party. Turkey has suffered a rise in femicides in recent years, punctuated by the murders of Sule Cet, Emine Bulut and Ceren Ozdemir. The spate of killings drew womens rights defenders to condemn a judicial system they felt was negligent in prosecuting perpetrators of sexual assault and gender-based violence. In response, Ankara has set in motion various judicial reform packages that seek to address various legal shortcomings. While some reforms improve protections for minor victims of crime, Kav said the draft laws introduced as part of the coronavirus response would undermine recent progress in the judicial system. In January and February, we started to see the possibility of a decrease in femicides and violence against women, and we were hoping to see an improvement in laws protecting women, Kav told Al-Monitor. But in all extraordinary times such as war, natural disasters or economic crises, women always pay the price, because violence increases in periods like this. Kav said there is no data regarding the impact of self-isolation measures on gender-based violence in Turkey, but figures from China showed domestic abuse rose threefold when families spent extended quarantine periods in their households. One of the most dangerous places for women is the home, Kav told Al-Monitor. Kav added that victims can report incidents to local support groups and encouraged women who feel threatened in Turkey to use digital applications such as KADES to report domestic violence. New Orleans is on track to become the next coronavirus epicenter in the United States with one of the highest growth in cases seen anywhere in the world. Authorities are warning that hospitals could collapse by April 4 and that the state will run out of ventilators by the first week of next month if the growth rate continues. Nearly 1,800 people in Louisiana have tested positive for coronavirus and 65 have died in the two weeks since the first patient was reported on March 9 - an average daily growth rate of 65 percent. The number of cases increased by 400 - or 30 percent - in the span of 24 hours between Tuesday and Wednesday. The New Orleans metro area accounts for about 70 percent of Louisiana's infections - with 827 reported in the city to date, more than the total number in all but 15 states. Orleans Parish, which borders the city, has suffered the highest number of deaths per capita of any county in the US with 37. Eleven of those deaths were reported at a nursing home, where dozens more residents tested positive for COVID-19. As concerns grow that Louisiana could spark a larger spread across the southern states, experts say the crisis in New Orleans was likely accelerated by Mardi Gras, the iconic celebration that unfolds across the city over a period of several weeks, culminating on February 25 this year. Scroll down for video A group of revelers on a balcony toss beads to the crowd below on Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras day in New Orleans which a month later is set to become a new coronavirus epicenter A reveler makes their way through the French Quarter during Fat Tuesday celebrations on February 25. The city has now come to a halt as it registers the highest growth in coronavirus cases than has been seen anywhere else in the world amid fears the hospitals will collapse Gov. John Bel Edwards holds a media briefing about Louisiana's response to COVID-19 on Wednesday in which he reveals that the state's largest problem is extreme lack of ventilators On Tuesday, President Donald Trump issued a major federal disaster declaration for the state, freeing federal funds and resources. Only five states have been issued the declaration so far. The escalating crisis in the state has dashed hopes that less densely populated and warmer-climate cities would not be hit as hard by the pandemic, and that summer months could see it wane. The plight of New Orleans also raises fears it may be a powerful catalyst in speedily spreading the virus across neighboring southern states. New Orleans is the biggest city in Louisiana, the state with the third-highest case load of coronavirus per capita in the US after the major epicenters of New York and Washington. The ranking is particularly alarming given Louisiana's relatively small population of 4.6million. In contrast, Texas has a population of 29.4million but only 826 cases. Governor John Bel Edwards warned in a press conference on Wednesday that people in the state need to 'make sure youre doing what we ask'. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is holding daily press conference's as the state of Louisiana sees one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the United States and cases skyrocket A man walks his dog past a boarded up business on Frenchmen Street Wednesday following the severe outbreak of the coronavirus disease in New Orleans in the past few days Boarded up businesses are pictured on Frenchmen Street as the public are told to stay inside 'This has spread across the state of Louisiana. One of the consequences of this is ventilator capacity,' he said. 'If our growth continues we could run out of ventilators in first week in April and that depends on whether the curve gets flattened and our ability to pursue and allocate additional ventilators.' The governor expects to receive 100 further ventilators on Thursday and 100 more at the beginning of next week but warns that even if they are received it is still 600 short of what is needed in the New Orleans area alone. 'Quite frankly, it is not enough,' he concluded. The growth rate in Louisiana tops all others, according to a University of Louisiana at Lafayette analysis of global data. The culprit for the coronavirus in the Big Easy? Some blame Carnival. 'Mardi Gras was the perfect storm, it provided the perfect conditions for the spread of this virus,' said Dr. Rebekah Gee, who until January was the Health Secretary for Louisiana and now heads up Louisiana State University's health care services division. She noted that Fat Tuesday fell on February 25, when the virus was already in the United States but before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and national leaders had raised the alarm with the American public. At this point, there were still less than 100 cases around the country. 'So New Orleans had its normal level of celebration, which involved people congregating in large crowds and some 1.4 million tourists,' Gee said. 'We shared drink cups. We shared each other's space in the crowds. We shared floats where we were throwing not just beads but probably coronavirus off Carnival floats to people who caught it and took it with them to where they came from.' Gee said that the explosive growth rate of the coronavirus in the Mississippi River port city means 'it's on the trajectory to become the epicenter for the outbreak in the United States'. Louisiana Senator John Kennedy also declared that people drinking during Mardi Gras caused coronavirus to spread in the state as they had weaker immune systems when they contracted the virus. Kennedy then blamed the lack of information as to why people were so willing to travel to New Orleans to take part in the boisterous activities towards the end of February. 'We're a hot spot,' the conservative politician said in a segment with Fox News. 'It started in New Orleans. It's moving into the rest of the state.' He continued: 'I think it has a lot to do with Mardi Gras. I think our friends in China were worried about their image more than the world's health and sat on the news about this virus for longer than they should have. 'We held Mardi Gras. People flew in from all over the world. We were in close quarters. One or two had too much to drink and lowered their immune system. They diminished their immune systems and we got a problem.' 'I think it has a lot to do with Mardi Gras,' claimed Louisiana Senator John Kennedy Dr. Peter Hotez is the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College, a renowned vaccine scientist and an expert on the coronavirus pandemic. He said that the rapid grip the virus is gaining on New Orleans was deeply worrying and a possible harbinger for worse to come across the south and for less densely populated and warmer cities across America. 'There has been some research and data suggesting that warmer, more humid weather could slow this epidemic,' he said. 'The fact that this occurred on the Gulf Coast, which has some of the higher humidity and temperatures in the U.S., is a serious concern.' Hotez noted that more research into how climate does or does not play a role in the spread of this coronavirus needs to happen, but acknowledged that experts hoped that warm weather and the coming summer months in the northern hemisphere would be natural buffers against it. 'If you look at this epidemic, we've not seen much in the hotter parts of the country. Texas has not had a lot. Arizona has not had a lot. Then all of a sudden - bam! - it appears in strength in New Orleans,' he said. 'We have to follow this trend closely.' Having an entirely new coronavirus epicenter kick off means that the United States may soon be dealing with multiple hot spots all at once, Hotez said, a worst-case scenario that could cripple healthcare systems. If predictions were correct, the hospitals in New Orleans would struggle to manage past next week, Edwards told a news conference on Tuesday. New Orleans could well be the first major domino to fall in the south, starting a chain reaction in other metro areas in the region, said Hotez. That is a serious concern for Houston, the fourth-largest city in the country and a major center for the oil industry. The two cities have historically strong links made even more so by an influx of New Orleans residents into Houston following hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. On the ground in New Orleans' famed French Quarter, residents said they were definitely concerned, but that the virus was an entirely different threat from the natural disasters that routinely befall the city. Jonathan Sanders, a 35-year-old general manager of the French Quarter brasserie Justine, said the city was calm and residents largely heeding authorities orders to stay inside. 'There is always something going on at all hours of the day or night. Now, without it all, it's very peaceful,' he said. 'You can park anywhere in the French Quarter.' The virus, Sanders said, was so far easier to deal with than the death and destruction Hurricane Katrina unleashed in 2005, when over 1,800 people died along the Gulf Coast. 'When you think of the total destruction of Katrina... that was gut wrenching,' he said. 'We're fairly more resilient than other places that haven't had so many tragic things happen to their city.' By Julia Cheever Bay City News Service SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Thirteen elderly or ailing immigrants who are being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sued the agency in federal court in San Francisco Tuesday, asking for their immediate release because they are at risk of serious illness or death from the COVID-19 coronavirus. The lawsuit claims that in the crowded and allegedly unsanitary conditions in detention facilities in Marysville and Bakersfield, it is impossible to maintain the social distance and hygiene needed to protect from the virus. In a motion accompanying the lawsuit, the immigrants' lawyers wrote, "In light of their age and/or compromised health, plaintiffs live in constant terror of contracting COVID-19." The two facilities are the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility in Bakersfield and the Yuba County Jail in Marysville. The 13 plaintiffs, who are awaiting administrative immigration proceedings, are from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Russia and Fiji. They are elderly and/or suffer from diabetes, severe asthma, high blood pressure, anemia or tuberculosis, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit asks for a court order requiring their release. A date for a hearing on the case has not been announced. A spokesman for ICE was not immediately available for comment. The agency's website states, "The health, welfare and safety of ICE detainees is one of the agency's highest priorities." It says that ICE epidemiologists have been tracking the COVID-19 outbreak and "regularly updating infection prevention and control protocols." The immigrants are represented by lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Francisco Public Defender's Office and an Oakland law firm, Lakin & Wille LLP. San Francisco Public Defender Manohar Raju said in a statement, "There is no valid justification for locking up vulnerable immigrants and putting their lives at risk. This is an unprecedented crisis that compels us to take swift action, before it's too late." Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. If youre living in New York, staying inside and limiting social contact essentially to zero, congratulations youre doing exactly what public health experts say is necessary to stem the spread of the coronavirus. But what if, come the April and June primary elections, maintaining your commitment to public health means failing to fulfill your civic duty? With New Yorkers under strict orders to essentially shelter in place with a few exceptions, a question is looming about how people who usually vote in person meaning those who arent registered to vote absentee will participate in Aprils quickly approaching presidential primary, and in Junes state primary. Sure, those elections might be postponed, until after shutdown measures are eased up a bit. But lets imagine the worst-case scenario, in which the stay-indoors order lasts more than a month or two, and delaying primaries in a presidential election year, no less is no longer feasible. Its still not advised by public health experts to ask people to congregate at poll sites, let alone vulnerable populations, like seniors. A handful of state lawmakers are attempting to address this challenge with legislation that would either expand absentee voting as bills introduced by Assembly members Alessandra Biaggi and Joseph Lentol would do or institute a system of mail-in voting during times of emergency as a bill introduced by state Sen. Jen Metzger would do. But as lawmakers debate the best way to let New Yorkers vote from home, another option has been raised. Why not use this opportunity to explore the next frontier of civic duty: online voting. We do everything online, from banking to filling out government forms, and there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to cast a ballot online, said Emil Skandul, founder of the digital innovation firm Capitol Foundry. At the present moment, we are almost entirely a digital society. We are going to be doing a lot more things online over the next six months. So we should get ready for online voting. Skandul has argued the merits of voting online in City & State in the past. While online voting has been the standard for years in Estonia, and states and cities in the United States have recently piloted online voting, its unlikely that even a pilot of online voting could be up and running in New York in time for Novembers general election. And even among some of the lawmakers who have proposed expanding absentee or mail-in voting in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic or who have championed modernizing elections in the past, there doesnt seem to be much interest in voting online in New York anytime soon. That's something that we are going to continue to explore, but we're not at a point to implement something like that so soon, Assemblyman Clyde Vanel told City & State. Given the environment that we had just in 2016 about the potential hacking of our elections, and given where we are, I'm very concerned about getting any new system that can be porous and possibly be able to be hacked. Vanel, who chairs the Assemblys Committee on Internet and New Technology, has advocated for exploring using blockchain technology to better secure voter rolls. For some, online voting may recall the horror show of Februarys Iowa caucuses, in which an app used by Democratic Party officials to report results failed, leaving chaos and doubt for days about who actually prevailed. In reality, online voting would be a much larger undertaking in New York elections than in Iowas caucus. What we know from the couple of states that have introduced online voting pilots in the past few years is that it could involve software from one of the few major online voting companies, like Voatz or Votem. Voatz, for one, is a smartphone app that has been used in pilots in West Virginia and in Denver, Colorado. The apps security features include using biometrics a fingerprint scan on a smartphone to verify a voters identity, and using a blockchain ledger, which essentially stores and verifies each persons votes across multiple computer servers, which is thought to be more secure than storing the information on a single server. By many accounts, online voting has been a success for Estonia, and pilots in the U.S. have also been hailed as successes. An audit of a recent online voting pilot in the Seattle area found that it was as reliable as standard voting methods, but had the added benefit of increased turnout. But security experts still say that online voting isnt secure. Even electronic voting machines which is what New York relies on at poll sites arent perfectly secure. In the wake of widespread election tampering seen in 2016, theres not much interest from lawmakers to take further chances on online voting. But that could be a mistake, Skandul argued. One of the main arguments for online voting is increasing voter turnout which in New York, is chronically low. This is all about the ballot accessibility," Skandul said. Mobile voting is clearly the answer. Its really my belief that the greatest voter suppression is forcing would-be voters to a polling site. Of course, many voters students, people serving in the military, those with health issues preventing them from getting to the polls can register to vote absentee. Proposals like Lentols and Metzgers would expand mail-in voting. But online voting, Skandul said, would be quicker and easier than voting by mail, and could help people with busy schedules to still fit in time to vote. Skandul also said that an advantage online voting has over absentee voting or vote-by-mail systems is that it can reach voters where they already are on their devices. There does seem to be increasing demand for online voting across the United States, and its available in some form in 32 states though mostly for people serving in the military or living abroad. And for many of those states, online voting means allowing certain voters to return absentee ballots via email or fax. But recently, states like West Virginia have expanded online voting options to include other voters, like those with physical disabilities. A county in Utah also used a mobile voting app for people living overseas last year, and some lawmakers in the state are hoping to take the system statewide. One of the greatest steps for online voting came earlier this year, when all 1.2 million residents of King County, Washington including Seattle were given the option to vote by smartphone in a board of supervisors election. In practice, there are several ways New York could adopt online voting, but the likeliest first step would be opening up a pilot program to test out a system for a limited group of participants. Skandul said that given the current public health crisis, if a pilot were to be launched in the coming months, that group of participants could include vulnerable populations like older voters or voters with compromised immune systems. To be sure, there are some substantial challenges to online voting, including security and privacy concerns, and access to the internet and digital devices. The latter challenge could presumably be solved by making online voting an option and not a requirement. Anyone who wanted to vote online could, but you could also vote in person or absentee, for example. The larger challenge and the one state lawmakers reached for comment all cited is security. Experts have said that using blockchain doesnt necessarily make voting secure, and that cyberattacks against public entities are only on the rise. A recent audit of the Voatz app confirmed a number of security flaws, including one that could allow hackers to change votes. Voatz, still a small company, has committed to more audits like this in the future to shed light on security issues. Lentol, who introduced a bill that would effectively mandate vote-by-mail for the April presidential primary in order to maintain social distancing, said that now is not the time to experiment with online voting. At this moment in time, I only support voting by emergency absentee ballot solely because of security reasons, Lentol said in an email. In this election, there would be no time to comprehensively address security in the way needed for voting online, knowing that cyber attacks are constant by those seeking to upend American elections. State Sen. Jen Metzger, who introduced a bill that would require the Board of Elections to implement a plan for vote-by-mail during disasters or states of emergency, echoed Lentols statements. One of the great strengths of a vote-by-mail system is a really strong paper trail. You have your ballot, it's a physical piece of paper with your signature on it, Metzger told City & State. We know that computers can be hacked and we've had some pretty major breaches as of late. I would be extremely concerned about conducting an election and putting our election process at risk that way. Skandul acknowledged those challenges, but said that our current voting procedures also have flaws, including the fact that mail-in ballots could be lost, tampered with, or take weeks to tally. He also pointed to participatory budgeting in New York City, a process which allows people to vote online for funding on certain spending initiatives in their districts. In the end, he said, if New York wanted to make the choice to invest in internet voting, it could rise to those challenges and find solutions to security flaws. "If we can build financial systems to protect trillions of dollars, we can build election systems to protect millions of votes, Skandul said. The good news for proponents of online voting is that even if the coronavirus pandemic doesnt kickstart efforts to pilot the next generation of voting in New York, some lawmakers including Lentol and Vanel are at least interested in the prospect of internet voting (or i-voting) in the future. Given today's technology when it comes to i-voting, obviously we're concerned about tampering, we're concerned about fraud, Vanel said. I don't see a technology yet that would help address these kinds of concerns. I'm not saying it won't happen in the future, but I don't see a technology yet. Press Release March 25, 2020 De Lima calls for more prayers, sacrifices vs COVID-19 pandemic Senator Leila M. de Lima has called on the Filipino people regardless of religious affiliations to storm heavens with prayers and sacrifices as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to wreak havoc here and around the world. De Lima said although she is detained, she feels for the sufferings of the Filipino people, especially among poor families in the National Capital Region who are placed under stringent "enhanced community quarantine" imposed since March 16. "Even in detention, I cannot help thinking about the suffering of many of our countrymen in these troubling and uncertain times. I hope that even with different religious affiliations, we can unify as one in offering our heartfelt prayers," she said. "Keep safe everyone! Pray, pray, pray. I encourage everyone, including my staff, to pray daily the Oratio Imperata (Obligatory Prayer) against the spread of COVID-19, as issued by the CBCP (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines)," she added. Last March 9, the CBCP called on the Catholic faithful to pray the Oratio Imperata for "those suffering from the coronavirus and to all those who are caring for them". It also halted Masses and gatherings in compliance with the "social distancing" measures. Since Masses are temporarily placed on hold, including the forthcoming Holy Week, priests like her spiritual adviser Fr. Robert Reyes have taken upon themselves to conduct paraliturgical services at their respective dioceses and parishes. Similar arrangements are being observed around the world not only to join global efforts to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus but also in solidarity with those who were infected and those who died due to the disease. Last March 21, Mr. Duterte has issued Proclamation 934 declaring the 4th week of March as National Week of Prayer encouraging the Filipino people to pray in order to "defeat this invisible enemy with the aid and blessing of God." De Lima, a devout Catholic herself, lauded the creativity and ingenuity of some priests in leading the Catholic faithful to kneel in deep prayers and supplications in time of national crisis in spite of the enhanced community quarantine. For one, she lauded the initiatives of Fr. Reyes to conduct street tours or visitations, bringing with him the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary to encourage families to pray together for her miraculous intercession to protect them from the coronavirus pandemic. According to the lady Senator from Bicol, although she will again miss the Lenten tradition for the fourth consecutive year, she will be guided in prayers and sacrifices inside her detention with a limited people attending paraliturgical services. "Let us continue on offering our prayers and sacrifices to end this global nightmare. I shall pray most especially for our health care workers and frontliners to protect them as they attend to the needs of those who are sick," she said. Official figures show that COVID-19 believed to have originated in Wuhan, China has killed more than 14,500 people and infected over 323,000 around the world. To date, the Philippines has at least 35 people who have died and 552 others have been infected with coronavirus disease, many of whom are elderly people and health care workers. Margaret Mary Kiely, 65, of Strafford, a lawyer who recruited for Philadelphia law firms and later represented the elderly, died at home of a heart attack on St. Patricks Day, Tuesday, March 17, her favorite day of the year. Ms. Kiely was a woman of many names. She was Marge to her colleagues, Margaret or Margaret Mary to friends and family, and Mugsie to her numerous nieces and nephews. Born in Philadelphia to Thomas J. and Margaret McCloskey Kiely, Ms. Kiely graduated from Holy Child High School in Bryn Mawr in 1972; Georgetown University in Washington in 1976, and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 1979. After law school, Ms. Kiely joined the Center City law firm of Naulty, Scaricamazza & McDevitt. In the 1980s, she founded Kiely Legal Search, a solo recruitment business, which she ran from an office in the Land Title Building at Broad and Chestnut Streets. She forged relationships with members of the legal community who trusted her intuition and resourcefulness to identify the best candidates for their firms, her friends and family said. She was a huge networker; she knew so many people, said her sister Aimee Kiely Weise. In the mid-1990s, Ms. Kiely switched to the practice of elder law. She helped older people, especially those lacking family, with matters involving power of attorney, wills, trusts, and other issues. A lot of her legal advice was for free, her sister said. She just had a really big heart. Ms. Kiely was known as a loyal and generous friend, full of spirit and liveliness. A Catholic, she attended Mass daily. She was a supporter of many charitable organizations. Throughout her life, Ms. Kiely maintained friendships with people from all walks of life, some for 50 years. She was friends with John Gillin of Berwyn for 21 years, traveling with him and attending social gatherings with his family. Initially a couple, they broke up but remained friends. When he became ill last year, she took care of him before his death. Although she didnt marry, Ms. Kiely saw the romance in life, her friends and family said in a statement: She could make a passing moment memorable with an observation followed by her wry smile, and she had a way of saying the names of the people she loved as if she were announcing their specialness to the world. Ms. Kiely contributed time and money to organizations including Mothers Home for women and children in Darby Borough; St. Ignatius Nursing Home in Philadelphia; Holy Child School at Rosemont; and Society of the Holy Child Jesus, American Province. Besides her sister, she is survived by sisters Kathryn McDevitt, Mary Jane Collins, and Maureen Hogan; a brother, Thomas J. III; and 15 nieces and nephews. Because of the disruption caused by the coronavirus, a Funeral Mass and celebration of life will be held later. Memorial donations may be made to Society of the Holy Child Jesus, 1341 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010, or the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, 909 N. Washington St., Alexandria, Va. 22316. Ranchi, March 25 : Jharkhand is on high alert though no positive cornonavirus case has been reported in the state so far even as the nation is under a 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of the dreaded virus. "Till now, 93 people have been tested for coronavirus and the reports of 85 have returned negative. The remaining reports are awaited," said a health department report. According to Health Secretary Nitin Kulkarni, 1,469 quarantine beds and 557 isolation beads have been prepared in the state. The testing facility started at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Ranchi from Tuesday evening. Earlier, the samples were collected and sent to Kolkatta for testing. More than 10,000 people have been quarantined across the state so far. Jharkhand govt has pressed 32,000 Sahiyas to gather information from each village about the infected people and track thier travel history. On Wednesday morning, people came out of their houses to buy vegetables and essential things. The police have imposed more restrictions on people's movement. Ranchi district administration has tied up with the Suvidha Kendra and Big Bazar for home delivery of essential products. Jharkahnd Chief Minister Hemant Soren has appealed to the people to stay home besides directing officials to ensure the no black marketeering take place in the state. ISTANBUL Turkish officials on Wednesday announced the indictments of 20 Saudi nationals on charges of murder and incitement to murder in the killing of the dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi, concluding their investigation into the case. In a statement, the Istanbul prosecutors office said the indictments, which have yet to be made public, would show the attack had been planned. It said Mr. Khashoggi had been strangled and dismembered in a planned murder inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018. The same conclusion had been reached by American intelligence. The prosecutors statement said that arrest warrants had been issued for the 20 men and red notices detention requests to the worlds governments issued via Interpol for all of them. Documents have also been prepared to request those in the indictment be handed over to Turkey. But Saudi Arabia has not granted Turkish investigators access to the accused in Saudi Arabia, and is unlikely to cooperate in any extradition. The case is also unlikely to come to trial since none of the men are in the country and Turkish law demands the presence of the defendants for a trial. Afghan security forces inspect near the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan March 25, 2020.REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail - Reuters At least 25 worshippers at a Sikh religious complex in the Afghan capital of Kabul were shot dead when a lone Islamic State group gunman rampaged through temple. The attacker held hostages and battled Afghan security forces as they tried to clear the building alongside British troops. At one point some 200 people were feared to be trapped and when the incident came to an end the ministry of interior said at least 25 people inside the temple had been killed, including at least one child. The SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks militant postings and groups, said IS claimed responsibility for the attack on the group's Aamaq media arm. At a Kabul hospital, Mohan Singh, who was in the Gurdwara when the attack began, said he first heard the sound of gunshots and ran for cover under a table. Later he heard the sounds of explosions, adding that he believes they were hand grenades. He was injured when parts of the ceiling fell on him. In photographs shared by the Interior Ministry, about a dozen children were seen being rushed out of the Gurdwara by Afghan special forces, many of them barefoot and crying. Earlier, as the news of the attack broke, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed tweeted that the Taliban were not involved. Earlier this month, Afghanistan's IS affiliate struck a gathering of minority Shiite Muslims in Kabul, killing 32 people. Sikhs have suffered widespread discrimination in the conservative Muslim country and have also been targeted by Islamic extremists. Under Taliban rule in the late 1990s, they were asked to identify themselves by wearing yellow armbands, but the rule was not enforced. In recent years, large numbers of Sikhs and Hindus have sought asylum in India, which has a Hindu majority and a large Sikh population. In July 2018, a convoy of Sikhs and Hindus was attacked by an Islamic State suicide bomber as they were on their way to meet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in the eastern city of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. Nineteen people were killed in that attack. Story continues ReplyForward Sikhs are a small religious minority in Afghanistan with numbers fewer than 300 families. In 2018, a suicide bombing targeting the Sikh community and claimed by the Islamic State militant group killed more than a dozen people in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad. The United States last month struck a deal with the Taliban on the withdrawal of U.S.-led international troops but the agreement does not include Islamic State militants. One in 20 people in the UK has lost a job due to coronavirus, a Yougov poll has suggested, while almost one in 10 are seeing their hours reduced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The virus, which has infected more than 8,000 people across the UK with 422 fatalities, has led businesses across the country to close their doors and turn staff away. Now in one of the first polls to be released after Boris Johnson called on the nation to stay in their homes, 5 per cent have said they have lost their jobs and an additional 9 per cent have seen the amount of working time offered to them diminished. Meanwhile more than four in 10 people (42 per cent) have begun to work full time from home after the prime minister called on those who did not need to travel to work to stay within their houses. It comes after the government introduced its most stringent measures yet across the country, asking that citizens stay at home, leaving only when necessary for vital shopping, medical reasons, a daily dose of exercise or to work if unavoidable. In a televised speech to the nation, Mr Johnson said: In this fight, we can be in no doubt that each and every one of us is directly enlisted. Each and every one of us is now obliged to join together. To halt the spread of this disease. To protect our NHS and to save many many thousands of lives. And while the majority of the public appear to have faith in the governments dedication with 58 per cent saying officials were taking the crisis seriously the same could not be said of the view of the publics actions. Recommended Government criticised after allowing construction sites to stay open The survey of 3,000 people found that only 8 per cent felt overall people were taking the virus seriously, while 87 per cent said it was not being taken seriously enough by others. And nine in 10 said they would follow government advice on the virus no matter what, while just four percent said they would probably do their own thing, regardless of what officials said. It comes as families hit out at those flouting social distancing conventions after images surfaced across the weekend of large numbers descending on parks and nature reserves across the UK amid the first sunshine of spring. Brenda Doherty said her family was devastated and heartbroken by the death of her mother Ruth Burke, 82, who died in Antrim Area Hospital in Northern Ireland on Tuesday night. To those of you who out there are being so selfish in gathering in packs wise up, she said. How selfish can you be? The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally closed up more than 2.5%, with oil and gas stocks surging over 6% to lead gains while chemicals declined by more than 0.5%. The European blue chip index had earlier racked gains of more than 4.5% at the start of trading after U.S. senators agreed to the Trump administration's massive economic rescue bill, unlocking $2 trillion worth of funds. White House official, Eric Ueland said early on Wednesday that U.S. senators and White House officials had reached an agreement on a massive stimulus package to mitigate the economic hit from the coronavirus outbreak. It comes after days of tense negotiations between Republicans and Democrats over how the funds should be handed out to workers and businesses to help cushion the blow from the coronavirus pandemic. NEW DELHI: The Arvind Kejriwal government on Wednesday (March 25, 2020) directed the police to take strict action against those harassing doctors and health workers, who are engaged in fighting the coronavirus and treating infected persons. According to reports, the government gave power to zonal Deputy Commissioners to take "strict penal action" against landlords who have been forcing doctors and paramedical staff to vacate their rented premises. According to a government notification, such behaviour "not only strikes at the root of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic but also tantamount to obstruction of duty of essential services". Invoking the Delhi Epidemics Diseases, Covid-19 Regulations, it said the district magistrates, zonal deputy commissioners of municipal corporations and the deputy commissioner of police are "directed to take strict penal action against such landlords and house owners under the relevant provisions of law". These officials have also been asked to submit their Action Taken Report on a daily basis. The decision was taken after the resident doctors of India's premier hospital AIIMS on Tuesday sought the government's intervention saying their colleagues were facing eviction from their homes by their landlords, who fear the medical professionals at the forefront of the fight against the novel coronavirus could be infected. In a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, the Resident Doctors Association said many staffers were "stranded on roads" with all their luggage and urged him to immediately release an order prohibiting landlords from evicting the health care professionals working tirelessly against the virus from their rented houses. Responding to it, Home Minister spoke to Delhi Police chief and directed him to ensure security for doctors and health workers. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had also said he was "deeply anguished" by the reports of medical staff being "ostracised". He reminded the landlords that the whole country had applauded the selfless services of healthcare professionals in these critical times by beating utensils, ringing bells and blowing conch shells from self-quarantine. Isabella Castoldi. Isabella Costaldi When the coronavirus outbreak was reported in Wuhan, most people in Italy didn't take the threat too seriously because China is "far, far away" and the infection itself seemed like the flu, Isabella Castoldi, a resident of Florence, Italy, said. But as the COVID-19 virus reached Europe, people went from joking about it to panic-buying toilet paper, and Florence became "a ghost town" almost overnight, she recalled. Looking back, Castoldi acknowledged that underestimating the virus left Italy susceptible to becoming the COVID-19 epicenter in Europe. She urged Americans and others in countries where the coronavirus is creeping in to practice social isolation and follow containment measures if they want to wrestle control of the illness. Italy has been wracked by its local outbreak, with nearly 70,000 sickened and 6,820 dead as of March 24. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. When news of the coronavirus first emerged, many people in Italy, Isabella Castoldi included, thought they were untouchable. The COVID-19 virus originated in Wuhan, which is "very, very far away," Castoldi said. "We expected other countries that are much closer to China to be in this situation before us so we just joked about it. We were not afraid of it or anything." That thought process was compounded with a misconception that the coronavirus is "just a flu," she recalled. People were convinced that even if they got sick, they would be able to get better, telling themselves, "It's not that serious. It's just a phase. It's going to be fine." "We underestimated it," Castoldi told Insider, stressing that Italy, home to some 60 million people, is paying dearly for that misstep. Related Video: What COVID-19 Symptoms Look Like, Day by Day The coronavirus, which causes a pneumonia-like illness, has breached 169 countries around the globe, infecting more than 415,000 people and killing at least 18,500 people, based on data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Story continues Italy has been thrashed by an escalating outbreak, with nearly 70,000 sickened and at least 6,820 dead as of March 24. Despite being on lockdown since March 10, it has set the record for the highest single-day coronavirus death toll 793 on March 21 and overtaken China as the country with the most coronavirus-related deaths. Medical personnel transport a COVID-19 patient to an ICU tent in Cremona, near Milan, Italy. Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images From 'one day to another,' Florence emptied out But people didn't really start paying heed to the brewing threat until a few weeks ago, evidenced by the fact that Castoldi went to Milan in the nation's hardest-hit Lombardy region to get a spider and a heart tattooed on her arm on February 28. After returning, she went about her normal daily routine, which included working at a popular ice cream store just steps away from the city center. "We usually have a very, very long queue that extends outside the door," Castoldi said. "Then, from one day to another, it was empty." That same week, she also helped a co-worker count the shop's daily earnings, only to realize that they'd made "thousands of euros" less than normal. And their team and hours were cut down as customers slowed to a trickle. "It was crazy," Castoldi said. "That's when we started to realize that maybe this is more serious than we thought." The 25-year-old also remembers noticing supermarkets "overflowing" with people panic-buying everything from toilet paper to meat and pasta. "I was shocked," she said. Florence, usually a hit among tourists, became "like a ghost town" seemingly overnight. Supermarket shelves lie empty as people stockpiled essentials in the early days of Italy's coronavirus outbreak. Getty The coronavirus should not become meme fodder However, it wasn't until Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte shut down Lombardy on March 8 that Castoldi responded to the "panic level," and reached out to her doctor about possible exposure to the virus while she was in Milan. She was instructed to self-quarantine only from March 9 to March 13 since she'd already spent several days interacting with her coworkers, and father and brother, with whom she lives, and no one was symptomatic. So, Castoldi shut herself into her room, and spent five days watching movies, surfing the internet, reading, and sleeping. Her pet cat, Bilbo, stuck by her side for all of it. She only came out for a few moments at a time, always with a face mask on, to use the restroom or get food. The Castoldi home has two restrooms, so she used one. The kitchen, however, required a bit more planning. Either her father cooked meals and left a dish for her that she ran out and grabbed while they took cover elsewhere in the house or she came out and prepared a plate when they weren't around. Everything she touched had to be sanitized. Castoldi's self-quarantine has since ended, so she can now roam the house and spend time with her family. They all remain symptom-free. But Castoldi has taken to posting warnings on social media, discouraging influencers and others around the world from spreading coronavirus jokes and memes. Military officers wearing face masks stand outside Duomo cathedral, closed by authorities due to a coronavirus outbreak, in Milan, Italy, on February 24, 2020. REUTERS/Flavio Lo Scalzo People need to do their part to halt the spread of the virus China's cases declined dramatically because they "put everybody in quarantine," Castoldi said, urging people to remember that we not only don't have a cure for the coronavirus, but are also battling a lack of knowledge about it. In the interim, others, in the US and elsewhere, need to double down on stringent containment measures and social distancing. "It's hard to change habits, put them on pause, but ... it's the only way," she said. If Italians had taken the coronavirus more seriously during the onset of the outbreak, maybe they could have averted the disaster that's since wracked their country. Castoldi said the state of medical workers in Italy further galvanized her to speak out. They are working inhumane hours in overloaded hospitals, lack appropriate protective equipment, and are being forced to decide who to save, all while the country's healthcare system collapses. "They don't really want to be called heroes, but that's what they are," she said. The fact that "they risk their lives for us" should be enough impetus for people to obey directions and not exacerbate the situation. One thing's for sure, though, Castoldi said, "unless an outbreak like this affects us directly, it's easy to believe it never will." Read the original article on Business Insider Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed grief over the attack on a gurudwara in Kabul. Addressing people of his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi, he said he is pained by the terror attack. "I express my condolences to the families of all those killed," he said. At least 25people have been killed in the attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW HAVEN New Haven reported its first death from Covid-19 Wednesday, while the number of persons with the coronavirus has surged from 16 to 29. Mayor Justin Elicker said the jump is likely a combination of increased testing results coming back and community spread. New Haven Health Department Director Maritza Bond said the man was in his late 50s and had underlying medical issues that contributed to his inability to recover. She said they do not know how he contracted the virus. The director said he worked at a number of sites and interacted with many many people. Bond said people with prolonged contact with the individual were advised to do self-monitoring and the city is working closely with that facility and are in daily contact with it. She did not said what the facility was. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, noted in a statement that there were two deaths as a result of the coronavirus in the district she represents, the man in New Haven and an 88-year-old resident of West Haven. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two individuals in our district who died from complications due to the coronavirus, she said in a release. This pandemic is on our doorstep, and we must do everything we can to stop it. The New Haven announcement was made at the daily press conference held by Elicker who also said an individual at the Bella Vista housing complex for seniors has tested positive and will self-isolate. Bond said the person was in the hospital over night and was expected to return to their apartment at Bella Vista Wednesday evening. Bond said she provided recommendations on the best way to get the person back to their unit without exposing others to the virus. The city usually does not name institutions where an individual has tested positive for Covid-19, but the mayor wanted to make sure that the estimated 2,000 Bella Vista residents were aware of it. It is very important, from a health perspective, we believe, that Bella Vista residents are taking very seriously their role in reducing community spread and also taking very seriously the importance that they need to follow directions to take care of themselves as well, Elicker said. Elicker said the city has had multiple conversations with the Carabetta Co., which manages Bella Vista, on protecting the residents against the virus, He said some of the steps included increased cleaning of the facility and putting up posters advising them on how to stay safe. Elicker said they also have a robocall system to quickly communicate when there is a need to. The mayor said they now also have a policy of not accepting visitors unless it is a health worker or someone delivering food. Bond said they also facilitated a webinar for all multi-unit facilities similar to Bella Vista advising them about protocols to follow. Elicker said he would also have a robocall with the residents of Bella Vista Wednesday night. The mayor also said the city has worked out a plan with Yale New Haven Hospital on improved safety measures so no other individual with Covid-19 will be able to leave without a medical discharge. A homeless man close to being discharged, but under quarantine because he was being treated for Covid-19, left without medical approval and was later found in Milford, where is now voluntarily being monitored. Elicker said there will be increased security at the hospital entrances and exits to make sure that if there is anyone who is a flight risk that that individual is not going to be able to leave the facility and they will quickly notify the New Haven police if there is any major issue. Across Connecticut a total of 875 people have tested positive for COVID-19, more than 5,898 tests have been conducted in Connecticut, including state and private laboratories, according to a release from Gov. Ned Lamont. The release said about 113 people have been hospitalized and 19 people have died. The numbers now are starting to significantly increase, Bond said. About making additional beds available at Yale New Haven Hospital, Elicker said it is his understanding that the state is working to identify sites for the surge in bed needs. He said New Haven will help the hospital in any way possible. On using the Hill Regional Career High School as an emergency shelter for the homeless with Covid-19, who are not sick enough to stay in the hospital, Elicker said they are still working on staffing it and getting enough protective gear. Also, he said the city has determined that the gymnasium, where up to 75 patients can be handled, has a separate air handling system from the rest of the school. He said they always planned to clean the entire school after the crisis is over, but the fact that there are separate systems should put community concerns at ease. The mayor said getting it up and running is a major topic of conversation with staff every day. Elicker said for very obvious reasons, we want to make sure that we are allowing the hospital to have enough vacant beds for new patients, who actually need intensive care. He said the emergency shelter would alleviate some of the pressure on the hospital. The mayor said he is also working with advocates for the undocumented to make sure they report symptoms for Covid-19 and not be afraid to contact health officials. Fire Chief John Alston Jr. said two firefighters who felt ill were tested for the virus and they came back negative. He said he is waiting for the results of the tests for two other firefighters. Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said one officers wife, a healthcare worker, has tested positive so he is self-isolating at home. Another officer, who was feeling symptomatic, is negative for the flu and is now awaiting results of a test for Covid-19 . On the budget process, the city will start having more in depth hearings on the proposed 2020-21 document on Monday. Elicker thanked the aldermanic leadership for working with him on the process going forward. He said the complication is not knowing the impact the Covid-19 crisis would have on the budget this year and next year. He said they are starting to understand some of those complications, but not others. The budget itself is a little bit of a moving target because we are not quite sure what the economic horizon is for the city, Elicker said. DeLauro, in noting the deaths in her district, said, Congress needs to act urgently to continue addressing the health and economic crisis facing families. We swiftly passed two important coronavirus response bills thus far, but we must do much more to control the spread of this virus. That is the surest way to prevent more tragic deaths like those in our District today, she said in a release. Every minute matters for our healthcare workers, first responders, and everyone at-risk across the country. In our own daily lives, we must continue following the advice of medical professionals. I urge everyone to follow the CDCs guidelines and Governor Lamonts Stay Safe, Stay Home policy. The Connecticut State Police also said Wednesday that there are four confirmed cases of Covid-19 within that agency. The four cases include a trooper from Troop G, Bridgeport, a trooped from Troop L, Litchfield, the Training Academy in Meriden and a recruit from the 129th Training Troop who was training remotely, the agency release said. All are in self-quarantine. Social distancing is not easy, and isolations effect on our mental health should not be minimized, DeLauro said. But stopping the spread of this deadly disease must be our top priority. Any one of us can contract the coronavirus, and we must do our best to prevent further illnesses and deathsespecially for vulnerable populations like our seniors and those with underlying health issues. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577. The Director of the Idaho Department of Insurance issued an order to cease and desist against Charlotte Jane Sheppard of Lincoln County after it was reported that Sheppard violated Idaho Code 41-1016(1)(d) and (h) on numerous occasions. The department also issued a preliminary order revoking Sheppards Idaho insurance producer license and imposing a $51,000 fine. Sheppard was also charged with grand theft in the Fifth Judicial District Court in Lincoln County. On March 9, she entered a plea of guilty, which was accepted by the court, and is awaiting sentence. A sentencing hearing has been set for May 19. Based on information that Sheppard was continuing to transact insurance and was using premium funds in her agencys fiduciary account to pay personal expenses, the department ordered Sheppard to stop accepting any payments for premiums or other like payments and to cease all insurance business within the state of Idaho. The order further directs insurers to cease accepting insurance business from Sheppard and directs the bank at which the fiduciary account is held to prevent Sheppard from accessing and removing premium funds. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 07:04:37|Editor: ZD Video Player Close SKOPJE, March 24 (Xinhua) -- North Macedonia's Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski said on Tuesday that the European Union decision to open accession negotiations with his country is an acknowledgement of the country's efforts and an end to a 15-year wait. Speaking at a press conference, attended by Deputy Prime Minister of European Affairs Bujar Osmani and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Dimitrov, Spasovski said that the EU decision to open accession talks with North Macedonia is an acknowledgement of the country's efforts, commitment and political will to implement the reforms. "It is our victory. We're becoming a country which is negotiating for EU membership and will have to undergo a process of transformation in the coming period, as have all member states," Spasovski said. The EU's General Affairs Council gave a green light to the opening of EU membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia in a video conference on Tuesday. In October last year, the bid by North Macedonia and Albania to open EU accession negotiations was blocked due mainly to France's opposition, when Paris justified its decision with the need for the EU to develop a new accession methodology. Justin Bieber hosts digital Sunday church service with pastor Judah Smith on Instagram Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Just like many people in the United States and around the world, Justin Bieber is practicing social distancing and on Sunday he hosted a worship service for his fans on social media led by pastor Judah Smith. The pop star has been spending his time in isolation recording music, dancing on TikTok with his wife, and going to church remotely. "By no means do you need to believe in what I believe, but know your [sic] loved and more than welcome to join me as I watch church today!" he wrote on Instagram, inviting his millions of followers to tune in to a church stream he hosted with Smith. "I'm just gonna kind of sit back and let you do your thing," he told the ChurcHome pastor just before it began. Within minutes, 50,000 people were tuned in. Smith opened up the online service, where he sat down in a studio and explained the Gospel message of Christ to all who were watching. He preached from the book of Timothy and Bieber and his wife, Hailey, could be seen listening and participating. Smith encouraged everyone to be sure of who they believe and who they are because of who they believe. He said he and his church believe in the person Jesus Christ who is their hope. He then led everyone in prayer and encouraged them to commit their lives to Christ. After worshiping with Smiths small praise team, Bieber concluded the service by saying: "Hope you guys enjoyed that as much as I did. ... If you guys watched that and you don't believe in the story of Jesus or whatever it may be, super OK. Everyone's on their own journey, their own faith journey. "I just feel like in this time that the story of Jesus really resonates with me," he added. Watch the full message below: After years of struggling or failing to stop their buildings from being used as de facto hotels for short-term rental operators, some Toronto condos are finally banning Airbnbs because of concerns about the spread of COVID-19. The move comes at a time when most people are isolating in their homes to prevent the spread of the virus while Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms are facing unprecedented numbers of booking cancellations amid global travel bans. ICE condos at York St. and Lake Shore Blvd. W. and Maple Leaf Square condos on Bremner Blvd. have informed residents that short-term stays are prohibited effective Thursday. The management of ICE condos said it wouldnt interfere with anyone currently occupying the building. But all imminent bookings of less than 28 days had to be cancelled and devices being used to access the building by unauthorized residents would be deactivated. Short-term rentals present an undue risk of danger to residents and to the short-term rental tenants themselves, said a notice at Maple Leaf Square. The move is overdue but welcome, said Thorben Wieditz of Fairbnb, a coalition of academics, community and tenant groups that backed the citys short-term rental bylaws at a provincial tribunal last fall. There are residents in buildings around the city who are up in arms because condo boards and property managers are suggesting short-term rentals cease but arent mandating it, he said. Wieditz said residents are telling him, There are laws on the books, there is a global pandemic, you must cease operations immediately. On Tuesday Fairbnb delivered a draft statement of claim to the property manager and condo board of the ICE buildings threatening a $3-million class-action lawsuit because the building wasnt complying with city zoning bylaws that prohibit short-term rentals in homes that are not the owners principal residence. To us it seems completely reasonable to take this step to inform condo corporations and their management companies that there are laws on the books and they, at a minimum, must recognize that in their communications to everyone in the building to say they are illegal and they will take whatever steps necessary to ensure they are not operating, Wieditz said. The claim was not registered in court because of COVID-19 closures and it remains unclear if the legal action will go ahead given that ICE has banned short-term rentals, said Fairbnb lawyer Eric Gillespie. ICE was the only condominium named (in the suit) but there are dozens of condo corporations that may be in a similar situation. If the response from other condos is similar, that obviously is a huge step in a very good direction, but thats an unknown right now. We dont know if the claim is going to proceed with other condominium corporations, he said. There is a public health risk in tourist accommodation, said York University environmental studies professor Roger Keil, who co-edited a book about the SARS epidemic called Networked Disease. In 2003, the Hotel Metropole in Hong Kong was the site of a super spread event that sent SARS to points across the globe by travellers. Hotels are regulated spaces and they are cleaned by professional staff and they are under tight control in terms of public health. We know this is not necessarily the case in the (short-term rental) industry, he said. If you now have thousands of people staying in fairly unregulated spaces shared with regular residents I cannot see how this cannot be a public health concern at the present moment, Keil said. Like SARS, COVID-19 is a coronavirus and respiratory disease. Any kind of virus can come at us quickly and spread very fast depending on how transmission works, he said. This is the world in which we now live and this is a world of high mobility, and Airbnb plays a major role in facilitating this mobility, Keil said. The Local Planning Appeal Tribunal last fall upheld the rules approved by the city that were originally to have taken effect nearly two years ago but were delayed by appeals by short-term rental landlords. The bylaw is now in effect, a city spokeswoman said Wednesday. Despite the global travel bans and many Airbnb cancellations from tourists, some are still operating, Wieditz said. Some have been advertised as isolation units, he said. Property management companies need to follow the law and instruct people properly. They cannot suggest that landlords voluntarily stop the rentals, he said. A spokesperson for ICEs property manager, Duka Property Management, said the condo board there had decided to take action before receiving notice of the draft legal claim Tuesday. Airbnb Canadas public policy manager, Alex Dagg, said the company recognizes that businesses, corporations and individuals are all going to react differently to the pandemic situation. There is no playbook here, she said. There are a lot of people from medical staff, diplomats that are returning from overseas, international students who have nowhere to go after their residences have closed. They have been looking for places to stay and our hosts have been able to provide that, Dagg said. We often are hearing from medical professionals who are looking for places to stay. They have to isolate themselves from their families, she said. Recovery from the business difficulties that have hit Airbnb amid the pandemic, in addition to a more regulated environment, will be a fierce challenge for the company, said the director of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, professor Frederic Dimanche at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. Like every other company, he said Airbnb is going to take a loss. It is refunding reservation deposits and it will lose some operators due to their own loss of income, as well as the increasingly regulated business environment, Dimanche said. But he doesnt think it will be the end of Airbnb. I think the business model was so welcome by travellers. Theres definitely a big market for this kind of thing. But its all going to be based now on trust. If they are able to establish trust with customers they are going to be doing well and people are going to be travelling again. If they are not able to establish trust with the operators and the customers then its going to more complicated. Like the cruise industry, Airbnb and other hospitality businesses will also have to fight their way back from an economic recession, Dimanche said. People may want to travel again but they will be watching their spending and potentially choosing domestic destinations. (Newser) Key medical equipment that's in short supply amid the coronavirus pandemic is being funneled to hospitals from all sorts of unexpected places these days. The AP reports veterinary hospitals are donating their own supplies, with the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Raleigh sending two full-service ventilators, 500 protective suits, and 950 masks to area hospitals, for instance. But the Washington Post flags an even less expected source: The crypt of the Washington National Cathedral. story continues below The church says a stonemason working on the crypt level came across boxes holding some 5,000 respirator masks. They had apparently been obtained during an unspecified health scare in 2006 and subsequently forgotten about, and the CDC and mask manufacturer verified they were still usable. The church says the masks will go to Georgetown University Hospital and Childrens National Hospital. Reads a Facebook post from the cathedral: "As Dean Randy Hollerith likes to say, grace abounds, even in the darkness." (Read more coronavirus stories.) A group of 190 Romanian citizens was repatriated, on Wednesday evening, from Rome, by a charter plane operated by TAROM, informs a release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) issued for AGERPRES. The action is part of the series of joint efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications to facilitate the return to the country of the Romanian citizens, non-residents, who are seasonal workers, affected by the drastic shrinkage of the economic activities in Italy, as well as of the Romanian citizens who are in Italy in special situations, without real possibilities to continue their presence in the territory of this country.In this context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs repeats the calls made previously to avoid any foreign trips that are not absolutely essential. Such travels can carry major risks, endangering the safety of citizens and their possibility of returning to the country.The ministry also calls on Romanian citizens domiciled or residing abroad to strictly comply with the recommendations of the authorities of these states and stresses that the trips to Romania are not recommended."Such travels are increasingly affected by the restrictions imposed by the transit states, which make the possibilities of assistance from the Romanian authorities be considerably reduced, and may be an additional factor in spreading the infection with COVID-19, thus endangering the safety of those at home," says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Australia's high commissioner to the United Kingdom George Brandis rubbed shoulders with Prince Charles less than two weeks before the heir to the throne tested positive for the coronavirus. The Prince of Wales, 71, is in self-isolation with 'mild symptoms' on the Balmoral estate in Scotland after testing positive for the virus on Tuesday. Prince Charles had sat opposite coronavirus-stricken Prince Albert of Monaco - who tested positive five days ago - at a WaterAid event on March 10. Two days later the Prince of Wales attended a star-studded dinner with Mr Brandis in London in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort. Coronavirus-infected Prince Charles (right) attended an event with the High Commissioner for Australia George Brandis on March 12 The royal and the former Liberal Party minister posed for photos together at the event The royal and the former Liberal Party minister both gave speeches and posed for photos together at the event. The 71-year-old praised the Australian spirit during the bushfire crisis in his keynote speech and said it must have been 'an apocalyptic vision of hell'. A royal source said Charles' doctor's most conservative estimate was the prince was contagious from March 13 - just one day before the event with Mr Brandis and a 'brief' meeting with the Queen. Brandis last week said he was dealing with thousands of calls from Australians scrambling for information about the coronavirus pandemic. He has been forced to help control the high volume of calls this week as the high commission's coronavirus emergency line rang off the hook. The office answered more than 1,300 calls on Wednesday of last week and an additional 2,300 a day later, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Mr Brandis said the general nature of the phone calls have been of 'concern and sometimes distress.' Prince Charles and George Brandis pictured centre and left during the event in London less than two weeks ago Prince Charles is pictured with the Queen on March 9 at a Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey. He tested positive for the virus on Tuesday CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'But our job is to provide information and guidance where we can but also to be a reassuring voice to people,' he said. 'This would be the biggest demand on our consular services in living memory and the staff here have been tremendous.' About 140,000 Australians are currently living and working in the UK. On Wednesday, a 68-year-old cruise ship passenger died from the coronavirus - taking Australia's death toll to nine. Garry Kirstenfeldt was on board Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas that docked in Sydney on March 18. He died in Toowoomba Hospital in Queensland, where he was being treated in intensive care, on Wednesday afternoon. Queensland Health confirmed the man's death on Wednesday evening and said he had 'serious underlying medical condition before contracting the virus.' By Trend Turkey's export of chemical products to Russia increased by 15.33 percent and amounted to $68.6 million from January through February 2020, Turkeys Trade Ministry told Trend. Turkey's export of chemical products to Russian amounted to $38.5 million in February 2020, showing an increase of 37.37 percent compared to February 2019. From January through February 2020, Turkeys export of chemicals to world markets increased by 1 percent compared to the same period of 2019, and amounted to $3.2 billion. Over the reporting period, Turkeys export of chemicals amounted to 10.9 percent of the country's total export. Turkey's export of chemical products to world markets amounted to $1.5 billion in February 2020, which is 7.8 percent less compared to February 2019. In February 2020, Turkeys export of chemical amounted to 10.3 percent of the country's total export. According to the ministry, Turkeys export of chemical products amounted to $20.6 billion from February 2019 through February 2020. Turkey's foreign trade turnover in Jan. 2020 amounted to $33.9 billion. In Jan. 2020, Turkey's export increased by 6.4 percent compared to Jan. 2019 and amounted to $14.8 billion. Turkey's import increased by 18.8 percent in Jan. 2020 compared to Jan. 2019, amounting to $19.2 billion. Former Madhya Pradesh health minister Tulsiram Silawat on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to provide food essentials to the poor, who are affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. Madhya Pradesh has so far reported 15 coronavirus positive cases. "Poor people, irrespective of their caste, should be given 10 kg of wheat flour, 5 kg of rice and two kg of lentils immediately so that they have enough provisions to survive the lockdown," Silawat said. The Jyotiraditya Scindia loyalist said the Chief Minister had assured him that orders to this effect will be formally issued soon. Silawat, along with five other ministers, had quit former Chief Minister Kamal Nath's cabinet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Armed suspects shot dead a police officer and stole his AK 47 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition in an attempted robbery at Suswa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) station on Tuesday. The three gunmen, who were in a white Toyota Fielder registration number KCT 069C, then proceeded to the cash office where they stole an empty cash box, thinking it had money. Inspector Joseph Gethi, the in-charge at Section 9 of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) station said they heard gunshots from the main gate at around 10.30 am. When they went to check what was happening, they found Constable Jona Too lying unconscious with a gunshot wound on the head. The officer was rushed to Olubwani Medical clinic at Suswa where he was pronounced dead on arrival. According to eyewitnesses, all the assailants were armed with pistols, People Daily reports. Detectives suspect the thugs believed there was money in the cash office because the station was to be closed Tuesday. Led by the Commandant Railways and his DCI counterpart, the investigators recovered three spent cartridges of 9 mm calibre and the stolen AK47s sling. A few hours later, the vehicle that was used by the suspects was spotted in Nairobi, but by 4 pm yesterday, no arrests had been made. Investigations are ongoing. A New Jersey man was charged with harassment and making terroristic threats after allegedly purposely coughing on a Wegmans grocery store employee and saying he had coronavirus. George Falcone, 50, of Freehold, in the southern part of the state, was charged Tuesday by the New Jersey attorney general for allegedly making the threats on Sunday in a Wegmans supermarket in Manalapan. Image; George Falcone. (New Jersey Attorney General) Falcone was standing close to an employee near the store's prepared food section when the worker asked him to move back, the state attorney general said in a statement. Instead, Falcone stepped closer to her, leaned in and coughed, the statement said. He laughed, telling the woman he was infected with coronavirus and also telling two other employees they are "lucky" to have jobs. State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said spreading fear is unacceptable during this emergency. These are extremely difficult times in which all of us are called upon to be considerate of each other not to engage in intimidation and spread fear, as alleged in this case, Grewal said in the statement. "We must do everything we can to deter this type of conduct and any similar conduct that harms others during this emergency." The third-degree terrorism charge carries a sentence of three to five years in state prison, and the harassment charge a sentence of up to six months. Falcone was also charged with obstructing administration of law in the fourth degree, which carries a sentence of up to 18 months. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called Falcone a "knucklehead" during a Tuesday press briefing, according to NJ.com. Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said Falcone's actions were "reprehensible." "In times like these, we need to find ways to pull together as a community instead of committing acts that further divide us," he said in a statement. The U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday that anyone who threatens to infect people with coronavirus can also face federal charges. According to a memo by Attorney General William Barr and Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, such threats can be prosecuted under terrorism statutes because coronavirus can be deemed a "biological agent." W ere back in lockdown and theatres are once again closed indefinitely. Its hardly the start to the year that wed hoped for, but the good news is that many venues are continuing to make shows available online. Although nothing can compare to sitting in a hushed auditorium as the lights go down, theres more than enough on offer to keep any theatre lover occupied while we hope for brighter days. From Shakespeare to brand new musical theatre, heres the best of whats available to watch online. Theatre Inside/Outside Richmonds Orange Tree Theatre will livestream a series of six new short plays: playwrights Deborah Bruce, Joel Tan and Joe White will focus on the theme of inside, while Sonali Bhattacharyya, Zoe Cooper and Kalungi Ssebandeke will be exploring outside. Expect big themes: loneliness, isolation, hope and despair. March 25-27 and April 15-17; orangetreetheatre.co.uk Emilia Saffron Coomber, Clare Perkins and Adelle Leonce in Emilia / Helen Murray Morgan Lloyd Malcolms barnstorming play about the life of Emilia Bassano, said to have inspired Shakespeares sonnets and as well as being a poet herself, will be available to watch online again for all of March on a pay what you can basis. March 1-31; emilialive.com Black Matter Olivier-award winning actor Giles Terera, who was Londons first Aaron Burr in the West End production of Hamilton, has written a song cycle about observing London from his window over the last year in lockdown. A filmed version of him performing it at Crazy Coqs will be available to stream later this month. March 24-31; fane.co.uk/giles-terera Royal Court: Living Newspaper The Royal Courts initiative - to ask a group of writers to take over the Sloane Square building and create a living newspaper based on that weeks events - kicked off at the end of last year, but changes to restrictions meant audiences could no longer attend in person. Now it returns with two forthcoming livestreamed editions, with Bukky Bakray, Travis Alabanza, Tanika Gupta, Nathaniel Martello-White and Anthony Neilson among the writers taking part. From March 29 royalcourttheatre.com Good Grief Is it a play? Is it a film? Its both. Sian Clifford and Nikesh Patel star in Lorien Haynes study of grief, and its well worth watching. Until April 15, originaltheatreonline.com BKLYN - The Musical Missing the hustle and bustle of city life? This musical explores the stories of street performers in New York City, and has a top notch musical cast featuring Marisha Wallace and Jamie Muscato. March 22 - 4 April; stream.theatre Barnes People Jon Culshaw, Matthew Kelly, Jemma Redgrave & Adrian Scarborough, the cast of Barnes People / Michael Wharley This set of masterful monologuesare just as good as Alan Bennetts Talking Heads, says our critic Nick Curtis, but much less well known. Get to know them with these brilliantly captured performances, starring Adrian Scarborough, Matthew Kelly, Jemma Redgrave and Jon Culshaw. Until July 31: originaltheatreonline.com National Theatre at Home Its Netflix for National Theatre fans: after hugely popular weekly livestreams in the first lockdown, the NT listened to pleas from around the world and made some productions available to watch on-demand. The current selection includes Three Sisters, Amadeus, Medea and the Young Vics award-winning Yerma, as well as its lockdown-struck panto, Dick Whittington. Viewers can pay a monthly subscription fee for access to the whole catalogue, or rent productions individually. ntathome.com Shakespeares Globe Whether youre in homeschooling hell or just missing the sound of iambic pentameter, Shakespeares Globe has a packed online catalogue of productions available to rent. From Michelle Terry as Hamlet to Gemma Arterton in The Duchess of Malfi, theres enough here to ensure youll never get bard (sorry). globeplayer.tv Musicals: The Greatest Show An impressive set of musical theatre stars got together to perform our favourite songs for one night only, and the concert is on BBC iPlayer for the rest of the year - hurrah! Recorded at the London Palladium and hosted by Sheridan Smith, it featured all of the best belters in the business, from Michael Ball to Nicole Scherzinger. Available on BBC iPlayer A Midsummer Nights Dream This rehearsed reading of Shakespeares mad, magical comedy is set to be a special occasion, with Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall, Luisa Omielan and Sara Kestelman in its star cast. Put it in your diary its for one night only. March 31; shakefestival.com Southwark Playhouse Throughout the recent months of the pandemic, Southwark Playhouse has punched above its weight by offering a range of live streamed productions. Its previous hit revival of musical The Last Five Years is still available to watch on-demand, and forthcoming live streams include Philip Ridley play The Poltergeist and new British musical The Sorcerers Apprentice. southwarkplayhouse.co.uk Hamilton Lin-Manuel Miranda in Hamilton / Disney Yes, we know you know all the words. Yes, we know youve already watched it 100 times. But this exquisitely captured recording of Lin-Manuel Mirandas musical theatre masterpiece is on Disney+, so why not watch it again? disneyplus.com Classical music Wigmore Hall Wigmore Hall / PA Its doors may be closed, but Wigmore Hall is keeping the music playing. A number of concerts recorded at the venue will be broadcast on its website throughout January, and will be available on-demand for 30 days thereafter. wigmore-hall.org.uk Comedy Soho Theatre on Demand Theres lots of stand-up to be found on streaming platforms, but none is quite so evocative of the stand-up experience as Soho Theatres catalogue of shows. Directly available through Sohos website and now also on Amazon Prime, youll almost feel like you really are in a dingey basement, glugging wine and trying to avoid the front row so you dont get picked on. Jessie Cave, Dane Baptiste and Lucy Susan are just a few of the comic delights on offer. sohotheatreondemand.com or Amazon Prime Rose Matafeo: Horndog Provisions to fulfil our desperate need for laughter have also been made by the BBC: it will broadcast a performance of Rose Matafeos sell-out show Horndog. It won her the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2018, which is a recommendation and a half. BBC iPlayer Dance Royal Ballet Zenaida Yanowsky as Marguerite and Roberto Bolle as Armand / Tristram Kenton Throughout the pandemic, the Royal Ballet has broadcast its previous productions as part of the Royal Opera Houses popular #OurHouseToYourHouse programme. Up next will be Frederick Ashtons Marguerite and Armand, performed in 2017. Zenaida Yanowskys performance as Marguerite was her last with the company after 23 years. From Jan 15, roh.org.uk ENB at Home The English National Ballet has a comprehensive on-demand platform which includes a huge catalogue of shows alongside a series of ballet training classes, keeping you both entertained and active. Productions can be rented for three days and include Akram Khans Giselle, Le Corsaire and La Sylphide. ondemand.ballet.org.uk Sadlers Wells Digital Stage Alongside performances, workshops and dance classes, theres the chance to do a deep dive into esteemed choreographers such as Kate Prince and Hofesh Schecter on Sadlers Wells website. Videos will take you through their techniques and the thinking behind their shows. sadlerswells.com Opera Royal Opera House Joyce DiDonato as Cendrillon / Bill Cooper / Royal Opera House / ArenaPAL Indias 1.3 billion people will experience a complete lockdown from Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has. He ordered a lockdown on Tuesday, warning that many families will be destroyed forever if the country didnt get to grips with its coronavirus outbreak in the next three weeks. According to CNN, Mr Modi said the lockdown would start at midnight local time, would last for a minimum of 21 days, and would apply to all of Indias 36 states and territories. India is the worlds second most populous country and the fifth biggest economy. The country has confirmed 519 coronavirus cases, including 10 deaths and 39 patients who have been cured, according to the Ministry of Health. Some Indian states have ordered lockdowns in the past few days, as an attempt to stop the virus from spreading. More so, international borders have been shut to most travellers coming from the Europe. You have seen the worldwide situations arising from the coronavirus pandemic in the news. You have also seen how the most powerful nations have become helpless in the face of this pandemic, Mr Modi said in a broadcast address to the nation. The newspaper reported that a protest against the countrys Citizenship Amendment Act at Delhis Shaheen Bagh was cleared by the police on Tuesday after the government prohibited all public gatherings in the city. Hundreds of women have been protesting at the site for months, expressing their solidarity with protesters who have been allegedly assaulted by police. Mr Modi said the measures are necessary to protect the population, and referred to experience from other countries. What the experts are saying is that social distancing is the only option to combat coronavirus. That is to remain apart from each other and stay confined to within your homes. There is no other way to remain safe from coronavirus. If we have to stop the spread, we have to break the cycle of infection, he said. From 12 midnight today, the entire country will go under a complete lockdown to save India and for every Indian, there will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes. Therefore, I request you to remain wherever you are in this country, Mr Modi added. He said only essential services will be operational to include water, electricity, health services, fire services, groceries and municipal services. All shops, commercial establishments, factories, workshops, offices, markets and places of worship will be closed and interstate buses and metros will be suspended. Construction activity will also be on a halt during this period. Mr Modi said if the outbreak was not dealt with properly it could set the country back decades. According to health experts, a minimum of 21 days is most crucial to break the cycle of infection. If we are not able to manage this pandemic in the next 21 days, the country and your family will be setback by 21 years. If we are not able to manage the next 21 days, then many families will be destroyed forever, he said. To soften the economic blow from the shutdown, the Indian government announced a number of measures on Tuesday. Economic Decline Deadlines to file tax returns have been extended by three months, charges on minimum bank balances have been waived and no fees will be charged for using other banks ATMs. The threshold for invoking insolvency has been raised to $131,000 from $1,300, Indias Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was quoted as saying at a news conference. In a separate speech Indias Labor Ministry advised all territories to help construction workers who are out of work because of the outbreak. Advertisements The vast majority of the countrys construction workers are considered as informal labor and earn their livelihood through daily wages. Around 35 million construction workers across the country are registered with construction welfare boards. ALTON Alton Police are seeking the publics help identifying a suspect in at least 10 retail thefts at Alton stores since Feb. 18. To steal from a business is incredibly low of any individual, said Alton Police Chief Jason Simmons. At this time, when its hard to keep the shelves stocked from paying customers, I hope the community will band together to keep this suspect from taking the last of an item you may need. A Laois based group who promote the teaching of Irish sign language is challenging everyone staying at home for the Covid-19 pandemic to learn it. Midlands ISL Learners who have their own sign language choir are asking people to accept their quarantine challenge, in efforts to make communities more inclusive for people with hearing problems. Over the next 25 days they will post videos to show some of the basics. "QUARANTINE ISL CHALLENGE** Looking for something to do in your quarantime?? Always wanted to learn Sign Language? Well, has there ever been a more perfect time!? We are challenging you all to learn some basic Irish Sign Language over the course of this quarantine period. So over the next 25 days we will post videos to show you some of the basics. Challenge accepted?? Let us know " They put up their challenge on Wednesday morning March 25 and already have well over 100 people ready to take it on. Click here to accept their challenge and start learning the signs. Midlands ISL Learners is a voluntary community organisation that seeks to bridge the gap between the Deaf and Hearing communities. "We aim to make our community a more inclusive and Deaf Friendly place to live. Our goal is to create awareness, promote ISL and to ensure that Deaf/Hard of Hearing children and adults can work, live and play side by side with their Hearing peers without communication difficulties, whether that be in school, attending their GP or Hairdresser or ordering their food in a restaurant. Our courses and classes are focused more on the enjoyment of learning a unique and wonderfully vibrant language and the fun that is had within our groups, where the history of the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture are acknowledged, discussed and illustrated. Midlands ISL Learners opened in March 2017 and has over 100 members and a waiting list for its courses. They also teach Transition Year students and some of the children attending our classes have started ISL clubs in their own schools. Midlands ISL Learners will have an impact on, help and support an entire community, no matter what age, race, background, religion, social status or ability." Gov. Jay Inelee's Stay Home Stay Healthy Order takes effect at midnight tonight. This is what it means for our community, based on a press release from Cowlitz County: The order is effective throughout Washington state and prohibits all people from leaving their homes or participating in social, spiritual and recreational gatherings of any kind regardless of the number of participants, and all non-essential businesses in Washington state from conducting business. All non-essential businesses in Washington state shall cease operations, except for performing basic minimum operations. All essential businesses are encouraged to remain open and maintain operations, but must establish and implement social distancing. This is a critical intervention effort, on our part, to help notify our citizens to keep them safe in order to reduce harm from the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. The new normal (for now) What does this mean to Cowlitz County residents? Washington citizens should not leave their homes except for essential activities. Some examples of essential activities are: caring for elderly, minors, people with disabilities or others who are vulnerable. You can seek medical care, pick up medication, make needed purchases of supplies to work from home, or get food for your family. Some of the types of essential businesses that will remain open are: grocery stores, gas stations, health care facilities, pharmacies, restaurants for pick up or take-out meals, banks or supply stores. There are no checkpoints planned to ensure compliance. Health care professionals and first responders are providing essential services. Essential state and local government functions are open in limited capacities. Utility services are continuing to provide garbage, water, sewer and electricity services. These providers will continue to work with citizens to maintain services and assist with payment options. While this situation poses some unknowns, be assured that all essential food and supplies will continue across our roadways, that people will be able to travel to get essential needs like food and medical help, and that there are no current needs or plans to close our borders with other states. It bears repeating there is no need to overstock on groceries and supplies. Be a good neighbor remember that if we all shop as we normally would, there is plenty for everyone. Business/commerce There is currently no plan to require businesses to register or apply for any permits, however businesses need to demonstrate their essential status in order to remain open. The federal government identifies Critical (Essential) Infrastructures Sectors at https://www.cisa.gov/critical-infrastructure-sectors. The sectors include: Energy, Chemical, Commercial Facilities, Communications, Critical Manufacturing, Dams, Energy Services, Financial Services, Food and Agriculture, Government Facilities, Health Care/Public Health, Information Technologies, Nuclear Reactors/Materials/Waste, Defense Industrial Base, Transportation Systems, and Water/Waste Water/Utilities. It is recommended for these businesses to provide their employees with a signed letter (on letterhead) that states their employment status and the essential function of the business. Business issued ID cards would also be helpful for employees to have in their possession, though not required. Employees of essential businesses can still go to work. Every effort should be made to maintain social distancing of 6 feet at work. If you have concerns about a business staying open in conflict with the Governors Stay Home Stay Healthy Order you can visit www.co.cowlitz.wa.us to fill out a form or call 1-888-230-4970 for more information. Enforcement Law enforcements primary role is to help educate people about how to comply with orders to not gather together, to stay at home, and other restrictions. Law enforcement is not being asked to detain, arrest, ticket or establish checkpoints for compliance. The Stay at Home order is like other laws in that they work because people agree with the rationale and see it as a legitimate and sensible way to keep people safe. Our communities have shown they understand the severity of the situation and are doing all they can already to keep themselves, their families and neighbors safe and healthy. The Cowlitz Association of Sheriff and Police Chiefs (CASPC) fully supports this mission and is committed to ensuring the safety of its communities. #InThisTogether Stay home if you can. Use common sense. Think how your actions can put others at risk. We want to encourage you to keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy by staying home. Dont forget to check on elderly family members and neighbors just adhere to social distancing. You can still go outside and run, walk, hike or ride your bike as long as you are maintaining the required social distancing of 6 feet from individuals. You can walk your dog, walk alone or with someone you live with or even another person as long as they maintain necessary space. Parks in Cowlitz County will remain open to allow residents open spaces to enjoy the outdoors, fresh air and sunshine. Play structures at parks will be closed. Remember to only Spread the Facts and to Stay Home Stay Healthy. For general Cowlitz County COVID-19 Information you can call 1-888-683-8676. For question, please email imt.pio@co.cowlitz.wa.us. Love 2 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days to fight COVID-19, the US Embassy in India stated on Wednesday that it is working with the US State Department and with airlines to arrange flights to take Americans back home. Moreover, in a health alert on its website, the embassy mentioned that it is in touch with the Indian government to emphasise the need for hotels to continue to lodge US citizens. On Tuesday, Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown till April 15 in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. "While the exact parameters of the curfew are still unclear, US citizens should cooperate by sheltering in place," the embassy noted. "US citizens are required to comply with the Indian law and obey directions from law enforcement officers. We are in contact with the Indian government to emphasise the need for hotels to continue to lodge US citizens," it mentioned. The embassy said that it continues to work with the US' Department of State and airline companies to arrange flights from India to the US for American citizens. "Once these flights are arranged, we will work with the Indian government to arrange to the greatest extent possible safe passage to airports for US citizens," it stated. The embassy stated that there is great interest from US citizens in obtaining assistance to depart from India, adding that it is working to support necessary arrangements. "We will provide daily updates about our efforts via the Smart Traveller Enrolment Program (STEP) application. We urge US citizens to enrol in STEP at www.step.state.gov in order to receive critical information from the embassy concerning flight opportunities," it stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Zealand's largest fault is a jumble of mixed-up rocks of all shapes, sizes, compositions and origins. According to research from a global team of scientists, this motley mixture could help explain why the fault generates slow-motion earthquakes known as "slow slip events" as well as destructive, tsunami-generating tremors. "One thing that really surprised us was the sheer diversity of rock types," said Laura Wallace, a research scientist at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and co-chief scientist on the expedition that retrieved rock samples from the fault. "These rocks that are being mashed up together all behave very differently in terms of their earthquake generating potential." The finding was described in a paper published March 25, 2020, in Science Advances. It is the latest discovery to emerge from two scientific drilling expeditions in New Zealand led by scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and colleagues at institutions in New Zealand. Subduction zones--places where one tectonic plate dives beneath another--are where the world's largest and most damaging earthquakes occur. Scientists have long debated why quakes are more powerful or more frequent at some subduction zones than at others, and whether there may be a connection with the slow slip events, which can take weeks or months to unfold. Although they are not felt by people on the surface, the energy they release into the Earth is comparable to powerful earthquakes. "It has become apparent only in the last few years that slow slip events happen at many different types of faults, and some at depths in the Earth much shallower than previously thought," said the paper's lead author, Philip Barnes of the New Zealand Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). "It's raised a lot of big questions about why they happen, and how they affect other kinds of earthquakes." To answer these questions, Barnes, Wallace, and UTIG Director Demian Saffer led two scientific ocean drilling expeditions to a region off the coast of New Zealand, where they drilled into and recovered rocks from the vicinity of the tremors' source. UTIG is a research unit of the UT Jackson School of Geosciences. "The earthquake and geological science community has speculated about what goes into a subduction zone where slow earthquakes occur," said Saffer, who was co-chief scientist on the second expedition. "But this was the first time we've literally held those rocks--and physical evidence for any of those ideas--in our hands." The team drilled into the remains of a buried, ancient sea mountain where they found pieces of volcanic rock, hard, chalky, carbonate rocks, clay-like mudrocks, and layers of sediments eroded from the mountain's surface. Kelin Wang, an expert in earthquake physics and slow slip events at the Geological Survey of Canada, said that the paper was effectively a breakthrough in understanding how the same fault can generate different types of earthquakes. "In addition to helping us understand the geology of slow slip events this paper also helps explain how the same fault can exhibit complex slip behavior, including tsunami-generating earthquakes," said Wang, who was not part of the study. Efforts to understand the connection between slow slip events and more destructive earthquakes are already underway. These studies, which are being led by other UTIG researchers, include detailed seismic imaging--which is similar to a geological CAT scan--of the slow slip zone in New Zealand, and an ongoing effort to track the behavior of subduction zones around the world by installing sensors on and beneath the seafloor. The goal of the work is to develop a better understanding of the events that lead up to a slow slip event versus a tsunami-generating earthquake. "The next needed steps are to continue installing offshore instruments at subduction zones in New Zealand and elsewhere so we can closely monitor these large offshore faults, ultimately helping communities to be better prepared for future earthquakes and tsunami," said Wallace, who also works at GNS Science, New Zealand's government-funded geosciences research institute. ### The research was supported by the International Ocean Discovery Program which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and other participating countries. Support for the research also came from New Zealand's Ministry for Business, Innovation, and Employment, NIWA and GNS Science. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions [March 25, 2020] Druva Most Awarded Data Protection Vendor at 2020 Stevie Awards Druva, Inc., the leader in Cloud Data Protection and Management, today announced it received eight awards for outstanding customer service at the 2020 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service's annual ceremony in Las Vegas in February. Created to celebrate the achievements of sales, customer service and call center professionals, the trophies are the latest honor for Druva's industry-defining SaaS (News - Alert) -based platform delivering best-in-class customer support and comprehensive data resiliency designed for the cloud era. "Building an exceptional customer experience is predicated on delivering the vision and return on investment that is promised at deployment," said Matt Lindeman, Chief Customer Officer, Druva. "With a completely cloud-based solution, we are able to offer customers a high-touch experience and faster time to value, introducing new innovations and functionality on our platform every two weeks that keep them ahead of the curve. Druva has set the industry standard for customer experience and we will continue to raise the bar in 2020." This marks a succession of honors Druva's customer success team has received in the last several months, including an industry leading certified 86 NPS score and being recently named a Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice selection. Additionally, in the November 2019 Gartner (News - Alert) Peer Insights 'Voice of the Custome': Disaster Recovery as a Service, which compared seven of the top DRaaS services, Druva received the highest overall rating (4.9/5), highest score for willingness to recommend (94 percent compared to the average of 88 percent), and a 4.8/5 rating from customers for service and support, among other categories. Druva's recognition at this year's Stevie Awards included: Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year Contact Center of the Year Award for Innovation in Customer Service Best Customer Feedback Strategy Best Customer Satisfaction Strategy Best Return on Customer Service Investment Best Use of Technology in Customer Service Customer Service Department of the Year "I've been in the industry for 30 years, and I deal with support from many vendors," said Ruben Oganesyan, director of IT, Premiere Networks. "One of the first things that impressed me about Druva was its support. It's more preferable in terms of accessibility and interaction than any of the vendors I've dealt with." The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, now in its 14th year, is the world's top honors for customer service, contact center, business development, and sales professionals. More than 2,600 nominations from organizations of all sizes, in virtually every industry, in 48 nations were evaluated in this year's competition. Finalists were determined by the average scores of more than 180 professionals worldwide in seven specialized judging committees. Additional Information Read more about Druva's recognition as the highest overall rating in Gartner Peer Insights 'Voice of the Customer': Disaster Recovery as a Service See why Druva customers love us, and learn how we can help your business prepare for the cloud era Learn more about Druva's innovative approach to data protection and management About Druva Druva delivers Data Protection and Management for the cloud era. Druva Cloud Platform is built on AWS and offered as-a-Service; customers drive down costs by up to 50 percent by freeing themselves from the burden of unnecessary hardware, capacity planning, and software management. Druva is trusted worldwide by over 4,000 companies at the forefront of embracing the cloud. Druva is a privately held company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and is funded by Sequoia Capital (News - Alert) , Viking Global Investors, Tenaya Capital, Riverwood Capital and Nexus Partners. Visit Druva and follow us @druvainc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005124/en/ [ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ] New films by star South Korean directors are poised to hit theaters this year, giving a boost to the movie industry hit hard by the novel coronavirus. Choi Dong-hoon, famous for smash-hit crime thrillers, including "Tazza: The High Rollers" (2006), "The Thieves" (2012) and "Assassination" (2015), will return with a new crime science-fiction film about aliens living in Korea. The film, which stars Kim Tae-ri, Kim Woo-bin and Ryu Jun-yeol, is now in pre-production and will start shooting later this month. Prominent director Kim Tae-yong, whose previous film is the English-language remake "Late Autumn" (2010), is coming back with a star-studded fantasy film, "Wonderland," his first release in nine years. A-list celebrities, including Gong Yoo, Park Bo-gum, Tang Wei and Suzy, will take roles in the film, which revolves around two couples who visit a virtual world called Wonderland, where people can reunite with their loved ones. The film is expected to kick off shooting next month. Before them, two other well-known filmmakers Yeon Sang-ho, who helmed the popular zombie thriller "Train To Busan" (2016), and Lee Yong-ju of the romance "Architecture 101" (2012) will attract film buffs to theaters. Yeon's upcoming action film, "Peninsula," starring Kang Dong-won, is set in the zombie-hit world four years after "Train to Busan." Director Lee is coming back with "Seobok," a sci-fi film based on the Chinese legend of Xu Fu, an explorer who looked for the elixir of life. Due to lingering fears over the novel coronavirus, the daily number of moviegoers in South Korea dropped to a record low this week. (Yonhap) Police officers in Penns Grove broke up a house party Saturday night, with more than 30 people in attendance, just after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphys coronavirus lockdown order went into effect. The tenant, a man in his 30s, was charged with a disorderly persons offense, Penns Grove Police Chief Patrick Riley Sr. said. The nature of the party was not clear, but Riley said it appeared the revelers were making videos of each other, with the plan of uploading them to YouTube. Murphys executive order prohibiting parties, celebrations and other social events went into effect at 9 p.m. Saturday. He followed that order on Sunday by saying he was really damned unhappy with people ignoring the directive. Then, on Monday, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal promised "serious legal consequences to those who didnt comply. Riley told NJ Advance Media that three police officers were dispatched to the two-story house on Lanning Avenue in response to a noise complaint, sometime between 10 p.m. Saturday and midnight. It was a very busy night, as our call volume has increased, Riley said, explaining that domestic violence complaints are up in Penns Grove amid the coronavirus scare. Only the tenant, whose name was not provided, was charged because the others in attendance agreed to disperse, Riley said. The house consists of four apartment units, and some were inside and others were outside. Officers were not wearing masks but did their best to safeguard themselves, using hand sanitizer afterward. Riley, though, said there is no way for officers to fully eliminate the risk to themselves, when venturing into a crowd. Were very limited in what we can do. We try to keep our distance, Riley said. As of Monday afternoon, New Jersey had 2,844 known coronavirus cases with 27 deaths. In a post to the police departments Facebook page, Riley implored residents to take seriously concerns about the coronavirus. I ask the citizens to please adhere to the Governors executive orders as this is the only way we will be able to stop the spread of the very dangerous virus. Again thank you for your cooperation and patience during these very uncertain times, Riley said. Penns Grove is 5,100 and covers just under one square mile. It is located across the Delaware River, with Wilmington on the other side. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission As America waits for grocery stores and sites like Amazon to restock toilet paper and thermometers, many wonder, what will happen with other essentials? Experts say there won't be major disruptions in food supply, but analysts have expressed fears over disruptions in the drug supply chain. So what does that mean for consumers? Here's what the top drug shortage experts told CNBC Make It about supply chains around prescription drugs, and what to expect during the coronavirus pandemic. Any current disruptions are likely similar to the situation with toilet paper Most large pharmacies and drug wholesalers keep at least a month or two of prescription meds as backup, and pharmaceutical companies store medications in case of supply disruptions. But during this pandemic, the drug supply "is not unlike the toilet paper situation," where stores may be temporarily out of stock due to people panic buying, not because of major supply chain issues, Michael Ganio, director of pharmacy practice and quality at nonprofit American Society of Health-System Pharmacist (ASHP), tells CNBC Make It. Erin Fox, a drug shortage expert, says that when the coronavirus outbreak began, many worried that the United States would see drug shortages because so many of the raw materials used to make various medications are exported from China, which was under an economic shutdown due to COVID-19. "Everyone was really, really worried but that doesn't seem to be coming true," says Fox, who as senior director of drug information and support services at The University of Utah, tracks such shortages. "We're much more likely to see ... shortages of drugs due to a sudden increase in demand," she says, which will be temporary. Ganio agrees and encourages people who need medication not to overbuy. "Don't panic and try to get as much as you can, because that means the next person who tries to go get their medication may not have access to it," Ganio says. But so much information is considered a 'trade secret' by pharma When it comes down to it though, no one knows exactly how or what medication could be affected by the pandemic, because everything in the manufacturing process of a drug from what factory makes it, to the list of raw materials used and where they come from is considered by "pharma to be a trade secret," according to Fox. The Food and Drug Administration isn't even privy to the information and is only alerted to shortages by the drug companies. Typically, after the FDA learns of a shortage from a drug company, it releases a statement alerting the public. But even that might not be very helpful to consumers. For instance, on Feb. 27, the FDA announced one drug shortage caused by the coronavirus but did not disclose what drug or where it is made. The FDA noted, however, that there are other available alternatives that can be used by patients and said it was working to mitigate the shortage. Fox calls the FDA's announcement "pretty frustrating" for both consumers and medical professionals. "Drug companies aren't required to provide reasons for shortages, just report them to FDA. In this case, the FDA had been previously putting out releases saying no shortages due to COVID, but then they got one, so I think they were trying to balance being truthful, but the drug company, whoever it is, refused to let them disclose which drug," she says. However in this case, the FDA did say it was a drug that was already on its shortage list, so from a doctor or pharmacist's perspective, "it's okay that we don't know, because it's not a new shortage," Fox says. "If it was already on the list, we already had a plan." Beyond the FDA, there is "no [legal] requirement for patients to be notified about a [drug] shortage," Ganio says. "In fact, there is no requirement for pharmacies to be notified of a shortage. Often pharmacies will learn of a shortage by placing an order from a wholesaler and then when that order does not come in, they start to investigate." In order to require more transparency by drug companies, Congress would have to change the rules, Fox says. For their part, representatives for Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Novartis all told Make It on Thursday that they are closely monitoring their product supplies and global demand and do not foresee any major pharmaceutical supply disruptions relating to COVID-19 at this time. Merck, Roche and the FDA did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Pfizer, the world's largest pharmaceutical company, whose popular brands include Advil, Bextra, Celebrex, Diflucan, Lyrica and Robitussin, tells Make It that its supplies have so far not been impacted by the pandemic. "As of now, we have not seen any disruption in our supply chain or impact to our business. We consistently and diligently monitor the supply of our medicines for preparedness and contingency planning to help ensure products are available for our patients," a Pfizer spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday. New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson, the country's biggest drugmaker, said it already has backup plans in place to deal with "unforeseen events" such as coronavirus. "We have robust business continuity plans in place across our global supply chain network to prepare for unforeseen events and to meet the needs of the patients, customers and consumers who depend on our products. These steps include maintaining critical inventory at major distribution centers away from high-risk areas and working with external suppliers to support our preparedness plans," a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday. That said, experts have an eye on these drugs Some analysts are still concerned that coronavirus could disrupt the U.S. drug supply chain as India begins to lock down to combat the spread of the virus. (It is estimated that 40-50% of all U.S. generic drugs come from India, while China is the world's largest supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients, according to analysts.) Fox emphasizes that it is still unknown what effect India and China will have on U.S. drug supplies but thinks average consumer prescriptions will not be impacted. "I think we're much more likely to see shortages of drugs due to surge in demand such as critical care drugs and medicines needed to keep patients on ventilator machines," she says. Though Ron Piervincenzi, CEO of the nonprofit United States Pharmacopeia (USP), also doesn't foresee drug shortages reaching the average consumer in the next few months, he expects shortages at hospitals. "I would say the most troublesome are medicines that are directly used in treatment," he says, including antibiotics (which are used to treat secondary infections in coronavirus patients). There have been shortages of antibiotics in hospitals for years due to manufacturing quality problems, says Fox, and a good number of the raw materials used in antibiotics do come from China, so that is one area of concern that suppliers have been watching. But Piervincenzi says antibiotics used by hospitals are often different than the common antibiotics consumers are typically prescribed for run-of-the-mill problems like an ear infection. "Specialty formulated antibiotics for intravenous use, those are the products that are much more prone to problems," Piervincenzi says. Still, so far "we're just not seeing additional shortages due to China stopping production," Fox says. That said, there "absolutely could be shortages due to huge surges of [coronavirus] patients" needing the drugs. As for average consumers who take antibiotics, they "should be able to fill them," says Fox, "but again, if we suddenly see huge surges, it's hard to predict." Though China did see a dip in drug production during its coronavirus outbreak since January when the outbreak started, many factories there are now getting back to work. What to do if your prescription is not available The coronavirus lockdown will cause knife crime to fall, a man helping police take weapons off the streets has said. Faron Alex Paul, who has himself been stabbed, uses his organisation, FazAmnesty, and his Instagram page to make contact with those who want to dispose of knives but do not want to go to the police themselves. The father-of-two told is urging the Government to act with measures such as curfews to ensure knife offences continue to decrease after the lockdown is lifted. Faron Alex Paul says the government should consider enforcing curfews after the coronavirus pandemic has ended, as a way of trying to crack down on knife crime. Speaking about the nationwide lockdown, the father-of-two said 'You'll see the rate of knife crime go down' He said: With all these measures being put into place, no-one is going to go out and risk their life, and the fact that police have more authority and can give out fines, more people will stay indoors. Youll see the rate of knife crime go down. Youll see it. On Monday, the Prime Minister warned that people will only be allowed outside to buy essentials like food or medication, for exercise once a day, or to travel to work if absolutely necessary. Boris Johnson said police can disperse any unnecessary gatherings and fine those not following the guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic which has now seen 424 deaths in the UK. Mr Paul went on: This quarantine will help stop these kids from killing each other. But what I do want to talk about is why theyve made quick laws for the virus but no laws and extreme measures to help stop knife crime. If you get caught for knife crime you get let go, community service and other lenient options, but for gun offences you get five years or more. There is no difference between the two because they all lead to the same result - death. Data obtained from a Freedom of Information request (FOI) by PA from the Metropolitan Police found that in 2015 there were 3,742 knife crime offences where the offender had not been charged because they could not be identified. This figure increased by 78% to 6,668 by the end of 2018. In 2019 it dropped just 18% to 5,439. A forensics team gathers evidence in Mansion Court, Walthamstow on March 12. Four teenagers were taken to hospital with stab and slash wounds after a fight. The number of knife crimes offences that did not end in a suspect being charged stood at more than 5,000 in 2019 In response to these figures, Mr Paul said: Police are strained and stretched. Its not easy. Sometimes theres no CCTV footage, theres silence from the community and theres not enough police resources. The 34-year-old has met vulnerable teenagers looking to give up their weapons, mothers who have begged him to help, and those looking to get out of the gang cycle. He takes the weapons, uses shop vouchers to reward the individuals who gave them up, and hands them to police without telling them where they came from. Asked whether this is fuelling part of the problem of criminals getting away without being identified, he said: 'When I meet them I dont know whether they have a pending case or not. My aim is to help take away weapons from the streets. 'The fact that they have come to me, willing to give them up, does show they might be ready to change their life around. 'Police need more funding; once they have the funding they need to work with middle men like me and together we can make a difference. Once you start working with official bodies you get more done.' Asked why he does not join the force, he said: 'Theres much more to it. If I were to work as a policeman that would not help because of the stigma and the lack of trust between them and communities. 'The people that come to me trust me because, although I work with the police, I am not the police.' JERUSALEM - Israels parliament speaker abruptly resigned Wednesday, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and deepening the countrys political turmoil as the embattled Israeli leader tries to cling to power amid a fast-spreading outbreak of the coronavirus and a looming corruption trial. The resignation of Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein clears the way for the opposition to move forward with efforts in parliament to topple Netanyahu. But by resigning, Edelstein, a member of Netanyahus Likud party, also defied a Supreme Court order to hold a vote for his successor, throwing down a new obstacle that could delay the opposition from proceeding with its agenda for several days. The move drew an angry reaction from the opposition Blue and White Party, which now has the backing from a slim parliamentary majority. The Israeli parliament belongs to Israels citizens, and their elected representatives will follow the laws of the state of Israel and the rulings of its courts. No one is above the law, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz tweeted. Edelstein suspended parliamentary activities last week, citing procedural issues and restrictions on large gatherings due to the spread of the coronavirus. But opponents accused him of blocking the vote on his replacement to shield Netanyahu from legislation that would limit his lengthy rule. Netanyahu was recently indicted on various corruption charges and faces a criminal trial. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court ordered Edelstein to hold a new vote by Wednesday, with the chief justice accusing him of undermining the foundations of the democratic process. While some members of Netanyahus Likud party urged him to defy the order, he responded that he would not agree to an ultimatum and resigned instead. Edelstein, the parliament speaker for the past seven years, called the Supreme Court decision an arrogant intervention in the legislative branch. Nonetheless, he said he was stepping down so as not to allow Israel to descend into anarchy and devolve into civil war. But in his last act he also said parliament would only reconvene next week, in apparent subversion of the Supreme Court order to hold the vote by Wednesday. Blue and White said the move put Edelstein in contempt of court and indicated they would file another petition against him to force his hand. The showdown marked the height of an ever-deepening standoff between Netanyahus opponents and supporters in the wake of the countrys third inconclusive election in less than a year. It also comes against the backdrop of a series of emergency executive measures the caretaker government has enacted to quell the spread of the new virus. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or even death. The virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those showing no symptoms. As Israel tightened a lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Israels president, Reuven Rivlin, issued a televised address urging the public to respect the restrictions on movement. In a swipe at Edelstein, he urged politicians to heed the orders of the courts. Rivlin said he was sure the courts order would be honoured and that Israeli democracy will come out stronger from this difficult test period. He called on the leaders of the large parties Likud and Blue and White to find a way to find shared and responsible leadership. Netanyahus Likud emerged as the largest party in the election earlier this month, but along with his smaller religious and nationalist allies, won only the support of 58 lawmakers leaving his right-wing bloc three seats short of the required majority in parliament. Gantz is backed by a slim majority in the newly elected Knesset and has been pushing for the countrys legislature to continue functioning at such a critical time, even without a permanent government in place. Israels president has given Gantz one month to try to form a new government, and Edelsteins stalling tactics could cost him valuable time. Due to deep ideological divisions within the opposition, it appears unlikely that Gantz will succeed in forming an alternative government. But they are unified in their opposition to Netanyahu and appear determined to co-operate to pass legislation that could prevent Netanyahu from remaining in the prime ministers post. Once parliament votes, it is expected to approve Meir Cohen of Gantzs centrist Blue and White party as Edelsteins replacement. That would allow them to proceed with their planned legislation, which includes term limits for prime minister and a ban on indicted politicians, such as Netanyahu, from serving as prime minister. Blue and White this week already convened several decision-making committees, including one devoted to the corona crisis, that would handle the anti-Netanyahu legislation. Edelsteins resignation marked the first time in Israeli history that a Knesset speaker had stepped down. In a televised address late Wednesday, Netanyahu repeated his calls for Gantz to join him in an emergency unity government devoted to handling the coronavirus crisis together. We are one nation, we are one state, and the order of the hour is unity, he said. Gantz has pledged to support the government in its effort to combat the virus. But he and his allies have been skeptical about Netanyahus unity offers, concerned that he will not follow through on his promises to cede power in 18 months. The country have been nearly entirely shut down, with hundreds of thousands put out of work and all but essential movement from the home barred. New restrictions approved Wednesday limit all those besides personnel deemed essential from venturing more that 100 metres (yards) from their homes, and all places of worship shuttered. In a recent surge, nearly 2,400 Israelis have been infected up from just 100 two weeks ago with 39 in serious condition. Five Israelis, all over the age of 65, with pre-existing medical conditions have died. The party accuses Netanyahu and his caretaker government of carrying out undemocratic measures amid the crisis, and using it as cover to cling to power. Netanyahu has already managed to postpone his own pending criminal trial on serious corruption charges and authorize unprecedented electronic surveillance of Israeli citizens. ____ Follow Aron Heller at www.twitter.com/aronhellerap Ilan Ben Zion contributed reporting. A young Australian woman stranded in a hostel in Peru fears she will be trapped for months as food runs out and the military throws tourists out on the street. Alexandra Carter, 24, was backpacking through South America unaware of how the deadly pandemic was turning the world upside down. The 24-year-old is one of 350 Australians stuck in the South American nation with thousands of others around the world desperately trying to get home. Suddenly when she was in Cusco preparing to visit Machu Picchu last week, Peru was suddenly shut down, leaving her trapped. 'We were out for dinner and the whole restaurant stopped to watch the president announce Peru would be in a quarantine,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Alexandra Carter, 24, was backpacking through South America unaware of how the deadly pandemic was turning the world upside down - now she is stuck in a hostel in Cusco The military patrols the streets accosting anyone outside, evicting tourists for minor infractions and arresting anyone in possession of alcohol Hundreds of people were stranded in Peru after the South American nation suddenly shut its borders after declaring a state of emergency due to coronavirus Ms Carter tried to get a flight home to Melbourne but dozens were cancelled and she wasn't able to get on a plane in time. Peru's airports are now entirely closed, along with land borders, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded for what could be months. 'Not knowing when I can come home is the scary thing,' Ms Carter said. The country is so locked down that travellers stuck in hostels aren't even supposed to congregate and everyone staying at one that had a small party were evicted. 'We're only allowed to leave for groceries or medical appointments,' she said. 'When leaving the hostel the other day to do the grocery shopping for about 14 of us, a few of us were stopped by the police and asked for identification.' The Peruvian military is also enforcing a curfew between 8pm and 5am and has banned any kind of travel around the country. This week food became increasingly scarce and the military began raiding hostels and arresting anyone in possession of alcohol, which is banned during the lockdown. 'We're trying to keep our spirits up and keep each other entertained, but we're all a bit nervous about what's going on,' Ms Carter said of the group trapped in the hostel Suddenly when she was in Cusco preparing to visit Machu Picchu last week, Peru was suddenly shut down, leaving her trapped Many of the beds at the hostel are marked 'do not use this bed' in an attempt at social distancing Two Australian nurses, Kate Kitto (pictured left) and Genevieve Pyne (right), are trapped in their Lima hotel room after they could not fly home before Peru shut its borders Ms Carter said she and her fellow backpackers, mostly from Britain and Portugal, were desperately hoping for government evacuation flights. 'We're trying to keep our spirits up and keep each other entertained, but we're all a bit nervous about what's going on,' she said. Ms Carter is one of more than 120 Australians stuck in Cusco, with at least 230 others across Peru who have no idea when they will get home. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the foreign affairs department was working to get Australians in Peru home as soon as possible. 'I am not going to advance to the point of suggesting any particular flights. But obviously we are working to solve that problem.' However, flights cannot be arranged without permission from the Peruvian government and would have to take off from a military base. 'The embassy has been seeking the necessary permissions from the Peruvian government for flights to occur,' DFAT said. 'Given the impact of restrictions arising from coronavirus across the world, and specifically in Peru, we understand that this is a difficult situation for travellers.' Ms Kitto and her friend rushed to the airport but like thousands of other travellers were only greeted with huge lines and cancelled flights The faces of some of the more than 350 Australians stuck in Peru begging the government for help getting home Victorian woman Emily Jennings is one of more than 170 Australians trapped in Peru. She has started a GoFundMe page to charter a private jet to evacuate 190 people to the US Newcastle woman Heidi Clark described the chaos of the airport in the capital Lima as thousands of people rushed to get on flights hours before lockdown. Peruvian president Martin Vizcarra gave less than 24 hours notice of the airport being shut down as he declared a state of emergency. 'It was complete chaos and absolute madness,' Ms Clark told Seven News. 'Military police were everywhere, hundreds of panicked people were forming lines to nowhere. 'Mums with small children, people crying, people yelling it was very distressing.' Like thousands of other stranded tourists, by the time the couple got to the front of massive queues there were no flights and many were cancelled. Friends Kate Kitto, 25, from the Gold Coast and Genevieve Pyne, 23, from Brisbane also could get on a plane and are stuck in the Miraflores district of Lima. Dozens of tourists paid more than $5,000 for a charter flight run by a private travel company, but it never took off due to increased government restrictions. The military is also enforcing a curfew between 8pm and 5am and has banned any kind of travel around the country This week food became increasingly scarce and the Peruvian military began raiding hostels and arresting anyone in possession of alcohol, which is banned during the lockdown Some desperate Australians tried to crowdfund $525,000 to hire a charter plane themselves and fly to Dallas in the U.S. and find their way home from there. Victorian women Emily Jennings and Serena Horg hoped with 190 people paying US$1,000 each, they would just need $50 from enough donors. 'Peru shut its travel borders on Monday the 16th of March with little to no notice, and left hundreds of people stranded with no information as to how long we'd be stuck here,' Ms Jennings wrote on GoFundMe. 'If we don't get the numbers needed your wonderful and generous donations will help cover the gap. 'The rest I am covering from what is left of my savings/house deposit money. But I don't mind, no amount of money is worth more than being back on Australian soil with my children in my arms.' A beer shop on Bui Vien backpacker street in HCMC is closed upon a city order, March 14, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. HCMC's Party Secretary asked all city residents to remain home in the next two weeks to help Vietnam keep total infections below 500. "The city and country have two critical weeks to decide whether to win the Covid-19 battle or not. If this golden opportunity is missed, we wont have another chance," Party Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan informed a meeting Tuesday. The U.S., where the first Covid-19 infection occurred on January 23, the same day as in Vietnam, recorded 44,000 cases as of Wednesday, the figure forecast to hit 90,000 by March 30, surpassing China where the epidemic first broke out last December. "Within a month, the situation has changed so horribly no one could have foreseen it," Nhan stressed. Vietnam currently has 134 infections, of which 17 have recovered. "In the next two weeks, by any means, we have to join hands to keep the number of infected in the country under 1,000, preferably at 500. If we let infections exceed 1,000, we would fall like Italy, Spain, and Germany," Nhan said. Statistics from epidemic-stricken countries show the number of patients increased from 2,000 to 4,000 in just three days; from 4,000 to 8,000 in five, meaning an average of 800 more per day. In four more days, the number will increase from 8,000 to 16,000 - an additional 2,000 infected each day. With this amount, the timely construction of new hospitals is impossible - just like in Italy, and Wuhan of China's Hubei Province. HCMC now accounts for a third of the countrys infection tally. In case there are 1,000 cases nationwide, the city will have about 300, for which it has enough ICU beds, Nhan said. However, Nhans top concern was that when a person was confirmed positive, 280 others would be quarantined. In case of 300, about 84,000 would have to be isolated. "This is a worrying figure everyone has the responsibility to not let this happen," he stated. Nhan proposed the city learn from Japan and South Korea, which have prevented people from returning to affected areas and carry out Covid-19 tests for those in need. Suspected cases are immediately isolated, and at the same time all crowded events are stopped. In addition, they severely punish those escaping quarantine and selling expensive or used masks. A change in lifestyle Nhan asked the Religious Affairs Committee and related agencies to follow European and Asian countries in minimizing and closing down religious events. Currently, on Saturday and Sunday, churches still hold ceremonies; therefore, the risk of spreading the disease is very high. Nhan stressed city residents must limit going out at this time, especially older people above 60, and not gather in large crowds to minimize the risk of infection. People should limit eating out and shopping as well. Eight of 31 active infections from Vietnams southern metropolis are linked to Buddha Bar in District 2s Thao Dien expat area, making it a new Covid-19 hub in the city of 13 million. Police are calling on everyone who attended the bar or transported customers to the venue to visit the nearest medical center for Covid-19 testing after a British pilot of Vietnamese Airlines was confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus on March 14, with many who came in close contact with him also infected. In an unprecedented move, city authorities ordered all its restaurants and barber shops to close starting Tuesday while pool clubs, gyms and beauty salons with a capacity of 30 or more suspended operations as the Covid-19 fight enters the critical stage. On March 15, the city had already ordered 180 dance clubs and bars, along with almost 500 karaoke and massage parlors, cinemas and gaming facilities, to close. City Vice Chairman Le Thanh Liem said the local Covid-19 fight mirrored wartime. Therefore, all district authorities must ensure their troops are on duty 24/7. Liem assigned localities to continue reviewing foreigners entering Vietnam before March 8 to request isolation at home. Many of the active cases are Vietnamese nationals retuning from Europe and the U.S. and foreigners visiting from the same regions. Starting March 22, Vietnam had suspended entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and family members with visa waivers. The Covid-19 pandemic has killed over 18,800 people as it spread to 196 countries and territories. Editor's Note: Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news stories and expert opinions that moved the precious metals and financial markets. Sign up here! (Kitco News) The COVID-19 panic triggered a resurgence of physical gold and silver buying, but can this surge in sales last as mints and refineries across the world are temporarily shutting down production in an attempt to fight the spread of the virus? As gold and silver prices plunged along with equities about two weeks ago, many investors started to take advantage of lower prices to replenish their precious metals stashes. COVID-19 panic also helped with demand as a possibility of a deep recession encouraged more buying. Retail interest in silver and, to a lesser extent, gold picked up very strongly last week, said Rhona OConnell, INTL FCStones head of market analysis for EMEA and Asia regions. Physical silver demand is seeing a massive resurgence on lower prices, OConnell noted. Silver has taken one of the biggest long-term hits in price across the whole sector, she wrote on Tuesday. This very sharp fall has brought retail purchasers out in droves. Increased buying is seen both in Asian and North American markets with many mints and precious metals stores saying that they are running low on inventory. Coin and bar sales have been picking up very strongly, and there has been a big resurgence in silver demand in India, which is the worlds largest silver consumer, typically with a 20% global market share of jewellery, silverware and bars and retail investment, OConnell said. Far Eastern activity is [also] strong and the latest ?gures from the U.S. Mint show a huge uptake in silver Eagle coins. The U.S. Mint reported silver coin sales of 4.83 million ounces so far in March, which is nearly four-times more than last years monthly average of 1.24 million ounces. The U.S. Mint's gold coin sales showed 230,500 ounces of U.S. Eagles sold so far in March versus last years monthly average of just 12,583 ounces. This is a welcome sign that investors are prepared to come into the market and bargain hunt and that the markets have not completely ground to a halt, said OConnell. But OConnell warns that this hyper activity might not last as shutdowns of stores and refineries sweep precious metals businesses across the globe. Lockdowns mean that it may not last It is unlikely that this massive pace can continue for an extended period, especially given the state of the Mumbai Bazaar, for example, she wrote. India is in total lockdown, and at a grass roots level Singapore is similar to Dubai and India. Most of the stores in India will remain closed at least for the rest of the week. Mumbai's Zaveri Bazaar, which is the largest bullion market in India, was closed until further notice. Also, Titan Co., Indias biggest jeweler by market value, has shut its doors until March 29, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The lockdowns in India could lead to the lowest gold sales sales in 25 years. Total sales could drop by as much as 30% in 2020, down from 690 tons reported last year. Bloomberg cited N. Anantha Padmanaban, chairman of the All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council, who said sales look grim. [Last year] itself was a very bad year after July and this year we have already lost this month, Padmanaban said. April is going to be the same, with May-June also expected to be weak. On top of that, the recent shutdown of three major gold refiners in Switzerlands Ticino had a knock-on effect on prices Tuesday. The three refineries in the region process ~1,500t (48moz) of gold per year, equivalent to 43% of global annual mine supply, SP Angel analysts wrote on Wednesday. Refiners shutting down is something rarely seen - not in war or the great financial crisis and in addition, how quickly it has happened has taken the market by [surprise]. Major shutdown like these are creating a tightness in the physical market, noted Colin Hamilton, managing director of commodities research at BMO Capital Markets. We received a number of questions yesterday about the physical tightness in the gold market that caused a significant differential between the Comex gold futures and OTC spot price. This was a knock on effect from the shutdown of the Ticino refiners in Switzerland, which has limited the ability to produce the appropriate weight of bars for good delivery against near-dated positions on the Comex contract, Hamilton explained on Wednesday. 24.03.2020 LISTEN Mr Kobena Mensah Woyome, Member of Parliament (MP) for South Tongu, has presented some Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the South Tongu District Health Directorate to combat the spread of the Coronavirus disease. The equipment, valued at GH100,000.00, include gloves, face masks, and veronica buckets presented to the Directorate to be distributed to various health facilities in the District. The intervention by the MP has come at a time when the country has recorded 52 cases of the COVID-19 as at March 24. The MP made the donation to the District Health Directorate after touring the area to determine their level of readiness to combat the disease. He also visited St. Comboni Catholic and Sogakope District Hospitals as well as Custom Officers at the Dabala Barrier and the Police and Ghana Immigration Service posts at the Sogakope Barrier. Mr Woyome commended the hospitals for doing their best to create isolation centres. He explained that the two facilities have put in place a number of measures to monitor the temperature of visitors, in line with Ghana Health Service (GHS) guidelines. He appealed for protective gear for the Police, Immigration and Customs officers, who are using their bare hands to check goods and luggage of travellers. Mr Woyome further appealed to the Ghana Health Service and other stakeholders to assist the security agencies with logistics and other health-protective items since they are the first point of call for travellers by road from Togo, Benin, Nigeria and other neighbouring countries to Ghana. He said the District had not recorded any coronavirus but it was too risky for them to use unprotected hands at this period. ---GNA Nail salons appear to be ignoring social distancing restrictions as they deal with a last-minute rush of clients desperate for beauty treatments before strict coronavirus rules come into force. At two nail shops in the upmarket Sydney suburb of Double Bay, women getting pedicures and manicures were packed in like sardines - uncertain how long it will be before they can visit again. Beauty salons have been ordered to shut by Prime Minister Scott Morrison from midnight on Wednesday, while hairdressers will be limited to 30-minute sessions with clients. USA Nails manager Tina Nguyen told Daily Mail Australia they were turning women away because they were abiding by social distancing rules - despite in-store photos showing otherwise. USA Nails salon in the affluent Sydney suburb of Double Bay was crammed with women early on Wednesday, desperate for one last beauty treatment before new coronavirus regulations come into force Despite being seated in their usual positions, the store manager claimed they were complying with social distancing regulations During the 11am rush on Wednesday, nine women sat side-by-side receiving both hand and feet beauty treatments. USA Nails' manager Ms Nguyen seemed confused about the social distancing rules, telling Daily Mail Australia they were complying despite having more than one client within a four square metre area. 'We have had to refuse customers and tell them to come back, so we can keep the (required) distance,' Ms Nguyen said. 'We can't have everyone in the shop, we have to keep the distance. They are rushing in to get their nails cleaned before we shut. 'I think it's a very good idea (to keep the distance). I think they should lock it down, we are all out of a job from tomorrow so what's the difference?' It was a similar story just around the corner at Le Nails Day Spa and Beauty. Women - young and old - were allowed to sit next to each other in massage recliner chars, or at tables while receiving a manicure. Just around the corner at Le Nails Day Spa, women - young and old - were allowed to sit next to each other in massage recliner chars, or at tables while receiving a manicure Not all nail salons experienced a mad rush on Wednesday, with some deciding it was best that they shut their doors amid the threat of coronavirus to staff and clients The number of coronavirus cases in Australia rose above 2.300 on Wednesday, with the death of a woman in her 70s who was a passenger on the Ruby Princess cruise ship taking the total to eight Two friends waiting for beauty treatment sat right next to each other in the waiting area. Other nail salons in the city's eastern suburbs chose not to open on Wednesday, as did a number of hairdressers whose businesses are no long viable. Among those open for one last day was Rahil Zadeh, who owns Antler Hair in Bondi. She said she had to make devastating calls to three of her employees after the prime minister's press conference last night to tell them they no longer had a job. Ms Zadeh hopes assistance from her landlord will allow her to reopen her doors down the track, but the future is uncertain. 'I had to call all my staff last night to tell them (the bad news), because with half-hour appointments we are not going to be able to accommodate our clients,' she said. 'I would do around 120 clients a week, but my business has dropped 70 per cent this week. Rahil Zadeh, who owns Antler Hair in Bondi, was open for one last day on Wednesday. She will have to shut her doors from tomorrow after the government banned haircuts longer than 30 minutes Frank Provost salon manager Maya Kulage said she had spent the morning trying to call clients with bookings in the days ahead, to see if they could come in urgently before the restrictions are enforced The streets of Bondi were busy with shoppers and exercisers on Wednesday, despite people being urged to stay at home CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'We all want to keep safe and keep everyone else safe, but from tomorrow I won't be able to make any money, I won't be able to pay rent, I can't keep the doors open.' Frank Provost salon manager Maya Kulage said she had spent the morning trying to call clients with bookings in the days ahead, to see if they could come in urgently. But with just two hairdressers and a maximum of two clients in the store at any time because of coronavirus precautions, many women will miss out. 'I have called people with bookings this morning to see if they can come in today,' Ms Kulage said. 'Two have said they can, but many can't - or don't want to. 'We don't know what the plan is, but we hope we're going to close - just for ours and our clients health, that's the biggest concern at the moment.' A three-week-old infant in New York has been identified as the youngest patient in the U.S. to test positive for coronavirus. The baby was treated at NYU Winthrop Hospital on Long Island in Mineola for several days, but has since been released and is now recuperating at home, according to Fox News. Experts say that it serves as a reminder that children are not immune to coronavirus, warning parents to be on guard to protect their kids from potential exposure. New York, now the U.S. epicenter of the outbreak, has at least 33,000 confirmed cases, more than 20,000 in New York City alone. The statewide death toll is nearing 300. A three-week-old baby was treated for coronavirus at NYU Winthrop Hospital (above) on Long Island in Mineola for several days, but has since been released and is now recuperating Workers at a Long Island drive-thru testing facility are seen last week. New York, now the U.S. epicenter of the outbreak, has at least 30,811 confirmed cases and nearly 300 deaths Worldwide, the youngest confirmed case was a newborn baby in China who tested positive for coronavirus just 30 hours after birth. Dr. Asif Noor, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at NYU Winthrop, told Fox News that doctors are prepared to treat child patients with supplemental oxygen if needed. 'And when we plan to send them home if they don't require oxygen. They can be observed safely at home,' he said. 'We are instructing these parents to adhere to common sense infection control precautions at home.' Noor said that it was vitally important to remember to keep children who are symptomatic or test positive for coronavirus away from elderly family members, as well as family members with underlying health conditions. Common symptoms include dry cough, fever and shortness of breath, but many patients, especially younger ones, appear to display very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. A vehicle pulls off the highway heading to a New York State Department of Health coronovirus COVID-19 testing facility at Jones Beach State Park on Long Island last week According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while some children and infants have been infected with coronavirus, adults make up most of the known cases to date. Previously, the youngest U.S. patient reported had been seven months old, and earlier this week the first American under the age of 18 died after testing positive for coronavirus -- though the circumstances remain unclear. Health officials in Los Angeles County announced on Tuesday that a 17 year old, who lived in Lancaster north of Los Angeles, had died of coronavirus. Just hours later, after California Governor Gavin Newsom cited the boy's death as evidence the virus can strike anyone, health officials said there may be an 'alternate explanation' and that his death would be further investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'Though early tests indicated a positive result for COVID-19, the case is complex and there may be an alternate explanation for this fatality,' health officials said. The teen is not thought to have had any underlying health conditions until he recently started suffering from respiratory problems. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said the boy was treated in hospital but was released without being tested for coronavirus. He was then admitted to a second hospital where he died from septic shock, a reaction to a widespread infection that can cause dangerously low blood pressure and organ failure. The teen's positive coronavirus test did not come back until after his death. His father, who is an Uber driver, has also since tested positive for coronavirus and is currently sick. The mayor said he doesn't doubt that the teen died from complications of COVID-19, saying: 'We're the first city in the nation to lose a child and that is unbearable to me.' Concurs repetat pentru selectarea unei companii sociologice, care sa efectueze un studiu tematic "Barometrul opiniei publice in domeniul schimbarilor climatice" The Left parties on Wednesday slammed the government over its "failure" to introduce "concrete measures" to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and questioned why an economic package had not yet been announced for the poor. In an open letter to the Prime Minister, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said his government has taken no measures to assist poor migrants who are most hurt by the sudden lockdown and a large number of them are stranded without food or shelter. "It is very disappointing that no concrete measures have been announced so far to provide relief to the poor and the needy, and to alleviate the suffering of those who need urgent help at this moment to survive the lockdown. #COVID2019 "How will they (migrants) reach safe spaces? How will they survive without money or food and with reports of police harassment too?," he said in the letter. CPI general secretary D Raja said while he appreciated that it was difficult for the government to fight this epidemic, the lack of wide-scale testing could harm the country. "Prime Minister has not announced any relief package for the poor and unemployed. With the total lockdown, the daily wage earners and the unemployed will not be able to have minimum essentials. Nutritious food is vital to increase immunity. India is already at 102nd position in World Hunger Index out of 117 countries. "Moreover, the situation demands testing of Coronavirus widely across the country. Social or physical distancing is a major problem in India. Efforts must be made to improve hygiene and sanitation," he said. The Left parties urged the centre to take lessons from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala which has announced massive aids for the poor. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (@FahadShabbir) CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th March, 2020) The number of confirmed coronavirus infection cases in Algeria increased by 34 over the past 24 hours, which brings total toll of those infected to 264, spokesman for the Scientific Committee for Monitoring the Evolution of Coronavirus pandemic Djamel Fourar said on Tuesday. "On Tuesday, 34 new cases of the coronavirus infection and two fatalities were reported in Algeria. The total number of cases has increased to 264 people, the death toll as a result of the disease [has risen] to 19," Fourar said, as quoted by Algeria Press Service. On Monday, the Algerian authorities announced the closure of all cafes and restaurants in the country and the imposition of curfew in the capital, Algiers, starting from Tuesday amid the coronavirus outbreak. Schaffners data shows an even larger religious gap among white college graduates. This group is less religious than whites without degrees 36 percent answered very important, 22 percent somewhat important, 15 percent not too important and 27 percent not at all important. The 2018 House Democratic vote among white college graduates for whom religion is not at all important was 91 percent; for those who said religion is very important, 30 percent voted Democratic, a 61 point gap. The less religious, Schaffner wrote told me are more likely to be male (57 percent), and are much younger (average age of 44, compared to average age of 52 among those for whom religion is important). In addition, the nonreligious are much less likely to be married, tend to live in urban areas and are more likely to be found in the Northeast and West than other regions. In his book Red Fighting Blue, David Hopkins, a political scientist at Boston College, pointed out that: voters religious affiliations and degrees of religiosity now exert considerable influence over their partisan identification and choice of candidates; the Pew Research Center found in 2015 that white evangelical Protestants had come to prefer the Republican Party by a margin of 68 percent to 22 percent, while religiously unaffiliated voters now leaned toward the Democrats by 61 percent to 25 percent a 40-point gap that equals the magnitude of the more longstanding difference in the partisan preferences of whites and African Americans. While cultural liberals and cultural conservatives are not truly at war, Hopkins continued, they are increasingly lining up on opposite sides in the ongoing electoral competition between the two major parties. The steady growth in recent years in the number of people who respond to the question what is your religious preference by saying they have no religion has clearly benefited the Democratic Party, which now depends on the nonreligious for nearly three out of every 10 votes it gets. By 2018, according to Burges analysis, these voters had become the largest religious category, 28 percent, of the Democratic electorate, outnumbering once dominant Catholics at 21.8 percent, evangelicals at 14.1 percent, black Protestants at 12.9 percent and mainline white Protestants at 14.4 percent. Three political scientists David Campbell and Geoffrey C. Layman, both of Notre Dame, and John Green of the University of Akron have developed a multidimensional analysis of religiosity in their forthcoming book, Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics. President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Briefing Room on Wednesday in Washington as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin listens. Read more WASHINGTON (AP) Senate leaders raced to unravel last-minute snags Wednesday and win passage of an unparalleled $2 trillion economic rescue package steering aid to businesses, workers and health care systems engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic. The measure is the largest economic relief bill in U.S. history, and both parties' leaders were desperate for quick passage as the virus took lives and jobs by the hour. The Senate stayed in session in anticipation of still passing the bill after days of delays. Insistently optimistic, President Donald Trump said of the greatest public-health emergency in anyone's lifetime, "I don't think its going to end up being such a rough patch" and anticipated the economy soaring "like a rocket ship" when it's over. Yet he implored Congress late in the day to move on critical aid without further delay. The package is intended as relief for an economy spiraling into recession or worse and a nation facing a grim toll from an infection that's killed nearly 20,000 people worldwide. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, asked how long the aid would keep the economy afloat, said: "We've anticipated three months. Hopefully, we won't need this for three months." Underscoring the effort's sheer magnitude, the bill finances a response with a price tag that equals half the size of the entire $4 trillion annual federal budget. "A fight has arrived on our shores," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "We did not seek it, we did not want it, but now we're going to win it." "Big help, quick help, is on the way," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. But the drive by leaders to speed the bill through the Senate was slowed as four conservative Republican senators demanded changes, saying the legislation as written "incentivizes layoffs" and should be altered to ensure employees don't earn more money if they're laid off than if they're working. Complicating the standoff, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, whose campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination has flagged, said he would block the bill unless the conservatives dropped their objections. "What I am saying is that two can play the same game," Sanders told The Associated Press. "This is most certainly not the bill that I or any other progressive would have written," he said, but added that he supports it in the main, given the severity of the crisis. Other objections floated in from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has become a prominent Democrat on the national scene as the country battles the pandemic. Cuomo, whose state has seen more deaths from the pandemic than any other, said: "I'm telling you, these numbers don't work." Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said the package "goes a long way." He said it will require strong oversight to ensure the wealthy don't benefit at the expense of workers and proposed forgiving at least $10,000 of student loan debt as part of the federal response. McConnell and Schumer hoped passage of the legislation in the Republican-led Senate would come by the end of the day. Stocks posted their first back-to-back gains in weeks as the package took shape over the last two days, but much of Wednesday's early rally faded as the hitch developed in the Senate. The market is down nearly 27% since setting a record high a month ago. Senate passage would leave final congressional approval up to the Democratic-controlled House. House. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., swung behind the bipartisan agreement, saying it "takes us a long way down the road in meeting the needs of the American people." House members are scattered around the country and the timetable for votes in that chamber is unclear. House Democratic and Republican leaders have hoped to clear the measure for Trump's signature by a voice vote without having to call lawmakers back to Washington. But that may prove challenging, as the bill is sure to be opposed by some conservatives upset at its cost and scope. Ardent liberals were restless as well. White House aide Eric Ueland announced the agreement in a Capitol hallway Wednesday, shortly after midnight, capping days of often intense haggling and mounting pressure. The wording of some final pieces of the agreement need to be completed. The sprawling, 500-page-plus measure is the third coronavirus response bill produced by Congress and by far the largest. It builds on efforts focused on vaccines and emergency response, sick and family medical leave for workers, and food aid. It's unlikely to be the last aid bill, lawmakers say. The package would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home. One of the last issues to close concerned $500 billion for guaranteed, subsidized loans to larger industries, including a fight over how generous to be with the airlines. Hospitals would get significant help as well. McConnell, a key negotiator, said the package will "rush new resources onto the front lines of our nation's health care fight. And it will inject trillions of dollars of cash into the economy as fast as possible to help Americans workers, families, small businesses and industries make it through this disruption and emerge on the other side ready to soar." Five days of arduous talks produced the bill, creating tensions among Congress' top leaders, who each took care to tend to party politics as they maneuvered and battled over crafting the legislation. But failure is not an option, nor is starting over, which permitted both sides to include their priorities. "That Washington drama does not matter any more," McConnell said. "The Senate is going to stand together, act together, and pass this historic relief package today." The bill would provide one-time direct payments to Americans of $1,200 per adult making up to $75,000 a year, and $2,400 to a married couple making up to $150,000, with $500 payments per child A huge cash infusion for hospitals expecting a flood of COVID-19 patients grew during the talks at Schumer's insistence. Republicans pressed for tens of billions of dollars for additional relief to be delivered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal disaster agency. Democrats said the package would help replace the salaries of furloughed workers for four months, rather than the three months first proposed. Furloughed workers would get whatever amount a state usually provides for unemployment, plus a $600 per week add-on, with gig workers like Uber drivers covered for the first time. Schumer said businesses controlled by members of Congress and top administration officials including Trump and his immediate family members would be ineligible for the bill's business assistance. The New York Democrat immediately sent out a roster of negotiating wins for transit systems, hospital, and cash-hungry state governments that were cemented after Democrats blocked the measure in votes held Sunday and Monday to maneuver for such gains. But Cuomo said the Senate package would send less than $4 billion to New York, far short of his estimate that the crisis will cost his state up to $15 billion over the next year. More than 280 New Yorkers have died from the virus, a death toll more than double that of any other state. Still, Pelosi said the need for more money for New York is "no reason to stop the step we are taking." Pelosi was a force behind $400 million in grants to states to expand voting by mail and other steps that Democrats billed as making voting safer but Republican critics said was political opportunism. The package also contains $15.5 billion more for a surge in demand for food stamps. Republicans won inclusion of an "employee retention" tax credit that's estimated to provide $50 billion to companies that retain employees on payroll and cover 50% of workers' paychecks. Companies would also be able to defer payment of the 6.2% Social Security payroll tax. A companion appropriations package ballooned as well, growing from a $46 billion White House proposal to more than $300 billion, which dwarfs earlier disasters including Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy combined. Europe is enacting its own economic recovery packages, with huge amounts of credit guarantees, government spending and other support. Germany alone, Europe's biggest economy, has agreed to commit over 1 trillion euros ($1.1 trillion) in fiscal stimulus and support roughly 30 percent of that nation's entire annual output. France, Spain and Italy have launched similar programs. The European Union has suspended limits it imposes on member countries' borrowing and deficits, freeing them to spend more. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. In the United States, more than 55,000 people have been sickened and more than 800 have died. Associated Press writers Matthew Daly, Alan Fram, Mary Clare Jalonick, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report. Australians could be tracked via their mobile phones in order to trace who they've come into contact with if diagnosed with coronavirus. The federal government is looking to Singapore, where a mobile phone application is being used to help with contact tracing amid the outbreak. The TraceTogether application uses Bluetooth to detect other users in close proximity, with encounters stored on a person's phone. They then have to share the records with authorities when asked to be part of a contact tracing investigation. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed the government is looking at digital options for contact tracing. "But to fight this fight, there are so many tools that we have to use," Mr Morrison told reporters. "But the people we need most are Australians listening, being patient, carefully understanding the things we are asking of them. "We know it is a massive change to our lives but if we do it, and we do it consistently, and we do it patiently and understandingly, then we will get through this." The three new detainees had described being brought to the facility in the same van as an individual who was visibly ill and wearing a mask, inmates said in interviews with The Post. An ICE spokesman, Bryan Cox, said none of the three had flu-like symptoms, but he did not know whether they had been tested for the virus. In her 19 years working on Rikers Island in New York City, one corrections officer tells TIME she has never seen anything like the chaos and uncertainty that the novel coronavirus is causing in the jail system. (TIME is choosing not to identify the officer, who cited concerns for their safety and job security.) Supervisors have not offered staffers much guidance on how to deal with an outbreak, she tells TIME; neither inmates nor correction officers have been provided with masks or cleaning materials like hand sanitizer or bleach. Many workers are afraid that they could pass the virus on to their family members when they go home without knowing, the corrections officer continues. Inmates are also scared, and dont want to be near anyone who has a cough or other flu symptoms. But no enhanced protocols for inmates to seek medical advice have been implemented, she continues, beyond the standard request an inmate can make to a corrections officer, saying they do not feel well and would like to see a doctor. Rikers Island is more reactionary than preventative [administrators] wait for things to happen first before they do anything about it, she says. We feel like all of us are gonna get corona. In this March 12, 2015 file photo, a prisoner behind bars and thick plastic looks over at a corrections officer in an enhanced supervision housing unit on Rikers Island in New York. | Seth WenigAP Once the coronavirus is introduced into the [prison or jail] setting it would be extremely difficult to control its spread, Daniel Nagin, a professor of public policy at Carnegie Mellon with a focus on criminology tells TIME. It doesnt surprise me that this problem has arisen at Rikers and at this point we will likely see it at other [facilities]. Read more: Will the Coronavirus Ever Go Away? Heres What One of the WHOs Top Experts Thinks New York City jails have a daily inmate population of around 8,900, according to the most recent figures provided by the New York City Department of Corrections (DOC). Rikers Island, situated in the East River between Queens and the Bronx, is comprised of 8 facilities and, on a a daily basis, houses between 5,000 and 6,000 inmates. Story continues In New York state, the number of incarcerated people totals 92,000; across the United States, that total exceeds 2 million. And as COVID-19 continues to spread across the U.S., experts and activists believe that the jail and prison population both inmates and employees are at particularly high risk due to their very nature: the close quarters that inmates live in, the dirty communal spaces combined with a lack of reliable access to soap and water and the frequency with which transitional people (workers, visitors) interact with a static group (incarcerated people). Dr. Jonathan Giftos, a former medical director at Rikers, says the proximity of people in the prison system means its impossible to implement social distancing. The halls are small many [inmates] are escorted in shackles. You cannot physically distance yourself from other people, Dr. Giftos explains. At Rikers Island, the beds are two and a half feet from each other and people are being told to sleep head to foot, Eliza Orlins, a New York City-based public defender, adds. Obviously, this does not create enough distance to keep yourself healthy or safe if someone you are locked in a cell block with is infected. (In some jails and prisons, social distancing has reportedly been implemented in yards and mess halls, but not throughout all spaces.) The epicenter of the epicenter New York has over 23,000 confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. EST March 24, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. This number constitutes nearly a half of U.S. cases total, making the state an epicenter of the pandemic across America. More than 180 people across the state have died. New York City jails are the epicenter of the epicenter, a spokesperson for the New York City Corrections Officer Benevolent Association (COBA) tells TIME. Every day, more COs and more inmates are testing positive. Hundreds of correctional officers across the city have, in recent days, been calling out sick. Of managing the emerging public health crisis, the spokesperson says that, The city is asking COs to put out an inferno without even a fire extinguisher. Read more: My Fear, I Have to Put It Away. Coronavirus Job Opportunities Put Workers on the Front Lines of the Epidemic In a statement sent to TIME on March 23, the DOC said that a total of 39 inmates and 21 DOC personnel have tested positive across NYC jails. At least 58 inmates are being monitored in contagious disease and quarantine units. (Confirmed coronavirus patients among New York prisons, meanwhile, now include Harvey Weinstein.) Last week, the DOC confirmed that an employee had died after testing positive for COVID-19, though the deceased is said to have had limited contact with people in custody. What were seeing at Rikers Island is that the numbers of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 are going up exponentially, Orlins says. I also dont think the numbers were seeing begin to reflect the full number of people exposed or infected. This is not a natural disaster where we dont know the numbers this is something we can model out in real time and see exactly how many people will be infected if we dont act today. The situation is dire. The COBA spokesperson adds that the union has been fighting for weeks to make sure officers have access to gloves, masks and other equipment they need to keep themselves safe. (COBA is also calling for a COVID-19 testing facility to be established at Rikers Island, where any NYC DOC employee could go to be tested.) Currently, employees who show up with respiratory ailments are sent home and advised to see a medical professional, the DOC says. They also cannot return to work until they provide documentation from a medical professional that they do not have the disease and are fit to work. For inmates, visitation has been canceled entirely. People walk by a sign at the entrance to Rikers Island on March 31, 2017 in New York City. | Spencer PlattGetty Images Kelsey De Avila, the director of jail services for the nonprofit legal defense organization Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS), says she has been in contact with many of the inmates her organization represents at Rikers Island, as well as in jails across New York City. She says that inmates have not received sufficient information from Correctional Health Services (CHS) or the DOC. The DOC only started passing out flyers about coronavirus to inmates on March 20, De Avila claims. A lot of the information they have been getting is from the news and thats just because the TV is on in the [recreational] room, De Avila tells TIME. These are people that are just really in the dark about whats happening. (In an interview with the New York Times, a recently-released Rikers Island inmate said TV news coverage of coronavirus caused a small riot in the jail.) Read more: How to Spot Coronavirus Misinformation The health and well-being of our personnel and people in custody is our top priority, a statement provided to TIME by the DOC read. The department did not respond to TIMEs request for comment on these specific allegations. [Inmates] are worried, theyre panicking, theyre calling their families for information. Their families dont know whats going on either, De Avila says. They just dont know what the department is doing to protect them. They feel like sitting ducks That sense of fear extends far beyond New York City, in sync with the transportation network of prisoners from the citys jails to prisons across the state (and beyond). Just two weeks ago, a transport of prisoners from New York arrived at Midstate Correctional Facility in Mercy, New York; inmates do not believe that any of the men being transferred were quarantined, or inspected for coronavirus, before entering the general population, according to the wife of one Midstate inmate who TIME is choosing not to identify over concerns for her husbands well-being. ABC News has reported that, despite a 30-day freeze on inmate movement, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is still arranging transports to/from facilities on a case-by-case exception basis. The NYC DOC has jurisdiction over city jails but the BOP has oversight over federal prisons; the BOP did not immediately respond to TIMEs request for comment. Hes pretty nervous about the conditions Hell put a sock over the phone before he calls me; hes making sure he washes his hand, the mans wife tells TIME. Hand sanitizer is contraband, and theres no asking for, you know, bleach water or anything like that. He has bars of Dial anti-bacterial soap and Ive told him, use that. Wipe stuff down with that. He feels like hes going to die, literally. He says, my days are numbered here hes said that more than once, she says. They feel like sitting ducks, waiting for one of the officers or a civilian visitor to bring [coronavirus] in. Because if it gets in there, what are they going to do? This June 11, 2014 file photo shows the eastern section of the Rikers Island jail complex in New York. | Bebeto MatthewsAP In a March 21 letter, the New York City Board of Corrections (BOC), an independent agency that provides oversight to the DOC, called for New York Mayor Bill De Blasio to release inmates over 50 years old, inmates with underlying health issues, inmates detained for administrative reasons as well as low-level offenders serving city sentences of under a year. Read more: Behind the Covers of TIMEs Special Coronavirus Issue Fewer people in the jails will save lives and minimize transmission among people in custody as well as staff, Jacqueline Sherman, the boards interim chair wrote. Failure to drastically reduce the jail population threatens to overwhelm the City jails healthcare system as well its basic operations. The BOCs letter followed pleas for a decarceration-focused response to the threat of an outbreak made public on social media by a number doctors working at Rikers Island. Spread like a wildfire Public servants who care for those in your jails have been planning for this storm for weeks and months. We will muster every tool of public health, science and medicine to try to keep our patients safe, Dr. Ross MacDonald, Chief Physician of Rikers Island, tweeted on March 18, describing the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak at Rikers as a storm [that] is coming. This is a public health response, not a criminal justice one, Dr. MacDonald tells TIME. The right preventive measures dont exist to stop the spread of this virus in [jail and prison facilities]. We need to take the unprecedented step TODAY of providing urgent release to everyone in the jails who is at risk of serious morbidity and mortality from COVID. It cannot be kept out, and once its in, it will spread like a wildfire, Rachael Bedard, a geriatrician working at Rikers Island, tweeted that same day. In a subsequent interview with The New Yorker, Bedard described the jail as a perfect setup for an outbreak. Depopulating, in this case, is not letting a dozen guys out or two dozen guys out, Bedard told The New Yorker. It means pushing as hard as possible for hundreds of people to get out so that the jail population is decreased enough that you dont just benefit the people who are released but you also benefit those who are left behind and the staff who take care of them and the officers who take care of them. (In New Jersey, over 1,000 inmates are scheduled to be released from the county jail in whats believed to be the biggest preventative act any jail or prison administration has taken in response to the pandemic. California, Ohio and Oklahoma are among other states processing inmate releases.) Keep up to date with our daily coronavirus newsletter by clicking here. Overly-stretched resources, meanwhile, have already led to conflict between corrections officers and Rikers Island inmates. According to New York City news publication The City, eight inmates were pepper-sprayed for trying to go to the jail clinic and get their temperature checked on Saturday evening. I think that this could make [correctional officers] more abusive, Eileen Maher, a former Rikers Island inmate and current community leader at VOCAL-NY, a nonprofit criminal justice organization in New York City, tells TIME. I think some of them will blame [a COVID-19 outbreak] on the detainees. Inmates have since begun a strike, refusing to attend their work duties or mealtimes. The DOC did not immediately respond to TIMEs request for comment on these allegations, but a spokesperson told The City the department is deeply troubled by these allegations and has opened an investigation into the incident. A corrections officer mans a security post on March 12, 2015 in an enhanced supervision housing unit on Rikers Island in New York City. | Seth WenigAP Gov. Cuomo has the opportunity to be a hero right now and take executive action that will release many, many people, public defender Eliza Orlins argues. Mayor De Blasio also has the opportunity to show leadership; he too can release people. And the district attorneys office can play a massive role. [District attorneys] can help with re-sentencing, [or] agreeing to the release of people in pre-trial detention. In addition to reducing the current inmate population, these decisions would serve to limit the number of people entering the jail or prison system, Orlins explains, both limiting the possibility for, and spread thereof, COVID-19 infection. Public health is being disregarded; its not meant to be handled by individual defenders doing writs for [the release of] individual clients, Orlins continues. There needs to be a massive-scale change in procedure in order to save the lives of many, many people [but] there are DAs fighting against these writs. During a March 22 press conference, De Blasio announced that a first group of 23 inmates were being released from the citys jail system primarily individuals with a limited amount of time remaining on their sentencing. Two days later, a total of 75 people have been released, with an additional 200 people apparently still under review. Given the widely-reported lack of COVID-19 tests, concerns have been raised regarding the potential release of asymptomatic coronavirus patients from prison, which could lead to a greater spread of coronavirus in already-disenfranchised communities. But prison reform advocates argue the benefits of such releases outweigh any such risks. Speaking with TIME, the New York City Corrections Officer Benevolent Association spokesperson labeled De Blasios decision as foolish, arguing that, You dont solve a public health crisis by starting a public safety crisis. Orlins counters, arguing this is a false choice between public safety and a punitive legal system. I dont know that theres a right answer here except to protect and release as many people as possible, Orlins says. Read more: Mapping the Spread of the Coronavirus Outbreak Around the U.S. and the World Though conditions in the jail, which the New York City Council has agreed to close in 2026, have long been criticized, I dont think there is anything unique about Rikers when it comes to the spread of coronavirus, Dr. Giftos worries. The risk factors are similar [at other facilities], he believes. There is simply no way to protect a jail [from a virus like this], Dr MacDonald adds. To this effect, coronavirus infections connected to jails and prisons have already been reported in multiple states: a Washington state prison employee has tested positive for COVID-19, as has a worker at a New Hampshire correctional facility, a BOP administrative office in Texas, a staff member at a local jail in Hancock County, Ind. and both a worker and an inmate at a Santa Barbara, Calif. jail. Imagine an already overburdened city hospital in your district having to receive case, after case, after case of severely ill patients and the officers who have to escort them, NYC CHS physician Dr. Zachary Rosner wrote on Twitter on March 24. Imagine what it looks like when our staff are home sick and cannot provide care in the jails. Act at scale today, he continued. Otherwise, the suffering of the patients and staff will be remembered for generations. Please send any tips, leads, and stories to virus@time.com. VATICAN CITY (RNS) An elderly Italian priest who contracted the coronavirus reportedly offered his respirator to a younger patient and died due to the illness late on Sunday (March 22). Its a story thats made headlines around the world and been shared on social media as an example of living out the teachings of Jesus. But so far, no one can confirm that the story is true. Neither the hospital nor a colleague from the priests parish could confirm the news account. The Rev. Giuseppe Berardelli, 72, was a priest at the Parish of San Giovanni Battista in northern Italy since 2006. He died this week, one of a growing number of Italians whove succumbed to COVID-19. His town, Bergamo, is among the epicenters of the pandemic, which has already claimed the lives of 6,820 people in the country and infected over 69,000 people. He died as a priest, an unnamed health professional who works at the retirement home of San Giuseppe in Casnigo, the small town where Berardelli died, told the local paper Araberara. I am deeply moved by the fact that the archpriest of Casnigo, Don Giuseppe Berardelli for whom the parish community had bought a respirator gave it up of his own volition to hand it to someone younger than he, the health professional said, according to published accounts. The custodian of the Arcipresbiterial church of San Giovanni Battista told Religion News Service on Tuesday that even though he cant confirm or deny the act allegedly made by Berardelli, it wouldnt be out of character. Father Giuseppe is someone who always gave his life for others, said Giuseppe Foresti in the phone interview with RNS. The gesture, which we dont know for sure if he did, is a reflection of his life. In his everyday life, Father Giuseppe always gave everything to the community, Foresti said, adding that the priest had a special dedication to the Sanctuary of Mary DErbia in Casnigo. The Hospital of Lovere, where Berardelli died, told RNS that it didnt have the authority to reveal personal information about its patients. The hospital neither confirmed nor denied whether the priest actually donated his respirator. I am not personally aware of the matter, a spokesman from the hospital told RNS by phone Tuesday. Even if I did, we wouldnt share this information even with the police. Regardless of whether Berardelli donated his respirator or not, Berardelli is now among the over 30 priests who have died in Italy as a result of the coronavirus. Many of the priests who died were from the city of Bergamo. I received the news that in these days, a number of doctors and priests have died. I dont know if there were a few nurses. They were infected because they were serving the sick. Lets pray for them, for their families, Pope Francis said during his livestreamed morning Mass on Tuesday at Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives. I thank God for the example of heroism they give us in caring for the sick. READ THIS STORY AT RELIGIONNEWS.COM Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Religion News Service/AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino (Kitco News) - A continued uptrend in gold prices and healthy balance sheets will help mining companies weather the economic storm created by the spreading coronavirus, according to market analysts. In a report Wednesday, mining analysts at CIBC said that signs of stability are starting to show in equity markets and now could be a good time to buy underpriced mining companies that were beat up as investors sold everything. The analysts said that the mining sector looks attractive as gold and silver prices are expected to push higher due the unprecedented action by global central banks. Monday, the Federal Reserve launched an open-ended quantitative easing program. This past week gold has seen a strong rebound as prices tested resistance just below $1,700 an ounce Wednesday. While prices are off their highs they are still holding recently modest gains; April gold futures last traded at $1,637.20 an ounce, down 1.72% on the day. The current environment in 2020, with near-zero interest rates, market uncertainty and ongoing liquidity injections, provides a bullish set-up for gold and silver, the analysts said. As the dust settles, we would expect the rebound to be rather swift. The analysts noted that the relative value in the mining sector is compelling. They said that mining companies are currently trading at historically attractive multiples of around 0.90x P/NAV; before the coronavirus impacted the global economy, the valuation of gold stocks was around 1.2x P/NAV, they added. The optimism comes as mining companies discard their production guidance as they are forced to shut down operations to comply with government lock-down orders. However, CIBC said that companies are in a good position to deal with the production shutdowns. Most of the companies in our coverage universe would likely be able to navigate a reduction to production levels with no significant strain on their balance sheets at current and lower gold commodity prices, the analysts said. Because of strong balance sheets, CIBC said that mining companies could withstand a 10% drop in gold prices coupled with a 10% drop in production for the second and third quarter. Looking at specific miners, the Canadian Bank likes Barrick Gold (NYSE: GOLD), Newmont Corp (NYSE: NEM), Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE: WPM, TSX: WPM) and Franco-Nevada Corp (NYSE: FNV, TSX: FNV). We believe large, diversified, high-quality producers with strong balance sheets will continue to outperform, the analysts said. On Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump said he wants the nations economy opened up by Easter, and may soon loosen federal guidelines for social distancing in place to combat COVID-19, the new coronavirus. The governors of Illinois and Iowa reacted very differently to that news. Illinois now has 1,535 confirmed cases and 16 deaths. Iowa, in contrast, has 124 confirmed cases and announced its first death Tuesday, a woman, between the ages of 61-80, in Dubuque County. I think the president is not taking into account the true damage that this will do to our country if we see truly millions of people die, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said his daily news conference. And that's what I think would happen. That's what the scientists, doctors tell us would happen. If you don't have these restrictions on, the damage that would be done, the lives that would be lost, the overrunning of our health care system would lead to real devastation. So, I'm very, very concerned about what the president is saying. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, on the other hand, shares Trumps desire to re-open American businesses as soon as possible, though unlike the president, she would not make predictions or put timelines on such actions. Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley has called on the National Transport Authority (NTA) to address what he called "the dreadful bus service" for Edenderry commuters. Deputy Stanley said: The bus service for people in the Edenderry area who work in Dublin needs to be addressed badly. Commuters in the area have outlined to me the dreadful state of the current service and the NTA need to put in place an expressway service from the town. The population of Edenderry has increased rapidly with many of those who have moved into the area having to commute daily to Dublin for their employment. This is one of the few large towns within the commuter belt which does not have a train service. The new timetable means that the 37-mile journey to Dublin is taking anything from 2 to 2.5 hours. This means that some commuters are leaving their homes at 6.15am and returning back home as late as 8pm. For a 37-mile journey, this is a ridiculous time frame. On occasions, people are late for work at 9am despite leaving home at 6.15am. Along with the long journey time, commuters complain that busses can be cancelled or arrive late. The bus service from Edenderry goes into almost every town and village on route to the capital. A couple of passengers have complained about being left stranded at stops in Dublin in the evening because when the bus arrives it is already full of passengers. This situation is causing huge stress for commuters regarding their families and family life. Edenderry is within the commuter belt and a significant number of people from north Offaly work in Dublin. There needs to be an efficient way of commuting to the capital and the solution is an expressway service. "NTA need to take responsibility and need to act on this now. "I have contacted the CEO of the NTA and requested that they address this matter," Deputy Stanley concluded. CARLSBAD, Calif., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Two teams of infectious disease researchers in Italy say they have further analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 genome from samples acquired locally to generate early data that reveal a level of genetic variability suggesting the rapidly spreading virus's genome is stable. The findings, developed using a new next-generation sequencing (NGS) research assay from Thermo Fisher Scientific, increase the likelihood that future coronavirus vaccines can have a higher rate of effectiveness and could help the global scientific community's effort to better understand the epidemiology and spread of COVID-19. The two independent research teams from "Lazzaro Spallanzani" National Institute for Infectious Diseases (IRCCS) in Rome and the Forensic Division of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health (DSBSP) at Ancona University Hospital sequenced multiple samples and identified the presence of gene variants when compared against the original Wuhan coronavirus reference genome. Viruses that mutate rapidly over short periods of time make it challenging to develop effective vaccines that protect people against infection. The low number of variants discovered in the Italian samples two months after the virus was first sequenced in China suggests that SARS-CoV-2, which has infected more than an estimated 64,000 people in Italy and 380,000 globally, is a relatively slow-mutating pathogen. Both teams in Italy carried out the sequencing work with Thermo Fisher's new Ion AmpliSeq SARS-COV-2 Research Panel, which features a 24-hour, end-to-end workflow. "The ability to very quickly run multiple samples and accurately decipher key changes in the virus's genetic code will be crucial for the global scientific community to stay ahead of SARS-CoV-2 and to develop strategies against it that, ultimately, can be leveraged to help resolve the pandemic," said Dr. Maria Rosaria Capobianchi, head of the Virology Department, Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases, which was the first research center in Europe to generated whole genome sequencing data of the coronavirus on Thermo Fisher's Ion Torrent NGS platform. "Viral genomes are dynamic and these preliminary data need further analysis to determine the biological significance of the gene variants and to investigate the evolutionary path of the coronavirus." Professor Stefano Menzo, head of Virology at Ancona University Hospital, said: "Had we investigated other viruses we might have expected up to dozens of new mutations after so many infectious cycles in patients. Our initial data show that this is a very stable RNA virus, with only five novel variants. A virus with a stable genome is good news for vaccine development because it indicates that the effectiveness of vaccines could be more consistent, possibly over many years." The scientists now plan to further analyze the data with Thermo Fisher's new Ion SARS-CoV-2 analysis solution* for variant annotation and consensus sequencing assembly to better understand the impact on disease severity, mode of transmission, and phylogenetic studies. The Ion AmpliSeq SARS-COV-2 Research Panel is a targeted NGS solution that analyzes the entire SARS-CoV-2 genome. It provides an efficient, high-throughput end-to-end workflow for monitoring genomic evolution, which is critical during a rapidly developing pandemic. The panel is optimized to run on the Ion GeneStudio S5 Systems.* Panel Optimization for Genexus System Underway To further expedite NGS analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and to help meet growing customer demand, Thermo Fisher has begun to optimize the Ion AmpliSeq SARS-COV-2 Research Panel for the Ion Torrent Genexus System.* Launched in November 2019, the company's newest sequencing platform automates the entire targeted NGS workflow and can deliver specimen to report economically in as little as 14 hours. Optimization and validation of the research panel on the Genexus System is now underway in collaboration with Thermo Fisher customers. "Thermo Fisher's immediate response to first develop a PCR SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic** assay and now a next-generation sequencing research solution to help customers investigate coronavirus is at the core of our mission," said Peter Silvester, senior vice president and president of Life Sciences Solutions at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "We share the global community's heightened concern during this unprecedented public health crisis and, for this reason, we are continuing to maximize our efforts to provide our laboratory partners, infectious disease researchers and vaccine developers with the most advanced tools in support of their very important work." About Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $25 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 75,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com. * For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. ** Designation as an IVD or as an IVD for emergency use / special access varies from region to region. Mauricio Minotta Thermo Fisher Scientific +1 760 929 2456 +1 760 805-5266 (mobile) [email protected] Jen Heady Greenough Communications +1 617 275 6547 [email protected] SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific Related Links http://www.thermofisher.com Open source In the city of Konotop of the Sumy region, the first case of coronavirus infection in the region was recorded. Mayor of the city Artem Semenykhin stated this on Facebook. According to him, the woman who was diagnosed with coronavirus, did two rapid tests. They both showed a positive result. Her analyzes are aimed at confirming to the Sumy laboratory. "In Konotop, they just diagnosed the first case of the disease with coronavirus. A 76-year-old woman from the village of Cossack Konotop district. He is currently in the intensive care unit of the Central District Hospital. We are taking all necessary measures. The person is conscious and connected to the artificial lung ventilation apparatus," - the mayor wrote. As of 7:00 am, on March 25, 113 cases of Covid-19 coronavirus infection were recorded in Ukraine. Of all 113 cases, four were lethal, one patient has recovered and has already been discharged from the hospital. Earlier, almost 90 thousand people have returned to Ukraine due to the spread of Covid-19 across European countries. According to Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, any passenger movement across the border of Ukraine will be blocked, starting from March 27. An elementary teacher in Madison County has tested positive for coronavirus, school officials confirmed. In a letter, Principal Jenny McAlister said the Endeavor Elementary School teacher tested positive on March 24. While it is unknown when this teacher contracted the virus, this individual was advised by the (Alabama Department of Public Health) to contact everyone they had contact with over the last two weeks, McAlister wrote. While the name of the teacher is not being released, students in her classroom have been notified by phone. Other families in the school have been notified by a letter. McAlister said the last date the teacher had contact with anyone at the school was March 13. If you factor in the 14-day quarantine, the final date of concern would be Friday, March 28. We would encourage you to self isolate until after that time, McAlister wrote. Endeavor Elementary has about 650 students and about 60 employees. Anyone with symptoms in line with COVID-19 are advised to contact their healthcare provider. Symptoms include: Fever Cough Body aches Shortness of breath Meghan Markle has forbidden Prince Harry from traveling, including to return to the UK to see his sick father Prince Charles, a source exclusively told DailyMail.com. Prince Charles, 71, tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday and is in self-isolation on the Balmoral estate in Scotland with his wife Camilla, representatives for the royal said in a statement. The insider said the Duchess of Sussex told Harry that 'under no circumstances, is she okay with him traveling anywhere right now.' The source added: 'Meghan said Harry's been in touch with his dad... Of course, he's frustrated. She said they both are frustrated because they are doers and want to do so much more to help.' Harry last saw his father earlier this month, publicly seen together at the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London on March 9. The insider also revealed Meghan told her inner circle that she is looking into fostering a black Labrador named Cole in order to help ease the strain on local animal shelters and rescue groups, and urged her friends to do the same. Meghan and Harry are currently holed up at their waterfront mansion on Vancouver Island with baby Archie and are taking extra precautions during the pandemic by making staffers follow a strict hygiene protocol and wear latex gloves. Meghan has forbidden Prince Harry from traveling, including to return to the UK to see his sick father Prince Charles, a source exclusively told DailyMail.com. The insider also revealed dog-lover Meghan is looking into fostering a black Labrador. Pictured: Meghan walking her lab Oz and Beagle Guy with Archie in January in Canada The source added: 'Meghan said they were originally interested in a three-month-old mixed breed puppy named Panda, but are now looking at a slightly older black lab named Cole (pictured), who is really good with young kids and other dogs' Prince Charles, 71, tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday, representatives for the royal confirmed. But the insider said Meghan told Harry that 'under no circumstances, is she okay with him traveling anywhere right now' Prince Charles, who is next in line to the throne, is said to be suffering from 'mild symptoms' and is in self-isolation. He became sick two weeks after meeting coronavirus-stricken Prince Albert of Monaco, who tested positive five days ago. DailyMail.com previously revealed Meghan and Harry were self-isolating in Canada, and Meghan had confided in friends that her husband felt 'helpless' and was 'concerned' about the Queen and his father Prince Charles catching coronavirus. The friend added: 'Meghan told her inner circle of friends that Harry has been communicating with Prince William and the Queen on a pretty consistent basis. 'She said this world crisis has actually brought them all closer together, especially Harry and his brother. 'Harry has made it very clear to them that he will do whatever he can to help from Canada. 'Meghan said they are grateful, especially Harry, that they could spend time with his family before all this insanity began.' Meanwhile, Meghan has been looking at ways to help out at home and is looking into fostering a dog, joking to friends that 'fostering meant keeping.' The Duchess of Sussex already has two rescue dogs, a beagle named Guy and a Labrador-shepherd mix called Bogart, and she and Prince Harry added a black lab, believed to be named Oz, to their family in late 2018. Harry last saw his father earlier this month, publicly seen together at the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London on March 9 (pictured) The friend also revealed Archie, who celebrates his first birthday in May, is a 'bundle of energy' and is constantly babbling Meghan and Harry are currently holed up at their waterfront mansion on Vancouver Island with baby Archie and are taking extra precautions during the pandemic by making staffers follow a strict hygiene protocol and wear latex gloves The source added: 'Meghan said they were originally interested in a three-month-old mixed breed puppy named Panda, but are now looking at a slightly older black lab named Cole, who is really good with young kids and other dogs. 'Meghan said they have plenty of space and it wouldn't be a problem.' The friend also revealed Archie, who celebrates his first birthday in May, is a 'bundle of energy' and is constantly babbling. They added: 'Archie has now learned how to pull himself up while in the crib which Meghan said is cute, but can be a bit nerve-wracking. 'She also said Archie's new thing is blowing kisses, which is just absolutely adorable.' While in self-isolation, Meghan and Harry started working with experts on how to best serve the public during this time, believing the pandemic is also a mental health crisis and feel 'compelled to help'. While in self-isolation, Meghan and Harry started working with experts on how to best serve the public during this time, believing the pandemic is also a mental health crisis and feel 'compelled to help'. They have since used their SussexRoyal Instagram account to share tips on how to stay safe during the pandemic They have since used their SussexRoyal Instagram account to share tips on how to stay safe during the pandemic, most recently sharing a post with the six WHO recommendations. the list of advice, which included 'wash your hands often' and 'avoid touching your face', the couple wrote: 'For all of us, the best way we can support health workers is to make sure we do not make their job any harder by spreading this disease further.' The friend added: 'Meghan said just because they are isolating themselves, it doesn't mean they can't help. They aren't just sitting around at home doing nothing.' They continued: 'Meghan told her inner circle that what's happening in the world right now is a mental health crisis. 'She said they are working with a mental health non-profit to create some sort of online support system for those most vulnerable, like new mothers suffering from postpartum depression. 'People who lack support systems need reassurance that they are not alone.' Song Joong Ki, co-stars and the crew of the movie "Bogota" returned to South Korea after three months of stay in Colombia. They traveled last January to start filming the upcoming movie. "Bogota" is a popular place and story of a Korean man who landed on a new country. The whole story is set to film at a location in Colombia. Song Joong Ki made a lot of preparations before the filming date. He made personal trips to Colombia to check the place and familiarize himself with the country's culture. His agency made all confirmed commitments for his departure in January. Song Joong Ki's new talent agency is History D & C and "Bogota" is their new project for the actor. The scheduled production for the movie is for three months. He is joined with actor Lee Hae Joon and Kwon Hae Hyo to appear as well. The international co-star Juana Del Rio with Song Joong Ki made headlines earlier as well. Recently, a picture of the two actors was posted in Juana Del Rio's social media on the first day of filming. This has been the first time that the actor is seen on social media with a selfie of a lady after he divorced. Song Joong Ki looks forward to this new movie since he is holding the entire film production in a foreign country. The production team, after a thorough consideration, came up with a decision to stop filming, based upon Colombia's fight against strict measures of COVID-19. The country already closed its borders for any incoming arrivals by sea or land across its borders. The Colombian government released an order that Colombians who are stranded from other countries may not be able to return as well. This recent advisory will be implemented within 30 days or more. At the same time, the South Korean government made follow-up recommendations to ensure Korean actors abroad return to their country for safety. According to the source, the management made future plans to continue and finish the film while they return to South Korea. "We are fully preparing to try and prevent any disruptions in the movie's production. Since this is a difficult situation for everyone involved, we are planning to try and find an alternative so we can wisely solve the problem," it said. The production team and actors arrived in South Korea with different flight schedules. The cast and crew, in a total of 100, arrived safely. The actors' arrival came in separate dates: actor Lee Hee Joon on March 22 and Song Joong Ki on March 24. Everyone had a hard time securing early and same flight schedules due to limited airline availability. Song Joong Ki went straight to his home as he submitted for voluntary self-quarantine. The actor's agency History D & C said in an official statement that there are no issues in Song Joong Ki's health, adding that they will be observing him while he is in quarantine. Expressing "deep concern"over the rising number of the novel coronavirus cases in New York and its metropolitan area, members of the US Coronavirus Task Force have urged all those who have left the city in the last few days to self-quarantine themselves to prevent the spread of the deadly disease. New York saw at least 53 deaths and about 5,000 new cases on Tuesday. The city has so far reported more than 25,000 COVID-19 cases and 210 fatalities. According to Worldometer, a website which compiles COVID-19 cases, nearly 10,000 new coronavirus cases were reported across the country on Tuesday alone, taking the total number of infections to around 54,000, while the number of fatalities surged by 150 in a day, bringing its total to about 700. The White House Coronavirus Task Force is calling on any of American first and foremost if you are in the New York City metropolitan area or elsewhere to take the guidelines that we issued and avoid non-essential travel. "But for anyone in the New York metropolitan area who has travelled, our task force is encouraging you to monitor your temperature, be sensitive to symptoms, and we are asking anyone who has travelled out of the New York City metropolitan area to anywhere else in the country to self-isolate for 14 days, Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the task force, told reporters at a White House conference on Tuesday. Describing New York as a high-risk area, Pence said that they will continue to surge resources because of the spread of the disease in the city. President Donald Trump said more than 2.4 million face shields, 1.9 million surgical gowns, 13.5 million gloves, and more than 4000 ventilators are being delivered to New York in view of the deteriorating situation. We remain deeply concerned about New York City and the New York metro area, Deborah Birx, member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said. Birx said that about 56 per cent of all the cases in the US are coming out of the New York metro area. "Sixty per cent of all the new cases are coming out of the Metro New York area and 31 per cent of the people succumbing to the disease, Brix said. It means because they still are at the 31 per cent mortality compared to the other regions of the country that we can have a huge impact if we unite together, she added. This means, as in all places, they have to be following the presidential guidelines that were put out eight or nine days ago, and this will be critical, she said. But to everyone who has left New York over the last few days, because of the rate of the number of cases, you may have been exposed before you left New York, she said. Everybody who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days to ensure that the virus doesn't spread to others, no matter where they have gone, whether it's Florida, North Carolina, or out to far reaches of Long Island, Brix said. Noting that there are new cases across Long Island, Brix said that it suggests people have left the city and it will be very critical for those individuals to self-quarantine themselves in their homes over the next 14 days to make sure they don't pass the virus to others based on the time that they left New York. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), described the situation in New York as very serious. It's a very serious situation. They've suffered terribly through no fault of their own. But what we are seeing now is that, understandably, people want to get out of New York, he said. They are going to Florida, they are going to Long Island, they are going to different places. The idea if you look at the statistics is disturbing. "About one per thousand of these individuals are infected, that is about 8 to 10 times more than in other areas which means when they go to another place for their own safety they have got to be careful and monitor themselves, Fauci said. If they get sick, they should bring it to the attention of a physician and get tested, he said. Also, the idea about self-isolating for two weeks will be very important because we don't want that to be another seating point to the rest of the country wherever they go and then thirdly just one comment about drugs and the testing of drugs, the top American doctor said. The Army Corps of Engineers and National Guard are building four hospital facilities in the city which will be operational very soon, he said. In addition, they are building four separate medical facilities in different parts of the state. We are also deploying the US Navy hospital ship, and that will be arriving in New York Harbor in the not-too-distant future. It is finishing its maintenance, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dateline: Nevada A Las Vegas man dressed in what witnesses called a hazmat suit sprayed a clear liquid on people and products at a Walmart in an attempt to gain internet fame. According to KLAS in Nevada, Aldo Gonzalez was arrested last week after a Walmart was forced to shut down due to the actions of him and an unnamed accomplice. Gonzalez allegedly entered the Walmart store with an unnamed maledescribed as juvenile in the police reportwho was wearing a full-body painter's coveralls. As Gonzalez allegedly filmed, the juvenile proceeded to spray customers and grocery items with a clear liquid from a spray bottle. After causing a disturbance, police were called to the store, where witnesses were able to give descriptions of the perpetrators and provide the license plate number of the getaway car. Using the license plate number, officers were led to the home of Gonzalez. As they were arresting the man, officers saw the juvenile exit the house. Officials evacuated the store and investigators took samples of the liquid to test it for dangerous substances. The clear liquid was inspected and declared harmless after it was determined to have a neutral PH and no chemicals, proteins or bio-organisms. Detectives interviewed the juvenile, who said that Gonzalez bought a white painters suit, goggles, a dust mask and gloves. The juvenile reportedly found a spray bottle and filled it with water. When asked why the duo had engineered the stunt, the juvenile said he wants to be famous through Instagram and YouTube by making funny videos. Dateline: United States Americans aren't just stockpiling toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Experts say a potential condom shortage could lead to another baby boom. The Mercury News reports that some Americans are failing to practice social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak, as evidenced by increasing condom sales following announcements of outbreaks in the US. As more states adopt shelter-in-place procedures, experts say they will be engaging in more sexual activity. Television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz actually encouraged couples to have sex while theyre quarantined. Youll live longer, get rid of the tension, he told TMZ. Maybe youll make some babies. CondomSales reported a shortage of condoms in Singapore and Hong Kong in early March, and it appears the trend is continuing in the US. Dr. Kevin Kathrotia told Fox Business that natural disasters often lead to more babies. Its going to happen. Its probably going to be the biggest baby boom weve seen, said Kathrotia. Anytime theres the threat of a hurricane, theres a little baby boom. Dr. Renee Wellenstein disagrees on the timeline, however. She told reporters that she predicts a baby boom will come once the pandemic is over. Stress decreases fertility in men and women, Wellenstein said. Dateline: New Mexico A man turned himself in to police and told them that he'd stolen two television sets while intoxicatedbut he doesn't remember doing it. The Associated Press reports that Sage Aaron Cummins, of Gallup, N.M., was arrested earlier this month after he attempted to return the TVs to the robbery victim. An officer was reportedly investigating the burglary at the home when Cummins approached him and admitted he was the one who stole the TVs. He reportedly told officers that he was very intoxicated when he entered the home and allegedly stole the items. He said he remembered knocking on the door and receiving no answer before entering the residence. He told police that he had no memory of what happened after that. He woke up at 8:30am the next day and noticed he had two TVs in his room, the police report says. Two days later, a mutual friend of both Cummins and the victim told Cummins who owned the TVs. The police report states that Cummins told police he wanted to make things right and return the stolen items. He was reportedly arrested and charged with receiving stolen property before being released on an unsecured bond of $1,500. Dateline: India An India railway company is keeping elephants off the tracks by playing recordings of angry bees. According to UPI, the Northeast Frontier Railway has installed a honey bee sound system at locations where elephants are known to frequent. If villagers notice that an elephant has wandered near the train tracks, they can notify officials with the train company and the system can be engaged. The loud sound of bees is said to frighten the elephants and drive them away. The company said the system had to be installed because the number of elephants being killed in train collisions was rising. At least four elephants were reportedly involved in separate accidents in Uttarakhand in 2018. The company has installed the buzzy sound system at the four crossings where the incidents occurred. The system has been in place for two years now, and officials say it has been completely successful. There have reportedly been no animal collisions since its installation. Last night, Brandon Waltman arrived at the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of South Alabama Childrens and Womens Hospital right after shift change to find that his daughter, Emmarie Grace, had been moved. The nurse in charge told him his little girl had been moved and isolated. Another nurse on the unit had tested positive for COVID-19. Every baby she had cared for would be isolated and tested as a precaution. It was the nightmare scenario Waltman had worried about since his newborn arrived at the University of South Alabama Medical Center two weeks earlier. The little girl hadnt been eating, and now all of a sudden they learned she might have been exposed to a deadly virus. Waltman said his daughter already had a private room at USA and doesnt seem to be showing any symptoms of COVID-19. I dont really think shes been infected, but I do think they should have been a little more proactive, Waltman said. Born on Feb. 20, Emmarie Grace seemed healthy but refused to eat. After almost a week at home, she was readmitted to a nearby hospital in Mississippi and then transferred to USA which is better equipped to handle medically-complex children. Doctors have been running every test in the book to find out whats wrong. As the baby still struggled to eat, the news about coronavirus grew bleaker. We thought it couldnt get much worse, Waltman said. But now its just like everything is piling on. Although young children appear to be more resistant to coronavirus than older patients, the prospect of an outbreak in the NICU is frightening. The unit at USA provides care for babies born very prematurely and those who require ventilators. Even minor respiratory illnesses can quickly become life-threatening for these tiny patients. Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said yesterday the youngest patient in Alabama diagnosed with COVID-19 was 2 years old. Since the virus is still so new, doctors dont fully understand how it affects babies and children, but deaths among the very young appear to be rare. A report issued last week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found no deaths in people younger than 20 in the first 4,000 U.S. cases. Still, Waltman said he hoped the hospital would take stronger action to control the potential spread. The hospital limited visits to parents, but he said no one checked him or his wife Joanna Waltman for symptoms when they came to visit Emmarie. Also, they created a policy to limit visits to one parent at a time. That left the other parent wandering the streets, and potentially interacting with infected people while waiting for his turn. Whats the other parent supposed to do? Waltman said. It just makes more sense for both of us to be isolated in her room. Only three cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Mobile, out of 215 statewide. Testing has been slower to ramp up in south Alabama. Gary Mans, associate vice president of marketing and communications for USA Health acknowledged that an employee tested positive, but did not identify the department where they worked. A USA Health employee has tested positive for COVID-19," Mans said. "USA Health continues to implement all state and national guidelines to ensure we protect our patients, providers and staff. His daughter recently had surgery to insert a feeding tube so the family can return home to Mississippi and quarantine together at home. We love our little girl and want to make sure she is as healthy and happy as possible, Waltman said. Text PennLive to 717-745-7532 to sign up to have breaking news and essential updates about the coronavirus delivered right to your mobile device. Data and messaging rates may apply. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal The Sandoval County attorney who last week asked a judge to order the release of all nonviolent and misdemeanor offenders from the county jail has filed a motion to dismiss the request, saying the county has reduced its jail population to an acceptable level using other avenues. When County Attorney Robin Hammer filed the petition last week, 208 detainees were housed at the Sandoval County Detention Center, but by Monday evening, that number had been reduced to 130, largely by moving inmates to other facilities. The lower number allows the center to space detainees farther apart, in compliance with health mandates intended to help slow the spread of coronavirus. A hearing set for Tuesday morning on the petition was canceled, and the case has been dismissed. A spokeswoman for the city of Rio Rancho, which had raised concerns about the proposal, said the city is satisfied with the outcome and will work with the county to mitigate risks at the jail. In an interview, Hammer said she doesnt believe the reduction would have been possible without the petition, which not only sought the release of some offenders but also suggested that the jail not accept any new inmates on nonviolent or misdemeanor charges. Reducing the jails population amid the coronavirus outbreak was critical to protect the health of inmates, staff and the community at large, she said. Sandoval County commissioners said Tuesday that the commission was not involved in organizing the request, and commission Chairman David Heil said that while he would not support the release of inmates who had not met their obligations, he believes the petition raised an important issue and led to a safer jail environment. I personally am not upset with her filing it, he said. I think she brought an issue to bear that had to be dealt with in a timely manner. Commissioner Katherine Bruch said that although she philosophically supports plans to reduce prison populations, she does not believe this was the right way to go about it and that the commission should have been involved. She said the proposal was not well-received among her constituents, who expressed concerns to her. She said she wishes some of the alternatives that the county ultimately pursued had been investigated before the petition was filed. Hammer said Tuesday that she filed the petition on behalf of the county and that she does not believe jail numbers would be at their current level if it had not been filed. It facilitated conversations that may have not been possible previously, she said. In the motion to dismiss, Hammer wrote that the county had lowered its population because the Bureau of Indian Affairs moved around 40 detainees to other facilities, 10 detainees were moved back to Valencia County, 10 were sent to the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center because they had active warrants in Albuquerque, 18 detainees saw judges impose release conditions or completed their sentences. Sandoval County is hoping to keep the population below 120 men and 48 women, which would allow each inmate to live in a separate cell until the public health crisis is over. The center has not had any known cases of coronavirus. In New Mexico, we abolished the death penalty for murderers, Hammer wrote in an email. We should not have our local jails implement a potential death sentence through spreading a deadly virus to persons who are in custody for no drivers license or other minor crimes. Jurisdictions around the country are taking steps to try to reduce jail populations and daily arrest numbers in light of the outbreak as they fear the virus would spread quickly in prisons and jails. The state Criminal Defense Lawyers Association sent a letter to the governor Monday asking her to initiate fast-track paroles of nonviolent offenders and those who are medically high-risk, and that she grant executive clemency or commutation of sentences to release anyone serving time for drug-related crimes. Government to supply 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80 crore people at a highly subsidised price under the National Food Security Act New Delhi: To ensure sufficient supply during the lockdown owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, the central government on Wednesday decided to increase the monthly quota of subsidised foodgrains by 2 kg to 7 kg per person through ration shops for 80 crore beneficiaries. A decision in this regard was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by prime minister Narendra Modi. "The government has decided to provide 7 kg per person of foodgrains to 80 crore people under the Public Distribution System (PDS)," Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar told media persons after the Cabinet meeting. "The cost of wheat is Rs 27/kg, which will be provided at a subsidised rate of Rs 2/kg, while the cost of rice is about Rs 32/kg but will be supplied at Rs 3/kg through ration shops," he said. All states have been asked to take foodgrains from the Centre in advance for distribution through the PDS, he added. Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government is supplying 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80 crore people at a highly subsidised price. The decision to allocate additional foodgrains through the PDS has been taken as state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI) is saddled with wheat and rice stock. With some foodgrains stock kept in open space, the FCI is under pressure to clear stock before monsoon. A group of Kentucky partygoers recently attended a coronavirus party. The event, which appears to be a pandemic-themed soiree, as you might imagine, was not a civic-minded effort to promote social distancing practices and best hand-washing practices, but a slap in the face to everyone elses collective efforts to not kill our parents and grandparents. The party mocked the virus, and the coronavirus gods were angry. One of the twentysomething attendees of the ill-advised gathering in the midst of a national emergency tested positive for the virus Tuesday. This is one that makes me mad, and it should make you mad, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said of the case. This is the part where I, the person that tells everybody to be calm, have to remain calm myself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The karmic revelation came as part of Beshears announcement Tuesday that the virus was spreading in the state with 39 new cases. Four people in Kentucky have died from the coronavirus. The state is ratcheting up its mitigation efforts, closing down what Beshear described as all businesses not considered life-sustaining, such as grocery stores, banks, and pharmacies. Beshear admonished partygoers who flouted the public health warnings. Dont be so callous as to intentionally go to something and expose yourself to something that can kill other people, Beshear said. We ought to be much better than that. So far we really havent been. For more on the impact of the coronavirus, listen to Wednesdays episode of What Next. Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday called for Americans to stay at home and maintain social distancing for the sake of doctors, nurses and medical staff treating coronavirus patients across the country. Why it matters: President Trump said at a Fox News town hall Tuesday that he would "love" to have the country "opened up, and just raring to go" by Easter, or April 12, despite warnings from public health officials that easing social distancing restrictions too soon could cause the number of coronavirus cases to skyrocket. Social distancing is intended to "flatten the curve," or reduce the rate of hospitalizations so that the health care system isn't overwhelmed. What he's saying: "These are the burdens our medical heroes already face in NYC," Obama tweeted, linking to a New Yorker article about "the growing chaos" inside New York hospitals. "It's only going to get harder across the country. Another reason to maintain social distancing policies at least until we have comprehensive testing in place. Not just for our sakefor theirs." Go deeper: Doctors and nurses urge people to stay home A man in Rwanda who breached the ongoing lockdown to reportedly go fishing has been killed and eaten by a crocodile, the mayor of the southern Kamonyi district has told the BBC. Alice Kayitesi said the Wednesday morning incident happened in Nyabarongo river. "He had broken the stay-home rule, hes among very few people here who are not cooperating with the lockdown to stop the [corona]virus," Ms Kayitesi said. The authorities in Rwanda imposed a total lockdown on Sunday as cases of Covid-19 continued to rise. The East African nation has confirmed 40 cases so far, the highest in the region. The shutdown of economic activities in the country has severely affected majority of people who are low-income earners. The government said that it would help those struggling amidst the strict measures. In an another development, a local news website reported on Monday that police shot dead two men in the southern district of Nyanza after an altercation about the lockdown. The police have, however, not confirmed the incident. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Iran may face a second outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, a government spokesman said on Wednesday, as the Islamic Republic banned internal travel and traditional gatherings in parks during the Persian New Year holiday period, The Star reports. "Unfortunately some Iranians have ignored advice from health ministry officials and travelled during the New Year holidays ... This could cause a second wave of the coronavirus," spokesman Ali Rabiei said, according to state TV. President Hassan Rouhani has banned any new trips between cities, Rabiei said, and "violators will be confronted legally". The escalating outbreak in Iran has killed 2,077 people so far, health ministry official Kianush Jahanpur said on Wednesday, with 143 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours. Officials have complained that many Iranians ignored appeals to stay at home and cancel travel plans for the Persian New Year holidays that began on March 20. "This (new) plan is strict and it will create difficulties and restrictions for travel, and prompt people who have already travelled to return home faster," Rouhani said in a remarks carried by state television. At a meeting telecast live, Rouhani said more restrictions would be introduced to contain the coronavirus that has infected 27,017 people nationwide. The government has so far stopped short of imposing a lockdown on Iranian cities. The president said gatherings would also be restricted during Sizdah Bedar on April 1, a nature festival during which Iranians traditionally have picnics outdoors. More than 7000 West Australian inmates will remain behind bars, despite warnings from experts prisons could become coronavirus "epicentres" and put the broader community at risk. Less than 24 hours after the NSW government announced it was preparing for the early release of some of its 13,000 prisoners, WA Corrections Minister Francis Logan said there were no plans to follow suit and the state's prison network was equipped to face the challenge. Inmates in WA prisons will stay behind bars despite coronavirus fears. Credit:Greg Henderson This comes barely four days after social visits to all WA prisons were suspended over coronavirus fears, replaced by phone calls. Laws introduced in the NSW Parliament on Tuesday allow the state's Corrective Services Commissioner to make orders permitting prisoners to be released early on parole if the commissioner is satisfied it is reasonably necessary because of the risk the COVID-19 pandemic poses to public health or the good order and security of prisons. Eight people have been charged in a brutal beating death after a body was discovered in Western New York. WIVB reports Nicholas Burdge, 23, of Wellsville, N.Y., was found dead Sunday off the shore of the Genesee River in the Town of Willing. New York State Police said the body was wrapped in a sheet and plastic garbage bags; the victim was identified through fingerprints, tattoos, and information from the Monroe County Medical Examiners Office. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation, out of State Police Amity barracks, identified suspects in an investigation that included interviews with friends and family of Burdge. The BCI, with the assistance of the Wellsville Police Department, arrested five people Monday on second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter charges: Dylan L. Coomer, 26, Brandon J. Poehmel, 21, Lawrence C. Haxton III, 34, Howard M. Burroughs, 41, and a 16-year-old juvenile, all of Wellsville. Police also arrested Kristopher Delill, 38, for second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter on Tuesday. The Evening Tribune reports two others were also arrested: Richelle L. Kyser, 28, of Wellsville, for Tampering with Physical Evidence; and a 17-year-old juvenile for third-degree assault. Police say the suspects allegedly tied Burdge to a chair and beat him repeatedly at a residence in the Village of Wellsville. His cause of death was from multiple injuries encompassing blunt force and sharp force trauma. The suspects later took Burdge to the Genesee River to dump the body, police said. All the adult suspects were arraigned at Allegany County Court and the juveniles were arraigned in Youth Court. Tunis Tunisia (PANA) - The Tunisian Ministry of Finance has made available to the Ministry of Health 50 million Tunisian dinars in foreign currency to import from China medical equipment needed for prevention of the new coronavirus (Covid-19 ) Lori Wells (from left) and her daughters Grace, 13, and Claire, 18, ride bikes in their Mullica Hill neighborhood on Tuesday. Claire has Down syndrome, and because of her history of pneumonia, the family is taking particular care with social distancing while at the same time trying to remain active with family hikes and bike rides. Read more To Lori Wells in Mullica Hill, N.J., the strict observation of social distancing is particularly important for her family. Her older daughter, Claire, has a history of pneumonia and respiratory illness, and spent time in the hospital on oxygen last summer. Claire, 18, a senior at Clearview Regional High School, also has Down syndrome. Its hard to get a good feeling of how much she truly understands about the coronavirus, Wells said last week. We just keep telling her that theres a bad virus thats getting people sick and we have to be really careful. The teen, whos been taking dance classes since the age of 3, was set to play a fairy in Clearviews musical, Shrek, which had been scheduled to open March 19. Its the third year shes been in the high school musical, and its been one of the highlights of her life, according to her mother. That, honestly, has been devastating, said Wells. Coronavirus and the measures to control it can pose extra challenges to people with special needs and their families, and to the organizations that serve them. Some with disabilities could be particularly vulnerable should they catch the virus. And the practice of social distancing conflicts with decades-long efforts to include all people with intellectual disabilities as fully as possible in their communities. READ MORE: Coronavirus has upended education for all children. For those with disabilities, the challenges are greater. Like Im grounded Michael, a 47-year-old who lives in his own apartment in a suburb near Philadelphia, knows its important that he not go outside right now. Stay away from people, because we dont know who has [the coronavirus] or not. ... Thats why Im staying in my apartment. And its difficult because theres hardly nothing to do in here, except for watch TV, he said in a phone interview on Saturday. Michael is a client of KenCrests Supported Independent Living program, which helps people with intellectual disabilities live as independently as possible in the homes and communities of their choice. He had been working part-time at T.J. Maxx before coronavirus restrictions narrowed his world. At his familys request, The Inquirer is not using his last name. He keeps in touch with family members on the phone (I dont have FaceTime), but his routine, which included trips to the park or to the grocery store with Rachael Miroddi, a KenCrest regional program manager, has been disrupted. Now, she comes in and sees me for a couple of seconds, and she leaves, and they must keep their distance from each other. (Miroddi has been delivering his groceries.) FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered Im stuck in. It seems like Im grounded. I cant go out, I cant leave my building, he said. I watch TV, I listen to music." His cat, Sally, "gives me something to talk to. KenCrest, a social-services organization founded in Philadelphia in 1905, has had to temporarily close day programs in Montgomery and Chester Counties that helped about 350 adults, including some from Philadelphia, participate in both work and leisure activities, said KenCrest CEO Marian Baldini. It has also shut down its seven early learning centers and is looking for new ways, including video, to provide services like speech therapy remotely in its early-intervention programs, which serve children 5 and younger with developmental delays or disabilities, Baldini said. The organization runs about 180 group homes in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Connecticut, including a large number in Philadelphia, and were working hard to make sure they dont have cabin fever," Baldini said of their clients. READ MORE: ThisAbility: These Philadelphia companies are changing lives by hiring employees with disabilities And then theres the economic crisis. Its almost like a slide into a full stop, as the businesses and schools that employed some of their clients shut down, she said. More and more of our clients are being laid off, and were assisting those clients to apply for unemployment, maybe for the first time in their life. Cabin fever and remote schooling At the Wells house, Claires family has been fighting cabin fever with outside activities, like hikes and bike rides. We dont usually go hiking three times in a week together, as they did last week, Lori Wells said. A genetic counselor at Cooper University Hospital, she was home last week with Claire and her sister Grace, whos 13. Her husband, Paul, who frequently travels for work, has also been home. Theres been aspects of this that have been really wonderful, including getting to eat dinner together, she said. Claire, according to her mother, has been taking serious joy in some new chores, including doing laundry and Lysoling doorknobs. Remote schoolings been tougher, though. I absolutely applaud all that these schools have done, she said, but Claire has needed a lot of help with her online assignments. Im getting a new appreciation for some of her strengths and weaknesses. READ MORE: Advocates push Pa. to require education during closures. The closing of schools to stem the spread of the coronavirus will pose some really significant issues for students with disabilities, said Michael Connolly, of McAndrews Law Offices, whose focus includes special education law. "For some students, it may work, the online services, but for others that may be a real problem for them to access that in any meaningful way. Were in the midst obviously of a health and economic crisis, but for students with special needs, who may more easily regress during a break in schooling, its also an educational crisis, said Dennis McAndrews, the firms founder. They are cut off from the thing education that could give them a chance at independence as adults, and he fears that the longer this goes on, the more damage will be done. This is the time for creativity to address their needs, McAndrews said. To say were paralyzed is not an answer. READ MORE: Economic disparities between wealthier school districts and poorer ones affect remote schooling options He is very frustrated Catherine Nolds son Russell Bosler is as isolated as its possible to get for someone who needs help with the basics of living. Even going to the bathroom or taking a shower, none of that he can do by himself, said Nold of her 31-year-old son. Bosler, who has cerebral palsy and an intellectual disability, lives in a group home in Lansdale with three other men and the homes staff members. So hes in close proximity to people all the time, said Nold, of Lower Gwynedd. The home, however, is closed to all visitors, including family, during the coronavirus pandemic, and Bosler, whose normal routine includes a job at a sheltered workshop, music lessons, church, and other activities in the community, cant go out. He is very frustrated. He doesnt really understand, said Nold, whos been going every evening to sit outside on the homes deck, talking to the men inside. The visits arent always nice. I keep going up there and I stay for an hour, but I get a lot of complaints. Its tough when somebody doesnt understand. The homes staff has been amazing. Theyre working a lot of overtime. Theyre working sacrificially. Theyre not with their own families. This could not be easy," she said. Nold, a KenCrest board member who also works for the Montgomery County Association for the Blind, said shes explained to her son that the reason people have to stay separated is so that the older people, like his grandmother, dont get sick. Beyond that, shes been trying to break information about the coronavirus crisis into small chunks, making little bite-sized plans with him like calling someone at a particular time to give him things to look forward to. He would be distraught, she said, if she told him the restrictions on his activities might last for months. A couple of months is a lifetime to him. Some resources U.S. Army National Guard members look on as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces plans to convert a conference center into a field hospital in New York City on March 23, 2020. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images) US Army Deploys Field Hospitals to Help Battle COVID-19 The U.S. Army announced that three of its expeditionary hospital facilities have received deployment orders and will be heading to New York and Washington state to assist with COVID-19 response efforts. The U.S. Army Public Affairs division said in a statement on March 24 that the 531st Hospital from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the 627th Hospital from Fort Carson, Colorado, and the 9th Hospital from Fort Hood, Texas, would deploy. As more people are exposed to COVID-19, the U.S. Army is preparing to provide medical support and hospital capacity to help states and other national agencies to contain the virus and protect the nation, the statement said. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mishandling allowed the virus to spread throughout China and spark a global pandemic. Army health care professionals are adequately equipped with first-rate training, equipment, and technology in order to deal with emergent health issues, said Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, who issued the deployment orders. Army hospitals are expeditionary facilities with full hospital capability, including intensive-care-unit beds, operating rooms, an emergency department, X-ray facilities, and a pharmacy. Army hospital staffs can provide routine and emergency medical support to community medical staffs, allowing them to focus their resources and efforts on detecting and treating patients believed to have been exposed to COVID-19, the Army said in the statement. Separately, the Army Corp. is looking into old hospitals to determine which ones can be reactivated, according to Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz. Moskowitz made the comments on March 25 during a daily COVID-19 briefing in Orlando, at which Gov. Ron DeSantis said he signed an executive order compelling anyone who has been in New York City in the past three weeks to self-isolate. It is just reckless, reckless behavior, DeSantis said of people fleeing the outbreak in New York by heading to Florida, Local 10 News reported. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his states infections are doubling every three days, threatening to swamp the citys intensive care units. The state has 26,000 infections and more than 200 deaths. One of the forecasters said to me, We were looking at a freight train coming across the country,' Cuomo said. Were now looking at a bullet train. Army Trainees Test Positive for COVID-19 Meanwhile, the Army Times reported that two trainees tested positive for COVID-19 at the Fort Jackson, South Carolina, training facility after the military introduced new screening procedures. A soldier-in-training and a student in the basic officer leaders course became the first individuals there to test positive for the virus, according to post commander Brig. Gen. Milford Beagle Jr. Beagle Jr. said a contact tracing team would seek to identify who the two trainees may have come into contact with and test those individuals. Everybody will not receive a test, but those who have been in prolonged contact and in close proximity with a patient under investigation who has been tested, will be tested, Beagle said. For the rest, well take other isolation and quarantine protocols based on that individuals symptoms and signs that they show over time. Army Chief of Staff James McConville said last week that the number of new recruits has dropped by around half during the pandemic. Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Taran and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine Marius Janukonis have discussed further cooperation between the two countries in the defense sphere, according to the Defense Ministrys press service. The parties discussed the state and prospects of the Ukrainian-Lithuanian defense cooperation. The defense minister stressed that it is extremely important for Ukraine to continue implementing the reform process and noted the partners' contribution to the defense capabilities of the state, reads the statement. The Ukrainian minister once again emphasized the immutability of Ukraines course on Euro-Atlantic integration and noted that this was perhaps the only way to strengthen the country's defense capability and counter the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. In this context, Taran noted the importance to continue the planned international cooperation activities with partner countries, as well as multinational exercises, after the improvement of epidemiological situation and the completion of restrictive measures to prevent the COVID-19 spread. The Ukrainian side stressed the work of advisers and trainers from the Republic of Lithuania, their contribution to the reform of the Armed Forces and the development of capabilities of the state defense forces. Taran also noted the importance of planned bilateral cooperation measures to be implemented in the future and joint initiatives such as the Declaration on Cyber Security Cooperation. Also, the parties reaffirmed intentions to develop cooperation in such areas as the reform of the military system, the training of sergeants and warrant officers, the territorial defense and cyber defense. iy Coronavirus strikes pastor, wife and over 30 others at Ark. church Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An Arkansas pastor who was recently struck with the deadly coronavirus along with his wife, Dena, and more than 30 others connected to his church is now warning others not to underestimate how dangerous the virus is and treat it with wisdom and restraint. There was very little in my training for the ministry that covered the full measure of what our church family has dealt with in the past few weeks, pastor Mark Palenske of Greers Ferry First Assembly in Cleburne County said in a statement on Facebook Sunday. The intensity of this virus has been underestimated by so many, and I continue to ask that each of you take it very seriously. An act of wisdom and restraint on your part can be the blessing that preserves the health of someone else. The church didnt immediately respond to calls from The Christian Post for comment, but Donald Shipp, a deacon of the church, told The Arkansas Democrat Gazette on Monday that at least 34 people connected with the church have tested positive for the virus and several others are still awaiting results. All of them attended a childrens event held at the church from March 5-8. Of those who tested positive for the virus, 31 are on staff at the church or are members, Shipp said. The others are two evangelists who led the childrens event and a child who was visiting. As of Tuesday, Arkansas had 218 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus. The state also confirmed a 91-year-old man as their first death from the disease. Palenske warned on his Facebook page that the virus is highly contagious and his wife got so sick she had to be hospitalized along with several other members of their church. First of all, we cannot pinpoint where the virus came from. Even though we were the original positives, there are people who have been sick longer than we have. It clearly made its way through a special weekend of childrens ministry at our church. Even before positive results were returned, we had already followed medical advice and canceled services, he said. We were convinced that whether it was COVID-19 or another virus, we assumed that no one wanted what we were dealing with and sought to confine ourselves. I need to let you know that we did not travel out of the state of Arkansas. This virus is highly contagious and it is no respecter of persons. He continued: "It seemingly picks its victim at random, so its best to remain very vigilant in hygiene protocols to the very best of your abilities. I would request that you spend some time in prayer for our medical personnel. They are dealing with hourly changes and yesterdays plans are obviously not suitable for the circumstances. They are trying their very best and we are indebted to their diligence and their compassionate service, he said. Palenske explained that he and his church got access to testing for the coronavirus thanks to a local doctor who had a very small number of commercial tests. Our symptoms began with a headache followed by intense body aches and lethargy. Beyond that we have had to deal with waves of chills, sweating and nausea. Dena had a very scary morning a few days ago, which included a seizure of sorts and required hospitalization. She is much better and we are both back at our house, he said. He further noted that one of the key things that factored into their recovery was to stay hydrated. It sounds so simple but it takes great focus as you deal with the above symptoms. Tylenol has been a great friend during all of this and doctors have advised against ibuprofen or Motrin, he said. Palenske noted that while some people might not take the social distancing advice seriously, for the sake of others they should try to practice it to keep infections low. I would love to have you take this medical threat more seriously. Maybe you assumed that it couldnt happen to you, just like I did. Please adhere to the social instructions that you are receiving locally and nationally. We must keep the affected population to as low a number as possible. Our singular act of stubborn independence can have far reaching effects on someone elses life, he said. Respect and compassion for the people around us must dominate our self-discipline. Over 49,700 people in the U.S. are now infected with the new coronavirus and 600 have died as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins. Nearly 407,400 cases have been reported globally and more than 18,200 people have died. Starting today, national emergency situation has been introduced across Ukraine. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine at Wednesday's meeting adopted a series of decisions that could affect the lives of Ukrainians in the coming weeks. National quarantine has been extended and national emergency situation has been introduced throughout the country until April 24. The Government recalls that a state of emergency and national emergency are not the same thing. A national emergency is a temporary regime introduced in case of disruption of normal life of the population, as it is now as regards the spread of coronavirus. Its implementation provides that authorities, primarily civil defense services, are put on alert to overcome the epidemic. No direct government intervention in the management of private companies or restrictions of rights and freedoms of Ukrainians are expected. The emergency situation regime is provided for by the Civil Protection Code. A state of emergency is a special legal regime where individual human rights may be restricted, while state authorities may be granted additional powers. Thus, the emergency situation regime, introduced by government for 30 days, concerns, to a greater extent, state officials and civil defense services. At the same time, it does not apply to private companies and citizens who are not involved in tackling the consequences of the epidemic. The declaration of an emergency situation is necessary in order to improve coordination of all services, strengthen measures for the protection of health, public order, disinfection of territories, and the like. An emergency situation is where government bodies do more and attract more resources so that citizens stay healthy and protected. Emergency situation regime implies no drastic changes in everyday life of citizens in Ukraine. The rules remain the same to stay home, not to leave premises without an urgent need, to wash hands, to use protective gear, and in case symptoms surface, to consult a doctor. The governments decision to introduce an emergency is due to the fact that cases of COVID-19 have already been detected in 13 regions and the city of Kyiv. Now a decision has been made that it will be valid for 30 days until April 24. But if the situation improves, these terms will be revised. In addition to these decisions, the Cabinet of Ministers today decided the following: To properly equip checkpoints in emergency zones with a mandatory medical examination of citizens and allowing passage only following such medical examination of persons and disinfection of vehicles; To attract to working at those checkpoints staff and equipment of the Ministry of Health, the National Police, the National Guard, the State Emergencies Service, and the State Food and Beverage Service; All premises, motorways, and sidewalks shall undergo thorough disinfection; and Assistance shall be provided to vulnerable groups of the population with the involvement of social workers, public and volunteer organizations. Healthcare facilities are entitled to: Carry out compulsory medical examination of persons with symptoms of COVID-19 or those who have been in contact with infected persons if they refuse to be examined voluntarily; Carry out compulsory hospitalization of such persons; and Put on quarantine persons diagnosed with COVID-19 and those who evade voluntary treatment. The latest developments do disrupt the normal way of life of citizens. Therefore, the government is intensifying its work to fight the coronavirus spread, keep streets safe, and help the vulnerable. Grocers and third-party services are seeing an influx in demand for delivery, resulting in longer-than-normal wait times as health and government authorities urge people to practice social distancing amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The demand has increased so much, so quickly, its impossible for us to meet, said Marie-Claude Bacon, vice-president of public affairs and communications at Metro Inc. The grocers e-commerce business serves parts of Quebec and the Greater Toronto Area. The delays are very long. Traffic to the companys website has doubled since the outbreak came to Canada, she said. Whereas previously customers could order online and pick-up in store or receive a delivery that same day, Bacon said they must wait much longer now for delivery and pick up. Metro is trying to hire more staff to meet the surge, she said. Meanwhile, the company is asking that people who are capable of shopping at stores to do so. If youre in good health, if you can have someone come into the store and shop, thats the ideal way of doing it in order for us to be able to provide the service to the ones who are not able to come to our stores. Loblaw Companies Ltd. has seen its PC Express business, which allows customers to shop online for pick-up or delivery, more than double in recent weeks, said Catherine Thomas, senior director of external communication, in an email. Wait times vary depending on the location, she said, and the company is doing its best to fulfil orders quickly. But, in some areas where demand is particularly high, wait times for pick up or delivery could take a few days. That spike comes as authorities encourage Canadians to stay at least two metres away from others in an effort to slow transmission of the virus, and as the company dropped fees and prices for its e-commerce business, she said. As demand grows, were finding new ways to serve more people, faster. That means more equipment, more capacity during pick up windows, and staff hiring. The company is exploring a potential pilot in the future where it will close one store to customers and use it to fill online orders, she said, in an effort to address the growing demand. Loblaw CEO Galen Weston addressed the companys e-commerce services during the coronavirus outbreak in a note to customers mid-March. We are managing the rising number of orders and ramping up our systems as quickly as we can so customers can shop online with confidence, he said. However it will be difficult for us to meet all the additional demand, possibility limiting availability for people who are sick, in self-isolation, or at elevated risk. He asked healthy, mobile and symptom-free shoppers to come into stores. Instacart, a California-based company that delivers groceries in cities in 11 of Canadas provinces and territories, has seen order volume grow more than 150 per cent over the past several weeks, the company said in an email. In the last few weeks, weve seen unprecedented customer demand across our platform, it said, noting the average customer order size is up more than 15 per cent month over month. It did not answer questions about how long a delay customers can expect compared to operations before the pandemic, but sent a statement that said, in part, that customers can expect to see delivery availability vary across stores during the busiest request windows. Delivery windows vary based on retailers, the number of available shoppers and other factors, it said, encouraging customers to check delivery times online frequently. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2020. Companies in this story: (TSX:MRU, TSX:L, TSX:EMP.A) Connecticuts aquariums are doing everything possible thinking outside the tank to connect with you during this period of social distancing, this #coronacation. Although Mystic Aquarium and The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk are temporarily closed, they both offer free online resources to provide fun and educational opportunities for people of all ages. For example, Facebook live broadcasts are held daily at 11 a.m. from Mystic Aquarium, featuring different animal care professionals and a variety of species. With more than 4,000 animals in their care, theres plenty to cover. During the broadcasts, viewers are encouraged to ask questions in the comments section. Following each segment, experts follow up to ensure all questions are answered. The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is doing the same. Sharks and their cousins, the rays, were the topic of a recent live Facebook Q&A there. Dave Sigworth, spokesman for the Aquarium, says people really enjoyed it. Yes, were doing one every day at 3 oclock - even on Saturdays and Sundays - and each day draws in more participants as word gets around, he said. The live sessions are only 10- to 15 minutes long, but we're getting 40 to 50 questions in that time. Thats usually too many to answer live, but we eventually answer everyones submitted questions in the written comments thread. And no glitches in the process so far, other than sometimes having to guide a couple folks who need a second explanation of how they can hear the audio on their computer. Do people have lots of different questions? Do they ever surprise the experts? Folks definitely are asking a good range of questions, he said. For instance, one days topic was How we feed our animals and some questions were basic, like What does the octopus eat? and How often do you feed the rays? But we also had someone ask if marine animals can get indigestion and another ask if any sharks eat plants. We did not anticipate those! Sigworth said they also plan to cover subjects such as the Aquariums conservation efforts. One of the most important things happening right now is that The Maritime Aquarium and about 20 other institutions across America are tending to live stony corals pulled from the Florida Reef Tract, which is being wiped out by a disease. The corals that were tending were saved before the disease got to them. Once this crisis subsides, we and the other organizations will return these corals to the waters off Florida to try to help restart the reef. Its a last-ditch effort thats never been tried before, which is why the effort is being called a Coral Ark, after the Biblical Noah. If youre passionate about specific aspects of Maritime Aquariums work or its animals theres 321 species and close to 6,000 creatures and would like to see your subject addressed in a live session, you can submit suggestions via email or Facebook. The Maritime Aquarium also has links on its website so schools - or anyone - can stream several of its IMAX movies, including The Living Sea, Humpback Whales and Dream Big: Engineering Our World. More Information The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 N. Water St. 203-852-0700, maritimeaquarium.org; Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan Blvd. 860-572-5955, mysticaquarium.org See More Collapse Well, admittedly, the experience of watching an IMAX movie at home is not going to be the same as seeing it on our six-story tall screen in a resolution thats better than any home TV system, Sigworth said. But, personally, I believe viewing them at home - when youre not overwhelmed by the scale - is also when you realize that these movies are beautifully filmed and full of educational content. Sigworth said, The Living Sea was one of the first IMAX movies nominated for an Academy Award, and deservedly so. Many area school teachers bring their students to see our IMAX movies and incorporate the content into their lessons, especially by taking advantage of the Educators Guides that the producers create. We want teachers to know that the movies are still available and that they can still take advantage of them. These IMAX movies were not previously available via links on the Aquariums website, he said, so this is a new development. Im not sure if the production companies will pull them off streaming when this is over. The Maritime Aquarium is also adding live online educational programs for families, individuals and schools, starting March 30. A Friday storytime series for preschoolers (in which participants can talk to the educator) sold out in less than day, but spaces remain for a free virtual Citizen Science class on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. In addition, nine paid STEM-based programs for schools became available for live streaming this week, with more to come. These are longer programs with intentional STEM educational content, and thus are different from the casual live daily Q&As on Facebook, he said. Each program is free, but advance reservations are required so you can receive a needed link. Details are at maritimeaquarium.org. Meanwhile, Mystic Aquarium has a many multimedia resources available at MysticAquarium.org, from the unique offerings of the Aquariums national conservation-based STEM education program to downloadable coloring sheets and activities. The Aquariums Pinterest page also has a host of conservation-focused activities, and storytimes are planned via Facebook. They will include tales about Mystic Aquariums very own Astro the Steller sea lion and Charlotte the green sea turtle, among other marine-themed childrens books. In partnership with Aquarion Water Company, a free live feed from the African penguin habitat is also available at MysticAquarium.org. Our doors may be closed, said Josh Davis, senior trainer of penguins, who is one of the hosts of Mystic Aquariums daily Facebook live events, but we are still here for our animals and our community. So, are all of these fish and other creatures sad because they arent having the usual number of visitors? Ha! Hard to say if the animals miss our guests, Sigworth said. But whats most important to know is that our Animal Husbandry staff remains on full-time status, making sure that all of our animals are healthy and well-fed. lkoonz@newstimes.com; Twitter @LindaTKoonz HONG KONG The Chinese province of Hubei, where the coronavirus pandemic began, will on Wednesday begin allowing most of its 60 million residents to leave, ending nearly two months of lockdown and sending a strong signal of the governments confidence that its tough measures have worked to control the outbreak. Wuhan, the provincial capital and the city hardest hit by the virus, will remain sealed off until April 8, though public transportation there will start running again, the government said. The easing of the lockdown is the latest sign that China appears to have successfully tamed the epidemic by placing sweeping restrictions on hundreds of millions of people, while governments elsewhere flounder. Across Europe and the United States, new cases continue to surge, medical supplies are running low and many hospitals are overwhelmed. Government officials worldwide are ordering their citizens to stay at home much as China did to Hubei at the start of the outbreak. The ruling Communist Party drew heavy criticism at first for its approach, which many both domestically and abroad saw as heavy-handed, even draconian. But in recent weeks, the party has aggressively promoted its strategy as a model for other countries. The loosening also reflects the urgency with which the party wants to restart the economy, which recorded double-digit drops in certain sectors in the first quarter this year a potentially major threat to the governments legitimacy. Consistent economic growth is the backbone of the partys hold on power: It promises its citizens prosperity and stability in exchange for virtually unchallenged control. And the lifting of Hubeis restrictions still do not mean free travel within China. Many provinces and cities have made it easier for residents to move around, but have essentially shut themselves off to travelers from elsewhere. We need to worry about a second wave of the outbreak once restrictions are limited, said Malik Peiris, chief of virology at the University of Hong Kong. Vivian Wang and Sui-Lee Wee are New York Times writers. Various pharmaceutical companies and research groups have worked endlessly in a bid to find a cure for the new coronavirus since Chinese health authorities first reported its existence almost four months ago. Researchers have looked into old drugs and existing treatments in hopes it would show encouraging results in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. Several trials have recently begun as the number of coronavirus cases hit over 420,000 worldwide. Actemra The Swiss company, Roche, known for selling lab testing equipment, has announced the start of the third phase of its trial on a drug used to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. In an announcement released on March 19, the Swiss drugmaker said it was partnering with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to initiate a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase III clinical trial. The trial involves administering the drug Actemra (tocilizumab) to patients who are suffering from severe pneumonia due to COVID-19 and are receiving standard care in a hospital environment. The drug had previously shown promising results in patients who were treated by doctors in China. According to Chinese health officials, the drug helped prevent organ failure and an overreaction of the immune system. Roche's trial is the first global study of the drug in coronavirus-related pneumonia. Actemra is also undergoing a clinical study in Naples, Italy where 330 COVID-19 patients with pneumonia are involved. A 150-patient trial is also underway at Peking University in Beijing where researchers are administering a combination of Actemra and Fujifilm's favipiravir. Hydroxychloroquine/Chloroquine New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the start of clinical trials in New York on Tuesday. According to a news release, the state has acquired several thousand doses of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine---drugs approved in 1949 to combat malaria---as well as large doses of Zithromax---a brand-name antibiotic drug. The United States President Donald Trump recently promoted the anti-malaria drug during a press conference, calling it a 'game-changer.' HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine. The FDA has moved mountains - Thank You! Hopefully they will BOTH (H works better with A, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents)..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2020 The President recently shared a French study involving a combination of hydroxychloroquine and Zithromax on his official Twitter page. According to the results of the study, the combination of both drugs showed very encouraging results in treating patients who were positive for COVID-19. The study was conducted after earlier reports from China documented the combo's efficacy in shortening the duration of the virus infection in patients. Hydroxychloroquine was also tested in a clinical trial led by Didier Raoult, a prominent infectious-disease expert. The trial involved a few patients in France. The drug reportedly shortened the time patients were infectious. Health experts warned the public to avoid self-medication. An Arizona resident, who was reported to be in his 60s, recently died after ingesting a substance that contains a form of chloroquine. According to a news article, he took an additive used to clean fish tanks and experienced immediate effects within half an hour. His wife, who had reportedly ingested the same additive, is in critical condition. Federal health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise residents of the United States to avoid self-medicating and seek the help of a medical professional when coronavirus-like symptoms arise. They also remind the public to continue observing social distancing and self-isolation methods, as well as proper hygiene amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases. A t a time when we cant stand next to each other were asking people to stand together with London instead. Thats why today we are proud to print in the Evening Standard a symbol of hope for our city. It is a drawing by Sir Peter Blake, the artist who helped shape the look of the pop generation, famously designing the cover of The Beatles Sgt. Pepper album. The Evening Standard asked Sir Peter to create this new work, and we thank him for doing so while he is in self-isolation. You can find London Stands Together on the back cover of your paper today or download it HERE to print out. Were encouraging everyone to put it on show in the windows of their homes. Children, kept out of their schools during the shut down, have already begun drawing and displaying rainbow pictures like this a bright symbol of a better time to come, and a reminder that although we are being kept apart physically, for now we stand together in spirit, stronger than ever, as a city. A lot of the news is frightening. Theres an even tougher battle ahead. This crisis is testing our city in a way it has not been tested in decades but we know that London is up to the challenge. As Sir Peters poster declares, our city stands together. Today were reporting on the 170,000 people who are volunteering to step forward and help the NHS. Weve seen how medical students at our colleges are preparing to join the front line. Weve reported on hospitals in London that are facing the brunt of the coronavirus crisis, and fighting to save every life. Weve heard from medical students who have stepped up to offer free childcare to front-line workers, and from scientists at Kings College London who have developed an online app to track the spread of the virus. The army is about to turn the ExCeL centre in east London into a huge new hospital, the Nightingale, that will be able to treat an extra 4,000 patients. These are the sort of things no one could have imagined occurring just a few weeks ago, but London is standing together to make them happen. Street by street, family by family, we are rising to this challenge together. Neighbours are checking to see if elderly residents nearby need food. Most of us are following rules on social distancing, not just to protect ourselves but to help others. We are overcoming this together. We are lucky to live in a city with the strength and pride to do it. We can show this by putting the poster in our windows today and standing together with London. Sir Peter's poster is downloadable HERE for you to print out at home False hope is fake news Were going to be opening relatively soon ... I would love to have the country opened up and just rearing to go by Easter, President Donald Trump said yesterday. We all wish that was true but it isnt. He called it a beautiful timeline. Others might call it a death trap. What we need from our leaders right now is for them to keep confidence in our ability to overcome this crisis while being honest with people about how hard the fight will be. Making things up against scientific advice isnt bold leadership, its dangerous. Just look at the situation in Trumps home city, New York. Its suffering more than anywhere else in the United States right now, with more than 15,000 cases. Its short of ventilators, short of a national plan and short of hope. The President wants to place himself as a war leader against an invisible enemy but the way he is leading the fight will make things worse. Around the world, people are finding out what their politicians are made of. In Brazil, for instance, the far-Right President Jair Bolsonaro has just claimed that he wouldnt feel anything if he became infected, mocking scorched-earth ideas from local leaders in the countrys big cities. Like Trump, hes warning about the threat to jobs. We all worry about that. But the way to protect jobs is to bring the crisis under control. Listen to today's episode of The Leader podcast: Loading.... In Brazil, Bolsonaros popularity is falling fast. In the US, Trump faces an election in November. The Strategic Communication Group informs on Wednesday that there are 6,016 people in institutionalized quarantine in Romania for whom testing is carried out to find out if they test positive for the novel coronavirus. Another 96,055 people are in isolation at home and are under medical supervision. The authorities state that "these figures regarding the quarantined and isolated persons do not include the figures regarding the situation in Bucharest municipality," for which updates will be communicated "as soon as possible". Moreover, to date, at national level, as many as 14,466 tests have been processed, of which 646 in private medical units. Advertisement The stars are doing their part to combat coronavirus by remaining indoors. But Alyssa Milano sure seems to be having a grand old time self-isolating. The actress, 47, posted a hilarious Tik Tok video of herself dancing along to the song 'Bored In The House.' Killing time! Alyssa Milano posted a hilarious Tik Tok video of herself dancing along to the song 'Bored In The House' as she self-isolated amid the coronavirus pandemic 'If my kids see this, this is what I did when I said I needed to make a phone call,' Alyssa wrote in the video. The actress definitely seemed to be having some fun, amid the stressful circumstances. Hair pulled back into a ponytail, Alyssa lip synced along to the catchy tune as she shimmied her shoulders about. Also having some musical fun was Nick Lachey, who put a quarantine twist on his hit 98 Degrees song, The Hardest Thing. What mom is really up to! Milano joked she had told her kids she was taking a call when she was really filming this dance video Hilarious! Milano made a variety of silly faces throughout the video Nick sang about how hard it was to remain indoors amid the crisis. 'If we go outside, we might spread the disease,' he sang dramatically. 'So I made up my mind, I'm staying in the house. It's time to quarantine, because staying safe is what it's all about. 'It's the hardest thing we've ever had to do, is to stay stuck in our house, just watching all this bad news. It's the hardest thing we've ever had to try, to stay six feet apart when we go outside.' Bringing it back! Nick Lachey sang It's The Hardest Thing, with a quarantine twist Social isolation: Lachey lamented on how difficult it was to stay six feet apart from people Chrissy Teigen and her husband John Legend were more than six feet apart from their friends when they passed off some food to them. The couple met with their pals at a parking lot, where John pushed a toy car full of food to their pals. Sharon Stone, meanwhile, profusely thanked an individual for donating nearly 14,000 face masks to St. John's Hospital. Bringing the goods! Chrissy Teigen and her husband John Legend handed off a bag full of food to some friends using a toy car Staying safe: The pairs were more than six feet apart from each other during the hand-off A truly moved Sharon said, 'Thank you, I just want to say, thanks very much, 13,095 masks just went to St. Johns Hospital for all of the nurses and doctors so that they can continue to work. Whoever did that, such a big thing. Thank you very much.' Brooke Shields made her fans laugh by spoofing Ali Wentworth's Instagram photo. In the original photo, Ali laid in her husband George Stephanopoulos' arms as she urged her followers to stay 'safe' and 'strong.' Thank you! Sharon Stone thanked someone for donating nearly 14,000 masks Gender swap! Brooke Shields and her husband Chris Henchy parodied Ali Wentworth's photo In Brooke's parody photo, the actress and her husband Chris Henchy did the identical pose - but gender swapped. Brooke held her husband in her arms as she laid on the couch. 'Everybody finds comfort in the arms of the person who keeps you safe. Stay HOME,' she captioned the photo. Tori Spelling also struck a humorous note, poking fun at the toilet paper obsession. Girl power! Tori Spelling poked fun at the current obsession with toilet paper 'This is ridiculous': Jeremy Renner also managed to have some fun, dressing up as a sloth for his daughter She shared a photo of herself holding a pink gun alongside Jennie Garth. 'We've come for your TP ... stand 6 feet away and no one will get hurt!' she captioned the photo. Jeremy Renner kept his spirits lifted as he dressed up as a sloth for his daughter Ava. Staying cool: Nikki Bella hung out at the pool on Tuesday Mama bear: Ashley Graham breastfed her child as she discussed how COVID-19 was impacting moms-to-be 'D-D-DJ Sloth!' he told the camera, as his daughter asked in the background, 'Dad what is this?' 'This is ridiculous,' the actor grumbled. He captioned the video, 'In these CRAZY times for all of us, we're finding CREATIVE ways to keep our spirits up, body and minds active, and our hearts full. Much love to everyone out there ! #threetoed #staysafe.' Our resistance to external interference in our internal affairs has greatly eroded at the national level. This gives unfriendly external forces more room to play on our internal differences, promote lobbies to weaken us from within, make governance more difficult, with consequences for the pace of India's rise and its global ambitions. The UN Secretary-General has been violating the Charter's core principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states by pronouncing on our legislative decisions, internal security steps and community tensions when India functions much more democratically than the UN. Out to offend India The UN High Commissioner of Human Rights (UNHCHR) targets India on issues of internal political management that are subject to unconstrained legal, civil society and media scrutiny domestically, far beyond what is possible by any external observer. Moves are made in the US Congress and the European Parliament to rebuke India on sensitive issues internal to India, putting our diplomacy on the defensive. The UK government permits demonstrations against our High Commission in London by known anti-Indian lobbies on issues internal to India. UN Secretary-General has been violating the Charter's core principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states when India functions much more democratically than the UN. (File photo: Reuters) Iran's Ali Khamenei and the country's Foreign Minister make offensive statements charged with religious rhetoric on street violence in Delhi, ignoring the sharp debate in India itself on the subject. The Islamist Turkish president believes he has the mandate to promote the welfare of India's Muslims. Malaysia intrudes into our internal affairs by its propagandist accusations about the persecution of Indian Muslims. Surprisingly, Indonesian Muslim lobbies are also agitating the issue of such persecution. All this suggests a concerted campaign against India by Islamic countries outside the Arab world, now that the Gulf countries, with which India has intensive trade, financial, manpower and energy ties, have reached a level of bilateral understanding with the future in view. The so-called liberal western press is involved in a massive campaign against the Modi government, driven by deep-seated prejudice and ideological antipathy for "Hindu nationalism". It is playing opposition politics through its reporting, discarding all pretence of objective and fair reporting. Political polarisation in India has reached such a point that instead of the country uniting to rebuff unwarranted external intervention in our internal affairs, elements in our political class, civil society and the media support it as a weapon to beat the Modi government with. The blame is put on the government for damaging India's image internationally, of generating concerns abroad about the erosion of India's secularism and democracy, and so on. The enemy within In actual fact, it is the anti-Modi/BJP/RSS circles in India that have promoted the negative narrative about India abroad by associating fascism and genocide with Hindutva, referring constantly to lynchings of Muslims and Dalits, comparing Modi with Hitler, accusing the government of seeking to reduce the country's Muslims to second-class citizens through the CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens etc. The government has to fight on two fronts against the internal lobbies ranged against it and the external lobbies as well, with both in symbiosis. (Photo: Reuters) The government has to fight on two fronts against the internal lobbies ranged against it and the external lobbies as well, with both in symbiosis. This explains why the opposition lobbies ask the government to heed foreign critics rather than wear the mantle of nationalism and reject criticism. Regrettably, some who have handled India's external relations at political and high bureaucratic levels indirectly legitimise this outside intervention in our internal affairs by not condemning it and blaming the government instead for the loss of India's stature abroad. Need to show unity Our political and social activists could have asked Khamenei and Zarif to worry about Iran's international isolation rather than threaten India with isolation from the Islamic world, and reminded them that India has not commented on the killing of hundreds of protesting civilians by the Iranian security forces. Instead, when External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, with reference to Iranian tweets, makes a mild comment that we now know who are friends really are, he is accused of arrogance. Erdogan could have been reminded about Turkey's long-standing brutalities against the Kurds, the regime's exactions against its people after the failed coup and Ankara's illegal occupation of Northern Cyprus etc. Our Muslim leadership has been remiss in not condemning Iran, Turkey and Malaysia for speaking on behalf of Indian Muslims without any authority to do so. The government's response to these affronts from abroad could be stronger if our public opinion was more visibly agitated. On the contrary, some of our papers continue publishing columns by foreign scholars who are ideologically hostile to Modi and the BJP. Ban Ki-Moon, the former UNSG, has just been allowed to regurgitate the standard anti-Modi propaganda by our domestic lobbies. A column is carried favouring the UNHCHR's bid to be amicus curiae in the petition against the CAA before the Supreme Court, even though the UNHCHR, is exceeding its mandate and has no legal basis to join domestic litigation in a member state. If our political class, think tanks, the media, the civil society do not react strongly to unwarranted foreign interference and help create room for a sharper government response, the perception would endure that hitting out at India carries no price. Like all cliches "united we stand, divided we fall" is rooted in good sense and human experience. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also read: Its 'time's up' for biased Western media narratives of India and Modi government A High Court judge has urged Facebook and a billionaire businessman to resolve their differences over his application for information on those behind "fake ads". Wissam Al Mana, who married the pop star Janet Jackson in 2012 but separated from her in 2017, wants to find the identities of those behind the ads. Mr Al Mana, a UK based Qatari national, has brought proceedings over adverts on Facebook he says are wrongly and maliciously using his name and image. They were published on several occasions since May 2019 people using the Facebook Ads Tool, he says. The adverts contain a fake news article, using sensational headings and featuring his name and image, he says. They wrongly link him to a cryptocurrency auto-trading program called Bitcoin trader, which he says he has nothing to do with. While the ads were removed following complaints made by Mr Al Mana's representatives he is concerned about the publication of future fake ads containing his name and image. Mr Al Mana wants to sue both Facebook Ireland Ltd, which is the social media's European HQ, and the parties behind the adverts for defamation and malicious falsehood. He seeks an order from the court requiring Facebook to disclose details of the people posting the ads, including their internet protocol (IP) addresses. The application was briefly mentioned before Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds at the High Court on Wednesday. Anna Shanley Bl for Mr Al Mana said the parties had been in discussions but there was an issue that remains outstanding. Ms Justice Reynolds urged the sides to continue their efforts to resolve their differences and adjourned the matter for a week. She was prepared to hear an application if the parties could not reach agreement. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-24 22:11:13|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close People walk on a street in Bucharest, Romania, March 24, 2020. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday announced a nationwide lockdown from Wednesday morning with only a few exceptions, in a latest move to contain the COVID-19 epidemic. Romania reported 186 more COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing its total to 762. (Photo by Gabriel Petrescu/Xinhua) BUCHAREST, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday announced a nationwide lockdown from Wednesday morning with only a few exceptions, in a latest move to contain the COVID-19 epidemic. The head of state made the televised announcement after a meeting with the prime minister and several other relevant ministers. "New restrictions on free movement for Romanians will be introduced in the sense that what has been a recommendation until now becomes an obligation," said Iohannis. He also added that special restrictions would be introduced for people aged over 65, as they are the most vulnerable people. Thus, they will have to stay at home practically all the time. Previously, Romania had imposed a curfew between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. beginning Sunday, with the exemptions for professional reasons, shopping of daily necessities, necessary medical services, short physical exercise and walking a pet. The authorities recommended citizens to stay at home as much as possible during daytime when announcing the curfew. The president mentioned the army would be used to manage the situation, together with the gendarmerie and the police. Romania reported 186 more COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing its total to 762. Among the infected, eight died and 79 were declared healed and discharged. The country entered a state of emergency on March 16 after the number of COVID-19 cases exceeded 100. The International Amazon Workers Voice wants to hear from you. How is the COVID-19 crisis affecting you and your workplace? Get in touch with us here to tell your story. At least three workers at Amazons SDF-9 warehouse in Shepherdsville, Kentucky tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday, leading to the two-day closure of the warehouse. The workers tested positive at the site, according to a voicemail message to employees, and workers who were in close contact with those who fell victim to the illness have been instructed to self-quarantine. At the same time, management has stated its intention to re-open the warehouse in 48 hours. Since any number of workers could be asymptomatic and contagious after having come into contact with the virus, the refusal to quarantine the entire workforce for two weeks amounts to gambling with workers lives. This action is all the more egregious given that the Shepherdsville facility is mostly dedicated to processing returns, not the distribution of goods. The companys statement presented the two-day closure as motivated by concern for the health of workers. Out of an abundance of caution, Amazons statement read, and in addition to our enhanced daily deep cleaning, we are temporarily closing the Shepherdsville, Ky., site for additional sanitization. An Amazon worker in a warehouse (AP Photo/David McNew) Amazon worker Jennifer Bohannon told Louisville television station WDRB that she was appalled and disappointed at plans to reopen the warehouse in only two days. The concern is, how many are walking around (the building) now, asymptomatic? Yesterday, a worker at an Amazon warehouse in Florida tested positive for coronavirus. The worker had been working until March 18 before falling ill, and just received the results of the test. The warehouse appears as of this writing to remain open, with only those workers believed to have been in close contact with the victim remanded to two weeks of self-quarantine. Also yesterday, an Amazon worker at a Brownstown sort center in Michigan tested positive. The victim had been working at the facility until March 16. Five other workers have been quarantined. On Wednesday of last week, a worker tested positive at an Amazon facility in Queens, New York City, leading to an angry confrontation with workers that was recorded on video. We can see that theres an absolute disregard for our lives, declared one worker to a management representative. Outrage among workers over managements barebones or non-existent safety measures is mounting at Amazon and across broad sections of industry. One index of popular anger is the hashtag #NotDying4WallStreet, which had been tweeted more than a hundred thousand times as of yesterday morning and was the third most popular hashtag in the United States. Amazons safety measures include requiring employees to stay home and seek medical attention if they are feeling unwell and moving chairs and spreading out tables in breakrooms. In addition, workers are being chastised to sanitize and clean their work stations and vehicles at the start and end of every shift with disinfectant/cleaning wipes, to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds, and to defer non-essential travel. These patronizing, low-cost measures are consistent with Amazons history of conduct towards injured workers. Prior to the pandemic, workers who suffered significant injuries in the warehouse were told to go to AmCare, Amazons in-house medical provider, where they were given painkillers or instructed to sit on a heating pad. Catastrophic back injury? Sit on this heating pad for 15 minutes. Coronavirus? Here are some cleaning wipes, wash your hands. That is the corporate message. With significant sections of Amazon workers compelled to stay at home as a result of the closure of schools, or otherwise refusing to risk their lives in the context of the pandemic, Amazon has announced a $2 per hour raise and the hiring of 100,000 additional workers. This amounts to a de facto furloughing of a wide swath of the existing workforce without pay. One factor dramatically aggravating the risk to workers is the absence of systematic and universal testing. Without the ability to test for the presence of the virus among workers who may have contracted the virus but are not displaying symptoms, each work shift in an Amazon warehouse is a lethal game of chance. While the coronavirus is invisible to the naked eye, the risks are very real. There were 750,000 Amazon employees in 2019, and now an additional 100,000 are in the process of being hired. If half of those workers were ultimately infected with the virus, tens of thousands of Amazon workers could die. Everywhere around the world, the corporations continue to demand that workers labor in infected factories, warehouses and other workplaces despite the dire threat to their health. This was stopped only when workers took matters into their own hands and launched a wave of wildcat strikes in US and European auto factories and other industries, forcing the closure of unsafe workplaces. Amazon workers should form rank-and-file committees to prepare similar collective action. Amazon workers should demand the closure of all warehouses until teams of sanitary workers, overseen by health professionals, thoroughly clean the operations, workers are fitted with the most up-to-date personal protection equipment and a regime of free testing for all workers is put in place. In the meantime, workers should be paid in full for any lost time. Amazon workers have made it clear they do not object to delivering masks, medical equipment and other critical goods during the pandemic. Workers bravely venturing out of their homes to support the efforts to combat the pandemic deserve to be honored and guarded with the highest level of protection that modern science and medicine can provide. But Amazons billionaire CEO Jeff Bezos insists that workers must wait their turn for masks and other protective gear. But there is plenty of money available for vastly greater levels of protection for Amazon workers. The Motley Fool, a financial and investing services company, described Amazon yesterday as a top stock to buy during the coronavirus sell-off. The article continued: Add in the company's rock-solid balance sheet with more than $55 billion in cash and marketable securities, and just $23 billion in long-term debt and you have a host of reasons to buy Amazon before the market comes to its senses. In other words, management of the trillion-dollar conglomerate sits on a cash hoard valued in the tens of billions, and the company is viewed an excellent profit-making vehicle for the billionaire speculators and hedge funds looking for a way to get richer during the global disaster. Bezos himself, whose current wealth totals around $131 billion, purchased a new Beverly Hills mansion last month at a price of $165 million. Known as the Warner Estate, this purchase in the midst of the pandemic set a new record in the state of California for the most amount of money ever paid for a home. Amazons conduct throughout the pandemic underscores the necessity of transforming this key division of the global logistics infrastructure into a publicly controlled enterprise. The critical needs of the vast majority of the human population must take priority over the whims and prerogatives of the billionaires. Under democratic control, Amazons vast logistical network and resources can be turned into a powerful weapon in the fight against the pandemic. [March 25, 2020] Surna Reports Q4 2019 and Full Year Results Announces $15.2 Million in 2019 Revenue and Downsizing of Operations in Response to Coronavirus Boulder, Colorado, March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Surna Inc. (OTCQB: SRNA) announced today operating and financial results for the three and 12 months ended December 31, 2019. Due to the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 virus and the uncertainty of its impact on the Companys operations, the Company has decided to cancel its Q4 2019 investor conference call previously scheduled for March 26, 2020. Financial Highlights ? Our 2019 revenue was $15.2 million, which represents a 59% increase compared to 2018 revenue and our largest ever annual revenue. Our 2019 revenue includes $6.7 million recognized from three project contracts we signed with a single multi-facility operator (MFO), which we define as businesses that own and operate two or more cannabis cultivation facilities in either the U.S. or Canada. ? For 2019, our operating loss and net loss was $1,311,000 and $1,339,000, respectively. This compares to a 2018 operating loss and net loss of $4,820,000 and $4,744,000, respectively. ? Our 2019 adjusted net income1 was $92,000, compared to a 2018 adjusted net loss of $2,592,000. This year we achieved our first ever annual adjusted net income, a key milestone that we established in early 2019. ? Our Q4 2019 revenue was $3,719,000, compared to Q4 2018 revenue of $2,195,000, an increase of 69%. Our Q4 2019 net loss was $800,000, compared to a Q4 2018 net loss of $816,000. Our Q4 2019 adjusted net loss was $154,000, compared to a Q4 2018 adjusted net loss of $811,000. ? Our 2019 gross profit margin was 29.9% compared to 25.6% for 2018, an increase of 4.3 percentage points. ? As of December 31, 2019, our cash was $922,000, compared to cash of $253,000 as of December 31, 2018. We generated $672,000 in cash flow from our operating activities during 2019. Our working capital deficit was $1,437,000 as of December 31, 2019, compared to a working capital deficit of $1,031,00 as of December 31, 2018. However, our year-end working capital deficit includes $503,000 of accrued compensation expense that was paid in stock options in Q1 2020. Excluding the accrued compensation expense, the 2019 year-end working capital deficit was $934,000. 1 Adjusted net income (loss) means our GAAP net income (loss), after adjustment for non-cash equity compensation expense, debt-related items and depreciation expense. Downsizing of Operations A number of recent events have had an adverse impact on our operations and financial condition, including constraints on capital availability for our customers and prospects who have commenced, or are contemplating, new and expanded cannabis cultivation facilities and the recent outbreak of COVID-19, a novel strain of coronavirus, which has spread across the globe including the U.S. Most recently, the response to this coronavirus by federal, state and local governments in the U.S. has resulted in significant market and business disruptions across many industries and affecting businesses of all sizes. This pandemic has also further tightened capital access for most businesses. As a result of these events, we assessed our near-term operations, working capital, finances and capital formation opportunities, and implemented, in late March 2020, a downsizing of our operations, including workforce reductions, reductions of salaried employee compensation and a reduction of hours worked to preserve cash resources, cut costs and focus our operations on customer-centric sales and project management activities. The extent to which COVID-19 will impact our business and financial results will depend on future developments, which are uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time. The duration and likelihood of success of this downsizing effort, workforce reduction and cost-cutting measures are uncertain. If these actions do not meet our expectations, or additional capital is not available, we may not be able to continue our operations. In addition, any potential government mandate to limit non-essential work would have a material adverse effect on managements revised plans. If our customers or prospects are unable to continue operations or obtain project financing and we are unable to increase revenues, or otherwise generate cash flows from operations, we will not be able to successfully execute on the various strategies and initiatives to grow our business. ******* Tony McDonald, CEO, commented: Despite achieving record revenue in 2019 and our first-ever year of positive adjusted net income, we, along with all the companies in our industry, are in unchartered waters. We now face the uncertainties of the coronavirus outbreak and how this will impact our business and the operations and pending or planned projects of our customers and prospects. While it is too early to make any long-term assessments, our business has slowed considerably as a result of the effective shutdown of large parts of the U.S. economy. However, we continue to deliver products and services to our customers during this extraordinary disruption. About Surna Inc. Surna Inc. (www.surna.com) designs, engineers and sells cultivation technologies for controlled environment agriculture including: (i) liquid-based process cooling systems and other climate control systems, (ii) air handling equipment and systems, (iii) a full-service engineering package for designing and engineering commercial scale thermodynamic systems specific to cannabis cultivation facilities, and (iv) automation and control devices, systems and technologies used for environmental, lighting and climate control. Our customers include commercial, state- and provincial-regulated cannabis growers in the U.S. and Canada as well as other international locations, including those growers building new facilities and those expanding or retrofitting existing facilities. Currently, our revenue stream is derived primarily from supplying our products, services and technologies to commercial indoor and hybrid sealed greenhouse facilities ranging from several thousand to more than 100,000 square feet. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, we leverage our experience in this space to bring value-added climate control solutions to our customers that help improve their overall crop quality and yield, optimize energy and water efficiency, and satisfy the evolving state and local codes, permitting and regulatory requirements. Although our customers do, we neither produce nor sell cannabis. Forward Looking Statements This press release may contain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. These statements reflect our current beliefs, and a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in this press release, including the factors set forth in Risk Factors set forth in our annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and subsequent filings with the SEC. Please refer to our SEC filings for a more detailed discussion of the risks and uncertainties associated with our business, including but not limited to the risks and uncertainties associated with our business prospects and the prospects of our existing and prospective customers; the inherent uncertainty of product development; regulatory, legislative and judicial developments, especially those related to changes in, and the enforcement of, cannabis laws; increasing competitive pressures in our industry; and relationships with our customers and suppliers. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The reference to Surnas website has been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such website is not incorporated by reference into this press release. Non-GAAP Financial Measures To supplement our financial results on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis, we use non-GAAP measures including net bookings and backlog, as well as other significant non-cash expenses such as stock-based compensation and depreciation expenses. We believe these non-GAAP measures are helpful in understanding our past performance and are intended to aid in evaluating our potential future results. The presentation of these non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to our GAAP results and are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information prepared or presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way to view aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business. Statement about Cannabis Markets The use, possession, cultivation, and distribution of marijuana is prohibited by U.S. federal law for medical and recreational purposes. Although certain states have legalized medical and recreational cannabis, companies and individuals involved in the sector are still at risk of being prosecuted by federal authorities. Further, the landscape in the cannabis industry changes rapidly. This means that at any time the city, county, or state where cannabis is permitted can change the current laws and/or the federal government can supersede those laws and take prosecutorial action. Given the uncertain legal nature of the cannabis industry, it is imperative that investors understand that investments in the cannabis industry should be considered very high risk. A change in the current laws or enforcement policy can negatively affect the status and operation of our business, require additional fees, stricter operational guidelines and unanticipated shut-downs. Surna Marketing Jamie English Managing Director of Marketing [email protected] (303) 993-5271 Surna Inc. Consolidated Balance Sheets December 31, 2019 2018 ASSETS Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 922,177 $ 253,387 Accounts receivable (net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $151,673 and $119,022, respectively) 138,357 210,187 Inventory, net 1,231,243 935,886 Prepaid expenses and other 269,491 128,348 Total Current Assets 2,561,268 1,527,808 Noncurrent Assets Property and equipment, net 257,923 520,321 Goodwill 631,064 631,064 Intangible assets, net 11,930 23,028 Deposits 51,000 51,000 Operating lease right-of-use asset 534,133 - Total Noncurrent Assets 1,486,050 1,225,413 TOTAL ASSETS $ 4,047,318 $ 2,753,221 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS (DEFICIT) EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 1,832,959 $ 1,917,087 Deferred revenue 1,444,472 641,798 Accrued equity compensation 503,466 - Current portion of operating lease liability 217,843 - Total Current Liabilities 3,998,740 2,558,885 NONCURRENT LIABILITIES Operating lease liability, net of current portion 404,209 - Total Noncurrent Liabilities 404,209 - TOTAL LIABILITIES 4,402,949 2,558,885 Commitments and Contingencies (Note 10) SHAREHOLDERS (DEFICIT) EQUITY Preferred stock, $0.00001 par value; 150,000,000 shares authorized; 42,030,331 shares issued and outstanding 420 420 Common stock, $0.00001 par value; 350,000,000 shares authorized; 228,216,638 and 224,989,794 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 2,283 2,250 Additional paid in capital 25,326,593 24,538,027 Accumulated deficit (25,684,927 ) (24,346,361 ) Total Shareholders (Deficit) Equity (355,631 ) 194,336 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS (DEFICIT) EQUITY $ 4,047,318 $ 2,753,221 Surna Inc. Consolidated Statements of Operations For the Years Ended December 31, 2019 2018 Revenue, net $ 15,224,454 $ 9,581,968 Cost of revenue 10,675,601 7,132,090 Gross profit 4,548,853 2,449,878 Operating expenses: Advertising and marketing expenses 675,703 979,711 Product development costs 521,044 317,713 Selling, general and administrative expenses 4,662,695 5,972,948 Total operating expenses 5,859,442 7,270,372 Operating loss (1,310,589 ) (4,820,494 ) Other (expense) income: Other (expense) income, net (27,977 ) 58,254 Interest expense - (2,908 ) Gain on change in fair value of derivative liabilities - 21,403 Total other (expense) income (27,977 ) 76,749 Loss before provision for income taxes (1,338,566 ) (4,743,745 ) Income taxes - - Net loss $ (1,338,566 ) $ (4,743,745 ) Loss per common share basic and dilutive $ (0.006 ) $ (0.022 ) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, basic and dilutive 227,662,184 218,752,365 Surna Inc. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows For the Years Ended December 31, 2019 2018 Cash Flows From Operating Activities: Net loss $ (1,338,566 ) $ (4,743,745 ) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depreciation and intangible asset amortization expense 161,180 163,700 Gain on change in derivative liabilities - (21,403 ) Compensation paid in equity 788,599 2,029,430 Provision for doubtful accounts 32,651 13,755 Provision for excess and obsolete inventory (223,971 ) (28,037 ) Loss on disposal of assets 115,359 19,279 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable 39,179 198,647 Inventory (71,386 ) (385,227 ) Prepaid expenses and other (141,143 ) 165,660 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 23,830 52,329 Deferred revenue 802,674 (313,161 ) Lease liability, net (20,039 ) - Accrued equity compensation 503,466 - Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 671,833 (2,848,773 ) Cash Flows From Investing Activities Capitalization of intangible assets - (5,028 ) Purchases of property and equipment (3,043 ) (261,222 ) Proceeds from payment of tenant improvement allowance - 100,000 Cash disbursed for equipment held for lease - (16,237 ) Net cash used in investing activities (3,043 ) (182,487 ) Cash Flows From Financing Activities Cash proceeds from sale of common stock and warrants - 1,210,000 Proceeds from exercises of stock options - 3,375 Proceeds from exercise of investor warrants - 15,000 Repurchase of common shares from related party - (400,000 ) Purchase of option to repurchase preferred stock from related party - (5,000 ) Payments on loans from shareholders - (6,927 ) Net cash provided by financing activities - 816,448 Net increase (decrease) in cash 668,790 (2,214,812 ) Cash, beginning of period 253,387 2,468,199 Cash, end of period $ 922,177 $ 253,387 Non-cash investing and financing activities: Equity issued in settlement $ - $ 226,400 Extinguishment of derivative liability on cashless exercise of warrants $ - $ 389,477 Unpaid purchases of equipment and other assets $ - $ 4,500 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Afghan government officials will speak face-to-face with the Taliban in a historic meeting to discuss an initial release of insurgent prisoners, Afghanistan's National Security Council announced Wednesday. The announcement comes after the US and the Taliban signed a deal last month that paves the way for American and foreign forces to leave Afghanistan. Part of the accord requires the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners, and the insurgents to release 1,000 from the government side. The two foes spoke earlier via videoconference, Afghanistan's National Security Council said, and agreed the initial release of 100 Taliban prisoners by March 31. "100 prisoners will be freed on humanitarian grounds -- including health, age and vulnerability to #COVID19 -- by March 31 after guarantees by Taliban and the prisoners that they will not re-enter the fight," the NSC said on Twitter, referring to the new coronavirus illness. "To carry out these further discussions, a Taliban team will meet with the government face-to-face in Afghanistan in the coming days." It is believed to be the first time ever that the Taliban and the government of President Ashraf Ghani will have met in an official capacity. The issue of the prisoners has been a major sticking point in the weeks since the US and the Taliban signed a deal in Doha on February 29. Initially Ghani, who was not a signatory to the deal, refused the release before saying he would free 1,500 insurgents as a "gesture of goodwill", with plans to free another 3,500 prisoners after peace talks are underway. The prisoner swap is considered a precursor to such talks, which were supposed to begin March 10 but were postponed amid the prisoner dispute. Also Wednesday, the Afghan government finalised a negotiating team to enter peace talks with the Taliban, state TV reported. Progress in the spat comes two days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out at Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah for failing to come to an agreement following contested elections that saw Abdullah also claim the presidency. To underscore its exasperation with Afghanistan, Pompeo announced an immediate cut of $1 billion in US aid, with more on the line next year. In donor-dependent Afghanistan where the GDP is only $20 billion or so, the US cut amounts to a devastating blow to the impoverished country and its government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bexar County Sheriff's Office A 69-year-old man was arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on two volunteers at a San Antonio church when they asked him to move his vehicle, according to an arrest affidavit. On Jan. 26, police were called to the Bethesda Assembly of God located at 8311 Zarzamora Street after Oscar Perez was accused of threatening the volunteers who were helping direct traffic at the church. The Senate Committee on Public Accounts might consider demanding an arrest warrant for the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, over his refusal to honour invitations extended to him by the legislature. Chairman of the committee, Matthew Urhoghide, made this known on Tuesday during a public hearing. The committee invited Mr Emefiele to address it on the release of $289 million cash to a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayo Oke, in 2015, Punch Newspapers report. But, the CBN boss has snubbed the panels invitation several times, Mr Urhoghide noted. The panel, in February, sought an explanation from CBN and the Accountant General of the Federation on how 596 billion ecological fund was spent from 1999 to 2015. While the accountant-general said the fund was domiciled in the apex bank, and that the money has been invested, the CBN pleaded for more time to submit records of the funds. However, acting on another report of the Auditor General for the Federation, the panel last week reported how the CBN released $289 million cash to the former NIA DG. The committee chairman expressed disappointment that Mr Emefiele did not deem it fit to send any official of the CBN to appear before the committee. We have summoned the CBN governor; it is the only part remaining in the investigation. The CBN governor has not sent any of his officials; they have to corroborate the story being told by those mentioned in the audit query, whether they are correct or not correct. The committee may consider consulting with the Senate leadership with a view to issuing a warrant for the arrest of the governor of Central Bank if he pushes us to the extreme. The lawmakers noted that there are over 10 issues highlighted in the audit query that needed to be addressed by Mr Emefiele and his top officials. He added that other issues, like the sale of federal bonds, funds collection, and discrepancies in figures between some agencies and the CBN, needed to be addressed by the governor of the apex bank. Efforts to reach the CBNs Director of Information, Isaac Okoroafor, to explain why the governor or an official ignored the panels invitation, were unsuccessful. This comes a week after the Director of Finance of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Godwin Okonkwko, told the committee that $289 million was released to the former NIA DG. Mr Okonkwo had explained that the $289 million cash given to the former NIA boss by the CBN was based on a directive to that effect from the NNPC. The $43m found in an Ikoyi apartment in 2017 that led to the sacking of Mr Oke as the DG of NIA was a fraction of $289m cash collected by the DG from the NNPC for operational reasons. When Capt. Nilesh Gandhis oil tanker docked in coronavirus-ravaged China early last month, he understood that he would not be able to disembark and fly home as planned. He would have to keep working, at least until Singapore. But when he arrived there, Singapore had prohibited all crew changes. And when he docks in Sri Lanka next week, the government there will ban him from getting off the ship. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, his next two stops, forbid crew members from leaving, as well. He is not alone. An estimated 150,000 crew members with expired work contracts have been forced into continued labor aboard commercial ships worldwide to meet the demands of governments that have closed their borders and yet still want fuel, food and supplies. We want to go home, said Mr. Gandhi, 38, in a phone interview from aboard his ship. His wife and son expected him home in Mumbai, India, more than a month ago. He said seven others four Indians and three Filipinos are similarly stranded on the ship. They are still being paid, but crew members say that, given the choice, they would have gladly declined the money and returned home. Mahesh Babu is indeed on a winning streak. The recent television premiere of Sarileru Neekevvaru has helped him beat the all-time record of Baahubali 2 and has pushed it to the second position. The action romantic thriller, directed by Anil Ravipudi, has broken all-time record for any Telugu movie with a TRP of 23.4. Looks like Mahesh's power-packed movi,e which had grabbed the attention of the audience through theatrical release and digital streaming on Amazon Prime, had cast its magic spell yet again on mini screen as well. With the premiere of Mahesh's movie on Ugadi and that too for a prime time slot, Sarileru Neekevvaru has gained the attention of the audience for sure. Also, the nationwide lockdown due to the Coronavirus scare might have helped in earning more viewership. The telecast on Gemini TV had turned into a not so impressive one, thanks to its different background music and title heads. Mentioning it, as well as thanking the fans, the producer of the movie, Anil Sunkara tweeted, "Thank you guys. The next telecast will be even better with added scenes." Well, taking a look at overall Tollywood's top 5 TRP ratings, SS Rajamouli's Baahubali 2 has bagged the second position with a TRP of 22.7. Notably, Mahesh Babu's 2015 movie Srimanthudu, stands on the third position with a rating of 22.54. Allu Arjun's comedy action thriller Duvvada Jagannadham is on fourth position with a rating of 21.7 and the first installment of the Baahubali series, has bagged the fifth spot with 21.54 rating. Tollywood Overall Top 5 TRP Ratings 1.Sarileru Neekevvaru - 23.4 2. Baahubali 2- 22.7 3. Srimanthudu -22.54 4. DJ- 21.7 5. Baahubali - 21.54 Also, looking at 2019 Tollywood movies' Top 5 TRP ratings, Mahesh Babu has marked the fourth spot on the list with his Maharshi with a rating of 9.2. Coming back to Sarileru Neekevvaru, the movie released on 11 January 2020 and has Mahesh Babu essaying the role of an army officer. Bankrolled jointly by Mahesh Babu, Dil Raju and Anil Sunkara, the movie features Rashmika Mandanna, Raghu Babu, Jayaprakash Reddy, Vijayashanti, Rajeev, Prakash Raj and Bandla Ganesh in pivotal roles. Mahesh Babu Asks THIS Director To Start Working On His Script? B oris Johnson warned stores of "consequences" should they break lockdown rules amid the coronavirus outbreak today. Stores deemed to be non-essential have been ordered to close, in a bid to stem the number of people contracting Covid-19, and Downing Street today outlined ramifications for those which do not comply. The PM was asked about businessman Mike Ashley's initial plans, which he has since scrapped, to open his Sport Direct stores at the start of the shutdown. Labour MP Chi Onwurah asked Mr Johnson during Prime Ministers Questions what he thought of Mr Ashley not doing the right thing. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images Mr Johnson replied: The instruction to the gentleman in question and indeed every business is to follow what the Government has said, to obey the rules or to expect the consequences. That is the best way to look after not just their employees but their businesses as well. It was further detailed that shops will face unlimited fines as punishment for breaches of the coronavirus lockdown. "Businesses which ignore the instructions of the Government to close face enforcement action, the most severe sanction of which is an unlimited fine," the Prime Ministers official spokesman said. Establishments such as grocery stores, pharmacies and newsagents have been allowed to stay open, though premises such as clothes stores have been forced to cease trading. The lockdown at present is in place for three weeks and will be reviewed following that point. Businesses seeking to exploit consumers during the outbreak are also been investigated, the spokesman said. The Prime Minister is clear that we dont want to see profiteering of any kind and traders must stop any excessive price increases, he said. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has created a specific Covid-19 taskforce to address and remedy concerns that some businesses are exploiting consumers through harmful sales and pricing practices. The CMA has the power to issue significant fines. EDMONTONWhile the country scrambles to contain the coronavirus, Tim Hortons is facing more criticism after a note warning employees at an Edmonton location against calling in sick was posted online. For team members who call in sick, I have you scheduled for a reason. Therefore, I expect you to show up, read the note, which was posted to Reddit on Monday. It went on to say that absences will be unexcused and that employees must show for your scheduled shifts. The note, which the poster said was located at a Tim Hortons at the City Centre mall in Edmontons downtown, flies in the face of an official policy the company released after widespread criticism of its alleged sick-leave policies earlier this month. The poster said they saw the note on Monday at the street level Tim Hortons location in the mall. Theres a separate Tim Hortons on the second floor as well. Meanwhile, public health officials in Alberta have been working to stem the tide of the novel coronavirus through strict social distancing and self-isolation policies, at times pleading with people to stay home if theyre sick. Franchise owner Joel Foster was contacted by the Star via text message Tuesday, but he didnt respond to questions about the note posted at the store, instead directing queries to the companys media relations team. This sign was unfortunately an isolated issue at one restaurant, said an emailed statement from a Tim Hortons spokesperson. We have been in contact with the restaurant owner and they have removed the sign and have reiterated to their employees the policy, which is clear team members should always stay home if they are sick. After it was posted to Reddit, the photo of the note received hundreds of comments. The photo has since been deleted from the post. On March 14, Tim Hortons had posted a statement to Twitter after public backlash regarding a report from Press Progress, a non-profit news organization founded by the Broadbent Institute, that said the company required employees to provide a doctors note in order to receive unpaid sick leave. There is a lot of misinformation circulating and we want to make this very clear to all Tim Hortons team members and guests, the tweet read. Our policy is clear. Team members should always stay home if they are sick and do not require a doctors note. Tim Hortons, along with Burger King and Popeyes, is owned by Restaurant Brands International, a multinational holding company. Read more about: 10 days after taking the coveted COVID-19 test, Heidi Klum has finally confirmed that she does not have the fast-spreading global pandemic. 'Day 14 of staying home #covid_19negative,' the German 46-year-old - who boasts 16.7M social media followers - wrote on Tuesday. '[I'm] much better thank you. I just have a bad cold and trying to get over it. Sending love out to you and everyone!' Good news! 10 days after taking the coveted COVID-19 test, Heidi Klum has finally confirmed that she does not have the fast-spreading global pandemic (pictured Saturday) The pretty presenter has been self-quarantining inside her $9.875M Bel-Air mansion since falling ill on March 7, which effectively shut down production on the third season of NBC's America's Got Talent: The Champions. Curiously, Heidi's third husband Tom Kaulitz received his negative test results way earlier on March 16 when she told a fan she expected her results last 'Thursday.' Klum can now reunite with the 30-year-old Tokio Hotel guitarist, who spent Sunday making TikTok videos with his identical twin brother and bandmate Bill. The retired Victoria's Secret Angel originally met Tom on the set of Germany's Next Topmodel, and they celebrated their first wedding anniversary on February 22. The German 46-year-old wrote on Tuesday: 'Day 14 of staying home #covid_19negative. [I'm] much better thank you. I just have a bad cold and trying to get over it. Sending love out to you and everyone!' Confined: The pretty presenter has been self-quarantining inside her $9.875M Bel-Air mansion since falling ill on March 7, which effectively shut down production on the third season of NBC's America's Got Talent: The Champions But how? Curiously, Heidi's third husband Tom Kaulitz received his negative test results way earlier on March 16 when she told a fan she expected her results last 'Thursday' On Sunday, Heidi shared a rare snap of all four of her children - son Henry, 14; son Johan, 13; daughter Lou, 10; and daughter Helene, 15 (with ex-husband #2 Seal and ex-partner Flavio Briatore) - sharing a bed while social distancing. The Arctic Dogs actress currently hosts the 15th season of Germany's Next Topmodel, which airs Thursdays on ProSieben. Klum reunited with her Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn to executive produce and co-host a similar designer competition Making the Cut, which premieres this Friday on Amazon Prime Video. 'I fell in love with you even more!' Klum can now reunite with the 30-year-old Tokio Hotel guitarist (R), who spent Sunday making TikTok videos with his identical twin brother and bandmate Bill (L) 'I love you so much!' On Sunday, Heidi shared a rare snap of all four of her children - son Henry, 14; son Johan, 13; daughter Lou, 10; and daughter Helene, 15 (with ex-husband #2 Seal and ex-partner Flavio Briatore) - sharing a bed while social distancing 'I feel strange posting when people around the world are suffering,' Heidi tweeted last Friday. 'I'm thankful you're doing the responsible thing by staying home! I hope I can contribute some happiness with our new show @makingthecuttv available Friday 3/27 on @PrimeVideo. Together we will get through this.' As of Tuesday, there have been 540 confirmed coronavirus cases in Los Angeles with only eight deaths, and California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a stay-at-home order on Thursday to slow the spread. By Sam Richards Bay City News Foundation CONCORD (BCN) A longstanding plan to remake the former Concord Naval Weapons Station in northeastern Concord into a new 2,300-acre community with 13,000 housing units and millions of square feet of commercial space will almost certainly be delayed, possibly by years, after the Concord City Council Tuesday night voted to not grant the current master developer an extension to negotiate with the area's labor unions. As part of a council "telemeeting" in which the five councilmembers took part remotely in deference to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, several votes were taken in response to a letter from Lennar, the master developer of what is known formally as the Concord Community Reuse Project. Lennar sought assurances from the City Council on four points -- that the developer negotiated in good faith with labor representatives, that the developer could negotiate with individual trade groups rather than the blanket Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council; the specifics on what constitutes "prevailing wages;" and a six-month extension for the developer to negotiate with the unions. The City Council voted 3-2 to not follow city staff recommendations to approve a 12-month negotiation extension, with added financial requirements. "It delays the project, but doesn't stop it," Concord Mayor Tim McGallian said after Tuesday night's vote. "We need to regroup and figure out what the next step is." A request for proposals from new prospective master developers will likely be put out in the coming months, he added. In May 2016, the Concord City Council voted unanimously to select Lennar over Catellus as master developer of the first phase of the $6 billion project. Since then, planning has moved forward, including negotiations between Lennar and the Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council. In October, Lennar and the trades council declared an impasse in talks. The stalemate centered on whether Lennar could afford to use as many labor union workers as county labor leaders propose. Lennar officials have said that the difference between Lennar's overall labor offer and the trades council's overall request is about $546 million. In January, the City Council told Lennar and the trades council to go back to the negotiating table and work out a deal. But no formal meetings ever took place. Both Lennar and the unions had their strong supporters locally, and regionally. Tuesday night, city staff spent almost an hour reading some 20 emailed public comments into the record. Some reflected the sentiments of Joshua Anijar, executive director of the Contra Costa Labor Council, who wrote in to say Lennar has not carried out good-faith negotiations and criticized what he called "Lennar's attempts to fracture the labor community." Others agreed with Debra Ballinger, executive director of the advocacy group Monument Impact, who urged Lennar, the trades and the city to cooperate, compromise and get the huge development project moving ahead. She was interested in jobs and much-needed housing. "We will all lose if we don't," Ballinger said. The council on Tuesday night said they did not take part in any negotiations, and voted unanimously to not confirm whether they were carried out in good faith. The council also opted, by a 3-2 vote, to reject the idea that Lennar could negotiate with one or more of the individual unions rather than the trades council. McGallian said part of the problem was unclear language in the "term sheet" that, essentially, laid out the rules for Lennar to handle labor talks and other matters. In any event, he said, the huge Concord Community Reuse Project is far from dead. "The Navy's not going to just pull the rug out from under us," he said. "We're still OK." Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Morgan County health officials said they have started trying to retrace the steps of a rural Morgan County man who on Tuesday became the countys first confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus case. The 84-year-old man went Saturday to Passavant Area Hospitals emergency room. His test was confirmed positive Tuesday, making Morgan County the 33rd county statewide to report the presence of COVID-19. He was in critical condition Tuesday, under isolation at the hospital and on a ventilator. Morgan County Health Department staff, in coordination with state public health officials, have started an investigation into any possible contacts the man may have had prior to his diagnosis. Dale Bainter, director of Morgan County Health Department, said the department was told about the positive case on Tuesday afternoon. The best approach the county can take is to work to contain the virus and reduce the spread, Bainter said. More cases of COVID-19 are anticipated globally, nationally and locally, he said. Passavant CEO Scott Boston said the investigation is in its early stages. Health officials have not yet found an obvious source for how the patient contracted the disease and he had no clear risk factors such as travel or being in a large group prior to his infection. So far, Passavant has received 10 negative tests for the coronavirus; one more result is pending. Passavant has an adequate stock of medical supplies to combat an average number of patients, Boston said. After brief adjustments, Passavant has the capacity to house more than 20 patients in negative airflow rooms, Boston said. If the hospital were to reach overflow capacity, it would look to use space available in operating rooms and elsewhere in the hospital, he said. COVID-19 tests are expected to be available within the next week, Boston said. The health department is working with private labs to increase the countys testing capacity, Bainter said, noting providers will have access to private lab testing so they dont have to rely on the Illinois Department of Public Health lab. Health officials recommended that residents heed Gov. J.B. Pritzkers stay-at-home order and his advice to maintain good hygiene by thoroughly and frequently washing hands and practicing social distancing to limit the likelihood of contracting the virus. (If) we dont practice social distancing and people are out and about were spreading this disease, Boston said. And if everyone gets sick at the same time, wed be overwhelmed. The number of cases reported across the state has started growing exponentially. There were at least 1,535 confirmed cases in the state as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There also were at least 16 confirmed deaths caused by complications from the virus in the state as of Tuesday afternoon. The cases involve people from under the age of 1 to 99 years old. The largest concentration of the disease is in Cook County, which had confirmed 1,194 cases as of Tuesday. The only other west-central Illinois counties reporting positive tests are Sangamon County, which has confirmed five cases, and Adams County, which has confirmed one. American businesses operating in China have turned bearish about the Chinese economy after more companies reported drops in revenues and market demand as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, a U.S. business lobbys survey showed on Wednesday. Some 76% of 119 company executives expressed a pessimistic outlook towards Chinas future economic growth, according to an American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China) survey. The survey showed that the consumer, resource and industrial sectors are most pessimistic about the diseases impact, with 38% of them expecting a decrease of 50% or more in future growth. That sentiment was in line with recent economic forecasts. GDP cuts On Monday, a prominent investment bank in China China International Capital Corp cut its 2020 GDP forecast for China to 2.6%, sharply down from 6.1% in January, according to the South Morning China Post. That compared with Nomura Bank, which has slashed its 2020 growth forecasts for China to 1.3% from the previous 4.8%, while Bank of America Merrill Lynch has also cut its China forecast for this year to 1.5%. The AmCham survey, conducted before March 18, also showed that 50% of respondent companies were experiencing significant revenue declines and 39% said demand for their products was down respectively up from 28% and 22% in last months survey. Already, 14% of respondents were seeing a daily loss of $70,705 (500,000 yuan), up from 10% in Feb. Drops in revenue and demand If businesses fail to return to normal by the end of April, 57% of respondents, up from 48% in February, expect this years revenues in China to decrease. Should businesses only return to normal after September, half of respondents expected a revenue drop of under 50% while another 13% expected a drop greater than 50%, according to the survey. As the virus continues to devastate Western countries, U.S. companies are now worried about its global impact, said the chambers chairman Greg Gilligan. The chamber called on both the Chinese and parent U.S. governments to offer relief measures including tax cuts and financing. Relief measures needed Gilligan said hundreds of the chambers members had already engaged, in an earlier online discussion, with Chinese officials, led by Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen, to explore potential solutions. In the tax side, we highlighted that we needed frankly national treatment such that any relief measures will be available to all businesses not just businesses depending on their countries of origin etc And so, we were given assurance around those things, Gilligan told an online media briefing on Monday. He said medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are vulnerable to cash crunch, are in desperate need of such relief measures. But the chamber hopes that the measures can also be extended to large companies. Large corporates are actually linchpins for SMEs because SMEs are often in the up or down steams of their ecosystem. So, support for large corporates is in fact support for SMEs as well, Gilligan added. When it comes to investment, 40% of respondents said they would maintain previously planned investment levels while 10% planned to decrease investment, the survey showed. Emerging new opportunities On the bright side, however, around 40% of U.S. business respondents are optimistic about prospects for Chinas further reforms and market opening, although 44% of them are pessimistic about upcoming negotiations of the U.S.-China phase-two trade deal. The chamber, moreover, hopes to help member companies especially those in the technology and healthcare sectors to identify new business opportunities amid the health crisis. The 40% [of the technology & other R&D-intensive sectors] are actually projecting an increase in market growth That, of course, is because the use of technology by business and society at large has experienced an uptick as a result of the epidemic, the chambers president, Alan Beebe, told the same online media briefing. The chamber said that the world can look to Chinas experience as it has been a global leader in the adoption of e-commerce. The chamber, which has long advocated more private-sector participation in Chinas healthcare system, will look to promote public-private partnership, hoping that the crisis will serve as a catalyst for China to upgrade its healthcare system, Beebe said. Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Chamber, also urged China to advance its reform agenda after the chambers online meeting with Chinese officials last week. We must do more than merely troubleshoot the issues but also advance a proactive effort to help shape the form that a new round of economic liberalization may take, he said in a press statement released on Monday. Disrupted supply of raw materials Following the relaxation of lockdown policies in major Chinese cities, the supply of workforce is no longer a headache for most China-based Taiwanese electronic makers, according to Yen Shu-chiu, deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association in Taipei. However, manufacturers remain haunted by the disrupted supply of raw materials, which has kept their overall output level at under 50%, she said. Another hurdle comes from transportation disruption as manufacturers there are having a hard time arranging transportation for delivery to their clients in the U.S or European countries, she added. The outbreak in China has slightly eased, but the condition in European countries and the U.S. is worsening. There remain lots of restrictions on logistics and transportation, which poses a difficulty for Taiwanese businesses there, Yen said. The Haryana government has deputed 22 officials, including 19 IAS officers, for planning, coordination and monitoring activities for the prevention and control of coronavirus. Nineteen IAS, two IPS and one IFS officers, one for each of the state's 22 districts, will perform this duty in addition to their present portfolio with immediate effect, an order issued by Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora said here. Haryana's Home and Health Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said that the state government was making every effort to prevent spread of COVID-19 infection in the state. The total number of coronavirus positive cases in Haryana stands at 16. The entire Haryana went under lockdown on Tuesday, a day after the state government issued the order to help check the spread of coronavirus. The Haryana government had earlier ordered lockdown in Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Panipat, Jhajjar, Rohtak and Panchkula districts later decided to extend the measure to the entire state. However, all essential and emergency services are exempted, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown of the entire country for 21 days in an unprecedented drastic measure to try halt the spread of coronavirus shortly after which the Centre said all road, rail and air services will remain suspended during this period. Vij said that state government has started preparing a list of retired government doctors and if need arises their services will be availed. To combat COVID-19, the Haryana government is issuing appointment letters to 447 recently selected doctors. Besides, ad hoc appointments of 340 doctors is being made. Vij said that purchase orders have been placed to have five ventilators in each of the 22 districts. "Besides, purchase of 210 new ventilators for medical colleges has been approved," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The only three clinics in Alabama that provide abortion care are considered essential businesses according to the Alabama Department of Public Health and will remain open amid the COVID-19 pandemic, despite efforts in other states to ban abortion procedures Attorneys General in Texas and Ohio have ordered clinics in their states to halt abortions amid the COVID-19 crisis; identifying them as "not immediately medically necessary." "No one is exempt from the governor's executive order on medically unnecessary surgeries and procedures, including abortion providers, Texas AG Ken Paxton said in a statement. Those who violate the governor's order will be met with the full force of the law." In Alabama, however, the statewide public health order does not require the full closure of any business, according to Arrol Sheehan, director of public information at the Alabama Department of Public Health. Even in Jefferson County, where non-essential businesses have been ordered closed, clinics in general are still open as essential, Sheehan said. Chad Jackson, office manager at the West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa, said the clinic has received an influx of callers from Texas seeking appointments in Tuscaloosa, as well as from protesters threatening to report them to the health department for remaining open amidst the pandemic. We know that if women don't receive this procedure legally, they will search out ways to have a termination, Jackson said. And whats frightening is we know that those places lead to women trying to do it themselves at homes. The clinic has set up a check-in station so patients can wait in their cars to be called in for their procedure. They also removed much of the furniture from inside the waiting room to make more room to discourage patients from gathering. Abortion clinics in Alabama are taking all necessary steps to protect the health of their patients, staff, and community while continuing to provide essential health care, in compliance with the State Public Health Officer's Order said Randall Marshall, executive director American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama. The consequences of being unable to obtain an abortion profoundly impact a persons life, health and well-being. According to a statement by the the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology abortion is an essential surgical procedure amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Abortion is an essential component of comprehensive health care, ACOG said in the statement. It is also a time-sensitive service for which a delay of several weeks, or in some cases days, may increase the risks or potentially make it completely inaccessible. The consequences of being unable to obtain an abortion profoundly impact a persons life, health, and well-being. Providing abortions during a global crisis is especially important, said Amanda Reyes, executive director of Yellowhammer Fund, a reproductive rights organization in Alabama. Like the medical professionals working diligently to provide this constitutionally protected service, we will continue to do everything in our power to make sure no one in Alabama is denied their human right to bodily autonomy, Reyes said. In addition to helping fund abortion in the South, Yellowhammer Fund is also offering free emergency contraceptives to people in Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida panhandle in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alabama passed a law banning nearly all abortions in the state in May 2019, but a federal judge blocked the ban from going into affect until after a lawsuit brought on by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Alabama played out in the courts. Alabamas three abortion clinics are the West Alabama Womens Center in Tuscaloosa, Reproductive Health Services in Montgomery and Alabama Womens Center in Huntsville. In Alabama a patient must schedule an appointment at least 48 hours before both surgical and medical abortion procedures. NJ Man Who Coughed on Wegmans Worker Facing Charges of Making Terroristic Threats New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday said a man is facing charges for allegedly coughing on a grocery store worker before saying he contracted the CCP virus. George Falcone, 50, was charged with making terroristic threats, harassment, and obstruction, according to Murphy. The incident allegedly unfolded in a Wegmans store in Manalapan, the states attorney general said in a statement. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide. There are knuckleheads out there. We see them and we are enforcing behavior, Murphy told reporters on Tuesday. The female employee at the Wegmans said the man was standing too close to her and an open display of food, said the attorney generals office. The worker then told him to step back as she covered the food. Instead, Falcone allegedly stepped forward to within 3 feet of her, leaned toward her, and purposely coughed, the office said. He allegedly laughed and said he was infected with the coronavirus. According to prosecutors, Falcone then allegedly told two other Wegmans employees that theyre lucky to have jobs amid the pandemic. A Manalapan Police Department detective who was working security approached Falcone. He didnt cooperate and failed to provide his name or identification, according to officials. After some time, he then identified himself and was allowed to leave the Wegmans. Falcone then received a summons to appear in court at a later date, the office wrote. These are extremely difficult times in which all of us are called upon to be considerate of each other not to engage in intimidation and spread fear, as alleged in this case, said Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. He added: We must do everything we can to deter this type of conduct and any similar conduct that harms others during this emergency. Just as we are cracking down on bias offenses and those who use the pandemic to fuel hatred and prejudice, we vow to respond swiftly and strongly whenever someone commits a criminal offense that uses the coronavirus to generate panic or discord. Falcone could face three to five years in a state prison for one of the charges and faces up to two years in prison for the other charges. I commend the officers and detectives involved in this case for bringing criminal charges against the individual responsible for causing additional stress to the employees and patrons of Wegmans during these unprecedented times, said Manalapan Police Chief Michael Fountain in a statement. It sickens me to think an individual would lower their basic human standards during a time of crisis such as we are experiencing. As evident by these charges, law enforcement will not tolerate individuals breaking the law and placing others in fear during an already tense situation. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed Saudi Arabia to call a virtual G20 Summit, Saudi Arabias King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz is set to chair it on March 26. The Group of 20 major economies will discuss the global response to the coronavirus pandemic which has claimed nearly 19,000 lives across the world. "King Salman will chair the meeting to advance a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its human and economic implications," a statement released by Riyadh read. Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders Summit which will discuss the ways to combat the crisis and its impact on the world economy. Leaders from other affected countries like Spain, Singapore, and Jordan will also join the G20 members via videoconference. Read: Saudi Arabia Imposes Dusk-to-dawn Curfew To Curb Coronavirus Spread Impact on the global economy According to the latest report, Saudi Arabia has confirmed 767 cases of coronavirus with one recorded death. The rising death toll around the globe has forced governments to take stringent measures in the form of lockdowns has severely impacted the economy. Earlier, King Salman had called the coronavirus pandemic as a difficult phase in world history and warned that the upcoming phase will be even more difficult for the world. Addressing the nation on March 19, the Saudi King, however, expressed confidence that this will pass and the Kingdom will take all necessary measures for the safety of people. Read: ICMR Rules Out Connection Between COVID-19 And Hot Weather, Cites Saudi Arabia: Sources The 84-year-old monarch, in a rare public address, underlined the Kingdoms response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. King Salman said that Saudi Arabia is continuing to take all precautionary measures and the country is fully aware of what the world is going through right now. The Saudi King emphasised the need for the individual as well as collective awareness and the importance of adhering to the instructions of relevant authorities. He also expressed his keenness to provide everything required in such critical circumstances to both citizens and expatriates. Read: Saudi Arabia, India To Work Closely In Dealing With Coronavirus: Saudi Envoy Read: Coronavirus Outbreak: Saudi King Warns Of 'more Difficult' Phase In Future Cuomo said on Tuesday that he was developing an anti-body test that could be used to test young people for coronavirus and if they have had it and cleared themselves of it, they should go back to work and restart the economy New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is launching an anti-body test that will identify in young, healthy people who has had COVID-19 and clear them to go back to work so that they can 'restart' the economy. It is part of his strategy to both revive the workforce and isolate the most vulnerable people who are still susceptible to the virus, and is still being developed. Cuomo announced it at a press conference on Tuesday but more needs to be done before the tests become available. When finished, they will take the plasma from a young, healthy person who may have beaten the virus without ever knowing it. In a one-two punch, it will not only clear them to go back to work because they will have proven immunity to it but the anti-bodies in their plasma can then be injected into sick people to try to fight it. Cuomo said on Wednesday that the country does not need to wait for the public health crisis to be completely over before it resumes the economy, and that both can be done at the same time if approached 'intelligently'. 'You can have an economic start-up strategy that is consistent with a public health strategy. 'I believe once we get that test, youre going to find hundreds of thousands of people who have had the coronavirus and resolved. 'Let the younger people go back to work, let the recovered people go back to work. 'Ramp up the economy with those individuals....youre refining your public health strategy and at the same time youre restarting your economy. 'Those two can be consistent if done intelligently,' he said. Cuomo however said he is not prepared to risk even a sliver of the population for the sake of rebooting the economy. Mt Sinai scientists have developed a serologic test for coronavirus that can detect when someone has developed antibodies after being infected with the virus, Researchers at Mt Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine announced Monday that they had developed the first so-called serologic test for COVID-19 in the US, and plan to roll it out in the next few days in its clinics. Serologic testing will likely confirm what experts suspect: that thousands more people than have tested positive for coronavirus have actually contracted and cleared the infection. Although more than 81 percent of people who catch coronavirus are thought to only develop mild symptoms and recover from the disease, the remaining, more severely ill patients are still enough to quickly overwhelm US hospitals. 'They may have been infected and resolved and never knew it, but if they had coronavirus and it resolved, now they have an immunity to the coronavirus,' and most doctors believe it could be for a 'significantly' long time, Cuomo said. Both he and Mt Sinai suggested the tests will first be administered to health professionals, but such testing could also help jump start the economy once it's available more broadly. But it won't last forever. Health care workers will get coronavirus, and have to stay at home to keep from infecting vulnerable patients, leaving hospitals under-staffed. The new blood test will at least tell those workers when its safe to return to work and may indicate to others that they've already been infected without getting seriously ill and are now immune. 'They may have been infected and resolved and never knew it, but if they had coronavirus and it resolved, now they have an immunity to the coronavirus,' and most doctors believe it could be for a 'significantly' long time, Cuomo said. Both he and Mt Sinai suggested the tests will first be administered to health professionals, but such testing could also help jump start the economy once it's available more broadly. That would serve Cuomo's assertion and plan that both public health and the economy have to be tended to amid the coronavirus crisis - not just one or the other. Cuomo called the serologic assay 'a new level of testing.' Diagnostic testing for coronavirus has stumbled into existence in the US, and is only just becoming widely available across the country where the expansion of tests means thousands of additional cases are being identified a day. Serologic tests are typically cheaper, faster, more reliable than diagnostics like the CDC's swab test, though they also serve a different purpose. People whose blood tests positive for coronavirus antibodies are unlikely to be re-infected and may be able to return to work, helping to restart the the US's largely paused economy. And when enough people's blood tests positive for these antibodies, it will signal to health officials that restrictions on movement, business and social contact can be relaxed without risking a steep uptick in the virus's spread. One of the greatest challenges to containing and understanding the coronavirus epidemic is the mystery number of people who may be unwittingly infected. If COVID-19 behaves similarly in the US to the way it has isn China, more than 80 percent of patients will have only mild symptoms easily mistaken for the common cold or flu: fever, coughing and body aches. One study conducted at Huazhong Unversity of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China - the origin and epicenter of the outbreak - estimated that at least 59 percent of infected individuals had o idea they were sick, didn't get tested and were roaming the city, exposing others to the virus. About 18 percent of the infected passengers on the infamous Diamond Princess cruise ship never developed even mild symptoms of the virus, according to a study conducted by Dr Gerardo Chowell, a mathematical epidemiologist at Georgia State University. By now, it's quite clear that people with more symptoms of COVID-19 are also more contagious. Drive-thru testing sites have cropped up across the US, including in California (pictured), but the serologic test will serve a different function. It will go first to health care workers to find out if they've been infected already and developed an immune defense against the virus Once someone is suspected of having coronavirus, their blood is regularly drawn, and these samples can be analyzed with the serologic test and it can show if they were infected 'a month ' before , the Mt Sinai team said But they're also far easier to identify and contain. It's silent spreaders and the uncertainty of who might be infected that makes coronavirus dangerous and makes sweeping restrictions on activity necessary. Since the early days of the pandemic - before officials would call it a 'pandemic' the World Health Organization has repeated that a serologic test will be key to painting a clearer pictured of how much of the population is really infected, and how serious coronavirus really is for most. Already, these tests have been developed by China, Singapore and South Korea and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed and is verifying their test. Now, the US, which has struggled so much to deploy swab diagnostic tests, finally has a blood test for antibodies against coronavirus, according to a preprint published by the Mt Sinai team last week. Mt Sinai uploaded step-by-step instructions for its test on Monday, to be used by other hospitals and research labs, Dr Florian Krammer, head of the microbiology labe that created the blood test told Leapsmag. These antibodies should be detectable after about seven days of infection. Dr Krammer told Leapsmag that patients suspected of having coronavirus have their blood drawn regularly, and these samples can be analzyed with the serologic test without doing a new blood draw. The serologic test can also detect antibodies in someone who is not currently sick, but had been a month previous. And if these people, or those currently infected, have high enough levels of these antibodies, they may be protected against the virus going forward. 'People probably cannot get reinfected once they mount a good immune response and have antibody levels,' Dr Krammer told Leapsmag. Once that is the case, these people are more likely safe to resume relatively normal activities, without risk of becoming infected or infecting someone else (if they've tested negative for the virus itself). It's still too soon to tell, however, how long this immunity will last. 'If a sizable portion of a local community has some protection, authorities can be more confident in relying less on invasive measures,' wrote former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece. 'Once deployed, serological tests are cheap, straightforward, and easy to scale.' But the test won't be for everyone - at least not at first. 'It will be essential workers who need to be tested first, like nurses, firefighters, and doctors,' said Dr Krammer. 'It will be great to know that they would not put themselves or others at risk by going back to work because they cannot spread the disease.' Dr Krammer and his team don't yet know how widely the serologic test will be available, but they have widely distributed the instructions for the testing protocol, but their clinics will begin using it this week. Celebrity chef Richard Corrigan does not expect his London restaurants to be operational again before September. The Co Meath native shut the doors on his Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill, Corrigan's Mayfair and Daffodil Mulligan sites in London last Friday in response to the coronavirus. The operation employs 140 and in a telephone interview yesterday, Mr Corrigan said: "I am thinking it is a four-month closure, minimum." He added: "I can't see myself up and running before mid-August, getting ready for September. "We are in for a very, very rough year - a horrific year." Reflecting on the closure of his businesses due to Covid-19, Mr Corrigan said: "I am still in a bit of shock over the whole affair. We are in a great place to come out of the other side but when is the other side? Four months? Five months? Six months?" He concluded: "There is no question we will come out of this. We have a very strong company." Penny Wong has slammed Scott Morrison for not being clear over Australia's social distancing lockdown. The Labor Senator for South Australia told ABC's News Breakfast on Wednesday that Australia should be taking its lead from other virus-stricken countries. 'Whilst I understand this is a very challenging situation, we believe that Mr Morrison should follow the lead of (other) countries,' Senator Wong said. Penny Wong has slammed Scott Morrison for not being clear over Australia's social distancing lockdown On Tuesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced more lockdown restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19. The new restrictions include limiting the number of people at weddings and funerals, closing food courts at shopping centres and shutting beauty salons. The raft of new measures stopped short of a complete shutdown. There was speculation Mr Morrison may announce a British style home lockdown, where residents are only able to leave their properties to work or go to the supermarket. However health officials advised him the 'trigger point' hadn't been reached yet. Senator Wong also took aim at the Federal Government's communication with the public during the ongoing crisis. 'The second thing the government needs to do, I think, is be clearer in its communication,' she said 'In the inconsistent messages and vacuum of communication that we've seen, people's anxiety is obviously climbing.' She also criticised the government's communication with Australians who were stranded overseas. 'The issue we have here is Australians overseas were told "get home if you want to come home" because commercial options will dry up,' Senator Wong said. On Tuesday Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) announced a raft of new restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 She said many Australians tried to take the advice but the commercial options dried up too quickly, leaving them stranded. 'We really need the government to come forward with a clear plan to deal with those Australians who are stranded elsewhere,' she said. Senator Wong wants the government to work with Qantas, Virgin or other providers to help Australians return home and ensure the costs of their return aren't too high. She said it was the government's duty to 'provide assistance to Australians who are stranded around the world'. '(And) to provide, if necessary, assisted departures to Australians who have no other commercial alternative,' Senator Wong said. Ms Wong is also calling for the processing of visas for immediate family members of Australian citizens rushing to return home to be expedited. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade consular teams need to be properly resourced to meet the unprecedented demands to assist Australians overseas. Senator Wong said she wanted to see the Federal Government do more and work with airlines to get Australians who are stranded overseas home safely 'We commend the work ... they are doing to assist Australian overseas. But we continue to see cases of Australians not being able to access timely and comprehensive advice and assistance,' Senator Wong said. However Australians stranded in the United Kingdom are now being offered visa extensions by the government. UK Home Secretary Priti Patel announced that all foreign nationals stuck in the country will be able to apply for special visa extensions lasting until May 31. 'Many foreign nationals have found themselves unable to return home since the outbreak of COVID-19 due to flight cancellations and border restrictions,' a Home Office statement said on Tuesday. 'The extension has been put in place to give these individuals peace of mind that they will not be penalised for overstaying their visa when the situation is out of their control due to COVID-19.' 'Those who contact the Home Office for these visa extensions will be expected to return to their home countries as soon as possible once flight and border restrictions are lifted. Senator Wong stayed away from federal parliament on Monday after waking up feeling unwell and was tested for COVID-19 following medical advice. 'That test has been returned negative,' she said in a statement on Tuesday. 'As soon as I am feeling well enough to travel I will return to Adelaide from Canberra. 'I would like to thank the medical professionals who have been so helpful, and my colleagues and the many members of the community who have sent me kind messages.' But there are pitfalls. In Spain, it was the military that discovered that patients in a nursing home had been abandoned amid the pandemic. But that led to a spitting match between the countrys minister of defense, who criticized health workers for leaving their posts, and the union representing those workers, who said they had not been given enough equipment by the government. In Liberia, during the 2014 Ebola crisis, the president deployed the countrys military to enforce a sudden, mandatory quarantine of a densely populated slum, with disastrous results: Protests broke out, and soldiers fired live rounds into the crowd. A 15-year-old was shot and killed. The American military is recognized as a formidable fighting force, with logistical, communications and supply networks that excel in extremis. The people now calling on the military to help think more can and should be done, as a number of governors, mayors and municipal officials in besieged cities across the United States have made television appearances to plead for aid from the Defense Department. The military has extraordinary medical capacity of its own thats been honed in fighting wars, Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York told NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday. They can handle any situation. All that great personnel who are medically trained should be sent to places where this crisis is deep, like New York, right now. In particular, the armed services know how to set up command-and-control centers, how to stock warehouses and how to transport doctors, nurses and medical materials around the country, and quickly. Gen. Mark A. Milley, the countrys top military officer, said on Monday that two Army field hospitals would arrive in New York and Seattle by Thursday, bringing to each city the ability to care for an additional 248 patients. The hospitals, one to each city, will have 11 ventilators each. Other mobile combat hospitals are prepared to deploy and may soon be headed to stricken areas, General Milley said. The Mercy, the Navy hospital ship based in San Diego, is bound for Los Angeles with its 1,000 beds. An ambulance sits outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, March 23, 2020, as the Senate continues negotiations on a relief package in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, known as the coronavirus. The historic stimulus package Congress passed grants the millions of Americans with federal student loans a break from their payments for at least six months. Under the $2 trillion bill, federal student loan borrowers won't have to make a payment toward their debt until this October. Any interest that accrues during the suspension will be waived. And even if a borrower isn't making payments during the reprieve, the time will still count toward the government's forgiveness programs, if he or she is pursuing one, such as public service loan forgiveness. The six-month break is automatic, meaning borrowers won't need to contact their student loan servicer to request it. Collection practices, such as seizing defaulted federal student loan borrowers' tax refunds and Social Security checks, will also cease throughout the public health crisis, delivering relief to the roughly 9 million borrowers in default, or those who haven't made a payment in a year or more. (The U.S. Department of Education also announced this week that it would refund any money it had already collected from past-due borrowers during the pandemic, estimating that would help some 830,000 people.) There's a provision in the stimulus package that says employers wouldn't have to pay taxes on financial assistance they give to their employees for their student debt, though it only lasts until the end of the year. SAULT STE. MARIE, MI - The Soo Locks reopened to Great Lakes freighter traffic early Wednesday, and the upbound H. Lee White slid in to claim the honors as the first big laker to go through the Poe Lock as the 2020 shipping season got underway. The locks system had been closed since mid-January for its annual winter maintenance work. Right on time, at one minute past midnight, the lower gates of the Poe Lock opened and the H. Lee White made its way into the lock, officially opening the 2020 navigation season at the Soo Locks in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. The 704-foot-long vessel is headed to Superior, Wisconsin, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, said on its Facebook post today. The H. Lee White cleared the locks just before 1 a.m. and began its journey across Lake Superior. DRE Designs, a really informative site to follow if you are a Great Lakes freighters fan, captured some great pictures and video of the H. Lee White as the ship traveled up toward the locks on Tuesday. See those below. The H. Lee White is owned by the New York-based American Steamship Company. It has a dozen freighters crisscrossing the Great Lakes, with half of them in the 1,000-footer ranks. The H. Lee White measures 704 feet. It has six cargo holds and its load capacity is more than 35,000 tons. The ship was built in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. in 1974. The M/V H. Lee White is powered by two 3500 HP General Motors Electro Motive Division (EMD) diesel engines, ASC says on its website. The vessel uses a conveyor system below its cargo holds to transport cargo to an inclined conveyor system that elevates the cargo to the deck-mounted boom conveyor. For maneuvering in port, the vessel is equipped with 1,000 HP bow and stern thrusters. Earlier this week, U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard ships locked through the Soo on their way to ice-breaking duties on both sides of the border. Our First Ship of the Year for the 2020 Shipping Season arrives in the Harbor! It's the H Lee White from ASC! (Yes I'm... Posted by DRE Designs - Great Lakes Marine Products on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 Some First Ship of the Year arrival shots shared with us by Jim Lehocky folks! Love them! Thanks Jim! Makes me wish I... Posted by DRE Designs - Great Lakes Marine Products on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 The Soo Locks engineering system in the St. Marys River is designed to move ships and cargo between Lake Superior and the lower level of Lake Huron. Its the only way ships can travel between the upper and lower Great Lakes. It takes about 22 million gallons of water to raise the level of the Poe Lock by 21 feet when a big ship comes through, the Army Corps said. Each year, the locks handle more than 4,500 vessels carrying up to 80 million tons of cargo. Iron ore, limestone and coal make up the bulk of what is coming through on the big freighters. Right on time, at one minute past midnight, the lower gates of the Poe Lock opened and the H. Lee White made its way... Posted by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 A lock and dam operator stands by as the Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaker Samuel Risley locked through the Poe Lock in... Posted by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District on Monday, March 23, 2020 READ MORE Soo Locks empties its largest lock, see inside 600,000 pounds of debris found at bottom of empty Soo Locks MARACAIBO, Venezuela In their final minutes together, Jean Carlos, 8, held his mothers hand like an anchor and promised to take deep breaths so he wouldnt cry. His sister, Crisol, 10, hid angrily in the kitchen. His brother, Cristian, 12, hauled a blue suitcase into the yard. Past the family gate, Aura Fernandez, 38, a single mother of 10, beat back a surge of tears. Her bus came rolling down the road. Then she kissed her children, climbed aboard and disappeared. I love you, she said just before setting out. Study hard. Seven years into an economic collapse, Venezuelas migrant crisis has grown into one of the largest in the world. Millions have already left. By the end of 2020, an estimated 6.5 million people will have fled, according to the United Nations refugee agency a number rarely, if ever, seen outside of war. But hidden inside that data is a startling phenomenon. Venezuelas mothers and fathers, determined to find work, food and medicine, are leaving hundreds of thousands of children in the care of grandparents, aunts, uncles and even siblings who have barely passed puberty themselves. Many parents do not want to put their children through the grueling and sometimes very dangerous upheaval of displacement. Others simply cannot afford to take them along. The exodus is so large that it is reshaping the very concept of childhood in Venezuela, sending grade schoolers into the streets to work and leaving many exposed to the swirl of abusive players who have filled the vacuum left by the collapsing Venezuelan state, including sex traffickers and armed groups. By one assessment, conducted by Caracas-based aid organization CECODAP and polling firm Datanalisis, migrating parents have left behind nearly 1 million children. You grow up fast, said Fernandezs niece, Silvany, a 9-year-old with long hair and a husky voice. Her mother went to work in Colombia in October. Since then, Silvany and her cousins have remained with her ailing grandparents. And the fourth-grader has assumed many of the responsibilities for her little brother, Samuel, 1, feeding him and cradling him at night. Im his sister, she said, but really Im the nanny. In rare situations, children have been passed from grandparent to cousin to neighbor, with each caretaker migrating or disappearing, until young people finally have found themselves alone. This is a phenomenon that is going to change the face of our society, said Abel Saraiba, a psychologist at CECODAP, which provides counseling to Venezuelan children. These separations, he added, have the potential to weaken the very generation that is supposed to one day rebuild a battered Venezuela. The departures are overwhelming community organizations, many of which have seen their donors middle- and upper-class families flee the country just as they need them most. Julie Turkewitz is a New York Times writer. Ammunition might be as hard to find as toilet paper in San Antonio these days. Lines streamed out of gun stores across the city Tuesday, and store owners said theyve seen nearly unprecedented business amid the coronavirus pandemic. One retailer said his sales in recent days have been three times the amount he sold during Christmastime. People are scared and wanting to defend their castle, said Edward DeWees, owner of Ranger Firearms. We get a shipment every single day of ammo, and within an hour, $10,000 of ammo will be out the door. DeWees said customers primarily have been buying pistols, assault rifles and ammunition. By mid-morning Tuesday, there was an hourlong line to get into Adelbridge and Co. Firearms on San Pedro Avenue. Owner Jonathan Hirsch said business at his store had more than doubled amid the virus outbreak. He was too busy to tell a reporter much more. Online ammunition retailer Ammo.com has reported a 720 percent rise in sales nationwide since Feb. 23, compared with the prior month. Sales spiked the most in Texas, where the website experienced an 800 percent jump in ammunition sales. Florida and Illinois also saw some of the largest growth in sales. In late February, DeWees said his cousin, who owns a gun store in Alabama, suggested he should stock up on ammunition as the virus began spreading in the U.S. DeWees said he initially dismissed the suggestion, but later decided to stock up on months worth of ammunition inventory. I thought, Im going to take a gamble. I went and bought all kinds of ammo, DeWees said. It came in on Tuesday, and it was gone by noon on Wednesday. It was a gamble I could have had a ton of inventory that was going to take six months to move. But instead, it was something that took six hours. The federal government doesnt comprehensively track data on gun sales, but the FBI reports the number of firearm background checks initiated per month, a proxy of sales numbers. In February, the most recent month data is available, the FBI initiated 2.8 million firearm background checks. That was more than in all but two months since the FBI began reporting the figure in 1998. Gun safety advocates point out that people typically buy more firearms during an election year, or when political rhetoric surrounding guns heats up as it did when former presidential hopeful Beto ORourke called for a national ban on assault weapons. Through January and February, the FBI initiated 5.5 million firearm background checks nationally. The last time the bureau conducted more than 5 million background checks through the first two months of the year was 2016, also an election year. Gun safety advocates voiced concern about the influx of weapons into the community. With people confined to their homes because of COVID-19, social isolation and lack of interaction presents a dangerous mix when adding firearms, they said. These guns are going to stay in the system long after coronavirus, said Gyl Switzer, executive director of Texas Gun Sense. Thats a problem we have in Texas with weapons being lost or stolen, or not secured appropriately, which leads to unintentional injuries as well as intentional. Advocates said gun owners should focus even more on storing guns and ammunition safely and separately now that nearly every child is at home during the day instead of school. San Antonios high rate of domestic violence also is a concern, advocates said. Often, domestic violence is exacerbated by firearms being in the home, research has found. Some guns are going into homes of domestic abusers, or people who are suicidal, parents with teenagers who are stressed out and impulsive, or are left unsecured around children, said Danna Halff, a San Antonio volunteer for Moms Demand Action. Halff pointed to the Gun Safety 4 Bexar initiative, which began offering free gun locks to county residents last fall, as a way to improve gun safety practices. Buy guns if you think you need them to do whatever you need to do to keep your family safe, she said. But that includes locking your guns, securing your guns so your children who are home cannot access them, so they cant hurt themselves or unintentionally shoot each other because theyre playing with a loaded gun. diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net Miguel Malvar was the last Filipino general to surrender to the American forces during the Philippine-American war to gain independence. He is one of the national heroes who will be remembered by generations and generations to come. Miguel stood out among all the other contemporaries during the Philippine revolutionary army. While the others seemed to waste a lot of time trying to sow political intrigues, he opted to lead on the battlefield. He spent practically all his time leading his men in battling for their independence from Spain between August 1896 and December 1897. Miguel Malvar profile summary Full name: Miguel Malvar Miguel Malvar Date of birth : 27th September 1865 : 27th September 1865 Place of birth: Santo Tomas, Batangas, Philippines Santo Tomas, Batangas, Philippines Miguel Malvar age at death: 46 years 46 years Miguel Malvar cause of death: Liver cancer Liver cancer Nationality: Filipino Who is Miguel Malvar? He is one of the greatest men in Filipino history. He served the Filipino during the Philippine Revolution and consequently, during the Philippine-American War. After the arrest of Emilio Aguinaldo in 1901 during the war, Miguel assumed duty as the commander of the armed forces. Miguel Malvar biography Miguel was born on 27th September 1865 in San Miguel Santo Tomas, Batangas. His parents are Maximo Malvar (father) and Tiburcio Carpio (mother). His family was known throughout the town due to their wealth, diligence, and generosity. He joined the town school located in Santo Tomas, but later on, he transferred to a private school in Tanauan Batangas run by Father Valerio Malabanan. During that time, it was considered as the most prestigious institution in Batangas. After school, he opted to settle down as a farmer rather than pursuing higher education in Manila. He joined forces in helping his intellectual smaller brother named Potenciano to further his education in medicine. He was later on chosen to become the Capitan municipal in his hometown. In 1891, he married Paula Maloles, the beautiful daughter of Capitan municipal of Santo Tomas, Don Ambrocio Maloles. READ ALSO: Ethel Booba bio: age, songs, parents Contribution of Miguel Malvar in the Philippines General Miguel Malvar largely contributed to the independence of the Philippines by taking the forefront role in the Philippine Revolution and Philippine-American War. Philippine Revolution The revolution started in August 1896, and Malvar emerged from becoming the leader of an army of 70 men to the military commander of the Batangas. As the commander, he worked with General Emilio Aguinaldo, who was the leader of revolutionaries in Cavite, and General Paciano Rizal, the leader of revolutionaries in Laguna. On 1st November 1897, the provisional constitution for the Biak-na-Bato Republic was signed. Towards the end of 1897, Governor-General Primo de Rivera came to terms with the impossibility to subdue the revolution through force of arms. I can take Biak-na-Bato, any military man can take it, but I cannot answer that I could crush the rebellion, he said. Pedro A. Paterno, a distinguished lawyer from Manila, proposed peace based on reforms and amnesty. The proposal led to a peace agreement known as Pact of Biak-na-Bato. It was made of three documents. Two were signed on 14th December 1897 while the third one was signed on 15th December 1897. It brought an end to the Republic of Biak-na-Bato. Miguel, together with Paciano Rizal, Mariano Trias, Artemio Ricarte, and Manuel Tinio, were against the pact. This group of generals claimed that the agreement was a trick to get rid of the revolution quickly. To counter the stiff resistance of Miguel, Aguinaldo allotted a circular that ordered all generals to cease the fight. Philippine-American War On 19th May 1898, Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines in the company of 13 military staff. The delivery of arms arrived from Hong Kong, consisting of 2,000 riffles and 200,000 rounds of ammunition. On 13th August 1898, the Americans captured Manila. The hostilities between Filipinos and Americans began on 4th February 1899. Malvar was tasked with the role of leading the war to regain the grounds that had been lost earlier by Filipinos. Unfortunately, the insubordination of the Kawit Battalion led to the collapse of the Filipino offensive. On 23rd March 1901, Aguinaldo was captured by General Frederick Funston with the help of Macebebe scouts. General Trias had been chosen as the successor of Aguinaldo to become the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Filipino. Since General Trias had already surrendered on 15th March 1901, Malvar was declared the President of the Philippine Republic. In January 1902, J. Franklin Bell, an American General, become the commander of operations in Batangas, where he practiced scorched earth tactics. The tactic took a heavy toll on the Filipinos; hence Malvar opted to escape the American patrol through disguises. On 13th April 1902, Malvar surrendered to Bell in Rosario as a result of desertion by most of his top officers. He wanted to end the sufferings of his countrymen. When the Philippine and American war was over, he refused to take any position in the American colonial government. He died on 13th October 1911 and was buried in his hometown in Santo Tomas, Batangas. Miguel Malvar's cause of death was liver cancer. Children Paula and Malvar bore 13 children, but only 11 survived. The 11 Miguel Malvar children who survived were Bernabe, Aurelia, Marciano, Maximo, Crispina, Mariquita, Luz Constancia, Miguel Junior, Pablo, Paula, and Isabel. General Miguel tended to take his wife and children to the battle. READ ALSO: Ivana Alawi age, height, family, boyfriend, bio Miguel Malvar movie Malvar is a Filipino biographical war film written by Ed Samson and directed by Jose Kaka Balagtas. The video is aimed at depicting the life of Miguel. The plans to produce this film became more known by the public in late 2019 amidst the arising controversies. One of the Miguel Malvar descendants claimed that the production team did not seek permission to shoot such a film. Quotable quotes Here are Miguel Malvar quotes: Meditation is known to change your life for the better by enhancing your physical health, improving your sleep, and helping you achieve your goals, both spiritual and mental. I have read that there are two fears that cannot be trained out of usthe startle reaction upon hearing an unexpected noise and vertigo. I would like to add a third, to wit, the rapid and direct approach of a known killer. Image: pexels.com, (modified by author) Source: UGC You're like a man who loves nothing better than a thick steak but wouldn't last an hour in a slaughterhouse. Birth isn't something we suffer but something we actively do and exult in! Wherever you find a wife and mother-in-law slugging it out, you'll find a son who's not speaking up to either his mother or his wife You are writing for your contemporaries, not for posterity. If you are lucky, your contemporaries will become posterity Miguel Malvar books The general wrote a book titled Miguel Malvar and the Philippine Revolution: A Biography, which was published in 1998. The book documents all the incidences, which took place while the general was leading his country in the fight for independence. It chronicles the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine American war occurrences. Miguel Malvar history and commemoration Image: instagram.com @MiguelMalvar Source: UGC The government of the Philippine has done numerous historical things in celebration of the great revolutionary leader. Some of them include: Miguel Malvar Class Corvette: A ship class of patrol corvettes of the Philippine Navy. Currently, they are the oldest class of corvettes in the Philippines. A ship class of patrol corvettes of the Philippine Navy. Currently, they are the oldest class of corvettes in the Philippines. General Miguel Malvar Essay Writing Contest: Conducted by Extra Mile Productions in commemoration of his 100th death anniversary. Conducted by Extra Mile Productions in commemoration of his 100th death anniversary. Malvar Batangas: A second class municipality located in the Philippines. A second class municipality located in the Philippines. Santo Tomas Museum: To celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birthday. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birthday. Miguel Malvar coin: In 2015, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released a commemorative coin in honor of the general's 150th birthday. Miguel Malvar coin value is 10peso. In 2015, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released a commemorative coin in honor of the general's 150th birthday. Miguel Malvar coin value is 10peso. Miguel Malvar monument: The monument is found in Batangas The monument is found in Batangas General Miguel Malvar Medical Foundation: General Miguel Malvar Hospital is a pediatrics hospital in the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City. General Miguel Malvar Hospital is a pediatrics hospital in the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City. General Miguel Malvar Elementary School: It is located in Mangga Avenue, Barangay, in Metro Manila. General Miguel Malvar is more than just a name to the Philippines. He is the man who led the war against the Americans and took the first position in the revolution of the Philippines. Many years after his death, Filipinos are still enjoying the fruits of his labor. READ ALSO: Erin Ocampo: biography, age, height, family, Instagram Source: KAMI.com.gh Following his close contact with the governor of Bauchi State, Bala Muhammed and Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who have both tested positive for coronavirus, the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has gone into self-isolation. In a statement on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said the governor has sent his samples for testing. Mr Osagie said, The governor has gone into self-isolation after the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed and Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, tested positive for coronavirus. The governor had met Senator Mohammed at the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and National Economic Council (NEC) meetings. He also visited Mr Kyari. He said although the governor is not showing any symptoms of the virus, he has taken the necessary precaution to self-isolate, to protect people that may otherwise come in contact with him. Outbreak More cases of COVID-19 are still expected to be reported in the country. The government has intensified contact tracing to track those who might have been in contact with the infected people, some of whom have already found and tested positive to the virus. Among the people who have tested positive to the disease in Nigeria are government officials, administrators among others. These include Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is currently on self-isolation after meeting with some of the infected officials. Many other top officials have also commenced self isolation. Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more Instagram on Tuesday announced a slew of new capabilities to combat misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, along with a co-watching feature that helps users feel less isolated while sheltering at home. Efforts to clamp down on misinformation include the following: Removing COVID-19 accounts from recommendations unless they are posted by a credible health organization; Downranking feed and Stories content that third-party checkers have flagged as false; Removing false posts from Explore and hashtag pages and false claims or conspiracy theories that could cause harm; Prohibiting misleading ads for products referring to COVID-19; Temporarily banning ads and branded content promoting certain medical supplies including face masks; Adding stickers to promote accurate information; and Including more educational resources in Instagram Search. Additionally, Instagram has created a shared story to help make social distancing more bearable, through a Stay Home sticker, and it launched the co-watching capability it began testing last year. Wrangling Facts We work with third-party fact-checkers, who rate content across Facebook (Instagrams parent company) and Instagram, a Facebook spokesperson said, in a response company rep Raki Wane provided to TechNewsWorld. Instagram applies a label to content deemed false or partially false, and adds a link to a fact-check explaining why the information may be incorrect, the spokesperson said. Instagram has not set a time limit on its temporary ban on ads and branded content because of the evolving timeline of this health emergency, the spokesperson noted. The new stickers, which include reminders to users to wash their hands and distance themselves from others, will be available over the next few days. A search for information relating to coronavirus or COVID-19 will trigger a message connecting searchers to resources from the World Health Organization and local health agencies. It will be available globally in the coming weeks. Assessing Instagrams Effort This is an incredibly positive and much needed move by Instagram, remarked Liz Miller, principal analyst at Constellation Research. It not only addresses issues around misinformation and fraudsters looking to prey on chaos, but it also does more to better connect people who may feel more socially isolated than distant. Instagram is uniquely positioned to give people an outlet one where they can connect with friends and family, and see the positive stories out there to add a bit of sunshine, she told TechNewsWorld. That said, Instagram will have to decide whether misinformation is an issue only at the apex of a crisis, Miller noted. A D V E R T I S E M E N T If it decides misinformation is a problem only during a crisis, Instagram will need to define what a crisis is, who calls it, what experts get pulled onto the assessment and response team and communicate this intention now, she said. This effort is pretty impressive if they execute to plan, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. If they can, Instagram has set the new bar for what can and should be done with social media, he told TechNewsWorld. Instagrams Co-Watching Capability Instagrams co-sharing feature lets users view Instagram posts with their friends over video chat. This is the best shot it has to get people to use tools like this, with large numbers of people locked in their homes, Enderle observed. CrossFit trainer Tyson Stoll was among the first users to give it a spin. Just used it with my CrossFit friends. So easy!! pic.twitter.com/RrfNIdrs4F Tyson Stoll (@tjsjeep) March 24, 2020 A D V E R T I S E M E N T This co-watching feature turns a passive action into a shared event, Constellations Miller said, but I just asked two teens, one 14 and the other 18, about it via Instagram and the universal answer I got was Why?' Instagram began testing the co-watching feature in March of last year. Big Techs Efforts to Fight Misinformation Social media platforms have taken unprecedented steps to stop the spread of coronavirus-related misinformation, noted Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at eMarketer. Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter and YouTube last week announced they would collaborate to combat misinformation about coronavirus. However, their efforts might not be enough, suggested Miller. Just today, on Facebook, I was served a sponsored ad for childrens protective hats with a clear face guard guaranteed to stop droplets of spit which could contain a virus.' Lawmakers should be approached for help, said Enderle. You cant win by playing whack-a-mole. You have to be able to go after the criminals, and law enforcement can do that, he said. Put a few of them in jail with impressive fines that exceed their profits, and youll cut back significantly on this behavior. Criminals With a Conscience Various United States law enforcement agencies have warned about the ever-increasing number of coronavirus-related scams. Some ransomware gangs reportedly have pledged to stop attacking health organizations during the pandemic. However, at least two have not refrained. Weve seen documented cases of cybercriminal rings continuing to attack even after pledging not to, said Chris Clements, VP of Solutions Architecture at Cerberus Sentinel. That could be because they are geographically distant from their victims, Clements told TechNewsWorld. Other possibilities are that they see their pledge as a way to get potential victims to lower their guard, or they might fear other cybercriminals will beat them to the punch. Such a pledge is meaningless because cybercriminals really have nothing to lose by breaking the promise not to attack, observed Erich Kron, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4. Further, there is also no indicator of when they will resume the attacks. Healthcare organizations need to maintain vigilance because the stakes are so high, Kron told TechNewsWorld. Today, the gold star goes to Instagram for tackling two issues: misinformation and combating the feeling of isolation, Constellations Miller said. The real test will be what happens tomorrow, when COVID-19 is not the primary headline causing misinformation to hurl across the Internet. Its easier to rally resources to fight misinformation about a pandemic than it is about political or socially debatable issues, eMarketers Enberg noted. Thats likely one reason why Facebook has stuck by its refusal to fact-check posts and ads from politicians, even as it has expanded its fact-checking programs for other types of content. Tekashi 6ix9ine will be serving the rest of his prison sentence behind bars after requesting to be released to home to avoid contracting coronavirus. A judge denied the rapper's request saying they lacked the legal authority to make such a decision, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ. Tekashi- real name Daniel Hernandez - is currently serving a 24-month sentence after pleading guilty to nine charges included to conspiracy to murder and armed robbery. He is expected to be released in August 2020. Denied: Tekashi 6ix9ine's request to serve the rest of his prison sentence from home to avoid coronavirus was denied by a judge. The rapper is seen in September 2018 above While the judge said they did not have the ability to grant that request, they suggested Hernandez and his legal team reach out to the Bureau Of Prisons directly. Attorney Lance Lazzaro seems to be strongly considering the move, telling TMZ the judge's response is 'a strong recommendation to the BOP to release him immediately.' The judge said if he had known Tekashi - who suffers from asthma - had health issues and to expect a worldwide pandemic, the court would have let him serve his final four months at home. Behind bars: Tekashi- real name Daniel Hernandez - is currently serving a 24-month sentence after pleading guilty to nine charges included to conspiracy to murder and armed robbery. He is expected to be released in August 2020 Outta my hands: A judge denied the rapper's request saying they lacked the legal authority to make such a decision but suggested Tekashi (above July 2018) and his legal team take things up with the Bureau Of Prisons Tekashi's attorney wrote a letter to the courts on Sunday night, explaining why the Gummo rapper was at a high risk for contracting coronavirus. He also disclosed that 6ix9ine had been diagnosed with bronchitis and sinusitis late last year and had been hospitalized to treatment both ailments. Additionally, Lazzaro said that Hernandez had been experiencing shortness of breath and was not being allowed to see a doctor by prison officials. Early release: The rapper is currently incarcerated in New York state, where prisons and jails have become a hotbed for the virus. Cases of the disease at NYC's Rikers Island lead Mayor Bil DeBlasio to release 300 nonviolent, elderly inmates at high risk of contracting COVID-19, according to The Hill The rapper is currently incarcerated in New York state, where prisons and jails have become a hotbed for the virus. Although Hernandez was not able to secure release, cases of the disease at NYC's Rikers Island lead Mayor Bil DeBlasio to release 300 nonviolent, elderly inmates at high risk of contracting COVID-19, according to The Hill. That move came after a New York City Department of Corrections died of the disease, which as of Wednesday has taken the lives of 280, according to the New York Times. As the number of people infected with the coronavirus surpasses 450,000 worldwide, and more than one billion are locked in their homes, scientists are wrestling with one of the most pressing questions of the pandemic: Do people who survive the infection become immune to the virus? The answer is a qualified yes, with some significant unknowns. Thats important for several reasons. People who are confirmed to be immune could venture from their homes and help shore up the work force until a vaccine becomes available, for example. In particular, health care workers who are known to be immune could continue to care for the severely ill. Growing immunity in the community also is the way the epidemic ends: With fewer and fewer people to infect, the coronavirus will lose its toehold and even the most vulnerable citizens become more insulated from the threat. The mayor of Denver has been forced to re-open marijuana and liquor shops only hours after announcing their closure as part of a citywide lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus. According to local reports, the administration had to change its course after residents flocked to the shops to panic buy alcohol and marijuana the night before the lockdown came into force. The mayor, Michael Hancock, originally clarified the inclusion of the outlets in the emergency Stay at Home Order implementing lockdown of all non-essential shops across the city in a press conference at 2pm on Monday, The Denver Post said. However, just hours later he posted an update reversing the inclusion of liquor and marijuana stores in the order. For those of you who have been asking the Public Health Order has been updated to include marijuana and liquor stores. Please do not panic buy, he wrote on Twitter. The Denver Post said some stores saw long lines forming outside shops as residents rushed to buy alcohol and cannabis. The report suggested residents were violating social distancing orders in their attempts to stock up before the closure. Wine and liquor store co-owner Josh Robinson told The Denver Post that his staff had to act as security at his store, only allowing a new shopper in when another one left. Its created a safety issue in the short term, Mr Robinson told the local newspaper. The mayor said not to panic buy, but that is exactly what he encouraged people to do by shutting us down. The City and County of Denvers Twitter announced a revised version of the regulations and also updated their official website in line with the reconsideration. The statement outlined a reversal of the original restrictions regarding liquor and marijuana stores, but only with the implementation of extreme social-distancing measures. Mumbai, March 25 : Actress Dia Mirza has taken to social media to raise concern for senior citizens living alone as there is a lockdown across the nation amidst widespread coronavirus scare. She has tweeted urging the government to clarify curfew guidelines so that the vulnerable sections of society can plan better for the days ahead. I live at CHS where 80% of our residents are senior citizens. Many living alone. We have no access to vegetables and fruits as all vendors say the police havent allowed them to go to the main market. Online deliveries are shut. @mybmc @MumbaiPolice. Essentials are essential. Dia Mirza (@deespeak) March 24, 2020 "I live at CHS where 80% of our residents are senior citizens. Many living alone. We have no access to vegetables and fruits as all vendors say the police haven't allowed them to go to the main market. Online deliveries are shut. Essentials are essential," she tweeted on March 24. "We have put in place health protocols keeping in mind the age/needs of our senior members. This curfew needs guidelines that allow neighbourhood vegetables vendors to reach the whole sale market. Respect the need for curfew BUT it needs to ensure essentials are not affected," she added. She is sympathetic to the protocols issued by the government and acknowledges the noble intentions behind them. She added via Twitter: "We understand what you are dealing with currently cannot be easy by any measure. And you are doing this keeping our health in mind." But she has also asked "how we can find solutions so that all can continue to have access to essentials". In order to tackle the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a complete lockdown for 21 days beginning March 25. -- Syndicated from IANS e-Zest and Neurosynaptic Announce a Solution to Help Control the COVID-19 Pandemic e-Zest's vision is to leverage Healthcare technologies to impact human life positively. We are happy to be part of this collaboration & look forward to its contribution to combat the COVID-19 pandemic challenge globally As countries worldwide grapple to contain the spread and flatten the curve while treating the ones infected, the need of the hour is to deploy widespread screening and testing procedures to identify and isolate those showing symptoms. The ReMeDi SCAN-CORONA platform has a 3-pronged approach to controlling the Pandemic that makes the task of Screening, Testing, Tracking and Reporting extremely easy and manageable at a large scale. Shree Shingane Founder and Managing Director, e-Zest Solutions GmbH, Mass screening and testing is the need of the hour. With the scarcity of Healthcare Professionals, there is a need of technology enabled platforms to do this at a large scale with minimal to no human intervention. The ReMeDi SCAN-CORONA brings together remote healthcare expertise and the power of emerging technology such as AI & ML, and promises to reduce the load on the healthcare system, so that timely care reaches the right set of people as fast as possible. The solution features a Corona-Screen Kit a portable, lightweight kit that includes basic screening tools that seamlessly connect and feed data into a Patient Health Record (PHR) system without any manual intervention. It also features a geo-tagging powered Screening app that, by importing and analyzing data from the screening tools as well as travel and medical history. The input from a 3rd party COVID-19 rapid testing kit further enhances the accuracy of the outcome. ReMeDi SCAN-CORONA helps front-line health workers to quickly assess the essential risk factors for a person digitally. It has the unique ability to track the progression of symptoms with time. The Tele-consultation facility allows individuals to obtain counselling as well as consult doctors independent of location, to access timely information and guidance. We are proud to present this solution in collaboration with e-Zest said Sameer Sawarkar CEO -Neurosynaptic. The beauty of this solution is that while it can bring a big relief for COVID-19 screening efforts, it is equally advantageous to heavily burdened Healthcare Providers in remotely treating the non-Corona health requirements as well. The team acknowledges the valuable contribution in terms of clinical inputs for application development, from Dr. Nandakumar, a renowned Public Health expert. e-Zest CEO Devendra Deshmukh said, e-Zest's vision is to leverage Healthcare technologies to impact human life positively. We are happy to be part of this collaboration & look forward to its contribution to combat the pandemic challenge globally." About e-Zest Solutions: http://www.e-zest.com e-Zest is an agile digital technology innovation partner for the Fortune 500 Enterprises, software product companies and International Organizations helping them adopt digital technologies to improve their processes, increase profitability and enhance the customer experience. e-Zest Healthcare (https://healthcare.e-zest.com/), a strategic unit of e-Zest is a specialist provider of healthcare technology and a strategic partner to some of the worlds largest healthcare organizations. e-Zest plays an integral role in accelerating technology innovation across the healthcare sector. e-Zest has offices in Pune, India, Hannover Germany, London UK, Dallas, Chicago & Detroit USA About Neurosynaptic Communications: http://www.neurosynaptic.com Based in Bengaluru, India Neurosynaptic Communications is Indias leading telemedicine and digital health solution provider with presence in South Asia, South East Asia and Africa. Established in 2002, the company provides an integrated solution comprising of its proprietary ReMeDi telemedicine and point-of-care diagnostic equipment and software solutions to enable remote healthcare delivery. The ReMeDi platform enables a video& audio connect between rural customers and remotely located quality physician team for clinical advice and simultaneously diagnoses the customers with low cost point-of-care medical devices Neurosynaptics award-winning solutions are easy to use, even in difficult-to-access and resource constrained areas. These enable end-to-end health care delivery. For all Media enquiries write - Janki Sampat Head Marketing and Industry Solutions e-Zest Solutions Email: janki.sampat@e-zest.com Mobile: +91 8956845480 Business enquiries info@e-zest.com and info@neurosynaptic.com or +91-7338476633 The Mufti of Singapore, Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir. PHOTO: Dhany Osman/Yahoo News Singapore SINGAPORE Singapores highest Islamic authority has assured Muslims that they are not neglecting their religious duties by missing Friday prayers in situations of need, as a shutdown of the countrys mosques is extended amid the coronavirus outbreak. Addressing reporters on Monday (16 March), Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, who oversees key religious rulings for Muslims here as the countrys Mufti, said that there is a misperception that missing Friday prayers, even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, is a sin. In our context, we do not do the Friday prayers, clearly for a very strong reason, justified, accepted in religion, said the 43-year-old, who was speaking at a conference organised by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis). So we will need to educate the community because there is also the possibility that we may need to extend the closure if things become worse. On Monday, Muis extended the temporary closure of mosques in the country for a further nine days until 26 March, following consultations with the Ministry of Health (MOH). The ministry assessed that the risk of a large coronavirus cluster forming from the 101 Singaporean participants of a large religious gathering in Malaysia continues to be real. This is especially so as five individuals confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 frequented at least 10 mosques in Singapore during their infectious period. The extension of the closure is therefore to complete one incubation period to break the cycle of transmission, and to circuit break it, according to Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli at the same conference. The extended closure also means that Friday prayers on 20 March will be suspended. Muslim authorities in countries such as Jordan and Kuwait have adopted similar measures in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. Infographic by Dhany Osman, based on info from Muis Muis also unveiled a slew of preventive measures that will be rolled out once the mosques are re-opened, including conducting mandatory non-contact temperature taking for all congregants, with those unwell to be turned away; and requiring congregants to bring their own prayer mats. Story continues Asked if turning away congregants who have already been unable to carry out Friday prayers for two weeks might spark friction, Masagos said, I think when someone has temperature and we allow him to pray with other congregants, that is irresponsible on the part of the authority. And therefore, it is our duty to turn them away, no matter how angry they become even if they go to social media. He added, Because the temperature is clear - you are 38 degrees and you want to pray with me, I don't want you to be beside me, because you first hurt me and then you hurt my children, you hurt my family and my friends. So I think that's social irresponsibility, and we must not succumb to accommodate such cases. And I think society will be with us if we were to turn them away. Related stories Temporary closure of Singapore mosques to be extended for 9 more days, real risk of large cluster: Muis COVID-19: Muis issues advisory for recent attendees of 10 mosques COVID-19: Singapore mosques to be closed for 5 days for disinfection from Friday Jack Carty is using his own experience of online trolling to urge people to be supportive rather than negative on social media platforms. The Connacht and Ireland fly-half is an ambassador for Rugby Players Irelands Tackle Your Feelings campaign supported by Zurich Insurance, whose research has revealed that one in 10 Irish people have been the victims of online bullying. The research, conducted by iReach across the island of Ireland prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, also revealed that 47 per cent of Irish people use social media as part of their daily routine and 53 per cent of Irish people indicated they do not feel comfortable discussing their mental wellbeing with their friends. Half of those surveyed agreed they need a tool to support them in prioritising their mental well-being and 93 per cent of parents who were surveyed agreed that social media has contributed to the cyber-bullying of children. Carty, 27, is lending his support to the #ImTakingControl campaign which encourages people to take control of their mental well-being using principles from both sport and positive psychology at a time when many people are working from home for the first time, practicing social distancing, or even isolating. The fly-half shared his experience of how he has coped with trolling on social media in the past and offered advice on how he puts things into perspective. Im hoping my story will help people as they try to cope with this crisis we are facing over the coming weeks and months, Carty said. My experience dealing with negativity on social media has helped shape who I am today as a person, rugby player, team-mate and friend. It is important, not just for rugby players, but for everyone not to dwell on things they read on social media, both good or bad, and acknowledge when theyre feeling down. Talking to friends and family about what youre feeling used to be seen as a weakness, but its not, it just makes the people who care about you more aware of how youre feeling and ultimately that can only be a good thing. People need to remember that what they say on social media can have a big impact, and in these challenging times we should try to use these platforms to share positivity and to drive community spirit. Carty uses the TYF (Tackle Your Feelings) app, which encourages people to be proactive about their mental well-being. Users can choose the Tackle Your Feelings resources they feel they need at the time with the app and website featuring sections on relationships, confidence, happiness/sadness, sleep, self-care, resilience, anger, relaxation, optimism, and self-awareness as well as offering mindfulness exercises. - For more information on Tackle Your Feelings follow the Instagram account @tyf or visit the website www.tackleyourfeelings.com. Yemen's Ansarullah welcomes UN call for global ceasefire to tackle coronavirus pandemic Iran Press TV Tuesday, 24 March 2020 6:37 AM Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement has welcomed a call by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres for a ceasefire in all conflicts worldwide amid a global fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee of Yemen, said in a tweet on Monday that Sana'a welcomes the UN chief's call and supports a halt in attacks by the US, Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies against Yemen. The movement, he said, also seeksthe lifting of an aerial and maritime blockade imposed on Yemen by the Saudi regime and its coalition allies since early 2015, to facilitate the adoption of preventive measures against the coronavirus outbreak. The United States and Britain are not part of the Saudi-led alliance but have been providing all sorts of support to the bloody war. Speaking to reporters from the UN headquarters in New York on Monday, Guterres called for "an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world," adding, "It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on true fight of our lives, pull back from hostilities and put aside mistrust & animosities." The United Nations has been trying to mediate an end to conflicts in countries including Syria, Yemen and Libya, while also providing humanitarian assistance to millions of civilians. Guterres warned that in war-torn countries health systems have collapsed and the small number of health professionals left were often targeted in the fighting. While Yemen has not recorded any COVID-19 cases to date, the possibility of an outbreak threatens the war-ravaged country's already fragile healthcare system. Last week, Houthi warned that the Saudi-led coalition of aggressors will be responsible for a possible spread of the virus to Yemen, citing the negative impacts of the siege. Houthi's comments come as Yemen is preparing to mark, on March 26, the fifth anniversary of the military campaign, which the Saudi regime and a number of its vassal states launchedto reinstall a Riyadh-backed former regime in Yemen. The Western-backed offensive, coupled with a naval blockade, has destroyed the country's infrastructure. The aggression has also led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where over 1,000 people, including many kids, were killed and hundreds of thousands afflicted by cholera, diphtheria, measles and dengue fever in 2019, according to the World Health Organization. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The boyfriend of Lynette Daley, a NSW woman who bled to death on a remote beach after a violent sexual assault, is appealing his conviction. Ms Daley, 33, died from injuries sustained when she was raped by her boyfriend Adrian Attwater, now 45, and his friend, Paul Maris, now 49, on a drunken 2011 Australia Day camping trip to Ten Mile Beach near the NSW town of Iluka. A jury in 2017 took 32 minutes to find Attwater guilty of manslaughter and aggravated sexual assault and Maris guilty of aggravated sexual assault and hindering the discovery of evidence. The boyfriend of Lynette Daley (pictured), a NSW woman who bled to death on a remote beach after a violent sexual assault, is appealing his conviction The NSW Court of Criminal Appeal on Wednesday confirmed Attwater was appealing his conviction and his 19-year jail sentence. What grounds he seeks to rely on in his appeal - lodged on March 13 - will be revealed at a hearing later this year. Attwater and a very drunk Ms Daley got on a mattress in the back of Maris's troop carrier where he 'repeatedly and vigorously' sexually assaulted her, the Supreme Court heard in 2017. Maris joined in a sex act, at Attwater's invitation, which the pair claimed was consensual. Ms Daley, 33, died from injuries sustained when she was raped by her boyfriend Adrian Attwater (pictured), now 45, and his friend, Paul Maris Attwater only stopped the assault when he noticed blood on his hand. He began CPR hours later, by which time Ms Daley was likely already dead, Justice Elizabeth Fullerton said in 2017. 'His attitude towards Ms Daley at the time of his offending was one of callous indifference,' she said. The court heard the extensive injuries to Ms Daley caused significant blood loss that would have led to hypovolemic shock and death. Instead of seeking medical help, Attwater dragged her into the ocean to try to wash the blood off her body, while Maris burnt Ms Daley's clothing and the bloodstained mattress. Attwater claimed she'd had a fit or seizure in the ocean when she went for a swim, but Justice Fullerton found Attwater deliberately lied to police. 'Mr Attwater knew that he was responsible for Ms Daley's death and ... his claim that she had suffered a sudden seizure in the ocean was a lie deliberately told to conceal that fact,' she said. She found both men had a 'persisting lack of insight' into their offending and 'lack of remorse'. The verdict prompted separate apologies from NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Lloyd Babb and NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman to Ms Daley's family. Police charged Attwater and Maris in 2012 before the DPP withdrew the charges and declined to recommence proceedings before eventually taking the case again in 2016. Dr. Jack Hixson, 96, of Chattanooga, passed away on March 21, 2020. Dr. Hixson was a member of the Red Bank Baptist Church, where he was a faithful member of the Fellowship Sunday School Class from 1947 until his death. He was born in Dunlap, Tn., and graduated from Sequatchie County High School. He was a member of the first high school band. After graduation from high school, he attended T.P.I.(now know as Tennessee Tech) where his major was Pre-Dental. He was called on to serve his country in World War II in the US Navy. He was stationed in the Naval Hospital in Ft. Worth, TX as a hospital corpsman. While in Ft. Worth, he was selected to go to Loyola University Dental School in New Orleans. Soon after entering dental school, he married Dorthy Sulsar whom he had met in Ft. Worth. They lived in New Orleans until his graduation as a Doctor of Dental Surgery. After graduating from dental school, he opened his practice of dentistry in Red Bank. His practice was interrupted when he was called upon to serve his country in the US Navy during the Korean Conflict. He was stationed at the Marine Corps Base in Beaufort, SC as a Navy dentist. Upon completing this tour of service, he reopened his practice in Red Bank. He was a life member of the American Dental Association, the Tennessee Dental Association, and the Chattanooga Area Dental Society. He served in every elective office, concluding his service as president. He relieved a lot of mouth and jaw pain for his many patients, and caused a lot for the many more fish he caught! After his retirement, he continued to enjoy fishing, his favorite pastime, and helping his children and grandchildren whenever and wherever they needed him. Dr Hixson was preceded in death by his wife, Dorthy. He is survived by his brother, Gene and sister, Gayle Thornton; sons: Steve (Rose) and Mark (Cindy); grandchildren: David (Alishea); Allison (Cheles) Fawver; Drew (Emily) and Kyle; great-granddaughters: Olivia, Abigail and Zoe. Many specials nieces and nephews. Due to current restrictions, there will be a graveside service for immediate family only. A Celebration of Life will be held later. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The American Cancer Society or Red Bank Baptist Church. Visit www.hamiltonfuneraloptions .com to share words of comfort to the family. Arrangements are by Hamilton Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 4506 Hixson Pike, 423 531-3975. Urban Company, formerly UrbanClap, on Wednesday said it has partnered with Srinidhi Foundation to set up a relief fund to support gig workers and independent contractors on its platform during the COVID-19 crisis. This fund will be used to provide sustenance support to deserving individuals and their families over the next few months, till the situation comes back to normalcy, the company said in a statement here. Urban Company, its founders, investors and employees have committed Rs 1.5 crore towards this fund till date. Urban Company is also offeringincome protection and health insuranceplan free for all its Indian service partners, in addition to existing insurance covers. Further, the company is extending 0 per cent interest business advances to partners with delayed payback periods to help them tide through these trying times. The company is also holding 1-on-1 remote counselling sessions for all its 30,000 gig workers. Urban Company operates in 18 cities in India including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Surat, Vadodara and Visakhapatnam and four international markets like Abu Dhabi, Sydney and Singapore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A bystander saved a person's life in North Dublin overnight. The person was resuscitated in Skerries by CPR. Earlier in the day, another person was saved by the public when they went into cardiac arrest on a beach in Portmarnock. Emergency workers from Dublin Fire Brigade, the Ambulance Services and the Irish Coast Guard also attended the scenes. A sign notifies potential customers that pasta is available despite panic buying in the wake of the CCP virus outbreak outside Warwick Way Food & Wine in London on March 19, 2020. (Yui Mok/PA via AP) Media-Led Panic Buying Over as Consumers Await Certainty on Stimulus People are prepped for CCP virus lockdowns With market analysts suggesting that panic buying has been mostly a media-led phenomenon, reporters at The Epoch Times confirmed today that supermarket shelves in New York City are well stocked. Global data analytics and measurement firm Nielsen has identified a number of human nature-related thresholds that have influenced consumer behavior around the world and in the United States as the CCP virus has spread, and as measures to combat it have been introduced. The patterns suggest that consumer behavior has been linked to the news cycle, and that as much of the population transitions from a phase characterized as preparation for quarantine to restricted living, in-store visits will be significantly reduced. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Negative News Sells, Drives Panic Buying, Stockpiling A recent Nielsen report suggests that consumers have increasingly turned to local media as the CCP virus spreads, with a notable spike in local news viewing between early February and early March, according to the report. Local media can provide information on scarcities or potential shortages in local stores. Leia Reid is a data journalist at the social intelligence company Brandwatch, and writes in a recent article that our data suggests there could be a relationship between media hype around panic buying and subsequent spikes in conversation around things being sold out and panic buying. The number of press articles mentioning coronavirus stockpiling or hoarding are lower than organic social mentions, says Reid, but a peak in news mentions of stockpiling came just before a spike in social mentions of the practice. Reid says that according to Brandwatch data, which measures online mentions of the term out of stock alongside a store name, there is a concentrated period in which lots of news articles around stockpiling are published between March 3-6. Reid then advises users to scroll across to social mentions of things being out of stock, and youll see how these mentions flourished between March 6-8. The Brandwatch data is remarkably consistent across the United States as well as for the UK and Australia. Negativity is, of course, a large driving force in these conversations, says Reid. The negative mentions we found were often fueled by price hikes on items like sanitizer, disinfectant, and face masks, as well as toilet paper. Other staples listed as out of stock included such items as bottled water (in the United States), rice and pasta (Australia), and long-life milk (the UK). Human Nature Meets Social Media According to Jim Roberts, Professor of Marketing at Baylor University: When we are reminded of our own mortality, we search out products that give us comfort. We naturally buy more when we are threatened. We often seek comfort in our spending particularly in times like these. In an interview from March 23 with marketing specialist Kaitlyn Rieper, Roberts pointed out who stands to benefit from consumer angst. The media benefits from creating hysteriamore people watch and listen when they are frightened, he said. There is something called the availability bias that can explain why we are so fearful. We view things that we have been recently exposed to as more prevalent than they really are. Empty shelves in the toilet paper section at a Target store in Manhattan, New York, on March 13, 2020. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times) Guilty Consciences Research from the UKs Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) suggests that while consumers view panic buying negatively, they still do it. Only 14 percent asked said they thought it was acceptable to stock up on toilet paper, though this was one of the first products to be sold out as panic buying took hold. There has been a marked difference between what people say is socially acceptable and how they actually behave in practice, according to the IEAs Julian Jessop. On the one hand, it feels wrong to buy large amounts of a particular product simply because you are afraid the shops are about to run out, especially when this could deprive other people who might be in much greater need. On the other hand, lots of people appear to have been panic buying anyway. Panic Buying: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Marketing professor Utpal Dholakia explained in a recent article that panic buying is an inherently unplanned phenomenon. When nervous consumers see others lined up outside a supermarket, in real life, or on TV, they think that they need to stock up on supplies while there are still some left. By its very nature, a panic buying spree comes out of the blue, said Dholakia. With the coronavirus, as news about its spread in China circulated for weeks, there was little impact on Americans shopping behavior. As it spread to Italy and other countries, there were ripples of concern. Then suddenly, it seemed as if everyone was rushing to the store to stock up their pantries and refrigerators at the same time. Such consumer behavior is described by Nielsen as pantry preparationthe stockpiling of primarily shelf-stable food, hygiene, and health-related products as a time of uncertainty approaches. Food purchases often tend more than usual toward products with longer shelf lives, including canned goods and dry products such as rice and pasta. Pantry preparation is accompanied by increases in the number of store visits and much larger basket sizes. A 2017 article in the Journal of Consumer Research suggested that compensation for loss of control is the driver behind panic buying. In times of pending crisis, according to the researchers, consumers compensate for a loss of perceived control by buying utilitarian products (e.g. household cleaning agents) because of these products association with problem solving, a quality that promotes a sense of control. Moving to the Next Stage Panic buying cant continue indefinitely, howeverthere are only so many chicken thighs your deep freeze can hold. Many of those consumers who have built up stocks of food, toilet paper, and other essentials will have satisfied their desire to prepare a pantry for uncertain times ahead. If lockdowns are mandated by federal or local government, such as Gov. Andrew Cuomos New York State on PAUSE executive order, consumers may elect to remain at home if they perceive the danger of infection to be peaking in line with the most extreme form of prevention. According to the IEA: There are many good reasons to believe the current shortages will be temporary. For a start, most people who felt the need to build up a buffer of basic supplies have surely now done so already. We should therefore now be past the peak in demand. Nielsens researchers believe that consumer behavior begins to shift when the advent of quarantine conditions are announced, with online shopping increasing as brick-and-mortar stores see fewer visitorsin some cases because of reports that shelves of desirable products are already bare. Once living conditions are restricted by actual quarantine, shopping trips tend to be more severely restricted, while deliveries of online purchases may also be curtailed by the reorientation of online suppliers such as Amazon toward items such as sanitizer and other health-associated materials, as well as bottlenecks in existing last-mile delivery systems. The final stage in Nielsens consumer-behavior model is described as Living a New Normal, when consumers return to their daily routines such as work and school. This phase is associated, however, with an increased level of cautiousness about health and hygiene. In this phase, supermarket shopping will tend to gradually return to normal, though online shopping is expected to remain attractive for many. Defusing Consumer Anxiety At a press briefing at the White House on March 15, President Donald Trump tried to reassure consumers. You dont have to buy so much. Take it easy. Just relax, he said. One way to combat the urge to panic buy may be to reduce negative messaging. When asked how consumers can best navigate social media during the CCP virus crisis, Jim Roberts advises users to step back from it. Cut back on media exposure and distract yourself by trying to ease others burdens. If you turn off your TV and avoid social media you will reduce your anxiety level, said Roberts. Take the emphasis off yourself and you will reap psychological benefits. A fresh wave of across-the-board buying engulfed the Indian equity market, pushing the benchmarks higher on March 25. Sensex jumped 2,116 points whereas Nifty topped 8,376 in intraday trade. Eventually, Sensex closed 1,862 points, or 6.98 percent, up at 28,535.78 and Nifty was 517 points, or 6.62 percent, up at 8,317.85. BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices underperformed the benchmarks, ending 3.53 percent and 2.84 percent higher, respectively. Among the sectoral indices, BSE Energy index surged over 10 percent while the Bankex and Finance indices jumped 9 percent. All sectoral indices ended in the green. Here are 6 key factors that lifted the market into higher zones: Optimism about stimulus: Experts believe the market is riding the optimism about a stimulus package by the government. On March 24, the Finance Minister said that an economic package was being worked upon and it may come soon. Deutsche Bank expects fiscal stimulus to be about 2 percent of India's GDP. Rate cut hopes: Experts and brokerage believe RBI will go for a rate cut of at least 60 bps in the coming policy meet. A 50 bps rate cut by the RBI is expected but easing monetary conditions will need to be accompanied by regulatory forbearance, JP Morgan said. Deutsche Bank expects RBI to cut rates by 100 bps in the coming months. Barclays expects RBI to cut rate by 65 bps in April and added that an additional 100 bps cut is required between June-August to stabilise sentiment. Firm global cues: Major markets of the world climbed higher as stimulus measures by the governments to mitigate the impact of coronavirus pandemic on the economies underpinned sentiment. Asian shares gained on Wednesday in the wake of Wall Streets massive rebound as U.S. senators and Trump administration officials reached an agreement on a giant economic stimulus bill to alleviate the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, reported Reuters. Governments bring in economic sops: As per a report by Reuters, US senators and Trump administration officials have reached an agreement on a massive economic stimulus bill to alleviate the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The Senate will vote on the $2-trillion package later in the day and the House of Representatives is expected to follow suit soon after, the report said. Rally in heavyweighhts: Gains in shares of heavyweights, including Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, HDFC, Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Bank added fuel to the market. Shares of Reliance Industries surged up to 22 percent after media reports indicated that Facebook may pick up stake in Jio. The social media giant Facebook Inc is in talks to buy a 10 percent stake in billionaire Mukesh Ambanis telecom and internet services venture Reliance Jio, said a Financial Times report on March 24. Technical factor: Nifty on March 24 managed to survive above the level of 7,500, which had acted as a major support to the market during the period of 2015-16. The formation of the market was indecisive, that too, at the bottom of the current selloff. Such formation generally acts as a positive reversal for the market, said Shrikant Chouhan, Executive Vice President, Equity Technical Research at Kotak Securities. As US Senators agreed their gargantuan rescue bill meant to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer announced that his team had inserted a provision to prevent businesses owned by Donald Trump from receiving Treasury loans or investments. In a letter to colleagues announcing that the bill had been agreed after days of intense negotiations, Mr Schumer wrote that the language in the as-yet-unreleased bill would prohibit businesses controlled by the president, vice president, members of Congress, and heads of executive departments from receiving loans or investments from Treasury programmes. According to CNNs Manu Raju, Mr Schumers office said the bill will go further still, confirming that the children, spouses and in-laws of the aforementioned principals are also included in this prohibition. Mr Schumer lists the measure among an array of significant improvements Democrats have secured to the bill. They cover everything from obtaining billions of dollars of funds for Indian Health Services and eliminating a $3bn bailout for big oil to attaching robust worker protections to federal loans to businesses. Six out of seven Trump-owned clubs and hotels are currently closed because of the coronavirus epidemic. The closures could deprive the Trump Organisation of millions of dollars in revenue. The president has also lately floated the prospect of a bailout for the hotel industry, in turn raising the possibility that taxpayers bailout money would go directly to him and his business empire. At a White House press briefing on 22 March, Mr Trump was asked whether he would commit that no taxpayer money would go towards his properties. He replied with a long answer saying the bill was in such flux that no-one knew what was going on, and recounting how nobody said thank you when he declined to take his presidential salary or ruled out certain other business dealings. My company, I told the kids who are running it Im not running it but I told them dont deal with foreign companies, I didnt have to do that at all and instead of being thanked for again, for not agreeing to do it, but for just not doing it I get excoriated all the time. So Ive learned, lets just see what happens. Whether or not Mr Trumps empire ends up benefiting from the coronavirus bailout, he hopes to benefit along with the country from what he expects to be an imminent return to economic form. He has lately said that social distancing requirements could be lifted in a matter of weeks and that the US economy will be open for business again by Easter. He has called the plan a beautiful timeline; public health experts say it would be medically incompetent and lethally irresponsible. When Kiwi Sam Melville lost his job as a chef at the Mount Erica Hotel in Melbourne's Prahran last week, he was forced to live rent-free with a family friend. He couldn't afford rent at his place while also paying child support, and he knew the prospects of finding a new job in hospitality were minimal. Temporary worker Sam Melville, with 10-month-old son Ragnarok, is facing financial strife after he lost his job last week. Credit:Justin McManus Mr Melville, 29, is one of nearly 1.6 million temporary visa holders in Australia, a large proportion of whom work in industries such as retail and hospitality, which are being hard hit in this economic catastrophe. More than 600,000 New Zealanders live in Australia with access to Medicare but limited access to welfare, or the recently announced assistance for sacked workers from the federal government. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Beginning on March 17, 2020, authorities in Jordan, Oman, Morocco, and Yemen issued decrees suspending newspaper printing and distribution in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to news reports and government statements. The suspensions cover both independent and state-owned media outlets, and were imposed to limit spreading the virus during the printing, delivery, and distribution of the papers, according to those reports. On March 17, the Jordanian Council of Ministers, a body that includes the prime minister and other government ministers, suspended the publication of all newspapers in the country for two weeks to limit the spread the of the virus, according to an official statement by Jordanian Communications Minister Amjad Adaileh. In a statement on March 22, the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports, which oversees the countrys press, ordered all print newspapers to suspend their publication and distribution until further notice, and encouraged print outlets to use alternative methods to deliver the news. Also on March 22, the Supreme Committee for Dealing with COVID-19 in Oman, a government body established to combat the spread of the virus in the sultanate, ordered all newspapers, magazines, and other publications to cease printing and circulating, according to the Times of Oman, which published the committees order. The order also prohibited the sale and circulation of newspapers, magazines, and publications imported into the country. On March 23, Yemeni Communications Minister Muammar Al-Aryani issued a decree prohibiting the publication and circulation of print newspapers in the country from March 25 to April 12 to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, according to the official decree published in local newspaper Al-Jand Post. The coronavirus test results of 49 people in Chhattisgarh are awaited and strict surveillance is being maintained all over the state to check the spread of the viral infection, a health official said on Wednesday. Only one COVID-19 case has been reported in the state so far. The 24-year-old woman, who tested positive for the deadly virus on March 18, is recovering well while undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raipur, the official said. The government has strengthened the surveillance and control measures against the virus, he said. "Out of 183 samples in Chhattisgarh examined till Monday, only one was found positive," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat went up to 39 as four more people, one of them with travel history abroad, tested positive for the new coronavirus on Wednesday, a health department official said here. On Wednesday, one new case was reported each from Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara, principal secretary (health) Jayanti Ravi told reporters here. Of these fresh infections, one patient has history of travelling to Dubai in recent times, while the others are cases of local transmission of the viral disease, she said. With this, the total number of cases in Ahmedabad stands at 14, Surat and Vadodara at seven each, Gandhinagar at six, Rajkot four and Kutch one, she said. Ravi said the health department has conducted surveillance and tracking of over 1.60 crore people in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, and the entire state population will be covered in the coming weeks under a special programme. "Under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, the state government has so far covered 1 crore 60 lakh and 62 thousand persons in both urban and rural areas. "This has been done as part of surveillance of areas from where positive (COVID-19) cases as well as cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) have been reported," she said. The senior bureaucrat said the government has also registered FIRs against as many as 147 persons for violating quarantine protocol. As many as 430 persons violating home quarantine protocol were shifted to government-run facilities, she said. Ravi said 15,468 persons with foreign travel history have been tracked on the basis of data provided by the central government and more are being tracked and quarantined. As many as 20,688 people are under quarantine in the state, which included 20,220 in homes, 430 in government and 38 private-run facilities, she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shares of Mahindra & Mahindra hit an over nine-year low of Rs 248, sliding 8 per cent on the BSE on Wednesday, on concerns that volumes could take a hit due to the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19). On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide 21-day lockdown in an attempt to stall the spread of the virus. The stock of the automobile company was trading lower for the sixth straight day, and was trading at its lowest level since April 19, 2010. In the past one month, it has tanked 51 per cent, as compared to a 34 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex and a 37 per ... George Mackay in the Oscar-winning movie "1917." (Universal Pictures) Movie theaters may be closed, but recent theatrical releases are available to rent (VOD) or buy digitally faster than ever. Here is what's new this week, with links to our reviews. 1917 Inspired by stories from his grandfather, director Sam Mendes deploys technological trickery in pursuit of a new kind of cinematic truth in this World War I ticktock-thriller and half succeeds. Winner of three Academy Awards. R. VOD, digital, Blu-Ray and DVD Justin Chang Onward Pixar Animation Studios pride themselves on their originality and ingenuity, but this particular world of wonder, populated by galloping centaurs, spell-casting wizards and fire-breathing dragons, feels curiously, even knowingly, derivative. Directed by Dan Scanlon; voices by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland. Digital; available April 3 on Disney+ Justin Chang The Call of the Wild There isnt much nuance or complexity to be found, but its an old-fashioned animal-friendly adventure flick for kids; and though its hard to buy the CGI animated dog, the human performances, led by Harrison Ford, save it. PG. Available March 27 on digital. Katie Walsh Downhill As directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash and starring the usually reliable Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell, this is essentially a remake of the splendid Swedish film Force Majeure, though the producers prefer to think of it as a riff inspired by the previous material. Whatever descriptor you choose, your disappointment will be palpable. R. Available March 27 on digital. Kenneth Turan The Way Back This could have been as by the numbers as its title, a name that telegraphs a need to be redeemed, to rebound from adversity. But it isnt. Muscularly directed by Gavin OConnor, it's elevated and transformed by one of Ben Afflecks strongest and most convincing performances. R. Digital Kenneth Turan Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) A sleek, diverting, hyper-violent caper starring Margot Robbie, it is an impudent blast of comic energy directed by Cathy Yan. Light on psychology and devoid of prestige, its a slab of R-rated hard candy that refuses to take anything, least of all itself, too seriously. Digital Justin Chang Story continues Bloodshot Subversion coexists alongside Vin Diesels sincerity in this bewildering piece of good-bad sci-fi action trash. Do any of the characters have clearly articulated motives? No. Are the action sequences a confounding geographical jumble? Indeed. What more could you possibly expect from a movie called Bloodshot? Nothing. PG-13. Digital Katie Walsh Dolittle Starring Robert Downey Jr., it is hasty, hectic and harried, but worse, it is utterly halfhearted. The film is directed and cowritten by Stephen Gaghan, and the character development is negligible, the jokes unoriginal; it's lowest-common-denominator fare. PG. Digital; available April 7 on VOD, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Katie Walsh The Gentlemen Writer-director Guy Ritchies comic thriller is a starry but curiously low-impact return to the twisty, garrulous British gangster pictures with which he made his reputation years ago. The sartorial pleasures are nothing to scoff at, even when you cant say the same for the movie itself. Featuring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant. R. Digital Justin Chang I Still Believe This faith-based romantic drama from the Erwin Brothers preaches to the choir, counting on its audience to know every word and melody to the story it tells, both literally with the songs of its real-life subject, Jeremy Camp, as well as in its earnest spirituality and cultural references. With K.J. Apa and Britt Robertson. PG. Available March 27 on digital Kimber Meyers The Grudge Writer-director Nicolas Pesces distinctively sour new American version of the franchise doesnt reinvent the formula. Pesces art-film roots are evident in the movies slow-burn first hour. But he piles on the explicit gore and jump scares, leading to a final scene and final shot as terrifying as anything in the original series. With Andrea Riseborough. R, VOD, digital, Blu-Ray and DVD Noel Murray The Song of Names This may be a fictional mystery-drama, but its story feels as real as many of the true-life, Holocaust-centric tales that have made their way to the screen, stage or page. Directed by Francois Girard, it is a profound, affecting and beautifully told chronicle of faith, family, obsession and the language of music. With Tim Roth and Clive Owen. PG-13. Digital, Blu-Ray and DVD Gary Goldstein STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Islands delegation of elected officials announced Wednesday that they had secured supplies for local nonprofit organizations after hearing about shortages in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. The needed supplies include masks, gloves, thermometers and hand sanitizer, which will be distributed to organizations like Project Hospitality, Meals on Wheels, On Your Mark, and the Seamans Society, according to a media release from the office of Borough President James Oddo. Surge; Supplies; Staffing. These are the three overarching concerns we continue to be focused on, the elected officials said in a joint statement. "Our offices have been and will continue to do all we can to ensure that our local hospitals, clinicians, not-for profits, community-based organizations (CBOs), and anyone else who needs supplies, does in fact have what they need. We are in an all-out effort to work every level of government and every other possible source to acquire the supplies and equipment needed for our healthcare professionals. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** The supplies were secured in partnership with Super Health Pharmacy in Pleasant Plains. The Staten Island organizations receiving the critical supplies continue to serve vulnerable populations during the coronavirus outbreak, doing work from feeding the hungry to supporting families in crisis to providing services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The full list of organizations receiving supplies include: CHASI masks and hand sanitizer Community Health Center of Richmond (CHCR) masks, gloves and hand sanitizer Meals on Wheels masks, thermometers and hand sanitizer Jewish Board masks, gloves and hand sanitizer Seamen's Society masks, gloves, thermometers and hand sanitizer CPA masks, gloves and thermometers Brielle masks and gloves A Very Special Place masks, gloves, thermometers and hand sanitizer Eden II masks and gloves Beacon masks, gloves and hand sanitizer Goodhue gloves and hand sanitizer Project Hospitality gloves and hand sanitizer With medical supply shortages becoming a critical challenge in New York, the Staten Island delegation also announced that The Global Hero Foundation has donated 40,000 surgical masks and 600 N95 masks to Staten Island University Hospital, Richmond University Medical Center, and members of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and the health workers represented by 1199SEIU. The delegation has called on businesses closed during the outbreak to donate supplies to help front-line medical workers. Anyone interested in donating should visit www.statenislandusa.com/PPE. As of Wednesday at 11 a.m., Staten Island had more than 950 confirmed coronavirus cases. *** Be the first to know: Sign up for our newsletters; and get breaking news and top stories pushed to your phone with the SILive.com mobile app. Sign up for text message alerts from SILive.com on coronavirus: RELATED COVERAGE: Data analysis of Staten Island and New York cases Coughs, sneezes, surfaces: Heres how coronavirus is and isnt spread How the coronavirus hit Staten Island: A timeline of the pandemic in our borough Governor seeks to limit coronavirus impact on hospitals NYPD Commissioner: Cooperation, not closures, expected for ban on dining at restaurants and bars According to a United Auto Workers spokesman, two US Fiat Chrysler workers have died as a result of the coronavirus infection. One of the workers worked at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) north of Detroit and the other worked at the Kokomo Transmission Plant (KTP) in Indiana. It was not reported when the workers died. According to posts by the family on Facebook, the worker who died in Kokomo was Jeff Bagby, a mechanical quality engineer. He died after being hospitalized with pneumonia on March 9. Bagby was a well-liked and respected figure in Kokomo. Following his death, hundreds of friends and co-workers posted tributes to Bagby on Facebook. The name of the worker at Sterling Heights Assembly was not available at the time of this posting. Three workers at FCA have now died as a result of COVID-19. A technical worker at FCA headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan previously passed away due to the infection. Workers at the Kokomo Transmission Plant in 2018 The deaths are the predictable outcome of the combined efforts of the auto companies and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union to keep the plants running and pumping out profit until last week, under conditions of the ever-widening global health emergency. On March 12, Fiat Chrysler acknowledged that a salaried worker and UAW member at Kokomo had tested positive for coronavirus. Despite demands from workers to close the facility, which employs 4,000 workers, the UAW and FCA were determined to keep the plant open because it supplies transmissions for all of the companys vehicles, including the highly profitable Ram 1500 pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV models, and its closure would quickly halt North American production. As word of what happened in Kokomo spread to other plants, FCA workers at the minivan plant in Windsor, Canada, the Warren Truck plant in suburban Detroit and a transmission plant in Tipton, Indiana, downed tools and refused to work until supervisors and union officials forced them back to work with threats of firings. Workers at the Lear seating factory in Hammond, Indiana, also refused to work under unsafe conditions. This came to a head last Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, March 17-18, when reports of a worker being diagnosed with COVID-19 at SHAP led to a sit-in by workers at the plant. The job action sparked protests and walkouts by workers at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit and the FCA Toledo North Assembly Complex in Ohio. Fiat Chrysler responded by announcing the temporary closure of all its plants. The action by FCA was followed by all other major automakers operating in North America, resulting in the temporary suspension of car production in the US and Canada by the end of the week. Ron, a young second-tier worker at SHAP, expressed his condolences to the family of his co-worker, telling the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter. This is sad. The very person who tested positive, leading us workers to walk out of the plant, has perished, and it all happened in less than a week. Weve had co-workers in the plant who have passed before, but it was nothing like this, because this is happening to all of us. I have two family members who are in the hospital right now because they are sick. If those shifts hadnt stop working and walked out, we still be in the plants, working in close proximity to each other and instead of one worker dying it could have been three, four or five. Who knows how many people the deceased worker came into contact with and who could have contracted the virus? We all need to stay home until it is over, said a worker at the GM Fort Wayne Assembly Plant on hearing the news. In the letter announcing the death of the two workers, UAW President Rory Gamblehimself implicated in the UAW corruption and bribery scandalwent out of his way to praise Ford management. The company announced yesterday that it was pushing back its planned March 30 date for the restart of auto production. Gamble also reported that a worker had tested positive for the coronavirus at the American Axle plant in Fraser, Michigan, leading to the closure of that facility. In response to the news of the deaths a worker commented angrily on Facebook, We have real people dying out here and we are supposed to get back to work by Easter? What a joke. Significant sections of corporate America and the political and media establishment are insisting that there must be an end to the disruptions to profit-making, regardless of the cost in greater death and suffering from the coronavirus pandemic. Such sentiments are being voiced by both the Trump administrationwho said today that he wants the economy raring to go by Easterand Democratic Party mouthpieces like New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, who asked rhetorically in a recent column, What the hell are we doing to ourselves? To our economy? These attempts to go back to business as usual in a matter of weeks fly in the face of the increasingly desperate warnings of international public health experts and scientists, who have stated that COVID-19 has the potential to kill millions in the US alone and overwhelm the already over-stretched health system, unless drastic measures are taken. For the capitalist class, the lives of millions of workers must be sacrificed in the interests of corporate profit. Workers must take the deaths at SHAP and FCA Kokomo as warning: Urgent action is needed to block the rush back into the factories, halt the spread of the coronavirus and prevent a health catastrophe unprecedented in modern history. The WSWS and the Socialist Equality Party urge workers to take up a program of action in order to fight the pandemic: rank-and-file factory committees, independent of the UAW, must be formed and demand the shutdown of all non-essential industry, the rapid expansion of testing for the coronavirus, and the reallocation of trillions of dollarsnot to Wall Street and the corporations, who want to force workers back into harms way, but towards the resources needed to combat COVID-19 and to providing free healthcare and support for the unemployed. We had to take action ourselves because the UAW wanted to keep us in the plants, Ron, the worker at SHAP, said. Now we have to get more workers on the same page because this affects all of us. All of the non-essential industries should be shut down too. And we all should be fully compensated for our lost time so we can pay our bills and take care of our families. Theyll say they cant afford this, but Trump is putting all this money into things that are not for the betterment of millions of people. Workers at General Motors struck last year in the first big auto strike in decades. We have to fight to show the businesses that we mean business. Distribute our statement, How to fight the COVID-19 pandemic: A program of action for the working class and form rank-and-file committees at your workplace. For more information, contact the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter at autoworkers@wsws.org. SK Telecom employees install a 5G base station at Suseo Station in Seoul. Courtesy of SKT By Kim Hyun-bin On April 3, 2019, local telecom companies became the first to commercialize the fifth-generation (5G) network, but even after a year of service the technology is far from perfect due to a lack of 5G base stations and a limited budget. The lack of budget gives telecom companies no choice but to concentrate the installation of 5G base stations in populated cities with high traffic, leaving rural areas without connection to the service and further widening the technological gap between regions. The situation is similar for other countries, so many experts claim the government needs to step in to better enhance the still-unstable network. The United States and Japan provides various types of financial assistance and specifically tax exemptions for telecom companies that set up base stations in rural areas to reduce the technological gap. "Just like the U.S. and Japan, the government needs to be more supportive by helping to fund telecom companies to install more base stations or provide tax breaks to encourage companies to swiftly install the infrastructure, but our government does neither," a senior executive at a major telecom company said. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, there were 35,851 5G base stations installed as of April last year, but that number has increased three-fold and currently stands at 108,897; however, it only accounts for a mere 12 percent of the number of LTE stations nationwide. Compounding the issue is the fact that to provide similar coverage as the LTE network does, currently providing seamless coverage throughout the nation, there needs to be around four 5G base stations for each LTE station, which creates station base station management complications for service providers; SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus. In addition, COVID-19 has caused major setbacks in installing base stations. The three carriers aimed for 5G coverage in 1,000 buildings by the end of last year, but faced setbacks as the coronavirus spread, limiting their capability and leading to only 460 installations, as scheduled meetings between telecom companies and building owners fell apart due to the outbreak. "To have seamless 5G coverage inside the buildings there needs to be in-building coverage installed, that is why many users experience difficulty connecting to the 5G network as there is a lack of base stations within the infrastructure," a telecom official said. Additionally, the government was also continuing to turn a blind eye towards improving the network, while lawmakers were politicizing agendas related to the 5G network for their own benefits. Politicians have been focused on reducing the cost of the 5G mobile plan to appeal to voters at parliamentary audits or for the sake of their election campaigns, for which the topic could once again be utilized as the general election is scheduled for mid-April. If the government and lawmakers were more focused on enhancing the 5G network and infrastructure instead of putting all their efforts into cutting cost of the 5G mobile plan, industry experts believe more people could actually benefit from the cause. The fact is that South Korea is leading the global race to deploy 5G with 85 of more than 100 cities in the country now connected, according to the latest figures published by VIAVI, a market researcher. President Moon Jae-in's plans to leverage 5G as a "next engine" technology could create up to 600,000 new jobs. The 5G-based export industry is predicted to reach $73 billion by 2026. Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar on Wednesday (March 25) said that a coronavirus COVID-19 patient has died at a state hospital. This is the first death due to coronavirus in Tamil Nadu and the death toll due to deadly virus in India now stands at 10. Vijayabaskar tweeted that the 54-year-old patient died at Rajaji Hospital in Tamil Nadu and "had a medical history of prolonged illness with steroid dependent COPD, uncontrolled diabetes with hypertension." #update: Despite our best efforts, the #COVID19 +ve Pt at MDU, #RajajiHospital, passed away few minutes back.He had medical history of prolonged illness with steroid dependent COPD, uncontrolled Diabetes with Hypertension.@MoHFW_INDIA @CMOTamilNadu #Vijayabaskar Dr C Vijayabaskar (@Vijayabaskarofl) March 24, 2020 On Tuesday, Vijayabhaskar had confirmed that three new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Tamil Nadu and the infected persons were kept in isolation for treatment. "Three new cases of Covid-19 in Chennai. 65-year-old male, who returned from New Zealand admitted to private hospital; 55-year-old female admitted to Kilpauk Medical College and 25-year-old male, who returned from London, admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital," he had tweeted. Over 50 new cases of coronavirus were reported from across India, taking the total coronavirus cases in India to 536. Tamil Nadu has recorded total 18 cases, out of which 16 are currently active, one has recovered and one coronavirus-infected died on Wednesday. Menawhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (March 24) announced a total lockdown in the country from midnight for 21 days to curb the outbreak of coronavirus in India. Addressing the nation for the second time in a week, PM Modi said, "From 12 am of March 24 entire country will be on complete lockdown for three weeks (21 days) due to COVID-19," said PM Modi." He added that the lockdown is in a way curfew and would be more stringent than Janata curfew. Reuters Videos UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under fire after it emerged his private secretary invited over 100 people to a "bring your own booze" party in the garden of Downing Street during the first coronavirus lockdown. The revelations came in a leaked email seen by British broadcaster ITV. At the time, these were the rules in Britain, as explained by the PM himself just 10 days before the alleged gathering:"You can sit in the sun in your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports but only with members of your own household. You must obey the rules on social distancing and to enforce those rules we will increase the fines for the small minority who break them."Police prosecuted people for having parties, erected random checkpoints in some areas and in Derbyshire, central England and used drones to monitor beauty spots.ITV reported that around 40 members of staff attended the event on May 20, 2020, including the Prime Minister and his partner Carrie.This is the latest of at least 5 allegations that government departments broke lockdown restrictions - and are now under investigation by senior government official Sue Gray.Asked about the claims of parties at No.10, Johnson told parliament last month that all COVID guidance had been followed, no rules had been broken and that there had been no party in Downing Street.British minister Michael Ellis answered an urgent question to the prime minister in parliament about the party on Tuesday (January 11)."I apologize again unreservedly for the upset that these allegations have caused. The prime minister has asked for an investigation to take place and the terms of reference for the investigations that are underway have already been published.''In response to a question asking whether Johnson would resign if he is found to have broken the law, he added:"The prime minister is going nowhere. The prime minister retains the confidence of the people of this country". As the fight against the coronavirus pandemic intensifies, so does the strain felt across society. Impact Your World has gathered some ways you can help ease the pressure. Feeding the hungry As schools shut down and shift to online learning, some kids in low-income households are losing access to free meals at school. The USDA is working to extend some free meal services, and several non-profits are helping fill the gap. You can find out how to help them here. Meanwhile, food banks across the US are gearing up for increased need. Feeding America has set up a COVID-19 Response Fund to support its network of 200 food banks nationwide. The group is also setting up more mobile, "drive-through" distribution points and taking care to ensure that vulnerable populations like those experiencing homelessness have access to food and hygiene. Older adults are among the most vulnerable during this pandemic. Meals on Wheels provides home delivery of food to seniors. The organization faces an increased need for volunteers and donations right now. Many regular Meals on Wheels volunteers are more than 60 years old. Protecting healthcare workers Frontline healthcare workers are particularly at risk, and a shortage of protective equipment is impacting their response and safety. The World Health Organization, UN Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation jointly have created the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Donations to this fund will go towards financing diagnostic tests, supplies for health workers and support for research and development. International Medical Corps is working with the World Health Organization, ministries of health and global and local organizations to provide training, supplies and emergency medical response planning in high-risk locations. Doctors Without Borders is actively replenishing supplies and other specialized protective equipment to Wuhan Jinyintan hospital in the capital city of China's Hubei province. Also, the group has a health education project in Hong Kong to provide information to vulnerable communities and service workers about how to identify symptoms and protect themselves from the disease. Direct Relief is providing protective equipment to health authorities, non-profits, and businesses in the US and China in response to the pandemic. Aiding refugees The coronavirus can thrive among groups of people fleeing conflicts or political unrest in places like Yemen, Syria and Venezuela. Displaced families are often confined to overcrowded camps which can be hotbeds for disease. The International Rescue Committee is scaling up its response in these areas: providing additional protective gear, increasing funding to minimize supply chain disruptions and bringing in more medical staff across affected areas. Oxfam is increasing the delivery of soap, clean water and other sanitation services. Mercy Corps, in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon and Yemen, is helping with clean water and other essential support for sanitation and hygiene. They are also continuing their efforts to provide basic needs to Syrians fleeing conflict. Supporting service workers Service sectors, including travel and hospitality, are suddenly choked by financial hardship. The Salvation Army is expecting increased emergency financial aid requests from low-wage workers or laid-off employees struggling to make ends meet. The Giving Kitchen is supporting food service workers in the state of Georgia. The non-profit helps those in crisis due to an unexpected illness, injury, death or disaster. The United Way has established the COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund to support communities affected by the virus. The fund is set to help keep families in their homes who are currently in a financial crisis, stock foodbanks with essential staples to help feed children who rely on schools for meals. If you would like to donate to a specific non-profit, you can click on the names of the charities in the article. If you would like to support all the organizations making a difference, click on the button below. A man in China died after contracting the hantavirus on Monday. He was on his way back to the eastern Shandong province for work on a chartered bus, reports in Chinese media said. The other 32 people present in the bus were also tested. So, what is hantavirus? Hantavirus belongs to a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents and can cause varied disease syndromes in people worldwide, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading national public health institute of the United States. Hantaviruses in the Americas are known as New World hantaviruses and may cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Other hantaviruses, known as Old World hantaviruses, are found mostly in Europe and Asia and may cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). How does the hantavirus spread? Each hantavirus serotype has a specific rodent host species and is spread to people via aerosolized virus that is shed in urine, faeces, and saliva, and less frequently by a bite from an infected host, the CDC said. So far, the transmission of hantavirus in the US has not transferred from human-to-human contact. What are the symptoms? Early symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups - thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders. These symptoms are universal. There may also be headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. About half of all HPS patients experience these symptoms. Four to 10 days after the initial phase of illness, the late symptoms of HPS appear. These include coughing and shortness of breath. Is it a new virus? According to the CDC, hantavirus disease surveillance in the United States began in 1993 during an outbreak of severe respiratory illness in the Four Corners region in the southwestern US, in an area shared by Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. The HPS became a nationally notifiable disease in 1995. On November 1, 2012 the National Park Service (NPS) in the US announced a total of 10 confirmed cases of hantavirus infection in people who recently visited Yosemite National Park. Is the disease caused by hantavirus fatal? Yes. According to CDC, the mortality rate of HPS if 38 per cent. The hantavirus report came as China is currently grappling with coronavirus which has resulted in the death of 3,277 people in the country, mostly in its epicentre Hubei province and its capital Wuhan. Coronavirus: Palestinian manual workers told to leave Israel PA PM warns contraction sites 'dangerous' (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, MARCH 25 - Palestinian Authority prime minister Muhammad Shtayyeh was quoted by WAFA Wednesday as warning the tens of thousands of Palestinian manual workers employed in Israel to go back to the West Bank as soon as possible. The prime minister noted that the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, was spreading fast in Israel and that wide-ranging restrictions expected to be brought in over the coming hours would in any case prevent them from continuing their work on the construction sites. Shtayyeh added that the workers would be required to abide by a 14-day quarantine in their homes on their return. WAFA added that a Palestinian detained in the Israeli jail of Nafha in the Neghev had set himself on fire on Wednesday to protest what he considered negligence by the prison against the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Ramla jail in Tel Aviv, four Palestinian detainees are now in quarantine after meeting with someone who may have been infected. WAFA reported that the detainees are in good condition. (ANSAmed). Cheryl Strayed, the bestselling author of the memoir-turned-movie, Wild, and the column, Dear Sugar, has won a huge following, who admire the Portland-based writer for her empathy and ability to deliver sound advice. In these times of coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, good advice can definitely come in handy, so it makes sense that Strayed will be a guest on Live Wire House Party, the stay-at-home version of the Live Wire radio show. In social media posts, Strayed invites people to send in questions they want answered, but emphasizes they need to do it today, as shell be recording the Live Wire House Party show on Wednesday. Hello friends! I'll be on @LiveWireRadio this Friday, offering some advice from Sugar (aka me)! Please send your questions to hello@livewireradio.org TODAY, as we'll be recording tomorrow. https://t.co/rDd0HpFeNF Cheryl Strayed (@CherylStrayed) March 24, 2020 In a post on Twitter, Live Wire host Luke Burbank adds, I can attest from personal experience, that talking to Cheryl Strayed is a balm for the soul. Get your soul balmed (that came out wrong) by submitting a question for this weeks show! I can attest from personal experience, that talking to Cheryl Strayed is a balm for the soul. Get your soul balmed (that came out wrong) by submitting a question for this week's show! https://t.co/09aSrKtq5T Luke Burbank (@lukeburbank) March 24, 2020 With restrictions in place on public gatherings, Live Wire tapings have moved from Portlands Alberta Rose Theatre to Burbanks home, as the host posted on his Twitter page: If youre running out of ways to entertain yourself maybe its time to tweet in to a public radio variety show? Thats being recorded at my house? https://t.co/rjBV4Paeyf Luke Burbank (@lukeburbank) March 24, 2020 In her book, Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Life and Love From Dear Sugar, Strayed shared highlights from the online Dear Sugar column. The book has been adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, who wrote the hit movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Live Wire is a show with its roots in Portland, that has been syndicated to public radio stations around the country, including OPB, where it airs on Saturday. The Seattle-based Burbank also contributes to CBS Sunday Morning, appears regularly on Wait Wait Dont Tell Me, and hosts the podcast, Too Beautiful To Live. Live Wire is also available as a podcast. via Apple Pocasts, Stitcher, and more. -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The Nigerian Army will soon embark on the restriction of movement and forceful transfer of sick people to the hospital amid the outb... The Nigerian Army will soon embark on the restriction of movement and forceful transfer of sick people to the hospital amid the outbreak of coronavirus. This is contained in a memo Lamidi Adeosun, chief of policy and plans of the Nigerian Army, sent to all the subdivisions of the army. Adeosun said amid the outbreak of the virus, the federal government may call for the activation of Op-Second-Eleven, a special operation. He said Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, had already approved the operation. Adeosun added that Buratai had given the order that all army schools across the nation should be shut down while all programmes and meetings should be put on hold. Following the rise and continuous spread in cases of the Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) in Nigeria, the COAS has deemed it necessary for all to take proactive measures to ensure the safety of NA personnel and their families, the memo read. Recall that Reference A circulated under the cover of Reference B highlighted the CO AS Strategic Directive for the Year 2020 (Sb-2020) as do sustain the professionalism and responsiveness of the NA in the discharge of its constitutional roles. The Sb-2020 which is in line with the COAS vision of having a professionally responsive Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles had predicted the possibility of the NA actively getting engaged in Op SECOND ELEVEN in the course of the Year. With the continuous spread of the Coronavirus, Government calling out the NA for Op SECOND ELEVEN can therefore not be ruled out. In view of the foregoing, I am directed to convey that the following measures be instituted by commanders at all levels. Suspension of implementation of the NA Forecast of Events 2020 involving large gatherings such as meetings, briefings, and conferences. Suspension of all foreign courses, conferences, seminars and other overseas trips by personnel. Suspension of all physical debriefings of returnees from foreign courses and official assignments. Such are to be done online. Closing of all NA schools and training centers. Closing hours for all NA formations and units to be 1600 hrs except lof 6. Suspension of assembly date for participants of Army War College Course 4/20. Planning on the lease of excavators, trucks, water tankers and other relevant vehicles to aid Op SECOND ELEVEN in the area of possible mass burial, water, and essential food/drugs supplies, forceful transfer of the sick to hospitals, enforcement of government movement restriction order, etc. Planning to secure all major food stores and government storage facilities for essential goods from looting. Coordination with sister Services, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Fire Services and others on enforcing a restriction on movements and other directives by the Government. On Monday, Lai Mohammed, minister of information, had asked Nigerians to be prepared for tougher measures over the coronavirus outbreak. A prominent Ohio lawyer, who has been accused of being involved in a sex trafficking ring, was detained after dozens of FBI agents and local law enforcement officers raided his home Wednesday morning. Images showed FBI agents and Portsmouth police detectives surrounding defense attorney Michael Mearan's home. The 74-year-old was seen in handcuffs sitting on his front porch while authorities searched his home. Michael Mearan, (pictured in blue), 74, was seen in handcuffs sitting on his front porch while authorities searched his home Images showed FBI agents and Portsmouth police detectives surrounding Mearan's home Rumors about Mearan sex trafficking made national headlines in December 2017. Last year, an 80-page Drug Enforcement Agency affidavit alleged that Mearan is a prolific sex trafficker who supplied his young, female clients with drugs 'in exchange for and as an incentive to participate in acts of prostitution'. Some of the women said they were even sent as far as New York, New Jersey, Louisiana and Florida for paid sexual liaisons. One woman has reportedly been missing since 2013 and another woman was found dead. Four other women are also missing. According to a 2019 Cincinnati Enquirer report, Mearan had been rumored of running the sex trafficking ring out of Portsmouth, a small Ohio town just across the Ohio River from Kentucky. The report investigates claims in the affidavit that Mearan has for years pressured women into prostitution by telling them he could get lenient sentences from friendly judges. Mearan (center) has repeatedly denied any allegation that he was involved in prostitution or sex trafficking Mearan has repeatedly denied any allegation that he was involved in prostitution or sex trafficking. The affidavit also refers to a Portsmouth judge 'in collusion' with Mearan, alleging that Mearan provided the judge women, according to information 'obtained through numerous interviews, including interviews with former prostitutes'. Several women interviewed by the Enquirer identified the unnamed judge as William T. Marshall, who has denied any involvement with drugs or prostitution. 'Are you serious? I would never do anything like that,' he told the newspaper. The Ohio Public Defender's office has since launched an effort to review any case overseen by Marshall that involved prison time or other court supervision. Through Marshall's 16 years on the bench, that adds up to an estimated 2,707 cases. As the coronavirus spreads, public and private companies as well as government entities are requiring employees to work from home, putting unforeseen strain on all manner of networking technologies and causing bandwidth and security concerns. What follows is a round-up of news and traffic updates that Network World will update as needed to help keep up with the ever-changing situation. Check back frequently! UPDATE 4.27 According to the April 22 Verizon Network Report, overall data volume across its networks has increased 19% compared to pre-COVID levels. While data usage remains elevated, the changes in how people are using the network has stabilized, the company stated. In the United States, there has been a notable decline in peoples movements during the course of the global pandemic. Mobile handoffs the times when a data session moves from one cell site to another as users walk or drive around have reduced by 27% nationally compared to typicalpre-COVID levels. And, measured by mobile handoffs, the U.S. has seen a decrease in movements since March 1. Verizon said that the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions appear to have the most people in the nation staying at home. Verizon stated it expects usage to continue at sustained higher levels, even as movements begin to shift in the coming weeks and months as stay-in-place restrictions begin to lift . We believe all trends point to sustained network usage at this higher level for the foreseeable future, said Kyle Malady, Chief Technology Officer for Verizon. In its fifth report tracking internet speeds across the top 200 most populous U.S. cities, Broadbandnow reported networks were slowly adjusting to the new demand placed on them. But as of April 22 despite these adjustments, internet speeds in some cases slowed to a crawl. Over the past week, 67 cities (33.5% of the top 200) experienced median upload speed decreases of 20% or greater below range of previous weeks in 2020. Through April 15, the number was 61, or 30.5%. In turn, 51 cities (25.5%) have recorded download speed dips of 20% or greater, compared to last weeks 52. Theres a new way you can file a complaint with the Panama City Police Department. Police Chief Scott Ervin unveiled the police departments new online report system to city commissioners Tuesday. Ervin says the new online system is in conjunction with the police departments Tip 411 app. It allows citizens to go to the police departments web page and make an online report. While the service is not for emergency type calls, Ervin says its timely given the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced the city police department to close its lobby to the public. Well I think it gives them quick accessibility, especially for non-emergency reports, to get that in. I know from my experience in my career a lot of times people didnt report things to us because they felt maybe it wasnt that important, we may have had better things to do. This may give them the ease an convenience to report even the minor offenses so that were aware in case theres a pattern of conduct going on, said Ervin. The service has been up and running for a week and has already seen 1,500 visits to the web page and about a dozen reports have been submitted. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at a press conference ahead of a nationwide lockdown at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand on March 25, 2020. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) New Zealand Declares National Emergency, Begins 4-Week Lockdown New Zealand on Wednesday declared a state of national emergency and will implement a nationwide lockdown for four weeks after 50 more cases of CCP virus were confirmed, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 205. The Minister for Civil Defence Peeni Henare announced the State of National Emergency following Prime Minister Jacinda Arderns issuing of an Epidemic Notice on Tuesday. Civil Defence Minister Peeni Henare speaks during question time at Parliament on Dec. 11, 2019 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Related Coverage Editorial: Giving the Right Name to the Virus Causing a Worldwide Pandemic New Zealand will go into an extreme lockdown at 11.59 p.m. this evening ahead of its move to a level 4 alertthe highest possiblefor the CCP virus pandemic, in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. New Zealanders returning from overseas will now also be screened and quarantined for 14 days in approved facilities such as hotels if they do not have anywhere to self-isolate in the city they arrive in. Those returning New Zealanders who fail to self-isolate will be quarantined and fined by police. From midnight tonight, we bunker down for four weeks to try and stop the virus in its tracks, to break the chain, Ardern said. Make no mistake, this will get worse before it gets better. We will have a lag and cases will increase for the next week or so. Then well begin to know how successful we have been. Ardern said the lockdown was triggered by early evidence of community transmission of COVID-19, before urging New Zealanders to act like you have COVID-19, and cut all physical contact outside their household. Every move you then make is a risk to someone else. That is how we must all collectively think. Thats why the joy of physically visiting other family, children, grandchildren, friends, neighbours is on hold. Because were all now putting each other first. And that is what we as a nation do so well. All non-essential services, offices, bars, restaurants, cafes, gyms, cinemas, pools, museums, libraries, playgrounds and any other place where the public congregate will be closed for a month as of tonight, however, supermarkets, doctors, pharmacies, service stations and access to essential banking services will still be available. Schools will also be closed from tomorrow except to the children of essential workers such as doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, police, Ardern said, adding that there will be others on that list. Ardern warned the restrictions will be strictly enforced and the Director and local controllers will have the power to close down roads and public places and exclude people or vehicles from any premises or place if necessary. Failure of anyone to play their part in coming days will put the lives of others at risk, and there will be no tolerance for that. We do not expect to use the full extent of these measures but, as with everything we have done in response to COVID-19, we plan, we prepare, we have in place everything we need to get through, Ardern said before urging New Zealanders to stay home, break the chain. The government has announced billions of dollars in support for small businesses, workers and families, and promised more in the coming days. On Wednesday, it announced a six-month freeze on residential rent increases and increased protection from having tenancies terminated. New Zealand has a population of about five million people but has so far experienced a lower infection rate than many other countries and no deaths. Its close neighbour Australia has so far confirmed 2,317 cases of the virus while 8 deaths are attributed to the disease. Reuters contributed to this report. Were always looking, Swinger replied. For a time, there seemed to be some promise in what they call outcomes research: What do you get for money spent on R & D? But we find that the funding agencies would rather not know. Another possibility is gene therapy. We might take a fling at it if they dont kill too many more patients in clinical trials. Could be bad PR. And theres bioethics; dont forget bioethics. Always good for getting funding for a conference, with plenty of top-line speakers ready to give their papers from previous conferences. Fortunately, no one reads the proceedings volumes. Who knew three letters could mean so much? Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex shocked the world by announcing that they were essentially quitting the royal family. No one understood their half in, half out resignation not even they could predict the outcome. But the couple did hope to continue supporting Her Majesty, the queen. Alas, it was not to be. After a series of secret meetings, Harry and Meghan were forced the drop the HRH (His or Her Royal Highness) from their titles. This small distinction might not seem like much but for members of the royal family, those three little letters are everything. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Samir Hussein/WireImage) Only certain royal family members are bestowed with the coveted HRH distinction These days only certain members of the royal family are granted HRH as part of their title. It all goes back to King George V in 1917 who restricted how many offspring would be able to use HRH. Before his edict, the styling was used much more liberally. Queen Elizabeth loosened the rules on who in the family could use HRH, too. But she still took the letters very seriously, which is why she ultimately decided to revoke Harry and Meghans usage. And it wasnt her first time either. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lost their HRH styling Harry and Meghan made it clear that they werent interested in a full scale divorce from the royal family. Instead, they wanted to participate in their former roles in a more limited way, thus shielding them from the worst aspects of the working royal life. We intend to step back as senior members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen, they shared in an Instagram post. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. However, the battle over the word royal began with those words. Harry and Meghan assumed theyd be able to keep their titles and royal distinction. Queen Elizabeth disagreed. The queen took HRH away from Princess Diana, too The HRH styling is given out at the queens discretion and so far, shes been generous. Prince Andrews daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice both have it. The queen offered it to Princess Annes two children, Peter and Zara Tindall, but she declined on their behalf. She also gave HRH as a gift to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on her wedding day, and later to Meghan after she married Harry. All three of Prince Williams children have the HRH, but Harry and Meghan turned it down for their son, Archie Harrison. The queen is not above taking the HRH away following a divorce. Most famously, Her Majesty revoked Princess Dianas HRH styling while allowing her to keep the courtesy title Princess of Wales. She did the same for Prince Andrews ex-wife Sarah Ferguson who remained the Duchess of York. Prince Harry is disappointed with his loss of status Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex | Simon Dawson WPA Pool/Getty Images It seems that the Duke of Sussex didnt expect to separate so completely from the royal family, even if hes the one who initiated the split. Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding, he said during a speech. Unfortunately, that wasnt possible. But theres a chance it will turn around in the future. Both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Harry have plans to re-evaluate the arrangement in one year. At that time, Harry could choose to re-join the royal family as a senior member, and the queen could then bestow the HRH styling again at her discretion. Itll be fascinating to see how this all plays out and whether Harry and Meghan ever get back their HRH or if they care about it all after this year. Emma Sears is five months pregnant with her first child and up until three weeks ago, she had never considered a home birth. The 36-year-old registered nurse, from north-east of Melbourne, says she is all too aware of how stretched hospitals are, even without the pressure of dealing with the coronavirus, and so now is weighing up birthing at home. Emma Sears is seriously considering having a home birth due to the coronavirus threat. Credit:Justin McManus [COVID-19 has] made us consider how to keep myself safe, the baby, my partner and my family, she says. I just dont know how the situation is going to look like in August when Im due. It's a similar tale for Sydney mother-of-one Sarah Whipp, 30, who decided to book a home birth last week at seven months pregnant. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 13:30:06|Editor: zyl Video Player Close KABUL, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Armed militants including suicide bombers attacked a temple in Afghanistan's Kabul on Wednesday with casualties feared, a spokesman for Interior Ministry Tareq Arian said. According to the official, the armed militants sneaked into the temple in the first Police District of Kabul city at 7:45 a.m. local time and security forces in sharp reaction cordoned off the area and tried to clean the temple from the attacking insurgents. However, an eyewitness at nearby of the temple said on the condition of anonymity that he had heard two blasts so far. HASAKAH, Syria Amid ongoing operations to find and eliminate remnants of the Islamic State (IS), the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria plans to begin public trials for accused members of the extremist organization. The Social Justice Council of the Syrian Kurdish administration is setting up a special court to prosecute foreign IS militants whose home countries refuse to allow their return and to try them. Council member and lawyer Faisal Sabri told Al-Monitor, We asked the European countries to assume their responsibilities toward IS detainees by establishing an international court on Syrian soil and sending international judges to try them, but they did not respond to our request. We have to set up public trials for them in accordance with international laws and human rights covenants and treaties. We have yet to determine when the trials will start, Sabri continued. We called on European and Arab countries to accept the extradition of their nationals from among IS children, orphans and wives residing in al-Hol camp. They have been posing a threat in the camp, which has turned into a hotbed of terrorism. In recent operations, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on March 11 raided a refugee camp in the town of al-Shuhail, east of Deir ez-Zor, and arrested four members of a family displaced from Hama for alleged past involvement with IS. The raid, using military helicopters provided by the US-led international coalition against IS, came a day after SDF arrested suspected members of IS cells in the town of al-Basira, in Deir ez-Zor province. Those detained possessed medium and light weapons and modern communications equipment, according to the SDF. Several other IS suspects were arrested in separate raids. SDF officer Sarkhbon Ali said of the detainees from the sleeper cells, Many of them are dangerous, have committed war crimes, and must be tried. On Feb. 23 at a press conference in Qamishli, Fener al-Kait, co-head of the administration's External Affairs Department, had called on the international community to provide support and legal advice for the trial of 12,000 IS militants, including 3,000 foreigners of 50 different nationalities. In attendance was the Belgian parliamentary deputy George Dalman, who noted that there were 15 Belgians among the detainees and said that careful study is needed to determine how their trials should be conducted. In Raqqa, Al-Monitor met Salem Ali, a farmer whose son was killed by IS four years ago. When IS controlled the city of Raqqa, it confiscated our crops, he said. Our lives under IS went to hell. My son Muhammad tried to escape, but IS militants caught him and beheaded him for treason. Most of those who carried out these executions were foreigners of various nationalities. A number of European and other countries have taken in some IS children. In early February, Rojava handed over to Russia 35 children with Russian citizenship. The children had been living in al-Hol, which holds tens of thousands of wives and children of accused IS members. Kamal Akef, spokesman for the External Affairs Department, said that in the past year, the self-administration had handed over 100 women and children to the government of Kosovo, five children to France, seven children from one family to Sweden, 30 women and 70 children to Kazakhstan and five children to Sudan. Al-Hol is one of the largest refugee camps run by the Kurdish self-administration. It shelters around 74,000 Syrians and Iraqis, and some 40,000 wives and children of IS fighters occupy a separate section of the camp. Birvan Omar, an administrator for the self-administration's Office of Humanitarian Organizations Affairs, also oversees the camp. The al-Hol camp has experienced murders by IS women, she told Al-Monitor, Most of these crimes are carried out by members of all-female IS morality police, known as the Hisbah. Everyone who rejects IS beliefs in the camp is destined to die at the hands of these women. She said the children are being brought up in a horrifying environment. On March 14, Kurdish security forces at Al-Hol camp found the body of an Iraqi refugee who had been killed with a hammer. In an incident in February, another Iraqi man died after being stabbed. His body was found in the section of the camp housing IS families. There have been other killings with sharp objects, and tents have been set on fire with people in them. The children end up embracing IS ideology, and when they grow up, they will be a danger to the world, Omar said. She called on the international community to rescue the children and deprogram and rehabilitate them to integrate into society. PARIS Albert Uderzo, a co-creator of Asterix, one of Frances most revered and longest-running comic book series, died on Tuesday at his home in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris. He was 92. His death was confirmed by Dargaud, the former publisher of the Asterix comic books. Bernard de Choisy, Mr. Uderzos son-in-law, told the Agence France-Presse that the cause was a heart attack. Mr. Uderzo and the writer Rene Goscinny created Asterix in 1959, filling the series with puns, regional stereotypes and anachronistic references to French culture as it followed the adventures of its main character, an ancient Gaul named Asterix, a mustachioed figure in a battle helmet. The series is joined perhaps only by Tintin and Mickey Mouse in the pantheon of comic book and cartoon characters with uninterrupted universal appeal. In 1966, Frances first space satellite was named Asterix. A rocket debris has been discovered downrange from a recent rocket launch from Xichang in southwest China. The objective of the launch activity is to send the Chinese Beidou navigation satellite in geosynched transfer orbit. The rocket used was the Long March 3B rocket that was sent up on March 9. All went well and the satellite was placed into orbit with no problems, the side booster of the three-stage rocket fell in downrange from the launching site. The 2.25 diameter rocket component was stuck in the ground, based on social media video. It was a relief that the ejected booster did not strike private property, that did happen with a launch in November 2019, last year. More to be thankful for is the booster could have endangered the life of anyone on the crash site. Generally, the places were rocket debris lands is not always under control, with a random element not always knowing where it hits. In the social media post, the location of the splashdown rocket debris is not mentioned at all. Though, comments on the video took note that the local dialectical accents are that of Guizhou. The region is also matched to the airspace closed off by China, before the launch start. Also read: Coronavirus: How It Affects the Body, Harming the Host Cells (Update) All the areas marked for close in the surrounding air space is called the drop zone. Drop zones are calculated, areas, where any equipment can be struck by a splash downed component, are given notice, before the launch date. It is SOP for these civilians in affected areas to evacuate these zones and keep away from any equipment or wreckage on the ground for safety. The propellant used for these China rockets can contaminate, also toxic as well. There is a logic why the first rocket launch sites were found inland. During the cold war, they were located for mostly security reasons. Whenever a booster is sent up, they will most likely splashdown in plots of land, dropping segments and stages in sequence, on land not in bodies of water. Past failed rocket launch In 2016, China opened the ambitious coastal Wenchang spaceport that was dedicated to launching brand new rockets with technology updates. It was in March 16 that the new Long March 7A rocket from Wenchang spaceport. Launching was a dismal failure and did not succeed at all. China's ageing Long March 3B needed an update, the west has many years ahead in the field, so China aspires to outdo them. From the older Long March 3B, that was obsolete too and to lessen the dangers of falling rocket equipment debris. It did not work and the launch was a failure due to an unknown problem. Worse is the equipment in the payload bay did not reach orbit at all. The technical problem with the launcher needs to be fixed and grounded until such notice of resolving the problem. So, far there have been six launches from the coastal Wenchang spaceport, only one of the five rockets launched failed too. Reaching a goal of 40 launches in 2020, in the spaceport will make it busy as a premier Chinese launch site. Related article: Scientists Still Trying to Find Life Existence in Mars @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Trend Turkeys export of steel to Georgia from January through February 2020 made up $19.4 million, which is 16.2 percent more compared to the same period of 2019, Turkeys Ministry of Trade told Trend on March 16. Turkeys export of steel to Georgia in February 2020 increased to $10.6 million, which is 38.3 percent more compared to February 2019, the ministry noted. From January through February 2020, export of steel from Turkey to world markets dropped by 9.5 percent compared to the same period of 2019, amounting to $2.1 billion. Turkeys steel export amounted to 7.4 percent of the countrys total export in January-February 2020. In February 2020, Turkeys export of steel to world markets amounted to $1 billion, which is 15 percent less compared to the same month of 2019. Turkeys steel export in February 2020 made up 6.9 percent of the countrys total export. From February 2019 through February 2020, Turkey exported steel worth $13.6 million. Turkeys foreign trade turnover in January 2020 exceeded $33.9 billion. In January 2020, Turkey's total export exceeded $14.7 billion, which is increase by 6.4 percent compared to January 2019. Turkey's total import increased by 18.8 percent in January 2020 compared to the same month of 2019 and exceeded $19.2 billion. Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, says the presidential villa in Abuja is on a partial lockdown. ... Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, says the presidential villa in Abuja is on a partial lockdown. Adesina said during an interactive session with state house correspondents on Wednesday. He said the federal executive council (FEC) meetings were suspended indefinitely because more than 50 converge on the council chamber of the presidential villa on a weekly basis as against the restriction on large gatherings amid the coronvairus outbreak. Adesina also spoke on the COVID-19 test of President Muhammadu Buhari. The council was suspended because of the size. You have over 50 people seated in the council chambers whenever the meeting holds and that is not advisable at a time like this, he said. But if there would be a very important decision to be taken, you can always summon the relevant people, three, four or five and hold a small meeting and arrive at a decision. It does not mean that one man is going to be taking all the decisions. Of course yes there are executive decisions but the ones that must pass through consultations of which must have a buy in of the federal executive council can always be discussed at a smaller meeting. On the situation of things at the presidential villa, Adesina said: Well, things are a bit on a low key, it doesnt mean that the State House is shut down, its just that things are a bit on the low key just like the rest of the country. The rest of the country is also on a low key, there is partial lockdown in most parts of the country. So, what is happening at the State House can also be called a partial lockdown but not a complete lockdown. Asked if Buhari was indeed tested for the COVID-19 virus, the presidential spokesman said the outcome of the result calls for joy. What did you hear about the result? Adesina asked to which the reporter responded: They said its negative. Adesina then replied: Good. So that calls for rejoicing with him. Anybody that does the test and test negative we will rejoice with that person. And anybody that does it and test positive, its not a death sentence. We also would pray along with the person, give the person our good will and best wishes and they will surely come out of it. Even the index case in Nigeria recovered and has been discharged. So God that has shown us mercy thus far and will continue to show that mercy. Anybody that test positive is not a death sentence, they will be attended to, they will be tested and they will be fine. There are currently 46 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Nigeria Coronavirus demand on intensive care units should peak in two and a half to three weeks time at a level which will not overwhelm the NHS, a leading scientist has told MPs. Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, whose shock report warning of 250,000 deaths if politicians did nothing spurred Boris Johnson to order the nationwide lockdown, said that current measures should limit UK fatalities to a maximum of 20,000 and potentially substantially lower. He said politicians will face crucial decisions in three to four weeks time on whether to risk lifting restrictions on movements and social contact, which could see a possible resurgence in Covid-19 infections or to maintain the lockdown for as long as a year. While there is likely to be a second wave of Covid-19 cases after the lifting of the lockdown, it is possible that a programme of intensive testing and contact tracing could allow the UK to keep numbers at low levels indefinitely until the problem is solved by the development of a vaccine, he said. Prof Ferguson, the director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis and a member of the prime minister's Scientific Advisers Group on Emergencies (Sage), has himself caught coronavirus, and told the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee that his case was flu-like and for a couple of days really quite unpleasant but he was now self-isolating and on the mend. Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Show all 12 1 /12 Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions NO2-concentrations-us-NEW-YORK-1.jpg Weighted mean NO2 concentrations in cities across US. They are weighted using quality information provided by the satellite data provider. Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions New York Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Denver Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Denver Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Chicago Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Chicago Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Detroit Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Detroit Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Houston Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Houston Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Los Angeles Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Los Angeles Descartes Labs Giving evidence via video link, he told the committee: With the current strategy being adopted now, we think that in some areas of the country intensive care units will get very close to capacity but it wont be breached at a national level. There will be some areas of the country which will experience stress, but we are reasonably confident which is all we can be at the present time at a national level we will be within capacity. Asked when he expected the outbreak to peak in the UK, Prof Ferguson said: If and its an if, we are moderately confident but cant be completely sure the current measures work as we expect them to, then we will see intensive care unit demand peak in approximately two and a half to three weeks time and then decline thereafter. The reason for that lag is because it takes people something like two to three weeks between being infected and actually being in an intensive care unit. Prof Ferguson played down a recent Oxford University study suggesting that as many as half of the UK population may have been infected with Covid-19 already but not noticed the mild symptoms, saying it did not seem consistent with the observed data. Infection rates can be expected to vary a lot by geographic area, with London being worst-hit in the UK, he told the committee. Up to 5-10 per cent of the London population is likely to have some form of infection within the next six months, he said, adding: Once we achieve suppression and case numbers go down to a low level, that number is unlikely to increase much beyond that. The 16 March Imperial College report estimated that the lockdown and intensive social distancing policy now adopted could cap the number of British deaths at 20,000, and the final death toll could be substantially lower than that, he told MPs. Amid fears that coronavirus cases could spike up again it the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began, as restrictions are lifted, Prof Ferguson was asked about the danger of a second peak in Britain later this year. A nurse in Germany gets a coronavirus test ready (Reuters) We think the governments measures could well with a reasonable but not certain degree of confidence turn the curve over, turn the epidemic from a growing epidemic to a declining epidemic, he said. Whether we get a resurgence depends on policy decisions in three to four weeks time and the effectiveness of the measures we put in place to replace the current regime. It comes back to the issue of can we move from a complete lockdown, which almost certainly isnt sustainable for the rest of the year, to something making better and more intensive use of testing and contact tracing. There will be a resurgence of transmission, but the hope is that by deploying more focused policies to suppress local outbreaks, we can maintain infection levels at low levels in the country as a whole indefinitely. It remains to be seen how we actually achieve that and how practical it proves to be. Dr Richard Horton, the editor-in-chief of medical magazine The Lancet, told the committee that the UK had "missed an opportunity" to prepare for the current outbreak during February and early March. Dr Horton said the severity of the outbreak of coronavirus in Chinas Hubei province was beginning to be understood in the final week of January and that many at The Lancet viewed the events in Wuhan then as a "red flag". The magazine published three papers on the outbreak of Covid-19 at the time, and has been critical of the slow pace of the government's response to the outbreak. Its been seven to eight weeks since that time and February was the opportunity for the UK to really prepare, based upon testing, isolation, quarantine, physical distancing, ICU capacity and so on," said Dr Horton. "We missed that opportunity. We could have used the month of February based upon what we knew in January. When I looked at the evidence Sage posted on its website ... what strikes me is the mismatch between the urgent warning that was coming from the frontline in China in January and the honestly somewhat pedestrian emulation of the likely severity outbreak in that evidence. That suggests to me that we didnt fully understand what was taking place on the frontline. Committee chair Greg Clark announced that the cross-party panel will conduct an inquiry into the lessons to be learnt from the coronavirus outbreak once the current crisis is over. The YSR Congress Party on Tuesday announced that all its Members of Parliament will donate two month's salary, to help curb the spread of COVID-19. All YSRCP MPs, will contribute a month's salary to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund, and they will further donate another month's salary to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The amount would be utilised in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. "Mankind is facing a crisis as never before. Fighting the coronavirus is no mean task. Doctors and health personnel have exhibited rare and selfless courage to save lives. Governments the world over have requested people to socially isolate themselves," YSRCP leader V Vijayasai Reddy said in a statement. "It is time for all of us to do our bit for the less fortunate who need to work on a daily basis to eat and who need medicines to combat the disease," it added. "Every life is precious to us as we must do all we can to protect our people. Victory will be ours if all of us rally behind the government," said Reddy. In his address to the nation on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the number of confirmed positive cases in India of COVID-19 has reached 562. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai: Acting to curb hoarding of essential items amid rising COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, police raided a godown in the city and seized four lakh masks, valued at one crore, an official said on Wednesday. The raid was conducted at the Shah Warehousing and Transport Godown in suburban Mumbai, the official said. The Vile Parle Police received information on Tuesday night that a large quantity of face masks was stored in the warehouse. Police reached the spot and found 200 boxes of face masks valued at around one crore, the official said. Police registered an FIR against five people including owner of the godown, agent and supplier at the Sahar police station but no arrest have been made, the official said. Deputy Commissioner of Police Manjunath Singhe said legal action is being taken against the five. Hoarding of essential items like face masks and sanitizers is an offence, he added. On Monday evening, the Mumbai crime branch Unit 9 had seized 25 lakh high-quality masks worth 15 crore. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics As oil crashes due to the impact of the coronavirus, its easy to overlook an even more dismal reality for producers: The real prices theyre getting for their barrels are worse still. Having collapsed by about 60 per cent this year, Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude have stabilised at around $25 a barrel, but the price rout is far deeper for actual cargoes, which are changing hands at large and widening discounts to the global benchmarks. The discounts mean that in the physical market, some crude streams are trading at $15, $10 and even as little as $8 a ... In the midst of lifes woundability, what is your foundation? Introduction Ive been a pastor for over 27 years, but during that time Ive always worked as a low-level, volunteer superhero. This is true. Youve heard of Spiderman, Iron Man, and Batman. Well, just call me Invulnerable Man. My superpower? I am invulnerable to injury, sickness, failure, fatigue, and possibly even death. Or so I have thought, anyway. But then reality happens, and I realize that I am not Invulnerable Man. For example, a few weeks ago, like any decent super-hero, I sprung out of bed to come to church. But as I bent over to pick up a stray sock, my lower back locked up. Then I was in excruciating, even nauseating pain. I texted my friend Bishop Stewart and said, I cant make it. For starters, I cant get my socks or pants on. The Nobel Prize winning poet Czeslaw Milosz once wrote a three sentence poem: To believe you are magnificent. And gradually to discover that you are not magnificent. Enough labor for one lifetime. Milosz titled that poem Learning. I can relate to that! Its been a long, slow learning curve to discover that I am not invulnerable. In a similar but global way, the coronavirus may be teaching us a similar lesson: we are not near as invulnerable as we imagined. How do you live when you learn that your health, your dreams, your relationships, or your nation are more fragile than you ever imagined? The word vulnerable literally means to be woundable. How do you live when you discover that life can wound youphysically, emotionally, relationally? That life can shake the very foundation you thought you could stand on? Those are the questions behind the Psalm 62. Its a poem written by David, the greatest king of ... sermon Preview This sermon is available to PreachingToday.com members only. To continue reading: Log In - or - Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 09:23:39|Editor: Liu Video Player Close WELLINGTON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand declared on Wednesday a state of national emergency amid COVID-19 outbreak, local media reported. South African health authorities said on Wednesday that coronavirus cases had jumped by 155 over a 24-hour period, although the country has yet to record any deaths. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said it had confirmed 709 cases of Covid-19 with Gauteng and Western Cape provinces the hardest hit. We are expecting that there is still going to be quite an increase in the numbers of cases and we also expect that a lot of work has to be done by South Africans to contain this infection, South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told the SABC state broadcaster on Wednesday morning. South Africa is expected to go into lockdown at midnight on Thursday with restrictions in place for three weeks. The country's national carrier South African Airways last Friday announced the suspension of all international flights until 31 May. It will also suspend domestic flights from Friday to coincide with the nationwide lockdown. These choices and sacrifices are absolutely necessary if our country is to emerge stronger from this disaster, said Cyril Ramaphosa during a televised address on Monday. The government identified some 16,000 beds at 52 quarantine sites across South Africa, according to Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille. The sites are a combination of government and private facilities that would need to be assessed by the health department, The Times reported. South Africa's national parks will be closed from Wednesday until further notice, said SANParks. Guests from high risk countries currently staying in the parks were asked to remain in the parks until they were provided with assistance. Mining in South Africa will be "scaled down significantly" including gold, chrome and manganese, although processing of platinum would continue, notably for medical products, according to the Department of Mineral Resources. South African Reverse Bank also announced it would "commence a programme of purchasing government securities" in an effort to provide stimulus through quantitative easing. Outside an apartment block in South Yarra, veteran real estate agent Nicholas Cable excuses himself to take another call. "Interesting times," he says to the nervous landlord on the other end. "I've never seen anything like it." The phone hasn't stopped ringing, he explains, hanging up. Many calls were from property owners asking if tenants, or prospective tenants, had coronavirus-proof jobs. Others were from terrified tenants who did not. One of them, a fitness instructor with a wife and child, lost his income when the government closed gyms. There's was no way to pay $600 a week rent to the landlord, who'd just lost her own job and didn't know how to pay her weekly mortgage of a similar amount. Mr Cable was at the South Yarra block on Wednesday welcoming its newest, and luckiest, tenant: 24-year-old business consultant Clare, fresh from Canberra. She secured the $350-a-week one-bedder from about 20 applicants; Mr Cable said it would normally attract about five applications. As the first city in the country to order its residents to shelter in place, San Franciscans are now over a week into the coronavirus lockdown, and the streets are largely unrecognizable. Filmmaker Dan Denegre of Space Race Studio used his Mavic 3 Pro drone to capture the empty city in a short film shared on YouTube called "San Francisco Shut Down: COVID-19 Quarantine." Editors note: This post includes updates related to COVID-19 and its effects on Albuquerque and the rest of the state. PICTURES UPDATES 7:50 p.m. TriCore gets instrument to double testing capacity TriCore Reference Laboratories announced Monday it had added a high capacity instrument that doubles its COVID-19 coronavirus testing capacity to 1,000 tests per day. TriCore is currently delivering a five-day turn-around time for COVID-19 tests and is urging anyone awaiting test results from a clinic or high-capacity collection center to continue to self-quarantine until those results are available. This weeks increased capacity allows us to more efficiently meet the needs of both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients in New Mexico, said Dr. Doug Clark, chief medical officer at TriCore. Since March 12, TriCore has performed more than 4,000 COVID-19 tests. Additionally, as part of the screening for the COVID-19 virus, TriCore has performed more than 6,000 tests for other respiratory pathogens including influenza and RSV. Rick Nathanson 4:18 p.m. Number of positive cases in NM rises to 112 The state Department of Health said the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is now up to 112, following 13 more positive tests Wednesday and the removal of an earlier case that was a clerical error. Public health officials also said its likely others have the virus, too, but havent been tested. Earlier in the day, officials reported that the first death in New Mexicos coronavirus outbreak is an Eddy County man in his 70s with chronic underlying health conditions. A hospital official said the man had declined to be tested for COVID-19 a week earlier and had denied having had a fever or respiratory symptoms when he arrived at the emergency room Sunday. The man whose name wasnt released died Monday at Artesia General Hospital. Test results came in late Tuesday confirming that hed had COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Read more >> Dan McKay 3:27 p.m. Governor bans all non-essential surgeries Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham banned health care facilities in New Mexico from performing non-essential surgeries and other procedures that can be postponed for three months without putting the patients health at risk. The governor cited a shortage of protective gear for first responders, nurses and doctors dealing with the coronavirus as the reason for the ban. Supplies have been running low, Lujan Grisham said in a statement. The order applies to hospitals, day-surgery centers, dental, orthodontic and other health care facilities. It requires non-essential procedures to be delayed for three months. The order doesnt apply to emergency surgeries, prenatal or postnatal care and other procedures that if delayed would cause permanent damage to the patient or otherwise threaten their health. Were going to do everything we can everything to protect those on the front line of this war against COVID-19, Lujan Grisham said in a release announcing the order. Mike Gallagher 1:56 p.m. Picture: City puts up closed signs in Albuquerque parks Adolphe Pierre-Louis 12:12 p.m. State to begin using emergency alert system New Mexico officials will begin sending alerts directly to residents through the States Emergency Operations Center, according to a release by Governor Michelle Lujan Grishams office. The notifications will come via text messages, and appear on television and radio, much like Amber Alerts do for missing children, the release said. The system is intended to disseminate important information widely and as quickly as possible and is not a cause for alarm, the governors office wrote. The state plans to send the first alert around 12:30 p.m. today, the release said. Messages will state essential public information from the Department of Health, Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and Governors Office regarding important public health guidance and instruction, such as the recent instruction to remain at home except for outings essential to health, safety and welfare, the release read. Robert Browman 10:02 a.m. Eddy County man is NMs first coronavirus death New Mexico announced its first COVID-19 death Wednesday an Eddy County man in his 70s with underlying health conditions. The man died Sunday at Artesia General Hospital. A test confirmed later in the week that he had COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. I ask all New Mexicans to include the sick and their families in their prayers as well as the health care workers and those others on the front lines helping protect us from this disease, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a written statement. Read more >> Dan McKay 10:26 a.m. Udall: Coronavirus response package includes provisions for tribes New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall said the Senate coronavirus response package expected to be voted on today includes provisions for tribes and urban Indian health programs. Tribes are on the front lines of this public health crisis, and they have been very clear that they need health, economic, and community COVID-19 recovery resources. That is why Ive pushed for inclusion of Tribal-specific resources and policies, said Udall, who is vice chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs. Im proud that I was able to work with my Senate Democratic colleagues to fight for important tribal-specific provisions to improve this urgent legislation. The legislation will establish an $8 billion Tribal Government Relief fund to ensure Indian tribes have direct one stop access to COVID-19 resources for economic recovery and continuation of essential government services based on local needs, Udalls office said. The agreement also contains more than $2 billion in emergency supplemental funding for Indian tribes, urban Indian health programs and Native communities, including: $1.032 billion for the Indian Health Service, with funds put in the field through tribal shares and urban organizations; $453 million for operation of essential tribal government programs funded through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, such as public safety and purchase of protective equipment for emergency personnel; $69 million for the Bureau of Indian Education. Scott Turner 7:25 a.m. Rate of infection on Navajo Nation is nearly 3 times New Mexicos Ten more people tested positive for COVID-19 on the Navajo Nation Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases on the reservation to 49, a rate of infection three times that of New Mexicos. The cases include six people on the New Mexico side of the reservation four people from McKinley County and two people from San Juan County as well as 43 people on the Arizona side, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez reported on social media. The reservations 49 cases, when factored against its reported of population of about 350,000, is nearly three times that of New Mexicos. New Mexico has 100 positive cases in a reported population of a little more than 2 million. Residents on the reservation, which extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, remain under an emergency stay-at-home order. Nezs office issued a release earlier in the day announcing the number had reached 39. A few hours later, he reported the number had increased by 10 to 49. In the release, Nez directed residents to stay at home if at all possible. To prevent a massive public health crisis, every person must remain home, unless you need food, medicine, or other essential items, but beyond that we shouldnt have anyone traveling or going out into the public, Nez wrote in the release If you need essential items, send only one person and use every precaution available, he wrote. For the last few days, first responders have been delivering care packages to residents of Chilchinbeto, an area of about 1,000 that has been hit hard by the virus. The release asked Chilchinbeto residents with questions to call (928) 871-6271. The Navajo Health Command Operations Center can be reached at (928) 871-7014. Robert Browman 7:15 a.m. White House, Congress agree on $2 trillion virus rescue bill The White House and Senate leaders of both parties announced agreement early Wednesday on an unprecedented $2 trillion emergency bill to rush sweeping aid to businesses, workers and a health care system slammed by the coronavirus pandemic. The urgently needed measure is the largest economic rescue bill in history. It is intended as a weekslong or monthslong patch for an economy spiraling into recession or worse and a nation facing a potentially ghastly toll. Read more >> AP 6:05 a.m. Virus hits young and old alike across NM The coronavirus outbreak ripping through the state is now hitting people of all ages and reaching communities far from Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The rapid growth and demographic spread arent surprising, public health officials said Tuesday. They also underscore the importance of New Mexicans adhering to the states instruction to stay at home, officials said, which could prevent thousands of infections. Read more >> Dan McKay 6:05 a.m. Local farms offer fresh produce during virus outbreak Local growers are taking on the added responsibility of continuing to supply fresh produce to New Mexicans amid the COVID-19 outbreak that has limited restaurants to takeout, strained grocery store supplies and postponed farmers markets. Farms thrive on community, and were all really coming together, said Andrea Romero of Tierra Sagrada Farm in Bernalillo. Working with the earth and having as few hands as possible touch our produce feels good right now. Farms and ranches are among the essential businesses exempt from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams order closing businesses termed nonessential statewide. And Tierra Sagrada is one of many businesses expanding its Community Supported Agriculture services, which allow customers to buy directly from local farms and receive produce by pickup or delivery. Read more >> Theresa Davis 6:05 a.m. Sunport an absolute ghost town due to virus On Monday, 854 passengers boarded airplanes at the Albuquerque International Sunport, according to preliminary data. Thats 88% fewer than the same day in 2019. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller on Tuesday called the city-owned airport an absolute ghost town. Read more >> Jessica Dyer 6:05 a.m. Sandoval County moves to dismiss inmate release request The Sandoval County attorney who last week asked a judge to order the release of all nonviolent and misdemeanor offenders from the county jail has filed a motion to dismiss the request, saying the county has reduced its jail population to an acceptable level using other avenues. When County Attorney Robin Hammer filed the petition last week, 208 detainees were housed at the Sandoval County Detention Center, but by Monday evening, that number had been reduced to 130, largely by moving inmates to other facilities. The lower number allows the center to space detainees farther apart, in compliance with health mandates intended to help slow the spread of coronavirus. A hearing set for Tuesday morning on the petition was canceled, and the case has been dismissed. A spokeswoman for the city of Rio Rancho, which had raised concerns about the proposal, said the city is satisfied with the outcome and will work with the county to mitigate risks at the jail. Read more >> Katy Barnitz 6:05 a.m. UNM postpones commencement ceremonies Late Monday, UNM President Garnett Stokes announced that the school is postponing commencement for spring 2020 graduates. Stokes, while announcing that the May 16 ceremony would be postponed, said the school is committed to celebrating its 2020 graduating class at some point. Last year, the spring graduation celebrated nearly 4,000 students, ranging from those who earned an associate degree to new doctors graduating from medical school. I know that walking across the stage wearing your cap and gown to accept that hard-earned diploma is one of the most significant and memorable parts of the University experience, Stokes wrote. We want to ensure that our Lobo class of 2020 is properly recognized and celebrated, especially under these particularly challenging conditions. In the coming weeks, we will engage our students to help develop a creative strategy to honor our spring graduates. Read more >> Ryan Boetel Study published today in the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology found no virus in tears of infected patients SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - March 25, 2020 - While researchers are certain that coronavirus spreads through mucus and droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing, it is unclear if the virus is spread through other bodily fluids, such as tears. Today's just-published study offers evidence that it is unlikely that infected patients are shedding virus through their tears, with one important caveat. None of the patients in the study had conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye. However, health officials believe pink eye develops in just 1 percent to 3 percent of people with coronavirus. The study's authors conclude that their findings, coupled with the low incidence of pink eye among infected patients, suggests that the risk of virus transmission through tears is low. Their study was published online today in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. To conduct the study, Ivan Seah, MBBS, and his colleagues at the National University Hospital in Singapore collected tear samples from 17 patients with COVID-19 from the time they showed symptoms until they recovered about 20 days later. Neither viral culture nor reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detected the virus in their tears throughout the two-week course of the disease. Dr. Seah also took samples from the back of the nose and throat during the same time period. While the patients' tears were clear of virus, their noses and throats were teeming with COVID-19. Dr. Seah said he hopes their work helps to guide more research into preventing virus transmission through more significant routes, such as droplets and fecal-oral spread. Despite this reassuring news, it's important for people to understand that guarding your eyes -- as well as your hands and mouth -- can slow the spread of respiratory viruses like the coronavirus. Here's why: When a sick person coughs or talks, virus particles can spray from their mouth or nose into another person's face. You're most likely to inhale these droplets through your mouth or nose, but they can also enter through your eyes. You can also become infected by touching something that has the virus on it -- like a table or doorknob -- and then touching your eyes. Find other ways you can help protect yourself and others on the Academy's EyeSmart website. ### About the American Academy of Ophthalmology The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons. A global community of 32,000 medical doctors, we protect sight and empower lives by setting the standards for ophthalmic education and advocating for our patients and the public. We innovate to advance our profession and to ensure the delivery of the highest-quality eye care. Our EyeSmart program provides the public with the most trusted information about eye health. For more information, visit aao.org. About Ophthalmology Ophthalmology, the official journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, publishes original, peer-reviewed, clinically-applicable research. Topics include the results of clinical trials, new diagnostic and surgical techniques, treatment methods, technology assessments, translational science reviews and editorials. For more information, visit http://www.aaojournal.org. Bangkok's streets were nearly deserted a day after the Thai government declared an emergency will take stricter measures on Thursday to control the coronavirus outbreak that has infected hundreds of people in the Southeast Asian country. Many residences said tougher measures that could involve a total shutdown of cities may be inevitable, but some worry about the economic impact that could follow. At Suvarnabhumi airport, tourists are catching remaining flights out. Diane Britto and her sister from Portugal are among those trying to leave. The pair, who had been in Thailand since March 2, had their flight canceled last week but are lucky to have found a flight home leaving Wednesday evening. Thailand confirmed 107 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19, bringing the total to 934. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's government had been criticized for failing to take strong action to fight the coronavirus even as the daily increases in cases jumped from single digits in February into the hundreds in the past week. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those with no visible symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness including pneumonia, but the vast majority of people recover from the virus. The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 422,000 people and killed over 18,000. More than 108,000 people have recovered so far, mostly in China. (Picture Credit: representative image/AP) Australia's oldest dairy brand Brownes Dairy has revived its iconic 'milkman' service to help cope with the high demand amid coronavirus pandemic. The company, established in 1886, will now deliver fresh milk as well as yoghurt and juice directly to homes around Western Australia for those who don't have access to essential items during the social isolation. 'In this difficult time for all of us with the ongoing and devastating impact of COVID-19, it is now more important than ever that we support each other as a community wherever (and however) we can,' the brand said. 'With panic buying prevalent, and staying at home becoming a necessity, we know that a lot of families have been struggling to get even their basic groceries. 'That is why we have revived an iconic piece of WA history: the Brownes Dairy Milko.' Australia's oldest dairy company Brownes Dairy has revived its iconic 'milkman' service to help cope with the high demand amid coronavirus pandemic Customers can place a minimum order of $10 by 7pm via the website - and the Brownes Dairy products will be delivered right to your door the following day. 'A lot of you have asked us for this for a long time, so we hope we can deliver, and we look forward to reliving this piece of WA history with all of you, and helping in this small way,' it said. 'We've been looking after the WA community for over 130 years, and we aren't about to stop now.' To ensure safe social distancing during delivery, customers are advised to leave a laundry basket outside their door so the Milko can place the order inside. Residents would be notified their estimated arrival time and the company will advise them when they can come out to collect it. 'This is to protect both you and our Milkos,' Brownes said. 'Your safety and that of our drivers is our priority so we have introduced some important measures for our mutual protection.' The company, established in 1886, will now deliver fresh milk directly to homes around Western Australia for those who don't have access to essential items during the social isolation Since launching the home service earlier this week, the company confirmed it has exceeded its capacity for deliveries for the rest of the week - but reassured customers to check the website for updates. 'We have been overwhelmed by the response from all of you in the last 24 hours. Unfortunately we've exceeded our capacity for deliveries this week. Please stay tuned and we will update you as soon as we can,' the company said. 'This is a trial. We have limited capacity for this, so please bear with us as we learn and grow. We are doing our best to help in this time of need.' For more details, visit the website. The government is looking for volunteer doctors to fight theCOVID-19 outbreak which has infected over 600 people in the country and has taken more than 19,000 lives across the globe. In a statement posted on Niti Aayog's website on Wednesday, the governmentappealed to retired government, Armed Forces Medical Services, public sector undertaking or a private doctor to come forward and join the efforts of the government to fight the deadly virus. Those who wish to contribute to this and be a part of this nobel mission to serve the country may register themselves on a link provided on the official website of the Niti Aayog. The Government of India requests for volunteer doctors who are fit and willing to be available for providing their services in the public health facilities and the training hospitals in the near future. We appeal to such doctors to come forward at this hour of need. You could also be a retired government, Armed Forces Medical Services, public sector undertaking or a private doctor, the statement said. It noted that in case the outbreak leads to a high number of infected individuals, India's public health facilities will face tremendous load to take care of the large number of patients. "This overwhelming burden may not be met by the available doctors in the public health system. The Central and state governments are augmenting and expediting increase in healthcare services in every part of the country. In addition, COVID-19 'train hospitals' are being created in this regard," it added. The country is facing an unprecedented public health emergency with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting several parts of the nation. The Central and state governments have made exceptional efforts to combat the crisis along with the involvement of all citizens. Coronavirus cases in the country crossed 600 on Wednesday as authorities beefed up preparedness to fight the pandemic with a chain of hospitals of the Army ordnance factories and central paramilitary forces earmarking over 2,000 beds for isolation and treatment of people affected by COVID-19. In addition, the Hamirpur district administration in Himachal Pradesh took over all the ten hostels with 2,000 rooms of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) for creating an isolation centre. A 2,200-bed state-run hospital in Kolkata has stopped admitting new patients who are suffering from other diseases and was discharging patients whose condition had improved as part of efforts to create a dedicated isolation centre. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) English Court thwarts Hamdi Akin Ipek's attempt to use millions in company funds to finance personal arbitration battle against Turkey Judge deems his conduct "extremely unimpressive and unsatisfactory" Ruling is a victory for Koza Altin's shareholders The High Court in London has delivered another blow to businessman Hamdi Akin Ipek, granting an injunction preventing him from using funds belonging to Koza Ltd, the English subsidiary of a publicly-listed Turkish mining conglomerate. Mr Ipek wanted to use millions of Koza Ltd's funds to pay for a personal international arbitration dispute between him and the Republic of Turkey. Following a 2-day hearing in the High Court in London on 10 and 11 February 2020, Mr Jeremy Cousins QC (a Deputy Judge of the High Court) ruled on Monday that Koza Ltd's funds should not be used in support of the arbitration in particular since it appeared the arbitration was being pursued based on a document of doubtful authenticity. Mr Ipek had claimed he could not pay for the arbitration personally, and that without Koza Ltd's funds it could not go ahead. At the court hearing, however, Koza Altin submitted evidence showing that Mr Ipek and his family members had been "shuffling" more than $20million between them and dealing in luxury yachts. The Court heard that Mr Ipek must have access to sufficient funds of his own to pay for the arbitration. The judge was unimpressed by Mr Ipek's failure to disclose his assets, deciding that "Mr Ipek's position remains shrouded with an uncertainty that Mr Ipek has done nothing to dispel" and that his refusal to cooperate to enable proper scrutiny of his asset position was "extremely unimpressive and unsatisfactory. This week's ruling means that Koza Ltd's funds are preserved pending trial. Hugo Plowman, the Partner at Mishcon de Reya LLP representing Koza Altin, commented: "This is an important decision and a clear message from the English Court that Mr Ipek must stop using Koza Ltd's funds to fight his campaign against Turkey. My client is delighted with this result which follows our major win in the Supreme Court last summer." The decision is the latest in a series of defeats suffered by Mr Ipek in ongoing litigation over control of Koza Ltd. Koza Ltd is the wholly-owned English subsidiary of Koza Altin, a publicly-listed mining conglomerate headquartered in Ankara. Koza Ltd was incorporated in 2014 and capitalised with 60million provided by its parent company, Koza Altin. Over the course of the past 4 years, Koza Altin has taken action to stop these funds being used inappropriately. In 2016, the funds were frozen in order to preserve the value of the company pending resolution of the dispute. In 2017, Mr Ipek sought the Court's permission to release Koza Ltd's funds to finance a raft of personal litigation, including 3million for an international arbitration claim that he planned to bring against Turkey on behalf of another company owned by him and his family called Ipek Investments Limited. Koza Altin contested his application, arguing that this was an inappropriate use of assets ultimately held for the benefit of Koza Altin's shareholders. Koza Altin also argued that the arbitration was founded upon a fraudulent share purchase agreement (the SPA) and, since it was a sham, the Court should not sanction use of frozen funds to pursue the arbitration. On that occasion, Richard Spearman QC (a Deputy Judge of the High Court) decided that the authenticity of the SPA underpinning Mr Ipek's right to bring the arbitration was "open to very serious doubt". This was upheld on appeal in 2019 when the Court of Appeal concluded that Mr Spearman was "plainly correct" in his assessment of the authenticity of the document and that "once there is accepted to be a seriously arguable case that the SPA was a forgery the court plainly should not lend its authority to a transaction when there is a real possibility that the transaction is a fraudulent one". In his judgment this week, Mr Cousins QC agreed with the earlier rulings. He confirmed that there "remain reasons for very serious doubt as to the SPA's authenticity." This, he said, is "highly material" to Mr Ipek's prospects of success in the arbitration. Last summer, another issue was settled in Koza Altin's favour when the Supreme Court dismissed Mr Ipek's claims challenging the authority of directors appointed by the Turkish Court to represent Koza Altin. The decision represented the culmination of almost three years of litigation on jurisdiction. What is left of the claim can now proceed to trial in England where the Court will decide who should be able to control Koza Ltd. Koza Altin maintains that Mr Ipek is improperly and unlawfully seeking to prevent it from exercising its rights as the 100% shareholder of Koza Ltd. Koza Altin is seeking the removal of Mr Ipek as a director of Koza Ltd in order to protect Koza Altin and its assets for the benefit of its shareholders, and in accordance with its regulatory obligations. ENDS View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005045/en/ Contacts: Media enquiries: Palatine Conal Walsh Jack Myers +44 (0)7912 515089 kozaaltin@palatine-media.com Editor's Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - The discrepancy that emerged Tuesday between prices for gold futures and over-the-counter metal is a "short-term dislocation rather than anything structural," said BMO Capital Markets. Meanwhile, CME Group made a change in how it delivers gold to address the issue late Tuesday. Comex futures prices had traded above spot metal by as much as $70 an ounce, whereas the spread is normally only a couple of dollars, according to news reports. "We received a number of questions yesterday about the physical tightness in the gold market that caused a significant differential between the Comex gold futures and OTC spot price," BMO said. "This was a knock-on effect from the shutdown of the Ticino refiners in Switzerland, which has limited the ability to produce the appropriate weight of bars for good delivery against near-dated positions on the Comex contract. Given this is more a failure of contract specification than the market itself, we view this (and the resultant gold backwardation) as a transitory short-term dislocation rather than anything structural." Comex announced late Tuesday that it was launching a new gold-futures contract with expanded delivery options that include 100-troy-ounce, 400-troy-ounce and 1-kilo gold bars. Otherwise, Comex delivery is 100-once bars. The change allows gold bars of other sizes in London to be used to settle contracts and counter delivery issues as the COVID-19 outbreak makes it harder to ship metal from London to the U.S. If Bill Gates were President of the United States right now, he would prioritize keeping people across America in isolation to "flatten the curve" of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The clear message [would be] that we have no choice to maintain this isolation and that's going to keep going for a period of time," Bill Gates told TED curator Chris Anderson on Tuesday. "In the Chinese case, it was like six weeks, so we have to prepare ourselves for that and do it very well." According to Gates, "If you're doing isolation well [nationally], within about 20 days you'll see those numbers [of new cases] really change," i.e., go down, "and that is a sign that you're on your way." TWEET As president, Gates would also emphasize, "This is not going to be easy. We need a clear message about that," he said. Currently, at least 179 million people in 18 states, 31 counties and 13 cities are being urged to stay home, according to a running tally by the New York Times. According to Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center, the number of new cases in the United States has still been trending higher. By comparison, "the curve" has generally flattened in China and South Korea, as the chart, below, shows. People walk in an almost empty Via del Corso, as Italy tightens measures to try and contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Rome By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Orange and five other telecoms providers have agreed to share mobile phone location data with the European Commission to track the spread of the coronavirus, lobbying group GSMA said on Wednesday. The companies, including Telefonica, Telecom Italia , Telenor, Telia and A1 Telekom Austria met with EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Monday. Worries about governments' use of technology to monitor those in quarantine and track infections have intensified in recent weeks over possible privacy violations, with some raising the spectre of state surveillance. The Commission will use anonymised data to protect privacy and aggregate mobile phone location data to coordinate measures tracking the spread of the virus, an EU official said. To further assuage privacy concerns, the data will be deleted once the crisis is over, the official said, adding that the EU plan is not about centralising mobile data nor about policing people. While anonymised data falls outside the scope of EU data protection laws, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) said the project does not breach privacy rules as long as there are safeguards. "The Commission should clearly define the dataset it wants to obtain and ensure transparency towards the public, to avoid any possible misunderstandings," the EU's data watchdog said in a letter to the EU executive seen by Reuters. "It would also be preferable to limit access to the data to authorised experts in spatial epidemiology, data protection and data science," EDPS head Wojciech Wiewiorowski said. However he also warned about the possibility of such measures becoming permanent. "The EDPS often stresses that such developments usually do not contain the possibility to step back when the emergency is gone. I would like to stress that such solution should be still recognised as extraordinary," Wiewiorowski said. Countries from Singapore to Taiwan and Israel are using various methods such as contact-tracing smartphone apps, a mobile phone-based "electronic fence", satellite-based phone tracking and location-tracking wristbands to fight the spread of the virus. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle) An exterior view of a Barclays Bank branch in central London. (Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Barclays (BARC.L) is waiving overdraft fees for customers for a month in response to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. The bank said on Wednesday it would waive all interest on arranged overdrafts from 27 March to the end of April. The changes will take place automatically, meaning customers will not need to contact the bank to take advantage. Its crucial we offer the right support to our customers through this challenging time, Gillean Dooney, managing director at Barclays, said in a statement. We have therefore decided to waive all overdraft interest until the end of April, meaning there will be no charges for customers to use their arranged overdraft. We are reviewing all options to help customers after this time to ensure we support those in financial difficulty. Read more: UK chancellor missed out one major way to help millions of Brits Barclays is the first major UK bank to announce a pause on overdraft fees. The Covid-19 pandemic has coincided with planned changes to overdraft charges, which come into force in April. Many banks had announced plans to raise annual interest charges to at or around 40%, leading to criticism around the timing. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell this week told The Independent: Banks must put this on hold. This is a real kick in the teeth at this time when people are being laid off and struggling to get by. Alongside the overdraft pause, Barclays on Tuesday also launched a new online form aimed at speeding up the process of applying for a mortgage payment holiday during the coronavirus crisis. Mortgage customers can defer payments for up to 90 days. Read more: Fears on overdraft fees as HSBC hikes rate to 40% Barclays has already announced it would stop late payments and cash advance fees on its holidays, as well as removing penalty charges for early access to fixed term savings accounts. Business customers can also apply for loans of up to 5m ($6m) through the government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan (CBIL) scheme launched this week. Today the IFJ joined a network of press freedom groups in calling on European leaders to protect free flow of information and ensure that media freedom will be guaranteed as states strive to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The IFJ joined 8 press freedom and journalists groups to warn EU governments against the use of COVID-19 pandemic to punish independent and critical media and to introduce restrictions on media access to government decision making and action. While recognizing that certain emergency measures are needed to combat the pandemic, such measures must be necessary, proportionate, strictly time-limited and subject to regular scrutiny, in order to solve the immediate health crisis.the groups also stressed that the free flow of independent news is more essential than ever, both for informing the public on vital measures to contain the virus as well as in maintaining public scrutiny and debate on the adequacy of those measures. Open letter to EU leaders by International Press Freedom Organisations during the COVID19 Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission Charles Michel, President of the European Council David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament 25 March 2020 Re: Call for Europes leaders to protect free flow of information to tackle COVID-19 Dear Presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament, We, the undersigned press freedom and freedom of expression organisations, are writing to express our profound concerns about the dangers of governments taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to punish independent and critical media and to introduce restrictions on the access of media to government decision making and action. The free flow of independent news is more essential than ever, both for informing the public on vital measures to contain the virus as well as in maintaining public scrutiny and debate on the adequacy of those measures. In this respect we support the joint statement put out by the three global and regional special rapporteurs for freedom of expression, David Kaye (U.N.), Harlem Desir (OSCE) and Edison Lanza (OAS), that the right to freedom of expression, , applies to everyone, everywhere, and may only be subject to narrow restrictions. While we appreciate that certain emergency measures are needed to combat the pandemic, all such measures must be necessary, proportionate, temporary, strictly time-limited and subject to regular scrutiny, in order to solve the immediate health crisis. Unfortunately, numerous governments around the world are already using the pandemic to claim excessive powers that can undermine democratic institutions, including the free press. These dangerous developments could easily outlive the current health crisis unless we act urgently to stop them. This week, the Hungarian government is demanding an indefinite extension of the state of emergency and the power to impose prison sentences of up to five years on journalists and others for promoting false information related to COVID-19. Our organizations are acutely aware of the dangers of disinformation and how it is used by unscrupulous groups to spread panic and division. However, this does not justify draconian powers that risk being used against journalists whose work is indispensable in protecting public health and ensuring accountability. It is little surprise that Hungary, with its record of undermining media freedom, should be the first EU member state to make such an extreme and opportunistic power grab. The few remaining independent media outlets in the country are regularly attacked and accused of spreading fake news for raising simple questions about the governments preparedness and strategy for tackling the pandemic. If approved, this new law would grant the Hungarian government a convenient tool to threaten journalists and intimidate them into self-censorship. We fear this is a step toward the complete repression of media freedom in Hungary that could outlive the pandemic. Were this law to pass it would set a fearful precedent for other European Union member states tempted to follow Hungarys example troubling signs exist in other states as well and do untold damage to fundamental rights and democracy as well as undermining efforts to end the pandemic. Secondly, our organizations are also concerned about the proliferation of enhanced surveillance measures introduced to monitor the spread of the virus. While we understand the potential benefits, the use of surveillance must have proper oversight and be clearly limited to tackling the pandemic. Unchecked surveillance endangers privacy and data rights, while journalists ability to protect sources is undermined and self-censorship rises. Thirdly, our organizations are concerned about media access to government officials, decision makers, medical experts and those on the front line of the pandemic. Many countries have introduced restrictions on freedom of movement which we insist must not be used to prevent media from bearing witness to the crisis. At the same time many governments are restricting access to officials by reducing the physical presence of journalists to press conferences. Slovenia and the Czech Republic for example announced ending them altogether. Such measures must not be allowed to restrict media scrutiny of government. We are in the early stages of the pandemic where, for the most part, governments and media are cooperating closely as they struggle to respond to this unprecedented threat to public health. They both have a duty to ensure the public are fully informed and the response to the pandemic is as effective as possible. However, we are acutely aware that as the crisis persists, the death toll mounts and as widespread job losses and a certain global recession loom, the actions and decisions of government will come under intense examination. The temptation for some governments to abuse new found emergency powers to stifle criticism will, in some cases, be overwhelming. This must not be allowed to happen. In a period when our citizens fundamental rights are being suspended around Europe, the need for media scrutiny to ensure no abuse of these new powers are stronger than ever. We therefore call on you to use the power of your offices to ensure that fundamental human rights and press freedom will be guaranteed as the European Union strives to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular we ask you to Robustly oppose the measures currently before the Hungarian parliament and make it clear that the European Union will not accept the application of Emergency legislation that undermines fundamental human rights and media freedoms Demand that governments ensure full access for media professionals to decision makers and actors on the front line of the health crisis as well as the broader workings of government, Declare journalism and the free flow of information as essential to Europes efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic Kind Regards, ARTICLE 19 Association of European Journalists (AEJ) European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) European Federation of Journalists Free Press Unlimited (FPU) Index on Censorship International Federation of Journalists International Press Institute (IPI) Reporters Without Borders (RSF) COVID-19, Madison, and the Consequence of Crisis Legislation Commentary In Federalist Paper 62, James Madison wrote, It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood. The coronavirus has not only caused a pandemic of illness, but has also created a pandemic of legislation across the halls of Congress. Currently, there are 38 pieces of COVID-19-related legislationtwo amendments, five resolutions, and 31 billsthat have either become law (H.R.6074 and H.R.6201) or are being introduced to the House or Senate. Twenty-four of the 38 are sponsored by a Democrat, 13 by a Republican, and one by an Independent. The largest piece of legislation, from a financial perspective, is still in the works. The CARES Act, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), looks to top the $1 trillion mark. This 247-page bill makes a lot of promises, including cash payments to citizens, small business loans, and free coronavirus testing. Its not that these current pieces of legislation are necessarily wordy, since 247 pages isnt incredibly long, especially compared to recent famous pieces of legislation. Since the turn of the century, more and more pieces of legislation, especially spending bills, are hitting the 1,000-page mark. The Affordable Care Act was 2,300 pages when it was passed (1,000 pages longer than President Bill Clintons proposed Health Security Act of 1993). The issue, rather, is the number of bills being introduced. Numerous bills being introduced in a session is not an anomaly. The anomaly is the threat of the ever-expanding pandemic, and the economic, social, and political fallout of passing the wrong law and not passing the right one. This begs the question of how can a politician vote against any of them? The pandemic has been at a fever pitch for quite a while; therefore, exemplifying deliberation can easily be portrayed, especially by the media, as being apathetic. Madisons words reverberate in this moment of crisis. It comes down to not simply keeping the laws from being too voluminous, but rather actionable: Law is defined to be a rule of action; but how can that be a rule, which is little known, and less fixed? Madison is referencing the citizen knowing the laws, but it may just as well be understood that he was talking about the legislature (his topic was in fact about the Senate). If too many bills are passed at once and under duress, then something can easily slip through that will have long-term negative effects. Theres no doubt that Americans often prefer limited government interventionthat is, until theres a crisis. Political reactions to American crises have proven that action, even when the rule created is little known, and less fixed, is an acceptable response. These laws do come with expiration dates, but expiration dates have rarely stopped laws from continuing. It will be no different than the New Deal legislation, the USA Patriot Act legislation, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act legislation. This short-term crisis will have long-term legal effects. Unfortunately, politicians, activists, and special interest groups rely on crises to open the door to get legislation throughlegislation that would otherwise prove to be very difficult, if not impossible, to pass. One very recent example of this is the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R.6201) that became law a few days ago. According to various reports, Democratic lawmakers attempted to undermine the Hyde Amendment, which was set in place in 1976 to ensure federal funds would not be used to pay for abortions. This led to President Donald Trumps response that There are things in there that had nothing to do with what we are talking about. It is not a way for them to get some of the goodies they havent been able to get for the last 25 years. The president was referencing 1994 when legislation passed exceptions to the Hyde Amendment that allowed for federally funded abortions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the mothers life. Theres little doubt that whatever expires under federal law may possibly move into regulation, or be adopted by some states. Within the administrative state (federal agencies), voluminous appears to be of little consequence. Since 1989, an annual average of 71,000 pages have been added to the Federal Registerthats more than 2 million pages. The Statutes at Large compiles all laws passed by Congress; however, these volumes do not include case law nor regulatory provisions. The Justice Department in 1982 once attempted to compile a list of solely criminal laws. By the end of the two-year endeavor, Ronald Gainer, who led the effort, stated that one could have died and been resurrected three times and still not come up with an answer to the total. To say that lawmakers and agencies have gone too far or been too voluminous would be an understatement. It appears that politicians, activists, and special interest groups would prefer a vast selection of rules and regulations dictated so as to give the noble appearance of action. But it is not they who must deal with the results; it is the people. Madison never stated it so perfectly as when he wrote about who must reap this harvest. Every new regulation presents a new harvest to those who watch the change, and can trace its consequences; a harvest, reared not by themselves [lawmakers], but by the toils and cares of the great body of their fellow-citizens. This is a state of things in which it may be said with some truth that laws are made for the FEW, not for the MANY. The COVID-19 laws being introduced and passed are no different. Not too far down the road, Americans will be able to trace the consequences of action done in this time of crisis. Dustin Bass is the co-founder of The Sons of History, a YouTube series and weekly podcast about all things history. He is a former-journalist-turned-entrepreneur. He is also an author. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 01:03:03|Editor: yan Video Player Close COLOMBO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appealed to international donor agencies to provide debt relief to vulnerable and developing nations who have been hit by the COVID-19 virus, his office said in a statement here Wednesday. The statement said President Rajapaksa had urged director general of the World Health Organization to forward this request to multi-lateral and bilateral lending agencies as economic conditions of these countries were affected by the virus outbreak. "President points out this relief would be helpful to manage COVID-19 Social Distancing, Public Health and Social Security Systems in these countries," the statement said. Sri Lanka's economy has been affected in recent days since the country remains under a curfew to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 which has so far infected 101 people while over 200 remain under observation in hospitals. Over 11,500 are also under quarantine in homes and centers. The government has banned people from leaving their homes especially in capital Colombo which has seen the highest number of cases in recent weeks, according to statistics from the Health Ministry. The island's tourism sector, which was one of the largest foreign exchange earners has also received a blow since the international airport banned passenger arrivals since last week, until further notice. Kolkata, March 25 : Complaining of inadequate supply of masks, sanitisers and personal protection equipment (PPEs), nurses and health workers of ID Hospital, Beliaghata - the epicentre for treatment of coronavirus in Kolkata - on Wednesday staged a demonstration and threatened to go on mass leave if their demands were not met. The demonstrators laid siege on the office of the superintendent and the principal of the teaching hospital, the state's primary referral facility for infectious diseases, expressing fears that they could themselves contract the disease 'any moment' as the protocol for their personal safety norms were not being maintained. "We are working day in and day out. But we are not getting adequate medical equipment. Covid-19 is such an infectious disease. But we haven't been provided adequate number of masks, sanitisers and PPEs. Even there is no drinking water and food in the canteen," said a protester. "If our demands are not met, we have to consider going on mass leaves or strikes," said another. The nurses also alleged that while their counterparts in other hospitals were being given lift and drop facilities, these have been denied to them. "As a result, we are facing lot of harassment while returning home from hospital amid the lockdown," said a nursing staff. Sources in the state health department said the grievances of the nurse and other health workers of ID Hospital were being looked into and proper steps would be taken. Haiti - FLASH : 8 cases of COVID-19 confirmed The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) informs in a notice that there are a total of 8 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Haiti on March 24, 2020 following the last results of the test of national laboratory for suspicious persons. The MSPP recommends to: - Stay home - Always wash your hands - Avoid putting your hands in your mouth, nose and eyes - Always keep a distance of 5 steps away from other people if you have to travel for an emergency. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30363-haiti-covid-19-daily-bulletin-march-25-2020.html HL/ HaitiLibre A special ferry flight of Japan Airways has been allowed to operate to Delhi for repatriation of Japanese citizens. Under the special circumstances, this flight was allowed to land here around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Highly-placed sources told IANS that the aircraft did not carry any passengers to India. "The aircraft did not ferry anyone to India. It is here just to take back Jaapanese citizens," a source said. The aircraft is expected to depart by 8.30 p.m. At present, no foreign or domestic passenger flight operations are allowed but cargo operations are still underway. Earlier in the day, Iran-based Mahan Air brought back 277 Indians from Tehran to Delhi. Last week, the Centre had given permission to Mahan Air for evacuating Indians stuck in Iran, which is badly hit by Covid-19. The iconic North Korean Village of the sensational K-Drama "Crash Landing on You" is something that viewers would never forget. While it becomes very convincing for the viewers that it really is from North Korea, a Blogger based in the country, set her footsteps on it to experience the vibe of the film. Where is Captain Ri's North Korean house real location? Is it exactly situated in the opposite country? A Facebook user under the name of "Mee in Korea" shared some of her captured photos of the actual filming place in Taean, South Korea. Yes, you heard it right. Taean is part of is a county in Chungcheongnam-do of which is known for the Taean National Park. According to the blogger, what makes it more interesting is when she mentioned that the North Korean Village was specifically set up for the motion picture. It is near the Moseokwon Pension a well-know Landmark in the county. It was also detailed-out on the said post some useful facts for those who plan to witness Captain Ri's North Korean house in the future. It will take 3 hours to reach the destination from Seoul. There is neither an entrance fee, therefore, you have the opportunity to see the venue without shedding some cash from your pocket, however; she revealed that as of the 21st of February it is not open for the public anymore until further announcement. She suggested that for those who feel like wandering in Taean soon, riding a bus from Gangnam station to the county, then another bus ride or a taxi (although a bit expensive) towards Moseokwon pension house. Afterwards, a walking trail would be next. She added that coming earlier would be a good option. She also invited her readers to watch her vlog for the said trip to Captain Ri's North Korean house. As for her, the travel may be long but, everything is worth it. Syrian air defense intercepts drone near Hmeimim airbase Iran Press TV Tuesday, 24 March 2020 2:18 AM Syria says its air defense units have intercepted a drone approaching Russia's airbase in Hmeimim, Latakia. The intrusive drone has been intercepted in the vicinity of the Hmeimim airbase near Jableh, Syrian state media reported. Over the past year, the Syrian and Russian air defense units have thwarted several drone and mortar attacks launched by militants on the Hmeimim airbase, destroying dozens of drones and multiple-launch rocket system shells. Russia has been helping Syrian forces in the ongoing battles across the conflict-plagued Arab country. The Russian military assistance, which began in September 2015 at the official request of the Syrian government, has proved effective as Syrians continue to recapture key areas from terrorist groups across the country thanks to Russian air cover. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The New York City Department of Education (DOE) is partnering with food platform DoorDash to deliver meals to hundreds of medically fragile students across all five boroughs while schools are closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Public schools in New York City are closed until at least April 20 -- with the possibility they may close for the rest of the school year -- and the DOE has opened 439 hub sites across the city to ensure kids still have access to three grab and go meals every weekday. For the kids who are medically fragile, such as students with a compromised immune system or those who lack the mobility to access meals at hub sites, DoorDashs fleet of Dashers will deliver meals from the meal hub sites directly to the students home. During this difficult time, Ive been so grateful to New Yorkers who are coming together to make sure our students are safe, healthy, and can continue to learn, said city Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. Our partnership with DoorDash is a prime example of these efforts, bringing meals to our students who cannot leave their homes, and meeting a critical need during a crisis. More than 800 students identified by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as being the most medically fragile are being offered daily delivery of breakfast and lunch. More than 120 students have already opted into the program. The DOE anticipates needing anywhere between 500 and 750 meals delivered daily until at least April 20. DoorDash will take the meal hub locations and recipient addresses and create more efficient delivery routes. All information shared stays confidential, according to DoorDash. Each driver will complete anywhere between 10 and 20 drops between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily. Each drop consists of two meals -- lunch for that day and breakfast for the next day. Dinner will be added in the near future. We will not let any child in New York City go hungry," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "This partnership with DoorDash will ensure medically fragile students can get the food they need delivered to their home. The partnership is powered by Project DASH, DoorDashs flagship social impact program that leverages its logistics expertise to tackle the dual epidemics of hunger and food waste. The grab and go meals are available at hub sites across New York City for all students Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. No registration, identification, or documentation is required. All three daily meals can be picked up at the same time. Parents and guardians may also pick up meals for their children. The meal service will be available to all children under 18 years old. Families can search Free Meals on schools.nyc.gov or call 311 to find a site near them. Beginning this week, families can also text FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877 to find a meal near them. Here is a complete list of meal hubs on Staten Island. OUR COVERAGE As we continue our coverage on COVID-19, we want to hear from you -- parents, teachers, and students at Staten Islands public, Catholic and private schools. How is remote learning working for you and your family? Are you a first responder or health care worker sending your kids to Regional Enrichment Centers? Are you a teacher struggling to teach students but also your own children? Are you still in need of technology for your kids to participate in remote learning? We want to hear the good news, too. Is your school doing something special that you think should be highlighted while schools are closed? We want to tell your stories. Reach out to education reporter Annalise Knudson at aknudson@siadvance.com to send in your questions and thoughts. Sign up for text message alerts from SILive.com on coronavirus: 53 Fighting the coronavirus: NYC on pause RELATED COVERAGE: Will first responder child care centers offer special ed services? Staten Island parents on remote learning: Teacher, school support amazing' First responder child care centers open with a lot of precautions Mayor: NYC schools may be closed for rest of 2019-2020 academic year Coronavirus: AP exams will be online, shortened to 45 minutes Schools closed: Heres where NYC students can get free meals Coronavirus: Several Staten Island schools announce confirmed cases Schools closed: Heres where NYC students can get free meals Wagner College postpones commencement due to coronavirus 10 tips for families as NYC schools move to online learning How prepared are teachers, parents for remote learning? Child care for first responders: How many sites on Staten Island? Coronavirus: All standardized exams suspended this school year 2 coronavirus cases confirmed at Wagner College FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. We are facing one discrete problem in the mass of chaos surrounding this pandemic that we can and must address immediately the security of November's election. Voting in the traditional way requires us to do the very thing that epidemiologists and public health authorities have forbidden us to do gather in large groups for prolonged periods. That's inevitable when you must wait in long lines to vote. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine decided to postpone his state's primary election citing the health emergency despite a judge ruling that he lacked the authority to do it. The state Supreme Court blessed DeWine's action, but only after it was a fait accompli. It's possible that by November, the coronavirus will be nothing more than a bitter memory. But that seems unlikely. The Imperial College report from Britain envisions 18 months of disruption, with illness coming in waves, as the 1918 flu did. One scenario has the virus abating over the summer months only to come roaring back in the autumn. We can hope that this virus will be short-lived, but it seems foolish to depend upon it. Postponing a primary election, particularly when one candidate has basically sewn up the nomination, seems relatively benign. But postponing a national election is another matter. Trust in our democratic institutions was already at a low ebb, predating the coronavirus. A 2018 poll commissioned by the George W. Bush Institute, the University of Pennsylvania's Biden Center and Freedom House, found that 55% regarded American democracy as "weak," with 68% saying that it was "getting weaker." Large numbers of left-of-center voters feel that the elections of popular vote losers George W. Bush and Donald Trump diminished the legitimacy of the system. Add to that the suspicion, common among Democrats, that Trump would attempt to cancel an election if he thought he were facing defeat, and you have a brewing cauldron of a legitimacy crisis looming. The vote-by-mail solution has flaws. As Politico reports, processing mail-in ballots requires many more volunteers and officials than the traditional method. The National Conference of State Legislatures reckons that mail-in ballots are actually less costly than in-person voting, but also more subject to fraud. Critics, they note, object that "ballots can be lost at any stage of the vote-by-mail process, that such a system relies on an already strained U.S. Postal Service, and that voters outside a polling place can be more easily coerced into selecting candidates and measures they do not support." Further, "Academic research has found absentee ballots can be lost in transit for a variety of reasons, including ballots requested but not received, ballots transmitted but not returned for counting, and ballots returned for counting but rejected. This loss of votes could affect a close election." Legislatures would have to change state laws in most states to permit mail voting, which may be difficult if self-quarantining continues more than a couple of weeks. Nor would current constraints people working from home easily permit states to devise the anti-fraud measures necessary for an all-mail system. Here is a suggestion, offered in all humility. There may be many flaws. But why not extend voting from one day to seven days? Voters could be assigned particular days and times to arrive at polling places based on the alphabet. That would prevent large groups from congregating. Weather permitting, voting stations could be moved outdoors wherever possible. This does not prevent the problems attendant to early voting if voting began on a Wednesday and ended on a Tuesday, something could happen on Sunday that would make millions of voters regret their choice. But it's only a week, not months, as some states already (unwisely) permit, and under these extreme circumstances, it seems a chance worth taking. And only this time. Under normal conditions, voting should return to its tradition, one of the solemn sacraments of democracy. Mona Charen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Her new book is "Sex Matters: How Modern Feminism Lost Touch with Science, Love, and Common Sense." To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Japan share market finished higher for third straight session on Wednesday, 25 March 2020, as investors continued bargain hunting on tracking record-setting US rally overnight and relief that the Tokyo Olympics is being postponed rather than cancelled. At closing bell, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average advanced 1,454.28 points, or 8.04%, to 19,546.63. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange added 91.52 points, or 6.87%, at 1,424.62. All 33 industry category of Topix index inclined into positive territory, with Real Estate, Iron & Steel, Marine Transportation, Nonferrous Metals, Transportation Equipment, Glass & Ceramics Products, and Securities & Commodities Futures issues being notable gainers. Investor sentiment got a boost from hopes for a massive US stimulus package to counter the impact of the pandemic, as well a deal to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Games until next year. The White House and Senate reached a deal on a gigantic $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill early Wednesday stateside. The massive stimulus is designed to be a lifeline to Americans and their employers until the coronavirus is brought under control and the country finds some semblance of normalcy. The Federal Reserve signaled the gravity of the situation Monday when, in an unprecedented move, it said it would spend whatever it takes to preserve the U. S. financial system. Markets across the globe, including those of Spain, the U. K., and Italy, have been reeling from planned, temporary business shutdowns, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the infectious disease that is derived from a novel strain of coronavirus, and which has infected 390,000 people globally since it was first identified in December while at least 16,362 lives have been taken. The intentional lockdowns are expected to drive much of the world, including the U. S., into a recession. Meanwhile, reports that the outbreak was peaking in Europe also offered some glimmers of hope for market bulls. Indeed, both new cases and deaths have dropped for two days in Italy, and the head of Germany's public health institute said the infections rate in Europe's largest economy was leveling off. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a 21-day shutdown would begin at midnight local time, extending restrictions to a nation of 1.4 billion people. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered that all citizens stay home and that all nonessential businesses close. Johnson said police would be called in to enforce social distancing if need be. The International Olympic Committee and Japanese officials officially postponed the Tokyo Games until next year Shares of Marine transportation, real estate, and iron and steel issues showed strong rises, as overall sentiment was also boosted by the decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympics for about one year due to the spread of the virus. Construction company Obayashi rose 11.4% to 938 yen, while peers Shimizu gained 10.3% to 867 yen, and Taisei jumped 13.2% to 3,330 yen. In the real estate sector, Tokyu Fudosan Holdings surged 19.8% to a daily limit high of 606 yen and Mitsubishi Estate jumped 12.7% to 1,695.00 yen. SoftBank Group added 4.2% to 3,951 yen after sharp rallies in the past days on a stock buy-back scheme. Toyota climbed 10.7% to 6,919 yen after the auto giant announced a capital tie-up with leading telecom carrier NTT, which rose 2.7% to 2,503.00 yen, to build energy-efficient "smart cities" in which autonomous vehicles transport residents. CURRENCY: The U. S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was last at 101.472 after rising from levels below 100 last week. The Japanese yen traded at 111.24 after touching an earlier low of 111.56. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has declared the result of Class 12 board or intermediate examination. The declaration of Bihar board inter result was not delayed despite the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The results have been declared for arts, science and commerce streams. BSEB chairman Anand Kishor announced the result online without holding a press conference. Students who have appeared in the Bihar board intermediate examination can check their results online at http://onlinebseb.in/. Click here to see full coverage on BSEB inter result. Easy steps to check Bihar board intermediate examination results: 1) Visit the result website of Bihar School Examination Board onlinebseb.in 2) Key in your roll code and roll number on the login page that opens 3) Enter Captch code 4) Click on view 5) Your Bihar board intermediate result will appear on the screen 6) Take a printout and save it for future reference The Bihar board intermediate result can also be checked on Bihar board website at biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in. It is important for you to know that the Bihar board is not providing the facility to apply for scrutiny of the answersheet at this moment due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country. BSEB will provide the facility to apply for scrutiny after the situation comes under control. DECATUR HSHS St. Mary's Hospital will use iPads as a tool to help maintain social distancing while still caring for patients in isolation. Decatur Public Schools on Wednesday donated over 120 iPads to the hospital to help them with the shortage of personal protective equipment, or PPE, happening across the nation due to the coronavirus outbreak. A similar donation to Decatur Memorial Hospital is pending. Mark Krieger, St. Mary's information technology services manager, said the donation would help the hospital save on PPE and it would also allow patients to communicate with loved ones during their stay. "This is huge for St. Mary's as we are looking to explore ways to protect our patients, coworkers and colleagues," Krieger said. "We will be using these devices for those patients that are in isolation so that we can have constant communication with them." The district was preparing to sell roughly 250 iPads but officials said this would be a better use for the technology. Jennifer Tuggle, a senior IT analyst for the district, said the district offered half of the iPads to St. Mary's and the other half to Decatur Memorial Hospital. Tuggle said they are still working out donation arrangements with DMH staff. TO DONATE WHAT: Mask and equipment drive WHEN: 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 26, April 2 and April 9 WHERE: Decatur Civic Center, 1 Gary K. Anderson Plaza WHAT TO GIVE: Boxed, unused surgical-type masks (including N95 masks); clean handmade, sewn masks; unused, wrapped or boxed gowns and exam gloves; hand sanitizer; bleach wipes and alcohol wipes. "Jennifer saw that some people were not able to communicate with their families and saw that some medical professionals were struggling with the PPE shortage, and the iPads help bridge the gap," said Maurice Payne, information technology director for Decatur Public Schools. Gov. J.B. Pritzker during a press conference Monday said the state has asked the federal government for crucial supplies, which included masks, gowns, gloves and other equipment. Pritzker urged anyone who can donate equipment, such as tattoo parlors, to do so. A drive to collect PPE donations, including handmade makes, is being held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursdays, March 26, April 2 and April 9, at the Decatur Civic Center. Superintendent Paul Fregeau said district staff collected additional supplies from Eisenhower High School's science lab. "We have gloves, gowns and glasses that we are offering to the hospital as well," Fregeau said. "Anything we can do to help, we want to do it." Fregeau added that staff would also collect supplies from MacArthur High School for future donations. WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Coronavirus in Central Illinois Contact Analisa Trofimuk at (217) 421-7985. Follow her on Twitter: @AnalisaTro A group of 33 attorneys general from U.S. states and territories called on Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Walmart and Craigslist to prevent price gouging on coronavirus-related products. The coalition, led by Pennsylvania's Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro, sent a letter to the companies saying they "have an ethical obligation and patriotic duty to help your fellow citizens in this time of need by doing everything in your power to stop price gouging in real-time." Attorneys general from California, Colorado and the District of Columbia were among those involved in the effort. The letter acknowledged that the tech platforms have already taken steps to remove some of the overpriced products from their sites but said consumers were already harmed by their presence. The attorneys general urge the companies to take proactive measures to prevent price gouging on their sites, "[r]ather than playing whack-a-mole." The attorneys general pointed to examples of price gouging on several of the platforms identified by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Educated Fund and news reports. On Amazon, they wrote, U.S. PIRG found over half of the available hand sanitizers and face masks spiked at least 50% compared with the average price after the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency on Jan. 30. On Craigslist, a two-liter bottle of hand sanitizer was listed for $250, or ten times the standard price, the letter said, citing The Atlantic. On Facebook's marketplace, an eight-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer was going for $40, the letter said, citing a Washington Post report. They advised the companies to take on strong policies that deter price gouging, trigger protections from price gouging outside of the case of an emergency and maintain a way for consumers to report potential violations. Amazon has taken steps to punish sellers on its platform that have sought to profit off fear-induced buying during the COVID-19 crisis. The company told Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., earlier this month that it removed more than half a million "high-priced offers" from its marketplace and suspended 2,500 seller accounts in its U.S. marketplace for violating its policies on price gouging. Both Amazon and eBay told sellers it would block new listings for face masks and hand sanitizer in an effort to stop further exploitation. Similarly, Facebook has banned ads and listings for face masks on its social media platform and marketplace. A Walmart spokesperson previously told CNBC the company is monitoring the site for unsubstantiated medical claims and taking down listings with inflated prices. State AGs have taken a particularly active interest in tech companies over the past year. Attorneys general from 50 states and territories are involved in an antitrust probe into Google, and nearly as many are part of a similar probe into Facebook. The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly looking into Amazon's competitive practices as well, though it has not confirmed an investigation. "Facebook is focused on preventing exploitation of this crisis for financial gain.Since COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency, Facebook has removed ads and commerce listings for the sale of masks, hand sanitizer, surface disinfecting wipes and COVID-19 test kits," a spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. "While enforcement is not perfect, we have put several automated detection mechanisms in place to block or remove this material from our platform." An Ebay spokesperson said in a statement, "Like so many companies, we have been closely monitoring the coronavirus pandemic as it continues to develop. As always, our first priority is to ensure the safety of our employees and customers around the world. eBay is taking significant measures to block or quickly remove items on our marketplace that make false health claims. We are making every effort to ensure that anyone who sells on our platform follows local laws and eBay policies." Representatives from Craigslist were not immediately available to comment. An Amazon spokesperson did not provide comment on the letter and pointed to an earlier blog post on price gouging. A spokesperson for Walmart did not provide comment but pointed to letters the company sent to the Democratic and Republican Attorneys General Associations last week outlining its price gouging policies, how its monitoring medical claims on products and how it's cleaning its stores. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. WATCH: Shoppers stockpile supplies as sellers price gouge amid coronavirus outbreak Im hopeful that when everyone is stuck at home, looking at the blank walls, they will start to go, I could really use some art'." Its almost a case of too soon though, she says, as people are still reeling from news of shutdowns locally, with the impact sinking in and the news changing by the day. Melbourne artist Tom Adair has a show at Nanda Hobbs at the end of April, which will only be viewable online. Interviewees concur about positive repercussions for the art world once the dust settles and people are used to the idea of bunkering down. Pictures take you to a different place. Thats kind of what you need at the moment, some escapism, Hobbs says. People are going to have a lot more time on their hands and be spending much more time in their home environment and, if youve got the cash, youre not going to be going overseas, you may not even be leaving the house. Ultimately it becomes an issue of distribution. Savvy buyers have always done well through difficult times. Several gallerists say many great collections have been put together in times of adversity. According to Hobbs, youll probably get a cracker deal. If youre talking about investing there are some extraordinary collections that have been made out of times like this, think about stock market crashes, GFCs, tech booms, tech busts, world wars. Pick a time when theres been a debacle and find me a collection that hasnt been built on the back of it, he says. Bill Nuttall at Niagara Galleries. Comparing the impact of the pandemic to the global financial crisis, Harris says the key difference is the pandemic means working 100 per cent virtually. With the GFC, she says, there was a big drop-off in the tourist trade, which hit hard, but the local market stepped up. We had a lot of support from Australian clientele less so the big money spenders, they fell away. It was like the average householders were the ones that were more supportive. As an investment, art invariably holds its value and is not subject to the fluctuations of the stock market. On that front, it might hold appeal for investors looking to put their money into something tangible and less volatile. The drop in the Australian dollar may also encourage overseas buyers to look to buying Australian art. In the middle decades of the 20th century, a handful of popular books became something of an informal canon that helped shape postwar evangelical identity and piety. Think, for instance, of C. S. Lewiss Mere Christianity, Billy Grahams Peace with God, David Wilkersons The Cross and the Switchblade, John Stotts Basic Christianity, Elisabeth Elliots Through Gates of Splendor and The Shadow of the Almighty, Hal Lindseys The Late, Great Planet Earth, Brother Andrews Gods Smuggler, or Charles Colsons Born Again. Among these near-canonical writings, Corrie ten Booms The Hiding Place, published in 1970, became a bona fide international phenomenon. The book sold millions of copies and was translated into numerous languages. Then, in 1975, it was adapted into a film, which helped to further the reach of ten Booms story. As a result, ten Boom herselfby then in her 80s and still active in ministrybecame a household name among evangelicals, remaining so until her death in 1983. Her book is still widely read today. Stan Guthrie tells the story of this landmark evangelical book and the remarkable woman who wrote it in Victorious: Corrie ten Boom and The Hiding Place. Guthrie is a journalist, author, and former Christianity Today editor who has spent his career writing about evangelical faith and practice. In recounting the story of ten Boom and her famous book, Victorious is itself a fine example of another popular evangelical genre: the edifying biography that is meant to both inform readers and inspire them in their own spiritual walks. Jesus Is Victor Victorious is both a biography of an evangelical icon and the story of the bestseller that made her such. Guthrie begins by setting the context into which The Hiding Place was introduced. Postwar evangelicalism had emerged independent of fundamentalism through the influence of Billy Graham and others. The movement was committed to a high view of Scripture, the saving work of Christ in his death and resurrection, the importance of individual conversion, and faith-motivated action (especially through evangelism and missions). Global communism and the youth counterculture of the 1960s presented ongoing threats to evangelical advance. Nevertheless, evangelicals longed for global revival and the second coming of Christmany believed the latter would follow a mass conversion of unbelieving Jews who would accept Christ as their Messiah. Guthrie argues that the time was ripe for a book about a godly family that opposed the Nazis in part due to a firm commitment to the well-being of the Jews as Gods chosen people. Guthrie then recounts ten Booms life up to the publication of The Hiding Place. She was born into a Dutch Reformed family in 1892. Beginning with her grandfather, Willem, in the 1840s, the ten Booms had been watchmakers by trade. Corrie, who never married, would also become a watchmaker for much of her adult life. (She was the first licensed female watchmaker in the Netherlands.) By the time of World War II, Corrie and her sister Betsie, who was also unmarried, lived with their father, Casper, and were involved in the family business. Also beginning with Corries grandfather, the ten Booms had been committed Christian Zionists who believed that God would restore the Jews to their biblical homeland in fulfillment of his promises made in the Old Testament. In addition to his watchmaking, Willem was a pastor who was part of several Christian Zionist organizations during his lifetime. The younger ten Booms inherited a Christ-centered commitment to the Jewish people that informed their actions during Nazi occupation. The familys motto was Jesus is Victor, which Guthrie suggests became an animating theme in Corries life. Like the noted Swedish theologian Gustaf Aulen, Corrie and her family believed that the cross and resurrection demonstrate that Jesus has conquered the powers of evil and that Christians should live in light of that victory. This theological conviction, combined with traditional Calvinist piety and Christian Zionism, formed the religious scaffolding that inspired the actions so famously recounted in The Hiding Place. Article continues below When the Nazis occupied the Netherlands, they brought their anti-Jewish policies with them. The ten Boom family became part of a movement to hide Jews and funnel them to safety. A small hidden room was constructed behind a false wallthis was the hiding place that gave the later book its name. The ten Booms themselves were eventually arrested and shipped to labor camps, where many of them died. But not Corrie, whose own faith was buttressed by that of her sister Betsie, who died in Ravensbruck concentration camp in 1944. Upon her release, Corrie began a popular speaking ministry that involved sharing her story, spreading the gospel, and advocating for the Jewish people. All of this became the substance of The Hiding Place. Besides ten Boom herself, the key figures in Guthries book are John and Elizabeth Sherrill. The Sherrills, writers for the popular periodical Guideposts, had already helped co-author bestsellers with David Wilkerson and Brother Andrew, one of Corries closest friends and a periodic ministry partner. In ten Boom, the Sherrills believed they had found a story as compelling as Anne Franks, but one that was redemptive and inspiring. The Sherrills helped take ten Booms experiences and turn them into a book that quickly became an international bestseller. They also aided in putting ten Boom on the radar of Billy Graham, whose World Wide Pictures produced the film version of The Hiding Place. Into her 70s, ten Boom continued speaking widely and writing books until a series of strokes reduced her to an invalid during the final years of her life. A Genuine Inspiration Guthrie closes his book with five chapters addressing aspects of ten Booms life and ministry that he suggests the Lord might be calling evangelical readers to emulate. Ten Booms primary vocation was that of evangelist, and proclaiming the Good News should remain a calling for all evangelicals. She was a tireless defender of human dignity, especially the dignity of an oft-despised people who have not always enjoyed goodwill from Christians. She cared for Jewish refugees, and while the circumstances have changed, our own world faces a refugee crisis that many evangelicals are attempting to engage faithfully. She cared for her elderly family members and was herself cared for during her declining years, embodying the biblical commands to care for widows. Like many evangelicals, she was committed to sharing the gospel with Jews in particular, though there were some tensions when her ministry downplayed targeted outreach to Jews in an effort to avoid controversy and leave the door open for evangelizing all people, Jew and Gentile alike. Ten Boom is a genuinely inspirational figure who is worthy of recovering for such a time as this. She was a woman of stellar character. We live in a time when evangelical leaders bring public scandal upon themselves and their movement at an alarmingly regular rate. She was a woman who used her gifts to promote the gospel in a very public way. We live in a time when many women, even in conservative complementarian circles, are asking fresh questions about how they might use their gifts for kingdom purposes. She was a woman of courage and conviction. We live in a time when a myriad of threats and temptationsboth internal and external to evangelicalismthreaten the vitality of our movement. She was a woman of evangelistic fervor. We live in a time that, in many ways, is post-Christian and increasingly anti-Christianwhich is to say, a time that is ripe for the harvest. Article continues below In Victorious, Guthrie has reminded us of an evangelical icon who, though flawed (as all sinners are), was nevertheless genuinely virtuous. Evangelicals need more well-researched edifying biographies written for a general audience. Books like this help us to be faithful in our generation, just as those who came before us were found faithful in their own day. Nathan A. Finn is provost and dean of the university faculty at North Greenville University. He is the co-editor, with Aaron Lumpkin, of The Sum and Substance of the Gospel: The Christ-Centered Piety of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Reformation Heritage Books). Kakao joint CEOs Yeo Min-soo, left, and Cho Soo-yong, were reappointed at the annual shareholders meeting held at the company headquarters in Jeju, Wednesday. Courtesy of Kakao By Kim Hyun-bin Kakao, the operator of the country's top mobile messenger, has reappointed its Chairman Kim Beom-su and two co-CEOs Yeo Min-soo and Cho Soo-yong, during the general shareholders meeting at the company headquarters in Jeju, Wednesday. The three were reappointed as shareholders appreciated the continued corporate growth over the last three years under their management, according to analysts. The executives' terms have been extended by two years and will be re-evaluated in 2022. The reappointment of Cho and Yeo marks the company's first since Kakao merged with Daum, the country's second largest portal, in 2014. "We are entering the path for the next decade, our mission is to reduce Kakao's daily inconveniences and bring about development and innovations," Kakao CEO Yeo Min-soo said. "We will consider the impact Kakao has on society and continue to take a role and expand efforts to resolve societal issues." "Through personnel and advanced technology, Kakao will contribute to creating a better world and our crew will strongly contemplate ways to do so," Kakao CEO Cho Soo-yong said. Kakao also switched out three out of four outside directors. Six bills were passed including the year's financial statement, changes to the articles of association and setting executive wages. Kakao Chairman Kim Beom-su Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 17:40:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Wang Lei BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The world has now arrived at another critical juncture since the 2008 international financial crisis. Only this time is the health of both the global economy and humanity itself at stake. To pull through this moment of twin crises -- a raging coronavirus pandemic and a reeling global economy -- requires purposeful guidance, as well as a swift and coordinated multilateral response. Saudi Arabia, the chair of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies this year, will stage an emergency virtual summit on Thursday. The meeting could not come at a more appropriate time. It will be the first time for the G20 leaders to hold a tele-summit since the mechanism, which had used to only gather finance ministers and central bankers, was elevated to be the world's premier platform for international economic cooperation in 2008 and helped the world ride out the worst global economic crash since the 1929 Great Depression. The situation is far more intractable this time. Ending the pandemic, which has led to shutdowns of factories and businesses in many parts of the world, and invigorating the global economy seem two contradictory missions. So far, many governments have adopted measures to contain the disease and rescue their economies. However, the repeated stock market plunges indicate that they are not enough to calm investors' nerves and rebuild confidence. At such a drastic moment, the G20 members, which account for around 90 percent of the gross world product, 80 percent of global trade and about two thirds of the entire human population, should once again step forward, join hands and champion a strong and well-organized collective global response. The most urgent task is to end the pandemic as soon as possible so as to restore confidence in the tumbling global markets. According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has infected over 370,000 people worldwide and more than 16,000 have died. The still spreading global pandemic is the very reason behind the panic and economic disruption. The G20 members should come together in unity, share critical information and align their response efforts, so as to effectively arrest the virus' global spread. One major problem exposed in the ongoing pandemic is a deficit in global public health governance, which resulted in a mainly country-based response so far when the crisis is beyond borders. In the long run, a global architecture for the common health of mankind should be strengthened to better deal with future health emergencies and shore up confidence. To do that, the United Nations and the WHO should be given a core role. Meanwhile, the world's top 20 major economies should join the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to fight the slump in the global markets and drag the world economy back from the edge of another full-blown recession. The good news is that the G20 has already set its action in motion. The G20 finance chiefs and central bankers agreed on Monday during their televised meeting to address the risks of debt vulnerabilities, develop a joint G20 Action Plan in response to COVID-19, and support financial stability and alleviate liquidity constraints for emerging markets and developing economies. The bad news is that protectionism and isolationism are often on the rise when a crisis hits. The G20 members need to speak in one loud voice to reaffirm multilateralism and find a way to keep the world trade running when some restrictive measures have to be taken to contain the virus. The pandemic should never be taken as an excuse to disassemble global supply chains, or run each country's economy wall-to-wall. Some 10 years ago, at the height of the international financial crisis, the G20 managed to salvage the global economy and showed that the human race is capable of addressing a crisis with solidarity. This time the fight is even harder and the stakes much higher. The G20 should once again rally the confidence of countries around the world that as long as the international community works together in good faith, a total victory will be within reach. JOHN DAVENPORT/STAFF Norwegian oil company Equinor has halted U.S. shale activity as part of a $3 billion plan to survive record low crude oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic. Equinor announced Wednesday that the company was slashing $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion from its capital budget, cutting $400 million from its exploration budget and reducing operating expenses by $700 million. By PTI MUMBAI: With people staying at home during the 21-day lockdown called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the streaming services in India have decided to temporarily suspend HD and ultra-HD services to ensure smooth running of internet services. The lockdown, a measure taken to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country, will lead to more traffic on the cellular network infrastructure, a release from the digital industry said post the meeting of key players. "It was unanimously agreed that as an exceptional measure, all companies will immediately adopt measures, including temporarily defaulting HD and ultra-HD streaming to SD content or offering only SD content, at bitrates no higher than 480p on cellular networks. "These voluntary measures will be in effect until April 14. All participants are immediately taking measures, the release said. The virtual meeting on Tuesday was called by Uday Shankar, Chairman, Star & Disney India and attended by NP Singh (Sony), Sanjay Gupta (Google), Ajit Mohan (Facebook), Sudhanshu Vats (Viacom18), Gaurav Gandhi (Amazon Prime Video), Punit Goenka (Zee), Nikhil Gandhi (Tiktok), Ambika Khurana (Netflix), Karan Bedi (MX Player) and Varun Narang (Hotstar). WESTPORT Eighty-seven residents and one police officer have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to town and state officials. Westport continues to lead the state in coronavirus cases, which rose to 87 as of Wednesday. Neighboring Weston has 10 cases. As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, 13 out of the 63 members of the Westport Police Department had been tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. According to the news release, three officers were initially tested. The three employees initially tested were all either exhibiting symptoms generally consistent with those of the virus and/or had direct contact with a known infected person, the news release said. The results received from this initial group indicated that one officer had tested positive for COVID-19. According to town officials the officer is not a Westport resident. An additional 11 tests were conducted based on direct contact with an exposed person from the initial group. None of the 11 individuals tested were exhibiting symptoms at the time of the testing, the news release said. Further results are expected by the weeks end. The affected individual has since been self-isolating and will not return to work until all all guidelines for recovery set have been met, according to the release. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 12:59:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close FUZHOU, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A team of 14 medical experts from eastern China's Fujian Province departed on a chartered flight to Italy on Wednesday morning to aid the European country's fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. The team consists of experts from several hospitals and the center for disease control and prevention (CDC) of Fujian, as well as an epidemiologist from the national CDC and a pulmonologist of Anhui Province. The experts specialize in areas including respiratory, intensive care, infectious disease, hospital infection control, traditional Chinese medicine and nursing. Their missions will include sharing experience in COVID-19 prevention and control with local hospitals and experts and providing treatment advice. They will also provide disease prevention and control know-how to Chinese communities and students in Italy, and offer them protective supplies and traditional Chinese medicines. The experts will mainly work in the Tuscany region of Italy. The flight took off at about 11:10 a.m. from the Fuzhou Changle International Airport and is scheduled to arrive in Milan of Italy at 4:45 p.m. local time. Also on board the plane were about 8 tonnes of medical supplies donated by the province, including 30 ventilators, 20 sets of medical monitors, 3,000 protective suits, 300,000 medical masks, 20,000 N95-rated masks and 3,000 face shields. Previously, China had sent two medical groups with a total of 22 people along with more than 20 tonnes of medical supplies to support Italy's epidemic fight. The COVID-19 had claimed 6,820 lives as of Tuesday evening in Italy, which has lost more lives than any other country to the pandemic. The cumulative number of the novel coronavirus cases in Italy reached 69,176, the largest number outside China. A police helicopter in Brazil created a sandstorm on a beach in an attempt to remove sunbathers flouting coronavirus restrictions, footage has shown. The incident took place on Friday on Galheta beach in the city of Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, according to local media. Although Brazil is not under a national lockdown, the state of Santa Catarina has been under emergency measures since 17 March. Throughout the country, Brazilians have become increasingly frustrated at President Jair Bolsonaros handling of the coronavirus crisis. As of last week, people started to bang pots and pans together in protest at the presidents inaction. Recent opinion polls showing his popularity slipping. After he dismissed the illness as a little flu surrounded by hysteria on Tuesday, Mr Bolsonaro said on Wednesday that state-level lockdowns were disastrous for Brazils economy. Writing on Twitter, he expressed his desire for these measures to be reversed. He said: "If companies don't produce, they won't pay salaries. If the economy collapses, public workers also won't receive anything. We need to open businesses and do everything to preserve the health of the old. Political figures such as Davi Alcolumbre, the leader of the Senate, have criticised the president. Mr Alcolumbre said in a statement:"We consider the position expressed by the president to be grave ... Now more than ever, the nation expects from the executive leader transparency, seriousness and responsibility. " Now, many of Brazils 850,000 indigenous population are worried about the spread of the disease and have called for miners, missionaries and other outsiders to leave the Amazon rainforest. Health experts worry that the illness could spread even quicker among tribes, as they often have weak immune systems caused by malnutrition and diseases such as hepatitis B. In 2016, hundreds of indigenous people in Brazil were killed by the H1N1 epidemic. Brazil has so far recorded 46 deaths from the disease, with the total number of infections standing at 2,247. Sien Lagae of Belgium has only 20 percent of lung capacity. She was already careful to avoid viruses even before the COVID-19 crisis. Lagae has depended on caregivers for years. They help her get dressed, clean her house and provide her with health care at her home. Recently, one of her caregivers told Lagae she had paid 10 euros for a mask to protect herself and others from the virus. That gave Lagae, who loves to sew, an idea. Ihad the idea to make some face masks for my physiotherapist so that she could protect herself and her patients better, Lagae said. What started as a one-person operation about a week ago has grown into a small army of at-home Belgian mask makers. Lagae opened the effort with a Facebook page called Sewing Mouth Masks. She had 3,000 members within two days. On Friday, that number rose to 5,300. Belgian medical officials provided Lagae with a design for masks and advised her on what materials she should use. She uses two layers of cotton cloth so that the masks can be washed in very hot water and reused. Each person on the team makes about 20 masks per day and not all the producers are female. We have plenty of men, she said. Everyone who wants to help is welcome, even if you only make one a day. The coronavirus spreads mainly through drops of liquid expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Masks that cover the mouth and nose are an important tool in blocking the droplets. However, there is a severe shortage of masks in hospitals around the world, leaving health care workers exposed. The World Health Organization is asking manufacturers to increase their mask production by 40 percent. And Belgiums Van De Velde lingerie company is now producing masks for hospitals. The hospitals provide the material to the company and Van De Velde provides the labor for free. Among Belgiums new volunteer mask makers is Anais Moyson. She is staying at home with her 3-year-old child because of Belgiums coronavirus restrictions. Moyson said her sister-in-law delivers babies in hospital. The midwife and her coworkers are affected by the mask shortage. So, Moyson decided to help them by making masks. I will also bring some to my doctors in the neighborhood and to the nursing homes, she added. Volunteer Lies Astro is sewing masks for family and friends. She could not find masks anywhere so, she said, she made one for herself. Everyone was laughing at me, she added, and now all my friends want one, she said. Im Jill Robbins. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story capacity - n. the amount that can be held in a room or container mask - n. a clothe that goes around the face, mouth or eyes sew - v. to use thread to combine pieces of fabric physiotherapist - n. a medical professional who works to strengthen the body lingerie - n. clothing worn underneath outer garments Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Dr. Theresa Tam listens to questions at a press conference on COVID-19 at West Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on March 24, 2020. Officials are warning equipment shortfalls, lack of screening and outbreaks in confined settings are placing Canada's most vulnerable residents at growing risk of exposure to the COVID-19 pandemics. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press) Testing Backlog Linked to Shortage of Chemicals Needed for CCP Virus Test Regions across Canada are ramping up efforts to identify people with the CCP virus but some labs are facing a backlog due to diminishing supplies of essential chemicals needed for tests. We all would want more tests, Canadas chief public officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on Tuesday. The World Health Organization has said expansive testing is the way to curb the pandemic, but global demand has outpaced the supply of reagentsthe specific chemicals needed by laboratories to complete the tests. The U.S. Center for Disease Control has also said that important reagents are now are in short supply, a worry echoed by medical associations around the world. They are all looking for chemical solutions at the same time and, as a result, some Canadian health authorities and labs are seeking alternative supply chains. Nearly 120,000 Canadians have been tested for the CCP virusan average of 10,000 a day. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Ontario Premier Doug Ford linked on March 23 that provinces huge testing backlog to a lack of reagents. He said health officials were doing everything they could to get more of the chemicals. Agriculture Canada has been providing reagents to the provincial lab in Alberta as it waits for an order of the testing solution to arrive, said Alberta Health spokesman Tom McMillan. The lab is also working with the University of Calgary, University of Alberta, and the University of Lethbridge to find any available supply. If the reagents run critically low, there are testing contingencies in place that will ensure we do not have to slow or halt COVID19 testing, he said in an email. Manitobas chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, said this week he couldnt quantify the shortage in that province but noted it is a major factor in slowing down tests. Right now the major roadblock is the reagent and that is worldwide. Manitobas provincial lab is working on a solution, Roussin added, which may involve manufacturing its own reagents. Health Canada is also exploring alternative COVID19 tests and the national lab in Winnipeg is working to determine their efficacy. Certain groups are being prioritized for testing in Canada, including anyone in long-term care facilities, patients who are already hospitalized and healthcare workers. This virus has spread unbelievably quickly, said Jason Kindrachuk, a research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba. We didnt appreciate how quickly it would be spread across the globe. He said when the CCP virus began to emerge, some countries purchased significant amounts of important supplies. Those countries, including Australia, South Korea, and Singapore, have been able to do expansive testing and have had success in mitigation and containment. The pandemic has also resulted in critical shortages of personal protective equipment, ventilators, and the swabs used in testing. Kindrachuk said he saw similar supply issues when he was leading diagnostic efforts in Liberia during the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Not everyone who should have been tested was, he said. The most important shift in that fight was getting people to keep distance from one another, he said. When we talk about physical distancing, this is not only keeping six feet away from people when you are out getting essentials. But this applies to everything that you do. All the short-term sacrifices will help us in the long term. Bernie Sanders reached the pinnacle of his campaign inside Cowboys Dancehall in San Antonio on Feb. 22. He pumped his fist to punctuate a triumphant speech. He'd just won the Nevada caucuses and was sitting on top of the Democratic presidential race. But 1,200 miles away in South Carolina, someaides and allies felt dread that trouble was lurking just around the corner. "I knew that our campaign had not done the work it needed to do," Donald Gilliard recalls thinking. He felt the campaign's strategy was "geared toward white progressives," leaving black voters behind. Gilliard, the deputy state political director, wasn't alone. Mal Hyman, a former congressional candidateand a Sanders surrogate in South Carolina, had a similar sense of anxiety. "We knew we were vulnerable," he lamented. A week later, their worst fears came true. A resurgent Joe Biden thumped Sanders by 28 points in the South Carolina primary, sending the Vermont senator into a freefall from which he not recovered. The loss underlined one of the fundamental failings of the Sanders campaign: He was unable to win the trust of African American voters. As the 78-year-old democratic socialist considers how long to continue his historic campaign, his disconnect from black voters threatens to sharply limit his influence in a party that is soon expected to belong to Biden. Now some who worked on the front lines of his campaign, including black staffers and surrogates, are speaking out about what they believe was a negligent strategy that underestimated the significance of the first primary with a majority-black electorate - a blueprint they said they tried and failed to redirect, and one that ultimately put the campaign on a devastating trajectory. Sanders sees the United States through the prism of class, but the 2020 primary has in some ways reaffirmed that for many Americans, the racial divide is more urgent. The senator built a coalition of millennials, working-class whites and Latinos, wagering that a strong showing in the first three states - none of which has many black voters - would power him through South Carolina and beyond. As a result, many African Americans felt disconnected from him. "I think the distinguishing attitude for Sanders, that you didn't see associated with Biden, was an angry white man," said Ivory Thigpen, a state representative who served as co-chair for Sanders in South Carolina and believes strongly in his message. "In the African American culture," he said, "nonverbal communication and body language is huge." Conveying a personal touch was never Sanders's strength, Thigpen added. But he added, "I think being accessible would have made up for it." Sanders campaign officials defend their efforts, saying the complaints of their South Carolina operatives do not reflect the tough choices the campaign faced nationally or the challenge of dislodging black voters' long-standing loyalty to Biden - which were only strengthened by a last-minute endorsement from influential Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. "This campaign nurtured and put African Americans in the pipeline of a presidential campaign," said Nina Turner, a national co-chair of the Sanders campaign. Turner, who is black, attributed the complaints to state officials who had "the luxury to only be singularly focused," while she, Sanders and other top campaign officials "had to focus on the nation." The campaign had other big problems, according to current and former officials and allies. The team was caught flat-footed by how quickly the Democratic Party establishment united behind Biden, after the campaign executed a plan that rested heavily on a divided opposition. Sanders has a tendency to micromanage, some said, slowing big decisions. And aides' efforts to get him to criticize Biden more directly fell short. But the moment that many keep replaying in their minds is the painful defeat in the Palmetto State. It came just a week after Sanders had become the undisputed primary leader with his decisive win Nevada, following strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. "If we'd been a little bit closer in South Carolina, we would have the momentum instead of Biden going into Super Tuesday," said Raymond Corley, who served as political director for the Sanders campaign in South Carolina. Sanders, an irascible Northeastern liberal, was never a natural fit with many black voters, particularly older ones in Southern states with more-conservative leanings. But several staffers said the disconnection did not have to be this bad. Turner, a former Ohio state legislator and Sanders's most visible African American ally, traveled with Sanders, introduced him at rallies and helped shape the campaign's outreach to black voters - including keeping an eye on South Carolina. Some staffers felt she was wrong for that role. "She didn't know the state," said Gilliard, who said he is fond of Sanders but parted ways with the campaign after the Feb. 29 primary. Turner said the campaign relied heavily on local talent, including Gilliard. "I have a keen understanding of the black community," she said. "The overwhelming majority of [South Carolina staffers], including him, understood the state. And he was hired to do a job." But the chain of command was murky, according to some staffers and surrogates. Thigpen recalled telling Turner privately that campaign officials discussed things that didn't end up happening, and he often felt like he was "going to customer service and saying, 'Hey, I want this done.' " Others who worked in the state said some of the campaign's decisions amounted to political malpractice. They faulted national campaign officials for deploying what they viewed as unseasoned strategists; not advertising more aggressively on television and black radio; and missing opportunities to bring Sanders in for face time with black leaders and voters. Even more basic needs such as yard signs became a source of angst, they said, citing a stark shortage in a state where visibility is a big part of the political culture. "Inexperienced state leadership," said Hyman, who gave speeches for Sanders, "was very slow to respond and to take any risk or broaden our base or to push for some of the what we thought were common-sense suggestions." One idea, for example, was for Sanders to visit with a convention of Baptist ministers, according to Gilliard and Thigpen, who said that plan was rejected by higher-ups. Jessica Bright, who served as state director, said the decision was "more of a scheduling conflict. It wasn't anything outside that realm." But for people in South Carolina, Sanders's priorities clearly appeared to be elsewhere. The campaign didn't start advertising heavily on radio in the state until late January and on television in mid-February, according to data from Advertising Analytics, even though the primary was Feb. 29. It was no secret inside the campaign that the South Carolina operation was troubled. Turner and another senior adviser, Chuck Rocha, traveled to the state to address personnel turmoil last summer, according to people with knowledge of the situation. In November, the campaign parted ways with then-state director Kwadjo Campbell, replacing him with Bright, who had been his deputy. Marvin Hayes, an operative from Ohio, was brought in as a senior adviser the previous month. Just before he departed, Campbell sent an explosive memo to Sanders, Turner, campaign manager Faiz Shakir and other top officials excoriating their decisions, according to people with knowledge of the communication. "I have not been able to do my job of building a base in the African-American community because of interference from National on a number of critical strategic decisions that have impeded our ability to gain traction among this key demographic needed for victory," Campbell wrote. He accused the campaign brass of preventing him from partnering with local African American candidates and of interfering with personnel moves. Turner said that some of what Campbell suggested wasn't even legal. "Some of the partnerships that he proposed did not comport with campaign finance laws," she said, adding that many of his other ideas were "carried forward." Campbell declined to comment. In a joint telephone interview, Bright, Hayes and Michael Wukela, who was communications director in South Carolina, strongly disputed the notion that the campaign had not vigorously contested the state. Arguing that they had a more intense operation than Biden, they said that Sanders attended more than 70 events there, hired a field staff that was mostly people of color, and that the campaign knocked on the equivalent of a door a minute. "I would say, without fear of contradiction, we had the best campaign operation and field operation in the state of South Carolina," Hayes said. He suggested that Sanders's poor performance was due to voters' belief that Biden was more electable against President Trump. "There was a lot of energy and attention being paid to the defeat of Donald Trump," Hayes said, while "the important part of Senator Sanders's message was about what is affecting people's lives on a day-to-day basis." On one visit to Denmark, S.C., for example, Sanders held small events on the subject of water contamination. Few dispute that the South Carolina primary was the turning point in the primary campaign. In the following 72 hours, two of Biden's rivals endorsed him, and a raft of Democratic officials jumped on board. Three days later, Biden swept most of the Super Tuesday races, including other Southern states with large black populations. It was only after those humbling defeats that the campaign finally appeared to rethink its approach to black voters. Phillip Agnew, a well-known African American activist and campaign surrogate, was named a senior adviser. Turner and another official worked the phones for hours to secure an endorsement from civil rights icon Jesse Jackson. But by that point, Sanders had little room to maneuver. He canceled a planned visit to a civil rights museum in Mississippi to campaign in Michigan, and then scrapped plans for a speech on racial justice. When a reporter questioned Sanders on his decision to skip a commemoration of "Bloody Sunday" in Alabama, he was curt, snapping that he was in California drawing a big crowd. Sanders also paid a price for his reluctance to speak publicly about his role in the civil rights movement, some allies felt, despite having an impressive story to tell about impassioned activism that included an arrest at a 1963 protest. In the eyes of some Sanders aides, there was little he could have done to reverse the loyalty that Biden spent decades building among black voters. Others felt that the campaign misjudged how impactful Biden's institutional support would be. At the same time, a wipeout of nearly 30 points was hardly inevitable, some said. "It kind of seems like an underestimation," Thigpen said. "Not only of how important the African American vote was, but how much it was going to be a bellwether and an indicator to other African American populations in other states." SILICON VALLEY, Calif., March 25, 2020for remote patient care. The secure independent telemedicine module is made available FREE for use by all providers across the United States and abroad. Any health professional can consult a patient remotely via any connected device, computer or smartphone. PracticeSuite is providing the technology to help health professionals deliver continuity of care during the COVID-19 crisis. The platform allows providers to render care to patients within the safety of their home. PracticeSuite clients are able to utilize the module in their Practice Management and EHR to schedule appointments, see patients, document visits, check eligibility and bill the telehealth codes through the PracticeSuite E-Consults videoconferencing platform. The platform can be used as a standalone solution for all healthcare professionals to treat patients remotely. As of last week, Medicare announced a coronavirus funding bill which greatly expands provisions facilitating access to virtual care. "While lockdowns and quarantines will be mandated, the continuum of care cannot be locked down. We are giving back to the healthcare community," states Trey Wilson, Chief Revenue Officer of PracticeSuite. "In the last few days, we have seen tremendous interest in our telemedicine solutions and services. PracticeSuite will be providing our technology platform at no charge to allow patients to continue to be seen in this complex and challenging healthcare environment." "During these critical times, as a Silicon Valley tech innovator, we are enabling doctors, not just here in the US but globally. Healthcare providers worldwide can use our standalone telemedicine module free by simply using a smartphone. This is the least we can do" said Vinod Nair, CEO of PracticeSuite. "I admire all healthcare soldiers that are in harm's way to protect others. My gratitude and prayers for safety to all men and women in blue serving humanity selflessly!" About PracticeSuite PracticeSuite offers a Telehealth videoconferencing platform within an integrated whole-practice solution that includes cloud-based practice management, EHR, patient portal, and revenue cycle management services Contact Trey Wilson (813) 335-4334 econsults@practicesuite.com E-learning tools accessed via the family tablet are teaching the Valencia siblings lessons of literacy and numeracy and, at the same time, patience. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/3/2020 (658 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. E-learning tools accessed via the family tablet are teaching the Valencia siblings lessons of literacy and numeracy and, at the same time, patience. Jiahna, 6, Jian, 7, and nine-year-old Jyzella Valencia are sharing a tablet to complete their online assignments while in-person classes are suspended in Manitoba due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. "They need to wait for their turn," said Jennifer Valencia, whose three children attend Kent Road School in Winnipeg. "It would be helpful for the families, for the parents who really cant afford to buy another extra gadget, if they can lend us (devices from school); its a chance for me and my kids to learn more." As classrooms shift into a virtual sphere while educators teach from afar, school divisions are taking different approaches to address the digital divides across Manitoba. Since public libraries have also been shuttered, some students without access to a device at home have been allowed to borrow laptops. Others, who dont have access to technology or enough devices for each student in their house, are being handed a stack of paperwork until regular classes resume. Across the province, school communication is being done both online and via phone. Within Winnipeg city limits, River-East Transcona, Pembina Trails and St. James-Assiniboia divisions are offering hard copies of learning materials if students have limited access to technology. The general decision among the Winnipeg School Divisions 79 schools was not to send hardware home with students either, because no school has enough devices for each student, said Radean Carter, senior information officer. Approximately 33,000 students are enrolled in the division. David Livingstone Community School principal Tim Cox said his K-8 school has opted to focus on supplying families with physical learning packages and kits of pencils, crayons, erasers, scissors and glue. Staff have also been doing in-person check-ins around Lord Selkirk Park. In the Maples, administrators in the Seven Oaks School Division have long been drawing up plans to support students who rely on school Wi-Fi and hardware to complete assignments. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Jennifer Valencia home schools her children Jiahna, 6, Jian, 7, and Jyzella, 9, in their Elmwood home. School divisions are grappling with how to handle the digital divide as they promote online learning during satellite school. Some are sending home laptops, others are sticking to paper packages. The Valencia family is focused on paper work. Valencia says they only have one slow desktop, so she's been printing out all their assignments. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press) Before the final bell rang Friday at Maples Collegiate, a team of staffers determined approximately 120 of the high schools 1,600 students wouldnt have access to the internet or a device when they left the campus. Vice-principal Jennifer McGowan said teachers printed out worksheets for students returning to Berens River and Poplar River First Nations during the break, as well as others who hail from Winnipeg communities. Students in need have also signed out Chromebook portable computers, McGowan said although, the challenge of reliable internet access for all is still of concern. "Were bringing care packages to about 350 families across the division thats food, but also books and games," said superintendent Brian OLeary. "Were trying to keep connected with everybody. Often, the people who are left on the other side of the digital divide are the families we need to be serving the most." In the Louis Riel School Division, superintendent Christian Michalik said Tuesday the division has put 50 laptops in the hands of students at home, in addition to pen-and-paper packages. Students may also request to enter schools to use facilities and connect to their Wi-Fi network, which has been opened to the public. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS School divisions are grappling with how to handle the digital divide as they promote online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some schools have opted to focus on supplying families with physical learning packages and kits of pencils, crayons, erasers, scissors and glue. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press) Outside Winnipeg, the Hanover School Division has supplied a total of 1,100 Chromebooks to students in recent days. Thats in addition to approximately 4,000 handed to students between grades 9 to 12, who receive a Chromebook to use throughout their high school tenure. Meanwhile, in the Winnipeg neighbourhood of Elmwood, the Valencias are making do with a tablet. (The siblings claim their old desktop is too slow to use.) "I work in a daycare, so I know how to be crafty, so I have lots of ideas to make sure their brain is active, their body is moving," said Valencia, who is out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic response. The mother of three added shes sure she wont have any problems keeping her children busy during the next three weeks, thanks to her keen students and the abundance of materials sent home from teachers. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca [March 25, 2020] ElectrifAi Announces ProcurementAi JERSEY CITY, N.J., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ElectrifAi, a global leader in practical artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) products, today announced the release of ProcurementAi, a cloud-based SaaS product utilizing AI to provide real time actionable insights into spend and contract data. Using advanced machine learning technology, ProcurementAi uncovers unparalleled insights into spending, savings and risk, enabling business leaders to make better strategic decisions and move faster than ever before. The new solution from ElectrifAi enables Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) to have extreme confidence in the data when making a decision, they have the whole picture and all critical information. This includes analyzing costs in "tail spend" which have, up to now, been nearly impossible to address. Because the technology connects contract and spend data together, CPOs can continually monitor and ensure that what is happening with company spending and suppliers is actually what should be happening. "ProcurementAi has given us the confidence and visualization of our spend and contract data to make better choices with the way we run our business," explains Ocean Spray Senior Manager, Capital Management & Indirect Procurement, Phil Parks. "We have the intuitive visibility of enriched, classified and consolidated spend data in a way we have never seen before, and that insight has been critical in assessing our spend and capturing savings." The new product, available March 31, 2020, represents the future of the CPO's office the ability to understand and direc spending strategy from a dashboard. In the past it has been nearly impossible for CPO's to have a complete, extremely accurate view on this level of information. Historically the most significant hurdle for CPOs has been the global, distributed nature of systems with this data. Now, ElectrifAi's technology overcomes this challenge, offering actionable insights no matter the complexity of the underlying spend and contract data. ProcurementAi delves deeply into this data to identify cost patterns and link them to contractual terms, allowing for more favorable negotiations with suppliers and vendors. The product also scours every contract to look for unseen risks using over 50 advanced AI models to recommend savings, efficiency and risk reduction opportunities. "ElectrifAi's ProcurementAi is used by some of the world's largest corporations spending billions of dollars every month," explains Edward Scott, ElectrifAi CEO. "We have processed and analyzed over $6 trillion of client spending data from some of the largest and most notable companies. In most cases, ProcurementAi has been critical to reducing risk and costs significantly achieving cost reductions of tens of millions of dollars in just the first few months. Given the substantial impacts of COVID-19 on the economy, this technology comes into the market at a critical time. Organizations with global visibility and actionable insights into their cost and contract data have a substantial advantage over their competitors who are using older, more unwieldy technology." To learn more about ElectrifAi, visit ElectrifAi.net . About ElectrifAi ElectrifAi is a global leader in building innovative artificial intelligence-based products and is on a mission to help organizations change the way they work through machine learning: driving profit, performance improvement and risk reduction. Founded in 2004, the company draws on 16 years of industry leadership, a global team of domain experts, and a proven record of transforming structured and unstructured data at scale. The company's AI-based products reach across business functions, data systems, and teams to drive superior results in record time. ElectrifAi has over 100+ data scientists, 50+ software engineers and a proven record of dealing with over 2,000 customer implementations. At the heart of ElectrifAi's mission is a commitment to making Ai more understandable, practical and profitable for businesses and industries across globe. ElectrifAi is headquartered in Jersey City, with offices located in San Diego, Shanghai and New Delhi. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/electrifai-announces-procurementai-301029318.html SOURCE ElectrifAi [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Ukraine's cabinet has submitted to parliament a revised bill on banking regulations needed to meet requirements set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new lending package as the country's feeble economy braces for the effects of the coronavirus outbreak. The bill appeared on the Verkhovna Rada's website on March 24 and was agreed by the central bank and Finance Ministry. Its aim is to protect the country's interests following a decision to nationalize insolvent or troubled banks and prevent tycoons from regaining control over their former assets. An extraordinary parliamentary session to review the bill, as well as other measures to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, has been pushed back from March 26 to March 28 after a fourth lawmaker tested positive for COVID-19. While the bill could have broad implications in Ukraine, it is widely known that its main purpose is to prevent Ihor Kolomoyskiy, the former co-owner of PrivatBank, from regaining ownership rights to the bank. Most of the 103 banks that were either nationalized or had their licenses revoked in 2014-2016 were found to have been engaged in widespread third-party lending. U.S.-based corporate investigative firm Kroll and attorneys at AlixPartners had found a hole of at least $5.5 billion in PrivatBank's balance sheet. Kolomoyskiy has denied wrongdoing and maintains he is the rightful owner of PrivatBank. Ukraine has been in talks with the IMF for months about a three-year, $5.5 billion loan tied to reforms to help the country meet a spike in debt repayments this year. Ukraine is reportedly seeking to borrow even more money internationally as it increases spending to fight the spread of the coronavirus and support companies and individuals negatively affected by the potential economic fallout. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 16:55:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A new TV drama adaptation of the popular Chinese novel series "Gui Chui Deng," which literally means "Ghost Blowing Lamp," is set for an April 1 online premiere, video streaming platform Tencent Video announced Wednesday. Titled "Long Ling Mi Ku" and known as "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost Caverns" in English, the 18-episode show will be broadcast on Tencent Video with three episodes every Wednesday evening starting next week. With a cast led by Pan Yueming and Zhang Yuqi, the fantasy drama revolves around a tomb-raiding adventure in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. A trailer has been released for the show, which is co-produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures. Advertisement The coronavirus pandemic has killed at least 20,500 people worldwide since it first appeared in China in December, official figures say. More than 452,160 confirmed cases of infection have been diagnosed in 182 countries and territories since the start of the pandemic. The tallies, using data collected from national authorities and information from the World Health Organisation (WHO), are likely to reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections. Many countries are now only testing cases that require hospitalisation. School pupils attend the graduation ceremony held at the school field with keeping social distance amid the coronavirus pandemic at Senjusakura Elementary School in Tokyo, Japan Employees from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Refugees uses a temperature test machine on a child in Palestine A worker sweeps the almost empty streets during the first day of national quarantine to stop spread of COVID-19 in Bogota, Colombia A woman, wearing a protective face mask, and her child, sit on a curb in Mexico City as the child laughs at something that was said to him This incredible aerial view picture shows the empty Liberacion square in Guadalajara, Mexico, at around 8am on Wednesday A member of the Senegalese graffiti collective 'RBS CREW' paints informational murals advising how to stop the spread of the coronavirus, on the wall of a high school in the Parcelles Assainies neighborhood of the capital Dakar This picture shows the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, in Rabat, Morocco, which lies empty after the country declared a curfew on March 19 Local Police corps are seen in Villalba General Hospital applauding the sanitary personal of Villalba General Hospital in Spain Since the tally - carried out on Tuesday at 7pm - 2,341 new deaths and 43,010 new cases have been recorded worldwide. The countries that recorded the most new deaths in 24 hours were Spain with 738, Italy with 683 and France with 231. Italy, which recorded its first death linked to the coronavirus at the end of February, now has 7,503 deaths with 74,386 cases. A man wearing a face mask as a precautionary measure against the spread of the new coronavirus walks in Panama City on Wednesday In this photo released by Turkish Presidency, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and his advisors participate in a teleconference with his ministers in Istanbul A billboard is installed on an apartment building in Cape Town, South Africa, before the country of 57million people will go into a nationwide lockdown for 21 days from Thursday A view of the iconic Taksim Square in central Istanbul is deserted due to the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday afternoon Doctors take on protective suits before they enter the isolation room at the care unit of the new COVID-19 infected patients inside the Koranyi National Institute of Pulmonology in Budapest, Hungary Sanitary personal of Villalba General Hospital are seen at the Emergency entrance while local police, civil guard and firefighters applaud them in Spain This aerial photograph shows the empty Teniente Guerrero Park, in downtown Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on Wednesday After Italy, the most affected countries are Spain with 3,434 deaths for 47,610 cases, mainland China with 3,281 deaths (81,218 cases), Iran with 2,077 deaths (27,017 cases), and France with 1,331 deaths (25,233 cases). Since Tuesday at 7pm, Jamaica, Cameroon, Estonia and Niger have announced their first deaths linked to the virus. Guinea-Bissau, Laos, Mali, Libya, Belize, Grenada and Dominica, have announced their first cases. Europe had 239,912 cases and 13,824 deaths, Asia 99,927 cases with 3,596 deaths and the US and Canada had 62,194 cases with 854 deaths. The Middle East had 32,182 cases and 2,123 deaths, Latin America and the Caribbean 7,529 cases with 124 deaths, Oceania 2,656 cases and nine deaths and Africa 2,631 cases and 69 deaths. Motorists are stopped at a checkpoint on the Gold Coast Highway at Coolangatta on the Queensland/NSW border near Brisbane A woman wearing a protective mask walks past residents of the Downtown Eastside in British Columbia, Canada, as they gather to collect their social assistance cheques A nurse greets patients outside a coronavirus disease assessment centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on Wednesday afternoon The world shuts down: Map shows how a third of global population - 3BILLION people - are now under coronavirus lockdown India went into coronavirus lockdown Tuesday, meaning a third of world population is now under containment Cases have now been reported on every continent except Antarctica, and in virtually every country Almost half a million infections have been confirmed along with 20,000 deaths, as cases continue to spike Pictures from across the globe show how streets have been left empty as people adjust to the new reality Three billion people - more than a third of the world's 7.8billion population - are now thought to be under some kind of coronavirus lockdown in an attempt to control the spread of the disease. Cases of the highly-infectious virus have now been reported on every continent except Antarctica and in virtually every country as the number of confirmed global infections barrelled towards half a million on Wednesday. World health authorities have warned that America and Europe are now the epicentres of the virus after it emerged in China towards the end of last year and swept from East to West across the globe. But different countries have taken vastly different approaches - from India locking down all 1.3billion people to Donald Trump saying the USA will be back open for business by Easter. China has also started loosening restrictions around the ground-zero province of Hubei, providing some hope that an end to the crisis is in sight. Here, MailOnline has analysed the different measures being taken and complied a picture gallery showing how different countries are dealing with a new reality caused by the disease. A map showing how the world is reacting to coronavirus. Countries in red have announced restrictions on movement of all or most of their citizens around the clock in response to the virus. Those in amber have restricted the movement of only some citizens or for only part of the day, such as evening curfews. Those in green have either light restrictions or no restrictions on their own citizens, but may have brought in other international measures such border closures and flight bans Countries in either partial or total lockdown 1. Italy 2. Spain 3. France 4. Germany 5. UK 6. Ireland 7. Belgium 8. Denmark 9. Austria 10. Portugal 11. Czech Republic 12. Norway 13. Poland 14. Colombia 15. El Salvador 16. Argentina 17. China 18. India 19. Sri Lanka 20. Nepal 21. Malaysia 22. Egypt 23. Turkey 24. Saudi Arabia 25. Iraq 26. Israel 27. Kuwait 28. South Africa 29. Kenya 30. Tunisia 31. Rwanda 32. Senegal 33. Madagascar 34. Australia 35. New Zealand 36. Switzerland 37. Austria 38. Luxembourg 39. Thailand 40. Ecuador 41. Greece 42. Romania 43. Philippines 44. Slovenia 45. Peru 46. Panama 47. Croatia 48. Lebanon 49. Serbia 50. Dominican Republic 51. Armenia 52. Algeria 53. San Marino 54. Lithuania 55. Morocco 56. Jordan 57. Albania 58. Cyprus 59. Republic of Moldova 60. Burkina Faso - curfew 61. Senegal - curfew 62. Ukraine 63. Venezuela 64. Georgia - partial 65. Kazakhstan - partial 66. Guadeloupe 67. Palestinian territories 68. Martinique 69. Uzbekistan - partial 70. Bangladesh 71. Democratic Republic of Congo - partial 72. Mauritius - curfew 73. Puerto Rico 74. Honduras 75. Bolivia 76. Cote dIvoire - curfew 77. Monaco - Curfew 78. Montenegro - partial 79. Togo - partial 80. Kyrgyzstan - partial 81. Haiti 82. Cayman Islands - partial Advertisement While the US government has resisted calls to enact a federal shutdown, various states have either fully locked down or put in place lockdowns on some of their citizens to try and control the spread of coronavirus EUROPE SPAIN: The number of cases in Spain is rapidly spiralling out of control, with workers deserting elderly people in care homes that were later found dead or dying by police (pictured, a woman in her apartment in Burgos) FRANCE: Emmanuel Macron has put in place sweeping lockdown measures across France that has left streets virutally deserted as the country's death and case toll mounts UK: Boris Johnson announced the the UK would be following the rest of Europe into a full lockdown this week, amid signs the country is on track to see a death toll that could top that of Italy GERMANY: While the number of cases in Germany has almost hit 30,000 - on par with other badly-affected European nations - the death rate has remained low. Still, the government has enacted sweeping lockdown measures (pictured, Dresden) BELGIUM: Like most of Europe, Belgians are only being allowed to leave their homes for essential tasks or medical needs, with restrictions due to last for the next eight weeks at least (pictured, Brussels) CZECH REPUBLIC: The typically-bustling Charles Bridge in Prague was all-but deserted after the government shut down most restaurants and shops across the country to combat the virus POLAND: A sculpture in the centre of Krakow is seen with a mask across the mouth after Poland went into full lockdown over coroanvirus, with most shops and businesses forced to close PORTUGAL: The country has closed landmarks along with the majority of shops in attempts to control the spread of the disease, though has stopped short of barring people from the streets as other nations have done AMERICAS NEW YORK, USA: Donald Trump has resisted calls for the federal government to call a lockdown, but individual cities have been issued with shelter-in-place orders. New York (pictured) and San Francisco are among them COLOMBIA: The South American country has restricted the movement of all-but essential workers, with those aged 70 and over told to stay inside their homes until May EL SALVADOR: Mass gatherings have been banned, borders closed, all returning citizens must undergo 30-day quarantine and schools have been shuttered in the Equatorial nation ARGENTINA: Residents have been forced off the streets while police have been ordered to fine or arrest rule-breakers until at least the end of March ASIA CHINA: The ruling communist party locked down some 760million people across the country in January as coronavirus first emerged, though is now preparing to ease containment measures in ground-zero province of Wuhan (pictured) INDIA: The country's 1.3billion people were ordered to stay inside from Wednesday in the most far-reaching containment effort anywhere in the world. Police enforced the restrictions with an iron will, and wooden sticks SRI LANKA: An island-wide curfew has been in place since the weekend to prevent the spread, though social distancing measures being used by some other nations have not been adopted widely NEPAL: Deserted streets and closed shop are seen during the first day of government-imposed nationwide lockdown in the Everest region of Nepal after measures come into place on Monday MIDDLE EAST EGYPT: Egyptian authorities announced a two-week curfew, starting from 25 March, during which public transportation will be suspended to avoid the spread of coronavirus SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has announced a nation-wide curfew from 7pm until 6am starting from 24 March for 21 days to combat the virus. In the capital Riyadh, the curfew starts at 3pm (Jeddah, pictured) ISRAEL: A deserted street in Jerusalem is seen this week as the country prepares to announce the start of a complete lockdown, with outdoor exercise banned while individuals will be allowed to venture only 100 meters from their homes IRAQ: The government in Baghdad has followed many of its Middle Eastern neighbours in announcing a curfew from sunset until sunrise in the hopes that it will stop the spread of coronavirus KUWAIT: The government has announced harsher penalties than some of its neighbours, shutting down international flights and banning people from going to restaurants and gyms for three weeks (pictured, Kuwait City) AFRICA KENYA: The country has closed bars, restaurants, schools and some public offices but crowded markets - such as this one in Nairobi - remain open amid fears the disease could rapidly spread RWANDA: A boy carries jerrycans as he walks past the deserted crossing point between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda before the country enters lockdown to try and prevent the spread of the virus AUSTRALASIA New hope for Italy as daily rate of infections and number of deaths both fall, with 7.5 per cent rise and 683 fatalities compared to 8.2 per cent and 743 dead yesterday Italy's coronavirus death toll has jumped by 683 to 7,503, a decline in the daily tally of fatalities following a spike yesterday. On Tuesday 743 people died, following 602 deaths on Monday, 650 on Sunday and a record of 793 on Saturday - the highest daily figure since the deadly bug emerged in the country on February 21. The total number of confirmed cases there has risen to 74,386 from a previous 69,176, the Civil Protection Agency said. Italy's coronavirus death toll has jumped by 683 to 7,503, a decline in the daily tally of fatalities following a spike yesterday. Pictured: At a care home in Rome The head of the agency, Angelo Borrelli, was not present at the customary news conference to illustrate the data because he came down with a fever on Wednesday. Of those originally infected nationwide, 9,362 had fully recovered on Wednesday compared to 8,326 the day before. There were 3,489 people in intensive care against a previous 3,396. The hardest-hit northern region of Lombardy reported a sharp fall in the number of deaths compared with the day before, but remained in a critical situation, with a total of 4,474 deaths and 32,346 cases. That compared with 4,178 deaths and 30,703 cases reported up to Tuesday. Spain has world's second highest tally of coronavirus deaths after seeing its biggest daily rise yet 738 to reach 3,434, overtaking China Spain has today overtaken China to record the world's second-highest death toll from coronavirus. Spanish officials reported 738 new deaths today, the country's biggest daily jump so far, taking the total from 2,696 to 3,434. The figure is now higher than the 3,285 people who have died in mainland China, where the outbreak began in late 2019. Italy has the world's highest death toll, with 6,820. Members of the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) arrive to carry out a general disinfection at a local market in Badalona near Barcelona Spain's total number of infections also rose by 20 per cent today, with 7,937 new cases bringing the total from 39,673 to 47,610. Despite an unprecedented lockdown imposed in Spain on March 14, both deaths and infections have continued to mount, with the Spanish army called in to join efforts to curb its spread. 'We are approaching the peak,' the health ministry's emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon said in announcing the figures. Health authorities are hoping it will soon become clear whether the lockdown is having the desired effect. 'This is a very hard week because we're in the first stages of overcoming the virus, a phase in which we are approaching the peak of the epidemic,' health minister Salvador Illa told a televised news conference. Spain only recorded its first virus death on March 3, but within three weeks the death toll has surged far more quickly than it did in Italy or China. There are now 3,434 deaths in Spain, while Italy had only 1,266 deaths at the same stage after the first one. China had 259. Filipino fishermen walk with soldiers after being freed by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in Jolo town in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, June 22, 2019. Philippine security forces rescued a Filipino doctor, who was abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants early last month, after a brief firefight with a band of gunmen in the jungles of southern Sulu province, officials said Wednesday. Military and police forces were patrolling Bangalan, a village in Indanan town, when they ran into the armed group on Tuesday night and both sides exchanged gunfire, the militarys southern command said. The doctor, Daniel Moreno, escaped to safety during the shootout, officials said. When our troops went on hot pursuit they stumbled upon Dr. Moreno, said military regional command chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana. The shootout was over in minutes but it allowed Moreno to flee to the side of the government forces, Capt. Ansbert Peralta, commander of the military intelligence unit that clashed with the gunmen, told reporters. The militants escaped, and there were no casualties on either side. Moreno, who was said to be unharmed, was quickly extricated and transported to a military brigade. Sobejana said that the physician underwent medical examinations at a military hospital. So far, there is no adverse report about his health, Sobejana told reporters. The gunmen, believed to be led by Mundi Sawadjaan, seized Moreno on Feb. 4 inside his clinic in Jolo town, Sulus capital, officials said. Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for a spate of kidnappings in recent years, where Malaysian and Indonesian sailors and fishermen have been taken hostage and held for ransom. Military officials said Moreno could have been kidnapped because the militants needed a doctor to treat its wounded fighters after heavy clashes between government security forces and another band of gunmen led by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, the head of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in the southern Philippines. Mundi Sawadjaan is believed to be a nephew of Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, who had launched deadly bombings on Jolo last year, including using two Indonesian suicide attackers who blew themselves up at a Catholic church, leaving 23 dead. The militants had earlier demanded 4 million pesos (around U.S. $80,000) as ransom for the doctors release. With Morenos rescue, the Abu Sayyaf is left with five Indonesian hostages who were snatched in January off Lahad Datu in Malaysia and taken to Jolo, the military said. NSW Police will hand out on-the-spot $1000 fines to people who flout tighter lockdown rules, including holding house parties or having more than 10 mourners at a funeral. It comes as the number of cases of COVID-19 in NSW continues to climb, with an additional 211 diagnosed as of Tuesday night, taking the state's total to 1029 and including a baby boy. NSW Police have new powers to fine people who breach social distancing rules. Credit:AAP It is the first time children aged under 10 have been diagnosed with coronavirus in NSW. Both cases are self isolating, are not connected to each other and the 7-year-old girl has not been at school. It also emerged on Wednesday night that a midwife at St George Hospital has tested positive to COVID-19. During the Snapdragon Summit in December last year, Qualcomm had announced the capability of delivering GPU driver updates via the Google Play Store. The chipmaker has now provided an update on the effort. Qualcomm, in partnership with Google, has developed the Android GPU Inspector that will help game studios enhance games. It is a graphic profiling tool that supports Android GPUs, including Qualcomm Adreno as well as Mali GPUs. This tool allows developers to analyze and optimize their games performance. Developers can then not only incorporate those gains into their app but also give feedback to Google and Qualcomm to enhance the Adreno GPU software driver. Advertisement Qualcomm will provide select developers with the Adreno Graphics Development Driver to allow for fast testing of optimizations. The enhancements will then be pushed to consumers as an update through the Play Store, just like an app update. A first in the mobile industry, this will allow mobile gamers to update their GPU drivers and take advantage of potential features and performance enhancements, similar to PC gaming. Qualcomm says the Android GPU Inspector can offer a massive boost in game performance. The company claims that Google and an unnamed game partner used the tool to deliver 40-percent GPU utilization savings on the Pixel 4 XL. The optimization resulted in faster frame rates and longer battery life. Advertisement Select Pixel and Samsung phones get updateable GPU drivers first Back in December 2019, Qualcomm had said that its updateable GPU drivers will be initially available for its Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 765 platforms. However, it appears the Snapdragon 855-powered smartphones will be the first to get support for the new tool. The initial list of phones includes the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S10. Qualcomm says more devices are coming later but doesnt provide a timeline. The company plans to release GPU driver updates on a quarterly basis. Qualcomm is committing to a quarterly cadence for release of updated drivers to the OEM, the company told Android Authority. Advertisement The silicon designer will support chipsets for two to three years post-launch. However, its still up to the OEMs to push out those GPU driver updates to the Google Play Store. Qualcomm is hoping device manufacturers stick to a quarterly release schedule too. Nevertheless, its certainly a welcome feature. Youre looking at a more seamless update process than the usual device software update. Further, with support for more chipsets, itll likely deliver smoother gaming performance not only on flagships but on mid-range and budget smartphones as well. Five people of a family including a five-year-old have tested positive to the Sars-Cov-2 pathogen that causes coronavirus disease, a health official of Sangli district in Maharashtra said on Wednesday. Four people from the same family who returned from a visit to Saudi Arabia had earlier tested positive. Sangli, a district in central-western Maharashtra, has reported nine cases. The districts civil surgeon Dr Sanjay Salunkhe confirmed the fresh cases. The five cases of Covid-19 are from the same family as the early four. The early four members had travelled to Saudi Arabia and these five are the first contacts of the four members. Among the five is a 5-year-old girl. All of them are stable and admitted to the district hospital in Miraj, Dr Salunkhe said, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope tweeted that the fresh five cases have raised the count of Covid-19 patients in the state to 116. Pune divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar said the authorities had sent 830 samples for testing. Of this, 737 have come out negative which is over 90% of the samples and is a good sign. Currently there are 42 positive cases in the division, he said. Health minister Tope said 14 people who had tested positive earlier had recovered and are in the process of being discharged from the hospitals. The government, concerned at reports that some clinics and chemists had shut down in wake of the lockdown, has told them to stay open. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, state Congress President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat and Rajesh Tope appealed to the people to celebrate Gudi Padva -- the traditional new year festival -- indoors on Wednesday while taking all precautions in view of Covid-19 scare. The Niger State governor, Abubakar Bello, has gone on self-isolation as a result of his attendance of the Nigeria Governors Forums meeting on March 18. The meeting was attended by many governors, including Bauchi States Bala Mohammed who has tested positive for the coronavirus. Governor Bello also directed all his close aides and cabinet members to subject themselves to self-isolation A statement on Wednesday by the spokesperson of the governor, Mary Berje, said the governor decided to embark on self-isolation because as a public figure, he must have had contact with some confirmed cases of COVID-19. Mrs Berje said the governor is awaiting tests that would be run to know his status. Considering the fact that I was in Abuja the whole of last week to participate in the APC National meeting with the President, the Nigeria Governors Forum meeting, National Economic Council meeting and the World Bank breakfast meeting, as a way of leading by example, I have placed my self on isolation and waiting to be tested, along with members of my family, the statement reads. Speaking about the lockdown of the state, the governor asked the general public not to panic as the measure put in place by the government is for containment of the pandemic. He said the lockdown is not meant to punish but to help and protect the welfare and lives of the citizens. Nigerias Cases Currently, Nigeria has 46 cases of COVID-19 including one death. The Chief of Staff to the president, Abba Kyari, and Mr Mohammed are among the confirmed cases. Some states, such as Lagos and Ogun, have placed restrictions on public gatherings including in churches and mosques. Lagos, Nigerias most affected state with COVID-19, has also said it would shut markets from Thursday except for essential products. The federal government has, however, only advised Nigerians to stay at home but has told citizens to expect tougher measures. The COVID-19 has killed over 15,000 people globally, the majority of them in Europe and China. MIAMIA crew member on the Costa Luminosa knew something was wrong when an ambulance arrived on the pier in Puerto Rico on March 8 and left with two passengers. Elderly passengers are routinely evacuated at port stops when they become ill. But in the middle of a global pandemic, this incident felt different. That same day, the U.S. State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned all Americans against cruising, citing the increased risk of COVID-19 infection on cruise ships. Over the following 11 days, the situation on board worsened. Three sick passengers were off-loaded in the Canaries; dozens were reported sick when the ship docked in Marseille, France, on Thursday. For crew still working as the ship crossed the Atlantic, the situation became ever more dangerous as hundreds of crew members continued to clean the ship and serve passengers. It wasnt until seven days after that Puerto Rico visit and four days before the ship arrived in France that Costa Cruises isolated passengers and provided crew members with masks that they had been asking for, according to passengers and crew. Costa is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp. The ship is now docked in Savona, Italy. To date, nearly 40 people on the ship have tested positive for COVID-19, and two have died, including one of the people off-loaded in Puerto Rico more than two weeks ago. Hundreds of crew members remain on board, and at least nine of them have tested positive, a spokesperson for the company confirmed. Those nine were hospitalized on Tuesday, according to Italian media. As the number of people infected on cruise ships continues to climb each day, cruise companies are still downplaying the risk of COVID-19 transmission at sea. Cruise ships are not a source for coronavirus, Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald said in an interview with Axios that aired on HBO on Sunday. We have hundreds of cruise ships out there. Very few had cases on them. ... A cruise ship is not a riskier environment. The CDC has released evidence to the contrary. A report from the agency published Monday found that approximately 200 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. across 15 states were confirmed to be returned cruise travellers from Feb. 3 to March 13, accounting for approximately 17 per cent of total reported U.S. cases at that time. More than 25 cruise-ship voyages have had confirmed cases of COVID-19, and at least 10 deaths have been linked to cruise-ship travel. Again, the agency warned Monday: All persons should defer all cruise travel worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the warning and a forced 30-day hiatus on U.S. cruising, thousands of people remain working on cruise ships during the pandemic. Unable to comply with stay at home orders, they worry cruise companies arent doing enough to protect them from the virus on board. The Costa Luminosa crew member, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, is desperate to leave the ship. While docked in Italy, managers asked the crew to disinfect the cabins of those who have had the disease using a checklist with to-dos such as placing bedding in biohazard bags and wiping down door handles with disinfectant, according to a cleaning checklist provided to the Miami Herald. The most recent CDC report on cruise-ship transmission found that traces of the coronavirus remained on a variety of surfaces inside cabins of infected passengers up to 17 days after cabins were vacated on the Diamond Princess, the first cruise ship to be quarantined in Japan in early February. Scientists are still researching whether those traces have the ability to infect others after such a long time. We will get infected. Every day, more crew members are getting sick, he said. Every 20 minutes, you hear the ambulance from the streets. ... We work nervous and sad. Costa Cruises said passengers and crew will disembark by Wednesday, to proceed to land-based isolation in Italy or in their home countries, leaving the ship with around 100 crew members on board. The pandemic has turned housekeepers, waiters and maintenance workers into quarantine caregivers on ships trying to find ports that will accept them. Healthy workers on ships that have already disembarked all passengers are stuck as flights get repeatedly cancelled. Thousands of crew members are still isolated in their cabins on board ships after being exposed to the virus while working. Nearly 2,000 crew members are isolated in single cabins on board two cruise ships stranded in the Caribbean: the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Magica. All passengers have disembarked, and at least four guests tested positive for COVID-19, but no country has so far allowed the ships to let crews disembark. The ships are on their way to Cuba in hopes of docking and repatriating crew members there, a spokesperson for the company said via email. In a plea for help on Facebook, a crew member on the Costa Favoloso wrote on Thursday that the managers on board were not allowing crew members to use masks, and the ship was operating as normal despite what he estimated was 10 to 20 per cent of the restaurant crew having flu-like symptoms. We are still working now without social distancing policy in our cabin, we are still exposed to those who (have) symptoms already, he wrote. We are still doing the normal schedule like nothing (happened). ... Pray for our safety and (hope) that we can see our (families) soon without the virus running in our (bodies). Since his Facebook post on Thursday, the entire crew has been confined to individual cabins, except for deck and engine crew who are responsible for essential operations. Four Costa Favolosa workers and two Costa Magica workers have already disembarked; the company did not respond to a request for comment about the reason for the crew members departure from the ships. A crew member on the Favolosa said the captain announced that two of the disembarked crew have tested positive. The company has lifted its normal crew fees for internet. The medical situation on board is constantly monitored by the medical staff and is currently under control, a Costa spokesperson said in a statement. Another Carnival Corp. ship, the Holland America Line Zaandam ship, is still looking for a port that will accept it. Seventy-seven people on board, including 47 crew members, have reported flu-like symptoms, the company said. Chile turned the ship away on March 21, and it began the long journey to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., set to arrive March 30 with 1,243 passengers and 586 crew on board. Broward County is still deciding whether to allow the ship to dock. Thousands of passengers have disembarked into cities around the world since the industry opted to cease sailing on March 13. But many crew members remain trapped on ships that are docked in ports. A crew member from the Philippines aboard the MSC Meraviglia and his co-workers have been waiting to go home since the cruise ship docked in Miami on March 15. A Canadian passenger tested positive for COVID-19 after getting off the ship in Miami on March 8. Twelve crew members who were exposed to the sick passenger were released from a 14-day cabin quarantine Monday morning, MSC Cruises said. Every day, the crew member and his colleagues prepare to leave the ship for good, only to have their flights cancelled. He is not allowed to get off the ship and visit Miami. He worries about how he will support himself when he gets home. Its disappointing, he said. And (stressful because) I cant help myself thinking about (my family), and (at the) same time, thinking about our situation here. Crew members on the MSC Seaside say they are in a similar limbo. Both ships are anchored just off the coast of Miami Beach, as the company tries to figure out where to take them next, a spokesperson said via email. Across the globe, the MSC Fantasia ship docked in Lisbon, Portugal, off-loaded two passengers there Sunday who tested positive for the virus, according to the company. Two crew members heard about one positive test from the Portugal broadcast news hours before the company informed them on Monday. We are very upset, one said. We got this information late, at 9 (p.m.), but TV (had) already (informed a) long time before. Another crew member said managers began to take the temperatures of the crew about four days ago. On Tuesday, crew members received masks and gloves and were told to practise social distancing. Every other chair in the crew mess hall has tape over it, requiring crew members to eat with distance between them. But the line to get temperatures taken Tuesday became a large crowd, violating those guidelines. Im not sure this can ensure that we are safe, the crew member said. I dont feel safe at all. A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said MSC Fantasia has crew members in precautionary isolation because of potential exposure to passengers who tested positive, but declined to say how many. A battery manufacturer in eastern Iowa has been fined $42,000 for workplace safety violations, authorities said. The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Exide Technologies, of Manchester, was cited for five different violations and originally faced a penalty of more than $70,000. It later reached a settlement with the department to pay $42,000. Company officials have not responded to requests for comment. The Telegraph Herald reported that safety inspectors said company officials exposed employees to a potential racking system collapse, exposed two employees to airborne contaminants and exposed employees to various hazards. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Iowa Manufacturing Washington: Observing that the human costs of the coronavirus pandemic are already immeasurable, the IMF on Monday said the world is headed towards a recession at least as bad as during the global financial crisis or worse. The outlook for global growth, for 2020 it is negative -- a recession at least as bad as during the global financial crisis or worse, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said after a call with G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors. "But we expect the recovery in 2021," she said. "The human costs of the coronavirus pandemic are already immeasurable, and all countries need to work together to protect people and limit the economic damage," she said. Georgieva said that to get there, it is paramount to prioritise containment and strengthen health systems, everywhere. The economic impact is and will be severe, but the faster the virus stops, the quicker and stronger the recovery will be. "We strongly support the extraordinary fiscal actions many countries have already taken to boost health systems and protect affected workers and firms. We welcome the moves of major central banks to ease monetary policy. These bold efforts are not only in the interest of each country but of the global economy as a whole. Even more will be needed, especially on the fiscal front," she noted. Advanced economies, the IMF Managing Director said, are generally in a better position to respond to the crisis, but many emerging markets and low-income countries face significant challenges. They are badly affected by outward capital flows, and domestic activity will be severely impacted as countries respond to the epidemic. "Investors have already removed USD 83 billion from emerging markets since the beginning of the crisis, the largest capital outflow ever recorded. We are particularly concerned about low-income countries in debt distress -- an issue on which we are working closely with the World Bank," Georgieva said. Asserting that the IMF is concentrating bilateral and multilateral surveillance on this crisis and policy actions to temper its impact, Georgieva said the IMF will massively step up emergency finance -- nearly 80 countries are requesting our help -- and are working closely with the other international financial institutions to provide a strong coordinated response. Standing ready to deploy all its USD 1 trillion lending capacity, she said, adding that the IMF is looking at other available options. "Several low- and middle-income countries have asked the IMF to make an SDR allocation, as we did during the Global Financial Crisis, and we are exploring this option with our membership," she added. Change is rapid amid the coronavirus outbreak, and for state officials and public health experts, every day is a race against the disease. Infections are spreading quickly, and experts predict that tens of thousands of Oregonians may become ill. The sickest patients may far outnumber available hospital beds. Gov. Kate Brown announced new state-led efforts last week to prepare for the surge in COVID-19 patients, including measures to conserve supplies and the establishment of a 250-bed emergency hospital in Salem in anticipation of a flood of COVID-19 in patients. But the looming deficit in supplies and health care capacity herald a possible healthcare crisis. Medical experts believe the number of infections will double every 6.2 days, and one in five infected Oregonians will require medical care. The virus has already spread to more than half of Oregons 36 counties, and in many regions residents already face serious barriers to accessing health care. The Oregonian/OregonLive analyzed and mapped the states hospital capacity, as well as key demographic metrics, to help illustrate the potential gaps in health care services if COVID-19 infections become rampant, as public health experts predict. The news organization gathered information from the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems about the number of existing hospitals and staffed hospital beds in every county in the state. Bed counts are based on data from 2019 and provide a snapshot of the states health care system before the COVID-19 outbreak. We paired the hospital data with census population and poverty figures for every county. Because people over 60 are especially vulnerable to the worst outcomes associated with COVID-19, we also included census data that tracks how many residents are 65 and older. The resulting map shows where medical resources are concentrated and reveals areas where resources are lacking, and residents are more likely to face barriers accessing care. The shading on the map, which is based on the ratio of existing beds compared to population, highlights the counties where there are more people for every hospital bed. Click here if you do not see the above map An analysis of the map and the underlying data shows: Umatilla County, in northeast Oregon, has one of the highest ratios of population to hospital beds. There are only 50 total beds for a population of 77,516. By contrast, neighboring Wallowa County has a population of 7,081 and 25 total beds. Polk County, in the Willamette Valley, has six total beds and 81,427 people, though residents in Polk often travel to hospitals in neighboring counties, particularly Marion County. The hospital and population figures also reveal many counties have large older populations that could be at highest risk. In Douglas County, for example, there are 26,671 residents 65 or older and only 145 total hospital beds. Many rural communities have large concentrations of residents who are 65 or older, yet fewer hospital beds to treat them. Malheur County, in Eastern Oregon, has 4,901 residents who are at least 65 years old and 49 total beds. Some of the higher poverty levels in Oregon were in Wheeler, Grant and Curry counties, where more than three in ten residents live in poverty. Poverty levels indicate places where populations are more likely to have a difficult time weathering the impacts of the virussuch as loss of jobs due to quarantine or time off work because of sicknessand where barriers to healthcare access may be more burdensome for financial reasons. Gilliam and Sherman rank sixth and seventh for highest poverty rates among the states 36 counties. Wheeler, Gilliam and Sherman counties, in north central Oregon, dont have any hospitals. In these counties residents seek care locally at community health care centers and when needed rely on hospital systems in neighboring counties with larger populations. Explore the map to see a snapshot of Oregons hospital system in the early stages of the novel coronavirus outbreak. -- Piper McDaniel; amcdaniel@oregonian.com; 503-221-4307; @piperamcdaniel -- Mark Friesen Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The United States on Wednesday condemned Islamic State (IS) attack on a Gurdwara in Kabul in which 27 people were killed. "The United States condemns the horrific ISIS-K [Islamic State-Khorasan]-claimed attack on Sikh temple and community center in Kabul this morning, which took the lives of more than two dozen innocent people," US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said. "The Afghan people deserve a future free from ISIS-K and other terrorist activity," he added. Pompeo said the ongoing peace process remains a prime opportunity for the Afghans to come together to negotiate a political settlement and urged all Afghans to embrace it. Afghan forces have killed gunmen who attacked a Sikh religious complex in the capital, Kabul, ending an hours-long siege that killed 25 people, the Ministry of Interior said. The Islamic State terror group has taken responsibility for the attack while the Taliban movement has denied any involvement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Texas orders abortion clinics to stop killing babies amid coronavirus pandemic Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Texas has ordered all abortion clinics in the state to stop performing abortions during the conronvirus outbreak, noting that they are elective and unnecessary procedures except in rare cases when a mother faces a medical emergency. In a statement released Monday, Attorney General Ken Paxton ordered every hospital and healthcare facility to postpone all medically unnecessary surgeries and other procedures to ensure critically ill patients can be treated without delay. The order also applies to abortion facilities. "The COVID-19 pandemic has increased demands for hospital beds and has created a shortage of personal protective equipment needed to protect health care professionals and stop transmission of the virus," the order reads in part. "Postponing surgeries and procedures that are not immediately medically necessary will ensure that hospital beds are available for those suffering from COVID-19 and that PPEs are available for health care professionals. Failure to comply with an executive order issued by the governor related to the COVID-19 disaster can result in penalties of up to $1,000 or 180 days of jail time," the statement added. The prohibition applies to procedures that include "all surgeries and procedures that are not immediately medically necessary, including routine dermatological, ophthalmological, and dental procedures, as well as most scheduled healthcare procedures that are not immediately medically necessary such as orthopedic surgeries or any type of abortion that is not medically necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother." The order will be in place until April 21. "Pro-Life Texans have been appalled that the abortion industry has continued killing preborn children during the outbreak while statewide and local orders have recommended they close. Furthermore, the abortion industry has been consuming and hoarding medical supplies that are in desperate need around the state including masks, gloves, and other protective gear for medical professionals," Texas Right to Life said in a statement. National Right to Life President Carol Tobias has called on abortion facilities nationwide to freeze abortion services temporarily during the crisis. Abortion clinics conducting business as usual in the presence of a life-threatening disease shows just how callous pro-abortion groups and abortionists are to protecting life at any stage, Tobias said in comments to The Associated Press. The state of Ohio, which is among the hardest-hit states by COVID-19, has also deemed abortions to be medically unnecessary amid the crisis. The move comes after several Republican-controlled states passed pro-life laws on abortion during their legislative sessions in 2019. Thus far, only Texas and Ohio have made formal declarations about halting abortions during the public health crisis. Elsewhere around the country, even in states with higher rates of COVID-19 infections such as Washington state, abortions businesses such as Planned Parenthood have remained open. Abortion advocates maintain that putting a moratorium on abortions, even during a national crisis, is unlawful. Abortion is time-sensitive, essential health care, said Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, president of the National Abortion Federation. Women deserve better than a craven exploitation of a health care crisis in furtherance of an anti-abortion agenda. P Ramdas By Express News Service KOCHI: Depression caused by the loss of vacation, anxiety about postponed exams and apprehensions about the outcome of the prolonged crisis caused by the Covid-19 outbreak are taking a toll on the children. Its boring. We have lost our vacation. There is no excitement and we are not even allowed to leave the house, said a Class VII student. The children who are preparing for the Class X and Class XII exams feel worse. The delay in conducting the exams will delay the declaration of results and ruin our career prospects, said a Class X student. In light of these anxieties, psychologists recommend the parents to set up a daily mixed routine for children which includes balanced screen time, physical activity, online study and fun-filled group activities involving the entire family. There are three categories of students and the problems they face are not identical, said Dr U Vivek, psychiatrist, Renai Medicity. The children who have finished their exams feel letdown as their vacation plans have been affected. Forced to be isolated within the four walls of the flats leaves them frustrated. The second group is the students whose exams have been postponed. Pressure from the parents to prepare for the exams, anxiety and restrictions on venturing out of the houses cause anxiety and lower their spirits. The third group has students who are conscious about the health impact of the outbreak. They are more concerned about their career prospects and negative impact of the outbreak, he said. P Sanjana, a Class X student, said: I am stressed as there is no clarity on when the exams will be conducted. I still wake up early morning and study as exams are pending, she said. Merlin Mariam, A CBSE Class X student, said, Our study plans have been affected as I cant go for combined studies. Our board exams have been postponed which has left us anxious. It may delay the evaluation of papers and result declaration which may impact the new admissions. Berlin Jeremi George, the CBSE 12th class student, said, Board exams themselves are a big pressure and now as this pandemic hits, it has intensified.Fr Jenson Variyath, director of Childline Kochi, said they are getting several calls from students expressing concerns over their future. Childline recommended them to enjoy every moment with their parents. Parenting tips: XIANNING, China (Reuters) - Life started returning to normal on Wednesday after two months of lockdown in Hubei province, epicenter of Chinas coronavirus outbreak, with traffic controls lifted, construction resuming and people catching buses and trains across once-shut borders. Mainland China also reported a drop in new confirmed coronavirus cases to 47 on Tuesday, all of them in travelers returning home, down from 78 infections reported a day earlier. Hubei, a central province that is home to some 60 million people, had announced on Tuesday that it was removing travel restrictions at midnight. I booked my ticket this morning after hearing the news, said Chen Ting, who was accompanied by her three-year-old son among about 40 people getting off a train in Hubeis Xianning city. The 28-year-old had traveled from Qingyuan city in the southern province of Guangdong, where she runs a wholesale business. The coronavirus had forced her to cancel plans to visit her parents in February, after the Lunar New Year. I am so desperate to go back home now to see all of them there, she said as she waited for her father to pick them up and drive to the family home in the nearby city of Huangshi. On Wednesday evening in Xiangang, residents strolled outside, carrying groceries or buying takeaway. Restaurants were only serving food for takeaway. Loudspeakers blared out promotions like buy one get one free. Everyone wore masks. The lockdown of Hubeis capital Wuhan will be lifted on April 8, a milestone in Chinas war against the epidemic as Beijing shifts its focus towards stemming imported cases and rebooting the economy. In Wuhan, there were also signs of normal life returning. Men in protective masks worked on a bridge as construction projects resumed, and residents waved from their apartment windows as a visiting medical team prepared to leave the city. BACK TO WORK The Hubei government on Wednesday told workers who had been quarantined at home to go back to work as soon as possible. The Wudang Mountains, a top scenic site, reopened for visitors. Hubei Party Secretary Ying Yong said the government would continue to work hard to prevent a rebound in infections as population movements increase. Travelers arriving in Xianning were subject to checks that lasted about 30 minutes and asked to show health codes on their mobile phones that proved they had not been in a high-risk area in the last fourteen days. Passengers disregarded pleas to stand two meters apart. Reflecting growing concern over imported cases, railway staff and police repeatedly said that those who had traveled from overseas needed to identify themselves. If you dont report we will find out anyway, said one officer. And there will be trouble. Some people in the city expressed concern over reports on Tuesday that a man in Foshan in Guangdong province who had been in Xianning had tested positive for the virus. The official Peoples Daily, which reported the case, did not say how he was able to drive out of Hubei province on March 17 with a friend. SCREENING Even as the lockdown in Hubei is eased, strict measures to control infections from abroad continue to be put in place. The Hubei government said anyone arriving in the province from abroad must inform authorities of their medical and travel history two days prior to travel. To prevent a surge in imported cases, China is ramping up quarantine and screening rules for all international arrivals. The city of Quanzhou in Fujian province will cancel all international and regional flights, starting on March 26, after four imported cases from the Philippines were found on Tuesday, the provincial government said. Beijing has already diverted flights to other cities where passengers will be screened and quarantined. New imported cases in Beijing, Guangdong and Fujian declined, though the daily tally of new imported infections rose to a record 19 cases in the financial hub of Shanghai. The total number of confirmed cases in mainland China was 81,218, with 474 imported infections at the end of Tuesday. The death toll in mainland China reached 3,281 as of the end of Tuesday, up by four from Monday. A doctor in Hanoi was announced among Vietnams seven new cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Wednesday evening, adding to a current tally of 134 patients in the country. She is the second doctor and fourth frontline healthcare worker to be infected with the virus in Vietnam, according to reports by the Ministry of Health. The remaining six patients are imported cases. Patient No. 135 is a 27-year-old Vietnamese woman whose parents house is located in Le Chan District, Hai Phong City. She left Copenhagen, Denmark on March 19 on seat 16A aboard flight PG947, which stopped over in Doha, Qatar and Bangkok, Thailand. Her flight landed at Da Nang International Airport in the namesake city in central Vietnam on March 21. She was then quaratined in a centralized camp and tested positive for COVID-19. She is being treated in stable health in Da Nang. Patient No. 136 is a 23-year-old local woman, whose registered address in Linh Dam, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi. She is an overseas student arriving at Noi Bai International Airport in the Vietnamese capital on March 16 from the U.S. She self-isolated at home after entry. On March 21, she had a fever. On March 22, she tested positive. The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology confirmed her result in a second test on Tuesday. She is being quarantined at the Dong Anh District branch of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. Patient No. 137 is a 36-year-old man in Nghe An Province, located in north-central Vietnam. He returned from Germany and entered Vietnam via Noi Bai on March 15. He was taken to an isolation zone in Hanoi and his test came back positive. He is quarantined in stable health at the Dong Anh District branch of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Patient No. 138 is 23 years old from Lang Ha, Dong Da District, Hanoi. He is an overseas Vietnamese student returning to Noi Bai on board flight VN0054 on March 21 from the UK. The man was then taken to a quarantine camp in the capital for his sample to be taken. His test returned positive at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on Tuesday. He is isolated in stable health at the Dong Anh District branch of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Patient No. 139 is a 24-year-old in Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi. She is studying in the UK and is married to an infected person. Her flight VN0054 touched down at Noi Bai on March 21. The woman was diagnosed with COVID-19 after entry and is now in isolation at the Dong Anh District branch of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Patient No. 140 is a 21-year-old Vietnamese student in the UK. His registered address is in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. He arrived at Noi Bai aboard flight VN0054 on March 21. He was subsequently confirmed as a COVID-19 patient and is in quarantine in stable health at the Dong Anh District branch of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Patient No. 141 is a 29-year-old doctor in the emergency care ward of the Dong Anh District branch of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. She was infected when setting up a ventilator for patient No. 28. She was exposed to the pathogen on the same day as another doctor in the same ward. The health ministry on Monday confirmed her colleague, patient No. 116, had caught the virus. On March 20, two nurses at Bach Mai Hospital in the capital were also confirmed to be infected. Vietnam has announced 141 patients so far, with 17 having been discharged from the hospital by Friday last week. No fatality has been reported as yet. Vietnam has quarantined 44,955 infected patients close contacts and arrivals from epidemic-hammered regions as of the end of Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Healths latest statistics. Health workers have tested 30,548 people to date, with 30,407 samples returning negative. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara has been detained on suspicion of intentional murder of businessman Serhiy Starytsky, Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko has said. "Kozhara has just been detained by police on suspicion of intentional murder of Serhiy Starytsky. Now he is being taken to court to choose a preventive measure," Gerashchenko wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday. He noted that Starytsky's corpse with a gunshot wound had been found in Kozhara's house in the early hours of February 22, while the shot was fired from the award weapon of the owner of the house. "Kozhara and his wife initially and still claim that Serhiy Starytsky had committed suicide. Investigators and prosecutors checked the circumstances of the death of the former director of Inter TV channel and came to the conclusion that he could not shoot himself," Gerashchenko wrote. As reported, police in Kyiv region said they were investigating the possible suicide of a 56-year-old Kyiv resident in the village of Chaika. The ezine Mirror of the Week (Dzerkalo Tyzhia) said businessman Starytsky was shot dead in the house of former Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara. The preliminary version of the police was suicide. The ezine said the shot was fired from a Jericho 941 pistol registered with Kozhara. Atlantic Group Advertising Holding reported on Facebook that its CEO Starytsky was killed late Friday night. Starytsky co-founded Atlantic Group in 1992. The professional asset of Starytsky is under management of the Inter TV channel and the Department of International Relations of the Ukrainian State Television and Radio Company. All central government departments have been asked to take letters of authorisation from Delhi police to enable movement of staff necessary for essential services, according to a Personnel Ministry order issued on Wednesday. The move comes after exigencies were noticed in the central government departments that were not exempted under the lockdown guidelines issued by the Home Ministry in view of the threat posed by the novel coronavirus. Accordingly, it has been decided that heads of department can draw up a list of staff that are absolute necessary to carry out additional essential services within the department, the order said. The list of such employees may be communicated by email to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), New Delhi district, and an authorisation letter will then be issued by the return mail, it said. The print-out of the authorisation letter should be made available to the staff concerned who can carry a copy of this print-out along with their official ID cards while coming to office, said the order issued to all central government ministries/departments. "The remaining staff should be asked to work from home," it said, adding that these instructions will be applicable with immediate effect. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jason and Corrin DeMent and their daughters Natalee (left), 12, and Adilynn (right), 10, pose for a photo on the porch of their Haddon Township home March 25, 2020. They fear losing everything after the governor ordered the closure of their South Jersey fitness center as part of the coronavirus stay-at-home edict in New Jersey. Read more Here is how financial ruin looks to 41-year-old Jason and 39-year-old Corrin DeMent, starting with a time bomb set to go off at the end of this month: On April 1, the former South Jersey police officer and his wife are on the hook for $28,000 in monthly rent to their Plymouth Meeting-based landlord. That payment is due in full even though Evolve Fitness, the couples independently owned gym in South Jersey, was shut down two weeks ago on orders of the governor of New Jersey owing to the coronavirus. Also due in the days ahead: thousands on the business loan they took out to renovate a shuttered Staples two years ago before opening their gym, a hub of community within a shopping center on the Black Horse Pike called Audubon Crossings. Jason says they also have been told by Comcast that the telecom giant still expects them to cover monthly charges for service typically streamed into their gym. To halt the $1,000 service entirely, Jason was told when he called the company, Comcast would strip the business of its phone number and impose cancellation fees. Their insurance company, whose business interruption coverage excludes pandemics, has told them to file a claim with only a lets-wait-and-see attitude. (Insurers won the pandemic exemption in 2006, after the SARS outbreak. Their win then is a devastating loss to small businesses now. No payouts for merchants shuttered as part of the supposedly shared sacrifice to contain the spread of COVID-19 in America.) Of course, the big guns are looking to protect their balance sheets, and may very well be getting government aid in the $2 trillion government rescue bill, whose details Wednesday were not yet fully clear. But the DeMents and others far below C-suite executives and Wall Street investors on the economic food chain face financial catastrophe. Theyre staring at potentially losing everything on down to the Haddon Township home in which they are raising 10- and 12-year-old daughters. Our house, our life insurance, any accounts that we have as far as 401(k) or savings everything that we have personally, besides a leased car, is on the line, Corrin told me after one of their loyal gym members contacted me by email to tell me what was happening to the couples business. Our financial well-being. Our kids home. Our community. Everything. Our savings it will all be gone. No heroes have yet emerged for the DeMents. At least not among the capitalists to whom they are beholden even as their business has been shuttered by the government. This is, sadly, no surprise. There have been heroes only from hoi polloi, which is an indictment of big business. Those with would rather withhold, while those with less are doing no less than pulling money out of their pockets to aid a small merchant-neighbor NOW. Out of 1,700 members who pay monthly dues to work out at Evolve Fitness, around 170 told the DeMents to keep charging them dues to help keep them afloat. One wrote to me in outrage. Its unconscionable that working folks were doing what they could for this business while lenders and vendors apparently werent yet budging on a cent of what they were owed. Its huge, Jason said of the charity of his customers. Its super generous. But unfortunately ... Nowhere near enough, he said. (I reached out to the firm that handles leasing for Evolve Fitness but did not hear back.) What these small business owners need and its still unclear if such aid is contained in the rescue bill announced by Congress and the White House is to be granted a pass on upcoming rent, loan, utility, and cable payments. More loans on top of the loans they already have would be crushing. Shared sacrifice means we dont throw small businesses into debilitating debt. It means we dont let corporations and real estate magnates keep clean balance sheets while little guys bleed till theyre dead. It means everyone gets an unwanted financial haircut. EVERYONE. Corporations feasted on lavish tax cuts and share buybacks under President Trumps giveaway to the uber-haves. Too-cozy relationships with policymakers have kept rapacious monopolies intact to balloon after the Great Recession decimated our economy in 2007, 2008, and 2009. This is why gilded avarice abounds in the upper reaches of our economic system. It has damaged our civic norms like a mutated strain of cultural DNA. One putrid example, just this week, came from the Philadelphia 76ers organization. Its billionaire owners announced 20% pay cuts for the teams staff. Hours later, amid relentless public blowback, they reversed the decision. These people realized only belatedly that this outrageous clawback into the pockets of its workers was revolting. Just hours after that, Pennsylvania announced a record half-million workers had filed for unemployment since coronavirus shutdowns hit. The hubris is enormous. Inquirer colleague Harold Brubaker, in a story last week about how insurers had exempted themselves from pandemic liability, captured a slice: The American Property Casualty Insurance Association on Friday bragged about the industrys financial strength, citing a surplus of more than $822 billion, and warned: Industry solvency will only be at risk if insurers are forced to pay claims not covered by current contracts. Pay up, everyone. The time is now to return to the America we need not the mutated America we have. Giovanna Loureiro and her fiance Jeffrey Nunes, pose for a photograph near their home in Toronto on Saturday, March 21, 2020. When Giovanna Loureiro and Jeffrey Nunes get married this Friday, it won't be with their 150 invited guests, nor at the lush greenhouse venue they had booked in Newmarket, Ont. And they won't be going on their planned honeymoon to the Maldives and Dubai. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin 2020-03-25 - 12:22 p Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): What is this extreme disregard for Bahraini citizens stranded in Iran's Mashhad? What is this absurd and irresponsible play with people's emotions and feelings? For the third consecutive time, Bahraini officials have announced a planned flight for a second batch of stranded visitors, but canceled it at the last minute. On Monday (March 23, 2020), a flight scheduled to leave the city of Mashhad to Bahrain International Airport, carrying a number of citizens who have been trapped in Iran for more than a month, was cancelled. The trip was cancelled after these Bahrainis had spent long and exhausting hours at Mashhad airport waiting for their flight to take off. The Bahraini Ministry of Health blamed the contracting company and said that the cancellation was due to logistical reasons that were not mentioned, while dozens of citizens were returned from the airport, despite the completion of their travel procedures, to a hotel. The following day, the cancelled flight was replaced by another flight announced Tuesday evening, March 24. Bahrainis were waiting for the arrival of the second batch, but were surprised again by the cancellation of flight (GAV3332), which was scheduled to evacuate citizens from the Iranian city of Mashhad on Ukraine Airlines. So far, no official statement has been issued about the reason behind the cancellation, that is if the trip was even real. Is Bahrain a country that knows what it wants or a divided government that has no clue what it needs to do? Are the Bahrainis trapped in Iran citizens, for whom the government is obliged to assume full responsibility, with everything they are being exposed to amid this pandemic, or are they considered sheep that no one cares for? Since March 11, following the arrival of the first batch of 165 Bahrainis out of 1,300, Bahraini citizens have been optimistic that the countdown has begun to evacuate those trapped in Mashhad and finally let out a sigh of relief, but this feeling lasted for a few hours only when the scheduled plan set for the evacuation was changed. The government only commented by saying: The evacuation will be carried out according to the capacity of examination, quarantine, isolation and treatment. There have been 5 deaths among Bahrainis stranded in Mashhad, and the capacity of screening, quarantine, isolation and treatment remains unclear. Over a month has passed and the authorities have done nothing regarding the evacuation of more than a thousand remaining Bahraini citizens still stuck in Iran. Air traffic to Bahrain airport has not stopped from all countries around the world, and hundreds of people from different countries arrive in Bahrain everyday and are held in a place dedicated for quarantine. The Ministry of Health is providing accomodation for foreign and Asian nationals in hotels for 14 days, yet is oddly unable to provide a suitable place for a second batch of Bahrainis stranded in Mashhad. It seems that Bahrain's capacity for screening, isolation, quarantine and treatment can contain everyone coming from countries all over the world, except Bahrainis trapped in Iran. Arabic Version Colourful: Albert Uderzo was one of the creators of Asterix Albert Uderzo, one of the two creators of the beloved comic book character Asterix, who captured the spirit of the Gauls of yore and grew a reputation worldwide, died yesterday. He was 92. Mr Uderzo died of a heart attack in the Paris suburb of Neuilly, his family told reporters. Asterix, portrayed as a short man with a droopy moustache, always wearing a helmet with wings, was created in the early 1960s by Mr Uderzo and Rene Goscinny. The character lived in a village in Gaul, present-day France, resisting Roman conquerors, along with his inseparable big-bellied friend, Obelix. "Albert Uderzo died in his sleep at his Neuilly home of a heart attack with no links to the coronavirus," the French press quoted his son-in-law, Bernard de Choisy, as saying. "He had been very tired for several weeks." Mr Uderzo initially illustrated the characters created along with writer Mr Goscinny. Together, they created 24 comic books. After Goscinny's death in 1977, Mr Uderzo also took over the comic books' writing duties, deciding to continue without his creative partner. Mr Goscinny's daughter Anne called the two men "brothers" and praised Mr Uderzo's "courage" for continuing without his collaborator. "They were as different as fire and water, but they lived something that few among us could live," she told the French daily 'Le Parisien'. "They were the kind of friends you don't often have in life." Fans offered thanks on social media and recollections of childhood memories reading the Asterix comic books whose fan base includes adults. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg wants to see less hoarding and more compassion from his constituents during the new normal of limits and lines at H-E-B and other supplies stores amid the coornavirus pandemic. Nirenberg has mentioned the hoarding problem multiple times in news conferences. During his mayoral update on Monday, Nirenberg addressed the hoarding situation simply: "Stop." On Tuesday, he reached his social media audience with a graphic. Google has now announced COVID-19 and coronavirus travel-related alerts in Search, Maps, and at its dedicated Travel site via both desktop and mobile. The goal is to help users who absolutely must travel in spite of social distancing guidelines do so more conveniently and safely. Now, when users perform a search for hotels, flights, things to do and other travel activities, COVID-19-related alerts and restrictions will be brought forward. Those appear directly at the top of the results. First and foremost, those will be related to advisories and restrictions for the given destination. It will also include relevant links to more details from a countrys travel-related authorities or agencies, where applicable. Secondary to that, Google is aiming to make travel more convenient too. When users look for a flight in Search or Google Flights, Google presents a link to its Help Center. That specifically leads to details about airline policies, allowing users to get up-to-date airline-specific information. Advertisement The coronavirus alerts are comprehensively placed and region-specific The coronavirus travel notifications should be showing up for any user with access to the services Google has added the alerts to. But that doesnt mean theyre going to show up for searches related to travel to just any destination. Instead, Google took a more comprehensive approach, limiting alert appearances to searches for regions that are actively putting policies in place. For instance, a search for flights to Salt Lake City did not surface a COVID-19 alert. Conversely, searching out flights to China did. Similarly, the alerts only crop up in Google Maps with key searches. Namely, Users must actively search for services such as hotels in an affected region. That limitation is also only seen in Google searches and Google Maps. For Googles Travel site found at the www.Google.com/Travel URL the alert appears prominently at the top of Trips page. Google placed that on its own card, alongside a link to travel advice from the World Health Organization (WHO). Advertisement These coronavirus alerts are part of a much bigger push from Google The search giant says it made the change following a steep uptick in the number of related queries from users. Specifically, Google users are searching out travel advisories and trip cancellation policies linked to the disease. The new features will be inarguably useful in that regard. But the alerts are also part of a far wider, concerted effort from the company to keep users informed and safe. Not only is the company enforcing a work from home policy for most of its employees. Its canceled one of its biggest gatherings for the year, removed unofficial coronavirus apps from the Google Play Store. The company also effectively halted development on its Chrome OS platform for the time being. With regard to Maps-related changes, Google added an alert prompting users to call doctors before heading in if they show symptoms of coronavirus. The search giant is additionally encouraging business owners to update their listings in Search and Maps. Thats meant to include policies for handling and preventing the disease as well as temporary changes to operations. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 14:31:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TIANJIN, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Wearing a smart white shirt and sitting up straight in front of a computer, Ma Zhanchuan was ready for an online interview at home in northwest China's Gansu Province. After introducing himself and answering questions raised by the interviewer for half an hour, Ma, 22, finished his remote interview with a company located in neighboring Shaanxi Province. Ma, a senior majoring in automation at Tianjin University, has completed nearly 10 interviews online amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, receiving two offers so far. "I look through recruiting websites every day, update my personal information and send my resume to the companies that I am interested in," Ma said, adding that he also took part in some online job fairs. It took him some time to get used to online interviews. "In a face-to-face talk, I can use my body language and expression to communicate with the interviewers, but an online interview cannot convey so many details," Ma said. Zhang Yi, a senior from Tianjin University who signed with a tech firm, said the remote way of recruitment had helped him in some way. "Compared with a face-to-face interview, I felt more relaxed at home talking to the screen," he said. March and April are the golden period for graduates seeking jobs. This year, China expects to see a record of 8.74 million college graduates, 400,000 more than the number last year. As the epidemic and downward economic pressure have added pressure to the already competitive job market, colleges and companies are resorting to the Internet, or cloud recruitment, for graduates this year. In March, Tianjin University launched three cloud job fairs with more than 130,000 jobs offered by over 1,800 recruiters. Wu Ziqiang with the Career Center of Tianjin University said a traditional job fair held by the university normally had room for about 200 companies due to limited space, but online job fairs did not have such limitations. Inspur Group, a tech company that focuses on cloud computing and big data, has livestreamed its job recruitment talks on video-sharing app TikTok to help graduates better understand the company. "They can leave their questions in the comments section while watching and staff from the company will answer the questions in real time," said Li Wei, recruitment director of the group. Besides, based on the company's own online recruitment platform Inspur HCM Cloud, job seekers can finish all the recruitment procedures online. To date, the company has sent more than 300 offers to online job hunters. "The young generation is more Internet savvy, and compared with the traditional recruiting method, an innovative interview online attracts more talented youth," Li said. However, such recruitment is not flawless. Some recruiters and job hunters said the online recruitment provided a less competitive atmosphere, which had affected the performances of some job seekers. "Many students do not prepare enough for screen-to-screen job hunting, and some are a bit out of form," Li said. Luo Xu, recruitment director of the Second Research Institute of CASIC, a state-owned high-tech enterprise in China, said they organized five to eight interviewers working at home to interview a job seeker simultaneously. "The camera could only capture limited views and the effect of the interview was affected by the speed of the Internet," Luo said. After passing all the tests online, Ma has signed an employment contract with the company in Shaanxi and is now throwing himself into his graduation thesis. "I hope the virus will be gone as soon as possible. I want to go back to school and enjoy the last days of my campus life," Ma said. As we continue to hunker down and weather this viral epidemic, some of our nations leaders have started using tactics to focus blame for causing the global pandemic. President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to the COVID-19 coronavirus as the Chinese virus, despite growing criticism of that characterization as being racist. Comments made by Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., may not be as pointed, but deserve scrutiny as well. Appearing on the Wake Up Wyoming with Glenn Woods show on KGAB in Cheyenne, Cheney explicitly blamed China for everything happening in the United States. We... Rihanna and Drake have sporadically kept fans on the edge of their seats about a potential romance for the better part of the 21st century. The What's My Name? artists recently reunited in New York City in January after it was announced that she was back on the market. They also exchanged some flirtatious comments Tuesday on Instagram, in which the Degrassi: The Next Generation star urged RiRi to drop her new music after having dropped her last album in 2016. Sparks flying: Rihanna and Drake exchanged some flirtatious comments Tuesday on Instagram (Rihanna pictured in February, 2020) New music: The Degrassi: The Next Generation star urged RiRi to drop her new music, having dropped her last album in 2016 (Drake pictured in September, 2019) The duo popped up in the comments section of an Instagram Live posted by DJ Spade. 'Robyn you cant buy him A one hot spot,' he wrote, to which the Ocean's 8 star responded: 'Champs we waiting for your boys.' 'Dub plate come pretty like a Fenty foundation,' Drake posted before she wrote: 'Give Drake some water.' Their flirty exchange comes after they reunited at the Yams Day charity show at Brooklyn's Barclays Center in January, shortly after she and Saudi billionaire Hassan Jameel broke up after nearly three years. Insta flirtation: The duo popped up in the comments section of an Instagram Live posted by DJ Spade (pictured in August, 2016) Thirsty: 'Dub plate come pretty like a Fenty foundation,' Drake posted before she wrote: 'Give Drake some water' (pictured in February, 2011) Drop it! The Hotline Bling artist then quipped: 'Hahahaha yo you have a bad attitude @badgalriri... Rihanna drop R12 right now' The Hotline Bling artist then quipped: 'Hahahaha yo you have a bad attitude @badgalriri... Rihanna drop R12 right now.' He's not the only one waiting for new music, as fans were left unfulfilled by her broken promise to drop something in 2019. Vogue editor Anna Wintour also pried about it back in October for Go Ask Anna, to which Rihanna responded: 'Pending. [covering her face] Hides from the Navy.' In December, she posted a funny video of a dog dancing, captioned: 'update: me listening to R9 by myself and refusing to release it.' Last month, she teased new work from the recording studio, as she collaborated with Pharrell Williams and The Neptunes. Plans: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty at a press briefing Photo: Steve Humphreys What's happening? The Government has announced a new income support package for workers who are hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Can you sum it up in a nutshell? A special unemployment payment for those who have been laid-off due to the pandemic since last week is increasing by 147. It is called the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. The Government is also going to start subsidising wages to keep people in their jobs. How much is this welfare payment rising by? It will increase from 203 to 350 a week. It is currently worth the same amount as the dole. But Jobseeker's Benefit will remain at the regular rate of 203 a week for those who are unemployed for reasons other than the virus. How many are claiming the pandemic welfare payment so far? Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty said 118,000 people had applied for it. Who is the wage subsidy scheme for? It aims to keep workers in jobs by subsidising their wages. The Government will pay 70pc of wages up to 410 a week (tax free) on incomes up to 38,000. The subsidy will be capped at 350 on income between 38,000 and 76,000. Will employers pay anything? The Government has said that employers are expected "to make best efforts" to pay as close to full wages as possible. How will the Government know if a company is really at risk of laying off staff? Employers will have to show the Revenue Commissioners they have suffered a reduction in income of at least 25pc and provide evidence of cashflow difficulties. The Government said there will be "severe penalties" for any abuse of the scheme. How long will this wage subsidy last? It will run for 12 weeks. Why is the Government doing this? More than 140,000 workers have already been laid off and thousands more may be set to join them after the Government announced the closure of non-essential businesses today. The aim of the scheme is to guarantee workers' income during the crisis, keep their employers afloat and ultimately avoid another recession. It also aims to keep employees connected to their employers by remaining on the payroll. The logic is that this will make it easier for businesses to restart when the crisis ends. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said the Government would ensure that the impact on those who had lost their jobs or had their hours or income reduced was minimised as far as possible. "The measures being introduced today aim to provide income support to those who need it while also giving confidence to employers to retain the link with employees so that when this crisis passes - and it will pass - our people can get back to work as quickly and seamlessly as possible," he said. Who's going to pay for it? Taxpayers. The money will be borrowed. How much will it cost? Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland 3.7bn. When can I get it? Government ministers said yesterday that the increased payment and the new scheme should be in place by the end of the week. What about the self-employed? They can claim the increased pandemic unemployment payment of 350 a week. Will the special illness benefit for those who have the virus or are self-isolated change? Yes. The coronavirus illness benefit payment is rising to 350 a week as well. Is the income support scheme as good as the wage subsidy scheme announced by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson? It may be better in terms of the increased welfare payment, but the British Conservative government has agreed to fund up to 80pc of workers' wages to a limit of 2,700 a month. Apple has released new versions of the iOS and iPadOS operating systems for the iPhone and iPad line-up. This is part of the larger rollout which also saw the release of iOS 12.4.6 for older iPhones and iPads, tvOS 13.4 for Apple TV, watchOS 6.2 for the Apple Watch and macOS Catalina 10.15.4 for Mac computing devices. The updates for the iPhone and the iPad specifically have been in developer and beta tests for more than a month now. The headline changes for iOS 13.4 and the iPadOS 13.4 include the iCloud Drive Folder sharing option, trackpad support for the iPad line-up when you connect the new Magic keyboard or any trackpad accessory, as well as universal purchases between iOS and macOS that will allow developers to sell both set of apps as a single purchase. The iOS 13.4 And iPadOS 13.4 are now available for download. The advantage of the iCloud Drive Folder sharing is that you can now share entire folders with others and they will be able to see any changes in contents of the folder and the files within it as they change. Cloud storage apps such as Dropbox already offer this. The Universal app purchases will allow developers to sell iOS and macOS versions of their app as a single purchasebuy an app on the iPhone, for instance, and you will be able to download it on your iMac or MacBook as well for no extra cost. Thats not all. The toolbar in the Mail app now includes Delete, Move, Reply, and Compose options. There are nine new Memoji stickers, including Smiling Face with Hearts, Hands Pressed Together, and Party Face. Apple iOS 13.4 release notes Mouse and Trackpad Support All-new cursor design highlights app icons on the Home Screen and Dock and buttons and controls in apps Magic Keyboard for iPad support on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation or later) and iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation or later) Magic Mouse, Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad, Magic Trackpad 2, and third-party Bluetooth and USB mouse support Multi-Touch gestures on Magic Keyboard for iPad and Magic Trackpad 2 enable you to scroll, swipe between app spaces, go Home, access App Switcher, zoom in or out, tap to click, secondary click (right-click), and swipe between pages Multi-Touch gestures on Magic Mouse 2 enable you to scroll, secondary click (right-click), and swipe between pages Files iCloud Drive folder sharing from the Files app Controls to limit access only to people you explicitly invite or grant access to anyone with the folder link Permissions to choose who can make changes and upload files and who can only view and download files Memoji Nine new Memoji stickers, including Smiling Face with Hearts, Hands Pressed Together, and Party Face Mail Always-visible controls to delete, move, reply to, or compose a message in conversation view Responses to encrypted emails are automatically encrypted when you have configured S/MIME App Store with Apple Arcade Universal Purchase support enables the use of a singular purchase of a participating app across iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV Recently played Arcade games appear in the Arcade tab so you can continue playing on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV List view for See All Games Augmented Reality AR Quick Look supports audio playback in USDZ files Keyboard Live Conversion for Zhuyin automatically transforms Zhuyin into the correct characters without pressing the space bar to convert text or select candidates Live Conversion for Japanese automatically transforms Hiragana into the correct characters without pressing the space bar to convert text or select candidates Predictive typing support for Arabic Swiss German keyboard layout supported on iPad Pro 12.9-inch On-screen keyboard layout for iPad Pro 12.9-inch now matches Smart Keyboard This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements. This update: Fixes an issue in Camera where the viewfinder may appear as a black screen after launch Addresses an issue where Photos may appear to use excess storage Resolves an issue in Photos that may prevent sharing an image to Messages if iMessage is disabled Fixes an issue in Mail where messages may appear out of order Addresses an issue in Mail where the conversation list may display empty rows Resolves an issue where Mail may crash when tapping the Share button in Quick Look Fixes an issue in Settings where cellular data may incorrectly display as off Addresses an issue in Safari where webpages may not be inverted when both Dark Mode and Smart Invert are active Resolves an issue where text copied from web content in a third-party app may appear invisible when pasted if Dark Mode is active Fixes an issue in Safari where a CAPTCHA tile may display incorrectly Addresses an issue where Reminders may not issue new notifications for an overdue recurring reminder until it is marked as completed Resolves an issue where Reminders may send notifications for completed reminders Fixes an issue where iCloud Drive appears to be available in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote even when not signed in Addresses an issue in Apple Music where music videos may not stream in high quality Addresses an issue in the Home app where tapping an activity notification from a security camera may open a different recording Resolves an issue where Shortcuts may not appear when tapping on the Share menu from a screenshot Improves the Burmese keyboard so punctuation symbols are now accessible from numbers and symbols (Newser) A child bride wrongfully convicted of killing her husbanda crime for which she spent 19 years behind barsis suing the Pakistani authorities she says are responsible for "ruining" her youth. Rani Babi was only 14 when she was sentenced to life for the murder of her husband, who was killed with a shovel and buried. She was jailed along with her father, who died behind bars, and her brother and a cousin, both of whom were released. While there was "no evidence at all" to tie Bibi to the crime, the Guardian reports she wasn't acquitted until 2017. A Lahore high court judge last year acknowledged Bibi, now 36 and remarried, had been "left to languish in the jail solely due to [the] lackluster attitude of the jail authorities," who improperly handled her appeal. story continues below But he added "this court feels helpless in compensating her" as Pakistan has no framework for responding to wrongful convictions. That's something Bibi and the Foundation for Fundamental Rights are now urging the government to adopt. After all, Pakistan is a signatory of a 1966 UN treaty guaranteeing compensation to victims like Bibi, per the National. But as one Islamabad lawyer tells the Guardian, "Pakistani courts have been reluctant to enforce for fear that the sheer number of wrongful convictions every year may result in ... thousands of victims demanding compensation." Indeed, a 2019 study by the foundation showed 78% of death sentences reviewed by Pakistan's Supreme Court were overturned. (Read more wrongful conviction stories.) ATLANTA, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford joined other leaders from the nation's largest nonprofit organizations on a phone call with President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams today, and continues to urge them to prioritize the needs of low-income families and the organizations that serve them. "The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency. The longer it goes on, the more it also becomes a housing emergency," Reckford said. "In any crisis, it is always those with the least who are harmed the most. As we approach the end of the month, millions of families who have lost income will soon face the impossible decision of making rent or keeping food on the table. "Our nation's leaders are taking extraordinary actions to protect the economy through support of workers and businesses. Washington has more work to do. "The White House and Congress need to prioritize support for low-income families, as well as come to the aid of nonprofit organizations like Habitat that will play a key role in their recovery. Congress's support of these organizations now will allow us to be ready to help our communities build back from this pandemic." Habitat for Humanity International has worked in coalition with other leading nonprofits to lobby Congress to support measures that aid nonprofits and the people the organizations serve. The latest legislative agreement includes priorities Habitat sought, including: An SBA loan program that will allow nonprofits like Habitat secure bridge funding during the economic downturn; A universal charitable tax deduction (capped at $300 ); and ); and $5 billion in community development block grants, and additional funds for state and local governments. Habitat for Humanity will continue pressing on for additional measures, including: Language to ensure housing stability for all, including through the suspension of evictions and foreclosures during the pandemic; Dedicated emergency funding for the nonprofit sector; and An enhanced universal charitable tax deduction, allowing taxpayers to deduct up to $2,000 in donations to nonprofits. To add your voice in support of these efforts, visit habitat.org/act-now-COVID-19. About Habitat for Humanity Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org. SOURCE Habitat for Humanity International Related Links http://www.habitat.org GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- SpartanNash is installing sneeze guards at service counters and cashier stations in all of its stores as an added protection against coronavirus. Officials with the Byron Township-based grocery chain say a total 1,420 of the 36-square-inch, clear sneeze guards will be installed in all stores by April 3. SpartanNash has 155 corporate-owned retail stores, pharmacies and Quick Stop fuel centers across the Midwest. Their retail banners include Family Fare, Martins Super Markets, D&W Fresh Market, VGs Grocery and Dans Supermarket. As we navigate these uncertain times, our company has two top priorities: the well-being and safety of our family of associates, customers and communities; and supporting health officials and government leaders to contain the virus, said Tom Swanson, SpartanNashs executive vice president and general manager of retail operations. We have been a trusted provider of grocery products for more than 100 years, and we take this responsibility very seriously. The sneeze guards are an added measure of safety for our associates and customers. Our teams are working diligently to get them installed as quickly as possible. The sneeze guards are clear and made from Plexiglas. SpartanNash officials say the barriers will be sanitized at least every 30 minutes. Every cashier station, deli counter, pharmacy, customer service counter and Quick Stop fuel center checkout will have the guards. Grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies are among the types of businesses allowed to continue operating during Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order. Under the order, Michigan residents are required to stay home through April 13 with few exceptions through. State health officials said Tuesday, March 24, that there are 1,791 cases of coronavirus in the state and 24 deaths related to the virus. Related: Michigans coronavirus stay-at-home order torture, but good for some and way overboard for others CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. Complete coverage of coronavirus in Michigan. Turkish state banks create support packages According to the joint statement, to qualify for the support, companies should not cut down their employees registered as of the end of February. Turkish state lenders announced a financial support package on Wednesday in line with the government measures to limit the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. THE PACKAGE WILL PROVIDE A 36-MONTH TERM LOAN Three conventional banks -- Ziraat, Halk, Vakif -- and two participation lenders -- Ziraat Katilim and Vakif Katilim -- made public their package applicable for all enterprises. All companies which are feeling the pinch from the pandemic can apply for support, the banks said in joint statement. The package will provide a 36-month term loan, with 7.5% interest/financing rate annually and six-month non-payment period. Banks will start accepting applications for credits -- for up to 100 million Turkish liras ($15.5 million) -- as of Thursday. New Delhi: Long queues, crowded markets, and harassment of e-commerce and food delivery people by police departments seemingly unaware of what was allowed and what wasnt, marked the first day of the three-week lockdown to cease the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), although by Wednesday evening, some sense of order emerged. There were people thronging markets across the country on Wednesday as they stocked up for supplies before sheltering at home for three weeks to guard against the pandemic. In various cities, including in Delhi, people faced trouble reaching stores as policemen refused to let them pass, even beating up some despite the governments assurances of no curbs on the purchase of essential items. Several people who faced harassment said the police did not appear to be aware of the governments advisory. People who did manage to reach local stores said they feared a worsening of the situation as stocks appeared to be depleted. To be sure, while some markets were crowded, others saw people shopping in disciplined lines, and maintaining a safe distance from each other. Union food minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the government was monitoring the availability of essential commodities in the market. He warned manufacturers and traders against profiteering during the lockdown period. The Centre is also in touch with the state governments to ensure there is no shortage of essential commodities, he said. In an address to the nation on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told citizens to not come out of their houses for 21 days, underlining the gravity of the infectious outbreak that has killed at least 20,000 people worldwide. The Prime Minister did not mention the governments plan to keep essential supplies running. Later, however, as news of panic buying across the country emerged, he tweeted to say that they would remain available. No panic buying please, he said. Notifications issued by the home ministry too said this. Despite Modis appeal, chaos was reported at grocery stores, some of which reported depleted stocks owing to restrictions, and services of many delivery outlets and e-commerce retailers remained non-functional. Television visuals showed the police striking people, who later said they were simply out shopping for necessities. Online retailers such as Amazon and grocery delivery services such as Big Basket were cancelling previously placed orders and said they did not have new delivery slots available. This pushed people to go out to shop at local stores, where social distancing was a far cry as people jostled to secure fast-disappearing supplies. The sweeping government restrictions affected trucks ferrying essential supplies and Indian Railways staff handling cargo operations as police within states and at borders restricted their movements. Our staff across all zones are facing difficulties in reaching the terminals as they are being stopped by the local authorities. In many cases zonal divisional railway managers (DRMs) have had to call the police and ensure staffers are allowed. As transportation has not been provided, they have had to walk and some cycled, a government official aware of the developments said on condition of anonymity. The official added that freight trains, which remain operational after nationwide suspension of passenger services, are focusing on transporting food grains, vegetables, salt and petroleum products among essential items. In Delhi, serpentine queues could be seen outside Mother Dairy outlets. At many grocery shops, people were told that essential items were in short supply. Many could also be seen queuing outside gas cylinder agencies to purchase cooking fuel. I cycled for four kilometres to bring some essential items such as noodles and wheat because the police had punctured the tyres of the suppliers van, said Rakesh, who is employed at a grocery shop in Govindpuri. In five days, the number of Covid-19 cases has jumped from about 200 to 606, and experts say the number could surge if more people are tested. Five fresh cases were reported in the national capital in the last 24 hours, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said. Of 606 cases, 553 are active cases, 42 patients have recovered and have been discharged from the hospital. Ten people have died. Joint secretary, health, Lav Agarwal said: There are 29 private laboratory chains, accredited by the Indian Council of Medical Research for conducting tests for novel coronavirus. These labs have 16,000 collection centres across the country, where at least 12,000 tests can be conducted per day. The Union home ministry asked state governments to check the spread of rumours about shortage of food items. In a communication to chief secretaries and police of all states, the ministry asked them to take action to allay apprehensions and maintain peace, and inform people about the availability of food, medicine and other essential commodities. Kejriwal said authorities will ensure essential services during the lockdown period and requested people not to panic. We will issue e-passes to vegetable-sellers, grocers among others to ensure essential supplies during the lockdown, Kejriwal said at a news briefing along with Lt Governor Anil Baijal. Modi said the lockdown to save India and Indians would be total. Officials subsequently released advisories explaining that medical, law enforcement, media and other sectors were exempted, and that stores selling food and other essentials would remain open. The Union home ministry issued fresh guidelines covering additional people and services that will be exempted from the lockdown. The ministry said Reserve Bank of India and RBI-regulated financial markets, pay and accounts officers and field officers of the CAG, petroleum products ,and supply chain and forest staff will be among those exempted. Those people handling cargo operations in airports and railway stations, coal mining activities, officers and staff of resident commissioners based in Delhi and customs clearance at ports, airports and land borders are also exempted. Responding to reports of shortages on Wednesday, SP Singh, senior fellow at Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT), said: There are about 2.5-3 lakh trucks stranded on national highways right now as they are not being allowed to enter cities. There are millions of drivers who are stranded with no food or facilities even as the police have not allowed them to assemble in groups. There could be a big problem as the trucking industry is the lifeline of the economy. (With inputs from agencies) DETROIT, MI Henry Ford Health System hospitals in Detroit and West Bloomfield are nearing capacity as COVID-19 patients flood in, but officials are making adjustments to allow for more patients. Of the 2,295 Michiganders whove tested positive for COVID-19, 1,946 of them nearly 85 percent are in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, where almost all of Henry Fords hospitals reside. "Today, our capacity is quite full especially the West Bloomfield and Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit," said Dr. Betty Chu, association chief clinical officer and chief quality officer. "Our hospital in Jackson has more capacity." While the two hospitals are nearly full, the majority of patients are people without COVID-19, hospital officials clarified Wednesday evening. A lack of testing makes it tough to anticipate how much of the population has coronavirus, Chu said. But the health system believes the pandemic is still growing here. "We feel like we're on the front end of the surge," Chu said. "We're anticipating a significant increase in volume in the coming weeks." Michigan hospitals eye capacity issues as coronavirus cases mount Theres a backlog of people showing symptoms who still need to be tested, said Chief Operating Officer Bob Riney, which is why the health system believes the bulk of the cases are still to come. Theres an increase in numbers every day of people calling with COVID-19 symptoms, he said. As of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, HFHS had 304 confirmed COVID-19 patients in its hospitals and another 107 presumed positive patients, with their tests pending. But the number is growing by the hour, Riney said. To prepare, the HFHS is making more room for COVID-19 patients at its hospitals. Examples include converting operating rooms, surgical units, pre-op rooms and clinic space into more space for COVID-19 patients. Surgical patients could also be shifted to different hospitals, Chu said. All non-time sensitive surgeries and operations have been postponed. The hospital system has 400 ventilators and recently placed an order for 74 more, although officials said its expected to take eight weeks to receive them. Riney said they're looking into ways to optimize the ventilators, if need be, like using a connector to allow two patients to share one ventilator. Detroit-area hospital system nearing capacity, currently treating nearly 450 coronavirus patients HFHS is also talking with universities and hotels, making plans to find spaces for employees to stay between shifts, if they're not able to go home. President Donald Trump suggested earlier this week the goal of reopening businesses across the country by Easter, which is April 12. But hospital officials are skeptical that Michigan will be ready, by then. It doesnt appear that Easter, that that would be a wise decision at this point, Chu said, of reopening businesses. From what were seeing in terms of a surge, I would anticipate that were going to continue some challenges going through early April, for sure. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here Another big jump in Michigan coronavirus numbers: Now at 2,295 cases; 43 deaths Grand River Brewery uses supply to produce hand sanitizer for Jackson hospital Coronavirus cases double in Jackson County, 7 hospitalized Florist hopes to bring smiles to care home with flower donation Jackson metal fabricator retools factory to make face shields for hospitals Consumers Energy CEO Patti Poppe gives $1M in coronavirus aid to Jackson small businesses Rooftop preaching, drive-thru services encapsulate church in the age of coronavirus How Grandma Sarahs soup is inspiring goodwill amid coronavirus crisis A couple decided to fast-track their wedding and livestream the intimate service on Facebook as New Zealand enters strict lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. James, 23, and Lily Balderston, 24, married beside his family's backyard pool and in front a small group of family in Auckland on Tuesday. The couple, who got engaged on December 5, originally planned to celebrate their big day on April 18. But as the New Zealand Government announced a four-week near-complete lockdown to contain COVID-19, they decided to bring their union forward. James, 23, and Lily Balderston, 24, married beside his family's backyard pool and in front a small group of family in Auckland on Tuesday Schools and non-essential businesses will close, public transport and air travel will effectively end as the government ramps up its public coronavirus advisory to the maximum level from Thursday. 'Obviously all the [coronavirus] stuff went down, and we were keeping an eye on it,' Mr Balderston told Daily Mail Australia. They originally planned to have 140 friends and family at their wedding but dropped the guest list to 60 to meet COVID-19 restrictions. 'We re-planned everything last week actually,' he explained. 'Monday comes around and Jacinda announces the full lockdown for Wednesday. 'I called up Lily and I said: ''Do you want to do it? Do you want to get married?''' The couple decided to fast-track their wedding and livestream the intimate service on Facebook as New Zealand enters strict lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic The couple, who got engaged on December 5, originally planned to celebrate their big day on April 18. But as the New Zealand Government announced a four-week near-complete lockdown to contain COVID-19, they decided to bring their union forward Ms Balderston said the couple had been joking about getting married during the pandemic but when her then-fiance phoned with the idea, she was immediately on board. 'It was a pretty surreal feeling. The press conference was still going on [when he called]... We went into full-gear from there,' she said. Ms Balderston's mum, who is a dressmaker, worked overnight to ensure her daughter's dress was ready for Tuesday. Despite the rush to get the wedding organised, the couple believe their union is a reminder about the purpose of marriage. 'It shows the wedding is about us, two families coming together,' Mr Balderston said. 'Obviously a wedding day is a pretty big occasion. A lot of people can put a lot of stress on a wedding and forget what it's for. 'I think it's cool to be able to tell our grandchildren we got married in a crisis and it was about us and our love.' The Balderston's are pictured on their wedding day on Tuesday. The couple brought forward their wedding plans due to the coronavirus pandemic In separate video footage, the husband and wife are seen applying hand sanitiser The decision to livestream the nuptials came after the couple were forced to cut their guest list. 'Obviously we originally had 140 people, they're all very important to us. Both of us work in events, so we originally planned to do something big,' Mr Balderston said. 'Our family and friends who couldn't come asked for us to film it.' About 80 people tuned in live and the video of the ceremony now has almost 500 views. The celebrant - Mr Balderston's brother-in-law - is heard saying: 'I'd like to welcome everybody here today and those that are virtually present.' 'We just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge all the family and friends that couldn't be here today because of the rona.' In separate video footage, the husband and wife are seen applying hand sanitiser. The newlyweds, who are now enjoying their honeymoon during the four-week lockdown, plan to throw a big celebration when the coronavirus crisis calms down. The decision to livestream the nuptials came after the couple were forced to cut their guest list The Balderston's are pictured on their wedding day after tying the not in front of a small group New Zealand will enter level-four of their COVID-19 alert at 11.59pm on Wednesday. The lockdown will take effect for at least four weeks, and dramatically change life as Kiwis know it. Everyday human interactions will be limited to within households. Kiwis will be allowed outside to walk the dog, or exercise by themselves, or to visit supermarkets or health services. But only industries deemed 'essential' - including health and emergency services workers, police, some public servants and media - will be allowed to continue, and otherwise citizens will be asked to stay home. Supermarkets, pharmacies and essential services will remain open and accessible, with limited public transport available to those who need it. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was fully aware of the sacrifices she was asking from Kiwis. 'I do not underestimate what I'm asking New Zealanders to do. It is huge. And I know it will feel daunting,' she said. 'Everything you will all give up for the next few weeks, all of the lost contact with others. 'All of the isolation and difficult time entertaining children, it will literally save lives, thousands of lives. 'The worst case scenario is simply intolerable. It would represent the greatest loss of New Zealanders' lives in our history. And I will not take that chance.' MBABANE - Run for your life! This is what some emaSwati who are based in South Africa (SA) are seemingly doing, as they were notably making their way back into the country yesterday. This comes after SA President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a lockdown which will be effective from midnight tomorrow in that country. Some people were already flooding the Ngwenya Border Gate, making their way into that country. Visited When this reporter visited the border, about 100 people had entered the country in a space of an hour. Most of them had their luggage with them on entry. In an interview with Mphilenhle Makhanya, he stated that he had come back because of the announced lockdown in the neighbouring republic. He stated that he did not imagine himself staying for 21 days indoors when he had a family in the kingdom. When asked if he did not think the country would also do the same, he was straight to state that it was better because he would be with his family. Makhanya said he worked in Thembisa and was from Siphofaneni. Another couple, who did not want their names published, also stated that they were heading to Piggs Peak from South Africa amid the announcement of the lockdown. We thought it would be better to come home while there was still time, they said. Buy Also, there were many emaSwati who had gone to buy mealie-meal on the other side of the border. Some of those interviewed stated that they wanted to ensure they had enough food for the duration of the lockdown. They further mentioned that they bought the mealie meal in SA hence they felt the need of making hay while the sun shined. While at the border, it was noted by this reporter that there were people who were coming with two passports claiming the owner was left in the car, which meant that they were not screened in the process while entering the country. Answer A clear answer from the health officers as to why the people said to be in cars were not screened did could not be obtained. Meanwhile, borders to Mozambique; Mhlumeni and Lomahasha, are reportedly closed on the Mozambican side. It was gathered that it was only Mozambicans going to their home country and emaSwati coming back home who were allowed to pass through while others were turned back. That included those who were intending to stock items in that country for business purposes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday discussed the evolving situation in the region arising out of the coronavirus outbreak. In a telephonic conversation, the two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to boost cooperation, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. Both the leaders exchanged Nowruz greetings, noting that the Persian New Year's festival symbolises the shared heritage and cultural linkages between the two countries. "The leaders discussed the evolving situation in the region, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and reaffirmed their commitment to boost cooperation," the statement said. On Monday, Modi thanked President Ghani for his contribution to the coronavirus emergency fund. "Thank you Afghanistan, for contributing USD 1 million to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund in solidarity with our South Asian neighbourhood. Tashakkur President Ashraf Ghani," the prime minister had tweeted. Besides Bangladesh and Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal have contributed to the fund. Addressing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) leaders and representatives on March 15, Modi had proposed an emergency fund with an initial offer of $10 million from India. The Sussex County freeholder board is meeting Wednesday night via conference call amid the coronavirus-driven shutdown of public life in New Jersey. A call-in number - 973-310-7191 - is enabling residents to join in the meeting, which got underway at 6 p.m. in Newton. Governing bodies throughout the state have been seeking ways to continue conducting official business during the crisis. In Morris County, the Riverdale council is meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, via videoconference. In Jefferson, the municipal council met last Wednesday, but only after workers removed some chairs from the audience section to encourage social distancing. Other meetings, though, have been cancelled, including the Jersey City school board meeting that had been planned for Thursday night. In Sussex Wednesday evening, 13 people were dialed into the call when the meeting began, including all five freeholders, two reporters and a council member from Franklin, Joe Limon. There was some background noise, prompting Freeholder Dawn Fantasia to ask participants to mute their phones when not speaking. The freeholder board meeting agenda is lengthy, with items ranging from a proclamation honoring the Red Cross, to introducing a resolution in support of building improvements at Sussex County Technical School. Sussex County has taken less of a hit from the coronavirus than other parts of the state, yet confirmed cases in the mostly-rural county are rising. The countys health department was notified Wednesday that an additional 10 residents had tested positive, bringing the total in Sussex County to 32. None have died. Statewide, the states total of known cases has risen to at least 4,402, with at least 62 deaths. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A senior Iranian official Tuesday ruled out "foreign" help on the ground to deal with the coronavirus epidemic after an offer from a France-based medical charity, as the country's death toll from the illness neared 2,000. "Due to Iran's national mobilisation against the virus and the full use of the medical capacity of the armed forces, it is not necessary for now for hospital beds to be set up by foreign forces, and their presence is ruled out," Alireza Vahabzadeh, advisor to Iran's health minister, said on Twitter. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) had said Sunday that it planned to send a nine-member team and equipment to set up a 50-bed hospital, stirring opposition from ultra-conservative circles in the Islamic republic who charged that MSF staff would serve as "spies". Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour earlier said a record 1,762 new cases have been confirmed in Iran over the past 24 hours and 24,811 people are now known to have been infected with the new coronavirus. He announced 122 new deaths from the virus, raising the official toll to 1,934 in one of the world's worst hit countries. Iran has the fourth highest official death toll from the coronavirus after Italy, China and Spain but, unlike those countries, it has yet to impose any lockdown on its citizens. On the contrary, the country is in the midst of the two-week Persian New Year holiday when the country's roads fill with people visiting family. Despite the authorities' appeals for people to stay home and the closure of shopping and leisure centres, many people have taken to the roads as usual this year. Jahanpour, however, announced that when government offices reopen on Tuesday, many civil servants will be working from home. "Only around a third of government staff are authorised to work in the office and only for administrative tasks vital to the public," he said, adding that all offices would practise "social distancing". The country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has urged Iranians to follow state instructions "so that Almighty God will put an end to this calamity for the Iranian people, for all Muslim nations and for all mankind". On Tuesday, the UN rights chief called for any sanctions imposed on countries like Iran facing the new coronavirus pandemic to be "urgently re-evaluated" to avoid pushing strained medical systems into collapse. Iran has been under crippling US sanctions in connection with its nuclear programme. "At this crucial time, both for global public health reasons, and to support the rights and lives of millions of people in these countries, sectoral sanctions should be eased or suspended," Michelle Bachelet said. Even before the pandemic, she pointed out that human rights reports had repeatedly emphasised the impact of sectorial sanctions on access to essential medicines and medical equipment in Iran, including respirators and protective gear for healthcare workers. Bachelet's office stressed that more than 50 Iranian medics had died since the first COVID-19 case was detected in the country five weeks ago. Adding to Iran's woes, floods caused by heavy rainfall since Sunday, mainly in western provinces, have killed at least 12 people and left two others missing, a spokesman for Iran's rescue services told AFP. Mojtaba Khaledi said that warnings have been issued of more heavy rains for later this week in western Iran. Although the Virtual University has not received questions regarding how the commercial general liability (CGL) policy will respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19), the CGLs response must still be understood. Various other publications have addressed the CGLs response to the coronavirus with varying degrees of accuracy (be careful and dont depend on one source of information). Legal Liability Required The key factor regarding the CGLs response to the coronavirus is: If there is no legal liability, the CGL is not triggered and the policy will not respond. Legal liability exists when: The wrongdoer is found guilty of Negligent Conduct (meaning they breached a duty owed to the injured party); The injured party suffers actual damages; and The wrongdoers Negligent conduct is the proximate cause of the injury or damage. This is a very brief summary of the requirements necessary to prove legal liability. For more detail on what is required to establish legal liability see, Are You Applying the MOST Basic CGL Coverage Rule and How Does a Person Become Legally Liable. Because the insured must be legally liable before the CGL responds, what actions or inactions could possibly lead to legal liability arising out of the coronavirus? A few ideas come to mind, but these are not all the possible scenarios: Allowing an employee who is known to be infected with the virus to continue working; to be infected with the virus to continue working; Failure to adhere to required health and prevention guidelines; Remaining open following an order by a civil authority to close; Maybe (but not likely) selling a product from China on which the virus may live (although reports limit the time to about 72 hours maximum); Not screening and refusing service to customers with the virus; or Other weird actions or events. In reality, being able to prove the virus was contracted at any one location would be almost impossible. And if the sick person can show that he or she only went to one location over the past five to 14 days, prove it was something the business should have known about and should have done something about. There is the concept of assumption of risk involved as well. To be direct, the likelihood a business owner may be held legally liable for injury to a third party who claims to have contracted the coronavirus on the insureds premises is very low to almost non-existent. Thus, it is unlikely the CGL will be called upon the respond. But the lack of legal liability doesnt stop people from suing to prove negligence and legal liability especially in the face of this pandemic panic. But if the insured does breach a duty owed and is held legally liable (although unlikely, nothing is impossible), will the CGL respond? Review the unendorsed CGL and no exclusion is found within Coverage Part A, Bodily Injury and Property Damage. But this is only the first test. Was There an Occurrence? A second requirement contained within the insuring agreement plays a role in the CGLs response to any injury supposedly arising from the coronavirus the injury must qualify as an occurrence before the policy responds. The CGL form reads: This insurance applies to bodily injury and property damage only if: (1) The bodily injury or property damage is caused by an occurrence that takes place in the coverage territory Within the CGL an occurrence is defined as an accident, including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same general harmful conditions. Is contracting a virus an occurrence within the policy form? To decide if this qualifies as an occurrence the question must be asked, is passing along a virus an accident? Maybe, but there are too many variables involved to provide a definitive answer. As part of the question of an occurrence, the injured party must prove that the virus was contacted at the insureds premises or arising from its operations. Given the specifics, this might be almost impossible. For sake of the overall discussion, assume making another person sick qualifies as an occurrence in the CGL, and that the person is able to prove that his/her only exposure was at the insureds locations or a result of the insureds operations. If the insured is legally liable, if there is an occurrence as defined in the CGL and if the exposure can be narrowed down to the insured, the next step is to look for exclusions within the CGL. Are There Any Exclusions? Review the exclusions in the unendorsed CGL and only one exclusion could possibly negate coverage for spreading the coronavirus to members of the public, exclusion 2.a. Expected or Intended Injury. For example, if the insured requires an employee to continue working or come to work who is known to be infected, spreading the virus should be expected (even if not intended). No coverage due to the exclusion. Look back at the earlier examples that could trigger a liability claim and many of those questionable actions may fall under the expected or intended injury exclusion. If a reasonable person could or should expect the virus to spread because of actions taken or decisions made, this exclusion is likely to apply. If, however, the expected or intended injury exclusion does not apply, there do not appear to be any other exclusions applicable to the spreading of the coronavirus. Although some enterprising claims person would surely try to use the pollution exclusion. This leaves us with the impression that the CGL may provide coverage for infecting a third in certain circumstances. But this is not necessarily true. An Exclusionary Endorsement Even if an incident leading to bodily injury from coronavirus clears all the required hurdles (the insured is legally liable, the incident qualifies as an occurrence, the injured party can prove the exposure is the from the insureds actions, and the claim is not hindered by the expected or intended injury exclusion), there is still one roadblock an exclusion found in many CGL policies the CG 21 32 05 09 Communicable Disease Exclusion. If and when this endorsement is attached, coverage for injury from the coronavirus appears to disappear. The form reads (in part): The following exclusion is added to Paragraph 2. Exclusions of Section I Coverage A Bodily Injury And Property Damage Liability: Exclusions This insurance does not apply to: Communicable Disease Bodily injury or property damage arising out of the actual or alleged transmission of a communicable disease. This exclusion applies even if the claims against any insured allege negligence or other wrongdoing in the: Supervising, hiring, employing, training or monitoring of others that may be infected with and spread a communicable disease; Testing for a communicable disease; Failure to prevent the spread of the disease; or Failure to report the disease to authorities. Undoubtedly the question to be answered is, does a virus qualify as a disease? In a roundabout way, yes. Its not the virus that causes harm, its the disease that results from the virus. The immune system destroys some viruses before they can cause any harm, but some viruses overpower the immune system and lead to sickness (disease). When the CG 21 32 is attached, there is no coverage for the transmission of the coronavirus and the resulting sickness (disease). How is the CGL Going to Respond to the Coronavirus? Without overstating the reality, it seems rather unlikely that a CGL policy will ever pay a claim arising from the coronavirus. The facts may negate any possibility that the insured is legally liable for spreading the virus/disease. And even if the insured is legally liable, does spreading a virus actually qualify as an occurrence as defined in the policy? If these two insuring agreement conditions arent met, there is no need to go any further into the coverage form because there is no coverage. If the loss meets all the conditions contained within the insuring agreement, might the actions of the insured fall within the scope of the expected or intended injury exclusion? If the exclusion does not apply, then there may be coverage. However, when the CG 21 32 is attached to the CGL, there is no coverage. We have gone the long way around to answer the question, how will the CGL respond to a coronavirus claim, but the trip was necessary. Based on the requirements within the insuring agreement, the need to prove the insured was the source of any exposure, the application of the expected or intended injury exclusion, and the attachment of an exclusionary endorsement, in most cases, the bodily injury coverage available in Coverage Part A of the CGL will never respond to pay a coronavirus claim. Dont expect the coronavirus to be a factor in CGL loss ratios. Topics COVID-19 Property - Iza Calzado made a lot of people worried because of her recent social media post - She admitted that she is currently confined in a hospital because of pneumonia - The actress also revealed that she already got tested for the novel coronavirus disease - The Ngayon at Kailanman cast member asked for prayers from all netizens PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Iza Calzado revealed through her latest social media post that she is currently confined in a hospital. KAMI learned that the veteran actress was given medical attention because of her pneumonia. She also disclosed that she already got tested for the novel coronavirus and still awaiting the result. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Iza stated through her much-talked-about Instagram post that she is currently in a challenging situation. However, she recognized the fact that the health workers in the Philippines are in a more dangerous situation because of the threat of COVID-19. The celebrity requested all netizens to join her in praying for those who are not in a good condition these days. With positively, she said that she and her fellow Filipinos will fight together during this trying time. I'm currently hospitalized for pneumonia and so, I was tested for Covid-19 and Ive been waiting for the results... Its been a challenging time for me but it cannot compare to the frontliners who have cared for me and to whom I am so grateful, she quipped. I am hoping you all can join me in prayer for those who are currently sick and their loved ones, for every person struggling to cope in these tough times. And most especially, for the medical workers who are doing their best despite the hurdles, she added. In a previous article by , Iza reacted to the rant of John Lloyd Cruz about being featured in Culion trailer. Iza Calzado is a Filipina actress first gained popularity in the Kapuso network. She transferred to ABS-CBN and now she is one of the cast members of the upcoming series entitled Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin. POPULAR: Read more news about Iza Calzado! Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! TikTok dance challenges are taking over social media. We are always on point in asking passers-by to dance to famous songs together with our host Andre! Dont forget to subscribe to HumanMeter! Source: KAMI.com.gh The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in unprecedented market volatility over the last several weeks and has taken a major toll on the automotive industry. With closure of factories, lower footfall at dealerships and disruptions in global supply chains, the auto industry is in turmoil.Weak consumer sentiment will further dent vehicle sales. As the future financial performances of automakers remain clouded due to uncertainties caused by the virus rampage, more and more companies are withdrawing their guidance. With all eyes on the next earnings cycle, here are the major automakers that have lately scrapped full-year 2020 guidance and warned that it will be a tough year, as they brace for a bumpy road ahead. Guidance Withdrawal & Business Updates General Motors GM is the latest one to jump on the bandwagon of auto companies that have scrapped 2020 outlook. On Mar 24, the top U.S. auto giant announced the suspension of its full-year guidance, citing the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, General Motors has temporarily shut all U.S. factories at least until Mar 30 to contain the spread of coronavirus and will evaluate the situation on a weekly basis even after that. In a bid to boost cash reserve, the firm intends to draw down about $16 billion from its existing credit lines. The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) firm expects to have $15-$16 billion in cash at the end of March. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Last week, General Motors close rival Ford F also withdrew its 2020 guidance and announced plans to draw $15.4 billion from two credit lines to preserve cash, as vehicle sales are fading owing to the coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, the company also suspended quarterly dividend of 15 cents a share until further notice. Yesterday, the firm further pushed back resumption of production. It would not be restarting operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico on Mar 30, as originally planned. Story continues Yesterday, BorgWarner BWA warned investors that it expects material impact on its 2020 performance amid the coronavirus-induced uncertainty. The maker of clean and efficient engine solutions expects sales to decline, as many of its customers have suspended operations.As of Mar 20, the firm had liquidity of $2.3 billion, including cash balance of approximately $820 million and an undrawn revolving credit facility of $1.5 billion. On Mar 23, Superior Industries SUP, Oshkosh Corporation OSK, and trucking giants Navistar NAV and PACCAR PCAR provided business updates. Superior Industries has suspended its 2020 view as the company plans to shutter operations at all its factories. The company has not specified the tenure of suspension of operations. The aluminum wheel manufacturer has fully drawn down its $160-million U.S. revolving credit line and 48 million on its 60-million European revolver. Oshkosh, a manufacturer and marketer of a variety of specialty vehicles, has scrapped its fiscal 2020 guidance as it anticipates that the impact of the pandemic will weigh on operations and results. While the firm plans to halt Access Equipment production in North American from Mar 30 until Apr 13, operations in its Defense, Fire & Emergency and Commercial segments continue. Navistar pulled back its 2020 guidance in response to disruptions in the companys supply chain due to the pandemic-led crisis. The company expects that its future financial performance will be impacted but the extent is unpredictable at this point. Navistar has suspended production at the truck assembly plant in Springfield, OH, for two weeks. PACCAR has warned that first-quarter and full-year 2020 results will be bear the brunt of lower production schedules due to changes in customer demand and the impact of government regulations or mandates. The company has halted truck and engine production at its factories worldwide, effective Mar 24 till Apr 6. PACCARs cash and marketable securities were $4.28 billion at the end of last month. The firm also has access to existing lines of credit of $3 billion. Last week, Cummins withdrew its 2020 guidance amid lower commercial truck production in North America and plant shutdowns by various OEMs in Europe.The engine maker suspended production at the Indiana plant for two weeks, in response to the decision by its customer Fiat Chrysler to shutdown all U.S. factories at least until Mar 30 to contain the spread of coronavirus. Automotive seating specialist, Adient also suspended its fiscal 2020 guidance due to global economic uncertainty amid the virus eruption. BMW warned investors that the firms sales and profits will significantly drop in the wake of the pandemic. The firm now expects automotive EBIT margin in the range of 2-4% compared with the prior view of 6-8%.BMW shut dealerships and plants in Europe last week, which will last until mid-April. The company has suspended manufacturing facilities at Oxford and Swindon until Apr 17. Volkswagen has already warned that 2020 will be a tough year amid dwindling sales and supply chain distortion. Volkswagen which owns Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Seat and Skoda brands temporarily closed all European plants in the wake of the health hazard. A couple of days back, CEO Herbert Diess warned that the crisis may force the company to keep factories shut for weeks. Wrapping Up The automotive industry which has been already grappling with various challenges including new emission standards, rising costs amid technological shift and robust demand for ride-sharing services is getting further plagued by coronavirus woes. Year 2020 is certainly going to be tough for automakers, with the COVID-19 outbreak posing serious operational and financial challenges. According to Johns Hopkins University data, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has crossed 4,00,000 worldwide, claiming more than 18,000 lives. Given significant increase in the number of cases and the associated lockdown measures undertaken by the government, the near-term sales outlook appears quite uncertain. Disruptions in logistics and supply chains are likely to further intensify in the coming weeks. Now, it just remains to be seen how severely revenues and earnings of the companies will be hit and how long it will take for firms to be able to get back on their feet. Market watchers are especially cautious about the industrys outlook due to ambiguity associated with the spread and duration of the health hazard. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. Click here for the 6 trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Ford Motor Company (F) : Free Stock Analysis Report Navistar International Corporation (NAV) : Free Stock Analysis Report BorgWarner Inc. (BWA) : Free Stock Analysis Report PACCAR Inc. (PCAR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Superior Industries International, Inc. (SUP) : Free Stock Analysis Report General Motors Company (GM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Oshkosh Corporation (OSK) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. The question on whether or not the country should be put on lockdown to prevent spread of coronavirus is widely covered by mainstream newspapers on Wednesday, March 25. Also extensively reported is the anxiety that is building after Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe said the government will today announce more measures to fight the fast-spreading infection. READ ALSO: Kenya dismisses claims 6 million face masks on transit to Germany disappeared at airport Photo: UGC. Source: UGC READ ALSO: 91-year-old grandma defies age to show off her quirky, feisty and funny talent 1. Daily Nation The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Services (KUCCPS) has said all 2019 KCSE candidates who scored C+ and above will be placed in universities despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. KUCCPS boss John Muraguri said some 125,499 candidates were expected to join campus in September 2020. He observed that the placement process has been made easier by automation adopted by KUCCPS and as such, they expected to remain in schedule. The number of students joining university this year is up by at least 30,000 from the 90,000 who were enrolled in 2019. The high number, however, posses funding challenges. The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) needs at least KSh 6 billion to fund applicants. READ ALSO: Bungoma: Medics reject patient with coronavirus-like symptoms 2. The Star After the number of coronavirus cases hit 25, The Star continues to hammer the gospel of staying at home to stop spread of coronavirus. The daily says President Uhuru might decide to lock down four counties that have been classified as high risk. The four are Nairobi, Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale. In Murang'a, Governor Mwangi wa Iria has banned Public Service Vehicles (PSV) transporting passengers to and out of Murang'a. Wa Iria said only vehicles facilitating movement of people within the county will be allowed to operate. He argued that the virus, which has killed over 17,500 and infected over 400,000 globally, spreads like a bushfire when people are allowed to travel. READ ALSO: Hantavirus: Type of disease caused by the virus found in rodents 3. People Daily People Daily writes about frustrations of travellers who are put on mandatory quarantine at different facilities shortly after jetting back in the country through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The procedure used to take the travellers to holding areas has been marred by confusion and the government has admitted that more still needs to be done to cushion the passengers from suffering. Even as this comes to play, experts say that isolation of travellers is the only way to prevent the country from experiencing a surge in imported coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, in Kilifi county, Governor Amason Kingi has put the devolved unit on partial lockdown after his deputy Gideon Saburi and driver tested positive for the virus. READ ALSO: COVID-19: Mtalii raia wa Ufaransa aliye na virusi alitembelea mbuga za Tsavo, Amboseli, Naivasha 4. Taifa Leo Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire has urged health authorities to publish names of coronavirus patients so that members of the public can know whether or not they came into close contact with them. Mwambire said publishing the patients' names was the only way to help citizens know if they need to self-quarantine and protect those close to them. The lawmaker disclosed that he was in self-quarantine after coming into close contact with people who interacted with Kilifi deputy governor Gideon Saburi who tested positive for coronavirus. While this came to the fore, it has emerged that authorities in Mombasa have announced that any person with flu-like symptoms will not be allowed to board the ferry at Likoni. READ ALSO: Mastermind in KSh 72M Stanchart ATM heist gunned down in another robbery 5. The Standard The daily reports on what different leaders across the country feel about locking down the country to curb spread of coronavirus. With Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth vouching for a total shutdown, National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale maintains that the country is nowhere close to a situation that might necessitate a lockdown. During his address to the media on Tuesday, March 24, Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Patrick Njoroge said a lockdown would be the last option the state may consider. In Africa, South Africa, Rwanda, Tunisia and Madagascar have announced lockdowns after coronavirus cases continued to surge. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Lockdown Kenya : Mixed reactions as Kenyan leaders call for a complete country lockdown | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Students have called for more details on the contingency plans currently being arranged due to the Covid-19 pandemic to help the State exams go ahead in the coming months. This comes as the Taoiseach confirmed on Tuesday that plans are being developed to ensure the exams go ahead this year, despite schools remaining closed until at least April 19. There is an immense feeling of uncertainty and anxiety for thousands of exam students across Ireland as they wait for clarification on these plans, according to Ciara Fanning, the president of the Irish Second-Level Students Union (ISSU). This is a hugely difficult and confusing time for everyone, but particularly for students who are due to sit State exams in June, she said. Having built up to these exams this year and previous school years there is huge pressure to perform well, and students are now unsure when they will be sitting the exams or if they will happen at all. This makes it incredibly difficult to focus on study and preparation for the exams. We need clarity immediately on the State Exams to put students at ease and reduce the immense stress and confusion they are already feeling at this time. Meanwhile, the Sinn Fein education spokesman has also called on Joe McHugh, the Minister for Education, to provide more information about the contingency plans to students and teachers. Donnchadh O Laoghaire, a Cork South Central TD, said the situation at the minute is unsustainable and deeply unfair on students, their families and their teachers. The advice of the public health authorities is key," he said. "In an evolving situation it is not difficult to imagine that a decision would be taken that it is not possible to hold written exams, or the remaining practical exams in the current time frame. If that decision is to be made, then we need clarity on what the contingency plan is as this must be in place as soon as possible. We need to know in that case if written exams will proceed at all, and if they do, when they will proceed, and how third level, post leaving cert admissions will function. There needs to be engagement with third level and Post Leaving Cert (PLC) bodies here. This uncertainty cant drift into late April or May. A man sorts donations for families in need in the central Iraqi holy city of Najaf on Wednesday. (Haidar Hamdani / AFP) Paying no attention to the tenets of social distancing, the abaya-shrouded women no masks or gloves among them crowded into the Baghdad square surrounding the shrine to Imam Musa Kadhim. I invite China, Italy and Iran," one of the women said to a journalist from a satellite news station. "Those are the three biggest countries to be harmed. I invite them all to come to the Imam. Well run tests on them in this very square," she said. "If theyre not all 100% free of [the novel coronavirus], they can slaughter all of us. The woman's devotion was unwavering. But in a time of pandemic, religion, the sanctuary for so many in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East, has been hit hard. Its houses of faith mosques, churches, temples and shrines have become a front line in the battle by governments to smother the spread of a deadly global virus. So have its rituals, which draw believers to pilgrimages or massive gatherings of communal worship. A worker disinfects a house in an impoverished neighborhood in Najaf, Iraq, on Monday. (Haidar Hamdani / AFP) All are now forbidden. Much of the religious leadership across the region has acquiesced to the requirements of self-isolation. But others, such as the women at the Kadhim shrine followers of the Iraqi populist Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr insist their faith has made them impervious to the disease and may indeed offer the key to its cure. For those adhering to public health guidelines, it has meant a ravaging of the religious calendar. Arguably the biggest loss for the Muslims in the region (along with 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide) came early in the crisis: In the first week of March, Saudi Arabia suspended the Umrah, the so-called little pilgrimage, to Mecca and Medina, disrupting the travel plans of millions. For the first time in recent history, the Kaaba, the black cube-like structure that is Islams most important site, was devoid of its pilgrims. Worse, the outbreak now imperils the Hajj, the main pilgrimage that every Muslim must do once in their lifetime and that was set for July. Last year, some 2.5 million people participated. (More than 600,000 have already registered for visas this year.) Story continues A member of the Syrian Civil Defense disinfects the interior of a mosque in the Syrian town of Dana on Sunday. ( Aaref Watad / AFP ) That wasnt all. As March progressed and the number of infected kept climbing, Saudi Arabia extended the suspension to all prayers in mosques. Other Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain followed suit. So too did religious authorities in Egypt, whose 77 million Muslims had until Saturday continued to gather for prayer. There, the coronavirus outbreak had even changed the athan, the call to prayer, a fixed presence in the soundtrack of daily life across the region. It now exhorts believers to pray at home. Even Al Israa wal Miraj in Beirut, which commemorates the prophet Muhammad's night journey and ascension with celebrations in mosques, passed with no fanfare. "We just had an evening athan for it, and that was it," said the caretaker of the mosque in the Zokak al Balat neighborhood. Christians, who are in the midst of Lent and preparing for Easter, have been affected too. Joining its Muslim counterparts, Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church said over the weekend that it would close churches and suspend Mass until further notice. This is an important time for us, and no doubt the restrictions affect our faith. Imagine the churchs doors are closed, its courtyards empty," said Father Augustin Helou, spokesman for the Maronite archdiocese of Beirut. "It makes you sad." But the church didnt hesitate at all to take this decision because in the end what is its concern? A persons welfare. Civil defense workers in Iraq disinfect a mosque where there was a confirmed case of COVID-19. (Haidar Hamdani / AFP) It was a disappointment for Lorre Hakim, a housewife in Geitawi, a neighborhood on Beirut's eastern flank, which has a multitude of churches. "Normally we would have events every day now," she said. "This season it's every person praying on their own ... direct with God." But the church and its faithful have adapted. Priests are now employing what Helou called spiritual communion in lieu of parishioners coming in person. Churchgoers can livestream sermons or access them later on social media pages or special satellite broadcast channels. Later that evening, he said, he would join teens in the churchs youth group in a Bible study session on Zoom and Microsoft Team, two popular video-teleconferencing apps. Were doing this to make people realize the church hasnt closed, he said, but this is not a time for personal contact. Just as COVID-19 has disrupted religious celebrations, neither has it spared rituals of mourning. Funerals are multi-day events here, with the family of the deceased expected to receive shake hands, or kiss on both cheeks those who come to pay respects. People often linger over coffee, or even join the family for a meal. Much of that no longer applies. Those who do come stay only a few minutes and keep their distance. The church in Egypt even banned that, shutting down funeral halls in churches and restricting services only to the deceaseds family. Washing the corpse before burial, normally a requirement in Islam, can also be skipped if there is fear of an infection, declared Dar al Iftaa, Egypts governmental institute for Islamic legal research. My uncles body wasnt placed in the church so mourners could say their goodbye. Instead he remained on his deathbed for 15 hours until he was taken straight to the churchs graveyard, said Myrna Racheed, a freelance journalist in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Her uncle died Monday after a two-year illness. Even the priests sermon, she added, had warnings for the few mourners present to take precautions, as well as a prayer for God to remove the coronavirus threat from the world. But what of the living? For them, many religious leaders have wielded their authority to make sure they stay home. Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Iraq this week said it was obligatory upon Muslims to avoid physical contact; those who suspect themselves to be infected or are exhibiting symptoms should not mix with people. If they do and infect someone else who subsequently dies, they would have to offer up "blood money." One voice of dissent came from Shiite cleric Sadr. He criticized earlier this month the closure of religious shrines, and he's urged his adherents to join the commemoration ceremony on Saturday for Imam Kadhim, a revered figure who died while in prison in 799. (The anniversary of his death brings tens of thousands to the northern Baghdad neighborhood that bears his name.) He also insisted on daily visits to the shrine in the Iraqi city of Najaf, Shiite Islam's spiritual capital, so as to force authorities to keep it open. Provincial authorities have blocked outsiders from entering the city. Meanwhile, Sadr City, the rundown Baghdad suburb that is the cleric's bastion, was sequestered behind concrete barriers. Some suggest the crisis is a form divine retribution for evil acts. That includes the Islamic State. In the recent issue of a its weekly newsletter, the Sunni extremist group described the coronavirus as "Allah's painful torture." Hadi Modaressi, a prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric, said the virus, which first emerged in China, was Allahs punishment for the country's treatment of its Muslims, and because its people eat insects. Whoever said the bad morals of people have no connection to their bodies is wrong, he said in a video posted to social media in late February. Allahs command in spreading this virus is clear. A week later, after a visit to the Iranian city of Qom, he was infected with the coronavirus. He is said to be recovering. A psychology lecturer in the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Iboro Ottu, has urged the Nigerian parents to provide leadership for their family as the nation continues to battle the novel coronavirus. Confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Nigeria have so far risen to 46 by Wednesday morning. Mr Ottu, who heads the psychology department of the university, told PREMIUM TIMES, Tuesday afternoon, that Nigeria is in a social dilemma which could bring out the best or the worst in the people. I read a book by Ernest Hemingway that says, The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. He said the situation, though traumatic, requires Nigerians to be supportive of one another. We must find ways to help reduce anxiety among people and one of the ways of doing this is to look out for trusted sources of information, he said. We must try to ensure that people are immune to rumour and try to convince people to drop their prejudice some people are yet to believe the virus is real. We need to lift people out of their poor understanding of the coronavirus. For those who lack it, others have to be there to give them social, psychological support, and physical help where necessary. Parents must show leadership in the family. We need resilience, patience, encouragement, and cooperation, the lecturer said. Mr Ottu advised Nigerians to obey the government directives and stay at home with their families. During the lockdown, families should ensure they have enough water and food supply without necessarily resorting to panic-buying, he said. When the economy comes to a standstill people would become poorer than they were, there would be food shortages that would lead to hunger, which would naturally cause people to be angry and depressed. Sometimes it may not only be the virus that would kill people but the discomfort, especially the isolation that is associated with it. Learn new skills The lecturer said one of the things families could do during lockdown is to learn new skills, try out some indoor games and sports, or engage in farming. People, he said, can still use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms to engage with friends and family members. Families, he also said, can concentrate on building their spiritual life, especially now that there is a directive against open church service. If any of the parents is a teacher, there is a lot of work is to be done. Now that schools have been hurriedly closed, there are lots of work to be done. The parents can engage in teaching the children, while the older kids also help in teaching the younger ones. The United Nations has expressed solidarity with India in its fight against coronavirus, with a top official at the world body's health agency praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 21-day nationwide lockdown as a comprehensive and robust" response to the raging COVID-19 pendamic. IMAGE: Cops stand guard on a deserted commercial hub as they enforce a lockdown order the government as a preventive measure against COVID-19 in New Delhi. Photograph: Yawar Nazir/Getty Images Globally, the death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 18,915 with more than 422,900 cases reported in over 165 countries and territories, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The number of coronavirus cases in India stood at 562 on Wednesday with nine COVID-19 deaths reported so far, according to health ministry data. In an attempt to stem the spread of coronavirus in India, Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday announced a nationwide lockdown for three weeks. "United Nations stands in solidarity with India in its fight against COVID-19, said a video message tweeted by United Nations News on Tuesday, the UN's multimedia news service. The video also took note of the 'Janta Curfew' observed across India on Sunday, when the country's 1.3 billion citizens stayed at home from 7 am to 9 pm in an effort to practice social distancing. Heeding to a call by Modi, people came out on their balconies, windows and courtyards to applaud the selfless work of medical professionals on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19. The normally bustling streets across India wore a deserted look throughout the day as people participated in the curfew. The UN News video showed footage of empty roads and urban spaces on Sunday, just two days before Modi announced the nationwide lockdown for three weeks. "India is on a 21-day lockdown to try and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from taking hold. The @UN health agency @WHO urged the Gov to take 'aggressive action', UN News tweeted. WHO Representative to India Henk Bekedam praised the country's response to the pandemic, describing it as "comprehensive and robust". "Massive efforts have been made towards prevention and containing the spread, including strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity, contact tracing and isolation and risk communications," Bekedam said. He said the prime minister's call for social distancing had received widespread community support across the country. "It is vital that we come together in solidarity and help in breaking the chain of transmission and flattening the curve," he said. The WHO and other UN partners have been working closely with the Indian government on preparedness and response measures, disease surveillance, laboratory and research protocols, risk communications, training on infection prevention and control and cluster containment plan, surveillance and tracking of travellers. Speaking at press briefing in Geneva on Monday, WHO Emergencies Programme Director Mike Ryan had said that it was important for India to ramp up measures at public health and societal level to control and suppress the disease. "India is a hugely populous country. The future of this pandemic will be determined by what happens to densely-populated countries," he said. Ryan said India, the world's second most populous country, had a tremendous capacity to deal with the coronavirus outbreak as it has the experience of eradicating the small-pox and polio through targeted public intervention. "India led the world in eradicating two silent killers and eliminating them from the country," he said on Monday. India, through targeted public intervention, ended smallpox and gave a great gift to the world. India also eradicated polio, he noted. "India has tremendous capacities. It is exceptionally important that countries like India lead the way to show the world what can be done. There are no easy answers. It is exceptionally important that countries like India show the way to the world as they have done before," he said. Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday warned that the coronavirus pandemic was clearly "accelerating" but said it was still possible to "change the trajectory" of the outbreak. "The pandemic is accelerating," Tedros told journalists in a virtual news briefing. He said it took 67 days from the beginning of the outbreak in China in late December for the virus to infect the first 100,000 people worldwide. In comparison, it took 11 days to reach a total of 200,000 cases and just four days for the third 100,000 cases to bring the total number of cases worldwide to more than 300,000, he said, estimates that Modi cited as he addressed the nation on Tuesday and announced the three-week long lockdown. NORRISTOWN A Schwenksville man wanted by authorities for allegedly possessing child pornography on his home computer equipment has surrendered to detectives. William B. McGullam, 29, of the 500 block of Krause Road, surrendered at the Pennsylvania State Police Barracks in Skippack on Saturday and Montgomery County detectives took him into custody on multiple felony charges of possession of child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility in connection with alleged incidents that occurred in May 2019. McGullam was arraigned via video by District Court Judge Scott Palladino, who set bail at $150,000 cash. McGullam was unable to post bail and was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility to await a preliminary hearing on the charges at a later date before District Court Judge Maurice Saylor. On March 4, District Attorney Kevin R. Steele had sought the publics help in locating McGullam. Its unclear whether that had any impact on McGullams decision to surrender but Steele thanked the public. I want to thank the public for their response regarding this defendant, Steele said on Tuesday. Whenever we ask for help, the people of Montgomery County respond, and I am grateful for their assistance in helping to keep our communities safe. An arrest warrant for McGullam was issued on Sept. 12, 2019, charging him with multiple felony counts related to possessing more than 1,000 images of child pornography, according to court papers. The investigation of McGullam began in June 2019 when county detectives received a Cybertip referral from the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The tip originated from a cellphone application, which had noted that one of its users had uploaded 10 video files of child pornography, authorities alleged. The investigation traced the account to a computer located in the Pottstown area. The subscriber name on the account was determined to belong to McGullam. On Aug. 8, 2019, a search warrant was executed at McGullams Schwenksville residence and several electronics and storage devices were seized, court documents indicate. A forensic examination of the electronics found 1,073 images that were determined to be child pornography, authorities alleged. Spanish pensioners were cheered and applauded as they left their town in a fleet of ambulances yesterday after an outbreak of coronavirus at their care home. The convoy of Civil Guard vehicles took 41 people out of Alcala del Valle to another residence 70 miles away, Spanish media said. The regional government in Andalusia ordered them out of the Dolores Ibarruri care home after at least 38 of its residents were diagnosed with Covid-19. Local residents tried to lift the pensioners' spirits as they left the town yesterday, sending them good wishes from their balconies as the convoy drove past. One onlooker shouted: 'Come on, you are going to be fine, they are going to take very good care of you, don't worry, you will be back very soon!' A convoy of ambulances and Civil Guard vehicles drives along a narrow street in the town of Alcala del Valle, where dozens of pensioners were evacuated from a care home Residents of the town applaud from their balconies in a show of support for the elderly care home residents as they were taken to another town According to Spanish media, the residents are being moved to a different home in La Linea de la Concepcion, a two-hour drive away. Although there was applause for the pensioners as they left, some relatives say they were not informed about the transfer and fear their relatives will not get the correct medication. 'They have not allowed him to take his clothes or his personal belongings. We do not know who will attend to them or if they know what medication our elders take,' the nephew of one 99-year-old evacuee told El Mundo. 'The relatives have not been informed at any time, nor the provisional director of the residence, who in the last few hours had managed to gather material and personnel to guarantee the operation of the centre.' Reports say that 38 out of 41 residents have tested positive, along with 19 of the 33 workers in the home. Three people have reportedly died. Juan Franco, the mayor of the town, had been working in the care home with four councillors after the staff fell ill. However, the building was evacuated yesterday by order of the regional Andalusian government. Residents in worse condition were taken in the ambulances while the rest were in other vehicles escorted by the Spanish Civil Guard. A Spanish army officer waves at people in a nursing home, keeping their distance behind a window The convoy of ambulances and Civil Guard vehicles takes pensioners out of the town after residents and staff were infected at a care home The transfer of the residents is believed to be a temporary measure as the Emergency Military Unit is disinfecting the nursing home. But mayor Franco said he had not received any official document from the regional government about the residents being moved. Earlier this week, Spain's defence minister revealed that some elderly residents had been found dead or abandoned at some care homes. Investigations were launched after soldiers made the grim discoveries when they went to disinfect the nursing homes. Some elderly residents had apparently been found dead under the same roof as relatives who were still alive. Spain now has the world's second-deadliest outbreak, after its death toll surged past China's today. Spanish officials reported 738 new deaths today, the country's biggest daily jump so far, taking the total from 2,696 to 3,434. The figure is now higher than the 3,285 people who have died in mainland China, where the outbreak began in late 2019. Italy has the world's highest death toll, with 6,820. Spain's total number of infections also rose by 20 per cent today, with 7,937 new cases bringing the total from 39,673 to 47,610. Human teeth act like tree rings and store intimate details about a person's life, a study has found. The research by American scientists found a material in teeth called cementum develops a fresh layer every year. Studying subtle changes in its growth can provide key details such as when an individual was pregnant, seriously ill or in prison. Scroll down for video Left, a look at the second molar of a 35-year-old female who had children at ages 19 and 24. Middle is a zoomed-in section of the left image. Right, the cementum, which presents two distinct darker 'rings' that correspond to the two reproductive events Results show the skeleton is not a static organ but is constantly changing, according to the study's researchers. Researchers tested whether significant events in a person's lifetime can have a discernible impact on the material's formation. It was also found key events in a person's life can be timed using the tooth rings. Physiologically taxing events such as pregnancy, menopause, imprisonment and systemic illness leave permanent changes in the cementum's microstructure. Physiologically taxing events such as pregnancy, menopause, imprisonment and systemic illness leave permanent changes in the microstructure of cementum, a material that grows a new layer every year on the tooth root (stock) Lead study author, Paola Cerrito, a doctoral candidate at New York University (NYU), said: 'Just like tree rings, we can look at 'tooth rings' continuously growing layers of tissue on the dental root surface. 'These rings are a faithful archive of an individual's physiological experiences and stressors from pregnancies and illnesses to incarcerations and menopause that all leave a distinctive permanent mark. 'A tooth is not a static and dead portion of the skeleton. It continuously adjusts and responds to physiological processes. 'Our results make clear that the skeleton is not a static organ, but rather a dynamic one.' HOW DO TEETH ACT LIKE TREE RINGS? Cementum is a dental tissue that covers the tooth's root. It grows a new layer roughly every year. The cementum's microstructure is visible only through microscopic examination. Analysis can reveal the underlying organisation of the fibres and particles that make up the material of this part of the tooth. The microscopic layers can be illuminated using a variety of laboratory methods. Each layer has slightly different structure as the body forms i=the cementum . When the body is under strain, the structure is very different to under normal conditions. How the body is under strain can also be determined as well as when. Advertisement The study, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, focused on cementum, a dental tissue that covers the tooth's root, as grows reliably. From the moment a tooth surfaces in the mouth, it starts to form annual layers similar to a tree's rings. Professor Timothy Bromage, from the NYU's College of Dentistry, said: 'The discovery that intimate details of a person's life are recorded in this little-studied tissue, promises to bring cementum straight into the centre of many current debates concerning the evolution of human life history.' In the study, scientists examined nearly 50 human teeth, aged 25 to 69, drawn from a skeletal collection with known medical history and lifestyle data. This included details such as age, illnesses, and movement, for example from urban to rural environments. Much of this information was obtained from the subjects' next of kin. Researchers then used a series of imaging techniques that illuminated cementum bands, or rings, and linked each of these bands to different life stages, revealing connections between tooth formation and other occurrences. An Irish tech company has designed a 3D printable protective visor that could help to bridge the global shortfall of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the largest 3D printing companies in the country, Calt Dynamics, has already rowed in to offer its prototype to a Dublin hospital in need of more protective gear and is now sharing its design with a major US manufacturer. The company, based in Network Enterprise Park in Kilcoole, Co Wicklow, began working on the prototype visor in response to a shortage of protective equipment for healthcare staff globally as the Covid-19 virus continued to spread. Ross Lawless, CEO of Calt Dynamics, said the company was happy to help any organisation in need of protective visors during the Covid-19 crisis. Last week we saw there was a lack of PPE around the world so we thought it would be a good idea to put some designs down to see if we could make a 3D printable version, Mr Lawless told the Irish Examiner. We design and develop 3D printers and we also have a service for custom parts so were in a good position to be able to help." In recent days the company donated prototypes of its 3D printed visors to a Dublin hospital following an appeal for protective equipment on social media. Were waiting to hear back from the hospital and were willing to donate as many as we possibly can and do the rest at cost price. We want to make sure the hospital is happy with everything and well liaise with them before we start producing more, Mr Lawless said. Calt Dynamics 3D-printable protective visor The company, which was established in 2014 and has a subsidiary in Connecticut in the US, has reworked its design to keep costs down and maximise the number of visors produced in every 3D print run. It hopes to produce the visors for as little as a couple of euro. Were putting in the design work to keep the costs down low so were hoping to produce them for a couple of euros each, Mr Lawless explained. Were working to optimise the designs so we can pump them out. Were aiming to be able to make thousands of visors. Once we get the design finalised we can pump them out as needed. We have the equipment here to make the entire face shield itself and even sterilise them, he added. Given the shortage of protective gear globally, the company is sharing its design with Stanley Black and Decker, a major US manufacturer, and is also hoping to assist the Spanish government. We're going to pass the design on to Stanley Black and Decker in the USA. They have huge production capacity. When we make the designs available, hopefully people with 3D printers in different regions can help out wherever they are needed, Mr Lawless said, adding the Spanish government had also contacted the company for help with the supply of protective visors. The company, he said, was delighted to give a hand in such challenging times: Were donating our time for this. Were not going to charge anyone for designing this. Its good to be able to help. If there was ever a time to help this is it. Its really critical. Prince Charles of the UK, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, has tested positive for coronavirus and is displaying mild symptoms of the disease Prince Charles of the UK, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, has tested positive for coronavirus and is displaying mild symptoms of the disease. As per a report in The Guardian, a Clarence House spokesman has said that the Duchess of Cornwall too had been tested but does not have the virus. According to the spokesman, the 71-year-old Prince Charles is otherwise in good health. The Prince and Duchess are now self-isolating at their home in Scotland following government and medical advice. It is not possible to ascertain where the Prince of Wales caught the virus from considering the high number of engagements he carried out in recent weeks. The news comes amid reports that Prince William could soon step up to take on more senior roles in the Royal family during the coronavirus pandemic with chances of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles going into isolation. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak More than 4 lakh people across the globe have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The deadly virus has claimed over 19,000 lives worldwide. The first case of COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan city of China in December last year. The human to human transmitted virus soon started to spread across the world and more number of cases and deaths are being reported everyday. UK has seen more than 8,000 cases and has seen over 420 deaths from the pandemic. WILTON Gov. Ned Lamonts recent comments that Connecticut schools may not reopen until fall did not surprise Superintendent of Schools Kevin Smith. While there is nothing official regarding a closure beyond April 20 [which the governor had ordered], I cant imagine many people would be surprised by a lengthier closing, Smith said Wednesday. In that event, Smith was also asked how students would be graded in light of the distance learning that is now underway. Specifically, he was asked if the district would consider a pass/fail standard as is under discussion in New Canaan. We are investigating grading options, Smith said. Some type of mastery-based approach would seem to make sense, but we have not made any decision yet. That, he added, would involve using a rubric that reflects the extent to which a student has demonstrated competency of a learning standard. It could be as simple as met standard or has not met standard, he said. We need to get more feedback from our teachers as they grow more comfortable in a virtual environment, Smith said. In New Canaan, Superintendent Bryan Luizzi said district officials are looking into a pass/fail grading system for distance learning by talking with other members of District Reference Group A, to which Wilton belongs. Guidance counselors are also talking to colleges. The feedback really has been that the colleges understand what we are going through, they are going to be flexible and receptive to whatever decisions the districts make. They are not going to disadvantage students in their applications because of what is happening, he said during a board of education meeting that occurred online Monday night. For us in the region, what we are doing is talking to each other together and looking for the state to, hopefully, provide some guidance for us, Luizzi said. One of the things we have done, with schools in our DRG and in southern Fairfield County, we have all agreed that prior to a district making a decision, we will sit at a table, or at a Zoom conference, and talk through what we are thinking, Luizzi said. DRG A schools include those in Darien, Easton, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton, which are all in Fairfield County, and are the schools Wilton usually compares itself to. We have also been talking to districts in New York, because, as you know, it hit there before it hit us. At least one premier district in Westchester County has just gone to pass/fail on their distance learning program, Luizzi said. Grace Duffield contributed to this story. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) today said it has sent orders of isolation to 167 people in the county and has ordered 454 residents to quarantine due to the novel coronavirus. Dr. Heidi Gullett, CCBH medical director, shared the information during a morning press briefing. The legal orders of isolation are sent to people who have had confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and to those who have come in contact with presumed cases of the disease. Presumed or presumptive cases are people who have had close contact with a confirmed case and have developed symptoms. See copies of the county board of health orders at the bottom of this story. Click here to read the quarantine order. Click here to read the isolation order. The orders give dates to adhere to the quarantine and isolation instructions and advise people that they may be asked to have a medical exam. While these orders are mandatory, the board of health also gives people advice on how to cope with the orders and shares public health information. The board of health also calls people who are ordered to isolate and public health workers share specific instructions on how to safely isolate in a home to protect family members. During those calls they conduct interviews to determine the places the person has visited and the people they had contact with so they can instruct them to quarantine, a public health technique called contact tracing. The quarantine orders are sent to those who have been in close contact with people with laboratory-confirmed or presumed cases of COVID-19, which includes people who have symptoms of the disease but have not been tested. They also monitor whether a person who has been exposed has developed symptoms of the disease. These orders ask people to stay put," said Gullett. A special hotline, monitored by physicians the clock, is given to people who are quarantined so that they can call if their symptoms change or if they need medical advice. As of Wednesday, the county has discontinued isolation orders involving five people who have recovered and met the requirements to be released, Gullett said. As of Tuesday, 167 people had confirmed cases of coronavirus in Cuyahoga County, including 42 in Cleveland. Two people in Cuyahoga County have died. Cuyahogas second death is one of eight deaths statewide, out of 564 cases, reported by the Ohio Department of Health on Tuesday. The county has not released specific demographic information or municipal-level data due to privacy concerns, Gullett said. Gullett said the county is working with local hospital systems for a centralized way to report surge capacity, information an bed data and information around the number tests, lab results, including percent of tests that are positive. The information will be aggregate and not by institution. Gullett said she wanted to be sure the information was accurate before releasing it but hoped to be ready by Friday. Ohios administrative code outlines the specifics of the orders: Isolation: separation of an infected individual from others during the period of disease communicability in such a way that prevents, as far as possible, the direct or indirect conveyance of an infectious agent to those who are susceptible to infection or who may spread the agent to others. Quarantine: restriction of the movements or activities of a well individual that has been exposed to a communicable disease during the period of communicability of that disease and in such a manner that transmission of the disease may have occurred. By Michael Shields, Carl O'Donnell, Roxanne Liu and Anthony Deutsch ZURICH, March 25 (Reuters) - Spiez Lab, a government-run institute in the Swiss mountains, was set up to protect the nation from nuclear, biological and chemical threats. "For a world without weapons of mass destruction," runs its slogan. It is now fighting another global menace - the coronavirus - by providing face masks, the demand for which is growing faster than the disease they're meant to fend off. Hospitals treating COVID-19, the pandemic caused by the virus, can need up to nine times the protective equipment they do when dealing with normal flu, according to the American Hospital Association. The Swiss lab acquires masks that are past their expiry dates, then tests them to see if they still work. "If yes, they're being distributed to the health care system via military pharmacies," said spokesman Andreas Bucher. So far, he said, Spiez Lab has distributed 10.2 million masks. That's a lot for an institute better known for its expertise on deadly nerve agents. But globally, it's a drop in an ocean of need. In Switzerland, whose population of 8.2 million is about the size of New York City, it would amount to less than 10 days' supply, based on estimates by the Swiss government. Across the world, frontline medical staff are clamouring for face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE). Even as China, the world's main supplier, comes back onstream, companies around the globe are battling a host of obstacles, from illness to freight costs, from hoarding to a supply squeeze on filter fabric. In the United States, the new epicentre of the pandemic, shortages are so acute that health workers have taken to social media to appeal for help under the hashtag #GetMePPE. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has said that over the next 18 months it aims to buy 500 million masks for the Strategic National Stockpile, the nation's supply of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is distributing masks, but it's "not easy" for the federal government to help states obtain the equipment, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. Story continues Frontline medical staff in many countries say shortages of masks and other equipment have left them vulnerable to catching the virus - which forces them into isolation and reduces staff numbers. Madrid's doctors' union has filed a lawsuit to try to force the regional health authority to deliver scrubs, masks and goggles to hospitals and other health centres. A spokesman for the authority declined to comment. Medical staff in the Netherlands blame the lack of masks for the high rates of coronavirus infection among them - the health ministry disputes that but acknowledges the shortage. Almost a quarter of the 2,994 people infected as of March 20 worked in health care, according to the last available data from the National Institute for Health. Switzerland alone, a country of 8.6 million, needs 1.2 million masks a day, said Daniel Koch, head of the Swiss Federal Office of Health's communicable diseases division. There are two main kinds of mask: The surgical masks worn routinely on many Asian streets, which can provide some protection; and the higher-standard respirators, often known by designations such as N95 or FFP ("filtering facepiece"), which are meant for medical procedures to protect workers from the droplets through which the virus spreads. Demand for all of them has skyrocketed. U.S. hospitals are rapidly running down their supplies despite efforts to procure more masks from private and government sources, healthcare executives and industry spokespeople say. Major providers of medical masks - including 3M Co., Owens & Minor Inc, Cardinal Health Inc, and Medline Industries Inc. - say they are working multiple shifts a day and producing as much as four times their typical output, said David Gillan, a senior vice president at Vizient Inc, which helps healthcare providers manage their supply chains. But many hospitals say they only have enough masks for several days, Gillan said. PRADA AND PORSCHES As unused masks age, the materials they are made of degrade so they offer decreasing protection: Spiez Lab identifies those that are still safe. Other institutions and companies across the world have also retooled their operations to produce face masks. The effort resembles the Allied munitions drives of World War Two. Masks are being made in Germany by Zettl Automotive, a car supplier that usually makes seat covers for BMWs and Porsches; in Italy and Spain, by Prada and other fashion companies; and in the Czech republic, by a producer of boxer shorts and panties called Styx. "We have completely switched production from underwear to masks," said its executive director Ruslan Skopal. Such surgical masks, while they may help meet consumer demand, are not always helpful in hospitals. "Everything we use in hospitals must be regulated," said Benito Almirante, head of infectious diseases at the Vall D'Hebron hospital in Barcelona. "The masks made in all these altruistic projects cannot be used in hospitals because they are not regulated. ... It's better these kinds of masks are used for going to the supermarket, leaving the regulation material for health workers." The real boost to global supply of such masks will come from China, the world's largest mask manufacturer which makes about half global production. It is now emerging from its own epidemic and ramping up production for both the domestic and international market. By Feb. 29, the country was producing 116 million masks a day, China's state media CCTV reported on March 2, citing data obtained from National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The NDRC told companies that it would buy and store any surplus output after the outbreak. Even the China National Petroleum Corporation has joined the effort to produce face masks. It expects to be able to make 1.5 million a day by the end of March, Xinhua reported on Wednesday. In February, at the peak of China's outbreak, the entire output of Shenzhen-based Allmed Medical Products's N95 masks was bought by the government. Since resuming commercial export orders last week, Allmed has been flooded with overseas requests, but has only signed deals from North American and only with clients the company is familiar with or which are backed by governments, said a company representative. Its factories in Hubei province, the epicentre of the virus, can produce up to 250,000 N95-standard masks a day, which is "much higher" than the pre-outbreak capacity, said the representative. SMUGGLING AND BOTTLENECKS Other problems remain. In some countries, manufacturing and distribution has been hampered by supply chain problems, a precipitous drop in available air freight, and export restrictions by governments desperate to hang on to dwindling supplies. Other countries including India, South Korea, Taiwan, France and Germany have restricted or temporarily banned exports of medical equipment. Turkish authorities carried out simultaneous raids on the depots of face mask producers earlier this week to demand they sign contracts with the Health Ministry and stop hoarding stock, local media reported. In Ukraine, which has banned mask exports, border guards last week arrested a man in a wetsuit who they said was trying to smuggle masks across a river into Romania. They have also seized thousands of masks at border checkpoints. Some governments and multinational companies are donating shipments of masks to countries in need. But industrial mask-makers also face a bottleneck of a key component: Melt-blown polypropylene, the non-woven polymer fabric that forms the filter in most masks, which is made by smaller companies with limited capacity. "Trying to find a supplier who hasn't sold out for the next six months is hard," said Christopher Dobbing, the CEO and founder of Cambridge Mask Co., a small producer in Britain. Prices were up to 15 times higher than when the pandemic began, said Dobbing. Demand for his firm's masks had increased twelvefold, he added, "and that is for people willing to buy a mask now for delivery in 8 to 10 weeks time." RE-USING MASKS In one sign of the strain many countries face, the Dutch minister for medical care, Bruno Bruins, collapsed from exhaustion last week during questioning in parliament about face masks, and resigned the next day. In the Netherlands as elsewhere, acute shortages have forced medical staff to use one mask with multiple patients or to buy masks usually used for construction work. "Everyone just took matters into their own hands," said a doctor in the capital, Amsterdam, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. In a statement to Reuters, a spokesman for the Dutch Health Ministry said it was "working around the clock" to address the shortage, which he blamed on the surge in demand. The country's National Institute of Health, which sets the guidelines for safety gear, has asked doctors to keep used masks for re-use after cleaning. (Michael Shields reported from Zurich, Carl O'Donnell from New York, Roxanne Liu from Beijing and Anthony Deutsch from Amsterdam; Additional reporting by Sonya Dowsett in Madrid, Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Kelland in London, Michael Kahn in Prague, Claudia Cristoferi in Milan, Giulia Segreti in Rome, Ludwig Berger in Frankfurt and Joern Poltz in Munich; Writing by Andrew RC Marshall; Edited by Sara Ledwith) YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. As a continuation to the recent phone conversation with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian received today Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Armenia Mohamed AlZaabi, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The Armenian President touched upon the agreements that were reached during his phone talk with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and informed that the list of necessary items prepared by Armenias healthcare ministry will soon be transferred to the UAE side. The meeting participants discussed the development process of the Armenia-UAE bilateral relations, highlighted boosting the mutual partnership in the field of food safety and within the frames of the Armenian presidential initiative ATOM (Advanced Tomorrow). Following the meeting with the Armenian President, the UAE Ambassador said his country is ready to assist in fighting the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Coronavirus is a great challenge for humanity. We must cooperate with all countries, the talk is not about the UAE or Armenia only. We need to work jointly to stop this virus, the Ambassador said, adding that positive result is possible to achieve only by staying at home and keeping the social distance. Its very important to keep the social distance not only during the official meetings, but also at home with children and other members of the family. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan New Delhi, March 25 : In the wake of the pandemic which in the coming days might spread across the country, the Prime Minister declared a complete lockdown in India till April 14. Considering the global exposure India has already faced, it's population and vulnerability to exposure, the measure was taken to break the cycle. The world is under threat, as more than 16,000 people across the globe have lost their lives due to the novel coronavirus. The pandemic in India has till now killed ten and is reported to have affected more than 500 people. The figures are increasing and the count is predicted to only rise. There are health advisories being put up to maintain social distance during this medical crisis and maintain hygiene by sanitising and washing your hands frequently. Everyone is doing their bit to fight against the virus by staying at home and maintaining social distance. The corporate world too stepped up to the plate to lend a helping hand in this time of crisis. One of the leading producers of distilled spirits, NV Group initiated talks to provide the Punjab government with thousands of litres of sanitisers to be used in hospitals. Even though the company has closed all its operations in its distilleries in Haryana, Chandigarh, Goa and Maharashtra, the Punjab unit has been working to produce hand sanitisers. Varun Jain, Director - Marketing and New Business Development of NV Group, said: "We were anyway getting 'Smoke' sanitizers done for our vodka brand because sanitisers technically are made of alcohol. So the thought was there, but we never knew that Corona will kick in. We spoke to the Punjab government and told them that we are ready to provide them with sanitiser, depending on how much they need. Right now, the requirement is 50,000 litres." He added, "It is always an expense, but we are not looking it as an expense but an activity which is to the benefit of the government and the people. With all the permissions in place we will be are providing 50,000 litres of sanitisers in 20 litre bottles in the next 2-3 days. If they need more, we will give them more." After NV Group initiated it, the Punjab government is planning to make it mandatory for all distilleries to provide it with a certain amount of alcohol to make hand sanitisers, he said. To meet the shortfall, beauty and wellness brand VLCC has also started manufacturing hand sanitisers to meet the sudden spike in demand in the market for hygiene products. The company announced the commencement of production of hand sanitisers at its manufacturing facility in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. Jayant Khosla, Managing Director and Group Head, VLCC, said: "We have decided to manufacture and distribute hand sanitisers as our humble contribution to the collective national effort of tackling the COVID-19 crisis and have accordingly diverted a part of our manufacturing capacity to produce them. The pricing of the product will be in keeping with the latest statutory regulations for all pack sizes". (This article is website exclusive and cannot be reproduced without the permission of IANSlife) (Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text FLINT, MI -- A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to 6 months of jail time for stealing an ambulance from outside a Flint hospital. Raymond E. Kibby, 33, was sentenced Monday, March 23 by Genesee Circuit Judge Celeste D. Bell to the jail time, with 41 days credit on charges including assault with a dangerous weapon, third-degree fleeing and eluding police, and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated -- second offense. He reached a plea deal in December 2019 that dropped unlawful driving away of an automobile, malicious destruction of fire or police property, and unlawful driving away of an automobile charges. The charges stemmed from a Nov. 26, 2019 incident which began at McLaren Flint off South Ballenger Highway. Thats where Kibby stole a STAT EMS ambulance. The ambulance had just parked following a call and a patient was being delivered to the emergency room shortly after midnight at McLaren Flint off South Ballenger Highway. Joseph R. Karlichek, Chief Operating Officer for STAT EMS, previously said the ambulance was in the bay outside the emergency room doors at the time of the incident. The vehicle was unlocked with the keys in the ignition at the time of the theft due to an urgent situation with a patient when paramedics arrived, Karlichek noted. The ambulance personnel noticed the vehicle was missing when the exited the hospital. Ambulance stolen from Flint hospital crashes after police chase The location of the ambulance was confirmed and 911 was called. No injuries were reported to STAT EMS staff. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said Kibby was at the hospital receiving treatment for heroin withdrawal. Hed been dropped off by his mom after it was noticed he was going through the withdrawals. Flint Police Chief Phil Hart previously said at least one city unit and several other law enforcement agencies including the Genesee County Park Rangers were involved in the pursuit. Leyton said its fortunate nobody was hurt" because video from inside the ambulance shows Kibby not stopping at red lights at Court Street and Miller Road. The ambulance eventually crashed into a tree and hit a police vehicle in the area of Alvord Avenue and Fenton Road. When Kibby spoke with officers, Leyton said, He complained to the police that the ambulance wouldnt go fast enough because it only reached speeds between 35-40 miles per hour. He also told police hed stolen the ambulance to go and buy heroin on the citys south side, Leyton said. Kibby will be transported to a 90-day substance use disorder program at New Paths following the jail sentence, per the judges sentence. Man allegedly stole ambulance from hospital to go buy heroin Patience is one of Susan Meles foremost virtues. Her answer for troubling times in the age of the novel coronavirus pandemic? Some days it could be Psalm 91. Other days it might be First Corinthians, Chapter 13. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Harris County has a stay-at-home order. What does that mean? More for you These essential businesses can stay open amid stay-at-home Mele recently suffered the March 5 loss of her mother, Louise McBee, but funeral services are still pending at First Baptist Church of Deer Park. My church had to postpone it because of the 10-person limitation, Mele said. My mother was 88 years old and a member of the church. A lot of the people that are in her Sunday school class are the target age of those who could be affected, and I think they are the ones that people are most concerned about. Here are my thoughts: Everybody wants closure. When someone passes away, you do the funeral planning, have the funeral and mourn the death with your friends. Its part of life. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus in Houston: These essential businesses can stay open amid stay-at-home order When its taken away, yes, it does postpone that closure. At the same time, safety is most important. Your loved ones can be celebrated at any time. Funeral director: Families understand situation Local funeral homes are dealing with similar challenges on an everyday basis. Gov. Greg Abbott has recommended keeping funeral services under 10 people, maintaining social distance between attendees or hosting services virtually online. Ron Crowder, lead funeral director of Crowder Funeral Home in Webster, knows that serenity and compassion are vital every day in his profession. Even after notifying relatives that only 10 persons may attend a service, Crowder says hes received a positive response. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus live updates: 31 new cases in Houston So far all of our families which we have dealt with have been very receptive and understand the circumstances, Crowder said. We try to expedite things as much as possible to make sure we accommodate the familys needs. Crowder, which operates funeral homes in La Marque, Dickinson, Pearland, Webster and League City, has been able to function in almost normal fashion in an unconventional atmosphere. Were like everybody else were still waiting to see what these numbers are going to do and how serious its going to be, Ron Crowder said. Well see how its going to be in the long term. As of right now, we havent seen any adverse effects. Live streaming and precautions Being able to provide video for those unable to attend a service has proven valuable. Definitely, I think thats the real answer the live streaming of the ceremony, Crowder said. All the ministers weve been dealing with are taking all the necessary precautions, and all the ceremonies have been brief. Of course, we always console the family and take care of their emotional needs. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: First responders cant social distance. Some are getting sick. And departments say it could strain responses However, there are many willing to wait for the traditional service. Meles family falls into that category. We understand and we celebrate (her mother) every day in our hearts, Mele said. Thats my perspective, and other people are going to have a different perspective. My mother is with God and in his presence. Im a very strong Christian, and thats how I live with it. We will be able to do it when the time is right. While Mele, her family and friends are willing to bide their time, others may not have that option. However, those desiring an immediate funeral will encounter several barriers. In addition to restricting the head count at funeral services, Crowder said attendance guidelines for visitations and graveside services also have strict limitations. Were following all the national recommendations as well as the precautions set by the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines), Crowder said. Most of the cemeteries that notified us want to operate under the same precautions while limiting the time of the services. Crowder said the Houston National Cemetery for military veterans is an exception. They have asked that no family members attend any kind of service, he said. They just ask the funeral director to show up and take care of the burial or the placing of ashes. That national cemetery has the most stringent limitations right now. Its a very big operation, and they have a number of families they service every day. While the coronavirus remains very contagious, dealing with such a situation is not foreign to Crowder and others in the industry. As far as the embalming and preparation process, we always take the necessary precautions, he said. Thats something we do as a matter of our daily practices. Theres not really anything extra that we need to do. We make sure everything is sanitized and sterilized properly so that were not going to have any complications. We do that under our normal protocol. All funeral homes and mortuary services are trained in those kinds of procedures. We deal with other types of contagious diseases; so we take those precautions all the time. It is what it is In Meles case, she selected Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Crosby as part of her mothers funeral planning. Now, Mele is exercising patience until a time when its safe for everyone, not just 10 people, to attend her mothers funeral. Following the rules that are set forth to us are important, she said. This epidemic is growing, and its not going away. We all have to deal with it. Whenever they say we can do the funeral, well do it. Deer Park Funeral Directors has been amazing, and they have been assisting me with this. Theyve been helping people like me that didnt even use them for their service. They reached out and helped me through all this and didnt charge me. Mele encountered one other bump in the road, but its not affecting her plans. We placed an ad in the (Houston Chronicle) and other papers announcing the service, she said. We spent $1,500 and there was no service. Well have to do that all over again. It is what it is. Theres nothing that can be done about that. tdunnam@hcnonline.com Turkey has charged 20 suspects, including two former aides to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, over the 2018 murder of Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi. Prosecutors accuse Saudi Arabia's deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri and the royal court's media czar Saud al-Qahtani of leading the operation and giving orders to a Saudi hit team. Khashoggi, 59, a commentator who wrote for The Washington Post, was killed after he entered the Saudi consulate on October 2, 2018, to obtain paperwork for his wedding to Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. Turkey carried out its own investigation into the murder after being unhappy with Saudi explanations. Journalist Jamal Khashoggi (pictured) was strangled and his body cut into pieces by a 15-man Saudi squad The Istanbul prosecutor's office said in a statement that Assiri and Qahtani were charged with 'instigating the deliberate and monstrous killing, causing torment'. Eighteen other suspects - including intelligence operative Maher Mutreb who frequently travelled with the crown prince on foreign tours, forensic expert Salah al-Tubaigy and Fahad al-Balawi, a member of the Saudi royal guard - were also charged with 'deliberately and monstrously killing, causing torment'. They face life in jail if convicted. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (pictured) has been directly linked to the killing Mutreb, Tubaigy and Balawi had been among 11 on trial in Riyadh, during which sources said many of those accused defended themselves by saying they were carrying out Assiri's orders, describing him as the operation's 'ringleader'. The Turkish prosecutor said a trial in absentia would be opened against the 20 suspects but did not give a date. The prosecutor had already issued arrest warrants for the suspects, who are not in Turkey. Khashoggi, a Saudi insider-turned-critic, was strangled and his body cut into pieces by a 15-man Saudi squad inside the consulate, according to Turkish officials. His remains have never been found. The CIA, UN special envoy Agnes Callamard and Turkey have directly linked Crown Prince Mohammed to the killing, a charge the kingdom vehemently denies. A 26-year-old Missouri man who authorities say was seen in a social media video licking items at a Walmart to mock fears of the coronavirus pandemic was arrested and charged with making a terrorist threat. Cody Pfister. (Warren Police) Cody Lee Pfister posted a video of himself licking deodorants at the Warrenton store on March 11, according to court documents. As he wiped his tongue across the packages, he asked, "Who's scared of coronavirus?" according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Pfister was arrested Monday. The Warrenton Police Department said in a Facebook post that it received calls from local residents, as well as people overseas in the Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom, to report the video. "We take this incident very seriously, especially with this infectious disease and the state that the country is in," Lt. Justin Unger told NBC News. "We take these things seriously to protect our community. A criminal complaint states that Pfister "knowingly caused a false belief or fear that a condition involving danger to life existed" by posting the video online. He appeared in court Wednesday and is due back in May. NBC news could not immediately reach Pfister's attorney for comment. The lawyer, Patrick J. Coyne, told the Post-Dispatch that the video was recorded the day before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic and that "public conduct that was immature on March 10 looks completely differently through the lens of today." "Everything has changed at warp speed, but that should not work retroactively and convert a tasteless and impulsive act into a criminal terrorist threat," the newspaper quoted Coyne as saying. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak A New Jersey man was charged with making a terroristic threat and harassment after he was alleged to have purposely coughed on a Wegmans grocery store employee and said he had the coronavirus. New Jersey's attorney general said that the employee asked the man, George Falcone, 50, to step back but that instead Falcone leaned forward and coughed in the worker's face. Falcone laughed and said he had been infected with the virus, the attorney general said. M ore than 170,000 people have signed up for the NHS Volunteer Responders scheme just hours after it was launched. The Government called for an army of helpers to support the NHS as medics battle against the coronavirus outbreak. National Medical Director of NHS England Stephen Powis said he was "bowled over" by the response. Prof Powis told BBC Breakfast: "We have seen incredible responses throughout this. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images "Yesterday we sent out a call to arms, looking for an army of NHS volunteers. We were looking for a quarter of a million volunteers. "And I can now say overnight we have already had 170,000 people sign up. "So that's three a minute signing up to help the NHS. It's an absolutely astonishing response." Prof Powis said there had also been outbreaks of altruism and people wanting to help, adding that he was bowled over by medics returning to the front line and the response from people signing up to help the vulnerable. He added: This is a health emergency, we can all play a role in ensuring we get on top of coronavirus and at the same time expand capacity in the NHS. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday evening that the workforce will help the NHS with "shopping and delivery of medicines and to support those who are shielded to protect their own health". 'It's amazing': Something incredible is happening to thousands of Texas prisoners Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Only God can affect true heart and life change and pastor Stephen Wilson knows that all too well. When Wilson accepted the Lord into his life, he also voluntarily turned himself into authorities and served a two-year prison sentence for a past crime. After his release, he jumped into ministry, and hasn't looked back. Now, he's helping others find Christ by planting churches inside Texas prisons. I never really thought about prison ministry until I walked in and saw the hearts of the guys. The very first night I walked into county prison, I was scared to death, he recently told The Pure Flix Podcast. [What] made the [biggest] impact on me: seeing these men in a crisis type situation where you would think it was the lowest part of their lives, they gathered together in prayer It blew me away and thats when the holy spirit placed it on my heart and said you really need to minister to these guys. READ ALSO: Bible Teachers Mission To Transform Prisoners For Christ Over the years, Wilson has ministered to and mentored thousands of prisoners who are serving sentences in at least four Texas state penitentiaries. Wilson, working as a full-time pastor for the Texas-based Gateway Church, brings all the elements of a traditional church service inside the walls of the prison, and lives are being dramatically changed as a result of his work. Listen to Wilson reveal what's happening inside the Texas prison system: [We had a] November 2018 launch and in eight months [we] had 1,000 men come to know Christ. First time decisions and recommitments," he said. "Were going in and doing baptisms inside the prison. Its amazing." And that was only at one prison campus. Since he spoke to The Pure Flix Podcast, the ministry has opened at least three more prison campuses and is working with prison officials to open even more. READ ALSO: 'I Wanted To Die': Woman's Overcomer Story Will Leave You In Tears The ministry goes well beyond just Sunday service and offers spiritual growth, marriage, parenting, financial stewardship and leadership classes as well. We didnt want to come in and just be evangelistic. We really wanted to be discipleship minded," Wilson said. "We have volunteers come in and we work with them on how to be the husband that God has called them to be, the father the God has called them to be or the leader that God has called them to be. We want them to walk out and be a pillar in the community. Todays offender is tomorrows neighbor. And some state statistics would imply God is working miracles in these prisoners lives. Here in Texas, our recidivism rate is very low. Were at 21 percent here in Texas where nationally it can range from 60 to 80 percent, Wilson said. Were seeing a revival inside our prisons because once a guy receives Christ and makes a heart change and a life change, that guy gets out and he wants to be the husband or father that God wants him to be, hes not going back. Hes not reoffending." He continued, "Our faith-based programing is making a difference inside the prisons. Wilson said he is in constant awe to see God at work with the men and families who are able to attend the marriage and parenting classes. I go in and watch the holy spirit work, he said. Once those guys accept Christ and really start learning the scriptures and what God says about them and just the hope it gives them for when they get out and be that husband and dad that God has called them to be. This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider. Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows. You can get a free, one-month trial here. Billy Hallowell, author of "The Armageddon Code," has contributed to TheBlaze, the Washington Post, Human Events, the Daily Caller, Mediaite, and the Huffington Post, among other news sites. Through journalism, media, public speaking appearances, and the blogosphere, Hallowell has worked as a journalist and commentator for more than a decade. The number of cases of COVID-19 in Victoria have risen by 55 overnight to 466, Premier Daniel Andrews has announced. He welcomed stage two restrictions announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison last night and warned there would, at some stage, be a stage 3. The Premier urged Victorians to stay in to help slow the spread of the virus. "If you can stay at home, you must stay at home," he said. After facing criticism for allowing them to stay open amid the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday he is ordering child day care centers in the state to close next week until further notice unless they solely serve" the kids of essential workers. Murphy said he signed an executive order saying any centers that wish to continue operating to certify with the state by Friday they are watching only children of essential workers. If they dont do so, they must close by Wednesday, April 1, the governor said. We need all of our frontline workers on the job, helping us to get through this emergency," Murphy said at the Trenton War Memorial during his daily coronavirus press briefing. "A lack of child care cannot be a barrier for them. Under the order, essential workers includes: health-care workers, law enforcement personnel, employees of the child-care centers, employees at the child care centers that remain open, workers providing essential social services (such as group homes and shelters), essential government employees, and certain critical workers at retail businesses allowed to stay open in the state. Murphy said hes giving the centers a week to close to get a handle on which will remain open and who they will serve. The governor said the centers that remain open must abide by the states health and safety guidelines and can watch children 13 and younger. He added that if there are any gaps in child care availability for essential workers, the state will direct county emergency services to identify centers. Murphy has closed all public and private schools in the state, as well as non-essential retail businesses, and ordered people to stay at home to help slow the spread of the virus. But for days, the governor said he was not closing children day care centers was because many first responders and health-care employees rely heavily on child care to continue working, especially with schools closed. The state even approved additional funding for such centers. Critics, though, said keeping the centers open exposed children and workers to the virus, which causes the illness COVID-19. Some told NJ Advance Media child care centers were accepting more children than just those of essential workers. State Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, called on the governor to find a solution. Murphy said he worked with Vitale on the plan. Vitale, head of the Senates health committee, said hes pleased with the outcome and hes spoken with a number of centers about being able to reopen. I hoped it would happen sooner, but I think its great were doing it now, Vitale told NJ Advance Media. Well be able to move the first responders families as quickly as possible. State officials announced Tuesday that New Jersey now has at least 4,402 known cases of the coronavirus, including 62 known deaths. Only New York has more cases in the U.S. Read Murphys full order here. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Health officials have cautioned Kenyans against hoarding medicines and self-medicating following a surge in the demand for three drugs touted as treatment for Covid-19. The drugs include chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, one of which(chloroquine) was endorsed by US President Donald Trump. According to Dr Daniella Munene, CEO of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK), these drugs are sold only on prescription, yet some Kenyans, especially in Nairobi, have managed to get hold of and hoard them, putting the country at risk. This behaviour is irresponsible and reckless in the face of a pandemic that has the potential to be the biggest challenge yet to our health system. Hoarding these essential medicines means that patients who depend on them to daily improve their quality of life, or those who might eventually get Covid-19, will be adversely affected by the shortage that will ensue, she warned. Dr Munene also cautioned the public that possession of prescription-only medicines without a valid prescription is illegal and can attract hefty fines and time in jail. Self-medicating Risks She further noted that self-medicating using these drugs is harmful since their benefits and contraindications have not been considered depending on the gender, age, and pre-existing conditions of a patient. Without the input of a healthcare professional, you are exposed to various risks from these medicine such as weakened immunity, thus increasing your risk of severe Covid-19 infection, Dr Munene added. Further, the PSK boss warned pharmacies to observe the law and the PSK Code of Ethics in supplying the three drugs. Last week, Donald Trump hyped the anti-malaria drug Chloroquine as a Covid-19 Cure saying: Its been around for a long time, so we know if things dont go as planned its not going to kill anybody Its shown very, very encouraging early results, and were going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately. However, several people have since been reported dead from Chloroquine poisoning in the U.S. Nigeria also reported three cases of chloroquine poisoning in the wake of President Trumps comments. The United States government has asked its citizens in India to follow the curbs imposed during the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced Tuesday by prime mnister Narendra Modi. Washington also indicated on Wednesday that it is in talks with New Delhi to fly back its citizens. On March 24, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide curfew till April 15, 2020, in order to prevent the spread of #COVID19. US citizens are required to comply with Indian law & obey directions from law enforcement officers, said a release from the US Embassy in India. The 21-day lockdown announced yesterday bars movement of all residents including foreigners unless they are associated with essential services and also orders shutting down of private businesses including hotels etc. However, exemptions have been made and authorities are intervening to address genuine concerns. The US embassy release asks its citizens to comply while adding that the exact parameters of the curfew are still unclear. The embassy also said it had requested Indian authorities to allow US residents to stay in their hotels despite the lockdown provisions. The embassy statement says it is working to arrange for flights from India to the US and once that is done it will request the government for a safe passage for US citizens to the airport. The U.S. Mission to India continues to work with the U.S. Department of State and airline companies to arrange flights from India to the United States for U.S. citizens. Once these flights are arranged, we will work with the Indian government to arrange to the greatest extent possible safe passage to airports for U.S. citizens, says the release. The embassy noted that several US citizens have sought assistance to leave India and asked all to register for its Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) application to receive daily updates on the evacuation efforts. The embassy release doesnt offer any estimate of the number of US citizens currently staying in India and how many have sought assistance to fly back to their own country, which is one of the worst affected by the outbreak of the disease. France has also said that it wants to evacuate about 2,000 French tourists in India through special Air France flights, arrangement for which is being discussed with the Indian authorities. It must be noted that India has enforced a ban on the arrival of all international flights in the country. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The pandemic that has idled scores of commercial flights is having a little-noticed consequence for meteorologists, whose forecasts rely in part on data collected from planes. That means a crucial eye in the sky has weakened just as spring flood waters rise across North American and Europe, and farmers are preparing to plant wheat, corn and soybeans. In terms of importance, aircraft data are usually in the top five, said Chris Davis, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. With flights all but halted in many nations, meteorologists have seen a steep decline in more than 700,000 daily weather observations from aircraft. There could be a resulting dip in weather-forecasting accuracy, meteorologists warn, but fortunately there are possible workarounds to augment the remaining flights. Forecasters have faced this challenge before. After the Sept. 11th terror attacks in the U.S., the grounding of global air traffic caused a deterioration of computer weather models. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts found between a 4% to 5% loss in its modeling abilities, Davis said. The decrease in flights as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic hasnt been that severe so far. About 17% of all trips worldwide have been cancelled, according to FlightAware, an airline tracking service, and 34% of U.S. flights have been grounded. That has led the European Centre to see 45% drop-off in incoming reports from airplanes since March 1. One difference is that the pandemic and its economic fallout could last longer. The loss of airplane data could continue into the summer, the European Centre said. Airplanes have been gathering weather data since WWI. The U.S. Weather Bureau first paid pilots in 1919 to carry instruments attached to wing struts to a height of 13,500 feet (4,100 meters). The flyers who got higher were paid a bonus. The modern data-collection network took shape in 1998 when the World Meteorological Organization created the Aircraft Meteorology Data Relay Panel, which led to a fully automated system for gathering weather data from commercial, private and military aircraft. The flight information is radioed to ground stations and relayed to meteorologists. That data is combined in forecasting models with satellite observations and readings from weather balloons, ground stations and even buoys at sea. The heaviest concentration of daily aircraft weather reporting comes from the U.S., Western Europe and Japan. In the U.S. alone there are about 250 million observations per year, said Susan Buchanan, a spokeswoman for the National Weather Service. Jets from American and Delta as well as cargo haulers FedEx and UPS contribute weather data, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Total loss of airplane data can have an impact. The European Centre, whose Euro weather models are touted as the gold-standard among many forecasters, ran a simulation last year that eliminated all airliner reports and found short-range forecast skill for temperature and wind fell by about 15%, with a smaller loss in prediction of high- and low-pressure patterns. The U.S. government, which runs weather models of its own, doesnt anticipate a great loss of accuracy. Even though a decrease in critical data will likely negatively impact forecast model skill, it does not necessarily translate into a reduction in forecast accuracy, said Buchanan. She cited billions of Earth observations from other sources that feed into our models. There are reasons to be optimistic. The heavy cancellations havent reduced flights by military and cargo haulers or private aircraft. Unlike 9/11, there still are a lot of planes flying, so the impact is muted right now, said Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist at the Weather Company, an IBM business. In addition, the forecast models themselves are better than in 2001. There is some redundancy in observations, enough that some compensation can occur if one type is lost, said Davis of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The system can be tuned such that other observations take up some of the slack. Not perfect, but fairly resilient. Some of the data could also be made up by additional weather balloon launches, an undertaking that is often used in anticipation of weather emergencies such as a hurricane bearing down on a coastline. Balloons are currently launched twice a day at 850 weather stations worldwide, climbing to heights up to 115,000 feet while radioing back information every second. Above all is the fleet of satellites keeping an eye on weather down below. Crawford said these provide the most important observations. There are also flights that almost never stop. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Air Force Reserve have a cadre of pilots dedicated to flying weather missions. The Hurricane Hunters, as theyre called, are currently flying into the Pacific gathering information on atmospheric rivers. In June, these pilots will transfer back to their summer jobs: searching for hurricanes in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific. About the photo: Tail fins of recently landed Delta Air Lines sit parked at Pinal Airpark Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Red Rock, Ariz., as many passenger planes are being kept at the facility as airlines cut back on service due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) With assistance from Alan Levin and Mary Schlangenstein. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Mumbai, March 25 : Five more COVID-19 positive cases were detected overnight in the state taking the total number of infected persons from 107 to 116, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said here on Wednesday. On the brighter side, 14 positive patients have been cured and shall be sent home, he added as the state and country observed a total lock-down as part of the 'war against virus'. Earlier today, five members of a family from Islampur, Sangli district were found positive and this afternoon, another four were positive, all from Mumbai. All the nine patients are undergoing treatment at various hospitals. Besides, a total of 14 positive cases in Mumbai and Pune hospitals, who have been completely cured, shall be sent home soon, spelling cheers on Maharashtra New Year, Gudi Padva being celebrated on a low-key today. Mumbai has so far recorded four deaths of COVID-19 patients - two men both 63 years old, a 65-year old and a 68-year old Philippines national. Another 94 suspected cases were admitted to various city hospitals yesterday, according to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, state Congress President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, Health Minister Rajesh Tope appealed to people to celebrate Gudi Padva indoors exercising all precautions in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Setting an example, they celebrated Gudi Padva by hoisting the auspicious 'gudi' in their homes with only family members in attendance and circulated photos and videos to inspire the masses. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Three coronavirus (COVID-19) cases have been registered in Kyiv and thus 34 cases have already been registered, said Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. "Friends! An alarming statistic is increasing in Kyiv. Today three more laboratory-confirmed cases of coronavirus were confirmed this afternoon. We received a data from the State Institution Kyiv City Laboratory Center of the Health Ministry of Ukraine. "The number of people in Kyiv who got COVID-19 increased to 34," wrote Klitschko on Facebook. Klitschko noted that all three Kyiv residents, whose diagnosis was positive, were men aged 31, 36 and 67 years. "Two of them recently returned from Israel, one from the United Arab Emirates. All three patients were hospitalized to the Oleksandrivska Hospital in Kyiv," the mayor added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 Trend: Novruz or Nawruz is the New Year according to the solar calendar, which the ancient peoples involved in agriculture celebrated during the vernal equinox. It is not a national, private custom inherent in a particular group, who are descendants of fire worshipers. It is a celebration of a natural phenomenon - the beginning of the New Year upon the solar calendar. There is such a fact that the Armenians boasting of being autochthonous, as opposed to all the nations and peoples living in a vast region, do not celebrate Novruz. Several hypotheses may be put forward to answer the question - why the Armenians do not celebrate Novruz. The main version is that the descendants of the tribe of hai settled in the current territory of the Republic of Armenia do not have a corresponding historical memory about the existence of the Solar Chronology of the New Year (Novruz). The fact questions the very identity of modern hai with historical Armenians. This is evidence of a foreign origin and the later emergence of hai tribe in the South Caucasus. One way or another, but the question why the Armenians declaring themselves to be "autochthonous and the oldest people in the region", as opposed to all their neighbors, do not celebrate Novruz, remains open. Novruz holiday originates from the pre-Islamic era, including Zoroastrianism and is associated with the ancient beliefs of the peoples who inhabited Asia and part of Europe. Except for Armenians, this holiday is celebrated on March 21 every year by millions of people of different nationalities and beliefs in Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Georgia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Macedonia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Syria, residents of the western provinces of China, as well as Tatars, Bashkirs, peoples of the North Caucasus and many other regions of Russia. Novruz is the oldest holiday on Earth, symbolizing the beginning of a new life.People must celebrate the appearance of life on Earth, which originated "in six forms" (sky, water, earth, plants, animals and humans), every spring. Since the ancient times, the traditions of celebrating Novruz holiday have preserved among numerous people that practice Judaism, Christianity and Islam today. Various peoples continue to solemnly celebrate this holiday despite the spread of Christianity and Islam up till now on a vast geographical area. The customs of Novruz holiday testify to the ancient history of the Azerbaijani people and other peoples celebrating this holiday except for the Armenians. Head of the Expert Council of the Baku Network, PhD Elkhan Alasgarov Join us on Twitter and Facebook https://twitter.com/BakuNetworkandhttps://www.facebook.com/BakuNetwork YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp5ic7mhc6rZF6w0TQWqtmg IN an effort to improve healthcare provision across the country, the government is set to employ 610 new doctors. The Presidents Office Regional Administration and Local Government (TAMISEMI) announced hundreds of employment opportunities to qualified doctors. The government invited physicians and dentists who have graduated from various state-accredited Higher Education Institutions to submit applications for employment from Tuesday. The new doctors will fill various vacancies in Council Hospitals and Health Centers, read part of the announcement posted yesterday on the ministrys website. The vacant positions listed include grade II doctors and dentists. Applicants must have a Bachelor or Doctor in Medicine or Dentistry from governmentrecognized Universities. They must have completed internships for at least one year and have been enrolled in the Medical Council of Tanganyika, explained the announcement. It further cautioned that all applicants should be ready to work in any of the Councils that they will be assigned to. On February 20, this year, President John Magufuli promised fresh employment opportunities to 1,000 medical doctors in the country while pledging to work on challenges facing the health professionals to increase efficiency in healthcare delivery. Dr Magufuli said the employment of the doctors will help to curb shortage of the professionals in newly constructed health facilities, in addition to gaining experience. The Head of State was addressing the medical doctors in Dar es Salaam, at a meeting organised by the Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT) as part of activities ahead of the 2nd Tanzania Doctors Day that was scheduled for March 4 this year. There are about 2,700 medical doctors who are yet to be employed...to start with, the government will employ 1,000 health experts and it will continue to employ more of them depending on the governments financial capacity, Dr Magufuli said, adding: We need medical doctors up to the village level; The government has built 352 health centers and 77 district hospitals, all of which have to be staffed by doctors. He said that the medics should be employed so that they can get experience, especially in using advanced medical equipment. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 06:01:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GENEVA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Seeing a very sharp decline in global trade, Roberto Azevedo, director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), on Wednesday said a global solution is needed to address the global challenge brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a video message published by the WTO, Azevedo admitted that "this pandemic will inevitably have an enormous impact on the economy, trade, and consequently on jobs and people's well-being." Recalling recent projections on an economic downturn and job losses that are worse than those of the global financial crisis a dozen years ago, Azevedo said WTO would release its trade forecast in a few weeks. He warned that economists would inevitably foresee "a very sharp decline in trade". "Trade is what allows for the efficient production and supply of basic goods and services, medical supplies and equipment, food and energy that we all need", he continued, "keeping trade open and investments flowing will be critical to keep shelves plentiful and prices affordable." He underlined that a global response is needed to tackle a global challenge of this pandemic, saying "no country is self-sufficient, no matter how powerful or advanced, it may be." In a press release, Azevedo stressed the importance of transparency with regard to trade-related measures, arguing that it would be particularly useful for many countries that rely on imports for medical supplies. He set up a task force of experts to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on trade flows and the overall global economy. Larz (Shawn Mendes), a Tiktok influencer and a YouTuber who was part of the 'Toilet Seat Licking' coronavirus challenge on social media said he tested positive for coronavirus. Larz, whose Twitter account has now been suspended because of violating Twitter rules, took to Twitter and said , "I tested positive for Coronavirus." Earlier on March 21, Larz posted a video on Twitter where he licks a brown substance, believed to be foundation, from the toilet seat before saying, 'coronavirus challenge.' This was part of the trend that was going on social media platforms, mainly, on Tiktok. The clip went viral and had received over 5 lakh views. The day after he posted the toilet video, Larz tweeted another clip of himself lying on a bed in what appears to be a hospital room and said, 'I tested positive for Coronavirus.' The United States have been the third COVID-19 worst-hit country after China and Italy with over 60,162 positive cases as on March 25, 2020. US has witnessed over 823 deaths till now. The global COVID-19 positives cases have jumped to 4,45,982 with Italy losing most of the people, 6,820. Wuhan, Hubei to lift lockdown, signaling China's win over COVID-19 Global Times By GT staff reporters Source: Published: 2020/3/24 13:51:42 Cities outside Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, where the first confirmed coronavirus case was reported in the country, are scheduled to lift the outbound traffic control measures on Wednesday, and Wuhan will lift its lockdown on April 8, allowing local people to travel outside the province, given the visible progress in combating the coronavirus battle. Lifting the lockdown is also seen as a major sign that the country has scored a victory in this battle, medical experts and observers said. It has been over two months since Wuhan, a city with about 11 million population which was hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, was completely locked down, part of China's decisive and aggressive measures to fight the deadly novel coronavirus. The National Health Commission said no new confirmed cases have been reported in Hubei from Wednesday to Sunday, and the World Health Organization said Wuhan's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic gives the rest of the world hope as the highly contagious disease has spread to 168 countries and regions as of Tuesday, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Medicine said. However, on Tuesday, news that a doctor in Wuhan had become the latest case exposed to the risks of the coronavirus infection in local hospital outpatient services. The doctor works at the Hubei Provincial People's Hospital and may have been infected while working there, the Wuhan Health Commission said on Tuesday. When asked if it is proper time to loosen traffic controls as the new infection case emerged in Wuhan, Yang Zhanqiu, a virologist at Wuhan University, said that individual infections will not make a big difference. He said it is abnormal to see no new infections at all at this stage. Given the visible progress in the domestic battlefield, China has now shifted its focus to prevent both a relapse of domestic cases and an increase in imported cases in COVID-19 prevention work, according to a meeting held by the central government's leading group for steering COVID-19 prevention on Monday. The group warned that while domestic COVID-19 transmission has been controlled in China, risks of sporadic and regional cluster infections still exist. The local government should report daily new infections in a transparent way, and that concealment or lies about the numbers is strictly forbidden, it said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Doctor Jessen previously stated: "The Italians use Covid-19 to take a long siesta." Now he apologises: I was wrong. Forgive me, I have to think about my mental health ". Also read: British doctor says Italians using Coronavirus as excuse for 'long siesta' Here is the text of his tweet of apology: "Regarding my comments abut the worldwide coronavirus outbreak and its impact on Italy: I got this one very wrong - I tried to alleviate more panic setting in however, in hindsight, I recognize my flippant remark was insensitive and I must apologize for any upset I have caused. I understand why it was offensive and I hope I can make it up to you in future. As a doctor, its my job to be honest and to try and bring light into peoples loves. I would like to assure you that my thoughts are with everyone affected by the virus, and to those who are working extremely hard to help everyone get through this difficult time. If youre in a position to do so, you can help fight coronavirus by donating to the COVID-19 solidarity Response Fund for WHO here: https://covid19responsefund.org/" London: Blood from recovered coronavirus victims could soon be used to treat patients who are battling the disease and even help vulnerable people avoid the illness altogether. Scientists in the United States are waiting for approval to start a human trial to see if the blood plasma of people who have already fought off the disease can help boost the immune system of others. The approach was used during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic before vaccines or antivirals were available. It relies on the fact that the blood of people who have recovered from the illness contains powerful antibodies trained to fight the virus. A Dublin based food company has been ordered to pay 2,500 compensation to a catering worker for posting an Instagram post that caused a grievous sexual orientation discrimination. The food company deleted the offending Instagram post within three minutes of posting it and sought to make amends with the worker on July 15th 2018. The worker lodged a claim of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation under the Employment Equality Acts and his failure to get a job with the catering company. Ordering the company to pay the worker 2,500, WRC Adjudication Officer, Michael McEntee staled that it is accepted by all parties that an incident of grievous sexual orientation discrimination took place on the 15th July 2018. Mr McEntee stated: Even as a once off lapse as argued it was a serious incident. There is no getting away from this. Mr McEntee staled that it has not been possible for the food company to remove the overhang of possible discrimination from the early July interactions with the catering worker during later July and August 2018. In his report on the case, Mr McEntee doesnt disclose the details of what he described as the egregious remarks contained in the message. However, the catering worker stated "that a major act of discrimination involving the use of very derogatory language regarding his sexual orientation took place". The employer apologised for the Instagram post and Mr McEntee ruled that the usual six month time limit in lodging a claim didnt apply as the catering worker was an in-patient in a well-known psychiatric hospital from November 27th 2018 to June 5th 2019. The catering worker told the WRC that in the aftermath of the incident on July 15th 2018, the employer during July and August was on a damage limitation exercise and had never seriously intended to offer the worker a position in a new venture. The food company told the WRC that the Instagram post was deleted within three minutes and was most sincerely regretted. The company stated that the recruitment of part time staff was always going to be problematic and linked to the vagaries of the business. The company cited plans for an outlet at the Dundrum Shopping Centre where the company had tendered. In good faith, the company believed it was successful and began to consider possible staff including the complainant only to lose out at the last minute. The owner stated that conversations with the complainant by managers regarding the possibility of work in Kildare and Dundrum had to be seen in this light. The company stated that the contacts during the July August period were never discriminatory in any fashion or as perfunctory as alleged. The company stated that the incident of the 15th July was deeply regretted and was a once off lapse. IMAGE OF A NOTEBOOK WITH TFSA WRITTEN ON IT How should you utilize a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) versus a Registered Retirement Savings Account (RRSP)? In general, I put higher-growth companies with greater capital appreciation potential in my TFSA. I focus on dividend-paying companies and yield in my retirement accounts. By being able to utilize capital gains from growth investments tax-free at any time, one can get ahead. Here are three great growth options to put away in your TFSA for a rainy day. CGI An indirect play on the IT/technology sector, CGI is one of my favourite growth plays on the TSX. In fact, it has been over the past couple of years. CGI generates approximately 50% of its business from IT outsourcing for large Canadian and American clients. The remainder of the companys business comes from consulting related to various domestic North American IT rollouts. With broad growth in the digitization of business and a broad push for productivity as a key profitability driver, CGI has seen impressive growth in recent years. CGI isnt cheap at 19 times earnings. But it isnt expensive either, considering the growth potential of this company. Open Text Another Canadian technology play, Open Text is a high-growth software business which has grown at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% over the past eight years. This company recently closed a key acquisition of a cloud-based backup company with a Software as a service subscription business model. This move should be accretive and help Open Text meet investor growth expectations over the long haul. Open Text has an aggressive valuation. But the company has a number of bullets left to pull off more acquisitions. For example, the company was able to raise debt at 4% recently. Fortis Fortis is not a traditional high-growth company like CGI or Open Text. Fortis is more of a slow-and-steady growth play for long-term investors. Fortis is a company I would put in both my TFSA and RRSP, as this utilities play has raised its dividend consistently for nearly five decades. In addition, it has handsomely grown from a capital appreciation standpoint. For investors looking for a company that can provide an extremely consistent average dividend yield around 4% a year and capital appreciation around 4% a year, Fortis is your company. Story continues Stay Foolish, my friends. The post Growth Investors: 3 Gems for Your TFSA! appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading The Motley Fool recommends Open Text and OPEN TEXT CORP. Fool contributor Chris MacDonald does not have ownership in any stocks mentioned in this article. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 Five members of a Missouri family have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, including a woman who works at a preschool where several other teachers have been infected. Jane Weinhaus, 63, and four other members of her St. Louis-area family her husband, two adult children and a daughter-in-law have all tested positive. Weinhaus, a teacher at Deutsch Early Childhood Center at Congregation Temple Israel in Creve Coeur in St. Louis County, was on a ventilator for more than a week, her son told NBC affiliate KSDK. "My mom just developed a cough," said Ryan Weinhaus, 32. "Just a normal cough." That was mid-March. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak Since then, her husband, Michael Weinhaus, 63, has also been hospitalized. In a telephone interview Tuesday from his hospital room, Michael Weinhaus said his wife was showing signs of improvement. "My wife is off her ventilator and is taking very small baby steps," he said. Michael Weinhaus said that although he is in intensive care, he believes it is vital to speak publicly to warn people about the dangers of the virus. Ryan Weinhaus, who, along with wife, Brittanie, 31, and brother Jason, 37, also tested positive but are recovering, said his mother had no previous health issues and no pre-existing conditions. "We thought she just maybe had the flu or had a bad cough," he told KSDK. The school where Jane Weinhaus teaches has been closed for the rest of the semester and is operating online instead, according to Erin May, communications director for Temple Israel. During spring break, which ran March 14 to 22, the school learned that four teachers and a parent had tested positive for COVID-19, May said. "We made the decision initially to close through April 5, same as the local school districts," she said. "A few days later, we decided it would be most prudent to close for the duration of the semester." NBC News tried to reach Ryan and Jason Weinhaus for comment at numbers listed for them but did not immediately hear back. Brittanie Weinhaus declined to comment Tuesday. Story continues "I did not expect myself to test positive or to have some of these symptoms, but it can happen to anybody," Ryan Weinhaus told KSDK. "It's not just elderly individuals." He said he feels tired and is experiencing shortness of breath. Download the NBC News app for full coverage and alerts about the coronavirus outbreak Public health officials have said the virus appears to spread easily in family clusters. "If you look, most cases, for example, even in China, are in family clusters. Most secondary cases occur in families," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's health emergencies program, said at a news conference last month. "That's been driving the epidemic." Ryan Weinhaus said his family is thankful for the support they have received and are "cautiously optimistic." "It's not even so much about you protecting yourself, but it's you protecting people on the outside, as well," he said. "So be smart. Stay in your house." Details added (first version posted on 16:46) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 24 Trend: Azerbaijans Heydar Aliyev Foundation has transferred 500,000 manat to the national Fund to Support Fight Against Coronavirus to contribute to the measures taken by the government to prevent wide spread of coronavirus in Azerbaijan, Trend reports on March 24. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation has constantly rendered support to its beneficiaries in the field of combating coronavirus. Upon the instructions of Azerbaijan's First Vice-President, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva within the fight against coronavirus, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation provided disinfectants, masks and other personal protective equipment to nurseries, orphanages and boarding schools in Baku and in the Azerbaijani districts, the social service institution for people who have reached the retirement age, the Children's Neuropsychiatric Center, as well as to institutions rendering neuropsychiatric social services in Baku and in the districts of the country. These institutions were disinfected. The necessary organizational support in observing the social isolation regime and the existing rules of the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers was provided. Moreover, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation organized the shifts for continuous work to limit the communication of the staff working at the social service institution for people who have reached the retirement age, where old citizens who are at risk of becoming infected with the virus live, with other people. Previously, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, in support of the activity of the Operational Headquarters of the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, donated masks, gloves, goggles, medical clothing and disinfectants to various medical institutions. The corresponding assistance is underway. The short answer is we just dont know. Its called novel coronavirus because there are questions about whether or not this COVID-19 will behave same way as other viruses present among human beings, Schneider responded. A vaccine is at least a year or longer away. We have to demonstrate it works in human applications. We dont know but were trying to find that out. Lands Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Gideon Mungaro received his coronavirus test results on Tuesday after he came into contact with Kilifi deputy governor Gideon Saburi, who tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement, Mungaro said he tested negative. The Ministry of Health visited my home yesterday 23rd of March and collected specimens. Today, the 24th of March, I received the results which revealed I tested negative for the virus. The CAS stated that he will complete his 14 days of self-quarantine. I urge all the people of Kilifi, and Kenya at large to stay at home, maintain social distance and adhere to the guidelines released by the Ministry of Health, he said. Mungaro was among several leaders and 16 police officers from Kilifi who came into direct contact with Saburi. They include Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, Rabai MP William Kamoti, Mtwapa deputy OCS Bernard Otomei, who developed breathing difficulties on Monday, and Base Commander Mathew Koech. They have since gone into self-quarantine. Sonora, CA A local healthcare workers union is turning to the community for help to secure personal protective equipment (PPE). The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 2015, which is the largest union in the state with over 400,000 providers and based in the Bay Area, represents 94 Sonora Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA). Their local representative, Nicole Wallace, says she is hearing from union members that they are not getting needed supplies. She relays workers fear, stating, If we are taking in new patients, if we had somebody come in that is infected, we would not have the supplies to prevent it from spreading. All of the healthcare workers are employed by Avalon Care Center located on Greenley Road. The local 200-bed facility is part of the Avalon Health Care Group out of Salt Lake City, Utah. While Wallace says the center has no confirmed cases, the union is trying to preemptively prepare by ramping up the supplies. She also explains that the facility has never carried the N95 respirators and only stocks a few of the gowns. Wallace details what is needed, Any available respirators or any kind of protective equipment that they have on hand. Gowns, gloves, face shields if they have them. I would say the respirator mask would be the biggest. The call has already been answered by some in the community. Wallace disclosed Lowes donated 16 bottles of hand sanitizer and five boxes of 100 count nitrile gloves and are waiting on delivery of respirator stock. She adds that nitrile gloves are preferred to vinyl. Wallace currently is waiting to hear back from other local businesses. The union has also reached out to Avalon and Wallace says a conference call is set up for April 1st. Regarding the public request she adds, Its not to vilify our administration or to say that they are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. In all honesty, I dont think that they can get the supplies that they need. I dont think that they will be able to get it in stock and its not that they havent tried. Wallace points out that her workers care for the most vulnerable population and if the deadly virus were to infiltrate a facility the mortality rate would be really high. The union sent out the below letter to area businesses and others: To our friends and family in the community: As you all know, the current COVID-19 crisis in America has created a massive shortage in PPE for the health care community. Many companies have gone above and beyond to donate to major hospitals and while we applaud them, there is one health care industry that is often forgotten. Nursing homes, in-home health care, small care centers and other industries that take care of elderly and rehabilitation patients are experiencing an especially difficult time obtaining n95 respirators, gloves, gowns, goggles, face shields, and other CDC required PPE used to protect against this disease. In the event that we receive new patients who are unknowingly infected, or in the event that any essential workers or suppliers unknowingly bring this illness into one of our small communities, it will spread rapidly and with force. As we all know, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions are most susceptible to experiencing critical symptoms associated with this illness, and ultimately death. We have seen the devastating results of this in nursing homes around the country, which have accounted for many of our deaths from this disease in the U.S. today. We are even starting to see positive cases turn up in prison systems and other facilities that are believed to be impenetrable. Sadly, we are often overlooked when it comes to this much-needed PPE, but those in our care are the most vulnerable at this time. We are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our residents, clients, and patients, but this invisible threat is mounting. If you do not have family or friends who reside in a care home or use in-home health services, chances are someone you know does. We are calling upon the community while non-essential businesses are closed to please reach out and donate whatever supplies you can part with at this time. If you cannot donate supplies, please forward this message to anyone you can who might be willing to help. Thank you so much for your time, please stay safe and keep others safe as well. Best wishes, Nicole Wallace CNA and SEIU2015 Union Member Representative from Avalon Care Center, Sonora CA. If you would like to help, I can be contacted via email at nicolewallace1214@yahoo.com or by phone at (209) 768-5781 Clarke Broadcasting reached out to Avalon Care Center for a comment but have not yet received any response. [March 25, 2020] iPad Donation Connects Senior Living Residents to Loved Ones LARGO, Fla., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With the current coronavirus pandemic, senior living communities are adhering to strict guidelines to ensure the safety and health of patients and residents, and Oak Manor Senior Living Community in Largo, Florida is no exception. Residents of the Skilled Nursing and Rehab facility are accustomed to family members, friends and volunteers visiting daily, but these visits came to a sudden halt when restrictions were enforced to protect seniors. Sharon Eckman, a first-grade teacher in Pinellas County, jumped in to help solve this unforeseen obstacle within just days of the governor's announcement of visitor limitations at senior living communities. Sharon's mom is a resident at Oak Manor, so she understands the desire to stay connected, as she has visited her mom every single day until the coronavirus pandemic changed everything. "I was worried about not being able to see my mom for 30 days and worried she'd forget us. I'm sure a lot of people are in the same boat," said Eckman. She considered purchasing a phone designated for FaceTime calls with her mom, but then she decided on an iPad that could be shared with the entire Oak Manor community to solve not only her problem, but the distance challenge that many families faced. Sharon safely delivered the new iPad to the Oak Manor team and suggested a social media signup, and within hours, residents' loved ones were filling the slots for FaceTime calls with loved ones! "It's amazing to see the faces of the residents and family members when they first get to see each other. Their expressions are of total joy and happiness, and that melts my heart. I'm so thankful to be a part of bringing families back together again," said Cindy Lewis, Oak Manor Activities Director. With one selfless thought, one special donation and a team of compassionate employees, residents are finding a sense of comfort and normalcy during this unpredictable season. "It's just wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! A really nice piece of equipment! I talked to my daughter, and it was like she was right next to me!" Said Walter, an Oak Manor resident. Oak Manor resident, Essye, was able to "meet" her brand-new great-grandson for the first time with a FaceTime call on this iPad. "It was really great to be able to see my grandson! I didn't know that they had machines to be able to that!" said Essye. Oak Manor Senior Living Community staff continues to find creative methods of keeping life joyful, fulfilling, and most of all, safe, for all residents. Photos, videos and important updates can be found on the Oak Manor Facebook page: www.facebook.com/oakmanorseniorlivingcommunity. About Oak Manor Senior Living Community Oak Manor is a premier retirement community in Largo, Florida offering independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing & rehab services all on 16 beautiful acres. Oak Manor is a homelike environment with engaging activities and outings with a philosophy of serving residents and families with compassion first. To learn more about Oak Manor, a KR Management community, visit www.oakmanorliving.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ipad-donation-connects-senior-living-residents-to-loved-ones-301029830.html SOURCE KR Management, LLC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Doctors test hospital staff with flu-like symptoms for the CCP virus in tents set up to triage possible patients outside before they enter the main emergency department area at St. Barnabas hospital in the Bronx borough of New York City on March 24, 2020. (Misha Friedman/Getty Images) Nevada Bans Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 as Feds Confirm Off-Label Use Allowed Nationwide Nevada banned hydroxychloroquine from being prescribed as a treatment for COVID-19 as Vice President Mike Pence confirmed that doctors can prescribe the drug, which is approved to treat malaria, for patients who have the new illness. Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak said that no consensus exists among Nevadas own medial experts that hydroxychloroquine or the closely related chloroquine can provide treatment for the new disease. He signed an emergency regulation prohibiting the prescribing and dispensing of the drugs for COVID-19 based on a recommendation from the state Board of Pharmacy. This emergency regulation protects Nevadans who need these drugs for legitimate medical purposes. At this point in time, there is no known cure for COVID-19 and we must not withhold these drugs from those who need them, Sisolak said in a statement. State pharmacy boards in Texas, Ohio, Idaho, and Utah are working on or have issued similar restrictions. Ohios Board of Pharmacy, for instance, issued an emergency rule on Sunday banning prescriptions for treatment or prevention of COVID-19. COVID-19 is caused by the novel coronavirus, which The Epoch Times refers to as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine tablets are shown in at the IHU Mediterranee Infection Institute in Marseille, France, on Feb. 26, 2020. (Gerard Julien/AFP via Getty Images) Approved for Off-Label Use Pence, the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, confirmed earlier Tuesday that off-label use for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine is allowed for COVID-19 patients. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules allow doctors to prescribe drugs approved for one use for a different use. The good news is, the chloroquine medication, we actually deployed in the state of New York resources to be able to be administered to the people, Pence said during a virtual town hall with other task force members on Fox News. Doctors can prescribe that medication, which as you know is a perfectly legal and approved malaria medication, but doctors can now prescribe chloroquine for that off-label purpose of dealing with the symptoms of coronavirus. We are making that clear across the country, Pence added. The FDA said it added hydroxychloroquine sulfate to category 1 under the Interim Policy on Compounding Using Bulk Drug Substances Under Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, acknowledging officially that though there are no drugs approved by the agency specifically for treating COVID-19, there are FDA-approved treatments that may help ease the symptoms of COVID-19. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters over the weekend that the state acquired 70,000 doses of hydroxychloroquine and 750,000 doses of chloroquine. The state was starting trials for the drugs on Tuesday. Other studies are already underway, including a 1,500-person trial at the University of Minnesota. Pence said that there is no barrier to access the chloroquine in this country and the Trump administration is working with companies that produce the drugs to boost production as trials study the effectiveness of them against COVID-19. Asked if hed take the drugs himself if he were sick, Pence responded, I would follow the advice of my physician and I would recommend that approach to every single American. Despite the coronavirus infection numbers skyrocketing, there is still good news. A team of scientists found that the novel coronavirus is not mutating significantly, suggesting any vaccine developed to fight SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) would remain effective in the long term. A team of scientists from Johns Hopkins University has been studying the coronavirus's genetic code and found that it stays stable as it infects more people. The discovery could help scientists develop vaccines, which can fight against deadly illness COVID-19 for a long time. The researchers also noted that the virus is not becoming more dangerous as it spreads, shedding light on the virus's mechanism and how it behaves. With this excellent news, pharmaceutical companies, health institutions, and scientific laboratories that are racing to find a vaccine can now develop one just like those for measles and chickenpox. These older vaccines are still effective and do not to be updated, unlike the flu vaccine. How a virus mutates Just as natural selection has contributed to the evolution of living things, such as humans, plants, and animals, it also shapes viruses, too. Though viruses are not considered living things since they need a host to reproduce, they are capable of mutation. When a virus enters the human body, the immune system detects it and tries to kill it. The pathogen's job is to evade the immune system, invade a host cell, and reproduce; then it jumps to another host. To evade the immune system, the virus mutates so the body will have a hard time detecting it. Overall, viruses mutate rapidly compared to other organisms. Though it may sound frightening, neural mutations, which either improve or stem the virus's survival, may not cause any noticeable change in the people they infect. SARS-CoV-2 mutation In the case of the novel coronavirus, which has mutated over the course of the global pandemic, the researchers noted that it does not mutate as fast as other viruses. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is caused by SARS-CoV-2, started in December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, in China. The virus has spread to 172 countries, with China, Italy, Spain, and the United States suffering the worst of the virus. Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (green) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (purple), isolated from a patient sample. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID A previous study has shown that the virus has mutated, from the strain that infected more than 80,000 people in China, to the one circulating in Europe and other parts of the world. A molecular geneticist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, said the strains infecting people in the United States have only four to 10 genetic variations of the strain that originated in Wuhan, China. "That's a relatively small number of mutations for having passed through a large number of people" At this point, the mutation rate of the virus would suggest that the vaccine developed for SARS-CoV-2 would be a single vaccine, rather than a new vaccine every year like the flu vaccine," Peter Thielen said. COVID-19 global situation The coronavirus pandemic is getting worse, with many countries overwhelmed with the number of infections occurring. Developing an effective vaccine against the infection will help reduce the number of infections, as well as save many lives. There are 466,955 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) across 173 countries and territories. Over 21,000 have succumbed to the disease, with Italy reporting the highest number of deaths. Italy has become the new epicenter of the global pandemic. China, where the outbreak started, has started to report more recoveries, and the number of infections has dwindled. However, Italy has been scrambling to contain the virus as its healthcare system is overworked and overwhelmed. Italy has nearly 75,000 cases, while the United States over 65,000 cases. Spain has quickly followed the list with the most infections as it reached more than 49,000 confirmed cases and 3,647 deaths. Some 60 percent of young coronavirus patients in Daegu complained about losing their sense of smell or taste, sparking calls for young people with such symptoms to be tested for the disease. Min Bok-gi at the Daegu Medical Association said Tuesday, "A study of 3,191 confirmed coronavirus patients in Daegu reported between March 8 and 23 showed that 15.3 percent lost their sense of smell and/or taste." Patients under 30 accounted for 55.1 percent of them. A majority of confirmed cases in their teens to 30s have displayed no symptoms, so lost taste or smell could serve as a key piece of evidence. The number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat has gone up to 38 as three more people tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, a health department official said. Under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, the state government has so far covered 1,60,62,000 peoplein urban and rural areas of the state where cases of coronavirus and severe acute respiratory infection have been found, principal secretary (health) Jayanti Ravi told reporters. On Wednesday morning, one new case each was reported from Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara, she said. Out of the three new cases, one patient has history of travel to Dubai, while the two others are cases of local transmission of the viral infection, she said. With this, total number of cases in Ahmedabad stands at 14, Surat and Vadodara seven each, Gandhinagar-six, Rajkot -three and Kutch -one. Ravi said the state health departmenthas conducted surveillance and tracking of over one crore people in the wake of coronavirus, and the entire state population will be covered under the programme. "Under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, the state government has so far covered 1,60,62,000 peoplein both urban and rural areas as part of surveillance of areas where positivecases as well as cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection have been reported," she said. The government has also registered FIRs against 147 people forviolating the quarantine protocol. The official said 15,468 people ith foreign travel history have been tracked on the basis of data provided by thecentral government, and more are being tracked and quarantined. As many as 20,688 people are under quarantine in the state, including 20,220 people in home quarantine, 430 in government quarantine facilities, and 38 in private facilities, she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Investors in China Mobile Limited (HKG:941) had a good week, as its shares rose 9.5% to close at HK$56.60 following the release of its annual results. It was a credible result overall, with revenues of CN746b and statutory earnings per share of CN5.18 both in line with analyst estimates, showing that China Mobile is executing in line with expectations. This is an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance in its report, look at what experts are forecasting for next year, and see if there has been any change to expectations for the business. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year. See our latest analysis for China Mobile SEHK:941 Past and Future Earnings, March 24th 2020 Following last week's earnings report, China Mobile's 21 analysts are forecasting 2020 revenues to be CN756.9b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Statutory per-share earnings are expected to be CN5.25, roughly flat on the last 12 months. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of CN759.9b and earnings per share (EPS) of CN5.27 in 2020. So it's pretty clear that, although the analysts have updated their estimates, there's been no major change in expectations for the business following the latest results. The analysts reconfirmed their price target of CN66.98, showing that the business is executing well and in line with expectations. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. Currently, the most bullish analyst values China Mobile at CN82.77 per share, while the most bearish prices it at CN46.68. Analysts definitely have varying views on the business, but the spread of estimates is not wide enough in our view to suggest that extreme outcomes could await China Mobile shareholders. One way to get more context on these forecasts is to look at how they compare to both past performance, and how other companies in the same industry are performing. It's pretty clear that there is an expectation that China Mobile's revenue growth will slow down substantially, with revenues next year expected to grow 1.5%, compared to a historical growth rate of 2.7% over the past five years. Compare this against other companies (with analyst forecasts) in the industry, which are in aggregate expected to see revenue growth of 3.1% next year. Factoring in the forecast slowdown in growth, it seems obvious that China Mobile is also expected to grow slower than other industry participants. Story continues The Bottom Line The most important thing to take away is that there's been no major change in sentiment, with the analysts reconfirming that the business is performing in line with their previous earnings per share estimates. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting sales are tracking in line with expectations - although our data does suggest that China Mobile's revenues are expected to perform worse than the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates. Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for China Mobile going out to 2024, and you can see them free on our platform here.. You should always think about risks though. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for China Mobile you should be aware of. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Paramedics, municipal, and police officials stand outside a private hotel as they plan the safe evacuation and hospitalisation of a suspected COVID-19 coronavirus customer that allegedly self-quarantined himself in the hotel, during the first day of a 21-day government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the CCP virus in Bangalore on March 25, 2020. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images) India Bans Export of Malaria Drug US Doctors Are Prescribing to Patients With New Virus India banned exports of a drug known as a malaria treatment after doctors in some countries began prescribing it to patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Indias Directorate General of Foreign Trade announced Wednesday that the export of both hydroxycloroquine and formulations made from the drug are banned, effective immediately. The Ministry of External Affairs can recommend exceptions to the ban on humanitarian grounds, the notification stated. Some exports will also be permitted to fulfill existing orders. Companies in India produce major amounts of hydroxycloroquine as well as components of the drug, and increased demand for the treatment prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to lift an import ban on Ipca Laboratories, an Indian drug maker cited for insufficient manufacturing facilities, so the company could export the drug and one of its ingredients. The new move blocks Ipca and other companies from exporting the drug or its ingredients. There are shortages of hydroxycloroquine and a related drug, chloroquine, in the United States, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. India previously blocked exports of ventilators and masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities there this week recommended hydroxycloroquine for high-risk groups, including healthcare workers. French professor Didier Raoult, biologist and professor of microbiology, specialist in infectious diseases and director of IHU Mediterranee Infection Institute, in his office in Marseille, southeastern France on Feb. 26, 2020. Raoult reported that after treating 24 patients for six days with Plaquenil, the virus had disappeared in all but a quarter of them. The research was not peer reviewed and Raoult had come under fire by some scientists and officials in his native France for potentially raising false hopes. (Gerard Julien/AFP via Getty Images) Hydroxycloroquine Doctors in France and the United States are prescribing hydroxycloroquine after a small study in France suggested the drug has efficacy in treating COVID-19. No vaccine exists for the new illness and researchers around the world are racing to study existing drugs to try to find at least one that can treat it. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said on Tuesday that doctors can prescribe hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for off-label use, or a use other than the ones theyre approved for. Doctors can now prescribe chloroquine for that off-label purpose of dealing with the symptoms of coronavirus. We are making that clear across the country, Pence said during a virtual town hall in Washington. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier that hydroxychloroquine is being used in hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients. Pharmacy boards in some states in the country, though, have banned or restricted the use of the drug outside of its intended use. Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine tablets are shown in at the IHU Mediterranee Infection Institute in Marseille, France on Feb. 26, 2020. (Gerard Julien/AFP via Getty Images) Division Some medical experts have cautioned against the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine until other trials are completed. Researchers in the United States and elsewhere through the World Health Organization are looking at how safe and effective they are against the virus, with a particular focus on hydroxychloroquine. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said he was banning the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine as treatments for the new illness in part because there is no consensus among COVID-19 experts or Nevadas own medical health advisory team that the drugs are effective. The emergency regulation he signed was also aimed at preventing hoarding of the drugs, he said. This emergency regulation is a strong step in protecting patients. While studies are underway on the usefulness of these drugs in treating COVID-19, we must deal with facts, not fiction, Dr. Ishan Azzam, the chief medical officer for the state Division of Public and Behavioral Health, said in a statement. Preserving these drugs for those who need it is the right decision. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, and layoffs and closures abound, businesses and workers in the Quad-Cities are encouraged to contact their financial institutions and/or credit card and lending companies first. Thats the advice from Paul Rumler, president and CEO of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. It is best to start with the businesses a company, or business, has an established relationship with. If you are experiencing financial hardship related to COVID-19, call whoever you need to, if its your landlord, your lending institution, have a conversation with them about options. Whether thats deferment, interest-only payments or whatever flexible options they have right now. Id assume that most of them are receiving phone calls, he said. Act on that one relatively quickly, dont wait until youre at wits end. Stay a little bit more proactive with it, anticipate when you might be in some financial hardship. FMCG major Nestle India has suspended and scaled-down operations, except for essential items, at its manufacturing units in compliance with the directives issued by the government, the company said on Tuesday New Delhi: FMCG major Nestle India has suspended and scaled-down operations, except for essential items, at its manufacturing units in compliance with the directives issued by the government, the company said on Tuesday. As Nestle India also manufactures food and beverage products, it is in discussion with the authorities for the continuance of operations. In view of the lockdown in many of the States/ Union Territories across the country, the operations in some of the locations (manufacturing, distribution centres/ warehouses, offices, suppliers) are scaled-down or suspended, said Nestle in a regulatory filing. However, the company which manufactures popular instant noodles Maggi besides other products as Nescafe coffee, Cereal infant cereal and KitKat chocolate said that impact on the operations of the Company cannot be assessed at this point. As the Company is in the manufacture and sale of food and beverage products, the Company is in discussion with the authorities to continue operations in the factories/ distribution centres where the operations have been suspended, said Nestle. The Company is closely monitoring the situation and will take all necessary measures as directed by the Central and State Government and authorities, from time to time, it added. Besides, the company has already adopted Work from Home for all employees at its head office and regional offices effective from the last week to minimize the risk and contain the spread of COVID-19. Nestle India, a subsidiary of NESTLE SA of Switzerland, operates eight factories in the country. As New York's governor predicts thousands of deaths, President Trump hopes to reopen the US by Easter. The New York Governor Andrew Cuomo: The city 'is a test case' New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has pleaded for medical supplies, warning Covid-19 is spreading in his state faster than "a bullet train". "The apex is higher than we thought and the apex is sooner than we thought," Mr Cuomo told reporters on Tuesday. He said the federal government was not sending anywhere near enough lifesaving equipment to confront the crisis. New York now has over 25,000 confirmed virus cases and at least 210 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday the US has the potential to become the new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic. The warnings come as President Donald Trump said he hoped the US would reopen for business next month. What did Governor Cuomo say? "We need federal help and we need the federal help now," Mr Cuomo, a Democrat, said. "New York is the canary in the coal mine, New York is happening first, what is happening to New York will happen to California and Illinois, it is just a matter of time." The governor blasted the 400 ventilators sent to New York from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency. He said: "You pick the 26,000 people who are going to die because you only sent 400 ventilators." New York currently has 7,000 ventilators, but needs 30,000, the governor said. Mr Cuomo continued: "The [infection] forecaster said to me, 'We were looking at a freight train coming across the country.' "'We're now looking at a bullet train.'" The state is also looking into creating more healthcare areas, possibly by turning college dormitories and hotels into makeshift hospitals. With 25,665 cases in New York, the state accounts for more than half of all US infections. The number of new cases in the state is doubling every three days, the governor said, and showing no sign of slowing down. Mr Cuomo said the rate of infections could overwhelm the healthcare system. New York may need up to 140,000 hospital beds in a worst-case scenario, he said. The governor also said he would not "put a dollar amount on human life", in what was seen as an implicit criticism of Mr Trump's concerns that measures to contain the virus could wreck the US economy. "My mother is not expendable and your mother is not expendable," said Mr Cuomo. A tale of two media events On Tuesday afternoon, Donald Trump sat in the verdant White House grounds for a Fox News "virtual town hall" and said he hoped to get US businesses reopened by Easter, in just over two weeks. "A great American resurrection," the Fox host suggested. A few hours earlier, Governor Cuomo held a much more sombre press conference at the Javits Center in Manhattan. The building, which three years ago hosted Hillary Clinton's ill-fated election-night party, is now a makeshift field hospital. The president and the governor - two New Yorkers with a long history - clashed over the state's shortage of ventilators to treat the most serious cases. Mr Trump blamed Mr Cuomo for not purchasing more in 2015, citing a conspiracy-mongering website. Mr Cuomo said the administration should use its emergency powers to order more machines manufactured. When it comes to easing the recent shelter-in-place orders, governors like Mr Cuomo, not the president, will have the final say. If there's disagreement, however, the American public could be left wondering what to believe. What did President Trump say? On Tuesday, President Trump told Fox News he hoped the country could get back to normal by Easter, which is 19 days away. Mr Trump, a Republican, said: "We're going to be opening relatively soon... I would love to have the country opened up and just rearing to go by Easter." He added: "Easter is a very special day for me... and you'll have packed churches all over our country." Mr Trump also warned that otherwise the country could suffer "a massive recession or depression". The president said: "You're going to lose people. You're going to have suicides by the thousands. You're going to have all sorts of things happen. "You're going to have instability. You can't just come in and say, 'Let's close up the United States of America, the most successful country in the world by far.'" Speaking at a White House briefing later, Mr Trump said "our decision will be based on hard facts and data as to the opening [of our country]". According to the latest Gallup poll, his approval rating has risen five points this month to 49%, the best of his presidency. What is the current US situation? There are over 53,000 confirmed cases and more than 700 deaths attributed to Covid-19 in the US. Dr Deborah Birx, of the White House coronavirus taskforce, said the New York City metro area was the source of 56% of all cases and 60% of all new cases in the country. She advised anyone leaving the region to self-quarantine for two weeks. On Tuesday, Wisconsin, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Mexico, West Virginia and Indiana were introducing stay-at-home orders, bringing the total number of US states under such lockdowns to 17. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been debating the details of an economic stimulus package that could total over $2 trillion (1.7 trillion). Democrats and the White House indicated negotiations could conclude on Tuesday, with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin saying "the president wants us to get this done today". In other developments: A New Jersey man has been charged with making a terroristic threat after he coughed on an employee of a Wegmans supermarket during an argument on Monday, and then claimed to have coronavirus. Governor Phil Murphy described the suspect as a "knucklehead" A 26-year-old in Missouri was arrested on Monday and charged with making a terrorist threat after he posted a video earlier this month of himself licking deodorants at a Walmart store while asking: "Who's scared of the coronavirus?" An individual in Kentucky tested positive after attending a "coronavirus party", according to the state's governor, who added: "Don't be so callous as to intentionally go to something and expose yourself to something that can kill other people" A 31-year-old Mexican national detained by US immigration officials in New Jersey became the first individual to test positive for Covid-19 while in the agency's custody BBC Could June 2 now become Bernie Sanderss last stand? And what would it mean for unity at the convention among the Democrats if competitive primary contests are still happening just over a month before? Trip Gabriel covered the latest calendar shift-around (read his excellent story here), and he answered a few bonus questions over email for the newsletter. Why is June 2 such a popular date on the Democratic primary calendar all of a sudden? And do Democratic officials even think itll be a firm date, considering how up-in-the-air everything is right now with the virus? At last count, six states including Pennsylvania, Delaware and Indiana have pushed back their primary elections to June 2, joining New Jersey and several others already scheduled for then. Regarding your other question, they do seem to think its firm as of now, but really anything seems possible in this climate. June 2 is just about the last date that primaries could be held under current rules. The Democratic National Committee requires all primaries to take place by June 9, although two states, Kentucky and Louisiana, have already pushed past that day because of fears about the coronavirus. Joe Biden has struggled to stay in the public eye, now that hes seen as almost assuredly the Democratic nominee, and the virus has overtaken Americans attention. Could you see the lack of primary elections over the coming weeks contributing to that problem for him? KAMPALA Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has suspended parliamentary sessions until Tuesday next week to fall victim to the massive effect of the new coronavirus. Uganda has nine cases of coronavirus, but health experts have said that a big jump could be imminent, which would overwhelm the underfunded and crumbling public health infrastructure. On Wednesday, March 25, 2020, Speaker Kadaga has asked MPs to work from home for a week and report for a plenary session on Tuesday next week. Members you can work from home, the house is adjourning to Tuesday next week, the speaker said. Ms. Kadaga had on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, ordered three MPs and two members of staff who were in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, recently to stay away from the precincts of the House. The MPs are Kafeero Ssekitoleko (Nakifuma County), Cissy Namujju (Lwengo Woman) and Sempala Kigozi (Makindye-Ssabagabo Municipality). They have been advised to undergo mandatory quarantine. The matter was raised by Jalia Bintu (Masindi Woman) who demanded that all MPs present for plenary be tested for COVID19 to re-assure the nation. She added that the above mentioned three MPs were in Parliament on Monday that Kigozi is alleged to have had a high temperature. President Yoweri Museveni declared all schools and universities closed for 32 days and also banned all gatherings. The virus, officially known as COVID-19, was first detected in Wuhan, China last December and has spread to at least 163 countries and territories. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a pandemic. The WHO declared Europe the new epicenter of the virus. Related Continue Reading One in eight staff say that they have been pushed by a customer and one in ten has actually been punched. So whats going on? Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 14:56:43|Editor: zyl Video Player Close SEOUL, March 25 (Xinhua) -- South Koreas export volume posted a double-digit growth in February due mainly to more business days, central bank data showed Wednesday. In terms of volume, the outbound shipment expanded 11.4 percent in February from a year earlier, after sliding 3.5 percent in the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). It came as the Lunar New Years holiday moved to January this year from February last year, raising the number of working days last month. Export volume for computer, electronic and optical devices surged 30.5 percent on stronger demand for chips used for data server and electronic devices. Shipment of transport equipment declined 5 percent as the COVID-19 outbreak across the globe caused production disruption in some of factories. In terms of value, the export added 3.4 percent in February from a year ago, marking the first rebound in 15 months. Import volume rose 1.5 percent in the month, and in terms of value, the import inched up 0.1 percent, posting the first turnaround in 10 months. Two weeks ago, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine stopped voting in that states primary the night before the election was to be held. Since then, at least 13 more states have postponed voting, and more delays are possible due to public health concerns from the novel coronavirus pandemic. Eight of those states -- including Rhode Island, which Monday postponed its April 28 primary to June 2 -- will be holding presidential primaries in the still-unsettled Democratic contest between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders. The first of them now scheduled to vote is Georgia on May 19. That would be one week after Nebraska holds its primary, which according to the Nebraska Secretary of States Office is still on with postponement not being considered. Coronavirus concerns will almost surely be present at some level on May 12, However, Lancaster County is taking a giant step toward mitigating them and, hopefully, increasing the election turnout by sending applications for mail ballots for the primary to all of the more than 173,000 registered voters in the county. Hopefully, this will be reducing the number of people going to the polls on Election Day, County Election Commissioner Dave Shively told the Lancaster County Board. There was a time when Mushtaq Ansari (25) would have to race to reach the Noida Special Economic Zone to catch the first shift that began at 7 am. There was time only to gulp down a glass of milk and a piece of fruit. Now, theres no rush. At 10 am, he was making leisurely inroads into a stack of paranthas with pickle and creamy dahi. Theres nowhere to go, nothing to do. Im enjoying it now. But I might get to enjoy it too much, he says with a grin. Ansaris family came to Noida from Bihar 30 years ago and, after a diploma in engineering, he ... Stephanie Grisham, press secretary for First Lady Melania Trump, attends the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, June 21, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) White House Spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham Tests Negative for CCP Virus: White House White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham, under quarantine since contact with a Brazilian official earlier this month, tested negative for CCP virus and will be back at work on Wednesday, the White House said. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Grisham, one of President Donald Trumps top aides, had been with the president at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 7 when Trump played host to a dinner with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and a Brazilian delegation. Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, who has been quarantined since coming in contact with Brazilian officials almost two weeks ago and working from home, has received negative COVID-19 test results and will be back to work tomorrow, White House spokeswoman Judd Deere said. Bolsonaros press secretary Fabio Wajngarten was the aide who tested positive and was at the Mar-a-Lago event. He was photographed standing next to Trump, prompting the president to get a test that proved to be negative. Trump has described the test procedure as painful, saying a doctor put a cotton swab up his nose and turned right under the eye. Mick Mulvaney, who at the time was Trumps acting chief of staff, self quarantined for 14 days after coming into contact with his niece, who had also been in contact with the Brazilian official. Mulvaney tested negative. By Steve Holland Washington: The coronavirus is not mutating significantly as it circulates through the human population, according to scientists who are closely studying the novel pathogen's genetic code. That relative stability suggests the virus is less likely to become more or less dangerous as it spreads, and represents encouraging news for researchers hoping to create a long-lasting vaccine. All viruses evolve over time, accumulating mutations as they replicate imperfectly inside a host's cells in tremendous numbers and then spread through a population, with some of those mutations persisting through natural selection. Andressa Parreirasand Larissa Vuitika work in a laboratory during the extraction of the virus genetic material in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Several countries are working on developing a vaccine for coronavirus. Credit:Getty Images The new coronavirus has proofreading machinery, however, and that reduces the "error rate" and the pace of mutation. The new coronavirus looks pretty much the same everywhere it has appeared, the scientists say, and there is no evidence that some strains are deadlier than others. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said he has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackerayto help evacuate devotees who are stranded at the historic Gurdwara Hazur Sahib at Nanded because of the countrywide lockdown. "Have written to HM @AmitShah ji & Maharashtra CM to facilitate the evacuation of devotees stranded at Nanded Sahib Gurdwara. The pilgrims have been stranded there for long & we owe them safe return to their homes & families," Singh tweeted. The chief minister said around 2,000 pilgrims from Punjab had gone to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded in Maharashtra. "Due to cancellation of trains some days back and the nationwide lockdown imposed since midnight earlier today, there is no possibility of their being brought to Punjab without special approval of Government of India," Singh wrote in a letter to Shah. He pointed out that the Punjab government had already written to the railways for plying special trains to evacuate stranded devotees. "Our offices have been in touch with the district administration of Nanded and I have also written to the Maharashtra chief minister for making suitable interim arrangements for their board and lodging in Nanded," wrote Singh. He urged the union minister to facilitate evacuation of devotees through special trains or flights. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bill Gates on Tuesday said that six to ten weeks of total isolation is the best case scenario for the United States, warning you cannot return to normal too soon and 'then ignore the pile of bodies in the corner'. The Microsoft founder said in a virtual Ted interview there 'really is no middle ground' when it comes to stopping the spread of coronavirus while acknowledging shutdowns will be 'disastrous' for the economy. He warned: 'Its very tough to say to people, "Hey keep going to restaurants, go buy new houses, ignore that pile of bodies over in the corner, we want you to keep spending because theres some politician that thinks GDP growth is what counts". 'Its hard to tell people during an epidemic that they should go about things knowing their activity is spreading this disease.' President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is hoping the United States will be reopened by Easter contradicting the warnings of some public health officials. Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction staying home from work and isolating themselves the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths. Bill Gates said six to ten weeks of total isolation is the best case scenario for the United States, warning you cannot return to normal too soon and 'then ignore the pile of bodies in the corner' President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is hoping the United States will be reopened by Easter contradicting the warnings of some public health officials Gates who recently announced his plans to leave the board of Microsoft is also known for his philanthropic work, including in the area of global health. He said Tuesday the US 'did not act fast enough to have an ability to avoid the shutdown', adding: 'The U.S. is past this opportunity to control (COVID-19) without shutdown. Its January when everybody shouldve been on notice.' Gates last week urged everyone to 'stay calm' during the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of lasting 18 months until a vaccine can be developed, the present crisis may only last six to 10 weeks in some countries, the businessman added. He had shared his thoughts on the coronavirus crisis during an 'Ask Me Anything' session on Reddit on March 18, 2020. 'We do need to stay calm, even though this is an unprecedented situation,' Mr Gates wrote in response to a question about what people can do to help during the crisis. 'A big thing is to go along with the "shut down" approach in your community so that the infection rate drops dramatically to let us go back to normal as soon as possible.' 'I worry about all the economic damage,' Mr Gates wrote, noting that wealthy countries here being hit hard at present and would only be able to begin the process of economic recovery after infection rates have been brought under control. 'Even worse will be how this will affect the developing countries who cannot do the social distancing the same way as rich countries and whose hospital capacity is much lower.' [March 25, 2020] Yokogawa Wins Order to Provide Control System and Field Instruments for Gas-fired Power Plant in Turkmenistan Yokogawa Electric (News - Alert) Corporation (TOKYO:6841) announces that its subsidiary Yokogawa Turkey Industrial Automation Solutions A.S. (Yokogawa Turkey) has won an order to provide a control system and field instruments for the Zerger gas-fired power plant in Turkmenistan. The order was received from Renaissance Heavy Industries, a major construction company in Turkey that is involved in the construction of this plant for Turkmenenergo, a state-owned power utility in Turkmenistan. This is Yokogawa's first control systems order for a power plant in this country. Turkmenistan is a resource rich country with the world's fourth-largest natural gas reserves*1. The country continues to experience steady economic growth thanks to its exports of natural gas and production of cotton and other agricultural products. To aid in the reconstruction of the neighboring country of Afghanistan, the Turkmen government concluded an agreement based on which it will supply electricity to that country for a ten-year period, beginning in 2018. The main source of this electricity will be the Zerger power plant, which generates power using locally-sourced natural gas. Located in the Chardzhev district of Lebap Province, approximately 600 km northeast of Ashgabat, the country's capital, this is a simple cycle gas turbine power plant that will have three gas turbines with a combined capacity of approximately 400 MW. Sumitomo Corporation is the prime engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for this project, and the plant's turbines and generators are being supplied by Mitsubishi Hitachi (News - Alert) Power Systems (MHPS). To monitor and control the plant's three gas turbines and auxiliary facilities, Yokogawa will provide the CENTUMTM VP integrated production control system, DPharp EJATM series differential pressure and pressure transmitters, and YTA610 temperature transmitters*2. Yokogawa Turkey will be in charge of providing engineering and support services for the installation and commissioning of this system, and will complete work on this project by September of this year. To provide support services, Yokogawa opened a salesand after-sales office in Turkmenistan in August 2015. One of the Sustainable Development Goals for the year 2030 that were adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit is to ensure the provision of affordable and clean energy. Natural gas is an energy source whose combustion emits less CO 2 than oil or coal, and as such is regarded as an important means for achieving a low carbon society. Taking advantage of its strong expertise and excellent track record in natural gas related plant construction projects, Yokogawa is helping to ensure the stable supply of power in markets all over the world, including Central Asia. *1 Source (News - Alert): BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019 *2 CENTUM VP is a system in the company's OpreXTM Control and Safety System family. DPharp EJA series differential pressure and pressure transmitters and YTA610 temperature transmitters are products in the OpreX Field Instruments family. For more information Industries -Power- https://www.yokogawa.com/industries/power/ Distributed Control System (DCS) https://www.yokogawa.com/solutions/products-platforms/control-system/distributed-control-systems-dcs/ Field Instruments https://www.yokogawa.com/solutions/products-platforms/field-instruments/ About Yokogawa Founded in 1915, Yokogawa engages in broad-ranging activities in the areas of measurement, control, and information. The industrial automation business provides vital products, services, and solutions to a diverse range of process industries including oil, chemicals, natural gas, power, iron and steel, and pulp and paper. With the life innovation business, the company aims to radically improve productivity across the pharmaceutical and food industry value chains. The test & measurement, aviation, and other businesses continue to provide essential instruments and equipment with industry-leading precision and reliability. Yokogawa co-innovates with its customers through a global network of 113 companies spanning 60 countries, generating US$3.6 billion in sales in FY2018. For more information, please visit www.yokogawa.com. The names of corporations, organizations, products, services and logos herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Yokogawa Electric Corporation (News - Alert) or their respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005013/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Local officials in China have been urged not to conceal new coronavirus cases after a drop in new Covid-19 infections led to the easing of a two-month lockdown in Hubei province. The epicentre of the outbreak will allow healthy people to leave, the provincial government said on Tuesday, though the city of Wuhan, where the virus originated, will remain closed until 8 April. Chinas premiere, Li Keqiang, said each local government must must seek truth from facts and publicly and transparently release epidemic information. Speaking at a meeting of the leading group combating the virus on Monday, Mr Li said officials should accurately report new cases, which he said must not be concealed in order to pursue zero reports. He said experts believed the virus would not disappear suddenly like Sars. Mr Li said while the spread of the virus had been effectively stopped in Hubei, the risk of local outbreaks and sporadic cases remained. The prevention and control measures of early detection, early reporting, early isolation, and early treatment must be put in place and resolutely curb the outbreak in local and even larger areas, he said. No new locally transmitted infections were reported on Wednesday, as China ramped up quarantine and screening rules for all international arrivals due to the risks from imported cases. Hubei has seen almost no new infections for more than a week after drastic measures to limit the spread of the virus were implemented in January, preventing people from entering or leaving cities, cancelling trains and flights and setting up checkpoints on roads into the central province. Local authorities downgraded Wuhans epidemic risk level from high to medium on Wednesday. Mainland China has had 81,218 confirmed cases, with 474 imported infections. The death toll stood at 3,281 on Tuesday, up four from the previous day. FLINT, MI-- From N95 masks to disposable gowns and gloves, mid-Michigan hospitals are in need of medical supply and personal protective equipment donations. Heres what they need and how you can help. Hurley Medical Center Hurley Medical Center in Flint hosted two medical supplies donation drop-offs on March 23 and 24, and will be accepting donations at a third drop-off from 1 - 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24 at Hurley West Flint Parking Lot, located at 1085 S Linden Road. Arrangements can be made to donate outside this time frame with Director of Volunteer Services and Programming, Jordan Brown at JBrown6@hurleymc.com What they accept: N95 masks, disposable face masks, eye protection such as face shields and safety goggles, bleach or antimicrobial wipes, disposable gowns and disposable non-latex gloves. What they dont accept: home-sewn masks, 3D-printed ventilator parts, medications or any other medical equipment. Monetary donations to support can be made online at hurleyfoundation.org/donate. McLaren Health Care McLaren HealthCare hospitals currently have the equipment needed to protect staff, according to a hospital spokeswoman. However in anticipation of increased COVID-19 patients, McLaren Bay Region in Bay City, McLaren Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant and McLaren Flint are accepting donations McLaren Bay Region is accepting donations of new and unused personal protective equipment and medical supplies, which can be dropped off from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at 503 Mulholland St. in Bay City. The McLaren Bay Region Foundations is accepting monetary donations for supplies as well. The hospital will accept the following new and unused items: home-sewn face masks, disposable face masks, N95 masks, eye protection such as face shields and safety goggles, disposable gloves especially non-latex, disposable surgical caps, disposable foot covers, bleach or antimicrobial wipes and hand sanitizer. McLaren Flint is accepting donations of all the same items, including home-sewn masks made following this pattern. All donations can be dropped off from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hospitality House at McLaren, located at G-3170 Beecher Road in Flint. Covenant HealthCare Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw is accepting donations of personal protective equipment and medical supplies. Smaller-scale donations and hand-sewn face masks may be dropped off at the front desk located at 700 Cooper Ave. or the outdoor drop-off Covenant vehicle from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., located at 5400 Mackinaw Road. Those making bulk industrial donations should contact supply chain management at 989-583-4191. What theyre accepting: Disposable face masks, N95 masks and respirators, clear face shields, safety goggles and other clear eye protection, disposable gowns, disposable non-latex gloves, disposable surgical caps, disposable foot covers, bleach or antimicrobial wipes, hand sanitizer and swabs for specimen collection. Covenant is also accepting donations of personal-use masks, including hand-sewn, although they ask that theyre made using the Michigan Health Improvement Alliances pattern and instructions. MidMichigan Health MidMichigan Health centers have had no capacity issues yet, according to a MidMichigan Health spokeswoman, however they are preparing for an influx of patients in the near future and are accepting donation of certain items locally in Midland. What they accept: Disposable face masks of any kind including N95 masks, disposable clear face shields, clear safety glasses and goggles. Those interested in donating should email COVID19.SUPPLIES@midmichigan.org with contact information and the supplies being donated. Regionally, MidMichigan Health is partnering with other health systems through THRIVE of the Great Lakes Bay region to address supply shortages. Any businesses who wish to donate any of these items can do so through THRIVEs website. What they accept: N95 masks, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, powered air-purifying respirators, surgical gloves or disposable gloves, clear safety goggles or glasses, clear face shields, surgical gowns, M4 red-top tubes and Darcon swabs for sample collection. MidMichigan Health is also now accepting hand-sewn masks. Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center The Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center in Saginaw will not be accepting any donations from the community, as they have other resources to help sustain required inventory levels, a spokeswoman for the hospital said. Ascension Michigan Ascension Michigan hospitals in mid-Michigan, including Ascension Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc and Ascension St. Marys Hospital in Saginaw, are not in need of donations for medical supplies or personal protective equipment at this time. An Ascension Michigan spokeswoman said they are working with local, state, community and national public health partners identify and address any needs they may have. More related news: Michigan hospitals see sharp rise in online appointments during coronavirus outbreak Hurley suspends all routine visitations due to coronavirus Mass Transportation Authority to continue services amid coronavirus Stay Home, Stay Safe order What Grand Rapids residents are saying about Michigans stay-at-home order Were just trying to get done what we can, Ann Arbor workers say of stay-at-home coronavirus order Why didnt I get my haircut 2 weeks earlier? Jackson resident reacts to stay-at-home order Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 23:04:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MACAO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government Wednesday reported four newly confirmed imported COVID-19 cases, taking the tally of all confirmed cases to 30. The 27th case is a 28-year-old male Macao resident returning from Britain. He arrived at Macao and received a 14-day medical observation in a local facility on Sunday. He was diagnosed with the disease on Tuesday. The 28th and 29th cases are both Macao residents who had studied in Britain and flew back from London. One of them, an 18-year-old male, arrived in Macao on Sunday and had a 14-day medical observation. On Tuesday he was diagnosed with the disease. The other is a 15-year-old female, who flew to Hong Kong via Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia on March 16. She stayed in Hong Kong for a week and arrived in Macao on Tuesday. Upon arrival, she was taken to hospital for examination since she was found to have respiratory symptoms. On Wednesday morning she tested positive for COVID-19 infection. The 30th case is a 52-year-old Australian who arrived in Hong Kong from London on March 16, and then went to Macao via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. After staying for a few days, he left for Hong Kong on Friday and planned to fly to Australia, but he was denied entry to Hong Kong. When going back to Macao, he had a 14-day medical observation and was diagnosed with the disease on Wednesday. A total of 20 patients currently in Macao have COVID-19 infection and have been kept in quarantine for treatment at Centro Hospitalar Conde de Sao Januario. The ten cases previously reported before March 16 were all discharged from hospital after recovery. Details added (first version posted on 12:10) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 24 Trend: Flagrantly violating the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijans Goranboy district, Armenian armed forces attempted to commit a provocation, Trend reports on March 24 referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. One Armenian serviceman was killed as a result of the vigilance of the Azerbaijani armed forces, the ministry said. The body of an Armenian serviceman has been on the territory between the trenches of the troops for one day. The skirmish continues, the ministry said. The situation is under control of the Azerbaijani army. The Armenian side is fully responsible for exacerbating the situation on the line of contact. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Social media major Facebook is reportedly planning to buy 10 per cent stake in the country's biggest telecom company Reliance Jio. Reliance Industries Limited had set a target to make its telecom services arm Jio debt-free by March 31, 2020. According to Financial Times, Facebook is looking at buying a multibillion-dollar stake in Reliance Jio which has been valued at USD 60 billion by analysts at Bernstein. Both Reliance Jio and Facebook did not comment on the report. The international financial daily said that the lockdown may have an impact on the timing of the deal. Reliance Industries (RIL) in October had announced to set up a new subsidiary to bring all its digital initiatives and apps under a single entity, and infuse Rs 1.08 lakh crore equity into this new unit. Jio apps like JioTV, JioCinema, JioNews etc are to be brought under this new entity in a move to consolidate digital platforms into an elegant capital structure to increase the attractiveness and simplify the structure for possible strategic investors. On March 18, RIL took over some of the debt of Reliance Jio but the company neither disclosed financial details of the transaction nor the names of creditors. In March last year, assets worth about Rs 1.25 lakh crore were demerged from RJIL to Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) aimed at optimising operational efficiencies and better monetisation of core digital connectivity platform, tower and fibre passive infrastructure. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven West Media has backed a decision taken by the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics until 2021. Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, James Warburton said: While we are just as disappointed as anyone with the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the health and safety of the athletes, officials and spectators is paramount, which is why we absolutely support the decision taken by the IOC. SWM indicated it is committed to working with their partners and supporters in light of the decision. Kurt Burnette, SWM Chief Revenue Officer, said: Were disappointed to no longer be able to offer our partners the incredible platform that Tokyo 2020 could provide. Our partners are just as disappointed as us, but completely support that the health and safety of the global community comes first. Were already working together to explore all options and to help support them in reaching their key audiences now, when messaging is more important than ever. It isnt clear if broadcasters will be offered any refund or compensation by the IOC, but SWM will continue to provide updates. TUSCOLA COUNTY, MI -- When children walk into Danielle Dicksons daycare, their temperature is taken, theyre asked screening questions, then theyre brought straight to the bathroom to wash themselves and change into freshly sanitized clothing. The Dicksons started their own system of sanitizing clothing two weeks ago, having parents and guardians drop off a weeks worth of outfits over the weekend. The other precautions were mandated after Governor Gretchen Whitmers Monday, March 23, order that people remain at home as cases of COVID-19 spread across Michigan. With the new executive order, parents and guardians must also submit a form proving theyre part of the essential workforce, Dickson said. She and her husband, Brian, started Farm Days Childcare out of their house in Millington in January after they had a new baby. She said shes happy they can still work and play their part in supporting the essential workforce. I love being with the kids, Danielle Dickson added. Occupational therapist Tammie Reinerts two-year-old son Wattson attends the daycare. She said the Dicksons immediately contacted her and her husband, who is also an occupational therapist, as concerns over the virus rose to inform her of additional hygiene practices the daycare planned to implement. Knowing that I have a good place for my little guy to go while we are out working gives us a sense of peace -- knowing that hes well taken care of and knowing we can go help other people by doing our jobs, Wattson said. Wattson works for a home healthcare agency, helping patients become independent in their own home so they do not have to become re-hospitalized. Were considered essential because were helping to prevent those visits to the hospital by making patients safe in their own home, she said. In addition to the four children attending the daycare and their baby, Dickson said seven spots at the daycare remain open for parents in the essential workforce who need childcare. Whitmer letting Michigan day cares stay open during coronavirus pandemic, signs order allowing emergency child care centers Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has thus far left daycares off the list of mandatory business closures during the coronavirus pandemic. She signed an executive order loosening some regulatory restrictions around providing emergency childcare services, Wednesday March 18. Options under Whitmers declaration include extending hours and allowing up to 12 children under their care rather than six, Dickson said. ISD coordinates expanded childcare access for essential workforce in Genesee County It has been important to adjust daily practices while working with children through the COVID-19 virus pandemic, Dickson said. The children miss their family members, friends and teachers. Every day in the morning, the children have been writing letters to loved ones. One child wrote a letter to his grandfather. I miss you, the letter reads. I learned to ride my bike without training wheels yesterday. I dont go to school now. I play at daycare. They have farm animals. I hope I can see you soon. This week, because the kids are missing spring break, the group has been doing virtual spring break, Dickson said. The first day we went to Disney World, the second day they went to the Grand Canyon, today theyre virtually going to New York City," she said. Were trying to keep their minds busy. The couple has spent decades taking care of children having raised a total of 10 -- two birth children, seven adopted and one child for whom they are guardians. Their older children have moved out but their teenagers are out of school along with the rest of Michigan K-12 students. Dickson said her family has been ready to help in any way they can. For example, this week, their two 15-year-olds helped fill out their households census forms. She said she feels blessed to have her children and to still be able to work and help people in need of childcare during this crisis. Farm Days Childcare can be reached at 810-252-1368. Read more here: Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus Friday, March 20: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan First coronavirus cases - 4 of them - confirmed in Genesee County The growing strain on our regions healthcare facilities in the wake of the coronavirus has hammered home the point that we and local officials have been making for months: Hudson County cannot afford to lose any of its hospitals. Just Friday, the county announced that it would be piggybacking on the abilities of one hospital Hudson Regional in Secaucus to provide the community with drive-thru testing for the virus. And on Thursday, a tented annex to Christ Hospital in Jersey City was set up as a triage center to screen ER patients and protect healthcare workers in the hospital itself. Christ Hospital, Hoboken University Medical Center and Bayonne Medical Center are all in a perilous position as their for-profit parent, CarePoint Health, looks to unload them. Although a tentative deal with an entity called BMC Hospital LLC was reached for the Bayonne Medical Center earlier this week, RWJBarnabas Health, which owns and operates Jersey City Medical Center, has been in negotiations to buy Christ Hospital and its Hoboken sister for months but no deal has been reached. Local officials have pointed the finger at a nursing home chain owner who owns the Bayonne Medical Center property and has ownership shares of HUMC and Christ Hospital and the land on which they sit. The cities of Bayonne and Hoboken have passed new zoning rules to clarify that regardless of who owns the properties, they must remain hospitals. Similarly, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop has emphasized that the Christ Hospital land is zoned for medical use only. Local and state officials must continue to fight for these facilities and not let their guard down while focused on the crisis at hand. The parties involved, meanwhile, all need to remember that public health isnt something to be trifled with for personal gain. Send letters to the editor and guest columns for The Jersey Journal to jjletters@jjournal.com. On Monday, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that the United States should get back to work amid the global pandemic, risking vulnerable older populations for the sake of the economy. "No one reached out to me and said, as a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren?" Patrick said. "And if thats the exchange, I'm all in." Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news with mySA.com: The 69-year-old conservative added that "those of us who are 70 plus, we'll take care of ourselves. But don't sacrifice the country." San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg joined the nationwide chorus rebuking Patrick during an appearance on CNN Tuesday. "It's easy for someone of power and privilege to say something so callous, but what Dan Patrick is coming to learn is something that most Americans have known for a long time," Nirenberg said. "Which is that a single health event can become catastrophic. "I would tell you as mayor of San Antonio I'm not willing to sacrifice any one of my residents, let alone those workers who are on the front lines of this battle, the healthcare workers. Or the 10,000-plus veterans in this community who have served this country. It's time that we step up and serve them." Asked whether Patrick's comments make it more difficult to enforce social distancing measures in San Antonio, Nirenberg said that "it certainly sends a mixed message." On ExpressNews.com: Dan Patrick is pushing for seniors to make sacrifices for the economy. His son says work from home. "But what I will tell you is that San Antonio residents, like urban Texas residents, are compassionate. They understand the importance of service. They know what the frontline folks on the healthcare side and the first responders are dealing with. They want to cooperate. They see what's happening in other parts of the country and across the world when we don't work together," he said. Patrick made his comments on Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight" hours after President Donald Trump said that he wanted the country to get back to business in weeks, not months. Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction staying home from work and isolating themselves the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths. While Patrick became the public face of the lets get back to work contingent, his son Ryan K. Patrick, U.S. Attorney in the Houston region, has asked his staff handling one of the busiest criminal dockets in the country to work from home and prioritize safety. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: A family told they couldn't all attend the funeral of their father because of Australia's new coronavirus restrictions have taken on the government and won. Victorian man Kevin, who was a father of 11, died on Sunday - before Scott Morrison banned more than 10 people attending funerals to limit the spread of coronavirus. His funeral was scheduled to be held on Thursday, 12 hours after the rules are due to be enforced, 2GB reported. Under the rules, the family would face a $20,000 fine if all 11 children went. Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the announcement on Tuesday that funerals are restricted to just ten people in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus A family-of-12 who lost their father over the weekend was told one child could not attend the funeral before taking on the government to avoid a $20,000 fine (stock image) Kevin's daughter Carolyn told the radio station the rules have made the tragedy even harder for the already-devastated family. 'It's made it a really hard process, it feels really difficult. It feels like we can't move on with grieving because we've got constant barriers that we're stepping over,' she said. Carolyn said the family was looking forward to celebrating the life of her father but were heartbroken by the prospect at not being able to do so together. 'We understand where the Morrison government are coming from, we're not criticising them, however, wouldn't it have been better to say immediate family only?' Carolyn asked. His funeral was organised to be held just 12 hours after the rules are due to be enforced with the family facing a $20,000 fine if breached 2GB host Ben Fordham contacted the prime minister in a bid to help out the family. Mr Morrison said while enforcement was up to the Victorian government, he was willing to make an exception. The radio station called the Victorian government multiple times before being referred back to Mr Morrison. The prime minister's office gave the family an exemption allowing all 11 children to attend his funeral, but have been told they need to follow the 1.5metre social distancing rule. Carolyn thanked Mr Fordham for helping her family out with the funeral. 'I'm really touched with your determination and effort, because no one else has been able to help us,' she told the radio station. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 05:16:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LIMA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Peru's Health Ministry reported two new fatalities from the COVID-19 epidemic, bringing the nation's total death toll to nine, with 480 confirmed cases of infection. One of the latest fatal victims was a Mexican man, 76, who had pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes. The other was a Peruvian citizen of advanced age, 94, who also suffered from diabetes. Peru has declared a state of emergency in a bid to contain the epidemic. The government has imposed an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew through March 30 to restrict movement and contact among the population. With Spain under lockdown and suffering serious consequences from the coronavirus crisis, EBLthe self-publishing project of Spanish media conglomerate Grupo Planetahas put out out a call for stories for an anthology of literature about the crisis. Dubbed "Stories of the Quarantine," the project is soliciting nonfiction, poetry, and fiction related to the coronavirus crisis, and will publish a free-to-read e-book comprised of 25 selections. News of the project was quickly picked up by the national media in Spain, said project manager Enrique Parrilla, CEO of Seville-based Lantia Publishing, which manages EBL on behalf of Planeta. "A story was broadcast on the national news over the weekend, which gets 13 million viewers each night and then spread to other outlets. It was astonishing how quickly submissions started flooding in and they have not stopped." He said that the stories being submitted were often heartwrenching, but added that they were not all bleak. "One man, an electrician who works long hours, wrote about how the lockdown has made him the happiest he has been in a long time because it means he has been able to spend so much time with his family." After the popularity of the Spanish-language call for stories, EBL expanded the submissions to include English-language works, which will also be published in a separate anthology. (EBL is new on the scene in English, having only launched its English-language program last month.) Submissions for either anthology are limited to 2,000 words and the deadline is May 1. "We know that people across the world are suffering, particularly in New York, and we wanted to give people the opportunity to express themselves and see themselves in print," said Parrilla. "Working together and sharing our experiences is the best way for us to make it through this trying time together. Maybe we can even come out of this a little stronger. This is our small way of contributing and doing our part for the global community." SOUTHWICK Townspeople gathered in the Southwick Regional School parking lot for an outdoor special Town Meeting in an effort to keep voters from contracting the coronoavirus while attending to time-sensitive business. Most of the crowd, with many wearing gloves and masks, did not have an issue with the town health directive of moving the meeting outdoors, but resident Cynthia Marshall balked at putting herself in danger of illness in order to exercise her right to vote. This meeting could have been postponed 30 days, she said. Selectman Joseph Deedy said it was important to move forward with the meeting because Article 3 pertained to the $800,000 aluminum sulfate treatment of Congamond Lakes that must be done when the water is a certain temperature. Early April, he said, is the time when the lake temperature is perfect for water treatment. Resident Michelle Pratt, a member of Citizens Restoring Congamond, spoke in support of the lake treatment plan, saying, We really need this to happen. Were going to be happy we did this when were on the other side of the COVID-19 curve, she said. Southwick resident Cynthia Marshall expressed her disapproval with the town moving ahead with a special Town Meeting amid the caronavirus outbreak. (Manon L. Mirabelli photo) Stacie Phettenplace, who lives on Congamond Lake, thought the meeting was important enough for her to attend with a broken leg while standing out in the cold. This needed to be done, she said. Townspeople voted overwhelmingly in favor of the lakes treatment spending. They also passed the other two articles. Residents approved granting an easement for maintaining Berkshire Avenue as requested by the Board of Selectmen and the Department of Public Works, and voted in favor of appropriating $12,000 for lighting and electrical outlets at Whalley Park Pavilion. The Town Meeting was originally scheduled for Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the school auditorium, but was postponed until Tuesday at 6 p.m. due to snowfall and moved outdoors to keep people at a safe distance from one another. Voters checked in with the town officials, then proceeded to one parking space per family in which to stand or sit. Town Clerk Michelle L. Hill said 138 of Southwicks about 6,000 voters turned out. This was a tremendous turnout for being outdoors, she said. Town Moderator James Putnam II said in an email on Monday that the plan was announced last Thursday through social media, the town website, and the media. It is important to note that at that point, there was no legal change to the date, time, and location of the special town meeting other than moving it from the auditorium to the parking lot. Putnam also said the plan was a group effort, with everyone tasked with balancing time-sensitive town business and the health of the people. Over the course of last week, my team and I developed a plan that would balance the normal legal requirements for a town meeting with the need to comply with public health directives, he said. I applaud their extraordinary cooperation and collaboration, but also acknowledge that I am fully responsible for the final decision in my elected responsibility as town moderator. A clever mother has created genius charts to keep her children entertained while at home as schools in multiple Australian states close due to the coronavirus crisis. Alexis Teasdale, the founder of DIY, styling and events business, The Festive Co, shared her creative sheets to Instagram and said they are perfect for keeping the kids busy. 'So guys, I've whipped up some kids activity sheets online cos HOLY SHEETS I may need to entertain the kiddos for longer than expected and I'm guessing you might too,' she wrote. Founder of The Festive Co, Alexis Teasdale (pictured) has created charts to keep her children entertained while at home as schools in multiple Australian states close Alexis created a bingo chart (pictured), which involves crossing out the items listed once they have been called out 'I've added them to the FREEBIES section and I'm going to keep them coming. We've got this,' she continued. Alexis created a bingo chart, which involves crossing out the items listed once they have been called out. She also created a fun jar which has a number of activities cut in strips and placed in a jar. 'I added a new printable so you can make lucky dip activity jars for the kids at home. Hope it helps keep the little people busy,' she explained. She also created a 'fun jar' sheet which involves cutting activities into strips and placing them in a jar Some of the activities include baking a cake, washing the car, watching a movie and learning three words in another language. Alexis also shared an outdoor scavenger hunt activity, which challenges kids to find the items listed on the sheet. These include a leaf, ant, sign, something very tall, something in the key, something fuzzy and some sticks. Alexis also shared an outdoor scavenger hunt activity, which challenges kids to find the items listed on the sheet This comes after a post written by an Irish school teacher addressing some of the main concerns parents are grappling with today has gone viral. 'This is not homeschooling. This is an unprecedented emergency situation impacting the whole world. Let's keep perspective,' she wrote. 'Homeschooling is a choice, where you considered, you plan for it and you are your child's school teacher in whatever form you choose. 'This is at best distance learning. In reality, it's everyone trying to separate their bums from their elbows because none of us know what we're doing and what's right and wrong here.' While Ireland has been in lockdown for longer than a week, Australians are starting to feel the effects of a nationwide shutdown on international travel, restaurants, beaches - and schooling. Chief Learning Officer at Cluey Learning Dr Selina Samuels says her biggest concern for our teachers and parents facing disruption is maintaining learning momentum for students. 'Many schools are already flagging the challenges represented by serving the needs of their students remotely,' she told FEMAIL. 'There is the more obvious issue of access to the appropriate technology and then comes the necessary skillset to deploy it effectively. Plus adapting what works in the classroom to an online environment isn't always easy.' The best skills children can learn from home: * Do a bit of reading every day (independent or to them or via audiobook etc) * Some free writing now and then. If they'll keep a diary or something, great. If not, would they draw a comic? * Practical hands on maths. Be that via cooking, cleaning, outside or some maths games physical or digital. * Some fine motor work. Lego, cutting, playdough, tidying up small toys. * Physical exercise everyday * Some art/music where possible through the week. Doesn't need to be guided. * If they are old enough getting them to independently work on a project is great for keeping brains ticking over. Get them researching in a book or online and putting together something to present to you or family. * If younger, lots of imaginative free play, the more independent the better. Advertisement Cluey Learning, an Australian-made online tutoring website, is offering free guidance to parents, teachers and students on Monday March 23 and March 30 who are entering into an at-home schooling routine. 'As Australia starts to grapple with deploying effective online learning, we're readying ourselves to share fast, useful and effective guidance from our deep experience in this space. We'll be releasing advice in line with the ever-changing situation,' Dr Samuels said. Meanwhile teacher Dr Anne Chalfant from Annie's Centre, which is in Sydney, has released a different approach and has released a schedule for children to follow, to get the most out of this time. For children of all ages, Dr Chalfant recommends their day start at 7.30am and they have all books and equipment set up on a table by 9am. For kids aged between five and eight they should be doing three 20 minute academic activities between recess and lunchtime before they're allowed to get creative or do some form of physical activity by 4pm. The length of those activities increases as the child ages, for example, children aged between nine and 12 will need to do two 40 minutes activities between recess and lunch, while teenagers should mainly focus on 50 to 55 minutes blocks of activities. Older students can also work on revision during this time to ensure they have mastered everything that was covered in term one. The global death toll from the coronavirus has passed 20,000 with more than 450,000 infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness. Here's a roundup of developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries. Romania The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Romania has surpassed 900, including 13 deaths, as the authorities deployed army troops on the streets to enforce a "total quarantine." Romania has been under a state of emergency since March 16. But the number of coronavirus cases has continued to grow as many people ignored recommendations to stay indoors, prompting President Klaus Iohannis to strengthen the restrictions on March 24 by declaring "a total quarantine." The authorities on March 25 reported 144 more infections, bringing the total to 907 out of some 14,000 people tested. The death toll of 13 on March 25 was an increase from eight during the previous 24 hours. Armored vehicles manned by soldiers in combat gear and face masks were patrolling downtown Bucharest on March 25 after Iohannis ordered the army to help police enforce the lockdown. Moldova Neighboring Moldova on March 25 reported 16 more coronavirus cases during the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections there to 125. "A total of 1,011 coronavirus tests have been carried out since March 7, and 125 of them were positive," Health, Labor, and Social Protection Minister Viorica Dumbraveanu said. "One person has died." Armored vehicles were seen patrolling the streets of Moldova's capital, Chisinau, after Prime Minister Ion Chicu on March 24 asked the military to help enforce restrictions. "We have decided to resort to the army's help," Chicu said. "We have decided to restrict the people's access to public areas, such as parks, public gardens, and other places. This is a hard decision, but it is necessary to stop the virus from spreading." According to a tally published on March 25 by Johns Hopkins University, there have been more than 436,150 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide -- including about 19,650 deaths. Armenia Police in Armenia have begun enforcing a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus by ensuring people are following new restrictions to freedom of movement. The toughened measures, which will remain in force for at least one week, come as the number of coronavirus cases in the South Caucasus country increased to 265 on March 25. Health authorities say 18 people have recovered from the respiratory illness. No deaths have been reported. People leaving their homes in the country of nearly 3 million people must carry identity credentials and self-completed forms that explain their reason for being outdoors. The information must include destination, duration outside, and the time the person left as well as the estimated time when he or she plans to return home. Citizens are allowed to travel to and from work if they are employed in a field whose activities have not been not suspended by the government. They are also permitted to leave their homes to exercise or to buy food or medicine. Only two people, including the driver, can be inside a vehicle at the same time. The Armenian government on March 16 declared a one-month state of emergency to contain the outbreak. The country has closed its border with Georgia and Iran -- one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by the virus. And citizens of a number of countries, including the United States and EU member states, are not allowed entry to Armenia. Ukraine Ukraine's government has declared a state of emergency to cope with the spread of the coronavirus as it seeks to unlock billions of dollars from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The 30-day measure was approved on March 25 at a cabinet meeting broadcast live on television. At the meeting, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the new measures would not hinder individual constitutional rights and only consolidate efforts to overcome the threat of the coronavirus. He also proposed a border closure plan to ban all passenger traffic in and out of the country that would apply to Ukrainian nationals as well. "This is an urgent need, because, in recent weeks, we have seen that the only source of coronavirus penetration into Ukraine has been the flow of citizens from abroad, and this flow continues," Shmyhal said. Previously, only Kyiv and some regions of Ukraine had declared states of emergency. The cabinet on March 25 also extended quarantine measures -- basically stay-at-home orders -- until at least April 24. The order, in place since March 12, originally was to be in effect through April 3. Ukraine confirmed 32 new cases on March 25, bringing the nationwide total to 145 in 13 regions and Kyiv, according to the Center for Public Health. Four lawmakers are among those who have tested positive. Five deaths have been attributed to COVID-19. The patients' ages ranged from 33 to 71 years. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said that after March 27 no more flights will be allowed to land in or depart from the country, while calling on Ukrainians to come home or risk remaining stranded indefinitely. There are two days. Gather yourselves and come home, my dear fellows. And after that, you will remain sitting somewhere in Sri Lanka in a luxurious hut. Well, sit there more, since you decided to do so. Because two weeks have passed from the moment when we got into this situation, Avakov said. He added that Ukrainians will still be able to enter Ukraine by foot or in a vehicle. Parliament, meanwhile, has pushed back a scheduled extraordinary session from March 26 to March 28 to address the coronavirus outbreak and pass bills required by the IMF. The legislation would enable sessions and committee meetings via video conferencing for at least two months. It also includes measures to cope with the coronavirus, improve social and economic conditions, and amend the budget. Among the laws required to unlock a $5.5 billion IMF loan is a change of bank regulations to prevent tycoons from regaining control of financial institutions which were nationalized during a period of insolvency from 2014 to 2016. Kyiv is reportedly seeking a second package worth about $5 billion related to the negative economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, police are investigating an unnamed private medical clinic in Kyiv for possible violations of sanitation rules related to the prevention of infectious diseases and widespread poisoning, local media reported. Investigators are following up on reports that the clinic may have failed to inform the Health Ministrys Center for Public Health regarding positive test results for coronavirus. Russia The government's coronavirus task force has admitted to Russia's first two deaths from the respiratory illness known as COVID-19. Two patients, aged 88 and 73, died on March 25. The task force has not included the earlier deaths of two other coronavirus patients in Russia as part of its tally, saying they had died of other causes. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin earlier on March 25 ordered provincial governors to move more quickly to provide hospital beds for coronavirus patients. The government had earlier reported 658 infections, up from 495 a day before, a rise Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said was almost three times higher than the previous average of confirmed cases. "There are currently 658 cases in 55 regions of Russia. Twenty-nine people have recovered. A total of 112,000 people are being monitored in self-isolation," Golikova told a meeting of the country's federal coronavirus operative response group that is coordinating the fight against the coronavirus. The same number appeared on the government's official website dedicated to the coronavirus outbreak in Russia. Mishustin's warning to regional governors came a day after the mayor of Moscow told Putin that the Russian regions weren't acting energetically enough to prepare for the outbreak. Sergei Sobyanin warned that the low number of cases in Russia compared to Europe could be explained by insufficient screening and called for quicker action to brace for the worst. He has ordered the closure of all eateries, shopping malls, and parks from March 28 to April 5. As of March 25, Russian authorities had not reported any coronavirus deaths. A 79-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 died last week at a Moscow infectious disease hospital. At first, Moscow health authorities said the death was virus related, but officials quickly changed the cause of death to a blood clot, not the coronavirus. Pakistan Pakistan has announced it is halting all domestic passenger flights to stop the spread of the coronavirus after reporting 1,000 cases in the country. The domestic flight ban will begin on March 26, civil aviation spokesman Abdul Sattar Khokhar said. Islamabad had previously cut train service and international flights. Most of those who initially tested positive were Pakistani pilgrims returning from neighboring Iran, which has seen the Mideast's worst outbreak of the coronavirus. However, officials now say the virus is being reported in people who had no travel history. As of March 25, 1,000 people have tested positive for the virus in Pakistan, with seven deaths and 19 full recoveries, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Iran Iran on March 25 announced 143 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising the official death toll to 2,077 in one of the world's worst-hit countries. Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said "our colleagues have registered 2,206 new cases of COVID-19 infection" in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 27,017. Jahanpur's announcement came a day after Iran rejected an offer from a Geneva-based medical charity to set up a 50-bed inflatable hospital in the central city of Isfahan to deal with the outbreak. A Doctors Without Borders (MSF) crisis-response team comprised of nine emergency and intensive-care unit doctors and logisticians were to run the unit to be set up in the compound of the citys Amin hospital, the organization said. Michel-Olivier Lacharite, who is in charge of the MSF team, said on March 24 that the organization had been ready to set up the unit at the end of the week after being given prior approval from the authorities. "We are surprised to learn that the deployment of our treatment unit is canceled," Lacharite said. With reporting RFE/RL's Armenian, Moldovan, Romanian, and Ukrainian services, AP, Dawn, Reuters, G4media.ro, Hotnews.ro, Interfax, Hromadske, Interfax, and Ukrayinska pravda Wellington: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has declared a state of national emergency as the country prepared to go into a complete lockdown at midnight to combat the coronavirus outbreak. The government has commandeered the defence force to assist police to uphold public safety and enforce the lockdown, after cases of the virus surged by 50 to 205. Ardern warned there was likely "several thousand" more cases not yet diagnosed. Police and civil defence personnel have been afforded a range of sweeping powers to close roads, take control of buildings and public spaces, and regulate the flow of food, fuel and essential supplies. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media at a press conference ahead of a nationwide lockdown on Wednesday. Credit:Getty Images Ardern said the pandemic required "a significant and co-ordinated response by and across central and local government" and for each citizen to minimise their contact by self-isolating. Schlumberger and Halliburton joined the ranks of oil companies on a spending-cutting spree amid the steep oil price drop. Schlumberger said it would slash its spending by 30 percent less than it spent in 2019 and cut the number of active drilling rigs in North America, possibly to as low as it was in 2016. The company noted it will direct most of its capital expenditure plans to locations outside its home market, pointing out that 80 percent of its free cash flow was generated outside the United States. Halliburton will also spend less this year. Reuters reported, citing its chief financial officer, that the spending reduction would be significant although he did not give an exact number. In some parts of its business, the company is eyeing cuts of up to 60-65 percent. Halliburton originally planned to spend $1.2 billion this year. The industry is facing an unprecedented dual impact on demand and supply side that none of us have witnessed over our professional lifetimes, CFO Lance Loeffler told shareholders, as quoted by Reuters. Earlier this month Halliburton said it would furlough 3,500 employees for two months. The 3,500 employees will work alternating weekly schedules - one on, one off - during the period. They will only be paid for the weeks worked, Halliburton said. We believe moving to this schedule will allow us to best manage costs and provide full benefits to our employees during this difficult market, a spokeswoman for the oilfield services major said in a statement. Halliburton, Reuters notes, is the largest provider of hydraulic fracturing services in the U.S. shale patch. Despite its size, it is already feeling the pain from the oil price rout, with its share price tanking by 70 percent over the last four weeks to just above $6 apiece. More pain is to come: at least one U.S. shale producer, Parsley Energy, has asked oilfield service providers to cut their prices by as much as 25 percent to help E&Ps weather the new crisis. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Geri Horner has expressed her gratitude to NHS staff as they continue to steer the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. In a heartfelt, handwritten letter shared to Instagram on Wednesday, the Spice Girl, 47, hailed frontline employees 'heroes' and the 'backbone of the UK' for their work amid the global crisis. The musician admitted that while staff 'are probably too busy' to read her message, she wanted to take time out of her day to encourage the 'brave' doctors and nurses during this 'historical moment'. 'You're our heroes, the backbone of the UK': Geri Horner has expressed her gratitude to NHS staff as they continue to steer the fight against the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday Media personality Geri wrote: 'Dear Nurses , Doctors & all staff at the NHS. You are probably too busy to read this. 'I hope someone shows you this letter;in times of trouble you find out what youre made of and who your friends are- 'This is that moment- We want you to know - YOU are our heroes. YOU are back bone of this country. YOU are the GREAT in Great Britain. 'We thank you. This is the moment in history when we are reminded , and we will never forget how brave and wonderful you are. We are lucky to have you. Thank you. Geri x', the Wannabe hitmaker signed off her passionate letter. Passionate: The Spice Girl, 47, hailed frontline employees 'heroes' and the 'backbone of the UK' for their work amid the global crisis (pictured last year) 'We're lucky to have you': The musician admitted that while staff 'are probably too busy' to read her message, she wanted to take time out of her day to encourage the 'brave' doctors Coronavirus was classed a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this month, leading countries such as Italy, Spain and the UK to implement nationwide lockdowns. In the UK, the virus has claimed 422 lives out of 8,077 confirmed cases, and over 425,000 have been infected globally. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged any doctors or nurses who quit or retired in the past three years to return during the crisis. NHS officials have not put a figure on the number of former doctors and nurses they expect to bring back, but Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hoped to get our hands on as many as possible. Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty warned last week that London hospitals would soon be under severe pressure. On Monday night, Boris ordered the immediate closure of all non-essential shops and threatened people with fines or even arrest if they do not 'stay at home'. The shutdown will last for a minimum of three weeks and the UK's new state of emergency is unprecedented in modern history. Gatherings of more than two people has been banned in the most dramatic curbs on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war, as the government goes all out to stop the spread of the killer disease. Brave: Peter Andre's wife Emily has continued to work at her local hospital, while Rita Ora's mother Vera has returned to the NHS frontline amid the COVID-19 pandemic Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images After I was sent away for murder and selling drugs 18 years ago, one of my old cronies from Hells Kitchen moved out to Los Angeles, got sober, and became a family man and a Teamster. As a Teamster, he typically works in Hollywood transporting sets and props and sometimes even the stars. A few months ago, I called him as he was driving Simone Missick to the set of the CBS show All Rise, where she plays Judge Lola Carmichael. Wouldnt it be a trip, I asked him, If I interviewed Judge Lola from the slammer? He asked Missick if shed talk to his buddy in Sing Sing who became a journalist. Sure, she said, she was down to talk! And so the following is an edited excerpt from a recent conversation I had with Simone Missick on my new podcast This Is a Collect Call from Sing Sing. Missick shares her personal investment in the Judge Lola character and discusses the issues immigration, race, PTSD, plea bargaining that the show covers. Missick channels her own concerns about inequality and racism in our criminal justice system and shares intimate details of her life. I, too, share some of the experiences Ive had with judges my privilege, my second chances, my shame and how its too bad that they tend to see us defendants at our worst. What if judges had the ability to take a second look? We talk about the conflict that comes with the tough decisions that activist judges like Lola Carmichael have to make. When I watch All Rise, I feel like theres a lot of Simone Missick in Judge Lola. From what Ive read, you grew up in Detroit, you went to Howard, you seem to have this social-justice conscience. Lola is definitely the kind of judge I would want to be. I come from a very active family politically, especially around union organizing. My brother works for the head of the Nurses Union now, but for years he worked for SEIU, and I interned for SEIU. It was always this idea in our household about looking out for the little person and people who are being trampled by a system, not just within the justice system but within housing discrimination and improperly federally funded schools and health disparities. I think I would have been on the other side of that fight as a public defender, thinking that would be the best way to help people. What is so interesting about Lola, which I never knew until this show, is that as a deputy district attorney, she is more empowered to help those being misused by the system. She has the power to determine who gets charged and with what, which is something that a public defender doesnt have. The show informs audiences of the issues that we face in the criminal justice system. In one episode, when youre talking to Luke, the bailiff who wants to be a lawyer, you tell him to become a prosecutor because the DA sets the terms. To quote Lola, The DA sets the terms of who gets charged. Can you unpack this message for the audience a bit? District attorneys are people who determine, as Lola says, the rules of the fight. They determine who gets charged and with what. It is her hope that if she can bring in another person of color like Luke who comes from the other side of the legal system if she can put another black person into that office to have that same sense of thoughtfulness and care and understanding about what can sometimes lead people to do the things that they do, and not just rubber stamp peoples lives with harsh sentences, then a difference can be made. Another episode that stands out to me is when Judge Lola is lenient on a guy and it blows up in her face. Its the one where she discounts this guys sentence, and then he goes out and does something horrible. Judge Lola is left with this moral grappling. Can you tell us about working on that episode? Yeah, so a young man was accused of stealing a car. The mother of his girlfriend was adamant: You need to lock this young man up. Hes stolen from me, hes going to steal again. Lolas looking at this person this is his first offense and shes like, Im not going to charge him with the full weight of what could possibly happen. Sadly, he goes out not more than two days later, steals a car, goes on a high-speed chase, gets into an accident, and dies. This mans girlfriend is left without a partner, his daughter is left without a father, and all eyes are on Lola. Lola ends up being brought up on charges on whether or not shes fit to be a judge, and this is one of the cases that they use to argue against her. Theres this really lovely scene between myself and Paul McCrane whos also a director on the show, but he plays a very conservative judge, as well and he says, We never know, and it is not your job to know. All you can do is what you can do. For Lola, that cant change. She cant look at every defendant and say, Well, are you going to disappoint me like that other person disappointed me, or is this going to blow up in my face? That is what every judge grapples with: What is the right decision for this person? You might think that a person in front of you can change, and then you have to deal with those consequences. It made me think of a lot of things, that episode. Back in 2000, about a year or so before I wound up killing a man, I was caught with a .45 on my waist. The lawyer knew the judge and said, This kid needs a shot. It was my second gun charge, I had done a year already on Rikers Island, so I probably didnt deserve that shot, but I got that shot. She gave me a drug program, and I blew it. I ran from the drug program, I rekindled my drug empire, and I wound up killing a man. And so, part of me is like, Wow, I wish I had a Judge Lola. Then its like, but you did. If I was honest with myself, I did have a Judge Lola, she gave me a chance, and I blew it. I think that it is complicated. There is an idea about how much juvenile courts actually help and rehabilitate, so its interesting that you say you spent time in juvie when you were younger. I question what might have happened if your first experience within the court system was not to send you to a facility. How many kids lives are changed and irreparably damaged by being put in, essentially, jail? We hear people all the time talk about how juvenile facilities are way worse than adult facilities when it comes to helping them to reform, helping them to figure out the tools that they need to not come back. All of that deserves to be discussed and examined by us as a society. How much of it is a choice, and how much of the way that we handle human beings puts them on a path to offend and reoffend and reoffend? I recently spoke to Mark Mauer, the head of The Sentencing Project, and hes proposing a 20-year cap for prison sentences in America. Hes suggesting a second look, like, Okay, this guy got the message. What has he done with his life? If they let him out, would he be a law-abiding citizen? Its close to $70,000 to keep guys like me in prison. In Sing Sing, we have guys walking around with masters degrees. Theyre much different men than the broken young men, and oftentimes teenagers, they were when they came to prison. I would love to see Judge Lola looking at guys and gals that would come before a second-look panel. I think itd be an interesting show. I would love to see that, too. What you said about how much it costs to keep a person in prison, our system is just so broken. The amount of money it costs to keep a person in prison versus the amount of money that we spend per child in school is so drastically different. We do not give people in this country that are not wealthy the best opportunity to succeed. Every human being has a choice to make, but sometimes its a lot harder to make those choices if you dont have anything around you that looks like hope, that looks like opportunity, that is that one person that Judge Lola or that teacher who sees you and sees your potential and says, You have a gift inside of you, and I dont know what that gift is, and you might not know what that gift is, but its not doing this. Its not going down that path. We basically say, If you go to prison, youre useless, in this country, so the fact that youve been able to find your gift for the world and expose what life is like in prison and be that lifeline for us outside who forget that each and everyday peoples lives are being affected by this is important. I thank you for finding that journey along the way. Thank you, Simone. To lighten it up a bit, whats up with the DA Mark? I know some All Rise fans are thinking, Is this more than a friendship? Whats the deal with that relationship? What do we have in store? Its the nature of network television that you wanna see some drama or you wanna see something sexy and illicit, but I value the fact that we are showing a man and a woman who are best friends. Shes black, hes white, and what I love about the two of them is that they challenge each other in a way that other people dont. It doesnt have the messiness of, And now theyre hooking up, but who knows whatll happen if the show is on the air for another seven seasons? [Laughs.] Personally, I dont think Mark can handle Lola, but thats another story. [Laughs] Im gonna have to agree. I dont think he could either, but thats just me. John J. Lennon is serving 28 years to life in Sing Sing Correctional Facility. He is a contributing editor at Esquire and a contributing writer for The Marshall Project. He also hosts the podcast This Is a Collect Call from Sing Sing. You can follow his work at @johnjlennon1 on Twitter. Ten new positive cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Karnataka on Wednesday, taking the total number of the affected persons by the deadly virus in the state to 51, the health department said. "Till date 51 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes one death and 3 discharged," the department said in a bulletin. It said 47 positive patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable. Of the 51 cases detected and confirmed in the state so far, six are transit passengers of Kerala who have landed in airports and being treated in Karnataka, the department said. Among the newly confirmed positive cases are a 63-year-old man and his 59-year-old wife, who are residents of the city, and had a history of travel to South America -Brazil and Argentina. The cases also include two 26-year-old men, who are residents of the city, and had a history of travel to Spain and arrived to Bengaluru via Dubai. Others are a 63-year-old woman and her 69-year-old husband, who are residents of Bengaluru, with a history of travel to Athens and London, and nine and seven years' old daughters of a patient who earlier tested positive and is under treatment, as per the bulletin. A 34-year-old man, a resident of Udupi, who returned from Dubai, and a 37-year old woman, a resident of Chitradurga, with a history of travel to Guyana and arrived to Bengaluru via Delhi (currently under treatment in Davangere) are the other cases, it said. The health department said contact tracing has been initiated for all the cases. Among the 51 positive cases in the state, 32 were reported from Bengaluru, five from Dakshina Kannada, three each from Kalaburgai and Chikkaballapura, two each from Mysuru and Uttara Kannada, and one each from Kodagu, Dharwad, Davangere and Udupi. All the three discharged patients are from Bengaluru. One death was reported in Kalaburgari earlier this month, which was the country's first COVID-19 related death. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, left, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff US army general Mark A. Mille on stage during a briefing in Mar a Lago, Palm Beach, Florida, December 29, 2019. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images On Tuesday morning, top defense officials said evidence indicated the military ought prepare for an extended period about eight to 10 weeks in dealing with the novel coronavirus. Hours later, in a separate virtual town hall at the White House, President Donald Trump suggested the restrictions could ease by Easter, in less than three weeks. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Earlier on Tuesday morning, top defense officials said at the Pentagon that evidence indicated the military ought prepare for an extended period about eight to 10 weeks in dealing with the novel coronavirus. Hours later, in a separate virtual town hall at the White House, President Donald Trump suggested the restrictions could ease by Easter, in less than three weeks. The mixed messages comes as the White House offered a glimpse of their line of thinking amid the quarantines and shelter-in-place directives across the country, and the subsequent shuttering of businesses. Speaking of the US military's preparedness for the coronavirus, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the military was "prepared to address it as long as the country needs us" and pointed to other countries who have appeared to curb the spread of the disease after eight to 10 weeks of draconian measures. "You're looking at probably at least that long," Esper said. "I think we need to plan for this to be a few months long, at least. And we're talking all precautionary measures to do that, to be in it for the long haul ... as long as need be." US Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, concurred with the secretary's assessment. "All the reports we've read indicate exactly what the secretary said," Milley said at the virtual town hall. "You're looking at eight to ten, maybe 12 weeks ... call it three months, based on what we know from other countries China, Hong Kong, South Korea, etcetera." Story continues "That may or may not apply to the United States ... but we'll see," Milley added. "Some of that depends what we do as a nation to mitigate it, to flatten that curve." President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, joined by members of the Coronavirus Task Force, field questions about the coronavirus outbreak in the press briefing room at the White House on March 17, 2020 in Washington, D.C. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Flattening the curve, or alleviating the burden from local hospitals dealing with coronavirus patients, requires the quarantines that some states have imposed, according to health officials. The measure, however, has hurt the local economy as well as sparking worries on Wall Street. Non-essential businesses like gyms, movie theaters, and shopping malls have closed; and stocks have plunged erasing all of the gains that were made after Trump took office in 2017. Although the Trump administration created a 15-day plan to slow the coronavirus spread, senior health officials have warned that it was not adequate enough to curb the pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, suggested the earlier estimates were too conservative and Americans ought to observe self-distancing beyond the initial plan. "I cannot see all of a sudden next week or two weeks or three weeks from now it's going to all of a sudden be over," Fauci said Friday on NBC's "TODAY" show. "I don't think there's a chance of that. I think it's going to be several weeks." Despite the warnings, Trump and his political allies have pointed to the worrisome economic impacts of shuttering the US economy and insisted the White House was exploring ways to ease the quarantine. "We're opening up this incredible country because we have to do that," Trump said during the Fox News-sponsored townhall at the White House on Tuesday. "I'd love to have it open by Easter." Citing a potential "long-lasting financial problem" and "thousands" of suicides, Trump said he was "not looking at months," but sooner. "You can't do that with a country especially the No. 1 economy anywhere in the world," Trump said, adding that, "You can't do that. It causes bigger problems than the original." Studies indicate that prematurely loosening restrictions to limit the spread of a virus would increase the number of cases. A study conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2007 revealed that dozens of cities experiencing flu epidemics saw another hike in deaths after withdrawing their restrictions. Read the original article on Business Insider Leaders of many countries and international organizations have publicly thanked China for its assistance in the battle against the novel coronavirus. The Serbian people will never forget Chinas help, said Aleksandar Vucic, President of Serbia, adding that they will also support China in times of need. Peter Pellegrini, Prime Minister of Slovakia, expressed gratitude to China on the social networking platform Instagram as a batch of medical supplies, including 1 million medical masks and 100,000 nucleic acid reagent test kits, arrived at Bratislava Airport on March 19. We are grateful for Chinas support, said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, as Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang announced that China would provide 2 million surgical masks, 200,000 N95 masks and 50,000 testing kits. Back in January, the European Union also helped China by donating 50 tons of equipment. Luigi Di Maio, Minister of Foreign Affairs in Italy, thanked the Chinese government, which has donated medical supplies and sent coronavirus specialists to Italy. Milos Zeman, President of the Czech Republic Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe In addition, Milos Zeman, President of the Czech Republic, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe, Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs in France and Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi have all expressed thanks to China in one way or another for its assistance in combating the pneumonia outbreak. (Alliance News) - Botswana Diamonds PLC on Wednesday said first half loss widened, as it warned that South Africa's response to the Covid-19 outbreak could hurt its business. For the six months to the end of December, the diamond explorer said pretax loss widened to GBP194,000 from GBP190,000 in the comparative the year prior. No revenue was recorded for either financial periods. No dividend was declared for the period. Post period end, Botswana raised GBP250,000 to fund exploration and for general working capital purposes. As at the end of the period, the total value of assets stood at GBP8.3 million, with GBP13,000 of the amount being the amount of cash and cash equivalents held. Looking ahead, the company said environmental assessment work is being undertaken by wholly-owned Sunland Minerals on three of its five targets in the Kalahari targets with drilling expected to begin in the second half of 2020. The Maibwe joint venture - in which Botswana has a 15% stake - has experienced delays due to the liquidation of the main partner, BCL. However, a new liquidator has been appointed and there have been proposals which if successful, will lead to a resumption of work on the four licences where drilling discovered high diamond grade kimberlites, Botswana said. The company said uncertainty borne from the the Covid-19 outbreak makes it difficult to predict the extent to which its business may be hurt. However it noted South Africa's declaration of a national disaster and said the development will hurt the scheduling of its activities in the country, particularly for its Marsfontein kimberlite project. Shares in Botswana Diamonds closed 2.2% higher at 0.46 pence each on Wednesday in London. By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. In the backdrop of coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday held a meeting with district officials and took stock of the situation. The chief minister held a meeting via video conferencing with Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, Chief Medical Officers and District Food and Civil Supplies Controllers of all the districts from Shimla. He urged the people of the State to remain in-door during the lockdown as the government has taken this step keeping in view their safety. He said that action would be taken against violators under the Clinical Establishment Act or Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 and sections of IPC. The Chief Minister directed the officers to ensure availability of essential commodities in their respective districts. He said that necessary steps should be taken to check hoarding and profiteering of essential commodities and stringent actions must be taken against the defaulters. "As many as 2,186 people had been kept under surveillance out of which 591 people have completed 28 days of surveillance period. Tests of 99 persons had been done so far and today reports of 19 persons were received and all were found negative," he said. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A journalist who was present during the floor test at the Madhya Pradesh Assembly has tested positive for coronavirus, according to sources. "A journalist has tested positive for coronavirus in Bhopal. He was present during the recent floor test at the Assembly and the press conference by former Chief Minister Kamal Nath when he announced his resignation," the sources said. They added that the journalist's daughter, who had returned from London on March 17, has also tested positive for the virus. However, the journalist's wife, son and domestic helpers have tested negative, the sources said. According to a recent update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a total of 562 positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Moon Jae-in / Yonhap By Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in has been actively engaging in summit diplomacy for international cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, with leaders from around the world having phone calls with him to seek Korea's knowhow on dealing with infections. U.S. President Donald Trump requested Seoul's help with "medical supplies" needed to combat COVID-19 during a phone conversation with Moon late Tuesday evening, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The White House also confirmed in a statement that the two leaders discussed joint action against the coronavirus. "The two leaders exchanged their concerns about the global spread of COVID-19 and discussed mutual cooperation to overcome the situation," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said in a statement. "President Trump asked about whether it would be possible for Korea to send medical supplies to the U.S. to support his country's response to the virus. In response, Moon said that he will provide maximum support if spare equipment was available." The presidential office also noted that the 23-minute phone call, which was the first of the year between the leaders of Korea and the U.S., was made at Trump's request. It is extremely rare for the U.S. to seek help from Korea on a medical issue. Trump's request is seen to reflect the gravity of the COVID-19 situation in the U.S., which has seen a swift rise in infections amid a shortage of medical supplies. It was not immediately known after the phone call what kind of equipment Trump mentioned. But during a visit to Seegene, a local developer of COVID-19 diagnostic kits, Wednesday, Moon said that Trump had requested the shipment of test kits and products related to quarantine. "More countries are requesting the diagnostic reagents at the government level. Yesterday, U.S. President Trump made a request for an urgent supply of test kits and quarantine-related equipment," Moon said. Trump is the latest leader to call Moon seeking Korea's experience in responding to the infectious virus. Earlier on the same day, Moon talked with Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the leader of Saudi Arabia, which will chair the G20 meeting this year. He has also had a series of phone conversations with prime ministers from Europe where the pandemic has spread rapidly, including Spain, France and Sweden. The President underlined that Korea's effective and quick response to the COVID-19 outbreak is getting praise from the international community, adding many local producers are exporting test kits to other countries. "Now, global cooperation is very much needed both in quarantine measures and for reinvigorating economies. The diagnostic capabilities of Korean companies will play a major role in global cooperation to combat COVID-19," Moon said. Earlier this month, Moon suggested a teleconference among G20 states during his phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, and this will take place late Thursday. In the conference, Moon is expected to renew his call to ease travel restrictions for at least business travelers if they carry health certificates issued by their governments, a suggestion to support the failing economy of not only Korea but also the world. The presidential office said Wednesday that a joint statement will be released after the G20 meeting on international cooperation for COVID-19 responses. KALAMAZOO, MI As police across the state adapt to enforcing new laws and protecting their respective communities amid the coronavirus pandemic, sheriffs in each of Michigans 83 counties have also been busy working to keep their jail populations safe. At many jails, including those in Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties, that means adjusting the screening process for inmates, limiting movement within the jails general populations, ceasing all visitation and limiting anyone from entering the facilities other than staff and inmates. Weve suspended all our church services, our GED classes, our cognitive education classes, our parenting classes all the programming we do in the jail, thats been stopped, Calhoun County Sheriff Matt Saxton said. People come in from the outside to teach those classes and weve limited all access to jail staff." Wednesday, March 25: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, officials have also seen decreases in the number of inmates in Michigans jails, something courts statewide have been working to help with, Saxton said. Saxton, soon-to-be executive director of the Michigan Sheriffs Association, said he can confirm a statewide decrease in jail populations, based on conversations hes had with law enforcement officials across Michigan. Lower inmate counts at both Calhoun and Kalamazoo county jails reflect that trend. Kalamazoo County Undersheriff James VanDyken said the numbers in Kalamazoo Countys jail, are down considerably from normal, stating Tuesday afternoon that, at last check, there were about 240 inmates being housed at the facility. Typically, VanDyken said, that number fluctuates between 280 and 350. We put a plan in place a couple weeks ago and that plan is being followed through with, which scrutinizes who comes to jail, who stays in jail, and still deals with bond and arraignment so that due process is still maintained," VanDyken said. In an effort to keep inmates and jail staffs across the state safe from COVID-19, county prosecutors and defense attorneys have been working with courts throughout Michigan, reviewing bonds and sentences to help decrease jail populations, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said. Courts in Kalamazoo County, like the rest of the state, are closed until at the earliest April 13. And while all trials are currently postponed, video arraignments are still being held from the jail. We are making decisions that are the best that we can to protect public health and maintain public safety and ensure the orderly process of pending cases, so that victims and defendants rights are being protected, Getting told MLive last week. Related: Kalamazoo County courts cease operations, cancel jury trials due to coronavirus All in-custody cases in Kalamazoo County were in the process of being reviewed by the court with input from the prosecutors office and defense counsel to determine if bond could be modified without unreasonable risk to the safety of victims and the public, Getting said at the time. With a similar process in place in Calhoun County, Saxton said the local jail population was down to 260 early Tuesday. The average, he said, is around 325 inmates. Saxton said there are no COVID-19 positive cases in the Calhoun County Jail at this time, and that inmates are being checked regularly. The jail has encountered a few cases of influenza in the past couple weeks, Saxton said. Its something they take seriously as well, he said. But, like a possible case of COVID-19, the illnesses are something Saxton said they are prepared to handle. We have procedures in place to prohibit the spread of infectious diseases in the jail and those have always been in place, the sheriff said. Weve changed those procedures a little bit for the current infectious disease that is going around, but any infectious disease in the jail has potential to spread throughout the jail. So even with the flu and common cold we take precautions to keep them from spreading throughout the facility." If an inmate were to get COVID-19, Saxton said, there are areas in the facility already used for those with other infectious diseases, in which jail staff could quarantine a large number of inmates if needed. Other precautionary measures in Calhoun County, Saxton said, include screening and taking temperatures of all jail staff each day before they begin work. All inmates, he said, are also having their temperature taken and being asked a series of screening during intake, prior to entering the secured area of the jail. Inmates at Calhoun County similar to in Kalamazoo County and other jails across the state do not enter the jails general population until after they have been arraigned, which usually occurs between 24 and 48 hours of their arrest. If they do wind up in general population, Saxton said, they will end up in a pod with a maximum capacity of 58 people. At this time, he said, there is no movement between pods, another step to limit the potential transfer of infections. We are constantly monitoring the health of everyone in there and if anyone has a complaint of possible symptoms we have 24-hour-a-day medical staff so they will check them out, Saxton said. At this point right now, I would say a person is less likely to get COVID-19 from inside the jail facility than they are from outside the facility, Saxton said. Im not saying it would never happen but we know at this point we have no infected folks within our facility. Read all of MLives up-to-date coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Also on MLive: Captain with the Detroit Police Department dies from coronavirus, marks second DPD death from virus Kalamazoo County sheriff adapts on the fly during coronavirus outbreak Whats open, whats closed under Gov. Whitmers coronavirus stay-at-home order St. Joseph County Jail halts nonessential visitation Chef Floyd Cardoz, a culinary giant known for his pioneering work as executive chef of New Yorks Tabla, died Wednesday from complications of the coronavirus. Cardoz was 59. The chefs Hunger Inc. Hospitality confirmed his death to People. He was admitted to Mountainside Medical Center, located in Glen Ridge and Montclair, with a fever on March 17. He tested positive for the coronavirus on March 18, CNN reports. Cardoz, who lived in Verona, had returned to the United States on March 8 from Frankfurt, Germany after a trip to Mumbai, India. He had been filming in India with Aziz Ansari and chef David Chang for the second season of Changs Netflix series Ugly Delicious. Glad we get to tell the story of our passion with Indian food, he posted on Instagram March 8 alongside a photo with Ansari. Thanks @davidchang for letting us crash this party! A week ago, Cardoz posted an update from the hospital. I was feeling feverish and hence as a precautionary measure, admitted myself into hospital in New York, he said. Tabla, known for its acclaimed Indian cuisine, opened in 1998 and was a partnership between Cardoz and New York restaurateur Danny Meyer. The restaurant, which received three stars, or an excellent rating, from New York Times food critic Ruth Reichl, closed in 2010. This is American food, viewed through a kaleidoscope of Indian spices, Reichl wrote in 1999. The flavors are so powerful, original and unexpected that they evoke intense emotions. Those who do not like Tabla tend to dislike it with a passion. Cardoz was also executive chef at New Yorks North End Grill and opened Paowalla, which became Bombay Bread Bar. He recently became vice president of culinary for the Estiatorio Milos Group. The chef grew up in Goa, India and Bombay now Mumbai where he owned The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro and Bombay Sweet Shop. He is survived by his wife and business partner, Barkha, and their sons Peter, 27, and Justin, 22. I dont want to believe this, tweeted Chang, founder of Momofuku restaurants. I feel so terrible for his family and his two sons. All the cooks and managers that worked under him. Easily one of the most beloved people in the business. He was criminally under appreciated, introduced so many new flavors and techniques to America. Tabla forever. He said Cardoz was one of his earliest supporters. People may not realize it, but so much of the food you eat today was influenced by Floyd when he was the cdc (chef de cuisine) at Lespinasse with the late chef Grey Kunz, Chang said, referring to the four-star restaurant at the St. Regis Hotel in New York. The family tree that branched out of that hall of fame kitchen changed gastronomy in America for the better. But as great as a chef as Floyd was, he was a better person and amazing dad. I will miss you so much Floyd." The respected chef and restaurateur triumphed in the third season of Bravos Top Chef Masters" in 2011. Bravo and the 'Top Chef family are deeply saddened by the passing of Chef Floyd Cardoz," a Bravo spokesperson said in a statement. He was thoughtful, kind and his smile illuminated a room. He was an inspiration to chefs around the world and we offer our deepest sympathy to his family and friends. Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi posted about Cardoz on Instagram. Floyd made us all so proud," Lakshmi said. Nobody who lived in NY in the early aughts could forget how delicious and packed Tabla always was. He had an impish smile, an innate need to make those around him happy, and a delicious touch. This is a huge loss, not only for the professional food world, but for Indians everywhere. My heart goes out to his wife Barkha and their whole family. RIP. Have a tip? Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Coronavirus Outbreak Live Updates: New cases emerged in Delhi, Kerala and Karnataka during the past 24 hours. The national capital saw 5 new cases today, whereas Kerala and Karnataka recorded 9 and 10 fresh COVID-19 cases, respectively. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh reported its first death due to novel coronavirus - a 60-year-old woman. Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 cases in India stands at 606, including 553 active cases, 42 cured/discharged people and 10 deaths. Ministry of Railways has decided to extend the cancellation of passenger train services on Indian Railways, mail, express and passenger trains, suburban train and metro train services in Kolkata till 2400 hours of April 14, 2020. Freight train operations will continue as usual to ensure supply of essential commodities. Meanwhile, talking to the people of Varanasi via video conferencing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned against medicating without consulting a doctor and professed social distancing as the only effective measure against coronavirus. In the United Kingdom, Prince Charles, who's first in line for the throne in the British monarchy system, has tested positive for the deadly novel coronavirus, the British media has said. "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual," says an official statement. Check all the latest updates on coronavirus outbreak in India on BusinessToday.In live blog 10.51 pm: An 85-year-old woman passes away due to novel coronavirus in Gujarat. One #COVID19 positive patient, an 85-year-old woman, passed away in Ahmedabad today. She had travelled abroad&after developing symptoms of COVID-19, she was admitted at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on 22 March. She was suffering from many complications:Health Department, Gujarat Govt pic.twitter.com/SWXjIbELBA ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 9.37 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin today. Both leaders exchanged views on the situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, said Embassy of India in Russia. 9.24 pm: Helplines are being set up to address the challenges in transport goods so that they can reach their destination, said Punya Salila Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs. We're also working with e-commerce companies and states and union territories, if people want to get supplies through online platforms, she added. 9.16 pm: Chennai-based Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited has announced free novel coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnostic testing for below poverty line (BPL) card holders. 9.14 pm: Delivery boys working with Flipkart, Big Basket or Grofers, and others e-commerce platforms have been issued identity cards their respective firms as access pass through nationwide lockdown to be able to deliver essential commodities and groceries ordered by consumers. Following this, the e-tailers resumed services from today. 8.42 pm: Coronavirus update: Fresh case emerges in Gujarat One more coronavirus positive case has been reported in Rajkot, informed Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary - Health, Gujarat. This takes the number of positive cases in the state so far to 39. So far, 147 FIRs have been registered for quarantine violation, Ravi further added. 8.41 pm: Coronavirus news: AIIMS to offer tele-consultation facility All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is going to start a tele-consultation facility, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria told ANI. This facility will be rolled out within a couple of days. "Our follow-up patients can consult doctors through telephone. Several patients had appointments which are now cancelled. Chronic patients can consult doctors through this facility," Dr Guleria said. Every department will have some doctors who will resolve the health related issues of the follow-up patients, said Dr Guleria. 8.08 pm: Inmates in UP jails make 1.2 lakh masks Prisoners lodged in jails across Uttar Pradesh have stitched more than 1,24,500 masks in the past 10 days. "UP prisons have set a record of sorts by stitching more than 1,24,500 masks in 63 out of the 71 jails in the state over the last 10 days. As a result all the inmates in our jails have protective masks and now we are in a position to supply masks to government, NGOs, and general populace on cost price basis. In addition, sanitisers and disinfectants are also being manufactured in some jails across the state," DG, Prison, Anand Kumar told India Today. 7.45 pm: Gurugram Police issues order allowing food, e-commerce, essential delivery services to operate in the city 7.30 pm: Delhi Government appoints Nodal Officers to address grievances or undue problems faced by providers of essential goods and services, including during interstate movement, informed a spokesperson for Ministry of Home Affairs. 7.26 pm: Coronavirus update: Total number of cases reaches 606 Total number of coronavirus positive cases rise to 606 in India, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This inlcudes including 553 active cases, 42 cured/discharged people and 10 deaths. Total number of active #COVID19 cases so far in the country is 553. 43 cured/discharged/migrated cases & 10 deaths: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. pic.twitter.com/TRxJHbvC3e ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 7.22 pm: Coronavirus scare reaches Mohalla Clinic Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Shahdara has ordered all those who visited or were present at Mohalla Clinic in Mohanpuri area of Maujpur between March 12 and March 18 to stay in home quarantine for 15 days, reported ANI. The direction was issued after a positive coronavirus case was reported from the clinic. 7.20 pm: Coronavirus update: 10 new cases in Karnataka, count reaches 51 Karnataka government informed that the state has recorded 10 new cases in the last 24 hours. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state till now is 51. Out of these cases, 3 people have been cured and discharged, while one patient has succumbed to the virus. 7.19 pm: Coronavirus news: Hydroxychloroquine to be used only in 2 cases, says Health Ministry Anti-malarial medicine Hydroxychloroquine can only be administerd in 2 particular cases for use as prevention - healthcare workers, dealing with suspected or confirmed cases, and the first contacts of confirmed cases, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry. No one else should use this, he further emphasised. 7.15 pm: 21-day lockdown: All disrict courts in Delhi suspended till April 15 Delhi High Court has decided to suspend functioning of all district courts in the national capotal till April 15, 2020. The decision came in the wake of a 21-day lockdown across the nation declared by the Centre. The High Court has directed that respective District and Sessions Judges may also permit judges and other staff officials to work from home, if possible. 7.12 pm: Coronavirus update: Kerala reports 9 new COVID-19 cases Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed that 9 new COVID-19 cases have been identified in the state today. Out of them, 4 travel history to Dubai, 1 to the UK, and 1 to France, he added. With this, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Kerala rises to 118. 7.09 pm: WATCH: Union Health Ministry officials brief media on COVID-19 #WATCH live from Delhi: Union Health Ministry briefs the media on #Coronavirus, on 25th March https://t.co/XGd0xhd1Vq ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 7.06 pm: Bengaluru Police issues curfew passes for delivery personnel of e-commerce platforms 6.43 pm: 126 tourists left from Dabolim, Goa today for Moscow onboard a charter flight arranged by a large Russian tour operator to bring back its clients, after India went into a 21-day lockdown, reported ANI. 6.42 pm: Coronavirus update: COVID-19 ministerial panel meets Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan chaired a high-level meeting of Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 held at Nirman Bhawan. The ministerial panel had detailed deliberation on the prevention and management of COVID-19. 6.38 pm: Coronavirus news: No evidence ties COVID-19 origin to China, claims Chinese Embassy A spokesperson for Chinese Embassy in India stated that research by scientists from US, Europe, China, Japan, World Health Organisation shows there is no certain conclusion to origin of COVID-19. Although Wuhan first reported the outbreak, there's no evidence that China is source of novel coronavirus, the spokesperson said, adding that Chinese people are also victims of the virus. 6.35 pm: 21-day lockdown: Kejriwal announces e-passes for essential services provides without ID Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that his government has decided to give e-pass to all those who provide essential services but do not have any ID. The step is meant to ensure continued availability of essential services for all. You can reach out to us at 1031 to avail the e-pass, Kejriwal said. #WATCH Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal: To continue the availability of essential services for all, we have decided to give e-pass to all those who are involved in such professions but do not have any ID. You can reach out to us at 1031 to avail the e-pass. #21DaysLockdownpic.twitter.com/aU29LWEca5 ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 6.32 pm: 21 day lockdown: Efforts underway to deliver essentials at doorsteps, says Dakshina Kannada MP Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel assured that efforts are underway to arrange a system to deliver essential items at doorsteps in Mangaluru during COVID-19 nationwide lockdown. PM Narendra Modi had announced a 21-day lockdown across the nation to contain the contagion 6.20 pm: Southern Railway has extended cancellation of passenger train services and closed ticket counters in view of the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 6.15 pm: FIFA said it is monitoring the situation regarding coronavirus in India and working with Local Organising Committee to identify any potential impact on preparations for FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2020. The global football is also looking for an alternative solutions to upcoming events planned in India. FIFA is monitoring the situation regarding #COVID19 in India & working with Local Organising Committee to identify any potential impact on preparations for FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup India 2020, as well as finding alternative solutions to upcoming events planned in India: FIFA pic.twitter.com/MsjwM9TRiS ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 6.12 pm: Coronavirus update: 5 new cases in Delhi 5 new case of COVID-19 have emerged in Delhi during the past 24 hours, informed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The total number of cases in the city is now 35, he added 6.11 pm: Uttarakhand Police has registered 51 FIRs and 335 persons have been arrested on Wednesday, over charges of violation of the countrywide lockdown. 6.10 pm: Coronavirus: 60-yr-old woman dies in MP A 60-year-old woman passed away in madhya Pradesh due to novel coronavirus. The total number of positive case in India is at 568. 5.57 pm: In this battle against coronavirus, I have noticed that our children are playing a crucial role, says PM Modi. In this battle against #COVID19, I noticed that our army of children are playing a major role. They are making their parents understand what to do&what not to do, how to wash hands and how not to follow wrong practices: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/34EZUIGLaL ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 5.55 pm: PM Modi on coronavirus: Do not treat yourself without medical consultation Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned against taking medication for coronavirus without consulting a doctor and professed social distancing as the only effective measure against the contagion. You might have seen in news that how lives have been threatened in some countries of the world after people took medicines on their own, said the Prime Minister. You might have seen in news that how lives have been threatened in some countries of the world after people took medicines on their own. We should steer clear of all kinds of superstitions and rumours: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/XL09oH8WFw ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 5.54 pm: Many Indians have requested that complete lockdown in India should be extended for a longer period of time and implemented strictly, says PM Modi. 5.43 pm: I appeal to all the citizens, if you notice any incident where doctors, nurses or lab technicians are ill-treated then you should take an initiative to make such people understand that they are wrong, says PM Narendra Modi. I have told Home Ministry & DGPs to take strict action against those who are not supporting or not co-operating with doctors, nurses & other professionals who are serving us in this critical time: PM Modi https://t.co/srZBq3PvRY ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 5.40 pm: 21-day lockdown: Ministry of Railways extends cancellanation of passenger trains till April 14. Ministry of Railways has decided to extend the cancellation of passenger train services on Indian Railways, mail, express and passenger trains, suburban train and metro train services in Kolkata till 2400 hours of April 14, 2020. Freight train operations will continue as usual to ensure supply of essential commodities. 5.39 pm: To mark the auspicious occasion of Navratri, help nine needy families during the 21-day lockdown, says PM Modi. 5.24 pm: Government has collaborated with WhatsApp to float a helpdesk which can be reached on 9013151515, says PM Modi. 5.21 pm: If people are patient and follow instructions, they can avoid coronavirus, says PM Modi. 5.16 pm: Coronavirus will not spare anyone just because they perform yoga or exercise daily, says PM Modi. At times, ppl don't pay attention to things which are important. The same is happening in India. I request ppl to understand facts believe in rumours. #COVID19 doesn't discriminate b/w rich&poor; it'll not spare anyone just because they perform yoga or exercise daily: PM pic.twitter.com/hfbEevlepx ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 5.15 pm: I should have been among as your MP; taking regular updates about Varanasi, says PM Modi As the MP of Varanasi, I should have been among you in times like these. But you know the things which are going on in Delhi. Despite being busy here, I've been taking regular updates about Varanasi from my colleagues: PM Modi in interaction with citizens of Varanasi pic.twitter.com/ABpGHRp0Bu ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 5.12 pm: Coronavirus update: 6 new cases surface in Maharashtra Maharashtra Health Department has informed that 6 new positive cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state. Out of them, 5 patients are in Mumbai and 1 is in Thane. With this development, total number of positive COVID-19 cases in the state rise to 122, the state health department said. 5.10 pm: WATCH: PM Narendra Modi addresses people of Varanasi Discussing aspects relating to COVID-19 with the people of Kashi. https://t.co/j1Mk00HluB Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 25, 2020 5.04 pm: 21-day lockdown: Newspaper printing, distribution to resume in Mumbai from April 1 Maharashtra Industry Minister Subhash Desai met newspaper hawkers and publishers today where it was decided that newspapers will be published and distributed in Mumbai from April 1, 2020, ANI reported. As of now, printing and distribution of newspapers is halted in the city. 5.00 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to interact with people of Varanasi via video conferencing shortly. 4.45 pm: Uttar Pradesh government has banned production, distribution and sale of pan masala in the entire state until further orders, reported ANI. The decision has been taken considering the fact that COVID-19 stays active in saliva. 4.45 pm: 21-day Lockdown: People practice social distancing in Mumbai while collecting groceries Maharashtra: People in Mumbai practice #socialdistancing outside a grocery shop at Andheri East. PM Narendra Modi in his address to the nation yesterday had appealed to people to maintain social distancing to combat #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/qmC17CaRHG ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 4.30 PM: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik sanctions 4 month advance salary payment to health care personnel. -ANI 4.24 PM: "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual," says an official statement. 4.19 PM: Next in line to the throne, Prince Charles has tested positive for COVID-19: UK Media 3.46 PM: Coronavirus deaths in United States The virus has killed more than 700 people in the United States and sickened more than 53,000. 3.45 PM: Cronavirus deaths in Spain Spain's Health Ministry has reported around 6,600 new cases and 500 deaths overnight. Spain is Europe's worst-hit country after Italy and has recorded 2,696 deaths. - Reuters 3.43 PM: Coronavirus deaths in Iran An Iranian health ministry official said on Wednesday that 2,077 people had died so far from the new coronavirus in Iran, with 143 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours. The total number of people infected with the coronavirus has climbed to 27,017, Alireza Vahabzadeh tweeted. - Reuters 3.42 PM: Coronavirus deaths in Italy The death toll rose by 743 on Tuesday, the second highest daily tally since the outbreak emerged in northern regions on Feb. 21, and up steeply from the 602 recorded on Monday. Italy has seen more fatalities than any other country, with latest figures showing that 6,820 people have died from the infection in barely a month. - Reuters 3.41 PM: Tally rises to 709 in South Africa South Africa's number of coronavirus cases has risen to 709, from 554 on Tuesday, health minister Zweli Mkhize said on Wednesday. "We are now at 709 cases," he said, speaking on local news channel SABC. 3.40 PM: Nepal reports 3rd coronavirus positive case Nepal has reported its third case of coronavirus after a31-year-old man who had a travel history to the Gulf countries was tested positive for the deadly virus. The Nepal government has also announced a week-long nation-wide lockdown in wake of the COVID-19 crisis. 3.30 PM: "We have to ensure that there is no scarcity of food. All Police stations will take responsibility to deliver food at doorsteps and it will be monitored by district magistrates and police superintendents," says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. 3.21 PM: A group of ministers meeting over COVID-19 underway at Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 3.20 PM: Coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu Five news cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Tamil Nadu. Four Indonesian nationals and their travel guide from Chennai have tested positive at the Salem Medical College. "They are quarantined since March 22," says Dr C Vijayabaskar, Tamil Nadu Health Minister. Total number of coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu has risen to 18, of which one person has recovered. 3.18 PM: Latest cabinet decisions CCEA approves recapitalisation of Regional Rural Banks to improve their capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio; approves utilisation of Rs 670 crore as central government share for the scheme. Cabinet approves transfer of 8 acres of defence land at Old Cantonment, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for construction of Kendriya Vidyalaya. Cabinet approves Transfer of 5 acre of Defence Land in Kanpur, UttarPradesh to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for construction of Kendriya Vidyalaya. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Germany for technological cooperation in Railway Sector. Cabinet approves extension of scheme for Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies on Export of Garments and Made-ups from 1st April, 2020, onward till the scheme is merged with Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products. 3.12 PM: Javadekar says there are only a few dos to fight covornavirus: Stay at home Sanitise hands Apparoach doctors in you have cough, cold, fever Maintain social distancing 3.10 PM: Javadekar says the nation accepts the 21-day lockdown decision. "If we are to protect ourselves from coronavirus, then this is necessary," he adds. 3.09 PM: Cabinet kept social distancing in mind. We had to show that if we have to fight coronavirus, then either stay at home or maintain social distance: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar. 3.06 PM: Coronavirus cases in Madhya Pradesh In a first, a journalist, whose daughter was recently found positive for coronavirus in Bhopal, has also been found been infected with the virus. With this, the total number of cases in Maharashtra has touched 15. India Today reported the journalist had attended the press conference called by Kamal Nath last week. Meanwhile, authorities have quarantined all those who came in his contact. 3.00 PM: Face masks worth Rs 1 crore seized Mumbai Police seized 4 lakh face masks worth around Rs 1 crore from a godown near Mumbai Airport Cargo Terminal, today. Case registered. More details awaited. Five news cases of #COVID19 positive in Tamil Nadu. Four Indonesian nationals & their travel guide from Chennai tested positive at Salem Medical College. They are quarantined since March 22: Dr C Vijayabaskar, Tamil Nadu Health Minister (File pic) pic.twitter.com/fFd06PbL3m ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 2.58 PM: Coronavirus cases in Bihar Nitish Kumar announces Rs 1,000 each to rashion card holders. "In wake of lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, the state government has decided to give Rs 1000 each to every family that holds a ration card," says the Bihar Chief Minister's Office. The state has reported three cases so far, including one death. 2.54 PM: Captain Amarinder Singh writes to Amit Shah, Thackeray Have written to HM Amit Shah & Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to facilitate the evacuation of devotees stranded at Nanded Sahib Gurudwara. The pilgrims have been stranded there for long & we owe them a safe return to their homes & families, says the Punjab CM. 2.53 PM: Follow lockdown: Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli Actor Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli ask people to adhere to the 21-day nationwide lockdown. "These are testing times and we need to wake up to the seriousness of this situation. Please let us all follow what's been told to us and stand united please. It's a plea to everyone," says kohli. Maharashtra: Mumbai Police seized 4 lakh face masks worth around Rs 1 crore from a godown near Mumbai Airport Cargo Terminal, today. Case registered. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/iL5TRO6n8u ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 2.42 PM: Maharashtra tally reaches 116; four more test coronavirus positive The coronavirus cases in Maharashtra has reached 116. State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the current count of COVID19 patients in Maharashtra was 116. "In Sangli, five people from one family are identified as positive due to contacts and four people from mumbai are identified as positive due to travel history or contacts," he Tweeted. These are testing times and we need to wake up to the seriousness of this situation. Please let us all follow what's been told to us and stand united please. It's a plea to everyone pic.twitter.com/75dDlzT6tX Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) March 25, 2020 2:30 PM: Delhi government allows drug, cosmetic manufacturer to make hand sanitiser All manufacturers of drugs and cosmetics in Delhi have been allowed to make ethanol-based hand sanitisers till June 30, 2020, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Wednesday. 2:25 PM: Odisha Mining Corporation has contributed Rs 500 crore to the chief minister's relief fund for supporting the state governmet against coronavirus. 2:20 PM: Strict action against landlords forcing healthcare workers to vacate: Delhi government Delhi government, on Wednesday, directed district adminitrations and police to take strict actions against those landlords who were forcing doctors, healthcare professions, paramedical staff to vacate their houses. 2:10 PM: Coronavirus: Gujarat tally 38; over 1 crore under surveillance The number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat has gone up to 38 as three more people tested positive for the coronavirus on March 25. One new case each was reported from Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara. Out of the three new cases, one patient has history of travel to Dubai, while the two others are cases of local transmission of the viral infection. Under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, Gujarat government has so far covered 1,60,62,000 people who have acute respiratory infection. 2:00 PM: Ordnance Factory Board designates 285 beds for isolation wards Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has designated 285 beds for isolation wards in handling coronavirus cases. 40 beds in hospitals at vehicle factory Jabalpur, 30 each at metal and steel factory Ishapore, gun and shell factory Cossipore, ammunition factory Khadki: Defence Ministry 1.55 PM: COVID-19 positive cases climb 116 in Maharashtra In Maharashtra, total of 116 people have got infected from coronavirus, according to Rajesh Tope, health minister of the state. He added, "In Sangli 5 people from one family are identified as positive due to contacts and 4 people from Mumbai are identified as positive due to travel history or contacts". 1.43 PM: It's a war: Maha CM It is a war-like situation so I have compared this Coronavirus with war, when we are not aware of the enemy then the enemy will attack us, so we have to be aware as we cannot see this enemy: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. 1.30 PM: I am at home listening to Mrs CM, you listen to your home minister, says Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray 14 people from these have been recovered and are in the process of being discharged from the hospitals.#CoronaVirusUpdates#MeechMazaRakshak Rajesh Tope (@rajeshtope11) March 25, 2020 1.20 PM: Labour ministry issues advisory In the backdrop of outbreak of COVID-19, to giverelief to workers, an advisory By Ministry of Labour and Employment to all States/UTs, for the usage of Cess fund for Welfare of Construction Workers. #WATCH Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray: I am at home listening to Mrs CM, you listen to your home minister. #COVID19pic.twitter.com/yl4AokjqA3 ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 1.10 PM: Auto industry stares at Rs 50,000 crore loss Industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has said the industry will suffer a production loss of an estimated Rs 2,300 crore per day due to the shutdown. The 21-day curfew would thus result in a production loss of around Rs 50,000 crore. Also read: Lockdown: Auto industry stares at a Rs 50,000 crore production loss 1.00 PM: Ranchi villages go under lockdown Three villages comprising over 150 labourers, some 25 km away from Ranchi, isolate themselves. They have put up 6-7 self made barricades to lock themselves. The youths of the village are patrolling in groups. They are neither allowing anybody in nor permitting anyone to go out. They vow to stay inside despite all odd and adverse conditions. 12.55 PM: Visuals of PM Modi convening a Cabinet meeting Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg earlier today, social distancing was seen during the meeting. In the backdrop of outbreak of COVID-19, to giverelief to workers, an advisory By Ministry of Labour and Employment to all States/UTs, for the usage of Cess fund for Welfare of Construction Workers. pic.twitter.com/sgAsMxFnXM Ministry of Labour (@LabourMinistry) March 25, 2020 12.50 PM: Coronavirus cases in Rajashtan Four new cases of COVID-19 have appeared in Rajasthan, including three from Bhilwara and one from Jodhpur. While the Jodhpur patient has a travel history, the two Bhilwara patients were medical staff. The total COVID-19 cases in Rajashtan have risen to 32. Three patients have recovered. 12.38 PM: CCMB may soon come up with Covid-19 kits To combat Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) insists that widescale "testing, testing, and testing" is the key as early diagnosis may help save lives. Aligning with the call of WHO, the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) is working overtime on the development of cost-effective and accurate diagnostic kits for wide distribution. 12.36 PM: Will work beyond mandate: Gen Bipin Rawat Involved deeply into the efforts to tackle COVID-19 spread, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat today said the country is at a juncture where the armed forces will have to operate beyond their mandate and help the country in the fight against Coronaviru 12.35 PM: Coronavirus cases in Delhi The national capital has reported 31 COVID-19 cases, which also includes six patients who have recovered so far. The UT has also reported one death. 12.32 PM: Coronavirus cases in Telangana The state has reported 34 active cases, of which only one has recovered so far. 12.30 PM: Coronavirus cases in Punjab State has reported 29 coronavirus cases so far. Punjab had imposed a state-wide curfew on Monday as a measure to check the spread of the deadly infection. 12.28 PM: Kejriwal govt provides free meal Free meals being provided by Delhi Government at a 'Rain Basera' on Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor Anil Baijal had assured in the media briefing earlier today that no one will sleep hungry in the city during 21-day lockdown. 12.26 PM: All GoAir employees to have pay cut in March as we are left with no choice due to travel restrictions over coronavirus, says CEO Vinay Dube. - PTI 12.23 PM: Key highlights of Kejriwal's press conference We will ensure strict implementation of lockdown in Delhi. We all should stay home during lockdown period to combat coronavirus. We will ensure essential services during lockdown period, request people not to panic. Will issue e-passes to vegetable-sellers, grocers among others to ensure essential supplies during lockdown. 11.42 AM: Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal holds a meeting with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at LG Secretariat. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is also present in the meeting. #WATCH Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg earlier today, social distancing was seen during the meeting. #COVID19pic.twitter.com/zeisrEgiHR ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 11.41 AM: Lockdown's necessary, says Anand Mahindra The lockdown's necessary, but will be devastating for the homeless, daily wage earners&contract workers. If each of us takes care of the daily rations&essentials of at least 3 less privileged families, it will have an exponential effect but unlike COVID, it'll be a 'good virus.' Free meals being provided by Delhi Government at a 'Rain Basera' on Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor Anil Baijal had assured in the media briefing earlier today that no one will sleep hungry in the city during #21daysLockdown. #COVID19pic.twitter.com/MidHoc7hDI ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 11.40 AM: Total 22,038 individuals screened so far: ICMR Total 22,928 samples from 22,038 individuals have been tested for SARS-CoV2 as on 25th March 2020 10 AM, says ICMR. A total of 539 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known positive cases, says the body. 11.32 AM: Mizoram person tests positive A sample of a Mizoram person, an Aizawl resident, has tested positive at Guwahati Medical College Hospital, confirms Assam Health Department Principal Secretary Samir Sinha. The patient is now admitted at Zoram Medical College. 11.30 AM: Wuhan resumes bus services; China reports 47 new cases Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus pandemic, on Wednesday resumed bus services within the city for the first time since the nine-week lockdown even as 47 new imported cases were reported from the country, threatening a second wave of infections. China on Tuesday decided to lift the three-month lockdown on more than 56 million people in the central Hubei province. However, the prolonged lockdown of Hubei's capital Wuhan will end on April 8, lifting the mass quarantine over the city with a population of over 11 million. - PTI 11.05 AM: WHO terms lockdown 'comprehensive and robust' United Nations, Mar 25 The UN has expressed solidarity with India in its fight against coronavirus, with a top official at the world body's health agency praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 21-day nationwide lockdown as a "comprehensive and robust" response to the raging COVID-19 pendamic. Globally, the death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 18,915 with more than 422,900 cases reported in over 165 countries and territories, as per data from Johns Hopkins University. - PTI 11.00 AM: No passenger train to run till April 14 After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of a 21-day lockdown across the country, the Indian Railways on Tuesday said that its suspension of all passenger services will continue till April 14. However, freight movement will continue to carry essential commodities across the country, officials said. The railways on Sunday had announced the suspension of all its passenger services from March 22 midnight to March 31 and said only goods trains will run during the said period amid concerns that coronavirus-infected passengers were spreading the virus further. - PTI 10.41 AM: Three new coronavirus cases in Gujarat Three new coronavirus positive cases have been reported in Gujarat. "Total 38 positive cases reported till date. FIR has been registered against 147 people for breaking home quarantine," says Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary, Gujarat Health and Family Welfare Department. lockdown , , , : CM @ArvindKejriwalpic.twitter.com/w2K2ROS1z3 AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 25, 2020 10.30 AM: Strict action against landlords for forcing doctors to vacate houses. 10.15 AM: As many as 277 evacuees from Iran arrived at Jodhpur Airport (from Delhi) today. A preliminary screening was conducted at the airport upon arrival and thereafter the evacuees were shifted to the Army Wellness Facility established in Jodhpur Military Station: PRO Defence Rajasthan 10.00 AM: Time to adopt humane approach: Govt to private firms The Ministry of Home Affairs issues advisory to private security agencies stating:"This is the time for the private security industry to adopt a humane approach and protect its workers and staff members from lay-offs and consequent decrease in earnings." 9.48 AM: Confirmed cases of contact transmission in UP A 33-year-old resident of Pilibhit has been tested positive for coronavirus. He doesn't have any travel history, it is a confirmed case of contact transmission: Dr Sudhir Singh, King George's Medical University, Lucknow. - ANI 9.47 AM: Five people test positive for COVID19 in Indore. Of the five, four are residents of Indore and one of Ujjain: Health Officer Dr Praveen Jadia. - ANI 9.46 AM: DPIT issues new directions to states The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIT) issues instruction to state authorities "to not obstruct and call for closure of food processing units". The lockdown's necessary, but will be devastating for the homeless, daily wage earners&contract workers. If each of us takes care of the daily rations&essentials of at least 3 less privileged families, it will have an exponential effect but unlike COVID, it'll be a 'good virus.' anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) March 25, 2020 9.45 AM: People in Bengaluru practice social distancing. Visuals of circles been drawn outside a grocery store. Three new #Coronavirus positive cases have been reported in Gujarat. 38 positive cases reported till date. FIR has been registered against 147 people for breaking home quarantine: Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary, Gujarat Health and Family Welfare Department pic.twitter.com/FRWg9aBEQS ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 9.44 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to interact with citizens of Varanasi via video conferencing, today at 5 pm. 9.43 AM: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to hold a meeting with Lt Governor Anil Baijal at 11 am today at LG Secretariat. 9.42 AM: Visuals from Delhi Noida Direct Flyway Police barricading continues at Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border to stop movement of vehicles except those rendering/availing essential services amid lockdown; visuals from DND flyway. District Administrations and Police are directed to take strict action against such landlords/house owners who are forcing doctors/paramedical staff/ health care personnel to vacate their rented residences: Govt of Delhi #COVID19pic.twitter.com/UjROkZACuc ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 9.41 AM: Mahan Air flight carrying 277 Indian passengers landed at Delhi airport today early morning from Tehran, Ira. Ministry of Home Affairs issues advisory to private security agencies stating,"this is the time for the private security industry to adopt a humane approach and protect its workers and staff members from lay-offs and consequent decrease in earnings." #COVID19pic.twitter.com/XGfcjrcv6B ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 9.40 AM: Another positive case in Bihar Another person test positive for coronavirus in Patna's Nalanda Medical college and hospital; the total number of cases rise to four in the state. 9.39 AM: Set up 24*7 helpline: Govt to states Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all states and Union Territories to set up round the clock control rooms/offices with helplines at state/district level to address any grievances or undue problems faced by providers of goods/services amid 21 days lockdown. 9.38 PM: No panic buying please, says PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people not to indulge in panic buying. "By converging around shops, you are risking the spread of COVID-19.No panic buying please.Please stay indoors. I repeat- Centre and State Governments will ensure all essentials are available," says the PM. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIT) issues instruction to state authorities "to not obstruct and call for closure of food processing units". #21daysLockdown#COVID19pic.twitter.com/ZMS2jXt2hz ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 9.05 AM: Punjab CM set up COVID-19 Relief Fund Capt. Amarinder Singh has set up the CoViD Relief Fund to receive contributions from individuals, organisations and corporates to assist fellow Punjabis in fight against Covid19. "Your contributions will be used for the benefit of the underprivileged. I thank you all for your support," says the Punjab CM. Karnataka: People in #Bengaluru practice social distancing. Visuals of circles been drawn outside a grocery store (24.3.20) #COVID19#lockdown (Source: Police) pic.twitter.com/hyic3Oz7Ce ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 8.57 AM: Punjab issues new curfew guidelines Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has announced new curfew guidelines to ease people's problems amid coronavirus lockdown. He has warned people of strict action under section 188 IPC against those violating curfew and home quarantine. Police barricading continues at Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border to stop movement of vehicles except those rendering/availing essential services amid lockdown; visuals from Delhi Noida Direct Flyway (DND). #CoronaViruspic.twitter.com/ECvWHmzuA4 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 25, 2020 8.46 AM: Indian airspace being used only by international flights India's airspace, amid the suspension of the operations of all international and domestic commercial flights. The Indian airspace is being used only by the international flights which are passing through. Mahan Air flight carrying 277 Indian passengers landed at Delhi airport today early morning from Tehran, Iran. #COVID19pic.twitter.com/F46nHAc0Dm ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 8.45 AM: HRD Ministry announces closure of institutions All offices of Ministry of Human Resource Development Ministry and autonomous institutions under it will remain closed for three weeks. CBSE and NCERT have been asked to work on alternate exam schedule and academic calendar, respectively. 8.30 AM: Police to deliver milk in UP In wake of the nationwide lockdown, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath says the police will deliver milk, vegetables, essentials to doorsteps in the entire state. Mahan Air flight carrying 277 Indian passengers landed at Delhi airport today early morning from Tehran, Iran. #COVID19pic.twitter.com/F46nHAc0Dm ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 8.15 AM: Flipkart suspends services Online retailer Flipkart has announced that it is suspending services temporarily. On a notification on its website, the retailer said that it will be back as soon as possible. Flipkart's announcement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day complete lockdown of the entire country. "We are temporarily suspending our services. Your needs have always been our priority, and our promise is that we will be back to serve you, as soon as possible. These are difficult times, times like no other. Never before have communities stayed apart to stay safe! Never before has being at home meant helping the nation! We urge you to Stay Home to Stay Safe! We will get there. And we will get through. Together," stated the notification on its website. 8.00 AM: India under lockdown India's 1.3 billion population has now joined a growing list of countries that have imposed nationwide lockdowns like Spain, Italy, New Zealand, and others. Yesterday, it was PM Modi's second address to the nation. In his first address on March 19, he had enforced a one-day lockdown, known as "Janata Curfew". NOVA remains open and committed to supporting students through remote learning and services NOVA remains open and committed to supporting students through remote learning and services Northern Virginia Community College's Education Foundation Launches COVID-19 Emergency Student Relief Fund Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) Educational Foundation has launched a new emergency student aid fund to assist students struggling with the personal and economic fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 60% of NOVAs 85,000 students work full- or part-time jobs. For many, what little income they have is diminishing rapidly. Financially vulnerable students face furloughs and layoffs as a result of the pandemic, and as child-care options and schools close, student-parents are facing extreme challenges in keeping any employment. The NOVA COVID-19 Emergency Student Aid Fund will help with the rapid delivery of emergency aid to students who need it most. NOVAs aim is to meet students basic needs to help them stay in school and complete the semester. The goal is to raise $750,000 to provide at least 1,500 grants of $500 each. The NOVA Foundation has committed $250,000 to kick-off the effort to encourage individual and corporate donors to join the Foundation in helping our future workforce stay strong. Ensuring every NOVA student succeeds is our highest priority always, said Dr. Anne Kress, NOVAs President. But especially now, as our students face unprecedented challenges, we have an obligation to ensure they have our support. Our students will help our community rebuild and prosper but they can only do this if we provide the assistance they need. I encourage everyone to consider donating to the Emergency Student Aid Fund. Background With an enrollment of more than 85,000 credit and non-credit students, NOVA is the 14th largest institution of higher learning in the United States. It offers 73 associate degree programs that lead to employment or university transfer opportunities and 61 certificate programs that teach specific skill sets such as healthcare and IT that are in demand across our region. NOVA graduates more than 6,000 students annually, making the College a leading source of talented hires for the region. However, statistics only tell part of the story. NOVA students attend classes and succeed, often against great odds. More than 20% of NOVA students are the first in their families to attend college, and 76% of first-generation students belong to a racial or ethnic minority. NOVA students hail from more than 160 countries and speak nearly 120 different languages. In January 2020, The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University (Philadelphia, Penn.) conducted a survey of NOVA students after the college held a Student Needs Symposium. The survey assessed the basic needs (defined as food or housing insecurity/homelessness) of NOVA students. More than 1,400 students participated and the assessment has become a telling benchmark of the challenges faced by students at two-year colleges across the nation. The survey results confirmed what many faculty and staff long suspected about our student body - basic needs insecurity is a very real challenge to many students. The survey revealed: 32% of respondents experienced food insecurity in the prior 30 days 39% of respondents experienced housing insecurity in the previous year 15% of respondents experienced homelessness in the previous year 49% of students at Northern Virginia Community College experienced at least one of these forms of basic needs insecurity in the past year Challenge This information has caused the college to mobilize quickly in the changing public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Northern Virginia Community College is dedicated to doing everything in its power to keep students in school to complete the current semester and continue progress toward their degrees. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to assist NOVA students during this challenging time. You may donate: Online: https://nova.cbo.io By Email: foundation@nvcc.edu By Phone: 703-323-3023 ### For more information about NOVA and its programs or services, call 703-323-3000 or visit the College's Web site, http://www.nvcc.edu. LYNCHBURG, Virginia The president of an evangelical university is being criticized after he allowed more than 1,100 students to return to campus full-time in the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. NBC News reports Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. welcomed the students back to the campus on Monday as they returned from spring break. Liberty University is one of the largest evangelical schools in the nation, normally with about 15,000 students taking classes on campus. We could not be more disappointed in the action that Jerry took in telling students they could come back and take their online classes on campus, Lynchburg City Manager Bonnie Svrcek tells the Associated Press. Nearly all colleges and universities in the nation have told students to stay home, including Ohio State, Kent State, the University of Akron, Cleveland State University and other Northeast Ohio schools. Last week, Liberty University said it would move most of its instruction online after an order from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam restricted gatherings of more than 100 people, the Richlond Times-Dispatch reports. Northam later issued an order banning gatherings of 10 or more people, and violating the order is considered a Class 1 misdemeanor, the Times-Dispatch reports. State officials reportedly are talking with Falwell. The governor is concerned by these reports and members of the administration have already spoken directly with Jerry Falwell Jr., Northam spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky tells the Times-Dispatch. All Virginia colleges and universities have a responsibility to comply with public health directions and protect the safety of their students, faculty and larger communities. Liberty University is no exception. Falwell tells ABC 13 that the school is following the states orders. He said he never promised to close the dorms on the campus and that some international students have nowhere to go. We think Libertys practices will become the model for all colleges to follow in the fall, if coronavirus is still an issue, Falwell said in a statement, ABC 13 reports. NBC News reports a professor at the school has been highly critical of Falwells decision. Falwells lack of concern does nothing to mitigate these students likely becoming vectors of the pathogen roaming around Libertys campus and the Lynchburg community, interacting with professors and staff and other townspeople," the faculty member says in a column published by the Religion News Service and posted online by The Washington Post. This foolhardy decision tracks Falwells conspiratorial thinking about COVID-19 and smacks of defiance. ... For one charged with leading a Christian institution of higher learning, these are troubling qualities, fundamentally at odds with both Christian faith convictions and an academic mindset. For a leader dealing with a situation of such magnitude, they are outright terrifying. More coronavirus coverage: Cleveland reports 6 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 coronavirus, bringing citys total to 42 Ohio hospitals not at capacity, but looking to hotels, dorms, temporary structures as coronavirus boosts demand for beds Ohio confirms nine new cases of COVID-19 coronavirus in Cleveland, bringing total to 36 Cleveland City Council OKs steps to address coronavirus hardships, calling for eviction relief, aiding troubled businesses Cleveland, Childrens Hunger Alliance to provide free meals for children in wake of COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak Detention of ex-minister Abyzov extended again as part of embezzlement case RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 13:08 25/03/2020 MOSCOW, March 25 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court on Wednesday extended detention of ex-Minister for Open Government affairs Mikhail Abyzov charged with the 4 billion-ruble ($64 million) embezzlement until June 25, the courts press service told RAPSI. The court also ordered stay in detention for two other defendants, ex-CEO of RU-COM company Nikolay Stepanov and ex-head of Sibeko company Alexander Pelipasov. As of today, the defendants have been held in detention for more than a year. The former government minister is charged with organizing a criminal group and embezzling 4 billion rubles ($62 million) with co-conspirators from two energy companies supplying electricity to Siberia. Investigators claim that the alleged crimes were committed between April 2011 and November 2014 while the alleged embezzled sum was taken out of the country. They were arrested in March 2019. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Says Stay-at-Home Order Would Be Inappropriate Florida wont be ordering residents to stay at home amid the CCP virus pandemic because of the way the new illness has spread in the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. A number of states have ordered residents to stay at home unless theyre taking essential trips for things like food, medicine, or essential jobs. DeSantis is among the governors who have declined to issue such an order. Theres certain parts of the state where you have more sporadic cases, the governor told reporters in Orlando. To order someone not to be able to earn a paycheck when them going to work is not going to have any effect on what were doing with the virus, that is something that I think is inappropriate. The Trump administration supports the approach Florida is taking, the DeSantis said. He also noted that counties and cities in southeast Florida, where the virus has spread extensively, have told residents to stay at home, including Miami Beach. A pedestrian wearing a protective mask walks down an empty sidewalk as large numbers of people stay home in an effort to contain the coronavirus pandemic in Miami, Florida, on March 24, 2020. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) I worked with them on that, he said, adding that any local jurisdiction is free to issue a stay at home order. DeSantis reiterated that such orders can have secondary effects, noting that a number of New Yorkers left the state after Gov. Andrew Cuomo told them to stay at home. Many of those residents arrived in Florida, according to DeSantis, who announced a mandatory quarantine for people from New York and New Jersey on Tuesday. He also pointed to California, where people who were told to not go to work ended up partying and at beaches and stuff. You probably are less dangerous driving your car going to the office than being with crowds of hundreds of people. So you just gotta think it through, the governor said, calling for a more surgical approach. All seniors 65 and older and anybody with a serious underlying condition have been asked to stay at home by Florida authorities. Those groups have been identified by health experts as the most at risk of severe or deadly cases of COVID-19. Florida reported 215 new COVID-19 cases, including 11 non-Florida residents, bringing the total number of cases to 1,682. Most of the cases are in Dade and Broward counties, with 100 or more also in Hillsborough and Palm Beach counties. Two hundred and nine patients are hospitalized, a hospitalization rate of 17 percent. Two additional patients died, bringing the death toll in the state to 22. The mortality rate of 1.3 percent is in line with the U.S. total, though health experts have noted that the cases that arent detected in the community, or patients with mild symptoms who dont get tested, would bring that percentage down. Credit unions have been in contact with the Central Bank to ensure capital requirements dont hinder any help they may want to give to their members, a representative organisation has said. Up to 100,000 members of credit unions affiliated to the Credit Union Development Association (CUDA), which represents 50 credit unions, will have their incomes hit by the crisis, the organisation said. Calls to credit unions have quadrupled, according to CUDA. Separately, the Irish League of Credit Unions welcomed news that the Government was considering credit unions as an essential retail outlet. SEE ALSO: Children's charity Barretstown in Kildare launch online programme County Kildare credit unions have, however, scaled back operations to avoid person to person contact and are promoting online and phone contact. Kevin Johnson, CEO of CUDA, said they anticipate that the incomes of up to 100,000 members will be immediately and severely hit by the crisis and as this crisis unfolds. SEE ALSO: more Kildare stories He said credit unions are staying true to their member-focused mission by encouraging members to get in touch if they are experiencing financial hardship, so that they can provide help on a case-by-case basis. So far calls to credit unions are up by 400%, he said. Mr Johnson said credit unions have a range of options in place for when borrowers experience difficulties such as reduced payments, interest only, payment freezes and loan extensions. He said CUDA was in discussions with the Central Bank to ensure capital requirements dont stifle any of the options that are in place. We also want to ensure that borrowers are not penalised for missing loan payments, and that their long-term credit rating isnt negatively affected. Mr Johnson said no-one knows how long crisis measures will have to be in place and it is difficult to quantify the full financial impact these measures will have on credit union members, the economy and indeed credit unions themselves. So far calls to credit unions have increased by about 400%, with many calls from concerned members about their sudden loss of income and how they may be unable to meet some or all of their loan commitments. On March 24, the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU), which represents 226 credit unions welcomed the announcement by the government that credit unions are considered an essential retail outlet in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. ILCU CEO Ed Farrell welcomed the news. Credit unions proved their collective resilience through the last economic downturn and they want to continue to provide financial services and support to their members at this difficult time. Members who are experiencing financial difficulties or who are anticipating that they may be facing into such difficulties in the coming weeks should make contact with their credit union immediately to discuss what arrangements can be put in place for them. Mr Farrell said that in the interests of social distancing, he would urge members to make contact by phone, email, or on line in the first instance and if a face to face meeting is required an appointment will be made by the credit union. The ILCU currently represents 226 credit unions affiliated credit unions in the Republic, with total assets of 16.22 billion, and total savings of 13.55 billion. There are 3.16 million members of ILCU credit unions, and they have loans outstanding of 4.46 billion. [March 25, 2020] Cointreau Americas Announces $100,000 Donation to the USBG Foundation Bartender Emergency Assistance Program to Aid in COVID-19 Relief Efforts Cointreau, the premium French liqueur housed within the Remy Cointreau portfolio, announced today its support of the charitable foundation of the United States Bartenders' Guild - the USBG Foundation Bartender Emergency Assistance Program - with a $100,000 donation to help COVID-19 relief efforts. Through the USBG Foundation Bartender Emergency Assistance Program, bartenders, bar backs and the bar staff who serve their communities can access much needed assistance during these uncertain times. Cointreau's contribution comes on top of a $100,000 donation earlier this week from Remy Cointreau Americas, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Remy Cointreau Group, to The USBG Foundation Bartender Emergency Assistance Program. This donation to the USBG Foundation and other charitable donations was committed in partnership with The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) for a combined total of more than $8.37 million to support COVID-19 relief efforts. "The art of mixology is at the heart of Cointreau and those who craft and serve our cocktails are part of our family. Mixologists, bartenders and bar staff are pillars of our communities and have long supported Cointreau; we pledge our unwavering support to them during this uncertain time. In partnership with the USBG Foundation Bartender Emergency Assistance Program, Cointreau aims to assist those many individuals in the hospitality community who are facing unprecedented challenges," said Ian McLernon, President and CEO Americas at Remy Cointreau. As an additional layer to support the industry, Cointreau will also be featuring mixologists and bartenders on its social channels with recipe content showing followers how to mix up their favorite cocktails at home. Viewers will have the option to "tip" their virtua bartenders via a donation to USGB Foundation, which Cointreau will match up to $10,000. Follow Cointreau on Instagram/Twitter (News - Alert) via @Cointreau_US or Facebook via @cointreauUS to participate. The USBG Foundation Bartender Emergency Assistance Program helps put money directly into the hands of those in the bartending and service community who are experiencing hardship during this crisis. Through this contribution, Cointreau hopes to bring some relief to those in need in order to once again revitalize the community the brand holds so near and dear. To learn more about how you can get involved visit, www.usbgfoundation.networkforgood.com. About Cointreau Cointreau is the iconic orange liqueur at the heart of more than 350 of the world's most celebrated cocktails, including The Original Margarita, The Cosmopolitan, and The Sidecar. The House of Cointreau was founded in 1849 in Angers, France, where Edouard Cointreau perfected the recipe. Blended with sweet and bitter orange peels, Cointreau has a unique, balanced flavor beloved by mixologists and bartenders worldwide. To learn more about Cointreau, visit www.cointreau.com or follow Cointreau on Instagram/Twitter via @Cointreau_US or Facebook (News - Alert) via @cointreauUS. About Remy Cointreau: All around the world, there are clients seeking exceptional experiences; clients for whom a wide range of terroirs means a variety of flavors. Their exacting standards are proportional to our expertise - the finely-honed skills that we pass down from generation to generation. The time these clients devote to drinking our products is a tribute to all those who have worked to develop them. It is for these men and women that Remy Cointreau, a family-owned French Group, protects its terroirs, cultivates exceptional multi-centenary spirits and undertakes to preserve their eternal modernity. The Group's portfolio includes 12 unique brands: Remy Martin and Louis XIII cognacs, Cointreau liqueur, METAXA Greek spirit, Mount Gay rum, St-Remy brandy, The Botanist gin, and our collection of single-malt whiskies (Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore from Islay, Westland from Seattle and Domaine des Hautes Glaces from the French Alps). Remy Cointreau has a single ambition: becoming the world leader in exceptional spirits. To this end, it relies on the commitment and creativity of its 1,900 employees and on its distribution subsidiaries established in the Group's strategic markets. Remy Cointreau is listed on Euronext Paris. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005732/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. Most Americans will be receiving checks from the federal government after President Donald Trump and Congress agreed to a $2 trillion coronavirus relief deal Wednesday. The stimulus is unprecedented in size, and politicians hope it will prevent the country from descending into a recession if a protracted fight against COVID-19 grinds the economy to a halt. So what does it mean for you? Although the final legislative language is still being hammered out, here is what was proposed in regards to stimulus checks: Individual taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 will receive a one-time $1,200 direct payment. If you make more than $99,000, you will get nothing. If you make between that range, you'll get less than $1,200, but the exact number has not been confirmed yet. An earlier version of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act stipulated $5 would be subtracted from the $1,200 for every additional $100 in income. For couples, everything doubles. Combined incomes of up to $150,000 will receive $2,400; the cap is a combined income of $198,000. Families that qualified for the one-time payment will also receive an additional $500 per child. Annual income is based on your 2018 tax returns. If you did not file a tax return in 2018, you must file the 2019 return before qualifying for the stimulus check. If you're on unemployment, the bill increased unemployment insurance by $600 per week for four months (this is on top of what individual states pay out for unemployment). It has also been expanded to include freelance and gig economy workers. Although Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin spoke of a desire to send checks regularly throughout the coronavirus pandemic, this ultimately didn't make it into the final bill. If Congress wants to send more than one stimulus check, it will have to separately authorize another payout. Individuals who are retired or on Social Security still qualify for checks. "In such cases, the government would access their data through the Social Security Administration to determine their rebate," Fortune reports. If you received an SSA-1099 form, you'll receive a stimulus check the same way you receive your Social Security payments. However, individuals whose total income exceeds the limits listed above will receive nothing. As to when checks will arrive, that's still very much up in the air. The last time Americans got stimulus checks in 2008 under George W. Bush it took about three months for checks to arrive. Theoretically, Americans should get them faster this time, provided they're signed up with the IRS for direct deposit into their bank accounts (like how you get tax refunds). Nonetheless, it seems like the earliest estimates for seeing that cash is around mid-April. Katie Dowd is a senior digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: katie.dowd@sfgate.com Life in the United States and around the world has effectively been put on hold as social distancing has become the strategy of choice against the spread of the coronavirus, which as of Wednesday morning had infected 55,238 and killed 802 in the U.S. Millions are working from home or are out of work entirely, while schools in much of the country are closed. While the general public is being strongly advised to stay indoors, doctors, nurses and other health care providers cant work from home. They are facing a new reality of their own, as hospitals and clinics prepare for an imminent influx of coronavirus patients. This is the second in a series of interviews by Yahoo News with health care providers in different parts of the country. This installment looks at the ways the coronavirus pandemic is reaching beyond emergency rooms and frontline medical workers to affect other parts of the health care system. All the providers who spoke to Yahoo News asked that their names and hospitals not be disclosed, because they were not authorized by their employers to speak to the press. Were forced to go into a situation that were recommending the rest of the world not to be in. Many hospitals around the country have begun canceling elective procedures in order to free up bed space, equipment and personnel to make room for more likely coronavirus patients. But one surgeon at a large California hospital pointed out that the kinds of procedures that require intensive care are rarely elective, and those cant simply be canceled even amid a pandemic. The surgeon was not authorized to speak to the press, and asked that his identity, including his specialty, not be disclosed out of concern for his job. However, the types of surgeries he performs are typically emergent, with at least 50 percent or more of his patients requiring recovery time in the intensive care unit, he said. You hear on the news that were gonna free up all these ICU beds, but thats really hard to do, he said. In an ideal world, we wouldnt do surgery anymore. However, there are still people who dont have coronavirus [who are] dealing with issues that are life-threatening, he said, noting that patients continue to be admitted into the ICU with heart failure, strokes and sepsis, among other urgent conditions. Story continues We cant say were not going to do your surgery because of the potential need [for future coronavirus patients], but every time you do that youre limiting the number of beds that will be available next week. So far the surgeon said he has not been in the position of having to deny a patient a lifesaving procedure to make room for a coronavirus patient, but he worries about that possibility as the number of cases continues to grow. As of Wednesday morning, data from Johns Hopkins University showed that there were 2,628 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in California, including 54 fatalities. Eventually, weve been told, theres not going to be enough ventilators and ICU beds, but those beds dont just appear, right? A nurse at MedStar St. Marys Hospital in Leonardtown, Md., works outside a patients room in the intensive care unit Tuesday. Hospitals around the United States are continuing to prepare for an expected onslaught of cases related to COVID-19 in the days ahead. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Even as the hospital takes steps to prepare for an impending surge in coronavirus patients, the surgeon expressed shock and concern over what he described as inconsistency between the social distancing measures prescribed for the general public and what is being practiced by health care providers and other hospital staff. In the outside world, were told to stay 6 feet away from each other and not interact. Then you walk around the hospital and people are having lunch together. You walk into a resident workroom and six people are working on computers, [none of them] wearing masks. I dont know if people have a false sense of security because [theyre] not in the real world, but we know of patients who are asymptomatic, he said. In my mind, I think every time you go into a new room you should put on a new mask, but people arent doing that. The surgeon described what hes observed as two worlds within the hospital: one where certain nurses and doctors, especially anesthesiologists and emergency room personnel, appear to be wearing masks all day, and another in which no one is wearing a mask, including housekeeping and cafeteria workers. CDC recommendations regarding who needs to wear a mask and when continue to evolve along with the coronavirus pandemic largely shifting in response to supply shortages created by increased demand. While the surgeon acknowledged that we dont have enough resources to treat every single patient like they have the disease, he worries that failure to take sufficient precautions could result in significant spread of the coronavirus among health care workers. Were screwed, he said. Were forced to go into a situation that were recommending the rest of the world not to be in. Like other doctors, he worries less about how his own exposure could impact members of his family. I dont let my kids in my own car anymore because Im worried my car has germs in there, he said. Its impossible not to be exposed to someone sick in the hospital. Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, pictured on March 16. U.S. hospitals are setting up triage tents, calling doctors out of retirement, guarding their supplies of face masks and making plans to cancel elective surgery as they brace for an onslaught of COVID-19 patients. (Paul Sancya/AP) If people were to take us as leaders or examples for how to act in this situation, were doing a horrible job. The surgeon in California is not the only one noticing a disparity between the way health care workers are interacting as opposed to the rest of the public. In my personal life, I feel like everyone is isolating, social distancing, said a nurse in the NICU, the neonatal intensive care unit, at a large hospital in the Midwest. But in the hospital, she said, health care workers are still clustered in halls and eating in communal break rooms, touching elevator buttons and opening doors. It feels really hypocritical to be a health care provider and encouraging other people to not do everything that we do as soon as we walk through the doors, said the nurse, who also asked that her name and hospital not be disclosed because she was not authorized to speak to the press. If people were to take us as leaders or examples for how to act in this situation, were doing a horrible job. I was literally dreading going to work because of how much more at risk I felt than in day-to-day life at home, she said. Even her own efforts to regularly disinfect her personal workspace and any surfaces touched by her patients feel inefficient and wasteful. Its a lot of cleaning up after myself and other people over and over again. Thats not what you should be doing when trying to provide patient care, she said. As an NICU nurse, she is not directly treating confirmed or suspected coronavirus patients, but she is being trained to respond to a new patient population emerging from the pandemic: pregnant women whove tested positive for COVID-19. A minimum of three health care providers from the NICU a nurse, a doctor and a respiratory therapist are required to attend all high-risk deliveries. Those include cases of fetal distress (such as low heart rate) and any delivery by a mother before her 37th week. Now, she said, deliveries involving a coronavirus-positive mother are also considered high risk. A midwife shows a newborn to medical workers after a Cesarean section delivery on a suspected COVID-19 patient in Wuhan Union Hospital in Wuhan in central Chinas Hubei province on March 7. The hospitals ob-gyn department has been designated to take care of women with the coronavirus disease since the outbreak. (Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images) Between the labor and delivery team and the NICU team, she said there can be up to 20 people present for a high-risk delivery. If the mother has tested positive for the coronavirus, all those people have to be wearing personal protective equipment, which they must each put on according to protocol in a negative pressure isolation room, known as an anteroom, before they enter the delivery room. Under new visitor restrictions adopted by many hospitals, mothers who havent tested positive for the coronavirus are now allowed only one visitor in the delivery room. For those who have been infected with the virus, she said, I dont know if those moms are allowed [to have] anyone ... which is so sad. I cant imagine being a laboring mom alone, with no one in there with you. The nurse who spoke to Yahoo News said that her hospital has established a sort of makeshift COVID labor and delivery floor with a handful of rooms designated for mothers with the coronavirus to give birth. Theyve started setting up carts of protective equipment outside those rooms; however, at this point only one of them is equipped with a proper anteroom. The rest are just regular rooms where were saying, Never mind, its OK not to have an anteroom. Just put on the PPE outside the door and hope for the best, she said, adding that part of her training for this new type of delivery included instructions to open the door as little as you need to in order to shimmy in and out. As with any high-risk delivery, the NICU teams role is to determine whether the baby appears well enough to go to the regular postpartum floor or if the baby is in distress and needs to be taken to the NICU. For babies born to mothers with COVID-19, she said, the assumption is that the newborn is also positive for the virus, and those that are well-appearing upon delivery must be taken to an isolation room on the postpartum floor. A medical staff member attends to a baby with the coronavirus at the Wuhan Childrens Hospital, in Wuhan, China, on March 6. (China Daily via Reuters) For all the training shes received on how to handle these new types of deliveries, the nurse said there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Based on what she was told, she said that mothers whove tested positive for the coronavirus must remain separated from their baby as long as theyre in the hospital, which, she said, has a lot of consequences for mental health, feeding, production of breast milk. But its not clear whether, if the baby is ready to be discharged before the mother, who will be able to take the baby home, as the father or partner is also presumed to have been exposed to the coronavirus if they and the mother live together. Its these horrible, heartbreaking situations where were talking about finding another family support person to come pick up the baby, she said. The NICU nurse said that so far she hasnt participated in any coronavirus deliveries yet but is already aware of at least one pregnant patient who has tested positive. Its very much not a matter of if, just when it will happen, she said. She worries about how the elaborate, time-consuming process of putting on and removing personal protective equipment and carefully entering and exiting the makeshift COVID delivery rooms will play out in a real-life emergency situation. Were a very well oiled machine, so its a very anxious feeling to have so many unknowns in how to provide safe, effective care for people, she said. This just feels like chaos. Every day I go into work thinking, I dont want to be that Kirkland nursing home. That would be the worst-case scenario. The impacts of the coronavirus on the health care system stretch beyond the different units of a hospital. The medical director of one mid-Atlantic residential addiction treatment facility told Yahoo News: Every day I go into work thinking, I dont want to be that Kirkland nursing home. That would be the worst-case scenario. The medical director asked that his name and the location of the facility (which includes the state in its name) not be mentioned because it is part of a small addiction treatment community that could easily be traced back to him. But the facility is located in a state that, as of Wednesday morning, had fewer than 400 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Were not a hospital per se, but were a health care facility, he said, explaining that, unlike at a hospital, the facilitys staff doesnt have the kind of universal training in infection control practices. We give medications and things like that, but were not doing very high-level medical care, he said. The premise is, if youre sick you get sent out. Now if you have somebody who has a fever, its a major issue, he said. The average length of stay at this facility is between 20 and 30 days. They dont take Medicare or Medicaid, and about 85 percent are covered by private insurance. There are approximately 70 patients and 30 or so staff, he said, so there are about 100 people in the building at a given moment, and its a relatively small space. Up until last week we had a cafeteria in which 50 people easily would be eating, sitting, more or less right next to each other, he said. The patients would go from there to various groups with 20-30 patients in a small room. Even though patients have TVs in their rooms and have been watching the news about the coronavirus spreading over the past few weeks, the medical director said, For the longest time I was kind of surprised there wasnt a whole lot of uproar among patients and staff, up until last week. This last week sort of hit home for a lot of people, I think. Several people actually signed out of the facility after a rumor started circulating that the governor was going to enact a shelter-in-place order preventing them from leaving. It was a false rumor, but [it was] the kind of thing that has thrown everything up in air, he said. Since then, the facility has made a variety of changes, including allowing only 10 people to eat in the cafeteria at a time. It has also started working on transitioning some group therapy to a virtual conferencing platform instead of in-person meetings. Though he said employees are not supposed to come to work if they have any symptoms, theres been a sense of panic among some of the staff. Several staff members who are not young and have chronic medical conditions, asthma, etc., are appropriately concerned about walking around a building with 100 people in petty close proximity, he said. A doctor walks outside the Life Care Center of Kirkland, a long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases, in Kirkland, Wash., on March 5. (Lindsey Wasson/Reuters/File Photo) While he believes the treatment facility should follow the CDCs recommendation that anyone confirmed or suspected to have the coronavirus who does not need to be hospitalized should self-quarantine at home, he also noted that determining whether to send a sick patient home from the facility he runs presents a uniquely difficult dilemma. One thing we always keep in mind is every decision we make is based on the safety of the patients, he said. But in our particular case, a lot of the time people are not safe if theyre not in treatment. If you have an alcoholic with liver disease, which is a frequent type of patient, [and] they go home and start drinking again, they are going to die from alcohol, he explained. In the case of patients whove been discharged from hospital [who are] still kind of semi-sick, well take them back because the alternative is worse. For example, he said a patient was recently sent to the hospital because he was sick, and while he was there, it was discovered that this patient, who is already in the late stages of alcoholic liver disease, is also diabetic. He couldve been admitted, and I think should've been admitted, [but] because of the COVID thing, I think there were not as many beds. [The hospital was] pushing to discharge him, he said. I had a choice of saying hes too medically unstable to come back to us, but in that case he would go home and very likely drink again and become much sicker faster. He decided to take the patient back to the treatment facility, even though he wasnt fully medically stable. The medical director said hes often put in this type of position in his job. The only thing that changes it with COVID is, youre risking other patients safety by keeping them there. Ethically, I have a responsibility to my staff and the other patients to keep them as safe as I can, and we also have responsibility to patients who may have COVID, he said. Theres a competing ethic there, where that person may be safer in our facility by not drinking or drugging, but they may also [be] causing significant risk to patients and staff. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. A team of 14 medical experts from east China's Fujian Province departed on a chartered flight to Italy on March 25 to assist the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, Xinhua news agency reports. The group includes experts from various medical facilities and the center for disease control and prevention (CDC) of Fujian. The experts specialize in areas including respiratory, intensive care, infectious disease, hospital infection control, traditional Chinese medicine and nursing. The Chinese experts will mainly work in the Tuscany region of Italy. A member of the Scottish Parliament has questioned why the Prince of Wales was tested for the coronavirus despite only exhibiting mild symptoms. On the governments website, it outlines that if a person is showing symptoms for Covid-19, they do not need to be tested if they are staying in self-isolation at home. Nonetheless, some high-profile individuals have managed to be tested even though they are displaying mild symptoms or none at all, including Prince Charles and Luther star Idris Elba. Following the news of Prince Charless positive diagnosis, Joan McAlpin, SNP MSP for the South of Scotland, tweeted that she wished the heir apparent a speedy recovery. The politician also expressed her surprised that the royal was able to be tested given that his symptoms are said to be mild. Like many I wonder how he was tested when many NHS and social care workers cannot get tested, Ms McAlpin said. My nephew, who has serious asthma and a chest infection was recently refused a test. In addition to announcing that Prince Charles had tested positive for the coronavirus, Clarence House also revealed that the Duchess of Cornwall underwent a test and was confirmed not to have contracted the virus. A spokesperson for Clarence House said that the royal couple met the criteria required for testing, adding that the tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire on Monday 23 March after the Prince of Wales displayed mild symptoms over the weekend. Prince Charles and Camilla, who are 71 and 72 respectively, are currently self-isolating at home in Scotland. The princes last meeting with the Queen took place less than two weeks ago. Buckingham Palace has said the monarch is in good health following her recent private engagement with her son. Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health, a Palace spokesperson said. The Queen last saw The Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of 12th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare. The Palace confirmed that the Duke of Edinburgh was not with the Queen when she last saw Prince Charles. Prior to their meeting on 12 March, Prince Charles and the Queen both attended the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on Monday 9 March. They were joined by other members of the royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Italy's ministry of health announced on 24 March that the Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco, the body the regulates the use of drugs in Italy, has agreed to start trials on the use of four drugs in the treatment of Covid-19. Avigan The experimental Favipiravir (also known as Avigan), an anti-viral now under development in Japan, is to be tested on patients during the early stages of the illness. It has proved to effective on 340 Covid-19 patients in Wuhan and Shenzhen, although the Japanese ministry of health has warned that the drug does not appear to be effective on patients in the severe stages of the illness. Tocilizumab Tocilizumab, which was also developed in Japan, is usually used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, and was also used in the treatment of the coronavirus which caused SARs. The ministry of health has decided that 411 patients in 281 centres in Italy will be part of the experimental programme. Remdesivir Remdesivir, which was developed by an American company, Gilead Sciences, for the treatment of Ebola patients, will also be tested by hospitals in Milan, Pavia, Parma and the Spallanzani hospital for infectious diseases in Rome, and possibly other hospitals in regions with a high number of Covid-19 cases. Lopinavir-Ritonavir The combination of Lopinavir-Ritonavir, which was also used on 199 patients in Wuhan but without positive results probably because the patients were in the advanced stages of the illness, will be tested on patients in the very early stages of Covid-19. Lopinavir-Ritonavir is used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. The ministry of health has also announced that is it has signed an agreement with the Lazio region, the national research council, the ministry for universities and research, and the Spallanzani hospital in Rome for research into a vaccine against Covid-19. The budget is a total of 8 million, of which 5 million will come from Lazio and 3 million from the ministry for universities and research. Ph: Myriam B / Shutterstock.com A man and a woman wearing face masks use their mobile phone as they walk in a subway station in Beijing on March 11, 2020. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) Beijing Utilizing Social Media to Spread Propaganda Globally Social media platforms are major tools being utilized by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as part of its global disinformation campaign that aims to manipulate the narrative surrounding the pandemic in their favor. Countless articles and op-edsoften peddling false conspiracy theories about the CCP virus or pushing blame onto the United Statesare being posted through Facebook and Twitter by Chinas state-run media accounts. At the same time, a considerable number of Chinese diplomats are actively pushing state-sanctioned narratives on their own social media accounts. In recent days, state-run media outlets have been pushing the hashtags Trump Pandemic and Trump Virus on social mediaand some in the United States are following along. The propaganda push has sparked concern from U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. They say such a campaign is not only dishonest, but dangerous. The Epoch Times reached out to spokespersons at Twitter and Facebook but didnt receive a response about whether the companies were aware of the disinformation campaign, how they were countering it, or if they had plans to. Walter Lohman, director of The Heritage Foundations Asian Studies Center, said the United States should be skeptical of any information or numbers coming from the CCP because the data are highly sensitive politically, which makes them unreliable. China clearly sees itself in a long-term struggle for political influence that predates the coronavirus pandemic, and will continue long after it is resolved, Lohman told The Epoch Times. The disinformation pushwhich has increasingly targeted the United Statesis a common tactic used by the CCP as part of its wider global strategy. CCP bots have also been swarming Twitter to defend the communist regime, attack the United States, and parrot these propaganda narratives. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has been one of the more active voices spreading disinformation on Twitter and was one of the first to claim the virus came from the United States. Zhao has more than 500,000 followers on Twitter. Many of his conspiracy posts are still up online. Ray Walsh, a digital privacy expert at ProPrivacy, told The Epoch Times, There is no doubt that the Chinese government understands that social media provides an extremely powerful potential for spreading disinformation. This viral potential for the dissemination of disinformation is what makes social media such a useful tool for spreading fake news and causing discord and confusion. Walsh said the CCP is also likely attempting to convince its own peoplenot just other countriesby attempting to seed the conspiracy that the virus came from the United States. People in China dont have access to these social media platforms and are fed a constant stream of propaganda by the communist regime there. Although the narratives pushed by China can change quickly, the goals are the same: to defect responsibility over their botched handling of the CCP virus and to portray an image that they have successfully contained the outbreak. Lawmakers are calling on Twitter to ban CCP officials from the social media platform, and a group of senators are calling for the creation of a new task force to directly counter the propaganda. It is not very surprising, although the brazenness is, Lohman said, referring to the disinformation. China has long had a political warfare task, pursued against Taiwan, Tibetans, Uyghurs, Falun Gong, and other perceived enemies of the Chinese state. There are a number of potential reasons why the United States has been the main target of Chinas propaganda. Other Western countries, such as Italy, have recently also been targeted by state-run media, but to a lesser extent. The United States is seen by China as its foremost competitor, Lohman said. China is also likely to be engaging in what it perceives as tit-for-tat behavior in its trade war with the United States, which has attacked a key pillar of CCP legitimacy. Another reason is that Trump has repeatedly referred to China as the source of the CCP virus, which emerged in Wuhan in December 2019, and Beijing is intent on avoiding being held responsible, he said. In recent weeks, the CCP has claimed no new cases of the virus. Its also alleging that China now faces a bigger threatinfections imported from overseas. A series of internal government documents obtained by The Epoch Times, however, shows the situation in the city of Wuhan is much worse than what has been officially reported. Chinese citizens also describe a different reality on the ground. It is difficult to ascertain the reality of the situation in China, Lohman said. In a nation the size of China, with 1.3 billion people, it is hard to imagine that coronavirus has been eradicated and that all new cases are being imported, he said. It is an open question, for example, whether coronavirus may be in the Chinese prison and labor camp system, since those are not open to outside inspection, Lohman said. Similarly, it is unknown, but difficult to give credence to, the idea that in the entire 2-million-person Chinese military, there have been no cases of coronavirus. Combating Propaganda Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) wrote in a March 20 letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey that Chinese officials should be banned from the platform. By banning Twitter in China, the Chinese Communist Party is keeping its citizens in the dark. By putting propaganda on Twitter, the Chinese Communist Party is lying to the rest of the world, the lawmakers wrote. They said the propaganda that obfuscates the CCP viruss origin potentially undermines efforts to contain and control the outbreak and that this behavior more than warrants their removal from the platform. On March 25, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced a resolution calling for an international investigation into the regimes initial coverup of the CCP virus. The resolution also calls on China to pay back all nations impacted because China lied about the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, a bipartisan resolution introduced by Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) on March 24 seeks to condemn the Chinese regime for intentionally downplaying the CCP virus outbreak. The resolution is co-led by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and has more than 35 co-sponsors. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mishandling of the epidemic, which started in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Eva Fu contributed to this report. Gov. Gavin Newsom live address 3-24-2020 View Photo Sacramento, CA It may be the first U.S. death of a person under 18 from the coronavirus after a Los Angeles County area teen dies as a result of the virus. The youth lived in the Mojave Desert city of Lancaster, north of Los Angeles. In a live address from Governor Gavin Newsom this evening, relayed condolences to the family and called it a sobering reminder that anyone can be infected. Young people can and will be impacted. In fact, young people disproportionally are the ones testing positive in the state of California. Fifty percent of the 2,102 individuals that have tested positive are between the age of 18 and 49. This tragic death says Newsom is a reminder for everyone to take coronavirus seriously. A tally by Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday found California coronavirus cases have topped 2,500, with at least 50 deaths. The state prison population has also reported one inmate and five employees have tested positive for the coronavirus with some calling for corrections officials to begin releasing some of the states 123,000 convicts early. Newsom also made it clear that he has ruled out releasing violent inmates in response to the coronavirus pandemic, stating. I have no interest and I want to make this crystal clear in releasing violent criminals from our system. And I wont use a crisis as an excuse to create another crisis. However, he left the door open to other relief that he said needs to be carefully weighed to avoid worsening the states homelessness crisis. The governor also signed an executive order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 in state prisons and juvenile facilities. It directs the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Secretary to temporarily halt the intake and/or transfer of inmates and youth into the states 35 prisons and four youth correctional facilities. Those inmates and youth will remain in county custody for the next 30 days. Newsom also addressed President Donald Trumps recent statement that he wants the country opened up by Easter, stating, Based upon the curve [of people infected] we have a lot more work to do. We went forward with those stay at home orders for our seniors earlier on in this process, so were trying to bend that curve, but we havent bent. April would be misleading to represent, at least for California. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) Authorities arrested on Monday the suspect in the murder of Surigao del Sur radioman Christopher Chris Rapido Lozada. The suspect was identified as Rolly Mahilum, and was captured at Barangay San Vicente 2, Tagbina, Surigao del Sur by the provincial police. Lozada was an anchor and the operations manager at DXBF Prime Broadcasting Network. He was gunned down in October, 2017. His companion that day, Honey Faith Toyco, survived the shooting and positively identified the suspect. Toyco is now under the Witness Protection Program of the Department of Justice. Even at this time of national emergency, our law enforcers are still relentlessly pursuing suspects in cases of violence against media workers. We commend the continuing efforts of the Philippine National Police in bringing to justice these fugitives from the law, said Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin M. Andanar. Presidential Tas Force on Media Security Executive Director Undersecretary Jose Joel M. Sy Egco said that continued monitoring of all media killings by the PTFoMS are now reaping more arrests and convictions of perpetrators. It can be recalled that the motion for reconsideration filed by Mahilum was denied by Surigao City Acting Prosecutor Joan Francis Alas-Esmero who found no cogent reason to reverse her resolution finding probable cause for the indictment of respondent for murder and frustrated murder. RELATED: PH deadliest country in Asia for journalists report New Delhi: The CBI has questioned former UPPCL managing director A P Mishra and two prime accused in the Rs 2,267 crore Employees' Provident Fund scam in Uttar Pradesh wherein savings of power sector employees was invested in Dewan Housing Finance Corporation, which is facing multiple probes of swindling funds worth Rs 30,000 crore, officials said. Besides Mishra, the agency questioned Pravin Kumar Gupta, former secretary of the UP State Power Sector Employees' Trust; and Sudhanshu Dwivedi, former director (finance) of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) recently. All three are lodged in a Lucknow prison after their arrest by the Uttar Pradesh police last year, they said. Gupta and Dwivedi were named as two accused in the CBI FIR, while Mishra is not listed as an accused. His alleged role is mentioned in the FIR, they said. The CBI team from the anti-corruption branch, Lucknow, which is conducting the probe had sought permission from the special court to question the suspects, they said. The recent questioning spanned through several hours, the officials said, without elaborating on the line of questioning. Besides, the agency has already questioned at least nine more suspects, including Mishra, who are lodged in the prison in connection with the scam, they said. The CBI took over the investigation into the scam on March 5 this year after taking over the FIR registered by Hazratganj Police station in Lucknow, they said. The Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) is facing multiple probes after a report suggested that the company, through layers of shell companies, allegedly siphoned off Rs 31,000 crore out of the total bank loan of Rs 97,000 crore. It is also alleged that the officials of UPPCL conspired to get the provident funds deposited in schemes of DHFL circumventing the rules which did not encourage such investments. Gupta and Dwivedi were principal decision makers who cleared investments in the deposit schemes of DHFL despite knowing it was not a scheduled commercial bank and an 'unsafe' company. A total of Rs 4,122.70 crore was invested in the DHFL, out of which Rs 2,267.90 crore is still outstanding, officials said. UPPCL employees Provident Fund was being invested in the fixed deposits of nationalised banks till October 2016. On a proposal of Gupta and Mishra, the investment of funds started in PNB housing since December 2016, according to the officials. From March 2017-December 2018, Gupta, after getting endorsement from Dwivedi, violated the central government guidelines -- that such funds should not be invested in financial institutions other than scheduled commercial banks -- and invested over 50 per cent of funds in the DHFL, the FIR stated. Americans who deliberately expose and infect others with coronavirus could face federal terrorism charges, according to a new memo sent out by the Justice Department. The document, signed Wednesday by Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and sent out to US attorneys and law enforcement heads across the country, declares that: 'coronavirus appears to meet the statutory definition of 'biological agent' under 18 U.S.C., [which means that] such acts could implicate the Nation's terrorism-related statuses'. 'Threats or attempts to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated,' the memo further stated. It comes as the coronavirus crisis continues to deepen across with country, with almost 60,000 Americans testing positive to COVID-19 as of Wednesday afternoon. More than 800 people have died in relation to the highly-contagious virus. The Justice Department memo was released one day after a New Jersey man was charged with making terrorist threats after he allegedly coughed on a supermarket employee while claiming he was infected with coronavirus. Americans who deliberately expose and infect others with coronavirus could face federal terrorism charges, according to a new memo sent out by the Justice Department. The memo was signed by Deputy AG Jeffrey Rosen (back right). The Justice Department is headed by AG William Barr (center) The memo comes as the coronavirus crisis continues to deepen across with country, with almost 60,000 Americans testing positive to COVID-19 as of Wednesday afternoon. A medical worker is pictured at a drive-thru testing center in Kansas Wednesday George Falcone, 50, was charged for terrorist threats in the third degree over the incident, according to the office of New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. The third-degree terrorism charge carries a sentence of three to five years in state prison. Falcone denies he has COVID-19, and has denied he coughed on the supermarket worker. NJ man George Falcone, 50, has been charged with terroristic threats in the third degree for coughing on a supermarket worker claiming he has COVID-19 Meanwhile, there have already been several other incidents in the US where people have exposed themselves to others while knowing or suspecting that they were infected with COVID-19. Earlier this month, a woman flew from Boston to Beijing, with a stopover in Los Angeles, while allegedly concealing her coronavirus symptoms. The Chinese national, 37, is accused of gobbling down anti-fever medicine at LAX to suppress her high temperatures before boarding the 13-hour flight back to her homeland with her husband and son. She later tested positive to COVID-19 in China, and now faces up to three years in prison in that country for possibly infecting others on board her flights and at the various airports she transited through. Elsewhere, an elderly recently took a JetBlue flight from New York to Palm Beach, Florida, while reportedly awaiting the results of his coronavirus test. Upon arrival in Florida, he told airline crew that he had tested positive for the virus. He has not been charged. The Justice Department does not make explicit whether perpetrators must actually have a confirmation of a COVID-19 diagnosis to be charged with terrorism-related crimes. Coronavirus has spread to all 50 states, with criminals taking advantage of widespread anxiety surrounding the virus Elsewhere in the Justice Department's new memo, Deputy AG Rosen identifies a range of criminal and fraudulent activities that have been cropping up in relation to the coronavirus outbreak. These include reports of fake COVID-19 apps that install malware, social media scams seeking donations, and the sale of fake testing kits and 'immunity pills'. Rosen calls for state and local agencies to coordinate in the fight against various crimes pertaining to coronavirus, stating: 'Capitalizing on this crisis to reap illicit profits or otherwise preying on Americans is reprehensible and will not be tolerated'. Cllr Paul Mercer is a councillor on Charnwood Borough Council and is the Lead Member for Housing in the Cabinet. He is writing in a personal capacity. Charnwood Borough Council has always emphasised planning for emergencies, although no amount of blue sky thinking could have prepared us for the challenge we are about to face with the coronavirus. As it became apparent that this virus was going to have a significant impact, the councils leader, and a newly-appointed chief executive, started to think through the many changes that would be required to ensure that our frontline services were maintained and the democratic structure continued to function. Charnwood had previously developed rigorous business continuity plans designed to ensure that we could support our diverse communities. Communicating this message has been critical and, as well as using social media, a dedicated section of our website has been created, and we are also using our email alerts to 5,000 subscribers. The message does appear to have been absorbed by older people and many of them have already taken precautions to protect themselves in what could be a long period in isolation. Locally, and I suspect nationally, there seems to be far less interest among younger people. Some of those that I have spoken to have described it as an old persons disease and have claimed probably correctly that the chances of them dying is negligible. Many seem disinterested in changing their behaviour. Transmission chains that begin in younger populations, where there is a low number of severe cases, can often go undetected for a long time. Many of the initial deaths in Washington state occurred at one location even though the viruss genetic sequence suggested that it had been circulating for several weeks beforehand. As part of Charnwoods planning, a number of working groups were set up to look at issues such as workforce planning, health and safety, and community impact, all of which was led by the Business Continuity Group chaired by our chief executive. Charnwood has always worked closely with the other Leicestershire authorities and coordinating its activities at this level is carried out through the Local Resilience Forum. Throughout this process, care has been taken to conform to the guidance from Public Health England, the Government and the NHS. Like many councils, Charnwood was in the process of going paperless and this coincided with the introduction of Office 365 which contains Microsoft Teams a unified communication and collaboration platform. Although this had not been activated it was a relatively simple process which even some of our technophobic councillors have managed to grasp. For remote decision-making, it required a simple change in the law and not only can meetings be conducted with councillors remaining at home, or wherever, but the proceedings can be broadcast live over the Internet. In order to encourage homeworking, Charnwood has issued a protocol to ensure that those staff in the high risk group move out of the offices as quickly as possible, although there are some functions which cannot be carried out off-site. This crisis is most likely to affect older people both in terms of the health risk but also making it difficult for them to sustain themselves. A number of councillors have unilaterally set up networks to make contact with residents who might otherwise find the virus a challenge. In our own ward, we have been circulating a letter asking who needs help and you can offer it; two Conservative councillors in one of the villages, Birstall, have already created a support network; and both our sole Green councillor and Labour opposition have been doing likewise. In parallel with these activities, local people have come together unilaterally to create an ad hoc grouping through social media calling itself Loughborough Community Volunteers. Similar groups are now appearing elsewhere in the borough. Charnwood has now launched a community campaign to support this effort. Although as councillors we have been able to offer support and advice to our electors, some of us have been approached by local companies who seem unable to devise a response. Dentists, for instance, have received no information about how to protect themselves and their patients. Unlike medics, they have little protective equipment and have not been told how to deal with coronavirus positive patients who have extreme dental pain. It is outside our capabilities to give them any meaningful advice and yet many of our electors are likely to require their services in the coming months. At this early stage, there are too many unknowns to anticipate what the ultimate impact of the virus will be. What is certain is that the spread of the virus is likely to continue and the number of cases, and later deaths, will rise exponentially, probably for the next month, before it starts to run out of new places to go. It will inflict massive economic and social damage, not just in Charnwood but across the UK, and the way in which local councillors have come together and shown a determination to work in support of their officers may play a small role in helping to alleviate some of its worst effects. On Friday morning, Matthew Johnson-Roberson sat at his office window in Ann Arbor, Michigan, looking out at his favorite restaurant gone dark. As cities and states rush to stem the spread of the coronavirus, restaurants across the country are closing doors to eat-in diners. The economic impact is huge, said Johnson-Roberson, an associate professor of engineering at the University of Michigan. Im really worried that these restaurants arent going to come back. Many, however, are open for takeout and delivery, and that is where Johnson-Robersons robots come in. Johnson-Roberson is co-founder of Refraction AI, one of a growing number of startups that aim to deliver restaurant or supermarket food to your home in the tamper-proof compartment of a robot on wheels. Some big players have entered the field, from Amazon to Postmates. But the industry has been slow to grow. There have been a lot of small and limited test deployments, says Wendy Ju, an assistant professor of information science at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech. Its not a business that makes money yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, in a time of social distancing and Instacart delays, the food delivery robot could finally have a moment. According to Johnson-Roberson, his restaurant partners in Ann Arbor have tripled, and online orders max out daily. But despite the increased demand, this pivotal point may have come too soon for the delivery robot to rise to its full potential. In some communities, people have become accustomed to food delivery robots. Residents of Milton Keynes, a town northwest of London, can send Starship Technologies robots to fetch groceries. Students at George Mason University in Virginia can send these same robots to pick up meals from vendors across campus. Hungry folks in Berkeley, California, and Denver can order food through the Kiwibot. And residents of Snohomish County, Washington, receive some Amazon orders from the Amazon Scout. Advertisement Advertisement I encountered my first delivery robot in D.C. A Starship robot was paused at a crosswalk by its human handler like an obedient dog off leash. The robot, its handler told me, was learning the streets so that it could one day cruise solo. That was three years ago. Since then, Ive ordered more dinners from Shake Shack than I care to admit. Not one came in the compartment of an autonomous cooler on wheels. Advertisement This is definitely a growing industry. But the growth hasnt been as fast as people expected for many reasons, says Tinglong Dai, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School who specializes in operations management and business analytics. Dai points to the suburbs as one barrier. Distances between homes and restaurants are too vast for robots rolling along sidewalks at the pace of a strolling human to traverse in any reasonable amount of time, though some companies like Nuro are experimenting with autonomous delivery cars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then theres the challenge of building the infrastructure for what is still a relatively new business type. Kiwibots head of business, David Rodriguez, says that his company has spent the past two years developing expertise in this area. The logistics, the know-how, the app, all of the support, he says. The robot is only a small element of the entire system. The industry has made great strides in developing the A.I. technology that enables robots to learn and navigate terrain. Almost anyone, says Ju, can make a robot that can traverse on its own and not get lost. Human interaction and unexpected activity in the environment remain the real problems, she says. Advertisement Advertisement Johnson-Robersons team designed its REV-1 robots to operate in bike and car lanes so that the robots dont need to understand the nuanced rules of sidewalk right of way. But the company is still working on teaching the robots to recognize when a pedestrian is about to jump into the bike lane. As drivers, we get really good at that, he says. Its a really hard thing to teach robots. Advertisement Advertisement Though many delivery robots in development now roam without a human handler at their side, none are truly autonomous. Employees sit in a command center, ready to assume control whenever a robot comes to a tricky intersection or unexpected road closure. Our goal, says Johnson-Roberson, is that the ratio of drivers to robots is something that makes this economically sustainable. Dai and Ju both expect that the delivery robot industry could advance during this uneasy time when a comfortable distance between friends is 6 feet or more. People trying to minimize human interaction is a scenario in which the robots are perfect for, says Dai. [Delivery robots] may in fact help with reducing some amount of risk, says Barun Mathema, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. He suggests that any measure to limit contact between an infected person and a susceptible person is worthwhile. But he also notes a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine that suggests that the virus can live on cardboard for up to 24 hours and plastic for up to two to three days. Even when taking human interaction at the door out of the equation, a person is still involved with the packaging. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether or not replacing humans makes deliveries safer, having robots shoulder some of the delivery load could make deliveries more timely, since current food orders far outpace the human capacity to fill them. I think 10 years from now we will be in a situation where this kind of event is something that we could just pull out all of the robots for, says Ju. Todays fleet of food delivery robots is too small to be widely deployed. But within the small footprints where they currently operate, food delivery robot companies are attempting to meet the increased demand. Refraction AI is building new REV-1 robotsat a pace of about one every other dayto serve the 400 customers in a pilot group. In China, the delivery app Meituan Dianping released autonomous delivery robots onto public roads for the first time. Starship expanded its delivery area in Milton Keynes to offer service to an additional 180,000 people. At George Mason University, the robots kept running after most students had left campus. I honestly appreciate it, said student Clinton Carlson Jr. last Friday. Its delivery without having to have that physical interaction with other people, so I feel like its less risk. But all restaurants on George Masons campus closed Sunday, so the robots are no longer running. (Update, March 26, 2020: Though the robots were down for two days, they have now returned to work to deliver food from two restaurants, possibly with more to follow.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kiwibot has added face masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves to its regular menu of takeout food options. Our goal is to mitigate whats going on, says Rodriguez. But moving forward, we want to be agents that advance recovery because this is going to hurt many businesses. But expanding during a pandemic is difficult, even for a service thats in demand. These businesses are working under the same constraints that the rest of us are under, says Dai. They require investments and people to work together, not just from home. Advertisement Advertisement Assembling new robots at Refraction AI is usually a team project. But respecting recommendations for social distancing, Johnson-Roberson now only allows a single employee to work on a robot at any one time. When that person leaves the office, another tags in. His remote operators continue to watch over the robots, though now from the safe distance of their own homes. Even under these conditions, Johnson-Roberson expects that his operation could expand within the next few months to handle most of the deliveries in this college town. Reaching beyond Ann Arbor, however, seems unlikely. Theres no way we can take over the [national] delivery supply chain, says Johnson-Roberson. But I do think that this is a moment to show people that there are ways of doing this differently. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, announced the most radical, disruptive measure taken anywhere globally to battle the coronavirus pandemic. He announced a three-week lockdown for the entire country, and warned citizens strictly not to exit their homes for the next 21 days. Given that this applies to over 1.3 billion citizens, in all states and Union Territories, spans all sectors except essential services, the scale of the lockdown is unprecedented, not just in India, but the world. Other countries have resorted to lockdowns which have been more limited either in space or duration. The lockdown is essential. As Mr Modi said, there is no way to battle the pandemic but through strict social distancing. In India, relying on only voluntary distancing is insufficient it needs to be backed by State authority. It is also true that once the virus spreads, given Indias poor health infrastructure, it will be very difficult to contain. It is important to temper expectations though. India will continue to see an increase in cases for now, as testing increases and many who slowly developed symptoms turn out positive. But if the lockdown is successful, as the PM said, India may succeed in breaking the chain of human transmission and flattening the curve. But while the onus rests on citizens to follow the governments directive, the government has to do the following. One, the lockdown cannot be enforced with extra legal measures. This has been visible in the form of police brutality across the country or in Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao suggesting shoot-at-sight orders against violators. Respect the law, and be proportionate and sensitive in responses. Two, law enforcement authorities need to be clearly instructed to allow the supply of essentials, and not impede movement. Three, the government needs to communicate more clearly with citizens and assure them that it will ensure that basic needs will be met. Four, it needs to immediately come up with an economic plan for daily wage workers, migrant workers, and those in the unorganised sector, who have no means to sustain themselves for such a long duration given the disruption to their livelihoods. Five, it needs to use this time to ramp up health systems by enhancing testing, creating dedicated facilities, providing protective equipment for health workers, and sourcing ventilators and other medical essentials. And finally, it needs to draw up a medium-term economic plan since incomes and jobs will be severely hit. As citizens fulfil their duties, it is time for the State to do its bit. The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has joined calls for an immediate lockdown of the country to help track and reduce the spread of the coronavirus Pandemic. General Secretary of the Association, Dr. Justice Yankson on Citi TVs Face to Face on Tuesday said despite the economic difficulties in the country, a lockdown of Ghana at this stage of the increased number of Coronavirus cases will curtail the spread of the disease. He suggested a partial shutdown of the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions [ hotspots of the virus in Ghana ] where only essential service providers will be allowed to operate in order not to bring the life of the average Ghanaian to a standstill. Dr. Yankson further warned that deferring the lockdown to a period of high number of cases will rather be detrimental to the countrys fight against the pandemic. One measure is to lockdown [the country]. The lockdown is to break the chain in community transmission. That is the essence of it. So the decision is whether to do it now when we have a relatively small number of cases or wait till we have the thousands. In my personal view, it is about time we did some partial lockdown. And what that means is for us to lock down the epicentres in our country now Accra, Tema to be specific and Ashanti Region Region. We can decide to lock down these places and the exception will be for essential services to run in an attempt to stop the spread, he told host, Godfred Akoto-Boafo. If we allow this to fester for too long and we end up with a lot of cases before we decide to go on the lockdown then what that will also mean is that we will potentially have people in the communities who may be spreading the disease among themselves because of our communal living and the lack of housing in this country. So it is about time that we take some quick decisions on the way forward. This will contain the disease in these two regions and spare the other 14 [regions]. People may talk about economic implications but the decision is to break transmission. If you do it now or later there will be still economic implications. So we should do it in such a way there are some essentials so that people can still live, he added. Ghanas case count for COVID-19 as of Tuesday, March 24, 2020, is 53 with two deaths According to the Health Service, a total of 1,030 persons are under mandatory quarantine. A total of 844 of the quarantined individuals also had their samples taken for the necessary tests out which 510 had their samples tested for COVID-19. Calls for lockdown The increase in the number of cases has intensified calls on the government to urgently lock down the country as a means of escalating the countrys response to curbing the spread of the virus. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Bureau of Public Safety have both demanded that the government considers a total lockdown if necessary to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus in the country. Former Health Minister, Joseph Yieleh Chireh wants the government to immediately lockdown Accra, Kumasi and put the necessary systems in place before the coronavirus situation in the country gets out of hand. Hard times Meanwhile, international law and governance analyst, Kwame Mfodwo is warning that Ghana risks extreme starvation should it go into a complete lockdown now due to the rise in the number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the country. He said although a possible lockdown is bound to happen given the nature of the pandemic, Ghana is ill-prepared for such a moment in the short term because of its current economic situation. [A lockdown] is inevitable. The key issue is that we have to allow a lockdown that is defined and matches our context. I will say that, yes, well actually go in for a lockdown. But as we sit here now, we cant go into lockdown now in our current state because we cant maintain it for more than three days or a week because people dont have food and they will starve. But lets be frank, we need a long term to say one month, six weeks, three months of a lockdown but we cant actually do that immediately. But we can do a short term thing which we will then roll and improve on else it will not be sustainable. An effective lockdown, according to the government analyst, requires an extremely wide range of measures to support people. He, therefore, admonished the government to come out with a comprehensive programme to address all aspects of lockdown before such a decision is announced. ---citinewsroom In a stark reminder that the U.S. is still likely in the early stages of the battle to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, the American Library Association has canceled the 2020 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, which was scheduled for June 25-30 in Chicago. It will be first time in 75 years that ALA has not hosted an annual conference, with the last cancellation taking place in 1945 as World War II wound down. We recognize the magnitude of this decision for the association and our membership, said ALA executive director Tracie D. Hall. This year, we were especially looking forward to the conference taking place in ALAs hometown of Chicago. However, the well-being of our library community, staff, and fellow Chicago residents has to be the number one concern, and that drove our decision-making." Halls sentiments were echoed by ALA president Wanda K. Brown. ALAs priority is the health and safety of the library community, including our members, staff, supporters, vendors, and volunteers, Brown said. As the Covid-19 pandemic unfolds, its become clear that in the face of an unprecedented situation, we need to make tough choices. The ALA cancellation comes just days after ALA made another unprecedented announcement, in which it urged libraries to close to slow the spread of Covid-19. Earlier this month, the Texas Library Association, the countrys largest state library association, announced the cancellation of its annual conference, which had been set for this week. TLA added that a planned digital replacement is now in the works. Hall called the move a great disappointment, although she noted that ALA would use that disappointment as fuel for its future events. But the show's cancellation is certainly an unwelcome development for ALA, with the organization in the midst of a cash crunch as well as a reorganization. The annual conference, which often draws more than 20,000 attendees and hundreds of vendors, is an important source of revenue for the organization. At this unprecedented and historic time the health and safety of our members and their families are our primary concern. The cancellation is also a blow for publishers, authors, and other vendors and service providers. The conference always features a robust program of authors, and provides an important opportunity for publishers to launch new titles in front of an influential audience. The 2018 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, for example, hosted the first appearance by Michelle Obama in connection with her then not yet released memoir Becoming. In a sign of how important the conference is to publishers and other vendors who support ALA, the ALA press release announcing the cancellation featured statements from a number of publishers and other vendors, including EBSCO, Follett/Baker & Taylor, Gale/Cengage, HarperCollins, OverDrive, Penguin Random House, ProQuest, and, Simon & Schuster. In his statement, Gale senior v-p Paul Gazzolo applauded ALA for making this difficult decision quickly." Next up for ALA is the associations last scheduled Midwinter Meeting, set for Indianapolis in January of 2021, followed by the 2021 ALA Annual Conference, also scheduled for Chicago. Hall said the plan is to make both of those meetings incredible experiences that will serve as opportunities for the profession to regroup and recharge. But at this moment, the focus needs to be on staying healthy and looking ahead, said Julius C. Jefferson, ALA president-elect. At this unprecedented and historic time the health and safety of our members and their families are our primary concern, Jefferson said in a statement. I want us all to focus on our collective health so we may live to advocate for libraries and library workers another day." With their health in jeopardy and customers evaporating, sex workers in France are struggling as the novel coronavirus threatens their livelihoods -- and there is no safety net in sight. Many are being forced onto the streets as they lose their incomes, at a time when police are enforcing government orders for people to stay at home. France has been in lockdown for a week, with only essential trips outside allowed, in a bid to halt the acceleration of the virus' spread. "I have no choice since I work on the street and I travel to people's homes," said Pamela, a 46-year-old prostitute from the southwestern city of Toulouse who stopped working when the lockdown was announced. Solicitations have not completely dried up, she said, but she has decided to ignore them: "Pay a fine of 135 euros ($145) for a client at 50 euros, no..." However, if the lockdown continues, her meagre savings will no longer be enough, she added. "I will have to take risks. Even if I have two clients a week, it would at least pay for food," she said. Her name, and those of the other prostitutes quoted have been changed for this story. "The situation is dramatic," worries Sarah-Marie Maffesoli, a programme coordinator at the human rights organisation Doctors of the World. "There are almost no more customers. How long will they be able to stop working?" she said. "Being healthy without being able to eat or feed one's children is complicated." Prostitution itself is not illegal in France, though a law introduced in 2016 did make it illegal to buy sex, shifting the criminal responsibility to clients who can be fined if caught. But sex workers, few of whom have a self-employed work status, will not be able to claim the 1,500 euros in aid promised by the French government to independent workers to compensate for a drop in their activity due to the virus outbreak. To make up for gaps in support, the tight-knit sex worker community has launched several fundraising initiatives online. On one Instagram page called "tapotepute" ("your whore friend"), more than 10,000 euros was raised. "We hope to help about 30 sex workers," says Judith, 22, a Paris-based escort who created the page. For those who continue to work "to ensure their survival", the sex workers' union Strass has published a series of recommendations on its website such as to "avoid contact with saliva" or "any face-to-face sexual position". Many associations which have had to suspend their in-person outreach programmes are also worried that sex workers will end up homeless if they can't pay the rent or their accommodation is shut. "With the lockdown, many hotels have closed and sex workers have found themselves on the street," Antoine Baudry, of the Lyon-based Cabiria association for community health, said. Migrants who work as prostitutes are in the most precarious situation, particularly those who are undocumented and do not speak French. "For them, it is not easy to know what they have the right to do and not to do," said June Charlot, a health mediator at Griselidis, a Toulouse association distributing financial aid, prevention kits and travel certificates. "The people we had on the phone are completely distraught," she added. The coronavirus health crisis does not only affect street prostitution, but also escorts. "My clients are quite wealthy. They are aware of the risks, they no longer ask for me," said Charlie, a 28-year-old Parisian who says she can normally earn 2,000 euros a month "without working much". "I have a bit of money set aside, but I can't last more than a month," she added. With movement and social contact heavily restricted under the lockdown, webcam sites could be the solution -- for those who can afford it and are tech savvy. "I don't trust the internet and online payments, I don't know how to do it," Nathalie, a 48-year-old Toulouse escort, said. Charlie, whose parents are unaware of her activity, fears being subjected to blackmail or revenge porn, or online harassment if her videos are stolen which is common. "The platforms lack security and confidentiality. Anyone can take a screenshot and then share it," she said. Above all, "it requires resources, a good connection and a computer," says Eva Vocz, a "camgirl" from Marseille, who charges 50 euros for 20 minutes. "It's a job that can be learned, to develop a technique, communicate on social networks to build a fan base. It takes time," she said. The free access offered by several major pornography platforms during the lockdown has also dried up the customer base. "They buy a good image, generate clicks and advertising revenue but nothing will be redistributed to us," Eva said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW YORKWhen you see soda on sale at the supermarket, do you run screaming into the parking lot in a panic? Or do you buy six? This is the analogy Peter Palion, a certified financial planner in New York, uses to calm worried clients about volatility in the stock market and keep them on their slow and steady retirement savings path. While logical, it is a hard sell for many. As the market drops precipitously, it may seem like you are throwing good money after bad to keep contributing a percentage of your income to a 401(k) or a similar workplace retirement plan when you have an urgent need for cash. But as we learned from the recession in 2008-2009, stopping regular contributions and pulling out of stocks left investors further behind than those who stayed the course. If youre still getting a paycheck, whats the point of stopping contributions to get a little more cash? Its not like your cost of living is going upyour mortgage and utilities, are, for the most part, still very close to amount you paid last month, Palion said. Ceasing contributions might not give you as much extra cash as you are expecting anyway, because it increases your tax bill. You also miss out on a matching contribution from your employer, which is essentially free money. So far, between the start of 2020 and March 15, Fidelity Investments has seen 4 percent of its 401(k) account holders decrease their 401(k) contributions and 2 percent stop contributing completely. There were 7 percent who actually increased their savings rate during the period. Those numbers are not out of line with normal seasonal behavior so far, according to Meghan Murphy, vice president of thought leadership at Fidelity, who noted that it is still too early to see trends related to the coronavirus crisis. A Look Back What we can do is look back at what happened during the recession in 2008-2009 and track how people fared based on their behavior. Teresa Ghilarducci, director of the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis at the New School for Social Research in New York, did a detailed study on outcomes that showed the negative impact on those who stopped or lessened their contributions during that time period. People who got out were, in essence, selling low and buying high, the opposite of that age-old investing advice. By the time the storm passed, some 64 percent of higher-income workers who were able to stay invested and ride it out, came out ahead in the end. Lower-income workers were more likely to have stopped or lowered their contributions, and tended to have faced a temporary job loss. They contributed at lower rates overall, so had less in company matching funds, and also were in less aggressive investment mixes. This disparity in results happens because getting out of stocks to miss the bad days also means missing the good days. After the last recession, Massachusetts-based certified financial planner Karen Van Voorhis had new clients come to her for help getting their retirement savings back in shape. Even as late as 2012, theyd come to me and say, Im all in cash, whens a good time to get back in. And Id think, looking back, 2009 would have been a good time, Van Voorhis said. The biggest danger to retirement savers is for those with job loss who not only stop contributing but also cash out their 401(k) balances instead of rolling them over into other plans. First of all, you face a huge tax bill. Secondly, unless you are forced to cash out of your workplace plan, it is best to just leave things where they are in todays market. And most importantly, you deplete funds that are impossible to replace. Ghilarduccis advice to people now: Act like a rich person. People with assets have slower long-term thinking because of their economic position, and at times like this, they make out like bandits, she said. So if you change your thinking from panic to thinking two years from now, you can go out and buy those bargains. Dont use your rollover check for cornflakes. Use it to buy assets, Ghilarducci said. By Beth Pinsker Unfortunately, theres still no official verdict on how long the new coronavirus can live on surfaces. For a while, the widely-cited belief was that it could survive for up to 72 hours on plastic surfaces. It was based on research recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine. But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week published research involving the Diamond Princess cruise ship. There, researchers found RNA related to the coronavirus on a variety of surfaces in cabins for up to 17 days after the cabin was last occupied. However, the researchers said the data doesnt show whether anyone got sick from contaminated surfaces, and the subject requires further study. Carolyn Machamer, a Johns Hopkins cell biologist, has doubts about whether the new coronavirus is capable of infecting anyone for anywhere near that long. The research published in The New England Journal of Medicine concluded it can live for up to 72 hours on plastic, 48 hours on stainless steel, 24 hours on cardboard and 4 hours on copper. It also found coronavirus could be detected in the air for three hours. However, Machemer believes the amount of virus surviving after 72 hours on plastic is tiny and unlikely to cause infection. Infection is theoretically possible but unlikely at the levels remaining after a few days. People need to know this, she said in an interview with HUB, a Johns Hopkins University publication. Likewise, she pointed out the research involved aerosols, with lighter particles than those expelled by human coughs and sneezes. So while coronavirus was detected in the air for three hours, the coronavirus expelled during a cough or sneeze would sink to the ground faster, rather than remaining at face level. Machemer further said if you are in close proximity to an infected person, you are more likely to catch it through the air than from a surface. Still, she told HUB, Cleaning surfaces with disinfectant or soap is very effective because once the oily surface coat of the virus is disabled, there is no way the virus can infect a host cell. However, there cannot be an overabundance of caution. Other experts have stressed that cleaning surfaces with alcohol- or bleached-soaked wipes is a good way to rid surfaces of coronavirus. The CDC is advising people to clean and disinfect surfaces that people regularly come in contact with, including doorknobs, light switches, tables, countertops, phones, keyboards, toilets and faucets. Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine was asked whether people can pick up the coronavirus from things like money or gas pump handles. She said its unknown how long the coronavirus can live on various kinds of surfaces. But she said its not a bad idea to wipe off things such as case or pump handles. Consumer Reports also offered advice on avoiding the coronavirus at the gas station: Consider carrying some disposable nitrile or latex gloves in your car to use when gripping the pump handle. Short of that, you can try to use paper towels that are sometimes available at the pump or have some with you to cover your hands when you grip the handle. Do the same to isolate yourself from the keypad when entering payment information. Invert the gloves and throw them away, and also any paper towels you might have used. Use hand sanitizer to make sure your hands are clean after youre done and before you get back into your car. Cleaning your hands after youre done seems like the quickest, easiest precaution. But some drivers might want to have disinfectant wipes handy for wiping down the gas pump handle and the payment keypad before pumping. This process ensures that Im not inadvertently transferring the virus from a high-touch surface like a gas pump to my vehicles door handle, and from there into the interior, says Gabriel Shenhar, associate director of CRs auto test program. The CDC says the most effective way to avoid picking up the virus is to wash hands frequently for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your eyes, mouth, nose and face, and stay at least six feet away from other people. As state insurance regulators monitor and respond to the coronavirus impact on insurance, property/casualty insurers are calling on them to coordinate their requests for data and ease up on some requirements. David A. Sampson, president and CEO of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), told the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) special session on COVID-19 that the less time insurers have to spend on responding to regulators seeking information, the more they will be able to focus on customers. What have the state insurance regulators been up to? States have postponed or canceled planned insurance licensing exams and adjusted deadlines for education and various filings. Several states have requested information on carriers continuity plans while others have called on them to be flexible with policyholders over premium payments. New York got insurers to offer a special travel policy and provide details on their business interruption policies while Wisconsin directed insurers to add insurance coverage to existing commercial or personal auto policies for people now doing restaurant deliveries at no charge. Sampson noted the unprecedented conditions that are stressing industry systems as insurers seek to work with regulators. The more the NAIC can help coordinate data calls to make them uniform, limited in scope, and reasonable in timing, the more insurers will be able to focus on our customer service obligations, he said. In addition to state regulation Consumer Groups Want Auto Premiums to Reflect Coronavirus Curb on Driving Pressure Builds on Insurers to Be Part of Coronavirus Business Solution Illinois Casualty to Suspend Billing to Restaurants, Taverns in COVID-19 Response Life Insurers Go Slow on New Policies to Limit Coronavirus Risk AM Best to Test Insurers for Coronavirus Impact; Fitch Lowers Allstate Outlook Coronavirus Raises Insurance Questions But Catastrophe-Tested Insurers Are Prepared Sampson also urged regulators to discourage growing calls for retroactive coverage under policies not intended to pay virus-related business income losses. That issue was raised in legislation under consideration in New Jersey. He also called on government to relax requirements for first-class mail delivery and allow electronic delivery for all communications. Other items on his wish list for states: Ensure that requests that insurers be forgiving about premium due dates and other deadlines remain consistent across states and lines. Provide parallel accounting relief for insurers that give policyholders forbearance to make late payments. Refrain from imposing demands on the content of consumer communications. Exercise flexibility in enforcing time restrictions for claims handling, notifications, third-party administrator audits, and regulatory filings. Sampsons wish list came in the wake of a number of state insurance regulators taking coronavirus-related actions and requesting information from P/C insurers. The following is a brief look at the actions some state regulators have taken in the crisis. New York Perhaps no state has been more active than New York, which has become the center of the pandemic in the country. On March 10, the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) asked insurers to submit details of business interruption policies that have been provided to insureds, as well as the coverage each policy offers regarding COVID-19. Explanations regarding the commercial property insurance each insurer has written in New York as well as details of business interruption coverage provided were required to be submitted by Wednesday of last week. Given the potential impact of COVID-19 on business losses, particularly concentrated effects in local communities, DFS considers insurers obligations to policyholders a heightened priority, DFS stated in its instructions. The instructions required each insurer to provide to DFS the volume of business interruption coverage, civil authority coverage, contingent business interruption coverage and supply chain coverage the insurer wrote that has not lapsed as of March 10, expressed in amounts of direct premium, policy types and numbers of policies written of each type. Each insurer was also required to examine the policies it issued and explain the coverage each policy offers in regard to COVID-19, both presently and in the future if there is potential for COVID-19 coverage as the situation could develop. For each policy type, insurers were asked to prepare information in a clear and concise explanation of benefits suitable for policyholder review. The instructions then ask insurers to send the explanations to each of their policyholders for the applicable policy types as well as to DFS, along with a representation that the explanations have been provided to policyholders. In a March 10 circular letter, DFS is also requiring that each regulated entity to provide detailed descriptions of business continuity plans within 30 days or sooner. Specifically, the letter calls for descriptions of both plans of preparedness to manage the risk of disruption to its operations and descriptions of plans to assess and monitor the financial risk that may arise from COVID-19. In a list of eight items to be included at a minimum to describe operational preparedness, the DFS calls for: information on preventative measures to mitigate the risk of operational disruption; assessments of facilities, systems and procedures needed to continue critical operations and services when employees are unavailable for longer periods or are working offsite; assessments of security of remote access; employee protection strategies; assessments of the preparedness of critical third-party service providers and suppliers. The DFS also asks for details of communication plans with various stakeholders, testing plans, and overall governance and oversight of the business continuity plan. Six items to be discussed with respect to financial impacts include an assessment of the valuation of assets and investments that may be, or have been, impacted by COVID-19 and assessment of the overall impact of COVID-19 on earnings, profits, capital, and liquidity. In early March, New York DFS also took action to make cancel for any reason travel policies available in the state after DFS received consumer complaints that these types of polices were not available in the state. Many standard travel insurance policies do not cover trip interruption or cancellation due to COVID-19 because standard policies typically exclude coverage for an epidemic, pandemic or similar public health event. Six global and national insurance companies agreed to offer the travel policies in New York state: Allianz, Nationwide, Starr Indemnity, Berkshire, Crum & Forster and Zurich. Wisconsin The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) has asked insurers to offer flexibility to insureds who are incurring economic hardship by offering non-cancellation periods, deferred premium payments, premium holidays and acceleration or waiver of underwriting requirements. It has also directed insurers to provide insurance coverage for delivery drivers for restaurants during the COVID-19 public health emergency, even if those drivers/restaurants previously did not have coverage for such activities. The extra coverage must be provided at no extra cost to the insured. The order states insurers must cover delivery services for restaurants on personal auto insurance policies and must offer coverage for hired drivers and non-owned automobiles as a rider on a restaurants general liability insurance if it is requested both at no extra cost to the policyholders. The order also bars insurers from denying a claim under a personal auto policy solely because the insured was engaged in delivering food on behalf of a restaurant impacted by the restaurant closure. Citing staff having to work remotely, Wisconsin (and also Kansas) advised insurers to expect delays in processing license applications and company filing approvals and not to assume that filings not handled in a timely manner have been deemed to be approved. Florida Floridas state of emergency created a need for many workers to work remotely. However, certain licensed insurance employees were restricted from doing so by a Florida law that required they conduct business from their agency offices. In response, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who oversees the Florida Department of Financial Services, issued a directive allowing Florida agency customer service representatives who would otherwise be restricted from conducting business outside of a licensed agency to do so given the current circumstances. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) directed all insurers to update their business continuity plans in a memorandum issued on March 16. Insurer continuity plans must provide a framework for the continuation of company operations, including key insurance functions such as policy issuance, premium collection, claims adjustment and payment and policyholder service, OIR said. The continuity plans should also account for DOH and CDC guidance surrounding COVID-19, including executive orders issued at the state and national level. Florida also issued a memorandum directing all insurers to review and update their business continuity and/or continuity of operations plans. It also asked insurers to immediately notify OIR should they have to activate their plan in response to COVID-19. California California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has asked insurers for a grace period on paying premiums. His notice requested that all insurance companies provide their policyholders with at least a 60-day grace period to pay insurance premiums to ensure policies are not cancelled for nonpayment of premium due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. In a separate notice, Lara requested the assistance of all automobile insurers, producers, and other licensees transacting automobile insurance in California. The Department of Motor Vehicles recently asked law enforcement to exercise discretion for 60 days in their enforcement of driver license and vehicle registration expirations beginning March 16 in order to have at-risk populations, including seniors and those with underlying conditions, avoid required visits to DMV field offices. Lara called on auto insurers to refrain from using the expiration of policyholders drivers licenses or vehicle registrations for 60 days from March 16 to affect their ability to secure and maintain auto insurance coverage or obtain good driver discounts. Californias State Compensation Insurance Fund announced several steps to support policyholders during the COVID-19 crisis, including a moratorium on policy cancellations and late payment penalties. State Fund also said it will extend credit to any business negatively impacted by COVID-19 events and offer businesses the ability to adjust their payroll reporting. Additionally, State Fund is postponing all site visits and has implemented a work-at-home program that is allowing the vast majority of its employees to work remotely. Indiana In response to apparent concerns regarding liability insurance coverage for facilities providing childcare and meals to the community, the Indiana Department of Insurance warned insurers that it will aggressively support those facilities if their commercial insurance carrier attempts to deny their liability insurance without approval. Washington The state of Washington is making workers compensation benefits available to healthcare workers and first responders who are quarantined after being exposed to COVID-19 while on the job. These healthcare workers and first responders who are quarantined will qualify for workers comp benefits regardless of their employer, private or public. Employers in the state get their workers comp through the State Fund, which will pay the benefits. Prior to this change, these workers qualified for workers comp if they got sick, but not for being quarantined over the coronavirus. Georgia Georgia directed all P/C insurers to refrain from canceling any commercial policies, including business interruption or business income coverage, for the cause of non-payment for the next 60 days. That prohibition could be extended should the pandemic last longer than expected. The department said it would offer immediate and expedited review for any products that are critical due to the COVID-19 outbreak. West Virginia On March 16, West Virginia Insurance Commissioner James Dodrill asked insurers to be flexible in the collection of premiums, cancellations, non-renewals, claim or other documentation. He also asked workers compensation insurers to conduct audits to determine if insureds are entitled to any adjustment in premium due to the furloughing, laying off or other dismissal of workers. Insurers and other regulated entities must not issue a cancellation notice or non-renewal notice pertaining to any insurance policy, plan or contract if related to circumstances from the COVID-19 pandemic. West Virginia also requested that insurers submit continuity of operations and preparedness plans. Insurance Journal Editors Amy OConnor, Elizabeth Blosfield, Don Jergler and Stephanie Jones contributed to this report. Topics Carriers California COVID-19 Legislation Auto Florida Workers' Compensation New York Property Casualty Wisconsin Virginia Pennsylvanias attorney general is leading the charge to have online retailers like Amazon, Facebook, eBay, Walmart, and Craigslist to crack down on price gouging amid the coronavirus outbreak. Ripping off consumers by jacking up prices in the middle of a public emergency is against the law and online resellers like Amazon must join in this fight, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro in his letter, signed by 32 other attorneys general. These companies form the backbone of online retail and have an obligation to stop illegal price gouging now and put strong practices into place to stop it from happening in the future. Examples found this month include a two-liter bottle of hand sanitizer being sold on Craigslist for $250, an eight-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer listed for $40 on Facebook Marketplace, and packs of face masks being sold on eBay for $40 and $50. In the letter, the attorneys general ask for the businesses to: Set policies and enforce restrictions on unconscionable price gouging during emergencies Trigger price gouging protections prior to an emergency declaration, like pending weather events or future possible health risks. Create a complaint portal for consumers to report potential price gouging. Online resellers have built advanced platforms and now its time to take that talent and help us beat COVID-19 by ensuring ready access to essential goods at fair prices, said Attorney General Shapiro. These are a few potential solutions, and we know each of your companies have the ability to implement other ways to protect American consumers during public emergencies." Shapiro and his office have also gone after brick-and-mortar stores in Pennsylvania for price gouging during the pandemic, and have fielded thousands of complaints. The tips include a Montgomery County pharmacy charging $25 per face mask, and a drug store chain in Allegheny County selling a 12-roll pack of toilet paper for $21, Shapiro said. At last count, Shapiros office has received 2,778 complaints and filed 24 cease-and-desist letters. Online complaints about price gouging can be filled out here, or sent via email to an email via pricegouging@attorneygeneral.gov with the name of product, the price, name of the store and its location. When we see price gouging, we tell the company to cut it out. Most times they listen. If they dont, we send a cease and desist letter. If they dont obey them we can fine that store with a fine up to $10,000 per violation. #pricegouging Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) March 24, 2020 In addition to Pennsylvania Attorney General Shapiro, the letter was co-led with the Offices of Attorneys General from Connecticut, New Mexico, and Vermont, in addition to signatures from the Offices of Attorneys General in California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. By Trend A 2,000-bed hospital complex was inaugurated on March 25 in Iran by the country's Army commander-in-chief Seyyed Abdul Rahim Mousavi, Trend reports via IRNA. The complex is set up at the permanent site of Tehran International Exhibitions and has the capacity to expand a thousand more beds. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Admiral Habibullah Sayari, Commander of Iranian Army`s Ground Forces Kiyomars Heidari and Deputy Minister of Health Iraj Harirchi. Army spokesman Shahrooz Nasseri said that the process of setting up 50 percent of the hospital complex took only 24 hours. It showed the army's speed of action and preparedness to deal with potential threats, he said. Iran is one of the countries heavily affected by the rapidly-spreading coronavirus. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 24,800 people have been infected, 1,934 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 8,900 have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Carl Schoen's 99-year-old mother has not been able to return to her nursing home after being taken to the emergency room at Huntington Memorial Hospital with pneumonia. (Francine Orr/ Los Angeles Times) Carl Schoen's 99-year-old mother has lived in a nursing home for five years. On March 13, she was taken to the emergency room at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena with pneumonia. She got better quickly, within a few days, but now the nursing home won't take her back because she can't prove she doesn't have the coronavirus. She was tested 12 days ago, but the results aren't back yet. They are being very steadfast in saying that until she gets the test result back, she cant return, said Schoen, who asked that his mother's name and the name of the care facility in northeast L.A. not be published for fear of alienating her caregivers. Across the country, hospitals and nursing homes are stuck in similar high-stakes battles over the fate of older patients amid the coronavirus pandemic. Hospitals are desperately trying to discharge patients to clear space for an expected wave of COVID-19 victims. But nursing homes are reluctant to accept any new patients or even returning residents until it is proved that they are virus-free. Dr. Michael R. Wasserman, Geriatrician, and President of the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) Dr. Michael Wasserman, medical director at a nursing home in Reseda, said he won't accept any patient returning from a hospital until they have two negative coronavirus tests performed 24 hours apart. The extreme vulnerability of elderly residents to the novel virus makes taking a patient who might have the highly contagious pathogen akin to premeditated murder, he said. Wasserman pointed to the devastation at the Life Care Center nursing home in Kirkland, Wash., site of one of the first COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States. Two-thirds of the residents and 47 workers fell ill, and 35 people died. Im afraid there will be a minimum of 50 more Kirklands in California before this is done, Wasserman said. Wasserman, a geriatrician for more than 30 years and president of the California Assn. of Long Term Medicine, has been in touch with state public health officials regarding advice to nursing homes. Their message, he said, has been unclear and shifting. Story continues People walk past Eisenberg Village nursing home where they are screening all incoming for symptoms of the coronavirus in Reseda. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) First, they were telling nursing homes to take patients from hospitals, then they were telling us not to take patients, now theres conflicting guidance saying be prepared to take them, Wasserman said. But Wasserman agrees with doctors who say nursing homes should not send residents to hospitals, even if they have COVID-19 symptoms, unless they are in dire need of care. Weve got a whole strategy on how to deal with this in the skilled nursing facilities," he said. "If you think someone has it, you have to contain it there. We dont want to send someone to the hospital unless they really need the ICU. Once a patient has gone to the hospital, he said, nursing homes have a moral duty to be sure they are not carrying the virus when they return, especially to a facility with no sign of contamination. If I knew someone was trying to send a COVID patient into my nursing home," Wasserman said, "I would stand in front of the door and say, Hell no, Im not going to let you do this. The nationwide shortage of tests, and long waits for results, are exacerbating the problem because it can be difficult to prove that a patient who has been in a hospital is completely free of the virus. Officials at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, the second-largest municipal health system in the country, confirmed they are running into this problem. DHS has encountered resistance from some skilled nursing facilities in accepting patients who have not definitely tested negative for COVID-19," said Charmaine Dorsey, director of the department's Patient & Social Support Services. "This has complicated our efforts to reduce hospital census as we prepare for a surge in patients." The health services department cares for more than 2 million people, many of them the poorest and most vulnerable in the county. The situation is "particularly challenging for DHS as we have many patients with multiple medical and psycho-social comorbidities that make it difficult for us to place our patients in such facilities even in normal circumstances, Dorsey said. Dorsey pointed to a letter the California Department of Public Health sent to all nursing homes on March 20 instructing them to "prepare to care for residents with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection." That guidance is a "recipe for disaster," said Michael Conners, of the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform. "It could expose every resident to infection and death." Kristen Knapp, a spokeswoman for the Florida Health Care Assn., which represents the vast majority of nursing homes in the state, said hospitals are in a tough spot. But her organization is advising members to be "adamant" about the need for tests for returning residents. "We care for a very vulnerable population, and so our goal is to do everything we can to keep the virus out of the building. We're really focused on that," Knapp said. "If they go out, we're asking that they're tested before they come back." Not every nursing home in Los Angeles is being so strict. The Crenshaw Nursing Home sent a resident to the hospital on Friday for a blood transfusion. She came back on Saturday. The home did not require a negative test, said Halem Crowe, director of nurses, but made sure the woman had no coronavirus symptoms. Since Monday, the home hasn't sent anyone to the hospital. If a resident needs an IV or an X-ray, they're getting it at the nursing home, a change made to limit exposure to the coronavirus. "We don't want our residents to get something outside and bring it here," Crowe said. One veteran ER doctor at a community hospital in the Sacramento area, speaking on the condition that his name not be used, said his hospital is being inundated with nursing home residents with minor cold symptoms. They cough a few times and they get sent, he said. And then administrators at the homes refuse to let the patients return without a negative coronavirus test, a process that can take about a week at his hospital, he said. They arent ill enough to need to be in a hospital, said the doctor, who called the patients a massive drain at a time when hospital staff are girding for a wave of life-and-death coronavirus cases. Over the weekend, he said, a nursing home sent an elderly woman to the emergency room by ambulance for low-level flu symptoms. Doctors ordered several tests, including coronavirus, and dispatched her back to the home. The next day, administrators sent her back and said to keep her until the hospital could prove she didnt have the virus. The doctor said he had no choice but to admit her. Thats six days of nursing care and a bed for somebody who just really needed to be separated from others, he said. If [the woman] lived at home, I would say, Go home and put yourself in the bedroom and have some chicken soup. He said that even if some of the patients ended up testing positive, the hospital should be reserved only for those with trouble breathing and other severe conditions. Theres no downside for these facilities to call 911. They get a person out of their facility for five hours minimum and lighten staffing, he said. Nearly two weeks after she took the coronavirus test, Carl Schoen's mother who is blind and suffers from hearing loss remains trapped at the hospital, in a negative-pressure isolation room reserved for COVID patients. He said she can't have visitors and has to be restrained at times to prevent falls. A nurse told the family Wednesday that she clearly does not have COVID, Schoen said. That afternoon, a doctor informed Schoen's family that the specimen sent to the lab had been lost. Results from a new test would take at least three days. The situation is "crazy," Schoen said: "I've got a hospital room they can put a real coronavirus patient in." Pressure has been mounting on the Donald Trump administration to release people from immigration detention facilities where at least one detainee has tested positive for COVID-19 and advocates fear tight quarters and overall conditions could cause rapid spread of the virus. The US holds around 37,000 people in immigration detention. Detainees and advocates say many are vulnerable because of age and pre-existing medical conditions, and because they are often held in open rooms, beds 3-feet apart, and without adequate supplies of masks or other protections. "It's impossible to stay calm," said Marco Battistotti, an Italian who is among 170 people detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Bristol County jail in Massachusetts. "People are panicking. People are in fear." The 54-year-old Battistotti was among about 100 detainees at the county jail near Cape Cod who signed a letter released by a local immigration lawyer detailing conditions inside. They asked to be released to await decisions on their immigration cases. "I don't want to die in an ICE jail," he said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "Why can't I fight my case on the outside?" The agency, which reported the positive test of a 31-year-old man from Mexico held in Bergen County, New Jersey, on Tuesday, has announced steps to protect detained migrants and staff from the virus, but hasn't said whether it plans to review cases for possible release because of the outbreak. It did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the complaints about conditions from the detainees and their advocates. The administration has tried to balance its overall hard line on immigration, a signature policy of President Donald Trump, and its response to the outbreak, with ICE announcing previously that it would "temporarily adjust" operations to focus on apprehending people who pose a risk to public safety or are subject to mandatory detention because of a criminal record. Immigrant advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, are filing lawsuits in California, Maryland, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, seeking court orders for the immediate release of people in immigration detention, especially those at risk because of their age or medical conditions. Advocates have also asked a court in Los Angeles to order the Office of Refugee Resettlement to release to eligible sponsors around 1,200 migrant children who were apprehended without parents or legal guardians and have been held in government-contracted shelters for more than 30 days. They said two staff members at two such facilities in New York have tested positive for COVID-19. It's unclear how many immigration detainees overall are at higher risk, but one California suit alone had 13 plaintiffs, all over 55. A panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Monday, citing the "rapidly escalating public health crisis", ordered the immediate release of a 37-year-old woman who is fighting deportation to Mexico. The woman's lawyer, Max Carter-Oberstone, said the government told him it would not oppose the decision but she still had not been released as of early Wednesday. The court took the action on its own initiative in a rare move on behalf of a woman who says she has been threatened with death by members of a Mexican drug cartel. "It wasn't something we asked for or were expecting," Carter-Oberstone said. "The court is clearly reacting to the greater public health crisis that we're in right now and re-evaluating how it's going to dispose of its immigration cases in light of that crisis that we're all experiencing." The situation in immigration detention, which include facilities run by local jurisdictions and private contractors, is similar to that facing jails and prisons, with staff also at risk from a virus that already has sickened at least 55,000 people and killed about 800 in the US. One difference is that more than half of ICE detainees have no criminal charges or conviction and are held only for immigration reasons. Under previous administrations, many would likely have been released on bond as they pursued their cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With Congress reaching the outline of an agreement on Tuesday for a $2 trillion bailout and stimulus package, Gov. Ned Lamonts administration is looking for another source of relief for cash-strapped businesses and residents during the coronavirus outbreak a grace period on insurance premiums that could keep as much as $2 billion in the pockets of policyholders in each of the coming two months. Some carriers have proactively announced mitigation measures for policyholders, including Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary Geico which as of 2017 was the largest auto insurance underwriter in Connecticut. Geico pledged not to cancel any policies through the end of April while offering maximum flexibility for customers that need it. In his role as commissioner of the Connecticut Insurance Department, Andrew Mais extended a formal request to carriers to allow a 60-day grace period on payments spanning all types of coverage, to include health, life and the gamut of property and casualty insurance to include auto and home. Mais acted a week after his counterpart in California, with Georgia, West Virginia and Wisconsin among the states that have taken similar steps. Pressed Wednesday afternoon in Hartford on whether he is considering any outright order requiring carriers to suspend premium collections from beleaguered customers demonstrating the need, Lamont responded he has considered such a step while stopping short of any commitment to do so. We got the commissioner to start putting pressure on the health insurance companies just like utilities, just like banks, just like landlords, Lamont said. [We are] doing everything we can to defer this and allow the people of Connecticut to work their way through the next three or four months. Insurance capital of the world Under the proposal framed by Mais, policyholders would still be on the hook for any amounts due, to be remitted at the end of any grace periods allowed by insurance carriers whether in lump sum or on a payment schedule. More Business CT health carrier membership drops as employers self-fund insurance A grace period will allow policyholders who may need help due to circumstances beyond their control additional time to pay and avoid a coverage lapse or cancellation, Mais was quoted saying in a Tuesday press release. Mais extended his forbearance request to the other institutions that receive revenue from insurance carriers, without stating whether that would extend to taxes that carriers pay to state government. In a tandem bulletin on Tuesday, Mais extended some filing deadlines for insurance companies in Connecticut. In 2017, insurance carriers collected nearly $24 billion in premiums in Connecticut for both personal and commercial lines of business, according to the most recent tally published by the state insurance department, averaging out to nearly $130 a month for every resident that year. Prudential is the dominant underwriter, with the New Jersey-based giant accounting for nearly 40 percent of premiums collected in Connecticut through its life insurance, annuity and property and casualty offerings, at $9.3 billion in 2017. Hartford-based Aetna was a distant second that year with premium collections approaching $2 billion, with the carrier now owned by Rhode Island-based CVS Health. Prudential recognizes the financial challenges some of our customers are faced with in these uncertain times, stated Prudential spokesperson Andrew Simonelli. If any of our policyholders are experiencing difficulties making premium payments as a result of COVID-19, we encourage them to reach out. In recent years, the state has seen increased numbers of corporations underwriting their own health insurance costs independent of traditional carriers, while utilizing outside companies to manage claims and other administrative functions. The Connecticut Insurance Departments duties include both ensuring protections for policyholders as well as monitoring the solvency of the carriers admitted to sell insurance in the state, with nearly 1,450 licensed to do so as of 2017. As the self-styled insurance capital of the world, Connecticut hosts the headquarters of several major carriers in addition to Aetna, to include Bloomfield-based Cigna, The Hartford Financial Services Group, and the Stamford-based General Reinsurance subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. Other national carriers with significant operations in the state include Anthem, UnitedHealthcare, The Travelers and Voya, and the state is home to a plethora of smaller, specialty carriers like the New Haven-based Knights of Columbus and W.R. Berkley in Greenwich. Anthem, the largest underwriter of health insurance in Connecticut, is handling payment extension requests on a case-by-case basis, a spokesperson indicated Wednesday. We will continue to be a partner with the state and public officials as we work together to protect public health and provide both access to care and peace of mind, stated Anthem spokesperson Colin Manning. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman The hearing was held by video conference because of the coronavirus pandemic, which Owens lawyer, Thomas C. Mooney, cited as one of the reasons his client should be released on bond. He said Owen has showed no symptoms associated with the coronavirus, but other inmates in the facility where hes being held have. Kamali Thompson stretches before running drills at the Fencers Club in New York on Dec, 6. The Temple graduate was training for the 2020 Olympics. Read more Kamali Thompson has spent the last four years training for the 2020 Olympics while being a medical student. An 18-hour schedule that included training as an orthopedic surgeon and then fencing practice was the norm. Thompson nearly reached her goal in 2016, finishing sixth overall for the United States fencing team as a second alternate in Olympic qualifying. And she was in position to qualify for the 2020 squad headed to Tokyo. Shes entering her fourth year as a medical student at Rutgers and was planning on finishing her studies immediately after the Olympics. But those plans came to a halt in March when the International Olympic Committee announced that it was postponing the Summer Games to 2021. I got really upset because theres so much going on that I planned for, Thompson said. Thompson, who was a fencer at Temple from 2008-2012, is a precise planner. The next year was mapped out to perfection. She was going to compete in Tokyo and return home to finish her final six months of medical school. Now its not as easy to make plans. No one knows when classes will resume. And the coronavirus pandemic has put medical students into action. The IOC has scheduled the Olympics for July 23 through August 8 of 2021. Its strange territory for Thompson, and shes being forced to adjust. All I can do right now is take things day by day, and its killing me because I dont know how to not have a schedule, Thompson said. Thompson, from Teaneck, N.J., was ranked fourth in Olympic qualifiers with three competitions remaining. The top four fencers qualify for Tokyo. Her brother, Khalil, was also ranked fourth in Olympic qualifiers. One of the disappointing factors is a loss of momentum. Time off takes that away and opens the door for the competition to come on stronger than before. We had this momentum this season, and Lord knows how long this pause is, Thompson said. Were going to have like three months, five months, six months before we start the competition season up again, and these competitions at the end are the most important. Other factors include the financial costs of fencing while balancing school. Thompson has six months left of medical school. She is planning to begin completing her rotations starting in July and finishing them based on how she has to plan for the Olympics in 2021. Shell also have to squeeze in time to travel for orthopedic surgery residency interviews. With gyms and fencing clubs closed, Thompson is having to find ways to practice. Shes still working out every day and hoping to be in the Olympics next year. Shes staying active with medical school, too, reading and keeping her brain fresh with information. All my decisions I made in school and life were to help me make the 2020 Olympics, Thompson said. Theres a lot of things that I have to get worked out right now. But everyone has been really supportive. Mr. Biden continued to press his argument that President Trump has been too slow in responding to the crisis, and he took issue with the presidents stated desire to reopen the country by Easter, on April 12. Mr. Biden warned against following some arbitrary or symbolic timeline. It would be a catastrophic thing to do for our people and for our economy if we sent people back to work just as we were beginning to see the impact of social distancing take hold, only to unleash a second spike in infections, he said. That would be far more devastating in the long run than implementing a thorough strategy. Polls show that the former vice president has been struggling to connect with young voters, an area of strength for Mr. Sanders. Before taking a handful of questions via a video conference with reporters, Mr. Biden aimed to empathize with the economic challenges facing younger Americans in this moment of national upheaval and offered a reminder that they, too, are at risk. Every day were hearing heart-rending stories of deaths from people in their twenties and their thirties, he said, urging adherence to public safety guidelines about social distancing. But heres what we must not do. We must not allow this pandemic to rob our young people of the futures and the economic opportunities that theyve been working so hard to build. The nation, he said, is facing twin crises. The public health crisis is hitting older Americans especially hard, he said. The economic crisis is hitting younger people. All those hard-working young people in service industries, and in retail, that are being decimated by layoffs. All those who are hustling to make a living in the gig economy. They deserve the same benefits as everyone else does. We have to make sure they get them. Phoenix, AZ, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- No Borders, Inc. (OTC:NBDR) today announced that the Company has amended its existing SEC Qualified RegA offering to dramatically reduce the number of authorized shares available from three hundred million (300,000,000) down to one hundred million (100,000,000) while increasing the offering price per share from one cent per share (0.01) to three cents per share (0.03) effective immediately. This amendment keeps the total amount of capital available to be raised by the Company at Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000) but massively reduces the total possible dilution of the common stock. Due to the national demand for medical equipment, No Borders, Inc. has seen an increased demand for both its MediDent Supplies products and its securities. The strong demand and volume of the Companys NBDR stock has created powerful value for the Company and its shareholders over the past months and No Borders executives are thrilled to be positioned to remove two hundred million shares from this offering while maintaining the Companys ability to access tranches of capital as the Company deploys resources to combat the COVID-19 pandemic around the globe. If you take the time to watch the last three or four NBDR Shareholder Update Videos that are on our YouTube Channel you will see that we have stated over and over our commitment to NOT issuing 300 million new shares into the market. Our executive team and I are major common stock shareholders of NBDR and as such are just as sensitive to dilution as any shareholder in the Company. This amendment is another example of why we are #DifferentByDesign and clearly shows that the action steps we are taking are designed to improve shareholder value and minimize dilution while providing our businesses with the capital they need to deploy and scale, said Joseph Snyder, CEO of No Borders, Inc. No Borders, Inc. remains committed to minimizing the issuance of new shares while ensuring that our subsidiaries have the tactical capital flexibility to respond to demand and opportunities in real time. That commitment goes hand in hand with the need to maintain a balanced, liquid market for the Companys securities. The Board of Directors of No Borders, Inc. has, since the initial filing of the RegA in 2019, maintained its belief that issuing limited numbers of shares through the RegA serves the additional value of ensuring stability and liquidity in the market. The current market for and interest in NBDR clearly shows that the Board has balanced the need for capital, the need for liquidity and the goal of increasing shareholder value very well. About No Borders Inc. No Borders, Inc. (OTC:NBDR) is a multifaceted corporation specializing in the acquisition, creation and scaling of commercial and consumer products by utilizing cutting-edge technologies to reduce costs while increasing revenues and shareholder value through technological superiority and Intellectual Property ownership across its portfolio of assets. The Companys portfolio of brands includes: No Borders Naturals Inc., a purveyor of health and wellness products for active consumers and their pets. (www.NoBordersNaturals.com) No Borders Labs Inc., which provides leading-edge tech tools to NBDR internal companies while also offering consulting, architecture and software development services to external businesses looking to update their technology infrastructure for greater efficiency, security and transparency (www.NoBordersLabs.com). www.CBDLabChain.com a powerful, Patent Pending tool to demonstrate in an unbiased and unchangeable way a clear sense of security to consumers of CBD products by recording Certificate Of Authority (COA) on a blockchain technology platform. No Borders Dental Resources Inc., a provider of equipment and supplies to medical and dental professionals across the U.S. through the trade name MediDent Supplies (www.MediDentSupplies.com). No Borders is headquartered in Arizona with resources in the U.S., South America, Asia and Europe. For more information, visit the Companys website at www.NBDR.co. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Joseph Snyder Chief Executive Officer and Director 18716 E. Old Beau Trail Queen Creek, AZ 85142 (760) 582-5115 Source: No Borders Inc. (NBDR) OTC PINK: NBDR This press release may include certain statements that are forward-looking in nature and that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on No Borders, Inc., current expectations and projections regarding future events, which are based on currently available information. The forward-looking statements in this press release may also include statements relating to No Borders, Inc. 's anticipated new developments, business prospects, financial performance, strategies and similar matters. No Borders, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update any of its forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. Read what is in the news today: Politics -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc received outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Umeda Kunio in Hanoi on Tuesday, highlighting the two countries stronger relations during the diplomats tenure. Society -- Nearly 200 Vietnamese citizens who had been stranded in the Philippines due to the countrys ban on international flights were taken on a charter flight operated by Vietnam Airlines from Cebu to Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta late Tuesday. They are now quarantined at a military facility in neighboring Hau Giang Province. -- The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said it had directed its missions in Thailand and Singapore to urgently establish contact with about 100 Vietnamese citizens stranded in the two countries due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and to work with local authorities to arrange for them to board flights home. -- As PM Phuc has urged citizens to wear face masks when you go out, Ho Chi Minh City assures its residents there is sufficient supply of antibacterial cloth masks being sold at major supermarket chains including Co.op Mart, Vinmart, Lotte Mart, Satra, and Big C. Shoppers who find such masks absent from the shelves at these supermarkets should report the situation to the municipal Department of Industry and Trade via the hotline number 028 38291670. -- A pair of trains that run daily between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will be suspended from Thursday due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, Hanoi Railway Transport JSC has announced. The suspension of the trains SE9/SE10 is expected to last until April 28, the company said. Business -- The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade on Tuesday proposed that domestic rice exporters be allowed to continue exporting rice while reevaluations are made on the countrys rice production, the volume of contractually committed rice exports, and businesses actual inventory of rice. Earlier, the General Department of Vietnam Customs asked local customs departments to cease clearance of rice exports following a prime minister conclusion on assuring domestic food security in times of COVID-19. -- Dozens of Vietnamese companies are racing to buy back shares to stabilize prices amid the COVID-19 epidemic, which has sent stocks plummeting, according to a report by the official Vietnam News Agency. Lifestyle -- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism has launched I love Banh mi Sai Gon (I love Saigon bread), a week-long event lasting from March 24 to 31 that is part of activities to celebrate banh mi -- Vietnamese stuffed baguette -- on the ninth anniversary of its admission into the Oxford English Dictionary. World News -- The novel coronavirus has infected over 421,000 people and killed more than 18,800 globally as of Wednesday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics. Over 108,300 cases have recovered worldwide. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) and AIOps are both red-hot technologies. SD-WANs increase application availability, reduce costs and in some cases improve performance. AIOps infuses machine learning into IT operations to increase the level of automation. This reduces errors and enables businesses to make changes at digital speeds. Most think of these as separate technologies, but the two are on a collision course and will give rise to what I'm calling the AI-driven WAN. SD-WAN not a panacea for all network woes SD-WAN is the biggest leap forward in networking since well, the actual WAN. But many solutions still rely on manual configurations. SD-WANs certainly increase application resiliency, lower telecommunications costs, and often increase application performance, but they are more complicated than traditional WANs. Initial setup can be a challenge, but the bigger issue is ongoing operations. Manually tweaking and tuning the network to adapt to business changes can be time consuming and error-prone. A solution is needed to bring better automation to SD-WANs. READ MORE: How AI can improve network capacity planning Enter the AI-driven WAN. Much like a self-driving car, an AI-driven WAN can make decisions based on different rules and adapt to changes faster than people can. Self-driving cars continually monitor road conditions, speed limits and other factors to determine what changes to make. Similarly, a self-driving network can monitor, correct, defend, and analyze with minimal to no human involvement. This is done through automation capabilities powered by AI, obviating the need for people to get involved. Make no mistake, manual operations will hold businesses back from reaching their full potential. An interesting data point from my research is that it takes enterprises an average of four months to make changes across a network. That's because maintaining legacy networks and fixing glitches takes too much time. One ZK Research study found 30% of engineers spend at least one day a week doing nothing but troubleshooting problems. SD-WANs can improve these metrics, but there's still a heavy people burden. With growing data challenges businesses face as they migrate to the cloud, they simply can't afford to wait that long. Instead of being afraid of AI taking over jobs, businesses should embrace it. AI can remove human errorwhich is the largest cause of unplanned network downtimeand help businesses focus on higher-level tasks instead. AI-driven WAN will transform network operations So how will the evolution of SD-WAN into AI-driven WAN transform network management and operations? Administrators can use their time to focus on strategic initiatives instead of fixing problems. Another data point from ZK Research is that 90% of the time taken to fix a problem is spent identifying the source. Now that applications reside in the cloud and run on mobile devices, identifying the source of a problem has gotten harder. AI-driven WANs have the ability to spot even the smallest anomaly, even if it hasn't yet begun to impact business. SD-WANs are fundamentally designed so that all routing rules are managed centrally by administrators and can be transmitted across a network. AI-driven WAN takes it a step further and enables administrators to anticipate problems before they happen through fault prediction. It may even adjust network glitches on its own before users are affected, thus improving network performance. A self-driving car knows the rules of the roadwhere the blind spots are, how to synch with traffic signals, and which safety measures to takeusing AI software, real-time data from IoT sensors, cameras, and much more. Similarly, a self-driving network knows the higher-level rules and can prevent administrators from making mistakes, such as allowing applications in countries where certain actions are banned. Security is another concern. Everything from mobile devices to Internet of Things (IoT) to cloud computing is creating multiple new entry points and shifting resources to the network edge. This puts businesses at a security risk, as they struggle to respond to changes quickly. Businesses can miss security gaps created by users, with hundreds of software-as-a-service (SaaS) apps being used at the same time without IT's knowledge. Older networking technologies cannot support SaaS and cloud services, while SD-WANs can. But simply deploying an SD-WAN is not enough to protect a network. Security shouldn't be an afterthought in an SD-WAN deployment, but part of it from the get-go. Increasingly, vendors are bundling AI-based analytics with SD-WAN solutions to boost network security. Such solutions use AI to analyze how certain events impact the network, application performance, and security. Then, they create intelligent recommendations for any network changes, such as unauthorized use of SaaS apps. Going back to the autonomous car analogy, AI-driven WANs are designed to keep roads clear and accident-free. They enable smarter networks that can adapt quickly to changing conditions and self-heal if necessary. With the growing demands of cloud computing and SaaS apps, intelligent networks are the future and forward-thinking businesses are already in the drivers seat. AI-driven WAN exists now and will explode in the future AI-driven WAN may seem futuristic, but there are a number of vendors that are delivering it or in the process of bringing solutions to market. Managed service provider Masergy, for example, recently introduced AIOps for SD-WAN to deliver autonomous networking and has the most complete offering. Open Systems, another managed service provider, snapped up cloud-based Sqooba to add AIOps to its strong network and security services. Keeping with the M&A theme, VMware recently acquired AIOps vendor Nyansa and rolled it into its VeloCloud SD-WAN group. That move gives VMware similar capabilities to Aruba Networks, which initially applied AI to WiFi troubleshooting but is now bringing it to its SD-Branch offering. Cisco is another networking vendor with an AIOps story, although it's trying to apply it network-wide, not just with the WAN. Over time, I expect every SD-WAN or SASE vendor to bring AIOps into the fold, shifting the focus away from connectivity to automated operations. LONDON, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Message from Appian Capital Advisory LLP ("Appian"), the investment advisor to long-term value focused private equity funds (the "Appian Funds") that invest solely in mining and mining related companies. The spread of coronavirus has had a profound impact on people's lives, economies, commodity prices and financial markets worldwide. Although the full impact is not yet clear, Appian is monitoring the situation closely. Our first priority is the safety of our people. Our operations around the globe have implemented measures to protect employees, limit the spread of the virus and assist local communities. We will keep these arrangements under review as the situation evolves and will continue to assess how we can play our part in the response. We are also conscious that the broader mining industry is already under pressure. There has been a demand shock and prices have fallen. Restrictions on the movement of people have forced companies to change working patterns. Supply disruption could increase further if the virus spreads to key commodity producing regions in Latin America and Africa. It is precisely in times like this that long-term capital and through-the-cycle thinking are required to support high quality businesses and management teams. To address the challenges presented by COVID-19, Appian has expanded its focus and is ready to provide short-term, flexible financing solutions across the capital structure, including credit facilities, to support mining companies with near term balance sheet pressures and liquidity concerns - in addition to considering our usual direct equity investments. The long-term nature of the Appian Funds' capital base and the flexibility of Appian's investment mandate allow us to support partners within the range of US$50 million to US$300 million of financial support, including equity, bridge loans and other forms of credit. Appian has significant investment experience in both development assets and operating mines across a range of commodities and jurisdictions, with a current portfolio including base, precious and specialty metals in Latin America, North America, Australia and Africa. We remain constructive on the medium and long-term outlook of the sector and look forward to continuing our engagement with industry participants world-wide. Should you wish to reach out to one of Appian's offices and presences in London, Toronto, Lima, Belo Horizonte or Sydney, or our additional technical teams in Mexico and South Africa, please email: info@appiancapitaladvisory.com. About Appian Capital Advisory LLP Appian Capital Advisory LLP is the investment advisor to long-term value focused private equity funds that invest solely in mining and mining related companies. Appian is a leading investment advisor in the metals and mining industry, with global experience across South America, North America, Australia and Africa and a successful track record of supporting companies to achieve their development targets. For further information: Finsbury+44 (0)20-7251-3801 / AppianCapital-LON@finsbury.com Charles O'Brien, Ruban Yogarajah, Richard Crowley Health Minister Nadine Dorries was cheered by MPs as she returned to the House of Commons after fighting off the coronavirus. The 62-year-old Mid-Bedfordshire MP and writer spent more than a fortnight in quarantine at home after becoming the first UK minister to contract the bug. But she returned to the front bench of the Commons to sit alongside Health Secretary Matt Hancock as he updated MPs on steps to fight the burgeoning pandemic. MPs from both sides of the chamber cheered as Ms Dorries entered the Commons during Mr Hancock's statement and sat down close to him. He then told the chamber: 'The final point I'd like to make Madame Deputy Speaker is that the minister for mental health and patient safety is sitting next to me and close to me and that's because she has recovered. The 62-year-old politician and writer spent more than a week in quarantine at home after becoming the first UK minister to contract the bug. But she returned to the front bench of the Commons to sit alongside Health Secretary Matt Hancock MPs from both sides of the chamber cheered as Ms Dorries entered the Commons during Mr Hancock's statement and sat down close to him Ms Dorries in the Commons before going into quarantine 'And all the evidence is you can't catch this twice, at least in quick succession, and so that's OK. 'So I welcome her back to her place.' Ms Dorries rocked Westminster when she tested positive for coronavirus more than a fortnight ago. Her Parliamentary office was sealed off and several MPs and staff who has spent time close to her were forced to self-isolate as a precaution. Her elderly mother also contracted the disease from her, but both have recovered. Top Indian entrepreneurs and business leaders in the UAE on Wednesday welcomed the Indian government's softening of the tax measures for NRIs and said two of their proposals were considered while making the amendments. In a major relief measures for NRIs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday relaxed a budget proposal to tax them, putting in place a threshold of Rs 1.5 million for the levy of tax on incomes emanating from India, while leaving out global incomes from the tax ambit. Business Leaders Forum (BLF), represented by top Indian entrepreneurs and business leaders in the UAE, in a press statement said the body's representation to the government on two counts was considered and taken into account while making the amendments. "A representation sent to the government of India for reconsideration of the Proposed Amendments related to the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in the Finance Bill 2020 has been accepted," it said. On February 4, the BLF passed a unanimous resolution to send a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Finance Minister, requesting for amends to the proposal in the Finance Bill 2020 affecting NRIs. The BLF representation stressed the government to consider doing away with Deemed Resident of India amendment and to consider maintaining 182-day stay in India to retain NRI Status. The BLF said the representation on both counts was considered and accepted by the Indian government and the Bill has been passed in the Parliament. "The Deemed Resident of India amendment has been withdrawn as it would have had multiple implications and the 182-day stay in India has been kept to retain the NRI status, except for some cases in which it is 120 days," it said. "The Finance Bill, 2020 initially proposed to reduce such period of 182 days to 120 days for all. For those the period of stay in India has been reduced to 120 days whose income accrues or arises in India, or is deemed to accrue or arise in India or such income that accrues or arises outside India from a business controlled in or a profession set up in India exceeds Rs 15 lakhs," it said. Further, section 6(6) has also been amended in a similar fashion to provide that in such cases where the person is considered to be resident in India on account of his stay in India exceeding 120 days under the proposed amendment, then in case the total period of stay does not exceed 182 days, such persons shall be considered to be "Not Ordinarily Resident". Thus, in such cases as well, the global income will not be taxable but the income that accrues or arises in India, income that is received or deemed to be received in India or the income that accrues or arises outside India and is derived from business controlled in or profession set up in India shall only be taxable in India. "This is wonderful for the NRIs and more so for the Gulf businessmen and investors who currently have investments in India...We are very confident that this step will definitely boost the confidence of the NRIs and the business leaders who are looking ahead to invest and expand in India," BLF secretary general Sripriyaa Kumaria. BLF has not only fostered the collective strength of the business leaders from UAE but also spearheaded the collective strengths of the business and professional councils and associations in UAE and GCC to resonate their opinions to the Government of India to consider this amendment, she said. Vasu Shroff, recipient of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award and Chairman of Regal Traders, said the decision not only reinforces the importance and the contribution of the NRI's and the Indian business leaders in UAE and GCC countries but also reflects the policies of the Indian government favouring investments into India and encouraging the NRIs to invest in India. Ram Buxani, Chairman of ITL Cosmos Group, said, "This is a very encouraging move. NRIs and business leaders in the UAE have always been supportive of the Prime Minister's robust initiatives and policies to promote trade and investment into India and shall continue to do so in the future." Surender Singh Kandhari, recipient of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award and Chairman of Al Dobowi, said India is and will always be the first point of investment for not only NRIs but also for the global investors and this move will definitely be an additional incentive for NRIs to invest in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The new platforms managed to collect thousands of euros to help obtain necessary protective equipment. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Our paywall policy: The Slovak Spectator has decided to leave all the articles about the coronavirus available for everyone. If you appreciate our work and would like to support good journalism, please buy our subscription. We believe this is an issue where accurate and fact-based information is important for people to cope. The KtopomozeSlovensku.sk (Who Will Help Slovakia) online platform seems to be successful in achieving its goal. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Funded to offer a helping hand to medical workers and distribute protective equipment across all Slovakia, it has collected almost 677,000 so far through crowdfunding, as the March 24 data suggests. The platform has meanwhile received about 900 requests for help from medical workers. We ask medical workers to be patient, the initiative wrote on Facebook. Almost all protective and disinfection means are scarce goods and we send them as soon as we obtain them. 3D printing Another initiative, where the Pomoznemocnici.sk (Help the Hospital) platform unites people with a 3D printer to help with printing protective face shields, collected 32,000 in the past seven days. The money will enable them to print more than 6,470 shields. However, medical workers ask for more than 12,000 such shields. Quote: Updated March 23, 2020 The health and safety of candidates and our staff are of the utmost importance to GMAC, and we are actively working with testing centers to respond to this very difficult situation. As a part of the global effort to contain the spread and mitigate impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus), GMAT and Executive Assessment testing has been suspended in many locations worldwide. For testing centers that remain open, enhanced health and safety measures are in place including enhanced cleaning procedures, hand sanitizer and wipes provided for candidates. As the situation develops, below you will find the most up-to-date information on testing center closures, enhanced testing center procedures, and health and safety guidance. Please contact your GMAC Customer Care team if you have any questions or concerns. Interim GMAT Exam - Available Online Mid-April We all recognize this is a challenging time for testing with test center closures around the world. To help you, we are preparing an alternative GMAT exam available online. This interim GMAT exam will provide a comparable structure, number of items, and scoring as delivered in test centers. The Quant, Verbal and IR sections (no AWA section) will have the same number of items and the same time for completion. This will allow us to maintain the same score scale for both the Section Scores and Total Score. The check-in and security protocols will be modified to accommodate online delivery and remote proctors will be used to manage test integrity. The alternative test will be available in impacted markets, outside of mainland China. GMAC is continuing to work with the Chinese government authorities to present appropriate, alternative solutions for test takers in mainland China. In light of the current unprecedented situation, this interim solution will be offered at a lower price point than the standard GMAT exam to support our test takers and schools during this difficult time. Additional details coming soon. Test Center Closures and Special Procedures Testing is suspended in many testing centers worldwide. Please visit mba.com/find-a-seat to check the availability of the testing center near you. And here's the vague release from GMAC about the GMAT home edition, available in mid-April: https://www.mba.com/articles-and-announ ... oronavirus Interesting that they're calling it the "Interim GMAT". Presumably, it won't last long, so cheaters need to hop in there quickly._________________ Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 13:03:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Memettursun Nurdun makes a bed in a furniture factory in Tuwan Taghwaz Village, Sagan Town, Yengisar County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) For a while Memettursun's life was "pressure free," as if he had "pressed pause" on his life. Around him, however, other people's lives changed... URUMQI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- To work or not to work? That was a question for Memettursun Nurdun. After stepping down as village chief, he idled in his remote village in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for years, until he took the carpenter job two months ago. The 38-year-old lives in Tuwan Taghwaz Village, Sagan Town, Yengisar County. Standing beside the Taklimakan, China's largest desert, the village has scant arable land. More than a half of the 313 resident families are classed as poor, meaning they earn a per capita annual income below 2,300 yuan (around 333 U.S. dollars) at 2010 prices. Memettursun is one of them. In 2005, off the back of being the only person in the village to have attended junior high school, Memettursun was elected village chief. At that time, there was little farm work to keep the younger generation occupied, so they hung around the village, chatting or playing cards to kill time. Memettursun felt duty-bound to persuade them to improve their lives, but with limited options, his suggestions often fell on deaf ears. "At that time the most lucrative opportunity was cotton picking in autumn," he said. "It was difficult to find stable work." In the most recent election, Memettursun was voted out of office, so he had to go back to supporting his family on the less-than 10,000 yuan a year he earned from his family plot. His wife suggested that he look for a job in the local town, but he refused saying: "I used to be a leader, so how can I be led by other people?" He tried his hand at a few jobs, but ultimately came to the conclusion that it was all right for him not to work. His family were cushioned by the central government's poverty reduction measures, his children attended free schools, and hospital fees were all but covered by medical insurance. In the end he simply stayed at home, leading a life that he had previously tried to talk other people out of -- "With a bunch of sunflower seeds in my hand, I could get through the day," he said. His life was "pressure free" for three years, Memettursun said, "as if I had pressed pause on my life." Around him, however, other people's lives changed. Memettursun Nurdun has dinner with his wife and son at home, March 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) With the grand goal of eradicating absolute poverty in 2020, the poor of Xinjiang have benefited from policies that reach into every corner of their lives -- from industries, employment and relocation. Resulting in more employment opportunities and stable incomes. Everyone in Tuwan Taghwaz was improving their lot, except the former village chief. Township government staff even visited Memettursun to encourage him to get a job, but he said he couldn't because he was his mother's sole career. While some villagers could afford smart phones and motorbikes, others returned to Tuwan Taghwaz and opened workshops and factories. In 2015, a furniture factory opened just 10 minutes' walk from Memettursun's home. Memettursun's wife got a job there. "I just got used to doing nothing," said Memettursun. But suddenly, there was no one around to chat with. Everyone was at work. At last he listened to his long-suffering wife and approached the furniture factory. As a carpenter, he earns 2,000 yuan a month. Memettursun Nurdun discusses with his boss in a furniture factory in Tuwan Taghwaz Village, Sagan Town, Yengisar County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Memettursun Nurdun works with his wife in the furniture factory, March 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) An estimated 645,000 people in Xinjiang shook off poverty last year. By the end of this year, the region's remaining 42,000 households, people like Memettursun and his family, are expected to be taken off the impoverished list, too. "Work is easier to find now than a decade ago. As long as you want to work, you can make money, and life will get better," said Memettursun. Thirty-four year old Nitin Naresh, founder of a little known two-year-old magazine for start-ups and entrepreneurs Inventiva created a storm by publishing an article titled 'Narendra Modi Likely To Declare A Emergency In India Under Article 360'. The piece prophesying 'Article 360 states that if the President is satisfied that a situation has arisen whereby the financial stability or the credit of India or any part thereof is threatened, the President may declare a state of financial emergency' went viral on social media until the Press Information Bureau denying any such possibility. @PIBFactCheck tweeted that "Please be advised that the story is malicious and fake and that there is no such plan." Well aware of the scramble he caused, Naresh, a graduate from Meerut's Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, however, says, "it is a circumstantial opinion based article. Based on the current circumstances I am making a case that it is 'likely' to happen. It doesn't mean it will happen." ALSO READ:$20 trillion lawsuit against China! US group says coronavirus is bioweapon In the piece he makes an argument that Prime Minister Modi is "likely" to impose Article 360 in the country, saying India is seeing the worst financial crisis in its 72 years of history. He says he has been getting calls for spreading fake news and even threats that they will file police complaint against him in the Crime Branch. But why did he write without any basis? "I am a deep thinker and observe things at a very deep level and I have a rebellious nature." The main motive behind the article, he says, was to prepare the country. "My main agenda behind publishing this article is that the country should be prepared because when demonetisation was declared in 2016 people were not ready. Everything changed in a minute after that announcement. It created so many problems, many even died. It became such a big scam itself. The move whose aim was to curb black money became its 'jan data' itself." ALSO READ:First Made-in-India COVID-19 test kit by Mylab gets commercial approval Calling the Prime Ministre Modi 'Khatro ke Khiladi', he said, there are several reasons that are indicating that the current government cannot run the country without declaring financial emergency. He shares the series of government's announcements that backs his argument. For instance, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that spending of CSR funds for COVID-19 is eligible CSR funding. As per law, CSR funding is not tax deductible. He says, "it means that even in this epidemic situation, the government wants to protect its own taxes and doesn't want to give it up." She also announced, in times of slowdown and reduced consumption, raising the excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 8 per litre each as Parliament passed the Finance Bill, 2020. "If entire India is under lockdown and transportation is shut, this announcement is likely to lead to more job losses and put extra burden on the public, he says. The third announcement that triggered the article was by RBI on purchasing government securities to boost liquidity. "All of these initiatives points that government is completely bankrupt and without imposing financial assistance they cannot run the country," he says. There are more article to follow. His next article will be 'Slowdown to Lockdown' that will be about the slowing economy of 2019 and then the current crisis of 2020 of Covid 19. ALSO READ:Coronavirus in India LIVE updates: PM Modi announces 21-day nationwide lockdown Ernest Chemists Limited (ECL) on Friday, 20th March 2020 made donations of essential medicines and other medical supplies to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and the Tema General Hospital earmarked by government as treatment and recovery centres for COVID-19. The items included several cartons of disinfectants, examination gloves, rubbing alcohol, multivitamins, hand sanitizers and Dextrose Infusions. These supplies are to aid in promoting the observations of strict hygiene protocols within the Hospital environments, as well as help treat infected Corona Virus patients. The Human Resource Manager of Ernest Chemists Limited presenting the medicines to Dr. Emmanuel K. Srofenyoh (Medical Director, Greater Accra Regional Hospital) In the wake of the global outburst of the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations and institutions are gearing up in preparedness to battle this menace. Ghana has become one of the Countries recently, to record confirmed cases of the virus. In this vein, Ernest Chemists Limited, which is among the leading Pharmaceutical Companies in Ghana, has stepped up to the challenge and shown concern to Ghanaians. The Human Resource Manager, who on behalf of the Management and Staff of Ernest Chemists Limited presented the medicines and supplies, emphasized on the goal of the company to remain socially responsible and to continue to support to improve healthcare delivery in Ghana. He further added that, as a business entity, ECL appreciates the stress that a pandemic like this puts on hospitals and health personnel due to the inadequacy of stocked medications. This initiative is therefore seen as a privilege to contribute the companys quota, in augmenting the efforts of government to save as many lives as possible under the developing circumstances. Dr. Emmanuel K. Srofenyoh (Medical Director, Greater Accra Regional Hospital), who stood on behalf of the management team of the Hospital, expressed his sincere gratitude for the gesture. We all know that fighting the battle that we have at hand is expensive and no single institution can do it all by itself. We need support from corporate organizations like ECL to come together to support and then move this battle forward, he said. Dr. Srofenyoh assured the public that, the items donated will be put to good use to the ultimate benefit of the patients under their care. We will do our best to deliver the high-quality service that is required of us, he added. Aside providing quality and affordable products to help reduce the spread of the virus and to ensure the safety of Ghanaians, ECL has sensitized all employees on the preventive measures of COVID-19 and also equipped them adequately to serve all customers. Ernest Chemists Limited is known to be very responsive to sudden adverse happenings within the country and sometimes beyond, while still carrying out its own planned CSR activities. In the past, ECL aided victims of Fire Explosions, Floods and other accidental situations. Source: Peacefmonline.com/GHANA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video T he US Government has agreed to a huge $2 trillion (1.7 trillion) rescue package for the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic response measure is the largest economic rescue measure in US history - larger than the 2008 bank bailout and 2009 recovery act combined. This agreement would give direct payments to most Americans. White House aide Eric Ueland announced the agreement shortly after midnight local time. / AP It will expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367 billion (312 billion) programme for small businesses who are affected by the outbreak. The package also contains financial help for hospitals and about $500 billion (425 billion) for guaranteed loans to larger industries such as airlines. White House aide Eric Ueland announced the agreement shortly after midnight local time. Coronavirus - In pictures 1 /106 Coronavirus - In pictures A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images Customers wearing face masks shop at the pork counter of a supermarket following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province Reuters Westminster Bridge is deserted in London the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA Canadian passengers Chris & Anna Joiner ask for help onboard the MS Zaandam, Holland America Line cruise ship, during the coronavirus outbreak, off the shores of Panama City via Reuters A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City Reuters The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Commuters cope with Coronavirus Jeremy Selwyn Milan's Piazza del Duomo empty AFP via Getty Images People in protective clothing walk past rows of beds at a temporary 2,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran AP Martina Papponetti, 25, an ICU nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, Italy poses for a portrait at the end of her shift AP Pope Francis celebrating a daily mass alone in the Santa Marta chapel at the Vatican, as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Imag Vysheyshaya Liga - FC Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino v FC Belshina Bobruisk - Torpedo Stadium, Zhodino, Belarus, March 27, 2020 Players in action during the match despite most sport being cancelled around the world as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Hanks and Wilson both have coronavirus Tom Hanks General view of an emergency makeshift field hospital as it is set up at Pacaembu Stadium for coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with a capacity of 200 beds in Sao Paulo, Brazil Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on people to stay away from pubs, clubs and theatres, work from home if possible and avoid all non-essential contacts and travel in order to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic PA Naomi Campbell catches a flight in a hazmat suit with goggles, a surgical mask and rubber gloves @naomi Sophie and Emily Ward pose for a photograph with their hand-drawn picture of rainbows and a message on their window in St Helens, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Corona virus outbreak. PA Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon, south London, on the weekend after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs and restaurants across the country to close PA Charing Cross Tube Bakerloo Line very quiet at 8.15am Jeremy Selwyn A woman with a plastic box over her head on the London Underground. PA A Racegoer attend Cheltenham Festival on Ladies Day wearing a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale PA A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A couple kiss in Milano Centrale railway station in Milan on March 8, 2020 AFP via Getty Images A combination picture shows visitors wearing protective face masks following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) looking at blooming cherry blossom nd a pigeon walking at an closed cherry blossom viewing spot during the first weekend after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (not pictured) urged Tokyo residents to stay indoors, in a bid to keep the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from spreading Reuters This combination photo created on March 5, 2020 shows tourists visiting Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province on March 16, 2019 (top) and on March 5, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump looks at the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package bill as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Vice President Mike Pence stand by during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Reuters A satellite image shows an empty South Beach during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Miami, via Reuters General view inside the empty stadium as the two teams line up prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes UEFA via Getty Images A Sainsbury's supermarket in Cambridge is among those to sell out of antibacterial hand sanitizer PA Tents and ambulances are set up next to the Princess Cruises Grand Princess cruise as it sits docked in the Port of Oakland on March 09, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Princess Cruises Grand Princess has been held from docking until today as at least 21 people on board have tested positive for COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus Getty Images Medical staff produce traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea AP Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing protective gear walks at a hospital for patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow via Reuters A woman who has recovered from the COVID-19 is disinfected by volunteers as she arrives at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine AFP via Getty Images Passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship are seen as the ship arrives at Daikoku Pier where it is being resupplied and newly diagnosed coronavirus cases taken for treatment as it remains in quarantine after a number of the 3,700 people on board were diagnosed with coronavirus Getty Images Dave Abel pictured in hospital in Japan Manchester United fans in the stands during the Premier League match at Old Trafford PA Police officers wearing masks stand in front of the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife AP Carnival revellers wear protective face masks at Venice Carnival Reuters A general view is pictured of Burbage Primary School in Buxton, Derbyshire after the closure of the school as a pupil's parent has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Images People wearing face masks walk past the Olympic rings in front of the new National Stadium, the main stadium for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Game Getty Images People leave Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre in Milton Keynes where Coronavirus evacuees are due to be released from quarantine today and allowed to go home PA Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA A woman wears a mask while crossing London Bridg Getty Images A general view of Worthing Hospital in West Sussex PA Passengers relax on board the Holland America-operated Westerdam cruise ship, which has been denied permission to dock in Thailand over coronavirus fears via Reuters A child waves as she sits in a vehicle carrying residents evacuated from a public housing building, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, outside Hong Mei House, at Cheung Hong Estate in Hong Kong Reuters A woman wearing a Minnie Mouse face mask looks at her mobile phone in Beijing on February 11, 2020 AFP via Getty Images The Costa Smeralda cruise ship of Costa Crociere, carrying around 6,000 passengers, is docked at the Italian port of Civitavecchia after a health alert due to a Chinese couple and a possible link to coronavirus on board, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters A patient covered with a bed sheet at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital as it starts to accept patients displaying mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images A medical official takes the body temperature of a man at the departure hall of the airport in Changsha, Hunan Province, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, China Reuters The view of the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center Getty Images A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire A police vehicle enters the gates of the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton AFP via Getty Images Passengers wear face masks as the push their luggage after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport AFP via Getty Images French citizens arrive and settle aboard of an evacuation plane with destination southeastern France, before departure from Wuhan Airport (WUH), China AFP via Getty Images Police stand at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge that crosses from Hubei province in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China Reuters A member of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside prepares for a bus carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China PA Doctor Paul McKay, who is working on an vaccine for the 2019-nCoV strain of the novel coronavirus, poses for a photograph with bacteria containing fragments of coronavirus DNA, at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) in Londo AFP via Getty Images Workers produce masks at the Thai Hospital Product Company Ltd. factory in Bangkok AFP via Getty Images Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a bus after disembarking from the Costa Smeralda cruise ship, after tests on a woman from Macau with suspected coronavirus came back negative, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters People hoard bottles of alcohol after the Philippine government confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in the country, in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Reuters Taking precautions: with fears growing that the coronavirus will spread from China, a health official checks a womans temperature on the underground in Beijing Getty Images An empty road is seen in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020, amid a deadly virus outbreak which began in the city AFP via Getty Images Students wearing masks meditate prior to a lesson at a high school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia AP Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital wear protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus AFP via Getty Images Staff move bio-waste containers past the entrance of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China AP Workers driving excavators at the construction site of a field hospital In Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The builders will complete the 1,000-bed hospital by February 3 to cope with the surge of 2019-nCoV patients in the city Getty Images Buddhist monks wear masks as they walk near Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodi AP A woman and a child wearing protective masks walk toward check-in counters at Daxing international airport in Beijing AFP via Getty Images An employee sprays disinfectant on a train as a precaution against a new coronavirus at Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea AP A policeman wearing a mask walks past a quarantine notice about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China at an arrival hall of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Paramilitary police wear face masks as they stand guard at Tiananmen Gate adjacent to Tiananmen Square in Beijing AP The resident wear masks to buy vegetables in the market in Wuhan Getty Images Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan AP Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV AP "Ladies and gentlemen, we are done. We have a deal," Mr Ueland said. The agreement, which still needs to be finalised in legislative language, comes after days of mounting pressure and intense haggling between Democrats and Republicans. "After days of intense discussions, the Senate has reached a bipartisan agreement on a historic relief package for this pandemic," said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a key negotiator. "It will rush new resources onto the front lines of our nation's health care fight. "And it will inject trillions of dollars of cash into the economy as fast as possible to help Americans workers, families, small businesses and industries make it through this disruption and emerge on the other side ready to soar." At the White House on Tuesday, even as the public-health crisis deepened, President Donald Trump expressed eagerness to nudge many people back to work in coming weeks. He held out a prospect, based more on hope than science, that the country could be returning to normal in less than a month. "We have to go back to work, much sooner than people thought," Mr Trump told reporters. He said he'd like to have the country "opened up and just raring to go" by Easter, April 12. But in a White House briefing later, Mr Trump said that "our decision will be based on hard facts and data." On Capitol Hill, five days of arduous talks produced the bill, creating tensions among Congress' top leaders, who each took care to tend to party politics as they manouvered and battled over crafting the legislation. Even before the deal was reached, news of the likely but elusive agreement had sent the stock market rocketing on Tuesday. The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA The unprecedented economic rescue package would give direct a one-time payment of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child directly to the public. A huge cash infusion for hospitals expecting a flood of Covid-19 patients grew during the talks at the insistence of Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader. Meanwhile Republicans pressed for tens of billions of dollars for additional relief to be delivered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal disaster agency. Democrats said the package would help replace the salary of furloughed workers for four months, rather than the three months first proposed. Loading.... Furloughed workers would get whatever amount a state usually provides for unemployment, plus a $600 per week add-on, with gig workers like Uber drivers covered for the first time. "It ensures that all workers are protected whether they work for businesses small, medium or large, along with self-employed and workers in the gig economy," Mr Schumer said. Republicans won inclusion of an "employee retention" tax credit that's estimated to provide $50 billion to companies who retain employees on payroll and cover 50 per cent of workers' paychecks. Nancy Pelosi's daughter was briefly locked out of her Twitter account after the social media company determined her message about Republican Senator Rand Paul amounted to "glorification of violence". On Sunday, political strategist Christine Pelosi wrote that "Rand Paul's neighbour was right" after the Kentucky Republican tested positive for coronavirus and revealed he had continued his regular routine while waiting for results, potentially exposing others to the virus. In 2017, the senator's neighbour in Bowling Green, Kentucky was sentenced to 30 days in jail after breaking five of the senator's ribs, which forced doctors to remove a part of his lung. He also had pneumonia. Twitter rules state that users cannot "glorify, celebrate, praise or condone violent crimes, violent events where people were targeted because of their membership in a protected group, or the perpetrators of such acts" as well as "violent acts committed by civilians that resulted in death or serious physical injury". The company removed her message for "violating the Twitter rules". According to court records, Mr Boucher caught the senator blowing leaves onto his yard with a lawn mower, then ran towards him and tackled him. Senator Paul's neighbour had said he "had enough" of the senator's garbage piling up against the property line. He said the attack was not politically motivated. A jury also awarded the senator $375,000 in damages, another $200,000 for pain and suffering, and more than $7,000 in medical expenses. Dr Deborah Birx, who leads the White House coronavirus task force, suggested that the senator failed to adhere to "social distancing" guidelines. The senator was tested despite not showing any symptoms, against the warnings of health officials. But after his test, he had lunch with other lawmakers and used the Senate gym. She said: "If he had been following these guidelines, he wouldn't have been infecting others because of the social distancing, washing your hands, doing everything that we talked about." Senator Paul defended his actions after he was widely criticised for not adhering to those guidelines. In an editorial for USA Today, he wrote: "I did not quarantine while awaiting a coronavirus test because I did not meet the criteria for quarantine ... In fact, I did not meet the current criteria for even being tested, much less quarantined. ... Instead of hounding people who got tested and then quarantined themselves, perhaps we need to broaden the testing and quit the finger-wagging." His results led others to self-quarantine, including Utah Senator Mitt Romney. Christine Pelosi's message shared a tweet from a reporter who echoed the Utah senator's concerns about unknowingly exposing the virus to more-vulnerable people his wife Ann Romney has multiple sclerosis. Washington Post reporter Paul Kane wrote: "He told us the other day his biggest personal concern was not getting this because his wife has MS. Now he can't see her for almost 2 weeks." Senator Paul was the first member of the Senate to test positive for the virus. He was also the only senator to vote against bipartisan $8bn emergency relief legislation earlier this month. He also reportedly delayed a round of votes on another piece of coronavirus legislation in the Senate this week after forcing an unwieldy amendment that would "require a Social Security number for purposes of the child tax credit, and to provide the president the authority to transfer funds as necessary, and to terminate United States military operations and reconstruction activities in Afghanistan". The senator was criticised for appearing to call undocumented immigrants "non-people" after he said that only a "legitimate person" should be eligible for government assistance, and that one "should have to be a person" to receive aid. Fort Ross Ventures, a Menlo Park, CA-based venture-capital firm focused on startups in the U.S., Israel, and Europe, closed a $235m second fund. Fort Ross Fund II focuses on startups specializing in cloud, fintech, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and marketplaces. It recently participated in Roofstocks Series D, Fetch Robotics Series C and FireFlys Series A2. Demand for the fund was accelerated by recent exits, including Dynamic Yield (acquired by McDonalds for $327M), CoverWallet (acquired by Aon), and the IPOs of Uber (NYSE: UBER) and Tufin (NYSE: TUFN). The firm also announced that Ms. Sharin Fisher, former officer of Israels elite cyber-intelligence agency, Unit 8200, has joined as a partner to help identify cybersecurity, SaaS, big data, artificial intelligence, and fintech startups. Fisher, who will join the Israel office based in Tel Aviv, brings 14 years of technology-focused experience from serving nine years at Unit 8200s Cyber-Intelligence Agency and 8200 EISP, a top Israeli accelerator. She will maintain a board position at 8200 EISP and at the 8200 alumni association. Led by Victor Orlovski, Founder and Managing Partner, Fort Ross Ventures brings together Silicon Valley venture expertise with an extensive network of relationships in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Israel to accelerate success for portfolio companies including Uber, GridGain, Moven, eToro, Tufin, NetGuardians, Mobeewave and LendingHome, among others. FinSMEs 25/03/2020 Im 84 years old, so staying confined to the house for protection, wrote Marcia Savin, a childrens book author and teacher who lives alone in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, on the neighborhood social networking app Nextdoor. It was Saturday, March 21. Her prescriptions were ready at a local pharmacy, she said, but she couldnt pick them up because Im not leaving the house and they have stopped answering phone. Soon, she said, she received five offers to help. None of them were people I know, Ms. Savin said in a phone interview on Tuesday. Its been quite heartening. This has been the only good side to all of this the community reaching out. So far, Laura Weiland, 32, has made two drop-offs at Ms. Savins home. Their interactions are simultaneously neighborly and distant. Im completely confined, Ms. Savin said. She doesnt open the front door. I see the person, I flip the check through the mail slot, I tell her to leave the supplies and I drag them in, she said. Everyone shares Mr. Trumps concern for the economy. But this is not a moment for mere salesmanship, for conjuring a cheerful vision rather than facing reality. Its a moment for providing a plan. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said hed love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter, which falls this year on April 12. Who wouldnt? But wishing will not make it so. This crisis has not turned a corner it hasnt even hit yet. Rather than raising false expectations of a rapid and full return to business as usual, the president needs to be pursuing even more drastic measures. He should announce that, within 24 hours, all nonessential businesses should be shut and residents directed to remain in their homes except for vital trips out, such as to obtain food or medical care. Provisions can be made for people to walk in outdoor public spaces, so long as they maintain a distance of at least six feet. Two weeks from now, with more testing, we will also have a far better sense of where infections are clustered if more people confine their movements to a limited number of places. Mr. Trump has proclaimed himself a war president. Why, then, wont he rally Americans around this cause? Winning this war will require shared sacrifice, and tremendous short-term hardship for Americans. But failure would mean devastating loss of life and prolonged, widespread economic pain. Of course, even extreme social distancing and withdrawal is no panacea. The Trump administration will need to take other steps to stop the spread of this disease. Lines of authority and policy aims need to be clarified within the White House. Vice President Mike Pence is the official crisis czar, but Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law, has his own response team working on, among other things, outreach to the private sector. Certain senior aides, with business leaders whispering in their ears, are at odds with some health advisers about what restrictions are needed and how heavy the governments hand should be. There has been much grumbling among people both inside and outside the administration that its hard to tell whos running the show. That is complicating decision-making at all levels. Federalism is integral to American government, but the administration needs to get serious about running a coordinated national response. When Mr. Trump effectively told governors, Youre on your own. Go find your own supplies in the marketplace, he at least gave states greater purchasing flexibility. But he also set up a free-for-all in which states are now bidding against one another as well as against municipalities, the federal government and other nations for scarce resources such as protective equipment and ventilators. This causes not only price competition but also misallocation of resources, as each state scrambles to amass its own stockpile, regardless of relative need. T he London hospital at the centre of the UK coronavirus epidemic has been inundated with more than 700 patients in three weeks and has more than 70 receiving critical care, the Standard has been told. London North West Healthcare NHS Trust last night revealed that 21 patients with Covid-19 at Northwick Park and Ealing hospitals had died between last Friday and Monday. The trust has now reported 36 deaths from coronavirus more than a fifth of the 156 in London to date and the highest number of any NHS trust. The vast majority of the deaths are understood to have occurred at Northwick Park in Harrow. People wearing masks as a precautionary measure against Covid-19 leave Northwick Park Hospital / AFP via Getty Images One staff member at the hospital told ITV News that staff were becoming completely overwhelmed on wards and had started praying before shifts. The trust has sent a memo to locum doctors appealing for help. It said: We at Northwick Park have been hit pretty badly by the coronavirus outbreak with probably more than 700 cases which have passed through the hospital in three weeks. We expect to be in a terrible position within weeks, with desperately needed staff across the hospital. If you would like to help us at NWP then please let me know what you are able to offer. The Standard has been told that at least 70 patients are currently on ventilators. North-West London has a high prevalence of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which places patients at greater risk from coronavirus. A consultant at the trust raised concerns that staff may have spread the disease between patients because of inadequate personal protective equipment [PPE]. London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /66 London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures A woman jogging near City Hall, London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast on Sunday to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA A pedestrian walks past a billboard reading "Please believe these days will pass" on Broadway Market in east London AFP via Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge Getty Images Boris Johnson Jeremy Selwyn Sun-seekers cool off in the water and sunbathe on the riverbank at Hackney Marshes in east London AFP via Getty Images Ed Davey is shown on screens as he speaks via videolink during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London PA A herd of fallow deer graze on the lawns in front of a housing estate in Harold Hill in east London AFP via Getty Images A woman wearing a mask crosses a bridge over Camden Lock, London PA An empty Millenium Bridge PA A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images People push to enter the Niketown shop in Londo AP Jo Proudlove and daughter Eve, 9, follow the daily online "PE with Joe" Joe Wickes' exercise class on "Fancy dress Friday Reuters Police in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Waterloo station looking empty PA Getty Images A quiet Parliament Square Getty Images PABest A man walks along a passageway at London's Oxford Street Underground station the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus PA Social distancing markers around the camel enclosure at ZSL London Zoo PA A police car patrols Greenwich Park in London PA The Premier League in action in front of empty stands AP Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed. A deserted Piccadilly Circus PA A general view is seen of a deserted Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Getty Images The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings Getty Images A view of 20 Fenchurch Street (the 'Walkie Talkie' building) in the City of London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus PA A deserted Chinatown PA A person looks at graffiti on a JD Wetherspoon pub in Crystal Palace, south London. Wetherspoons workers have described founder Tim Martin's lack of support for his chain's 40,000 employees as "absolutely outrageous" PA The London ExCel centre that has been turned into a makeshift NHS Hospital and critical care unit to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic PA The Palace Theatre, which usually shows the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA The Sondheim Theatre, which usually shows the Les Miserables musical, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA Two members of a British Army mounted regiment exercise their horses in Parliament Square AP Westminster Bridge is deserted PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA An empty street and bus stop at St James's Park AFP via Getty Images Whitehall Jeremy Selwyn A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn Buckingham Palace looking empty in London, PA London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn London's Carnaby Street empty as shops closed after a lockdown was announced in the latest bid to stop the spread of coronavirus through the UK AP A quiet Jubilee line westbound train carriage PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA Empty Embankment Jeremy Selwyn The consultant said all coronavirus patients other than those on ventilators should be transferred to the Nightingale field hospital, which is due to open at the ExCeL conference centre in Docklands next week. The consultant, who works at Ealing hospital, said: I think central government should prioritise us for testing of healthcare staff for Covid and supply of scrubs and high-level PPE. The trust became the first in the UK to declare a critical incident for about 24 hours last Thursday when it ran out of critical care beds. A trust spokesman today said that five of the 21 deaths had been at Ealing hospital. He denied there were as many as 70 patients on ventilators. Gareth Thomas, the Labour MP for Harrow West, was due to raise concerns with Boris Johnson at Prime Ministers Questions today. He said: Ministers dont appear to have fully recognised that the pressure on Northwick Park is only going to intensify given the number of elderly people and those with diabetes locally. It needs to be prioritised now for the best personal protection equipment and for comprehensive testing to protect staff, their loved ones and to ensure the hospital doesnt lose vital staff from the frontline. Many retired people of South Asian heritage in north-west London go to India and Pakistan between October and March to escape the UK winter. There are concerns some may have imported the disease from abroad. Dr Onkar Sahota, a West London GP and chairman of the London Assemblys health committee, told the Standard: It is very worrying that London North West Healthcare has such high Covid-19 related deaths. It would be helpful if more patient profile and hospital specific data is released so that we can draw lessons. We must remember that the local population are amongst those with the highest incidence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and health inequalities. London North West Healthcare said: Our trust is seeing a high number of intensive care unit cases, and we are stepping up our support in response to this demand, having already significantly increased the number of intensive care beds at our hospitals, but we need everyone to also do their bit by staying at home and washing your hands. Loading.... Across London, University College London Hospitals said it had 45 more critical care beds available for patients requiring ventilation. Homerton, in Hackney, is looking to increase its capacity five-fold if it can get hold of extra ventilators. Whipps Cross, in Leytonstone, has lso expanded its capacity. London Ambulance Service said it was temporarily closing about 15 ambulance stations to make it easier to distribute medical supplies. It appealed to former call-handlers to sign up for shifts to ease the demand on its phone banks, which have been receiving more than 8,000 calls a day. The citizen groups have dubbed the governments move to push through a new Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Bill a shocker since it bypasses public discussion and debate completely. The bill promises a five-year mayoral term and division of the city into multiple zones among a slew of measures. Increasing the mayors term to five years without giving powers to run the city is like a toothless tiger getting a bigger cage, said Srinivas Alavilli from Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB). It wont help. Political accountability comes when the mayor can make big decisions and can execute them. Ward committees, he said, should be empowered bodies and not advisory ones if we really want to decentralise governance. The constitution of ward committee itself is broken in the KMC Act, and we dont know what the new bill says about that, Alavilli noted. The new proposed legislation is not transformative for Bengaluru by any stretch of the imagination, said V Ravichandar, urban planning expert who was part of the BBMP Restructuring Committee. It is a modification of the KMC Act for the Palike and delinks it from the other eight municipal corporations. However, the proposal to increase the number of wards from 198 to 225 is a good feature, he said. The mayor, zonal committee (maximum of 15), zonal commissioners and ward committee make their entry as municipal authorities, he said. The ward committee would be only advisory in nature. The bill also says local officers of BDA, BWSSB, police and Bescom would have to attend the committee meetings. MLAs, MLCs, MPs will have voting rights although they have been dropped from the zonal committee. Best of Luck with that! quipped Ravichandar. Bengalurus woes, he said, stem from poorly planned, uncoordinated outcomes across the silos of government agencies. The bill does not address this at all. The government can pass this or any tinkered bill as the new BBMP Act. But engaging with it as the fix for Bengaluru is a mirage, he said. The citizens, he said, will still be overwhelmed by the exponential rise in our daily woes of traffic, garbage, water, sanitation, pollution and more. German disease agency warns citizens The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country has climbed to 33,954. Death toll from coronavirus in Germany rose to 171 on Wednesday, and the number of cases exceeded 33,500, according to statistics released by the local health authorities. "WE ARE STILL AT AN EARLY STAGE" Berlin-based website Coronavirus-Monitor, which compiled up-to-date numbers from local authorities, reported 171 deaths as of Wednesday morning, up from 159 on Tuesday. Germanys disease control agency warned on Wednesday that the country was still at an early stage of the outbreak. We are only at the beginning of the epidemic, Lothar Wieler, Robert Koch Institutes president, told a news conference in Berlin, and urged citizens to follow measures announced by the government to curtail the spread of the virus. Germany has tightened coronavirus restrictions on Sunday with banning any social contact between more than two people in public. The federal states ordered all non-essential shops to close, and restaurants were only permitted to run takeaway and home-delivery services. Nigerias Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has reportedly gone into isolation after the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari tested positive for Coronavirus on Monday. Osinbajo has had several contacts with Kyari since he returned from Germany on 14 March where he contracted the virus. The Chief of Staff never isolated himself and one of his contact was the Vice President, who always sit by him during executive council meetings. A top source in the Vice Presidents office told PM News that Osinbajo had truly gone into self-isolation in a bid to halt the spread of the deadly disease. A presidential source also told THISDAY on Tuesday that the vice president, as a precautionary, measure went into self-isolation Monday night immediately he was informed of Kyaris test result. It was also gathered that several top echelons in Aso Rock who may have had contact with Kyari had gone into self-isolation. President Muhammadu Buhari narrowly escaped being infected with the disease as he tested negative for coronavirus. Press Release 4BIO Capital leads Redpin Therapeutics $15.5 million Series A Pioneering chemogenetics company is one of the first investments from 4BIO Capitals Ventures II fund 25 March 2020 LONDON & BOSTON 4BIO Capital (4BIO or the Group), an international venture capital firm focused solely on the advanced therapies sector, announces its investment in Redpin Therapeutics, Inc., a pioneering chemogenetics company developing drug-controlled gene therapies to address intractable diseases of the nervous system. The round was led by 4BIO Capital and Arkin Bio Ventures, and joined by new investor Takeda Venture Investments, as well as existing investors from the seed round, New York Ventures and Alexandria Venture Investments. The proceeds will enable Redpin to further progress the development of its groundbreaking ultra-potent ion channel based chemogenetics platform to address disorders associated with neural circuit dysfunction including epilepsy, neuropathic pain and Parkinsons disease. Current treatment of these diseases and disorders typically involve the use of systemic drugs to address local neuron dysfunction and can have limited efficacy due to adverse, off-target side effects. Redpins validated approach leverages ion channels as neuromodulation tools to selectively either activate or silence disease-causing neurons to regulate only dysfunctional neurons, while leaving normal functioning cells alone. Redpins approach is designed to only be activated in the presence of varenicline (CHANTIX) the FDA approved anti-smoking agent. This novel therapy approach could allow for highly targeted treatments without the side effects associated with current therapies. The approach has received a significant amount of attention in the research community and has been validated by two publications in Science. Dmitry Dima Kuzmin, Managing Partner at 4BIO Capital will join Redpins Board of Directors as a Non-Executive Director. Dmitry Kuzmin, Managing Partner at 4BIO Capital, said: Our goal is to support and grow advanced therapy companies with the potential to cure chronic disease. Redpin has a highly compelling, validated chemogenetics approach that could have significant potential in the targeted treatment of neuropathic disorders. The strength of Redpins science alongside the world-class knowledge and expertise of the Companys founders and management team make us fully confident in the future success of the Company towards this goal. Commenting on the successful fundraise, Elma Hawkins, Ph.D., M.B.A., President and CEO of Redpin and a co-founder of the company said: These new funds combined with the support and expertise of our new and existing investors will allow Redpin to swiftly progress to the next phase of its development in bringing highly targeted treatments to patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders. Michael Martin, Head of Takeda Venture Investments, said: Investing in early-stage companies like Redpin, who are advancing novel technologies with the potential to provide transformational benefits to patients, is a key component of Takedas partnering strategy. Redpins chemogenetic platform could one day deliver targeted treatments for neurological diseases, an area closely aligned with Takedas research and development expertise. -End- Contacts 4BIO Capital +44 (0) 203 427 5500 info@4biocapital.com Consilium Strategic Communications Amber Fennell, Olivia Manser, Nicholas Brown, Lizzie Seeley +44 (0)20 3709 5700 4biocapital@consilium-comms.com About 4BIO Capital 4BIO Capital is an international venture capital firm focused solely on the advanced therapies sector. 4BIOs objective is to invest in, support, and grow early stage companies developing treatments in areas of high unmet medical need, with the ultimate goal of ensuring access to these potentially curative therapies for all patients. Specifically, it looks for viable, high-quality opportunities in cell and gene therapy, RNA-based therapy, targeted therapies, and the microbiome. The 4BIO team comprises leading advanced therapy scientists and experienced life science investors who have collectively published over 250 scientific articles in prestigious academic journals including Nature, The Lancet, Cell, and the New England Journal of Medicine. 4BIO has both an unrivalled network within the advanced therapy sector and a unique understanding of the criteria that define a successful investment opportunity in this space. For more information, please visit www.4biocapital.com About Redpin Based in New York City, Redpin Therapeutics is a privately-held, preclinical stage gene therapy company developing a proprietary chemogenetics platform for targeted cell therapies to address currently intractable diseases of the central nervous system. Redpin has developed a powerful and innovative technology that inverts traditional drug development by using gene therapy to target an engineered receptor to any cell type responsible for disease and modulating its function with an already-approved drug. This has the potential to deliver effective treatments for a wide range of currently intractable neurological and psychiatric diseases and disorders. Redpin has a worldwide exclusive license from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for the therapeutic use of this technology, and the company is working with urgency to apply it to advance important medicines for patients in desperate need of effective therapies. For more information please visit: www.redpinrx.com About Chemogenetics Chemogenetics is a ground-breaking approach to selectively control cell function by installing an engineered receptor that renders any targeted cell population sensitive to modulation by an agonist designed to target that receptor. Redpin are building an innovative ion channel-based chemogenetics platform that introduces a new paradigm for tunable, targeted cell therapies. Ion channels are proteins that are responsible for electrical activity in cells. We are leveraging ion channels as neuromodulation tools to either stimulate under-active neurons or inhibit over-active ones. Using our synthetic biology platform, we have designed proprietary chimeric ligand-gated ion channels as targeted cell therapies to selectively stimulate or inhibit dysfunctional neuronal circuits implicated in a given disease. Our ion channel receptors are designed to only modulate neuron activity in the presence of the orally delivered small molecule drug varenicline. Varencline (CHANTIX) is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) as an anti-smoking agent. We believe varenicline is particularly attractive for chemogenetic applications in the central nervous system because it is well tolerated by patients at low doses and has excellent brain penetration. About Takeda Ventures Takeda Ventures, Inc. (TVI) is the corporate venture arm of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, a global, values-based, R&D driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan. TVI's mission is to identify, help create and support the development of therapeutic innovation in alignment with Takedas own strategic imperatives. We do this by investing in technology and product concepts, and highly effective teams that can turn ideas into reality. Our primary focus is on medium to longer term returns in the form of product and technology successes for our portfolio companies and capital gains for the financial institutions we work with. About Arkin Bio Ventures Arkin Bio venture is a pharma and biotech specialized strategic partnership established by Arkin Holdings, leading Israel-based life sciences investor, and Phoenix Group in 2016. Arkin Bio ventures invests globally in promising innovative pharmaceuticals in pre-clinical and early clinical stages and offers a distinctive combination of practical pharmaceutical knowledge, wide acquaintance with the market along with significant financial capabilities. For more information, please visit www.arkinholdings.com About New York Ventures New York Ventures is the venture capital investment arm of Empire State Development, New York States chief economic development agency. New York Ventures meets the critical capital needs of the states innovation economy by providing funding to high-growth startups as they move from concept to commercialization, through early growth and expansion. More information is available here. 25.03.2020 LISTEN Coronavirus also known as COVID-19 is affecting 197 countries and territories around the world. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the disease. The COVID-19 virus according to experts spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so its important that everyone practices respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow). At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. Ghana as a Sovereign State recorded its first two confirmed cases of COVID-19 on 12 March 2020, when two people returned from Norway and Turkey respectively. Within an interval one week and six days, Ghana has recorded 52 confirmed cases with 2 deaths. This has gotten a lot of Ghanaians talking and has called on the government to impose stricter restriction measures which include a total LOCKDOWN. The government on its part has outlined several measures to help curb the spread of the disease. At first, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, on the 11 March made the cedi equivalent of $100 million available to enhance Ghana's coronavirus preparedness and response plan. The opposition NDC has however described the move by the government as a scam. President Nana Akufo-Addo further banned all public gatherings including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, church activities and other related events to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at a press briefing on the state of COVID-19. Basic schools, senior high schools and universities, both public and private, have also been closed. On 23 March 2020, the markets in the Greater Accra Region were disinfected through a spraying exercise. On that same day, all beaches were closed to help contain the spread of the pandemic. All of the county's borders were closed for a fortnight from midnight of Sunday the 22nd of March 2020. Citizens have been advised to adhere to strict precautionary measures outlined by experts around the world. Despite all this measures put in place, the numbers are still in the rise and the million Cedis question every Ghanaian is asking is, what are we not doing right as a country?. Well to correctly answer this question, one would have to compare the measures put in place by other countries who have recorded low cases or whose cases are not in the rise. Wuhan which has a population close to 11 million went on total lockdown. The Lockdown was later extended to the entire Hubei Province which saw almost close to 50 million people in lockdown for two months. Only industries providing essential services were allowed to operate. One person from each household were allowed to go shopping for the entire house. One would probably need clearance from authorities before you can be allowed to go out. India is on Nationwide lockdown with over 1.5 billion population. Self quarantine and mass testing has been one of the key measures used by developed countries to help reduce the spread. Testing has been made so assessable in these countries to an extent that people can test from home. In South Korea for instance, people has been seen willingly in to health centres to be tested. Test results are ready within 15 minutes with accurate results. Laboratories are designated to perform specific research on Coronavirus. In China, isolation and treatment centres have been built in less than a month to tackle the pandemic. People in the developed world have been well informed on COVID-19 so theyre providing essential information to deal with the situation. People dont lie about their travel histories and people they have been in contact with. Advices from Doctors are taken seriously. Infected persons gets isolated from the masses. Automobile companies have all moved in to the production of PPEs and ventilators to help confront the situation. Prices of PPEs have either remained the same or been reduced for everyone to get access. No hoarding of PPEs are reported in these developed countries. Many countries in Europe are providing Stimulus and insurance packages to their citizens and companies to assist them during this period. The US Senate has pass a $ 2 trillion Nationwide bill to fight spread of the virus by propping up affected businesses and relief to households during this period. Is Ghana ready for a lockdown? After the forgoing developments across the world, the question that still linger in mind is whether Ghanaians are prepared for what they are calling for; Total Lockdown. Admittedly, I have never witnessed a Lockdown and I know most Ghanaians have not either. The closest I have experience is a Curfew popularly referred to as Obia ko Da in Ghanaian lexicon. In the year 2002, the whole of Dagbon kingdom was thrown in to a state of curfew. I was only ten years old but I was old enough to keep the memories till this day. I remember how angry Soldiers unleashed their anger on civilians who were just mere victims of circumstance. Most people never knew what had caused this feud but victimised by Soldiers who were asked to ensure sanity by the state. I remember how I and my siblings were forced to sleep at a time and chickens still outside roosting. Evening meals were prepared and eaten long before the sun sets. Businesses were closed earlier than usual, evening Arabic studying was brought to an abrupt end. No matter your status, state or situation, you will will receive the beatings of your life if you are found outside during the curfew period. People Life stocks were missing here and there but even with clear evidence against hungry soldiers extorting livestocks for their evening meal, you there not point fingers at them because we were not in normal times. This was a dust till dawn curfew which was subjected to a review depending on the situation at stalk. Curfew is anything I dont ever wish to experience again. Lockdown as we are told is one of the measures been used by most countries to help avoid the spread of coronavirus. People are made to work from home, schools, shops and restaurants are virtually closed. No one is allowed to be out at all time. Living an ordinary life during times of emergencies like this demand active prioritisation in the face of draconian military junta restrictions on movement and associations. But Ghanaian authorities will have to do more than their European counterparts in other to enforce a total lockdown. And taking the recent disregard for the police force in our country, the government will have to call in the Arm Forces in other to enforce it if it would be considered. I dont know how much Ghanaians can stockpile their homes with basic necessities such as water, electric power, toiletries food stuffs etc and how long will it last if even we are able to stockpile. Most Ghanaians live by hand to mouth meaning they have to work before they can eat and only God knows what will happen to these group or class of Ghanaians if a Total Lockdown is reach. No one knows how long this novel virus will stay with us but we pray it leave us as quick as possible. And how could I have forgotten of the homeless Ghanaians?. Ghanaians who have no were to call home but pays taxes. Our problem is a pregnant one and we wish coronavirus leave us now or else we will be expose big time. Our mega budgets cant provide us with stimulus packages as we see in abroad. Our already distressed Health Insurance Scheme cant insure our health if we are Lockdown with coronavirus. Our National Buffer Stock and State wear houses doesnt have enough food to provide to us if what we intend to stockpile rundown. Farmers will prefer to keep their products for their families rather than those who wish to buy. Retailers will hoard their products for higher profits if we all go out of stock. I dont know how those who be imposing a lockdown on us will decide to do it, but I believe it is gonna be difficult looking at our nature as a country. I wish we wont get there. Plans must be put in place help everyone including families with less or limited domestic resources to draw upon if a lockdown is ever considered. We cant fight this unforeseen enemy without a Supreme God intervention. This is a time for us to turn away from our wicked ways, humble ourselves, lower our pride and turn up to our pray maker to fight this battle for us. Ghana is a religious state and the lines of National Anthem begins with God. We cant do this alone because this virus has proven to be stronger than mankind across the world. Doctors and Scientists across the world have tried to find a cure for this virus but all efforts has proven futile. Nothing is beyond Gods control and we must commit this fight into the hands of God. As a Muslim, the Holy Quran in 02:186 teaches me and I quote: And when my servants ask you(O Muhammed), Concerning Me, Indeed I am near, I respond to the Invocation of the supplicants when they call upon me. So let them respond to me (By Obedience) and believe in Me that they may be rightly guided. We must commit our frontline fighters in this battle into the hands of God, God should touch the hearts of our leaders to take decisions that will help this Nation out of this plague, and lets all go on our knees and cry to our maker to save us from this evil virus. We have always come out stronger at the end of every struggles and COVID-19 will not take us down. We shall triumph over this in no time. But as we fast and pray, lets still practice the safety precautionary measures outlined by experts across the world. Until a divine Cure is found,Social distancing, the use of alcohol base hand sanitisers and washing our hands with soap under running water is all we have for now. SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) At least 12 SpaceX employees have been sent home to quarantine after two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus were reported at the company's Hawthorne rocket factory. One employee who traveled abroad earlier this month was confirmed to have COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, as well as a healthcare provider at the One Medical SpaceX health center, according to COVID-19 guidelines sent to employees by SpaceX and obtained by The Times. The company said in the guidelines that it notified workers who were in close contact with the employee to quarantine for 14 days. SpaceX also said it disinfected areas where that employee had been. At least a dozen employees had contact with the healthcare provider three days before that person felt ill. SpaceX said it was not aware that any of those employees had symptoms, but that they will stay at home until cleared by One Medical and after they finish the quarantine period. SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment. The Telegraph first reported the news. The Elon Musk-led company is considered an essential business under the state's stay-at-home order since it is a defense contractor. SpaceX's main design, manufacturing and engineering work is done at its Hawthorne headquarters. It's where the company works on its Falcon 9 rockets and its Dragon capsules. The news comes as Musk says SpaceX is working on providing ventilators to aid in the fight against the coronavirus. Musk bought from China more than 1,200 ventilators, which arrived in Los Angeles on Monday night. Healthcare experts have said it can take months to ramp up production of ventilators, especially for manufacturers that don't normally make the machines. Musk initially resisted county orders to shut down his Tesla electric car factory in Fremont. Later, the company said it would temporarily end production on March 23 to comply with San Francisco Bay Area restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak. Story continues In Hawthorne, SpaceX has made its own hand sanitizer that complies with CDC guidelines, has more disinfectant wipes available and is increasing the frequency of cleaning, including places that are frequently touched, such as doorknobs and time clocks, the company-issued guidelines said. Espresso drinks in the company's cafeteria are now served only in disposable cups and employees were encouraged to use provided deli paper to touch milk carafe handles. The company said in its guidelines that employees older than 65 and those with chronic illnesses were encouraged to work from home if possible, and that those workers should talk to their managers. If employees cannot work because they are sick, SpaceX will provide up to 10 additional sick days. The additional sick days can also apply to workers who are at high risk for the virus, in regular close contact with someone who is sick or need to take care of children who are at home because of school closures, the guidelines said. Other employees who are concerned about being in the office and can "productively" work from home can ask for manager approval to do so. Employees who are concerned about coming into work but cannot work from home and are not sick or directly affected by the coronavirus were told they could use sick or vacation time, or unpaid time off. [The stream is slated to start at 1:30 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] World Health Organization officials are holding a press conference Wednesday to update the public on the coronavirus outbreak. On Monday, WHO officials warned that the global outbreak is picking up pace, as global infection passed 350,000 and deaths topped 15,000. Since then, global infections have risen to over 441,000, according to Johns Hopkins University, and the death toll has passed 19,780. "The pandemic is accelerating," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday at a press briefing from the organization's Geneva headquarters. "It took 67 days from the first reported case to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for second 100,000 cases, and just four days for the third 100,000 cases." Last week, WHO officials said the outbreak shouldn't be dismissed as a bad flu season, adding that the virus has overwhelmed hospital systems across the globe in just a few weeks. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's emergencies program, said that 26 million health-care workers may end up treating COVID-19 patients, and there's a shortage of protective equipment for them. WHO is also working with scientists across the globe on at least 20 different coronavirus vaccines with some already in clinical trials in record time just 60 days after sequencing the gene, officials said. However, the vaccines are still a long way away from being available for public use, WHO officials cautioned. Once a vaccine is discovered, there will be logistical, financial and ethical hurdles world leaders will face. CNBC's Noah Higgins-Dunn contributed to this report. Read CNBC's live updates to see the latest news on the COVID-19 outbreak. Tests were delayed, forcing travelers to wait for long hours corralled together at the airport, and some arrivals were dismissed or overlooked only to test positive later. The decision came just two days after it tightened entry screening and is due to the overwhelming number of arrivals that resulted in shortages of medical staff and quarantine facilities. The government on Tuesday decided to downscale entry screening for coronavirus of all travelers from Europe on arrival at Incheon International Airport. According to health authorities, Koreans arriving from Europe without any visible symptoms are now told to quarantine themselves for up to three days before they can be tested at a facility near their residence. Two days ago, those with a temperature and other telltale symptoms were examined in quarantine booths at the airport while those who did not were transported to eight locations outside the airport for testing and quarantine. The government had estimated the number of travelers from Europe at between 1,200 and 1,300 a day, but in fact it was 1,444 on Sunday and many more are expected in coming days. The government said it changed the quarantine measures to deal with the growing number of arrivals more effectively. But doctors say that testing all travelers on arrival was a bad idea in the first place and went against advice from experts. Ma Sang-hyuk of the doctors' association in South Gyeongsang Province said, "It's very ineffective as it only consumes resources. Instead, the government should put more people under self-quarantine and test only those with telltale symptoms." The current screening at the airport cannot detect all patients, especially those with no symptoms. Among 27 patients from overseas confirmed on Monday, five were found to be after spending several days in Korea. Unlike the highest footfall recorded by the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine here in Trikuta Hills of Katra town in Reasi district during the Navratri' festival, the shrine wore a deserted look on Wednesday amid the restrictions imposed in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. The Jammu and Kashmir administration had recently announced closure of the Vaishno Devi yatra and banned all interstate buses as part of the precautionary measures to arrest the spread of coronavirus. The shrine authorities said only a few rituals are being observed at the temple. This is for the first time that the city of temples, Jammu, looks disolate on the first day of Chaitra Navratri' with most of the temples shut. "The annual mahayagya' continued at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, apart from the ceremonies connected with Navratri, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board (SMDSV), Ramesh Kumar told PTI. Usually, a crowd of around 40,000 to 50,000 people throng the holy shrine on the first day of Navratri. "I used to visit the cave shrine every year on the first day of Navratri to seek Mata Vaishno Devi's blessing. Though I am disappointed that I could not visit the shrine this time, it is a necessity to close the shrine in the wake of COVID-19 threat, he said. The shrine, however, has decided to telecast live the darshan' of Holy Pindis Maa Vaishno Devi daily. "We have included a 2-minute darshan of holy pindis of Mata Vaishno Devi after conclusion of aarti' (prayer). This is being done to ensure that people get darshan of Mata in their homes during this Navratri, Kumar said. Keeping with the Navratri tradition, people in Jammu are keeping nine-days fast and praying to Navdurga' to rid them off the pandemic. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu conveyed his greetings to the people of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on the auspicious occasion of Navratri and Navreh and prayed for their well-being and prosperity. In his message, the Lt Governor expressed hope and prayed that the festival would become the harbinger of harmony, brotherhood, amity, peace, progress and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir. Murmu appealed to the people, including the devotees of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, to stay indoors and pray at home during this Navratri. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TORONTO, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Golden Star Resources Ltd. (NYSE American: GSS; TSX: GSC; GSE: GSR) ("Golden Star" or the "Company") is deeply saddened to report that a fatal accident occurred yesterday afternoon at our Prestea Gold Mine. The incident occurred in the main access drive on 17 level which is currently being developed. Our employee was fatally injured when he became trapped in the drive as one of the ore carts on a locomotive derailed. The relevant authorities have been notified and there will be a full investigation to establish the exact causes of the accident. As a sign of respect to our colleague we have suspended all activities underground at Prestea for today. Andrew Wray, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Star, commented: "This is a tragic accident and all of our thoughts are with our colleague, his loved ones and the wider team at Prestea. The accident will be investigated fully and we will redouble our efforts to make sure that we prevent anything of this nature from happening in the future. We will also provide support for all those impacted by this accident." Company Profile: Golden Star is an established gold mining company that owns and operates the Wassa and Prestea underground mines in Ghana, West Africa. Listed on the NYSE American, the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Ghanaian Stock Exchange, Golden Star is focused on delivering strong margins and free cash flow from its two underground mines. Gold production guidance for 2020 is 195,000-210,000 ounces at a cash operating cost per ounce1 of $790-$850. Since winning the PDAC 2018 Environmental and Social Responsibility Award, Golden Star has remained committed to leaving a positive and sustainable legacy in its areas of operation. Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information Some statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws include but are not limited to, statements and information regarding: gold production of 195-210koz and a cash operating cost of $790-$850 per ounce in 2020. Generally, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases (including negative or grammatical variations) or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements and information are inherently uncertain and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual facts to differ materially. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Golden Star will operate in the future, including the price of gold, anticipated costs and ability to achieve goals. Forward-looking information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Golden Star to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information and statements, including but not limited to: risks related to international operations, including economic and political instability in foreign jurisdictions in which Golden Star operates; risks related to current global financial conditions; risks related to joint venture operations; actual results of current exploration activities; environmental risks; future prices of gold; possible variations in Mineral Reserves, grade or recovery rates; mine development and operating risks; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities and risks related to indebtedness and the service of such indebtedness. Although Golden Star has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information and statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management. Please refer to the discussion of these and other factors in Management's Discussion and Analysis of financial conditions and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019 and in our annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2018 as filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . The forecasts contained in this press release constitute management's current estimates, as of the date of this press release, with respect to the matters covered thereby. We expect that these estimates will change as new information is received. While we may elect to update these estimates at any time, we do not undertake any estimate at any particular time or in response to any particular event. Non-GAAP Financial Measures In this news release, we use the terms "cash operating cost", "cash operating cost per ounce". "Cash operating cost" for a period is equal to "cost of sales excluding depreciation and amortization" for the period less royalties, the cash component of metals inventory net realizable value adjustments, materials and supplies write-off and severance charges and "cash operating cost per ounce" is that amount divided by the number of ounces of gold sold (excluding pre-commercial production ounces sold) during the period. "Cost of sales excluding depreciation and amortization" includes all mine-site operating costs, including the costs of mining, ore processing, maintenance, work-in-process inventory changes, mine-site overhead as well as production taxes, royalties, severance charges and by-product credits, but excludes exploration costs, property holding costs, corporate office general and administrative expenses, foreign currency gains and losses, gains and losses on asset sales, interest expense, gains and losses on derivatives, gains and losses on investments and income tax expense/benefit. We use "cash operating cost per ounce" as a key operating metric. We monitor this measure monthly, comparing each month's values to prior periods' values to detect trends that may indicate increases or decreases in operating efficiencies. We provide this measure to investors to allow them to also monitor operational efficiencies of the Company's mines. We calculate this measure for both individual operating units and on a consolidated basis. Since cash operating costs do not incorporate revenues, changes in working capital or non-operating cash costs, they are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under IFRS. Changes in numerous factors including, but not limited to, mining rates, milling rates, ore grade, gold recovery, costs of labor, consumables and mine site general and administrative activities can cause these measures to increase or decrease. We believe that these measures are similar to the measures of other gold mining companies but may not be comparable to similarly titled measures in every instance. For additional information regarding the Non-GAAP financial measures used by the Company, please refer to the heading "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2019, which are available at www.sedar.com SOURCE Golden Star Resources Ltd. Related Links www.gsr.com STAMFORD, Conn., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aircastle Limited (NYSE: AYR) ("Aircastle") announced today the receipt of the final regulatory approval that is a condition to closing Aircastle's previously announced merger with an entity controlled by affiliates of Marubeni Corporation ("Marubeni") and Mizuho Leasing Company, Limited ("Mizuho Leasing"). The parties received clearance from the competition authority in Morocco on March 24, 2020. Aircastle expects to complete the merger on or about March 27, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of the remaining customary closing conditions set forth in the merger agreement and discussed in detail in the definitive proxy statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Aircastle on January 23, 2020. Upon completion of the merger, Aircastle's shareholders will be entitled to receive $32.00 in cash for each common share of Aircastle (other than shares already owned by Marubeni and its affiliates). Commenting on the approval, Michael Inglese, Aircastle's Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are pleased to have reached this milestone in our pending merger with Marubeni and Mizuho Leasing, who have a long-term horizon and remain committed to our strategy and the aviation industry. We look forward to the new investment opportunities that lie ahead for Aircastle together with Marubeni and Mizuho Leasing." About Aircastle Limited Aircastle Limited acquires, leases and sells commercial jet aircraft to airlines throughout the world. As of December 31, 2019, Aircastle owned and managed on behalf of its joint ventures 287 aircraft leased to 85 customers located in 49 countries. Contacts: Aircastle Advisor LLC The IGB Group Frank Constantinople, SVP Investor Relations Tel: +1-203-504-1063 [email protected] Leon Berman Tel: +1-212-477-8438 [email protected] Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "seeks," "estimates" and variations on these words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. All statements, other than historical facts, including statements regarding the expected timing of the closing of the transaction; the ability of the parties to complete the transaction considering the various closing conditions; the expected benefits of the transaction; and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing, are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon current plans, estimates and expectations that are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. The inclusion of such statements should not be regarded as a representation that such plans, estimates or expectations will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such plans, estimates or expectations include, among others, that (i) one or more closing conditions to the transaction may not be satisfied or waived, on a timely basis or otherwise; (ii) the business of Aircastle may suffer as a result of uncertainty surrounding the transaction and there may be challenges with employee retention as a result of the pending transaction; (iii) the transaction may involve unexpected costs, liabilities or delays; (iv) legal proceedings may be initiated related to the transaction; (v) changes in economic conditions, political conditions and changes in laws or regulations may occur; (vi) an event, change or other circumstance may occur that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement; and (vii) other risk factors as detailed from time to time in Aircastle's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including Aircastle's 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which are available on the SEC's Web site (www.sec.gov). There can be no assurance that the merger will be completed, or if it is completed, that it will close within the anticipated time period or that the expected benefits of the merger will be realized. In addition, new risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Aircastle to predict or assess the impact of every factor that may cause its actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Aircastle expressly disclaims any obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement to reflect future events or circumstances. SOURCE Aircastle Limited Related Links http://www.aircastle.com The Covid-19 crisis, which has paralyzed many factories in China, offers an opportunity for Vietnams processed food to penetrate the 1.4 billion consumer market. Fast food and sandwiches with vegetables and fruits which can retain vitamins and minerals utilizing freeze dried technology are favored by young consumers. As the consumption of this kind of food is increasing rapidly, the industry has witnessed an average growth rate of 3.58 percent per annum. 14.2 million tons of food were consumed in 2012, while the figure soared to 17.49 million tons in 2018 and 18.26 million in 2019. The coronavirus outbreak has hit the Chinese economy hard. The Chinese government stated that the food reserves are enough to supply to the whole country. However, the short supply is unavoidable in the context of production suspension and travel restrictions. As the consumption of this kind of food is increasing rapidly, the industry has witnessed an average growth rate of 3.58 percent per annum. 14.2 million tons of food were consumed in 2012, while the figure soared to 17.49 million tons in 2018 and 18.26 million in 2019. Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy secretary general of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said during and after the epidemic many consumers tend to favor canned and frozen food rather than fresh food. The association has advised its member companies to step up the production of processed food. Enterprises have been advised to prepare products for the next three to five months as the demand from China will be high, Nam said. However, a question has been raised whether Vietnamese enterprises are capable of grabbing this opportunity. A report from the Chinese customs agency showed that in 2017-2019, food imports were mostly from Europe, the US, New Zealand, Indonesia and Canada. Vietnams products just accounted for 2.5 percent of total food import value. At first, Chinese agencies announced that it would open border gates on February 9, but later decided to delay the opening by 20 days. As a result, Vietnams enterprises which supply fresh farm and seafood products have had to shift to process products as a short-term solution to improve farm produce value. What is happening in China has prompted the countries that export foods to seek new markets, and Vietnam is a potential market. A report from Datamonitor in mid-2019 showed that Vietnams processed food market has been witnessing attractive growth rates over the last few years. This explains why more foreign food processors have bought shares of Vietnams enterprises. South Korean CJ Group acquired 65 percent of Minh Dat Foods shares and 47.33 percent of Cau Tre. Meanwhile, Earth Chemical from Japan took over A My Gia and Daesang from South Korea took over Duc Viet Food. Experts predict that if the Chinese market continues to close, foreign-made food will enter the Vietnamese market. However Vietnams farm produce capability is still low. Kim Chi EVFTA brings opportunities to escape reliance on Chinese market The next-generation FTA with the EU is believed to pave the way for Vietnam to diversify export markets and ease reliance on China. When meteorologist Rob Fowler at WCBD-TV in Charleston, S.C., read the picture book classic Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on air last week, he did exactly what Simon & Schuster hopes others will do too. Fowler and his station looked over S&Ss newly relaxed fair use permissions and credited the publisher in a post of the video on Facebook. It is new territory for S&S and many other childrens publishers, who are balancing making content available to educators and parents in response to the new coronavirus with protecting the copyrights of the authors they publish. (As part of PW's ongoing coronavirus coverage, a forthcoming article will explore other initiatives being taken by educational publishers.) We have always viewed ourselves as being protectors of our authors copyright, but this is an extreme situation we have never dealt with before, said Michelle Leo, v-p, director of education and library marketing at S&S. How do we support people who want to keep their students, patrons, and customers engaged? What do we do to make it easier for them? Leo and her team ultimately decided to relax the companys fair use policy on postings, so long as they are taken down by the end of June and appropriately credit the company. The approach also allows the company to address a record-high volume of requests, something that has happened at other publishing houses as well. There has rarely been a time in our lives where the importance of community was as clear to us as it is today, said Marisa Russell, executive director of publicity at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Our legal and publishing teams collaborated to create a permission statement, and we have received wonderful feedback from the educator community. Scholastic has been inundated with requests from educators, librarians, and parents looking to post videos of story times and book-related content online. We have been moved by the numerous requests weve received from teachers across the country who are trying to address these needs by posting readings of books online for students to access, said senior director of publicity Lauren Donovan. We want to support these efforts and have given permission for our books to be read online, with select guidelines in regard to platform, notice, and duration of availability. Among those availing themselves of the new policies are Scholastic authors Peter Reynolds and Mac Barnett, both of whom have hosted online story times, as has Scholastic ambassador for school libraries John Schumacher, who read Aaron Blabeys Pig the Tourist for a Barnes and Noble digital story time late last week. In most cases, publishers fair use modifications have been possible without a need to alter author contracts. At HarperCollins Childrens Books, v-p and associate publisher Jean McGinley said that educators have been respectful of the new rules that request that people credit the company, send an e-mail with basic information, and remove content by the end of the school year. Still, the company is watching to ensure things stay that way. We of course are here to make sure that our authors and illustrators feel good about how their content is being used and will remain vigilant on that front, but we also know everyone is doing the best they can right now, she said. Authors have been some of the most avid spokespeople for ensuring that rights and permissions are adhered to. Author Kate Messner has compiled a large set of online resources on the Read, Wonder, and Learn! page of her website, including author readings and drawing lessons. For each one, she has followed publisher guidelines and also compiled a list for others. The bottom line is that authors, illustrators, and publishers all want kids to have access to stories at home, but we also hope well be able to continue making books when this is all over, which is why we so appreciate teachers and librarians who are doing their best to get stories into kids hands and homes in ways that follow those fair-use guidelines, Messner said. Andrews McMeel Publishing trusts that the relaxed fair use policies will all work out because of the people using them. Beginning March 31, the company will be giving away an e-book each week through a digital download link. President and publisher Kirsty Melville said the company felt confident in doing so because the people downloading the links are trusted partners with whom the company has always worked. Our childrens outreach strategy primarily speaks to the gatekeepersthe librarians, teachers, and parents who are doing everything they can amid the crisis to keep their kids engaged and learning, Melville said. Childrens publishers are partners in this effort, and must continue to trust the gatekeepers to utilize our content responsibly." For most companies, the fair use provisions will hold until the end of the school year, at which time educators are obliged to take them down. That could change depending on what happens as the coronavirus continues to spread. Were in a position where, if we need to re-evaluate that in mid-June, Im certain that we would, said Leo at S&S. But Im certain that we hope that isnt the case, and that weve seen a return to normalcy. Fair Use policies for the publishers mentioned in this article are included below: Andrews McMeel Publishing: Determined on a per-book basis in accordance with the publisher promotion described above. HarperCollins Children's Books Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Scholastic Simon and Schuster HURON COUNTY According to the American Cancer Society, cancer patients are at high risk of serious illness from infection because their immune systems have been weakened by the sickness and its treatments. Health officials warn that the coronavirus pandemic is a serious threat to this population. Natasha Golder is part of that population, and she chose to tell her story to help readers understand exactly why they should take necessary precautions to avoid spreading the potentially deadly virus to others, especially the sick and elderly. Every day is terrifying, Golder said. I beg people to take this seriously. Golder was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010 and has been living with the diagnosis ever since, in and out of remission. At the present time, she is considered stable, a term delivered by the oncology department at University of Michigan Hospital during her latest check-up. This means undergoing maintenance therapy, to prevent or slow cancers return. Words couldnt express how ecstatic and thankful Golder was when she finally felt well enough to live the normal life she so desperately desired. In a harsh twist of fate, she now must consider the unforeseen dangers of COVID-19. The oncologists only solution for prevention is self-quarantine. Golder must lock herself away, inside her countryside home. Only a select few may visit, but they mustnt show any cold-like symptoms. Based on information from health experts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe that populations with serious underlying medical conditions to be at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Cancer can cause a person to become immunocompromised. But the threat is even more severe, as numerous radiation treatments have caused damage to Golders lungs. Thus, COVID-19 would likely threaten her to its highest anticipated level. It is a dangerous disease, especially for people with lung problems, Golder said. Cleveland Clinics Director of Pulmonary Pathology Sanjay Mukhopadhyay, MD and lung pathologists alike agree that the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome illness causes the potentially fatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The American Lung Association defines ARDS as a life-threatening lung injury that permits fluid into the lungs. Breathing becomes a chore and oxygen fails to fill the body. For Golder, the sick and elderly it doesnt get much scarier. While COVID-19 rapidly covers the state, the medical community scrambles to learn more and create a vaccine. Meanwhile, Golder does her best to isolate and limit face-to-face interactions. In the case that symptoms come about, shes been provided with a 24-hour triage line and will receive prompt medical attention. The CDC has provided steps to help keep you and your loved ones safe from COVID-19: Stock up on supplies. Keep space between yourself and others. When you go out in public limit close contact with others and wash your hands frequently. Avoid crowds. Avoid air travel. If and when a COVID-19 outbreak occurs within the community, stay home as much as possible to further reduce your risk of being exposed. Please visit https://www.cdc.gov/ for the latest and most accurate information pertaining to COVID-19. Natasha Golder is the daughter of Tribune Advertising Director Renee Willis and part of the Huron Daily Tribune family. On Monday morning Kevin Roche wrote the Star Tribune at [email protected]: I want to put an issue ad in the paper. The following email exchange ensued: On Mon, Mar 23, 2020 at 9:20 AM Place Ads wrote: Hi Kevin, Please send over the text youd like to publish and we can get a rate and proof set up for you. From: Kevin Roche Sent: Monday, March 23, 2020 9:23 AM To: Place Ads Subject: Re: Star Tribune Media Kit Contact The text is attached, it is not so much an ad as a public opinion or commentary kind of piece. I am assuming that with what has happened the rate for publication will be pretty good. I would appreciate advice on which section it is best to place the ad in so it gets the most attention. Please feel free to call me at [number omitted]. On Mon, Mar 23, 2020 at 9:47 AM Place Ads wrote: Hi Kevin, Unfortunately, Star Tribune is not able to publish your commentary based on our policy guidelines. Let me know if you have questions and I can relay them to our policy team. Thanks, [Name omitted] From: Kevin Roche Sent: Monday, March 23, 2020 10:18 AM To: Place Ads Subject: Re: Star Tribune Media Kit Contact Yes can you do that, I see other ads that are basically commentary, so I dont understand the refusal to publish this. On Mon, Mar 23, 2020 at 11:08 AM Place Ads wrote: Hi Kevin, Excerpt from our policy team is quoted below. We review all ads for standards of acceptability; particularly those stating opinions on political or social issues. We dont accept ads that attack, criticize or cast negative reflections against any individual, organization, business, profession or other group of people. All advocacy advertisers are required for prepayment, a typical rate for a Full Page Sunday ad is around $36k. Your best bet is writing into our Opinion Editor, he would be able to consider your commentary in that section of the paper. Letters from readers in the Opinion section are no cost. Thank you, [Name omitted] From: Kevin Roche Sent: Monday, March 23, 2020 11:19 AM To: Place Ads Subject: Re: Star Tribune Media Kit Contact So what the heck is wrong with what I wrote? Can you give me specifics? Looks no different than advocacy ads I see you run all the time by labor groups, business groups, etc.? On Mon, Mar 23, 2020 at 12:03 PM Place Ads wrote: Hi Kevin, We welcome your participation in these pages, whether in letters for the Readers Write section or commentaries for the Opinion Exchange page. The best way to contribute is through the Submit a letter or commentary link on our website, at startribune.com/opinion. You can also submit by email to [email protected] Submissions must be exclusive to us in Minnesota. All must include the writers real, legal name, address, occupation and phone numbers. Letters and rebuttals become the property of the Star Tribune and may be republished in any format. Letters should be brief, up to 250 words. Articles should be fewer than 700 words. Because of the volume of submissions, we cannot respond to all writers. Thank you for reaching out to Star Tribune. [Name omitted] View this post on Instagram Nigerian couple dance into their wedding reception with no guest amid increased cases of coronavirus in the country WASHINGTON - A planned purchase of 30 million barrels of crude for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve does not appear to be funded under the $2 trillion stimulus package agreed to by Republicans and Democrats Wednesday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a letter to senators Wednesday Democrats had eliminated from the legislation a, $3 billion bailout for big oil. Last week Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said he talking to Congress about getting $3 billion in funding to buy crude from small and medium-sized U.S. producers, with hope of starting to fill the reserve within weeks. CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust Without funding, the timeline of President Donald Trumps plan to fill the reserve, offering a small lifeline to oil and gas producers in Texas and beyond, is unclear. The trade group American Exploration and Production Council said it was confident the purchases would go ahead. We are confident that DOE will be able to meet the Presidents directive to purchase up to $3 billion in US-produced crude for the [petroleum reserve] and appreciate the administrations commitment to both diplomatic and free-market solutions to the supply and demand crisis our industry is facing, said Anne Bradbury, CEO of the trade group. On HoustonChronicle.com: Energy Secretary downplays impact of crude purchase The impact of the filling up of the petroleum reserve is not expected to have much impact on crude prices. Brouillette described the move as one designed to buy up oil cheap, in the event of future emergencies requiring a release of crude onto the market. Its a very common sense approach and a strong signal to an important industry that underpins our national economy, he said. I dont anticipate this is going to drive oil prices up. james.osborne@chron.com @osborneja Fossil fuels are the primary source of energy in the world today. But people started using fossil fuels long before the first steam engine running on coal or the first commercially drilled oil well. Some forms of petroleum, coal, and natural gas were used thousands of years ago by various civilizations on various continents, according to historical records and archaeological finds. The history of the use of fossil fuels is as old as is the history of human civilization. Of course, early uses of fossil fuels cannot compare in volume to todays exploration, extraction, processing, and trading industries in the three main fossil fuels - crude oil, natural gas, and coal. Those three fuels combined account for the majority of the global energy use now. In ancient times, the use of fossil fuels may have been limited due to lack of knowledge and technology, but civilizations tried and, to some extent, managed to make the most of the fossil fuel resources they could extract and use in their everyday lives. This complete history of fossil fuels will dwell on: - Early uses of fossil fuels - How the Industrial Revolution changed the world - When the first commercial oil well was drilled - The invention that changed the early use of oil and made it a key source of energy - How the World Wars drove up oil demand - How we use fossil fuels today Fossil fuels are a class of materials formed from dead organisms that sunk below the surface of the earth millions of years ago. All fossil fuels were organic material once, but different geological conditions such as pressure, temperature, rocks, and sediment, have led to the formation of different types of fossil fuels. For a comprehensive overview of fossil fuels, the types of fossil fuels, modern uses of fossil fuels, and the share of fossil fuels in todays energy demand, check out The Complete Guide To Fossil Fuels. Early Uses of Fossil Fuels Civilizations used petroleum in various forms thousands of years ago, long before any oil well was actually drilled or any oil corporation was formed. Ancient civilizations did not have the technology to either drill or refine oil, but they used the petroleum that they found seeping on the surface for construction and waterproofing. According to ancient Greek historian Herodotus, bitumen from a small tributary of the River Euphrates (in modern-day Iraq), was used for the construction of the wall of Babylon, the most famous city of ancient Mesopotamia. Mesopotamians also used bitumen for road construction and sealing and waterproofing their boats. The Sumerian civilizationwhich dominated the Mesopotamia region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what we now refer to as the Middle East between 4,000 B.C. and 2,000 B.C.used asphalt to glue their mosaic works on floors and walls. Mosaics and brick columns were one of the achievements in art and architecture of Sumerians. Related: Barclays Slashes Oil Price Forecast On Demand Shock In ancient Egypt, some of the mummies of humans and animals were mummified with the use of bitumen, but this wasnt the typical substance to use for embalming mummies, according to the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures at Illinois. Oil was also used for lighting. Oil was lit in a firepan, which was later replaced by the wick oil lamp. The Romans used oil found in the Dacia province, which is now Romania, to burn as weapon to use in warfare. The Chinese found oil reservoirs in salt wells and drilled wells deep 100 feet to reach natural gas and oil in underground reservoirs at some point around 500 B.C. A few hundred years later, the Chinese also built bamboo pipes to carry natural gas to homes for heating and lighting. Some cultures also used petroleum as skin medicinal treatment as civilizations such as the ancient Persians, pre-Columbian Indians, and Sumatrans in the 10th century believed that crude oil had medicinal benefits. Native Americans would use soft asphalt, or hard asphalt melted in the sun, to glue arrows to shafts and knives to handles. Early civilizations were puzzled by natural gas, and before the understanding of what natural gas actually was, people attributed supernatural and religious origins to fires spontaneously occurring on the earths surface when, for example, lightning stuck and ignited natural gas that had seeped through the earths crust to the surface. The ancient Chinese civilizations and the Persians are thought to have used natural gas to heat homes. By the 19th century, natural gas was predominantly used for lighting in lamps, including streetlamps. Coal, for its part, is much more widespread than oil and natural gas which are concentrated in reservoirs in some places around the world. People have been using coal since the cavemen and have been mining coal for more than 1,000 yearsin China as well as in the UK. Archaeological relics found in Britain suggest that coal was used during the Roman rule on the British Isles in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The Romans even took some coal back with them to Rome. In the 13th century, Marco Polo described the use of coal in China. In the 15th and 16th century in Europe, coal became an increasingly important fuel for heating of homes after the invention of chimneys made of firebricks. But it wasnt until the Industrial Revolution in Britain, which began in the middle of the 18th century, that coal and later oil and natural gas became key energy sources for the industry and households in the UK and overseas. The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, with the invention of the steam engine, started manufacturing production, machines, and factories which, combined, ushered the society into the modern era. The steam engine made by James Watt became the main driver of the Industrial Revolution. That steam engine was powered with coal. Coal, an abundant source of power drive, replaced water, which was the key source of power before the Industrial Revolution. With coal and steam engines, industrial activity began as steam-powered machines made mass production possible. The Industrial Revolution changed the way people worked and traveled. People traveled on steamships and steam-powered trains, which burned coal to power their boilers. Those became the main means of transportation. In the first half of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution reached the United States. Several coal mines began operating in the U.S. Coal began to replace wood as a source for heating, because it gave off much more energy than wood and because it was easier to transport. Coal consumption was steadily growing and outpacing the use of wood for energy. During the Civil War, factories making weapons began to use coal, which is abundant in the United States. Coke made from coal was already replacing charcoal as the main fuel for steel-making furnaces by the late 19th century. Coal was first used for electricity generation in the United States in the 1880s. Half a century later, by the early 1960s, coal had already become the predominant energy source of U.S. electricity generation. First Commercial Oil & Gas Wells Civilizations throughout history drilled for oil before the Industrial Revolution, but technology and knowledge were not widespread. In many cases, the finding of crude oil in a well dug up to mine for salt brine was viewed as nuisance and an unnecessary by-product of the drillers primary targetsalt. In the mid-18th century, well owners encountered oil in Pennsylvania and New York, but they were digging for salt and didnt entirely understand what use they could make of crude oil. With the advance of drilling technology and techniques, and with greater understanding of the potential uses of oil, in the middle of the 19th century people began to purposefully target crude oil when drilling a well. The first modern commercial oil well was drilled by Edwin L. Drake in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859. Drake had studied how well owners drilled for salt and decided he could do a similar job drilling for oil in Titusville. He worked with the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company, which was gathering the oil that was seeping through the ground. Drake decided that drilling a well to reach the oil would be a more viable enterprise than collecting the oil that is seeping through the surface. Drake used a drill-pipe to reach the oil deposit, but later failed to patent his drilling method. Still, Drake encountered oil in August 1859, and this achievement is considered the first successful commercial drilling for oil. Titusville, Pennsylvania, today hosts the Drake Well Museum and Park, the birthplace of modern petroleum history. The Invention That Changed The Oil Industry By the time Drake drilled the first commercial oil well, the main use of crude oil was in kerosene lamps for lighting. Growing demand for kerosene created the first oil rush. Then at the end of the 19th century, a new invention would change the demand for petroleum products around the world foreverthe first car with an internal combustion engine (ICE). The first automobile running on a refined product of crude oilgasolinewas invented by German engineer Carl Benz in 1885. In the United States, Henry Ford launched the Model T in 1908a mass market affordable automobile which drove up demand for gasoline. The mass production of cars led to gasoline soon outpacing kerosene as oils refined product most in demand. By the middle of the 20th century, oil became the most used energy source in the United States thanks to gasoline demand. Today, a U.S. 42-gallon barrel of crude oil yields about 45 gallons of petroleum products in U.S. refineries because of refinery processing gain, with gasoline the top product, according to the EIA. Oil and Wars On top of oil demand from automobiles, the World Wars also created demand for petroleum products as trucks, tanks, and warships all needed fuel. Navies and armies expanded their fleets and war power and demand for oil around the world continued to grow, also thanks to the manufacturing and industrial upsurge. The Creation of the Oil Majors By the late 19th century, there was one dominant oil company in the United StatesStandard Oil Company, founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1870. Standard Oil Company controlled as much as 80 percent of the production and distribution of petroleum products in the United States at the end of the 19th century. In 1911, following antitrust lawsuits and federal court orders, Standard Oil was split up into 34 separate companies, predominantly on the basis of the regions (or states) in which they operated within the U.S. The largest of those split companies have evolved over the past century via mergers and acquisitions and name changes to become the supermajors of todays U.S. oil industry. For example, Standard Oil of New Jersey eventually became Exxon, Standard Oil of New York became Mobil, and Exxon and Mobil merged in 1999 to create ExxonMobil. Standard Oil of California, for its part, became what is now Chevron. Related: Oil Price Slide Accelerates On Crude Inventory Build Around the time Standard Oil Company was broken up in the United States, the oil supermajors in Europe were established. Shell Transport and Trading Company merged with Royal Dutch to form the Royal Dutch Shell Group in 1907. The prospectus for a new company, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, was issued in 1909 in London and Glasgow. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company, created to explore and find oil in Persia, would one day become what we know now as BP. Source: Visual Capitalist How We Use Fossil Fuels Today The oil majors continue to produce huge volumes of oil and natural gas every day. Today, the world uses enormous amounts of energy, and most of that energy comes from fossil fuels. Energy demand is expected to continue to increase, although the share of coal in the global energy mix is set to drop in the coming decades, increasingly replaced by natural gas and renewable energy sources. The advance of hydraulic fracturing and the shale revolution in the past decade made the United States the worlds top crude oil and natural gas producer. Primary energy consumption in the United States hit a record in 2018, rising by 4 percent from 2017 and 0.3 percent above the previous record set in 2007, according to EIA estimates. The increase in 2018 was the largest increase in energy consumption, in both absolute and percentage terms, since 2010, the EIA says. U.S. consumption of fossil fuelspetroleum, natural gas, and coalincreased by 4 percent in 2018 and accounted for 80 percent of U.S. total energy consumption. Natural gas consumption jumped by 10 percent on the year in 2018, and this surge, together with relatively smaller increases in the consumption of petroleum fuels, renewable energy, and nuclear electric power, more than offset a 4-percent decline in coal consumption. Global energy demand in that same year, 2018, increased by 2.3 percentthe fastest growth rate since 2010, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its most recent estimate of global energy demand. Natural gas emerged as the fuel of choice, posting the biggest gains and accounting for 45% of the rise in energy consumption. Gas demand growth was especially strong in the United States and China, the IEA said. According to the latest BP Statistical Review of World Energy, global primary energy consumption grew by 2.9 percent in 2018, the fastest growth since 2010, led by natural gas and renewables. China, the U.S., and India together accounted for more than two thirds of the global growth in energy demand. Energy consumption in the United States rose at its fastest rate for 30 years, as per BP estimates. Despite increased attention on carbon emissions and climate change in recent years, and despite calls for leave it in the ground, fossil fuels are set to continue playing an important role in the worlds energy consumption. By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Washington, DC, US (PANA) - Ghana is seeking financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its fight against COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic KAMPALA President Museveni warned crooks who are hiking prices of foodstuffs and basic commodities in the face of coronavirus pandemic that they face arrest. Addressing the nation on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, his fourth time in a week, the President said such people also risk losing their trading licences. There are crooks hiking prices of food. I will send spies if they find you hiking prices, I will withdraw your licence. I may organise the NRM cadres to bring the food from the village and sell at a proper price. I won the crooks not to lead us to temptation but deliver us from evil, he added. Mr Museveni was addressing the nation on the next measures to contain the coronavirus epidemic after eight more cases were confirmed in the country on Tuesday morning. He revealed that despite the rising cases, the country has shown capacity to contain them. We have tried to put measures in place like blocking flights and closing of borders, we may have done it a bit late but we had to notify all the other parties. Otherwise, this disease is manageable, do not worry, all you have to do is listen to what we tell you and we shall defeat it, Mr Museveni said. The President revealed that all those who travelled from Dubai with the confirmed cases have been identified. All the patients have been identified. But they had mixed with people. The vigilant team will trace the people and test them. President Museveni: Funnily, Im happy that were fighting this disease instead of hearing from others. The first victims temperature has come down and his appetite is coming back. His red eyes are clearing too, he said. The President further urged Ugandans to continue taking the existing precautionary measures. Do not get close to anybody sneezing and coughing to be near. Do not do anything without washing your hands. There are people who are crooks who are hiking the prices of sanitizers. You dont need it, the soap can kill the virus if you leather the soap. Those crooks should not hold you hostage. The crude soap may even be better.There is a possibility that COVID 19 can be treated, therefore those trying to hide are endangering themselves and the people around them, he said. Postpone those journey if you have to use public transport. Lets see how far these people who left the airport went plus their associates. If we see more problems we shall suspend public transport. If the towns had enough bicycles, I would suspend public transport. It is even healthier. If the virus persists, we shall suspend public transport and promote bicycles. We may also have to suspend the long-distance journey. Related Prime Minister Scott Morrison has launched a national COVID-19 Coordination Commission to anticipate and solve economic and social problems arising from the coronavirus pandemic and advise the government on appropriate actions to take. Addressing the media in Canberra on Wednesday, he also announced that all non-urgent elective surgery will be suspended "until further notice" from midnight on March 26 due to the coronavirus. Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:AAP "Cancellation of elective surgery will allow the preservation of resources like personal protective equipment and allow health services to prepare for their role in the COVID-19 outbreak," Mr Morrison said. The COVID-19 Coordination Commission will include eminent Australians from the private and public sector, headed by former mining magnate Neville Power, with CSIRO chairman and former Telstra chief David Thodey to be deputy chairman. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 25 By Nargiz Sadikhova Trend: First two coronavirus patients in Kazakhstan have fully recovered, Kazakhstans Minister of Information and Communication Dauren Abayev said, Trend reports with reference to Kazakh media. Abayev said that the patients will be discharged tomorrow, Mar. 26. They are currently in the hospital waiting for control tests. This is our first and certainly not last victory in battle against coronavirus, he said. By a decision of State Commission on Provision of Emergency State under the president of Kazakhstan, quarantine regime has been introduced in Kazakhstans Nur-Sultan and Almaty cities at 00:00 (GMT +6) on March 19, 2020, due to the coronavirus outbreak. On March 15, 2020, Kazakhstans President Kassym Jomart Tokayev signed a decree introducing an emergency state in Kazakhstan due to coronavirus outbreak, which came in force from 08:00 (GMT +6) on March 16 and will last till 08:00 on April 15, 2020. First two cases of coronavirus infection were detected in Kazakhstan among those who arrived in Almaty city from Germany on March 13, 2020. The latest data said that the overall number of coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan is 80 people. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. As of today, over 428,400 people have been confirmed as infected. The number of people killed by the disease has surpassed 19,100. Meanwhile, over 109,900 people have reportedly recovered. Several countries are working on a vaccine against the new virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. 2077 people dies so far from coronavirus in Iran The total number of people infected with the coronavirus has climbed to 27,017, an Iranian health ministry official tweeted. A total of 143 people in Iran have died of coronavirus over the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll up to 2,077, said Iranian health authorities on Wednesday. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL BAN Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said in a televised statement that President Hassan Rouhani took new measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus including an international and inter-city travel ban. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has said Iran could not trust the US, alluding without evidence to conspiracy theories that America may have been behind the virus. Britain's science and pharmaceuticals expertise was out in full force as a clutch of junior market-listed firms made strides in fighting coronavirus. Novacyt and Yourgene surged after inking a manufacturing deal that will help Novacyt step up production of tests for the disease. Yourgene's state-of-the-art facility in Manchester will initially make critical components - but could switch to making final versions of the tests if they need to ramp up production further. UK pharma minnows Novacyt and Yourgene surged after inking a manufacturing deal that will help Novacyt step up production of tests for Covid-19 Novacyt is based in France but it has a division in Southampton, called Primerdesign, that was an early mover in the race to design and manufacture a Covid-19 test. Novacyt said last week it had received orders worth 8.7million for its US Food and Drug Administration-approved tests, one of which is for research-use only and one of which can diagnose patients within hours. Shares in Novacyt, which also signed a distribution agreement with a firm called Bruker, jumped 7.3 per cent, or 11.5p, to 169p, while Yourgene's stock soared 31.3 per cent, or 3.75p, to 15.75p. Novacyt is up 1200 per cent so far this year. Fellow AIM-listed firm Intelligent Ultrasound was rewarded by investors for rolling out a module for its simulators that will train frontline clinical staff to recognise what lungs infected by Covid-19 could look like in an ultrasound. Stock Watch - Bahamas Petroleum Oil and gas tiddler Bahamas Petroleum warned investors the cost of drilling operations at its Perseverance well could be 4.2million more than expected. The AIM-listed group had previously estimated it would cost 25million. It has pushed back the drilling to October, instead of May and June, because of the coronavirus outbreak. Shares sank 15.5 per cent, or 0.24p, to 1.31p, despite boss Simon Potter's reassurance that 'the same rocks will still be there' when they do start. Intelligent Ultrasound, whose shares rose 3 per cent, or 0.25p, to 8.5p, has made the module free for existing hospital customers. And Ergomed another AIM minnow jumped 8.6 per cent, or 28p, to 355p after seeing high demand for its coronavirus research services. It is already assisting at a hospital in Bergamo, the epicentre of Italy's outbreak. The group also reported revenue rose 26 per cent in 2019 to 68.3million. But pharmaceuticals firms weren't the only companies rolling up their sleeves and helping. FTSE250-listed student accommodation provider Unite Group pledged to offer occupants to forego rent if they want to return home for the rest of the academic year and students with nowhere to go over the summer will be offered free accommodation. The move will hit Unite whose shares rose 2 per cent, or 15.5p, to 799p by up to 125million. European vodka maker Stock Spirits (up 8.7 per cent, or 12.8p, to 160p) began manufacturing hand sanitiser at its Czech production facility, which it is donating to the government, and is in talks to do the same in Poland. Rentokil is training 2,500 disinfectant specialists, but its stock slumped 8.2 per cent, or 30.3p, to 340.1p after it withdrew its financial guidance for the year, scrapped its dividend and cut its top people's pay. Several other firms said they were seeing increased demand for some of their services as a result of the pandemic. Recruiter Staffline (up 26.1 per cent, or 4.3p, to 20.8p) has seen demand surge for staff in the food supply chain, despite other sectors plunging. Trucking and logistics groups Wincanton (down 1.3 per cent, or 3p, to 227p) and Clipper Logistics (up 15.6 per cent, or 21p, to 156p) both reported a spike in demand as panic-buying Britons meant supermarkets were scrambling to keep their shelves stocked. Elsewhere, sofa seller DFS froze new recruitment, training and said it will cut marketing as the virus hit trading. Shareholders welcomed the move, with its stock soaring 23 per cent, or 26.2p, to 140p. The wider market also made gains, building on a roaring rally on Tuesday as traders waited for a 2 trillion stimulus package to pass in the US. The FTSE 100 rose 4.5 per cent, or 242.19 points, to 5688.2, while the FTSE250 closed 4.6 per cent higher, up 647.18 points, at 14819.91. Israel's parliamentary speaker, an ally of Benjamin Netanyahu, resigned Wednesday, clearing the way for a vote that could see him replaced by an opponent of the embattled premier. Yuli Edelstein, a member of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, had refused to schedule a speakership vote until a new government was formed, but stood down after the Supreme Court set a Wednesday deadline for the vote to take place. "The High Court ruling constitutes crude and arrogant intervention of the judiciary in the matters of the elected legislature," Edelstein said. "I won't allow Israel to descend into anarchy. I won't lend a hand to civil war," he said as the court's deadline approached. "I hereby resign from my position as Knesset speaker." The announcement could pave the way for the opposition, led by the centrist Blue and White party, to take control of the legislative agenda. It also came after a year of political turmoil that has seen three inconclusive elections, and after Netanyahu imposed strict legal and security measures to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak that has infected more than 2,000 Israelis. Anti-Netanyahu forces claimed 62 seats in the 120-member Knesset in the March 2 election, with the premier's right-wing party and its religious allies claiming 58. Blue and White's leader Benny Gantz has been tasked with trying to form a government. That proved impossible following two previous elections last year, given the deep divisions within the anti-Netanyahu bloc, which includes the mainly Arab Joint List and the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party. There was no guarantee Gantz would fare better this time, fuelling widespread calls for a short-term unity government to respond to the pandemic. Netanyahu, in power since 2009, is also facing criminal corruption charges, which he denies. Despite the divides within the anti-Netanyahu camp, the bloc has voiced unity on legislation that would bar anyone under criminal indictment from serving as prime minister. Removing Edelstein as speaker may expedite that legislation. But Netanyahu has made a series of offers to Gantz on forming a unity government, including deals that would see the premier's job rotate between the two men. "Benny Gantz, this is a crucial time for national leadership and responsibility," Netanyahu tweeted on Tuesday. "Let's meet now and set up a government." As he announced his resignation, Edelstein also said Israel needed a unity government "as a pandemic endangers us from without. "We all need to act like human beings, to act, to unify, to rise above," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) KENT, Ohio -- Kent State University has paid no money to its scheduled speakers for the 50th commemoration of May 4, 1970, including Jane Fonda, and will therefore lose no money for having canceled the events due to the coronavirus pandemic, the university reported Wednesday. The university on Monday canceled the remembrance events in honor of the 50th anniversary of May 4, 1970, when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a group of Vietnam War protesters, killing four students and injuring nine. Kent State had many events scheduled, including a controversial speech by Fonda and a benefit concert featuring Joe Walsh and David Crosby. The university had previously sent students home and postponed graduation due to the threat of COVID-19 coronavirus. Fondas scheduled appearance drew criticism, particularly from veterans such as Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, because the actress and activist paid a visit to Hanoi during the Vietnam War and was photographed with North Vietnamese soldiers at an anti-aircraft battery. Her $83,000 contract with Kent State was set to include a one-bedroom suite in a first-class hotel, meals and a dark-colored town car. When it comes to reading in an emergency, in a moment of crisis and uncertainty, comfort seems to be the order of the day old favorites, regressive pleasures, cozy classics. What happens if they fail you? Mine have (et tu, Wodehouse?), so I am here to champion the opposite: the enlivening, more absorbing distractions of disagreement, argument and pure pique, of being profitably at odds with what you are reading; the deep diversion of a good, cleansing quarrel, especially with a book that is game and gleefully provocative. Threshold, a nettlesome new novel surly, ambitious, frequently annoying has been my treasured companion of late. Zachary Leaders biography of Saul Bellow contained the indelible fact that one of Bellows trusty modes of seduction was to read aloud to women from his own work for hours at a time (horrified italics mine). Its the sort of detail that can inspire smug pity for the past: Who would attempt such a gesture now? What woman would tolerate it? I had yet to meet Rob Doyle. Rob the loafer and the mope, the impressively successful Lothario and pretentious little troll is the protagonist of this book, which could be called autofiction (the author is also named Rob Doyle), anti-woke polemic or obsessive riff. It isnt much interested in classification in fact, it would rather like to annihilate pointless distinctions outright, much like the character himself, who is on a fervent spiritual quest with the aid of acid, meditation, magic mushrooms and ayahuasca. Pressure is mounting on the government to postpone the merger of public sector banks amidst 21-day nationwide lockdown which began on Wednesday and will continue till April 13. The merger deadline is set at 1st April, 2020. According to the chief of one public sector bank, several representations are being made by industrialists to defer the merger, as after the lockdown is lifted there would be tremendous stress on several sectors and individual banks would be in a better position to take a view of the situation. The chief of another public sector bank also said informally that ... Samsung will bring Galaxy S20s several features to the 2019 flagship models. Heres an overview. Samsung will roll out a new update to Galaxy S10 and Note 10 users to bring a range of new features that are currently available only to Galaxy S20 users. Samsung hasn't revealed a formal roll-out date but is expected to release later this month. The update will not be available for S10 and Note 10 Lite users. Let's take a look at the top features coming soon. Single Take: The feature uses Artificial Intelligence to take multiple versions of a photo from different camera sensors. The feature helps you give multiple versions of a shot and recommends the best shot. Night Mode: While the feature already exists on S10 and Note 10 phones, the update brings a much-improved experience, at least Samsung says so. The update also brings the Night Hyperlapse feature. Custom Filter: Users can now create their own filters and styles. These filters can be reused for other photos as well. Also read: Coronavirus concerns: Samsung asks employees to work from home 'where possible' Pro video: S10 and Note 10 users can now use Pro mode for videos as well. The Pro mode brings ability to customize ISO, shutter, exposure, and speed. Quick Share: The feature allows users to see which contact is in the proximity and lets you send files including photos and videos much faster. The company has also included Music Share. Gallery: Samsung is making the Gallery smarter with ability to group similar photos and lots more. "Users can easily review similar shots and select their favorite to serve as the photo group's thumbnail. When viewing a photo in the gallery, you can zoom in on an image and press Quick Crop, located at the top left-hand corner, to crop photos to your desired size," said the company on its website. The body of Carmen Calvo Fresco lay for hours in the room she shared in a residential home until overworked funeral staff finally arrived to take her remains away. Ms Calvo will be cremated about 200km away from her family in Madrid because funeral directors in the Spanish capital said they were so overrun there was nowhere closer to deal with victims of coronavirus. When she died on Sunday, the 86-year-old became another grim statistic of the mounting death toll in Spain's residential care homes, where dozens have perished from the illness. The care of the most vulnerable in Spanish society was at the centre of a political row yesterday after a cabinet minister claimed that the bodies of pensioners had been left in their beds and others had been abandoned to their fate. Health authorities said yesterday that Spain experienced a record daily rise of 6,584 new infections, bringing the total to 39,673. Deaths also jumped by a record 514, to 2,696. Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said on television that when troops were deployed to fumigate residential homes they found elderly people "completely left to fend for themselves, or even dead, in their beds". Spain's state prosecutor is investigating to ascertain whether there was any suggestion of criminal negligence. However, the claims prompted an angry rebuke from workers at old people's homes who said they were forced to work in dangerous conditions without proper protective equipment. They claimed undertakers were arriving late to collect bodies. Jose Manuel Ramirez, president of the Association of the Social Services Directors and Managers, called Ms Robles's comments "shameful". "Workers are putting themselves on the line, without resources, without healthcare support or protective gear," he said, adding that people who worked in care homes were not "criminals" but "heroes". Aware of the political sensitivity of the issue in a country where the elderly are highly respected, Spain's left-wing coalition government yesterday announced the closer inspection of all residential homes to ensure they follow government guidelines. If the death is caused by coronavirus, government protocols prohibit staff from touching the body until funeral workers arrive. However, the current overwhelming demand means that in some cases bodies are left for up to 24 hours. At a home in Madrid, soldiers arriving on Sunday to disinfect the premises found a man who had died the day before. "He was there from early afternoon on Saturday until Sunday morning," Jose Manuel Martin-Lopi, a receptionist, told 'El Pais' newspaper. Health Minister Salvado Illa said if old people's homes did not follow guidelines, the government would intervene. However, Rosana Castillo (61), one of Ms Calvo's five children, believes managers at Spain's care homes are trying to cover up the real situation. Her mother paid 500 per month to stay in a shared room at the Monte Hermoso home in Madrid, where 20 residents died last week and at least 70 others tested positive. "We were told we could no longer go and see my mother on March 8, to stop the spread of the virus. Then suddenly 70 were infected and 20 died last week. Then on Sunday morning I was told my mother had died," she said. "I am sad and furious about the lack of information about what happened to my mother." Prosecutors in Madrid are investigating Monte Hermoso, which did not respond to a request for comment. Ten days after the deaths, the home's management wrote to relatives to express sorrow at their loss. The letter said: "Unfortunately, owing to the exceptional restrictions, you were unable to spend the last moments with your beloved." Juani Penafiel says 22 residents at the private centre where she works as a nurse in Madrid - but does not wish to name - have died in the past two weeks due to coronavirus. "It's so terrible to see; we have a strong bond with the residents, who are so grateful for all the attention we give them," she said. "They know that something is happening. They realise they are ill and they grab your hand for a little extra conversation, but we have to keep working because next door there is someone who hasn't eaten or there are nappies to change." ( Daily Telegraph, London) Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 21:41:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese pay television company,StarTimes on Wednesday launched a new dedicated television program in Kenya aimed at sharing the latest information about the COVID-19 pandemic. Aldrine Nsubuga, regional marketing director of StarTimes, said that the StarTimes Daily-COVID-19 Report will broadcast every weekday on seven channels as well as on mobile application in English, Kiswahili, French among other languages. StarTimes Daily-COVID-19 Report will provide viewers with relevant updates and data about the situation in Africa and across the world. "The program will share targeted messages on prevention and experience from various countries to enable the public to protect themselves and their families more effectively," Nsubuga said in a statement. As the situation evolves, StarTimes will further leverage its media platforms to reach the public with key messages to fight the pandemic. Pope: Confess sins directly to God if no priests available during virus pandemic Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pope Francis is saying that general absolution of sin confessing directly to God as opposed to through a priest applies during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. A Vatican tribunal that deals with matters of conscience, including confession, called the Apostolic Penitentiary, issued a notice Friday, stating that though absolution of sin is the usual means through which sins are forgiven by a priest, in times of "grave necessity," such as now with the ongoing spread of the virus, other solutions are needed, according to Catholic Herald (UK). Confession is considered a sacrament in the Catholic Church. What qualifies as "grave necessity" has generally been determined by local bishops, the outlet noted; yet in the 1980s and 90s, Rome has urged adherence to stricter definitions. This Apostolic Penitentiary holds that, especially in places most impacted by the pandemic contagion and until the phenomenon subsides, there are cases of grave necessity thus yielding the conditions for general absolution, the notice reads. In a Mass celebrated Friday that was livestreamed from Rome, Pope Francis said people who cannot manage to go to confession as a result of being locked down because of the coronavirus or another serious issue, can confess directly to God. This is the right time, the opportune moment. An act of contrition done well, and our souls will become white like the snow, the pope said. Return to your father who is waiting for you, he continued. "The God of tenderness will heal us; He will heal us of the many, many wounds of life and the many ugly things we have done. Each of us has our own! In Roman Catholicism, believers are required to confess their sins to a priest in order to be absolved from sin but official teaching allows for exceptions for specific circumstances. Francis elaborated Friday: Do what the Catechism (of the Catholic Church) says. It is very clear: If you cannot find a priest to confess to, speak directly with God, your Father, and tell Him the truth. Say, Lord, I did this, this, this. Forgive me, and ask for pardon with all your heart. As the catechism teaches, he said, you can draw near to Gods forgiveness without having a priest at hand. Think about it. This is the moment. Although some Protestant evangelicals practice the discipline of confessing sin to one another as is instructed in James 5:16 it is often done so in a less formalized manner and is often not understood as a sacramental rite. A key theological objection of the Protestant Reformation centered around the abuse of the sacrament, namely that the Roman Catholic Church was using the confessional as a means to control the masses. The Reformers contended that it is unnecessary to confess sin through a human intermediary in order to receive forgiveness from or have access to God. The New International Version of James 5:16 reads: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." Italy is among the nations that are most seriously affected by the coronavirus pandemic with hundreds of deaths being reported daily, occurring mainly among the elderly, many of whom were already suffering from comorbid conditions. The nation has been on lockdown since March 10. A man in Beijing has contracted the novel coronavirus after allegedly using the same stairwell as his sick neighbour who brought the bug from the UK, according to Chinese officials. Liu, 42, tested positive nine days after his downstairs neighbour, Li, was diagnosed and they had walked on the same staircase in their building before Li was hospitalised, authorities said. Doctors believe Li had contaminated the stairwell and its environment before being put into quarantine, leading Liu to be infected. Doctors in Beijing suspect a new arrival from the UK has transmitted the coronavirus to a neighbour after they walked in the same stairwell before the sick resident was hospitalised. The picture shows a worker spraying disinfectant at a staircase in Beijing on March 13 Liu is the first patient in Beijing who has caught the deadly disease, known as COVID-19, from someone arriving from abroad, according to officials. Pang Xinghuo, the deputy director of the Beijing Center for Diseases Prevention and Control, reported the case at a press conference yesterday. According to the spokesperson, Li arrived in Beijing on March 5 and went into self-isolation at home right afterwards. Li went out to shops and did activities in the residential complex during the period. Liu, 42, is the first patient in Beijing who has caught the deadly disease from someone arriving from abroad, according to the Beijing Center for Diseases Prevention and Control. The picture shows people wearing face masks while playing chess in Ritan Park in Beijing on Wednesday The individual, whose gender has not been revealed, walked down the stairs on March 7 to apply for a door pass from the local authority and then fell ill on March 9. Li used the stairs again on March 11 to leave the building and go to Haidian Hospital before being diagnosed the next day. Li's upstairs neighbour Liu started to experience fatigue and fevers on March 10. After he took medicine, his temperature dropped to normal. Overseas Chinese have been flocking to return to their homeland after the epicentre shifted from Hubei to Europe. Pictured, a Chinese family wear protective masks, sunglasses and raincoats after arriving on a flight at Beijing Capital International Airport on March 24 On March 14 after hearing that someone in the complex had been diagnosed, Liu went to Haidian Hospital to seek medical advice and was given medication to take at home. He developed high fevers again on March 17 and took Tylenol and coughing syrup. He went back to the hospital for further checks on the night of March 20 and was given throat swabs. The result came back positive the next day. Liu's wife showed no symptoms and tested negative. Local officials have arranged all residents in the building to receive coronavirus tests and disinfected the stairwell, reported Red Star News. China is facing a looming new coronavirus outbreak, China's state-run newspaper Global Times has warned. Pictured, residents cheer as members of a medical assistance team from Chongqing depart after helping with the locals in Xiaogan city, China's central Hubei province The news comes after Beijing's state newspaper warned that a second outbreak in China was 'inevitable' due to new arrivals from overseas. Loopholes in the health screening process and inadequate quarantine measures for people arriving from abroad are the main factors for the looming new crisis, according to state-run Global Times. A high proportion of asymptomatic cases people who carry the virus but show no symptoms is another contributing factor to the potential outbreak, the newspaper said in an article published on Monday. Even though the number of daily cases has dropped to zero in Wuhan, where the epidemic emerged in December, the city is not counting in asymptomatic infections, sparing public fears that they can be a ticking time bomb. The stark warning comes as former epicentre Hubei Province, apart from its capital Wuhan, is set to lift travel restrictions after a two-month lock down. Pictured, staff members line up at attention as they prepare to spray disinfectant at Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan on March 24 The country's first case of local transmission from an imported case was reported by officials in Guangzhou on Sunday. The 54-year-old man, known by his surname Jin, fell ill after having close contact with someone flying to China from Turkey. China has reported more than 350 'imported cases' detected among new arrivals from other countries as overseas Chinese flock to return to their homeland after the epicentre shifted from Hubei to Europe. The UK is now the worst offender for sending cases to the Chinese capital of Beijing. As of Sunday, Beijing had recorded 107 infections in new arrivals from abroad. Among them, 34 people had arrived from Britain, making the UK the biggest 'exporter' of the deadly disease, reported China News. Spain and Italy ranked the second and the third 'source nation' after 29 people arriving from the former and 18 people flying from the latter had been diagnosed with the virus. The three countries were followed by the United States (seven cases), Austria (three cases) and Hungary (three cases). Globally, over 433,000 people have tested positive and more than 19,600 have lost their lives in the pandemic. The government is spending just 37p per person on planting new trees in England, a new study found - just a fraction of the 9.23 spent in Scotland. Analysis of government figures by Friends of the Earth found that 20.5million was spent on woodland grants in England in 2018/2019. This is less than half the 50.2million spent by the government on woodland grants in Scotland - which has a much smaller population than England. Campaigners said that greater funding was needed for new trees in English counties as the two countries are already very unequal in tree cover - with Scotland comprising 19 per cent of woodland, compared to just 10 per cent in England. Analysis of government figures by Friends of the Earth found that 20.5million was spent on woodland grants in England in 2018/2019 The Daily Mail, with The Be a Tree Angel campaign run with the Tree Council has called for much greater investment in tree planting across the UK. The campaign has raised more than half a million pounds through business donors to plant orchards in schools. The Be a Tree Angel campaign has also raised funds from readers to plant more than 100,000 trees across the country. Campaigners point out that the budget commitment to plant 30,000 hectares of trees in England over the next 5 years, is just 6,000 hectares per year. This is only 20 per cent of the governments manifesto commitment. The government pledged to 'reach an additional 75,000 acres [30,000 hectares] of trees a year by the end of the next Parliament'. The group said this would leave Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to grow 80 per cent of all the new trees pledged for the country as a whole. Danny Gross, Friends of the Earth tree campaigner said: 'Westminsters strategy for creating more woodland has a huge imbalance. The government pledged to 'reach an additional 75,000 acres [30,000 hectares] of trees a year by the end of the next Parliament' 'Its failing to do nearly enough in England, while leaving Scotland to do the heavy lifting,' Gross told the Daily Mail. 'Growing more trees is a key part of fighting the climate crisis, so the government really needs to step up. 'At the moment it stands to miss even its own meagre manifesto commitment on trees. 'The upcoming English Tree Strategy is a big opportunity to turn this around so must focus on boosting spending on trees in England. 'We know that England has the land to double tree cover, its just the political will thats lacking.' Five more Uzbek citizens have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of infected people in the country to 55, according to the country's Ministry of Health. According to the ministry, five more citizens were found to be infected, and have been quarantined on March 25. The first case of coronavirus infection in Uzbekistan was detected on March 15 in the laboratory of the Research Institute of Virology - an Uzbek woman who had returned from France, was tested to be positive. The Ministry of Health later said that her son, daughter, husband and grandson also tested coronavirus-positive. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Schools Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. on Wednesday visited John H. Webster Elementary in Kensington, where staff packed grab-and-go meals to distribute to students and families in Philadelphia. Read more No matter how long the coronavirus-caused school shutdown lasts, Pennsylvania students will not attend school past June 30, the states education secretary said Wednesday. By statute, we cant extend school past June 30, Pedro Rivera said during a media conference call. Thats actually when schools fiscally close, then we go into the next years fiscal cycle. Rivera reiterated a warning he gave when he ordered all Pennsylvania schools closed until at least April 6: The shutdown could last much longer. We possibly could be looking at extending the timeline under the direction of the governor and the secretary of health, he said. The Education Department issued updated guidance to school districts this week, strongly encouraging them to begin offering some form of instruction to students. Its earlier communication to districts said that if they could not offer instruction to all students, they could not offer it to any a directive that left a number of districts unclear on how to proceed. Rivera said the states intermediate units, countywide educational organizations, are offering guidance in distance learning and other types of remote instruction. But by law, schools are not required to offer instruction during these extended closures, Rivera said. READ MORE: Read more: Philly schools to distribute computers as coronavirus closures could last for the rest of the school term Advocates this week pushed state officials to require all districts to provide instruction to students, including children living in poverty, English language learners, and children with special needs. Matthew Stern, the departments deputy secretary for elementary and secondary education, said the state has taken the strong position that every district should be planning and moving into continuity of education. When it comes to access and equity, we are asking the districts to make reasonable and appropriate efforts in good faith. The state has already relaxed its 180-day school attendance requirement in the wake of the pandemic, and education officials are thinking through how high school seniors might be able to graduate if closures extend further. Philadelphia School Superintendent William R. Hite Jr., standing with Mayor Jim Kenney outside Webster Elementary in Kensington, said the move toward remote learning doesnt necessarily mean its a done year, and that activities completed by students at home could still count toward final grades. As the Philadelphia School District prepares to launch its remote learning program, Hite said he expects it will need to buy between 40,000 and 50,000 Chromebooks for students. He said the district has to inventory the technology currently available in its schools to determine how much to purchase. The district plans to make a proposal to the school board on Thursday. Were going to do the best we can with all the resources we can make available to all students, Hite said outside the elementary school, one of 80 sites across the city where students can get free meals during the closures. READ MORE: Read more: Pa. schools close till April 6; long-term closures expected elsewhere amid coronavirus outbreak Hite said that the states guidance to school districts hasnt been as clear as it needs to be, in my opinion, but that the district would make the accommodations and modifications that can reasonably be made for English language learners and students requiring special education. Those groups will be the first populations we have to focus on when we return to some degree of normalcy, the superintendent said. Berlin The European Space Agency said Tuesday it is putting eight of its spacecraft into hibernation as it scales down operations during the coronavirus outbreak. The agency is further reducing the already limited number of staff working on site at its mission control in Darmstadt, Germany. As a result, the instruments and data collection on some space probes are being temporarily stopped. They include the Cluster mission, launched in 2000 to investigate Earth's magnetic environment and how it is affected by solar wind; the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter launched in 2016 to investigate the red planet's atmosphere; Mars Express, launched in 2003 which has been capturing images of the surface of Mars; and the Solar Orbiter mission launched last month to observe the sun. The eight spacecraft are among 21 currently flown from Darmstadt. The agency said one staff member there has tested positive for COVID-19. NASA has also temporarily suspended work on the James Webb Space Telescope in California due to the coronavirus, putting its spring 2021 target launch date in jeopardy. - Myriam Assa Sidibe was born in France before her parents relocated to Mali where she grew up and attended public primary school - The 42-year-old enrolled for a bachelor in biosystems and agricultural engineer and masters in water and waste engineering in UK universities - The mother of three proceeded to London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine from where she attained her doctorate degree - The only other person with similar qualifications as hers during her PhD training at the London school was her supervisor Malian author and researcher Myriam Sidibe may not have been popular among Kenyans until she joined Health CS Mutahi Kagwe to demonstrate hand washing guidelines during a televised press briefing on Tuesday, March 24. Indeed Kagwe was quick to remind the journalists at the press briefing that the woman who was about to address them actually had a PhD in hand washing. READ ALSO: Weatherman warns of heavy rainfall with thunderstorms in next one week The mother of three believes in washing hands using water and soap as simplest way to beat diseases. Photo: Myriam Assa Sidibe. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Visa vya corona Kenya vyaongezeka hadi 25 Unknown to many, by 2017, there were only two people in the world with a doctorate degree in public health specifically hand washing and Sidibe was one of the experts. The 42-year-woman was born in France at a time her parents studied abroad before relocating to Mali where young Sidibe would grow up and attend public primary school. Myriam Sidibe is the co-founder of Global Handwashing Day which is celebrated on October 15. Photo: Myriam Assa Sidibe. Source: Facebook Against the odds, she enrolled for bachelor in biosystems and agricultural engineering (McGill University) and masters in water and waste engineering from Loughborough University, UK. After that, Sidibe proceeded to London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine from where she obtained her doctorate. In a past interview with Eve Woman, the mother of three said the only other person with similar qualifications during her time at the London school was her supervisor. In 2006, she joined Unilever and spearheaded its social mission programme throughout 55 countries in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Latin America. Two years later, the university lecturer co-founded Global Handwashing Day which is celebrated annually on October 15. Currently, an associate professor at Mossavar Rahmani Center for Business and Government of Harvard Kennedy School, Sidibe seeks to fight diseases though hand washing tactics which is both simple and cheap. "It is very important to remember that it has to be at least 20 seconds, under running water with soap. Ensure it is regularly and thoroughly," Sidibe said at the press briefing on Tuesday, March 24. And with the world struggling to contain the global pandemic COVID-19, she noted the importance of cleaning hands as the best way to protect families from getting sick. "Involving our children in washing of hands as often as possible specially before and after key times including blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing plays a major role in avoiding the spread of COVID-19," she posted on her LinkedIn. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. God is punishing Kenyans with Corona Virus: Corona Virus in Kenya | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Lockdowns and travel restrictions are the best methods to slow the spread of coronavirus, a new study of China suggests. Researchers from the University of Oxford in the UK and Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, found that in Wuhan - the epicenter of the outbreak - restriction on travels came too late. Once the locked did occur, cases outside of the province linked to Wuhan fell 92 percent from 515 to 39. But outside of the Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, those that restricted travel and focus on testing and tracking cases did best at contain outbreaks. The team says this is especially important to the US because, while some states have imposted strict shelter-in-place measures, others have not, even as cases climb beyond 59,000 and deaths surpass 800. Wuhan did not impose travel restrictions until January 31. Before that date, of all cases reported outside Hubei, 515 of them had a known travel history to Wuhan. Pictured: A staff member sprays disinfectant at Wuhan Railway Station, March 24, left; and a staff member disinfects an emergency room at Huayuanshan branch of Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Wuhan, March 15 But, after January 31, just 39 cases had a travel history to Wuhan and symptom onset before that date. Pictured: A CDC mesage reminds travelers to wash their hands at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, March 25 On January 31, Wuhan went into lockdown with no one allowed to leave the city either by plane or bus. However, it was more than four weeks after the virus was first detected and too late as China was experiencing the largest human migration in history due to the Lunar New Year. Other cities acted much sooner and were able to control the spread much more rapidly. For the study, published in the journal Science, the team analyzed geolocation data from Chinese tech company Baidu, In and the Open COVID-19 Data Working Group, funded by the Oxford Martin School. The authors say that because the average incubation period is as little as five days, the benefits of travel restrictions were not seen for at least a week after the lockdown. Before January 31, of all cases reported outside Hubei, 515 of them had a known travel history to Wuhan and their symptoms began before the lockdown. But, after January 31, just 39 cases had a travel history to Wuhan and symptom onset before that date. The researchers say, this demonstrates the effect of travel restrictions in decreasing the spread to other Chinese provinces. 'Our findings show that early in the coronavirus outbreak travel restrictions were effective in preventing the import of infections from a known source,' said Dr Moritz Kraemer, a research fellow at the University of Oxford. 'However, once COVID-19 cases begin spreading locally the contribution of new importations was much smaller. Researchers say this is an important lesson for the US, as it becomes the epicenter, that early travel restrictions prevent the spread of infections. Pictured: Sparse crowds make their way to a check-in counter at the United terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, March 24 In the US, there are more than 59,000 confirmed cases of the virus and more than 800 deaths. Pictured: Paramedics move a patient into the hospital during the outbreak of coronavirus in Manhattan, New York, March 25 'This is where a full package of measures including local mobility restrictions, testing, tracing and isolation need to work together to mitigate the epidemic. ' However, Dr Kraemer warned that Chinese provinces and other countries that have restricted restrictions should 'carefully' manage how they reinstate travel. 'The political will in many countries is lagging behind the spread of COVID-19,' said Dr Samuel Scarpino of the Network Science Institute (NetSI) at Northeastern University. 'Travel and mobility restrictions are the most useful right at the start, when local transmission has not yet become a factor. After transmission is established, physical distancing and the quarantine of sick individuals will work, but it takes time.' London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been denied bail after arguing that his release from a UK prison would mitigate his "high risk" of catching coronavirus. The Australian made the application in the Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday, local time, with less than 15 people in attendance due to the coronavirus lockdown. Julian Assange had argued that he should be released from prison due to the coronavirus pandemic. Credit:Getty District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that Assange had absconded before and said that Belmarsh prison was following government guidelines to protect detainees with no confirmed virus cases there yet. She accepted that government advice may change rapidly but for the time being she denied strict bail for the 48-year-old. In a televised speech to the nation Tuesday evening, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the entire country, home to more than 1.3 billion people, would be placed under lockdown for 21 days, starting at midnight. Until very recently Modi and his Hindu-supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government were crowing about Indias success in stopping the spread of the coronavirus in the worlds second most populous country. However, health experts have been warning for weeks that Indias relatively low number of confirmed COVID-19 casesas of last night there were 519 cases and 10 deathswas in all likelihood due to the very limited number of tests administered by authorities. In his Tuesday address and subsequent comments on his Twitter account, Modi presented the need for draconian action to combat the spread of the coronavirus in the starkest terms. Modi stated: There will be a total ban of coming out of your homes. Every state, every district, every lane, every village will be under lockdown. If you cant handle these 21 days, this country and your family will go back 21 years. If we are not able to manage the next 21 days, then many families will be destroyed forever. Modi claimed that the three-week shutdown was based on the experience of other countries. He said this had demonstrated that only vigorous social distancing measures can halt the spread of the coronavirus. What he conspicuously omitted to add was that the experience of the countries most successful in countering the virus, such as South Korea, Singapore and China, has shown that the ultimate utility and success of quarantines and shutdowns in combating COVID-19 is entirely dependent upon coupling them with systematic mass testing of the population. As in the US and many other countries now engulfed by the pandemic, India has been severely rationing testing. To date India has conducted just 17,000 COVID-19 tests, but claims authorities are monitoring 1.8 million people who may have come into contact with the virus. India is especially vulnerable to the pandemic and to a potential catastrophic loss of life, should community transmission become entrenched. The public health care facilities in the cities and towns are dilapidated, whilst across much of rural India, where more than 60 percent of the population lives, they are virtually non-existent. India is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with tuberculosismuch of it resistant to standard antibioticsand other social diseases rampant in the teeming slums of its cities. Last but not least, as a result of grinding poverty, hunger stalks India, weakening the populations ability to resist disease. A recent study found 90 percent of children under five lacked sufficient nutrients. This week, a group of scientists, most of them based in the US, published a study that warned that number of COVID-19 cases in India could explode to 1.3 million by mid-May. One of the authors of the study, University of Michigan Professor of biostatistics and epidemiology Bhramar Mukherjee, said: Even with the best-case scenarios, probably, you are in a very painful crisis. Modis speech was remarkable for the complete absence of any details about basic questions, such as how the population would be able to procure food, and, in Indias villages, even water. He did not explain how people would be able to pay for their food if they are confined to their homes for the next three weeks. Modi merely acknowledged the lockdown would constitute a very difficult time for poor people and claimed an aid package would be forthcoming. For the hundreds of millions who survive on the equivalent of $2 per day this could hardly have been reassuring, to say the least. All the more in that it is coming from a government that has implemented savage austerity to please Indian and international investors, including starving funding to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programwhich is meant to provide one member of any rural family that wants it with 100 days of manual minimum-wage work per year. Even prior to the economic dislocation caused by COVID-19 facility closures ordered by New Delhi and the various state governments over the past two weeks, India was in the midst of a severe economic downturn, with unemployment at a 45-year high. In his Tuesday evening speech, Modi did announce a 15 crore-rupee ($US1.97 billion) investment in coronavirus testing, personal protection equipment (PPEs), ICUs, ventilators, and training medical workers. For years, India, under BJP and Congress Party-led governments alike, has devoted just 1.5 percent of GDP or even less to health care. According to press reports, India currently has only 40,000 ventilators, critical for the treatment of severe COVID-19 cases, and just one isolation bed per 84,000 people. Just three days ago, the heads of two associations of PPE manufacturers in Indiathe Preventive Wear Manufacturer Association of India and the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry, that represent nearly 150 Indian medical PPE markerstold Scroll.in that the Modi government had not placed any substantial orders with their members. The manner in which the Modi government has announced the lockdown, without warning or answers to the most rudimentary questions as to how ordinary people will obtain lifes necessities, has produced a chaotic situation, which can only hamper efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Already the loss of work due to earlier shutdowns had created what Indian economist Jean Dreze called an economic tsunami, with suddenly jobless migrant workers attempting to make their way back to their villages. The government ordered the suspension of passenger rail service last weekend. Now, millions of truckers have been ordered to stay put for the next three weeks, wherever they happen to be. This situation is worse than war, Arun Kumar, an economics professor at the Institute of Social Sciences in New Delhi, told the New York Times. If we are not able to provide essentials to the bottom 50 percent of the population, then there will be social revolt. The coronavirus is a real threat to the Indian people that requires urgent action, including quarantines and restrictions on free movement. However, the working class must recognize that everything the BJP government and Indian elite do is infused with their class outlook and interests. The Indian bourgeoisie is determined to place the full burden for the economic fallout of the pandemic on the working class and rural toilers. Moreover, the BJP government will undoubtedly seek to use the lockdown to regain the political initiative, after being roiled by the mass opposition to its anti-Muslim Citizenship Amendment Act and growing worker resistance to privatization, poverty wages, and the spread of precarious labour. On Tuesday morning, police cited a coronavirus lockdown in Delhi to forcibly break up a 101-day long anti-CAA street occupation in the Shaheen Bagh district of Indias capital, which had been led by working-class Muslim women, arresting at least nine protesters. Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (SIC) has urged Imams in the country to shut down all mosques in a bid to control the rapid spread of coronavirus India, whilst dealing with the pandemic, also faces challenges on the privacy forefront specifically because there is no law in place for data protection. COVID-19 or the novel coronavirus, the outbreak of which was declared as a "public health emergency of international concern" by the World Health Organisation on 30 January, 2020 has created a lot of chaos, putting governments all around the globe in muddy waters. In addition to the public health measures that are to be adopted by the concerned governments and health officials in order to contain the spread of the virus, the pandemic has also opened the doors for a plethora of data protection and privacy breach concerns. One of the major steps that need to be taken to prevent this disease from spreading is to limit human-to-human transmission and to track the same for mapping the route of the virus in cases where a COVID-positive person might have come into contact with other people. It's then also necessary to carry out mapping of such plausible suspects, so as to identify the chain and to prevent them from further spreading the virus by putting them into quarantine centers, or imposing necessary travel restrictions. In order to trace such persons, the locational data of the particular person/suspect becomes of utmost importance. Similarly, various public and private organisations are collecting travel history details of their employees and also their health/medical status. The collection of personal data such as names, age group, contact number, travel history, locational data etc, and even medical data which comes under 'sensitive personal data' under many jurisdictions all of this gives rise to major concerns over how the said data is collected and processed and how it will be used by the concerned entities. China was prompt enough to take steps in order to protect the personal data of their citizens by issuing relevant circulars and notices. The major step taken in this regard was the issuance of the CAC circular (Circular on Ensuring Effective Personal Information Protection and Utilisation of Big Data to Support Joint Efforts for Epidemic Prevention and Control) by the Cyberspace Administration of China. The circular provides elaborate guidelines for protection of personal data in the present scenario. Though China is not the best jurisdiction to emulate, the theoretical framework can be analysed. Among the many points elucidated in the circular, a few of them are worth mentioning. Firstly, it emphasises on protection of personal data according to the Chinese Laws and Regulations that govern Cyber-security and prevention of Public Health Emergencies. Whenever any personal data is collected and used with regards to the prevention and control of epidemic diseases, organisations will have to comply with the Personal Data Specifications. The basic principles of necessity and minimum collection should be adhered to. This would simply mean that the organisations cannot go on and collect personal data of any or all the members but only those who are tested positive, are suspected to be infected or were in close contact of the persons tested positive. Secondly, the personal data collected for prevention or treatment of such epidemic diseases will be used strictly for that purpose and nothing else. The information so collected cannot be made public without the consent of the data subjects, unless there is a necessity for preventing the epidemic disease. Follow LIVE updates on the coronavirus outbreak here Thirdly, provisions for non-compliance have been laid out as subject to administrative sanctions, civil liabilities and even criminal penalties in the event of any severe violation of the Chinese laws and regulations. Thus, even though companies with big data expertise are encouraged by the government itself to control and collect personal data in order to prevent the epidemic disease, they will still be held accountable in the event of any breach or violation. Hence, they will need to introduce stringent measures to prevent a data breach. Similarly, the ministry of transport also issued an urgent notice on coordinating the work of COVID-19 Prevention and Control and Transport Security, specifically providing that no additional personal information of the passengers will be disclosed to agencies, organizations or individuals other than public health and related authorities. The European Union, which has a more nuanced law regarding data protection, namely the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has also issued a statement on the processing and collection of personal data amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. The European Data Protection Board under the statement provided for legal grounds under GDPR as to how the companies and public authorities can process the personal data of the data subjects without their consent in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic but are still subject to the rule of proportionality. Apart from that, the countries have their own privacy laws which are to be complied with. In this regard, the Italian Privacy Authority, the Garante, has asked that the inquiries relating to employee's health information should not be done in a generalised manner by the employers, but rather should be conducted by civic and public health authorities. It also specified that given the sensitive situation, some data protection rights might be suspended to combat the pandemic, but a judicial recourse should be available to the data subject and rule of proportionality will apply. Similarly, the Data Protection Authority of France, CNIL, also placed the legal obligations under the EU-GDPR as well as the French Public Health Code stressing that the privacy rights cannot be infringed by disclosing medical and health information. The ePrivacy Directive, which deals with the processing of electronic communication data, states that the location data of an individual can only be used by the relevant service provider with the consent of the individuals. It, however, provides that the member states of EU can also use such data without such consent consent under their emergency legislation. Several affected member states are thus contemplating on enacting emergency legislations. A similar stance was taken by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) while striking a balance between individual rights and public good. An official bulletin noted that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act- Privacy Rules permitted business entities and associates to disclose the health reports of the individuals without authorisation. However, the bulletin reiterated that the Privacy Rules are not set aside during an emergency, thus stating that a balance must be maintained. India, whilst dealing with the pandemic, also faces challenges on the privacy forefront specifically because there is no law in place for data protection. The Indian law on the subject matter is restricted to Section 43-A (Compensation for failure to protect data) and Section 72-A (Punishment for disclosure of information in breach of lawful contract) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 further defined what comprises sensitive personal data, and extended the law to body corporates (organisations) or persons located in India. With no specific data protection regulator as opposed to other jurisdictions, there are genuine concerns that there may be tracking of personal data and mass surveillance. Travel history details would fall under personal information, and medical history/records of the infected or suspected persons may be classified as sensitive personal data. Asking for such information is in uncertain legal territory, with no proper privacy policies in place. The information so collected and processed by the employers depends largely on how seriously they take privacy policies and measures to avoid mishandling of such sensitive personal data. If employers fail to maintain such data properly, they may have to pay hefty amounts later in order to compensate the individuals over privacy breaches. The Indian government in the current scenario, like other jurisdictions could at least have issued similar guidelines for the public and private entities elucidating some mandates to be taken care of while collecting personal data. Though privacy is now a fundamental right, laxity on the part of the government to ensure proper safeguards can prove to be problematic. Although public health and welfare would be a bigger priority than individual rights, a proper demarcation should be made to ensure that legal rights of individuals are not overstepped by the government under the garb of public health. Raghav Pandey is an Assistant Professor of Law at Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai. Aditi Seetha is a Counsel at AS Law Chambers The COVID-19 crisis could force significant delays to major Toronto-area transit projects, experts warn, a development that would be a painful setback for a region that was already decades behind in building an adequate network. While its still not clear how long the crisis will last and how much damage it will wreak on the provinces economy, it has the potential to affect lines already under construction, like the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, as well as those still in the planning stages, like the Ontario Line and other projects in the Progressive Conservative governments $28.5-billion network expansion plan. And on Wednesday, Crosslinx Transit Solutions, the consortium building the $5.3-billion LRT, said a work site had been closed after one workers tested positive for COVID-19 and two more were deemed presumptive cases pending test results. Crosslinx spokesperson Kirsten Jenkins said the Black Creek and Eglinton site office will undergo deep cleaning and was expected to reopen next week. Overall I think the pandemic will have a negative impact on completion dates for transit projects, said Andy Manahan, executive director of the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario, which represents labour and management construction groups across the province. He said in the short-term, projects are likely to be delayed by health precautions that prevent construction crews from working normally, and in the long-term could be affected by disruptions to global construction supply chains and government funding constraints caused by the economic downturn thats already started to grip the province. Anne Marie Aikins, spokesperson for Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency that oversees transit expansion in the region, confirmed Tuesday that transit construction is exempt from Premier Doug Fords order to shut down non-essential business across the province. That means work should continue on the Eglinton Crosstown, the 19-kilometre midtown line thats been under construction since 2011. Work on the 11-kilometre Finch West LRT, scheduled to open in 2023, should also move ahead. However, there is a clear expectation for all of our contractors to ensure the health and safety of all of their workers and if that cannot be guaranteed work must immediately cease, said Aikins. Even before the COVID crisis hit, the Eglinton Crosstown was set to be delayed past the provinces September 2021 completion date. On Tuesday, Jenkins, the Crosslinx spokesperson, said the consortium had changed shift schedules and taken other steps to allow for social distancing, but declined to say whether it believes the LRT will be further delayed by COVID-19. She noted Crosslinx has seen an increase in absenteeism as workers self-isolate, call in sick, or simply dont show up for their shifts. A spokesperson for the Laborers International Union of North America Local 183, which represents about 350 people working on the Crosstown, said although the government is allowing construction to proceed, work will likely have to slow to allow crew members to follow public health recommendations to keep two metres apart. I would imagine that the level of productivity would be reduced under these circumstances, said Jason Ottey, director of communications for LIUNA Local 183. He said construction schedules on the Crosstown will likely have to be adjusted to account forspreading that work out appropriately and allowing for social distancing. The Crosstowns completion could also be affected by Bombardiers announcement Tuesday that its suspending non-essential production at its Ontario and Quebec facilities as a result of the pandemic. The company is building the fleet for the Crosstown, and delays to vehicle production could force the LRTs opening day to be pushed back further. Bombardier spokesperson Sandra Buckler said work on the Crosstown vehicles is continuing at the companys Kingston, Ont. plant, but didnt answer directly when asked whether the company will meet fleet delivery deadlines. She said as a result of COVID-19, the company is experiencing many supply chain issues; however, we are continuing to do what we can. In the longer term, the outbreak could also disrupt plans for the four transit projects that make up the provincial governments $28.5-billion GTA expansionthe Ontario Line, Yonge North subway extension, Scarborough subway extension, and Eglinton West LRT. According to the schedule Premier Ford announced last April, the Ontario Line is slated for completion as early as 2027, a timeline many experts had warned was unrealistic before the crisis. The other projects would be finished between 2029 and 2031. Although the province cited financial constraints in its cancellation the Hamilton LRT last December before the outbreak began, Aikins said the provincial government has provided assurances that funding for its four GTA projects will not be impacted by the COVID pandemic. She offered less certainty about whether Metrolinx stands by the original timelines for the four projects. I cannot say at this point. We have no updated timelines for our projects at this stage, Aikins said. The COVID outbreak has already impacted the procurement for two of the projects. Infrastructure Ontario confirmed Tuesday it has pushed back the submission deadline for a request for qualifications for work on the Scarborough and Eglinton West projects by six weeks, to the end of May. The delay is minor but could be a sign of things to come. Procurement for multi-billion-dollar transit projects is predicated on receiving competitive bids from groups of multinational corporations, some of which had already expressed concerns about the financial risk of Ontario transit projects, and whose global operations wont be immune to the expected economic downturn caused by the pandemic. When asked whether Infrastructure Ontario expects provincial transit plans to be delayed as a result of the COVID crisis, agency spokesperson Ian McConachie said Tuesday the organization is working closely with the private sector and other partners, and will reassess our procurement schedule, if necessary, as the global situation continues to evolve. Toronto transit expert and writer Steve Munro said past experience indicates that if the economic fallout of the pandemic is as bad as expected, new lines will certainly be delayed. He cited the Ontario Liberal governments decision to cut funding for Torontos Transit City LRT plan in the wake of the 2008 recession. Weve been here before, and I fully expect things will be deferred, Munro said. He argued that much of the GTAs transit plans are predicated on demand projections that assume the regions population will grow by about 100,000 every year over the next decade. A global economic downturn could slow that growth, as could international travel restrictions enacted in response to the pandemic. Already, the TTC has reported a 70-per-cent drop in ridership of COVID-19, and while demand can be expected to rebound once social distancing measures are eased, whether transit use will return to pre-pandemic levels isnt assured. The TTC lost about 20 per cent of its ridership during the recession of the early 1990s and didnt fully regain it until 2007. Lower transit demand, coupled with tighter government budgets, could make public investment in transit seem less of an urgent priority. Those factors will be used as an excuse to not build, Munro predicted. Munro pointed out that aspects of the Ontario PCs transit strategy could be particularly susceptible to an economic downturn. The provincial governments plan for GO Transit expansion and relies heavily on private developers paying to build new rail stations in exchange for assets like development rights near the lines. The plan would be undermined if development activity slows. While the regions transit plans look to be facing serious headwinds, Shoshanna Saxe, an assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of Toronto who studies transit infrastructure delivery, cautioned that when the province emerges from the crisis, it will need to double down on expanding the GTAs network, not shy away from it. At the end, be it six weeks, six months, or a year and a half from now, were going to go back to a city that has major infrastructure deficits. And we need to invest in that, she said. Saxe argued that new transit will be needed more than ever in a post-pandemic GTA. In an economy that needs stimulus, investing in large infrastructure projects, particularly ones that would improve transit access for thousands, have historically proven to be a really good thing to do, she said. Correction March 25, 2020: This story has been edited from an earlier version that misstated the number of workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 at Crosslinx Transit Solutions Black Creek and Eglinton work site. Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr Read more about: A mother has urged people to stay at home after her "perfectly healthy" five-year-old boy tested positive for coronavirus. Lauren Fulbrook, from Worcestershire, said she had to watch as her son, Alfie, suffer symptoms including painful headaches, vomiting and hallucinations. The 30-year-old mum urged people to take the coronavirus seriously and to stop putting people's lives at risk after Alfie was hospitalised with the disease. In a Facebook post that has been shared more than 50,000 times, she said: "I've had to watch my five-year-old son go from having all the energy in the world to not moving, not eating, hardly drinking or urinating. Alfie received treatment at Worcester Hospital after being diagnosed with Covid-19 / Lauren Fulbrook "His temperature wouldn't go below the 40's and at its highest was 42.3 which caused vomiting. "I watched him hallucinating and crying from the headache, being taken to hospital by ambulance to be put in isolation pods and swabbed for the virus and confirmed positive." Ms Fulbrook said Alfie first started showing symptoms on March 16 and was later diagnosed with Covid-19 and taken to Worcester hospital for treatment. She said his blood sugar levels were just 3.7, while he had a respiratory rate of 18-20 and his heart rate was at 180bpm. In addition to shortness of breath, Alfie suffered from photophobia and shivering, she said. At one point "Alfiepops" asked his mum if he was going to die. "As a mother that is heartbreaking," Ms Fulbrook said. "As his mum and not being able to do anything for him has been one of the worst experiences of my life. "So please, just stay in for a little while. So what if you can't do all your normal things?" Lauren said Alfie is slowly starting to feel better after testing positive for Covid-19. / Lauren Fulbrook Since sharing the post, Ms Fulbrook said Alfie is starting to get better slowly and thanked people for their "kind words and overwhelming support." Prime Minister Boris Johnson stepped up the UK's stay at home measures on Monday after announcing people would only be allowed to leave their home for very limited purposes. "Coronavirus is not a joke," Ms Fulbrook warned. "Please stop brushing it under the carpet and putting not only your own lives at risk but everyone else's just because you want to go to the pub, or to a restaurant or think you need seven packs of 24 toilet rolls. "The sooner everybody does social distancing, the sooner it will be over. Commentary A Fierce Battle in Western Myanmar Has Killed Hundreds as the Country Braces for COVID Arakan Army troops at their headquarters in Kachin State in April 2019 / The Irrawaddy Myanmars diplomats, donors, some UN officials and peace specialists have left the country as the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the world, and a month of bloody clashes have broken out between Myanmar soldiers and Arakanese rebels in northern Rakhine State. Over the last two months, it is not the virus but the escalation of the conflict that has taken many lives in northern Rakhine State. The more than 40-day-long battle is likely to continue but last week, Myanmar military generals claimed that they had successfully repelled Arakan Army (AA) forces that were preparing to overtake Chin States Paletwa Township, on the border of India and Bangladesh. Last week, a Myanmar army spokesman confidently said that they have pushed back AA troops who were trying to take over Meewa, a strategic hill near Paletwa. Over 3,000 AA soldiers were believed to be involved in the offensive to take the hill, strategically located along the Paletwa-Kyauktaw road. The Myanmar army, joined by the air force and naval ships, defended the area and finally pushed back the AA forces. Some senior commanding officers admitted that without air power, Myanmar forces on the ground would face tough times trying to hold the hill. In early March, as the AA encircled the strategic hill, army helicopters and planes dropped food supplies and ammunition to Myanmar forces. Helicopter gunships also attacked AA forces and there were reports of villagers and children being killed and wounded in the clashes. Over the last two months, witnesses also saw military planes full of wounded soldiers flown out of Sittwe Airport in Rakhine State. The AAs goal in taking over Meewa was to expand its administrative control and influence not only in Paletwa but also to extend its control to the ancient city of Mrauk-U and Kyauktaw Township, in northern Rakhine State. AA leaders have said that they want to establish a base in Mrauk-U area in 2020. The AAs Way of Rakhita campaign and the groups struggle for self-determination have drawn many sympathizers in Rakhine communities at home and abroad. The group has succeeded in mobilizing youth from the region, which has been engulfed in poverty and inequality for decades. Paletwa, on the bank of the Kaladan River, is a remote and impoverished township in Chin State with deep forests, hills and a border with India and Bangladesh, and it could serve as a stronghold from which the AA would control military operations in Rakhine State. However, the AA doesnt have the sympathy of the Chin people anyway. A few days ago, the Chin National Front (CNF) issued a press statement asking the AA not to use Chin State as a military base and to cease fighting. Chin leaders are also concerned that communal tensions are on the rise between ethnic Chin tribes and ethnic Rakhine. Since the outbreak of armed conflict in Rakhine, Chin and other ethnic minorities in the area have suffered the burden of the war. Reporters with The Irrawaddy recently travelled there and witnessed the rising tensions between Chin tribes and ethnic Rakhine, and the deep-seated mistrust among locals towards the AA. On Monday this week, a nine-year-old child was killed and 15 civilians were seriously injured in a village in Rakhine States Minbya Township in an airstrike by Myanmars military. Residents of Che Taung where the majority of people are ethnic Chin, said bombs landed on their village where the majority of people are ethnic Chin, resulting in the childs death and multiple injuries. Myanmar military spokesperson Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun confirmed that the military used helicopters to return fire against the AA on Monday, but denied that they shot at the village and used bombs. The AA is now terrorist organization This week, the Home Affairs Ministry, under the leadership of new minister Lieutenant General Soe Htut, declared that the AAalong with the United League of Arakan, its political wingis now considered a terrorist group. These terrorist acts of the United League of Arakan (ULA)/Arakan Army (AA) have caused serious losses of public security, lives and property, important infrastructure of the public and private sector, state-owned buildings, vehicles, equipment and materials, the order said. Many in Rakhine, including villagers, their family members and local media, will now be in danger of being detained under Myanmars terrorism act. Moreover, supporters of the AA at home and abroad will be accused of assisting the terrorist organization and the military may also exercise laws to alarm funders and ethnic allies. Until recently, there was confusion and frustration at the top of the military hierarchy in Naypyidaw regarding the military strategy in Rakhine State. Some senior military leaders kept mum on the indecisiveness at the top military command over how to stop the AAs aggression, repeated abductions and destruction of government properties in northern Rakhine State. It has been revealed that Deputy Senior General Soe Win was keen to launch a major offensive in Rakhine but he needed to consult with top commanding officers as well as to listen to his boss, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Orders from the top were mixed until late last year. But in spite of the confusion and frustration, it seems recently that there was a greenlight from the top level to launch an all-out offensive in northern Rakhine State as well as to cut the supply lines and funding of the AA. This latest decision by the military was also delivered to State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Clampdown on AA supporters and its underground network In July 2019, Aung Myat Kyaw, brother of AA chief Major General Tun Myat Naing, and five of his colleagues were arrested by Singapore police in the city-state and deported to Myanmar. They were part of the Arakanese Association-Singapore (AAS), a social welfare organization that contributes relief aid from Singapore to the Arakanese displaced in the north of Rakhine State. The group was accused of financing terrorism and charged under the terrorism law, which carries a minimum three-year prison sentence and a maximum of seven years, plus possible fines. In Rakhine State, police and local authorities have opened cases against civilians, officials and sympathizers with the AA under the Counter-Terrorism Law. In October, Myanmar police arrested U Kyaw Naing, brother-in-law of Maj-Gen Tun Myat Naing, at Yangon International Airport on his return from Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand. U Kyaw Naings wife Ma Yamin Myat (aka Moe Hnin Phyu, Maj-Gen Tun Myat Naings sister) was also arrested as she came to meet her husband at the airport. In September 2019 in Mandalay, several AA members were arrested with 28 packs of gunpowder, 1,000 detonators and accessories, 40 satellite phones, 30 pairs of binoculars and 25 GPS devices at a house. They were intercepted as they were heading to Rakhine State. In early December, Daw Hnin Zar Phyu, wife of Maj-Gen Tun Myat Naing, and their two children were detained in Chiang Mai as they went to the immigration office to extend their visas, but they were not deported to Myanmar. In February, Switzerland agreed to resettle the family and they left from Bangkok. It is interesting to note that lots of ammunition and shipments have gone straight to Northern Rakhine State, via Mandalay and Sagaing regions. Some senior military officers confided that they suspect Rakhine rebels have, over the past five years, transported several large shipments to northern Rakhine State through Mandalay and Sagaing Regions. In February 2016, two Arakanese men, one claiming to be a lieutenant colonel in the AA, were arrested in Yangon with weapons including six RPG launchers, detonators and explosive materials. Lately, the Myanmar military and intelligence services have also been actively monitoring AA activities and funding sources, including overseas sources and drug trafficking activities. The Myanmar military has repeatedly charged that the AA is involved in drug trafficking. By sheer luck, the military also caught a senior AA leader in Northern Rakhine. In August 2019, an abbot from Oe Htain Village, in Mrauk-U Township, and two villagers were arrested by the army and taken to Lin Mway Taung Hill, where they were detained and interrogated. It later came out that during the interrogation, one of the villagers was discovered to be a founding member of the AA. From his phone, the army gathered strategic information, plans for offensives in northern Rakhine and other vital information and video images. Soon after the arrest, AA rebels came to attack Lin Mway Taung Hill and fierce clashes broke out before the AA finally retreated. It was suspected that the AA wanted to rescue the prisoners, including the abbot. During the clashes, an army helicopter transported the prisoners for further interrogation. The military has obtained valuable information from the AA founding member, according to senior military officers in Naypyidaw. The abbot and one villager are now on trial and one other villager is still in military custody. Pressure from an ethnic alliance The AA is also a member of the Northern Alliancea group of four ethnic armed organizations based near the countrys northern and northeastern border: the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the AA. Among them, the KIA is the largest armed group and over 4,000 AA rebels are now based in Laiza, where the KIA headquarters are located. The KIA still trains, provides ammunition and supplies food for AA soldiers, but there is a rumor of tensions between the two and that the KIA is asking the AA to vacate its Laiza headquarters. Some ethnic leaders also reportedly told the AA to give up its illicit trade activities. In December, in an interview with The Irrawaddy, Maj-Gen Tun Myat Naing criticized some ethnic leaders who have been fighting in the ethnic struggle for 70 years. He lashed out at them, saying that some leaders have been enjoying lives of luxury, drinking wine, and then giving up their fightsthat over 15 years of ceasefire, they have had 15 years of living opulent lives, while ordinary soldiers have been left without money or anything to show. This remark angered several ethnic leaders: they asked for an official apology from the AA leader. He finally relented, but has paid the price of rotting away the AAs alliance and friendship with these leaders. In any case, pressure on the AA will continue to mount. As it is now an official terrorist group under Myanmar law, some ethnic leaders worry that there is a bumpy road ahead for fragile ceasefire talks between ethnic groups and the military or government. You may also like these stories: Nine Year-Old Killed in Rakhine as Myanmar Military Launches Air Strikes Against AA Myanmar is Combating Fake News in the Time of Coronavirus Myanmar-Based Diplomats Told to Cancel Events Amid Coronavirus Fears Cigarettes and tobacco major Godfrey Phillips India have suspended manufacturing at its three factories in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, according to a top company official. Terming the current situation as "extraordinary times", Godfrey Phillips India (GPI) CEO Bhisham Wadhera said the company is prepared to take a hit for four weeks on its business. "As an organisation what is of utmost importance to us is our employees' health and safety. In fact about 10 days ago, we announced work from home just to ensure that nobody gets exposed, much before the lockdown," Wadhera told PTI. He further said:"Apart from work from home, we also shut our manufacturing facilities so that people are safe and we are actually tracking them on a daily basis. "People are writing in to us to say if they or their families are having any symptoms. I think that's going to be our prime concern even going forward." GPI has two cigarette manufacturing facilities -- one in Ghaziabad and one just outside Mumbai. it also has a chewing pan masala unit at Ghaziabad close to its cigarette factory. "All three have been shut," Wadhera said, adding the company has about 1,100 employees on its rolls and around 800-900 on contracts and other third party associates. There has not been a single job cut. There is no compromise or cost austerity as far as employees needs are concerned, he asserted. The company manufacturers and sells cigarette brands such as Four Square, Red & White, Cavanders and Stellar. It also has the license to manufacture and sell Marlboro brand in India. On the financial impact of the pandemic on the company's business, he said,"See, I don't think we're too worried about the impact now because there's bound to be one, not only for us, but the entire country. Everybody's going to get impacted severely." Wadhera further said: "We are assessing that already but as I said health and safety is of paramount importance to us and if we have to take a hit for four weeks, so be it...These are extraordinary times and we have to have extraordinary measures to deal with them."He further said along with the impact of high taxation, "economic slowdown and the virus spread, I think it it too early to say what is going to happen because it has really been a double whammy for all of us."When asked if the company was looking forward to reopen the factories as soon as the lockdown is over, he said,"Maybe in a day or two after the lockdown is over we would look to start manufacturing, depending on the situation. But since the factories have been shut for a month it will take a couple of days to get operational again. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Libyan Health Minister Ehmid Bin Omar on Tuesday announced the first case of the novel coronavirus in the country. "The Ministry of Health will take all measures and provide healthcare to the patient. We ask the citizens to commit to precautionary measures issued by the Ministry of Health and the National Center for Disease Control," Bin Omar said in a statement, as cited by Xinhua. No further information about the first case was provided by the ministry. Worldwide, more than 375,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported, while over 16,300 people have died of the infection, as per the latest data available on the Health Organisation website. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 09:28:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People wait to get on a bus in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 25, 2020. Wuhan, the once hardest-hit city in central China's Hubei Province during the COVID-19 outbreak, resumed a total of 117 bus routes starting Wednesday, around 30 percent of the city's total bus transport capacity, the municipal transport bureau said. According to a spokesperson of the bureau, passengers must wear masks, register with their names and scan a QR code, and take a temperature check before taking buses and subways. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) WUHAN, March 25 (Xinhua) -- As a bus departed from its terminus at Hankou Railway Station at 5:25 a.m. Wednesday morning, Wuhan started to resume bus service after nine weeks of lockdown. Apart from a driver, a safety supervisor was also on each bus, whose duty was to make sure all passengers are healthy as their health code shows before boarding. "For those who do not use smart phones, they should bring with them a health certificate issued by the health authorities," said Zhou Jingjing, a safety supervisor aboard bus No. 511 departing from Wuchang Railway Station complex. Wuhan, the once hardest-hit city in central China's Hubei Province during the COVID-19 outbreak, resumed a total of 117 bus routes starting Wednesday, around 30 percent of the city's total bus transport capacity, the municipal transport bureau said. From Saturday, six metro lines are expected to reopen to the public. The service time will be published on the stations. According to a spokesperson of the bureau, passengers must wear masks, register with their names and scan a QR code, and take a temperature check before taking buses and subways. To minimize the infection risk, people who are vulnerable to the virus including those aged above 65 are not encouraged to take public transportation. On Jan. 23, Wuhan declared unprecedented traffic restrictions, including suspending the city's public transport and all outbound flights and trains, in an attempt to contain the epidemic within its territory. Similar restrictions were soon introduced in other areas in Hubei. Hubei authorities ended restrictions on outbound traffic starting Wednesday, with the exception of its capital city of Wuhan, which will lift outbound travel restrictions on April 8, according to a provincial government notice issued Tuesday. Sri Lanka on Wednesday extended curfew in its Western province, housing business and administrative centres, for an indefinite period to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus that has infected 102 people in the island nation. The curfew in the Western province will not be lifted until further notice, an official announcement said. Western province with the capital Colombo is under a curfew since Friday. The three Western province districts which included capital Colombo was designated high risk zones for the spread of the virus. The health officials said there were no new coronavirus cases reported on Wednesday. The deadly virus has infected 102 people in the country. Director General Health Services Dr Anil Jasinghe said that a decision has been made to provide door to door services of essentials items such as food and medicine during the lockdown period. This step has been taken to promote social distancing. Around 1,600 of overseas returnees have been placed under observation, Jasinghe said. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa urged the international donor agencies to allow a debt moratorium or debt deferment facility to all vulnerable developing countries who are affected by COVID-19, his office said. In view of the rising number of the novel coronavirus cases globally, the country has suspended all international flights arriving in the country. On Tuesday, the authorities opened the capital city of Colombo for the first time in four days after a continuous curfew as part of the lockdown to combat COVID-19. Long queues were seen outside super markets and retailers as people lined up to buy essentials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YouTube Music listeners love seeing the lyrics to their favorite songs, and the platform now offers static song lyrics for all users. YouTube Music offering static song lyrics for all users The new static song lyrics allow users to see the words to their favorite songs. These lyrics are static, meaning they dont disappear from line to line but remain for users to read from beginning to end. The purpose of static lyrics Music lovers appreciate reading the words to songs. Songs are not just rhythm, beat, and instrumentation. All these things are important to a song, but so are the words. Without words, a song is just an instrumental chordal arrangement. In the absence of words, songs are left up to personal, subjective interpretation. Advertisement Without words, songs are still powerful but lack normal human communication. A musical arrangement communicates emotion, but words tell a story in a way that mere musical arrangement cannot. Words can get inside a human head, heart, and mind when the rhythm cannot. Its a normal human tendency to want to read the words to a song. After all, artists perform songs, and the way they perform them is to sing the words. Even when they hear an instrumental arrangement of a song, music lovers will often sing the words of the song. To true music lovers, music is incomplete without words. YouTube understands this human tendency. Its also the case that, YouTube being a Google company, Google is aware of how many search engine users listen to a song on YouTube while searching for lyrics on the search engine. Advertisement Its intuitive, and adding static lyrics to excellent service is giving customers what they want. YouTube Music isnt the first service to offer words to songs. Others, such as Pandora, already provide words to songs. In this regard, YouTube Music is catching up, though its always better late than never. Making YouTube Music Better: New Features Adding words to songs is just one of a host of new features YouTube has brought to YouTube Music in the past year. Last year, the company announced it would partner with UMG to remaster 1,000 YouTube videos by the end of 2020. The remastered videos would rise from standard definition (SD, 480p) to high definition (HD, 720p). Advertisement Whether this is accomplished this year is up in the air. YouTube is lowering video resolution from 720p to 480p in the European Union in light of the coronavirus crisis. More recently, YouTube is now downloading video quality worldwide due to global internet traffic congestion. Last but not least, the new Library Upload feature allows users to upload their music libraries to the cloud. This officially fixes one common complaint about the service and puts it on par with Google Play Music, Googles former music service. The new song lyrics are available for both free and paid YouTube Music members on both Android and iOS. Katie Haskins didnt think her seafood cafe and retail shop, Hooked in Latham, would ever sell strip steaks, three cuts of chicken or pork sausages, to say nothing of butternut squash and toilet paper. Such are the strange times of an unprecedented business environment, when millions of restaurant workers nationwide are at least temporarily unemployed, a good number of New York states 50,000 restaurants are in hibernation and the rest are trying to get by on takeout and delivery. As supermarkets shelves are picked clean, some restaurants like Hooked are adapting their business models to become minimarts, offering raw ingredients and pantry staples well beyond what theyd previously stocked. Other restaurateurs are trying to find different ways to help their laid-off employees and the public at large. Were asking people what they want and trying to bring it in for them, said Haskins. She and her husband, Luke, are the only people still working at Hooked, the rest of the staff having been let go last week. The Haskins also manage River Street Market, a food hall in Troy, that has been fully closed since last week and will remain so until the COVID-19 pandemic passes. Live updates from the Capital Region Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Hooked still has a small menu of made-to-order dishes and display cases of fish and seafood brought in fresh from Boston. But there is also beef, chicken, pork, a melange of vegetables, eggs, milk and, later this week, toilet paper, sourced from a wholesale distributor. The shop, the only business still operating in the Galleria 7 food hall, will be open noon to 7 p.m. daily through Friday, with weekend hours to be assessed in the coming days. It offers takeout with orders submitted via email or Facebook messages with only two of them, theyre usually too busy to answer the phone or, when possible, delivery. On-site shopping is also available, with a limited number of customers admitted at a time. In Malta, Nanola Restaurant owner Shane Spillenger worked mostly by himself over the past week, turning out bulk quantities of pulled pork and barbecued chicken that he sold to takeout customer in large containers along with boxes of frozen sides and snacks that he either had in stock or bought from a restaurant-supply warehouse. It seems like everybody got an air fryer for Christmas, so they all want chicken wings and mozzarella sticks they cant get at the grocery store, said Spillenger. All of his approximately 40 employees have been laid off, he said, but customers keep contacting him privately with orders and requests to stay open; last week he was even including rolls of toilet paper with takeout food. (Its gone now.) He intends to operate as long as he can this way, Spillenger said. Art Riley, chef-owner of McGreiveys Restaurant in Waterford, is serving takeout lunch and dinner daily from a limited menu, rotating his kitchen staff to keep employed people who have been with him between five and 13 years. The approximately 50 takeout orders McGreiveys sold per day over the weekend is enough to cover payroll and expenses, but, Riley noted, he has already paid off the restaurants mortgage. If I had a landlord, he said, Id be (crapping) bricks. Though the Times Unions database of area restaurants offering takeout and/or delivery continues to grow and now runs to more than 250 options, some notable names have stopped takeout and delivery, citing concerns for the health of employees, customers and the general public. After publishing a stirring defense late last week of the value of restaurants providing takeout and delivery as a food option beyond supermarkets going to far as to call it an obligation Ric Orlando, executive chef of New World Bistro Bar in Albany, reversed himself within a day. He and owner Annette Nanes ended New Worlds takeout and delivery Saturday despite strong business. In a blog post headlined SHUT IT DOWN, Orlando wrote, It has become crystal clear that asking my crew to come to work is irresponsible. It is almost impossible to observe social distancing protocol when working in a restaurant. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Also in Albany, Cafe Capriccio developed a brisk business for takeout and delivery last week, said founder Jim Rua, who runs the restaurant with his son, Franco. But, the elder Rua said Monday, It was very clearly apparent to (us) that while Cafe Capriccio could develop a viable business during this crisis, the exposure to staff was too great. I personally would not choose to work under these conditions, and Franco and I agreed that if we felt threatened then we had to protect our colleagues. The stopped takeout and delivery after Saturday. That was the final takeout/delivery night as well for DZ Restaurants three busy dining spots in Saratoga Springs Boca Bistro, Chianti Ristorante and Forno Bistro. Initially closed last week after Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned all New York restaurants from offering bar service and dine-in options, DZ tried takeout for a few days but opted not to continue this week. The company said in an online note on Sunday, It is with a heavy heart that we have made the decision to pause our takeout program for the safety of our staff and guests. In contrast, Vic Christopher, owner of Clark House Hospitality in Troy, said he feels closer to his customers than ever as a result of being able to provide them with takeout and delivery of food, drinks and cases of wine. The companys five entities three restaurants, a bar and a wine shop have been condensed into the cafe space of Little Pecks in downtown Troy and the around-the-corner 22 2nd St. Wine Co. Christopher does deliveries, about 20 a day, himself on a scooter, and Little Pecks serves a steady takeout business, its menu buttressed by items from its siblings Lucas Confectionery wine bar and the restaurant Pecks Arcade. Part of the Little Pecks space has been returned to a previous concept, called The Grocery, that sells ingredients, drinks, toilet paper and more, as well as serving as a pickup spot for a growing number of nearby hospitality businesses including The Placid Baker and the juice company Collar City Cold Pressed. Customers buy through the respective stores and collect their purchases at Little Pecks, which maintains a small staff that practices social distancing and limits the number of people in the shop at one time, Christopher said. Heidi Knoblauch, owner of Plumb Oyster Bar, also in downtown Troy, temporarily closed the business except for a Cocktail Club with about 30 members who signed up for six mixed drinks delivered weekly for four weeks. But, last week, Knoblauch and partners launched tipyourbartender.online, a website that allows customers to donate directly to members of the service industry. When the site went live, on Friday, it had about 250 profiles of restaurant workers who are now unemployed. Each profile includes a personal narrative and a link to a Venmo or PayPal account for the subject. The site as of Tuesday had grown to well more than 300 profiles, Knoblauch said, and racked up 24,000 views from 7,700 unique visitors. She said, Its really been remarkable how receptive and supportive people have been. By PTI DHAKA: Bangladesh on Wednesday released jailed former prime minister and main opposition leader Khaleda Zia for six months on condition that she would stay at home, amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The 74-year-old opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief is serving a 17-year prison term in two graft cases since February 8, 2018. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Zia was freed conditionally on humanitarian grounds after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's approval. Wearing a mask and clad in a black saree, Zia came out of the jail in a wheelchair. She was flanked by her supporters and party workers. She rode a car to her home in Dhaka's posh Gulshan colony. READ| Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus Earlier, Kamal said required procedures were completed for her release for six months under her younger brother Shamim Iskandar's custody on two conditions requiring her to stay at her residence during the period and she could not leave the country. Kamal said Zia would not be able to take part in any political activity during the period. On Tuesday, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the BNP chief the decision to free Zia was taken in line with Prime Minister Hasina's directives and considering the age of the former prime minister. "Zia will be released for a period of six months and she must stay in her own house," the minister said. Senior party leaders including BNP's secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and others were seen struggling to keep away the party activists in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, saying the social distancing was crucial for their 74-year-old ailing leader. Kamal said Hasina decided to free her for six months as Zia's brother Eskandar and sister Selima Rahman recently met the premier with an appeal for the BNP leader's release. Zia served thrice as the premier since 1991. Her party suffered a miserable defeat in the 2018 elections bagging only six seats in 300-seat parliament. Her conviction on "moral turpitude" charges debarred her from contesting the polls. She was sent to jail in February 2018 by a local court on charges of embezzling foreign donations meant for an orphanage, named after her slain husband and president Ziaur Rehman, during her premiership between 2001 and 2006. Rehman, a military ruler-turned-politician, was the founder of the BNP. She was convicted in another corruption case later the same year, though her party claims both cases are politically motivated. Its clear that this is, and will continue to be, a challenging time for Oregons $12.3 billion travel and tourism industry. Hotels, restaurants, small businesses, museums and other attractions are being forced to shut down to fight the spread of COVID-19. Many of the more than 115,000 Oregonians directly employed in the tourism industry our friends, family and neighbors who cook, serve and help welcome our visitors are suffering. In Portland alone, tourism supports 36,930 jobs, generating $1.6 billion in wages each year. Our industry needs help. We urge Congress to pass the $2 trillion economic stimulus proposal as soon as possible. Oregons tourism industry has a history of bouncing back from economic hardship. After 9/11 and the 2008 recession, our industry was one of the first to restore jobs and economic vitality to the state. But the economic impact our partners are experiencing now as a result of this pandemic is more devastating than those two downturns combined. Oregon unemployment claims are already up by 3,200% and that number is increasing every day. Restaurants and shops are being forced to shut their doors for the unforeseeable future. Travelers are canceling flights and hotel reservations. Many businesses have no choice but to lay off employees to allow their people access to unemployment. Small businesses across Oregon simply cannot weather this storm on their own. Its heartbreaking. We urge lawmakers to approve the relief package so Oregon hotels, restaurants and attractions have a shot at recovering when it is safe to reopen. These funds will help sustain impacted business and ensure their recovery is as robust and immediate as possible. There will be a time when people will be eager to travel again. With funding, when that day comes, well be ready. Scott Youngblood, Chair, Oregon Tourism Commission Linda Weston, Chair, Travel Portland Board of Directors One of Northern Ireland's biggest housebuilders has said it has now shut six out of its 10 sites in a bid to protect sub-contractors from the spread of coronavirus. Hagan Homes said it was now only working on four sites where houses were due to be handed over in the next few weeks. Yesterday a body representing Northern Ireland's construction industry said all non-essential building work should stop. The Construction Employers Federation (CEF) spoke after the Prime Minister urged people not to leave their homes, with travel to work only to take place where essential. But Housing Minister Robert Jenrick later said work on sites could continue, with social distancing. However, the CEF said: "Non-essential construction work should cease. "In those instances where our construction workers are supporting health, emergency services and those works essential to the safety of the public, the safety of workers is paramount and all guidance must be followed stringently. "At the same time we recognise the immediate impact on families of the many thousands of self-employed workers and so we would reiterate our calls on the Government to implement a similar financial support package to that already announced for salaried workers." Prime Minister Boris Johnson placed the UK on lockdown on Monday, ordering people to only leave their homes for "very limited purposes", banning public gatherings of more than two people, and ordering the closure of non-essential shops. James Hagan, chairman and founder of Hagan Homes, said its 11 direct employees were now working from home. But he added: "In relation to the 10 building sites across Northern Ireland where we have started on site, six are now closed. "We take our responsibility to protect our colleagues seriously which means we are now only working on those houses that need to be handed over in the next three weeks. "All other work is on hold as the health and welfare of all our sub-contractors are paramount." Mr Hagan said the firm was in daily contact with contractors to ensure they were aware of government guidelines on social distancing, with building sites allowed to stay open where they were outdoors. "If they cannot keep the social distancing rules then the site must close immediately," he said. "Hagan Homes is very aware though that this is a fast-evolving situation and some contractors are experiencing challenges when it comes to sourcing the materials that they need to progress with the phase of construction that they are in. "We are committed to helping our existing and potential new homebuyers as much as possible during this difficult time. "Future handovers may be delayed as a result of the current unprecedented challenges facing us, however, the safety and welfare of all our citizens must now take priority. "We are also mindful that there may be key workers amongst our customers and we will make every endeavour to hand over future houses on time, but we must ensure that we do this in a safe and compliant manner." Meanwhile, UK housebuilder Taylor Wimpey said yesterday that it has closed its construction sites, show homes and sale sites due to coronavirus. The company added: "In the interest of customer and employee safety, we have taken the decision to close all of our show homes, sales centres and construction sites for all work except that needed to make the sites safe and secure." But earlier yesterday, rival Redrow said its sites remained open with "strict precautions in place". Construction workers told PA that, although they are scared of catching the virus and taking it home to their families, they are reporting for work because otherwise they will not get paid and risk losing their jobs. Meanwhile, the 100 firms on the UK's main stock index added more more than 113bn to their combined value in the FTSE 100's best ever day of trading. It marked the first major rise since the coronavirus outbreak as US politicians prepared to pass what could be a game-changing stimulus package. By Kang Seung-woo As the deadline nears, the stalled defense cost-sharing talks between Korea and the United States have left Korean staff at U.S. military bases here on the brink of taking unpaid leave. Unless the allies agree on Seoul's share of costs for stationing U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) by the end of this month, many of the 9,000 Korean workers will be forced into an indefinite furlough starting April 1. If this happens, the mandatory leave of absence would be the first of its kind since 1991 when Korea started partially funding the U.S. troops' stay. The two countries have had seven rounds of negotiations for the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) since last September, only to confirm the gap between them. According to reports, U.S. President Donald Trump wants Korea to pay nearly $4 billion (5 trillion won) annually a fourfold increase from the amount paid last year but the Korean government is maintaining its offer of 1.2 trillion won. "Furlough of Koreans may occur from April," Jeong Eun-bo, Korea's chief negotiator for SMA, said, Saturday, upon his return from Los Angeles after the latest three-day negotiations with his U.S. counterpart James DeHart. The SMA determines the amount of money Korea will contribute toward the costs for the USFK, and Korea's SMA contributions are used to cover the wages of Korean workers, among others. According to the USFK, it has informed about 5,000 of the Korean staff that they would be placed on furlough. In protest, Choe Ung-sik, head of the USFK Korean Employees Union, had his head shaved during a press conference in front of Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday. Jeong proposed that the Korean government reach a deal on personnel expenditures first, but the U.S. rejected it. Although the two nations are set to continue to work to strike a deal, the situation is not favorable to Korea. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the governments of the two countries recommend overseas travel and person-to-person contact be minimized, making Korea look into the possibility of continuing the talks via video links. "Using video conferencing and other methods, we plan to continue the negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim In-chul said. Worse, Jeong and his team are now under self-quarantine at home in accordance with the government's enhanced regulations stipulating that government officials who visit a coronavirus-hit country must self-quarantine for 14 days, raising concerns that the government could not make last-ditch efforts to conclude the deal before the deadline for the start of the furlough. (CNN) -- World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus applauded President Trump for demonstrating commitment to fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Fighting this pandemic needs political commitment and commitment at the highest level possible and the Presidents commitment, you have already seen it," Tedros said Wednesday. As you know, one of the recommendations from WHO is the whole of government approach involving all sectors. And the principal, the head of state, taking responsibility and leading the whole response and thats exactly what he is doing, he added Tedros continued: I believe that kind of political commitment and political leadership can bring change or can stop this pandemic." The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has advised anyone who recently returned from outside Nigeria to observe a mandatory 14-day self-isolation. Also encouraged to self-isolate are those exposed to people who have tested positive to coronavirus. On Wednesday, two Nigerian governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and Godwin Obaseki of Edo announced they were embarking on self-isolation after it turned out they were exposed to persons infected by the deadly virus. Also currently self-isolating is the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Asishana Okauru, who said he attended two meetings with Bauchi Governor, Bala Mohammed, who eventually tested positive to coronavirus. Mr Okaurus wife also embarked on self-isolation due to her exposure to her husband. Below is a guide by the NCDC on how to observe self-isolation. SELF ISOLATION GUIDE: What to do in 14 Days Purposely staying at home, away from everybody for a period of 14 days Do not go closer than two (2) metres (5 feet) to anyone. Stay in a well-ventilated room alone. Keep away from everyone including family and pets. Do not use commonly shared household items Ensure you work from home. If you have to work, do so from home during self-isolation Ensure you have adequate Supplies Have adequate supply of food, water, toiletries, medication for existing ailment and other necessities Practice Clean Hygiene regularly Cover your nose and mouth with tissue or elbow when coughing or sneezing Immediately dispose of used tissue in a covered bin Wash your hands with soap and water. If not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. Frequently clean & disinfect surfaces Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, furniture, etc using household disinfectants. Contact NCDC if you feel sick Telephones: 0800 9700 0010; 08099555577 WhatsApp: 07087110839 Facebook/Twitter: @NCDCgov Email: info@ncdc.gov.ng SOURCE: Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ePlane, described as a B2B sourcing and business intelligence platform for the aerospace parts and repair market, has raised $9 million in funding. The round is led by Japanese trading and investing company Marubeni Corporation, along with a number of previous investors. Founded in 2016 and launched fully in 2018, ePlane has built to let users trade aircraft parts, locate repair services, and improve supply chain bottlenecks and reduce costs. The idea is that by throwing tech at the problem, including an online marketplace -- covering buying, selling, repairing, loaning, and exchanging aircraft parts -- many inefficiencies within the aerospace parts and repair market can be eradicated. For example, the platforms "Autopilot" feature claims to use an AI algorithm to match buyers and sellers based on needs, available inventory, past transactions, and required timeframe. It then automatically sends requests for quotes (RFQs) to appropriate sellers, therefore eliminating the need to send each request manually. More broadly, ePlane's platform digitizes the procurement process, "syncing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and custom inventories, to ensure that inventories are most up to date in real time". The aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market is said to be large, too, totalling $80 billion globally. ePlane says the market is expected to grow to $116 billion by 2029, and therefore is prime for its B2B sourcing platform. To that end, I'm told the aviation industry is already embracing Cyprus-headquartered ePlane. The startup is now receiving over $50 million in monthly demand from over 4,000 major companies in the aerospace industry. Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs said Wednesday the company's decision to suspend its $2 billion share buyback program allows it to better support employees and franchisees during the COVID-19 pandemic. "We can do things like we just did in the United States, which is provide a grace period for our franchisees on their royalties or suspend capital investments for them so they can have the cash to get through this crisis," Gibbs said on "Closing Bell." Yum Brands has tapped into a $525 million revolving credit facility, according to a regulatory filing Tuesday. The company also borrowed $425 million earlier in March in association with its acquisition of The Habit Restaurants. "We have over $1 billion of cash now. Certainly we're in a good position," Gibbs said. "But we want to take an abundance of caution as we manage through the challenges of this situation." Yum Brands' portfolio includes KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Gibbs said Yum Brands' footprint of more than 50,000 restaurants globally has allowed the company to respond to shifting consumer demand during the coronavirus outbreak. Yum Brands has about 7,000 restaurants closed around the world, according to the regulatory filing. The company has "a big presence in Asia, where the virus has already impacted the market, and we've had this great ability to leverage the learnings from that market and take those to the other markets as they start experiencing a little bit of this crisis," he said. For example, led by CEO Joey Wat, Yum China developed a system for contact-less food delivery that has been adopted by restaurants in other markets, Gibbs said. Yum China was spun off from Yum Brands and began trading as its own entity in November 2016. Gibbs said employees at restaurants operated by Yum Brands will continue to be paid if they are closed due to government mandates. "We know that is the right thing to do. We're working with our franchisees to take a similar approach," he added. Shares of Yum Brands finished 4.6% higher Wednesday at $72.87 each. The stock is down 27.66% in 2020. Five cases of the coronavirus have been detected at the state-run Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris County, with all but one affecting employees, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said Wednesday. The ill patient and one of the four Greystone employees were transferred to an acute-care hospital, the commissioner said. The other three employees are recovering at home, she said. The coronavirus has not been found at other psychiatric facilities run by the state: Ancora, Ann Klein Forensic Center, and Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, Health Department spokeswoman Donna Leusner said. Other patients are undergoing testing, as they are exhibiting symptoms, Carl Herman said, director of the Division of Mental Health Advocacy at the Office of the Public Defender. The Public Defender has an ongoing lawsuit against the state for unsafe conditions for patients and employees at the 506-bed hospital. The state suspended visits with patients at each of the state hospitals two weeks ago, according to the state Health Department website. There are 4,402 people in New Jersey who have COVID-19, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday afternoon. A total of 62 people have died. Learn more about the state Health Departments response to the coronavirus here. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Even as the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas had scrapped the Ram Navmi mela, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minsiter Yogi Adityanath, on March 25 performed special puja and shifted Ram Lalla from the makeshift temple in Ayodhya to another a pre-fabricated temple in the same premises. This came after Yogi administration cancelled the Ram Navami mela in wake of coronavirus. However, there was no participation of public in these rituals as a complete lockdown was announced by PM Modi on March 24. Ayodhya: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath shifted 'Ram Lalla' idol to a temporary structure near Manas Bhawan in Ram Janmabhoomi premises, till completion of the construction of Ram Temple. CM also presented a cheque of Rs 11 lakhs for the construction of the temple. pic.twitter.com/OwEX5j1oN6 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 24, 2020 Taking to Twitter, UP CM said that the first step towards the construction of Ram Mandir is completed. "The first phase of construction of the grand Ram temple was completed today, Maryada Purushottam Prabhu sits on a new pedestal on Shri Ram Tripa. Moved the idol of 'Ramalala' in a temporary structure near Manas Bhawan. For the construction of a grand temple 11 lakhs check has been presented," he said. ... , ... '' 11 pic.twitter.com/PWiAX8BQRR Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) March 25, 2020 Here are services that will remain operational and suspended under the 21-day lockdown PM Modi announces 21-day pan-India lockdown amid Coronavirus Amid the rising Coronavirus cases in India, PM Modi, on Tuesday, announced a 21-day curfew throughout India starting at midnight on Tuesday. He said that 21 days were necessary for breaking the transmission cycle of the pandemic. The 21-day curfew is applicable to all states, districts, and villages - irrespective of whether they are currently under curfew or not. Currently, India's positive cases stand at 519, with nine deaths. Coronavirus outbreak: PM Modi announces 21-day pan-India lockdown starting from midnight Coronavirus crisis in India As of March 25, 536 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) with Maharashtra reporting the highest at 106 and ten deaths have been reported. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and shut down over 32 states and Union territories. Complete lockdown imposed in India from March 25: Here are the guidelines India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. The government is monitoring all suspected cases and issued preventive advisories with states declaring the disease an epidemic shutting down all educational institutions, monuments, parks, gyms, swimming pools, pubs and banning large gatherings. All domestic airplanes and trains have ceased operation. Visit the official government here: MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 10:40:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest developments on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China: -- No new domestically transmitted cases of the COVID-19 were reported on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday. The National Health Commission received reports of 47 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, all of which were imported. -- Also on Tuesday, four deaths and 33 new suspected cases were reported on the mainland with three of the deaths reported in Hubei Province. A total of 491 people were discharged from the hospital after recovery on Tuesday, while the number of severe cases decreased by 174 to 1,399. -- By the end of Tuesday, 386 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 26 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 216 in Taiwan including two deaths. A total of 102 patients in Hong Kong, 10 in Macao and 29 in Taiwan had been discharged from the hospital after recovery. -- Hubei Province has lifted outbound travel restrictions in all areas except the capital city of Wuhan, local authorities said Tuesday. -- No new confirmed cases of the COVID-19 were reported Tuesday in Wuhan. -- Wuhan started to resume bus service after nine weeks of lockdown on Wednesday. -- Beijing reported five new confirmed cases of the COVID-19 from other countries on Tuesday. After temporarily suspending operations earlier in the day, Walmart-owned Flipkart will resume its grocery and essentials services after assurance of safe passage of its supply chain and delivery executives by local law enforcement authorities. Amazon said it was working with government authorities to enable it to deliver essential items. Flipkart, along with rival Amazon India's Pantry service, were suspended temporarily on Wednesday morning as India entered into a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. "We have been assured of the safe and smooth passage of our supply chain and delivery executives by local law enforcement authorities and are resuming our grocery and essentials services later today (Wednesday)," Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy said in a statement. He added that the company continues to strengthen its supply chain in a safe and secure manner for its employees and consumers alike, and will leverage its robust delivery network to make products available to customers across the country. Similarly, a note on Amazon India's Pantry page said, "Dear customers, due to local restrictions, we are not able to deliver. We are working with the government authorities to enable us to deliver essential items. We will communicate through e-mail/SMS when we have an update." It also offered customers the option of cancelling their order. E-commerce platforms have seen a manifold growth in orders on their platforms in India over the past few weeks as people logged online to stock up on food and household products as well as office items like routers and cables (to work from home) on concerns around spread of COVID-19 infection and restrictions in public movement that have now been enforced. Snapdeal, in a statement, said it is operational and working regionwise to complete as many deliveries of essential goods to customers as possible as per local operating conditions. "For the next few weeks, we will prioritise processing of essentials (orders relating to personal and home hygiene, safety, etc). We will continue to accept other orders too and are informing other buyers that these will be delivered once movement restrictions are lifted," it added. Snapdeal said authorities in various cities, including Delhi, Gurugram and Bengaluru have discussed operating issues with various e-commerce companies. "They have also started to roll out protocols which will allow essential operations to resume in a controlled manner," the statement added. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days, asserting that social distancing is the only way out for the country in its decisive battle against the coronavirus. More than 500 people have tested positive for coronavirus in India with around 10 deaths. Interestingly, Amazon India had on Tuesday said it has temporarily stopped taking orders and disabled shipment of low-priority products as it focuses on delivery of essential items like household staples, hygiene and other high-priority products. E-commerce players, including Amazon India and Milkbasket, have been facing disruption in delivery of even essential products to their customers. The government, however, in its notification has allowed delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment through e-commerce. Industry watchers have said there is an urgent need for uniform classification of essential items across various states, and that instructions need to flow down clearly to the last mile, where the delivery agents are facing issues. Industry experts also flagged challenges around movement of delivery personnel and staff, as well as interstate movement of goods amid lockdown across the country. Ananth Narayanan, CEO and co-founder of Medlife, said one of its delivery personnel in Delhi was hit by the cops on the way back to the fulfilment centre. "In the process he was injured and suffered bruises on his face and body. We now also have reports of similar incidents in Bangalore," he added. Narayanan said the indiscriminate use of force against personnel delivering items specifically exempted by the government during the shutdown, will disrupt services. "The essential services sector has to be free of harassment and violence. We request the state governments and concerned authorities to ensure that strict instructions are given to the police to permit delivery personnel with valid documentation perform their duties in these times of crisis," he said. Some e-commerce players are also urging the government to expand the scope of essential products beyond food items and medicines to include other products, like cable and routers that may be required for customers who are working from home. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Portland police are handling a noticeable spike in 911 calls involving suicide attempts or threats -- a possible sign that the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting anxiety and hardships are taking a toll on residents, mental health experts say. The number of suicide calls sent to police by emergency dispatchers rose 23 percent between March 12 and 22, compared to the prior 10 days before the citys coronavirus state of emergency, Police Chief Jami Resch reported Tuesday. Thats as the total number of 911 calls fell by 10 percent during the same period. Multnomah Countys crisis line and the nonprofit crisis-line call center Lines for Life didnt experience a corresponding increase in calls from people threatening suicide, their supervisors said. Yet Dwight Holton, Lines for Lifes chief executive officer, said Tuesday, "We all expect volume to increase, and were preparing for it.'' Greg Borders, Lines for Lifes chief clinical officer, said the agencys call takers are seeing more calls involving peoples fear, anxiety and depression over the new COVID-19, uncertainty regarding personal finances and the general upheaval in their routines. Most of Lines for Lifes approximately 80 call takers are working remotely, still taking calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When a caller reaches Lines for Life, "We tell people that they did a great job by reaching out,'' Borders said. "This is a time where it seems the message is to isolate,'' he said. "But I think the message is more important now than ever not to isolate.'' Borders and other mental health experts urge people to find creative ways to reach out to friends and family or other support services. Leticia Sainz, interim deputy director of Multnomah Countys behavioral health division that runs the countys crisis line, said the start of spring is always a time of increased mental health challenges and generates a busy call load. The countys crisis line is taking more than 200 calls a day, about 75,000 calls a year. "I would say our call volume is up slightly, but its such a typically busy time for us anyway,'' Sainz said. "I dont know if we have enough data yet to say, Oh, its because of the coronavirus.'' The crisis line has about 30 staff, and callers are working at the county office in rotating shifts, their work stations further apart from one another. Workers with the countys Project Respond are continuing to provide their mobile mental health crisis services on the citys streets. "This is such a tough time for everyone. Everyone who is a human being on the planet. None of us are immune to this feeling of anxiety and stress,'' Sainz said. "I think were still really seeing the beginnings of the effects of this.'' Chris Bouneff, executive director of the Oregon chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said amid the coronavirus scare "just attending to mental health seems like a luxury in some ways.'' His agency and other mental health providers are rushing to make the in-person, peer-support groups they facilitate across the state continue via Zoom or other technology. So its taking a model of support and education to some 14,000 people around the state and putting it all online in the matter of days,'' he said. Were going as old school as doing phone trees" to continue provide support to people, Bouneff said. Behavioral health isnt as technologically advanced as other areas of care, he said. "You cant find tele-health in behavioral health,'' he said. "Its a huge game of catchup for everybody in our world. The speed that we can adopt will be really critical to meeting peoples needs so you dont see people needlessly suffering.'' As for the police calls, Bouneff said its hard to explain the increase in suicidal threat or attempt calls: "Are people so scared theyre not reaching out for help? Are they suffering in silence?'' Bouneff anticipates people hurting more in the future, likening the coronavirus pandemic to a natural disaster. If this nears a large disaster like Hurricane Katrina, there is a flood coming, he said. "I think were all preparing for that.'' RESOURCES: Multnomah County Mental Health Call Center : 503-988-4888; toll-free, 1-800-716-9769; Hearing-impaired dial 711 Lines for Life crisis line call center : 1-800-273-8255, or Text 273TALK to 839863 National Alliance for Mental Illness Oregon chapters helpline: 1-800-343-6264 -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Subscribe to Facebook page Some strategies for combatting the spread of coronavirus probably wouldn't go down to well in America. Such as banging on people's doors and threatening them if their phone goes dark and they can't be tracked. My phone, which is satellite-tracked by the Taiwan gov to enforce quarantine, ran out of battery at 7:30 AM. By 8:15, four different units called me. By 8:20, the police were knocking at my door. Milo Hsieh (@MiloHsieh) March 22, 2020 My phone briefly ran out of battery at 07:30, and in less than an hour, four different local administrative units had called. A patrol was dispatched to check my whereabouts. A text was sent notifying that the government had lost track of me, and warned me of potential arrest if I had broken quarantine. I returned to Taiwan last Thursday to experience the island's zero-risk take on coronavirus. Since I was coming back from Europe, I am subjected to a mandatory 14 days home quarantine. Before I had my passport checked, I had to pass through a booth set up by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. I filled out a document detailing places I had visited in the last fortnight, my phone number, landline and address. They notified me that my phone would be "satellite-tracked" for enforcement. A thought to consider: the more the current administration in the U.S. bungles it, the more reasonable it will seem to propose draconian, unconstitutional measures to prevent disaster. Trump and the GOP have always wanted those things, so coronavirus creates a perverse incentive for them to cultivate crisis. Another way of putting it: Republicans saying the old should die to save America aren't concerned about election prospects. A city in China has drafted a new law to punish those who abuse or abandon their pet dogs. Offenders would be issued a financial fine of up to 600, according to the regulations proposed by Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province. The news comes after community officers around China were accused of killing stray and pet dogs to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. It also comes after some dogs were abandoned by their owners who feared that their pets could pick up the virus and then spread to them. Lawmakers in Guangzhou have proposed that those who abandon or abuse dogs should be fined up to 600. They are collecting public opinions before reviewing the proposal Local lawmakers are waiting for feedback from the public before reviewing the suggested legislation. According to the proposal, any organisation which is found guilty of abusing or abandoning dogs should be fined 5,000 yuan (600); while any offending individual should be fined 2,000 yuan (240) for their actions. The relevant pet would be confiscated or sent to a shelter by authorities, and the owners pet-keeping license would be revoked, the document said. While China has laws to safeguard land-based and aquatic wildlife, it currently lacks legislation to protect animal welfare or to prevent cruelty towards animals. If the drafted law gets passed by Guangzhou lawmakers, it would mark an important milestone in the protection of the well-being of pets in the country. The public can contact the authority to give their opinions on the drafted law before April 20 The recommended legislation was posted by the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Guangzhou, a major decision-making body, on its website on Friday. The document also sets out a series of updated regulations on the citys pet owners. Other proposed rules include a maximum of 2,000 yuan (239) fine for those who keep dogs without a license and up to 200 yuan (24) fine for those who walk their dogs without a lead. It also stipulates the strict enforcement of the one-dog-per-family policy. The public can contact the authority to give their opinions on the drafted law before April 20. Officials said they would review the document in the second half of May. She propped her laptop on her pillows a makeshift desk on top of a makeshift bed and started her midmorning routine. She fine-tuned plans for a nonprofit she wants to start to help people navigate situations like her own. She perused posts for apartments she could not yet afford. She applied for jobs online. The job search website Indeed indicated that she had applied for 514 jobs since November, when she left her husband in Florida over financial disagreements and moved in with a friend in a house in Chatham. Weeks later, the owner of that home suddenly died and a relative sold the house, leaving Ms. Goode and her children with nowhere to go in the dead of winter. For two weeks, they slept in the friends Nissan Altima, until Ms. Goode was approved for state assistance and placed at the Quality Inn. Her resume reflected a versatile work history. She was a culinary services director at a senior living facility in Tampa, Fla. Before that, an operations manager at a hotel. And before that, an outreach specialist at a health center in Baltimore. But of 514 applications, only a few had resulted in a meaningful response. One promising response came on March 12 from a before- and after-school program in Morris County, N.J., asking Ms. Goode to come in for an interview. Then, last week, another email arrived. Because the schools were closed, the program had suspended in-person interviewing. The message included an offer to set up a telephone interview. Ms. Goode replied, saying she would like to do a phone interview. A week later, there was still no response. Nearly 70 drugs and experimental compounds may be effective in treating the coronavirus, a team of researchers reported Sunday night. Some of the medications are already used to treat other diseases, and repurposing them to treat COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, maybe faster than trying to invent a new anti-viral from scratch, the scientists said. The list of drug candidates appeared in a study published on bioRxiv website. The researchers have submitted the paper to a journal for publication. To come up with the list, hundreds of researchers embarked on an unusual study of the genes of the coronavirus, also called SARS-CoV-2. To infect a lung cell, the coronavirus must insert its genes, co-opting the cells own genetic machinery. The cell begins to produce viral proteins, which are used to produce millions of new viruses. Each of those viral proteins must be able to latch onto the necessary human proteins for the process to work. In the new study, the scientists investigated 26 of the coronavirus 29 genes, which direct production of the viral proteins. Researchers found 332 human proteins targeted by the coronavirus. Some viral proteins seemed to target just one human protein; other viral proteins are capable of targeting a dozen human cellular proteins. Researchers sought drugs that also latch onto the human proteins that the coronavirus seems to need to enter and replicate in human cells. The team eventually identified 24 drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat such seemingly unrelated diseases as cancer, Parkinsons disease and hypertension. On the list were such unexpected candidates as haloperidol, used to treat schizophrenia, and metformin, taken by people with Type 2 diabetes. Investigators also found candidates among compounds that are now in clinical trials or that are the subject of early research. Intriguingly, some of the possible treatments are drugs used to attack parasites. And the list includes antibiotics that kill bacteria by gumming up the cellular machinery they use to build proteins. But some of those drugs also attach to human proteins. The new study raises the possibility that this side effect might turn out to be an anti-viral treatment. One drug on the list, chloroquine, kills the single-celled parasite that causes malaria. Scientists have long known that it can also attach to a human cellular protein called the sigma-1 receptor. And that receptor is also the target of the virus. Chloroquine has been much in the news this past week, thanks to speculation about its use against the coronavirus some of which was repeated by President Donald Trump at a news briefing at the White House on Friday. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, followed the presidents remarks with a warning that there was only anecdotal evidence that chloroquine might work. Also read: Coronavirus Outbreak: Hydroxychloroquine trials offer glimmer of hope, but experts warn drug is no magic bullet Only well-run trials could establish whether chloroquine was safe and effective against the coronavirus, Fauci said. On Wednesday, the World Health Organization announced it would begin a trial on chloroquine, among other drugs. And Sunday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York announced that the state had obtained a large amount of chloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin to start its own drug trial. Nevan Krogan, a biologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who led the new study, warned that chloroquine might have many toxic side effects, because the drug appears to target many human cellular proteins. You need to be careful, he said. We need more data at every level. Krogans collaborators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and the Pasteur Institute in Paris have started testing 22 of the other compounds on the list against live coronavirus grown in their laboratories. On Sunday night, they were still awaiting the first results. Carl Zimmer. c.2020 The New York Times Company ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- Aleksandra Krylenkova is a human rights activist with a long track record. In recent months, she has been campaigning in support of the defendants in the so-called Network (Set) case, a terrorism prosecution that many believe was trumped up by the Federal Security Service. She has also publicized alleged human rights abuses in Ukraine's Crimea region, which was seized by Russia in 2014. Now, like the rest of the world, Krylenkova is turning her attention to the COVID-19 pandemic. "I have already spoken to everyone who lives in my part of our building," she told RFE/RL, arguing that for Russia to cope with the rapidly unfolding situation, civil society must play new and more active roles. She quickly created a group called Covidarnost, a portmanteau word combining COVID with the Russian word for "solidarity." The new organization's slogan is "Solidarity Is Contagious." The grassroots group -- which includes activists, lawyers, doctors, psychologists, computer programmers, and others -- aims to identify, network, and assist local "initiative groups" around the country. It is developing standardized informational handouts and protocols under which volunteers can safely help the elderly and other vulnerable categories of people through the coronavirus crisis period. Krylenkova said Covidarnost plans to open a telephone hotline to provide psychological and legal counseling through the crisis period. Officially, Russia had registered 658 COVID-19 cases and no fatalities as of March 25, but the country's coronavirus task force acknowledged two deaths, describing the victims as elderly patients suffering from pneumonia and complications. (The Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, which monitors the global spread of the virus, now lists three deaths in Russia, including those two fatalities and one death that officials later said was caused by a blood clot.) Even as they rise, many in Russia are skeptical Under the two decades of President Vladimir Putin's rule, Russia's nascent post-Soviet civil society has come under sharp attack. Some independent organizations have been forced to register as "foreign agents" and have been cut off from many key domestic and foreign funding sources. Activists have been harassed, attacked, jailed, and fined across the country. In addition, Kremlin-friendly pseudo-nongovernmental organizations -- so-called governmental nongovernmental organizations, or GONGOs -- have been set up to marginalize genuine grassroots initiatives. Projects like Krylenkova's already face "competition" from All Together 2020 (Myvmeste2020), an apparently similar volunteer organization created by the All-Russia Popular Front (ONF), a Kremlin-created vehicle that supports Putin and often acts as a partner to the ruling United Russia party. The All Together 2020 project is a joint effort with the state-friendly nongovernmental Russia-Land Of Possibilities organization that "was created in 2018 at the initiative of President Vladimir Putin" and the Presidential Grant Fund. Call To Action In a Facebook post on March 20, Krylenkova argued that people shouldn't rely on mass programs with armies of volunteers under the current circumstances. "We must all help one another," she wrote. "I have already begun. Join me!" Others are quickly responding to the challenges as well. Russian Internet portal Mail.ru has created downloadable sample forms for people who are willing to help their neighbors with groceries or medicines. "Let's join together to help," runs the company's call to action. A neighborhood group in the St. Petersburg region of Chyornaya Rechka has created a similar project, urging the elderly to contact them for help. "We, your neighbors, care about you!" the group's form says. "Our active team is about 10 people and altogether there are about 30 participants," said organizer Pavel Chuprunov. "Previously we organized garbage clean-ups and election monitoring, and stuff like that. We started our [coronavirus] campaign just recently, and people are responding well, although I personally have only helped two elderly women." "Each activist has been assigned a residential block," he continued. "The main thing now is to tell the elderly that they have this opportunity to get help. If they use it or not, that is up to them." Also in St. Petersburg, the legal-aid NGO Agora on March 19 opened a hotline to provide legal assistance in matters arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first few days of the project, more than 150 people have called for consultation. Many of the inquiries are about the conditions of quarantine and the penalties for violating them or about procedures for getting refunds for cancelled travel plans. In addition, callers have asked about forced hospitalization, freedom-of-speech issues, and questions about the conduct of police officers. "We had to get involved," Agora spokesman Vadim Meshcheryakov told RFE/RL, "since the pandemic is affecting such a large number of people. We decided to start this project because Russia does not have any centers -- state or private -- to provide legal assistance to citizens." 'Abandoned' In Quarantine Agora lawyer Stanislav Seleznyov says many of the callers are people in quarantine who feel abandoned without information. "As a rule, these are people who voluntarily reported themselves and checked into a hospital," Seleznyov said. "Now they are in quarantine and are given no information. Or they are given contradictory information. Some of them gave samples for testing three, four, 10, or 15 days ago and still have no results. They have not been released and they have not been told if their tests came back positive or negative." Agora is aggregating such information and reporting it to the Health Ministry. Another grassroots initiative has been an online petition calling for a moratorium on mortgage payments until at least May 20. More than 160,000 people had signed it as of March 25. "More than 3.5 million of the most economically active Russian citizens cannot remain at home because they are required to make monthly mortgage payments," the petition argues. "Mortgage holidays reduce stress and help people extend their planning horizon so that they can stay home and get through the peak [infection] period." Another project, Antijob.net, has set itself the task of protecting workers during the COVID-19 pandemic by collecting information about unsustainable working conditions and advocating that people working under "self-employment" or other similar agreements be given legal work contracts and the protections they entail. "The current situation is grotesque," said project organizer Andrei Malygin. "People who want to do what they can to contain the virus by staying home cannot afford to self-isolate or even to stay home when they are sick or even to get proper rest on the weekends." On March 20, Internet giant Yandex set a precedent by announcing it would provide financial assistance to its drivers and couriers who are infected or ordered into quarantine. The Alliance of Doctors and Action are independent associations of medical professionals that have been informing authorities about the lack of preparations in many hospitals, including critical shortages of medical masks. Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson based on reporting from St. Petersburg by correspondents Lyubov Chizhova and Aleksandr Litoi of the North Desk of RFE/RL's Russian Service Boeings 777X jet takes off for its first flight in January. (GeekWire Photo / Alan Boyle) Even as Boeing begins a 14-day production shutdown in the Puget Sound due to the coronavirus outbreak, the aerospace giant is in line for a financial booster shot, thanks to provisions in the $2 trillion relief package drawn up in the Senate. Boeings stock ended the trading session with a 24% gain. Airline stocks rose as well, thanks to $50 billion in promised loans and grants for passenger airlines, and another $8 billion for cargo carriers. The Senate bill, which hasnt yet come up for a vote and could still undergo revision, doesnt specifically call out Boeing. But it does set aside $17 billion in loans for businesses that are considered critical to maintaining national security. Sources told The Washington Post that this provision was meant to cover Boeings needs, although other companies could be eligible for some of that aid. That $17 billion by itself doesnt fully address Boeings request for $60 billion in assistance. Other sources of funding public as well as private could fill the gap. Coronavirus Live Updates: The latest COVID-19 developments in Seattle and the world of tech Boeing CEO David Calhoun signaled that the company had other options for getting through its current financial troubles during a Fox News interview on Tuesday. When Calhoun was asked about giving the federal government an equity stake in the company in exchange for receiving assistance, he said he didnt care for the idea. If they force it, we just look at all the other options, and weve got plenty of them, Calhoun said. Boeing has been dealing with coronavirus-related setbacks that range from air travel restrictions to sick employees in the Puget Sound region, which has been hit particularly hard by the outbreak. As of today, the company is suspending airplane production operations for 14 days at its factories in Everett and Renton, as well as its airplane maintenance operations at Moses Lake in Central Washington. Story continues The outbreak isnt Boeings only challenge. Its also dealing with the continued worldwide grounding of its 737 MAX airplanes, which led to the suspension of 737 MAX production in Renton in January. Even with todays upward jump, Boeings share price is less than half of what it was at the start of the year. Sources have told Reuters that Boeing is currently planning to restart 737 MAX production in May, and is targeting the fleets return to service at midyear. But that timetable depends on how the outbreak develops over the weeks ahead, and on how quickly regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration and its counterparts around the world sign off on the fixes that Boeing has made in the wake of two catastrophic 737 MAX crashes. Like Boeing, airlines have been feeling the effects of the lockdowns and travel restrictions that have been put into place to slow the spread of the virus outbreak. International passenger flights have been almost completely suspended, and domestic travel has dried up as well. The levels of assistance built into the Senates $2 trillion relief package largely reflect what the airlines were asking for, and that provided a boost to share prices. Seattle-based Alaska Airs shares ended the trading session in the $30 range at midday, which was a 3% rise over the previous days close. Shares in American Airlines, United and Delta recorded double-digit percentage gains. Update for 2:20 p.m. PT March 25: This report has been updated with closing stock prices. More from GeekWire: All private and public sector banks in the country will remain open during the 21-day lockdown announced by the Prime Minister of India. However, almost all the bank branches will be open for limited hours only. In order to reduce public gathering, the banks have urged their customers to avail net-banking or mobile banking services in case of non-essential activities during this period. The country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) stated that its branches will be opened for only 3 to 4 hours during the lockdown. On normal days, the SBI branches are open for at least 7 hours. SBI MD PK Gupta, in a TV channel interview, advised customers to adopt digital banking and visit bank branches only for essential services. Gupta also stated that almost 21,000 SBI branches will remain open and ATMs will also remain functional during the 3-week lockdown. SBI, in a tweet, also said, "Our 54,585 customer service points (CSPs) are up and running 15.22 lakh customers served by CSP workforce". Additionally, SBI has announced to commit 0.25% of its annual profit (FY 2020-21) to fight the COVID-19 outbreak in India through CSR funding. Also read: Coronavirus in India Live Updates: 4 new cases in Maharashtra, 5 in Tamil Nadu; tally reaches 568 Private lender Kotak Mahindra bank urged its customers to go for digital banking in case of non-essential activities. "We request you to use Mobile/Net Banking & ATM for 24x7 access to your account," Kotak Bank said. It also informed that between March 23 and March 31, the bank's branches will provide services from 10 am to 2 pm. "Due to COVID-19 and as a measure of abundant caution, our branches and customer contact centre is working with fewer staff. From March 23 to March 31 our branches will be serviceable from 10 am to 2 pm," Kotak Bank tweeted. The bank also added that customer care services will be available from 10 am to 6 pm. Government-owned Union Bank of India has stated that it will provide support to all its existing customers through 'Covid Emergency Line of Credit (CELC)'- a service launched by the bank to provide additional credit facilities to the customers for handling liquidity issues amid the outbreak. Besides, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that debit cardholders will be able to withdraw cash for free from any other bank's ATM till June 30. She also waived off the minimum balance fee charged from customers till June 30. Sitharaman also directed all banks to reduce charges on digital transactions for all trade finance customers till June 30. Also read: Covid-19 impact: Barclays cuts India's GDP target to 2.5%, fiscal deficit to 5% of GDP Also read: Coronavirus impact: World's medical glove capital struggles with lockdown GUILDERLAND A ventilator used to keep teenage assault victim Adeujuan Adams alive is being returned to its supplier years later in the hope it will help COVID-19 victims survive. The Guilderland Police Department kept Adeujuan's' ventilator in storage after the teen died at 16 in 2013. He was attacked in Albany South End the year before and the Capital Region rallied around his case to pay to get him life-saving medical care in Georgia. He came home but died of complications the following year. The Albany County District Attorney's office says the police held on to the ventilator in hopes electronic evidence could eventually be downloaded from it but its manufacturer was doubtful that could be done and the device remained in storage for seven years. With coronavirus raging and a shortage of ventilators imperiling patients' lives, police took the machine out of its evidence collection and returned it to its original supplier in the hope it will be used to care for COVID-19 patients. Police returned ventilator Tuesday to equipment supplier Landauer Medstar in the Bronx. "This young mans life was tragically cut short, but the hopes that a device that once brought him some relief could be re-purposed to assist others is nothing short of extraordinary," Albany County District Attorney David Soares said. "I sincerely thank the Guilderland Police Department for their ingenuity and desire to go above and beyond in this time of crisis." Live updates from the Capital Region Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Adeujuan's killer said he never could explain why he killed the teen. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Juan "Killa" Anderson plunged a knife into the neck of the teen on May 25, 2012. The wound eventually took the teenager's life. Adeujuan, a ninth-grader who attended Harriet Tubman Democratic High School in Albany, was attacked because Anderson wanted his bicycle. He punched and kicked Adams while he lay bleeding on the ground. Anderson, who pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, is serving 18 years in state prison. Anderson, who is now 26, is eligible for parole in 2027. At the time of the sentencing, prosecutors said Adeujuan harbored no animosity toward Anderson and did not want Anderson to spend any more than 18 years in prison. "I just want to ask him why," the teen asked prosecutors. Steven Dick, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Budapest, has died after contracting coronavirus, the Foreign Office said on Wednesday. The 37-year-old diplomat died in Hungary on Tuesday, it said in a statement. He had served as Deputy British Ambassador to Hungary since December, according to a biography published on the UK governments website. Dick, an Arabic speaker who had worked for some years in Kabul and Riyadh, took up his post in Hungary last year. It is not known if he had any underlying medical conditions. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: I am desperately saddened by the news of Stevens death and my heart goes out to his parents Steven and Carol. Steven was a dedicated diplomat and represented his country with great skill and passion. He will be missed by all those who knew him and worked with him. SOURCE: REUTERS Midland County recorded its sixth positive case for the coronavirus on Wednesday, information the Midland County Health Department learned Wednesday morning. None of the people in the six cases is hospitalized, said Fred Yanoski, Midland County Public Health director/health officer. "They are doing well and improving with their disease with fairly manageable symptoms," Yanoski said. "The investigations are fairly all complete and we're just following them for 14 days to see if they develop symptoms." The state, at its daily afternoon update, added 507 new positive cases on Wednesday along with 19 deaths. Michigan now has 2,295 positive cases and 43 deaths. Bay County had another case bringing its total to three. The third case, an adult male, is currently hospitalized at a local health care facility, according to a late afternoon press release from the Bay County Health Department. There were no new cases reported in Gladwin and Isabella counties, which have two cases each. Midland County Department of Public Health continues to encourage residents to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19: Continue to practice social distancing as recommended by Federal, State and Local Officials Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash Disinfect commonly touched surfaces Stay home when you are sick Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. We cannot stress enough how important it is for our community to be diligent in their community mitigation efforts," Yanoski said. "We know that COVID-19 is in our community, and our residents can make a huge impact on slowing the spread of disease by following the recommended precautions." If you think you've been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your health care provider for medical advice. If he/she isn't available, call MidMichigan Urgent Care in Midland at 989- 633-1350 or MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland's Emergency Department at 989-839-3100. MidMichigan Health has a COVID-19 informational hotline with a reminder of CDC guidelines and recommendations. The hotline can be reached toll-free at 800-445-7356 or 989-794-7600. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also has a hotline number for Michigan residents for questions about COVID-19. The number is 1-888-535-6136 and is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can also send an e-mail to: COVID19@michigan.gov. E-mails will be answered seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you are feeling anxious, stressed, depressed and feel you need to talk to someone, reach out to Community Mental Health for Central Michigan by calling 800-317-0708. California Governor Gavin Newsom reported Wednesday that 1 million residents have filed for unemployment since March 13. With unemployment skyrocketing and individuals struggling to make ends meet, Newsom said four of the nation's largest banks have agreed to temporarily suspend mortgage payments for those affected by the coronavirus. Wells Fargo Citibank, JP Morgan Chase and US Bank have all agreed to the 90-day grace period. "Unfortunately Bank of America didn't publicly commit to that," Newsom said during a press conference. "They committed to just 30 days. I hope they will reconsider." The news comes after Congress reached a deal with the Trump administration on a stimulus package that will increase unemployment benefits by $600 per week on top of what the state provides. Newsom addressed ways the state is preparing for the spread of the virus by securing more medical equipment for healthcare workers and hospitals. The state has distributed 24.5 million N95 masks and 100 million more masks, 150,000 testing kits, 1,225 ventilators and 2,000 hospital beds are on their way to the state. "This herculean effort is taking real shape," he said. The state has 2,535 infected patients and Newsom said the number of cases between Tuesday and Wednesday went up 17%. Of the state's positive tests, 51% are age 18 to 49. "Don't think for a second that we're a day or two from lifting that order," he said. "We're not. We're not even a week or two." He encouraged residents to obey the shelter-in-place order and stay home except for essential needs. "We can bend the curve," he said. We can defeat this virus but we cant defeat it unless we commit to our individual obligations. These stay-at-home orders are real. They are a bipartisan order. This is not a rural order. It is not a Democratic order or a Republican order. Lets meet this moment all the way through. Halfway is no way." The Associated Press contributed to this story. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. The COVID-19 epidemic has affected the Vietnamese economy, including the construction sector. The construction sector has been affected by the COVID-19 epidemic Le Duc Tho, deputy general director of Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No 4 (Cienco4) said like many other businesses in the country, Cienco4 is being affected by the pandemic. The biggest issue for construction enterprises such as Cienco4 is access to construction materials, Tho told the Phap Luat Vietnam (Vietnam Law) newspaper. Some items could be purchased in Vietnam such as cement, sand and gravel, but many materials such as steel billets and other steel products must be imported from abroad, he added. He also said that the working pace has begun to slow down at some construction sites. "Despite this, we still mobilise the maximum number of workers to ensure progress," said the Cienco4 leader. Do Hoai Dong, general director of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUD) under the Ministry of Construction, said that the pandemic affects the whole economy, so it has a negative impact on the real estate market. However, this effect is dependent on the spread of the disease in the near future, he noted. Due to the complex development of the disease, HUD has issued a written request to its member units to seek solutions for its employees, allowing workers to work from home. "Currently, the corporation is working to evaluate the full impact of the epidemic to adjust the production and business plan this year," Dong said. HUD would speak to member companies, and then propose solutions to relevant ministries and branches, he added./.VNA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is always on the lookout for asteroids which poses a possible threat to life on the planet. These asteroids, known as "Potentially Hazardous Asteroids," are near-Earth asteroids which have passed a certain threshold and are considered dangerous. In light of this, the space agency in the United States stated that there is one of those NEAs that is set to pass Earth on Thursday, March 26, hurling at a speed of 53,000 mph. The asteroid known as 2012 XA133, measures around 1,280 feet wide and is enough to cause a possible catastrophic impact on Earth if it collides with the planet. However, NASA engineers have calculated based on the asteroid's trajectory that it will pass through the planet safely. Based on their calculations, NASA believes that the asteroid will pass 0.04453 astronomical units (AU) or around 4.1 million miles from the Earth's center. NASA explained that Near Earth Objects, (NEOs) occasionally approach the earth as they orbit the sun. But they also noted that a close passage from the astronomical point of view can be very far away in human terms. Read also: Scientist Blast Small Cannonball on Asteroid Ryugu, Showing New Relevant Data Aside from NASA, the asteroid is also being tracked by the European Space Agency (ESA). Whilst the said asteroid is only one of the six asteroids that are being tracked by the space organizations this week, it is the only one that falls in the parameters of being considered as potentially hazardous. As if we didnt have enough to worry about already: NASA Warns 6 Asteroids To Approach Earth This Week https://t.co/KF07NEezwY Jeffrey Schweers (@jeffschweers) March 24, 2020 NASA further explained that PHAs are defined based on certain parameters that measure their potential to cause a life-threatening approach on the planet. They further added that there are about 100 tons of interplanetary materials that fall down to the surface of the Earth on a daily basis. Moreover, they indicated that the majority of the larger interplanetary materials that reach the planet's surface come from the fragments caused by the collision of asteroids that ran into each other eons ago. How often do these PHAs pass through Earth? However, the agency is not go into detail on what could possibly happen if these PHAs end up colliding against the Earth. They only stated that these rocky or iron asteroids that reach Earth's surface and cause local disasters or produce tidal waves that can wipe out coastal areas happen only in an average interval of about 10,000 years. In addition, it was also stated that asteroids larger that one kilometer and cause cataclysmic global disasters only com every several hundred thousand years. If such an impact happens, the debris would spread throughout the planet's atmosphere and cause acid rains, partial blocking of sunlight and possible firestorms from the impact debris raining back down on the surface. NASA also stated that since the orbital paths of these asteroids often cross the Earth's own orbital path, it is important for space agencies to keep track of these events. They also said that there is still the possibility of the asteroids colliding with the planet since it has already happened in the past. Thus, it is prudent to give more effort into studying these objects and to keep an eye on their future trajectories. Related article: NASA Could Return to Uranus, Neptune in a Planetary Alignment by 2030 @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The HSE's head of public health in the south is self-isolating after he visited England last weekend to say goodbye to his wife and child as they face what could be several months apart. Dr Augustine Pereira, a key figure in the region's response to the Covid-19 crisis, is symptom free but said he is following HSE guidance and will spend 14-days working from home. He said in the interim, a colleague will act as director of public health in the region. Dr Pereira works in Cork while his wife, an NHS employee, and their eight-year-old son, live in the UK. As the Covid-19 crisis was escalating here last Friday, Dr Pereira was quoted in a joint statement issued by the HSE, Cork city and county councils and the gardai urging everyone to play their part in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. That afternoon, he posted the first two of three planned tweets from his own Twitter account highlighting HSE public health guidance. His first tweet promoted self-isolation and social distancing. The second tweet, moments later, urged people to connect with each other in innovative ways, and to ensure physical distancing while continuing to socially connect. The third tweet was posted almost 24-hours later, in which he said three things were important. "Social distancing, social distancing and social distancing. Thanks to all who area religious about it. It saves lives," he wrote. But he has now confirmed that the tweets were posted while he was in England with his family. In an statement to the Irish Examiner, Dr Pereira said he travelled to the UK due to "an urgent family matter". He said the trip "unfortunately overlapped" with the introduction of the new guidance on international travel from the National Public Health Emergency Team and the Department of Foreign Affairs. "The situation around Covid-19 is evolving and changing very quickly, and after my return I am currently restricting my movements for 14 days - sometimes referred to as self-quarantine - as recommended by the HSE guidelines," he said. "This means that I am not travelling into work and am following the national guidelines for anyone returning from travel. "As a consequence, I am working remotely on projects that lend itself to remote working, away from the Department of Public Health and under self-quarantine. I remain symptom free which means I do not require a test whilst self-quarantining and am still working as my priority is to serve the people of Cork and Kerry. As the Irish and British governments impose tight restrictions on travel and movement, Dr Pereira and his family face several months apart. He said: "My son was particularly upset at the prospect of not knowing when he would see me again but I explained to him about what is going on and why I had to say goodbye for now. "I am now back in Ireland, and I intend to remain here and devote myself entirely to the HSEs battle against Covid-19. May I take this opportunity to say it isnt easy to self-quarantine whilst remaining symptom free but its vitally important to follow the HSE guidance if you have been advised to do so. "This will help the health service to be able to respond to the demand on its service and it will save lives. "Like many other families, my family will keep in touch using phones and technology for the foreseeable future. "And whilst we are all physically distancing from friends and family, can I also make this plea to all to socially connect in new and innovative ways." The HSE guidance on self-isolation is outlined here [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] A major west coast retail fish supplier has pledged to sell only Irish-caught fish and shellfish during the current Covid-19 restrictions to support the Irish inshore fleet. Parisian-born Stefan Griesbach of Gannet Fishmongers in Galway says that he is out the door with online orders and the current crisis is an opportunity for the Irish inshore fleet to reassert itself. Larger vessels rely on export markets for the longer trips, involving substantial fuel bills, while the inshore sector is ideally placed to ensure fresh food is supplied to the domestic Irish market, Mr Griesbach noted. Mr Griesbach, whose 15-year-old company is using 100% compostable and sustainable packaging, was commenting during a week when a dramatic collapse in export markets for seafood has hit the Irish whitefish fleet. There have also been Read More: Seven Irish fishing organisations have condemned what they described as blockades in the south-west, and said that such protests were alarmist and unnecessary. The seven groups, including the Killybegs Fishermens Organisation, the Irish Fish Producers Organisation, and Castletownbere Fishermens Co-Op, said that they enjoyed cordial relationships with French and Spanish counterparts, and there was a need to maintain a seafood supply to both Irish and European markets. The statement was welcomed by Minister for Marine Michael Creed, who said it was vital for all of us at this time to keep critical food supply lines, such as fishing activity, open and functioning through this period. The Department of Transport is requiring all vessels entering Irish ports to furnish a maritime declaration of health at least 24 hours ahead of arrival, and entry may be refused in a case of incomplete reporting. Speaking in a personal capacity, south-west fishing industry representative Patrick Murphy said a lack of communication by the authorities had prompted the protests, which were fuelled by fear. I wont condemn any communities for expressing their fears, in the absence of proper communication, Mr Murphy said. He said the seven organisations and Mr Creed were now needlessly escalating a situation with their statements. Sir James Dyson is poised to kickstart production of a ventilator for the NHS and is waiting for the government to rubber stamp the project as manufacturers join the fight against coronavirus. Dyson is believed to have submitted proposals to ministers which would see vital artificial respirators built at a site on the former RAF Hullavington base in Wiltshire. The base is a stone's throw away from the company's Malmesbury headquarters and had been earmarked by Dyson for the production of electric cars. But the company believes a unit there can be quickly transformed to build ventilators. Sir James Dyson, pictured in October 2018, is said to be waiting for government approval for his plans to build ventilators for the NHS Matt Hancock, pictured in 10 Downing Street yesterday, issued a 'call to arms' to manufacturers earlier this month to help build the artificial respirators Downing Street said yesterday the NHS currently has an estimated 8,000 of the machines on the frontline. Numbers have been boosted after the government moved to import more from abroad and brought in some from private hospitals. Number 10 said it wants to add another 5,000 to the frontline in the coming weeks and manufacturers like Dyson are likely to be crucial in increasing supply. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said earlier this month that ventilators were the 'big thing' needed in the treatment of the deadly respiratory disease. He said the NHS will need 'many times more' of the machines than it currently has and that 'it is not possible to produce too many', promising the government will buy all those which are made. The government issued a 'call to arms' to manufacturers to help and sources told The Times that the Cabinet Office, which is leading the push, has received offers from 3,000 firms. The newspaper said Sir James is hopeful of quickly moving to large scale production of the ventilators with the billionaire entrepreneur apparently taking a 'hands on' role in the process. The Cabinet Office is believed to be weighing up a number of bids for the production of so-called Rapidly Manufactured Ventilator Systems but Dyson and the Ventilator Challenge UK consortium are thought to be the frontrunners. A spokesman for Dyson said: 'We have deployed expertise in air movement, motors, power systems, manufacturing and supply chain and are working with medical technology and development company TTP. 'Together we have been working around the clock. We are conducting a full, regulated medical device development, including testing in humans and we are scaling up for volume.' It came as the Welsh government backed plans drawn up by a consultant anaesthetist, Rhys Thomas, to build a ventilator for people who are not in intensive care. The plans for the machine were reportedly drawn up in just three days. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Proteins are the basic building blocks of the body and are capable of performing a variety of functions such as DNA replication, responding to stimuli, transportation of molecules, catalyzing metabolic reactions, and other physiological processes. Altering, modifying, or reconstructing proteins can facilitate a diverse range of diagnosis and t6raetment development. Protein engineering is a field of science which involves the synthesis of new proteins or amendment in existing ones to bring about desired healthcare outcomes. Protein engineering has evolved to become an imperative tool in pharmaceutical, green chemistry, and biotechnology industry. Market Research Future (MRFR) has published an in-depth report on the global protein engineering market value , stating that the market is likely to expand at CAGR of 6.2% over the forecast period of 20172023. The protein engineering market is driven by accelerated R&D activities, and intensifying need to come up with new biological compounds and improve healthcare outcomes. The governments of multiple countries are extending support for protein engineering in the form of R&D grants, which is anticipated to bolster the growth of the market. However, the high cost of instruments used in protein engineering and the dearth of trained research personnel be obstructive to the growth of the market. Segmentation The protein engineering market has been segmented based on type, method, application, and end-user. By type, the protein engineering market has been segmented into instrument, reagents, and services and software. By method, the protein engineering market has been segmented into rational protein design and directed evolution. By application, the protein engineering market has been segmented into food and detergent industries, environment applications, medical applications, biopolymer production, and nanobiotechnology. By end-user, the protein engineering market has been segmented into academic research institutes, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies, and contract engineering organizations. Regional Analysis Region-wise, the protein engineering market has been segmented into North America, the Middle East & Africa (MEA), Europe, and Asia Pacific (APAC). North America is the dominant protein engineering market. The expansion of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry in the region is creating a supportive dais for the growth of the protein engineering market. In addition, the availability of technologically advanced devices and instruments for R&D activities is further supporting the growth of the market. The US, followed by Canada, are the major contributors to the North America market. Europe is the second-largest market for protein engineering. The developed research sector in the region has aptly supported the growth of the market. Government support in the funding for protein engineering and increased emphasis on drug discovery are other factors driving the market growth. The UK, France, and Germany are the key country-specific markets within Europe. The APAC protein engineering market is poised to showcase noteworthy growth over the forecast period. The market growth is triggered by surging prevalence of heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases which induce the need for new and advanced treatment technologies. The MEA protein engineering market is exhibiting slow but steady growth. The underdeveloped regions have high unmet medical needs due to which there lies a host of opportunities for the expansion of the market. Improving healthcare infrastructure and heightened demand for new drugs and devices are propelling the growth of the market. Read full report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/protein-engineering-market-691 Competitive Landscape Perkin Elmer (U.S.), Bruker Corp. (U.S.), Sigma-Aldrich Corp. (U.S.), GE Healthcare (U.K.), Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (U.S.), Waters Corp. (U.S), AB-Sciex (U.S.), Thermo Fisher Scientific (U.S.), and Agilent Technologies (U.S.) are the eminent players in the protein engineering market. Related reports Fertility Testing Market Paresthesia Treatment Market About Market Research Future: MRFR team has supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country-level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. Contact: www.marketresearchfuture.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Export of wood and furniture from Turkey to Turkmenistan increased by 19.40 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, amounting to $5.490 million, Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend. The export of furniture and wood from Turkey to Turkmenistan decreased by 11.98 percent in February 2020, compared to February 2019, amounting to $ 2,474 million, said the ministry. Export of furniture and wood from Turkey to world markets grew by 11.7 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period last year, amounting to $898.615 million. Exports of furniture and wood from Turkey amounted to 3.1 percent of the country's total exports from January through February 2020. Turkey supplied furniture and wood worth $ 445.286 million to the world markets in February 2020, which is 8.2 percent more than in the same period in 2019. Furniture and wood exports from Turkey in February 2020 amounted to 3 percent of the country's total exports. Turkey exported furniture and wood worth $ 5.624 billion over the past 12 months (from February 2019 through February 2020). --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu [March 25, 2020] Mateon Report Positive Results for Multiple COVID-19 Drug Candidates AGOURA HILLS, Calif., March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mateon Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB:MATN) (Mateon) dedicated to the development of OT-101, a TGF-Beta antisense drug candidate, today provided an update on its rapid antiviral response program targeting coronaviruses, initially targeting COVID-19. OT-101 continued to show significant activity against coronaviruses and in the new testing results, two additional therapeutic oligonucleotides designed to target COVID-19 also demonstrated potent anti-viral activity. The candidates were all designed to work synergistically to avoid resistant mutations frequently seen with viral infections. OT-101 and the other candidates work by inhibiting virus binding to its target, thereby stopping the virus from replicating itself and stopping viral induced pneumonia, which often leads to patient complications. The results of the new studies came through joint efforts between Mateon and its partner, Golden Mountain Partners, LLC (GMP), which have teamed up to build an international world class program for rapid response against COVID-19 and future epidemics. The Company has begun preparations to submit an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for OT-101 against COVID-19 to expedite testing in COVID-19 patients. The collaborative effort was able to manufacture and test multiple new therapeutic drug candidates within weeks from time of viral sequencing. The effort was built on the companies experience with the specific antisense backbone and its well described safety profile. OT-101 is ready to move into clinical testing in COVID-19 patients and the new candidates can be ready shortly thereafter. The anti-sense program that Mateon has developed has the potential to go from concept to clinic in months, rather than years, which is highly suitable as a rapid response to pandemics. Dr. Vuong Trieu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mateon stated: We are excited about our platform for rapid response against viral epidemics and look forward to working with GMP to further expand on that platform in the US and China. About Mateon Mateon was created by the recent merger with Oncotelic a developer of TGF-beta RNA therapeutics- and PoinTR- a cluster computer vision empowered blockchain company creating an immuno-oncology compny dedicated to the development of first in class RNA therapeutics as well as small molecule drugs against cancer. The founding team members of Oncotelic were responsible for the development of Celgenes Abraxane as a chemotherapeutic agent for breast, lung, melanoma, and pancreatic cancer. Abraxane was approved in 2005 and has more than $1B in sales annually. The same team was also responsible for the development of Cynviloq, a next generation Abraxane, which was acquired by NantPharma for $1.3B. Mateon/Oncotelic is seeking to leverage its deep expertise in oncology drug development to improve treatment outcomes and survival of cancer patients with a special emphasis on pediatric cancer patients. For more information, please visit www.oncotelic.com and www.mateon.com. About Mateons Lead Product Candidate, OT-101 During phase 2 clinical trials in pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and colorectal cancers (Study P001) and in high-grade gliomas (Study G004), meaningful clinical benefits were observed and OT-101 exhibited a favorable safety profile. These clinical benefits included long term survival and meaningful tumor reduction. Both partial and complete responses have been observed in the G004 Phase 2 clinical trial of OT-101 as a single agent in patients with aggressive brain tumors. The companys self-immunization protocol (SIP) is based on novel and proprietary sequential treatment of cancers with OT-101 (an antisense against TGF-2) and chemotherapies. This sequential treatment strategy is aimed at achieving effective self-immunization against a patients own cancer, resulting in robust therapeutic immune response and consequently better control of the cancer and improved survival. Prolonged states of being cancer-free have been observed in some patients with the most aggressive forms of cancer, raising a renewed hope for a potential cure. The use of OT-101 lifts the suppression of the patients immune cells around the cancer tissue, providing the foundation for an effective initial priming, which is critical for a successful immune response. The subsequent chemotherapy results in the release of neoantigens that result in a robust boost of the immune response. Mateon's Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this communication regarding strategy, future operations, future financial position, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. Words such as may, expect, anticipate hope, vision, optimism, design, exciting, innovative, promising, will, conviction, "estimate," "intend," "believe", quest for a cure of cancer, innovation-driven, paradigm-shift, high scientific merit, impact potential and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements about future plans, the progress, timing, clinical development, scope and success of future clinical trials, the reporting of clinical data for the companys product candidates and the potential use of the companys product candidates to treat various cancer indications. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties and actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Many factors may cause differences between current expectations and actual results, including unexpected safety or efficacy data observed during preclinical or clinical studies, clinical trial site activation or enrollment rates that are lower than expected, changes in expected or existing competition, changes in the regulatory environment, failure of collaborators to support or advance collaborations or product candidates and unexpected litigation or other disputes. These risks are not exhaustive, the company faces known and unknown risks, including the risk factors described in the companys annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 10, 2019 and in the companys other periodic filings. Forward-looking statements are based on expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in expectations, whether as a result of new information future events, or otherwise. Contact Information: For Mateon Therapeutics, Inc.: Amit Shah Email: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A cargo chip (L) arrives into the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container port in the U.S., after departing from the Port of Yantian, China, on November 7, 2019 in San Pedro, California. The White House's top trade advisor denied on Tuesday that the Trump administration was considering a three-month deferral of tariff payments on imported goods to ease the pain of the economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Industry groups representing domestic manufacturers and labor unions said that some U.S. corporate interests were seeking to persuade the administration and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency to enact a deferral. Americans for a Prosperous America wrote in a letter to CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan of its "deepest concern with the latest information that your agency is providing deferred duties on imports and is considering allowing a 90-day deferral for all duties." The group, chaired by former Nucor CEO Dan Dimicco, a former advisor to President Donald Trump, said such a deferral "harms U.S. producers who were injured by unfair imports and are now harmed by the coronavirus." Bloomberg earlier reported that CBP and other agencies were discussing the proposal for a deferral, citing unnamed people familiar with the discussions. Trump's top trade advisor, Peter Navarro, rejected the report and said it relied on anonymous sources with "no visibility into trade policy in this administration." "This is fake news," Navarro, known for his hawkish views on China, told Reuters. "The Trump tariffs have been an important defense against China's economic aggression and we are stronger today because they exist. Lifting the tariffs would simply enrich China at the expense of American workers." CBP said on Friday it was providing some importers extra days to pay duties, taxes and fees on imported goods "due to the severity of the novel coronavirus disease." A CBP spokeswoman declined comment. Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a group led by the United Steelworkers union and domestic manufacturers, said his group adamantly opposed the proposal being made by anti-tariffs groups. "The same coalition that pushed for ending the broader tariffs and got nowhere is now pushing this," Paul told Reuters. "We know they have lobbied the congressional leadership and administration. We are adamantly opposed to this." Paul's group sent a similar letter to CBP's Morgan, arguing such a move would lead to a surge in imports that would hurt U.S. manufacturers at a time when they are struggling to survive the current economic crisis. Another industry official noted that widespread shutdowns would curb consumer demand and result in dropping imports, regardless of what was done with tariffs. No comment was immediately available from the U.S. Trade Representative's office. Earlier this month, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the Trump administration was not considering broad relief from import tariffs on Chinese goods to ease economic pain from the coronavirus. The U.S. economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Democratic and Republican lawmakers were trying on Tuesday to hammer out a deal on a $2 trillion stimulus package to limit the damage. Trump last week invoked the Defense Production Act, which would allow the U.S. government to accelerate production of equipment needed to fight the contagion, although Trump has said he has not needed to use the law because many companies have offered to produce ventilators, sanitizers, and other items. Jesse Eisenberg portrayed the iconic villain Lex Luthor in 2016's 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'. Jesse Eisenberg has expressed a desire to return as DC Comics supervillain Lex Luthor saying he wants to play that role forever. The 36-year-old actor played Supermans iconic adversary in 2016s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and appeared briefly in 2017s Justice League, but says he has no clue as to what the plan is for the characters future in the DC films. Asked by Dubai-based outlet The National whether hed like to reprise the role, Eisenberg said: Oh yeah, are you kidding? I would love it. Thats the coolest role to play. I dont even know if they know what theyre doing with the movies, but for me it was exhilarating. I would love to play that role forever. I have no knowledge about what theyre doing with it. Read more: Amy Adams casts doubt on DC return Eisenbergs Lex Luthor was a tech genius billionaire who orchestrated the rivalry between Henry Cavills Superman and Ben Afflecks Batman in Zack Snyders 2016 superhero smackdown. He ended that film incarcerated in prison, but he was revealed to have escaped from Arkham Asylum in a Justice League post-credit scene that saw him recruiting Joe Manganiellos Deathstroke for his own villain team. Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. (Warner Bros.) The DC movies have yet to return to that storyline so far, with Ben Affleck (and possibly Henry Cavill too) leaving the franchise while the studio explores standalone movies like Joker, Birds of Prey, and Shazam. On the appeal of playing the character previously portrayed on screen by Gene Hackman (opposite Christopher Reeve) and Kevin Spacey (Superman Returns), Eisenberg explained: The character is open to any interpretation. Its not a prescribed, acceptable role that the audience feels they have to like or see themselves in, so thats the kind of freeing role that actors like. Will they let me do it again? I have no idea. But thats the kind of thing I love. Mark Zuckerberg and Jesse Eisenberg on Saturday Night Live. (NBC) Another role he admits hes keen to reprise is that of Mark Zuckerberg. He played the Facebook founder in David Finchers The Social Network, written by Aaron Sorkin who recently teased the possibility of a sequel. Story continues Aaron is such a great writer, obviously, and so if he wrote something it would be great, responded Eisenberg. The release of Eisenbergs latest film Vivarium has been affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The sci-fi thriller was due to land in cinemas on Friday, 27 March, but instead it will be coming straight to VOD and will be available on iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon, Sky Store, Virgin, Google Play, Rakuten, BT, Playstation, Microsoft, Curzon Home Cinema and BFI Player. Watch a trailer below. Dorothy Jean (Worthy) Green, 71, of Waldorf, Maryland. "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.' Maya Angelou. Dorothy Jean Worthy-Green was born to the late Marvin and Mazie Worthy in Washington, D.C. She attended Frederick Douglass High school in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. She attended business college for two years and studied business and finance. Dorothy grew up in the church attending Union Bethel Methodist Church in Brandywine, Maryland. She spent her life dedicated to the church and serving as a stewardess. She took her obligation as stewardess very seriously, even in sickness she served as stewardess. Dorothy loved attending church and working on various committees throughout her years with the church. Dorothy would walk into a room and everything felt better when she came in. She had compassion, empathy and desire to make things better, no matter what you were going through. She had many talents, but a caregiver was definitely one of them. She took care of both her parents in their later years, her Aunt Mary and her cousin, Louise who was in her 90's. She would listen to your problems, give advice and share her wisdom with her siblings, family and friends. Dorothy loved working in her yard and would spend 4 to 6 hours a day on the weekends making her yard look beautiful. She enjoyed doing home improvement projects and making her house a home. She loved the outdoors and feeling the fresh air. She was very organized, her house was immaculately clean, she took great care of her belongings, she was very wise with her money and prepared for the future. She used her business background throughout her life with organization and preparation. Dorothy transitioned to eternal life, Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington, Virginia. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her sisters, Rita Braxton and Johnnie Mae Johnson and brother, David Davis. Dorothy is survived by her dedicated and loving sons, Herbert and Leroy; granddaughters, Daynna and Devynn; sisters, Marva Hawkins and Cherrie Worthy-Lee (Garnell); brother, Marvin Worthy (Patricia); a host of nieces and nephews and the Griffin family, which she adopted. GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more (TNS) Customs and Border Protection announced last month that the agency was introducing biometric facial comparison technology at the Brownsville Port of Entry intended to photograph every pedestrian traveler entering the United States.The technology seeks to compare the image to passport and ID photos already stored in government records, according to the agency. It stated in a press release that it has used biometric facial comparison to interdict more than 250 imposters who attempted to cross the Southwest Border using another persons travel document since Sept. 2018.The technology is also used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to screen travelers entering the United States at airports.According to CBP, U.S. citizens can opt out of being photographed by the technology, but advocates say the process violates travelers privacy rights and that the agency has not adhered to the opt-out policy.Shaw Drake, policy counsel for the ACLU Border Rights Center in El Paso, said both CBP and the TSA have dramatically expanded their use of facial recognition technology. According to the ACLU, the program was piloted by CBP in the El Paso sector and spread to other ports of entry.According to the agency, the technology is also in use at the Progreso Port of Entry and nine other locations on the U.S./Mexico border. CBP said in the release that the Department of Homeland Security only stores the photographs of U.S. citizens for 12 hours. Photos of foreign nationals are stored by the agency indefinitely in a secure server, the agency wrote.The issue at hand, however, is that the government has not provided much information regarding the program, how it functions, and what rights travelers have to ensure that the photographs are not stored.Asked for comment, a CBP official stated, Consistent with a Congressional mandate, CBP is implementing biometric facial comparison technology at ports of entry to provide another layer of security and convenience to the traveling public. This efficient, accurate and reliable technology will support highly-trained CBP officers in verifying the identity of international travelers, as required by federal law.The agency said it periodically audits to ensure adherence to the retention policy.Drake said its important to remember that CBP is the same agency that was caught last year tracking advocates, attorneys, and journalists working with caravans of asylum seekers approaching ports of entry.Additionally, Drake said the ACLU has been documenting instances of travelers who cross the border frequently in the El Paso area subjected to secondary inspections and harassment while attempting to opt out of being photographed.We continue to hear from people locally and are in fact continuing to collect and document information about this, about people who frequently cross and try to opt out being harassed by agents and sent to secondary inspection, questioned about their motives for opting out, told that in order top out they need to tell the agent while theyre in line - before they even get to the kiosk, which is practically impossible to do.The attorney crosses the border frequently and wrote a blog about his encounter with an officer who refused to let him opt out when the program was first implemented. Drake wrote that although CBP claims the technology will streamline border crossings the technology has been shown to be inaccurate, particularly when identifying people of color and women.In its release, the agency stated that the process only takes a few seconds and is over 97 percent accurate.According to Drake, once the government captures the 3D facial image of someone entering the country, that image or data can theoretically be used with cameras across the country to track the movements of people without their knowledge. The government has even considered removing the opt-out provision, according to the attorney.After advocacy by us at the ACLU, as well as partner organizations, the agency quickly backtracked, he said.ACLUs national branch, alongside the New York Civil Liberties Union, sued the government last week in the Southern District of New York in an effort to compel CBP, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the TSA, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to adequately respond to a sitting FOIA request asking for more information on the program.In 2017, CBP began a program called the Traveler Verification Service (TVS), which involves photographing travelers during entry or exit from the United States, and using facial recognition technology to compare those photographs with images from government holdings. As of June 2019, CBP had processed more than 20 million travelers using facial recognition, the lawsuit stated.Ashley Gorski, a staff attorney with the ACLUs National Security Project working on the case, explained in an announcement published on the organizations website that the program has enabled government surveillance with practically no oversight. Unlike other ways of verifying a persons identity, face recognition technology can enable persistent government surveillance on a massive scale.The public has a right to know when, where, and how the government is using face recognition, and what safeguards, if any, are in pace to protect our rights. This unregulated surveillance technology threatens to fundamentally alter our free society and is in urgent need of democratic oversight.Additionally, Gorski was quoted arguing that the public has the right to know how airlines and companies are helping federal agencies prop up this massive surveillance infrastructure.The lawsuit is seeking information regarding plans for further implementation of face surveillance at airports; government contracts with airlines, airports, and other entities pertaining to the use of face recognition at the airport and other ports of entry; policies and procedures concerning the acquisition, processing, and retention of our biometric information; and analyses of the effectiveness of facial recognition technology, according to the organization. With the death of the youngest United States' victim as confirmed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, the Los Angeles County health department reminded the public that COVID-19 does not discriminate by race, income level, and especially age. Having the most number of victims in the US, New York has not reported the ages of most victims making the death of a minor from Lancaster, California in Los Angeles County the first known incident of a minor dying from COVID-19. After the loss of a young life, Gov. Newsom warned everyone to take the pandemic seriously as he pointed out that half of the 2,102 COVID-19 positive California citizens are between the ages of 18 up to 49. On Tuesday's report of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, they raised the number of COVID-19 related deaths to 11 in the area including the death of the teenager. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris shared that the minor did not have pre-existing health conditions until he exhibited acute respiratory problems and tested late, thus the test results came out after his death causing initial confusion if he indeed died with COVID-19. Ordering the children in Lancaster to stay at home, The 68-year-old Mayor Parris enforced the law in Lancaster to avoid losing another child as he initially thought that the disease can only affect people of his age. Moreover, there was an addition of two people between the ages of 50 and 70 who also died with one of them having an underlying health condition. Read also: NY Governor Cuomo Discusses State's Plans to Mitigate COVID-19 Spread According to New York Times' database, as of Tuesday afternoon, lab tests confirmed at least 52, 216 cases of coronavirus with 675 deaths in the US with New York filling almost half of the list Director Ferrer of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautioned the locals that what happened in New York is indicative of what we should prepare to experience here. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showed that on nearly 2,500 of the first recorded cases in the United States, while older people have a high risk of dying, younger adults had a significant portion of hospitalizations due to coronavirus as well. 12- year-old in Altanta tests positive for COVID-19 Higher risk also appears on children, the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta isolates a 12-year-old girl who tested positive with COVID, officials placed her on a ventilator to stabilized her condition. While the girl's family hopes for her fast recovery, the Girl's cousin Justin Anthony posted on social media that everyone should think again if kids cannot get COVID-19 for her cousin did not have any underlying health issue and she just initially diagnosed with pneumonia. People who have undergone cancer treatments are vulnerable to respiratory infections, just like the case of the 34-year old cancer survivor Jeffrey Grazarian who died from COVID-19 in Los Angeles after surviving prostate cancer several years ago. Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, Stephen S. Moore discussed that there was not still enough data on what is the effect the pandemic could cause to the youth and he sighted that even in the ordinary flu some young people could get very sick or die. Related article: VIRAL VIDEO: COVID-19 Patients in Spanish Hospitals Lie on the Hospital Floors @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. UPDATE: Police have cleared the scene. KENT COUNTY, MI Northbound U.S. 131 is closed Wednesday, March 25, near I-96 after a multiple-vehicle crash. State police said injuries have been reported but the extent was not immediately available. The crash was reported just before noon in Walker. The ramp from eastbound I-96 to northbound U.S. 131 is also closed, the Michigan Department of Transportation said. State police expect to release further details later. NB US-131 at I-96 Freeway Closed Due to a Crash Kent County Randy Weits 3/25/20 11:43 https://t.co/QSmBrSbxmB MDOT - West Michigan (@MDOT_West) March 25, 2020 Also on MLive: Man who attacked Rosa Parks accused of similar crime in Grand Rapids Rockford company makes false pitch about Coronavirus Protection Patch,' Michigan attorney general says Coronavirus last straw, Portage Branns Steakhouse closes for good On Tuesday night, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the country to contain the transmission of the Novel Coronavirus. Modi's lockdown plan was appreciated by many celebrities who in turn, took to social media to urge people to follow the lockdown and stay indoors. However, the government has assured everyone that essential services like groceries, medical supplies, and banks will remain open. However, a recent video that went viral online has raised some concern amongst netizens. The circulated clip shows some police officials beating up a few vegetable hawkers. Divyanka Tripathi and Hina Khan shared the video asking the government to intervene. Divyanka tweeted, "Doesn't availability of vegetables come under essential service? Or only expensive food marts are allowed to operate? I would like to believe that there's a reason behind every action. But really, even I wonder, why such brutality? Couldn't there be any better means of conveying?" Hina tagged the Mumbai police and added, My god @MumbaiPolice kindly look into it This should not happen.. Check out the aforementioned video below: @CPMumbaiPolice @MumbaiPolice Does these ruthless goons in uniform belongs to you ? Why are they so brutal ? Are they high on some drugs ? Kindly investigate and reply .#Covid19 #Covid19India pic.twitter.com/zhEXWBZce0 Bankim Mistry- (Avoid Problems, Don't Come Out) (@BankiMistry) March 25, 2020 On the other hand, Karan Patel was mighty miffed with folks who went panic shopping for groceries after PM Modis speech. The actor shared a video and wrote, Andheri West, right now. F***king retards. Essential services will be made available during the lockdown too, stop behaving like animals during migration. Meanwhile, Kapil Sharma took shared a cryptic video featuring hens and advised everyone to follow the lockdown rules just like the hens. ALSO READ: Sapna Choudhary Gets Teary-eyed; Hina Khan, Kapil Sharma & Others Cheer Coronavirus Fighters ALSO READ: Hina Khan's Debut Film Lines Bags Award At New York Cinematography Awards Updated at 5:45 p.m. on March 25, 2020: Lee County has added 14 more positive tests, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. The county now has 40 positives, still third-most of any county. Original story: Positive tests for COVID-19 are hitting Lee County, home of Auburn University, in an outsized proportion to the other areas of Alabama. Hospital officials in the county seat of Opelika are calling their area a coronavirus hot spot. At this time, Lee County has the third highest number of confirmed cases in the state," Laura Grill, EAMC president and CEO, said in a statement Tuesday night. "That makes us somewhat of a hot spot for Alabama and so we are working very closely with the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama Hospital Association to monitor our situation. Lee County had the states third-most positive tests for COVID-19 with 26, according to the latest report Tuesday by the Alabama Department of Public Health. The state only counts confirmed cases. At East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, officials said late Tuesday that 7 patients are hospitalized with confirmed cases. That includes 1 from a nursing home. Another 27 patients are hospitalized with suspected cases of COVID-19. Those have not been confirmed by testing yet and are not on the states list. One person with a positive test has been discharged from the hospital. With only 314 beds at the hospital, according to the Alabama Hospital Association, those 34 patients occupy 11 percent of the facility's current capacity. Related: It would not take large numbers to overwhelm Alabama hospitals; officials look at adding beds At this time, Lee County has the third highest number of confirmed cases in the state," Laura Grill, EAMC president and CEO, said in a statement Tuesday night. "That makes us somewhat of a hot spot for Alabama and so we are working very closely with the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama Hospital Association to monitor our situation. On Monday, Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers said his facility had loaned respirators to EAMC because of their surge in coronavirus patients. While such cooperation between facilities is appreciated, its not a long-term solution for whats expected to be a fast-growing problem, Alabama Hospital Association President Dr. Don Williamson told AL.com earlier this week. A surge in coronavirus hospitalizations has been an issue already in national hot spots such as Seattle and New York. In Birmingham, non-medical facilities are being assessed for possible utilization to handle growing needs. Related: AL.coms full coverage of COVID-19. In Lee County, positive COVID-19 tests have grown from 5 on March 17 to now 26 on March 24. At the hospital, in-patients have grown from 1 on March 17 to 7 on March 24. With the trend indicating more patients will be coming to their doors and more beds will be needed, EAMC is also looking at quick expansion to handle growing caseloads. Like other hospitals, we have surge capacity contingency plans that have to be considered during times like these," Grill said in her statement. "As such, we have made some changes to where we care for certain patient types so as to separate our non-COVID patients from our confirmed or suspected COVID patients. While only the city of Birmingham has passed a shelter-in-place ordinance and Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday expressed opposition to such an approach statewide, East Alabama Medical Center in its statement "is asking everyone" to stay at home to help prevent the spread, leaving only for essential activities such as food, medical care and work. And like other hospitals, EAMC is seeking community donations for the following: Isolation gowns: non-sterile, impervious Masks: surgical, procedure, ear loop, ear loop with face shield, or fog-free procedure mask Latex gloves: exam, nitrile or chemo Hand sanitizer: 70% ethyl alcohol Businesses may bring these items to the collection site outside of EAMCs Main Lobby between 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. each weekday. An EAMC representative will be there to collect the supplies. Amaravati, March 25 : Andhra Pradesh has reported two new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 10 in the state. The media bulletin released by the state control room of the health department stated that two of the 60 samples tested on March 25 were positive. Both the persons have been admitted to designated hospitals in Vijayawada and are under observation. One of the cases is a 22-year-old man who flew in from Washington, USA on March 20 and landed at Delhi on March 21. Following screening at a Delhi government hospital, he was discharged on the morning of March 22 and arrived by air in Vijayawada on the same day. On March 23, he visited the Government General Hospital in Vijayawada and after check-up was kept in isolation. The other case is a 52-year-old male who stayed at Nizamuddin in Delhi from March 14 and returned to Vijaywada on March 19. He went for a check-up at the Fever Hospital in Vijayawada where he is currently under observation. The Andhra Pradesh government headed by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been implementing a plethora of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the state. South Africa's police minister says dog-walking is banned during the country's three-week lockdown that begins Friday to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Bheki Cele also said people can't go running, contradicting the health minister's comments earlier in the day. And Cele warned South Africans to essentially stay sober for 21 days, emphasizing that alcohol sales are prohibited. The military and police will patrol to regulate movement, and all ports of entry are now closed. South Africa has the most COVID-19 cases in Africa with more than 700. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The city of San Francisco late Tuesday reported its first death associated with the COVID-19 coronavirus. According to city officials, the patient was a man in his 40s who had multiple, significant underlying health conditions. In the wake of the death, which was among 152 citywide cases reported as of Tuesday, city leaders are urging the public to stay home through April 7, per the public health emergency. "My condolences go out to this San Franciscan and their loved ones. It is a sad day, and we need to pull together as a city to do everything in our power to reduce the likelihood of additional deaths in our community," Mayor London Breed said in a statement. "Each of us has the power to save lives, and decrease the impact of coronavirus in San Francisco. We need everyone to stay home, which will help protect themselves, their families and the people in our community who are most at risk of harm from the virus," she said. Three Santa Rosa police officers have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus and six other employees are self-quarantined, Santa Rosa Police Chief Ray Navarro said Tuesday afternoon. One of the three officers who tested positive is a patrol officer who has limited contact with the public while at work, and another is a patrol officer assigned to a position in the Police Department who has not had contact with the public. Both officers received medical attention and are in stable condition, Navarro said. The third is a detective who had limited contact with the public over the past two weeks during shifts, Navarro said. Two of the officers tested positive on Friday and the third officer sought medical attention this week and tested positive Tuesday afternoon, Navarro said. The six other employees, some officers and some civilians, self-quarantined in accordance with the Police Department's protocol that requires employees to self-quarantine when they show signs of illness or believe they have been exposed to someone who has the coronavirus, Navarro said. Alameda County health officer Dr. Erica Pan told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the largest group of people who've tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus so far is those 20 to 44 years old. In her weekly briefing to the board, Pan said that among the first group of COVID-19 cases to be analyzed by county health officials, more than one-third are between 20 and 44 years old. However, Pan said most of those people haven't developed serious symptoms and haven't had to be hospitalized. Earlier on Tuesday county health officials said the county has now had two deaths attributed to COVID-19 and has had 135 cases so far. Pan told the Board of Supervisors that there's been an "exponential increase" in coronavirus cases in the Bay Area and Alameda County since she gave her first briefing to the board two weeks ago, when only three cases had been reported in the county. Santa Clara County will be using the city of Santa Clara's convention center as a federal medical station where patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus can be treated, county officials said Tuesday. The space will be outfitted with medical supplies, medicine and beds for up to 250 people. Patients at the facility will be "less-acute" cases of the COVID-19 infection, according to the county. The federal medical station, managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can support between 50 and 250 people for up to three days before resupply is needed, according to the CDC. The site goes online as the county prepares for widespread testing -- something county health officials and legislators have said has not been a possibility without help from privatized and commercial testing labs - and expected exponential increases in confirmed COVID-19 cases throughout the South Bay and greater Bay Area. A longstanding plan to remake the former Concord Naval Weapons Station in northeastern Concord into a new 2,300-acre community with 13,000 housing units and millions of square feet of commercial space will almost certainly be delayed, possibly by years, after the Concord City Council Tuesday night voted to not grant the current master developer an extension to negotiate with the area's labor unions. As part of a council "telemeeting" in which the five councilmembers took part remotely in deference to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, several votes were taken in response to a letter from Lennar, the master developer of what is known formally as the Concord Community Reuse Project. Lennar sought assurances from the City Council on four points -- that the developer negotiated in good faith with labor representatives, that the developer could negotiate with individual trade groups rather than the blanket Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council; the specifics on what constitutes "prevailing wages;" and a six-month extension for the developer to negotiate with the unions. The City Council voted 3-2 to not follow city staff recommendations to approve a 12-month negotiation extension, with added financial requirements. "It delays the project, but doesn't stop it," Concord Mayor Tim McGallian said after Tuesday night's vote. "We need to regroup and figure out what the next step is." A request for proposals from new prospective master developers will likely be put out in the coming months, he added. Three Santa Rosa police officers have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus and six other employees are self-quarantined, Santa Rosa Police Chief Ray Navarro said Tuesday afternoon. One of the three officers who tested positive is a patrol officer who has limited contact with the public while at work, and another is a patrol officer assigned to a position in the department who has not had contact with the public. Both officers received medical attention and are in stable condition, Navarro said. The third is a detective who had limited contact with the public over the past two weeks during shifts, Navarro said. Two of the officers tested positive on Friday and the third officer sought medical attention this week and tested positive Tuesday afternoon, Navarro said. The six other employees, some officers and some civilians, self-quarantined in accordance with the department's protocol that requires employees to self-quarantine when they show signs of illness or believe they have been exposed to someone who has the coronavirus, Navarro said. Thirteen elderly or ailing immigrants who are being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sued the agency in federal court in San Francisco Tuesday, asking for their immediate release because they are at risk of serious illness or death from the COVID-19 coronavirus. The lawsuit claims that in the crowded and allegedly unsanitary conditions in detention facilities in Marysville and Bakersfield, it is impossible to maintain the social distance and hygiene needed to protect from the virus. In a motion accompanying the lawsuit, the immigrants' lawyers wrote, "In light of their age and/or compromised health, plaintiffs live in constant terror of contracting COVID-19." The two facilities are the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility in Bakersfield and the Yuba County Jail in Marysville. The 13 plaintiffs, who are awaiting administrative immigration proceedings, are from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Russia and Fiji. They are elderly and/or suffer from diabetes, severe asthma, high blood pressure, anemia or tuberculosis, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit asks for a court order requiring their release. A date for a hearing on the case has not been announced. Wednesday will be partly cloudy with a chance of rain, then becoming sunny, then a slight chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs will be in the 50s. Northwest winds will be 10 to 20 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly clear. Lows will be in the mid 40s. Northwest winds will be 10 to 20 mph. Thursday will be sunny. Highs will be in the mid to upper 50s. North winds will be 5 to 10 mph, before becoming west winds at 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Pakistan has suspended all domestic flight operations until April 2 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus after the country reported nearly 1,000 cases from the COVID-19 infection, authorities said on Wednesday. The nationwide tally of the COVID-19 patients has soared to 990 with 410 cases in Sindh; 110 in Balochistan; 296 in Punjab; 78 in K-P; 80 in Gilgit-Baltistan; 15 in Islamabad; and one in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, The Express Tribune reported. The National Disaster Management Authority has said that so far 7 people have died due to the novel coronavirus and 18 recovered. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the country has halted its domestic flights operations. According to a statement shared on the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority's website, the government has "decided to suspend all types of domestic scheduled/non-scheduled, chartered and private aircraft passenger flight operations with effect from Thursday, March 26, at 6:00am up to April 02, 2020." Meanwhile, there is complete lockdown in the country and people have been told to remain inside of their homes. They are only allowed to go out in case of emergency. The government has pledged to increase testing capability and other facilities in hospitals as new medical supplies are expected to start pouring in from China by Friday, according to NDMA chief Lt-Gen Muhammad Afzal. According to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker, there are 417,966 confirmed cases across the world, 18,615 deaths and 107,705 recoveries. On Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced a multi-billion stimulus package to combat the deadly coronavirus and to facilitate poor people in the prevailing circumstances. The government also suspended all passenger train operations through the country till March 31 and deployed army to assist the civil administration to enforce a nationwide lockdown to contain the virus outbreak. Khan said 200 billion rupees have been allocated for the labour class to mitigate their sufferings, while the government is also reaching provinces and the business community to extend their assistance. He said the government was highly conscious of its responsibilities and it was due to various policies and steps that the coronavirus was still contained. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. It might be a hazard of the job, but I cant stop checking the news. And with each article or tweet I read, my anxiety creeps higher, until I realize my eyes are dry from not blinking, my heart rate is elevated and my breaths are dangerously short. Talking to friends and family in the past week (which Ive been doing a lot of), makes me know Im not alone. But how do we cope with all of this? I turned to Bay Area therapists to see how their profession is changing amidst shelter-in-place and got a few tips for the next time youre feeling your anxiety level get too high, you feel lonely, disconnected or just plain blah. Dr. Laura Tabak, a psychologist that normally works out of SF and Kentfield, said constant exposure to the news can definitely exacerbate the problem and even referenced studies that show watching the news can make anxiety spike. "If youre engaging with the media constantly you can be in a perpetually heightened state of anxiety," she said. "Im seeing a lot of clients uninstalling social media as a way to limit their exposure to content. Its hard for people to self regulate and understand when theyve reached their limit." That limit varies for everyone and Tabak said she encourages people to pay attention to their body while theyre consuming content. Dr. Michael Brown, a psychologist based in San Francisco, agrees: "Its easy to get lost in too much information. If someone is feeling overwhelmed, limit the information to one or two trusted sources and limit the amount of time you spend every day." When news consumption and social media usage decreases, it frees up time to spend more of the day on self-care. Brown said to make sure youre doing some at-home exercise or getting outside while maintaining proper social distancing. If you have a mindfulness practice, make sure to keep it up. "It can be especially important for sleep," he said. "If people dont have that practice, then now is a great time to start. Headspace or the Calm app are right on your phone and theyre great." He also wanted to remind people about the importance of eating well and paying attention to alcohol consumption, "As folks are staying home more their alcohol use is increasing," he said. "Alcohol, while it can provide momentary euphoria, is a central nervous system depressant." Its a great time to connect with people virtually, especially those you already spend time with regularly. For example, if you go to dinner with a friend every Thursday, dont cancel those plans. Instead, have dinner virtually or use that time to catch up on the phone. Dr. Tara Kline, a psychologist based in San Francisco, said the feeling of connection has never been so important and contributing to the greater good can be another way to do that, plus it elevates your mood and gives you a greater purpose. "Consider donating to an organization if youre in a position to do so," she said. "It gives us a bigger sense of meaning." Tabak said even if you cant help out financially, you may be able to pitch in within your community, for example, running to get groceries for an elderly neighbor. "Helping others and being kind to others is really strongly correlated with happiness and thus, less anxiety," she said. If youve never seen a therapist before, but think youre in need of professional help, all the psychologists I spoke with said its still OK to seek help right now. If a particular persons hours are full, theyll recommend someone else who could speak with you. Theyre available by phone or by virtual platforms like Zoom or Simple Practice (HIPAA-compliant software made for therapists). They all said theyre being flexible with their schedules, too, trying to accommodate those that might need to move a regularly scheduled time due to the inability to find privacy. "Care is out there and if people are feeling the need to speak with someone professionally were there," Brown said. "While it's not necessarily the form that was there before it's there and it can be helpful." Tessa McLean is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her at tessa.mclean@sfgate.com or follow her on Twitter @mcleantessa. THE Judiciary has said all criminal cases should be filed before District and Resident Magistrates Courts after the completion of investigations for the objective of expediting trials and decongesting court premises and prisons. Principal Judge, Dr Eliezer Feleshi announced the bold decision at a press conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday when pronouncing measures taken by the Judiciary to curb the outbreak of the coronavirus. Speaking on behalf of the Judiciarys leadership, Dr Feleshi, asked investigators and arresting officers to comply with the Government Notice (GN) No. 296 of 2002, requiring them not to take suspects accused of committing normal offences to court without completion of investigations. This is a legal requirement that should be followed by all arresting officers and investigators, the principal judge said. He was, however, quick to point out that, capital offences such as murder and the like would not be covered in such new legal development. Dr Feleshi further directed all parties filing cases without legal complications at Primary Court level to proceed once the plaintiff is ready for the hearing, including being armed with all necessary material evidence and witnesses. Furthermore, the principal judge ordered the Judge in Charge of all High Court Zones and Divisions as well as Resident Magistrates in Charge of both Districts and Resident Magistrates Court to assign to the parties involved a specific date and time within which to conduct court proceedings. He asked the parties involved in a particular matter to provide reachable addresses and observe time and other directives that would be given to facilitate such new arrangements of conducting court proceedings. Such measures, he said, were also aimed at reducing congestions in court buildings. The principal judge announced other measures the Judiciary has taken to prevent the deadly disease as encouraging litigants and parties to the case to maximise the use of various Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems currently in operation for diverse judicial functions. The Judiciary has increased the use of these systems in the Dar es Salaam Zone. All criminal cases set for mention involving remand prisoners will not be transported from Keko and Segerea Prisons. Instead, such cases would be conducted through video conferences to avoid overcrowding, he said. According to him, the procedures are made at the High Court Zone of Mbeya and Bukoba, where there were other such services to install enabling facilities to prisons, similar to Dar es Salaam, while there were other efforts of doing the same in other areas countrywide. The principal judge further encouraged the wananchi, advocates, state attorneys and other parties to continue filing cases electronically through the E-Filing system or online case registration to avoid congestions in court premises. He assured them that once processed they would be notified. As of yesterday, 4,170 cases have been filed through the system. The Judiciary will be conducting education programs on how to register cases, obtain information as well as provide electronic registration assistance by starting with courts with many cases that can lead to crowding, he said. Dr Feleshi directed all Deputy Registrars and Magistrates in Charge to ensure that all electronic registrations are served as soon as they reach into the Judiciarys system and the information should be returned to the client within the shortest possible time. Speaking at the same occasion, High Court Judge in Charge of the Dar es Salaam Zone, Judge Lameck Mlacha informed the public on the restriction of the number of people required to attend court sessions, saying only responsible persons and officers of the court would be allowed to attend. Those coming in groups to attend a particular case are strictly prohibited. Only responsible persons with cases, such as accused persons, parties to a litigant, advocates and officers of court are allowed. The rest should remain home, he said. By Express News Service GUWAHATI: The second COVID-19 positive case in the Northeast was reported from Mizoram on Wednesday. The patient is a 50-year-old man, the states Health Minister R Lalthangliana said. The man returned from the Netherlands on March 16. His wife and two children had accompanied him on the trip. They have been kept at an isolation ward of a hospital in Aizawl. Laboratory tests conducted at Assams Gauhati Medical College and Hospital confirmed the man was infected with the virus. Lalthangliana appealed to people to stay at home and not venture out unless there is an emergency during the 21-day lockdown period. On Tuesday, a 23-year-old woman in Manipur had tested positive for the disease. She is a student of bio-medicine at the Bristol University in the United Kingdom and had returned to Manipur on March 21 from London. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned American companies against shipping at-home coronavirus testing kits, despite relaxing its approval process for diagnostics for the virus sweeping the nation and globe. It comes after several companies, including Silicon Valley biotech start-ups like Nurx and Carbon Health began developing their own at-home sample collection sets. Nurx had even shipped a number of its products. Start-ups like these jumped at the chance to began producing simpler, cheaper and more convenient tests amid the coronavirus crisis and in the wake of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) own bungled testing roll-out. But experts worry that these at-home tests may be less accurate and that companies making them may simply be trying to to take advantage of a public health emergency to turn a quick profit. Many, including President Donald Trump, have complained that the gold standard test requires an uncomfortable swabbing process, conducted by a health care professional, so the FDA has relaxed its guidelines to allow self-swabbing. It clarified Monday, however, that that change does not extend to at-home testing. At-home sexual health testing start-up Nurx announced Friday that it had developed a home COVID-19 test (pictured) - but had to shut down sales after the FDA's Wednesday night warning that its relaxed approval regulations did not apply to home test kits Last Monday, the FDA took the unprecedented step of allowing states to green-light coronavirus tests without its approval in an effort to speed testing and slow the spread of COVID-19 in the US. By Friday afternoon, at-home sexual health testing start-up Nurx had announced its at home test kits were ready to ship. CEO Varsha Rao promised 10,000 tests were ready to be provided 'over the following weeks,' and that more than 100,000 would be on their way 'in the new future.' It promised the tests 'at cost,' for a total of $181 for consultation, the test kit and shipping. Later Friday the company pressed pause on the roll out of its tests. And Friday evening the FDA sent out its alert that it had not authorized any at-home testing for COVID-19. 'We want to alert the American public that, at this time, the FDA has not authorized any test that is available to purchase for testing yourself at home for COVID-19,' said Commissioner Dr Stephen Hahn in a statement. 'The FDA sees the public health value in expanding the availability of COVID-19 testing through safe and accurate tests that may include home collection, and we are actively working with test developers in this space.' Everlywell made waves when it began selling its $135 at-home test kits, but it will have to wait for FDA approval to begin distributing the tests That stopped companies like Nurx, as well as Carbon Health - an online health tool that promised it was also going to ship thousands of test kits in coming weeks - and Everlywell in their tracks. Everlywell, based in Texas, had promised a $135 at-home test to start shipping on Monday, but it will now be waiting for FDA approval. Washington state has introduced the Greater Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN) to monitor the virus's spread based on results from home test kits. It's unclear what will become of the network in light of the FDA's warning. LifeHope Labs in Georgia began shipping its own at-home kits directly to consumers week before last, but was warned against doing so by the Georgia government, and then partnered with doctors who prescribed the tests. By Friday, the company said it had already run 100 tests. The original US test, put out by the CDC was much like a flu test, but required a somewhat invasive and uncomfortable process. A health care professional uses a swab akin to an extra long Q-tip to swipe a sample from the back of a patient's throat via their nostril. Seattle initiated a coronavirus monitoring network based on at-home test kits (pictured). It's unclear what will become of the endeavor in light of the FDA's warning Many at-home testing kits offer more shallow nasal swabs, oral swabs or cheek swabs. The appeal is a more comfortable patient experience - both in terms of the procedure itself and in the environment in which people take the test. But experts warn warn these disparate ways of collecting specimens may yield inconsistent and less accurate results. 'There are significant differences between these collection methods,' commented Dr Dan Wattendorf of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on the charity's website. 'So it's essential for the FDA to evaluate their relative performance through rigorous, well-designed studies.' However, the Gates Foundation itself is researching the efficacy of these tests in the hopes that they may eventually help expand testing in the US. President Trump on Monday announced that self-swabbing was coming, causing some confusion. It's not clear what test he was referring to, but the FDA has cleared the way for samples to be collected by patients using a Q-tip-like medical swab that doesn't have to go so far into the nostril. That doesn't mean they can do the tests at home, but will mean a less unpleasant testing experience, and will help limit the exposure of health care workers to coronavirus. FDA officials have approved a test made by Cepheid, that will return results within about 45 minutes, meaning it can be run at a health care clinic, and patients can receive their results before leaving the location. Hubballi: The people living in rural areas of North-Karnataka region have become more aware about deadly Corona virus as they are leaving no stone unturned to prevent people of Bengaluru and other metropolitan cities from entering into their villages. People have put thorny plants on all roads at the outskirts connecting their villages and deployed youths to conduct patrolling round the clock till next 21 days. Their motto is to prevent their own villagers getting infected from the outsiders especially from cities like Bengaluru and other two-tier cities where positive virus cases are on the rise. They have also take precautionary measures in the wake of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's call to the people to return to their native places. Several people have also dug up the roads leading to their villages to block the entry of outside vehicles. They have put a condition to the outsiders to enter into their villages only after proper health check-up to confirm that they are not infected with Corona positive. "We don't have access to the proper medical care if Corona virus is entered into our village. The Primary Health Centres are not functioning properly and these centers are facing lack of adequate staff and medical equipments unlike in big cities.Therefore, those who have deserted our village to employ in various jobs in Bengaluru and other cities should confirm that they are tested negative for the virus", said Mallikarjun Patil of Kudal village in Hangal taluk of Haveri district. The village has totally banned the outsiders into their village and warned their fellow villagers to return immediately if they have visited to their relatives' homes in neighboring villages to observe 21-day lockdown. Hundreds of youths in Itanal village of Chikkodi taluk of Belagavi have also resorted to similar tactics and patrolling in all roads at the outskirts by holding sticks to prevent outsiders from entering into their village until April 14. People of Hunagunti village in Ron taluk and Kotamuchagi village in Gadag taluk have also adopted similar plan by parking tractors at th outskirts to prohibit the entry of outsiders. They have also created awareness in their villages by beating drums urging the people not to venture outside village for next three weeks. The police officials have resorted to lati-charge at various places in urban areas when people gathered in large numbers to buy essential commodities. Democrats are publicly talking about contingency options for their July convention in Milwaukee in case the coronavirus persists in being a public-health threat. But privately, some are also talking about needing a Plan B if Joe Biden, their nominee apparent, continues to flounder. Some Democrats are openly talking up New York governor Andrew Cuomo, whose profile has soared during the crisis, as a Biden stand-in. Yesterday, a Draft Cuomo 2020 account on Twitter announced that Times have changed & we need Gov. Cuomo to be the nominee. Our next POTUS must be one w/an ability to lead thru this crisis. Charles Pierce, the politics blogger for Esquire magazine, wrote a piece headlined With Two Words, Andrew Cuomo Established Himself as the Leader This Country Needs Now. He enthused that Cuomos news conference last Friday essentially (shutting) down the economy of his state . . . was a master class in leveling with the public. Fueled by favorable national publicity that governors rarely get, Cuomo has quickly become the standard-bearer for liberals who dont want to quickly open up parts the economy at the same time we combat the coronavirus. This Tuesday, the governor tweeted: We are not willing to sacrifice 1-2% of New Yorkers. Thats not who we are. We will fight to save every life we can. I am not giving up. Last weekend, Cuomo told reporters he might go into Manhattan himself to yell You are wrong at people defying his lockdown. Democrats are increasingly worried that Joe Biden will have trouble being relevant and compelling in the long four months between now and when he is nominated in July. Lloyd Constantine, who was a senior policy adviser to New York governor Eliot Spitzer from 2007 to 2008, puts it bluntly: Biden is a melting ice cube. Those of us who have closely watched as time ravaged the once sharp or even brilliant minds of loved ones and colleagues, recognize what is happening to the good soldier Joe. Story continues Indeed, Biden seemed to disappear when the virus began dominating the news cycle early in March. Bidens media presence abruptly shriveled, writes Kalev Leetaru, a senior fellow at the George Washington University Center for Cyber & Homeland Security. In contrast, daily mentions of Cuomo as of last Sunday accounted for 1.4 percent of online news coverage compared with 2.9 percent for Trump. In an attempt to remain relevant, Bidens campaign team hastily built a TV studio in the basement of his Wilmington, Del., home and began streaming daily appearances by him from it this week. They have not gone well. In his first outing on Monday, Biden looked as he were lost somewhere on the set of Waynes World, the 1990s comedy movie that pretended it was a public-access cable show broadcast from a basement. Biden stumbled, slurred his words, misnamed one of the nations governors, lost his train of thought, and had to desperately signal to staff for help while he was on camera. A Tuesday appearance went no better, even though it was with a friendly liberal group of interviewers from ABCs The View. We have to take care of the cure. That will make the problem worse no matter what no matter what, Biden asserted to universal head scratching. He attempted to pick up on Cuomos assertion that lives must be the absolute priority in the crisis but with limited success: I dont agree with the notion that somehow its okay to let the let people die and Im not sure that would happen. Liberal pundits arent even trying to defend Bidens recent media performances. Alex Wagner, a former MSNBC anchor and current co-host of Showtimes political-magazine show The Circus, wrote a piece this week for The Atlantic magazine called: Stay Alive, Joe Biden: Democrats need little from the front-runner beyond his corporeal presence. She discussed Bidens current status as if he barely existed: Biden was never really convincing anyone on the stump his political power at this point is an idea, held collectively, about how to defeat Trump. Of course, the mathematics of how Governor Cuomo could be drafted to become the Democratic nominee are daunting. He has zero delegates and no campaign and cant be seen as being distracted by politics during a crisis. But Emily Zanotti of The Daily Wire says that if states continue to postpone or cancel upcoming primaries, a window of opportunity could be there: Cuomo may be able to fill a hole for needy Democrats who are concerned that neither of the two frontrunners, [Bernie] Sanders and Biden, are within striking distance of winning a majority of delegates and the Democratic nomination outright. And strange things happen in politics. In 1940, businessman Wendell Willkie didnt enter a single primary, his supporters pinning their hopes on a receptive audience of delegates at the Republican convention. Skeptic Alice Roosevelt Longworth sneered that his support came from the grass roots of 10,000 country clubs. Then the Nazi blitzkrieg struck. Adolf Hitler overran the Low Countries and France in May and June of 1940. The French signed an armistice on June 22, the day Willkie arrived in Philadelphia for the Republican convention. The international crisis and how the party should respond to it dominated delegate deliberations. After a series of carefully orchestrated spontaneous demonstrations of delegate support, Willkie was nominated on the sixth ballot. His campaign stumbled in the fall and he lost 55 percent to 45 percent to incumbent Franklin Roosevelt. But he achieved something no one had thought possible by even getting nominated. Of course, much has changed since 1940, and conventions are no longer such free-wheeling affairs as they were then. But Democrats know that politics has again become fluid and surprising in recent years witness the strength of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump in their respective parties. Joe Biden began his presidential campaign as the front-runner last year. Then he was almost eclipsed by crushing losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, only to be rescued by a landslide victory in South Carolina. He of all people knows that if we look at how the nomination battle has gone so far, nothing is really over until its over. More from National Review Pa. church apologizes for holding large worship service despite pandemic concerns Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A church in Pennsylvania has issued an apology for holding worship on Sunday amid federal government recommendations that people not hold gatherings of more than 10 people. Word of Life Church of Greensburg held what Jim Madalinsky of Pittsburghs Action News 4 described as a large church service inside their church building on Sunday. The gathering stood in contrast to efforts across the country to reduce large gatherings, including religious ones, in order to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Word of Life Pastor Tom Walters posted a statement to the churchs Facebook page on Monday apologizing for the decision to hold the service. Walters explained that the gathering began with him and the church staff coming together to pray, with others joining them because they felt led to. Please believe me when I say that it was not out of arrogance or defiance, but solely for the purpose of praying for our churches, communities, and nation, explained Walters. We certainly want to be a blessing to our community and have certainly tried to be in years gone by. My heart was so heavy to experience the amount of hateful comments we received, but I guess I can understand. Walters went on to explain that, for the foreseeable future, they will only hold worship through online livestreaming and that they will be canceling their Passion Play performance. I will try harder to be more of an asset to our community, he concluded. Again, I ask your forgiveness, for we as a ministry want to do all we can to serve you. For his part, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf commented on churches staying open despite the coronavirus pandemic, acknowledging that there was a financial impact to consider. While I recognize the financial responsibility of these organizations, we also have to recognize the responsibility we have to each other, said Wolf, as reported by Action News. Over the past few weeks, large numbers of churches in the United States and abroad have opted to close their doors due to concerns over spreading the coronavirus. Many congregations have turned toward alternative means of holding worship, often through livestreaming services or pre-recorded sermons posted online to social media. On Sunday, Genoa Church of Westerville, Ohio, held two Drive in Church services, where hundreds came and parked in their lot, listening to a sermon and music via an FM transmitter. We decided to do this as an alternative way to allow people to worship collectively in a safe environment of their own car and to honor the guidelines of our governor, explained Genoa Church Pastor Frank Carl in an earlier interview with The Christian Post. We had a complete worship set, sermon, and offering buckets were in the exit as people left if they wanted to contribute and they did so very generously. Mexican Senate to vote on proposal to compel Netflix, Amazon to boost local content A smartphone with the Netflix logo is seen on a keyboard in front of displayed "Streaming service" words in this illustration By Julia Love MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican senators are set to vote Tuesday on a proposal that would force streaming platforms like Netflix Inc and Amazon.com Inc to ensure national content makes up at least 30% of their catalogs, a plan the industry argues would drive up costs and make it harder for small players to compete. The U.S. government has engaged the Mexican government about the issue, a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy said. The proposal, drafted by Senator Ricardo Monreal of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors MORENA party, could violate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the newly approved trade deal between the three countries, Mexicos Internet Association wrote in a letter to senators seen by Reuters. An initiative of this type is also especially disconcerting in an economic and commercial situation in which ... the implementation of the USMCA becomes urgent to successfully face the economic challenges stemming from Covid-19, wrote the Internet Association, whose members include Amazon and Google. The Senate's finance committee is scheduled to vote on the proposal on Tuesday. If approved by the committee, it would then move to the full chamber and, upon approval, to the lower house. While the requirement would apply to domestic players as well, it favors Mexican companies such as Televisa and TV Azteca, which already produce much of their content in the country, said Maria Elena Estavillo, a former commissioner of Mexicos telecom regulator, the Federal Telecommunications Institute. It will distort competition because this will bring an important advantage, mainly to Televisa, Estavillo said. Such rules, which have also been adopted in the European Union, are often intended to favor independent producers, Estavillo noted. But in practice, streaming companies may end up simply licensing content from Televisa or TV Azteca to fulfill the requirement, she said. The proposal threatens to limit content options for consumers, the Internet Association wrote. "The proposal does not consider that currently, no digital platform is in a position to comply with the minimum percentage of national content," the trade group wrote. Story continues The proposal follows other moves by Lopez Obrador and his allies that have rattled the business community in Mexico. In one of the most dramatic such cases, a local referendum this week forced the cancellation of a $1 billion planned Constellation Brands Inc brewery. A spokesman for Televisa, Mexicos largest broadcaster by far, denied the proposed rules would favor the company. If Congress were to approve OTT regulation similar to that of the EU or Canada, we would work with independent producers to comply with local content rules, the spokesman said. The Canadian rules do not pose problems for the USMCA because they were implemented before the treaty's adoption, an industry source argued. A spokeswoman for Netflix declined to comment. A spokesman for Amazon did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Monreal, the senator, referred comment to the head of the finance committee, whose office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Julia Love; additional reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Christian Plumb and Leslie Adler) In 1993 Don Burrows was part of an Australian fly-fishing team competing in Cuba. The members were in their hotel bar when a local band began to play, and, Burrows being Burrows had a flute on him, and joined in. The amazed musicians asked through an interpreter how he knew the songs. Burrows explained that some hed heard on the radio, and otherwise he was a jazz musician just using his ears. The Cubans were keen to play more, but the competition took Burrows away for the next week. Upon his return the musicians were waiting on the hotel steps to bundle him into what he described as a terrible old car, with bits falling off it, taking him to a classic swing-door cantina in central Cuba. Don Burrows with just one of the many instruments he played, 2001. Credit:Dallas Kilponen We went in, he told me for a 1998 interview, and theres all these little round tables, and to my astonishment theres a band at every table. Theyd told every bunch of musicians for miles around that this guy from the other side of the world must be a pro, he knows our songs, and will play with anybody. So theyve all come, and theyve been waiting all bloody afternoon. They had a microphone set up in the middle of the little dance floor, and theyre sort of giving me the idea: You stand there. Every band wants to play two tunes with you. Burrows was both exhilarated and exhausted by the end. The thing that touched me was this was the bond of music, he said. They didnt know me, but the fact Id just gone up and started playing with them was enough. Im one of them, you see? And it led to that unforgettable night. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday reviewed its decision to allow the use of indelible ink for stamping positive persons, who are home quarantined. In a letter to Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Ministry, the ECI has stated that following the extraordinary circumstances because of COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has reviewed its decision suo moto and has decided to allow the use of indelible ink on persons for stamping for homestay. However, ECI has set forth certain conditions that are to be followed as far the usage indelible ink is concerned on the person's body. The Health Ministry must fix an area on the body where the quarantine mark is to be made along with maintaining the record of the person on whom this mark is made. As the left forefinger of electors is required to be marked with indelible ink at the polling stations before the elector is allowed to vote, the concerned authorities shall be instructed not to use the indelible ink on any finger on the left hand of any persons under quarantine. The mark of indelible ink lasts for three days when applied on the skin unlike on nails where it lasts for a few weeks. A copy of the letter has also been sent to the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all States and Union Territories and also to the Managing Director, Mysore Paints & Varnish Limited, a government of Karnataka undertaking, for necessary action. In the wake of coronavirus outbreak, India is under complete lockdown since yesterday midnight as announced by the Prime Minister. The state of lockdown will continue for another 20 days in an endeavour to break the chain of transmission of coronavirus in the country. The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 562, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said that in the wake of Coronavirus outbreak, it is important to follow all protocols issued by the Centre and violating them might result in legal action under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This comes after PM Modi on Tuesday, announced a 21-day lockdown throughout India starting at midnight on Tuesday. Speaking to ANI, Dr Harsh Vardhan asserted the importance of following the protocol, adding that violators will face legal action under section 188 of the IPC. "In order to protect ourselves and others, it is highly important that we follow all the protocols, guidelines and directions issued by the government, failing which may lead to legal actions under Section 188 of the IPC," said Dr Harsh Vardhan. Earlier today, a high-level meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 was held at Nirman Bhawan under the chairpersonship of Health Minister Dr Vardhan. The GoM had a detailed deliberation on the prevention and management of COVID-19 in the meeting. READ: PM Modi busts myths around Coronavirus, appeals people to take disease seriously Guidelines for lockdown On Tuesday, the MHA issued an order detailing guidelines for the nationwide lockdown. As per the order, all offices of the government barring for those providing essential services will remain shut. They will function with minimum number of employees. Hospitals and all medical establishments will be open and the transport of the people working in this field will be permitted. All commercial establishments and private organizations will be closed. The exemptions include print and electronic media, shops selling essential items, e-delivery of food, medical equipment, banks, petrol pumps etc. The suspension of transport and hospitality services shall continue. Moreover, legal action can be taken against a person who does not follow the quarantine period prescribed by local health authorities. Incident Commanders appointed by the District Magistrates will be responsible for the overall implementation of these measures in their jurisdictions. An individual violating the containment measures can be proceeded against under Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act and Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. READ: Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India enters Day 1 of 21-day lockdown; total active cases at 553 Coronavirus crisis in India As of date, over 520 active cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) with Maharashtra reporting the highest at 112. Ten deaths have been reported till date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and the Prime Minister has issued a 21-day countrywide lockdown starting from 25 March to April 15, while announcing a Rs 15,000 crore relief package. READ: Chidambaram suggests '10-point plan' to Centre to help India's poor amid 21-day lockdown READ: MHA issues fresh lockdown guidelines, inter-state movement of goods and others exempted (with inputs from ANI) While half of the world is struggling to gather up basic necessities to survive nationwide lock downs, Chinese students studying in the US, those from well off families are paying as much as $20,000 dollars (Rs 15 lakh, approx) to book seats in private chartered jets to return to China. According to an NDTV report, the other option they are left with is to take 60-hour-long flights with multiple stopovers. The US is witnessing a drastically high rise of COVID-19 infected patients with the numbers going as bad as 10,000 new cases in just one day. A total of 550 people have lost their lives till now due to the novel pandemic. Twitter Chinese students studying in the US are desperate to get back home to China where the number of new cases have dropped to zero. According to Reuters, these students' parents had offered said amount to their children as pocket money. But rather than spend it on anything else, they used the money to book private jets. Annelies Garcia, commercial director for Private Fly, a global booking service for charter flights said, "Education agents and schools are the ones making contact on behalf of the Chinese families looking to group together to arrange a private charter, given the lack of airline flights." Pinterest However, the service of chartered flights will soon be unavailable for these children as Beijing has already banned the international arrival of these planes and Shanghai is expected to do the same. Glenn Phillips, a PR and advertising manager at Air Charter Service said, "We have arranged a number of private jets travelling from the U.S. to China repatriating Chinese nationals with routes including New York and Boston to Shanghai, San Jose to Hong Kong and Los Angeles to Guangzhou." Cargo The report by Reuters also added that some sources at air charter firms have said, "The Chinese government is reluctant to let people abroad to come back, though they cannot make it too obvious. We have received a lot of verbal guidance to restrict chartered flights these days and the door is closing rapidly." Twitter The coronavirus has sent the entire world in a wave of panic and it is absolutely understandable that these young people want to get back to their families. However, it is strongly advised that the only way to stop the infection of the virus is to remain wherever you are. So, whatever you decide to do, make sure you act responsibly. Investing in a market that is hitting the lower circuit frequently is not easy, and is equally true for the market which is in a hurry the one which we witnessed on Wednesday. A strong short-covering move pushed Nifty50 back above 8,000 levels while the S&P BSE Sensex is now back above 28,000 which is a positive sign for the bulls. But, can we say we are out of the woods? Maybe not. Much of the bounce we have witnessed was largely on the back of strong stimulus measures after the US government approved a $2 trillion stimulus package while a similar measure is expected from the Indian government amid a 21-day lockdown. Most of the investors portfolios have wiped out about 50 percent of the value and with no signs of a bottom in place, the fall is likely to continue, fear experts. The wild gyrations are likely to continue until some cure is announced. With Coronavirus cases continuing to rise across the globe, including India, it also threatens the economic activity which could lead to prolonged slowdown not just in India but across the globe. The recession like scenario does not auger well for bull markets. The COVID-19 is expected to have a severe impact on the economy of the country and India's April-June GDP may fall to negative 5 percent year-on-year or even more, brokerages said. Fear and panic are not best friends of bulls on D-Street; hence, what investors have to follow in times like this is to remain calm and mentally strong because fear psychosis will make investors commit mistakes which investors should avoid. The fall seen in Indian markets is in accordance with what is happening across the globe, and this too shall pass, suggest experts because the market is responding to fear. FIIs have pulled out more than Rs 50,000 cr form the cash segment of Indian equity markets so far in March. Global markets are correcting due to the spread of the pandemic virus and sell-off in the Indian market is on similar lines with other emerging markets. As markets don't like uncertainty, investors are looking to sit on side-line and be in cash till the clarity emerges, Hemang Kapasi, Portfolio Manager Equity Investment Products, Sanctum Wealth Management Private Ltd told Moneycontrol. Markets are reacting to fear hence it is difficult to predict an exact bottom. A lot of businesses are available at multi-year low valuations, people with longer-term horizons should invest in a staggered manner to take advantage of these prices rather than try to predict the bottom, he said. Markets, the world over, are clearly unnerved by the likely impact of the coronavirus on the global economy. Morgan Stanley has already warned about a likely recession-like scenario in its base case scenario. Industry after industry is being affected, and the major economies of the world, be it the USA, China or Europe, all are feeling the heat of the virus threat. Investors have been griped with the fear psychosis as to what will happen next. And it appears that the markets are unable to quantify the unquantifiable, Aamar Deo Singh, Head Advisory, Angel Broking Ltd told Moneycontrol. Investors are advised to not exit from their mutual funds at current levels, as already the major indices have corrected by over 30% and individual stocks, in many cases have corrected by even 50% or so, he said. Close COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Related stories COVID-19 update | Maharashtra's case tally sharply rises to 46,723; 32 more die As Covid cases spike, PM Modi to hold virtual meet with all chief ministers tomorrow COVID-19 update | Delhi logs 27,561 cases, second-highest daily rise so far; 40 deaths Singh further added that selling off in panic is definitely not the way forward, in such times of uncertainty. It will help you separate the men from the boys, which then can be put to good use in the future as well. We spoke to various experts and here is a list of 10 stocks which are looking attractive after the recent breakdown in markets: Brokerage Firm: Kotak Institutional Equities Infosys: Buy The brokerage firm slashed FY2021-22E revenue by 5-7 percent and EPS by 10-11 percent as we build the impact of COVID-19 pandemic globally. It forecast revenue decline of 0.9 percent in FY2021E and expect EBIT margin to decline to 20.6 percent. Normalization of growth is likely to happen by FY2022E. Post 32 percent correction in stock price, Infosys trades at trough multiple. The stock was upgraded to buy from add on (1) attractive valuations; we valued Infosys at normalized multiple of 16X FY2022E earnings resulting in fair value of Rs 680 (Rs 810 earlier) and (2) wallet share gains and excellence in execution will ensure that it remains in the top percentile on growth. The stock was upgraded to buy from add on (1) attractive valuations; we valued Infosys at normalized multiple of 16X FY2022E earnings resulting in fair value of Rs 680 (Rs 810 earlier) and (2) wallet share gains and excellence in execution will ensure that it remains in the top percentile on growth. Bharti Infratel: Buy The sharp recent correction has brought down Bharti Infratel's EV to 3.9X 3QFY20 annualized EBITDA. Even as we appreciate the sharp, immediate risk to this EBITDA from further consolidation in the wireless market, Kotak believes some of the EBITDA lost will be recouped on the back of (1) higher tenancies from the surviving operators and (2) higher rental/tenant driven by the sliding rental structure. It upgraded to buy (from reduce) with a revised face value of Rs 185/share. The revised face value reflects a 2+1 wireless market structure. Apollo Hospitals: Buy Kotak expects Apollo Hospitals to benefit from an improving maturity profile, even as the near-term outlook is challenging given a lower volume of international and domestic travel patients, as well as deferment in OPD footfalls and elective surgeries, though, a full demand recovery in 2HFY21 is likely. Kotak cuts FY2020/21 estimates and upgrade to buy with a revised fair value of Rs 1,820/share (versus Rs 1,840/share). United Spirits: Buy Kotak upgraded United Spirits to buy from reduce with a fair value of Rs 660. United Spirits has executed well on premiumization and non-COGS cost optimization over the past few years notwithstanding a weak demand environment and raw material headwinds. Even as demand environment remains challenging (especially ST impact of COVID-19), raw material prices have stabilized and valuations have turned attractive. Cummins India: Buy Kotak upgraded Cummins India to a buy from reduce based on (1) our assessment of earnings downgrade cycle being largely behind us, (2) diversified mix of businesses helping chug through current uncertain times and (3) reasonable valuations at sub-17X trailing earnings. The brokerage firm lowered fair value to Rs 520 from Rs 590 on 11 percent cut in estimates and lower 18X multiple. Prospects from the shift of business to Cummins India from China and from revision in domestic emission norms provide defence against unforeseen negatives in the base business. Brokerage Firm: YES Securities ABB India: Buy ABB is banking on increased traction in smart factory, remote monitoring, data centers, process industries, F&B, life-cycle management and urbanization as its expertise in the core sector is the key differentiator for digitalization solution. ABB is a key supplier of critical electrical equipment like motors, transformers, rectifiers, inverters, etc. systems to rolling stock manufacturers around the world. With Indian railways moving swiftly towards the procurement of electric locomotives, the brokerage firm believes ABB is likely to see strong business momentum over the next 3 years. Birla Corporation - BUY Birla Corporation has brought down RM costs in Chanderia plant by Rs175-200/te through improved mining efficiencies and curbed purchase of outside clinker/limestone. Consequently, the RM costs/te of standalone cement business (BCL) was flat over FY14-FY19 despite a 7-12 percent annual increase in fly ash, slag and gypsum cost. Colgate-Palmolive (India) - BUY Colgate India is the leading oral care company in India, with ~53 percent volume share in the toothpaste category and 45 percent share in the toothbrush category. The company enjoys strong brand equity and takes a proactive approach to product innovation, and deepening distribution reach should keep it in good stead over the medium term. It expects the margin to fare better in FY22E backed by select price hikes, better mix and a modest increase in Ad spends. After Market share loss of ~5 percent in the last 4 years, market share loss has been arrested and can perhaps move higher in the next 3-4 years after moderation in the growth of naturals toothpaste sub-segment normalizes. Currently, the stock is trading at an undemanding valuation of 24x FY23E P/E. Buckingham Palace scrapped a national televised address about coronavirus from the Queen 'for her own safety' and to keep the airways clear for politicians and medical professionals, a royal expert has claimed. Last week Her Majesty, 93, issued a statement on the outbreak, saying the UK is 'entering a period of great concern and uncertainty'. Speaking after leaving London for Windsor, where she was joined by Prince Philip, she urged Britain to come together amid the crisis and assured the country that the Royal Family is ready to 'play its part' in beating the deadly infection. There had been speculation that the monarch would deliver this message on a national televised broadcast. Buckingham Palace scrapped a national televised address about coronavirus from the Queen (pictured at the Commonwealth Service earlier this month) 'for her own safety' and to keep the airways clear for politicians and medical professionals, a royal expert has claimed Omid Scobie, a royal contributor on ABC, admitted he was confused by the sudden change to a written statement, having expressed a televised address. However, royal commentator Victoria Arbiter explained that there were two reasons behind the decision not to go ahead with it. Speaking on The HeirPod, she said: 'There is a real sense that they need to keep the focus and keep the airwaves clear for the experts, for the doctors, for the Prime Minister.' She added that the statement was a way to get the message out there as it could be printed on newspapers, posted on social media and read out on broadcast. 'It could reach a huge number of people without taking away airtime,' she continued. Last week Her Majesty, 93, issued a statement on the outbreak, saying the UK is 'entering a period of great concern and uncertainty' 'It is inevitable that at some stage she will address the nation. I hope it is not because things have gotten considerably worse but that we are coming out the other side. 'But I think, that kind of decision would have been made for purely practical reasons and not wanting to overstretch resources.' Victoria also suggested that the move was to limit the number of people around Her Majesty. 'We know that when the Queen gives an address, there are a lot of people involved,' she explained. 'There is lighting, and sound, and hair and make-up, and producers, and directors, and, at least in the US every, major news station has reported a positive coronavirus case. Speaking on The HeirPod, royal commentator Victoria Arbiter said: 'There is a real sense that they need to keep the focus and keep the airwaves clear for the experts, for the doctors, for the Prime Minister (pictured)' 'There is an abundance of caution given the Queen's age and that she and Prince Philip are protected. So that impacted the decision-making.' FEMAIL has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment. Late last week, Downing Street sources said the Queen is preparing to make a televised address to calm the nation's nerves during the 'difficult times ahead'. With the death toll from Covid-19 continuing to rise at a rapid rate, it is understood that as the 'mother of the nation' the Queen is waiting for the right moment and wants to time her address to make the maximum impact. Earlier today it emerged her son Prince Charles, 71, has tested positive for coronavirus. The Prince of Wales, 71, received his results yesterday and is in self-isolation on the Balmoral estate in Scotland with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who is without any symptoms of the virus, which has killed 424 and infected 8,000 more in the UK so far. Speaking after leaving London for Windsor (pictured), where she was joined by Prince Philip, the Queen urged Britain to come together amid the crisis and assured the country that the Royal Family is ready to 'play its part' in beating the deadly infection Charles is said to have 'mild symptoms' that started over the weekend and has fallen ill after meeting coronavirus-stricken Prince Albert of Monaco, who tested positive five days ago after he sat opposite the Prince of Wales at a WaterAid event in London on March 10. A Clarence House spokesman said: 'The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. 'The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing'. Charles' spokesman said it was impossible to say where he caught it from because of the large number of public engagements he has carried out in 'recent weeks' - but it will raise questions over whether he got it from Prince Albert and if he has spread it himself. Charles was last seen with the Queen on March 9 at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey and saw her again on March 12 - 24 hours before his doctor claims he became contagious The Prince of Wales was last at Buckingham Palace on March 12 for investitures, where he 'briefly' saw the Queen, and his illness will raise fears for the health of elderly royals including his mother and Prince Philip, who are together at Windsor Castle. A royal source said Charles' doctor's most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious on March 13 - 24 hours after he last saw his mother. A Buckingham Palace spokesman has said: 'Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health. The Queen last saw The Prince of Wales briefly on the morning of March 12 and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare.' The seeds have already been planted and you cant turn back nature. Alabamas farmers are stuck in their own pandemic-fueled crisis. Some have harvest expenses on the horizon but fewer places to sell their crops. Grocery stores may be booming but Alabama farmers rely on restaurants, some now shuttered, and schools, closed for the semester to get by. Now farmers are forced to make costly decisions, with few good options. The coronavirus pandemic came just soon enough to make Chilton Countys Scott Penton imagine all the ways it could affect his fruits and vegetable farm. As crops are just starting to come in, the people and businesses that usually buy them are not arriving to pick, or shop. Were stuck right now, Penton said. We cant stop. You cant abandon your crop. Youre spending thousands of dollars, fertilizing, pruning, pay for 14 workers, materials. Youre just hoping things will turn out good in the end. Alabamas farmers are being forced by quarantine measures related to the coronavirus to look at alternative ways to get their crops and produce to markets. Alabamas principal crops are wheat, corn, cotton, soybeans and peanuts, but its fruit, vegetable and tree nut industry has a total output of $161.5 million, with about 1,121 jobs and indirect business taxes of $2 million, according to a 2017 Auburn University study. On the surface, it would appear to be a good time. Grocery stores are still open, and shoppers are snapping up goods for an uncertain period of quarantine. But grocery stores offer a small profit margin for farmers, who also rely on local restaurants and school cafeterias as markets. At the same time, other farmers are finding new ways of getting their produce to buyers. Penton runs Penton Farms in Verbena, which has about 100 acres, half of which are devoted to growing peaches. He grows strawberries, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, okra, watermelons, cantaloupes and other fruits and vegetables on the remaining acres, and also has cattle. Hes been farming for more than 20 years. Last week was the beginning of harvest for strawberries, which had been hampered due to heavy rains. About this time every year, Penton Farms welcomes local school groups Monday through Wednesday for picking events on 11 acres, which has about 150,000 plants. In a few weeks will be peak production season. Earlier this month, Penton said, 24 schools had already booked time for picking days. All are canceled. But with severe sheltering and social distancing guidelines, Penton wonders how many may still come to pick strawberries. How far are people willing to come? he asked. Weve had them come from Montgomery, Birmingham, even further. I still feel like a lot of local people will come, but we need a lot more than that. Another open market, Pepper Place in Birmingham, has changed its format to a "contactless model. Orders and sales are made by the customer directly to the farmer online, with items delivered directly to the customers vehicle. Penton said theres probably an opportunity, as buyers will want locally sourced produce with minimal contact. But at what numbers? For other farmers, the path may be a little clearer. Greg Anderson has run Sullivan Creek Ranch in Cullman County near Vinemont, a ranch-to-table operation, for about four years. He sells retail cuts of beef from freezers on the ranch and has seen an uptick in people coming directly to buy. Ideally, our business model is to sell larger portions, he said. But we have everything youd see in a butcher shop or grocery store. We also sell to some retailers, like a small Japanese market in Norcross, Ga. Anderson said hes not nervous about the future, because he thinks the pandemic will drive people to seek alternative markets for their produce and meats. He said hes seeing customers from Birmingham and the surrounding area with more frequency. Farm-to-table is a burgeoning market, he said. If you can buy beef from a place two miles down the road, then you know your rancher. You can have conversations with them about the process. Then you know what youre putting in front of your family. Other farmers are finding opportunities. Sweet Grown Alabama is a non-profit that markets Alabama farmers and connects with retailers and shoppers. Director Ellie Watson said the coronavirus has affected several markets, with the closing of schools and shifting of restaurants to takeout and delivery. But the group is encouraging people to visit farms and seek out ways to buy locally sourced goods. The group maintains a list of members who have produce, meat and other farm products ready to sell. We want individual customers to know there are still options for buying from local farms while following all the CDCs recommendations for stopping the spread of COVID-19, Watson said. Theres also Till, an online portal for customers to buy fresh produce online from Alabama farmers for pickup or delivery, which launched last year. Since then, Till has had time to work on logistics and operations, preparing it for an increase in services. Last week, Till announced it would slash its membership fees for the immediate future. Till employs the familiar online shopping format by letting customers pick out products that are collected and delivered. Co-owner Hayley DeShazo say the company tripled its deliverers last week and is seeing another increase this week. We could see last week in the groceries, when there was nothing on the shelves, what was going on, DeShazo said. We wanted to help the farmers out, since a lot of them make most of their money from markets and restaurants they sell to. With markets going to a drive-thru option, we wanted to help them continue to sell their supply. Looking further down the road, Penton, like others, worries about how long the sheltering restrictions may last, and what effect they will have going forward into the year. For example, he said, Alabamas peach business relies heavily on traffic headed to Alabamas beaches. There are a lot of peddlers set up along (Highways) 231, 331, Gulf Shores, he said. If nobodys coming to the beach, theyre not going to be buying. And thats going to be a lot of lost market. All of us then are going to compete to put product in the grocery stores, cutting the price. and youre talking about a perishable item." And beyond peach season, theres the fall, and Pentons pumpkin patch which usually welcomes a second season of school trips for picking. Thats also when some analysts expect a second wave of coronavirus cases. For right now, Penton says all he can do is continue to work the crops, have workers use sanitary precautions, and encourage people to come and buy their produce. Social distancing is a new experience, he said. Some customers are used to shaking hands, or giving a hug. We hope everybody comes out to support their local farmers like they support their local businesses, he said. Terrence McNally (19382020). Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP/Shutterstock When Terrence McNally won his 2019 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement, he received the honor smiling, laughing and breathless. A plastic tube snaked under his nose; an oxygen tank hung at his side. He had survived lung cancer and lived with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, so he had built himself a speech of short lines, almost epigrams. It was a beauty. Little breath by little breath, he recalled his own debt to the playwrights club (the dues are your heart, your soul, your mind, your guts) and his gratitude at his ability to move others particularly the parents of gay children who had come out of the closet to understanding and greater kindness. He died on Tuesday at 81 of complications from the coronavirus. In that 2019 speech, he had opened with a joke. Lifetime achievement, he said, dryly. Not a moment too soon. McNallys much-awarded work spans the last five decades of American drama, but for some of us, it also spans our lives in the theater. Many encountered his plays and musicals at the inflection point that cast us into wild love, the kind we couldnt get out of. The best of his dramas were spiky, adult, and accessible; the books he wrote for musicals like Ragtime and Kiss of the Spider Woman were frankly erotic and seductively candid. When I first encountered the plays in college, he struck me as an American Chekhov, funny and wry while also being deeply humane. Those gateway dramas were, for me, Lips Together, Teeth Apart (I built a set for it that included a pool that both leaked and grew algae), Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and then on the page, Love! Valour! Compassion! his dramatic magnum opus, a three-hour-long estate tragicomedy in the (first) era of AIDS. Delighted by these plays at 20, I was excited by all the nudity, the Elaine Stritch jokes, the sex, and their laughter-amid-tears grandeur. Now, though, in middle age, I realize they burned their way into my life because of their moral clarity. These are Great Shouts about death and age and disappointment and disease. How did I ever think they were gentle? Because, says Lincoln Center Theaters producing artistic director, Andre Bishop: He managed to slightly shock people and to charm people, and I think those two qualities were very much in Terrence and in his work. The writing wasnt just intelligent it was meant to reach a wide audience. He was not a man afraid of being popular or being a success, says Bishop. He loved that and rightly so. And yet he also wrote from a point of view of seriousness and earnestness and deep feeling. In the catalogue of plays that we all remember McNally for Master Class, The Lisbon Traviata few are mentioning the ones closest to Bishops heart. He talks, for instance, about Andres Mother, McNallys 1988 play (later an Emmy Awardwinning teleplay) about a mother who cant accept her dead sons lover. As he did in every play, McNally wrote from a position of sympathy, even for those who couldnt put aside their bigotry. There was always this warm human being underneath all that sophistication, Bishop says, tying McNallys craft to his quality as a person. I know a lot of warm human beings, and I know a lot of funny, witty, sophisticated people I just dont know a lot who are both. In a wide-ranging conversation with Annie Baker, filmed for the Dramatists Guild at McNally and husband Tom Kirdahys apartment, McNally spoke about what drew him into the arts a passion for opera. What did he love? The emotions, and that people wore their hearts on their sleeve, he said. I like frank emotional stuff. He liked it so much that he was able to outlast the viciousness that met his first produced play And Things That Go Bump in the Night, which, implausibly, went to Broadway. It was 1965, he was barely out of Columbia, and here was a brainy play full of honest depictions of gay life, with characters who had sex and werent there to commit suicide or provide comic relief. It lasted 16 performances. (For the rest of his life, he could quote his worst review: The American theater would be a healthier place today if Terrence McNallys parents had smothered him in the cradle.) In 1967, though, he put his play Next into the hands of Elaine May. Produced Off Broadway, it was a hit, and he credited Mays direction for his career he was able to make a living writing plays from then on and teaching him to write. Much has been made over the years of his seven-year relationship with Edward Albee, and McNally himself said while speaking with Baker that you can feel Albees stamp in And Things , written before the young playwright fully found his own feet. But eventually he drew away from that mighty influence: May taught him to write action and his own keen ear for voices carried him the rest of the way. His populist sensibility meant that his work often made it into the mainstream, where it often did real, quantifiable good. Tony Kushner remembers his parents going to see the film of McNallys farce The Ritz in the 1970s when Kushner was still in high school. My father wasnt a virulent homophobe, says Kushner, but he was upset when he figured out I was gay. When he saw the film with my mother, he said he liked the movie a lot and that it was making a plea for tolerance for homosexuals. He said, It makes a very moving case, and that was a big deal for me. It was the only time that he hinted that there might be some accommodation. Ive felt a great gratitude to Terrence for that. McNally also wrote for five decades without painting himself into a single style. I think that in all of his plays, theres a real ambition to both push the boundaries of what theater was doing and an ambition to re-create himself, says Kushner. He was a bit of a chameleon trying out new forms and new shapes. I was always in awe of the superabundance of Terrences imagination it was a fountain of plays and ideas and plots and books for musicals. Speaking as somebody slow and miserable like me, Kushner laughs, I was always astounded by the level of constant invention. In fact, McNallys success can sometimes, paradoxically, cloud our view of him. He thrived in the commercial theater, and he wrote well-made plays and musicals, which has meant that scholars and critics have sometimes given him short shrift even as his work inspired countless other playwrights and bewitched audiences. When we watched the recent revival of Frankie and Johnny, says Kushner, it was exciting to see somebodys work with that sense of absolute craft. Theres a shape and a responsibility there: I, the playwright, am going to take care of the audience. Follow me. Lynne Meadow is the artistic director of Manhattan Theatre Club the organization that in 14 years produced 14 of his plays. We were his artistic home, she says. Meadow has been emailing and calling those who loved him, and it seems as though that includes every playwright, every artist, he ever encouraged. Joe Mantello wrote to me saying, Were lucky, says Meadow. And yes! Were lucky and very proud. His plays will be done; he will be celebrated. And he loved to be celebrated. He did! When we spoke, her mind was racing with images of working with and knowing McNallythe huddled conferences after previews, the phone calls in which you could hear opera blasting away on the other end. But she ended with an early memory. In 19723 at Manhattan Theatre Club, I did 23 plays in seven weeks, she says. The highlight was Terrence McNallys play Bad Habits. I was 24 or 25 years old; it was my first season. And Ill never forget seeing him walking in with Bobby Drivas, who was going to direct it, with his Shetland sweater knotted around his neck, so very preppy. He was so adorable, so arrogant! He looked just like a Columbia student who had just written the Varsity Show, which of course he had. I had no idea what a role he would play in the American theater. She pauses. I just remember that sweet face. Gunmen stormed a religious gathering of Afghanistan's minority Sikhs in their place of worship in the heart of the Afghan capital's old city on Wednesday, killing at least four people, a minority Sikh parliamentarian said. Afghanistan's interior ministry said that police were at the place of worship, known as a Gudwara, but that the firing was continuing. The parliamentarian, Narindra Singh Khalsa, said he was near the Gudwara when the attack happened and ran to the site. He said at least four people were killed. No one has taken responsibility for the attack, but earlier this month an Islamic State affiliate attacked a gathering of minority Shiite Muslims in Kabul, the capital, killing 32 people. Sikhs have suffered widespread discrimination in the conservative Muslim country and have also been targeted by Islamic extremists. Under Taliban rule in the late 1990s, they were asked to identify themselves by wearing yellow armbands, but the rule was not enforced. In recent years, large numbers of Sikhs and Hindus have sought asylum in India, which has a Hindu majority and a large Sikh population. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ghana has taken delivery of its share of medical supplies including Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) donated to African countries by businessman Jack Ma and his Alibaba Foundation to help fight the Coronavirus spread. The Minister of Health, Kweku Agyeman Manu who received the items at the Kotoka International Airport on Wednesday said they will be distributed to the relevant health facilities. We have started receiving items that we ourselves have procured. There are some we have ordered that will be delivered by close of the week. We expect that apart from these items, we will take into inventory close to 30,000 Personal Protective Equipment, several quantities of masks and even sanitizers. We have registered close to 18 Ghanaian companies who are producing them locally. We are now properly prepared, he said. The Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, Zhu Jing said China will continue to provide support to Ghana to contain the spread of the Coronavirus disease. He also revealed that Chinese companies in Ghana will soon extend a hand of support to Ghana to fight Coronavirus. He said, The Chinese government is very concerned about the situation in Ghana concerning the spread of the Coronavirus. Our government has already provided medical supplies to more than 100 countries especially Europe which has been hit very hardWe have sent some medical teams to Italy and other European countries. Right now we are focusing on Ghana and Africa. Meanwhile, Zahra Baitie, a Senior Project Manager at the Jack Ma Foundation says the foundation will continue to support government to fight the pandemic. We are playing our part to support the people of the world. We believe that COVID-19 can only be fought and contained if we all come together. The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr Abiy Ahmed who is one of the initiators of the gesture announced on Twitter that Ghana and other African countries were receiving their packages today, Wednesday. The items distributed to the various African countries include more than 1.5 million laboratory diagnostic test kits and over 100 tons of infection prevention and control commodities. There's the novel coronavirus, and there are the policy measures being enacted to try and restrict its growth. Both the measures and the virus are having a severe impact on the growth of the global economy, and the stock market is busy pricing that in. Unfortunately, it's impossible to know exactly when the COVID-19 pandemic will be constrained and when the global economy can start to normalize. However, what we can do is monitor some of the data to get a better handle on what's going on. Here's what to look out for. The coronavirus sell-off Lockdown measures are obviously impacting the global economy. One obvious example is the aerospace industry. Companies like Boeing (NYSE:BA) and airline suppliers like General Electric (NYSE:GE) and United Technologies (NYSE:RTX) are taking significant hits to their share prices as a result. The question is: When will the lockdown measures be eased? If travel restrictions remain in place as part of the lockdown measures, then passenger traffic will be severely curtailed, leading to a drop in aftermarket revenue for GE and UTC. In addition, airline profitability will slump and orders will be canceled at Boeing -- not good news for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) suppliers like GE and UTC. The bullish case Because the aim of the lockdown measures is to contain the growth of the novel coronavirus, so it can be managed by healthcare systems in the countries taking these actions, it's important to monitor the daily new cases being reported in each of the countries taking the measures. Of course, the first place to look is the country where the COVID-19 pandemic originated. The good news here is that, at least according to its official figures, China has done a good job of containing the virus. And as FedEx management outlined recently, China's economy appears to be normalizing, with a notable recovery since early March. The ultra-bullish case for the markets is based on the idea that the rest of the globe will follow, and the global economy will normalize over time. Of course, this also implies that rates of infection won't explode again as containment measures are lifted. It's still early days, but so far China, like Japan and South Korea, is reporting new cases in the double digits rather than the thousands it was reporting during the height of the outbreak there. COVID-19 new daily case data One way to monitor events is to compare the timeline of when China initiated stringent lockdown measures, intended to encourage social isolation, to those of some European countries. Of course, this is not an exact science, as different countries -- and even regions within countries, such as Bavaria in Germany -- have taken different actions over different timeframes. However, the dates in the chart below reference the kind of national lockdown measures taken by China and Italy. As you can see below, China began such measures on Jan. 23; Italy followed on March 11. Clearly, the data shows China's new daily cases peaking a couple of weeks later -- which makes logical sense, as symptoms take time to develop, and suspected cases need to be reported and then tested. The data also shows that Italy's new daily cases also appear to have peaked a few days earlier than cases did in China after it imposed severe restrictions on social interactions. If this trend continues, and other European countries follow in due course, then investors have cause for optimism -- even if cases in countries like the U.K. peak later, due to its relatively late arrival to the social isolation party. What to look out for If the lockdowns ultimately work, and there's no sign of an unmanageable resurgence in cases after China and South Korea relax controls, then it seems the handbrake imposed on national economies by lockdowns could be lifted and growth could come back -- hopefully with each economy avoiding a recession in the meantime. After all, the slowdown in each economy's growth is due to a sudden cessation of activity caused by lockdowns; it's not coming from an ongoing deteriorating trend in the global economy. That said, investors need to keep a close eye on the data. If new cases in the major European countries start trending downwards and the U.S. follows, then investors will feel a lot happier about the market -- and some of the most heavily sold-off stocks, such as Boeing, United Technologies, and General Electric, will bounce back soon enough. Homes are still being listed and sold in the Houston area, despite the moratorium on open-house tours in the area. On March 20, the Houston Association of Realtors' website took down "open-house" advisories on home listings to encourage social distancing. Realtors are being urged to host virtual property tours to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. DANBURY As hospitals in neighboring New York and across the country fear running out of supplies and beds, local leaders are trying to keep that from happening here. A field hospital was set up outside Danbury Hospital on Wednesday, while Connecticut has designated state facilities, such as colleges, as space for medical use. There's an attitude of, Let's not leave any stone unturned to bring about new resources that could best prepare us for where this thing may go, said Andrea Rynn, spokeswoman for Nuvance Health, the network that operates Danbury, New Milford and Norwalk hospitals. The installation of the mobile hospital comes on the same day as the state announced a total of 19 deaths due to the virus, including the first Danbury resident. On Wednesday, the number of cases rose by 257 to 875 statewide. This includes 546 cases in Fairfield County, of which 47 patients have been hospitalized. The 25-bed tented field hospital is the second such mobile hospital built by the state in as many days. It is similar to the one set up by the state Tuesday at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford and is part of the states directive for hospitals to boost their bed capacity in preparation for the next wave of coronavirus infection. We are in extraordinary times, Rynn said. She described the field hospital as a heated, multi-functional facility, which was set up by the international, national and state guard, in addition to the state health department and the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. The facility would be used once it is needed, Rynn said. This is all preparatory, based on the fact that we think there will be potential surge in the future, she said. We want to be ready to accommodate whatever may come our way. The network has had enough beds and supplies, so far, she said. Were managing pretty well across all our hospitals, Rynn said. Were fortunate to be part of a seven hospital network that allows us some flexibility...We have the staff, the supplies and the beds to get us through the near term. Danbury and Norwalk hospitals were Connecticuts first connection to the virus, when a New York resident who worked at both facilities tested positive about 21/2 weeks ago. Since last Monday, Danbury Hospital has offered drive-thru testing for the virus. Using college dorms Western Connecticut State University could also provide space to help out hospitals. Other state universities have been asked to ready their facilities to be used for health care professionals and patients with the virus. Paul Steinmetz, spokesman for the university, said he did not have details on how the buildings may be used. Were ready to go any time, he said. Homeless individuals were ready to move into Fairfield Hall, a 108-bed residence hall on the Midtown campus, on Wednesday, but the state squashed the plan at the last minute. State facilities, such as colleges and universities, will be used for hospital surge needs only, including patients who have coronavirus or are suspected to have the virus, said Aaron Turner, a spokesman for the state Department of Housing. This includes, but is not limited to, homeless individuals, he said. Other state officials could not be reached for comment for more details on the plan. The decision comes after days of planning between city, state and university officials, Mayor Mark Boughton said. The plan had already been approved, and homeless individuals were supposed to move in Wednesday night, he said. We are absolutely outraged that the state would pull the rug out from underneath us after we already began the move, Boughton said. Officials had already begun pre-screening clients, while the health department had already set up offices in Fairfield Hall, a residence hall on the Midtown campus, he said. Volunteer firefighters were preparing to facilitate the move, he said. The citys shelter on New Street is being used for a few homeless individuals who may have been exposed to the virus, while non-profit shelters have closed due to space and volunteer shortages. Homeless individuals stayed Tuesday night at the Danbury War Memorial. City officials had not decided by mid-day Tuesday where clients would sleep Wednesday night. But well come up with something, Boughton said. Everyone will have a roof over their head. The war memorial may not be a good long-term solution because guests could not easily be quarantined, like the dorms would have allowed, he said. The problem with the war memorial, is that its an open bay situation, Boughton said. Theres not as much room to quarantine people or divide people up. The state has a list of shelters and centers that may be used, Turner said. Local staff are being instructed to work directly with their regional coordinators to onboard these facilities and coordinate logistics immediately based on need, he said. Staff writer Rob Ryser contributed to this report. ORANGE Energy holding company Avangrid and its philanthropic arm announced Wednesday they will be donating $2 million to national and local organizations helping vulnerable groups cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Orange-based Avangrid will commit $1 million in corporate funds to organizations across the four states in which its eight electric and natural gas companies operate. Here in Connecticut, Avangrids utility companies are The United Illuminating Co., Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas. The usage of messaging apps the world over has increased, as people now seek solace in virtual socialising. As the world practises social distancing to limit Covid-19 pandemic, Facebook is witnessing a surge in the number of active users and in the time people are spending on social media. Alex Schultz, VP of Analytics and Jay Parikh, VP of Engineering, Facebook, in an official blog post stated that in many countries, the messaging on Facebook has increased by 50 per cent. "In many of the countries hit hardest by the virus, total messaging has increased more than 50 per cent over the last month," they noted. Moreover, the usage of voice and video calling has more than doubled in the coronavirus-hit countries. Italy, taking the second biggest hit of the pandemic after China, has seen the biggest jump in the usage of Facebook. The blog stated that the messaging apps of Facebook are being used by people to communicate while cities go in a lockdown. This is because users want to get updates from their family and friends in dire times. While traffic is up, business not so much because Facebook monetizes its services through ads and with small and medium industries. On lockdown, the ads have subsequently slowed down. "We don't monetize many of the services where we're seeing increased engagement, and we've seen a weakening in our ads business in countries taking aggressive actions to reduce the spread of Covid-19," the blog read. The blog further read that Facebook was prepared for usage spikes during events like Olympics and New Years' eve, but the current spikes were not frequent and were a challenge to deal with. "Maintaining stability throughout these spikes in usage is more challenging than usual now that most of our employees are working from home." The app has come with features like Covid-19 Information Center on Facebook and the collaboration with World Health Organisation and WhatsApp. The blog stated that Facebook is reducing bit rates to help alleviate the congestion. Starting today, March26, Facebook will work on a hackathon to tackle challenges coming from the outbreak. Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, in his official blog wrote, "Hackathons have always been an important part of how we come up with new ideas and projects at Facebook -- features like Blood Donations and Crisis Response were first built during hackathons and are now used by millions of people worldwide. I'm hopeful that some useful prototypes and ideas will come out of this one as well." If youre considering running for a seat on the St. Clair City Council or challenging Mayor Bill Cedar in the November election, the deadline to file is April 21. As of March 18, candidates are still required to collect 15 to 20 signatures on their petitions. Petition packets for interested mayor and council candidates are available, City Clerk Annette Sturdy said at the regular meeting of the St. Clair City Council March 2. The deadline to file is April 21, 2020. The state primary election is Aug. 4 and the general election will be Nov. 3. That was eight days before the first case of COVID-19 turned up in Michigan and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency on March 10. City Superintendent Warren Rothe reiterated the filing deadlines at the regular council meeting March 16. By then, Michiganders were living in a different world. I have a question for the city attorney that Id like addressed somehow, said council member Tom McCartney. With whats going on and the climate today, and with these petitions that need to be circulated and signatures collected, I have some concerns about walking the neighborhoods, knocking on doors, asking for signatures. Im wondering what other ways we have to do this (and) if something like this is going to be waived. Everywhere you go, businesses are closing down. They want to have social distancing, more than 6 feet between people and no contact and here we sit (at the council table) elbow to elbow. City Attorney Jim Downey and Sturdy were absent from the meeting. Rothe said he would pose the question to Sturdy the next day. At this time, there have been no further guidelines or changes from the Secretary of States office on this topic, said Sturdy via email. The charter does maintain signatures required and does not allow the option to pay a $100 fee in lieu of signatures. Several clerks/election officials have approached the state on this subject, and if/when any changes occur, the information will be shared accordingly. For the city of St. Clair, minimum signatures are 15, maximum of 20 for all candidates. Changes in all aspects of life in St. Clair, in the state, nation and world have been rampant over the last month and are likely to continue. Please know, many changes have occurred quickly this past week, Sturdy wrote. Ill keep you as informed as I can. Jim Bloch is a freelance writer. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com. So far those figures have not compared the number of deliveries to the number of equipment needed. And that gap seems huge. Mr. Cuomo crystallized the issue on Tuesday when he said that the timeline doesnt work. I dont need ventilators in six months, he said. And I dont need ventilators in five months, four months or three months. The reality is that timing is impossible, producers of the equipment say. For example, Medtronic, one of the leading manufacturers of ventilators, now makes about 225 of its high-end machines each week, up from 100 in more normal times. But it is a daunting task because there are 1,500 unique parts supplied from 14 countries. The company is aiming for 500 a week, a Medtronic spokesman said. Even that would not satisfy current demand. Last week, Mr. Trump urged states to fend for themselves, looking for whatever they could find on the open market. But that only underlined how poorly prepared federal stockpiles were for a pandemic a situation that the last three administrations had rehearsed in an effort to improve plans. The presidents comments set off a scramble that only accelerated the criticism of how the White House has handled the allocation of scarce supplies. Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, a Democrat, argued that in sending each of the states off to find their own equipment, were competing against each other, were competing against other countries. The result, he said, was were overpaying. Mr. Trump responded that Mr. Pritzker and other governors shouldnt be blaming the federal government for their own shortcomings. We are there to back you up should you fail, and always will be! But it is increasingly clear that the federal government will not be able to back up the states, at least at the scale needed, for the first wave of patients. And by letting companies voluntarily produce the necessary equipment, rather than under orders in the Defense Production Act, the administration is not responsible for whether the quotas are met, or if the output reaches hospitals. The NSW Teachers Federation has demanded that public schools be closed from Monday, as TAFE said it would bring classes online and the childcare sector begged for clarity from the government before centres began going out of business. With 84 per cent of public school students staying home on Wednesday due to the COVID-19 crisis, up from almost 75 per cent on Tuesday, the Teachers Federation called for teachers to be able to work at home from next week. President Angelo Gavrielatos said schools should only have minimum staffing to support essential frontline services workers who could not care for their children. "It is now essential that an immediate transition to an emergency mode of school operation be put in place," he said. Iran tightens protective measures, introduces travel bans to rein in coronavirus spread 03/25/20 Source: Press TV Stepping up its fight against the new coronavirus outbreak, Iran has begun banning people from leaving their cities and requiring those who are already on Persian New Year trips to return to their hometowns at the earliest opportunity. Official Iran's statistics on coronavirus as of March 25 Infections: 27,017 Deaths: 2,077 New Cases: 2,206 Recovered: 9,625 Spokesman for the Iranian administration Ali Rabiei made the remarks in a Twitter thread on Wednesday following a cabinet session that was chaired by President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran earlier. "In light of the fact that the country has brought the first wave [of the outbreak] under control and in order to prevent a new wave, the president announced a ban on all new inter-city trips," Rabiei wrote. "Those violating this directive will be subjected to legal action." A pending amendment to the directive would, however, specify individuals and cases that are exempt from the measure, the official told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting. The country would also enforce the closure of all parks as well as any sites that might draw large clusters of people, he said. Those who have tested positive for the disease should observe the Health Ministry's relevant directives, including staying in isolation for 15 consecutive days, and are banned from traveling around freely against the precautions, the official noted. Public offices and businesses are all ordered closed, except for stores supplying groceries and basic supplies, until April 3, the official added. A quiet city of Tabriz under shadow of coronavirus The Judiciary is set to announce the legal implications of violating the measures, and the Law Enforcement Force is required to act upon the announcement, Rabiei said. The policies should attain the status of a social agreement among all members of the nation, he said, adding that popular contribution to the measures would reduce the virus' lifespan and the human cost that it could inflict, the spokesman tweeted. "We need to stand by each other to pass through this difficult stage and trust the health apparatus and the government's decisions," Rabiei added. He, meanwhile, expressed satisfaction that the country faced no shortage of staples for the months to come. According to the World Health Organization, since emerging in central China late last year, the respiratory disease has claimed more than 18,900 lives and infected more than 425,000 others. Earlier, Rouhani also told the cabinet meeting that later on Wednesday, the country would begin enforcing a plan featuring "stricter" countrywide measures aimed at preventing further spread of the new coronavirus. The plan, he said, had been discussed in detail during a session of the National Headquarters for Managing and Fighting the Coronavirus on Tuesday. During that session, the Health Ministry tabled a measure aimed at enforcing "social distancing" that had to be employed more rigorously in certain places, Rouhani noted. The new measures were to be employed "because we could begin facing a new wave of the disease over the upcoming days that we should likewise bring under control," he said. Road sign in Khouzestan province discourages people from unnecessary travel (photo by Islamic Republic News Agency) The chief executive said the tough measures have to be enacted because "people's lives are very important to us." "People should know that these harsh decisions are aimed at protecting their lives," Rouhani said. "What matters is that people suffer minimum losses, have no problem procuring their requirements, and that the period spent fighting the virus is cut to a minimum," the president asserted. He, meanwhile, expressed delight that most cities and provinces were not facing any shortages as far as medical services and hospital facilities were concerned. He cited the case of hospitals in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, where general and intensive care wards had respectively reported 60 and 30 percent of their beds to be still available. Draft resolution on US sanctions Separately, Rouhani pointed to the United States' illegal sanctions against Iran that Washington was keeping in place amid the Islamic Republic's battle against the virus despite a global outcry. He said a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council - that he did not identify by name - was to present the Council with a draft resolution protesting the bans. China's Ambassador to Tehran Chang Hua delivering humanitarian aid (see more photos by ISNA) ! . https://t.co/tgmIu2kFs4 Chang Hua (@AmbChangHua) March 24, 2020 "What is being talked about at the Security Council now is that a resolution should be ratified to enable the lifting of the sanctions amid the virus outbreak," Rouhani said. Efforts are underway to unlock Iran's frozen assets overseas, he said. "Good steps are being taken to that end," the president stated without specifying. Ministry updates number of confirmed cases, deaths Presenting its daily COVID-19 update on Wednesday, the Iranian Health Ministry said the number of deaths had increased by 143 to 2,077 since Tuesday. The ministry's spokesperson Kianoush Jahanpour also said the total number of confirmed infections had risen by 2,206 cases to reach 27,017 during the past 24 hours. Jahanpour further noted that 9,625 COVID-19 patients had already recovered and been discharged from hospital around the country. More than 47.5 million people have so far been screened for the viral infection through online and telephone monitoring programs, he said. Jackson Browne has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). Browne announced his diagnosis during an interview with Rolling Stone published on Tuesday, explaining, My symptoms are really pretty mild. Browne, 71, explained he decided to get tested after he noticed he had small cough and a temperature, he told the magazine. Browne told Rolling Stone his symptoms are pretty mild and added, I dont require any kind of medication and certainly not hospitalization or anything like that. The musician is now recovering at his home in Los Angeles, California and has been self isolating for about 10 days. Browne explained to Rolling Stone that he is not sure where he may have contracted the virus, but believes it stems from a trip to New York. He was there for the annual Love Rocks NYC benefit on March 12. I quarantined immediately upon feeling sick. It was before the mandatory quarantine orders were issued, because you dont know if you had it or not. Im in the middle of trying to call everyone I know to discuss with them how they are feeling and whether or not they have symptoms. You have to assume you have it. You need to assume that you in some way could very easily pass it to someone else, Browne told Rolling Stone. So many people that have it arent going to be tested, Browne said. They dont have symptoms but they might have it and might be able to pass it on. Browne went on to urge his fans and people all over the world to stay at home. Michael Tran/Getty Images Jackson Browne Thats what younger readers need to understand: They need to take part in the global response to stop the spread. That means not going anywhere, not getting into contact with anybody, not seeing anybody, Browne added. You just dont know whos got a strong immune system and who doesnt. I was told by my doctor theres a 19-year-old on a ventilator in Santa Monica. Theres no guarantee that because youre young, youre not going to be affected by this, Browne said. Story continues As for how hes spending his time in self-isolation, Browne told Rolling Stone, Im having a lot of really great conversations with friends and listening to music. RELATED: Coronavirus Myths Debunked: Special Pathogens Expert Says The Fact Speaks For Itself Coronavirus Myths Debunked: Special Pathogens Expert Says 'The Fact Speaks For Itself' Dr. Syra Madad explains how you can protect yourself and loved ones from the coronavirus He also shared that hes watching shows and spending a lot of time reading all these op-eds. Im presuming I got this flying back and forth to New York to do [the] Love Rocks show at the Beacon. And now it turns out that several people who were at that show have tested positive, Browne told Rolling Stone. Despite the circumstance, Browne said he feels lucky. Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic Jackson Browne I feel lucky that Im not really badly affected. I guess Ive got a really strong immune system, Browne told Rolling Stone. RELATED: Celebrities Who Have Tested Positive for Coronavirus As of Tuesday, there are now at least 49,619 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, as testing becomes more readily available. At least 615 people in the U.S. have died from coronavirus-related illness. The first cases of a mysterious respiratory illness what is now known as COVID-2019, a form of coronavirus began in Wuhan, China in late December. Since then, the virus has spread worldwide, leading the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency, the first since the zika epidemic in 2016. As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 00:55:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China is ready to work with all other parties to step up coordination against COVID-19 and shore up confidence in the international community. Xi made the remarks during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of an extraordinary virtual summit of the Group of 20 (G20) leaders on a coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese president noted that Merkel has expressed to the Chinese side sympathies and support, and the German government and various sectors in the country have extended their helping hand in the early days of the outbreak in China, saying that the Chinese people will remember that in their hearts. Germany is now facing a serious challenge from the epidemic, and the Chinese people feel the same way, said Xi, adding that China firmly supports Germany in its fight against the epidemic and is willing to continue to provide assistance within its capacity. He also said that the Chinese and German experts have already had video exchanges, and German experts have also travelled to China with the World Health Organization expert team, adding that China is willing to share prevention, control and treatment experience with Germany, strengthen cooperation in vaccine and drug research and development, and contribute to the health and wellbeing of both peoples and global public health security. "May you lead the German people to overcome the epidemic as soon as possible," Xi said. Viruses know no borders and are a common challenge faced by humanity, Xi said, adding that no country can stay out of or be immune from the epidemic. In the battle against the outbreak, China and Germany, as well as China and the European Union (EU) have demonstrated the strength of solidarity and cooperation, and displayed positive energy, Xi said. Noting that the extraordinary G20 summit is about to be held, Xi said that the Chinese side is ready to work with all sides, including Germany, to step up coordination and speak with one voice to advocate the spirit of sharing the same boat and jointly fight the COVID-19 epidemic, so as to shore up confidence in the international community. He also proposed that all sides should give consideration to both the present and the long term, coordinate domestic effect and global impact, strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination, stabilize markets, ensure growth, promote employment and people's livelihood, and at the same time push for market opening to ensure openness, stability and safety of the global supply chains. Xi stressed that the two sides should continue to conduct key political agenda planning, further advance communication and collaboration in various fields, guarantee the stability of China-Germany, China-EU production chains and supply chains, and explore the potential for cooperation in emerging industries, so as to mitigate shocks caused by COVID-19. For her part, Merkel said as Europe is facing a grim epidemic situation, Germany has been taking decisive measures to contain the outbreak, adding that the German side is grateful for the timely and precious help China has offered, and hopes to cooperate with China in the research and development of vaccines and medicines, so as to set an example of fighting against COVID-19 with solidarity. The German side advocates that the international community should respect facts, uphold an objective and fair stance, and overcome the outbreak through cooperation, she said. Merkel called on the G20 members to strengthen coordination and cooperation, support each other, and play a leading role in overcoming the current crisis and stabilizing the global economy. The German side looks forward to further enhancing Germany-China, EU-China exchanges and cooperation after the pandemic, she said. International surgical guidelines launched today (24/3 US - 25/3 UK) will help to save thousands of lives in Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMIC) countries by standardising and improving practice in surgery. An international collaboration led by the University of Birmingham sets out nine essential recommendations that should be implemented as a priority across all hospitals world-wide in the fight against Surgical Site Infection (SSI). SSI is the most common complication following abdominal surgery, affecting 9% of patients in high-income countries and 17% of patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) - causing patients to experience pain and delays return to normal activities such as work. At least 42 million people worldwide die within 30 days of surgery each year, and half of these deaths occur in LMICs. This number of postoperative deaths accounts for 77% of all deaths globally, making it the third greatest contributor to deaths, after ischaemic heart disease and stroke. More people die within 30 days of surgery annually than from all causes related to HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis combined (297 million deaths). It is estimated that failure to improve surgical care will cost the world economy $12.3 trillion in lost GDP by 2030. Additional SSI-related health costs can cause financial hardship, particularly for the most vulnerable patients in LMICs. SSI is associated with a three-fold increase in the risk of death after surgery. Treatment of SSI is increasingly challenging due to the rise of antibiotic resistance, which occurs in up to 46% of LMIC patients. This places a strong focus on preventing SSI from occurring in the first place. Published in the British Journal of Surgery, the new Global Surgery Guideline for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection will support surgeons in putting into practice key interventions that are proven to reduce the SSI risk. Expert surgeons representing 14 countries across Africa, Europe, Latin America, and South Asia identified nine evidence-based interventions which can be feasibly implemented worldwide at low cost. Mr. Aneel Bhangu, Consultant Surgeon and Senior Lecturer at the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery at the University of Birmingham commented: "We've estimated that around 20 million patients develop surgical site infections worldwide each year following abdominal surgery, including 14.7 million LMIC patients. "The Global Surgery Guideline for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection has identified practical steps that all hospitals should urgently take to both reduce avoidable infections and the spread of antimicrobial resistance." Dr. Adewale Adisa, Senior Lecturer in Surgery at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria and co-lead author commented: "High rates of SSI and antimicrobial resistance are a real worry for surgeons, particularly in LMICs. Although guidelines for prevention of SSI have previously been published, they were developed in high income countries with little thought for the specific needs of LMIC patients. "Many of their recommendations were impractical for resource-limited hospitals, and few LMIC surgeons put them in to practice. This is the first guideline to have been led by LMIC surgeons and I believe our recommendations can be implemented immediately to benefit all patients across the world." The recommendations encourage medical professionals to boost patient safety by: Ensuring patients have had a full body wash with clean water and soap before operation. Selecting antibiotic prophylaxis according to published antibiotic prescribing guidelines. Administering antibiotic prophylaxis to all patients undergoing clean-contaminated, contaminated or dirty surgery. Administering antibiotic prophylaxis intravenously within 60 minutes before skin incision. Administering a repeat dose of antibiotic prophylaxis if the duration of operation is longer than the half-life of the antibiotic given. Not routinely continuing prophylactic antibiotics beyond 24 hours after operation. Ensuring scrub teams decontaminate their hands before surgery using antiseptic surgical solution. Preparing the skin at the surgical site immediately before incision, using antiseptic preparation Providing supplemental oxygen during surgery under general anaesthetic In addition, a further three 'desirable' recommendations are made in the guideline. It is recognised that worldwide some hospitals may lack the necessary resources to immediately implement these interventions, in which case they should plan strategies to introduce these interventions in the future. ### For more information, interviews or an embargoed copy of the paper, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, University of Birmingham on +44 (0)782 783 2312 or t.moran@bham.ac.uk. For out-of-hours enquiries, please call +44 (0) 7789 921 165. Notes to Editors 30-day mortality in patients who develop surgical site infection (SSI) following abdominal surgery is 4.7% versus 1.5% in those who do not develop SSI (three-fold difference). This and all other data in this press release on SSI and antimicrobial resistance rates are based on an international study across 343 hospitals in 66 countries [GlobalSurg Collaborative. Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2018;18(5):516-525]. The low-income countries represented in the guideline development were Benin, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia; lower-middle-income countries represented were Ghana, Guatemala, Egypt, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines; upper-middle-income countries represented were Mexico, South Africa; and the high income country represented was the UK. National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) awarded 7 million to the University of Birmingham to establish the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery. This unit is engaged in conducting multi-country randomised controlled trials testing interventions to reduce SSI across a range of low- and middle-income countries. It has established sustainable partnerships with the aim of leveraging global policy change: Benin - University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou Ghana - University of Development Studies, Tamale India - CMC Ludhiana, Punjab Mexico - Hospital Espanol, Veracruz Nigeria - Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos & Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals, Ile-Ife Rwanda - University of Rwanda; University Teaching Hospital, Kigali South Africa - Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Johannesburg The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world's top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 6,500 international students from over 150 countries. The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the nation's largest funder of health and care research. The NIHR: Funds, supports and delivers high quality research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care Engages and involves patients, carers and the public in order to improve the reach, quality and impact of research Attracts, trains and supports the best researchers to tackle the complex health and care challenges of the future Invests in world-class infrastructure and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services Partners with other public funders, charities and industry to maximise the value of research to patients and the economy The NIHR was established in 2006 to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research, and is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. In addition to its national role, the NIHR supports applied health research for the direct and primary benefit of people in low- and middle-income countries, using UK aid from Earlier this month, the county jail, which is about an hour north of Chicago, had housed 170 people in ICE custody in addition to its general population of people facing criminal charges in Wisconsin, Wright said. The county told ICE it did not want to take any new detainees into custody because of concerns that COVID-19 could spread within the jail, Wright said. YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. Amid the COVID19 related lockdown, Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan, the Superintendent of the state of emergency, has issued an order on banning interprovincial passenger transportations by buses and mini-buses. Avinyan also amended an earlier order defining the essential businesses which are allowed to operate, allowing also the publishing of newspapers, as well as paper production, among others. The Government of Armenia has imposed a nationwide 7-day lockdown amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. All non-essential businesses and enterprises are closed. Citizens are urged to remain in their homes and go out only in highly essential cases. Anyone going outside must have a passport and a special filled-in form mentioning purpose of exit, time of exit and expected time of return. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Woodie's owner Grafton Group has reported "some evidence" of stronger demand in a number of its shops in Ireland, as people spend increasing amounts of time at home due to the coronavirus. The company, whose brands include Chadwicks merchanting, is keeping all of its Irish shops open for the foreseeable future. It has stepped up the hygiene levels in the shops and limited the number of customers that can enter at any time. However, in the UK, the firm has closed its shops and manufacturing plants for the next three weeks. Subject to clarity from the British government, a small number of branches will remain open to supply materials for essential repair and maintenance work to local authorities. The Covid-19 outbreak will lead to a "material" decline in revenue and profitability over the coming months, the company said in a trading update yesterday. It added that it was in a "very strong" financial position, with unrestricted cash of 303m (330m) and undrawn committed revolving bank facilities of 275m. No refinancing of debt is due until March 2023. Gavin Slark, CEO of Grafton, said: "Grafton is in a strong financial position with excellent liquidity and I am confident that the group will emerge from this period of uncertainty in a position of strength." Elsewhere, service station giant Applegreen said it expected a "material reduction" in profitability this year, as footfall and sales decline in its shops due to the virus. On the back of this, it is deferring executive director bonuses, implementing a recruitment freeze and suspending its final dividend for 2019. In addition, the company is opening negotiations with landlords on rental holidays in order to protect profitability and conserve cash, it said in a trading update. The company is also deferring its development capital expenditure and availing of the newly introduced Government relief measures for businesses. As well as Ireland, Applegreen has a presence in the UK and United States. Currently, all of its stores remain open and its supply chain has remained fully operational. The scale of the impact will be dependent on how the situation develops and over what time frame, as well as the impact of measures that are taken by the governments in the markets in which it operates. Jason Molins, analyst at Goodbody Stockbrokers, said the update was "unsurprising" given the significant level of disruption currently being experienced. Applegreen is due to release its 2019 results this Friday. GRAND RAPIDS, MI Spectrum Health officials say theyre confident the 13-county hospital system has enough space to handle a potential surge in patients due to the rapidly evolving coronavirus pandemic. Julie Bulson, Spectrums director of emergency preparedness, said the health system has suspended all non-emergency surgeries and has alternative care sites including Grand Valley State Universitys Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences that can be activated if its hospitals reach capacity. While it remains unclear how significantly patient demand will spike, Bulson said shes very comfortable saying that we have capacity to surge within our facilities. The number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) has continued to climb since the state confirmed its first two cases on March 10. As of early Wednesday, March 25, there were 1,791 confirmed cases in the state and 24 deaths. In Kent County, there are currently 31 cases and one person has died from the disease. Eighty-five percent of the states confirmed cases are clustered within Michigans three most populated counties: Wayne, Oakland and Macomb, state figures show. Some hospitals based in the region are feeling the strain. On Tuesday, Beaumont Health, which operates eight hospitals in southeast Michigan, announced that its caring for nearly 450 conformed COVID-19 patients. Another admitted 185 patients that have COVID-19 test results pending. Because of the influx, Chief Operating Officer Carolyn Wilson said Beaumont is facing limitations and nearing capacity with staffing, personal protective equipment and ventilators. That same level of demand has not been seen in West Michigan, Bulson said. Spectrum has tested 1,064 people for coronavirus, of which 53 have come back positive for COVID-19. The hospital system has three in-patients with coronavirus and 38 patients under investigation for coronavirus in its 13-county area, as of Tuesday. Bulson declined to specify how many available beds Spectrum has open but said, Weve got a fair amount of space to be able to take care of our patients. In Kent County, Spectrum has 1,190 licensed beds, state records show. The county has 1,792 beds when including other health care providers, such as Metro Health and Mercy Health St. Marys. System-wide, when including Spectrums facilities in its 13-county footprint, the health system has 1,850 hospital beds. To accommodate increased patient demand, in the event the number of people seeking medical care for coronavirus spikes, Spectrum has developed alternative care sites. One of those sites is Grand Valley State Universitys Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, which is located on Grand Rapids Medical Mile just a short distance from Spectrums hospitals. The instructional space already has beds in place for learning and could accommodate up to 250 total hospital beds. Bulson declined to identify Spectrums other alternative care sites. Whats the worst-case scenario facing Spectrum? I think the worst-case scenario for any of the healthcare organizations anywhere is that we wouldnt have capacity to have patients admitted that maybe should be admitted, that we run out of the resources we need to take care of our patients, Bulson said. But she said Spectrum is working to avoid such a situation by freeing up space for patients and by urging residents to follow social distancing protocols designed to slow the spread of the virus. Doing so, she said, will slow the progression of the disease where it doesnt go above where our resource capacity is and we can care for everybody in the community that needs to have care. In addition to concerns over space, Spectrum, like other hospitals across the nation, is feeling the effects of a shortage of personal protection equipment such as isolation masks, face shields and bleach wipes. The hospital-system has reached out to the community for help, and organizations such as Amway, Steelcase and Grand Valley State University have stepped up with donations of hand sanitizer, shields for medical screeners, and roughly 90,000 medical gloves. Spectrum has also opened sites where the public can donate medical supplies. Bulson said she and her colleagues are monitoring their equipment and resources closely. We think about that every day, she said. We think about what kind of equipment we have, what kind of resources do we have, do we have enough staff, do we have enough equipment? All of those things we have a conversation every day about as were monitoring the trajectory of this pandemic." So how much personal protective gear does Spectrum have and how long will its current supply last? A Spectrum spokesperson did not provide a direct answer when asked by the Grand Rapids Press/MLive. In a statement, the health-system said: In the face of unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment, Spectrum Health is working tirelessly through numerous channels to ensure that staff can continue to deliver compassionate care with no risk to themselves. Our teams are doing everything possible to respond to infectious disease risks and to keep ahead of any potential PPE (personal protective equipment) shortages, Spectrum said. PREVENTION TIPS Read more: Muskegon takes on awkward task of holding virtual meetings during coronavirus Wednesday, March 25: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigan Attorney General asks local law enforcement to handle violations of coronavirus stay home order S pains death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has surpassed Chinas, after it registered a spike of more than 700 cases in 24 hours. The country now has the worlds second highest tally of Covid-19 deaths, with the latest figure of 3,434 remaining behind Italys 6,820 toll. China has registered 3,287 deaths since the outbreak began in late December. Spains health ministry confirmed there were 738 fatalities from the coronavirus since Tuesday morning, the steepest increase of the death toll since the pandemic hit the country. Loading.... The number of reported deaths from the virus rose to 3,434 from 2,696 on Tuesday, the ministry said. The overall number of cases soared to 47,610 from 39,673 on Tuesday. More than 5,000 people have recovered, the ministry added. The outbreak has put a tragic strain on its healthcare system, especially in the central region around Madrid, with one third of the positive cases and roughly half of the casualties. The country has been forced to convert hotels into makeshift hospitals and an ice rink in Madrid is being used as a morgue. In typically bustling Barcelona, figures walking around with blankets, mattresses or tents punctuated the eerie emptiness. Spain's homeless told The Associated Press they feel more abandoned than ever as everyone else hunkers down at home. Azadi Tower lights in support of China against coronavirus (Photo : Amin Yari is licensed under CC BY 4.0) Advertisement Still, the Chinese government remains vigilant as mainland China saw a spike in imported cases. Out of 78 new cases on Monday, 74 were infections contracted overseas. This was a significant jump from 39 imported cases in the previous day. Beijing recorded the highest number of imported cases (31), followed by Guangdong (14) and Shanghai (9). Overall, the imported cases of COVID-19 is at 427 as of Monday night. In Macao, officials are banning visitors from greater China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan most especially for those who have traveled abroad for the past two weeks. The ban will take effect starting March 25. South Korea, which was the second hardest-hit nation in Asia next to China, has also implemented tougher measures against those coming overseas. The country has been a model worldwide in containing the spread of the virus. On Monday, South Korea reported 64 new cases with 13 patients coming from overseas travels. Still, however, Monday marked the 12th day in a row where South Korea reported lower than 100 cases. By comparison, at its peak, South Korea saw as many as 909 cases in a day. Meanwhile, worry is now high in India, one of the most populous countries in the world. The country now has 471 patients with authorities dreading a possible big jump. When this happens, it could overwhelm the vulnerable health system in the country. There have been two deaths in India due to COVID-19. One of the fatalities was a man with no travel history, hinting that local transmissions are now present. The country has since stopped domestic flights with the majority of cities and regions on a lockdown. Elsewhere in the Western Pacific Region - including Australia, New Zealand, and Brunei - there are now 95,637 total cases, with 850 new cases. Total deaths are now at 3,473 with new fatalities at 35. In South-east Asia region - including the Maldives - there are now, 1,776 confirmed cases, with 519 new cases, Total deaths are now at 58, with new fatalities at 13. Finnish English Sanoma Corporation, Stock Exchange Release, 25 March 2020 at 19:00 EET Decisions taken by Sanoma Corporations Annual General Meeting and Board of Directors Sanoma Corporations Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on 25 March 2020 in Helsinki. The meeting adopted the Financial Statements, the Board of Directors Report and the Auditors Report for the year 2019, considered the Remuneration Policy for governing bodies and discharged the members of the Board of Directors as well as the President and CEO from liability for the financial year 2020. Use of profit and payment of dividend The AGM resolved that a dividend of EUR 0.50 per share shall be paid and a sum of EUR 350,000 be reserved for charitable donations to be used at the Board of Directors discretion. The dividend shall be paid in two instalments. The first instalment of EUR 0.25 per share shall be paid to a shareholder who is registered in the shareholders register of the Company maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd on the dividend record date 27 March 2020. The payment date for this instalment is 3 April 2020. The second instalment of EUR 0.25 per share shall be paid in November 2020. The second instalment shall be paid to a shareholder who is registered in the shareholders register of the Company maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd on the dividend record date, which, together with the dividend payment date, shall be decided by the Board of Directors in its meeting scheduled for 28 October 2020. The dividend record date would then be on or about 30 October 2020 and the dividend payment date on or about 6 November 2020. Remuneration of the Board of Directors The AGM resolved that the monthly remuneration payable to the members of the Board of Directors shall be increased. The monthly remunerations are: EUR 12,000 for the Chairman of the Board, EUR 7,000 for the Vice Chairman of the Board, and EUR 6,000 for the members of the Board. The meeting fees of the Board of Directors remain unchanged and are: - For Board members who reside outside Finland: EUR 1,000 / Board meeting where the member was present; - For the Chairmen of Board Committees: EUR 2,000 / Committee meeting participated; - For Committee members who reside outside Finland: EUR 2,000 / Committee meeting where the member was present and EUR 1,000 / Committee meeting participated; and - For Committee members who reside in Finland: EUR 1,000 / Committee meeting participated. Composition of the Board of Directors The AGM resolved that the number of the members of the Board of Directors shall be set at ten. Pekka Ala-Pietila, Antti Herlin, Mika Ihamuotila, Nils Ittonen, Denise Koopmans, Sebastian Langenskiold, Rafaela Seppala and Kai Oistamo were re-elected as members, and Julian Drinkall and Rolf Grisebach were elected as new members of the Board of Directors. Pekka Ala-Pietila was elected as the Chairman of the Board and Antti Herlin as the Vice Chairman. The term of all Board members ends at the end of the AGM 2021. Auditor The AGM appointed audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy as the auditor of the Company with Samuli Perala, Authorised Public Accountant, as the auditor with principal responsibility. The Auditor shall be reimbursed against invoice approved by the Company. Authorisation to repurchase Companys own shares The AGM authorised the Board of Directors to decide on the repurchase of a maximum of 16,000,000 of the Companys own shares (approx. 9.8% of all shares of the Company) in one or several instalments. Own shares shall be repurchased with funds from the Company's unrestricted shareholders equity, and the repurchases shall reduce funds available for distribution of profits. The authorisation will be valid until 30 June 2021 and it terminates the corresponding authorisation granted by the AGM 2019. The shares shall be repurchased to develop the Companys capital structure, to carry out or finance potential corporate acquisitions or other business arrangements, to be used as a part of the Companys incentive programme or to be otherwise conveyed further, retained as treasury shares, or cancelled. Authorisation to issue shares, option rights and other special rights entitling to shares The AGM authorised the Board of Directors to decide on issuance of new shares and the conveyance of the Company's own shares held by the Company (treasury shares) and the issuance of option rights and other special rights entitling to shares as specified in Chapter 10, Section 1 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act. Option rights and other special rights entitling to shares as specified in Chapter 10, Section 1 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act may not be granted as part of the Companys incentive programme. The Board will be entitled to decide on the issuance of a maximum of 18,000,000 new shares as well as conveyance of a maximum of 5,000,000 treasury shares held by the Company in one or several instalments. The issuance of shares, the conveyance of treasury shares and the granting of option rights and other special rights entitling to shares may be done in deviation from the shareholders pre-emptive right (directed issue). The authorisation will be valid until 30 June 2021 and it will replace the corresponding authorisation granted by the AGM 2019. Decisions by the Board of Directors In its organisation meeting held after the AGM, the Board of Directors decided to appoint from among its members the following members to its committees: Audit Committee: Denise Koopmans (Chairman), Rolf Grisebach, Mika Ihamuotila, Nils Ittonen Human Resources Committee: Kai Oistamo (Chairman), Julian Drinkall, Sebastian Langenskiold, Rafaela Seppala In addition to Audit Committee and Human Resources Committee, the Board of Directors has, according to its Charter, an Executive Committee. The Executive Committee consists of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board, the President and CEO and at Chairmans invitation one or several members of the Board. In 2020, the Executive Committee will comprise Pekka Ala-Pietila (Chairman), Antti Herlin, Nils Ittonen and Susan Duinhoven. Additional information Kaisa Uurasmaa, Head of Investor Relations and CSR, tel. +358 40 560 5601 Sanoma Sanoma is a front running learning and media company impacting the lives of millions every day. We enable teachers to excel at developing the talents of every child, provide consumers with engaging content, and offer unique marketing solutions to business partners. Premier Daniel Andrews has warned Victoria will go it alone and enact tougher coronavirus containment measures independently of other states, just hours after new national restrictions were announced. Mr Andrews flagged Victoria would move to stage three restrictions as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state rose to 466. The Premier warned of tougher restrictions ahead. Credit:AAP No deaths have been recorded in Victoria with almost 25,600 tests carried out so far. NSW has been hit hardest with more than 1000 coronavirus cases, followed by Victoria. Patna: A 29-year old Patna City residence on Tuesday has been found coronavirus positive thus raising the total number of patients to four in the state capital. The man, whose identity remains undisclosed due to obvious reasons, had recently returned from Gujarat. He complained of symptoms similar to those inflicted with coronavirus but chose to stay home and follow domestic treatment. On Sunday, his condition became worse so he went to a nursing home near Bhagat Singh Chowk. The doctors, however, suspected him of suffering from coronavirus and referred him to the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) where he was put in the isolation ward. The state Health Department was also notified. Doctors said the patient tested negative during the first test but when his condition worsened, his sample was sent to a lab in Pune that confirmed he was suffering from coronavirus. So far, only one death in Bihar has been attributed to coronavirus in the state as a 38-year old man became the sixth person to die of the worldwide pandemic that has taken ten lives in the country while infecting 562 others. These numbers, however, are said to be much lower than the actual numbers as most cities neither have adequate testing facilities nor people with similar symptoms are rushing to the hospitals for a check-up. Earlier, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced Rs. 1000 to each ration card holder to deal with the consequences of coronavirus and also Rs. 4 lakh to the family members of patients dying as a direct result of the deadly virus. Those following along with Anglo American plc (LON:AAL) will no doubt be intrigued by the recent purchase of shares by Mark Cutifani, CEO & Director of the company, who spent a stonking UK1.1m on stock at an average price of UK11.09. Not only is that a big swing, but it increased their holding size by 11%, which is definitely great to see. View our latest analysis for Anglo American The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Anglo American Notably, that recent purchase by Mark Cutifani is the biggest insider purchase of Anglo American shares that we've seen in the last year. That implies that an insider found the current price of UK13.20 per share to be enticing. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices. Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 106.08k shares worth UK1.2m. But insiders sold 60259 shares worth UK1.2m. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Anglo American insiders. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! LSE:AAL Recent Insider Trading, March 25th 2020 There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Insider Ownership of Anglo American I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Anglo American insiders own 0.2% of the company, worth about UK37m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. Story continues What Might The Insider Transactions At Anglo American Tell Us? It is good to see the recent insider purchase. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of Anglo American we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Anglo American (including 1 which is concerning). Of course Anglo American may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. MINNEAPOLIS, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After continuously serving chemically dependent women since 1983 under the leadership of June Davis and Nancy Stofferahn, The Gables has reached an agreement to transfer ownership through a sale of its assets to the non-profit NUWAY Alliance. The purchase agreement will coincide with the sale of the residence located at 604 5th Street SW Rochester, Minnesota. The Gables has been the premier residential recovery program for women in Rochester since its founding. Having a singular mission of serving women with addictions in a respectful and dignified manner aligns philosophically and clinically with NUWAY's mission. NUWAY, the extended care treatment arm of NUWAY Alliance, recently opened a 30-bed women's treatment facility on Stevens Avenue in South Minneapolis. Acquiring The Gables doubles NUWAY's residential women's treatment capacity. "NUWAY Alliance couldn't be more proud to be selected by June and Nancy to continue their legacy of unwavering service to women afflicted with substance use disorders," said John Miller, NUWAY Alliance VP of Strategic Growth. The Gables will become a subsidiary of the non-profit NUWAY Alliance, a recently established management company. NUWAY Alliance provides strategy, operations, marketing, finance, and human resource leadership and expertise to behavioral healthcare organizations. NUWAY, the extended care treatment arm of NUWAY Alliance, operates facilities in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, and Rochester, and Cochran Recovery Services in Hastings. The deal is expected to close in May of this year, pending standard regulatory approvals. For more information, contact Monique Bourgeois, NUWAY Chief Community Relations Officer, at 651-964-3680. SOURCE NUWAY [March 25, 2020] Cater2.me and Calendly Partner to Provide Food Relief to Atlanta's Most Vulnerable During COVID-19 Crisis ATLANTA, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As COVID-19 continues to disrupt business operations globally, many communities are coming together to find moments of humanity amid the chaos. In Atlanta, national corporate catering platform Cater2.me, and popular scheduling application Calendly, are partnering to deliver dozens of meals every week to local food rescue organization, Second Helpings Atlanta. "When we founded the business 10 years ago, it was our intention to bring community to the office through locally-sourced food. While COVID-19 has not changed that mission, we have altered it to the times, to ensure we're supporting all our communities by connecting local food businesses with local organizations to help those in need," said Zach Yungst, co-founder of Cater2.me. "Atlanta is our homeour community," said Calendly CEO Tope Awotona. "Calendly was founded here and has grown here. We're happy to be able to help this city that has done so much for us during these unprecedented times." The special meal deliveries came together shortly before Cater2.me formally announced its nationwide Vendor Assistance & Community Support Program. As part of this effort, clients can sponsor a set of meals that are delivered to local food banks and community organizations rather than to their offices during the time employees are working from home. Cater2.me is also donating its commission as part of this initiative. "When Calendly reached out to us, asking if their weekly office meals could be shifted from delivery on behalf of employees to a worthy local cause, we jumped at the chance," said Cater2.me co-founder, Alex Lorton. "We already had the infrastructure in place to execute this type of program, and we knew there were many organizations in the markets we serve that had been hurt during the national slowdown." Within hours of the first call between Cater2.me and Calendly, the wheels for the first delivery were in motion with Second Helpings Atlanta. That delivery was happily received on Monday of this week. "We were thrilled to get the call about the desire to donate meals to hungry people," said Andrea Jaron, Executive Director of Second Helpings Atlanta. "Our expertise is coordinating the logistics between food donors and partner agencies who provide services to those in need. Second Helpings Atlanta's mission is toreduce food waste and hunger in Metro Atlanta by rescuing fresh, nutritious surplus food, and because of the generosity of Cater2.me and Calendly, we were all able to support a community meal program, which is evermore important during the current health crisis." This type of partnership is intended to assist not only community organizations, but also local food vendors, and the ecosystem that relies on them. Jack's New Yorker Deli in Atlanta's Buckhead section executed and delivered the meals, and was happy to do what they do best while helping their community in a time of crisis. "As a restaurant struggling to maintain operations during this economic and public health crisis, Jack's New Yorker Deli was thrilled to receive the call from Cater2.me requesting the large breakfast order for Calendly and its subsequent donation to Second Helpings Atlanta," said Jeremy Cowan, Owner of Jack's New Yorker Deli in Buckhead. "Calendly's generosity not only helped to feed those in need, but also allowed our small business to keep 10 employees working for another week. As restaurant sales have declined 60 to 70 percent, the Calendly donation allowed us to retain our staff for another week and continue to serve our community. We are grateful for the awesome work of Second Helpings Atlanta during this time of crisis, and the kindness of Calendly and Cater2.me to give back to our community." In a joint statement, co-founders of Cater2.me, Yungst and Lorton, and Awotona, the CEO of Calendly, said, "We are glad to have found a productive and helpful partnership during these tough times that could do some good in the Greater Atlanta community. We wish everyone a return to health and prosperity shortly." Calendly and Cater2.me plan to continue their partnership in Atlanta, while Cater2.me is already working on further client-donated community assistance programs in Austin, New York, San Francisco, and other key markets affected by COVID-19. To contact Cater2.me about setting up a local, vendor-supplied donation to an organization in your community, please contact: [email protected] About Cater2.me Cater2.me provides customized corporate catering. Whether you need a one-time catering delivery or recurring meals, we bring delicious food from the best local chefs and restaurants to your table.From planning to on-site setup and feedback collection, we'll manage every aspect of your catering program. About Calendly Calendly is the global leader in scheduling software for external meetings. Founded in 2013, Calendly helps you schedule meetings without the back-and-forth emails. Calendly is used by the majority of Fortune 500 companies, as well as nearly all companies in the SaaS 1000. About Second Helpings Atlanta Since 2004, our community of volunteers has been picking up surplus nutritious perishable and frozen prepared food from grocery stores, big box retailers, corporate dining halls, schools and more and delivering it to the many front-line agencies in the Metro Atlanta area that feed the hungry every day. The food we rescue gets diverted from landfills to feed those in need, making Atlanta a more environmentally responsible city. About Jack's New Yorker Deli The New Yorker Deli was started in Vinings, GA in 2002, with a vision of recreating a New York style deli with a twist of Southern Charm. At our inception, the menu was simple yet effective, offering Reubens and cheesesteaks that were served with a pickle and chips. As our popularity increased our menu evolved to offer a wide variety of options including savory breakfast selections and gourmet salads. As we continue to grow, we will always stick to our original formula for success. We not only maintain our devotion to the highest quality meats and cheeses, but also continue to rely on customer service as our main ingredient to success. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cater2me-and-calendly-partner-to-provide-food-relief-to-atlantas-most-vulnerable-during-covid-19-crisis-301029852.html SOURCE Calendly [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] When the new ART on the Square at Nexton in Summerville opened, I had walked around the gallery there to take in all the artists work. Please note that the gallery is closed until April 1 when it will reassess when to reopen due to the COVID-19 issue. Live Music Scene ART On the Square gallery, 420 Nexton Sqare Dr., Summerville, 843-871-0297. Linda Scavios fabric artwork really caught my eye for its wonderful colors, layers of detail, and range of subjects. She conducted a 4-hour long March 7 Fabric Art Workshop which I took that afternoon. I will say during this time of dealing with worrying about the coronavirus, getting absorbed in a hobby like art or music or writing or acting really helps get rid of stress because you are fully immersed in doing something you love, so I highly recommend that. For More Information, see: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1161105765 Regan: Linda, how did you find out about and get involved with creating fabric art? Scavio: In the Spring of 2017, I was in a transition period. The Charleston gallery I had been part of had closed. I was ready for a new direction. In the process of researching new techniques and possibilities, I became aware of the amazing work being done by fiber and textile artists, especially in the field of art quilts and textile collage. I looked at different methods and artists and found one that looked appealing. Susan Carlson is a textile artist from Maine who has published several instructional books, teaches workshops all over the world, and blogs weekly about her art. I bought one of her books, made my first textile collage, and fell in love with the process. Textile collage has become my medium of choice. R: Are you self-taught or did you go to school for art? Did you say you used to teach art? S: I started my adult work life as a registered nurse. After several years and some difficult experiences, it was easy to see that nursing and I were not a good match. I went back to school and earned a Masters degree in Art and Education. I taught art to high school students in Dorchester District 2 schools for 28 years. There is no better way to improve your own art than to teach it to someone else! I loved teachingthe challenge of developing interesting lessons, the amazing work produced by the students, but especially the relationships I had with my kids. I am still in touch with many of them. R: What other mediums do you work with aside from fabric? What is your favorite medium to work in and why? S: Once I read that one should choose one thing and try to become an expert at that one thing. At one point, my choice was colored pencils and my work was primarily in that medium. Over the years, I have also worked with paper collage and watercolor on canvas. At this point, textile collage is my favorite medium. Fabric is now my paint. There is something new to learn with each piece and I think it will be a long time before I will consider myself an expert at it. R: I see you hail from Massachusettsanother Northerner like me from Maine. What brought you to SC? S: I have lived in South Carolina since being discharged from the Army Nurse Corps in 1972. I love the early springs and could never go back to shoveling snow and long winters! I do go back home every year to visit family and my sister has been very supportive and encouraging as she comes along with me exploring the fabric shops in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. There is also a wonderful quilting / fabric shop in Portland, Maine, your hometown! R: Where have you traveled that has added a source of inspiration for you? (example: like when you found fabrics at various stores in several states)? S: In the Fall of 2017, I took a bucket list trip to Newfoundland to visit where my grandparents were born and raised. I was traveling alone so no one was inconvenienced when I stopped at what seemed like every quilt and fabric shop along the east coast and all over Newfoundland. It was an inspiring trip as I met many accomplished textile artists and talked with them about their love of fabric and dedication to their work. In 2018, I was fortunate to be able to visit the Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts where there was an exhibit of Susan Carlsons work. R: Do you plan to teach other workshops this year? S: I am looking forward to teaching more workshops at the ART on the Square gallery at Nexton here. The next one will probably be scheduled for some time in June. Currently, I am only showing my work there at Nexton and on my Facebook page, LindaScavioArt. Short covering on D-Street helped bulls take out crucial resistance levels on March 25, a day ahead of F&O expiry. The S&P BSE Sensex rallied more than 1,800 points while Nifty50 reclaimed 8,300 levels. Lets look at the final tally on D-Street the S&P BSE Sensex rose 1,861 points to 28,535 while the Nifty50 climbed 516 points to 8,317. A lockdown was imposed across India by the Prime Minster on Wednesday which is likely to hit business activity and dent India GDP by about Rs 5 lakh crore, according to estimates. However, a stimulus package in the US and hopes for a stimulus package back home along with rate cut helped the sentiment. Indian market surged ahead today building on the gains posted yesterday. Indian market got a boost from the positive global cues. The clearing of a huge $2 trillion stimuli by political leaders in the US has turned the sentiments positive globally, Gaurav Dua, Sr VP, and Head Capital Market Strategy & Investments, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas told Moneycontrol. In India, the decision to take an aggressive step to fight coronavirus has also been welcomed by the markets. Today's sharp uptick shows that any sense of stability can lead to a sudden turnaround in the direction of markets, he said. Sectorally, the action was seen in energy, finance, banks, consumer durables, and telecom stocks. The broader market underperformed as the S&P BSE Midcap index rose 3.5 percent while the S&P BSE Smallcap index was up 2.8 percent. Price damage was seen in individual stocks as more than 800 stocks on the BSE hit a fresh 52-week low that includes names like 3M India, Gillette India, UltraTech Cements, PI Industries, ACC, ABB India, etc. among others. Top Nifty gainers include names like Adani Ports, Maruti Suzuki, UPL, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and RIL which rose over 10 percent each. Top Nifty losers include names like IndusInd Bank, Coal India, IOC, ITC, and ONGC, etc. among others. Stocks & Sectors: Sectorally, the action was seen in the S&P BSE Energy index which was up 10 percent, followed by the S&P BSE Finance index that gained 8.6 percent, and the Bankex was up 8.6 percent. Volume spike was seen in stocks like NCC, Indiabulls Housing Finance, PNB, and YES Bank. Long Buildup was seen in stocks like Apollo Hospitals, ICICI Bank, DLF, Berger Paints Short Buildup was seen in stocks like Bandhan Bank, Havells India, and ACC. Stocks in news: Reliance Industries: The share price of Reliance Industries ended with gains of over 14 percent on NSE and is the top index gainer pushing the stock market higher after media reports indicated that Facebook may pick up stake in Jio. Telecom stocks rise: Most telecom stocks traded with healthy gains giving a boost to their sectoral index on BSE on March 25. Share price of Bharti Airtel jumped 5 percent, HFCL up 4.86 percent and OnMobile Global up over a percent. Banks rally: Bank Nifty ended with gains of 8 percent with Kotak Mahindra Bank and HDFC Bank surging over 11 percent each followed by Axis Bank, IDFC First Bank, ICICI Bank, Bank of Baroda and RBL Bank. Experts and brokerage believe RBI will go for a rate cut of at least 60 bps in the coming policy meet. Auto stocks gain: The auto index gained over 5 percent led by Maruti Suzuki which surged over 11 percent on March 25 and was one of the top index gainer. Technical View: Nifty formed a bullish candle on the daily charts, closes above 5-Days EMA for the first time since 20 February. The Nifty reversed from its new 46-months low of 7,511.10 level and recovered partial damages on back of recovery across the globe and also, due to short covering amidst F&O expiry, said Rohan Patil, Technical Analyst, Bonanza Portfolio Ltd If the index sustains above 7,600 levels, Nifty shall eventually embark on a decent pull back rally with initial targets present around 8,750 levels. Traders with a high-risk appetite are advised to make use of dip into the zone of 8,000 7,900 levels to create fresh long positions in the index with a stop below 7,700 and look for bigger targets of 8,700. Near term outlook shall continue to remain positive unless Nifty closes below 7,600 levels and on such closedown, trend shall resume once again. Three levels: 7714, 8376, 8700 Baldwinsville, N.Y. The Chef & The Cook restaurant in Baldwinsville, which had temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, will not reopen. Chef/co-owner DeAnna Germano said she, her husbandchef/co-owner Mark Germanoand their family had been considering relocating down south for some time, but with the restaurant closed and their lease coming up for renewal soon, they decided it was time to close the restaurant for good. This shutdown really sealed the deal, Germano said. They opened the restaurant in May 2018 at 7 Syracuse St. in Baldwinsville. Germano said that prior to the government-ordered dining room shutdown, business had been strong. After making it through the post-holiday lull, the restaurant had been gearing up for warmer weather, when its outdoor patio and location along the Seneca River drive business. It doesnt feel like failure, Germano said as she packed the restaurant for moving. We were doing well. If anything, that makes it harder. The Chef & The Cook appears to be the first Central New York restaurant to announce that it will permanently close due in part to the coronavirus crisis. Host Guy Fieri appears both on TV in "Guy's Grocery Games" and as a figurine on a cake made to commemorate The Chef & The Cook's appearance on the Food Network show.Jacob Pucci Last spring, the restaurant was featured on an episode of Food Networks Guys Grocery Games, during which the Germanos, along with chef Jason Jessmore, competed against two other teams of culinary trios. They didnt win, but the public watch party they held for the episode packed a crowd into a banquet room at the neighboring Red Mill Inn, a sign, Germano said, of the community they built at the restaurant. What we had in The Chef & The Cook is so special, Germano said. For the time being, Germano will continue to operate her seafood food truck, The Chef & The Sea, around Central New York until they relocate. Germano said food trucks are what shes most passionate about and will continue to operate a food truck in their new homethough opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant isnt out of the question. "Im not going to let this stop me from following my dreams, Germano said. Jacob Pucci finds the best in food, dining and culture across Central New York. Contact him by email at jpucci@syracuse.com. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Onondaga County rolls out coronavirus map: Has your town been hit yet? Coronavirus stimulus payouts: When will I get my check? How much money? As CNY day-care workers prepared for a coronavirus surge, they often got layoffs Welch Allyn owner Hillrom ramps up medical device production in fight against coronavirus Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work New Delhi, March 25 : Following the three-week nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday decided to suspend work with immediate effect - till April 14 - at its principal seat in Jabalpur and its benches at Indore and Gwalior. The MP High Court also gave the go-ahead for video conferencing for urgent matters. "Due to the threat of pandemic coronavirus and immobilization of the public at large, it has been decided to declare non-working of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh as well as entire subordinate judiciary of the state," said a circular issued by Registrar General Rajendra Kumar Vani. According to this circular the entry in person to the High Court at the main seat and at Indore and Gwalior will remain prohibited till April 14. Administrative/judicial work shall be communicated through Registrar General/Principal Registrar at all benches of the High Court on their official email. "Entry to subordinate courts shall remain prohibited till April 4, subject to specific permission of the District Judge/Principal Judge, family court or in-charge officer, as the case may be. The respective heads shall notify official email details of court manager or administrative officer, as the case may be, for any contact by person including lawyers for either administrative or judicial work," said the circular. All the Registry officers and staff of all the bench of the High Court as well as judicial officers and staff members of the subordinate courts including family courts shall remain stationed at their respective place of posting to carry out urgent or emergent duties. "Urgent matters will be entertained with the permission of the Chief Justice of the High Court or Principle Judge, family court or in-charge officer in case of subordinate courts. On permission being granted, the lawyers/litigants or the concerned person shall be accordingly instructed of the venue and mode of addressing the court either through video conferencing or otherwise," said the circular. The Registrar General added in the wake of COVID-19 situation, the High Court and subordinate courts including family courts will function as per these directions until further orders. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may increase the risk of severe COVID-19 cases, according to a hypothesis proposed by Professor James Diaz of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. ACEIs and ARBs are highly recommended medications for patients with cardiovascular diseases, such as refractory hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and post-myocardial infarction status. They are also recommended for the management of cardiovascular diseases in elderly patients, and in patients with diabetes and renal insufficiency. ACEIs and ARBs are highly recommended medications for patients with cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic kidney disease to name a few, Professor Diaz said. Many of those who develop these diseases are older adults. They are prescribed these medications and take them every day. SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus which causes the COVID-19 disease, binds to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors in the lower respiratory tracts of infected patients to gain entry into the lungs. Research in experimental models has shown an increase in the number of ACE2 receptors in the cardiopulmonary circulation after intravenous infusions of ACE inhibitors. Since patients treated with ACEIs and ARBs will have increased numbers of ACE2 receptors in their lungs for coronavirus S proteins to bind to, they may be at increased risk of severe disease outcomes due to SARS-CoV-2 infections, Professor Diaz said. The hypothesis is supported by a recent descriptive analysis of 1,099 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infections treated in China during the reporting period, December 11, 2019, to January 29, 2020. The study reported more severe disease outcomes in patients with hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes and chronic renal disease. All patients with the diagnoses noted met the recommended indications for treatment with ACEIs or ARBs. Two mechanisms may protect children from COVID-19 infections: cross-protective antibodies from multiple upper respiratory tract infections caused by the common cold-causing alpha coronaviruses, and fewer ACE2 receptors in their lower respiratory tracts to attract the binding S proteins of the beta coronaviruses, Professor Diaz said. I recommend future case-control studies in patients with COVID-19 infections to further confirm chronic therapy with ACEIs or ARBs may raise the risk for severe outcomes. Patients treated with ACEIs and ARBs for cardiovascular diseases should not stop taking their medicine, but should avoid crowds, mass events, ocean cruises, prolonged air travel, and all persons with respiratory illnesses during the current COVID-19 outbreak in order to reduce their risks of infection. Professor Diaz described his hypothesis in a paper published in the Journal of Travel Medicine. _____ James H. Diaz et al. Hypothesis: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers may increase the risk of severe COVID-19. Journal of Travel Medicine, published online March 23, 2020; doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaa041 Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 17:48:14|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close By Xinhua writer Wang Xiaopeng NAIROBI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- In recent decades, the fraternal ties of equality, mutual trust and mutual support between China and Africa have been deepened and elevated at every critical moment. Currently, in the global combat against a previously unknown virus, the two partners' solidarity has once again demonstrated a brotherly bond that stands the test of time. The raging COVID-19 epidemic continues to wreak havoc across the world, with over 2,000 confirmed cases reported in more than 40 countries in Africa, a weak link of the global healthcare system. The picture has looked grim since countries including Guinea and Liberia, which were hit hard by Ebola virus outbreak, also reported infections. Since the outbreak in China, African countries and their peoples, as well as regional organizations, have shown strong solidarity and provided valuable assistance to China's battle against the virus in various ways. In early February, the African Union became the first major regional organization to support China, with its executive council stating that its members expressed their solidarity with the Chinese government and people in their efforts to counter the spread of the coronavirus. Ethiopian Airlines has been maintaining its operations in China, with flights carrying much-needed medical supplies to China during its most difficult period. Equatorial Guinea, a less developed country with a population of around 1.3 million, donated two million U.S. dollars to China, a warm-hearted move that was deeply appreciated and will be well remembered by its people. The deeds of ordinary people have also been touching. Local employees in China-invested companies did not hesitate to lend a hand to China, while a number of African students studying in China volunteered to assist medical treatment on the front line. As China has made remarkable progress in epidemic control, Africa is facing increasing challenges brought by the virus. At this crucial time, China is giving as much support as possible to the continent, ranging from emergency medical supplies and funds to medical training and video meetings between experts to share information and experience. Chinese shoe manufacturing giant Huajian Group, which has invested heavily in Africa, donated supplies and equipment, including 1.08 million surgical masks and 7,000 protective suits, to eight African countries. On Sunday, a mass of supplies including millions of masks, test kits and protective suits offered by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation arrived in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, which were later distributed between over 50 countries. These timely actions, highly lauded by African countries, embodies the solid traditional friendship between China and Africa, as well as the spirit of shared responsibility in the joint fight against the disease. This also proves that despite all kinds of difficulties and challenges, China and Africa will never change their firm resolve to stand together in times of hardship. "When people are determined, they can overcome anything." This famous quote by former South African President Nelson Mandela was written on the packages of aid sent to Africa, together with a Chinese proverb of similar meaning. Through concerted efforts, China and Africa will surely soon overcome the anti-pandemic battle. Australian Radio Network executive Jason Staveley has unmasked himself as the employee whose coronavirus diagnosis forced the network's Melbourne offices into a 24-hour shutdown The coronavirus-stricken employee who shut down an Australian Radio Network office has been identified as its head of music, Jason Staveley. Staveley, an executive for Melbourne's GOLD104.3 and Sydney's WSFM radio stations, revealed on Tuesday he was isolating at home after testing positive to the virus. That same day GOLD104.3's breakfast host Christian O'Connell broke the news the network's Melbourne offices had been put into a 24-hour lockdown. An ARN spokesperson later confirmed an unnamed employee had returned a positive result for COVID-19, but they had had limited contact with staff and space in the office. Unmasking himself on Facebook, Staveley praised the government's testing process and called on Australians to practice social distancing and good hygiene during the coronavirus pandemic. 'Who would have thought we'd be here only two weeks ago, let alone two months ago,' the ARN employee wrote on Tuesday morning. 'I have tested positive to coronavirus and am now in quarantine at home. It hit me fast and can hit hard, so please do everything the experts are asking of you. 'The testing process is well organised - my result was delivered late yesterday in a little over 24 hours. The follow-up from the federal health department has also been great.' Staveley has rubbed shoulders with some of showbusiness' biggest stars in his role - including British comedian Eddie Izzard, who he interviewed in 2018. The ARN spokesperson said the network was in 'constant communication' with any Melbourne staff who may have been in contact with the infected employee. Scroll down for video Staveley (pictured interviewing British comedian Eddie Izzard in 2018) wrote on Facebook he was isolating at home after testing positive for the virus Staveley praised the government's testing process and called on Australians to practice social distancing and good hygiene Australian Radio Network has a number of brands under its umbrella including Gold, KIIS FM and iHeartRadio. Pictured: The 3pm Pick-Up star, Rebecca Judd Staveley has rubbed shoulders with some of showbusiness' biggest stars in his role with the Australian Radio Network 'All non-essential staff were already working from home,' they said. 'The health and well-being of our people is our number one priority.' It comes as New South Wales Police warned of large fines for those ignoring social distancing rules in the state. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement Boot camp trainers will be fined $5,000 and their clients $1,000 if they ignore social distancing rules. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller asked for the power to issue on the spot fines after he saw multiple examples of people ignoring the new policies, which were introduced to slow the spread of coronavirus. On Tuesday night, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced increased social distancing measures, including limiting outdoor bootcamp training sessions to 10 people. He said social distancing of at least 1.5m between each person must be observed. The policy, along with a raft of other changes including restrictions on guest lists at weddings and funerals and the closure of all beauty salons, will be enforced from midnight on Wednesday. The decision came after an exponential rise in diagnosed COVID-19 cases in recent days. Currently, there are 2,398 cases nationally - up from 452 just seven days ago. FELTON, California, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As per the statement circulated by the authorities, in 2018, the scope of the global Surgical Blade Market was assessed on US$ 136.2 million and is projected to touch US$ 181.2 million by 2026. It is projected to expand by a CAGR of 3.6% during the period of forecast. The surgical blades are the tools which are utilized for dissections of tissue and cutting of skin at the stage of surgical procedure. Surgical blades are existing in non-sterile and sterile form of packing. These blades can be either reusable or else not reusable. Reusable blades have perpetually attached sharp edge that can be polished for the period of surgical treatment. Not reusable blades are utilized on one occasion at a time and take plastic holder attached to it. A number of categories and dimensions of blades are existing dependent on the category of surgical treatment and processes. Drivers: Growth in global elderly populace and number of surgical treatment is measured as principal motivators of the market. Furthermore, upsurge in occurrence of lingering illnesses, for example circulatory illnesses, diabetes and cancer is likewise estimated to power the development of the global surgical blades industry during the period of forecast. Growth in amount of lingering illnesses has boosted the growth of additional ambulatory surgical centers, hospitals and clinics. Sequentially, this has generated additional professional openings for medical practitioner. These issues are enlarging development of the surgical blade market. Readiness of these blades in a number of dimensions and forms precise to the process is boosting the demand. Surgical blades are existing in a range of forms and profiles, permitting medical practitioner and medicinal team to select the precise blade for a medicinal process. Stainless steel blades are gradually being utilized by surgeons all over the world. Extra structures for example severe sharp cutting ends for hygienic slashes and high class cutting, as well as the blade handgrips with numbering are attaining reputation between doctors. Progressions in surgical treatment and innovative product presentations by the manufacturing companies, that support doctors to carry out surgical procedure professionally, are likewise motivating the global surgical blade industry. Increasing frequency of severe illnesses and lingering complaints between elderly people and growing demand for better-quality surgical carefulness at altogether ages is additionally boosting the development of the market for surgical blade. Moreover, modernizations in advertising approaches of medicinal devices and increasing medicinal travel in emerging nations are openings for the manufacturing companies to enlarge their base of clients in developing nations. Get Sample PDF and read more details about the "Surgical Blades Market" Report 2026. Classification: The global surgical blades market can be classified by End Use, Material, Product, and Region. By End Use, Application it can be classified as: Clinics, Hospitals, and Ambulatory Surgical Centers. By Material, it can be classified as: Non Sterile, Sterile. By Product, it can be classified as: High Grade Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel. Regional Lookout: By Region the global surgical blade industry can be classified as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Due to its deep-rooted sector of healthcare, North America is most important. Growing occurrence of cardiac and fatness complaints is likewise estimated to motivate the provincial market, together with increasing acceptance of progressive surgical device and tools. Owing to upsurge in elderly people, those are susceptible to a number of diseases, Europe is likely to hold up a substantial share during the period of forecast. Furthermore, developments in its healthcare subdivision and application of innovative medicinal products are enhancing the demand for surgical blades within the region. Asia Pacific is expected to be a profitable area for surgical blade. Developments in healthcare amenities and repayment strategies in emerging economies are important reasons helping development within this province. Due to its huge elderly populace and speedy development of the economy, China headed the Asia Pacific region in 2018. Additionally, growth in alertness about contemporary surgical techniques is estimated to upsurge the demand for surgical blade, for the period of the forecast. Companies: Most important companies are concentrating on presentations of new-fangled product, developments in present technologies and products and acquisitions besides additional policies to increase their business range & reinforce their existence. For illustration, in February 2019, Swann-Morton Limited propelled "Sharps Training Portal," a training program of two-hours, based on security at the time of usage of surgical blades and scalpels. Some of the important companies for surgical blade market are: Surgical Specialties Corporation, Cincinnati Surgical Company, Inc., MYCO Medical, Inc., Huaiyin Medical Instruments Co., Ltd, B. Braun Melsungen AG, VOGT Medical, Hill-Rom, LLC, Swann-Morton Limited, South Medic, Medicom, Havel's, Inc., Kai Industries Co., Ltd., Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., LLC, Beaver-Visitec International, and PL Medical Co. Browse 80 page research report with TOC on "Global Surgical Blade Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/surgical-blade-market Market Segment: Surgical Blades Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2026) Stainless Steel High-Grade Carbon Steel Others Surgical Blades Material Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2026) Sterile Non-Sterile Surgical Blades End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2026) Hospitals Clinics Ambulatory Surgical Centers Surgical Blades Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2026) North America U.S. Canada Europe U.K. Germany France Italy Spain Asia Pacific China Japan South Korea India Australia Latin America Brazil Mexico Argentina Colombia Middle East & Africa & South Africa Saudi Arabia UAE Browse reports of similar category available with Million Insights: Acute Hospital Care Market Ambulatory Services Market Fractional Flow Reserve Market Medical Device Complaint Management Market About Million Insights: Million Insights, is a distributor of market research reports, published by premium publishers only. We have a comprehensive market place, that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying, is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store, includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive. Contact: Ryan Manuel Research Support Specialist, USA Million Insights Phone: +1-408-610-2300 Toll Free: 1-866-831-4085 Email: sales@millioninsights.com Web: https://www.millioninsights.com/ Blog: https://millioninsights.blogspot.com/ A former Ridgewood High School lacrosse star is battling for his life after testing positive for the coronavirus. Jack Allard, 25, a Ridgewood native and 2012 high school graduate was hospitalized at Hackensack Meridian Health JFK Medical Center in Edison, where he was placed in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator, according to The New York Times. Allard currently resides in Metuchen and works for Bank of America in New York City. After graduating from Ridgewood, he played lacrosse at Bates College in Maine. Allard was airlifted to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, according to PIX11, in order to participate in a clinical trial featuring the drug remdesivir, an antiviral medication being used as an experimental treatment for the coronavirus. In The New York Times report, it said the drug maker, Gilead, shut down its emergency access program for remdesivir because of high demand. Allard developed a fever on March 13 before his condition continued to decline, his mother, Genny Allard, told PIX11. Jack made some incremental improvements (Monday), she told PIX11. Like a centimeter forward, but Ill take it. She also told WPIX her son could be connected to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine, or ECMO in the coming days at UPenn, if needed. The machine pumps blood into an artificial lung before returning it to the body. Jack Allard was lined up to receive remdesivir while hospitalized in Edison. He needed a positive test result in order to gain access to the drug, and by the time that result was confirmed, Gilead had halted distribution due to overwhelming demand. He is currently on a waitlist of 500 people for the clinical trial at UPenn. I feel as if we are in regulatory limbo, Genny Allard told The New York Times. We were good, we were following the rules, he was queued up for what the rules were as of Saturday night and we woke up Sunday and everything changed. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. CHESHIRE Wallingford resident Erik Nisson put a smile on his 92-year-old grandmothers face by playing games with her through the window of a Cheshire living facility, according to WTNH. Even though they couldn't embrace each other physically due to the coronavirus outbreak, Nissonen and Patricia McGalliard played tic-tac-toe and hangman using markers and a glass pane. So, I got over there and we played about five or six games of tic-tac-toe. I may have let her win on the last one just to put a smile on her face, Nisson told WTNH, Then, we switched over to hangman. She was an English teacher for 50 years in the Hamden, North Haven school systems. She loves vocabulary and words and reading, so I thought this is probably more up her alley. Nisson, who works for Momentum Worldwide in New York, has been working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, giving him more opportunity to see his family. When I got back home a week and a half ago, when they sent us home from work, I [thought] that I have got to find a way to hang out with Moomoo, we call [my grandmother] Moomoo, Nisson said. Aside from just playing games, McGalliard is also giving her grandson knitting lessons through the glass. Were actually doing some knitting lessons as well through the glass. Figure I can pick up a little bit of a hobby; it gives her a lot of joy. She does it every day, Nisson told WTNH. Cities receive overseas returnees with careful epidemic control measures Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/3/24 20:18:40 With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading globally, more Chinese students who study abroad have chosen to return to China by overcoming all difficulties. Some of the returned students expressed gratitude about their travel experience on social media, saying the strict but considerate measures against the virus during the journey make them feel safe. Cao, a Chinese student who studies in the UK, posted a vlog online about her 30-hour exhausted and nervous journey from London to Shanghai via Singapore "It feels so good"to return home, she said at the end of the video, wiping tears. "The medical staff suddenly stood up when they saw me approaching, then they did information checking and asked me about quarantine it was 1 am and they were sleeping," Cao said in the video. "While I was waiting, the janitors sprayed sterilized water every hour." After landing, Cao and another man from the UK were sent to a hotel for quarantine. She was impressed by the meticulous arrangement in the hotel. "I was touched. Everybody is making contribution to the country," she said. After finishing the medical tests in Shanghai, Cao has been self-isolating at her home in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu Province. Every day she receives calls from different departments, ranging from city, district to the community, asking about her condition. Chinese student Xiao Mi, 18, who studies in Oxford, the UK, returned to Beijing via Frankfurt, Germany. She shared her travel experience on a WeChat platform, in which she showed that most people at the airports in London and Frankfurt did not wear a mask. After being highly-nervous with fully protection in the planes and airports, Xiao Mi arrived in Beijing and was then sent to quarantine. She was told later that among the passengers on the flight, seven were tested positive after landing. Luckily, her two tests were both showed negative. Whether overseas students should return to China has caused hot debate online. The complaints made by some students on being quarantined have aroused aversion among many people. Many cities in China have been implementing strict quarantine measures against possible imported cases on international flights, including a 14-day-quarantine at home or at designated places. Shanghai has decided to conduct nucleic acid tests on all inbound passengers. Passengers at the Pudong International Airport with COVID19 symptoms will be directly sent to medical institutes for diagnosis and treatment. Other passengers will be sent to designated places for quarantine or have quarantine at home. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Canadas trade unions have rushed to the aid of the Justin Trudeau-led federal Liberal government, as the unprecedented health and socio-economic crises triggered by the coronavirus pandemic are exposing it as the naked instrument of big business and mortal enemy of the working class. The Liberals have responded to the pandemic with policies predicated on the subordination of society to corporate profit that will have a devastating impact on working people, including by multiplying the pandemics cost in human lives many times over. The Liberal government is handing over virtually unlimited funds to the banks and big business so as to protect their wealth and profits. Some $550 billion in support has already been announced. Meantime, working people whose incomes are being devastated by the pandemic and its economic fallout are to be placed on rations. Similarly, the funds and resources that the government is mobilizing to combat the health emergency are woefully inadequate. The unions support for the governments COVID-19 Economic Response Plan includes helping deceive the public as to its purpose and import. They are complicit in the governments attempt to tout an $82 billion package of measures announced March 18 as the centerpiece of its emergency economic response, concealing the far greater sums that have been placed at the disposal of the banks and big business. The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) responded to the March 18 announcement with an official statement hailing the new measures, which it said would aid workers and help Canadian families deal with the major upheaval produced by COVID-19. In reality, the governments measures, which were worked out in close consultation with CLC President Hassan Yussuff and big business representatives, like former Conservative cabinet minister and Chamber of Commerce head Perrin Beatty, offer workers no more than a pittance. What is contained in the union-backed Response Plan? The lions share of the $82 billion, fully $55 billion, is set aside for tax deferrals that will overwhelmingly benefit big business, the rich and super-rich. There is just $27 billion in support for low-income Canadians, and those forced to miss work because of the virus, or who have seen their jobs disappear. Anyone without employer-paid sick-leave benefits who has to miss work because they contracted the virus, has to self-quarantine, or look after a family member impacted by the pandemic will receive an Emergency Care Benefit of just $450 per week. This is barely enough to cover rent payments in a large city, never mind meet the basic necessities of life. Those who lose their jobs and dont have access to Canadas shrunken Employment Insurance (EI) system are to receive an Emergency Support Benefit, that, like EI, will at most pay them 55 percent of their normal pay to a maximum of $573 per week. This benefit is supposed to represent a buffer for the estimated 1.7 million gig economy workers, other short-term workers and the self-employed. However, the government has committed to spending just $5 billion on it in the midst of a tidal wave of layoffs and shutdowns. Yesterday it was reported that 929,000 newly-jobless workers, or the equivalent of 5 percent of Canadas total labour force, filed for EI last week. The tax breaks for the corporations are only the tip of the iceberg. Through a flurry of initiatives, including a $50 billion mortgage buyback scheme and the halving of bank capitalization requirements, the Liberal government, various Crown agencies, and the Bank of Canada have funneled well over $500 billion to the banks and big business. Meanwhile, the federal government is injecting just $1 billion into Canadas healthcare system, which even prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic was gravely overstretched because of shortages of supplies, equipment and staff. While the Liberals have opened up the spigots for big business over the past two weeks, medical professionals have been issuing ever more anxious warnings that Canada will soon reach an Italy-style situation, where overworked doctors and nurses are forced to determine who will live and die due to a lack of medical equipment. Predictably, the unions are justifying their increased collaboration with the government and big business by claiming that national unity is needed in a time of crisis. Yussuff, speaking on behalf of the entire trade union bureaucracy, has called for a collaborative front with government and business. While the CLC preaches unity and collaboration, the actions of the Liberal government underscore that the ruling elite is intensifying its class war with the aim of making working people bear the cost of the socio-economic crisis, and exploiting the dislocation it is causing to further reshape class relations in its favour. On an even greater scale than the Harper Conservative government did during the 2008-9 global financial crisis, the Trudeau Liberal government is intervening to transfer vast quantities of wealth from the bottom to the top. Yussuffs collaborative front thus amounts to an alliance to protect the wealth of Canadas super-rich while denying urgently needed resources to the healthcare system and working people. It also aims to conceal the criminal responsibility of the ruling elite and their political representatives for the devastating impact of the pandemic. The federal Liberal and various provincial governments squandered a two-month period during which the seriousness of the health risk was already clear due to COVID-19s deadly impact in China. No preparatory measures were taken, such as the purchasing of essential medical supplies and equipment, even though the World Health Organization and other experts repeatedly warned of the looming threat. Then, as coronarvirus cases surged in the second week of March, Ottawa and the provinces began announcing a series of improvised, patch-work measures. Whilst the closure of schools and non-essential businesses and quarantines are necessary, absent mass testing and the mobilization of societys resources, currently monopolized by big business and the rich, to strengthen the health care system, they cannot halt the spread of the pandemic and prevent mass fatalities. A further critical factor in the current crisis is the decades of austerity measures imposed by all the establishment parties, from the Liberals and Conservatives to the NDP, Parti Quebecois, and Coalition Avenir Quebec. They have left the public health system in shambles, with doctors, nurses and other health care workers scrambling to cope with staff, bed and equipment shortages even in normal times. The unions partnership with the big business Liberals An urgent warning must be made to workers. The unions are reprising the role they played during the 2008-9 financial crisis, when they supported the attempt to bring to power a Liberal-NDP coalition government committed to $50 billion in corporate tax cuts, fiscal responsibility, and waging war in Afghanistan, and colluded with big business in imposing massive job, wage, and pension cuts. In the name of saving jobs, Unifor's predecessor (the Canadian Auto Workers) backed the bailout of the Detroit Three automakers, which made the auto industry profitable for investors again by slashing wages and benefits, and creating a multi-tier workforce. The standard set in the auto industry soon became the benchmark for industrial workers across the country. Having played an indispensable role in defending bourgeois private property and corporate profits amid the greatest capitalist crisis since the Great Depression, the unions sabotaged worker resistance to the Harper government's post-2010 austerity drive and its ever-expanding assault on worker rights. This culminated in their mounting an Anybody but Conservative campaign in the 2015 federal election campaign that paved the way for the return to power of the Liberals, the Canadian ruling class' traditional party of government. After Trudeau took office, union leaders, including Yussuff and Unifor President Jerry Dias, developed a close partnership with the government, serving as its advisors on key initiatives. This included helping fashion the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), an updated version of NAFTA that aims to transform North America into a US-led trade war-bloc that can advance the interests of US and Canadian imperialism against their common overseas rivals, above all China. The union-backed Liberals have also massively hiked military spending and further integrated Canada into Washingtons principal military-strategic offensives, in the oil-rich Middle East, and against nuclear-armed Russia and China. The unions traditional political allies in the New Democratic Party (NDP) have fully endorsed their promotion of the big business Liberals as a progressive party and ally in the fight against the Conservative right. Both during and after last Octobers federal election, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh pleaded for a coalition or other form of governmental alliance with Trudeau and his Liberals. And like the unions, the NDP has responded to the coronavirus pandemic by offering to collaborate still more closely with the government, and by lauding its miserly makeshift worker-assistance programs. The unions preaching of collaboration at the very point where the corporate elite is raiding the public purse to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars for the second time in just over a decade flows from their primary objective: to suppress the class struggle and uphold the capitalist profit system. In Canada as around the world, the two years preceding the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic were characterized by a growing global counter-offensive of the working class against decades of austerity, imperialist wars and ever deepening social inequality. Just last month, over 200,000 Ontario teachers and school-support staff joined a province-wide strike to oppose the gutting of public education by the right-wing populist government of Premier Doug Ford. The pro-capitalist union apparatuses are terrified that the intersecting health, economic, and social crises triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic will serve as the catalyst for the eruption of mass working class opposition. Recent weeks have seen a wave of job actions by workers protesting their employers failure to take elementary preventive measures to suppress the spread of the coronavirus. This includes a day-long work stoppage at Fiat-Chryslers giant Windsor assembly plant, and smaller job actions by Toronto Transit Commission workers, and Quebec construction workers. While workers are striving to assert their class interests, the unions are desperately seeking to demobilize the working class. The Ontario teachers unions have invoked the exceptional conditions created by the coronavirus as the excuse for their either reaching sell-out concessionary agreements with the Ford government or indefinitely suspending all job action. In Quebec, healthcare unions representing 130,000 nurses and medical technicians have agreed to the request of the right-wing CAQ government that they negotiate emergency three-year contracts that will perpetuate under-staffing and other dangerous and stressful working conditions. If workers are to counter the rapacious and ruinous actions of the capitalist elite and assert their class interests amid an unprecedented health emergency and economic breakdown, they must build new organizations of struggle, independent of and in opposition to the pro-capitalist unions. Workers must form committees of action in workplaces and neighbourhoods to fight for their urgent demands, including hundreds of billions of dollars to provide universal, easily accessible testing, strengthen the healthcare system, and guarantee a secure, livable income for all workers impacted by the crisis. The adoption of such measures, which are urgent if the lives of hundreds of thousands are to be protected, requires a frontal assault on capitalist private property so that the vast sums of wealth being hoarded by the super-rich can be deployed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and the capitalist economic collapse. As social distancing begins in earnest, we find that the need to rally together as a communi Ukrainian lawmakers Oleksandr Dubinsky and Ihor Palytsia, who are connected to former PrivatBank owner Ihor Kolomoisky through their previous positions, on Wednesday registered bills which provide alternatives to another bill which was submitted by the government on Tuesday and was unofficially dubbed "the anti-Kolomoisky bill," which is required in order to launch a new program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Both alternative bills were registered on Wednesday, their full text is not available as of yet, the Verkhovna Rada website said. Both lawmakers in question are members of the parliamentary commission on finance, tax, and customs policy, which is specific for this bill, while Dubinsky serves as deputy head of the commission. The Verkhovna Rada was expected to discuss this document at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, but it was preliminarily postponed to Saturday. The date for the bill's consideration by the commission is also unclear, as of yet. As reported earlier, Kyiv must enact a bill on banks in order for the IMF Board of Directors to make a final decision on approving the new program. This document should remove legislative gaps that arose during the cleansing of the banking system and should reduce the risk of negative consequences from a possible decision on denationalizing PrivatBank. On March 20, the parliamentary faction of the European Solidarity party demanded that the government submit to the parliament a bill on the inability to return insolvent banks to their former owners and call an extraordinary meeting of the Verkhovna Rada in order to pass it. "Ukraine vitally needs to immediately resume cooperation with the International Monetary Fund now. This financial oxygen bag will provide a safety buffer. The fund is not imposing any burdensome requirements on Ukraine at the moment. The IMF's main requirement concerns only two people: the president himself and his longstanding business partner and patron," former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said in an address posted on Facebook Friday evening. Ukraine could have received support from the IMF as early as last fall, which would have helped it avoid an economic decline, Poroshenko said. "If the government had adopted legislation guaranteeing that PrivatBank cannot be returned to its former owners! What sense does it make for the fund to give money to Ukraine if it immediately goes to the pocket of the former Privat shareholder? The bill was agreed upon with the fund. Then they decided to deceive our international partners and stealthily added unacceptable amendments. Then finally retracted it at all," he said. Poroshenko demanded that the government draw up legislation making it impossible to return insolvent banks to their former owners, so that the Rada can consider it at an extraordinary session. "The time has come, dear servants [the pro-presidential Servant of the People party], to choose between the people's interests and [Ukrainian businessman and former PrivatBank shareholder Ihor] Kolomoisky's dream of a bank for himself and default for Ukraine. The government should immediately submit the relevant bill and without any con games. And the Verkhovna Rada should hold an extraordinary meeting at the start of next week. This is not advice, this is a demand. European Solidarity will definitely support the adoption of this bill," he said. As the market activities continue to drop and many Ghanaians are calling for a Lockdown, foward-looking fiscal and monetary measures are necessary to save the economy from impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The exponential growth of the number of cases is already causing a progressive lockdown. With this development, businesses would close and physical activities would seize. Because of inexplicable barriers that the coronavirus crisis brings, people may be prevented from doing useful things for income and wealth creation. In the process, businesses must be compensated and this calls for both critical fiscal and monetary measures. As an SME economy, government must spend more to support local businesses with some tax rebates, financial reliefs, refunds and social assistance. Total lockdown might not be the best option for Ghana but should that happen, more expenditure is needed to sustain economic growth with an economic stimulus package of over GH15 Billion for a 28-day lockdown. Registered businesses and firms would have to shut down operations with employees going home with salaries or not. The informal economy would suffer from the lockdown because of loss of daily sales and income. The sector may not directly benefit from the emergency financial response. This would reduce individual income and purchasing power. However, government would still have to ensure the continuation of salaries of public sector employment and provision of basic needs and other services including electricity, essential services, water and food. With a a total lockdown, certain goods and services that people would otherwise buy and enjoy will be off limit. It does not mean, however, that one would have stopped eating. Instead, you make your food at home. Due to this Ghanaians may now spend more money on other things. Switching from consumption to saving might be impossible at this time. This will encourage people to spend rather than save. Making readily available the package is important for private sector planning of business sustainability and job security in this COVID-19 pandemic. Critical areas to consider include; businesses, jobs, internet connection, transport, fuel, tax compliance, raw materials, manufacturing , rent, health care, agriculture, security, utilities and occupational licenses. *we propose the following:* 1. Government must meet all the relevant business associations including the manufacturing firms to deliberate consciously on production capacity and job loss. 2. Insurance companies cannot remain same with our insurance premiums during lockdowns. Government must meet the Insurance commission as early as possible so that insurance companies could make readily available partial payment to their clients to support them in times of the panic. They should also provide exclusive premiums to their clients to support government health interventions. 3. Salaries of workers should not be subjected to full tax deductions. At least 50% tax refund. 4. Ghana water company should consider opening taps for those who are owing bills. More water needed for hand washing and the that cost should be factored too. 5. The ministry of food and Agriculture through the Buffer Food Stock should develop an outline to supply food to underpriviledged homes. 6. The government should support companies in Ghana (both local and foreign) to change their structure of production to produce some essential goods to avoid shortage during the lockdown. 7. GRIDCO, VRA and ECG must ensure there is continuous supply of power since most institutions would be working from home. Tariffs on electricity and electricity should be reduced. 8. There are people who don't even have a place to get locked inside. Ghana has a housing deficit of over 1.5 million. Therefore, the government must advance plans to shelter some millions of Ghanaians in hotels, motels, and guest houses among others. As a policy analysis organization, we make these proposals based on a careful study of other nations which have implemented lockdowns due to COVID19. And we believe that these measures should suffice, though not completely, in helping manage the situation of a lockdown. Institute for Liberty & Policy Innovation (ILAPI) Tema. Peter Bismark 0244169361 Mr. Evans Badu Boampong. 0246380994 Co-Founder/Programs Manager Young Africans for Opportunities (YAFO) ( www.yafopportunities.org ) Tel: +233504971040 Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/nathaniel.dwamena Twitter: @Natdwamena Medical staff walk to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases building at Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore on January 31, 2020. Roslan Rahman | APF | Getty Images Less than a week after launching an app to track potential exposure to the coronavirus, Singapore is making the technology freely available to developers worldwide. The city-state rolled out an app called TraceTogether on March 20 and described it as a supplementary tool for its contact tracing efforts that relied on the recall and memory of infected individuals. Contact tracing is the process of identifying those with close contact with infected patients. How the app works Phones that have the app installed exchange short-distance Bluetooth signals when their users are near one another. Records of those encounters, including the duration, are stored in their respective phones for 21 days, according to the app's frequently asked questions section. It added that location data is not collected. If a user is diagnosed with COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, they could allow Singapore's health ministry to access their app data to identify people who had close contact with the infected individual. To be clear, Singapore says that when a person is contacted, they are required by law to assist the health ministry in accurately mapping out their movements and interactions to minimize the risk of widespread infection. That includes providing location timelines and physical or digital logs that may be collected by apps. Privacy concerns To allay privacy concerns around what is essentially an instance of high-tech surveillance by the state, Singapore's health ministry said personal details such as a user's name is not collected by the TraceTogether app. It does not record location data or access the user's phone contact list. Data logs are stored on phones in encrypted form; information on potential close contacts is stored not by their phone numbers but by using "cryptographically generated temporary IDs," the health ministry said. Still, the logs can be decrypted and analyzed by Singapore's health ministry when it is deemed necessary and the users can be easily identified from that information. More broadly, privacy concerns are growing as governments around the world rely on technology to track people in their efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. South Korea is publishing the movements of people before they were diagnosed with the virus by retracing their steps using GPS phone tracking, credit card records, surveillance video and personal interviews with patients, the Washington Post reported earlier this month. Israel has an app that can warn users if they've crossed paths with someone infected by the coronavirus. Response to Singapore's app had been "largely positive," according to a representative of the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office at the Prime Minister's Office of Singapore. "More than 500,000 users with a Singapore-registered mobile number downloaded the TraceTogether app within the first 24 hours of its launch," the spokesperson told CNBC. On Monday, Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who is also the minister-in-charge of the country's smart nation initiative, said in a Facebook post that the app had been installed by more than 620,000 people so far. The health ministry did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on how many close contacts have been identified so far using the app. The Smart Nation and Digital Government Office spokesperson said other countries have expressed interest in adopting the technology behind the app. "Our engineering team is working around the clock to prepare the codebase for open source adoption," the spokesperson said. The app is built on a combination of centralized and decentralized models of contact tracing; the developers call the technology the BlueTrace protocol. TraceTogether was created by a team of 40 engineers over a period of eight weeks. Responding to a query from CNBC about other potential uses of the technology, the spokesperson said: "At present, BlueTrace, the technology underlying TraceTogether, is used to complement existing contact tracing methods and support nationwide efforts to combat COVID-19. There are no plans to extend the use of TraceTogether for non-contact tracing purposes." The coronavirus, which was first reported in China's Hubei province last December, has spread rapidly worldwide. It has infected at least 416,600 people and killed more than 18,500, according to the latest numbers from the World Health Organization. Cases and fatalities in Europe and the United States have spiked in recent weeks. Singapore reported 631 cases as of March 25 noon local time, including two deaths and 160 patients discharged. The city-state had been praised globally for its approach in managing the outbreak through stringent contact tracing and quarantine efforts, but cases in the country have also surged in recent days. Watch: Economic impact of coronavirus outbreak will last 'at least a year' VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2020 / XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. (CSE:XPHY) (FSE:4XT) (OTC PINK:XPHYF) ("XPhyto" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that an exclusive infectious disease advisory agreement (the "Agreement") has been signed between XPhyto and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Eisenreich. Prof. Dr. Eisenreich brings a unique and highly relevant set of skills to the XPhyto team and represents a swift and expanding investment on the part of the Company in the field of infectious disease, particularly COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2). "I look forward to working with the XPhyto group of companies, especially if we can make a positive impact on the current coronavirus situation and any other potential pandemic threats," said Prof. Dr. Eisenreich. "I believe my scientific expertise and that of my team can add value to the task of better understanding how these viruses interact with human cells and ultimately to the development of clinical products." Prof. Dr. Eisenreich leads a research group at the Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich and the Central NMR Analytics Facility at Garching. He has over 20 years of experience in the study of metabolic pathways and signaling cascades as they relate to pathogen and host cell interactions. Prof. Dr. Eisenreich's most recent work has focused on analysis and delineation of intracellular pathogenic bacteria and host cell interactions using innovative stable isotope labelling and profiling methodologies (NMR- and MS-based metabolomics). His technology driven analysis is a powerful tool in the study of pathogen and host cell interactions with a focus on host cell response. Prof Dr. Eisenreich's work on metabolic adaptation between intracellular pathogens and their host cells was awarded the Max-von-Pettenkofer Prize in 2015. He and his team are well suited for the molecular analysis of coronavirus infections and related drug target identification and validation. "The addition of Prof. Dr. Eisenreich and his unique skill set complements XPhyto's infectious disease initiatives by potentially expediting the identification of specific targets for use in a rapid coronavirus detection platform and may play a role in the validation of natural anti-viral therapeutic agents, both announced by XPhyto on March 20, 2020," said Hugh Rogers, CEO of XPhyto. About XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. XPhyto is a biotechnology and next-generation cannabis company focused on formulation, clinical validation, and European imports, distribution and sales. XPhyto's 100% owned subsidiary, Vektor Pharma TF GmbH, a German narcotics manufacturer, importer and researcher has expertise in the design, testing and manufacture of thin film drug delivery systems, particularly transdermal patches and sub-lingual (oral) strips. Vektor also holds a number of narcotics licences issued by the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), including import and manufacturing permits, as well as EU GMP lab certification. XPhyto's 100% owned German subsidiary, Bunker Pflanzenextrakte GmbH, has been granted a unique German cannabis cultivation and extraction licence for scientific purposes by BfArM. Bunker has two exclusive R&D collaboration agreements with the Technical University of Munich, Chair of beverage and brewing technology and the Faculty of Chemistry. XPhyto is pursuing additional opportunities in Europe including commercial cannabis cultivation, processing, manufacturing, import, and distribution. In Canada, two exclusive 5-year engagements with the Faculty of Pharmacy at a major Canadian university provide certified extraction, isolation, and formulation facilities, drug research and development expertise, as well as commercial analytical testing capability. XPhyto signed a supply, import and distribution agreement for cannabis oils and isolates with one of the largest, highest quality, and lowest cost cannabis cultivators in the world. For further information, please contact: MANZINI - In what could be termed as defiance, NAPSAWU vows to invoke Section 18 (2) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act No. 9 of 2001. The union said it would do this by removing its members from work because their lives were at risk. This was said by the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) Secretary General, Thulani Hlatshwako, following the Prime Minister (PM) Ambrose Dlaminis statement that civil servants were expected to continue working. The PM said the Ministry of Public Service had already embarked on ensuring that necessary precautions were taken, such as avoiding overcrowding of offices and provision of hand sanitisers. The secretary general said this meant that government was putting civil servants lives at risk because they did not have personal protective equipment (PPE). On that note, we will invoke the Act and remove our members from the risk of contracting the virus, the secretary general said. Remove Section 18 (2) of the Act says; An employee shall have a right to remove himself or herself from danger when such a worker has reasonable justification to believe there is imminent and serious risk to his/her safety and health. It is worth noting that before the PMs statement, NAPSAWU had called upon government to put all non-essential workers in both public and private sector on precautionary leave. On top of that, government, as the largest employer in the country, had been advised to allow civil servants, who are essential service providers to practise self-isolation if they felt unwell. The call is that the workers should be allowed to self-isolate themselves without being forced to fill in annual leave forms. NAPSAWU made this call to government in light of the spread of the coronavirus in the world, including Eswatini and it was contained in a statement that was issued by the secretary general early yesterday. Declaration The secretary general said as a union, they applauded the declaration of the national emergency by government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said this was because COVID-19 was a serious threat to mankind that had not been seen in recent times. The spread of the virus is unprecedented and needs an unprecedented response, Hlatshwako said. In fact, he said government should be aware of Section 9 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 2001. He said the onus to demonstrate that a workplace was safe, was squarely placed on the employer by the section of the Act. In that note, the secretary general said the issue of self-isolation should be encouraged and should not be seen to be costly to the workers. On that regard, he said it was irresponsible of the Ministry of Public Service to be using General Order A801 to persuade workers to seek medical advice. He said the usage of annual leave for purposes of self-isolation demonstrated an insensitive employer who did not comprehend the issues at play during self-isolation. Self-isolation cannot be related to annual leave, he said. Furthermore, he said the Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Public Service, Sipho Tsabedze, should also be aware that as this was the end of year for government, almost all civil servants were expected to have exhausted their leave days. This subsequently means civil servants have no annual leave days for self-isolation as is necessary after suspected exposure, the secretary general said. On that note, Hlatshwako said as a union, they expected government to undertake proper assessment of the work environment and embark on a proper risk assessment by trained personnel. Protective Furthermore, he said government should prescribe situation specific protective gear. He said it should also provide the necessary sanitary products prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to combat the spread of the virus in the workplace. Government should also place all unnecessary and non-essential workers on precautionary leave, not annual leave, until the situation is stabilised or come with alternative methods of service delivery without placing the lives of the nation at risk, the secretary general said in the statement. On another note, he specified that the union had suspended its activities whose attendance would exceed 50 people as such would endanger the lives of members. He said this included the branch elections in Mbabane, Manzini and Siteki. On top of that, he encouraged their members to continue protecting themselves by observing the precautions through washing of hands regularly, maintaining social distancing of about a metre and avoiding touching their faces. JACKSON, MI Jackson resident Hannah Stechshulte was supposed to be in Benin for the next five months with the Peace Corps. She expected to finish out the school year teaching English to middle schoolers at College denseignement general, a school in the village of Oumbegame. During the summer, she thought shed finish her 25 months as an education volunteer, search for jobs back home and say goodbye to the neighbors that had become like family during her service. Instead, the 24-year-old had less than 24 hours to bring her time in West Africa to a hurried end. Stechshulte woke up Monday, March 16, at 4 a.m. to an announcement from Judy Olsen, director of the Peace Corps, that all volunteers worldwide were being evacuated from service as a response to the spread of the new coronavirus. I was crying and just a mess, Stechshulte said. It was very devastating. Our evacuation was so abrupt. We had very little time to pack up our things and say goodbye to everyone. It was a really rough time. Two days prior, all volunteers were presented the option of interrupting their service to go home with no repercussions. Stechshulte decided to continue serving until she was told she had to be evacuated. That order would soon come, and she packed her bags and left the village she called home. After three months of training, Stechshulte spent 22 months in Benin. She taught approximately 140 students in three classes by herself, and two more classes totaling 80 students with a teaching counterpart from Benin. Outside of school, she established youth English and girls clubs that met weekly to learn English and discuss health issues, empowerment of women and other topics. I developed really close relationships, Stechshulte said. Not only was I working there, but I was living there with them. Not only were they my students, colleagues and neighbors, but my family. I was a complete stranger, and I moved into their community and they immediately accepted me and made me feel at home. When she left on one of the last flights out of the country, there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in Benin. Two cases have since been confirmed, Stechshulte said. After returning to Jackson on Sunday, March 22, she settled into her basement bedroom, where she will be self-isolating when she isnt catching up with her family. Her 7-year-old husky-Lab mixed breed Rosie has provided her comfort as Stechshulte processes the sudden end of her Peace Corps service. It still feels like a temporary vacation and Ill be back in a week and see everyone again, she said. It feels very surreal. Im trying to occupy myself with different tasks to get my mind off it because I cant really process what I am going through. Although volunteers were told they could reapply, Stechshultes situation will likely not allow for it, considering she had five months of service left and the school year is almost over. I would be coming back to Benin with no work to do, she said. With a shaky local job market amid coronavirus shutdowns, Stechshulte doesnt know what she will do for work, but she hopes to find something involving youth development, teaching French or educational development. In the meantime, she is missing her Benin family and trying her best to keep in touch with those she may not see again. The members of my community have been so sweet, Stechshulte said. I have students who are constantly Facebook messaging me and colleagues who are checking in to see if I am okay. My community is still supporting me even after I have left. More: Coronavirus cases double in Jackson County, 7 hospitalized Basketball game, home school event may have exposed Jackson County crowds to coronavirus Another big jump in Michigan coronavirus numbers: Now at 2,295 cases; 43 deaths Sales to first-time Michigan gun buyers spiked preceding coronavirus stay-at-home order, shop owner says Pure Michigan offers stay-home virtual travel, from museum tours to film festival live streams Michigan employers want to comply with stay-at-home order, but need more clarity, business leaders say 2 more Detroit-area hospitals nearly full, Michigan hospitals prepare for surge of coronavirus cases FLINT, MIHalo Burger is closed for business amid the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike some restaurants, which are still open for carry out, Halo Burger is completely closing all its locations until further notice. The fast-food chain shut down two hours before Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Stay Home, Stay Safe order was announced on March 23, forcing all non-essential businesses to close at midnight for a minimum of three weeks to slow the spread of COVID-19. The decision was made to protect employees, said Olivia Ross, Halo Burgers director of marketing. The company employs 140 people who have been laid off until the restaurants open. Halo Burger started a family fund to help employees who are most impacted by the closings. Donations of $10,000 and $5,000 have been made to the fund. All the food was donated to Halo Burger employees upon shutting down operations. We came to the conclusion that it would no longer be safe for our employees to be working within our restaurants, Ross said. Well be back but itll be when this is over and its safe for us to serve the community again. The decision wasnt driven by profitability, Ross said. Its no secret that most restaurants arent making a ton of money but the decision was honestly based on safety, Ross said. The chain has also set up a program to help its employees during this time. Until the restaurants reopen, 25 percent of all gift card sales will go towards ensuring employees health, safety and well-being. Halo Burger has eight locations in Burton, Birch Run, Flint Township, Grand Blanc, Flint and Fenton. It hasnt been decided when the restaurants will open again, Ross said. People can support Halo Burgers employees by buying a gift card or expressing their support on the restaurants social media pages. Even if people are logging on just to say thank you, Ross said. I think it took this for some people to see what certain people do for this community in terms of healthcare or food service. In the US over 300,000 people have been tested for the novel coronavirus In the US over 300,000 people have been tested for the novel coronavirus and a fifth of those tests have proved positive. An eye-opening new map depicting a state-by-state breakdown of coronavirus testing in the US reveals how the outbreak is impacting the nation, hitting New York and Washington state the hardest as they conduct the largest number of tests. As of Tuesday evening there were a total of 314,286 tests conducted in the country, according to numbers compiled by 4pm by the COVID Tracking Project. Of those tested, 49,126 people have tested positive for the respiratory illness while 265,150 people have tested negative in the US. Today's number of tests conducted is a giant surge from the 10,000 exams conducted two weeks ago on March 12. In the US over 300,000 people have been tested for the novel coronavirus and over a fifth of those tests have proved positive. Data pulled Tuesday at 4pm EST noted that there were 49,126 positive cases and there were 265,160 negative cases among US testing There were 4,083 patients hospitalized and 618 deaths at that time, bring the total number of cases, positive and negative, to 328,768 as of Tuesday evening. People pictured waiting in line with respiratory masks on outside Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, New York on Wednesday The data shows that Washington and New York the two states with the largest outbreaks have the highest number of cases but that's in part because they have tested a higher share of their populations compared to other states. People pictured waiting in line at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, New York on Wednesday There were 4,083 patients hospitalized and 618 deaths at that time, bringing the total number of cases, positive and negative, to 328,768. By Wednesday morning in the US there were 59,000 confirmed positive cases of the virus and at least 800 deaths. The test-tracking database is conducted by two journalists at The Atlantic and the founder of a medical-data start-up that frequently updates estimates of test performed in each state pull from local government information. The data is key for government and public health officials to track the spread of the outbreak and combat it. By Wednesday morning there were at least 59,000 positive cases across the US and over 800 deaths This chart shows how the number of positive coronavirus cases has escalated over the past month The data shows that Washington and New York the two states with the largest outbreaks have the highest number of cases but that's in part because they have tested a higher share of their populations compared to other states. By Tuesday evening in New York 25,665 people tested positive and 65,605 have tested negative. In Washington state 2,221 people have tested positive and 31,712 negative. In California 1,733 people tested positive for the virus while 12,567 have tested negative. In Florida 1,412 people tested positive and 13,127 negative. In Illinois 1,285 have tested positive and 8,583 have proved negative. In Louisiana 1,388 have tested positive while 7,215 have tested negative. While most states seem to have overwhelmingly negative test results compared to the positive, some states are churning out reciprocal data. Medical staff and volunteers from Children's National Hospital test children, who arrived with a doctors referral, for the coronavirus at a drive-thru test site in Washington DC, Maryland. In Maryland 439 people have tested positive and 94 negative as of Tuesday evening Volunteer direct patients at a drive through coronavirus testing site amid the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, at the Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore, South of Los Angeles, California on Tuesday. In California 1,733 people tested positive for the virus while 12,567 have tested negative as of Tuesday evening Cars wait in line for a COVID-19 drive-thru test site for medical personnel and first responders operated by the Illinois National Guard on Tuesday in Chicago. In Illinois 1,285 have tested positive and 8,583 have proved negative as of Tuesday evening Nurses seal a speciman from a patient at a coroanvirus drive through testing location in Seattle, Washington on March 19. In Washington state 2,221 people have tested positive and 31,712 negative as of Tuesday evening In New Jersey 2,844 people have tested positive and just 359 negative as of Tuesday evening. Similarly, in Ohio 442 people have tested positive and 140 negative. In Maryland 439 people have tested positive and 94 negative. While some states have tested thousands of their citizens, some states have only tested hundreds. In Delaware, 91 people have tested positive and 26 negative. In West Virginia 20 people have tested positive and 610 negative. In Arkansas 206 people have tested positive and 947 have tested negative. The US is ramping up their testing and a slew of drive-thru testing centers have opened across the country, after days of delayed action. New York has dramatically boosted its testing over the past week, nearly tripling the number of exams conducted since last Thursday, according to the COVID Tracking Project. COVID-19 first emerged in Wuhan, China in late December 2019 and quickly spread across the globe. Treehugger and our third-party partners use cookies and process personal data like unique identifiers based on your consent to store and/or access information on a device, display personalized ads and for content measurement, audience insight, and product development. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Treehugger.com, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, click below. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. List of Partners (vendors) The Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) is calling on all real estate agents across the country to look for alternative ways to conduct their businesses amid the coronavirus outbreak. In a statement, REIA President Adrian Kelly said past practices with open homes and public auctions need to cease given the advisory of the federal government to avoid unnecessary interactions in a bid to contain the coronavirus. "We need to take the COVID-19 seriously. The deliberate organising of a gathering of people by a real estate agent flies in the face of the directives of the prime minister. To continue to arrange unmodified public open homes and auctions is clearly irresponsible," he said. Kelly said agents can explore other strategies and methods to carry out their businesses. Also read: The Right Investor Mindset For COVID-19 Private inspection by appointment is one of the strategies that should become the norm in the current market conditions. This should be coupled with the appropriate safeguards recommended by health authorities. "With regard to public auctions, these can still occur via telephone bidding or by using one of the many online auction platforms available. We need to show some initiative and resourcefulness at this time," Kelly said. Some property groups are already conducting virtual property tours. In a report in The Canberra Times, Upside Realty agent Catherine Halloran said there is an increased demand for virtual home inspections. Property valuations can now be done virtually. "For me, the transition is more just an extension of our existing services. The sorts of things I find I'm seeing a little bit more of now are things like virtual tours of properties, like actually essentially Skype or FaceTime-style tours through a property for buyers who don't want to or can't attend," Halloran said. The COVID-19 outbreak is expected to dampen activity in the housing market, according to some experts. In a recent analysis, Eliza Owen, head of residential research at CoreLogic, said the while sales activity will likely be affected, house prices might not necessarily go down. "In the short term, the coronavirus and subsequent share market declines have already had a significant impact on consumer confidence. This may lead to postponed dwelling purchases, as housing is an expensive, high commitment purchase decision," Owen said. It may be a sign of things to come for businesses trying to cope with the novel coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, billboard company Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. became the first publicly traded company in San Antonio to announce its tapping a line of credit in response to COVID-19. Clear Channel is drawing down on $150 million on a revolving credit facility to further preserve financial flexibility, the company said in statement. We are closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on our global business, and we have taken and will continue to take appropriate steps to ensure the continuity of our platform and operations to serve our clients, said William Eccleshare, worldwide CEO of Clear Channel Holdings Inc. On ExpressNews.com: Clear Channel posts $27M profit in 4Q Bank of San Antonio Chairman J. Bruce Bugg Jr. last week said its bankers have seen a low-to-moderate increase in the number of businesses drawing on lines of credit. Businesses are accessing those lines so they have additional cash in their checking account over and above their normal cash levels to assist them in their contingency planningdue to coronavirus, Bugg said. I think its a prudent step on their part because none of us really know how to handicap the business implications of working through the coronavirus, he added. San Antonios Vantage Bank Texas reported an increase in credit line draws, but it has not been inundated, spokesman Alex Polanco said in an email Wednesday. We are also working with impacted customers on new lines of credit, loan modifications and payment deferrals, he said. BBVA USA has experienced a mild increase in line of credit requests from local businesses, San Antonio CEO Ryan Parker said in an emailed statement. The bank is based in Birmingham, Ala. Clear Channel is one of the worlds largest outdoor advertising companies with about 460,000 print and digital displays in 32 countries. It employs about 5,900 people. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases Clear Channel was spun off from iHeartMedia Inc. last year as part of the San Antonio broadcast companys bankruptcy reorganization. At the end of last year, Clear Channel had about $399 million in cash on its balance sheet. With the $150 million received from the draw down, it now has about $549 million. While Clear Channels Americas segment has been delivering strong growth, Eccleshare said it has begun to see weakness in some European markets affected by COVID-19. Forecasting future results will be difficult becaue of the pandemic, he said. Still, he said Clear Channel is well-positioned to manage through the economic downturn. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD GODFREY Gov. J.B. Pritkers announcement Wednesday extending the filing deadline for 2019 tax returns until July 15 may tempt residents to put off filing. However, even with the automatic three-month extension for federal and Illinois returns, tax preparers in Madison County are encouraging customers not to wait. I think actually it is going to be better for everyone to file as soon as they can, said Wanda Jockisch, owner of ActionTax in Godfrey. I just think that anything people can get done now is good, she said. We dont know whats going to happen in the future with this. Jockisch, who has been in business for 24 years, said shes taking numerous precautions to ensure people feel comfortable visiting her office. She offers curbside drop-off and pickup, with some customers even choosing to wait in their cars while their tax returns are being completed. We know that everyone is concerned and they should be, said Jockisch. We are taking all of the precautions we can with spraying Lysol and using Clorox wipes on our desks and signature pads in between each customer. We are trying to make sure we keep our customers safe and ourselves safe, she said. We do appreciate that no one comes into the office whos been out of the country within 45 days and that clients dont bring any extra people into the office who dont need to be here. With only three preparers working in the business each with a private office Jockisch said most of her customers continue to feel safe coming into the business. I think most people feel comfortable because we go by appointment only and have private offices here, she said. Also, they know were taking precautions and theyre not going to be in this office with probably more than three people at a time. Theyve been very appreciative when they see that were wiping everything down between each client. Kelly Flaherty of Thompson Flaherty, CPA in Edwardsville said his office has reduced its hours and is serving clients through drop-off only. Customers have been very understanding and willing to work with him. Its been working out really well, he said. I cant thank my clients enough for their understanding and patience. Flaherty also suggested people file their tax returns sooner rather than later, even with Illinois extending the filing deadline. Were still encouraging people to bring in their information, he said. Especially people who are getting refunds, because they may need the money right now. Patty Tomerliin of Tomerlin Bookkeeping Services in East Alton said she had hoped Illinois would extend the filing deadline because her office was already feeling the effects of being closed to walk-in service. With returns taking longer to prepare when customers drop off their documents, Tomerlin was worried about being able to take care of all of her clients. The three-month filing extension should help, she said. Its been pretty difficult, she said. Were getting backlogged. Were still going to keep working, but at least that (deadline extension) gives us some breathing room. An empty Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament in Westminster (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus but is displaying only mild symptoms. Clarence House announced the news as NHS Englands medical director said hundreds of thousands of tests for Covid-19 per day could become a reality within weeks. The Clarence House statement said Charles, 71, was self-isolating at home in Scotland with his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, 72, who does not have the virus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usualClarence House on Prince Charles He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. The news came as political pressure for more stringent rules on workers mounted and Parliament was set to adjourn for an early Easter break after emergency legislation to tackle Covid-19 is approved. The Coronavirus Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent on Wednesday, with a motion tabled for the House of Commons to rise the same day until April 21. With people filling busy Tube trains on Wednesday morning, Boris Johnson is being asked to ban non-essential construction workers from heading to building sites and help stop the spread of the virus. Voices from across the political spectrum have argued for more stringent rules so workers are not placed at risk, and public transport is not overwhelmed. Mr Johnson, who will appear before MPs on Wednesday for Prime Ministers Questions in the Commons, has so far resisted the pressure. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick insisted it is sensible for construction workers to keep heading to work if it is safe to do so and employers follow Public Health Englands guidance on social distancing. It comes as Professor Stephen Powis, NHS Englands medical director, said the NHS could start testing hundreds of thousands of people per day for Covid-19 within a matter of weeks. Prof Powis told LBC: We want to get hundreds of thousands of tests ramped up in the next few weeks per day. Asked to clarify whether he really meant hundreds of thousands of tests per day, Prof Powis said: Thats what we are aiming for. That is what we want to ramp up to, but remember this is a new virus and were starting from scratch. The kits which are required to do this testing are being manufactured as we speak. We are getting those into the country, we are ramping it up. I am talking of hundreds of thousands of tests. All of this is ramping up and increasing as we speak but yes, you heard me correctly, we need to get to hundreds of thousands of tests a day, and we will do that over the course of the next few weeks and we will be making tests available to NHS staff within the next few days. Prof Powis also told BBC Breakfast there have been outbreaks of altruism and people wanting to help, adding he has been bowled over by medics returning to the front line and the response from people signing up to help those in need. On Wednesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock called for 250,000 people to sign up as volunteers. Prof Powis said: Overnight 170,000 people have signed up thats three a minute to help the NHS. Its an absolutely astonishing response. But the top medic said people must play their part by adhering to the instructions laid down by the Prime Minister. When I see groups of 20 having a BBQ, frankly this putting pressure on our NHS, it is potentially costing lives and it means we need more ventilators, he said. That just has to stop, that behaviour has to stop. You are putting untold pressure on the NHS by that behaviour. Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged the Government to help to reduce demand for public transport in London. He said: It remains the case that too many of the people using TfL services at the busiest times work in construction. I repeat my call on the Government to ban non-safety construction work during this period, as TfL did yesterday. Some 500 British Transport Police officers were due on the rail network on Wednesday to remind passengers that only those making essential journeys for work should be using the Tube and trains. In India, some 1.3 billion people have been ordered to stay at home from Wednesday as part of the worlds biggest lockdown. The Australian government has also imposed strict domestic and international travel bans, while New Zealand has declared a state of emergency and is preparing to go into lockdown for a month. Meanwhile, the Chinese government is lifting the tight coronavirus lockdown in Hubei province, where the outbreak first originated. In the UK, the chairman of the Doctors Association UK, Dr Rinesh Parmar, has warned that medics will be forced to leave the profession over a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) available to safely treat patients during the pandemic. And some 50 staff were reportedly off sick at a hospital in Essex. This morning, I chaired the first ever video conference Cabinet meeting. We must all do our bit to stop the spread of coronavirus, protect our NHS and save lives. #StayHomeSaveLives https://t.co/Eew4i0Wr5q pic.twitter.com/LkWYYnMXnq Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 24, 2020 On Tuesday, Mr Hancock announced that an exhibition centre in London will be converted into a new NHS hospital. He confirmed that a temporary hospital the NHS Nightingale hospital would be opening at Londons ExCeL centre, with 4,000 beds spread across two wards. On Tuesday, it was revealed that the number of coronavirus dead in the UK had reached 422 up from 335 the day before and the largest day-on-day increase in the number of deaths since the outbreak began. Northern Ireland later said there had been a further two deaths in the region. Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, told Newsnight on Tuesday: This decision about allowing non-essential work appears to be taken for economic reasons when actually when youre in the middle of a global pandemic health reasons alone really should be guiding all decision making. The Government is also under intense pressure to set out a financial support package for self-employed workers measures senior Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith said were soon to be announced. New coronavirus cases in the UK (PA Graphics) I believe the Government has reached a conclusion about that, the best way to do it is to look back over the average for the year but that does leave out some who havent been self-employed for over a year, he told Newsnight. Elsewhere, Mr Hancock said 11,788 recently retired NHS staff had responded to the call to return to the service, including 2,660 doctors, more than 2,500 pharmacists and other staff and 6,147 nurses. Some 5,500 final-year medics and 18,700 final-year student nurses will also move to the front line next week. In other developments, a British patient became the first person to die with Covid-19 in Cape Verde. [March 25, 2020] Oklahoma Software Companies Create Free Solution to Assist Displaced Workers TULSA, Okla., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- While forced business closures cause hundreds of thousands of layoffs in the restaurant industry, two Oklahoma-based work tech software companies are collaborating to help workers get re-employed, in new industries. This new service will provide a free Job-Fit assessment and a Me in 3 video profile account to all displaced workers. The assessment will help displaced workers see what other types of jobs they could be a good fit for and it provides them with a specific job fit report for up to 70 different jobs. They'll also be able to create a Me in 3 profile including a video, summary of skills and uploaded resume. The free package would allow them to market themselves to employers in other industries by: Demonstrating they are a good fit for new positions and industries and Showcasing their soft skills and personality fit using the 3-minute video profile. Brett Williams, Me in 3's president said, "Before this worldwide pandemic started, Me in 3 already had a great video-based solution for allowing job seekers to stand out and be seen and heard. Now we are giving our solution away so that people that have recently lost their job can tell their story and introduce themselves to potential employerseven if it is in a new industry." As an example, this link shows a Me in 3 profil of a bartender in Portland, OR who was applying for a software sales position: http://bit.ly/LFMein3. She got an interview for the job and the hiring manager assured her that she would not have gotten the interview without the ability to "tell her story." Hiring organizations and job seekers can sign up for a free account at www.mein3.com "While the restaurant industry has been heavily impacted by the pandemic, many other industries and companies are hiring at record rates. Our two companies want to help workers transition to where the work is," said Chris Wright PhD, president of Reliant. Me in 3 is a video-based Software as a Service platform designed to link Job Seekers and Job Creators. It allows job seekers to create a profile that includes a short video where they can tell their story and show their soft (people) skills. It allows hiring managers to review profiles in order to quickly find candidates to interview. www.mein3.com Reliant is a Talent Management software and technology company offering tools and solutions that help employers attract, develop and retain a talented workforce. https://reliantlive.com/ Media Contact: Brett Williams [email protected] 918-808-5769 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oklahoma-software-companies-create-free-solution-to-assist-displaced-workers-301029207.html SOURCE Me in 3 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 20:27:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHANGHAI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese experts have called for concerted efforts from G20 members in the fight against the novel coronavirus which has been rapidly spreading worldwide and is hurting the global economy. Zhang Haibing, a researcher with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, suggested the establishment of G20 ministerial-level health dialogue with designated task forces to jointly tackle the challenge. "As a major platform for global coordination of economic affairs, G20 should play an active role similar to that during the 2008 financial crisis," Zhang told Xinhua on Wednesday. Consensus needs to be established in such fields as joint financial stimulus plans, securing the supply chains related to epidemic prevention, and helping developing countries and vulnerable groups, Zhang added. Saudi Arabia, the G20 Presidency in 2020, proposed a video G20 summit to discuss the pandemic. Zhang said the G20 should promote dialogues and exchanges in international health cooperation, make good use of the G20 peripheral dialogue platform, and enhance mutual understanding and assistance among countries through the Business 20, Women 20, Youth 20 and other platforms. "The pandemic should be a new opportunity to strengthen cooperation among countries, instead of a weapon against economic globalization," she said. "As an important mechanism for global governance, the G20 should resolve differences and make united commitments," said Tang Bei, an associate researcher at Shanghai International Studies University, adding that the novel coronavirus pandemic is a global challenge. Tang said the G20 members should come up with a health action plan during the summit and make commitments to and arrangements for a global response to the pandemic. T hieves were caught on CCTV burgling a pub in Tottenham on the first morning of the lockdown. The gang of four broke into True Craft just before 7am yesterday and made off with about 500, iPads and spirits. A Deliveroo tablet that the pubs owners David and John Lewis depended upon for craft beer and takeaway orders was among the haul. David, 38, said: The burglars got away with our only lifeline to survive as a small business. It comes as pubs across the UK shut their doors on Friday after being ordered to close by Boris Johnson. Announcing ramped up measures in the fight against coronavirus, the Prime Minister said pubs, bars, nightclubs and restaurants must shut. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Faro Uccello has seen first-hand the challenges facing the restaurant industry with all dine-in services in Michigan temporarily closed in an effort to reduce the spread of coronavirus COVID-19. The owner of the six Uccellos Ristorante locations in West Michigan wanted to do his part to help restaurant workers and community members this week by giving away free meals. In a little more than three hours Monday, March 23, the Uccellos at 2630 E. Beltline Ave. SE handed out free food to community members in 320 vehicles. So far its been overwhelmingly fantastic, said Kelsey Neuberger, marketing manager for Uccellos Hospitality Group. And Uccellos plans to do it again from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Friday, March 26, in what theyre calling the Heart of Hospitality event. Faro is the heart of our family here and we have a big family of more than 600 team members, Neuberger said. He wanted to extend a helping hand to those in the community experiencing hardship very suddenly. The restaurant is offering pepperoni pizza, cheese pizza, pasta with tomato sauce or cheesy breadsticks. Its also offering a free 2 liter of Coke, donated by Coca-Cola, while supplies last. If you or someone you know is experiencing unexpected hardship as a result of COVID-19, were here to help with meals this week! reads a post on the restaurants Facebook page. Vehicles can enter the parking lot around 2 p.m. and follow the line of cones up to the drive-thru window at the restaurant to place and receive their order. In order to follow the six feet of separation recommendation by health officials, Faro Uccello created a ramp and tong contraption to slide the food from the restaurant window to the vehicle. Were asking participants to still use best practices, like hand washing/hand sanitizing before and after attending, as well as refraining from coming to the event site if they are symptomatic, the restaurant staff wrote on their Facebook page. Participants are also asked to limit their visit to once per day, to allow us to reach as many people as possible. All dine-in services across the state have been ordered closed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer since Monday, March 16, in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus, which had sickened at least 1,791 Michigan residents as of Tuesday, March 24. The governors order is in affect until at least April 13. In the interim, all six of Uccellos locations, plus the two Herb & Fire Pizzeria locations, are offering take-out -- including curbside pick-up upon request -- and a new delivery service, free of charge. Neuberger said Uccellos eateries are rolling with the punches and utilizing as much of its collective staff as possible with its dining rooms closed. The restaurants are also using a GoFundMe campaign as a means to receive community support for their workers while the governors restrictions remain in place. Uccellos has locations in Grand Rapids, Grandville, Standale, Caledonia and Rockford. Herb & Fire, which is owned by Uccellos Hospitality Group, has locations in Grand Rapids and Grandville. Read more on MLive: GVSU to provide space for hospital overflow if needed All Michigan residents, most businesses ordered to stay home to slow spread of coronavirus Almost 109,000 in Michigan filed for unemployment last week compared to 5,000 in typical week Tuesday, March 24: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan DECATUR Macon County community members are uniting for a cause: to get medical workers masks during a national shortage. The coronavirus pandemic has created a personal protective equipment shortage, leaving hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities pleading for more supplies. In Macon County, community members are stepping up to get local healthcare workers the supplies they need. Jana Wrigley, owner of Stewarts Sewing Machine Inc. in Mount Zion, has rallied more than 20 people to create masks. Since uploading a video on social media late last week, Wrigley has received numerous requests from hospitals and nursing homes for help. Her network of volunteers made 200 masks over the weekend, which were delivered to HSHS St. Marys Hospital in Decatur. This is about doing what we can and lending a helping hand, Wrigley said. I just thought to myself, I can do this, so I should and we got started right away. The efforts mirror those in other countries, including Spain, where mask-making volunteers include a group of nuns and members of the Spanish Air Force. Around 500 masks a day are coming off sewing machines at the Paratroop School in Murcia, in the countrys southeast, according to the Air Forces Twitter account. Federal officials had previously advised hospital workers to use surgical masks when treating patients who might be infected with coronavirus amid reports of dwindling supplies of fitted and more protective N95 respirator masks. Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance, saying hospitals that run low on surgical masks should consider ways to reuse them or to use them through an entire shift. And if hospitals run out, the CDC said, scarfs or bandanas could be used as a last resort, though some health officials warned cloth masks might not work. Crafts chain Joann Stores is making all of its 800-plus stores available for up to 10 people at each location to sew masks and hospital gowns, offering sewing machines and supplies, spokeswoman Amanda Hayes said. Wrigleys shop, 415 Illinois 121, is among many businesses across the state that must remain closed under Gov. J.B. Pritkzers stay at home order. Wrigley keeps a cooler for volunteers to pick up supplies and drop off their finished masks, which can later be sterilized. Carol Kussart, from Cerro Gordo, dropped off over 30 masks Tuesday morning. Kussart is a retired third grade teacher and said helping the community is a priority. When there is a need, we will do this, Kussart said. Pritzker during a press conference Monday said the state asked the federal government for crucial supplies, which included masks, gowns, gloves and other equipment. He said the state had commissioned its own orders, including 2.5 million N95 medical masks that are needed to protect medical personnel from the spread of the virus. State health officials during a press conference Tuesday announced 250 new cases of the virus, bringing the total to 1,535 across 32 counties. Medical agencies in Decatur and surrounding areas will host a donation drive from 1 to 3 p.m. each Thursday starting on March 26 at the Decatur Civic Center. Tracy Withrow, a spokeswoman for Richland Community College, said community member Jesse Blunt also is working with the school and Economic Development Corp. of Decatur and Macon County to create a 3D printed prototype for an N95 mask. Blunt was not immediately available to comment for this story. Volunteers at Tabernacle Baptist Church have also joined the effort and they are using donated fabric and other materials to make masks. The Rev. Carlton Binkley, senior pastor, said volunteers started making the masks Tuesday after a hospital reached out for help. Binkley said they plan to make "several hundred masks" for healthcare workers. Brenda Bailey, a volunteer, spearheaded the effort and gathered people she knew that like to sew. They have set up shop in the churchs gymnasium with cutting and sewing stations. A bunch of us brought in our sewing machines and just got right to work, Bailey said. We measured out the tables too to make sure we are still practicing good social distancing and we only have a small group of us here at a time. Bailey said some of the volunteers are teachers and have welcomed the project as a chance to help their community while they cant be in school. We just want to help in any way we can and this is a fun way to do it, Bailey said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. YOUR GUIDE TO COVID-19 Contact Analisa Trofimuk at (217) 421-7985. Follow her on Twitter: @AnalisaTro The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has started distributing food kits to daily wage workers in the city to help them during the 21-day lockdown period imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The kit contains five kg of rice, one kg of toor dal, half a litre of cooking oil, 500 grams of salt and one kg each of onion and potato, an RSS functionary said. "Swayamsevaks have initiated the process to identify such deserving families at various slums and other such areas of Bengaluru, the functionary said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [March 25, 2020] Kagoshima City Adds Foreign Language Subtitles to Music Video "Magma City Kagoshima: Life in City with Active Volcano" KAGOSHIMA, Japan, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kagoshima City now presents a music video in several foreign languages for overseas viewers to commemorate the City's 130th anniversary. The music video has been released on YouTube to promote the City's new theme song "Kagoshima into the Future", and attractions of the City. YouTube URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX2rzPTonD8 *English/Chinese (traditional & simplified)/Korean/Thai/Vietnamese subtitles are available. (Photo1: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100580/202003198267/_prw_PI1lg_It8j4Qk0.png) (Photo2: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100580/202003198267/prw_PI2fl_QMH0hj1V.png) Kagoshima City's theme song, "Kagoshima into the Future" This song, released in November 2019, portrays some of the great points that showcase Kagoshima City starting with the symbols of Kagoshima, the active volcano Sakurajima and the scenic and tranquil Kinko Bay. It conveys the abundant nature of the City, the strength that spurred the modernization of Japan, and the splendor the City offers to international tourists. The music video shows the City's beautiful sceneries, starting with Sakurajima volcano, and highlights many attractions of the City. Composer & Arranger: Ryo Yoshimata (born in Kagoshima City): https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202003198267-O3-UJJQ0XKx An introduction to Kagoshima City Kagoshima City is located at the southern end of Kyushu Island in Japan. It is a unique place where approximately 600,000 people are living with the active volcano Sakurajima, which towers above the downtown area across Kagoshima Bay (Kinko Bay). The City is called "the Naples of the Orient" as the volcano view from the City resembles that of its sister city Naples, Italy. (Image: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100580/202003198267/_prw_PI4lg_vxhPg8ww.jpg) Emblem and Statement of Kagoshima City: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100580/202003198267/_prw_PI5fl_bExjDwf6.jpg SOURCE Kagoshima City By Sam Wang, Sebastian Seung and Shirley Tilghman Like all New Jerseyans, on March 21 we came under a lockdown order issued by Gov. Phil Murphy. As biomedical scientists and experts on public health and epidemiology, we appreciate the importance for all communities to follow his directive. Full compliance will slow the growing death rate -- but this will take at least a month and a half. That will give the government and researchers time to take the next steps to control the epidemic. The lockdown will save lives. If we dont control the epidemic, sick people will overwhelm our hospitals, leaving thousands to die. This is already happening in Italy. The dead will include the young, the old, and the medically vulnerable. It will include our heroic doctors and nurses who are tying bandannas over their faces instead of the masks they desperately need. At the peak of an uncontrolled epidemic, based on one model, the number of dead in New Jersey alone could exceed 50,000 unless we act now, and decisively. Disturbing video scenes of patients collapsed in the hallway of a Spanish hospital, gasping for breath, may seem distant. New Jersey, however, is only weeks away from that nightmare scenario. Our hospitals are already struggling to handle the jump in coronavirus patients. If New Jersey residents are half-hearted in their compliance, we will incur a huge human and economic cost. The goal of Governor Murphys directive is simple: dont give the virus a path from one infected person to a new target. Unfortunately, most new infections come from people who dont have symptoms yet. How can we prevent transfer? We can wash hands frequently, clean surfaces that multiple hands have touched, and keep apart from one another (6 feet or more according to the Centers for Disease Control). And now, we must isolate ourselves in our homes except for necessities such as food and medical care. Eventually, such social distancing will slow the rate of new infections. On average, from the moment of infection, it takes about five days until the first symptom. From the moment of Governor Murphys order, the rate of new symptomatic cases should start declining about 5 days later -- nearly a week. Even so, you should expect to see news reports of more coronavirus cases in New Jersey. Why? One big reason is that identifying most infectious cases requires testing. Despite what you may have heard, the capacity for testing is still limited. In New Jersey, barely 1,000 tests can now be done per day. Capacity is rapidly growing, which will increase the number of diagnosed cases. Paradoxically, steep increases are partially good news because they mean health officials can track the disease more effectively. Testing also allows frontline responders -- doctors, nurses, and other caregivers -- to be monitored for infection in its earliest stages. This protects both them and the people they care for. The highest priority at the moment is to increase the extremely scarce supply of masks, gloves and gowns for our medical teams. New Jerseys great industrial capacity should be converted to meet that goal. The only way to get past the lockdown phase is to massively expand testing to a seemingly healthy population. Many people will not self-quarantine without a positive test result. Senator Rand Paul continued to lunch with his colleagues and use the Senate gym and pool until a few hours before his test came back positive. Testing can identify seemingly healthy people who have come into contact with known infected people. Such contact tracing was a key part of the successful containment strategy in China, South Korea, and other countries; they and their economies are now recovering. The less effectively we contain, the slower our recovery will be. A lockdown can prevent the worst-case scenario in which nearly all of us catch the virus before a vaccine becomes available. We can also slow down the epidemic so hospitals can handle the surge of patients. Together, lockdown and tracing have the potential to reduce the transmission rate to near zero, as South Korea did. If these measures do not control the outbreak, we may have to consider what China did, house infected people in central quarantine facilities. With time, more treatments will become available. Pharmaceutical companies are now testing drugs that may block the progress of disease in the sickest patients. Another option is the inoculation of healthy people with antisera purified from the blood of recovered patients. Antisera are a simple technology, but they have the advantage of being available faster than vaccines. A trial of antisera therapy is underway in multiple states, including New York. Governor Murphy may want to expand the trial for New Jerseyans. Recovered patients with antibodies against the virus in their blood are also likely to be resistant to becoming infected again and be safe to return to work - in factories, offices, and hospitals. Identifying these individuals, via simple blood tests, is a major priority for New Jersey and nationwide. In the coming weeks, it will be tempting to start cutting corners on sheltering. But we have to stay Jersey Strong. As challenging as it may become, we cant take our eyes off the prize: overcoming this pandemic together. This op-ed was signed by the following scientists: Martin J. Blaser, M.D. (Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School) Bryan T. Grenfell, D.Phil. (Princeton Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Woodrow Wilson School) Simon A. Levin, Ph.D. (Princeton Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) C. Jessica Metcalf, Ph.D. (Princeton Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) H. Sebastian Seung, Ph.D. (Princeton Neuroscience and Computer Science) Brian L. Strom, M.D., M.P.H. (Chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences) Shirley M. Tilghman, Ph.D. (Princeton President Emerita; Woodrow Wilson School) Olga G. Troyanskaya, Ph.D. (Princeton Institute for Integrative Genomics and Computer Science; Flatiron Institute of the Simons Foundation) P. Roy Vagelos, Ph.D. (Chairman, Regeneron) Samuel S.-H. Wang, Ph.D. (Princeton Neuroscience Institute) The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Contending that the Centre and the state government are working in tandem to contain the spread of Covid-19, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar on Wednesday appealed to everyone to keep aside political differences and put up a united fight against the pandemic. Dhankar said that Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has apprised him about the adequacy of COVID-19 testing laboratories and kits in West Bengal and hailed the central government for being "even-handed in such matters." The governor also said that Vardhan, in his letter, told him that four laboratories are currently functional in the state -- two in Kolkata, one in Midnapore and the other in Siliguri, North Bengal -- and around 2,500 testing kits have been made available. Apart from these four, the ICMR has given its permission to set up a Covid-19 laboratory at the School of Tropical Medicine in Kolkata, he said. "But the requisite reagents for conducting the tests could not be shipped yet due to difficulty in transportation of the same as a result of lockdown," the governor said, referring to the letter by the Union minister. Asserting that the West Bengal government and the Centre were putting in joint efforts to combat the pandemic, Dhankhar said, "I appeal to all to disable their political antennas for this crisis period and take respite from political mileage. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Donald Trump appeared to ratchet up tensions between the White House and state officials who have demanded federal support to combat the coronavirus by singling out New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over the state's rate of infections. During a Fox News town hall, Dr Deborah Birx suggested that New York's transmission rate is much higher than in other parts of the country because of density issues and more foreign travel, including people returning to the US who weren't screened before travel restrictions were in place. The president interrupted, saying: "Do you blame the governor for that?" Dr Birx ignored him. The president also suggested that Governor Cuomo whose state is facing a critical shortage of medical supplies should have purchased that equipment several years ago instead of relying on emergency federal relief. He said: "It's two-way street and [governors] need to treat us well also. They can't say, 'Oh gee, we should get this, we should get that.'" On Tuesday, the governor's growing frustration with the administration came to a head, as he warned that the state is two weeks away from the crisis overwhelming its resources. Governor Cuomo didn't mention the president by name but demanded that the federal government release a stockpile of 20,000 ventilators and invoke a war-time law to rush the manufacturing of medical supplies. Otherwise, thousands of New Yorkers will die. FEMA is sending 400 ventilators to New York, though it's far short of the thousands the state needs, the governor said. He said that if the White House doesn't send ventilators within weeks, "You pick the 26,000 people who are going to die." The governor said: "The president said it's a war ... then act like it ... They're doing the supplies? Here's my question: Where are they?" New York's rate of new infections is "doubling about every three days" with the total number of cases reaching 25,000 on Tuesday, he said. The state's initial estimates of 110,000 hospital beds has spiked to 140,000 beds, though the state has only 53,000 beds available. New York also needs an estimated 40,000 intensive care unit beds. He said: "Those are troubling and astronomical numbers ... The apex is higher than we thought and the apex is sooner than we thought. That is bad facts." NEW YORK, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- United Way of New York City (UWNYC) today announced the official launch of the COVID-19 Community Fund to assist our most vulnerable New Yorkers impacted by the global pandemic. The COVID-19 Community Fund will provide resources to our partner community-based organizations that work with communities who are disproportionately impacted by coronavirus and the economic consequences of the outbreak. To help support the Fund's initial kickoff, The New York Jets & the Johnson family and National Grid have made generous donations of $500,000 and $250,000 respectively. "United Way of New York City has always been committed to supporting our communities during our City's most critical moments," said Sheena Wright, President and CEO of United Way of New York City. "Through the COVID-19 Community Fund, we are going to provide a backbone of support to our 600 community-based organization partners who are managing this crisis throughout our great City." Over its 80-year history, UWNYC has established and administered several funds to support our City during times of crisis, including the 9/11 Fund and the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. As numerous nonprofits around New York City face significant financial disruption due to COVID-19, the Fund will ensure that those stressed by the crisis have the resources they need to assist their communities. "The United Way continues to improve lives around the world, and we need community-based organizations more than ever at this moment," said Jets CEO Christopher Johnson. "Everyone has been impacted by this invisible enemy, and the United Way is meeting it head-on at home, helping those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the economic consequences of the outbreak." "In this time of unprecedented crisis, United Way is once again stepping up to support our community," said John Bruckner, National Grid's New York President. "We recognize this is a rapidly changing situation and want to do our part for our customers and the communities where we live and serve." United Way of New York City's network of community partners will provide direct services through UWNYC's ReadNYC, FeedNYC and StrengthenNYC programs, which includes connecting food insecure New Yorkers to emergency food providers through the Plentiful App, ensuring that emergency food providers have sufficient food for clients, as well as food needed for low-income schoolchildren who cannot access available free food programs; supporting remote learning for students and their families with critical resources like books, laptops and tablets, including digital tools such as iRead; and providing the supplies needed for extra safety like masks, gloves and bags. Individuals, businesses or community groups interested in supporting New Yorkers in need can contribute to the Fund directly at https://donate.unitedwaynyc.org/page/contribute/covid19-appeal. For more information on the fund, visit https://unitedwaynyc.org/covid19/. Media inquiries for United Way of New York City can be made by contacting Kieren Joseph Weisert at [email protected] or at (606) 304-9278. About United Way of New York City United Way of New York City (UWNYC) works for the self-sufficiency of every low-income New Yorker by taking on the toughest challenges and creating new solutions to old problems. We win by helping families shift from barely surviving to thriving. We unite by mobilizing the best ideas, relevant data, internal and external experts, and resourcesfrom money to manpower. UWNYC maximizes impact by coordinating and aligning organizations, companies, local government, and New Yorkers to help families eliminate tough choices and live better while making ends meet. To learn more, visit: www.unitedwaynyc.org. Media Contact: Kieren Joseph Weisert The TASC Group Phone: 606-304-9278 [email protected] SOURCE United Way of New York City Related Links http://www.unitedwaynyc.org A pensioner found dead in a holiday park pond today is believed to have tested positive for coronavirus. The 72-year-old, named locally as Colin, is understood to have drowned himself at Three Ponds Holiday Park in South Heighton, East Sussex, having received the diagnosis. His death comes just hours after the body of another man, also believed to have contracted Covid-19, was found lying face-down in the River Thames in Surrey last night. Colin had travelled to the park, near Newhaven, a month ago, locals said today, with members of his immediately family believed to have also tested positive for the virus. The body was found this morning at Three Ponds Holiday Park in South Heighton, East Sussex, pictured Emergency crews were scrambled to the scene after the body was found floating in the King Fisher pond at around breakfast time this morning. Manager of the park, Max said: 'There was some police activity around the King Fisher Pond this morning. I was there - not exactly when it happened - but I was there dealing with everything. 'The holiday park is completely owner-occupied so you have to have proof of residency elsewhere. You have to have a permanent address to buy a caravan and then they can come and go to their holiday caravan as they please. 'The elderly man was holidaying at the time. His name was Colin and I would imagine he was around 70. He wasn't with his family, he came down at the beginning of the month and he was on his own.' Owners of the park, David and Joanne Barlow said: 'It happened very quickly so we are just getting things together.' In a prepared statement the Three Ponds Holiday Park said: 'The holiday park is giving full assistance to the police and investigating authorities following the discovery this morning of a body of a holiday home owner. 'We have all been greatly saddened by the incident and now extend our deepest sympathies to the gentleman's family and friends.' A spokesman for Sussex Police said this afternoon: 'About 7.08am today, police received a report of a man's body in a lake at Three Ponds Holiday Park in South Heighton, Newhaven. 'There are no suspicious circumstances and the coroner's officer has been informed.' A source said that among theories being considered was that the man's death could have been a tragic accident, although the Sussex Coroner would ultimately decide given the evidence and background of the pensioner's death. His full name has been withheld by police until an inquest has been opened and adjourned. Meanwhile, Surrey Police said the man found floating in the River Thames in Staines last night was a 62-year-old who was spotted on the wrong side of the bridge in the middle of the town before he was seen in the water. The man was recovered almost four miles further downstream from the point where it was thought he entered the water, police said. A spokesman for Surrey Police said: 'We were called following reports that a man had been seen on the wrong side of the bridge over the River Thames in Staines-upon-Thames around 7pm. 'Police attended, along with colleagues from the fire and ambulance services. A short time later, the body of a man was recovered from the river near Chertsey. 'Unfortunately, despite best efforts, a 62-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. Our inquiries remain ongoing to establish the circumstances of the incident. 'His next of kin are aware.' Police refused to comment on suggestions his death was related to Covid-19. South East Coast Ambulance Service has been approached for more details of the death in East Sussex. New Delhi, March 25 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, addressing the people of his constituency Varanasi, compared the fight against coronavirus to the battle of Kurukshetra in the Mahabharata. He said the war inMahabharata lasted for 18 days but the fight against COVID-19 will go on for 21 days. Lord Krishna played an important role during Mahabharata but today the country will win the battle against coronavirus with the help of 130 crore warriors and people of Kashi will have to play a crucial role in this, he said. In his first address after announcing the nationwide lockdown, he said: "Kashi... is a mine of knowledge. Sins are destroyed here. In this hour of crisis, Kashi can present an example in front of everyone. During the lockdown, Kashi can teach the country about restraint, coordination, sensitivity, cooperation, tolerance..." Assuring preparations on a warfooting to fight Covid-19, Modi reiterated that the best way to fight the deadly virus is through social distancing, "therefore, stay at home and be safe". A conference centered on the promotion of the construction of a high-quality manufacturing development pilot zone was held in Lishui district of Nanjing in eastern Chinas Jiangsu province on March 24. Scene of the conference on promoting the construction of a high-quality manufacturing development pilot zone in Lishui District of Nanjing in eastern Chinas Jiangsu province. Photo/People's Daily Online) At the conference, Lishui took the lead in releasing the first high-quality regional development goal and roadmap for the manufacturing industry, aiming to build a demonstration model of high-quality development pertaining to the manufacturing industry in the city, the province and even the country. It supports the idea of turning the district into a new influential industrial innovation highland supported by a cluster of foreign-funded enterprises in China. Government officials and representatives from universities, research institutes, new R&D institutions, enterprises, as well as heads and business representatives of overseas liaison offices in Nanjing all attended the meeting. Lishui is a high-quality manufacturing development highland in south Nanjing, the region with the highest investment value in the Yangtze River Delta, and an influential economic hub in China, ranking 18th among Chinas top 100 regions in terms of green development level. In 2019, it was approved as the only high-quality manufacturing development pilot zone in Nanjing and is now speeding up to form a three-pillar development pattern, including the Nanjing Economic and Technological Development Zone and Jiangning Development Zone. On March 19, Zhang Jinghua, secretary of the Nanjing Municipal Committee of the Community Party of China (CPC), delivered instructions on the districts development. As an important growth pole in south Nanjing, Lishui has achieved progress in all its work, especially in its manufacturing industry, which has been developing both quantitatively and qualitatively; it will have strong momentum moving forward, Zhang said. Zhang hoped that the district would seize the opportunity to build a high-quality development pilot zone for the manufacturing industry. And by doing it could comprehensively optimize systems, mechanisms, and policies, while also creating more Lishui manufacturing models. These models could even be replicated in other regions. Moreover, the initiative aims to move fast with the project and be transformed into a pacesetter of regional high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. Xue Fengguan, secretary of the CPC Lishui District Committee, said at the conference that Lishui will strive to create 15 demonstration models by focusing on green and intensive development, industrial clusters, technology and openness, so as to develop the manufacturing industry further and make the pilot zone known internationally. Xue noted the district would strive to lead the province in promoting the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry in three years, and turn it into a new influential industrial innovation highland supported by a cluster of foreign-funded enterprises in China in five years. Lishui is determined to be one of Chinas top 20 districts in terms of comprehensive strength in 10 years, and will be able to set a good example in developing high-quality manufacturing industry across the country, the secretary added. The district is expected to realize a GDP of over 100 billion yuan, generate revenue in the general public budget of 10 billion yuan, and make each of the three leading industries generate an output value of 100 billion yuan in two to three years, Xue said, adding that it will also double the number of large industrial companies, high-tech enterprises, and foreign-funded manufacturing enterprises by 2023 to achieve these aims. He also noted that Lishui will take the lead in major projects, investment attraction, and business environment in the province. The pilot zone shows the heavy responsibility of Lishui and the great vision of Nanjing. The city has issued 21 measures to support the district in building national and provincial pilot zones this year. With reference to the operations of national development zones, the city will delegate enough approval authority to the district, streamline approval procedures and integrate various certificates into one document for land use planning, reform the credit commitment system on a trial basis, expand the range of regional assessment, establish a separate evaluation system of industrial enterprises, and give priority to land use planning index. To stimulate more vitality, Nanjing will also support Lishui in launching innovative trials with the pilot free trade zone in the pilot zone and introduce major exhibition activities for the pilot zone. Meanwhile, the district will roll out special policies, including granting an award of no more than 340 million yuan to major projects, coordinated development of industries, enterprises green development, innovation, digital transformation, scale expansion and other aspects. Zhang Yun, mayor of Lishui district, said that favorable policies for the pilot zone, mainly reflected in flexible mechanisms, bountiful resources, and continued reform, will enable the pilot zone to move forward more steadily and farther. Han Liming, deputy secretary of the CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee and the citys mayor, fully affirmed the development achievements of the manufacturing industry in Lishui, saying that the sector shows a sound momentum and great potential. Han hoped that the district would spare no effort to make breakthroughs in size of the manufacturing industry, as well as its extensive, intelligent, integrated and green development. The construction of the pilot zone is aimed at empowering the manufacturing development sector in Lishui, and exploring a path for the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry in Nanjing, Han said, adding that the district should step up efforts to accumulate experience and set models related to institutional innovation, enterprise cultivation, open cooperation and business. Thirteen projects with a total investment of 6.5 billion yuan were contracted to settle in Lishui District of Nanjing in eastern Chinas Jiangsu province. Photo/People's Daily Online) Nanjing will spare no effort to back up the high-quality development of Lishuis manufacturing industry, Han noted. According to the mayor, the city will establish a city-level coordination mechanism to attract pilot policies and projects of the manufacturing sector and help solve problems related to the implementation of policies and advancing projects. Nanjing will support reform and innovation in Lishui to delegate comprehensive approval authority to Lishui Economic Development Zone and support the district in deepening the reform of administrative examination and approval system to release more reform dividends, Han said. The city will guarantee support factors, incorporate major manufacturing projects in the district into major provincial and municipal industrial projects, and accelerate the establishment of various industrial funds, Han noted, adding that the district is encouraged to hold influential exhibitions pertaining to leading industries to create sound atmosphere for the development of the manufacturing sector. At the meeting, Weng Guojiu, secretary-general of the Nanjing municipal government, read out the instructions of main leaders from the municipal party committee and the approval of the pilot zone schemes. Lishui introduced 10 measures to support entrepreneurs and 10 policies favorable for the high-quality development of the manufacturing sector in the district. Thirteen projects with a total investment of 6.5 billion yuan were contracted to settle in the district. Six enterprises were granted with the award of 7.9 million yuan for high-quality development. At the same time, 10 people won the 2019 Top 10 outstanding entrepreneur award for their great contributions, and 10 enterprises won the award for paying over 100 million yuan in tax. Besides, the advanced manufacturing industry base for Nanjing new R&D institutions has officially been put into operation. By virtue of the international presence of Peoples Daily Online, the conference was broadcast live in both Chinese and English and promoted in many countries. The former coalfield of Geiseltal in Saxony-Anhalt has yielded large numbers of exceptionally preserved fossil animals, giving palaeontologists a unique window into the evolution of mammals 47 million years ago. A team led by the University of Tubingen and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) has shown that the body size of two species of mammals developed in opposite directions. The study was published in "Scientific Reports." 47 million years ago -- the middle Eocene -- the Earth was much warmer and the area of Geiseltal was a swampy subtropical forest whose inhabitants included ancestors of the horse, ancient tapirs, large terrestrial crocodiles, as well as giant tortoises, lizards and ground-dwelling birds. So rich are the Geiseltal finds that they give researchers an unprecedented high-resolution picture of evolutionary dynamics at the population level. A team led by Dr Marton Rabi from the University of Tubingen and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) has shown that the body size of two species of mammals developed in opposite directions. The study, published in Scientific Reports, was carried out with Simon Ring and Professor Herve Bocherens at the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment and the University of Tubingen in cooperation with Dr Oliver Wings from the MLU. "We were initially interested in the evolution of the ancient horses, which were about the size of a Labrador dog. These animals are particularly abundant in the Geiseltal fossil record," Rabi says. Researchers initially believed they had several species of early horse. "However, we found that here, there was only one species, whose body size shrank significantly with time," Rabi explains. The team wanted to test whether this body size shift was climate-induced, since past global warming caused body-size reduction in ancient mammals. Carbon and oxygen isotope studies on fossil teeth provided the scientists with information about the local middle Eocene climate. "They indicate a humid tropical climate. However, we didn't find any evidence for climatic changes in Geiseltal over the period investigated," says Bocherens. To further test the data, the team sought to discover whether the dwarfing process was unique to the horses. For comparison, they examined the evolution of the tapir ancestor called Lophiodon. "We had reason to question the Geiseltal's constant-climate data; so we expected that other mammals would show the same body-size trends as the horses," Simon Ring explains. In a surprising result, the tapirs -- also a single species -- revealed the opposite trend. They grew larger instead of shrinking. While the ancestors of the horse shrank from an average body weight of 39 kilograms to around 26 kilograms over about a million years, the tapirs increased from 124 kilograms to an average body weight of 223 kilograms. Differing survival strategies "All the data indicate that the body size of the horses and tapirs developed differently not because of the climate, but because of different life cycles," explains Bocherens. Small animals reproduce faster and die younger: Relative to their size, they don't have to eat as much to maintain their body mass and can devote more resources to having young. Larger animals live longer and have lower reproduction rates. They have to eat more and therefore have fewer resources for reproduction -- but, being large, face fewer predators and can range further to get better food. That extends their lives and gives them more time to breed. The Geiseltal tapirs and the horses therefore likely maximized the different advantages of their respective life cycle strategies, which caused divergent body size evolution. Exceptional fossil deposits The Geiseltal fossil site is located in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. In the course of open-cast brown coal mining between 1933 and 1993, tens of thousands of fossil specimens of more than one hundred species were discovered there. Many were the ancestors of modern vertebrates. "The Geiseltal is as important a fossil site as the Messel Pit near Darmstadt, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site," says Dr. Rabi. "But because the Geiseltal collection was hardly accessible during East German times, it kind of went off the radar." As the country has been put under complete lockdown for 21 days, several migrants who had come to the capital for job have now been left jobless and with no hope of returning back to their homes any time soon. Bhuran Rai, a migrant worker from Bihar, told ANI."For the past 3 days, I have been attempting to go back home. I am now left with no money and have no place to sleep. I need help." Another migrant worker, Resham from Nepal, said: "I was working in a hotel but since the lockdown, the hotel has been shut down and my employer sent me away without any salary. Now I am left with no money, no food and no place to stay." "I need help as I want to go back home but there is no bus service available," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Troops and their families will be ordered to stop all travel and movement overseas as the Pentagon takes more bold steps to stop the continued spread of novel coronavirus cases in the military, Reuters reported Wednesday. Defense Secretary Mark Esper told the wire service that he has issued a stop-movement order that will require service members and their families across the globe to remain where they are for at least two months. "The purpose is to make sure that we're not bringing the virus back home, infecting others -- that we're not spreading it around the military," Esper told Reuters. Confirmed COVID-19 cases among uniformed personnel jumped to 227 as of Wednesday, up 53 from the day prior. At least a dozen of those service members have been hospitalized as a result of the virus, which is considered a global pandemic and national emergency in the U.S. Related: Defense Department Orders 60-Day Troop Travel Ban for Virus-Afflicted Countries Defense Department officials did not immediately respond to questions about the new order, including what, if any, exceptions might be made for military families. Esper indicated to Reuters there would be some exceptions to the policy. One exception, he said, would be for U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. The U.S. is currently planning a drawdown of forces there, and the defense secretary said that will continue. The stop-movement order follows a 60-day ban issued March 11 on non-mission essential international travel to, from and through locations designated as Level 3 countries by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicating widespread ongoing transmission of the virus. That list of countries now includes China, Iran, most of Europe, Canada, Brazil, Japan and Israel, among others. Following that, a sweeping ban was announced earlier this month on travel inside the U.S. and its territories. That order, which was enacted days after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the coronavirus, temporarily halted all official travel for troops, their family members and Defense Department civilians. The domestic-travel order runs through at least May 11. It limits troops to taking leave only in their local areas and halted permanent change-of-station moves and other temporary duties not considered essential. Esper also on Wednesday ordered all DoD bases and installations to raise their health-protection measures to fight the coronavirus. Health protection condition, or HPCON, levels are now set to Charlie, which is the second-highest level and considered substantial. At HPCON Charlie, in-person meetings and gatherings should be limited or canceled and sheltering in place indoors is encouraged. "Our curve is not flattening, and that's why we went to HPCON Charlie today," Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul Friedrichs, the Joint Staff surgeon, told reporters. Several units operating overseas have already been extended. The Marine Corps' Europe-based crisis response force, which includes more than 2,000 personnel, has had its return to the U.S. delayed by the coronavirus, Marine Corps Times reported. Marines who were operating in Norway have also been ordered to remain there, according to the paper. This story is developing and will be updated. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Read More: The Latest on the Military's COVID-19 Response The Order of Malta Ambulance Corps (Order of Malta) volunteers will support to the Health Service Executive (HSE) as the health crisis caused by COVID-19 continues to develop. Following a call for support made by the HSE, the Order of Malta is now beginning to mobilise volunteers and equipment to assist in providing healthcare services to people across the country. Comdr. John Wright is National Director for the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps. While our top priority is the safety and health of our volunteers throughout this time, we are confident in the measures we have put in place to ensure our organisation is prepared and ready to provide assistance to the HSE in the form of personnel and other assets, including vehicles and equipment as needed. Our COVID-19 task-force is assessing the situation as it develops, and we are in regular communication with the HSE and other emergency bodies, he said The Order of Malta is one of the largest providers of first aid and voluntary ambulance services in Ireland and is listed as a Voluntary Emergency Services resource available to the HSE under the Framework for Major Emergency Management. There are Units of the Order of Malta in the following counties: Armagh, Carlow, Clare, Cork, Derry, Down, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Tyrone, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow. [March 25, 2020] UBS Elects Not to Exercise Its Acceleration Option for ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged US Small Cap High Dividend ETN Series B Due November 10, 2048 UBS Investment Bank today announced that, following the occurrence of an Indicative Value Optional Acceleration Trigger, as a result of the indicative value of the 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged US Small Cap High Dividend ETN Series B due November 10, 2048 (Ticker: SMHB) (the "Securities") falling below $2.00 on March 18, 2020, UBS elected not to exercise its Acceleration Option. As disclosed in more detail in the prospectus supplement relating to the Securities, upon the occurrence of an Indicative Value Optional Acceleration Trigger, UBS has the option (but is not required) to accelerate and redeem the Securities. UBS did not exercise the Acceleration Option and accordingly the Securities will remain outstanding in accordance with their terms. This announcement does not affect the terms of the Securities, including the right of noteholders to redeem their Securities on the terms and at the redemption price set forth in the prospectus supplement. For more information regarding the terms of the Securities, including a description of the Acceleration Option, the prospectus supplement for the Securities can be accessed on EDGAR, the SEC (News - Alert) website, at www.sec.gov, and the prospectus supplement is also available here. About ETRACS ETRACS ETNs are senior unsecured notes issued by UBS AG, are traded on NYSE Arca (News - Alert), and can be bought and sold through a broker or financial advisor. An investment in ETRACS ETNs is subject to a number of risks, including the risk of loss of some or all of the investor's principal, and is subject to the creditworthiness of UBS AG. Investors are not guaranteed any coupon or distribution amount under the ETNs. We urge you to read the more detailed explanation of risks descrbed under "Risk Factors" in the applicable prospectus supplement for the ETRACS ETN. UBS AG has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus and supplements thereto) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, for the offering of securities to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus, along with the applicable prospectus supplement to understand fully the terms of the securities and other considerations that are important in making a decision about investing in the ETRACS. The applicable offering documents for each ETRACS may be obtained by clicking on the links above. You may also get these documents without cost by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. The securities related to the offerings are not deposit liabilities and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency of the United States, Switzerland or any other jurisdiction. About UBS UBS provides financial advice and solutions to wealthy, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as private clients in Switzerland. UBS's strategy is centered on our leading global wealth management business and our premier universal bank in Switzerland, enhanced by Asset Management and the Investment Bank. The bank focuses on businesses that have a strong competitive position in their targeted markets, are capital efficient, and have an attractive long-term structural growth or profitability outlook. UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. It has offices in more than 50 regions and locations, with about 31% of its employees working in the Americas, 32% in Switzerland, 19% in the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 18% in Asia Pacific. UBS Group AG employs over 67,000 people around the world. Its shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). This material is issued by UBS AG and/or any of its subsidiaries and/or any of its affiliates ("UBS"). Products and services mentioned in this material may not be available for residents of certain jurisdictions. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Please consult the restrictions relating to the product or service in question for further information. Activities with respect to US securities are conducted through UBS Securities LLC, a US broker/dealer. Member of SIPC (http://www.sipc.org/). ETRACS ETNs are sold only in conjunction with the relevant offering materials. UBS has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus, as supplemented by the applicable prospectus supplement, for the offering of the ETRACS ETNs) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read these documents and any other documents that UBS has filed with the SEC for more complete information about UBS and the offering to which this communication relates. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, you can request the applicable prospectus supplement, by calling toll-free (+1-877-387 2275). In the US, securities underwriting, trading and brokerage activities and M&A advisor activities are provided by UBS Securities LLC, a registered broker/dealer that is a wholly owned subsidiary of UBS AG, a member of the New York Stock Exchange and other principal exchanges, and a member of SIPC. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a registered broker/dealer and affiliate of UBS Securities LLC. UBS specifically prohibits the redistribution or reproduction of this material in whole or in part without the prior written permission of UBS and UBS accepts no liability whatsoever for the actions of third parties in this respect. UBS 2020. The key symbol, UBS and ETRACS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. Other marks may be trademarks of their respective owners. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005366/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A mother has created a hilarious self-isolating take on Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive amid the coronavirus lock-down. Victoria Emes, from London, has become a viral sensation thanks to her amusing clip - which sees her dressed in a shimmering, blue Lycra bodysuit and singing along to the iconic hit. However, the mother has changed the lyrics to reflect the strange times of today and instead of focusing on heartbreak, she sings about self-isolating because of the coronavirus pandemic. 'I know it's time to say we're going to be just fine, she says, 'I've got snacks, plenty of gin, their home school schedule can go straight in the f****** bin.' The revised tune has become an instant hit online, after being widely shared across Twitter and viewed more than 28,000 times on YouTube. Scroll down for video Blogger Victoria Emes, from London, has created a hilarious lockdown take on Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive amid the coronavirus pandemic The mother has become a viral sensation thanks to her amusing clip - which sees her dressed in a shimmering, blue lLcra bodysuit and singing along to the iconic hit Giving it her all, Victoria belts out: 'First I was afraid, I was petrified, kept thinking how I'd ever live without the world outside. 'But then I spent so many nights scoffing crisps and necking wine, I know it's time to say we're going to be just fine. 'And so we're here, stuck in this room. I don't know when we're getting out, but no better place to face the doom. 'I should've bought that bag of rice, I should've stockpiled more bog roll if I had known for just one second I'd have such a messy hole. 'But I've got snacks, plenty of gin, their home school schedule can go straight in the f****** bin. However, the mother (pictured) has changed the lyrics to reflect the strange times of today and sings about self isolating because of the coronavirus pandemic The revised tune has become an instant hit online, with it being widely shared across Twitter and viewed more than 28,000 times on YouTube. Pictured: Victoria in the clip 'I want to smash my husband's face, I want to wave my kids goodbye, but I won't crumble, I won't lay down and die, oh no, not I, I will survive, as long as I have internet I know I'll stay alive.' She finishes with: 'I've got all this time to fill, while trying to not get ill but I'll survive, I will survive,' and a round of enthusiastic dancing. Sharing the video on her social media accounts, Victoria said: 'This goes out to all the s**** in isolation wondering how the f*** youre going to live through an indefinite number of months stuck indoors with your d******* family. 'You are not alone. Not going to lie, its going to be tough because lets face it - partners can be utter p***** and kids, well, theyre the biggest w****** of them all. But babes, we can f****** do this. 'My advice - employ every coping strategy you can think of; dancing, cooking, singing, laughing, meditation, w****** (personal fave), hiding in a cupboard for five minutes of peace - whatever the f*** you need to do to just survive this utter madness.' Twitter users (pictured) were quick to praise the video, with one person writing: 'This is the content I need right now!' 'We'll get there girls... one gin/wine/crisp/chocolate biscuit/tear saturated day at a time,' she added. Twitter users were quick to praise the video, with one person writing: 'This is the content I need right now,' Another said: 'This is brilliant and I definitely needed the laugh, thank you. Would definitely love to see move videos like this please.' A third impressed individual added: 'Lol after a stressful day at work this is exactly what I needed to see,' as a fourth person wrote: 'Victoria, you rock, and may have just saved humanity.' The UK Government announced on Monday that Britain is on lock-down for the next three weeks, and all non-essential businesses must close. SIOUX CENTER, Iowa -- As consumers' expectations for their food evolve, Perdue Premium Meat Company's production is changing to meet those demands. The recently completed expansion of the company's Sioux Center facility puts it in position to process pork faster and in a more humane manner preferred by a growing number of customers. "There are lots of different customers out there that have a lot of different expectations. We've seen a lot of growth in specialty markets, and that's been our growth model over the years," said Gary Malenke, senior vice president. Perdue Premium Meat will celebrate its $29 million, 50,000-square-foot addition with a ribbon cutting at a date to be determined. Production began in the state-of-the-art facility in February. Malenke said workers, many of them new, are still fine-tuning the production process and adjusting to the new equipment. "We're not up to full speed," Malenke said, adding he hoped that production would increase in coming weeks. There's a lot to get used to. First of all, there are more workers. The expansion, begun in January 2019, has added 50 jobs, bringing the number of workers at the Sioux Center location to 240. The addition also has increased the plant's size by 50 percent. Inside the new plant section is equipment with more safety features that protect workers, making their jobs not only safer, but less physically demanding. Among the improvements is automated cutting equipment that Malenke said makes sure products are "trimmed to perfection" and X-ray technology to detect product quality. That new equipment allows for faster, more efficient product flow through the plant. New packaging equipment gives the company the ability to provide packaged pork products that are meat case-ready for retailers. The plant prioritizes humane animal handling, including a live video feed that is monitored by a third party. It has been certified by Certified Humane, an organization that, according to its website, is dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production from birth through slaughter. The addition is 100 percent wind powered and uses a closed loop waste water system that is filtered and recycled to provide beneficial nutrients for local farm land. The environmentally friendly operations fit in with the company's many product offerings to consumers who desire organic and antibiotic-free meat, Malenke said. "It really is aligned largely with our customer base," he said. "We have customers that value it, hence our rationale for doing it." The plant addition will help the company expand its ability to meet consumer demands. Perdue Premium Meat processes hogs that were raised organically and antibiotic-free as well as animals raised in more traditional means. Malenke said the specialty meats, which mainly pertain to how the animals were raised, have become more popular. In his 32 years in the industry, it's one of the biggest changes Malenke said he's seen. Consumers are becoming more curious, asking where their food comes from and how it was raised. "Consumers are more and more inquisitive about what they're eating," he said. "They're more discriminating than just looking for the cheapest pork chop." The expansion deepens the company's roots in Siouxland. Sioux-Preme Packing Co. started in 1970 as a supplier to domestic and international customers. It launched its first Iowa facility in 1995 and began processing pork hams, rib, bellies, loins and shoulders, as well as starting antibiotic-free or breed-specific lines. The company was known as Natural Food Holdings from 2006-15 until it was acquired by Perdue Farms in 2015 as part of its acquisition of Natural Food Holdings and its brands. Perdue Premium, which is a subsidiary of Perdue Farms in Salisbury, Maryland, supplies products to upscale restaurants, retail food markets and countries including China, Japan, Mexico and Canada. In addition to its Sioux Center location, Perdue operates a Sioux City facility that performs boning and packaging of pork shipped from the Sioux Center plant. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Woman under home quarantine dies at hospital Bengaluru: In what is suspected to be the second COVID-19 death in Karnataka, a 70-year-old woman from Gouribidanuru, who was under house quarantine for the last one week has died at Rajiv Gandhi Hospital for Chest Diseases. The woman, who had recently returned from the Mecca pilgrimage developed fever on Tuesday afternoon. She was rushed to hospital, where she died on Wednesday morning. Health and Family Welfare officials said that the throat swab sample of the woman had been sent to the laboratory for testing and the result was expected to come by afternoon. Since last week, at least three cases of COVID-19 positive had been reported in Gouribidanuru in Chikkaballpura district, about 80 kms from Bengaluru. Most of the suspects and confirmed cases had returned from Mecca pilgrimage. Even the deceased woman was one of them and had been advised house quarantine. On Tuesday morning, she developed fever and was shifted to Gouribidanur hospital and later to Chikkaballapura hospital. By evening, she was moved to Rajiv Gandhi hospital, where she died on Wednesday morning. The Chikkaballapura district administration has proclaimed prohibitory orders in the locality. They have also taken the woman's family members for testing. In Ohio and Minnesota, the mandate came down on Wednesday, March 18: Nail salons and other businesses that offer non-essential personal services were ordered to temporarily close up shop to slow the transmission of COVID-19. The order followed on the heels of Californias Bay Area, which had already begun practicing shelter in place. By Friday, March 20, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Alaska, and Los Angeles County (the last of which accounts for five percent of the countrys nail salons) had all required spas and salons to close. Saturday, Michigan followed suit. As quickly as the coronavirus spreads in the U.S., so will the closures of the countrys some 24,000 nail salons, bringing an entire industry to its knees. Its something thats taken the estimated 126,300 to 212,519 certified nail salon workers in the U.S. (which 2018 California and New York state board data suggests only reflects 30-47% of the workforce) completely off guard. For an industry that is almost fully comprised of women (81%) and immigrant workers (79%), one third of which are heads of households and self-employed, the effects are devastating. But behind the scenes, the effects of the pandemic began to show a month earlier. We first felt the impact of the virus through our supply chain, says Kristin Gyimah, a nail tech and owner of Dime Nails LA. Our large Chinese and Korean-owned suppliers were not getting shipments of their supplies from China and supplies were running low. Everyone was scrambling to get their barbicide, gloves, masks, nail files everything they could. Just a few days later, Gyimah saw a drastic drop in business. As a result, we started telling the nail artists this is going to hit us and by March 3, we started seeing the books drop off. Phones were completely quiet and we were just kind of left hoping and waiting to see what would happen. A nail salon is temporarily closed in the Upper East Side neighborhood of New York, U.S., on Friday, March 20, 2020. Some retail segments, such as grocery chains and Walmart, may benefit from the coronavirus outbreak. But for a sector already battered by the shift to online retailing and other structural changes, the coronavirus only portends more pain. Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images Meanwhile, in another mom-and-pop salon in Queens, New York, 53 year-old manicurist Morshada Begam began to see a significant slump in business as well. Three weeks ago, it started to get really slow, she told Refinery29 on Friday. We were just sitting with no customers. People were scared to come in. Begam, who immigrated to New York City from Bangladesh in 1998, decided then to give up her part-time night shifts not because she was losing the $75 or so in daily wages and tips, but because she was concerned about the safety of her family. I have my mom home, who is 83 years old, and I take care of her. I take the subway and the bus to go to work. Shes had diabetes and asthma and I didnt want to make her sick, she says. Story continues Giving up her shifts at the salon wasnt easy in order to keep her family afloat, Begam now relies solely on the monthly stipend she earns as a primary caregiver for her mother. Because shes technically paid for her day job, she is ineligible for unemployment benefits and has been forced to use credit to get by. Im worried, Begam says. The work I do with my mom is not enough [to support us]. Im not so young, so its not easy for me to find a job. Im worried about how Im going to meet expenses. I have to use my credit card now and its going to be very hard for me to pay for everything back. Im worried, but I have no choice. My mom is my first priority. By March 8, as the viruss epicenter had moved from China to Iran and Italy (where 60 million residents were placed on lockdown), bigger players in the nail industry started weighing the costs and benefits of providing such an intimate service. MiniLuxe, which operates salons in four states, has built its reputation as the place to get an ultra-sanitary mani/pedi thanks to a heightened hygiene protocol enhanced by in-house sterilization rooms. If you could get a worry-free manicure anywhere, it would be at one of its 24 locations. But as the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on March 11, and as a few of MiniLuxes employees and customers began to voice discomfort about coming into the studios, the companys top brass met to put its own plan into place. We put plans A, B, and C together, with the worst case scenario being if someone came into our studios after having come into contact with coronavirus, then we would shut it down and get it cleaned, says Donna Charloff, services director for the brand. There was no plan to close that was never on our radar. But just a few days later, the writing was on the wall: MiniLuxe announced on Monday, March 16, that it would temporarily shut all of its doors the following morning ahead of state-issued mandates. By the end of the week, some 550 nail designers and editors were furloughed. It was just an agonizing decision, honestly. Our founder and team were trying to figure out anything to do other than close and we knew it had to happen, Charloff says. As safe as we are, as hygienic as we are, our employees and clients may still have been at risk, which is why we closed. It was the right thing to do. Theres just no way to do it safely given the guidelines that everyones been given. At Dime Nails LA, Gyimah was grappling with the same impossible decision: As the virus spread, she became more and more concerned about the safety of her clients and employees, as well as the nail techs livelihoods should she choose to shutter. (As a group, they had selected to work on a commission basis in January, when Californias controversial AB5, a bill intended to reclassify gig workers as employees, was enacted.) By the second week of March, her business was serving about half of the clients it might otherwise. New customers were scarce. Still, regular clients continued to come in. I was able to keep all the girls on staff and I know that hasnt been the situation for a lot of independent, suite-run technicians, or hourly technicians. My staff was still able to pull in a decent wage, Gyimah says. In fact, as leaked federal documents suggested the pandemic could last 18 months or longer, Gyimah saw a boom in business as other salons began to close their doors. People werent trying to get unicorn chrome nails, she says. It was more a matter of people worried about in-growns they would get after a month of no pedicures, or needing to get acrylics, extensions, or gels removed. Theres no social distancing with nails. Kristin Gyimah, owner of Dime Nails LA At first, Gyimah limited the number of people in the salon to 10 at a time, but it was beginning to become clear that it wouldnt be enough to protect her employees and customers. Theres no social distancing with nails, she says. When opening her shop on Monday and Tuesday of last week, she noticed people on the street giving her the side eye. It was starting to get weird with clients, she says. People were scared. Everyone was wearing masks and gloves to protect themselves. Followers on Instagram also urged her to close. I was torn. I know a lot of my techs depend solely on this income to feed their families. A lot of them are single mothers who have kids or have grandparents or parents that they take care of and it was hard because our books were full and we could easily have stayed open Thursday so they could make a little more cash, she says. Finally, despite the surge in business, Gyimah decided to close the shop just ahead of L.A.s mandate. The following day, 23 calls for appointments went to voicemail. Gyimah cut her employees checks on Thursday, just as they were furloughed. Miniluxe, which provides its nail designers and editors with paid time off, also immediately issued checks (including PTO balances) as well as information on how to apply for unemployment benefits. Beyond The Salon As rapidly as the infrastructure of nail salons collapsed, so did the business of styling nails for advertising campaigns, editorial shoots, and red carpet events. Mazz Hanna, CEO of Nailing Hollywood, a boutique agency that solely represents nail stylists, started to see a sharp decline in business after March 9. Shoot after shoot was getting deleted off of our calendar. It was crazy. By March 13, we literally had no jobs on the calendar at all. Not now and not for the future. Nothing. Even more distressing, the cancellations came during the agencys busiest time of the year March through May is when companies are starting to get their fall fashion content together, Hanna says. Last year at the end of March, we had shoots nearly every single day. Queenie Nguyen is one Nailing Hollywood artist who works with stars like Halsey and Saoirse Ronan. The evaporation of her on-set and red carpet work dovetailed with a completed drop in private client services. Everything hit hard beginning last Sunday [March 15], she says. But even the week before that, a lot of clients were asking to reschedule, which I understand. As of this week, everything has been completely canceled. Nguyen is working with the Nailing Hollywood team on a pivot: reaching out to companies to offer sponsored content for social media. Obviously, this is a time where content is something people are really engaging with even people who normally dont do it, her agent, Hanna, says. People think I have a glamorous life. But they dont really understand that were also living paycheck-to-paycheck, too. Queenie Nguyen, celebrity Nail Artist The sudden erasure of Nguyens income has sent her in a spiral of different emotions. I went from confused to sad to denial and back to sad its like the stages of grief, she says. But now Im optimistic. Instead of sitting here thinking the worlds going to end, Im thinking Okay what can I do for myself and how can I help other people? For now, staying home is helping other people. She has received a couple of requests for house calls, which could throw a little cash in her pocket, but the nail artist knows it isnt worth the risk of possible spread or exposure especially when nurses and doctors are on the front lines. As of yesterday, Nguyen starting doing delivery work through Postmates to make ends meet and is attempting to file for unemployment, although she says the site crashed every time shes tried to get an application going. People think I have a glamorous life, Nguyen says in reference to her high-profile work. But they dont really understand that were also living paycheck-to-paycheck, too. How To Help The nail industrys rapid collapse is unprecedented. With hundreds of thousands of manicurists and pedicurists facing furlough and layoffs (some with no benefits or eligibility for unemployment), theres never been a more crucial time to support your local salon or nail pro. Some independent nail shop owners are thinking creatively to give employees a cushion in the upcoming weeks. Cute Nail Studio in Austin is paying out two weeks sick leave, earmarking all profits from online sales through April 20 (which includes accessories, clothing, jewelry and nail products) for employees, as well as giving a small cash bonus to its team. Owner Jason Darling has also set up a GoFundMe page to provide his 22 employees with financial relief, in addition to promoting employee-made press-ons through the salons Instagram page. For its part, MiniLuxe just launched its MiniLuxe Resiliency Fund, which will pool half of all nail polish sales and a portion of gift certificate sales in order to support the brands furloughed employees. Weve had an outpouring of love and support already from some of our clients asking how they can support our nail designers, notes Carolyn Monaghan, operations project manager at the company. To that end, the brand will help facilitate Venmo transactions so customers can also donate directly to the nail artists they patron most. Dime Nails LAs Gyimah is also providing clients with her nail techs individual Venmo accounts upon request. Its a transparent way of making sure funds are appropriated properly, particularly as consumers question how salons are leveraging community support. But thats not to say that the salons themselves wont need help. As Gyimah notes, We have no revenue right now so, depending on the situation, business owners are going to be up against a ton of backlogged electricity, gas, rent bills, and whatever else is coming. She notes that gift cards can help but, more than anything, she wants her clients to shop responsibly in the face of disaster capitalism. Im very conscious of the fact that people are losing their jobs left and right and we dont know how long this thing will last, she says. Dear, God, dont buy a $50 gift card if that means you cant get groceries in two weeks. For those who are also financially impacted by COVID-19, or uncertain of their own job security in the coming weeks and months, there are other ways to support your local salon without purchasing products or gift cards. To influence change on a federal level, you can sign this petition, which calls for the expansion of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act so that all impacted workers (including contract workers who cant work off site) will be eligible for aid. If you live in a state in which citizens are pushing for an expansion of unemployment benefits for freelance and gig workers, you can help advocate on behalf of your nail tech. We desperately need help from our local and federal government to take care of our own, notes Darling. Staying in touch via Instagram and helping to build the brands connection with your community is also valuable, Gyimah notes. Yes, likes, comments, and shares can actually make a difference. While many corner nail salons may not have the resources to re-open after the pandemic, the truth is, no one knows what the future holds. As of March 24, the World Health Organization has warned that the U.S. could become the new coronavirus epicenter. Still, MiniLuxes Charloff is hopeful that the industry will rebound, thanks in large part to the countless nail pros who make up the heartbeat behind it. A lot of these technicians are going to be really resilient and figure out a way because theyre such hard workers, she says. Its in their core to hustle. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Dr. Michael Levitt, 2013 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry, speaks during a Nobel Laureate Symposium at the Embassy of Sweden November 19, 2013 in Washington, DC. Nine people from the United States were honored this year with the Nobel Prize in the fields of medicine, chemistry and economic sciences. AFP PHOTO/Brendan SMIALOWSKI (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images): Getty Images A Nobel Prize winning biology professor has provided a bit of good news amidst the coronavirus gloom; the US may see a downturn in new cases sooner than some models have predicted. Michael Levitt, a Stanford University biology professor and a 2013 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, said his models predict the virus is not likely to dwindle on for months or years and most importantly is not likely to cause millions of deaths. Mr Levitt previously predicted correctly when China would experience and endure the worst of its coronavirus crisis. Speaking with the LA Times, Mr Levitt said he wasnt prepared to offer a specific date for the end of the coronavirus crisis in America, but said that there are clear signs of slowed growth. What we need is to control the panic were going to be fine, he said. In an interview with Calcalist, an Israeli financial newsletter, Mr Levitt explained why he didnt agree with models of exponential growth that many organisations were using as the basis of their predictions. In exponential growth models, you assume that new people can be infected every day, because you keep meeting new people. But, if you consider your own social circle, you basically meet the same people every day, he said. You can meet new people on public transportation, for example; but even on the bus, after sometime most passengers will either be infected or immune. Mr Levitt said that social distancing measures have been helpful in reducing the virus ability to spread rapidly. He suggested that the higher percentage of elderly people in Italy paired with the countrys vibrant social culture resulted in the explosion of cases in that country. Furthermore, Italian culture is very warm and Italians have a very rich social life. For these reasons, it is important to keep people apart and prevent sick people from coming into contact with healthy people, he said. That was his initial concern with the United States. Story continues Currently, I am most worried about the US. It must isolate as many people as possible to buy time for preparations. Otherwise, it can end up in a situation where 20,000 infected people will descend on the nearest hospital at the same time and the healthcare system will collapse, he said. Mr Levitt said that while isolating was an important step to fighting viral spread, he also believes a certain segment of the population may be naturally immune to the disease. We know China was under almost complete quarantine, people only left home to do crucial shopping and avoided contact with others. In Wuhan, which had the highest number of infection cases in the Hubei province, everyone had a chance of getting infected, but only 3 percent caught it, he said. Even on the Diamond Princess [the quarantined cruise ship] the infection rate did not top 20 percent. He said those numbers suggest that some people simply are immune or especially resistant to the virus. Mr Levitts predictions stand in contrast to those that suggest we may be dealing with the coronavirus for months or even years. Read more China to lift coronavirus lockdown in most of Hubei province Calcalist We strongly believe that we are holding a critical component to combat the current, but also future, virus attacks. Having said that, we need the support of large companies and government organizations to get this new type of technology in the hands of the masses. Cardea Bio, a San Diego based (bio)technology company, has developed a novel technology combining small bits of biology and semiconductor electronics that can be leveraged to develop a rapid coronavirus handheld test device. Graphene-based Biology-gated Transistors (Cardean Transistors) directly read the molecular signals of active biology using advanced electronics. This proprietary tech breakthrough can rapidly detect and identify disease markers, forever changing the tracking of current and future infectious diseases as it becomes near real-time and handheld. The groundbreaking detection abilities of this technology have been published in numerous peer-reviewed publications including Nature Biomedical Engineering. Leveraging this innovation, a few partnership organizations have already initiated the work needed to integrate the Cardean Transistor into handheld devices, but more partners are needed. Cardea is hereby actively reaching out to all large companies and government organizations looking to urgently bring a first-generation handheld Coronavirus detection device to market. Background information: Biological systems communicate via signals called molecular interactions. With viruses, those molecular interactions are carried via RNA and protein signals. What the world needs right now is the ability to detect those signals via a handheld tool - in real time - across potentially hundreds of thousands of people simultaneously. These simple yet powerful devices must be connected to the internet for cloud analysis software to enable immediate digital insights to the otherwise invisible virus attack. While semiconductor electronics would appear to be an effective way to detect these signals, silicon is not bio-compatible - meaning it does not function when exposed directly to human and viral samples. Graphene is a bio-compatible nanomaterial that is an excellent semiconductor like silicon, that can be used in production of electronics transistors. Cardean Transistors, properly configured, can intercept and read out the molecular interactions of biological signaling. Cardea has effectively enabled a new tech-breakthrough, and is ready and willing to partner with companies and government agencies to bring this innovation to the markets in need around the world. These partnerships will allow for rapid identification and data sharing, leading to a reality of everybody having actionable information available. Cardea brings significant advantages compared to existing virus testing modalities: 1) Point of Care: Samples do not need to be taken to a lab as the detecting technology fits inside a handheld device using a lab on a chip type of technology. 2) Additional Actionable Information: The technology can allow for the testing of multiple molecular signals of interest at the same time. For example, the technology could be used to differentiate if a patient is infected with coronavirus or just the influenza while also testing to see if the individual is already immune to a specific coronavirus strain. Common biological testing approaches, such as PCR and ELISA, are compatible with Cardea technology and in many cases, the long wait-times and extra reagents required of these techniques can be removed by building the assay on a Cardean transistor. 3) A Detection Technology with More Form Factors and Use Cases: The form factors and use cases in which the technology can be integrated are numerous. Other than handheld devices, a version of the technology can be built to e.g. sit in a toilet for ongoing monitoring or as a gate-system in the waiting rooms of hospitals. The Cardea (bio)technology has been well characterized and was recently recognized in more world-renowned, peer-reviewed journals. Specifically, in June 2019 Cardeas CRISPR-Chip (a Cardean Transistor version) was the cover story in Nature Biomedical Engineering and became the most read publication in 2019. In an impartial reaction to that paper, Dr. Can Dincer from the Laboratory for Sensors, Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) at the University of Freiburg noted in Nature News & Views: The prevalence and spread of antimicrobial resistance worldwide, the (re)emergence of infectious disease outbreaks most recently of Dengue and Zika () demand further technology development in nucleic acid testing. () CRISPR technology enables simple and easily scalable approaches for building biosensing devices for a wide range of targets including viruses, bacteria, and cancer mutations. Cardeas CEO Michael Heltzen states, Our Cardean Transistors are incorporated with the natural search power of CRISPR, creating the opportunity to detect the coronavirus faster and more effectively with the differentiated product advantages of being a handheld, fast, precise, and internet-connected device. This enables for the first time the use of cloud computing and other Internet-like applications for life science test results without having to send a sample back to a lab and wait for days before you have the result. Heltzen continues, We strongly believe that we are holding a critical component to combat the current, but also future, virus attacks. Having said that, we need the support of large companies and government organizations to get this new type of technology in the hands of the masses. Click here to see a video about how the CRISPR-Chip functions. Click here to see how Cardea published with the CDC using a Cardean Transistor system to detect Zika. Around 12.06 lakh new members joined ESIC-run social security schemes in January 2020 against 12.90 lakh in the previous month, according to the payroll data of the Employees'' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), providing an employment perspective in the formal sector New Delhi: Around 12.06 lakh new members joined ESIC-run social security schemes in January 2020 against 12.90 lakh in the previous month, according to the payroll data of the Employees'' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), providing an employment perspective in the formal sector. Gross enrolments of new subscribers with ESIC were 1.49 crore during the entire 2018-19 financial year, the National Statistical Office (NSO) said in a report ''Payroll Reporting in India: An Employment Perspective - January 2020'' released on Wednesday. The report also showed that during the September 2017-January 2020 period, around 3.62 crore new subscribers joined the ESIC scheme. The NSO''s report is based on the payroll data of new subscribers of various social security schemes run by ESIC, retirement fund body and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). It has been releasing the payroll data or new subscribers data of these three bodies since April 2018, covering a period starting from September 2017. The report showed that gross new enrolments with the ESIC during the September 2017-March 2018 period were 83.35 lakh. A net of 10.45 lakh new enrolments with the Employees'' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) were recorded in January 2020, compared with 9.12 lakh in December last year. In 2018-19, 61.12 lakh new subscribers on a net basis joined the social security schemes run by EPFO. Similarly, the net new enrolments were 15.52 lakh during September 2017-March 2018. The latest data showed that during September 2017-January 2020, around 3.20 crore new subscribers joined the Employees'' Provident Fund Scheme. It also showed that net of 69.35 new members joined the social security schemes run by the EPFO in April to January this fiscal, which is higher than 61.12 lakh in the entire fiscal of 2018-19. However, the gross enrolments with the ESIC were 1.29 crore during April-January this fiscal. The report said that since the number of subscribers is from various sources, there are elements of overlap and the estimates are not additive. The NSO said the report gives different perspectives on the levels of employment in the formal sector and does not measure employment at a holistic level. By Trend The official website of the Fund to Support Fight Against Coronavirus (http://covid19fund.gov.az/en/) has been launched in Azerbaijan, Trend reports. The website will provide information about the Funds goals and the directions of using its funds. Individuals and legal entities will be able to make donations to the Fund to Support Fight Against Coronavirus via this website. Visitors will get information on this website about donations to this Fund, as well as the people, who have donated. The website with three language options, namely, Azerbaijani, English and Russia, is managed by the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers. The Fund to Support Fight Against Coronavirus was established by Azerbaijani presidents decree dated March 19, 2020. The Fund aims to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection in Azerbaijan and provide financial support for measures taken to combat this pandemic. Dmytro Kuleba believes that the Russian Federation wants the EU to lift sanctions on it Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has had a conversation with his Danish counterpart Jeppe Kofod. It was reported by the Ministrys press service, UATV informs. Kuleba drew attention to Russia's attempts to manipulate the COVID-19 pandemic in order to get sanctions against it lifted on. This is manipulation because the EU has imposed sanctions not because of a coronavirus, but because of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Accordingly, they can only be related to Russia's fulfillment of its obligations in the context of the peaceful settlement and de-occupation of the Ukrainian territories of Donbas and Crimea, Ukraines MFA stressed, urging his Danish counterpart to convey these reservations and Ukraine's position to other EU countries. Kuleba also asked Kofod to assist the citizens of Ukraine who were in Denmark with the evacuation to their homeland. As we reported earlier, on March 27, the Ukrainian government will close any passenger movement across the border of Ukraine. Such a decision is caused by the significant increase in the number of people infected with Covid-19. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hasn't ruled out using smartphone data to track whether people are complying with public health officials' pleas for them to stay inside to curb the COVID-19 pandemic a notion that raises some thorny ethical dilemmas regarding public health and privacy rights. Tracking where the coronavirus will strike next, and convincing people to self-isolate and avoid gatherings, have proven challenging for public health officials around the world. That's prompted some governments to lean on mobile data to keep tabs on infections even to predict where the virus is heading. During his daily media briefing today, Trudeau was asked whether Canada would follow the example of those governments and use telecom data to track Canadians' compliance with pandemic measures. "I think we recognize that in an emergency situation we need to take certain steps that wouldn't be taken in non-emergency situations, but as far as I know that is not a situation we're looking at right now," he said. "But as I've said, all options are on the table to do what is necessary to keep Canadians safe in these exceptional times." Telecommunication companies are now sharing aggregate smartphone data with health authorities in Italy, Germany and Austria to monitor whether people are complying with self-isolation demands to slow the spread of COVID-19. China, Taiwan and South Korea have taken more invasive measures by using smartphone location pings to trace individuals who have tested positive, or to enforce quarantine orders. In Israel, the government is being challenged after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the domestic spy agency to sift through cellphone data that was covertly gathered to fight terrorism to retrace the steps of people who have contracted the novel coronavirus. The issue was thrust into the Canadian spotlight this morning after Toronto Mayor John Tory mused about obtaining cellphone data from wireless companies to locate large gatherings. Story continues As first reported by The Logic, Tory told an online video-conferencing event Monday night, hosted by TechTO, that data collection is "something we're doing now." "I asked for it, and I'm getting it," he's quoted as telling the local meetup organization. "Because the biggest enemy of fighting this thing is people congregating close together." A spokesperson later clarified that the mayor was answering a question about ways technology could possibly help fight COVID-19. "The mayor cited the example of an inquiry he had casually made after someone suggested it not knowing it wasn't proceeding," said Don Peat in a statement to CBC News. "The City of Toronto is not collecting cellphone location data, nor has it received any such data. The City of Toronto will not be using cellphone location data." Bell Canada open to sharing information Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said the option shouldn't be ruled out of efforts to flatten the caseload curve the best way to keep the nation's hospitals from being overwhelmed. "I think there's lots of innovative approaches and they should all be examined, obviously with due respect to privacy, ethics and all of those considerations," she said when asked about data collection. On Monday, Quebec Premier Francois Legault publicly floated the idea of tracking the past movements of people who tested positive for COVID-19 through their phones. Bell Canada has said it's willing to share personal information with governments if called upon. "We haven't been asked by any governments for this kind of support, but would consider if it helps in the fight against COVID-19 while respecting privacy laws," spokesperson Nathan Gibson said in an email. Telus said it had not been contacted by the city of Toronto. Rogers did not respond to CBC's requests for comment. Finding an ethical balance David Leslie, ethics fellow at the Alan Turing Institute in the U.K., said surveillance in a pandemic climate pits competing values against each other: individual civil liberties and public welfare. But a balance can be struck between the two, he said. "When I think about the capacity for us to actually do surveillance for the social good, it kind of brings this sort of tension to the forefront for me, which is this tension between autonomy, privacy, civil liberty and the potential to use our data, use our information for the public welfare," Leslie said from London. "There's a right and perhaps a wrong way to go about using this, which is to say from a practical ethics standpoint it's very important to think about issues like consent, issues like transparency, in the way that the innovation is developed and then deployed." David Fraser, a privacy lawyer with McInnes Cooper, said there are significant differences in the accuracy of data passed on by cellphone companies to governments, depending on whether they're sharing identifying information or anonymous aggregate data. For example, data generated by transit apps can offer a big-picture view of rider trends but they don't identify passengers. "Which is different from anything that could tell you Bob is on the bus or even maybe more troubling from a privacy perspective, but maybe completely justifiable, is Bob was in Mexico last week. Bob is supposed to be in his house. Bob is actually down at the Home Depot. Send the cops to go get Bob," he said. Legal changes during a crisis The federal privacy commissioner has said that, during a public health crisis, privacy laws still apply but they shouldn't be a barrier to appropriate information sharing. "We fully understand the need to use all lawful and proportionate means to address the current health crisis. Legal authorities in this regard are quite broad," said spokesperson Vito Pilieci. "Still, organizations must ensure there is lawful authority for the sharing of personal information." CBC Pilieci said aggregate data collection is allowed, but warned that telecommunication companies and public authorities should be aware of accidentally re-identifying individuals. Brian Beamish, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, issued his own advice on Tuesday, stressing that in situations where identifying information is required, the interest of public health should be the priority. But he added that any steps that would have a "dramatic impact on personal privacy" should come with clear rules on how and why the information is collected, how it will be used and how long it will be retained. Concerns about a 'new normal' Fraser said that, historically, public health officials have had access to Canadians' private health information without any major trust breaches. 'I wouldn't want to see this as the thin edge of the wedge or creating a new normal that will continue to be in place once this whole thing blows over.' - Privacy lawyer David Fraser "Personally, I have a fair amount of confidence in public health officials having access to information that otherwise normal people and the cops don't get access to, for the purposes of doing their jobs related to public health," he said. "I don't think that they have many ulterior motives." Still, he said, any sort of emergency legislative changes affecting privacy should be monitored closely for sunset clauses. "I wouldn't want to see this as the thin edge of the wedge, or creating a new normal that will continue to be in place once this whole thing blows over, whether it's in weeks, months or years," he said. "I wouldn't want to see some sort of new normal where telcos are required to, in real time, dump tower location information into some central government database with a kind of 'trust us' attitude." While the Canadian government won't commit either way to cellphone data collection, it's already investing in artificial intelligence tracking linked to COVID-19. As part of a $192 million investment package, the government announced support for BlueDot, a Toronto-based digital company focused on early warning technology for infectious diseases. It's been billed as one of the first companies in the world to identify the outbreak in Wuhan in late December 2019. The Public Health Agency of Canada will use its disease analytics platform to monitor the spread of COVID 19, according to a media release. A spokesperson for Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said privacy remains a top government priority. BlueDot wasn't available for an interview, but a spokesperson said their technology tracks the spread of cases of the disease and looks at where the hotspots are. Eighty one years after the Battle of Missionary Ridge in 1863 two other exciting events became a part of the history of the Civil War site. In a thick fog and drizzling rain on January 2, 1944 a four engine 13-24 Liberator carrying a crew of three was trying to find Lovell Field but had been circling for nearly two hours. Because of the heavy overcast the pilot miscalculated the height of the ridge and ran into power lines and trees prior to crashing into Dr. D P. Houstons limestone block house at 136 N. Crest Road which is presently occupied by the King Copler family. Prior to striking the Houston residence, the aircraft knocked columns off of the front of the neighboring Scott S. Price home. All three crew members were killed in the crash. The Houston house was set afire after the bombers fuselage broke up and the fuel in the plane ignited. Fortunately, the Houston family escaped but their home was engulfed in flames. One airman was thrown from the plane but the other crewmen were found in the wreckage. On September 30, 1949 seven airmen were flying from Augusta, Georgia to Spokane, Washington when one of the engines caught on fire on a B-24 bomber. Captain William Blair was the pilot and he instructed his men to bail out. According to eyewitnesses the crew parachuted into the area between McCallie Avenue and Main Street. One landed in a backyard, another got stuck in a tree, another landed on the roof of the now non-existent Ridgedale School, one glanced off a bank building, one was caught in telephones lines and the only parachuting casualty did not properly attach his parachute and he fell to his death on the grounds of the Ridgedale School leaving a six-inch deep depression in the ground. In an act of heroism, the pilot, Captain William E. Blair, stayed with the plane and steered it away from Missionary Ridge School into an uninhabited area over the eastern entrance of the Bachman Tubes to avoid any loss of life except his own. In recognition of his bravery and disregard for his own safety, American Legion Post 95 on Ringgold Road in East Ridge is named the William E. Blair Post to perpetuate his act of giving his life to save others 71 years ago. * * * Jerry Summers (If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com ALBANY "You can't come out, and I can't come in." It's the same message Bob Barber, a retired Albany Fire Department Battalion chief, has been telling his wife, Lauren, for days now, as he sits outside her window at the Atria senior living facility in Guilderland. Lauren has Alzheimer's, and her husband of nearly 62 years still comes to visit her every day, even if the coronavirus pandemic has forced them to only speak through the five-inch gap that the window opening allows. Last Friday, his daughter captured one of their sweet interactions on video. And then his granddaughter posted it on the video-sharing app TikTok. As of Wednesday, it's been viewed more than 4.7 million times and has garnered more than 800,000 likes. "I need to be with you," Lauren says at the start of the video. "I'd like to be with you, too, but because of the illness, we can't do it," Bob tells his wife, before she starts crying. "There's a new virus going around, and that's why everybody's got the mask on, and they have to stay away from people. So, this is the best we can do for now." The Barbers, who were married in 1958 at the Church of St. James in Albany, have deep roots in the Capital Region. Bob, 85, grew up in Coeymans before moving to Albany. He enlisted in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, then came back to Albany to work as a mechanic and later as a member of the Albany Fire Department, where he served more than 37 years before retiring in 1996. Shortly after returning from military service, he met Lauren at a hip spot called Larry's Music Bar in Pine Hills. Lauren, now 80, has spent her whole life in Albany, working at the Knickerbocker News, and later the state education department, from which she retired in 2001. Their decades-long love story was on full display in the viral TikTok video, granddaughter Alicia Barber said. "It was something really hard to watch, seeing my grandmother so upset and knowing that there was no date that we were going to know of when this was going to stop, and that shes never really going to understand it," Alicia, 24, said. "But apart from that, I thought it was really beautiful to see just, really, an example of their love thats lasted this long and gone through all these obstacles." Lauren has been in the memory care center for nearly a year, but her family has always visited often and kept her company. Bob, in his nightly visits prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, would eat dinner with his wife and tuck her in. The center stopped allowing outside visitors as the novel coronavirus' threat grew larger over the past month. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Now, they chat about all sorts of things through the window family, life, the small cat toy Lauren plays with during the day. Bob's main goal is to "find something to make her laugh," he said. "When the windows open, and its cold out she really hates the cold these days shell talk to me 15, 20 minutes, and then say, 'Im getting out of here! Its cold!'" Bob chuckled, recounting their new visits. "Shell go out in the other room until dinner." Alicia, who grew up in the Capital Region but now lives in New Hampshire as she works toward a doctorate from Dartmouth College, said the coronavirus pandemic has been especially difficult for families caring for loved ones with dementia, because "they cant just call you or FaceTime you on your own." But the video, she said, shows people how "loyal and loving and patient" family members can be during these unusual times. The feedback to the post has been an influx of kind words, with viewers comparing her grandparents to the couple from "The Notebook" and offering their thoughts and prayers. "This broke my heart," one TikTok user wrote. "The fact that he still finds a way to visit her is everything." Plus, Alicia said, it's "a really great example of why everyone really needs to stay inside" to protect the more vulnerable populations that are most affected by the illness. "It's a really strong example of their love and also just a situation that most people wouldnt think of, that others are being affected during this time," she said. On Tuesday, following the enormous online reaction to the clip, Alicia posted an update video on her TikTok account: A compilation of photos of her grandparents through their more than 60 years together. In Face of Pandemic, Put Away Sentimentality, and Let Life Go On Commentary In the rush to stop the CCP virus dead in its tracks, much of the world has admirably rallied to follow the best medical advice available, including social distancing, the closure of public spaces and events, the shuttering of many businesses, and the quarantining of those most susceptible to COVID-19, including senior citizens and those with underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Possibly as a result, the virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, has yet to inflict the kind of apocalyptic damage that was once feared, nor even to come close to the worldwide death toll of the Hong Kong flu of 1968 (1 million to 4 million dead), or the Swine flu of 2009 (up to half a million deaths), not to mention the devastating Spanish flu of 1918 (50 million dead around the world). So far, worldwide, the CCP virus has killed just under 29,000 people, and only 622 in the United States, most of them coming in just five states. Cost/Benefit But, hey, if it saves just one life Not so fast. While the United States and, to an even greater extent, Europe, has gone into unprecedented lockdown, few have raised the question of whether all this prevention is worth the economic, social, legal, and civilizational price we are already paying. For a disease that so far has extracted a relatively small death toll, and from which a quarter of those infected have already recovered, why are we reacting as if COVID-19 is the second coming of the Black Death? In short, what is the cost/benefit analysis of deliberately damaging the world economy? This sounds cruel in an age of sentimentality, easily hurt feelings, manic obsessions with non-existent problems like climate change, and microaggressions, but its really the only rational way to approach it. Already, President Donald Trump is considering getting the country back to work in a matter of weeksperhaps as early as Easter (April 12)and, as he correctly pointed out recently, we cant have the cure be worse than the problem. So far, the cure has involved a considerable loss of civil liberties as state governors, acting without involvement from their legislatures, have unilaterally shut down economic and social activities in their states, largely to the plaudits of a petty-tyrant media. Sunbathers are ordered off beaches, churches have closed, concerts canceled, movie theaters are moribund, and citizens ordered peremptorily to shelter in place or be subject to fines and arrests. Airlines have been crushed, the travel industry beaten to a pulp, hotels and restaurants are, at least temporarily, out of business. Even if the panic subsides quickly, putting Humpty Dumpty back together again is going to be an enormous undertaking. At the national level, both parties have competing budget-shattering trillion-dollar aid packages that immediately became larded up with the usual pet pork projects and bound with red tape: for the Democrats, such crackpot nostrums as the Green New Deal, solar credits, and carbon offsets. Meanwhile, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell couldnt wait to involve the IRS in his bill instead of simply getting on with it and mailing every American a check, regardless of need or its parsing of your 2018 tax returns. Theres even talk on the left of conducting the 2020 election strictly by mail: a formula for chicanery if there ever was one. Even in extremis, it seems, our solons cant resist going about business as usualwhich is jockeying for political advantage. Dictatorial Powers Were all in this together, goes the refrain, if only that were true. By the time both houses of Congress reconcile their emergency legislation, and get much-needed aid to the country, the cause of the crisis will have long passed. And if theres one thing weve learned from other temporary measures, theres nothing harder to kill than an expansion of government authority; in many ways, great and small, the United States is still paying the costs of the vast increase in the size and scope of the federal government during World War II and the Cold War. Once having tasted essentially dictatorial powers, will state governors such as New Yorks Andrew Cuomo and Californias Gavin Newsom willingly give them up? After all, when then-President Barack Obama found himself frustrated by Congress, he simply used his pen and a phone to rule by executive order in such matters as immigrationand nobody could stop him. Sometimes, desperate times demand desperate measures. During the Roman Republic, in times of trouble, the Senate would temporarily suspend the authority of the co-consuls and appoint a dictator for six months or until the crisis was over. Most dictators, such as Cincinnatus, willingly gave up their authority. Julius Caesar, however, didnt, ruling as dictator for five years before being named dictator for lifethe event that precipitated his assassination in 44 B.C. America is not ancient Rome, of course, but the U.S. constitution was expressly written to avoid the consolidation of power in the hands of just a fewor even oneand summarily subordinating it to the wishes of epidemiologists, especially in this instance, seems extremely unwise. This doesnt make enduring the loss of a loved one, especially a parent, any easier. But a great nation simply cant trash its founding documents and go out of business without sober, unemotional reflection, lest those who survive have nothing left to come back to, or live for. Lets keep our heads, bury and mourn our dead, learn the appropriate medical lessonsand let life go on. Michael Walsh is the author of The Devils Pleasure Palace and The Fiery Angel, both published by Encounter Books. His latest book, Last Stands, a cultural study of military history, will be published later this year by St. Martins Press. Follow him on Twitter @dkahanerules. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A Native American tribe on Tuesday sued a group of insurance companies, asking a court to declare that losses it is incurring from shutting down its casinos during the coronavirus pandemic are covered by insurance. Among the defendants named in the lawsuit filed by the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma state court are several underwriters for insurance marketplace Lloyds of London, a unit of American International Group Inc. and XL Insurance America, now part of AXA SA. Representatives for Lloyds, XL Insurance and AIG declined comment. The Chickasaw Nation and other Oklahoma tribes have temporarily shuttered their casinos in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The Native American gaming industry on March 17 requested $18 billion in federal aid as it shut casinos that are the sole source of commercial revenue for dozens of tribes in a bid to slow the spread of the disease. The Chickasaw Nation closed its casinos because its property has been damaged due to the coronavirus pandemic and cannot be used for its intended purpose, the tribe said in a court document. Continuing the Business Interruption Discussion Bill Wilson: Does Business Income Insurance Cover Coronavirus Shutdowns? Christopher Boggs: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Does Business Income Respond? Lawsuit: Restaurant Tests Business Interruption Insurance for Coronavirus Shutdowns Legislation: N.J. Bill Would Require Insurers to Pay COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims Politics: Pressure Builds on Insurers to Be Part of Coronavirus Business Solution Recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to curb the spread of the coronavirus and restrictions across Oklahoma that limit restaurants to take-out service are some of the difficulties at play, said Michael Burrage, the tribes lawyer. Practically, you couldnt have a casino operating because of all of these issues, Burrage said. The Chickasaw tribe said it has an all risk insurance policy covering business interruptions, according to the lawsuit. Many business interruption policies exclude coverage for pandemics and require physical damage to occur on the site. Others can be ambiguous, leading to possible coverage, legal experts said. It was not immediately clear if the tribes insurance excludes pandemics, and its lawyer did not immediately respond to a request to clarify the issue. The Chickasaw lawsuit is the second in more than a week in which a business has asked a court to declare that the coronavirus is a type of direct physical loss or damage that would require insurers to pay for lost revenue. Lawyers for insurers and policyholders anticipate a wave of litigation over whether various insurance policies for business interruption will cover losses from coronavirus-related shutdowns. On March 16, the owners of New Orleans restaurant Oceana Grill sued Lloyds and officials in Louisiana, asking a state court to declare that the coronavirus, whether inside or outside the restaurant, is a type of direct physical damage that would require insurers to pay. (Reporting by Suzanne Barlyn; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Leslie Adler) Topics Lawsuits COVID-19 Excess Surplus Oklahoma Lloyd's AIG WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting extradition from Britain to the United States, was denied bail on Wednesday (March 25, 2020) after his lawyers said he should be released because he was at high risk of contracting the coronavirus in prison. The 48-year-old is wanted by the United States on 18 criminal counts of conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law and says he could spend decades in prison if convicted. As matters stand today, this global pandemic does not as of itself provide grounds for Mr Assanges release," said Judge Vanessa Baraitser at Westminster Magistrates` Court. She said Assange`s past conduct showed how far he was prepared to go to avoid extradition proceedings, and there were substantial grounds to believe that if released he would abscond again. She was referring to the fact that Assange skipped bail and fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in London in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted at the time to answer questions on alleged sex crimes. The allegations have since been dropped. Assange remained holed up in the embassy for seven years. He was eventually dragged out after Ecuador revoked his asylum. He is being held at Belmarsh Prison in London. As hospitals in the U.S. face a severe shortage of medical supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic, tech giants are donating N95 respirators and surgical masks en masse. On Saturday, Elon Musk wrote in an email to CleanTechnica that Tesla/SpaceX will be distributing its supply of 250,000 N95 masks. Just one day later, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will give away its emergency reserve of 720,000 masks. On Tuesday, Mike Pence confirmed that Apple is donating 9 million masks to health care facilities around the country. Advertisement Each time another tech company joins the donation ranks, the same question keeps popping up: Where do all of these masks come from, since precisely none of these companies is in the mask production business? When and why did a company with 45,000 employees amass an emergency reserve of 720,000 masks? https://t.co/3VyDecfEqR southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) March 23, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The answer is simple: Theyre based in California, where deadly wildfires occur each year, so these companies had stocked up to prepare for future fires. The destructive 2018 wildfire season was a particular catalyst for mask stockpiling. Facebook, for example, was just following standard guidelines from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Chloe Meyere, a communications manager for Facebook. FEMA recommends a certain number of masks (as well as emergency food and water) per employee, Meyere explained, and Californias guidelines in particular changed after the 2018 wildfires, which severely impacted air quality. (Even California officials urged residents to stay indoors and wear N95 masks when they had to step outside.) Many companies in the San Francisco Bay Area stocked up to meet the new minimum. Now, because Facebook employees are under mandatory work-from-home orders, the company has no immediate use for its supply, which includes both N95 and surgical masks. Advertisement While the mass mask donations are certainly helpful, theyre still just a drop in the bucket, as Vox recently reported. Hospitals are burning through masks at unprecedented rates. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, for instance, goes through about 40,000 non-N95 masks per day and expects to soon use 70,000 per day, according to an internal memo by the hospitals chief surgeon. Before the pandemic, the hospital used just 4,000 masks on a normal day. Pence said on Saturday that the Department of Health and Human Services has ordered hundreds of millions of masks to address shortages, though the details of the order are currently unknown. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Chennai, March 25 : The Greater Chennai Corporation on Wednesday allowed all e-commerce companies to deliver food, groceries and others by following contactless deliveries. According to Chennai Corporation, the e-commerce company officials engaged in production to delivery operations have to wear personal protective equipment like masks, gloves, caps right from production to delivery. The companies have to follow non-contact delivery to be followed at all delivery locations. The Chennai Corporation has warned the companies of inspections and if they found to violate the norms then they will be barred and action will be taken against them. The announcement enables companies like Swiggy, Zomato and Dunzo to deliver pasteries to food to people at home. The Director General of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Asishana Okauru, on Wednesday said he had embarked on self-isolation along with his wife, Ifueko, and other family members. In a statement emailed to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Okauru said he was taking the measure because of his exposure to Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who tested positive to coronavirus. I attended different meetings of the Nigeria Governors Forum and the Nigerian Economic Council last week, which were also attended by the Bauchi State Governor, Mr Okauru said. Consequently, my wife and I would be undergoing COVID-19 testing this week. All of the organizations to which my wife is affiliated have already begun Work from Home in line with earlier Government directive. Mr Okaurus wife, Ifueko Omogui Okauru, was executive chairperson of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and founder of DAGOMO Foundation, which works for a better life for the aged. The NGF DG added, All members of NGF secretariat that were exposed will be observing self isolation. We encourage all those who were invited to the NGF meetings for presentations to also do same. By our actions, we hope to encourage others who are exposed and not sure of their status to undergo self-isolation and make themselves available for the test, where applicable. At the NGF meetings held, all necessary precautions as advised by the NCDC were taken, but we cannot make any assumptions about our status. We will self-isolate and take the stringent measures possible to protect the general public. READ FULL STATEMENT BY MR OKAURU BELOW. PRESS STATEMENT I wish to inform the general public that my wife together with my entire household will be proceeding on self-isolation. We are taking this action following my exposure to His Excellency, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State who today announced the positive outcome of his test for COVID-19. I attended different meetings of the Nigeria Governors Forum and the Nigerian Economic Council last week, which were also attended by the Bauchi State Governor. Consequently, my wife and I would be undergoing COVID-19 testing this week. All of the organizations to which my wife is affiliated have already begun Work from Home in line with earlier Government directive. In fact, through DAGOMO Foundation Nigeria Ltd/GTE, and in her personal capacity, my wife was already in the forefront of raising awareness around COVID-19. Please feel free to check out DAGOMO public messages on all of their social media pages. Twitter: dagomonigeria Instagram:dagomo_foundation Facebook: dagomonigeria And YouTube She will continue to do same. All members of NGF secretariat that were exposed will be observing self isolation. We encourage all those who were invited to the NGF meetings for presentations to also do same. By our actions, we hope to encourage others who are exposed and not sure of their status to undergo self-isolation and make themselves available for the test, where applicable. At the NGF meetings held, all necessary precautions as advised by the NCDC were taken, but we cannot make any assumptions about our status. We will self-isolate and take the stringent measures possible to protect the general public. Coronavirus is real. Please follow all NCDC guidelines for COVID-19 and Stay at Home unless you provide essential services. Advertisements Asishana Okauru, Esq., Director General Nigeria Governors Forum The Taliban denied any involvement in the attack Wednesday. After signing a peace deal with the United States last month, the group has been under pressure to reduce violence and enter into talks with the Afghan government. But the Islamic State is allied with neither the government nor the Taliban and has continued its attacks. The Assam government said on Wednesday that there are enough food items in the stock to sustain the state for the 21-day lockdown imposed in the wake of the coronaVirus outbreak. Addressing a press conference here, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Phani Bhusan Choudhury said the state will sail through the lockdown period with its food stock without considering the FCI's stock under National Food Security Act. "At present, we have 2 lakh quintals of rice, 89,794 quintals of different dals, 75,552 quintals of sugar, 12,879 quintals of atta, 1,35,997 quintals of salt, 20,410 quintals of potato and 14,380 quintals of onion across the districts," he added. Along with these items, 56,317 tins of mustard oil and 38,738 tins of vanaspati are also available, Choudhury said. "There are more of these items, which are either on the road or being unloaded at various places. There are some trucks stuck at the Assam-West Bengal border. These will arrive within the next two-three days. We have also contacted the commerce chambers, which have assured us that there will be no shortage," he said. "With this amount of food items in the state, we will overcome this 21-day lockdown. We are more comfortable because many people have already stocked up 10-12 days of food at home. So there will be no crisis of food in Assam," he said. When asked about shopkeepers increasing the prices, the minister said that the government will look into that matter in the next two-three days after streamlining the supply across the state. At a separate press conference, chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna said, "We want to assure there is no shortage of food items now. May be one or two items are in short supply as these are extraordinary times." "There is apprehension among the people like what action the government has taken for the continuous supply of food items or is there enough stock of food. We reviewed that today with the district Deputy Commissioners (DCs). After the review, I can tell you there is nothing to worry about immediately," he said. If there is any shortage of food items, people can inform the state, district and SDRF control rooms, the chief secretary said. "For selling vegetables in the grocery shops we have asked the food and civil supplies department to collect vegetables from sources at Kharupetia and other places," he said. The DCs of Kamrup Metro and other urban areas have been asked to ensure distribution of the food items in localities where there are no grocery stores, he added. Markets, offices and even gas agencies were closed and roads were empty across Assam on Wednesday, the first day of the nationwide lockdown imposed to check the spread of the coronavirus, as people remained indoors after resorting to panic-buying in the past two days. The chief secretary said samples were collected from 217 people and 209 of them tested negative, while reports of the rest are awaited. Another 561 people are currently in isolation facilities. Stating that 177 ventilators were available at the hospitals in the state, Krishna said among them 48 were kept specially for Covid-19 patients. "We have mass quarantine facilities for 2,800 persons," he added. "A large number of people are coming from outside the state and they have reached our border with West Bengal. We have instructed the DCs there to make facilities for their shelter, ensure their 14-day quarantine, provide food to them and the state government will bear all the expenses," he said. The chief secretary warned of strict action against those harassing health workers in their neighbourhoods. Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said strong action will be taken against anybody violating the provisions of the National Disaster Management Act. "We are also warning those spreading rumours on social media and creating panic among the public," Mahanta asserted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Progressive Conservative government has unleashed a $17 billion COVID-19 plan, plunging the province deeper into the red to tackle a virus that is ravaging Ontarios health-care system. Finance Minister Rod Phillips on Wednesday injected $3.3 billion more into health plus $3.7 billion for other supports and promised an additional $10 billion in tax deferrals, doubling the deficit to $20.5 billion. Last years budget shortfall was $9.2 billion. But as doctors, nurses, and other front line workers strive to contain the virus, Phillips said it was urgent that he table the record $174.3 billion spending plan. COVID-19 is an extraordinary threat to the health and economy of Ontario the greatest weve faced in my lifetime, the 55-year-old treasurer told a legislature that was limited to 28 MPPs instead of the customary 124 members due to the need for social distancing. It demands an extraordinary response from all levels of government and civil society because were all in this together, said Phillips, who cancelled the planned budget that was to have been delivered Wednesday due to a pandemic that has crippled the global economy. A full budget complete with future projections will be tabled by Nov. 15. Because of the worldwide uncertainty, Phillips was unable to include any such outlook. Premier Doug Ford, who had promised to balance the budget by 2023, stressed these are unprecedented times and the government will spare no expense. We will spend whatever it takes, Ford told reporters. To help families and businesses scrambling because of the outbreak, there will be $10 billion in tax deferrals. These include deferring $1.8 billion in property taxes paid by individuals and businesses. The employer health tax exemption (EHT) will temporarily be doubled to $1 million, which should help 57,000 small businesses 30,000 of which wouldnt pay the tax at all. Phillips statement warned the government is taking a punishing revenue hit in many areas the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, which generated $2.3 billion to provincial coffers last year is projected to bring in just $809 million in 2020-21. Thats because COVID-19 has forced the closure of Ontarios casinos. Overall, the Tories are expecting $5.8 billion less in revenue than anticipated. The financial statement sets aside $3.3 billion in new spending for health care, with two-thirds of it targeted at outbreak response measures. That includes a $1 billion contingency fund to direct as needed depending on how hard COVID-19 hits the province as the government considers whether to put overflow hospital patients in hotels. In addition, there is $160 million to boost lab-testing capacity and surveillance of the virus amid concerns Ontario has had to limit testing to the most serious cases and health-care workers. Help is on the way, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says in announcing the emergency response benefit that will provide $2,000 a month for four months for people who have lost their income because of COVID-19. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit combines two benefits announced last week to streamline application process. Experts have warned that leaves many milder cases undetected as the number of confirmed cases alone rises about 20 per cent daily. The cases going undetected makes it impossible for local public health officials to track their close contacts and isolate them to slow the spread of the virus. Home testing kits will be provided when they become available, said the financial statement that also sets aside $935 million to improve capacity in overcrowded hospitals with more acute- and critical-care beds. Nursing homes, which are full of frail elderly people highly vulnerable to the virus and the most likely to become seriously ill, will share $243 million to boost their emergency capacity and implement more virus containment measures. Another $80 million is going to nursing homes to maintain quality of care with staff expected to be overworked amid outbreaks that have already hit a number of long-term care facilities and resulted in several deaths. Given fears that health-care workers are running low on personal protective equipment, an extra $75 million has been earmarked along with $120 million for improvements to home and community care and another $62 million to hire more doctors, nurses, and personal-support workers. Mindful of the importance of social distancing, the province will spend $23.8 million to boost the number of doctors seeing patients by video or helping them via email or phone. There will be one-time payments to families of $200 for every child under the age of 12. Parents of special-needs kids will receive $250 per child as part of that $336 million program. College and university students will also get a six-month break in repaying their Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) loans a move that follows a similar interest-free period announced by the federal government last week. OSAP loans comprise both federal and provincial monies, and post-secondary groups have been worried about the impact of COVID-19 on students and how they can continue to make payments during mass shutdowns. Given the economic uncertainty and job losses in the province, post-secondary students have also been urging governments to enact a two-year moratorium on interest payments for anyone graduating this year. While Phillips praised the New Democrats, Liberals, Green, and Independent MPPs for agreeing to expedite passage of his bill, he ignored some of their recommendations for the statement. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath had called for immediate $2,000 payments to households facing pandemic-related economic hardship. I am urging the government to regroup, and put together a direct financial support package for people, and for small- and medium-sized businesses. Many Ontarians are at their financial breaking point, said Horwath, noting rent and mortgage payments are looming. Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca, meanwhile, had urged the Tories to consider matching the federal 10 per cent wage subsidy to help workers and their employers. We know that if we do nothing, more workers will soon find themselves laid off, said Del Duca, adding most of whats been announced today is in the form of deferrals, which suggests that businesses will be required to pay what they owe in six months. In the fact of such criticism, Phillips struck a non-partisan tone. As the premier has said there is no team blue, team orange, team red or team green there is only Team Ontario, said the treasurer, whose fiscal update was a serious, sharply focused affair. It came in stark contrast to last years controversial $163.4 billion budget that unveiled the defective double-blue Ontario licence plates, which are illegible in some lighting conditions, and a slew of hidden cuts, including to municipal public health funding. Ford was so unhappy with the 2019 budget that he demoted treasurer Vic Fedeli to economic development minister just 10 weeks later after being forced to abandon some of the key planks in the spending plan. The legislature, which is supposed to be in session now, will now break until April 14. Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: Social distancing is the only solution: PM Modi while interacting with citizens of Varanasi India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Mar 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday interacted with the people of his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi amid nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. During the interaction with citizens of Varanasi (via video conferencing), Modi said,''I am saddened by the terror attack at the Gurudwara in Kabul. I express my condolences to the families of all the deceased.'' Stay at home, it is the only way says Modi after announcing 21 day lockdown He said,''As the MP of Varanasi, I should have been among you in times like these. But you know the things which are going on in Delhi. Despite being busy here, I've been taking regular updates about Varanasi from my colleague.'' ''Today is the first day of Navratri, you all must be busy in performing rituals & offering prayers, but still you took out time for this interaction, I'm grateful to all of you. I pray to Goddess Shailputri to give us the strength to fight country's battle against,'' Modi said. "I will interact with the people of my constituency of Varanasi on the situation arising out of coronavirus. You can join this conversation through video conferencing at 5 pm on 25 March. If you have any suggestion or question, can share it by going to the comment section of the NaMo app," he had tweeted on Monday. #Stayathome and send us your selfie The prime minister has been interacting with various stakeholders on ways to deal with the virus outbreak. He has also been pitching for social distancing, urging people to stay at home whenever possible. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, March 25, 2020, 17:34 [IST] Mayor London Breed, health Director Dr. Grant Colfax and representatives from public and private hospitals said Wednesday the city may need up to 1,500 more ventilators and 5,000 more hospital beds to confront the surge in COVID-19 cases that is predicted to descend on San Francisco in as little as two weeks. Since the crisis began, public health officials and San Francisco hospitals have been collaborating on a unified plan to address a predicted inundation of new patients brought on by community spread of the new coronavirus. The plan is anchored around two broad imperatives: Reduce the pressure on hospitals, and expand their capacity to handle more cases. The plan including the resources needed was based in part on the eruption of cases in New York state, which have doubled every few days. While infectious disease experts have praised Californias early efforts to limit the spread of the virus, local health officials are bracing for a comparable onslaught. The vast increase in ventilators and beds along with the health care workers needed to staff those beds would be required, should San Francisco follow the same trends as New York and fail to flatten the curve reducing the number of new cases. The model that helped determine San Franciscos potential supply needs was developed by UC Berkeley clinicians, physicians, epidemiologists and research scientists, Colfax said. They looked at how the crisis evolved in places including Wuhan, China; Italy; and New York, and compared it to local data. That information, he said, was used to predict the virus spread in San Francisco over the next few weeks and months. He did not estimate the numbers of cases the city might face. Despite the citys aggressive efforts to prohibit public gatherings and get people to stay home and away from one another, it is plausible that ... we could have a scenario similar to the one that is playing out in New York this very day, Colfax said. Im sorry to say the worst is yet to come. Yet we are preparing, as we have been since the very beginning of this emergency. San Francisco has about 1,300 staffed regular medical-surgical beds and 200 staffed intensive care unit beds in its hospitals. That, health and hospital officials said, is sufficient to meet an initial surge of new patients, but a second, larger wave would strain the citys resources past their breaking points. Breed sent letters to Vice President Mike Pence and Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday requesting more personal protective equipment like masks, face shields, gowns and gloves more testing kits, more health care staff and regulatory changes to enable the city to handle more patients. City officials are also asking the federal and state governments to help supply the additional ventilators and beds. Our government and our hospital systems are currently stretched and approaching capacity, and we request your immediate assistance before we hit our peak patient load, Breed wrote. In a virtual news conference conducted online Wednesday, the mayor said: We are still in a situation that requires a significant ramp-up. It requires the need for our state and our federal partners to step up more than they ever have before, and to move faster. Mary Ellen Carroll, director of the citys Department of Emergency Management, said decisions about how staff and resources would be allocated will flow through the citys Emergency Operations Center, which is staged in Moscone Center South during the crisis. The emergency department will work hand-in-hand with (the Department of Public Health) to identify the resources that are needed and to make the appropriate purchases and requests for aid through the state and federal governments, she said. The public health threat we face as a city and a region calls for the highest level of collaboration among our hospitals, said Mark Laret, president and CEO of UCSF Health. By coming together, we can respond to this crisis for San Francisco and also show communities across the country how to prepare for their response. Also on Wednesday, Newsom said hes looking to reopen a California Pacific Medical Center campus in San Francisco that halted inpatient services a year ago as part of a statewide plan to increase hospital beds in anticipation of the patient surge. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The state is in talks with Sutter Health, which owns CPMC, to potentially reopen its Pacific campus on Buchanan Street. That campus, which could provide around 150 beds, closed last year after Sutter moved to its new hospital on Van Ness Avenue. Reducing the pressure on hospitals so they are able to care for COVID-19 patients rests in part on the communitys continued efforts to shelter in place, as all Bay Area counties instructed their residents to do to curb the spread of infections. Social distancing is, and will, save lives, Colfax said. Visitors to hospitals, long-term care facilities and residential facilities have also been restricted, elective surgeries have been canceled or postponed, and the city has worked to find places such as vacant hotels and public buildings where people can go if they have COVID-19 and do not require hospitalization but have no place to safely self-isolate. When it comes to building capacity to care for new patients, St. Francis Memorial Hospital is opening a dedicated COVID-19 floor with 40 medical-surgical beds and eight ICU beds. The citys health department has also expedited the hiring of public health nurses, and it expects to add 220 registered nurses to its workforce. San Francisco officials also closed City Hall to the public Wednesday until at least April 7 following a significant drop-off in the number of City Hall employees coming in to work each day. Like the rest of the Bay Area, departments have encouraged city workers to stay home and work remotely, if possible. Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa Srinagar, March 25 : Home delivery of monthly rations to 1.60 lakh households in Srinagar city will start on March 28 to ensure that the residents of the 12.5 lakh-strong Srinagar city stay indoors. Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary, District Magistrate Srinagar, said under strict safety protocol, departments of public distribution, agriculture, police, magistrates, Srinagar municipal Corporation and road transport corporation will start home delivery of rations to 1.6 lakh families from March 28. The decision has been taken to ensure that residents of Srinagar city remain indoors for 21 days to break the COVID-19 infection chain. In a related development, the Srinagar District Magistrate made another fervent appeal to citizens to remain indoors. The DM said the number of COVID-19 positive cases is probably more than those who have so far tested positive for the virus. When Arizona State University announced it would transition in-person classes to remote instruction, it was the Wednesday afternoon of spring break. That meant that Christopher Callahan, the dean of the universitys Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, had about 96 hours to prepare his schools 124 professors, who together taught 193 courses and about 1,200 students, to go online. By 7:30 Monday morning, he found himself in a makeshift command center with fellow deans and IT staff, monitoring the newly transitioned classes on Zoom. Advertisement That gave us the ability to sort of peek in, Callahan explained. Able to identify instructors who were struggling, we were able to adjust that in real time, he said. Callahans experience, which he discussed with Future Tense editor and ASU editor in residence Torie Bosch in the most recent installment of Future Tenses Social Distancing Socials, is far from unique. (Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, ASU, and New America.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Across the world, universities and other education institutions are struggling to manage the transition to remote learning. As they do so, they face complex questions about educational accessibility, learning equity, and student well-being. Its completely uncharted waters for everyone, Callahan said. One of the largest challenges with the transition is very concrete: What about students who dont have computers or broadband access at home? Advertisement Advertisement In ASUs case, the school was able to identify students who needed laptops and prepaid hotspots and deliver those tools to them, free of cost. The last laptop Cronkite distributed was sent out on Sunday or Monday, Callahan said. (Students will eventually have to return the laptops. So dont get any ideas.) Student housing is another conundrum. Citing health and safety concerns, some universities have decided to close down residence and dining halls. ASU, for its part, has kept dormitories open (though it has encouraged students who have the ability to move out to do so). During the academic year, this is their home, Callahan said, citing the need to keep living options available for students who dont have anywhere else to go. Advertisement In a survey of nearly 167,000 college students last year, the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice found that 39% of respondents were food insecure in the prior 30 days and 46% of respondents were housing insecure in the previous yearfindings that highlight the need to protect the stability of housing and dining options for students, despite the health challenges presented by COVID-19. Advertisement Cronkites response, explained Callahan, is motivated by two priorities: maintaining the health and safety of its students and continuing to provide them with a robust education. Normally, those priorities dont conflict. But in the middle of a pandemic, they canthe school, for example, decided to prohibit all field reporting, which is normally a huge part of its students coursework and professional training and, because the journalism industry hires based on concrete experience, is also key to future employability. As a Cronkite alum, I know this well: The school supported my reporting in two foreign countries as a part of my coursework, so I can only imagine how being stuck behind a screen must be a drag. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has forced our students to be really creative in storytelling, Callahan said. The students who normally put together a nightly news show broadcast on Arizona PBS, for example, are reporting from their homes, giving weather forecasts from their living rooms and anchoring news updates from their kitchens. Fernanda Santos, a professor at the school, worked with her students to create a list of remote reporting strategies, including using video calls to be a fly on the wall, asking sources to keep a daily diary or audio log, and tapping into Google Earth to describe places that you cant visit. Advertisement Advertisement The challenges inherent in transitioning to remote learning are compounded by the fact that many students are currently under severe emotional and physical stress. Some have been converted into caregivers for family members or full-time teachers for children; others have lost income. Given those difficulties, students and teachers around the country have (in some cases successfully) argued for converting grading systems to pass-fail. Advertisement Callahan said that while hes asked professors to use their best judgment to support students in the context of their individual circumstances, lowering the standards would be a disservice to our students. Callahan said his school is doing what it can to prioritize students mental and emotional well-being. Its introduced remote extracurricular activities via Zoom, including yoga classes, karaoke and dance parties, binge-watching meetups, lunchtime chats, and two remote sessions called Pets of Cronkite and Kids of Cronkite, which encourage people to take a virtual walk or make some silly faces with their best animal or small-human companions. And as for what Bosch called the long-term ramifications for this bizarre experiment that weve all been forced into? Callahan hasnt had much time to think about them just yet. Maybe ask him once his 18-hour days have calmed down a bit. Ive had my head in the sand a little bit on a lot of the mechanics here, he said. I would anticipate all sorts of great lessons from this. We will be incorporating a lot of the lessons weve learned. Watch the full discussion on the New America website. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Three hikers were stranded overnight Tuesday in the Coast Range, and their desperate call for help saved them -- but also landed two of them in handcuffs because of their previous entanglements with the law. The Tillamook County Sheriffs Office said Steven Harrigan and Natalie Ladu were among the group that planned to hike in the Tillamook Burn area. The group parked at a locked access gate, entered the forest and eventually called authorities, saying they were frozen and unable to move, according to the sheriffs office. Their call for help was transferred from Washington County to Tillamook County early Tuesday evening, and a search was launched. Searchers found their cars, and they spotted the groups footprints shortly before midnight. They found the group about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. No one needed medical attention. Harrigan, 45, was arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm, the sheriffs office said. Ladu, 37, was arrested on a Washington County warrant for a parole violation and possession of methamphetamine, according to the agency. The third hiker, 31-year-old Alex Meyers, was not arrested. The rescue came amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has taxed public agencies and prompted Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to instruct people to stay home except when traveling for essential work, buying food and similar critical supplies, or returning to their own homes. People should only engage in activities outside their home, the governor said, if they can maintain a six-foot distance from others to avoid spread of the virus. Walking, running and hiking are fine, according to the governors announcement, but not parties or other celebrations. Please remember that even if recreating at specified COVID-19 social distancing, that in the event you need rescue or medical assistance, you no longer are social distancing, and you place rescuers at risk and burden an emergency / medical system which is already being taxed, the sheriffs office said in a statement. The Tillamook Burn ravaged the Oregon coast in 1933 after being sparked by a logging operation. The flames were fueled by 100-degree weather, and its remote location made fighting it nearly impossible. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Mike Rogoway contributed to this report Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 20:03:52|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Customers wearing masks shop at a supermarket in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 25, 2020. Malaysia is extending the "movement control order" that includes comprehensive restrictive measures for two more weeks till April 14, in an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced Wednesday. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua) KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia is extending the "movement control order" that includes comprehensive restrictive measures for two more weeks till April 14, in an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced Wednesday. In a televised speech, Muhyiddin said the number of cases in the country had gone up to 1,796 by noon Wednesday after an additional 172 cases had been reported. The number could have risen much higher had the government not taken any actions. "The movement control order that we have taken has to some extent successfully control the spread to the outbreak," he said. Malaysia has implemented "movement control order" since March 18 including closing shops and schools as well as imposing travel bans. It called for residents to stay at home in an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. The restriction measures were originally to end on March 31. The trend of new cases is expected to continue for some time before the cases begin to decline, forcing the government to continue the move control order for a longer period of time, he said. "Accordingly, the government has decided that the movement control order will be extended until April 14, 2020," he said, adding the possibility of further extension if needed. The government is taking measures on the projection that the confirmed cases will continue to rise for the time being, the health ministry has prepared more than 3,500 beds at 34 hospitals across the country to receive COVID-19 patients. Currently 34 percent of hospital beds were occupied, according to Muhyiddin. A number of places have also been identified for use as potential temporary isolation and quarantine facilities, he added. The prime minister said efforts will be continued to prevent this transmission of COVID-19 until the outbreak is contained by cutting off the entire infection chain. The health ministry will increase its test capacity and to conduct mass testing especially in high risk areas, he said. Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah told a daily briefing later that the COVID-19 death toll in the country has risen to 19 individuals. Out of the total cases, 199 have been cured and discharged from hospital, while 45 are currently being held in intensive care and 34 of those are in need of assisted breathing. Prime Minister Muhyiddin has assured the public that sufficient food stocks were available, urging the public to avoid panic buying and remain calm. The US Embassy in Baghdad announced today that is providing $670,000 to help Iraq fight the novel coronavirus pandemic. Todays announcement shows the strength of the US and Iraqi partnership, and we are committed to fighting this pandemic alongside the Iraqi people, said US Ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller. Support provided through the [World Health Organization] will directly enhance the countrys ability to combat the spread of COVID-19. Why it matters: Iraq has confirmed at least 266 coronavirus cases throughout the country and 23 deaths. It instated a country-wide lockdown through Saturday. The embassy statement noted that US funds going to the World Health Organization will help the governments of currently affected or at-risk developing countries prepare their laboratories for large-scale testing for COVID-19; implement a public-health emergency plan for points of entry; activate case-finding and event-based surveillance for influenza-like illnesses; train and equip rapid response teams; investigate cases and trace the contacts of infected persons; and adapt training materials for health workers. Whats next: The coronavirus pandemic has already impacted the US-led coalition against the Islamic State. The Pentagon announced last week that the Iraqi Security Forces have suspended all training with US forces to curb the spread of the pandemic, leading to a partial drawdown of coalition troops. Still, the US-led coalition hopes to resume the training as the situation permits. Know more: Hassan Ali Ahmed reports on how Iraqs clerical establishment is bolstering the Iraqi governments efforts to fight COVID-19 with a series of fatwas to encourage social distancing. And read congressional correspondent Bryant Harris report on how the coronavirus has led to temporary adjustments in the fight against the Islamic State. Gatherings at a downtown strip club, around a northeast Lincoln backyard bonfire, for a birthday party in a park shelter and a wedding at a South 70th Street church fueled some of the first complaints to the city over its 10-person limit recommendation to address the coronavirus outbreak. One man reported the domestic-violence class he had to attend, and another person complained about all the people and pets inside PetSmart. By Monday, 25 complaints over public gatherings had streamed into the city's online reporting site UpLNK. By comparison, the typical early spring public enemy potholes had garnered only 16 complaints in the last seven days. So far, the 10-person limit remains a recommendation in Lincoln and Lancaster County, where public leaders hope social-distancing measures will slow the spread and buy precious time for the health care system so it can bear the treatment needs caused by COVID-19. Omaha has made the limit an order through April 30, with guidance that excludes staff and notes 10 people or fewer can be in a single room or single space at a time. The order authorized March 19 was being enforced, Omaha officials said, but police hadn't issued any tickets for businesses violating it as of Sunday. Voluntary moves by businesses to close or curtail their operations and by organizations and groups to postpone or cancel regular gatherings have proven vital in the effort, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said last week. Asked by Councilwoman Tammy Ward whether the city needs to take stricter measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, interim Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department Director Pat Lopez said "further action would be based on what we know is happening in the community." Mayoral Chief of Staff Jennifer Brinkman added that the city's been seeking guidance from University of Nebraska Medical Center experts and those at Johns Hopkins University. They've heard public input about taking steps to further shut down the city and are evaluating what to do daily and sometimes hourly based on the information available, and they're certainly willing to take those measures if needed, Brinkman said. "We also know that the health director has that power, so we're relying on Pat to make the right decision," she said. Glad she's stuck in the job Lopez stepped into the director's chair at the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department last May on an appointment expected to wrap up by year's end. The previous director, Shavonna Lausterer, had been diagnosed with breast cancer and took medical leave. She died in June. As the mayor's interim health director, Lopez resumed a nearly 30-year career at the health department that spanned from 1975 to 2004. She worked as a public health consultant after she left the local health department. In late 2019, as her time as interim director was supposed to be nearing its end, a city consultant had picked some candidates to interview for the permanent job, but city and county officials didn't have a consensus candidate. So in January, the mayor asked and Lopez agreed to stay on. Flash-forward two months. Lopez's role in city government has become even more pivotal as she and her health department staff lead the city's incident command center and coordinate the pandemic response. While briefing the City Council on Monday, Lopez said she's worked through a series of epidemics in her career. But COVID-19 has posed a unique challenge compared to those epidemics, said Lopez, a registered nurse in Nebraska since 1974. "We've never not had tests to test people," Lopez said, "and that's what's made it really hard to offer the best guidance to keep the community safe." A national testing supply shortage has hamstrung the local effort to confirm the presence of the coronavirus in Lincoln and Lancaster County, as officials believe there's more than just the three confirmed cases here so far, she said. Only two weeks ago did the hospitals in town get the ability to send swabs off to private labs for COVID-19 testing, and strict Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines have limited which Lancaster County patients can have their samples sent for testing at the state's public laboratory in Omaha, she said. After Lopez briefed the Lancaster County Board on Tuesday, Commissioner Roma Amundson complimented Lopez for her calming influence. "I'm glad you're stuck in that job," Commissioner Sean Flowerday joked with Lopez. She stuck around in large part because of the great staff at the department, she said. "Take care of yourselves," Amundson told her, "because we need you." Scooter program delayed Lincoln has selected three companies to launch its electric, rental scooters, but they'll be hitting the downtown streets two months later than planned because of the pandemic. Bird, Lime and Spin scooters will launch June 1 rather than April 1 in Lincoln's pilot program for the transportation craze seen across the U.S. in the last couple years, according to Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliott. "This decision was not made lightly, but I think for the publics health and safety, and given that the market for scooters right now with UNL closed is likely to be minimal, I think pushing it to a later date is necessary," Elliott said in an email to City Council members. Two of the three companies, Lime and Spin, operated in Omaha's pilot programs last year and together recorded more than 200,000 rides, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Fast takes 15-18 The number of nurses answering questions for the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department's hotline each day. Lopez said it's not uncommon for the hotline 402-441-8006 to get thousands of calls daily. Call or email The Lincoln City Council if you want to bring issues to its attention. On Monday, the council indefinitely suspended the open public comment period typically held at the end of certain meetings each month. Public comment will still be held on the items on the council's agenda. But for other topics not pending before the council, comments should be directed by emailing councilpacket@lincoln.ne.gov or by calling 402-441-7515. On par Lincoln's daily water usage since the beginning of the month compared with a typical March, according to Lincoln's Assistant Director for Utilities Donna Garden. "It is obviously higher than last year due to the flood, but in line with other years," she said. One small hope of mine May we continue to wash our hands as well and as often once the pandemic has passed. The scene in Lincoln with much of city shut down Reach the writer at 402-473-2657 or rjohnson@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSRileyJohnson. A Lehigh Valley trucker whose Facebook post about a ticket from a local police department went viral is turning the attention to raising money for an area food bank. Donald Muehlberger, who lives in South Whitehall Township, has been driving a tractor trailer for 30 years. He makes deliveries in the Lehigh Valley, and on March 19, was looking for a spot for lunch to take his mandated 30-minute break. Muehlberger parked in the the Nazareth Plaza shopping center, off of Route 191 in Lower Nazareth Township, where he said hes been parking for about 10 years with no problems. Truck parking is prohibited in the center, and on a Colonial Regional police officer ticketed Muehlberger. The driver said he apologized and offered to move right away. He should have given me a warning, Muehlberger said, but admitted he was in the wrong. "Hes out every day and hes delivering this stuff thats needed, Muehlbergers girlfriend, Leah Cosentino said. That included a delivery of hand sanitizer, gloves and masks that week. That night, Muehlberger posted about the ticket on his Facebook page. He expected to hear from a few of his friends, but noticed it was being shared and liked Friday night. By the time the couple woke up on Saturday, there were hundreds of interactions to the post. It went viral over the weekend and has been shared over 3,700 times. There were people offering to pay for the ticket and I did not want that, Muehlberger said. So the couple thought about creating a GoFundMe to benefit the Nazareth Area Food Bank, because he was ticketed in the Nazareth area, and have donations made in the officers badge number. Muehlberger and Cosentino made the $1,000 GoFundMe to help feed people that dont have access to food during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Wednesday afternoon, it raised $330. We just wanted to make something positive, Muehlberger said. They started seeing comments attacking the police officer, and we want people to understand we were horrified at these comments. We never expected that," he added. On Monday, the Colonial Regional Police Department posted on its Facebook page about the controversy, and the degrading and unjustified comments about the department. In the post, the department said there were complaints about illegally-parked truckers relieving themselves in the shopping center parking lot, although Muehlberger was not one of them. I would never do anything like that. I live here, he said. Truck parking, both for long-haul and local drivers, has been a growing issue in Pennsylvania. Customers dont want you in their lot anymore, and you dont want to park on residential streets, Muehlberger said. PennDOT closed rest areas along major highways due to the coronavirus, only to then reopen the ones most used by truckers following complaints. After posting about receiving a parking ticket on 3/19, little did I know it would be shared over 3600 times. The... Posted by Don Muehlberger on Sunday, March 22, 2020 There have been many legitimate and inappropriate postings regarding a Notice of Violation issued by one of our... Posted by Colonial Regional Police Department on Monday, March 23, 2020 Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. The Indian government has locked down 80 districts that have positive cases of COVID-19. The centre on Sunday asked the state governments to issue appropriate notice regarding allotment of only essential services to operate in and around the districts of India. AFP Here the citizens need not to panic as there are some services that you can avail and cannot while in the lockdown. Name of the States whose district are under lock down States Number of Districts Andhra Pradesh 5 Bihar 2 Chandigarh 1 Chhattisgarh 1 Delhi 8 Gujarat 6 Haryana 5 Himachal Pradesh 1 Jammu and Kashmir 2 Karnataka 8 Kerala 11 Ladakh 2 Madhya Pradesh 2 Maharashtra 10 Odisha 1 Puducherry 1 Punjab 4 Rajasthan 7 Tamil Nadu 7 Telangana 6 Uttar Pradesh 10 Uttarakhand 1 West Bengal 2 Transport Services: No operation of any public transport that includes private buses, taxis, auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws will be permitted. Only DTC buses will be allowed to operate at not more than 25 per cent capacity to help the personnel engaged in essential services. Movement of inter-state buses, trains and metro will be suspended throughout the given period. Private cabs: No, most of the states have placed a ban on any private or public transport which includes cabs and taxis. Some states however will allow taxis to go to hospitals and airports. Privately owned cars and two-wheelers AFP It will be allowed only for those who are travelling on essential purposes. You may be asked or stopped to question the reason for travel. Taking pets for a walk Yes, you can take your pets out of the house for a walk but you cant be in a group of people and you cant stay out for too long. Local stores All shops which are a commercial establishment like factories, workshops, offices and godowns will not be in operation. Only medical shops can operate those which have a license to sell. The roads of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Haryana be free to commute The borders of these states are sealed till further orders. Petrol pumps in operation Yes, petrol pumps, LPG and oil agencies will work as essential services need to operate Flights in Delhi All International flights arriving or departing are suspended till March 31. Some of the Domestic flights are still operational. Temples, Mosque and other religious places AFP As per government orders no religious place will be opened. Hospital in lockdown Yes, hospitals are operational and if you have any problem you can visit your nearest hospital. Delivery services Yes, e-commerce is working in full swing. All the essential goods including food items, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, groceries, dairy products, general provision stores will be in operation. Journalists or media person allowed Yes, journalists and media people are allowed only with proper identification proofs. ATM Services Yes, ATM services will be provided. However, you have to declare this while you move out of the house. Internet and courier services No, telecommunication, internet facilities and postal services will continue to operate while in lockdown. Group outings No, this is strictly prohibited by the government. Only 5 people at time can go out with a distinctive reason for their travel otherwise this would be a punishable offense. Services and establishments are excluded from this order Offices with law and order duties like police, health, fire, prisons, fair price shops, electricity water, municipal services. All the activities which are related to the functioning of legitimate assembly are operative. Hriday Ranjan By I always thought that my generation did not witness any great calamity no World Wars, or Emergency, or epidemic. Since my birth, there were medicines for most illnesses and the solution to every health problem was to visit a doctor and pop some pills. However, the lockdowns have raised a number of existential questions in my mind. Take for example, my career as a standup comedian. As I watch medical professionals and policemen go about their jobs, I wonder what I was contributing to the world as a comedian. It makes my jokes seem silly, my sets irrelevant. My career as a film critic has also come to a standstill, and the encyclopaedic information about cinema that I have amassed over the decades amounts to zilch. As a humour writer, I struggle to find the funny in a world where hundreds are dying everyday without a cure. I have generally been a cynic and a pessimist in life. If you give me a glass half-filled with water, Ill first ask if the water is RO treated. But spending weeks at home has taught me that in times like this, we can only maintain our sanity by looking at the positive side of things. Firstly, there is no need to attend meetings anymore. I have always wondered what was the need to attend meetings. We live in a world of 4G connectivity, and yet, every boss in the world requires you to sit in front of them during meetings. For a one-hour meeting, one has to wake up early, get dressed, brave the incessant traffic, and attend a meeting where only one person talks. Thanks to the lockdowns, organisations have suddenly discovered the joys of video conferencing. If the lockdowns go on for a few more months, it might forever change the way organisations view human resources. The other positive is the focus on fitness. In the absence of a cure, fitness is our strongest weapon against the virus. However, the biggest obstacle to personal fitness used to be personal trainers. Every gym had Rambos and Rockys walking around flexing their inhuman biceps. With music by Honey Singh and Badshah blaring from the speakers, working out was more about blocking out the noises first. However, with the lockdowns, one could workout from home, simply by playing a YouTube video. Perhaps, the greatest positive of the lockdowns is that we are now forced to become independent. India might not be a developed nation yet, but the dependence on domestic helps to do menial tasks like cleaning and washing is shocking. While it is tragic that many workers in the unorganised sector will remain without work, perhaps it will teach Indians that we are enough to clean our own homes. The lockdown has also taught us to start cooking food on our own. Yours Truly has recently discovered that most Indian cooking involves the same process of adding the same masalas. Not only is it extremely de-stressing, it makes me question all the money I spent on food-delivery apps in the past. But perhaps the greatest lesson for us all is one of humility. The lockdown has shown us our place in the world. That we are not invincible, and cannot continue using the worlds resources like play-dough. That the greatest use for our hands is by washing them and staying indoors. Hriday Ranjan Writer, comedian Researchers from the University of Washington have found that emissions from container ships and other commercial vessels form dense clouds that reflect solar radiation and significantly mask the effects of global warming. Exhaust from commercial ships contain small sulfate particles, which the researchers describe as 'seeds,' that attract water vapor and then turn into cloud droplets. Because of their small size, these sulfate particles lead to clouds that are more densely packed with droplets and have greater surface area that reflects solar radiation before it reaches the ocean. Scientists from the University of Washington analyzed satellite data from over the Atlantic Ocean and found exhaust from commercial container ships was causing clouds to form in greater density than normal The team estimated that these emission-based clouds may have had a masking effect on global warming by decreasing the amount of solar radiation that ends up trapped in the atmosphere by other greenhouse gases. These denser clouds blocked an average of two watts of solar energy for every 11 square feet (one square meter) of open ocean. Without these clouds, average global temperatures since the late 1800s could have risen 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit instead of the 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit rise currently documented. 'In climate models, if you simulate the world with sulfur emissions from shipping, and you simulate the world without these emissions, there is a sizable cooling effect from changes in the model clouds due to shipping,' University of Washington's Michael Diamond told the school's news blog. 'But because theres so much natural variability its been hard to see this effect in observations of the real world.' To measure the effect, the team looked at data from two different sets of satellites, one which analyzed the composition of the air using spectroradiometers and another which measured the amount of sunlight reflected from the atmosphere. The data was taken from over one of the most heavily trafficked shipping routes in the Atlantic Ocean between 2003 and 2015. Exhaust from commercial ships contain tiny sulfate particles, which attracts water vapor and causes small cloud droplets to form. The droplets formed around these particles are smaller than normal droplets and have greater surface area used to reflect solar energy The team found the clouds consistently formed in one of the busiest commercial shipping paths in the Atlantic Ocean Some have suggested trying to make more chemically-based clouds to reflect sunlight in the hopes of mitigating global warming, potentially using small salt particles as 'seeds.' According to Diamond, there's still not clear enough evidence to say that would be a good idea. 'What this study doesnt tell us at all is: Is marine cloud brightening a good idea? Should we do it?' Diamond said. 'Theres a lot more research that needs to go into that, including from the social sciences and humanities,' 'It does tell us that these effects are possibleand on a more cautionary note, that these effects might be difficult to confidently detect.' Burma Myanmar Military: Troops Attacked in RCSS Ambush Restoration Council of Shan State troops on parade on Shan State National Day in Loi Tai Leng, Shan State on Feb. 7. 2014. / Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy Myanmars military said one of its soldiers was wounded in a Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) ambush today in Mongton Township, eastern Shan State. The [RCSS] ambushed our troops while they were in transit and fighting broke out, said Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for Myanmars military, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. One soldier was shot and wounded in the ambush, he added. Tai Freedom, the RCSSs news service, reported today that Myanmars army attacked an RCSS base in Mongton Township and fighting lasted about half an hour. It was not true that the Tatmadaw [military] attacked an RCSS base. Their report said the Tatmadaw entered the area and attacked their base, said Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun. Myanmars army entered RCSS territory at 8:30am and confronted RCSS personnel, sparking a firefight, according to the rebel army. [Myanmars army] did not inform us when they came into our territory today. Our security guards attacked them as they approached our base, RCSS spokesman Major Kham San told The Irrawaddy. It was a temporary RCSS base, he added. The RCSS signed the National Ceasefire Agreement in 2015 and holds peace negotiations with the army and government but fighting breaks out periodically in Shan State. Fighting broke out between the RCSS and the Tatmadaw between Feb. 27 and March 3 in Mong Kai Township in central Shan State. RCSS leaders held talks in Naypyidaw last week to discuss the fighting in Mong Kai, according to the RCSS. The tension in [Mong Kai] has been resolved but they still havent withdrawn their troops, said Maj. Kham San. A renowned pandemic expert has predicted the government's lockdown measures will flatten Australia's coronavirus infection rate in the next fortnight - and he has a dire warning for beachgoers who flouted the social distancing rules last weekend. Australian Nobel Prize winner Professor Peter Doherty said he expects the nation's COVID-19 cases to 'flatten in the next couple of weeks' as a result of the steps taken by the federal and state governments to tackle the outbreak. However, he added there will be a surge in cases before the measures take full effect. The rate of infections in Australia has been growing rapidly - doubling every five days two weeks ago, and now doubling every three days. Pandemic expert Professor Peter Doherty has admitted that many people in the crowds that flocked to Bondi Beach last weekend (pictured) may have been exposed to coronavirus Professor Doherty also said he expects the rate of coronavirus infections to flatten in about a week because of government-imposed lockdown measures 'We may see an upward trajectory for another week - a lot of the people on Bondi may have been infected,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald, referring to the large gatherings of people at the famous beach last weekend in defiance of social gathering measures. Bondi was closed to the public after hundreds of people crowded the sand over the weekend despite the government clamping down on large gatherings. Mr Doherty said the government's current measures are 'fit for purpose for a short-term emergency', adding that the authorities are 'quick to lock people up'. The Doherty Institute, of which he is the patron, is a leading medical research facility and the first lab in the world outside of China to decode the structure of COVID-19. The institute has distributed the information to other labs to help fight the virus and has received millions in funding from the government and private donors. 'We are moving faster on this than on anything in human history. One vaccine in the US is already on trial, it's already gone into people's arms, and the University of Queensland vaccine is being progressed here and with CSIRO,' he said. He said the CSIRO is making vaccines which are currently being tested on animals with humans as the next step. The Australian and US vaccines are two different technologies with other methods also being tested around the world. Professor Doherty said a rapid antibody test also needs to be developed to identify people who have had the virus and recovered without showing any symptoms. These people are fine to go out in public and will not spread the virus - and with up to 30 per cent of the population falling into this category, the test could soften the economic effects of the crisis. Professor Doherty said a rapid antibody test also needs to be developed to identify people who have had the virus and recovered without showing any symptoms 1,87,904 are under surveillance, 35,073 have completed 28-day observation period' New Delhi: Union Cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba on Tuesday asked state governments to immediately identify and earmark hospitals to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. In a letter to the chief secretaries of the states, Mr Gauba also underlined that it is absolutely essential that surveillance and contact tracing of all positive cases are taken up and no suspected or high-risk person is left out. States have been told to equip the medical institutes with PPEs, ventilators and other essential equipment etc and ensure that essential services and supplies remain open. All states should immediately identify and earmark hospitals dedicated for management of Covid-19 cases and ensure that they are in a state of full readiness to deal with the situation in the event of a further spike in the number of confirmed cases. At this juncture we need to further enhance our efforts in respect of surveillance and contact tracing of positive cases in order to break the chain of transmission," he said. The Cabinet secretary requested the chief secretaries to suitably supplement the state and district surveillance teams with the Rapid Response Teams. States have been asked to mobilize the civil machinery under DMs to supplement surveillance and strengthen rapid response teams at the field level and to ensure that no suspect and a high-risk person is left during the surveillance. The Centre is monitoring the progress with respect to states having earmarked hospitals dedicated to Covid-19 cases. Gujarat, Assam, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Goa, Karnataka, MP and J&K are setting up hospitals dedicated for the management of Covid-19, health ministry officials said. A report by Brookings India, on Indias health infrastructure equipped to handle an epidemic, said that availability of beds in government hospitals is abysmally low and an epidemic like coronavirus can very quickly complicate the problem even further. Experts have warned against community spread of the disease which will lead to a rapid and huge increase in demand for health facilities. The report co-authored by a former member of Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister Shamika Ravi pointed out that there are a total 7,13,986 government hospital beds available in India and this amounts to 0.55 beds per 1,000 population. Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan reviewed the status of containment and management of Covid-19 in the country and emphasised on the quality and sturdiness of community surveillance and contact tracing in tackling the disease. As on date, cumulatively 1,87,904 persons are under surveillance, and around 35,073 have completed the 28-day observation period. Dr Vardhan also visited the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) control room and the testing laboratories. Meanwhile, ICMR cleared one more company to make the testing kit. In addition, 118 laboratories have been included in the ICMR network of Covid-19 testing with a capacity to test 12,000 samples per day. In the last five days, on average 1,338 samples have been tested per day. Furthermore, 22 private lab chains have registered with ICMR (till 24th March 2020) for Covid-19 testing. They have 15,500 collection centres nationwide. Also, out of 15 kit manufacturers, NIV Pune has approved three PCR based kits and 1 antibody detection kit. One of these is an Indian manufacturer. The residents still living at the facility are being asked to remain in their rooms and are being checked regularly for symptoms, Lahman said. If they must leave their room for whatever reason, theyre being asked to maintain safe distances from one another, she said. Did you know that scientists have warned the world about the emergence of a new coronavirus way back in 2007? Before the emergence of the new coronavirus, which causes a disease called COVID-19, the world has already confronted a strain of coronavirus starting in 2002, known as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV). And prior to that, only 12 other animals or human coronaviruses were known. In a clinical microbiology review published in 2007, members of the American Society of Microbiologists cited SARS as the first known major pandemic caused by a coronavirus. They have also raised red flags about the possible reemergence of SARS and other novel viruses from animals. Origin of SARS The disease emerged in late 2002, when an outbreak of acute community-acquired atypical pneumonia syndrome was first noticed in the Guangdong Province, China. READ: COVID-19 Attacks Slowly But Severely According to the review, the exposure of the first human cases of the disease to wild game animals which suggested that SARS-CoV is zoonotic in origin. It cited palm civets and horseshoe bats, which are common in animal markets in Guangzhou, as the source of the contagion. During the epidemic in 2003, 8,096 cases with 774 deaths had occurred in over 30 countries among five continents. Red Flags Since 2004, no known cases of SARS have been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, in the review, scientists warned that since coronaviruses are well known to undergo genetic recombination, they may lead to new genotypes and outbreaks. ALSO READ: Facts About 'Favilavir': The First Approved Coronavirus Drug "The presence of a large reservoir of SARS-CoV-like viruses in horseshoe bats, together with the culture of eating exotic mammals in southern China, is a time bomb." They advised that with the possibility of the reemergence of SARS and other novel viruses from animals or laboratories, preparedness should not be ignored. SARS vs COVID-19 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the fatality rate--percentage of people who contract the coronavirus and then die--of COVID-19 is 3.4 percent. But the rate varies on the countries and the moment: for instance, fatality is 0.6 percent in South Korea, 4.4 percent in Iran, between 3.6 percent and 6.1 percent in China and around 4 percent in Italy. Dr. Norman Swan, host of the ABC's Coronacast, explained, "COVID-19 has two or three times the transmission rate [compared with the flu] ... and the case fatality rate for COVID-19 is around 30 times higher than the flu." The COVID-19 appears to be less deadly than SARS, which killed around 10 percent of people who became infected but the SARS outbreak was contained within about six months. Meanwhile the COVID-19 outbreak is only a few months old at this point. As of writing, there are already more than 380,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases around the globe with more than 16,000 deaths. It is also worthy to note that more than 100,000 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the deadly disease. READ MORE: Does COVID-19 Stick to Clothing? Because the latest coronavirus outbreak is still unfolding globally, experts don't have the data about the virus' true fatality rate. According to Timothy Sheahan, an epidemiologist at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, structurally, the new coronavirus is similar to SARS, with the two viruses sharing about 80 percent of their genomes. Since it first emerged in Wuhan, the new coronavirus does not have many significant changes, based on genetic analyses. It's the nature of viruses to mutate to avoid dying out after being pass from person to person and spread into new geographical locations. FIND OUT MORE: How Do You Know if You're a COVID-19 Asymptomatic Patient? "It's basically Darwinian evolution, where it's survival of the fittest," Sheahan said. "But if you already have a virus that is good at human-to-human transmission and good at replicating in a person, there's no reason for it to get more fit." As experts warned in 2007, COVID-19 may have evolved from SARS-CoV and until we do something about it, history would repeat itself. Jaipur, March 25 : Bhilwara, the textile city of Rajasthan, is fighting the tough Covid-19 battle with the number of people testing positive reaching 16 on Wednesday, making it the highest count from a single city in the state. Four new coronavirus positive cases were reported on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 36 in the state, said Additional Chief Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh. While two healthcare personnel tested positive in Bhilwara, the third positive case had been of a person who came in contact with a doctor who tested coronavirus positive, while the fourth was from Jodhpur, Singh said. Bhilwara was declared the epicentre of Covid-19 in Rajasthan soon after the six healthcare personnel tested Covid-19 positive last week. And since then, the town has been undergoing the largest screening exercise with all its borders sealed and the residents facing curfew for the past five days. Till Tuesday, 13 people had tested positive for Covid-19 here. Intensive search is being conducted in the city to locate active cases. 300 teams are conducting house-to-house survey on the basis of polio microplans. The second phase of survey will be started soon. During March 19-24, around 70,000 families were surveyed and over 300,000 people screened in Bhilwara. Over 30 lakh people would be screened till March 27 in the Bhilwara district, said Chief Medical and Health Officer Mushtak Khan. He said over 38,000 houses had been screened and the remaining 25,000 would be screened in the next two days. The second and third phase of screening would be conducted in areas that reported Covid-19 positive cases, he added. Calling it a tough process, Khan said potential carriers could have spread all over the district. Till Tuesday, over 5,000 people had been isolated at home, and 38 were admitted to hospital isolation wards soon after three doctors and nine healthcare workers from the city's Bangad Hospital tested Covid-19 positive. According to Bhilwara city residents, the spread chain must have begun when a person with breathing issues admitted himself to the hospital, few days back, hiding his travel history. He then travelled to Jaipur and visited two hospitals. There too his travel history was not checked. He was not tested for coronavirus even after he showed symptoms of pneumonia. He died on March 13. But the doctor and his team that treated him in Bhilwara didn't share any concern and travelled to Udaipur on Holi. However, a few days after, they isolated themselves. Soon 12 people from Bhilwara tested Covid-19 positive, which included the doctor's wife. By Tuesday, the administration set up screening centre for all the symptomatic and contacts of the Bangad Hospital, the epicentre of COVID -19 positive cases in Bhilwara. The contacts included all hospital staff, ICU patients, IPD and OPD patients, and indirect contacts included family members or those with any contact history with Covid-19 positives or suspects. Rapid response teams (RRT) had been deployed at all the eight urban public health centres, said Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma. The RRTs in Jaipur and Bhilwara are working shift-wise for the sample collection. Four quarantine sites have been identified with 489-bed capacity. Identification of additional sites are in the process to increase the number up to 6,000. As per the guidelines, all the suspects after sample collection were to be shifted to these sites isolation wards, the Minister said. However, till the things settle down, citizens will continue to live under curfew in the district. No one is allowed to enter in the city. Raw food packets are being prepared for distribution in slum areas as part of the crisis management. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Barbara Boxer chose her kitchen as an interview spot because "it's the sunniest room in the house" and she wanted to highlight the photograph by her friend Michael Childers. (CNN) Were all at home now. And that includes the many politicians, reporters, professors, authors and medical experts who are being interviewed about the global pandemic on television news shows. As a result, viewers are suddenly seeing all kinds of home interiors in the background but without the filter and perfectionist lens of TV crews and production designers. Quite the opposite. Consider Barbara Boxer, the former Democratic senator from California, who was interviewed on CNN about the need for more test kits. While many viewers were undoubtedly focused on the important points she was making, one could be forgiven for wondering: Why is she standing in front of a large black fridge? And whats up with the abstract artwork to the left of it? When I called Boxer, she explained that she chose her kitchen because its the sunniest room in the house, adding, I feel very comfortable in that room. I do a lot of thinking in it. She also wanted to highlight the photograph by a friend, the well-known photographer Michael Childers. Most of those being interviewed are using teleconferencing software such as Skype and can presumably choose where they place their laptops for the broadcast. But they are making some surprising choices all on their own. The backgrounds are often fairly personal and oddly revealing. Were seeing some unusual art, messy piles of clothes hidden in the corner, cribs with toys, leather-bound book collections and distracting pillow designs. The unusual backgrounds go unmentioned, understandably, because the focus is on the vastly more important crisis at hand. But when youre confined at home, anxiously watching one news show after another for coronavirus updates, its easy to get distracted by the backgrounds and have questions. So many questions. Take the MSNBC interview with Annie Lowrey, a writer who covers economic policy for the Atlantic. Behind her, a white crib sits between two light-filled windows, and shes wearing large headphones. Story continues Annie Lowrey, writer for the Atlantic, on MSNBC on Friday. (MSNBC) Her comments on the crisis were smart, articulate and authoritative. But as a mother, this viewer was busy wondering: Is there a baby in that crib? Did she pick the room with the crib because her babysitter is staying home? Is she wearing headphones in case the baby starts crying? Stephen Colbert appeared to parody all the home interviews by giving The Late Show monologue while immersed in a bubble bath and wearing a suit and tie. His toilet and upscale bathtub fixtures were in clear view. Youre watching a very special social-distancing edition of The Late Show, Colbert said. People all over America have hunkered down in their own houses to ride out the coronavirus. The CDC is saying this might go on for the next eight weeks. So, get comfortable. Indeed, many of those interviewed at home have looked exceedingly comfortable. When Nicholas Christakis, a Yale University professor and author of Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society, was interviewed on CNN, the wide screen shot captivated. It revealed a tastefully decorated room with wood-frame windows offering a view of snow, a packed bookcase and a cozy leather reading chair. Christakis may be an esteemed author and a great speaker, but this viewer was mostly focused on the warm colors of the room, the yellow blanket on the back of the reading chair and the matching bulls-eye design on the pillow. And was that snowy New Haven out the window? Nice painting, too. Nicholas Christakis on CNN on Friday. (CNN) Speaking from his home in snowy Vermont, Christakis said he has been getting kind of annoyed by the plebeian background when he does interviews from his office, so he has ordered a Chinese screen. The painting, he proudly says, is by his daughter. Most of the backgrounds are far more austere. When reporters are interviewed from home, they are almost always positioned in front of bookshelves, some of them quite messy. Others are suspiciously organized and spare with just a few family photographs and random curios, evenly spaced. After watching an MSNBC interview with Gadi Schwartz, an NBC correspondent, it was hard not to imagine that a quick cleanup of his living room and bookcase had just occurred. The room is pristine and all objects feel upright and perfectly spaced. You nailed it, Schwartz admitted in a message sent via Twitter. Gadi Schwartz on MSNBC on Friday. (MSNBC) Some reporters come across as rumpled, even on TV. On CNN, David Sanger, the national security correspondent for the New York Times, was shown in close-up while large piles of crumpled papers and shipping tubes lurk behind him. David Sanger on CNN on Saturday. (CNN) I was caught in my natural lair, Sanger said in an email. My attic office is a jumbled mess and the only benefit of all this time at home is that Im finally emptying boxes.... Some art is so surprising that it can eclipse the interview entirely. At least for those of us given to focusing mostly on the backgrounds. For a CNN interview, Dr. Emily Landon, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, appeared seated in front of a black-and-white image of an eerie path disappearing into barren, wintry woods. Dr. Emily Landon on CNN on Saturday. (CNN) Landons plea for people to stay home was effective and direct. Still, this reporter got up from the couch and hovered close to the television screen trying to figure out whether the artwork juts out past the edge of the wall and into the hallway. In the midst of this global health crisis, its obviously more important to focus on what the people being interviewed are saying as opposed to the accidental glimpses into their lives as presented by the rooms they inhabit. But obsessing on the nonessential brings a little levity into our lives and gives us a break from the stress of it all. These unexpected peeks into other peoples homes reminds me of my favorite work by California artist Ed Ruscha. Letting someone into your home is always complicated. Ed Ruscha, "The Act of Letting a Person Into Your Home," 1983. Oil on canvas. (Ed Ruscha) Kathleen A. Hughes is a freelance writer who lives in Los Angeles and New York. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 06:02:50|Editor: zyl Video Player Close Military trucks carry bodies of patients who died from COVID-19 infections from Bergamo to Bologna, Italy, on March 24, 2020.(Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua) ROME, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 7,503 lives in Italy, while the cumulative number of confirmed cases reached 74,386, Italian authorities said on Wednesday. In detail, active infections grew by 3,491 cases on the daily basis, bringing the total active infections to 57,521 since the epidemic broke out in the northern regions on Feb. 21, according to the Civil Protection Department coordinating the emergency response. The cumulative number of confirmed cases grew by 5,210 cases, while 683 new fatalities were registered compared to Tuesday. Among the people positive to the coronavirus, some 30,920, asymptomatic or with slight symptoms, are currently under home confinement, and 3,489 are in intensive care, while the rest 23,112 are hospitalized in normal wards, the Civil Protection Department added. With a daily increase by 1,036 in the number of people cured, the total recoveries was 9,362, the latest data showed. In terms of geographical spreading of the contagion, northern regions remained the most affected. Lombardy registered 20,591 active infections up to Wednesday, followed by Emilia Romagna (8,256), Veneto (5,745) and Piedmont (5,556). In the daily press conference to update the situation, Civil Protection officials said epidemic trends seemed to meet expectations, and strongly appealed again to people to respect all rules and restrictions imposed by a nationwide lockdown that is going to be effective until April 3. "We are in a phase of apparent stabilization, and we believe the number of infected people, or new cases, is consistent with the trend that the virus spreading has had in the country," Agostino Miozzo, coordinator of the Civil Protection's scientific-technical committee, told the press conference. "This makes us to think it is absolutely crucial to keep respecting the measures of social distancing, if we want to see the curve stabilize and then decrease," he stressed. In this regards, the World Health Organization (WHO) Assistant Director-General Ranieri Guerra on Wednesday told local media that Italy's epidemic might reach its peak this week. "The slowing down in the pace of (contagion) growth is a positive factor, and in some (Italian) regions I believe we are getting close to the drop-off point of the curve," Guerra told private radio broadcast Radio Capital. "I believe this week and the first days of the next will be crucial, since these will be the moments in which the government's measures passed 15-20 days ago should find an effect, an impact," Guerra said. Still on the emergency response to the epidemic, Civil Protection officials said that over 9,600 volunteers have been deployed across the country to assist police forces, army, and health system engaged against the epidemic. A wide response in terms of solidarity was also arriving from citizens, who donated over 44 million euros (47.8 million U.S. dollars) to a special bank account opened by the Civil Protection Department, and devoted specifically to the emergency. "So far, we have also put up some 720 tents for pre-triage outside hospitals' emergency rooms, which are very useful to detect and contain possible new cases," Luigi D'Angelo, Operative Director of the Civil Protection Department told reporters. "Another 151 tents for pre-triage were set up inside prisons to monitor the situation among inmates," he added. Meanwhile, Italy's health professionals were paying a high price in this emergency. Fatalities linked to the COVID-19 included 31 doctors, of which at least five were family doctors who died in the last 24 hours, the Italian federation of general medicine physicians said on Wednesday. Up to March 24, at least 5,760 health workers have contracted the virus, according to the latest available data released by Italy's National Health Institute (ISS). This posed a major concern to both the medics and authorities, since it further strained the pressure on the public health system in the face of one of the world's largest coronavirus epidemic. After two more surgeons in northern Turin city added to COVID-19 patients in intensive care on Tuesday, medical union Anaao Assomed appealed in a public letter to the ISS chief Silvio Brusaferro for increased individual protection gear for physicians. In a statement released in the same day, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said the central government -- in its ongoing efforts to both purchase from abroad and produce new protective equipment -- is making "a priority to always distribute it first to doctors, nurses, and health workers engaged in the fight against COVID-19." Late on Wednesday, updating the parliament on all the emergency measures approved by the cabinet, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also addressed this aspect of the emergency. "New doctors will be dispatched to the most affected hospitals in the next few days, and, as far as I know, a first group should have arrived already in the past hours," Conte told lawmakers. "We will also transfer some 500 nurses in the areas with the highest number of COVID-19 patients." The prime minister further explained beds in intensive care have been increased from 5,343 to 8,370, and beds in sub-intensive care have also been added to 26,169 from 6,525. President Donald Trump has accused New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of setting up "death panels" after the state governor challenged the president's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The president made this claim when speaking during a virtual Fox News town hall on Tuesday. During the town hall, Mr Trump held up a printed article from The Gateway Pundit, a far right-wing blog known to promote conspiracy theories. "It says that he didn't buy the ventilators in 2015 for a pandemic, established death panels and lotteries instead," Mr Trump said, paraphrasing the article about the governor. This comes after Mr Cuomo held his daily press conference on Tuesday and came out sharper against the federal response to the pandemic. A concern for states like New York is the lack of medical equipment, specifically ventilators, available for the anticipated Covid-19 patients. FEMA is sending 400 ventilators to New York to help that need, but the state requires an additional 30,000. "You are missing the magnitude of the problem when the problem is defined by the magnitude," Mr Cuomo said, directing his frustrations at the federal government. "Act like it's a war," he added: "You pick the 26,000 people who are going to die unless you send more ventilators." The president signed the Defence Production Act last week that would allow him to order any US company to produce equipment needed to fight the pandemic. Despite pleas from governors like Mr Cuomo, the president has not used the act to ask companies to create ventilators. "I'm not blaming him or anything else," Mr Trump said about the New York governor, "but he shouldn't be talking about us. He's supposed to be buying his own ventilators. We are going to help." The "panel" the president references could be New York State Task Force on Life and the Law, according to the New York Times. At the time, the panel studied New York state's available ventilators for a 2015 report to help give hospitals guidelines for when they should ventilate patients and when they should let them die during an emergency. In the worst case scenario, the panel estimated New York would need an extra 15,783 ventilators. But the state has far surpassed that worst case scenario with an anticipated need of 30,000 ventilators when fighting the novel virus. New York state is now looking into trialling placing two patients on one ventilator to handle the shortage, the governor said on Tuesday. Mr Cuomo has not responded to the president's response to his ventilator pleas. In this March 6, 2019, file photo, former U.S. hostage in Yemen, Danny Burch, left, listens as President Donald Trump speaks, Wednesday, March 6, 2019, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, next to Vice President Mike Pence, and Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Robert O'Brien. Trump administration officials have told the family of Bob Levinson a retired FBI agent held prisoner in Iran for more than a decade that he has died in Iranian custody, family members said Wednesday. Levinson disappeared 13 years ago from the island of Kish, off Iran's southern coast. Exactly what Levinson was doing in Kish remains a matter of dispute, with some reports suggesting he was working for the CIA to recruit an Iranian spy and others disputing that. In a statement, the Levinson family made no mention of that controversy only of their agony in learning of his death. We recently received information from U.S. officials that has led both them and us to conclude that our wonderful husband and father died while in Iranian custody, the family's statement said. We don't know when or how he died, only that it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, they said. "It is impossible to describe our pain ... If not for the cruel, heartless actions of the Iranian regime, Robert Levinson would be alive and home with us today. It has been 13 years waiting for answers." Trump seemed to cast doubt on Levinson's death Wednesday during a briefing on the US coronavirus response. "I'm not looking good," Trump said, but he added: "I don't accept that he's dead ... They haven't told us that he's dead." The Trump administration has been pressuring Iran and other foreign governments to release American hostages as the coronavirus pandemic marches across the globe fearing that these U.S. citizens are extremely vulnerable to the disease as they languish in foreign prisons. Levinsons case has been a deeply contentious flashpoint between the U.S. and Iran for years. He was the longest-held hostage in American history, although Iranian officials refused to confirm his whereabouts saying they had no information about him. A proof-of-life video emerged in 2011, followed by photos of Levinson wearing an orange jumpsuit of the kind typically associated with prisons or hostages. But Iran insisted it was not holding him. Story continues In 2013, the Associated Press reported that Levinson was on a mission for the CIA to recruit a potential Iranian mole. But the FBI said he was working as a private investigator, likely probing a cigarette-smuggling ring. And the White House disputed the story, calling it "highly irresponsible." Then-White House spokesman Jay Carney said at the time that Levinson "was not a U.S. government employee" when he went into Iran in 2007. Christine Levinson, his wife, told USA TODAY that she did not know why her husband traveled to Iran. He never spoke to her about the work he did for the government, she said in an interview last year. The Levinsons had seven children, and the youngest was just 4-months-old when he disappeared. "Bob's missed it all," Christine Levinson told USA TODAY last year. "High school years, college years. He's missed walking two daughters down the aisle ... We still have hope that he will somehow make it." That hope has now been dashed. "Bob Levinson should have spent his last moments surrounded by his family and all the love we feel for him," the family statement said. "Instead, he died alone, in captivity thousands of miles away, in unbelievable suffering. His body has not yet been returned to us for a proper burial. We don't even know when, or even if, his body would be returned to us. This is the very definition of cruelty." Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bob Levinson, US hostage held by Iran, is likely dead, family says. Socialist Alternative held an online meeting Sunday under the title Coronavirus Wreaks Havoc: Socialist Response. The event was hosted by Kshama Sawant, a leader of the organization and Seattle City Council member. Ten guest speakers participated in the broadcast, including two prominent members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)New York State Senator Julia Salazar and Mike Sylvester, a Maine state representative. Also taking part were Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King and various local union officials. The event was an attempt to cover over the conventional Democratic Party politics of Socialist Alternative and the DSA with anti-capitalist rhetoric and empty slogans. This was combined with the foul injection of racial politics, a hallmark of the Democratic Party. Kshama Sawant (Photo: Seattle City Council) Sawant presented herself as the most radical speaker on the panel, calling for a freeze on all rent and mortgage payments, the organization of a rent strike, immediate cash assistance to replace lost wages and the nationalization of the banks and corporations, among other demands. However, the real character of Socialist Alternatives politics came at the end of her remarks. She concluded with: One last thing I would like to say, and this is to Senator Bernie Sanders: Bernie dont drop out. Dont endorse Joe Biden. Socialist Alternative is, in fact, little more than an electoral auxiliary of the Sanders campaign. Sanders role has been to convince workers and youth to support the Democratic Party, a right-wing capitalist party, and Socialist Alternative has worked to convince them to support Sanders. In 2016, after dissolving itself into an electoral campaign for Sanders, it claimed to oppose Sanders support for Clinton and declared that his political revolution had to go on without him. Four years later, it did the same thing, covering up for Sanders own pro-imperialist positions and doing what it could to encourage young people to support Sanders and the Democratic Party. The organization is now in crisis over Sanders winding down of his campaign. Despite Sawants urgings, Sanders is clearly preparing to drop out. As he has made clear from the beginning of his campaign, he will support former Vice President Joe Biden or whichever other right-wing politician the Democratic Party ends up selecting as its nominee. At the same moment that Sawant was making her plea, Sanders was hosting his own online event on the coronavirus crisis with Democratic Party congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Neither Sanders nor his guests even mentioned his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. In his remarks, Sanders said he did not want to be partisan because everyone had to come together to address the pandemic. While criticizing aspects of the bipartisan boondoggle to the corporations that was at that point passing through Congress, Sanders said nothing about the responsibility of the capitalist system for the crisis. None of the panelists uttered the words capitalism or socialism. The reactionary role of Socialist Alternative, the DSA, et. al. in seeking to block a genuine movement of the working class for socialism was perhaps most clearly revealed in the comments by Shaun King, a Black Lives Matter activist who was heavily involved in campaigning for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. King was brought in to inject racial politics into the discussion of the pandemic. He began by asserting that communities of color have been hit the hardest by this pandemic. He continued: The role of racism and white supremacist systems is really central to the impact that the coronavirus is having for so many reasons What we see is the role of whiteness and skin privilege even in what this bailout package is going to be. What does the phony concepts of skin privilege and whiteness have to do with the coronavirus pandemic? Millions of workers, black and white, of all ethnicities and nationalities, are already suffering immensely from this crisis. The virus respects no borders and does not discriminate by race, religion or gender. The policy of governments, led by the United States, has been directed at utilizing the crisis to advance the interests of the ruling class, not whiteness or skin privilege. It makes no difference to the ruling class if those who die are black or white, women or men, gay or straightso long as the stock market soars and workers are forced back to work to make profits for the rich. To justify his reactionary racialist narrative, King made the absurd claim: When I have to go out and get groceries in my neighborhood and all over Brooklyn, I hardly see any white people in grocery stores working, in the food service industry working. When I see UPS workers, postal workers They are again unproportionally black and Latino. The assertions made by King are not only outright lies, they are politically filthy and dangerous conceptions made in the service of the ruling class. The racialist politics of King is the politics of the Democratic Party, utilized to divide the working class and advance the interests of privileged sections of the upper middle class, competing for access to positions of power and affluence in academia, corporate boardrooms, the state and the trade union apparatus. The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare with unprecedented acuteness the fundamental class divisions in society and the urgent need for the working class to unite as an international class to demand measures to save lives and defend the living standards of working people. As the working class enters into struggle to advance its interests, it must and will sweep aside the Democratic Party and racialist politics of organizations like Socialist Alternative. A vaccine against the coronavirus could be at least a year away, even with the might of the world's scientists working day and night. A new drug is similarly months away at best. As the number of infected and dead mounts exponentially across the globe, it is understandable for the world to turn to whatever solutions might be available off the shelf. Despite the lack of evidence, some hospitals in China, the US and elsewhere are already giving COVID-19 patients chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine. Credit:iStockphoto Now chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, currently used for arthritis and another autoimmune disease, lupus, are being pressed into service for COVID-19. But could an "old" drug magically resurface as part of the solution to COVID-19? Or are fear-based responses like those we have seen in supermarket aisles driving this behaviour? These drugs were inserted into the news cycle when the US President Donald Trump said they showed "terrific promise", calling them a "game changer" adding that as the drug was already in use in treating humans it was approved for clinical use. The Food and Drug Administration in the US has yet to approve any drug for the treatment of the coronavirus. "When making our decision for which management company would best serve our community, FirstService Residential stood out for their professionalism, responsiveness and attention to financial detail, said Mary Ferro, board president of Villa Portofino Homeowners Association. FirstService Residential, Californias leading community management company, was awarded the management contract for Villa Portofino Homeowners Association in Palm Desert. FirstService Residential began managing the 263-unit condominium and single-family home community in early 2020. Originally built in 2005, this active adult community is expected to release new units by mid-2020, with a total buildout of 403 homes. With its Italian-Mediterranean style, Villa Portofino features a variety of floorplans, ranging from one bedroom to three bedrooms, and is situated on 50 acres with views of the Santa Rosa and the San Jacinto Mountains. "When making our decision for which management company would best serve our community, FirstService Residential stood out for their professionalism, responsiveness, and attention to financial detail, said Mary Ferro, board president of Villa Portofino Homeowners Association. They have exhibited a true partnership attitude in all of their communications." Villa Portofino Homeowners Association features an active lifestyle program, with various activities and special events for residents, including bocce, movie nights in the 100-seat movie theater, and bingo. The 30,000 square-foot clubhouse is equipped with a fitness room, yoga and Pilates studio, two dining areas and a game room. Other amenities include an outdoor bar and restaurant, art studio, card rooms, pool, spa and a 9-hole putting course. Were thrilled to partner with such an active and engaged board and community at Villa Portofino, said Hallie Kirkingburg, business development director at FirstService Residential. Their emphasis on doing whats right for the community aligns perfectly with our companys core values, and we look forward to providing them with consistent support, responsiveness and transparency to help them reach their goals. About FirstService Residential FirstService Residential is North Americas property management leader, partnering with 8,000 communities across the U.S. and Canada, including low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives; single-family communities; master-planned, lifestyle, and active adult communities; and mixed-use and rental properties. HOAs, community associations, condos and strata corporations rely on their extensive experience, resources, and local expertise to maximize property values and enhance their residents lifestyles. Dedicated to making a difference, every day, FirstService Residential goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional service. FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation (FSV), a North American leader in the property services sector. For more information, visit http://www.fsresidential.com/california. A mystery fingerprint led police to discover an elaborate marijuana crop several states away. The fingerprint was found on a bag of cannabis in Queensland last month and traced by police to a massive drug set up in Canberra on Monday. Anh Duc Pham, 44, was later taken into police custody and faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday, The Daily Telegraph reported. Police traced a fingerprint from a bag of cannabis in Queensland to a massive $90,000 marijuana crop spread across four homes in Canberra (pictured) The homes (pictured) in Belconnen and Gungahlin were rented with fake identification Mr Pham was charged with cultivating and trafficking cannabis and was refused bail after no interpreter could be found. He did not enter any pleas and will reappear in court on Wednesday. Queensland police found his fingerprint on a vacuum-sealed bag of 30 kilograms worth of cannabis during a roadside stop in Willowbank, near Ipswich. The discovery prompted raids at four rental properties in Canberra around Belconnen and Gungahlin. A statement from ACT Policing said: 'Within each of these homes, sophisticated and extensive hydroponic setups were in place to support the cultivation of the commercial crops.' They collectively found 230 marijuana plants, 51 seedlings and dried cannabis with a street value of $90,000. The drugs were packaged in one litre vacuum-sealed bags. Police said that fake identification was used to gain tenancy agreements at each of the four homes. 'There is no evidence that any of the homeowners were aware that their properties were being used for commercial cannabis production and these homeowners will be many thousands of dollars out of pocket as a result of the damage and contamination of their properties,' the statement said. Magistrate Bernadette Boss said that Pham was facing serious charges on Tuesday. The court heard that Pham's Australian visa had run out and that Border Force officials waiting in court could have deported him if he had been granted bail. PR-Inside.com: 2020-03-25 12:00:19 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 422 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2020 / Quebec Precious Metals Corporation ("QPM" or the "Company") ( TSX.V:CJC)(OTCQB:CJCFF)(FSE:YXEP) reports today that it has completed the winter drilling activities of the previously announced 25,000 m drilling program to be carried out in 2020 with two drills on its 100% owned flagship Sakami project in Quebec's Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory. A total of 32 holes (7,250 m) have been drilled by QPM since the beginning of the year. Results will be released during the next few weeks.The drilling program was designed to focus on: 1) expanding the La Pointe deposit and the Simon new high grade discovery with results that include 14.20 g/t Au over 2 m, 5.05 g/t Au over 5.06 m, and 4.66 g/t Au over 3.50 m; and 2) testing additional new targets across the 13-km mineralized trend striking SSW-NNE that includes the Apple, Peninsule, JR and Ile showings (with gold mineralization detected in drill holes, grab and trench samples) (see press release of January 14, 2020).QPM is fully-funded for the 2020 drilling program and its exploration activities. The Company has $5 million in cash and no debt .Normand Champigny CEO of QPM, stated: "Following the Quebec government's decision to minimize non-priority services and activities for the next three weeks, the Company has suspended its exploration activities and closed its corporate office. Our top priority is protect the health and safety of our employees and contractors, their families and neighboring communities while also taking steps to preserve long-term benefit to all stakeholders." Qualified PersonsNormand Champigny, Eng., Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Jean-Sebastien Lavallee (OGQ #773), geologist, Vice-President Exploration, director and shareholder of the Company, both Qualified Persons under NI 43- 101 on standards of disclosure for mineral projects, have prepared and approved the technical content of this release.About Quebec Precious Metals CorporationQPM is a gold explorer with a large land position in the highly-prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's Eleonore gold mine. QPM's flagship project is the Sakami project with significant grades and well-defined drill-ready targets. QPM's goal is to rapidly explore this project to advance it to the mineral resource estimate stage.For more information please contact:Jean-Francois MeilleurPresidentTel.: 514 951-2730jfmeilleur@ qpmcorp.ca Normand ChampignyChief Executive OfficerTel.: 514 979-4746nchampigny@ qpmcorp.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Quebec Precious Metals Corporation Government to Give Americans Up to $1,200 Each Under Massive Coronavirus Relief Plan Most Americans would receive cash payments of as much as $1,200, unemployment benefits would be boosted and even paid out to freelancers and gig workers, and struggling small businesses would receive emergency money all as part of a humongous package to ease some of the economic pain from the coronavirus pandemic. "This is a wartime level of investment into our nation," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said early Wednesday as he announced that senators had reached a deal with the White House on a whopping $2 trillion relief plan. The legislation is so massive that it costs more than the entire federal budget for one year, according to The New York Times. Money in Americans' pockets Efetova Anna / Shutterstock Each taxpayer will receive up to $1,200. The bill which still needs to pass both houses of Congress, then be signed by President Donald Trump will give cash directly to taxpayers, to help them pay their mortgages, rent and other bills, and to get some spending going to bolster the economy. Individuals with incomes up to $75,000 will receive $1,200 each. Payments phase out at higher incomes, with no money going to those who earn $99,000 or more. Married couples who file jointly and make $150,000 or less will get $2,400. Those payments also phase out; couples who earn $198,000 or higher will receive no money. Households with kids get an additional $500 for each child. Unemployment benefits 'on steroids' The relief package also beefs up unemployment benefits, to provide anyone who's been thrust of work an additional $600 a week for four months in addition to the usual unemployment compensation that comes from the states. You'll be eligible even if you're self-employed, work part time, are a freelancer, or do gig work, like driving for Uber Eats. Standard jobless benefits will be extended by 13 weeks. New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, says the bill puts "unemployment insurance on steroids." More than 37 million jobs may be at risk in the short term because of the coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, according to the U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index. Story continues Loans for small businesses Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock Small businesses can get relief if they continue to pay their workers. The deal offers up to $350 billion in loans for small businesses that continue to pay their workers during the crisis. If smaller employers avoid layoffs and maintain their payrolls, they won't have to pay the loans back. The legislation also sets up a $500 billion fund to help larger companies and whole industries like the airlines that have been battered badly as consumers have hunkered down at home. The relief measure "will inject trillions of dollars in cash into the economy as fast as possible to help American workers, families, small businesses and industries make it through this disruption and emerge on the other side ready to soar," said McConnell, a Kentucky Republican. Only the government's latest move and not the last The new bill marks Washington's third attempt to use federal spending to combat COVID-19 as it eats away at the U.S. economy. In early March, the government agreed to devote $8.3 billion toward prevention efforts and the development of a vaccine against the virus. Later, a $100 billion package was signed into law, with provisions calling for paid sick leave for workers and free coronavirus testing. Economists say the $2 trillion mega-measure now before Congress is a good step, but they say the economy is likely to need much more help. "I know we aren't done yet," said Diane Swonk, chief economist for the accounting firm Grant Thornton, on Twitter. Pennsylvania is about to join the host of other states that decided to delay their primary election in response to the coronavirus. The primary was set to be held on April 28 but due to a myriad of concerns that have arisen since the COVID-19 outbreak, a negotiated agreement between Gov. Tom Wolf, the House and Senate has led to a decision to push it back to June 2. The House of Representatives is set to vote on Wednesday on a measure that would not only postpone the primary by five weeks but among other election-related changes, allow for the consolidation of polling places. The Senate is expected to consider the bill once it is sent over from the House and it could reach the governors desk before the end of the week. Rep. Kevin Boyle, D-Philadelphia, explained the delay was necessary given the concerns about the large number of senior citizens who work the polls on election days. That is the segment of the population at higher risk for severe illness from the coronavirus. Additionally, many of the states polling places are at senior centers, nursing homes and schools, which have become reluctant about hosting a polling place. Pennsylvania must be realistic regarding the impact of the virus on the April 28 primary, Boyle said. The additional time will allow county officials more time to make a contingency plan for voting, he said. The consolidation of polling places provision allows the polls to be located elsewhere within the same county and not necessarily in an election district immediately adjacent to where they were located. It also removes the requirement for court approval of polling place changes. The bill also opens up the locations where a polling place can be located to include places where alcoholic beverages are served although not in the same room where those beverages are dispensed. Access to polling places in those locations, however, must not require voters to pass through the room where alcoholic beverages are served. At least 15 days before the election, the county board of elections must post the location of the poling places at their office and on the countys website. Another change included in the bill is it allows elections officials to begin processing mail-in and absentee ballots at 7 a.m. on Election Day, instead of waiting until 8 p.m. that day as currently required. Rep. Garth Everett, R-Lycoming County, who proposed the amendment making these changes, said the proposal had the backing of the states county commissioners and election officials. Keystone Votes, a nonpartisan coalition comprising 43 civil rights, civil liberties, and government reform groups, also endorsed the plan. Maintaining the right to vote has never been as important as it is now in this time of crisis, said Ray Murphy, state coordinator for Keystone Votes. We are encouraged that during this time of crisis, Gov. Tom Wolf, his administration, and members of the General Assembly are putting aside partisanship to keep Pennsylvanians healthy while ensuring the safety, security, accessibility, and integrity of our election process. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. New electronic tracking wristbands will be used to monitor arrivals under quarantine orders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, even as residents continued to report problems in activating the existing tracking system. The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) said the new Bluetooth wristbands would be in use from Wednesday at the airport, but only for those entering Hong Kong from Europe or the United States. The electronic wristband itself has a tracking function and when paired with the mobile app, it provides an extra guarantee the person is in fact at home, said Victor Lam Wai-kiu, the Government Chief Information Officer. As the wristbands are connected to the wearers mobile phones via Bluetooth, Lam said it would enable the authorities to know if they had left their houses once it was out of range or if the users attempted to leave their phones at home. Victor Lam shows the Stay Home Safe app which is connected to the tracking wristband. Photo: Winson Wong A previous version of the wristband, which authorities started giving out last Thursday, did not have a tracking ability and instead relied on the wearers scanning a QR code printed on the band from time to time to report their locations. More than 32,000 of the QR code wristbands had been given out, Lam said. He said the electronic wristbands would be fitted at the airport, and the authorities would also help travellers to install the mobile app upon arrival. As the number of arrivals at the airport has decreased in the past two days, we now have the ability to do the installation there. Coronavirus: Hong Kong government scrambles to fix glitch in quarantine wristbands after only a third of tracking devices work Hong Kong reported an additional 24 cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, mostly imported, taking the citys tally to 410. The government banned all foreigners from entering the city starting on Tuesday midnight while the quarantine measures would be extended to all other arrivals, including those from Taiwan and Macau. Lam said arrivals at the airport from areas other than the US and Europe would still be given the old wristbands, while those crossing the border at Shenzhen Bay or the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai Bridge would be asked to turn on location-sharing services on chat platforms such as WhatsApp or WeChat. Story continues As many mainland Chinese use Android mobile phones without the Google Play store, it is difficult to install the tracking app, so the location-sharing method is more practical, Lam said. Inbound travellers receive electronic wristbands at the Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Emily Tsang However, people issued with the earlier wristbands had complained about not being able to activate the mobile app, which would start the tracking process, up to seven days after their arrival. Among them was retired Briton John Hill, 74, who had not been able to activate the tracker since he arrived from Indonesia last Thursday. He said he was given the tracking bracelet and a booklet, but was not told that he needed to activate the device, which he only found out after reading the Post. They didnt have a clue what they were doing at the airport, Hill said. They were the blind leading the blind. Currently in quarantine at a hotel in Sai Ying Pun, he had since made three follow-up calls, with no luck. [The tracking bracelet] is not intrusive but it doesnt work. What you need to know about the coronavirus and how to protect yourself against Covid-19 Hill also complained that he was not informed about what he should do once the 14 days were up, such as whether he was required to go to a clinic for a check-up. Another returnee, Yeung, had also been unable to receive the activation code for the tracker since his return from Europe last Friday. Out of his family of three, only his wife managed to receive the activation code successfully, he said on RTHKs morning radio talk show. I called the hotline 24 times, and only managed to get through once. Then they called me to follow up twice, but they still have not fixed the problem, he said. A traveller with her DIY protective gear leaving the airports arrival hall. Photo: Jonathan Wong Meanwhile, a second resident, Yau, said while he was able to receive the activation code, he was given an error message which said user already exists when he tried to input the code. Despite the complaints, Lam insisted that the great majority of the wristbands had already been activated, and the OGCIO was sending out text messages every night to those who had not yet done so since Monday. Of course some of them encountered some problems, the most common is they have not provided the correct phone number which can receive SMSs from us, he said. As Beijing, Hong Kong face second coronavirus onslaught, quarantine gets serious Lam added that 3,000 people had already activated the wristbands upon receiving the text message reminders on Tuesday night. The OGCIO had set up two new hotlines, Lam said, including an email and a text message service, and added manpower to troubleshoot issues. Residents could send their names and phone numbers to the email or their names to the text message service to receive help. We are confident with the new hotline we will be able to clear most of these outstanding [unactivated] cases, he said. Additional reporting by Jasmine Siu Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get exclusive access to our webinars for continuous learning, and interact with China AI executives in live Q&A. Offer valid until 31 March 2020. This article Coronavirus: inbound travellers from Europe, US to be issued Bluetooth quarantine wristbands at Hong Kong airport first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. The House members also asked the executives, who suspended marketing the kits to the public over the weekend, what their companies intended to do with any money consumers had paid for the kits and testing. Do you intend to refund all consumers all amounts they paid for at-home coronavirus test kits, and if so, when and how you will you do so? they wrote in the letters. They also asked what the companies intended to do with any biological specimens that users had sent in for testing. The rush to sell at-home kits coincided with a push by the White House to promote rapid innovation in coronavirus testing by relaxing federal health regulations. But the F.D.A. warned last week that it had not authorized any tests for purchase by consumers that involved people collecting their own specimens at home and shipping them to labs for testing. Mr. Krishnamoorthi is chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy within the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Ms. Porter sits on the subcommittee. In the letters, the lawmakers also asked the start-ups what they intended to do with the specimen collection swabs that they had purchased for their at-home kits. Those products have been in short supply in many hospitals. On March 18, New York City officials confirmed the first cases of the new coronavirus in an inmate and a corrections officer at Rikers Island, prompting calls for drastic action, including the release of hundreds of prisoners to protect the more than 5,400 men and women incarcerated in the system. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health experts from across the country have warned that jails and prisons are the perfect breeding ground for a widespread and life-threatening outbreak due to close living quarters, poor sanitation and under-resourced health systems. The Harris County Jail, with a population of more than 8,000, is the largest jail in Texas and one of the largest in the nation. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has taken some important steps such as stepping up cleaning, screening inmates for the virus, setting aside quarantine tanks, working with judges to release nonviolent defendents and not executing arrest warrants. While those actions are good steps, all sides of the criminal justice system need to do more. The time to take action is now. Multiple factors place the incarcerated population at high risk of a COVID-19 outbreak. In addition to the crowding and poor conditions, incarcerated men and women are at greater risk of serious illness from COVID-19 as they often suffer from chronic health conditions due to substandard and inconsistent health care. Incarcerated populations are also an aging population, increasing their vulnerability. Inmate turnover is incredibly high within jail systems, with new and potentially infected people entering daily, increasing the risk of exposure. And although there are guidelines to follow and practices to implement in the general population to prevent a widespread outbreak, including hand washing and social distancing, these guidelines are simply not possible to follow in a jail population. As a result, calls are being made across the country for officials to take action to prevent a widespread outbreak that could take the lives of thousands of people. In San Francisco, public defender Manohar Raju has directed his attorneys to seek the immediate release of all inmates being held pre-trial, as well as those at high risk due to underlying health conditions. He has also asked San Franciscos chief of police to suspend all arrests of non-violent offenders to prevent exposure from new entries to the system. In Philadelphia, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw has suspended arrests of all non-violent offenders including drugs, theft and prostitution. In Los Angeles County, officials are releasing low-risk inmates and those near the end of their sentences, as well as drastically reducing arrests. Even in Iran, which has fewer cases and deaths than the United States, the government has released 54,000 low-risk inmates to prevent an outbreak. Once an outbreak occurs within a jail or prison, the virus could spread to thousands within days due to the cramped conditions and poor sanitation. We have time to save what could be thousands of lives as there has not yet been a reported outbreak in Harris County Jail. Officials have already suspended visitations in the Harris County Jail to prevent possible exposure, so theyre aware of the threat and know action is necessary. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said he believes we can accomplish some compassionate releases that pose no threat to the public. The number of releases so far, however, have been too small. But this is not something we have time to consider. Now is the time to act. All the players need to work together with a comprehensive plan the Harris County sheriff, the district attorneys office, Houston police and others. We need to follow the example of other major U.S. cities and take the bold actions that are truly needed to prevent a widespread outbreak. We need to suspend arrests of all non-violent offenders to prevent new people who may be exposed to COVID-19 from entering the Harris County Jail. And we need to evaluate and release low-risk offenders and those nearing the end of their sentences so they can isolate themselves and avoid exposure along with the rest of us. Harris County is the nations third-largest county and operates one of the nations largest criminal justice systems. We need to lead by example and take the actions necessary to protect one of our most vulnerable populations and prevent what could be the loss of thousands of lives. Dettlaff is dean and Maconda Brown OConnor Endowed Deans Chair of the Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston. The coronavirus could 'run rampant' through immigration removal centres within weeks due to the 'overcrowded and unsanitary conditions' across the country. At a hearing at the High Court in London today Detention Action, a charity that supports people held in immigration removal centres demanded that detainees with health conditions such as diabetes be immediately released. The group says that, if its application is refused, 'significant numbers of immigration detainees will die or suffer very severe illness'. Three detention centres across the UK are detaining people with coronavirus symptoms. Detainees told the BBC that Brook House immigration removal centre (pictured) has been placed on 'lockdown' The group's barrister Chris Buttler told the court that three people in three separate IRCs had tested positive for the virus in the last week. He said one of the three, who is currently being detained at Brook House IRC, near Gatwick Airport, 'worked as a food server and was responsible for serving food to other detainees before he fell ill'. Detainees at the centres claim they have been left without soap and unable to protect themselves against Covid-19. The court was told that around 350 detainees had been released in recent days, but that more than 700 people still remain in detention. Expert evidence from Richard Coker, professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, filed in support of Detention Action's case, states that it is 'plausible and credible' that 60% of detainees could become infected with Covid-19 in four weeks' time. The group says, 'many of those detained in IRCs have arrived in the UK from countries and areas where there is already a significant spread of Covid-19, such as Iran, China and Italy'. It also warns the situation poses 'a danger to public health nationally.' Mr Buttler said that a failure to address the risk of the virus spreading through IRCs would 'undermine the country's effort to delay the point at which the NHS's critical care capacity will be overwhelmed' and 'contribute to the overburdening of the NHS'. This is while a woman who suffers with asthma and has been held at Yarl's Wood IRC for three years, has already tested positive for Covid-19 and been placed in isolation after showing symptoms. Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre in Harmondsworth, west London This is while a woman who suffers with asthma and has been held at Yarl's Wood IRC (above) for three years, has already tested positive for Covid-19 and been placed in isolation after showing symptoms Detainees told the BBC that Brook House immigration removal centre has been placed on 'lockdown'. Bella Sankey, director of Detention Action, said in a witness statement that another detainee at Brook House had seen that man 'carried from his cell by centre staff after falling ill with Covid-19 symptoms and being too weak to be able to walk', just a day after he had been serving other detainees food. Ms Sankey also told the court that at least four new detainees were brought to Yarl's Wood IRC, near Bedfordshire, on Tuesday 'despite the fact that a detainee at Yarl's Wood recently tested positive for Covid-19'. Mr Buttler continued that there was 'a mismatch' between the Government's guidance on Covid-19 and the approach taken in IRCs, all but one of which 'continue to operate as congregate settings, save where an individual is symptomatic or known to have been in contact with symptomatic individuals'. He added: 'Delays in introducing suppression measures will cost lives.' Mr Buttler submitted that the 'overcrowded and unsanitary conditions' at many IRCs, combined with the absence of professional cleaners and unsanitary healthcare facilities, increase the risk of those detained contracting the virus. He said that on Monday, detainees at Harmondsworth IRC, near Heathrow Airport, reported cells being 'flooded with dirty water up to the ankle'. A Home Office spokesman said: 'Handwashing facilities are available in all immigration removal centres as well as dedicated health facilities run by doctors and nurses, and all staff are following the latest guidance from Public Health England. 'Decisions to detain are made on a case-by-case basis and kept under constant review, but our priority is to maintain the lawful detention of the most high-harm individuals, including foreign national offenders.' Detention Action claims a 'significant proportion' of the roughly 1,500 people held in immigration detention have serious underlying health conditions which leave them facing 'a significant risk of serious harm or death'. The group also argues that 'significant numbers of detainees will no longer be detainable because widespread travel restrictions prevent removals from taking place', rendering their detention unlawful. At a hearing in London today, its lawyers asked for the release of 'every detainee with a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, hypertension, cancer or chronic kidney disease' pending a full trial, unless the Home Office can demonstrate 'a clear overriding public protection concern'. Detention Action says that, if its application is refused, 'significant numbers of immigration detainees will die or suffer very severe illness'. The case is thought to be the first Covid-19-related case heard in the courts of England and Wales. Two of Detention Action's clients with diabetes are still being held in Harmondsworth IRC. One is 67 years old and both report being extremely concerned about being infected with Covid-19. Ms Sankey told MailOnline: ''It totally unnecessary for the Government to carry on detaining people while Covid-19 presents such a serious threat to hundreds of lives in immigration detention centres and to the wider community as detention staff move in and out. 'But instead of acting sensibly at a time of national crisis, Priti Patel's Home Office has used up precious time and money herding more people into detention, including those exhibiting covid-19 symptoms who were trying to self-isolate. 'There is a common misconception that people are held in immigration detention centres for the public's protection. They are not. That's what prisons are for. Detention is only used for administrative purposes to facilitate removals from the UK but most are ultimately released back into the community. While Covid-19 travel restrictions prevent removals, detention is not necessary.' Morton Hall in Lincolnshire has also been affected, according to the BBC In grounds of claim filed with the High Court, the charity says: 'Every day of delay significantly increases the risk of serious harm or death to thousands of individuals who are under the state's complete control and have no way to protect themselves from Covid-19. 'It is well-known that many asylum seekers entering the UK having travelled overland through Europe will have passed through Italy.' The Home Office published guidance last week aimed at reducing the spread of Covid-19 in places of detention by placing 'symptomatic individuals' in quarantine. But Detention Action argues that the guidance is 'ineffective' and 'will not halt the rapid spread of Covid-19 in immigration removal centres', as it 'incorrectly assumes that most transmission of the virus results from symptomatic individuals'. A Home Office spokesman added: 'Immigration enforcement is responding to the unique circumstances of the coronavirus outbreak and decisions to detain are made on a case-by-case basis. 'The health of people in these centres is of the utmost importance. We are following all Public Health England guidance and have robust contingency planning in place.' Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Swift will continue to hear submissions on Wednesday afternoon, and it is not known whether they will give a ruling today. The Osun state police command has arrested a woman named Kehinde Salamat for allegedly setting her husbands house on fire over move to marry another wife. According to a report by Vanguard, Kehinde who is the second wife of the man was said to have completely razed down the building after learning about her husbands move to marry another wife. Confirming the incident to journalists in Osogbo on Tuesday, the Assistant Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Osun State Police command, Mustafa Katayeyanjue said the suspect had been arrested. Read Also: Coronavirus: Burna Boy Sympathizes With Idris Elba He explained that no life was lost in the incident, saying the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) was already investigating the matter after which the suspect would be charged to court for prosecution. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) COVID-19 Response Technical Team on Tuesday 25th March, 2020 held presser with the media to outlined guidelines to help combat the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. In line with this the Team led by Hon. prosper Bani outlined some key issues and specific new proposals to aid curb the spread of the deadly Virus. They also requested government to provide accurate information on How far government has gone in securing test kits for the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, How many PPEs we currently have, how far we have come in procuring more PPEs and when exactly they will be made available to our front line health workers. The role of the NCCE in the fight against the pandemic and what specific help they have received from government in terms of logistics to help them do better and quicker public education, portion of the statement asked. Read full statement below; 1. The technical team proposed that government use proceeds from the recent $3 billon Eurobond (i.e part of the $1 billion ring-fence amount meant for the restructuring of the energy sector) as funding for the management of the crises instead of waiting for a loan from the IMF/World Bank which may take months. 2. Given the fact that the surest way to win the fight against the novel COVID-19 pandemic is through transparency and aggressive public education that is based on timely and accurate information, the technical team proposed that government adopts scheduled, daily live updates (and not recorded updates) through which the nation will be given accurate information on the pandemic. The technical team requested government to provide accurate information on: A) How far government has gone in securing test kits for the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research. B) How many PPEs we currently have, how far we have come in procuring more PPEs and when exactly they will be made available to our front line health workers. C) The number of medical staff who have been trained and at what specific level, as well as how many more medical staff are left to be trained. D) The role of the NCCE in the fight against the pandemic and what specific help they have received from government in terms of logistics to help them do better and quicker public education. E) The role of NADMO and how government is resourcing them to help in the fight against the pandemic. F) How many quarantine centers we have nationwide, where they are located and their capacity. Also, the number of personnel we currently have in our quarantine centers and and the specific resources they have received from government so far. G) The number of isolation centers we have nationwide, their location and capacity. Also, the number of personnel who are staffing the centers and what clinical services we have available at those facilities. 3. On Community Impact Mitigation Strategies, the technical team suggested the following practical solutions: A) That, government puts in place adequate measures to ensure compulsory supervised hand washing for all passengers and regular hand washing for all drivers. And ensure disinfection of doors and seats especially before and after passengers have been transported. B) That, government provides an incentive scheme with enforcement for trotro drivers to decrease the number of passengers they carry in order to satisfy the laid out social distancing requirements. C) That, government puts in place a shift system established with the input of the Drivers unions and welfare associations to minimize the number of drivers congregating in any given station at a time. D) That, government puts in place measures to manage the okada riding business in this period and ensure that it doesnt become a means of transmission of the virus from person to person and area to area. E) Given the fact that many homes in Ghana do not have indoor flush toilets, and residents still rely on the use of public places of convenience to respond to the call of nature, the technical team proposed that local government authorities undertake regular inspection of public toilets to ensure that they have Veronica buckets in place with soap and disinfectant for all persons to have mandatory supervised hand washing before and after using the bathrooms. And that areas experiencing water shortages must have water delivered on a daily basis with tankers or by other means. F) That, since open defecation is still a major challenge in Ghana, government puts in place measures to ensure that in the event of greater restrictions being imposed on people, they are able to make use of public places of convenience free of charge. G) That, government puts in place measures to ensure that the elderly and persons with comorbidities do not fall victim to the disease merely by their attendance to their hospitals or clinics for their routine checks. And that government must consider having outreach teams in the districts identify such patients and deliver them medications for a minimum period of 3 months. H) That government ensures uninterrupted provision of crucial/essential services like water supply and power etc. 4. Additionally, the technical team suggested that: A) Government intensifies and expand testing by providing sufficient testing kits immediately. B) Government establishes adequately prepared isolation centers in all regional hospitals and district health centers immediately. C) Government establishes treatment centers in all regional hospitals and provide for the supply of adequate medication, sufficient medical personnel and testing kits. D) That, any recruitment and training of more medical staff should focus on the many unemployed young doctors and nurses in the country and not on retired practitioners. This is because retired practitioners by all standards fall under the category of high risk individuals. E) That, government cannot presume that the closure of our air and sea ports and borders is sufficient defense against imported cases. This is because our land borders span nearly 2,500 kilometres hence hard to monitor. Our neighbors in all directions are struggling with COVID-19 and that means we must be extra-vigilant and intensify surveillance at our land borders. F) That, Government provides for the immigration officers at our borders, PPEs, training, temperature guns, face masks etc. as well as establish temporary quarantine centres where port health officials will be stationed to work with immigration officers on suspected cases. G) That, Governments Technical Committee on COVID-19 be elevated into a Crisis Management Team, to reflect that it is no longer an ordinary technical committee but that it is a committee made up of representatives from all sectors of the nation to address the crisis that confronts us. H) That government announces a clear a humane lockdown appropriate for our Ghanaian context immediately to avert an epidemic situation in the country. Thank you. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Known as Dr. T or simply Professor to generations of organic chemistry students at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Dr. Budalur Thyagarajan remained a teacher almost until his last breath. In hospice, he was telling the nurses how viruses move through communities. Everyone of them told me they had learned something from him, his son Karthik said. On his office wall, Dr. Thyagarajan kept an embroidery that read: Good chemists never die. They just reach equilibrium. And Monday, the old chemist achieved that perfect state, succumbing in San Antonio after a short illness. He was one of San Antonios greatest educators and a scientist to the end, even about his own death. He prepared me, his son said. Thyagarajan, 90, also was a founding member and supporter of the Hindu Temple of San Antonio, where services were held Tuesday. He was born in 1929 in Thiruvarur, a rural village in Tamil state, while India was still a British colony. His father, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, was jailed twice for advocating for Indias independence. More Information Dr. Budalur S. Thyagarajan Born: July 14, 1929 in India Died: March 23, 2020 in San Antonio Survived by: Son, Karthik Thyagarajan; daughters Chitra Chandhok and Poorna Miller; three grandchildren; and thousands of students. Services: Private funeral service and cremation were held Tuesday. Donations: The St. Francis-Thyagarajan Foundation, 6119 Amble Trail. See More Collapse Showing academic brilliance as a young man, Thyagarajan earned a doctorate in organic chemistry at the University of Madras at 27. He also became a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry of England at a precocious age. After teaching chemistry in India, he became a visiting professor at the University of Southern California in 1965. He later became a senior professor of organic chemistry at the University of Idaho. He also lectured in both Japan and England on his specialty, sulfur chemistry. In 1974, his life took a pivotal turn when he became the founding director of the Division of Earth and Physical Sciences at the newly created UTSA. I was given the opportunity to start not one but three science programs: chemistry, physics and geology, he later recalled. And for the next 26 years, as UTSA grew to become a university of almost 20,000 students, Thyagarajan taught and mentored both undergraduate and graduate chemistry students. Drawn by his reputation, postdoctoral students came from around the world, including England, Egypt, Greece, India, Japan and Korea. Beyond the brilliance of his research and thinking, Thyagarajan had an unusual gift for teaching. He was able to stand at the board and take apart a chemical reaction so that anyone, even those without a chemistry background, could understand it, recalled Blair Andera, 51, who took chemistry classes from him in the 1990s. Andera, now an area director for Texas MedClinic, said Thyagarajan also was noteworthy for how he gave and corrected exams. Hed have maybe three sheets of handwritten questions about chemical reactions. Youd have to draw the reactions on blank sheets of paper. If you missed any part of the reaction, it would be held against you, Andera said. Afterward, during grading, the professor would sit with each student and carefully review the test paper. Youd often find a line of students down the hall waiting to meet with him to discuss chemical reactions, he added. Over his career, Thyagarajan built an international reputation among organic chemists, wrote several books and more than 100 scientific papers. Other honors were more personal. In 1982, Dr. Thyagarajan received the first appreciation award given by UTSA students to a professor. After his retirement in 2000, he was named the universitys first professor emeritus. Andera, who graduated from UTSA in 1998, eventually came to see Thyagarajan as a friend and mentor. It became more than chemistry. It became philosophy, religion, politics, all aspects of life, he said. He held truth like it was gold. Sometimes it was hurtful, but it was honest. Many years ago, Thyagarajan created scholarship programs for chemistry, geology and physics students at UTSA, and for nursing students at the University of Texas Health Science Center. More recently, he established The St. Francis-Professor Thyagarajan Foundation to assist a wider pool of students. He was a great admirer of St. Francis, who was kind to animals and people, said Andera, who helped with the project. Hes made awards to students all over the world, mostly in the sciences. Researchers living and working in Antarctica have been adopting strict new measures in order to remain the only place on earth unaffected by the deadly coronavirus. As well as introducing social-distancing protocols on the frozen continent, the Australian Antarctic Division has also closed its Tasmanian head office to the public and made it mandatory for all expeditioners to undergo a 14-day screening process before setting off. With 89 Australians among the 4000 personnel from 28 countries currently based in Antarctica at various sub stations, officials fear an outbreak in such a remote location could be catastrophic. All expeditioners who travel to Antarctic must undergo a mandatory 14-day screening period (Mawson research station is pictured, March 20, 2020) Expeditioners (pictured) unloading cargo off the Aurora Australis for the annual Davis Station resupply, (March 25, 2020) 'We have had to introduce early measures to protect our stations given the extreme isolation and austere medical environment,' operations manager at the Australian Antarctic Division, Robb Clifton, told Channel 9. 'This has included the need for quarantine periods before travel south to Antarctica and additional screening for people travelling by ship to Macquarie Island. 'Non-essential travel to Antarctica was also suspended to reduce the risk.' Facing temperatures of -49C in the Winter, medical facilities are set up to deal with a number of extreme and unusual emergencies. But although Australian Antarctic Division bases which include the Mawson, Davis, Casey and Macquarie Island stations are stocked with equipment such as respirators, in the case of a mass COVID-19 outbreak medical staff may be overrun. "This would be very challenging for us given the extreme isolation and single doctor on station. It may result in having to close a station hence our early and strong measures to prevent introduction," Mr Clifton said. An aerial view of the Davis research station is pictured where temperatures reach -49 degrees in Winter. (March 25, 2020) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suherdjoko and Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 17:56 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d5f44e 1 National protective-gears,health-facilities,COVID-19,textile,outbreak Free Indonesian companies have been working to make up for the shortage of protective health equipment for medical workers treating COVID-19 patients. Indonesian Textile Association (API) deputy chairman Anne Patricia Sutanto said on Monday that the members of the association were ready to produce more protective gear and masks to fulfill the high demand. Some textile companies have already switched to producing masks and protective gear. Even though the products have yet to be medically certified, Anne said that all members of the API had ensured their quality. The product is waterproof, windproof, antivirus and antibacterial. Its better than a raincoat, she said. The association has been working with the Indonesian Filament Yarn and Fiber Producers Association (APSyFI) to source the chemical materials needed to make the suit antiviral and antibacterial. APSyFI head Ravi Shankar said the material needed to produce masks and protective gear was available in the country. [Indonesia is] able to produce antimicrobial suits with water-repellant coating and medical-grade fiber. Were waiting for [the fiber] to get tested and approved, he said. On Monday, Indonesia received thousands of medical supplies from China. They were transported from Shanghai on a military aircraft that landed at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta. According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the government has distributed about 40,000 pieces of protective equipment to the Jakarta administration and another 100,000 to regions in Java and Bali. The Central Java administration has independently produced its own hazmat suits for certain medical personnel. Using spunbonded polypropylene, the Moewardi General Hospital in Surakarta says it is able to produce 200 to 250 hazmat suits each day. Civil society groups have used digital crowdfunding for the purchase of protective health equipment for medical personnel. As of Monday, crowdfunding platform Kitabisa had recorded a total of 513 campaigns for COVID-19 mitigation initiated by public figures, NGOs and members of the general public, with total donations amounting to Rp 24 billion (US$1.4 million), Kitabisa spokesperson Fara Devara said. Since mid-February, Indonesias health workers, doctors and nurses have been working overtime to treat COVID-19 cases despite many of them having inadequate protection. Many of the medical workers wore only plastic raincoats modified to approximate hazmat suits. Even after the efforts of various stakeholders, protective equipment is still not evenly distributed. Twitter user @is_pelssy posted pictures on Tuesday of medical workers at the Masohi General Hospital in Central Maluku Regency which treats people under general monitoring for COVID-19 wearing makeshift protective gear. Its sad to see [these medical workers] wearing only raincoats and duct tape, he said. Kondisi APD paramedis di Masohi Maluku Tengah.. Disini ada 2 ODP dr Vietnam.. diinfokan kondisi mereka negatif.. Namun miris melihat ADP mereka ala sederhana dari jas hujan dan lak ban pic.twitter.com/gXdRMRDLxS is_pelssy (@is_pelssy) March 24, 2020 Another Twitter user @andinadwifatma posted on Monday afternoon a picture of her 62-year-old mother, a pediatrician in Jakarta, reporting for duty wearing a raincoat. She has refused to see her family for a week [to protect them from potential coronavirus infection]. We only communicate through video calls. Sending love and my respect to all health workers, she wrote. Ibuku (62 th) dokter spesialis anak, tetap praktik di tengah pandemi krn gak tega lihat bayi-bayi sakit dan perlu vaksin. Udah semingguan lebih beliau gak mau ditengokin cucu, cuma bisa video call sampai mewek. Cinta dan hormat buat seluruh tenaga kesehatan (kecuali terajana) pic.twitter.com/2htKW4JkNk Andina Dwifatma (@andinadwifatma) March 23, 2020 However, she tweeted again on Monday night saying that her mother had finally received the proper protective health equipment. Update nih gaes, alhamdulillah malam ini ibuku udah praktik pakai APD lengkap. Semoga tempat praktik yg satunya nyusul dan semua RS se-Indonesia punya stok APD cukup. Aamiin! pic.twitter.com/rf1ZZgfTUC Andina Dwifatma (@andinadwifatma) March 23, 2020 @is_pellssy and @andinadwifatma were two of many who posted pictures of medical workers wearing raincoats. Also circulating on social media were posters of hospitals and community health centers (puskesmas) looking for aid to alleviate a shortage of protective gear. Twitter user @cunggun wrote that the Ibnu Sina Private Hospital in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, was lacking protective gear and that medical personnel had to handle patients while wearing raincoats. TWITTER PLEASE DO YOUR MAGIC RS. Ibnu Sina Bukittinggi Sumatera Barat yang dijadikan sebagai tempat ODP (Orang Dalam Pengawasan) COVID-19 kini sedang kekurangan APD (Alat Perlindungan Diri). Menurut keterangan, RS ini hanya menggunakan mantel hujan dan masker kain sebagai APD- pic.twitter.com/AV7n68YJd3 a little story of (@cunggun) March 23, 2020 A medical worker from the hospital who refused to give her name confirmed that the facility lacked standard protective gear and that she wore only a raincoat and a surgical mask. Surgical masks are reserved for those who work in the emergency unit. The rest of us wear only fabric masks. The local health agency has yet to distribute the protective gear, she said. Some medical workers have fallen victim to COVID-19. The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) announced over the weekend that five doctors had died of the illness. In addition, a nurse died of the virus on March 12. Indonesian Nurses Association (PPNI) chairman Harif Fadhillah said nurses across the country had expressed concern about working without proper protection while handling patients with COVID-19. (aly) SPRINGFIELD Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday the state is stockpiling medical supplies and working to expand its hospital capacity, even by converting some closed hotels into isolation facilities, as it braces for a sharp increase in demand due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19. In a worst-case scenario surge, the state would turn existing hospitals into almost entirely COVID-19 response hospitals, moving non-COVID patients to other hospitals including these re-outfitted locations, Pritzker said during his daily briefing in Chicago. Meanwhile, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike reported 250 new confirmed cases of the disease in the state, including four additional deaths, bringing the total to 1,535 cases and 16 deaths. Grundy County is now the 32nd Illinois county with at least one confirmed case. Those numbers would have been substantially worse, Pritzker said, without the social restrictions he put in place, such as closing schools, bars and restaurants, issuing a stay-at-home order and urging people to practice social distancing. In our worst-case scenario projections that is without the stay-at-home order in one week, we would need over 2,500 more non-ICU beds and 800 ICU beds than we have in existence in the entire state today, Pritzker said. Further still, in two weeks, we would need over 28,000 additional non-ICU beds, and over 9,400 additional ICU beds. That's untenable. In addition to that, he said that without protective measures, the state would need 4,100 more ventilators to outfit ICU beds within two weeks. Pritzker said hospitals in Illinois are operating at a little more than 50-percent capacity in their non-ICU units and 57.4-percent capacity in ICU beds. Approximately 28 percent of the states 2,229 ventilators are in use at this time, he added. In addition to expanding their capacity, Pritzker said hospitals throughout the state are setting up triage tents where patients displaying symptoms can be prioritized. It has also set up four drive-thru testing sites in the Chicago area, including one operated by the Illinois National Guard. The other three are being operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with Walgreens and Walmart. Pritzker said laboratories in the state are now processing about 2,000 tests per day, up from about 50 per day at the start of the outbreak, which partially accounts for the rapidly rising number of confirmed cases. Officials have repeatedly stressed that because many people have not been tested, the actual number of cases is probably much higher. Pritzker also said that after he spoke with President Donald Trump on Monday, he has been assured that Illinois will receive 300 more ventilators and 300,000 N95 masks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Economic fallout Neither Pritzker nor Ezike would offer a prediction for how long the social restrictions would remain in place, but Pritzker did take issue with President Trump, who said Tuesday he would like to see the country opened up by Easter, which is April 12, less than three weeks away. I think the president is not taking into account the true damage that this will do to our country if we see truly millions of people die, he said. And that's what I think would happen. That's what the scientists, doctors tell us would happen. And you heard me say a little bit earlier, if you don't have these restrictions on, the damage that would be done, the lives that would be lost, the overrunning of our health care system would lead to real devastation. So, I'm very, very concerned about what the president is saying. Pritzker did, however, acknowledge the states economy is likely to suffer due to the restrictions, and that state revenues are likely to suffer as well, which could lead to budget cuts. In his budget message to the General Assembly in February, Pritzker outlined a $42 billion spending plan that was based, in part, on an economic forecast of continued modest growth, both in the state and nationally. But Pritzker acknowledged Tuesday that assumption no longer holds. There is no doubt that any estimates that were made even two months ago would be not useful at this point, he said. I dont think anyone expected where we would be today. Pritzker said he has been meeting with the Governors Office of Management and Budget, as well as with Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes, to get an estimate of how steep the downturn in revenue will be, suggesting there might need to be spending cuts for the remainder of the current fiscal year and adjustments to the budget plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. And of course there are expenditures that were needing to make to save peoples lives, to protect people across the state, he said. Were going to do what we need to do, theres no question about that. But yes, of course, behind that weve got to look at our budget situation and do whatever we need to do to address it, and then weve got to also consult with the General Assembly on what we will do for next years budget. A convenience store owner has come up with a creative way to stop customers from panic buying toilet paper, by ramping up the price for anyone who wants to buy more than one pack of rolls. Hazem Sedda, the owner of the Redfern Convenience Store in Sydney, Australia, has started charging customers 3.50 Australian dollars (1.77) for their first pack and 99 Australian dollars (50) for their second. A notice announcing the new price system came with a message to all customers: Dont be greedy, think of other people. Scott Morrison, Australias prime minister, has already told people to stop panic buying and hoarding supplies due to fears about the coronavirus pandemic. On bulk purchasing of supplies: stop hoarding. I cant be more blunt about it. Stop it, Mr Morrison said last week. He added: That is not who we are as a people. It is not necessary. It is not something that people should be doing. On Tuesday, New South Wales police said they were looking for two men who were accused of stealing more than 500 rolls of toilet paper from supermarkets in the country. One of the men allegedly threatened a supermarket employee with a knife during the thefts, according to police. Mr Sedda said he previously offered free toilet rolls to people who needed them and had put up a sign telling customers to only buy one pack. However, after the sign was ignored, he was forced to come up with a new strategy. When I put the two pack for $99, everyone was just taking one. No-one came up with two, he told Daily Mail Australia. For all our customers. We do have toilet paper. And we are doing our best to keep them in stock for you, Mr Sedda wrote on his Instagram page. Please only buy what you need dont buy to stock up as a lot of people are desperate for one roll. The convenience store is also not the only shop to come up with a creative price plan to stop customers from hoarding products during the Covid-19 crisis. Earlier this month, images on social media showed a Danish market was charging 40 DKK (5) per bottle of hand sanitiser for customers buying one product, but 1000 DKK per bottle (121.50) for anyone attempting to buy more than one at a time. Australia has confirmed more than 2,000 cases of Covid-19, with eight deaths, as of Wednesday morning, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre. The country announced 40 new cases and one more death on Wednesday, raising the total to 442 and fatalities to 21 Egypt's Health Minister Hala Zayed urged Egyptians on Wednesday to "stay at home" to help slow the spread of the coronavirus as she announced 40 new cases and one death. The new cases bring the country's total number to 442 and raise fatalities to 21. "The next two or three weeks are very important," the minister said in a press conference broadcast live on TV, while calling on people to exercise vigilance and avoid gatherings and family visits. Egypt declared a two-week curfew from 7 pm to 6 am starting Wednesday, the broadest measure yet taken to combat the spread of the flue-like virus. Authorities had already halted international flights, banned mass gatherings, shuttered cinemas, mosques and churches and suspended communal prayers. "We want to lower the curve [in new infections]," the minister said. "The government measures mean: stay at home." "To protect public health, I appeal to all families to stay at home," the minister added, highlighting that countries who have the worst outbreaks had not complied with self-isolation measures at an early stage. Of the total number of infections in Egypt, 93 people have recovered and 131 have retested positive. Officials have previously warned of reaching the "dangerous" milestone of 1,000 infections, but Zayed stressed it is the time frame that matters. "It will not be worrying if we reach 1,000 [cases] in the long term. It would be worrying if we reach the figure in two or three days," Zayed said. Egypt has good chance of beating the virus but it would only work if everyone followed the restrictions, the minister said. The government's "proactive measures" have been key to keeping the number of infections at bay so far, she added. All deaths from the respiratory disease in Egypt have occurred among the most vulnerable people including the elderly and those with chronic diseases, the minister said. Egypt is conducting tests for the highly contagious virus at 21 central laboratories in different governorates, with plans to increase the number to 27, Zayed said. Around 25,000 tests have so far been conducted. Search Keywords: Short link: Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus. The Prince of Wales is displaying mild symptoms of Covid-19 but otherwise remains in good health, Clarence House said. The 71-year-old was self-isolating at home in Scotland. The Duchess of Cornwall, 72, who does not have the virus, is also staying at the Birkhall residence but is separating herself from the prince. A Clarence House spokesperson said: He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the prince and the duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. It is not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. An SNP MSP questioned how the prince was able to receive a test for coronavirus. Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, tweeted to say she wished Charles a speedy recovery but added: Given that his symptoms are said to be mild, like many I wonder how he was tested when many NHS and social care workers cannot get tested. My nephew, who has serious asthma and a chest infection was recently refused a test. The heir to the thrones last public engagement was on 12 March, when he attended a Mansion House dinner hosted by William Russell, lord mayor of the City of London, and George Brandis, the high commissioner for Australia, in aid of the Australian bushfire relief effort. The prince saw the Queen privately at some point during the day. He last saw the Queen at a public event on 9 March, when senior royals including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters The Queen remains in good health, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said. The Queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of 12 March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare. The Duke of Edinburgh was not with the Queen at Buckingham Palace when she last met Charles, the palace confirmed. Fuel Your Pipeline. Close More Deals. Our full-service marketing programs deliver sales-ready leads. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Learn more Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled several new artificial intelligence capabilities across Dynamics 365 applications and a new solution to help project-centric services organizations transform their operations. The AI enhancements include first- and third-party data connections in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, Microsofts customer data platform (CDP). The work in AI and CDP is new and a key part of Microsoft taking their products to an AI-driven approach, noted Ray Wang, principal analyst at Constellation Research. The company also unveiled new manual and predictive forecasting capabilities for Dynamics 365 Sales and Dynamic 365 Sales Insights. Integration with the CDP is important, but more important will be the ability to automate transactions and apply AI to drive the next best action, Wang told CRM Buyer. Were seeing a need to deliver on ambient experiences which are subtle, next best actions. Microsoft also is making Customer Insights available to government agencies that previously could not access this feature for their cloud computing environments. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations, which connects cross-functional project teams, will be generally available Oct. 1. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance Insights, slated for preview in May, will bring AI into an organizations finance processes, automating or eliminating repetitive, time consuming and low-value daily activities so organizations can understand and act on their cash position and take proactive actions to improve it. Having a clear view from sales, service and finance for the marketer looking to drive growth through customer engagements that are both creative and contextual is pure gold, observed Liz Miller, principal analyst at Constellation Research. Making customer intelligence part of the workflow helps to remove some of what makes bridging the gaps set up by data silos so hard, she told CRM Buyer. Beefing Up Customer Insights Dynamics 365 Customer Insights new first- and third-party data connections add proprietary audience intelligence and data from third-party data sources to customer profiles that can be updated and activated in real time. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Integrating Microsoft Forms Pro will bring in the customers voice across channels so enterprises can act on insights based on customers changing behavior and perception. Customer Insights can be used with Azure Synapse Analytics, which combines customer data with enterprise and streaming data, to improve data completeness, run high-speed analytical processing, and build custom machine learning models. Those models can predict customer needs and provide guidance on the next best action to reduce churn and maximize revenue opportunities. This shows Microsoft bringing the power of its whole portfolio to business applications, with Azure Synapse Analytics and Forms Pro, remarked Rebecca Wettemann, principal at Valoir. Synapse Analytics is SQL Data Warehouse, so companies and Microsoft partners with SQL skills and resources will be well positioned to take advantage of its speed and scale, she told CRM Buyer. Enterprises can use prebuilt APIs to act upon these insights in real time across multiple destinations to enable Website personalization, dynamic marketing campaigns, effective ad targeting, and dealing with clients on site, said James Phillips, president of Microsoft Business Applications. Microsofts tools by nature are comparatively easy to learn and use, and this should be consistent with those expectations, noted Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. However, You break down silos with journeys and process, not integration of APIs, Constellations Wang pointed out. End-to-end flows that power decisions provide a solution. Tools for the Sales Team Dynamics 365 extracts patterns from CRM data, current and historical leads, won or lost opportunities, contacts, accounts, customer interactions and other data sources, and projects these patterns into the future to provide predictive forecasting for Dynamics 365 Sales and Dynamic 365 Sales Insights. These insights can be accessed without the need for data scientists or tech experts. The prediction and forecasting is only as good as the data, so training data will be key to success, Wang observed. You need more high-quality data sources in order to build precision decision models. A D V E R T I S E M E N T A new engagement center provides sellers with their own AI-prioritized work queue based on built-in predictive scoring from Dynamics 365 Sales Insights that uses new, configurable sales cadences. Other embedded AI capabilities offer a path to a warm introduction and guidance from the assistant. When considering AI, said Wang, almost every organization asks four questions: When do I trust human judgment? When do I augment human judgment with machines? When do I augment a machine with a human? When do I trust machine automation? Microsofts announcements bring us one step closer to this autonomous reality, he remarked. For Project Operations Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations is built on Microsofts unified business cloud and leverages its expertise in front- and back-office processes and project management. It aims to break down data silos and to optimize operations from prospect to cash. Project Operations is where Microsofts breadth capabilities, from finance collaborations to project management, will really shine, Valoirs Wettemann noted. Its another example of Microsoft bringing its portfolio game to the business apps space. The value of end-to-end visibility and collaboration is broadly applicable. That said, these are data and process flow tools, but silos are often more behavioral and political rather than technical, Enderle told CRM Buyer. So, while these tools will certainly help, to get the full benefit managers will have to continue to train people to break these data silos. Finance Insights Finance Insights will bring AI into an organizations finance processes, automating or eliminating repetitive, time consuming and low-value daily activities so organizations can focus on working with their cash position. Dynamic Finance Insights can really help companies move the needle where it matters, not just by automating manual tasks but by leveraging AI to rapidly understand finance data and act on it together manage cash, Wettemann observed. The Big Picture The announcements represent an important strategic move for Microsoft, trying to beat the bigger players Salesforce, Oracle, SAP by having a better integrated portfolio, though the proof is yet to come, said Nicole France, principal analyst at Constellation Research. Microsoft also is competing with smaller, younger competitors such as Zoho, Freshworks and Zendesk, who have been building integrated capabilities that span marketing, sales, service and sometimes more, with consistent, straightforward interfaces for users, she told CRM Buyer. However, things like customer data integration are not simply a technology or application integration challenge, France noted. They require consistent definitions and improved process as well. Good Microsoft technical skills are out there, and many enterprises already have significant internal Microsoft teams, she said, but the big question is whether those organizations have tight links between technology experts and business experts. According to figures released on Monday, more than 8,000 tests for coronavirus have been carried out in Luxembourg. Doctor Thomas Dentzer, virologist at the Department of Health, explained that Luxembourg performs a lot of tests compared to other countries: around 1,500 per day, with fewer patients tested on weekends. So far, more than 1% of the population has been tested, which places the Grand Duchy in the top 5 of the countries that perform the most detection tests. The number of tests carried out will now also be communicated by the Health Department in order to be able to get a more complete picture of the situation. Read more: How do Luxembourg's testing frequency and positive results compare internationally? The latest figures on the evolution of the situation in the Grand Duchy are announced on a daily basis after 5.30pm. The figures compile data from three private laboratories, the National Health Laboratory and hospitals. Tests are carried out on patients who have symptoms - fever and cough, for example - whether they are vulnerable or not. If someone is not sick and therefore has no symptoms, they are not tested. Most of the time, the result of a test is available the same day. A tall ship voyage around Australia to remember Captain Cook is set to go ahead in six weeks despite state border closures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The federal government-funded Australian National Maritime Museum is still embarking on a plan to dock at 38 ports around the continent from May 6 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Cook's landing. Each leg of the sold-out voyage on the HMB Endeavour replica can carry 56 people on board, including 16 professional crew. Tickets were sold for 36 voyage crew places and four other travellers for the voyage around Australia, which received $6.7million from taxpayers. A tall ship voyage around Australia to remember Captain Cook is set to go ahead in six weeks despite state border closures to prevent the spread of coronavirus A well-placed source confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the Endeavour would sail around Australia even though Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have closed their borders as the Commonwealth shuts down non-essential businesses for six months. Where the Endeavour will stop in 2020 Sydney to Newcastle: May 6 and 7 Newcastle to Brisbane: May 12 to 18 Brisbane to Gladstone: May 26 to 31 Gladstone to Mackay: June 6 to 10 Mackay to Townsville: June 15 to 20 Townsville to Cairns: June 25 to 30 Cairns to Cooktown: July 21 to 25 Cooktown to Thursday Island: August 4 to 16 Thursday Island to Darwin: August 24 to September 17 Darwin to Broome: October 12 to 22 Broome to Port Hedland: October 26 to 30 Source: Australian National Maritime Museum Advertisement 'At the moment it's going ahead,' he said. 'Everyone is watching it closely.' The replica ship is sailing into Sydney's Botany Bay on April 29 to mark the HMB Endeavour's 1770 landing at Kurnell, which is in Prime Minister Scott Morrison's federal electorate of Cook. From May it will begin sailing around Australia, with stops planned for Newcastle, along with Brisbane, Gladstone and Cairns in Queensland by the end of June. From there, it is sailing to Cooktown and Thursday Island in July and August, before docking at Darwin, Broome and Port Hedland from late August to October. The Endeavour will continue to sail down the West Australian coast to Perth in October and November. A senior Queensland government source told Daily Mail Australia the voyage would be unwise at this time. Legs of the journey have sold out with tickets on one section, between Mackay and Townsville, selling for $4,950. A $500 deposit was required to confirm a place on the voyage but ticket costs are fully refundable should it be cancelled. 'Join the voyage of a lifetime and the most bucket-list-worthy adventure on the high seas,' the museum website said. The federal government-funded Australian National Maritime Museum is still embarking on a plan to dock into 38 ports around the continent from May 6 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Cook's landing The replica is sailing into Sydney's Botany Bay on April 29 to mark the British explorer's 1770 landing at Kurnell, which is in Prime Minister Scott Morrison's federal electorate of Cook in Sydney's south. Pictured is a painting of Captain Cook In January last year, Mr Morrison announced the federal government would give $6.7million to the Australian National Maritime Museum for the voyage. 'As the 250th anniversary nears we want to help Australians better understand Captain Cooks historic voyage and its legacy for exploration, science and reconciliation,' the Prime Minister said in a statement more than a year ago. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'That voyage is the reason Australia is what it is today and it's important we take the opportunity to reflect on it. 'From Far North Queensland and the Cooktown 2020 Festival across to Bunbury and down to Hobart, our government will ensure Australians young and old can see firsthand the legacy of Captain Cook and the voyage of the Endeavour.' On March 19, the New South Wales government allowed the cruise ship Ruby Princess to dock at Circular Quay in Sydney, which saw 2,700 passengers walk off the boat. More than 130 of those aboard have now tested positive to COVID-19, making it the single greatest source of infections in Australia since the outbreak began in January. A woman aged her 70s who was taken from the cruise ship to hospital after docking died on Tuesday morning. Across the other side of Australia, the West Australian government will quarantine 800 passengers on Vasco da Gama cruise ship after it lands at Fremantle. They will be taken to Rottnest Island off the coast of Perth for self-isolation. An Australian Border Force spokeswoman said this was a matter for state port authorities. Daily Mail Australia contacted Queensland Transport Minister Mark Baileys office. A well-placed source confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the ship will sail around Australia even though Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have closed their borders as the Commonwealth shuts down non-essential businesses for six months. Pictured is Constable Ashleigh Broadbent at Pinnaroo near the South Australian border Elizabeth Sobinoff got her happy ending on Married At First Sight. In exclusive photos from the final vows, she smiled while embracing her 'husband' Seb Guilhaus after agreeing to stay together after the experiment. The couple, who only met in October, declared their love for each other on a remote property in Bowral, Sydney, on December 3. Spoiler alert! Elizabeth Sobinoff got her happy ending on Married At First Sight. In exclusive photos from the final vows, she smiled while embracing her 'husband' Seb Guilhaus after agreeing to stay together after the experiment Elizabeth looked gorgeous in a one-shoulder frock and nude heels. She styled her brunette hair loosely and opted for natural-look makeup. Meanwhile, Seb wore a white shirt, beige blazer and black pants. They appeared to be in high spirits at the ceremony, hugging and smiling while posing for their official portraits. Blushing bride: Elizabeth looked gorgeous in a one-shoulder frock and nude heels. She styled her brunette hair loosely and opted for natural-look makeup Picture perfect: The couple, who only met in October, declared their love for each other on a remote property in Bowral, Sydney, on December 3 It all worked out in the end! They appeared to be in high spirits at the ceremony, hugging and smiling while posing for their official portraits On Wednesday, Elizabeth hinted she was still dating Seb after the show by posting a selfie of the couple to Instagram. She described the former footy player as her 'king' in the caption. 'No matter what happens with us, my angel, I will always treasure these moments in life,' she added. King and queen: On Wednesday, Elizabeth hinted she was still dating Seb after the show by posting this selfie of the couple to Instagram Concerned: Elizabeth looked nervous as she waited for Seb to arrive It comes after Elizabeth revealed she was 'worried' about her future with Seb outside of the experiment on Tuesday's episode of MAFS. She explained she felt 'very cautious' and 'guarded' after she was left heartbroken by Sam Ball on last year's season. But despite her reservations, she said Seb was the right person for her. Guarded: It comes after Elizabeth revealed she was 'worried' about her future with Seb outside of the experiment on Tuesday's episode of Married At First Sight 'I really could have something great with you, but I've just not put in the hard work and just let [the past] go. And I'm scared of that,' she confessed. Her admission left Seb wondering if he was more committed to their relationship than she was. Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine Domestic sales at Suzuki Motorctycle India have risen over six per cent to 651,293 units between April 2019 and February 2020, from 610,091 units during the same period last year, even as demand slumped across the industry. The firm's market share in two-wheelers has gone up from 3.09 per cent to 3.94 per cent during this period, according to SIAM data. While it too has been impacted by the Coronavirus spread, Koichiro Hirao, Managing Director, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd in an interaction with T E Narasimhan says that the company plans to strengthen its portfolio in India. Edited ... KANAZAWA, Japan, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recent study published in Autophagy, researchers at Kanazawa University show how abnormalities in a gene called TPR can lead to pediatric brain cancer. Ependymoma is a rare form of brain cancer that implicates children and is often tricky to diagnose. Since effective treatment options can be initiated only after a well-formed diagnosis, there is a dire need among the medical community to identify markers for ependymoma, which in turn, will help oncologists tailor therapy better. Richard Wong's and Mitsutoshi Nakada's team at Kanazawa University has now shown how one gene closely linked to ependymoma can help with not just diagnosis, but also treatment options for the condition. A gene known as TPR shows an elevated presence in 38% of ependymoma cases. Thus, the team first sought out to investigate how an increase in the TPR gene correlated to the development of cancer cells. Each gene present in a cell contains a code for the creation of a specific protein. The TPR gene contains the code for an eponymous protein. Therefore, cancer samples from patients were assessed for the levels of TPR protein. As expected, levels of TPR were abnormally high in these tumor tissues. The researchers then moved on to investigate whether these abnormal TPR levels could lead to cancer progression. For this purpose, mice were implanted with human ependymoma cancer tissue into their brains. The TPR gene was then deleted in these tissues so that the mice were unable to create the TPR protein. When the tumor tissues were subsequently analyzed, a reduction of cancer growth was seen. The TPR gene was thus vital for the growth of ependymoma tumors. Deletion of the TPR protein is known to induce a process called autophagy within cells. Autophagy is initiated when a cell is under undue stress and results in the death of damaged cells. The patient tumor samples, with their high levels of TPR protein, showed little or no presence of autophagy. However, autophagy was remarkably high in the mice with TPR depletion. Ependymoma cells were thus spared of autophagic death due to the increased presence of TPR. These damaged cells continued to grow by circumventing the biological systems set up to keep them in check. The high TPR levels were also accompanied by an increase in HSF-1 and MTOR, molecules which are responsible for cell growth and survival. Finally, the possibility of lowering TPR levels therapeutically to control the cancer was assessed. The mice were given a drug called rapamycin, which inhibits MTOR. The treatment not only led to decreased TPR levels, but also shrank the tumor tissues within their brains. "Thus, TPR can serve as a potential biomarker, and MTOR inhibition could be an effective therapeutic approach for ependymoma patients," conclude the researchers. While looking out for increased levels of TPR in patients can help oncologists achieve a more comprehensive diagnosis, reducing TPR levels with the help of drugs can help keep the tumors in check. Background: Autophagy: Autophagy, which literally translates to "self-eating" is the self-preservation mechanism of the body to get rid of damaged cells. Autophagy is initiated when an abnormal amount of proteins or toxins build up within a cell, which the cell cannot clear out. Conditions like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease arise when autophagic mechanisms within the cells start malfunctioning. Impaired autophagy is also known to be implicated in driving various forms of cancer. Reference Firli Rahmah Primula Dewi, Shabierjiang Jiapaer, Akiko Kobayashi, Masaharu Hazawa, Dini Kurnia Ikliptikawati, Hartono, Hemragul Sabit, Mitsutoshi Nakada, and Richard W. Wong. "Nucleoporin TPR (translocated promoter region, nuclear basket protein) upregulation alters MTOR-HSF1 trails and suppresses autophagy induction in ependymoma", Autophagy. Published online 24 March 2020. DOI 10.1080/15548627.2020.1741318. About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/ Nano Life Science Institute (NanoLSI), Kanazawa University is a research center established in 2017 as part of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The objective of this initiative is to form world-tier research centers. NanoLSI combines the foremost knowledge of bio-scanning probe microscopy to establish 'nano-endoscopic techniques' to directly image, analyze, and manipulate biomolecules for insights into mechanisms governing life phenomena such as diseases. About Kanazawa University http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/e/ As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities. The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa - a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas. Further information Hiroe Yoneda Vice Director of Public Affairs WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) Kanazawa University Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan Email: nanolsi-office@adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jp Tel: +81-(76)-234-4550 [March 25, 2020] Pella Corporation Launches Virtual Appointments PELLA, Iowa, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- During this period of uncertainty due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Pella Corporation today announced its plans to help homeowners with their window and door replacement projects. The Iowa-based, privately held manufacturer has launched free virtual appointments with their experts as a safe solution for homeowners in need of window or door replacement. The company's quick response comes from its commitment to care for its customers and the home projects that are important to them. "Our company was founded 95 years ago on the principle of finding innovative solutions to everyday problems and caring deeply for our customers. Like many businesses, we didn't anticipate this outbreak, but we're pivoting to offer a solution that allows us to meet our customers' needs where we safely can during this highly unusual time," said Annette Bravard, Vice President of Corporate Sales, Pella Corporation. The company has already put in place additional measures to help ensure the health and wellness of its team members and customers. Virtual appointments are available now in major markets across the United States including Chicago, Seattle, Detroit, New Jersey and more. During the virtual appointment, homeowners can discuss window and door options, get a quote and purchase products. A virtual appointment can be scheduled by visiting pella.com/where-to-buy/virtual-appointment/. After scheduling their appointment, homeowners will receive a confirmation email from Pella. On the day of the appointment, the customer will simply click the virtual conference link provided in an email from their local Pella expert. Homeowners can connect with the local Pella expert via a computer, tablet or smartphone. During the appointment, which will typically last 60-minutes, homeowners can share details of their project and hear from a local Pella expert about the various options available to them, including window and door styles, material types, colors, stains, and energy-efficient and noise-reducing options. The Pella expert will provide demonstrations of Pella windows and doors that may be a good fit for the specific home and budget and discuss the best installation method for the project. During this appointment, homeowners will find out the project cost and discuss the remaining steps in the project. Following the online appointment, and pending federal, state and local safety guidelines, a local Pella expert will schedule time to perform an exterior review of the home, which will include measuring and photographing the windows and doors for order verification. After this step, the customer can place their order and schedule a convenient, future installation date. In addition to offering virtual appointments, in-home appointments can still be scheduled in available markets. Pella experts will be limiting personal contact and will be following the direction of the Center for Disease Control, local health authorities and federal, state and local mandates. Pella Window & Door showrooms will be open by appointment only, as available in each local market. To learn more about Pella Windows and Doors or to schedule a virtual appointment, visit pella.com/where-to-buy/virtual-appointment/. About Pella Corporation Pella Corporation designs and manufacturers windows and doors for residential homes and commercial applications. The company is headquartered in Pella, Iowa and employs more than 7,000 people with 15 manufacturing locations and more than 200 showrooms across the country. For more information, call 888-847-3552 or visit pressroom.pella.com. Follow Pella on Facebook, YouTube, Houzz, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pella-corporation-launches-virtual-appointments-301029425.html SOURCE Pella Corporation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] India: Uniform fishing ban Notification dated 20th March 2020 is online The President of India is pleased to impose a uniform ban on fishing by all fishing vessels in the Indian Exclusive Zone beyond territorial waters on the East Coast including Andaman & Nicobar Islands and West Coast including Lakshadweep Islands as per period mentioned below for conservation and effective management of fishery resources and also for sea safety reasons: - East Coast-from 15th April to 14th June 2020 (both days inclusive) (61 days) - West Coast-from 1st June to 31st July 2020 (both days inclusive) (61 days) The traditional non-motorized units shall be exempted from this uniform fishing ban imposed in the Indian EEZ beyond territorial waters. This issues with the approval of the Competent Authority. Full text is available at: https://indianlegal.icsf.net/images/resources/externalNews/docs/legal_india/documents/85129424.pdf M ajor construction sites across London halted work today to ease pressure on the transport network but Tube carriages remained dangerously overcrowded on some lines this morning. Sadiq Khan said the London Underground was 30 per cent less busy in the early rush hour compared with yesterday, but medical staff took to social media to complain of being hemmed into carriages packed with non-essential workers. The layoffs of thousands of building workers promised to help make space on Tubes, buses and trains but the risk to the economy piled pressure on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to come up with a rescue plan for self-employed people, millions of whom depend on the building trade. Massive technical complications in finding a formula to ensure billions of pounds goes only to people affected by the crisis was holding up the scheme despite round-the-clock work at the Treasury. In new measures to ease the crush, 500 British Transport Police were deployed across London to challenge travellers whether their journey was necessary and to marshal queues into obeying social distancing rules. A carriage on the Central Line packed with commuters / PA Battersea Power Station, one of the capitals biggest building sites, announced a 48-hour shutdown while it considers whether it can continue by incorporating social distancing from Friday. But the projects backers faced a storm on social media, with some medics lashing out at seeing workers still on the site. Construction workers on a residential building in Canary Wharf / PA Daniel Tweedie, a childrens ENT surgeon, tweeted sarcastically: Great to see your site at Battersea Power station is running at pace in the middle of the covid pandemic. "I was able to marvel at it on my way to and from work at St Thomas Hospital today. Video emerged of workers in the staff canteen sitting next to each other, apparently ignoring the two-metre distancing rule. Other London firms said they were closing for the good of the capital and its transport system. Galliard Homes said it was closing all sites with immediate effect, apart from safety work. Executive chairman Stephen Conway said it would protect staff and take 2,500 off public transport. Our business was born in London and we are committed to the capital, but during these unprecedented times the safety of our construction staff, families and our London communities is paramount, he added. Construction workers on a site in Barking / PA House builder Persimmon followed Barratt and Taylor Wimpey by announcing site shutdowns. Work was also paused temporarily by some firms at major sites including Eustons redevelopment, HS2 construction, and Lendleases Google HQ site in Kings Cross. In an announcement to the City this morning, Persimmon said: Construction sites are commencing an orderly shutdown with only essential work taking place which will be focused on making partly-built homes safe and secure and where failure to complete the build could put customers in a vulnerable position. A political storm was growing over whether construction should simply be banned by the Government. Mayor Mr Khan said: I repeat my call on the Government to ban non-safety construction work during this period... we also urgently need more financial support for the self-employed, freelancers and those in insecure work. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan / PA But the Government said City Hall should put on extra transport services to give passengers more space. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he saw no good reason for not doing so, a call also made by Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey. The Mayor hit back that the number of transport staff calling in sick or self-isolating had gone up from 20 per cent to a third overnight and he may have no choice but to cut services further. The row was little comfort for NHS staff trying to avoid infection. Barry Trimble, who said his work involves ensuring cancer patients receive chemotherapy, tweeted: The Tube is packed, with social distancing impossible. We need more people to stay at home and more trains running in morning and evening peak. A passenger on the Tube / AFP via Getty Images Mr Khan said Tube passenger levels were now down 88 per cent compared with the same day last year, the biggest drop of any world city that has kept an underground service running. Id like to thank all Londoners who have followed the rules today and stayed at home, he said. However, we still need more Londoners to do the right thing and stay at home. Tube services ran at roughly the same level overall today, but services were boosted for the early peak. Gatherings of more than four people are being restricted and all theatres, gyms, bookies, hairdressers, casinos and bingo halls will be shut as part of a raft of tough new measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The actions form part of the Government's ongoing plan to limit the impact of the deadly virus on workers and employers with more stringent social distancing rules. The measures in brief include: Physical distancing restrictions remain in place; People should stay home as much as possible, work from home if they can, and only leave home to go to work if there is no alternative; Only go to the shops for essential supplies, for medical or dental appointments, to care for others or to take physical exercise; Expand Close Garda Caoileann Fitzmaurice and Garda Gareth McElhone on patrol on a very quiet OConnell Bridge in Dublin. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Garda Caoileann Fitzmaurice and Garda Gareth McElhone on patrol on a very quiet OConnell Bridge in Dublin. Photo: Frank McGrath No unnecessary travel should take place within the country or overseas; Non-essential businesses must close but factories and construction sites can continue to operate with precautions. Meanwhile, the Government also announced higher payments for workers who lose their jobs and a wage subsidy scheme to help employers retain staff. Last week, it introduced the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment which was initially set at 203 a week. The Cabinet agreed yesterday to increase this to 350 a week. The Government will also pay 70pc of an employee's wages up to 410 a week for businesses that are willing to meet the remainder of their staff's weekly payment. Meanwhile, creches will get a major government bailout in return for ditching fees for parents who are worried about keeping their places. The new scheme will ensure every childcare worker who is out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic will receive 350 a week for the next 12 weeks if they are retained by their employer. Childcare providers will also receive an additional payment from the State which will be based on 15pc of their staff costs. This payment will go toward the cost of a business's rent, overheads and insurance for the next three months. In return for these payments, creche owners will be asked to sign a "Covid emergency agreement" asking them not to charge parents while also ensuring their child's place is secured until social distancing rules come to an end. "These are unprecedented actions to respond to an unprecedented emergency," said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. He thanked the public for listening to the advice on physical distancing and handwashing so far, adding "it's too early to know for sure but we do believe it's making a difference". However, he warned "we need to do more" and asked people "to stay at home if at all possible". He said all existing coronavirus measures, including the closure of schools and universities, will be extended until Sunday, April 19. Mr Varadkar said social gatherings outdoors are to involve no more than four people unless they are from the same household. There will be an increased presence of park rangers and gardai in parks and public places to ensure physical distancing is being observed. "We can't stop the virus but working together we can slow it in its tracks and push it back." Mr Varadkar said that Ireland recently commemorated the centenary of the 1916 Rising and the men and women who won Ireland's independence. "I never believed we would be called upon to match their courage or example but today we are. Working together as a country we will come through this emergency. We'll be tested but we will succeed," he said. "Our greatest generation was not in the past... better times are yet to come." Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said it is a "crisis unlike any other in our lifetime" and it has placed otherwise viable businesses in jeopardy. Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty confirmed the increased Covid-19 payments will be made from Friday. There will also be enhanced protections for people facing difficulties with their mortgages, rent or utility bills. Mr Donohoe estimated that the measures will cost 3.7bn for a 12-week period but this will vary depending on the duration of the crisis. "We must act now to avoid an even greater economic challenge in the future," he said. Business Minister Heather Humphreys said she has met the major supermarkets and had discussions about their supply chains. She said they "continue to assure me we have a strong pipeline of products for our citizens". Afraid The early days of the crisis were marked by panic-buying despite repeated reassurance from the Government and retailers that stock-piling was not necessary. Mr Varadkar was asked what he would say to people who are afraid. He replied: "I think we're all a little bit afraid. "It's perfectly natural and normal to be a little bit afraid. We can all see today what's happening in Italy - only two or three hours' flight from here and that frightens us all." [March 25, 2020] Fundopolis Announces New Initiative to Help Small Businesses Crowdfund Financial Support During COVID-19 Pandemic Fundopolis, the equity crowdfunding company focused on Main Street, today announced a new initiative to support entrepreneurs across the nation tap into alternative investment markets to help their small businesses maintain operations during the Coronavirus pandemic and pay their employees. The Company is cutting the fees associated with capital raises in half to help small business owners crowdfund loans from their customers, community members, family, and thousands of Fundopolis investors. Fundopolis is currently offering small business owners the following terms: A 50 percent reduction in Fundopolis fees; Zero upfront fees, including a 50 percent reduction in escrow setup fees which will be payable at the close of the raise rather than the beginning; and Businesses have the ability to create a debt offering between $10,000 - $0,000 that is both interest-free and payment-free for the first year. 30 million small businesses are seeing revenues drop as people comply with their state's COVID-19 quarantine and containment practices. With Fundopolis, small businesses can raise money to help them through this crisis by rallying their biggest supporters to crowdfund a loan with favorable terms that get them through this period. The platform saves businesses time and money by simplifying the process of raising capital through equity crowdfunding (Reg CF). Businesses can set their own terms and utilize the portal to communicate important updates. "If there ever was a moment that we, as a community, need to step up to make sure that our shared future looks bright, this is the time," said Jan Steenbrugge, founder and president of Fundopolis. "We at Fundopolis are doing as much as we can, but we are just one company. The crowd, however, is a force to be reckoned with. Let's unleash all the good it can bring!" Small business owners looking to raise capital or people interested in reviewing Fundopolis' current issuers can visit https://www.fundopolis.com/. About Fundopolis Fundopolis empowers individuals and communities to invest in and support the small businesses they love. By placing intuitive technology and services in the hands of business owners, Fundopolis helps to fund their growth and manage the full funding lifecycle, all while cultivating deeper relationships with their customers. To learn more visit https://www.fundopolis.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005376/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] US, UAE stage joint war games amid coronavirus pandemic Iran Press TV Tuesday, 24 March 2020 7:22 AM Defying a deadly coronavirus pandemic, thousands of American and Emirati forces have taken part in joint drills simulating the capture of a "model city" in a sprawling Abu Dhabi military base. The final day of the "Native Fury" exercise was held at al-Hamra Military Base in the United Arab Emirates' capital on Monday, the Associated Press reported. This was the 20th edition of so-called "training" drills that have been taking place since 2008 on a biannual basis. As many as 4,000 US troops were assigned to deploy armored vehicles and other equipment from nearby Kuwait and the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to the base for the purpose of the drills. During the exercise, the joint forces raided a mock city set up at the base that comprises multi-story buildings, standalone houses, hotels, an airport control tower, an oil refinery, and a central mosque. Controlled explosions rang out as Emirati troops rappelled from hovering helicopters and marines searched narrow streets for enemy forces, the AP report said. The war games came amid the United States' continued tensions with Iran and its ongoing attempts to seek regional and international consensus against the Islamic Republic. The most recent high point in the tensions was caused by the US assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), in Baghdad in early January. The atrocity was followed by IRGC ballistic missile strikes against two US bases in the Arab country. On Saturday, The New York Times reported that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a known Iran hawk, had recently pushed for a "tough action" against Iran while the country was busy battling the new coronavirus outbreak. 'Preparedness for fight' According to AFP, the war games were meant to test response readiness in the face of contingencies, natural disasters, and other possible crises in the region. The drills' American commander, Brig. Gen. Thomas Savage was, however, more specific concerning their goal. "This has been an incredible training opportunity for us to go through this and practice how we would do something if, God forbid, we are forced to go fight in this region again," he said. The Emirati commander of the drills, Brig, Tariq al-Zaabi, was also cited by the Emirates' The National daily as saying, "The exercise demonstrated the combat and professionalism of both forces in applying the concept of command and control, to jointly hit their targets with accuracy and effectiveness." The UAE has spent billions of dollars on its military, to which the United States is the biggest procurer. The two sides have also been supportive of each other's overseas invasions. The Emirates deployed forces to Afghanistan after the 2001 US-led invasion of the Central Asian country. It also joined a US-led military coalition that began what is claimed to be an operation against the Daesh terror group in the region in 2014. Washington, on the other hand, has been the biggest contributor to a 2015-present Saudi Arabia-led war on Yemen. The UAE is the second biggest partner in the war that has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis. Asked about Yemen and cooperation in the war on the impoverished country, American Ambassador to Abu Dhabi John Rakolta, said, "Partnerships are based on many aspects, many fundamentals, and this (Yemen) happens [to be] just one of them." "Trust is a huge, huge factor. Transparency, common values all work into a partnership," he added. Contempt for coronavirus Savage, meanwhile, rejected the notion that the war games could contribute to the spread of the coronavirus, which according to the World Health Organization, has infected 31,573 in the US and 153 in the UAE so far. He claimed those US forces involved had had little contact with the outside world after shipping out for the drills and none had tested positive since. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As the coronavirus continues spreading throughout New Jersey, the state frantically is seeking to ramp up testing to combat the outbreak. New Jerseys first government-run coronavirus testing center opened March 20 in Bergen County. A second, similar site is also open at PNC Bank Arts Center in Monmouth County. Both sites are set to operate seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will collect 2,500 specimens at each site each week at no cost to the public and with no pre-registration required. All individuals will be screened for symptoms of coronavirus, including fever, sneezing, cough or shortness of breath. Asymptomatic individuals will be turned away from the site. Results will be processed within two to five days of testing. Those who wish to be tested must bring identification that provides proof of New Jersey residency with them. Who can get tested in New Jersey? Murphy said people will need to show symptoms at the two government-run testing sites at Bergen Community College and PNC Bank Arts Center in order to be tested. They also must bring identification proving their New Jersey residency. These two major state-run centers will change their schedules starting March 28 and set aside days just to test those working on the front lines of the outbreak, Murphy announced on March 26. People would not need to get a recommendation from a doctor, Murphy said. Some privately-run testing sites have a pre-screening process. The CDC recommends seeking medical attention immediately if a person exhibits the following symptoms: Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath Persistent pain or pressure in the chest New confusion or inability to arouse Bluish lips or face New Jersey is requiring hospitals and health clinics in the state to waive fees for coronavirus testing and related diagnostic services for uninsured residents as the outbreak continues to spread, Murphys administration announced on March 20. Where can people get tested? In addition to the two government testing sites, several sites run by county officials have opened across New Jersey. Union County announced plans to open the first county-run drive-through coronavirus testing site at Kean University beginning on March 23. There will be another site opening at the County College of Morris in Randolph, joining a site at Bergen Community College. A site at Ocean County College in Toms River is still in the process of being set up. An opening date cannot be established until test kits have been received and a scheduling system is in place. Camden County is also in the process of setting one up at its college in Gloucester Township but cant open until it gets testing kits. A facility will open by appointment only at Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus for country residents and emergency workers in the area. For an appointment or more information, Hudson residents should call 201-388-1097. A drive-thru testing location is scheduled to open March 25 at William Paterson University in Wayne. It is for Passaic County residents only, with a prescription, and will be open from 9 a.m. to noon. A new coronavirus testing site will open for Essex County residents on March 26. The new drive-through testing site at Weequahic Park in Newark will be by appointment only and will not be open every day. The numbers of tests will also be capped at either 100 or 150 depending on the day. In Burlington County, and by appointment only, a drive-through testing center will be set up only for today until 5 p.m. A spokesman said future testing dates will be subject to test kit availability. There are efforts by a number of privately-run medical groups to provide testing, but these are done only when kits and supplies are available. In most cases, there is a pre-screening process. It is best to contact a provider to find out if testing is available. FEMA is helping set up sites The Federal Emergency Management Agency is helping the state set up the testing sites in Bergen and Monmouth counties. They represent the first major public testing centers run by the state and the federal government in New Jersey. New Jersey is one of 12 states identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a priority state that will have testing sites supported by the federal agency, Murphy said. Other places where you can also get tested In addition to FEMA-supported sites, Atlantic Health, the parent company of Morristown Medical Center, has begun drive-through testing in Morris Township. As of March 20, the site is only accepting patients who meet the state Department of Healths criteria for COVID-19 testing through appointments made by Atlantic Medical Group physicians, according to a news release. InFocus Urgent Care also has begun setting up test sites in Mercer County, according to reports. Two drive-thru facilities have opened in Secaucus the first site launched at the Riverside Medical Groups command center, and the second at Hudson Regional Hospital. Testing also is being conducted at various state laboratories, hospitals and private companies, as well as at the Hackensack Meridian Hospital and the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Other healthcare facilities across the state are offering testing some walk-in, others requiring an appointment. Call your healthcare provider for more information about getting tested at these facilities or contact them directly. The number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey swelled to 3,675 with 44 deaths on March 24 - the largest single day jump in deaths since the virus arrived in the state earlier this month. New Jersey has the second highest number of coronavirus cases in the nation after New York. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips. Hotels and guesthouses in Laois-Offaly are seeking the urgent support of local TDs to help save Irish tourism and secure the livelihoods of thousands of people employed across the country. Dara Cruise, Chair, Midlands Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation states: Safeguarding public health is an absolute priority for us, and this must go hand-in-hand with ensuring we have a viable economy to return to after the crisis. The health and wellbeing of our people is intertwined with the economy. People will need livelihoods when this is all over including the 260,000 people across the country who, up until recently, were employed in tourism and hospitality. This represents 11% of total employment nationally. It is also important to note that 70% of these jobs are outside of Dublin which highlights the regional contribution of tourism. Over 100,000 have already been laid off and it is deeply regrettable that many more will follow in the coming days. Tourism makes a vital economic contribution to our local economy here in Laois-Offaly and, up until last week, it supported 4,400 jobs and generated 66 million in local tourism revenues annually. Within a short number of weeks, we have seen revenues plummet by up to 100% across the sector. Tourism businesses have now closed with thousands of people being laid off on a daily basis across the country. We must do everything within our power to ensure that these closures are temporary. The challenges we now face are existential and far greater than anything we went through during the financial crisis. We require extraordinary measures and political leadership right now to ensure these closures and layoffs are temporary. That is why the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has called on the Government to act extremely quickly to ensure that large parts of our economy, including tourism, are not obliterated by the current crisis. When we look across the water to the UK, we see a range of seriously impressive measures to save jobs and the economy, such as the UK Governments decisive commitment yesterday to pay up to 80% of the salary of employees if businesses keep them on their payroll as the economy crashes. Here in Ireland, we need our own great national effort to protect jobs along similar lines. It is extremely regrettable that the response so far by Government has been inadequate and this is causing alarm across our sector given the lessons learnt from the financial crisis and urgency required to minimise long-term damage to vulnerable sectors of the economy. Last week, for example, the Government moved to defer commercial rates for businesses impacted by the crisis. Such a deferment is futile for tourism businesses that have no revenue as it just means they are being asked to accumulate the liability. It fails to tackle the underlying problem and will do little to get our people in Irish tourism back to work as part of rebuilding Ireland. For those businesses most affected, including those that have closed, these Local Authority rates must be waived until the crisis is over. Cash flow in particular is the killer of businesses in crises like this, and we have called on the Government to implement measures that will assist with cash flow now as well as reducing the rates of tourism VAT and employers PRSI to zero for the duration of the crisis. In addition to our call for local authority rates to be waived, we are seeking direct business supports, including finance and marketing assistance. Urgent measures required now: We now expect societal and business interruption to last far longer than originally anticipated, and this significantly changes the context and scale of Government intervention required. Nothing short of a drastic intervention will secure the future of Irish tourism. Hoteliers in Laois-Offaly are calling for urgent Government action on the following issues to protect the long-term viability of the 260,000 Irish tourism jobs and the wider economy: Employees: Government should commit to paying 80% of the salary of workers if businesses keep them on their payroll. Similar to mortgage deferments, provide grants for employees who are renting. Cashflow / Finance: measures to assist with cashflow for businesses facing short term problems, including: Interest free loans with deferred capital payment structures Government supported and targeted bank support initiatives 12-month payment deferment on Senior debt (Capital and Interest) Government grants: business interruption grants to help businesses reopen and interest-free Capex grants that are repayable over time Local Authority rates and water charges: to be waived for the duration of business interruption and initial recovery period due to Covid-19. Taxation: tourism VAT rates and employers PRSI to be reduced to zero until the industry has recovered. Insurance: grants to cover businesss public liability and property insurance for the duration of the crisis and for Government to require the insurance industry to be more flexible with charges in relation to businesses that are closed. We are all in this together and local tourism businesses, including hotels and guesthouses, are determined to get through this crisis and get the 260,000 people back to work in tourism. There is only so much we, as individual businesses, can do in the face of such an overwhelming crisis that threatens to obliterate Irish tourism. That is why, on behalf of all our members and local tourism businesses, we urging all TDs in Laois-Offaly to support our call for decisive and exceptional measures at this time of national crisis, concluded Mr Cruise. New South Wales Health is responsible for letting coronavirus patients disembark the Ruby Princess cruise, the Commissioner of the Australian Border Force said today. At least 133 passengers have tested positive for coronavirus since the ship docked in Sydney on 19 March. One passenger, a woman in her 70s, has died of the illness. ABF Commissioner Michael Outram made clear that his officers are responsible for checking passengers' visas and also making sure no contraband enters Australia. New South Wales Health is responsible for letting coronavirus patients disembark the Ruby Princess cruise, the Commissioner of the Australian Border Force said today He said it is not the role of police officers to check passengers' health. Mr Outram said NSW Health decided, after consulting with the ship's doctor, that the vessel did not require an on-board inspection. This was despite the fact that 13 passengers had flu-like symptoms and had tested negative for viral flu while on the ship. 'New South Wales Health stated to the Ruby Princess, "You are free to disembark tomorrow",' Mr Outram said. That decision meant that 2,647 passengers were allowed to enter Australia without any COVID tests. Labor senator Kristina Keneally said today that decision was 'gobsmacking'. Mr Outram, who began his career with London's Metropolitan Police before moving to Australia in 2002, said he did not want to play the blame game. But he said that NSW Health 'felt the vessel was low-risk and there was no need to attend the vessel.' Mr Outram said the day before the Ruby Princess docked another cruise ship docked in Melbourne. Ruby Princess cruise ship passenger Greg Butler (left) is currently in ICU in Tamworth Hospital with coronavirus. He and partner Robin Russ (right) caught a six-hour train to Tamworth after disembarking the ship at Sydney Harbour last Thursday Victoria Health refused to let anyone disembark until everyone was tested negative for COVID-19. He used the example to show that state health authorities are responsible, and can be good at, preventing ill people entering Australia. On Tuesday Premier Gladys Berejiklian allegedly said the ABF was responsible for the disaster. A report in The Australian, citing 'several state government MPs', said Ms Berejiklian had told a party-room meeting of Liberals that the Australian Border Force ultimately made the decision to allow the passengers ashore. 'She said it wasn't our failing - it was the feds,' an MP at the meeting was quoted to say by The Australian. The publication also reported that a a second MP had described Ms Berejiklian's response as an 'a**e-covering exercise'. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement On Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was accused of blaming the New South Wales government. 'The chief health officer of NSW said this was a low risk,' Mr Morrison said. Labor leader Anthony Albanese said this was effectively blaming the NSW Government. 'There's a pattern there of him blaming NSW and (Premier) Gladys Berejiklian's government,' Mr Albanese told reporters in Canberra. 'The truth is that the federal government are responsible for the entry into Australia.' Meanwhile, a passenger who walked off the Ruby Princess vessel without any health checks or warnings by authorities is now in intensive care unit after testing positive to the virus. Greg Butler, 56, and his fiancee Robin Russ travelled for six hours on public transport to their hometown of Tamworth, in northeast NSW, and spent the next four days at home before Mr Butler felt unwell with 'pins and needles', a headache and cough. He took himself to the doctor on Monday and was diagnosed with coronavirus. Ms Russ said both she and Mr Butler could not believe how easily they were allowed off the ship. She said if there was even the slightest belief someone on the ship had coronavirus, they should have been locked onboard. 'We were told we could get off and go home, take public transport or whatever we wanted, it was just ridiculous,' Ms Russ said. 'We got into Sydney Harbour at 2am and then took the light rail to central and a train from there. 'By the next morning the government has got onto us to tell us to self-isolate, so they clearly knew someone had it. 'We just can't understand how they let us do that, and now we're getting the blame for it.' About every two minutes, an Italian dies of the CCP virus, a pandemic of a SARS-like disease the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) allowed to spread around the world by covering it up. Italy has been the hardest-hit country after China, with close to 70,000 confirmed infections and over 6,800 dead as of March 24. Its still not exactly clear how the Italian outbreak started. The province at its epicenter, though, has especially intense business ties to China and the country as a whole has been criticized for getting too close to the Red Dragon. Seed of the Epidemic The first two cases of the virus in Italy were a couple from Wuhan, Chinathe epicenter of the infection. They arrived in Milan on Jan. 24 and for the next week traveled south to Rome where they developed symptoms. Another case was an Italian man who tested positive after returning from China in late January. None of these, it seems, led to a larger outbreak. For nearly two weeks the number of confirmed cases stayed at three. Then, a mystery patient appeared. On Feb. 18, a 38-year-old man showed up at the Codogno Hospital in a small town about 30 miles southeast of Milan. Two days prior, he was prescribed influenza medicine at the hospital, but his fever didnt go down, Italian paper la Repubblica reported. The man didnt disclose any connection to China and no quarantine protocols were engaged. The day after, he started to have breathing problems and his wife recalled he met a friend who returned from China several weeks before. This triggered the alarm. A test was administered and came back positive. The quest to reconstruct the mans activities over the prior few weeks began. It was a nightmare. He met more people in those days, between work and sport, than I did in six months, commented Giorgio Scanzi, the hospitals chief physician. His pregnant wife fell sick, his personal doctor went sick, and some of the hospital staff went sick. The number of cases in the area started to climb. First by dozens, then by hundreds, then by thousands. As of March 24, nearly half of all the confirmed cases in Italy are concentrated in the Lombardy region around Milan. The province of Lodi, which covers Codogno and the surrounding towns, has nearly eight infected per 1,000 residentsabout eight times the national average. But something isnt adding up. The sick man worked as a research and development manager for Unilever, a multinational food and hygiene behemoth. The company has an extensive presence in China, including a research and development facility in Shanghai, but its not clear whether the man could have come in contact with the virus even indirectly through Unilever operations. The company didnt respond to a request for comment. His friend, the one who returned from China, later tested negative. So where did the man contract the virus? Theres no clear answer. Italian authorities are now focused on the epidemic itself, rather than chasing the countrys patient zero. One thing is clear thoughif somewhere had close ties to China, it was Lodi. China Ties Despite having just about 230,000 residents, Lodi did more than $2.6 billion worth of business with China in 2018, a local Chamber of Commerce reported (pdf). Thats more than $11 million a heada rate nearly four times the neighboring Milan. Other hard-hit areas in Lombardy also have significant ties to China. Of all Italian provinces, Milan does the most business with China in absolute numbersabout $9.4 billion in 2018. The province has more than 5,700 virus cases. Bergamo, the province with most confirmed cases (over 6,700), has long had a twin relationship with the Yanbian Prefecture, a Chinese autonomous region at the North Korean border. The prefecture even opened its own office in the Italian province. Its China trade reached nearly $1.6 billion in 2018. Brescia, home of the iconic firearms manufacturer Beretta, is doing over $1 billion worth of business with China a year. It now has nearly 6,300 cases of the CCP virus. Nationally, the regions that do the most business with China are also the ones hit the most by the virus. Lombardyover $20 billion and over 30,000 cases; Emilia Romagnaover $6.2 billion and more than 9,000 cases; Venetoover $6.4 billion and nearly 6,000 cases; and Piemonteover $4.6 billion and over 5,500 cases. But the correlation isnt absolute. Campania, the most densely populated region in the country, only has about 1,100 cases. Its still doing quite a bit of business with China, some $2 billion a year. The virus is expected to function better in colder weather. That may be a part of why the southern regions, including Campania, have seen fewer cases. At the same time, the mere presence of Chinese immigrants doesnt necessarily align with outbreak hot spots. The central province of Prato has been known for its large Chinese community. Thousands of Chinese textile factories, often staffed by illegal immigrants, have sprouted up in the recent decade or two, outcompeting the long-established local businesses by importing cheap Chinese fabrics, breaking Italys tight labor rules, and sometimes dodging taxes. But the province has had only 159 virus cases. The Italian government has in recent years boosted its ties to China. Too much for the taste of the United States and the European Union, which urged Italy in vain last year against joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)Beijings infrastructure project to connect itself to Europe, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, Latin America, and Africa through a web of ports, roads, and railways. The project has been criticized for plunging developing countries into debt traps and for expanding CCPs military and political sphere of influence. Italy saw in China a source of investment for its struggling economy as well as a market for its products. But those prospects have been slow to materialize. In 2018, less than a quarter of a percent of all foreign direct investment in Italy came from China. While the CCP has enjoyed the public relations effect of having one of the G-7 countries join the BRI, Italy hasnt realized many benefits. The RWR Belt and Road Monitor, which tracks Chinese investments under the initiative, only spotted one deal so far: Jetion Solar (China) Co. and Eni SpA are to invest about $2.2 billion into new solar projects. Meanwhile, Italy continues to run massive trade deficits with China. Over $200 billion in 2018 alone. The virus now adds another perspective to the risk equation of China entanglements, according to Delle Vedove, a member of the foreign affairs committee of the conservative Fratelli dItalia party. Of course the coronavirus opens a disturbing scenario, he told The Epoch Times in a previous interview. It tells us that interdependence from China can be a problem not only from an economic or industrial etc. point of view, but also from a national security, national health prophylaxis. From The Epoch Times MPs are calling for Parliament to hold debates over Zoom instead of scaling down sittings when it returns from a month-long shutdown. Ministers have tabled a motion for the House to go into recess for Easter tonight - a week earlier than originally proposed - after emergency coronavirus legislation goes on the statute books. Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg dismissed the prospect of an indefinite closure, saying Parliament 'must be able to continue its vital democratic functions of conducting scrutiny, authorising spending and making laws'. However, Mr Rees-Mogg hinted that the return date of April 21 could be pushed back further if the situation spirals, and officials told MailOnline it is likely to operate differently. One senior source said politicians might only come back to 'extend the recess'. They suggested sittings will be drastically scaled back with 'only a few MPs attending'. Labour former minister Chris Bryant said Parliament should not be rising until a delayed bailout package is in place for the self-employed - which will not be until at least tomorrow. He questioned whether the idea of smaller sittings would work - suggesting MPs would not trust the government to bring forward only non-controversial measures. Instead he called for MPs to debate over Zoom video conferencing, or 'phone in' speeches. The row came after health minister Nadine Dorries made her return to the House yesterday, having recovered from coronavirus. Nadine Dorries, 62, spent more than a week in quarantine at home after becoming the first UK minister to contract the bug. But she returned to the front bench of the Commons to sit alongside Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday, pictured right Parliament was due to close for a three-week Easter break from March 31, but a motion the order paper proposes that it starts a week early. Pictured, MPs were spaced out for the regulat PMQs session in the Commons today Health minister Nadine Dorries is cheered by MPs she returns to work after coronavirus Health Minister Nadine Dorries was cheered by MPs as she returned to the House of Commons after fighting off the coronavirus. The 62-year-old Mid-Bedfordshire MP and writer spent more than a fortnight in quarantine at home after becoming the first UK minister to contract the bug. But she returned to the front bench of the Commons to sit alongside Health Secretary Matt Hancock as he updated MPs on steps to fight the burgeoning pandemic. MPs from both sides of the chamber cheered as Ms Dorries entered the Commons during Mr Hancock's statement and sat down close to him. He then told the chamber: 'The final point I'd like to make Madame Deputy Speaker is that the minister for mental health and patient safety is sitting next to me and close to me and that's because she has recovered. 'And all the evidence is you can't catch this twice, at least in quick succession, and so that's OK. 'So I welcome her back to her place.' Ms Dorries rocked Westminster when she tested positive for coronavirus more than a fortnight ago. Advertisement He said: 'Let's say there should be 40 people because that is the quorum - how do you decide what 40 it should be?' 'There is no reason why you should not be able to write a speech into the record, as they do in the US in the senate. You just email it in. 'We should probably have a different version where you record yourself and send it in. 'You can have 500 people on Zoom. Why don't we have 500 people on Zoom able to ask questions to a minister?' Mr Bryant said he supported calls from Tory MP George Freeman for a national unity government to deal with the crisis. 'They should already have brought some people from the opposition into government,' he said. Mr Rees-Mogg said in the House today: 'Whilst my business statement is made with the aim of bringing the house back, as normal, on April 21, we will continue to keep the situation under review in line with medical advice and I will make further announcements about the plans for business when we return as necessary.' Parliament was due to close for a three-week Easter break from March 31, but a motion on the order paper proposes that it starts a week early. There have been fears that MPS could be 'super spreaders' as they see so many people in different parts of the country. Westminster has already closed to visitors and reduced the number of MPs in the chamber so they can be more spaced out, in keeping with 'social distancing' rules. Votes have been kept to a minimum, but Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle has said any divisions will be held more slowly to avoid a crush in the narrow counting lobbies. Mr Rees-Mogg said: 'Once this legislation achieves Royal Assent, Parliament will rise. 'Further discussions will continue within government, with the parliamentary authorities and Members to ensure Parliament operates safely for all those who work there.' The motion being put forward by House of Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg tonight states: 'That this House, at its rising today, do adjourn until Tuesday 21 April 2020.' U-turn over plans to cut the size of Commons Ministers have U-turned on proposals to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600, citing an increased workload related to Brexit. The idea had first been implemented by David Cameron when he was prime minister. But Constitution Minister Chloe Smith said the Government would no longer follow through on the recommendations of the 2018 Boundary Review, which included reducing the number of constituencies and redrawing them to have near equal electorates. In a written statement, the Conservative minister wrote: 'The Government is minded to instead make provision for the number of parliamentary constituencies to remain at 650. Advertisement Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Parliament will return after the Easter break in the normal way' The motion being put forward by House of Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg tonight states: 'That this House, at its rising today, do adjourn until Tuesday 21 April 2020.' The House of Lords, is expected to approve emergency legislation later giving authorities sweeping powers to tackle the growing coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, ministers have U-turned on proposals to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600, citing an increased workload related to Brexit. The idea had first been implemented by David Cameron when he was prime minister. But Constitution Minister Chloe Smith said the Government would no longer follow through on the recommendations of the 2018 Boundary Review, which included reducing the number of constituencies and redrawing them to have near equal electorates. In a written statement, the Conservative minister wrote: 'The Government is minded to instead make provision for the number of parliamentary constituencies to remain at 650. 'The UK Parliament will have a greater workload now we are taking back control and regaining our political and economic independence. 'It is therefore sensible for the number of parliamentary constituencies to remain at 650.' P est control seller Rentokil was today forced into an embarrassing U-turn after just last month the firm said sales would be given a boost by coronavirus. The firm which sells rodent killer, hand sanitiser and deep clean services had expected a strong year but now that many countries are in lockdown and offices, restaurants and hotels are closed it has been forced to backtrack. Rentokil said: Within the last 10 days the impact on our businesses has significantly increased. Covid-19 has affected the majority of the key countries in our group. We are withdrawing our previous guidance for 2020. Rentokil has also decided against paying a 2019 dividend and suspended merger and acquisition plans in a bid to save 500 million. Shares were down 46p at 324p. But Rentokil was only a handful of fallers as the FTSE 100 climbed 213.78 points at 5659.79, boosted by a whopping $2 trillion US aid package signed off by the Senate and the White House last night. On the FTSE 250 merger and acquisition talk dominated proceedings. Shares in Marstons were flying amid rumours potential suitors are moving to snap up the pubs and brewery firm. Marstons results have been poor in recent years but traders dismissed those concerns as buyers would only be interested in its property assets. The group owns six breweries, 1700 pubs, including Pitcher & Piano, and a hotel chain called Marstons Inns. One bond trader said: Theres plenty of foreign capital circling the UK for assets and Marstons has plenty of them. Everyone wants hard assets and cash at the moment. Everything else is still too risky. In August last year rival Greene King was bought out in a 2.7 billion deal by CK Noble, the property firm run by Hong Kongs wealthiest man, Li Ka-shing, while the old Enterprise Inns also fell into private equity hands in 2019. Marston's shares were up 24% or 8.7p at 40p. Marks & Spencer was also making healthy gains after chief executive Steve Rowe said staff from the clothing and home team will be joining the food arm to help with increased demand. Shares gained 9% or 9p at 109p. However others were still struggling and waste disposal firm Biffa, which has been recognised as a key company by the government, said the industry requires more financial help. The company said: We call upon government to provide targeted financial support to the industry to ensure that services can continue to be provided during the enforced shutdown of the economy. Hundreds attend Ohio churchs drive-in church worship service Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A congregation in Ohio decided to host Drive In Church services as a way of gathering people together for worship while being wary of concerns over spreading the coronavirus. Genoa Church of Westerville held two Drive In Church worship services on Sunday morning, one at 9:15 a.m. and another at 11:00 a.m., with around 600 people in 300 cars attending. The church had a raised platform for speakers, with attendees remaining in their parked cars to listen to the music and preaching through an FM transmitter. Genoa Church Pastor Frank Carl told The Christian Post in an interview on Monday that this was the first time that his congregation had held such a service, having been inspired by the famed Crystal Cathedral of California offering a similar worship experience years earlier. We decided to do this as an alternative way to allow people to worship collectively in a safe environment of their own car and to honor the guidelines of our governor, explained Carl. The services followed a similar order of worship to their usual church service, including sacred music led by their Music Pastor Kerry Buck and a sermon by Carl. We had a complete worship set, sermon, and offering buckets were in the exit as people left if they wanted to contribute and they did so very generously, continued Carl. Yesterday, instead of folks saying 'amen,' our outdoor gathering would enthusiastically honk their horn to show support in the moment. Genoa has contacted other local congregations about doing similar services, with the church thinking about possibly making it a regular part of their weekly worship post-coronavirus. Starting next week, they intend to hold three drive-in services each Sunday, with as many as six possibly being offered on Easter Sunday next month, according to the church. Over the past few weeks, large numbers of churches in the United States and elsewhere have closed their doors due to concerns over spreading the coronavirus. As a result, many congregations have looked toward alternative means of holding worship, usually through online streaming services or pre-recorded sermons posted to social media. For example, Jentezen Franklin, senior pastor of the multi-campus Free Chapel Church in Gainesville, Ga., moved his megachurchs service to an exclusively online format earlier this month. All thats here are empty seats because the building and the seats are not the church. The people are the church, preached Franklin on Sunday, March 15. In the Old Testament, God had a temple for His people. But in the New Testament God has a people for his temple. He said Ill live in you and your body will be my temple. The government of France is in talks with the Indian government for the evacuation of 2,000 French tourists who are stranded in the country due to nationwide lockdown, French diplomatic sources said on Wednesday. The sources said that the French mission was getting nearly 500 queries per day from French nationals who are stuck here. They said around 11,500 French nationals were currently in India and the mission staff is working in full force through work from home, while the core team is operating out of the Embassy. French diplomatic sources said they were planning to send about 2,000 French tourists back to France who are currently stuck in India. They said they were also in talks with the Indian government to have special flights operated by Air France and were working out the necessary approvals for the same. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. The central government has banned operations of international commercial passenger flights in India from March 22 to March 29. Operations of domestic flights have been cancelled from midnight of March 24. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tourist haven Rottnest Island, off the west Australian coast, will be turned into a quarantine zone for Australian cruise-ship passengers amid the escalating coronavirus epidemic. The island off Western Australia state, made famous by a nocturnal marsupial called a Quokka, will house some 800 Australians from the Vasco da Gama for a mandatory 14-day isolation when it arrives on Friday, state Premier Mark McGowan said. All foreign nationals and crew will remain on board until arrangements can be made to fly them out of the country, he told reporters Wednesday. Two other ships, the MSC Magnifica and MV Artania, are currently at anchor off Fremantle and passengers will not be allowed to disembark unless for life threatening medical emergencies, McGowan said. The Magnifica returned to Fremantle after Dubai denied it entry, while the Artania, which was allowed to arrive to refuel, has 25 passengers and crew reporting respiratory illnesses, he said. Passengers are being stranded on boats sailing around the world with more nations refusing to allow them to dock as an increasing number of confirmed cases can be traced back to cruise ships. McGowan fears a rapid spread of the coronavirus after authorities in Sydney allowed passengers to leave the Ruby Princess while tests were being conducted among a group of people that reported flu-like symptoms on board. Since then, infections from the boat have reached 133, while more than 20 cases can be linked to two other ships that also docked in Sydney. The boats account for about a quarter of Western Australias infections, McGowan said. I will not allow what has happened in Sydney to happen here in Western Australia, he said. Were exercising the Rottnest Island option now to protect the safety of Australian passengers and to protect the west Australian community from any possible transmission from this cruise ship. Authorities on Rottnest Island have been clearing the island of visitors for the past two days. All overnight visits, day trips and visits by private and commercial vessels have been banned indefinitely, according to the Rottnest Island Authoritys website. Many countries have become increasingly reluctant to grant entry to cruise ships after the infection of more than 700 people on a vessel berthed off Japan showed how quickly the virus could spread. Australia has announced a ban on foreign cruise ships, but is still allowing domestic vessels and some ships that were at sea when the restrictions were announced to dock and disembark passengers. (RNS) The coronavirus pandemic in the United States is going to get worse before it gets better. The next couple of weeks will be devastating as the number of infected dramatically rises, hospitals are overwhelmed and more people die. Despite having one of the best health care systems in the world, we dropped the ball because we did not take the virus seriously at the beginning and had little testing. Unlike South Korea, we were not prepared to test widely and isolate those who were infected. As a result, we are looking more and more like Italy, where the disease has been devastating for people and the economy. Experts predicted such a pandemic for years, but the public and policymakers ignored them. Hollywood even made prophetic films about pandemics. We watched and, believing they were science fiction, went back to business as usual. American individualism also failed us. It put emphasis on finding the best health care for me, rather than the community. We worried about today rather than tomorrow, so we did not create adequate stockpiles of equipment and medicine for an emergency. Equally shortsighted were those Republican governors who refused to expand Medicaid because the beneficiaries are poor people who do not vote for them. Sitting in quarantine, I feel especially privileged. If a member of my Jesuit community had not tested positive for COVID-19 on March 14, we would have gone about our usual routine. More of us would likely have been infected. Instead, he self-isolated as soon as he got a fever, and we were all quarantined. The quarantine was aimed at protecting others from us, but it also protected us from those with the virus. So far no one else is sick. Ironically, we may come out of quarantine just as the epidemic is peaking in our country. It will not be safe to go out anyway. Much of the United States is now on pause or stay at home. The better we all keep quarantine, the quicker we get the virus under control. Sadly, too many places began this shutdown only after infection became widespread. In a small way, my community proves that quarantine can work, although I am reluctant to say so lest I jinx our safety. Twice a day, I sanitize public surfaces with Clorox, one part Clorox to 10 parts water. We are keeping social distance. Our one patient has not had to be hospitalized and his symptoms are trending in a hopeful way. We are not out of danger. No one is. But we all must do what we can to prevent infection and care for the sick. Remember, more Americans died of the 1918-1919 Kansas flu pandemic than died in all the wars of the 20th century. (Yes, it is thought to have started in Kansas, not Spain.) But while we are all focused on what is happening in the United States and Europe, we should realize that things are going to be much worse in the Middle East. The situation in refugee camps was already desperate before the pandemic; now it will be devastating. The virus will eventually kill more people than the Islamic State group, and perhaps more than died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. More people may die from the virus in Israel and the Palestinian territories than were killed in fighting between them. And then there is Africa, where the health care system is totally inadequate to deal with the crisis and where civil conflicts make dealing with an epidemic impossible. A pandemic shows that we are all in this together. No one is safe unless we are all safe. Globalization should not simply be focused on the economy. Globalization must also include compassion and seeing everyone in the world as our brothers and sisters. This is what solidarity means. We have to look out for one another everywhere in the world. A crisis either makes us better or worse people; it never leaves us the same. (The views expressed in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.) READ THIS STORY AT RELIGIONNEWS.COM Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Religion News Service/Thomas Reese, SJ Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday and discussed measures introduced in both the countries to counter the spread of coronavirus. Prime Minister Modi conveyed condolences at the loss of lives in Russia due to coronavirus Pandemic, expressed good wishes for the early recovery of all those suffering from it and hoped that Russia's efforts led by Russian President to fight the disease would be successful. Prime Minister Modi appreciated the cooperation of Russian authorities in ensuring the well-being of Indian students in Russia and expressed the hope that the same would continue. Russian President Putin has assured all help in this regard. "President Putin and Prime Minister Modi expressed mutual gratitude for efforts undertaken to ensure the health and safety of Russian citizens in India and Indian citizens in Russia," the statement from the Russian Embassy in India said. According to the statement, both the leaders also agreed to strengthen the coordination of efforts in the fight against the coronavirus threat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement A frontline doctor has been crowned the winner of a photography competition that aims to capture Scotland's natural beauty. Inverness-based Dr Kenny Muir scooped the title of Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year with his portfolio of three stunning images shot in remote Glen Affric and on the Isle of Harris. The first image, called Wild Caledonia, captures the morning light hitting the native Caledonian pinewoods of Glen Affric after snowfall. One of the pictures by Dr Kenny Muir, which helped him scoop the title of Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year. This one shows a Seielbost gneiss boulder glowing in the evening light close to the Luskentyre Estuary on the Isle of Harris Dr Muir took this image in Glen Affric. It shows Loch Salach a' Ghiubhais (Dirty Loch of the Scots Pine). He said: 'The ancient Scots pine which provides the focal point, is surrounded by regenerating woodland' Dr Muir called this image Wild Caledonia. He said: 'Morning light hitting the native Caledonian pinewoods of Glen Affric after snowfall. This was possibly the coldest morning of 2019 at -12C' David Queenan was named the overall competition's runner-up with his portfolio of three pictures. One of them is this stunning image of golden pine trees taken in Beecraigs Country Park in West Lothian. He said: 'After a failed sunrise shoot at Linlithgow Loch due to thick fog I relocated to the nearby Beecraigs and was just in time to catch the sun breaking through the mist and tall pines' Another stunning image by runner-up David Queenan. It shows waves lapping up against a groyne on Portobello beach in Edinburgh. He said: 'Despite being a pleasant summer evening a large bank of cloud blocked the setting sun - but it also helped to simplify the scene and give the image a monochromatic colour palette' David Queenan's serene shot of Discovery Point in the city of Dundee. David said: 'After taking in the Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year exhibition at Dock Street Studios, I popped over the road to capture a panoramic image of the V&A Museum and Captain Scott's ship, RSS Discovery' The second shows one of the small lochs deep within Glen Affric, while the third is a tranquil shot of the Luskentyre estuary with the mountains of North Harris behind it. Dr Muir, who works at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, said: 'I am shocked and delighted to have won this competition, particularly when surrounded by so many talented photographers. 'Two of the winning images are part of a personal project to document the wilder side of Glen Affric, one of Scotlands largest remnants of Caledonian Forest. I hope to highlight the importance of preserving and regenerating these areas of natural beauty. 'As a hospital doctor I will be taking a break from photography to focus on current events, but really appreciate receiving the award.' Photographer Gary Robertson captured this stunning image of Cir Mhor on the Isle Of Arran. It earned him the runner-up spot in the landscape category. He said: 'A summer bivvy on Caisteal Abhail's summit rewards us with a wonderful sunset followed by the most beautiful sunrise cloud inversion, including awe-inspiring views of Cir Mhor and Goatfell' The winner of the spring award in the four seasons category was Katherine Fotheringham for this stunning shot she called Copper Beech Light, which was captured in Scone, Perthshire The autumn award in the four seasons category went to Tony Higginson for this incredible shot he captured near the River Beauly in Balchraggan in the Scottish Highlands. He said: 'I spotted these classically shaped beech trees illuminated by the warm light of the setting sun. An amazing evening where everything seemed to be glowing, these trees were just begging to be photographed' The winner of the landscape category was Ben Eaton-Williams with this image, which he called Raging Ridge Max Eve was named runner-up in the youth category, thanks to this amazing shot of Princes Street in Edinburgh. He explained: 'I combined two exposures of the same tram travelling in opposite directions' This spectacular aerial shot of Loch Droma, left, was captured by Jurre Jan de Wit, who was the winner of the 'your vision' award. Pictured right is a shot by Janet Jamieson called Skip Doon The Lane, which she captured in Glasgow. She was the winner of the urban category Andrew Bulloch was named the winner of the youth category for this snowy image of Edinburgh, which he took from the top of Arthur's Seat Runner-up in the overall contest was David Queenan, who captured golden pine trees in a West Lothian park and waves crashing against a groyne (an anti-erosion barrier) on an Edinburgh beach. In addition to the overall award, the Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year competition handed out gongs in several other categories - landscape, seascape, urban, monochrome, four seasons, Scottish weather and your vision. The competition, now in its sixth year, is the brainchild of Perthshire-based landscape photographer Stuart Low. The winner of the Scottish weather award was Andy MacDougall for this shot of the Sound of Raasay on the Isle of Skye. He said that the image was a 'great reward after days of wind and rain that had made photography difficult' Graham Niven was the runner-up in the Scottish weather category thanks to this image, which shows the city of Edinburgh during wintry conditions. He said: 'March 2018 saw wild Arctic blasts sweeping across the country. I managed to make my way up Arthur's Seat to capture a familiar view in unfamiliar conditions - with epic snowy squalls sweeping across the city' The winter award in the four seasons category went to Sarah Rose, who snapped this image while on a snowy walk in Aberdeenshire Kylie Macbeth was the runner-up in the urban category for her photo Into the Fog, which shows the Forth Rail Bridge in North Queensferry. She said: 'On the way to visit my Grandma for her 96th birthday in North Queensferry, I just had to jump out the car and capture this scene. I had just taken up photography that month' Bill Ward was the winner of the seascape category for this dramatic shot showing an incoming storm in Luskentyre on the Isle of Harris. He described it as an 'extraordinary winter's afternoon' The runner-up spot in the monochrome award went to Waldemar Matusik, who captured this stunning image of the Union of South Africa at Boness & Kinneil Railway Station The winner of the monochrome category was Katrina Brayshaw, who snapped this image in the sand dunes of Gairloch James Woodend was runner-up in the 'your vision' category after snapping this very unusual image of a close-up of a steel barrier on the Isle of Harris. He said: 'It triggered my interest because, like many macro shots of man-made structures, it strangely echoes the natural environment in which they are found' He started the contest to promote conservation, to inspire photographers of all levels to explore Scotlands stunning landscapes and to promote Scotlands natural, cultural and historic heritage to an international audience. Stuart said: 'This year, photographers from across the globe entered the competition and once again the standard just keeps getting better and better. 'In these difficult times ahead of us, we hope these stunning images will bring a little joy to everyone.' All the winning images will be showcased in a limited edition yearbook, which will be available from next month. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe After traveling to Seattle recently, Karina Ortiz and her brother came down with fevers. Ortiz said they were tested at Cal Poly Pomona for influenza A, B and mono. All came back negative. Their fevers didn't go away, so Ortiz decided it was time to ask for COVID-19 testing. "Every person I've called, every doctor I've called, every health department I've called has been shutting their doors because there is no testing," Ortiz said. Strict guidelines have meant people like Ortiz are told they're not sick enough for testing. Her doctor instead prescribed her Tamiflu and antibiotics. While she waits for some peace of mind, Ortiz is trying to keep herself and her brother away from vulnerable family members: She lives with her dad who suffered a heart attack and an 85-year-old grandma. "I'm extremely anxious, I'm scared for my family," Ortiz said. A SHORTAGE OF SUPPLIES Ortiz is not alone in her frustrations. As of March 23, about 5,700 people have been tested for COVID-19 in a county with a population of more than 10 million. Dr Clayton Kazan is the medical director for L.A. County Fire Department. But as of last week, he has an additional job: coordinating the expansion of COVID-19 testing across the region. "The email inbox looks like letters [to] Santa Claus," Kazan told us. Kazan said he's had conversations with Target stores about setting up drive-thru specimen collection. He said if he can get the right private sector partners on board, there could be dozens of sites across the county. But the problem right now isn't finding locations. Hospitals say they don't have enough swabs and other collection materials. "They just keep saying, 'we need more kits, we need more kits,'" Kazan said. "So we're communicating with Health and Human Services both at the state and federal level to tell them that we are in desperate need of additional testing supplies." Kazan said he's also looking at arranging for health care workers to collect specimens in places like skilled nursing facilities and homeless shelters. Government officials continue to call attention to a shortage of nasal swabs and other testing equipment. L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez wants Southern California factories to help. She's calling on companies to convert production lines to make both testing and personal protective equipment as soon as possible. "We are urging production lines to start making the critical materials we desperately need to increase testing for the coronavirus," Martinez said. "We should not wait for the president to use his Defense Production Act. We are Los Angeles. L.A. County has the 26th largest economy in the world." MORE TESTS ARE COMING Los Angeles officials announced on Monday a significant increase in the county's ability to test for COVID-19. L.A. City Councilman David Ryu said the county has secured an initial 20,000 new tests from South Korea-based company Seegene Technologies, Inc., as well as the promise of 100,000 tests a week for the L.A. area. Dr. Kazan said they'll prioritize who gets the test, at first. "Phase one will be ensuring access to first responders and health care providers," Kazan said. Eventually, the plan is to have widespread public access to testing. In the meantime, people like Ortiz and her family are left in the dark. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS: The 23-year-old woman who tested positive for COVID-19 in Manipur is recovering very fast, a senior health official said on Wednesday. The woman, a resident of Thangmeiband Lourung Purel Leikai area in Imphal West district, had recently returned from the UK and was tested positive on Tuesday. She can breathe without the help of an oxygen mask and is also having food on her own, said Th Bhimo Singh, the director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS). All her family members have tested negative for COVID-19, officials at the hospital said. However, three post-graduate medical students at the JNIMS have been sent to quarantine, they said, without divulging any details. The decision to send these students, two of whom are pursuing surgery and another general medicine, to quarantine was taken following an emergency meeting of the COVID-19 Control Committee and other head of departments of the hospital, said medical superintendent T Taken Singh. Two of the students have been sent to the State Quarantine Centre in Khuman Lampak and one of them has been shifted to the top floor of the ladies hostel in the JNIMS complex, officials said. The mother of one of the students has also been sent to the state quarantine centre, they said. On Tuesday night, health workers along with police personnel sanitised the JNIMS complex where the Northeast region's first COVID-19 patient is undergoing treatment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stocks rose 4 percent in mid-day trade on Wednesday, as US senators and Trump administration officials reached an agreement on a massive economic stimulus bill to cope with the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. The benchmark Sensex rallied over 1,600 points in afternoon session on Wednesday led by gains in index heavyweights Reliance Industries, HDFC twins, ICICI Bank and Kotak Bank as government took drastic measures to combat Covid-19 outbreak. Shares rose 4 percent in mid-day trade on Wednesday, as US senators and Trump administration officials reached an agreement on a massive economic stimulus bill to cope with the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. Broader Asia shares advanced with MSCIs broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gaining 3.4 percent, said Reuters. The NSE Nifty 50 index was up 3.9 percent at 8,103.05 by 0720 GMT while the S&P BSE Sensex rose 4.1 percent to 27,760.20. Gains in global markets are supportive and expectations of domestic stimulus have now gone up, said Neeraj Dewan, director at Quantum Securities. Asian peers were also trading higher as authorities world over stepped up efforts to fight the pandemic. After rallying 1,657 points, the BSE barometer was trading 1,573.02 points or 5.90 per cent higher at 28,247.05. Similarly, the NSE Nifty was trading 444.30 points, or 5.70 per cent, up at 8,245.35. Axis Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying up to 15 per cent, followed by Reliance Industries, Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank, Maruti, UltraTech Cement, HDFC twins and Bharti Airtel. On the other hand, ITC, ONGC and L&T were the laggards. Despite the nation-wide shutdown, stock exchanges continue to function as usual. Indian financial markets have been battered in March as fears over the pandemics impact on an already slowing economy sent investors into a selling frenzy. India so far has reported nearly 500 cases of the virus and 10 deaths. On Mumbais main stock indexes, shares of Reliance Industries led gains, surging over 9 percent. A media report on Tuesday said Facebook Inc was in talks to buy a multi-billion dollar stake in the companys telecom unit Jio. According to traders, in a highly volatile market, investors are weighing the economic impact of the 21-day lockdown announced last night. In an unprecedented drastic measure to curb the spread of coronavirus, Modi said the lockdown will be in force from Tuesday midnight, as he announced a central allocation of Rs 15,000 crore to strengthen the health infrastructure to tackle the disease. According to V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, enforcement of the 21-day lockdown of the nation will be a major challenge, PTI said Ensuring supplies to all households is not going to be easy, but has to be done. The temporary shock to the economy will be huge, he said. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister said on Tuesday the government would soon announce a fiscal package to help the economy face the hit from the virus outbreak. Volatility will remain in the short-term and will be driven by news flow, said Arun Kumar, head of research at FundsIndia. Both indexes opened higher and fell over 1 percent in early trade before returning to positive territory. The market is now awaiting a stimulus package for the financial task force, headed by Sitharaman, traders said. Bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul rallied up to 8 percent. Stocks on Wall Street rallied up to 11 per cent in overnight trade. Global oil benchmark, Brent crude futures rose 1.62 per cent to USD 27.59 per barrel. As per to the latest Union Health ministry update the number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 562, while the death toll due to this viral infection was revised down to nine from 10 after the second death in Delhi turned out to be negative. The number of global COVID-19 infections has shot past 4,20,000. Worldwide fatalities have topped 18,000. Countries across Latin America have tightened measures to halt the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus, with more lockdowns, border and school closures as well as increased aid to the region's poorest. As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise -- numbering more than 7,400 and 123 deaths as of Wednesday -- Bolivia and Colombia became the latest countries to impose a total lockdown, while Chile extended its school closures until the end of April. Here are the latest measures taken in several Latin American nations: - Bolivia - Bolivia is closing its borders and ordering a strict lockdown until April 15 starting at midnight Wednesday, President Jeanine Anez said as she declared a state of "sanitary emergency." The steps are designed to add teeth to a lockdown that was ordered on Sunday but has largely been ignored. More police and soldiers have been deployed to enforce the measures, Anez said. There would be narrow exceptions to who can cross the borders and the times at which people can be outside their homes, she added. - Colombia - A three-week total lockdown began just after midnight Tuesday and is set to last until April 12. "Stay at home, prevent the virus from spreading and save lives," said President Ivan Duque. Nearly 500 cases of the deadly virus have been reported in Colombia, which has a population of 48 million. The capital city Bogota had already been on lockdown since Sunday on the orders of the mayor. - Chile - About 1.3 million residents of Santiago -- including those of the Chilean capital's most affluent neighborhoods -- will be on lockdown for least a week starting at 0100 GMT Thursday, officials said. This follows an order by authorities to extend school closures until May. Classes were suspended on March 16, just under two weeks after the first coronavirus case was recorded. Chile has reported more than 1,100 infections and three deaths. - Panama - Panama will allow the cruise ship Zaandam -- operated by the Holland America cruise line -- to sail through its canal even though there are 42 people aboard with flu-like symptoms, Health Minister Rosario Turner said Wednesday. The vessel, with 1,800 passengers, set sail on March 7 from Buenos Aires headed for San Antonio on the central coast of Chile. But the ship had to alter its plans when ports along the way stopped it from docking due to coronavirus fears. Every ship that reaches Panama must present a list of sick people, "and if we suspect there are people with respiratory problems, they cannot land," Turner said. The Zaandam is set to cross the 80-kilometer inter-oceanic Panama Canal on Thursday and meet up on the Caribbean side with another cruise ship, the Rotterdam, which is to deliver supplies and kits to test for COVID-19. The aim is to reach Fort Lauderdale in Florida on March 30, its operator said. There have been 558 cases of the virus in Panama, including eight deaths. - Honduras - Soldiers have begun distributing food to locked-down residents in the poorest neighborhoods of the capital Tegucigalpa. President Juan Orlando Hernandez said 800,000 poor families -- 3.2 million people -- would receive food to ensure they stayed indoors. Honduras has recorded 36 COVID-19 cases so far. - Brazil - President Jair Bolsonaro has warned of possible "chaos" and "looting" of supermarkets if state shutdowns ordered by the governors of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are not ended. Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly scoffed at the severity of the deadly pandemic, previously criticized the closing of schools and businesses in Sao Paulo and Rio, two of the country's most populous states. "Companies aren't producing anything. They can't pay their employees. And if the economy collapses, there won't be any way to pay public officials. We are facing chaos," Bolsonaro said. If that happens and supermarkets are looted, he added, "we'll have chaos plus the virus." - Mexico - BBVA, the largest bank in Mexico, has predicted the coronavirus outbreak will cause the economy to contract by 4.5 percent in 2020. The Spanish bank said Mexican exports would be hard hit by a reduction in demand from the United States, the largest trading partner, if virus containment measures continue. BBVA also said remittances sent to family members in Mexico could be hit by rising unemployment in the United States. Other banks, such as Barclays and Credit Suisse, predicted the economy would shrink by 2-4 percent. On Wednesday, the Mexican government announced it would suspend all non-essential activities starting from the following day to help stem the spread of the virus. Colombia is in lockdown over the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic More soldiers and police have been deployed to enforce the nationwide lockdown, Bolivian acting President Jeanine Anez said The streets of the Colombian capital Bogota were empty on the first day of a lockdown to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus Chilean authorities set up a temporary hospital in Santiago in expectation of a rise in COVID-19 coronavirus patients At least 42 people aboard the Zaandam cruise ship, operated by Holland America (of the Carnival group) have displayed flu-like symptoms Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wears a face mask in this informal mural, even though he has downplayed the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic Cleaning personnel spray disinfectant at the "Central de Abasto," Mexico City's giant food wholesale market With the COVID-19 spread looming large and the government ordering a lockdown to combat the threat, it was a low-key Ugadi celebrations in Karnataka with people mostly staying indoors. People ushered in the New Year amid all social and commercial activities other than essential services being halted to control the spread of the coronavirus. Ugadi is a festival celebrating New Year's Day for Hindus from Karnataka and some other states. Visits to temples and family gatherings, common on Ugadi, were not seen as prohibitory orders are in place aimed at ensuring social distancing. Though usual heavy rush was not seen at major markets where people come in large numbers to buy festive essentials, people were seen flocking to shops and markets in nearby localities to purchase vegetables, flowers and grocery on the occasion. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had appealed to people to have a low-key Ugadi and not to venture out of their homes. He had also warned of stringent action against those violating the prohibitory orders in place in the wake of the coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Only 35 of the around 15,000 Cambodian migrant workers who returned to the country from Thailand have been tested for the coronavirus, with Interior Minister Sar Kheng admitting the government was incapable of testing everyone. After Thailand announced it was closing all land border crossings with Cambodia, thousands of Cambodians flocked to the border attempting to get back before the ban was enforced on Sunday. The Interior Minister pegged the number of returnees at 15,000. However, the Banteay Meanchey Health Department reported that only 35 individuals had been tested for the respiratory disease at the Poipet border crossing, a major checkpoint for the movement of workers and goods between Cambodia and Thailand. Keo Sopheaktra, director at the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Health Department, said the 35 were tested because they had a high temperature and showed some symptoms, such as a sore throat. We have found 35 people on Monday and their sample were sent to Phnom Penh, Kep Sopheaktra said. He added that the 35 Cambodians were currently placed under observation at Cambodia-Japan Friendship Hospital and Poipet Referral Hospital. Interior Minister Sar Kheng admitted Tuesday that Cambodian authorities could not monitor all 15,000 of people nor enforce a 14-day quarantine for all the returnees. However, he ordered provincial authorities to monitor those who had just returned and search for people who may have had the disease. Please explain to them not to touch each other, he said. If there is any one in the village who is positive, quarantine the whole family or the whole village. The ministers suggestion to quarantine an entire village is the first instance of a government official suggesting some form of a lockdown, beyond the restrictions on large gatherings already in place. VOA Khmer could not reach Or Vandine, the Health Ministrys spokesperson, and Um Reatrey, Banteay Meanchey governor. Pok Samnang, 32, had been working in a factory in Chonburi province, Thailand, for more than 5 years. He returned through the Poipet border crossing this week and has placed himself in quarantine, using a makeshift enclosure 300 meters from his house, fearing he could have contracted the virus. There were so many people when I left. I dont know who I touched when I was in the car, Pok Samnang said. I am not sure if I had it or if they had it. So, I am staying alone because I dont want to infect my wife and children. The Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh said the border closure was needed to stem the spread of the virus, with the best course of action being restriction of movement into the country. These social distancing and travel restriction measures are deemed to break the transmission chain. They are based on a whole-of-society approach that need cooperation from all members of the society and all sectors of the economy, a spokesperson said in an email. Sum Chankea, ADHOCs provincial coordinator in Banteay Meanchey, said that provincial authorities were attempting to educate people about the virus but that it was far from sufficient. So, I dont think it can prevent so much. There could be more infection, he said As of Wednesday morning, Cambodia had reported 93 cases, most of which were confirmed in the last two weeks. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calibre Mining Corp. (TSX: CXB; OTCQX: CXBMF) (the "Company" or "Calibre") announces that it has commenced the legal process with the Nicaraguan Ministry of Labour to obtain authorization for the temporary suspension of its El Limon and La Libertad mines. Russell Ball, Chief Executive Officer stated, "We have implemented numerous mitigation measures across the business and to date have no confirmed cases at any of our locations. However, due to the rapidly deteriorating global environment and the increasing logistical challenges sourcing consumables, reagents and other supplies, we have taken the proactive step of temporarily suspending operations." The Company will maintain personnel at each site as required to ensure environmental compliance, progress ongoing permitting and technical studies, and maintain operational readiness. The Company cannot estimate the duration nor the impact of the suspension and is accordingly withdrawing its 2020 guidance (as previously provided on December 4, 2019). In a related matter, Calibre and B2Gold Corp. ("B2Gold") have agreed in principle to defer the payment of the US$10 million "Deferred Acquisition Payment" and the US$5.5 million "Working Capital Adjustment" payment for a six-month period to April 15, 2021, subject to the completion of binding documentation. Calibre has a strong balance sheet with no other debt and having US$32.9 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand as at December 31, 2019. Russell Ball stated: "My thanks to B2Gold for granting us the payment extension in light of the extraordinary circumstances in which we all find ourselves today. They have been exceptional partners since this transaction was announced last July and I couldn't ask for a more supportive shareholder." Conference Call Details The Company will be hosting a conference call to discuss the temporary suspension later today at 11:00 a.m. (EDT). Webcast Link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/qrpoivgb (https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/qrpoivgb) When: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) Dial-in: (866) 221-1882 or 1 (470) 495-9179 (International) Conference ID: 6294939 ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Russell Ball" Russell Ball, Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Ryan King Vice President, Corporate Development & IR Calibre Mining Corp. T: 604.628.1012 E: calibre@calibremining.com (mailto:calibre@calibremining.com) W: www.calibremining.com (http://www.calibremining.com) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 20:49:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Foreign enterprises are ramping up investment in China's Yangtze River Delta, reaffirming their long-term confidence in the growth potential of China despite the economic fallout from the coronavirus epidemic. Multinational companies will not change their global strategies just because of short-term factors like the coronavirus outbreak, according to Zhong Yan, a researcher with the Shanghai Institute for East Asian Studies. SHANGHAI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- In the Yangtze River Delta, one of China's most economically vibrant regions, foreign enterprises are ramping up investment, as the world's manufacturing hub gradually recovers from the novel coronavirus epidemic and goes all out to restore economic activities. U.S. materials science firm Dow on Monday announced its plan to invest 300 million U.S. dollars over the next five years in its manufacturing site in Zhangjiagang, east China's Jiangsu Province. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Zhangjiagang Free Trade Zone Administrative Committee and Dow Chemical (China) Investment Company Limited in Zhangjiagang, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 23, 2020. (Xinhua) About 100 km away from Zhangjiagang, Starbucks announced in mid-March its largest manufacturing investment outside the United States -- building a coffee innovation park in the city of Kunshan, with an initial investment of 130 million U.S. dollars. Other foreign investments springing up recently in the region include retail giant Costco's planned second store in Shanghai and U.S. agribusiness leader Cargill's investment in the neighboring province of Zhejiang. These investments reflect foreign companies' long-term confidence in the growth potential of China despite the economic fallout from the coronavirus epidemic, experts said. EXPANDING MARKET "Although the world is still facing arduous epidemic prevention and control work, foreign investors see no decline in their enthusiasm for the Yangtze River Delta," said Zhong Yan, a researcher with the Shanghai Institute for East Asian Studies. Covering a 358,000-square km expanse, the Yangtze River Delta, consisting of Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, is one of the most populated and urbanized city clusters in China, contributing one-fourth of the country's gross domestic product. Zhong attributed the ardor of foreign investment, ranging from the industries of chemicals, food, health care, to consumer goods and modern services, to China's expanding and upgrading market demand. Dow's expanding manufacturing site in Zhangjiagang is seen as a key step for its development in the delta region and beyond, considering China's growing market and the wide application of differentiated silicone products in key industries, such as mobility and transportation, building and infrastructure, electronics, and home and personal care. An employee works at a base of Dow Chemical Company in Zhangjiagang, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 8, 2020. (Xinhua) "Due to megatrends such as globalization, urbanization, and a growing focus on sustainable development, customers across industries are seeking more innovative, sustainable, and differentiated silicone products -- especially customers in China and the Asia Pacific region," said Mauro Gregorio, president of Dow Performance Materials & Coatings. LONG-TERM STRATEGY Many foreign companies see China as a long-term priority, and are thus ramping up investment to cash in on the growing purchasing power of consumers in the world's second-largest economy. "Starbucks has spent the past 20 years sharing its passion for coffee across China," said Belinda Wong, Starbucks China chairman and CEO, adding that the coffee innovation park in Kunshan will set a blueprint for the future of coffee roasting and supply chain management and further elevate China's coffee industry. The Yangtze River Delta has long been one of Starbucks' most important markets. Shanghai, where Starbucks China is headquartered, has become the city owning the most Starbucks stores in the world, with more than 700 stores opened in the city. Foreign businesses are taking a variety of measures to counter uncertainties from the epidemic, but multinational companies will not change their global strategies just because of short-term factors like the coronavirus outbreak, Zhong said. A factory of U.S.-based agriculture and food company Cargill in Pinghu City, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Cui Li) "In the short term, the world may experience slowing investment and capital shortages. This requires China, a major engine of the world's economy, to go full steam ahead," Zhong said. "Multinational companies participating in this process are both beneficiaries and promoters," he added. RESILIENCE As the epidemic wanes in the country, China's economy is gradually returning to normality. Sheng Laiyun, deputy head of the National Bureau of Statistics, said although the outbreak has exerted relatively big shocks on economic activities in the first two months, its impacts are short-lived and controllable. The country's sound economic fundamentals will not be changed in the long term as enterprises are getting back to work, Sheng said, adding that China will strengthen counter-cyclical adjustments and invigorate the innate resilience of the economy to shore up high-quality development. Measures facilitating the resumption of production were in line with recent satellite maps, showing an expanding area of nighttime light in the Yangtze River Delta in March compared with early February, especially in some manufacturing zones. Workers operate production facility at a factory of Grenzebach in Jiashan County of Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Cui Li) To spur economic growth, local authorities have accelerated the implementation of foreign-funded projects. Zhejiang launched 34 foreign-invested projects worth 46.3 billion yuan (6.5 billion U.S. dollars) earlier this month. Five of the world's top financial institutions, including JPMorgan, Invesco and Russell Investment, held online opening ceremonies for their branches in Shanghai last week. After more than 40 years of reform and opening-up, China is playing a more stabilizing and active role in the world's economy, said Zhong. The Yangtze River Delta has relatively high-quality growth and is more resilient facing an adverse global economic environment, Zhong said. "At a time of more uncertainties emerging, the Yangtze River Delta city cluster is demonstrating its strong attraction." (Reporting by Hu Wenjia, Li Baojie, He Xiyue, Xu Xiaoqing, Wu Yu, Fang Lie, Qin Huajiang and Chen Shangying; Video reporters: Pan Xu, Sun Qing, Ding Ting and Zhou Rui; Video editor: Zhang Yichi.) The Congress party on Wednesday poured scorn on Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher for her absence from the city while residents struggled with the coronavirus pandemic. Questioning her absence, Congress city president Pradeep Chhabra said, In such difficult times, it is the primary responsibility of the MP to solve peoples problems, but she is missing. Highlighting the poor management of the crisis by the administration, Chabra said, Due to the curfew in the city in wake of the coronavirus outbreak, people are facing problems due to shortage of supply of daily need items like groceries, milk, and vegetables. By allotting a little out of the MPLAD funds at this late stage, she cannot run away from her responsibilities. Kher needs to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people, but she is out of town in a sheer show of insensitivity, he said. Chabra urged the administration to make sure vegetables, groceries and milk are delivered to homes. He said all councillors should follow the example of their Congress contemporary Satish Kainth, who has offered to donate 5 lakh from his ward fund towards medical facilities. Kher in a letter addressed to the deputy commissioner had announced a sanction of 1 crore from her MPLADS (members of parliament local area development scheme) fund for purchase of essential items, especially ventilators for the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. MP Kher, however, could not be contacted for comments. Arizonas largest beer distributor has launched a campaign to help furloughed restaurant and bar workers make ends meet during the coronavirus crisis. Crescent Crown Distributing, the states biggest beer distributor to restaurants, bars and retail outlets, is contributing 15 cents per case of beer that it sells to retailers now through April 30. Fifteen cents doesnt sound like a lot, but well sell nearly 2 million cases, Crescent General Manager Joe Cotroneo said, quoting sales from this time last year. Crescent has pledged to provide a minimum of $50,000 to benefit furloughed employees of statewide Arizona Licensed Beverage Association member businesses, which represents 600 retailers and 12,000 employees, according to Dave Delos, the associations president. Crescent also has pledged a minimum $200,000 to the Arizona Restaurant Association to provide financial aid to furloughed restaurant workers statewide. Calling Crescents plan an unbelievable gesture, Delos said his industry has suffered one of the hardest hits after Gov. Doug Ducey last week ordered bars and restaurants to close, offering drive-thru or takeout service only. People are starving out here, he said. This industry, people have lost their jobs and a lot of them live paycheck to paycheck. Cotroneo said the funds could grow depending on the companys sales. But the money can only be distributed to front-line workers, the servers and hourly wage employees unable to work during the crisis. President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed grief over the gruesome murder of 47 soldiers who were ambushed by the dreaded Boko Haram sect in Borno on Tuesday. Speaking in a statement via his media aide, Garba Shehu, Buhari added that despite the tragic incident, Anarchists and mass murderers can not be allowed to hold the country hostage. Sacrifices of our gallant patriots cannot be quantified, and their sacrifices cannot go in vain. Read Also: Abba Kyari: Buhari Is A Victim Of His Own Misgovernment Omokri Despite the tragedies and incidents, we cannot allow anarchists and mass murderers to hold the country hostage. Buhari appealed to the military not to allow the incident to affect their morale, assuring that his administration will continue to motivate and equip them adequately in order to cope with the complex challenges of unconventional warfare. The Nigerian Army has dispatched a team to assess the situation and report back to the government, the statement added. FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2016, file photo, a haul truck with a 250-ton capacity carries coal from the Spring Creek strip mine near Decker, Mont. The lobbying arm of the U.S. coal industry is asking for hundreds of millions of dollars in royalty relief, tax cuts and other breaks to help companies ride out financial crisis brought on by the corona virus pandemic. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File) BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) The lobbying arm of the U.S. coal industry is asking for hundreds of millions of dollars in royalty relief, tax cuts and other breaks to help companies ride out the financial crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. National Mining Association President Rich Nolan made the request in a letter sent this week to the White House and the leaders of the House and Senate. The benefits that Nolan asked Congress to provide could total more than $800 million a year for coal companies, based on last year's payments by the industry to the federal government. The request includes a $220 million cut to a tax aimed at covering beneficiary payments for black lung disease in miners, a 50% cut in mine reclamation fees that would be worth $75 million, and suspending or eliminating royalty payments that totaled $527 million last year, according to the association. Even before the current economic upheaval, the coal mining industry was in sharp decline as utilities across the nation switch to cleaner-burning natural gas and renewable energy sources. With financial institutions under pressure from environmentalists to divest from coal, Nolan also said more access to credit was needed to help companies keep mines open. He described it as a matter of national security and said that without easier access to credit, operations at hundreds of mines employing tens of thousands of miners could be threatened. The coal industry is absolutely critical to securing a domestic, secure supply of affordable energy," he said. As global supply chains are disrupted...American-mined coal is here when it is needed." The request was blasted by conservationists who said it amounted to a corporate giveaway and would sharply reduce revenue for coal mining states that get a share of all royalty payments. CEOs are seeking to manipulate a global public health crisis for private gain. We should use funds to help workers and communities, not give sweetheart deals to massive coal companies," said Ellen Pfister, a Montana rancher and member of the Northern Plains Resource Council who lives next to a large coal mine north of Billings. Story continues The volume of coal mined in the U.S. has been dropping for the past decade, although burning the fuel still accounts for almost one-quarter of all U.S. electricity generation. Coal production in 2020 totals just over 124 million tons to date, down by almost 18 percent compared to the same point in 2019, according to the Energy Information Administration. The decline has hit all major coal states, including Wyoming, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Montana and Illinois. About half of coal royalty revenues collected by the federal government is returned to the states where the fuel was mined. White House spokesman Judd Deere declined to comment on the specific breaks requested by the coal industry but said the Trump administration was going to look out for private companies. We are going to ensure that we take care of all Americans, including affected industries and small businesses, and that we emerge from this challenge stronger and with a prosperous and growing economy," Deere said in an emailed statement. Representatives of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ___ Follow Matthew Brown at https://twitter.com/matthewbrownap Washington, March 26 : Washington-based World Bank Group together with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on all its official bilateral creditors to suspend debt repayments of poor countries that receive loans from its concessionary window and help them tackle challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak. About the quarter of the world population lived in countries that qualified for concessionary assistance under the International Development Assistance (IDA ) credit. This is also the most vulnerable group during the current Covid-19 outbreak and needs support from the developed world represented by the G-20 countries. "With immediate effect and consistent with national laws of the creditor countries, the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund call on all official bilateral creditors to suspend debt payments from IDA countries that request forbearance," the two agencies said in a joint statement. "This will help with IDA countries' immediate liquidity needs to tackle the challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak and allow time for an assessment of the crisis impact and financing needs for each country," the joint statement added. There are 76 IDA countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan. Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Bolivia graduated from IDA at the end of the 2017 financial year, but will receive transitional support on an exceptional basis through the IDA18 period (financial years 2018-20), according to the World Bank. The joint statement further invited G20 leaders to task the WB and the IMF to make these assessments, including identifying the countries with unsustainable debt situations, and to prepare a proposal for comprehensive action by the official bilateral creditors to address both the financing and debt relief needs of the IDA countries. "The World Bank Group and the IMF believe it is imperative at this moment to provide a global sense of relief for developing countries as well as a strong signal to financial markets. The international community would welcome G20 support for this call to action," the statement said. With over 600 cases of COVID-19 in Canada to date, people across the country continue to cope with the reality of self-isolation and increased potential for community transmission of the virus. According to a newly released online survey from Abacus Data, which polled 2,309 Canadians from Mar. 20 to 24, 40 per cent of respondents are extremely worried or worried a lot about the COVID-19 outbreak. Abacus Data Its clear that the COVID-19 outbreak is unprecedented on so many levels, a statement from David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data reads. The level of attention Canadians are paying to the issue, the deep seated and broad concern people have, and the uncertainty around how long it will disrupt their lives. Overall, women were significantly more worried about COVID-19 than men. A total of 47 per cent of female respondents were extremely worried or worried a lot, while only 32 per cent of men feel the same way. Abacus Data Most troubling is the varied reaction among different groups of Canadians, Coletto said in the Abacus Data Bulletin. Men, especially young men, are less concerned. They are less likely to be distancing themselves from others, and less likely to think the epidemic will last for longer. Majority of Canadians fear contracting the virus The poll found that 55 per cent of Canadians think it is likely or very likely that they, or someone close to them, will contract the coronavirus and 65 per cent believe the worst is still to come for the virus impacts. Abacus Data A recent online survey from Leger, which polled 1,508 Canadians between Mar. 20 and 22, found that 57 per cent of respondents are very or somewhat afraid of contracting COVID-19 and 69 per cent are afraid for a family member. The Abacus Data survey found that the majority of Canadians, 55 per cent, believe it will take two to three months or longer for us to be able to live our lives as we did before, while 20 per cent are unsure of the timing at this stage in the outbreak. Story continues Abacus Data The majority of Canadians, 55 per cent, are really worried or somewhat worried about Canada not having enough medical equipment and 53 per cent are worried about a shortage of hospital beds. Lack of medical equipment is a concern that health official across Canada are particularly aware of, especially with the global demand for medical equipment on the rise. Most recently, the federal government has said that it is investing in domestic manufacturers for products like ventilators and personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, to help meet demands across the country. Mental wellness during isolation The mental health impacts of the pandemic, and the associated self-isolation and social distancing measures, have also been a concern for people across the country. Earlier this week, Canadas Minister of Health Patty Hajdu said she is very concerned about the mental health of Canadians who have been forced into a situation that they prefer not to be in. Abacus Data The Abacus Data poll found that 75 per cent of respondents feel anxious about the COVID-19 situation and 37 per cent feel lonely. As a rapidly evolving issue, perceptions and views will undoubtedly change, but the big picture of our state of mind is profoundly concerning, Coletto said. Canadians are feeling anxious, worried, and uncertain about how this will turn out. The evidence the British gathered was crucial to any trial, former American law enforcement officials said. The men are said to have covered their faces while interacting with the hostages. To strengthen the case beyond a reasonable doubt that they are indeed two of the four Beatles, prosecutors need supplementary material gathered by Britain about their backgrounds, associations, radicalization, movements and activities. British officials had given in to American demands that its prosecutors receive the evidence without strings attached in part because the British feared that the alternative was that the Trump administration would send the two Britons to the American military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Families of victims of the Beatles have opposed that idea both as a matter of symbolism ISIS dressed Western hostages in Guantanamo-style orange jumpsuits before murdering them, including James Foley, the American journalist who was beheaded in August 2014 and as a matter of substance. The military commissions system at the base has proved to be dysfunctional and incapable of getting contested cases swiftly to trial. In a brief interview, Mr. Foleys mother, Diane Foley, urged the Trump administration to prosecute the men in federal court even without the death penalty. Not prosecuting them is immoral, she said. They need to be held accountable for their horrible crimes. Ms. Foley said she opposed the death penalty for the detainees, adding that it would only fulfill their desire for martyrdom. The British government has also balked at sharing evidence if the men are sent to Guantanamo, raising the prospect of indefinite detention without a trial. Moreover, transferring them there would set up a court battle that executive branch officials want to avoid: whether the governments claim is valid that Congresss 2001 authorization to fight Al Qaeda also covers the use of armed force against the Islamic State in Syria. British officials initially sought assurances from the United States that it would not seek the death penalty in exchange for providing the evidence, as is routinely the case. But the Trump administration refused to grant them. American law enforcement officials wanted to seek capital punishment and argued that since the British government essentially was not handling its own mess, it should not place restrictions on the United States. People called him a liberal and a right-wing nut, even a Nazi. They threatened his livelihood, his family, his home. The polite people told him about their elderly parents, who teach their grandchildren Latin and music and produce more happiness in their golden years than most working adults do in their entire careers. The mean people, who are not shy on Twitter, invoked the full array of lawyer jokes, Soylent Green and the Holocaust to convey just how awful McMillan was for implying that old or infirm people should be put aside to allow America to get back to work. People posted testimonials from clients who hadnt been happy with McMillans legal work. Petro Poroshenko, the fifth president of Ukraine and leader of the party European Solidarity, has demanded that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky not create an "advisory council" with representatives of the self-proclaimed republics. According to the European Solidarity press service, Poroshenko said his political force and society are keeping the "red lines" on Donbas settlement within their line of vision. "Agreeing to the creation of a so-called advisory council means crossing these lines and going too far beyond them. It means acting against the national interests of Ukraine. It means legitimizing the heads of the areas of Donbas occupied by Russia and recognizing the aggressor country as a mediator and giving it a chance of getting rid of the sanctions," Poroshenko said. Poroshenko said he is convinced that, no matter who formally signs a protocol on the creation of such a council, responsibility for that will rest with Zelensky. "Therefore, I am publicly addressing him with a categorical demand to give up these plans and not to agree to the creation of 'an advisory council'," the politician said. Poroshenko also said that "a strong immunity is needed" now "more than ever that will reliably protect the Ukrainian state organism from any attempts made by Russia to hit it." House ended long before the coronavirus pandemic began, leaving Hugh Laurie wondering what the eponymous doctor would have said in these troubled times. The actor shared his best bet in a recent tweet, writing: I cant speak for House, obviously no ones written clever words for me to say but Im pretty sure hed tell you its not a matter of solving Covid. This is an epidemic, not a diagnostic problem. We solve it together by staying apart. Laurie played Dr Gregory House, the beloved, misanthropic New Jersey doctor, for eight years between 2004 and 2012. Since then, he has starred in Veep, The Night Manager, Chance, Catch-22, and Avenue 5. In an earlier tweet, Laurie celebrated essential workers still performing their duties despite the pandemic. When this is over, what say we all pitch in and buy health care workers, couriers, hauliers, farmers, millers, grocers, bakers, sewage workers, power workers, teachers, fire fighters and police officers a bottle of something? he wrote. He later added: Thanks to those whove taken the trouble to tell me that decent pay and conditions for essential workers might be preferable to a bottle of something. Bigger thanks to those who knew thats what I meant. Laurie also shared these words of encouragements: Chin up, everybody. This will work. However irksome it is for us, its much worse for the virus. Picture the little bugger with its nose against the window, whining. Tina Anthony Curley Company, which is based in DC, has hired Tina Anthony as vice president, digital. Anthony comes to Curley from the Consumer Technology Association, where she most recently served as director of digital strategy. While at CTA, Anthony built the social media strategy for CES, the organizations annual trade show. She was previously a senior account executive in Ketchums D.C. office and served as regional digital marketing manager for Forbes. At Curley, Anthony oversees digital strategy for a number of clients, working with them to establish, grow and advance their reputation, brand and causes through digital storytelling, advocacy, advertising and community engagement. Connie Glover TeamSupport, a business-to-business focused customer support software solution, has appointed Connie Glover as vice president of marketing and communications. Glover joins TeamSupport from CMarie Marketing Studio, a marketing and PR firm serving Charlottesville, VA; Dallas and southern California. She has worked with clients in such market sectors as higher education, interior building products and technology. TeamSupport CMO Melissa Hendrick said that Glovers experience in developing sophisticated communication strategies for B2B companies in a variety of industries will give us the insights we need to accelerate our growth. Gigi Feng I-Mab, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, has appointed Gigi Feng as vice president, global head of corporate communications, effective April 20. Feng was previously Asia Pacific regional head of corporate affairs at Amgen, where she led communications efforts including, executive communications, media relations, employee engagement and philanthropy. Before joining Amgen, she held a series of communications leadership roles at Sanofi, and also led the strategic communications group at APCO Worldwide in Shanghai. Reporting to I-Mabs board of directors, Feng will oversee all communications across the company. Latest News Understanding the 'perfect storm' that was the Sydney property market in 2021 Leading expert reflects on the crazy year that brokers and buyers experienced and throws forward to the 12 months to come How to manage home buyer regret Tips for brokers on how they can keep their clients onside once they have bought A non-bank has committed that it remains steadfast in its support of both its customers and the broker channel as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfurl. Liberty has announced a support package that includes the deferring of loan repayments, waiving of fees and restructuring of existing loans free of charge. While the group was quick to acknowledge the severity of the situation and move to help support impacted customers, the lender has emphasised it will be business as usual within the organisation, even with the team now working from home. Turnaround times have remained unchanged and the group expects to continue lending to its "usual high service levels" throughout the crisis. The groups BDM network and direct sales team are adopting digital solutions to continue providing brokers with support to find more ways to get to yes for customers. Liberty also announced it will be lowering variable home loan rates by 0.15% p.a. for customers with LVRs up to 80%, effective 15 April. CEO James Boyle said, These are unprecedented times and, just as we were through the GFC, we remain open for business and ready to support brokers to help customers with their finance needs. Liberty has efficiently mobilised its teams to work from home. All service and support functions continue to be based in Australia as normal. According to Boyle, customers need the support of brokers now more than ever. He also emphasised that Liberty has always assessed applications on a case-by-case basis as no two customers are the same, meaning the lender is well placed to help customers who may now need a more personalised approach given this highly unusual environment. The control tower at Yellowknife Airport in the Northwest Territories in a file photo. (CP PHOTO/Chuck Stoody) NWT, Nunavut Close Borders as Vulnerable North Tries to Keep out Pandemic With relatively small populations dispersed in tiny communities spread across three million square kilometres of hinterland, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have closed their borders to all non-residents in an effort to prevent COVID-19 from proliferating. Because of limited health care access, the North is considered to be one of Canadas most at-risk regions for an outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. We dont have the health infrastructure to handle something like thisalready its so easy to overload, said Merven Gruben, former mayor of Tuktoyaktuk, a small N.W.T. hamlet of about 600 people on the shores of the Beaufort Sea. At the small nursing station here you dont, and even at Inuviks hospital (138 km south) there isnt that much capacity, so if we can keep everybody out and keep everyone here clean, its worth it. On March 21, N.W.T. confirmed its first case of COVID-19, imported by a resident who returned to the territorial capital of Yellowknifepopulation 20,000from travel in Alberta and British Columbia. N.W.T., Nunavut, and Yukon have all declared a state of emergency and are largely following the restrictions put in place in the provinces. The same weekend N.W.T. announced its first and so far only case of coronavirus, officials set up checkpoints at highways entering the territory from Alberta and British Columbia. Two days later, acting on the advice of health officials, Nunavut shut its territory to inbound travel by non-residents. The largest of Canadas three northern territories, Nunavut has an advantage because its accessible only by air or sea. Gruben said he was unaware whether checkpoints had been established at the head of the Dempster Highway, which begins in Yukon and is the only road access to the Western Actic N.W.T. communities of Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Fort McPherson, and Tsiighetchic. Blizzards have closed that highway several times over the past month, he said, adding that hes concerned about locals ignoring social-distancing in Inuvikthe regional hub which features southern-style mod cons like a hospital, grocery stores, bars, and restaurants. When somebody is in trouble, we help them. The north has always been like that, but I dont want to be quarantined and I hope we dont have to go that far, he said. Few outsiders make the 800 km journey by road from the Yukon/N.W.T. border up the Dempster Highway, especially during the winter, and Gruben said the harsh seasonal weather over the past two months has closed the Dempster several times already. The Yukon/NWT border is in a virtual no-mans land some 150 km north of the Arctic Circle. For N.W.T. resident Michele Taylor, currently in self-quarantine in Yellowknife after the pandemic truncated her contract work in Thunder Bay, Ont., her trip home was the sort of journey through multiple airports and time zones that could transmit the virus to otherwise uninfected regions. I was routed from Thunder Bay, through Pearson [International] in Toronto, and up through Calgary to Yellowknife, and not once on any of those flights was I checked or asked if I had any symptoms, said Taylor. There wasnt a word said to me about it. Vancouver-based Dr. Janet Ip, who completed her residency in Inuvik, said concerns in the Far North are warranted. All it takes is one person in a small community like Tuktoyaktuk to be infected before it can become widespread, and I would be concerned with people living in close quarters there, and the elderly, Ip said. Its a highly infectious disease so social distancing would be especially important since health care there is so limited that it would be a devastating effect in their community. In Vancouver, where COVID-19 is believed to have entered Canada from China and is now wracked by the pandemic, Ip said theres a shortage of suppliesa challenge facing physicians and nurses across the country. Like many places, theres a shortage of viral swabs so we donated ours to urgent care and the hospitals, said Ip, a dermatologist and family physician at a clinic in the city. Due to the shortage, weve been instructed to only recommend swabs for symptomatic health care workers, or those with severe symptoms so were doing virtual and phone consults with patients to help determine if they even need to go get tested. For patients with mild symptoms we instruct them to self-isolate at home. She noted that hospitals and urgent care facilities are asking that all potential cases be referred to them for analysis. We have done some [coronavirus testing] but are now sending suspect cases to urgent care centres that have proper isolation procedures, which are challenging in small outpatient clinics like ours. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days in order to contain the rapid spread of the in In his second speech on the issue, the prime minister urged the country's ctitizens, with folded hands, to stay indoors for 21 days (until April 14).However, thats not all what the PM said in his nearly half an hour-long address. Here's a quick look at PM Modis second address to the nation amidst the pandemic: PM Modi started by praising people for the self retsraint shown by them during Sunday's Janata Curfew. He then spoke about the potential risks faced by if the was not contained on time. He also spoke of other developed and industrialised countries struggling to combat the pandemic, despite having developed medical facilities. Underlining the critical importance of 'social distancing', the PM said that if Indias 1.3 billion people did not practise social distancing and broke the chain of Covid-19's spread in the next 21 days, the virus' outbreak could push the country back by 21 years, leaving the country and many families devastated forever. The PM also warned citizens that if the virus was not contained now, the aftereffects could drag not just the economy, but also severely undermine the nations progress. He said the well-being of the country and its citizens was his topmost priority, and he would do his utmost to save the peoples' lives. A little after the speech, PM Modi tweeted the home ministry guidelines, which said all essential services and supplies would be maintained for the entire duration of the lockdown. He also appealed to the people not to panic. Apart from telling people to stay away from rumours, he warned that in case of any health problems, they shouldnt take any unprescribed medicine... Plug in, to know more Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont issued an indefinite extension of deadlines for business before the state Workers Compensation Commission, which announced on Tuesday significant correlating cuts from its staff which numbered 110 people as of last June. Workers compensation covers both medical bills and lost income for people who are injured or incur serious illnesses on the job, at 75 percent of wages after the subtraction of income and social security taxes. Only a small percentage of claims generate awards, with the Workers Compensation Commission awarding benefits for more than 1,300 workers in 2018, from an initial list of injury and illness reports in excess of 53,000 cases. Connecticut cases averaged about $32,000 in claims for lost wages and $27,000 for health-care costs for workers compensation claims that year. Employers foot the tab through a payroll tax at rates pegged to the actuarial risks of their workplaces, with rates having declined six straight years in tandem with fewer workplace injuries. States are already anticipating workers compensation claims from coronavirus victims who incur the virus in the course of their jobs, particularly those who work in hospitals. The Connecticut Workers Compensation Commission stated it had received many concerns from parties on how to proceed with claims before the commission, given the limitations imposed by the public health emergency Lamont declared on March 10, and subsequent executive orders. The commission noted last week the difficulties claimants were having in seeing physicians who have been pressed into service dealing with the coronavirus outbreak The governors order on workers compensation applies to dispute resolution, administrative oversight and support for claimants. The states panel of workers compensation commissioners remains intact, who indicated Tuesday they will continue to conduct hearings by telephone for existing claims and any new filings, and evaluate as we go staffing needs as case volumes dictate. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman Citing the 21-day national lockdown announced by India and tough measures by other countries, a top American daily has called for similar steps in the US to combat the coronavirus pandemic as authorities expressed alarm over the sharply-growing number of confirmed cases that has crossed the 50,000-mark. On Monday, President Donald Trump indicated that he is unlikely to follow the suggestion of his medical advisors on a complete shutdown to tackle the coronavirus outbreak as he said such a move would have tremendous repercussions on the country's economy. According to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker, there are at least 55,041 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States and over 700 people have died. "The worst of the pandemic is yet to come. Listen to the medical experts. It's time for a national lockdown," The New York Times said in its lead editorial, published hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the unprecedented step of a three-week nationwide lockdown. "President Trump needs to call for a two-week shelter-in-place order, now, as part of a coherent national strategy for the coronavirus to protect Americans and their livelihoods, the daily said. The US, the daily said, has passed the point where aggressive, targeted efforts at tracking and containment, like those pursued by South Korea, have a realistic chance of success. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi ordered a total ban on leaving home for the population of 1.3 billion for the next three weeks. He warned, "If you can't handle these 21 days, this country will go back 21 years. Other countries have opted for narrower restrictions, and enforcement has varied. But patchwork approaches, like the one the United States defaulted to in the absence of a national plan, have proven inadequate," said The New York Times. Highly critical of the approach of President Trump so far, the paper said that rather than raising false expectations of a rapid and full return to business as usual, he needs to be pursuing even more drastic measures. He should announce that, within 24 hours, all non-essential businesses should be shut and residents directed to remain in their homes except for vital trips out, such as to obtain food or medical care. Provisions can be made for people to walk in outdoor public spaces, so long as they maintain a distance of at least six feet, said the editorial board of The New York Times. Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for the World Health Organisation, said as coronavirus cases continue to rise in the United States, the nation has "potential" to become the next epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, CNN reported. Harris said, "We are now seeing a very large acceleration in the numbers of cases from the United States -- so it does have that potential. We cannot say that that is the case yet, but it does have that potential." Apart from New York, neighbouring New Jersey, along with California, Michigan, Illinois and Florida were the other coronavirus hotspots. However, no new cases or deaths were reported in Washington, the state which was first hit by the pathogen in the US. The US has the third-highest number of confirmed cases globally, behind China and Italy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mozambique and UNODC Jointly Tackling Emerging Violent Extremism and Terrorism Threats Facing Southern Africa Photo: iStock / Zabelin 23 March 2020 - The Government of Mozambique and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) again joined efforts from 10 to 12 March to address the growing violence in Northern Mozambique, that has killed over 700 people and displaced over 100,000. In Pemba, Northern Mozambique, the region most affected by the violence, UNODC and the Government of Mozambique organized a final training workshop and table top exercise for key investigators, defence officials, prosecutors, and judges to support their work in countering violent extremist and bringing terrorists to justice. The workshop was supported by the Government of Canada and the United Nations Peace and Development Fund as part of larger efforts to support the Southern Africa Development Community to respond to the growing terrorism threats facing the region. This training workshop was the final in the series of three workshops and represents the culmination of UNODCs terrorism prevention engagement in Mozambique over the past year, aimed at providing Mozambique with practical knowledge and tools needed to combat this complex threat. As a result of this partnership, Mozambique has already established a new Counter-Terrorism Unit within the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) and reported an increased capacity to effectively prosecute these crimes. The Government of Mozambique is an important partner of UNODC, working jointly to address this growing threat. The workshop was opened by Antonio Domingos Mapure, the Permanent Secretary of the Government of Cabo Delgado, the province most affected by the violence. He acknowledged the critical situation that the province is currently facing and the need for strengthening preventive and other measures to restore stability. He added that often, cases are not prosecuted due to a lack of evidence but that there have been considerable improvements in the investigation and processing of judicial proceedings, as demonstrated by the number of acquittals and convictions, following the first UNODC workshop in July 2019. He noted that thanks to this training series some gaps in capacity for the criminal justice system to provide an effective response had been addressed. Americo Juliao, Deputy Attorney General, expressed hope that UNODC assistance could help to identify recommendations for the development of a strategy for the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of terrorism cases. He also referred to the need for strengthening cooperation of national institutions in charge of the fight against terrorism and violent extremism in Mozambique. Guy Banville, Counsellor of the Canadian High Commission in Mozambique pointed out that Canada supports domestic solutions for peace and security, including through strengthening the capacity of governments to address security challenges, including violent extremism. He highlighted that Canadas contribution to this workshop and the strengthening of criminal justice institutions is part of its peace and security efforts in Mozambique Cesar Guedes, UNODC Representative to Mozambique, thanked the Governments of Mozambique and Canada for their partnership on this workshop noting that: Violent extremism and terrorism are growing threats facing the region. UNODC is pleased to be supporting Mozambique to effectively prevent and counter these complex threats. UNODC commends Mozambique for its commitment to addressing these challenges, and we look forward to continuing to support these efforts in the future. Octavio Zilo, Chief Prosecutor of the Cabo Delgado Province, concluded the workshop by highlighting the need for more training from UNODC. ELSAH On March 19, after days of rain and clouds, a small cluster of Principia College students gathered on the bluffs near the green to take photos of an evocative sunset in shades of pink and yellow. It was a sign, found in a round of Principia Pilot interviews, of the remarkable calm most who are left on campus are feeling on the new pandemic footing. This feels like the calm after the storm, it makes me feel peaceful, said Carolina Vilcapoma Batistini, a sophomore from Peru. I just truly wish and I am praying for this to be over soon so that we can all go back to normal. Normal disappeared last week as campuses across the nation sent students home. Interim President John Williams sent all Principians home who could go home until pandemic fears subside. They drained out of campus between Friday and Sunday (March 13-15). Now there are just 54 mainly international students here. For the spring break duration, theyve been housed in Gehner and Anderson East, but were allowed back in their own houses on March 21, said Mark Hagenlocher, assistant dean of student life. By that night, a total of 69 students are expected on campus. Students who couldnt leave have kept themselves busy working many hours a day in dining services, at mail services, helping out facilities, or just taking time to keep up with homework. It feels like a desert sometimes, said freshman Sam Robalino, from Ecuador. But while its true that campus is fairly empty, other students whove stayed here during previous breaks say they dont notice much difference. The atmosphere, though, doesnt feel negative. Some students express gratitude to be here in peace on campus. I am glad and grateful that I was allowed to stay on campus, said Gesler Joya, a sophomore from El Salvador. I would not have any other place to go to. Principia put a roof over my head and food on my plate and that is awesome. He explains that nobody is allowed to enter his country right now because there has been no case there of COVID-19 so far. I am just giving time to myself right now, said Victoire de Visme a sophomore from France. She said its an opportunity to have some personal space and be able to collect her thoughts and find peace in a moment of trouble. Within the limits of social distancing, students are gathering in small groups in the evening, playing cards and board games or watching movies in the living room. Last night, four students were playing Fifa on the big screen in the Gehner living room while others were playing Uno. Some students are cultivating hobbies. I am currently reading a book called Zero to One for startups, said Joya explaining that he is very passionate about apps and business. Others are staying in shape by going to the gym: Now that everything is so empty, it feels like having a private gym said Sam Robalino, a freshman from Ecuador. The Principia kitchen staff is busy operating a deep cleaning of the dining hall and Pub. And a new social distancing set-up has decreased the number of tables and seats in the dining room, separated farther than usual. New hygiene rules have been implemented, noticeable immediately in the absence of the bread station close to the oven. Anyone who wants a piece of bread has to get it from staff in order to limit public contact with the food. We have had around 30 students coming to breakfast (lately), said Trey McCartt, assistant director of the kitchen staff, implying that the kitchen will now need to re-evaluate demand and how much food to order. In the meantime the construction of the new School of Government is proceeding as usual and the access ramp to the Scramble Room has almost been completed with the addition of a clear barrier. Besides the hand sanitizer dispensers that have been placed all over campus nothing seems much different, said Yenum Egwuenu a junior from Nigeria. I have been hearing the news and it still does not feel real, we are so far away from everything here at Principia that it does not seem to affect us. Current plans are that teaching will be done in classrooms for the few students who are on campus and simultaneously streamed online for students elsewhere. But, said De Visme, expressing the uncertainties implied by the fact that she is going to be the only one still on campus for some of her classes: I am not sure if teachers are actually going to come to teach. Haiti - News : Zapping... FLASH : 2 Air Transat flights to repatriate Canadians To all Canadians in Haiti: We have just obtained the official landing authorization for 2 Air Transat flights: Wednesday March 25 and Sunday March 29. Air Transat will give priority to their customers who already have tickets. Note that the flights are almost full but if seats are available, they will be sold on the first arrivals on site. We have no information on the price of these tickets. If you wish to return to Canada and you do not yet have a ticket, quickly contact the consular services of the Embassy at 509 2812-9000 or prncecs@international.gc.ca ALERT : Sale of counterfeit chloroquine Pierre Hugues St Jean, the President of the Pharmacists Association, warns the population against the sale of counterfeit medicines, including chloroquine. He invites the authorities to assume their responsibilities in the face of this situation. The Olympic Games postponed to 2021 Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Japan has proposed a one-year postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due to the new coronavirus pandemic "President Thomas Bach of the International Olympic Committee has accepted 100%", Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday. A date move unprecedented in the history of the Olympic Games. So far, only world wars have prevented the event in 1916, 1940 and 1944, but in all these cases it was a cancellation. Towards control of deportees at the border Tuesday March 24, Louis Gonzague Edner Day the Minister of Haitians Living Abroad (MHAVE) met with Mr Giuseppe Loprete, Head of Mission at the International Organization of Migration, with the intention of mounting a force of intervention by several actors concerned by the situation evolving on border conflicts. Minister Day's approach is part of the control of the flows of Haitian migrants repatriated by the neighboring Republic in order to take preventive measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Haiti. Still some air traffic at PAP "In addition to flights targeting the repatriation of foreign nationals to their country of origin, Toussaint Louverture International Airport also records domestic flights, medical evacuation flights, humanitarian and emergency flights. American Airlines is operational almost daily these days in this difficult context linked to the Covid-19 pandemic," informs the National Airport Authority. Visa Center for Brazil closed The International Organization for Migration (IOM - Haiti) is advising the general public of the temporary closure of its visa application center for Brazil. This decision stems from the emergency situation decreed by the Haitian government and following the closure of the Brazilian Embassy in Haiti in the context of prevention against Covid 19. HL/ HaitiLibre Chidambaram also suggested a 10-point plan to put money in the bank accounts of the poor and the marginalised, including farmers and labourers New Delhi: Former Union finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday described the lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "watershed moment" in the battle against COVID-19 and called Modi as the commander and the people as "foot soldiers". In a statement, Chidambaram also suggested a 10-point plan to put money in the bank accounts of the poor and the marginalised, including farmers and labourers, and demanded a cut in GST rates by five percent on all wage goods, essential goods and services, and all goods of mass consumption from 1 April to 30 June, 2020. "The prime minister's announcement yesterday of a nationwide 21-day lockdown is a watershed moment in the battle against COVID-19. We should put behind us the debates that took place before March 24 and look upon the nationwide lockdown as the beginning of a new battle in which the people are the foot soldiers and the PM is the Commander." "We owe a duty to extend our total support to the prime minister and the central and state governments, he said. A senior Congress functionary, however, said this was Chidambaram's personal view and not that of the party. Modi on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown of the entire country for 21 days in an unprecedented drastic measure to try halt the spread of coronavirus shortly after which the Centre said all road, rail and air services will remain suspended during this period. Chidambaram also urged people to stay home, saying 'Stay home India' is a great rally cry . He also called for protection of the current employment and wages, besides putting money into the hands of the poor and the marginalised. Here is a 10-point plan (without too much elaboration) which is intended to put cash and food immediately in the hands of the poor and the vulnerable. It is placed for the consideration of the government and for an immediate announcement of relief, he said. Chidambaram called for doubling the amount paid/payable under PM-KISAN to Rs 12,000 and transfer the additional amount immediately to the bank account of each beneficiary. For tenant farmers, he called for bringing them under PM-KISAN after taking the lists from the state governments and transfer Rs 12,000 (in two installments) to the bank account of each tenant farmer. He also demanded transferring Rs 3,000 into bank accounts of registered MGNREGA workers. For the urban poor, the former FM demanded transfer of Rs 6,000 into their Jan Dhan accounts, besides offering 10 kg of rice or wheat absolutely free, as a one-time measure in the next 21 days to every ration card holder. The former union minister called for asking all registered employers to maintain current levels of employment and wages. "Guarantee to such employers who do so that the wages of the employees will be reimbursed by the government within 30 days of payment," he said. Chidambaram also called for opening a register in every ward or block and invite persons who have not received payment under any of the categories. These, he said, include street people and destitutes. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak After minimal verification, open a bank account in each name (if there is not already one), seed it with Aadhaar and transfer Rs 3,000 into each bank account, he said. Chidambaram also sought extension of deadlines for payment of any kind of tax until June 30, 2020. In the interim, banks can be instructed to lend to panchayats, municipalities and corporations against the security of the tax receivables. He said banks should be instructed to extend the date for any kind of EMI payment until 30 June 2020. The former finance minister said these steps are for the present, one-time cash transfers and the need for more cash transfers can be assessed depending upon the situation as it evolves. "This plan would address only the immediate challenge of putting cash in the hands of the people who will STAY HOME. There are many other challenges that have to be addressed in the next few days, he said. A Cabinet minister today called for British workers to 'mobilise' to help pick fruit and vegetables on British farms over the summer amid fears that a shortage of seasonal workers could bump up food prices. Environment Secretary George Eustice said that he was already talking to farmers about filling a 'gap' in the European temporary workforce in the UK's fields caused by the global coronavirus shutdown. And he urged people to sign up to help get in the harvest and help fill 'people's plates'. It came as economists warned that food prices could surge in UK shops, with increasing numbers of workers either ill themselves or unable to cross borders because of restrictions on movement designed to slow the spread of the disease. Mr Eustice said: 'Our farmers are doing a fantastic job of feeding the nation during this immensely challenging time. 'I have been speaking with industry today and in the last week about the critically important issue of seasonal workers, who usually come from Europe to pick fruit and vegetables. 'We need to mobilise the British workforce to fill that gap and make sure our excellent fruit and vegetables are on people's plates over the summer months. Mr Eustice said: 'We need to mobilise the British workforce to fill that gap and make sure our excellent fruit and vegetables are on people's plates over the summer months' Increasing numbers of workers are either ill themselves or unable to get to the fields because of restrictions on movement designed to slow the spread of the disease 'There are already brilliant recruitment efforts underway by industry and I would encourage as many people as possible to sign up. 'We will also be looking at other ways to make sure farmers have support they need ahead of the busy harvest months, while also keeping workers safe and protected.' The problem is not just confined to the UK, with France's agriculture minister Didier Guillaume calling yesterday for a 'shadow army' of laid-off workers to help bring in the harvest. Ministers and experts in the UK have been at pains to tell the public there is no shortage of food, in a bid to discourage panic-buying. Rain Newton-Smith, the CBI's chief economist said that food prices were 'starting to emerge as a concern', in an interview with the Telegraph. 'There is a real challenge if, as the crops come on stream, there aren't the people that can go and pick the crops,' she said. 'How do you get people to do these roles and how do you make sure, if we're still in social distancing, that they are not getting too close to each other? 'There's real pressure on supply so there is certainly some concern.' Ministers and experts in the UK have been at pains to tell the public there is no shortage of food, in a bid to discourage panic-buying France appealed on Tuesday to workers laid off by the coronavirus crisis to help farmers pick fruit and vegetables that will otherwise be left to rot in the fields due to a shortage of seasonal workers. Farmers forecast a nationwide shortage of around 200,000 farm labourers over the harvest period as tight border restrictions imposed to help curb the spread of coronavirus make it much harder to recruit from outside France. This has raised the prospect of strawberries, asparagus and other crops rotting in the fields. With hotel receptionists, restaurant waiters, hairdressers and many others deprived of work by an unprecedented lockdown, Mr Guillaume told them to 'join the great army of French agriculture' in an interview to a French TV channel. France has so far reported nearly 20,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and around 860 deaths. Christine Lambert, head of France's biggest farm union, FNSEA, said the farm sector needed 45,000 labourers in March and 80,000 in both April and May to help farmers, mainly to harvest fruit and vegetables. 'Due to the closure of the Schengen borders but also to movement restrictions in Europe, the Poles and the Romanians who used to come won't anymore,' Ms Lambert wrote on Twitter. 'If our call is not heard the production will remain in the fields and the entire fruit and vegetables sector will be damaged,' she added. Jails across the nation are rushing to reduce their populations as they brace for the arrival of the coronavirus, which is expected to spread quickly in correctional settings that house many medically vulnerable people. New York City has freed more than 300 people, Los Angeles a reported 1,700. And the New Jersey Supreme Court over the weekend approved the release of as many as 1,000 county inmates. In Philadelphia where the courts are closed at least until April 6 and judges have not been hearing requests for parole or bail reductions District Attorney Larry Krasner said judges have agreed on a process to begin reviewing those motions, with the aim of reducing a jail population that stands near 4,400. There is real progress toward the defense and prosecutors having access to the court even in this pandemic, even with the court closed, to try to address the emergency that is having an overpopulated jail at a time like this, Krasner said. Thats an about-face after more than a week of tense conference calls and increasingly sharp statements from the District Attorneys Office and open letters demanding action from the public defenders union and the ACLU. Krasner and the Defender Association had submitted around 60 agreements to parole people already near their minimum sentences; they were denied as not emergencies. The courts move follows unprecedented steps already taken by the Philadelphia Police Department and the District Attorneys Office to reduce jail admissions during the pandemic. The Police Department is delaying arrests for drug offenses and many low-level crimes a policy shift aided by a decline in reported incidents as Philadelphia has settled into its stay-at-home slumber. The number of arrests for drug sales or possession dropped from 244 in the week ending March 14 to just 20 the next week, city records show. READ MORE: Despite concerns of lawlessness, Philadelphia crime drops in first week of social distancing Krasner also rolled out a new bail policy over the weekend, to decouple pretrial incarceration from ability to pay. Now, prosecutors either seek release without requiring payment or, in cases where they deem the defendant dangerous gun possession, domestic violence, burglaries of homes and other violent crimes seeking bail close to $1 million to keep the defendant incarcerated. We certainly think it is in the interest of justice at a time like this not to let middling amounts of bail and peoples affluence or poverty control whether theyre in or out," Krasner said. Keir Bradford-Grey, Philadelphias chief public defender, said she believes about 800 people could be eligible for release on parole. She is also looking to identify people over 65 who could be safely released. Our number one priority is to reduce that jail population, she said. There have not been any reported cases of the coronavirus in Philadelphia jails. However, a city spokesperson said officials will neither confirm nor deny if prisoners or staff become infected. Montgomery County has confirmed that a staffer has COVID-19. Three inmates in Delaware County have tested positive, as have five staff members leaving the jail on restricted movement. Krasner said there was not a specific target jail population reduction, and each case would be reviewed individually. He said he expects to look at parole for those within six months of completing their minimum sentences, and release for those detained on probation violations that do not involve new crimes. He said cases may also be resolved by agreement, though a process for doing so remotely has not yet been finalized. For defense lawyers, the uncertainty that followed the closure of the courts left them filing motions that were never ruled on or that were denied in boilerplate email responses. A group of defense lawyers developed a template for court-appointed attorneys to use in filing motions for release during the pandemic. READ MORE: With courts closed by pandemic, Philly police stop low-level arrests to manage jail crowding I had been hearing until today that most motions werent being ruled upon, said Mark Houldin, who worked on that effort. We consider everyone in the prison right now vulnerable because of the style of health care that would be available to them if they were to get sick, said Marni Snyder, who has had few answers for her clients, like a man whose March 17 bail hearing was canceled, leaving him in limbo. Its not just age and infirmity, but the nature of being in jail makes you vulnerable. Calls for the release of prisoners have come from the ACLU and lawmakers, including State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams (D., Phila.), who urged the immediate release of all Pennsylvania parole violators in a letter to the state Supreme Court. There has been opposition from groups including the victim-rights advocates who championed Marsys Law. In New Jersey, the Cumberland County freeholders issued a statement expressing their collective outrage over the temporary releases ordered by the states highest court. But for now, Pennsylvania state prisoners are bracing for lockdowns rather than releases. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has distributed masks to all prisoners and staff, and issued emergency contracts for boxed lunches, Styrofoam containers and totes to bring commissary orders to inmates. Staff writers Allison Steele and Vinny Vella contributed to this article. (Photo : REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane) Medical workers in protective suits treat a patient suffering with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in an intensive care unit at the Casalpalocco hospital, a hospital in Rome that has been dedicated to treating cases of the disease, Italy, March 24, 2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Flavio Lo Scalzo) Coffins of people who have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are seen in the church of the Serravalle Scrivia cemetery, which like many places in northern Italy is struggling to cope with the number of deaths from the virus that is growing every day, in Alessandria, Italy, March 23, 2020. An Italian nurse serving at the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic took her own life after testing positive for the virus. Reports claim the health worker got "terrified" that she had infected others. Daniela Trezzi, 34, had been suffering "heavy stress" amid fears she could spread the deadly disease to patients at the San Gerardo Hospital, Daily Mail reported. The U.K. news site added she was working in the intensive care unit while under quarantine after being diagnosed with COVID-19. ALSO READ: [VIRAL] Italy's Oldest 95-Year-Old Coronavirus Survivor Shares How She Was Cured Suicide incident among nurses in Italy amid COVID-19, not the first time The National Federation of Nurses of Italy expressed its "pain and dismay" over the demise, which came as the country's mounting dying toll surged with 743 additional fatalities Tuesday, Mar. 25. The group added Trezzi's death was not the first time a nurse treating coronavirus patients in Italy committed suicide. New York Post reported that a similar episode had happened a week ago in Venice, with the same underlying reasons "The condition and stress to which our specialists are subjected are under the eyes of all," the federation said. With the risks in these conditions and stress with the shortage of staff, the federation added the situation among the nurses might not be the last. Hospital general manager Mario Alparone noted that Trezzi had been "homesick" since March 10 and that "she was not under surveillance." The nurse's loss of life is now under investigation, the Daily Mail said. ALSO READ: [VIRAL] Video of Critically Sick COVID-19 Patients Have Emerged; Doctors Use 'Bubble Helmets' to Help Them Breathe COVID-19 continues to take a toll in Italy Al Jazeera reported that fatalities in Italy from coronavirus have surged in the last 24 hours. The death toll rose through 743 on Tuesday, the second-highest daily tally as the outbreak emerged in northern areas of the country. Some 602 deaths had been recorded on Monday, far decrease than the world record 793 deaths closing Saturday. About 5,760 health care workers had been infected with the aid of the virus, according to Australian news site Brisbane Times. Nino Cartabellotta, the head of the Gimbe foundation, told Daily Mail this 'phenomenon' ought to be 'curbed to safeguard individuals who cope with us.' Health officers throughout Italy are poring over every new piece of data to peer whether or not weeks of bans and closures have made a dent in the crisis. Italy's civil protection service chief Angelo Borrelli, according to reports, said the measures government took two weeks ago are starting to affect. He added that more data released over the next few days will help show 'if the growth curve is clearly flattening.' Still, the latest facts come as a disappointment to a country that has been in lockdown for two weeks, Al Jazeera said. The government has also closed all businesses not deemed to be essential to the nation's supply chain of vital requirements. Some officers have counseled that it's far nonetheless too soon to mention if Italy is set to look a peak in the outbreak. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday sent a message on the occasion of the Police Day, urging the police staff to be, in the current context, a model of behavior and responsibility and enforce the law firmly, yet with respect for the human dignity. "Dear police staff, in this period, that is one of the most difficult Romania has ever known, (...) you are among those who have the capacity to to contribute significantly to sustaining the efforts so that our country overcome well the hard moments we are all going through. Your mission is to protect the people and at the same time, to ensure a social climate of equity, balance, safety and trustworthiness. In this difficult context, you have the moral duty to be an example of behavior and responsibility for the citizens among whom you are carrying out your activity and whom you serve, to make proof of the confidence you were entrusted with and enforce the law firmly, yet with respect for the human dignity. Dear police staff, be vigilant, be firm in enforcing the law and equally protect those who now need support! Even if the enemy is invisible, the fight is as real as it could be and it is a fight we must win," Iohannis says in his message. The president thanks the police for all the sacrifice they make in this period, for professionalism and bravery. FILE - In this May 25, 2005, file photo, Lovely R. Suanino, a respiratory therapist at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, N.J., demonstrates setting up a ventilator in the intensive care unit of the hospital. U.S. hospitals bracing for a possible onslaught of coronavirus patients with pneumonia and other breathing difficulties could face a critical shortage of mechanical ventilators and health care workers to operate them. (AP Photo/Mike Derer, File) Read more Health officials were already worried that Pennsylvania and New Jersey wouldnt have enough ventilators to treat the most severe COVID-19 patients, but its actually worse than they expected. Also, we explore how teachers are working with their schools closed, and how districts in the region are trying to address technology gaps. Lets also check out wine delivery and listen to some more fun podcasts to try to escape from the world. Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) Schools across the region are closed due to the coronavirus, but New Jersey kindergarten teacher Jill Hammel is still keeping up with her class. Shes using technology to teach remotely by posting assignments online every morning. She also chats with students via FaceTime. For some, tech and the internet work to keep instruction going. But these options arent available to everyone. In Philly, few students have access to laptops, and schools are now planning to distribute computers so they can continue to learn. In rural Pennsylvania, educators are struggling with the prolonged closures. We have areas where theres no internet or even cell service, said Amanda Hetrick, superintendent of the Forest Area School District. And mailing out assignments for distance learning would be costly, she said For weeks, health officials have worried that Pennsylvania and New Jersey wont have enough ventilators to try to save the most critical COVID-19 patients. But the situation is actually worse than they anticipated. Pennsylvania has 1,000 fewer ventilators than expected, state Health Department officials said. According to a study, at the peak of the virus spread, Pennsylvania could need three times as many while New Jersey has less than half of what could be needed. Pennsylvanias tally is a concerningly low number, said Jeremy M. Kahn, professor of critical care medicine and health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh. Its a frighteningly low number. Thats interesting Through your eyes | #OurPhilly Graffiti Pier is a beloved spot in Philly, and this is a great shot of it. Thanks for sharing, @anthony.difilippo! Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out! What you need to know today Opinions I firmly believe its up to all of us to do our part in helping fill our countrys plates. So again, to all, I say, please purchase only what you need and leave the rest for your neighbor; and if you happen to find yourself with a surplus of canned goods and other nonperishables, consider donating it to your local food bank. writes grocery store executive Nicholas Bertram on why shoppers should stop panic-buying food. Has the coronavirus shown that remote work is the future? Thats the debate in the latest Pro/Con, by Evette Dionne, editor-in-chief of Bitch Media, and Daniel Little, a Philly-based representative of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada. Flattening the coronavirus curve goes way beyond science, writes Dr. Drew Harris, a population health and health policy analyst at Thomas Jefferson University and a member of The Inquirers Health Advisory Panel. What we are ... listening to Last week, you got some podcast recommendations from my colleague Ray Boyd. I thought Id share some I like to listen to. Today, were focusing on fun and escaping from your daily life, while maybe learning a little something. Heres what to check out if youre into ... science fiction: Im a sci fi nerd myself, and so I love Flash Forward. With each episode, youre taken into a possible future ranging from potentially realistic (facial recognition cameras everywhere) to wild and zany (space pirates steal the moon). Then, host Rose Eveleth brings you back and talks to experts about how that fictional future would actually work. This podcast really gets you thinking. music: Theres nothing wrong with loving mainstream pop. Switched on Pop embodies this idea. Musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding break down pop songs to figure out exactly why the big hits stick in your head. Ive learned a lot about how music works from listening to this show. design: Whenever Im looking for calm, I always turn to 99% Invisible. This pod dives into the design behind things we overlook in everyday life, including everything from the McMansion phenomenon to the backpass law in soccer. My heart rate always significantly drops when I hear the calm and inviting voice of host Roman Mars. Your Daily Dose of | Curious Philly Some Philly street signs like the one above have an icon of the Liberty Bell. These are on streets in Center City near the Liberty Bell itself, but there are also street signs that feature the icon near Philadelphia Mills mall along Knights Road. Why are they there? Curious Philly found the answer. Turns out it has to do with the name of the street itself rather than where the street is located. 15 extraordinary artistic directors, curators, educators and Herb Alpert Award winners came together, in 5 separate panels, to ask: why support this artist at this moment in their artistic trajectory and right now, in the culture? Their decisions? They matter. Now in its 26th year, the annual Herb Alpert Award in the Arts provides five unrestricted $75,000 grants to independent artists working in the fields of dance, film/video, music, theatre and visual art. On May 20, 2020, the five winners of this year's prize will be announced. The annual awards lunch held at the Herb Alpert Foundation in Santa Monica has been postponed. Two months ago, before the pandemic arrived here, 15 extraordinary artistic directors, curators, educators and Herb Alpert Award winners came together, in 5 separate panels, to ask: why support this artist at this moment in their artistic trajectory and right now, in the culture? Their decisions? They matter, says Irene Borger, Director, Herb Alpert Award in the Arts. Among the 125 past winners of the Award are - Carrie Mae Weems, Vijay Iyer, Taylor Mac, Arthur Jafa, Suzan-Lori Parks, Julia Wolfe, Meshell Ndegeocello, Michelle Dorrance, Tania Bruguera, Kerry James Marshall, Lisa Kron, Okwui Okpokwasili, Sharon Lockhart, Ralph Lemon, and Cai Guo-Qiang. The awards are adjudicated by three-member panels of noted artists, including many past winners and arts professionals in each of the five categories. The Herb Alpert Award in the Arts was conceived by Herb Alpert and his wife Lani Hall Alpert to reward creative experimenters who are challenging and transforming art, their respective disciplines, and society. In addition, the awards provide vital financial support to each artist at a key juncture in his or her creative development. This year's panelists are: DANCE PANEL Luciana Achugar - Choreographer, HAAIA recipient - Brooklyn, NY Nan Friedman - Teacher, choreographer - Santa Monica, CA Donna Uchizono - Dance artist, HAAIA recipient - New York, NY FILM/VIDEO Rizvana Bradley - Assistant Professor, History of Art and African American Studies, Yale University - New Haven, CT Bruce Jenkins - Professor of Film, Video, New Media and Animation, School of The Art Institute of Chicago - Chicago, IL Roya Rastagar - Filmmaker, curator, PhD. History of Consciousness - Los Angeles, CA MUSIC Molly Barth - Flutist, professor, Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN Steve Coleman - Saxophonist, composer, band leader, HAAIA recipient - Allentown & NY Miya Masaoka - Composer, sound artist, HAAIA recipient, assoc. professor, Sound Art Program, Columbia University - New York, NY THEATRE Raelle Myrick Hodges - Theater director, creative director, 651 Arts - Brooklyn, NY Johanna McKeon - Director - New York, NY Diane Rodriguez - Director, writer, producer, Rodriguez Projects - Los Angeles, CA VISUAL ARTS Ondine Chavoya - Professor of art, Williams College - Williamstown, MA Paul Ha - Director, MIT List Visual Arts Center - Cambridge, MA Naima Keith - Vice President, Education & Public Programs, LACMA - Los Angeles, CA Initiated and funded by The Herb Alpert Foundation, the awards are administered by the California Institute of the Arts, CalArts, which was selected by the Foundation 26 years ago based on a shared vision of the transformative power of the arts. The Herb Alpert Foundation envisions a world in which all young people are blessed with opportunities that allow them to reach their potential and lead productive and fulfilling lives. Over the past few years, the Foundation has focused on core areas: The Arts, a broad category that includes arts education, a focus on jazz, and support to professionals. This also includes programs that seek to use the arts to help meet the needs of underserved youth and to help build competencies that will enable them to become successful adults. The other core area is Compassion and Well-Being,which celebrates the positive aspects of human psychology and seeks to bring more compassion and compassionate behavior to our society. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. CalArts is recognized internationally as a leading laboratory for the visual, performing, media and literary arts. Housing six schoolsArt, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and TheaterCalArts educates professional artists in an intensive learning environment founded on art-making excellence, creative experimentation, cross-pollination among diverse artistic disciplines, and a broad context of social and cultural understanding. CalArts also operates the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT) in the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex in downtown Los Angeles. [March 25, 2020] William Paterson University Selects YuJa for Lecture Capture and Live Streaming Services SAN JOSE, Calif., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- YuJa Inc. is pleased to announce a site-wide YuJa Enterprise Video Platform licensing agreement with William Paterson University, aimed to further the learning experience beyond the traditional classroom environment. As a public, four-year university located in Wayne, New Jersey, William Paterson University is home to over 10,000 students and was ranked as having one of the largest number of graduates of any institution of higher learning in New Jersey. Procurement of the Video Platform provides globally available video streaming, an in-browser capture and annotation application, and an artificial-intelligence-powered captioning service. The YuJa Enterprise Video Platform incorporates dedicated features to support a more active learning experience within a flipped classroom environment. As students attend online lectures, they can ask questions and utilize the social and mobile learning tools to flag areas of concerns. Anytime before or after class, the Video Platform also allows students to review lecture materials and collaborate using the social learning platform. "Instructors and students alike want interactive video learning that provide the same benefits and opportunities offered in a traditional classroom setting," said Dr. Ajit Singh, Chief Executive Officer at YuJa Inc. "We are proud to partner with an institution like Willam Paterson University that recognizes this demand and is committed to delivering students and faculty with the solutions required to make this experience a reality." About YuJa YuJa is a leader in enterprise video solutions. Our products harness the power of video to educate, engage, inspire and collaborate. We serve organizations of all sizes, within all sectors, including higher-ed, K-12, government, healthcare, non-profit and corporate delivering engaging video experiences. Our portfolio includes products for lecture capture, live streaming, video management, video conferencing, video test proctoring, digital asset management and enterprise accessibility. We have legal headquarters in Delaware with primary U.S. offices in Silicon Valley, California and Canadian offices in Toronto. About William Paterson University At William Paterson University, our greatest strength is helping you find yours. As a leading public University with more than 10,000 students, William Paterson offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs through its five academic colleges: Arts and Communication, Cotsakos College of Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Health. Its 370-acre wooded campus is located in suburban Wayne, New Jersey, just 20 miles from New York City, adjacent to 1,200 acres of wetlands and woodlands, and only three miles from the historic Paterson Great Falls. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/william-paterson-university-selects-yuja-for-lecture-capture-and-live-streaming-services-301029176.html SOURCE YuJa [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Mumbai, March 25 : In response to the current COVID-19 outbreak, Vivo on Wednesday donated one lakh medical masks and 5,000 N-95 masks to the Maharashtra government. "In these crucial times, it is vital that we all stand united and contribute towards containing this global health pandemic. We have planned to suspend all our new product launches during this period. We also acknowledge the role caregivers play in these crucial times and wish to support the government to ensure their safety," Nipun Marya, Director, Brand Strategy, Vivo India, said in a statement. Acknowledging this initiative by the smartphone maker, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said, "I thank Vivo for contributing to this humanitarian cause and all other corporates should also follow suit". Additionally, the company also rescheduled the launch of its upcoming mid-range smartphone -- Vivo V19 -- with a dual-camera punch-hole and quad-camera system. Earlier, Xiaomi had announced that it will donate lakhs of N-95 masks and protective suits in India. The situation surrounding the coronavirus outbreak continues to develop quickly. To keep you up to speed, the Star-Tribune will update this page throughout Tuesday with the latest news regarding coronavirus in Wyoming. The numbers: Confirmed cases in Wyoming: 37 Tests completed in Wyoming: 745 (as of 2:45 p.m. Tuesday: 567 at Wyoming Public Health Laboratory, 147 reported to state by commercial labs, one at CDC lab) Our resources: Confused about the coronavirus? Read our explainer here. Looking for medical resources in Casper? Find a list of them here. In need of financial assistance? We've got you covered here. Want to know what's closed or canceled? Browse our rundown here. Trying to order delivery or takeout in Casper? Here are your options. All of our coronavirus coverage which can be found here is free to read. Latest updates: Seventh and eighth cases of day 8:45 p.m. The Wyoming Department of Health has announced two additional confirmed cases: a fourth in Natrona County and a third in Carbon County. The eight cases that have now been announced today set a single-day mark for the state. Third Natrona County case 7:43 p.m. The influx of positive cases continued Tuesday night with a third COVID-19 case confirmed in Natrona County, according to a county announcement. There are now 35 known cases in the state. The announcement did not provide details on the new patient. Two more cases 7:30 p.m. According to an update on the Wyoming Department of Health's website, the state has two new confirmed cases of coronavirus: one in Teton County, its third, and another in Fremont County, its 12th. With Sweetwater County announcing its first confirmed case, this brings the state's total to 34. Pharmacists urge caution on potential treatments 7:30 p.m. After receiving "a number of concerned emails and calls," Wyoming's board of pharmacy is encouraging its licensed providers to "use their professional judgement" when presented with prescriptions for one of the medications that's being touted as a possible treatment for the novel coronavirus. "The Board of Pharmacy has heard from several pharmacists in Wyoming specifically about practitioners writing prescriptions for medications that may anecdotally treat COVID-19 for themselves and family members," the Wyoming pharmacy board's executive director told the Star-Tribune. First Sweetwater County case 7:13 p.m. Sweetwater County announced its first confirmed case of COVID-19. The patient is a Green River man in his 40s. He is self-isolating at home, according to an announcement. New Fremont County case 6 p.m. The state's 31st case has been confirmed in Fremont County. That county continues to have more known cases of COVID-19 than any other. It now has 11. Hair salons, barber shops, etc. must close 5:27 p.m. Businesses such as hair salons, tattoo shops and massage parlors must close temporarily to limit the spread of coronavirus, Gov. Mark Gordon and State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist ordered Tuesday. The order begins Wednesday and extends through April 3. It focuses on businesses where "appropriate social distancing measures are not practical," according to the governor's office. The list includes nail salons, hair salons and barber shops; cosmetology, electrology and aesthetic services; massage parlors; and tattoo, body art and piercing shops. "While I understand the impact and sympathize with those most affected by these measures, especially small business owners, I support Dr. Harrists recommendation because this is about saving lives, Gordon said in an written statement. We have tried to navigate a thoughtful course, but as COVID-19 spreads through our communities, we must take this action now. State working to make its own supplies 5:12 p.m. State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said the state is hoping to be have its own production of the tubes used to transport COVID-19 test swabs up and running this week, after theyve been run through their own testing for quality control. That wont solve the entire problem, but itll ease up a supply chain issue Wyomings hospitals, clinics and health departments arent the only ones in America jockeying for more testing materials. New executive order 3:30 p.m. Gov. Mark Gordon has signed another executive order, this one providing a 90-day grace period to Wyoming drivers whose licenses expired between March 15 and June 1 while suspending all non-commercial driving exams until at least April 20. The executive order was passed in an effort to limit face-to-face interactions in the state's Department of Transportation offices, where social distancing measures and bans on crowd sizes of 10 people or more are currently in effect in efforts to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We are grateful to Governor Gordon for enacting this Executive Order that will help encourage social distancing in this coronavirus environment, WYDOT Director K. Luke Reiner said in a statement. This Executive Order will help alleviate public concerns over renewing their expired licenses and ID cards and it also makes provisions to help commercial drivers to get required testing. 30th case confirmed 3:11 p.m. The state's 30th COVID-19 case was confirmed Tuesday afternoon. The latest patient is from Laramie County the county's eighth. New information is also available on the second confirmed case in Natrona County. That patient is believed to have contracted the illness while traveling internationally. County holds news conference 3 p.m. What to do if you're having vision problems 2:52 p.m. Need eye care during the pandemic? The Wyoming Optometric Association has released suggestions on what to do if you experience an eye or vision emergency during the COVID-19 outbreak. First and foremost, the group said, you should seek care from your optometrist in such a situation, rather than going to the ER. Many optometry offices remain available for such situations. Additionally, these conditions can be addressed via telehealth or curbside pick-up: Red/pink eye (conjunctivitis) Broken glasses Contact Lens Refills Other eye emergencies or essential care appointments You can find an optometrist near you at seethewest.org. Arts community takes hit 2 p.m. With many events being canceled even before the state mandated most non-essential businesses close the Wyoming arts sector has been dealt a significant blow by the coronavirus. Groups around the state are keeping an eye on their finances and trying to find new ways to share their work, while wondering just how long things will be shut down. Fremont County urges sick to self-isolate 1:22 p.m. Fremont County the county with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state said its number of known cases remains at 10, as of Tuesday morning. However, the county has more than 40 tests still pending. According to the Wyoming Department of Health's website, the county has 15 cases pending at the state lab, as of Tuesday morning. "Consultation with all available testing laboratories shows that results are currently delayed at least a week with over 40 tests still pending in the county," the Fremont County Incident Management Team said in an announcement, "and this will likely greatly worsen as the national problem intensifies and lab resources are potentially diverted. This information along with a significant increase in calls to our local PH number, and reports by clinics in our communities, shows that the virus is likely extensively spread in our community." The county encourages anyone who is sick "in any way" to self-isolate as soon as they can. Cheney: Keep aggressive measures in place 12:37 p.m. With many discussing the idea of cutting back on coronavirus prevention measures in order to theoretically help the economy, Rep. Liz Cheney has taken a stance seemingly opposed to the Trump administration. There will be no normally functioning economy if our hospitals are overwhelmed and thousands of Americans of all ages, including our doctors and nurses, lay dying because we have failed to do whats necessary to stop the virus, she tweeted. Fingerprints: Fingerprints will be done on Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. by appointment only for medical professionals. To call for an appointment please call 307-235-9282 Sheriff's office closed 12:20 p.m. The Natrona County Sheriff's Office is closed until further notice. The office provided the following answers to some FAQ's: What is your service fee for civil papers? There is a $50.00 fee per service. We cannot accept credit cards. There is a $50.00 fee per service. We cannot accept credit cards. I want a copy of the return to be sent to me, can you do that? Yes, we charge a $5.00 per return, if you would like a copy for yourself, and the original to be sent to the court. We also require a self-addressed stamped envelope per return you request. If you would like the original sent to you for you to file with the court, we only require a self-addressed stamped envelope. Yes, we charge a $5.00 per return, if you would like a copy for yourself, and the original to be sent to the court. We also require a self-addressed stamped envelope per return you request. If you would like the original sent to you for you to file with the court, we only require a self-addressed stamped envelope. Will you still send a return to an out-of-state court? Yes, but we do require a self-addressed stamped envelope, per return, for the court so we can be sure they are sent to the proper address. Yes, but we do require a self-addressed stamped envelope, per return, for the court so we can be sure they are sent to the proper address. How can I get the papers to your office? You can mail them to the Sheriffs Office at 201 N. David St., 2nd Floor. Natrona County Sheriffs Office Attn: Civil Process 201 N. David St., 2nd Floor Casper, WY 82601 You can mail them to the Sheriffs Office at 201 N. David St., 2nd Floor. Natrona County Sheriffs Office Attn: Civil Process 201 N. David St., 2nd Floor Casper, WY 82601 Sex Offenders please call to make any updates or changes. Any other questions please call 307-235-9282 Distilleries, breweries pivot to hand sanitizer 12:19 p.m. A handful of breweries and distilleries around the state have committed to helping alleviate the shortage of hand sanitizer, and the governor wants to help with their efforts. Gov. Mark Gordon directed the Wyoming Business Council to allocate money to the companies doing so, which include Natrona County's Backwards Distilling. Koltiska Distillery in Sheridan, Chronicles Distilling in Cheyenne, Pine Bluffs Distilling, Melvin Brewing in Alpine, Wyoming Whiskey in Kirby, Jackson Hole Still Works and Grand Teton Distillery in Jackson will join in the effort. Yellowstone, Grand Teton closed to visitors 11:53 a.m. Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks are closed to all park visitors until further notice, effective immediately, the National Park Service announced Tuesday. State highways and/or roads that transcend park/state boundaries and facilities that support life safety and commerce will remain open. The National Park Service listened to the concerns from our local partners and, based on current health guidance, temporarily closed the parks, Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly and Grand Teton Acting Superintendent Gopaul Noojibail said in a joint statement. We are committed to continued close coordination with our state and local partners as we progress through this closure period and are prepared when the timing is right to reopen as quickly and safely as possible. Monday night, Scholly said the park had been getting requests to take such steps: "Yellowstone has received a substantial number requests to temporarily close, from state and local partners, including the governors of Montana and Wyoming, health officials from all surrounding counties, and local government leadership," he said in a statement. "The park began receiving these requests late in the day on Sunday, March 22, through today and we immediately began conversing with National Park Service and the Department of the Interior to determine the best course of action. I have been in direct contact with the governors, many local leaders, and health officials within our gateway communities and counties. Contrary to a few press articles written today, the park is taking these requests from our local partners very seriously and will communicate decisions in the near future." Albertsons implements social distancing 10:46 a.m. Albertsons and Safeway stores will implement social distancing measures in all stores to try to keep customers from being within six feet of anyone else for more than 10 minutes, the company announced. The changes include waiting points marked on the floor "especially at check stands and stations where people most often congregate, like the service deli, bakeries and pharmacy areas," the announcement said. "Customers will also be asked to wait until the customer in front of them has finished collecting their groceries before unloading their groceries at the check stand." Changes will take place over the next week. Grocery stores are among the few exceptions to Wyoming's widespread state-mandated business closures. First lady helping food nonprofits 10 a.m. Wyoming first lady Jennie Gordon, through her Wyoming Hunger Initiative project, has launched an effort to quickly assist food nonprofits affected by COVID-19. For the 2020/2021 grant cycle, individual grants will be awarded from $500 to $5,000. Grant applications are due no later than 8 p.m. on April 20. Successful applicants will be notified on May 18. Company says Wyomingites aren't staying put 10 a.m. A company called Unacast has used smartphone data to map out what it says is a measure of how well Americans are adjusting to the need for social distancing. If the data is accurate, Wyoming is doing the worst job of any state. The Equality State was the only state to receive an F grade, given for a change in movement of less than 10 percent. Data from the New York Times, however, seems to indicate the state has decreased its mobility somewhat, ranking better than 16 states in that regard. A wave through the window 7 a.m. The novel coronavirus has forced long-term facilities across the world to crack down on visitation. That has created a barrier between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, a barrier designed to protect the older generation from a deadly virus. Have a question about coronavirus that you want answered? Send us an email at editors@trib.com. You can find all of our daily rundowns here. Coronavirus in Wyoming: A look at the first week New Jersey recently decided to release 1,000 individuals from its jails in light of the risk of the coronavirus spreading. Gurbir Grewal, the state attorney general and a former prosecutor, noted, I take no pleasure in temporarily suspending county jail sentences. But when this pandemic ends, I need to be able to look my daughters in the eyes and say that I did everything I could to protect the lives of New Jerseys residents, including those currently incarcerated. Grewal has shown courage. But the decision to release people serving jail sentences raises difficult policy issues. Even if one believes (as do I) that criminal justice systems in the US rely far too much on detention and incarceration, there are potentially significant social costs on both sides of the equation. Luckily, not all decisions are so difficult. The US operates the largest immigration detention system in the world, with an estimated 37,000 people in detention per day. Many detained have no criminal history. The US could significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19 without having to choose between public health and public safety. It could release thousands of people detained on immigration violations from jails and detention centers across the county. Releasing immigration detainees is a common-sense measure that does not require one to engage in larger policy debates about our immigration system as a whole. Regardless of ones views on immigration policy, holding thousands of people in tight quarters during a pandemic for civil law violations is insane. The clients I represented in immigration jails in New England were often convinced that their detention was just a misunderstanding. You see, I dont belong here. I did not commit a crime, they would tell me, looking down at their orange jumpsuits. The majority of my clients were more sad and puzzled than angry. They just didnt understand. It was the US, after all. They still clung to the US as a basically decent country, committed to rational decision-making and the rule of law. Noncitizens in the United States can be legally detained for immigration violations on two grounds: flight risk and dangerousness. Flight risk refers to the risk that they will not show up for deportation hearings or report for deportation once they have a final order of removal. Dangerousness refers primarily to the threat they pose to the community given their past crimes, the punishment for which they have often already completed. (There is little or no empirical evidence to suggest that immigration detention has the deterrent effect that the government sometimes cites, erroneously, as a justification). Under US law, detention and deportation are civil matters, not intended as punishment, which explains why there is no constitutional right to government-appointed counsel in immigration proceedings. Even if one thinks that a small minority of people in immigration detention would pose too much of a danger to the community if released, the government should immediately release all other immigration detainees now, in order to reduce overcrowding and ensure that individuals remaining in detention receive the medical resources they deserve. The government simply cannot put people in a situation in which they are not physically free to protect themselves (via social distancing, rigorous hygiene practices, and prompt medical attention) from a potentially deadly virus. This is not a choice between protecting US citizens and protecting immigrants. We are all on the same side of the equation. The majority of immigration detainees must be released to protect US citizens as well as themselves, for several reasons. First, guards in immigration facilities and their families and friends must be protected, as must immigration lawyers. Second, many immigration detainees are the parents and spouses of US citizens. Third, many people currently in immigration detention who are awaiting court proceedings eventually become US citizens, as they win immigration status in court and eventually become eligible to naturalize. A global perspective is helpful here. Michael Flynn, Director of the Global Detention Project, says, The United States could learn from the example of other countries who are facing challenging questions about how to safeguard the health and well-being of immigration detainees in the face of this pandemic. Spain, for example, announced in mid-March that it was releasing several people from detention because of the inability to deport them. In the UK, the Home Office just released nearly one third of its immigration detainees because of the failure of authorities to protect them from contracting COVID-19. These examples point to larger questions regarding the viability and logic of immigration detention. In particular, in a situation where borders are being closed and cross-border transportation is generally blocked, the rationale for continuing to hold people in detention for removal purposes is completely lost. Moreover, the social costs of release are low. It is important to understand who immigration detainees in the United States actually are. An increasing number are women and girls. Many are children. (Indeed, as of January 2020, one child had already been detained for seven months). Many immigrants detained, especially those arrested in recent months, do not have a criminal record. Immigration detainees with criminal records have often already served their punishment in the criminal justice system and are often put into immigration proceedings for relatively minor crimes, or for crimes whose severity should not warrant separation from their US citizen children. In more optimistic moments in the crisis, people allow themselves to imagine the positive effects of the pandemic. Sometimes it takes a crisis to force people to abandon decisions that are irrational. Perhaps, as the popular cartoon shows, we will learn that many of those in-person meetings could have been emails after all. Maybe we will learn to factor in the environmental costs when we decide to jet across the country for a quick business meeting. Maybe we will finally realize that we are all in this together. My personal post-pandemic wish is more mundane, modest even: my wish is that this pandemic will force the United States to finally stop the cruel practice of locking up mothers, fathers and children for no good reason at all. Alexandra Dufresne is a lawyer for children and refugees. She is a former immigration detention attorney and taught immigration and refugee law at Yale University from 2006 to 2015. She currently teaches law at several institutions of higher learning in Switzerland Political leaders from Gilgit Baltistan in Pakistan have called for an immediate end to China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative as they feel that it is a roadway which might destroy Gilgit and many other corners of the globe through the spread of coronavirus. One Belt, One Road (OBOR), the ambitious Chinese catchphrase to rope in 78 countries in its dream connectivity project for the economic domination of the world, has now emerged as one growing tension as it might lead to the spread of COVID 19 infection in the regions where China is involved. Owing to the presence of Chinese workers in large numbers working in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, it is feared that Gilgit Baltistan will witness a severe turmoil in the upcoming days owing to the spread of the virus. "The border between China and Gilgit Baltistan should be closed as the spread of coronavirus in the region is on increase," said Dr Amjad Mirza, a Pakistan occupied Kashmir political activist, was quoted as saying by ANI. "So far more than 21 people are confirmed to be infected with coronavirus but the actual figure is much higher. No masks or sanitiser is available in Gilgit Baltistan," he said. The people of Gilgit region have been opposing CPEC project since its launch by China and Pakistan. They have been describing it as an explotative project. Senge H Sering, a political activist from Gilgit Baltistan told ANI: "Gilgit Baltistan is a direct neighbour of China's Xinjiang and its inhabitants are getting Coronavirus infection transmitted from a completely unexpected location like Iran." He said, "Given Pakistan's dismal economic situation, locals are distrustful about lack of preparedness that could lead to thousands of Corona-related deaths in the coming weeks." Pakistan is an all-weather ally of China and did not even evacuate its own students when Wuhan was badly hit by the virus earlier this year. Several videos of Pakistani students pleading to be evacuated from the city had emerged on social media earlier. The presence of Chinese workers in Pakistan for the construction work under China-Pakistan-Economic-Corridor (CPEC) -- flagship project under the mega OBOR -- has triggered doubts of it being a possible cause behind the sudden surge in the number of COVID 19 infected cases in the country in the past few days. OBOR is the brainchild of Chinese President Xi Jinping to connect Asia, Africa, and Europe. Branded as the Project of the Century, OBOR is now the path to perdition for countries like Italy and Iran while Pakistan, which looks up to China as its all weather ally to trouble India, sits on a powder keg of coronavirus. In a noticeable event, two nations- Italy and Iran- which have participated in China's flagship initiative 'One Belt One Road' (OBOR), are currently suffering the most due to COVID 19 outbreak which first originated from China's Wuhan region and later spread to different corners of the globe. It is perhaps rightly called the Chinese Wuhan Virus, by the likes of US President Donald Trump. Well, the virus has now migrated to Europe and other parts of Asia. Iran and Italy are currently one of the two most affected nations as the virus leaves a trail of deaths, infections and despair. It is well known now how Italy and Iran signed up the OBOR in 2019, opening their sectors to Chinese investment, from infrastructure to transportation. It meant engaging thousands of Chinese workers for construction work under this Belt and Road initiative. Millions of Americans will receive direct payments from the federal government thanks to a $2 trillion federal funding package that was agreed to early Wednesday morning. The bill, which could be signed by President Donald Trump later Wednesday, is in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has shuttered non-life sustaining businesses nationwide and led to thousands if not hundreds of thousands of new unemployment claims. Details you need to know about when, and how much, you might receive from earlier Wednesday. A Wednesday night update as of 6 p.m. can be found by clicking here. When will the money go out? According to CNN, relief may still be a couple of months away, as the outlet reports that checks or direct deposits might not go out until May. "First, the IRS will have to calculate each persons payment amount,' CNN writes. "Then, it will need the correct direct deposit information or mailing addresses. To get the money to people who dont usually file tax returns, it might have to request that information from the Social Security Administration or Veterans Affairs. In 2008, those people were required to file a return anyway in order to get their rebate. That, of course, will take time, and keep in mind that the IRS is still receiving tax filings, as well, even if the federal government and also Pennsylvania, among many other states, have pushed back the deadline to file. For those looking for an optimistic timeline, mid-April seems to be the absolute earliest that checks could go out. How much will I get? Here is what the New York Times says: A $1,200 payment for each adult and $500 per child in households that earn up to $75,000 per year for individuals or $150,000 for couples. The assistance phases out for people who earn more. CNN has more details on what the phase-out threshold might look like. The payments would start to phase out for individuals with adjusted gross incomes of more than $75,000, and those making more than $99,000 would not qualify at all, CNN writes. "The thresholds are doubled for couples. Qualifying income levels will be based on 2019 federal tax returns, if already filed, and otherwise on 2018 returns. What happened the last time this happened? This package marks the third time since 2000 that the federal government has approved payments to citizens based on special circumstances. As CNN notes, it took six weeks for checks to go out under a 2001 plan for tax rebates that were authorized by then-president George W. Bush. Checks during the Great Recession of 2008 didnt go out for three months, however. Experts believe that an increase in electronic tax filing and the use of direct deposit for refunds could lead to expedited payments this time around, and those who have that set up are likely to receive their money faster than those who will be waiting on a check. Where is the money coming from? Syracuse.com has details: Taxes, essentially, its Geoff Herbert writes. CNBC reports its unclear whether the money will be considered a loan or a gift, in which case some of it may have to be paid back. Why only one check? Previous proposals that were discussed as the spread of COVID-19 continued to hurt the economy mentioned the possibility of two checks being sent out, but the agreement reached Wednesday calls for just one. Its possible that a second round could go out, however, if schools and businesses must remain closed into the summer. How will businesses be helped? This part of the package is still being finalized, but Yahoo reports that the Small Business Administration will handle some requests while a new, still-to-be-named agency will handle others, likely for larger businesses and corporations. It was referred to as a big credit facility by Pennsylvania senator Pat Toomey over the weekend. The facility will have two components: One will be administered by the Treasury Secretary with direct loans for a short list of seriously distressed and absolutely essential companies, likely including airlines, Yahoo writes. The second component will be much bigger and be a broad-based credit facility that will be available across categories, across sectors and industries. Toomey said this program will give loans that will have to be repaid. None of this is grant money, he said. More of PennLives coronavirus coverage: Richard Walton: The challenge of the virus to policing. And how forces will and should respond. Richard Walton is a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange and a former Head of Counter-Terrorism Command of the Metropolitan Police. Boris Johnson shifted the nation on its axis this week with just two words: national emergency placing restrictions on liberty never previously seen in peacetime. The implications for the emergency services are profound but hopefully short-lived. A health crisis has now become a national crisis, with the role of policing becoming significantly more important following the Prime Ministers pivot from a posture of request, nudge and cajole of the public to one of compliance, enforcement and financial sanctions. How will the police service respond and how will it enforce the new restrictions being imposed? Martin Hewitt, Chair of the National Police Chiefs Council said yesterday: These measures are here to protect the NHS and to save peoples lives and where it becomes necessary, we will enforce them and that is what the public want us to do. Meanwhile, John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: The practicalities of policing this lockdown will be challenging, but policing will do all it can to keep the public safe, but we need the public to support us. It is not yet clear what power the police will have (or when) to question and if necessary fine people failing to comply with the national restrictions, but Hewitt suggested that it will be in place by the end of the week. He emphasised that British policing had no intention of moving away from its world renowned model of policing by consent. To achieve this, the new legislation will need to include an enforcement role for both Special Constables and Police Community Support Officers as well as Police Officers. It will also be important for fines to be sufficiently high to be a strong deterrent and tiered increasing to high levels for repeat offenders. Johnson will be greatly relieved that the Civil Contingency Act 2004 was passed for just this type of crisis, following a review of the Governments response to three previous crises in 2000/1 (the national floods, fuel protests and outbreak of foot and mouth disease). Interestingly, this is the same legislation that created the Civil Contingencies Secretariat and the Civil Contingencies Committee (COBR), two crucially important organs of the Cabinet Office now being used to manage the crisis on a daily basis. This prescient Act gives Government powers to invoke and enforce emergency regulations to restrict travel, movement and gatherings for exactly the reasons and in the same way that they have now been invoked. It also creates an offence of failure to comply under section 22(3), but the Government may instead choose to introduce primary legislation rather than a statutory instrument, giving it freedom to create a law to more easily suit the situation the nation finds itself in. The new measures will put extreme pressure on the police service but this remains predominantly a health crisis. The police role is to save lives by supporting their colleagues in the health service, keep the police, prevent crime and now additionally enforce the governments restrictions. Some police leaders are already feeling the pressure. Ken Marsh, Chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation said that there was already large amounts of sickness among officers in the capital with many others self-isolating, saying: So it will be very, very challenging and very, very difficult for us with whats put in front of uswe will be dealing with it, but Im not sure we will have the resources to be able to see it through. The resilience of the police service is certainly low, but this is no time to whinge and the police infrastructure, for dealing with the crisis across the nation is very strong. The National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC) is able to mobilise resources across the country to meet any surge in demand if one part of the country is more severely affected by the virus than another. Every force also has a Local Resilience Forum; multi-agency bodies that have been consulting, collaborating, sharing information and testing and exercising responses to pandemics for many years. This multi-agency approach should be also extended to local authorities, who should use existing Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) to enhance community engagement and information sharing between community groups and the elderly and vulnerable. To support local action, the Home Office and Police Service should also re-invigorate Neighbourhood Watch schemes across the country as they will be a valuable resource when police officer numbers are hit by the virus. A contingency plan is currently being drawn up to use the military to provide the health service and police with additional support. This will likely include a range of measures such as using military medical staff and hospital facilities, the backfilling of ambulance workers and armed police at fixed checkpoints. It will be based on an existing mobilisation plan for providing military support to the police service in response to a terrorist attack (Operation Temperer), which was used effectively for the first time following the Manchester Arena terrorist attack on 22 May 2017. New pressures on the police service should, however, be offset by a reduction in demand in some traditional policing functions, for example, through an absence of mass gatherings and reductions in street crime and alcohol related disorder linked to the night time economy. But some crimes may increase, including domestic violence. Reports from China suggest that cities under lockdown have reported almost twice as many domestic abuse claims. In a new Policy Exchange paper Policing a pandemic, I make a recommendation that the Government should consider pre-empting a potential deterioration in mental health and well-being in individuals and families (as a result of an increase in stress levels and self-isolation) leading to increases in domestic violence and devise a plan with Civil Society and Third Sector organisations (such as the relationship counselling charity Relate) to prevent these outcomes from occurring. It remains to be seen whether criminals in gangs who have been responsible for so much gratuitous violence in recent years, will comply with these Government restrictions on movement. Intensive care units can ill afford to be dealing with victims of stabbings alongside all their other demands. Online fraud linked to coronavirus is already on the increase with fake websites advertising goods in high demand. The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency recently warned that Globally, 2,000 online advertisements related to COVID-19 were found and more than 34,000 unlicensed and fake products, advertised as corona spray, coronavirus medicines or, coronaviruses packages were seized. As more people have to work and interact online, the National Crime Agency (NCA) should issue guidance and advice on avoiding online fraud, while the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) should expand existing advice on phishing relating to the Coronavirus crisis. The coronavirus presents many different and varied challenges for policing but the clue to their role is in their title: emergency service. This national emergency will be responded to by the police service like every other challenge in recent times: with courage, resilience and professionalism. There will be concerns about the resilience of exhausted officers working long hours with additional family pressures, but I have no doubt that they will prevail, just as their colleagues in the other emergency service the health service will do too. The Justice Department's number two senior official said that those who intentionally spread coronavirus could be charged with terrorist threats. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen's Tuesday memo came on the same day that Pennsylvanian authorities announced that they were charging a 57-year-old man with terrorist threats for coughing on an elderly man. North Middleton Township Police in Philadelphia have already charged 57-year-old Daniel Tabussi with making terrorist threats after he allegedly coughed on an elderly victim who was shopping at a Karns grocery store during a seniors-only time. North Middleton Township Police charged 57-year-old Daniel Tabussi with making terroristic threats after he allegedly coughed on an elderly victim who was shopping at a Karns grocery store during a seniors-only time (stock) The Justice Department announced that those who intentionally thread the virus could be charged with terroristic threats The elderly citizen is recovering from pneumonia and had gone into the store wearing a medical face mask and gloves at the time of the incident on March 20, KTXS reports. Police said the victim wore the items because they are at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus. Tabussi is described as having deliberately coughed near the victim while mocking them at the store located on the 1700 block of Spring Road. Authorities shared the man told the victim that he had COVID-19 on numerous occasions. On top of the terroristic threat charges, Tabussi has been charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment On top of the terrorist threat charges, Tabussi has been charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment. Rosen's memo to prosecutors and department leaders across the country warned that they may run into 'purposeful exposure and infection of others with COVID-19.' 'Because Coronavirus appears to meet the statutory definition of a 'biological agent' such acts potentially could implicate the Nation's terrorism-related statutes,' Rosen wrote, according to Politico. 'Threats or attempts to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated.' Additionally, the Justice Department has also set up a task force to investigate cases of hoarding and price gouging. [March 25, 2020] From USA to France and From UK to Mexico, Bacardi Diverts Global Production to Increase Hand Sanitizer Supply for Local Communities Family-owned Bacardi has expanded its commitment across countries and brands to help produce more than 267,000 gallons (1.1 million liters) of hand sanitizers, as worldwide demand continues to exceed supply in efforts to reduce the risk of COVID-19. This week, eight Bacardi-owned manufacturing sites across the United States, Mexico, France, England, Italy and Scotland are joining the efforts, following last week's announcement that Bacardi in Puerto Rico would supply alcohol to make hand sanitizers. Across the sites, Bacardi is diverting its global production power, resources and processes to supply the much-needed alcohol essential for the increased production of hand sanitizers. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005615/en/ Bacardi Puerto Rico Provides Raw Materials for Hand Sanitizers - Photo Courtesy of Bacardi Bacardi is also playing a part in donating these products to local organizations and emergency responders, as well as its employees and contractors. In addition, the company is providing alcohol at cost to select partner companies looking to ramp up their production of hand sanitizers for commercial sale. These temporary, emergency actions at all locations will not disrupt the supply of brands in the Bacardi portfolio. "Over our 158-year history, we have risen to many challenges and we are doing the same again in response to COVID-19," said Jean-Marc Lambert, SVP Global Operations for Bacardi. "All our brands and partners involved in this initiative will help people most in needbenefit from the supply of these hand sanitizers. Our goal is to make a very real difference in the fight against COVID-19." The current list of sites providing support either immediately or in the coming week are: BACARDI rum in Puerto Rico - partnered with Puerto Rico based manufacturer Olein Refinery to provide raw materials that will enable the production of more than 1.7M units of 10-ounce (300 ml) hand sanitizers. Donated product to local USPS (News - Alert), firefighters, police and non-profit Somos Unidos (United Way); - partnered with Puerto Rico based manufacturer Olein Refinery to provide raw materials that will enable the production of more than 1.7M units of 10-ounce (300 ml) hand sanitizers. Donated product to local USPS (News - Alert), firefighters, police and non-profit Somos Unidos (United Way); Bacardi Bottling Corporation in Jacksonville, FL, USA - is planning to help produce approximately 23,000 gallons (87,000 liters) to make 120,000 units of 25-ounce (750 ml) bottles hand sanitizer for donation to local hospitals, firefighters and police. In addition, the team will supply 7,600 gallons (29,000 liters) to nearby manufacturers. - is planning to help produce approximately 23,000 gallons (87,000 liters) to make 120,000 units of 25-ounce (750 ml) bottles hand sanitizer for donation to local hospitals, firefighters and police. In addition, the team will supply 7,600 gallons (29,000 liters) to nearby manufacturers. BACARDI rum in Tultitlan, Mexico - supplying more than 5,200 gallons (20,000 liters) of alcohol to nearby manufacturer, Grupo Sterk, to help increase production of hand sanitizer by approximately 6,300 gallons (24,000 liters), of which 2,100 gallons (8,000 liters) will be donated by Bacardi to local communities in Tultitlan, Arandas and Atotonilco; - supplying more than 5,200 gallons (20,000 liters) of alcohol to nearby manufacturer, Grupo Sterk, to help increase production of hand sanitizer by approximately 6,300 gallons (24,000 liters), of which 2,100 gallons (8,000 liters) will be donated by Bacardi to local communities in Tultitlan, Arandas and Atotonilco; GREY GOOSE vodka in Cognac, France - will supply 7,600 gallons (29,000 liters) of alcohol per day to French companies to increase supply of hand sanitizers by 9,500 gallons (36,000 liters) for local pharmacies, hospitals and the emergency services; - will supply 7,600 gallons (29,000 liters) of alcohol per day to French companies to increase supply of hand sanitizers by 9,500 gallons (36,000 liters) for local pharmacies, hospitals and the emergency services; BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin in Hampshire, England - is helping to produce a small quantity of hand sanitizers that will be donated to local doctors, chemists and care homes; - is helping to produce a small quantity of hand sanitizers that will be donated to local doctors, chemists and care homes; MARTINI in Pessione, Italy - is supplying alcohol for the production of 1,000 7-ounce (200ml) hand sanitizers for the local community, Red Cross and local emergency services; - is supplying alcohol for the production of 1,000 7-ounce (200ml) hand sanitizers for the local community, Red Cross and local emergency services; DEWAR'S Blended Scotch Whisky in Aberfeldy, Scotland - is helping to produce a small quantity of hand sanitizers for the Scottish Ambulance Association among other local community groups; - is helping to produce a small quantity of hand sanitizers for the Scottish Ambulance Association among other local community groups; ANGEL'S ENVY Kentucky Straight Bourbon in Louisville, KY, USA - is supplying nearly 1,000 gallons (3,800 liters) of alcohol to create approximately 16,000 8-ounce (250 ml) bottles of free hand sanitizers for first responders and healthcare professionals. All hand sanitizers produced in collaboration with Bacardi contain more than the minimum alcohol content recommended by the World Health Organization for containing the spread of the virus. About Bacardi The Bacardi Limited brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDI rum, GREY GOOSE vodka, PATRON tequila, DEWAR'S Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, MARTINI vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON'S Scotch whisky, ST-GERMAIN elderflower liqueur, and ERISTOFF vodka. Founded more than 158 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs more than 7,000, operates production facilities in 11 countries, and sells its brands in more than 170 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005615/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Noida, March 25 : Amid the fast-spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in India, domestic smartphone manufacturer Lava on Wednesday announced that it will pay part of its factory workers salary in advance. Lava will pay around 20 per cent of the salary in advance on Wednesday, almost 12 days ahead of the scheduled date, it said in a statement. The move is a part of the several measures that the company has taken to ease the trouble of its employees and ensure their safety and well-being. The company said it will also set a precedent for all its employees to look after their support staff at home during these testing times. Lava had shut its manufacturing facility in Noida between March 22-March 25 as per the state government's directive. As a preventive measure against coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced nationwide 21-day lockdown starting from Tuesday midnight. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- These days, with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on economic and business projections, a company can stand out just by maintaining its outlook. For chipmaker Nvidia Corp., it helps that the outlook was already rosy to begin with. On Tuesday, a day after Applied Materials Inc. and Twitter Inc. both withdrew their current-quarter forecasts, Nvidia surprised investors by not altering the financial guidance it gave on Feb. 13. At the time, the chipmaker projected revenue of $3 billion, plus or minus 2 percent, for its fiscal first quarter ending in April, representing a 35% increase from the prior year. The shares surged more than 17%, and continued their climb Wednesday, adding another 2.9%.Nvidia may prove more resilient than most in dealing with the negative effects of the virus outbreak. In fact, its two key businesses gaming and cloud computing have actually benefited from some of the coronavirus mitigation developments in recent weeks. With social distancing, shelter-in-place restrictions and widespread school and other closures leaving more people inside with time on their hands, video-gaming trends are soaring. That bodes well for Nvidia, as the gaming segment accounts for nearly half of its revenue. Nvidia management said they saw a 50% surge in total gaming hours from its installed base as many students and workers were staying-at-home. The companys other core business data centers, which generated almost a third of revenue in the latest quarter is also humming, with usage of internet services rising as more people work from home. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress said companies are increasingly using Nvidias chips for artificial intelligence workloads such as natural language understanding and supply-demand forecasting. Meanwhile, in China which represents about one-quarter of its revenue the situation is improving, as gaming cafes reopen and laptop sales rebound. Kress said the companys manufacturing supply chain is coming back online and expects capacity to return to about 70% to 80% normal levels by month-end. Story continues But even more important, the new products Nvidia originally planned to reveal this week are on track and expected to contribute revenue in the current quarter. Investors shouldnt overlook this tidbit. Nvidias launch of its next-generation chips based on its code-named Ampere architecture may be its most promising one since 2016, one that led to a series of positive earnings surprises and large gains for its stock price. So while Nvidia is being rewarded for staying the course even as the coronavirus throws many other companies off track, its whats not even baked in yet that may cheer investors the most. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Tae Kim is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology. He previously covered technology for Barron's, following an earlier career as an equity analyst. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Exempting churches from coronavirus quarantine is dangerous,' secular group warns Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive order exempting churches from a statewide ban on gatherings of 50 people or more has been denounced by a secularist group that is urging her to revoke the religious exemption. Whitmer, a democrat, issued the order limiting gathering numbers in response to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus and later added an exemption for houses of worship. Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, sent a letter to the governor on Monday calling the exemption dangerous and unconstitutional. The exemption invites houses of worship to violate the stay-at-home directive, putting the public health at risk, Laser wrote. Attendance at these gatherings is dangerous not just for the individuals who attend, but for all of us. COVID-19 spreads exponentially, so it is critical that we flatten the curve by maintaining social distance. Laser argued that there was no federal constitutional requirement that the state exempt houses of worship from such bans. On the contrary, the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the government from exempting houses of worship from this general public-safety ban, she continued. when deciding whether to grant religious accommodations, government must do no harm to others; and it therefore is forbidden to grant a religious exemption that puts people at risk. The separation of church and state does not require a religious exemption but rather prohibits it. Americans United called on Whitmer to immediately revoke the exemption for houses of worship, reiterating the concerns for public health. Last week, Whitmer issued an executive order prohibiting "all assemblages of more than 50 people in a single indoor shared space and all events of more than 50 people," later adding an exemption for "a place of religious worship." Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican, took to his official Facebook page to thank the governor for clarifying that religious services were exempted. "People have a God-given right to assemble and worship, and that right is secured by both the United States and Michigan Constitution. While I do not think that that right can be taken away by an Executive Order, I believe that as Christians we also have a duty to love our fellow man and play our role within society," he wrote. "At times, we cancel services because the meteorologist predicts inclement weather. Why do we do this? Because we want people to stay safe." For her part, Whitmer told Fox News Sunday anchor John Roberts that she believed the government did not have the right to order houses of worship to close over the pandemic. Well, you know, the separation of church and state and the Republican legislature asked me to clarify that, said Whitmer. That's an area that we don't have the ability to directly enforce and control. We are encouraging people, though, do not congregate. Courtesy photo/Plainview ISD Plainview ISD served more than 1,000 people Monday during its meal pick-up event created to feed local kids while the district is closed. The district began distributing food at three campuses but because of the demand, there will be pick-up stations at two additional ones on Wednesday. As the public stays home and businesses nationwide shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, animal shelters are having a rough go of it as well. The Humane Society and rescue organizations across the country have closed their doors to the public and canceled adoption events, moves that have seriously hindered their efforts to find homes for their four-legged friends. That's why now, more than ever, shelters are sounding the call for people to foster or adopt a pet. If shelters close completely to the public, it can be detrimental" to the health of the animals, says Lindsay Layendecker, assistant director of development for Jacksonville Humane Society. "By fostering, families can save a life with a temporary commitment. And pets provide comfort, stability, and routine. (The Centers for Disease Control has stated that it has not received any reports of pets becoming sick with COVID-19, and it has no evidence that pets spread COVID-19.) One of those gracious new fosters is Gerri Cantor, an animal control officer in Salt Lake City. She chose to foster a dog to help ease the strain on shelter employees due to the closures during the pandemic. Cantor, who has a dog of her own, recently picked up her new foster dog, a 6-month-old Doberman mix. "We are committed to helping for as long as we are needed," says Cantor. Gerri Cantor (right) with her dog, Chicken, and new foster dog, Bella (front). Callista Pearson/Salt Lake County Animal Services At Best Friends, the nation's largest sanctuary for homeless animals, fostering has also taken off. Amazing fosters have stepped up to help shelters in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, New York City, and Kanab, UTplacing nearly 300 dogs and cats in temporary homes in just the last week, says Temma Martin, public relations manager for Best Friends Animal Society in Salt Lake City. How the adoption and foster process currently works The new measures being taken because of COVID-19 have forced shelters to get creative and use different forms of technology to find homes for their animals. Were all trying to keep up with this rapidly evolving situation, so the systems we had established for meeting pets, adopting, and fostering have all changed in the last week, says Martin. Meet-and-greets may now take place virtually by webcam and online meeting programs, and pickup of pets may take place by drive-through or drop off. Other shelters have formulated their own ways to ease the process of fostering or adopting animals. The Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control in Michigan has the Cuddle Shuttle, which offers transportation from shelter to home. The SPCA in Wake County in North Carolina had the Home Adoption Network, where it livestreamed adoptable animals. And Curbside Pickup at Kern County Animal Services in California had lines of cars to pick up 100 pets in two days, Martin says. We have been doing adoptions by appointment, but our foster program has seen a 75% increase in people wanting to foster pets, says Callista Pearson, marketing and development manager at Salt Lake County Animal Services. The pets' personalities come out in a foster home unlike a shelter. All of the attributes that make them a wonderful family member truly shine in these homes, helping them find a new home sooner. If you're interested in fostering or adopting, Layendecker says a good place to gather information is your local shelter's Facebook page and/or website. Martin says individuals can also reduce the impact on local shelters by reaching out to donate to support the animals in their community. She says those interested in fostering or adopting can use this interactive tool to find a shelter nearby. __________ Watch: How to Puppy Proof Your Home Before Disaster Occurs __________ Is a pet adoption or fostering right for you? Bringing home a new fluffy friend might sound enticing, especially if you're social distancing at home all alone, but it might not be the right long-term decision for everyone. Adopting is a lifetime commitment to the pet, so its important to make a good decision for your lifestyle, even after this crisis ends and you go back to working outside the home, says Martin. For adoptions, Martin says, people should choose a canine companion whose personality, exercise needs, size, and behavior match their stage in life, and those of their family members. She says the needs of cats vary less, but people should still consider how a cat fits with the family and other pets. Not ready to commit to a pet for good? Martin says fostering a pet is also helpful and can help keep you company during this lonely and uncertain time. The beauty of fostering is that it can be temporary," she says. "As long as everyone gets along for the weeks the pet will be in the home, there is less pressure to find the perfect fit." The post Lonely While Social Distancing? Now Could Be the Best Time To Foster a Pet appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Railway divisions across the country are gearing to produce hand sanitisers for its staff who are working through the coronaviurus outbreak to ensure that they don't have to depend on market availability of the product, officials said on Wednesday. First on the block is the Asansol division of Eastern Railway which has produced 500 litres of hand sanitiser for its workforce. "There are labs in every loco shed, so we will produce such sanitisers in every division subsequently," said a senior official. The sanitiser produced in the laboratory at the Andal Diesel Shed in Asansol, West Bengal consists of 760 ml of Iso propyl alcohol (99 per cent), hydrogen peroxide 42 ml (3 per cent), 15 ml of glycerin, 183 ml of distilled water and perfume. "We have staff which is working even during this pandemic and we thought it was necessary that we secure them. We have produced about 500 litres and we have given this in small bottles to our staff. We are also trying to produce it at other places in the division," a spokesperson for ER told PTI. The raw materials have been procured from Kolkata the official said and the cost of the sanitizer has been fixed at Rs 310 per litre although it is currently not for commercial use. Taking a cue from Asansol, the Jodhpur division too has come out with 215 litres of hand sanitisers prepared by Diesel Locomotive Shed Bhagat ki Kothi and distributed to 13 different units of the division. "To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, 500-litre sanitiser was built by the diesel shed at Asansol, West Bengal on the railway, ready for distribution. It has also been produced by other railway units," tweeted Railway Minister Piyush Goyal hailing the achievement. The railways on Wednesday extended the suspension of all passenger trains till April 14, but said that its frieght operations to carry essential goods would continue. The move came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on Tuesday that the entire country would be on lockdown for 21 days in view of the spread of coronavirus. Coronavirus cases in the country crossed 600 on Wednesday as authorities beefed up preparedness to fight the pandemic with a chain of hospitals of the army ordnance factories and central paramilitary forces earmarking over 2,000 beds for isolation and treatment of people affected by the disease. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Faced with the spread of the new coronavirus, Cameroonian Bishops call on the faithful to respect preventive measures. Paule Valerie Mendogo Cameroon; English Africa Service - Vatican City Cameroon, like many other countries in the world, has embarked on measures aimed at preventing the spread of the new coronavirus. Based on measures announced by the government, Cameroonian Bishops have invited their faithful to respect the new rules in place. A call for compliance The prelates have urged the faithful to pray fervently as families and as individuals for the virus to end. They have also encouraged Christians to adhere to the constant washing of hands; reception of Holy Communion in the hand and the temporary suppression of the gesture of peace by physical contact during Mass. Pastoral visits, solemn celebrations of Palm Sunday and Holy Week, as well as other general events such as Diocesan Youth Days and diocesan pilgrimages, have all been suspended until further notice. Churches remain open but the Church leaders are urging reduced numbers at Mass as well as social distancing. We must avoid everything that brings us into close contact with othersWe are in a delicate situation because of the pandemic. As for the reception of the Body of Christ, it will now be done in the hand, said Archbishop Samuel Kleda of the Archdiocese of Douala. Archbishop Kleda recites the rosary on the streets of Douala Archbishop Kleda took to the streets of Cameroons economic capital, Douala, this week, carrying the statue of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. The Archbishop, accompanied by some priests, went around city streets reciting the rosary. Archbishop Nkea appeals for more prayer For his part, the Archbishop of Bamenda and Vice-President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, Andrew Nkea, also appealed to the faithful of the country to pray so that the fight against the pandemic would be won. Manu Dibango 1933 - 2020 At least 66 people in Cameroon have tested positive for COVID-19. Authorities are monitoring the situation and are not ruling out the possibility of a total lockdown. On Tuesday, this week, Cameroon was mourning one of its most famous sons, Manu Dibango, the 86-year-old African jazz legend who died in Paris after contracting the new coronavirus. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri this week completed a six-state African tour designed to lobby support for Egypts proposals for a way out of the impasse over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Shoukris tour took place against a backdrop of tightening travel restrictions as the world battles with the aggressive surge in Covid-19 infections. As Shoukri was touring, his aides visited five other African states to explain Cairos position in the diplomatic fallout with Ethiopia over GERD. It is a tough moment to try to schedule trips for the foreign minister to meet with his counterparts or with world leaders, given the world is fully consumed with the coronavirus outbreak, said an Egyptian diplomat. The focus of most world capitals is on the battle against the pandemic. It is not just a question of getting the foreign minister to see officials, but about getting these officials to give attention to anything other than coronavirus, the diplomat said. It is not a situation that serves Egypt in its uphill battle to lobby regional and international support to pressure Addis Ababa to work constructively with Egypt and Sudan over the filling and operation of GERD. Last month in Washington, before the extent of Covid-19 pandemic hit home, Egypt signalled its willingness to accept the agreement negotiated with Ethiopia and Sudan and facilitated by the US and the World Bank. Sudan withheld its acceptance while Ethiopia opted to miss the meeting that came at the end of a 12-week negotiation process sponsored by the White House. Ethiopian officials have threatened to start the filling and operation process during this summers rainy season in the absence of any agreement with Egypt to manage the filling and operation of GERD in a way that minimises significant harm to the water needs and rights of downstream states. It is unfortunate that we now face this coronavirus outbreak and the US is so hard hit by it, the diplomat said. He added that Shoukri was due to visit Washington for talks but now cannot make the trip. With over 35,000 cases of Covid-19, the US is bogged down in the fight against the virus. American diplomacy is not closed, said the diplomat, but it is rejigging its priorities. He said that a visit of the Egyptian foreign minister to the US capital, to follow up on the US promise to talk Ethiopia into signing up to the agreement, is unlikely in the foreseeable future. The same applies to other capitals Shoukri was hoping to visit and underline the need for Ethiopia and Sudan to approve the text that was negotiated in the US capital. GERD is not the only issue sidelined by the pandemic. A series of meetings that Egypt has been hosting in the wake of the Berlin Conference on Libya has also been suspended. Consultations between Cairo and various Libyan groups have not been suspended fully and Egypt is following up on Libyan developments with concerned capitals. But the agenda for meetings is up in the air, for now. The conflict in Libya has not subsided despite growing concerns over the possible unrecorded spread of Covid-19. This week Khalifa Haftar, who controls the east of Libya, and Fayez Al-Sarraj, who controls the capital and the west of the country, exchanged accusations over responsibility for the ongoing conflict. A separate battle is also ongoing between the militias of Al-Sarraj and Fathi Bashaghah, his interior minister. The military and political meetings, agreed at the Berlin Conference in January, have for the most part been suspended. Some of the meetings had been scheduled to convene in Geneva and Rome. Italy is suffering traumatic consequences from the coronavirus outbreak with cases nearing 65,000 and a death toll of over 6,000. Switzerland, too, is battling with infections, though the figures are less devastating than in Italy. Meanwhile, moves sponsored by Egypt and the UAE to give Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army, a final chance to lobby international support for his plans for Libya over those of Al-Sarraj, who heads a government that still has the UN recognition, have been interrupted. Haftar had already visited some European capitals and was planning a wider campaign before it was interrupted by the pandemic. A Cairo-based European diplomat said capitals were of course still working on Libya. It is not like everything has been put on hold but Libya is not exactly a priority for the coming weeks, he said. Haftar had launched a military operation to take over Tripoli almost a year ago yet he remains on the outskirts of the Libyan capital with no clear pathway to completing the takeover. A series of ministerial level meetings on Syria involving Russia, Turkey and Iran have also been put on hold. While Russia and Turkey are trying to contain the spread of Covid-19, Iran already has 22,000 infections recorded and 2,000 deaths. The suspension of diplomatic meetings came against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in north Syria between the Turkish army which invaded its neighbour with the intention of quelling any support for Kurdish militant groups and the Russian-supported Syrian army which is trying to regain control over the entire country. The recent wave of hostilities in north Syria has created a new wave of refugees with nowhere to go given that Turkey is now refusing to host them and Greece is denying them entry. A New York-based diplomat said that the situation of Syrian refugees is disturbing. With Covid-19 cases already recorded in Turkey and Greece refugees are increasingly at risk of infection. Thousands of Syrian refugees are packed in camps with questionable nutrition and hygiene standards and limited access to running water and sanitary services. This is a recipe for a nightmare, the international diplomat said. Negotiations between Turkey and the EU over the fate of Syrian refugees who have been trying to cross from Turkish territories into Europe have also lost momentum with the world scare over the pandemic. According to the New York-based diplomat, talks will continue at some level or other but it is unlikely major decisions will be made any time soon. On yet another front, war in Yemen continues on the ground in a country that, according to an informed UN source, has no way of knowing the extent of the coronavirus spread. The regional archenemies Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE battling in Yemen are all busy with their battles against Covid-19 and the chances for Martin Griffiths, the UN envoy for Yemen, to hold necessary meetings to try and reassemble the very short-lived peace talks are extremely slim. *A version of this article appears in print in the 26 March, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: PARAMUS, N.J. The night was cold and silent, and John Dougherty wasnt taking any more chances. He drove slowly. When he arrived at the test site, he pulled his white Honda minivan onto the shoulder of the three-lane suburban highway. He spun the key to kill the engine. It was 2:55 a.m. Testing wouldnt begin for another five hours. Dougherty would wait. Almost two weeks ago, his wife got sick. They worried she had coronavirus, but the first test came back negative. They thought: Maybe it was just the flu. Dougherty kept scrubbing the house with disinfectant wipes. He still wore a mask, but sometimes it hung loose around his neck. I let my guard down, said Dougherty, 64. I had to take care of her. Doughertys wife has been in the hospital five days now. She is alive because a machine is forcing oxygen into her lungs. She is alone, and no one may visit. Now Dougherty feels like hes caught the flu. The fever, the aches. Under federal rules, these symptoms qualify him to get him tested for coronavirus. John Dougherty waits at 3:12 a.m. outside of the entrance to Bergen Community College, where a drive-thru coronavirus testing center opens at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. His daughter Lauren, 19, has a cough. Sitting in his car, Dougherty worried. What if a cough isn't enough? What if living with two parents, both of whom appear to have the virus, is not enough? According to rules set up for the testing site, Lauren Dougherty would not be tested for coronavirus until she, too, develops a fever and chest pains. Still, John Dougherty wanted to try to get her a test. So on Tuesday, in the middle of the night, he arrived at Bergen Community College. Lauren, wearing pajamas, rode in the back seat, as far away from her father as she possibly could sit. Doughertys plan: Beg the doctors to make an exception, and test them both. I cant leave her home, Dougherty said. My daughter has a cough. Thats worrisome. Weve been together since this started. As Dougherty talked, his blue mask moved around his face. After each sentence, he paused to press his thumbs against the mask, molding the fabric tightly to the curve of his nose. Story continues It wasnt much. To prevent his daughter from getting the virus, apparently, it was the best that anyone could do. The way the federal government has handled this is a disgrace, Dougherty said. Ex-CDC director: The US confronting coronavirus without the CDC is 'like fighting with one hand tied behind your back' Big failure writ small The first car, a black Lexus SUV, parked at the entrance to Bergen Community College at 11:55 p.m. ET, more than eight hours before testing was scheduled to start. Five minutes later, the driver was joined by another, Sandy Richardson, who sat in his lime green Dodge Challenger with its motor rumbling, windows cracked open, heat cranked up to full. Sandy Richardson waits at 1:06 a.m. ET outside of the entrance to Bergen Community College in New Jersey, where a drive-thru coronavirus testing center will open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. I feel fine, said Richardson, 54, a nurse at a nursing home in Englewood, New Jersey. But I dont trust Trump. If he calls this a hoax, its probably real. For an hour, the line grew by ones and twos. By 4 a.m., another car seemed to join the line every minute. At 5 a.m., 101 cars sat in a row that stretched half a mile south. Ive been here every morning since Friday, starting at 6, said Safran Ishmael, 27, who drove 25 miles from her home to arrive at the college at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. I was coughing really bad, and I had a fever of 101. But by the time I got here, the line was wrapped all the way around the block. Before Amazon and online shopping humbled the big-box retailers, Black Friday was a family tradition for millions of Americans, many of whom camped outside Walmarts and Best Buys. A few doorbusters devolved into brawls. But most of the time, people in the impromptu campsites found humor in their silly shared suffering. No one camped in tents on the shoulder of Paramus Road on Tuesday morning. No one smiled. Everyone stayed in their cars, running the heat. Most people reclined their seats and tried to catch a little sleep. Instead of waiting in line for discounted televisions, Americans are waiting in line for lifesaving medical care. I dont understand why there are so many people and so few tests, Ishmael said. This is crazy. Walk the line Nancy Nunez works at a grocery store in Bergen County. She loves her customers, she said, but she thinks theyve made her sick. She arrived in line in her battered Honda minivan at 4 a.m. and took her temperature she had a fever of 100.5 degrees. Then she looked around. "This line is crazy!" said Nunez, of Paterson. "It looks like something out of a movie." She spent seven days locked in her bedroom. When she gets hungry, she knocks on the door. Family members bring her a plate of food, leaving it on the floor. Nunez opens the door a crack, takes the plate, and cleans the floor where it sat with a Clorox wipe. Shes too congested to lie down. Instead, she tries to sleep by wedging her body between two columns of pillows. It feels like someones tightening a belt around my chest, she said. Im just tired. I havent really slept in days. Every 30 seconds, Nunez fell into a coughing fit. She worries her coughs will spread the virus to her son, two daughters and grandson, all of whom live with her. Its scary! Nunez said. My mom is 70. I told her not to come over to my house, no matter what. Kim Gomez's fever has held steady at 104 degrees for the past three days. On Tuesday she was the third person in line, sitting in her orange Volkswagen SUV while eating bananas and Ritz crackers. I feel so bad! Like somebody is squeezing my head, said Gomez, who has continued to work from home as an import coordinator. I went to an emergency room. They told me to come here. Theres nowhere else to go! When John Dougherty finally arrived at the front of the line, he wasn't required to beg. He's ill, he explained. His wife of 36 years is living on a ventilator, and his daughter has a cough. Would the doctors please test her? Lauren Dougherty won the lottery. She got tested. Im hanging in there, John Dougherty said. We have to. What choice do we have? Christopher Maag is a columnist for NorthJersey.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Chris_Maag Young adults in Kentucky threw a 'coronavirus party': Now one of them has COVID-19 Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus: 'Mild symptoms' but 'remains in good health' This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Coronavirus testing in New Jersey: Residents wait all night for tests Workers have walked out of a poultry factory in Armagh and students have asked to be involved in decision making around their state exams this morning. Independent.ie reporters are bringing you the latest coronavirus stories you may have missed this lunchtime. Workers walk out of Armagh poultry factory amid social distancing fears Margaret Canning reports Expand Close Northern Ireland poultry giant Moy Park / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Northern Ireland poultry giant Moy Park UP to 1,000 workers at poultry giant Moy Park, Northern Irelands biggest employer, have walked out with a trade union claiming that bosses have rejected health and safety proposals. Unite said there had been a mass walk-out by staff at Moy Park in Seagoe, Portadown, over what it said was a lack of measures to combat the spread of coronavirus. Food factories have been deemed essential businesses which are to stay open even as others close - but they are required to have social distancing measures in place for their employees. And in nearby Lurgan, around 80 staff are reported to have walked out of a factory owned by Irish meat giant ABP, again over health and safety concerns. Both companies have been asked for comment. Unite regional officer Sean McKeever said claimed that Moy Park had failed to provide basic health and safety protections, leading employees to walk out. Meanwhile, a new centre for assessing suspected coronavirus cases is opening in Derry in a bid to prevent hospital wards becoming overwhelmed. It will be based at Altnagelvin Hospital and staffed by GPs. Patients will be assessed at an out-of-hours urgent care building and if necessary transferred to specialist wards. Dr Tom Black, chair of Northern Ireland's British Medical Association (BMA), said: "This has been shown in Italy and other countries that this is how we save lives." The triage service is designed for those moderately ill who do not need an ambulance to go to hospital. It is the first of 13 similar centres being established in Northern Ireland, enlisting the expertise of GPs while lessening the pressure on hospital beds and intensive care units. Students want to be involved in decision-making around the State exams Katherine Donnelly reports Expand Close 'Education is the greatest single lever at our disposal in preparing our society for what lies ahead. We should use it wisely.' Stock picture / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 'Education is the greatest single lever at our disposal in preparing our society for what lies ahead. We should use it wisely.' Stock picture Second-level students want to involved in the decision-making around the Leaving Cert and Junior cycle exams, in the face of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. The Irish Second-Level Students Union (ISSU) said there was an immense feeling of uncertainty and anxiety as students await clarification on the exams. The Government still hoping the written exams will go ahead on schedule, starting on June 3, but it depends on how the public health emergency plays out. The ISSU is asking Education Minister Joe McHugh Minister to include the student voice in finalising the exam contingency plans. It is calling for immediate clarity and wants to be involved in setting a deadline for when decisions about the exams will be disseminated to the public. In a statement today, the ISSU said it wanted to assist in providing clear steps to be taken to ensure fairness and quality for all students and stakeholders involved. Lessons from Europe's strictest lockdown Mark Hayes reports Expand Close Time for fun: Mark and his daughter Kim are making great use of their garden / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Time for fun: Mark and his daughter Kim are making great use of their garden We've been confined to quarters in France for a week now and so far it's been bearable. Our strict Coronavirus lockdown here came into effect last Tuesday, March 17, at noon. Since then, if you want to leave the house, you need to print out an attestation form and fill it in, justifying your reasons. As anyone who has lived here will know, there's no problem the French can't make worse with paperwork. The situation we are in is a big step-up from physical distancing, the policy in force in Ireland. Here in Castres, like elsewhere in France, everyone has been told "#restezchezvous" - the hashtag is ubiquitous. All non-essential businesses are shut by order - only supermarkets, pharmacies and essential services remain open. People have been told to work from home if possible. The lockdown was initially put in place for 15 days, but we all know it will be extended. WATCH: 'This virus is a killer' 28-year-old Kerry man is hospitalised with COVID-19 The complex dynamics of laser processes have been investigated by combining high speed hard X-ray radiography, acoustic and optical sensors and deep learning. This approach leads to a new paradigm for a closed-loop quality control system in Industry 4.0. Laser welding and additive manufacturing processes are key technologies for many industries such as automotive, aerospace, naval and heavy machinery production, medicine and micromechanics. Unfortunately, the potential of this technology is not fully exploited, particularly in applications requiring a guarantee of high quality and a workpiece free of defects. The reason is the non-linear nature of light-matter interactions, which complicates the reproducibility of the process in mass production. The complex dynamics of the process, especially in the keyhole welding regime, and its instabilities cause various defects at the joint. One of the most dangerous and difficult to detect is porosity, since it is a hidden threat for the mechanical properties of the workpiece. Hence, an adequate, robust and low-cost quality monitoring system is of a great desire [1]. Recently, an innovative approach for in situ and real-time monitoring of laser welding [2] and additive manufacturing [3] was proposed [2]. Its novelty was to combine state-of-the-art acoustic and optical sensors with machine learning (ML) techniques to analyse the signals. On the one hand, the sensors were chosen because they required low-cost hardware as well as their existing widespread use in various industrial applications. On the other hand, the exploited ML techniques allowed unique features for different workpiece qualities to be retrieved, which could subsequently be used for in situ monitoring. Despite the promising results, these studies relied on post-mortem material analysis via the cross-sectioning of the samples. This approach had major drawbacks, it is destructive, very time consuming and introduces further uncertainties in the results, for example, a small defect (pore) could be missed during the sample preparation and subsequent analysis. Furthermore, the complex dynamics of the light-matter interaction remained completely unknown. Figure 1. a) Sketch of the experimental setup for in situ X-ray radiography of the laser welds. The bar below defines the key nodes of the setup and their mutual positions; b) Picture of the welding experimental station. To overcome these difficulties and to obtain a fundamental understanding of the momentary events during the laser process in real-time, high-speed hard X-ray radiography held promise as an ideal solution. Consequently, a unique experiment combining a welding laser and various sensors was setup at beamline ID19 to perform in situ experiments (See Figure 1). An example of the observed dynamics during a laser pulse of 5 ms is shown in Figure 2 where the categories conduction, stable keyhole, unstable keyhole and solidification are defined. A temporal convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained to distinguish the recorded signals for each category. Figure 3 summarises the classification results. Figure 2. (a) X-ray images of the process zone (image width is 1 mm) and (b) the corresponding back reflection and acoustic emission (AE) signal during a typical experiment at 250 W during a laser pulse of 10 ms. The width of the X-ray image is 1 mm. The times on the X-ray images correspond to the time stamp of the signals. The main categories are also indicated with different colours in the signal images (b). Figure 3. Classification accuracy for the (optical) back reflection, acoustic emission (italic), combined sensors (bold), respectively using a temporal convolutional neural network (CNN). Four major findings resulted from this work, which can be summarised as: The possibility to apply machine learning for classification of the momentary events (categories: conduction welding, stable keyhole, unstable keyhole, blowout, and pore formation) during laser processing has been demonstrated. Evidence of this is shown in Figure 3 where the classification accuracies ranged from 73 to 99% depending on the sensors and category using a state-of-the-art temporal deep convolutional neural networks (CNN). It is also revealed that the acoustic sensor (italic in Figure 3) has a high classification accuracy as compared to the (optical) back reflection (normal in Figure 3). This is probably due to the higher acquisition rate of the optical system. By combining data from both sensors (back reflection and acoustic sensors; in bold in Figure 3), the classifications accuracy rose significantly from a minimum value of 73% to 88% for the category pore formation. This is important information for industrial applications. It revealed that the most appropriate solution for industrial in situ and real-time quality monitoring is to combine various sensors. However, the combination of the sensors does not always increase the classification accuracy. The approach is capable of distinguishing between instances of stable keyhole and unstable keyhole with very high confidence (compare red cells in Figure 3). Since the latter regime is prone to defects, the capability to detect the stable unstable keyhole transition is of high interest. This information is of utmost importance for the AM machine builders since it is a pre-requisite for the development of a closed-loop control able to avoid or minimise defects by modifying the process parameters before a defect is created. Finally, the category pore formation (blue cell) could be detected with an 88% level confidence. With a temporal resolution classification time down to 2 ms for each, it is possible to determine with precision the location of a defect. This information gives the opportunity to repair the defect and so avoid the rebuttal of a produced workpiece. High classification accuracy has been achieved with low-cost and easy to implement sensors into an existing industrial environment. The classification results can even be improved further by increasing the size of the dataset, optimising the location of the sensors as well as further optimisation of the machine learning algorithm. Principal publication and authors Supervised deep learning for real-time quality monitoring of laser welding with X-ray radiographic guidance, Shevchik S.A. (a), Le-Quang T. (a), Meylan B. (a), Vakili-Farahani F. (b), Olbinado M.P. (c), Rack A. (c), Masinelli G. (a), Leinenbach C. (a), Wasmer K. (a), Scientific Reports 10, 3389 (2020); doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-60294-x. (a) Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing (LAMP), Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Thun (Switzerland) (b) Coherent Switzerland, Belp (Switzerland) (c) ESRF References [1] Stavridis J., et al.. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology 94,1825-1847 (2018). [2] Shevchik S.A., et al., IEEE Access 7, 93108-93122 (2019). [3] Shevchik S.A., et al., Additive Manufacturing 21, 598-604 (2018). Mumbai, March 24 (IANS) A 65-year-old man who arrived here from UAE via Ahmedabad passed away due to COVID-19 late Monday night, while the number of positive cases shot up to 107 in the state with 10 new cases, officials said here on Tuesday. The latest coronavirus casualty takes the death toll due to the disease in Mumbai to four in the past one week and the national toll to 10. Another 94 suspected cases are admitted to various city hospitals, according to Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). The civic body said that the deceased was admitted to the Kasturba Hospital in a critical condition on Monday with fever, cough and breathlessness. He had a history of foreign travel, arriving from UAE to Ahmedabad on March 15 and then to Mumbai on March 20. The victim also had complaints of high blood pressure coupled with uncontrolled diabetes and passed away late on Monday after a few hours of treatment. The new coronavirus positive cases in Maharashtra detected since last night include three from Pune and one from Satara. The suspected cases include people with a history of recent foreign travel history to Peru, UAE and Saudi Arabia. A total of 418 people with history of foreign travel are in quarantine in Mumbai. The three earlier victims included a 68-year-old Fillipino and two other men, both aged 63. --IANS qn/tsb Boris Johnson today warned shops they will face 'significant' fines if they unfairly hike prices on essential items during the coronavirus crisis. The Prime Minister said at his daily press conference that 'I do not want to see people profiteering, people exploiting peoples need at a critical time'. He said the Competition and Markets Authority already had powers, including imposing financial penalties, to combat unfair price hikes but that the government is looking at whether it needs to go further. Downing Street is urging people who spot firms 'exploiting consumers through harmful sales and pricing practices' to report them to the CMA. The watchdog has set up a coronavirus task force and is monitoring businesses to make sure they behave reasonably. The CMA can impose fines or threaten court action against any firms found to be either fixing prices or unfairly putting up the cost of goods. It comes amid concern that some companies and shops have tried to cash in on the crisis by considerably raising prices as demand has surged for certain key items. Boris Johnson, pictured in Downing Street today, has warned traders they 'must stop any excessive price increases' during the coronavirus crisis or they will face fines from the Competition and Markets Authority MPs demand clearer guidance on who should still be going to work MPs are calling on the government to clarify advice to business about who should still be travelling to work during the coronavirus lockdown. Rachel Reeves, who chairs the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee, has written to Business Secretary Alok Sharma calling for clearer guidance to help address concerns some workers are being forced to go to work or that their employer is not offering enough support. Hundreds of people have contacted the committee raising concern, working in a wide range of sectors including office-based staff, furniture manufacturers, travel agents, estate agents, law firms, and TV engineers. The government has said people should only go to work if they absolutely cannot work from home. Advertisement Mr Johnson was asked this afternoon what he thought of profiteering and he replied: I dislike it very much and I do not want to see people profiteering, people exploiting peoples need at a critical time, a national emergency. We are indeed looking very carefully at what is going on. 'The Competition and Markets Authority already has various powers that it may use and we are looking at the legislative framework to see what it may be necessary to do to prevent profiteering just as has happened in wartime many, many years ago. Downing Street had earlier signalled that it was willing to go further if the CMA's existing powers prove not to be enough. The Prime Minster's Official Spokesman said: The Prime Minister is clear that we dont want to see profiteering of any kind. Traders must stop any excessive price increases. The Competition and Markets Authority has created a specific Covid-19 task force to address and remedy concerns that some businesses are exploiting consumers through harmful sales and pricing practices. 'We would urge anybody who has any concerns to report those to the CMA. 'The CMA can use a range of competition and consumer powers to tackle bad behaviour, including significant fines. As the PM said today, we will also look at whether further action is necessary. The government has closed all non-essential shops during the coronavirus lockdown in the UK, including clothing and electronic stores. But shops selling essential items - mainly food - are allowed to remain open. The CMA said at the start of the month when the coronavirus crisis was first starting to hit the UK that it was working to ensure traders do not exploit the situation. The watchdog has said it will consider any evidence that companies may have broken competition or consumer protection law. That includes not only investigating excessive prices but also looking into any 'misleading claims about the efficacy of protective equipment' which may be for sale. Lord Tyrie, the chairman of the Competition and Markets Authority, said the watchdog will do 'whatever we can to act against rip-offs' during the crisis The CMA has also not ruled out advising the government to take 'direct action' and to regulate prices if it is deemed to be necessary. Lord Tyrie, the chairman of the CMA, said: 'We will do whatever we can to act against rip-offs and misleading claims, using any or all of our tools; and where we cant act, well advise government on further steps they could take, if necessary.' The watchdog's chief executive Andrea Coscelli has urged all retailers to 'behave responsibly' and not 'charge vastly inflated prices'. 'We also remind members of the public that these obligations may apply to them too if they resell goods, for example on online marketplaces,' he said. VENICE, ITALY - MARCH 24: The carabinieri check the credentials of local citizens during lockdown in Mestre-Venice on March 24, 2020 in Venice, Italy. Stefano Mazzola/Awakening The daily death toll from the coronavirus has increased once again in Italy, after two days of smaller rises, suggesting the worst may not yet be over for the embattled country. In Italy, 743 people died from the virus on Tuesday, according to government data the highest daily increase since Sunday. The southern European country has been the worst hit by the deadly disease worldwide, experiencing a higher death toll than China, where the virus emerged in late 2019. As of Wednesday morning, a total of 6,820 people have died in Italy due to the pandemic. However, the number of new confirmed cases of coronavirus slowed down for a third consecutive day, according to the Emergency Commissioner and Civil Protection Chief Angelo Borrelli. The total number of infections in the country now stands at 69,176, of which 8,326 people have recovered from the illness. Meanwhile, three Italian trade unions threatening strikes are reportedly close to reaching an agreement with the Italian government, La Stampa reported Wednesday. Workers in the engineering, chemical, textile and printing industries had said they would go on strike this week. The unions are demanding more stringent measures for the factories that are still open and for bank employees, who they say do not have enough masks, gloves or disinfectant. Gastronomy attendant working in compliance in compliance with the virus containment rules imposed by the Italian government during COVID-19 pandemic in Italy on March 24, 2020 in Fabbrico, Italy. NurPhoto Madrid's ice rink morgue Spain also recorded a record number of deaths in one day from the virus, with 504 people passing away on Tuesday. Since the pandemic began, a total of 2,991 have died in the second-worst hit country in Europe. There have been 42,058 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Spain, with the country's capital, Madrid, home to the highest number of infections. Given the unprecedented pressure on hospitals, funeral homes and crematoriums around Madrid, an ice rink in the city has been transformed into a temporary morgue. Palacio de Hielo, as it is known, received the first coffins on Monday. The freezing temperatures are expected to protect the bodies until funeral homes have the capacity to bury or cremate them. Spain has been in national lockdown since mid-March and the restrictions on movement and gatherings of people just like in other European countries is preventing family members from attending funerals. Salvador Illa Roca, Spain's health minister, said Tuesday that the government had stepped up its efforts to buy ventilators and sped up national production of the most essential products in the fight against the virus. MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 24: Staff members of the funeral home Antonio Alvarez speak with a member of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) and local policemen at the entry to the mall Palacio de Hielo, whose ice rink will be used as a morgue due to local funeral homes being over capacity due to COVID-19 on March 24, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. Patricia J. Garcinuno Germany's low death toll In order to check the coronavirus, the state government will increase surveillance in the tier II and III cities as well as the rural pockets where gram pradhans will have to report villagers who have returned from abroad. Cases from Pilibhit, Jaunpur and Kanpur have got our attention as the two cities (Pilibhit and Jaunpur) have big rural pockets while Kanpur is a densely populated city and we do not want the numbers to go up from the one case reported till now, said Dr Vikasendu Agrawal, state surveillance officer in the health department. The state government has contacted 10,000 gram pradhans, asking them whether they have any villager who has returned from abroad. A list of such names, even if the person has come back from another state, has been prepared and given to the chief medical officer of the respective districts. At present, the gram pradhans have been asked to keep tabs on the people who came in last two weeks. In the next round, we will start collecting data, said Alok Kumar, principal secretary. After a second coronavirus positive case in Pilibhit, the district health office has been asked to prepare a full contact list of the two patients. The second case was a contact of the first one. Surveillance in the entire Saharanpur has been increased after the case was reported in Shamli. Our strategy is to increase surveillance at all levels. After urban dwellings, rural ones are on the chart. Rural folk interact socially regularly. Hence, the focus has been increased, said Dr Agrawal. All community health centres (CHCs) will be converted into level one Covid hospitals so that no suspected patient has to travel long-distance and can get the healthcare facility at the nearest place. According to estimates, over one lakh people came back to various districts in Uttar Pradesh. Keeping people inside homes in seclusion is the only prevention that will work. This has to be done, both at urban and rural levels as people even from villages work abroad. The infection can travel with them, said Dr Abhishek Shukla, head of the Aastha Geriatric hospital. The health, police and local administration will work in coordination. At the district level, the chief medical officers, superintendents of police and the district administration will work with inter-departmental coordination, said Dr Agrawal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 06:05:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close OTTAWA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- At least 34 percent of Canadians are worried about missing a rent or mortgage payment this month because of the impact of COVID-19, according to a survey issued by Canadian Angus Reid Institute on Wednesday. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread layoffs and a drastic reduction in the amount of paid work in the country. Among those surveyed, 44 percent reported that they or someone in their household have lost hours due to the economic downturn. An additional 18 percent said they expect to lose work soon. The survey shows 37 percent of those who have experienced job loss in their household said they do not have enough of a financial cushion to handle even an extra expense of 100 Canadian dollars in the next 30 days. The institute said it conducted the survey online from March 20 to 23 using a representative randomized sample of 1,664 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. The survey comes as a growing number of economists are warning that Canada's economy is entering uncharted waters. "The economy has already entered a deep downturn that we expect will rival the worst year of the Great Recession," according to a report released by RBC Economics on Tuesday. The pressure on the economy will be widespread with the services sector hit by a severe demand shock as social distancing keeps consumers and workers at home, the report said. The report predicted that Canada's GDP could fall 2.5 percent in 2020 and the unemployment rate is also expected to rise sharply. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said Monday that one-third of small businesses across the country would not be able to survive the next month without massive government assistance. The layoffs are adding up. The Canadian government said it has been flooded with a record number of new applications for employment insurance since the COVID-19 crisis began. The layoff number is likely to increase in the coming weeks as many small businesses have to make new layoff decisions next month due to possibly worsening COVID-19 situation. At least two persons in Nigerias high political class are now infected with the raging COVID-19, currently causing upset across the world. The Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, are among Nigerias 46 confirmed cases (by Wednesday morning), which include Mohammed, a son of opposition leader Atiku Abubakar. The coronavirus status of the two top officials suggests possible exposure of many others, whom they had met with in the past days, to the pandemic. This list includes governors, ministers, business leaders, and several other individuals. Mr Mohammed contracted the virus either after meeting Mr Abubakars son aboard a Lagos-Abuja Aero flight last Wednesday or during his visit to Germany earlier. The governor only realised his exposure after Mr Abubakar announced his son had tested positive for the virus. Following a test, Mr Mohammed was confirmed positive eventually. Mr Mohammed shared information regarding his visit to Germany for a water-related talk on Twitter on March 13. Today, in Germany, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Water is Right Foundation, led by its founder, Mr. Rolf Stahlhofen, for the upgrading of sanitation facilities in hospitals across Bauchi State. #GreaterBauchi pic.twitter.com/hnYdLCMQAw Senator Bala A. Mohammed (@SenBalaMohammed) March 13, 2020 If he had been infected in Germany not through contact with the younger Abubakar he may have got senior officials of Aliko Dangote Foundation exposed to COVID-19. On Wednesday, before joining Mr Abubakar on the plane to Abuja, he met Dangote officials in Lagos. The Aliko Dangote Foundation, Mr Mohammed said on Twitter, was proposing an empowerment scheme for rural women in Bauchi and building primary healthcare centres in the North-eastern state. I thank @AlikoDangote & the @AlikoDangoteFdn for the proposed empowerment initiative targeted at no less than 1000 rural women in each of the 20 LGAs in Bauchi State. This initiative, in partnership with @GovBauchi is aimed at alleviating poverty, particularly at the grassroots. pic.twitter.com/HlE9fpsmni Senator Bala A. Mohammed (@SenBalaMohammed) March 18, 2020 Then, last Thursday, Mr Mohammed attended the National Executive Council meeting, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The council consists of all the governors, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, finance minister and other relevant officials. Also, Thursdays meeting was attended by the DG of the governors forum, NGF, Asishana Okauru and a few others invited to make presentations. Mr Okauru has announced he and his family would be observing self-isolation following his exposure to Mr Mohammed last week. I attended different meetings of the Nigeria Governors Forum and the Nigerian Economic Council last week, which were also attended by the Bauchi State Governor, Mr Okauru said in a statement sent PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday. Consequently, my wife and I would be undergoing COVID-19 testing this week. All of the organizations to which my wife is affiliated have already begun Work from Home in line with an earlier Government directive. As NGF meeting, attended by Mr Mohammed, also held in the past week, Mr. Okauru said, All members of NGF secretariat that were exposed will be observing self-isolation. We encourage all those who were invited to the NGF meetings for presentations to also do the same. At least two of the governors have admitted they need to be tested and have gone on self-isolation. I just took a Covid-19 test, having gone into self isolation since yesterday evening, Mr Fayemi tweeted Wednesday morning. I just took a CoviD 19 test, having gone into self isolation since yesterday evening. I'm asymptomatic and feel well, but I was in meetings with two people who had since tested positive. I look forward to an all clear and have encouraged all my colleagues to take the test. JKF Kayode Fayemi (@kfayemi) March 25, 2020 Im asymptomatic and feel well, but I was in meetings with two people who had since tested positive. I look forward to an all clear and have encouraged all my colleagues to take the test. The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, also expressed a similar stance. The governor has gone into self-isolation after the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed and Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, tested positive for coronavirus. The governor had met Senator Mohammed at the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and National Economic Council (NEC) meetings. He also visited Mr Kyari, Mr Obasekis spokesperson, Crusoe Osagie, said. Agric Minister, Dangote exposed too Last Friday, days after meeting the younger Mr Abubakar, Mr Mohammed held a meeting with the countrys agriculture minister, Nanono Sambo., according to a tweet by the governor that day. Bala Mohammed with Agric minister The meeting was on Afro-processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support, APPEALS project, according to the tweet. In a Twitter reply to former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Tuesday, Mr Mohammed said, I am doing great and showing no symptoms. I have also advised fellow compatriots to take this pandemic seriously and strictly adhere to @NCDCgov guidelines. Apart from the governor, no other Bauchi official tested positive, according to an official statement. Mr Osinbajo who chaired the NEC meeting attended by Mr Mohammed is in self-isolation, his aide said yesterday. Advertisements Kyaris contactsDangote, others Mr Kyari, the gatekeeper to President Muhammadu Buhari, was in Germany alongside the power minister, Saleh Mamman, for a talk with the tech giant, Siemens AG. It is believed he got infected during this visit in the second week of March. Instead of observing self-isolation or seek to be tested on arrival in Nigeria, Mr Kyari continued to meet with various persons and attending events in breach of the governments advisory. Mr Kyari attended the wedding ceremony of the son of the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammad Adamu in Kano on March 14. At the ceremony, Mr Kyari was in the company Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote, whose senior officials would later meet Mr Mohammed, Bauchi governor, on March 18 in Lagos. Also at the ceremony was Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who also later became exposed to his Bauchi counterpart at the NEC meeting of last week. Two days after the wedding ceremony, a meeting of the Progressives Governors Forum held with President Muhammadu Buhari, at the State House in Abuja. As always, Mr Kyari attended that meeting, posing in photos right beside his principal, the president. A Thisday newspaper report quoting State House sources suggest Mr Buhari tested negative for the virus, while Mr Kyari tested positive. Before the PGF meeting with the president, Mr Kyari had reportedly met with APC chairman, Adams Oshiomole, who was then battling to save his job. Apart from contacts with his regular staff at the State House, Mr Kyari also led a delegation that included presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu and information minister Lai Mohammed to Okene to commiserate with Kogi State Governor Yahya Bello whose mum, Hauwau Ozoho, passed on. Gross act of irresponsibility Many Nigerians have criticised persons, including leaders, who returned from high-risk countries without observing isolation but rather chose to expose more people to the coronavirus. It is sad that the political class is leading this gross act of irresponsibility, said broadcast journalist Ukachi Chukwu, on Facebook. Mr Kyari returned from a trip abroad and refused to isolatemore importantly he exposed the president to the virus. Abba Kyari (3rd left) during his visit to Germany for a meeting with Siemens officials If the political class will not obey instructions and self-isolate, how can they expect ordinary citizens to do (the) same? the journalist queried. NCDC boss, Chikwe Ihekweazu, could not be reached for comment on this report. Calls to his phone Wednesday morning were not answered. However, the agency had said it would not provide details of the individuals that had been tested and their test results. A story by Quartz on Tuesday suggests Nigeria is not testing enough people due to capacity constraints. According to the report, citing NCDC data, only 152 people had been tested by March 22 compared with South Africas over 15,500. Nigeria has confirmed one death of its 46 infections of the COVID-19 which has caused the death of over 15,000 people globally. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Its no secret that U.S. hospitals are facing a dire shortage of personal protection equipment for their workers. The surgeon general even urged the public to stop buying masks, stating, They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if health care providers cant get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk. Aside from insulting our collective intelligence masks definitely cant offer foolproof protection, but isnt it enough that they can help? the statement potentially fueled distrust and encouraged further hoarding. We need to take the opposite approach: Emphasize how important masks can be in preventing the spread of disease if widely worn by anybody who is sick or might be.(2) Theyre so important, in fact, that we should do whatever we can to get a mask over every face during a pandemic characterized by stealthy spread from people who dont know theyre infected. Even if it means making them ourselves. Theres a growing movement to fabricate personal protective equipment at home. In some hospitals, desperate medical workers are fashioning protective face shields out of clear vinyl sheets and office supplies. In other parts of the country, seamstress groups have been hard at work turning T-shirts and bedsheets into face masks for health-care professionals. My local cottage industry in the San Francisco Bay Area has been so industrious that participants are now distributing masks to grocery store workers, restaurant staff and retirement homes. Its sensible to discourage public mask consumption at a time when supply chains are disrupted. But if individuals are mobilized to provide masks for their own communities, the shortage will become more manageable. At the more technical end, Massachusetts General Hospital has called on individuals with 3D printers to help fabricate N95 respirators, a type of mask that blocks the inhalation of viruses. As of Monday, two prototypes had already passed an initial fit test. That doesnt mean makerspaces will soon be filling the nations mask shortage. As hardware hacker Naomi Wu points out, N95 respirators wont work unless they are airtight on the face, something thats hard to achieve with the rigid plastic commonly used in 3D printers (the Massachusetts General prototypes use weather stripping). An improper seal could result in contaminants leaking through the edges of the mask. Story continues Last week, I took to Twitter in an attempt to source some N95 respirators for the hospital where my brother works. I found N95 caches in the unlikeliest places. A surfer was wearing them while sanding his boards. A chicken-keeper used them to protect against bird fanciers lung. A track car enthusiast had them for doing fiberglass repairs at home. At this stage, a 3D-printed mask shouldnt serve as a critical line of defense for front-line hospital workers. But the experimental masks could be employed in non-medical applications, where the primary hazard is prolonged exposure to potential irritants. Five million Americans wear respirators to protect against work-related contaminants. For chicken farmers and sandblasters, a brief period wearing an imperfect mask would hardly be life-threatening. They could then free up industry-approved supplies for hospitals and emergency responders. For some Americans outside of New York and Seattle, Covid-19 is still a distant fight. The main impact many people see is limited social and economic activity and a lack of toilet paper on store shelves. Encourage the homebound to participate in making personal protection equipment. During World War I, ordinary Americans were tasked with collecting fruit pits and nut shells for gas masks. Its unclear whether fruits and nuts were a meaningful source of carbon for the masks charcoal filters, but even schoolkids in Akron felt like they were actively involved in saving lives. President Donald Trump has indicated that he is keen on relaxing social-distancing recommendations and getting the economy moving again. At the moment, people are forced to stay home with nothing to do but read terrifying news about the coronavirus and impending recession. This is not great for public morale. But to reopen businesses and schools without widespread testing would be reckless. At the very least, lets get everyone masked up. (1) A recentstudyconducted by the University of Maryland and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates that an 80% population compliance in donning surgical face masks would be enough to eliminate an influenza outbreak. Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore have all encouraged widespread use. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Elaine Ou is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She is a blockchain engineer at Global Financial Access in San Francisco. Previously she was a lecturer in the electrical and information engineering department at the University of Sydney. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. By Kyle Lovern In the Bible, the apostle Paul reminded those who would listen of[Read More] Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 22:49:25|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, March 25 (Xinhua) -- At least five children have been killed and eaten by hyenas in Tanzania's Nyang'wale district in Geita region, an official said on Wednesday. Hamimu Gwiyama, Nyang'wale district commissioner, said the hyenas raided residential areas, killed and ate the children between January and mid-March. He said some residents in the districts have located to hills dotting the district which is the main habitats for the wild animals. "They are staying on the hills spending sleepless nights in search of the hyenas," said Gwiyama. He said the district had no wildlife experts that would have helped to kill the hyenas that have been wreaking havoc to some parts of the district since last year. "The situation is much more complicated when some residents in the district attach the killings to superstitious beliefs," said the official. Gwiyama said district authorities have been requesting Geita regional authorities to dispatch wildlife officials to chase away the hyenas but no help was coming on their way. Pira Robert, Nyang'wale ward official, said the hyenas were provoked by residents who have encroached the hills for residential and farming activities. It is with great sadness, we announce the passing of Richard Loren Sparrough Jr., on March 21, 2020, months after an operation that did not go well. Rich was born on December 26, 1940 in Washington, D.C., and was a lifelong resident of Maryland, attending Bladensburg High School and graduating from the University of Maryland. He was a journeyman electrician with Local 26 during his career and worked for the same contractor for his entire career. Rich left behind his beloved wife of 43 years, Ann R. Sparrough; sister Mary Srnecz; nephew Richard Heath and wife Catherine; more family and many friends, especially several high school buddies, who are still close. There will be no visitation at this time due to the virus threat. A funeral service and internment will be held for the immediate family, by invitation. A memorial party with a celebration of his finer moments will be held later. Please do not send any flowers, give to: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, American Red Cross, Care or a charity of your choice instead. Arrangements by Rausch Funeral Home. Every week, Vina T&T Group, a pioneer in exporting fruit to worldwide markets, has many shipments by air, accompanied by commercial flights for passengers to EU countries. However, the companys management board got nervous when they heard about European countries temporarily shutting their external borders to most non-residents for the first time in order to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus. Luckily, the ban does not officially affect the shipment of goods as it only applies to individual travellers. However, with flights to Europe greatly reduced, it appears almost certain that the volume of air transport cannot maintain the same frequency as before, said Nguyen Dinh Tung, general director of Vina T&T. In an effort to battle the coronavirus outbreak that has lit across the continent, leaders of the EU have agreed to close the blocs external borders to most non-EU citizens for 30 days. However, the closure is not a lockdown. Accordingly, EU citizens, their relatives, diplomats, medical professionals, and freight carriers are exempted from the above provisions. Internal movements are permitted but subject to certain restrictions. Doomy times for trade The new movements created chaos at airports as well as concern for strict controls on EU exports all around the world, Giorgio Aliberti, Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, claimed that the EU has yet to limit goods from Vietnam. The reduction of orders or cancellations have come from specific companies that have been hit hardest by the global epidemic. Ta Hoang Linh, head of the Ministry of Industry and Trades (MoIT) Department of European-American Market said that this EU disease control regulation may not affect the import and export of goods between Vietnam, as it only applies to individual travellers. Basic cargo transportation and trading activities are not restricted. However, under some economic aspects, these epidemic control measures will in fact affect the speed of goods movement in export, transportation, customs clearance, and storage, causing disruptions or delays in trade and service flows. Linh predicted that trade activities between the EU and partners including Vietnam will also be somewhat limited as the main export countries of Vietnam in the European market, such as the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, and France, all have implemented strong solutions to control and close their borders. Thus, the demand for non-essential goods such as textiles, footwear, furniture, and phones, which are Vietnams key export products to the EU market, will likely decline. Meanwhile, purchasing power for agricultural products and food can still be maintained according to the MoIT. Nicolas Audier, chair of European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) admitted that enterprises around the world are facing unprecedented challenges, and those in Vietnam are no different. Currently, the EU is the second largest export market for Vietnam. In 2019, the volume of goods exported by sea reached 20.5 billion ($22 billion), by air 14.5 billion ($15.5 billion), by railway 671 million ($720.5 billion), while imports by sea, air, and rail respectively reached 5.9 billion ($6.3 billion), 3.55 billion ($3.8) and 9 million ($9.6), according to the MoIT. In the first three months of this year, trade between Vietnam and European countries witnessed a reduction due to prolonged holidays on both sides, combined with businesses in a number of areas waiting for the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to come into effect in the summer to release goods and enjoy preferential tariffs. The MoIT forecast that Vietnamese exports to the EU in the next two quarters of this year may face a decrease by 6-8 per cent if the epidemic continues until June. Pham Van Viet, deputy chairman of Ho Chi Minh Textile and Garment Embroidery Association, told VIR that the associations members are stuck as European importers announced a 30-day suspension of all imports. The EU is a major market for Vietnamese textiles and garments. In 2019, the EU imported $4.4 billion worth of this type of goods from Vietnam, an increase of 2.2 per cent on-year. In Viets view, if the EU could control the outbreak within two months like China did, it would take more than a quarter to bring production and export activities back to normal. In addition, goods imported to European countries by air may be significantly affected by delays and cancellations. In addition, intra-regional transportation is also more or less affected by a number of countries tightening border controls. Along with the EU, the US and Australia are also cutting their commercial flights. All of these are the main export markets of ours, Tung of Vina T&T added. With shipments by sea, fortunately, the company still maintains relatively normal operations to the preservation technology we use. However, even here our exports will be reduced by about 20 per cent over the same period last year. EVFTA raises hopes Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh called the EVFTA a significant milestone and said that the two-way trade and investment flow from the EU to Vietnam is forecast to rise robustly, making active contributions to Vietnams economic growth, facilitating exports, pushing its markets diversification, procuring higher added values through newly established supply chains, and creating more jobs. However Audier from EuroCham said that regarding the EVFTA, it is important to remember that while the European Parliament voted last month in favour of the agreement, it has not yet entered into force. The next and final step before it can be implemented will be a vote in Vietnams National Assembly. So, while we are all going through a difficult period right now, the EVFTA is a long-term, once-in-a-generation change in EU-Vietnam relations, he said. I am confident that, whatever the challenges we face now, in the long-term the EVFTA will usher in a new wave of trade and investment between the EU and Vietnam. Economic growth and exports for 2020 will remain tough during the pandemic. In this context, trade insiders said that the EVFTA will be a lever to push economic growth in general and export in particular. But trade insiders also warned that the situation could be different if the epidemic is prolonged as some export sectors, such as textiles and footwear, that are expected to benefit the most from the EVFTA, may face difficulties due to disrupted supply chains. The shoe and textile industry is self-reliant with only about 60 per cent of the raw materials they need. Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment predicted previously that the EVFTA would help Vietnams export value to the EU rise by about 42.7 per cent in 2025, and increase to 44.4 per cent by 2030. Simultaneously, the import value from the EU to the Southeast Asian market will also pick up speed, growing by about 33 per cent in 2025 and 37 per cent by 2030. On a macro level, the EVFTA would contribute to an average 2.8 per cent to Vietnams GDP growth during 2019-2023, increasing to 4.9 per cent during 2024-2028, and 7.35 per cent during 2029-2033. Facing the complicated situation of the COVID-19 epidemic, the MoIT required its trade offices to update and develop a specific scenario while many large export markets of Vietnamese goods are applying border closures. Audier also said that EuroCham supports the governments swift and effective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and continues to advise its members to follow official advice and take appropriate precautions to protect their companies and workers. The international travel bans introduced this week in Vietnam, Europe, and elsewhere, are hopefully a short-term measure. We also hope that the virus can be brought under control as soon as possible. While it could have an impact on foreign companies and investment here, all of us doing business in Vietnam need to put the health and wellbeing of the public first, Audier explained. In Europe, many countries have adopted a stimulus package to help sustain the economy which will benefit businesses of all kinds and in all sectors and industries, including special packages for small- and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs. It is important that a similar package will be offered in Vietnam in the short term. This could take the form of tax relief or social charges. Meanwhile, Tung from Vina T&T added, We are still updating data and capturing trade signals with the EU market in order to know how to deal with them most effectively in time. Dena Minato and Dave Kullowatz have spent nearly four decades traveling together, and their trip this month was supposed to represent a meaningful milestone. The couple of retired teachers embarked on a vacation to Peru in early March to celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary in the 39th country they have visited together. They planned to hike to Machu Picchu and venture to nearby Ecuador to see the Galapagos Islands during a monthlong holiday. Instead, the longtime Albany residents have spent the past week quarantined in a guesthouse in Cusco, wondering when they will be able to return to the States. Like hundreds of other Americans, Minato and Kullowatz are stranded behind closed borders in Peru due to the coronavirus pandemic. The country declared a state of emergency on March 15 and announced that it would shut down its borders for at least 15 days starting March 16. Our concern is weve watched a little bit of the news conferences, and the indication by some in our nation's leadership is that we all had this warning to get a flight out, Kullowatz said. We had really no warning. No official warning that you have 24 hours or 48 hours. It was just literally dropped on us. Several countries, including Canada and Israel, took measures last week to repatriate their citizens from Peru after it closed its borders. But the U.S. has yet to do so. In a television interview Friday night, Perus defense minister said that Saturday would be the last day foreigners would be able to leave the country and said Peru would take a much stricter measure. Oregon's congressional delegation has pushed for an immediate national response to help bring stranded U.S. citizens home. On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkleys office released a statement announcing he and nine colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raising serious concerns about Americans struggling to return home after being stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognize these are extraordinary times for the nation and the world, the letter stated. Yet this crisis calls for creative measures. We look forward to an immediate briefing on all steps the Department is taking, including working with foreign governments, commercial airlines, U.S. military and other agencies to ensure that every American can be safely returned home." Sen. Ron Wydens office released a statement voicing similar concerns on Saturday. Senator Wyden has amplified the concerns hes heard from Oregonians stranded in Peru by raising their issues to State Department leadership. He has been told a task force is working to extract all Americans overseas, and he remains determined to make sure this task force translates into action that gives all Americans trying to leave Peru, and any and all other countries, clear guidance and urgently needed assistance to bring them home. Kullowatz, 65, is a former history teacher, while Minato, 63, taught English and journalism. They spent portions of their lives living in Turkey and the Netherlands, but said in all their travels they have never experienced anything like their current predicament. Before they left the U.S., the couple spent plenty of time researching whether it would be safe to do so. There was no advisory against traveling to South America when they began their trip, and the city of Seattle alone had more confirmed cases of coronavirus than Peru and Ecuador combined at that time. They spent two days stuck at the airport in Arequipa their flight to Cusco, where they planned to stay and do most of their sight-seeing, was delayed due to inclement weather. During that time, they got no indication that staying in the country could be problematic. But when they arrived at their guesthouse in Cusco on March 15, they were told that the country had closed its borders. Now they are trying to make the best of their situation and find as much joy as possible during an uncertain experience. They said they have made lifelong friends in the past week, and they praised the graciousness of their host, who has made sure they are comfortable in their hotel. Were in a pretty good place, Minato said. I mean, its not the place we chose to be. Our families are worried. But its the uncertainty if somebody told me right now, You have a flight home on April 1st, I would be pretty comfortable. Were being well taken care of. Were managing well. But the uncertainty for our family is really difficult. They arent the only local residents looking for a way out of Peru. Robert Meinke, a retired Oregon State University professor, is stranded in Iquitos a port city on the Amazon River. Meinke worked in OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences, and now does part-time work for a natural history travel company. He was on an overseas trip with a birding group made up of eight Americans, including another former OSU faculty member, Kelly Amsberry. They, too, arrived in Peru before the State Department had issued any travel advisories regarding the country. Four days after they arrived, they were on a river excursion when they received word via satellite phone that Peru would suddenly be closing all borders within 24 hours. They were directed back to Iquitos by the Peruvian port authority and met by police at the dock on the night of March 18. Meinke said they were taken off the boat by armed officers and given an escort back to a hotel. Their party has been in the hotel since and is not allowed to leave. Early (Saturday) morning, I saw four 20-something American, or maybe Canadian, backpackers staggering through the plaza below my room, Meinke said in an email. They looked confused and frightened. Our hotel was locked and they couldnt get in. They eventually moved on, but were certain to be detained or arrested if they couldnt get off the street. It was heartbreaking to see. Getting out of Iquitos poses a particularly difficult set of circumstances; it is the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road, only by river and air. Since there are no flights going out of the local airport, Meinke and his party would either need to reach the capital city of Lima for a commercial flight, or would need a charter flight directly from Iquitos, where he estimates there are more than 100 stranded Americans. Our embassy tells us nothing, Meinke said. He is concerned for stranded citizens who need medication, and is worried that some may run out of money if they lose access to ATMs. My group is resilient and tough, Meinke said. But unless the U.S. assists us as other countries have done for their citizens, we may be here a long time. A Wegmans customer faces charges of terroristic threats and harassment after coughing on a worker at the grocery store chains Manalapan location and claiming he had the coronavirus, Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday. The governor didnt provide many details about the incident during his daily coronavirus briefing, other to say it demonstrates active law enforcement is ready to respond to people who violate orders put in place in reaction to the outbreak. There are knuckleheads out there. We see them and we are enforcing behavior," Murphy said during his briefing at Rutgers-Newark. Hours later, authorities identified the man as George Falcone, 50, of Freehold. He was charged with terroristic threats, harassment and obstruction, they said. Falcone was told by the employee he was standing too close to her and to an open display of prepared foods, according to the Office of the Attorney General. He then allegedly stepped forward to within 3 feet of her, leaned toward her, and purposely coughed." George Falcone, 50, of Freehold, is charged with making terroristic threats for allegedly coughing on a Wegmans employee in Manalapan and saying he had the coronovirus.(State of NJ photo) Falcone also allegedly laughed and said was infected with the coronavirus, authorities said, adding, Falcone subsequently told two other employees they are lucky to have jobs. The incident occurred at around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. The governor said the man was in an argument with the woman and then coughed on the woman and told her after doing so that he had the coronavirus. The news comes as Murphy provided the latest spike in the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 the illness caused by the virus including 17 new deaths, bringing the statewide total to at least 44 known deaths. Acting State Police Superintendent Patrick Callahan couldnt immediately say how many coronavirus-related arrests have been made in the state. Were getting that information. It hasnt been that high," Callahan said. "I heard of specific cases. And we will in relatively short order be able to give you a sense of whats been charged. Murphy has put New Jersey into near-lockdown mode to combat the spread of the coronavirus, ordering nearly all of the states 9 million residents to stay at home and mandating that non-essential retail businesses be closed until further notice. There are exceptions. You can still go outdoors for exercise and travel for necessary things, such as obtaining food or medicine, seeking medical attention, visiting family or others you have a close personal relationship with (such as a caretaker or romantic partner), or reporting to work for a business that is allowed to be open, according to the governors order. Residents are able to file a complaint about price gouging on the states Division of Consumer Affairs website. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Stuart Gordon, the horror director behind the cult classic Re-Animator, has died at the age of 72. Gordons family confirmed the news to Variety, but have yet to announce the cause of Gordon's death. He was best-known for directing a number of acclaimed B-movies, including From Beyond (1986), Dolls (1987) and Space Truckers (1996). His most well-regarded work, 1985s Re-Animator, was inspired by a HP Lovecraft tale and told the story of a deranged medical student who develops a formula to raise the dead. It would launch a franchise of sequels, as well as a stage musical. Gordon also co-created the beloved Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise, and founded the Organic Theater Company with his wife, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon. The theatre premiered a number of acclaimed plays, including David Mamets Sexual Perversity in Chicago. Shaun of the Dead filmmaker Edgar Wright has led tributes to Gordon on Twitter. He wrote: Sorry to hear about the great Stuart Gordon passing. Along with his storied career in theatre and independent film, he is in the horror hall of hame forever for films like From Beyond & the outrageous gem that is Re-Animator. Put a plaque up at Miskatonic University for him. Cult horror actor Barbara Crampton, who starred in Re-Animator and several other Gordon films, tweeted: An enormous talent, vibrant & boundary breaking, his work was in a class by itself. He created countless moments on film which were at once, funny, scary, daring & smart. He gave me my career. I lost a dear friend. Im heartbroken. No words can do him justice. RIP Stuart Gordon. The screenwriter Simon Barrett, whose credits include Youre Next, The Guest and V/H/S, praised Gordon as an early supporter. Stuart Gordon was not only a brilliant filmmaker but an incredibly gracious human, Barrett wrote on Twitter. He attended an early screening of A Horrible Way to Die and was quite kind about it, which was the only reason Adam and I had the confidence to try to cast Barbara Crampton in Youre Next. RIP Gordon is survived by his wife, daughters Suzanna, Jillian and Margaret Gordon, four grandchildren and his brother, David George Gordon. PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed 1. There are 84 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus today in the Philippines. According to the Department of Health (DOH), the total number of cases in the country is now 636. 2. The Department of Health (DOH) released an update today about the number of recoveries so far and how many people have succumb to the disease. Based on the latest statistics, there are already 26 recoveries and 38 fatalities in the Philippines. 3. Senator Koko Pimentel confirmed today that he tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease. The lawmaker revealed that he tried his best to limit his movements since March 11 but he still acquired the fatal virus. 4. The Makati Medical Center has denounced the action of Senator Koko Pimentel who admitted that he tested positive for COVID-19. The lawmaker went to the said hospital to accompany his wife who was about to give birth. The hospital said: "By being in MMC, Senator Pimentel violated his Home Quarantine Protocol, entered the premises of the MMC-DR, thus, unduly exposed healthcare workers to possible infection. 5. Enchong Dee bravely lambasted the politicians and prominent individuals who reportedly took COVID-19 tests despite not showing symptoms of the disease. The actor called all of them VIP or Very Inconsiderate People. 6. Dra. Vicki Belo and her husband Hayden Kho vowed that they will provide 1 thousand free meals every day to 20 different hospitals and local government units. This is their way of helping the medical practitioners who serve as the frontliners of the Philippines against COVID-19. March 25: Top 10 updates of the day on COVID-19 crisis in the Philippines Source: Getty Images PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! 7. The daughter of the health officer from Pampanga who died of the novel coronavirus penned an emotional message on social media. She stated that she was not able to hug her father even in the last moments of his life. She also reminded other people to always tell their parents how much they love them. 8. An empty coffin was used as a barricade in the quarantine checkpoints of Barangay Mulawin in Bataan. There was a poster on top of the coffin that said: Stay at home or stay here. 9. A doctor from Region 3 aired a brave statement about the COVID-19 crisis that is being experienced here in the Philippines. She stated that the transmission of the virus will not stop if people will not follow the community quarantine that is being implemented. 10. KC Concepcion expressed her concern after knowing that the St. Lukes Medical Center is already closing its doors to new COVID-19 patients. According to the actress, the government should now prioritize creating new centers with ICUs to cater to new patients. Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! TikTok dance challenges are taking over social media. We are always on point in asking passers-by to dance to famous songs together with our host Andre! Dont forget to subscribe to HumanMeter! Source: KAMI.com.gh Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eric Buvelot (The Jakarta Post) Sanur, Bali Wed, March 25, 2020 12:12 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d505ea 1 Art & Culture #art,#culture,#environment,#plastic-waste,#artist,#AriBayuaji,#Bali,#Indonesia Free Artist Ari Bayuaji has been preparing for his upcoming exhibition since September 2019 in Bali. Although not specifically indicated by the artist, he will once again use his show to question the social deficiencies of societies worldwide; in this case, widespread ocean pollution. Ive been talking about this project to many people here, but Ive avoided talking about pollution. Im not an activist, he ponders in his Sanur hotel room. Indeed, pollution is a key word that he will not mention directly. I like ready-made objects and to elevate them into high art, Ari says. This is obviously his trademark, with all his artwork based on ordinary objects destined to become something new and meaningful to viewers, just like his take on discrimination through an exhibition titled Golden or the obsessive new habit of taking selfies in Self-Portrait. Artwork: For his work, titled 'The Ocean and The Mountain', Ari Bayuaji applies different techniques, from weaving, stitching to tying plastic threads to cotton fabric. (Courtesy of Ari Bayuaji/-) His works have been on display in and outside of Indonesia, including Canada, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Denmark, the United States and Taiwan, since 2005. However, Ari says he doesnt need to explain anything. The audience should be doing the talking and commenting. In 2015, he put on an artistic photography show in Indonesia and abroad featuring a Sanur mangrove tree covered with plastic. It made me very sad and this is when I decided to collect plastic rope, he recalls. Collaboration: Desak Nyoman Rai teaches the artist to use weaving tool for the project. (Courtesy of Ari Bayuaji/-) Found on Sanur Beach, Bali, the plastic rope, string, and fishnets were turned into works of art, thanks to Ari and several local people involved in his project, including Desak Nyoman Rai. She has been teaching me how to use the weaving loom, but its too difficult for me. We work together to choose the colors to create abstract motifs, Ari explains. The ropes collected by Ari are washed and the threads unraveled then stitched, woven, or sewn back together or mixed with scraps of fabric to create a myriad of flamboyant textiles. Ari expresses the importance of his mentor at the start of this colorful project: anthropologist Urmila Mohan. She is also a curator of artifacts linked to cultures and religions with a special focus on textiles and Hinduism in India and Indonesia. Ive read some of her academic writing and met her in Yogyakarta last November, Ari says. Urmila Mohan, he adds, really opened his mind to textiles and their history, giving him many ideas and inspiring him to work with plastic rope and strings collected from the sea. For his project, Ari enlisted the help of the remaining workers of a small abandoned weaving workshop in Sanur. It is important to use local skills, like the ones of Desak Nyoman Rai. They were about to go bankrupt, but since October [2019], they have been getting work, thanks to this project, he adds proudly. Work in progress: It takes the artist at least five times to wash the ropes to be used in his artwork. (Courtesy of Ari Bayuaji/-) The workers skills were indeed put to the test as those plastic threads were very difficult to work with. Sometimes, there was not enough material to place on the loom. This project is also a means to empower women in Bali. This way, they learn something new and it is always important to change our ways of thinking. On my side, if I change something in my community, its my legacy a legacy as an artist, says Ari, who is based in Montreal, Canada, but has a workshop in Bali as well. The exhibition will feature other works of art, like clothes adorned with the colorful rope or even lively patchworks of striking patterns. The whole project, which has no name yet, should be completed in September. Two galleries have already expressed their interest in hosting the exhibit, one in Bali and another in Australia. I [learn] by trial and error. Im very structured. When I was a child, I was a nerd, Ari says. He currently divides his life between Canada and Indonesia but is also very interested in other cultures, particularly Japan. Look at some of their products; they seem to be very simple, and indeed they are, but the process of making them is very long and complicated, he says with admiration. A definition that accurately sums up Aris latest art project. (ste) As coronavirus spread in many areas around the world inlcuding the U.K, many feared that the royal family might contract the deadly disease knowing that they are exposed to many people. Recent news reveal that 71-year-old Prince Charles tested positive for the coronavirus. He is now in self-isolation and expected to have milder symptoms of the COVID-19. How the Prince of Wales acquired the virus, is not exactly determined yet. It is known that he has been in several engagements and socials, which makes it hard to trace where he got the disease. Among the British royals, he is the first to catch the COVID-19, and he is also one of the most volatile age groups. He recently spoke to his mother, Queen Elizabeth and to also his two sons, Prince Harry and Prince William. Clarence House observed that the Prince is in 'good health', despite his condition. The Prince is out and about despite having the virus. He is not bedridden and is has continued working at home even with the deadly illness that threatens his health. Also Read: Kate Middleton, Prince Wiliam Dealing With Coronavirus Scare The test was done Monday by the NHS in Aberdeenshire in Scotland, before he was at Highgrove, then at Birkhall last Sunday. However, his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, is negative after taking the test for coronavirus. She is in self-isolation at Birkhall in Scotland with her husband. Both are staying in different quarters at Birkhall. Were other royal family members exposed to the Prince? The Prince of Wales attended a round table discussion on March 10 with Prince Albert II of Monaco who has tested positive for COVID-19. However, it is believed that he did not shake hands with Albert at the meeting in WaterAid Summit in London. According to AP News, the British royal has been avoiding physical contact before he was tested positive. He was photographed doing the namaste gesture wherein his hands are pressed together. Public events he attended in the recent weeks include the Commonwealth Day Service on March 9 at Westminster Abbey. To recall, this is the last formal engagement that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan attended. On March 12, Prince Charles was with Queen Elizabeth after an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace. According to the doctors, the prince was contagious as early as March 13, after attending his public engagements when the coronavirus took a bad turn in the UK. That was the day after he last saw the Queen. Is Queen Elizabeth safe? Apparently, after Prince Charles tested positive of COVID-19, the royal family needs to ensure that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are safe and healthy especially that the couple is already in their 90s. It is known that the Queen left the palace with her two corgis to spend time at her central London residence in Windsor last Thursday. The Queen left early for Easter which is a step they need to take to protect her health. While at Windsor, reports are saying that the Queen is abiding by the social distancing rules with Prince Philip. Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health. The Queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of the 12th of March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson told Fox News. Related article: Queen's Aide Tested Positive for Coronavirus, Is Queen Elizabeth Safe? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New Delhi, March 25 : Though e-commerce groceries, medical and food chains are overflowing with orders, promoter of big basket and Portea Medical, K Ganesh assured that his company has no intent to make profit out of the emerging coronavirus crisis. 'Despite a very high volume of orders we assure that no extra money would be charged for delivery even in this grim situation. Our only request is with police to cooperate with our delivery teams," K. Ganesh told media. The Big Basket promoter earlier told a TV channel that on Tuesday evening two incidents, one happening in Lucknow and another in Hyderabad have not gone down well with e-commerce grocery or medical chains. At both places delivery teams, were prevented from supplying medicines to elderly people. In Lucknow, the delivery boy was roughed up by the cops. A few other e-grocery and food chains have also complained about such misbehaviour by the law enforcement agencies. On the other hand, Banglore police commissioner Bhaskar Rao called a meeting with all e-commerce grocery, medical, food and vegetable chain owners for meeting on Wednesday evening. Rao in tweet has assured all e-commerce grocery and food chain owners that police will make all efforts to ensure that delivery teams carrying essential commodities are facilitated. On the instructions of Cabinet Secretary, all state chief secretaries have asked district police chiefs to ensure that all medical staff or those working with grocery stores, food chains, mediapersons and sanitation staff must be given full cooperation by the police to function in this emergency situation. "After meeting all Essential Providers, we are starting a system of Duty pass issue at all our Eight Deputy Commissioner of Police, Offices. DCPs East, West, North, South, Central, South East, North East and Whitefield. Your nearest police stationwill guide you to the DCP Officers. Will update," Bhaskar Rao said in a tweet. Sterling Blvd. N. and E. Holly Ave., 8:18 p.m. March 17. Police witnessed a vehicle strike another vehicle and then drive away. A deputy attempted to stop the fleeing vehicle when the driver sped up and attempted to strike the deputy who was able to get out of the way. Another deputy followed the fleeing vehicle. A 21-year-old Herndon male was arrested and charged. Elyse Knowles has sparked a backlash for boasting about her 'magical week' on Instagram while making no mention of the coronavirus pandemic. The Myer ambassador, 27, was accused of being 'insensitive' for sharing photos from her holiday on Queensland's Moreton Island on Tuesday. 'Magical week watching sunrise to sunset,' she wrote next to a picture of herself relaxing at the beach in a bikini with her boyfriend, Josh Barker. 'Not a good look': Elyse Knowles has sparked a backlash for boasting about her 'magical week' on Instagram while making no mention of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pictured on Queensland's Moreton Island with her boyfriend, Josh Barker, on Tuesday No worries? 'Magical week watching sunrise to sunset,' Elyse wrote next to a picture of herself relaxing at the beach in a leopard-print bikini 'Camping with loved ones and embracing nature. No earlier ferries so we embraced being near no one. Time to hit the road before the borders close,' she added. It didn't take long for some of Elyse's followers to describe her post as 'insensitive' and 'tone deaf' in light of the devastating COVID-19 crisis. 'Really? Posting this when people are losing their jobs, we are all self-quarantining and trying to stop a virus from spreading?' one person raged. 'You're kidding right?' It didn't take long for some of Elyse's followers to describe her post as 'insensitive' and 'tone deaf' in light of the coronavirus pandemic Under fire: One person scolded Elyse for 'adventuring' when 'everyone should be at home' 'Thanks for the reminder to unfollow you. This is incredibly tone deaf,' another fan added, while a third wrote: 'Magical week. You're kidding, right?' One person scolded Elyse for 'adventuring' when 'everyone should be at home'. In response, Elyse wrote: 'Bit hard to get home when you can't. No ferries available. So go had to stick to the planed ferry [sic]. Hitting back: Elyse said she was only camping at the beach because there weren't any ferries back to the mainland 'That's what happens when you're on an island and something happens when you're already on it.' As of Wednesday morning, there are 2,317 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, including eight deaths. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told Australians to stay at home and self-isolate as the number of infected patients surges. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that there is a need to ensure that there is no scarcity of food in the wake of coronavirus lockdown. Banerjee said that for this purpose, all Police stations will take the responsibility to deliver food at doorsteps and the same will be monitored by the District Magistrates and Police Superintendents. Please dont crowd markets, maintain social distance. And please cover your face with something before going outdoors, Banerjee told media persons on Tuesday. She said there were adequate supplies in the market, and so there is no need to store anything. The West Bengal Government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure safety & precautions for its citizens in combating COVID-19 efficiently. At this critical juncture, it is only collective efforts & public cooperation which can help fight this menace (1/2) Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 23, 2020 On Monday, Banerjee had said that her administration is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that citizens are safe from coronavirus. The West Bengal Government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure safety & precautions for its citizens in combating COVID-19 efficiently. At this critical juncture, it is only collective efforts & public cooperation which can help fight this menace, the chief minister had tweeted out. We have to ensure that there is no scarcity of food. All Police stations will take responsibility to deliver food at doorsteps and it will be monitored by District Magistrates & Police Superintendents: West Bengal CM, Mamata Banerjee #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/4ja2zipXhY ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2020 It is my sincere request to all the fellow citizens to abide by Government guidelines. Until and unless an emergency, please dont step out of your homes. We will fight this together. Only we can help keep everyone around us safe, her tweet read. More than 1,000 people were arrested in Kolkata since Monday evening for violating the lockdown, officials said. Of the nine afflicted with coronavirus in the state, one has died. We have run some comparisons on tests per capita and the frequency of positive tests. So how does Luxembourg compare, and what does it mean? Yesterday we published an article which looked at the development of coronavirus cases in Luxembourg. In that article, one thing we noted was that one shouldn't just look at the number of confirmed cases and draw conclusions based on that. In particular, we warned that looking at international comparisons is rather difficult - while Luxembourg may have a relatively high rate of infection, that number on its own doesn't really mean much. One also has to take into consideration how many tests are carried out per capita, and what limitations various governments have in place in terms of who can and will be tested. We didn't go into any international comparisons because, as we noted in the above article, we would need to know how many tests are carried out and what the criteria are for testing. As it happens, we have since received a broad answer to the first of those two questions, as Dr Thomas Dentzer of the department of health confirmed how many tests have been carried out in Luxembourg both in total and on a daily basis. This which allows us to do some additional analysis. Before we look at the data.. Much like yesterday's article, we need to start this one with a note on the data. Several notes, in fact. First of all, you can find all of the data sources used for these charts at the end of the article. Second, while we tried only to include countries with comparable and up-to-date data (which really limited the countries we could include - while there is a lot of data out there, much if it is several days old and/or incomplete), we did make two exceptions. The first is for Iceland, where we couldn't find official confirmation on how many tests are currently being done on a daily basis. Instead, we took the number of tests done each of the last 7 days leading up to 23 March, and divided by 7. The second is for France, which we only include in one chart as we couldn't locate accurate all-time testing data. Their daily data is also from an article published by Agence France Presse, so the accuracy may not be as high as for all other countries sampled. Third and finally, even with all of these caveats, the data set is limited, and should be treated as such. Now, let's get to it! Tests per 10,000 people The first thing we can do with the new data is look at how many tests have been done, to date, per 10,000 people. We selected a few countries with reliable data sources for this, and unsurprisingly (again, see yesterday's article) found that Luxembourg has a comparatively high rate of testing. This is in line with what has been said by, among others, Dr Dentzer, Xavier Bettel, and Paulette Lenert. Daily tests per 10,000 people Another thing we can do - and for this comparison we are including France - is look at how many tests are carried out per day. This is something that is changing rapidly, as we can see by looking at Luxembourg's data. If we consider that Luxembourg's first case was confirmed on 29 February, and assume that testing started at least two days before then, that means that 8,000 tests were done in 27 days (and likely testing started before 29 February), which gives us an average of about 296 tests per day - but we know that Luxembourg was doing 750 tests per day on 20 March, and is now doing 1,500 or so. In other words, the number of tests done daily is increasing, so that has to be kept in mind. Now, looking at the most recent data available for the selected countries, the data show that Luxembourg is testing at a higher rate per capita than any of the other countries for which we could find reliable data. Do note that this doesn't mean we test the most globally - Dr Lentzer suggested we are in the top-5. Percentage positive results The final thing we've looked at is what percent of tests yielded a positive result. Again, one has to keep in mind here that this figure will of course be impacted by factors beyond how many unconfirmed cases there are in a given country, notably what their criteria are for prescribing a test. A second aspect to this is that we have two numbers for Luxembourg. This is because we saw the highest increase in confirmed cases in Luxembourg yesterday, as we jumped by 224 confirmed cases - prior to this, the highest increase was on 21 March, at 186 new confirmed cases. For the second (purple) Luxembourg column, we assumed that - as noted by Dr Lentzer - 1,500 tests had been done, and that this resulted in 224 positive cases. What's interesting is that the percentage of positive results was quite similar to the overall percentage in Luxembourg, indicating that the increase in total confirmed cases is likely largely due to a higher testing frequency - though there is about a 1.2 percentage point difference that can't be explained by testing frequency. This is quite minor, however, and further analysis (and more data) would be needed to confirm if it has any statistical significance. Jacob Hershman, a University of Pennsylvania senior, takes his first class online from his off-campus apartment in Philadelphia. Read more As colleges have moved to remote instruction, some are recognizing the transition might not be smooth and are allowing students to earn just a pass or fail rather than the traditional letter grade. How each is making that change varies, but the goal is the same: making sure grade point averages arent unfairly harmed by less-than-ideal learning conditions. The University of Pennsylvania has given students until April 13 to decide on a pass/fail option for one or more courses. We know that many of you have concerns about the shift to remote learning and the stresses of this unexpected global situation," Penn leaders wrote. Some universities, including Rowan in New Jersey, will allow students to decide after they see their grades. Students there will have seven days to choose pass or no credit. Pass connotes a grade of "D" or higher for undergraduates; for graduate students, guidelines may fluctuate. Other schools, including Lehigh University in Bethlehem and Haverford College, have announced similar flexibility. READ MORE: More colleges move to, plan for online classes as coronavirus spreads The decisions come as students expressed concern, some even starting petitions. Arielle Gedeon, a junior and president of the Rowan Student Government Association, wanted students to have a choice. To only do pass/fail doesnt meet the needs of all students, said Gedeon, 20, shortly after she talked with administrators. Gedeon, a radio, television, and film major, said she wants letter grades. Colleges have approached the move to online differently. Some have given faculty days or weeks to prepare; Temple jumped right in last week. Everybody is doing their best, said Steve Newman, faculty union president. Obviously, conditions are not optimal. Faculty are concerned about students who might not have adequate access to internet or who have lost jobs and are struggling to live, he said. Universities also have had to deal with technological hiccups and the detachment faculty and students might feel communicating over webcams or discussion boards. For some students, it hasnt been bad. I kind of like it, said Cindy Chen, a Temple sophomore, who is taking six classes from her Philadelphia apartment. Its nice to just chill a little bit. She said it was a little difficult at first accessing classes over Zoom, a video conferencing tool. Its new for faculty and for students, she said. "Were learning it together. READ MORE: Two college students one stuck in Wuhan, one who made it back on how coronavirus is affecting their lives Still, she thinks Temple should give students a choice of grades or pass/fail. Temple hasnt decided yet. A lot of my friends are getting straight As, she said, but I also know friends who are kind of struggling with it. Jacob Hershman, 22, a Penn senior and English major, said hes fortunate to have only three elective courses this semester. This week, he took his first class from his off-campus Philadelphia apartment. Its called Forest World, which rethinks, through literature and film, humanitys relationship to the forest. The class of 20 went pretty smoothly, he said. I dont think the word forests came up once, he said, noting students wanted to talk about the pandemic and the effect it had on them. His professor, Simon Richter, said students needed to reestablish their connections with him and each other. People wanted to know how other people were doing what are their anxieties and what are they doing that was helping them? said Richter, a professor of Germanic languages and literature. At Millersville University in Lancaster County, meteorology professor Alex DeCaria has prerecorded lectures for students to watch so they can use virtual class meetings for conversation and questions. Hes never been a fan of online teaching, because he likes to read students body language for clues on whether they understand. But hes making the best of it and even wrote a song to the tune of Eric Carmens All by Myself and posted a video of himself singing it. A month ago, I didnt need a microphone, DeCaria sings on the YouTube video, filmed in his basement. A Zoom account was an unknown. Those days are gone. It was very heartfelt, he said. I miss my students." Lehigh provost Pat Farrell is making short videos for students from his messy garage. Glimpses of your reality might help foster interpersonal connection, he said in a message to faculty. Some professors wonder how they will duplicate science labs and art studio courses online. At Muhlenberg College in Allentown, theyre finding ways, said Lora Taub, dean of digital learning. A sculpting professor asked students to use materials at home, such as cardboard, tape, and paper, to make wearable gear for what he called the zombie apocalypse. What he needs his art students to know how to do is use their creativity and capacity as artists to interpret the world as it is in the moment, she said, and then to offer their creations to help others make meaning in uncertain times. Taub advised faculty not to conduct all their classes on Zoom at or for the same time they would have met in person. Use Zoom, she advised, for shorter periods to build a sense of presence, and then rely on other technology, including email, Google Docs, and discussion boards. Muhlenberg had the advantage of moving some classes online six years ago and professors who know how to do it. Every department has a local expert to provide peer support, she said. That faculty leadership in a transition has made all the difference. Batelco, the kingdoms leading digital solutions provider, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the 12 months ended December 31 today. The meeting was held at Hamala headquarters, in the presence of the chairman, management and shareholders utilising video conferencing across two locations to limit numbers in any location and encourage social distancing. This was done in compliance with the guidelines for holding general assembly meetings, in accordance with the laws of Bahrain. At the AGM shareholders approved the recommendation of the Board of Directors for a full year cash dividend of BD45.7 million ($121.2 million), at a value of 27.5 fils per share, of which 10 fils per share was already paid during the third quarter of 2019 with the remaining 17.5 fils announced during the meeting to be paid in the coming weeks. The meeting included the appointments and elections of board members for the next three-year term (2020-2023). Mumtalakat Holding Company appointed four members to the board -- Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Raed Abdulla Fakhri, Abdulla Abdulhameed Alhammadi, and Fatema Ghazi Al-Arayedh. Amber Holdings appointed two members -- Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and will announce the name of the other representatives at a later time. The Social Insurance Organization (SIO) has appointed Khalid Hussain Taqi and Abdulla Abdulrazak Bokhowa to the board. Two members were elected by the shareholders in the AGM --Jean Christophe Durand and Ahmed Abdulwahed Abdulrahman. Batelco Chairman Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said: "We are delighted to announce strong performance for Batelco during the year, which in turn contributed to good dividends for shareholders as part of efforts to continuously deliver improved value for them. Achieving the best financial results for shareholders is Batelco's top priority." Revenues for the full year 2019 were BD401.5 million ($1,065 million), and revenues in the home market of Bahrain have increased by 5% year-over-year boosted by revenues from fixed broadband, data communications and mobile services. 2019 saw EBITDA decrease by 1% in comparison to 2018, impacted by BD11.1 million ($29.4 million) voluntary employee retirement programme cost. Adjusted EBITDA for the year without the voluntary employee retirement cost is 7% higher year-on-year, driven by the 5% YoY reduction in operating expenses. I am pleased to welcome the new Board for the next three year term and look forward to working with them and utilising their expertise and knowledge in helping consolidate Batelcos position. I would also like to thank the Board members who have served in the previous term for their outstanding contributions in supporting the Companys plans and development, he added. Batelco CEO Mikkel Vinter said: "In 2019, we achieved key milestones to support the Company's digital transformation journey, such as the commercial launch of the 5G network for the first time in Bahrain, an important step in enabling the growth of the digital economy. This year, we plan to further increase the areas of 5G coverage around the Kingdom. To position Batelco as the leading provider of innovative digital services and connectivity in Bahrain, we have ambitious plans for 2020. We will be investing in adjacent businesses in Bahrain and the MEA region, focusing on specific clusters of FinTech, B2B solutions, e-government and e-commerce. As a result, this will diversify our revenue streams and create investment opportunities in different digital technologies," he added. - TradeArabia News Service Takealot has said that it does not have a clear indication as to how the company will be affected by South Africas 21-day lockdown, which starts on Thursday night. In a statement, Takealot said: The safety of employees, customers and partners remains our top priority as we navigate through these unprecedented times. We do not as yet have a clear indication of what the effects are on our business post Thursday. We believe that we can play an important part in the lives of South Africans during this time, supplying essential goods to your doors in a manner that is safe and secure, and we trust that the authorities will agree with us. We will continue to communicate and provide updates as this situation develops. Lockdown President Cyril Ramaphosa this week announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days from midnight on Thursday, 26 March until 16 April. All South Africans must stay at home during the lockdown, he said. Emergency services, security services, and other essentials services workers will be allowed to continue with their work, along with those involved in the production and supply of food and basic goods. This includes stores which sell food. Companies in the energy provision, medical supply, laboratory, essential transport including petrol stations and essential financial services sectors will also continue to operate. South Africans will only be allowed to leave their homes to buy food and medicine, to seek medical attention, and to collect a social grant. Ramaphosa said businesses must also close during this time, except for the services listed above. Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane also announced that all South African restaurants and takeaway businesses will be closed during South Africas 21-day coronavirus lockdown. Now read: Free Internet speed upgrades for South Africans during lockdown Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 18:49:20|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close KAMPALA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military has deployed team of doctors in the fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the east African country. Lt. Col. Deo Akiiki, deputy military spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone on Wednesday that the military is under obligation to respond to emergencies. Akiiki said the army has formed a task force that will join the national task force in the fight against COVID-19. Uganda currently has nine confirmed cases of COVID-19. "We are going to be working closely with the ministry of health to win this war like we won wars on Ebola and other epidemics," said Akiiki. A team of medical military personnel were last week dispatched to Entebbe International Airport, Entebbe Grade B Hospital and hotels where travelers arriving into the country are being quarantined. Uganda has so far registered 9 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the government fears more cases may be recorded after some cases interacted with the public. Most important, it affords us the opportunity to work with the community, city of Gary and DUAB as we best target the funds for the rehabilitation of our occupied schools and the demolition of some buildings. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended his greetings to people celebrating several festivals and traditional New Year as he once again called for a united effort in fighting the Covid-19, the coronavirus disease that has infected more than 530 people and killed at least 10. The Prime Ministers tweets came after he announced a 21-day lockdown on Tuesday evening, saying it was the only way to save people from the coronavirus and that whatever happens, we stay at home. Modi also tweeted in several languages to wish people as they marked these festivals. Greetings on Ugadi, Gudi Padava, Navreh and Sajibu Cheiraoba. May these auspicious occasions bring good health, happiness and prosperity in our lives, Modi tweeted. We are marking these festivals at a time when our nation is battling the COVID-19 menace. The celebrations will not be like they are usually but they will strengthen our resolve to overcome our circumstances. May we keep working to fight COVID-19 together, he added. As the nine-day festival of Navratri began on Wednesday, the Prime Minister also said he will pray for all those who have been working to help others during the coronavirus pandemic. Navratri is beginning from today. I have been worshipping the Mother for years. This time I will dedicate my prayers for the health, safety and accomplishment of all the nurses, doctors, medical staff, policemen and media workers who are engaged in the fight against Corona who worship humanity, he tweeted in Hindi. In his address to the nation on Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister had urged people to follow social distancing as the coronavirus-related disease cases and deaths mounted. Experts are saying that social distancing is the only way to deal with the coronavirus crisis across the globe. There is no other way to deal with coronavirus and we need to save ourselves. And we have to break the cycle of its infection, the Prime Minister said. He called out people to remove all doubts about who has to follow the practice of social distancing. Some people are under the impression that social distancing is only for Covid-19 patients it is for every member of the family and even the prime minister. And the wrong impressions and thoughts can bring a lot of trouble to their families, friends and the even the entire country, he had said. People will have to pay dearly and it will unimaginable, he had warned. Hundreds of people had flocked to shops in several cities and towns across Karnataka on Tuesday to shop for Ugadi festival despite the governments lockdown orders to prevent the spread of coronavirus. It came despite the stringent measure put in place across the state prompting police to cane-charge people in several places. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Srirangam Srinivasarao, popularly known as Sri Sri, needed no introduction in Telugu households until a generation ago. Famously called Mahakavi (The Great Poet), he enjoys a reputation like no other Telugu poet. In this series, The Telugu Archive founder Sai Priya Kodidala traces Telugu socio-political history through literature and art. Read more from the series here. *** On either side of the Karl Marx road in Vijayawada are multiple Telugu book houses, including Visalandhra Book House a major publishing house closely associated with Communism. An interesting trait common across these Telugu book houses is a distinct red corner with a collection of Marxist readings, a remnant of their once strong Communist influence in the Telugu states and an indication of how the Telugu literary world once went hand in hand with the political struggles. Nothing signifies this trend more than Maha Prasthanam (The Great Journey), a collection of still-popular leftist poetry written by Srirangam Srinivasarao. , , ! , ! , ! Another World, Another World, Another World is Calling March forward Lets surge, ahead and ahead Excerpts from Maro Prapancham Srirangam Srinivasarao, popularly known as Sri Sri, needed no introduction in Telugu households until a generation ago. Famously called Mahakavi (The Great Poet), he enjoys a reputation like no other Telugu poet. In the 1950s and 60s, Telugu youth was captivated by a new voice: A voice that resonated their anger and frustration. Sri Sris call to march towards another world, an egalitarian world free of exploitation and deprivation, inspired young men and women who were swept by a wave of Communism. His journey as a poet and later as a strong supporter of leftist politics documents the political and cultural shifts in Telugu society in the 20th century. Sri Sri was born in 1910 in Visakhapatnam, at the time when there existed huge differences between the ways of the past and the modern world. The age-old Hindu society and its customs were actively being attacked by the modernists and social reformers of the era. In the literary world, the use of archaic and Sanskritised Telugu found an opponent in a new wave of Bhavakavita (romanticism) movement led by young Telugu poets. One school of thought was led by Viswanatha Satyanarayana, a staunch supporter of Brahmin supremacy and Sanskrit and another was led by Devullapalli Krishna Sastry, a romantic poet of Bhavakavita movement. Sri Sri was influenced by both. However, around the same time, there was an increase in the unrest amongst the middle-class society. Questions around the relevance of ideas of aristocracy and zamindari system began to rise across the country. Maha Prasthanam ! Even I offered a firewood to the worlds fire ! Even I provided a tear to the world rain ! Even I gave a cry to the worlds roar Excerpts from Jayabheri In the 1930s and 40s, the politics of the world completely changed. Known as the Hungry Thirties, the Great Depression in America was spreading to other parts of the world (except Soviet Russia). The failure of the capitalist societies and the relative economic stability of the Communist societies was stark. This led to an increase in the influence of Marxism across India including the Indian Progressive Writers who released their manifesto in England. Closer home, the disparity between the reality of society and its struggles did not match the sensibilities of Telugu poetry of that time which revolved around love, nature or God. Around this time, the influence of world politics and issues of feudal oppression, economic inequality and social injustice was dawning on Sri Sri. He rejected the existing traditional themes and ways in Telugu poetry. In 1933, Sri Sri wrote Jayabheri, a promise to rise to change the world. In the following years, his poetry became his reaction to the struggles he saw in society and a revolt against the existing rotten feudalistic society. He took to the cause of the class struggle and his writings were deeply charged with social concern. His poetry was published in literary journals and was read out aloud among large groups and gatherings. By the time the collection of these poems was published in 1950 as Maha Prasthanam, his magnum opus, he became a household name. His poetry is revolutionary not only because he wrote about the struggles of the working class and peasants but also because he shook the complacent Telugu bourgeois by freeing the language from the shackles of prosodic rules. Moving away from the pre-existing classicism prevalent in Telugu literature, Sri Sri led the wave of progressive poets who formed the Progressive Writers Association (Abhyudaya Rachayitala Sangham also known as Arasam), writing about the downtrodden and the working class. He wrote in free verse rooted in colloquial alliterations and rhythms. Progressive Telugu poetry took a definitive form in his hands. The poetry found its purpose during the Independence struggle, and the Telangana Peasant Struggle against the Nizam rule and the oppressive feudal system parallelly. Whichever countrys history you see What reason is there to be proud? Entire history of human race Is exploitation of others , , , This queens love affairs The expenses of that invasion Schemes and accounts These are not the essence of history. ? ? In the civilisation on the banks of Nile What was the life of the common man? In building the Taj Mahal Who were the labourers who lifted the rocks? Excerpts from Desacharitralu Interestingly, though his poetry gave voice to the nationalist movement in an early Independent India, Sri Sri saw the peoples movement as an international phenomenon. Tryst with Left Politics Sri Sri remained closely associated with leftist politics till the end of his life. In 1955, he was the only member of the Progressive Writers Union who supported the Communist Party of India contesting against Congress. His campaign for the CPI made him the subject of ugly, maligning campaigns. During an election campaign in Gudur, the gathering was attacked by stone pelting as volunteers tried to control the situation. His mental health took a toll when he saw a bleeding volunteer attacked. He recollects in his autobiography that he lost consciousness for five to six weeks and had no recollection of how he reached Madras where he was admitted in a hospital for treatment. Post the Indo-China War (1962), the Indian Government indiscriminately arrested Communists, and suppressed anyone who dared to dissent against the way India functioned during the War. Sri Sri who was then heading the Human Rights Commission in Andhra Pradesh worked to inculcate public sentiment against the ways of the state. In 1970, Sri Sris 60th birthday celebrations were in full swing in every city in Andhra Pradesh. By then most members of Progressive Writers Union slowly disassociated themselves from the leftist movements when the Naxalbari movement was spreading in Srikakulam. Students who were associated with the Srikakulam Tribal Struggle at the time, gave an ultimatum to Sri Sri and his ilk, whether they would be on the side of the struggle or those backing away. Sri Sri and a handful of other poets chose the side with the tribal struggles and formed the Revolutionary Writers Association (Viplava Rachayitala Sangham, also known as Virasam). Sri Sri remained a member of Virasam till his death. In his later years, he adapted himself, taking a cue from younger poets after him. When a Naxalbari activist Nagabhushan Patnaik was sentenced to death, he wrote: That day, the white man called you Bhagat Singh Today, the brown man calls you a Naxalite Tomorrow, everyone will call you the Morning Star Inquilab Inquilab Inquilab Zindabad. When the Andhra government arrested three Virasam poets, he wrote an angry letter to the then Home Minister and signed his address as c/o Nagabhushan Patnaik, wherever he is. Sri Sri claimed to be an extremist in his poetry, and a modernist in his politics. He repeatedly stumbled, misspoke, and corrected his stances. Belonging to a generation which saw hope in Communism and the Red Army, he was consistent in his anti-establishment stand and support for leftist politics. His influence in the literary and political landscape was unparalleled and he welcomed anyone breaking away from the status quo. Following his lead, the next generation of poets formed similar groups replicating his sense and style to an extent (of which digambara poets, nayagara poets are examples). Oppression, inequality and injustice became common subjects of new poetry and his writings remain as relevant and inspirational as ever. ___ Sources: Maha Prasthanam by Srirangam Srinivasa Rao Sahityam Pai Balagopal published by Hyderabad Book Trust Anantam (autobiographical essays) by Sri Sri published by Virasam Opinion Article 25 March 2020 The world is now facing the unprecedented situation of the new Coronavirus, COVID-19, a "public health emergency of international concern and pandemic" according to the World Health Organisation. The effects, actual and projected, of COVID-19 are evident across the globe and are changing in real time. Global coronavirus cases has exceeded 380,000 and total death toll has passed 16,000 as of 24 March 2020. Advertisements COVID-19 is often compared to the SARS outbreak of 2002 to 2003. During that time, the virus spread to over 8,000 people worldwide and killed almost 800. But, COVID-19 seems much more contagious and easily spread. It proved that SARS can be contained but seems gradually unlikely that COVID-19 will be contained as of now. It spread in many countries and resulting in more people infected and dead compared to the SARS epidemic. The impact of SARS was comparatively short lived. According to STR research, it shows that in impacted areas hotel occupancy dropped to nearly 10% but only for a month. The peak was May 2003 and by July occupancy already had recovered strongly (Source: Hotel analyst March 2020). Not only causing people to be frightened, the outbreak of COVID-19 also has impact on the global economy. This crisis will affect every hotel operation in the world. The COVID-19 outbreak and government advice from UK and across Europe resulted in significantly lower demand across all segments and hit all hotel departments. People are going to stop traveling for the foreseeable future. Hotel industry is usually the first in the front-line to take a hit when there is a global crisis. Health scares tend to frighten people, and frightened people are likely to refrain from getting on planes and staying at hotels. It is estimated that the total damage to European business travel will be USD 110 billion, according to the Global Business Travel Association. This calculation is based on the cancellation of 8% of forecast travel in 2020. Before the pandemic is contained, it is likely that significantly more travel will be cancelled. On 27th February 2020, Marriott International Inc. CEO, Mr. Arne Sorenson said. "We would expect this will be messy for the next few weeks, if not maybe the next few months,". Marriott shares dropped 24% over the past month and over the same period, Hilton and Hyatt Hotels Corp. also continued falling sharply. The S&P 500 has also declined 11% in line with its competitors. Percentage change in revenue per available room (RevPar) of hotels in selected European countries from February to March 2020 Photo: Farazad Group Ltd. Since the first confirmed case of coronavirus on 24th January in France, the COVID-19 pandemic is having a damaging impact on the hotel industry across Europe. With the exception of Italy where the number of cases grew rapidly, in February, the impact on revenues per available room (RevPar) was still quite small. By March, the implementation of lockdowns and restrictions on unnecessary travel resulted in negative results across the region. In March, Italy experienced a dramatic 85% drop in RevPar, while hotels in Greece recorded a 52.4% drop. Swiss hotel industry is affected by the shutdown of Chinese tourists. Chinese tourism is concentrated in specific regions of Switzerland, which could worsen the situation even further. The hotel industry in Canton Lucerne, for instance, should expect, in the worst-case scenario, a drop of roughly 20% in occupancy rate. Below are STR KPI data comparison in London: February preliminary data (compared with February 2019) Occupancy: -2.3% to 76.3% Average daily rate (ADR): +0.3% to GBP133.57 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -2.1% to GBP101.91 1-8 March preliminary data (compared with corresponding week in 2019) Occupancy: -21.0% to 65.5% ADR: -8.5% to GPB128.39 RevPAR: -27.7% to GPB84.14 The COVID-19 epidemic has had an undeniable impact on international travel and the hospitality industry. Analysts at Bernstein have tried to anticipate the effect upon the global hotel industry for 2020 estimating a profit (EBITDA) decline of 11-29% year-on-year (Source: Skift). Economy will be in recession, but hotel owners should prepare for the bounce back. The hospitality industry is resilient and, once the situation improves and the pandemic is contained globally, the return of demand is an inevitability. In conclusion, the crisis is ongoing situation that is changing by hour. Predicting what will happen next is difficult and limited with every country acting different towards coronavirus. But the underlying similarity is that Occupancy, ADR and RevPar have dropped significantly across Europe. The hospitality industry has clearly been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, according to some experts the scenario includes "a near complete bounce back in 2021", once again showing the flexibility of the hospitality industry. As soon as the outbreak ends, when consumers and investors regain confidence. Travel will come back, and it will come back fairly quickly. A luxury hotel chain in Switzerland is offering a quarantine package to its guests that includes in-room coronavirus testing, doctor visits and 24-hour nursing care. Le Bijou is a part hotel, part serviced apartments company, and operates its luxury accommodation across Switzerland in cities including Zurich, Geneva and Basel. With around 20% of the global population in lock-down and many countries restricting or even closing their borders, the hospitality industry has seen a significant drop in demand all across the sector. Switzerland, which shares a border with Northern Italy, was impacted early. Swiss luxury hotel operator Le Bijou is offering a 'quarantine package' after its traditional booking dried up when the Covid-19 outbreak reached Europe Le Bijou's rooms are a hybrid of a hotel and service apartment, but now can come with a coronavirus test, access to doctors and 24/7 nurse care Before the outbreak of COVID-19, Le Bijou already catered for a very exclusive clientele, playing host to the likes of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, 'Wolf of Wall Street' Jordan Belfort and even the Saudi Royal Family, charging between 700 to 1,700 per night. But even the most luxurious hotels have not been immune to the plummeting demand, which has led to the co-founder and CEO of the hotel chain to get creative. Speaking in an interview, Alexander Hubner said: 'In the beginning of March, revenues had dropped significantly. We said, OK, we need to react immediately to that.' He explained how after the disease reached Europe, traditional reservations ceased, but he was getting new requests from people who wanted a luxury place to stay away from the outbreak, avoid hospitals, while still cook their own food and have access to doctors and nursing care. The luxury apartments receive daily deliveries of food and even have their own chef service Co-founder and CEO of the hotel chain says that at first, they were only having around two inquiries a day. This has now risen to five or six a day, having only been offering the service for a week and a half To meet this new demand, Le Bijou began advertising quarantine-friendly perks to attract guests, including contactless check-in (to avoid contact between strangers) and medical services in guest's rooms provided by Double Check, a Swizz private medical clinic. Hubner said: 'In the beginning, we just had about two inquiries a day. Now it's ramped up to four, five, six a day, and we just started, I think, one week, 10 days ago.' This five star service does not come cheap, and different packages are available. Coronavirus testing can be bought for around 400. A twice-daily check in from a nurse is 1,500 while the 24/7 nurse service costs 4,000. The accommodation provides daily food deliveries and personal chef services, but to meet government regulations the management have cut the daily cleaning service to just sanitising the rooms between guests. Le Bijou do request that anyone already with Covid-19 does not relocate to their hotels, with Hubner advising they 'stay where they are' and follow government guidelines. An example of a coronavirus test kit. In this case, a doctor is using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit The hotel chain's offering represents the latest sign that the rich and famous are more likely to be able to get tested and treated than others. A number of celebrities and professional athletes have taken to social media to say they have been tested, drawing criticism from some who say tests should be reserved for those with symptoms, regardless of wealth. When asked about this issue last week during a White House press briefing, President Trump said no one should be given preferential treatment, although admitted that sometimes the wealthy get perks. 'Perhaps that's been the story of life,' Trump said. 'That does happen on occasion. And I've noticed where some people have been tested fairly quickly.' 'Cult' mom Lori Vallow bought her own wedding ring - a $35.99 sterling silver band from Amazon - 17 days before her husband-to-be Chad Daybell's first wife Tammy died under mysterious circumstances Lori and Chad tied the knot in Hawaii on November 5, two months after her children, Joshua 'JJ' Vallow and Tylee Ryan, were last seen in Idaho in September, and less than two weeks after Tammy's death aged 49 on October 19. The East Idaho News recently obtained a receipt for a ring that Lori reportedly bought from Amazon on October 2. She was later seen wearing the same ring - a size 4 Sterling Silver Southwestern Style Malachite Gemstone - in photos of the couple gleefully celebrating their wedding on a Kauai beach. The East Idaho News obtained a receipt for the Amazon ring order (pictured). The name on the order was Charles Vallow - Lori's estranged husband who was shot dead by her brother Alex Cox three months earlier Lori is currently being held at the Madison County Jail as she awaits trial on charges of child neglect and desertion. She is pictured at a bail hearing on March 6. Her husband Chad Daybell is pictured right A screenshot of the order, which East Idaho News said had been verified by three people close to the investigation, shows it was delivered to the Rexburg townhome where Lori was staying on October 7. The name on the order was Charles Vallow - Lori's estranged husband who was shot dead by her brother Alex Cox three months earlier in July. Chad's first wife Tammy Daybell (pictured) died aged 49 on October 19 - less than three weeks after the ring was purchased The sources said Lori had continued to use Charles' Amazon account after his death. The search history on the computer used to place the ring order showed someone had been looking at wedding dresses the following day, the insiders claimed. Lori is currently being held at the Madison County Jail as she awaits trial on charges of child neglect and desertion in connection with the disappearance of seven-year-old JJ and 17-year-old Tylee. Her lawyer filed a motion on Tuesday asking the judge to reduce her $1million bond for the third time, citing the emergence of unspecified new information regarding the case. Authorities started searching for JJ and Tylee in late November after she and Chad fled their home in Idaho when police began asking questions about where the children were. Lori's children, seven-year-old Joshua 'JJ' Vallow (left) and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan (right), were last seen in Idaho in September but were never reported missing by their mother or Chad Timeline of JJ and Tylee's disappearance July 11: Lori Vallow's husband, Charles Vallow, is killed by her brother, Alex Cox, in Arizona August: Lori moves children JJ and Tylee to Rexburg, Idaho September 23: The last time JJ was seen at his school in Idaho October 19: Chad Daybell's wife Tammy dies at their Idaho home October 25: A friend of Tylee receives a text from her phone November 5: Lori and Chad marry November 26: Out-of-state relatives ask Idaho police to perform a welfare check on JJ. Lori and Chad claim he is in Arizona with relatives. Police also learn Tylee has not been seen since September, either November 27: Police execute a search warrant at Lori and Chad's home, discovering the couple have fled Idaho December 11: Tammy Daybell's body is exhumed from the Utah cemetery December 12: Lori's brother, Alex Cox, believed to have died in Arizona December 21: Police issue a press release about JJ and Tylee, revealing they believe their disappearance is linked to Tammy's death December 24: Lori and Chad issue a statement through an attorney saying they love their son and daughter and look forward to addressing 'allegations once they have moved beyond speculation and rumor' December 30: Police accuse Lori and Chad of lying to investigators and say they believe the couple know where the kids are or what happened to them January 26: Lori and Chad are seen for the first time in months as police serve two search warrants in Kaua'i January 30 Lori misses court deadline to produce the children to authorities February 20: Lori is arrested in Kauai Advertisement The case captured nationwide attention with the revelations that police are also investigating three mysterious deaths linked to Lori and Chad, as well as family members' claims that the couple are members of a dangerous doomsday cult. The first death is that of Charles Vallow, Lori's husband of more than a decade who filed for divorce from her five months before he was shot and killed by her brother Alex on July 11, 2019. Charles and Lori had gotten into an argument when he came to pick up JJ, their adoptive son, at her home in Chandler, Arizona. Alex intervened and fired two fatal shots into Charles' chest. Police initially determined that Alex acted in self defense - but the case was reopened amid the multi-state search for JJ and Tylee, who had moved to Idaho, where Chad lived, with their mother in August. The second mysterious death was Tammy Daybell - Chad's previous wife - who was found dead at the couple's home in Salem, Idaho, on October 19. An obituary stated that Tammy passed away in her sleep and her cause of death was ruled as natural after Chad reportedly declined an autopsy. Investigators reopened the case after learning that JJ and Tylee were missing, and that their mother had married Chad just two weeks after Tammy died. Tammy's body was exhumed on December 11 and the autopsy results have not yet been released. On December 12, Alex was found dead in Gilbert, Arizona. The 51-year-old's death is now under investigation as police wait for an autopsy to determine the cause. The ring order came the same day that Lori and a man believed to be Chad were seen visiting her unit at the Self Storage Plus in Rexburg. Surveillance video showed the pair dropping off a tire and a rear car seat that afternoon. It was also the same day that one of Lori's relatives, Brandon Boudreaux, was targeted in a drive-by shooting in Arizona. Brandon, the ex-husband of Lori's niece Melani Pawlowski, was arriving home from the gym on October 2 when a bullet shattered his car window and missed his head by mere inches. Investigators later determined that the bullet was fired from a passing car registered to Charles Vallow. A private investigator hired by Brandon has said that he believes Lori's brother Alex was the shooter. Chad's wife Tammy Daybell (pictured together) was found dead under mysterious circumstances in October, just two weeks before he married Lori Lori's estranged husband Charles Vallow (pictured together) was shot dead by her brother Alex Cox in Arizona on July 11 Lori's brother Alex Cox (pictured) died under mysterious circumstances on December 12 Earlier this month the FBI released these photos of JJ, Tylee and Lori at Yellowstone National Park on September 8 and asked anyone with information about that day to come forward A document allegedly written by Melani's new husband, Ian Pawlowski, regarding what his wife had told him about her aunt's religious beliefs, offers insight into the possible significance of the wedding ring. It's made primarily of malachite, a mineral dubbed the 'stone of transformation'. One section of the document states: 'Malachite is said to have healing properties.' The document was included in a court filing from Brandon's custody battle with his ex-wife, in which he claims that Melani knows where JJ and Tylee are, was part of her aunt's religious group, and played a role in an attempt on his life. East Idaho News obtained a copy of the document which was reportedly obtained from Ian's computer. In it Ian wrote that just days into his relationship with Melani, she discussed with him some of her unusual religious beliefs, which ran the gamut from teleportation to 'dark and light portals' and 'dark translated humans' who were the followers of Satan, Lucifer and Cain. He claimed that Melani told him she feared that her first husband, Brandon, had been possessed by a demon, and that she had been told by Chad and Lori that Tylee and JJ also had been possessed and had become zombies. The ring order was placed the same day that Brandon Boudreaux, the ex-husband of Lori's niece Melani Pawlowski (pictured together), was targeted in a drive-by shooting in Arizona Neither Lori nor Chad has been named as a person of interest in any of the mysterious deaths - though family members say it's no coincidence that so many people have died around them in such a short period of time. Relatives believe that the deaths and the children's disappearance are directly related to the couple's alleged involvement in a dangerous doomsday cult. The pair fled Idaho in late November just as police discovered that JJ and Tylee had been missing for months. Authorities tracked them down in the Kauai town of Princeville on January 25 and served Lori with a court order requiring her to physically produce the children to authorities in Idaho within five days. She failed to meet the deadline, prompting her arrest on February 20. An Idaho warrant charged her with two counts of felony child desertion and nonsupport of children, as well as three misdemeanor counts of resisting and obstructing an officer, solicitation of a crime and contempt of court. Lori was extradited to Rexburg, Idaho, earlier this month, where she is being held on $1million bond at Madison County Jail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 7. In a motion filed Tuesday, her attorney Mark Means requested oral arguments before Magistrate Judge Michelle Mallard concerning her bail. Means stated that 'new facts have come to light' since a previous bond hearing but did not specify what they were. Two of Lori's previous attorneys resigned from her case without explanation on March 13. Judge Mallard took over the case around the same time after Means requested that the previous judge, Farran Eddins, step down. Means released a statement on Lori's behalf on March 16 in which she continued to claim her innocence in the disappearance of her kids, who have not been seen in more than six months. Latest Clay County Legal Loss: Judge Says It Violated Missouri Open Records Law Clay County violated a Missouri law on government transparency when it sought to charge The Kansas City Star more than $4,000 for records, according to a judge's ruling. The case, the latest legal loss for the county, stems from a February 2019 records request from a Kansas City Star reporter who sought invoices from the county's outside law firm, Spencer Fane. This story became tiresome about 6 months ago and now is mostly the obsession of a Northland political consultant, three people getting paid to churn the controversy and low-end newsies just happy to be picking up a check . . . That's not to say that life-long political vendettas among middle-class white people can't be entertaining but the facade of good government complaining has been worn out . . . Still, this note is worth a read to catch up on the drama for those of us who stopped watching the social media circle jerks turning on their neighbors and feigning Northland grassroots concern.Read more: Every single resident of Gyeonggi Province will receive W100,000 to soften the economic fallout from coronavirus (US$1=W1,246). The provincial government on Tuesday said it decided to offer the money to all 13.26 million residents, who account about 25 percent of Korea's total population. Some have criticized the universal, one-off payment for being politically motivated as it comes ahead of the general election next month. Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung said the money is aimed at boosting the local economy and argued for the central government to introduce a similar scheme of W1 million for every citizen. For now, people with a registered address in the province are eligible for the payments, which will be offered in the form of vouchers valid at local stores for three months. The move is expected to spark populist quick fixes by other provincial governments. Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday March 24 begged President Donald Trump for more ventilators in the state. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that there are now 25,665 cases of deadly virus in New York state resulting in 210 deaths. Cuomo disclosed that New York which currently has 4,000 ventilators, needs at least 30,000 of the breathing machines to care for the influx of coronavirus patients that is expected to hit the state in two weeks. He further revealed that they have procured 7,000 and have only received 400 from the federal government. The New York Governor who pleaded with the Trump administration for more ventilators from the national stockpile of medical supplies, stated that there are about 12,700 ventilators in that stockpile but only 400 was sent to New York. He said; There is no other way for us to get these ventilators. Weve tried everything else. The only way we can obtain these ventilators is from the federal government. Period. What am I going to do with 400 ventilators when I need 30,000? You pick the 26,000 people who are going to die because you only sent 400 ventilators. Cuomo also urged President Trump to use the Defense Production Act to force manufacturers to make more ventilators. He added; Volunteerism is nice. It is a beautiful thing. That is not going to get us there, and I do not for the life of me understand the reluctance to use the Defense Production Act. So you're asking a business to produce what is a sophisticated piece of electronic equipment, a ventilator, and to do it in 14 days. That's an enormous undertaking. They can't do that on a voluntary basis. The Governor stated that with the shortage of ventilators, they might be forced to try an experimental procedure of using one ventilator for two patients. Cuomo said; This is a critical and desperate need for ventilators. We are going so far as to try an experimental procedure where we spit the ventilator. We use one ventilator for two patients. Its difficult to perform, its experimental, but at this point, we have no alternatives. President Trump has however resisted using the Defense Production Act, saying last week that the concept of nationalizing our businesses is not a good concept. Here is Cuomo's video below;
Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video As the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 ticks upward, the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have lost their lives in the Chicago area or who have connections to our region. These are some of those victims. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 Trend: The Azerbaijani government, which protects the people's interests and always puts safety of its citizens above all, once again set an example for the whole world, MP Sevil Mikayilova told Trend on March 25. "Azerbaijan made the right and timely decisions and took control of the situation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), which has spread all over the world. COVID-19 became a kind of test for the countries readiness for extraordinary situations, the MP noted. Unfortunately, countries with a developed economy and a modern healthcare system also turned out to be powerless in the fight against this global problem. The predictions that there will be more victims in European countries and that the US will become the epicenter of coronavirus are becoming more real. Regrettably, the situation in neighboring countries is also alarming, Mikayilova said. The MP pointed out that recent developments once again showed that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has passed a grandiose development path, thanks to which the country is able to withstand any threat. The unity of the people and the authority is the source of all the success achieved in Azerbaijan, Mikayilova added. An adequate public response to decisions made by the authorities is a very important factor for maintaining stability in the country. Responsibility of citizens, a sense of national unity will defeat this disease, Mikayilova said. Thanks to the president's decisions, all relevant structures have been mobilized to get out of this situation with minimal losses. President Ilham Aliyev's initiative to create a Fund to Support the Fight Against Coronavirus united all citizens, state and business structures around a common goal. The Fund collected 60 million manat in a short time, which proves a high sense of responsibility of the Azerbaijani people, said MP. Mikayilova added that Azerbaijan has always been distinguished by high values and traditions, which are an example for many. In particular, the care and attention to the health of elderly citizens causes a feeling of satisfaction in each of us. Our people have been famous for centuries with respect to the older generation, and this tradition has been reflected in special government decisions to protect the health and safety of older people. The will shown by the state to overcome the disease is obvious, and everyone feels the support of the authorities at this crucial moment, the MP added. If in other countries, more conventional means have been used to keep people in their homes, in Spain, they use drones. These drones are being utilized by the Spanish police to yell at stubborn people who still stay out despite the risk of infection from the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo : Pexels) While other countries use more conventional means to keep people in their homes, the Spanish Police use drones to yell at stubborn people who stay outside despite risks of infection from the coronavirus. Some Spanish citizens seem to ignore the health risk or danger, as may still stroll about in a relaxed manner or standing around in public places. This, despite the advisories that they should not go out of their homes. A video footage posted by the BBC shows people walking freely outside their houses on a seemingly typical ordinary day. The Spanish authorities have resorted to shaming and yelling at people through the drones equipped with loudspeakers. They release the drones and advise people who are still out of their residences. The drones with the speakers have the advantage of not having to avoid approaching people and risk transmission of the virus. Spain has been put under a nationwide state of emergency since March 13, 2020. Police began ordering the citizens to stay inside their homes until the crisis has passed. However, people perceive this small allowance as an opportunity to take advantage of the crisis. This can be seen in footage of some police officers patrolling the streets and deploying drones. Last week, the Spanish government ordered its 47 million people to stay at home and only go out for necessary trips, such as buying medicines, supplies, and food, and going to work. Spain has been the second worst-hit nation in Europe, next to Italy. Spain implemented a quarantine and used drone technology to inform the people about the situation. Authorities also asked the public to wear masks and stay at home for their protection. The drones were used in specific areas of the Spanish capital, such as in Puerta del Sol and Segovia Bridge. The novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease known as COVID-19, has recently been announced by the World Health Organization or WHO as a pandemic. Scientists and countries have been racing to produce a vaccine and cure for the disease. WHO declared Europe as the epicenter of the COVID-19 epidemic. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO, urged nations to impose aggressive measures, mobilize the community, and implement social distancing to save human lives. China has also used drones to watch its people and order them to stay at home. As of the morning of Monday, March 23, 2020, the death toll of the coronavirus in Spain rose to more than double the number only within three days. Last March 20, 2020, 1,002 of those who tested positive for the disease had died, and on Monday, it has grown to 2,182, with confirmed cases is at 33,090. And as of March 24, confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 39,673, with a death toll of 2,696. Despite the strict lockdown imposed during the recent weeks, the outbreak continues its surge. Aside from Italy, Spain is now considered the country that is affected by the worst. Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain, said at a press conference that the country is "at war". The current number of deaths was revealed by Carmen Calvo, Spain's deputy Prime Minister, who also developed respiratory infection last Sunday and is now awaiting results after undergoing testing for COVID-19. An Oklahoma man who hatched a plot to blow up a bank in downtown Oklahoma City using a 1,000 bomb was sentenced on Tuesday to 25 years in prison. Jerry Drake Varnell, 26, was convicted of attempting to use an explosive device to damage a building used in interstate commerce and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against property used in interstate commerce. In 2017, the FBI arrested Varnell when he attempted to ignite what he thought was a 1,000 ammonium nitrate bomb in van parked in an alley next to BancFirst. The explosives, however, weren't real and didn't pose a threat to anyone in the area. Jerry Drake Varnell, 26, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after attempting to detonate a bomb next to BancFirst in Oklahoma City After months of planning, Varnell and the undercover agent drove to El Reno, Oklahoma to build what Varnell thought was a 1,000-pound bomb made of ammonium nitrate, blasting caps, and nitrate. Varnell wanted to blow up BancFirst (pictured) with a 1,000-pound ammonium nitrate bomb The FBI honed in on Varnell after receiving a tip that he originally wanted to blow up the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C. with a bomb that resembled the kind used during the 1998 Oklahoma City bombing. 'Because an individual chose to come forward and report Mr. Varnell's concerning language and conduct to the FBI, we were able to quickly address the threat and keep our community safe,' a statement on the Oklahoma City FBI website read. After Varnell connected with a man named Brent Allen Elisens and shared conspiracy theories of the government taking away individual freedom, the two agreed to live off the radar. Then Varnell switched plans, opting to commit a violent act against the federal government. Elisens then received $23,000 from the FBI to set Varnell up with an undercover agent known as 'The Professor, who claimed to have bomb-making materials. After months of planning, Varnell and the undercover agent drove to El Reno, Oklahoma to build what Varnell thought was a 1,000-pound bomb made of ammonium nitrate, blasting caps, and nitrate. After parking the bomb-filled van next to the bank, he walked away from it. Then he called a number on a burner phone that he thought would remotely detonate the bomb. Instead, the number called to law enforcement, who arrested Varnell moments later. During the trial, a his defense attorney argued that the FBI ensnared Varnell into the plot and that he suffered schizophrenia. His lawyer also said Varnell was supplied with bomb-making materials by the FBI. 'It was far from only me that this crime was committed,' Varnell said, according to the Oklahoman. While giving a statement in court, Varnell also called the FBI informant Elisen a 'psychopath' and said Elisen 'normalized' antigovernment ideas. 'Let me be clear, this was not a case of misconstrued online activity or innocent online chatter,' the Oklahoma City FBI website read. Mr. Varnell is considered a domestic terrorist in the eyes of the FBI based on his actions, views, and involvement in anti-government extremism.' The US coronavirus outbreak has spread to at least six Amazon warehouses, infecting workers racing to deliver massive volumes of packages for consumers leery of leaving their homes to shop. In the past few days, Amazon workers tested positive for Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel virus, in New York City; Shepherdsville, Kentucky; Jacksonville, Florida; Katy, Texas; Brownstown, Michigan; and Oklahoma City, according to Amazon and local media reports. In some cases, Amazon shut down facilities for cleaning, and some co-workers who were in close contact with their infected colleagues have been quarantined. Just last week, warehouse workers sounded alarms that the company is not doing enough to protect them from the virus. That came after workers at Amazon warehouses in Spain and Italy tested positive for the virus. Since then, more than 1,500 workers from around the world have signed a petition that calls on the company to take additional steps to ensure safety in the workplace. Some workers complained that Amazon pushes them to meet the per-hour rate at which it wants orders fulfilled, a practice that they worry discourages safe sanitary practices such as washing hands after a cough or sneeze. Others have complained about stand-up meetings, where workers stand shoulder-to-shoulder at the start of each shift. The new outbreaks at Amazons US facilities come days after the online retail giant announced plans to hire 100,000 new workers to help cope with the flood of orders that have clogged its system. That unexpected surge has rendered Amazon unable to stock and ship household staples to many customers who had come to rely on the companys convenience. We are supporting the individuals, following guidelines from local officials, and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of all the employees at our sites, Amazon spokeswoman Lisa Levandowski said in an emailed statement. The company has recently adopted new policies for its warehouses including more regularly cleaning door handles, stairway handrails, touch screens and more, Levandowski said. Its nixed stand-up meetings, staggered start and break times to aid social distancing and suspended screening workers as they leave to improve the flow of workers, she said. Amazon, though, is struggling to get workers all the protection it wants them to have. The company placed orders for millions of face masks to give to employees and contractors who cannot work from home, Jeff Bezos wrote in a letter to employees Saturday. Because of the global shortage of those masks, though, very few of those orders have been filled, he wrote. Amazon workers at a warehouse in New York were recently sent home after one employee tested positive for the virus (Reuters) (REUTERS) And while Amazon allows warehouse staff to take time off if theyre concerned, Bezos also expects the companys warehouses to keep operating, saying in the letter that much of the essential work we do requires employees to clock in at the companys warehouses, in its delivery vehicles and more. Amazon has more than 175 warehouses around the globe, including more than 110 in North America. Levandowski declined to say if workers at any other Amazon facility have tested positive for Covid-19. Sweetening its new job offers, Amazon increased pay for hourly employees through April by $2 an hour in the US, 2 an hour in the UK, and about 2 euros an hour in parts of the European Union. The company, which generated $280.5bn in sales last year, said the pay hikes will cost $350m. Despite the spread of the coronavirus in Amazons US warehouses, it probably will find workers for the new posts, said Elaine Kwon, founder of e-commerce management and software firm Kwontified and a former Amazon manager. With unemployment claims already soaring as businesses shutter from the coronavirus fallout, laid-off workers will need income to pay their rents and feed their families. Quite a few people will be willing to take the risk, Kwon said. Amazon has long had a contentious relationship with some warehouse workers, fighting efforts in the United States and abroad to unionise. The company, which has nearly 800,000 workers worldwide, most of whom work in its warehouses, has faced criticism for harsh working conditions, insufficient bathroom breaks and difficult-to-attain goals. Recommended NHS staff fighting coronavirus are being charged to work Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders has denounced the company for paying subsistence wages to its warehouse staff. And after the company raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2018, it caught heat for taking away some bonuses and stock grants for warehouse workers. Last week, four US senators Sanders and three Democrats, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Robert Menendez of New Jersey sent Bezos a letter expressing concern that the company isnt doing enough to protect its warehouse workers from the coronavirus outbreak. We write today to strongly urge you to prioritise the health, safety, and well-being of your employees who are also our constituents, friends, family, and neighbours, the senators wrote. The senators noted that Amazon could also put the entire country at risk if warehouse conditions arent sanitary because the coronavirus can live for up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to three days on plastic and stainless steel. They asked Bezos to respond to a series of questions by Thursday. The Washington Post TORONTO - Some of the most active companies traded Tuesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (12,571.08, up 1,342.59 points.) Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B). Industrials. Up one cent, or 2.33 per cent, to 44 cents on 15.4 million shares. Suncor Energy Inc. (TSX:SU). Energy. Up $2.01, or 13.04 per cent, to $17.42 on 13.2 million shares. Toronto-Dominion Bank. (TSX:TD). Financials. Up $6.61, or 13.41 per cent, to $55.89 on 12.7 million shares. B2Gold Corp. (TSX:BTO). Materials. Up 42 cents, or 9.5 per cent, to $4.84 on 11.7 million shares. Kinross Gold Corp. (TSX:K). Materials. Up 70 cents, or 11.86 per cent, to $6.60 on 11.1 million shares. Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB). Health care. Up five cents, or five per cent, to $1.05 on 9 million shares. Companies in the news: Dollarama Inc. (TSX:DOL). Up $2.42 or 6.8 per cent to $37.87. Dollarama and Walmart are joining other companies that have remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic in paying their employees more during the outbreak. The Canadian discount chain announced a 10 per cent pay increase for its store employees, as well as hourly workers at its distribution centre and warehouse. Walmart Canada, meanwhile, announced Tuesday a bonus and premium pay program. The companys 90,000 store and supply chain employees will receive a $200 March bonus for active full-time workers and half that for part-time ones, the company said in a statement. Suncor Energy Inc. Oilsands giant Suncor Energy Inc. is putting projects on hold and cutting its 2020 capital budget by 26 per cent to deal with lower oil prices linked to a market share battle between Saudi Arabia and Russia, as well as lower demand for fuel because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Calgary-based producer, refiner and operator of Petro-Canada service stations is slashing its 2020 capital spending budget by $1.5 billion to a range between $3.9 billion and $4.5 billion. Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Inc. is temporarily halting production at its Canadian plants, sending 12,400 employees on unpaid leave as the plane maker suspends its 2020 financial forecast due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company said Tuesday it is stopping all non-essential work in the country, including aircraft and rail production in Quebec where 9,000 workers are heading home and Ontario. The shutdown was set to start Tuesday evening and continue until April 26. Air Canada (TSX:AC). Up $2.41 or 19 per cent to $15.11. Air Canadas pilot union says up to 600 of its members will go on unpaid leave in the coming months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Captain Michael McKay, head of the Air Canada Pilots Association, says the union has agreed to a plan for a maximum of 600 pilots on furlough. The 4,400 pilots have also agreed to reduced pay across the board and simplified contract language to allow pilots to retire earlier. McKay says a precipitous drop in passenger demand and the challenging operating environment have prompted the changes. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2020. I use the word hack advisedly in this column. It sets off alarms forStaff Writer Lucas Ropek and columnist Dan Lohrmann, who think in terms of white, gray and black hats in their coverage of cybersecurity. And the words use here should not be confused with a life hack, that broad basket of shortcuts and novel productivity tricks some people use to get through an average workday.There are other variations on this theme, often combining playful ingenuity and applied innovation. Consider Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak before Apple during their phone phreaking phase hacking into telecommunications systems, especially to obtain free calls in the early 1970s.Wozniak is credited with designing the first digital blue box, an electronic device that generates the same tones employed by a telephone operators dialing console to switch long-distance calls, allowing the user to make free calls illegally. Wozniak used his Blue Box to satisfy his curiosity about how telephone networks worked. He gleefully concedes that the Blue Boxes made a great platform for pranks, which he employed liberally at the time. For his part, Jobs saw a business opportunity and sold them dorm room to dorm room. For the engineer and the marketer, it was the precursor to a breakthrough in the computer industry.A half-century later, the legal cost of long distance has been driven to zero. Blue Boxes are now museum pieces. But phreaking is more than a footnote to history, because what we cannot afford to lose is the curiosity to explore, to disrupt and, in the spirit of Woz and his fellow phreaks, to prank.Take a couple of recent examples.Exhibit A: The Smart Potato, spotted at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with tech components imported from France by inventor and entrepreneur Nicholas Baldeck. Built off the back of a classic Idaho russet potato, Baldeck integrated an antenna he calls the Neuraspud that, along with a companion smartphone app, uses artificial intelligence to tap the superior decision-making powers of the potato. If it sounds like a Woz-worthy prank, heres your prize: Baldecks point is that much of todays ballyhooed tech doesnt do anything useful, or anything at all. But if his products Indiegogo campaign which had reached $5,831 at the time of this writing cracks six figures by the time it closes, Baldeck says the second release will be Potato Blockchain.Exhibit B: The Google Maps Hack project looked innocent enough. Picture a small red wagon pulled down an otherwise empty Berlin street by an artist named Simon Weckert. The artist had packed the wagon full of 99 borrowed smartphones. From the sidewalk, it looked benign. But as Weckert pulled the phone-laden wagon up and down random streets, the distinctive red lines signifying massive traffic jams emerged on Google Maps. There was latency, but slowly and surely, the wagon and its digital payload tricked Google Maps. The company concedes its algorithms cannot yet filter for a red wagon full of phones.Are these modern hacks completely benign? Perhaps not. If they are not, it is because the larger environment is more toxic than it was when Wozniak and company were pranking in the early 70s. But Wozs characteristic curiosity, creativity and inventiveness become all the more important as the problems we face become more complex, the landscape becomes more crowded and the common expectation too easily defaults to theres an app for that.Weckert reminds us that his wagon and phone experiment was about more than having a little fun at Googles expense. Paraphrasing media philosopher Marshall McLuhan, we shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us. Weckert says, I have the feeling right now that technology is not adapting to us, its the other way around. The head of one of Australia's largest fashion retail groups has slammed the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying it has caused "chaos and confusion" for businesses. Mosaic Brands, which owns labels such as Noni B and Rivers, will shut its 1379 stores across the country and stand down 6800 staff, a move chairman Richard Facioni said the company was forced to take after being let down by the decisions coming out of Canberra. Chairman Richard Facioni and CEO Scott Evans have slammed the government's management of the coronavirus crisis. Credit:James Alcock "There hasn't been the level of decisiveness that we expected from the government. If you look at what happened over the weekend, it was chaos and confusion," he told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. On Sunday night confusion reigned as the state and federal governments implemented varying levels of lockdown measures which worsened on Wednesday as more incremental lockdowns were put in place, banning spaces such as food courts and beauty salons, but allowing general retailers to keep trading. MEDFORD, Ore. With the nation bracing for a possible worst-case scenario due to the coronavirus outbreak, providers of emergency services are increasingly looking for ways to cover a shortfall of necessary supplies. Asante Foundation is looking for donations of N95 masks, face shields, gowns, latex-free exam gloves, disposable head covers, and eye protection glasses or goggles. PPE items to donate: N95 masks, both new and used Protective face shields Elastomeric masks (a type of reusable N95 mask) General ISO masks/paper masks Isolation gowns (disposable or reusable) Latex-free (i.e. Nitrile) exam gloves in all sizes Disposable head covers/bonnets Eye protection glasses or goggles Donations for Asante can be dropped off at the following locations: Medford (Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.): Asante Foundation located at 229 N. Bartlett Street Grants Pass (Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.): The Family House located at 407 SW Ramsey Ave. Ashland (7 a.m. to 6 p.m.): Lithia Motors Pavilion, Southern Oregon University campus, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd. The Jackson County Emergency Operations Center is also asking for donations of similar medical supplies and other items including hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. Donations can be dropped off here through Friday: Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, has tested positive for the new coronavirus. The princes Clarence House office said the 71-year-old is showing mild symptoms of COVID-19 and is self-isolating at a royal estate in Scotland. His wife - Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall - has tested negative for the virus, the spokesman said. The palace released the following statement, per The BCC: "In accordance with government and medical advice, the prince and the duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. "The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire, where they met the criteria required for testing. It is not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. Follow our COVID-19 live updates. Find all of our coronavirus stories. A free text-messaging service so you can receive the most urgent coronavirus updates on your cellphone. And ask questions. To sign up, subscribe to Alabama Coronavirus Urgent Alerts. A new weekday newsletter is available. You can subscribe here. Also, download our mobile app where you can receive on-the-go notifications. Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. In Kabul, Afghan security forces sifted through the debris of a Sikh temple after a militant attack left at least 25 worshipers dead. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the March 25 assault. Some people in the U.S. are obsessed with rude and unreasonable practices despite the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19) in their own country. They intentionally fanned up the political virus with discriminatory remarks in an attempt to pass the buck to China. They wrongly criticized China for a low level of transparency and openness regarding COVID-19 information sharing, and evilly fabricated rumor that China should be responsible for the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. Such conducts are condemnable. Whats worse, these people even asked China to pay for the loss suffered by the U.S. during the epidemic, which is nothing but engaging in evil doings and malicious discrimination of the innocent. Their fallacies couldnt stand in front of the truth. China has been notifying the U.S. side of epidemic developments and control measures on a regular basis since Jan 3, and the next day the heads of Chinese and American centers for disease control and prevention spoke on the phone, agreeing to keep close communication on information sharing and technical cooperation. Relevant organizations of the two countries have maintained close communication. In February, the China-WHO Joint Mission with two American experts on board conducted a nine-day field trip to China. China has shared its treatment experience with the U.S, and experts of the two countries have kept close technical cooperation. The epidemic situation worsened in the U.S. since March, two months after the U.S. had been informed of relevant epidemic information. The U.S. side needs to reflect on what it has done to prevent and control the virus in the past two months. Some people in the U.S. should at least remember what theyve said. U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Jan. 25 that China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping on Feb.7, Trump expressed positive comments on Chinas efforts on curbing the virus. On March 13, President Trump told reporters that the data China shared are helpful for the U.S. efforts against the epidemic. On Jan. 27, principal health officials in the United States expressed appreciation over the Chinese governments transparency in response to the outbreak and the ongoing bilateral cooperation in the health sector. On Jan. 28, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar praised China for sharing the genetic sequencing of the novel coronavirus which enabled the U.S. to quickly invent a diagnostic test within one week. These facts indicate that China has not impeded the U.S. efforts on coronavirus control, but offered assistance to the U.S. in this regard. Those U.S. politicians stigmatizing China are totally heartless. The U.S. should blame itself for difficulties it has encountered in fighting against COVID-19. It is globally recognized that China has won valuable time for the world to fight coronavirus with its achievements in epidemic prevention and control. The U.S. media outlets know how ineffective their government has been in front of the epidemic. Due to the failure of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to get working test kits into the hands of the public-health labs, a three-week delay was caused. In addition, various organizations in the U.S. have been passing the buck to each other, and the White House has been understating the extent of the outbreak. According to the American public, the costly coronavirus testing is almost inaccessible. Kurt Michael Campbell, formerly Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the U.S., said bluntly that Chinas extremely strict epidemic control measures have won the U.S. a lot of time, but its not clear whether the U.S. has made effective use of the time. China has demonstrated its responsibility in safeguarding global public health security, which is proved by the most comprehensive, strict, and thorough prevention and control measures it has taken. The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly expressed that China, by adopting forceful measures against the virus, is protecting the lives of the Chinese people and people of the world. Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General of the WHO, said Chinas efforts have flattened the curve of the epidemic and prevented hundreds of thousands of cases of COVID-19 in China, and to achieve this, the Chinese people have made huge sacrifices. China, sharing a common destiny with the world, actively offered assistance to other countries after the epidemic broke out overseas. The country has dispatched experts and donated prevention materials to affected countries, and exchanged virus control experience and treatment plans with the world, deepening international cooperation on virus control. To laud Chinas actions, admire Chinas responsibility, and thank Chinas assistance has become the mainstream voice of the globe. What has the U.S. done to cope with the epidemic? It owes money to the WHO, and has planned to halve U.S funding for the organization in its 2021 budget proposal. When the epidemic broke out in China, the U.S. acted as an on-looker, pointing fingers at Chinas prevention and control measures and even giving a stab in the back. Now, as the epidemic satiation has worsened in the U.S., certain people there started to blame everyone but the U.S. itself. To smear China out of selfish political gains undermines the global efforts to fight the epidemic. The world knows who is responsible and who are not. As the WHO has warned, slandering other countries and people carries a greater risk than the virus itself. Some people in the United States are advised to lay down their political prejudices at an early date, isolate themselves from political virus, and join the global war against the epidemic. Otherwise they will not only hinder anti-virus efforts at home, but also impede the global endeavor. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.) At least four people were killed and seven others wounded on Wednesday when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a tea shop near a security checkpoint in Somalia's capital, police said. The bomber, believed to be from the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab Islamist group, walked into the cafe popular with security forces and civilians, and triggered an explosives vest. "There are investigations going on but we believe the blast was carried by a Shabaab suicide bomber who detonated himself at a crowded tea-shop close to Sayidka intersection. Four civilians including the owner of the business died in the blast and seven others are wounded," said Ibrahim Mohamed, a senior police commander. Witnesses described chaos after the blast. "The security forces sealed off the area, but I saw ambulances carried several dead bodies and wounded people as well, people were panicking and the whole area was in chaos," said Sayid Ali who was in the area at the time of the attack. No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, however Al-Shabaab carries out regular attacks against civilian and government targets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fauci: Trump's Remarks Can Lead to 'Misunderstandings' By Kenneth Schwartz March 24, 2020 President Donald Trump's top disease expert says some of what Trump expresses in coronavirus briefings "could lead to some misunderstanding" about the facts. Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has become a household name and a familiar face because of the daily White House coronavirus briefings. In an interview with Science magazine, Fauci said Trump listens. He said while he doesn't disagree with the president in substance, he would express it differently. "He goes his own way. He has his own style. But on substantive issues, he does listen to what I say," Fauci said. But the doctor says there isn't much he can do when Trump makes a misstatement. "I can't jump in front of the microphone and push him down. OK, he said it. Let's try and get it corrected for the next time," Fauci said. At a news conference last week, Trump falsely claimed the Food and Drug Administration had approved using an anti-malarial drug to treat patients with the coronavirus. On Monday, the Banner Health system in the western state of Arizona said a man died and his wife was in critical condition after ingesting an additive used to clean fish tanks that is also found in the medication Trump touted. Fauci told the magazine that he will never call the coronavirus the "China virus," which is what Trump consistently calls it during the briefings. The doctor indicated that these daily White House press gatherings make him a bit uneasy because of relatively large number of people at the podium and reporters in the room. "I keep saying, 'Is there any way we can get a virtual press conference?' Thus far, no. But when you're dealing with the White House, sometimes you have to say things one, two, three, four times, and then it happens. So, I'm going to keep pushing." Fauci said that Vice President Mike Pence, the head of the coronavirus task force, is much more of a "bear" than Trump in keeping people apart. Fauci said it is premature to try to figure out why the U.S. was underprepared for the outbreak. But for now, he said people need to follow the fundamental guidelines in preventing the spread while maintaining what he calls a "delicate balance" when considering more drastic steps. "There's a compromise. If you knock down the economy completely and disrupt infrastructure, you may be causing health issues, unintended consequences, for people who need to be able to get to places and can't. You do the best you can." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Although we were heartened to see President Trump nominate an experienced Special Operations officer to serve as the next Senate-confirmed director of the NCTC, we are deeply dismayed and perplexed as to why he would simultaneously gut the centers leadership of critical institutional knowledge. The NCTCs just-dismissed acting director, Russell Travers, began his career as an Army intelligence officer more than 40 years ago. He stood up the NCTCs predecessor organization while the embers of Ground Zero still smoldered. He built the terrorism watch list from a set of index cards into the envy of countries around the world (and, it should be noted, as the model for the presidents own aspirational watch list to screen travelers to the United States for threats other than terrorism). Travers and his deputy, a career National Security Agency officer, were the epitome of what we strive for in national security: nonpartisan experts who serve the president and the American people with no regard to personal politics. TORONTO, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Galane Gold Ltd. (Galane Gold or the Company) (TSX-V: GG; OTCQB: GGGOF) has acted swiftly to put precautions in place to manage the risk of COVID-19 to staff, the Company, contractors, the local communities, and all other stakeholders. The Company has had no reported cases of COVID-19 at either of our projects and we continue to ensure that our operations follow the latest professional guidance. The announcement yesterday by the Republic of South Africa that all mines must be put on care and maintenance means that starting Friday this week, production at our Galaxy operations will temporarily cease. We will instigate care and maintenance in a way that allows us to restart operations almost immediately once we are advised by the government that we can do so. We will also put controls in place to retain funds to initiate the re-start. The government of South Africa announced that the decreed lockdown is scheduled until April 16, 2020, and we do not foresee at this point that it will have a material long term effect on our operations. The South Africa lockdown will also affect our Mupane operations in Botswana, as the majority of its critical supplies are sourced from South Africa. We had already commenced increasing stores in anticipation of such an action and we predict that we have sufficient stocks to maintain operations until the end of April. We are also working closely with the government of the Republic of Botswana to identify which of our imported supplies are critical so that they can be continued to be shipped from South Africa if there is an urgent requirement. This currently means that if the lockdown finishes as anticipated, we have sufficient supplies to continue operations. In addition, Mupanes off-taker has notified us that they will not be able to ship our gold dore during this interim period. We are currently working with them to conclude an alternative arrangement, if required. We had already formed a risk committee to identify the main threats to the Company and its operations. Due to the controls already put into place by the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Botswana, it appears that some of the transmission risks have already been mitigated. With regards to operational risks, steps have already been taken to minimize them. The Companys key management and its board of directors will meet on a weekly basis to review their effectiveness and make any adjustments as deemed necessary to minimize any potential operational disruption, while ensuring the welfare and safety of our workforce and neighbouring communities. Finally, it should be noted that above all things we put the health and safety of our employees and contractors first. As a result, we have instigated an education programme on COVID-19 at both the Galaxy and Mupane properties for our employees and contractors. This programme discusses what is required to minimise the chance of infection, recognising the symptoms of COVID-19, and what action to take if employees or contractors develop symptoms. In addition, the Company has started a rigorous testing regime at both properties to monitor our employees and contractors health to identify anybody showing early symptoms. The Company has also established isolation procedures for any potentially infected individual. Galane Gold CEO, Nick Brodie, commented: During this difficult period, our objective is to ensure we will be a stronger company after the current pandemic subsides, by acting in the best long-term interest of all of our stakeholders. About Galane Gold Galane Gold is an un-hedged gold producer and explorer with mining operations and exploration tenements in Botswana and South Africa. Galane Gold is a public company and its shares are quoted on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GG and the OTCQB under the symbol GGGOF. Galane Golds management team is comprised of senior mining professionals with extensive experience in managing mining and processing operations and large-scale exploration programmes. Galane Gold is committed to operating at world-class standards and is focused on the safety of its employees, respecting the environment, and contributing to the communities in which it operates. Cautionary Notes Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those regarding the Companys future financial position and results of operations, strategy, proposed acquisitions, plans, objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words believe, expect, aim, intend, plan, continue, will, may, would, anticipate, estimate, forecast, predict, project, seek, should or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may specifically include, without limitation, statements relating to the Companys ability to instigate care and maintenance in a specific manner; the Companys ability to put proper controls in place to retain funds; the estimated impact of COVID-19 on the Companys business and operations; the availability of critical supplies amidst COVID-19; and the ability to identify critical threats and risks to the Company. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Companys expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially include, but are not limited to: the Companys dependence on two mineral projects; gold price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Companys mining activities in Botswana and South Africa; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to the Companys exploration, development and mining activities being situated in Botswana and South Africa; risks relating to reliance on the Companys management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Companys inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks arising from the Companys fair value estimates with respect to the carrying amount of mineral interests; mining tax regimes; risks arising from holding derivative instruments; the Companys need to replace reserves depleted by production; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of COVID-19; the economic and financial implications of COVID-19 to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; lack of infrastructure; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; health risks in Africa; the Companys interactions with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; the Companys ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; risks related to restarting production; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; development of the Companys exploration properties into commercially viable mines; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; risks related to the market perception of junior gold companies; and litigation risk. Management provides forward-looking statements because it believes they provide useful information to investors when considering their investment objectives and cautions investors not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information please contact: Nick Brodie CEO, Galane Gold Ltd. + 44 7905089878 Nick.Brodie@GalaneGold.com www.GalaneGold.com Falling stake: Norwegian founder Bjoern Kjos has sold more shares in the airline Norwegian Air received a small government cash injection yesterday as part of the state coronavirus rescue package, and began talks with creditors complaining of missing payments amid growing worries about the carrier's liquidity. The moves came as the carrier's founder sold more shares, the latest action over the past month to cut his stake. Norwegian, which has grounded most of its aircraft and temporarily laid off 90pc of staff, amounting to about 7,300 people, had said it needed access to cash "within weeks, not months". A condition for receiving the first 300m Norwegian crowns (25.3m) from Norway's rescue package was that commercial lenders were willing to supply 10pc of that amount, while the government would provide the remaining 90pc. "Norwegian is pleased to announce that two Nordic banks have obtained credit committee approval to provide a guarantee for the required 10pc," a statement said. "Norwegian will secure the necessary headroom to pursue further guarantees from the Norwegian government." Norway said on March 19 that Norwegian Air could obtain credit guarantees worth up to 3bn crowns to help it weather the crisis, subject to a series of conditions. Norwegian's shares rose following the announcement, but were underperforming the Oslo stock index. On Monday, leasing company DP Aircraft said a unit of Norwegian Air had failed to make payments relating to two Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in its fleet, which had been due on March 13. DP Aircraft and its asset manager, DS Aviation, will prioritise discussions with Norwegian "in order to determine whether and on what basis it may be able to meet its obligations", DP said. Yesterday, the airline confirmed it was in talks with leasing companies, including DP Aircraft, and other creditors to meet government requirements for the rescue package. Separately, the founder of Norwegian Air and its ex-CEO, Bjoern Kjos, and former chairman Bjoern Kise continued to reduce the stake they jointly hold in the airline via their holding company, HBK Holding. On Tuesday, they cut their stake by 3,652 shares, or 0.002pc, to 9.99pc, according to a stock exchange disclosure. That is on top of 3.2 million shares they have sold since mid-February, according to company disclosures. Reuters was not able to reach Mr Kjos or Mr Kise for comment. The shares have lost more than 75pc of their value since February as the virus plunged the airline sector into crisis. The airline is now working with state credit agency GIEK and Norway's trade and industry ministry to clarify the criteria and terms for receiving the remaining tranches of the scheme, it said. A tranche of 1.2bn crowns is dependent on creditors postponing instalments and scrapping interest payments for as long as the guarantee lasts. Another of 1.5bn crowns would require Norwegian to boost its equity, the government has said. Reuters With the fast-approaching 31 March 2020 deadline for sale of BS4 vehicles in the country, the automobile companies are stuck with the unsold BS4 inventory worth Rs 6,400 crore. The situation worsened when India recently went into a complete lockdown over the COVID-19 pandemic until 14 April. It is believed that over 12,000 dealerships located across the country are shut for operations in the lockdown states. Major automotive brands namely, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Kia Motors, Mahindra, Toyota, Renault and Nissan have stopped production at their respective facilities. Luxury car manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Rolls Royce have also stopped production until there is an improvement in the situation. The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) has approached the Supreme Court of India is seeking extension of BS4 deadline to 31 May, 2020, due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak in the country. The application cites that counter sales have dropped by 60-70 per cent across auto dealerships in the country in the past few days as the customer walk-ins have reduced to a trickle over the fear of spreading the virus. Media reports state that the Supreme Court has refused to hear the FADA plea to extend the deadline to 31 May. Currently, the BS4 deadline remains at 31 March and changes if any will be known in the days to come. Photo Source: FE President Joko Jokowi Widodo adjusts his face mask while visiting the 2018 Asian Games athletes village in Jakarta which has been converted into a hospital for COVID-19 patients, March 23, 2020. President Joko Widodo announced Wednesday that his 77-year-old mother had died of cancer and told his cabinet ministers not to travel to Central Java to pay respects but to stay in Jakarta to focus on the national health crisis over the coronavirus pandemic. Jokowi, as he is called, traveled late Wednesday to his hometown of Solo where he said in remarks at a funeral home that Sudjiatmi Notomihardjo had died. For the past four years, she has suffered from an illness, namely cancer, he said. During those hard times, the deceased, all of us, with the support of doctors, tried and endeavored to seek treatment. But God wanted something else, he said separately, in an Instagram post. Jokowi asked for prayers for his mother from afar, and thousands of Indonesians posted condolences. It has been a rough year for you, sir, my deepest sympathy, wrote one Twitter user. The Indonesian president has been consumed in recent days by efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, announcing benefits for laid-off workers, cancelling school exams, touring hospital wards, giving pep talks and lecturing citizens about physical distancing. Presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rachman said cabinet ministers had been told to remain in Jakarta because the funeral Thursday would be a family affair, adding they should focus on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Wednesday, Indonesia had reported 790 confirmed infections, 104 of them new, and a total of 58 deaths. That death toll is the highest in Southeast Asia and represents a mortality rate above 7 percent. More than 20,800 people have died and nearly 459,000 have been infected worldwide, according to the latest data compiled by disease experts at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Indonesian President Joko Widodo gives remarks about the death of his mother, Sudjiatmi Notomihardjo, in Solo, Central Java, March 25, 2020. [Kusumasari Ayuningtyas/BenarNews] Underreported Indonesia is not under lockdown like some of its neighbors, but in the vast, decentralized archipelago nation, many cities and localities have declared emergencies and imposed restrictions. Both Jakarta and Solo are under a state of emergency. Authorities in Papua province announced Wednesday they would shut down airports, sea ports and entrances on the border with Papua New Guinea, effective Thursday, imposing the most stringent measures anywhere in Indonesia. At least three cases have been confirmed in the region where health services are poor. Experts said Indonesias high COVID-19 mortality rate reflects underreporting of infections as well as relatively poor quality of health care. It is likely that the number of positive cases is eight to 10 times as many, said Joko Mulyanto, an epidemiologist at Jenderal Soedirman University and a doctorate student at University of Amsterdam. [T]he death rate also depends on the quality of health care, he added. In, China 49 percent of those who were admitted to the ICU survived. In Indonesia, almost all of them died. He warned that hospitals could be at full capacity by mid-April and raised alarms over how Indonesia would handle the pandemic if large numbers of health workers become infected. If 30 percent of hospital staff could not work, the health system would collapse, he said. A professor of public health at University of Indonesia made a prediction about COVID-19 cases. I estimate that the peak will take place in a month. Now it is still very early, Hasbullah Thabrany told BenarNews. He noted that Indonesia has only 1,200 lung specialists. This disease focuses in the lungs. But in the next few days the number of positive cases might be equal to the number of lung specialist doctors, he said. A spokesman for the Papua COVID-19 Task Force, Silwanus Sumule, said that on Wednesday, in addition to its confirmed cases, the province had 36 patients with coronavirus symptoms and 728 people under surveillance, including five foreigners. He described the situation in Papua as worrying because of inadequate health facilities, including a lack of test kits. To examine the samples now we need seven to 10 hours per sample. We have information that we will receive assistance in the form of 2,400 rapid test kits from the Health Ministry. This is what we have been waiting for, Sumule said. Of 45 hospitals in Papua, only 15 have been designated as referral hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients. If we take 20 percent of the population of Papua, there could be 800,000 people infected by COVID-19. Of those, 160,000 would have to be treated in hospitals and 8,000 of them would have to be put in isolation, Sumule said. Ronna Nirmala in Jakarta contributed to this report. FAIRBANKS, Alaska, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The destruction of the 47-story World Trade Center Building 7 (WTC 7) in New York City late in the afternoon of September 11, 2001, was not a result of fires, according to the final report issued today by researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) following a four-year computer modeling study of the tower's collapse. The UAF team's findings contradict those of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which concluded in a 2008 report that WTC 7 was the first tall building ever to collapse primarily due to fire. The final report of the University of Alaska Fairbanks study on World Trade Center Building 7 "Our study found that the fires in WTC 7 could not have caused the observed collapse," said Professor Leroy Hulsey, the study's principal investigator. "The only way it could have fallen in the observed manner is by the near-simultaneous failure of every column." The four-year study was funded by Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth (AE911Truth), a nonprofit organization representing more than 3,000 architects and engineers who have signed the organization's petition calling for new investigation into the destruction of the three World Trade Center towers on 9/11. "We are proud to have supported the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Professor Leroy Hulsey in conducting a genuinely scientific study into the reasons for this building's collapse," said Richard Gage, president and founder of AE911Truth. "It is now incumbent upon the building community, the media, and government officials to reckon with the implications of these findings and launch a new full-scale investigation." The final report, entitled A Structural Reevaluation of the Collapse of World Trade Center 7, includes clarifications and supplemental text based on public comments as well as external review by two independent experts following the release of a draft report by UAF and AE911Truth on September 3, 2019. "I am grateful to everyone who supported or participated in this study in any way," said Professor Hulsey. "We hope that our findings will be carefully looked at by the building community and spur further investigation into how this building came down on that tragic day." The Hulsey report and supporting materials can be found on UAF's Institute of Northern Engineering website at http://ine.uaf.edu/projects/wtc7/ and on the AE911Truth website at https://www.ae911truth.org/wtc7. Contact: Ted Walter (510) 292-4710 [email protected] SOURCE Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth Related Links https://www.ae911truth.org A Berks County resident intentionally set his house ablaze early Monday morning before killing himself, Pennsylvania State Police said Wednesday. Troopers found the majority of the Womelsdorf home engulfed in flames when they arrived shortly before 4:30 a.m. Monday. A dog and a man later identified as Erik Johnson were found dead inside. Investigators said the 57-year-old killed the dog and started the fire, before shooting himself. Responders extinguished the blaze before it spread to neighboring homes. Police estimated fire damage to be worth about $100,000. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins have jokingly warned that the menopause could end up with them 'ripping each other's faces off'. The former Great British Bake Off presenters - who have been best friends for more than 30 years after studying at the University of Cambridge together - fear their relationship could be severely tested as they get older. Until now the comedian pals - who call each other 'Melly' and 'Perks' - say they have only ever had one argument - and they can't remember what that was about. But speaking to Woman's Weekly, Mel, 51, and Sue, 50, amusingly admitted that they worry the menopause may change that. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins (pictured in London in May 2014) have jokingly warned that the menopause could end up with them 'ripping each other's faces off' 'It's such a precious relationship,' Mel explained. 'It's so valuable what we have and the fact that we've been friends for 30 years. 'I'm getting emotional. It's rooted in a real friendship, so if anything went wrong, it would be so devastating.' Sue added: 'A row would be so catastrophic to our family and friends' ecosystem that I can't imagine it.' But the comedian admitted that there is one thing that she does worry about impacting on their relationship. 'Let's say I was to go through a devastating menopause and there's a shimmering, tensile, low oestrogen vibe going on - we could just rip each other's faces off,' she said. 'We're just a little bit off that yet, but we'll have to be quite careful.' The former Great British Bake Off presenters (pictured in 2012) - who have been best friends for more than 30 years after studying at the University of Cambridge together - fear their relationship could be severely tested as they get older The pair - who are starring together in the new Sky show Hitmen - have both pursued individual projects since leaving Bake Off after it moved from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2016. Mel has been married to TV director Ben Morris for 17 years and has two teenage daughters, while Sue is in a long term relationship with Naked Attraction presenter Anna Richardson. But despite their individual projects and family priorities, the two presenters remain very close. 'We can go for a week or two and not speak, but then we'll talk and it will be obsessive for a while,' said Sue. 'There will be flurries of quite intense messaging. 'Usually it's when I'll hear a song or see an image and it takes me back. We're always in each other's orbit.' Previously sharing an insight into the moment the duo decided to walk away from Bake Off, Mel has told the Press Association it took about 'three seconds' for herself and Sue to make up their minds about their Bake Off future. 'I think there was no question where we were heading, but I miss the gang... we were like a big family. 'All the camera guys, the sound guys, home economists behind the scenes, so knowing a lot of them are there filming as we speak, it feels kind of strange,' she confessed. Show judge Mary Berry, 82, followed suit and her exit from The Great British Bake Off was announced shortly after Mel and Sue's. Paul Hollywood remained and was joined by Prue Leith, Noel Fielding and Sandi Toskvig, who revealed in January that she was leaving the baking show to focus on other projects after three years as a host. Matt Lucas has been announced as the new host of the Bake Off after Sandi's exit. The Little Britain star, 46, will take over the role and co-present alongside Noel in the tent. Carlos Tamarit Mr. Tamarit, 62, has worked as a driver for EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services in New Jersey for more than five years. He was laid off on Sunday. How has your typical workday changed? A typical day for me is usually 12 p.m. to midnight. Overnight, all that changed. Im working if Im lucky five hours. I usually make about $1,500 a week. Now Im making $600. Ill wake up tomorrow, I dont know if I have a job and if I do have a job, I dont know if Ill make enough. My main concern is now that Im working less than 32 hours, Im going to lose my health insurance. My 19-year-old daughter has had open-heart surgery. My wife just had a bout with cancer. They had to remove a kidney. I have a precancerous prostate. Its just a ticking time bomb. With your familys health concerns, are you worried about being exposed to the coronavirus? As drivers were putting ourselves at risk. If coronavirus is coming from other countries, its coming from the airports, and whos going to the airports? We do. Everyone who gets into the car is potentially a carrier. But in our position its either work and eat, or dont work and dont eat. What does the rest of the week look like for you? I dont qualify for food stamps or for most of the programs because they look at your income from the previous year. But how? It wasn't as if we could just take them home, barricade the doors and never leave. I was fortunate to have six months of maternity leave, and it also seemed best to have the doctor at home. But there were other things to consider: essential food and supplies to restock, medications to pick up, blood work at the hospital, home visits from nurses and physical therapists and doctors' appointments. So many appointments, and all at a children's hospital the very place where serious infections were most likely to exist. Each visit felt as if I were running a gauntlet of infectious horrors. How did I do it? I never shook hands; I nodded and smiled. I used a lot of hand sanitiser getting a twin stroller laden with oxygen tanks in and out of a public bathroom made hand washing a challenge. Hospitals have plenty of free-standing hand hygiene stations but typically no sinks for hand washing in public areas. (Take note, hospital architects.) Grocery shopping took place primarily late at night, long after my partner came home. It was my only break from parenting and medical care. It felt like a luxury to walk the quiet aisles and chat with a little added distance between me and the cashier at check out. Everyone who entered the house whether medical professional, friend or family was required to be fully vaccinated and to either use hand sanitiser at the door or head straight to the bathroom to wash their hands. If someone was offended, it would not have registered. That was simply the rule. Loading We declined visits from people with children in day care or school. A few were upset, but if being insulted about their child's runny nose being a potential cause of death for my children was an issue, frankly, we weren't meant to be friends. Some friends drifted away. A few stuck around. And some who couldn't visit left groceries or cooked meals on the doorstep. These random acts of kindness touched me greatly. This was pre-Facebook. Smartphones and home Wi-Fi didn't exist. There were no video chats. I called friends and family from our landline because my clunky mobile phone had limited minutes. In that era, it felt like social isolation. I coped by going for drives with my boys after medical appointments they were already loaded in the car with their oxygen tanks, and I had rigged a mirror system so I could make sure the tubes stayed in their noses while I drove around Denver singing show tunes. I took them for long walks in the double stroller. I had to return to work when the boys were six months. Their dad's work offered no paternity or sick leave, so he was forced to quit. One of us had to stay home with the kids. They were still on oxygen 24 hours a day and at risk for infection. When the boys came off oxygen at nine months, we relaxed a little and occasionally went to restaurants. We had enough confidence to throw a party for their first birthday, a milestone we couldn't have imagined a year earlier. Everyone who came knew what they'd been through, and we trusted our friends and family not to show up sick. Social distancing is an effective infection-control practice for those at high risk. With the new coronavirus, this primarily means older adults and those with compromised immune systems. And people like my Oliver, with lung or heart conditions. It's also important to remember that otherwise young and healthy people can still die from this infection. And these measures aren't just for the medically vulnerable like my boys social distancing slows the spread of a virus in communities. The risk with viruses like the new coronavirus isn't just that people will get sick and some will die. This coronavirus is transmitted easily even from people with few or no symptoms so many may get sick at once, overwhelming the health care system. The consequences are potentially dire. People who might have recovered from the virus may die because they are unable to get the critical care they need. Those with other non coronavirus-related illnesses may not get the assistance they need as medical resources are diverted to respond to the coronavirus. Loading During our 18 months of social distancing, I kept two weeks' worth of food at home in case one of us got sick. Assuming most illnesses run their course in a week or less, this was enough backup so the sick parent could quarantine in the basement and the other wouldn't have to take the boys to the grocery store. Since a 14-day quarantine is recommended for those exposed to the coronavirus, a two-week supply of groceries and other supplies should be sufficient. I never hoarded toilet paper (honestly, I have no idea what's up with that). As a gynaecologist, I can confidently tell you that if you do run out of toilet paper, a bottle of tap water squeezed on your anus is a fine hygiene hack for a bidet. Just blot dry with a face cloth, which can be laundered for reuse. The panic-buying of hand sanitiser also stumps me, given the effectiveness of a 20-second wash with soap and water. I will never forget how people helped us when we needed it, so I'm thinking of how I can help others now. I've offered to do the grocery shopping for some older friends, and I'm buying gift certificates from local businesses to help them with their cash flow. It's important to remember that not everyone can afford two weeks' worth of groceries or lives in a neighbourhood where stores are open late. Some people have to take public transportation to the grocery store, potentially increasing their risk of exposure. Many people can't take paid time off to look after their young children if schools close. And many workers may not be paid if their businesses close temporarily. Social distancing is a privilege, but it shouldn't be. It should be supported by the government as a public health measure. The faster and the more efficiently a society can practise social distancing in the face of a viral pandemic, the less severe the eventual impact for everyone. What happened when my family finally ended social distancing and took that last big step interaction with other children? Within a week, Oliver was in the hospital with pneumonia and back on oxygen. It was devastating to see him so ill, but it made me realise that our strategy of social distancing was effective and worth all the effort. New York Times TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) The Tippecanoe County Health Department announced its fourth positive case of coronavirus. The health department said the person does have recent travel history to Aruba. They are currently isolating at home. On March 18th, we reported the first Tippecanoe County resident tested presumptive positive for COVID-19. On March 19th, we reported the first person living in Tippecanoe County tested presumptive positive for CODID-19. As people get into the drill of protecting themselves and their loved ones against the notorious coronavirus, travellers returning home just as bans are being enforced may feel safe on home soil. But could they have brought the back with them on their travel bag? Even if they didnt encounter any sick people, theres a chance their luggage could be compromised, according to luggage storage service Bounce. Im home now. What do I do with my luggage? As mentioned above, global health experts are modelling preventative measures against previous viral outbreaks, such as MERS and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Ann R. Falsey, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Rochester, estimates coronavirus might survive for two to four days on hard surfaces, less than one day on fabrics, and 30-60 minutes on hands. Hard, non-porous materials like metal, glass, and plastic are more hospitable to viruses than softer ones. For example, lets say the travel bag is like many on the market: a wheeled canvas case with an adjustable aluminium handle. If the bug has somehow made its way onto your luggage, its likely to live longer on the metal handle than the fabric. Best ways to wash your travel bags: Part one When travellers think of bugs in their bags, they might flinch at memories of catching bed bugs in a hostel and having to go into full assault mode to get rid of them. Rest assured, youll not need to burn your entire suitcase and everything in it. Experts suggest several relatively easy (albeit time-consuming) tactics for dealing with compromised baggage. Focus on the parts of the luggage that have been handled by other people. Think of baggage handlers, shuttle drivers, and porters anybody involved in your bags passage from airport to accommodation. Poland says to wipe the affected areas with antibacterial towelettes. If your local supermarkets shelves are bare (not uncommon in the wake of panic-buying), use hot water and soap. Alternatively, the CDCs coronavirus page lists a recipe for bleach solution. Bear in mind the difference between cleaning (wiping germs from surfaces, rather than killing them) and disinfecting (involving the use of germ-destroying chemicals that can damage fabric). Also keep in mind that the bags may become discoloured or stained in the process. Poland advises leaving potentially contaminated items in the sun. As mentioned above, coronavirus is enveloped, meaning its more sensitive to factors like heat and humidity. While heat is not a guaranteed COVID-killer, prolonged exposure to sunlight could theoretically disrupt viral development on affected surfaces. For clothes, do what you normally would after a long trip: run them through the washing machine (though skip the eco- and colour-friendly cold cycle) and dryer. Or, send them off to a dry cleaner if fabrics arent machine-washable. Extra heat and time in the dryer should inactivate viral droplets. Dont shake clothes from your laundry bag and lazily dump them on the floor in a pile; doing so may release viral particles into the air. Tempted as one might be, dont ruin all the clothes by boiling everything. Experts say using a regular washing machine would kill the virus, potentially even if one were to combine sick and healthy peoples items in one load (though wash separately if you can). If you cant access laundry facilities, hand-wash garments at home in water thats above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees celsius). Dr. Amy Faith Ho, an emergency physician in Dallas-Fort Worth, suggests cleaning frequently-touched items in our hand luggage we might not consider, like your passport and cover, glasses case, mobile phone, and lotion bottles. Also, youve likely been dragging your travel bag across dirty floors and carpets, so give the wheels a good wipe down for good measure. Finally, if youve tried everything and are still scared to go near any of your possessions, Falsey instructs gathering together all your travel items and isolating them somewhere in your house. Choose an area that wont be entered by accident, and steer completely clear of it for several days. Leave items alone for a week, and the virus will die, she says. What fabrics do coronavirus love most? Weve already gone over how hard surfaces can create longer-lasting environments for coronavirus than softer materials. Robert Amler, Dean of Health Sciences at New York Medical College, says the duration of the virus depends on the porousness of the fabric it touches. Some researchers believe the fibers in porous material catch the virus particles, dry them out, and break them apart, Amler says. Smooth surfaces like leather and vinyl can be wiped clean. Its also been suggested polyester and other spandex-like materials may hold germs longer than breathable fabrics, like cotton; so be sure to wash leggings, underwear, and dresses carefully. Finally, initial studies on COVID-19 indicate the virus ability to stay on cardboard, steel, copper, and plastic surfaces. Note how buttons, zippers, and other clothing hardware can consist of these materials. Best ways to wash your travel bags: Part two Of course, while were talking about cleansing garments of a contagious disease, you might conversely be picturing yourself wearing something resembling a hazmat suit. Just how careful do you have to be in your cleaning habits? The CDC provides more specific instructions for germ removal: Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Get rid of the gloves after each cleaning. If gloves are reusable, make sure theyre never used for any other purpose. Wash your hands immediately after removing gloves. Use warm, soapy water, rub all those nooks and crannies, and wish yourself a happy birthday twice. (In other words, keep your hands lathered for at least twenty seconds.) Alternatively, use hand sanitiser containing at least 60% alcohol. If disinfecting, using diluted household bleaches or solutions of at least 70 per cent alcohol. Make sure the room is properly ventilated, follow instructions on the bottles, and never mix bleach with ammonia or any other cleaner. For porous surfaces and fabrics like canvas, cotton, and that souvenir rug you bought from a souk, wash with typical cleaning products indicated for use with those particular materials. Machine-wash clothes on the warmest possible setting and allow them to dry completely. If no disposable gloves were used while handling laundry, wash your hands afterwards. - TradeArabia News Service Nineteen new imported coronavirus cases were reported in Shanghai on Tuesday , bringing the total number to 94. Another 14 suspected imported cases are undergoing check, said the Shanghai Health Commission on Wednesday morning. Among the 19 new cases, 11 are Chinese studying abroad (seven in the UK, three in the US and one in Italy). The 12th case is an Italian, who traveled in Thailand. The person left Thailand on March 21, arrived at the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport the next day via Macau and was sent to a designated hospital upon arrival for showing symptoms. The 13th case is a Spanish, who left Spain on March 21, arrived at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport the next day via Russia and was put under quarantine upon arrival. The 14th is a Canadian, who left Canada on March 21, arrived at the Pudong airport the same day and was put under quarantine upon arrival. The 15th is an American who lived in Switzerland. The person left there on March 16, arrived at the Pudong airport on March 21 via Malaysia and was put under quarantine upon arrival. The 16th is a British national, who left the UK on March 20, arrived at the Pudong airport the next day via Bangkok and was put quarantine upon arrival. The 17th is a Hubei Province native, who visited family in the US. The person left there on March 20, arrived at the Pudong airport the same day and was put under quarantine upon arrival. The 18th is an American, who left there on March 21, arrived at the Pudong airport the next day via Taipei and was sent to a hospital for showing symptoms upon arrival. The 19th is an American, who left there on March 16, arrived at the Pudong airport the next day via Taipei and was sent to a hospital for showing symptoms upon arrival. All the 19 patients have been transferred to the designated hospital for treatment and their 109 close contacts on the planes were tracked and put under quarantine and observation. There are no new local cases or local suspected cases reported on Tuesday. So far, Shanghai has reported 339 local cases. An imported case, who came from Italy, was discharged upon recovery during the day. One patient, an 81-year-old man with liver and kidney disorders and heart disease, died. He was in critical condition when hospitalized and received respiratory machine, Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation, or ECMO, and continuous renal replacement therapy, or CRRT. So far, 98 patients are hospitalized for treatment, including 91 imported cases. Ninety are stable, two are seriously sick and six are in critical condition, the commission said. Now, 330 people have been discharged upon recovery. There are five fatalities. The coronavirus pandemic is deepening the divide on abortion access between blue and red states by sparking a debate over whether the procedure is medically essential. Anti-abortion forces led by Republican governors in Ohio, Texas and Mississippi are citing the critical shortage of medical supplies in trying to close abortion clinics, in some instances threatening jail time if they don't shut down and donate protective gear and other necessities to local hospitals. Meanwhile, in blue states like New York, Washington and New Jersey, governors are deeming abortion and family planning clinics an essential service that can continue during the pandemic. The moves come against the backdrop of a wave of tough new abortion laws passed by conservative states in recent years that virtually ban the procedure which coincides with a broader push to convince the Supreme Court to reevaluate abortion rights. Legislatures in Kentucky and Idaho, for example, are continuing to advance new abortion curbs, even during the pandemic. The leaders of Ohio, Texas and Mississippi say their orders will help preserve scarce medical gear for hospitals facing a surge of new coronavirus cases. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has characterized the policy as mainly a deterrent to encourage people to stay at home and slow the virus spread, adding he was not looking to make arrests, while Texas is threatening fines of $1,000 or 180 days in jail for any doctor continuing to perform elective abortions. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves told reporters Tuesday that his office would take unspecified actions against the state's one remaining abortion clinic if it does not comply. "We'll take whatever action we need to to protect not only the lives of unborn children, but also the lives of anyone who may contract this particular virus," he said. Powerful anti-abortion groups allied with the Trump administration are also advocating for a federal shutdown order, arguing the clinics are pulling resources away from legitimate health care providers. On Tuesday, the Susan B. Anthony List and other conservative groups wrote to HHS Secretary Alex Azar urging him to use "emergency authority" to make the clinics close and donate their supplies to nearby hospitals. Story continues Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks during a television interview outside the White House in Washington, Monday, March, 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) "While we are in a hectic race to save lives, Planned Parenthood and other powers in the abortion industry remain insistent on taking the lives of innocent unborn children," the letter reads. Clinics in Texas and Ohio say they will defy the orders and continue to see patients, arguing that women who need an abortion cant live with a weeks or months-long delay. Emergency actions during a global pandemic should advance health and safety for us all, not force people to delay much-needed care and possibly exacerbate their health situations by doing so, said Amy Hagstrom Miller, the President of Whole Womans Health and Whole Womans Health Alliance, which operates three Texas clinics and has facilities in other states. Progressive states that have implemented broad orders shutting down businesses during the pandemic, such as Washington, have clarified that they consider abortion and family planning clinics an essential service that can continue during the pandemic. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was one of a handful of Democratic leaders to explicitly carve out an exception for the full range of family planning services and procedures, including terminations of pregnancies from his executive order that suspends elective surgeries. Meanwhile in New York, clinics are working to expand access to medication abortion. Planned Parenthood is conducting more assessments over its telehealth platform so eligible patients only have to come to centers to pick up medication, as is required by law. The reproductive health organization is building out capacity to avoid having too many people in a waiting room. We feel we have a critical responsibility to patients and staff to be part of flattening the curve without shifting our care, said Laura McQuade, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York. She added the centers are also preparing for an influx of patients seeking surgical abortions as hospital beds are taken up by coronavirus patients. Long before the pandemic hit, the ability to obtain an abortion, particularly for low-income women, already varied widely by state, with access virtually out of reach in many parts of the country. Ohio, Texas and Mississippi have been some of the most aggressive states in passing laws to restrict access to the procedure and strip funding from clinics. While federal courts have found many such efforts violated Roe v. Wade, narrower laws have taken effect, such as one in Texas requiring that patients must have a counseling session that includes a sonogram 24 hours before the procedure with the same doctor performing the abortion. NARAL Pro-Choice Texas is one of several groups calling on states to waive some abortion restrictions so that women can more easily take an abortion pill at home without physically traveling multiple times to a clinic as they currently must a requirement they argue puts both patients and doctors at greater risk of exposure to the coronavirus. State leaders should ensure that Texans who need care can access it with the least amount of obstacles and medically unnecessary visits possible, said the groups executive director, Aimee Arrambide. The realities of the pandemic could further limit access while putting legal fights over abortion rights in limbo. Travel restrictions may ground abortion providers who live in coronavirus hot spots like New York, Washington state and California who previously made regular trips to serve regions with few, if any, providers. The economic hardship unleashed by the pandemic could also make it harder for working-class people to afford travel to a clinic and the cost of the procedure. And with many courts suspending proceedings during the pandemic, any lawsuit challenging states moves to close clinics could be put on hold indefinitely. The Texas order on abortion clinics, outlined on Monday, sets a monthlong ban on elective procedures, including any abortions that are not not medically necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother. Nearly half of the states abortion clinics closed between 2012 and 2016 amid a wave of state laws targeting their funding and operation. Ohio's "stay at home" order, which lasts until April 6, appears less stringent, without specific penalties for violations. Yet it did single out abortion clinics with targeted letters to the state's providers, even as businesses including gun stores and marijuana dispensaries were deemed essential and allowed to remain open. The state has passed some of the countrys most sweeping abortion bills in recent years, including a ban on all abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected that hasn't taken effect amid court challenges. The Ohio attorney generals office told POLITICO Tuesday morning that it had not yet received any reports of violations from the Department of Health about the clinics. Still, with the scope of enforcement not yet known, progressive lawmakers and abortion rights groups warn the new orders will cause widespread harm by eliminating what little access to abortion remains. There is potential for a lot of unintended consequences, said Texas Democratic state Rep. Donna Howard, including forcing a woman into "having a pregnancy continue with severe fetal abnormalities. Howard said shes speaking with reproductive rights lawyers who are trying to parse the attorney generals statement to better understand the possible consequences. Elisabeth Smith, the chief counsel of state policy and advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said the organization is prepared to bring legal challenges if needed, even if most court hearings are currently suspended. "In many states, there is still access to the court for emergency issues," she said. "Obviously, a determination that abortion is prohibited in a state would fall into that category." In the meantime, Ohios abortion providers, both those that are part of Planned Parenthoods network and independent clinics, insist they are in full compliance and that they aren't yet contemplating legal challenges. Clevelands Preterm clinic told POLITICO it's adhering to the directive to stop providing non-essential surgeries and procedures and take other steps to reduce the use of equipment in short supply. Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio says staff at its four clinics are "doing our part to conserve needed resources and to protect the health and safety of our patients and staff. Some states are still working out how abortion fits into broader prohibitions on elective procedures. On Monday, Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan appeared to suggest that he was labeling abortion clinics nonessential when he issued a statewide stay-at-home order, responding to a reporters question about abortions by saying: We included in our directive an order to limit all elective surgeries ... because we need to free up beds for the things that are going to save peoples lives. Hogans office later clarified to POLITICO that abortion providers would be allowed to remain open during the pandemic. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report incorrectly stated the name of the New York Planned Parenthood affiliate. Sudans defense minister, Jamal Omar died Wednesday while he was in Juba, the capital of neighboring South Sudan, for peace negotiations with main rebel groups. The Sovereign Council ruling the country since last year said in a statement Omar died in Juba while taking part in peace talks between his countrys transitional government and rebel groups. Another statement by the council said the state will hold a funeral in Khartoum for the 59-year old high raking army officer this Wednesday when his body is repatriated. Omar was member of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) that deposed autocratic leader Omar el Beshir last year in April. Omar had said on Monday that he was confident the two sides would sign a deal to form a national army, state media reported. Sudan launched in October peace talks with rebel groups in view of stabilizing the country and rebuild the economy and deliver the democracy promises made to Sudanese. Thousands of people died in the years-old fighting between rebels and army, mainly in the restive western Darfur region. [March 25, 2020] Friedlander Group Announces a 15% Dividend Paid to the Members of The Social Services Group of New York Workers' Compensation Safety Group #585 Friedlander Group, the leader in workers' compensation, announces a 15% dividend paid to members of the Social Services Group of New York Workers' Compensation Safety Group #585*. The 15% paid dividend is in addition to the 25% group discount clients already received on their policies effective August 1, 2018 - August 1, 2019. The combination of the 25% group discount and 15% dividend resulted in social service group members saving over 36% on their workers' compensation insurance. A member with a standard premium of $10,000, only paid $6,375 after discounts and dividends. "By focusing on keeping their employees working and safe, clients have benefited from increased productivity and profits, along with unparalleled workers' compensation savings," says Adam Friedlander, President and Group Manager. Friedlander shares his expertise knowledge of how employers can operate at optimal levels in Safety and Workers' Compensation Strategies to Unleash Productivity and Profits. About Safety Groups Safety Groups provide low-cost, fully insured workers' compensation solutions to safety-conscious businesses within similar industries in New York*. Safety Groups offer qualifying new members up to 35% group discount on their premiums. Premiums are then pooled, and after paying claims and administration charges, the profits are paid back to the Safety Group members in the form of a dividend. About Friedlander Group Friedlander Group manages seven Workers' Compensation Safety Groups for retailers, restaurants, wholesalers, hotels and motels, oil and fuel dealers, and home health care and residential care facilities. Since 1992, clients across these industries have been paid a total of $250 million in dividends and, when combined with group discounts, clients saved a total of $550 million on their workers' compensation costs. In addition to the Safety Groups, Friedlander Groups' Workers' Care program specializes in workers' compensation for clients that struggle with safety or are outside of the mentioned industries. Friedlander Group reduces premiums through expert Claims Solutions, Self-pay techniques, Fraud Prevention Services, Audit Services, Safety Services, Unique Reporting and Underwriting Services. For more information contact Cosmo Preiato, Executive VP., 800-394-7004, ext. 203 or email [email protected]. * All Safety Groups and Workers' Care Group are underwritten by the New York State Insurance Fund, 199 Church St. New York, NY 10007. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200325005601/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] As the country went under a 21-days lockdown on March 25, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, said that there are several questions that remains unanswered and urged the government to implement the Nyay Scheme. Speaking to ANI, he asked as to how does the government propose to handle the situation, protect healthcare workers, address daily wage earners, farmers, small businesses, thele wala, etc. Speaking about the demands of the doctors, he said that doctors and nurses asking for hazmat shoes, goggles, N95 masks etc accusing that up to 19th March, Commerce ministry allowed export all these protection equipment at 10 times the rate. He also questioned as to how will the unorganized sector eat food and sustain their family for 21 days. In his list of questions he also added as to how the harvesting states will work out in the 21 days. "We demand the government to implemet Nyay scheme by Rahul Gandhi, pay 7500 to all PM Kisaan schemes, pension schemes, etc. Please implement the social security scheme PM. If this happens, we will thank you from the bottom of our hearts," he said. Here are services that will remain operational and suspended under the 21-day lockdown PM Modi announces 21-day pan-India lockdown amid Coronavirus Amid the rising Coronavirus cases in India, PM Modi, on Tuesday, announced a 21-day curfew throughout India starting at midnight on Tuesday. He said that 21 days were necessary for breaking the transmission cycle of the pandemic. The 21-day curfew is applicable to all states, districts, and villages - irrespective of whether they are currently under curfew or not. Currently, India's positive cases stand at 519, with nine deaths. Coronavirus outbreak: PM Modi announces 21-day pan-India lockdown starting from midnight Coronavirus crisis in India As of March 25, 536 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) with Maharashtra reporting the highest at 106 and ten deaths have been reported. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and shut down over 32 states and Union territories. Complete lockdown imposed in India from March 25: Here are the guidelines India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. The government is monitoring all suspected cases and issued preventive advisories with states declaring the disease an epidemic shutting down all educational institutions, monuments, parks, gyms, swimming pools, pubs and banning large gatherings. All domestic airplanes and trains have ceased operation. Visit the official government here: MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE Congress leader Kamal Nath's remark that Jyotiraditya Scindia 'can hit the streets if he wants to' rankled with the MLAs who were loyal to the latter and led to their exit from the party, some of them said on Wednesday. Scindia, a former Union minister, and 22 MLAs who supported him quit the party earlier this month and joined the BJP, leading to collapse of the Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh. "The sidelining of our leader for the last 15 months and the (then) chief ministers statement "let him take to the streets then" was the trigger that resulted in never-before exodus by legislators including six cabinet ministers," said Tulsiram Silawat, one of the ministers who resigned. It was believed that one of the demands of disgruntled Scindia was that Silawat, his loyalist, be made deputy chief minister. Referring to it, Silawat said that "nobody in the history of Congress party had put all his might at stake for making a Dalit leader deputy CM, like Scindia did." "What was wrong with it?" he asked. "The Congress came back to power in Madhya Pradesh because Scindia was party's face. We had made lots of promises to people before assembly elections in 2018 and when our leader said if the promises were not fulfilled, then he will hit the roads, what was wrong with it," asked Dr Prabhram Chouhdary, another former minister. "Instead of addressing the concerns of our leader, the then chief minister and other ministers humiliated him by telling media that he should hit the roads, if he wanted to," said another former minister, Mahendra Singh Sisodia. To senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh calling Scindia and his supporters as "betrayers," Sisodia said even Laxman Singh, Digivijays brother, had once joined the BJP, but he was not dubbed as betrayer by his elder brother. Former minister and Scindia supporter Govind Singh Rajput refuted allegations that the BJP paid them huge sums of money for switching loyalty. "It is a totally baseless allegation and an attempt to malign our leader's image," he said. When asked at what point they decided to part ways with the Congress, all of them said that Naths dismissive remark about Scindia was the turning point. "Now everyone can see who is on the street," they added. "They label us traitors, but in reality it was they who remained silent and did not oppose anti-people decisions (of Nath government)," said another former minister, Pradyumna Singh Tomar. "Not just the chief minister, but even officials were not listening to our problems...in this country people can't even think of quitting the post of sarpanch, but we resigned as cabinet ministers for the pride of our Maharaj (as Scindia is often referred to)," Rajput said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement Heading to a remote idyll to see out the coronavirus pandemic feels like an appealing idea right now - and this stunning Scottish retreat will set buyers back roughly the same price as a central London terrace house. Glencruitten House, close to Oban, on Scotland's remote west coast, went on the market last month and is priced at 975,000 - a snip when you consider the property comes with 13 bedrooms, its own lake and 16.5 acres of land. Dating back to 1897, the house, listed with Galbraith estate agents in Stirling, was designed in part by famous Scottish architect Robert Lorimer and, in its lavish grounds, includes a boathouse, trout pond and its own woodland to explore. Scroll down for video Easy self-isolation: Glencruitten House, close to Oban, on Scotland's remote west coast has gone on the market for 975,000, which would barely buy a terrace house in upmarket areas of Southern England A little solitude: the property, set in 16.5 acres, comes with its own lake and boathouse - and a well-stocked trout pond Huge windows let natural light pour into the historic property, which dates back to 1897 and was designed in parts by Sir Robert Lorimer, a famous Scottish architect Intriguingly, the property was most recently owned by a religious community but is now on the market to prospective buyers looking for a little piece of Scottish paradise, with views from the rear of the home across to the isle of Mull. With neighbours well beyond current social distancing measures, Glencruitten's other big appeal is the natural light that pours in through huge windows. The verdant countryside fills the panoramic views, alongside a vantage from the rear on the isle of Mull, across the sea. The library - named after Lorimer and accessed via a spiral staircase - might be the perfect place to spend holed-up reading while the pandemic outside reaches its peak. One of the biggest draws is the ample grounds, from the house, a path cuts through a rockery that dates from the 1920s before reaching a croquet lawn. There's also a well-stocked trout pond. Very Harry Potter! The oak-panelled library is accessed via a spiral staircase and boasts a huge stone fireplace Wood-panels feature throughout out the B-listed period property, which offers panoramic views across the countryside and across the sea to the isle of Mull True to its original 19th century period in theme, the house has bold colours on the wall of the sitting rooms The kitchen, which does boast a white double Aga, looks like it could do with a little TLC on the walls; a religious community recently vacated the historic home There are 13 bedrooms in Glencruitten House, making it fantastic value for its 975,000 price tag The B-listed property is described as 'a baronial country property of significant historical interest'. On Rightmove, the estate agent details the home's link to Scotland's famous architect, Lorimer, saying: 'The house which dates from 1897 was remodelled with the addition of two extensions in 1905 and 1926. 'These include a stunning first floor library designed by the famous Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer complete with woodwork and panelling believed to be by Clow Bros and Louis Davis stained glass windows.' Surprisingly open plan, the historic pile feels airy thanks to clever arches and knocked-through spaces UP to 1,000 workers at poultry giant Moy Park, Northern Irelands biggest employer, have walked out with a trade union claiming that bosses have rejected health and safety proposals. Unite said there had been a mass walk-out by staff at Moy Park in Seagoe, Portadown, over what it said was a lack of measures to combat the spread of coronavirus. Food factories have been deemed essential businesses which are to stay open even as others close - but they are required to have social distancing measures in place for their employees. And in nearby Lurgan, around 80 staff are reported to have walked out of a factory owned by Irish meat giant ABP, again over health and safety concerns. Both companies have been asked for comment. Unite regional officer Sean McKeever said claimed that Moy Park had failed to provide basic health and safety protections, leading employees to walk out. Unite attempted to secure commitments to ensure a minimum two metre social distancing between workers and other measures to enable infection control in the face of the coronavirus threat but our proposals were dismissed by management. Workers are refusing to return to work in unsafe conditions. This is an entirely foreseeable outcome of both management greed and total inaction from Stormont. Unites Susan Fitzgerald said the 80 workers at ABP had refused to work due to lack of provisions to maintain social-distancing. Unite has been informed that the workers are demanding adequate social distancing of two metres be facilitated and enforced and other measures be adopted to keep workers as separated as possible and deep-cleans are conducted on work stations where workers have self-isolated with coronavirus symptoms. She called for a full lockdown of non-essential factories. Government inaction is going to cost lives. There must be a full lock-down of non-essential companies and where workers are deemed essential every possible measure should be taken and enforced to protect them - or else they shouldnt be there. Guest Commentary By Niels Veldhuis and Jason Clemens The federal government has announced its fiscal response to the growing economic downturn caused by the risks and responses to COVID-19. In total, Ottawa will directly spend up to $27 billion to support individual Canadians and businesses. Many of these measures announced will effectively stabilize income for Canadians and businesses, which is the key to mitigating the economic downturn. Its first important to recognize that the federal initiatives do not include the automatic measures already underway through programs like employment insurance (EI), which automatically collects less revenues through the EI payroll tax as unemployment increases while simultaneously spending more on EI benefits. These programs are already stabilizing income for affected workers. Additional changes announced by the government, including quicker eligibility for EI, providing income support to workers and Canadians not covered by EI ($5.0 billion), and extending benefits to workers whose normal work hours are reduced, are all positive measures that will stabilize household incomes. In addition, these income-support measures seem to piggy-back on existing programs, making it easier for Canadians to gain access and receive the support needed quickly. Other measures including delaying tax payments, introducing flexibility on mortgage repayments (for six months), and reducing the level of mandatory withdrawals from RRIFs to avoid financial losses will also provide some financial relief to Canadian households adversely affected by the economic downturn. In evaluating these changes, its important to remember that the economic disruption caused by COVID-19 and the response to it, including shutting down major sectors of our economy, is very different from previous recessions. Many of the measures announced to support businesses also appear quite positive, though details are not yet available. For instance, providing liquidity and financial support to affected businesses, if designed and administered properly, could provide certainty in an incredibly uncertain time, which will help stabilize the economy and eventual recovery. However, the details and actual administration of these programs will be critical in their ultimate success. For instance, the plan to support businesses and prevent layoffs by providing a subsidy of up to 10 per cent of payroll (up to a maximum of $1,375 per worker and $25,000 per company), which will be financed by allowing companies to reduce their remittances of income taxes, could be an administrative nightmare for both the government and firms alike. In addition, its not clear what this initiative achieves that could not have been more easily achieved through the existing EI program and other measures announced by the government such as the Emergency Support Benefit. Thankfully, the government wisely ignored the calls for accelerated infrastructure spending. While most economists agree that better infrastructure improves the economy, infrastructure spending remains a poor response to recession, because it takes significant time to plan and execute so by the time the spending actually occurs, the recession is usually over. Finance Minister Bill Morneau hinted that additional measures were in the works to stimulate the economy once this immediate crisis has stabilized. Hopefully he recognizes the reality of infrastructure spending as a response to recessions and indeed his own governments poor record on using infrastructure to improve the economy. Finally, economists at several of Canadas largest banks were calling for large-scale stimulus to improve the economy including enhancing the Canada Child Benefit (CCB). The government announced several measures along these lines that will likely be less-effective and more expensive than the other initiatives announced. The government, for instance, announced temporary increases to the GST credit (estimated cost of $5.5 billion) and the Canada Child Benefit (estimated cost of $2.0 billion), which are less effective ways at targeting income support than measures linked with EI and changes to worker employment. Moreover, these measures will likely have little, if any, stimulative effect on the economy. The experience with such temporary income transfers in Canada, the United States and elsewhere is fairly clearthey dont stimulate people into spending more. People generally understand these transfers are temporary and subsequently, most people use the extra one-time (or temporary) money from government to pay down debt or save, which improves their household balance sheet but does little to stimulate the economy. Overall, though, the governments response to the economic downturn from COVID-19 seems to be measured and well-targeted at income stabilization, which is key to mitigating the current economic downturn and establishing the foundation for recovery. Niels Veldhuis is the President, Fraser Institute and Jason Clemens is Executive Vice President, Fraser Institute. Health workers in Lagos State may currently be at risk as the scarcity of personal protective equipment, especially masks, infrared thermometers, sanitisers and protective coverall has hit many of the public hospitals in the state. Lagos is the state most hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. It accounts for 30 of Nigerias 46 confirmed cases as at the time of this report. The state government has confirmed the scarcity of the equipment (PPE), but insisted that efforts are being made to make provisions for as many health facilities as possible. Investigations by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that at Lagos Island maternity, and various general hospitals located in Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos Island, Ikorodu, Gbagada, among others, protective tools are being rationed among workers. The Island maternitys chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) was compelled to invite experts in sanitiser production to teach its members on how to locally mass-produce sanitisers as part of their protective measures. Speaking with our reporter, the chairman of the association, Ayobami Amusan, said the safety of its members was paramount, and his executive committee decided to sacrifice, especially in the face of scarcity that has hit the country due to the rampaging coronavirus disease. He said; There is no doubt that Lagos State government is working hard to combat this terrible virus, and the scarcity of PPE is not unexpected because the problem is global. Our people here are also not helping matters because marketers now hoard things to sell at higher prices. So, when we appraised the situation, we felt apart from providing care, the association needed to improve the skills of its members so that we can improvise during difficult times like this. Mr Amusan said every other department and unit also benefited from the training and that the sanitiser made was distributed around the hospital to help everyone. You know that healthcare requires team work and you cannot be selfishly protecting yourselves while others are not. Attendants, cleaners, doctors, medical recorders, accountants, and everyone working within the hospital environment deserves to be protected. We enjoy such rapport at the Island maternity because the leadership here is great, he added. Meanwhile, at Ifako general hospital, workers confided in PREMIUM TIMES that they can no longer cope with the rationing of items, saying their safety is also very important. One of the health workers at the hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that even the pharmacists in the hospital who were tasked by the government to locally produce sanitisers do not have raw materials to do so. The source said some health workers in the state have concluded plans to quit their job if the situation degenerates. At the general hospital in Gbagada, the leadership at the emergency unit notified nurses on duty that only nurses assigned to welcome patients into the unit are allowed to use the kits. R-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi; Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folasade Jaji and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, during a press briefing on the first case of Coronavirus in the State at Lagos House, Marina, on Friday, February 28, 2020. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that as a result of this, the hospital has since cultivated the habit of releasing kits, especially masks and coverall to only one nurse allocated to triage patients at the emergency unit. NANNM writes state, threaten to down tools Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the nurses association has addressed a strongly worded letter to the states commissioner for health, Akin Abayomi, urging his ministry to provide adequate facilities, and particularly protective items, to the hospitals. The letter, which was dated March 24, notified the government of the precarious state of its members across major hospitals, saying it would not fold its arms while members risk their lives in the course of providing care. The letter reads in part; Accordingly, I have the directive of the state leadership to request the management of all institutions and hospitals where nurses provide services to, as a matter of responsibility and urgency make available adequate personal protective equipment including but not limited to provision of running water with soap and sanitiser for hand washing, and where necessary, effective arrangement for transportation for nurses and other health workers who are equally at high risk. Consequently, we are constrained to add that, nurses, at this juncture, have been directed not to risk their lives where personal protective equipment are not available or provided by any hospital management and advised to withdraw services until such are supplied to protect themselves. The association said as a body with the largest and frontline professionals in the healthcare industry, it would continue to support the government in addressing the health challenges confronting the country, and the state in particular, but would not subject the members to avoidable risks. Were working hard to make tools available The Lagos State Government said it acknowledged the scarcity of the PPEs but said efforts are in top gear to make them available in abundance. Speaking on behalf of government, the permanent secretary in the states health ministry, Olusegun Ogboye, said its suppliers are struggling to surmount the biting scarcity and skyrocketing prices of protective tools. Mr Ogboye explained that the state has been busy mopping up any available stores where the items could be purchased, but that many marketers are still making things difficult in spite of the biting challenges by hoarding the items. Advertisements He said; In fact, we also realised that some are even mopping our markets to export these items to other countries in need. This is how unpatriotic some people could be. But I can assure you that as we receive these items we distribute to hospitals and particularly the mainland hospitals where infected patients are currently being attended to. Mr Ogboye added that the state is worried about the skyrocketing increase in the price, saying infrared thermometers which sold for N4,500 now sells for between N45,000 and N60,000. He, however, assured the workers that the state values their commitment and support at this critical time, adding that as caregivers, they would not sacrifice their safety for anything. Without them being protected, there is no basis for any care to be provided for anyone in the state. They are the first point of call, and we realise that because all of us and in it together. We will like to appeal to everyone to sincerely understand the peculiarity of the artificial scarcity we currently suffer. All hands are on deck to overcome it as soon as possible, he added. He said the pharmacy units through the pharmacists of every hospital are being empowered to locally make sanitisers, adding that the N24 masks, which it regarded as the best for its workers, are quite scarce at the moment. Many questions remain about the $2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package that will inject billions of dollars into an economy thats stalled as consumers stay home to protect themselves and others and as businesses shutter or lay off workers. Here are answers to some of the top questions submitted by MassLive readers. Who will receive stimulus checks, how much and when? Single taxpayers: All single taxpayers earning up to $75,000 will receive $1,200. For each qualifying child, a single taxpayer will receive $500. Employed, unemployed and self-employed taxpayers can qualify, so long as you filed your taxes in 2018 or 2019. Married taxpayers: Married taxpayers filing jointly and earning up to $150,000 will receive $2,400, with qualifying children adding $500 each to the total. Salary caps: According to Forbes, the checks decrease incrementally, at 5%, or $5 for every additional $100 in income, above the thresholds. The decreases begin at $75,000 for single filers; $112,500 for heads of household and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly. The checks phase out entirely for single taxpayers who earn $99,000 and have no children and $198,000 for married couples with no children. When: Trump administration officials have said the checks could be issued by early April, but it remains to be seen whether taxpayers will have the option of receiving checks through the mail or direct deposit. Will the checks count as taxable income? Its possible the funds will be repaid through a reduction of a future tax refund, or be considered a gift and therefore taxable income. Though its also possible the money will come tax-free, CNBC reported. What about Social Security or Social Security Disability Insurance? A previous Senate proposal said taxpayers who rely on Social Security as part of their retirement can have their Social Security Administration data used directly, as opposed to filing tax forms. According to Vox, beneficiaries of Supplemental Security Income, which helps elderly or disabled people in poverty, are not included in the latest proposal. But Democrats are pushing for the stimulus funds to be allowed to be sent through EBT cards or added to Supplemental Security Income checks, Vox reported. Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts What unemployment benefits are expanded in the package? Lawmakers agreed to provide a $367 billion program to help small businesses make payroll while workers must stay home. Small businesses that retain workers will receive cash-flow assistance structured as federally guaranteed loans, and if the employer paid workers throughout the coronavirus crisis, the loans will be forgiven, The New York Times reported. The package allows furloughed workers to receive their salaries for four months; The Associated Press reported the workers would receive whatever amount states typically provide for unemployment, plus a $600 per week add-on. Gig workers, such as Uber drivers, freelancers and those who do not have full- or part-time employment, are covered by the package. When can I begin to apply for the salary replacement for furloughed workers? While it remains unclear how quickly workers can apply for the funds, the Senate is looking to pass the historic legislation by Wednesday. The House, which is not in session, is pushing for unanimous support to pass the bill without a recorded vote, The Times reported. Both Republican and Democratic leaders are advising House lawmakers to get on board and push the needed stimulus through without objection to the non-recorded vote. Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary, has said President Donald Trump would absolutely sign the package into law once its passed by Congress, paving the way for many of its provisions to go into effect within days. Congress must approve the deal, without all of the nonsense, today, Trump tweeted on Tuesday. The longer it takes, the harder it will be to start up our economy. Our workers will be hurt! Congress must approve the deal, without all of the nonsense, today. The longer it takes, the harder it will be to start up our economy. Our workers will be hurt! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2020 How much will the stimulus package provide for health care facilities and equipment? Sen. Chuck Schumer on Wednesday called the package a Marshall Plan for health care facilities, referencing the U.S. aid program to Europe in the aftermath of World War II. Newsweek reported that about $130 billion would be available for hospitals in low-interest loans, while about $150 billion would go to community health centers, nursing homes and other health care facilities and providers. Those funds can go toward much-needed equipment including ventilators, hospital beds, gloves, masks and other personal protective equipment for front line health care workers and emergency responders. The Washington Post reported that the package will boost Medicare payments and also provide testing supplies and new construction to house patients. Vice President Mike Pence last week said after lawmakers compromised on liability insurance for manufacturers, 3M and Honeywell would soon begin selling industrial masks directly to health care facilities. The Post reported that hospitals have about 93,000 intensive care unit beds, about 3.6 per 10,000 people 16 and older. While that figure is higher than in most other countries, experts still worry that the fast-spreading coronavirus will overwhelm facilities. The virus has infected more than 60,000 Americans and killed more than 800, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Fifteen people have died and more than 1,800 have contracted the disease in Massachusetts. How much will state and local governments receive? The stimulus package steers $150 billion to state and local governments struggling to combat the virus. Eight billion dollars will be made available to tribal governments. Lawmakers note that towns, cities and states have seen their tax revenues crawl to a halt amid businesses shuttering across the country. Governors have been asking for an influx of cash and equipment from the federal government and for the president to invoke the Defense Production Act to more rapidly manufacture required medical gear. State-by-state breakdowns were not yet available, but the federal government will likely allocate much more to Massachusetts, one of several hotspots along with New York and Washington, on top of the $12 million approved in a response package earlier this month. Schumer noted that the package also includes $30 billion in emergency education funding and $25 billion in emergency transportation funding. In Greater Boston, ridership on the MBTA continues to decrease due to Gov. Charlie Bakers recent stay-at-home advisory and cuts to the transportation services operating schedule. How much will large corporations receive and how will they be held accountable? A quarter of the overall proposal sparked the biggest fight during negotiations, with Democrats pushing for tougher restrictions on a new $500 billion fund to bail out businesses drastically impacted by the virus. After days of intense discussions, the Senate has reached a bipartisan agreement on a historic relief package for this pandemic, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said early Wednesday morning. It will rush new resources onto the front lines of our nations health care fight. And it will inject trillions of dollars of cash into the economy as fast as possible to help Americans workers, families, small businesses and industries make it through this disruption and emerge on the other side ready to soar." About $425 billion will let the Federal Reserve provide loans for distressed companies and $75 billion would go to airlines and other industries that COVID-19 has directly impacted as consumers stay in their homes and forego travel. The companies cannot buy back stocks while receiving the assistance, not for a year afterward, lawmakers said. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Schumer say they successfully pushed for more transparency on the loans to corporations. Loan documents will be made available to Congress within seven days, and to the public within 14 days of any agreement between the Treasury Department and companies. Neither Trumps companies, nor any company in which a major government figure or their families have majority control, can receive grants or loans through the package. Related Content: I made it an absolute point to be completely respectful. I never said anything publicly or in the courtroom that anyone would have interpreted as being negative toward the victims. Theres no reason for me to give these people pain any more than theyre already suffering. Why on earth would I do that? Every day of the trial, I would be riding up and down the elevators, and frequently the elevator I would get in would be filled with family members. And no one said a single negative word to me. I never was threatened. No one was ever unpleasant to me. Nothing. At the time of the trial, of course, there was no social media. Mr. Berne pointed out that if the trial were held today, internet trolls would have added to the families suffering, perhaps faulting the men and women for going to a club that had been operating illegally. Maybe he would have been targeted for representing Mr. Gonzalez. Rick Berne I just think that it would be a nightmare now. It wouldnt have changed my decision, because I took an oath. I mean, I represented a lot of people where what they were charged with I defended murders. I defended rapes. I defended really a lot of horrible stuff. But thats what the Constitution says. The Sixth Amendment gives you a right to counsel, and I take that extremely seriously. Ive had people back then and sometimes even now ask me, how could you do this? And my answer is, read the Constitution. Everybody hates lawyers until they need one. Eric Warner was the lead prosecutor. He looks back on his opening statement as a lost opportunity. He says he labored how to read the names of the victims out loud to the jury. He ended up reading the names alphabetically, and its something he wished he hadnt done. Eric Warner If I had been random, it would have seemed even more endless. Really, thats the point. There were so many names. There were so many people who died that you literally lost count. Member Benefits Manage your personalised Watchlist. Set up an online Virtual Portfolio. Participate in Share Chat. See more trades and director dealings. Play the Fantasy Share Trading Game. Register for FREE Now Boris Johnson telling Britons they must stay at home to prevent coronavirus spreading. (AP) Britain wasted the month of February in the critical fight against coronavirus, the editor of a leading health journal has claimed. Dr Richard Horton, who edits medical journal The Lancet, told MPs at the science select committee that the government and its scientific advisers did not act on early warnings of how serious the coronavirus outbreak was in China. The Lancet published three papers from Chinese researchers at the beginning of this year that said the NHS would be overwhelmed once the virus reached the UK. Horton said the authors of the papers were advocating the use of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, as well as supporting increased testing and isolation for positive cases. Dr Richard Horton has been critical of the government for its handling of the coronavirus crisis. (Wikipedia) He said: February was the opportunity for the UK to prepare We missed that opportunity. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area Explained: Symptoms, latest advice and how it compares to the flu Dr Horton has previously been critical of government action to tackle COVID-19, saying lives will be lost as a result of wasting valuable time. Meanwhile, British epidemiologist Professor Neil Ferguson, who has previously advised Boris Johnson on the pandemic, told MPs that action being taken by the government may now see cases of coronavirus decline. Asked about what happens once the current lockdown in the UK ends, Ferguson said: "There will be some resurgence of transmission but the hope is that by employing more focused policies to suppress those local outbreaks, we can maintain infection levels at low levels in the country as a whole indefinitely. It remains to be seen how we achieve this and how practical it proves to be." Ferguson also predicted that action being taken now would mean the NHS would ultimately be able to cope with the epidemic. Countries around the world with confirmed cases of coronavirus. (PA) He added: "There will be some areas that are extremely stressed but we are reasonably confident which is all we can be at the current time that at the national level we will be within capacity. Story continues The committee also heard that the public will be able to conduct coronavirus antibody tests at home within a matter of days, rather than weeks and months. Professor Sharon Peacock, director of the National Infection Service at Public Health England, told MPs that 3.5 million tests had been bought and would be available in the "near future. Coronavirus home test delivery a matter of days away She said the tests would also allow key workers like doctors and nurses to go back to work if they have developed antibodies. Peacock said a small number of tests would be tested in a laboratory before being distributed via Amazon and in places like Boots. As with other enterprises, criminals have begun the process of adjusting to coronavirus both domestically and internationally, seeking to profit from the crisis, but also incurring unexpected losses with lockdowns and borders shutting. In Britain, so far, most of the rise in lawlessness related to the virus has been opportunistic - preying on vulnerable people and the anxieties of the public to carry out scams, as well as thefts, albeit on a small scale so far, of goods in short supply, including vital medical equipment. There has, predictably, been a huge rise in online crime, with Action Fraud, the government law agency, saying they had received more than 100 reports of fraud in the last seven weeks - with losses reaching nearly a million pounds. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) reported the first Covid-19 related scam on 9 February, and a steadily rising number since then. The City of London Police have reported over 200 reports of virus-themed fraud attempts. But other forms of Covid-19-related crimes are also being increasingly reported. The National police Chiefs Council (NPCC) have said there have been thefts of oxygen canisters from hospitals and raids on food banks. Gangs have been targeting older people at home, appearing with official looking badges to take money to do their shopping, and then disappearing. There have also been a spate of reports of reports of people knocking on doors to sell fake hand sanitiser, face masks and even testing kits. Crises like this bring out some of the best bad sadly also the worst in humanity and there will be individuals who seek to exploit the pandemic, said a spokesperson for the NPCC. Thats why its essential that the police have the resources and the powers to crack down on shameless, opportunistic crimes like this. Among the examples cited were of oxygen and nitrous oxide canisters stolen after a break-in at a locked unit at a loading area of Withington community hospital in south Manchester last Saturday. The following day paramedics found holes drilled into tyres of six ambulances at a vehicle preparation centre at Ramsgate, in Kent. The police are reported to be investigating whether this was a theft plot. A food bank in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, was forced to close last week after donations from a storage container, sanitary products and toilet rolls as well as food, were stolen. Some businesses have been burgled after they have been forced to shut in the government lockdown. Wisemans Bridge Inn, near Saundersfoot, in Pembrokeshire, was one the targets. The owner, Russell Kemble, has also had to close a bed and breakfast service, a flat rental business. and a caravan park he owns, and says he fears similar break-ins there. After putting video footage of the break-in on his Facebook page, Mr Kemble says he has been overwhelmed by the response. Fellow publicans and other businessmen have put notices on windows of closed premises to say that all cash and valuables have been removed. And they are using their outdoor exercise break to keep an eye on each others businesses. There are also instances of vandalism with no monetary gain. In Bristol, two delivery vans were destroyed in arson attacks outside an Iceland store. Richard Walker, the managing director, said at a time when home delivery is literally a lifeline for some vulnerable people, this is sickening. People are going around checking locks and doors and doing a bit more informal policing, he said. The UK had one of the earliest links to pandemic-linked international crime. Frank Ludlow, 59, was arrested after allegedly attempting to sell fake testing kits to a number of countries. He was detained after customs officers in Los Angeles intercepted 60 fake kits labelled anti-pathogenic treatment which had been allegedly sent from a post office near his home in West Sussex. Police said the kits are believed to contain potassium thiocyanate and hydrogen peroxide, both extremely harmful if used to wash or rinse the mouth. Overall, crime groups are suffering in countries with lockdowns and movements limited. Even using houses which have been left empty by residents can cause problems. In Italy a senior Mafia fugitive was arrested after being on the run for seven months when he ensconced himself in a deserted house. Neighbours knew the property was uninhabited and called the police when they heard noises. Closure of borders is also proving to be a problem. In Mexico, for example, cartels are struggling to purchase precursor chemicals needed to make fentanyl, which is used as a recreational drug mixed with heroin and cocaine. Some groups elsewhere have tried to corner the illicit supply in much-needed items. A triad in Hong Kong started hijacking delivery trucks of toilet rolls as the demand for them soared. Human traffickers in central American countries like Honduras have responded to the shutting of borders by raising prices with the claim that greater risks are now involved. There are reports of increasing numbers of Venezuelans trying to get into Colombia with the dire financial situation in their country. Despite the new obstacles, some analysts hold, the flow towards the US will increase with Donald Trump vowing to lift Covid-19 restrictions in the near future. Keith Ditcham, director of Organised Crime and Policing at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) said the fact is that criminals in Britain and elsewhere have a source of income and they will need to find another source if that dries up, So I think in countries like this we are going to see an evolution in crime if this crisis goes on for a while. Burglars for example are not going to find many empty private properties at the moment and not many may want to risk breaking into occupied homes. We are already seeing a sharp rise in fraud where the criminal does not have to come face to face with victims. Then we have the drug trade. With the lockdown, clubs, music festivals and large parties will shut down. But there will be people stuck at homes, so there may be an increase in personal use. Of course, a lot will depend on supplies coming into the country. But a lot of it comes through container ports, and only two per cent of the global container trade is searched on average. Talking of the international scene, Mr Ditcham, who was a regional director of the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Europe and head of operations for the Americas, for the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) said: One looks at the supermarkets with empty shelves in this country, and talk of food shortages, and then think of somewhere like Venezuela with the terrible problems they have been already facing. If people from there can escape to Colombia, they will. I think there may well be another movement for the US border after what Mr Trump has been saying, that he will lift the measures by Easter. That may not be the reality of course, but it will be an incentive for people to get somewhere without lockdown and more chance of finding some kind of earnings. Robert Emerson, a security analyst, commented: It really depends on how long this crisis lasts. If it is another 18 months, as some medical experts seem to think, then we will see criminals adapting just as other parts of society will have to do. We are hearing a lot of the Blitz spirit, everyone pulling together. But the fact is that crime was rampant in the home front during the Second World War, not just the black-market, but crimes like looting, the courts heard more than 4,500 cases of looting in just one month in 1941 for instance. Some of the top villains of the 50s and 60s began their apprenticeship at the time. Of course this isnt the war, but crime tends to survive and prosper in a crisis. Actor Emma Watson has urged her fans to stay at home, and has shared the reasons why she is staying indoors amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Harry Potter actor took to Instagram and shared a picture of herself, holding up a placard with the reasons written on them. She captioned the post, My grandma is over 70, so particularly vulnerable... My Mum is a type 1 diabetic and my best friend is a health care professional. #Istayhomefor them. Who are you staying home for? Sending love. E xxx. Thank you to @michelleobama for the tips. Emmas post has been liked close to 500000 times. I stay home with Harry Potter, one person commented. It is time to show responsibility, wrote another. Several people have taken to social media to share similar posts, listing the importance of social distancing to curb the contagious virus spread. The coronavirus has infected over 400000 people worldwide, including over 500 in India. Also read: Covid-19: Hrithik Roshan tells people to stay home, Vicky Kaushal shares poem by his father On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the nation would be put in a 21-day lockdown to tackle the disease, which has brought countries like China, Italy, Spain, the UK and US, among others, to their knees. Several Indian actors such as Alia Bhatt, Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and others have urged people to stay indoors. Emma most recently appeared in the Oscar-nominated drama Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig and co-starring Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, Meryl Streep and others. Follow @htshowbiz for more San Franciscans are supposed to stay 6 feet apart from each other except in homeless shelters where city officials have deep-sixed any effort at social distancing. Strangely, the citys Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing this week circulated a directive among shelter operators instructing them not to move beds 6 feet apart from each other or to create isolation rooms for people who may have contracted the coronavirus. Please do NOT implement 6 feet social distancing guidance in shelter until instructed to do so, the memo reads in bold print. The communication to shelter operators is updated frequently and can be viewed on the departments website. Considering Mayor London Breed has directed all other San Franciscans to stay 6 feet away from each other when they must leave their homes to prevent the highly contagious virus from spreading, the directive to do the exact opposite in shelters is perplexing. So perplexing, it seems, that nobody wants to explain it. Inquiries to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, which issued the memo, were directed instead to the Human Services Agency. I have not seen that, Trent Rhorer, director of the Human Services Agency, said of the memo, adding that he would follow up with the homeless department. Rhorers job is to find new living quarters for homeless people, those who need to be quarantined, and health care workers and first responders needing somewhere to sleep between shifts. That includes opening new, large shelters and signing leases with hotel operators to use vacant rooms. In the meantime, shelters have extended the reservations for current residents and are not taking any new people. Anybody currently living on the streets doesnt have much of an option but to stay put for the time being. The current shelter system has space for 1,203 adults and on Wednesday afternoon, 959 were on the waiting list. Inside the shelters, beds are often spaced just 3 feet apart and mats on the floor can be as close as 18 inches to each other, said Jennifer Friedenbach, director of the Coalition on Homelessness. Many shelters are short on supplies such as hand sanitizer. Friedenbach said not a single shelter in the city has a thermometer to test residents for fevers, a key symptom of the coronavirus. (The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing didnt answer a question about its lack of thermometers, either.) Congregate settings with people in close proximity to each other are hotbeds for the virus, and it could spread like wildfire inside a crowded shelter. Were on top of one another here, Justin Ward, 49, wrote in an email. Hes been staying at Multi-Service Center South, a shelter in the South of Market district, since December. People are 3 feet away on all sides. Its misery. He said men sleeping adjacent to him are 65 and 67 in the age range in which the virus is most likely to be deadly. Thankfully, the crowding shouldnt last much longer. The plan is for the shelters population to be thinned out once new, larger facilities are open. Rhorer said Moscone North, a normally bustling conference center, will soon be converted into an integrated care shelter featuring three pods of 200 people each. The pod method will allow medical staff to focus on a targeted group of people rather than overseeing an entire open ward. The Moscone North site may open as early as this weekend or next week, depending on when needed beds and medical supplies arrive. Homeless people who need supervision and care because they have serious drug addictions, mental health problems or physical health problems will be placed there. Some may be people whove already tested positive for the coronavirus. Each person will have an area to themselves measuring 10 feet by 10 feet, and theyll have access to showers, bathrooms and food, Rhorer said. Its an enormous facility, he added. Its really an ideal site. Hes also working to open two additional large shelter sites, though he declined to name them since the leases have not yet been signed. Those will not house as many people as Moscone, but will consist of a few pods comprising 50 to 75 beds apiece. Homeless people who can care for themselves will be moved into hotel rooms, he said, a plan several supervisors have been urging since the hotel industry has gone bust and there are now more than 30,000 vacant hotel rooms in the city. Many people who have been in our shelter system are simply there because they may be working and dont have enough money to pay rent they could be perfectly suitable for this, Rhorer said of the hotel plan. He said the smaller hotels like the motor inns on Lombard Street are the ones targeted for people moving out of the shelter system. The larger downtown hotels will be used mostly for people who cant quarantine at home, such as SRO residents, and health care workers and first responders needing somewhere to stay between shifts. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. This should all start happening soon, Rhorer said. Were working as fast as we can, Rhorer said. We need to get folks out of our shelter system because we need to decrease those populations. Meanwhile, Supervisor Dean Preston announced Wednesday that he wasnt waiting any longer and he helped dozens of shelter residents in his district move to a nearby hotel, funded by private donations. Every minute counts here, Preston said in a statement. Were not going to wait while the city delays getting hotel rooms for those who are homeless. On Tuesday, scores of local doctors and nurses signed an open letter calling on San Francisco to move more quickly to get homeless people out of shelters and into their own hotel rooms. In a time when we ask school children to stay home, congregants to worship alone, and workers to prioritize their health, we need to create the same safety for our neighbors experiencing homelessness, the letter reads. Thats why its so strange shelters are being directed to keep the status quo for the time being. Friedenbach said the new directive to shelter operators to not implement social distancing is very bizarre. If shelters are able to creatively figure out how to do it, they should just be doing it, she said. Hours after this column posted online Wednesday afternoon, Emily Cohen, spokeswoman for the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, said the department would tell shelters to adopt social distancing as soon as possible. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight usually appears Sundays and Tuesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf A suspected coronavirus patient, who had recently travelled to another country, Wednesday fled from a hospital here but was immediately tracked and re-admitted, officials said. They said legal action would be taken against the patient for putting other people's health at risk. "A suspected coronavirus patient, with travel history to Hungary, fled from Chest Disease Hospital at Dalgate here on Wednesday afternoon," the officials said. The patient, a resident of Batamaloo area of the city here, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday and his sample has been sent for the COVID-19 test, the officials said. However, the patient was immediately tracked and re-admitted to a hospital. "Tracked. Admitted again. Legal action to follow," District Magistrate Srinagar, Shahid Choudhary said on Twitter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu had a phone conversation on Wednesday with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto, context in which an agreement was reached with the Government in Budapest to unblock the situation of cross-border workers who commute daily from one side and the other of the Romanian-Hungarian border. According to a release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), the details regarding the implementation of this decision are to be established through direct dialogue at the level of the Interior Ministries of Romania and Hungary, through the border police, which will agree on the border crossing points to be used in this purpose, the distance from the state border, on one side and the other, on which this agreement will be enforced and the moment the measure comes to force. The MAE brings to mind that, in the context of the restrictive measures decided by the Hungarian authorities, as of 17 March, 00:00hrs, on banning the access of foreign citizens in Hungary, Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu carried out successive conversations with his Hungarian counterpart, requesting also the identification of a solution to unblock the situation of Romanian cross-border workers, so they can continue their activity. Furthermore, the MAE also carried out an official demarche, through Romania's Embassy in Budapest, on Friday, requesting the Hungarian authorities to also identify a solution for the cross-border workers, underscoring that they are currently unable to continue their activity, risking to lose their jobs. This topic has also been raised by the Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister within the meeting through videoconference of the Foreign Affairs Council, held on Monday. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Mostly sunny. High 44F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 26F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Flash In the epic fight against the COVID-19 terror, China has presented the world with new standards of resilience. Recently, a momentous meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistani President Arif Alvi highlighted the "Golden Rules of Friendship," setting an example for other countries, both regionally and beyond. These Golden Rules of Friendship are based on mutual trust and respect, equal-footed cooperation, cognizance on international issues, and very deep understanding on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a signature project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The official visit came at a time when both countries needed each other's support on national and international issues. Pakistani President Arif Alvi, who was on his first ever visit to China since the PTI government came to power in 2018, met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the crucial occasion when China registered an extraordinary victory against COVID-19 in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. China has seemed to be in the crosshair facing staggering amounts of discrimination. The U.S., on multiple occasions, termed COVID-19 as the "Wuhan Virus" or "China Virus" despite the WHO's warning. However, the fact is that, with the Chinese spirit, strong will of the leadership, solid national resolve, and well-planned health-oriented SOPs, the country has ended the reign of the epidemic terror in a short span of time. Now Wuhan, once the worst hit area, is seeing few new cases. Pakistani President Arif Alvi's presence on the momentous occasion of victory cheered up the Chinese leadership as well as people. Pakistan was among the first countries in the world to congratulate its friend on this monumental achievement. The connotation of the bilateral friendship can be encapsulated through both leaders' genial handshakes against the backdrop of a number of generous gestures mutually exhibited by both countries during the crisis. After COVID 19 broke out in Wuhan of Hubei Province, many countries' response was insensitive. They, turning deaf ears to Chinese government and even WHO's humble request, preferred to evacuate their people. Extreme pressure also came on the Pakistani students living there. Because the Pakistani leadership believed in China, its vision, and health advisory, it did not follow suit and instead entrusted China with the safety of its students by deciding to keep them in Wuhan and other cities of China. The vote of confidence finally paid off. When China had been struggling to make it through, Pakistan lent its help by dispatching medical supplies to China. The Pakistani government allocated 300,000 medical masks, 800 hazmat suits, and 6,800 pairs of gloves from the stocks of public hospitals around the nation and transported the aid to China. Hunza in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan donated 7,000 surgical masks to China. Zhang Heqing, cultural counselor of the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, as well as director of the China Cultural Center in Pakistan, accepted the donation and met the 12-person delegation headed by leaders of the Development Committee of the Overseas Chinese Association in Pakistan. Zhang expressed his gratitude for the donation made by people in Hunza on behalf of Yao Jing, Chinese ambassador to Pakistan. Later, Pakistan sent its military aircraft to China to deliver the epidemic control materials. The materials included medical protective suits, face masks, and goggles. Around 300,000 tablets of Resochin (chloroquine phosphate), useful to some extent in the treatment for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from one of Bayer's subsidiaries in Pakistan were also transported to China. Pakistan's National Assembly also passed a resolution expressing solidarity with China in its battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak. According to the resolution, the National Assembly expressed appreciation of the dedicated efforts and efficient policies implemented by the Chinese government and resilience of the people in the anti-epidemic fight. Applauding Pakistan's friendly gesture, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said during an 'online' briefing held in Beijing a few weeks ago, "As China fights the outbreak, Pakistan has stood firmly by us, maintaining flights, and pooling medical supplies all over the country to help China. We are deeply grateful and touched by such trust and confidence." On the international stage, many countries lashed out at China's lockdown policy terming it a brutal gag on people's civic liberties and right of movement. People of Asian descent suffered racist attacks worldwide. But the Pakistani government understood the need for the lockdown and condemned discrimination faced by Chinese people at every platform. Particularly on the Hong Kong issue and matters pertaining to Xinjiang, Pakistan stood by Chinese strategies dispelling all antipathy. Proving true the adage that a friend in need is a friend indeed, China cooperated with Pakistan to hash out the Coronavirus SOPs from the beginning. The Chinese government also sent 12,000 kits to Pakistan for the detection of COVID-19 cases in the country. It merits mentioning that while being busy coping with the epidemic, China also rushed to rescue Pakistan from the locust crisis. The first batch of China's emergency aid arrived in Karachi, which included 50,000 liters of malathion and 14 air-powered high-efficiency remote sprayers. Chinese Consul General Li Bijian said that Beijing would provide malathion and high-efficiency remote sprayers and other control materials to the Pakistani government for free. Last month, Chinese experts arrived in Pakistan and visited Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab from February 23 to March 4 to assess the damage caused by the locust invasion. Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson said that as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 keep growing in Pakistan, China will help build the capacity to address the challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak in Pakistan. In this regard, 'letters of exchange' were signed between the two countries during the recently concluded visit of President Arif Alvi to Beijing. Pakistani President Arif Alvi's first visit to China reminded the world of the strength of the Pak-China ties. President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, and Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Li Zhanshu, all held talks and meetings with President Alvi, with important points being released through press releases. This visit demonstrates the fine tradition of mutual assistance between China and Pakistan. Right after the epidemic broke out, Pakistan mobilized the whole nation to provide assistance to China, which Chinese people will always remember. It has also deepened the strategic mutual trust and consolidated practical cooperation between China and Pakistan. The two leaders exchanged in-depth views on the experience of epidemic prevention and control, coordination of epidemic response, socio-economic development, response to external economic and financial risks, and deepening of cooperation in major fields including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The two sides also signed an MOU on the establishment of working groups specializing in science and technology as well as agriculture under the CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee, and agreed to expand cooperation in related areas under the CPEC framework. A series of strategic consensuses reached during this visit will surely further deepen China-Pakistan all-round cooperation. Although the visit was short in duration, it occurred at a time of great significance, and effectively enhanced China-Pakistan traditional friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation. In the course of jointly tackling COVID-19 and the locust invasion, China and Pakistan have stood together and helped each other, which speaks volumes about the strength of the friendship. It is a cherished friendship held deep in the heart of Pakistanis that provides the most solid foundation for China-Pakistan relations and sets an example for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. It is believed that being tested by epidemics and other disasters, the iron-clad friendship between China and Pakistan will only grow stronger and deeper, which will inject even stronger impetus into the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. Over 27,000 employees of the Interior Ministry (MAI) have carried out patrol missions in the hospitals areas in the last 24 hours, ensuring security at quarantine units, checking on people in isolation, accompanying convoys with citizens being quarantined or in isolation at home, and this represents the most important activity of the last 30 years, according to MAI Secretary of State Bogdan Despescu. "The most important activity of the last 30 years at the level of the Interior Ministry took place last night, a very judiciously planned activity, in which we involved the main forces of the Interior Ministry, the Police and the Gendarmerie. We have also had important support from the Local Police," said Bogdan Despescu, in a statement at the MAI headquarters. He specified that, Monday night through Tuesday, almost 12,000 police officers, 8,000 gendarmes and more than 4,500 border guards acted at national level, together with about 3,000 local police officers. "Tomorrow [Wednesday], we will be in the field together with our colleagues from the Ministry of National Defense. This measure is not one to cause fears, but one through which we come to the support of the people, so that they are better protected against the danger represented by infection with the new type of coronavirus. I am confident that the citizens will understand exactly the purpose of this measure and I assure them once again that we have the strength and ability to enforce the latest measures," said the Secretary of State. My vote does not diminish just how bitterly disappointed I am that this compromise still includes a provision to make it harder for women to access healthcare as well as a provision punishing healthcare providers that offer critical services to people with disabilities, the elderly and even survivors of rape and abuse but it also does not diminish my will to continue fighting for Americans who have not traditionally had a voice in Congress, Duckworth said in her statement. Know that in the days and weeks ahead I will do everything in my power to protect these critical providers and the Americans who rely on their services. Han Liming, mayor of the Nanjing Municipal People's Government, delivers a speech at the Conference on Promoting the Construction of Manufacturing High-quality Development Pilot Zone in Lishui, Nanjing, March 24, 2020. (Photo/Geng Zhichao) Han Liming, mayor of the Nanjing Municipal People's Government, reaffirmed the development of the manufacturing industry in Lishui district, saying, The manufacturing industry in Lishui shows a powerful and promising trend, at the Conference on Promoting the Construction of Manufacturing High-quality Development Pilot Zone in Lishui, Nanjing, March 24. The conference opened a new chapter in Lishui districts drive to boost the manufacturing industry. In 2019, Lishui was approved as the only high-quality manufacturing development pilot zone in Nanjing, and is now accelerating its efforts to form a three-pillar development pattern along with the Nanjing Development Zone and Jiangning Development Zone. Lishui has been blessed with great opportunities to develop the manufacturing industry. It has geographical advantages, a sound ecological system, an abundance of industrial space and a complete network of supporting industries, Han pointed out. Lishui also enjoys other favorable conditions, including the establishment of major projects such as the National Airport Economic Demonstration Zone, the bonded logistics area, and an airport-based area for customs clearance, Han added. Lishuis manufacturing industry has shown sound momentum for accelerated development, Han mentioned. Last year, the district signed 163 manufacturing projects, each valued at 100 million yuan or above, and put 27 high-quality manufacturing projects into operation. The total industrial output of industries above designated size registered an annual growth of 12 percent there. Driven by the manufacturing sector, the district rose to 52nd place last year out of the countrys top 100 players in terms of comprehensive strength, compared to 72nd place in 2014. In addition, it also ranks highly in the citys assessment of promoting high-quality development. Supporting the construction of a high-quality development pilot zone in Lishui is an important decision by the CPC Nanjing municipal committee and the municipal government. This year, the city rolled out 21 measures to support the building of national and provincial pilot zones. To further boost efforts, Lishui announced 10 policies to support the manufacturing sector. By holding the conference, Lishui hopes to showcase its vitality and passion for developing the manufacturing industry, and become a role model in this respect, Han said. She hopes the district will seize the favorable opportunities for development, and make breakthroughs in five aspects: expanding the scale of the manufacturing industry, achieving integrated development, promoting intelligent manufacturing, encouraging cross-industry integration, and maintaining green development. Efforts should also be made to improve key indicators such as industrial added value, investment, and industrial enterprises above the designated size, which requires the district to attract investment and introduce projects, cultivate enterprises and increase added value so as to foster new growth points, Han said. The district should guide enterprises to strengthen their capabilities in R&D, production, marketing, and consumption, optimize the industrial ecology, match local enterprises, strengthen the concentration of industries so as to improve their competitiveness, and enhance the magnetic effect of the industrial cluster. Building the pilot zone for high-quality development of the manufacturing industry will both energize intelligent manufacturing and explore new paths for the city to pursue high-quality manufacturing development, Han pointed out, expressing the hope that Lishui will be able to accumulate experiences to better guide the development of the entire city. Lishui should also set an example for the city regarding institutional innovation, cultivation of enterprises, openness and cooperation, and business environment. Meanwhile, the district is encouraged to make breakthroughs in drawing investment and promoting a higher level of opening-up. It should make good use of the platforms to improve its functions in international trade and exhibitions, and become a new growth point of Nanjings opening-up layout. The Nanjing municipal Party committee and the municipal government will step up efforts to support Lishuis high-quality development of the manufacturing sector, Han said. The city will support project construction, build a city-level coordination mechanism, introduce more trial policies and projects to Lishui, and help solve issues related to policy implementation and running of the projects. It will also support reform and innovation, give Lishui more authority to review and approve projects, and support the district in carrying out reforms for administrative approval, so as to offer more benefits to the relevant enterprises. The city will also guarantee supplies of production factors, incorporate major manufacturing projects of Lishui into provincial- and city-level industry catalogues, accelerate the establishment of various industrial funds, support Lishui in hosting important exhibitions and create an environment conducive to industrial development. Election officials in New York, which is emerging as a hot spot of infections, are considering delaying their presidential primary from April 28 to June 23. A group representing New Yorks election commissioners on Tuesday called for the primary to be moved to June 23, the date of another statewide vote, and to allow all voters to request absentee ballots. As the DNC rules currently stand, New York could forfeit some delegates at the national convention for voting so late. An officer from the Sheriff's Department speaks with a homeless woman pulling her cart of belongings beside the Santa Ana River in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 20, 2018. Officials in Orange County began moving homeless transients out of the homeless tent encampments to shelters or motels as part of the settlement worked out by homeless advocates and the county under supervision of a federal court judge. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) OC Programs Face Challenges Reaching Homeless Seniors Amid Pandemic ORANGE, Calif.In the midst of a growing pandemic, Orange Countys homeless outreach programs are struggling to limit a vulnerable target population from the devastating effects of the CCP virus. Many of the countys homeless populationparticularly those over the age of 60are not in tune with the pandemic, according to Orange County Rescue Mission President Jim Palmer, making efforts to help increasingly difficult. Because in many cases, theyre dealing with, like, an addiction on the street, or theyre, you know, more worried about where theyre going to access foods, Palmer told The Epoch Times. And some of the access to food has been cut off, because of the way certain nonprofits or different types of community centers that were distributing food were closed by local cities. Palmer said there is currently no threat of the virus in any of their housing placements or emergency shelters, but that will likely change in the coming weeks. In that event, the organization plans to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidelines for screening patients. As we know, those that are 60 or 65 or older are considered to be more vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus, so weve spent time looking at our spaces and what we could do to assist them, Palmer said. The Orange County Rescue Mission presides over a dozen campuses and programs, and works hand-in-hand with county leaders to provide emergency relief measures to individuals in need. Homeless encampment resident Tammy Schuler walks her dogs beside a row of tents and tarps that line the Santa Ana River bicycle path in Anaheim, Calif., on Jan. 25, 2018. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) He added: And they certainly know who we are, because weve been around for 54 years. So they know that were a large organization that helps a lot of people. And you know, once they get to the point I really want to get off the street, you know where. Were one group that can certainly help them do that right away. Mounting Challenges Providing basic services like food and shelter has become much more difficult for outreach programs due to the spreading virus, Palmer said. Simply getting in touch with those in need has become a challenge, while food donations have decreased. The rescue mission, along with other emergency nonprofits, finds itself in desperate need of canned foods, water, and paper products. But theres not as many people out [who are able] to buy things, then donate and drop them off, said Palmer. He added that simply contacting those in need has become problematic, with in-person surveys becoming more difficult due to COVID-19 restrictions. So, primarily, homeless on the street, we hear from them a couple of different ways, Palmer said. And the phone is one way. Usually, the people who need shelter would call, Palmer said, adding that many California homeless received free, subsidized Obama phones that have been used to communicate during outreach, especially regarding food and shelter availability. Employees are now concentrating on the phone system to contact the homeless. But that too has problems. They would email us from, like, the local library, Palmer said. Now I realized that at this point libraries are now closing. But, in the past, thats sort of how our communications work, because there is no foolproof way for us to send outreach out in the community. Palmer said that meeting unknown people, who may be experiencing homelessness for the first time, has become paramount during the crisis. So our priority now is, those that are seeking to get off the street, he added. Homegrown Problem While those living unsheltered in Orange County are especially vulnerable to the respiratory virus due to sanitary conditions, seniors with underlying medical conditions are at an increased risk of communal spread. The longer that someones on the street, the worse their health gets, said Atty McLellan, community engagement manager for United to End Homelessness (UEH), at a Feb. 29 seminar held at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods. Which means the longer that someones on the street, the likelihood that they might develop that disabling condition becomes more and more likely. According to UEHan outreach program with a mission to end Orange Countys homeless issue by 2024the county numbered nearly 7,000 homeless in 2019. During the same period, the number of homeless in nearby Los Angeles County measured nearly 59,000. Many of Orange Countys homeless are over the age of 62, including at least 677 seniors and 311 veterans. McLellan said that its very concerning that the majority of our seniors that are veterans are not in our shelters, but theyre actually sleeping outside, on our streets, in their cars, things like that. A woman walks past signs posted at the homeless encampment beside the Santa Ana River in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 20, 2018. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) In a recent study, UEH found that over 60 percent of people who have been living on the street for at least three years will report two or more health-related problems. UEHs data also showed that most of Orange Countys homeless population was previously living at a permanent address in the county. Many grew up in California, but fell victim to the regions soaring rent prices and taxes. And that typically goes against what you might hear in the community or what people mostly think of when we think of people who are homeless, McLellan said. The assumption is often that the countys homeless came from other regions; they became homeless elsewhere, then migrated to Orange County. But 73 percent last lived in Orange County before they became homeless, McLellan said. To ramp up efforts to protect the most vulnerable, UEH and their parent organization, The Orange County United Way, created an emergency Pandemic Relief Fund on GoFundMe. The organization is attempting to raise $500,000, which will support low-income individuals and families at imminent risk of homelessness; the current OC population experiencing homelessness; low-income students; and our partner non-profits. Donations will help those most vulnerable in this global COVID-19 crisis, the description reads. Any funds not distributed to this pandemic response will be reallocated to support our efforts to address homelessness in OC. Statewide Efforts California is home to the largest population of homeless inhabitants in the United States, with approximately 108,000 displaced individuals, according to the governors office. On March 18, Gov. Gavin Newsom authorized $150 million in emergency funding to provide services and shelter to homeless individuals across the state. People experiencing homelessness are among the most vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19, Newsom said in a statement. California is deploying massive resources to get these vulnerable residents safely into shelter, removing regulatory barriers and securing trailers and hotels to provide immediate housing options for those most at risk. Helping these residents is critical to protecting public health, flattening the curve and slowing the spread of COVID-19. San Francisco has considered housing the homeless in shut-down schools and churches in response to COVID-19 concerns, local media have reported. Homeless advocates have sued officials in Los Angeles for an alleged lack of protection for the homeless. The L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, Mayor Eric Garcetti, and County Supervisor Kathryn Barger were among the parties engaged in a hearing on March 23 presided over by U.S. District Judge David Carter. Settlement talks have continued as the parties forge a plan to address the problem. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mishandling allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. COLUMBUS, Ohio - After announcing that Ohio is about seven to 14 days behind New York Citys situation with the new coronavirus, Gov. Mike DeWine and other state officials will again hold a briefing updating the status of COVID-19 in Ohio. On Tuesday, Gov. Mike DeWine also insisted he wasnt that far apart from President Donald Trump on their approach to the coronavirus. Trump wants America to get back to business around Easter, about two weeks from now. DeWine, also a Republican, was the first governor to close schools and is considered a leader in public health measures during the pandemic. Watch the livecast below from the Ohio Channel. As usual, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will join DeWine, according to a statement from the governors office. As of Tuesday afternoon, 564 people were confirmed to be infected, with eight dead from COVID-19. Other coronavirus coverage: Gov. Mike DeWine says hes aligned with President Trump on the coronavirus. Are they? Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton: Ohio is 7-14 days behind NYC in coronavirus pandemic curve Confirmed Ohio coronavirus cases rise to 564 and 8 deaths: Gov. Mike DeWines Tuesday, March 24 briefing Coping with coronavirus: Guide aims to ease fear of pandemic disease Amid the 21-day complete lockdown in the country, the of New York-based chef Floyd Cardoz's demise, who was the co-owner of The Bombay Canteen, has shocked many. Cardoz, who tested positive for COVID-19, was in Mumbai until March 8 for the fifth-anniversary celebrations of the restaurant that was attended by more than 200 guests. In an Instagram post on March 18, Cardoz said that he had admitted himself to hospital in New York since he was feeling feverish. Gurbaxish Kohli, the vice-president of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India and president of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India, said Cardoz was a good chef and the fraternity will miss him. Print and television journalist, author, columnist and talk show host Vir Sangvi in his tweet said Cardoz was a legendary chef who taught Americans to respect Indian food with Tabla and who transformed the Mumbai restaurant scene with The Bombay Canteen and OPedroMumbai. I interviewed him three weeks ago and still cannot believe he's gone. RIP, Sanghvi tweeted. Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia tweeted that it is a huge loss not just to his family and friends but also to the culinary world. He has contributed immensely and left a huge legacy. Ahsish Bhasin, executive chef at Leela tweeted that it's a big loss to the industry. Bollywood actor Mitra Joshi said, Jesus! I hope you have gotten tested. You know this is quite scary. I mean you met someone three weeks back who has passed away now. Such surreal times we have been living. Novelist Nilanjana Roy tweeted, Devastating. He was one of the most warm and generous souls, so in love with food, happy to talk about recipes and culinary history. The government on Tuesday declared a total lockdown for 21 days to curtail the spreading of the virus which has claimed 12 lives so far. The number of COVID-19 cases has crossed 600 in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MUMBAI: Amid the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by the Prime Minister on Tuesday to contain the deadly coronavirus, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday (March 25, 2020) compared the current scenario to a war-like situation in the country. The Shiv Sena leader also assured that there is sufficient stock of essential commodities and people need not worry about it. "Today, we are fighting against those who are invisible. This is a war between citizens and this pandemic. And we can defeat only by staying back at home. We have now seen the seriousness of the coronavirus diseases. Until now we saw this problem in a negative light,'' CM Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing a press briefing. The CM also assured people not to panic as there is adequate stock of essential commodities in Maharashtra, which has the highest number of Coronavirus cases in the counry as yet.. ''We have sufficient stock of essential commodities like vegetables, rice and other items of daily use, so there is no need to worry. All shops selling essential goods are open too. We will celebrate #GudiPadwa once we tackle this crisis,'' the Maharashtra CM said. "I did urge everyone to stay at home. It is a war-like situation so I have compared this coronavirus with war, when we are not aware of the enemy then the enemy will attack us, so we have to be aware as we cannot see this enemy. So now also I will appeal to people to stay at home. The positive part about this is as you can see on social media platforms family are spending time together, some are following their hobbies," he added. Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported four new Coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the number of such cases in the state to 116, the highest in the country so far. The latest cases are from Mumbai, officials said. The four are being treated at the municipal Kasturba Hospital in the city, the officials said. By Trend Asian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to supporting Kazakhstan in its fight against COVID-19 and to helping limit the impact of the pandemic on its citizens, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said, Trend reports with reference to ADB. Asakawa made the statement during a meeting with Kazakhstans Minister of National Economy Ruslan Dalenov on Mar. 25 during which parties discussed how ADB can support Kazakhstan in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. During the meeting Asakawa commended the government for its measures to combat the pandemic, including its emergency response and the articulated package of extraordinary policy measures introduced by local authorities from Mar. 10, 2020. ADB is committed to supporting Kazakhstan in its fight against COVID-19 and to helping limit the impact of the pandemic on its citizens. ADBs assistance can include budget support, health sector support, and technical assistance to help maintain social cohesion and retrain the labor force toward sectors likely to emerge in the post-COVID-19 economy. ADB is also keen to revisit its portfolio and reallocate funds to better fit the governments priority needs, ADB president said As noted during the meeting, in addition to the health and socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19, a significant drop in oil prices is compounding the situation in Kazakhstan, with implications for the countrys economic activity, including trade and jobs. Dalenov said Kazakhstan seeks ADB support to quickly source medical equipment, maintain employment levels, and diversify the economy to lessen dependence on commodities and promote sectors such as agriculture, information technology, and e-commerce. By a decision of State Commission on Provision of Emergency State under the president of Kazakhstan, quarantine regime has been introduced in Kazakhstans Nur-Sultan and Almaty cities at 00:00 (GMT +6) on March 19, 2020, due to the coronavirus outbreak. On March 15, 2020, Kazakhstans President Kassym Jomart Tokayev signed a decree introducing an emergency state in Kazakhstan due to coronavirus outbreak, which came in force from 08:00 (GMT +6) on March 16 and will last till 08:00 on April 15, 2020. First two cases of coronavirus infection were detected in Kazakhstan among those who arrived in Almaty city from Germany on March 13, 2020. The latest data said that the overall number of coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan is 80 people. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. As of today, over 428,400 people have been confirmed as infected. The number of people killed by the disease has surpassed 19,100. Meanwhile, over 109,900 people have reportedly recovered. Several countries are working on a vaccine against the new virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. EDMONTON, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - AutoCanada Inc. ("AutoCanada" or the "Company") (TSX: ACQ) announced that it has temporarily suspended certain operations at its dealerships in New Brunswick, Quebec and Illinois in response to the orders of applicable governments to close non-essential businesses as a result of COVID-19. The essential businesses that are permitted to continue operations differ by province or state: In our New Brunswick dealership and eight dealerships in Illinois , we will continue with service operations and limited sales operations. dealership and eight dealerships in , we will continue with service operations and limited sales operations. In Quebec , our four dealerships continue with limited service operations. , our four dealerships continue with limited service operations. In Ontario , although the provincial government has also ordered the closure of non-essential businesses, our seven dealerships are considered essential businesses and will continue to fully operate. AutoCanada will continue to support customers with their vehicle servicing and purchasing requirements in this rapidly evolving environment, and customers are encouraged to contact their local dealership as needed. Since the outset of the COVID-19 situation, the Company has carefully followed the most current direction of government and related health agencies in our operating policies and procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of our customers and employees. AutoCanada will actively monitor developments in respect of COVID-19 and governmental requirements and take actions as required. About AutoCanada AutoCanada is a leading North American multi-location automobile dealership group currently operating 63 franchised dealerships, comprised of 26 brands, in eight provinces in Canada as well as a group in Illinois, USA and has over 4,200 employees. AutoCanada currently sells Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, FIAT, Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Cadillac, Ford, Infiniti, Nissan, Hyundai, Subaru, Audi, Volkswagen, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, MINI, Volvo, Toyota, Lincoln, and Honda branded vehicles. In 2019, our dealerships sold approximately 71,000 vehicles and processed approximately 900,000 service and collision repair orders in our 1,047 service bays generating revenue in excess of $3 billion. Additional information about AutoCanada is available at the Company's website at www.autocan.ca and at www.sedar.com. SOURCE AutoCanada Inc. Related Links http://www.autocan.ca/ Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. With having published myriads of reports for global clients, Future Market Insights exhibits its expertise in the market research field. Our dedicated crew of professionals ride the wave of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and big data analytics, to project the adoption pattern and consumption trends regarding the market. A three-step quality check process data collection, triangulation, and validation is paramount while assuring the authenticity of the information captured. Global US Plastic-to-fuel Market Report The latest business intelligence study by FMI suggests that the global market of US Plastic-to-fuel Market reached US$ XX in 2015 with a CAGR of ~ XX% from 2015 to 2020 (Forecast period). The research study focuses on the drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends impacting the US Plastic-to-fuel Market. All the relevant vendors running in the US Plastic-to-fuel Market are examined based on market share and product footprint. Key players include- Plastic2Oil, Vadxx Energy, Agilyx Corporation, and Green Envotech Holdings LLC. and others. The data associated with each market player includes: Company Profile Main Business Information SWOT Analysis Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin Request Sample Copy of this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-us-448 By Revenue generation model-wise Segmentation Assessment: Fuel Processors Royalties By End Products-wise Segmentation Assessment: Crude Oil Diesel Download Segment-wise Analysis@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/448 The US Plastic-to-fuel Market research also takes into account the important countries that hold significant share in the respective regions. What does the US Plastic-to-fuel Market research holds for the readers? Market segmentation assessment, including qualitative and quantitative research depicting the impact of economic and non-economic factors. Breakdown of each US Plastic-to-fuel Market player as per mergers & acquisitions, R&D projects, and product launches. 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And many more Three U.S. sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt located in the Pacific have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus and airlifted from the ship, officials confirmed Tuesday. The ship, which has more than 5,000 personnel on board, is not being pulled from the front line but those who are believed to have been contact with the patients have been quarantined, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas B. Modly said. U.S. Navy ships are now banned from going to port as it was confirmed that the USS Theodore Roosevelt docked in Vietnam, where there are known cases, 15 days ago. Overall, the Navy has 86 coronavirus cases, including 57 active-duty service members, but officials have now engaged in a policy change which protects them from revealing the exact ship involved in further confirmed cases. It is notoriously difficult to protect a ship from a virus outbreak, as has already been seen in cruise ship outbreaks of the coronavirus. The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier has more than 5,000 personnel on board and has confirmed Tuesday the first coronavirus cases in the U.S. Navy aboard a ship at sea Lt. Cmdr. Danett Bishop tests respiratory samples in the biological safety lab of amphibious assault ship USS America. There is also coronavirus testing taking place on the ship after three positive cases were confirmed on the USS Theodore Roosevelt on Tuesday The patients on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt had mild symptoms such as a fever and 'some body aches'. 'We've identified all the folks they've had contact with, and we're quarantining them as well,' Modly said at a Pentagon news conference. 'This is an example of how we are able to keep our ships deployed at seas and underway, even with active COVID-19 cases. Our force remains on watch throughout the world [during] this crisis, and they're continuing to execute their primary mission under the National Defense Strategy.' The USS Theodore Roosevelt was deployed from San Diego in January to the western Pacific. On March 5, it made a port call in Da Nang, Vietnam, a country where there were known coronavirus cases. At that time, the number of cases in the country was low and all were in the northern part of the country away from the port. 'At that time, there were only 16 positive cases in Vietnam, and those are well to the north all isolated in Hanoi,' said Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday. Sailors participate in a small-arms qualification aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Pacific on March 22 before coronavirus cases were confirmed on board Sailors standing in line on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt where the first coronavirus cases aboard a Navy ship at sea were confirmed on Tuesday 'So this was a very risk-informed decision by the (Indo-Pacific) commander, Adm. Davidson, on whether or not we proceed with that port visit. 'We took great precautions when the crew came back from that shore visit, and did enhanced medical screenings of the crew.' Gilday added that it is not certain the sailors contracted the virus in Vietnam as other personnel regularly fly on and off the carrier while at sea. Extra precautions had also been taken to protect the crew in Vietnam such as limiting self-service in the ship's chow hall and screening sailors coming back on board for illness. These measures are set to continue on the ship and there is no plan as yet to pull it in from the front lines. Sailors live within close conditions on the ship in staterooms and berthing spaces. People are asked to leave six feet between themselves and other people to prevent the spread of the virus which would be next to impossible in the crowded quarters. 'They are beefing up their cleaning stations,' Cmdr. Myers Vasquez, a spokesman for the Pacific Fleet, told the San Diego Union-Tribune. 'Across the fleet, (ship commanders) have been looking at best practices and implementing them. Everyone's following what (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidance is and putting those into effect.' Port visits across the Pacific fleet have been called off and ships have been ordered to stay at sea for 14 days to isolate sailors. 'We canceled, I think, every port visit, with the exception of ships that need to pull in for maintenance or resupply. In those cases, when you pull in, (sailors) are limited to the pier,' Gilday said. On March 13, the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, currently in port in San Diego, reported one of its personnel had tested 'presumptive positive' for the virus. A second cases on board was confirmed a few days later. And a sailor aboard the Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado, also in San Diego, tested positive before the Navy changed their policy and are now no longer confirming which ship positive sailors serve on. They will now 'only release the number of positive cases and the geographic location of those sailors', according the Military.com. The virus has spread to at least a dozen serving on U.S. warships in San Diego. Testing is also being conducted on the amphibious assault ship USS America and the 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge, both based in the Pacific. On Monday the USNS Mercy deployed 1,128 military personnel and civilians to Los Angeles to bring care to COVID-19 patients in the city while the USNS Comfort is preparing for a similar mission to New York. The ships will serve as a dockside hospital for patients not infected with the coronavirus, dealing with the overflow of acute trauma and other urgent needs. 'This will allow our shore-based hospitals to focus their medical care and resources on patients with COVID-19,' Modley said 'We will coordinate closely with state and local public health authorities to ensure the well-being of our personnel and the local population.' The Navy has 86 coronavirus cases including 57 military, 13 civilians, 11 dependents and five contractors. Ships can be difficult to protect during an outbreak as seen with the Diamond Princess and Grand Princess cruise ships which became coronavirus outbreak centers earlier this year. In 2019, a mumps outbreak aboard the USS Fort McHenry infected 28 people despite efforts to quarantine the infected and disinfect the ship from the vaccine-preventable disease. There is no current vaccine for the coronavirus. (Natural News) Thomas Sowell once wrote, There are no solutions. There are only tradeoffs. And arent we ever seeing that today with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis as society grapples with the moral dilemma of getting the economy started back up again to prevent a total collapse, or keeping everything locked down to protect public health. Some economists, along with the Trump administration, are suggesting that while both options are possible, the most important thing is to get Americans back to work by the end of the month to avoid total disaster. Writing for The American Spectator, Bob Luddy explains that other countries such as China and Russia are already supposedly back up and running, while many parts of the United States such as California, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey remain closed. (The claim that China is fully back online is communist propaganda, now repeated by so-called conservatives in America.) In the one sense, keeping everything under quarantine is said to help prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), which is really starting to pick up speed here in America. On the other hand, if society collapses because of a prolonged stalled economy, then many more people could die from any number of social calamities that ensue, warn economists. The Wall Street side of things seems to be focused on one thing: keeping the wheels turning and the cash flowing. The cure is far worse than any perceived impact by COVID-19, Luddy contends, making the case that the national security risk from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) comes with limited data, meaning the measures being imposed might be too drastic, according to his views. Our economy is both fragile and interdependent, an economic reality not understood by our leaders as they order mass closings of many states business and industry. Listen below as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about how people whove been avoiding the stock market during this tumultuous time saved themselves from potentially massive financial losses: Which would harm more people: coronavirus or a failed economy? Like many others have been saying, Luddy points out that more people die from seasonal influenza than have died from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). But what he doesnt explain is how the rate of death for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is notably higher than for seasonal flu. Its also because we dont know much about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) that some say we must take these extreme measures to combat it, even if the economy takes a hit as a result. However, Luddy does make some valid points about how we aint seen nothin yet if the shutdowns are allowed to continue. Besides the millions of service industry workers who no longer have jobs, suppliers for restaurants, bars, and other now-shuttered establishments are also feeling the pain, and could soon collapse. A whopping 66 percent of Marriotts employees, as another example, are currently furloughed, and those who remain are facing 20 percent pay cuts. And this is just one company among many thats passing the buck down to the working class which, unlike Wall Street, almost never gets any type of bailout. The Big Three automakers and their suppliers are closed, which means hundreds of thousands of workers are laid off and at home, Luddy further explains about how the dominoes are quickly falling with each passing day. This will quickly lead to more layoffs and many small business failures. There is no amount of government money that can make up for an economy closed and workers staying home, he adds, warning that food and other necessities are next if something doesnt change, and soon. More of the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is available at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: Spectator.org NaturalNews.com The West Bengal government has started discharging patients from a state-run hospital and stopped admitting new ones to the institute to convert the entire facility into an isolation and treatment centre for people suspected to be infected with coronavirus Kolkata: The West Bengal government has started discharging patients from a state-run hospital and stopped admitting new ones to the institute to convert the entire facility into an isolation and treatment centre for people suspected to be infected with coronavirus, a senior health official said on Wednesday. Follow LIVE updates on Coronavirus Outbreak here Full-fledged operations at Medical College Hospital, Kolkata as a dedicated facility for isolation and treatment of suspected coronavirus patients will begin from Saturday, he said. "From Tuesday, we have started discharging patients who are in better condition and also stopped admitting new patients, especially those who are pregnant and are referring them to other hospitals. "This is as per the state government''s plan to convert the entire hospital, which has 2,200 beds, into an isolation and treatment centre for persons suspected to be infected with the coronavirus," the official said. Another official of the health department said the step was taken as part of the state government''s preparedness to prevent the spread of coronavirus. "We plan to keep high-risk COVID-19 patients at a dedicated hospital. There are several things to be done and we are working on them," he said. People who tested positive for coronavirus and break quarantine could face up to five years in prison in Italy under tougher government rules. Ministers approved an emergency decree on Tuesday to tighten up sanctions for those who ignore measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country which has seen the most patient deaths in the world. Those who go against containment measures now risk paying a fine of between 400 (360) to 3,000 (2,700) up from a maximum of 206 (187). Meanwhile, if people who have been quarantined after testing positive for coronavirus intentionally violate the total ban on leaving their house, they could face a prison sentence of between one to five years, according to the emergency law-decree. Regions may also pass stricter lockdown measures if things gets worse for them during the pandemic. Andrea Orlando, a former minister of justice, said: The government has decided, as we hoped, to make sanctions more effective and swift against those who do not help efforts to contain the virus and increase the risk for everyone. We will get through it if we all help each other out. People in Italy have been banned from leaving their house unless to get groceries, for work, medical reasons or emergencies as authorities work to battle the spread of Covid-19. Some regions have even moved to ban exercise outside, which has also been discouraged by a leading medical doctor in the country. More than 100,000 people have been caught breaking lockdown rules since 11 March, according to interior ministry figures. Some Italian mayors have lashed out at those ignoring these measures, as seen in a compilation shared on social media. Antonio Tutolo, from Lucera in Apulia, has raged at those still calling mobile hairdressers to their houses, asking what the f*** is that for?. Meanwhile, the president of Campania offered a veiled threat to those planning graduation parties still. Recommended Italy cautiously hopeful after number of new coronavirus cases falls We will send the police over, Vincenzo De Luca said. We will send flamethrowers. Italy has seen the most coronavirus-related deaths in the world, surpassing China where the outbreak originated last week when their toll rose past 3,400. More than 6,800 people who tested positive have died, according to official figures on Wednesday. Nearly 70,000 have been diagnosed with coronavirus a flu-like disease that can develop into pneumonia in the country, while around 8,300 have been cured. By Bella Sankey Grace is a long term British resident detained in one of the UKs seven immigration removal centres. She has asthma, making the risk of covid-19 much more severe. All week her chest has been tight and she has been scared to sleep. She is detained in a shared cell with a toilet behind a curtain. There is little soap or sanitiser and there are hundreds of others in the centre, all packed in closely together. There has been one confirmed case of covid-19 and people are exhibiting symptoms daily - sneezing, coughing all around - but there has been no information about the virus from management. Because of the conditions, Grace is unable to follow government advice on how to protect herself anyway. She doesnt even have an inhaler, despite repeatedly asking the detention centre healthcare team for one. Graces name has been changed to protect her privacy, but her story is real. This is the type of situation facing hundreds of people in the UK right now. Staff and volunteers at my organisation, Detention Action, have spent the past week speaking with many of them, ordinary people fearing for their lives and concerned that they are expendable, forgotten, collateral. This is just one of the reasons that weve launched landmark covid-19 litigation, seeking the safe release of those subject to our immigration detention system. These are people being held in civil detention, purely for the administrative convenience of the state. They are asylum seekers, trafficking victims and long-term British residents. Since we launched our litigation last Monday, we understand that hundreds of people have been released. This is historic and welcome, but by no means enough. Yesterday the High Court received the governments response to our claim and immediately ordered an urgent hearing for next week. We will be arguing for the urgent review and release of people in detention and seeking to ensure that people are provided with suitable accommodation and not simply released to street homelessness. The stakes are extremely high. The scientific report we have commissioned from professor of public health Richard Coker advises that, based on the governments current approach, it is credible and plausible that 60% of immigration detainees will soon become infected with covid-19. Those in detention, especially those with underlying health conditions, are facing immediate, grave and unnecessary danger. Story continues This threat is not just to detainees, but to the whole of society. Staff come and go, meaning that detention centres act as epidemiological pumps, growing the virus and increasing the risk of wider community transmission. This will place an even greater strain on the NHS and risk less ventilator support for us all in days and weeks ahead. The analysis shows us just how interconnected we are. My health and human rights depend on yours being protected too. Like the swathe of policies that have been shown to be inadequate in the face of this pandemic, covid-19 should be the end of immigration detention and the Hostile Environment. Neither is needed. Both deny the dignity of our fellow human beings and by definition make us all less human too. There is precedent for this. Spain is currently emptying its detention centres. In the US the American Civil Liberties Union is bringing similar litigation and last Monday an immigration judge in the UK released a Kenyan man from detention, in part due to the travel restrictions now imposed by the Kenyan government. Administrative detention is only lawful if the government has a prospect of imminently removing someone. With borders closing worldwide and flights suspended, the idea that we are going to start chartering deportation flights to Jamaica anytime soon is fanciful. When government resources are stretched like never before, where is the sense in trying to prop this controversial system up anyway? But instead of acting sensibly, Priti Patels Home Office sent much of last week herding more people into detention, including those exhibiting covid-19 symptoms. This is grossly out of step with the rhetoric of her Windrush apology in the Commons last Thursday. While she was on her feet apologising for institutional racism and saying that the Home Office would put fairness, dignity and respect at its heart, its press officers were busy denying our clients claims that they were not being provided with soap and spinning that those in detention were a risk to public safety. The home secretary implored that we must all do better at walking in other peoples shoes. So why cant she lead from the front? Would she want her father, brother or mother detained for administrative convenience in unsanitary conditions during the most dangerous pandemic in generations? If not, why should anyones father, brother or mother be treated like this? Joe Biden suggested he was done debating Bernie Sanders during a virtual press conference with reporters Wednesday. 'I think we've had enough debates, I think we should get on with this,' Biden said when asked if he would participate in an April head-to-head with the Vermont senator. Sanders remains in the 2020 Democratic primary race despite the delegate math making it nearly impossible for him to win the nomination. OVER IT: Joe Biden indicated Wednesday he was done debating Bernie Sanders, telling reporters, 'I think we've done enough debates, I think we should get on with this,' when asked if he would take the stage in April Campaign staff for Bernie Sanders (pictured) said Tuesday that the Vermont senator would still be game to debate Joe Biden in April if the Democratic National Committee decides to go ahead with its planned 2020 primary debate However, the New York Times reported Tuesday that Sanders was open to debate Biden again. 'Sen. Sanders is still running for president,' Mike Casca, a top campaign official, told the paper. 'If there is a debate in April, he plans to be there.' The Democratic National Committee previously said there would be an April debate, though never officially announced a date or location. The last debate, held 10 days ago as the coronavirus crisis had just started gripping the nation, had no audience, was filmed at CNN's headquarters in Washington, D.C., and Sanders and Biden stood six feet apart. It came five days after Sanders' bruising loss in Michigan, which was his last, best hope to change the race's momentum, which dramatically tilted toward the former vice president once he won South Carolina in late February, the first southern state to vote. Sanders' supporters have remained active in criticizing Biden for not being more front-and-center during the ongoing crisis. Sanders has held livestream events with supporters every couple of days to talk coronavirus - often with musical guests - and he's gone to work for his day job, that of a U.S. senator. This week marked the first that Biden made a more concerted effort to get his message in front of American voters. 'My focus is just dealing with this crisis right now,' he answered, when initially asked the debate question by CNN's Arlette Saenz. 'I haven't thought about any more debates.' Beyond the press conference - where he took three questions from mainstream outlets and one from an 18-year-old participant - Biden has appeared on the The View and CNN from his home in Wilmington, Delaware. 'It took about four days to be able to have the power and the capacity to set up in my recreation room, where I'm sitting now,' he told reporters Wednesday. Biden indicated he was feeling some FOMO - fear of missing out - as a private citizen and candidate for president, instead of having an active role in U.S. government. 'I have to tell you just like anybody who cares about this, I am chomping at the bit,' he told reporters. 'I wish I were still in the Senate, being able to impact on some of these things, but I am where I am, and I hope to be the nominee of the Democratic Party and I hope I'm able to get my message across as we go forward.' Matt Dustin had a wrenching decision to make: Take an unpaid leave from his job or keep working at the shipbuilding company where he feared catching the coronavirus and bringing it home to his vulnerable wife. Dustin decided to forgo his pay. There is no social distancing there at all, says Dustin, who is taking a leave of absence from his job in Bath, Maine, because his wife has a heart condition and asthma, putting her at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. If they put you to work, youre working right on top of each other." His union has asked that non-essential employees be allowed to stay home and get paid. But so far the company hasn't budged. So Dustin says he will be at home, dipping into his savings if he must to make ends meet. At a time when tens of millions of Americans have been told to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus, millions of others have no choice but to show up to work. Some say they are being forced to, though their office and clerical duties could be done remotely. Others, who deliver packages, clean buildings and work on assembly lines, can't fulfill their roles offsite. Whatever the job, there is one thing many of those workers have in common they don't feel safe, and they are clashing with employers as they demand more protections. They worry about sitting in crowded offices where they fear the virus could quickly spread. They say they are ill-equipped for the risk they take interacting with the public and their fellow workers. They are anxious about working in plants and warehouses that they don't believe are being sufficiently cleaned. Sam's Club adds hours: Sam's Club adding special hours, concierge service for seniors, those most at risk for coronavirus Some hiring in the midst of the pandemic: Coronavirus affects millions of jobs, but here are some big companies that are hiring Those who work in essential positions are no doubt feeling heightening anxiety as the outbreak continues,'' says Andrew Challenger, vice president of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. "It is imperative for employers of these workers to provide some basic measures of protection, including soap and water, hand sanitizer, and sanitizing wipes, and telling sick workers to stay home. Story continues Volunteers deliver meals to the homes of quarantined students who attend a school for children with significant disabilities on Chicago's north side. Workers, union leaders and activists are calling for more safeguards against the virus, which has led to the deaths of more than 800 people and over 60,000 cases of infection in the U.S. as of Wednesday afternoon. Roughly 50 employees at a Perdue Farm plant near Perry, Georgia, walked off the job Monday, saying they didn't feel the chicken producer was doing enough to properly clean the facility and keep them safe from the coronavirus, according to WMAZ in central Georgia. Clerks at a court in suburban Chicago walked out last Friday because they didn't feel they or courthouse visitors were being adequately protected from COVID-19, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. At the Bath Iron Works, which manufactures guided-missile destroyers for the Navy, 59% of workers did not show up for work as they call for paid leave, union representatives say. And Amazon workers and activists who monitor the company have made a series of demands, including requests that sanitizing supplies be more uniformly distributed and paid-leave policies extended to all workers if their facilities are closed because of the virus or they need to care for sick family members. Businesses offer bonuses and extra pay Some companies are changing policies, bolstering pay and handing out bonuses to accommodate employees who must show up onsite to do their jobs. "Companies are changing shifts so that fewer people are working together,'' Challenger says. "Some companies are offering higher pay to their teams who have to go to work during the outbreak. WeWork, the shared workspaces company, is offering a $100-a-day bonus to certain employees willing to come in and keep its offices running in the U.S. and Canada. The company, whose members are primarily freelancers and small businesses, operates in states like New York and New Jersey that mandate all nonessential businesses close. But in a statement to USA TODAY, WeWork CEO Marcelo Claure and Chairman Sandeep Mathrani called the company "a service provider" with an obligation to keep the buildings open. "Where we believe we can operate our buildings safely, and in accordance with government policies, we will keep those buildings open," the statement said. WeWork says that its employees are able to work from home for full pay, and coming into the office is voluntary. Charter employees ask why can't they stay home? But even if a business is deemed essential, some say that not every one of its workers should have to be onsite. Employees at Charter Communications have expressed frustration about the company's unwillingness to let them work from home while other major telecommunications companies such as AT&T and Verizon have such policies. Nick Wheeler, a systems engineer, emailed his bosses asking why. Were all in these offices and elevators all day,'' Wheeler says. "It makes sense, if most of those people can do their jobs from home, that will help lessen the spread of the virus. That was my main concern and my main reason for wanting to work from home. But his managers said the email incited fear. Wheeler said he would quit, an offer his manager initially rejected, then accepted soon after. Since then, however, Charter has reversed course, saying it will let some people work from home. The Stamford, Connecticut-headquartered Charter, the No. 2 broadband and pay-TV provider in the U.S., operates in an industry considered essential by local, state and federal guidelines. "We are working around the clock to deliver uninterrupted internet, telephone and TV news services,'' the company said in a statement to USA TODAY. Last week, Charter announced work-at-home options, increased social distancing in call centers and operations facilities, and an additional three weeks paid leave for all employees. It has also begun deploying workers in its customer call care centers to work from home, but says the process is slowed because workers with access to customer data must be in a secure location. "We will provide the option for remote work to employees whose jobs allow them to work outside the office without endangering our obligation to provide critical services," its statement said. A need for masks, gloves and other protections In the midst of the current health and economic crisis, workers who pack boxes, staff store registers and tote supplies are proving as essential to steering the country through the pandemic as first responders and medical personnel. "I think that for a long time in our society we have treated the work of people who do this kind of work as less important ... less valuable,'' says Dania Rajendra, director of Athena, a coalition of groups that represent Amazon workers and others concerned about the company's influence. "This is a moment where, as a society, we are taking stock of who we are and who we want to be. Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos said in a blog post last week that his company has put in purchase orders for millions of masks for its workers and contractors. And Kroger has told its employees that they are allowed to wear such protective gear, adding that government officials should give supermarket workers priority for such supplies. "Our associates are on the front lines, ensuring Americans have access to the food, services and products they need during this unprecedented pandemic,'' the grocery chain said in a statement Tuesday. Kroger and Walmart are installing plexiglass barriers at many cash registers to enable the social distancing recommended by health experts. And they are putting decals on store floors to help customers figure out the right space to put between themselves and others. Are certain workers more likely to get COVID-19? But some workers whose jobs require to them be onsite say safety measures need to go further. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that coronavirus could be detected up to four hours on copper surfaces, up to 24 hours on cardboard and as long as three days on plastic and stainless steel. Yvonne Maldonado, an infectious diseases specialist at the Stanford School of Medicine, could not say if certain occupations might be at greater risk from the virus, noting that much is still unknown. We might find that out later, that theres more risk in certain places, Maldonado says. But I think more likely its about the same two factors. Its about distancing from each other and using the proper equipment to protect yourself. And that would hold true for any occupation ... The risk factors are being close to people because you dont know which person might be sick. For some workers, urgency is mounting as more of their colleagues become ill. Machinists at Boeing plants in Washington grew anxious last week when the union acknowledged reports that requests to take excused leave without pay were being turned down amid a Seattle Times report that 14 employees in the Puget Sound region tested positive for the virus. And an Amazon fulfillment center in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, was closed Tuesday "for additional sanitization'' after an unspecified number of employees tested positive for COVID-19. A delivery center in Queens, New York, also briefly closed last week after an employee was diagnosed with the virus. Monica Moody, an Amazon employee who works in a warehouse in Concord, North Carolina, says she used gloves and glasses for her job before the coronavirus emerged. But she says workers need new equipment that provides better protection from COVID-19. I pack the packages that go into your home and ... I'm scared for my own safety,'' Moody said during a call Tuesday coordinated by United for Respect, a nonprofit labor group advocating for hourly retail workers, and the Paid Leave for All campaign which is calling for universal paid leave. "We ... barely have time to wash our hands when we get to work or during our shifts.'' Amazon chief Jeff Bezos said in his blog post that the company has taken a number of steps to protect workers' health, "from increasing the frequency and intensity of cleaning'' to implementing social distancing in its fulfillment centers. And "when our turn for masks comes, our first priority will be getting them in the hands of our employees and partners working to get essential products to people." But the company can do more right now, says Rajendra, for workers in its warehouses as well as its drivers. Delivery drivers, who are "under enormous pressure to deliver packages at extremely high rates,'' also need more supplies, she says, such as "the hand sanitizer or the wipes that they should have to keep their vehicle.'' Requests to stay at home can put jobs on the line Some workers say they are being made to choose between protecting their health and a paycheck. Katherine Webster, a project engineer whose firm was contracted to build the interior of a local hotel in Tallahassee, Florida, says when she asked to work from home, she was fired instead. Webster, who has an autoimmune illness and a 9-year-old son with diabetes and asthma, told the Tallahassee Democrat she could have done her job via computer and phone. But after her request, the companys owner asked her for her laptop and says he would contact her about future job opportunities. Workers are seeing results Other workers who are seeking protections are getting results. Mary Kay Henry, the international president of the Service Employees International Union, says that as the coronavirus outbreak spread, janitorial employees were suddenly asked to use hospital detergents and disinfectants without being provided gloves or masks. Many of them broke out in rashes because its such strong equipment, says Henry, whose union represents 175,000 janitorial employees who clean buildings in 22 cities. But the SEIU was able to secure paid sick leave and more protective equipment for those workers. Meanwhile, Rebecca Reindel, safety and health director for the AFL-CIO, says talks are underway to address whether union members who work for utility and communications companies should travel two to a truck as they typically have in the past. Concerns about the virus could lead to a one person, one truck policy, she says of workers who help ensure gas, power and electricity are available. But for workers across industries, there's a lot to be considered. Theres this rush to get people back to work,'' she says, "without really knowing what they could be spreading. Contributing: Billy Kobin, Louisville Courier Journal; Matthew Prensky, Salisbury Daily Times; N'Dea Yancey-Bragg and Mike Snider, USA TODAY; Nada Hassanein, Tallahassee Democrat Follow Charisse Jones on Twitter @charissejones and Josh Peter @joshlpeter11 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Millions can't work from home. Are they safe? Caroline John found herself suddenly homeless in a pandemic. And tenant activists, who scrambled unsuccessfully to help her, say her story exposes a gaping hole in Ontarios order to halt evictions during the COVID-19 crisis that must be filled. John had just returned from her COVID-19 test on March 3 when she says her roommate began badgering her to write a replacement for her last-months rent cheque, which the roommate had lost. Thirteen days later, John was on the sidewalk after police were called, demanding the Ryerson University student vacate the room she was renting in a High Park walk-up or be charged with trespassing. I was in my room in my pyjamas, said John, 32, of the late afternoon visit by two burly Toronto police officers. After about 30 minutes, they literally gave me 20 minutes to grab what I needed and leave when there is a coronavirus pandemic, she said. And its winter. I did not think it would be possible to end up on the street. Linda Boden, 40, Johns roommate, holds the lease to the apartment and said she lives on Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefits and relies on roommates to help her pay the monthly $2,100 rent, plus utilities. Boden who suffers from depression and anxiety, acknowledges she misplaced Johns last-months rent cheque. But after more than a week of asking politely for John to replace it, Boden said she grew worried her roommate was secretly planning to move out at the end of March and leave her short for Aprils rent. I am on ODSP, and I cant afford to pay rent if she decides to just leave, Boden said in an interview. I understand there is a pandemic, but she made the choice not to do what she needed to stay here. Ontarios attorney general urged sheriffs offices to halt evictions March 16, the day John was evicted. Premier Doug Ford escalated that measure to a provincial order the next day. But even if the order had been in place the day John lost her housing, tenant advocates say it may not have provided her any legal protection. Thats because renters like John, who share a bathroom and kitchen with the owner or leaseholder, are not covered by the provincial Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), which governs evictions in Ontario. The law is pretty murky around this, said lawyer Kenneth Hale, director of legal services for the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, a legal-aid clinic that specializes in tenant law. The law seems to recognize the risk homeowners and leaseholders take when sharing their homes with strangers, he said. But during a global pandemic, the risk of homelessness should trump roommate discord, he said. No matter what your status is, you should not be vulnerable to being put out on the street at this time, Hale said. That should be coming through loud and clear whoever you are, whatever your status is. If you have a roommate (situation) that is not working out very well, it is not really the time to settle that beef right now, he said. Police should be aware are of this order (halting evictions), he said. They should be working to keep people sheltered. Housing counsellors with the Federation of Metro Tenants Associations have been on the phone and answering emails non-stop this month from frightened tenants in many different rental situations, said executive director Geordie Dent. Its pretty chaotic out there. And a lot of people are terrified, he said. A federation counsellor spoke to John by phone last week and Dent was in touch by email. While John and other renters like her may not be covered by the RTA, they are still covered by contract law, which requires a 30-day notice to break the contract, Dent said. The problem is rights enforcement. The only way to fight breach of a contract like this is through small claims court, a process that could take six months. And even if you win, all you get is an order (for the leaseholder) to give you back your money. Even if Boden had given John 30 days notice, she would still be scrambling to find another place during a pandemic, he added. The city doesnt keep statistics on the number of people sharing accommodation to make ends meet. But Dent says calls and emails to the federations tenant hotline show it is significant and growing. Who is ensuring people arent being thrown into the streets? And why are police helping to evict people in these situations? he asked. Were in a public health crisis. What if they have the virus? Will they be going into the shelter system? To a friends couch? You do not want that situation now ... Every time you have someone thrown out or locked out, its a risk. The Toronto Police Service doesnt comment on individual cases, but a spokesperson said officers dont conduct evictions. But they do respond to calls from people who rent rooms in their homes and want these unwanted guests to leave, Meghan Gray said. Our members are empathetic towards members of the community that are looking for shelter and will provide assistance whenever they can, she said in a statement. All situations are different ... but calls for unwanted guests are generally when people are no longer welcome on private property and the owner/person in charge has asked for the unwelcome party to be removed, she said. This does not provide the (police) much latitude, but we do try and provide assistance or referrals whenever possible. Moments after her eviction, John phoned the Star from the sidewalk, overwhelmed and wondering how she got there. I know I was being a bit stubborn. I dont have the best conflict response. I can shut down and lose healthy communication, she said. But I didnt think it would come to this because I had paid March rent. I told her I would replace the lost cheque in reasonable time, once I was able to get to my bank, cancel the old one, she said. I cant believe someone would do this to another human being. That first night, John stayed on a friends sofa in a York student residence building and began frantically looking for a new home. The next night, she rented a room in a reasonably priced North York Airbnb where she has been staying ever since. Its pretty scary, she said. But I am lucky I have some basic resources to fall back on. If I had been younger, I would not have had that option. John moved into Bodens apartment Feb. 28 after living in a downtown rooming house with other young professionals for about 2 1/2 years. Through experience with roommates and mediation, John even set up some ground rules for disputes which Boden seemed to welcome before she moved in. The environmental studies student, who is completing her masters thesis, submitted her last-months rent cheque Feb. 16, just before a school trip to Chicago. She returned with a fever, headache and cough and was advised to get tested for COVID-19 at St. Michaels Hospital. (The test result was negative.) Later that day, when she returned home, feeling tired and a bit anxious, John said she felt ambushed by Bodens request for the lost cheque and a litany of other complaints. All roommates have disputes. Its generally hard to live with people. There was definitely some conflict. But in the heightened anxiety over COVID-19, social distancing and the call for people to stay in their homes, people should not end up on the street as a result, she said. Leaseholders are well protected under the Residential Tenancies Act, but where is the protection for the now thousands of renters living under roommate agreements? As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the United States, some states and localities are scrambling to release people from jail. Reducing incarcerated populations is critical to stopping the spread of the virus; if jails, prisons, and immigrant detention centers remain packed, they will become an epicenter of the outbreak. Yet the Trump administration has continued to fight for the power to force states and localities to detain immigrants in local jails. Its good news for public health, then, that the 1st U.S. Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that the administrations assault on sanctuary cities is illegal. The panels unanimous decisionjoined, notably, by retired Supreme Court Justice David Souteraffirms cities right to keep unauthorized immigrants out of their own jails and help them avoid federal detention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps Department of Justice has long sought to punish sanctuary jurisdictions, those hundreds of cities, counties, and states that refuse to enforce federal immigration laws. Most sanctuary jurisdictions prohibit local law enforcement from asking about immigration status, arresting people because of their immigration status, or informing the federal government when it detains a person who happens to be undocumented. These jurisdictions also forbid jails from extending the detention of unauthorized immigrants so federal agents can take them into custody. The DOJ has no constitutional authority to simply commandeer local police into enforcing immigration law. So, instead, the agency sought to cut off sanctuary jurisdictions from the leading source of federal funding to local law enforcement, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, if they did not explicitly agree to cooperate with immigration enforcement. This move would deprive these jurisdictions of millions of dollars in federal funding each year, potentially coercing them into abandoning their sanctuary policies. Advertisement Advertisement Before Tuesday, the 3rd, 7th, and 9th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals had already found that the Justice Department has no authority to slash funding for sanctuary cities and states. Only the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the DOJ rule in a frightening decision that suggested the federal government can require local cops to serve as immigrant enforcers. The 1st Circuit rejected that logic, siding against the DOJ rule in an opinion by Judge Bruce Selya (a Ronald Reagan appointee) joined by Judge David Barron (a Barack Obama appointee) and Souter. (Justices can sit on federal courts of appeals after they retire from the Supreme Court.) Advertisement The fundamental problem with the Justice Departments attack on sanctuary jurisdictions, Selya explained, is that its totally unauthorized. Federal agencies dont have the power to impose new conditions on funding to the states. Rather, Congress must authorize those conditions, within constitutional limits that bar the commandeering of state officials. Here, Selya wrote, the DOJ tried to stretch the statutory language beyond hope of recognition. Congress did require Byrne/JAG recipients to share certain information and coordinate with the federal government. But these conditions apply only to activities funded by Byrne/JAG grants. (For example, recipients must use some of the money to purchase police equipment and develop training materials.) The DOJs implausible claim that grant recipients must turn over all information to the feds conflicts with the plain meaning of the statutory text. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To defend its actions, the DOJ cited a smattering of other statutes that purportedly give it discretion to cut grants on the basis of the attorney generals policy preferences. But, Selya concluded, it has not pointed to any statute or regulation that actually gives such authority to the agency. To determine who gets grants, Congress created a detailed formula that takes into account population and violent crime statistics. Jurisdictions that satisfy this standard must get grants. There are a few exceptionsfor instance, the DOJ can withhold 10 percent of a grant from states that dont maintain a comprehensive sex offender registry. But theres no exception for immigration enforcement. The statute simply does not allow the DOJ to impose by brute force conditions on Byrne/JAG grants to further its own unrelated law enforcement priorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tuesdays decision ensures that law enforcement in states within the 1st CircuitMaine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Islandcan maintain their sanctuary policies without risking federal funds. (The two Rhode Island cities that brought this lawsuit, Providence and Central Falls, have sanctuary policies; so does the entire state of Massachusetts.) Local police have no obligation to report undocumented immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Nor must they detain immigrants who would otherwise be released so ICE agents can transfer them to detention centers where COVID-19 is already spreading. Although the 1st Circuit did not take public health into account, its ruling will keep countless people out of jail and lessen the impact of outbreaks behind bars. The ruling also contributes to a growing consensus in the federal judiciary that the Trump administrations anti-sanctuary policies are obviously illegal. Given that the 2nd Circuit bucked this trend, however, the Supreme Court is all but certain to resolve this issue. One retired Supreme Court justice, Souter, has already sided against the administration. The question now is whether five sitting justices will agree with him. These cases are a test of the conservatives commitment to upholding the plain text of the law while respecting states constitutional prerogative to set their own law enforcement priorities. Immigration advocates can only hope that Souters former colleagues share his commitment to the rule of law. Julia Miles, who dedicated her career to ensuring that women playwrights and directors had a stage of their own, died on March 18 at a care facility in Ridgefield, Conn. She was 90. Her daughter Marya Cohn confirmed the death. Ms. Miles was working as an assistant director of the nonprofit American Place Theater in the mid-1970s when she noticed that few of the plays the company produced were written by women. I looked at our roster, and of about 72 plays that we had done, only about eight were written by women, Ms. Miles told The New York Times in 1998. I was shocked at this, that the thing I cared most about theater was really lacking in female voices. Resolving to do something about the gender disparity, she began Womens Project, now known as WP Theater, in 1978 with a grant from the Ford Foundation, at first staging productions in the American Place Theaters basement. That basement and WPs later homes became incubators for young talent and welcoming places for artists trying to bring new perspectives to the theater. Iran has shut down inter-city travel in its first major crackdown to stop the spread of coronavirus, amid fears of a 'second wave' of infections as the death toll surged past 2,000 today. Government spokesman Ali Rabiei announced that 'new journeys will be banned, leaving towns and cities will be banned' after many Iranians ignored official advice and travelled for the start of the Persian New Year holiday last weekend. Rabiei warned that the hundreds of thousands of Iranians on the roads 'could cause a second wave of the coronavirus'. Interior minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli told state media today that the travel ban would enter force 'tomorrow or the day after', either Thursday or Friday. It came as Iran announced 143 new deaths from the virus today, raising the official toll from 1,934 to 2,077 - the fourth-highest in the world. Grave diggers wearing yellow and blue protective suits bury the body of Abdollah Zavieh, a journalist who died of coronavirus, at a cemetery in Tehran yesterday Many Iranians continued to travel for the start of the Persian New Year last weekend (pictured here on a highway in Tehran), sparking fears of a second wave of infections Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 'our colleagues have registered 2,206 new cases of Covid-19 infection' in the last 24 hours, taking the total from 24,811 to 27,017. The figure is the largest daily increase so far, beating the previous record of 1,762 which was set just yesterday. There has been much suspicion over the accuracy of Iran's figures, although the death rate is no longer quite as much of an outlier as it once was. Iran's president Hassan Rouhani had already warned that his government was poised to introduce tough new measures against the virus. Unlike Italy, Spain or China - the three countries with higher death tolls - Iran had yet to impose any lockdown on its own people until today, relying on verbal appeals for people to stay at home. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians nonetheless took to the roads as usual last weekend to spend the two-week Persian New Year holiday with family, despite fears of the disease spreading from the big cities to the countryside. 'People should return to their home towns as quickly as possible,' government spokesman Rabiei said as he announced the ban today. He said the government would issue a statutory instrument setting out fines for violations. 'Of course, the security forces are going to stop it,' he said, referring to travel on Iran's major highways. Rouhani had warned that the new measures were likely to be 'difficult' for the public. 'This (new) plan is strict and it will create difficulties and restrictions for travel, and prompt people who have already travelled to return home faster,' Rouhani said. The president said gatherings would also be restricted during Sizdah Bedar on April 1, a nature festival during which Iranians traditionally have picnics outdoors. 'These are tough decisions that are necessary to protect lives. All parks may be closed, and Sizdah Bedar will not be like previous years, but we have no choice but to do so,' Rouhani said, adding that details of the plan will come shortly. 'There has been a long debate within the National Committee for Fighting the Coronavirus about how to strengthen the measures we have taken,' Rouhani said in televised comments to the cabinet. 'We need to step up those measures,' he said, adding that the health ministry had 'presented the committee with a plan' to be 'approved and published' today. 'It may create problems for people's travel plans and require that people return home early,' the president said. 'It could stop the next wave of journeys. People have to realise that these are difficult decisions that are being taken to protect people's lives. 'But we have no choice, because the lives of Iranians are important to us.' Relatives wearing face masks kneel over a gravestone after a journalist's burial yesterday at the Behesht Zahra cemetery in the Iranian capital A man wearing a face mask carries a bag as he walks past a closed shop in Tehran, where the government is moving towards imposing quarantine measures Health department spokesman Jahanpour also announced that when government offices reopen on Tuesday, many civil servants will be working from home. 'Only around a third of government staff are authorised to work in the office and only for administrative tasks vital to the public,' he said, adding that all offices would practise 'social distancing'. The country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has urged Iranians to follow state instructions 'so that Almighty God will put an end to this calamity for the Iranian people, for all Muslim nations and for all mankind'. Rouhani said the new measures would be adopted for 15 days and would be 'implemented thoroughly until Saturday, April 4,' the day when children normally return to school after the holiday. A senior Iranian official yesterday ruled out help from 'foreign forces' to deal with the coronavirus epidemic after an offer from a France-based medical charity. 'Due to Iran's national mobilisation against the virus and the full use of the medical capacity of the armed forces, it is not necessary for now for hospital beds to be set up by foreign forces, and their presence is ruled out,' said Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to Iran's health minister. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) had said that it planned to send a nine-member team and equipment to set up a 50-bed hospital to Iran. The plan stirred opposition from ultra-conservative circles in the Islamic republic who charged that MSF staff would serve as 'spies'. In a statement, MSF said it had obtained the necessary permissions from the Iranian authorities, and voiced its 'incomprehension' at its offer of help being rejected. Two cargo planes had already arrived in Tehran carrying the necessary equipment to build the facility, it added. Iranian health workers set up a makeshift hospital inside the Iran Mall, north-west of Tehran, as the country battles one of the world's worst outbreaks Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (centre) is among the masked officials at a government planning meeting in Tehran yesterday In addition 'an international team of nine people, including two intensive care doctors, had already arrived in Esfahan, where they were welcomed by the local health authorities'. The NGO said it was ready 'to rapidly redeploy its emergency team and treatment capacity elsewhere in Iran, or to quickly transfer them to other countries in the region, where they are urgently needed'. On Tuesday, the UN rights chief called for any sanctions imposed on countries like Iran facing medical shortages to be 'urgently re-evaluated'. Iran has been under crippling US sanctions in connection with its nuclear programme. 'At this crucial time, both for global public health reasons, and to support the rights and lives of millions of people in these countries, sectoral sanctions should be eased or suspended,' Michelle Bachelet said. Bachelet's office stressed that more than 50 Iranian medics had died since the first Covid-19 case was detected in the country five weeks ago. Adding to Iran's woes, floods caused by heavy rainfall since Sunday, mainly in western provinces, have killed at least 12 people and left two others missing. Mojtaba Khaledi, a spokesman for Iran's rescue services, said that warnings have been issued of more heavy rains for later this week in western Iran. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Wed, March 25, 2020 17:08 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d5df1f 2 Entertainment The-Willoughbys,trailer,Netflix,Animated-films Free A new computer-animated feature, the Canadian comedy "The Willoughbys" directed by Kris Pearn and Cody Evans, is set to release on the streaming platform in April. The movie tells the story of the four Willoughby children, who elaborate a plot to send their selfish parents away on vacation. Convinced that they can raise themselves better on their own, the children are forced to adapt their old-fashioned values to the modern world. Read also: Three short films you can stream legally, for free Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Alessia Cara, Terry Crews, Martin Short, Jane Krakowski and Ricky Gervais have been cast to voice the different characters. "The Willoughbys" is based on the eponymous book by American novelist Lois Lowry, which was published in 2008. "The Willoughbys" is due out on April 22 on Netflix. Economists have warned that the coronavirus crisis could see house prices plummet by at least 20 per cent due to job losses and a ban on auctions. Australia is facing a severe economic downturn due to a lockdown that has ordered many businesses close - including bars, restaurants and gyms - as it tries to slow the spread of COVID-19. Tens of thousands of workers from those shuttered businesses were put out of work on Monday when the prime minister announced the new measures and thousands more jobs were expected to be lost as a result of the pandemic. The share market has already taken severe hits since the outbreak began and now the housing market is in peril too. According to CoreLogic figures, the preliminary auction clearance rate had dropped to 61.3 per cent across the combined capital cities. 'This weeks preliminary auction results mark a turning point in buyer and seller sentiment, with withdrawal rates rising as vendors think twice about testing the market and buyers losing confidence or choosing to avoid public gatherings,' CoreLogic analyst Caitlin Fono told Business Insider Australia. Economists have warned that the coronavirus crisis could see house prices plummet by at least 20 per cent as job losses continue to rise The share market has already taken multiple hits since the outbreak and now the housing market has been struck too The housing market is expected to come to a halt after the government placed a ban on real estate auctions and open house inspections on Tuesday night. And once that pause is over, economists are expecting prices to drop. AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver said the price drop will depend on job losses, but warned it could plummet by 20 per cent. Thousands of hospitality workers were out of work from Monday when the prime minister announced the new measures (pictured: People lining up outside Centrelink this week) Thousands more jobs are expected to be lost as a result of the pandemic (Pictured: A Centrelink office in Melbourne) 'If people don't have jobs, this results in less spending and more mortgage defaults, which sparks more selling,' he told the ABC. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'If unemployment overwhelms the system and the economic downturn goes well beyond the period due to the virus we're going to see much bigger falls in house prices.' The best case scenario would see a price drop of about 5 per cent, however, the worst-case scenario would see prices could fall by at least 20 per cent, he said. The government has been working to soften the blow to the economy, pledging to support workers who lose their jobs. Scott Morrison announced an extra $66billion worth of spending on Sunday, bringing the total survival package to $189billion - or 10 percent of Australia's GDP. A series of bills was approved on Monday night, with two packages worth $17.6billion and $66billion at the heart of the Morrison government's response. In separate legislation, the government set aside a further $40billion for urgent and unforeseen spending associated with the pandemic, likely to cause a recession. The government will no longer need legislation to make changes to welfare settings after passing an amendment to the package, giving the social services minister unprecedented powers. Restaurants on Melbourne's popular Chapel Street have been forced to resort to takeaway services only, in light of the new restrictions The money is to help businesses survive the shutdown, and to help people buy food and pay their bills through an extended period when they might be unable to work due to quarantines and lockdowns. It includes wage subsidies so businesses can keep staff on the payroll even when money is not coming in, and early superannuation access for people struggling to make ends meet. A number of welfare payments almost doubled. Banks have also offered a six-month repayment holiday for mortgage holders. By Jennifer Hiller and Shariq Khan (Reuters) - Chevron Corp cut its capital spending budget by $4 billion on Tuesday, leading a wave of cost-cutting announcements across the oil-and-gas industry as it reels from declining demand in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and a dramatic slide in prices. Crude oil prices have crashed by 60% since January as Saudi Arabia and Russia pump full bore to grab share in a dwindling market, and gasoline and jet fuel use has slumped. By Jennifer Hiller and Shariq Khan (Reuters) - Chevron Corp cut its capital spending budget by $4 billion on Tuesday, leading a wave of cost-cutting announcements across the oil-and-gas industry as it reels from declining demand in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and a dramatic slide in prices. Crude oil prices have crashed by 60% since January as Saudi Arabia and Russia pump full bore to grab share in a dwindling market, and gasoline and jet fuel use has slumped. Demand worldwide is expected to fall by more than 12 million barrels per day, more than 10% of daily demand. The reset is being felt across the industry, as Chevron was joined on Tuesday in reducing expenses by oilfield service leaders Halliburton and Schlumberger , independent refiner Phillips 66 , and Canada's Suncor . "This is as unprecedented an oil price environment as I can recall seeing, Chevron Chief Executive Michael Wirth said in an interview. Chevron will spend $16 billion this year, down from a planned $20 billion, halving its spending in the Permian Basin, the top U.S. shale field. It is the lowest spending level for the company since 2005. This is the first indication from an oil major of how sharply it would pull back in the Permian, which has made the United States the worlds largest oil producer. The Permian accounts for about 4.8 million bpd of crude production, or more than a third of daily U.S. oil output. Dozens of smaller U.S. shale companies have curtailed spending, and analysts at Goldman Sachs expect a roughly 35% drop in capital expenditure in 2020, and for U.S. oil production to fall by 1.4 million bpd by the third quarter of 2021. Shale companies have been pressuring U.S. service companies for discounts, which is cutting into those firms' earnings as well. Halliburton said it was testing the possibility of cutting as much as 60 to 65% in spending. "The industry is facing an unprecedented dual impact on demand and supply side that none of us have witnessed over our professional lifetimes," Lance Loeffler, Halliburton's chief financial officer, told investors on a Tuesday webcast. Share prices were higher across the board on Tuesday, though many oil company stocks have been battered over the last few weeks. Chevron shares jumped 21% on Tuesday to $65.73 as investors cheered the company's budget cut, which was twice as big as analysts expected, as a sign it would not incur debt to finance operations. Even with those gains, the stock was still down 46% on the year. Halliburton shares rose 19% on Tuesday, while Schlumberger gained 9%. CUT IN PRODUCTION Chevron now expects to pump about 125,000 fewer barrels of oil and gas per day in the Permian Basin by the end of this year, down 20% from its 600,000 barrel per day target. The field is its "most flexible" for spending reductions. Chevron has 16 drilling rigs at work in the field now, down from 20 last year, and will drop to fewer than eight, Wirth said. Chevron will cut $2 billion from its Permian spending, from an expected pace of about $4 billion per year. Exxon Mobil , the largest U.S. oil company, has vowed to make significant cuts this year, while Norways Equinor also reduced its share buyback program. Chevron's reductions were "much deeper than expected," RBC Capital Markets analyst Biraj Borkhataria said. Its $5 billion annual share repurchase program was halted after $1.75 billion of shares were bought back during the first quarter. "Our focus is on protecting the dividend, prioritizing capital that drives long-term value, and supporting the balance sheet," Chevron's Chief Financial Officer Pierre Breber said. The company would not consider an acquisition now, said Wirth, adding: "There will be a day when opportunities may present themselves. If we do the right things today we'll be in a position to consider that." Chevron was already in the middle of a reorganization when oil prices plummeted, but Wirth would not say how many jobs it may cut. (Reporting by Jennifer Hiller in Houston, Shariq Khan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli, Kirsten Donovan and Jan Harvey; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Tom Brown) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Government has simplified provision of subsidies to those who have lost their jobs during quarantine period The Ukrainian government has decided to increase subsidies for the lockdown period. Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmygal, stated this during meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, which broadcasted on 112 Ukraine TV channel. The government also simplified the provision of subsidies to those who lost their jobs during the quarantine period. "On average, the increase in subsidies for Ukrainians will be $9. The mechanism should work after the adoption of the law on the stabilization fund," - the prime minister said. In addition, the government banned the deprivation of housing subsidies for Ukrainians during the quarantine period. The chairmen of the Regional States Administrations, together with local governments, must ensure that these conditions are met. As we reported before, the Cabinet of Ministers has prolonged a lockdown across the country for 30 days. The government also has made the decision to introduce an emergency situation in Ukraine for a period of 30 days. Thus, it is expected to end on April 24, 2020. Google and other digital advertising companies are seeing revenue growth wither as marketers slash spending ahead of an expected recession triggered by the coronavirus. The global pandemic and the ensuing slump in economic activity is crushing several industries that have been big buyers of Google and Facebook Inc. ads, including online travel agents, automakers, restaurants and retail. Im hearing some big numbers, with ad spending down 30 per cent to 50 per cent across the board, said Rob Griffin, founder of digital ad consulting firm G5 Futures. Some marketers will slash budgets by 80 per cent or 90 per cent, while others may stop for a while if theyre in sectors that are particularly hard hit, he added. Millions of people are sheltering at home and spending more time on social media, video streaming and other online services. Thats increasing the amount of digital ad space, but demand for those marketing spots is weak, so prices are falling. The consumption is irrelevant, its completely irrelevant, said Brian Wieser, president of business intelligence for GroupM, the media buying arm of advertising giant WPP Plc. The total amount of money available is independent of viewership trends. Facebook warned on Tuesday that its ad business is weakening in countries that are aggressively fighting the virus. Many of its services are being used more, such as messaging, but they dont run ads, the company added. The day before, Twitter Inc. said usage has jumped, but global advertising is curbed, forcing the social media company to slash its sales forecast and project a loss in the current quarter. The sudden impact of the COVID-19 virus will ripple through the ad market, Michael Nathanson, an analyst at Moffettnathanson LLC, wrote in a note to investors. Given the sheer size of digital ad spending in todays marketplace (more than 50 per cent of all ad spend is now digital), we would expect other digital platforms to see significant deceleration in ad revenues in the coming months. We would suggest investors avoid catching falling knives at Google and Facebook. Google declined to comment on its ad business on Tuesday. On the companys YouTube video service, viewing has jumped in the past week, but CPMs, the industrys way of measuring ad prices, fell as much as eight per cent, according to one digital media executive who asked not to be identified discussing private figures. Shares of Google parent Alphabet Inc. and Facebook are down about 25 per cent since the middle of February, so some of the digital ad downturn may already have been priced in. Facebook stock dipped about one per cent in extended trading after its warning. Alphabet was little-changed. Longer term, Google and Facebook have big cash hoards and little debt, so they can withstand a deep recession, according to Bloomberg internet analyst Jitendra Waral. The last major economic downturn was a boon to these companies. The 2008 financial crisis triggered a similar slump in advertising, but much of that was focused on traditional media. Online platforms took advantage of the moment, and pitched their ads as cheaper, more-targeted alternatives. Now, digital ads take in more than $300 billion (U.S.) a year from the largest corporations to the smallest businesses. Google and Facebook account for more than half of that, according to research firm eMarketer. Last week, as the scale of the crisis hit home, ad-agency executives worked the phones, trying to help clients figure out what to do next. Some pulled out completely while others raced to adjust the tone of their ads. You have industries that were extremely active as of a week ago come to a screeching halt: restaurants, travel, retail, said Doug Rozen, chief media officer at advertising agency 360i. Other companies are still spending, but being more conservative, he added. Google and Facebook derive much of their revenue from small businesses, thousands of which could shut if a deep recession sets in. Both companies offer self-service ad platforms that can be switched off quickly. Advertising is the easiest expense to cut you can literally log into Google Ads and turn it off and start saving money, said Ari Paparo, head of digital ad firm Beeswax Inc. and a former Google executive. Amazon.com Inc. recently cut back drastically on how much money it spends on Google ads. The online retailer is one of Googles largest ad buyers, usually snapping up product-listing ads to lure web shoppers to Amazon. Expedia Group Inc. and Booking Holdings Inc. each spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year marketing on Google, but these online travel agents have been hammered by the abrupt halt in flights, business trips and vacations. Booking Holdings has pulled back materially on brand advertising, RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney wrote in a recent research note after meeting executives from the online travel company. The industry accounts for about 10 per cent to 15 per cent of Googles ad revenue, with Booking and Expedia accounting for about three per cent each, Mahaney estimates. Even businesses that dont sell through the internet often purchase Google ads to encourage people to visit their bricks-and-mortar locations. Last week, Being Yoga, a yoga studio about 25 kilometres south of San Francisco, was still buying Google search ads, based on the query yoga near me, despite being closed. Bloomberg contacted the business, which said it had forgotten to switch the ads off. Retailers often buy Google local-inventory ads that show online shoppers whether products are stocked in nearby stores. With many non-essential retailers shutting locations, demand for these ads may slow. If stores are closed, we absolutely recommend they turn off local-inventory ads, a Google spokeswoman said. Real numbers showing the viruss impact are beginning to emerge from China, which was hit first and shut down travel and non-essential businesses weeks ago. Advertising sales on Chinas big digital platforms are projected to drop 20 per cent to 30 per cent in the first quarter of the year, WPPs Wieser said. Automobile ads slumped 79 per cent in China in February, a far steeper decline than any time during the 2008 financial crisis, he also noted. Most Google services are unavailable in mainland China, but in the rest of the world, automakers are another big ad customer. Even industries that are seeing higher demand, like consumer goods, are unlikely to advertise more right now. Why would you advertise toilet paper right now? Its not helpful, Wieser said. They want to curtail demand. Read more about: Louisiana's diagnosed cases of the new coronavirus climbed by another 407 to a total of 1,795 on Wednesday as test results continued to pour in by the thousands and parishes outside of the New Orleans area began to see sharp increases along with the city. The overall increase marked the largest single-day jump in new cases, along with 19 new deaths associated with the virus, according to information released by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. And more worryingly, the number and rate of patients who required hospitalization jumped dramatically as well. Across the state, there are now 491 patients hospitalized who have tested positive for the coronavirus, 220 more than the day before. About 193 patients require ventilators, twice as many as on on Tuesday. There are now 65 coronavirus-related deaths across the state. The surge in cases was not unexpected as new testing capacity has been brought online to help confirm COVID-19 among residents. And while the New Orleans area the epicenter of the state's outbreak so far continued to see big jumps in the number of cases, Wednesday's numbers suggest that cases in other areas are now rising rapidly as well. The coronavirus has now been found in 48 of Louisiana's 64 parishes, and 19 parishes have seen at least one death. As of Wednesday, 174 cases were identified outside of Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes, compared to 233 new cases identified in those three parishes. Caddo Parish alone made up almost a third of the new cases outside of the New Orleans area, doubling from 40 cases to more than 93. Calcasieu and Bossier parishes also saw their relatively small numbers of cases more than double. It is not yet clear whether the increase in cases is due solely to a dramatic expansion of testing capacity, which will result in more infected people being identified, or if it signals increased community spread outside of the New Orleans area. Gov. John Bel Edwards has said in recent days that people across Louisiana should expect that the virus is already spreading in their communities. Why Louisiana should expect surge of coronavirus cases as state presses to bulk up testing Louisianas tally of known coronavirus cases is beginning to show a spike that will accelerate as the results of thousands of pending tests se Still, New Orleans and its suburbs remain the main hotspots for new cases. Orleans Parish saw its total cases increase by 152, almost as much as the total increase in parishes outside the metro area, and its death toll increase to 37. Jefferson Parish registered 68 new cases and one death in Wednesday's data. In both those parishes, the cases increased by about 23% over the day before. The 827 known cases in Orleans Parish and 359 in Jefferson Parish account for just over 66% of Louisiana's known cases. Wednesday's results continued a rising line of cases, but followed an expected trend as waves of tests performed at commercial labs throughout Louisiana join statewide figures. Louisiana has more than doubled its known cases of the virus since Monday, with 958 of the 1,795 positive tests reported in the past three days. Those figures came as the LDH shifted from twice-daily updates to a single update at noon. The frequency shift likely skewed results from March 22, when just 74 new cases were reported. NEW CASES BY DAY Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up SATURDAY, March 21 : 226 : 226 *SUNDAY, March 22 : 74 : 74 *MONDAY, March 23 (1st day of single report): 335 (1st day of single report): 335 TUESDAY, March 24 : 216 : 216 WEDNESDAY, March 25: 407 The surge of more than 1,000 new diagnosed positives since March 20 was not unexpected and came simultaneously with the surge in commercial testing. As of March 19, only 899 tests had been completed with 392 diagnosed cases. As of Tuesday that number had skyrocketed to 11,451, of which 9,414 performed by commercial labs. TOTAL TESTS COMPLETED EACH DAY SATURDAY, March 21 : 1,371 : 1,371 *SUNDAY, March 22 : 196 : 196 *MONDAY, March 23 (1st day of single report): 2,450 (1st day of single report): 2,450 TUESDAY, March 24 : 2,655 : 2,655 WEDNESDAY, March 25: 2,848 Total known cases in Orleans Parish saw an increase of more than 22% from Tuesday to Wednesday, but also largely followed the statewide trend. Since commercial testing results began registering on March 20, known cases in the parish have more than tripled from that day's figure of 249. The rate of people infected statewide compared to total tests has fallen to below 16%, while Orleans Parish's account of total diagnosed cases statewide fell from 52% from to 46%. Can't see map below? Click here. Editor's note: LDH lists 12 cases as "parish under investigation. Parish-by-parish breakdown Cases have been reported in 41 of 64 parishes (see full breakdown by parish here). Here's the number of cases (deaths) in the metro area as of noon Tuesday, based on LDH data: Orleans : 827 (37 deaths) : 827 (37 deaths) Jefferson : 359 (7) : 359 (7) St. Tammany : 67 (1) : 67 (1) St. Bernard : 23 (1) : 23 (1) St. Charles : 17 (1) : 17 (1) St. John the Baptist : 27 (2) : 27 (2) Lafourche : 18 (1) : 18 (1) Plaquemines : 9 : 9 Tangipahoa : 5 : 5 Terrebonne : 15 : 15 St. James: 14 (1) Even as coronavirus testing expands, social distancing critical in Louisiana, official says The volume of coronavirus testing in Louisiana is expanding rapidly as commercial labs ramp up capacity and hospitals begin processing tests a All information from from the LDH website. Want more news about the coronavirus in Louisiana? See our full coverage. Three people have died in Victoria from coronavirus taking the national death toll to 12, as Australian doctors call for a full nationwide shutdown. Victoria's chief medical officer Brett Sutton confirmed two of the victims, the state's first deaths, were both men in their 70s, before the third case was announced on Thursday afternoon. It comes as Australia recorded a spike in cases overnight, with 190 more in New South Wales alone. Victoria's total rose to 520 diagnosed cases of the respiratory infection, an increase of 54 from Wednesday. A 68-year-old Queensland man died on Wednesday afternoon after catching the virus on board a cruise ship that docked in Sydney last week. Queensland Health said the man had a 'serious underlying medical condition before contracting the virus.' Australia's coronavirus death toll now stands at 12, with 2,675 confirmed cases nationwide Two young women are seen wearing masks in Sydney's Circular Quay (pictured) on Wednesday, as Australians are encouraged to stay at home Dr Sutton said Victoria's first deaths were 'not unexpected' as the numbers who had tested positive increased. 'They are regarded as coronavirus deaths, the reality is if you are over 70 you are more vulnerable. 'This is what coronavirus does.' Sydney's eastern suburbs has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the state after a surge overnight, bringing the New South Wales total to 1,219. Southeast Sydney has between 161-320 cases of COVID-19, while the north closely follows with between 81 and 160. The city's west and southwest, and the Hunter New England region, both have between 41 to 80 confirmed cases each. Of the state's cases, seven people have died and 16 are currently in intensive care. It comes after several backpackers based in Bondi, in Sydney's east, tested positive to COVID-19 between Friday and Sunday. Health staff conduct tests at the COVID-19 testing centre (pictured) in the Reactivating the Repat Hospital on March 11 in Adelaide Travellers are seen at Sydney airport on Wednesday (pictured) after Mr Morrison announced a complete shutdown of the border from Thursday to all but essential travel NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian praised people for 'stepping up and following the various decision we have had to take in the last few days regarding shutdowns'. 'But I do also want to say to the community that if we don't see things shifting in the numbers because of those actions, NSW will have to go further,' she said. 'NSW is different to the other states. If I feel the curve is not going the way we want it to, I will go further in NSW, there will be further shutdowns.' The state's chief medical officer Dr Kerry Chant said she was expecting the state's number of infections to continue rising due to Australians returning from overseas. 'We'll be particularly looking at those cases where we don't find any links to either overseas travel or known clusters or other confirmed cases,' she said. Sydney's south east has the most confirmed cases of COVID-19, with between 161-320 people, while northern Sydney has between 81 and 160 confirmed cases 'And that will give us an indication of the success of the strategies.' On Wednesday, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews warned he may implement further measures to fight the spread of the coronavirus. The state's tally includes four health workers at Werribee Mercy Hospital in Melbourne's outer west. The hospital confirmed one emergency department worker tested positive to COVID-19 on Sunday. Fellow staff members considered at risk of infection were isolated and tested, with three confirmed as also having the virus. Travellers walk past the departures gate at Sydney airport on Wednesday (pictured) ahead of the international travel ban CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement The Police Association has called for a state of disaster to be declared, which would give its members greater powers during the coronavirus pandemic. About 500 Victorian officers had been allocated to a taskforce enforcing the closure of non-essential services and the mandatory 14-day self-isolation period for arrivals from overseas. Individuals face fines of up to $25,000 and businesses could be forced to pay $100,000 for breaching restrictions. The shutdowns of businesses from restaurants to pubs to gyms to cinemas and any place of public gathering had cost tens of thousands of Australians their jobs, but many medical experts said they should go even further. A man is seen wearing a face mask as a preventative measure against the coronavirus in Melbourne on Wednesday (pictured) People queue for access to a Centrelink Service Centre (pictured) in Sydney on Monday, as thousands of staff are laid off because of the coronavirus shutdown President of the Australian Medical Association in Western Australia Andrew Miller joined a team of doctors in an appeal, calling for people and the government 'to jump on the breaks.' Garry Kirstenfeldt (pictured left), a passenger on board the Voyager of the Seas, died from coronavirus on Wednesday afternoon 'This virus is out of control, and we really got it to stop it to avoid a lot of necessary deaths, not only of healthcare workers, but also of people out there in the community,' he said. 'We really want people to and for the government to please to impose lockdown until we've got this under control. We know the people will understand.' Dr Miller's message was followed by an emotional 30-second clip showing members of the health community asking people to follow social distancing rules to prevent spread of infection. The NSW Police Minister David Elliot has announced that as of Thursday, people breaking social distancing guidelines will be given fines and possibly jail time. He said individuals would be given fines of $1,000 and corporations would be hit with fines of $5,000 for breaches. A woman (pictured) is seen wearing a face mask in Melbourne on Wednesday, as Victoria recorded a surge in coronavirus cases Travellers are seen wearing masks (pictured) as a precaution due to the coronavirus continuing to spread across Australia on March 20 in Melbourne Included in a raft of measures designed to stop the virus spreading further is a ban on cruise ship passengers from disembarking in Sydney. The move came after thousands of potentially infected people were allowed to leave the Ruby Princess and three other cruise liners. Ms Berejiklian announced on Thursday passengers won't be allowed off cruise ships in Sydney until new protocols are signed. 'I don't want a single person coming off a ship in Sydney until various signing of protocols between the federal and state governments,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'And that's what we are negotiating with the federal government.' The decision came after 2,647 passengers from the Ruby Princess were allowed to disembark in Sydney on March 19 despite reports of flu-like symptoms on board. Since then, 133 passengers have been diagnosed with coronavirus and a 78-year-old female passenger became the eighth person to die from the virus in Australia. The Princess Cruises-operated Ruby Princess ship returned to Sydney on Thursday with 2,647 passengers on board - all were allowed to disembark without health screenings Scores of employees could seen be after piling out of the Ovation of the Seas ship without being tested for coronavirus (pictured on Saturday) Despite the virus being generally more deadly for older or vulnerable people, there are now cases of younger patients battling the disease in hospital. Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said one patient aged in the 30s was in intensive care and one in their 60s. 'We have had many people overseas in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s ending up in ICU beds because of their diagnosis of COVID-19,' she said. Australias deputy chief health officer Paul Kelly said the worrying development should serve as a 'wake up call'. 'No-one is immune to this. Many of us will get sick from it. Some of us will get severely sick and end up in hospital,' he said. 'Some will need to be in intensive care. And some of us, as weve seen already, unfortunately, will pass away from this disease.' Hairdressers no longer have only 30 minutes to attend to each customer. Pictured: A salon in Brisbane Despite the grave warnings, the government relaxed time restrictions on hairdressers on Thursday morning, after previously bringing in a 30 minute appointment limit. The time limit was quickly lifted after salon owners said it was too difficult to cut someone's hair in half an hour. The rule was announced on Tuesday night to slow the spread of coronavirus but was scrapped just eight hours after it came into force. A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the decision was made 'following the receipt of feedback on the practical implementation of measures'. Chinas Disinformation Campaign Foments Chaos and Confusion in Other Countries Amid Global Pandemic Commentary As the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, is ravaging countries around the world, the Chinese regime has launched a propaganda and disinformation campaign to maintain social stability and to bolster its international image. Meanwhile, there is evidence of power struggle between political factions within the regime and has been displayed through the media. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. The virus started in the city of Wuhan last year before spreading around the world. Maintaining Social Stability In order to hold on to its power, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) needs to maintain social stability by resorting to both iron fist and concocting lies to silence its people. Whistleblowers of the epidemic were reprimanded, citizen journalists have been arrested, and even citizens who protest against the high cost of food are being arrested. Chinese authorities covered up the initial outbreak in Wuhan, and the earliest sign of the mystery pneumonia may have flared up in mid-November. Then in December, authorities reprimanded eight medical doctors for spreading rumors after they tried to alert the public of the SARS-like outbreak. Instead of heeding the warnings, the authorities allowed 5 million people to leave the city ahead of the Chinese New Year. The authorities did not inform the public that the virus was contagious until Jan. 20, and they locked down Wuhan four days later. In order to further cover up the true situation in the country, the CCP fabricated data to downplay the scale of the outbreak while denying international experts access into China. Authorities have enforced strict lockdowns in many cities, villages and communities. Although crematoriums in Wuhan are running at full capacity, hospitals and the media have been completely silenced, and the real data has been destroyed. All social media postings on the outbreak are censored. As a result, any postings that are unfavorable to the regime are deleted, and those who post them either receive a harsh warning or are taken away by police. Disinformation Campaign Creates Fear The CCP attempts to portray a positive image to the rest of the world while targeting countries with their disinformation campaign. In late February, the CCP ordered secret agents stationed in different countries and internet trolls to disseminate a document to various websites and social media platforms around the worldthe goal was to create confusion and fear about the CCP virus among the local Chinese population. Chinese internet trolls, known as the 50-cent army, work to regulate internet speech by deleting information deemed sensitive or harmful by the regime, as well as by posting pro-Beijing propaganda and directing online discussion away from topics that are critical of the regime. The document is a standard template which depicts a dire situation of the outbreak in a country, aimed at misinforming the recipient. It also makes the CCP appear competent in handling the outbreak. The content is the same for every country, only the name of the country is changed on the letter. Below is an English translation of the document which was originally in Chinese: The outbreak of the contagion is getting out of control in [country]. I learned from a friend of mine who works in a hospital in [country] that countless patients go to seek treatment every day. However, the hospital does not have enough diagnosis kits. These patients were told to go back home and wait. In this country, the percentage of the senior population is quite high. As a result, numerous patients have to wait to die at home. Those who have died before being diagnosed will not be counted as a confirmed patient. That explains why the figures reported in [country] are so low. This is horrible. I have already booked a plane ticket for China. During the most crucial period of time, only a government (Chinese regime) who has authoritarian power can effectively handle such a big crisis. Some Chinese netizens posted evidence online to expose that high-level officials ordered internet trolls to send out the document. In the screenshot showing a conversation, the aforementioned document was sent to a recipient (internet troll). The recipient then asked, Which country (should we fill in?) The sender replied, The United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, United States, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, etc., you may choose any of these. The image below shows another version of the manuscript which was disseminated in various countries between Feb. 24 and Feb. 27. Although the rumors and confusion in other countries were spread by CCP spies and internet trolls, an article from a state-run media outlet blames it all on overseas anti-China forces, saying that these forces aim at creating chaos and have already achieved their goal of driving a large number of overseas Chinese to return to China. Overseas Chinese Become Victims and Scapegoats Large numbers of overseas Chinese have rushed back to China in mid-March amid the CCPs claims that China is a much safer place than other countries. Propaganda slogans on the internet have praised the CCP as a Noahs Ark that provides a safe haven during a crisis: Although being the motherland of all Chinese people, China is not very rich, but at the critical moment it will do its best for its children! Many overseas Chinese were deceived by the propaganda and have returned home at their own peril. Upon returning, they are required to self-quarantine for a few days. But they need to cover the costs of high quarantine fees and treatment. Furthermore, numerous social media posts began attacking those who returned to China from overseas, blaming them for importing the virus. You were not here when we were building our country; but you are here first to become a problem and a burden for your home country, one post read. What you are doing is to come back from thousands of miles away just to poison your home country, another post read. In one post, the CCP takes the opportunity to act as the good guy. State-run Beijing News wrote, Dont randomly affix the label of making trouble for the country on the Chinese students who returned from abroad. Conflict Between Political Factions Chinas media outlets and internet trolls are both controlled by the regime. There is evidence of conflict between different political factions that has played out through the media. China Youth Daily launched an article on March 1 criticizing internet trolls. Stop demonizing foreign countries fight against the epidemic. What these people [internet trolls] are doing is to distort peoples moral values. The article received a lot of praise from readers and netizens, and called it a work of conscience. The internet trolls retaliated by leaving negative comments. On March 15, China Youth Daily published a second, revised version on the same topic, titled Stop Demonizing Foreign Countries Fight Against the Pandemic. The article lashed out at internet trolls for making up rumors. This second version received even more favorable comments but was also attacked fiercely. The favorable comments were deleted, and many related web pages were blocked by internet trolls. On March 19, a mainland mainstream media published the article and also mentioned the document that internet trolls disseminated overseas about the outbreak. However, internet trolls removed the article from the site. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. LOCAL childrens educator and entertainer, Ubongo Kids and Akili and Me series have responded to the governments directive on children remaining at home to self-quarantine against coronavirus outbreak by offering them more free educative programmes. Making the revelation in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, Ubongos Chief Product Officer, Christina Bwana further said that they have launched several digital learning platforms as a library where different ages of children would be reached. Ubongo toolkits is offering a full library of free educontent for kids and caregiv ers, covering a wide stream of topics in local context, soon to be adapted in more African languages, she added. She further said that parents, teachers, and caregivers as well as children are encouraged to make use of the online platform, assisted by television and radio programmes to air. We are working hard as partners in education in the community by also responding to this situation (coronavirus spread) in the best way, especially by disseminating contents, which will promote safe measures and practices at home, said the Chief Product Officer. However, according to UNESCO monitoring, over 130 countries have implemented nationwide schools closures, impacting on over 80 per cent of the world students population. In the event, several other countries have implemented their localised measures, where millions of additional learners will experience education disruption. In Tanzania, Akili and Me currently airs on TBC 1 on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 9 am, every Saturdays on EATV at 6:30 am. We officially launched our Ubongo Toolkits platform this month and we are working to popularise it with additional contents and guidance for caregivers to use at home and support further learning in the children population, she said. We are offering free of charge our library of TV and radio edutainment contents to any broadcasters and partner(s), who would then share them with the communities in needthis includes for public service and educative videos to support the health and hygiene systems. We are also working on mapping our content and other learning resources such as e-books, apps and worksheets alongside the education curriculums from preprimary to grade 7 in several African countries, especially this time when schools have been closed as a result of coronavirus spread. Our priority is focusing on Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda, and this will fill the vacuum missed as a result of missing class lessons, with relevant education to the kids, Ms Bwana pointed out. Ubongo Toolkits is a large library of quality, African- made early learning materials and educative resources for kids aged 0 - 14 and caregivers, which covers various topics, from early numeracy, pre-literacy, and social and emotional skills to engineering, science, and technology. The learning materials are currently available in Kiswahili, English, and further translated into Kinyarwanda, Hausa, Kikuyu, Luo, and Chichewa. The toolkits serve as a teaching aid for the purpose of improving quality filled with instructions, visual and audio learning for schools and homes. In the long-term, Ubongo plans to create a more health-related content, which will support public awareness around hygiene and infectious disease prevention. President Donald Trump listens to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during a briefing on the coronavirus at the National Institutes of Health, March 3, 2020, in Bethesda, Maryland. AP Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called the numerous media reports of disagreements with President Donald Trump "really unfortunate." "The president has listened to what I have said and ... what the other people on the task force have said," Fauci said. "When I made recommendations, he's taken them. He's never countered or overridden me." "The idea of just pitting one against the other is just not helpful," Fauci added. "I wish that would stop and we'd look ahead at the challenge we have to pull together to get over this thing." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called the numerous media reports of disagreements with President Donald Trump as "really unfortunate." During an interview with WMAL radio in Washington, DC, Fauci stressed that he wished the media's portrayal of him butting heads with Trump would stop. "Because we have a much bigger problem here than trying to point out differences," Fauci said. "There really, fundamentally at the core ... there are not differences." "The president has listened to what I have said and ... what the other people on the task force have said," Fauci added. "When I made recommendations, he's taken them. He's never countered or overridden me." Numerous reports of disagreements with the president have emerged in recent days after the physician was catapulted into the national spotlight during the coronavirus pandemic. Fauci's comments about the virus appeared to undercut several of Trump's claims, including whether or not an anti-malaria medication called chloroquine was proven to be beneficial in the treatment of the coronavirus. When asked about Trump's description of the drug as a "game-changer" and "approved," Fauci replied that the evidence was merely "anecdotal." Story continues President George W. Bush presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Anthony Fauci during ceremonies at the White House in Washington, DC, June 19, 2008. Karen Bleier/Getty Fauci, whose decades-long tenure spans Republican and Democratic presidential administrations, also noted in a separate interview that he would never describe the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus," a description Trump and his allies have embraced even after it quickly spread beyond Wuhan's borders. The rumor mill went into overdrive when Fauci was previously spotted making facial gestures and covered his face with his hand during a press conference, as Trump cracked a joke. Fauci later told The New York Times that his throat had been scratchy and the lozenge he was having became stuck in his mouth. Trump also described his relationship with Fauci in glowing terms and said he "absolutely" got along with the doctor: "We get along very well," he said on Fox News on Tuesday. Fauci said the reports of disagreements were trivial and that the coronavirus outbreak was a more pressing issue. "The idea of just pitting one against the other is just not helpful," Fauci said to WMAL radio. "I wish that would stop and we'd look ahead at the challenge we have to pull together to get over this thing." Read the original article on Business Insider Turns out Prince Harry played a bigger role in Megxit than previously thought. Harry and Meghan Markle are currently self-isolating in Canada while they wait for their exit to become official at the end of the month. The two will be spending a good portion of their time in North America moving forward, and inside sources claim that it was actually Harrys decision to move to Canada with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and their son, Archie Harrison. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images Meghan Markle and Prince Harry prepare for exit Meghan and Harrys exit from the royal family will become official after March 31. The couple returned to Canada after completing a round of royal engagements at the beginning of the month. During his appearance at a dinner for Sentebale, Harry told the crowd that he will always consider the UK his home. He also revealed that he and Meghan wanted to continue to serve the monarchy in some capacity, though that did not happen. The UK is my home and a place that I love. That will never change, Prince Harry shared. I have grown up feeling support from so many of you, and I watched as you welcomed Meghan with open arms as you saw me find the love and happiness that I had hoped for all my life. Harry added that he will continue to invest in charities and military communities in the coming years and thanked everyone for their ongoing support. As part of their exit deal, Harry and Meghan will no longer use their royal titles, a move that means they will have to rebrand their main charitable foundation, Sussex Royal. Their decision to leave will also be re-examined in 12 months. Prince Harry says Megxit was his decision In the weeks following the couples big announcement, Meghan took plenty of heat for being the driving force behind Megxit. An inside source, however, claims that it was actually Harrys idea to move to Canada. According to Express, the insider revealed that Harry was very unhappy with how Meghan was being treated and thought moving to Canada would protect her and their son, Archie. When it became clear Meghan was never going to get a fair shake, Harry snapped, the source shared. Hes adamant that it was his call to move to Canada. The insider says that Prince Harry wanted to shield Archie from all the negative press that comes with being an active member of the royal family. To that end, he decided to leave the monarchy and take his family to Canada, where they would not be under such an intense spotlight. Meghan and Harrys final joint engagement was on March 9. The couple appeared alongside other high-ranking members of the royal family for the Commonwealth Day festivities at Westminster Abbey. A close friend of Harry opens up about his decision Harry has not commented on the reports surrounding Megxit, but one of his good friends recently opened up about his move to Canada. According to Hello Magazine, Nacho Figueras talked about Prince Harrys decision to leave during an interview for the special, Royal Divide: Harry, Meghan and The Crown, which was aired on ABC. Figueras revealed that he has been in contact with Harry in the past few weeks and that the Duke of Sussex wants to live a normal life. I spoke to Harry a few days ago, Figueras shared. He has suffered a lot from all of the things that have happened to him. He wants to live a normal life, as normal as his life is going to be right? Because when you have a thousand paparazzi outside your house in Canada waiting to get a picture of your son thats not very normal. The polo star also noted that Princess Dianas death played a huge part in Harrys decision to get his family out of the monarchy. At the end of the day, Harry values the safety of his family above everything else and does not want them to suffer the same fate as his mother. What about Prince Harry and Prince Williams relationship? Harrys relationship with Prince William has also been under the spotlight amid his exit from the royal family. It is unclear if Harry felt like Meghan was not being treated fairly by the British media or his family, but it is possible that both instances are true. Harrys issues with the British tabloids have been very well documented. In 2019, for instance, Harry and Meghan sued several tabloids in the UK for publishing personal letters she wrote to her father. When it comes to his relationship with William, sources claim that the brothers still have not made proper amends. An insider says that they are being nicer to each other but they are both still filled with anger and resentment. With the Duke and Duchess no longer a part of the royal family, the chances of Prince William and Prince Harry reconciling are slim. Hopefully, spending time apart will be good for both sides and eventually get them back together. The UN's health agency has faced criticism in the past for overreacting and for moving too slowly in fighting epidemics, but it has rarely faced as much scrutiny as with the coronavirus pandemic. The World Health Organization was deemed too alarmist when it faced the H1N1 epidemic in 2009 but five years later it was accused of dragging its feet in declaring an emergency over the Ebola outbreak in west Africa, which would go on to kill more than 11,000 people. After that debacle, the WHO reformed and created a rapid response unit that has since helped to tackle two Ebola outbreaks in Democratic Republic of Congo. And yet, the organisation is once again under fire, with critics saying it did not react quickly or strongly enough to the new coronavirus, which emerged in Wuhan, China, late last year. The agency has been accused of delaying sounding the alarm for fear of offending Beijing, for waiting too long to declare the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic and for failing to coordinate a coherent international response. Also, a consensus appears to be emerging on the need to close down public spaces to limit the spread but the WHO has given little guidance on these measures. "WHO remains surprisingly silent and absent in all of these pragmatic questions," Antoine Flahault, head of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva, wrote in The Lancet medical review, asking: "Is there any orchestra conductor?" However, other commentators have praised WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and his team for giving sound guidance, instead criticising countries for failing to heed the advice. Devi Sridhar, a professor of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, said the WHO's reaction was "hard to fault", adding that countries like South Korea that followed the advice to test, trace and contain have done better than others. One of the central planks of criticism is that the WHO waited until March 11, when nearly 120,000 cases had already been registered, to declare the outbreak a pandemic -- a move that truly hit the accelerator on global efforts to rein in the virus. By that time, the virus, dubbed an "enemy of humanity" by Tedros, had already taken hold in Europe, which soon overtook Asia as the epicentre of the outbreak. With a dearth of tests, shortages of protective gear for health workers and vital medical equipment like ventilators, health systems even in wealthy nations have been pushed to the breaking point. In a bid to halt the spread of a pandemic that has already claimed more than 18,000 lives, more than 2.5 billion people worldwide are now largely confined to their homes and economies have largely ground to a halt, threatening a global recession. Despite the chaos, and evidence that Chinese officials hid the crisis for weeks and stifled doctors trying to sound the alarm, the WHO has praised Beijing for its early response. Joseph Amon, a professor of global health at Drexel University in the United States, told AFP it was a "clear mistake and set an early tone by WHO that the epidemic was perhaps not as severe and that the initial response was adequate". China told the WHO about an unknown form of pneumonia circulating in Wuhan on December 31, 2019. Experts say that if the world had learnt of the problem weeks earlier it could probably have been reined in. "If we had known about it then, then that could have made a huge difference," Roland Kao, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, told AFP. But while experts agree there was certainly much to criticise in China's initial response, many say the WHO was right to highlight what the country got right, including quickly sharing the genetic sequencing of the virus and taking dramatic lockdown measures to slow the spread. "To alienate China early in the process by pointing out mistakes would have been a mistake," Ann Lindstrand, in charge of WHO's expanded immunisation programme, told AFP, saying Beijing's cooperation was crucial. "Tedros did the right thing." Tedros himself has dismissed claims that he and WHO have bowed to Chinese pressure, stressing the collaborative relationship the agency has with its members. "I don't consider anything that comes from member states as pressure," he told a conference this month. Some say the COVID-19 pandemic has actually revealed the opposite problem -- states need to feel pressure from the WHO but the agency simply does not have the power. "Dr Tedros and WHO are working hard to conduct the orchestra, but the players are not cooperating," said Suerie Moon, the co-director of the Graduate Institute's Global Health Centre. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), has reinforced its role as the representative of the business community in the midst of current global challenges by strengthening its partnerships with its partners, including the Ministry of Economy and other government authorities. The most recent of these efforts was the meeting between its members, who are major fruit and vegetable traders, with the Ministry of Economy, to address important issues related to food security, the continued flow of commodities, and to maintain the strategic stockpile of basic food items for more than six months. The chamber said it is committed to strengthening the partnership of public and private sectors to face global challenges and enhance the competitiveness of the business environment in the emirate. It has met with the business groups and councils to reassure them that the priority of the chamber during the current period is to ensure uninterrupted business operations and to try to mitigate any negative impact on the business sector through open dialogue with, both, the public and private sectors. The chamber also coordinated a meeting with its members in the fruit and vegetable trade working group with the Ministry of Economy, to address important issues related to food security, continued flow of goods and commodities, and to maintain the strategic stockpile of basic foodstuffs. The attendees discussed the formation of an emergency committee that includes representatives from the Ministry of Economy, Dubai Chamber and stakeholders from the entire supply chain. Their task will be to monitor developments and immediately address issues. This will have positive repercussions on the smooth flow of cross-border commercial traffic. Hamad Buamim, President and CEO, DCCI, pointed out that the role of the chamber as the voice of the business community is vital during the current period. He highlighted that the chamber has taken this role very seriously by communicating the concerns of the private sector to relevant government institutions, creating a productive interactive discussion, and encouraging public-private partnerships to deal with the repercussions of the coronavirus. Buamim stressed that the chamber is leveraging its partnerships to serve the business sector. He also pointed out that cooperation with the Ministry is an essential part of the efforts made by the chamber to maintain business continuity and competitiveness, despite tremendous challenges. The chamber recently held a number of discussions with various government departments regarding the challenges experienced by the private sector due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, and the efforts to implement a number of incentives to ensure business continuity and sustainability. The chamber discussed topics, such as reducing the cost of doing business, reviewing legislation to assist business, in addition to enhancing consumption. It indicated that government agencies were open to supporting the private sector with incentives and packages to lessen current challenges. -TradeArabia News Service Holly Willoughby has recalled the embarrassing moment she used the toilet while her mic was still on during an appearance on This Morning. On Wednesday's edition of the ITV daytime show, the presenter, 39, left her co-host Phillip Schofield, 57, in stitches as she brought some light relief while discussing the recent incident amid the coronavirus pandemic. The TV star admitted that she was caught off-guard when studio crew members informed her that the equipment was still in operation, but insisted ' luckily it was only a lady like tinkle'. Mishap: Holly Willoughby has recalled the embarrassing moment she used the toilet while her mic was still on during an appearance on This Morning Blonde beauty Holly spoke about the blunder as Phil referred to the pair's favourite viral videos, which were shown on Tuesday's show. He explained: 'On yesterdays show I mentioned one of my fave viral videos, when the Mayor of Georgetown goes to the bathroom and leaves his mic on.' Revealing she's shared a similar experience, the Celebrity Juice captain chimed in: 'I have done it actually and not that long ago. I came into the studio and everyone was like, you might have left your mic on, luckily it was only a lady like tinkle, not like this guy!' After watching the politician's mishap, which took place in 2015, Holly struggled to contain her giggles as she joked: 'Oh thats brilliant. We all love a fart gag, we really do.' Giddy display: On Wednesday's edition of the ITV daytime show, the presenter, 39, left her co-host Phillip Schofield, 57, in stitches as she discussed the recent incident 'Luckily it was only a lady like tinkle': The TV star admitted that she was caught off-guard when studio crew members informed her that the equipment was still in operation Inspiration: Blonde beauty Holly spoke about the blunder as Phil referred to the pair's favourite viral videos, including Mayor Dale Ross' similar mishap in 2015 (pictured) The duo's playful segment comes after they revealed why they'll continue to host This Morning live from the studio amid the coronavirus pandemic. During Tuesday's instalment, Holly and Phil explained they're still required to come into work as the government have classed them as 'essential workers', after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson plunged the nation into a lockdown. Addressing their viewers following Boris' speech on Monday, media personality Phil said: 'Lets start off by explaining probably for the first time ever, why we are here today.' His co-star - who practised social distancing by sitting a few feet away from him - added: 'The government has classed us as essential workers for the time being, as we are here to answer your questions and inform you on what is happening.' 'We're essential workers': The duo's playful segment comes after they revealed why they'll continue to host This Morning live from the studio amid the coronavirus pandemic Phil highlighted that their studio crew has been scaled back, adding: 'We are running with a skeleton staff and for now on, with lots of people working from home. 'In fact, the mobile crew have brought the cameras through from GMB through a hole in the wall. There are millions of others quite rightly staying at home.' On Monday night, the head of the government ordered the immediate closure of all non-essential shops and threatened people with fines or even arrest if they do not 'stay at home'. The shutdown will last for a minimum of three weeks and the UK's new state of emergency is unprecedented in modern history. Gatherings of more than two people have been banned in the most dramatic curbs on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war, as the government goes all out to stop the spread of the killer disease, which has claimed over 400 lives in the country. PRINCETON, N.J., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The COVID-19 crisis has prompted an outpouring of support from the people of New Jersey. Inspired by the Jersey Strong spirit, the New Jersey Hospital Association has created a resource for state residents to offer their support to our healthcare community. NJHA's How Can I Help? web page includes information and links for medical professionals who want to volunteer; businesses and organizations seeking to donate personal protective equipment for healthcare workers; and all New Jerseyans who want to help others in need through donations. "We may be social distancing, but the sense of community is stronger than ever in New Jersey," said Cathy Bennett, president and CEO of the New Jersey Hospital Association. "We have been inundated with people seeking to help our healthcare facilities and their employees as they work tirelessly in the COVID-19 response. This page provides some ways that New Jerseyans at home can lend their support." How can you help? Here are some ways: If you're a licensed or certified healthcare professional, consider volunteering with the Medical Reserve Corps. NJHA provides a brief questionnaire to collect information from interested volunteers and will provide that information to state coordinators. Donate supplies of respirators, masks, gowns, gloves or other personal protective equipment for hospitals, nursing homes, first responders and others providing care on the frontlines. NJHA is working with the state Office of Emergency Management and the N.J. Department of Health to populate a statewide inventory of PPE supplies. Email [email protected] if you have supplies to donate. if you have supplies to donate. Support the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (www.njprf.org), launched by First Lady Tammy Murphy to help New Jersey residents with the economic and social impact of COVID-19. to help residents with the economic and social impact of COVID-19. Give blood. There is an urgent shortage of blood in our state. Blood donation sites are taking heightened precautions to protect those who give. The American Red Cross-New Jersey (www.redcross.org/local/new-jersey.html) helps supply hospitals statewide. Call ahead for appointment information. The How Can I Help? page can be found at http://www.njha.com/coronavirus/how-can-i-help/. SOURCE New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) Related Links http://www.njha.com There was significant shaming of religious institutions that initially kept their doors open throughout Canada even as many faith leaders were taking early precautions by telling congregants to pray at home. Similarly, scenes of people converging on beaches and in parks raised the ire of many; giving rise to one more new COVID-19-related term covidiots (it went viral on Twitter). Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus tone has changed. His determinedly upbeat, positive reinforcement focusing on all the millions of people staying home shifted on Monday. Enough is enough, he said, finally addressing the covidiots amongst us. Those who fail to quarantine now risk being fined. The federal health minister has additionally warned that civil liberties could be in jeopardy if people dont follow the rules. That some people fail to heed the warnings shouldnt be surprising, even if maddening. Most of us arent used to sudden limits on our freedoms (except perhaps for public servants in Quebec who have lately been banned from wearing religious clothing on the job). We take our freedoms for granted, expecting to be able to move, assemble, and worship without discrimination, as guaranteed by our Charter of Rights and Freedoms and by various international frameworks. While its a sign of a healthy democracy that people want to preserve the civil liberties they cherish, there are limits we must respect for the greater good. But that doesnt mean governments have free rein, even in a time of crisis. Everything that governments and public officials do must be prescribed by law; and those laws need to be consistent with our Constitution, reads a recent statement from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which admits it cannot stay on top of the rapidly shifting legal landscape on its own. Nor should it. We must collectively be more vigilant in ensuring that governments in Canada and around the world dont set our human rights advances back as they rush to contain the deadly coronavirus. This includes protecting migrants at our borders, immigration detainees, and prisoners. It means being aware of the threats posed even to freedom of expression. The 2019-nCoV outbreak and response has been accompanied by a massive infodemic an overabundance of information some accurate and some not that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it, reads a February situation report from the World Health Organization. The spread of COVID-19 across the globe has been matched by the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories about the virus, points out Quinn McKew, acting executive director of the U.K.-based advocacy group Article 19. This is particularly alarming considering how white supremacists and other far-right actors around the world are taking advantage of the pandemic. Hate hasnt taken a day off. It isnt social distancing. It doesnt have trouble concentrating. It continues to churn and sow division and chaos, wrote Nick R. Martin, author of the Informant, a blog that covers neo-Nazism in America. Fellow board member Kurt Phillips at the Canadian Anti-Hate Network points out that conspiracy theories here in Canada include suggestions the virus is an effort to decimate white populations, among other equally divisive narratives. Anti-Chinese discrimination, exacerbated in part by Donald Trumps racist description of the virus, is also fuelling hate. But who is going to take down xenophobic content circulating online? With tens of thousands of human moderators now at home, algorithms are making mistakes and failing to distinguish between legal and illegal content. There are legitimate concerns that our information systems are compromised if social media platforms cant get a fair handle on this. In situations of crisis such as now, governments and companies establish norms that would otherwise be unthinkable. We must be vigilant to ensure that they do not become the new norm, pointed out Frederike Kaltheuner, a tech policy fellow at Mozilla in an interview with WIRED magazine. Once this is all over, well want to fully exercise the rights and freedoms we too often took for granted before this emergency. That means we pay close attention now. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 25 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Exports of electrical goods from Turkey to Kazakhstan increased by 21.93 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, amounting to $9.478 million, Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend. Exports of electrical goods from Turkey to Kazakhstan decreased by 4.44 percent in February 2020, compared to February 2019, amounting to $ 4.504 million. Exports of electrical goods from Turkey to world markets grew by 0.2 percent from January through February 2020, compared to the same period last year, amounting to $1.689 billion. Export of electrical goods from Turkey accounts for 5.7 percent of the country's total exports from January through February 2020. Turkey exported $ 865.552 million worth of electrical goods to world markets in February 2020, which is 2.6 percent less than in the same period of 2019. Export of electrical goods from Turkey in February 2020 amounted to 5.9 percent of the country's total exports. Turkey exported $ 11.242 billion worth of electrical goods over the past 12 months (from February 2019 through February 2020). --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The coronavirus death toll in Spain has climbed to 3,434, surpassing China in overall number of deaths. Spain recorded 738 deaths in the past 24 hours, its deadliest toll in a single day. It is now the second country in the world with the highest number of deaths from Covid-19, behind Italy. China says it recorded 3,287 deaths, while Italy's death toll stands at more than 6,800. The overall number of cases in Spain increased by 20 percent to 47,610 from 39,673 on Tuesday, said Spain's Ministry of Health. The outbreak has hit Spain hard, putting its fragile healthcare system under immense strain, especially in the central region around Madrid, with one third of the positive cases and roughly half of the casualties. Madrid city hall turned an ice rink at the Palacio de Hielo shopping centre into a temporary morgue to deal with the surge in deaths. Spanish authorities have also set up a field hospital in the capitals Ifema congress centre as the countrys health service has struggled to deal with the number of cases. Earlier this week, the country's defence ministry said elderly people were being found abandoned and dead in their own homes by soldiers who were drafted to help in the fight against the highly contagious virus. Spanish defence minister, Margarita Robles, said the government would not tolerate mistreatment of older people in retirement homes during the crisis. Spanish prosecutors said an investigation had been launched into the incident. According to the World Health Organisation, the estimated global mortality rate stood at 3.4 percent. As for the death rate in China, the country's National Health Commission said in early February the national mortality rate was 2.1 percent of confirmed coronavirus cases. 97 percent of deaths in China were concentrated in the Hubei province, where the virus first emerged in the city of Wuhan. Human rights concerns are escalating across Asia, as the regions authoritarian-leaning rulers tighten their grip over nations with emergency powers, curfews and censorship. As several countries implement border controls and impose forms of lockdowns, Human Rights groups said they are increasingly concerned that governments may use excessive force, militarization, or other abuses of power in implementing anti-pandemic measures. The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, together with 35 civil-society organizations, said it is gravely concerned over the lack of a human-rights focus in the current response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic by the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. We call upon ASEAN member states to emplace human rights and dignity as the core principles in addressing the pandemic, it said. Filipino lawmakers this week granted President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers today to contain the viral spread by his legislative allies who dominate the national Congress. The new emergency measures will give the president additional powers to, among other things, realign public funds, direct the operation of private hospitals and directly oversee Metro-Manilas soldier-backed lockdown operations which have so far proved porous. Amid fears of abuse by the authoritarian-leaning leader, with some critics warning he may use his new powers to impose nationwide martial law, the bill emphasized that the president should exercise powers necessary and proper to implement the lockdown only for a limited period and subject to restrictions. The final version, approved by both Senate and the House of Representatives, watered down the original language, including provisions that would have allowed for the takeover of public utilities and private businesses. Dutertes supporters claim that special powers are necessary to streamline ongoing efforts to assist emergency public health measures, enforce strict social distancing, sustain a month-long lockdown of Metro-Manila and prevent disruption to the national economy. Since rising to power in 2016, the tough-talking Duterte has repeatedly signaled his desire to impose national martial law to establish greater law and order and address the countrys myriad challenges. The epidemic threat, his critics fear, may have finally given the president the special powers he clearly craves. In Thailand, prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced a state of emergency starting this Thursday to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The state of emergency will include a combination of legal force and "requests for cooperation," he said in a televised address. "Whether places would remain open or closed will be part of the next phase of measures that we will come up with," Prayut said. "It depends on how well people cooperate." Once enacted, the decree gives the prime minister the authority to restrict people's movements unless they are given exceptions by authorities. It would bar people from holding gatherings while some roads, buildings, or areas will be declared restricted zones. In India, police are shutting down campaigns and rallies in New Delhi, considered the epicentre of the agitation against Prime Minister Narendra Modis new citizenship law that fast-tracks Indian nationality for persecuted religious communities from three neighbouring countries but excludes Muslims. Delhi police officers cited the ban on public gatherings under the current lockdown as the reason for breaking up a protest this at south Delhi's Shaheen Bagh park that has continued for over 100 days and inspired similar demonstrations across the country. Over 70 people have been killed in countrywide protests triggered by the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019, which critics say the act undermines India's secular constitution and is an attempt by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government to marginalize Muslims. Human Rights Watch is reporting that the Hun Sen-led government in Cambodia is arresting people for expressing concerns about COVID-19s impact, claiming they are spreading fake news. The Cambodian government is misusing the COVID-19 outbreak to lock up opposition activists and others expressing concern about the virus and the governments response, said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch. The government should stop abusing peoples free speech rights and instead focus on providing the public with accurate and timely information about COVID-19. In the name of protecting health, China has gone much further, said rights groups concerned about arbitrary detention, crackdown on freedom of speech and lack of access to information. A facial recognition system that identifies masked people has been developed, apparently with 90 percent accuracy, and apps that decide whether a person poses a contagion risk and should be allowed into malls, subways and other public spaces have extended the government's already extensive system of surveillance and tracking. A recent report by the Toronto-based cyber-research group Citizen Lab found that Chinese messenger app WeChat and the video streaming app YY blocked keyword combinations that included criticism of President Xi Jinping and policies related to the virus, part of the tightening of media control under Xi. Myanmar and Singapore are also actively using repressive measures such as anti-fake-news laws to conduct misinformation, although this ultimately failed to quell public fear or doubt. This high-handed approach risks public health and welfare, particularly for those with limited access to information and education. It mutes peoples legitimate expressions of doubt and queries on the actual situation in their country and inspires more speculation and misinformation on the Covid-19 situation in-country, said a report. In Jakarta, news reports said the government of Indonesia has deployed its National Intelligence Agency to help monitor the situation, instead of relying on medical experts. Without an independent body to conduct monitoring and coordination of and among governmental bodies, potential violations and abuses of human rights, including the right to access to health care, right to freedom of movement, right to personal security, right to privacy, and right to non-penalization for lack of documentation, is high, said Cornelius Hanung a human-rights activist from Indonesia. FILE PHOTO: U.S. chipmaker Intel Corp's logo is seen on their "smart building" in Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv (Reuters) - A group representing major U.S. semiconductor companies on Wednesday said it was working with federal officials to make clear to state and local officials overseeing lockdowns that chip companies are essential businesses that should continue operations. In a blog post, the Semiconductor Industry Association, which represents chipmakers with major U.S. factories such as Intel Corp and Micron Technology Inc, said it was working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to refine the guidance sent to state and local officials last week. That guidance mentioned chipmakers as an essential business because of their role supporting information technology, which has become crucial as millions of Americans work from home. John Neuffer, the group's president, said in a blog post that chips also play a vital role in medical equipment, power grids and other needed infrastructure. "Ensuring the continuity of semiconductor and related supply chains is necessary to support the even greater range of services that will be digitized in the coming weeks and months," he wrote. "Since the semiconductor supply chain is highly globalized, semiconductor shortages created by operating restrictions in one region cannot be readily made up by production in other regions." To date, major chip companies in the United States have not reported manufacturing disruptions. Last week, Intel Chief Executive Bob Swan said in a letter to customers that its factories, including locations in California, Oregon, New Mexico and Arizona, were "sustaining a rate of on-time delivery currently greater than 90%." Sanjay Mehrotra, chief executive of memory chip maker Micron, which has factories in Utah, Idaho and Virginia, also said in a letter last week that the company had "carefully managed raw materials and our supply chain to maintain our manufacturing capabilities and production." But on Wednesday during an earnings conference call, Mehrotra disclosed that an order limiting movement of citizens in Malaysia on March 16 had hit factories in Muar and Penang, which "were briefly shut down" before officials there declared chip factories an essential business. He said the factories "have since been able to return to production on a very limited basis, in compliance with local regulations." (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by David Gregorio and Alistair Bell) Fashion designer Nancy Volpe Beringer demonstrates the process for making protective masks at her studio in Philadelphia, Pa. on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. She started making masks last Friday using a modified pattern she found online, to donate to people working on the front lines of the coronavirus. Read more If there is one thing Season 18 Project Runway finalist Nancy Volpe Beringer can do, its sew. That is why when she learned last week that it was very likely that Pennsylvanias first responders would not have the critical protective masks needed to care for the sick and protect them from contracting COVID-19, she jumped into action. She researched and found an online pattern, went shopping for cotton at Fleishman Fabrics, ordered elastic, and started sewing. I have about 150 masks in the works, Beringer said. If I go full speed, I can get them sewn in about five minutes. Philadelphia is a city of makers Beringer was by no means working in a vacuum. On Saturday, Dawn Summerville, the deputy commerce director for the city of Philadelphia, reached out to Philadelphia Fashion Incubator executive director Elissa Bloom for the names of local designers who would be willing to help make masks. On Wednesday, CoverAidPHL launched. The task force is galvanizing more than 2,000 Philadelphia-based designers and sewers including Beringer willing to make protective masks for caretakers food service workers, orderlies, health aids who work in the health-care profession. The task force is also working hard to connect the local health industry with manufacturers are willing to make the masks. The design community is reacting and we are all realizing that we cant leave this up to the [federal] government, Bloom said. Philadelphia is a city of makers. Thats what Philly is about. People saw the need and wanted to help. The designers include a mix of Fashion Incubator designers-in-residence (both past and present) and members of Sew Face Masks Philadelphia, a Facebook group started by Nicole Jochym, a third-year medical school student at Rowan Universitys Cooper Medical School. All of the sewers are volunteers, so no one will get paid for their work. At least not yet. But Bloom is advocating for compensation, especially because the task force aims to make tens of thousands of masks. I am hoping that someone will step forward who has the ability to provide compensation as these workers have families to support and rents to pay," Bloom said. They are skilled artisans who deserve to be paid. Where the masks are needed The mask shortage is scary. Over the past week, first responders in New Jersey were told to buy painters masks to protect themselves, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health was reaching out to the mining industry for masks. Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started recommending homemade face masks as a crisis response option for health-care workers, saying that items such as bandannas and scarves could be used as a last resort in place of more official gear like surgical masks. The masks the designers are making are not the N95 masks recommended for front-line health-care professionals by the CDC. N95s are the coveted thin, polymer cups capable of filtering out 95 percent of airborne particles, and can protect a wearer from the inadvertent COVID-19-laden sneeze or cough. CoverAidPHL masks will be fashioned from a T-shirt material that is a 50/50 blend of cotton polyester and knit jersey, explained Evan Malone, a task force member and owner of NextFab, a co-working space that supports local makers. The idea behind the efforts, Malone said, is that, when there is nothing else, anything is better than nothing." As of now, Bloom said, there are calls for their masks at Liberty Lutheran, a senior living community with locations in Ambler, Bala Cynwyd, and State College, as well as Bayada Home Healthcares Philadelphia location. Malone says hes working on providing the masks to more Philadelphia health-care facilities, including hospitals. Industry hit hard by shutdown The fashion and beauty industry especially local makers and specialty retailers have been hit particularly hard thanks to the businesses that have closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Companies like Urban Outfitters evoked their force majeure" clause canceling orders from designers and makers. And HeyDay, a New York-based facial bar that opened its doors in Center City last year, let go its staff of skin therapists, hosts, and shop attendants. This week, Valley Forge-bred Tory Burch announced an effort by the fashion community to petition the federal government for a bailout, much like what the airline industry is looking for. Fashion is not a lightweight industry, Burch told CNN. Its about putting Americans to work and keeping Americans in the work force. In the meantime, Bloom said shes happy the hard-hit fashion community continues to be inspired to help. We mobilized so fast, Bloom said. We want to be there for our health-care workers. We feel like we answered the call when others hadnt." For more information, log on to https://coveraidphl.org/ LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2020 / Compare-autoinsurance.org (https://compare-autoinsurance.org/) is a top auto insurance brokerage website, providing car insurance quotes online from trustworthy agencies all over the United States. This website offers car insurance info about different coverage types, available discounts, and money-saving tips. Getting accurate quotes is essential when shopping around. Only accurate quotes matter during price comparison. Otherwise makes no sense. 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In a meeting with the Joint Commissioner, West Zone, we requested that gloves, sanitisers be distributed, and awareness of hygiene be raised. We requested them not to evict us, but none of our demands were met, said Uday Kumar, Bengaluru president of Karnataka Rajya Rashte Badhi Vyaparigala Mahamandala. Many street vendors come from villages to earn a livelihood here, Kumar added. Construction workers who depend on daily and weekly wages, are finding it difficult to put food on their plates. With big companies halting projects, labourers dont have any work. Without wages for 10 to 15 days, they are struggling to get a proper meal, said Hemanth Kumar, founder of Migrant Construction Workers Association, Bengaluru, adding, Their kids used to get one meal a day at school, but with schools shut, they do not even get that. Nine more people tested positive for the coronavirus in Kerala on Wednesday, taking the total number of those presently under treatment to 112. Four persons have been cured, while eight tested negative in repeat tests. Of the new cases, two are from Palakkad, three from Ernakulam, two from Pathnamthitta and one each from Idukki and Kozhikode districts, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters after a Covid19 review meeting here. While four of the infected had come from Dubai, one each from the UK and France, three had got the infection through contact with an infected person, he said. At least 76,542 people are under surveillance, while 532 are in isolation wards in various hospitals, Vijayan said. The chief minister also said state-run retail liquor outlets of the Beverages Corporation would be shut due to the lockdown. Meanwhile, 1751 cases have been registered against people in the state for defying prohibitory orders, the police media cell said. Since the past two days, the total number of cases registered was 3,612, it said. The highest number of cases registered was in Kozhikode district -- 351, followed by Idukki 214, Kottayam 208 and Kasaragod 10. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mutual appreciation was expressed for the efforts being taken to protect the health and safety of Russian citizens in India and vice-versa Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to discuss the global situation caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, the MEA said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with the President of the Russian Federation H.E. Mr Vladimir V. Putin. The two leaders discussed the global situation in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. The Prime Minister conveyed his good wishes for early recovery of all those suffering from the disease in Russia and expressed the hope that Russias efforts, led by President Putin, to fight the disease would be successful. President Putin conveyed to the Prime Minister his good wishes for the success of measures adopted in India to combat COVID-19. The MEA further said, The two leaders agreed on further consultation and cooperation in adequately addressing all challenges faced by this major global crisis, including those pertaining to health, medicine, scientific research, humanitarian matters and impact on global economy. They stressed the significance of international cooperation for unitedly fighting COVID-19, including within the framework of G20. The MEA added, The Prime Minister appreciated the cooperation of Russian authorities in ensuring well-being of Indian students in Russia and hoped that the same would continue. President Putin assured all help in this regard. The Prime Minister told President Putin that Indian authorities concerned would continue to facilitate in all possible manner the efforts for ensuring the well-being and organised return of Russian nationals, as and when required. The two leaders also agreed to continue their close cooperation for maintaining the excellent momentum and the warm of the cordial and time-tested bilateral relations. They reiterated that they looked forward to several opportunities for their interaction in person during the course of the year. In its statement meanwhile, Russia said, (Russian President) Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi, at the Indian sides initiative. Ahead of the emergency virtual summit of G20 leaders to be held on March 26, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi discussed the latest developments around the coronavirus pandemic. Continuing their ongoing trust-based dialogue reflecting the special nature of the Russian-Indian strategic partnership, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi briefed each other on measures introduced in both countries to contain the spread of infection. Mutual appreciation was expressed for the efforts being taken to protect the health and safety of Russian citizens in India and Indian citizens in Russia. The two leaders agreed to strengthen coordination in the coronavirus response effort. Police officers in protective suits arrive in a residential area to check on people under home quarantine in Ahmedabad By Sanjeev Miglani and Nivedita Bhattacharjee NEW DELHI/BENGALURU (Reuters) - India's 1.3 billion people were under lockdown on Wednesday to prevent an explosion of coronavirus cases as the government struggled to deliver essential goods and calm nerves. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered everyone indoors for the next three weeks, saying it was the only way to avoid a disaster and effectively shutting down Asia's third-largest economy. Crowds of people thronged shops to stock up on milk, rations and medicines in the hours before the restrictions went into effect at midnight on Tuesday even though Modi said these would be available throughout the lockdown. Others including laborers and day workers headed home to the countryside from cities such as Delhi, many walking because public transport also stopped. "My daughter needs allergy medicines regularly. The medicine shops are open but how do we reach there?" said Yash Goswami in the northern town of Moradabad. "Who wants to risk a run-in with the police?" Reuters photographers witnessed several cases of Indian police officers hitting people out on the street with sticks. One rickshaw driver, who showed bruises on his calf, said he was defying the lockdown because he was unable to feed his four children otherwise. The Home Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Some medical companies said the lockdown was complicating their operations, with workers struggling to get to work and products stuck. India's tally of 606, including 10 deaths seems tiny compared with those in China, Italy and Spain, but health experts have warned that the world's second most populous country faces a tidal wave of infections if tough steps are not taken. The lockdown comes after evidence indicated it was spreading out into India's countless small towns after a first wave in Delhi, the commercial hub Mumbai, and other big cities. That has raised the prospect of a cash-strapped public health sector being overwhelmed. India has just 0.5 hospital beds for every 1,000 people, compared to 4.3 in China and 3.2 in Italy. Story continues "The only way we can save ourselves is by social distancing, and staying inside our homes," said Information Minister Prakash Javedkar. "A little bit of inconvenience now will save so many lives." India's population is even more densely packed than China's, raising the risk of rapid transmission of the virus. In New Delhi, Modi met his cabinet at his residence, with ministers sitting apart from each other in a large room. STIMULUS The government is considering an economic stimulus package of more than 1.5 trillion rupees ($19.6 billion) to fight the downturn, two sources said. The economy was already growing at its weakest pace in more than a decade. "Asking people to stay at home is necessary but the majority of the population can't afford to sit at home without work and pay," said Madhura Swaminathan, head of economic analysis at the Indian Statistical Institute in Bengaluru. British bank Barclays pegged the loss to India at $120 billion or 4% of GDP. "We are shaving down our calendar year 2020 (January- December) GDP forecast from 4.5% to 2.5% and for financial year 2021( April 2020-March 2021) forecast to 3.5%," Rahul Bajoria, chief India economist, said in a report. Other countries in South Asia - home to a quarter of the world's population - are also struggling as they try to put up defenses against the coronavirus. Pakistan's tally of cases rose to 1,022, with eight deaths, its Health Ministry said. Authorities have shut down Sindh province, home to its largest city Karachi, even though Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was opposed to a full lockdown because the poor would suffer the most. Sri Lanka has sealed itself off from the outside world, suspending all flights in and out of the island nation. India, the world's main supplier of generic drugs, on Wednesday banned the export of a malaria drug that is being tested as a coronavirus treatment, saying it had to meet domestic demand. Bangladesh, the second-largest apparel producer in the world, unveiled a $588 million package for its export sector, asking companies to use the money to pay workers. Confirmed cases, government figures Pakistan 1,022 India 606 Sri Lanka 102 Afghanistan 84 Bangladesh 39 Maldives 13 Nepal 3 Bhutan 2 TOTAL 1,871 (Additional reporting by Aditya Kalra, Neha Dasgupta, Sankalp Phartiyal in New Delhi, Nupur Anand and Alexandra Ulmer in Mumbai; Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Angus MacSwan and Alison Williams) Southeast Texas grocery and other retail stores are now required to patrol and limit large groups attempting to enter their businesses for shopping or face a $1,000 fine or 180 days in jail. But exactly how the authorities will enforce this new regulation is unclear. After spending much of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning debating a stay-at-home order, judges in the six counties that make up the Southeast Texas Regional Operations Center decided instead to add a one-page addendum to their current orders. Jefferson Countys was signed just after 2 p.m. Wednesday and the other coalition counties Jasper, Hardin, Newton, Orange and recently added Tyler are expected soon to follow suit. Related: SE Texas residents could soon be asked to stay home Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel told members of local media during a Wednesday afternoon briefing that the stay-at-home order the judges were building had many proposed exceptions, such as allowing students to feed animals being raised for extracurricular activities and allowing the logging industry to continue normal operations. Ultimately, he said, this change was determined to be more efficient and easier to understand. The addition will limit households to sending one adult to stores and retail establishments grocery stores, warehouse stores, big-box stores, any store within a strip center or mall, liquor stores, service stations, convenience stores and farmers markets with a few exceptions. More Information Helpful numbers (409) 550-2536: Hotline for residents of Jefferson, Hardin, Jasper, Orange and Newton counties who have symptoms that could be coronavirus and want to be tested. The hotline is active Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In off hours, callers will be directed through an automated menu to their county's health department. 211, option 6: For general coronavirus inquiries. See More Collapse We want businesses to continue to serve our citizens and to continue to keep their employees working and receiving paychecks, a news release from the Southeast Texas Regional Emergency Operations Center said. We are asking all businesses to direct their management to enforce these orders as well as the appropriate social distancing requirements. McDaniel said the judges intention was never to implement a 24-7 lockdown of residents. The order does not apply to individuals who require assistance due to physical or medical needs or parents of children for whom there is no alternative care. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said, prior to issuing this order, that judges were getting reports from law enforcement about large families a father, mother and seven children in one instance making group trips to the grocery store. Thats not practicing good social distancing, Branick said, adding that this was one of the main situations the judges were trying to prevent. West of Houston on Wednesday, Waller County Judge Trey Duhon said an address from President Donald Trump emphasizing getting Americans back to work influenced his decision not to issue a stay-at-home order. But McDaniel said the White House comments were not weighed when making the decision locally. He said he didnt know what Trump had said about the issues in the past few days. However, McDaniel acknowledged that Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts decision not to issue a stricter statewide order did factor into the decision. Branick said Wednesdays amendment makes Jefferson County emergency order very similar to stay-at-home orders issued for Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Youre just trying to thread the needle on the difference between public safety and public health and the livelihood of single mothers that depend on working in the store to pay their rent and raise their children, Branick said. Related: Southeast Texas ports keep moving in pandemic To follow the order, Branick said he requested stores use loss-prevention officers or members of management to watch entrances to the stores and break up large groups. They didnt want to self-enforce, so thats why we had to pass this order, he said. The order will serve more to tighten existing regulations and impose a stiffer penalty for violating them, rather than add any new precautions. Market Basket President Skylar Thompson said he first heard about the order through local news and as of Wednesday evening already put up signage saying only one adult per family can come into the store. We started with putting up signs and making people aware, but its a challenge to tell people they have to leave if they didnt hear about it, he said. It will be challenging to enforce that on a store level. He said his Louisiana stores already had to work under nearly shelter-in-place policies, but a limit on groups of people was not included in that order. A violation of the amendment is punishable by a fine of no more than $1,000 or up to 180 days in jail. As for shopkeepers who may be worried about the penalty, McDaniel encouraged them to please use common sense. Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens said she anticipates deputies will respond to this order in a similar way to those that already limit the number of people who can congregate. What were practicing right now is were riding around and patrolling the community but telling folks we want them to be outside but keep safe distances, she said. Well have to start doing the same things in terms of how many people are in grocery stores. Its going to be an endeavor, its not going to be easy. McDaniel said he anticipates members of law enforcement will make random stop-ins at certain stores. Related: Beaumont ISD votes to pay all employees during coronavirus closures Stephens anticipates grocery stores and other included businesses will be issued citations for violating the order. Officials on Wednesday afternoon also released an updated number of positive cases, calls and tests conducted. As of Wednesday afternoon, no new cases were announced in any of the five counties, keeping the total number at 10. Orange County Judge John Gothia said the counties have received negative test results. One of these on Wednesday was the wife of Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick, who was tested early Sunday morning after the pair spent four hours in a local hospital emergency room as she was exhibiting symptoms that could be consistent with COVID-19. As a result, Branick, who had been self-quarantining but had no symptoms, will be allowed to return to work. So far, the screening and testing hotline has received 832 calls, and 187 people have been referred for testing. Just under 30 people were tested at Jefferson Countys drive-thru testing site Wednesday and tests still were averaging about 5 minutes per patient. The drive-thru testing site was first opened Tuesday. Only individuals who have been screened and given a unique number and appointment time will be allowed into the area. The testing site has more than 200 test kits and more were expected to be delivered on Thursday. Three people scheduled for a test did not show up. McDaniel said, if it hadnt already been done, he would make sure those people were called for more details, just as if they are or should be self-quarantining. Jacob Dick contributed to this story. kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/KaitlinBain Homeowners are often advised to consider the ability to resell their house when making renovations. After all, if you make permanent changes that are too fine-tuned to your particular tastes, you might have trouble finding just the right buyer when it comes time to pass the property along to the next person. The ultra-colorful Its sound advice if you know youll want to move sooner rather than later, or if youre perfectly content with colors, designs, and decor thats fairly mainstream. But not everyone wants to live that way. Some creative people just have to express themselves through their living environments, property value be damned. And who knows? Maybe there is someone else out there whos looking for exactly what youre selling. One homeowner in Hood River, Oregon decided to take that risk, putting an unusually rainbow-hued home on the market for $1.45 million. Known locally as the rainbow house, the six-bedroom, four-bath home offers views of nearby Mt. Hood and the Columbia River valley. Colorful furniture pieces and floral arrangements add to the Rainbow House's already-vibrant, joyous atmosphere. White walls help keep the Rainbow House's interiors in check, and seamlessly complement accents like this bright blue staircase. The Rainbow House's dining area continues the use of rich blue flooring and bright red accent pieces. Colorful chairs, wacky sculptures, and abstract paintings truly make Hood River's Rainbow House one of a kind. Architecturally, its pretty standard for the area. Before its colorful paint job, the 1917 home probably blended in with all of its neighbors on the hillside. But the current owner eschewed shades of gray and beige, opting instead for a vivid blue roof thats actually pretty on trend (looking a lot like Pantones Classic Blue Color of the Year). Almost everything else in the house, from the stairs leading up to the terrace to the panels on the garage doors, has gotten a similarly cheerful paint job. Inside, youll find cobalt floors and neon furniture set against white walls to keep the bold color palette from getting too overwhelming. All 5,340 square feet of the house display the same happy-go-lucky vibe, but its easy to see how an interior transformation to something more neutral would be fairly easy to pull off. Still, its fun to get a peek at the belongings of the type of person whod paint a house like this in the first place. Just check out all the blown glass light fixtures, sculptures, paintings, faux flowers, and accents that complement the color scheme and give the home a charmingly kooky personality. But above all else, the best part of the house might just be the double-height glass solarium complete with a classic chandelier. Story continues The rainbow House's most charming feature is undoubtedly its double-height solarium, complete with classic chandelier. Heres some information from realtor Michael Frost P.C. of Windermere Real Estate: The most iconic home in downtown Hood River. Perfectly situated on a half acre with amazing Columbia River views, plus [those of] Mt. Adams & White Salmon river. Incredible landscaping, terraced walks, and patios, oversized four-car garage with rooftop deck and gazebo plus sleeping area with full bath. A true classic! Some might find the overall effect of Rainbow House a little garish, but it probably still brings smiles to their faces as they pass by. With any luck, itll find a new owner that sees it for the unique place it is and chooses to keep it that way. Aerial view of Hood River's colorful 'Rainbow House. The ultra-colorful Looking for some more colorful and creative home inspiration? Check out a Piet Mondrian-inspired tiny house, some wild custom exterior paint jobs, and an incredible sculptural home shaped like a spiraling shell. Amid the countrywide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that all police stations will take responsibility to deliver food at doorsteps under the supervision of District Magistrates and Police Superintendents. "As we have to ensure that there is no scarcity of food, all Police stations will take responsibility to deliver food at doorsteps and it will be monitored by District Magistrates and Police Superintendents," said Banerjee at a press conference here. She also said that under the social pension schemes, the pension holders will get their pension of March and April together. Speaking on local police blocking people involved in essential services, she said, "The Officer-in-charge will have to ensure that the local police know about the rules and exemptions during the lockdown." "If any police official or an administrative official is found flouting the lockdown norms, then strict action will be taken against them," she added. The Chief Minister also said, "If somebody needs to help us by giving materials then they need to contact health department official Sanjay Bansal, whose contact number is - 9051022000." "The government has also launched a State emergency relief fund wherein people can donate. For donation, the account number is 628005501339, IFSC: ICIC0006280 and website: wb.gov.in," she said. She also said that on March 31 the government will review the situation. According to a recent update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a total of 562 positive cases for coronavirus have been confirmed in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Wife of Nigerian bishop, church secretary freed after being kidnapped by gunmen Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The wife an Anglican bishop and a church secretary have regained their freedom just over a week after they were kidnapped by gunmen in the Kano state of Nigeria. The Rev. Nicholas D. Okoh, primate of the Church of Nigeria, announced last Friday the release of Saratu Zubairu, the wife of Bari Diocese Bishop Idris Ado Zubairu, and a diocesan secretary identified as Deborah. According to ACNNTV, the television outlet of the Anglican Church in Nigeria, Okoh made the announcement during a live broadcast of a consecration service honoring five new bishops and two archbishops at the Cathedral Church of Holy Trinity in Kogi state. The two women were reportedly abducted by gunmen on March 10 when they attacked and looted the Bari village of Gidan Mato, where the Anglican Cathedral and bishops court are located. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a human rights organization that advocates for Christians in over 20 countries, the alleged attack was said to have occurred at a time when Bishop Zubairu was traveling to Plateau state. CSW reports that it is unclear whether a ransom was paid to secure the abducted women. Its also unclear as to who abducted the women. CSW welcomes the release of Mrs. Saratu Zubairu and her colleague and wish both women a speedy recovery from this shocking ordeal, CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said in a statement. The abduction and subsequent release of the two women from Bari come as kidnappings for ransom by armed militants have become all too common across Nigeria. According to CSW, 2018 and 2019 saw a marked increase in the number of church leaders, family members and lay Christians targeted for abduction or murder. However, no religious or ethnic community has been immune to the kidnappings as many Muslims have been victimized as well. As CSW notes, both Christian and Muslim survivors of abductions claim that those responsible for their abductions were either of Fulani ethnicity or spoke the Fulani language. Radical Fulanis are often accused of carrying out deadly overnight attacks on farming villages across the Middle Belt of Nigeria, which has resulted in the death and displacement of thousands. Meanwhile, other victims have said they were kidnapped by either French-speaking captors or captors who are unable to understand the Hausa language common in Northern Nigeria. We remain deeply concerned by the growing trend of abductions for ransom spreading across Nigeria and continue to call on the government to do everything in its power to ensure adequate protection for vulnerable communities, Thomas added. Fulani radicals are not the only ones accused of carrying out kidnappings in Nigeria. The terrorist group Boko Haram and its splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province, have kidnapped hundreds upon hundreds of people over the last decade. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, militant groups in Nigeria resort to kidnapping as a means of raising funds through ransom payments. In January, a pastor kidnapped by Boko Haram in the Adamawa state was executed. A source told the United States-based charity Save the Persecuted Christians that the Rev. Lawan Andimi was murdered because the money for his ransom could not be raised and because he refused to renounce his faith in Christ. Also in January, a Catholic seminarian was killed after he and three others were abducted at the Good Shepherd Seminary in Kaduna state. Nigeria ranks as the 12th worst country in the world when it comes to the persecution of Christians on Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List. The nongovernmental organization International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law reported recently that at least 350 Christians have been killed across Nigeria in the first two months of 2020 due to attacks carried out by radical Fulani herdsmen, terrorist groups like Boko Haram and highway bandits. Available statistics have shown that between 11,500 and 12,000 Christian deaths were recorded in the past 57 months or since June 2015 when the present central government of Nigeria came on board, a recent report from the organization reads. Out of this figure, Jihadist Fulani herdsmen accounted for 7,400 Christian deaths, Boko Haram 4,000 and the Highway Bandits 150-200. In December, the U.S. State Department listed Nigeria as its special watch list of governments that have engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom. A sign about social distancing is seen at the entrance of The Container Store near Perimeter Mall in Atlanta, Georgia on March 20, 2020. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Atlanta Mayor: Intensive Care Units Are at Full Capacity The mayor of Georgias largest city said intensive care units are at full capacity amid the CCP virus pandemic. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said city hospitals still have hospital beds open but none in intensive care units (ICUs). The feedback I received in talking with an emergency room doctor, this is just information hes provided to me, that while there are still beds available in our hospitals, that our ICU units across the city are at capacity, the mayor told CBS 46. This is why we have gone a step further in asking people to please, stay at home. Neither the Atlanta mayors office nor the Fulton County Board of Health immediately returned requests for comment. One reason the ICU units are full, Bottom noted, is because water damage cut down on the number of available beds at Grady Hospital. Tests for hospital staff with flu-like symptoms wait to be analyzed for the CCP virus in New York City on March 24, 2020. (Misha Friedman/Getty Images) Georgia reported a surge of hundreds of new cases Tuesday night, bringing the total to 1,097. Nearly one in three confirmed cases are hospitalized, a much higher percentage than most other states, while 38, or 3.4 percent, of those patients have died. The overall U.S. fatality rate from the new disease is 1.4 percent. Fulton County has 191 confirmed cases. ICU units in other areas are also full, doctors said. Dr. Steven Kitchen, chief medical officer at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, told reporters that the hospitals three ICUs are full. A fourth unit was created with 10 beds reserved for patients who dont have COVID-19 but that is full as well. We continue to see an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients in our community, Kitchen said. Were quickly approaching the point of maximum capacity, adding, We need a relief valve. Another new ICU is being created in a second building the hospital owns. Dougherty County, where the hospital is located, has 101 confirmed cases. Across the Albany hospital and two others in other towns, Phoebe Putney was caring for 150 COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday. Of those, 32 were in the hospital; all but one were at the hospital in Albany. Photo: The Canadian Press A doctor sheds tears after a video call with her son. Front line British Columbia nurses have put the provincial and federal governments on blast for what they call the slow and alarming response to COVID-19 in British Columbia. In an open letter addressed to Premier John Horgan and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed by more than 120 nurses from across B.C., including from Kelowna and Vernon, the nurses express alarm at the insufficient and slow response of the federal and provincial governments to the current spread of Corona-19." The letter goes on to say, "the doctors warning must be heeded 'we need to act now to prevent a catastrophic number of preventable deaths. At our current rate of spread, our hospitals will be overwhelmed in a few weeks without drastic action." The letter states that measures taken so far are welcomed but insufficient. The letter notes that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in B.C. tripled in the last week. On Monday, March 16, there were 103 cases. By Friday that had risen to 348. This means that if they continue to grow at the same rate there could be 9,000 cases in B.C. by April 1. 28,000 by April 8. 84,000 by April 15. The letter later points out, however, that the case numbers released this week showed the rate of increase has started to slow somewhat, if this trend continues it may well represent the beginning of a flattening of what has been until now an exponential curve, Let us all hope that is the case, but not relax vigilance. The nurses say the only way the spread of the virus can be stopped is through massive social distancing on a scale qualitatively beyond what has been done so far because what has been done so far is simply not working." The letter suggests there should be a mandatory shutdown of every workplace except those deemed absolutely essential, singling out large job sites like Site C. "Every construction camp needs to be closed, or we will continue to concentrate thousands of individuals in close quarters, with shared dining halls, bathrooms and bunk facilities, only to have them periodically fly out on leave and disperse across the province every few weeks." The open letter also calls for the homeless to be sheltered in unoccupied housing units, hotel rooms and motel rooms. Daycare makes the list as well, calling for a solution for every class of essential worker. "There needs to be free hotel accommodation for doctors, respiratory therapists, nurses, housekeeping, paramedics, security, kitchen staff." The letter also asks for better personal protection equipment N95's, gowns and gloves to ensure nurses remain caregivers, not patients. "Finally, we need to make social distancing possible. We need to provide financial support for everyone who has lost their job. We need to provide guarantees against eviction for non-payment of rent or mortgages. We need to ensure guaranteed supplies of food and medication for everyone housebound due to quarantine, voluntary isolation or mandatory social distancing." "The measures to date are not working. This is an emergency. We need to act like its an emergency." By PTI SRINAGAR: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said he hoped the government would release politicians detained in Jammu and Kashmir, including PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, as it was cruel to continue their detention with the country entering a three-week lockdown period. Mufti, Naeem Akhtar, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Peer Mansoor and Shah Faesal are some of the known faces who continue to be detained under the Public Safety Act, which was slapped on them during their preventive detention in the wake of the revocation of the erstwhile state's special status under Article 370 in August last year. "It's callous & cruel to continue to detain @MehboobaMufti & others at a time like this. There was never much justification to detain everyone in the 1st place & none at all to keep them detained as the country enters a 3-week lockdown. I hope @PMOIndia & @HMOIndia will release them," Abdullah said in a tweet. Abdullah, who was detained on August 5 last year, was released on Tuesday after charges under the Public Safety Act (PSA), slapped on him in February, were revoked. Las Vegas, NV, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- MJ Holdings, Inc. (OTCPK: MJNE) (the Company), a leader in the Nevada cannabis market, is continuing to provide product support to Las Vegas dispensaries. In the on-going fight to curtail the spread of Covid-19, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has ordered all Nevada medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries to cease retail sales within their stores, allowing only dispensaries with drive-thru windows to remain open; however, the Governor is allowing home delivery of marijuana by all Nevada dispensaries under a 60-day temporary license. According to BDS Analytics, a leading cannabis industry data provider, marijuana sales are up about 30% nationwide. While Nevada has implemented very strict social distancing rules that have affected our cultivation facility, we have sufficient inventory on hand to meet our customers current needs and we are increasing production of our LV Slugger pre-roll in order to provide the consumer with a ready to use product option, Company CEO Paris Balaouras stated. Our sales team has launched a consignment initiative allowing dispensaries to buy in smaller quantities and make payments upon sale of the products. We believe this will help insure that dispensaries have steady access to inventory without requiring a large bulk purchase. About MJ Holdings, Inc. MJ Holdings Inc. (OTCPK: MJNE) is a diversified holding company providing services to the regulated cannabis industry. Through our subsidiaries we provide cultivation and production, management services as well as infrastructure sales and development. Our cultivation operations include management of a three-acre co-operative for in the Amargosa Valley of Nevada. We currently manage a State of Nevada issued cannabis production license and expect to provide manufacturing and production facilities and resources to third party manufacturers and cultivators as part of our production campus, which is currently under development. We additionally provide management consulting services to state licensed dispensaries. We are also active in identifying and acquiring revenue producing assets and licenses within legalized cannabis markets both nationally and internationally. Safe Harbor The information provided in this press release may include forward-looking statements relating to future events or the future financial performance of the Company. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "will," "potential," "hope" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations of the Company and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties. Detailed information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by statements in this press release relating to the Company may be found in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the factors described in the sections entitled "Risk Factors", copies of which may be obtained from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The parties do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Company Contact: Terrence Tierney terry@mjholdingsinc.com As the coronavirus pandemic accelerates, claiming thousands of lives each day, those at greatest risk include some 70 million children, women and men uprooted by war and persecution. Among them are some 25.9 million refugees, more than three quarters of whom live in developing countries in the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. With weak health systems, some of those countries are already facing humanitarian crises. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is today seeking US$255 million for its urgent push to curb the risk and lessen the impact of COVID-19 outbreaks in these vulnerable communities, as part of a wider UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan seeking US$2.01 billion. COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity and so the whole of humanity must fight back. Individual country responses are not going to be enough, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the launch of the global appeal on Wednesday. He added: We must come to the aid of the ultra-vulnerable millions upon millions of people who are least able to protect themselves. This is a matter of basic human solidarity. It is also crucial for combating the virus. This is the moment to step up for the vulnerable. "COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity and so the whole of humanity must fight back." UNHCR is currently responding to 24 displacement crises worldwide, and is working to safeguard those uprooted from their homes as well as the communities that support them. As the pandemic spreads, our response must encompass the most vulnerable in our societies, including millions of refugees and others affected by wars, persecution and disasters, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. They, and the communities hosting them, desperately need our help to stay safe during this global crisis. The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating, and there is not a moment to lose. Confirmed cases around the world have passed the 435,000 mark. More than 19,000 people have died a grim toll that is growing by the hour. The vital funding sought today will cover UNHCRs additional budgetary needs for the next nine months in responding to the outbreak. UNHCRs response plan will be implemented by UN agencies, with international NGOs and NGO consortia playing a direct role. With these new funds, UNHCR will deliver essential laboratory equipment to test for the virus, and medical supplies to treat people, and install handwashing stations in camps and settlements. "As the pandemic spreads, our response must encompass the most vulnerable ... including millions of refugees." Funds will also go to launch public information campaigns on how to protect people and those they come in contact with from the virus, and establish air bridges and hubs across Africa, Asia and Latin America to move humanitarian workers and supplies to where they are needed most. As the appeal launches, UNHCR is already racing to protect millions of people in its care worldwide, with public health information drives underway from Costa Rica and Colombia to Iran and Bangladesh. Materials have been translated into the languages of the people we help. Massive efforts are also underway to distribute basic hygiene equipment from soap to face masks, in countries from Lebanon which hosts around one million refugees from the civil war in Syria to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, sheltering refugees from conflicts across Africa. The mission is vital. If we fail to help vulnerable countries fight the coronavirus, it could put millions at risk and leave the virus free to circle back round the globe. Donate now Police said shortly before 7:30 a.m., the man was walking to the store when three people on foot opened fire in his direction, striking him in the legs. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was listed in good condition. New York Could Face Coronavirus Peak in Early April By Margaret Besheer March 24, 2020 New York's governor warned Tuesday that the coronavirus could peak in his state of 19.5 million residents in early April sooner than initially expected. "The rate of cases, of new infections, is doubling about every three days," Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters. "That is a dramatic increase in the rate of infection." The U.S. state currently has more than 25,000 cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, totaling more than half the cases in the entire United States. Cuomo said that despite drastic measures to slow the spread of the virus including virtually shutting down the state to all but essential functions it is not slowing and is accelerating on its own. "We were looking at a freight train coming across the country," is how Cuomo said one expert described it to him. "We are now looking at a bullet train, because the numbers are going up that quickly." The governor spoke to reporters at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. The sprawling complex that is normally home to trade shows and annual events such as ComicCon is being converted into four 250-bed hospitals by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Cuomo welcomed the help, but warned that the state will need even more hospital beds than initially projected. New York has 53,000 regular beds and 3,000 intensive care unit ones. Officials have been saying for the past week that hospital capacity needs to increase to 110,000 beds. Cuomo raised that projection on Tuesday to 140,000 regular beds and approximately 40,000 intensive care unit beds. The ICU beds would be the ones equipped with ventilators. "Those are troubling and astronomical numbers and are higher numbers than had been previously projected," Cuomo said. On Monday, he signed an order directing hospitals to expand their capacity by 50%, but his goal is 100% where possible. Appeal for federal assistance The urgency of the situation was made clear by the governor's tone. For the past week, Cuomo has gone out of his way to strike a conciliatory tone with the White House, but on Tuesday he unleashed his anger and frustration with what he sees as a too-slow and ineffective response from the federal government, especially on the state's request for thousands of ventilators for the sickest patients. "The federal government has 20,000 ventilators or thereabouts in the federal stockpile," Cuomo said. "You have 20,000 ventilators in the stockpile; release the ventilators to New York. How can we be in a situation where you can have New Yorkers possibly dying because they can't get a ventilator, but a federal agency saying, 'I'm going to leave the ventilators in the stockpile.' Have we really come to that point?" Cuomo described New York and its virus response as the test case for the rest of the nation. "Where we are today, you will be in three weeks or four weeks or five weeks or six weeks," he said. "We are your future, and what we do here will chart the course for what we do in your city and in your community." He said New York would send the federal ventilators to other states as their cases peak and his state stabilizes, as well as deploy health care workers and experts to share the information they have learned in tackling the crisis. "Let's help each other," he said. "After the curve breaks in New York, let's all rush to whoever is second, and then let's all rush to whoever is third, and let's learn from each other and help each other." Cuomo also indirectly criticized President Donald Trump's remarks on Monday about lifting restrictions soon to get the economy moving. While Cuomo has said he is planning for a restart of his own state's economy, he cautioned that you cannot accelerate the economy at the cost of human life. "Job One has to be save lives," he said. The governor urged refining the public health strategy into one that is also an economic strategy. He said his team would be looking at testing people to who have recovered from the virus to see if they possess antibodies to make them immune from the illness, as well as young people who are less affected by the virus. He said those individuals would be the ones to be in the frontline of ramping the state's economy back up, while protecting vulnerable populations. "Don't make us choose between a smart health strategy and a smart economic strategy," Cuomo said. "We can do both and we must do both." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address (CNN) - In the first week of January, reports emerged that a mysterious new form of pneumonia had affected dozens of people in the China. Some were in a critical condition, and a number had invasive lesions on both lungs. Thousands of miles away in Berlin, German scientist Olfert Landt was already on alert. For 30 years, he had worked on diagnosing emerging diseases, including Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). He wanted to make a test kit to help doctors diagnose the disease -- and he wanted to do it fast. Virologists usually wait until the genetic material of a new virus is sequenced to start working on a test. This time, Landt and his 30-strong company TIB Molbiol got started early. By January 9 they had designed their first test kit using SARS and other known coronaviruses as references. Along with scientists from a local university hospital, he designed three kits, meaning once the sequence was published, they could pick the one that worked best. On January 11, Landt sent his kit to Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control and diagnostic company Roche in Hong Kong. He didn't know for certain that it would work, and he hadn't even prepared instructions. Over the weekend, he worked up a manual and emailed it over. "We said, listen, you have six tubes without any instructions," he recalls. "Give them to the test laboratory, you can test patients with this." In the end, the test he sent over was perfect, he said. On January 17, the World Health Organization (WHO) published Landt's protocol online, making it the first test to be shared by the organization. Landt estimates he has manufactured four million tests by the end of February, and another 1.5 million each week since then. Each kit -- which includes 100 tests -- has sold for at least 160 euro ($173) each to clients in Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Australia, Europe, with his two adult children helping label and pack the kits. His wife, who has worked for the company for 15 years, is also involved. "I'm not working for money. I take the money, yes, it's fair, we do good work," he said. "But in the end, we don't need money." When it comes to stopping the spread of a pandemic, testing is key. If a person is diagnosed, they can be isolated from others and treated appropriately. As WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this month: "We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, test." But nearly three months after Landt first noticed reports of a mysterious disease, countries around the world are still struggling to test for Covid-19, the infectious disease caused by a new novel coronavirus. Some tests are inaccurate, others took a long time to create, and now testing companies are warning they are running dangerously low on materials. That raises an important question: if a test can be developed so quickly, why are some countries still struggling? The first designs In Hong Kong, virologist Leo Poon was also watching the developments unfold in January. Like Landt, he had worked on emerging diseases for years. In 2003, it was his team of scientists at Hong Kong University (HKU) who identified that SARS, which had emerged the year before in mainland China, was a coronavirus. "Because we have gone through all these events in the past, we know how important it is to have a working diagnostic test," he said. "That's why we basically tried to get the work done as soon as possible." But unlike Landt, Poon waited for the sequence. All forms of life have a type of molecule that carries their genetic instructions. In humans, and most life forms, that's DNA -- the genetic material that tells us to grow two legs and walk upright. Instead of DNA, many viruses -- including hepatitis, Ebola, and rabies -- have RNA, or ribonucleic acid, which, like DNA, is a nucleic acid that carries genetic information. Across the border from Hong Kong in mainland China, scientists were working to identify the RNA of the new virus. According to a report in Chinese news magazine Caixin, the new virus now known as SARS-CoV-2 may have been mostly sequenced as early as December 27. But it wasn't until January 11, that the sequenced genome was posted on open-source site virological.org on behalf of Zhang Yongzhen, a professor from Shanghai's Fudan University. Chinese authorities shared the sequence on January 12. Once Zhang shared the sequence, Poon's team started work. First, they looked at the RNA of the new coronavirus, and decided their test would target parts of the code that were similar to the RNA of the SARS coronavirus -- parts that would be less likely to mutate, as they were essential to the virus. Next, they designed the test. The standard way to detect a virus is using a technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Invented in the 1980s, PCR is used for a range of things, from identifying the DNA of a suspect at a crime scene, to testing whether a crop of fruit is infected with a virus. PCR tests are made up of ingredients called reagents, which include primers and probes. Before running a PCR test, the RNA in a virus has to be turned into a DNA copy. Then, the primers look for the target regions within a gene. If they find the gene targets, then these regions are copied over and over, explained Maureen Ferran, an associate professor of biology at Rochester Institute of Technology. Each time a copy is made of the DNA, light will be emitted. If there's a lot of light, that indicates the presence of the genetic material that identifies the virus -- meaning that a person has tested positive for the virus. Most kits have at least two genetic targets, to improve the reliability of the result. All this is taking place on a tiny scale -- in test tubes, within a diagnostic machine. The diagnostic machine measures the level of light, and compares it with the positive control -- usually a sample of the virus. If the positive control doesn't test positive, then scientists will know that the test isn't working. Developing a test is not difficult, according to Nathan Grubaugh, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Medicine. The trick is making sure it doesn't pick up other viruses, too. Within six days of getting the sequence, Poon had a working test. Like Landt's kit, Poon's test can pick up SARS and Covid-19. Poon says that isn't an issue, as there isn't currently a SARS outbreak. In the months since, Poon has sent tests for free to more than 40 countries all over the world, including Egypt and Cambodia. Each country only gets one kit, which costs between 4,000 to 5,000 Hong Kong dollars ($515 to $644) and can be used to test 100 samples. Some countries, like Nepal, have sent their samples to Hong Kong University to test. The idea is to "buy some time" for countries, so they have a test while mobilizing resources to create their own. But while companies like TIB Molbiol are making money from their kits, Poon and his team have reallocated funding from other projects to their Covid-19 test kits, and are essentially working for free. "We don't have money, we have zero resources," said Poon. "We are just distributing it from our good will." Others, too, having been giving away vital information for free. The WHO lists seven protocols on its website -- they are essentially how-to guides for scientists hoping to make their own test kit. Both Landt and Poon's tests are laid out in detail. "The (intellectual property) issue is not what we care about in this public health crisis," Poon said. "What drives us to do this work is to try to react to these emerging infections so we can save more lives." To make a new test -- or to use a preexisting one In mid-January, in Gisborne, a sunny city on the coast of New Zealand, John Mackay got a request from the government's National Reference Laboratory -- he needed to buy materials to detect the coronavirus. Mackay, the technical director of diagnostics lab Dnature, emailed Landt. "Olfret, if this is playing out like SARS, I'm guessing you have the kits sitting on the shelf ready to go immediately," he recalls writing that afternoon. Within half an hour, there was a reply from Landt, despite it being early morning, Berlin time. "Yes, do you want some?" "The guy is a complete workaholic," said Mackay said of Landt. "He's a phenomenal guy." The kits were sent to New Zealand, and around a month before the country would have its first case, the authorities were ready to test. It was a similar situation in Australia. Like New Zealand, they had no samples of the virus, so they referred to tests developed overseas, according to William Rawlinson, the director of Serology, Virology and OTDS Laboratories, which leads much of the testing in the Australian state of New South Wales. Even before Australia had its first case, it had kits. Other countries decided to go it alone. One of the earliest tests was developed in mainland China by the country's Center for Disease Control. By January 24, its protocol had been posted on the WHO website. But as the outbreak raged in mainland China in early February, a number of people tested negative, only to later test positive. In a report in Chinese state newspaper China Daily, Gao Zhancheng, head of the respiratory and critical care department at Peking University's People's Hospital, said a number of factors could have impacted testing besides the test itself, including the way doctors took the sample, and the circumstances at laboratories. Initially, China also appeared to struggle with a shortage of PCR test kits -- so much so that China's Ministry of Science and Technology called for research into other types of tests, according to state media Xinhua. Some people were forced to wait to be tested as China's health care system was stretched by the outbreak. In the United States, there were also problems. On January 17 -- the same day that the WHO published Landt's protocol -- a top health official said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had made its own test, without using the protocols published by the WHO. The agency announced on February 5 that it would begin shipping kits. Soon after, some labs reported that the tests were not working, meaning some had to be re-manufactured. It's not clear how the defect happened. Why the world needs multiple test kits It's easy to see how Landt and Poon's early work helped other countries buy time and prepare for an outbreak. But neither Landt nor Poon have the capacity to make enough tests for the whole world. And there are other also reasons why the world needs multiple test kits. For one, scientists don't know for sure at first that their test will work. In the US, for instance, the manufacturing defect created a lag in testing -- if everyone in the world had been reliant on that one test, that would have created an even bigger problem. Another issue is that the virus could potentially mutate in such a way that one kit no longer works. If a test targets Covid-19's "N" gene, for instance, and the virus mutates so that gene no longer exists, then the kit will not pick up the virus. Another consideration is that a test that works in one country might not work in another, said Rawlinson. If, hypothetically, the presence of dengue fever caused a test not to work, and a country had a large rate of dengue fever, then there might be a high rate of false negative, he said. Having a range of tests also puts less pressure on one manufacturer or supply chain, as different suppliers may use different materials. In the US, for instance, medical officials have said they are short of test supplies, including swaps, reagents, and pipettes -- the tools for transporting liquids. The shortage forced Minnesota and Ohio to limit testing to the most vulnerable patients. Japanese test distributor Kurabo, which makes a different type of tests that looks for antibodies, claims its test only takes 15 minutes to give a result -- and use blood samples rather than swabbed specimens. Test supplier Roche Diagnostics Corporation says it is distributing 400,000 tests per week to labs in the United States, but that isn't enough to keep pace with demand. "At the height of any global health emergency, demand will outweigh supply," said company spokesman Michael Weist. Ferran said testing could have changed the US's infection rate. "If we had better testing early on, we could have really changed the rate of infection. But we can't go back," she said. "We just have to go forward and learn from this and have this not happen again." Beyond the test kits Put bluntly, some countries have squandered the opportunity to prepare that Poon and Landt's early work gave them. Both the United States and the United Kingdom have been criticized for being slow to test, and for not testing enough people. US Centers for Disease Control and public health labs have tested more than 71,000 specimens, according to CDC's website, although Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that 254,000 Americans have been tested so far. As of March 22, the United Kingdom had tested 72,818 people. That's in stark contrast with the approach of other countries. In the tiny island nation of Iceland, health authorities have undertaken comprehensive screening. As of March 21, more than 9,700 of the country's 350,000 population had been tested. In South Korea, the government has made testing incredibly accessible, including at drive-through labs. That has seen the country test over 300,000 people out of its 52 million population. And in New Zealand, where there are 102 confirmed cases, about 1% to 2% of tests are coming back positive, compared with 5% in the UK and 13% in the US, according to the Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield. "We're doing a lot of testing comparatively," he said. "We want to find the cases which is why we're testing where there's suspicion." Poon says there are a number of reasons why some countries have been slow to test -- some are practical, others administrative. Testing requires trained staff, the right equipment, and the right materials -- a lack of any of those could hold up testing. In the US, there has been an additional bureaucratic hoop. In some countries, tests can be used almost immediately due to different rules around emerging diseases. At first, in the US, all tests required authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). More than 100 virologists and other specialists wrote a letter to Congress on February 28 which said many labs had validated tests for coronavirus but they could not use them due to the FDA's protocol for allowing tests during outbreaks. The FDA has now allowed companies to manufacture and ship tests before receiving permission. Thanks to the loosened rules, private companies have been able to speed up their response. US company Quest Diagnostics, for instance, launched its new test on March 9 and expects to be able to perform 280,000 tests per week by the start of April. By contrast, in South Korea, a company was able to get its test approved within a week. To people like Landt, inaction from politicians is frustrating. He recalls being at the opera at the start of February, when very few people had been infected in Munich, and approaching the German Minister of Health, who he saw there by chance. "You should tell the public this is a bad disease," he recalls telling him. "Don't tell them it's only something in China." But the German government was slow to take vital action, such as reducing social contact. It now has more than 29,000 confirmed cases. "The virus must travel," Landt said, explaining whether the virus kills the host, or the host's immune system kill the virus, either way, the virus will need to find another person to infect to stay alive. "If you reduce your contact to other people, the virus can no longer travel ... One infected will infect one or two other people, so it's like an atomic bomb, it's an exponential curve," he said. "Only with testing we can identify people and isolate them to prevent the spread over to other people." This story was first published on CNN.com, "A coronavirus test can be developed in 24 hours. So why are some countries still struggling to diagnose?" A leading wedding photographer has revealed the devastating impact the new coronavirus restrictions have already had on his industry. Under tight new legislation set to come into force from midnight on Wednesday, photographers will not be allowed to be present at a wedding unless they are one of two witnesses chosen by the couple. Sydney-based photographer James Day said the effect on small businesses will be 'absolutely seismic', and while he has been calling for weddings to stop for the past few weeks, that doesn't mean that some people in his profession won't be 'completely doomed' once they cannot work. 'Lots of my colleagues in the industry have gone from planning how to grow their business to zero in a matter of weeks,' James told FEMAIL. Sydney-based photographer James Day (pictured) shared the devastating impact that the new coronavirus restrictions will have on small businesses like wedding photographers James said that he has been vocal that weddings as we know them need to stop for now, but, he said that doesn't mean that some small businesses aren't 'completely doomed' 'I assure you, weddings (as we've known them) have no place in Australia in the upcoming months,' he continued. 'Indoors or outdoors. 100+ or less than 100. They're the perfect storm for the virus being spread. 'But that doesn't mean that smaller business won't run out of options. Bigger operations might survive, but small outlets are doomed.' 'I assure you, weddings (as we've known them) have no place in Australia in the upcoming months,' James said, adding that whether they are in or outdoors, they won't work But, he also said, that there will be a huge impact on his industry - he, for instance, has been chatting with couples soon to get married and is trying to be as flexible as possible James said he has been photographing weddings for years and isn't sure 'they will be the same after coronavirus - at least for the remainder of this year'. But, he added, the need to be flexible - both as a photographer and as an engaged couple - is key to getting through the next weeks and months. 'I was just on the phone to one of my brides who was due to get married on 6 May in Melbourne,' he said. 'She had already adapted her ceremony, but has now brought the wedding forward in case the borders close between New South Wales and Victoria so that I can be one of the two witnesses there and take the photos. James continued: 'We are now looking at doing the wedding in the next few days.' He is also currently working to postpone many weddings with couples, and move dates where possible. 'I'm doing something with my couples who were due to get married in April and May where I do a shoot with them on the date that was supposed to be their wedding, completely free of charge,' James (pictured) said 'I'm doing something with my couples who were due to get married in April and May where I do a shoot with them on the date that was supposed to be their wedding, completely free of charge,' James said. 'We are all in this together, and it's important to remember that - whether you're a couple or a vendor.' In the past few weeks, James has been vocal about his feelings that weddings must stop. 'My livelihood depends on it and I was photographing weddings even up until last Saturday,' he said. 'But even I could see how weddings have been a massive part of the virus spreading. 'People are so practiced at hugging and kissing at a wedding that they don't know how to do one without all that. Once you throw a few drinks into the mix, you can almost see the germs spread.' What is James's advice for engaged couples? * Be flexible and open to postponing. You might not get what you imagined, but flexibility will help hugely. * Consider other ways of doing things, whether that is getting married between Monday and Thursday later in the year to save money or by having just a few people present at your ceremony, including your photographer, and a big reception next year. * Try not to panic. Advertisement What is James's advice for photographers? * Photographers must also work with couples to be as flexible as possible, as things are going to go right up until the final weeks. * Look at the things you can potentially cut for now to save some money, whether it's a phone plan or your monthly subscriptions. This will buy you some time to ride this out. * Be present and engaging on social media so that when this is over, people haven't forgotten about you. Advertisement Speaking about his advice for other photographers and creatives whose jobs are on the line right now, James said the most important thing to remember is that you need to be flexible as well as the couples. 'Things are going to go right up until the few weeks before the wedding,' he said. 'Never have we had to adapt so quickly.' The photographer also recommends you look at the things you can temporarily cut back on in order to save money, whether that's a phone plan or your monthly subscriptions: 'Every little cut back will give you some time to ride things out,' he said. James shared his advice for engaged couples and photographers during this time, explaining that the most important thing is to be flexible and consider different dates In the meantime, while you might not feel like it, it's absolutely vital to be present and engaging on social media. 'People might not be spending money on things like photographers right now, but there are always people who are getting engaged and who are looking at what they might do in the future,' he said. Plus, James added, photography has never been more important than now. 'With so many of us physically distanced from those who we love, it's never been more important to hold them close via photos,' he said. Under tight new rules announced on Tuesday, couples will only be allowed to wed with five people present: the couple, the celebrant and two witnesses Under tight new rules announced on Tuesday, couples will only be allowed to wed with five people present: the couple, the celebrant and two witnesses. The Prime Minister hopes limiting the number of people at social gatherings will slow the spread of the killer virus, which has infected more than 2,000 people in Australia. The changes - which will apply for an indefinite period - will leave thousands of couples in a difficult position. With hardly anyone able to attend, many will cancel their weddings - potentially leaving them out of pocket for venues that have already been hired. To find out more about James Day and his work, you can visit his website here. You can also find him on Facebook and Instagram. Regional newspapers in Australia have begun closing their doors and laying off staff following the Australian Governments economic stimulus response to the coronavirus. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) condemn the regional newspaper closures, emphasising the importance of access to information during the coronavirus pandemic. Over the last week MEAA, has responded to reports stating regional newspapers are shutting down their titles and standing down their staff. According to MEAA, while the stimulus money available to these businesses include lines of credit, relaxed insolvency regulations and business cash flow measures, there will be profound long-term effects if papers continue to close down. Australias national broadcaster, the ABC reported one of the closed newspapers is the Sunraysia Daily, the only daily paper in Mildura, a town in the state of Victoria. The ABC confirmed staff were stood down at Elliot Newspaper Group who have multiple newspapers across rural Victoria. Ross Lanyon, the managing director of the Elliot Newspaper Group, told the ABC, advertising which accounted for 70 per cent of the newspapers income has disappeared. Other rural newspapers have stated their closure and lay-offs are a result of a similar decline in revenue. Recently, Australias major newswire service Australian Associated Press announced they will close their doors, foreshadowing an impending crisis for public interest journalism. MEAA said: We understand the financial pressures publishers are experiencing and offer our help to negotiate ways of easing this burden, but closing the doors at this time would be a betrayal of their workforce and a betrayal of their communities Furthermore, if the papers cant survive, the government must step in and financially support them as an essential service until this crisis has passed, MEAA added. The IFJ said: Now more than ever, it is essential for the unimpeded free flow of information to assist rural communities in responding to the crisis as well as maintaining links between the community. The IFJ condemns the closure of the regional newspapers and urges the Australian Government to intervene. Twenty-five people were killed and around 10 injured when suicide attackers stormed a Sikh place of worship in the Afghan capital on Wednesday, triggering a six-hour standoff with security forces. The Islamic State claimed the attack, with a statement issued by the group to the Afghan media saying its members carried out the assault. The attackers targeted a dharamshala in Shor Bazar area of Kabul, which has a sizeable population of the Hindu and Sikh minorities. Reports said the attack began at 7.45 am Afghan time. All four attackers were killed by Afghan and foreign forces, ending the face-off at the place of worship. Afghan interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian confirmed 25 people were killed and eight others injured. Arian said more than 80 people, including women and children, were rescued by Afghan special forces. Afghan MP Narender Singh Khalsa said up to 150 people were praying at the dharamshala when the attack began. Images of the shrine posted on social media showed bloodstains on its floor. Other photos showed security forces and local residents evacuating the injured in ambulances. Witnesses said they heard several explosions during the gun battle. Arian told the media that the suicide attackers entered the dharamshala and began exchanging fire with security forces. The Taliban denied involvement in the attack in messages sent to the Afghan media. Afghan officials said information obtained by security agencies suggested the Haqqani Network, which has close ties to Pakistans security establishment, could have been behind the attack. India condemned the attack and said it was ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families from the Hindu and Sikh communities. Such cowardly attacks on the places of religious worship of the minority community, especially at this time of Covid-19 pandemic, are reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers, the external affairs ministry said in a statement. The statement commended the Afghan security forces for their valorous response to the attack and their exemplary courage and dedication. The statement added: India stands in solidarity with the people, the government and the security forces of Afghanistan in their efforts for bringing peace and security to the country. The attack was also condemned by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri. These killings are a grim reminder of atrocities that continue to be inflicted upon religious minorities in some countries & the urgency with which their lives & religious freedom have to be safeguarded, he tweeted. The Shor Bazar area of Kabul was once home to several gurdwaras but they were destroyed during the fighting in the 1980s. Many Hindus and Sikhs living in the area also migrated to other countries. Kabul is still home to several thousand Hindus and Sikhs. Compared to their grandparents, the effects of Covid-19 on our children will be relatively small. But only in the short term. In the longer term, the effects of the pandemic or more accurately its economic consequences are likely to resemble those experienced by children who grew up in the Great Depression. Early exposure to economic shock and financial insecurity, the depression demonstrates, has an interesting effect on their resilience and their attitudes to risk and opportunity. As the business writer Micha Kaufman said about a previous economic crisis, more people became millionaires during the Great Depression than just about any other period in Americas history ... Desperate times force innovative thinking. The children whom the depression forced into the gutter were looking at the stars, and had the hunger to reach for them. Well, thats the myth, anyway. If we put aside the easy soundbites about pressure makes diamonds, we find the hard evidence: people who grew up in the insecurity and stress of the depression actually became less confident about the future, more risk-averse and less opportunity-seeking. Less entrepreneurial. The opportunity-averse mindset (and permanent, stress-induced health problems) that the depression created in children reduced their life chances, and never went away. I spent the last three years working with people who are reaching for the stars: people from low-income families experiencing upward social mobility as, for example, an actor, a billionaire entrepreneur, a politician or a member of other elite professions. When I interviewed these people, it soon became apparent that they overwhelmingly had not experienced economic shock: they grew up with family incomes that were low but secure. Some had fathers working in industries that once offered working class jobs for life (shipbuilding, manufacturing, the Royal Mail). Some owed their financial stability to the sheer tenacity of mothers who took whatever jobs they could find. In cases where their parents were made redundant, family incomes were maintained by benefits at a good enough level for long enough to allow them to find another job that offered a steady income. Its easier to reach for the stars if youre not clinging on to what you have. Rishi Sunak and his colleagues are currently dealing with (some of) the effects of short-term economic shock, but soon they will need to address the economys longer-term ability to recover and avoid relapse, to give our nations and our families finances the sort of resilience necessary for our children to develop and pursue their aspirations. The corona crash is showing us where we lack resilience. Large numbers of families have desperately insecure incomes: depending on self-employment, or contract work, or employers who are willing and able to lay off workers at short notice. Those whose incomes have been hit in the last few weeks are now turning to a social security system that is meant to support us in situations like these but has, over the last four decades, become too slow, too inadequate and too hostile. To compound matters, decision-makers in Westminster and Whitehall (who disproportionately come from unusually privileged backgrounds) have not understood the implications of this: that large swathes of Britain, extending way beyond a minority of the deprived families, lack the security, the savings or the sick pay to take time off work or endure a forced suspension of work. These weaknesses make us vulnerable to the further economic shocks that we know are yet to come. Other diseases will emerge as a result of what the World Health Organisation calls the antimicrobial resistance crisis. There will be disruption arising from whatever Brexit deal (or no deal) we now have only months amid an existing crisis to arrange. The fourth industrial revolution will cause profound changes to working patterns, making some jobs obsolete and creating others. There will be huge dislocations in order to adapt to (or hopefully mitigate) the climate crisis. Our level of resilience, and our childrens life chances, will determine the extent to which these changes are experienced as risks or opportunities. Prof Neil Ferguson of Imperial College predicts peak coronavirus in 2-3 weeks' time To turn change into opportunity we need a social security system that quickly provides enough income, and continues to provide it for enough time to allow us to rethink and retrain, without hounding us to accept any job regardless of whether it gives our family the security they need. We need mandatory breathing space for families struggling with debts. And we need an industrial strategy that turns away from our previous race to the bottom approach to tax and regulation that created high levels of low-quality employment, towards favouring industries that create high-quality jobs that will not be swept away in the next wind. Up to now, the prospects for introducing such measures have been poor, hampered by wrong-but-widespread myths about social security and an aversion to strategic approaches or substantial investments in industrial policy. But now, large swathes of middle Britain are realising that they too are more vulnerable than they thought, and policies are being introduced that would have been unthinkably radical a few weeks ago. An opportunity has opened up to make the case for going beyond emergency repairs and building long-term resilience: desperate times as they say, force innovative thinking. Duncan Exley is author of The End of Aspiration? Social Mobility and Our Childrens Fading Prospects Ukrspyrt not to increase ethyl alcohol prices amid coronavirus quarantine 10:58, 25.03.20 1027 The capacity of Ukrspyrt's operating distilleries is 260 tonnes per day now. Thousands of small businesses in Ontario may be inadvertently breaking the law when they lay off their employees due to COVID-19 slowdowns or closures, according to an employment expert. Toronto employment lawyer Stuart Rudner told the Star that many businesses dont have the right to lay their employees off, and he thinks there may be a wave of wrongful dismissal lawsuits in the coming weeks or months. People dont realize what theyre doing at this point, he said. Most provinces, including Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec, have laws that allow temporary layoffs, meaning businesses can lay off their employees without paying them severance, but only for a certain period of time and only if theres a layoff clause in their employment contract. The time limit varies by province: In Ontario, its 13 weeks, or in some cases up to 35 if the employer continues to pay their employees benefits, Rudner said. If the employee still cant return to work after that time has passed, they have been effectively terminated and are owed severance pay. A lot of people are doing (temporary layoffs), he said. Theyre just saying, Well, go home. We cant pay you, but well bring you back as soon as we can. Unionized companies usually have such provisions written into employment contracts as a matter of course, and large corporations are more likely to have them than smaller companies, Rudner said. In certain industries, such as construction, these types of layoffs are common. But Rudner said that a lot of smaller employers will not have layoff provisions in employment contracts and in those situations, even a short temporary layoff would be legally interpreted as a termination, meaning that severance must be paid. If it isnt, an employee could sue for breach of contract or wrongful dismissal, he said. Rudner said many of his firms clients are facing this dilemma right now. I feel like were talking about this 23 hours a day. There is a way out for employers, but it means relying on the goodwill of their employees. What a lot of them are doing is theyre going to the employees and having a very candid conversation, and saying If youre willing to accept a temporary layoff, then well do whatever we can to help you. In such cases, the employer should ask the employee to sign a document indicating their agreement to being laid off temporarily, Rudner said. If the agreement is in their contract or a separate document that is signed before the layoff, the employer is in the clear. For employees going through temporary layoffs, Rudner said you should always check your contract after being laid off to see if it provides for the situation. If it doesnt, the employee has the right to deny the layoff, or to escalate the situation to the courts, he said. After 13 weeks have passed in Ontario (or the period allowed in other provinces), Rudner suspects there will be more lawsuits from employees who were temporarily laid off and whose former employers cannot afford to pay them severance. Rudner said thousands of businesses across Canada are stuck between a rock and a hard place, which is why its important for owners to work through all scenarios now, and to properly understand what their legal obligations are. A lot of our clients are really struggling. They just dont know what theyre supposed to do. Policy & Funding Educators Implore FCC to Cover Home Internet in E-rate Expansion It's time for E-rate to cover the cost of home internet access. That's the word from 7,664 teachers, education IT people, principals and superintendents who have signed a letter to the Federal Communications Commission urging the Commission to make E-rate funds available to help schools and districts "equip" students with home internet access. "At this unprecedented time in our nation's history, the FCC has the opportunity to make a dramatic impact on educational equity for millions of students," the letter noted. The project was kicked off by a consortium of interested organizations, including Alliance for Excellent Education and its Future Ready Schools initiative, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA), the National School Boards Association and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). The effort is intended to address the "homework gap," which leaves some students unable to participate in online education, particularly, those "living in rural areas, students of color and students from low-income families," the letter stated. "School districts across the country are doing everything they can to continue educating students while school buildings are closed. However, the 'homework gap' is going to widen the achievement gap unless the FCC steps in to ensure historically underserved students can access online learning at home," said Deb Delisle, president and CEO of the Alliance for Excellent Education, in a statement. "By extending the current E-rate program, which helps schools and libraries obtain affordable broadband, the FCC can help fund home internet access necessary for students' online learning during the school closures," the NSBA added. Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN, noted that the use of the FCC's E-rate program alongside other universal service programs, to expand connectivity for learning, "is not only practical, but essential, in this digital age." "Families without connectivity are not only cut off from instructional activities and being able to complete homework, but risk isolation from essential support during this pandemic," SETDA Executive Director, Candice Dodson, pointed out. National School Boards CEO, Thomas Gentzel, also recommended that Congress include $2 billion dollars in the "coronavirus rescue package" to fund home internet access for all students. "Millions of students currently don't have adequate internet access in their homes, but we can take significant steps to enable this valuable and necessary resource. Congress needs to deliver for these students by funding and expanding access to the FCC's E-rate program," he said. The letter in its entirety stated: The undersigned 7,664 education leaders and others from across the country urge you to make E-rate funds available for us to equip students with home internet access so they can continue learning as classes move online while schools are closed nationwide due to coronavirus. We have long known that the Homework Gap unfairly hinders the ability of students living in rural areas, students of color, and students from low-income families to fully benefit from many of the educational opportunities made available by modern technology. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, 14 percent of children had no internet access at home in 2017, with major equity gaps12 percent of White students had no internet access at home, compared to nearly 20 percent of Black and Latino students and 37 percent of Native students. While these figures have always been alarming, it has never been more important to address this inequity than it is right now. The Telecommunications Act calls upon the Federal Communications Commission to enhance the ability of libraries and elementary and secondary school classrooms to access advanced telecommunications services. As you are aware, many of our classrooms across the country are now being placed online due to school closures, but many of our students are unable to benefit from online learning because they lack the needed home internet access. We urge you to take immediate and aggressive action so we can keep classrooms open online as long as school buildings must be closed. At this unprecedented time in our nation's history, the FCC has the opportunity to make a dramatic impact on educational equity for millions of students. The coronavirus is impacting nearly every facet of American life. With your partnership, we can mitigate this disruption by continuing to provide the nation's students the education they need and deserve. Although the project is no longer accepting signatories, the initiators are encouraging educators and others to sign up to receive updates on the effort. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday announced a 50 billion taka (U.S. $590 million) incentive package for the countrys ready-made garment industry and other export-oriented sectors to help them cope with the coronavirus pandemic. In her first speech to the nation since the public health crisis broke out, she also called on citizens to stay home to help the government in its efforts to contain COVID-19. The money can be used only to pay salaries of the employees, she said in a televised address to the nation marking the countrys Independence and National Day. We achieved victory in 1971 in a united fight against the enemies, she said in her 23-minute speech, referring to the war of independence against Pakistan that led to Bangladeshs birth as a nation. Now, facing off against coronavirus is also a war. It is your duty to stay at home in this battle. We will win by being united in fighting the battle. The prime minister called on the nation to practice austerity. Dont buy anything beyond the minimal necessity. Do not hoard goods and allow people with limited income to purchase their essentials, she said. The supply chains (of products) in the country and with outside world remain intact, Hasina said as she urged traders not to increase prices of essential goods irrationally and thereby contributing to peoples suffering. Hasina said the governments top priority was to keep people from being infected. She said six hospitals were set up in Dhaka for COVID-19 patients while arrangements were being established to treat patients in five more hospitals in the capital, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the state news service. The number of nationwide infections remained at 39 on Wednesday while the death toll climbed to five from four on Tuesday, according to Meerjady Sabrina Flora, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). Worldwide, more than 20,500 people have died and at least 454,000 others have been infected, according to the latest data compiled by disease experts at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Pray at home Hasina also called on people of all faiths to stay home and pray. Islamic scholar Maulana Farid Uddin Masud questioned the prime ministers request. There are two types of prayers in Islam one, like Nafil Namaz, can be performed at home. But there is an obligation to go to mosques to offer Jammah and other prayers, he told BenarNews. If the government imposes a ban by law on going outside, in that case Muslims will get an ozre [a cause] to avoid the mosques, which can be acceptable to Allah. Otherwise Muslims will have to go to mosques and adopt security measures like wearing masks, he said. Meanwhile, the general secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council found Hasinas call acceptable. There is no problem offering prayers while staying at home alone, Rana Dasgupta told BenarNews. Everybody should respect the call of the prime minister in this regard. It cannot be acceptable to God that you will contribute to spreading coronavirus by joining prayers with so many people, said Dasgupta, leader of the largest interfaith organization incorporating people of all faiths other than Islam. Economic reactions Bangladeshs garment industry, which employs millions of workers, and other industries have been hit hard by economic side effects from the pandemic. In recent days, European and American buyers have cancelled orders from Bangladeshi garment factories that were valued at $2.5 billion. An economist and a union leader said the prime ministers stimulus plan was not adequate. Earmarking the amount to pay to the workers was a nice thing, but at best, one months minimum salary for some 4 million garment workers can be paid with this amount, said Mustafizur Rahman, distinguished fellow of Center for Policy Dialogue. It means the factory owners will have to make huge contributions. Such a blow will be tough for the economy if the situation continues, he told BenarNews. The organizing secretary of Garments Trade Union Center expressed similar concerns. The support of the prime minister is no doubt a good news for us, but the reality is different, K.M. Mintu told BenarNews. Already, workers are being terminated with COVID-19 as the excuse. I know of more than 10 factories and there are others too. There is no protection in the factories from the coronavirus. Owners on the one hand say the orders are being canceled, on the other hand they are forcing employees to work, Mintu said. India lockdown In neighboring India on Wednesday, people made a beeline for grocery stores and markets hoping to find food, after a 21-day lockdown over the coronavirus kicked in at midnight across the worlds second most populous nation. In a nationally televised address on Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the unprecedented move as the only way to break the coronavirus transmission chain. Police in West Bengal state, which borders Bangladesh, used batons to enforce the ban. Sinjini Sengupta, a Kolkata teacher, said she went to a market to purchase essential items, but returned home with nothing, adding she saw police using their batons to hit people in front of her. That is why I came back to my home, she told BenarNews. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee called on people to follow the lockdown. According to the latest update from Indias health ministry, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country stood at 606, including 10 deaths. Regional updates While Indonesia, the largest nation in Southeast Asia, was not yet under lockdown like some of its neighbors, many cities and localities have declared emergencies and imposed restrictions. Authorities in Papua province announced Wednesday that they would shut down airports, sea ports and entrances on the border with Papua New Guinea, effective Thursday, imposing the most stringent measures anywhere in the nation. In Malaysia on Wednesday, the countrys new government announced that it was extending a nationwide lockdown by two weeks. Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin warned that things might get harder with COVID-19 infection rates continuing to climb by more than 100 new cases each day. And in Thailand, authorities moved to seal its borders to keep non-resident foreigners from arriving at land check points, ports, and airports. A few exceptions have been made for those people with Thai work permits, diplomats and international organization staff, according to officials. Ahmad Syamsudin in Jakarta, Victor Mambor in Jayapura, Indonesia, and Nontarat Phaicharoen and Wilawan Watcharasakwet in Bangkok contributed to this report. Manufacturers across Pennsylvania are running into issues with Gov. Tom Wolfs order to close businesses that arent life sustaining to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Businesses say the order, which took effect on Friday, disrupts their ability to produce essential products needed to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. Sheltons Pallet Company in Oxford, Chester County, which makes and repairs pallets used to stack and ship products, shut down its operation on Friday per the governors order. Sheltons clients include Herrs, the snack food company, and Tim Plastics, one of the leading manufacturers of bottles for the pharmaceutical industry. Pallets fall under the wood product manufacturers category on the list of non-life-sustaining businesses. But Charles Shelton, the pallet companys owner, said people may not realize that every item that gets shipped in a truck sits on a pallet. He applied for a waiver to the governors order and received one late Sunday night or Monday allowing his company to resume operations. East Penn Manufacturing Co. in Richmond Township, Berks County, was shut down as of 3 p.m. Friday to comply with the governors orders. East Penn manufactures lead batteries that support a number of critical functions, including medical equipment and transportation of emergency and delivery vehicles. On Monday, East Penn was granted a waiver, according to a statement from the company. East Penn, which employs 8,500 people at its Berks County facility, is now in the process of starting its manufacturing operation back up with about half of its employees for social distancing purposes. David Taylor, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association, cited those companies as examples of how Wolfs decision to issue his non-life-sustaining business closure order was short-sighted. Taylor said mistakes like the ones that interrupted production at companies such as Sheltons and East Penn could have been avoided had the governor sought input from the business community. For American manufacturing, this is our Apollo 13 moment to do whats necessary to see the nation through this crisis, he said. Taylor blames this situation on what he considers the short-sighted decision by the governor in ordering non-life-sustaining businesses to close as of Friday. Wolf administration officials said the list was developed through a review of parallel processes in other states and in consultation with essential service lists kept by the federal Department of Homeland Security. The administration provided a waiver process for businesses that were ordered to close but consider their services as life-sustaining to seek an exemption to the closure order. Dennis Davin, the secretary of Community and Economic Development, said Sunday afternoon that his staff received about 10,000 waiver requests and had responded to about half of them at that time with decisions on the rest expected in the coming days. But Taylor said this ad hoc, and at times inconsistent, approach of granting waivers is wasting time. Meanwhile, companies that can meet the equipment needs of hospitals, health care workers and emergency services technicians are forced to idle their factories and await an affirmative directive that they can resume operating, he said. In addition, some businesses that fall under the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agencys advisory are permitted to operate but still feel the need to hear directly from the Wolf Administration that it is OK for them to be open, he said. So those businesses are shutting down and applying for waivers unnecessarily. This is not the time for this. This pandemic is upon us. We have hours, not days to try to get the material and supplies to our health care providers and our EMTs to try to save people from this pandemic, he said. What we need from Governor Wolf right now is a blanket waiver for supply chains, vendors and distribution networks for essential manufacturers. If your business in any way touches or contributes to an essential manufacturer, you need to be waived. Or in the alternative, Taylor said the governor could renounce his list and point to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agencys list and say this is the federal standard and these are the businesses recognized as life-sustaining. The administration is not considering a blanket waiver at this time but the state is processing waiver requests as they arrive, said Casey Smith, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Community and Economic Development. The governor believes that this is the most appropriate way to ensure that medical supplies and other essential products can continue to be manufactured, while at the same time doing everything we can to stem the spread of COVID-19, Smith wrote in an email. Manufacturing of life sustaining products may continue as set forth in the governors order and list of life-sustaining businesses. Taylor said employers are not going to take the risk of running afoul of the governors order that could put them at risk of losing their licenses or facing fines or penalties. They will require explicit permission because unlike the stereotype, most businesses want to be compliant. They dont want to be on the wrong side of regulators, he said. It shouldnt be this hard. It just breaks my heart," Taylor said. "We need the administration to clarify this. They are the ones who muddied the waters so the responsibility is on them to clarify things and to give people the reassurance they need to be up and running, to produce and be part of the solution. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The private security industry, which employs 50 lakh people, has resolved to fully back Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to support government machinery during the lockdown period triggered by Covid-19 outbreak, and has urged its customers to have empathy towards the staff. The Union Home Ministry has asked private security agencies not to lay off guards or deduct their salaries during the 21-day lockdown period announced to combat the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Over 50 lakh strong private security industry shall fully back PM's call to support government machinery in the lockdown period as an essential service, said Rituraj Sinha, Chair, Ficci Committee on Private Security Industry. He further requested customers to cooperate in payment to all agencies as per full contracted value and on time. "This will ensure compliance with Labour Ministry and Home Ministry directives related to payment of full wages of all private security, cash logistics and cleaning services and other such contracted workers for lockdown period," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said "in this time of crisis, I appeal to all business and the high-income section of the society to be sensitive towards the economic interests of all those whose services you take. It is possible that in the coming few days, these people may not be able to attend work, and in this situation, please do not cut their wages. Decide humanely and sensitively," he said. There are mounting concerns that companies, including in India, could resort to retrenchment due to sluggish demand and various restrictions are in place to curb spreading of the coronavirus infection. As per to the latest Union Health ministry update the number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 562, while the death toll due to this viral infection was revised down to nine from 10 after the second death in Delhi turned out to be negative. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE It started with a few older adults all with a travel history well beyond New Mexico. But the coronavirus outbreak ripping through the state is now hitting people of all ages and reaching communities far from Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The rapid growth and demographic spread arent surprising, public health officials said Tuesday. They also underscore the importance of New Mexicans adhering to the states instruction to stay at home, officials said, which could prevent thousands of infections. Over the past two weeks, those infected have included a 9-year-old boy in McKinley County and two 20-somethings in Chaves County. An infant and four teenage girls have also tested positive. About 42% of the people who have tested positive and for whom ages are available are 39 years old or younger, according to data released by the state and analyzed by the Journal. Fifty-six percent are younger than 49. To be sure, older adults are most at risk of complications from the disease, which can cause a fever and breathing problems. And for many people, the symptoms are mild or moderate. But as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pointed out this week, New Mexico is seeing more cases among young people. Were beginning to see that this virus is vicious and can attack any number of individuals, she said in a televised briefing Monday. We know that young people, just because of their age, are not protected from some of the ill effects of COVID-19. State officials said it isnt surprising to see younger New Mexicans test positive. Dr. David Scrase, secretary of the state Human Services Department, said the numbers in New Mexico are consistent with whats happened elsewhere. The states aggressive testing program may be picking up a few more young people than elsewhere, but only because in other locations, the younger folks with milder symptoms might not be tested at all. To me, he said Tuesday, theres no surprises at all. I think this is actually as expected. The geographic distribution of cases isnt unusual either, Scrase said. The initial location of positive tests generally matched the major airports in the state, he said, reflecting travel-related infections. Afterward, the infections tended to be people in close contact with the travelers. And now, travel within the state is likely spreading the disease. The first few cases emerged in Socorro, Santa Fe and Bernalillo counties. But they now range from San Juan County in the Four Corners areas to Lea County in the Permian Basin opposite corners of the state. The growth, of course, also coincides with the expanded availability of testing. As of Tuesday, New Mexico had 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Seventeen new cases were announced Tuesday, including the first infections in Cibola and Curry counties. Thirteen of the states 33 counties now have at least one person who has tested positive. BY THE NUMBERS Tested in NM: 6,842Number of negative tests: 6,742 Number of positive tests: 100 COVID-19 hotline: 855-600-3453 Non-health-related COVID-19 information hotline: 833-551-0518Source: NMDOH Libya has reported its first case of the novel coronavirus, a particular source of concern in the North African country where civil war has badly degraded the public healthcare system. Libya has been mired in chaos since the 2011 overthrow of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi and is divided between the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNA) and forces loyal to eastern-based military strongman Khalifa Haftar. The health minister of the UN-recognised GNA late Tuesday reported "a first contamination with the coronavirus in Libya," without giving details of the case. "The necessary measures have been taken to treat" the patient, the minister, Ehmed Ben Omar, said in a brief online statement. Badreddine al-Najar, director of the National Centre for Disease Control, said the patient had returned from Saudi Arabia via Tunisia a week ago. Even before this first case was detected, both rival administrations had launched preventive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, including night-time curfews and the closure of restaurants and cafes. But they have contined to fight in the main battleground south of the capital, where the sound of heavy bombardment was heard on Tuesday. The risk posed by the pandemic is particularly worrying in Libya, where the security and humanitarian situation have deteriorated further since Haftar launched an offensive against Tripoli almost a year ago. The fighting has killed more than 1,000 people and displaced 150,000. A fragile truce entered into force on January 12, but fighting has continued with each side blaming the other. Days ago, UN chief Antonio Guterres urged both GNA and Haftar forces to observe a truce, citing "the already dire humanitarian situation in Libya and the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic". , We're sorry, this article is not currently available One of the big challenges (among many) with the coronavirus pandemic is that overwhelmed health services do not always know how best to deploy the limited resources they have to meet the demand of people falling ill with COVID-19. For example, we know that more ventilators and beds will be needed, but where specifically are the outbreaks happening and how can those local areas be served better? Now, an app in the U.K. called the C-19 COVID Symptom Tracker, developed out of an unlikely corner of medical research -- looking into the progression of medical conditions by tracking twins -- is asking people to self-report their symptoms in an effort to start to gather more of that detail. In line with how the public is trying to step up its efforts to get involved in the fight to contain the disease (some 405,000 people have also volunteered to help the NHS deliver medicine and other supplies to quarantined people, and help people home from the hospital) the Covid-19 app has itself gone viral, with 750,000 downloads since being launched on Tuesday morning. The app now is the third most popular app overall in the UK on the Apple App Store, and the number-one in the medical category, according to figures from App Annie. Developed by a startup called Zoe in partnership with researchers at Kings College Hospital in London, the plan is to bring the app next to the U.S., where the latter group had already been working with colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital and Stanford on a previous project (more on that below). To be very clear, the app itself is not a diagnostic tool -- these are being developed on a national level, linking people through to local services. Nor is it designed to give the public any clarity on where COVID-19 symptoms are cropping up. (As we reported earlier, there are a number of those being built and used already, too, providing maps and other data.) Instead, it's a research app designed to bring together information that could be useful to medical professionals to better plan their responses. Story continues At first, the plan was to build an app to figure out where there were clusters of cases in order to better determine where testing kits, in short supply, might be better allocated. "We were actively speaking to a multitude of companies that are making or have testing kits, and originally the idea was that if we identified people who were expressing symptoms, maybe we could get a testing kit to them faster," said Sara Gordon, a spokesperson for the company. That proved to be too difficult, she added, because the testing arena is very fragmented and so it's not clear whether they all reliably and consistently work the same (and work well). Then, attention turned to where the data could be useful, and providing support to the NHS, the U.K.'s National Health Service, in determining the shape and evolution of the virus, in order to research it better and figure out how to deploy NHS resources, was where the team landed. The ExCel conference center in the Docklands in East London is being set up as a field hospital now, "but there are many other places that will need hospitals opened," she said, "and this could help figure out where." The app has a somewhat unlikely origin. It was created by Zoe, a spin-out from Kings College Hospital that is now backed by some $27 million in funding -- investors include Daphni in France and Accomplice (formerly Atlas Venture) in Boston, among others -- in partnership with a research group at Kings College that has been tracking twins. "Were a healthcare startup that has been running the worlds largest nutrition study," Gordon said, spanning some 25 years (predating the startup materialising or getting spun out) and 8,000 groups of twins, and covering not just people through Kings, but also Stanford and Mass General. Researching food intake as well as blood and stool samples, the idea was to "understand everything about how genes determine how we metabolise food, our immune responses, and more," using twins with nearly identical DNA to do this, and using that input to determine new insights into cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions. Last week, Zoe's co-founder, Tim Spector, who is also Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at Kings College London and director of the Twins UK study, spoke to the Zoe team about creating an app to reach out to the 8,000 twins in the study (who had already been using Zoe to track other parts of their lifestyles) to see how many of them were expressing signs of the novel coronavirus. It could have been a useful test pool also for determining what role age plays in this, as the long-term study means many of the people involved are older. Events overtook those plans, too: "From the conversations we were having with Kings" -- the inner-city hospital (which happens to be my local hospital) has been very much at the front lines of the coronavirus response in London and the U.K. -- "we decided that if we're making this available to twins, maybe we should open it up to more people," Gordon said. "One of the main issues here in the U.K. and other countries has been that governments haven't been able to get good enough data about where the virus is spreading or how bad symptoms are." There are some major caveats with the app, which it seems are still a work in progress. The biggest of these is that the app itself is self-reporting. That means that you are putting a lot of trust into people to be accurate and also consistent with each other in how they are describing their symptoms. (Is my idea of a continuous, unproductive cough the same as yours? And are our coughs even a reliable enough indicator of what is going on?) "Were relying on the public to be honest about their symptoms," Gordon said more than once during my conversation with her. That would have been one reason too why tying the surveys to testing kits (the original idea) might have been problematic: so many people want some assurance that I'm guessing a lot would have reported just to get the kits. The other is that it requires regular, habitual use: a person reporting one day is only really useful if that person reports for the rest of the days subsequent to that to get a picture of how and if symptoms progress. On the other hand, that could be a boost to self-reporting too: even if my version of a continuous cough is different from yours, at least I'll now be showing how and if anything else gets added to that cough over time. "What were trying to do is scale what we see and what scientists are classifying as severity of symptoms," she said. "If someone has fever over a certain period, then thats logged as red. Amber is feeling ill." Over the next few days she said the team is hoping to separate COVID-19 symptoms apart from those associated with a common cold. "Were working to make sure that in reporting were being able to divide which are common cold or flu and which are COVID-19." A third issue is the data usage on the app. The privacy terms on Zoe note that the data is only there to be used by the researchers, but it also notes that it could travel outside of the EU not just for analytics but to be shared with other research partners. Indeed, privacy experts and others are still debating the implications of how crowdsourced services like this one, built quickly for the crisis, are really walking a grey line when it comes to questions of privacy and data protection. For now, Zoe defends its position. "The data policy we have is the one we have had legal advice on," Gordon said. "Its compliant with GDPR, and if and when we pass to others, people's names are anonymised and switched to code. We feel we have super-strict data rules on our side." She added that the compliance in the U.S. is even more strict because any research they do there has to go through a clinical process to make sure it is protected, "so there should be absolutely no concerns about data privacy." All the same, even with all the best intentions, there could also be a risk of your data getting misappropriated when handed off from one party to another and no longer under local jurisdictions. That skepticism is possibly not helped by the fact that the co-founder and CEO of Zoe, Jonathan Wolf, is the former chief product officer of Criteo, the adtech company that happens to be getting investigated by France's data protection watchdog for how it uses personal data (Wolf left the firm in 2016 before co-founding Zoe in 2017). Criteo is described simply as a "machine learning company" -- no mention of advertising -- in Wolf's bio on the Zoe site. (The third co-founder is George Hadjigeorgiou, who also doesn't have any direct links to the medical industry, having been the CEO of HouseTrip and the co-founder of efood, a delivery startup.) On a more positive note -- and there is a lot to see that is positive here -- Zoe itself is a business, but this project specifically was built without that in mind. "Building this to meet the current need was just a decision we made," Gordon said. "The team switched from the commercial product to this for the next few weeks, and the plan is to make it open source and to hand it off to the right people eventually. We just want to get the ball rolling." Remember to stay two meters apart from others when you go out, and stay at home when you can. Keep well, TC readers. A maulvi, who came in contact with some Filipinos at a mosque in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, has tested positive for the coronavirus following which nearly 53 of his contacts have been placed under home quarantine, official said on Wednesday. The maulvi (priest) is among the 112 COVID-19 patients found in Maharashtra so far. Samples of his wife and son have also been sent for testing, an official from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) said. Seven Philippine nationals visited the mosque located at Vashi in Navi Mumbai between March 3 and 12 for some spiritual work, and three of them later tested positive for the coronavirus. One of the COVID-19 Filipino patient later recovered, but died on Sunday night at the Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai due to kidney failure. The maulvi also came in contact with him, the official said. After the priest tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, at least 53 people, who were present in the mosque during the period when the persons from Philippines visited the place, have been home quarantined, he said. Over 1,200 houses around the mosque were screened and the area was cleaned with disinfectants, he said. So far, there have been five COVID-19 cases from Navi Mumbai, including the mosque priest, three Philippine nationals and a resident of Airoli in Navi Mumbai, who had travelled to Turkey, he said. Nearly 250 people have so far been advised to remain under home quarantine in Navi Mumbai and 58 people, who have history of travel to abroad, are kept at the NMMC's quarantine facility, the official said. The home quarantine period of 10 people ended on Wednesday and since no coronavirus symptoms were found in them, they have been released, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Laura Dern was being very careful not to contaminate her movie star mother Diane Ladd on Wednesday. The 53-year-old Big Little Lies actress wore a mask and gloves as she was seen on a public walking path by the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, California with her 84-year-old mom who is best known for 1974's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The coronavirus has spread throughout the US killing over 800 people urging several states to order residents to stay at home. Older people are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Easy does it: Laura Dern was being very careful not to contaminate her movie star mother Diane Ladd on Wednesday Laura wore a dark jacket with green slacks, a brown belt and a hat, adding sunglasses and her white mask. Her mother Diane was in a dark cardigan over a green plaid shirt with her hair up in a bun and no mask on. She used a cane to walk on the path which is public and often used by hundreds of people every day but on Wednesday it seemed to be emptier. California Governor Gavin Newsom has urged the public to not go outside as the pandemic seems to be spreading out of control. But it seems as if many people in the Los Angeles area have not listened. The COVID look: Laura wore a dark jacket with green slacks, a brown belt and a hat, adding sunglasses and her white mask Trying to be super careful: The Little Woman actress also had on white gloves Dern, who won an Oscar this year for her role in Marriage Story, had on black sneakers and socks. She was also walking her small dog who was on a red leash. The Rambling Rose was also seen earlier this week in a swimming pool with her mother. Dern was without gloves and mask as she held her mom's hand. Taking a dip: The Marriage Story star also took to Instagram with a video of herself and mother wishing Witherspoon a happy birthday with a synchronized swim The two were wishing Reese Witherspoon a happy birthday. The mother/daughter duo performed a synchronized swim routine while singing Happy Birthday. Laura has been seen many times this week out and about as she ignores the 'stay home' order. On Monday she was seen with her son Ellery. They were spotted keeping their distance as they visited some friends in Beverly Hills. The blonde stayed in the driver's seat next to her son, 18, as their friends came outside to chat with them outside of the car. Social distancing: It came two days after Dern and Witherspoon practiced social distancing, posting photos from a hike, in which they kept a few feet between them Earlier, Dern and Witherspoon practiced social distancing, posting photos from a hike, in which they kept a few feet between them. She wrote in the caption: 'So blessed to have friends to distantly walk through this with. And nature!' Dern later took to Instagram Monday as she read the children's book Iggy Peck Architect for Save with Stories, an organization helping children during quarantine. Two of the Commonwealth's promised 100 pop-up fever clinics are up and running a fortnight after they were announced, with the Morrison government committing to opening the other 98 within six weeks. The federal Health Department is working with primary health networks across the country to identify GP practices and other medical facilities capable of managing the dedicated facilities to assess, test and treat Australians with COVID-19. A coronavirus testing clinic at Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick, Sydney. Credit:Janie Barrett State governments have already begun establishing their own fever clinics, while the Morrison government still hasn't ruled out enlisting specialists from the Australian Defence Force in helping roll out the federal fever clinics. The ADF has set up 29 clinics at its bases throughout the country to test personnel so they don't burden the public health system. Eighteen doctors, nurses, and medical staff members in the central city of Hue have penned a letter expressing their wish to be on the frontline of Vietnams fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The 18 volunteers, who are working at the Traumas and Orthopedics Department of Hue Central Hospital, located in Thua Thien-Hue Province, co-signed the letter sent to the institutions management board. With great pride to be white-coat fighters, we are aware of our pioneering responsibility in this difficult period, the letter reads. Therefore, together, we voluntarily write this letter to the Board of Directors to seek your permission for us to directly participate in the care and treatment of COVID-19 patients in our hospital or other places. The letter was signed by all 18 volunteer doctors, nurses, and medical staff members. Nguyen Thanh Xuan, deputy director at Hue Central Hospital, confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Wednesday that the hospitals management board had received the letter. According to Xuan, hospital leaders highly appreciate the volunteering spirit of the doctors, nurses, and staff at the Traumas and Orthopedics Department and are considering making personnel changes in accordance with Vietnams anti-epidemic efforts. A letter from 18 volunteering doctors, nurses, and medical staff members at Hue Central Hospital in Hue City, Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam is seen in this photo. Photo: Thanh Xuan / Tuoi Tre The sign-up came after Vietnams health ministry on Saturday called on all healthcare workers, including medical students and retired doctors and nurses, to join hands in the countrys fight against coronavirus. Vietnam has confirmed 134 cases of COVID-19 infections so far, with 17 of them having fully recovered and been discharged from hospitals by Friday last week. Two active cases are currently treated in Hue. No death attributed to the novel coronavirus has been recorded in the country. About 280 retired doctors and nurses and 700 medical students volunteered to participate in the countrys battle against COVID-19 in Hanoi last week. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! India on Wednesday went into a full 21-day lockdown in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus amid unprecedented nationwide restrictions that saw anxious people making a beeline for grocery stores and hundreds being detained by police for violating prohibitory orders. Underscoring the enormity of the health challenge before the country that led to imposing the lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said winning the war against coronavirus will take 21 days as opposed to the 18 days taken to win the epic war of Mahabharata. The lockdown came into effect from midnight. Modi was addressing the people of his parliamentary constituency in Varanasi through a video link. In his second national broadcast in a week on Tuesday night, Modi made a fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the 'lakshman rekha' of their homes in the next three weeks. India's population is an estimated 1.3 billion. The number of coronavirus cases on Wednesday touched 606 of which 43 were cured or discharged, a union health ministry official said, adding the death toll stood at 10. The toll, however, did not take into account one death each reported on Wednesday by state officials in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. The number of deaths around the world from the novel coronavirus cases is stated to have crossed 19,000 and more than 427,940 declared cases were reported to have been registered in 181 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December. An official said the Ministry of Home Affairs is monitoring the lockdown from a control room in Delhi. According to reports from states, roads wore a deserted look but people resorted to panic buying at several markets in violation of the advice for social distancing. Long queues outside grocery stores, inflated prices, difficulty in getting important items -- these were some of the problems encountered by people in the National Capital Region(NCR). Despite authorities asking people not to step out and assuring that essential supplies will not be affected, people rushed out to stock daily provisions.Many said they have been forced to step out as home deliveries have almost stopped. "We don't want to take a risk by not storing rations. As several people are coming out of their houses to buy groceries and other essential items, I have also come to buy the same," said Anand Sharma, a resident of Kaushik Enclave in North Delhi's Burari. However, at many places including Lajpat Nagar people kept a distance of one metre while standing in queue, keeping in the mind the importance of social distancing in the current situation. Shopowners too were taking precautions like restricting access to customers. Union minister Prakash Javadeka said there was no need for people to panic as shops selling essentials and medicines will remain open throughout the lockdown period. He also said sufficient legal provisions awere vailable to deal with black marketeers and hoarders. Addressing the media about the decisions taken by the Union Cabinet, he said the Centre and the state governments are working together to effectively implement the lockdown and ensure people do not suffer. It was a low-key Ugadi celebrations in Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with people mostly staying indoors. Ugadi is a festival marking New Year's Day for Hindus. Maharashtra also witnessed a subdued celebration of Gudi Padwa, which marks the beginning of the New Year in the state. In Uttar Pradesh, the 9-day Navratra festival also began on a subdued note with many people preferring to perform the rituals from their homes by sending names and other details to the priest to do the puja on their behalf. Acharya Suresh Mani Shastri, the priest of Gokhale marg temple, said regular devotees sent their details on phone to do the puja for them. Police across all states also kept a strict vigil on violators of prohibitory orders. In the national capital, over 180 cases were registered and 5,103 people detained for violations of government order during the lockdown, police said. According to data shared by the Delhi Police, 183 cases were registered under section 188 (for disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code till 5 pm. A total of 5,103 persons have been detained under section 65 (persons bound to comply with reasonable directions of Police officer) and 956 vehicles have been impounded under section 66 of the Delhi Police Act, they stated. Over 350 people were detained in Gujarat for violating the lockdown in the last 24 hours, a senior official said. Those detained included people who violated home quarantine norms, director general of police Shivanand Jha told reporters in Ahmedabad. In Uttar Pradesh, officials said Police have registered 1,788 FIRs and booked 5,592 people for violating the lockdown norms. The Centre also asked the state governments to resolve immediately the problems being faced by the e-commerce sector in delivering essential goods. E-commerce and home delivery come under essential services and are exempt from the lockdown rules. "However, there are reports of disruptions faced by e-commerce players. We have taken up with the state governments and local administration. Things will fall in place," Consumer Affairs Secretary Pawan Agarwal told PTI. Amid reports of panic purchase of essential commodities, the Union Home Ministry asked state governments to check the spread of rumours about shortage of food items. In a communication to chief secretaries and DGPs of all states, the ministry asked them to take action to allay apprehensions and maintain peace and tranquillity, and inform people about the availability of food, medicine and other essential commodities. Despite a complete ban on large gatherings, people in some parts of Kolkata were seen jostling in markets to buy essential commodities for the next few days. People were also seen queuing outside gas agencies to buy additional LPG cylinders. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said authorities will ensure essential services during the lockdown period and requested people not to panic. "We will issue e-passes to vegetable-sellers, grocers among others to ensure essential supplies during the lockdown," Kejriwal said at a joint press conference with Lt Governor Anil Baijal, amid reports of alleged harassment of vegetable sellers by the police. "We will ensure strict implementation of lockdown in Delhi," Baijal said. Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the government is monitoring the availability of essential commodities in the market. Paswan warned manufacturers and traders against profiteering during the lockdown period. The Centre is also in touch with the state governments to ensure there is no shortage of essential commodities, he said. "In view of situation emerging from the threat of #Covid19India, the government is keeping an eye on availability of all essential commodities in the market," Paswan tweeted. "I appeal to all manufacturers and traders to avoid profiteering in this situation," he said. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat lent weight to the prime minister's appeal for social distancing, saying it is important in the battle against coronavirus, and asked the swayamsevaks to resolve to fight the pandemic and lead by example by following social discipline. Bhagwat was addressing the swayamsevaks on the occasion of 'Varsh Pratipada', or the Hindu New Year, by live streaming his speech on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) website. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Editors note: The original story mentioned a specific short-term rental company, which later said this rental was not theirs. Though Philadelphia is one of the areas of the state under a stay-at-home order to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, there appear to be some residents who are in defiance. One city resident is saying a group of revelers took out a short-term rental next door and threw a party that lasted all night long, Action News 6 ABC is reporting. Sarah Maiellanos Ring video shows people coming in and out of the home on Rodman Street throughout the night early Tuesday, reports indicate. Im worried about our whole street, Maiellano told Action News 6. We have a big mix of people that live in the street. We have retired people. We also have five babies under the age of 2 and families everywhere. She added people at that party were on her front steps, smoking and touching her railing, which she and her husband disinfected the next day as they saw even more partiers leaving, reports indicate. The city was the first in Pennsylvania to go under a stay-at-home order, which went into effect Monday. Multiple counties are under similar orders now. Philadelphia managing director Brian Abernathy told reporters city officials are aware of similar incidents and are investigating. The citys 311 hotline is also available 24 hours per day for anyone to report a gathering that shouldnt be going on. As the world locks down to stop the spread, groups of virus rebels have cropped up. Earlier this week, Floridas governor closed all of the states beaches after images of rowdy spring break college crowds appeared on television amid the growing death told from the virus. Social distancing is recommended everywhere, and some states are on lockdowns similar to some of Pennsylvanias counties. Loading Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The Indian Navy on Wednesday flew a team of four doctors from Goa, who will undergo training for testing COVID-19 samples in Pune. The team, led by Dr Savio Rodrigues, head of the microbiology department at Goa Medical College, will undergo training to set up a COVID-19 testing facility in Goa, the Navy said. The Navy received the request on Tuesday, after which officials initiated necessary procedures and the aircraft took off for Pune on Wednesday morning. The team has also taken some samples of suspected coronavirus patients to Pune for confirmation and it will return to Goa on March 27 after completion of the training, the Navy stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It was a bright day in North Bay a week or so ago, just days before the nation ground to a halt. Canadian actor Russell Yuen, 54, was relaxing by picturesque Lake Nipissing during a break from filming, his sunglasses perched on his nose as he absorbed the icy beauty in front of him. A white couple walked up and stood nearby. Presently the man spoke. This is Yuens account of what happened next. The man said, Its so much nicer here than Toronto. We can get away from that Chinese virus. Yeun turned to him said, Excuse me? The man said, Oh you know, the virus that Chinese people brought over. So Yuen took off his glasses and said, Please repeat that again. At that the man turned verbally abusive. You f---ing Chinese man, why arent you wearing a f---ing mask? Get the f--- away from me. You and your f---ing virus, go back to where you came from. Yuen is fourth-generation Canadian. His ancestors literally united Canada they came here to build the Canadian Pacific Railway, upon which rested British Columbias decision to join Confederation in the late 1800s. He said, You mean, Montreal? Dont be a f---ing smartass, the man said. You know what Im f---ing talking about. Meanwhile his wife is hiding behind him, Yuen said. Like Im the alien creature from Alien that could spit acid at her and dissolve her or something. I said Look, youre entitled to your opinion but youre wrong. And as Yuen walked back to his room, the man kept swearing, saying Were going to get out of this place. I cant believe theyre letting those types of people in here. Yuen was in town with the cast and crew filming a movie named The Swan. The first thing he did after this incident was to go warn two First Nations crew members. I didnt want them to bump into these guys. This wasnt Yuens only recent experience with racism since the rise of COVID-19 pandemic. And bigots being bigots everywhere, he is one of the rising number of people of East Asian descent being singled out around the world and blamed for the deadly virus. A few things need unpacking in light of this renewed racism. First, people of East Asian descent need systemic support. Second, it establishes why COVID-19 should never be called the Chinese virus. Third, the brazen bigotry has blown the facade off the model minority myth. The Indian actor Meiyang Chang was out for a jog on the streets of Mumbai recently when two guys sped past him on a bike, screaming corona and laughing, he told media. He gets teased by friends, which he told media he didnt mind but he also gets randomly called corona on Instagram, which he does. American writer/journalist Jeff Yang shared his first breathing while Asian moment on Twitter. An older white woman with a mask turned on him at a grocery store and shouted F---you. As I stared at her, she pulled off her mask, coughed directly at me, turned on her heel and walked off. Other Asian Americans responded with their own experiences on Yangs Twitter feed. Sinophobia being rampant in the U.S. isnt surprising. That countrys president read a speech last week on which, as a Washington Post photographer captured, the word corona was scratched out and replaced with Chinese. All the better to cover his own ineffectual response that led to the U.S. swiftly becoming the worlds third-most affected country. Its not racist, Donald Trump insisted. Its just where the virus originated. For those in the back: IT IS RACIST. Calling it Chinese serves no purpose other than to stigmatize a group of people. Viruses have been named after geographical areas even if they didnt originate there. The Spanish flu, for instance. After the outbreak of MERS or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2012, the WHO recommended not naming virus after regions to mitigate its negative impacts on places and peoples. Instead it encourages descriptive terms respiratory, pulmonary whom it impacts by age geriatric, senile whether acute or chronic etc. New York recently established a new hotline to report hate crimes against Asian Americans. Canadian police jurisdictions should consider either doing the same or expanding their existing lines and work on targeted outreach so more people know whom to call. Toronto polices Hate Crimes Unit had not seen an increase in reports but hate-related crime often goes unreported to police, said police spokesperson Meaghan Gray, who encouraged people to report it by calling 416-808-2222. Its virtually impossible to prove hate crimes unless people walk around with cameras turned on. However, hotlines can document incidents and connect people to legal resources. The rest of us dont need to be silent bystanders either. (Obviously, if dangerous, call 911.) On Saturday, Yuen was going about his business heading to a grocery store in Montreal, when a white staffer blocked the automatic doors from opening and yelled through the glass: Go put on a f---ing mask and gloves. Explicit spoken racism is verbal assault. It can leave people feeling shell-shocked and scarred. But the daily subtler forms take a different toll. For Yuen, that comes in the looks he gets in public, the extra-wide berth people give him but not his white wife while walking, the overly watchful eyes as he picks up things in a store. These experiences have left Yuen flooded with that feeling of racism I used to get when I was much younger. That was a time of growing up in Montreal when he was the only Asian person, the only Asian in elementary school, one of two Asians in high school, the only Asian in theatre school. Both East Asians and South Asians are touted as model minorities in western nations. Look how well they do in school. Look how much they earn. Look how hard-working they are. Look how they fit in without complaining. Whiteness the system of racial hierarchy works such that this praise is less directed towards the so-called models and more geared towards taunting Black and Indigenous people for their poverty and for their resistance to assimilating to European norms. If they can do it, why cant you is also a tactic to avoid settler accountability. As the COVID-19 fallout shows, that veneer of praise for Asians is as thin as it is insincere. One thing Ive learnt as Ive grown older is that what our parents said keep your head down, work hard and youll be rewarded unfortunately its not true, Yuen said. You have to speak up. You have to show people the racism that other people dont see. You have to call people out. The CFCEF noted that under California law, the number of miles driven each year must be given great weight in setting a motorists premium; only a drivers safety record has more impact on premiums than miles driven. CFCEFs petition requested the commissioner to consider the following: Establish rules requiring insurers to notify policyholders of the right to request a premium reduction when an emergency forces motorists to stay at home. Immediately issue a bulletin ordering insurers to notify customers of the right to get a reduction resulting from decreased driving under the COVID-19 stay-at-home order. The roads are empty, and the owner of GEICO has acknowledged that auto accident claims have dropped as a result. Fewer claims means windfall profits, unless customers are credited the difference, said CFCEF director Richard Holober. Holober was referring to an earlier statement by GEICO owner Warren Buffett on March 13. People just havent been driving as much and its noticeable. So people have changed their behavior, Buffett said at the time. Holober also argued that many lower income workers may be struggling to keep up with auto insurance payments when they are unable to properly work from home. Only 9% of the lowest paid workers have jobs they can perform from home, where many are confined without income. The working poor desperately need extra cash while they struggle to survive. Insurers must step up to the plate with refunds and premium reductions, and the Insurance Commissioner must compel them if they fail to act swiftly, the director said. CFCEF insurance expert Douglas Heller added that the organization has calculated that even just a 25% drop in accidents would mean Californian drivers would overpay about half a billion dollars in premiums if the lockdown lasted for five weeks. Acquisitions, organic growth, and favorable exchange rates all contributed to a record year for Penguin Random House in 2019, parent company Bertelsmann reported. Revenue rose 6.2% last year, to 3.64 billion, up from 3.42 billion in 2018. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) increased 6.3% over 2018, to 561 million. Acquisitions in the year included the Little Tiger Group in the U.K., Ediciones Salamandra in Spain, a stake in Sourcebooks, and the purchase of global publishing rights for bestselling childrens author Eric Carle. In the U.S., which accounted for just over 56% of total PRH sales (about $2.2 billion at current exchange rates), gains were led by Where the Crawdads Sing, which Bertelsmann said sold more than four million copies across all formats, while Educated and Becoming each sold more than two million copies. In childrens books, books by Dr. Seuss sold more than 10 million copies in the year. Bertelsmann also cited audiobooks as a growth driver not only in the U.S., but in most of its markets. In comments accompanying release of the year-end financials, Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe said the company intends to continue to expand Penguin Random Houses businesses over the next few years, including through acquisitions. In his letter to employees, PRH CEO Markus Dohle focused on the ongoing challenges brought about by the new coronavirus pandemic. After thanking staff for their contributions to last years successes, Dohle wrote: 2019 seems so long ago, as we now face a global pandemic that has shaken our book community to its core. While PRH has built a strong foundation and infrastructure, Dohle said that with the spread of coronavirus, it is inevitable that we will have to endure some impact on our business this year. With this understanding, we will need to adjust and adapt our business on a daily basis and maintain a very cost- and cash-conscious approach. Dohle expressed his deep gratitude, on behalf of our entire company, to our heroic supply-chain colleagues around the world, who are shipping books wherever we can. He also acknowledged that, while many retail partners are struggling with the impact of the virus, PRH "will continue to support them during and after this crisis to get our authors books into the hands of readerstoday and tomorrow. German customs officials are attempting to track down about 6 million face masks ordered to protect health workers from the coronavirus which went missing at an airport in Kenya. "The authorities are trying to find out what happened," said a defence ministry spokeswoman, confirming a report first published by Spiegel Online. The FFP2 masks, which filter out more than 90% of particles, were ordered by German customs authorities. They and the armed forces procurement office have been helping the health ministry to get hold of urgently needed protective gear. The shipment was due in Germany on March 20 but never arrived after disappearing at the end of last week at an airport in Kenya. It was unclear why the masks, produced by a German firm, had been in Kenya. "What exactly happened, whether this a matter of theft or a provider who isn't serious, is being cleared up by customs," said a government source. Kenya's health ministry declined to comment and a Kenyan Airports Authority (KAA) spokeswoman said the company was still assessing the situation. Spiegel Online reported that Germany has placed orders worth 241 million euros with suppliers for protective and sanitary equipment to fight the coronavirus. The defence ministry spokeswoman said there was no financial impact from the loss of the masks as no money had been paid. Germany is preparing its hospitals and health workers for a big increase in admissions of patients with the virus. It has 27,436 confirmed coronavirus cases and 114 people have died, the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said. (Reuters) Graduation cap on the ground Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Most high schools, colleges, and universities across the United States have closed their doors for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has affected many high school seniors' ability to visit colleges, therefore hampering their decision process. Students are converging in communities on platforms like Reddit and Discord in order to share experiences, commiserate, and support each other in making their college decisions. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. "I've got a surefire way to get into Harvard, MIT, Cal Tech," John, a 17-year-old high school senior posted on r/ApplyingToCollege, a college admissions advice subreddit. "Go ahead and develop a cure for this stupid a-s virus already; I'm sick and tired of it." John is one of a number of high school seniors grappling with the fallout from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has brought about school closures that mean the quintessential high school experience, for many, has ended. While some have coped by sharing performances of canceled school musicals on Twitter or by making TikToks about being forced to go to class online, many like John are taking to online forums on Reddit to discuss the college admissions woes that have come as a result of the pandemic. For many high school seniors on subreddits like r/ApplyingToCollege, the coronavirus has thrown a wrench into their college decision process. "One of the most impactful things on my experience was not being able to visit Clemson, which was my second choice," John said over a Reddit direct message. "I was supposed to visit a week from now but they completely closed their campus due to corona. I don't think I would've gone there but I'm just left with a feeling that I couldn't give it a fair shot since I'd never seen the campus." John eventually settled on attending TCU, a private university not far from his hometown, which made it an easier campus to visit early on. Many students who applied to out-of-state schools, like Clemson for John, were unable to visit as the pandemic interfered with spring break plans. Other students have dealt with universities canceling admitted student days and the inability to visit schools shaping the ways that they make their college decisions. Story continues High school students have banded together in online spaces like r/ApplyingToCollege to account for these disruptions. Chloe Retika, a high school senior in California, made a Google document for current college students to fill out with information about their schools in order to help high school seniors make decisions. "I lost valuable opportunities to tour colleges I will spend the next four years of my life at. I know the rest of my class feels the same way," Chloe said over Instagram direct message. "Reaching out to alumni who have actually been at colleges seemed like the second best option to being there myself to best help class of 2020." At publishing time, Retika's document contained information on over 47 different colleges and universities across the United States, ranging from eight out of the nine California state schools to private colleges like Boston College. Initially, Chloe interviewed a handful of close friends who were alumni of her high school; friends asked their friends to fill out a page about their college, and after Chloe shared the document on her personal Facebook account and her high school's Class of 2020 page, it eventually ended up on r/ApplyingToCollege. Now, she's seeking out additional contributors to write about their experiences in order to get as many schools as possible on the list. "I didn't think this many people would read it, but now I hope as many seniors as possible during quarantine can have access and gain insight for colleges they are considering," Chloe said. Those on r/ApplyingToCollege have made similar efforts, creating a "Virtual Visitng Days" Discord server in order to connect high school students with current college students and alumni. "With many colleges and universities closing down classes, canceling their orientations, visiting days, and advising appointments, we hope we can offer useful substitute [sic] so you can feel more confident for next fall," the server's new member welcome post reads. Ultimately though, online spaces like r/ApplyingToCollege or even more general subreddits like r/teenagers have proven to be a space for high school students, particularly seniors who are missing out on milestones like prom or graduation, to commiserate and support each other. Some rant together in Reddit threads about online classes while others theorize about how it will affect Ivy League admissions, but in the end, they rely on a thriving digital community within which they can seek advice or crack jokes. For the high school Class of 2020, it's an opportunity to collectively mourn the experiences they've lost while working towards an uncertain future. Read the original article on Insider Burma Myanmar Confirms Third COVID-19 Case Yangon during rush hour. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy YANGONMyanmar has reported its third confirmed case of COVID-19a man who returned from the United Kingdomfollowing the announcement of the countrys first two coronavirus cases on Monday night. The Health Ministry said Wednesday a 26-year-old man who arrived from the United Kingdom has tested positive for COVID-19. The man arrived home in Yangons Insein Township on Saturday after flying into Yangon via Thailands Suvarnabhumi Airport. The patient has been isolated at Insein Hospital since Monday with COVID-19 symptoms, including coughing and a fever. The Health Ministry said the man tested positive for the disease on Tuesday through the National Health Laboratory. U Wai Phyo Han, a lawmaker from Insein in the Yangon parliament, told The Irrawaddy Wednesday that the patient and his younger brother, who took care of him, were sent to Yangons Waibargi Infectious Disease Hospital Wednesday morning and are receiving treatment. Seven of the patients other family members were instructed to self-quarantine at home and township authorities are now searching people who were in close contact with the patient. We have asked the respective officials how he got through the governments quarantine process at the airport, said U Wai Phyo Han. The Myanmar government has announced that people who have travelled to countries hit badly by COVID-19 will be quarantined upon arrival in Myanmar to curb the spread of COVID-19. The Health Ministry announced the countrys first cases of COVID-19 on Monday after a 36-year-old who arrived from the United State and a 26-year-old who arrived from the United Kingdom, both Myanmar nationals, tested positive for COVID-19. According to the World Health Organization data from Tuesday, nearly 400,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 16,000 people have died from the disease. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Central Bank Cuts Interest Rates Another 1% to Aid Economy Border Gate Forced to Open as Myanmar Migrant Workers Leave Thailand Amid COVID-19 Suu Kyi Consoles Myanmar People Amid COVID-19, Stresses Health Guidelines, Calm An insurance adjuster was charged with stealing more than $215,000 in insurance money from a Georgia business damaged by Hurricane Michael, authorities said. Steven Eric Chastain is accused of stealing insurance checks from a business in Albany, Georgia, and was charged Friday with two counts of theft by conversion, the states Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, John F. King, said. This man is accused of taking complete advantage of his client in a time when they desperately needed someone to rely on. These types of acts will not be tolerated in this state, King said in a news release. More charges will likely be brought against Chastain, King added. Chastain, owner of Nationwide Public Adjusters, was hired to handle insurance claims after the business suffered damages from Hurricane Michael in October 2018. Chastain, 58, is accused of taking multiple checks from an insurance company without sending them to his client. It wasnt immediately clear whether Chastain had a lawyer to speak on his behalf. He was jailed in Atlanta, awaiting a bond hearing. If convicted on the theft by conversion charge, he faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Fraud Abuse Molestation Georgia Hurricane Ukrainian police have detained a former foreign minister on a murder charge related to the fatal shooting of the ex-head of the country's most popular pro-Russian television network. Leonid Kozhara, 57, who served as foreign minister for two years under Kremlin-friendly former President Viktor Yanukovych, was on March 25 immediately taken to court for a custody hearing, Deputy Interior Minister Anton Herashchenko said on Facebook. He is accused of killing Serhiy Starytskiy, a 56-year-old advertising magnate who directed the Inter TV network. Starytsky was found dead inside Kozhara's suburban Kyiv home on February 22. He was fatally wounded by a bullet from a gun belonging to the former minister, police said. Kozhara and his wife, who were both at home during the incident, have said Starytskiy committed suicide in a separate room. However, "investigators and prosecutors reviewed the circumstances of the death...and have concluded that he [Starytskiy] could not have shot himself," Herashchenko said. Separately, the National Police said that based on forensic, ballistics, and molecular genetic tests, they had enough evidence to charge Kozhara. During the evening of the shooting, according to police, alcohol was being consumed and an argument erupted between the two men, which escalated into a fight. "Subsequently, the owner of the house went to the bedroom, picked up a gun and, returning to the kitchen, shot his friend," police said. Kozhara, who served as foreign minister between 2012 and 2014, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. With reporting by Interfax, Hromadske, and AFP Banks are coming to the rescue of Australians in debt who are enduring financial distress during the coronavirus crisis. An estimated two million Australians could lose their jobs in the next two weeks as businesses shut down because of Covid-19 lockdowns. Unemployment is expected to soar as the retail, hospitality, transport, personal services, arts and recreation industries will continue to suffer major job losses due to closures. In response some of Australia's leading financial institutions have announced payment holidays for customers struggling to pay off credit card and personal debts. The move comes in addition to banks offering payment holidays on mortgage repayments to help struggling homeowners. Australians will be able to defer credit card repayments until they get back on their feet ING was the first to defer credit card repayments for 3-6 months for cash-strapped customers impacted by the deadly virus pandemic. Other major banks are understood to be considering extending the payment pause offer to credit card holders. There is a catch to ING's payment holiday on credit card debts, however. 'During a payment pause, credit card repayments are not required, but your card will be inactive,' the institution states on its website. 'Interest and fees will continue to accrue to your balance, and at the end of the payment pause your total balance will be higher than it was before the payment pause.' ING recommends reducing repayments to the minimum monthly repayment, which allows card holders to have continued access to their credit card for everyday use. WHERE TO GO FOR HELP * Tax relief: if you have a debt to the tax office you can't pay call the Australian Tax Office emergency support infoline on 1800 806 218 * Unexpected bills for essentials: don't go to high-interest payday lenders. No-interest and low-interest loans of up to $3000 available from Good Shepherd Microfinance. * Utility providers will negotiate a payment plan to keep the power, water and gas on - ring them * Banks will make hardship provisions available if you are having trouble paying your mortgage - call your lender * Set up a myGov account at my.gov.au so you can access welfare help online * Go to Services Australia and use the payment and service finder to work out what help you can get * Access up to $10,000 of superannuation early this financial year, see here * The first $750 coronavirus supplement will go to those registered as on income support and eligible between 12 March and 13 April. The second $750 payment will go to those eligible and registered on 10 July. Check here * The new coronavirus supplement of $550 per fortnight is being added to several welfare payments - check if you are eligible here * A list of Services Australia phone numbers for different information lines from crisis payments to low income health care cards is here * Visit the Services Australia and register for a Jobseeker Payment or call to register on 132 850 * Centrelink advance payments are available in some circumstances * You can get rent assistance from Services Australia if you are on a JobSeeker payment. * National Debt Hotline for free advice and support for those in financial difficulty 1800 007 007 * Ask your employer to register on the ATO website ato.gov.au to keep your job going during the coronavirus shutdown so you can get $1500/fortnight Advertisement ING has extended its payment holidays to credit card holders facing financial distress CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement Financial experts have welcomed recent moves by the banks to help reduce Australians' financial distress. 'People already burdened with credit card debt, who have now lost their job or are too sick to work, are unlikely to be able to keep up with their repayments,' RateCity spokeswoman Sally Tindall told News.com.au. 'Instead of copping extra late fees on top of the interest charges, this will give them a genuine reprieve.' Financial adviser Scott Haywood advised Australians to consider freezing higher-interest debts first and said they should 'bunker down' with their spending. 'They should freeze credit cards and personal loans before a mortgage if they do have a mortgage,' he said. Pep Guardiola has donated 1million (900,000) in the fight against coronavirus in Barcelona. The Manchester City manager has earmarked the money, sent to the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation, to be spent on purchasing medical equipment. The fund is named after a doctor from Santpedor - the town Guardiola hails from - who passed away in the 1970s. Pep Guardiola has donated 1million in the fight against coronavirus in Barcelona Guardiola made the pledge on Tuesday following an appeal over the weekend. The foundation had raised just over 33,000 after the initial plea and Guardiola's personal contribution has rocketed their resources. Spain is on a nationwide lockdown, declaring a state of emergency on Saturday - two days before the United Kingdom announced stricter guidelines. Barcelona is in lockdown as the death toll in Spain jumped by 514 in a single day on Tuesday Man City manager Guardiola represented Barcelona for most of his playing career The coronavirus death toll in Spain jumped by 514 in a single day, as the situation in the country quickly worsens. Official figures on Tuesday show that 2,696 people have now died in the country and close to 40,000 are infected The Barcelona medical college said that equipment is in short supply across Catalonia and Guardiola's generosity will go a long way to easing the strain on health centres. Catalonia is reported to have the most concentrated number of cases in Spain. Guardiola pictured at a rally in support of a referendum for independence in 2017 The former Barca boss last year presented the Catalan parliament's Medals of Honour A proud Catalonian, Guardiola has been fined by the FA in the past for 'wearing a political message'. The yellow ribbon he displayed was in support of jailed activists who campaigned for independence. He has also been pictured attending rallies for independence and has presented the Catalan parliament's Medals of Honour at a ceremony. Guardiola is understood to have been working on ways of sending the finances since hearing of the coronavirus appeal. Rural landlords have been urged to 'give respite' to tenant farmers who are experiencing difficulties as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) said there will be those who farm land they do not own who will be impacted by control measures put in place. TFA National Chairman, Mark Coulman, said A significant number of farming families rely on income earned off the holding, either through employment or self-employment which, in many cases, will have dried up. "Others who are involved in food service supply chains may find themselves in difficulty. Their processors and purchasers may struggle to find retail outlets for the farm produce they handle. All landlords should act reasonably in offering rent abatements or deferrals where needed, the group urged. They have also been called to halt current disputes, including all rent reviews and in providing flexibility when tenancies are beginning or ending. Its absolutely critical that all parties, however acrimonious relationships may have been, pull together on this one to reduce anxiety, poor mental health and to ensure theres an economically viable industry," Mr Coulman said. "Landlords must not use this to forget the challenges the winter has presented to farmers, and the medium-term impact this will have. "Its likely to never have been more important to have a thriving tenanted sector producing food and caring for the environment, he added. Landlords have also been urged by the TFA to 'see sense' and put off rent reviews into next year. Private diagnostic laboratories that have received the approval of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to carry out COVID-19 tests are finding it difficult to source enough personal protection equipment (PPE), the coveralls for their sample collection staff. Labs are hoping that the thrust given by Centre in ramping up the availability of critical life saving equipment, including PPE, may speed up the production and supply of such products. Leading players that have enlisted with ICMR to carry out the tests said that their facilities are ready, staff trained, but they are yet to get sufficient number of diagnostic test kits from the companies that have been allowed to supply them, and PPEs from the open market. The option of importing diagnostic kits is also difficult due to the lockdown and disruptions in cargo movement. ALSO READ:$20 trillion lawsuit against China! US group says coronavirus is bioweapon On latest count, ICMR had approved 26 private laboratories for COVID-19 testing in the country. Eight of them are in Maharashtra, four in Delhi, three each in Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana and two in Haryana. The diagnostic players and hospitals whose laboratories have got approval include Lal Path Labs, Dr Dangs Lab, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Unipath Specialty Laboratory, Supratech Micropath Laboratory & Research Institute, SN GeneLab, Strand Life Sciences, SRL Limited, Neuberg Anand Reference Laboratory, Kasturba Hospital, Cancyte Technologies, Sri Shankara Research Centre, Thyrocare Technologies Limited, Suburban Diagnostics (India), Metropolis Healthcare, Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, Reliance Life Sciences, A G Diagnostics, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, InfeXn Laboratories, CMC Vellore, Vijaya Diagnostic Centre and Vimta Labs. ALSO READ: Rs 1,000 profit in Rs 4,500 per coronavirus test; Thyrocare debunks demand for higher price The two companies who have been allowed to supply diagnostic kits to private laboratories so far are Indian firm Mylab and German firm Altona Diagnostics. Mylab informed that they will start supply of kits within a day or two. As on March 24, of the 22,694 samples from 21,804 individuals that India screened, 536 individuals were tested positive. The Prime Minister in his address to the nation had announced that the government has set aside Rs 15,000 crore to augment healthcare facilities and infrastructure for the management of COVID-19 outbreak. ALSO READ: Private labs seek govt's help for conducting free coronavirus tests US President Donald Trump calls himself a "wartime president" and former vice president Joe Biden says the nation must "put politics aside", but both have allowed their campaigns to launch personal attacks on the other in recent days. The showdown comes as much of the presidential campaign has been either put on hold or shifted online as the contenders regroup for an new era of economic crisis and social distancing. Fundraisers have been postponed, rallies have been cancelled, and new technologies are under consideration. However, Mr Biden's sole challenger for the Democratic nomination, Senator Bernie Sanders, remains in the race. Few are willing to predict how the events of the past few weeks will affect what is still expected to be a close election in November. But Democrats are hopeful the crisis will put into sharp relief the arguments they have been making for months. Anita Dunn, a senior adviser to Mr Biden, said the American people were seeing in the pandemic response the consequences of "the chaos around this president". "There is a price that this nation pays for that behaviour," Ms Dunn said. "As we move forward, that is going to be a case we prosecute." Republicans, by contrast, are hopeful that Mr Trump's role as head of the federal response to the coronavirus will insulate him against the coming Democratic critiques about his leadership. Mr Trump has told advisers that his daily news conferences are helping him because they show him involved, and advisers are hoping to utilise the video footage of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo praising the president in ads. "Anybody who attempts to politicise and weaponise a public health crisis is revealed to be petty and peevish," said White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway. Punches Neither side has pulled its punches in near-daily diatribes. Mr Trump's campaign communications director accused Mr Biden of pushing critiques of Mr Trump that "dangerously undermine the federal public health effort by purposely sowing confusion and fears". Mr Biden said Mr Trump "is falsely telling us he's taking action he has not taken, promising results he's not delivering and announcing actions that he has not even ordered". Mr Biden's campaign also released a digital video accusing Mr Trump of adopting a "don't test, don't tell mindset". As it adjusts to the pandemic, the Biden campaign has been scrambling to build out a new television studio in the recreation room of his Delaware home so he can communicate with voters - his first presentation is scheduled for Monday at 11.30am - and his staff is exploring technological solutions that would allow him brief interactions over video conference with individual voters that would imitate a rope-line encounter. The campaign's immediate focus is on the policy response to the virus, but the political message focuses heavily on the Democratic case that Mr Trump has mishandled the crisis. Mr Biden released a statement on Sunday calling on Democrats in the Senate to reject the stimulus bill being promoted by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. "President Trump and Mitch McConnell are trying to put corporate bail-outs ahead of families," Mr Biden said, after the Senate rejected a procedural motion for the bill. "And it's simply wrong." The attack builds upon a broader argument that the pandemic confirms concerns many potential swing voters have about Mr Trump. Mr Trump's campaign advisers do see some liability in how the president handled the opening days of the virus -particularly in the lack of testing and the continuing slow response despite pleas from overwhelmed hospitals. Some close to the president fear that if the stock market continues to drop, it would be difficult to reelect the president who has cast his central argument as a booming economy. Mr Trump has sought to rewrite history in some ways, insisting that he was focused on the pandemic early even as he downplayed it publicly and ignored warnings about its potential. He also is working to negotiate a large stimulus package that aides hope will have political benefits. Trump advisers have been cheered by recent public polling that finds more than half of the country approves of Mr Trump's response to the crisis. SALEM, Ohio In the past few weeks, the new coronavirus, COVID-19, has dominated headlines, with confirmed cases quickly multiplying in Ohio and Pennsylvania. West Virginia confirmed its first case March 17. K-12 schools and colleges in both states have closed and are making the transition to online learning. Theres a huge push to keep Americans connected, from public and private agencies but some residents in rural areas were never connected in the first place. Audra Mulkern, of the Female Farmer Project, a project that focuses on telling stories of women in agriculture, lives in Washington state, where there were just under 2,000 positive cases of COVID-19, as of March 22. Mulkern works with Refresh Food and Tech Working Group, which researches issues that intersect at food, agriculture and technology, and is in a cohort that focuses on broadband. She is used to working from home, but now her husband and two children, who are in college, have also been working and studying from home since the end of February, along with many other people in the state. It feels like everybodys clinging to the internet, she said. Broadband absolutely needs to be a public utility. With so many people using the internet in her area socially and professionally, Mulkern has noticed her service slow down. She and her family have been trying to get their work done at times when less people are online. Mulkerns local school district, Riverview School District, in Duvall, Washington, was one of the last to close in the state. It closed March 16, around the same time that schools in Ohio were closing. K-12 schools Dalton Summers, superintendent of River View Local Schools, in Coshocton County, Ohio, said the district has a combination plan to keep education going, while the school is closed to students. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that about 68% of households in Coshocton County have a broadband internet subscription. Summers said the district gave fourth- through 12th-grade students surveys the week before schools closed to find out how many of its students had internet access. About 85% of these students had some type of internet access. But for some, that access could be as limited as a hotspot on their phone, he said. The district has the next three weeks of assignments and work available for these students both online, and in paper packets. Teachers are available online during the day to help students virtually. Kindergarten through third-grade students are mostly working from paper packets. Were building the airplane as we fly it, he said. Summers said teachers are currently preparing more packets for another three-week period, in case the school closures extend past the original date, April 3. Based on Summerss conversations with school districts in surrounding rural counties, many rural Ohio schools are taking a similar approach. Carrollton Exempted Village Schools are using Google Classroom and Google Meet to post assignments and communicate with sixth- through 12th-grade students, said superintendent David Quattrochi. Quattrochi said his district is putting together packets for elementary students and planning how to distribute them. They will also most likely use physical packets for older students who dont have adequate internet access. Census bureau data shows that about 72% of households in Carroll County have a broadband internet subscription. The district was, however, still identifying which students have access, as of March 20. We now have libraries closed, so those students are really limited, Quattrochi said. The Ohio Library Council is letting local libraries decide whether or not to close, but strongly recommended that libraries temporarily close their buildings to the public. As of March 19, the council said more than 187 of the 251 public library systems in Ohio had announced some type of closure to the public. Some of these libraries still have digital resources available. State testing is currently suspended due to the closures. The Ohio Department of Education had not announced details on state testing adjustments, as of March 23, but says it will be adjusting the testing schedule. Universities Colleges across the state and country are also switching to virtual learning, with some moving students out of dorms. Ohio State University told Farm and Dairy that it is working with students who dont have internet access. Faculty and staff are looking at options for students with slower internet or who cant log in at scheduled class times, including shorter videos and modules that can be downloaded or streamed more easily, and longer periods of time to participate. The university has a page on its website dedicated to offering tips for online learning, information about providers offering free or reduced-cost access and ways for students to get help on technical questions. Providers and government Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai asked broadband providers March 13 to take the Keep Americans Connected pledge. The pledge includes not cutting off service or charging late fees to customers who are unable to pay bills, due to issues connected to COVID-19, and opening wifi hotspots to any American who needs them. Nearly 400 telecommunications companies had taken the pledge, as of March 19. Comcast and Spectrum also offered two months of free service for low-income households or households with students who are not already customers, respectively. Several other companies have offered unlimited data to existing customers or offered access at a reduced cost for low-income households. The FCC and other government agencies have also adjusted legislation to address the COVID-19 situation. The FCC waived gift rules March 18 so that broadband providers can offer better connections or more equipment to programs that help schools, libraries and health care providers get broadband services. The Trump administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced March 17 that they are expanding Medicare coverage for telehealth, temporarily, in response to the COVID-19 situation, so more citizens can access healthcare from their homes. The U.S. governments official website for Medicare notes that older citizens seem to be at a higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness, which means that most people with Medicare are at a higher risk. Expanding telehealth coverage will allow more people to stay home and avoid COVID-19 exposure. This story was published in the spring edition of the Ravalli Republic's Agriculture Quarterly publication included in Sunday's edition of the newspaper. Its difficult to miss seeing the historic barn at the north end of the Eastside Highway - large block letters made of red metal on the roof identify its owner: HURTT. It was time to do a story, and I hoped that owner Dave Hurtts mind was still sharp and witty. August is supposed to be warm and dry in Montana, but Murphys law always seems to kick in when its time for me to photograph a barn. My trip to the Hurtt barn is no exception. A heavy fog covers the valley, with nary a peep of sunshine. I decide to go ahead with an interview, and hope the weather improves before I have to leave. As I park by the massive barn, a man driving a green 4-wheeler with a cab roof pulls up next to me. Dave Hurtt greets me with a smile, apologizing for not jumping out of his jitney because of a bad hip. Back in 1985, when I was putting new metal on the lower part of west barn roof, I slipped on the ladder and bounced down, hitting the rungs with my hipbone. Youll see a red dot toward the south end of the barn. Thats where I fell. At nearly 90, it appears to me that hes doing pretty dang well, all things considered. After we chat a bit, he takes me into the barn, and points to the steep stairs that lead to the loft. We used to have a lot of dances here, and my uncle wanted to come to one. We had to carry him up these stairs, and I built a special chair for him to sit in so he could watch the festivities. We arrive at the top of the stairs, and I spot that special chair, along with two rows of old auditorium seats that are lined up on each side of the loft floor. Whats the story on those? I ask. They came from the Mullan, Idaho school, via the Florence-Carlton school. Florence got them after the rebuilding of the Florence school following its fire, about 1964. Florence used them until they were able to build a new gym with seating and then were looking to get rid of them, so I hauled them home and upstairs into the barn. The loft ceiling has some old stains from water leaks, but the new roof has been doing its job to protect the sturdy ridge and rafters. The last section of roof on the south end where Hurtt fell had to be completely replaced because the sheeting began to rot before that piece could be repaired. The loft floor is swept clean, and theres no evidence that pigeons have been a problem. The complete hay fork and trolley set-up is still in place, high up in the north gable end. Hurtt has pointed out the tall concrete foundation under the barn, and I see wooden ventilation shafts leading from the bottom floor where there used to be dairy stanchions all the way up to the two cupolas on the roof. Those features, along with the barns size, are nearly identical to the design of Anna Mae Paddocks barn north of Darby. There is no way to verify that the same builders were involved in both barns, but the time of construction is also very close. Hurtt relates several stories that were passed down to him from elderly friends and relatives when he was a young man. Albert Tillman was the oldest son of Newton Jasper Tillman, who moved to the Bitter Root from Missouri and obtained the property through an 1896 homestead deed and other purchases. He told Hurtt that a man named Robert Lemon used the adjacent house to entertain prospective orchard tract buyers in the early 20th century when the boom related to the Big Ditch was at its peak. Lemon also reportedly operated a dairy he called Meadow Croft, perhaps after the apple boom bloom faded and landowners turned to other means of making a living. The barn was definitely built to house dairy operations, with a washing-up trough poured into the concrete floor, and a set of shallow stairs built to allow cows to walk into the milking parlor from the adjacent corral. During the time the land was irrigated by flooding the fields, water collected in the basement of the house. Hurtt recalls that Curtis Taylor, a neighbor to the south, said he used to dive off the basement steps into the pool that rose underneath the house every summer. After the sun burns off most of the fog, I snap some photos of the outside of the barn, and visit with Hurtts daughter Leslie. She now operates a horse boarding service in the fields and corrals around the barn. She says so much land in the area has been subdivided into small lots that people moving to what they think is the country find out that a few backyard horses need a lot more to eat than they can find on a few weed-infested acres, so bring their animals to her to care for. The Hurtt family had to downsize their ranch, too, due to financial stresses, selling lots for prices far higher than what they could produce through agricultural endeavors. I later research the chain of title and confirm the Newton Jasper Tillman obtained a U.S. patent deed to the land in 1896, and Robert Lemon purchased the property from the Ravalli County Sheriff in 1941. He may have leased the property from Tillman or had a contractual agreement before then, as Hurtt heard that Tillman was a wheeler-dealer and land speculator. Tillman died in 1936, and the surviving children may not have kept up with property tax payments after that. Hurtts parents bought the ranch in 1963 after it passed through other ownership several more times. The Chronicling America website of newspaper archives yielded confirmation that Robert Lemon was General Sales Manager for the Bitter Root Valley Irrigation Company, based in Chicago, Illinois, from 1908 through its demise due to bankruptcy in 1916. A short paragraph on the society page of The Missoulian, July 20, 1913, says that Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lemon were guests of honor at a party near the Bitter Root Inn (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the BRVIC, and destroyed by fire in 1924). The Lemons were in the valley for the summer. Lemon placed numerous half- and full-page advertisements in Popular Mechanics and Saturday Evening Post touting the $2,000-$5,000 a year income that was practically guaranteed from a 10-acre apple orchard in one of the most magnificently endowed natural environments on the Creators footstool. If fledgling orchard owners did not want to actually put in the labor necessary to achieve these fabulous profits, the BRVIC would contract to develop your orchard under expert horticultural supervision for five full growing seasons from date of planting, including all land taxes and irrigation charges. Of course, the valley was frostless and wormless, and BRVIC was backed by $5,000,000 in assets. At the time, the Big Ditch did not yet reach the area, and cost overruns, weather, insects, and technical disasters soon bankrupted the company, leaving absentee landowners with apple saplings dying on the dry benches east of the river. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 To mitigate the hardships faced by people, especially the homeless and poor, various state governments have announced increased rations and free meals. On Saturday chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that free cooked food will be provided twice a day to the homeless in night shelters and said his government will provide free ration to over 72 lakh people and the quantity will be increased from 5 Kg to 7Kg for every ration card-holders. On Wednesday, free meals were handed out at a 'Rain Basera' (shelter home), situated at Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Food was also distributed at a shelter home, near Bangla Sahib Gurudwara. The Chhattisgarh government had on Tuesday issued a notification stating that rice and dal will be distributed to ration card holders, students and others. Various charitable organisations have also chipped in to distribute meals, to people like daily wage workers, who remained unsure of their primary livelihood. In Jharkhand, an organisation called 'Sri Maheshwari Sabha' provided free food to people in need amid lockdown. Police in Amritsar were seen distributing food to the needy. Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday announced Rs 1000 to all ration card holders, free rice, sugar, and other essential commodities, in view of the lockdown in the state. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. A total lockdown has been imposed to avoid community transmission of the deadly virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named the nonprofit supported by the festival. Portlands Waterfront Blues Festival, originally planned for July 2-5, is being canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers announced Tuesday afternoon that this years event wouldnt happen, but the festival would return to Tom McCall Waterfront Park in 2021. Tens of thousands of visitors attend the multi-day musical festival every Independence Day weekend. The safety of the community is our absolute priority, reads a message on the events website. With attendees flying in from nearly all 50 states and over a dozen countries, the responsible decision is to cancel the event. The announcement says that passes purchased for 2020 will be honored in 2021, though it doesnt specifically mention refunds. This years headliner was set to be Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals. The waterfront Blues Festival began in 1987 under the name Rose City Blues Festival until it was given its current name in 1991, according to the festivals website. The Oregon Food Bank organized the festival for 30 years until 2018, when it handed over management of the event to its longtime production partners, Waterfront Blues Production, LLC. In recent years, the event has supported the nonprofit, The Sunshine Division. Heres the full text of the message from organizers: It is with heavy hearts that we are announcing that the Waterfront Blues Festival will not take place in 2020. The safety of the community is our absolute priority. With attendees flying in from nearly all 50 states and over a dozen countries, the responsible decision is to cancel the event. The Waterfront Blues Festival has been here for you, our fans, for 32 years, and the decision to cancel this years event was not taken lightly. To better ensure that we can get back together and celebrate next summer here in Portland, we must prioritize the wellness and safety of our community. The music and event industries have been devastated by this global situation. We know that the Waterfront Blues Festival will play an important role in the recovery and healing, and we are grateful knowing that our festival family will rally around all of us as we look to brighter days ahead. Our hearts are with all of you and the folks that financially rely on the festival our musicians, local businesses, vendors, suppliers, crews, neighboring hotels and restaurants. We also hurt for our fellow festivals and events that have had to make these extremely difficult decisions as well. Looking ahead, all purchased passes for 2020 will be honored for the 2021 festival (July 2-5, 2021). If you have questions, please contact Ticket Tomato at 1-800-820-9884 or info@tickettomato.com. 2021 will provide us all with an opportunity to come together again to celebrate our community, listen to live music on the grassy lawn of Waterfront Park and put our dancing shoes back in action. Please continue to stay in touch with us. Well provide updates and information with you through our e-newsletter, social media channels and website. Our hearts are with you all. Be kind to each other and be safe. We look forward to seeing you all in 2021. Sincerely, Tyler, Christina, Peter and the entire Blues Festival Family -- Samantha Swindler; sswindler@oregonian.com; @editorswindler Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday suspended its functioning till April 15 in view of coronavirus pandemic. Matters of extreme urgency will have to be mentioned before the registrar or joint registrar telephonically and hearing will take place through video conferencing. A circular issued by Registrar Manoj Jain said the high court has taken note of the order by the central government by which a nationwide lockdown has been declared for a period of 21 days with effect from Wednesday, that is, March 25. "Chief Justice D N Patel has been pleased to order that the functioning of the High Court of Delhi shall now remain suspended till April 15, 2020," the circular said. It said all the pending matters listed before the high court, including the courts registrars and joint registrars, on April 13 to April 15 would be adjourned on July 13 to July 15 respectively. The high court also suspended the functioning of trial courts here till April 15. On March 23, the high court had suspended its functioning as well as of trial courts here till April 4. The high court had earlier said that the limitation period for any court proceeding would not be considered from March 23 till April 4, 2020 subject to further orders. Period of limitation means the time period under which a suit, appeal or application has to be file. The earlier decision, taken by an eight-judge committee headed by Chief Justice D N Patel, was communicated in a notification issued by the high court's registrar general. Regarding the functioning of trial court, the high court had directed the district and sessions judges to prepare a roaster of judicial officers for dealing with remand proceedings related to fresh arrests. The high court on March 13, 16 and 20 put certain restrictions on its functioning to contain the spread of coronavirus by limiting the number of benches and taking up only urgent matters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FREDERICTONNew Brunswicks premier says his government will do whats necessary to protect citizens if there is spring flooding while the COVID-19 crisis is still underway, and that could mean calling in the military. Were watching it very closely and currently weve had melting conditions that are like a typical March. We hope that continues, Blaine Higgs said. We will be prepared to deal with a flood situation, he said. Geoffrey Downey, a spokesman for New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization, said the Environment Department has upgraded equipment and software to enable flood forecasters to work from home. He said the organization and its River Watch partners will adapt to meet health and safety requirements, such as social distancing or working remotely. Department spokeswoman, Anne Mooers, said ice remains in place in most rivers, and the focus at the moment is on stopping the spread of the virus by having all non-essential employees work from home. Higgs says he has also spoken to the commander at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown to see if the military would be available to help if necessary. Its certainly an option available to us. I was very pleased with their participation last year, the premier said. He said he hopes soldiers wont be needed this year, but its nice to know theyre there if we need them, he said. New Brunswick has experienced a number of years of record flooding along the St. John River, affecting properties and closing roads, including a section of the Trans-Canada Highway. One of the hardest hit communities has been the Village of Gagetown. Thane Mallory, who runs Gullivers World Cafe in Gagetown, has relocated his restaurant to a building on higher ground to avoid being flooded out for the third year in a row. But he is concerned the COVID-19 crisis may delay the permits he needs to open, even if its just to provide takeout meals. The government has pretty much ceased operations, and no one wants to see us for a while, he said. Thats certainly going to slow us down. Mallory said the permits on his old location have expired and most equipment has been moved to the new location. Were kind of paralyzed in the whole thing because we need approvals before we can move ahead, he said. Read more about: Trading at the Azadpur mandi, Asia's biggest wholesale fruits and vegetable market, has come down by 50 per cent in the last two days in the absence of curfew passes to traders, a senior mandi official said on Wednesday. Wholesale traders are not able to transact much as retailer vendors are not able to enter the mandi because of police assault fears and seizure of their vehicles, he added. "Enough supply of vegetables has reached mandis, but retailers are not allowed to enter for buying and carry in their vehicles. The police are asking for formal identify card to prove they are exempt from the restriction of lockdown rules," Azadpur mandi President Rajendra Kumar Sharma told PTI. To enforce the lockdown rules, the police is stopping traders and vehicles despite people engaged in this business being exempt from the restrictions, he said. "The government should provide curfew-pass to traders (both sellers and buyers) as well as labourers and ensure smooth passage of their vehicles," Sharma said. A complaint has been registered with the District Magistrate as well as the board of the Azadpur mandi, he said. Sharma warned that if such a situation continues and wholesalers are not able to sell their produce, they will reduce orders which will create shortage, resulting in price rise of vegetables. On social distancing in the mandi, he said the crowd in the mandi has come down substantially as small retailers and individual buyers have stopped coming given the lockdown orders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Spokesman of President Hassan Rouhani's administration said Wednesday the government will soon impose strict lockdowns to prevent a second wave of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic. The coronavirus epidemic, even according to the officially announced death toll and infection cases has claimed the lives of at least 1,934 and infected more than 24,000 Iranians. Many believe that the numbers are much higher and could even be as much as five-fold. Speaking after a weekly Cabinet meeting, Ali Rabiee said the president has endorsed imposing a ban on "traveling from and to cities" and that the government will announce the by-laws to enforce the decision soon. Rabiee also said that the health system has been able to "relatively" control the "first wave of the epidemic" but a second wave of the epidemic could be on the way because some people have not taken the health workers' advice to limit contact with others seriously. Also speaking after the cabinet meeting, Minister of Interior Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli said roads will be more strictly monitored. He urged people to cooperate with the authorities to enforce the decision "which will come into effect from tomorrow or the day after". Rahmani-Fazli also said the Judiciary is to decide and announce penalties for non-compliance with the decisions taken about social distancing and the Police will enforce them. In his address to the members of his cabinet on Wednesday, President Hassan Rouhani said the Health Ministry has drawn up a plan for introducing "stricter measures" to enforce "social-distancing", which a committee headed by the Interior Minister is now weighing and making decisions about. "The plan will be approved and communicated for enforcement," he said. The details of the plan that Rouhani referred to have not been announced yet but the Interior Minister has indicated that all parks and big stores may be shut down and all unnecessary travels will be banned. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reached an agreement with the White House on a $2 trillion stimulus bill to rescue the economy and help workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The massive spending bill, which must be approved by Congress, would establish a $500 billion loan program for major industries, provide $367 billion to small businesses and $150 billion in aid for state and local governments. It also includes a "Marshall plan" for hospitals, according to Schumer. The measure would provide $130 billion for the healthcare system, which is strained due to the outbreak. Most Americans will receive one-time checks of up to $1,200 and $500 per child. Schumer also highlighted what he described as "unemployment insurance on steroids." He said workers laid off by their employers will have their salaries remunerated by the federal government. Their benefits will continue and they can stay on the company's payroll, which will allow businesses to restart with its workforce once the economic shutdown ends. "This is not a moment of celebration, but one of necessity," Schumer said on the Senate floor early Wednesday. The White House and congressional leaders pushed for a hefty stimulus package to prevent an economic collapse. In New York, non-essential businesses are closed and while entities considered essential remain open, there is limited economic activity due to a stay at home order. New York is the state with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases. More than 25,000 people have tested positive and over 200 people have died after contracting the coronavirus. The Marshall-style plan described by Schumer would help hospitals, nursing homes and community health centers. Some of the money would be used to ensure healthcare workers get personal protective equipment, such as gloves, gowns and masks. There was an agreement on a $500 billion loan program to help corporations, including U.S. airlines. But Democrats wanted more oversight of the program. They were successful. According to Schumer, every loan document will be available to the public and provided to Congress so the funding can be tracked. One of the last decisions made in negotiations, Schumer said, was setting up a $150 billion fund for state and local governments. A chunk of that money could go to New York, which has taken a financial hit due to the public health crisis. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Schumer hailed the bipartisan agreement. McConnell, who had expressed frustrations about negotiations over the last several days, said the stimulus package is a "wartime level of investment." "The men and women of the greatest country on Earth are going to defeat this coronavirus and reclaim our future," he said. "And the Senate is going to make sure they're going to have the ammunition they need to do it." The White House has signaled that President Donald Trump will sign the bill. Congressional leaders hope it will swiftly pass both houses. The Senate will meet Wednesday afternoon. While the House isn't in session, it's possible it could pass the measure by unanimous consent as long as members don't object. Schumer acknowledged it isn't perfect, but he believes it's an outstanding agreement. "To all Americans I say: Help is on the way," he said. Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. [March 24, 2020] Sungrow Signed a 650 MW Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Avaada NEW DELHI, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungrow, the global leading inverter solution supplier for renewables, signed a 650 MW strategic agreement with Avaada Energy to supply 1500V inverter solutions for its upcoming PV projects in 2020, demonstrating the Company's continued efforts on minimize LCOE for solar projects in India. Avaada Energy, one of the leading Independent Power Producers (IPP) in India, has commissioned over 2 GW of renewable assets and is targeting to expand to 11 GW by 2025. Sungrow will provide its 1500V 3.125 MW central inverter solution for the upcoming PV projects under this agreement. Developed for large-scale 1500V flat ground plants, the solution features a high DC/AC ratio of over 1.4 and the flexible 6.25 MW or 12.5 MW block design, which can minimize the system cost and be widely utilized in India. Notably, as one of the key players of 1500V technology, Sungrow has over 10 GW of 1500V inverter solutions installed across the globe. "We value Sungrow's proven performance record worldwide and are delighted to partner with Sungrow to supply numerous landmark projects in India. Sungrow's 1500V turnkey solution perfectly match our demand when we take a holistic comparison regarding the 650 MW projects. Furthermore, the comprehensive local team of Sungrow is paramount to support our business in India," said Mr. Vineet Mittal, Chairman of Avaada Group. "Sungrow has been deeply involved in the Indian market for more than five years, including opening its first international factory in India. With high-quality products and superior services, Sungrow has won continued trust of its customers," said Mr. Hu Yukun, Country Manager of Sungrow India. "In the future, Sungrow will keep strengthening technological innovation, providing more advanced products and solutions for global customers as well as in India, and accelerate its step to fulfill its mission 'Clean power for all' in the era of PV parity," he added. About Sungrow Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd ("Sungrow") is the world's most bankable inverter brand with over 100 GW installed worldwide as of December 2019. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters, with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions. With a strong 23-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power installations in over 60 countries, maintaining a worldwide market share of over 15%. Learn more about Sungrow by visiting www.sungrowpower.com. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200324/2759350-1 SOURCE Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has urged the federal government to provide some palliative measures to Nigerians to enable them survive as the coronavirus takes a toll on the economy. Mr Abubakar gave the advice in a statement on his Facebook page Wednesday. He said the money would assist Nigerians provide supplements such as foodstuff across the 30 million households. Many countries affected by the ravaging Covid-19 have announced aid packages for their citizens. The US Senate finalised on Tuesday a $1 trillion economic stabilisation plan to help workers and businesses in the country. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled an $82-billion aid package to help Canadians and businesses, including direct income support, Mr Abubakar, whose son tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, urged the National Assembly to reconvene in an emergency session to legislate a Stimulus Package Act that will cater for all Nigerian citizens. Read his full statement As the coronavirus pandemic ravages the world, I applaud the various Nigerian state governments who have proactively taken measures, such as issuing stay at home orders, and shutting down non-essential markets and other places of mass gatherings, while also giving guidelines for social distancing. However, we must accept the fact that much of the Nigerian public have a subsistence existence. A large percentage of our people do not have the financial capacity to withstand long periods of self-isolation and even lockdown. It is, therefore, incumbent on the Federal and state governments to provide palliatives to the Nigerian people to enable them to survive, even as they abide by these necessary measures put in place for their safety. At an approximate 30 million households or thereabouts, the government should devise modalities to distribute N10,000 as a supplement for foodstuff to each household, among other palliative measures, with no one left behind. It is thus time for the National Assembly to reconvene in an emergency session, perhaps by teleconference (in line with the demands of social distancing), to legislate a Stimulus Package Act that will cater for all Nigerian citizens. I also call on all Mobile Telephony Companies in Nigeria to urgently develop mobile money platforms so that the government can reach the unbanked with financial assistance. I also urge these telecommunications firms to offer each of the 100 million mobile phone lines in Nigeria free credit of at least 1500 per mobile line, so that Nigerians who show symptoms, or those who just want information, can call the nearest available health facility, or even an ambulance service, as the case may be. I commend all individuals and corporate organisations who have one way or the other provided some form of relief for the Nigerian people. In essence, this is what makes Nigeria great, when we help each other at such crisis times as this, irrespective of any differences. I further call on more corporations and individuals with capacity, to assist the public in these trying times. To this end, Priam Group pledges N50 million on my behalf as my humble contribution to a relief Fund that will form part of the stimulus package. Rivers state governor, Nyeson Wike has announced the total lock down of the state following move by a coronavirus infected person to sneak into the state. He made this known in a statement on his official twitter handle shortly after the person was nabbed. He wrote: The council has therefore taken the following painful decisions: With effect from 6pm on Thursday, March 26, 2020 , the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa will not be open to air traffic. While we may not have the right to stop flights from entering Port Harcourt, we cannot allow anybody coming from the airport to enter our State. We are confident that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other federal agencies will cooperate with us. All Land and Sea Borders will be closed. Vehicular movements in an out of the state have been banned. In essence, no vehicle will leave Rivers State for any other State and no vehicle will be allowed to enter the state. Let me reiterate that the situation we are facing requires drastic measures because coronavirus has ravaged many countries. Security Agencies have been empowered to strictly enforce this directive. There will be no room for sacred cows because the virus is no respecter of persons. I announced the setting up of Surveillance Posts at our land and sea borders, beginning from Tuesday, March 24, 2020. I also informed you that after due consultations with Religious Leaders, all forms of open worship including crusades and vigils were banned. Public Burials and weddings were prohibited, while public parks, night clubs and Cinemas were directed to close down. "The council has therefore taken the following painful decisions: 1. With effect from 6pm on Thursday, March 26, 2020 , the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa will not be open to air traffic. #COVID19 Gov N E Wike Information. (@GovWike) March 25, 2020 While we may not have the right to stop flights from entering Port Harcourt, we cannot allow anybody coming from the airport to enter our State. We are confident that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other federal agencies will cooperate with us.#COVID19 Gov N E Wike Information. (@GovWike) March 25, 2020 2. All Land and Sea Borders will be closed. 3. Vehicular movements in an out of the state have been banned. In essence no vehicle will leave Rivers State for any other State and no vehicle will be allowed to enter the state.#COVID19 Gov N E Wike Information. (@GovWike) March 25, 2020 The Centre has asked the state governments to ensure unhindered operation of essential services and their seamless availability for the general public during the 21-day lockdown period announced to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. In a communication to chief secretaries and DGPs of all states, the Union Home Ministry said all states and UTs should actively enforce social distancing and isolation for COVID-19 through lockdown and prohibitory measures with exemptions for supply chain and transportation of essential goods and services in and out of the state. The ministry said while it was imperative to successfully implement the notified lockdown/restrictions, it was also necessary to ensure the unhindered operations of manufacturing, processing, transportation, distribution, storage, trade/commerce and logistics related to all services/establishments and commodities required for the delivery of essential services, which have been exempted under the various prohibitory orders. "In order to ensure that these provisions are seamlessly available at ground level it would be necessary for each State/UT to set-up a 24x7 control room/office with helplines (at state/ district level) to address any grievance or undue problems faced by the providers of goods/ services including during inter-state movement," the communication said. The ministry said a nodal officer may be appointed in a state to coordinate with the district administration/police in this matter. This is necessary to ensure continuity of supply chain for essential commodities, several of which may be of perishable nature It may also be necessary to lay down a standard operating protocol for unhindered operation of essential services/establishments and commodities, including appointment of nodal officers at inter-state borders, issue of vehicular passes etc. The ministry said state helpline facilities may be also made available to ensure adequate protection to essential service providers, government or PSU employees/ healthcare workers engaged in providing essential services or requisitioned for administrative exigencies in each state/UT from any unwanted stigmatisation by any local person on any grounds, including their working in an exposed environment (like hospitals, public facilities, essential service facilities etc). "In view of the above, it is accordingly requested to issue suitable directions to set up a nodal control room/office with helplines in the state and appoint a nodal officer immediately," it said. The details of such helpline numbers may be given wide publicity in the state/UT concerned, the ministry said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown across the country on Tuesday to combat the coronavirus pandemic. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, March 25, 2020 - Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A. (AAA), a Novartis company, today announced that the first patient has been treated in the NETTER-2 Phase III clinical study investigating Lutathera (USAN: lutetium Lu 177 dotatate / INN: lutetium (177Lu) oxodotreotide) given as first-line treatment, for Grade 2 and Grade 3 advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) in combination with long-acting octreotide. NETTER-2 is a multi-center, randomized, open-label study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Lutathera in combination with long-acting octreotide (30mg), given as first line treatment in comparison to patients treated with high dose, long-acting octreotide (60mg) alone. Lutathera treatments will be administered every eight weeks for a total of four doses, followed by three years of post-treatment monitoring. The primary objective of NETTER-2 is prolonged Progression Free Survival (PFS) in patients with high proliferation rate tumors (G2 and G3). Approximately 222 patients are expected to be enrolled in the NETTER-2 study at approximately 50 sites across the US, Canada, Europe, Brazil, China and South Korea. "We are encouraged by the impact Lutathera has had in treatment of neuroendocrine tumors since its launch, and are eager to explore its potential in first line therapy of more aggressive tumors," said Germo Gericke, M.D., Global Head of Research and Development at Advanced Accelerator Applications. The NETTER-2 study follows the pivotal Phase III NETTER-1 study comparing treatment with lutetium 177Lu-dotatate (Lutathera) plus long-acting octreotide (30mg) to high dose, long-acting octreotide (60 mg) in patients with inoperable, progressive, somatostatin receptor positive midgut carcinoid tumors.(1) Lutathera is approved for treatment of somatostatin receptor-positive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), including foregut, midgut and hindgut neuroendocrine tumors in the United States(2), and for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic, progressive, well differentiated (G1 and G2), somatostatin receptor positive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs) in adults in Europe.(3) Lutathera is also approved in Switzerland, Canada and Israel. ### LUTATHERA Patient Important Safety Information What is LUTATHERA? LUTATHERA (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a type of cancer known as gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) that are positive for the hormone receptor somatostatin, including GEP-NETs in the foregut, midgut, and hindgut. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION(2): What are the possible serious side effects of LUTATHERA? LUTATHERA can cause serious side effects and if you experience these side effects, your healthcare provider may need to adjust or stop your treatment. You should always follow your healthcare provider's instructions. Serious side effects may include: Radiation exposure: Treatment with LUTATHERA will expose you to radiation which can contribute to your long-term radiation exposure. Overall radiation exposure is associated with an increased risk for cancer. The radiation will be detectable in your urine for up to 30 days following administration of the drug. It is important to minimize radiation exposure to household contacts consistent with good radiation safety practices. Bone marrow problems: Treatment with LUTATHERA increases the risk of myelosuppression, a condition in which bone marrow activity is decreased, resulting in drop in blood cell counts. You may experience blood-related side effects such as low red blood cells (anemia), low numbers of cells that are responsible for blood clotting (thrombocytopenia), and low numbers of a type of white blood cells (neutropenia). People with low blood cell counts are at higher risk of developing serious side effects associated with LUTATHERA. Speak with your healthcare provider if you experience any signs or symptoms of infection, fever, chills, dizziness, shortness of breath or increased bleeding or bruising. Your healthcare provider may need to adjust or stop your treatment accordingly. Secondary bone marrow and blood cancers: Other serious conditions that you may develop as a direct result of treatment with LUTATHERA include blood and bone marrow disorders known as secondary myelodysplastic syndrome and cancer known as acute leukemia. Your healthcare provider will routinely check your blood counts and tell you if they are too low. Kidney problems: Treatment with LUTATHERA will expose your kidneys to radiation and may impair their ability to work as normal. You may be at an increased risk for lower kidney function after LUTATHERA treatment if you already have kidney impairment before treatment. In some cases, patients have experienced kidney failure after treatment with LUTATHERA. Your healthcare provider will monitor changes and provide you with an amino acid solution before, during, and after LUTATHERA to help protect your kidneys. You should stay well hydrated before, during, and after your treatment. You should urinate frequently during and after administration of LUTATHERA. Your doctor will monitor your kidney function and may withhold, reduce, or stop your LUTATHERA treatment accordingly. Liver problems: In clinical studies of LUTATHERA, less than 1% of patients were reported to have tumor bleeding (hemorrhage), swelling (edema) or tissue injury (necrosis) to the liver. If you have tumors in your liver, you may be more likely to experience these side-effects. Signs that you may be experiencing liver damage include increases in blood markers called ALT, AST and GGT. Your healthcare provider will monitor your liver using blood tests and may need to withhold, reduce, or stop your LUTATHERA treatment accordingly. Hormonal gland problems (carcinoid crisis): During your treatment you may experience certain symptoms that are related to hormones released from your cancer. These symptoms may include flushing; diarrhea, difficulty breathing (bronchospasm), and low blood pressure (hypotension), and may occur during or within the 24 hours after your first LUTATHERA treatment. Your healthcare provider will monitor you closely. Speak with your healthcare provider if you experience any of these signs or symptoms. Pregnancy warning: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or you or your partner plan to become pregnant before taking LUTATHERA. LUTATHERA can harm your unborn baby. Females should use an effective method of birth control during treatment and for 7 months after the final dose of LUTATHERA. Males with female partners should use an effective method of birth control during treatment and for 4 months after the final dose of LUTATHERA. Breastfeeding warning: You should not breastfeed during treatment with LUTATHERA and for 2.5 months after your final dose of LUTATHERA. Fertility problems: Treatment with LUTATHERA may cause infertility. This is because radiation absorbed by your testis and ovaries over the treatment period falls in the range of exposure where temporary or permanent infertility may occur. What other medicines may interact with LUTATHERA? Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking any other medications, including somatostatin analogs. Somatostatin analogs may affect how your LUTATHERA treatment works. Your healthcare provider may ask you to stop taking your long-acting somatostatin analogs 4 weeks before LUTATHERA treatment. You may continue taking short-acting somatostatin analogs up to 24 hours before your LUTATHERA treatment. What are the most common side effects of LUTATHERA? The most common and most serious side effects of LUTATHERA include: vomiting, nausea, decreased blood cell counts, increased liver enzymes, decreased blood potassium levels, and increased glucose in the bloodstream. Talk to your doctor if you have a side effect that bothers you or does not go away. There are other possible side effects of LUTATHERA. For more information, and to learn more about LUTATHERA, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit http://www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Distributed by: Advanced Accelerator Applications USA, Inc., NJ 07041 Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "may," "could," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political and economic conditions; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A. Advanced Accelerator Applications, S.A. (AAA), a Novartis company, is developing targeted radioligand therapies and precision imaging radioligands for oncology indications. We are committed to transforming patients' lives by leading innovation in nuclear medicine. AAA has a legacy as a leader in radiopharmaceutical drugs for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) diagnostic imaging. For more information, please visit: https://www.adacap.com. References 1. Strosberg J, El-Haddad G, Wolin E, et al. Phase 3 Trial of 177Lu-Dotatate for Midgut Neuroendocrine Tumors. N Engl J Med 2017; 376:125-35. 2. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/208700s000lbl.pdf 3. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/lutathera-epar-product-information_en.pdf Media Relations Contacts: Advanced Accelerator Applications Rachel Levine +1-917-375-2935 rachel.levine@adacap.com Novartis Oncology Julie Masow +1-862-579-8456 Julie.Masow@novartis.com Essential business in Boston during the coronavirus pandemic are now exempt from the citys plastic bag ban passed two years ago. Mayor Marty Walsh issued a temporary order Wednesday allowing retail established that qualify as essential to use the product during the COVID-19 public health emergency. During this challenging time, we understand the retail establishments our residents rely on - like grocery stores, pharmacies, and restaurants - need added flexibility to best serve their customers, Walsh said in a statement. We are adjusting Bostons plastic bag ordinance to give establishments and residents the help they need during this time. The announcement follows Gov. Charlie Bakers stay-at-home advisory issued Monday. The declaration closes all non-essential businesses but leaves those deemed essential, like grocery stores, exempt. Bostons plastic bag ban went into effect December 2018. The legislation allowed stores to offer reusable and compostable bags to customers who forget to bring their own bags. Retailers were required to sell any bag with handles for at least 5 cents. Walshs order, which went into effect Tuesday, does away with that requirement for essential businesses. The exemption will last until the commonwealths state of emergency ends. As part of their ongoing efforts to serve the public effectively during this public health crisis, grocery stores and other entities that sell or provide food, medicine, and other necessities, may require additional flexibility in providing checkout bags, Walsh said in his statement. Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Related Content: Doclandia.ro, the largest virtual hospital developed in Romania, offers its technology platform free of charge to the Government of Romania, especially to the Ministry of Health, during the state of emergency, for use by all Romanian medics, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday. "The Romanian healthcare system urgently needs the introduction of remote consultations, facilitated by telemedicine systems. In this way, the number of patients who can be infected and transmit the virus to other people by simply being present in the hospital or in the family physicians' offices can be significantly reduced," reads the release. At the same time, Doclandia calls on the Romanian state to urgently adapt the medical legislation to support online medicine. Thus, the Romanian state can decide to make available to doctors a secure and viable online environment to continue patient consultations, from a distance, through video and chat. At the same time, if a favorable legislative framework is created, the National Health Insurance House can settle the medics' video consultations so that Romanian patients can benefit from free online consultations. Doclandia representatives maintain that, with the order signed on March 23, 2020 by the Interior Ministry, which suspends scheduled and schedulable consultations in the outpatient structures of public and private hospitals, company representatives say that most patients with mild health problems can resort to remote medicine, telemedicine, through which they can benefit from medical advice, competent and personalized advice directly from the smartphone, tablet or laptop of the specialist doctors. "All visits on the Doclandia.ro platform are secured and encrypted, only the patient and his physician having access to this information. As for the registration procedure, after verifying the authenticity of the profession on the platform, the newly registered physicians on Doclandia.ro just have to select their schedule and the tariff charged for the visit. The platform has the capacity to hold simultaneously over 100,000 patient-doctor consultation sessions," the press release specifies. Casper Star-Tribune Via Wyoming News Exchange CASPER Gov. Mark Gordon joined in signing a letter to congressional leadership seeking additional funding for states in Congress nearly $2 trillion stimulus bill thats intended to help address the economic fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak. The letter signed by 20 other Republican governors seeks additional funding for states within a phase three spending bill currently under debate by Congress. Negotiations on that bill were still ongoing as of Monday afternoon. We are working to lessen the impact of COVID-19 in o... Two weeks ago, U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, W. Patrick Murphy, made a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance at the trial hearing for opposition leader Kem Sokha. Few minutes after arriving, the ambassador left the court premises and made a beeline for the waiting media to deliver a message. Were troubled to see prosecutors introduce fabricated conspiracy theories about the United States, said Ambassador Murphy. Kem Sokha has a well-deserved reputation around world as a champion for rights and freedoms. We look forward to seeing his political rights fully restored, just as we hope that all Cambodians can participate in the political process. With this move, observers and analysts said W. Patrick Murphy had set aside his otherwise soft and cordial approach to the Cambodian government, and instead pushed to the forefront the U.S.s repeated opposition to Kem Sokhas trial and the consequent indictment of U.S. foreign policy in the country. Em Sovannara, a Cambodian political commentator, said the ambassador probably felt it was time to set the record straight on the prosecutions persistent implication that all of Kem Sokhas activities were secretly and nefariously directed by the U.S. The U.S. Ambassador feels compelled to come forward in self-defence with a view that the facts and evidence raised during the trial have been insufficient to press charges against Kem Sokha and his alleged collusion with the U.S. as the main foreign country named in the case, said Em Sovannara. The trial has seen the prosecution and council of judges, and occasionally government lawyers, push the narrative that U.S. had orchestrated Kem Sokhas career trajectory, including the setting up of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, formation of the Human Rights Party and its merger with the Sam Rainsy Party to form the Cambodia National Rescue Party. This has included the mention of the International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, former country representatives for the previous two organizations, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, State Department official Daniel Baer, and major donor for Cambodian projects, USAID, during the protracted trial proceedings. Em Sovannara said a major point of contention would be the conviction of Kem Sokha, which would in effect indict the U.S. for its engagement in the country, with any potential rapprochement hinging on this outcome. This is the largest obstacle in Cambodias current state affairs that stakeholders are finding it difficult to find common ground, he added. New Delhi, March 25 : India is said to be preparing a more than $18 billion recovery and sustainability package for its industries and large workforce in the unorganised sector, industry sources in the know said on Wednesday. Not just putting direct cash in the 'Jan Dhan' accounts of millions, the government is likely to reduce GST on essential items including hand sanitisers and also allow companies the benefit of deferred corporate taxes in lieu of employment retainment. The fiscal package may also cover the market that has seen a bloodbath for past couple of weeks. The centre and capital markets regulator Sebi are considering temporary removal of tax on share buybacks and on long-term capital gains (LTCG). This would be big booster for investors at this time of continuous market slide as buybacks would allow investors to exit at better prices while removal of tax on LTCG will help in bringing more investors to the market. Furthermore, the Centre's financial arsenal is likely to be supplemented by easy cash availability for the middle class segment to give an initial boost to consumption. This segment may also be given relief on EMI repayments as its payment may be deferred by a few months. "Saving rates might come down drastically, so will lending rates," an industry expert, who closely works with both the government and private sector said. "All options are on the table, not just direct cash transfer." However, direct cash transfer is being considered as the most favoured remedy to deal with the situation followed by a GST and lending rate cuts. Currently, fears of massive unemployment have become clear and present due to the personal movement restrictions placed to decelerate the spread of Covid-19. This has led to closure of everything from dine-in restaurants, grounding of aircraft, closure of factories and deserted market places till April 14. Meanwhile, US and European policy makers have turned towards the concept of 'Helicopter Drop' fiscal support scheme to avert an impending economic disaster due to the outbreak. Earlier, experts had said that in India's case, the time is ripe to implement such a scheme citing that funding requirements can be taken care via the savings accrued due to the massive drop in crude oil prices. On the revenue side, another excise duty hike on petrol and diesel by Rs 8 per litre can arrange funds worth over Rs 120,000 crore or $17 billion. More funds can be made available from big savings that the government is expected to make in its oil import bill. Will oil expected to touch $20 a barrel, India could look at reducing its import bill by $25-30 billion. Last week, it had raised excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre that would provide it additional revenue to the turn of Rs 45,000 crore in one full year. Now armed with legislation, it has the power to raise excise duty on petrol and diesel by upto Rs 8 per litre. By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 24, 2020 | 10:24 PM | WESTERN KENTUCKY The town hall will serve to update constituents on the federal government's efforts to combat the virus. The meeting is set to take place on Thursday at 1 pm. Dr. Kyle Turnbo of Paducah will take part in the meeting and will be answering specific medical questions about COVID-19. All residents of the first congressional district can call 855-962-1276 to participate in the town hall. You can also join by visiting the link below. After opening comments from Comer and Turnbo, the rest of the call will be devoted to questions from callers. Comer says if votes are suddenly scheduled in Washington on Thursday and he is unable to participate, then the event will be rescheduled in a timely manner. Congressman James Comer has announced his plan to host a COVID-19 telephone town hall. On the Net: Ryanair has kicked off an influx of 'I didn't know it was a party' memes mocking Boris Johnson after he was forced to apologise for hosting a 'party' in the Downing Street garden in May 2020. The popular low-cost carrier posted an image of the Prime Minister's face edited onto a popular meme showing dancing party-goers with the caption 'Boris Johnson for 25 minutes on 20 May 2020' and 'I don't know I'm at a party' next to Mr Johnson's face. Mr Johnson today finally admitted he went to a 'party' in the Downing Street garden at the height of lockdown - but argued he thought it was a 'work event' and 'technically' within the rules. At a stormy PMQs, Mr Johnson said he wanted to 'thank' staff at the event in May 2020 but recognised that in 'hindsight' it should not have happened. He said he understood public 'fury' and 'took responsibility', but said he had believed it was a work event. 'I bitterly regret it. I wish we could have done things differently,' he said. Social media erupted into a hive of memes mocking Mr Johnson, with one showing Ant and Dec in a fit of giggles - alluding to the television presenter's previous jibes at the Government. Australia on Wednesday hit out at China's apparent decision to indict a prominent author on spying charges, insisting he is at risk from COVID-19 and must be freed. Chinese-Australian writer Yang Jun -- also known by his pen name Yang Hengjun -- was detained over a year ago, soon after making a rare return to China from the United States. Australia said it had not been formally notified of the espionage indictment, but slammed China for a lack of solidarity during the global coronavirus pandemic -- which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan. "It is not in the spirit of mutual respect and trust that our continued advocacy for Dr Yang has not been acknowledged," said foreign affairs minister Marise Payne. "Dr Yang's poor health makes him especially vulnerable to COVID-19," she said, adding he was being held in "harsh" conditions. Yang has not being allowed access to lawyers and is believed to have been interrogated while shackled during his detention. "This is unacceptable treatment of an Australian citizen," Payne said. "We call for Dr Yang's immediate release and that he be allowed to leave China and travel to Australia with his wife." China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang did not confirm the indictment at a press briefing Wednesday, but said Yang was "suspected of engaging in criminal activities that undermine our country's national security." Geng said Yang's legal rights were "fully guaranteed" but that authorities had temporarily stopped arranging visits as part of epidemic control measures. "We urge Australia to respect China's judicial sovereignty and stop any interference while China handles the case," he added. Yang is the latest in a string of foreign nationals to be detained in China for espionage or attempting to steal state secrets. Two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, were detained in December 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Manufacturers are on a mission to produce desperately needed medical ventilators for the coronavirus pandemic, even if it means converting assembly lines now making auto parts. Along with a shortage of masks and gloves, the spread of COVID-19 to almost every corner of the globe has highlighted a great need for specialised machines that help keep severely afflicted patients alive. "As the global pandemic evolves, there is unprecedented demand for medical equipment, including ventilators," said Kieran Murphy, head of GE Healthcare. The group has hired more workers and is now making them around the clock. Swedish group Getinge is also ramping up output to meet what it called exponential growth in demand from around the world. All the equipment that is normally used for demonstrations, training or trade fairs was immediately made available for clients, a statement said. French group Air Liquide has plans to raise its ventilator production from 500 a month to 1,100 in April. Draeger, a German medical tech giant, says it has doubled the number of ventilators as well, while Loewenstein has a government order for 6,500 over the coming three months. It had already begun to raise production in February owing to the strong demand from China. The novel coronavirus pandemic has overwhelmed hospitals, where some intensive care units are already saturated and at risk of running out of essential equipment, French officials warn. Earlier this month, the Italian association of anaesthesiologists and ICU personnel mulled an age limit for admissions. World leaders have turned to industrial groups that have the know-how and capacity to help hospitals. US President Donald Trump tweeted a "green light" to Ford, General Motors and Tesla to help boost ventilator production. French group PSA, which owns Peugeot and Citroen, told AFP it was looking "very seriously at the feasibility" of joining forces with companies that make the machines. Innovations such as 3D printing might also be useful, and the Dutch company Ultimaker has put its printing centres, experts and designers at the disposal of hospitals. "There is enormous demand" for help, the company's boss Jos Burger told AFP, noting that the technology can be used to print valves for the ventilators. In hard-hit eastern France, a workshop at the University of Belfort-Montbeliard is working, on an open-collaboration basis, on a ventilator prototype. "In a crisis situation, everything can help," said Olivier Lamotte, an engineer and director of what he called a "crunch lab". "For the past few days, people the world over have said we need to print parts for ventilators and masks," Lamotte noted. "Our role is to test and confirm that they work. For now, we are trying to remain as informed as possible so we are not stuck if something more important has be made." More than machines, there is a dire need for staff and their protective gear, noted Olivier de Cock, former head of the French union of anaesthesiologists and emergency room medics. In ICUs, it is common practice to place COVID-19 patients on their stomachs, which requires five people, he explained. "They need staff, but also protection for the staff," especially masks and goggles, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [March 25, 2020] AARP Innovation Labs Launches 'AARP Community Connections' Platform To Find Help, Or Give It, During Coronavirus Pandemic WASHINGTON, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AARP Community Connections, a new online platform launched by AARP Innovation Labs today, allows users to organize and find local volunteer groups to help pick up groceries, provide financial assistance or lend emotional support to neighbors, friends and loved ones. Across the country, these informal online groupsalso called "mutual aid" groupshelp communities stay connected at a time when people must practice social distancing to stay safe. "We may need be physically isolated, but we don't have to feel alone," said Andy Miller, Senior Vice President of AARP Innovation Labs. "Through this innovative platform, people in need of help fromor who want to offer help totheir communities are empowered to engage. In this unprecedented time, AARP remains committed to helping the 50-plus population, and AARP Community Connections is one more way we're innovating to improve our communities." AARP Community Connections includes multiple resources to help those who are feeling isolated, depressed, overwhelmed or anxious. Users ae able to: Request a call from an AARP volunteer, or a trained counselor; Easily create an account with Savo to make connecting with their families easier; Join "The Mighty," a safe, supportive online community for people facing health challenges and their caregivers. Social isolation was a common problem, even before the coronavirus pandemic: A 2020 study, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and supported by AARP Foundation, reported 43 percent of adults age 60 or older said they had felt lonely. And, while social isolation and loneliness are serious health issues by themselves, they can also exacerbate existing health problems, such as lung disease, heart disease and diabetes. AARP Community Connections helps people reach out to volunteers in their community who are willing to help their neighbors with their unique needs. AARP Community Connections is live and completely free to use, and AARP membership is not required. For more information, visit www.aarpcommunityconnections.org. About AARP AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aarp-innovation-labs-launches-aarp-community-connections-platform-to-find-help-or-give-it-during-coronavirus-pandemic-301029747.html SOURCE AARP [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Newly-elected Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, on Wednesday appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and all the chief ministers of the northeastern states to take prompt action to check "racial assaults' faced by students from the region in metro cities. Bhuyan, in a statement, said a large number of northeast students living in "Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai" and other cities have been forced to vacate their residential places amid the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide lockdown. "The local administration of those cities are not coming to their rescue. It is a very painful and inhuman act at this critical phase when PM Modi is appealing to people to stay at home. I will appreciate if the Union home minister takes appropriate and prompt action...", he said. Bhuyan also urged the chief ministers of the northeastern states to take up the matter with the home ministry. The Union Home Ministry had on Monday asked all states to take action against those who harass people from the northeast by linking them with the novel coronavirus. "This is racially discriminatory, inconvenient and painful to them. It is requested that all law enforcing agencies in your State/UT may be sensitised to take appropriate action in cases of harassment when these are reported," it said in a communication. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) What if there are no cases in certain states? he asked, although every state is now handling infections. What if its very low? Maybe there is a way to test, to target, to isolate and then to have more-moderate ways of approaching it in areas that arent yet affected. And then, of course, restrict travel from one area that has a lot of it to one that doesnt. I think thats a more practical approach, because otherwise the economy gets in worse and worse shape. Groups congregate in parks, people go about their business with the vibe that it is just another day in the UK. However, this article is about the first day of the UK Coronavirus lock-down. It is more complicated than people just following the Prime Minister's orders, it seems. It is drummed into many societies not to ignore people - Mental Health proponents normally strive to encourage people to reach out to others. A dog walk or stroll in the park is normally the ideal opportunity for people to connect. Therefore, the scene laid out in the opening sentence, probably mirrored in places across the UK is for many a force of habit. For the first day, it was against the law and people seem to struggle to come to terms with this. Self-isolation seems counter-instinctive World Health Organisation and Gov.uk amongst others have been firm in their guidance about the need for self isolation, it has been well covered over the past few weeks. Given the interventions in the likes of the Czech Republic, Spain, France and Italy to name a few, a Coronavirus lock-down in the UK was a matter of time. It is unfortunate, but ominous that reports of a British man and woman, in separate cases being arrested for not complying with the lock down in Spain whilst on holiday, does not bode well for how things would go here. UK Police Force braced for the challenge of stewarding the lock-down The Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick appeared on British television reporting of having to disrupt numerous barbecues and group gatherings on day 1 of UK wide lock-down. There are no figures around arrests at this early stage, the Met Commissioner and the police seem to want to encourage compliance before intervention. Given the need for more intervention in countries that are further into the lock down, this approach could well change soon. Health Secretary re-affirms Working from Home Preference Packed tube trains on the London underground on the first day of lock-down caused Matt Hancock, the Home Secretary to re-affirm the home working option if at all possible and to only commute if is: "absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home." A reduced underground service is mirrored by diminished public transport across the county. Reports of 2 inches being a difficult personal space to achieve on the tube in London, is leading to calls for normal service to be resumed. This is something that will be a tough call to make, as the Home Secretary renewed an appeal for 250,000 volunteers to step in and support the NHS - he will be loathed to encourage people onto public transport. Hope in the news of Italy's drop in number of infections for 3rd day in a row Britain seems fixated on Italy and the progress since their lock-down. Mixed news on 24 March, 2020 as the death toll rose in Italy with a jump of 743 deaths from the previous day. However, the number of infections are increasing. Lock-down rules are much stricter in Italy, so if positive signs are received from Italy, there is every chance the lock-down measures could get tougher in the UK. By Trend Azerbaijan has extended the closure of the border with Iran until April 20, Trend reports with reference to the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers. The headquarters stated that in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, the decision to temporarily close the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran is being extended on the basis of a restrictive regime until April 20. Azerbaijans state border service closed the border with Iran for two weeks on February 29. On March 12, it was extended for another two weeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Azerbaijan. In a bid to decongest Kenyan prisons and contain the spread of the coronavirus, Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji has instructed prosecutors to facilitate the release of petty offenders. DPP Haji directed prosecutors to work closely with Magistrates and other judicial officers to identify the deserving cases before appropriate direction is issued. At the same time, the Judiciary is relying on technology to expedite the process, with more than 30 offenders set free in Malindi where the cases were heard via Skype. Prison authorities have since taken contingent measures to protect the over 54,000 inmates and remandees in the country. We have suspended all visits to prison lines, borstal institutions, and youth corrective training centres across the country for the next 30 days. Therefore, no visitors will be allowed at our 107 correctional facilities as a precautionary measure to minimise face-to-face contact and interaction with the civilian population. This injunction has also been extended to the prison staff, said State Department of Correctional Services Principal Secretary Zeinab Hussein. Ms Hussein and Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi have been co-chairing daily meetings with a view to review risk mitigation strategies intended to prevent an outbreak. So far, we have also dispatched a team of health specialists to all the regions to join the county disease surveillance teams in the management of our infirmaries, which now have isolation units. In the meantime, our health facilities will be closed to the public and will solely serve the prison population. said Ms Hussein. A chicken shop owner is handing out free food to help Sydneysiders in need during the coronavirus pandemic. Hussein Faraj, owner of Chicken Licious at Rockdale in Sydney's south, started delivering food to elderly and isolated people when COVID-19 first hit Australia in January. As the crisis deepened, Mr Faraj made the selfless decision to extend his support program to help the wider community. Scroll down for video Hussein Faraj (pictured with his wife), owner of Chicken Licious in Rockdale, in Sydney's south, chose to give food away for free when the coronavirus outbreak first hit Australia Two days a week, Mr Faraj offers free meals to anyone who needs it. The shop owner begins his day at 5am, preparing meals for about 400 people in the local area. 'We've got six dishes of chicken and rice, we've got two dishes of salad, every day we rotate the food and give different food,' Mr Faraj told Nine News. Mr Faraj announced the food support program on March 17 and was quickly inundated with hundreds of requests. 'We have been asked to extend if possible, our support program to help people, beyond mature aged and pensioners,' he wrote on Facebook. '400 servings, 200 will be delivered to local people who register for the assistance program, the balance will be displayed in our neighbours window. 'Life sometimes gets really hard, some people are out of work, can not work and others, are doing it even worse.' 'As of Wednesday March 25 we will commence a lunch assist program, for anyone who is doing it tough.' 'Don't be embarrassed to take up the service, this isn't about charity, this is about helping each other make it to the other side strong.' Mr Faraj said he was shocked with how busy he had become as soon as the offer was extended on Tuesday. The chicken shop is giving out free food every day to help Sydneysiders in need during the coronavirus outbreak Every day he would deliver food to the local elderly and isolated people who struggled to provide for themselves 'We've probably received about 100 to 150 phone calls in the last two days, I wasn't expecting it to be so busy so quick,' he said. He said most of the people calling him are waiting for support from the government, so he is willing to help while they do. While the shop used to operate as a dine-in restaurant, Mr Faraj has since used the space to store hundreds of kilograms of rise. He has also brought in his family to help prepare food, including his mother Hala. Mr Faraj has ordered 5,000 more bags of rice as he believes a lot of people in the Rockdale area will endure lots of hardship in the coming months. 'We can see what's about to happen, so we just pre-empted it, and said, let's go for it,' he said. Mr Faraj's generosity comes as supermarket shelves are constantly emptied by people panic buying food as the coronavirus continues to spread. While it began with just toilet paper and other essential items, supermarkets have reported clearances of meat, pasta and canned goods. A man pulls a shopping trolley near empty stalls in a supermarket in the Qwartz shopping centre in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, north of Paris, on March 2, 2020. AFP via Getty Images Two weeks ago, everything felt normal for most people living in France. But as coronavirus cases climbed, the country became unrecognizable practically overnight. "I haven't moved from home for the past four, five days, but outside it's surrealistic," Gerald Carmont, a 60-year-old Frenchman working in educational services just outside of Paris, told CNBC over the phone. "It's like you're living in a death place." "There is no life, you get a few food shops that are open, most of them will give you gloves and masks when you enter and you can't touch anything, the cashiers are protected by glass screens. It's amazing, and it all happened so quickly because about two weeks ago, everything was normal. And then, all of a sudden, the country went down." Like many other countries in Europe and increasingly around the world, France has gone into official lockdown, closing all but essential businesses and urging residents to stay indoors, under penalty of fines and arrest. Paris, France. March 24, 2020. Amel Lamloum On Tuesday, France announced further measures to stem human movement in an effort to combat the spread of the virus, which has now killed more than 1,000 people in the country of 67 million. It's become the fifth country to reach that figure, and has a confirmed case count of more than 22,600, the fourth highest in Europe. "Going out to go for a walk with your children or to do some exercise will have to be in a one-kilometer radius from the house, maximum for one hour and, of course alone, and only once a day," French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told the nation in a televised speech Monday night. "I insist on these rules," he pleaded. "It means people will have to put a date and a time on the permission form they have to carry when they go out. It's essential that these rules must be strictly respected by everyone and I'm calling on everyone (to take) responsibility." A permission slip to leave the house The country has deployed police to the streets to ensure compliance, and residents are required to carry a form with them whenever they leave their houses. The form states their address and lists five reasons for going outside: buying groceries, going to the pharmacy or doctor, going to work if it's impossible to work from home, looking after children or the elderly, or exercising or walking the dog. Outdoor exercise must be limited to once per day, for no longer than an hour, and no farther than one kilometer (0.62 mile) from the house. "We present the paper to the police when they see us," says Amel, a 30-year-old airport services worker in Paris who was put out of work this week but is being provided a reduced salary by the government. "There is no one outside, it's quite depressing, the shops are closed. There is this fear people are staying away from each other, not even smiling, it's weird." "Even in my own family they are scared of me, because I would go outside for work," Amel said. "They ask me, 'Have you washed your hands? Take off your coat, don't sit there, don't enter this room.' Everyone is scared of everyone, as if everyone has COVID in them." A Paris metro train sits practically empty as France's residents stay in their homes with most of the country's businesses shut as the country enters its second week of coronavirus lockdown. March 24, 2020. Amel Lamloum She described empty shelves and deserted metro stations, as well as rushes for toilet paper, pasta and hand sanitizer in grocery stores. There is no consensus as to how long life will continue to be under lockdown. But many health experts believe things will get worse before they get better, estimating at the very least two to three more months of populations having to remain indoors and isolated from one another. But there are some positives coming out of this, added Amel, who also works as a part-time yoga teacher with a strong online following. "There is this vibe of content creators, wellness coaches putting out so much positive to counterbalance everything that is going wrong, on Instagram Live and other social media. So this is nice," she said. "This helps, but the majority I think are going very deep into a negative mentality and I am afraid of what might happen if they keep going." Life in smaller towns: 'Solidarity and community' Outside of the major cities, life feels a bit less tense, although still far from normal. Anita, a French mother of three living in the Atlantic coastal town of La Rochelle, described a sense of solidarity and a broad respect among residents for the new rules. "All stores are well-stocked here and the little butcher shop is open only mornings to limit having people outside and to protect themselves," she told CNBC. "People understand about buying for a couple of days and not a couple of weeks." "People also stay about two meters (6.5 feet) away from each other. They are quite serious about it but they still say hello and smile." She says she hasn't seen many people wearing masks in La Rochelle, a city of roughly 75,000, "as they are much needed for doctors and nurses. Only elderly people or people in poor health wear them." Shoppers wait in line to enter a local bakery, several feet apart, exercising the French government's social distancing guidelines as the country begins its second week of coronavirus lockdown. La Rochelle, France, March 24, 2020. Anita Berthelin Anita and her family have been able to go outside daily to walk their dog and get some fresh air, she said, thanks to access to nearby green spaces that fall within the one kilometer limit. She described meditation and calling family members as an important part of her daily routine, as well as a conscious effort to limit her television news intake. "The government asks to not visit elderly family members but to call, FaceTime etc," she added. "They insist on keeping in touch strongly." A man walks his dog through empty streets during the once-a-day outing permitted for exercise under France's nationwide coronavirus lockdown. La Rochelle, France, March 24, 2020. Anita Berthelin Amid the spread of coronavirus in the country, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is currently in self-quarantine, according to his spokesman, Laolu Akande. The Vice President has been conducting his meetings via video conferencing while observing social distance, Akande said in a tweet, on hus verified twitter handle, @akandeoj, on Tuesday. VP Osinbajo yesterday at the office conducted his meetings via video conferencing, while observing social distancing. Today, he continues his work from the home office, as he is in self-isolation in accordance with NCDC protocols. Photo: Tolani Alli pic.twitter.com/dRYqlTL8cc Laolu Akande (@akandeoj) March 24, 2020 Akandes tweet comes after it emerged that the Chief of Staff to Nigerian Ruler, Abba Kyari, has tested positive for the coronavirus. Kyari is believed to have been infected during his recent trip to Germany where he met with officials of Siemens in Munich on Nigerias electricity expansion programme. The Chief of Staff was said to have returned on March 14 and, apparently, did not show any symptoms of being infected with the virus at the time. (Natural News) Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced that gun stores would be declared as nonessential businesses and ordered all gun stores in the L.A. county to close down on Tuesday. There are hundreds of businesses which, through no fault of their own, do not fall under the Governors definition of critical infrastructure, Villanueva said in a press conference. As a result, I have instructed my deputies to enforce closures of businesses which have disregarded the Governors order (gun stores, strip clubs, and other non-designated businesses). Gun sales in the U.S. have skyrocketed amid the coronavirus crisis. Over the past few weeks, gun stores across the country have seen very long lines and a quick depletion of inventory as many residents turn to their Second Amendment rights for self-protection. However, Villanueva believes that keeping these gun stores open for business amid the pandemic is unnecessary. We will be closing them, they are not an essential function, Villanueva said. Im a supporter of the 2nd amendment, Im a gun owner myself, but now you have the mixture of people that are not formerly gun owners and you have a lot more people at home and anytime you introduce a firearm in a home, from what I understand from CDC studies, it increases fourfold the chance that someone is gonna get shot. The sheriff also plans to beef up patrols by adding 1,300 deputies to his ranks doubling the current number of officers deployed on the streets and claims that gun shops who ignore the order and remain open will be summoned to court. Further, Villanueva announced the release of 1,700 non-violent inmates from county jails to mitigate the risk of the spread of infection throughout the jail system. He claimed that they will be keeping the violent suspects imprisoned no matter what and that those who believe that they wont be going hard on felons on the streets are sorely mistaken. (Related: WHO warns coronavirus pandemic now accelerating what are the U.S . states doing about it?) L.A. county braces for the worst L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti warned his residents that the worst of the global pandemic is still to come, and that they should be prepared for more losses. He claims that L.A. could be only days away from seeing coronavirus case numbers similar to New York City, where the death tolls have spiked dramatically over the past few days. Its coming, Garcetti said. The peak is not here yet. The peak will be bad. People will lose their lives. Garcetti also said that his office has been receiving reports of nonessential businesses remaining in operation even after the announcement of a lockdown last week. He deems this behavior irresponsible and selfish. These businesses should expect a warning call from local prosecutors before the city decides to take a more aggressive stance. If they still do not comply with public health and emergency orders, these businesses will be receiving visits from a team of local enforcers to shut them down. You know who you, Garcetti said, during a daily briefing. You need to stop it. This is your chance to step up and shut it down. If you dont, we will shut it down. The easiest way to avoid a visit from the city is to follow the rules, he added. As of press time, L.A. county health officials confirmed an additional 128 cases of coronavirus infection, bringing the countys total to 622 cases and 11 deaths. Overall, the number of coronavirus cases in the United States has approached the 55,000 mark. Sources include: FoxLA.com Edition.CNN.com FoxNews.com 1 FoxNews.com 2 LATimes.com 1 LATimes.com 2 DailyNews.com LosAngeles.CBSLocal.com Worldometers.info Queensland child safety officers failed to pass on information to police about neglected toddler Mason Jet Lee despite two search warrants demanding it. The 21-month-year-old was struck in the abdomen by his mother's boyfriend so hard it ruptured his small intestine, which led to his death from an infection in June 2016. In the months before, concerned doctors raised the alarm about Mason after he was admitted to hospital with the worst injuries his veteran pediatrician had ever seen, a Brisbane inquest into his death has been told. Queensland child safety officers failed to pass on information to police about neglected toddler Mason Jet Lee (pictured) despite two search warrants demanding it A Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect team meeting in March 2016, involving child safety officers, police and doctors, determined Mason's case required a joint investigation. Despite this, child safety officers failed to share critical information with police, who were concerned Mason may have been the victim of a criminal offence or child harm, inquest exhibits released on Wednesday show. 'A free flow of relevant information did not exist particularly from child safety to the Queensland Police Service,' Detective Inspector Stephen Blanchfield said in a written statement. 'The apparent need for the investigating officer to obtain two separate search warrants ... seems to fly in the face of the intent of joint investigations.' Det Insp Blanchfield said an internal review found police followed procedures, but child safety officers did not pass on all information about the initial reports into Mason's suspected harm. A joint investigation into potential abuse was launched in May of 2016 but an inquest has heard some information was not handed over to police. Pictured is Mason's mother Anne-Maree Lee Earlier, a doctor, who can't be identified for legal reasons, told the inquest that when he examined Mason in February 2016, he had skin missing from his bottom in five areas and was 'seriously unwell'. He was also suffering from a fracture to his right leg, which had led to bacterial infection causing it to swell to twice its normal size. Mason's mother, Anne-Maree Lee, attributed the skin loss to a nappy rash but the doctor found this unlikely. He told the inquest the wounds were much worse than a usual abrasion or rash and likely to have been caused by poor hygiene and care. Anne-Maree Lee and her partner William O'Sullivan (pictured) pleaded guilty to Mason's manslaughter and cruelty to a child by failing to get him medical treatment in February last year The doctor said he also found a tear to Mason's anus during a follow-up examination two months later, which he suspected may have been caused by abuse. Lee and her partner William O'Sullivan pleaded guilty to Mason's manslaughter and cruelty to a child by failing to get him medical treatment in February last year. The pair were sentenced to nine years' imprisonment but O'Sullivan's sentence was increased to 12 years following an appeal by Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath. The inquest continues behind closed doors due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Breaking barriers: but is integrated education really going to heal divisions for generations to come? In one of her best-known songs, The Greatest Love of All, Whitney Houston sang: "I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way, show them all the beauty they possess inside, give them a sense of pride to make it easier." And, while she wasn't singing about the 1998 peace process in Northern Ireland, it is true that the success of the journey from a conflict to a post-conflict society can often be measured by the attitudes of children who would have no personal experience, or memory, of the Troubles. So, it is a little unsettling to read that a new research paper (Symbols and Labels: Children's Awareness of Social Categories in a Divided Society) confirms previous research that children as young as five in Northern Ireland have been "found to differentiate others on the basis of non-visible social categories, including religion and nationality". The authors of the paper, Laura K Taylor, Jocelyn Dautel and Risa Rylander, from Queen's University Belfast and University College Dublin, continue: "Even in the post-accord generation, social divisions are reinforced by the majority of the population living in segregated housing and attending separate schools. Moreover, social life is organised along group boundaries, which are demarcated by 'peace walls', murals, kerb paintings, graffiti and flags, as well as defined psychologically and culturally in terms of social activities, or sporting events." Twenty-two years after the hopes and optimism generated by the Good Friday Agreement, that's a particularly gloomy assessment of ongoing political/electoral/societal realities here. In 1974, when I was 18, I told my dad (a member of the Ulster Unionist Party) that I supported Brian Faulkner's power-sharing deal with the SDLP and Alliance (the Sunningdale Agreement). I asked him if he was angry, or upset. His response was simple and honest: "Do what you think is right for the future and for your generation. Don't carry my baggage and the baggage of my generation, just because you think you have to." Yet, here we are, 45 years later, and it looks like the generation after mine is still capable of recognising the same baggage; and, in many cases, seems willing to carry it forward. And since the latest research suggests that it is in the 5-11 age-groups that awareness of political and ethnic "others" begins to take root and then grow in Northern Ireland, the question becomes: what do we do about it? What is required to ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated and that the conflict doesn't reignite, albeit in a different form? Those questions have particular relevance when (excluding what may be a temporary, self-survival co-operation to tackle the Covid-19 crisis) the evidence of the last two decades indicates that the relationships between the two primary political/community blocs are as fraught with tension and mistrust as ever. It may be too late to do much to change the minds of those who have been through and left the school system since 1998, but what about the next generation? The authors note: "By identifying the age at which ethnic awareness is increasing, these findings suggest policymakers and practitioners target interventions to younger children before group identities become solidified, or entrenched. Finally, social categorisation among a post-accord generation can have long-lasting effects for the individual child and the broader society. Understanding when and how children develop a sense of social group boundaries has implications for practice and policy in conflict resolution. "Ethnic awareness, however arbitrary, serves as a lens through which children perceive the social world. "For instance, research has demonstrated that the content of children's national and ethno-political categories includes symbolic markers such as flags, street banners, coloured kerbstones and murals. Policymakers might strive to reduce such dividing markers in public settings. "Ultimately, understanding children's social categorisation in divided societies can inform strategies for promoting the antecedents of children's peace-building." For more than 30 years, opinion poll evidence suggests that most people (a comfortable majority, in fact) believe that education - the school system, in other words - is the primary key to changing old attitudes, among the children themselves, as well as their parents and broader family circles. Yet, with the exception of the Alliance Party, there doesn't appear to be the political determination to push integrated schooling as a serious option. That's not to say that the other parties don't continue to promote the concept of educating our children together, but they ended up with the rather odd solution of "shared education", rather than full-blown integration. The Star Trek option, if you like: "It's integrated education, Jim, but not as we know it." If we are serious about what might be described as a "new-era Northern Ireland", shouldn't it begin with our children? If they carry our baggage into the polling booth with them, because they are capable of recognising polarising differences from the age of five - at much the same time as they are beginning to speak in coherent sentences, showing evidence of independent thinking and building their own friendships - then there is no likelihood of significant change. So, even if a border poll did deliver a united Ireland (although I don't think that's likely anytime soon), it seems certain that there would continue to be very significant differences of attitude between unionists/nationalists and Protestants/Catholics. I wonder, though, if it actually suits the key strategists in unionism and nationalism not to have a united society? Division makes it very much easier to lever your own bloc behind your political/constitutional goals; and also makes it much easier to focus on a single message (Union versus unity), rather than have to deal in nuance and grey areas. Putting that more bluntly: educating children together from the age of four and allowing them to recognise there is more uniting them than dividing them makes it much more difficult to rally and campaign on a purely binary political choice. Maybe those who want to change society and want to create a climate in which children don't recognise and embrace their ancestors's differences from an early age need to look somewhere else other than schools and education? Children inherit much of their thinking from the habits and attitudes of their parents, so, perhaps, we need more research into, and testing of, the parents, rather than their children. After all, we're the ones with the baggage which probably needs deposited in a gigantic left-luggage locker - and the key thrown away. A 65-year-old Ujjain-based woman died of coronavirus at a hospital here on Wednesday, becoming the first COVID-19 fatality in Madhya Pradesh, said a senior officer. The woman was undergoing treatment at Indore's government-run M Y Hospital, where she succumbed to the viral infection, Divisional Commissioner Akash Tripathi told PTI. She was admitted to the hospital here after getting initial treatment at Ujjain, her hometown, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After infecting a majority of Latin American nations, the novel coronavirus COVID-19 has now reached Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, international media reported citing an official source. The islands were declared a national heritage site in 1978 by UNESCO. The deadly COVID-19 pathogen has infected about 1,082 and killed 27 across Ecuador. On March 23, an Ecuadorian state TV reported that President of Galapagos, Norman Wray said that four people who had returned from Guayaquil had tested positive for the virus. Wray added that there was still a large number of people who went to "Galapagos more than 14 days ago who haven't been able to leave, both foreigners and Ecuadorans included." This comes as the authorities last week declared a total ban of visitors on the island. Read: Coronavirus Isn't Mutating Fast, Long Lasting Vaccine Protection Could Be Possible: Study Latin American students temporarily out of schools While most children continue to stay out of school, the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) has made a declaration regarding the children in Latin America and the Caribbean. Reportedly, more than 154 million children in the area are temporarily out of schools and educational institutes due to the coronavirus outbreak. Surprisingly, the number of those students consists of 95% of the total enrolled. Read: Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India Notes 11th COVID-19 Death As It Goes Into 21-day Lockdown However, according to the report, the next few days and weeks would witness the closure of early-childhood centres, pre-primary, primary and secondary schools in the entire region. UNICEF also added that the percentage is growing at a rapid speed. Another statement by UNICEF said: This situation, which could last longer than initially planned, increases the risk of permanent drop out, especially for the most vulnerable children. UNICEFs Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Bernt Aasen reportedly said that it is an unprecedented educational crisis in the recent history of Latin America and the Caribbean, adding that never have so many schools been closed at the same time. "The expansion of the coronavirus COVID-19 will leave most boys and girls out of school in the coming weeks. If school closure is further extended, there is a great risk that children fall behind in their learning and we fear that the most vulnerable students will never return to school. It is vital that they do not stop learning from home, he added. (Image Credits: AP) Read: COVID-19: Over 154 Million Children In Latin America, The Caribbean Left Out Of Schools Read: Coronavirus Paralyses Latin America, Argentina Announces Lockdown New Delhi, March 25 : An Indian Navy aircraft with a medical team from Goa left for Pune on Wednesday for training to set up a COVID-19 test facility. "A Dornier aircraft of Indian Navy with a team of four doctors from Goa State Health Department took off from INS Hansa to Pune on March 25," Indian Navy stated. The medical team led by Savio Rodrigues, HOD Microbiology, Goa Medical College, will undergo training to set up a COVID test facility at Goa. A request to the Navy for providing air transport was received by Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area during the late hours of March 24, Navy sources said. The Navy immediately initiated necessary procedures and the aircraft took off in the morning on Wednesday, the sources added. A few samples of COVID-19 suspects were also carried by the medical team for testing. The medical team is likely to return to Goa on March 27 post completion of the training. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio Supreme Courts chief justice on Wednesday ordered Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Pinkey S. Carr to comply with a city court order that limited the number of court proceedings amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, however, rejected a request by Cuyahoga County Chief Public Defender Mark Stanton to have Carr indefinitely stripped of her authority to preside over all traffic and criminal court proceedings. The decision comes after Stantons office filed requests with the Supreme Court and the 8th District Court of Appeals seeking to force Carr to comply with Administrative Judge Michelle Earleys March 13 court order. That order declared that all cases involving defendants who were not in jail would be postponed for several weeks to slow the spread of COVID-19. The court also issued a news release announcing the decision, and posted a notice on its website that hearings had been postponed. The 8th District on Friday ordered Carr to comply with Earleys order, which was replaced Tuesday with a more restrictive order. Carr, in her ninth year on the court bench, held court hearings March 16, 17 and 18 that defied that order and issued arrest warrants for some defendants who did not show up, according to courtroom video and court records. She also told an assistant public defender on March 17 that he could not tell his clients they didnt need to come to court because of the order, video of the court proceedings showed. OConnor wrote that holding hearings that the court had told the public would not take place, Carr caused confusion and sent mixed messages to the public at a time when clarity and uniform application of the administrative order were necessary." Carr initially told WJW Channel 8 that she did not issue any warrants after cleveland.com reported that she had. She told the station that she merely kept her court open because she did not want to turn people away if they did not know about the order and showed up anyway. In her response to Stantons filings, Carr wrote that she waived fines and court costs for the people who did show up if their case resolved as a courtesy for their time. OConnor wrote that by doing so, Carr might have given people an incentive to come to the courthouse, which defeated the purpose of the administrative order. The chief justice also noted that Carr did not respond to Stantons allegations that she arbitrarily issued arrest warrants for some defendants who failed to show up, but not others, and despite the courts announcement that such hearings would be postponed. If the allegation is true, her actions eroded the publics confidence in the integrity of the judiciary and created at least the appearance of bias, OConnor wrote. Stanton, in an emailed statement to cleveland.com, said Carrs issuance of arrest warrants for people who did not show up to court in accordance with Earleys order showed an oblivious indifference to the health and safety of countless individuals who work within the Justice system and also to the public at large." Judge Carrs actions constituted an affront to all of the fine judges on the Cleveland Municipal Court who recognized their ethical and humane obligation to embrace the Administrative Order and protect our entire community, Stanton said. Read more Cleveland Judge Pinkey Carr must follow courts order to limit hearings amid coronavirus, appeals court rules Videos: Embattled judge called public defender little idiot after requesting to tell clients not to come to court amid coronavirus pandemic Ohio Supreme Court temporarily bars Cleveland judge who ignored rules to limit cases during coronavirus surge from hearing cases Cleveland Municipal Judge Pinkey S. Carr needlessly put peoples health at risk in defying order to limit hearings (editorial) Cleveland judge flouts courts postponements amid coronavirus pandemic, issues warrants for no-shows BAY CITY, MI Saying shes the second confirmed case of COVID-19 in Bay County, a local woman is sharing her account of how the illness is affecting her. The Bay County Health Department on Monday, March 23, announced the second case of coronavirus in Bay County. Alexis M. Lopez, 22, says she is that person, having received word from the Health Department on Monday of her diagnosis. Lopez on Wednesday spoke with The Bay City Times-MLive by phone from her Bay City home, now the site of her quarantine. Speaking frankly of her experience so far, Lopez was frequently interrupted by coughing jags. Lopez said that she and her extended family went shopping at Walmart in Bangor Township and Sams Club in Saginaw Countys Kochville Township on Friday, March 20. Throughout the day, it was weird, she said. I had diarrhea, which is not common for me at all to have anything like that. Later that night, I became super tired. Like exhausted. It felt like I hadnt slept in days. Probably around 8 or 9 p.m. I was putting groceries away and I was having a hard time. I just felt weak. I was out of breath and I couldnt catch it, she continued. I laid down and felt severely cold. It felt like I was standing outside in a blizzard; thats how cold I was. The heat was turned up to about 80 degrees and that didnt help at all. Lopezs body and joints began to ache as well. She took Tylenol, which didnt help. She eventually fell asleep under a heating blanket, only to awake early Saturday morning still feeling weird. I felt tired, exhausted, very restless, she said. My chest became heavy and it was hard to breathe. It felt like my lungs were coated in mucus. She also began experiencing a slight cough and an intermittent runny nose, she said. She visited McLaren Bay Region hospital and was attended to by a nurse and a doctor, the latter of whom said it appeared as though she had contracted coronavirus, though no tests could be performed. The doctor sent her home with a packet on how to deal with the virus and recommended she isolate for 14 days. On getting back home, Lopezs breathing worsened, so she and her fiance went to Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw. By this time, her fiance was experiencing similar symptoms, she said. Both Lopez and her fiance had blood samples and nose swabs taken for analysis. They then returned home and went into isolation mode, she said. You really just wait it out and see whats gonna happen, Lopez said of waiting for the results. Throughout the two-day period I was waiting to hear back, my symptoms were the same. I still had diarrhea. I was fatigued, restless, nauseous. I still didnt have much of a temperature. My cough began to get worse and the heaviness in my chest felt worse as well. Later on Monday, she received a call from a woman at the Health Department, which she said initially scared her. They told me I had tested positive for coronavirus, Lopez said. I had to inform her of my symptoms, who I was around, where I went. She is going to reach out to everyone that I have been around as well and monitor them. Lopez said that aside from her fiance and medical professionals, shes not been around anyone since Friday. Her 10-month-old son, who usually lives with her, is currently staying with Lopezs mother as a result, she said. I havent left my house at all, Lopez said. I dont want to risk someone else catching it or coming in contact with me. From here on out, they recommended I stay inside and self-isolate until my symptoms are gone. The timeframe can vary. I havent gotten worse and I havent gotten better. I feel exactly the same as I did from the beginning. She said her boyfriends tests came back as negative, but the woman from the Health Department indicated she thought it was a false negative, due to his similar symptoms. The Health Department on Tuesday, March 24, confirmed they are awaiting on at least 100 tests for COVID-19, most of which were submitted in the last six days. On Wednesday afternoon, Bay County Health Department Director Joel R. Strasz told MLive a third resident had tested positive for coronavirus. As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, there are 2,295 confirmed coronavirus cases throughout Michigan, 43 of which have resulted in death. The first confirmed case in Bay County was Dr. Mark Pankonin, a physician at Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw. He identified himself as having coronavirus without experiencing symptoms. On Tuesday, Lopez recorded and posted a 10-minute video on Google recounting her experience. The video has since gone viral on social media. Im glad I did it, she said. I wanted to share what Im going through, my symptoms, what led up to it. I just wanted to make others well aware in case they have it. Video the video here. Though Lopez previously worked as a nurses aid at McLaren Bay Region hospital, her employment there ended weeks ago, she said. Honestly, I have no idea how I came to encounter it, Lopez said. I have no idea. Its mind-boggling that I caught it. I cant believe I caught it, but it is what it is. While at home, she has been spending most of her time resting. The more active I am, the more my breathing is affected, she said. The more I cough, the more my body starts to hurt. I prefer to rest rather than trying to make myself busy. She said the Health Department is checking with her daily to see how shes doing. I never thought in a million years Id catch coronavirus, she continued. I just thought I had a cold. I just really want the public to be aware it could happen to you. Strasz could neither confirm nor deny Lopezs status as the second confirmed case of coronavirus in Bay County. He did say, however, that everyone exhibiting symptoms consistent with coronavirus shortness of breath, fever, coughing should assume they have it and isolate as much as possible. If you live with others, try to confine yourself to one room, preferably one with access to a bathroom only you will use, he said. If you have a child in the house, one person should be designated as the childs caregiver. Also, if youre caring for someone with COVID-19 or its symptoms, both parties should wear a makeshift mask such as handkerchief and gloves, Strasz said. Asked what she thinks of Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Monday executive order requiring most residents to stay in their homes to slow the spread of the virus, Lopez said she agrees with it. At this point, anyone can get it, anytime, anywhere, she said. I agree you only should go out if its necessary, if you absolutely need to. Dont go out if you dont have to go out. Save yourself and save others health as well. Related: Bay County has at least 100 coronavirus tests pending, but confirmed cases remain at 2 All Michigan residents, most businesses ordered to stay home to slow spread of coronavirus Act as if you have the coronavirus, urges doctor who tested positive Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus Second Bay County resident tests positive for coronavirus Bay County launches webpage to combat coronavirus rumors [March 25, 2020] Rakuten Joins the Open Invention Network Community Durham, N.C., March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Open Invention Network (OIN), the largest patent non-aggression community in history, announced today that Rakuten, Inc. has joined as a community member. Rakuten is a global leader in internet services, offering over 70 services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications. In addition, Rakuten is pursuing an ambitious new network build out to become the worlds first end-to-end fully virtualized, cloud-native mobile network, using open source mobile carrier architecture to drive its $600 billion investment. By joining OIN, Rakuten is demonstrating its commitment to open source software (OSS) as a foundation for its platforms. The online commerce, mobile communications, and fintech services industries are experiencing rapid growth. Global leaders that recognize these market opportunities, and the benefits of shared innovation inherent in open source, are building robust, feature-rich services that help make them more desirable to consumers, said Keith Bergelt, CEO of Open Invention Network. We are pleased that Rakuten has joined our community and committed to patent non-aggression in Linux and adjacent open source technologies. At Rakuten, our businesses continue to evolve as we address new market opportunities. Because of this, we are a user and strong advocate of open source software, said Tareq Amin, CAO, Group Executive Vice President, Rakuten, Inc. We are building th first 100% fully virtualized mobile network, enabling us to scale rapidly and offer the best quality-of-service (QoS) available. By joining Open Invention Network, we are demonstrating our commitment to open source software, and supporting it with a pledge of patent non-aggression. OINs community practices patent non-aggression in core Linux and adjacent open source technologies by cross-licensing Linux System patents to one another on a royalty-free basis. Patents owned by Open Invention Network are similarly licensed royalty-free to any organization that agrees not to assert its patents against the Linux System. The OIN license can be signed online at http://www.j-oin.net/ . About Rakuten Rakuten, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in Internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to about 1.4 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 20,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/ . About Open Invention Network Open Invention Network (OIN) is the largest patent non-aggression community in history and supports freedom of action in Linux as a key element of open source software (OSS). Patent non-aggression in core technologies is a cultural norm within OSS, so that the litmus test for authentic behavior in the OSS community includes OIN membership. Funded by Google, IBM, NEC, Philips, Sony, SUSE and Toyota, OIN has more than 3,200 community members and owns more than 1,300 global patents and applications. The OIN patent license and member cross-licenses are available royalty-free to any party that joins the OIN community. For more information, visit http://www.openinventionnetwork.com . Media-Only Contact: Ed Schauweker AVID Public Relations for Open Invention Network [email protected] +1 (703) 963-5238 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] AUSTIN, Texas Governors across the nation on Tuesday rejected President Donald Trumps new accelerated timeline for reopening the U.S. economy, as they continued to impose more restrictions on travel and public life in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The dismissal of Trumps mid-April timeframe for a national reopening came from Republicans and Democrats, from leaders struggling to manage hot spots of the outbreak and those still bracing for the worst. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, the head of the National Governors Association and a Republican, called the messaging confusing since most leaders are still focused on enforcing the restrictions, not easing them. He accused the White House of running on a schedule made of some imaginary clock. The pushback suggests Trumps talk of an early reboot is unlikely to gain traction. In most cases, its state leaders not the federal government who are responsible for both imposing and lifting the stay-at-home orders and other restrictions intended to stop the contagion. But the governors reaction also revealed the striking disconnect and growing tensions between Trump and the state leaders closer to the front lines of a crisis that threatens to overwhelm U.S. hospitals and claim thousands of lives. The president is eager to get the U.S. back to work as the crisis takes a political toll and the economy, which had been the cornerstone of his re-election bid, begins to wobble. The economic damage could be worse than the death toll from the virus, he has said. As soon as next week, Trump wants to take another look at recommendations about business closures and self-isolation, and said Tuesday the country could reopen by Easter Sunday less than a month away. Our people want to return to work, he said. But governors suggested that view had little connection to the reality theyre facing. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said he and Trump are clearly operating under a different set of assumptions. California, home to 40 million people and the worlds fifth-largest economy, reported hundreds of new known cases of COVID 19 and now has more than 2,200, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. In New York, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday said the infection rate was doubling every three days and pleaded for more federal help as the number of cases in the state surpassed 20,000. If you ask the American people to choose between public health and the economy, then its no contest. No American is going to say accelerate the economy at the cost of human life, Cuomo told reporters Tuesday. Job one has to be save lives. That has to be the priority. Even some of Trumps usual allies are continuing to move ahead with tighter controls on travel, commerce and mobility, despite the presidents words. In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has endorsed stay-at-home orders that continued to spread through the biggest cities. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said public health needed to come first, and South Dakota Gov. Krisiti Noem is stressing limiting business activity, not relaxing them. This situation is not going to be over in a week, said Noem, whose state has more than two dozen cases. We have another eight weeks until we see our peak infection rate. The U.S. is now more than a week into an unprecedented effort to encourage all Americans to drastically scale back their public activities. The orders closing schools, restaurants and businesses have largely come from a patchwork of local and state governments with areas hit hardest imposing the most restrictions, while other communities are still weighing tighter rules. That means the White House is eyeing ways to ease the advisories while some areas are still ramping up their responses a mixed message that some governors worried would lead Americans to ignore the orders of local officials. Michigans Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, told WWMT-TV/Sinclair Broadcast Group that Trumps off-the-cuff statements are really going to undermine our ability to protect people. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Trump was not taking into account the true damage that this will do to our country if we see truly millions of people die. Trump has defended his handling of the outbreak and argued that his administration is doing all it can to help governors. They shouldnt be hitting us, he said on Fox News. The fact is weve done a lot. Among the few statehouse leaders to publicly endorse Trumps view was Texas lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, 69, who on Monday suggested that people his age and older can take care of ourselves as the nation gets back to work. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people over 65 are at higher risk for the disease. Friction between Trump and the governors has been steady throughout the crisis. The president said last week that states should be doing more to obtain their own critically needed supplies while insisting that the federal government was not a shipping clerk. States, meanwhile, have been pressing the government to help procure necessary protective and breathing equipment. On Tuesday, Trump suggested any shortage of ventilators was on the states. All they had to do was order them two years ago, but they decided not to do it. They cant blame us for that, he said on Fox News. Some of the messaging coming out of the administration doesnt match, Hogan, the Maryland governor, told CNN. We dont think that were going to be in any way ready to be out of this in five or six days or so, or whenever this 15 days is up from the time that they started this imaginary clock. For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. Worldwide, more than 375,000 cases have been reported, and while most people recover in weeks, more than 16,000 have died from the virus. ___ Cooper reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Nancy Benac in Washington; John OConnor in Springfield, Illinois; and David Eggert in Lansing, Michigan, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheO Gov. Ned Lamonts orders on school closures dont apply to private and Catholic schools, but that doesnt mean they arent looking to the state for guidance on how to handle the coronavirus pandemic. So when Lamont noted this week that public schools in the state may not reopen at all this spring, many private schools acknowledged the rule will likely apply to them as well. Like the public schools, private and Catholic schools are now focusing on supporting students with online learning during the school shutdown. But these institutions have the added charge of collecting tuition while students are not in the classroom and trying to recruit freshmen for the new school year in the fall. This, at a time when a number of Catholic schools across the state have closed or merged with others due to low enrollment. Brian Wallace, a spokesman for the Diocese of Bridgeport, said the dioceses decisions will likely be aligned with those of the governor. Theres been no final decision but we likely would follow the governors guideline, he said. Christopher Cipriano, principal of Notre Dame, a Catholic high school in Fairfield, said the school will follow the directives of the Governors Office, in addition to the diocesan superintendent and Fairfield Public Schools. Leaders at private schools like Lauralton Hall in Milford and Christian Heritage School in Trumbull have also indicated they plan to follow the governors orders, as well as those of other state and federal officials like the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. If and when state closing mandates are lifted, we will continue to follow guidance from the CDC, Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, said Lauraltons Head of School Elizabeth Miller. At Fairfield Prep, Principal Tommy de Quesada, said he is not willing to speculate how long the Jesuit high schools building will be close because his focus is on the learning still taking place, albeit virtually. We are trying to achieve as much normalcy as possible, de Quesada said. Online learning The Diocese of Bridgeport has 30 schools and about 8,000 students in pre-school through 12th grade across Fairfield County. Alan Barnicle, coordinator of personalized learning for the diocese, said the system has been working with all of its schools, including St. Gregory the Great in Danbury, where teachers have asked about the best way to tests and grade students who are learning remotely. Through phone calls, video lessons and even students taking pictures of their work, teachers can keep track of student progress. Our buildings are closed but our schools are open, Barnacle said. Fairfield Prep did a dry run by holding a virtual learning day on March 5, before the shutdown began. Students gave feedback and de Quesada said it went well. Notre Dame has also seen its distance learning process go smoothly. With six days now under our belt, we have averaged 95.4 percent attendance/work completion rate, Cipriano said of student assignments. Heather Ribellino, of Norwalk, said its like her daughter, who is a junior at Notre Dame, is still going to school. Twice a week, the learning starts at 8:15 a.m. and students spend 40 minute periods with each teacher. The students see each other, Ribellino said. They see the teacher. It gives them a sense of normalcy. Marybeth Darcy, of East Norwalk, has a senior at Lauralton. She said the online video conferencing classes her daughter is taking makes it next-to-normal. They get to interact, talk about whats happening in real time, said Darcy. Sure, there are moments of sadness/insecurity. Will we be able to walk the staircase in the mansion at graduation Will we have a prom? But all in all, though, they are getting each other through. Steven Cheeseman, superintendent of diocesan schools, said in a letter late last week to parents that the transition to online learning has not been without hiccups but that given the speed of the transition, it was going well. Paying the bill As for finances, Cheeseman, the diocesan superintendent, said the system has suspended late fees on tuition payments through at least May 1. Additionally, I want to assure you that we understand the financial stress some families may be experiencing and we enourage you to work with your school principal should you need an extension on making tuition payments, Cheesman wrote to parents in an email. Wallace said to his knowledge no parents have asked for refunds and many have been supportive of the districts efforts. So far the response has been positive, he said. Chandra Maxwell, who has an 11-year-old and a 14-year-old at St. Andrew Academy in Bridgeport, said considering the circumstances, she thinks she is getting her moneys worth. She called the transition to distance learning seamless. There was an immediate survey that went out to parents regarding access to technological devices, Maxwell said. The school contacted those that needed to borrow devices and teachers reached out to make sure students could log onto the Google platforms being used, Maxwell said. At Christian Heritage School, Head of School Brian J. Modarelli said there have been a few bumps, but overall, high-quality learning is happening across the board. So far, no one has asked for a refund or withdrawn, he said. Parents who choose religious schools tend to do so based upon a strong level of alignment between the values of the home and the values of the school, Modarelli added. So, schools like (ours) tend to walk through stormy days with grace and persistence. Leslie Geary, of Fairfield, who has a son at Fairfield Ludlowe, a public school, and another at The Forman School, a private boarding school in Litchfield County, said she is not planning to ask the private school for her money back. She said she is equally impressed with how each son has been receiving online lessons at home since their schools were closed. Both have tons of work and projects. I love (Forman) and what its given my son, so I feel its important that it can keep the lights on, pay its teachers, and survive this time, Geary said. The future Like most private schools, the spring is when recruitment for the fall is in full swing. At Notre Dame, the admissions staff continues to work remotely. Cipriano said numbers for the incoming freshman class were good before the shutdown. And we have actually had a few more deposits over the past week, Cipriano said. The current situation definitely makes the recruiting process a bit more difficult, as face-to-face meetings, shadow days, and tours of the campus are on hold. At Lauralton, Miller said the enrollment office is fully operational remotely, and continues to accept applications for incoming freshmen and transfer students. Lauralton has endured since 1905, including during some very difficult economic times, Miller said. While this pandemic is certainly one of the most significant challenges for our world, Lauraltons operational best practices, financial discipline, and ability to seamlessly pivot to online learning is helping our school navigate successfully through this crisis so we can continue to educate girls for generations to come. lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeck During a crisis, some people buy a lot of food and other products because of fear they will run out of them. This behavior is known as hoarding. It can cause serious problems for other members of the community. When people hoard, stores run out of some high demand products. Suppliers face pressure to replace what has suddenly disappeared. At the same time, people who want to buy commonly used goods cannot get what they need. During an emergency, government officials advise people not to hoard goods. But some people have built up supplies of things like food and fuel over long periods in an effort to prepare for a future crisis. Curt La Haise is one of these individuals. Friends of La Haise have made fun of him for years because he keeps an eight-month supply of food in his house. He also keeps enough fuel to power his generator for almost a whole winter. But those friends who used to make fun of him are not laughing anymore. That is because many people have been raiding supermarkets across the United States. People are worried that they will have to quarantine in their homes for weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak. Some Americans are buying as much as they can, leaving store shelves empty. Some foods and basic products including medicines and toilet paper are now hard to find in some places. Now my friends are like, What should I do, what should I get? Curt La Haise said. La Haise operates a gun and firearms safety training business in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. He added, Prepping doesnt look so bad now. Prepping is short for preparing. Being prepared The nation has a community of preppers people who keep large amounts of supplies in case of a disaster. Now, their preparations seem like a good idea. Were not laughing. Were not saying, I told you so, when people are out there fighting over toilet paper and hand sanitizers, said Paul Buescher of Ohio. He is one of 32 members of a group that shares a farm where large amounts of water and food are stored. Buescher told the Reuters news agency that he is now getting requests for advice all the time. John Ramey helped set up a website for preppers, called The Prepared. It provides information about survival and emergency preparedness. Every single business that has to do with emergency preparedness is overloaded, Ramey said. People who keep a lot of emergency supplies are often shown on television or in movies as people who also have many weapons. These individuals are often called doomsday preppers. But Ramey said that is not the case for most preppers. The vast majority of this is beans and Band-Aids, not bullets and bunkers, he said. Jim Cobb is a disaster readiness adviser and directs Prepper Survival Guide magazine. He dislikes the idea of other preppers gloating about people crowding stores in search of disinfectant products. But he adds, for once theyre not laughing and pointing fingers at us. The new coronavirus is at the heart of the drive to buy and keep large amounts of needed products. Most people who get infected, however, do recover. There is a greater danger for older adults with existing health problems. They may take a long time to recover. Advise from experts and preppers Experts urge everyone to take common sense measures like keeping a distance from people, wash hands often, and cover your nose and mouth if you sneeze or cough. If you think you are sick, stay home. Preppers are offering additional readiness measures. For one, be ready to stay at home for two weeks and have a lot of food and water supplies saved. They say do not forget medicine and products needed for dogs, cats or other pets, if you have them. Keep need extra toilet paper, but make sure you have disinfectant cleaning supplies, eye protection and protective equipment like gloves. Make sure your finances are organized and you have enough money to pay bills for a period of time. Finally, try not to worry too much, but pay attention to news and what is going on around you. I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. John Seewer reported this story for the Associated Press. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story quarantine n. keeping someone apart from other so they do not pass on a disease outbreak n. the sudden or violent start of something unwelcome, such as the spread of disease shelf n. a surface for the storage of oobjects sanitizer n. a cleaner that disinfects vast adj. very extensive bunker n. a strong structure that is mostly underground that is meant to keep troops safe gloating n. to show in a selfish way that you are happy with your success sneeze n. a sudden, involuntary expulsion of air from the nose and mouth cough n. a sudden expulsion of air from the lungs bill n. a piece of paper showing the amount of money owed for the purchase of goods or services ATLANTA, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB), the nation's largest bedding manufacturer, will donate 10,000 mattresses to New York City hospitals and temporary medical facilities fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is calling on its peers to do the same. While the healthcare system's shortages of masks and ventilators have been heavily publicized, bedding is also expected to soon be dangerously scarce as the coronavirus spreads and hospitalizations surge. That is particularly the case in New York, where Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday said the state would soon require as many as 140,000 additional hospital beds; it currently has 53,000 in use. Beyond its 10,000 mattress donation, SSB also offered additional assistance, noting that its factories and expansive distribution network are capable of producing up to 20,000 beds per day at the lowest possible cost if needed. "As the largest American producer of mattresses, Serta Simmons Bedding is committed to ensuring those who are hospitalized have a bed available where they can receive care and heal," SSB Chairman and CEO David Swift said. "We're calling on our peers in the bedding industry to join us in addressing this need." SSB's donation, which is valued at $2 million, is being facilitated through its relationship with Relief Bed International, a nonprofit organization that provides beds to impoverished people and disaster victims around the world. About Serta Simmons Bedding LLC Serta Simmons Bedding, LLC is the leading sleep company and the largest manufacturer, marketer and supplier of mattresses in North America. Based in Atlanta, SSB owns and manages the two best-selling bedding brands in the mattress industry: Serta, which has five other independent licensees, and Beautyrest. The brands are distributed through national, hospitality, and regional and independent retail channels throughout North America. SSB also owns Simmons and Tuft & Needle direct-to-consumer mattress brands. SSB operates 28 plants in the U.S. and Canada. For more information about SSB and its brands, visit www.sertasimmons.com. About Relief Bed International Relief Bed International provides strategically built beds to homeless shelters in the United States and to disaster relief victims and emerging countries through their network of international relief partners around the world. For more information and how to partner with Relief Bed please visit www.reliefbed.com. SOURCE Serta Simmons Bedding, LLC Related Links http://www.sertasimmons.com In just five days, Petoskey Plastics isolation gown went from concept to production with about 10,000 of them being made daily now. The company in Emmet County worked with McLaren Health Care to get the personal protective equipment (PPE) to medical professionals who are preparing to face an onslaught of COVID-19 cases at Petoskeys McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital, according to a news release. The company is also expected to supply other McLaren facilities across the state. This urgent, proactive action by Petoskey Plastics will help maintain the safety of thousands of patients and staff across the state of Michigan, Todd Burch, CEO of McLaren Northern Michigan, said in a statement. Petoskey Plastics is setting an example for what Michigan manufacturers can do to support health care institutions during this crisis. Isolation gowns protect health care workers clothing and exposed skin from blood, body fluids and other potentially infectious materials, the release said. Hospitals across the country are expecting or are already facing a shortage of supplies, including isolation gowns and other PPE like face masks. The gowns are critical to mitigating the spread of COVID-19, McLaren Northern Michigan said in a statement. The hospital initially reached out to the local plastics company for help in mid-March, said Jason Keiswetter, president of Petoskey Plastics. It was determined that the isolation gown was the most plausible product for the company to make. The company normally produces blood and viral barrier protective films, and biohazard bags for national accounts and distributors. They are modifying equipment used to produce protective automotive seat covers to make the isolation gowns. In less than 5 days, weve gone through conceptual designs, samples, re-tooling of equipment, and now we are ramping up for production to support our medical friends in need, Keiswetter said. The partnership means McLaren hospitals do not expect to experience a shortage of the gowns as coronavirus cases continue to climb in Michigan, Burch said. As of Monday afternoon, Emmet County had one confirmed coronavirus case. Neighboring Charlevoix County had two cases. The number of confirmed cases in Michigan have continued to rise, jumping from 549 on Friday to 1,328 by Monday. Fifteen people have died, with dozens more being treated in intensive care units. Most confirmed cases in the state are in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Petoskey Plastics isnt the only company stepping up to convert its production to medical supplies. Ford and General Motors are expected to produce respiratory ventilators. Jackson-area metal fabricator Technique Inc. is manufacturing protective face shields. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer estimated Monday that 70% of the states population could become infected, 7 million people total. At the same time, she issued a statewide shelter-in-place" order that is in effect through April 13. The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 395,000 people and killed over 17,000 worldwide. The illness causes mild or moderate symptoms in most people, but severe symptoms are more likely in the elderly or those with existing health problems. More than 103,000 people have recovered so far, mostly in China. PREVENTION TIPS Michigans State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips: What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases: READ MORE: Tuesday, March 24: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Ford working with companies to speed up ventilator, respirator production Jackson metal fabricator retools factory to make face shields for hospitals Michigan hospitals see sharp rise in online appointments during coronavirus outbreak New York coronavirus infection rate accelerating like a bullet train The number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat has gone up to 38 as three more people tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, a health department official said. On Wednesday morning, one new case each was reported from Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara, principal secretary (health) Jayanti Ravi told reporters. Out of the three new cases, one patient has history of travel to Dubai, while the two others are cases of local transmission of the viral infection, she said. With this, total number of cases in Ahmedabad is 14, Surat and Vadodara-seven each, Gandhinagar-six, Rajkot-three and Kutch-one, she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 12:45:41|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks that he wants the U.S. economy to open back up in about three weeks has sparked controversy, as experts argued that hasty measures could dampen the efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. "We're opening up this incredible country. Because we have to do that. I would love to have it open by Easter," Trump said Tuesday in a Fox News virtual town hall event at the White House. Easter falls on April 12 this year. In a tweet earlier in the day, the U.S. president said "our people want to return to work." They will practice social distancing and all else, and seniors will be watched over "protectively and lovingly," he said. "We can do two things together," Trump continued. "The cure cannot be worse (by far) than the problem!" CONTROVERSIES SPARKED Trump's remarks came as more and more state and local officials have shutdown nonessential businesses and ordered residents to stay at home, in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. Public health experts, among others, voiced criticism of the president's remarks. Lawrence Gostin, a global health law professor at Georgetown University, tweeted that variability in COVID-19 incidence nationally poses risks of going back to work, school and travel, and easing physical distancing early could trigger surge in cases and deaths. "We can't know what COVID-19 transmission will be in 4 weeks, but it's likely to be worse, not better. Even if cases peak or drop in some areas, it will rise in others," said Gostin, who also serves as director of the World Health Organization collaborating center on national and global health law. Scott Gottlieb, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said there is "a strong and understandable desire" to return to better times and a functioning economy. "But it should not be lost on anyone that there's no such thing as a functioning economy and society so long as COVID-19 continues to spread uncontrolled in our biggest cities," Gottlieb said. Despite serious concerns on restarting the economy, some argued that the economic consequences would be significant if restrictive measures last longer. "For a small segment of our population, it's true, the coronavirus can kill you," Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy said on Fox News. "But you know what else can kill you? Poverty, hunger, losing the entire economy." Lloyd Blankfein, former chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs, wrote on Twitter earlier that extreme measures to flatten the virus "curve" is sensible -- for a time -- to stretch out the strain on health infrastructure. "But crushing the economy, jobs and morale is also a health issue -- and beyond," Blankfein said. "Within a very few weeks let those with a lower risk to the disease return to work." In a White House briefing Tuesday afternoon, Trump said he still wants to open the country for businesses by Easter, though stressing that the decision would ultimately be made in consultation with his public health experts team. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, said at the briefing that there may be flexibility in certain areas of the country and need for data in order to lift restrictions. "You can look at a date but you've got to be very flexible and on a literally day-by-day and week-by-week basis," said Fauci, also a member of the White House's coronavirus task force. "You need to evaluate the feasibility of what you're trying to do." ECONOMIC IMPACT The United States has reported more than 53,000 cases as of Tuesday, ranking third worldwide, behind China and Italy, according to a data tracking tool developed by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University. The death toll has exceeded 700. According to a forecast released by the Institute of International Finance on Monday, the United States is already in recession, with negative growth in the first quarter and large contractions in the second quarter. For the whole year, the U.S. economy is expected to contract 2.8 percent, it said. Flash U.S. Services Business Activity Index dropped 10.3 points to 39.1 points in March, the lowest in over a decade, London-based global information provider IHS Markit reported Tuesday, noting that "the marked decrease in new orders stemmed from sharp falls in client demand following the outbreak of COVID-19." Tim Duy, an economics professor of the University of Oregon, said the sudden stop of the U.S. economy "is sending unemployment soaring," and initial claims for unemployment may exceed 2 million this week. To cushion the economic impact, lawmakers have been negotiating a trillion-dollar-plus stimulus package, but the bill failed to advance in the Senate on Sunday night and again on Monday afternoon. As Democrats and Republicans continue to hash out the details, Trump on Tuesday pressed lawmakers to reach an agreement as soon as possible. "Congress must approve the deal, without all of the nonsense, today," he tweeted. "The longer it takes, the harder it will be to start up our economy. Our workers will be hurt!" The number of coronavirus patients on Wednesday rose to 31 in Punjab with two persons contracting infection in the state, officials said. One person, who had no travel history, tested positive in Ludhiana, according to media bulletin issued here. The source of infection was being identified, the bulletin said. It is Ludhiana's first case of coronavirus. The second confirmed case was reported in Hoshiarpur where a 31-year-old man tested positive for the virus, official said. He was the son of a coronavirus patient, resident of Moranwali village inGarhshankar sub-division of Hoshiarpur district. In Punjab, there were 18 positive cases in Nawanshahr, five in Mohali, three each in Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur and one each in Amritsar and Ludhiana, as per bulletin. Out of them, one Nawanshahr positive case had died. All the 30 cases have been under hospital isolation and they were stable, said the bulletin. As of now, a total of 488 samples had been tested out of which 228 had tested negative while the result of 229 was still awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A teenager who lured a gentle, kind-hearted sales assistant to a remote beauty spot on a date and stabbed him to death has been locked up for a minimum of 24 years. Alex Davies, 18, was murdered in Parbold, Lancashire, by Brian Healless, also 18, after they agreed to a rendezvous through the dating app Grindr. Healless, from Chorley, tried to set up similar outdoor meetings with four other males on Grindr in the days after the killing, Preston Crown Court heard. He had told openly gay Mr Davies, from Skelmersdale, he was not out yet and suggested a discreet spot halfway between their two homes for their first meeting. The defendant stabbed him 128 times at the top of Parbold Hill and dragged the Home Bargains worker face down by his collar in the mud, while still alive, and covered his body with branches and leaves. The body of Mr Davies (pictured) was discovered by a local gamekeeper who reported seeing an arm under a pile of broken conifers (PA) Healless was then captured on CCTV on the afternoon of 29 April last year calmly riding away from the scene on his mountain bike with his victims rucksack on his back. Sentencing on Tuesday, Judge Mark Brown, the honorary recorder of Preston, told him: Alex was a kind-hearted, gentle and hard-working young man who would never have harmed anyone. You lulled him to his death and executed the killing in a savage way. You were undoubtedly setting him up to kill and you are a manipulative, calculating and devious person. It is extremely fortuitous that you were arrested before anyone else suffered the same fate. Psychiatrists who examined Healless, who came to England from his native Lithuania at the age of seven, agreed he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the killing. But jurors rejected his defence that his responsibility for the killing was diminished by his mental state and unanimously convicted him on Monday of murder. Judge Brown told Healless: I am satisfied that such was the planning, premeditation and the nature of the killing that your culpability is not reduced significantly. On 1 May, the body of Mr Davies was discovered by a local gamekeeper who reported seeing an arm under a pile of broken conifers. A post-mortem examination showed he died from multiple stab wounds and asphyxiation. He had also been beaten around the head and face. Healless was arrested on 3 May and a search of his family home in Rylands Road uncovered the victims headphones, spare phone and wallet with the defendants bank card inside which the judge said were intended as trophies. It emerged he had searched online for how to wipe the data of a phone belonging to his victim before they met up and went on to perform factory resets of two phones that he stole from Mr Davies. Healless similarly researched how to reset a phone of one of his subsequent Grindr contacts who he was due to meet the next day but called the rendezvous off after his mountain bike was broken. Searches on eBay were also made by Healless for an army military folding spade, a shovel and a pickaxe. Healless told doctors that a voice in his head said he was going to be harmed on Parbold Hill and that he attacked Mr Davies in fear of his own life. The defendant explained he had taken a knife to the scene for his own protection and then tried to contact other young men because he just wanted to meet somebody. He said he was sexually interested in men and women but had never had a relationship. Stephen Meadowcroft QC, defending, said: His parents are both in court and have been throughout the trial. They have told me they are desperately shocked at what has happened and had no idea he was going through any problem period. His brothers did not realise either and it all came as a complete shock. Healless will not be released from custody until the Parole Board decides on good evidence that he is completely safe, said Judge Brown. PA Once the last election in March was over, it took two days for Yisrael Beitenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman to come to his senses and realize that he can still complete his mission after all. There is still a chance for him to throw Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu out of politics. When news channels first released their exit polls, it looked like Netanyahu strengthened his right-wing ultra-Orthodox bloc and stood at the head of the largest party. Then there was Liberman. Photos and footage coming from his party headquarters showed him shattered and spent. It was as if the light that had kept him going had finally gone out. Personally, he lost support between the second and third rounds of the elections and ended up with just seven seats. It was a disappointing outcome, as far as he was concerned. While Netanyahu celebrated before thousands of adoring supporters, Liberman seemed listless, as he gave a speech of his own to a very limited audience. What made matters worse was that the Blue and White party, which he considered to be a partner in his mission to bring down Netanyahu, ended up with three seats less than the Likud (33 and 36, respectively). That all changed two days later. After shutting himself in his home and laying his options on the table, Liberman concluded that all was not lost. His battle with Netanyahu had not been resolved. The Likud as a party may have gotten stronger, but Netanyahu still did not win the 61 seats that his right-wing ultra-Orthodox bloc needed to form a government. In fact, his bloc only had 58 seats, while the anyone-but-Netanyahu bloc had 62. This may have seemed meaningless at first. Both Liberman and the Blue and White party had made an explicit promise to their voters before the election that they would not cooperate with the Arab-dominated Joint List. While the opposing bloc seemed consolidated in its support for Netanyahu, the situation on Libermans side of the divide was very different. So, Liberman made a series of phone calls to the senior leadership of the Blue and White party, talking especially with the partys No. 2 Yair Lapid, his ally throughout the last year. In these calls, Liberman informed them that he would lift his veto against cooperation with the Arab Joint List, thus paving the way for a historically unprecedented political partnership. Meanwhile, in talks with his associates, Liberman made some scathing remarks about Netanyahu: He thinks hes king here. Ill show him that there are still a few more good players in the rink, said Liberman to one top political official, who spoke with Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. The most important thing he said, however, was that he plans to recommend to the president that Blue and White leader Benny Gantz be tasked with forming the next government. In saying this, Liberman severed any bonds he may have had with the right once and for all. He also abandoned his bellicose, often racist attacks against the Israeli Arab minority and their political leadership. Although he would never call it that, he actually forged an alliance with them instead. The whole purpose of this alliance is to remove Netanyahu from office. It all happened quickly after that. The moves that Liberman initiated made Gantz a relevant player again, breathed new life into the Blue and White party and led to the official creation of the Knessets anti-Netanyahu bloc. Just a few days after the election, Liberman was quoted on Channel 12 News accusing Netanyahu of attempting to frame himself and his children of various crimes. This finally solved the big mystery that has accompanied the countrys political system since the April 2019 election: What lies behind the deep rift between Netanyahu and Liberman? After all, they used to be good friends. By now it was clear that Liberman had decided to destroy Netanyahu politically and had him trapped in his net. After the first election, in April 2019, he used his five seats to toy with Netanyahu before finally announcing that he would not join his government. At the time, he assumed that the Likud would rise up against Netanyahu and depose him themselves. The problem was that this never happened. Netanyahu dissolved the Knesset, called new elections and threw a wrench into Libermans carefully laid plans. In September 2019, during the second round of elections, Liberman arrived armed with an effective campaign against the ultra-Orthodox. It was what he needed to win popularity among the anti-Netanyahu public. His messages were sharp and convincing, while his attacks on Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox became increasingly fierce. Nevertheless, the election still ended in deadlock, and the third election in a year was called. By now, Liberman was working openly with the Blue and White leadership against Netanyahu. Once the results came in, he finally decided to cooperate with the enemy, too, i.e., the members of the Arab Joint List, the very people that he used to say belong in the parliament in Ramallah, not Jerusalem. He then went on to recommend Gantz to the president, as did all the members of the Joint List, including its most extreme faction, Balad. This left the Blue and White party chairman with the most Knesset members recommending him, and a mandate to form the next government. Nevertheless, even now, Gantz still cant form a minority government. The problem is two Knesset members from his own party, who still refuse to cooperate with the Joint List. Even after he realized that Gantz could not form a government, Liberman refused to stop his campaign. During the last week, he spearheaded the effort for the anti-Netanyahu bloc to take over the various Knesset committees. Even if he is still calling for the formation of a unity government, it does not seem like that is what he is really trying to do. In fact, he seems to be doing the exact opposite. Together with Lapid, he is leading an aggressive campaign to replace Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein with another Knesset member of their choosing. The result is a constitutional crisis of historic proportions. This began when the Blue and White party petitioned the Supreme Court to order Edelstein to add the issue of replacing him as speaker on the Knessets agenda. The court did so, telling Edelstein he had until March 25. What this means is that from now on, Netanyahu will have to navigate the coronavirus crisis without controlling the Knesset or its committees. At the same time, Liberman continues to attack Netanyahu, accusing him of exploiting the coronavirus crisis to ensure his political survival. He claims that Netanyahu is describing on purpose all sorts of apocalyptic scenarios, and that he is not making the right decisions. Based on the way things look now, a unity government of the Likud and Blue and White does not seem likely, as much as Gantz would like to see that happen. In this scenario, Netanyahu would continue to serve as the transition prime minister, while the opposing bloc, led by Liberman and Lapid, would continue to try and bring him down. They would try to change the law, so that a person indicted for criminal offenses would not be allowed to form a government. This personal law, obviously targeting Netanyahu, is yet another one of Libermans ideas to bring an end to Netanyahus political career. Women have not fared well in the recently instated Knesset. All the major parties are currently led by men. The number of women in the Knesset has decreased from 35 to 30, and women make up only 25% of the overall elected members of the Knesset. Yet women in the Arab Joint List have done well: Out of the Joint Lists 15 members, four are women double the two in the previous Knesset. The Joint List is made up of four different parties running together as a bloc, and each party has one woman member. Aida Touma-Sliman, 55, represents Hadash, the Communist Party. She studied psychology and Arabic literature at Haifa University, and was the founder of Women Against Violence, the first Arab feminist group against domestic violence. She also served editor-in-chief of al-Ittihad, the Communist Partys Arabic-language newspaper. Hadash focuses on creating a socialist economy and promoting workers rights. Touma-Sliman is the only one of the four women who served in the previous Knesset, where she was chairwoman of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality. A prominent opponent of the occupation, she has also made a name for herself as an outspoken, sometimes strident, champion of womens rights, including those of Jewish ultra-Orthodox and religious Zionist women, even though she is an atheist. I may not know much about religion, she told Al-Monitor, but I know a lot about the patriarchy, so I support the rights of all women. Sandus Salech, 34, is the youngest member of the entire Knesset. She represents Taal, a secular party that focuses on social issues within Israel and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. She holds a bachelor's in education and a master's in technology and education from the Technion. She has been a teacher and a CEO of a technology startup. Her academic research focuses on obstacles to the advancement of women in the technology field. Having four women is progress and a lever for advancing women in Arab society, she told Al-Monitor, but it isnt enough. And I hope that the men wont think that because we are four women, they wont have to pay attention to womens rights, because womens rights are everyones rights. But most of the attention in the Israeli Hebrew press is on Iman Khatib-Yassin, 56, a member of the United Arab list, and Heba Yazbak, 35, a representative of far-left Balad, which believes that Israel should be a state of all its citizens and advocates the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Khatib-Yassin holds a bachelor's in social work from Tel Aviv University and is a graduate of the prestigious Mandel Leadership Institute. With a sigh, she acknowledges that she has gained attention as the first hijab-wearing woman in the Knesset. I wish people wouldnt look just at the hijab, not only in the Knesset, but everywhere. All Arabs in Israel are stereotyped, but a woman wearing a hijab suffers from the difficult combination of national, religious and gender-based discrimination. I am not the first woman in the Knesset who wears a head covering. The press doesnt make a big deal about observant Jewish women who cover their heads. I am very proud of my hijab, but underneath that hijab is a woman who wants to help her society. What is relevant is my political work. That political work, she said, is informed by her religious beliefs and her feminism. This means that she accepts, in sharp contrast to most secular feminists, that Israeli law recognizes only religious marriage. With regard to polygamy, permitted according to some interpretations of Sharia but criminalized by Israeli law, she demurred, saying, I dont want to get into it, but you can certainly understand from my response about marriage. I believe that religious law safeguards an individuals status and rights. She said she is committed to the advancement of all women in Israeli society," but she also represents a national, indigenous minority, and Israeli policy has been intended to distance us. I am committed to the advancement of all women in Israeli society, but we cannot tolerate the current situation, in which the prime minister and much of Israeli society relate to 20% of Israeli citizens [the proportion of Arab citizens within the Israeli population] as if [they] were not here. Heba Yazbak, 35, holds a doctoral degree in sociology and anthropology from Tel Aviv University and an undergraduate degree in social work. In January 2020, Yazbak was disqualified from running in elections by Israels Central Elections Committee for supporting terrorism, based on a Facebook post in which she called Samir Kuntar a martyr and a fighter. An Israeli court convicted Kuntar, a Lebanese member of the Palestinian Liberation Movement and Hezbollah, of terrorism. He was later freed in a prisoner exchange then killed in Syria. Israels High Court of Justice reinstated her. Yazbak said that the attempt to disqualify her was an act of incitement against the Arab citizens in Israel, against Balad and against me as a Palestinian woman. The court gave a clear answer." "If someone doesnt want to listen to what I say that I oppose violence, that I dont support terror, that I believe in political action and that these are the reasons I have come to the Knesset then they can believe the word of the court," she told Al-Monitor. She acknowledged, however, that starting off in the Knesset in this way adds personal complexity to an already complex situation. On the other hand, it has given me strength and has been an empowering experience. I feel as [a Knesset member] what every Arab feels the hostility, the racism, the discrimination. And it motivates me to work even harder to improve the situation. She is now challenging the people who tried to disqualify her: I say to them, If you want to advance the values of equality for all, and if you have a democratic worldview, then come and work with me. All four women are confident they will be able to work together, even though they represent different parties and ideologies. Salech said, The Arab population and Arab women are not monolithic, and the diversity among us reflects the full spectrum of our constituency. I think that gives us greater freedom to work together. Yazbak agreed, I think that each of us will bring her uniqueness and also be part of a greater whole to benefit all Arab women and all women in this society. It will be interesting and challenging, and I believe that we will bring a different atmosphere to the Knesset. Even with regard to the issue of religion, on which their opinions are deeply divided, the Knesset members are confident they will be able to work together. Touma-Sliman said, Ive gotten along with religious men, and Im sure that working with religious women will be easier! How religious someone is/isnt important, but rather their level of commitment to womens rights. A religious person strives to be a better person, to uphold her values, and so I dont think that my faith will prevent us from working together, Khatib-Yassin added. We are all speaking about the same issues, even if we dont agree on all of the ways to reach them. Israels past three election campaigns have been particularly polarizing, with both of the larger parties focusing on the delegitimization of the Arab parties. Will the Knesset members from the Joint List be able to work with Jewish Knesset members, especially with the other women? Touma-Sliman answered from her experience in the previous Knesset. Lets be honest," she said. "They didnt want us, and we dont really want them, either. But in the Knesset, you cant advance important issues without generating a majority. Each time, on each specific issue, we generate a majority to work together. If we can agree on something to combat sexual harassment, then we will focus on that, for example. Thats just the way it is in politics. The situation in the Knesset is very complex," Yazbak said. "We want to change the current situation, but we encounter a hostile, racist attitude from many of the [Knesset members] and much of the government. At the same time, it is very important to advance the status of all women, and we will have to cooperate on specific issues, even with people who are hostile to us. It is very painful, but that is the way that politics has always worked. Paramedics are being overwhelmed by calls about bats and non-existent at-home coronavirus testing, and jeopardising response times for critical patients, as the frontline responders prepare for rising numbers of serious COVID-19 cases. The states chief paramedic has issued a plea to the public to only dial triple zero in an emergency, warning ambulances would be under "immense pressure" to reach the mostly life-threatening cases in the midst of a widespread coronavirus outbreak. 'We need people to call triple zero for emergencies only': Chief executive of NSW Ambulance Dominic Morgan. Credit:Peter Braig NSW Ambulance call centre staff were inundated by more than 200 calls an hour on Friday night - almost 3400 calls over a 24-hour period - busier than New Year's Eve. Many were callers frightened and anxious about the virus and the radical government restrictions aimed at containing it, as the number of cases surpassed 1000 on Wednesday. Mitt Romney has been a vocal spokesman for ethical conduct while in office, but also has been a model of that kind of conduct. It is part of Trumps attack on values to try and degrade any individual who demonstrates that kind of leadership, at what Trump sees as his own expense, Finkelstein said. DBS Foundation, the first foundation in Singapore dedicated to championing social entrepreneurship, is calling for social enterprises across DBS markets in Asia - India, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, China, to apply for the 2020 DBS Foundation Social Enterprise (SE) Grant. Successful applicants will not only receive grant funding of up to SGD 250,000 each, but also be supported to scale their business and build business resilience especially in todays challenging business environment. DBS will lend its support by raising awareness of the SEs through its various programmes and platforms, providing the SEs business opportunities, and assisting with capacity building. Shoma Narayanan, Executive Director- Strategic Marketing & Communications said, The 2020 DBS Foundation Social Enterprise Grant program aims to continue our efforts towards nurturing and strengthening the social enterprise ecosystem. In the current scenario triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, we understand that social enterprises need holistic support to scale further. We hope that the initiative will allow entrepreneurs to pursue their goals and build innovative business models that tackle key social and environmental challenges. As part of the banks collective efforts to support individuals, businesses and communities impacted by the COVID-19 situation, DBS has been collaborating with DBS Foundation-supported social enterprises for relief measures across markets. DBS Foundation Social Enterprise Grant 2020 The DBS Foundation Social Enterprise Grant is open to social enterprises across Asia that have a business product or solution that has been validated by the market. Applicants must also have clear plans to scale up the business, as well as a demonstrated commitment to social mission with a roadmap to increasing social impact. Successful applicants can expect to receive up to SGD 250,000 in grants, as well as gain access to business and partnership opportunities, and mentorship by DBS executives. Applications received before 15 May 2020, 2359hrs (Singapore time, GMT +8) will be evaluated from July to September 2020, with the awarding of grants in November 2020. Applications received thereafter will be evaluated in the next cycle. For the first time, DBS Foundation is introducing a new Zero Food Waste category of grants for social enterprises with innovative solutions that contribute to the global target of reducing food waste. Commenting on the grant programme, Vaibhav Tidke of S4S Technologies said, "The DBS Foundation grant is playing an important role in growing S4S in two new geographies to create livelihood opportunities for 50 new women agri-entrepreneurs. The grant also helped us to try two new nutrition-rich crops that can be preserved with solar technology. In the next 2 years, S4S plans to set up 50,000 tons capacity supporting over 2,000 farmers." ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A cargo ship operated by the Russian Navy transited Turkey's Bosphorus strait en route to Syria on Tuesday loaded with ambulances, a Reuters reporter saw. Syria reported its first case of coronavirus on Sunday after weeks of rejecting opposition allegations that the disease had already reached a country with a wrecked health system and thousands of Iranian-backed militias and Shi'ite pilgrims. The Russian Dvinitsa-50 ship, part of Moscow's auxiliary fleet, was carrying at least three military ambulances along with a shipping container on its deck. Russia, which has provided military support for President Bashar al-Assad since 2015, operates a naval facility at Tartus in Syria and an airbase in Latakia. The Russian military said on Monday that none of its servicemen had contracted the coronavirus. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was tested for the virus after returning from Syria this week, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Tuesday. He tested negative. (Reporting by Yoruk Isik in Istanbul, writing by Maria Tsvetkova in Moscow; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Gareth Jones) A few hours after Ralph Jerome von Braun Selz led police to the shallow grave of a dead woman, he staged a photoshoot for the press. As he posed in the San Mateo County jail, he answered reporters questions. How many women did you kill? one asked. I wouldnt say, Selz said. He smiled coyly. How many did they find? Someone handed him a fire poker so he could reenact the crime. He thwacked it up and down, demonstrating how, on June 13, 1935, he hit Mrs. Ada French Rice so hard that she fell to the ground. Once he was sure photographers got a good shot, Selz took another drag from his cigarette and grinned. All this publicity ought to get me to Hollywood, Selz said. I guess I havent any conscience but, say! Dont put that in the papers. People might think Im cruel. --- For a brief, fleeting period in 1936, Ralph Jerome von Braun Selz was right up there with such big names of the era as John Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly and Ma Barker, the San Francisco Chronicle wrote in 1970. And indeed, Selz dominated the daily headlines as the nation devoured stories about the stranger-than-fiction murderer. Not much is known about Selzs early life. Census records indicate he was born in San Francisco around 1909 to European immigrant parents. In his twenties, he joined the Army and was stationed in Central America, but ship logs show he was arrested for deserting in El Salvador in 1931. Selz was shipped back to California and sentenced to hard labor at Fort Winfield Scott in the Presidio. By 1932, he was back in the world and ready to start grifting everyone he came into contact with. His first scheme was to drum up a little notoriety. One day in 1932, he strode into the Chronicle offices and declared he, Slipton Fell, was a world traveler who wanted to share his adventures with San Francisco readers. The paper printed his tale, claiming Mr. Fell had traveled from Alaska to New Orleans to Mexico to Guatemala on $10.48. And they wrote a follow-up the next year, when Slipton Fells friend, Faran Wide, called for his return. Wide is here, but he hasnt the slightest idea where his buddies are, the story read. He has appealed to The Chronicle to help him locate them. There was about him the air of a soldier of fortune who had plotted a revolt that failed, wrote Chronicle reporter Allan R. Bosworth in 1947. Everyone knew he was a liar, but hed charmed the whole office, Bosworth recalled. He laughed and his mirth was infectious. Anybody, we said, who would adopt the name of Slipton Fell was worth a story and never mind his real name. Selzs buffoonery was about to take a malicious turn, however. Although not yet 30, he racked up quite the rap sheet by 1935. He repeatedly lost jobs for stealing from his employers or pretending to lose paychecks and double-dipping. In the summer of 1935 Selz got a job working at an auto repair shop in Burlingame, and was tasked with fixing the car of 58-year-old Ada French Rice. Mrs. Rice, twice divorced, lived alone in Woodside Glens in Woodland, and was seemingly enamored with Selz. He was tall six feet even with dark hair and cheerful cheeks. The Chronicle reported that he was handsome, and according to a truly mind-blowing headline after his arrest, Personable Except for Lips Being Too Thick. After he fixed her car, Rice invited Selz to move into the cottage on her property. Within 10 days, she was signing property over to him. She transferred him the deed to her home, some property on Skyline Boulevard and a parcel in El Cerrito. Along with the property, Selz gained another important asset: her signature. Around the time Selz moved in, neighbors stopped seeing Ada Rice. When anyone asked, Selz said she was on a trip. Though someone was regularly cashing checks, signed by her, at a Palo Alto bank. In December, Selz did an odd thing: He went to police to report his car missing. It took a few months, but in early 1936 police tracked it down. Inside was ammonia and rope, along with a few items that tied Selz to Rice. A quick check into Selzs past pulled up his criminal record and many questions. In March, San Mateo County Sheriff James J. McGrath hauled Selz in. Selz played dumb at first. Hed dropped Rice off in San Francisco ages ago because she wanted to elope with a stranger, he said. He hadnt seen her since last June, but he figured she was happy wherever she was. This implausible story didnt impress detectives, but it wasnt long before Selz changed his tune. Selzs new story was this: On the night of June 13, he came home to the little cottage behind Rices main house. It was pitch black inside, but he heard rustling. Suspecting burglars were about, he picked up a poker and slammed it into the shadows. When he turned on the lights, Rice was on the floor, dead. He also claimed there was a Bulgarian army officer named Baronovich who used the murder to blackmail him for a while, but then Selz killed him too. Investigators would later find him at the bottom of San Francisco Bay. He agreed to take police and reporters to where hed buried Rice. Just 20 feet from the road, along the San Lorenzo River, was the body of a woman. As photographers snapped pictures, Selz leaned over and laughed, If you guys want a sensation, try hauling a corpse around in a car with the hoot owls hooting at night! When the story went to press the next day, hed been dubbed The Laughing Killer. Selz loved every moment of his newfound infamy. Reporters trailed him to the jail, to the San Mateo Bridge (he stoically pointed out where hed tossed Baronovichs body as cameras clicked), and to the county morgue. Archival image via San Francisco Chronicle It is as if he wrote his own mystery thriller, cleverly concealing the denouement so he alone could supply the key and then reserved for himself the role of hero in his miserably sordid play, the Chronicle mused. Each day brought new, strange revelations. Selz apparently wasnt living alone after all; a 19-year-old hitchhiker hed picked up days before had moved in. The poor girl was maligned succinctly by the 1930s press: Perhaps no better description of her general character could be given than a plain recitation of the fact that she wears bell-bottom trousers instead of a skirt. Selz asked the press to hold off on reporting their relationship. That will ruin my social prestige when you say I was living with a hitchhiker, he complained. For her part, the teen was shocked to learn the cheerful man who invited her to stay had recently put a book on hold at the Redwood City library called A Manual of Toxicology. It was about poison. --- As investigators dragged the bay, police from around the state started pinning unsolved murders on Selz. Cops from San Diego arrived to question him in the death of a woman six years prior. A hotel clerk in San Francisco swore Selz was the man hed seen with Betty Coffman, the victim in a brutal slaying the year before. Police racked up a list of unaccounted-for persons: Selzs uncle, a possible ex-wife, several former co-workers and that damned Bulgarian officer who no one had ever heard of. He killed at least ten or 11 people in the Bay Area and six or seven in other parts of California, the confident San Mateo County sheriff declared. Selzs mood turned mercurial. One moment, he was laughing and asking reporters, Do you fellows think Im screwy? The next, he was gravely analyzing his personality. I found that I am sulky, whine, cry too much and am inclined to outbreaks of brutality, he said. On March 12, he made what began as a routine court appearance. By the days end, he was headed to San Quentin: In a few hours time, hed been arraigned, pleaded guilty and sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder. His lawyers said he just wanted to be done with it all. But Ralph Jerome von Braun Selz wasnt done making news. As the years went by, he was cleared in every other missing persons case. He admitted hed made up the entire story about Baronovich. And he kept escaping from prison. During World War II, he was moved to a lower-security facility in Chino. He made a run for it in 1945 and got all the way to Minnesota, where in a burst of wartime patriotism he enlisted in the Army. His fingerprints got a routine check by the FBI, which realized they matched those of a wanted fugitive. They found him in Canada; he was living there under the name of Sergeant Tiny Morgan. In 1962, now 54, Selz disappeared from the California Mens Colony in San Luis Obispo. His pockets stuffed full of candy bars, he was found three miles away a few days later. The last record of Selz came in the early 1970s. He claimed he was being denied legal counsel, but a look at the jail log books quickly refuted that; several visits from attorneys were noted. Selz then disappears from history. There is no death record for a Ralph Selz (or any of his other many name variations) in the state of California. All that remains are his many legal filings, years and years of appeals that ultimately ended in rejection at the U.S. Supreme Court. He often claimed his laughter was a result of hallucinations, sometimes allegedly induced by a truth serum police gave him. The only release from the hallucinatory fears was the pretense of infectious humor whose parallel is akin to a small boy, shouting or whistling as he passes a graveyard at night, Selz wrote in one of his appeals. These claims were repeatedly disputed by prison doctors and, if you believe this anecdote, Selzs own behavior. A few days after Rices body was found, the sheriff took Selz to the morgue, clearly hoping to shake him. Because the body was so badly decomposed, dental records had not yet confirmed it was Rice. The sheriff asked Selz to take a good, long look at the body. Did he think it could be his former friend? It might be, Selz said with a grin. You got her from the place I put her, didnt you? Katie Dowd is a senior digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: katie.dowd@sfgate.com Beaumont ISD committed Tuesday to pay all of their employees including long-term substitutes, crossing guards and bus drivers as long as campuses remain closed. The unanimous vote took place at the first meeting of the board since schools closed as a precaution against the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Some of the boards newest members, who took their seats last month as part of the return to local control, pushed Superintendent Shannon Allen on the details of the resolution. Trustee Robert Dunn questioned whether employees who stayed home and were not given work would go without pay during the closures. Allen said there is an option to take leave, but that anyone who works will be paid. If people are nervous, or afraid, then they may take the option, you know I cant do work, I am afraid, I dont want to be around people, I dont want to be in the building well then they can take leave and have their position is actually protected, Allen said. Trustee Zenobia Bush reiterated that employees would not be punished if the district did not have work for them to do. Im thinking of some of the paraprofessionals and whether there is something for them to do, and (in)situations like that I want to make sure that we make it very clear, that if we dont give them something to do that doesnt mean we dont pay them, Bush said. That is on us. Allen said the resolution, which included other provisions like suspending public records requirements, was similar to those passed during floods and hurricanes. The intention is to do the same thing again, Allen said. The difference and the caveat is we still have to keep operating. Those past instances did not always run according to plan however, trustees said. Denise Wallace-Spooner said the board was acting in a transparent manner and would stay true to its word. For those that are listening to the meeting tonight, I hope that we have conveyed that we are operating very transparent. There is nothing hidden here, she said. I think we have experienced this in the past, where employees navigated to the rumors. There were rifts. People were informed at the last minute that they didnt have a job or they were going to have to do other things. So I think the cloud semi-hovers. We are trying to convey tonight that we are not about that. Dunn said before voting that he was fine with the resolution as long as Allen followed through on all components of it. Ive already told Dr. Allen that we are going to back 110%, and we have to be able to trust that she does exactly what she says she is going to do, he said. My only concern is not paying somebody. During the meeting, Allen also gave updates on the free meal services that started Tuesday morning, with the first day serving 1,440 breakfasts and just as many lunches. That number is expected to grow in coming days. In her monthly report, Allen outlined how students will be graded. Students grades will be based on the percentage of the total number of hours completed on the flexible education program, she said. The bottom line is we are going to be sensitive with how we grade students, but you have to do the work, you have to spend the time. Although the credit programs are in place for seniors to continue towards graduation, the ceremony itself is in limbo. We dont know how long we are going to be in this situation. Are we going to have graduation? Are we going to have prom?, Allen said. We cant really answer that question right now. As long as we have the current order from our county judge about gatherings of 10 or more people we cant. Other provisions of the COVID-19 resolution give Allen the power to make changes to employee compensation, change the calendar for students and employees, make instructional modifications, respond to quarantine and student and staff attendance as it relates to the virus, as well as seeking waivers from Texas Education Agency, modifying board meeting schedules and suspending procurement procedures related to responding to the emergency. Before the meeting Board President Thomas Sigee told The Enterprise that the district was ramping up to operate remotely for the long-haul. It seems like it is going to be longer than anyone anticipated, he said. We are preparing to do things both online as well as on paper. Sigee said keeping all district employees busy and employed was a personal goal of his. Thats an item on my agenda my personal agend to see that theyre taken care of as well, he said. In all contracts theres always this little thing in small print it says may include other duties, so some people may be doing duties other than what they normally do and in order to keep them employed they may have to switch gears and do something that they wouldnt normally do for a couple of hours during the day. The board president said that while there are unknowns, including what could happen with AP testing, the district was actively looking into solving problems as they arise. Were trying to figure out what is our next step, he said. And Im very proud to be a part of this district because were scrambling, but at the same time we are moving on uncharted territory. And even during Spring Break, Dr. Allen had staff in the office working, coming up with some solutions on how to educate these children. isaac.windes@hearstnp.com twitter.com/isaacdwindes (Newser) Out-of-work bartenders are getting some help from actor and gin aficionado Ryan Reynolds. In a Tuesday tweet, Reynolds said the United States Bartenders' Guild would receive 30% of proceeds from online sales of Aviation Gin until May 1. Consider it "a tip to your bartenderswho REALLY miss you btw," wrote the gin company owner. "In fairness, I wouldn't be the father I am today without bartenders," he added. Aviation Gin got the ball rolling with a $15,000 donation, per People. Reynolds and wife Blake Lively already donated a combined $1 million to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada earlier this month. story continues below "I think in times of crisis ... we all know that it's the celebrities that we count on most. They're the ones who are going to get us through this," the Canadian joked in a Monday video, the result of a challenge from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "Right after health care workers, of course. First responders. People who work in essential services. Pingpong players. Mannequins, they're great." On a more serious note, Reynolds urged people to "stay at home, practice social distancing, wash your hands" to prevent the spread of COVID-19, per BuzzFeed. Do that and we can "flatten the curve" and "get through this thing together," he said. (Read more Ryan Reynolds stories.) FILE PHOTO: Bombardier's logo is seen on the building of the company's service centre at Biggin Hill (Reuters) - Bombardier pulled its 2020 outlook on Tuesday and said it would stop work at most of its Canadian operations until April 26 to help slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The suspension includes aircraft and rail production in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, the Canadian company said. The Ontario plant does final assembly for the Global 5500, 6500 and 7500 business jets. Ontario's premier announced a two-week shutdown of non-essential businesses starting Tuesday, while Quebec's order will last until April 13. Bombardier confirmed it was placing 12,400 of its employees on furlough, which makes up 70% of the company's Canadian workforce. The company's chief executive and senior leadership team will forgo pay for the furloughed period. "We expect the company's current cash position should help it face this crisis although we acknowledge that the operations shutdown will have an impact on cash flows in the short term," Desjardins analyst Benoit Poirier said in a client note. The planemaker also said it was cutting all discretionary spending and was pursuing additional measures to enhance liquidity. It added that production would be temporarily halted at all of its Northern Ireland sites until April 20. Reuters had reported on Monday that Bombardier would suspend Canadian production of its corporate jets to comply with restrictions imposed by provincial governments. The deadly coronavirus outbreak has spread to almost all countries of the world, prompting large-scale lockdowns and virtually wiping out demand for air travel. Some of the workers at Bombardier's plant in Toronto were sent home after a contractor tested positive for the novel coronavirus called COVID-19, the union's acting plant chair Bill Bell said in an interview on Monday. (Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru and Allison Lampert; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Maju Samuel) Some of India's biggest public sector companies are yet to appoint a woman independent director as the deadline to comply with markets regulator Sebi's directive is fast closing in. PSU giants NTPC, SAIL, BHEL and Coal India, also known as Maharatnas, have failed to conform to the regulatory guideline of recruiting at least one woman independent director. In May 2018, Sebi said the top 1,000 listed companies must have at least one woman independent director by March 2020. With the deadline fast approaching, PSUs are losing precious time to do a salvaging act to herald a long-awaited reform in the corporate sector. Moneycontrol reached out to the above-mentioned PSUs but received a response only from NTPC. "At NTPC, the position of woman independent director is vacant since November 16, 2019. As appointment of directors are made by the Government of India, the company has already written to the administrative ministry in this regard and appointment of woman independent director is likely to be made shortly," a NTPC spokesperson told Moneycontrol. Other Maharatnas such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Gas Authority of India Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Power Grid Corporation of India have a woman independent director each on their boards but the gender representation is not different from other Indian boardrooms. Among the 14 Navratnas, half Bharat Electronics Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, NLC India Limited, EIL, HPCL, REC and National Mineral Development Corporation and Shipping Corporation of India do not have a woman independent director. Moneycontrol reached out to MCA Secretary Injeti Srinivas to ascertain the progress made on this front but there was no response. Arundhati Bhattacharya, the first female head of State Bank of India, said more commitment is needed to ensure things change at the ground level. "There is no easy answer to this problem," she said. SEBI ACTION? What will Sebi do in case these PSUs miss the deadline? Rajat Bhardwaj, a Delhi-based corporate lawyer, said SEBI can take action for non-compliance of its directives. He cited a circular dated January 22 2020 issued by Sebi that warned of a fine of Rs 5,000 a day in the case of violators among listed companies. "The circular empowers the regulator to take more stringent action against the listed companies and PSUs. Suo motu actions can also be taken by the courts if the compliance is not done within time," he said. The representation of women in PSU boards once mirrored those of private companies dominated by men. But in recent years, the private sector has roped in more women in boardrooms, albeit after a nudge from the regulator. MINDSET ISSUE Although the representation of women in boardrooms has risen after the Companies Act of 2013 mandated listed companies of a certain size appoint at least one woman director, a comprehensive implementation of the guidelines is yet to happen. Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder of TeamLease Services, said regulatory nudge is not enough to bring about a change. "Unless there is acceptance and acknowledgement of the socio-economic benefit of having more women at workplace at all levels, the situation is not going to improve. It also needs a top-down messaging to embed it in the culture of an organisation," she said. According to Chakraborty, management designs, keeping in mind the ever-evolving corporate ecosystem, are proving to be a major impediment in implementing any reforms. "Compared to the public sector, there is a relatively greater chance for women employees in the private sector to get recognition," she said. A crime wave of coronavirus-related incidents have surfaced across the UK with brazen thieves stealing food supplies from the elderly and police officers being 'coughed at' in the street as the country continues to battle the pandemic. This is while raiders in north London broke into a pub just before 7am on Tuesday, taking supplies and a Deliveroo tablet it had been using to process takeaway orders. A man from east London is set to appear in court on Wednesday after he told police he had coronavirus. It comes after police across the country were forced to break up gatherings in the UK in parks and other social environments as many decided to flout the government's advice regarding social distancing. An elderly woman in her 70s was left without toilet roll and freezer supplies in Sunderland after thieves broke into her home and used a wheelie bin to take her goods away. The woman woke on Sunday morning to find thieves had broken in overnight at her home in Grindon and had stolen what have become essential items during the coronavirus crisis. The True Craft pub in Tottenham (pictured above) had a Deliveroo tablet stolen from it. They had been relying on the tablet to keep staff employed The victim's daughter, who did not want to be named, said her mother had been left shaken by the incident. 'My mum was a victim of a crime of the most heinous nature,' she said. 'Whilst sleeping, her garage was broken into and thieves helped themselves to the contents of her chest freezers. 'They also stole loo roll and other items and used her wheelie bin to transport their loot.' She added: 'Whilst not wanting to set further panic in the communities I belong to, do take time to stress the importance of security to the vulnerable and elderly people you care for.' Police officers have been forced to patrol parts of the UK as many continued to flout social distancing rules A spokesman for Northumbria Police said: 'Shortly after 10am on Sunday March 22 we received a report of a burglary at an address on Stirling Close, Sunderland. 'It was reported that an intruder had broken into the garage of an address overnight and stolen a number of items including a wheelie bin and frozen food. 'An investigation has been launched into the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact us via the 'Tell Us Something' page on our website quoting reference 211 220320.' This is while in London 45-year-old Darren Rafferty has been charged with grievous bodily harm and three counts of assault on an emergency worker. A group of young men are spoken to by Kent Police officers before being dispersed from a children's play area in Mote Park, Maidstone, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus Scotland Yard said officers were called to reports of an assault in Dagenham early on Tuesday afternoon and found an injured woman, who was taken to hospital for treatment. They also found a knife. The Metropolitan Police said that, during Rafferty's arrest, 'he coughed on officers and stated that he was suffering from coronavirus'. He will appear at Barkingside Magistrates' Court. Also in London looters took the opportunity to take a Deliveroo tablet that a north-London pub had been relying on for customers to place take-out orders. Thieves are seen running out of the True Craft pub in Tottenham after taking a Deliveroo tablet The pub's owners were already struggling to keep the kitchen open and have now had to lay off all their 15 staff. The four, who included a woman, were caught on CCTV levering up a metal shutter to gain entry and grabbing what they could inside the pub. As they crawl back out underneath the shutter one at a time, a pair of pedestrians can be seen on the disturbing footage walking ever closer towards them. The thieves also made off with around 500 in cash, iPads and bottles of spirits. Brothers David and John Lewis quit their jobs to restore an abandoned Victorian pub 18 months ago and their 'labour of love' small business was thriving until coronavirus struck. David, 38, said: 'We employ local people and try and support other local businesses. 'We shut down the day before the government's announcement about closing pubs and restaurants because we wanted to be responsible and set an example. 'We have been trying to protect jobs. We had to lay off half our 15 staff, the bar staff, but we had managed to keep the kitchen open. 'No one was allowed into the pub but we were offering a selection of craft beers and pizzas and taking contactless payments. 'The burglars got away with our only lifeline to survive as a small business - our Deliveroo tablet. 'It is going to take us a while to get another one from Deliveroo, so now we have had to lay off our kitchen staff too.' Sharing the CCTV footage to 'shame these scumbags', Mr Lewis said: 'People are being told to stay at home and certain members of society see this as a prime opportunity to go out robbing. 'When we reported it to the police, one of the officers told us they are seeing a fall in house burglaries but an increase in business burglaries. 'This could be a sign of lawlessness to come in the country with so many businesses being shut. 'I am concerned because there were riots here in Tottenham in 2011. I am now trying to secure the pub during lockdown because we don't want it ransacked again or rioting and it set on fire. 'It has been a very upsetting and stressful day. 'We would appeal to anyone who recognises any of these people to report them to the police.' The owners have also left a message for their customers on the pub's website, saying: 'Some people have no heart. I'm really sorry to inform you but we were broken into last night. So we are unable to operate and will not be open today and until further notice. 'Thanks to everyone for all your support. You have kept our faith that the vast majority of our local community have hearts of gold. 'It's just a small minority that spoil it for everyone and make this whole situation even worse. Stay healthy and do the right thing.' WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. John Katko, alarmed by a shortage of medical supplies to battle the coronavirus, wants to force President Donald Trump to take over the medical supply chain and demand that U.S. companies produce life-saving ventilators and other equipment. Katko, R-Camillus, joined with two House Democrats on Wednesday to introduce a bill that would put the federal government in charge of the manufacturing and distribution of medical supplies. At least 30 House Democrats, but no Republicans, immediately signed on as co-sponsors of the Medical Supply Chain Emergency Act. Katko said his legislation could help answer Gov. Andrew Cuomos plea for 30,000 additional ventilators for New York hospitals and ease a critical shortage of personal protective gear for medical personnel across the nation. Trump has been reluctant to invoke the full authority of the Defense Production Act of 1950, which gives the president the ability to control the manufacturing and distribution of scarce supplies. Were a country not based on nationalizing our business, Trump said Sunday. The concept of nationalizing our businesses is not a good concept. The president said he prefers to allow states to acquire the medical supplies on the open market. Trump said last week that the federal government is not a shipping clerk thats supposed to buy and distribute vast quantities of products. Katkos bill, introduced with Democratic Reps. Tim Ryan of Ohio and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, wouldnt give Trump a choice. Trump would have to find companies with the capacity to produce the needed medical equipment. The legislation requires Trump to order those companies to begin emergency production of a least 200,000 medical ventilators, 500 million N-95 respirators, 20 million face shields for medical workers, 500 million pairs of medical exam gloves, and 20 million surgical gowns. The federal government would determine a fair and reasonable price that would be paid to manufacturers. In turn, Trump would direct the allocation of the medical equipment to the states, rather than having states compete to buy the supplies on the open market. The bill requires priority to be given to states with the highest number of cases of COVID-19 and the largest populations considered at risk of developing a serious illness from the virus. U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, have introduced the same bill in the Republican-controlled Senate. Murphy said its clear the federal government needs to intervene to ease the supply shortage. The current system, in which states and hospitals are competing against each other for scarce equipment, is both unnecessary and barbaric, Murphy said. Enough is enough. Its time to centralize the critical medical supply chain and distribution during this public health crisis. Katko said the supplies are essential for New York state, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. The state has more than 25,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and more than 200 deaths. I do not understand the reluctance to use the federal Defense Production Act to manufacture ventilators. If not now, when? Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 24, 2020 Without sufficient testing kits, personal protective equipment and ventilators, we handcuff the response effort and leave frontline providers vulnerable to infection, Katko said. The American Medical Association is among medical groups that have urged Trump to use his authority under the Defense Production Act to ease the shortage of medical supplies. Read More Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Onondaga County rolls out coronavirus map: Has your town been hit yet? As CNY day-care workers prepared for a coronavirus surge, they often got layoffs Welch Allyn owner Hillrom ramps up medical device production in fight against coronavirus Do you know of a business thats providing products or services to help combat the new coronavirus? We want to hear from you. Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Tammy Hembrow is self-isolating at her Gold Coast mansion amid the coronavirus pandemic. And on Wednesday, the fitness entrepreneur showed off her incredible figure in beige lingerie as she reclined on a couch. The 25-year-old drew attention to her cleavage and toned tummy, and rested her head against her hand. Self-isolation looks good on her! Tammy Hembrow (pictured), 25, showed off her incredible figure in lingerie as she lounged around at her Gold Coast home on Wednesday, amid the coronavirus pandemic Tammy slicked her blonde locks into a tight chignon at the nape of the neck, and pared back her makeup. The mother-of-two opted for a light coating of foundation, defined brows, false lashes and a clear gloss on her plump pout. Australians have been advised by the Australian government to only leave the house when necessary amid the coronavirus pandemic. Staying safe and healthy: Like other Australians, the fitness entrepreneur is hunkering down at home amid the current health crisis Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness accompanied by fever, coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath and fatigue. It can produce pneumonia. The spread of the disease, which began in Wuhan, China, has seen over 439,000 cases worldwide and more than 19,700 fatalities. As of the evening of March 25, the total number of people diagnosed with the virus in Australia is 2,431, including nine deaths. While at home self-isolating, Tammy is no doubt keeping up to date with her business ventures - her Saski Collection and Tammy Fit app. Statistics: Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness accompanied by fever, coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath and fatigue. As of the evening of March 25, the total number of people diagnosed with the virus in Australia is 2,431 including nine deaths Businesswoman: While at home self-isolating, Tammy is no doubt keeping up to date with her business ventures - her Saski Collection and Tammy Fit app She has worked hard for her success, previously revealing in her podcast, Hanging With The Hembrows, in January, that she once held jobs in retail and telemarketing. The Instagram sensation said she used to get screamed at while dealing with disgruntled customers during her stint in telemarketing. 'I just got screamed at all the time. I literally used to cry after work,' Tammy said with a laugh. Speaking of her fast food job, she said: 'Grill'd was pretty bad as well, making burgers, but I got free burgers out of that and they were delicious.' One third of all Indians live in one room. Another one third lives in 2 rooms. They cannot self quarantine or isolate and if infected they will pass it on to others. It is impossible for India to control an epidemic, notes Aakar Patel. IMAGE: People travel in a crowded bus in Kolkata, March 23, 2020, to return to their villages before the start of the lockdown imposed by the West Bengal government to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters The population of India in the first census of 1872 was 206,162,360. Meaning 20.61 crore on the subcontinent, including what is today Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 1881, this rose by 23% to 25.38 crore. Some of this was due to an increase in population and some due to the increase in territory controlled by the British, which kept expanding over the years. In 1911, the population grew by 7% over the decade to 31 crore. However, in 1921, after 10 years it remained at 31 crore. Why did the population not grow over an entire decade? The answer is an H1N1 virus which is called the Spanish Influenza. This was an epidemic like the coronavirus and it killed off the entire population growth of a decade in India. Around 1.5 crore people and most likely more than that were killed by it. The flu came to India from Europe, where it broke out in military hospitals towards the end of the first world war. We don't know how it originated, but it is possible that it was transferred from birds or animals being slaughtered for the armies's messes. Indian regiments which fought for the British empire returned to Bombay after Germany surrendered in 1918 and the fighting ended. They brought the virus with them, just as those coming from abroad have brought the coronavirus. Many nations had fought the war including the United States and so the returning soldiers took the disease around the world. It is thought that 25% of the world's population was infected and probably killed around 10% of those infected. These are very high rates of both transmission and of fatality and that is what we are faced with in the coronavirus. The problem with a new virus is that it has no cure. There is no medicine that can be taken and it has the ability to spread very rapidly as we are seeing in India today. Person A is infected and may or may not show symptoms, s/he passes them on to the people s/he has been near, and they pass the virus on to the people they come in contact with. And all this happens in the same day. There is no decrease in the lethality of the virus as it passes from one person to another and the virus does not dilute. There are ways in which the chain of the spreading can be halted and that is to end contact between all people as far as possible. This ensures that those who are infected have the time for the disease to pass through their system. Some survive and others will not. But the isolation ensures that even those who are infected keep the disease to themselves. The point of isolation is not the benefit of the patient, but the others around him. China halted the spread of coronavirus through lockdowns of entire cities. People were banned from travelling outside their homes. The government ensured that food was supplied to each home by trained people. In Europe, it is not possible for democratic States to order or enforce absolute shutdowns like China. This is the reason that the spread of the virus in Italy and now Spain is faster and the death rate higher than in China. Of course, Europeans have been practising social distancing and self quarantine as we have seen in the videos, but this is not as effective as a total lockdown. On Friday, March 20, in Italy (which has a population of less than Gujarat) 627 people died and another 6,000 cases of Coronavirus infection were recorded. Just in one day. And unless the chain is broken, or the virus itself mutates into something less infectious and less lethal, the infection spreads exponentially. We are familiar with exponential growth through the story of the man who asks the king to give him one grain of rice for the first square of the chessboard, then double it with each square. That sequence produces 1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128,256,512,1024 and 2048 by just the 12th square. Now assume that these are people and the 1 represents the first infected person entering the country. By the time you reach the 64th square, everybody has been infected except a few. This is what will happen with coronavirus. The fact is that India has no defence against coronavirus. One third of all Indians live in one room. Another one third lives in 2 rooms. They cannot self quarantine or isolate and if infected they will pass it on to others. It is impossible for India to control an epidemic. We do not have the State capacity of China to deliver food by trained and protected individuals to each home and order everyone to stay at home. That will not happen in India. We also do not have the healthcare to save those who will be infected and can be saved medically because we do not have the capacity there either. India spends 4 times on defence what it does on health. Last year, the government gave only Rs 3,200 crore to Ayushman Bharat (what is called Modicare). We spent Rs 59,000 crore only on 36 Rafale fighters. India has 70,000 hospital beds and only a few ventilators. Those infected who might be able to be saved in another country will die in India. This is a fact and we will learn of this very soon as we confront a disease that will kill not in numbers alone but a fraction of the population. The world will notice that India cannot spread the contagion and there will be consequences of that which we shall soon see and they will not be good for us. The good thing about India, which perhaps no other country has, is our fatalism. We are so accustomed to extreme deprivation, misery and loss that there will be no revolution, no social upheaval as hundreds of thousands of people will die. Those of us that survive this plague will carry on just as the survivors of the Spanish Influenza did a century ago. Ratner said the coronavirus is particularly hard to contain because it is reasonably transmissible and some people who dont have a lot of symptoms can still pass the virus to others. Thats been part of the problem, he said, but it also points to the fact to how interconnected we all are and how quickly this thing spread from Asia to the rest of the world. A researcher works in a lab that is developing testing for the CCP virus at Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation in Nutley, N.J., on Feb. 28, 2020. (Kena Betancur/Getty Images) Warm Weather May Stem CCP Virus Spread, but Wont Stop It: Study While warmer temperatures and humid climates cant completely eradicate the CCP virus, they may hinder its spread, new research suggests. The March 19 study, titled Will Coronavirus Pandemic Diminish by Summer? was conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and analyzes the patterns in local weather of the regions affected by COVID-19. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. The scientists in their early analysis found that 90 percent of transmissions of the virus occurred in lower temperature regionsbetween 37.4 and 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit (3 and 17 degrees Celsius). They found that fewer than 6 percent of CCP virus cases across the globe have been reported in regions with temperatures averaging above 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). Wherever the temperatures were colder, the number of the cases started increasing quickly, the studys co-author, Dr. Qasim Bukhari, told The New York Times. You see this in Europe, even though the health care there is among the worlds best. Bukhari said this pattern is also evident within the United States, which has over 55,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 802 deaths, according to official government data collated by Johns Hopkins University. States with cooler average temperatures, such as Washington, New York, and Colorado, have seen a more rapid outbreak than southern states like Arizona, Florida, and Texas, Bukhari told the outlet. He added, however, that other factors in different countries, such as COVID-19 test availability, social distancing measures, travel restrictions, and burdens on hospitals may affect the numbers of confirmed CCP virus cases within a country. We still need to take strong precautions, Bukhari said. Warmer temperatures may make this virus less effective, but less effective transmission does not mean that there is no transmission. For example, Bukhari said, the virus may remain viable on surfaces for hours or even days, despite differing temperatures. The MIT scientist cautioned that a reduced transmission of the virus may be limited in regions with warmer climates and humidity, as the high humidity and heat only perfectly align in some parts of the Northern Hemisphere mainly during the months of July and August. This suggests that even if the spread of the coronavirus decreases at higher humidity, its effect would be limited for regions above 40 degrees North, which includes most of Europe and North America, Bukhari said. The World Health Organization this month said that there was no evidence that temperature would play a role in the virus outbreak but it was an avenue worth exploring. Reuters contributed to this report. To someone of my generation (Im proudly Gen-X), the word summit evokes President Carter bringing warring sides of the Middle East together, or President Reagan meeting in icy Reykjavik with General Secretary Gorbachev. Well, the homeschool community may be interested in a summit scheduled for June 18-19 at Harvard Law School to discuss a controversial practicehomeschooling.* The Homeschooling Summit: Problems, Politics, and Prospects for Reform is being billed as a means of bringing together leaders in education and child welfare policy to discuss child rights and homeschooling. They include: Dr. Rachel Coleman , founder of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education and co-founder of Homeschoolings Invisible Children. She is expected to reiterate her organizations views that homeschooling must be more firmly regulated by the government. Proposed regulations include a call for annual evaluation of every homeschooled student. , founder of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education and co-founder of Homeschoolings Invisible Children. She is expected to reiterate her organizations views that homeschooling must be more firmly regulated by the government. Proposed regulations include a call for annual evaluation of every homeschooled student. Samantha Field , author of Meet HSLDA, The Most Powerful Religious-Right Lobby Youve Never Heard Of. The article starts by declaring, The Home School Legal Defense Association has fomented a culture of suspicion and wild conspiracy theories that may put children in danger. , author of Meet HSLDA, The Most Powerful Religious-Right Lobby Youve Never Heard Of. The article starts by declaring, The Home School Legal Defense Association has fomented a culture of suspicion and wild conspiracy theories that may put children in danger. Carmen Longoria-Green , litigation counsel for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Greens 2015 Note for the Georgetown Law Review describes the current homeschool environment as massively deregulated and suggests that states should set up a process where homeschooled students could petition a judge to force their parents to send them to public school. (Educational Empowerment: A Childs Right to Attend Public School, 103 Geo. L.J. 1089) Such a process is necessary, she told the Washington Post, because Its unreasonable to expect children to be their own advocates You need a forum where an outside person looks at the situation and says, Is this person meeting educational outcomes? , litigation counsel for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Greens 2015 Note for the Georgetown Law Review describes the current homeschool environment as massively deregulated and suggests that states should set up a process where homeschooled students could petition a judge to force their parents to send them to public school. (Educational Empowerment: A Childs Right to Attend Public School, 103 Geo. L.J. 1089) Such a process is necessary, she told the Washington Post, because Its unreasonable to expect children to be their own advocates You need a forum where an outside person looks at the situation and says, Is this person meeting educational outcomes? Dr. Chelsea McCracken , who asserted in 2018 that Research on homeschooled students academic performance has been hampered by the lack of data collected on homeschooled students in most states. , who asserted in 2018 that Research on homeschooled students academic performance has been hampered by the lack of data collected on homeschooled students in most states. Dr. Barbara Knox , who worked at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine as the head of the hospitals Child Protection Program until 2019, when she voluntarily resigned while under investigation for alleged unprofessional acts including intimidation of her colleagues. She currently works with the Alaska Child Abuse Response and Evaluation Services, a department charged with making medical determinations about whether a child has been abused or not. Dr. Knox is a leader in the field of pediatric child abuse medicine, a specialty that the Parental Rights Foundation contends can lead to doctors seeing child abuse lurking behind every injury. , who worked at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine as the head of the hospitals Child Protection Program until 2019, when she voluntarily resigned while under investigation for alleged unprofessional acts including intimidation of her colleagues. She currently works with the Alaska Child Abuse Response and Evaluation Services, a department charged with making medical determinations about whether a child has been abused or not. Dr. Knox is a leader in the field of pediatric child abuse medicine, a specialty that the Parental Rights Foundation contends can lead to doctors seeing child abuse lurking behind every injury. James Dwyer , a law professor at the College of William and Mary. He is the professor famous for claiming that The reason parent-child relationships exist is because the State confers legal parenthood . In his 1994 law review article Parents Religion and Childrens Welfare: Debunking the Doctrine of Parents Rights (82 Calif. L. Rev. 1371), Dwyer argued that the claim that parents should have child-rearing rightsrather than simply being permitted to perform parental duties and to make certain decisions on a childs behalf in accordance with the childs rightsis inconsistent with principles deeply embedded in our law and morality. , a law professor at the College of William and Mary. He is the professor famous for claiming that The reason parent-child relationships exist is because the State confers legal parenthood . In his 1994 law review article Parents Religion and Childrens Welfare: Debunking the Doctrine of Parents Rights (82 Calif. L. Rev. 1371), Dwyer argued that the claim that parents should have child-rearing rightsrather than simply being permitted to perform parental duties and to make certain decisions on a childs behalf in accordance with the childs rightsis inconsistent with principles deeply embedded in our law and morality. Professor Robert Reich, whose views on homeschooling can be best summed up by the title of his 2015 editorial in the New York Times: More Oversight is Needed. The summit is being organized by Dwyer and Professor Elizabeth Bartholet. In Bartholets recent article in the Arizona Law Review, Homeschooling: Parent Rights Absolutism vs. Child Rights to Education & Protection, she recommends a presumptive ban on homeschooling, with the burden on parents to demonstrate justification for permission to homeschool. A preliminary agenda includes riveting topics such as The Current Politics: HSLDA Dominance and Tactics** and Concerns With Homeschooling. The summit looks like a fascinating line-up of speakers, and HSLDA would love to attend. Alas, its invitation only, and the exact location is undisclosed. However, we know that many parents homeschool to protect their children from abuse, so if you have questions about the summit, the website states you can contact Crisanne Hazen (chazen@law.harvard.edu) or call 617-496-1684. Additionally, there are a limited number of hotel rooms for summit attendees near the Law Schoolsee the website for further details. * The title of Professor Dwyers 2019 book: Homeschooling: The History and Philosophy of a Controversial Practice ** To be honest, I think this talk alone should be worth the price of admission. As African nations race to impose lockdowns and curfews in a bid to limit the spread of Covid-19, some are worried about the disruption that social distancing will bring to Africa's social norms. On a continent where two or three generations often live under the same roof, and personal space is lacking, some experts believe it will be more difficult to impose social distancing to slow down the coronavirus spread in Africa compared to Europe, Asia and the United States. "Spending time together is the norm," says Gilles Yabi, founder of the West African think tank Wathi, of a culture where family gatherings and big crowds go hand in hand. That continues even in sickness. In African cultures, the sick are treated and revered, not isolated, making self-quarantining almost impossible. Socialisation is not just a matter of culture but survival. "People need to work," continues Yabi, "and that involves taking public transport and mingling with other passengers in oft-packed buses." Crowded cities and vast slums also complicate social distancing in Africa. "For a variety of reasons, it is certainly very difficult to enforce," he told RFI. Yet, confinement has become inevitable, as the number of coronavirus cases climbs, forcing African governments to impose restrictions on their citizens to curb the outbreak. In God we trust According to Yabi, getting people to listen to the restrictions will depend on the credibility of the one dishing out the instructions. Trust in government remains low but is high among religious leaders. Yabi says policy makers should include religious authorities in their lockdown measures to bring populations on board. Authorities are struggling to do that in Africa's largest country Nigeria, where certain pastors have launched disinformation campaigns challenging the existence of the coronavirus. "A lot of people think it is only God who chooses who will die or who will be contaminated. It is difficult to get them to realise that human beings have the capacity and the intelligence to make decisions themselves," explains Yabi. The Nigerian government has urged citizens to rely only on information related to Covid-19 that has been approved by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. Several African countries have implemented lockdowns and curfews, encouraging citizens to stay at home and self-isolate. Confinement offers more security on a continent where health systems are weak. Investing in health "I think the continent has the possibility of limiting the spread of the coronavirus, but if countries miss that opportunity, I don't see how the continent can cope," comments Yabi. For years, doctors have complained that underfunding and neglect have debilitated health systems.This makes Africa's handling of the pandemic much more challenging. "If even a small percentage of the population catches the dangerous form of the disease it will be impossible to give them urgent assistance," says the Wathi founder, whose think tank recently published a paper on West Africa's health systems. A poor country like Bangladesh has 5 medical doctors per 10,000 people, whereas Cote d'Ivoire has 2.3 doctors and Burkina Faso--hardest hit in West Africa by Covid-19-- has just 0.6 medical practitioners per 10,000 people, explains Yabi. "This is why you can't manage this epidemic in our countries," he says, calling for more investment in terms of staff and resources to bolster African systems, and help them cope with the curtailing the transmission of the coronavirus. Germany's most populous state North-Rhine Westphalia plans the release of some 1,000 prisoners to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection, its justice minister said on Wednesday according to an online report by Focus magazine. The decree by the regional government applies for prisoners with a remaining prison term of up to 18 months and explicitly excludes the release of any sex crime offenders, it said. Follow live updates of coronavirus cases in India here Ethiopia to release thousands of prisoners Ethiopia announced it would free thousands of inmates from the country's overcrowded prisons as part of a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Attorney General Adanech Abebe told state media the measure would apply to more than 4,000 prisoners, many of whom are locked up for "petty crimes" and drug offences or have less than a year remaining on their sentences. "Considering the nature of the transmission of the virus and to end the overcrowding in prisons, the cases of 4,011 prisoners have been discontinued and given pardons," Adanech said, adding that the releases would begin Thursday. Conditions in Ethiopia's prisons are "harsh and in some cases life threatening," marred by "gross overcrowding and inadequate food, water, sanitation, and medical care," according to the latest annual human rights report on Ethiopia from the US State Department. Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases As of Tuesday evening, Ethiopia had confirmed 12 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, after conducting 480 laboratory tests, according to the Ethiopian Public Health Institute. Officials at the institute say all the cases involve people who travelled from abroad or had direct contact with people who travelled from abroad. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has ordered a number of measures to prevent widespread transmission of the coronavirus, including shutting land borders and limiting overcrowding in buses and taxis. But Abiy's appeals for Ethiopians to practice social distancing have fallen on deaf ears in some quarters, as large crowds continue to form in the capital, Addis Ababa, for religious ceremonies and other events. Ethiopia has stopped short of imposing the kinds of lockdowns seen elsewhere on the continent. Also on Wednesday, Abiy's office announced the creation of a national committee tasked with "gathering financial and non-financial materials for COVID-19 emergency preparedness." Abiy said on Twitter he would donate one month of his salary to the initiative. (With inputs from Reuters and AFP) We found out Tuesday afternoon that there were no additional cases reported by the state in Midland County, but there was one reported in Gladwin County: No new COVID-19 cases Tuesday in Midland County, state says In an effort to reduce illness exposure and support the volume of community members seeking COVID-19 testing and direction, MidMichigan Health launched its first Virtual Health Clinic. In response to community needs, the Midland Area Community Foundation is committing $1 million to coronavirus response efforts. Check out the full story here. Dow, Inc. is stepping up, pledging $3 million to aid in coronavirus relief efforts and adjusting its manufacturing to meet needs: Dow pledges $3M to aid coronavirus relief efforts. People helping people LaLonde's is offering a senior and caregiver hour at the beginning of the day, and is limiting the number of customers inside the store to 12 at any given time. Here's some more info: Local grocery stores adapt to new reality Need good news? Read these: Midland 'Costume Goddesses' work together to create CDC-approved face masks Aaron's Gifts From Home donates sanitizer to first responders Team Schulz organizes community volunteers to make face masks Four people share four different stories of hope More local news: What to know about Midland City services Take precautions Midland County Department of Public Health continues to encourage residents to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19: Continue to practice social distancing as recommended by federal, state and local officials. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Disinfect commonly touched surfaces. Stay home when you are sick. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. And, follow state orders to stay at home except to use essential services: FAQ: What does Michigan's stay-at-home order mean? Don't be like these people around the country: Deniers and disbelievers: 'If I get corona, I get corona.' Closures and Cancellations See Coronavirus related cancellations and submit changes to your business or group's regular hours and events. What if I think I have coronavirus symptoms? If you have symptoms or have concerns about the coronavirus, call your primary health care provider. If you do not have a primary doctor, call the MidMichigan Health COVID-19 hotline at 800-445-7356 or 989-794-7600; one of the urgent care centers; or one of the emergency departments. Providers will first perform initial testing to rule out other common respiratory illnesses, like the flu, which are a more likely cause of the symptoms. There also is a state hotline to respond to health-related questions about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The hotline will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week: Statewide hotline to address coronavirus questions Newsletters Want to keep up with news each day in your email inbox? Sign up for our daily newsletter and breaking news newsletter. You also can follow us on Facebook. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. - The country has moved into the Orange Zone (more than 20 cases but below 50) after recording nine more cases. - But citizens continue to widely ignore safety guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health. - Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has warned that the high levels of indiscipline are going to cost us. - Government spokesperson said a lockdown is possible if Kenyans continue ignoring safety guidelines. - Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi said a 2-3 week lockdown is both inevitable and necessary The country could be sent into lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus if Kenyans continue ignoring safety guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, the Government has warned. READ ALSO: Kenyans implore compatriots to stay at home, limit movement as coronavirus risk swells Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna, while responding to calls from some concerned citizens to declare a lockdown, said enforcing a stay-at-home order is something that is always on the table but we dont want to get there. A lockdown is something that is always on the table but we dont want to get there and we will not get there if our people are able to obey the advisory and measures that have put in place by the government. It is a place that no country wants to go. No society is comfortable with it, he said during an interview on Citizen TV. In a subsequent address to the public on Tuesday, March, 24, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe decried the high levels of indiscipline among Kenyans, who continue to disregard the public health guidelines the government has issued to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. We are suffering from indiscipline among Kenyans. And this indiscipline is going to cost us. Its unfathomable that we cant adhere to government measures, and the day this crisis bites hard, you still turn to government with cries of "serikali saidia", he stated as he announced a rise in positive corona virus cases in the country from 16 to 25. READ ALSO: 6 million protective masks ordered by Germany vanish in Kenya The new number effectively moved Kenya into the coronavirus Orange Zone (More than 20 cases but below 50). Kagwe particularly warned parents who continue to let their children roam freely during the current school break implemented to tame the spread of the disease. Leave the kids at home. This is not a holiday; we are doing this for your protection and we want responsibility among citizens, he pleaded. Kagwe at the same time cautioned hotel owners overcharging persons who have been booked into accommodation facilities as part of the mandatory 14-day quarantine. It is immoral for businesses to take advantage of people who have no choice. This is really unacceptable. Let us demonstrate patriotism, generosity and consideration, he appealed. READ ALSO: Good Samaritans raise funds, buy foodstuffs, toiletries for the needy in Huruma slums This transpired as more Kenyans appealed to the Government to enforce a total lockdown to stem the quick spread of coronavirus, which has so far killed over 16, 700 people with over 400,000 infections confirmed worldwide. Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi opined that a lockdown of between 2-3 weeks would go a long way in combating the virus. Oguna remained upbeat about the countrys ability to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the nation is on the right direction to keep the curve of infections manageable. On the countrys ability to screen and test suspected cases, Oguna maintained that the government has sufficient kits. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. God is punishing Kenyans with Corona Virus: Corona Virus in Kenya | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke 'Zero growth' not 'risk-free' Global Times By Xu Keyue and Wang Qi Source:Global Times Published: 2020/3/23 22:33:41 Last Updated: 2020/3/23 23:50:41 Local govts urged to report infection truthfully It would be medically normal to see setbacks and report new cases of infection in Wuhan and Hubei Province, which have recorded zero new infections for five consecutive days, experts said, and encouraged the public to tolerate such case instead of blindly pursuing a quick elimination of new cases which may put too much pressure on local officials. Wuhan government said on its WeChat public account on Monday that discharged patients who retest positive for coronavirus and asymptomatic cases will not be recorded as new confirmed cases. The city government noted they haven't seen people-to-people transmission from the relapsing patients. Such official response came after recent public concerns if some regions had reported false data in pursuit of the goal of a sustainable "zero growth." Wuhan government on Sunday dismissed such rumors, stressing the figure is objective and true. "It's medically normal even if a few new infections emerge after consecutive days of the 'zero growth,'" said Peng Zhiyong, director of the intensive care unit of Wuhan University's Zhongnan Hospital, noting that there is no need for the public to panic about such possible cases. Peng called on the public to allow Wuhan to "unload the burden of a sustainable 'zero growth' of new infections." According to National Health Commission, no new confirmed case has been reported in Hubei for five consecutive days since Wednesday, which reflects the epidemic situation is getting much better but doesn't mean the region is risk-free, Peng told the Global Times on Monday. As the virus is new which no one has understood thoroughly so far, it's normal that the consecutive zero growth could be interrupted, Yang Zhanqiu, a Wuhan-based virologist, told the Global Times on Monday. The blind desire for "zero cases, zero deaths" is not conducive to scientific prevention and control, instead, seeking truth from facts and early detection and reporting are the basis and premise of scientific prevention and control, Yang noted. Yang warned the local government should never conceal the truth if there are cases detected in the future, which would otherwise heavily blow the credibility and reputation of government, as well as impair the current situation made by the two-month nationwide efforts. China's central leading group for COVID-19 prevention on Monday urged local governments to report daily new infection numbers in a transparent way. "Hiding the numbers is more terrible than the virus itself, which will cause the huge wave of public discontent," one netizen wrote on Sina Weibo. Yang said the focus currently is to follow up the discharged patients who could retest positive and keep vigilant against imported cases from abroad. Some discharged patients retest positive usually because it takes time for the human immune system to clear all the virus or tests were not complete before the discharge, Yang said. People who have retested positive and show symptoms will be sent to designated hospitals for observation and treatment, said Tu Yuanchao, the vice head of the Hubei provincial health commission on Sunday. These patients will then undergo a 14-day quarantine after being discharged again. Those who are positive but asymptomatic will be sent to designated isolation sites for a 14-day observation, Tu noted. Tu noted that they have not seen these patients infecting other people so far, but have required disease control departments to conduct epidemiological follow-up investigations. Wuhan and other areas in China should prepare for the long fight against the COVID-19 as the domestic work resumption started and global pandemic breaks out, which could cause a second wave of outbreak, Yang noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address [Read more on who is excluded and what benefits are included.] Workers in California may also be eligible for paid sick days that can be used during school closures under state law, which provides a minimum of three days with full pay. Local laws may provide more. Additionally, the California Family School Partnership Act entitles workers at employers with 25 or more employees to up to 40 hours of job-protected, unpaid leave per year in a child care emergency, including the closure or unavailability of a school or child care provider. Beyond paid sick days and paid leave, you can apply for unemployment insurance if you need to care for a child whose school is closed, and youve exhausted other options for care. Under the CARES Act, unemployment insurance benefits can last up to 39 weeks and will include a $600 boost over regular payments through July. If your child (or another close family member) is sick with Covid-19 or another serious health condition, you can apply for California Paid Family Leave (P.F.L.) to take care of them. P.F.L. provides 60 percent or 70 percent of your wages, depending on income, for six weeks (extended to eight weeks, beginning July 1), and there is no waiting period. How do you apply for benefits through the state? You can apply for unemployment insurance online, or by mailing or faxing the application to the Employment Development Department (Spanish version here). You may also apply by phone, but expect long wait times. Here is a checklist of all the information youll need to apply. If it takes you more than five business days to connect by phone, ask the E.D.D. to backdate your claim to the Sunday before you started calling; just keep documentation of your attempts (like screenshots of your call log). The best way to apply for Paid Family Leave is online, using State Disability Insurance (S.D.I.) Online. The E.D.D. also accepts P.F.L. applications by mail, but you have to request that a hard copy be mailed to you (unlike with unemployment insurance, which allows you to mail or fax a form printed from the E.D.D.s website). Opera Australia has extended a financial lifeline to more than 600 staff who have been temporarily stood down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective from Monday, the city's premier performance company will stand down until the end of May its full-time, fixed-term and contract staff including singers, musicians and technicians. Those stood down will be put on half salary and be able to top up with long service leave, giving them access to up to 80 per cent of their regular salary based on a 38-hour week, the company said. Natalie Aroyan as Odabella in Opera Australia's production of Attila, which has been cancelled. Credit:Prudence Upton A core group of up to 35 staff will continue to work including Opera Australia's eight-member executive, each of which has volunteered to take reductions in their pay either in line with those who have been temporarily stood down or greater. US military personnel passing through Shannon Airport on their way to and from the US, Middle East and Europe have been instructed not to get off their aircraft after landing at the airport. Concerns have been expressed in recent weeks that US troops continue to be allowed transit Shannon despite President Donald Trump imposing a travel ban on passengers flying to the US amid Covid-19 fears. In recent weeks and days, one civilian airline carrying US military personnel has made almost daily stops at Shannon travelling to and from the US, the Middle East and European countries including Bulgaria, Poland and The Netherlands. Kuwait, a staging ground for troops based in the region, has almost 200 confirmed cases but no deaths while in Bulgaria, there have been three fatalities and 220 confirmed cases of the virus. In Poland nearly 1,000 infections have been confirmed while 13 people have died. Today, an Omni Air International flight from Eindhoven, the Netherlands, made a refuelling stop in Shannon on its to El Paso in the US state of Texas. There have already been almost 356 Covid-19 related deaths in the Netherlands while over 6,412 people are confirmed to have the virus. ShannonWatch spokesman Edward Horgan said: This is outrageous. Ireland is justifiably almost in lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus yet hundreds of US soldiers travelling from affected areas in the Middle East, Europe and the USA are landing at Shannon airport. The US Embassy says that troops have been 'directed' not to get off planes at Shannon but they had been entering the airport terminal building and mingling with airport passengers and airport workers. "US President Trump has banned all flights from Europe including Ireland, but not flights taking US soldiers through Shannon airport, Mr Horgan said. Mr Horgan also visited Shannon Garda station requesting that US soldiers be stopped from entering the airport terminal building so as the prevent the spread of coronavirus. A spokesman for the US Embassy in Dublin said: "US troops transiting through Shannon Airport have been directed to remain on board the aircraft. Only in circumstances where a maintenance issue requires troops to exit the aircraft will they be allowed to leave the plane and in these circumstances they will not mingle with others passengers in the terminal." While several troop carriers still transit Shannon every week, its understood there has been a dramatic reduction in US military aircraft traffic using Shannon in the wake of the worldwide Covid-19 outbreak. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] Three Newark police officers and six firefighters have tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, city officials announced Tuesday. A temporary COVID-19 unit composed of police and firefighters who are nurses and EMTs is being created to monitor the citys first responders. The unit will respond randomly or by request to monitor the temperature of on-duty personnel, while any staff member with a fever will be sent home, city officials said. The real concern is there has to be something put in place for first responders to be checked since they come in contact with the general public more, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose told NJ Advance Media. "We have to collectively figure out a state, county and municipal (plan). We can be carriers, he added. Within the police division, there are seven people awaiting test results, 39 in quarantine and 70 off with flu-like symptoms. The fire division has four employees awaiting results, 11 are out with flu-like symptoms and 46 are quarantined, according to Ambrose. Two firefighters have returned from quarantine and Ambrose anticipates several police officers will return over the next few days. There is no interruption of public safety services in the City of Newark, Ambrose said. Our firefighters and police officers are once again exhibiting what they do best when facing a crisis thats to prevent and respond. Newark Fire Officers Union President Anthony Tarantino said hes told members to be in full gear, including oxygen masks, even when responding to minor fire calls to protect them from potentially contracting the illness. Their appearance may be scary, but its a necessary precaution, he said. Were not only trying to protect ourselves, we're trying to protect them and give them comfort, said Tarantino. Members of the Newark Department of Public Safety are taking preventative measures to disinfect firetrucks and police cars so that our Citys bravest and finest can continue to serve residents amid the Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency. pic.twitter.com/2QoK5uBxTN Dept. Public Safety (@NewarkNJPolice) March 19, 2020 Gloves, masks and hand sanitizer are being provided to police officers and firefighters for all tours of duty, Ambrose said. All vehicles are being disinfected daily, while police facilities and firehouses are continuing to be regularly disinfected. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, meanwhile, hoped for a speedy recovery of the citys first responders who have already tested positive for the illness. We are keeping these first responders in our thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery, Baraka said. Newark had 78 cases of coronavirus as of Tuesday afternoon. The city is the states largest municipality. Essex County had 342 cases, while there were at least 3,675 throughout New Jersey, while 44 state residents have died after contracting the virus too. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico. Joe Brandt contributed to this report. The family of retired FBI agent Robert Levinson said Wednesday that U.S. government officials have concluded that he has died while in the custody of Iran. Levinson disappeared in Iran's Kish Island in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission. The family said in a statement posted on Twitter that it did not have information about how or when Levinson had died, but that it occurred before the recent coronavirus outbreak. 'It is impossible to describe our pain,' the family's statement said. 'Our family will spend the rest of our lives without the most amazing man, a new reality that is inconceivable to us.' But when asked about the reports, President Trump insisted while reports aren't 'looking good', he does not believe that the former agent has died. Levinson, pictured left before he vanished in March 2007, was on a secret CIA mission. The only photos and video of Levinson after his capture emerged in 2010 and 2011. He appeared gaunt and bearded with long hair, and was wearing an orange jumpsuit Trump said: 'He was a great gentleman, and a great family. It's not looking good - he wasn't well for years in Iran. It's not looking promising. We've got so many people back.' He added: 'It's not looking great, but I won't accept that he's dead. They haven't told us that he's dead, but a lot of people are thinking that that's the case.' The family's announcement of his death comes just weeks after a federal judge in Washington held Iran liable for his disappearance. In November, the Trump administration offered a reward of up to $20 million for information about Levinson's disappearance. For years, U.S. officials would only say that Levinson, a meticulous FBI investigator credited with busting Russian and Italian mobsters, was working for a private firm on his trip. In December 2013, the AP revealed Levinson in fact had been on a mission for CIA analysts who had no authority to run spy operations. Robert Levinson's wife Christine (center), son Daniel (left) and Christine's sister Suzan attend a news conference at Switzerland's embassy in Tehran in December 22, 2007 Composite images released in 2012 show what Levinson could have looked like in the years after his capture Levinson's family had received a $2.5 million annuity from the CIA in order to stop a lawsuit revealing details of his work, while the agency forced out three veteran analysts and disciplined seven others. Since his disappearance, the only photos and video of Levinson emerged in 2010 and 2011. He appeared gaunt and bearded with long hair, and was wearing an orange jumpsuit similar to those worn by detainees at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay. In the 2011 video, he pleaded for health, saying: 'I have been held here for three-and-a-half years. I am not in very good health. I am running very quickly out of diabetes medicine.' Iranian officials have repeatedly denied knowledge of his disappearance or of his whereabouts. President Trump insisted while reports aren't 'looking good', he does not believe that the former agent has died In November, Tehran acknowledged for the first time that there was an 'ongoing case' in the Public Prosecution and Revolutionary Court related to Levinson, in a filing with the United Nations. Iran released four US citizens of Iranian descent in 2016 when it concluded a nuclear deal with Obama but relations have sharply deteriorated under Trump, who withdrew from the accord and implemented sweeping sanctions. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Iran last week freed a US Navy veteran, Michael White, who had apparently come to Iran to see a woman he met online and was jailed for online criticism of the regime. Another storm system on Tuesday is threatening areas recently hit by deadly tornadoes, where residents now are dealing with the impacts of coronavirus. "Central Tennessee, including the Nashville area, once again find themselves at risk for tornadoes later today," CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said. "Unlike a couple of weeks ago, when tornadoes moved through after midnight while residents were asleep, today's threat looks to be greatest earlier in the evening, likely between 6 and 10 p.m. Central Time." 4 tornado tips that could save your life >>> This tornado potential will likely be highest across portions of Middle Tennessee and northern Alabama, though the threat also extends into Arkansas, Mississippi and northern Georgia, the Storm Prediction Center said. The prediction center elevated the risk level to enhanced -- level 3 of 5 -- early Tuesday afternoon for northern Alabama and portions of southern Tennessee. Coronavirus -- and efforts to keep people apart to stem its spread -- brings a new challenge to storm safety in the risk areas. "In the case of a weather event necessitating storm shelters Alabama, Public Health recommends that your first priority should be to protect yourself from the storm," tweeted the city of Tuscaloosa. Inside storm shelters, officials will try to maintain 6 feet of space between people, officials added. Memphis and Chattanooga, Tennessee, are in the slight risk area -- level 2 of 5 -- for severe storms that may produce damaging hail and wind, along with a few tornadoes, the prediction center said. Track the storms with CNN's storm tracker>>> Severe thunderstorms are also possible into Tuesday night across eastern Arkansas, northern Mississippi, northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. Atlanta is in the marginal risk area -- level 1 of 5 -- indicating that while it's less likely to experience a dangerous severe storm, it cannot be ruled out. Flash flooding likely for the same region In addition to strong thunderstorms, heavy rainfall could lead to flooding across many of the same areas. Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico feeding into the storms will fuel a large stripe of heavy rains, stretching from the lower Mississippi Valley, across the Tennessee Valley, southern Appalachians and southern Mid-Atlantic, according to the Weather Prediction Center. "The greatest risk of flash flooding with this storm will be across portions of the Upper Tennessee Valley into the Southern Appalachians where soils are saturated from heavy rains over the past few weeks," the prediction center stated. Get more weather news from around the world >>> The risk level is 3 of 4 for flash flooding across a zone that includes the cities of Huntsville, Alabama; Chattanooga and the northern Atlanta suburbs. Two to 4 inches of rain could fall in this region, only a day after widespread rainfall of 1 to 3 inches fell there. By Wednesday, this storm will bring rain across the Mid-Atlantic into southern New England. There are no threats of flash flooding and only the lowest threat -- 1 of 5 -- for severe storms across the eastern Carolinas. Hamilton County has added seven new cases of coronavirus - bringing the total to 15, Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes said Tuesday. She said, "Some have had no known contact with people who earlier were confirmed cases. This indicates that community spread is happening. Community spread means that the source of an individuals infection cannot be traced to a particular person who is positive for the disease. The primary source of infection for COVID-19 is person-to-person transmission, but other sources include people who do not show symptoms (asymptomatic carriers) and objects or surfaces in the environment that are contaminated with the virus. The virus is transmitted when someone touches the infected surface, then touches their face. Community spread will contribute to an increase in new cases." She added, We know the announcement of community spread is unsettling to our residents. However, this makes it extremely important that people of all ages and backgrounds continue to stay at home, do not have house guests or play dates, and practice strict social distancing. She said 10 of the 15 cases have been male and five female. All have been white. Eight have been in the age range 39-59 and seven 60 or older. Ms. Barnes said 15 cases "is still a relatively small number of cases in a big county." She said some of the seven new cases are in the hospital. The first case was reported in Grundy County. Bradley County still has two cases and Marion County one. Franklin County has a case. McMinn County and Monroe County have two each. Davidson County, where two have died, is up to 183, and Shelby County rose to 99. Williamson County stands at 64 cases. Sumner County is at 34. Rutherford County has 13 and Robertson 12. Knox County now has 15 cases. It is now in 48 (half) of the state's 96 counties. Others: Washington 7 Wilson 7 Cheatham 5 Dickson 5 Jefferson 4 Blount 3 Carroll 3 Cumberland 3 Campbell 2 Dyer 2 Fayette 2 Gibson 2 Hamblen 2 Loudon 2 Sevier 2 Sullivan 2 Anderson 1 Chester 1 Claiborne 1 Cocke 1 Dekalb 1 Hardin 1 Houston 1 Lincoln 1 Madison 1 Overton 1 Perry 1 Roane 1 Scott 1 Out of Tennessee 95 Pending 38 Jodi Arias (R) looks at her defense attorney, Jennifer Willmott (L), during the sentencing phase retrial of Arias, in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Ariz.,on Oct. 23, 2014. (Tom Tingle/The Arizona Republic/Pool/AP Photo) Arizona Appeals Court Upholds Jodi Ariass Murder Conviction The Arizona Court of Appeals on March 24 upheld Jodi Ariass first-degree murder conviction and life prison sentence in the 2008 killing of her former boyfriend. Ariass lawyers had argued that a prosecutors misconduct and a judges failure to control news coverage during the case deprived her of the right to a fair trial. But the three-member appeals court, in a 29-page opinion, unanimously concluded that prosecutor Juan Martinezs conduct in the case didnt outweigh Ariass guilt. Prosecutor Juan Martinez returns from the bench in the Jodi Arias sentencing retrial in the Maricopa County Superior Court room of Judge Sherry Stephens in Phoenix, Ariz., on Oct. 22, 2014. (Tom Tingle/The Arizona Republic/Pool/AP photo) We conclude that Arias was convicted based upon the overwhelming evidence of her guilt, not as a result of prosecutorial misconduct, the ruling said. However, it noted an egregious case of misconduct by a highly-experienced prosecutor who improperly engaged in self-promoting conduct. The panel condemned Martinezs argumentative phrasing of questions to defense witnesses, adding that his aggressive tone and combative, bullying behavior were recurring issues in the trial and Ariass attorneys moved for a mistrial six times. We strongly disapprove of his actions, we are compelled to follow the well-established principle that we do not reverse convictions merely to punish a prosecutors misdeeds.' Jodi Arias looking at the family of Travis Alexander as the jury arrives during the sentencing phase of her trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 15, 2013. ( Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic/File/AP Photo/) Arias was convicted of killing ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander at his home in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. Prosecutors have said Arias violently attacked Alexander in a jealous rage after he wanted to end their affair and planned a trip to Mexico with another woman. Arias has acknowledged killing Alexander but claimed she acted in self-defense after he attacked her. He was stabbed nearly 30 times, had his throat slit and was shot in the head. The case attracted worldwide attention as salacious and violent details about Arias and Alexander were broadcast live. The guilt phase of Ariass trial ended in 2013 with jurors convicting her of murder but deadlocking on punishment. A second sentencing trial ended in early 2015 with another jury deadlock, leading a judge to sentence Arias to life. The Maricopa County Attorneys Office moved to fire Martinez this year after suspending him. But the dismissal was stayed pending his appeal under civil service protections. Martinez has been a county prosecutor for 30 years. A call to Martinez seeking comment on the court ruling wasnt immediately returned Tuesday. Peg Green, one of Ariass attorneys, declined to comment on the appeals court opinion. By Walter Berry In March, the NHS outlined plans to run 10,000 tests for coronavirus a day amid the pandemic. Currently there are coronavirus antigen tests available to anyone with symptoms - although there have been widespread reports of these being inaccessible or people being offered tests hundreds of miles away from where they live. But these tests are not the same as antibody tests, which show if you have had Covid-19 previously, not currently. The NHS says: "Antibody tests are not widely available yet. Free NHS antibody test kits are currently only available for people living in England and Wales who work in adult social care. These tests are to help the NHS and scientists learn more about who has already had the virus and how it has spread in the UK. If you're unable to get an NHS antibody test, you can pay to have a test at a private clinic if you want to do so. But these are not officiated or credited by the health service or government. And on 21 September, at a Downing Street press conference, Professor Chris Witty said there were indications that antibodies fade in some cases after people have had Covid-19. So what is an antibody test? An antibody test, also called a serological test, is supposed to be able to detect whether a person has already had the coronavirus before, and has since recovered. The test looks at individuals blood for coronavirus antibodies to see if they have already recovered from the virus and therefore may have gained a certain degree of immunity to it. On 19 March, health secretary Matt Hancock tweeted that the government is in negotiations for a brand-new type of antibody test which can tell you if youve had the virus and are immune, saying that the government planned on buying hundreds of thousands of tests. During the daily press conference on Tuesday 24 March, the health secretary stated that the government had bought 3.5 million antibody tests that will allow people to see whether they have had the virus and are immune to it and then can get back to work. However, on 6 April the governments testing chief admitted that none of the 3.5 million antibody tests, which were ordered from China, were fit for widespread use. Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Show all 12 1 /12 Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions NO2-concentrations-us-NEW-YORK-1.jpg Weighted mean NO2 concentrations in cities across US. They are weighted using quality information provided by the satellite data provider. Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions New York Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Denver Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Denver Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Chicago Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Chicago Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Detroit Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Detroit Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Houston Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Houston Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Los Angeles Descartes Labs Emission changes across US after Coronavirus restrictions Los Angeles Descartes Labs On Thursday 14 May, it was reported that a 100 per cent accurate antibody test had been approved for use in the UK for the first time. The tests, which were developed by Swiss firm Roche, have already been in use in the US. In late March, a Public Health England director said that 15-minute home test kits, which can determine whether a person has or has had the coronavirus, would be made available to the British public within days. However, Professor Chris Whitty, the UKs chief medical officer, later dismissed the claim the tests would be ready for circulation so soon, adding that frontline NHS workers would be prioritised for tests once they are available. On Friday 17 April, the World Health Organisation (WHO) cast doubt on the use of antibody tests to detect immunity from Covid-19. Expert epidemiologist Dr Maria Van Kerkhove informed a briefing that the presence of antibodies in the blood does not necessarily mean a person is no longer at risk of catching the virus again. Where else are antibody tests being used? In February, it was reported that Singapore had become one of the first countries to trial an antibody test. The test, which was described as a world first, was developed by scientists at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. On 23 March, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York City stated that he would like antibody blood tests to be utilised so that healthcare workers who have immunity to the virus can return to work. At a daily press conference, the governor said that a serological drug is being developed that would test the antibodies of individual to see if they had the virus already. We all believe thousands and thousands of people have had the virus and self-resolved. If you knew that, you would know who is now immune to the virus and who you can send back to work, he stated. During her briefing on Friday 17 April, Dr Maria van Kerkhove of WHO said: There are a lot of countries that are suggesting using rapid diagnostic serological tests to be able to capture what they think will be a measure of immunity. Right now, we have no evidence that the use of a serological test can show that an individual has immunity or is protected from reinfection. On 29 April, it was reported that an antibody test to check whether someone has been infected with coronavirus, and said to be 99 per cent accurate, had been certified for use across Europe. Global diagnostics specialists Abbott, which has a UK base in Maidenhead, said it was expecting to have shipped millions of the laboratory based lab tests across Europe by the end of May. Can I get a home testing kit for antibodies? An antibody test is a blood test to check if you've had coronavirus before. But this test is not widely available in England. The government has instead focused largely on the antigen tests - those that show if you have Covid-19 currently. An antibody test does not tell you: if you're immune to coronavirus, or if you can or cannot spread the virus to other people. On 21 September, Chris Witty said there were indications that antibodies fade in some cases after people have had Covid-19. India on Wednesday went into a full 21-day lockdown in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus amid unprecedented nationwide restrictions that saw anxious people making a beeline for grocery stores and hundreds being detained by police for violating prohibitory orders. IMAGE: An aerial view of CSMT area during nation-wide lockdown in wake of coronavirus pandemic, in Mumbai, on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo Underscoring the enormity of the health challenge before the country that led to imposing the lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said winning the war against coronavirus will take 21 days as opposed to the 18 days taken to win the epic war of Mahabharata. The lockdown came into effect from midnight. Modi was addressing the people of his parliamentary constituency in Varanasi through a video link. IMAGE: An aerial view of empty roads at ITO in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo In his second national broadcast in a week on Tuesday night, Modi made a fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the 'lakshman rekha' of their homes in the next three weeks. India's population is an estimated 1.3 billion. The number of coronavirus cases on Wednesday touched 606 of which 43 were cured or discharged, a union health ministry official said, adding the death toll stood at 10. The toll, however, did not take into account one death each reported on Wednesday by state officials in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. IMAGE: Migrant workers and their families board a truck to return to their villages after a 21-day nationwide lockdown was imposed, in Ahmedabad, on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo The number of deaths around the world from the novel coronavirus cases is stated to have crossed 19,000 and more than 427,940 declared cases were reported to have been registered in 181 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December. An official said the Ministry of Home Affairs is monitoring the lockdown from a control room in Delhi. According to reports from states, roads wore a deserted look but people resorted to panic buying at several markets in violation of the advice for social distancing. IMAGE: Few vehicles are seen on Western Express Highway in Mumbai on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo Long queues outside grocery stores, inflated prices, difficulty in getting important items -- these were some of the problems encountered by people in the National Capital Region (NCR). Despite authorities asking people not to step out and assuring that essential supplies will not be affected, people rushed out to stock daily provisions.Many said they have been forced to step out as home deliveries have almost stopped. IMAGE: Police and security forces patrol a street in Agartala on Wednesday. Photograph: PTI Photo "We don't want to take a risk by not storing rations. As several people are coming out of their houses to buy groceries and other essential items, I have also come to buy the same," said Anand Sharma, a resident of Kaushik Enclave in North Delhi's Burari. However, at many places including Lajpat Nagar people kept a distance of one metre while standing in queue, keeping in the mind the importance of social distancing in the current situation. Shopowners too were taking precautions like restricting access to customers. Union minister Prakash Javadeka said there was no need for people to panic as shops selling essentials and medicines will remain open throughout the lockdown period. IMAGE: Aircraft halt on runways at the airport as all domestic and international flights were cancelled due to the lockdown, in Chennai, on Wednesday. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo He also said sufficient legal provisions awere vailable to deal with black marketeers and hoarders. Addressing the media about the decisions taken by the Union Cabinet, he said the Centre and the state governments are working together to effectively implement the lockdown and ensure people do not suffer. It was a low-key Ugadi celebrations in Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with people mostly staying indoors. Ugadi is a festival marking New Year's Day for Hindus. Maharashtra also witnessed a subdued celebration of Gudi Padwa, which marks the beginning of the New Year in the state. IMAGE: People buy vegetables at a market after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a nationwide lockdown starting midnight to limit the spreading of coronavirus in New Delhi. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters In Uttar Pradesh, the nine-day Navratra festival also began on a subdued note with many people preferring to perform the rituals from their homes by sending names and other details to the priest to do the puja on their behalf. Acharya Suresh Mani Shastri, the priest of Gokhale marg temple, said regular devotees sent their details on phone to do the puja for them. Police across all states also kept a strict vigil on violators of prohibitory orders. In the national capital, over 180 cases were registered and 5,103 people detained for violations of government order during the lockdown, police said. IMAGE: People hold their ears while doing sit-ups as a punishment for breaking a lockdown in Ahmedabad. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters According to data shared by the Delhi Police, 183 cases were registered under section 188 (for disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code till 5 pm. A total of 5,103 persons have been detained under section 65 (persons bound to comply with reasonable directions of Police officer) and 956 vehicles have been impounded under section 66 of the Delhi Police Act, they stated. Over 350 people were detained in Gujarat for violating the lockdown in the last 24 hours, a senior official said. Those detained included people who violated home quarantine norms, director general of police Shivanand Jha told reporters in Ahmedabad. IMAGE: A homeless man sits on the stairs of a pedestrian bridge during 21-day nationwide lockdown in New Delhi. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters In Uttar Pradesh, officials said Police have registered 1,788 FIRs and booked 5,592 people for violating the lockdown norms. The Centre also asked the state governments to resolve immediately the problems being faced by the e-commerce sector in delivering essential goods. E-commerce and home delivery come under essential services and are exempt from the lockdown rules. "However, there are reports of disruptions faced by e-commerce players. We have taken up with the state governments and local administration. Things will fall in place," Consumer Affairs Secretary Pawan Agarwal told PTI. IMAGE: A woman walks along a near-empty street during a lockdown in New Delhi. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters Amid reports of panic purchase of essential commodities, the Union Home Ministry asked state governments to check the spread of rumours about shortage of food items. In a communication to chief secretaries and DGPs of all states, the ministry asked them to take action to allay apprehensions and maintain peace and tranquillity, and inform people about the availability of food, medicine and other essential commodities. Despite a complete ban on large gatherings, people in some parts of Kolkata were seen jostling in markets to buy essential commodities for the next few days. IMAGE: Police officers stop vehicles and check their papers on a highway during 21-day nationwide lockdown in Kochi. Photograph: Sivaram V/Reuters People were also seen queuing outside gas agencies to buy additional LPG cylinders. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said authorities will ensure essential services during the lockdown period and requested people not to panic. "We will issue e-passes to vegetable-sellers, grocers among others to ensure essential supplies during the lockdown," Kejriwal said at a joint press conference with Lt Governor Anil Baijal, amid reports of alleged harassment of vegetable sellers by the police. IMAGE: Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station wears the deserted look amid the lockdown. Photograph: ANI Photo "We will ensure strict implementation of lockdown in Delhi," Baijal said. Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the government is monitoring the availability of essential commodities in the market. Paswan warned manufacturers and traders against profiteering during the lockdown period. IMAGE: Deserted city roads during complete lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, in Coimbatore. Photograph: PTI Photo The Centre is also in touch with the state governments to ensure there is no shortage of essential commodities, he said. "In view of situation emerging from the threat of #Covid19India, the government is keeping an eye on availability of all essential commodities in the market," Paswan tweeted. "I appeal to all manufacturers and traders to avoid profiteering in this situation," he said. IMAGE: A security person guards the deserted Jewel Chowk area during a 21-day nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, in Jammu. Photograph: PTI Photo Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat lent weight to the prime minister's appeal for social distancing, saying it is important in the battle against coronavirus, and asked the swayamsevaks to resolve to fight the pandemic and lead by example by following social discipline. Bhagwat was addressing the swayamsevaks on the occasion of 'Varsh Pratipada', or the Hindu New Year, by live streaming his speech on the RSS's website. (Newser) Julian Assange has a long wait ahead of him while a court decides whether he will be extradited to the US, and it looks like he will have to endure that wait behind bars. A London judge on Wednesday rejected his attorney's request for bail related to the coronavirus pandemic, reports Reuters. Attorney Edward Fitzgerald said the 48-year-old has a history of respiratory and heart issues that make him especially vulnerable to COVID-19. "The emphasis is not on flight but survival," he argued. The judge rejected the plea but suggested circumstances might change, notes the Sydney Morning Herald. story continues below "As matters stand today, this global pandemic does not as of itself provide grounds for Mr. Assange's release," declared Judge Vanessa Baraitser. She said Assange's history suggests he's a big flight risk: "In my view, there are substantial grounds to believe that if [released] ... today he would not return to face his extradition hearing." As of now, Assange's next hearing is scheduled for May 18. The US wants him extradited to face multiple accounts of violating the Espionage Act over WikiLeaks' publication of classified information. (Read more Julian Assange stories.) Nokia Mobile said that this measure is not permanent and promised it will be back as soon as they can. All Nokia smartphones on Flipkart and on its own webstore is showing as out of stock With the country going under lockdown to curb the menace of coronavirus among Indians, supply chains and production of smartphones have taken a big hit. After Realme, Oppo and Vivo halted production and cut back on inventories, HMD Global-owned Nokia Mobiles have stated they are suspending its operations in India till further notice. Nokia Mobile said that this measure is not permanent but because of suspended operations, the company will not be able to fulfil pending orders and other services. The company promised they will be back as soon as they can. In light of administrative directives around the Covid-19 outbreak, we are unable to fulfil any orders and the service is suspended. It will be our effort to resume at the earliest, we regret the inconvenience. Stay safe in the meantime, Nokia wrote in a statement to nokiamob.net. Additionally, all Nokia smartphones on Flipkart and on its own webstore is showing up as out of stock, primarily because its difficult to move inventories with restrictions on logistics and supply chain. Afghan security forces had blocked off the area and were taking on the attackers, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said in a message to journalists Kabul: Unidentified gunmen and suicide bombers attacked a Sikh religious complex in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Wednesday, and up to 200 people were believed to be trapped inside, a member of parliament said. Afghan security forces had blocked off the area and were taking on the attackers, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said in a message to journalists. It was not immediately clear how many attackers there were or who they were. It was not known if there were any casualties. Sikhs have been the target of attack by Islamist militants before in South Asia. A Taliban spokesman, in a message on Twitter, denied responsibility for the attack. Narender Singh Khalsa, a member of parliament who represents the tiny Sikh community, said he had reports that four people had been killed and up to 200 people trapped inside the temple in the early morning attack. Three suicide bombers entered a dharamsala, he said, referring to a sanctuary area in a temple compound. The gunmen started their attack at a time when the dharamsala was full of worshippers, he said. He said the Afghan security forces were clashing with the attackers. The attack comes a day after the United States said it would cut its aid to the government by $1 billion over frustrations that feuding political leaders could not reach an agreement and form a team to negotiate with the Taliban. The Interior Ministry spokesman said Afghan security forces had cleared one floor of the complex and were moving slowly to try and avoid civilian casualties. Sikhs are a small religious minority in Afghanistan with numbers fewer than 300 families. In 2018, a suicide bombing targeting the Sikh community and claimed by the Islamic State militant group killed more than a dozen people in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad. The United States last month struck a deal with the Taliban on the withdrawal of US-led international troops but the agreement does not include Islamic State militants. Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner announces first known employee diagnosis of COVID-19. (Los Angeles Times) L.A. Unified Supt. Austin Beutner sent a message to employees Tuesday announcing that "the first known diagnosis of an LA Unified employee having COVID-19 was reported" to the district late Monday. The facilities contract employee, who last worked on the 28th floor of the district's downtown headquarters on March 13, was diagnosed with COVID-19 by a healthcare provider on March 21st "although the employee has not been tested due to unavailability of the test," Beutner said. The office, which houses thousands of employees but no students, "was closed March 16th through March 18th due to problems with the data systems and was thoroughly cleaned during that time," the letter said. On March 19, several employees at that building who may have come in contact with the diagnosed employee met with a Contract Administration staff member on the second floor of another office building in Pico Rivera, he said. All the employees on the 28th floor and the ones at the Pico Rivera meeting have been directed to self-quarantine, according to the letter. L.A. County Public Health Department head Barbara Ferrer said Tuesday that everyone should treat their doctor's diagnosis as a positive unless test results come back negative, which means to quarantine and take all other precautions health officials have recommended. The district is "aware of a possible second occurrence" but has been unable to confirm it, Beutner said in the letter. "As the virus spreads throughout the communities we serve, these are not likely to be the only employees who are diagnosed with the virus," Beutner wrote. "Federal law does not allow LA Unified to share the identity of any individual patient, nor are any employees required to inform LA Unified if they have the virus. When we have any verifiable information, we will do our best to notify those who may have come in contact with anyone who is diagnosed so they can take appropriate actions." Times staff writers Julia Barajas and Soumya Karlamangla contributed to this report. Justin Stockbridge (pictured) was found guilty of robbery and jailed for seven years A gang of ruthless robbers who terrorised betting shops and taxi drivers across the southeast for a period of six months have been jailed for a combined 32 years. Justin Stockbridge, 45, Jamie Owen, 32, Paul Evans, 27, and Richard Mazzuccato, 34, armed themselves with knives, axes and a Taser as they targeted various businesses across London, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Surrey. Between October 6, 2018, and March 18, 2019, they covered their faces with masks before threatening shop owners and making away with the contents of their tills. Stockbridge was caught on CCTV threatening a betting shop cashier with a knife on High Road, Chesham, just two days after Christmas in 2018. The clip shows the raider, who has a distinctive tattoo on his forearm, jabbing at a plucky female worker with a blade as she bravely tries to fight him off. Stockbridge was caught on CCTV (pictured) threatening a betting shop cashier with a knife on High Road, Chesham, just two days after Christmas in 2018 Flying Squad detectives arrested Stockbridge on April 4 last year when they saw him driving a van outside a corner shop in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, and noticed an identical tattoo on his right arm. Evans was identified as a suspect in the earlier robberies by Hertfordshire Police and later arrested. Stockbridge was also linked to other raids including a convenience shop in Penn, Buckinghamshire, on March 18 last year. Jamie Owen (left), 32, Paul Evans, 27, and Richard Mazzuccato (right), 34, armed themselves with knives, axes and a Taser as they targeted various businesses across the south of the UK Mazzuccato claimed to have a 100-a-day cocaine habit after his arrest. Owen and Evans targeted a taxi driver in Watford on October 6, 2018, a jury at Isleworth Crown Court heard. When the driver refused to hand over any cash the pair assaulted him. Owen then used a Taser before threatening to stab the victim. The pair made off with 80 and got into a vehicle parked nearby. The clip shows the raider, who had a distinctive tattoo on his forearm, jabbing at the plucky female worker with a blade as she bravely tries to fight him off The thieves robbed other taxi drivers of their cash, cards and phones at knife point, holding a blade of the throat of one of the drivers. What robberies were the gang convicted off during their six-month crime spree? 6 October 2018: Robbery of a taxi driver in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire 7 October 2018: Robbery of a taxi driver in Sarratt, Hertfordshire 26 October 2018: Robbery of a taxi driver in Egham, Surrey 3 November 2018: Robbery of a convenience store in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire 27 December 2018: Robbery of a betting shop in Chesham, Buckinghamshire 15 February 2019: Robbery of a betting shop in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire 18 February 2019: Robbery of a betting shop in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire 23 February 2019: Robbery of a convenience store in Woburn Green, Buckinghamshire 18 March 2019: Robbery of a convenience store in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire Advertisement Stockbridge, from Rickmansworth, was found guilty of robbery and jailed for seven years. Owen, from Chipperfield, Hertfordshire, was convicted of three counts of robbery and one count of possession of a Taser in a robbery. He was sentenced to 14 years. Evans, of no fixed address, admitted three counts of robbery before being jailed for 11 years and one month. Mazzuccato, from Rickmansworth, admitted four counts of robbery and will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on April 28. Detective Sergeant Tim Fines, from Flying Squad, said: I have no doubt that these suspects would have continued committing this horrific spate of robberies if they had not been identified and arrested. All of the robberies were terrifying ordeals for the victims - thankfully none of them suffered serious injuries during the attacks. These suspects were not afraid to use violence, often just for small amounts of cash. I am pleased that the jury agreed with the overwhelming evidence we built against the suspects and chose to convict them. I hope the sentences handed down will act as a deterrent to those thinking of carrying out such violent crimes. I would like to thank our colleagues from Hertfordshire, Sussex, Surrey and Thames Valley constabularies for their contribution to this investigation and continued assistance throughout the trial. Fayetteville, N.Y. Rachel Hill pauses as she talks in the hallway of the East Area YMCA in Fayetteville. Its so weird not to be talking over the noise of the kids. This day, its quiet as night. Most of the coat hooks are empty. Instead of 110 kids, there are just 22, says Hill, the director YMCAs childcare programs in Syracuses eastern suburbs. When the schools closed last week, there was an immediate hustle to find emergency childcare for the kids of essential workers. So far, officials have prepared for a flood that has not come. Onondaga County and Child Care Solutions worked together, furiously, to create a real-time database of openings for families in urgent need. There are more than 1,000 slots available. Its a sudden glut in what used to be a childcare desert, fueled by the coronavirus shutdown. Instead of the shortage of people worried about, most of those spots are sitting unused. People who once needed child care are suddenly working from home or unemployed. Childcare sites are struggling to stay open with skeleton crews to help the few families that depend on them. About two-thirds of child care centers and school-aged programs have closed. Those that are open are finding it hard to fill their spots, said Lori Schakow, executive director of Child Care Solutions. Many have laid off large chunks of their staff. They are frontline workers in this crisis, but the 1,600 people who work on the books in childcare in Central New York have found themselves in the same economic uncertainty as so many other industries. The sites that have stayed open are wondering how they can continue as already-thin margins continue to shrink. The operators are trying to balance kindness to families in crisis with taking care of their own. Many arent charging families, as they normally would, to keep slots open. But most operators have no reserve for this kind of economic catastrophe and have had to send staff home to wait it all out, unpaid. Little Lukes usually takes care of 500 kids between preschool and afterschool, said Abby Weaver, director of operations. Now, the sites in two counties have between 10 and 30 kids each. The company was asked by Onondaga County and the city of Oswego to be ready to help. They said, Please stay open. We need you to stay open, Weaver said. She said the locally based company is eager to do its part. They are not charging families to hold spots until April 14, the date that schools are expected to reopen, Weaver said. And they have offered free care to essential workers who needed it. So far, a handful of families have taken that offer. For now, the reality is a struggle. Little Lukes has had to lay off about half of their staff of 200, Weaver said. But if need swells, theyll be ready. Were waiting for the wave to hit, Weaver said. We dont know whats coming, or how long its going to last. When the schools shut down, everyone seemed to recognize how essential childcare would become. Companies, agencies and governments in Central New York all worked together to remove the barrier. Theyve even made the care cost-free. Little Lukes offered to provide free care, but the city of Oswego and Onondaga County both decided that childcare was so important during the pandemic that they found a way to fund it for anyone who needs. Onondaga County has $20 million it can use to fund childcare during the pandemic. Every decision we made is getting to the point where we are today, so we can hold up our medical infrastructure, County Executive Ryan McMahon said. We looked at every challenge. Childcare was essential. At this point, the spots are available to anyone who has to go to work. So its not just first-responders and medical workers. Its also childcare workers, grocery store clerks and others. If childcare was grandma and grandpa, we dont want grandma and grandpa watching the kids now, McMahon said. Anyone who needs care can call Child Care Solutions and ask for help, he said. The county has worked with Child Care Solutions to keep a real-time database of spots. People who need spots are directed to Schakows office, where they are given options of caregivers that fit their needs. From there, the parents make the decisions and arrangements. McMahon said Onondaga Countys approach has worked so well that others, including Albany County, are asking for tips. Schakow said having that pot of money readily available to pay for care will help as the burden on the healthcare system increases in the coming weeks. I hope people will think money last and make sure people who need to get to work can get to work, she said. At the YMCA of Central New York, the situation is similar to Little Lukes. They used to provide care to about 1,000 kids a day. Now its more like 500. The YMCA has laid off much of its nonessential staff. The childcare for the programs in the eastern suburbs had a staff of 50. Now there are fewer than 10 people working. The kids and the workers get their temperatures taken three times a day. The doorknobs get wiped down every hour. The rooms are quieter. Theres no tag. No holding hands. The kids know the word coronavirus, and some are scared of it. But so much has stayed the same. Someone else needs help with the blocks. The big kids do school work. Someone wants a snack before lunchtime. Ill find you a snack in a minute, Hill tells the little girl. Do she and the other workers worry as they cross a parking lot thats as empty as the mall on Christmas Day? Maybe some. But not enough to stay home, Hill says: Were here because we love what we do. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus leftovers: Restaurants that close move broccoli, lettuce, eggs to CNY Food Bank and pantries Six days and counting, mother and son anxiously await coronavirus test results Where can I still go? What NYs coronavirus stay at home order means Marnie Eisenstadt is a reporter who writes about people and public affairs in Central New York. Have an idea or question? Contact her anytime: email | twitter| Facebook | 315-470-2246 Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The Presidency has reduced the number of reporters allowed to enter the presidential villa for media coverage of any event from over 100 to about 13 This is to take effect from Wednesday, March 25. This was reportedly contained in an internal memo but also confirmed by the presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu. The move was taken in compliance with the restriction of gatherings in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to a maximum of 50 persons and to maintain physical distancing, officials said. This is in the wake of growing recorded cases of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The country has recorded 46 cases so far. State House correspondents will now include the chairman of the State House press corps, reporters of NTA, FRCN, VON, NAN all of which are state-owned media, save the former who reports for Deutsche Welle, a German-based newspaper. Others are reporters from private-owned The Sun, Channels TV, and TVC. Photographers from the quintet of Thisday, Leadership, Daily Trust, Guardian, Vanguard Newspapers are the remaining correspondents permitted to enter the villa. The excluded journalists were advised to liaise with their colleagues on how to get news from the State House. Coming at a time presidential henchman Abba Kyari was said to have contracted the much-dreaded COVID-19 disease, and the manner officials around the president managed the report, some have taken exception to this move. They believe the decision would taint the transparency needed for the reportage of the COVID-19 disease currently ravaging the land. Some others have also questioned the move, saying it is a move to restrict access to the State House by critical media, especially because media houses which recently had a faceoff with the office of the president were left out on the list. On the other hand, some believe the move is for the safety of the State House officials and journalists themselves as tough times requires drastic measures. Presidential spokesperson, Mr Shehu, said the move was borne out of the concern by the presidency to maintain high hygiene. Asked what the criteria for selection was, Mr Shehu said, it was to ensure there is broadcast TV, radio and international media. On transparency, he said the initial plan was to cut the number to three and that all the units in the villa had been shut. But people said, no, if private media are not included, people would complain, he explained. It is expected that somebody would feel annihilated. They know how to share among themselves. Let them sort themselves out. Thats the point Im making, he added. In the darkest times, San Antonio is known for shining the compassionate light of humanity. That light reminds us that day will break and the sun will rise again. The citys open-door policy for Hurricane Katrina evacuees in 2005 may be the best-known example of compassionate San Antonio shining its light, cutting through the darkness and pain of disaster. Before the exodus from New Orleans was over, more than 35,000 displaced Louisianans were staying in 10 city shelters. Many stayed much longer, becoming San Antonians. For seven months in 2019, the city of San Antonios Migrant Resource Center helped more than 32,000 asylum-seekers mostly Central American families fleeing violence and persecution. The migrant center offered food and shelter to the asylum-seekers, whom federal authorities had abandoned on the citys streets with little money. Most of the migrants, struggling with major language barriers, were trying to make their way to relatives in the United States, waiting for a day in court to plead their case for refuge. Working with local nonprofits, thousands of city employees volunteered tens of thousands of hours to help these families. City employees, the San Antonio Food Bank, Catholic Charities, the Interfaith Welcome Coalition and local residents from all walks of life served as welcome rays of light for the beleaguered asylum-seekers and a shining example for the rest of San Antonio. Now, a more widespread and pernicious crisis has arrived on our doorsteps COVID-19. And this time, it is our own neighbors who will need our help. COVID-19 is now spreading in our community. The coronavirus is highly contagious, and we have had to take painful steps to thwart its spread. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and I have issued a series of public health emergency orders to implement the policies needed to prevent and slow the spread of the coronavirus. Without these measures, San Antonio would be faced with the reality gripping other parts of the world and even some cities in the United States: hospitals and health care providers overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, with many of the ill unable to receive the treatment they need. In those places, equipment needed to treat patients and protect health care providers is running short or simply unavailable, compounding the misery. The diseases toll has become far more devastating as simultaneous infections overload the health care system. In San Antonio, however, we are saving neighbors lives by acting with compassion and doing what our public health officials recommend. We are implementing aggressive social distancing, staying at home and limiting our contact with others to avoid exposure to the virus. Some have compared these necessary measures to chemotherapy. The medicine needed to eradicate the deadly disease has collateral damage. Businesses already suffering are now closed to prevent the rapid spread of COVID-19. Many employees who cant afford to be without a paycheck have no income, at least temporarily. For many others, their jobs may no longer exist when the COVID-19 threat subsides. And many residents are falling behind on rent, mortgages, utility payments and other bills. Businesses that provided life-sustaining jobs will face serious hurdles getting restarted. Many parts of our nation will face similar issues, and I remain hopeful about federal assistance. But our community cannot and will not wait for help. San Antonians already are stepping forward to help their neighbors to shine the light of hope in the darkness. The San Antonio Area Foundation and the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County have joined forces to form the COVID-19 Response Fund. At my request, the Nonprofit Council, which annually raises money for members through the Big Give, has postponed the event and launched an emergency relief donation site. Nonprofits can continue to raise funds during this crisis through the joint website. The San Antonio Food Bank, Meals on Wheels and the Culinaria Fund also are helping our neighbors in need. Lots of stories have surfaced detailing efforts by individuals, restaurants and others to help those who have lost their paycheck because of COVID-19. All of these efforts show the San Antonio spirit. Recovery and providing aid to those whose lives have been disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis are foremost in many minds, including those here at City Hall. And we are working on recovery plans that I will announce in the near future. The COVID-19 pandemic is catastrophic, but like weve seen so many times before, San Antonios spirit will prevail. Together we will overcome this challenge. These may be dark times, but already neighbors are helping neighbors move toward brighter days. Ron Nirenberg is mayor of San Antonio. Designer Christian Siriano has revealed that he and his team have made nearly 1,000 medical masks for healthcare workers in New York amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 34-year-old Project Runway winner opened up about his efforts during a video chat with Good Morning America on Wednesday, less than a week after he reached out to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and offered his services. 'We have made almost 1,000 in the last three days, which is amazing,' he said. 'We actually got approved by the governor to work so our studio is somewhat back up-and-running.' Scroll down for video Amazing: Designer Christian Siriano revealed on Good Morning America on Wednesday that he and his team have made nearly 1,000 masks in three days for New York healthcare workers Keeping safe: Siriano, 34, said he and his team practice social distancing, and they all have their temperature taken every morning before work 'We have a lot of precautions, and it's a lot of work. I mean, there are a lot of rules. You really have to regulate,' he added. 'I think that's why it's in such need, just because it wasn't being done here, and it's kind of wild that it wasn't.' Siriano said he and his team practice social distancing, and they all have their temperature taken every morning before work. They are also dedicated to making sure their masks are as safe as possible. 'You can't just up and start making masks. You really have to make sure they're protected,' he said. 'If this is not going to meet any FDA or CDC regulations, then you can't send it to a hospital. Your friends can wear them, but I would want anyone in the medical field wearing it. You want to make sure it's protecting everyone.' When coming up with the design for the masks, Siriano had his best friend, who works at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and her husband, an MTA, employee, test them out. 'I think the masks that we are making are actually an upgrade from what they even have. It's washable, bleachable,' he said. 'That was really important that you could rewear it. They wear it every day and are loving it. Even if we help 100 people, that's more people than nothing.' Just saying: The designer said he thinks his reusable masks are an 'upgrade' from the ones healthcare workers were using before Added bonus: Siriano noted that the white masks are 'washable' and 'bleachable' Siriano has been taking to Instagram to share photos and videos of his team hard at work while making masks. On Tuesday, he posted a black and white photo of his employees, writing: 'Powerful women right here! This is what Fashion is right now for us. Making hundreds of masks a day and thats what we can do to help. Thank you to my team for this and thank you to our friends who donated to help!' The designer had reached out to Gov. Cuomo via Twitter last Friday, writing: 'If @NYGovCuomo says we need masks my team will help make some. I have a full sewing team still on staff working from home that can help.' 'Thank you. Please follow back and we will DM you,' Cuomo responded. In a subsequent tweet, the governor shared that he is in contact with Siriano. 'Appreciate his help so much,' he added. 'Who's next? Let's do this together, NY!' Consultation: Siriano said he had a healthcare provider at a New York hospital and an MTA worker try out the masks he had created Siriano wasted no time with production after speaking with Cuomo, and he took to his Instagram Stories to say: 'We are working on this and will have masks and gowns ready to go ASAP.' 'Guys these will be very simple it is not for fashion it is to help people,' he added while sharing footage of his staffers sewing the supplies. 'Hopefully we can make hundreds of these quickly.' The designer also shared a black and white clip of one of his team members modeling a prototype of a mask they made. 'We will be making a few versions of this in order to help as many people as we can,' he wrote. 'Here is the process so we can get a perfect fit. More to come thank you everyone we hope to get these to the right people ASAP.' Federal officials have told health workers the nation's stockpile doesn't have enough basic medical equipment like masks and gowns to meet the expected crush of coronavirus cases. Doctors and nurses across the country have already reported shortages in the supplies that they need to keep safe while on the front lines fighting the illness. Many have resorted to reusing asks or making their own out of office supplies. Dedicated: Siriano has been taking to Instagram to share photos and videos of his team hard at work while making masks Fighting back: As of Wednesday, there have been over 30,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York and 285 deaths Cuomo made an impassioned plea for hospital equipment last Friday and announced that he would fund any business that could mass manufacture surgical masks. As of Wednesday, there have been over 30,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York and 285 deaths. Designers and brands all over the country have been heeding the call to produce much-needed medical supplies for healthcare workers fighting the virus. Becoming one of the latest designers to help the cause, Alice + Olivia's Stacey Bendet told Page Six that her team will be making hospital gowns based on medical specifications for staffers at New York hospitals. American Apparel founder Don Charney has shared that his company Los Angeles Apparel will also be making medical masks and gowns. Meanwhile, Gap Inc. announced on Twitter on Tuesday that it will be joining the cause, writing: 'Our teams are connecting some of the largest hospital networks in Calif. w/ our vendors to deliver PPE supplies while we pivot resources so factory partners can make masks, gowns & scrubs for healthcare workers on the front lines.' Designer Brandon Maxwell and his team are also busy making medical gowns for hospital workers to combat the reported supply shortages. Help: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made an impassioned plea for hospital supplies on Friday and announced that he would fund any business that could mass manufacture surgical masks Communication: Siriano reached out to Cuomo on Twitter last Friday to offer his services Getting it done: In a subsequent tweet, the governor shared that he is in contact with Siriano The 35-year-old Project Runway judge took to Twitter and Instagram on Friday to share that they are helping to fight the spread of the virus by producing much-needed medical supplies. 'In response to this global crisis, we are now focusing our creative efforts on manufacturing PPE (personal protective equipment), starting with gowns,' Maxwell wrote. 'We have spent the last week researching the appropriate medical textiles to create these gowns and are proud to provide these much-needed items to the doctors and nurses on the front lines of this crisis.' The designer, who has collaborated with Lady Gaga, added that they will eventually be making masks and gloves. 'As more information becomes available on how to manufacture medical grade masks and gloves, we will transition in to doing so,' he explained. 'Any information you can share for donation locations or organizations would be greatly appreciated.' Coming together: Alice + Olivia's Stacey Bendet and Los Angeles Apparel owner Don Charney both shared that their clothing companies will also be making medical masks and gowns Big brand: Gap Inc. announced on Tuesday that it will be making medical supplies for healthcare workers Maxwell also shared that he plans on giving away three gowns to brides whose wedding plans have been impacted by financial hardship due to the coronavirus. The sneaker brand Allbirds announced last week that it is donating shoes to anyone who works in healthcare in the U.S. and is on the front lines. The offer for the $95 Tuke Matcha Wool Runners is valid while supplies last. Actress Kristen Bell was happy to use her platform to promote the initiative on her Instagram Stories on Friday, writing: 'Thank u @allbirds.' Fashion designers and brands around the world are chipping in as well. The French conglomerate LVMH shared that it will use perfume production lines at three factories to manufacture large quantities of hydroalcoholic gel, or hand sanitizer, amid a 'lack of product in France.' The Louis Vuitton owner started production last Monday in a bid to enable 'a greater number of people' to 'take the right action' during the global health pandemic. Doing his part: Designer Brandon Maxwell 35, took to Twitter and Instagram on Friday to announce he and his team will be making supplies for healthcare workers, starting with gowns Another surpise: Maxwell also shared that he plans on giving away three gowns to brides whose wedding plans have been impacted by financial hardship due to the coronavirus Generous: The sneaker brand Allbirds shared that it is donating shoes to anyone who works in healthcare in the U.S., and Kristen Bell promoted in the initiative on Instagram last week Inditex, the owner of the fast-fashion fashion retailer Zara, revealed last week that it would be making masks to donate to the Spanish government. The Spain-based company said that it would make its factories and its logistics teams available to help with the donations for healthcare workers and patients, with a company spokesperson saying that it will 'make a delivery at least once a week of materials we purchase directly'. 'Inditex has already donated 10,000 protective face masks and by the end of this week expects to be in a position to ship another 300,000 surgical masks,' the statement continued. And last Thursday, the British Fashion Council took to Instagram to ask designers with production capacity to 'help in the manufacture of essential products including masks.' 'In times of need, the fashion industry can be of service,' the nonprofit wrote. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour announced on Tuesday that the Council of Fashion Designers of America/Vogue Fashion Fund is being repurposed 'to provide support for those in the fashion community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.' By Jean-Luc Renaud Jean-Luc Renaud While millions of people all over the world show empathy for those who have tested positive to COVID-19, many Nigerians are mocking their leaders who have tested positive. Some of the 46 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 in Nigeria are high political office holders or their relatives. These include the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari; the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed; the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Frank Okiye; and Mohammed, a son of opposition leader Atiku Abubakar. Many others, including several state governors, are on self-isolation after coming in contact with those infected. Many of the Nigerians who have mocked the politically exposed persons who tested positive based their stance on the poor governance the country has witnessed from different governments. Although blessed with crude oil and other natural resources, majority of Nigerias estimated 180 million people live in poverty, according to World Poverty Clock. The country also lacks basic amenities like constant electricity, good roads, good public schools and quality hospitals. President Buhari and his family members often travel to the UK for medical treatment, an indication of the poor state of the countrys hospitals. For many Nigerians, the situation is so because of corruption and inept leadership, and for that reason, they are unwilling to show empathy with leaders who are sick. Award-winning author, Elnathan Johns outburst on Twitter summarised this view. Actually, you know what? Fuck Nigerian politicians. All of them. Including the ones who are sick. And fuck empathy. They are murderers. Every single person who dies because there wasnt a ventilator or equipped hospital is on them. Fuck prayers for these fuckers. I reserve my best wishes and prayers for people who are victims of these demons who run this evil regime. Who will be fucked if they need Healthcare in Nigeria. Who have nowhere to go. We will all die. And karma aint shit. But these fuckers deserve to pay for their evil, he wrote. For investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo, the politicians deserve what they get. As many Nigerian politicians and career officers who have joined in siphoning funds that shouldve gone into building our healthcare, I want Coronavirus to quickly locate them. But I dont want any of them to die. Just a few days of reality check that were all in this mess together, he wrote on Twitter. How They Contracted Disease The fact that many of the politicians who have tested positive may have contracted the disease while on official duties has not stopped the criticisms they face from citizens. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Kyari and Mr Mohammed may have contracted COVID-19 while on official assignments to Germany. Both men have since held important official meetings with other political leaders, leading to suggestions more senior officials of the Nigerian government may have been infected. Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State [Photo: Bussiness Day] Some Nigerians have also blamed the politicians for not adhering to rules on self-isolation after travels to highly-infected countries. It is sad that the political class is leading this gross act of irresponsibility, said broadcast journalist Ukachi Chukwu, on Facebook. Mr Kyari returned from a trip abroad and refused to isolatemore importantly he exposed the president to the virus. They Deserve Support However, there are many other Nigerians who believe the leaders who have contracted COVID-19 deserve empathy and support. The opposition leader and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode and former Kogi senator Dino Melaye sympathised with Mr Kyari. Mr. Atiku Abubakar My thoughts and prayers are with Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari. Allah ya kare mu gabaki daya, kuma ya bashi lafiya, Mr Abubakar wrote on Tuesday. For Mr Fani-Kayode, I just confirmed that my old friend &brother Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to Pres. Buhari, has tested positive to Covid 19. I sincerely &honestly wish him well &pray for a quick recovery for him just as I do for all other Nigerians that have tested positive,including @atikus son. I just confirmed that my old friend &brother Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to Pres. Buhari, has tested positive to Covid 19. I sincerely &honestly wish him well &pray for a quick recovery for him just as I do for all other Nigerians that have tested positive,including @atiku's son. Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) March 24, 2020 My emphathy and prayer goes to Alh. Abba Kyari ( Chief of Staff) to Mr President. Our Good Lord will heal you and heal our land, Mr Melaye stated. My emphathy and prayer goes to Alh. Abba Kyari ( Chief of Staff) to Mr President. Our Good Lord will heal you and heal our land. Sen. Dino MELAYE Senator Dino Melaye. (SDM) (@dino_melaye) March 24, 2020 I dont care how close we are, if I see you celebrating the reported Coronavirus status of Abba Kyari, Im going to unfollow you. And Im never ever going to respect you again. We can disagree and all, but we should never ever lose our empathy. Its what defines us eventually, activist Gimba Kakanda wrote. I dont care how close we are, if I see you celebrating the reported Coronavirus status of Abba Kyari, Im going to unfollow you. And Im never ever going to respect you again. We can disagree and all, but we should never ever lose our empathy. Its what defines us eventually. Gimba Kakanda (@gimbakakanda) March 24, 2020 Nigerias COVID-19 Of Nigerias 46 confirmed cases of COVID-19, as at Wednesday evening, one person has died while two have fully recovered. Some observers believe the countrys low detection is because of few numbers of people tested. Quartz Africa reported that less than 200 people had been tested as at Tuesday, quoting official figures from the centre for disease control, NCDC. In contrast, South Africa has tested over 15,000 people. President Muhammadu Buhari during the inauguration of an Advisory Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) However, not even the fear that more Nigerians will test positive to the fatal virus has deterred those attacking the politicians: both those who are infected and those who have been unable to embark on foreign trips because of the travel restrictions globally. Nigerian Politicians must be the most devastated group of pple in the world right now. Its like a dream. Just like a flash of light,they can no longer run to the most tastefully furnished hospitals in the world in UK n Canada whenever their farts begin to smell funny Advertisements These conmen have underdeveloped the healthcare system in their own country for decades. Hospitals are unavailable in many parts of the country and in places where they are available, they are grossly underequipped and understaffed, a medical doctor, Jeremiah Penking, wrote. WASHINGTON, D.C.The United States is governed by three supposedly co-equal branches of government: The legislative, consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives, all elected for either two- (Reps) or six-year (Sens) terms; the Executive, led by the President, elected by a majority of the electors of the Electoral College, and including all members of the cabinet, including the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and 17 other cabinet officers, all appointed by the President and serving at his pleasure; and the Judiciary, led by the U.S. Supreme Court and including all federal appellate and district judges. Notice the crucial difference: The President and all Senators and Representatives are elected, and despite frequent attempts at gerrymandering and outright voter suppression, they technically serve at the behest of the voters, who can vote them out at each scheduled election or even recall them from office in-between. Judges, from the Supreme Court down, are not so limited. True, all federal judges are nominated by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate before serving, but once they're on the bench, the only way to get rid of them is by impeaching themand as the events of the past few months should have made abundantly clear, impeachment is a dicey proposition at best, and by no means assures that bad actors will be removed. Therefore, U.S. citizens who respect the Constitution should be shaking in their booties to learn that according to an article in The New York Times, Senate Majority Leader Mitch O'Connell and his Republican brethren and sistern "have been quietly making overtures to sitting Republican-nominated judges who are eligible to retire to urge them to step aside so they can be replaced while the party still holds the Senate and the White House." And there's no doubt that the Repugs wouldn't mind getting rid of Democratic-nominated judges either! Let that sink in for a second: Altogether, there are 870 "Article III" federal judges currently serving, from the Supreme Court through the Courts of Appeals to the District Courts, and despite what many politicians and even many of the judges themselves may claim, each has a personal political and social philosophy that they bring to the bench, which philosophy often influences the decisions they come to, and the opinions they write. According to the Times, "McConnell ... has been personally reaching out to judges to sound them out on their plans and assure them that they would have a worthy successor if they gave up their seats soon, according to multiple people with knowledge of his actions. It was not known how many judges were contacted or which of them Mr. McConnell had spoken to directly. One of his Republican colleagues said others had also initiated outreach in an effort to heighten awareness among judges nominated by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush and George W. Bush that making the change now would be advantageous." "Advantageous"? To whom? Certainly not to the vast majority of the American people. One can only speculate, but it would seem that getting more Federalist Society-approved judgesmembers of that organization are the only candidates Trump nominateswould be a boon for millionaires/billionaires seeking to build monopolistic empires, or secure massive tax breaks, or avoid messy lawsuits in which they've been sued for civil rights violations. And let's not forget the Religious Right's fervor to deny common rights to gays and the trans communityand to women who wish to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. The Times story notes that Trump has nominated, and the Senate approved, more than 50 appeals court judges"more than a quarter of the overall appellate bench"and, "According to a tally by the Article III Project, more than 90 judges nominated by the three previous Republican presidents are either now eligible or will become eligible this year to take what is known as senior status, a form of semiretirement that enables their slots to be filled. ... Conservatives are eager to see some of the longer-tenured judges make room for younger candidates who could continue deciding cases for decades." Let that sink in: "DECADES"! Republicans are also targeting the more liberal justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (86), Justice Stephen Breyer (81) and Justice Sonia Sotomayor (65)but of course, not Justice Clarence Thomas (71), though they probably wouldn't mind replacing Chief Justice John Roberts (65), who's recently shown an inkling of openness to consider some issues important to conservatives fairly rather than ideologically. And let's not forget, in June of 2018, so-called "swing justice" Anthony Kennedy voluntarily stepped down, and who did Trump/O'Connell get to replace him? Accused sexual assaulter Brett Kavanaugh. Just today, the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation's Townhall.com claimed in an email, "Before his passing, the late Justice Antonin Scalia explained why the U.S. Supreme Court had not yet acted to end Roe v. Wade stating, 'I am against abortion. I want to end it! But where is the moral outcry?'" Of course, that "moral outcry" wasn't needed, since McConnell screwed Merrick Garland, Obama's chosen replacement for Scalia, out of consideration for no reason other than to give what he hoped would be the next Republican PresidentTrump!the chance to fill the seat, as he did with religio-conservative (and virulently anti-abortion) Neil Gorsuch. Obviously, one major concern for the adult industry will be what will happen to laws regarding "obscenity." After all, the concept itself is unconstitutional; the First Amendment doesn't say, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press unless the speech/magazine/DVD/website in question is sexual." But now that obscenity is established precedent, what's to stop those new federal judges from attempting to expand on the Supreme Court's current definitionchanges that could easily find favor if Trump gets to nominate another Justice before he's voted out? Back in the late 19th/early 20th century, a work could be banned because of its alleged effects on "the most susceptible persons," or if the material, or even isolated portions of it, had a "substantial tendency to deprave or corrupt by inciting lascivious thoughts or arousing lustful desires." No reason that couldn't become the law againand Trump's evangelical base would love that! Or how about making "community standards" local again, rather than national? Something could therefore be obscene in Mississippi but fine in New York. Remember: Before the virus hit, Republicans on multiple fronts were trying to ramp up anti-porn sentiment at the Justice Department. Also, without going into detail, other constitutional rights like freedom of (or more specifically from) religion, search and seizure, right not to be a witness against one's self, and the biggie: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people" (such as a right to healthcare)all could be sharply curtailed by a new, ultra-conservative judiciary. In fact, Attorney General William Barr is champing at the bit to do just that. According to an article published on the legal website AboveTheLaw.com, a DOJ memo to Congress regarding "procedural modifications to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic," according to Politico.com's Betsy Woodruff Swan, would grant judges "broad authority to pause court proceedings during emergencies. It would apply to 'any statutes or rules of procedure otherwise affecting pre-arrest, post-arrest, pre-trial, trial, and post-trial procedures in criminal and juvenile proceedings and all civil process and proceedings.'" In other words, bye-bye speedy trial requirements and pre-arrest and pre-trial detention! And beyond enumerated rights, the courts could more easily deny standing to groups and individuals who seek to challenge various laws and statutes, much as Woodhull Freedom Foundation is trying to do with FOSTA/SESTA, and the Mozilla Foundation, EFF and others are trying to do with net neutrality. Finally, let's consider the possible likely issues surrounding Trump's ability to remake the judiciary to benefit himself. Over the past three years, mainstream media has reported on several crimes Trump has committed as a "civilian"charity fraud, tax evasion, violation of his lease on his D.C. hotel, etc., etc.that, once he's out of office, he could (and probably would) be held accountable for. And what will happen if any (or all) of his cases wind up in front of Trump-appointed judges? Is there really any chance those judges will treat him fairly? Moreover, "Senator McConnell knows he cant achieve any of his extreme goals legislatively, so he continues to attempt to pull America to the far right by packing the courts," Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, said in a statement, to which Brian Fallon of the progressive judicial group Demand Justice added, "If Mitch McConnell is having direct conversations to pressure sitting federal judges to basically retire so Trump can name more picks, it is court-packing in a different form." One thing's for sure: Adult industry members will certainly suffer greatly if that plan goes into effect. Pictured: Screen grab from "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" The NHS was inundated with volunteers and a refugee family repaid those who sponsored their move in Wednesdays news. Here is a look at some of the days more uplifting stories you might have missed. Target for NHS volunteers smashed as 405,000 come forward (Kirsty O Connor/PA) Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 405,000 people have signed up to be volunteers for the NHS, 155,000 more than were asked for. The mass sign-up follows Health Secretary Matt Hancocks request for 250,000 people to donate their time to help the 1.5 million people isolating for 12 weeks in an attempt to slow the spread of Covid-19. Anyone who is over the age of 18, fit and healthy and non-symptomatic can offer their time to the scheme. Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick told BBC Radio 4s Today programme there would be a variety of jobs available including parcel delivery and driving. Volunteers may also be asked to drive people to appointments or make regular phone calls to those in isolation, the NHS said. Refugee family brings food to self-isolating family who sponsored their move After sponsoring a refugee family to move to Canada, one Vancouver Island resident found her kindness repaid when they brought her a food parcel while she was self-isolating. Robin Stevenson, originally from Leeds, found herself having to stay inside after returning from Mexico in early March. She then received a phone call from a Syrian family she had help migrate to North America in 2016, who now run a local grocery store. Ms Stevenson, a childrens and young adults author, said: They told me there was food on my porch. They waved from the sidewalk and said that they could bring more food in a few days if needed though I think there is enough here that, even with a teenager in the house, we should be just fine. They are kind and incredibly generous people and weve become good friends over the past few years. Its been lovely seeing the kids grow the smallest was just a baby when they came here. I am sure we will always be connected. Morale-boosting bagpiper vows to play by the rules A man who has been playing the bagpipes in the street to cheer up people living in isolation due to the coronavirus outbreak has said he will carry on if he is allowed to. Harley Balmer-Howieson, 27, was filmed playing the pipes in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, over the weekend in a bid to keep up peoples morale. But since the rules on going out were tightened, he has stopped. He said: I need to get some proper advice. I could class this as my exercise, but I dont want to be breaking the rules. Schoolboy, 12, creates animation to make those stuck indoors smile A 12-year-old boy has created a stop-motion animation to make those stuck indoors self-isolating smile. Aaron Rich created the minute-long video, entitled The Sweet Thief, as part of his IT homework in around an hour and a half. The clip was shared on his fathers Twitter handle @BenRich66 and quickly went viral amassing more than 638,000 views in less than 24 hours. Among those to praise the video was award-winning animator Peter Lord, co-founder of Aardman Animations, best known for its clay-animated films including Wallace And Gromit and Chicken Run. He wrote: Thats really great. And it works too. Aaron, from York, is hoping to create more movies, with the proceeds going to his local hospital. Caterers and chefs cook up meals for the vulnerable during coronavirus pandemic (Anthony Devlin/PA) Chefs, caterers and pubs are cooking and delivering meals for people who are struggling to get food as they isolate during the coronavirus pandemic. Ayesha Pakravan-Ovey, who set up her catering business The Plattery six months ago, is cooking and delivering up to 20 meals a day for people stuck indoors, mainly in south-west London. She is based in Battersea, but has also visited an elderly grandmother in Slough, Berkshire, and travelled to North Finchley to a man who had not eaten a hot meal in two weeks. She used 10% of her profits in February and money from her own pocket to start the process, while a GoFundMe page set up on Sunday has had more than 3,000 donated by people as far away as America. She told the PA news agency: Knowing that people were hungry was just not something I was OK with, and she is giving people at least six meals so they will have a supply throughout the week. One thousand 'key workers' at a poultry factory in Northern Ireland have staged a mass walk out over claims their bosses are not observing social distancing rules. Staff at Moy Park in Portadown, County Armagh went on strike today because they were unable to stay six feet apart from one another. Union bosses said the demonstration at Moy Park, which is one of Northern Ireland's biggest employers and a major chicken producer in the region, lasted 15 minutes and involved around 1,000 people. They claim workers feel they are being treated as 'second class citizens' by being exposed to greater risk of catching coronavirus. The Moy Park walkout came hours after 80 employees at ABP Meats in nearby Lurgan refused to continue working for the same reason. So far there have been 172 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Northern Ireland. Up to 1,000 'key workers' at Moy Park poultry factory in County Armagh, Northern Ireland have staged a mass walk out over claims their bosses are not observing social distancing rules Union bosses said the demonstration at Moy Park in Portadown lasted for 15 minutes and involved as many as 1,000 workers Sean McKeever, Unite Regional Officer, said of the poultry worker protest: 'We need to see immediate movement... to address the workers' legitimate fears over coronavirus transmission.' The UK Government has stressed that food production is an essential service during the outbreak. Employees have 'key worker' status, which means they can continue doing their jobs because people are relying on them for food. But official advice for those in food production has changed rapidly over recent days as the virus has spread and companies large and small have had to react quickly. A Moy Park spokesman said: 'The health and wellbeing of our team is our most important consideration and we have put new, robust measures in place to keep them safe. 'We have thoroughly reviewed our sites and continue to take on board feedback from our team members. We had already identified seven areas to enhance social distancing. 'These measures include staggering breaks, re-spacing workstations and communal areas, as well as installing screens on appropriate production lines. 'We also continue to make provisions for those who can work from home to do so using remote technology as well as increased cleaning and the availability of personal protective equipment. 'We are continually reviewing the situation and taking additional steps where necessary.' The Moy Park walkout came hours after 80 employees at ABP Meats in nearby Lurgan (pictured today) refused to continue working for the same reason ABP Meats in Lurgan, County Armagh also staged a walkout of around 80 employees today The firm said its teams are playing a vital role in keeping food production moving. It added: 'We are committed to ensuring they are safe and well to keep providing these essential food products.' Susan Fitzgerald, Unite regional co-ordinating officer, urged the Government to act to protect workers at ABP Meats as well. She said: 'Approximately 80 employees at ABP Meats in Lurgan who are deemed essential refused work today over fears for their safety. 'Unite has been informed that the workers are demanding adequate social distancing of two metres be facilitated and enforced and other measures be adopted to keep workers as separated as possible, and deep-cleans are conducted on work stations where workers have self-isolated with coronavirus symptoms.' Sinn Fein Assembly member John O'Dowd commented: 'Where essential services need to remain open, the safety of workers and their families is paramount. 'Owners and management of those essential service companies who still have staff on production lines need to acknowledge the dangers of Covid-19. 'They need to act responsibly by ensuring physical distance measures are in place and that steps are taken to protect these essential workers. 'Statutory bodies with responsibility for health and safety need to take action to make sure those businesses which remain open are not placing any of their workers or their families at risk.' Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 24, 2020) - Revelo Resources Corp. (TSXV: RVL) ("Revelo" or the "Company") announces that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company's Special Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time), will be held by way of teleconference call only. For those who wish to attend, please use the following dial-in numbers and access codes as applicable: North America: 1-800-319-7310 (Toll Free) International: +1 604-638-5353 (Long distances charges will apply) Access Code: 95019# ABOUT REVELO Revelo is a Canadian company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: RVL). Revelo has interests in an outstanding portfolio of projects prospective for gold and copper located along proven mineral belts in one of the world's top mining jurisdictions - Chile. The Company has a vision to reward shareholders with wealth-generating mineral discoveries along Chile's prime mineral belts, through leveraged and more efficient capital deployment, exploration, discovery and monetization. For more information, please visit Revelo's website at www.reveloresources.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Michael Winn, Chairman INVESTOR CONTACT Timothy J Beale | President & CEO T: +1 604 687-5544 | info@reveloresources.com | www.reveloresources.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/53760 Midland County recorded no new positive coronavirus cases Tuesday while Gladwin County had one, according to information released in the state's daily update online. Isabella County saw its first two cases while Bay County added an additional one, which was reported online by the Daily News Monday evening. There were 463 new positive cases reported Tuesday in Michigan with nine deaths, compared to 293 new cases and seven deaths reported Monday. Overall, Michigan had 1,791 cases reported Tuesday with 24 deaths. In an effort to reduce illness exposure and support the volume of community members seeking COVID-19 testing and direction, MidMichigan Health launched its first Virtual Health Clinic. The new program helps to provide on demand patient initiated virtual visits through a centralized location. This week, our governor signed an executive order and asked our communities to Stay Home, Stay Safe. With the implementation of telemedicine programs, such as our Virtual Health Clinic, we can meet our patients where they are, said Tom Wood, director of trauma and telemedicine. Through the Virtual Health Clinic, patients can be referred for a virtual visit by their primary care doctor, specialty clinic, Urgent Care or Emergency Department. They can also get a virtual visit without a referral by calling the Virtual Health Clinic directly. Then, patients are sent a link to the virtual platform through text or email. They are able to connect from a variety of devices and do not need to download a new app or create an account. Next, they are connected to our primary care providers for a virtual visit. Their symptoms are assessed, questions are answered and instructions for further treatment are given. The Virtual Health Clinic program launched on March 19, at MidMichigans East End Building in downtown Midland. Our program has been extremely successful with more than 300 virtual visits in our first three days," Wood stated. "We are continuing to improve the Virtual Health Clinic and are also creating the ability to connect patients to their specialist or primary care for non-COVID-19 related visits. We are rapidly implementing virtual visit capability to three to five MidMichigan provider clinics every day. In conjunction with the Virtual Health Clinic program implementation, MidMichigan launched its first Ambulatory Testing Center on the campus of MidMichigan Urgent Care Midland last week. In following CDC and health department guidelines, primary care providers first refer patients to the Virtual Health Clinic for a virtual visit. If deemed necessary, patients are then given an appointment at the local Ambulatory Testing Center. During the brief appointment, patients remain in their car while a member of the MidMichigan Health care team meets them at the tent and tests for influenza and other illness at the physicians discretion. A nasal swab is also collected for COVID-19 testing. Those patients are then sent to their homes to remain in quarantine until their test results are reported to them, said Paul Berg, MidMichigan Physicians Group president. These measures are just another example of helping to distance those with possible COVID-19 exposure from the rest of our patient population and our staff and health care providers. Additional Ambulatory Testing Centers have been or are slated to open later this week at the following MidMichigan Health locations: Alma: MidMichigan Urgent Care Gratiot, 321 E. Warwick Dr. Alpena: Family Medicine Long Rapids, 211 Long Rapids Clare: MidMichigan Medical Offices Sixth and Maple, 212 West 6th St. West Branch: MidMichigan Urgent Care West Branch, 640 Court St., M-30 Those wishing to make an appointment through the MidMichigan Virtual Health Clinic may call 888-591-0500. In addition, MidMichigan Health has published a COVID-19 informational hotline with a reminder of CDC guidelines and recommendations. Staff is also available to help answer community questions from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The hotline can be reached toll-free at 800-445-7356 or 989-794-7600. What should I do? If you think you've been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your health care provider for medical advice. If he/she isn't available, call Mid Michigan Urgent Care in Midland at 989- 633-1350 or Mid Michigan Medical Center's Emergency Department in Midland at 989-839-3100. If you are feeling anxious, stressed, depressed and feel you need to talk to someone, reach out to Community Mental Health for Central Michigan by calling 800-317-0708. One of our neighbors, Carol Ferguson, mentioned a lot of different communities are having these clap outs where everyone goes on their porch to clap and make noise to reassure each other, Warner said. About a week ago, we tried that for the first time. It was wonderful to see everyone, but no one really knew when to end it. Were a family of musicians, so we wanted to organize something fun for everybody. BEIRUTDown on Earth, the coronavirus outbreak was felling lives, livelihoods and normalcy. A nation-spanning blessing seemed called for. So up went a priest in a small airplane, rumbling overhead at an epidemiologically safe distance from the troubles below, wielding a sacred golden vessel from a cockpit-turned-pulpit. Before his flight over Lebanon, a soldier at an airport checkpoint asked the Rev. Majdi Allawi if he had a mask and hand sanitizer. Jesus is my protection, said Allawi, who belongs to the Maronite Catholic Church. He is my sanitizer. Religion is the solace of first resort for billions of people grappling with a pandemic for which scientists, presidents and the secular world seem, so far, to have few answers. With both sanitizer and leadership in short supply, dread over the coronavirus has driven the globes faithful even closer to religion and ritual. But what is good for the soul may not always be good for the body. Believers worldwide are running afoul of public health authorities warnings that communal gatherings, the keystone of so much religious practice, must be limited to combat the virus spread. In some cases, religious fervor has led people toward cures that have no grounding in science; in others, it has drawn them to sacred places or rites that could increase the risk of infection. In Myanmar, a prominent Buddhist monk announced that a dose of one lime and three palm seeds no more, no less would confer immunity. In Iran, a few pilgrims were filmed licking Shiite Muslim shrines to ward off infection. And in Texas, the preacher Kenneth Copeland braided televangelism with telemedicine, broadcasting himself, one trembling hand outstretched, as he claimed he could cure believers through their screens. The anchors of religious practice have taken on a greater urgency just as religious authorities move to restrict them. An Egyptian pharmacist, Ahmed Shaban, 31, traveled to Saudi Arabia this month to make a pilgrimage to Prophet Muhammads birthplace and tomb. Millions of Muslims throng the sites every year, many of them pausing to kiss the Kaaba, the black-and-gold cube in Mecca that is Islams most sacred shrine. In times of hardship, fear or panic, Shaban said, either you think, How can God do this to us? or you run to him for protection and for guidance, to make it all make sense. The day Shabans visit was scheduled, the Saudi government suspended all pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina indefinitely. This month, Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem closed for prayer, making it a clean sweep: Islams three holiest sites were now off-limits. With good reason, at least from a medical standpoint: Coronavirus outbreaks have been linked to a South Korean church, a gathering of 16,000 faithful at a mosque in Malaysia and an Orthodox Jewish congregation in New Rochelle, New York. But social distancing can leave the faithful feeling distant from God. How do you receive the body and blood of Christ when the communion cup might be a vector? How do you feel the warmth of communal prayer, the experience that draws the faithful to houses of worship around the world, in the cold blue light of a livestreamed service? Spiritual advisories from religious authorities sought to redirect believers energies inward. Rabbi David Lau, the Ashkenazi chief rabbi in Israel, called upon Jews to say 100 blessings daily, as King David did when confronted with a plague. The Sephardic chief rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, urged Jews to petition the Almighty to stop the epidemic and to leave his throne of judgment and sit instead on the throne of mercy. The Coptic patriarch of Egypt, Pope Tawadros II, said the pandemic was a wake-up call to repent. If there are differences between people, he said in a sermon, this is the time for reconciliation. In a world where so many routines have been obliterated, it is the rites themselves that many cherish. Im taking precautions in my life generally against the virus, but communion is the body and blood of God, said Monica Medhat, 26, an executive at an Egyptian brewery who is a Coptic Christian. It cant get infected with anything. If anything, the times have strengthened her faith. I believe everyone dies when theyre destined to die, she said. It doesnt matter if its from a virus or a car accident. God help us all. People may have already unknowingly spread the virus in the name of piety. Despite New Yorks recent bans on large gatherings, several large weddings went ahead in Brooklyns Hasidic Jewish communities, which have reported a spike in confirmed cases in recent days. Iran is home both to one of the worlds worst outbreaks and to dozens of major Shiite Muslim shrines, which have remained open to crowds for weeks even as the coronavirus left the country shell-shocked. When the government finally heeded health officials pleas and shuttered two popular shrines in the cities of Mashhad and Qum on Monday, crowds of the faithful pushed in, Iranian state media reported, shouting, The president is damn wrong to do that! India has so far refused to call off an annual festival that starts Wednesday in honour of the god Ram, also known as Rama. In normal times, it draws as many as 1 million people to Ayodha, which some believe to be the birthplace of Ram, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The state has asked devotees to celebrate at home this year. Organizers, however, are carrying on. People are getting the opportunity to have glimpses of Lord Rama, said Vinod Bansal, a national spokesman for the group, Vishva Hindu Parishad. Its not appropriate to deprive them of this opportunity. Many faiths are adapting to the new reality. Houses of worship are closed or empty. Holy water is splashed from individual bottles instead of a font. Friday prayer has been cancelled across the Middle East. Muezzins in the West Bank and Kuwait entreat the faithful to avoid the mosque and instead pray at home. This will be the fourth week without Mass across Italy. But in the Sicilian city of Palermo, the mountain sanctuary of Saint Rosalia, who is believed to have saved Palermo from a plague in 1625, remains open. Under current government restrictions, Italians are not supposed to leave home except for emergencies. But the Rev. Gaetano Ceravolo, the sanctuarys chief caretaker, said around 40 pilgrims had nevertheless trekked up to the shrine last Sunday, praying briefly and far apart from one another. For us, shes a friend, a point of reference, said Francesco Tramuto, a member of the group that has carried the saints reliquary through Palermo yearly for three centuries. Others may be devoted to the Virgin Mary, but for Palermo, she is the expert in plagues. In Israel, all three main Abrahamic faiths have sought to accommodate the faithful without endangering them. The Western Walls plaza has been subdivided into smaller prayer areas to discourage large groups, and synagogues held services with smaller quorums and told the high-risk to stay home. West Bank churches were closed. On the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, Muslims were allowed to pray only outside. The internet offered a sterile way to worship from home. The Popes Mass was livestreamed. So was a burning rite to dissipate the virus at the Kinpusen-ji Buddhist temple in Japan. South Korean churches offered YouTube-only services for the first time anyone could remember. To the dismay of religious leaders in South Korea, whose congregations gathered through Japanese occupation and war, worship services have attracted unusual scrutiny there. A majority of South Koreas 8,800 cases have been traced to a large, unconventional church in the southeastern city of Daegu. I am so sad that a place of prayer and solace has become a place of fear, said Kim Jeong-ja, 58, a churchless churchgoer in Seoul. I wonder how long this will last. Praying online watching YouTube is not like going to your church on Sunday. Amid the coronavirus anxiety, it was perhaps inevitable that some would interpret the pandemic as a divine missive. What it said was less clear. Some Egyptian Muslims expressed certainty on social media that God was smiting non-Muslim countries by giving them the virus, apparently unaware that Egypt has registered nearly 200 cases and may have many more uncounted. Some Islamists, especially supporters of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, cast the outbreak as punishment for the Egyptian publics support of the military takeover that brought the countrys authoritarian leader, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, to power in 2013. Some sought earthly remedies inspired by higher powers. Video emerged last week of Hindu activists in India drinking cow urine to stave off the coronavirus. At the Lebanese government hospital where infected patients are being treated, a woman recently arrived carrying a mixture of holy water and dirt dug from the mausoleum of Saint Charbel, who is revered among Lebanese Christians. Some Christians were said to be drinking similar solutions as a precaution. Hospital administrators tested the soil and, finding it unlikely to cause harm, consented to keep it for any patients who might find it comforting. Who were they to judge? a hospital official said. It was high time, in any case, for a miracle. Advertisement The mother of a premature baby visiting her son in hospital, a special needs teacher and restaurant staff are among the victims of Sadiq Khan's refusal to increase Tube services. The Prime Minister has told the Mayor of London to add more trains today, but London's Tube network is packed once again - with critics accusing Mr Khan of 'risking lives' after slashing number of trains at a time of national emergency. Mary Selassie, 42, was taking the underground from Ealing Broadway to Westminster, the closest station to St Thomas' hospital in South London where her son Elhan is being treated in a specialist intensive care unit after being born three months early. The journey takes around an hour. She told MailOnline: 'I need the underground at this time because without it I would not be able to spend time with my son. I've been doing this journey for the past three weeks and in the last few days the service has not been as regular. 'I don't understand why they are reducing the number of trains because it just means that we have to wait for longer. 'Many other people are in the same difficult position as me. They're getting the tube because they have to. Of course I'm worried because there's a very high chance that I could become infected using public transport and then I definitely would not be able to see my baby. This is just adding to my stress.' Today, Boris Johnson has said it should be possible to 'run a better Tube system', fuelling the row about why carriages are packed during the coronavirus pandemic. The Tube is operating at around 50% of its normal capacity during peak times, leading to overcrowding as many people continue to travel despite pleas for non-essential journeys to be avoided. As Britain started its second day of mass self-isolation today, it also emerged: London is on a trajectory for a worse coronavirus outbreak than Lombardy in Italy with deaths doubling every two days and it could run out of intensive care beds by the end of the week; Parliament is shutting early tonight 'until further notice'; Coronavirus could have infected as much as half of the population of the United Kingdom, according to researchers at the University of Oxford; FTSE 100 opens up 2% by 108 to 5,555 points after record day of trading yesterday as world markets seesaw; Mary Selassie, 42, is taking the underground from Ealing Broadway to Westminster, the closest station to St Thomas' hospital in South London where her son Elhan is being treated in a specialist intensive care unit after being born three months early Commuters crammed on to the Central Line at Leytonstone this morning - where there was only one train every 15 minutes - when it would usually be around every three minutes London's Tube network is busy again today as Sadiq Khan blamed staff sickness for the severely reduced timetable Ernesta Juskatie, 38, a dental nurse, is taking the underground to get to work There is mounting anger among NMHS workers who insist TFL can and must do more to ensure key workers get to work safely throughout the crisis Coronavirus UK: New lockdown measures in full Boris Johnson tonight announced a lockdown plan to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the UK as he told the nation to stay at home. People will only be allowed to leave their home for the following 'very limited' purposes: Shopping for basic necessities as infrequently as possible. One form of exercise a day. Any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person. Travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, the PM has announced a ban on: Meeting with friends. Meeting with family members you do not live with. All weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies but excluding funerals. All gatherings of more than two people in public. The PM said the police will have the powers to enforce the lockdown measures through fines and dispersing gatherings. To ensure people comply the government is also: Closing all shops selling non-essential goods. Closing all libraries, playground, outdoor gyms and places of worship. Parks will remain open for exercise, but will be patrolled. Advertisement NHS workers are among those who have complained that packed carriages are putting their health at risk. Edvaldo DaSilva, 42, said he had tried and failed to find space to board the underground on Monday and Tuesday and today decided to stay at home. Mr DaSilva said: 'I normally leave my home at Bethnal green and take the tube at around 7 am. Last week it was fine and I was able to get on to the trains. ' But on Monday and Tuesday it was impossible because their were less trains running than before. 'The platform was packed and the trains took about 15 minutes to arrive and then I couldn't get on. 'I looked at everybody on the trains and I thought 'they're breathing all over each other. This is so dangerous'. 'We are supposed to be keeping two meters from people and now that they are less trains, people are being pushed together even more and it's dangerous for our health. 'I saw passengers with their faces stuck next to others and it was terrible. It just needs one person on the train to have coronavirus and everybody is at risk.' Mr DaSilva, who works at the Riverside School in Wood Green, added: 'This is not acceptable. 'It's really hard for me because I teach vulnerable young people life skills and I must be allowed to do my job. 'But my boss understands and now the government needs to understand. 'These tube trains are very dangerous for everyone staff and passengers. Something has to be done. 'They need to put new trains on or restrict people travelling. It's so dangerous and opposite to what we are being told by the Government. 'I feel very sorry for those people who have to ride on those tubes so closely together. It is not right.' Ana Gomes, 40 and Carlos Maestu, 51 were taking the central line from Ealing Broadway to West Acton following a shopping trip to a supermarket. Ms Gomes, a waitress who is currently at home after the restaurant she works in closed, said: 'We don't want to get the tube, but we have to. The nearest supermarket to us is here in Ealing Broadway. Both of us are taking all the precautions we can, we'd rather not use public transport but what else are we supposed to do?' Spaniard Mr Maestu, a chef, who is also at home following the closure of the central London restaurant he works in, added: 'In Spain the lockdown is much tougher than in Britain. If you ask me, they need to shut down all public transport except to essential workers because there are still too many people out and about.' Kim Black, 48, a child protection social worker from Oxford, is taking the underground to Paddington to catch a train to her home Prime Minister says: 'We should be able to run a better Tube system' Boris Johnson has said it should be possible to 'run a better Tube system', fuelling the row about why carriages are packed during the coronavirus pandemic. The Prime Minister told MPs that more London Underground trains should be running, despite Mayor of London Sadiq Khan insisting services are reduced due to staff being off sick or self-isolating. The Tube is operating at around 50% of its normal capacity during peak times, leading to overcrowding as many people continue to travel despite pleas for non-essential journeys to be avoided. NHS workers are among those who have complained that packed carriages are putting their health at risk. Mr Johnson said: 'My own view is that we should be able to run a better Tube system at the moment, we should be able to get more Tubes on the line.' He claimed 'I do not wish in any way to cast aspersions on what is going on at TfL', and pledged to give the mayor 'every support' to get through 'what seems to me to be his present logistical difficulties'. The Prime Minister's comments come a day after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there is 'no good reason' why timetables have been cut to the extent they have. Advertisement Spaniard Mr Maestu, a chef, who is also at home following the closure of the central London restaurant he works in, added: 'In Spain the lockdown is much tougher than in Britain. If you ask me, they need to shut down all public transport except to essential workers because there are still too many people out and about. 'If they did close the tube it would be a big problem for me, but you can't just think about yourself in a time like this.' Ernesta Juskatie, 38, a dental nurse revealed that she was taking the underground to get to work. She added: 'The practice where I work is still open, so I don't have much choice. When I'm on the underground, I don't sit, and I don't touch anything. I know that might not be enough to stop me getting infected but I'm doing all that I can. 'Personally, I hope they close the whole network down, except for those who really need to get to work, like NHS staff. That way I would have no choice but to stay at home.' Kim Black, 48, a child protection social worker from Oxford said that she was taking the underground to Paddington to catch a train to her home. She added: 'This is my last day at work and then I'll be working from home. I just came into London to collect a laptop from my work and sort out some paperwork. 'It's actually quite pleasant commuting from Oxford at the moment because normally, you don't even get a seat. The underground needs to keep going; there needs to be an increased service, not a decreased one because there are a lot of people who still need to use it.' The PM has told the Mayor of London to add more trains but London's Tube network is packed again with Mr Khan accused of 'risking lives' after slashing number of trains at a time of national emergency. Today one in three of TfL staff are ill or in self-isolation - including large numbers of drivers and customer-facing workers - with the sickness figures appearing to be disproportionately higher than among frontline workers in the NHS, police and fire services. Some have blamed the strength of the Tube unions and their threat to pull away members for the high level of staff absence. MailOnline can reveal that during rush hour today some London Underground lines are currently only running one train every twenty minutes, when it should be one every three to five minutes, causing more crammed conditions in 'death trap' carriages and on heaving platforms. Mr Johnson said: 'My own view is that we should be able to run a better Tube system at the moment, we should be able to get more Tubes on the line.' He claimed 'I do not wish in any way to cast aspersions on what is going on at TfL', and pledged to give the mayor 'every support' to get through 'what seems to me to be his present logistical difficulties.' MailOnline reader Wayne Alexander, who works for Network Rail, took this picture today London Underground tube passengers try to squeeze onto a carriage on the Central Line at White City this morning with services set to become even less frequent, according to underfire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan MailOnline reader Wayne Alexander, who works for Network A commuter in a gas mask waits for a Tube train as Sadiq Khan said it was not possible to run anything but a reduced service Platforms are also packed with people who have no choice but to travel having been classed as key workers 'Contamination is rife': Boris Johnson faces growing pressure to shut building sites Workers in a cramped canteen at the Hinkley Point C site in Somerset Boris Johnson is under growing pressure to stop non-essential construction workers heading to building sites as Britain attempts to tackle the spread of coronavirus. The Prime Minister has faced calls across the political spectrum for more stringent rules so workers are not placed at risk, and public transport is not overwhelmed. Mr Johnson, who will appear before MPs today for Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, has so far resisted the pressure. But Conservative former cabinet minister Sir Iain Duncan Smith joined the demands for a rethink, after doubts were also raised by Nicola Sturgeon and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Meanwhile, it has emerged that plumbers, electricians and other tradesmen are still allowed to carry out routine work in people's homes despite the dramatic lockdown announced on Monday. Pictures shared on social media today show workers sitting beside one another in a cramped canteen at the Hinkley Point C site in Somerset. Advertisement As deaths in the capital doubled, the Mayor of London is facing mounting fury and pressure to restore services to normal levels with some NHS workers claiming they are now more worried about travelling to work than treating coronavirus patients in hospital. But in a statement Mayor Khan this morning revealed more train services will go and said: 'Nearly a third of TfL's staff are now off sick or self-isolating - including train drivers and crucial control centre staff. Many of them have years of safety-critical training in order to run specific lines - so it is simply not possible to replace them with others. TfL will do everything possible to continue safely running a basic service for key workers, including our amazing NHS staff, but if the number of TfL staff off sick or self-isolating continues to rise - as we sadly expect it will - we will have no choice but to reduce services further.'. There were grim scenes on the Tube again today where commuters with no choice but to go to work were faced to stand nose-to-nose with strangers on teeming trains. Key worker Tony Drew tweeted: 'No-one is listening to you and don't need to reduce the service as much as you have. You need to get more trains on and stop putting the lives of key workers like me at risk'. Kate Mat wrote: 'I have zero respect for Sadiq & TFL! Are they really blind or just heartless??! They are putting key workers life in danger!!!! Nurses, doctors and other key workers can't practice social distancing on cramped tubes!' A senior nurse named Danny posted on Twitter: 'Another busy tube. Can we not stagger people's start times so we aren't all squashed on the same tube! This is unsafe and not fair!', and Barry Trimble, whose work involves ensuring cancer patients receive chemotherapy, posted: 'The Tube is packed, with social distancing impossible. We need more people to stay at home and more trains running in morning and evening peak.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said last night there is 'no good reason' Tube services have been slashed and Boris Johnson also questioned why up to three quarters of services had been axed in a call with Mr Khan yesterday, Commuters have today vented their fury at the lack of trains, with one tweeting Mr Khan this morning with the plea: 'You are herding key workers into a smaller space. 'Your decision is a difficult one but is directly risking lives. Please rethink this for our health workers so they can at least feel safe going to work'. Another NHS worker said: 'Please sort the tubes out, this is risking lives. Emergency workers have to use TFL! Help now'. Today 500 police officers were deployed at major stations to remind passengers that only those making essential journeys for work should be using the Tube and trains - but huge numbers have no choice but to head to work again today. Today 500 police officers were deployed at major stations to remind passengers that only those making essential journeys for work should be using the Tube and trains Mr Khan has blamed commuters for flouting a ban on 'all non-essential travel' and urged people to avoid rush hour 'to save lives' - claiming he does not have enough staff to return services to normal. Coronavirus UK: New lockdown measures in full Boris Johnson tonight announced a lockdown plan to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the UK as he told the nation to stay at home. People will only be allowed to leave their home for the following 'very limited' purposes: Shopping for basic necessities as infrequently as possible. One form of exercise a day. Any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person. Travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, the PM has announced a ban on: Meeting with friends. Meeting with family members you do not live with. All weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies but excluding funerals. All gatherings of more than two people in public. The PM said the police will have the powers to enforce the lockdown measures through fines and dispersing gatherings. To ensure people comply the government is also: Closing all shops selling non-essential goods. Closing all libraries, playground, outdoor gyms and places of worship. Parks will remain open for exercise, but will be patrolled. Advertisement Mr Hancock went on the attack as he was asked at a Downing Street press conference this evening why NHS staff and other key workers were being forced to put themselves at risk on crowded transport. He said: 'When it comes to the Tube, the first and the best answer is that Transport for London should have the Tube running in full so that people travelling on the tube are spaced out and can be further apart - obeying the two-metre rule wherever possible. 'And there is no good reason in the information that I've seen that the current levels of tube provision should be as low as they are. We should have more tube trains running.' Earlier, commuters packed in like sardines hit back at the Mayor, who runs the capital's public transport network, with one victim claiming it was about saving money, tweeting: 'Using the pandemic to save a few pennies. Nice work helping the people you claim to represent'. Another Londoner wrote: 'Utter disgrace. We need professional leadership at this time'. Sharing a horrifying picture of a packed Tube train this morning, NHS sonographer Nicola Smith tweeted: 'I love my job, but now I'm risking my health just on the journey in?! @SadiqKhan put the tube service back to normal so we can all spread out, or @BorisJohnson start policing who's getting on. Help me!'. After completing her journey to the Imperial College NHS Trust in west London, she said: 'I worry for my health more on my commute than actually being in the hospital.' And there is continuing confusion over who qualifies as a key worker, especially among London's army of builders, meaning most had no choice but to ride the busy trains to work and run the terrifying risk of catching coronavirus, which has claimed 422 lives so far in the UK. Boris Johnson also raised concerns about cutbacks in London Underground services with the capital's Mayor in a calland is said to have asked him to put on more trains. His Downing Street spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister raised with the mayor the issue of reduced services on the tube and its impact on people trying to get to work'. British Transport Police has said its officers will stop non-essential workers travelling on the Tube. A spokesman said the force would 'ensure that only those making essential journeys for work are using the Tube and rail network', adding: 'Our officers will be on hand to support rail operators if people are clearly disregarding the advice'. Tube trains were packed again today despite the Government's unprecedented lockdown that started just hours earlier to save lives and take pressure off the NHS Boris Johnson's coronavirus lockdown backed by 93 PER CENT of the public - poll finds Boris Johnson's coronavirus lockdown is backed by 93 per cent of Britons, according to a poll today. But in a potentially worrying sign for the PM, two-thirds believe that the extraordinary curbs will be easy to obey. The announcement by the PM last night mean that everyone must stay inside unless it is absolutely essential. Gatherings of more than two people have been banned in the most dramatic restrictions on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war. But research by YouGov shows the measures have overwhelming endorsement from the public, Advertisement Hours after the PM said almost all Britons should should stay at home in the most draconian shutdown in modern history, people were nose-to-nose on the Tube, trains and buses despite being told to be two metres apart to avoid exposure to the killer virus. To stem the terrifying number of deaths, gatherings of more than two people are now banned and people must only leave their homes for essential supplies, medical help, or to travel to work if it is 'absolutely' unavoidable. Going out for exercise is allowed once a day as long as people stay two metres apart to stop the NHS collapsing under the strain of new cases. But transport union TSSA today called for police to be deployed to make sure only key workers are getting on trains amid claims Tube staff could walk out unless ID checks start immediately because of 'dangerous' conditions at London stations. General secretary Manuel Cortes said: 'Sadly, the situation on the London Underground has not improved. We urgently need British Transport Police and other officers at major stations across London's transport network to ensure only those with a valid reason to travel are doing so in this emergency'. Mr Khan's office hit back at Mr Hancock's claim there was 'no good reason' not to have more frequent services on the Underground tonight. A spokeswoman for the Mayor said: 'This is simply not true. The Mayor has told ministers countless times over recent days that TfL simply cannot safely run a full service because of the levels of staff sickness and self-isolation. 'Nearly a third of staff are already absent - there aren't enough drivers and control staff to do it. 'The Government must act urgently to get more people staying at home rather than going to work unnecessarily - that means taking the difficult decisions they are refusing to take to ban non-essential construction work and provide proper financial support to freelancers, the self-employed and those on zero-hours contracts to stay at home.' Mr Khan has demanded that employers enable their staff to work from home 'unless it's absolutely necessary' and avoid rush hour if they can't, adding: 'Ignoring these rules means more lives lost. Some of the people on the Tube yesterday and today are not essential workers, I can tell you that'. But there is ongoing confusion caused by Boris Johnson's long list of key workers - with many packed on to trains appearing to be labourers legitimately heading to building sites in London after housing secretary Robert Jenrick tweeted last night: 'If you are working on site, you can continue to do so.' There are growing calls for police to be deployed at all main underground and overground stations to make sure only key workers are getting on trains (BTP officers pictured in Bristol today) What major world cities have the lowest proportion of people moving around compared to normal? TWO WEEKS AGO (W/ending Mar 15) Milan 9% Rome 16% Seoul 42% Madrid 46% Seattle 47% Tokyo 48% Monaco 51% Copenhagen 54% Paris 57% San Francisco 57% Rhine-Ruhr 60% Barcelona 61% Hamburg 64% Boston 64% Hong Kong 65% Washington DC 66% New York City 67% Amsterdam 68% Vienna 69% Berlin 69% Philadelphia 70% Brussels 71% Los Angeles 71% Stockholm 73% Chicago 78% Singapore 82% Vancouver 83% L ondon 83% Toronto 84% Lyon 86% Lisbon 87% Manchester 89% Montreal 91% Birmingham 91% Sydney 93% Istanbul 93% Mexico City 95% Melbourne 97% Moscow 98% St. Petersburg 101% Sao Paulo 104% PAST WEEK (W/ending Mar 21) Milan 4% Madrid 5% Barcelona 6% Rome 6% Vienna 7% Paris 9% Copenhagen 11% Lyon 11% Amsterdam 12% San Francisco 12% Monaco 13% Brussels 14% New York City 15% Boston 16% Washington DC 16% Chicago 17% Hamburg 20% Lisbon 20% Seattle 20% Berlin 21% Istanbul 21% Rhine-Ruhr 22% Los Angeles 22% Philadelphia 23% Montreal 30% Sao Paulo 33% Toronto 34% Tokyo 35% Stockholm 36% London 36% Vancouver 37% Seoul 40% Manchester 41% Birmingham 44% Mexico City 45% Melbourne 55% Sydney 56% Hong Kong 56% Moscow 68% Singapore 72% St. Petersburg 79% YESTERDAY (Mar 23) Milan 4% Barcelona 5% Madrid 5% Lyon 5% Paris 5% Monaco 5% Vienna 6% Rome 6% Amsterdam 7% Brussels 8% New York City 8% San Francisco 8% Chicago 9% Washington DC 9% Copenhagen 10% Boston 10% Istanbul 11% Sao Paulo 13% Berlin 13% Lisbon 14% Seattle 14% Hamburg 15% Los Angeles 16% Rhine-Ruhr 17% Philadelphia 17% Montreal 18% Tokyo 18% Toronto 23% Vancouver 24% London 25% Manchester 28% Sydney 28% Mexico City 30% Birmingham 31% Melbourne 33% Stockholm 35% Seoul 36% Moscow 56% Singapore 61% St. Petersburg 73% Hong Kong n/a Data from Citymapper Mobility Index Advertisement Confusion as shop and office workers are told to stay home amid coronavirus lockdown but builders and delivery drivers can carry on The government has come under pressure to urgently clarify who it counts as a 'key worker' after Britons woke up in a state of lockdown confusion. Last night in his historic address to the nation, Boris Johnson ordered the public to stay at home unless travelling to work was 'absolutely necessary'. It was wrapped into an emergency package of draconian measures to keep people indoors to stem the tide of coronavirus infection, which threatens to overwhelm the NHS. But the wriggle room left by the Prime Minister over exactly who was allowed to travel was seized upon by many workers who continued to commute to their jobs this morning. Construction workers were seen operating in close proximity, causing head-scratching over why they were continuing to work while most of the country was forced to hunker down at home. Responding to claims that details of the lockdown were 'murky', Michael Gove, the minister for the cabinet office, said: 'It is the case that construction should continue on sites. 'People should obviously exercise sensitivity and common sense and follow social distancing measures. But construction sites carried out in the open air can continue'. And Nicola Sturgeon and Sadiq Khan fanned further confusion when they advised construction workers to stay at home. Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey said it has closed its construction sites, show homes and sale sites due to coronavirus. The company said it has a 'large order-book and quality long-term landbank' which provides it with increased resilience. It said UK operations have 'only been meaningfully impacted in very recent days' while its smaller Spanish operations have been disrupted by a nationwide shutdown. Earlier on Tuesday, competitor Redrow said its sites remain open with 'strict precautions in place including enhanced levels of cleaning, additional hygiene facilities and social distancing'. Advertisement The Department for Transport is identifying those lines that need more trains. It said: 'We are aware of some instances of overcrowding on certain train services this morning, and are working with operators regarding capacity on specific lines as needed to make sure there is space to be safe.' C2C, which runs commuter services between Essex and London, is thought to have been identified as a line in need of increased capacity. Passenger watchdog Transport Focus said: 'The Government should continue to review what measures are needed to make sure social distancing on trains services is safe.' The RMT union said: 'We know that many people who are not traditionally employed, whether they are self-employed, on zero-hour contracts or in the gig economy, feel they have no choice but to go to work because of their financial situation. We therefore call on the Government to do far more to help these workers.' Vernon Everitt of TfL said: 'To save lives, everyone must follow the Government and Mayor's instructions to stay at home and only travel if absolutely essential. Only critical workers should be using public transport, and no one else.' The Prime Minister's shutdown will last for a minimum of three weeks and the UK's new state of emergency is unprecedented in modern history. Gatherings of more than two people will be banned in the most dramatic curbs on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war, as the government goes all out to stop the spread of the killer disease. In a grim address to the nation from Downing Street, Mr Johnson said: 'Without a huge national effort to halt the growth of this virus, there will come a moment when no health service in the world could possibly cope; because there won't be enough ventilators, enough intensive care beds, enough doctors and nurses', adding: 'I must give the British people a very simple instruction - you must stay at home'. He said any family reunions, weddings, baptisms and other social events must be cancelled to stop the NHS collapsing under the strain. Funerals can go ahead attended by just a handful of closest relatives. People must only leave their homes for essential supplies, medical help, or to travel to work if it is 'absolutely' unavoidable. Going out for exercise will be allowed once a day, but parks will be patrolled to make sure there is no abuse of the rules. Police will have powers to fine those who do not fall into line, and disperse any public gatherings, in measures to curb movement only seen during the Second World War. Historians have claimed you have to go back to 1666 to find when people were last forced to stay at home en masse, when Britons had to stay at home for 40 days to halt the spread of the Great Plague. The PM was finally forced into the draconian move amid fury that many people are still flouting 'social distancing' guidance, with parks and Tube trains in London - regarded as the engine of the UK outbreak - still busy despite repeated pleas. 'Though huge numbers are complying and I thank you all - the time has now come for us all to do more,' Mr Johnson said. A number of existing drugs are being repurposed and tested for efficacy of the potential treatment for the coronavirus (Covid-19). Image source: Getty/Gallo Role of data and evidence Preliminary work on the development of vaccines has started with University of Cape Town (UCT), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Biovac. Progress is expected in over 18 months, said Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande. Current trials happening internationally coordinated by the World Health Organisation are also being monitored.South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (Sacema) are currently engaging with other sources of data and modelling groups, refining their assumptions with a view to produce an updated model of the spread of the epidemic over time by Friday, Nzimande said.The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) has already availed R12m and will redirect an additional R30m.It has become urgent to locally manufacture reagents for testing kits. These are currently being imported and the lockdown may threaten access to supply, the minister said.The Department of Science and Technology has negotiated the repurposing of various facilities and labs to respond to the outbreak.The entities in line to assist include Biovac, Centres of Excellence in TB research, Centre of Proteomic and Genomic Research (CPGR) and Afrigen Bio.Discussions are on to facilitate accreditation of some of the facilities to produce reagents, he said.The minister said the National System of Innovation (NSI) can make significant impact in enhancing the role of data and evidence in supporting the response to the Covid-19 emergency.Currently, key decision-making processes including work being done by the Department of Health, the Presidency, as well as the National Command Centre has drawn on the existing data and evidence capabilities of the NSI.There is now widespread agreement on the need for a central situational awareness platform which will provide a single view of the reality. The technology to rapidly deploy such a situational awareness platform exist at the CSIR (the CMORE system) and is now being customised to service the Covid-19 response, the minister said.The facility is currently being established at the CSIR but can easily be moved should this be required.Depending on permissions granted to certain users, parts of the data can be accessed remotely.The CMORE team is currently getting a sense of the information requirements of key users, starting with the Department of Health so as to demonstrate how the system works.The functionality of the CMORE system is designed to service a wide range of users, whether these are in a decision hierarchy as well as different types of first responders (health workers, police, the army), Nzimande said.He said an immediate functionality requested by the Department of Health for activation is to provide the 3,000 health workers involved in tracking and testing to be able to transmit essential information to a central point via their cell phones.The CSIR team has been requested to have a facility that can be shown to people in the next 24 hours as this will provide the impetus for decision needs to be codified and share with the team for implementation.Through complementary processes by the DSI and the Department of Health, the research community specifically the modelling community has been brought together for enhanced cooperation.The researchers are currently splitting into various work streams bringing together like capabilities taking into account that different models exist. Over the next 48 hours, the nature of the work streams, what information they provide, to whom, and at what frequency, and how is quality control and peer review managed will be finalised, he said.The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) was alerted to the urgency expressed by the President for an assessment based on data, on the way in which South Africans view current developments.Normal research processes including the need to get ethics clearance resulted in the work only starting yesterday, he said. At age 98, Prince Philip has been declared "dead" on social media many times in the past. With the coronavirus pandemic across the globe affecting millions including celebrities and the royal family, the Duke of Edinburgh was rumored to be dead. The duke made a surprising request regarding his own funeral services amid fresh concerns over his health. He recently surpassed a brief spell in the hospital during the holidays and was set on being released in time for Christmas Day. The reigning monarch's husband wishes for a "no fuss" filled arrangements. Sources said the Queen's husband has revealed his desires to close family members and has also taken it upon himself to ensure his own memorial arrangements are to his preferences. A rumor also circulated in January wherein Queen Elizabeth II's husband had died began sweeping Twitter. Users reported hearing the rumor of the purported death at work or "on the street." A common theme to the tweets claiming that Prince Philip had died involved a delayed public announcement; some said the public would learn in due time of the duke's purported demise, while others had a premonition of an upcoming announcement around January 18, 2020. Now, he is reportedly highly vulnerable to contract the deadly coronavirus with royal commentator Angela Mollard calling the Duke of Edinburgh a very sick person. "He was in the hospital at Christmas time, so they will be protecting his health at Windsor. There will be doctors on staff." Also Read: Hantavirus Kills One in China, May Be Next Outbreak After Coronavirus? The palace has confirmed that the elderly royal is still living at a ripe old age. Many people are concerned about the grandfather of Prince William and Prince Harry. Twitter was particularly awash with fake news that the Duke of Edinburgh, who turns 99 this June, died. Some wondered if he had passed away due to the novel coronavirus, as elderly people are more vulnerable to the flu-like bug, as well as those with underlying health conditions. The prince has primarily remained around Sandringham Estate since his retirement in 2017. Coronavirus cases in the UK have hit 2,626. The rumors began when an anonymous WhatsApp user claimed that Prince Philip had died. According to Gareth Davies, breaking news editor at The Telegraph, "RE. rumor the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, is dead - it's nonsense." "Source close to Buckingham Palace tells me he's absolutely fine." 'Prince Philip' has been trending on Twitter on several occasions last week. There was no progress or update on Prince Philip's health but the palace would not give a running commentary. One particular tweet that surfaced online was that he was dead and the first 100 people to arrive at Buckingham Palace can attend the public funeral with the hashtag #RoyalFamily. Many fans joked about the issue and asked others to put a lid on it. "#PrincePhilip dead? That fella has died more often than Tottenham's trophy quest." The 98-year-old husband of the Queen retired from public life in 2017. Related Article: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Plead for Compassion @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Alliance News) - Novacyt SA and Yourgene Health PLC on Wednesday unveiled a contract manufacturing agreement for a Covid-19 diagnostic test. Shares in Novacyt were up 5.1% at 165.55 pence in London shortly before midday. Yourgene's shares were up 34% at 16.09p. Under the deal, Yourgene will use its manufacturing facility in Manchester, UK, to ramp up production of Novacyt's Covid-19 test, with the first batches to be shipped from the Manchester site in the next few weeks. Yourgene will initially make critical components for the Covid-19 test, but the companies may subsequently seek to expand the deal to use Yourgene's capacity to produce final versions of the testing kits. Yougene also said it is currently expanding its laboratory capability so it can support the UK's National Health Service in Covid-19 laboratory testing. Novacyt Chief Executive Graham Mullis said: "As the global demand for our Covid-19 test continues to increase, we are pleased to have rapidly established a relationship with the expert team at Yourgene to further expand our manufacturing capacity. We look forward to working with Yourgene as we continue to ensure we are fully prepared to meet the demand for our test to support the global response to monitor and contain the Covid-19 pandemic." Novacyt separately stated it has signed a global distribution agreement with Bruker-Hain Diagnostics, part of Bruker Corp, for the Covid-19 diagnostic test. In addition, Novacyt said that the Philippines Department of Health Food & Drug Administration has approved the Covid-19 test for commercial use with immediate effect. Mullis said: "This agreement is another important endorsement of our Covid-19 test and is another way in which we can ensure it is distributed to a wide range of laboratories as we continue to tackle this global pandemic. In Bruker, we have found a strong international partner with a wide reach into European laboratories and look forward to building on this relationship. We are also pleased to have received approval from the FDA in the Philippines and look forward to supporting this new market." By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. As COVID-19 hits all aspects of life and the economy, Montgomery Countys homeless are facing even more hurdles. The Salvation Army Center of Hope shelter in Conroe has taken on several new measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within its facility. Most notably, the shelter has capped its capacity at 40 people, plus 10 spots for staff. At the moment, the shelter has 16 beds for men, 12 for women, and up to 12 family beds. Usually capacity is around 72 beds total, more if its cold and extra cots need to be rolled out. But preventing COVID-19 means making changes. The shelter is still serving meals but is social distancing residents in the dining room and asking those who are taking to-go meals to wait outside. When entering the facility everyone is asked to use hand sanitizer and their temperature is taken. Anyone with a high temperature is asked to go to a doctor and get medical clearance before returning. Were trying to take as much precaution as we can, as we run our Center of Hope, said Major Don Wildish of the Salvation Army. Safety in fewer numbers Since lowering the capacity, Wildish said the center has had to turn people away each night when it meets capacity for each section. Were trying to run that center of Hope in the most responsible way that we can, Wildish said. Unfortunately, the only other shelter in the county is the Montgomery County Womens Center. Only women and children can stay at the Womens Center, which has 75 beds that are typically full each night. Those experiencing homelessness who cant stay at the Salvation Army or the Womens Center have nowhere else to go, but the health and safety of residents and staff is the top priority. If an individual is looking for shelter, theyre having to move either north or south from Conroe to go into another city, another community, even another county, Wildish said. But all the shelters, at this point, are being run very similar to the way that were running. Most of the residents in the shelter are working towards independence and have jobs, Wildish said. The shelter doesnt aim to help the chronically homeless but to give a leg up to people who have hit hard times and need a place to stay while they get on their feet. Robert McCaffery Jr. is one such resident. He works at a local car wash business and in the last few weeks, his hours have been cut dramatically. Trying to better myself to get out of here being able to work as much is keeping me from being able to get a place, he said. Fewer public resources The closure of public resources like the library has also been a hindrance. He needs a place to look for another job or apply for unemployment. If the car wash closes and hes out of a job, hes back on the streets. Without the shelter he said he wouldnt have somewhere to be during the day, putting him more at risk of COVID-19 because he would be out in public more. Here, Ive got my little circle, most people dont step in each other's circles, he said. Out there, you just come into contact with people constantly. For the last several months Betty Bradley has been living in her car. But for the past four days, shes been a resident at the shelter. Bradley works as a home health aid for elderly people but hasnt been able to find work for a while. While living in her car she was able to shower at her gym, which her insurance pays for. But now that the gyms are closed, if she werent at the shelter she wouldnt have a place to shower. Ive had to live in my car a little bit more than I would have, she said. Because otherwise, I would have friends to stay with. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com WASHINGTON Nations reeling from conflict, poverty and deficient health care will be unable to contain the coronavirus without significant international assistance, risking that the disease will ricochet back to recovering populations in a deadly global cycle, the United Nations warned in a new $2 billion appeal to combat the pandemic. Even as they called on the world to fund defenses against the virus, U.N. officials also urged continuing donations to humanitarian crises to prevent those nations from becoming even more vulnerable to the disease. Countries battle their own catastrophes at home and are rightly prioritizing their citizens, Mark Lowcock, the U.N. under secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, said in an interview on Tuesday. But the hard truth is, in order to protect their own people, its going to be smart to help the poorest countries engage for this response, too. The money to confront the coronavirus in 53 nations suffering from instability in South America, Africa the Middle East and Asia is not immediately available. Funds will be raised over the next nine months as U.N. agencies and private aid organizations combine efforts for the appeal, and for a new response plan that will be released Wednesday during an online news briefing. Details of the plan were provided in advance to The New York Times. Kyron Horman was 7 years old when he was last seen at Northwest Portlands Skyline Elementary School, on June 4, 2010. The boys disappearance prompted what authorities described as the largest search-and-rescue operation in Oregon history, but there have been no arrests made. The Horman case will be covered in a segment on Wednesdays In Pursuit With John Walsh, an Investigation Discovery series that tries to find missing children and fugitives. As The Oregonian/OregonLive has reported, according to police, Kyron disappeared from school sometime on June 4, 2010, after his stepmother, Terri Moulton Horman, brought him early to Skyline Elementary School so he could take part in a science fair. He never made it to his second-grade class and was later reported missing when he didnt return home. Since Kyrons disappearance, his mother, Desiree Young, has made appearances in an effort, as she has said, to try and help people understand what her family has endured, and to help others in similar situations make life livable for relatives and others. (How to stream In Pursuit With John Walsh: Live stream on Hulu + Live TV; fuboTV; or Sling TV) In Pursuit With John Walsh features Walsh, who became well-known as a victims advocate when he hosted Americas Most Wanted, a project that grew out of Walshs own experiences when his 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted and later found murdered. Walshs son, Callahan Walsh, who also works to help find missing children and combat child exploitation, is also involved in the Investigation Discovery series. According to a press release, the show is encouraging any viewers with any information on Kyrons whereabouts to call or text at 1-833-3-PURSUE or to submit online at their dedicated hub at InPursuitTips.com. In Pursuit With John Walsh airs at 10 p.m. Wednesday, March 25 on Investigation Discovery. -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Hospitals in the New York City area are turning to a private distributor to airlift millions of protective masks out of China. The U.S. military is flying specialized swabs out of Italy. And a Chicago-area medical supply firm is taking to the skies as well because a weekslong boat trip across the ocean just won't do. The race to import medical supplies reflects a nationwide panic over a dwindling supply of the masks, gowns and other protective gear that health care workers need amid the growing coronavirus pandemic. Demand is outstripping what's available due to a damaged supply chain heavily reliant on China and a struggling Strategic National Stockpile. U.S. manufacturing giants like 3M have not yet made up the difference. A sweeping national survey out Wednesday drives home that nearly a quarter of hospitals have fewer than 100 N95 masks on hand and 20% report an immediate need for ventilators. In the hardest-hit areas, like New York City, the shortages are potentially life-threatening to patients as well as health care workers. About 260 health systems representing 990 major hospitals responded to the March 16-20 survey by Premier Inc., a group purchasing organization that negotiates with suppliers for discounts. While the survey provides a fresh picture of nationwide hospital operations, the number of U.S. COVID-19 cases has soared tenfold since the survey began - from fewer than 5,000 to more than 55,000 as of Wednesday afternoon. "Absent additional interventions from the government or private sector, we don't foresee the current status quo changing," said Soumi Saha, senior director of advocacy for Premier. "And the current status quo is not acceptable." Saha said the national stockpile "is intended to be a band-aid, not a long-term solution." Premier called on the Trump administration to either further implement the Defense Production Act to ramp up domestic manufacturing or provide more clear direction on which medical supplies are needed and streamline distribution. FEMA announced Tuesday it did not use the Defense Production Act for test kits after previously stating it would. The alarm bells ringing from the hospital community come in contrast to a more subdued message from FEMA, which is helping hospitals procure needed goods. "The private sector can directly purchase [personal protective equipment] from manufacturers and distributors, as they normally do," FEMA press secretary Lizzie Litzow said in a statement. "The private sector can also accept donations from other private sector entities." The statement pointed to a "how to help" document that outlines how individuals and companies can share supplies or other resources. In recent days, volunteer efforts have ramped up to help health providers who've taken to Twitter and other social media with pleas for more protective gear. Grassroots efforts have sprung up, with veterinary, computer, construction and industrial businesses donating goods while sewing circles churn out cloth masks. During a White House press briefing Tuesday, President Donald Trump said FEMA is distributing more than 8 million N95 respirators, 14 million surgical masks and 2.4 million face shields. "The federal government is using every resource at its disposal to acquire and distribute critical medical supplies," the president said. 3M, a major American manufacturer of the N95 masks, said on March 20 it had doubled its global output of the crucial N95 respirators and plans to further increase output. Currently, over 30 million industrial and health care specific N95s are being produced for U.S. health care use by the company each month. Shipments totaling half a million 3M masks were scheduled to start arriving in New York and Seattle on Monday from its South Dakota plant. The influx of goods comes as health care providers are now using four to 10 times more protective gear once a COVID-19 patient enters their doors than they typically use. This has forced hospitals already dealing with cases to scramble even more than health care facilities yet to get any cases, though shortages are crippling all areas of the health care industry. "It's a total change in what we are used to as a society around availability," said Cathy Denning, senior vice president of sourcing operations for Vizient, an analytics and advisory firm that also does health care group purchasing. "From our perspective, it's this unbelievable place we find ourselves in realizing we have a vulnerable supply chain." As the coronavirus crippled China, the center of commerce for low-margin products like face masks and sanitizing wipes, the U.S. supply chain began to fall apart. With global competition for the same safety gear, the crisis deepened, and big national suppliers aren't coming up with enough products to meet the crushing demand. And waiting about a month for a cargo ship of supplies to arrive from China is a luxury of time that hospitals cannot afford - even though ships can carry over 10 times more supplies than a cargo plane could. Medline, a Chicago-area medical supplier, started delivering face masks by airplane last week after manufacturing resumed in China. According to spokesperson Stacy Rubenstein, flying the supplies in will shorten the "manufacturing-to-dock" time by three to four weeks, and the firm will not be passing along the "significant increase in cost" to customers. But the demand is still 300% higher than traditional inventory levels, Rubenstein said in an email. Elsewhere, hospitals are reaching out to Michael Einhorn, president of Dealmed, the medical products distributor and supplier working with 12 New York metro area hospitals desperate for products he cannot always secure. "Does it cost the hospitals a lot of money? No question about it. But right now, that's what they need to do to secure product," Einhorn said. "We can't wait for it to come overseas." He's paying up to $40,000 for shipments arriving on multiple planes from Shanghai to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport and sometimes losing money due to the high shipping costs. The other backstop for hospitals was the national stockpile, which has come up far short. Despite receiving 49,200 N95 masks, 115,000 surgical masks, 21,420 surgical gowns, 21,800 face shields and 84 coveralls from the national stockpile, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment estimated in a press release Monday that those supplies would last approximately one full day of statewide operations. Einhorn said that hospitals are panicking, having lost faith in the supply chain as they cannot find products they so desperately need. "The strategic national stockpile, with all due respect, was a failure," he said. The hospitals reported in the survey that their supply of N95 masks are their chief concern, with the best-supplied hospitals having about a 10-day supply on hand. Hospitals identified hand sanitizer as the second-most pressing shortage, with 64% of respondents saying they were already running out. Next was surgical masks, which provide less protection than the N95 masks. Nearly half of hospitals had fewer than 1,000 on hand; a quarter of them reported going through 1,000 per day. To keep up with that kind of demand, Einhorn said, more needs to be done to secure the products from China. "One of the things we have been asking for is assistance getting these products quickly from China to here," said Einhorn. "Instead, we're doing drives of people dropping off three boxes of face masks." Gloves were the items of fashion during last weeks Ballinasloe cattle sales. Photo Kevin Byrne Photography The coronavirus pandemic could have long-term implications for how we live and how the rural economy operates. 1 Rural towns With many rural towns already struggling to keep afloat, the closure of small businesses will add to the pressure. But social distancing queues have formed outside many butchers and greengrocers, as shoppers avoid busy supermarkets that have seen shelves emptied from panic buying. Expand Close Artisan Butcher Brian Treacy, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare. Photograph Liam Burke Burke/Press 22 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Artisan Butcher Brian Treacy, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare. Photograph Liam Burke Burke/Press 22 Smaller, local food shops may get a new lease of life if further social restrictions are implemented and people form the habit of choosing to shop closer to home. 2 Food & drink What we're buying has also changed as more and more people work from home. Demand has swung away from cafes, restaurants and hotels to home-cooked meals, which may have a significant impact on processors, used to selling large amounts to a smaller number of buyers in the food-service sector. 3 Exports A huge fall-off in demand from the food-service sector in Europe could significantly impact Irish beef exports. With footfall drastically reduced in fast-food restaurants, Irish dairy and beef exporters will suffer. One in every five McDonald's burgers sold in Europe is made from Irish beef, while reduced demand for dairy from Asian food-service markets will impact world demand. 4 Cash Expand Close Credit card gambling has been banned in Britain / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Credit card gambling has been banned in Britain For years cash has been king in farming and rural Ireland. However, that looks set to change irrevocably, as the demand to use cards increases for hygiene reasons. But cash is still the preferred option for many, from the factory cheque to the ill-advised hidden cash at home. Rural Ireland for the most part still operates on a cash basis, but moving to a card-only society - even in the short-term - will speed up the demise of cash. 5 Marts The closure of mart could have far-reaching implications on the cattle trade. Up to now with restrictions on marts in place, it put increased pressure on the already beleaguered marts. The closure of marts from last night will mean farmers will have to look at new ways to offload and buy cattle. The role marts can play in this remains to be seen, but will be vital to their long-term surival. 6 Self-Isolation The impositions around social distancing mean there's no longer a good chat with the neighbour popping in, or with other farmers about the price of cattle at the mart. Instead, we've become wary of being in close proximity to people, afraid they may be carrying the virus. The director of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Dr Jagat Ram, has said that the hospital is reeling under pressures of acute shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers. There is an acute shortage of PPE kits. If the situation worsens, we will be left in the lurch. We have placed a demand for 10,000 kits and are waiting for companies to deliver the order, said Dr Jagat Ram. Health care workers in the city are also in dire need of N-95 masks, gloves and sanitizers. On Wednesday, the PGI Nurses Welfare Association wrote a letter to the director demanding proper supply of N-95 masks, PPE kits and sanitizer. The letter reads: When patients reach the hospital, its very hard to know the status of the patient, whether he/she is (corona) positive or negative for the safety of the staff attending patients, it is requested that we may be provided with PPE kits, N-95 masks and sanitizer. On Tuesday, the Union ministry of health and family welfare issued guidelines on the rationale use of PPEprotective gear designed to safeguard the health of workers by minimising exposure to a biological agent. It includes goggles, face-shield, mask, gloves, cover all/gowns. The health care workers working in the emergency ward have been advised to wear N-95 masks and gloves, and those dealing with severely ill patients are advised to wear a full PPE kit. Doctors working in the OPD and screening centres are advised to wear N-95 masks and gloves, and the sanitation staff at moderate risk are recommended N-95 masks and gloves. However, in the PGIMER, only those health care workers are provided with PPE kits or N-95 masks who are directly dealing with Covid (Coronavirus Disease) cases, especially in the communicable disease ward, at screening centres and in the triage area of emergency. Dr Uttam Thakur, president of the PGI Association of Resident Doctors, said, We had demanded that every doctor/health worker in the emergency must be provided N-95 masks, as they are at high risk of getting infection. At present, doctors are using regular surgical masks. At times I get calls from doctors that they arent even getting those. We are waiting for the administrations response. Sanitation staff fighting for masks The worst hit are the sanitation staff, some of whom had to fight in the morning to get a mask. Sanjeev Kumar, president of the PGI Contractual Workers Union, said: There are over 1,500 contractual sanitation workers in PGIMER and many are not getting masks. Often we have to struggle with the nursing staff to get one mask, because they say there is a shortage. Dr Jagat Ram said: We are giving PPE kits to those dealing with suspicious and confirmed corona cases. To others, we are providing masks and gloves as per norms. There are around 15,000 N-95 masks and 1 lakh three-layered masks available with the hospital as of now. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Is coronavirus airborne? Does heat kill it?: Priyanka Chopra asks WHO chiefs questions about Covid-19 Actor Priyanka Chopra took part in a live conversation with WHO General-Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHOs Technical Lead for Covid-19 on Tuesday. She has shared the entire conversation on Instagram. She captioned her post, There is so much information circulating about Covid-19. And right now were all searching for clarity. (Read full story here) American screenwriter Terrence McNally dies of coronavirus complications, was a lung cancer survivor Terrence McNally, a revered American playwright, librettist and screenwriter whose long career earned him four Tony awards and an Emmy, died Tuesday following coronavirus complications. He was 81 years old. McNallys publicist said in a statement sent to AFP that the esteemed artist was a lung cancer survivor who lived with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He died while hospitalized in Florida. (Read full story here) PM Modi announces 21-day lockdown: Rangoli Chandel hails path-breaking action, Taapsee Pannu says lets do this Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, March 24, night, urged people to take the coronavirus pandemic very seriously. He also announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure to curb community transmission of the virus. Bollywood celebrities came out in support of the Prime Ministers decision. Anupam Kher was among the first to respond to PMs speech and shared a folded hands emoji on Twitter. (Read full story here) Lisa Rays one year old twins learn to wash hands in adorable video, actor clarifies on leaving the tap open Lisa Ray has shared an adorable video as her twin daughters Soleil and Sufi learn to wash their hands under the guidance of their father in the time of coronavirus outbreak. The one and a half-year-olds can be seen washing their hands together and saying in excitement wash wash clean clean. (Read full story here) My grandmother is 70, mother is type 1 diabetic: Emma Watson lists reasons shes staying at home Actor Emma Watson has urged her fans to stay at home, and has shared the reasons why she is staying indoors amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Harry Potter actor took to Instagram and shared a picture of herself, holding up a placard with the reasons written on them. (Read full story here) Follow @htshowbiz for more On Sunday, the news was that Democrats in the Senate, having worked to draft a bipartisan bill to help Americans through the coronavirus crisis, received orders from Rep. Nancy Pelosi to reject it. On Monday, the Democrats doubled down on that rejection. Also on Monday, Nancy proposed a 1,100-page bill that did provide some help for America's workers, small businesses, and corporations. Most of the bill, though, was given over to Democrat wish-list items. If the coronavirus had hit America with a Democrat in the White House and a Democrat majority in Congress, by Monday's end, a new law would have raised the federal minimum wage to $15, subsidized student loan debt, provided more funds for PBS, funded the IRS and the Postal Service, mandated race and gender diversity for corporate boards, implemented same-day voter registration, and required airplanes to be carbon neutral in five years, as well as a host of other initiatives pandering to social justice, environmental, and union concerns and all of it would ostensibly have been done to protect American workers from the coronavirus's ravages on the economy. Speaking in the Senate without any Democrats present, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) shredded the Democrats for their proposals: Twenty-four hours later, everything changed. What might have tipped Nancy Pelosi off to the fact that her proposed legislation wasn't a winner was the pushback she got from Dana Bash on CNN. Bash sits there stone-faced as Pelosi explains that everything in her proposed bill will address only issues associated with the coronavirus. When Bash politely expressed some mild concerns, Pelosi got so flustered that she advanced multiple thoughts without finishing a single one and without explaining coherently why any of her leftist boondoggles deserved to go forward: By Tuesday afternoon, Pelosi caved: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that she will attempt to pass the Senate's coronavirus economic stimulus package putting aside the alternative, projected $2.5 trillion measure that she proposed. The California Democrat said she'll try to pass the Senate's projected $1.8 trillion measure by unanimous consent, meaning House members can say yes without having to come to Capitol Hill to vote. Senators are therefore back to negotiating the original bill (and Democrats are still making wish-list demands, including funding for Planned Parenthood), but there should be a deal. Nevertheless, the Democrats' despicable game-playing shouldn't be forgotten. When American workers and businesses faced disaster, Democrats, rather than focusing their energy on helping Americans, decided to play hardball. They opted not for patriotism, but for economic blackmail. Derek Hunter put it best: The words necessary to accurately describe how opportunistic and disgusting the behavior of Democrats has been over the third coronavirus bill has been are not fit for a family audience. Take every four-letter word you can imagine, square it, and create a few new ones and you'll be close to describing people who see one Republican Senator diagnosed with coronavirus and 4 others in self-quarantine because of possible exposure as "leverage." The shame that Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Chris Murphy, and all the rest should feel (but don't) must never be forgotten, and they should never be allowed to hide from it. Saving the economy of the United States from collapse is not the venue to insist on "Green" agenda items and payoffs to unions. Yet these piles of human garbage are counting on a few things they know will give them cover in order to play this game of Russian Roulettewith the gun to the heads of Americans. [snip] When presented with a choice to help the American people, Democrats prioritized THEIR people over all people, their agenda over the good of nation; they drew a line in the sand to give money to their donors, to push unrelated agenda items that will excite their base, and tell everyone else they can go to hell. No, they can. They deserve to, because they are truly bad people. However, as Hunter notes, while it shouldn't be forgotten, the nature of politics is that it probably will be forgotten. First, people have short memories; second, the media lie to protect Democrats; and third, the media will blame President Trump for anything that goes wrong with the economy. We can only hope that when November comes around and this is all a distant memory, people can summon up the sense of revulsion they must feel now against the morally bankrupt, opportunistic Democrats and vote accordingly. A sign along Route 113 in Phoenixville warns people Tuesday to heed Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's stay-at-home order directed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Read more New Jerseys coronavirus cases continued their surge with nearly 3,700 confirmed patients and 44 deaths reported on Tuesday, ranking the state second highest in the country behind hard-hit New York, while Pennsylvania officials warned that the commonwealths total of cases would continue its exponential growth. With millions of people in New Jersey and eight Pennsylvania counties including Philadelphia and its suburbs now under stay-at-home orders, officials continued attempts to stop the spread of the deadly virus and secure more hospital equipment before the number of patients becomes unmanageable. If anyone is looking to me for a reason to justify the steps I have ordered, Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday, announcing the case increase and death toll, I can now give you 44 of those reasons. And after New York passed 25,000 cases, White House officials urged anyone who had recently visited New York City to self-quarantine for two weeks a directive sure to reverberate through the Philadelphia region, just a short Amtrak ride away for workers and day-trippers. We are just the test case. And thats how the nation should look at it, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday as he repeated appeals for the federal government to release supplies to his state. Look at us today. Where we are today, you will be in three weeks, or four weeks, or five weeks, or six weeks. Philadelphias Public Health Department was considering options regarding quarantine measures or regulation for people coming to the city from New York, a spokesperson said Tuesday night. North Jersey continued to bear the brunt of the spread with nearly 2,000 of the states positive coronavirus cases; South Jersey reported slightly more than 300. A total of 12,000 people had been tested as of Tuesday. In Pennsylvania, where nearly 9,500 people have undergone testing, 851 people in 40 counties were confirmed to have the virus and seven people have died. Even as case counts grow partly due to spread and partly due to more people being tested officials said that doesnt mean prevention measures such as staying home and closing nonessential businesses arent working. We cant flip a light switch, Murphy said. Soon, the region may be able to see evidence that the efforts to slow the spread of the infection are working, said Montgomery County Commissioners Chair Val Arkoosh, who is also a physician. Residents who have spent more than a week in various states of quarantine or isolation should not be discouraged, she said. Just the opposite, Arkoosh said. Were cautiously hopeful that weve been able to put social mitigation strategies into place and [will be able to] keep that curve relatively flat compared to a lot of other places. On Tuesday, the urgency of preparing the region for the expected onslaught of cases took on many forms. New Jersey announced plans to bring temporary hospitals to the Atlantic City Convention Center and three other locations.Pennsylvania said it was talking to manufacturers about making medical supplies and working on plans for expanding hospital space, and Gov. Tom Wolf expanded Mondays stay-at-home order to include Erie County. And the effects of the pandemic continued. The Pennsylvania House approved a proposal to postpone the states 2020 presidential primary election to June 2; the legislation will go to the state Senate for a concurrence vote and then to the governors desk. The governor of Delaware also moved that states primary to June 2 on Tuesday. New Jersey canceled statewide school assessments for the year after receiving a federal waiver. Cuomo and Murphy both called for the federal government to release more supplies, saying their states have received a fraction of what they need and have requested. What am I going to do with 400 ventilators when I need 30,000? Cuomo said at a Tuesday briefing. The governor said he told federal officials: You pick the 26,000 people who are going to die because you only sent 400 ventilators. New Jersey is also set to receive 200,000 more N95 respirator masks and 84,000 surgical masks from the federal government but weeks ago requested more than two million N95 respirators and more than 850,000 surgical masks. And in South Jersey, a drive-through coronavirus testing site at Camden County College in Blackwood sat full of tents, sinks, and traffic cones, but empty of patients, because kits promised by the federal government have not yet come in. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, along with 15 other attorneys general, sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday urging him to use the Defense Protection Act to order companies to manufacture essential supplies and dramatically increase health-care and testing capacity. Murphy said Tuesday he had also asked the Trump administration to grant New Jersey a federal disaster declaration under the provisions of the Stafford Act. New Jersey would become the fourth state to get the designation after Washington, California and New York and could more easily collaborate with the Federal Emergency Management Administration in its response to the pandemic. While officials in county after county and state after state reported an increase in coronavirus cases, Trump said on Tuesday he wants the country opened up by Easter, a suggestion that defies the recommendations of public health and medical experts, who have warned that the current restrictions are the only possible path to slowing the spread of the virus and preventing deaths. Without the current restraints on business and public activity in Pennsylvania, officials believe the state could confront the same dire outcomes as Italy, where thousands have died, and New York. From a public health perspective, we would not pull back from restrictions, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine said Tuesday. It is far too early to change those prevention and mitigation orders. Even with the restrictions on business and social activity, it will take until Easter or later to determine whether the spread has been curtailed, said Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley. If we do this right, then maybe, maybe, within two to four weeks we can see evidence of slowing the epidemic wave, he said. Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania State Police issued 27 warnings to non-"life-sustaining" businesses that remained open on Monday, the first day of enforcement of Gov. Tom Wolfs business-closure order. Police in New Jersey began enforcing the state directive to stay home, breaking up gatherings and citing people who defied it. One tenant who hosted a gathering of more than 30 people in Salem County was charged with a disorderly persons offense, a local police chief said on Facebook. And a Monmouth County man was charged with terroristic threats, harassment, and obstructing the law after coughing on an employee at a Wegmans grocery and telling her he had the coronavirus after she asked him to step back as she covered an open display of prepared foods. These are extremely difficult times in which all of us are called upon to be considerate of each other not to engage in intimidation and spread fear, said New Jersey Attorney General Gubrir S. Grewal. Philadelphia police have been instructed to not stop and detain any individual for violating any stay-at-home order, according to a memo distributed to police commanders. Instead, police are simply asking people to go home. But after getting questions about parties and Airbnb gatherings, Philadelphia officials said large parties were prohibited under the citys order and would be addressed if they happened. We will continue to engage with them and with our police, Mayor Jim Kenney said, and try to get people to use their common sense and stay the hell home. Staff writers Erin McCarthy, Laura McCrystal, Mike Newall, Ellie Rushing, Allison Steele, Rob Tornoe, Jonathan Lai, Chris Brennan, Christian Hetrick, and Anna Orso, and staff photographer Tom Gralish contributed to this article. Just a month ago the medieval town of Shrewsbury was hit by the worst flooding it had seen in 20 years. The River Severn rose to record levels and much of Shropshire's county town and its half-timbered buildings were cut off. Some shops shut down after footfall fell to 25 per cent of the previous year. However, Shrewsbury is suffering once again. Like other towns and cities up and down the country, strict restrictions to curb the march of coronavirus have meant the closure of many shops and have forced residents to stay at home. Card sales: Alison Staples of Romy Design, which sells cushions, flower pots, leather wallets and jewellery as well as handmade greetings cards, is moving online But independent businesses are determined to not only safeguard their livelihoods but also help the community. Many are setting up new delivery and online services, while eagerly awaiting news about promised Government help. Ian Cornall, owner of Barkworths Seafoods in Shrewsbury Market Hall made changes to the store's delivery service, Le Fish, after customers rang to say they felt uneasy visiting the fishmonger in person. Now, alongside cod and salmon, they can also order from other traders at stores he works with in the market and can buy meat from W. D. Butchers or Corbetts and fruit and veg from Maddocks. They will pay the same price as if they had visited the market hall, but Ian is charged about 10 per cent less when he buys the food the difference in price means customers do not pay for delivery. Payments can be made over the phone and customers who are self-isolating can arrange to have goods left on their doorsteps. About 40 per cent of Ian's orders are commercial, so he hopes the service will make up for the income lost from supplying restaurants. Ian, 49, says: 'I think a lot of people will see eating the food they've always enjoyed as a way to maintain normality in their lives.' Upscaling phone service: Trader Ian Cornall made changes to the store's delivery service, Le Fish, after customers rang to say they felt uneasy visiting the fishmonger in person In the same market hall, Alison Staples runs Romy Design, which sells cushions, flower pots, leather wallets and jewellery as well as handmade greetings cards. Alison has closed the shop due to the new restrictions but says she is 'well-stocked' with materials for making cards and gifts and is taking online orders instead. Alison last week offered a Mother's Day card service for customers unable to leave home. She charged the usual 2.50 for the cards, adding 70p for postage and a message. After promoting the service on Instagram, 20 people placed orders for cards and about half a dozen bought gifts, too. The designer has also replaced her in-store 30 macrame workshops with 20 DIY kits. Alison, 36, says: 'I just hope the DIY kits can provide an activity for people who are stuck at home.' Cake shop owner Brenda Docherty has had 2,000-worth of wedding orders cancelled by couples forced to postpone their big day due to the virus. Washout: Shoppers struggle through flood waters in Shrewsbury town last month after record flooding The Icing Tip, which also sells cake decorating supplies, saw takings drop 90 per cent during the floods. Now it is closed due to the virus. But the grandmother is hopeful that the 5 and 7 animal cookie cutters and Easter cupcake kits she began putting together last week will be a hit with parents, now schools are closed. Delivery is free. Brenda, 62, says: 'I am being positive about this. The weddings are being postponed but cake orders will be rebooked.' Outside the market, the owners of Shrewsbury Taxis, Matt Young, 50, and Natalie Jameson, 42, are offering grocery, medicine and takeaway deliveries. Their 100 drivers charge a standard cab fare for transporting click-and-collect orders. They are also working with volunteer groups ordering food for residents who are self-isolating. And 20 per cent discounts are offered on fares for NHS workers, supermarket staff and pensioners. While it will be struggle for many small businesses to stay afloat, experts say that rich rewards could be waiting. Clare Bailey, founder of Future High Street Conference, says: 'This period will probably remind people how much they need their High Streets. 'Once they are allowed out, there will be people who have money to spend after saving so much by staying at home.' f.parker@dailymail.co.uk This is where Udo Kier comes in. As the head of a murderous cabal (Americans, mostly) on a grim human safari expedition with a license to kill, Kier as he has for decades on screen lends an air of cosmic strangeness to the story. Even so, Bacurau settles for more familiar and increasingly gory plot developments in its second half. Its more about dread than it is about suspense or surprise; the audience gets out pretty far ahead of the sympathetic characters dominating the films excellent first half. An emergency hospital during 1918 influenza epidemic in Camp Funston, Kansas. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York said Monday that his state plans to start treating coronavirus patients with the blood of recovered patients. The use of so-called "convalescent plasma" dates back to the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, but hasn't been used in a major way in the US for decades. The therapy will involve injecting patients with the plasma of people who have recovered from the coronavirus, and therefore have the antibodies in their system needed to kill the virus. It isn't a cure for the virus, but will help lessen patients' symptoms and help them recover faster. Cuomo said this therapy will be trialed only on critically ill patients first, to see if it's safe and effective, then rolled out to other patients. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Facing a tidal wave of coronavirus cases, New York state health officials are resorting to an antiquated treatment to help patients recover from COVID-19: the blood of patients who have already beaten the disease. Gov. Andrew Cuomo told a Monday news conference that so-called "convalescent plasma" will start being used to treat coronavirus patients this week. The therapy will involve injecting patients with the plasma of people who have recovered from the coronavirus, and therefore have the antibodies in their system needed to kill the virus. Initial reports from China suggest that this treatment method can lessen the symptoms of coronavirus, NBC News reported. It isn't a cure for the illness, but it may help patients recover faster while the world waits for a vaccine, which could take months. The blood therapy dates back to the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, but hasn't been put into widespread use in the US for decades. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York on Monday. Mike Segar/Reuters Cuomo said this therapy will be trialed only on critically ill patients first, to see if it's safe and effective, then rolled out to patients before severe symptoms appear. Story continues Dr. Arturo Casadevall, an infectious-diseases expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has been pushing for the use of convalescent plasma. He told NBC News that studies have shown it to be effective in shielding healthcare workers from becoming seriously ill as well. The state will need to get permission from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they are able to put the therapy into trial. The FDA confirmed to NBC News that they are working "expeditiously to facilitate the development and availability" of convalescent plasma. New York state health officials said they will start identifying patients to donate their blood, focusing on the New Rochelle area where there is the highest concentration of recovered cases. Read the original article on Business Insider Additional reporting by Press association and Digital Desk staff Patients will now have to display two major symptoms of Covid-19 to qualify for testing. These include a fever and either a cough or shortness of breath, whilst also falling into a priority group, such as close contact of confirmed cases, healthcare staff or vulnerable groups. At the latest briefing held by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in Dublin the chief medical officer Tony Holohan said that the official definition for the disease in an Irish context had been changed. The new wording, adopted from the World Health Organizations own definition, sees the symptoms of the disease now being ringfenced as a fever together with at least one other sign of respiratory problems such as a cough or shortness of breath. The change has been instigated in order to reduce the number of people who almost certainly dont have the illness from presenting for a test, Dr Holohan said, due to the extremely high numbers of people who have asked for a test in the past ten days - a daily rate of 20,000. Over the last 10 days, something of the order of about 20,000 or so people today have sought testing. If we were to test that amount we would become by a considerable distance the number one country in the world for testing, Dr Holohan said. What that says to us is that a lot of people coming forward are people who are not appropriate for testing, and we need to think about focusing our case definition to identify people with high probability of having this particular infection. Government announces tougher measures to tackle coronavirus outbreak Leo Varadkar has introduced a number of sweeping measures to tackle the coronavirus, including restricting all public gatherings to four people. The Taoiseach said all non-essential retail should close, including all theatres, clubs and bingo halls, and that people should work from home unless absolutely essential. Urging everyone to stay at home to slow the spread of Covid-19, Mr Varadkar said the public has to do more to flatten the curve of the coronavirus outbreak. Today, we announced new actions to help stop the spread of Covid 19. I am asking you to stay at home if at all possible. You should only leave home to go to work, if you have to, & only go to the shops for essential supplies. We need to flatten the curve & suppress this virus. pic.twitter.com/VO3fM3ckwo Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) March 24, 2020 The measures were introduced on the day when the seventh coronavirus-linked death was announced. The victim was a male from the east of the country with an underlying health condition. There were 204 new cases confirmed in the state on Tuesday, bringing the total to 1,329. Mr Varadkar said that all sporting events, even those behind closed doors, are cancelled. Speaking at Government Buildings in Dublin on Tuesday, he said: People should stay at home if at all possible this is the best way to slow the virus. I wouldn't use the term lockdown. It is a term that causes a lot more confusion than clarity and is therefore one that I don't intend to use Mr Varadkar said all cafes and restaurants should limit supply to takeaway only. He confirmed the Government is to increase the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Support payment for people who have been laid off due to the virus from 203 euro to 350 euro per week. The payment will also apply to the self-employed who are affected by Covid-19. An emergency wage subsidy scheme was also confirmed, under which the Government will pay 70% of a workers salary up to a cap of 410 euro per week net equivalent to the after-tax income of a worker on around 40,000 euro. Mr Varadkar said all gatherings outdoors are limited to a maximum of four people but not in the case of families. He said more park rangers will be present to ensure social distancing measures are complied with. Gardai will increase interventions to ensure compliance with the measures but such interventions will be used sparingly, he said. Mr Varadkar said private hospitals will act effectively as public hospitals for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic. He said: Private hospitals have agreed to do this on a not-for-profit basis. Public and private patients will be treated equally. Health Minister Simon Harris said patients with Covid-19 will be treated for free in a single national hospital service. Today our Public Health Emergency Team has made important recommendations in our efforts to slow the spread of #coronavirus. Thank you for all you are doing. Together, we must now do more. Together, we will save lives #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/zaer7Hw99O Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) March 24, 2020 Mr Harris said all private hospitals will be public or run by the State for the duration of the pandemic. He said: There can be no public vs private here. Chief medical officer Tony Holohan said the measures have had to be stepped up due to the fact more than 1,000 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the Republic. He said: Forty-five per cent of the cases have been community transmission where we have not been able to identify the original source through contact tracing and one in four of the cases are healthcare workers. We need to move rapidly, comprehensively and quickly. That is why we have stepped up the measures. Mr Varadkar said he did not want to describe the new measures in the Republic of Ireland as a lockdown. I wouldnt use the term lockdown. It is a term that causes a lot more confusion than clarity and is therefore one that I dont intend to use. Mr Varadkar said any person in a household who is asked to self-isolate because a fellow householder is showing symptoms is entitled to illness benefit at a rate of 350 euro per week. The Covid-19 illness benefit will also apply to household members who are also being asked to self-isolate but do not have the virus themselves, Mr Varadkar added. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said the country is accosted by a pandemic that knows no border or boundaries. Speaking at a Government briefing in Dublin, Mr Donohoe said: If this public health crisis is like no other, than this economic crisis is also very different to others. It requires a different response. It needs speed and it needs scale and this is because the very severe disruption that has occurred has placed otherwise healthy and viable businesses in jeopardy. The wage subsidy screen agreed today is a payment to employers to encourage them to retain employees on their payroll during this period. It will be available to all employers who suffer either a minimum of 25% decline in turnover, an inability to pay normal wages and outgoings and other circumstances. For the next 12 weeks such employers will be supported in the order of 70% of an employees income and the maximum weekly tax free payment will be 410 euro per employee. Minister for Business Heather Humphreys said: We want to ensure that businesses are able to keep their employees on their books so that when we come out the other side, Ireland and our citizens can get back to work as quickly as possible. By keeping that crucial link between the employer and the employee, we will be best placed to kick-start the economy once again. Its also worth remembering that for many firms there are ways to use this time productively. It could be an opportunity to put staff on online training courses, get feedback from employees, consider how you could make your business leaner, more innovative and more competitive and draw plans to improve productivity. The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, said the predicted number of 400,000 job losses is a conservative figure. She added: I think its almost impossible to predict the scale of the employment loss. I know Im on record of one day last week predicting that maybe some 400,000 jobs may go, but I actually believe that this is a conservative figure, because the job losses of the scale expected will pose a threat of significant societal effects. I think thats why since the crisis first began, we immediately introduced a system of emergency payments to get money into peoples hands, fast, until we had designed a more robust response. [snippet1]987600[/snippet1] Coronavirus: Full list of what are considered essential retail outlets The National Public Health Emergency Team has recommended that all non-essential retail outlets should close to members of the public in Ireland. All other retail outlets are to implement social distancing. Here is a list of what are considered essential outlets: Retail and wholesale sale of food, beverages and newspapers in non-specialised and specialised stores Retail sale of household consumer products necessary to maintain the safety and sanitation of residences and businesses Pharmacies/chemists and retailers providing pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical or dispensing services Opticians/optometrists Retail sale of medical and orthopaedic goods in specialised stores Fuel stations and heating fuel providers Retailers involved in the repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles, bicycle repair and related facilities Retail sale of essential items for the health and welfare of animals, including animal feed and medicines, pet food and supplies including bedding Laundries and dry cleaners Banks, post offices and credit unions Retail sale of safety supply (eg, work clothes, personal protective equipment) Hardware stores, builders merchants and stores that provide hardware products necessary for home and business maintenance, sanitation and farm equipment, supplies and tools essential for gardening/farming/agriculture Retail sale of office products and services for people working from home and for businesses Retailers providing electrical, IT and phone sales, repair and maintenance services for homes The above outlets must implement the following social distancing measures: Ensure adequate distancing between customers and retail assistants in line with public health guidelines Only let people into the store in small groups and ensure spaces are not crowded Manage queues inside and outside the door Consider designating certain times of the day to facilitate vulnerable groups Provide online services where possible and appropriate to minimise footfall Offer contactless payment where possible Parents are encouraged to avoid taking children when visiting essential retail outlets. In an ominous signpost of the emerging corporate response to the coronavirus crisis and the ensuing stock market meltdown, Federated Cooperatives Limited (FCL) announced Sunday that it has rejected the mediators recommendations in the 111-day lockout of 750 oil refinery workers in Regina, Saskatchewan. The company is now demanding even deeper concessions on pensions, work rules, benefits and staffing levels. In a statement, the management of FCLs Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC) wrote, We must now consider the stark world developments that are presently unfolding and their impacts to both our business reality and our ever-more critical responsibility to our multiple stakeholders. Global economic circumstances have changed and, with that, we have seen a drastic decline in the consumption of fuel and rapidly declining oil prices that have put the CRC in a more difficult financial position than when negotiations began. Like all businesses, the refinery is now reassessing how to manage through the financial turmoil. Last week, mediator Vince Ready had tabled his nonbinding recommendations for a resolution of the bitter dispute that has seen FCL deploy a large scab workforce, with the unstinting support of the right-wing Saskatchewan Party government, the capitalist courts, and police. Readys report granted virtually all FCLs initial concession demands. The union, which had already proposed a series of increasingly draconian concessionary climbdowns, accepted the mediators recommendations and scheduled a Monday vote advising the workers to accept the rotten deal. Workers, starved out on the picket line and seeing no way forward, voted 98 percent to endorse the Ready recommendations. After the vote, local union President Kevin Bittman told reporters that the mediators report, which contained everything the workers had fought against for almost four months, was a reasonable compromise. Nevertheless, the lockout continues due to FCLs refusal to endorse the Ready report. Unifor National President Jerry Dias said prior to Mondays vote, To be clear, our committee is not thrilled with the final report and the significant changes that are recommended. We have been trying to find a solution since we were locked out. It is time to end this dispute and have our members running the refinery in these unprecedented times. Clearly shaken by FCLs response, Dias wrote, FCL CEO Scott Bandas tactics get more disgusting by the hour. Western Canada needs a secure fuel supply and the skilled operation of the Regina refinery. Instead, Scott Banda wants to use a public health crisis as bargaining leverage on his own employees. The evidence is now staring the Premier in the face: Co-op has never wanted a fair deal. There is only one option left, and that is legislation to end this shameful lockout. Dias will now appeal to the ardent probusiness Conservative Party ally Premier Scott Moe to end the lockout on the basis of the Ready report. Despite widespread popular outrage against FCLs use of the pandemic to further increase the bottom line of an already highly profitable company, Diass suggestion that Moe and his ministers can be pressured into acting as neutral arbitrators is truly the last refuge of a scoundrel. For over a decade, the Saskatchewan Party government has mounted major attacks on workers rights and living standards, including restricting public sector workers right to strike through essential services legislation. Moes government greenlighted FCLs scabbing operation before the lockout began, publicly declaring that it would only intervene if the workers succeeded in crippling the refinerys output. At the beginning of last month, the premier personally exhorted the police to smash worker blockades of FCL operations. Moes actions are a damning indictment of the politics of Unifor and the union-backed New Democratic Party, which, while in power, refused to pass antiscab legislation and does not endorse it even today. They have been publicly pleading for Moe to wake up and intervene in the dispute. As would be expected from the hard-right premier, all Moes interventions have been aimed at strengthening FCL in its drive to force massive concessions down the throats of its workforce. Already, such has been the depth of the capitulations by Unifors bargaining team that at a press conference at the end of January, the unions chief negotiator Scott Doherty remarked that local President Kevin (Bittman) and I might get beaten up later when we tell them (the members) that we gave the company six percent (a pension concession). Steeped in a nationalist-corporatist perspective, exemplified by its close ties to the big business Liberal government in Ottawa and the procorporate NDP in Saskatchewan, Unifor is adamantly opposed to mobilizing the working class in a political counteroffensive, including broad sympathy strike action, in defiance of the Moe government, the police and the courts. It is Unifors retreats, prostration before the Moe government and courts, and isolation of the refinery workers struggle that have emboldened FCL to table ever more savage concession demands. FCL is insisting that the union agree to the virtual extinguishing of the defined-benefit pension plan, and that any remnant of the current plan must reduce company contributions from 23 percent of a workers wage to at most 5 percent, with workers making up the massive shortfall from their own pay cheques. It is also demanding changes in work rules to strip workers of health and safety controls by moving key master-operator positions into company supervisory roles, the shredding of job description protections, and shorter turnaround times in shift schedules. It also wants to halt company contributions to a worker Savings Plan and has demanded that staffing levels for some 256 maintenance workers be reduced. Initially, this would entail at least 63 layoffs. A 21-year-old woman with no apparent underlying health conditions has died after testing positive for coronavirus. The family of Chloe Middleton, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, confirmed the news of her death on Facebook, issuing a desperate plea for people to stick to Government guidelines and stay at home to "protect yourselves and protect others". Ms Middleton is thought to be the youngest Briton who has died during the pandemic. Her mother Diane Middleton wrote on Facebook: "To all the people out there that thinks it's just a virus please think again speaking from a personal experience this so called virus has taken the life of my 21 year old daughter." Chloe's aunt, Emily Mistry, also posted on social media, urging people to "do your bit". "My beautiful, kind hearted 21 year old niece Chloe has passed away from Covid-19," she wrote. "She had no underlying health issues. "My loved ones are going through the most unimaginable pain, we are shattered beyond belief." Chloe Middleton (Facebook) She added: "The reality of this virus is only just unfolding before our very eyes. Please, please adhere to government guidelines. "Do your bit. Protect yourselves and protect others. The virus isnt spreading, people are spreading the virus. "Life as we know it has changed dramatically but unless we all act now to protect ourselves and others, the longer this turmoil and anguish will go on." Chloe's sister, Amy Louise Middleton, also paid tribute to her "best friend". She wrote: "My kids couldn't have had a more loving crazy nutcase for a auntie and we wouldn't have had it any other way. She adored them and they certainly adored her back. "She went above and beyond for me and was my best friend even though she had a habit of pinching my clothes, so many great memories that I'm so so so grateful we got to make and share and that will never be forgotten." Chloe Middleton's family have urged people to stay home to protect others (Facebook) She added: "Please don't take this virus lightly because you never know what's around the corner." An 18-year-old boy from Coventry, West Midlands, who died at the weekend after testing positive for the virus was being treated for "significant underlying health issues". A total of 422 patients who tested positive for coronavirus had died in the UK as of 1pm on Tuesday, the NHS said. Volunteers at Derry's food bank yesterday said their stocks are being 'depleted' at a rate never experienced before. The situation is being linked to a sharp increase in demand from people impacted by the ongoing coronavirus crisis. As a result of the increase in demand, Foyle Foodbank has appealed for new donations. However, the charity has also appealed for only people in real need to take food from them. At this time of crisis the board of Foyle Foodbank wishes to make two appeals to the public as our food stocks are being depleted at a rate far in excess of anything we have experienced before, said a Foyle Foodbank spokesperson. This is undoubtedly due to the seriousness of the current situation created by the Coved-19 virus but as this is only the start of the crisis it is imperative that we take a responsible, longer term view. Firstly, please continue to support us at our collection stations in Sainsburys, Meadowbank and Tesco, Strand Road where the great people of Derry/Londonderry have been so generous in the past. Almost 90% of the food we distribute comes from donations made by shoppers in these stores. Secondly, please only use our service if you are in genuine need. Foyle Foodbank exists to supply food to those who do not have the money to buy food and are in a financial crisis situation resulting in food poverty for themselves and their family members. The spokesperson said they understand that the loss of people's jobs and income had led to an increase in demand from the foodbank. Our volunteers are making a tremendous effort in a very demanding, challenging and stressful situation. Please respect them and understand they are doing their outmost to identify, and meet the demands of clients who genuinely need food. We have always had strong management diligence and controls in place to guard against the abuse of the food stocks so generously donated to us. However, our voucher system and walk-in systems and the caring attitude of our staff can be abused by opportunists, particularly when our normal controls are under pressure. We want to guard against that as best we can in order to protect our stock levels and make sure our food gets to those who genuinely need it. Therefore we earnestly appeal to people not to abuse the generosity of the people of the North West who donate our food, or indeed the ethos of the Food Bank, 'feed the hungry'. If you have the financial means to buy food you should do just that; if you have ready access to food you are not in food crisis at this time. GREENWICH The latest closure in town is the lobby of the train station in central Greenwich as the number of coronavirus cases increased in town to 45, First Selectman Fred Camillo announced Tuesday afternoon. The closure goes into effect at 8 p.m. Tuesday. The station itself will remain open, and train service will not be affected. It is imperative that we deploy any measure which will help reduce the virus infection, Camillo said. I recognize the inconvenience to anyone who is using the railroad system. At this point, I expect the disruption will be minimal because of the governors order closing so many nonessential businesses. Metro-North and the state Department of Transportation made the decision out of concerns about the spreading coronavirus. The elevator in the lobby is not large enough to keep the minimum six feet of space that is recommended for proper social distancing. To access the platform for a train heading toward NYC, stairs are located on Steamboat Road or Arch Street. For ADA access, parking will be available on the south side of the tracks and elevators are available on each side of the pedestrian bridge, said a spokesperson for the Ashforth Co., which owns the downtown train station and building. Signs will be posted on the doors directing passengers to opposite side of the complex. Greenwich had already closed the buildings at the train stations in Cos Cob, Riverside and Old Greenwich. Passengers can still catch trains from the platforms at any of the stations in town, but Metro-North reports that ridership is down about 90 percent. Also, a total 45 residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, up from the 31 who had been reported as of Sunday, Camillo said, citing statistics from the towns Department of Health. Greenwich Hospital said 133 patients have tested positive for the virus at its testing site and 33 of them are hospitalized. Residents from across the region are being tested at Greenwich Hospital, not just town residents. Camillo also urged residents to support the local businesses that remain open, including restaurants that are offering takeout service. And even though he closed the towns beaches and parks, Camillo said residents should get outside to enjoy fresh air and exercise as long as they practice social distancing. People can use our trails, he said. We dont want people elbow to elbow, but use those trails. Weve got miles and miles of them. We also have 90 miles of sidewalks that are adjacent to public roads in this town. We encourage you to get out and get to know your neighborhoods from a different perspective. Camillo said he expects the number of coronavirus cases in the country to spike. The town has taken several steps to mitigate the spread of the virus, but more cases are expected, he said. Given the unprecedented nature of the outbreak and the response at all levels of government, Camillo urged residents to remain positive. This is a tough time given the economic impact, the impact on peoples livelihoods and the impact on the public health he said. Its a trifecta of worry for people, but we have had crises in our country before. We all lived through one recently in 2001. Weve had world wars. In 1918, in the last great pandemic, we lost 200 people in Cos Cob, including my great-grandparents and their six kids had to raise themselves. When you look at it that way, we are much more advanced as a society now with technology and other tools at our disposal, Camillo said. Were a great people. Were resilient. The American people are at their best at times like this. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com A man wearing a facemask, amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, pays for groceries in a local market in New Delhi on March 14, 2020. Jewel Samad | AFP | Getty Images India's move to put its 1.3 billion people in a 21-day lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak will disproportionately hurt the informal sector, experts told CNBC. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised address Tuesday said people would not be allowed to leave their homes for three weeks after the order went into effect hours later at midnight. He also announced that $2 billion would be provided to strengthen India's medical infrastructure and treat patients infected by the virus. The impact of the lockdown on India's informal sector, which includes many street vendors as well as taxi and auto drivers, will be huge, Kunal Kundu, India economist at Societe Generale, told CNBC. "When we talk of aggregate demand, what is important to realize is that 65% to 70% of India's economy is unorganized," he said. "Those are the people who would definitely be more affected, (and) even the small-and-medium enterprises." Kundu explained they would undergo three continuous weeks with zero cash flow as their customers stay indoors; that duration may be longer if the lockdown is extended after 21 days. Many of them would lose their wages during the lockdown and some are likely to face unemployment. He added that the federal government needs to move fast and introduce some fiscal measures that can assure money will still flow into the bank accounts of those affected individuals and small businesses. "Because their survival depends on daily cash flows," he said. While most commercial and private establishments would be closed, India said that essential services such as grocery stores, banks and ATMs, gas stations, and delivery of goods purchased online would still be allowed. The finance ministry eased several rules in light of the outbreak that includes extending the date for filing taxes, local media reported. India currently has 512 active cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus that was first detected in China and has since infected more than 375,400 globally and killed over 16,300, according to data from the World Health Organization. Urgent fiscal response The nature of the health crisis and its economic fallout makes it necessary for an urgent fiscal response, especially one that targets severely affected sectors and low-income families, Radhika Rao, an economist at Singapore's DBS Group, told CNBC. "The government has assured of a wider stimulus package, which along with higher disbursements towards healthcare could comprise of direct income support for informal sector workers," Rao said, adding that sectors such as travel, tourism, and airlines could see short-term rescue packages. "States have already upped the ante by providing cash handouts and ensuring necessity/food supplies, which might be funded through higher borrowings," she said. Kundu added that New Delhi could look to adopt a temporary universal basic income scheme to support those who'd be most affected by the lockdown so that they would have some form of cash flow in order to survive. On top of that, he said, the coronavirus epidemic is a medical emergency and some people will, inevitably, fall sick with COVID-19. "In India, out of pocket expenses for people are really very high," Kundu said, adding that India risked losing generations if people fell into situations where they had no income during the lockdown but needed to get medical treatment. While emergency fiscal measures would likely widen India's fiscal deficit, which typically hinders investor confidence, the timely decline in oil prices could provide a windfall for the central government, according to Rao. She explained that every 2 rupees per liter increase in excise duty on oil would result in additional revenues worth 0.1% to 0.15% of GDP. "Markets are unlikely to be critical of fiscal support at this instance given the extraordinary turn in global conditions," she said. Growth set to slow further India had been systematically locking down in recent weeks. Non-resident visitors, including those of Indian origin, have been temporarily banned from entering, international and domestic flights have been cancelled and passenger service on the country's extensive rail system is suspended till the end of the month, the Associated Press reported. Schools, shopping malls, cinemas, and other places of public gathering have also been closed. "This is an extension of existing state orders 30 states and union territories had already announced lockdowns in 548 districts, whilst only 6 states and union territories were not completely locked down," Akhil Bery, South Asia analyst at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, told CNBC. "While it is certainly quick to go from a Janata curfew, to locking 78 districts, to 548, to nationwide, the government recognizes that speed is of the essence here," he added, referring to the voluntary curfew that was observed Sunday. The coronavirus outbreak comes at a time when India is already struggling to return to higher growth levels. Economists are predicting a further slowdown in GDP. Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi is displayed on screens in an electronics store during his address to the nation in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, March 19, 2020. T. Narayan | Bloomberg | Getty Images Self-preservation. Its hard-wired into our blood and bone, as it is in all species. Flight or fight are not just empty words. When danger confronts us, flight or fight kicks in, rousing our adrenaline, snapping dulled senses into overdrive, and reviving instincts as old as mankind itself. The Ugly In some people and places, fear about the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, has revealed the ugly side of this instinct. [Editors note: The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.] In the early days of the outbreak, many dashed to the grocery stores, stripping the shelves of canned goods, hand sanitizers, face masks, and of all things, toilet paper, buying far more than normal, terrified they might face a long siege barricaded in their own homes. Sometimes shouting matches and scuffles broke out as customers fought over these items. Here in Front Royal, Virginia, I heard an older woman tell her companion with disbelief in her voice that she had just witnessed two men at Martins, our local grocery store, yelling at each other in an argument over a pound of hamburger. When Vermonts Middlebury College closed its campus and sent students home on account of the CCP virus, ugly jumped in the saddle and grabbed the reins. Rowdy drunken young people rioted and vandalized the campus and at least one shop in town before departing. And the point? Who knows? Maybe ugly doesnt always need a point. Like certain staples, gun sales have shot uppardon the punthe last three weeks. In his online article Gun and ammo sales spike in US on coronavirus worries, Stephen Gandel reports that many gun stores are seeing record sales of ammunition and guns to people worried about protecting themselves if society collapses and martial law is declared. Like the run on the grocery stores, these sales were driven by fear and rumor. The Bad Next up for consideration are the bad, all those Americanspoliticians, some in the media, those who live by that adage Never let a good crisis go to wastewho for various reasons have helped create and drive this nation-wide panic. Some of them are simply ignorant, some enjoy the spotlight, and some, the worst of the lot, hope this crisis will damage the presidency of Donald Trump. These are the same aberrant human beings who for three years have wished for a recession in hopes of damaging the president. Never mind that the CCP virus is throwing millions out of work, never mind that Americans are dying: its all about getting rid of Trump. Some private citizens also join the band of the bad. They ignore the basic precautionary measures recommended by health professionalsfrequently washing their hands, avoiding crowds, coughing into the sleeve. A few young people, clearly minus a good number of brain cells, have created a coronavirus challenge in which they take selfies while licking airplane toilet seats. These pictures and the challenge are disgusting, but if I may offer a suggestion: Why toilet seats? Why not ratchet up the challenge, go to your local grocery store, and lick the handles of shopping carts? Now, lets turn to the good. The Good Self-preservation may be instinctual, but many people, perhaps most people, offer help and rescue when others are in trouble. Gestures big and small, sometimes just a word spoken in kindness, reveals this part of our nature, a light shining within us. Here are a few instances of goodness in this time of pandemic. Yesterday the coffee shop I frequently visitthank heavens its still openwas largely deserted. I asked the young barista behind the bar how she was holding up. Oh, Im just trying to stay calm, she said. After a morning of reading online of the hysteria brought on by coronavirus, I wanted to stick out my hand and thank the kid for her normality, but then wed both just have to wash up again. Instead, I smiled at her, said I like your attitude, and took my Peruvian coffee to a table in the next room. In Clintonville, Ohio, the Columbus Dispatch reports that Taran Tien, age 9, and his sister Calliope, age 6, put on their best clothes, took up their cellos, and headed to the porch of a neighbor, Helena Schlam, age 78. Under self-quarantine at the insistence of her children, Schlam was delighted by the Tiens impromptu concert. Another recent example of good: a common enemy can make enemies friends. Around the country, we are seeing for the first time in years a spirit of bipartisanship among our political leaders. Michael Goodwin of the New York Post writes that President Trump and New York governor Andrew Cuomo, until recently bitter partisan foes, are forming a partnership to battle the coronavirus, with each man praising the efforts of the other. Were not Democrats, were not Republicans, were Americans, Cuomo remarked. Whens the last time we heard anyone say that? If we remain alert to those around us, our friends and family members, and the people we pass on the street or see in the grocery store, I suspect well find plenty of examples of good deeds and kind words in these uncertain times. A Higher Power We may also find some people looking for a deeper meaning in life, a connection to some power beyond them. For a while after 9/11, our churches filled with people seeking solace and answers to large questions: Why are we here? Does the universe have a purpose? Do we have a purpose? Coronavirus may steer some of us in search of a higher power. Faith may even inspire some to push past the instinct for self-preservation and give of themselves, and sometimes lay down their lives, for others. Sacrifice In How Early Christians Saved Lives and Spread the Gospel During Roman Plagues, Tyler ONeil takes a thoughtful look at the Christian versus the pagan response to plagues in ancient Rome. The pagans, including the famous physician Galen, ran for the hills; the Christians stayed and tended to the sick, sometimes dying themselves but also saving many lives. Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria described the bravery of these Christians, writing, Many, in nursing and curing others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead (a death) that seems in every way the equal to martyrdom. Such sacrificial efforts remain signs of our humanity. In this same article, ONeil tells readers of Samaritans Purse, a Christian charity that just airlifted a field hospital, 20 tons of medical supplies, and 32 medical personnel to virus-stricken Italy. Franklin Graham, the president of Samaritans Purse, stated that Were going to Italy to provide life-saving care to people who are suffering. There is a lot of fear and panic around the country, but we trust that God is in control. Choices In the dark days of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine wrote, These are the times that try mens souls. The battle against the CCP virus is trying our souls, allowing us to evaluate who and what we are both as a nation and as individuals. Will we turn one against the other? Will we attack opponents rather than fighting together against this invisible foe? Or will we follow the path of honor and virtue by helping the sick and those in need of reassurance and love? Lets stand on the side of the good. Jeff Minick has four children and a growing platoon of grandchildren. For 20 years, he taught history, literature, and Latin to seminars of homeschooling students in Asheville, N.C., Today, he lives and writes in Front Royal, Va. See JeffMinick.com to follow his blog. I can understand the reason behind the lockdown but why could the government not plan it keeping in mind the condition of the most vulnerable ones? asked 33-year-old Dileep Ranjan, as he washed a stainless steel plate after having his lunch at a government-run shelter home in southeast Delhis Sarai Kale Khan on Wednesday. The shelter is for the citys homeless but is currently being inhabited by Ranjan and other daily wage labourers who have no jobs because of the 21-day national lockdown. With rail and interstate bus services suspended, these labourers most of them migrants can neither return to their villages and towns, nor afford to pay for their food and shelter without work. Over the last two days, hundreds of them have either crossed the Delhi border on foot with their families or been left stranded at bus terminals and railway stations. First, the Prime Minister sought one day from us. Nobody resisted. Then the chief minister of Delhi announced a lockdown till March 31, that made people anxious about their earnings. And now a lockdown of 21 days. How shall we survive? said Iliyas Hussain, a labourer from Bareily in Uttar Pradesh, who is staying at a government-run centre in Yamuna Bazar. Hussain wished the government had provided a few trains. Another labourer in the shelter, Naresh Kumar interjected, saying, But train journeys would be risky too. What if there was an infected passenger? All others would be infected too. Who would look after our families then? The argument left other temporary inhabitants of the shelter baffled. They were already concerned about food and shelter but no communication with their families has added to their anxieties. Most of us are prepaid mobile subscribers and have run out of balance. We have no means to recharge our phones too, said Ajmal Ali, a migrant from Murshidabad in West Bengal. Vimal Rai, a member of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), which operates the shelters, said: Around 16,000 homeless people live in the shelter homes of Delhi. Over the last two days, around 7,000 people have arrived. Most of them are daily wage labourers. The city has 234 shelter homes. As more people poured in looking out for meals, food shortage had surfaced in several shelter homes, separate caretakers, who are employed with the DUSIB and work at its respective shelter homes. HT.Each meal consists of rice served either with vegetable stew or dal. There is no cap on the number of servings per person. According to the 2011 Census data on migration, Delhi has the second-highest population of interstate migrants in India, more than 63 lakh (after Maharashtra), which is 40% of the citys population. Around two-thirds of them are from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. In terms of absolute numbers, daily wage labourers in the city, which is also referred to as the unorganised workforce, would amount to at least 1.5 million, said Animesh Das, a doctor by profession and a trade union leader who was part of Delhi governments board that was set up in 2019 to fix minimum wages. Rakhi Sehgal, a Delhi-based labour rights activist and researcher, said, Daily wager labourer is too generic a term and it also includes the self-employed ones rickshaw pullers, hand-cart vendors, etc. It is difficult to imagine where would these people go in case of a lockdown. Most of them do not have the privilege of self-isolation and neither can they head back home. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarifying that the current lockdown is to be treated no less than a curfew, the police have started to ensure that the streets of the city are out of bounds for regular inhabitants. The police beat is up last evening while we were looking out for a bus to head back home. Why are we being treated like criminals? It is a health emergency, we understand. But the authorities too must know that we are the ones who enable the city to function, said 19-year-old Rajesh, a migrant from Darbhanga in Bihar. The largest chunk of daily wage labourers in Delhi, several experts opined, is in the construction sector. On Tuesday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a one-time subsistence allowance of 5,000 for the ones enrolled with the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, which has around 3 lakh enrolled members. Radians added the N95 respirator to its PPE portfolio in 2018. "We knew that adding N95 respirator to our portfolio was important," said Radians President, Bill England, "but with the COVID-19 pandemic, they have become a critical PPE item to help protect those with the highest risk of exposure. We're happy that Radians is able to make this donation in our hometown." Radians CEO, Mike Tutor, said the donation "represents Radians' corporate responsibility to help the Memphis community during challenging times. With a worldwide shortage of respirators, we knew this donation would quickly assist our local first responders and medical community as they help the Memphis community rise above the COVID-19 crisis. The respirators will also be of service at the COVID-19 test sites that are being set-up across the city." Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is a prime example of people stepping up during uncertain times and answering the call to help. Our first responders greatly appreciate this and will put Radians respirators to good use." Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris personally thanked Radians and said, "The support and collaboration among our community is critical in reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus. I would like to thank Radians for supporting us with the resources needed to respond to this public health concern. This donation will provide vital support to our first responders as they commit daily to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Shelby County." For more information about Radians, visit www.radians.com. ### Radians is a Memphis, TN-based manufacturer of quality PPE, including safety eyewear, RadWear high visibility apparel, rainwear, hearing protection, hand protection, AR/FR workwear, head gear, cooling products, heated jackets, eyewash stations, lens cleaning systems, and particulate respirators. Radians has partnered with highly respected companies including DSM Dyneema, DEWALT, and BLACK+DECKER to provide high performance personal protection products. Their brands include Neese, Bellingham Glove, Crossfire by Radians, VolCore, Arctic RadWear, Nordic Blaze, and VisionAid. An ISO 9001:2008 certified leader in the PPE industry, the company has additional facilities in Reno, NV; Thomasville, NC; Bellingham, WA; British Columbia, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.Radians.com or become a fan at www.facebook.com/RadiansPPE. SOURCE Radians Related Links http://www.radians.com Mayor debunks the idea of returning to normal in April. Mr. de Blasio continued to emphasize on Wednesday how urgently the city needed supplies to cope with the crush of new cases. He said he appreciated the assistance the federal government had committed to providing, but that more was required. And he again called for the U.S. military to get more directly involved and in a much bigger way. The mayor warned New Yorkers to relinquish any hope of a return to normal life by April, rejecting the presidents comments this week that he wanted the economy to reopen by Easter. City residents should prepare for the possibility that conditions could worsen in May, he said. Citing various projections, the mayor said at least half of all New Yorkers could contract the virus, an estimate similar to those that officials have given in California. But Mr. de Blasio noted that for 80 percent of those who were infected, it would be a very limited experience. The mayor also said that New Yorkers were overwhelmingly following social-distancing guidelines, but that there were exceptions. To address one of those, he said, the city would remove hoops from 80 of the citys 1,700 basketball courts where pickup games were still being played. The first virus-related death of a homeless New Yorker is confirmed. A man who had been living in New York Citys shelter died after being hospitalized with the coronavirus for several days, officials said on Wednesday. It was the first virus-related death of a homeless person in the vast system of 450 traditional shelters, hotels and private apartment buildings that the city uses to house homeless families and single adults. As of Wednesday, there were 39 confirmed coronavirus cases among 27 shelters, according to the citys Department of Social Services. The agency did not identify the man or provide additional details about him, but said he had been living in a shelter for single adults. A man wearing a protective mask arrives at Beijing railway station next to a paramilitary police officer (R) as he heads home for the Lunar New Year on Jan. 21, 2020. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images) Propaganda Team: Beijing Muzzles Reporters in Wuhan The Chinese regime has been keeping close tabs on state media reporters since the start of the CCP virus outbreak to make sure their reporting is in sync with official narratives, a former reporter told The Epoch Times. Canada-based Zhang Zhenyu, a former reporter with ifeng, a Hong Kong-based pro-Beijing media, revealed Beijings detailed instructions to about 300 Chinese state media reporters who were dispatched to the outbreak ground zero of Wuhan since the early stages of the outbreak in January. The revelations were based on his sources working in the industry in China. He said the top priority of these on-the-ground reporters was to not report any negative news. Across China, every major state-run news agency has sent reporters to join the press corp in Wuhan. They are to stay in the city until the outbreak is over, according to Zhang. The nature of their role is so clear that internally, the reporters call themselves the propaganda team, he said. Zhang said the regime has stipulated strict rules to keep the reporters in check. The regimes propaganda department has ordered reporters to follow the lead of Xinhua, China News Service, and Peoples Daily, the three top Chinese state-run news outlets, according to Zhang. The reporters are not permitted to leave the group or disclose their whereabouts to anyone outside. No one is allowed to act on their own discretion, he said. Their schedules are loaded with pre-scripted interviews, while photos for each report are carefully screened by authorities for approval. The so-called press corp is a string tied around every reporters neck. You have to go wherever you are asked to go, Zhang said in an interview. They eat and live together, and act in concert, monitoring each otherits basically a prisoners dilemma. Normally in China, if a reporter treads the wrong political line, they would have to write a self-criticism and the company would usually act as a buffer to protect the reporter, Zhang said. However, by rounding the reporters together, the regime effectively strips off this protective layer and may directly punish anyone for veering off track. In the past, we would escape under such circumstances, but in a place like Wuhan, you cant run away even if you wanted to. In plain terms, they have become pawns in this press corp. Beijings Directives Beijings Cyberspace Administration, the regimes chief internet censorship agency, issued roughly five guidelines to the reporters, Zhang said, citing his connections from China. First, they needed to shift the focus away from the severity of the outbreak and emphasize how the city is heading back to the state of normalcy. The reporters were also told not to report new cases to avoid stoking public fears, Zhang said. Instead, they would step up the coverage on how the outbreak is worsening overseas to direct the attention elsewhere, and to showcase how the regimes way of governance is superior to democratic systems abroad. Further, an alarm system has been put in place to filter out sensitive content about the outbreak on the internet, he added. A recently leaked document from Hubei Province showed that officials had hired at least 1,600 censors in the region to remove any critical remarks online in real-time. Ahead of their trip to Wuhan, the reporters had been warned not to violate the terms as any issues that arise from their mistakes would be a matter of national security, Zhang said. The reporters did not dare to discuss their work even with family, knowing that their phones are likely tapped, according to Zhang. Controlling the Narrative, From Beginning to End After its initial cover-up failed and the outbreak spiraled out of control, the regime began to lock down cities from Jan. 23, a drastic measure that ignited public outrage, Zhang said. The Chinese Communist Partys two objectives, Zhang said, are to shift responsibility and turn the outbreak into an opportunity to glorify itself. He said Beijing News, a state-run media, received a stern warning for slightly transgressing official talking points in its reporting of the swiftly-constructed makeshift hospitalsyet another topic handpicked by authorities. The Party does not solve the problem, but rather attempts to get rid of those who raised the questionsthis is dictated by its system, he said. And to solve the problem means to control public opinion. The regime has also praised state media reporters for their coverage of the outbreak. Liao Jun, a reporter for state media Xinhua, was among the first to cover the police admonition of Li Wenliang, one of the nations first doctors to warn about the danger of the virus. She also has over 500 articles under her name, many of which repeated the regimes claims that the virus was containable and not contagious during the early days. On March 8, Beijing hailed Liao as a heroine who goes against the tide. Its not hard to imagine how many people are behind her to help churn out such innutritious articles, Zhang said. He also decried the regimes persistent, aggressive disinformation campaign to portray a false impression that China is safer than the rest of the world, thus luring the overseas Chinese to return to China. On March 24, China Daily featured an interview with a Bangladeshi student studying in the Wuhan who volunteered to stay in the city to combat the outbreak. He called China the best and safest place in the world and said the virus is not related to China. The Trump administration recently designated China Daily as well as four other state-run outlets including Xinhua and China Global Television Network as foreign missions, calling them out as explicit propaganda organs of the Chinese Communist Party. As a result of this designation, the administration slashed the number of Chinese staff allowed to work at these media outlets offices in the United States. In retaliation, the Chinese regime announced it would expel U.S. journalists based in China who work for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the time said he regretted the regimes decision to further foreclose the worlds ability to conduct free press operations, which, frankly would be really good for the Chinese people in these incredibly challenging global times, where more information, more transparency are what will save lives. Sameer Aggarwal has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of Best Price, Walmart India, effective April 1. He will report directly to Dirk Van den Berghe, Executive Vice President and Regional CEO of Asia and Global Sourcing.Aggarwal is taking over the CEO position from Krish Iyer, whois retiring from full-time management and will assume the role of an advisor to Best Price, Walmart India after a successful eight years with the company. Sam has done a fantastic job in the past two years. He led the charge to make our proposition more customer centric, developing digital offerings to prepare for our omnichannel services in the future, said Dirk Van den Berghe. He has a keen ability to understand complex situations and take decisive action to accelerate our business. Hes also a strong people leader who exemplifies our Walmart values of service, respect, excellence and integrity. I look forward to seeing him make a greater impact for our Best Price members and associates in India. Aggarwal joined Walmart India in April 2018 as Executive Vice President overseeing strategy andadministration andwas promoted to Deputy CEO in January 2020. I greatly appreciate the opportunityto lead our business in one of Walmarts most important markets, said Aggarwal. I look forward to continuing to work with the outstanding team we have here to ensure Best Price, Walmart India remains a great place to work and a great partner to our members and suppliers. We have thrived under Krishs leadership and I am grateful for all he has done to build the Best Price Walmart brand in India and strengthen relationships with our key stakeholders. Thanks toKrishs years of leadership, Walmarthas built a solid foundation for our cash-and-carry business in India. With best-in-class talent, strong corporate governance, a progressive digital mindset and close integration with local communities throughout India, we are well placed for the future, Van den Berghe added. It has been an honor to lead the Best Price team at Walmart India, said Iyer. It is bittersweet to leave Walmart, but I am confident that Sam will be able to take the business to the next level. Iyerwill work with Aggarwal until June 30 to ensure a smooth transition.Following this, he will remain in an advisor role to ensure Walmart continues to benefit from his wealth of experience. Aggarwal has more than two decades of international business experience, including leadership roles at Yum! Brands in Southeast Asia, Sainsburys in the U.K. and China and McKinsey & Co. in Australia. He holds an MBA from the London Business School and is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. So since March 17, adoptions have been by appointment only and interest has been strong. Nearly all the appointments, which are from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, have been booked by people who are ready to adopt. They knew exactly which pet they wanted, Carroll said. [March 24, 2020] Yokogawa Acquires Danish Startup Grazper Technologies, Specialists in AI for Image Analytics Yokogawa Electric (News - Alert) Corporation (TOKYO: 6841) announces that on March 20, 2020, it completed the acquisition of all shares in Denmark-based Grazper Technologies ApS (Grazper), as mutually agreed. Grazper has developed advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for analyzing images, and Yokogawa aims to leverage these technologies within its various existing businesses and to develop new industrial AI solutions. Recent advances in deep learning and related technologies have enabled the practical application of AI in industry, and it is expected that as image identification and data forecasting accuracy continue to improve, the use of AI will only expand further. In particular, by improving the recognition accuracy for moving imagery, it becomes possible to observe the overall environment and context of the whole image, opening up new applications in the security field and for image analysis and robot operations on production lines. Grazper is a venture company founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2015, and later funded by Danish venture capital firm Promentum Equity Partners. It possesses advanced AI-based technologies for image analysis, and one notable strength is a solution that allows AI software to run efficiently on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA*), a type of integrated circuit. The software employs image recognition methodologies that have been theorized using algorithms and 3D modeling, and it can be operated with limited computing resources. Yokogawa is developing and providing AI-based solutions for plants and public infrastructure projects. Acquiring Grazper's technology will enable the company to provide solutions that use AI for image analysis, such as capturing image information for robots, detectig abnormalities at plants, and monitoring security using cameras. As a first step, Yokogawa's subsidiary, amnimo Inc., will embed Grazper's FPGA IP core into its Edge Gateway (News - Alert) industrial LTE gateway, which is currently under development. This will make possible solutions for smart city projects and security applications targeting airports and railways. As part of Yokogawa's Transformation 2020 mid-term business plan, the company is working with customers on digital transformation initiatives that utilize technologies such as AI and IoT. Through this acquisition and the addition of new technology, Yokogawa will create new value by co-innovating with customers. * A device that allows the immediate rewriting of the logic circuit design in the hardware language Outline of Grazper Technologies ApS Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Founded: April 2015 CEO: Thomas Jakobsen Business domain: Development of AI technologies and solutions that utilize imagery Website: https://grazper.com/ For more information amnimo Inc. website: https://amnimo.com/en/ About Yokogawa Founded in 1915, Yokogawa engages in broad-ranging activities in the areas of measurement, control, and information. The industrial automation business provides vital products, services, and solutions to a diverse range of process industries including oil, chemicals, natural gas, power, iron and steel, and pulp and paper. With the life innovation business, the company aims to radically improve productivity across the pharmaceutical and food industry value chains. The test & measurement, aviation, and other businesses continue to provide essential instruments and equipment with industry-leading precision and reliability. Yokogawa co-innovates with its customers through a global network of 113 companies spanning 60 countries, generating US$3.6 billion in sales in FY2018. For more information, please visit www.yokogawa.com. The names of corporations, organizations, products, services and logos herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Yokogawa Electric Corporation (News - Alert) or their respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200324005287/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Kim Jong-un's sister said Sunday that President Trump sent a personal letter to the North Korean leader offering cooperation to help the country combat the coronavirus outbreak, according to AP. Why it matters: Though the North Korean government has yet to report a single case of the new virus within its borders, international experts doubt the claim and fear that an outbreak there would topple the country's poor medical infrastructure and become a humanitarian disaster. What they're saying: In a statement aired by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo-jong praised Trump for sending the letter when big difficulties and challenges lie ahead in the way of developing ties between the countries, according to AP. She said Trump explained that he wanted to propel the relations between the two countries ... and expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work." In my personal opinion, I think that the bilateral relations and dialogue for them would be thinkable only when the equilibrium is kept dynamically and morally and justice ensured between the two countries, she said. Even at this moment we are working hard to develop and defend ourselves on our own under the cruel environment which the U.S. is keen to provide. She said her brother expressed his gratitude for the letter. A senior administration official confirmed to AP that Trump sent a letter to Kim that was consistent with his outreach to other world leaders during the pandemic. The big picture: Denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States ground to a halt before the pandemic. A South Carolina mom has shared heartbreaking photos of her two-month-old baby daughter hooked up to a ventilator, as she becomes one of the youngest in the US to battle coronavirus. Ashley Hildebrand posted pictures of Ellie on her Facebook page on Sunday and confirmed that the little girl had tested positive for the deadly virus, despite showing no symptoms before suddenly falling ill. The shock images show the two-month-old lying in a hospital bed sedated, with tubes up her nose and a respirator helping her breathe. 'Soooo... Ellie has tested positive for COVID 19. Me and Sean have to self quarantine for 2 weeks without her,' the distraught mother said in the Facebook post. Ashley Hildebrand posted pictures of Ellie on her Facebook page on Sunday and confirmed that the little girl had tested positive for the deadly virus, despite showing no symptoms before suddenly falling ill 'Please keep our family in your prayers during this difficult time.' The little girl had no symptoms other than being 'a little wheezy' before she fell ill, her mother said in another post. She told in terrifying detail how her baby daughter went from being 'fine' then 'stopped breathing efficiently'. 'She actually didn't really have any symptoms beforehand. She was a little wheezy on and off for a few days, nothing alarming at all. And her lungs sounded fine Tuesday at her two month check-up,' she said. The shock images show the two-month-old lying in a hospital bed sedated, with tubes up her nose and a respirator helping her breathe, as she becomes one of the youngest to battle coronavirus 'On Friday morning she had a bottle and was doing tummy time. She rolled over and she seemed very constipated. Then she screamed for a few minutes and then she stopped screaming and crying and stopped breathing efficiently. ' She continued: 'We called 911, when the ambulance got there her oxygen was at 58. While in the hospital she actually got hypothermic and they said that small babies will sometimes get cold instead of a fever.' Hildebrand said medical professionals did not think the little girl had coronavirus 'because the symptoms did not add up' but gave her the test 'just to be safe' after she tested negative for several other illnesses including the flu and SARS. 'Soooo... Ellie has tested positive for COVID 19. Me and Sean have to self quarantine for 2 weeks without her,' the distraught mother said in the Facebook post 'So daddy brought us some hats with bows so we can still look cute even with all these tubes and wires. We know Ellie does NOT have RSV, the Flu, MERS, SARS, and there was a few others they ruled out as well,' Hildebrand said in a post Saturday from her daughter's hospital bed while they awaited the results. 'She is being tested for COVID19 and should have the results by 9am tomorrow - they are expecting that to be negative as well. So we really dont know what she has or what caused her to go into respiratory failure yesterday. 'Shes on a ventilator and sedatives to give her lungs time to rest. She will still semi wake up when we mess with her, and shes trying to wiggle everything off/out of her. Ellie definitely is not having this at all and is trying to fight the nurses every chance she gets, but that's okay. It let's us know shes still strong.' The little girl (pictured before she fell ill) had no symptoms other than being 'a little wheezy' before she suddenly 'stopped breathing efficiently' Hildebrand said medical professionals had not thought Ellie had coronavirus 'because the symptoms did not add up' but tested her 'to be safe' and results came back positive After a scary few days that is every parent's worst nightmare, little Ellie is showing signs of improving, Hildebrand said. 'They are starting to wean her off the ventilator and it should be all the way out in 1-2 more days,' she said. 'Then once we are confident in her breathing on her own, they will remove the NG tube and start her on bottles. 'Once she is used to taking bottles again and is eating good we will be allowed to bring her home to stay with us for the remainder of our quarantine.' The concerned mother said she is not getting tested for the virus but that she will be self quarantining and urged people she had been in contact with to do the same. 'Since my daughter has it, it's almost impossible that I DON'T have it as well,' she said in another post. 'I have had no symptoms and still don't. I will be going into self quarantine for 11-14 days. 'We aren't sure if my quarantine technically started on Friday or not since I've been in quarantine with her since she was admitted. Sooooo, if I've seen you in the last 2 weeks, definitely get tested if you start showing any symptoms.' Hildebrand also shot down suggestions from Facebook users that Ellie had contracted the virus from vaccinations. 'We are looking into filing a VAERS [post-vaccination] report simply because it DID happen after her shots and I DO feel that it is worth having on file, but no this did not happen solely due to vaccines, IF they even had anything to do with it at all to begin with,' she said. 'We will also discuss further vaccines with her paediatrician. I do not need any anti-vaxxers coming at me or trying to use my child for their agendas.' This comes as the number of cases affecting babies is ramping up across the US, dispelling previous assumptions that young people are less affected by coronavirus. The Florida Health Department confirmed Wednesday that a two-year-old girl and a baby boy had tested positive for coronavirus in Broward County. The baby boy, whose exact age is not known, has become the youngest person in the state known to have the virus, reported the Miami Herald. This follows the news last week that a seven-month-old boy in South Carolina had become the youngest person to test positive last Tuesday. Courtney Watts Doster shared the news that her son Emmett had contracted coronavirus and issued a warning to other parents that the virus can strike the very young. 'COVID19 isn't a joke. This isn't time to go out and have play dates, or go to Walmart, or go out to eat. Stay home people please!' Doster posted on Facebook Wednesday. Doctors have issued warnings that, while the elderly are most at risk from coronavirus, young people are not safe from it Over the pond, a newborn baby in London became the world's youngest coronavirus victim, after the child's mother was rushed to hospital days before the birth with suspected pneumonia. Doctors have issued warnings that, while the elderly are most at risk from coronavirus, young people are not safe from it. They warn the life-threatening illness may cause unusual symptoms in children, such as stomach aches, rather than the tell-tale symptoms in adults of a cough and fever. World Health Organization chiefs have said young people are 'not invincible' and could end up in hospital 'for weeks'. Last week, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) named its new president: Michael Martin, who previously served the organizations executive vice president. Dan Busby, his predecessor, had been involved with ECFA for 31 years of its 40-year history and spent more than a decade as president. ECFA membership nearly doubled to 2,400 during his tenure. Martin takes over following a year of record growth for ECFA but also continued scrutiny over prominent members that were eventually forced out for significant violations, such as Harvest Bible Chapel. When ECFA began in 1979, CT applauded its efforts to provide a financial seal of approval and help evangelical groups more readily prove to the public that they have nothing to hide. At that time, 65 percent of Americans expressed confidence in the church as an institution, per Gallup polling. By 2019, it was down to 36 percent. There isnt the implicit trust that there used to be for churches, for Christian ministries, Martin said in an interview with CT. More and more people are recognizing that we need to have that third-party accountability, some way to demonstrate outwardly the integrity that we have. The growth of non-denominational churches, networks, and ministries has also resulted in more organizations seeking out outside review. The ECFAs fastest growing segment of membership is churches, now up to 300 congregations (including most of the 100 largest in the country). Even as societal expectations have changed and its membership has shifted, the accountability organization has stayed focused on its financial stewardship standards, such as an independent governing board, financial oversight, available financial statements, appropriate use of donor funds, and integrity in operations and compensation. The command has always been in Scripture about being above reproach, but I think in todays era, organizations have to step that up even multiplied times over, said Martin, whos trained as an attorney and accountant and has worked for ECFA since 2011. With the internet, were in a day and age where information can travel faster than ever and everybodys a reporter. A 2019 investigation by World magazine critiqued ECFA for proceed[ing] slowly with ministries getting into trouble. In the same way the #MeToo movement in the church was spurred by watchdog bloggers, online voices have been quick to call out and investigate financial wrongdoing by Christian organizations. Prompted by a whistleblower, Warren Throckmorton followed the case of Gospel for Asia on his blog before it was ousted from ECFA in 2015 for misleading donors. While Julie Roys wrote about financial mismanagement at James MacDonalds Harvest Bible Chapel in 2018 and 2019, an ECFA investigation determined the church to be full compliance with its standards. Then, after ECFA discovered new information that had been withheld by Harvest, the church lost its member status last April. Martin declined to comment on specific organizations, only saying, Even from situations like that, where you have a high-profile member that ultimately has to be terminated, there are lessons learned. EFCAs model will continue to grow and become stronger over time. Critics believe these cases represent a failure by the ECFA to ensure its members are indeed in compliance and as trustworthy as its seal is meant to indicate. Throckmorton told CT he wants to see more transparency in the membership and investigation process under its new leadership, and for ECFA to actually be a watchdog and not a lapdog for evangelical institutional interests. The organization makes it clear that it is not an auditor or fraud examiner. As a member-based organization, ECFA is made of up groups that join on their own and agree to comply with the standards, so its watchdog role is limited by design. Its not perfect by any means because its voluntary, Frank Sommerville, a Texas-based attorney, CPA, and editorial adviser for Church Law and Tax (a fellow CT publication) told the Religion News Service last year. But the goal was to create a gold standard, for lack of a better word, for people to know that these entities, these Christian organizations, have met the minimum standards. Their role is, if youre not in compliance, if its out of ignorance, you work with them to bring them into compliance. Martin put it this way: Its a redemptive approach. Were really trying to build organizations up rather than tear them down. A growing part of ECFAs work is helping members improve their financial stewardship, become more effective, and avoid the kinds of financial missteps that could get them in trouble. He hosts the Excellence in Church Administration podcast and helps create a range of webinars, trainings, books, and other resources to promote compliance with ECFA standards and best practices. Warren Cole Smith, president of the watchdog site Ministry Watch, believes the volume of online chatter around evangelical organizations and leaders makes it even more crucial for Christian donors to find voices they can trust to hold ministries accountable. I think the ECFA can play and at times has played a crucial role in the Christian ecosystem, he said. However, there are some problems with depending entirely on the ECFA for accountability and transparency when they are not truly independent, noting that it relies on membership fees from the organizations it oversees, with bigger nonprofits paying more. (According to the Form 990 posted on the ECFA site, the organization brought in $3.75 million from its members in 2018.) ECFA states, With over 2,400 supporting members, ECFAs determinations regarding compliance with its standards are not influenced by the annual membership fee of individual organizations. Rather, review criteria have been objectively identified and are uniformly applied to all member organizations. While some questioned the value of the ECFA seal amid controversial departures, and some dropped membership due to cost-cutting (World reported this was the case for a few Christian colleges), overall its membership trajectory is up. Martin says its as relevant and needed as ever in a culture that is desperate to know where to turn and who to trust. A graduate of Oral Roberts University and Regent Law School, Martin is pushing to keep the organization providing relevant guidance for whatever financial stewardship issues could arise next. Right now, that means offering resources around the novel coronavirus. At some level its impacting all of our members, he told CT. This is one of those times where I would hope that ECFA would help organizations to reinforce accountability, good stewardship, and through that process, confidence that as a nation wed come back together and recover from this. Boston City Councilor Richard Arroyo is calling for a moratorium on rent, mortgages, evictions and foreclosures in the city to ease the financial burdens on renters and landlords amid the coronavirus outbreak. No one should be forced to lose their home or business for following government directives to slow the spread, Arroyo, who is the councils chair of public health, tweeted last week. Yesterday, I filed a resolution calling for a moratorium on rent, mortgages, evictions, and foreclosures in Boston in light of the #COVID19 outbreak. No one should be forced to lose their home or business for following government directives to slow the spread. #bospoli #mapoli pic.twitter.com/uWemSQw2ZR Ricardo Arroyo (@RicardoNArroyo) March 19, 2020 Several Boston-area landlords and real estate companies have already agreed to stop most evictions during the outbreak and response, according to the Boston Globe. The city council weighed in on the measure on Wednesday during its virtual meeting. The move comes as Massachusetts residents have been advised to stay in their homes as cases and deaths associated with COVID-19 continue to climb. The reality is that were in a public health emergency, and the things we have to be securing first and foremost are the things people need most right now, Councilor Kenzie Bok said. What Ive been seeing amongst my constituents is a huge amount of anxiety around both aspects of this mortgages and rents. Arroyo said if officials allow rents and mortgages unabated, we face a future where renters and business-owners owe crippling debts to landlords, and landlords owe crippling debts to banks. COVID-19 has altered the world forever, Arroyo said. Many of our residents are currently isolated at home, many have lost work, many have shuttered their businesses, and they afraid of their current financial reality. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh also addressed the possibility of freezing rent and mortgage payments. Walsh was also asked about the citys plans last week. Theres a lot of tenants and a lot of landlords struggling right now," Walsh said, "and I think thats something we need to have more than a conversation about and some action on. Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts Related Content: A young women suffering from cancer, whose worry about her scheduled treatment reduced Northern Irelands deputy first minister to tears, is set to receive chemotherapy on Monday. TUV leader Jim Allister raised the case involving one of his North Antrim constituents in the Assembly. He described how the young mother was worried that her chemotherapy course could be curtailed because of the mounting strain on the NHS caused by coronavirus. Mr Allister challenged Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill over the situation, asking her how he could respond to her. Mrs ONeill replied: What do you say? What can you say to that person? She paused to compose herself during the Assembly session in Belfast. With her voice breaking, Mrs ONeill continued: These are the challenges we are going to have to deal with. Mr Allister was contacted by a constituent worried about a relatives cancer treatment on Monday. The patient said she was led to believe that a chemotherapy session scheduled for next week was likely to be her last. The Northern Health Trust, which delivers services in Mr Allisters constituency, said: We have no current plans to stop chemotherapy treatment. Earlier this month, Stormonts Department of Health said: Suspect cancer cases and other urgent care will continue, unless advised by the applicable trust. On Wednesday evening, Mr Allister said he has received assurances from Health Minister Robin Swann that the young woman will receive chemotherapy treatment next Monday. While I remain concerned that future treatment is subject to uncertainty regarding resources to deal with high risk patients, it is important that hope is not removed from such patients, he said. I thank the minister for enquiring about this case. Turkey has charged 20 suspects including two former aides to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the 2018 murder of Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Prosecutors accuse Saudi Arabia's deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri and the royal court's media czar Saud al-Qahtani of leading the operation and giving orders to a Saudi hit team. Khashoggi, 59, a commentator who wrote for The Washington Post, was killed after he entered the Saudi consulate on October 2, 2018, to obtain paperwork for his wedding to Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. Turkey carried out its own investigation into the murder after being unhappy with Saudi explanations. The Istanbul prosecutor's office said in a statement that Assiri and Qahtani were charged with "instigating the deliberate and monstrous killing, causing torment". Eighteen other suspects -- including intelligence operative Maher Mutreb who frequently travelled with the crown prince on foreign tours, forensic expert Salah al-Tubaigy and Fahad al-Balawi, a member of the Saudi royal guard -- were also charged with "deliberately and monstrously killing, causing torment". They face life in jail if convicted. Mutreb, Tubaigy and Balawi had been among 11 on trial in Riyadh, during which sources said many of those accused defended themselves by saying they were carrying out Assiri's orders, describing him as the operation's "ringleader". The Turkish prosecutor said a trial in absentia would be opened against the 20 suspects but did not give a date. The prosecutor had already issued arrest warrants for the suspects, who are not in Turkey. Khashoggi, a Saudi insider-turned-critic, was strangled and his body cut into pieces by a 15-man Saudi squad inside the consulate, according to Turkish officials. His remains have never been found. The CIA, UN special envoy Agnes Callamard and Turkey have directly linked Crown Prince Mohammed to the killing, a charge the kingdom vehemently denies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The management of Dana Airlines on Wednesday announced the immediate suspension of its flight operations indefinitely. The airline said in a statement that the suspension was in response to the coronavirus pandemic and its effects. Many states have imposed restrictions on public gatherings while the federal government has also banned international flights into Nigeria, to check the spread of the virus. Dana joins other local airlines like Air Peace and Aero Contractors to suspend operations. Dana said it had to shut down its flights operations to support the efforts of the government to stem the further spread of the virus. We have decided to suspend our flight operations for the next 14 days effective midnight 25th March 2020, its spokesperson, Kingsley Ezenwa, said. Mr Ezenwa said the airline has been experiencing a huge decline in the passenger figures as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While we apologise and regret any inconvenience this decision may cause customers on affected flights, we wish to reassure our guests that we will be available on all our channels to ensure seamless updates and communication, he said. The Ghaziabad district administration on Wednesday gave assurances to the public that essential commodities will be available at retail outlets from 6 am to 11 pm, amid the nationwide lockdown to break the transmission chain of coronavirus. "There is no scarcity of flour, sugar and other daily need items in the district. All supplies from wholesalers to retail shopkeepers have been regularised. Some of the commodities were stuck on the borders but now movement has been restored," District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey told PTI. He said the shops selling essential items will remain open from 6 am to 11 pm. People are advised not to hoard groceries unnecessarily and shopkeepers have been instructed not to sell the goods higher than MRP. Stringent action will be initiated in case of any complaints, Pandey added. Meanwhile, Municipal Commissioner Dinesh Singh held a meeting with the executive officer of District Urban Development Agency (DUDA) along with office bearers of the association of vegetable vendors. DUDA has been authorised to provide passes issued by the DM to the vegetable vendors. The vendors' association has been asked to provide a list of hawkers who may sell or are already selling the vegetables in the lanes of various colonies in the district. Police teams are providing help to senior citizen, disabled and elderly ladies living alone. Today, 72 calls on 112 police control room number were received for help. The teams reached there and provided them assistance in getting daily consumable items. Besides, officials have been instructed to keep the police personnel mobile to check the movement of loiterers considering the lockdown, Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani said. Only one person will be permitted to go for purchasing milk, bread, vegetables, medicines and other essential commodities, while gathering at the shops will not be allowed, the SSP added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As declared by President Akufo-Addo, all Ghanaians are to observe a national day of fasting and prayer on Wednesday, 25th March, 2020 to seek the face of God in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party has made his intentions clear that he would be joining Ghanaians to fast and pray for God to drive away the coronavirus pandemic which has brought sorrow upon earth. I am a man who believes in the power of Jesus Christ. He has the power to heal and make things anew. There is no power in heaven or on earth, under the earth that is powerful than the name of Jesus Christ. I will cry unto the Lord today. He will hear the prayer of Ghana and of his servant Wontumi. I am nothing before Him, but I know the care and protection he has given to me. I just him to heal this earth and protect Ghanaians, he said. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked all Ghanaians to observe Wednesday, 25th March, 2020 as a national day of fasting and prayer to seek the face of God in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. This, he said, will be an addition to the adherence of measures rolled out to help contain the spread of the disease that has so far killed more than 11,000 people globally. Source: wontumionline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The death has occurred of Gerald (Gerry) Davis Athy, Kildare / Dublin (PICTURED) The death has occurred of Gerald Davis, Peace Commissioner, Athy, Co. Kildare & Dublin. Peacefully at the Mater Hospital on 22nd March 2020, surrounded by his loving family after a long illness, bravely borne. Sadly missed by his loving daughter Karen, sons Gerald and Kevin, daughters-in-law, grandchildren Katie, Rian and Darragh, his Mother Mary Davis, sisters Bernie and Pauline, brothers Noel, Bren, Liam and Declan extended family, neighbours and friends in Ireland and France. May he Rest in Peace Given the exceptional climate, and to protect the welfare of everyone who knew Gerald, a private Funeral with immediate family only will take place on Friday. Those who would have liked to attend Geralds funeral, but due to these restrictions cannot, can view it from 11 o'clock Friday 27th on the Parish Webcam; https://www.parishofathy.ie/ Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to Heart and Lung transplant at the Mater Foundation. Donate Here Anybody wishing to pass on condolences please leave a personal message for the family on the condolence page below. The death has occurred of Christian ALEXANDER Moorefield Park, Newbridge, Kildare ALEXANDER Christian (Moorefield Park, Newbridge, Co. Kildare) - 24th March 2020 (peacefully) at home after a long illness. Sadly missed by his loving wife Aileen, sons Bernard, Conor and Mark, mother Prisca, brothers and sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, extended family, relatives, and friends. May Christian Rest in Peace A private family funeral will take place due to government restrictions on public gatherings. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to the Irish Cancer Society. Online donations: https://www.cancer.ie/ways-to-help/fundraise Those who would have like to have attended the funeral but due to current restrictions cannot, can leave a message for the family on the condolences page below. The family thank you for your co-operation, understanding and support during this sensitive time. The death has occurred of Liam Fogarty Blackrock, Dublin / Maynooth, Kildare Fogarty, Liam, Blackrock, Dublin, Emeritus Professor, Industrial Microbiology, UCD, March 22nd 2020, peacefully, after a short illness, followed shortly by his loving wife Mary, beloved grandfather of the late Sinead & brother of the late Marjorie & Tom, sadly missed by his loving daughters Fiona & Sharon, granddaughter Ciara, son in law John, sister Mavis, brother Vincent, brothers in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends. Rest In Peace "Together in life, together again in heaven" A private funeral will take place due to government advice regarding public gatherings. A memorial Mass will take place for Liam and Mary at a later date. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please leave a personal message for the family on the condolence page below. The family thank you for your co-operation, understanding and support during this sensitive time. The death has occurred of Mary Fogarty (nee Starrs) Blackrock, Dublin / Maynooth, Kildare Fogarty (nee Starrs), Mary, Blackrock, Dublin, March 24th 2020, peacefully, after battling many illnesses and shortly after her beloved husband Liam, beloved grandmother of the late Sinead & sister of the late Susan and Kathleen, sadly missed by her loving daughters Fiona & Sharon, granddaughter Ciara, son in law John, brother Jimmy, brothers in law, sister in law, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends. Rest In Peace "Together in life, together again in heaven" A private funeral will take place for Liam and Mary due to government advice regarding public gatherings. A memorial Mass will take place at a later date. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please leave a personal message for the family on the condolence page below. The family thank you for your co-operation, understanding and support during this sensitive time. The death has occurred of Donal (Dan) KENNEDY Baroda Court & late of Moore Park, Newbridge, Kildare KENNEDY Donal (Dan) (Baroda Court and late of Moore Park , Newbridge, Co. Kildare) - 23rd March 2020 (suddenly). Son of the late Dan and Maureen. Much loved brother of Peter, Tom (deceased), Mary, Ellen & Anne-Maria. Loving uncle and grand uncle to his nephews and nieces. Deeply regretted by his loving family, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, extended family, friends, neighbours, and work colleagues. May Donal Rest in Peace A private family funeral will take place. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to Newbridge Meals on Wheels. The family thank you for your co-operation, understanding and support during this sensitive time. The death has occurred of Seamus MULLALLY Castlegate, Portarlington, Laois / Newbridge, Kildare MULLALLY Seamus (Castlegate, Portarlington, Co. Laois & formerly of Seven Springs, Newbridge, Co. Kildare) 23rd March 2020 (peacefully) following a short illness. Dearly loved and loving father of Elaine and Claire, beloved husband of the late Peggy, cherished gan gan of Cerys, Pippa and Stefan. Sadly missed by his daughters, son-in-law Paul, grandchildren, sisters, sister-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, his dear friend Mary and wide circle of wonderful friends, neighbours, extended family and relatives. May his kind and gentle soul rest in peace A private family Funeral will take place due to government advice regarding public gatherings. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, can leave a personal message for the family on the condolence page below. Family flowers only please. Donations if desired, to the Irish Cancer Societys Daffodil Day. Online donations to: https://www.cancer.ie/ways-to-help/fundraise/daffodil-day/donate. A Memorial Mass to celebrate Seamus's life will be held at a later date for all his family, neighbours and friends. The family thank you for your co-operation, understanding and support during this sensitive time. House Strictly Private, thank you. Ni bheidh a leitheid ann aris Amid the unprecedented impacts of the coronavirus outbreak on the economy of Australia, property investors are urged not to lose hope as housing fundamentals remain strong, according to an economist. Diaswati Mardiasmo, chief economist at PRD Nationwide, said investor confidence in capital cities "should not waver" given the healthier vacancy rates, especially in Sydney and Melbourne. Figures from SQM Research show a decline in vacancy rates to 2.9% in Sydney and 1.9% in Melbourne. "Despite the decline in unique listings in the short-term rental market, which may suggest the property has been added to the long-term market instead, there does not seem to be any severe effects on the long-term market," Mardiasmo said. Mardiasmo referred to the trend shown in the Airbnb data for the two capital cities. She said duplicate listings have increased in both Sydney and Melbourne while unique listings declined. Duplicate listings are specific listings found in at least two consecutive months. Also read: Thinking Long-Term Is Key Amid COVID-19 outbreak "This suggests that properties from previous months are still actively listed on Airbnb and have not been moved to the long-term rental market. It potentially shows that Airbnb owners are waiting longer for their properties to be rented," she said. The decline in unique listings shown in the Airbnb data could be due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the tourism industry. Meanwhile, Mardiasmo said the long-term rental market in tourist destinations is not showing an "unprecedented increase". This will put further pressure on vacancy rates. "Tourist destinations vary in places that do not rely mostly on tourists such as Bondi, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast vacancy rates declined however in areas that do such as Byron Bay and the Whitsundays or Airlie Beach, it increased" she said. Furthermore, there is a slowdown in the number of properties being added to the rental market. Mardiasmo said this means that there is "no added pressure" to the long-term market. Given the healthy vacancy rates, this will also build investor confidence, she said. In conclusion, Mardiasmo said there appears to be a delicate balance between the sales and rental market. "Those who choose not to buy may remain in the rental market, benefiting investors. However, at the same time, there will also be investors who must sit tight, as their particular property was to be occupied by international students," she said. Louis Christopher, managing director at SQM Research, said the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on vacancy rates depends on the economy. "We are likely to record further declines in rental vacancy rates as 2020 progresses unless the country enters into a prolonged economic depression," he said. Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Thursday had a telephone conversation with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, with whom he talked about the situation of the Romanian minority in the neighbour country, as well as Romania's endorsement for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. According to a Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) release sent to AGERPRES, during the conversation the two assessed the situation generated by the novel coronavirus and the response demarches of the two states. Moreover, they reviewed the most important topics on the bilateral agenda, the stage and prospects of the Romanian - Ukrainian relations, as well as the modalities to promote bilateral dialogue.According to the quoted source, the Romanian minister highlighted the availability to cooperate regarding the punctual cases of transit on the Romanian territory by Ukrainian citizens who want to return to Ukraine from third countries, with strict observance of the norms imposed by the Romanian authorities in the context of the effort for the management and prevention of the SARS-COV-2 expansion.The head of the Romanian diplomacy highlighted the constant support of Romania for the efforts of the Ukrainian authorities aimed at the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, as well as for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.Furthermore, Aurescu underscored Romania's special attention granted to ensuring the rights of persons belonging to the Romanian minority in Ukraine, mainly to the right to education in the Romanian language, in accordance with the international norms and standards in the area, MAE shows. He thus asked the resumption, as soon as possible, when the situation related to SARS-COV-2 allows it, of the bilateral dialogue formats on this topic, highlighting at the same time the need to identify some sustainable solutions, in accordance with the interests of the persons belonging to the Romanian minority in Ukraine. In this context, he also evoked the discussion between President Klaus Iohannis and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sideline of the high level segment of the 74th UN General Assembly, of September 2019, when, following the demarches of the Romanian head of state, Ukraine's President sent assurances in the direction of identifying of a solution to the problems created by the adoption of the Education Law in Ukraine in September 2017.Moreover, Minister Bogdan Aurescu addressed the invitation to the Ukrainian counterpart to pay a visit to Romania, an invitation accepted by his counterpart.In his turn, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister thanked Romania for the support given in the context of the pandemic with the novel coronavirus, regarding the consistent position of Romania in the support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as for the support for Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic integration efforts. He also mentioned openness for solving the bilateral issues evoked by the head of Romanian diplomacy, the two head diplomats agreeing to stay in direct contact in the next period to find a solution to the problem of the right to education of the Romanian minority from Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has condemned an attack on Afghan politician Zarifa Ghafari, who received an award as a woman of courage from the U.S. State Department just a few weeks ago. Pompeo called the attack earlier this month on Ghafari, the mayor of Maidan Shar in conservative Maidan Wardak Province, cowardly. The future of Afghanistan lies with those who seek peace and political solutions, not those who use violence and intimidation to threaten Afghan women, he said on Twitter on March 24. Ghafari told TOLONews that she was not hurt in the attack, which occurred on March 22 in Kabul when unknown gunmen opened fire on her vehicle. The gunmen fled after the shooting, she said. Ghafari was recognized on March 4 in Washington as a recipient of the State Departments International Women of Courage Award. Ghafari, a former journalist at a women-focused radio station, became mayor of Maidan Shar at the age of 26. Despite constant death threats and being forced to flee an angry male mob on her first day in office, she stayed in power and tackled many of her town's problems. "Despite death threats, Ms. Ghafari came back, defying her conservative critics and their narrative that a woman is unfit to lead," the U.S. State Department said. Ghafari was appointed to the position in 2018, which was initially delayed by officials, and she did not start her tenure officially until March 2019. ROME (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th March, 2020) Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergei Razov categorically refuted reports that Russia would allegedly require Italy to "pay the bill" by asking Rome to lobby for the lifting of EU sanctions for the assistance in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The Russian military arrived in Italy to help fight COVID-19 following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. The military was equipped with mobile disinfection systems and laboratories, which make it possible to determine the type of infection as soon as possible. Russia has sent total of 15 military aircraft to Italy. "How do you imagine such a demand from Russia?" the ambassador said in an interview with the Askanews agency, when asked to comment on the allegations. Razov stressed that Russia's selfless assistance to Italy was not a subject of bargaining or "paying bills." "I was surprised to read today in a reputable Italian newspaper that a significant part of equipment delivered by Russia was not necessary, and that our help was motivated primarily by some political propaganda considerations," the diplomat said, referring to the publication of La Stampa. La Stampa's author claimed that Russia had sent high-ranked officers who arrived in Italy, noting that 80 percent of assistance from Russia was useless. "It seems to me that it would be better to ask the people of Bergamo, among whom, unfortunately, there are many sick and dead. As for politics and propaganda, in my opinion, such judgments are the product of a perverted consciousness when someone sees wicked plans behind an unselfish desire to help friendly people in trouble," Razov said. Italy is fighting against a severe coronavirus outbreak, by far the worst outside of China. The country saw 3,491 new cases in 24 hours, bringing the total to 57,521 active cases, in addition to 7,503 deaths and 9,362 recoveries. This marks, however, the decline in the number of the new cases for the fourth day in a row. Egypt will impose a night-time curfew for two weeks from Wednesday to contain the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli announced. "Movement will be banned on all public roads from 7 pm to 6 am... for two weeks," Madbouli told a news conference on Tuesday. "All mass transport, public and private, will be halted over the same period." Penalties for violators include a fine of up to 4,000 Egyptian pounds (just over $250) and even prison, he said. The prime minister said central and provincial government services, including the issuing of licences, would be suspended for two weeks. He said that malls and shops selling more than basic goods would be allowed to open until 5 pm on work days but would be required to close over the Friday-Saturday weekend. Cafes and nightclubs would be closed, while restaurants and other food outlets would be allowed to offer delivery services only. Bakeries, grocery stores, pharmacies and supermarkets outside malls would be exempted. Cairo supermarket owner Sayed Hamdan was supportive of the government's curfew and was upbeat that economic activity would not slow down. "This decision is wise for the people in general. As supermarket owners, it's not going to affect us as much. People will just end up buying during the day instead of at night and it might even increase because people are afraid of the coronavirus," he told AFP. "We have undertaken sterilisation measures for our workers and the store itself using gloves, disinfectants and masks," Hamdan added. He also noted that he had enough stock for his customers who gravitated towards staples like oil, sugar and bottled water. The health ministry has so far registered 19 deaths from the coronavirus in Egypt out of 366 confirmed cases. The government has already closed schools and universities and halted air traffic in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus among the country's 100 million people. Flights have been grounded for a further period until 15 April, Egypt's information minister announced Tuesday, following the prime minister's new conference. Religious authorities have since Saturday shut all mosques and churches and halted prayer gatherings for at least two weeks. - Demonstrations - Madbouli said the government might impose stricter measures if the situation worsened and the number of confirmed cases topped 1,000. He condemned calls for demonstrations saying they provided fertile ground for the transmission of the virus. Early Tuesday, police moved promptly to disperse dozens of demonstrators who had attempted to hold overnight marches in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria. Footage posted on Twitter showed marchers chanting: "God is greatest," and: "May God rescue us from this plague." They were "dispersed in accordance with government measures preventing gatherings to avoid contagion", a security source told AFP, adding that no arrests were made. Dar al-Ifta, Egypt's institution for issuing religious edicts, condemned such protests as "malicious" and "forbidden" under Islamic law. The institution urged Egyptians to comply with government measures against the spread of the virus. Protests have effectively been banned in Egypt since 2013 and the country has been under a state of emergency since April 2017. In a series of tweets after the prime minister's announcement, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said his government will be strict in its enforcement of the curfew. "Any breaking of the measures will be dealt with firmly and swiftly according to the law," he said. In Sayeda Zeinab, a working class suburb in the heart of Islamic Cairo, Akram Ramadan also expressed relief at the premier's measures and was critical of the small scale gathering in Alexandria. "People aren't heeding the message and they're still out and about in the streets...These are people who are trying to ruin the country and we can't put up with this anymore," he said. "I myself am going out shopping now before night-time... we should be considerate of others and not hoard items," Ramadan added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 03:03:02|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close A sign encouraging social distancing is seen in Hyde Park after the British government placed further restrictions on movement in London, Britain on March 24, 2020. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday evening a series of measures that aim to restrict social contact in the UK, so as to curb the spread of COVID-19. Starting from Monday night, people in Britain will only be allowed to leave their homes for "very limited purposes", including shopping for basic necessities, for any medical need, for one form of exercise a day, and to travel to and from work when necessary, said the prime minister. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- As Britain entered the first day of lockdown, a leading police officer on Tuesday said enforcing the British government's restrictions on movement will be "a real challenge" and even impossible with the number of officers available. The statement came one day after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared a "moment of national emergency" and urged the British people to stay at home to curb the spread of COVID-19. TOUGH STEPS, REAL CHALLENGE According to Johnson, starting from Monday night, people in Britain will only be allowed to leave their homes for "very limited purposes," including shopping for basic necessities, for any medical need, for one form of exercise a day, and to travel to and from work when necessary. Any gatherings of more than two people will be dispersed by police, and police also have the powers to serve on the spot fines of 30 pounds (about 35.29 U.S. dollars) if people ignore the government's new stay at home orders. In a press briefing on Tuesday, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "These measures are not advice. They are rules and will be enforced." However, some have already criticised the lack of clarity around the new measures and questioned whether a 30-pound fine (about 35.29 dollars) would be enough to enforce the lockdown. Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, told Sky News: "It's going to be very difficult what is put in front of us." The British government hadn't told the police the details of what their new powers will be, Marsh said, adding that the police would not be able to carry out their new duties without support from the public. "We don't actually know what is being put in front of us yet other than we're going to be asked to disperse crowds," he said. "It's going to be a real, real challenge." Over the weekend, crowds of people were witnessed visiting open spaces across many parts of Britain, at times ignoring official social distancing advice. SHORTAGE OF POLICE FORCE Apart from a shortage of medics, Britain is also witnessing a lack of police officers. Around one in five London police officers and staff are unavailable because of the coronavirus pandemic, the London-based Evening Standard newspaper reported Tuesday. According to the Met Police Federation, Scotland Yard has seen 19 percent of police, civilian and community support officers reporting not available for duty, having either contracted COVID-19 or because they are self-isolating. The federation claimed that, as of Monday, 2,100 of the London police force's 31,000 officers were off, including a high-ranking policeman. Marsh cast doubt on officers' ability to deal with the lockdown and claimed the British Army may need to help enforce the measures. "The Army are already in place on the outskirts of London and across the country. And I don't doubt for one minute that they will be called if needed," Marsh said. "It could be tailored in quite quickly and everything is on the table." EMPTY STREETS, PACKED TUBES Londoners woke up Tuesday to a new reality of quiet streets, but serious overcrowding on the London Underground triggered urgent appeals from medics for people to "stay home and save lives." Above ground, the cityscape was one of orderly compliance with the near-lockdown announced by Johnson on Monday night as millions of people stayed at home and most businesses obediently closed their doors to customers. Only one or two passengers were seen in a bus near Swiss Cottage in northwest London to the downtown area. Underlining the national emergency, Army trucks drove over Westminster Bridge and past the House of Commons to deliver urgent supplies to St Thomas' Hospital. Below ground there was confusion and anger as passengers struggled to maintain social-distancing on platforms crowded with people trying to get to work on a stripped-down Tube service, according to the Evening Standard newspaper. A Tube driver spoke out against non-essential journeys and said he will be forced to self-isolate to protect his family if the overcrowding continues. Worried about packed carriages on the London Underground, Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, took to social media to warn the public to listen to the government and stay at home unless they are a key worker or need to travel for urgent reasons. "More lives will be lost" unless the public stops "all non-essential travel" during the coronavirus lockdown, Khan said. Tunisia has started production at the long-awaited Nawara gas field, a development that is expected to transform the countrys energy balance and provide a significant boon to state finances. Production began at the field, located in the southern governorate of Tataouine, in early February. The launch was the culmination of a decade-long process: the reserves were first discovered in 2006 and preparation work started in 2008. The TD3.5bn ($1.2bn) development, the countrys largest energy project, is expected to boost gas production by 2.7m cu metres per day, increasing national gas output by 50%. It is also expected to produce 7000 barrels of oil and 3200 barrels of liquefied petroleum gas every day. Speaking at the inauguration, then Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said the gas field would augment GDP growth by 1 percentage point, while cutting the energy and trade deficits by 20% and 7%, respectively. This would have a significant impact on national finances. The trade deficit reached a record high of TD19.4bn ($6.8bn) last year, according to official statistics, with the energy deficit making up around one-third of the shortfall. In addition to addressing domestic energy needs and reducing imports, the discovery will open up the possibility of exporting surplus gas through the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline, which links the country to Europe. Push for greater diversification While the launch of production at Nawara is an important development for the sector, Tunisia is also looking to diversify its energy mix through renewables and energy efficiency policies in order to secure long-term self-sufficiency. At present, natural gas still dominates, accounting for around 97% of power generation. While Nawara will make a big difference, the country is still projected to depend on imports to meet around 55% of demand this year, according to forecasts from oil and gas analysts MEES. Related: The Boldest Permian Plays To Watch As The Oil Market Circles The Drain To help bridge this gap and secure a more stable energy mix moving forward, the authorities have been looking at the countrys long-recognised renewables potential, as well as promoting energy efficiency measures such as combined heat and power (CHP), also known as cogeneration, systems. As the price of renewable energies drops year-on-year, the solution to the energy question can clearly be found in cogeneration units and renewables, Sahbi Amara, Africa director at Clarke Energy, told OBG. CHP development in Tunisia was launched in 2001. At the end of 2019 the total running capacity exceeded 100 MW, with around 200 MW to be installed across various industries. This will allow for a more than 30% savings in natural gas and a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions. In late 2016 the government released its Renewable Energy Action Plan 2030, which outlines plans to generate one-third of electricity from renewables by 2030, up from around 5% at the end of 2018. The ambitious plan is divided into two phases: the first, covering 2016-20, aims to add 1000 MW of renewable generation capacity and reduce energy consumption by 17%; the second, covering 2021-30, should see an additional 1250 MW of new renewable capacity come on-line. To this end, in mid-2018 the government announced tenders for six solar photovoltaic power plants with a combined capacity of 500 MW. These included a tender for a 120-MW photovoltaic power plant in the Gafsa governorate, awarded in January this year to French utilities supplier Engie and Morocco-based Nareva. Also in January, Chinas TBEA Xinjiang New Energy and the UAEs Amea Power were awarded the contract for a 100-MW solar power plant in the Kairouan governorate. While these projects will undeniably provide Tunisia with much-needed power supply, maintaining a mix of sources will likely remain a priority. The use of different types of gas offers vast opportunities for new projects. Using landfill gases to generate electricity and heat by trapping biomethane, for example, is an energy creation process already employed in several markets around the world. The key advantage of using these gases for energy is that they are constantly released as landfills are continuously replenished, Amara told OBG. By Oxford Business Group More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: NEW YORK When hospitals need to prep a room for the next coronavirus test, when jetliners discharge their passengers at the gate, when suburbanites start to take sanitary precautions more seriously, the call goes out: Send in the cleaners. These largely unsung workers are often the first line of defense against the global COVID-19 pandemic, cleaning and disinfecting homes, offices, medical facilities and public spaces where the novel coronavirus could spread. But the people doing all this cleaning earn low wages, frequently lack sick leave and paid days off, and can be fired with no warning. Amid all that is the constant fear that they could encounter the virus themselves, despite what many say are diligent precautions. Shasmin Lewis, who spends her mornings doing office work for MaidPro in Philadelphia and her afternoons cleaning homes, says her hours have jumped almost 80% to 40 hours a week. She brings her own mask to work even though MaidPro provides both masks and gloves, washes her hands frequently and wears gloves even when dusting. Im very worried, but I plan on staying around until we cant, she said. Not only do her elderly customers need her help, she says, but like countless workers, she has enough savings to support her and two kids for about a month _ even though shes moving into management. For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people who contract the virus recover. Overall demand for cleaning has been heavy. Airlines, including Delta and Southwest, added disinfecting measures on flights. Amtrak increased the frequency of cleaning services at trains and stations, in some cases on an hourly basis, and is using more disinfectant to wipe down handrails, door knobs and handles. During the first two weeks of March, ads for cleaners were up 75% in the U.S. and 20% in the U.K. compared to a year ago, according to Ziprecruiter, an online job posting site. But thats starting to change as cities across the U.S. and Europe enter lockdown and schools, hotels, restaurants and other businesses shut down. Last week, Zoraida Rodriguez was working overtime to keep the Bernard B. Jacobs theater clean for well-heeled Broadway enthusiasts. She and other custodial workers were called in early and stayed late to help with deep cleaning, disinfecting door knobs, stair rails and anything else theatergoers might touch. This week, Rodriguez is out of a job. Broadway theaters abruptly closed until at least April 12 and possibly beyond. At least 204 theaters and stadium service workers lost their jobs, according to the Service Employees International Union that represents them. There is no clear answer about whether they would get severance pay or any type of relief. Rodriguez was told to pick up her last paycheck this week. Rodriguez, 53, has worked cleaning Broadway theaters for nearly 16 years, making $20 an hour. She had health insurance, paid sick leave and vacation. Those benefits are gone, although SEIU is negotiating for some relief. For the moment, she says shell rely on unemployment benefits and her daughters salary from a New Jersey beauty salon although salon hours are also falling as customer traffic plummets. We really live paycheck to paycheck, and it is difficult for us to last a month without working, Rodriguez says. According to a study by the National Domestic Workers Alliance, 82 % of domestic workers dont get paid sick days. Many are afraid if they do stay out sick theyll get fired: about 25% of domestic workers fired from their jobs say it was due to their request to take time off, 22% were fired for actually taking time off, and 20% were discharged for missing work to take care of themselves or a family members. The mean annual wage for maids and housekeepers was $25,570 in 2018, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For janitors and building cleaners it is $26,100 per year. Thats close to the poverty line for a family of four. Technology is also encroaching on their jobs. Hong Kongs subway operator is deploying 20 robots developed with a local biotech startup that spray vapourized hydrogen peroxide to penetrate in the small gaps that are difficult to reach during normal cleaning work on train cars or station facilities. The Westin Houston Medical Center is rolling out two ultraviolet germ-zapping robots to disinfect rooms, saying its the first and only U.S. hotel to do so. Ingrid Vaca, who works cleaning homes in the Washington, D.C. area, has lost four of her eight clients over the past two weeks as the coronavirus crisis deepened. One by one, they have called to tell her not to come, trying to keep their homes closed off to the outside world. Only one offered to pay her for the month of March. This crisis has magnified the dangers of Vacas precarious work life, which has long been at the mercy of employers who can fire her at any moment, for any reason, with no obligation to give her notice or severance pay. One client, an elderly man whose house she has cleaned for 15 years, abruptly laid her off on Friday after his family decided he could no longer afford her services. No one asked how she was faring in the midst of the pandemic that had cost her three other jobs the same week. They throw us out like a dirty towel when they dont need us anymore, said Vaca, 57, sobbing as she recalled her years of service to the client, whose son lives in another state. We are people too with families with needs. Demand still remains strong in one area of the economy: healthcare. Alex Lawrence, co-owner of a British cleaning company, said requests have soared since the outbreak began. His company, Lawrence Cleaning, has contracts with 21 clinics in central England, which under new U.K. regulations will need daily cleaning of certain red zones. Lawrence, who works alongside his staff on medical cleaning jobs, said they clean anything that gets touched doors, desks, handrails, armrests. They wear full personal protection equipment respirators, suits, gloves and foot covers. It can look quite daunting if people are in full suits and masks and (patients) think they could be in danger, said Lawrence. But it does look less daunting if were around when people arent in. About the photo: In this March 13, 2020 file photo, a worker disinfects a turnstile at the Government Center transit stop, in Boston. As the global viral pandemic grows, the need for cleaning and disinfecting has surged. Cleaners and domestic workers are essential in the effort to contain the virus. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Salons and spas around the country are donating gloves and masks to local hospitals, which are in desperate need of personal protective equipment amid the coronavirus outbreak. Tracy Ftacek, owner of Pretty Convenient Hair Extension Studio in Oswego, Illinois, closed her salon last week after all nonessential businesses in the state were ordered to shut their doors. She gave the stock of gloves she uses to apply color to Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "I have many friends who work in the medical field and I knew supplies would be running low," Ftacek told TODAY Style. Download the TODAY app for the latest coverage on the coronavirus outbreak. Stevie Smith, owner of Smith & Davis salon in Chicago, hosted a supply drive last week and said she plans to hold another soon. Between her salon and other donations, Smith collected 20 boxes of gloves, a couple gallons of hand sanitizer, masks and various other disinfectants. "Our daughter is a nurse at a hospital here, so we gave her a few of the unopened gloves and gave the rest to our local fire station," she said. A healthcare worker in Mobile, Alabama, carries boxes of gloves and masks that were donated by local nail salons. (Hien My Pham) Hien Pham, a pharmacist in Mobile, Alabama, helped organize a supply drive benefiting Providence Hospital. "The other day I was on my Facebook and saw a story of a salon owner, who, because of coronavirus, closed his salon and donated all his unused masks and gloves to local hospitals. It touched my heart," she said. "I thought, 'How about I reach out to my friends who own nail salons? Many salons are owned by Vietnamese people. I posted on Facebook asking for donations and so many people offered to help." On Sunday, 13,000 pairs of gloves and 6,500 masks were dropped off at the hospital. Pham shared photos of the donations being given to medical workers. "It's so important for people who work on the frontlines to have proper equipment to protect themselves during the coronavirus," Pham said. Providence Hospital received a donation of 13,000 gloves and 6,500 masks. (Hien My Pham) In Seattle, one of the hotspots for coronavirus cases, medical spa chain SkinSpirit donated 800 masks, including 160 N95 masks, which are in short supply at hospitals. They also donated 10,000 gloves, disinfectant spray and wipes to the University of Washington Medical Center. Story continues "SkinSpirit has strong roots in the Seattle area. With three clinics in the region and many nurses on staff that hail from the local medical community, we have been watching the situation here very closely and knew we had to help as much as possible," Jamie Lamoreaux, SkinSpirit's director of clinic operations, told TODAY. She added that two of the spa's nurse practitioners are now working at University of Washington Medical Center and helped coordinate the donation. "They saw the need first-hand in the hospital for these supplies and we were so happy we could gather these items and support them with a donation," she said. Other businesses in the fashion and beauty industry are also stepping up to help fight the spread of the coronavirus. The Gap, Hanes, Zara and other fashion brands are now making masks and gowns. Meanwhile, Dior and Givenchy perfume factories are producing hand sanitizer. HANGZHOU, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese market has become a strategic highland for many foreign-invested companies in east China's Zhejiang Province, as the bulk of their foreign trade orders were usurped by the spreading coronavirus outbreak. Zhejiang Tiner Fashion Dress Company is a Japanese-funded underwear company. As the epidemic in the province has waned, about 90 percent of its production capacity has been resumed so far. At a corner of the factory, workers were busy packing up products while two livestreamers were introducing new items to Chinese online viewers. "We have resumed most of our operations, and the current priority is to catch up with overdue orders," said Gu Guoli, general manager of the company. "Survival will be the buzzword for the whole year." Like Tiner, many foreign enterprises in Zhejiang have been making every effort to resume production and deliver orders. But in the meantime, some others have chosen to "hibernate" and wait for the market to heat up. According to the provincial bureau of commerce, almost all 17,000 foreign-invested enterprises in Zhejiang have resumed operations, except those in the city of Wenzhou, where coronavirus hit the hardest. Gem-Year Industrial Supply Company is a leading player in screw manufacturing. The past several months have seen a huge decline in sales of its downstream products such as home appliances. According to Yu Xiaomin, the company's deputy general manager, more than 1,000 offline stores across the country reported next to nothing in sales for February. "The impact has been huge for us, and will continue for quite a while," he said. "We have planned to hire 50 more sales personnel to meet our sales target domestically. It will definitely be a difficult year." A crisis, however, can also present opportunities. Some companies have quickly adjusted their product lines to meet the changing demands of the market. Inside the factory of Nan Liu Enterprise (Pinghu) Company, the assembly line was running at its full capacity. Andy Jin, the sales director of the company, said they were currently mainly engaged in manufacturing non-woven fabrics. The demand for disinfectant wipes, surgical gowns, masks and other materials has been surging due to the outbreak of the COVID-19. "We didn't stop production even during the Spring Festival. We have been in full production capacity. The sales have increased 50 percent year on year over the past two months," Jin said. For Zhejiang Liebherr Zhongche Transportation System Company, however, the spreading of the COVID-19 outbreak has caused quite a problem. The joint venture that manufactures ventilation and air-conditioning systems has benefited from China's expanding railway construction domestically. Lyu Yuan, the company's general manager, said some of their key materials are imported from France and Italy, where the epidemic situations are quite uncertain. "If we use substitute materials made in China, the cost will increase by 20 percent," he said. "The domestic market has been stabilized whereas the overseas ones are facing a lot more difficulties," said Xu Aijun, the production manager of Zhuji Huahai Spandex Company. "Our downstream companies are mostly export-oriented enterprises. The shrinking overseas market will have a negative impact on us in the next few months." To get through the market fluctuations, Sinomax (Zhejiang) Polyurethane Technology Company answered with an investment of 20 million U.S. dollars in research and development, and a shift of its focus to the Chinese market. Its general manager Chen Xiaohua said he hoped that the government would provide more support for foreign-owned enterprises and give priority to new infrastructures such as 5G to stimulate consumption, so as to accelerate economic recovery domestically. Takayuki Sugimoto, president of Nidec Shibaura (Zhejiang), has been working in China for two years. He said the huge market of China and the great performance of the Chinese government during the epidemic have given confidence to foreign-invested companies. "Confidence is more important than anything else. If we make it through, a better future is just around the corner," he said. YPSILANTI, MI Eastern Michigan University announced Wednesday that a student tested positive for coronavirus. The student has not attended classes since March 5, and the student lived off-campus and is from Wayne County, according to an EMU statement citing the Washtenaw County Health Department. EMU said the student has been hospitalized. There was no indication that the student had the disease at any point while on campus, EMU said. Health department officials told EMU the student would not have been at risk of exposing others until March 19, and there was no indication of visits to campus since in-person classes ended March 11. Read more about coronavirus here. The statement said the health department was tracking close contacts of the student, and those individuals would be contacted and advised to self-quarantine or take other actions if needed. As this disease spreads, it is increasingly likely that many of us will at some point know of a family member, friend or associate who has been affected, said EMU President James Smith in the statement. Our thoughts and support are with all of those who are fighting this disease, those family members who are worried about their loved ones, and also with our health, medical and first responder communities who are on the front lines every day. EMU suspended in-person classes March 11 and moved classes online through the end of the semester. The university also postponed its commencement ceremonies and encouraged students to go home if they are able. Eastern Michigan University postpones commencement, encourages students to go home Students who move out by March 31 will be given a credit for their housing and dining expenses, which will be calculated based on the March 31 residence hall closure date through the end of the winter semester, the university said. According to the message, the credit will be applied to the students account, and if a student commits to remain in housing next fall, they will receive an additional $500 housing grant that will be applied to their fall 2020 housing account. Eastern Michigan University closing residence halls, reimbursing students for housing, meals plans Michigan saw its biggest one-day increase of coronavirus cases Wednesday, going from 1,791 to 2,295. There have been 43 deaths. 7 more hospitalized for coronavirus in Washtenaw County, officials say CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) Local governments, which are running low on funds needed to confront the coronavirus disease outbreak, are set to receive financial help, the Department of Interior and Local Government said Wednesday. We will make available some P275 billion to augment ang sinasabing kakulangan ng ating mga LGU dahil nga 'yung kanilang quick response fund ay paubos na, DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a briefing. [Translation: We will make available some P275 billion to augment the depleting quick response funds of local government units.] The newly approved law giving President Rodrigo Duterte additional powers to stem the spread of COVID-19 made this possible, Malaya said. Duterte can exercise these special powers for three months, unless extended or withdrawn sooner by Congress. The president will also be given authority to provide over 18 million low-income households an emergency subsidy worth between 5,000 and 8,000 for one month to two months. Also, a compensation of 100,000 may be granted by the president to public and private health workers who may contract severe COVID-19 infection while in the line of duty. The DILG official also explained authorities are prioritizing the poor during this health crisis amid complaints some people have not received any help from the government. Ang inuuna po ng gobyerno ay isang kahig, isang tuka. [Translation: The government is giving priority to the poorest citizens.] On March 17, Duterte placed the whole of Luzon under enhanced community quarantine, restricting peoples movement in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19. Spike of prices, three cases of poisoning after Trump acclaimed chloroquine as treatment for COVID-19. Nigerias Center for Disease Control issued a warning, however, that the World Health Organization has not approved the use of the drug against virus and warned the public about self-medicating. (Photo : Pixabay) Prices spike and three cases of poisoning in Nigeria reported due to the use of chloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. Nigeria's Center for Disease Control issued a warning, however, that the World Health Organization has not approved the use of the drug against virus and warned the public about self-medicating. The demand for the drug also surged in Lagos, a city with a population of 20 million people, as health officials warned Nigerians against self-medicating. Oreoluwa Finnih, Senior Health Assistant to the governor of Lagos disclosed that three people were hospitalized in Lagos for chloroquine overdose. In a text message, Finnih assures people not to panic and notes that "Chloroquine is still in a testing phase in combination with other medication and not yet verified as a preventive treatment or curative option." There were 30 COVID-19 cases in Nigeria as of March 22. In a White House briefing last week, Trump claimed that the Food and Drug Administration evaluated chloroquine for the treatment of the coronavirus. He approved it very quickly as it showed encouraging results. The FDA stated after the briefing that it had not approved the drug for COVID-19 treatment, and is still evaluating its effectiveness against the disease. Stocking of Medicine After White House briefing, Nigerians stock up on said medication, and a subsequent spike in the price of as much as 400% took place in minutes. Meanwhile, in the U.S., a 'run on the drug' caused a shortage of this lupus and malaria medicine. ProPublica's Charles Ornstein reported that people with no known illness are stocking up in case they get the disease, and that leaves lupus and rheumatoid arthritis patients short of medication. He furthers that taking more potent drugs to suppress their immune system could render them vulnerable to more severe consequences in case they get COVID-19. Price Spike Kayode Fabunmi, a Lagos-based lawyer, relayed that pharmacists would say to every incoming customer that Donald Trump said this medicine cures coronavirus. The price would continue to soar. The original price was at 200 naira (around 50 cents); then it becomes 500 naira ($1.38), and then 1,000 naira. Still, the Lagos State Health Ministry says there is no "hard evidence that chloroquine is effective in the prevention or management of coronavirus infection." Use of Chloroquine Chloroquine is used to treat malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Malaria is an endemic disease in Nigeria and other parts of Africa, and for many years, it was commonly treated with chloroquine. However, at least 40 countries, including Nigeria, have phased it out as a frontline antimalarial drug and replaced it with other medications with widespread resistance. Doctors in China, the United States, and other countries have reportedly used the drug experimentally to manage COVID-19, but there is not enough clinical evidence of its effectivity. According to Dr. Michel Yao, an Africa emergency response program manager for the World Health Organization, the WHO's position that any medication should be based on evidence is clear. He added that for now, WHO has no evidence from any trials that would allow WHO to make a formal recommendation. The Board of Directors of Bilia AB has today, as a result of the spread of the Corona virus Covid-19, taken the decision to postpone the annual general meeting to a later date. During the time until the annual general meeting the Board of Directors of Bilia will analyse and judge the situation and based on this assess the proposal for the 2019 dividend to the shareholders. Bilia will publish a new invitation to the annual general meeting no later than four weeks prior to the new date. The annual general meeting will be held, at the latest, on June 30 2020 in accordance with existing legislation. Short update around Corona related effects Out of Bilias totally 135 facilities, today nine facilities are closed in line with decisions from governments. These facilities are located in Western Europe, and in Belgium and Luxemburg the majority of our employees, around 300 persons, are from this week on short-time work allowance from their work. In Sweden and Norway all 95 and 27 facilities respectively are open. In Sweden the important Service Business is still relatively unaffected. We follow the development closely and are preparing for short-time work allowance to be implemented when needed. In Norway short-time work allowance is implemented this week for around 200 persons, due to lower demand for our services. Bilia intends, when needed, to utilize the offered support programs, which are partly or fully financed by governments in our operating countries. Gothenburg, 24 March 2020 Bilia AB (publ) For information please contact: Per Avander, Managing Director and CEO, +46 (0)10 497 70 00, per.avander@bilia.se Kristina Franzen, CFO, +46 (0)10 497 73 40, kristina.franzen@bilia.se This is information that Bilia AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, on 24 March 2020, at 13:15 CET. Facts about the Bilia Group Story continues Bilia is one of Europes largest car chains with a leading position within service and sales of cars and transport vehicles. Bilia has 135 facilities in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium. Bilia sells cars of the brand Volvo, BMW, Toyota, Renault, Lexus, MINI, Dacia, Alpine and transport vehicles of the brand Renault, Toyota and Dacia. Bilia has today a fully expanded business with sales of new cars, e-commerce, spare parts and store sales, service and repair workshops, tyres and car glass and financing, insurance, car washes, fuel stations and auto salvage under the same roof, which gives a unique offer. Bilia reported a turnover of about SEK 30 bn in 2019 and had about 5,000 employees. Attachment A South Korean national has been viciously attacked by a group of six people after they demanded how long she had been in the country. The woman, 27, was left with scratches above her eyes and on her cheek following the attack after 10.45pm on Friday. She has been living in Australia on a working holiday visa for a year and was visiting Bundaberg when a group of youths accused her of bringing coronavirus to Australia, according to News Mail. 'We realised they were being abusive about coronavirus,' she said. Ms Jeong has been living in Australia on a working holiday visa for a year and was visiting Bundaberg when a group of youths accused her of bringing coronavirus to Australia 'They started asking the question "how long have you been in Bundaberg? Did you self-isolate for 14 days"?' The woman said she tried to ignore the verbal spray. However then one of the youths grabbed her hair and shoved her to the ground. She said she quickly tried to get up but was pushed down again. Extremely frightened, she then threatened to call the police. This only aggravated the teenagers more and they began to swear at her and her friend. She tried to defend herself - but then the group began to beat her with their fists. She then desperately tried to call Triple Zero as her hair was pulled and she was kicked in the face. 'She said "go back to your country" and she kicked me more than ten times,' she said about one of the attackers. Passersby then saved the pair - but they were also verbally assaulted before the group left the scene. Police and paramedics arrived and treated the woman and her friend. She said she is suffering severe pain - but is now terrified to go outside. A Queensland Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the attack is still under investigation. Give us all the data you collect about your customers and let us at city hall figure out how we want to use it. That was the message we heard from Torontos Mayor John Tory delivered to more than 3,000 people, including the CEOs of a number of tech companies, at a TechTO online event the evening of March 23, as documented by The Logic reporter Murad Hemmadi. The mayor said, Ill give you an example of something were doing now, and it may or may not help much, I dont know. But I asked for it, and Im getting it, which is we had the cell companies, the cellphone companies, give us all the data on the pinging off their network on the weekend so we could see, Where were people still congregating?. So we will see from that data, a heat map. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) has since had confirmation from the mayors office that no information changed hands, and that future requests for information will only be made lawfully, after an analysis testing necessity and proportionality and taking privacy rights into account in other words, as it should be. Similarly, the prime minister said at his daily briefing this week that the feds werent up to mass data surveillance to track COVID-19 to his knowledge, not yet. But we still need to talk about this story, because the impulse to ask for the data that might help during an emergency, without thinking through the risks, speaks volumes. Perhaps its not surprising, in an environment where people are looking for silver bullets to help during our global health crisis (and in a city where Sidewalk Labs has been promising a test bed where tech can solve all our problems), that a mayor might think asking a room full of tech entrepreneurs for more and more data about peoples habits was a good idea. While this particular request in Toronto been appropriately walked back, the fact that it might have proceeded cant be ignored. It illustrates the validity of CCLAs warnings that we must remain vigilant in demanding that even in extraordinary times, we need to hold on to our ordinary values and make rights part of any data sharing plans for public health. That doesnt mean never allowing such sharing. It means doing it legally, and only in ways that are necessary and minimally intrusive, in order to protect not just our fundamental rights, but also our fragile public trust in our governments trust that is needed to facilitate compliance with the difficult restrictions public health requires of us at this time. Globally, we see governments taking extreme measures, like China, which is controlling peoples access to services, such as transit via an app that classifies their health status, or Taiwan, which set up extensive information sharing programs across health, travel, and household registration systems and electronic fences to alert authorities when someone breaks quarantine. Theres even an undercurrent of praise in some of the media coverage we see of these measures, but in our Canadian democracy, we are obligated to consider the cost of such actions, not just in terms of efficacy but also in terms of ethics and while the balance between public health and human rights may reasonably shift during emergencies, the balancing exercise must always be guided by the values that make our country humane, livable, and free. There are also serious conversations going on in democracies around the world about whether there are useful, privacy-protective ways for data and the devices we use that collect it to contribute meaningfully to public health efforts. We should be having those conversations here in Canada. But they need to happen openly, and they need to happen first, before governments start compiling data sets on the theory that we can figure out how to use them later. Responsible public health tech interventions must begin from a position that the optimal response is one that is fit for purpose, which includes protecting civil liberties and human rights. The precedents established during this crisis may be the ones we will have to live with when the emergency is past. The shared values that are helping people across Canada weather this crisis together must not be one of the casualties of COVID-19. WILTON Restaurant owner and chef Tim LaBant has started a GoFundMe page for the employees he has had to lay off during the COVID-19 crisis. With a goal of $30,000, $14,000 has been raised as of Wednesday morning. As many of you know we have closed our doors temporarily and in the meantime have encouraged our employees to file for unemployment benefits, LaBant wrote on the fundraising page. Many of our beloved employees have been cooking and serving our guests for years. Many of you know them by name & have forged lasting friendships. LaBant said without knowing if meaningful assistance will be forthcoming from the government for restaurant workers, he is asking the community to help out employees of his two restaurants, The Schoolhouse and Parlor. Many have dedicated their lives and careers to serving others within the walls of our tiny restaurant and they are in need of a helping hand, he wrote. LaBant promised that 100 percent of the donations received will be given directly to his employees. The chef, who grew up in Wilton, opened the Schoolhouse at Cannondale in a converted schoolhouse in Cannondale Village a decade ago. The Victorian-style building served as a one-room schoolhouse from the early 1870s to the late 1920s. The award-winning restaurant is known for its locally sourced ingredients and LaBant has prepared farm-to-fork dinners for Wiltons Community Celebrations at Millstone Farm. He opened Parlor Pizza and Bar in the River Park Plaza in September of 2018. Apple is planning the largest expansion of its App Store since 2012 by adding 20 new countries, according to an article on its developer portal. The company asked developers to log into their accounts to accept the latest license terms so their apps will be available in those regions. Apple didn't say when the rollout would begin, but it asked devs to update their info by no later than April 10th. The list of new countries is as follows (according to 9to5Mac): Afghanistan, Gabon, Cote d'Ivoire, Georgia, Maldives, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Iraq, Kosovo, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Rwanda, Tonga, Zambia and Vanuatu. Apple currently offers the App Store in 155 countries or regions, so the latest expansion will boost that to 175 nations and regions out of 195 in the world. As a 9to5Mac commenter noted, the population of those countries combined is 291 million people, marking a substantial boost in potential users. According to a happy Serbian commenter, so far the workaround has been that "we had to use [the] US App Store and couldn't save our card details. I'm shocked!" Reuters Filipino teacher Raven Kate De Leon is in demand, spending up to 10 hours a day at her home computer surrounded by mini cars and stuffed toys that she uses as props to inject fun into her English classes for students far away in China. Since the coronavirus took a hold in China at the start of this year and forced schools and offices to shut down, thousands of Filipino teachers are cashing on overtime as grade-schoolers and professionals in China, Japan and beyond turn lockdowns into opportunities to better their English. One of only a few countries in Asia that can combine affordable e-learning with an ample supply of teachers and strong English proficiency, the Philippines is uniquely placed to absorb demand in Asia for Internet language classes. Online platforms like 51Talk of China Online Education Group and RareJob Philippines, and a host of smaller local Philippine outfits, have seen demand and usage soar since February, bucking the devastating effect on the world's economies from coronavirus, which has infected more than 337,500 people and killed more than 14,500. "I usually have 20 classes every day, so I could meet the demand of the great number of students nowadays," said De Leon, 22, who works for 51Talk. "I take that opportunity to give them a fun and fruitful distraction because I know they're stressed, worried." De Leon is currently now working from 8 am to 11 pm, without a day off. 51Talk charges around 45 yuan ($6.36) per 25-minute session, with teachers earning around 130 pesos ($2.53) per hour. China shut down its schools in February to contain infections. More than two dozen countries followed suit, sending more than 290 million children and youths out of school, data from UNESCO, the United Nation's cultural agency, showed. "More and more, the safe way to continue learning is to go online," said Jennifer Que, country head of 51Talk , which has 20,000 partner-teachers in the Philippines. Many online teachers in the Philippines typically work from home, which has insulated them from the home quarantine measures that have devastated businesses and restricted tens of millions in the Philippines, which has nearly 400 confirmed cases. Jump in value Shares in the $419-million China Online Education has surged 154 percent year-to-date, compared to the NYSE composite index's 34 percent slump in the same period. Other e-learning firms like TAL Education Group, New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc and GSX Techedu Inc have seen their shares rally up to 24 percent, 17 percent and 112 percent, respectively, notably at the height of the school closures in mid-February. RareJob, which has around 6,000 Filipino tutors and specialises in the Japan market, saw its users nearly double to 800,000 since February, CEO Gaku Nakamura told Reuters. Japan shut down its schools last month to halt the coronavirus spread. "In these kinds of situation, parents do not want their kids to go out," Nakamura said, adding that RareJob's monthly fee of $60 for Japanese students and $100 for business-level English is cheaper by up to 40 times versus learning centres in Japan. Japanese teenagers form the bulk of Kristine Concepcion's 26 daily students. "I'm happy to be of service in this situation and I admire them for still choosing to learn," said Concepcion, a RareJob tutor of five years, who uses candy, Astroboy and stuffed toys to keep her child students engaged. But not everywhere can cope, including the southern city of Davao, which has a backoffice industry comprising 50,000 mostly call centre agents, but no more than 300 home-based online tutors. "We could not meet the demand," said Samuel Matunog, president of the industry group, ICT Davao. "Every day, we are asked if we still have a supply of teachers." Regardless of whether school and work shutdowns will continue for much longer, online learning firms are hoping to leave a lasting impression on an underserved market. 51Talk wants to engage 100,000 Filipino tutors by 2025 or earlier and hopes its teachers will get good ratings and referrals after the surge in customers to ensure demand after coronavirus containment measures are over. "Of course we don't want this outbreak to last a long time but this is the best moment. If teachers do their best, even after things normalise, students will look for them," said country head Que. By Express News Service CHENNAI: We were travelling to West Bengal from Kerala and had to change trains at Chennai. Since the train has been cancelled, we are stuck here," said 20-year-old Mohammed Sadiq who hails from Howrah. Uncertainty looms large upon migrant labourers crammed in Chennais community halls after train services were cancelled. The city corporation has been moving those stranded at railway stations to halls. We initially thought the government would make alternate travel arrangement, but now it seems we have to stay here for more days, added Mohammed. The workers are worried because they do not know the local language. Over 2,000 people staying here are so tightly crammed that if anyone is infected among us, everybody will get infected, said Salim. Meanwhile, they were appreciative of the way the corporation has handled their needs. Food packets were being distributed. The only issue is lack of enough washrooms, they said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- At least one Amazon worker at the Staten Island warehouse JFK8 has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19), according to multiple reports. While Amazon warehouse workers claim multiple employees have tested positive, the company has only confirmed one so far, according to Vice. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** The facility remained open after the positive test result was shared with a small group of supervisors Tuesday, the New York Post reported. All the employees who were in contact with the worker were told to self-quarantine at home for two weeks, Amazon said. We are supporting the individual who is recovering. We are following all guidelines from local officials and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at our site, Amazon said in a statement to the Post. A spokesperson for Amazon told Vice that the infected worker last visited the warehouse on March 11. The facility did not close in response to the infection, and the company is consulting with health authorities regarding how to properly handle building closures for deep cleaning, the spokesperson added. Labor leaders say regional ports are still on track to see a growth in tonnage numbers despite changes and precautions the Southeast Texas shipping industry has experienced during the coronavirus pandemic. Since local authorities started enforcing infection prevention policies two weeks ago, the Coast Guard has issued five Captain of the Port orders for the Sabine-Neches Waterway. Those orders either require crew to stay aboard their vessel or hold the vessel outside the port for varying periods of time, said Capt. Jackie Twomey, commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur. The latest of those orders was issued earlier this week. So far, the International Longshoremens Association hasnt reported any major disruptions in activity to regional ports from these precautions or illness among the workforce. Allen Rob, South Atlantic and Gulf Coast District president with the ILA, said container numbers for the Gulf Coast region were up 25 percent over the same time last year in January and February, indicating growth in activity. Rob said he didnt expect a decrease in activity for March, but any growth likely wouldnt hit double digits. Where our tonnage will likely decrease is in the break bulk sector, Rob said, referring to cargo that is in individual pieces rather than containers. But that is likely due to tariffs catching up with industry. Related: SE Texas judges to limit stores to one adult per household Major interruptions at ports have largely missed Southeast Texas, so far. Rob said the Port of Houston has had only six blank sails, meaning ships were sent away without being unloaded or stocked. He said there have been at least 40 blank sails at West Coast ports. The Port of Houston is the first one on the Gulf Coast to become the scene of a positive case, which forced the closure of two of its terminals. The port determined an employee who worked at both terminals had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. An investigation to determine how many people were potentially exposed is ongoing. Officials at the Port of Beaumont have said it can continue work as usual with the prevention steps it has enacted, but it will change its policies or operations as safety demands. The well-being of Port of Beaumont employees, tenants, contractors, customers and the community are a top priority as we navigate this outbreak and the short- and long-term impacts it will have on our region, Port Director Chris Fisher said. The port will continue to closely monitor and respond to COVID-19 to ensure our community remains safe and operations move forward, so long as it does not jeopardize the health of our team. In the labor halls and port terminals, workers have started using caution and adopting some of the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization into their daily routine. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox Stevedores and warehouse staff have been advised to keep their distance from others and use the hand sanitizing stations like the ones Beaumonts port has rolled out, but Rob said locals have taken a drastic look at the way they do business. Weve got some locals hiring outside and others are taking temperatures at the door when people show up, Rob said. Mostly, weve suggested limiting the amount of people inside at one time. That might mean bringing in groups one at a time based on seniority and suggesting people wait in their cars until their hire time comes up. He said the Longshoremans Association has given its locals discretion to take care of workers, like keeping the engineers in charge of plugging up refrigerated containers off of ships and using the vessels crew to do the task. The Port of Beaumont announced its own change in work policies and enforced social distancing in the workplace at the beginning of last week to help reduce risk of infection but said in a public statement that it wasnt experiencing any adverse effects to shipping activity. As for Southeast Texas other economic engine, oil and gas companies have said they are pushing ahead with normal production despite massive fluctuations in the market. The United Steelworkers International hasnt published any statements or guidance to its membership yet. Representatives from Exxon Mobil in Beaumont and Motiva and Valero in Port Arthur said that operations at their respective complexes have continued as normal. Most plants have sent home nonessential personnel for remote work. Exxon Mobil instituted a 14-day remote work policy for anyone who recently traveled to an area with sustained community transmission. Reuters reported last week that impacts on travel are expected to reduce U.S. petroleum demand by as much as 2.5 million barrels per day. Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it would purchase 77 million barrels of American crude oil, maxing out the storage of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, to assist the industry. DOE is moving quickly to support U.S. oil producers facing potentially catastrophic losses from the impacts of COVID-19 and the intentional disruption to world oil markets by foreign actors, U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said in a conference call. The first round of bids for 30 million barrels is already underway, and the department said preference would be given to small and mid-size producers. Deliveries of oil to the reserve could be expected up until June, according to the department. West Texas crude closed at $24.31 a barrel Wednesday afternoon, about $4 higher than its lowest point March 16. It was at almost $59 one year ago. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jdickjournalism House builder Ballymore has secured planning approval from An Bord Pleanala for 142 homes and a creche on eight acres off Seamount Road, Malahide, in Co Dublin. The new Seamount Rise development will be within walking distance of the coastal village of Malahide and Dart station. It will include 58 four and five-bedroom homes and 76 apartments in two buildings of five to six storeys. Ballymore has been one of the busiest house builders in and around the capital in recent years. Founder and group CEO Sean Mulryan said the Malahide scheme will create an attractive community. Planning was secured under the Strategic Housing Development scheme and is subject to compliance with a number of planning conditions. Other Ballymore schemes include the Dublin Landings office and apartment development in the Docklands, which is close to completion, and Connolly Quarter, also in central Dublin, which will have 741 apartments. A colorful view of Mercury produced from images taken by the MESSENGER spacecraft. It's possible that Mercury once held the ingredients for life. In 1974, NASA's Mariner 10 probe flew by Mercury and observed a cracked, cratered landscape. Now, according to one new theory, Mercury's fractured "chaotic terrain" could've been formed by volatiles elements and compounds that can easily jump from a gas to a liquid or solid under the surface. Volatiles, a chemical category that includes water, are essential for sparking and supporting life as we know it here on Earth. So, their potential presence on Mercury is an intriguing development. The study, led by Alexis P. Rodriguez, a researcher at the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona, took a closer look at Mercury'schaotic terrain and the possibility that volatiles once shaped a planet with surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead, a planet that has forever been thought of as "completely inhospitable." Video: Ice on Mercury How does it form? Related: Photos of Mercury from NASA's Messenger spacecraft Chaotic terrain (white outline) at the antipode of the Caloris basin. (Image credit: Planetary Science Institute. ) What cracked Mercury? For decades, scientists have studied Mercury's chaotic terrain a landscape made up of the planet's cracked and ragged surface, complete with jagged, broken-up rocks, sharp peaks and craters. Mars has chaotic terrain as well, but the Red Planet features connect much more obviously to outflow channels on the Martian surface. With no such channels on Mercury, researchers instead tied the terrain to a powerful asteroid impact that left the Caloris basin, a massive crater still visible on the planet's surface. Until now, it was thought that Mercury's chaotic terrain was created by earthquakes that ravaged Mercury following the impact. But in the new study, researchers suggest that this couldn't be possible because the timing just doesn't make sense. "A key to the discovery was the finding that the development of the chaotic terrains persisted until approximately 1.8 billion years ago, 2 billion years after the Caloris basin formed," co-author Daniel Berman, also of the Planetary Science Institute, said in a statement . This was the "first, kind of, smoking gun," Rodriguez told Space.com. The researchers were able to date these features using data and images from NASA's MESSENGER (MErcury Surface Space ENvironment GEochemistry and Ranging) spacecraft, which studied Mercury from orbit from 2011 to 2015. The team determined the ages of surface features including the chaotic terrain and the crater formed from the asteroid impact. Additionally, as Rodriguez explained, the scientists noticed that there were many small features like tiny craters still intact in these terrains. With such a massive asteroid impact, "think about the worst earthquakes you could ever imagine," Rodriguez said. "Instead of bringing down buildings you're bringing down mountains entire mountain ranges." The researchers reasoned that, if earthquakes following the impact caused the chaotic terrain, then those smaller features wouldn't have been preserved. These observations informed the team/s findings that this previous notion about the chaotic terrain's formation was flawed. Missing material But observations have also shown that some parts of the surface features have dropped, as if something below the surface simply gave way. And, as Rodriguez put it, when earthquakes cause buildings to fall, that matter spreads out over the surface. But in this case, they found that there was a whole bunch of matter that should've been in the chaotic terrain that seemed to be missing. Keeping the conservation of matter in mind, the team suggests in this study that, instead of an impact and earthquakes causing the planet's surface to crack, volatiles under the surface created these features. "In this case, we're seeing very clear drops in elevation, very, very abrupt surface losses that indicate that the materials were removed somehow," Rodriguez said. They concluded that it's much more likely that volatiles underneath Mercury's surface were heated by magma even farther down. Because of this heating, the volatiles became gaseous and sublimated. "Maybe these materials were volatile and they were transported away, and they could've condensed in other parts of the planet, or maybe they were entirely removed from the planet by solar winds," he added. The sudden loss of this material is what the scientists think caused the planet's surface to crack and fall apart, creating the chaotic terrain we see today. So how could volatiles, which are essential to life here on Earth, survive on a planet whose daytime temperatures soar to 800 degrees Fahrenheit (430 degrees Celsius) and drop to minus 290 degrees F (minus 180 C) at night? While the planet's surface swings wildly between temperature extremes, just below the surface, temperatures are milder, Rodriguez explained. Rodriguez said that it's "likely that there was some sort of water that formed" in part of Mercury's crust. But the team cannot yet tell exactly what volatiles were present when the planet's surface broke apart. However, not only are the researchers continuing this work to find an answer to that question, they are also working to understand a much more recent phenomenon. The future on Mercury While these events happened billions of years ago, "there is evidence of recent volatile removal within the chaotic terrain maybe ongoing right now," Rodriguez said. He explained that, following this study, researchers will be working on "the possibility of selecting a landing site where we could potentially sample these volatile-rich materials using some type of lander." This work was published March 16 in the journal Scientific Reports. Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the state of emergency and the month-long lockdown is necessary to prevent coronavirus from spreading further A state of emergency has been declared in New Zealand, as the country prepares to enter a month-long lockdown. The announcement comes after New Zealand's confirmed coronavirus cases soared overnight to 205. The state of emergency was declared by the Minister for Civil Defence Peeni Henare on Wednesday afternoon. New Zealand will enter a nationwide lockdown beginning at midnight on Wednesday. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Kiwis should not be alarmed to see COVID-19 cases jump further still. 'I wouldn't expect us to see a slowdown any sooner than 10 to 12 days... it will get worse before they will get better,' she said. 'There is a lag (between) the transmission and the manifestation of COVID-19 symptoms. 'Over the next few weeks cases will go up, particularly as we have New Zealanders returning home (who) still represent the vast majority of cases.' Ms Ardern said breaking the rules could kill someone. 'Act like you have Covid-19. Every move you make could be a risk to someone else. That is how we must all collectively think now,' she said on Wednesday. 'I know how hard this will be, especially for New Zealanders who face the first day unemployed and with an uncertain future. 'It won't be easy, but the alternative is worse. You are not alone. You will hear us and see us daily as we guide New Zealanders through this period.' The prime minister said combating the virus won't be immediate, and warned the number of cases will continue to rise, most likely into the thousands, before dropping. New Zealand will enter a nationwide lockdown beginning at midnight on Wednesday. Pictured: Customers queue to enter a supermarket in Christchurch today Ms Ardern also encouraged people not to be scared if they see military and a heavy police presence on the streets, and assured they are there to help. She said their will be asking questions and reminding people of their self-isolation requirements. 'People shouldn't be afraid of that,' she said. Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management Sarah Stuart-Black said the emergency was declared due to the 'unprecedented nature of this global pandemic'. '[It will] ensure the government has all the powers it needs to slow the spread of Covid-19 and reduce its impact,' she said. Ms Stuart-Black said the declaration enables powers to close roads and ban people from certain activities. 'Each of you has a role in helping to save a life,' she said. Kiwis will be notified by a text message between 6pm and 7pm tonight. Legislation will keep the state of emergency in place for seven days, but it can be extended. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Kiwis should not be alarmed to see COVID-19 cases jump further still. Pictured: Hospital staff talk to arrivals at Wellington Hospital 'We're really hoping people have heard the messages and understand how horrendous this could get,' Ms Stuart-Black said. 'We have emergency services available now, the police would have the powers necessary.' The New Zealand government is contemplating mercy flights for Kiwis who can't get home as global airport hubs shut down. On Wednesday, Parliament will return for a single sitting day to table an epidemic notice, required to grant powers to enforce the shutdown. The parliament won't sit again until April 28 at the earliest. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said coronavirus was 'as serious' a threat as Hitler's Germany, the great depression, and natural disaster. 'We have a plan to defeat this invisible enemy and we will emerge a stronger people,' he said. Mr Peters, who at 74 is in a high-risk group, is working from his Auckland home during the lockdown while Ms Ardern has relocated to Wellington. On March 25, the first Russian navy cargo ship transited Turkeys Bosporus strait en route to Syria. The ship was reported to be carrying three ambulances and a shipping container on its deck believed to contain equipment to be used to help fight the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Syria. Syria, a country with a health system wrecked by years of conflict, reported its first case of coronavirus March 22. It reported four new cases on March 25 to bring the total to five. Why it matters: The dispatch of the Russian cargo ship to Syria comes the day after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was hosted by President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. As Al-Monitor reported March 24, the situation involving the coronavirus in Syria has raised concerns in Russia., and Moscow wants to help out. Earlier, the recently appointed Iranian ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, said Russia had made a friendly move toward the Islamic Republic by sending up to 500 testing systems used to identify COVID-19. On March 23, Russia and China called on the United States to lift sanctions against Iran to help the country manage the coronavirus crisis. Also, following a call between President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, the Russian military sent Italy a member of NATO 14 cargo planes with nearly 100 virologists and epidemiologists, and a dozen medical teams with equipment. The move triggered indignation among some NATO allies and debates within Russia whether the country is being too generous by helping others as Russia itself is seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases 658 registered cases as of March 25, a rise of 163 in 24 hours.. Coronavirus as a war front: Ilya Kramnik, an expert at the Moscow-based Russian International Affairs Council, told Al-Monitor the concerns over the lack of Russian resources to fight the virus are premature. Russia has one the biggest armies in the world trained to be able to wage a war during a WMD [weapons of mass destruction], biological or chemical weapons use. What is important is to study what happens on the ground in the affected countries, he said. Kramnik, a noted military analyst, outlined three factors why Russian military medics are being deployed to the affected zones. First the expertise. The Defense Ministry has all kinds of specialists on these types of [biological] threats. Second the responsiveness. This means these specialists should be prepared to carry out the assigned tasks in a real-time mode having all the necessary equipment and operating within a well-organized structure. Finally the mobility. These specialists should be organized into small well-equipped groups that could be transported by air to an affected zone, he said. Whats next? On March 25, Putin addressed the Russian public over the coronavirus and introduced some socioeconomic policies and extended some quarantine and lockdown procedures. On the foreign policy front, Russia is likely to continue demonstrating its competitive advantage in tackling biological threats as a way to highlight deficiencies in other actors policies the United States and the European Union in particular. Know more: Read Al-Monitor to learn what other subject matters Assad discussed with the top Russian military official in the March 23 meeting, and check out our profile of the brave Syrian female doctors who are on the front line to fight a new war against the coronavirus. NSW Police are now able to hand out on-the-spot fines to anyone who breaches public health orders or ministerial directions during the coronavirus pandemic. Officers from Thursday will have the power to issue fines of $1000 to individuals and $5000 to businesses that breach public health orders or ministerial directions, Police Commissioner Mick Fuller announced on Wednesday. People in the firing line include returned travellers who contravene the requirement to self-quarantine for 14 days and those diagnosed with COVID-19 who similarly don't follow the rules. Fines will also apply for breaches of the prohibition on outdoor gatherings of 500 people and indoor gatherings of 100 people. NSW Police are now able to hand out on-the-spot fines to anyone who breaches public health orders (stock image of two young women in Sydney) It follows the passing of legislation in the NSW parliament on Tuesday to help tackle the spread. Under the bill, police will be able to arrest people reasonably suspected of breaching COVID-19 public health orders and return them home or to a place of detention. It comes as a two-month-old boy and a seven-year-old girl became the first children under 10 to contract COVID-19 in NSW. The children both had contact with people with coronavirus, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said on Wednesday. They are among the 1029 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state. Of those, about 500 people contracted the disease while overseas. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the public needs to step up to slow the spread of the virus which has so far killed nine people in Australia, including seven in NSW. She backed new public restrictions announced by the prime minister on Tuesday night to control the spread of COVID-19. 'This is a time that all of us have to step up,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'We need to make sure the community does the right thing by yourself, your family and others.' People in the firing line include returned travellers who contravene the requirement to self-quarantine for 14 days and those diagnosed with COVID-19 who similarly don't follow the rules The premier said there will be thresholds in place allowing NSW to take further action, separate to other states, once the number of community transmissions reaches a set amount. Planning Minister Rob Stokes on Wednesday said usual planning controls restricting trading hours had been scrapped to allow for round-the-clock trading for supermarkets and pharmacies to make it easier for consumers to buy food and medical supplies. State Opposition Leader Jodi McKay said NSW must be placed in full lockdown. 'We are losing control of COVID-19 and if we don't lock down NSW the current spike will turn into a full-blown explosion,' the Labor leader said in a statement. Ten people with COVID-19 are in intensive care in NSW hospitals. The Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan on Wednesday appointed a nodal officer to assist Indian students stranded at the Almaty airport for the past 2-3 days without food and medical aid due to coronavirus pandemic. "All Indian students in Kazakhstan (outside of Almaty) who arrived in Almaty to take a flight to India but were not able to leave and require boarding, lodging, food, medicine etc. may contact Martin Cyriac Clemense, Second Secretary and Officer in Charge," the mission said in a brief statement. The mission also provided the nodal officer's contact number (+7 7012207608) and email (cons.almaty@mea.gov.in). The development came hours after the Delhi High Court asked the authorities to expeditiously provide the students basic amenities and assistance with regard to food, medical care, lodging and transportation. The court was informed that several Indian students, who are enrolled for higher studies, including MBBS, at Semey Medical University in Kazakhstan are stranded including at the Almaty Airport without food, water, transportation and medical aid. A bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh, which conducted the hearing through video conferencing, directed the nodal officer to expeditiously facilitate, secure and provide these students will all basic amenities and humanitarian assistance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) has called on government to support indigenous businesses with stimulus packages following measures put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country. In a statement signed by the National Chairman of the PPP, Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond, the party said the economic fallout from the pandemic could adversely affect local businesses hence its proposal. Beyond the health implications, our other greatest growing concern is the expected economic fallout this virus could have on a larger scale. Per our estimation, this economic shock could lead to a sharp increase in poverty, making it even harder for us to achieve the already extremely demanding UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, the party said in the statement. The party, therefore, recommended that to support workers who are being affected by the closure of businesses, the government should offer expanded safety nets for income and healthcare to avoid many people falling further into poverty due to job losses or health expenditures. Also, the party further suggested that the government should take inspiration from Dr Nkrumah and General Acheampong by taking bold steps to facilitate the development of local industries and promote the implementation of solutions that would enable Ghanaians to gain the commanding heights of the economy. Ghana has recorded 53 cases of COVID-19 with two deaths. The party advised President Nana Akufo-Addo to rely on science and facts to make decisions. Below is the full statement from the PPP: CORONAVIRUS, BEST TIME TO SAVE LIVES AND JOBS PPP The PPP has taken notice of the three different Presidential addresses to the nation during which the President banned all public gatherings, closed Ghana's borders among many other measures. We commend the President for taken such decision to protect citizens and health workers for their sacrifice. However, we are convinced that there is the need to increase vigilance at our borders, as hundreds of thousands of families are depending on smart leadership to confront present-day challenges and avoid devastating human and job losses. With 52 confirmed cases, 2 deaths and still counting, all PPP members, sympathizers and supporters are urged to take care of their health and protect others by ensuring that all hands are washed with soap and water regularly and thoroughly. We must maintain at least 2 meters (6 feet) distance with anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth. Those who have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, should seek early medical attention. As a party, we want to caution Ghanaians that in difficult moments like this, we all need to take precautionary measures without being paranoid because we know that the Coronavirus thrives in the action of people and congestive circumstances. We will support government actions that will prevent community spreading of the virus including restrictions on the movement of people. It is important that we go beyond the one-day cleaning of markets and take further steps to prevent our markets and public transportation facilities from becoming means for spreading the virus. We cannot continue to think that the virus will only be spread by people who have travelled to our country from other countries. Therefore, it is important that urgent steps are taken to test as many people as possible so we know the true level of the problem we face. We are faced with the prospect of a tidal wave of patients overwhelming our already stretched health facilities. Already, we experience blood shortages. Patients who need surgery including victims of car accidents and other emergencies experience difficulties getting the care they need. Our party encourages all healthy Ghanaians to continue donating blood to the blood Bank while following the proper precautions to help us avoid a life-threatening blood shortage. Beyond the health implications, our other greatest growing concern is the expected economic fallout this deadly virus could have on a larger scale. Per our estimation, this economic shock could lead to a sharp increase in poverty, making it even harder for us to achieve the already extremely demanding UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. We call on President Akufo-Addo to use all the tools at his disposal to ensure that our economy weathers this storm by considering the following recommendations: 1. Offer expanded safety nets for income and healthcare to avoid many people falling further into poverty due to job losses or health expenditures. 2. Ensure that local businesses and the hundreds of thousands of jobs it supports are able to weather the rapid economic deceleration brought on by the coronavirus. 3. Learn from Dr. Nkrumah and General Acheampong by taking bold steps to facilitate the development of local industries and promote the implementation of solutions that would enable Ghanaians to gain the commanding heights of the economy. 4. Expand and build more health facilities. 5. Encourage the building of industries to locally produce essentials such as medical products and food to substitute for imports and domesticate the economy and create productive, sustainable jobs. 6. Restrict Importation of consumer goods produced locally and provide low cost funds for local producers. Goldstar, Hyundai, Samsung and Daewoo all Korean brand names were nurtured and promoted with low-interest government loans, tax incentives and export/import facilities. 7. Encourage consumers to purchase what they need, and not to buy in large amounts or at prices that are based on fear. 8. Set targets for the Sanitation Ministry to clean the country of preventable diseases for productivity gains. 9. Waive Water and Electricity bills for the next three months. 10. Put on hold for a few months, punitive actions from SSNIT and GRA and also waive all penalties imposed. The numbers of those who pay tax and make SSNIT contributions are already small. We should not in this difficult time kill those few local enterprises. We are of the opinion that every decision of the President must be based on science and facts to protect public health and keep people safe. We know the directive of the President on public gathering will be hard for political parties like the PPP, but they are temporary, and they are necessary to slow the spread of the virus and help save lives. As we work through this crisis as a nation, we need swift action from the President and Parliament in doing what is right by supporting our indigenous businesses with stimulus packages. Our dedication to working families and businesses must transcend partisanship. Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond National Chairman Former NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik has said Bill de Blasio of trying to 'scare the hell out of America' with his comments on the coronavirus pandemic and says he wants to impose 'martial law' on the city. De Blasio has long been criticized by the police department and its former chiefs for his seemingly relaxed stance on crime. Kerik - who rose to prominence in the department after serving as Rudy Giuliani's driver and who has been convicted of fraud - is one of his most vocal critics. On Wednesday, he tweeted: 'Bill DeBlasio is doing everything in his power to scare the hell out of the American people, impose martial law, and turn New York City into an authoritarian government.' Former NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik has said Bill de Blasio of trying to 'scare the hell out of America' with his comments on the coronavirus pandemic and says he wants to impose 'martial law' on the city Kerik tweeted on Tuesday night that De Blasio was trying to frighten people There are already more than 12,000 cases of the virus in New York City, 25,000 in New York State and than 55,000 across the country. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been leading the charge on state by state responses to the crisis and has spoken often and passionately of coming up with an 'intelligent' plan to try to stunt the virus growth but also let people return to work. Before issuing a 100 percent shut-down of non-essential business employees, Cuomo resisted it for days. De Blasio, however, was quick to discuss issuing a 'shelter-in-place' order for the city of New York. He also said that martial law was on the table. Even if he'd done it, it needed Cuomo's permission to go ahead. Cuomo has also rebuked use the terminology 'shelter-in-place', saying it's appropriate in active shooter situations or when the air quality is so low it is dangerous for people to go outside. He warned against scare mongering, saying the 'panic and fear' some phrases can conjure up would end up being more harmful than the virus itself. 'I am not going to imprison anyone in the State of New York. NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who overrules de Blasio, said he would not impose martial law 'I am not going to do martial law in state of New York. Thats not going it happen,' he said last week. De Blasio said on Tuesday that he was 'grateful' for the help of the federal government, which has sent 4,000 ventilators to the state of New York. He warned, however, that it still was not enough and that if someone didn't get one when they needed one, they would 'suffocate' and die a 'horrible, painful death'. He also announced on Wednesday that he was going to be releasing 300 inmates from Rikers Island immediately. The inmates are those who have less than a year left on their sentence and who have committed misdemeanors or non-violent felonies. De Blasio said it was to stop the spread of the virus within the city's prison population and that he'd weighed up the 'humanitarian' aspect of putting inmates at risk against the 'public safety' concerns. There are National Guard troops on the streets of New York already but their task is to help with building the multiple make-shift hospitals needed to battle the crisis, and not to arrest people. Gov. Cuomo said there would not be individual fines for people not following the rules, but that businesses would be fined if they do not shutter. While Indians, like people around the globe, are busy battling the outbreak of coronavirus, social media platforms are filled with rumours regarding the spread of the disease. One such rumour, which is doing rounds on various communication platforms, is the transfer of coronavirus through animals and pets. Believing this, many people have reportedly abandoned their pets. However, this information is just a rumour as the World Health Organisation has rejected the claim that the disease spreads through animals. Speaking to IANS regarding the current scenario, Ambika Rattanmani, owner of a female Cocker Spaniel, said: I would say, please do not abandon them, they really need us in such tough times.They blindly trust us and commit their whole life to us, please be responsible and take care of yourself and them too. Get aware, about pets and coronavirus especially what WHO has said, believe it. Just maintain cleanliness and hygiene, dont take them out on a walk or let them out, clean them, especially their paws, with a disinfectant frequently. If youre really unsure, dont let them come on to your bed... give them a separate bed and clean the sheets regularly, she said. Please feed stray animals as their real source of food like shops and restaurants are closed due to the lockdown. Keep two bowls - one with water, another with food outside your home to feed these homeless creatures, she appealed. Aparna Anande, on taking care of her Golden Retriever, said: We are not taking him out for walks, we let him play inside, we sanitise his eating bowls, keep his cloth clean and do everything to keep his personal hygiene intact. We also keep his toys sanitised and the regular health check ups and vaccination is going on. To reports of people abandoning their pets, she said: I dont know if my advice would change anyones mind but I would certainly like to ask a question first, If your child or any family member gets sick due to any disease, not just this particular virus, would you abandon them? I think not, so if you really consider pets as your family, please keep your rationality intact and do not abandon them. Shefali Ranawat, who owns a male German Shephard, told IANS over phone: Abandoning them is not going to help any of you. Instead in such situations (curfew), people should at least feed them and make them feel like we are here for them. Its definitely a scary situation for everybody all over the world. Mentally, I am meditating and keeping the stress and anxiety away. And physically, yes i am following required measures, she added. Also read | WHO says animals cant transmit COVID-19: Maneka Gandhi posts on abandonment of pets Panic-buying during the coronavirus crisis hasnt exactly ravaged grocery stores around the country, but it has made it tougher for people to get their hands on certain items, like pasta, produce, and canned and frozen goods. Right now, the grocery supply chain is adjusting to a world without restaurant dining, one where lots of people are stockpiling for an uncertain future, or at least shopping more so they can visit their supermarket less. If empty shelves are now a fact of life, are food supply chains straining? Yesbut experts say that, although there are a few signs of trouble, theyre still able to supply stores with plenty of food, and that they should soon adjust to the new normal. Advertisement There are changes that are just so severe that it takes them a while to respond, says Daniel Stanton, co-founder of the supply chain security firm SecureMarking and author of Supply Chain Management for Dummies. What were seeing now with delays is partially a result of the bullwhip effect, in which shocks in demand cause shifts that become increasingly magnified as you travel up the supply chain. This could mean, for example, that there will soon be a glut of toilet paper in stores because producers higher up in the chain are dramatically increasing shipments, even though shoppers have probably already saved up enough for a while and wont actually be buying it at the same rate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shortages that grocery stores are currently experiencing are largely the result of people buying more because they predict a scarcity of goods in the future. Save for the fact that more people may be cooking at home rather than going out, actual consumption of food from grocery stores shouldnt be rising all that much, which is partly why Purdue University supply chain management professor Ananth Iyer is not particularly worried about supplies running out. In the long run, supply chains are trying to match average supply to average demand, he said. And if the average underlying demand has not gone up, but people are just front-loading their fortresses, then the supply chain will adjust to that and know it has enough capacity. Advertisement Dealing with these initial surges in demand is, then, more a question of figuring out logistical kinks. The grocery store supply chain as a whole has around 80 to 120 days worth of inventory for nonperishable products, says Iyer. The hurdle is adjusting to transport higher volumes. Really, the delay is just loading trucks and scheduling the transfers; very little is actually being produced to satisfy demand [for nonperishables]. Perishable items are a bit trickier since its a lot less practical to store large inventories of, say, fresh vegetables, so those supply chains do have to ramp up production. There is a possibility that bottlenecks may begin to appear at farms that use manual labor to harvest crops. Producers will have to ensure those laborers are remaining healthy. And because many of them are immigrants, recent decisions by the U.S.to suspend immigrant visa services in Mexico may also affect their ability to do their jobs, especially during peak work seasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Importantly, COVID-19 shouldnt directly impact the safety of the food in the supply chain. According to the Food and Drug Administration, Foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission. However, certain shutdowns could weaken the system. For today, my concern is that we could make policy decisions that disrupt the supply chain, says Stanton. Pennsylvania shut down the rest areas on their interstate. You can understand why they did that, but the effect is that truck drivers dont have a place to stop and rest. (The state eventually reversed the decision after public outcry.) Stanton also pointed out that decisions to close shipping ports and minimize trade with foreign countries may result in fewer imported goods being available in stores. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grocery stores themselves, the last stop in the supply chain, are facing challenges of their own as employees have to keep coming into work and expose themselves to throngs of shoppers. Last week, multiple reports surfaced of grocery store employees contracting the coronavirus in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and New York. Cashiers are in a particularly high-risk situation as they come into close contact with long lines of people while ringing up purchases. Without those employees being available to go unpack and puts things on shelves, things are going to be very difficult, says Iyer. Those employees are doing a heroic job of keeping the shelves in sync with customer demand. Advertisement Advertisement The union representing Trader Joes workers is in fact trying to get hazard pay for employees so that their earnings are one-and-a-half or double the usual rate given the risks theyre enduring. Were all extremely exhausted, both physically and mentally, a representative for the union told Slate in an email. Were coming in and keeping stores open while being helpful and courteous and upbeat, all while knowing we are expected to keep working until we get sick. There has also been a push from unions to get the government to classify grocery store workers as first responders, which may give them more access to gloves and masks. Some stores themselves have opted to install sneeze guards at registers. For more on the impact of the coronavirus, listen to The Gist. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After much negotiation and deliberation, the Senate and the White House agreed on a $2 trillion emergency bill to aid in the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic shortly after midnight Wednesday. The package is the largest aid bill in American history. Of the $2 trillion, New York will receive more than $40 billion, which will aid Staten Islanders, and New Yorkers, who are suffering from unemployment, shuttered businesses, health care issues, and more. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said the package is not to be celebrated -- its a moment of necessity. The more than $40 billion dollars of additional help on the way to New York is essential to save lives, preserve paychecks, support small businesses, ensure public transit and much more. These critical dollars will inject proverbial medicine into our state, city, and localities to deliver much-needed resources right now that can help combat the coronavirus. Like all compromise legislation, this bill is far from perfect but it now does much more for this state, its people and its future than where we began, Schumer said. The package will be voted on Wednesday afternoon and move to the House, where lawmakers are hopeful they will be able to vote on the measure via voice vote, instead of having to return to Washington, D.C. Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) said, Workers, small businesses, hospitals, and those on the front lines need relief and support and they need it quickly. Im encouraged to see both sides move past the partisanship to come to an agreement and I look forward to digging into the details. INCREASE IN UNEMPLOYMENT, CHECKS DIRECTLY TO AMERICANS The relief package would include an expansion of the unemployment insurance program, increasing the maximum unemployment benefit by $600 per week above an individuals base compensation. It also ensures workers will receive their pay for at least four months whether or not they work for a small business, large corporation, or are self-employed. Schumer calls it unemployment insurance on steroids. Additionally, the $260 billion plan will deliver payments of $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for couples to provide financial relief during this difficult time. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** $3.8 BILLION WOULD GO DIRECTLY TO THE MTA Now included in the legislation is a $25 billion allocation for transit systems, of which $4.35 billion will go directly to New York. The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) will receive $3.8 billion of the monies, Schumer said, which can be used to supplement missing revenues because of declines in ridership and cleaning costs. Last week, the MTA asked Congress for a $4 billion federal bailout to compensate for dwindling ridership amid increased cleaning costs, according to the New York Times. The MTA estimates it will lose approximately $3.7 billion in fare revenue and an additional $300 million in cleaning costs. The stark reality is that as more people stay home following the advice of medical experts, the MTA is now facing financial calamity, said Patrick J. Foye, MTA CEO and chairman, in the letter obtained by the Times. 53 Fighting the coronavirus: NYC on pause AID FOR SMALL BUSINESSES HURT BY CLOSURES A small business rescue plan would allocate nearly $400 billion in forgivable loans and grants to small businesses and nonprofits, allowing them to pay rent, mortgage, utilities and payroll during the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced closures across the borough, city, and state. Businesses with previous Small Business Association (SBA) loans will have relief from paying principal, interest, and fees for six months. Businesses who do not currently have SBA loans will be able to apply for one. On Sunday, March 22, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all non-essential workers to stay home, forcing many Staten Island businesses to close. Many Staten Island merchants said they are hoping to survive the mandatory closure as they were getting ready to shutter their storefronts. Were by appointment only so we never had more than five people at one time, said Pablo Billstone, owner and operator of the PG Studio hair salon in Port Richmond. Our salon is always clean and we were already sanitizing daily. I hope people follow the rules and stay home so that we can move past this. If we stay closed for too long, I wont be able to generate enough money to pay for rent or the bills. Small businesses, like the Castleton Corners-based Goodfellas Restaurant, have been struggling with the new restrictions since in-restaurant dining was banned last week. Overall business is down about 30 to 40%, said owner Frank Rizzuto, Were doing our best to make sure people can keep working so they can pay their bills. GRANT PROGRAMS FOR HOSPITALS AND MORE Over $150 billion will go to hospitals and other medical facilities in what Schumer calls a Marshall Plan for the healthcare industry. The monies will go towards hospital grants, personal and protective equipment, testing supplies, increased workforce and training, as well as new construction to house patients and emergency operation centers. Medicaid payments for hospitals and providers are also being increased. The legislation also includes transparency of the Treasury Departments transactions with corporations, income tax exclusion for individuals who are receiving student loan repayment assistance from their employer, eliminated a $3 billion bailout for big oil companies, and saved airline industry jobs and prevention of stock buybacks. *** Sign up for text message alerts from SILive.com on coronavirus: Be the first to know: Sign up for our newsletters; and get breaking news and top stories pushed to your phone with the SILive.com mobile app. RELATED COVERAGE: Data analysis of Staten Island and New York cases Coughs, sneezes, surfaces: Heres how coronavirus is and isnt spread How the coronavirus hit Staten Island: A timeline of the pandemic in our borough Governor seeks to limit coronavirus impact on hospitals NYPD Commissioner: Cooperation, not closures, expected for ban on dining at restaurants and bars Intraday.marketlive.in scored 43 Social Media Impact. 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High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The type of Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND NEW FAIRFIELD The Economic Development Commission is looking at ways to help local businesses during the novel coronavirus outbreak. During a virtual meeting Monday evening, commissioners discussed fundraising ideas to help businesses secure some revenue during the pandemic, which has disrupted many of their everyday operations. The goal of this mission, I believe, needs to focus on groups of businesses rather than individual businesses, Economic Development Commission Chair Myke Furhman said noting that a lot of local businesses have closed since the outbreak, but restaurants remain open. Furham said New Milford is selling T-shirts and dividing the profits among its local restaurants as a way to support the eateries during the COVID-19 crisis. Although New Fairfield has more restaurants then New Milford, Furhman said, I think restaurants are our largest community of businesses in town, so I thought doing a similar project would be something we could turn around quickly, as well as start getting the money into them. Since the outbreak, several New Fairfield restaurants have started offering curbside pick-up service and coming up with new ways to do business. Brunos Pizza & Pasta on Route 37, for example, is selling do-it-yourself kits so people can make their own pizzas at home. In support of the T-shirt fundraising idea, commissioner Kathleen DiTullio said its imperative to impress on people how important it is to shop locally. If we could just get people to do two more trips to local businesses, I think that would make an impact, she said. Fellow commission members Ellen Perle and James Kloos also expressed support. Were not talking about a whole lot of money that we could bring in, but at least its a start, said Perle, who also suggested having an online telethon to raise money for businesses in town. Kloos suggested the commission focus on the T-shirt restaurant fundraiser before planning fundraisers for other business sectors in town. I think we should hone in on one thing right now and see how it goes, he said. Kloos suggested starting with a small order of T-shirts and then ordering more as needed. First Selectman Pat Del Monaco expressed concern about other businesses in town who have been impacted by the pandemic. If the Economic Development Commission were to do a T-shirt fundraiser, Del Monaco said she would want to include all interested businesses in town; not just restaurants. Furham said excluding other businesses was a concern he also had. I dont want to support just a single segment, but if there was a similar fundraiser that we could do to benefit more, Id love to explore it, he said. I just thought that going after the restaurants as one segment, we could check all the boxes with them and then perhaps move on to a similar fundraiser with others. Furham said he is also concerned that if all businesses in town were included in a single fundraiser, the amount of proceeds going to each business could end up being negligible. The Economic Development Commission agreed to have members meet as a subcommittee in the near future to further discuss fundraising and other ways to support local businesses. The subcommittee would then update the rest of the commission during a special meeting. Special meeting dates have not been set, but the commissions next regular meeting is scheduled for April 27. Strengthened focus on the execution of the next stage of growth strategy Strategy aims to leverage world-class Platform, Discovery and Early Development capabilities to advance and extend its portfolio of Partnered Programs TOKYO and LONDON, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sosei Group Corporation ("the Company"; TSE: 4565) today announces the appointment of Mr. Rolf Soderstrom as a new Board Director and the promotion of Dr. Malcolm Weir to Executive Vice Chairman. These changes, which were announced at the Company's 30th Shareholders' Meeting held in Tokyo today, alongside the completion of a realignment of its UK R&D organization in which a number of talented scientists were promoted, have been designed to strengthen the focus of Sosei Heptares on the execution of the next stage of the Company's growth strategy. This strategy aims to leverage Sosei Heptares' world-class Platform, Discovery and Early Development capabilities with a focus on advancing and extending its portfolio of Partnered Programs. Details of the changes are as follows: Board of Directors (effective 25 March 2020) Chairman of the Board Shinichi Tamura (reappointed) External Director Tomohiro Tohyama (reappointed) External Independent DirectorKuniaki Kaga (reappointed) External Independent DirectorDavid Roblin (reappointed) External Independent DirectorNoriaki Nagai (reappointed) External Independent DirectorRolf Soderstrom (newly appointed) Mr. Rolf Soderstromis a newly appointed External Director. He brings over 30 years' experience in finance and a track record of accelerating the profitable growth of companies and delivering shareholder returns. Rolf has extensive strategic, operational and international experience including M&A, fundraisings and disposals. He was previously CFO at the UK-listed FTSE250 specialist healthcare company BTG plc (2008-2018), which was acquired by Boston Scientific for US$4.2 billion in 2019. Before that, Rolf was Divisional Finance Director at Cobham Plc and a Director of Corporate Finance at Cable & Wireless Plc. He qualified as a chartered accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Rolf's appointment follows the retirement of Mrs. Julia Gregory from the Sosei Group Board of Directors at today's Shareholders' meeting. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Shinichi Tamura said: "On behalf of the Board and the Company's key stakeholders I would to like to thank Julia for her important contribution to the growth and development of the Group over the past three years. I would also like to welcome Rolf, whose financial and operational experience in the global biotech industry will be invaluable as we continue to deliver on our internationally focused growth strategy." Executive Officers (effective 25 March 2020) Representative Executive Officer, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Shinichi Tamura Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Weir EVP, Chief Financial Officer Chris Cargill EVP, Chief Medical Officer Tim Tasker EVP, Group Chief Compliance Officer Kazuhiko Yoshizumi EVP, Representative Director President, Sosei Co. Ltd. Tadayoshi Yasui Malcolm Weir, previously EVP Research and Early Development is appointed to the role of Executive Vice Chairman of Sosei Group Corporation, reporting to the President and CEO. The promotion follows the realignment of Sosei Heptares' Research & Early Development organization in the UK. The new structure, which involved the creation of new leadership roles and several promotions, as well as enhanced resourcing initiatives, is designed to strengthen the Company's focus on the execution of the next stage of its growth strategy. Chairman, President and CEO, Shinichi Tamura said: "I would like to congratulate Malcolm on his new role. He has made critical contributions as we have evolved the Company's growth strategy in the last 24 months. I am confident that with the Board, Executive team and realigned and focused organization we now have in place, Sosei Heptares is well placed to deliver on its goals and generate value for its shareholders." About Sosei Heptares We are an international biopharmaceutical group focused on the discovery and early development of new medicines originating from our proprietary GPCR-targeted StaR technology and structure-based drug design platform capabilities. We are advancing a broad and deep pipeline of novel medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, including CNS, immuno-oncology, gastroenterology, inflammation and other rare/specialty indications. We have established partnerships with some of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, including Allergan, AstraZeneca, Daiichi-Sankyo, Genentech (Roche), Novartis, Pfizer and Takeda; and with innovative biotechnology companies, including Kymab, MorphoSys and PeptiDream. Sosei Heptares is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with R&D facilities in Cambridge, UK. "Sosei Heptares" is the corporate brand of Sosei Group Corporation, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (ticker: 4565). Sosei, Heptares, the logo and StaR are Trade Marks of Sosei Group companies. For more information, please visit https://www.soseiheptares.com/ LinkedIn: @soseiheptaresco | Twitter: @soseiheptaresco | YouTube: @soseiheptaresco Forward-looking statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the discovery, development and commercialization of products. Various risks may cause Sosei Group Corporation's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: adverse results in clinical development programs; failure to obtain patent protection for inventions; commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or controlled by third parties; dependence upon strategic alliance partners to develop and commercialize products and services; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products and services resulting from development efforts; the requirement for substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand commercialization activities; and product initiatives by competitors. As a result of these factors, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Enquiries: Sosei Heptares Shinichiro Nishishita VP Investor Relations +81-(0)3-5210-3399 IR@SoseiHeptares.com Candelle Chong VP Corporate Strategy and Communications +44-(0)1223-949-392 Comms@SoseiHeptares.com Citigate Dewe Rogerson Yas Fukuda Japanese Media +81-(0)3-4360-9241 Yas.Fukuda@citigatedewerogerson.com Mark Swallow David Dible - International Media +44-(0)20-7638-9571 SoseiHeptares@citigatedewerogerson.com PHILIPSBURG/ MARIGOT:--- The numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is rising on the island. Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs announced on Wednesday that there is an additional confirmed case of the COVID-19. She said the latest victim is a student who returned from New York. This makes the number of confirmed cases on the Dutch side to 3. On the French side, the numbers of confirmed cases are increasing, on Wednesday there are 3 new cases while there were 11 confirmed cases earlier in the week. Based on the release from the Prefecture St. Martin has 14 cases of COVID-19 William Comcowich The world suffers from a pandemic of fake news surrounding the coronavirus. Emissions from crematoriums in China could be seen from space. Russia unleashed 500 lions to keep people indoors. Doctors in London are being mugged. Vitamins or certain snake oils cure the disease. How about gargling with warm water and salt and vinegar? Or inhaling hot air from a hair dryer? All fake. If youre interested, BuzzFeed News posts a running list of debunked hoaxes. Heading down a dark path Were not just fighting an epidemic; were fighting an infodemic, said World Health Organisation director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus, and is just as dangerous. If we believe misinformation rather than facts, we are headed down a dark path that leads nowhere but division and disharmony. People are prone to share misinformation during times of crisis or anxiety. Theyre eager for information, solutions and reassurances. Even people who should know better share misinformation on social media. They glance over posts without clicking on the link to the supposed news article. Overwhelmed with fake news and misinformation about the virus, social media platforms are working with WHO to spread accurate information about the virus. Facebook provides WHO with free ads and blocks ads touting bogus miracle cures. How PR can help stop coronavirus fake news Monitor social media. Social media monitoring combined with monitoring of traditional media can notify PR of coronavirus fake news associated with their brands, for instance, if a post claims their product can cure the disease. Creating a media monitoring dashboard dedicated to the coronavirus can improve the organizations media monitoring and measurement. Respond swiftly to counter misinformation. Real-time email alerts will quickly inform when your company, products or other keywords are mentioned online. Immediately alerted, PR teams can expose a fraudulent report. Not all misinformation needs to be refuted, especially if it has had limited circulation or is trivial. Consider human analysts. Automated monitoring and measurement software may not be able to detect a fake news story. That may require human analysts who are knowledgeable about the organization and its products. The content analysis to identify fake news stories could be outsourced to the media monitoring service or done by the organizations own staff. Expose all fake news. Even if fake news isnt related to their brands or products, PR and marketing people can still expose the misinformation by posting the facts on their organizations accounts in addition to their personal profiles. How to spot coronavirus fake news Samantha Vanderslott, a postdoctoral researcher at the Oxford Vaccine Group and the Oxford Martin School, offers tips on how to spot fake news about COVID-19. Consider the source. Misinformation often refers to general sources like Taiwanese experts or Japanese doctors. Information from a friend of a friend is a red flag for a rumor. Verify information. Check if stories are repeated on websites of mainstream news outlets, government health agencies and WHO. Questionable logos. Check that the organizations logo used in the message looks identical to the official website. Bad English. Credible journalists and organizations are less likely to make repeated spelling and grammar mistakes. Anything where the grammar is off should be suspect. Anything written entirely in capital letters or containing a lot of exclamation marks should raise suspicions. Pretend accounts. Some fake accounts mimic the real thing. For example, the unofficial Twitter handle @BBCNewsTonight, resembles the legitimate @BBCNews account. The fake account shared a false story about the actor Daniel Radcliffe testing positive for coronavirus. Over-encouragement to share. Be wary if the message presses you to share. This is how viral messaging works. Whenever youre tempted to share a dramatic snippet of information about Covid-19 thats just popped into your social media feeddont. Just say no, urges John Naughton, a columnist at The Guardian. Youll feel better, and youll be slowing the propagation of a pernicious meme which, after all, is just another kind of virus. Social media is suffering from a deluge of fake news and misinformation about COVID-19. Communications professionals can take a leading role on limiting the misinformation by monitoring social media and posting accurate information on social media. *** William J. Comcowich is Glean.info Interim CEO and member of its Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro lashed out Tuesday at what he called "scorched-earth" quarantine policies to contain the coronavirus pandemic, saying they risked wrecking the economy. Never one to shy from controversy, the far-right leader condemned the containment measures taken by authorities in places such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, saying they risked killing people's jobs in a misguided effort to save lives. "Some state and local authorities need to abandon the scorched-earth concept: blocking transport, closing businesses and confining people en masse," he said in a national address. "We need to preserve jobs and families' livelihoods." Bolsonaro, 65, has repeatedly courted controversy with his statements on the new coronavirus, calling it a "little flu" that has provoked an "overblown" reaction. His latest comments came the same day the city and state of Sao Paulo, Brazil's economic capital, began a partial quarantine in a bid to slow transmission of the virus. The state, home to 46 million people -- roughly the size of Spain -- has emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro, the country's second city and the second-most affected by new coronavirus, has also taken drastic containment measures, including shutting schools, restaurants and its beaches and tourist attractions. Bolsonaro, whose in-your-face style has earned him the nickname of "Tropical Trump," insisted there was no need for extreme measures. "The at-risk group (for the virus) is people over 60. So why close the schools?" he said. He also repeated his accusation that the media have created unjustified "hysteria" around the pandemic, and said Brazil's relatively young population and warm climate would help protect it from the impact. Brazil is Latin America's biggest economy and the country hardest hit by the pandemic so far in the region, with 2,201 confirmed cases of COVID-19 illness and 46 deaths. "This will be over soon. We have to get on with our lives.... We have to get back to normal," he said. The statements drew immediate criticism and a made-for-quarantine protest, as opponents in various cities banged pots and pans from their windows during the speech to show their dissent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Engineers have created a tiny device that can rapidly detect harmful bacteria in blood, allowing health care professionals to pinpoint the cause of potentially deadly infections and fight them with drugs. The Rutgers coauthored study, led by researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology, is published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. "The rapid identification of drug-resistant bacteria allows health care providers to prescribe the right drugs, boosting the chances of survival," said coauthor Ruo-Qian (Roger) Wang, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the School of Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Drug-resistant bacteria, or super-bugs, are a major public health concern. Globally, at least 700,000 people die each year as a result of drug-resistant infections, including 230,000 deaths from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. That number could soar to 10 million deaths a year by 2050 if no action is taken, according to a 2019 report. Based on a new approach, the tiny new device rapidly isolates, retrieves and concentrates target bacteria from bodily fluids. It efficiently filters particles and bacteria, capturing about 86 percent of them. The nano-device has magnetic beads of different sizes that are designed to trap, concentrate and retrieve Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. The small spaces between the beads are used to isolate bacteria in the device. The inexpensive, transparent device is easy to fabricate and operate, making it ideal for detecting disease-causing organisms in laboratory and health care settings, according to the study. The research team is working to perfect the device and plans to add multiple devices onto a small chip and explore scaling up testing in the field. Researchers at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; Carollo Engineers, Inc.; Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute in China; and The State University of New York, Binghamton contributed to the study. For more than 50 years Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson has devoted his life to protecting whales, dolphins, seals, sharks and other animals often at great personal risk. He is the subject of the new feature-length documentary Watson, made by producer-director Lesley Chilcott (An Inconvenient Truth), which charts his journey from his childhood until today, showing how Sea Shepherd has grown into a worldwide movement with chapters in dozens of countries, and with thousands of members crewing a dozen ships. "I was raised in a fishing village in eastern Canada and when I was 10 I spent a summer swimming with a family of beavers in the woods nearby," Watson says. "It was a great time and the next year, when I was 11, I went to find the beavers and found that they had gone. Trappers had taken them all. That made me very angry so that winter I began to walk the trap lines and free the animals and destroy the traps. So I really started as an activist at 11. The Michigan Attorney General is asking workers who believe their employer is violating the governors stay home order to contact local law enforcement instead of their office. The offices consumer complaint hotline was quickly overwhelmed Tuesday with calls from employers and employees confused about whether they are deemed essential and allowed to continue operating as usual. Attorney General spokeswoman Kelly Rossman-McKinney said the office took more than 750 calls before the system temporarily shut down. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered most businesses and organizations to send their employees home for the next three weeks under an executive order that went into effect March 24. The order has since created uncertainty among workers and businesses due to a broad set of exemptions that allow critical businesses to remain open and essential employees to report to work. I think theres what were running into is theres a lot of confusion about what is defined as essential, Rossman-McKinney said. Whitmers order includes exemptions that apply to public safety and health care workers but also allows critical" businesses to designate suppliers that need to stay open. Those suppliers may in turn designate additional suppliers who are needed to keep businesses running. Rossman-McKinney provided two real examples of businesses trying to stay open that clearly dont fit those definitions. One was a window replacement company; the other makes woodchips. Businesses that fail to comply with the governors executive orders could face a $500 fine and/or 90 days in jail for each violation. Rossman-McKinney said all violations of the executive orders should be referred to local law enforcement. What what we anticipate local law enforcement will do first is simply provide a copy of the executive order to the offender and remind them that a violation is a $500 fine, and or 90 days in jail, per violation, she said. If they got called a second or third time, I would expect that theyd reach out to the local prosecutor." The Attorney Generals Office stands ready to help local prosecutors as cases move forward. However, Rossman-McKinney said the office has its hands full investigating price-gouging and scams related to COVID-19. Employers and employees are asked to submit any questions about the order via email to LEO-Coronavirus@michigan.gov. The state is also compiling an online list of commonly asked questions. The online FAQ includes a few examples of other businesses that shouldnt remain open, which sheds some light on how the order can be interpreted. For example, auto dealerships should close, but auto repair and maintenance can remain open. Childcare workers are considered critical infrastructure workers but only to the extent necessary to serve the children of other critical infrastructure workers. Workers at bicycle repair shops can be designated as critical infrastructure workers if they services to workers who use bicycles to travel to their jobs. Some limited forms of construction are allowed, including work to maintain public infrastructure and home repairs. Businesses should err on the side of staying closed, Rossman-McKinney said. I think its a difficult executive order to really wrap your arms around, she said. We are working very closely with the governors office. Every instance we get a call asking about whether or not businesses essential is being first reviewed by our office and then shared with the governors office so that we can begin to get some clarity around the executive order. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores. Complete coverage of coronavirus in Michigan. Napoleon must have been talking about Republicans who are just as human, and therefore just as cynical, as their Democratic counterparts. They must believe a badly mismanaged airline manufacturer like Boeing is more equal than my friend Karen the Waitress, who lives on tips and who is out of work now that government has closed her diner. PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):---Prime Minister Hon. Silveria Jacobs has sent a letter to the business community as Chair of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) encouraging the business community to observe and implement preventative measures such as employees and customers keeping a healthy distance between each other social distancing in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. These measures will help develop a healthier working environment for employees and customers, and in the end will ultimately lead to the full recovery of both the public and private sectors, Prime Minister Jacobs said on Sunday. All establishments that are allowed to remain open must incorporate and execute safety guidelines during and after the COVID-19 threat. Prime Minister Jacobs further reiterates that the collective actions and commitment to this cause will help the country overcome this and thrive towards a stronger economy for Sint Maarten. Measures to be taken within the work environment related to social distancing are: 1. Sanitize Business after closing: businesses are encouraged to sanitize their establishment after closing hours and before opening to the public. 2. Introduce Special Hours for Most Vulnerable Groups: businesses are encouraged to offer preferential opening hours (i.e. first hour when open) to vulnerable groups in our community such as the Elderly, pregnant women and/or persons with young children (under 5 years). 3. Introduce safety spaces: avoid the spread of COVID-19 by maintaining a distance of three (3) feet/ one (1) meter from all employees and customers. 4. Limit crowds: avoid having more than ten (10) employees or customers in your establishment or shared spaces at one time. 5. Limit large gatherings: maximum twenty (20) persons are permitted in large spaces at one time. 6. Adjust service areas and shared spaces: employers are encouraged to adjust floor plans, seating and configure large spaces to ensure social distancing. 7. Minimize and/or Sanitize Common Areas surfaces: businesses are encouraged to minimize common areas touching (where possible) and/or sanitize common areas that are touched frequently. 8. Avoid physical contact: avoid touching or physical contact with co-workers and customers. 9. Encouraging signs: encourage employees and customers to follow safety practices with gentle reminders on social distancing using posters and pictures of guidelines for safety and cleanliness. 10. Create and oversee protocols: assure that safety and social procedures are in place or appoint an employee to develop protocols and ensure that these are followed. 11. Clean elevators: elevators must remain clean at all times. Employees and customers should avoid using elevators when crowded. Consider taking the stairs when keeping a safe distance proves difficult. With respect to home employment: 12. Employers are encouraged to implement tools and procedures to encourage workers to work from home should the nature of the function allow for such. Employers are also encouraged to allow workers that are not feeling well to execute their tasks from home. 13. Vulnerable Workers: employers are encouraged to allow employees with pre-existing conditions and vulnerable workers (i.e. elderly) to work from home where and if possible, in as much as possible. 14. Self-quarantine: employees that are not feeling well should report illnesses via telephone or by using social media to their house doctors. Employees that are not well are restricted to self-quarantine for a period of fourteen (14) days. 15. Business travel: employees who have traveled within the last two weeks should self -quarantine for a period of fourteen (14) days. Regarding safety sanitary procedures for the work environment: 16. Sanitation: all customers and employees must sanitize their hands before entering and exiting the establishment. Keep windows open as much as possible and ensure that all ventilators and air-conditioning systems are cleaned. 17. Keep lavatories clean: all employees and customers must wash their hands before and after the use of restrooms. These must be kept clean at all times. 18. Keep doors open: to avoid unnecessary contact with doorknobs and other surfaces. Frequently clean and wipe doorknobs after opening and closing doors. 19. Wash uniforms or clothing: employees are encouraged to change or wash uniforms and work attire that were worn during working hours. Please do not re-use uniforms or work attire unless these are properly washed. Listen to the Government Radio station 107.9FM - for official information and updates or visit the Government website: www.sintmaartengov.org/coronavirus or its Facebook Page: Facebook.com/SXMGOV MINNEAPOLIS, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Startups need to raise their game in brand-building to stand out amid intense competition, write two experts from CBX, the brand strategy and design agency, in an opinion piece for Entrepreneur.com. That means maintaining a sharper focus on positioning, visual/verbal identity, packaging design, and quality- and cost-control, write Nancy Brown, Managing Director, and Nat Jungerberg, Client Director, who are both based in CBX's Minneapolis office. Nancy Brown Nat Jungerberg "Developing a true brand strategy is critical to a startup's prospects," they write in the March 18 column. "What is unseen is unsold. Whether your rollout is local, regional or national, it's important to invest in your storynot just financially, but with your passion and creativity, too." The column ("3 Branding Tips to Bring Your Startup's Story to Life") covers the importance of investing in startup brand strategies; carefully considering the story of the founders and their brand; and the dynamics around partnering with a pro agency. In recent years, CBX's Minneapolis office has increasingly teamed with startups making everything from artisan bitters, to craft meats, to traditional soap. All too often, however, fledgling companies spend their early years avoiding investments in branding, say Jungerberg and Brown. "Some even default to hiring a friend or acquaintance to draw a logo as part of an overall effort to keep it lean and mean," they write. "That's all well and good; however, products are easy to imitate. Brands, on the other hand, have a value that surpasses that of the physical objects in a number of ways. This is precisely why you see the likes of Trader Joe's or Costco investing so much time and attention in the creativity and appeal of their store brands." The authors urge startups to take the time to develop a true brand strategy. "If you're passionate about your product, you'll want to see your vision translated into a visual and verbal language that connects with people across logos, packaging, ads, websites, social media channels and other touchpoints." Startup founders should look within as part of that process to uncover the story wanting to be told. "What's your idea all about? How does it connect to your values? What are your dreams? By walking into your meeting knowing who you are and what you want to be, you can catalyze your collaboration with branding and design pros." Brown and Jungerberg liken choosing a brand agency to finding a mentor. And toward that end, they provide several tips on how startups can make sure the agency relationship is a good fit. "Partnering with a branding and design agency is more than a business relationshipit's a learning process," they conclude. "Open and frequent communication can make a big difference in a new brand or product's long-term trajectory. The agency should understand the dynamics in your specific category and be able to help you scale the business while steering clear of costly mistakes." The full piece is available at https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/347424 About CBX CBX is an independent agency specializing in brand strategy and design services, including branding, innovation, packaging and retail design. Founded in 2003, the company currently employs nearly 100 creative and support staff at its New York City headquarters and Minneapolis office. Its client list includes Mondelez, Kroger, Keurig Dr Pepper, General Mills, Hain Celestial, and Merck. NOTE TO MEDIA : Nancy Brown and Nat Jungerberg of CBX are available as resources for articles related to marketing, branding and design. Please see media contacts at end of release. Press Contacts: At Jaffe Communications, Bill Parness, (908) 789-0700, or Elisa Krantz, (908)-789-0700, [email protected] SOURCE CBX Related Links http://www.cbx.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 16:59:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHENYANG, March 25 (Xinhua) -- On the first day of its reopening, masked visitors lined up at the front gate of the Shenyang Palace Museum, ready to have their temperatures taken before touring the palace. "The museum has adopted strict epidemic prevention measures so that visitors can rest assured," said Zhao Yan, a visitor to the museum in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. Zhao bought tickets online after she saw the museum's announcement of reopening to the public on March 17 on social media. "Spring is in the air. It's refreshing to walk around in the museum after days of stay-at-home quarantine," said Zhao. As the coronavirus outbreak is leveling off in China, many public venues have resumed business. In Shenyang, local authorities announced on March 21 that all public venues including cinemas, theaters, bars and beauty salons will reopen in an orderly manner. The catering industry, among the sectors worst hit by the COVID-19 epidemic, is also springing back to life. Eateries and cafes began opening their long-shuttered doors and serving comforting dishes. "With Starbucks resuming business, I can now enjoy my afternoon coffee break as usual," said a customer surnamed Bao in one Starbucks store in Shenyang. Sports enthusiasts such as joggers and bikers began reappearing in parks and gyms. "All the courts had been booked when I called a badminton club to make a reservation," said Wu Lei, a badminton enthusiast. While multiple sectors gear up for post-epidemic opportunities, there are no signs of relaxation in prevention. Measures such as regular disinfection, body temperature monitoring and caps on visitor numbers are strictly implemented at public venues to lower the risks of infection. "As the epidemic eases, people are getting back to their normal lives and embracing the best season of the year before it passes," said Xu Hao, a citizen of Shenyang. As efforts are intensified to ensure that Nigeria becomes Tuberculosis (TB) free by 2030, the Federal Government has revealed plans to scale-up the number of GeneXpert machines in the country. In 2016, Nigeria adopted GeneXpert as the first diagnostic tool for the disease. It currently has 399 installed throughout the 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory. Speaking at a press conference to mark the World Tuberculosis Day, in Abuja on Tuesday, the National Coordinator, National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Program, Adebola Lawanson, said the move is to comprehensively strengthen the detection and ensure TB is completely eradicated in the country. Every March 24, the World Tuberculosis Day is celebrated to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. The theme this year is It is time. The theme is a call for accelerated action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets to end TB epidemics by 2030. Tuberculosis is an age-long infectious disease that affects the lungs, and one of the worlds top infectious killers, killing over 1.5 million people yearly. Eradicating TB Ms Lawanson said there is need to scale up the level of TB awareness among Nigerians. There is, therefore, the need to scale up the level of awareness of TB among Nigerians, as only about 30 per cent of Nigerians are aware of TB control and preventive methods. WHO, in line with the SDGs, set a target of 2030, to end the TB epidemic. In order to accelerate towards this goal, there have been a lot of controlled efforts that have been put in place. We have just 10 years towards the end of 2030, so a lot still needs to be done. And the slogan for this year is check that cough, time no dey, she said. Efforts made so far In his remarks, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, said the automation of the GeneXpert machine was part of governments effort to ensure universal health coverage. He also said Nigeria is among the few countries to commence the use of child-friendly medicines for drug-resistant DR-TB after development. Represented by the Director, Public Health, Eno Obong, he said, In line with the END TB strategy, the Ministry of Health with the support of partners has made some strides in the fight against TB in Nigeria. We have adopted new rapid diagnostic tools as well as child-friendly medicines for drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB). It is noteworthy that Nigeria is among the few countries in the world that immediately commenced use of child-friendly medicines for DR-TB after development, he said. He also said engagements with the private sector in the provision of GeneXpert and other TB services has yielded positive results, with the private sector having one of the best diagnostic centres in the country. READ ALSO: The private sector is also contributing about 13 per cent of the TB cases notified in the country. We are also scaling up expansion of TB services in private facilities in oil 36 states and the FCT in line with our robust public-private mix DOTS (PPM-DOTS) plan, he said. The country representative of KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, Bertrand Odume, urged all stakeholders to continue with the campaign of ending tuberculosis beyond the world tuberculosis day. We stand here to identify with national programme for tuberculosis and to reiterate our commitment not to relent in the fight against the disease. We hope that with collaborative efforts of the federal ministry of health departments, partners, those that are affected, and civil society organizations, we will be able to join countries like India and Indonesia in closing the enormous gap in TB burden in Nigeria, he said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- When New York City announced that schools would close until at least April 20 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Nicole Memoli was stuck with a difficult choice -- go to work as a paramedic for Staten Island University Hospital, or stay home with her two daughters -- one with severe autism. A paramedic for 26 years, Memoli said she knew that, despite the current health crisis, she needed appropriate and safe care for her 14-year-old daughter Sarah -- who attends the Eden II School and is severely autistic. Im trying to find some solution so that she can be somewhere safe and I can return to work doing what I do best, she told the Advance/SILive.com on Sunday. I love my daughter. If I have to stay home with my daughter for the next 29 days, I have zero problem with that. My daughter is the love of my life. She is everything to me. Memoli qualifies for the Regional Enrichment Centers (RECs), which the city Department of Education (DOE) has opened across all five boroughs to provide care for children of first responders, health care workers, and transit workers. They are not a replacement for school or other related service programs. Four locations on Staten Island opened on Monday and will provide daytime care on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Memoli filled out an application for the centers last week when they first became available, but she explained she wasnt sure if the centers were able to provide the care her daughter needs. The DOE told the Advance/SILive.com on Tuesday that parents who are first responders and other essential workers who have children with disabilities will be accommodated at RECs. Students with disabilities will be in classrooms with special education teachers and, if needed, paraprofessionals, who will have access to important information like a students health, social-emotional and behavior needs. When reached on Tuesday, Memoli said that after countless phone calls she made seeking information about RECs for her daughter, the family was referred to the PS/I.S. 48 Regional Enrichment Center. She told the Advance/SILive.com that the visit went well and she is giving the REC center a try. Nicole Memoli (second from left) has been seeking appropriate care for her 14-year-old daughter Sarah (left) who is severely autistic. The Memolis -- including husband David and daughter Rachel -- are seen in this undated family photo. (Courtesy/Nicole Memoli) Its not ideal, but we will have to make it work. We appreciate all the efforts they made at [PS/I.S.] 48," Memoli said. She added that as the virus continues to spread and more cases are confirmed, every healthcare worker will be necessary. I want her somewhere safe, Memoli said, referring to her daughter. Once I know for sure that shes somewhere safe, then I can get back to doing what I do. Katie OHanlon, a spokeswoman for the DOE, confirmed that the family visited a REC on Tuesday to meet with on-site leadership, special education teachers, a social worker, and a paraprofessional. Our Regional Enrichment Centers are for New Yorkers right on the frontlines of our COVID-19 response efforts, and we are working tirelessly to ensure their children, including their children with disabilities, have access to this resource," said OHanlon. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** SUPPORT FOR KIDS WITH DISABILITIES For students with disabilities in RECs, the DOE is taking these steps to ensure they are supported: -- Site leaders will have appropriate Special Education Student Information System (SESIS) access to review health, social-emotional, behavior, academic, mobility, and management needs of each child upon arrival. Student needs may include: limited mobility, behavior intervention plans, allergies or medical conditions, and non-verbal communication. -- Teachers with special education certification and experience are being assigned to groups that have students with disabilities. They may help implement REC activities and apply modifications for students as needed. -- Students who receive 1:1 paraprofessional support during the regular school day may need additional adult assistance when at the REC. Paraprofessionals are being surveyed about specialty skills, such as supporting students with autism, or District 75 experience, and are being assigned upon supervisor review of a students Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to ensure the health and safety of each student. -- Students with disabilities should be in groups no larger than the group size on their IEP. -- Both classroom and nursing staff are being made aware of allergies, diabetes, or medication administration of students with IEPs. The DOE and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are working to identify and support students with significant medical needs. Families of children with significant medical needs should consult with a medical provider before attending RECs. SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES Many Staten Island parents have wondered how their children will receive their required special education services as schools move to remote learning. These services include speech, occupational therapy and physical therapy. The DOE has said it made arrangements to deliver special education programs and related services through remote learning to students with IEPs. Schools were given a template last week to create specific remote learning plans for special education students. But Joy Lacysynski said its hard to foresee how remote learning will work for her dyslexic fifth-grade daughter because she learns differently. The issue I do foresee is her not understanding the content unless it is read to her, and therefore she will not be learning anything, rather, shutting down and not wanting to do any work, she said. IEPs are just that, Individualized Educational Programs...I really dont see how the DOE will pull this one off. The DOE said it will be holding IEP meetings by phone and is looking into the possibility of conducting assessments remotely as much as possible. Occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and counseling providers will offer appropriate tele-therapy services in conjunction with schools remote instructional plan, the agency said. Parents will still be able to make referrals for special education evaluations and re-evaluations by emailing their school or calling 311 for assistance, according to the DOE. REMOTE LEARNING The DOE shifted to a remote learning strategy on Monday for students in New York City public schools. Despite differences in readiness, every school is focusing on transitioning their core learning and instruction to a remote-based model. Online learning will look different for every child. For example, some children were instructed to create a Google Classroom account, others were told classes would be held via Zoom, a video communication program. Some parents have been scrambling to secure the proper technology for their children so theyre able to participate in online learning. Those who are in need of technology should fill out an online form to sign up for a remote learning device via the DOE. Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza asked parents to sign up for the NYC Schools account, which will be critically important as the DOE pushes information out and resources for remote learning needs. You can go to www.myschools.nyc for more information. OUR COVERAGE As we continue our coverage on COVID-19, we want to hear from you -- parents, teachers, and students at Staten Islands public, Catholic and private schools. How is remote learning working for you and your family? Are you a first responder or health care worker sending your kids to Regional Enrichment Centers? Are you a teacher struggling to teach students but also your own children? Are you still in need of technology for your kids to participate in remote learning? We want to hear the good news, too. Is your school doing something special that you think should be highlighted while schools are closed? We want to tell your stories. Reach out to education reporter Annalise Knudson at aknudson@siadvance.com to send in your questions and thoughts. Sign up for text message alerts from SILive.com on coronavirus: 53 Fighting the coronavirus: NYC on pause RELATED COVERAGE: Staten Island parents on remote learning: Teacher, school support amazing' First responder child care centers open with a lot of precautions Mayor: NYC schools may be closed for rest of 2019-2020 academic year Coronavirus: AP exams will be online, shortened to 45 minutes Schools closed: Heres where NYC students can get free meals Coronavirus: Several Staten Island schools announce confirmed cases Schools closed: Heres where NYC students can get free meals Wagner College postpones commencement due to coronavirus 10 tips for families as NYC schools move to online learning How prepared are teachers, parents for remote learning? Child care for first responders: How many sites on Staten Island? Coronavirus: All standardized exams suspended this school year 2 coronavirus cases confirmed at Wagner College Staten Island parents scramble to obtain technology for online learning College of Staten Island campus reopens: Operating with minimal staff Parents fear lapse in special ed services: I am not a trained therapist FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. On Saturday afternoon in the Daniel Galvin salon in central London, a lovely young woman called Saskia is doing my hair colour. She has never done it before, so I ask her to cover up the grey at my temples, which might look good on George Clooney but is a bit barn owl on me. However, I dont want to go too blonde. That is really important. But it needs to be bright, she says, and I sigh inwardly because I know what this means. It means two shades below Andy Warhol on the platinum chart, with additional lowlights visible from outer space. However, for once, I dont care. Im just grateful for the appointment, which must be about the last one available in the capital now that Boris has extended his lockdown to include hairdressing salons, too. It seems like a lifetime ago now, but hairdressers were still open for business last weekend and many were doing a roaring trade, especially colourists. Hair dye is still the most powerful weapon older women have against ageing and ageism and no one, least of all me, is giving it up without a fight. Is hair really that important? Yes. You are only as good as your last haircut, says the writer Fran Lebowitz, writes JAN MOIR All over the country many rushed for appointments at the last chance roots ranch before salon shutters came down for God knows how long. I made mine a while back and was torn between cancelling or supporting the salon, and decided on the latter. It didnt seem risky back then. Now, such reckless narcissism is unthinkable. Yet who am I kidding? I would have crawled there in my slippers through a plague pit for an appointment with a Galvin professional before lockdown. Those of us with dye jobs large and small know the day isnt far off before the terrible truth about our natural hair colour is revealed to the world; a gaping furrow of mortification peeling open on our skulls for all to see. So you can understand the urgency to book a slot. It was like grabbing a seat on the last helicopter out of Saigon, only more important. And a good maintenance cut is vital, too. My hair grows like knotweed. I had to move fast, to avoid riding out Covid-19 looking increasingly like a head of lettuce. Is hair really that important? Yes. You are only as good as your last haircut, says the writer Fran Lebowitz. As it happened, the salon actually closed when I was there. Daniel Galvin himself was outside in a face mask, directing operations, looking sad. I cant believe this is actually happening, he said. The old master is 76 now, and his flagship salon has been on this London street for 43 years. Madonna, Camilla, Diana and Mrs Thatcher have all been his clients at some point. Say what you like about them individually, but you have to admit they are all collectively, thanks to him, the most excellent blondes. Like most hairdressers, Saskia works on commission and tips. She doesnt know how she will survive, living with her boyfriend in a small flat in West London. I do know one thing, she says, as she mixes up the semi-permanent colour and dabs it onto my roots. I am going to be doing a lot of colour-correcting when we open again. An image of woolly-headed Muppets, screaming and beating down the salon door, flashes through my mind. Professional hairdressers such as Saskia are aghast at the thought of Mrs Amateur getting her hands on a box of Midnight Mink home kit and dobbing it on with enthusiasm, but what is the alternative? I know, she says, but one wrong thing and it ruins years of good colour. However, I think I can speak for the women of Britain when I say it is no surrender time when it comes to grey hairs. We will fight them with our bleaches, we will fight them on our kitchen sinks, we shall go onto our ends and we will colour them, too. And nothing is going to stop us. So many things are going to be denied to us over the coming months, but losing our hairdressers is one of the unkindest cuts of all. The good cheer that a salon appointment brings should never be underestimated. So farewell hairdressers, you magicians with your tender ministrations, your long-handled tint brushes and your pin-tailed combs. You are the keepers of secrets, the ever-thinning line between a good and bad hair day. You bring lustre to the lank and hope to all. Lighting the darkness is what you all do, in ways big and small. It is what you have done forever, and we are all going to miss you madly. I loved my last appointment I dont even mind being blonde again. But from now on, like everyone else, Im on my own. The product that's tailored to you Maymie White, 50, created blonde highlights using Custom Hair Color Set, 23, and Light Set, 32, all esalon.co.uk. Maymie runs the charity treatmentbag.co.uk, which sends luxury goodies to chemotherapy patients. She lives in Somerset with her husband and four children. WHAT IS IT? You create an online profile your hair type, dyeing history, desired shade and a consultant mixes you up a tailored colour. OUR TEST: To hide grey strands, I have highlights as well as a root cover-up every few weeks, which Id assumed would be hard to recreate at home. Apparently not: first, I covered my roots by mixing my personalised hair colour into the developer bottle, and shaking it up. Then I brushed it over my roots, waited half an hour, then rinsed. I dried my hair before doing the balayage natural-looking highlights. The mixture was very stiff, but the final result is low-key, golden highlights. The grey isnt evident and my hair feels soft and shiny. It even looks good from the back! Maymie White, 50, created blonde highlights using Custom Hair Color Set, 23, and Light Set, 32, all esalon.co.uk The celebrity hair guru's range Sarah Tulley, 33, went from red to chestnut using Josh Wood Colour Level 6 Permanent Colour, 10, with Shade Shot Plus Chestnut, 15 (joshwoodcolour.com). Sarah lives in Scarborough with husband Chris, 35, and their two children, 13 and 14. She works as a customer care adviser. WHAT IS IT? Josh Woods colour is loved by celebs such as Kylie Minogue. You can get the look by combining all-over colour with a range of shade shots tailored boosters that can give your hair warm or cool tones. OUR TEST: This Josh Wood colour was easy to use. I just put my chosen Shade Shot into the Chestnut Brown dye and shook them up together, applied it all over my hair and left it on for 30 minutes. Im over the moon with the results. Its elegant but a complete change. Best of all, when my roots start to show, they have amazing touch-up products. Sarah Tulley, 33, went from red to chestnut using Josh Wood Colour Level 6 Permanent Colour, 10, with Shade Shot Plus Chestnut, 15 (joshwoodcolour.com) The spray that changes your colour Jan Rook, 68, went from brown to grey using LOreal Colorista Semi-Permanent Colour Spray in Grey, 6.99, amazon.co.uk. Jan is an actress. She lives in Essex and has one grown-up child. WHAT IS IT? A wash-out colour spray that contains charged particles that bond to your hair, giving you colour that wont rub off until you shampoo it uses the same technology as for spray painting cars, so its tough stuff. OUR TEST: When I worked in banking, I visited the salon all the time. After retiring at 53, I started home-colouring my hair a dark blonde, but Im after a fashionable all-over grey. It took two bottles to colour my hair completely, and I loved the silvery finish. I actually think I look younger now. The next morning it still looked OK, but there was a silvery shimmer on my shoulders. I easily washed it out this morning I loved it. Jan Rook, 68, went from brown to grey using LOreal Colorista Semi-Permanent Colour Spray in Grey, 6.99, amazon.co.uk The one infused with aloe vera Pinky Lising went from light brown to very dark red using Clairol Natural Instincts Conditioning Colour in 4RR, 7, sainsburys.co.uk. Pinky, 35, works in childcare and lives in London with her three children. WHAT IS IT? A new range infused with coconut oil and aloe vera to protect your hair. OUR TEST: Ive used home dyes before, but worry about drying out my hair. The semi-permanent dye I used contains coconut oil and aloe vera. It smelt delicious, and was easy to use. I just shook the colour and applied it to dry hair from the roots. When I rinsed it off, it just looked darker brown, but as it dried, a rich, shiny red emerged. Im so impressed. Pinky Lising went from light brown to very dark red using Clairol 4RR, 5.50, sainsburys.co.uk The temporary hue that will pack a punch Nurse Liz Trowbridge, 40, went from blonde to copper using Tint Rinse, 13, esalon.co.uk. Liz lives near Cheltenham and has an 18-year-old daughter, Mya. WHAT IS IT? Once, temporary dyes barely made an impact and tended to fade quickly. But new advances mean you can create brighter hues in minutes that last a few washes, without permanently discolouring your hair. This version contains wheat protein to smooth hair cuticles and collagen to boost moisture. OUR TEST: Ive been blonde since I was 16, and Im a diehard fan of proper salon care. A friend of mine is a stylist, and she does my hair at home after salon hours, so it costs me only about 40 every few weeks for highlights and lowlights. Im very careful with my hair, and am meticulous about my roots never showing. Still, I was happy to give this a go and hoped it would be an elegant, subtle shade. It was a single tube of tint which foamed up as I applied it. I did a test on a small amount of hair first, which revealed a lovely copper colour. Although it was left on for only three minutes, it certainly made an impact! I have to admit, the final result is a lot brighter than Id expected and Im not entirely sold on it. Id far rather trust an expert. The West Bengal government has started discharging patients from a state-run hospital and stopped admitting new ones to the institute to convert the entire facility into an isolation and treatment centre for people suspected to be infected with coronavirus, a senior health official said on Wednesday. "From Tuesday, we have started discharging patients who are in better condition from Medical College Hospital, Kolkata. We have also stopped admitting new patients, especially those who are pregnant and are referring them to other hospitals. "This is as per the state government's plan to convert the entire hospital, which has 2,200 beds, into an isolation and treatment centre for persons suspected to be infected with the coronavirus," he said. Another official of the health department said the step was taken as part of the state government's preparedness to prevent the spread of coronavirus. "We plan to keep high-risk COVID-19 patients at a dedicated hospital. There are several things to be done and we are working on them," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Verkhovna Rada of 9th convocation, first session, August 31, 2019 Zoya Shu/112.ua MPs are asking the Cabinet of Ministers to respond to the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on depriving Ukrainians who do not have a Russian passport of the right to own land in annexed Crimea. The decree is valid from March 20 of this year, as Voice of Ukraine reports. Putins new action is aimed at banning the right of land ownership in Crimea to non-Russian citizens. That is, those Crimeans who refused to obtain a Russian passport are now even more limited in their rights. A new stage of pressure. He promptly turned to the executive because Ukraine needs a quick diplomatic reaction to these events," - the report said. Officials are asked to take response measures to protect citizens' constitutional rights to property and to ensure that the international community is introduced. The office of General Prosecutor opened a criminal case on the misappropriation of state and private property in the territory of annexed Crimea. "The appropriation of state property and private property by the Russian Federation is a violation of international humanitarian law, in particular article 147 of the Convention for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949 and articles 46, 53, 55, 56 of the IV Convention on the Laws and Customs of the Land War 1907, and also constitutes a war crime in accordance with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Art. 8 (2) (a) (IV)," - the statement said. On the territory of the peninsula the occupying "authorities" seized more than 4 thousand objects worth more than $2,1 billion. As we reported earlier, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened the criminal case against Head of Mejlis of Crimean Tatars Refat Chubarov Hotels in Washington County will get a little bit of help in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that has hit the travel and hospitality industry hard. The Washington County Visitors Association announced Wednesday that it will issue a $560,000 sustainability grant to help the 56 hotels in the community. The grant money is the equivalent of 445 room rentals per night for 14 nights, at an average rate of almost $90 per room, the association said. Each hotel will receive $10,000, which will be dispersed immediately. Washington County has been hit particularly hard during the coronavirus outbreak. The suburban county had 76 cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday, more than double the number of any other county in Oregon. The new grant is designed to help hotels get through a 14-day transition period while they await state and federal assistance. In order to receive the grant money, each hotel must agree to a pledge that requires it use the funds only for specific reasons, including supporting employees financially, paying property taxes or paying utility bills. However, hotels can also use the money for marketing expenses or simply to strive to keep their establishments open. The Washington County Visitors Association is funded by transient lodging taxes, used to help promote the regions tourism industry. The sustainability grant will be paid from a reserve fund, previously set aside to help local businesses through difficult economic times, the association said. We face an unexpected and unprecedented threat to our local hospitality industry and our local economy, but together we can meet this challenge, said Carolyn McCormick, president and CEO of Washington County Visitors Association, in a news release. This grant program serves as our investment in the future of the Tualatin Valley and its citizens." --Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Rapid testing kits which can diagnose coronavirus in just 15 minutes will be available in Australia within days. The revolutionary test will identify the deadly respiratory infection within three days of exposure, and drastically cut the current 24 hour wait time. Up to five million kits per week will be available for use in hospitals and labs across Australia and the United States by April 3rd, according to Brisbane based medical equipment company Promedical. Promedical CEO Neran De Silva told Daily Mail Australia the prototype received TGA approval - meaning it can be distributed to medical professionals and used on patients - last Friday. Promedicals -19 Rapid Test Kit is the only device in the world that can test for two separate antibodies linked to COVID-19. The rapid testing kit (pictured) will come with a testing device and a buffer, and measures 10 microlitres of blood, which is applied to the stick-like testing device There have been 2,363 cases of coronavirus already diagnosed in Australia - by that number is expected to rise The kits will be available and ready for use from April 3rd, and the company have the capacity to distribute five million tests per week. But Mr De Silva said they're still working on a take-home testing kit for everyday Australians. 'We are currently developing a home care rapid test kit which will allow people to self test at home with an online component,' he said. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement They have not yet decided on a price-point for when they do become readily available. 'We immediately began looking for the best solution to stop its spread... That was finding a way to speed up the testing and reporting process,' Mr De Silva said. The current testing mechanisms take up to 24 hours for a clear diagnosis. The test, which Promedical describe as revolutionary, is 96.7 per cent accurate, and are currently being sold to the Department of Health in Australia and the United States Government. Mr De Silva said, for now, kits will be exclusively offered to health and medical professionals for clinical use in hospitals, fever clinics, pathology and medical centres. Ideally, they will allow for increased testing on health workers, first responders and Australians who are considered most at risk. 'The Rapid Test Kit provides immediate peace of mind for health and medical staff who are exposed to COVID-19 daily. They can be tested and back at work within 15 minutes; freeing up valuable treatment time,' he said. The kits will be available in hospitals and medical practices from April 3rd - but aren't yet available over the counter The test works by detecting COVID-19 antibody levels in blood from the fingertip. The kit comes complete with a testing device and a buffer, and measures 10 microlitres of blood, which is applied to the stick-like testing device. If coronavirus is detected, two purple lines will appear, meaning a person requires further testing and treatment. Mr De Silva said Promedical had been collaborating with the TGA for several weeks to test and trial the kits and provide clear evidence they were safe for public use. Promedical holds contracts with international governments regarding the manufacturing and distribution of the kit, but has vowed to prioritise access for Australians to slow the spread on home soil. They hope to boost manufacturing from five million to nine million kits per week to meet demand. The kits have been used 'successfully and effectively' by medical teams throughout Asia, Mr De Silva said. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL March 25, 2020 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Freeport-McMoRan Inc. FCX, Teck Resources Ltd. TECK, Vale S.A VALE, Rio Tinto Plc RIO and Southern Copper Corp. SCCO. Here are highlights from Tuesdays Analyst Blog: Copper Gains on Supply Shortage Fears Amid Coronavirus Outbreak With major mining countries ramping up efforts to contain spread of the coronavirus outbreak, it has triggered supply concerns for copper, which in turn has resulted the metals escalating prices. Further, the industrial metal gained on the U.S. Federal Reserves announcement of extensive new measures to support the U.S economy. Copper prices were up 1.5% to close at $2.15 per pound on Mar 23, 2020. The Fed pledged to buy an unlimited amount of Treasury and mortgage-backed securities, as required. It also announced three new lending facilities to support consumer and business credit markets. The Fed also announced that it will soon roll out a program to support lending to eligible small-and-medium sized businesses. Coronavirus cases across the globe have escalated to 332,930, per WHOs situation report as of Mar 23, 2020, while the death toll stands at 14,510. To limit the spread, many countries have put in place travel or border restrictions and other measures such as constrained movement and quarantines. Consequently, metal producers are suspending production, slowing project construction or limiting operations to critical activities. Supply Crunch is Imminent The Peruvian Government, for instance, has closed borders and declaring a state of national emergency requiring a 15-day quarantine. Peru is a global mining powerhouse ranking third in global copper production, second for silver and sixth for gold and also boasts significant reserves of zinc, lead, iron ore and tin. The countrys mining ministry has allowed the mining sector to carry out critical operations during this period while maintaining safety, health and environmental conditions. Story continues Freeport-McMoRan Inc. announced that Cerro Verde mine in Peru has been transitioned provisionally to a care and maintenance status for a 15-day period starting Mar 16. During this period, onsite workers will be limited to critical activities. Freeport has 53.56% stake at Cerro Verde. The mine produced 1 billion pounds of copper and 29 million pounds of molybdenum in 2019. The company has also suspended its dividend amid the coronavirus-induced crisis. The company is also undergoing an aggressive review of operating plans at each of its global copper and molybdenum operations to reduce costs and capital spending to ensure maximum cash flow under current market conditions. Anglo American plc is slowing construction work at its Quellaveco copper project in the country and only critical areas of the project are anticipated to continue as usual. However, Teck Resources Ltd. announced that it continues to operate the Antamina mine under an exemption from the announced Peruvian Government restrictions. Critical operations will be maintained by a reduced workforce throughout the 15-day national emergency quarantine period. Meanwhile, neighboring country Chile declared a 90-day state of catastrophe, restricting freedom of movement. Teck Resources announced suspension for an initial two-week period of construction activities at its Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 (QB2) project. Teck holds 60% stake in the project, which is touted be one of the worlds largest undeveloped copper resources. Chilean copper miner Codelco stated it would reduce operations to comply with the imposed restrictions. Anglo American declared it is scaling down operations at its copper mine in Chile. Vale S.A announced that it is placing its Voisey's Bay mining operation in Canada on care and maintenance for a period of four weeks. Voisey's Bay produced 25.0kt of copper in concentrate in 2019. The decision also impacts Voisey's Bay Mine Expansion project currently underway to transition to underground operations. In Mongolia, Rio Tinto Plcs multi-billion underground project at the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold site has been slowed due to the restrictions imposed by the Mongolian authorities. Copper is considered an important barometer for the global economy. The widely-used industrial metal has plunged 24% so far on escalating apprehensions of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the global economy. Industrial production in China, the worlds biggest metal consumer, plunged 13.5% year over year in January-February 2020 the first drop in industrial output since 1990. Copper miners fall under the Zacks Mining - Non Ferrous industry, which has fallen 45.2% over the past year compared with the S&P 500s decline of 20.5%. The industry falls under the broader Basic Material sector, which declined 42.3%. The industry currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank #102, which places it at the top 40% of more than 250 Zacks industries. The group's Zacks Industry Rank, which is the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates bright prospects in the near term. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Copper Poised Well for the Long Haul Even though coronavirus fears are weighing on copper prices, the production cutbacks will lead to a supply crunch. Eventually as demand picks up, it will help lift copper prices. Stimulus measures from governments will also help lift the metal. The long-term outlook for copper is positive as demand is anticipated to improve on investments in electric vehicles and renewable energy, and infrastructure. However, grade decline, rising input costs, water constraints and scarcity of high-quality future development opportunities continue to constrain the industrys supply. The demand-supply imbalance will probably push copper prices north. Investors interested in the industry can consider Southern Copper Corp. (SCCO), which currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. The company has a long-term estimated earnings growth rate of 14.14%. The Zacks Estimate for current years earnings has gone up 4% over the past 60 days, indicating year-over-year growth of 10.4%. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Rio Tinto PLC (RIO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX) : Free Stock Analysis Report VALE S.A. (VALE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Southern Copper Corporation (SCCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Teck Resources Ltd (TECK) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Levels of smog have plummeted in a number of European cities under coronavirus lockdown, including Paris and Italian cities Rome, Milan and Bergamo, the epicenter of the European coronavirus outbreak. The European Environment Agencys (EEA) data has confirmed a large decrease in air pollutant concentrations - in particular of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The agency has put this down to the reduction in vehicle use and other activities, especially in major cities that are under lockdown, saying that reductions of around half have been seen in some locations. Bergamo, Italy, the epicenter of the European Coronavirus outbreak, is a very industrial city and its skies are normally filled with smog as pictured before the city went into lockdown View of the Eiffel Tower and the empty Pont d'Iena shows how Paris's skies have cleared up since France went into lock down to slow the spread of the coronavirus The Paris skies behind the Eiffel Tower are often smoggy. The iconic tower was closed on 13 March due to the spread of COVID-19 The data the EEA has access to is almost real-time, as it is captured hourly on the ground at around 3,000 monitoring stations across the continent. Despite the positive decreases, Hans Bruyninckx, EEA Executive Director warned of the long-term environmental impact of a damaged economy caused by coronavirus. He said: 'The EEAs data show an accurate picture of the drop in air pollution, especially due to reduced traffic in cities. 'However, addressing long-term air quality problems requires ambitious policies and forward-looking investments. As such, the current crisis and its multiple impacts on our society work against what we are trying to achieve, which is a just and well-managed transition towards a resilient and sustainable society.' Satellite images of Europe show the drop in pollution. Top: Pollution levels in January, before countries started going into lockdown. Bottom: March 11, after many countries in Europe have locked down Pollutant drops in major European cities: The numbers published by the European Environment Agency Milan, Italy The average concentrations of NO2 for the past four weeks have been at least 24% lower than four weeks earlier this year. The average concentration during the week of 16-22 March was 21% lower than for the same week in 2019. Bergamo, Italy Here, there has been a constant decline in NO2 pollution over the past four weeks. The average concentration during the week of 16-22 March was 47% lower than for the same week in 2019. Rome, Italy The average NO2 concentrations for the past four weeks were 26-35% lower than for the same weeks in 2019. Barcelona, Spain The average NO2 levels went down by 40% from one week to the next. Compared with the same week in 2019, the reduction was 55%. Madrid, Spain The average NO2 levels went down by 56% from one week to the next. Compared with the same week in 2019, the reduction was 41%. Lisbon, Portugal The average NO2 levels went down by 40% from one week to the next. Compared with the same week in 2019, the reduction was 51%. Advertisement Slide me Before and after lockdown. Left: Before, pollution in Europe is visibly widespread, particularly in northern Italy and over major cities. Right: As major cities have gone into lockdown, pollution levels have reduced France's stay-at-home orders to combat the coronavirus outbreak have produced a 20 to 30 percent decline in overall air pollution levels in Paris, according to a report from the region's air quality monitoring agency. The lockdown has taken countless cars and delivery trucks off the roads since coming into effect on March 17, and massively reduced the number of flights at the two airports serving the capital. The Airparif report said that just two days after the self-confinement began, it registered 'a 20 to 30 percent improvement in air quality in the Paris metropolis, after nitrogen oxide emissions dropped by more than 60 percent.' Clear sky and empty roads: The Arc de Triumph in Paris and the roundabout it's on is usually one of the busiest roads in the city Before the lockdown, this is what you would expect to see at the Arc de Triump. Busy roads and smoggy skies have both cleared up in recent weeks Major thoroughfares saw the biggest improvements, with pollution levels falling to those normally seen only in the city's parks. 'This decline in air pollution was accompanied by a drop in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, underscoring the links between these two problems and the joint benefits for the climate of any improvement in air quality,' Airparif said. It noted, however, that the lockdown had not led to marked declines in so-called PM2.5 and PM10 particles, the smallest and most harmful air pollutants, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. Parisian police officers patrol the streets of Paris to enforce the lockdown in place throughout the country Airparif said increased home heating as colder weather set in, combined with continued agriculture activities in surrounding areas, had kept the particulate levels from declining. 'But thanks to the sharp traffic declines, the levels did not increase to alert levels, which would probably have been the case in normal conditions,' it said. France is currently the country with the seventh highest number of confirmed cases of coronavirus. According to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus resource centre, it has had over 22,000 confirmed cases, with 1,100 deaths. A former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump has been denied early release from a three-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to numerous charges, including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress. U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III said on Tuesday it seemed Michael Cohen's request for release to home confinement after serving 10 months in prison 'appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle.' The judge noted that Cohen raised the danger of getting the coronavirus in prison as the latest reason why he believed he was entitled to a reduced sentence. He also rejected the request on other grounds, including that the defense lawyers were making a request that only prosecutors were entitled to make. Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, pictured last year. Cohen was denied early release from a three-year prison sentence Tuesday Otisville Federal Correctional Institution, where Michael Cohen is currently incarcerated Pauley noted that Cohen attempted to cooperate with prosecutors after his December 2018 sentencing in Manhattan federal court in the hopes that he could earn a reduced sentence. But he said prosecutors believe he made false statements about facts in his sessions with prosecutors. 'Unable to articulate how he advanced any investigation or prosecution, Cohen and his surrogates make extravagant allegations that the Department of Justice - from the Attorney General down to line prosecutors - acted in bad faith. Those ad hominem attacks lack any substance and do not trigger the right to remedy or a hearing before this Court,' Judge Pauley wrote. The judge said it was not for him to second-guess the prosecutors' decision that Cohen's false statements and efforts to minimize his crimes justified a decision not to recommend a reduced sentence for Cohen. In asking for early release, Cohen's lawyers said their client was the victim of a continuing campaign of 'character assassination' by prosecutors. They claimed the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan 'stubbornly refuses' to acknowledge the breadth, scope and relevance of over 170 hours of testimony he gave to nine government agencies. Cohen, 53, is housed at a federal prison in Otisville, New York, after pleading guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations and lying to Congress, among other charges. He began serving his sentence last May. Cohen, 53, is housed at a federal prison in Otisville, New York, after pleading guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations and lying to Congress, among other charges Cohen maintains he deserves early release for telling investigators about the president's misdeeds. In court papers, prosecutors say Cohen has offered no evidence that he provided them with substantial assistance of the kind that warrants a significant reduction in sentence. And they say Congressional testimony does not earn a reduction either. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018, abandoning his longtime position of loyalty to Trump. He later met with federal and state prosecutors in New York and with the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, telling them he had lied to Congress to protect Trump. Prior to Cohen's sentence, Mueller's team of investigators described his help to their probe, but prosecutors in Manhattan made it clear that Cohen wanted to help them only on his terms, unwilling to submit to the demands that he reveal all of his crimes and cooperate fully and honestly. Other high profile prisoners to have launched legal bids to be released from prison out of fear of contracting the coronavirus behind bars include gangster and rapper Takeshi69, celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti and Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernie Madoff. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018, abandoning his longtime position of loyalty to Trump. He later met with federal and state prosecutors in New York and with the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, telling them he had lied to Congress to protect Trump. Pictured leaving his apartment to begin serving a three-year sentence at a federal prison in New York in May 2019 Avenatti was last Saturday denied request to be released on bail, after he argued he is especially vulnerable to coronavirus while awaiting trial in New York. Rapist and disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein, 68, is so far the highest profile criminal to have tested positive for COVID-19 after reportedly catching it while imprisoned on the notorious Rikers Island, New York City's main jail complex, before being transferred and later isolated at Wende Correctional Facility in Western New York. On Monday, President of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association Michael Powers, confirmed Weinstein to be one of two prisoners in isolation at the facility. Those who are filing legal bids to escape prison to avoid the virus fear US prisons could become a breeding ground for the coronavirus to spread, and are eager to avoid Weinstein's situation. Some prisons in the US are already looking at releasing low level offenders to reduce population and stem the spread of the virus. Rapist and disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is serving 23 years for rape and sexual assault, is being held in prison isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus Rikers Island Jail complex, New York, where Harvey Weinstein is thought to have caught the coronavirus. There are concerns that US prisons could become a breeding ground for the virus Takeshi69, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, told the Manhattan Federal Court in a letter that he is experiencing shortness of breath, a symptom of the coronavirus. He also said that he has asthma and was recently hospitalized with bronchitis and sinusitis on 31 October, which would put him in the high-risk category. Hernandez's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, wrote in the letter on Sunday: 'While I recognize that his release date is only about four months away, given the health crisis that is currently tearing through this region and Mr. Hernandez's compromised medical condition, please strongly consider modifying Mr. Hernandez's sentence so as to immediately make him eligible for home confinement.' Daniel Hernandez, aka Takeshi69, is due to be released on 31 July, but has requested he is released early to avoid the coronavirus as it spreads through the New York prison system He is due to complete his sentence on July 31 after he was imprisoned for committing nine federal crimes, including racketeering and drug charges. He was facing a much longer sentence, but this was reduced after he cooperated with investigations into other gang members. The letter claims that the warden of the facility Hernandez, 23, is incarcerated in will not allow him to go to hospital, 'despite recommendation of the facility's medical director' that he is treated by a hospital doctor. Cohen's fellow lawyer Michael Avenatti, 49, famous for representing celebrities including Stormy Daniels and serving time for trying to extort sportswear giant Nike, also requested to be released from prison to avoid the coronavirus. His own representative said that when he visited Avenatti in prison, he saw that the jail was 'completely unprepared' for the coronavirus outbreak, with no hand sanitizer or checks on people coming in and out of the prison. 'That's a small indicator of a big problem,' said Avenatti's lawyer Dean Steward to CNN. 'I'm putting together a motion to get him out on bail based almost exclusively on the illness factor and how bad it's going to be once a person gets it in there. A guard or somebody will get it; it will be a horror show.' Despite his concerns, a federal judge rejected Avenatti's plea to be released early, dismissing concerns that a recent case of pneumonia puts him at high risk. Celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti - famous for representing Stormy Daniels - and his representative, believe the prison system is not fit to cope with the coronavirus outbreak Bernie Madoff, serving 150 years in prison, has a terminal kidney disease. Catching the coronavirus could be fatal to someone with his condition and of his age Another high profile detainee considering filing for release is Bernie Madoff, the man behind an infamous ponzi scheme that landed him with a 150 year prison for fraud, money laundering, perjury and false statements. Madoff, 81, applied for compassionate leave last month due to his terminal kidney disease, and is reportedly considering applying for release once more due to the threat posed by the coronavirus to those in poor health. Speaking to Daily News, Madoff's lawyer said: 'This health crisis may further accelerate his death. I think this serves as potentially another additional reason why continuing to keep him in confinement is not in his interest nor in the public's best interests.' I was leading the high life in one of the worlds coolest cities. Serving a three-month internship as a copy-editor in Beijing, China, in the online arm of a national newspaper, I enjoyed a life of luxury. I had a fully-furnished apartment at the newspapers compound to myself (local employees had to share apartments), was given a monthly allowance of RMB 2000 a month (USD$300, which was the equivalent pay of a fresh Chinese graduate), plus the newspaper was delivered to my doorstep every morning. If I was feeling a little lazy, I could get a cleaner to clean up my apartment for about RMB 50 (USD$8). I could shop as much as I wanted and dine at expensive restaurants as often as I liked, without having to watch my bank account. Yes, life was good. But I soon started finding the littlest of things to complain about. The trivial matters I moaned about ranged from the lack of good coffee to the exorbitant price of a hamburger, and the inconvenience of not being able to log on to Facebook or Gmail. When I missed snacks and candies from New Zealandwhere I liveI asked my sister to send me a care package filled with chocolate biscuits, a fashion magazine (in English, please, my brains are exhausted trying to read Mandarin), and a white cotton skirt, because Beijings sweltering summer heat was killing me. Complaining at the drop of a hat Dont get me wrong. I was very grateful to be given the opportunity to work in China. It was something I had my eyes on for a very long time, and I could hardly believe my ears when I was told I had been given a place at the newspaper. But my human nature got the better of me, and soon, I was complaining at the drop of a hat. You see, I had forgotten to leave behind that baggage marked First World Problems when I headed to China. Having led a comfortable life back home where hunger and poverty are terms I hear of but rarely see, I took everything my host country had graciously offered me for granted. All that changed one day, however, when I ran into one of the cleaners, a young mother with a primary school aged child, on my way back to my apartment after lunch. It was a particularly hot afternoon and I was hoping to sit in my room with the air-conditioner turned up for a bit before going back to work. She was rummaging through the rubbish heap with a foot-long pole under the noonday sun. The smell from the heap was unbearable. I had half a mind to walk past, but my curiosity got the better of me, so I asked her what she was doing on such a hot afternoon. She told me that she was fishing for discarded plastic bottles and containers to sell, because she needed every extra dollar. We soon struck up a conversation, in which I learned of her hopes and dreams. She wanted to get higher education, but had to let the opportunity go to her brother because her family could afford to send only one child to university. That also meant she had to leave her hometown to look for work in a bigger city. I felt myself growing hot with shame as I stood in front of her with a tertiary education, an office job, and a comfortable apartment (Youve a very luxurious unit, she told me)and complaining about the heat. I said I was happy for her to clean my apartment if she needed the extra income. I also extended an invitation to her to have lunch with me and my friends at a nearby restaurant. She declined the invitation. One day however, she asked me if I couldbefore leaving Chinadrop off any of my unused and/or leftover body wash, shampoo, and body moisturiser, along with any food, to her. I was not sure if I had heard her right. Why would she want my leftovers? But my ears were not playing tricks on me. She said body lotions and other toiletries (especially the American brands) were luxury items for her, so she was willing to pick up anything I did not want. At that instant, my First World Problems immediately disappeared, and I saw things in a different light. I eventually gave her a few unopened packets of chocolate biscuits and enough body lotion to last her a few months before returning to New Zealand. Take a look around Have you ever been in a similar situation? If youve been fortunate enoughlike meto be suffering from First World Problems, congratulations. This means you are in a position to bless and help those who are less fortunate. You dont even have to travel far to lend a hand to the marginalized; just look around you to see how you are able to meet a need. If you have a domestic worker in your home, perhaps you can bless her with a kind word of encouragement or surprise her with a lovely present on her birthday or Christmas. If you know of an old folks home or a local orphanage in need of a lick of paint or a clean backyard for residents and children to relax and play in, organize a get-together with your local church to give these places a good spruce up. Doing good deeds is more than just getting a warm, fuzzy feeling in our tummies knowing that we have helped someone. Whenever we feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and visit the sick, we are doing it for Jesus (Matthew chapter 25, verses 35-40). God wants us to love and to help the marginalized and the less fortunate. We are commanded to defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed (Psalm chapter 82, verses 3). The founder of Christian aid group World Vision, Robert Pierce, once said, Let my heart be broken for the things that break the heart of God. Today, will you ask God to show you the things that break His heart, step out, and meet that need? Originally published on YMI at https://ymi.today/2015/11/me-and-my-first-world-problems/. Republished with permission. Flash The coronavirus continued to sweep across Europe, with the combined number of confirmed cases on the continent exceeding 200,000 as of Tuesday evening, accounting for half of known cases worldwide. Globally, the number of coronavirus cases crossed the 400,000 mark as of 1725 GMT on Tuesday, and the deaths globally were 17,454, according to the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the COVID-19 spread in real-time. In just five days, Europe's number of confirmed cases jumped from 100,000 to 200,000. The four hardest-hit European countries remained the same -- Italy, Spain, Germany and France -- with their total cases now topping 150,000 in combination. REBOUNDING IN ITALY In Italy, the numbers of both new cases and deaths rebounded on Tuesday. At a daily routine press conference, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli said Italy reported 5,249 new cases of coronavirus and 743 new deaths in the last 24 hours. Italy's number of new cases rebounded from 4,789 on Monday, reversing a day-to-day decline in new cases recorded over the previous five days. The number of new deaths also rebounded from 602 deaths on Monday and 650 deaths on Sunday. It was the second highest daily toll only after Saturday's 793 since the epidemic broke out in northern Italy on Feb. 21. The COVID-19 disease had claimed 6,820 lives as of Tuesday evening in Italy, a nation that has lost more lives than any other country to the pandemic. The cumulative number of coronavirus cases in Italy reached 69,176, the most outside China, and 54,030 people are currently positive for the coronavirus, according to official data. Despite the disappointment, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday updated the latest situation on the COVID-19 outbreak, saying that there was a glimmer of hope in Italy, as there were fewer new cases than in the previous several days. However, the WHO said that it was still far too early to claim that the tide had turned, and the situation there needed to be carefully observed in the coming days. WORSENING IN SPAIN, FRANCE Spain has the second highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe, only after Italy. The number of COVID-19 cases in Spain had risen to 39,373 on Tuesday, including 5,400 health workers, while that of deaths rose to 2,696 in a 24-hour span. In neighboring France, 240 more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, bringing the country's death toll to 1,100. France became the fourth country to have more than 1,000 fatalities related to COVID-19, after China, Italy and Spain. France's number of new cases rose by 2,153 in 24 hours over Monday, taking the country's total confirmed cases to 22,302, Director-General of Health Jerome Salomon said. A total of 10,176 people are hospitalized, including 2,516 in the intensive care units, said Salomon at a daily briefing. "We are still in a situation that worsens rapidly," he said. In Germany, confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased by 4,764 in 24 hours to 27,436 as of Tuesday, according to the German government agency for disease control and prevention Robert Koch Institute. In addition, another 12 European countries have registered more than 1,000 confirmed infection cases -- Switzerland, Britain, The Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Luxembourg. STRICTER MEASURES Since March 10, Italy, Spain, France and several other European countries had one after another imposed virtual national lockdowns to contain the infectious disease. But the novel coronavirus is showing no sign of abating, forcing them to roll out extra anti-virus measures. Starting on Tuesday, France's lockdown rules and measures have become stricter. People are allowed to go out for a walk with their children or to exercise once per day for no more than one hour, and within one kilometer of their home. France was put into lockdown on March 17 for at least 15 days. French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Tuesday that his country will remain in lockdown as long as needed to halt the spread of the virus. "As long as it (the confinement) should last, it lasts," he said. Separately, France's scientific council said the lockdown should last at least six weeks after it was put in place. "At present, confinement is the only really operational strategy," the council said in its recommendations. Also on Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that his government has approved a new decree introducing fines of 400 to 3,000 euros (430 to 3,228 U.S. dollars) for people caught violating the government's anti-coronavirus lockdown rules. Under the lockdown rules, people are not allowed to leave their homes except for buying food, going to the pharmacy, walking their dogs, or going to work if they are employed in key sectors such as health care or food production. People are also not allowed to travel between municipalities. Conte added that the new decree gives regional governors the power to impose stiffer lockdown rules if needed. In Spain, the government confirmed on Tuesday that it had "agreed to ask Congress for the authorization to extend the State of Alarm until April 12," adding that "the request will be debated and voted on tomorrow, Wednesday." A State of Alarm is the first of three emergency levels that the Spanish government can apply under exceptional circumstances. In Finland, which had 792 confirmed cases by Tuesday afternoon, the government on Tuesday decided to ask parliamentary approval for powers to isolate the Uusimaa province, including the capital Helsinki, and to close restaurants. A man walks in empty Souk al-Hamidieh as restrictions are imposed as measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Damascus AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria on Wednesday began a nationwide curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. as lockdown measures to counter the spread of coronavirus were extended, residents and state media said. The government had already ordered the closure of shops, markets and public transport, allowing only pharmacies to open and limited deliveries of bread to prevent crowding near bakeries. The Health Ministry said on Wednesday confirmed cases had risen to five after it reported its first case on Sunday. Medics and experts are sceptical of the figures, saying the authorities are covering up many more cases. The authorities deny this. "The curfew is serious and any violator will be detained and face legal measures," Interior Minister Mohamad al Rahmoun was quoted as saying on state television. State media showed the main squares in the capital Damascus empty of cars and people. Medics say the country is at high risk of a major outbreak because of a fragile health system devastated by a nine-year war and lack of sufficient equipment to detect the virus. Opposition figures and independent politicians point to Damascus' strong ties with Iran, the worst affected country in the region, as a source of possible contagion. They say the virus is coming from some of members of Iranian-backed militias who are fighting alongside the Syrian army. Iran has a huge presence in Syria with thousands of militiamen who control large areas and towns. Syria says it has suspended its incoming and outgoing passenger flights as part of measures to curb the virus. Western intelligence sources say Iranian-backed forces continue to fly into Syria and cross from the Albukamal border crossing, near Iraq. Iran has imposed social distancing measures to combat the outbreak in the country, including travel restrictions. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Alison Williams) Every weekend and holiday, Cameron Newham is out from dawn to dusk, in rain, sun, hail and biting winds, fulfilling his quest to photograph all 12,000 of England's rural parish churches. Always working alone 'other people tend to get rather bored' he takes pictures of, well, pretty much everything. A nice view from the gate and all external elevations. Then it's inside for a few dozen snaps of all monuments that pre-date 1900, all brasses from before 1800, the font, altar, royal arms, pulpits, seats and wall paintings. But not church chests, 'unless they're exceptional'. Cameron Newham (pictured) is on a quest to photograph all 12,000 of England's rural parish churches Among the churches that Mr Newham has photographed in St.Remigius Church in Long Clawson, Leicestershire (pictured) Or organs, 'because I know nothing about them'. Or bells, 'because who wants to be scrambling around in the belfry?' He'll only 'do' Victorian glass if it has been listed in the historian Nikolaus Pevsner's guides on English buildings. And strictly no graves. 'I have to have limits' he says. 'I have already taken half a million pictures over nearly a quarter of a century!' In that time, he has braved angry vicars ('one nearly punched me, but perhaps I did rather press his buttons'), recalcitrant church wardens and ghostly apparitions. At St Mary the Virgin in Bucklebury, Berkshire, where the Duchess of Cambridge grew up, he was once spooked by an elderly couple who entered the church then disappeared. In Cornwall, he nearly drowned in quicksand while trying to photograph a 15th-century well. An owl once nearly knocked him out when it flew at him and hit his head in one ruined church. But, undeterred, Cameron in his mid-50s has pressed doggedly towards his goal. Mr Newham (pictured at Weston Church, Otley, Yorkshire) is out from dawn to dusk, in rain, sun, hail and biting winds, fulfilling his quest The photographer (at All Saints' Church in Otley, Yorkshire) has now ticked off more than 9,000 churches Pictured: The ruins of Old Church at Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire, which was taken by Mr Newham in June 2016 He has now ticked off more than 9,000 churches and developed a smartphone app, Keyholder For Parish Churches, to make churches more accessible, both in person providing all possible information for visitors but also online, with thousands of amazing photographs, particularly useful right now, with everyone stuck at home. After 23 years, he is more committed than ever. 'This is my gift to the future. 'I expect these pictures will still be available in 500, maybe 1,000 years,' he says. 'I will be the modern Pevsner.' On paper, Cameron isn't the obvious candidate to provide single-handedly a photographic record of the Anglican Church's rural heritage. He hails from Perth, Australia, loathed history at school, isn't remotely religious and he isn't even a professional photographer. But he is passionate about our parish churches. 'They're the best buildings in their communities but they are taken for granted,' he says. While visiting Holy Trinity Church in Norfolk, the photographer took a picture of the wax funeral effigy of Sarah Hare (left) and inside St.Michaels Church in Ashton, Devon, he was able to capture a painted panel (right) Mr Newham visited Long Compton Parish Church in Warwickshire (pictured) in 1997 The photographer has also visited St.Michaels Church (left) in Littlecotes, Lincolnshire, and St Mary, St Katharine & All Saints (right) in Edington, Wiltshire While visiting St.Cuthberts Church in Elsdon, Northumberland, Mr Newham was able to capture the horse skulls kept inside a cabinet 'People should use them more and remember that they house most of the best sculptures, paintings and monuments in this country.' It all started in 1996 when Cameron moved to London to work as an IT consultant. Finding weekends in the suburb of Pinner rather dreary, and inspired by Pevsner's books, he decided to photograph some of the structures featured, but not pictured. The first church he photographed was St Peter & St Paul in Long Compton, Warwickshire. To start with, it was all nice and simple. He had a compact camera and took just three pictures at each place. But when he upgraded to a digital camera, the project grew and he decided to focus on parish churches. Meanwhile in St.Peters Church, Low Toynton, Lincolnshire, the photographer was able to capture the ruins Mr Newham has photographed a holy water font (left) at St.Mary the Virgin Church in Thorpe Arnold, Leicstershire, and effigies of Sir Thomas Hewar and his wife inside St.Edmunds church in Emneth, Norfolk (right) 'It just sort of expanded,' he says. 'The first county I 'did' was Berkshire I just knocked it off in bits, one by one. Then things rapidly ramped up. I never really foresaw the scale.' Or, presumably, the hundreds of thousands of hours it would absorb. His commitment and stamina are extraordinary. On a summer's day, and if all key holders are obliging, he can get through up to eight churches in a 12-hour shift, followed by a couple more hours typing up his notes and transferring hundreds of photographs back at his home, now near Bradford, West Yorks. Often, he doesn't even take a packed lunch, only pausing for a snack. He has spent pretty much every day off from his job on the project. A couple of years ago, he took 18 months off work to photograph all 847 of Devon and Cornwall's rural churches even moving to Plymouth. Also in the photographer's album in All Saints Church in Hessle, East Yorkshire (left), and St.Mary the Virgin Church in Isles Abbotts, Somerset (right) Mr Newham was able to photograph a holy water font inside Holy Cross Church, Greenford, London, in 2018 Together, we visit All Saints church in Weston, Yorkshire. It is a small Grade I listed building built in the 11th century. The interior is relatively simple, with whitewashed walls and box pews. Cameron strides about with his trusty Canon, admiring the stained glass, coats of arms and hatchments and talks me through various photographic challenges. 'Clear glass windows and dark pews my worst photography nightmare,' he says. Church clutter is another bete noire. He still can't explain the vanishing couple in Bucklebury. 'I said 'hello' several times and they did not reply, which I thought was very rude,' he says. So he waited in the chancel for them but they disappeared. So far, he has only twice woken up and thought, 'Oh no, not today'. He went anyway. He still walks into every new church with excitement, never consults Pevsner beforehand for fear of spoiling the surprise and can remember every church he's visited. 'They all have very different personalities some are simple, others are ornate. 'And sometimes I really like the smell,' he says. 'You can't possibly compare them.' Surprisingly, Cameron's least favourite church is one overflowing with architectural treasures. While inside St.Michaels Church in Ashton, Devon, Mr Newham photographed its painted panels His ideal job is a 'nice Victorian box with nothing in it. That's a ten-minute job'. So far, the Parish Church Photographic Survey project has cost him about 150,000 in fuel and accommodation, nothing compared to the millions it would cost a professional photographer. 'This is a serious piece of work,' he explains. 'It is not some dalliance. For many churches, these will be the best shots possible and it's also propagating me into the future. I'm not married and I don't have children so it is my legacy. So it is important to finish it.' To which end, he is militarily organised. Each year he produces an extremely detailed Annual Report of his progress and any beauties he's come across in his travels. He has also appointed a group of trustees to make sure that if, God forbid, something should happen to him, the tens of thousands of hours he has spent are not in vain. 'There are people to look after it and money to pay for it be finished,' he says. 'I can't risk losing it at this stage.' While gruelling, the project is not as solitary as it sounds. He has had to conquer his natural shyness to liaise with countless church wardens and vicars, has met thousands of lovely people and made many friends through church appreciation groups. And if a church is locked, he does not despair. First, he'll use the Diocesan Directory, then he'll try the achurchnearyou.com website and, finally, he'll pull out his magic trick. 'Knock on the door of any house near the church with neatly tended flower pots and hanging baskets,' he explains. 'Because chances are, it will belong to a little old lady and if she doesn't have the key, she will know who does.' Happily, more and more churches are open today than ever before, but attendance continues to fall and many are in decline. Now the end is in sight for his epic project, Cameron says friends who once thought him bonkers are some of his strongest supporters. But progress seems slower than ever. By his calculations, it should take him between two and three years to photograph the last couple of thousand. 'If I had been really committed, I would probably have been finished years ago', he says. 'I'm quite lax about the project actually.' Lax? Surely not. He is breathtakingly organised and a total perfectionist already fretting about some of his earlier work. 'I often find myself popping back to redo a church,' he says. 'And I would like to do Warwickshire and Berkshire again, at better resolution.' Surely that will add on another two years? 'Well, perhaps just the churches with interesting things in them,' he concedes. I am beginning to suspect he doesn't want it to end. What will he do when, finally, his 12,000th church is photographed? Will there be a big celebration? 'Maybe a nice pub lunch with friends, like I did on the 20th anniversary,' he says. 'And we'll probably take some pictures outside a church as well.' And what will he do with all those spare weekends, all that freedom? 'Oh but this is only part one,' he says, looking utterly delighted. 'This is just the field work. Part two is putting it all together. At a leisurely pace that will take me at least another seven to 10 years.' For more information, download Cameron's Key Holder For Parish Churches app or visit explorechurches.org The Executive is ready to issue an emergency ordinance on Thursday that allows the postponement of loan repayments to the bank for both individuals and companies, for a maximum period of nine months, President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday. "The Government is ready tomorrow to issue an emergency ordinance that allows the postponement of loan repayments for individuals but also for companies in Romania. At the request of those who have debts to banks, the loan repayment can be postponed by up to nine months, so basically, the repayments can be postponed until the end of this year. We are convinced that by then the economy will recover, people will recover and then things will return much easier to normality," said the head of state at the Cotroceni Palace.He attended a meeting to evaluate and present the measures regarding the management of the COVID-19 epidemic with Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, Minister of Internal Affairs Marcel Vela, Minister of Public Finance Vasile Citu, Minister of National Defence Nicolae Ciuca, Minister of Economy, Energy and Business Milieu Virgil Popescu, Minister of Labor and Social Protection Violeta Alexandru, and Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications Lucian Bode. A farmer was allegedly punched 15 times and kicked while on the floor after he asked a Peak District walker to go home during the coronavirus lockdown. Derbyshire Police launched an investigation after the victim, from Edale, was left shaken and bruised after he was assaulted. The man was disinfecting his gates on Sunday around 9.45am due to the hundreds of people who were walking past the footpath. He said he got a very funny look from a man who he told to go home because there were too many people. He was then punched about 15 times then kicked in the ribs as I hit the floor. The force has asked all those considering a trip to the Peak District in the warm weather to stay at home adding: While we have this fantastic space in our county, right now is not the time to be using it. A message posted on Facebook on behalf of the farmer read: I am a farmer in Edale I went out at 9 am to feed my sheep on the side of the footpath, I was spraying the gate handles with disinfectant due to the hundreds of people that went through them yesterday. I got a very funny look of a man walking and said to him there are too many people here will you please just go home! I have just had to phone the police as my thanks was to be punched about 15 times then kicked in the ribs as I hit the floor. Please, please, please, leave us alone. Addressing the attack, Derbyshire Police said in a statement: We were called at about 9.45am yesterday following a report of an assault on a farmer who was disinfecting gates due to the number of walkers passing through over the weekend. The victim was left shaken and bruised but did not suffer any serious, life-threatening or altering injuries. The offender was white, aged about 40, with fair hair and glasses. He wore standard walking gear, a hat and a snood. Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters Speaking about those travelling to the Peak District in the warm weather, the force tweeted: What a lovely day! The perfect day to drive up into the #PeakDistrict for a walk, bike ride, climb or horse ride, isnt it? No, actually it isnt. Were seeing a lot of confusion over whether people are allowed to travel to the Peaks to undertake daily exercise while the government are asking us to stay at home. While we have this fantastic space in our county, right now is not the time to be using it. Daily exercise should be taken locally to your home. Under government guidance all travel is limited to essential travel only. This is to help ensure that our emergency services arent put under even more pressure during this time. Should you trip, fall or have a road traffic accident while you are travelling to, or are out in the Peaks, then this will add additional pressure to an already stretched service. Police have asked anyone with information about the assault to contact them via their website, Facebook or Twitter, and quote crime ref 20*157808 Guard helps medical professionals combat COVID-19 By Tech. Sgt. Erich B. Smith and Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy, National Guard Bureau / Published March 24, 2020 ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- From staffing informational phone banks to administering tests for COVID-19, many of the more than 9,000 National Guard members on duty in response to COVID-19 are assisting state and local medical professionals. "Medical providers are essential to the hospitals where they work," said Air Force Col. Martin Bain, a Nevada National Guard air surgeon, adding that Guard members aid the impact those civilian medical professionals can make in response to the virus. For members of the Arkansas and West Virginia National Guard, that support has meant answering calls at medical information lines run by health officials in their local areas. Army Lt. Col. John Snedegar, the West Virginia National Guard's Office of the State Surgeon medical training officer, said a high influx of calls at a local poison control center prompted the need for Guard members to step in and help. "We help people who have concerns, who are nervous or scared and uncertain about particular things," Snedegar said. "So we give them solid advice and help answer questions if they have signs and symptoms of the (virus) or what to do if they are exposed." Meanwhile, medics with the Arkansas Army National Guard's 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team have been answering phones at the Arkansas Department of Health Call Center, which faced a similar increase in call volume. Those medics have been answering close to 800 calls per day on average, said Arkansas Guard officials. Guard units have also been working with civilian authorities to administer COVID-19 screenings in numerous states. That includes Louisiana, where more than 100 Soldiers and Airmen with the Louisiana National Guard have been working at drive-through testing sites. "Our goal is to become more efficient to reduce wait times for people being tested," said Army Col. Scott Desormeaux, the Louisiana Army National Guard's 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team commander. In Westchester County, New York, which has seen the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, Soldiers with the New York Army National Guard have also been staffing testing centers in addition to setting up tents to augment area hospitals facing space shortages from COVID-19 response efforts. For Army Pvt. Cindy Ganesh, with the New York Army National Guard's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 369th Sustainment Brigade, helping set up tents was one of several missions she's worked on in response to COVID-19. "We're all in this together," Ganesh said, "so it's good to be working on different missions." Soldiers with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard helped the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency establish the first mass COVID-19 testing site in that state. The Soldiers tested and set up medical equipment and organized personal protective gear to help get the test center up and running. "The National Guard has skilled professionals who are trained and experienced in conducting operations under challenging conditions," said Army Col. Frank Montgomery, the Pennsylvania National Guard director of military support. Members of the Maryland Air National Guard have been sorting and loading onto trucks medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile, a national supply of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment for use in public health emergencies. "Today we are taking supplies, such as gowns and gloves and the things that health departments, hospitals, long-term care facilities, dialysis centers, nursing homes and emergency medical services around the state (use) that are in short supply," said Air Force Master Sgt. Richard Malloy, a ground transportation specialist with the Maryland Air Guard's 175th Wing. Assisting those medical professionals and the community is a fundamental element for many Guard members. "I think this is why we joined the military and why we're part of the National Guard," said Army Capt. Heather Schaller, a nurse with the Wisconsin Army National Guard's medical detachment. Schaller is among a team of Wisconsin National Guard medical personnel supporting staff at a senior living facility. "A lot of citizens don't know the National Guard does stuff like this, so that is kind of an eye-opener (for many at the facility) too," she said. For Air Force 1st Lt. Sparkle McCuiston, a nurse with the Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Medical Group and an infectious disease nurse practitioner in her civilian job, support often comes down to providing reassurance. "I've gotten so many calls from friends and family who are scared," McCuiston said. "I've tried to calm them down and tell them we need to get through this." And getting through the COVID-19 outbreak can be done by following simple protocols, she said. "If you are healthy and have minor symptoms, please don't go to urgent care. Please self-quarantine," McCuiston said, adding that hand washing and practicing social distancing are also key. As of Tuesday, more than 9,000 Guard members are on duty in all 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Things got pretty heated between Married At First Sight brides Stacey Hampton and Hayley Vernon at the girls' night earlier this week. But according to Connie Crayden, who witnessed the argument but refused to get involved, viewers didn't see the half of it. She told Hit Mid North Coast's Krysti and Bodge that one of Stacey's insults was 'so vile' it couldn't be shown on television. 'Vile': Things got heated between Married At First Sight brides Stacey Hampton and Hayley Vernon at the girls' night earlier this week - but viewers apparently didn't see the half off it Connie said: 'When Hayley told Stacey, "Did you get your degree out a cereal box?" Stacey snapped back with something else that was so vile. It was so bad... 'Hayley said, "Did you get your degree from a cereal box?" and Stacey goes, "Yeah, well at least I don't suck c**k for a living!"' Channel Nine was apparently forced to 'heavily edit' the episode because the insults were so crude and offensive. Shocking: According to Connie Crayden, Stacey falsely accused Hayley (pictured) of 'sucking c**k for a living'. Her comments were too shocking to air on television 'It was a lot worse in real life, they just showed you the G-rated version. It got really bad. Some of the words they use at each other, they can't show on TV,' she said. Connie's account of the girls' night corroborates what Hayley told Woman's Day on Monday. The finance broker, 32, claimed Stacey had falsely accused her of being a 'sex worker' in front of the other women. Front-row seats: Connie's account of the girls' night corroborates what Hayley told Woman's Day on Monday. Connie is pictured here in between Hayley and Stacey Rude: Hayley claimed Stacey had accused her of being a sex worker in front of the other brides Hayley has never been a sex worker in the sense of having sex for money, but she did work as a topless waitress for three years and nothing more. A source previously told Daily Mail Australia: 'Hayley isn't ashamed of her past. It's no secret to her friends and she never tried to hide it. 'She made great money, had fun and never did anything that made her feel uncomfortable.' Married At First Sight continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine Maybe people just need a break from scary news about the coronavirus outbreak. Or maybe everybody was just in the mood for a true-crime documentary series about a big cat collector called Joe Exotic, murder-for-hire schemes, do-it-yourself country music videos, and much more craziness. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, currently streaming on Netflix, has already become a much-needed distraction from pandemic headlines, and, according to Netflix, the series is number one on the streamers Top 10 list today. For years, executives from TV broadcast and cable networks have noted that Netflix doesnt reveal how many people are watching the streaming giants content. Thats still the case, so some skeptics are taking the Top 10 feature on Netflix with a grain of salt. But with so many people practicing social distancing and staying home, its interesting to see what shows up in the Top 10 in the U.S. Today list on Netflix. Heres the Top 10 lineup for today: 1. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness; 2. The CW series, All American; 3. Octavia Spencer in the limited series, Self Made: Inspired By the Life of Madam C.J. Walker; 4. The dating show sensation, Love Is Blind; 5. Mark Wahlberg in the made-for-Netflix movie, Spenser: Confidential, about an ex-cop looking into a case involving corrupt Boston cops; 6. The Letter For the King, a fantasy series about, as the show description says, A young knight in training (who) contends with ancient prophecies, magical powers and fickle companions as he sets out on an epic quest to save his kingdom; 7. The animated sequel, Boss Baby: Back in Business; 8. The Platform, a Spanish-language horror movie; 9. 100 Humans, a nonfiction series about, as the description says, One hundred hardy souls from diverse backgrounds (who) participate in playful experiments exploring age, sex, happiness and other aspects of being human; 10. On My Block, a series in its third season, about, as the description says, a rough inner-city Los Angeles neighborhood, where "four smart, funny and streetwise teens find their lifelong friendship tested as they begin high school. While a previous Top 10 included some apocalyptic choices (Outbreak? No thanks), todays list is heavy on escapism. Its not surprising to see the docuseries Tiger King at the top. Nobody would mistake Tiger King for the earlier Netflix true-crime series, Making a Murderer, but its outlandish saga of shady wild animal zoos, a feud between an oddball who runs a big-cat roadside attraction and a big cat rescue activist, and a murder plot is pretty jaw-dropping. More of our coverage: -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. NASA's STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) research platform consists of two orbiting spacecraft that collect stereoscopic data about the sun and the eruptions of magnetized plasma during coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Last month, UFO buffs spotted a strange object in data acquired by STEREO, specifically what appears to be a wheel-shaped UFO. The footage made the rounds online (example above) spurring NASA to explain the anomaly. Turns out, it's Venus. Bummer. From NASA: Some people have noticed an odd shape, sort of a cross inside a circle, entering the field-of-view of the HI2 telescope on STEREO Ahead around February 20,2020. Eventually there is a cone shape that appears next to it. You can see the feature in question in this movie moving from right-to-left, just below the trapezoidal occulter on the right side of the image. The answer lies on the exact opposite side of the image. At the same time as this strange-looking feature starts being visible, the very bright planet Venus enters the HI2-A field-of-view from the left. Notice that Venus and the feature stay in step almost exactly opposite each other across the middle of the detector. This is not a coincidence. The strange looking geometrical "object" is actually an internal reflection of the planet Venus within the telescope optics. This effect has been seen many times before. Here's a particularly striking example of internal reflections caused by the planet Earth as seen early in the STEREO mission, taken from our image artifacts pages. 25.03.2020 LISTEN Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia Wednesday launched the Universal QR Code and Proxy Pay to ensure convenience, efficient and secured electronic payment system and low-cost financial services to the vast majority of Ghanaians. It will make it possible for all merchants, service providers and institutions to receive payments from banks, ezwich accounts, mobile money wallets or internationally issued visa or Master Cards instantly. The QR Code was developed by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) through the Ghana Inter-bank Payment System (Ghpss), and would be issued to merchants by universal banks, rural banks, savings and loans companies, telecos and Fintechs. The launch was streamed live on the Vice President's Facebook Page, in compliance with the President's social distancing directive to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Vice President said in view of the changing trend of trading worldwide, it was imperative for institutions to be innovative and introduce new products and services to meet the needs of their clients. The universal QR code is the world's first interoperable payment acceptance solution and provides customers with an easy option for digital payment on business transactions, which reduces the technological challenges associated with operating cash-lite society. The universal QR code will allow merchants to receive digital payments without the use of Point of Sale devices and countries that recently introduced the Code platforms include Singapore, India and China. Any merchant can have a universal QR Code including chop bar operators, food vendors, barbers, carpenters or masons musicians, shoe shine boys, khebab sellers, market traders, trotros, taxis, churches, mosques, schools, funeral committees, wedding organizers etc. basically, any business, Dr Bawumia explained. Once a merchant has a QR Code, the customer can scan the code (for a smart phone) or dial the USSD number to make payment. The customer will make have to enter and confirm the amount so no one can cheat you. Once the customer confirms the payment, the merchant will receive the payment instantly and directly into their bank account or mobile money account, the Vice President said. Dr Bawumia lauded the Bank of Ghana (BoG) for taking bold steps to encourage electronic payments, including incentives such as reducing charges and pushing up the limits on mobile money transactions. He believed these measures would reduce human contacts and provide the needed social distance between customers and merchants in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19. It is therefore important that we do everything we can to expedite the wholesale use of electronic payment channels like mobile money, ezwich, bank accounts, among others, in the payment of goods and services from merchants. The Vice President said. Vice President Bawumia acknowledged the efforts of the Central Bank for putting the requisite infrastructure in place over the past three years to provide the nation the vehicle to go cashless. With regard to the Proxy pay, he said, every bank account would be given a phone number to be a proxy for the Bank Account number for individuals or a chosen Alias for companies. Therefore, individuals could make payments to one's bank account through the phone number, similar to mobile money. Dr Bawumia expressed the conviction that the new payment platform would enhance business transactions in the country, saying; This will help us move further into the cashless direction because there will be no longer any need for merchants to have point of sales devices, with the QR Code platform, all they need is a mobile phone and even a "yam phone" will work. GNA In view of the countrywide lockdown, Sabarimala Temple festival which was scheduled to begin on March 29 has been cancelled. Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has also decided to cancel all festivals in other temples of Kerala that comes under the Board. In his address to the nation on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India has reported about 536 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Eleven people have died so far due to the deadly virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) - Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe respiratory disease in humans caused by infection with hantaviruses - Cases of human hantavirus infections occur sporadically, usually in rural areas where forests, fields, and farms offer suitable habitat for the viruss rodent hosts - Due to the small number of HPS cases, the incubation time is not positively known - On the basis of limited information, the symptoms may develop between one and eight weeks after exposure to fresh urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents - Early symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups including thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders - Late symptoms include coughing and shortness of breath, with the sensation of suffocation - It was first confirmed in May 1993 after an outbreak of an unexplained pulmonary illness occurred in the US Reports of a person having died in China due to a virus called hantavirus spread panic across the globe at a time when the world is battling the novel coronavirus pandemic. Hantavirus became one of the top trends on Twitter on Tuesday, March 24, after the Chinese state media, The Global Times, tweeted about the unfortunate death sending shock waves around the world. READ ALSO: No Kenyan citizen infected with COVID-19 in China -Ambassador Sarah Serem Hantavirus is a family of viruses which are spread mainly by rodents and can cause varied diseases in people. Photo: Express. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kenya dismisses claims 6 million face masks on transit to Germany disappeared at airport However, it turns out hantavirus is not a new bug and has been infecting humans for decades. Nevertheless, people anxious about the novel coronavirus were quick to hit the panic button when they saw the report of the hantavirus-related death in China. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) as a severe, sometimes fatal, respiratory disease caused by infection with hantaviruses. These are a family of viruses which are spread mainly by rodents and can cause varied diseases in people. READ ALSO: Good Samaritans raise funds, buy foodstuffs, toiletries for the needy in Huruma slums Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry hantaviruses is at risk of HPS as rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for hantavirus exposure. The CDC puts the mortality rate of HPS the disease caused by the North American strains of the virus as high as 36%. This is much higher than the coronaviruss mortality rate which the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates at 3.4%. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headaches, coughing, nausea and vomiting. READ ALSO: Patient 31: Government sues church for contributing to thousands of coronavirus cases Some patients can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and it can take up to six weeks from the time of exposure for symptoms to appear. According to the Ontario Ministry of Health, the disease has been reported in North America since 1993. Canada only sees approximately three cases a year and the US has recorded about 35 annually. Other strains of the disease have been identified in Europe and Asia since the 1950s. A spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada told Global News that the risk of getting infected with hantavirus in Canada or in other parts of the world is low. READ ALSO: Kind man and wife secretly raise funds, build house for single mother of 4 Tracking the mystery disease: The story of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) In May 1993, an outbreak of an unexplained pulmonary illness occurred in the southwestern region of the US known as The Four Corners including Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. A young, physically fit Navajo man suffering from shortness of breath was rushed to a hospital in New Mexico and died very rapidly. While reviewing the results of the cause of his death, medical personnel discovered that the mans fiancee had died a few days before after showing similar symptoms. An investigation combing the entire Four Corners region was launched by the New Mexico Office of Medical Investigations (OMI) to find any other people who had a similar case history. READ ALSO: COVID-19: Kind man gives free masks, gloves to street kids and hawkers Within a few hours, five young, healthy people who had all died after acute respiratory failure were located while additional cases of deaths were reported in the Four Corners area. A series of laboratory tests had failed to identify causes of the deaths as caused by a known disease, such as the bubonic plague. Researchers knew that all other known hantaviruses were transmitted to people by rodents such as mice and rats. Therefore, an important part of their mission was to trap as many different species of rodents living in the Four Corners region to find the particular type of rodent that carried the virus. READ ALSO: All I want is to meet my mother - Desperate Nairobi man pleads Among rodents trapped, the deer mouse (peromyscus maniculatus) was found to be the main host to a previously unknown type of hantavirus. Since the deer mouse often lives near people in rural and semi-rural areasin barns, woodpiles, and inside peoples homesresearchers suspected it might be transmitting the virus to humans. About 30% of the deer mice tested showed evidence of infection with hantavirus. Tests also showed that several other types of rodents were infected, although in lesser numbers. In November 1993, the specific hantavirus that caused the Four Corners outbreak was isolated. READ ALSO: COVID-19: WHO demystifies 15 common 'lies' about deadly disease The Special Pathogens Branch at CDC used tissue from a deer mouse that had been trapped near a New Mexico home of a person who had gotten the disease and grew the virus from it in the lab. The new virus was called Muerto Canyon virus later changed to Sin Nombre virus (SNV) and the new disease caused by the virus was named hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or HPS. Other early cases of HPS were discovered by examining samples of tissue belonging to people who had died of unexplained adult respiratory distress syndrome. By this method, the earliest known case of HPS that has been confirmed has been the case of a 38-year-old Utah man in 1959. Wondering why the outbreak occurred in the Four Corners area? The key answer to this question is that during this period, there were suddenly many more mice than usual. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Italy deploys military to enforce lockdown The Four Corners area had been in a drought for several years. Then, in early 1993, heavy snows and rainfall helped drought-stricken plants and animals to revive and grow in numbers. The areas deer mice had plenty to eat, and as a result, they reproduced so rapidly that there were ten times more mice in May 1993 than there had been in May of 1992. With so many mice, it was more likely that mice and humans would come into contact with one another and thus more likely that the hantavirus would be transmitted to humans. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly Source: TUKO.co.ke The 18-year-old charged in the shooting death of another man at a Rochester Apartment complex earlier this year entered not guilty pleas Tuesday. Robert Bryant Salley, Jr., pleaded not guilty in Olmsted County District Court to second-degree murder without intent and two counts of possession ammo/any firearm as an adjudicated delinquent for crimes of violence. Salley is charged in the Jan. 10 shooting death of 24-year-old Trevor Boysen. Salley has been held on $2 million bail since Jan. 13. During the hearing Tuesday, Salley also made a demand for a jury trial. Rochester Police Capt. Casey Moilanen said days after the incident that police found six shell casings in the parking lot of The Quarters Apartment Complex, 832 21st Ave. SE, following the shooting death of Boysen. Moilanen said the incident leading up to the shooting appears to have been a "prearranged drug deal." ADVERTISEMENT Rochester police responded to a call concerning several shots being fired at the apartment complex at about 2:03 p.m. on Jan. 10, and a person was seen lying in the parking lot and not moving. Reports also indicated that another person was seen running from the scene. About an hour after the initial call, police arrested Salley in the area of Oak Terrace Estates, on Marion Road Southeast. Police took Salley into custody without incident, according to court records. Defense attorneys have argued that there was no intent on Salley's part and that he did not bring a gun to the situation. One dead in Rochester's first homicide of 2020 Police: Prearranged drug deal ends in homicide Denver, CO. March 25, 2020 While you're home-based for several weeks, why not write a book? Judith Briles, the Book Shepherd, will hold an online course throughout April to help writers craft their non-fiction books. In four short weeks, all you need is a computer and a few hours of your time. From how-to's to memoirs, business to history, these sessions will help writers looking to tell their stories in a short, engaging way with no fluff or filler. These sessions will take place on four consecutive Wednesdays online on April 1, 8, 15, and 23 from 3pm-4:30pm MST. Dr. Briles organized this course to give non-fiction writers the courage and the tools to tell their stories in 10,000-40,000 words. The course will go into how to outline and structure a book while gathering the gumption and courage to write consistently and with quality. The course will teach any author that's looking to write economically and efficiently about what to prioritize in writing a book, what elements you must have in it, and how to cut a writer's ego out of the equation and ask "What is right for this book?" "For non-fiction authors," Dr. Briles says, "short is the new black. The nonfiction reader wants shorter booksbooks that can be read on a short plane ride, within a few hours." "What you'll have when you're finished," she continues, "is a far better product than that gangly, over-wordy tome you started with. Trust me. It might just have the makings of a bestseller." Judith Briles has published 37 books and has a lifetime of experience within the publishing industry, having experienced the pitfalls and benefits of both self-publishing and traditional publishing. She is the president of AuthorYOU, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping authors navigate the publishing world and give self-published authors access to publishing resources. Her consulting company, The Book Shepherd based in Colorado, has created over 500 bestsellers for authors. To register for this course, go to www.TheBookShepherd.com and click on the events tab. For press inquiries: Judith Briles, Judith@Briles.com or 303-885-2207. ### Montgomery County Public Health District confirmed four more COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the countys total to 23. However, the MCPHD also reported that Case 4, a woman in her 40s who lives in northwest Montgomery County, has made a full recovery. The new cases include a man in his 30s, who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. He has recently traveled to New York; a woman in her 60s, who lives in northeast Montgomery County. She is hospitalized and had no recent travel; a woman in her 30s, who resides in northeast Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home with her only travel being to Houston; and a man in his 50s, who lives southwest Montgomery County who recently traveled to France, Germany and Spain. MCPHD reported it has been notified of 224 negative and 23 positive test results of county residents with results pending for another 128 residents. Here are updates on Montgomery Countys current cases: Case 1: A man in his 40s, who lives in northwest Montgomery County, is still hospitalized. He remains in critical condition, but is stable and showing some improvement. He was believed to have become infected with the virus as a result of community spread. Case 2: A woman in her 40s who lives in southeast Montgomery County. She remains in a hospital in Harris County in critical condition. Her only travel was to New Orleans. Case 3: A man in his 40s who lives in northwest Montgomery County. He is at home, recovering well. His only travel was to Florida. Case 4: A woman in her 40s who lives in northwest Montgomery County. She remains at home, doing well. Her case is connected to Case 3. More Information Keep clean Wash hands often for 20 seconds and encourage others to do the same. If no soap and water are available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue away. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Disinfect surfaces, buttons, handles, knobs, and other places touched often. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. For more information, please see www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus. See More Collapse Case 5: A man in his 50s who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. The man had recently traveled to California. Case 6: A man in his 40s who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. The man had recently traveled to California. Case 7: A woman in her 60s who lives in northwest Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. She has no recent travel history and no known contact with other patients. Case 8: A woman in her 40s who lives in southeast Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. She had recently traveled to Germany. Case 9: A man in his 50s who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is hospitalized in critical but stable condition. His travel history is under investigation. Case 10: A woman in her 50s who lives in southeast Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. She attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo March 8. Case 11: A man in his 90s who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is currently hospitalized and has no recent travel history. Case 12: A man in his 50s who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home and recently traveled to Brazil. Case 13: A woman in her 30s who lives in northwest Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. She has no recent travel history. Case 14: A woman in her 40s who resides in southwest Montgomery County. Her case is connected to a Smith County where she recently traveled. She at currently at home in isolation. Case 15: A man in his 40s who has been in northeast Montgomery County for a work-related purpose. He is currently in isolation at his residence. His only recent travel is to Houston. Case 16: A female teenager, 13-19 years old, who lives in southeast Montgomery County. She is in isolation at her home. She has recently traveled to New Orleans. Case 17: A woman in her 20s, who lives in northwest Montgomery County. She is in isolation at her home. This is believed to be a case of community spread because she was in close contact with a suspected case. Case 18: A man in his 50s, who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at his home. He has recently traveled to Chicago. Case 19: A man in his 50s, who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at his home. He has recently traveled to California. Case 20: A man in his 30s, who lives in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. He has recently traveled to New York. Case 21: A woman in her 60s, who lives in northeast Montgomery County. She is hospitalized. No recent travel. Case 22: A woman in her 30s, who lives in northeast Montgomery County. She is in isolation at home. The only recent travel is to Houston. Case 23: A man in his 50s, who resides in southwest Montgomery County. He is in isolation at home. He has recently traveled to France, Germany and Spain. cdominguez@hcnonline.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 10:09:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holding talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 25, 2015. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, and is willing to enhance cooperation with all other countries in fighting the epidemic and safeguarding global public health security, Xi said. BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday night that China firmly supports the Polish government and people in combating the COVID-19 epidemic. He made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda. After the coronavirus disease broke out in China, Xi said, the Polish government and society extended sympathies and support to the Chinese side, which the Chinese people will cherish in their hearts. Latvian participants attend a video conference with Chinese health officials, experts and their counterparts from Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries in Riga, Latvia, March 13, 2020. (Photo by Janis/Xinhua) A friend in need is a friend indeed, he stressed, adding that besides its support for Poland, China has also held a video conference of health experts with 17 Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs), including Poland, to share information and relevant measures on epidemic prevention and control in a timely fashion. China, he said, upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, and is willing to enhance cooperation with all other countries in fighting the epidemic and safeguarding global public health security. Stressing that the power and confidence in winning the battle against the epidemic come from the Chinese people, Xi said the 1.4 billion Chinese people have put up a tenacious fight with great solidarity and steadfast resolve. He added he is deeply moved by the noble spirit of the numerous medical workers in China who risked their own lives to save others. Aerial photo taken on March 24, 2020 shows vehicles back to Wuhan wait to pass through a highway toll station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) The people are the real heroes, Xi pointed out, adding that as long as relying fully on the people, China will certainly overcome all difficulties and obstacles and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Noting that Poland is a key cooperation partner of China in the European Union (EU) and among CEECs, Xi said China is willing to work with Poland to strengthen high-level exchanges and cement mutual understanding and strategic mutual trust, so as to continuously push forward China-Poland ties and make important contributions to promoting China-CEEC cooperation and China-EU relations. For his part, Duda said that the timely, decisive and rigorous measures taken by China have effectively contained the spread of COVID-19, and that he admires the Chinese people and those Chinese medical workers who joined the fight against the epidemic. A man wearing a mask and medical gloves waits for a bus at a station in Warsaw, Poland, March 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhou Nan) China's relevant experience is worth learning for Poland, he said, adding that his country is now faced with the severe challenge of the disease and in urgent need of medical and protective supplies. Poland thanks China for providing timely and valuable support, which embodies the deep friendship between the two countries, said the president. Noting that China has a solid economic foundation, Duda said he is fully confident that China will overcome the epidemic and achieve better development. Poland is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields and work together to promote CEEC-China cooperation, he said, adding that he cherishes his friendship with Xi and looks forward to visiting China as soon as possible after the epidemic. The urgent update from the Peace Corps landed abruptly in the email inboxes of volunteers on March 15: It was time to evacuate. Miguel Garcia, a 27-year-old volunteer leader for the corps in the Dominican Republic, had just reassured someone that the corps would be staying on the job. With a sinking heart, he read the detailed instructions three times. The tears would come later. Now he had a job to do. He had 24 hours to get 32 volunteers scattered across the country to Santo Domingo, the capital. Several of his volunteers were about eight hours away in hard-to-reach communities near the border, with limited internet and cell service. The United Kingdom has recently published a statutory instrument which ratifies the Double Tax Agreement which was signed by H.M. Government of Gibraltar and H.M Government of the United Kingdom in October 2019 (the "Treaty"). What is a Double Tax Agreement? Double taxation agreements (also known as double taxation treaties or conventions) (DTAs) are primarily aimed at reducing juridical double taxation. A double taxation agreement is an agreement made between (usually) two jurisdictions, which allocate taxing rights on various items of income and gains between them. DTAs typically alleviate double taxation by eliminating or limiting taxation in the county in which the income or gains arises (source state taxation) or by requiring the country in which the person subject to tax is resident to grant relief for source state taxation through a credit or exemption mechanism. The Treaty The main purpose of the Treaty is to eliminate double taxation between residents in Gibraltar and/or the United Kingdom in respect to taxes of income and gains. The Treaty further strengthens the economic relationship of both territories ahead of Brexit, and although based on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") model, some key differences arise, which will be highlighted within this article. Who will be covered under the Treaty? The Treaty will cover persons who are resident of one or both of the territories, namely the United Kingdom and/or Gibraltar. The main contents of the Treaty are set out below. What taxes will be covered? (Article 2) The existing taxes covered by the Treaty are: Gibraltar - income tax and corporation tax; and United Kingdom - income tax, corporation tax and capital gains tax. Resident of a territory (Article 4) The Treaty does not refer to the concept of a "national" of the United Kingdom or Gibraltar, as defined in the OECD model. Instead, the Treaty only makes reference to a 'resident of a territory', therefore, capturing any person who, under the laws of either territory, is liable to tax, either by reason of domicile, residence, place of management place of incorporation or other criteria of similar nature. Individuals resident in both territories will be considered resident only in the territory where: (a) he has a permanent home available to him. If he has a permanent home available to him in both territories, he shall be deemed to be resident only in the territory with which his personal and economic relations are closers (centre of vital interests); (b) if the territory in which he has his centre of vital interests cannot be determined, or if he does not have a permanent home available to him in either territory, he shall be deemed to be a resident only in the territory in which he has an habitual abode; (c) if he has an habitual abode in both territories or in neither of them, the competent authorities of the territories shall settle the question by mutual agreement. Where a person other than an individual is a resident of both territories, the competent authorities of the territories shall endeavour to determine by mutual agreement the territory of which such person shall be deemed to be a resident for the purposes of the Treaty, having regard to its place of effective management, the place where it is incorporated or otherwise constituted and any other relevant factors. Permanent establishment (Article 5) Article 5 introduces the standard OECD definition of permanent establishment ("PE") which means a fixed place of business through which the business of an enterprise is wholly or partly carried on. A PE includes: (a) a place of management; (b) a branch; (c) an office; (d) a factory; (e) a workshop; (f) a mine, oil or gas well, quarry or any other place of extraction of natural resources; and (g) a building site or construction or installation project if its lasts more than twelve months. However, most of the exclusions listed (such as storage) are not expressly limited to activities of a preparatory or auxiliary nature. The provision of the Treaty deeming agents to constitute permanent establishments, unlike that of the OECD model, is not limited to agents acting in relation to certain types of contract (in the OECD model, being contracts in the principal's name, transferring the principal's property, granting rights to use the principal's property or for the provision of services to the principal). Unlike the OECD model, the Treaty does not stipulate that a person is not considered to be an agent of an independent status if it acts (almost) exclusively on behalf of one or more enterprises to which it is closely related. Business profits (Article 7) Business profits of an enterprise shall only be taxable in that territory, unless the enterprise carries on business within the other territory, through a permanent establishment. Only the profits attributable to that permanent establishment can be taxed in the second territory. This article specifies that the proportion of profits that are attributable to the permanent establishment are those that it might be expected to make if it were an independent enterprise engaged in the same or similar activities under the same or similar conditions. International shipping and air transport (Article 8) The Treaty expands the OECD's definition of international traffic profits to include those from incidental bareboat rentals, and the incidental use, maintenance or rental of containers and provides that the profits of an enterprise of a territory from the operation of ships or aircraft in international traffic shall on be taxable in that territory. Dividends (Article 10) Where dividends are paid by a Company resident in either Gibraltar or the United Kingdom and these dividends are payable towards the beneficial owner resident in the other territory, such dividends will be exempt from withholding tax, unless the following conditions are satisfied, in which case tax is capped at 15%: The beneficial owner is not a pension scheme established in that bother territory; The dividends are paid out of income or gains derived (directly or indirectly) from immovable property; Dividends are paid by an investment vehicle which distributes its income from immovable property (annually); However, there is currently no requirement to deduct withholding tax from dividends in either the United Kingdom or Gibraltar; therefore, dividends should continue to be paid gross, regardless of the terms of the Treaty. Interest and Royalties (Articles 11 & 12) Articles 11 and 12 prevent the territories from imposing the obligation for any withholding tax on interest and royalty payments to entities and individuals resident in the other territory (subject to certain conditions being met). Capital gains (Article 13) Capital gains derived by a resident of one territory from the alienation of shares and comparable interests constituting more than 50% of their value from immovable property situated in the other territory may be taxed in that other territory. However, unlike the OECD model the Treaty does not contain provisions for shares and comparable interests where there is substantial or regular trading on the Stock Exchange, unless derived from an investment vehicle that distributes most of its income from immovable property. Income from employment (Article 14) Income from salaries, wages and other similar remuneration derived by a resident within a territory in respect of employment shall be taxable only in that territory, unless, the employment is exercised in the other territory. However, employment exercised in the other territory shall be taxable only in the first-mentioned territory if: The recipient is present in the other territory for a period not exceeding 183 days in any 12 months commencing or ending in the fiscal year concerned; Remuneration is paid by, or on behalf, of an employer not resident of the other territory; or Remuneration is not borne by a permanent establishment which the employer has in the other territory. Elimination of double taxation (Article 22) Article 22 provides for the elimination of double taxation via a tax credit. Mutual agreement procedure (Article 24) Where a person considers that the actions of one or both of the territories result, or will result, in that person being taxed in a way which is not in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty, they may, irrespective of the remedies provided by the domestic law of those territories, present their case to the competent authority of either territory. The case must be presented within three years from the first notification of the action resulting in taxation not in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty. The Gibraltar Income Tax Office recently published guidance to taxpayers on how they may use the mutual agreement procedure contained in the Treaty. Exchange of information (Article 25) The competent authorities of the territories shall exchange such information as is foreseeably relevant for carrying out the provisions of the Treaty or to the administration or enforcement of domestic laws concerning taxes of every kind and description imposed on behalf of the territories. Assistance in the collection of taxes (Article 26) The competent authorities shall assist each other in the actual collection of revenue claims. When will it enter into force? Although both the United Kingdom and Gibraltar have now signed the Treaty, and the United Kingdom has just ratified the Treaty, the Treaty will not enter into force until both territories have completed their legislative procedures and exchanged the necessary diplomatic notes. Once in force, the Treaty will apply in Gibraltar as follows: For income tax, in the tax year starting 1 July after the Treaty comes into force; and For corporate tax, in the accounting period beginning on or after 1 July after the Treaty comes into force. Once in force, the Treaty will apply in the United Kingdom as follows: For withholding tax, for amount paid or credited on or after the first day of the second month following the date the Treaty comes into force; For income tax and capital gains tax, for any year of assessment beginning on or after the 6th April following the date on which the treaty comes into force; and For corporation tax, for any financial year beginning on or after 1st April following the date on which the treaty comes into force. Duration and Termination The Treaty will remain in force until either one of the territories decides to terminate. This may be done through the proper diplomatic discussions, by giving notice of termination at least six months before the end of each calendar year, but only after the expiry of five years from date of entry into force. What next? It is likely that this Treaty will have implications for many individuals and corporations with connections to both the United Kingdom and Gibraltar. Therefore, we recommend that those who think they may be affected by the Treaty, review their positions and seek advice on their affairs prior to its implementation, in order to mitigate any potential impact. This article is intended for informative purposes. The fourth episode of "Cosmos: Possible Worlds" sees host Neil deGrasse Tyson looking to the past and honoring botanist Nikolai Ivanovic Vavilov, pioneer of modern plant breeding. Vavilov's story is marked by both the tenacity and creativity we've come to expect from subjects in "Cosmos," though Vavilov's story is particularly tragic. Interwoven into Vavilov's somber narrative are warnings and treatments of science and its ethical implications, especially when science itself comes under attack from political forces. The episode opens on an icy landscape. Cold and dark, the somber tone of the music sets the stage for the themes the episode explores. "To be human," a solemn Tyson remarks, "is to know the torment of hunger. There was once a man who dreamed that through science, we can make a world where no one ever perished from hunger and famine would be no more." Tyson then takes viewers on an overview of the history of famine and starvation in the history of the human race. Our ancestors, foragers and wanderers, gathered plants and hunted animals until around 10,000 or 12,000 years ago when humans began to settle and domesticate those plants and animals. Seemingly written into our DNA is a penchant for sacrifice and suffering, "for rewards that would not come until much later," Tyson says. "For the first time, we were thinking about the future." It's then that Tyson takes us back to his "cosmic calendar" and we realize this decision, made over hundreds of generations, was made less than half a minute ago in terms of cosmic time. Though often reminded of the precariousness of our place in the cosmos, one can't help but marvel and the sense of permanence humans have somehow managed to achieve. Tyson takes us to the ancient Tower of Jericho, a symbol of the food surpluses afforded by agriculture and our oldest "stairway," as Tyson aptly describes. "To climb it is to follow in the footsteps of 300 generations." Despite these hopeful beginnings and early successes in our first attempts at agriculture, the human race has suffered a number of famines, caused by political mismanagement, volcanic eruptions and drought, and other overwhelming, inexplicable forces from the cosmos. Populations in China, Ireland, Brazil, Ethiopia, Peru, Rwanda and Russia have been wracked by devastating famines that have killed thousands. Our protagonist this episode, Vivlov no stranger to the "torment of hunger" helps Tyson tell the story of hunger in Soviet Russia, where Vavilov and his team conducted research that would revolutionize their field and touch the lives of thousands of future generations of humans, including us today. Early breakthroughs in the field of evolution came from well-known scientists like Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel, whose theories in natural selection and predictive breeding are not only the building blocks of contemporary research in the field, but also supplied the "evidence for oneness," as Tyson puts it, that proved "we were actually relatives to the other beasts and vegetables, as much a part of the natural world as any other living thing." Vavilov's dedicated colleagues at Moscow's Institute of Plant Industry fight off rats and their own brutal hunger through the Nazi siege of Leningrad to ensure not a single grain of rice is lost to the future. (Image credit: Cosmos Studios) Standing on the shoulders of these giants and other scientists who grandfathered the field of genetics, like William Bateson, who first used the term to describe the study of heredity, Vavilov would devote his life to improving the cereal crops which would sustain not only Russia's population, but global populations far into the future. Vavilov believed science could triumph where government and leadership often failed and save millions of people from perishing from hunger. Vavilov recognized the critical importance of biodiversity and would traverse the globe and collect seeds for his world seed bank, looking for the earliest living specimens of the plants humans ate, hoping to "parse [their] sentences and discover life's language," as Tyson emphatically states. In an ironic twist of fate, a comment by Vavilov's rival, Trofim Lysenko, employing Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's theory of evolution that was discredited by Darwin's research, would turn Joseph Stalin against Vavilov. Stalin's reign of terror and death would cripple the Soviet population and lead several to die of starvation, including Vavilov and his team of scientists who would guard the Leningrad seed bank and their research during Adolf Hitler's attacks in World War II valiantly, until the end. "In all of history," Tyson says, "no team of scientists has ever been tested so cruelly. They were pushed beyond the breaking point and yet they did not break." (Image credit: Cosmos Studios) The episode ends takes us back to the icy and unforgiving landscape where we started, but this time we see Tyson standing in front of Vavilov's legacy, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located in Norway in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago. Tyson ponders the fate of the Soviet Union and the sacrifices made by the scientists who not only defended their research, but science itself. Vavilov and his team of botanists faced a seemingly insurmountable task: "To lie about science and live, or to tell the truth and face certain death." Vavilov's dedication to science is evident in his work and sacrifices; from a love letter written by Vavilov, Tyson reads: "I do not hesitate to give my life even for the smallest bit of science." Modern agriculture and research today ensure the losses suffered by Vavilov and his team and by those human beings who succumbed to starvation before us were not made in vain. Tyson ends with this thought: "Did you eat today? If the answer is yes, then you probably ate something that descended from the seeds the botanists died to protect. If only the future was as real and precious to us as it was to them." Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. F rance was today facing warnings that a huge wave of coronavirus cases could soon be hitting Paris as the country was reported to be considering extending its lockdown to six weeks. President Emmanuel Macron prepared to visit a military hospital set up to treat infected patients in Alsace in eastern France, the region where the virus has so far had its greatest impact. But as doctors there said that the French health system was finding it impossible to cope with the scale of the challenge, there were also warnings that the virus could soon spread west to engulf Paris and other towns and cities. One doctor told the BBC that there was a huge wave moving west that could saturate Paris in days and raise the already growing death toll further. The growing problems in France came as it was reported that scientific advisers have recommended that President Macron extend the countrys lockdown to six weeks. French president Emmanuel Macron / POOL/AFP via Getty Images They are the latest sign that the extensive measures taken across Europe are so far struggling to turn the tide in the fight against the disease, which has so far claimed more than 6,000 deaths in Italy and thousands more elsewhere. The fatalities include 514 more deaths in a single day in Spain, according to figures released yesterday. Statistics published early today also show infections rising sharply in Germany by more than 4,100 to 31,554, although there was a glimmer of hope elsewhere as the Dutch Institute of Health expressed optimism that the country has most probably ended the exponential growth of infections there. In France, however, the situation remains perilous with one doctor, Marc Noizet, head of emergency services in the eastern town of Mulhouse, telling the BBC that hospitals were short of vital supplies. He added: The scale of the crisis is bigger than any system could face. The mechanisms we are putting in place arent enough. The situation in Alsace, which includes Mulhouse, is described as critical and patients are being transported to other French regions or into neighbouring countries such as Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein in a desperate search for spare beds. Loading.... In Spain, confirmed cases stand at nearly 40,000, including 5,400 medical staff and 6,584 new infections within the most recent 24-hour period. By design, the local Emergency Preparedness Plans will vary from court to court. Each of our county and district courts have different resources and needs, and our pandemic response permits each district in Nebraska to identify its own continuity of operations plan prepared by the judges and staff in that district. The Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation provides guidance and assistance with those plans, but the innovation and execution is implemented at the local level to meet the unique needs of our communities. Our trial court judges and probation offices are working diligently to respond to constantly evolving conditions presented by this situation. Judges are meeting with local bar associations, county commissioners, and attorneys to develop workable solutions, put plans together and execute those plans. Webinars are being conducted twice per day for judges and staff to brainstorm and actively share information with other courts and other states. The Judicial Branch is engaged in regular conference calls to answer questions and provide our courts and probation offices with necessary tools to address this public health emergency. Other responses [March 24, 2020] Prospect Co., Ltd. Acquires Common Shares of Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. TOKYO, March 24, 2020 /CNW/ - Prospect Co., Ltd. ("Prospect") announced today that it has acquired (the "Acquisition") an aggregate of 25,000 common shares ("Common Shares") of Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. ("Pinnacle"), representing approximately 0.075% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares (as reported in Pinnacle's management's discussion and analysis dated March 2, 2020), through the facilities of the Toronto Stock Exchange for an aggregate purchase price of $130,860, being $5.2344 per Common Share. On December 27, 2019, Prospect filed an early warning report disclosing that it beneficially owned and controlled an aggregate of 3,348,600 Common Shares, representing approximately 10.053% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares (as reported in Pinnacle's management's discussion and analysis dated November 12, 2019). Following the Acquisition, Prospect beneficially owns and controls an aggregate of 4,027,300 Common Shares, representing approximately 12.07% of the 33,359,570 issued and outstanding Common Shares (as reported in Pinnacle's management's discussion and analysis dated March 2, 2020). Prospect acquired the Common Shares for investment purposes. Prospect will continue to review the performance and prospects for this investment and investment alternatives. As part of the ongoing review of its investment in Pinnacle, Prospect may explore from time to time a variety of alternatives it deems appropriate, including (i) increasing or decreasing its position in Pinnacle through, among other things, the acquisition or disposition of securities f Pinnacle through the open market or in privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, (ii) entering into transactions that increase or hedge its economic exposure to such securities without affecting its beneficial ownership of such securities and/or (iii) continuing to hold its current position. Prospect may explore from time to time other alternatives with respect to its investment in Pinnacle, including, but not limited to, developing plans or intentions or taking actions itself or with joint actors which relate to or would result in one or more of the transactions or matters referred to in paragraphs (a) through (k) of Item 5 of Prospect's Early Warning Report filed on SEDAR. Prospect may also engage with management and/or the board of Pinnacle from time to time concerning the foregoing and its business, management, operations, capitalization, financial condition, governance, strategy and future plans. Although the foregoing reflects activities presently contemplated by Prospect with respect to its investment in Pinnacle, the foregoing is subject to a number of factors, including but not limited to, the price of Pinnacle securities, Pinnacle's business and financial condition and prospects, conditions in the securities markets and general economic and industry conditions, the availability of funds, the evaluation of other investment opportunities available to Pinnacle, and is subject to change at any time, and there can be no assurance that Prospect will take any of the actions referred to above. This press release is being issued pursuant to National Instrument 62-103 The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues, which requires a report to be filed under Pinnacle's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) containing additional information respecting the foregoing matters. A copy of such report may be obtained by contacting Andrea Johnston at Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc., 350-3600 Lysander Lane, Richmond, British Columbia, V7B 1C3 (tel: (604) 270-9613; email: [email protected]). About Prospect: Prospect is a Tokyo-based real estate developer with operations in renewable energy. Prospect builds and sells condominiums in the Greater Tokyo area and is involved in development projects in Hawaii. In the renewable energy segment, Prospect owns solar power generation facilities across Japan and has a joint venture in far east Russia with the Russian Forest Products Group to produce industrial wood pellets for export to Japan. Prospect is organized under the laws of Japan and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section (ticker: 3528). As of March 24, 2020, Prospect's market capitalization was JPY 10,280,000,000 ($133,440,000). SOURCE Prospect Co., Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] At the center of almost every galaxy in the universe is a supermassive black hole gobbling up incredible amounts of matter, and belching out incredible amounts of radiation. The biggest and hungriest of these gobblers called quasars (or quasi-stellar objects, because they look deceptively like stars when seen through most telescopes) are some of the most energetic objects in the universe. As infalling matter swirls around the quasar's maw at near-light-speed, that matter heats up and flies outward, propelled by the incredible force of its own radiation. All that intergalactic indigestion makes a quasar an awesome sight, capable of shining a thousand times brighter than a galaxy of 100 billion stars. However, a series of new papers suggests, the very same radiation that puts quasars on our maps of the universe may be devastating the galaxies that host the insatiable objects. In six studies published March 16 in a special edition of The Astrophysical Journal supplemental series, astronomers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to spy on 13 quasar outflows that is, gusts of high-speed radiation pouring out of distant quasars. By observing the outflows over several years and in many wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum, the team found that the wind and gas gushing out of a quasar can travel at more than 40 million mph (64 million km/h) and reach billions of degrees in temperature. Related: The 15 Weirdest Galaxies in Our Universe One outflow the team studied accelerated from nearly 43 million mph (69 million km/h) to roughly 46 million mph (74 million km/h) over a three-year period the fastest-accelerating wind ever detected in space. This hot, fast gas is capable of causing incredible damage to a quasar's host galaxy, the researchers found, rampaging through the galaxy's disk like a tsunami and blasting potential star-forming material deep into space. In a single year, one quasar outflow can push hundreds of suns-worth of matter into intergalactic space, the researchers found, creating a stunning fireworks display while preventing new stars from forming. These findings could help answer a long-standing conundrum about our universe: Why do large galaxies seem to stop growing after reaching a certain mass? When the team plugged their new quasar outflow data into models of galaxy formation, they found that the gales of radiation were capable of stunting the birth of new stars in large galaxies. "Theoreticians and observers have known for decades that there is some physical process that shuts off star formation in massive galaxies, but the nature of that process has been a mystery," Jeremiah P. Ostriker, an astrophysicist at Columbia University in New York and Princeton University in New Jersey not involved in the study, said in a statement. "Putting the observed outflows into our simulations solves these outstanding problems in galactic evolution." Further study of these mighty outflows, which the researchers believe will only accelerate as their quasars suck in more material, could fill in more details about how the universe's most energetic objects make (and break) entire galaxies. Originally published on Live Science. The general quarantine is needed for the stop of spread of coronavirus infection There is no need to introduce emergency state in Ukraine for the fight against coronavirus as Ukrayinska Pravda reported citing Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. He is sure that the general quarantine and emergency situation are necessary for the stop of the spread of coronavirus infection. There is no need in the emergency state. It provides the restriction of constitutional rights. We do not need it for the fight against coronavirus. Its implementation might be only the last resort, Avakov said. As we reported earlier, according to Prime Minister Denis Shmygal, there is no urgent need to introduce the state of emergency in Ukraine. However, Minister of Health, Illya Yemets, was asking the Verkhovna Rada to introduce a state of emergency due the coronavirus in Ukraine. As of 7:00 am, on March 25, 113 cases of Covid-19 coronavirus infection were recorded in Ukraine. Of all 113 cases, four were lethal, one patient has recovered and has already been discharged from the hospital. New Delhi: As the world battles the Covid-19 pandemic, there might be some hope with temperatures soaring. Reports suggest the new coronavirus may adhere to the distinct seasonality exhibited by its genetic cousins that have been around for many years. The report published in Financial Times has some good news for the tropics as it suggests Covid-19 will find it harder to gain a foothold there than in the temperate regions of the planet. Mohammad Sajadi, an associate professor at the University of Marylands Institute of Virology, said the virus will find it difficult to spread in warmer climates. Based on what we have documented so far, it appears the virus has a harder time spreading between people in warmer climates, he said. Scientists from Beihang and Tsinghua Universities in China examined coronavirus transmission in 100 cities across the country, concluding that high temperature and high relative humidity significantly reduces the transmission of Covid-19. Sajadi observed that the virus can spread anywhere but the transmission is most effective between humans when humidity is low and the temperature is between 5 degrees Celsius and 11 degrees Celsius. As we see the virus spread, the most vulnerable regions lie between 30-50 degrees north of the equator like China and the US, and the southern portion of Europe. The Maryland team predicted intensification in the temperate regions south of the equator during summer. There will be a drop in transmission with the arrival of summer as per researchers in China. There was a note of caution from researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden conducting a larger study on the pandemic and studying seasonal patterns. It was concluded that with the coming of spring and summer, there could be an impression that the virus has been successfully contained, only for infections to increase again in the 2020-21 winter. With this there appears a similarity with the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19. The theory that respiratory viruses behave seasonally is not well understood but one of the possible reasons is said to be that although viruses multiply within people at the normal body temperature of about 37C, they survive and transmit better outside the human body at a much lower temperature and level of humidity, said the report in FT. Also in temperate regions people spend more time close together indoors. Another scientific factor is that the human immune system is less effective in winter, partly because there is less sunshine to help in the production of vitamin D. However, according to Marc Lipsitch, a Harvard University epidemiology professor there is an exaggeration of Covid-19s likely seasonality. He told FT, We may expect modest declines in the contagiousness of [the virus] in warmer, wetter weather but it was not reasonable to expect these declines alone to slow transmission enough to make a big dent. The management of Air Peace has announced the suspension of its operation for 23 days effective from Friday, March 27, amidst the coronavirus pandemic. This move is in compliance with the governments restrictions on large gatherings to curb the pandemic. This was contained in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES in Abuja on Wednesday. It is with a great sense of responsibility that we have decided, in the best interests of our nation, our passengers and workforce, to suspend scheduled flight operations for 23 days effective 23:00hrs on Friday (an hour before midnight on Friday) the 27th day of March, 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic This difficult decision was reached in order to support the efforts of the Federal Government and other stakeholders in curbing the spread of this virus in our nation, while also protecting our esteemed passengers and staff from becoming victims of the pandemic, the statement reads. PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported how Emirates Airlines, one of the worlds largest aviation businesses, suspended all passenger flights from March 25. Other major airlines like the American Airlines, Delta and British Airways have announced steps to cut down operations. Nigeria has closed all her airports in order to curb the pandemic. Ten months ago, Ethan Green walked across a stage at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to accept a bachelor's degree in biology and a commission from the U.S. Army. On Tuesday, Green, now a second lieutenant and doctoral candidate at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, climbed out of bed at 2 a.m. for his daily trek to a lab at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) in Silver Spring, Maryland. There, he planned to spend the day harvesting proteins found in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus so they could be used for developing a vaccine against the disease it causes, COVID-19. For the only active-duty member on WRAIR's coronavirus vaccine development team, the job fulfills a dream he's had since he was 14: to be an Army microbiologist. "The nature of what I'm doing, it's an amazing opportunity, and I thank God every day that I'm doing it. It makes me really sad that I have to -- I'd much rather be bored out of my mind in the lab -- but it has filled me with this immense purpose," Green said in an interview March 23 with Military.com. Related: Army Working Overtime to Develop a Coronavirus Vaccine Researchers at WRAIR and across the globe have been working since Jan. 10 on initiatives to develop vaccines, diagnostic tests and treatments for COVID-19. That's the date Chinese scientists first published the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus, which gave them a map for tackling the problem. The novel coronavirus first appeared in Wuhan, China, in mid-December and, as of March 24, had sickened more than 407,000 people worldwide and killed 18,227, according to Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. Army, WRAIR and U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command launched an all-out effort to develop diagnostic tests, as well as a vaccine. At WRAIR, the effort was built largely on the institute's earlier work on vaccines for Ebola, Zika and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, coronavirus. "The Emerging Infectious Disease Branch was created by our command ... a year and a half ago because we were having to quickly pull things together from different departments for Ebola and Zika and MERS. So we created this department to be already primed and ready to go," branch director Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad said March 4. WRAIR is developing a protein vaccine, which targets a portion of the virus -- its protein shell -- that includes the nubs seen in photos of the virus and several other types of protein. Green said the idea is to isolate the proteins and then "more or less throw human antibodies at them and see what sticks." "What we are really looking at is a vaccine we could give to soldiers at basic training, stab them, shoot them up with the vaccine and never have to worry about it again," he explained. Modjarrad said the branch also is determining whether an adjuvant -- a separate substance given along with the protein vaccine -- will bolster immune response. Testing is currently underway in mice at WRAIR on a vaccine and adjuvants, he added. As of March 24, the Defense Department had 321 total active cases of COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus, within the DoD: 174 military, 61 dependents, 59 civilians and 27 Defense Department contractors. In addition, four military members and one civilian have recovered. One contractor died March 21. The Department of Veterans Affairs had 296 cases as of March 24, a 45% increase from the day before, and four deaths, including two in New York City. No one knows whether the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus will continue its path to infecting many on the planet or if it will become a seasonal illness similar to influenza. Modjarrad said the goal is to have a vaccine in place by next winter in case COVID-19 becomes a seasonal event. "[What] the different vaccine developers, including [us], are trying to do is to position ourselves so we get through the [initial] studies and be ready for testing by the next winter season," he said. Several private companies are working on a COVID-19 vaccine and are in various stages of development, including Moderna Therapeutics, CureVac, GlaxoSmithKline, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi. Last week, volunteers received the first dose of a vaccine developed by Moderna Therapeutics. It also will take a year to complete the trials to determine safety and effectiveness. Green, who had been working on a universal influenza vaccine before being pulled to assist with the coronavirus vaccine effort, is optimistic that there will be a solution. "We'll be able to get one before the year is out, at least the clinical trials, and that's if everything goes wrong, like fires, earthquakes and Godzilla attacks. We'll get something out," he said. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at patriciankime@gmail.com. Read more: Women Should Have to Register for the Draft, Congressional Commission Says The irony of her chosen field of study and the reason she lost her casual hospitality job on Monday is not lost on Master of Public Health student Cassie MacArthur. Up until Sunday, Ms MacArthur still had a job at popular West Leederville bar Besk but that changed quickly after the federal governments directive to shut bars and restrict restaurants to takeaway only. UWA Masters of Public Health student Cassie MacArthur. Ms MacArthur was probably better prepared than most for the news the COVID-19 was shutting down entire industries, given her dissertation at UWA is on epidemiology the study of diseases. It wasnt really a shock because I was always expecting it, our professors have been watching it since December, she said. It is still really surreal. Hospitals scrambling to free up space for the expected crush of COVID-19 patients are looking at moving patients into hotels. As we confront the growing challenge of COVID-19, no idea is off the table when it comes to ensuring hospital beds are there for people when they need them, Health Minister Christine Elliott told the Star Tuesday. Discussions with hotels in the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa and elsewhere are exploring using vacant rooms for patients who are stuck in hospital beds even though they no longer require hospital care, explained Elliotts press secretary, Travis Kann. These patients do not have COVID-19 but are typically frail and elderly. Known as alternative-level-of-care or ALC patients, they have been waiting to move into other settings such as long-term-care, where there are also bed shortages. This isnt a simple proposition as we need to consider accessibility, equipment, food services, infection control and cleaning standards, bio-hazardous waste disposal and staffing, among many other issues that need to be resolved to ensure that patient safety is protected, Kann said. The hotels would be staffed by hospital personnel, including physicians and nurses, and by staff from the home and community care sectors, including nurses and personal support workers, he said. Details of the talks emerged on the same day that the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) sounded the alarm on the need to increase surge capacity in hospitals. If you havent done it yet, for the love of God, get on it. What we are hearing from international sources is that it is not a gradual onslaught. It just happens overnight. They are just all of a sudden at your door, association spokesperson Dr. Alan Drummond said Tuesday. For at least two decades, ER doctors have warned that Canadian hospitals have been too crowded and unprepared for the annual surge of patients during flu season. A hospitals occupancy should be 85 per cent, according to CAEP. But in Canada, which has one of the lowest rates of bed availability in the western world, the occupancy rate usually hovers around 100 per cent or greater, and sometimes goes as high as 120 per cent, CAEP says. The decision by the provincial government to declare a public emergency on March 16 triggered an enormous mobilization of people and resources to try to prepare hospitals to provide life-saving critical care for a very large number of COVID-19 patients, said Anthony Dale, president of the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA). The health system mobilization underway in Ontario and across Canada has not been seen on a scale like this since the end of the Second World War. In February, there were 5,300 ALC patients occupying hospital beds in the province, according to the hospital association. That number has since dropped, according to the OHA, but the current tally wasnt readily available Tuesday. A move by hospitals to postpone elective surgeries has helped free up bed capacity, the association said. Kann said the province is also looking at better leveraging vacant retirement home beds to take pressure off hospitals. The emergency physicians association warns that during a major pandemic there would be a need to double the number of intensive care beds. Other areas of hospitals would have to be converted into intensive care units, such as operating rooms, recovery rooms and clinic areas. Hospitals are crowded on a good day, Drummond said. We have been concerned that our capacity to respond to emergencies in a pandemic would be compromised. Whatever the pandemic brings, hospitals will still have to provide emergency care to people in collisions, falls, heart attacks, pneumonia, poisonings, that kind of thing, he said. He expressed concern that the pandemic is forcing a reduction in mental health and addiction services, in the form of cancelled appointments, as well as a reduction in home-care visits to the elderly and disabled. That could result in more patients going to the ER. By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 24, 2020 | 07:48 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY In a Tuesday press release, officials announced the decision while sharing an opinion from the Attorney General, stating the following. "it is not feasible under KRS 61.840 to precisely identify a primary physical location for a video teleconference at which the public may attend and view a public meeting conducted through video teleconference under the Open Meetings Act. Instead, because of the public health necessity of imposing social distancing to help stop the spread of COVID-19, a public agency should precisely identify a website, television station, or other technological means by which the public may view a meeting conducted under the Act until the conclusion of the state of emergency." With that opinion in mind, the McCracken County Fiscal Court will be hosting a meeting through Zoom. McCracken County Commissioner, Bill Bartleman, called the move historic, saying that it may be the first time any government body in western Kentucky has held a meeting with all members participating from different locations. He said, "We had been scheduled to meet face-to-face on Monday, but that was canceled because of the governors order to avoid congregating for meetings. All of us will participate using computers and iPhones from our homes or offices." Those wishing to to participate can do so by following the link below and by dialing 1-312-626-6799. The meeting ID will be 861 662 065. The McCracken County Fiscal Court will hold their first ever teleconference meeting at 5 pm on Wednesday, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the Net: A Colorado man has died while searching for the elusive $2million treasure said to be hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains by eccentric art dealer Forrest Fenn, marking it at least the fifth such death within the last 10 years. Michael Sexson, 53, from Deer Park, and his companion, an unnamed 65-year-old man from Thornton, had set out last week to look for the riches in a remote section of Dinosaur National Monument - the same area where the pair of adventurers had gotten trapped in the snow in late February and had to be rescued. On this occasion, by the time rescuers tracked down the two treasure hunters, who had been reported missing four days earlier, Sexson had died. His companion, who was said to be wearing more weather-appropriate gear, survived the ordeal and was airlifted to safety. Scroll down for video Michael Wayne Sexson, 53, was found dead in a remote part of Colorado's Dinosaur National Monument (pictured), where he and a friend were looking for Forrest Fenn's treasure Fenn, 89, an eccentric art dealer, in 2010 announced that he had buried a treasure worth about $2million somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. This undated photo provided by Fenn shows a chest purported to contain gold dust, hundreds of gold coins, gold nuggets and other artifacts Since Fenn announced the treasure hunt in his 2010 memoir, The Thrill of the Chase, thousands of thrill-seekers have been drawn to the Rockies in search of the prize, and at least five men have now lost their lives trying to find it. Fenn, 89, this week released a statement to The Denver Post mourning Sexson's loss. 'What happened was tragic,' Fenn told The Post. 'My heart and prayers go out to the family and friends.' Fenn's 2010 book, The Thrill of the Chase, contained this map pointing to the location of his treasure hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains In a separate message attributed to the art dealer in a Facebook group dedicated to the treasure hunt, he was quoted as urging people to halt the search during the winter months. Sexson and his friend first tried their luck two weeks earlier, when they rented snowmobiles and made their way to the Colorado-Utah border, where they got stuck in deep snow. That time, they managed to call 911 and were brought to safety the same day. The pair again rented snowmobiles on March 17 and made their way to the Wild Mountain area near the northwest boundary of Dinosaur National Monument, along the border of Utah and Colorado. Moffat County Sheriff's Lt Chip McIntyre said Sexson and his friend came armed with just a couple of bottles of water, some candy bars and a copy of Fenn's book. McIntyre said the treasure hunters did not have the necessary gear to survive days in the snow-bound wilderness: they were dressed in relatively thin coats and bluejeans. On Wednesday night, the person who rented the snowmobiles to the adventurers alerted the sheriff's office that they had not returned, and the following morning the wife of one of the men reported the pair missing, sparking a search. The treasure seekers who have died while hunting Fenn's bounty Four other people have died while searching for the treasure. Police officials have publicly implored Fenn to end the treasure hunt, saying it is a danger to public safety. Randy Bilyeu, pictured, was found dead in the wilderness west of Santa Fe Randy Bilyeu Bilyeu went missing in January 2016 and was found dead in July. His body was discovered by workers along the Rio Grande, and an autopsy could not determine cause of death. Bilyeu's ex-wife has publicly stated her belief that the Fenn Treasure is a hoax. Jeff Murphy Murphy, 53, of Batavia, Illinois was found dead in Yellowstone National Park on June 9, 2017 after falling about 500 feet down a steep slope. Jeff Murphy Murphy, 53, was found dead in Yellowstone National Park The investigation by Yellowstone officials into Murphy's death was kept private, but KULR-TV obtained it through a Freedom of Information Act request in February 2018. The investigative report reveals Murphy's wife told park authorities that Murphy was looking for the treasure when she called to report him missing. Pastor Paris Wallace Wallace, of Grand Junction, Colorado, told family members that he was searching for a buried treasure, but he failed to show up for a planned family meeting on June 14, 2017. His car was found parked near the Taos Junction Bridge and his body was found 5 to 7 miles downstream along the Rio Grande. Eric Ashby, 31, was found dead in Colorado's Arkansas River Eric Ashby Ashby, 31, was found dead in Colorado's Arkansas River on July 28, 2017. Friends and family state that he had moved to Colorado in 2016 to look for the treasure, and was last seen on June 28 rafting on the river 10 to 15 miles upstream from where his body was found. The raft overturned, and Ashby had been missing since that time. Advertisement On Friday, rescuers found the missing men's trucks, and on Saturday morning they came upon their snowmobiles, which Sexson and his friend had abandoned because there was not enough snow on the ground for them to ride on. That afternoon, a helicopter crew spotted the pair about a mile from the snowmobiles, and within 5 miles of the spot where the two were rescued on February 29. Sexson was pronounced dead at the scene, while his friend was taken to a hospital for treatment and later released. In 2017, after New Mexico pastor Paris Wallace, 52, died searching for Fenn's booty, the New Mexico State Police called on the art dealer to call off the treasure hunt, but so far he has refused to do so. Fenn's 2010 book that sparked the treasure hunt frenzy contained a poem offering tantalizing clues and a map. Key elements mentioned in the poem are warm waters halt, the blaze, canyon down and home of Brown all of which are open to interpretation by searchers, who have traced them to landmarks across Colorado, New Mexico, Montana and Wyoming. One of the major clues is that its at a location that was reachable by a man 79 years old, which was Forrests age when he hid the chest. And he was quick to point out that hes never said its buried; instead, he emphasizes that its hidden. In an interview with the DailyMail.com in 2018, Fenn explained why he decided to hide the bounty. I had several motives, Fenn said. First of all, we were going into a recession lots of people losing their jobs. I wanted to give some people hope. Despair was written all over the newspaper headlines. And secondly, were an overweight society I think not only in this country, but the world, says Fenn, who ran a successful Santa Fe art gallery with his wife for 17 years. So I wanted to get the kids away from their electronic gadgets and out into the sunshine, out into the mountains, hiking, fishing, picnicking and anything but the couch. Get out of the game room. In addition to the cryptic poem and hints in his memoir, Fenn has let a few details slip over the years saying the treasure is at least 8.25 miles north of Santa Fe and that its above an elevation of 5,000 feet. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 13:24:40|Editor: zyl Video Player Close SYDNEY, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Virgin Australia airlines will further slashes its domestic capacity due to new travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. In its statement to the ASX on Wednesday, the company said it would extend domestic capacity reduction from 50 percent to 90 percent, including the suspension of Tigerair Australia domestic services effective immediately. The remaining 10 percent of the domestic capacity would be retained for transportation of essential services, critical freight and logistics. The suspension of most of Virgin domestic flying will take effect from midnight of March 27 until June 14. The company has already announced suspension of international flying from March 30 to June 14. The statement came after escalating state border closures across Australia. Five out of eight states and territories of Australia including Tasmania, Northern Territory, South Australia, West Australia and Queensland have implemented restrictions on interstate travel. "There has never been a travel environment in Australia as restricted as the one we see today and the extraordinary steps we've taken have been in response to the federal and state governments' latest travel advice," said Virgin Australia CEO and Managing Director Paul Scurrah in the statement. The company said guests who are booked to travel between now and June 30 of this year could request a travel credit online through the website of Virgin Australia. The further reduction of the domestic capacity means the company has to temporarily suspend services to 19 Australian destinations currently operated by it, and it will maintain connectivity to 17 destinations to transport essential services, critical freight and logistics. As for the people affected, the company said it would temporarily stand down about 8000 of the company's 10,000 work force until at least the end of May to preserve future jobs. By IANS NEW DELHI: With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Air Force (IAF)has told its personnel and their dependents that they cannot process various welfare schemes owing to lockdown and appealed to bear with them, a senior IAF officer said on Wednesday. "Please bear with us," IAF told its personnel and their dependents explaining the reasons for not providing the funds. "Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, National Capital Region (NCR) is in a state of lockdown. Movement within the state and inter-state between Gurugram/Noida to Delhi is restricted," the force said. It further clarified that the office of Air Headquarter Non Public Funds -- Indian Air Force Benevolent Association and Indian Air Force Central Welfare Fund -- is manned by civilian staff. "Presently, the office is working with limited staff due to the restricted movement of people in national capital region," the force pointed. It further stated that as a result, the services provided by the office like payment of loans, grants, scholarships and claims will be delayed. The force highlighted that as and "when the restrictions are lifted, all loans and claims will be processed on priority". At Air Headquarter level, welfare funds are held under two different heads -- "the Indian Air Force Central Welfare Fund (IAFCWF) and the IAF Benevolent Association (IAFBA). Both these funds are registered under Societies Act. Welfare activities, like opening of schools, sports, recreation and medical facilities, that look after community needs fall under the category of group welfare and are funded from the IAFCWF. Welfare activities, which are meant for individuals, such as scholarships for children, loans to individuals and grants to widows, fall in individuals' welfare category and financed primarily from the IAFBA. The all-caps message on the new sign that went up in Redding, California, after the coronavirus came to town could not be any clearer: ONLY FLUSH TOILET PAPER. It made its debut last week on the corner of Smile Place and Russell Street after a desperate soul clogged one of the citys sewer lines by wiping with pieces of shredded T-shirt and flushing them down the toilet, the city confirmed. Quick work by members of the citys Department of Public Works averted what could have been a smelly disaster, officials there said. Image: Only flush toilet paper (Courtesy City of Redding) The sewer line that had plugged up last week was not substantially different than any other sewer blockage from people flushing products that they arent supposed to, just that it was during the toilet paper shortage and was intentionally flushed in lieu of traditional toilet paper, Ryan Bailey, assistant director of public works, said in an email to NBC News. The item was specifically cut T-shirts. What happened in Redding is not an anomaly. There have been reports of sewage systems and toilets clogging across the country as Americans faced with a shortage of toilet paper have resorted to using baby wipes, paper towels, napkins and tissues and flushing them away. Washington has taken notice. "Toilets are not trash cans," the Environmental Protection Agency said in a tweet posted Monday. Roto-Rooter, one of the nations biggest plumbing service providers, has sent out an email to its many customers spelling out the flushing rules. If you're all out of toilet paper, there's no perfect solution, but you should never flush paper towels and napkins, the rules state. They don't dissolve quickly in water and are likely to cause your toilet to back up. Facial tissue is another bad idea, but in the absence of toilet paper, you can use it in small amounts if you flush frequently. In South Florida, the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department urged residents to bag dirty wipes instead and throw them out with the trash. Story continues This increase in the use of cleaning wipes is only exacerbating a problem we deal with on a daily basis, Jennifer Messemer-Skold told the Miami Herald. The county already removes 300 tons of wipes from its sewer system every month, the paper reported. And in Chicago, retired plumber Craig Campeglia told the Chicago Tribune that he expects the phones of sewer drain experts will be ringing off the hook once the shelter-at-home rules start easing up. This is a crazy time, Campeglia said. I dont know why people are hoarding toilet paper. But I do know the only thing that should go down a toilet is sh--, pi-- and toilet paper. Anything else, put it in a bag, seal it up and toss it in the garbage. Thats what its for. In New York City, the owner of Queens-based Johnny Drain Cleaning said they were routinely cleaning out sewage lines clogged with tissues and wipes and other stuff even before this crisis. But for some reason, lately, the lines are being clogged by people using too much toilet paper, said the owner, who goes by Johnny Drain. I dont get it. Drain is my stage name, he added with a chuckle. And his business is located in, of course, the Flushing neighborhood of Queens. There has also been a run on disinfectant wipes, the result of well-meaning homeowners who have been following the recommendations of public health officials and sterilizing often-touched surfaces such as faucets, doorknobs and countertops, industry experts said. Those disinfectant wipes, all too often, also wind up in the toilet, Bailey from Redding, California, said. Nonflushable products have always been a problem in sewer systems, he said. We spend a lot of time and money every year trying to educate people about the problem with flushing anything down the toilet other than traditional toilet paper. In recent years, there has been an increased market for flushable wipes and other products, none of which are designed to break down during the treatment process. But the current crisis has forced Redding officials to take extra measures. They have started distributing door hangers that say Think Before You Flush and list what can or cant be flushed down the can. And that sign? The sign was initially located in the neighborhood of the incident, Bailey said. We have since moved it around town. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday held a review meeting with the officials on the implementation of lockdown and availability of essential commodities in the state. The Chief Minister instructed the officials to stagger the 'Rythu Bazars' in both urban and rural areas to avoid the rush and also permit the shops to operate from 6 am to 1 pm. 'Rythu Bazars' will be spread to all areas for the people's convenience. During the review meeting, the Chief Minister said the people are following the lockdown instructions to a large extent but they are coming on to roads for essential items. "Precautions for maintaining social distancing have to be taken at every decentralised outlet and officials have to make sure at all outlets. People are requested to follow the lockdown and remain indoors for safety. Only one person from a family has to come out for getting essential items not exceeding the radius of 3-km," Chief Minister Reddy. The Chief Minister appealed to the public to stay at home and cooperate with the state in controlling the spread of coronavirus. He also said that Section 144 of CrPC is being implemented across the state and strict action will be taken against those defying these instructions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State is not on self-isolation, Director of Strategic Communication and Press Affairs to the governor, Yakubu Lamai, has said. Mr Lamai disclose this in a statement he signed and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lafia, the state capital. He said there was nothing to hide about the COVID-19 global pandemics, Nasarawa State inclusive. It has come to the notice of the Directorate of Strategic Communication and Press Affairs that some Social Media platforms are saying His Excellency, Engineer Abdullahi A. Sule has gone on self-isolation. If indeed His Excellency, Engineer Abdullahi A. Sule goes into self-isolation, we shall make a formal statement to that effect. READ ALSO: Please rest assured that there is nothing to hide about COVID 19 in the entire world as also in Nasarawa State, the statement said. Mr Lamai urged the public to disregard information in some social media platforms insinuating that the governor had gone on self-isolation. He said the state government has intensified sensitisation on the preventive measures of COVID-19, adding that isolation centres were being set up in various locations across the state. (NAN) FLINT, MI -- Flight reductions are continuing at Bishop Airport and passengers who are flying are getting temperature checks at the terminal door to be certain they arent running a fever. Airport officials said in news releases that they will remain open as a critical business exception in light of Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order that took effect Tuesday in response to the coronavirus outbreak. In addition to checking the temperatures of all passengers and public entering the Bishop terminal, airport employees will also be checked with non-contact forehead thermometers when they arrive for work. The only doorway thats now open to the airport is at the center vestibule where the temperature check point has been set up. Ericka Artis, a Flushing resident and a teacher, was among scattered travelers at Bishop Tuesday, preparing to fly to Memphis, Tennessee, to stay with her parents. Im off school so I might as well be with them ... and make sure they are OK, Artis said. We want to make sure they are safe. Bishop Airport Director Nino Sapone said even while available flights are diminished, airports remain vital to providing access to the national airspace system and (providing) significant economic and social value to our community. As such, it is imperative that we remain as operationally capable as safety allows," Sapone said in a statement released by the airport. "Our staff and tenants are highly trained professionals who play a critical role ensuring the safety and security of the traveling public. Together we will remain resilient, flexible and adapt to the everyday challenges. Flights at Bishop and MBS Airport have been cut this month in response to COVID-19. Last week, the airport said American Airlines will reduce daily flights from Flint to Chicago from three to two for three weeks in April, and Delta Airlines has removed 25 flights from its Flint flight schedule in April -- approximately one per day, which equates to 3,104 outbound seats. Airlines have also been selectively removing flights daily, depending on how many people are on each aircraft, airport spokesman Pat Corfman said in an email to MLive-The Flint Journal. There are no changes loaded to the flight system beyond April at this point, but as you can imagine, it is a very fluid process, Corfman said. On Tuesday, flights to and from Chicago and Flint on American and United airlines were both cancelled, according to Bishops website. An MBS Airport official said last week that the airport will lose two of its three daily flights to Chicago on United Airlines starting in April. MLive photographer Jake May contributed to this report. Read more on MLive: All Michigan residents, most businesses ordered to stay home to slow spread of coronavirus Flights still running at Flint Bishop Airport but one airline cuts back next month MBS Airport will lose two daily United Airlines flights to Chicago starting in April OFX Daily Market News Posted by OFX USD United States Dollar The US dollar fell through trade on Monday after the Fed announced unprecedented monetary policy stimulus measures designed to sure up the domestic economy and cushion the impact of the looming recession. The Federal Reserve announced new programs wherein it will lend against student loans, credit cards and small businesses while supporting larger employers in maintaining as much of the domestic workforce as possible. The Fed will also expand its purchase of mortgage-backed securities to help normalize market function, doing everything it can to help guide the economy through this unmatched period of uncertainty. While broader markets remain reluctant to buy back into risk assets, we expect haven plays will remain popular through the short and medium-term. That said, we would expect the record levels of the central bank and government stimulus to bite at some point. As Congress tries to pass a 2 trillion dollar stimulus package, we anticipate confidence among investors will improve, perhaps weighing on the USD and fostering a correction of the recent overshoot. Key Movers Europe continues to be the focal point of the Coronavirus outbreak, with Italy having recorded 6077 deaths from Covid-19 with cases predominantly located in the northern province of Lombardy. Some solace can be taken that the rate of fatalities has fallen for two straight days with Mondays figure reported the number of 602 down from Saturdays 793. The latest update today will be closely followed, and hopefully, we will see a further decline. Spain continues to suffer, in particular, Madrid, with 462 deaths reported across the country yesterday, taking the total to 2182. There are now around 380k cases confirmed globally, with nearly 17k deaths as a result of the outbreak. America has seen cases soar over the past few days, with many states now in lockdown as the virus spreads across the country. New York State is severely affected, with around half of the countries 31k cases centred there. Despite the Senate being unable to agree on a government rescue package for the nation, the US Federal Reserve has intervened, offering unlimited funds as a backstop to the economy as well as starting an unlimited QE programme. The European Central Bank is set to unveil further assistance this week to limit what is likely to be a short but profound recession, potentially dwarfing that seen in 2008. Markets seem to be in the (relatively) upbeat mood this morning however, as all major stock markets post significant gains and riskier currencies surge with both the Aussie and Kiwi posting >2% rise against USD. EUR/USD trades at 1.0860 with USD/JPY at 110.30 Story continues Expected Ranges EUR/USD: 1.0752 1.0888 GBP/USD: 1.1578 1.1799 USD/CAD: 1.4375 1.4532 AUD/USD: 0.5864 0.5975 NZD/USD: 0.5734 0.5839 Posted by OFX The post Federal Reserve Employs Unprecedented Measures appeared first on . Beijing reported the first indigenous case of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that might have been transmitted by an overseas returnee on Monday, a health official said at a press conference Tuesday, adding that the patient might have gotten infected from a shared staircase. The man, surnamed Liu, is 42 years old and lives in Haidian District. He had no travel history to Hubei or other high-risk areas two weeks before the onset of illness. His downstairs neighbor, surnamed Li, returned from Britain on March 5 and was confirmed as a COVID-19 patient on March 12. Li ventured out for activities in the community and went to a supermarket while under quarantine through shared building stairs. He began to have symptoms on March 9 and walked to the hospital via the stairs on March 11. Liu developed fever and fatigue on March 10 and was confirmed as being infected with COVID-19 on March 23. He is the first indigenous COVID-19 case infected by a patient returning from overseas in Beijing, and his symptoms were mild, according to Pang Xinghuo, with the Beijing Center for Diseases Prevention and Control. "Liu had used the same stairs and might get infected there," said Pang, who added that thorough disinfection had been conducted in areas where they visited or lived. Liu's wife so far has no relevant symptoms and tested negative for the coronavirus. Beijing reported a total of 142 imported confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, according to local health commission. The capital city has demanded all arrivals from overseas to undergo concentrated quarantine and nucleic acid testing (NAT) starting from Wednesday as the number of imported cases of COVID-19 continues to increase. Every name on the BrandBucket marketplace is exclusively listed with BrandBucket. That means that all of our sellers are very responsive, making for quick domain transfers. A dedicated BrandBucket agent will manage your domain transfer from beginning to end, ensuring a secure and easy transaction. They will manage the receipt of the domain into one of BrandBuckets secure registrar accounts and then complete the transfer to you. 1. Verification and registrar choice After we receive the payment and verify it, we will reach out via email to confirm which registrar you want the domain transferred to. We also provide a link to our tracking system, where you can communicate with us, check on the status of your transfer, view your invoice, and download your logo files. In most cases, if a domain is moved between accounts at a single registrar, the transfer is quick and usually completes within 48 hours. If a domain changes registrars (in other words, you would like to move it away from where it is currently registered), the transfer is slower. The total transfer time can then be anywhere from 48 hours to 7 days. BrandBucket has vetted and supports the following registrars: GoDaddy Namesilo Uniregistry NameCheap Google Domains Network Solutions Name.com Dynadot Amazon Route 53 123 Reg Gandi 2. We request the name from the seller. Once we know where you would like the domain transferred, BrandBucket will request the domain from the seller. All of our sellers are very responsive, making for a quick process. 3. Transfer the name into your account As soon as we receive the name from the seller, we start the transfer into your account and guide you through the whole process. 4. Verify with the buyer that the transfer is complete Once we confirm that you have received the name, we consider the escrow process to be complete. Only then do we release payment to the domain seller. Petite in size but large in ambition, as chair of Arizonas Democratic Party she travels constantly in her effort to deliver the states 11 electoral votes (more than Wisconsins 10) to Joe Biden, who currently has a lead of up to eight points over President Trump in state polls. This is one of three states (the others are Texas and Georgia) where, for Democrats, tomorrow is always full of promise but is always a day away. In 2020, however, Arizona, which has long been emblematic of Sun Belt conservatism, might be where Democrats do unto Trump what he did unto them in 2016. Aero Contractors on Tuesday announced suspension of all its flight services for two weeks to support the federal governments effort to stop the Coronavirus pandemic from spreading further. Ado Sanusi, the Chief Executive Officer of the airline, made the disclosure in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos. Mr Sanusi said that the suspension, which would commence from Thursday, March 26, would last for two weeks. The airline chief said management of the airline would review the progress to contain the virus at the expiration of the two weeks before it would resume operations. Mr Sanusi said the suspension of all its flight was in support of initiatives and precaution to ensure that there was no community infection in the country. He said: This is also in line with the decision of the Lagos State Government, which has prohibited any gathering that is more than 20 persons. Coronavirus, known as COVID-19, is a global threat to our humanity and considering its devastating effect on many countries where it has led to death of thousands of people. We therefore crave the understanding of our esteemed customers to recognise our decision as a responsible corporate citizen and our support for full government effort to protect our citizens. He said the airline had also taken care of all the future schedule of its customers. He said the airline would ensure that those who had booked flights with it would be taken to their destinations in its usual safe and efficient service. (NAN) Network Ireland Kilkenny are delighted to announce that their first virtual networking session will take place, this evening (Wednesday, March 25) at 6.30pm via Zoom. The topic for this event is Grow your Communication and Media Skills and will be delivered by a panel of experts - Eimear Ni Bhraonain, Siobhan Donohoe and Helen Carroll. About this Event Traditional media allows businesses to target a broad target audience through radio, print and television. Whilst many companies now use social media platforms to advertise and grow their brands and businesses, traditional media still plays an important role, so striking the balance between new and old media is more important than ever. Network Kilkenny's March event, Media Skills, will bring focus back to traditional media. Eimear Ni Bhraonain will provide tips on doing radio interviews, Siobhan Donohoe will cover print media and Helen Carroll will take us through TV interview techniques. Following the information sessions by our panel of speakers, the Network will host a panel discussion and Q&A session. Deirdre Martin, President of the Network Ireland Kilkenny Branch says "our panel of media experts each bring experience in their current fields, but all have crossed over at one point or another in to other areas of media. So rather than get caught out unexpectedly to do an interview, grow your communication and media skills with our panel." The link to Join the Zoom Meeting is: https://zoom.us/j/313382283?pwd=SzhzTk15MWgrblViQlA5V1hJQ2Nudz09 Network Ireland Kilkenny has decided to remove the fee for non members and ask you to consider a donation to Teac Tom. President of the Kilkenny Network Deidre Martin says "Teach Tom is a charity that doesnt get government funding and in these trying times we believe its inevitable that their service in our community will be in greater demand over the coming weeks and months." About the Speakers Eimear Ni Bhraonain Eimear Ni Bhraonain is a communications expert with almost 20 years of experience in the media industry. She cut her teeth in the regional press before moving to the national scene where she worked as the midlands and later south-east correspondent with Independent newspapers. Eimear is perhaps best known for moving to Moneygall in 2011 where she became the only "resident journalist" to cover the historic visit of US President Barack Obama to his ancestral home for national and international media. These days, Eimear presents the mid-morning talk show on local radio, KCLR Live, where she has the highest listenership across the station. While she covers all the serious topics of the day, Eimear has a quirky sense of humour and enjoys getting out and about meeting her listeners. Siobhan Donohoe Siobhan Donohoe is a Kilkenny-based businesswoman, journalist, PR consultant, TV presenter and MC. She is a columnist for The Kilkenny People and The Kilkenny Reporter, as well as the Brand Ambassador for the newspaper group. She writes a weekly column in both newspapers as well as several other features. Siobhan presented a weekly magazine TV programme on Sky for Irish TV for three years. She has a Degree in Marketing and Business but also studied Financial Services and Accountancy. She worked as the Assistant Accountant for the worlds biggest open coal mine company - CMC Coal and BDO Simpson Xavier before setting up her own Financial Services business in Kilkenny. When the recession hit, Siobhan made a career change and entered into the world of PR and Media. She runs her own agency called Sibhy D PR & Marketing. Helen Carroll A journalist with over 25 years experience, Helen Carroll is best known as a presenter on Ear to the Ground, RTE Televisions Farming and Food programme. She has produced, presented, reported and researched on national radio and television for both RTE and TV3. Her work in the print media has seen her write news, features, reviews and a weekly column for both local and national publications. #PowerWithin #PositiveNews By Trend Fifteen more people tested positive for coronavirus in Azerbaijan, Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers told Trend. Currently, 76 people with active coronavirus are in special hospitals under doctors control. The health condition of six of them is moderate severe, while the others feel normal, their health condition is stable. Necessary measures are underway to treat the patients. In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection in the country and detect the cases of infection, relevant measures are underway to examine 2,126 people in quarantine zones created in various hospitals. The cases of coronavirus in Azerbaijan are detected among people who arrived from abroad and as a result of infection of each other within the country. Therefore, in order to prevent the spread of the infection, everyone should follow the requirements and recommendations of the World Health Organization and the Operational Headquarters of the Cabinet of Ministers. Citizens must adhere to the self-isolation measures. People must not leave houses unless absolutely necessary. It is also imperative to contact less with other people, not to visit crowded places and strictly comply with the requirements of preventive measures. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday condemned the attack at a Gurdwara in Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul that killed at least 11 people. "Suicide attack on a Gurudwara Sahib in Kabul needs to be strongly condemned. These killings are a grim reminder of atrocities that continue to be inflicted upon religious minorities in some countries and the urgency with which their lives & religious freedom have to be safeguarded," Puri tweeted. Armed men stormed inside a Gurdwara in Kabul's Shor Bazar area at about 7:45 am (local time) and were locked in an ongoing battle with security forces. Citing a security source, Tolo News reported that at least 11 people have been killed and 11 other sustained injuries in the attack, adding that "three attackers are still fighting with security forces and one has been shot." Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh called the incident "tragic and unfortunate" and urged Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to "find out the perpetrators and look after our people." "Horrific news coming from Kabul where a barbaric terror attack happened in the Gurudwara Guru Har Rai. It's extremely tragic and unfortunate. Request President @AshrafGhani Ji to find out the perpetrators and look after our people," Singh tweeted. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Afghan MP Nardendar Singh Khalisa had told reporters that up to 150 people were at the Gurdwara at the time the incident occurred. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Miss. governor holds moment of prayer on Facebook over coronavirus, recites Scripture Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves shared a moment of prayer and three passages from the Bible with constituents via Facebook Live Sunday as he encouraged churchgoers to figure out how they can help their at-risk neighbors during the novel coronavirus outbreak. One of the things that this has brought out, this COVID-19, is the fact that we have been [in] very difficult times, the 45-year-old Reeves said before opening up the video in prayer. But we also know that we have some people across our state who are working very hard to make a difference. Reeves, who attends a Methodist church, selected verses from the Bible that he shared with the viewers. The first passage he recited was 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. We are troubled on every side yet not distressed. We are perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed, he recited. Reeves, who assumed office this January, assured his constituents that there are people working day and night to distribute supplies to first responders and hospitals. That is going to be one of the challenges of the coming days as the number of cases continues to grow that we ensure that we get the necessary supplies to the places where they need to be, he explained. I am committed to do that. Reeves continued by sharing the second passage he picked out: John 16:32-33. Behold, the hour cometh, yes, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me, he recited. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. The governor challenged his constituents to have a shared sacrifice in the way of stepping up to help your friends and help your neighbors. We dont have all of the data yet. But we do know that there seems to be in terms of the rate of deaths of this particular virus a high-risk category: those over the age of 60 as well as those who are actually have compromised immune systems, he explained. What I want to encourage the high-risk categories to do is to stay home. What I want to encourage all the rest of our Mississippi friends and family to do is think about delivering groceries to your elderly neighbor. Think about talking to your fellow churchgoers and determining who within your church may fit into that category and may need an extra hand. Reeves said that a long-term problem that could arise is whether there will be enough hospital beds and healthcare facilities to deal with the challenges that are before us. If we are able to keep those highest risk categories healthy, I believe that can help us long term, he said. Reeves then said a closing prayer, calling on God to guide President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, leaders in Mississippi, healthcare workers and the 3 million Mississippians. He shared one final Bible verse: John 3:16. I want to end by reading a verse that most all of us memorized long ago. Youll notice that it doesnt speak to Baptist or Methodist or Pentecostals or Catholics or any other denomination, he said. John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Before logging off, he encouraged Mississippians to continue worshiping online or by listening to TV services around the state. But please continue to pray for your leaders and your fellow Mississippians, Reeves urged. There are over 55,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University & Medicines coronavirus resource center. So far, there have been 320 confirmed cases in Mississippi. On Tuesday, Reeves announced plans to sign orders that could limit gatherings, dining in restaurants and visiting nursing homes and hospitals, according to The Clarion-Ledger. Reeves told reporters that the orders would not mandate a state lockdown. Nearly two dozen states have enacted stay-at-home orders, asking people to stay at home unless they are deemed essential employees or need to leave their homes to perform necessary tasks like buying food or medical supplies. B ellway and Persimmon on Wednesday joined the rush of companies postponing dividends, as the housebuilders warned of sales drops due to Covid-19 disruption. Firms across different industries have been putting shareholder payouts on ice in favour of shoring up their balance sheets in the virus crisis. Housebuilders have seen recent trade battered by the Governments travel restrictions and work from home guidance leading to fewer house viewings. FTSE 100 firm Persimmon said it had an encouraging start to the year but is now preparing for a significant delay in the timing of legal completions, a rise in cancellation rates and a material slowdown in new sales. The firm, which has been trying to rebuild its reputation after complaints about construction quality and excessive pay, has scrapped a proposed 125p per share interim dividend. It will also postpone a proposed final dividend payment of 110p per share. Persimmon added that given the level of continued uncertainty around economic and business activity, it was not possible to forecast its annual profits. Meanwhile, Bellway said a decision to pay an interim dividend will be postponed until later in the year. The company warned: The unprecedented challenge and uncertainty presented by Covid-19 will result in a period of substantial disruption. Bellways chief executive Jason Honeyman said the group last week saw a big drop in site visit numbers, a fall in reservations, and a surge in cancellations. He expects sales to fall further. His update came as Bellway posted results for the six months to January 31. It boosted revenues 3.6% to 1.5 billion but saw pre-tax profits decrease 7% to 291.8 million. That was due to higher build costs and the company benefiting a year earlier from selling a number of expensive London luxury flats. Both Bellway and Persimmon also said they have, or will, starting closing construction sites. They join a number of businesses closing sites amid growing concerns over government guidance they can stay open. The government has said people working on sites must follow Public Health England guidance on social distancing. Persimmons chief executive David Jenkinson said: Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our customers, staff, contractors and suppliers. Bellways Honeyman told the Evening Standard that he has started to close down UK sites, with the intention of all being shut by Friday. That includes works in Sydenham and Bexleyheath. From Men's Health After Netflix released the docuseries Tiger King, people have been wondering what happened to Kelci "Saff" Saffery, one of the employees at the Greater Wynwood Zoo. After suffering from an arm injury while on the job in 2013, Saffery seems to still be working at the zoo. Saffery also voiced her opinion in the series about how unhappy she was with the feud between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin. Since the release of Netflixs docuseries Tiger King , many people are voicing opinions against the featured park in the show, Joe Exotic s Greater Wynwood Zoo. One person stood out throughout with her continued support for the zoo, and that is Kelci Saff Saffery, one of the parks employees. Known for being upfront about what was happening and not mincing her delivery, fans might be wondering who exactly Saffery is and what has happened to her since the series ended. Who exactly is Kelci Saffery? Kelci Saffery was born in Hawaii. While enlisted in the Army, she was deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq, and lost her parents during her enlistment. Having a passion for tigers since she was a child, it made sense to end up working with them in her adult life, working at owner Joe Exotics park and caring for some of the larger cats. Saffery hurt her hand while working for Exotic in 2013. Saffery did end up getting damage from the tigers when she became complacent and attempted to stick her hand in the tiger cage in order to close the door in 2013. Because of this, a tiger hurt her hand, and according to Exotic , she was sent to the OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City to get her hand looked at and cared for. She decided that the damage was too much and instead of going through two years of various reconstructive surgeries, she opted to amputate her arm and has since been hoping to receive a prosthetic one. She returned to the park and her job eleven days later. Watch here for her full story: Saffery didnt blame Exotic or the park for her injury. Story continues In a statement to the Daily Mail in 2013, she expressed how she took full responsiblity for what happened to her. I broke protocol and stuck my hand in a cat cage instead of using the stick provided, the statement read. The cat let go and pushed my arm back through the cage. This tiger was not aggressive towards me. Saffery is unhappy about the feud between Carole Baskin and Joe Exotic. During the last episode of the docuseries, Saffery expresses her disappointment with the way things have played out between Exotic and Carole Baskin , an animal rights activist whose story plays a big role in the show. She voiced her opinion that the money that was used to fight each other in court could have been put to better uselike taking care of the animals in the zoo. Saffery is still working at the Greater Wynwood Zoo. On her LinkedIn page, Safferys profile indicates that she is still working as a Greater Wynwood Zoo park managers. You Might Also Like [ Read our review. ] Image Begin Again: James Baldwins America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own, by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. (Crown, April 21) by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. (Crown, April 21) [ Update: After this list was published, the release date of this title was changed to Sept. 14. ] After the killings of the civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin became a far more political writer, grappling with the legacy and reality of racism in the United States. In Begin Again, Glaude, the chair of the African-American Studies department at Princeton, explores the parallels between that period and our current moment, blending biography, memoir and cultural criticism. Image Breasts and Eggs, by Mieko Kawakami. Translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd. (Europa, April 7) by Mieko Kawakami. Translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd. (Europa, April 7) Mieko Kawakami, whose work deals with what is expected of women in patriarchal society, is one of Japans most acclaimed contemporary novelists. Breasts and Eggs won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize. It follows three women Natsu, her sister and her niece as they undergo a series of transformations. Natsus sister is consumed with a wish for breast implants, which alienates her from her teenage daughter, who is struggling with puberty. Later in the book, Natsu is intent on having a child via a sperm donor, an isolating process that causes her to second-guess her own needs and sense of self. [ Read our review. ] Image Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family, by Robert Kolker (Doubleday, April 7) by Robert Kolker (Doubleday, April 7) The Galvins, Kolkers subject, suffered extraordinary heartbreak: By the 1970s, six of their 12 children had received diagnoses of schizophrenia. They became a case study for researchers, offering a window onto a poorly understood disease. Kolker, whose previous book, Lost Girls, was another feat of narrative journalism, tells the story of the familys pain with compassion, and he details the enduring scientific legacy of their plight, weaving it with the stories of scientists who devoted themselves to studying the biology of schizophrenia. Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) and Tesla Inc., speaks during an event at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. At least one employee and one outside health care provider at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California, have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, sending some employees into quarantine, according to an internal memo seen by CNBC. At the facility, the company has taken other steps to try and protect nervous workers, including handing out protective gear and making hand sanitizer in-house, according to several current employees and family members who spoke to CNBC. SpaceX is asking the employees it sent home to remain in quarantine and monitor their own health for any signs of the novel coronavirus for a period of 14 days. One Medical, which provides on-site health services at the facility, is asking all of its healthcare providers who have symptoms of the coronavirus, including the ones near SpaceX's headquarters in LA, to stay home and get tested immediately. "One Medical proactively reached out to SpaceX employees who may have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive case," the provider said in emailed statement to CNBC. "Our clinical team advised these employees to self-quarantine while monitoring for symptoms related to coronavirus." SpaceX did not immediately return requests for comment. The Telegraph previously reported on infected employees at the facility. The coronavirus outbreak could further impact Elon Musk's aerospace venture. SpaceX had already delayed the planned March 30 launch of the SAOCOM 1B Earth-observation satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket on the request of Argentina's space agency due to COVID-19. Aerospace and defense companies like SpaceX are counted as "critical infrastructure" businesses. Their launches and technology support national security, the functioning of global positioning systems and more. So, employees have little choice but to keep reporting to work if they are healthy enough to do so, even during a pandemic. COVID-19 remains a threat to their health, and has already forced some operational changes. A FORMER nurse in University Hospital Limerick who wants to be On Call for Ireland can't get home from Melbourne. Anita Jones worked in UHL as agency before she went to Australia 10 months ago. "I booked a flight with my cousin Rebecca Jones, who is also a nurse and heading back to CUH, cutting her career break short. I resigned from my casual position in the hospital here and have a back up of agency nursing so Im not as stuck as others but the work is very limited. "All non-urgent procedures have been cancelled and we rely on regular staff going on holidays to pick up shifts which obviously theyre not doing in this crisis, said Anita, who is from Kanturk. Her mother, from Dromcollogher, and all her family are very worried. "I was due to land in to Dublin at 7am this Wednesday morning but they stopped all flights via Abu Dhabi for anyone who is not a citizen of the UAE. Currently theres no viable commercial option to get home. So we are stranded for two weeks minimum. The only way we can get home and be of service at home is if the Government can put out a rescue flight. I havent seen my parents or my sister for the best part of a year, they are obviously very worried about my situation, said Anita. Anita and Rebcecca are pictured at Melbourne Airport before they flew home to answer Ireland's call. They thought it would be their last photo in Australia but then the flight was cancelled. Deputy Niall Collins said the Government must act to repatriate Irish in Australia. He has written to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs asking them to outline the Governments plan to repatriate Irish people living in Australia. Deputy Collins called for a repatriation plan after a number of airlines announced that they are to cease flights out of Australia. He said last week the HSE launched its On Call for Ireland appeal and thankfully it has been overwhelmed with applications from Irish people like Anita wanting to come home to work in the health service and help tackle the spread of the coronavirus. "The applications have come from all over the world, with many Irish people in Australia signing up. "However, many healthcare workers, as well as other Irish people wanting to return home, are finding it increasingly difficult to leave Australia as many of the main airlines are ceasing flights out of the country. "I have been made aware of a number of cases of young people, whose visas are on the brink of running out who are now worried that they may not be able to get home and are worried about outstaying their visa and running out of money," said Deputy Collins. These people dont know how to get home, he said. "People who had booked flights have had them cancelled and they are beginning to panic. I have written to the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney asking them what plan is in place to ensure that these people are repatriated home, and not left stranded in Australia. "I believe we have a duty to these Irish citizens, particularly when so many of them were responding to an initiative to improve the countrys ability to contain Covid-19. We must ensure that these people can make their way home safely", concluded Deputy Collins. LAFYAETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Even though the Lafayette Family YMCA is closed, it is still offering help to local health care workers. CEO Paul Cramer says they are transitioning the Y to focus on providing child care services for doctors, nurses, technicians, and medical staff. The organization is aligning with Franciscan Health and IU Health Arnett to offer this essential service. It will be held in the YMCA Youth Development wing. If you are enrolled in the Lafayette Family YMCA Licensed Childcare Program, you can also bring your child there for care. A 50-year-old pastor, who recently returned from Amsterdam, tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, making it the second case of the disease in the Northeast, Health Minister R Lalthangliana said on Wednesday. The test report of the man, a resident of Aizawl, arrived on Tuesday night from the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), he said. "We received the test result late last night. It is an imported case and the patient is fine," Lalthangliana told reporters. The health minister urged people not to panic after the state reported its first case. Eric Zomawia, the mission director of National Health Mission (NHM) here, said the patient was in the Netherlands for higher studies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MA Kalam The spread, or the fear of infection, of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 has shut down almost all educational institutions, of course besides other establishments/entities too, all over India. In the wake of such an unprecedented lockdown the different authorities in their respective domains and realms, at the school level or in higher educational institutions, have been proposing the setting up of virtual classrooms for e-teaching towards imparting lessons remotely. What is to be remembered here is that for almost everybody it is a first time experience. It is not something that has been implemented, practiced or honed over a period of time. The assumption seems to be that since at an educational institution we have the technology computers, web cameras, microphones, and Wi-Fi we should be able to connect with the learners, provided they have a laptop, desktop computer or a smart phone. At the teaching/lesson imparting end it is expected that at least an almost dedicated studio kind of facility exists. To what extent is that supposition valid? Besides, we also take it for granted that at the receiving end (the students) there is some uniformity as regards the requisite technology, in terms of a microphone/web camera, reliable broadband connection, steady power supply, and for those who rely on a smartphone, a consistent 4G Internet data plan. To amplify, there are inherent class factors that have to be considered. There are two ways in which an e-teaching facility could be brought in. One, prepared lesson packs pre-recorded with the content monitored, checked, and revised, time slots taken into consideration after obtaining feedback. This is very useful in terms of the learners going at their own pace, and also going back to the lessons as often and as and when they can. Much like pre-cooked meals, the ingredients and quality is checked and can be had at ones own convenience. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Here, learners have the disadvantage of not being able to interact with the instructors the moment they find something that is not clear. Needless to say, developing such modules involves time besides the cost and other related factors. The second way is to go live and expect that the target group is in attendance and is alert to what is being taught and have their eyeballs as well as ears attuned to the event. Interface with the instructors happens here in real time and the exercise can be highly interactive. Here, the dining experience is more like having the meal prepared in front of the diners. Indian IT scene is quite different from any place/institution in the West. Digital divide operates and does so in a big way in the Indian context. The penetration of IT is not to be taken for granted given we still have about 70 percent of the population in the rural areas which happens to be in a shade of dark grey. Not that there is seamless, smooth and uniform distribution of IT and allied resources in the so-called urban areas. Many a pocket in the urban areas too are inhabited by sections of population that are underprivileged if not quite de-privileged. Broadband and bandwidth is not to be taken for granted when one is envisioning preparation for e-teaching and envisaging setting up of virtual classrooms. Besides the technical issues delineated above, there are other factors that impact the setting up of virtual classrooms. Some of these factors are social and cultural, peculiar to or that pertain mostly to India, over and above the economic ones alluded to above. Given the gender aspect and the way socialisation happens in India, there will certainly be discrimination in terms of access to a limited good such as a laptop or desktop computer in most households right up to the upper middle class segment. Girls will find that priority is given to their male siblings (as in the daily intake of food and nutrition) in most families. Also, access to technology gets hampered if there are more children in the family; all of them may require access to the equipment at the same time. The elder and male siblings will end up hogging access to the resource. There are many imponderables in the exercise that is being attempted and unforeseen insights will definitely emerge in both the recorded as will live remote teaching. The level of success will indeed depend on quite a few unanticipated positives as well as negatives. However, the effort will definitely make us learn quite a lot from the experiment. It is also quite possible that it may make us aware of how things may unfold in the future, and enable us to modify the existing technology and innovate based on the feedback received. African finance ministers have called for a $100 billion stimulus package, including a suspension of debt service payments, to help the continent combat deadly coronavirus. Some $44 billion would come from not servicing debt and they would also tap existing facilities in the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), African Development Bank (AfDB) and other regional institutions. The ministers held a virtual conference on Thursday to discuss how to deal with the social and economic impacts of the pandemic on African nations, a statement by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa said on Monday. It did not specify which countries participated in the meeting. Africa is facing the combined shock of coronavirus, which threatens to strain under-funded health systems, as well as a sharp drop in revenues due to plunging oil and commodities prices. Africa needs an immediate emergency economic stimulus to the tune of $100 billion, the statement said. The proposed interest payment waiver would include not only interest payments on public debt but also on sovereign bonds. It would save governments an estimated $44 billion this year, and would possibly need to be extended to the medium term, it added. (A waiver) would provide immediate fiscal space and liquidity to the governments in their efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement said. For fragile states, the ministers agreed that waiving repayment of both principal and interest should be considered. Though African nations currently count only a fraction of global coronavirus cases, experts worry that their cash-strapped and under-equipped healthcare systems make them ill prepared to tackled large-scale outbreaks. Meanwhile, sub-Saharan Africa's debt has ballooned to nearly 60% of GDP over the past decade, meaning many government must devote significant resources to debt service. Reuters The Microsoft for Startups programme works with a selection of companies in the scale-up stage around the globe to offer tools, technologies and support to these businesses. MainStreaming was selected as one of these companies, and is currently working alongside Microsoft as a Microsoft Partner to develop video delivery solutions built in Microsoft Azure cloud services. At Microsoft, we enjoy working with businesses who are disrupting industries with exciting technology, which is why we've been so excited to have MainStreaming join our ScaleUp programme, said Amali de Alwis, managing director at Microsoft for Startups UK . We aim to foster growth and innovation for our partners in an ecosystem that offers the tools they need to succeed.MainStreaming believes that inclusion in the programme represents a continuation of sustained momentum since 2019 when it closed the year with successful funding round. With Microsoft, MainStreaming says that it will be able to take advantage of the Azure cloud by integrating it alongside its proprietary video streaming technology and strengthen its offering to support broadcasters and media companies with streaming capability.Being accepted into the program is a great result for us and we are extremely excited to be invited to join Microsofts programme with the opportunities it opens up for us, added MainStreaming CEO Antonio Corrado. We are looking forward to working with Microsoft and seeing how we can incorporate Azure into our solution and how we can integrate MainStreaming into the Microsoft ecosystem to enable broadcasters and media companies to continue offering their customers the best quality of experience. Hospitals in Illinois have room for additional patients now, but state public health officials said without a stay-at-home order, demand for hospital beds could quickly exceed capacity in a worst-case scenario. Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state health officials provided the updated information on hospital capacity during a daily news briefing Tuesday. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 150 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 1,536 cases in 33 counties. Four additional deaths were reported, bringing the statewide total to 16. The four latest deaths were a Chicago resident in his 50s, two Cook County residents in their 60s and a DuPage County resident in her 90s. The age of all the reported cases ranges from younger than 1 to 99 years. You deserve honesty and transparency on the gravity of our situation and the reason behind the aggressive measures like the stay-at-home order that I put in place, Pritzker said. A graphic used during the briefing from the Illinois Department of Public Health showed that, of the 26,025 hospital beds available in Illinois, 12,588 or 51.6% were occupied. In what the governor said were worst-case scenario numbers for if he had not issued the stay-at home order, health officials estimated the need for beds would have increased by 2,511 by Monday. By April 6, that need would have risen by an estimated 28,222, well exceeding the states capacity. The Illinois Department of Public Health also said there are 2,594 intensive care unit beds, with 1,106, or 57.4%, occupied. They estimated that need would have increased by 837 by Monday and hit 9,407 by April 6, again exceeding the states capacity. Of 2,229 ventilators, the Illinois Department of Public Health said there are 1,595 available. Public health officials estimate by Monday there would have been an increase of 419 in use and by April 6 a need for 4,704, or double the states capacity. The governors stay-at-home order, announced Friday and effective Saturday, closed all non-essential businesses in Illinois through April 7. The governor said his administration was working to boost capacity to bring offline hospitals and hotels online and inquiring about critical equipment to care for the most severe cases of COVID-19. That includes triage tents and other facilities. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Rain and snow showers this evening. Overcast overnight. Low 26F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 50%.. Tonight Rain and snow showers this evening. Overcast overnight. Low 26F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 50%. A sign directs patients to an NHS 111 Coronavirus Pod, where people who believe they may be suffering from the virus can attend and speak to doctors, outside University College Hospital in London on March 5, 2020. (Isabel Infantes/AFP via Getty Images) War and Plague: Who Should Be Treated? Commentary Governments everywhere are moving to a level of control over industry and civilian life normally seen only in wartime. Iran and Israel agree on little else, but both see themselves as engaged in an all-out war against the virus. The analogy to war is a common way to convey a sense of urgency, whether it be a war on waste or plastic straws, or poverty. In this case, however, theres a wartime level of threat to life, a comparable interference in everyday lives, an expansion of state control over the economy, and, as British historian Robert Tombs puts it, the need to create feelings of solidarity: the willingness to be public spirited and to bridle our natural egotism. Here I want to consider how the analogy to war, a total war that mobilizes the whole society, is being used or misused in conditions where health care systems are overwhelmed and forced to deny treatment to some who might benefit from it. On a Wartime Footing Comparisons to World War II and the spirit of the Blitz are common in Britain. It was a time when, in the national memory, Londoners withstood daily bombing with courage, determination, solidarity, and patriotism, and came to each others aid. Government control extended beyond providing health care for those serving in the greatly expanded armed services. It was also a matter of how the state needed to organize industry to meet critical health care needs, to apportion and ration health care resources, not least but not only for those wounded in combat. Both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Donald Trump are putting industry on something like a wartime footing. In an unprecedented peacetime call to arms, the Telegraph reports, Johnson is asking manufacturers to transform their current production lines to help produce ventilators as part of a national effort to tackle the virus. In the United States, Trump invoked the Defense Production Act of 1950, first used during the Korean War, so he would be able to mobilize the private sector to manufacture goods needed in the fight against the pandemic. The Dark Side of War Talk For Irish writer John Waters, war talk is dangerous. From early on, as the disease engulfed northern Italy and swamped health care resources, physicians and policymakers spoke of the need to make hard choices in treating the sick, of triaging in favor of younger, more productive virus victims. It is the language of prudent policy analysis, of making inescapable choices, and the common good. But it sounds reasonable, Waters argues, only because it reflects and reinforces a wider throwaway culture criticized by John Paul II and subsequent popes, a culture of death in which the weak and vulnerable are increasingly excluded from the human community. John Paul II argued 25 years ago that we are facing a war of the powerful against the weak: a life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless. The culture, in short, is desensitizing us by training us to see illness as a kind of luxury, treatment as a concession, and the old as a separate category of the human. Because the old are increasingly hidden away from everyday society in purpose-built nursing homes, when we happen upon the old we are already beginning to look away from their frailty, and therefore their, and our own, humanity, writes Waters. The language of combat triage to exclude from care and treatment whole categories of people misunderstands and misapplies the process. Military triage prioritizes for treatment those most likely to be capable of returning to the battlefield. Its a dynamic process in which a soldiers priority can change rapidly according to his health status. Military triage follows well-established protocols. It doesnt prioritize sick soldiers on the basis of age. But age-based triage is what appears to be happening in Italyas Waters demonstrates from many Italian sources. An Israeli doctor practicing in Parma, Italy, confirms Waterss account. He reports from the front lines that the age for exclusion from critical care with ventilators is as low as 60. Rationing Is Inevitable in Health Care But are there not rational and just grounds for prioritizing measures like vaccination and testing of health care workers, who put themselves at higher risk and without whose work hospitals would collapse into centers of spreading infection? Or for giving lower priority in the use of scarce equipment to those who are very frail and in rapidly declining health? Are these not indeed the kind of prudential choices that a plague, like a war, forces on our attention, however firm our commitment to doing no harm and to healing the sick? Capacity for providing critical care beds with ventilators varies widely from country to country. No health care system can avoid the risk of being overwhelmed and unable to provide all the care they would if resources were unlimited. As in battle, not all the wounded can be saved, and choices have to be made. The current situation is not so different from combat triage as Waters suggests. The important objection to Italys response is not that physicians had to choose whom to provide with the best available care. That is true in all health care systems. We have deluded ourselves into thinking that health care is an unquestioned right in the sense of an open-ended claim on the state. Resources are limited, so the question remains, what better way might exist for allocating them? By treating age as the determining criterion, the Italian system laid itself open to the kind of criticism it has received. It excludes the most vulnerable, a whole category of the population, from the protection of the community. The UKs National Health Service (NHS) has long experience of providing a universal health care system within a constraining budget. It has always had to ration health care, albeit through long waits rather than copays, deductibles, and caps. It regards rationingdenying a potentially beneficial treatment to a patient on the grounds of scarcityas inescapable. But the UK, like Italy, has a universal health care system. The two countries provide an instructive contrast. Faced with even fewer critical care beds, relative to population, the NHS has developed official guidance for physicians on how to decide whether patients suffering from the COVID-19 disease should be admitted to critical care or not. It has done so without mentioning age. The new NHS guidance is a dynamic triage system that relies on a Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and algorithm or decision tree for choosing a treatment plan. It takes into account patient wishes, underlying pathologies, comorbidities, and severity of acute illness. All without mentioning age. The UKs triage approach isnt immune from the cultural context that Waters describes, and doesnt resolve other issues concerning the NHS and end-of-life care. But it is a more considered approach within a system that faces, just a week or two away, the kind of overwhelming strain on its resources that Italy has suffered. Paul Adams is a professor emeritus of social work at the University of Hawaii and was a professor and associate dean of academic affairs at Case Western Reserve University. He is the co-author of Social Justice Isnt What You Think It Is and has written extensively on social welfare policy and professional and virtue ethics. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Indian hotel chain OYO Hotels & Homes has offered free stays to doctors, nurses and other medical first responders in the United States amid coronavirus outbreak. In a press statement, Ritesh Agarwal-founded Indian start-up said that medical first responders will receive free accommodations at any OYO hotel in the US from March 24, so they can sleep, shower or just get off their feet and recharge. "All of us at OYO are grateful for the bravery and sacrifices all the medical personnel are making to save lives and stop the spread of Covid-19," said Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and Group CEO, OYO Hotels & Homes. "Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this terrible illness," he said. The deadly Covid-19 disease has infected more than 400,000 people across the world and has taken more than 18,000 lives. The US has also been badly hit by coronavirus pandemic, with nearly 55,000 positive cases and over 750 deaths. Ivanka Trump, US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor, has hailed the kind gesture of the company, terming it as "impactful acts of benevolence". She made her comment while retweeting a press release by the OYO. OYO Hotels are offering free stays to our amazing medical professionals and first responders fighting this virus on the frontlines. These kinds of impactful acts of benevolence are what help keep this Nation and our world #TogetherApart. https://t.co/Ka4liIyHyg - Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) March 24, 2020 "OYO Hotels are offering free stay to our amazing medical professionals and first responders fighting this virus on the frontlines. These kinds of impactful acts of benevolence are what help keep this Nation and our world #TogetherApart," Ivanka tweeted on Tuesday night. Also Read: Coronavirus: PM urges people to not crowd at shops during lockdown Thanking Ivanka, Ritesh Agarwal said that OYO along with its hotel partners & OYOpreneurs want to do the right thing in these crisis times. Thank you @IvankaTrump. Medical first responders are working tirelessly for us. In these tough times, @oyorooms along with our hotel partners & OYOpreneurs want to do the right thing. We stand #TogetherApart to assist our frontliners against #coronavirus.https://t.co/ZQeBVC0Hg5 - Ritesh Agarwal (@riteshagar) March 24, 2020 The company said it will do all it can to make the lives of the "brave" medical personnel a little better. "It is our responsibility to give back. To all the medical personnel fighting this disease on the front lines, we welcome you and we can't be grateful enough." Also Read: Coronavirus blues: Who and how many are vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic The OYO press release said that medical personnel in the US can call (+1) 628-213-7020 with the code OYO4FIRSTRESPONDERS to get their reservation for the nearest OYO. With a valid active First Responder identification, OYO Hotels will cover all the costs of their stay, it said. Back India, OYO has also offered support to the Indian government to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. The Indian unicorn is in talks with several States' health departments to understand how it can to offer its network of hotels as quarantine centres for suspected Covid-19 cases as well as those who have to compulsorily self-isolate themselves. BY Chitranjan Kumar Members were told to take a sensible safety-first approach: stay away from areas with outbreaks of coronavirus, take precautions like regularly washing hands and covering mouths while sneezing or yawning, and avoid crowded places. The fact that the advice came in an infographic in al-Naba, the newsletter of Isis, was a source of mirth at a grim time. There is, one has to admit, something ghoulishly amusing about a terrorist group warning jihadis of the health risks they face travelling to the land of epidemic to blow themselves up. We do not know what Muhammad Masood, who was arrested in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this week for allegedly trying to join Isis, made of the al-Naba directive. The 28-year-old doctor, with his qualifications from Pakistan, had been previously employed as a research coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester. He had flown to Amman last month, but then returned to the US because Jordan had closed its borders due to coronavirus. The FBI claims that he had expressed a desire to carry out a lone wolf attack in America. NewsOne TV channel journalists newsone.ua A journalist group of NewsOne TV channel was attacked during a journalistic investigation in the city of Krasiyliv of Khmelnytsky region. This is reported in the channels statement. Now during a pandemic, when the role of journalists is extremely important, NewsOne receives numerous requests from Ukrainians to cover the compliance with the quarantine rules. So, we were addressed by worried city residents in connection with the unauthorized sale of protective equipment - medical masks of unknown origin. When the journalistic group came to investigate the situation, the seller of masks hindered the shooting by all means: attacked the correspondent, pulled out a microphone from her hands, hid masks and inflicted bodily harm to the journalist. After turning to the hospital, the correspondent of the TV channel turned out to have numerous hand and finger injuries, and a cast was put on her hand. After that, the journalist turned to the local police station, where the criminal case under article 345-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine was opened on the fact of the attack. Now investigative actions are being held, the document says. The TV channel stresses that in this case, it is very important to take into account the general context of the incident - an attack on a journalist during quarantine and the introduction of an emergency situation in Ukraine when media workers need special protection. Journalists continue to carry out their work, no matter what, so this cynical attack requires special attention of law enforcement and government agencies, the statement said. On its part, NewsOne TV channel appeals to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine with a request that the newly created working group on the investigation of crimes against journalists at the Office of the Prosecutor General deal with this issue. In this difficult time for Ukraine, such a flagrant fact of physical violence against a journalist requires immediate intervention. We will continue to do our job and promptly inform viewers about the pandemic situation in all regions of Ukraine. NewsOne is the only independent channel! channels statement reads. The COVID-19 outbreak has the entire country in its grip and has brought every business to a standstill. Be it airlines, hotels & restaurants, media, retail, auto no one has been spared from its impact. At a time when everyone is glued to their TV and mobile screens for the latest news, the print media industry, however, is staring at bleak times (at least currently) due to Coronavirus scare. Print media players are being forced to stop their circulation. In some areas, especially Guwahati, no newspaper will be delivered till March 31. The decision has been taken by the Guwahati Newspapers Hawkers Association. Of course, in light of Prime Minister Narendra Modis announcement last night (March 24, 2020) about India being put under complete lockdown for 21 days, the situation has become even more grim for print media players in the coming days. Post the #JantaCurfew on March 22, there was no print edition in Mumbai on March 23 for several big publications. Bringing you news in extraordinary times. Even if the #newspaper doesnt reach you in tough times, news from Mid-days experienced journalists will. To read, click here - https://t.co/5phNMglQ3X The newspaper will be back at your home soon.#madeinmumbai #middayepaper pic.twitter.com/VKzxxfJsgb mid-day (@mid_day) March 24, 2020 Given the present situation across the country with different states in lockdown, we have made access to our e-paper free. We know that reliable and updated news is critical during such times. #JournalismOfCourage is with you https://t.co/Q572U9U8wB pic.twitter.com/rqBXJfZWy4 The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) March 23, 2020 Dear readers, in light of the restrictions implemented in Mumbai to curb the outbreak of #coronavirus, we regret to inform you that your favourite newspaper will not be available in the city on Monday. 1/2 The Hindu-Mumbai (@THMumbai) March 22, 2020 There is no physical edition of Hindustan Times in Mumbai today on account of restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19 that have made it difficult for our distribution partners to deliver newspapers. There is, however, an e-paper edition at https://t.co/rGQm71g8oq Sachin Kalbag (@SachinKalbag) March 23, 2020 The problem got bigger when the news about newspapers themselves being the potential carrier of Coronavirus started spreading. This has posed a huge challenge for the print media players. The big concern of the newspaper industry is that if the readers cancelled their subscription once, it will be very difficult to get them to re-subscribe. This would mean spending again on improving the circulation or the readers might even shift to digital platforms. The more subscriptions get cancelled, the lesser eyeballs for print players, which will lead to reduced advertiser interest. In the last few days, there have been several videos of doctors stating that the newspaper is a potential carrier of Coronavirus and that people should handle it carefully. The word has spread very fast on the street, following which people have been cancelling their newspaper subscriptions and RWAs are banning the entry of newspaper delivery boys into their housing complexes. Talking about the situation in the metros, an industry expert who did not want to be named, said, In many of the societies in Delhi NCR, the RWA (Resident Welfare Association) bodies are saying no to newspapers entry in the society even though the senior age segments want to read the newspaper. These people are telling their members to make good with e-papers. Under the circumstances, many in the newspaper industry have started to feel that time is now to switch over to a subscription model for the e-paper. Remember, after all this is over, the newspaper industry has another challenge waiting. The hawkers community would want the newspaper houses to make good their losses for the period of lay-off. Else they will not lift the newspaper. So, if the newspaper has some circulation money in their kitty through paywall, it would save the situation. This, however, is for Delhi NCR. I dont know how the situation is elsewhere. But I know for certain that print orders for many newspapers here have been curtailed. There is a huge pile of unsold newspapers remaining as hawkers, too, are not coming to the distribution point. WHO has not released a sector specific statement, but their official word states that it is safe to receive any package from any area where COVID-19 has been reported. The official statement says, The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low. While the statement does not anywhere refer to newspapers, but if we closely look at the supply chain of the print media, the statement very well reflects the product category. Since, the outbreak of COVID-19, a lot of rumours and myths have been floating around, creating misinformation in the public domain. They are being circulated via WhatsApp and other social media platforms, where people simply consume content without verifying its authenticity. The print media industry players have been a victim of such misinformation campaigns and rumours. It is a billion dollar industry that employs thousands of people directly and indirectly. Hence, this rumour of newspapers being a potential carrier of the virus has posed a huge challenge. The larger print media brands that command a huge market share immediately went into action to ensure that no damage is caused by this development. They have initiated multiple campaigns across different advertising platforms to spread awareness around the fact. It is important to note that the Government has also included newspapers in the list of Essential Items. The Times Of India Dainik Bhaskar It is a big task for the print players to save their multi-billion dollar business. Currently, the print brands are fighting on two fronts. First, they are looking toprevent the cancellation of subscriptions; and second, they need to prevent the newspaper from becoming a victim of fake news. DD Purkayastha, MD and CEO, ABP, said, We are not suspending print operations. We have communicated to our readers how safely we are printing and distributing. Our digital editions are on. Giving a perspective on the scenario in South India, Varghese Chandy, Vice President, Malayala Manorama, said, We have never suspended printing. The Chief Minister has announced media as essential service, including print. So, printing and distribution will continue. Kerala doesnt have a problem of hawker resistance. Kerala regional INS is planning to run a campaign on fake news and the precautions being taken by newspapers to reach the consumer. According to the Indian Readership Survey (IRS), India has a total of 425 million readers for print. The report states that Hindi Dailies had 186 million readers, while regional readership stood at 211 million readers. This is huge business at stake. As the COVID-19 crisis continues to spread unabated globally, only time will tell how the print industry fares when the toughest of time are over. Also Read: GoI shows the way in successful communication during COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19: No newspapers on Monday owing to Janta Curfew Americans being treated for coronavirus at a hospital could be hit with medical bills topping $20,000. A Kaiser Family Foundation report says that US adults may face such astronomical bills even when figuring for insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs. Patients who suffer complications could be looking at a nearly $20,300 tab, but someone admitted to the hospital who doesn't suffer complications could have to pay nearly $10,000. Without thousands of sickened people across the US hospitalized, doctors and nurses worry that - once they are discharged - they could be facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in surprise medical bills. In the US, there are more than 59,000 confirmed cases of the virus and more than 800 deaths. Researchers looked at claims filed by Americans who were hospitalized with pneumonia, a complication of COVID-19, in 2018. Pictured: EMTs lift a patient into an ambulance as the outbreak of coronavirus continues, in New York City, March 24 People who suffered major complications paid $20,292 on average for treatment with a combination of insurance and out-of-pocket costs. Pictured: Medical personnel treat a woman shortly after she arrived at a coronavirus mobile testing in The Villages, Florida, March 23 For people without complications, their out-of-pocket costs averaged $1,464. Pictured: Medics transport a patient from an ambulance into Life Care Center of Kirkland - the epicenter of cases in Washington state - on March 24 For the report, the team looked at the typical costs for a patient who is admitted to a hospital for pneumonia, one of the most serious complications of COVID-19. Researchers analyzed data from the IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters claims database, including claims from 18 million people covered by employer plans in 2018. The team only included claims for people who were under age 65 because those who are older are typically covered by Medicare. They found that, when paid for by a combination of insurance and out-of-pocket, people who suffered major complications paid $20,292 on average for treatment. For minor complications, patients paid an average of $13,767, and those with no complications paid about $9,763. Then researchers then looked at costs paid out-of-pocket, which include deductibles co-pays, and cost-sharing, for pneumonia hospital stays. For people without complications, their out-of-pocket costs averaged $1,464 and costs averaged $1,365 for those with minor complications. The report's authors warn Americans to be aware of surprise billing. 'Essentially, it's two situations,' Matthew Rae, associate director of the Healthcare Marketplace Project at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told Yahoo Money. 'One is to go to in-network hospitals. You did your research, you found a hospital which is in your provider network, and then you end up seeing a provider who's not part of your network.' Rae said that even if a hospital is in network, certain staff members such as radiologists may not be. This can lead to balance billing,, which occurs when a healthcare provider bills a patient for the difference between the total cost of services and the amount the insurance pays. 'When you get a balance bill, it's typically a much higher cost,' Rae told Yahoo Money. 'And these bills can be very expensive for people and importantly, these are financial protections that are baked into your insurance plan. So out-of-pocket maximums don't apply to spending.' On Wednesday, Aetna announced that it would be waiving inpatient hospital bills, including co-pays and out-of-pocket costs, for members treated for COVID-19. Cigna and UnitedHealthcare told Yahoo Money that they would be waiving the cost of testing but not necessarily treatment. Open source A man who was diagnosed with the Covid-19 has died in the Ternopil region. This was reported by the mayor of Ternopil Serhii Nadal on the air of 112 Ukraine TV Channel. It is emphasized that this is the first lethal case in the Ternopil region. A resident of the Kovalivka village, the Monastyryskyi district, died at the age of 68. According to doctors, he was in a state of moderate severity. Nadal stated that the man had become ill after communicating with other infected people. As of 7:00 am, on March 25, 113 cases of Covid-19 coronavirus infection were recorded in Ukraine. Of all 113 cases, four were lethal, one patient has recovered and has already been discharged from the hospital. As we reported earlier, 430 Ukrainian citizens have been evacuated from Turkey. Oleksandr Aman, Ukraine's Consul General in Istanbul stated about it on his Twitter page. "430 Ukrainian citizens have just departed from Istanbul to Kyiv with two SkyUp flights. 100 Ukrainians stay in the transit area of Istanbul airport. We continue to render maximum cooperation to our compatriots to ease the conditions of their stay in the airport and the fastest possible return to Ukraine," the diplomat wrote. The US has strongly condemned the terror attack on a prominent gurdwara in the heart of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying the people of the strife-torn country deserve a future free from the ISIS and other terrorist activity. At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed his way into the gurdwara on Wednesday in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the country. The Islamic State (IS) terror group, which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the gurdwara as 150 worshippers were inside the building. "The United States condemns the horrific ISIS-K claimed attack on a Sikh temple and community centre in Kabul this morning which took the lives of more than two dozen innocent people," Pompeo told reporters during a conference on Wednesday. The people of Afghanistan deserve a future free from the ISIS-K and other terrorist activity, he said. "Despite the country's political challenges, the ongoing Afghan peace process remains the primary opportunity for Afghans to come together to negotiate a political settlement and build a unified front against the menace of ISIS-K," Pompeo said. Acting Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Alice G Wells, tweeted, "The US condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific ISIS-claimed attack on a Sikh temple and community centre in Kabul today." "We mourn the deceased and will hold the wounded, their families, and their community close to our hearts," she said. In an open letter to President Donald Trump, Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra called for elimination of the ISIS by use of "nano nukes". "The punishment I fear has to be unique. The whole world is in a 'no war' mode, because we are in a 'Covid war' mode to save humanity. Sharing our scientific and medical knowledge, as if it was open source. Our time is too precious to deviate. Millions of lives hang in the balance," he said. Batra and his family have been tested positive for coronavirus and are in quarantine. He proposed, "The unique punishment is to identify all ISIS centres, mark them for immediate destruction, and if there be a main one, for that mother load of evil, we go back to WWII decision-making, and for even better reasons now, roll out our 'nano nuke' and eviscerate this evil. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Northern Ireland couple on a ship stranded at sea for days were in a state of deep confusion last night after the vessel docked in Rio de Janerio. Heather and David Lynch, from Limavady, are among hundreds of passengers on the Coral Princess ship that has been blocked from docking at several South American ports. They had hoped they would be able to disembark and catch a flight out of the Brazilian city. But because they did not have a flight booked out of the city yesterday, when the ship docked, the couple were not able to disembark and now face a two week journey to Fort Lauderdale in Florida. They have endured hope, chaos and ultimately disappointment as the luxury cruise vessel has hopped from port to port. Mr and Mrs Lynch had originally been due to fly out of Rio de Janeiro on Monday to finish a holiday that included the cruise from Chile to Argentina that was supposed to end on March 19. Approximately 400 UK passengers are among 1,000 tourists on board the ship, barred earlier from docking in several Argentinian and Uruguayan ports. They have been told by representatives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office it is hoped they will return on commercial flights rather than a repatriation plane. Some UK passengers did have flights yesterday, but Brazilian authorities said the ship could dock for no more than one day so others, including the Lynches, have no time to make other arrangements with either the travel company, which has so far failed to book any flights, or Foreign Office officials. "Everyone in the group is really stressed," Mrs Lynch said. "As it is, we think we're doing one thing, then things change, maybe within a few hours." She added: "Passengers have decisions to make, then everything changes again. Jill (a passenger who has emerged as leader of the UK group) thinks that because we are all virus-free and well looked after on board, we are not a priority." While Princess Cruises, the ship's owners, have announced the Coral aims to arrive in Fort Lauderdale on April 5, there is a hope that a repatriation flight will be arranged to fly out of Barbados in 11 days. Non-US citizens or permanent residents will almost certainly not be allowed to disembark in Florida. A batch of 277 people evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran arrived at the Jodhpur airport in Rajasthan on Wednesday early morning, a defence spokesperson said. He said preliminary screening of the evacuees, mostly pilgrims, was conducted at the airport upon arrival and thereafter, they were taken to the Army Wellness Facility set up at the Jodhpur Military Station. They were flown in from Iran, which has been severely affected by COVID-19. The Army, in coordination with Rajasthan medical authorities and the civil administration, has made adequate medical and administrative arrangements to ensure a comfortable stay for the evacuees and provide prophylactic medical support, he said. Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said 273 of the evacuees are pilgrims. He said among the people were 149 women and girls. The defence spokesperson said the facility has a dedicated team of Army doctors, who will be constantly monitoring the health parameters of the evacuees during their stay. The Army at present is operating medical facilities for evacuees at Manesar, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur with evacuees from Iran, Italy and Malaysia occupying these. Evacuees from China's Wuhan and Japan have already been discharged after full protocol was observed, spokesperson Col Aman Anand said in a statement Of the over 1,200 evacuees, medical staff and air crew kept at these facilities till now, only one case of COVID-19 positive has been reported so for. This does not include another case reported from an IAF facility in Hindon. In addition, Army medical facilities at Jhansi, Binnaguri and Gaya are being kept on standby with an additional collective capacity of 1,600 beds. More facilities are being kept at short notice. This does not include the additional capacity created and kept ready by the Air Force and the Navy, he said. In another statement, the Defence Ministry said the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has designated 285 beds for isolation wards in handling coronavirus cases. Forty beds have been earmarked in hospitals at the Vehicle Factory in Jabalpur, thirty beds each at the Metal and Steel Factory in Ishapore, the Gun and Shell Factory in Cossipore, the Ammunition Factory in Khadki, the Ordnance Factory in Kanpur, Ordnance Factory in Khamaria, Ordnance Factory in Ambajhari, 25 beds at Ordnance Factory in Ambernath and 20 beds each at the Heavy Vehicle Factory in Avadi and the Ordnance Factory, Medak, the statement said. At the headquarters level, the Army called off the day for officers to review the situation and minimise exposure except for those involved in essential duties, Anand said. The global lock-down has affected and significantly reduced the office work be it international cooperation, training events, postings, courses, duty moves etc. "Emergency staff including duty officials, medical fraternity, drivers, cooks and other support staff continued to work as hither to fore, he added. The coronavirus pandemic has triggered large-scale lockdowns around the world as infection rates have soared. With borders closing at short notice, tens of thousands of Britons have been left stranded abroad with few options when it comes to getting home as flights dwindle. Its made harder by countries and regions that are barring transit passengers from entering. Fortunately, a number of repatriation flights are now available for those who are stranded. There are also new details for registering for any flights that may be arranged in the coming days. Heres a full list. Slovakia The airports of Bratislava, Kosice and Poprad have stopped regular scheduled passenger flights. The FCO said: "A commercial charter company is arranging a flight from Bratislava to London on Sunday 5 April, scheduled for 14:45. Please note, this is not a UK government organised flight and all arrangements are between passengers and the charter company." You can register for the flight via a dedicated form but the FCO advises that you read the conditions of carriage carefully. There may be indirect flights to the UK from Prague Airport, for which you will have enter the Czech Republic by road. There's also the possibility of crossing into Austria by road and getting an indirect flight from there. Latvia With the exception of some land crossings, Latvia has closed all of its borders. There are currently no scheduled flights and UK nationals have been advised by FCO to contact their tour operator, airline and accommodation provider "on the impact on any existing travel plans". Greece Direct flights between the UK and Greece have been suspended until 15 April. However, you can still find indirect flights home. The FCO advises contacting the British Embassy in Athens if you need additional help. Poland LOT Polish Airlines are operating a limited number of flights from Warsaw Chopin Airport to the UK until 5 April. UK nationals who want to book seats on these flights are advised to fill in their details on a dedicated form. The airline will then contact you directly to confirm the booking and take payment. Hotels and short term accommodation in the country will be closed to new guests from Thursday 2 April. Ukraine Flights in and out of Ukraine are suspended for two weeks from 17 March. The FCO says that there may be a small number of repatriation flights available, and UK nationals should contact the airlines directly. Moldova Moldova has banned all flights to the UK as of 17 March for an indefinite period. British nationals have been advised to cross over to Romania and fly back from there by the FCO. However, you will need to confirm your flight booking before you go. Turkey Flights in and out of Turkey have been suspended until further notice from 27 March. There are currently two repatriation flight options, both from Istanbul. Qatar Airways has daily flights via Doha, while Belavia will have flights via Minsk on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sundays. Both are bookable via the airlines' website. Georgia All scheduled passenger flights to Georgia have been suspended for an indefinite period of time. The same applies to its land borders. According to the FCO: "The only exception will be Georgian Airways (Air Zena) flights arranged in co-ordination with the Georgian Government (for the purpose of repatriation of their nationals). Air Zena may be willing to take departing outward passengers." The flight is scheduled from Tblisi to London for 4 April, with British nationals advised to contact the airline directly. UAE The UAE stopped all flights as of midnight 24 March. There are no repatriation flights at present, but the FCO has advised UK nationals to contact their airlines so any demand is logged. Those who are stranded in the Emirates and are in difficulty should contact the British Embassy on uaeconsular.escalations@fco.gov.uk. You should include your full name, passport number, visa status (resident or tourist), contact details and your particular circumstances. Jordan On 16 March, Jordan closed all of its borders, both land and sea. The UK government is currently working out the possibility of a commercial flight out of Jordan, to Doha, with Qatar Airways. From there, you will need to book separate tickets to the UK. The FCO said this will be in the range of 1,599 JOD (1,900). The FCO said: In line with the FCO Travel Advice of 23 March, British nationals who have travelled to Jordan and who now find themselves without travel options to return home are the priority for places on this flight. If you are in this category and interested in purchasing a ticket on this flight, please send a copy of your passport biodata and visa stamp pages to Cons.Amman@fco.gov.uk by 8am on 25 March. The Embassy will then reply on 25 March with further details. You cannot purchase tickets for this flight through other means. Kuwait Flights in and out of Kuwait have been suspended since 13 March. There may be flights to London with Kuwait Airways, and the FCO has advised British nationals hoping to leave to contact the airlines call centre on 171 or or send the passenger name and nationality via WhatsApp to 00965 22200171. For the latest updates on the flights, British nationals have also been advised to follow the British Embassy in Kuwaits Twitter account. Oman All flights in and out of Oman have been suspended until further notice. The FCO has advised those affected to check with airlines and tour operators directly regarding any possible routes out of the country. Uzbekistan Uzbekistan has suspended all flights in and out of the country. However, the Uzbek Government has organised two flights from Tashkent to Munich, which are due to depart during the week commencing 23 March. The FCO has not released the details of the flights but British nationals hoping to get a seat on the flight are advised to contact Uzbekistan Airways by email on pvo@uzairways.com. India International flights to and from India have been suspended. While the FCO has advised British nationals in India to be prepared to wait until commercial flights are available, it has said those who want to leave should get in touch with their details. It said: If you are a British national who is currently visiting India and you wish to return urgently to the UK, please email Conqry.Newdelhi@fco.gov.uk. Please include your full name (and the names of any family members with you), date/s of birth for all named family members), your passport number, visa status and contact details, including your exact location in India. Please confirm your date of arrival in India and details of the return flight that you had planned to take back to the UK. Please also inform us if you have any special circumstances such as a medical condition we may need to be aware of. Pakistan All international flights to and from Pakistan have been suspended until 11 April. The FCO said: "On 1 April the Government of Pakistan announced a number of flights to and from various locations including the UK, starting in the coming days. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will operate these flights on a commercial basis. "If you are a British national currently travelling in Pakistan and want to return to the UK, please contact us on ReturnfromPakistan@fco.gov.uk. Please include your full name, passport number, telephone number, and which province you are in. We will pass your contact details to PIA, who will make direct contact with you about commercial flights that become available to book." Sri Lanka Flights to Sri Lanka have been suspended, which could affect outbound flights. The FCO advised: "Sri Lankan Airlines will operate one flight to London on 7 April, and will then suspend services until at least 21 April. Qatar Airways services have been reduced to one flight per day to Doha. We do not know how long that service will continue." Thailand There are still flights available from Thailand to the UK, but the FCO warned this could become increasingly difficult and disruptions could last many months. The British Embassy in Bangkok will be updating flight options on Facebook and has advised UK citizens to register their interest in any upcoming flights by emailing Thailand.Registrations@fco.gov.uk, including your full name, date of birth, passport number, contact email and telephone number, location and nearest airport and date of entry into Thailand. Vietnam There are currently flights to the UK from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi via Qatar, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. However, the FCO warns that availability is rapidly decreasing. It added: "Anyone choosing not to return to the UK must do so in full knowledge that they will be in Vietnam for the foreseeable future irrespective of how their personal circumstances may change." Nepal All international flights to and from Nepal have been suspended until 15 April. British nationals who are stranded in the country have been told to email BEKathmandu.Details@fco.gov.uk with their name, passport number, email address and phone number. The UK government is working on possible flights out of the country and will be in touch if they are successful. How to feel less anxious about coronavirus Mongolia The Government of Mongolia is planning charter flights out of the country at the moment. These are to Seoul on 2 April and Tokyo on 3 April, and you would then need to get a separate flight back. Those interested are asked to contact Mongolian Airlines (MIAT) directly on +976 11 313 385 or +976 11 322 118. The FCO has advised that those wishing to leave the country should email consular.mongolia@fco.gov.uk with your contact details and a photo of the ID page of your passport. Myanmar There are no commercial options for returning to the UK at present. Those who want to be notified of special chartered flights should email ReturnFromMyanmar@fco.gov.uk with your name, email, phone number and the number of people wishing to travel. The FCO added: "The Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population has announced a new process for extending tourist visas, which involves obtaining a letter of recommendation from the embassy. Our current advice remains to pay for any overstay on departure (3$ per day). "We are liaising with the Myanmar Government to encourage overstays to be allowed automatically at no extra cost given the circumstances. "However, if you do want to extend your visa, please email returnfrommyanmar@fco.gov.uk with a copy of your passport data page and a copy of your existing visa. We will email a letter of recommendation to you at no cost. You will then need to take the letter of recommendation to the Immigration office on Pansodan street, and pay a fee of $50." New Zealand International flights in and out of New Zealand are in the process of being suspended after the country declared a Level 4 (its highest) alert over coronavirus. UK nationals have been advised to contact their airline, travel provider, and insurance company for the latest information. The British High Commission has also released a contact form where you can leave your details to be contacted regarding any upcoming flights as well as details of the lockdown in the country. Australia There are still flights out of Australia, but the numbers are decreasing. Those who are currently booked onto British Airways flights via Singapore will be allowed on to the flight, but they will need to remain on board the aircraft while it stops to refuel in Singapore. British travellers hoping to leave have also been advised to register their situation with the British High Commission. Fiji Fiji has suspended all scheduled flights from Nadi Airport as of 26 March. From 29 March, all passenger travel to the outer islands is suspended. For UK nationals who might be stranded, the British Embassy in Fiji will be posting updates about what to do next on their Twitter and Facebook pages. Argentina Argentina is closing all of its borders between 27 and 31 March, with all scheduled flights suspended. The FCO said there may still be some "exceptional routes" back to the UK via another country. However, international flights are only departing from Buenos Aires at the moment. Aerolineas Argentinas is operating some domestic flights from tourist areas to the Argentine capital. You can also drive, get a taxi or use public transport. However, as well as your passport and proof of a booked flight, the FCO advises you carry a copy of the letter issued by the Ministry of Tourism confirming that foreign nationals are exempt from the quarantine if they are travelling to return to their country of origin and a letter issued from the British Embassy confirming that you should be allowed to travel. If you are met with any resistance while trying to access the airport, you should contact the British Embassy on +54 11 4808-2200. The FCO is also advising those wishing to leave to contact them via email on returnfrom.argentina@fco.gov.uk, with full name(s), passport details, date(s) of birth, exact current location in Argentina and contact details. Peru Peru closed all borders from 16 March until at least 12 April. Theres a flight ban to and from Asia and Europe from 16 March for 30 days. Four repatriation flights have already landed in the UK. The UK government said it is still working on securing flights home for those who are stranded. British nationals who want to leave should contact help@fco.gov.uk with their full name, location and best form of contact (ideally email address). If flights become available, those who have logged their details will be contacted. Details will also be posted to Twitter and Facebook. Ecuador International flights into Ecuador are suspended until at least 5 April and all land and sea borders are closed at present. The FCO said: "There are currently no further scheduled flights from Ecuador. The UK will therefore operate a special flight from Quito and Guayaquil on 4 April for British tourists, short term visitors and their direct dependants to return to the UK." It adds that it is likely the last flight for some time and will cost 500 per person. It is bookable on the CTM website. British nationals in the country should email the British Embassy in Quito on britishembassy.quito@fco.gov.uk for a safe passage document to get to the airport. Bolivia All international flights to and from Bolivia are suspended, and land border crossings closed. There will be a special flight from El Alto airport, La Paz, on 4 April for British tourists, short term visitors and their direct dependants to return to the UK. The FCO said this is likely to be the last flight for some time, and costs 500 per person. It is bookable on the CTM website. British nationals who are stranded in the country have also been asked to contact lapaz.escalations@fco.gov.uk to register their interest for details of other flights. Colombia There are no commercial flights out of Colombia for the time being. UK nationals hoping to return are asked to register their interest for a repatriation flight by emailing Bogota.Escalations@fco.gov.uk. El Salvador There are now no planned flights from El Salvador according to the FCO. British citizens hoping to return to the UK are advised to follow the British Embassy in San Salvador on Twitter. Belize Belize closed all borders on 21 March, including the suspension of international flights. There are currently no routes out of the country according to the FCO. British travellers in the country are advised to email the British High Commission in the country on brithicom@btl.net with their email and phone numbers. Grenada There are currently no commercial flight options out of Grenada. The FCO has advised that the government is working on solutions but in the meantime, you should "follow the advice of local authorities, including local measures to help minimise your risk of exposure to coronavirus, find accommodation thats suitable for your needs, keep in regular contact with family and friends at home, so they know you are safe and well". Bahamas There are currently no direct flights to the UK or Europe from the Bahamas. You may be able to get an indirect flight home via the US, but the US Embassy has advised that these are stopping imminently. While the UK government is seeking alternative options, it has advised British citizens to register their interests via email on ukinthe.bahamas@fco.gov.uk. Trinidad and Tobago There are currently no commercial flights out of Trinidad and Tobago, with a flight ban in place for an indefinite period of time. The FCO has said: "If you are a British National and you received an entry stamp in your passport which will expire within the period 1 March 2020 - 30 April 2020 you will be granted an extension until 22 June 2020. "British nationals should send an email to extensions.international@gov.tt with a scanned copy of the biodata page of your passport, a copy of your last entry stamp, your address in T&T and a contact number." Dominica Dominicas Douglas-Charles Airport and Cane Airport are closed to commercial flights from 26 March. The FCO advises UK nationals in the country to contact their airlines if they want to leave. Panama Commercial airlines have ceased operating from Panama until 22 April. British nationals have been advised to "seek accommodation for the duration" by the FCO and there are currently no repatriation flights planned. Costa Rica There are currently no commercial flights in and out of Costa Rica. The FCO is looking into chartering a bus to Nicaragua, where you can catch a flight to Mexico City on 4 and 5 April before connecting to London. Those interested are asked to email Consular.CostaRica@fco.gov.uk. Antigua and Barbuda Commercial flights to the UK from VC Bird International Airport will be temporarily suspended from 29 March. British Airways' last flight out will be 29 March, until April. Virgin Atlantic's final flight out will be 28 March, until 12 April. Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic has suspended all international flights. There are some limited ferry flights to repatriate foreign nationals. The last direct flight to the UK from the Caribbean island has already departed but the FCO advises that Britons can transit via the US or Canada to get home, provided they meet all the criteria. Egypt All flights in and out of Egypt are currently suspended until at least 15 April. Any possible repatriation flights will be shared on the British Embassy in Cairos Twitter and Facebook accounts. You should also register your interest via email Cairo.Press@fco.gov.uk. Tunisia All flights in and out of Tunisia have been suspended since 17 March. The UK will operate a special flight from Enfidha Airport on 31 March for British tourists, short term visitors and their direct dependants to return to the UK. The tickets will cost 135 per person and only those who are normally resident in the UK will be eligible to book a seat on the flight. Tickets are bookable on the CTM website. South Africa/Lesotho South Africa is closing its air space from 26 March until at least 16 April. The FCO has advised those affected to contact their airlines first. The same advice applies to Lesotho as it's only possible to leave the country via South Africa. Nigeria Nigerian airports are now closed to international air traffic until 23 April. However, the UK government is exploring flight options. British citizens hoping to return to the UK are advised to email their interest to Consular.Lagos@fco.gov.uk along with their name, email address, mobile telephone number, location, and any other relevant information. Ghana Ghana's borders are closed between 23 March and 5 April. The UK government will be operating a series of special charter flights from Accra for British tourists, short term visitors to Ghana and their direct dependants to return to the UK. However, these are now fully booked. The FCO hopes more options will become available in future. Cape Verde There are now no commercial flights out of Cape Verde but European repatriation flights may be available. The FCO advises contacting the Consular Assistance Line on +44 1908 516666. Kenya Kenya suspended all international flights from 11.59pm local time on 25 March. There are currently no scheduled flights from Kenya, and the FCO has warned UK nationals still hoping to return not to "expect any additional flights immediately". However, the UK government is still working with the Kenyan government and airlines on the possibility of special flights. UK nationals are advised to email returnfromKenya@fco.gov.uk with full name, passport number, date of birth, place of residence in UK, where you are currently staying in Kenya, email address and telephone number that can receive calls from international numbers and any specific medical needs/vulnerabilities. Mauritius There are currently no commercial flights from Mauritius to the UK. While the UK government is currently working on ways to get UK nationals home, it has said that those in the country on a tourist visa won't need to extend their "leave to stay" period during the confinement period. Namibia There are currently no commercial flights, or long distance trains and buses, in or out of Namibia. Any British nationals should register their presence in the country with the British High Commission on general.windhoek@fco.gov.uk. Senegal The flight ban in Senegal has been in place since 20 March. There are some commercial flights with special permission still operating. For UK nationals wishing to leave, the FCO has said any outbound flights will be posted to the British Embassy in Dakars Twitter and Facebook pages. It is also working on repatriation flights, and those interested should contact ukinsenegal@fco.gov.uk. Algeria International flights, land borders and ferry services to and from Algeria have all been suspended. British citizens hoping to return have been advised to contact the British Embassy in Algiers via email on algiers.consular@fco.gov.uk. Angola All commercial flights in and out of Angola have been suspended but ad hoc charter flights may become available. You should email Embassy.LuandaGeral@fco.gov.uk to register for these. Cameroon There are currently no commercial flights out of Cameroon to the UK. Repatriation flights may become available at short notice and the FCO has advised British nationals to register their interest on ConsularYaoundeEnquiries@fco.gov.uk. Mauritania All flights to and from Mauritania have been suspended and land borders are now closed. The British Embassy in Nouakchott is not currently offering any consular support, and British nationals in the country have been asked to contact the British Embassy in Rabat, Morocco, instead. Eritrea Asmara International Airport is closed for a minimum of two weeks from 25 March and there is no viable means to leave the country at the moment according to the FCO. British nationals who are hoping to leave should register their details by calling 07 546 959. The British Embassy in Eritrea will also be providing updates on Facebook and Twitter. The Gambia There are currently no commercial flights out of the Gambia. UK citizens are asked to register there interest for repatriation flights by emailing ukingambia@fco.gov.uk. South Sudan There are currently no commercial flights out of South Sudan to the UK. The FCO said: "All international commercial flights are suspended for 30 days from 24 March and all land borders closed." There have been a small number of chartered flights arranged by Ethiopian Airlines, although the most recent on 2 April was cancelled at short notice. Liberia Commercial flights out of Liberia have been suspended until at least 14 April. UK citizens interested in repatriation flights should email Monrovia.GeneralEnquiries@fco.gov.uk with full names, dates of birth, British passport numbers, phone and email, date of arrival in Liberia, date of planned departure from Liberia and details of any Liberian passports held. Sierra Leone There are currently no commercial flights out of Sierra Leone. UK citizens interested in repatriation flights are asked to email FreetownCV19Travel@fco.gov.uk with full names, dates of birth, British passport numbers, phone and email, date of arrival in Sierra Leone, date of planned departure from Sierra Leone and details of any Sierra Leonean passports held. Yfat Yossifor Yfat Yossifor | Mlive.com Jacquie Larner, right, and Mlive's John Gonzalez at a table full of food for Gonzo to sample Sunday, March 10, at Mussell Beach, 3540 State Park Dr. in Bangor Township. This was the first stop in a statewide tour to search for Michigan's Best Breakfast Joint. The Bay City Times Don't Edit BY AMY SHERMAN | asherma2@mlive.com and JOHN GONZALEZ | gonzo@mlive.com Our Michigan's Best team of Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez have been on the search for the last two weeks, traveling across the state tasting delicious burgers at locally owned restaurants and bars, and meeting the passionate owners and staff behind the scenes that are running these beloved spots. The coronavirus outbreak and subsequent new state and health guidelines have temporarily sidelined the travel portion of our Michigan's Best search, unfortunately. It's a sad day when we are told that all of our favorite restaurants and bars have to close to the public due to the coronavirus. But all is not lost. Many of our Michigan restaurants will remain open for take-out, including many of our finalists for Michigan's Best Burger. Governor Whitmer recently announced the closure of all dine-in services at Michigan's restaurants, bars, breweries and distilleries. Michigan governor announces all bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, and more to close amid coronavirus outbreak. While restaurants will be closed for sit-down dining, many of them are transitioning into take-out places in order to still serve great food to you, and to keep their staff employed during this difficult time. In order to keep you well fed, we've put together a list of the nominations from the Bay City, Saginaw, and Midland regions that you made for Michigan's Best Burger that will be offering take-out over the next couple of weeks. If a nominee is not currently serving, we've left them off this list, but not off of our list of future visits. We did not get to make it to the U.P. on our search yet, but we will eventually. We promise. We've got their hours of operation, what will be available, and any pertinent information you may need to pick up your order. This is by no means a complete listing of restaurants in this region that will be offering take out, only nominees for Michigan's Best Burger. We'll be sharing more information about other restaurants and breweries over the next week. We hope that you continue to support our incredible, local restaurant scene across the Bay City, Saginaw, and Midland regions, as well as the whole of Michigan. Another great option is to purchase gift cards now, to use later, when we can all go back to eating out at some of Michigan's Best restaurants. And be sure to tip the staff as well as you can during your pick-up, every little bit will help. We're all in this together Michigan, one take-out burger at a time. Special thanks to Michigan's Best Burger search sponsor, the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. Get up to the minute coverage of the coronavirus in Michigan here. Don't Edit John Gonzalez | MLive.com Mussell Beach Drive-In is still available in take-out form. Don't Edit Bay City Mussell Beach Drive In 3540 State Park Dr Bay City, Michigan 48706 (989) 686-0575 Facebook Open 11 am to 8 pm, closed Monday One of our favorite Michigan's Best stops of all time, Mussell Beach Drive-In will be open for take-out during their regular hours. Michigan's Best has visited Mussell Beach many times, and have named them some of the best for coney dogs, breakfast, and french fries. They take their simple, classic food seriously here. Everything is homemade and fresh. A true Michigan classic, Mussel Beach Drive In is located right outside Bay City State Park. Its your money and its your mouth, so things better be good, owner Jacquie Larner told us. Everything is handmade here, including those famous fries. The fries have a bit thicker cut, about 5/8ths of an inch, and feature local Michigan potatoes. They have a lovely meatiness to them, and stay nice and crisp even after they cool. The special seasoning they get, called mussel salt, adds the perfect note to the fries. The chili cheese fries are topped with special coney sauce, both shredded cheese and nacho sauce, plus bacon and jalapenos. Fantastic. Dont miss the hand-dipped onion rings, they are top notch. We also got some ice cream here during our Michigan's Best Day in Bay City. Don't Edit Photo courtesy of Bay City Bill's, used with permission A cheeseburger from Bay City Bill's. Don't Edit Don't Edit Bay City Bay City Bills 1215 Michigan Ave Bay City, Michigan 48708 (989) 894-4140 Facebook Open 11 am to 10 pm daily. The full menu will be available, including their burgers. There will also be beer and wine available to-go. Check facebook for daily specials. We recently visited Bay City Bills on our search for Michigan's Best Chili, and they were nominated for best burger as well. We've been longtime fans of Bay City Bill's, having first visited them during our search for Michigan's Best Bloody Mary in 2016. We loved how this Bay City spot was so welcoming, while offering up classic bar food and one heck of a drink. Recently, the bar underwent an ownership change, along with some pretty significant upgrades. New owners (and recently engaged) Earl Bovia and Michelle Cooper have been working incredibly hard to get the bar up to their high standards. New paint, new windows, an adjusted kitchen, a new floor and some additions to the menu are all welcome changes here. "Anything that we can do fresh, we do," said Bovia. The chili is Bovia's creation, and features some of his smoked pulled pork. It's a thick stew, with lots of tomatoes, celery, green peppers and onions, and with lots of smoky flavor from the tender pork Don't Edit Don't Edit O's Pub & Grill 123 E Midland Rd Auburn, Michigan 48611 (989) 266-3148 Facebook Open daily for take out and delivery every day from 11 am to 9pm. Full menu is available, plus daily specials. One daily special right now is an incredible deal. You can get O's 1/4 pound burger, with ketchup, mustard, pickle and onion, along with a small fry and a 16 oz drink for $3 OUT THE DOOR. Yes, you read that right. You can try one of the burgers nominated for Michigan's Best for just $3. You can order them up by the sack for that price. Call (989)-266-3148 Or text to (989)-297-5237 Or Facebook message O's. John's Bar 1476 South Tuscola Bay City, MI 48708 989-659-2951 Monday through Saturday 11 am to 7 pm, Sunday 12 to 6 pm. Please call ahead with your order, and John's will have it ready for you to come in and pick up. We've stopped at John's before, and the burger here is simple, and delicious. We prefer it with a cold Miller High Life, so make sure you have some in your fridge. Don't Edit MLive file photo A burger from Farmer's Home Tavern in Hemlock. Don't Edit Hemlock Farmer's Home Tavern 215 W Gratiot Rd Hemlock, Michigan 48626 (989) 642-2546 Facebook Thursday through Saturday from 5 pm to 8 pm. From Farmer's Facebook page: Starting Friday 3/20 we will have free delivery for orders $25 or more. $5 charge for orders less than $25. Delivery Thursday - Saturday times 5-8 Approximately 10 mile radius. This Friday we will have delivery for perch, walleye and cod from 5-8. Give us a call 989-642-2546 and Thank you for your patronage Gabby's Pub 3002 S Graham Rd Saginaw, Michigan 48609 (989) 781-0101 Facebook Hours are Monday-Sunday Noon to 8:30 pm. Deliveries are Tuesday-Sunday from 4:30-7:30 Full menu is available, including awesome daily specials. Gabby's has a soup of the day, plus specials every day. Please check Facebook for current information. Don't Edit Don't Edit John Gonzalez | MLive.com Don't Edit That Guy's BBQ That Guy's Meats Replenish Juice Bar 401 Center Ave suite 100 Bay City, Michigan (989) 482-1946 Located inside the Bay City Market, That's Guy's is offering several different things for take out. Please come to the market doors, which will be locked. A greeter from That Guy's will be there to let you in, only 5 people are allowed in the market at a time. You can get That Guy's Meats from their fully stocked meat counter Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm. That Guy's BBQ is available from 10 to 6 pm Tuesday through Friday, and 10 to 5 pm on Saturday. The juice bar is open 10 am to 2 pm Tuesday to Saturday. We've visited That Guy's a few times now, including for BBQ, and for chili, and we love that you can get fresh meats to take home right now. Don't Edit MLive.com The grill working at The Maple Grille Restaurant and Brewery. Don't Edit The Maple Grille Restaurant and Brewery 13105 Gratiot Rd Hemlock, Michigan 48626 (989) 233-2895 Facebook Open Wednesday through Friday, 11 am to 7 pm. Check out their smoked and grilled meats, order ahead and then pick up. Jenn's Place 13675 Gratiot Rd Hemlock, Michigan 48626 (989) 301-0345 Facebook Monday through Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm. From the Facebook page: The staff and owners at Jenns Place have always and will further continue to keep a clean and healthy atmosphere for our customers. Please understand that we as a whole take COVID-19 seriously and will continue to take all necessary precautions. We strive to ensure a clean and healthy workplace and atmosphere for our employees and customers. Our staff is our top priority and they know if they would rather be home at this time their job is waiting for them when we can all come together again To ensure the safety of our customers and employees, we are only allowing 2 customers in Jenns Place for pick up and only allowing entrance and exit through our north door. If you would rather have curb side we are more than willing to accommodate. We will continue to serve take out Monday-Sunday 11-7. We would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support and together we can get through this Don't Edit MLive file photo. Don't Edit Don't Edit Daniel's Grill 100 S. Michigan Saginaw, Michigan 48602 (989) 759-9333 Facebook Daniel's Grill is offering daily specials for take-out, as well as the full regular menu. Here's what we had to say about Daniel's during our last visit: Daniels Grill features a mix of classic diner offerings, like breakfast and burgers, as well as a menu of Lebanese specialties. Taraby has also been working to incorporate some Lebanese twists to some of his classic offerings, to create a new kind of fusion cuisine rarely seen in Saginaw. The dishes that combine both are very popular, Taraby said. Everything is made fresh to order here, and they do quite a bit of take out business. Homemade doughnuts are available every day. Shakes and malts are hand dipped, and Taraby considers these some of his best work. We had a tasty chocolate shake that came streaked with syrup and topped with doughnuts, because why not? Daniel's Grill received a visit from Michigan's Best during their search for Michigan's Best Diner. Don't Edit Mlive file photo Don't Edit The Best Burger Takeout List 10 great burgers to enjoy while enduring the coronavirus outbreak in Michigans Northern Lower Peninsula A look at Lansings Top 10 take-out burgers Tasty take-out from some of Michigans Best Burger spots in the U.P. Time for take-out Ann Arbor! 8 of Michigans Best Burgers to try 12 great burgers for take-out in the Jackson area Don't Edit 10 great burgers in Grand Rapids to pick up while enduring the coronavirus outbreak Where you can still get some of Michigans Best Burgers in Flint Some of Michigans Best Burgers in Muskegon and the lakeshore are available for take-out Its Take-Out time! 11 burgers not to miss in the Kalamazoo area 90-plus burgers you can enjoy in Michigan right now Don't Edit Cory Morse | MLive.com Don't Edit Don't Edit Follow us on social media: @mlivemibest on Twitter @mlivemibest on Instagram Also, be sure to follow our MI Best Facebook Page, which you can check out here. Join in by using the hashtags #mibest, and #ItriedMiBest In addition: Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail. John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo. The country currently has 205 reported cases of the virus Wellington: New Zealand has declared a state of emergency as it prepares to go into an unprecedented lockdown late Wednesday for about a month. The declaration temporarily gives police and the military extra powers. And Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says any New Zealanders returning home from overseas who show symptoms of COVID-19 will be put in isolation at an approved facility. I have one simple message for New Zealanders today as we head into the next four weeks: stay at home, Ardern said. It will break the chain of transmission and it will save lives. Ardern said exceptions include people working crucial jobs, those leaving to pick up essentials like groceries, and those engaging in solitary exercise. The country has 205 reported cases of the virus, although Ardern said that number could rise into the thousands before it begins to recede even with the strict measures being taken. [Machine beeping] The frustrating thing about all of this is it really just feels like its too little, too late. Like we knew we knew it was coming. Today is kind of getting worse and worse. We had to get a refrigerated truck to store the bodies of patients who are dying. We are, right now, scrambling to try to get a few additional ventilators or even CPAP machines. If we could get CPAP machines, we could free up ventilators for patients who need them. You know, we now have these five vents. We probably unless people die, I suspect well be back to needing to beg for ventilators again in another day or two. Theres a mythical 100 vents out there which we havent seen. Leaders in various offices, from the president to the head of Health and Hospitals, saying things like, Were going to be fine. Everythings fine. And from our perspective, everything is not fine. I dont have the support that I need, and even just the materials that I need, physically, to take care of my patients. And its America, and were supposed to be a first-world country. On a regular day, my emergency departments volume is pretty high. Its about 200 people a day. Now were seeing 400 or more people a day. At first, we were trying to isolate patients with cough and fever and be more careful around them, but we werent necessarily being extra careful around all the other patients. And then we started to realize that patients who were coming in with no fever but abdominal pain actually had findings on their X-rays and chest CTs that were consistent with this coronavirus, Covid-19. So someone in a car accident gets brought in and we get a CT scan of them, and their lungs look like they have coronavirus. We were seeing a lot of patients who probably had Covid, but we didnt realize. Ten residents and also many, many of our nurses and a few of the attending physicians got sick. The anxiety of this situation is really overwhelming. All of the doctors, its hard for us to get tested even if we want to, even if we have symptoms. Were exposed over and over again. We dont have the protective equipment that we should have. I put on one N95 mask in the morning. I need to have that N95 mask on for every patient I see. I dont take it off all day. The N95 mask I wore today is also the N95 mask I wore on Friday. Were always worried that well be out of N95 masks. Whats a little bit scary now is the patients that were getting are much sicker. Many of the young people who are getting sick dont smoke, theyre healthy, they have no co-morbidities. Theyre just young, regular people between the ages of 30 and 50 who you would not expect to get this sick. So many people are saying its going to be OK, everythings fine, we have what we need. And if this goes on for a month or two or three or five like it did in China, and were already this strained, we dont have what we need. I dont really care if I get in trouble for speaking to the media. I want people to know that this is bad. People are dying. We dont have the tools that we need in the emergency department and in the hospital to take care of them, and and its really hard. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which partnered with the US-led coalition in the fight against the Islamic State, has called for a humanitarian truce and committed to suspending most military operations in northeast Syria so that warring parties can deal with the coronavirus. The Syrian Democratic Forces calls on all parties of the Syrian conflict to refrain from any military initiatives or actions, the SDF said in a statement late today. We hope that this humanitarian truce will help to open the door for dialogue and political solution and to put an end to the war in the world and Syria, the US-backed group said, while adding that its members would defend themselves in the event of an attack. On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate global cease-fire to focus together on the true fight of our lives and allow humanitarians to reach populations most vulnerable to COVID-19. The SDF announcement came a day after the Kurdish-led group marked the one-year anniversary of its territorial defeat of the Islamic State in the groups final stronghold of Baghouz in March. In the time since, the SDF has been stretched thin, fending off attacks from Islamic States sleeper cells and Turkish forces. In October, US President Donald Trump announced a sudden withdrawal of American troops from Syria, opening the door for Turkey to launch a long-planned military operation south of its border. The White House decision was widely viewed as an abandonment of the SDF, elements of which Ankara views as terrorists because of their ties to an insurgent group inside Turkey. The Turkish military offensive displaced more than 200,000 Syrians, many of whom are now living in crowded camps and are especially vulnerable to a coronavirus outbreak, the health authority in the Kurdish-led autonomous administration said today. Of the 16 hospitals in northeast Syria, only one is fully functioning, according to the International Rescue Committee. Just two doctors are trained to use the 11 adult ventilators available to the hospitals. The co-chair of the administrations health authority, Raperin Hassan, told Al-Monitor on Monday her government had received little support from the World Health Organization. They had contacted the US-led coalition and the central government in Damascus for assistance, but hadnt heard back. In an attempt to prevent the coronavirus from reaching northeast Syria, the local authorities announced the closure of schools and the cancellation of public events, and recently imposed an indefinite curfew on the region. In a video posted to Twitter on Monday, Gen. Mazlum Kobane, the commander in chief of the SDF, urged residents to obey the new regulations and be vigilant, safe and secure. New Delhi: Indian Intelligence Agencies believes that Lashkar e Tayibba and Haqqani Network are responsible for the terrorist attack on Sikh Gurudwara in Kabul, Afghanistan. Terrorists attacked the Gurudwara in the Shor bazar area of Kabul early morning when 150 people were at the worship, killing at least 27 people. Terrorists wanted to target Indian diplomats visiting Gurudwara at the time of the attack, according to reports. Indian Agencies have gathered inputs on the involvement of Haqqni network and Lashkar e-Toiba in the deadly attack, which has been orchestrated by Pakistan's ISI. Afghan security sources speaking to Afghan Media also stated that the Haqqani network, an ISI controlled group that is part of the Taliban, wanted to attack the Indian mission in Kabul but failed due to tight security. Since they were not able to attack the Indian mission, they attacked the Gurudwara instead. Pakistan is reportedly promoting ISKP and other groups as a check on the Taliban. "Taliban will deny so that they are projected as a responsible organisation in line with US Taliban agreement. ISI will use the name of ISKP or unknown outfits to claim responsibility" an officer working with a Central Security establishment told Zee News. "This attack is clear message to India and a signal to curtail indian influence in Afghanistan in the near future," said another officer. After the attack, ISIL claimed to have killed and injured 150 people, according to the group's Amaq website. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid later tweeted to clarify that the Taliban were not involved. Under the Taliban rule, all minorities including Sikh were asked to identify them by wearing yellow armbands. As per Reuters news agency, the death toll was slightly higher, adding more than 30 people were killed and 42 wounded, 20 of whom were in a serious condition. This is the deadliest attack since the peace deal was signed between the US and Taliban in Doha, where the US has agreed to completely withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. Ever since Meghan, Duchess of Sussex married into the royal family, she has taken more than her fair share of criticism in the news media. Whether it be for her family drama or her skills as a brand new mother, it would seem that everyone is eager to voice their opinion. Over the past few years, things have gotten pretty out of hand, with some sources such as the Celebrity Castle going so far as to say that her relationship with Prince Harry isnt even real. In recent weeks, however, we have seen a new side of the couple as they returned to the United Kingdom to carry out their final royal duties. Not only do the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appear much more relaxed, but they even seem to be supporting each other a little more than they have in the past. It is wonderful to see Meghan and Prince Harry so happy, as Megxit is almost official and they are at the beginning of a new phase in their lives. Now, a royal source confirms what fans already knew that Prince Harry and Meghan are truly in love with each other. How did Meghan Markle and Prince Harry meet? Prince Harry and Mehgan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Royal fans know the story of how Meghan and Prince Harry first met each other. They were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend, and to say that things went well from the first second is an understatement. According to Grazia Daily, Meghan asked her friend if Prince Harry was nice before meeting him since she knew that it wouldnt be a good idea to date him if he wasnt. In their engagement interview, Prince Harry told the world that he wasnt familiar with Meghan before the date, never having watched her television show, Suits. Even though he went into the first meeting not knowing what to expect, Prince Harry was pleasantly surprised when he saw Meghan waiting for him. They definitely enjoyed each others company and made plans to meet up again quickly. The relationship blossomed, and before we knew it, they were an official couple and have never looked back. What have people said about Meghan and Harrys relationship in the past? There is no doubt that Meghan and Prince Harry have an extremely high-profile relationship. From the very beginning, everyone has gone out of their way to try and analyze things, whether it be their body language or the way they look at each other. So, what have people said in the past? According to Her, fans have thought that Meghan is a bit domineering, and that controls Prince Harry just a little too much. It was before Megxit was announced that people thought Meghan was trying to change her husband, and they didnt like it one little bit. A royal expert went so far as to say that Meghan took over in the relationship and that she wasnt popular or accepted by his friends. A royal source confirms that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are truly in love with each other After the royal exit, it is almost as if a huge weight has been lifted off of both Meghan and Prince Harrys shoulders. Now, a royal source says that they really are in love, and we are seeing them acting more real toward each other. People reports that Meghan was comforting when Prince Harry was a little emotional during his final royal duties and that she was there for him the entire time. We think it is wonderful that the couple is in a place where they can feel more relaxed and that people are actually noticing. Now that we know that their love runs deep, we are excited to see what will happen for them in the future. A British tourist has told how he and three friends have been held in dark, cramped hotel rooms in Vietnam for a week over coronavirus concerns. Londoner Jake Anderson, 23, said he and his friends have missed their flight home and fear being stranded indefinitely as countries around the world go into lockdown. Mr Anderson travelled to the Far East with his companions on March 12 for a friends wedding, which was later cancelled. His mother Anna Rietig, a former Met Police officer, had flown out four days earlier. A number of people in the wedding party were told passengers on their flights had tested positive for coronavirus, and the friends were last week ordered to be tested. Mr Anderson said they have since been held in a room with no natural light and only one small breakfast and a small bottle of water a day provided. Mr Anderson, from Herne Hill, said they had been threatened with arrest if they try to leave. Whenever we check, about four or five times a day, if weve got any results back, no information is able to be given to us. At the moment we are just praying we can find a solution. We have been threatened with arrest if we leave the hotel and make a break for the airport, he said. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said British tourists stranded abroad will be offered emergency loans to help get them home as a last resort after 80 countries placed restrictions on borders in three days. The Foreign Secretary is urging Brits to return home / AP The friends, including Iago Froede OFlynn, Danilo Gomez-Cravitz, and Noah Perez Juckes, all 22, are being held in twin rooms at the Rising Dragon Villa Hotel in Hanoi. Mr Anderson said: We havent been allowed to leave the rooms. Weve had no human contact; there isnt any direct sunlight. Were stuck in a tiny room. "Theres not a lot of movement that we can do to try to keep active. Its quite hot, the air con isnt really working either, so conditions are getting quite dire: obviously hunger setting in and sanity-wise, after seven days of sitting in a room, isnt the most exciting thing to be doing. The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1 /60 The World on Coronavirus lockdown Getty Images A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images Rome AFP via Getty Images An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP Venice Beach, California Getty Images Los Angeles, California Getty Images Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images Caracas AFP via Getty Images Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images Florida Keys AP The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA He said they had been speaking to UK and Vietnamese officials, but absolutely no one has been able to give them any information. He added: The final flight from Hanoi back to London has been and gone. We had tickets for it. We are just hanging on. Mrs Rietig, 58, who flew home on March 22, the day her son and friends were also due to return to the UK, said: It is a total, total nightmare. I had to leave them. They told me just get out of here, but now they are stuck with no more flights. All the boys want to know is their test results and how long they will be quarantined for. They also need paperwork in order to travel if they need to stop over in other countries to get home. But there is just a wall of silence. No one is providing any answers to these questions, and there is no guidance as to how or who can provide them. A woman wears a face mask in Hanoi / AFP via Getty Images Vietnam has 134 cases of coronavirus but no deaths as yet. It has been aggressively tracing any infected persons contacts, with widespread enforced quarantines and self-isolation for anyone suspected of coming in to contact with the virus. A spokeswoman for the hotel said the friends would be confined to their rooms until their test results come back, which were expected on Friday. She said: Normally the test results take two or three days but because Covid-19 is spreading in the country it is taking longer. They are not allowed to come down. But they get complimentary breakfast and water. Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-25 07:21:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by William M. Reilly UNITED NATIONS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The novel coronavirus has shriveled attendance at the UN headquarters to only essential individuals and even the UN chief is working partly from home, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said there had only been about 130 swipes of identification cards through security turnstiles up until just before his usual mid-day briefing, compared to about 11,000 swipes before a work-at-home order was issued earlier in the month. While Guterres works either in his 38th-floor office or his Upper East Side, Manhattan, official residence, Dujarric said many of those working in the headquarters are technicians, such as those facilitating his daily "virtual" video-teleconference briefings. Even meetings of major bodies of the world organization -- such as the General Assembly or the Security Council -- have been postponed or adjustments made in how they are conducted, such as via video-teleconference or a change in procedure. As an example, Dujarric said President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande of the General Assembly proposed how the General Assembly can take essential decisions while dealing with the pandemic. Muhammad-Bande submitted a draft decision to the 193 member states that would enable the assembly to adopt essential decisions under a silence procedure if a plenary meeting is not practical due to the pandemic, said the spokesman. Muhammad-Bande's proposal would authorize him to circulate a draft decision of the assembly to member states under an at-least 72-hour silence procedure, Dujarric said. If the silence is not broken, the decision would be considered adopted. The proposal, in a draft decision, is itself under the silence procedure, until noon (U.S. Eastern Time) Friday. Ahead of the virtual -- video teleconference -- meeting of the G20 leaders, also on Friday, the secretary-general wrote a letter to them, calling for decisive action on the current global health crisis. Guterres called for a "war-time" plan, urging G20 leaders to step forward with a strong response package to address the various threats posed by COVID-19 to demonstrate solidarity with the world's people, especially the most vulnerable. Dujarric listed some of the other actions by UN entities taking place around the world related to the COVID-19 crisis. The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is launching an "Observatory on Border Crossings Status due to COVID-19," which will gather updated information on border crossing limitations worldwide, he said. The aim is to ease the work of transport operators and preserve connectivity by keeping supply chains open as much as possible. From Geneva, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said that broad sanctions should urgently be re-evaluated in countries facing the COVID-19 pandemic. These sanctions could have a potentially debilitating impact on the health sector and human rights. With the pandemic, impeding medical efforts in one country heightens the risk for all, she said, and called for humanitarian exemptions to sanctions measures. For his part, the secretary-general fully backs the high commissioner's sentiments, Dujarric said. "He has been in touch with a number of member states, including those who have imposed sanctions." The secretary-general appeals to all members of the international community to facilitate and support Iran's efforts at this critical moment, the spokesman said. The World Food Programme (WFP) is looking to pre-position buffer stocks of food or cash to provide at least three months of food assistance to vulnerable people in priority countries, Dujarric said. The agency's main focus is to ensure that it has the resources in place to address the food and nutrition needs of 87 million people it plans to assist in 2020. The WFP appealed to government partners to approve an estimated 1.9 billion U.S. dollars of contributions to the agency's food assistance programs. They are also asking for maximum flexibility in the way that resources are used, allowing for a dynamic response to the changing outlook. The UN team in Kenya, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), has been working closely with the government in the response to COVID-19, the spokesman said. Experts from WHO have been integrated into the national COVID-19 technical and coordination committees since mid-January. More than 20 UN staff members in Kenya have been seconded to government teams, including in the area of communication to help disseminate prevention messages at national and local levels. UNICEF and other UN entities are also helping the government on emergency procurement while WHO is sourcing lab kits to increase stocks, he said. With cases of COVID-19 now confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN peacekeeping mission and the humanitarian community are mobilizing to support the government's response, the spokesman said. Humanitarian Coordinator David McLachlan-Karr reported efforts undertaken to prevent the spread of the virus must apply throughout the national territory to help avoid a major health crisis. In South Sudan, the UN peacekeeping mission in the country has put in place a seven-day freeze on staff traveling into the country as part of the efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the spokesman said. Cargo flights into the country will continue. Open source Three new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Kyiv. Thus, the number of cases increased to 34 people, as the mayor of Kyiv Vitaly Klitschko reports. Patients with coronavirus were men aged 31, 36 and 67 years. Two of them returned from Israel, another from the United Arab Emirates. All three patients were hospitalized in the Kyiv City Oleksandrivska Clinical Hospital. As of 7:00 am, on March 25, 113 cases of Covid-19 coronavirus infection were recorded in Ukraine. Of all 113 cases, four were lethal, one patient has recovered and has already been discharged from the hospital. As we reported before, 144 patients with the suspicion for pneumonia spotted in the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions The patients appealed to the medics from March 16 up to March 23 but it is impossible to talk about confirmed Covid-19 cases as there are no tests in the hospitals. Earlier, 15 people were hospitalized with the suspicion for coronavirus in occupied areas of Donbas. Another 71 people are in quarantine. However, only half of the people were tested for Covid-19. Four flights to bring 600 more Vietnamese back home from abroad Vietnamese returning from abroad fill out health declaration forms at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, March 18, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy. Hundreds of Vietnamese living abroad are expected to arrive in Hanoi on Wednesday as they seek to escape the Covid-19 pandemic. Noi Bai International Airport will receive 577 passengers coming aboard four flights from Russia, Japan and Thailand. On Tuesday the airport received 229 Vietnamese returning from countries being swept by the pandemic, and it was 1,712 last Sunday and 2,585 on Friday. In an unexpected move, the Ministry of Transport on Monday decided for Ho Chi Minhs Tan Son Nhat Airport to suspend all flights carrying Vietnamese citizens to the city, as isolation facilities in there have been overloaded. The suspension took effect from Wednesday and will last at least until the end of this month. Earlier, city officials had said that they expected to receive 17,000 Vietnamese coming home from abroad this week. As one of the latest move to contain Covid-19, all Vietnamese carriers have suspended international routes starting Wednesday. The last international flight from Germanys Frankfurt operated by Vietnam Airlines, the only Vietnamese carrier to operate direct flights to European cities, landed at Van Don on Wednesday, carrying 170 passengers. According the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, so far this month, Can Tho International Airport in the southern city of Can Tho has served 24 international flights which were initially set to land in Tan Son Nhat. They carried 3,500 people, and most of them came from areas hit by the Covid-19: South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Germany, Australia and the U.K. Vietnam had previously announced to put every one returning from abroad into centralized facilities for quarantine in 14 days. Arrivals will have their health checked every day at those camps and anyone showing symptoms of Covid-19 disease will be taken to hospitals. The nation has recorded 134 Covid-19 cases thus far. Of them, 117 are active and the rest have been discharged from hospitals. The nation is tagging 1,596 as suspected cases. These are people with Covid-19 symptoms that have entered the country from stricken areas or come into close contact with such arrivals. Event cancellations abound. Birthday parties, playdates, Leos first Easter egg hunt; every single plan weve made for the next couple of months has been rescheduled to a later date due to the global pandemic that required those of us lucky enough to stay healthy to stay home. And while the cancellations are disappointing, theyre relatively easy pills to swallow considering the circumstances except for one. I was supposed to help judge the annual speech contest at St. Patrick elementary school in Larkspur on Wednesday, March 25. And it would have been the highlight of my decade. Throughout my eight years at St. Pats, the speech contest was the annual event that best utilized my talents. I wasnt the greatest athlete or most popular. I repeatedly lost student government elections. I was never, much to my horror, a Student of the Month. But the speech contest, held every spring before the entire school, was my time to shine. Heres how the contest works: Each student is required to memorize a story or essay. (Kindergartners are exempt.) There is a time limit on the story, which I forget. In my day, selections from Shel Silverstein poems and Bill Cosby comedy routines were popular. Wed all practice and perform our pieces for our classes over the course of several weeks. Then each grade selected seven or eight students who were really good at their stories (called finalists) to compete in the speech contest, which is held in the schools gymnasium and takes an entire school day. If memory serves, I was always a finalist. It was expected of me, and I expected it of myself. The speech contest was my thing. On speech contest day, every single kid filed into the gym and sat according to grade. Older kids were allowed to sit in folding chairs. Little kids had to sit on the gym floor, cross-legged and bored. The whole place smelled like damp wool uniforms and nerves. It was my 11-year-old equivalent to the Academy Awards. Finalists from each class competed on the unlit gymnasium stage, two classes at a time. First- and second-graders went first, right up until the piece de resistance: the speeches from seventh- and eighth-graders. Trophies were awarded after each segment. It was an hours-long ordeal that required breaks to eat and stretch. The judges, made up of three St. Pats teachers, sat in the center of the audience at one of those long folding tables with the fake wood laminate peeling from its surface. As the speech contest maintained strict adherence to ethical standards, teachers werent allowed to judge their own grade. Judges would scribble notes on brand-new legal pads during every speech and retreat to the gym lobby to select the winners in hushed tones. Occasionally and much to the discomfort of the audience, a student would approach the edge of the stage to begin a speech and suddenly burst into tears. Often, someone hoping to win a trophy would return to their folding chair with a blue Finalist ribbon. There would be tears then, too. I won my share of second-place trophies. Not once in eight years did I come in first. When I remember big moments from my childhood, the bright flashes of vivid memory and milestone, the speech contest is always among them. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. You can thus imagine my thrill when one of my former classmates, now a teacher at our alma mater, asked if I was available to be a guest judge at this years speech contest. I immediately called my mother. Guess, just guess who gets to be a judge at the speech contest this year? I screamed into the phone. She was appropriately ecstatic. I was going to get to sit at the fake wood folding table. I would be given a legal pad to take judgmental notes on the oratory skills of a minor. I might even be tasked with handing someone a trophy. If my life was ever going to reach a full-circle pinnacle, this was it. Schools are closed. The St. Patricks campus, the would-be scene of my triumphant return, is empty. I have no idea whether teachers and students have found a digital alternative to an in-gym speech contest, but I do know that my services wont be required. In the grand scheme of things, this cancellation is a minor disappointment. But boy how I would have loved just one more moment of amateur speeches in that tiny, humid gym. Beth Spotswoods column appears Thursdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI Non-essential government services previously closed until the beginning of April will remain closed until April 13 to match the states stay home order. Washtenaw County Administrator Gregory Dill announced the continued closure in a statement Wednesday, March 25, ordering all county non-essential services to remain shuttered until Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Stay Home, Stay Safe, order intended to stop the spread of COVID-19 comes to and end on April 13. We are in the midst of a global crisis, and we all need to do our part to help flatten the curve on coronavirus, Dill said. Our local leaders and health experts communicate with one another several times per day and were working to coordinate essential services in our respective communities, while keeping everyone safe. The city of Ypsilanti also issued a similar order, extending the closure of non-essential city offices until April 14. As of Wednesday, March 25, there are or have been 73 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in Washtenaw County. Seventeen have been hospitalized and three have died, according to the county health department. Eight people have recovered from the illness since their initial contraction, officials said. There are 2,295 confirmed cases of COVID-19 discovered in Michigan as a whole, with 43 deaths being reported as of March 25. Our local community leaders, health experts and our governor have acted in the best interest of public health and safety during this challenging time, the decisions were all making are difficult, but necessary, Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jason Morgan said. I look forward to bringing a healthy workforce back to Washtenaw County Government as soon as we are safely able. The county directs residents to check the Washtenaw County website at Washtenaw.org to determine which service are still available, noting many county staff members are working remotely to meet the needs of the public. Complete coverage of coronavirus in Michigan. The police have arrested four men and apprehended three juveniles for allegedly robbing a chemist shop owner in northwest Delhi's Rohini area, officials said on Wednesday. The accused has been identified as Puru (23), Ashish (29), Ajay (24) and Harish (19), all residents of Rohini, they said. On March 20 at round 11 pm, three to four unidentified men assaulted a person named Kailash Chand in Rohini's sector-7 area when he along with his son and servant named Ravi were closing his medical shop, a senior police officer said. The accused also assaulted Ravi and took away a bag containing Rs 4,70,000 andfour mobile phones, police said. "During investigation, police analysed the CCTV footage of the nearby area and identified one of the accused. On Sunday, police raided a park at Sector-6 and apprehended seven persons, including three juveniles," Additional Commissioner of Police (Rohini) S D Mishra said. Interrogation revealed that Puru used to arrange car. One of the juveniles, who worked as a salesman in a showroom in Sector-7, gatheredinformation about traders, Mishra said. They were planning to target a food joint when they were nabbed. They confessed to their involvement in more than 50 cases, including robbery and snatching, he said. Two country-made pistols, four live cartridges, one toy gun, Rs two lakh, nine mobile phones, one car and four two-wheelers were recovered from their possession, the officer added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Open source Dnipro city committee for emergencies ruled to suspend the movement of passenger traffic and set the special working mode for the municipal transport since March 26. Borys Filatov, the mayor reported that on his Facebook page. According to him, it's a painful but forced measure. "Many cities of Ukraine did that already. Know this: I'd rather take curses from people than bury hundreds of them later", he said. The official urged local MPs to show courage and show up at the session of the city council where the voting for amendments in the inner regulations will take place. "Medics and polce workers, rescue teams and employees of energy companies. You (MPs, - 112 International) are out of the risk zone", he said. The state of emergency was introduced in Dnipropetrovsk region on March 20. As the Chinese coronavirus spreads across the planet, the current number of Covid-19-infected people in Ukraine exceeded 100. As of March 24, three lethal cases were observed. One man recovered and was discnarged from the hospital. The U.S. is today showing signs of increased desperation as oil prices sink to levels that may pose a threat to the energy independence of the United States by kicking U.S. shale out of the market. Several recent actions taken by the United States indicate that it may be attempting to change the current trajectory of the global oil market, including by showing interest in stepping up negotiations with Saudi Arabia, which is spearheading the ongoing market share war that is fostering ultra-low oil prices. Drastic Times Call for Drastic Measures The United States is facing a national emergency. The Covid-19 pandemic in the worlds largest oil consumer, The United States, has dented demand to the extent that a couple months ago, no one thought possible. The virus struckfirst in the worlds largest oil importer, China--at a time when the oil markets were already concerned about a global oversupply. The virus also struck around the same time that another critical oil-market event took place: the end of the OPEC+ production cut agreement and the start of the oil price warwith Saudi Arabia on one side and Russia on the other. The result is that the U.S. shale industry, often touted as the backbone of the U.S. energy independence movement, has found itself caught in the middle between the oversupplied oil market and severely hampered oil demand. And it looks like the government is getting worried. Saudi Envoy On Monday evening, the U.S. made the decision to appoint Victoria Coates as special energy representative to Saudi Arabia. While the United States insists that this was in the works for quite some time, even before the oil war began, the timing coincides rather nicely with the shocking price drop for the US crude grade West Texas Intermediate, which is now trading around $23 per barrel, down from $60-something per barrel at the beginning of the year. Related: The Boldest Permian Plays To Watch As The Oil Market Circles The Drain This $23 per barrel is not sustainable long termperhaps not even short termcreating a sense of urgency in the United States to address the problem. And who better to address than the perceived perpetrator of the oil price war, Saudi Arabia. At the beginning of the oil price slide, the Trump Administration was singing the praises of the low oil prices. For consumers in the United States, lower oil prices mean an easing of cost of living expenses, freeing up money to spend on other things, and bolstering the economy in the process. This is all positive for consumers. But it became clear rather quickly that oil prices were sinking far too low to be sustainable for the oil industry, and for the economy. Low gasoline prices mean very little when people arent leaving their homes to drive anywhere, as is the case now for nearly half of all Americans, so the single benefit of low oil prices will not be realized. These stay-at-home restrictions and lack of call for gasoline are contributing to the lack of demand and helping to push prices even lower. The government has since shown signs of its panicoil prices are too low, and something must give, and soon. That something, the U.S. hopes, will be Saudi Arabia. Enter Victoria Coates. When United States announced this week that it had appointed a new special energy envoy to Saudi Arabia, the Administration said it was to ensure the Department of Energy has an added presence in the region. Coates was a critical component of the negotiations with Iran and Trumps Middle East policy creation during her time at the White House, which ended in February when she moved to the Department of Energy. The announcement comes about a week after President Trump, at a coronavirus briefing, said the U.S. would intervene in the oil war, stressing the U.S. had a lot of power over the situation and was trying to find some kind of medium ground. Related: The Real Reason Oil Prices Crashed Despite the timing, the U.S. is not owning the fact that Coates new assignment and the oil price war have any noteworthy link. Lawmakers Out for Blood But the move comes after intense pressure from U.S. lawmakers and others in the industry in recent weeks, some of who have urged President Trump to take the extreme stance of embargoing Russian and Saudi Arabian oil. Other calls to action include the Texas Railroad Commissions suggestion to use pro-rationing that would force Texas producers to curb productionsomething that is unthinkable in America. Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker and Oklahoma Senator Inhofe asked the Department of Commerce to slap a tariff on foreign oil, citing national security reasons. Other ideas include outright conspiringalbeit in a somewhat unofficial capacitywith Saudi Arabia to coordinate production. These rare developments and proposals all indicate one thing: the oil price war is hurting U.S. shale, and the government is worried. Energy security, energy dependence, and a significant portion of the economy are all riding on U.S. shales ability to outlast Saudi Arabia or Russia in the oil price war. And while U.S. shale was the one to show remarkable fortitude the last time Saudi Arabia tried to squeeze it out of the market, the coronavirus component this time around, combined with what many see as an unhealthy debt load, have led to some question whether U.S. shale has what it takes this time around. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The number of coronavirus cases in the United States jumped by nearly 10,000 while about 150 Americans died in a day even as President Donald Trump hoped to reopen the country's economy by Easter, April 12. With millions of Americans under a lockdown, the National Guard as well as the armed forces were pressed into service in several states such as New York which saw at least 53 deaths and about 5,000 new cases on Tuesday. New York has so far reported more than 25,000 Covid-19 cases and 210 fatalities. According to Worldometer, a website which compiles Covid-19 cases, nearly ... JERUSALEM The speaker of Israels Parliament, Yuli Edelstein, a staunch ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, abruptly resigned on Wednesday rather than comply with a Supreme Court order that would allow lawmakers to choose his successor. The move will allow Benny Gantzs opposition Blue and White party and other opponents of Mr. Netanyahu to take control of the legislative process. They have threatened to enact laws that could bar Mr. Netanyahu from a new term in office. In a parting gift to the embattled prime minister, however, Mr. Edelstein said his resignation as the Knesset speaker would become effective only on Friday, ensuring that anti-Netanyahu lawmakers would have to wait until the coming week to assert their newfound power. The machinations, which came as hundreds of protesters with black flags demonstrated and shut down traffic outside Parliament, did not end there: Blue and White said that since Mr. Edelsteins resignation had not taken effect yet, his refusal to allow a vote on a new speaker amounted to contempt of court. [March 25, 2020] Digi-Key Broadens Product Portfolio with Quest Technology International and Quest Manufacturing Partnership Agreements in North America THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Digi-Key Electronics, a global electronic components distributor, announced that it has expanded its product portfolio by signing a North American distribution partnership with Quest Technology International and Quest Manufacturing. The new partnership will provide Digi-Key customers with an "all in one" shopping experience that includes both industrial enclosures, wall cabinets, server racks and accessories, as well as ethernet, HDMI and audio products, fiber optics and installation tools. This expansion is part of the DK+ initiative, Digi-Key's continued growth as a world-class distributor to provide products, services and solutions for all phases of the technology innovation ecosystem. "We at Quest Technology and Quest Manufacturing are pleased to join Digi-Key's DK+ e-commerce initiative that includes expansion into the broader technology innovation ecosystem," said Greg Johnson, director of marketing at Quest Technology. "We look forward to a mutually successful association for many years into the future." As Digi-Key continues to expand its offerings to support all the needs of its customers, Quest's telecom floor racks, accessories, wire management products, installation tools and more are a key element to round out the end-to-end solutions Digi-Key offers for anyone driving technology innovation today. Quest Technology International is an interconnect supplier offering supply chain solutions to industries that service the installation of networks, telecommunications, broadcast, security systems, low voltage & HDMI video products, MRO and OEM for commercial and residential markets. They offer a diverse product selection of interconnect products including UL & ETL verified networking data and voice solutions, RF connectors, installation tools and testers, computer connectivity, USB, HDMI and Cat5E, Cat6 and Cat6A cabling solutions. "Digi-Key looks forward to expanding our product offering using the same trusted brand for all enclosure, cabling and tooling needed to put together a working industrial or telecom cabinet solution," said David Stein, vice president, global supplier management at Digi-Key. "As our industry continues to evolve, our customers' needs evolve as well. This partnership with Quest Technology and Quest Manufacturing is another example of how Digi-Key is working every day to respond to our growing customer needs by offering the widest variety of in-stock components and accessories available for immediate shipping." For more information about Quest Technology International and Quest Manufacturing and to order from their product portfolio, please visit the Digi-Key website. About Quest Technology International Quest Technology International is an established interconnect supplier offering supply chain solutions worldwide. Quest provides a stable source of competitively priced quality products for industries servicing installation of Networks; Telecommunications; Broadcast; Security Systems; Low-Voltage & HDMI video products; MRO and OEM for commercial and residential markets. Quest ships out of our 40,000 sq. ft. Miami facility to distributors primarily throughout North and South America. Quest Technology Int'l offers a diverse product selection of interconnect products including UL & ETL verified networking data and voice solutions, including our LocJack Keystone Security Solution; RF connectors; installation tools and testers; computer connectivity; USB, HDMI and Cat5E / Cat6 / Cat6A cabling solutions; Quest is also the strategic marketing partner for Premiere Raceway WireHider, Raceway On-A-Roll and Raceway Latching Duct products. About Quest Manufacturing Quest Manufacturing is an established supplier of quality rack and enclosure products priding themselves on world-class customer service and creative design to complement their high-quality product offerings. Their offerings include both floor and wall mount racks and enclosures, with floor enclosures also available in assembled and knockdown configurations. Quest believes quality begins with the engineering resources, equipment, quality control procedures and requirements they adhere to keeping their facility certified to ISO9001. About Digi-Key Electronics Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is an authorized global, full-service distributor of electronic components, offering more than 10 million products, with over 2.2 million in stock and available for immediate shipment, from over 800 quality name-brand manufacturers. Digi-Key also offers a wide variety of online resources such as EDA and design tools, datasheets, reference designs, instructional articles and videos, multimedia libraries, and much more. Technical support is available 24/7 via email, phone and webchat. Additional information and access to Digi-Key's broad product offering can be found by visiting www.digikey.com and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Editorial Contact Shelli Lissick Bellmont Partners +1 651 276 6922 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digi-key-broadens-product-portfolio-with-quest-technology-international-and-quest-manufacturing-partnership-agreements-in-north-america-301029488.html SOURCE Digi-Key Electronics [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The 30-minute time limit on hair appointments has been lifted after salon owners said it was too difficult to cut someone's hair in half an hour. The rule was announced on Tuesday night to slow the spread of coronavirus but was scrapped just eight hours after it came into force. A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the decision was made 'following the receipt of feedback on the practical implementation of measures'. Hairdressers no longer have only 30 minutes to attend to each customer. Pictured: A salon in Brisbane CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement However, clients must still remain four square metres apart. One Sydney hairdresser welcomed the news but slammed the government for the lack of clarity. 'The government hasn't got a clue,' she told Daily Mail Australia. She said she spent hours re-organising appointments to fit clients in before the restriction and had been frantically finding ways to keep appointments to 30 minutes, all for nothing. On Tuesday night, Mr Morrison announced a raft of businesses that would need to close their doors, putting thousands of Australians out of work. Personal service businesses 'where there is a lot of contact', such as beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons and tattoo parlours will be forced to shut. But hairdressers and barbershops are allowed to remain open as well as food markets and shopping centres, except for the food courts. It comes as the number of coronavirus cases passed 2,600 and the death toll hit 11 after two men in their 70s passed away in Victoria overnight. A salon worker in Brisbane colours a woman's hair before the restriction was brought in MIDDLETOWN In this time of social distancing, First Church of Christ began the hard work of determining how to provide spiritual nourishment for their members. After a difficult decision to close its doors at 190 Court St., Middletown, church leaders and volunteers came up with a format for online access and interaction, debuting its first online church service March 15 and again March 22, according to a press release. The service maintained many elements of a regular Sunday church service, including an interactive bulletin, the Rev. Julia Burkeys recorded welcome, and a musical prayer by Music Minister Shari Lucas. Burkey sought to affirm uncertainties in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, counseled patience and offered reassurance, according to the release. Its all new territory, she said in a prepared statement. Even for clergy, there are no classes on how to pastor during a pandemic. All of us are rapidly learning and growing together with patience and love for each other. On the first day, more than 30 members joined together with live, interactive prayers and concerns through Zoom, a virtual meeting platform. The virtual service felt much more personal and ... everyone could do it on their own. We could take time to think about it, said Elise Kennedy, a youth-apprentice at the church. The First Church Fellowship Facebook page offers other ways to share chats, thoughts and pictures online. Participants say they find strength in seeing each other in virtual space and theyre open to other new ways of experiencing church online, according to the church. Julia will also host tea time chats Wednesday mornings, where people can drop in and share how theyre coping. For some years, First Church in Middletown has envisioned creating a spiritual home beyond its walls a way to do church differently, and to broaden the idea of church and meet the spiritual needs of it diverse community. That vision is now becoming real as a virtual spiritual network church beyond walls, Burkey said. Each Sunday at 10 a.m., Burkey or the Rev. Mahogany S. Thomas will release a video of a short sermon and scripture reflection along with written prayers and devotional in the form of a bulletin. This will occur either on Facebook live or in a prerecorded video sent out over email and/or put on Facebook. For information, visit firstchurchmiddletown.org or call 860-346-6657. YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. 16 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Armenia as of March 25, 10:00, the healthcare ministrys National Center for Disease Control said. Thus, the total number of people infected with COVID-19 in Armenia has reached 265. 1,315 people tested negative. UPDATE: The ministry of healthcare informed that there has been inaccuracy in the number of confirmed cases in the initial statement: the number of infected people is 265, not 266. On March 16 Armenia declared a 30-day state of emergency to fight the spread of COVID-19. The state of emergency is effective until April 14, 17:00. Starting March 24, 23:59, the free movement of people is also restricted across Armenia until March 31, 23:59. So far, 16 patients have recovered. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan Thiruvananthapuram, March 25 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said that nine more positive coronavirus cases were registered, taking the state's total to 112 and warned police have been given absolute powers to take action against those who violate lockdown norms as threat of community spread looms large. "The total number of cases, so far has been 118 and six of them who were positive have turned negative and have been discharged. Today there are 76,542 people under observation, of which 532 are at various hospitals and the rest at their homes," he said. Vijayan said of the 118 cases, eight were foreign nationals, 91 had come/returned from foreign countries, and 19got it from primary contacts. In its meeting here on Wednesday, the Kerala cabinet has also passed the Kerala Epidemics Diseases Ordinance, which will give more powers to the authorities to tackle Covid-19. Vijayan said: "It's the primary responsibility of all people to see that they follow the guidelines and from now on, absolute powers are there for the police to act against law breakers. Everyone has to have a reason to venture out." He said that steps have been taken to see that not a single person in the state goes without food. "All families will be given rice and a kit of provisions. 35 kgs rice to the lower categories and 15 kgs to those who come in the higher category. Also we will ensure that not a single person in our state remains hungry. Community kitchens will function to see this happens. To help in this, local people will be inducted as volunteers," said Vijayan. "We will get in touch with leading suppliers of rice and essential commodities in the state to see on how fast we can prepare the kit of essential commodities and can be readied for distribution," he added. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also noted that it is harvest time for paddy and this has to be done at the correct time. "Any delay in harvesting will cause ruin to the farmers and hence it has been decided to include this as an 'essential service'. With rains expected anytime, we have given authority to district authorities to see that they use machines for harvesting," said Vijayan. He also said that the Forest department will now be treated as an essential service. "Today we are getting offers from various quarters and the Catholic Church (Syro-Malabar Church) who have said they are ready to hand over their hospitals to the state government. From next week, we will give out Rs 1,218 crore as two months social welfare pensions to around 54 lakhs people. Steps will be taken to open 1,000 budget hotels (as announced in the budget) and they will also provide home delivery," he added. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text City councilors and the city clerk spread out through Council Chambers to abide by the 6-foot rule. North Adams Council Hears Update on Coronavirus, Postpones Issues Mayor Thomas Bernard gives an update on the city's coronavirus changes. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The day word came that another Berkshire County resident had succumbed to the novel coronavirus, the mayor strongly urged citizens to stay home and abide by social distancing. "The governor and leaders across Massachusetts are stressing the message about social distancing with every fiber of our being. We are all following DPH and CDC guidance," Mayor Thomas Bernard said to television viewers at Tuesday's City Council. "Now is not the time to ease up on these recommendations, nor is it the time to place the goal of being back in business above the health and welfare of our people, or our health-care system. So please stay home." Five city residents have tested positive for COVID-19, he said, two of whom were no longer symptomatic. He urged citizens to stay home even if they aren't feeling sick, to only go out for food, medicine or medical attention and to avoid crowds. And to always wash their hands. "The message is clear, we expect the numbers in Berkshire County and Massachusetts to increase, perhaps dramatically, especially as new testing sites come on up," he said, noting the numbers of tests and positives and jumped in just 24 hours. The mayor has been putting out a regular newsletter and social media updates on changes occurring because of the pandemic but acknowledged that the city's obsolete website has been a major communication gap. Updates have been posted under emergency management on the site but he also noted that the Northern Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee has been doing periodic live updates. "We're also testing the new website and getting it ready for launch as quickly as we can," he said. The mayor didn't yet know how much the city's response to the pandemic would cost or save with some departments working reduced time but said a separate line item had been set up to track expenses. "We expect that we will see much, if not most of those reimbursed at some point down the line," he said. Bernard also publicly offered his "unbelievable appreciation" for municipal employees who have been "stepping up with professionalism and dedication" during this difficult time. The mayor's update to the council took place under the new normal no citizens in the seats, councilors sitting more than 6 feet apart and three councilors connected by phone. The executive office's emergency order last week allowed for governmental bodies to meet remotely and prohibit citizens to prevent further spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 700 across the nation and two in Berkshire County. There were a few technical troubles as Councilor Robert Moulton Jr. had difficulty logging into Zoom and then ended up on both Councilor Marie T. Harpin's phone and the conference phone. Both were resolved fairly swiftly. "We're kind of like in the twilight zone tonight," said Councilor Wayne Wilkinson, who attended in person with Councilors Lisa Blackmer, Keith Bona, Harpin, President Paul Hopkins and Jason LaForest. Moulton, Benjamin Lamb and Jessica Sweeney dialed in. "We're all sitting six feet apart. The city clerk is in the timeout corner over there. And it's all, it's all kind of surreal." The council postponed until the end of May and early June a half-dozen orders related to the Public Arts Commission, public safety, and a community working group. A request to declare the former Jarisch Box Co. land surplus was withdrawn at the mayor's request and the council approved the reappointment of Robert Burdick to the Planning Board for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2025, and to lift the winter parking ban as of April 1. Bernard said he had not intended to return with this issue after changing the winter ban from April 30 to April 15 last year. Nor, he joked, had he been aware of the forecast that left a half-foot of snow on Monday. "However, with a lot of other pressures on people's minds right now, if we can lift this particular concern from from people a little earlier I think it's just a, you know a small gesture on the part of the city that hopefully will be will be appreciated." A request by the Department of Conservation and Recreation to waive the 120-day notice prior to acquiring land in the city was postponed with a request for more information. The DCR is seeking to buy two lots totaling 45 acres but councilors had questions about the ownership of one of the lots and the reasoning behind the purchase. Though much of the agenda was pushed off, Wilkinson said it was important that citizens can actually watch their government working during a crisis. "I don't know if we're going to be able to have another one of these meetings and I'm told, maybe not," he said. "But I want the citizens North Adams reassured that your city government is functioning for you to keep you as safe as possible." With boxes upon boxes of gloves, thermometers and more, nurses from the Worcester Public Schools on Wednesday handed off supplies to be donated to hospitals, first responders and nursing homes in the area as the community grapples with a lack of protective gear amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The public schools are closed until at least May 4, leaving nurses offices full of medical supplies that cant currently be used. Michael Shanley, the acting director of emergency communications and emergency management for Worcester, met a group of nurses at the Forest Grove Middle School Wednesday afternoon to collect boxes replete with gloves and thermometers. The school department has been an unbelievable resource for us," Shanley said after filling the back of an SUV with supplies. Obviously the schools are closed for a little bit so theyre not in need of these supplies right now and theyre giving them to the agencies who do need them and its unbelievably helpful. Nurses across the country have been responding to cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, with a limited amount of protective supplies like face masks, face shields and gloves. The Massachusetts Nurses Association has asked the state for help in addressing the lack of supplies at hospitals here, including disposable N95 masks. Shanley said the city is keeping everything in one location and is distributing supplies as requests come through. Supplies may go to hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, and police and fire departments. Everything about this pandemic screams make sure that youre not coming into contact with someone. So our need as a city is to keep our first responders and our health care workers safe and so to do that were providing them with the gloves and masks as much as we can," he said. Shanley expects the requests for protective supplies to continue as more cases of coronavirus are identified each day. As of Wednesday afternoon, 15 Massachusetts residents have died from illnesses related to COVID-19 and 1,838 residents have tested positive. Related Content: Since he opened his Full Moon Bar-B-Que franchise in Montgomery about two-and-a-half years ago, Chris Woodward has had a hard time saying no when schools, churches and charities have come to him needing help. I dont think Ive told anyone no yet, Woodward says. If I cant do a lot, Ill at least donate a gift card or some cookies or something to help out. So, this week, when he found out that the nonprofit Mercy House needed help feeding about 500 Montgomery schoolchildren who didnt have the means to pick up their school lunches due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Woodward was all over it. Ive done a lot of different things over the last three years, but when it comes to the kids, that kind of hit a soft spot, Woodward tells AL.com. When all this stuff started happening, and they closed the schools down, I didnt realize it, but I heard on the news that a lot of kids in Montgomery depend on going to school to eat breakfast and lunch, he adds. It touched my heart. I thought, Man, thats horrible these kids arent going to be able to eat lunch because of that. I didnt realize it was that bad in some places. I think we all get caught up in our lives and forget about things like that, or dont notice some stuff. Through a mutual acquaintance, Woodward connected with Ken Austin, senior pastor of Montgomerys New Walk of Life Church and the executive director of Mercy House, the churchs outreach program. Although the Montgomery Public Schools Child Nutrition Program is providing pick-up breakfasts and lunches at 16 designated Montgomery County schools while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 crisis, some children dont have a way to get to those schools to pick up their meals, Austin says, and thats where Mercy House comes in. This is trying to reach those children who are out of school and who did not have means to get back and forth to the schools, Austin says. Mercy House partnered with some of the churches in the Montgomery area to distribute the lunches, Austin adds. Woodward and a few members of his staff at Full Moon Bar-B-Que on Eastchase Parkway arrived at work early on Tuesday morning and prepared 500 barbecue sandwiches to help the cause. Austin met Woodward met for the first time when Austin showed up at Full Moon Bar-B-Que on Eastchase Parkway later that morning, and the two of them loaded down the back of Austins pickup truck with several boxes of sandwiches and chips, courtesy of Austins new friend. Oh man, hes an amazing guy just a heart to help, and I really appreciate that, Austin says. Im just so thankful for people like that. This is really hard times for his business, he adds. Im sure they are losing a lot of money and hurting a lot with everything going on, but he still sees a need and has a desire to help someone else. Thats big for me. Now, Woodward says, when he is able, he wants to do more to help Mercy House on down the road. Like other restaurants around the state, Woodward has had to close his dining room during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he is restricted to curbside service only. His business has plummeted as a result. Its kind of hard right now to do much more than what I did the other day because our sales have dropped off even more now that we cant have the dining room open, Woodward says. We are kind of struggling to get by, too. Its hard to even pay our employees for their labor or pay my managers or anything until our sales pick back up, he adds. So, I told him, as soon as this is over with, Im going to try to get more involved and help him out if I can. I am so grateful to be part of this great City. O.U. R. Montgomery is an amazing place to live, work, play, and not to... Posted by Ken Austin on Monday, March 23, 2020 Feed a Friend in Birmingham Meanwhile, in Birmingham, Full Moon Bar-B-Que co-owners Joe and David Maluff are also doing their part to keep families fed during the COVID-19 emergency. Via their Feed a Friend social media-campaign, the Maluffs are donating and delivering free meals of chicken or pork, bread, sauce, sides and Half-Moon cookies to 10 worthy families in the Birmingham area through April 4. Now is the time to help people in need, David Maluff says in an email to AL.com. Full Moon Bar-B-Que is blessed by a loyal, supportive community. During these trying times, we want to focus on our own Full Moon Bar-B-Que community and help them meet the needs of people they know that may be struggling. These times are an opportunity to spread light every day in our communities, and that is just what Full Moon Bar-B-Que aims to do. It doesnt matter if it is a family of two, four, six, eight or 10, Full Moon Bar-B-Que looks forward to feeding them and delivering hope during this stressful season. To find out how to nominate a deserving family through Full Moons Feed a Friend program, go here. READ MORE: Alabama teachers deliver care bags to students stuck at home In Alabama, Rodney Smith Jr. now doing mow and drop Alabama bride-to-be donates flowers from postponed wedding Alabamians who inspired us this week Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 00:06:18|Editor: yan Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga has proposed to postpone the country's parliamentary elections, the presidential press office reported on Wednesday. The proposal is included in the president's six-point proposal to prepare the Mongolian people for a possible recession because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it said. "We are now fighting the coronavirus epidemic very well, but to be honest, we are spending a lot of money on implementing the epidemic prevention measures. If the situation continues like this, it is clear that our economy will not be able to withstand such a heavy load for a long time," said Battulga. "Therefore, we should cut down on all possible expenses we can afford and spend the money saved on anti-crisis measures. Particularly, we should postpone this year's parliamentary election to save money," he said. The legislative elections are scheduled for June 24. Mongolia's parliament, the State Great Khural, is unicameral, consisting of 76 lawmakers with a four-year term. The previous parliamentary elections in Mongolia were held on June 29, 2016. Medical TV dramas Holby City and Casualty have donated their equipment to the NHS as the coronavirus crisis continues to grip the UK. The BBC shows - both set in hospitals - use real-life medical equipment as props, and show bosses have now passed on the likes of protective equipment such as surgical masks and gloves, as the UK's hospitals struggle under the strain of COVID-19. The shows have followed the lead of American medical drama Grey's Anatomy and its spin-off Station 19, which have done the same. Helping hand: Medical TV dramas Holby City and Casualty have donated their equipment to the NHS as the coronavirus crisis continues to grip the UK This comes as the BBC's production scheduling was halted as the Prime Minister put the country into lockdown on Monday evening. Both Casualty and Holby City's Executive Producer Simon Harper said in a statement: 'Casualty and Holby City are all about celebrating NHS heroism, so we are only too happy to help out and do what we can for the courageous and selfless real-life medics battling this situation. 'We are in discussion with local NHS services and will be donating personal protective equipment (PPE) and other useful medical items to assist them.' The BBC have said of the show's suspended production schedule: 'In light of the spread of COVID-19, after much consideration, it has been decided that filming on all BBC Studios continuing dramas will be postponed until further notice.' Donation: The BBC shows - both set in hospitals - use real-life medical equipment as props, and show bosses have now passed on the likes of protective equipment such as surgical masks and gloves, as the UK's hospitals struggle under the strain of COVID-19 On lockdown: This comes as the BBC's production scheduling was halted as the Prime Minister put the country into lockdown on Monday evening Across the pond, Krista Vernoff, Executive Producer of hit ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy and firefighter-focused Station 19 told Good Morning America on Thursday they have given their local fire station 300 N95 masks. She said: 'They were tremendously grateful. At Greys Anatomy, we have a back-stock of gowns and gloves which we are donating as well. 'We are all overwhelmed with gratitude for our healthcare workers during this incredibly difficult time, and in addition to these donations, we are doing our part to help them by staying home.' Doing their bit: Grey's Anatomy and spin-off show Station 19 have donated gloves, masks and surgical gowns to emergency services to help the fight against coronavirus Elsewhere, rheumatologist at Grady Memory Hospital in Atlanta, Dr. Karen Law, later shared a photo of 'all the things our healthcare workers need to provide safe care for our community during #COVID19' sent by producers of the The Resident on Fox. Alongside the photo, Dr. Law penned: 'Yesterday, I had a serious discussion with the residents about how, though supplies are low, a magical shipment of masks is unlikely to arrive. 'And yet, a magical shipment of masks DID arrive, in the form of this very generous gesture. Generous: Krista Vernoff, executive producer of the hit ABC shows told Good Morning America on Thursday they have given their local fire station 300 N95 masks 'This kind of community support means so much to our #frontlineproviders who are making many sacrifices to staff our hospitals and care for our community.' Dozens of healthcare workers across the US are testing positive for coronavirus as they battle the highly-infectious disease on the front lines. At a Chicago suburban hospital, two emergency room physicians have been diagnosed with the virus. Meanwhile, in nearby St Louis, Missouri, two doctors associated with Washington University tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. Elsewhere: Dr. Karen Law shared a photo of 'all the things our healthcare workers need to provide safe care for our community during #COVID19' sent The Resident on Fox 200 people Children's Hospital have been tested for coronavirus after a doctor was confirmed to have the virus. It comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention loosens their guidelines and says healthcare workers can work even if they've been exposed to coronavirus as long as they wear a mask. If they run out of masks, as many in the public continue to hoard, workers are advised to use a scarf or even a bandana. Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan has penned a poem urging citizens to cooperate during the 21 days nationwide lockdown. On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown for 21 days to prevent further spreading of the C Image Source: IANS News Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan has penned a poem urging citizens to cooperate during the 21 days nationwide lockdown. On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown for 21 days to prevent further spreading of the C Image Source: IANS News Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan shared an opinion offering logic behind the Janata Curfew clapping at 5pm on Sunday, but netizens werent very impressed. On facing social media flak, Big B subsequently took down his post. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, March 25 : Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan has penned a poem urging citizens to cooperate during the 21 days nationwide lockdown. On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown for 21 days to prevent further spreading of the COVID 19 pandemic in India. Taking to social media, Amitabh Bachchan shared a self-penned poem on the subject. The veteran actor wrote on his blog: "the nation listens .. I listen and convert to verse .. its pathetically bad, but it is an attempt .." Then he shared the poem written in Hindi, which reads: "Hath hain jodte vinamrata se aaj hum, sune adesh pradhan ka, sada tum aur hum, yeh bandish jo lagi hai, jeevdayee banegi, 21 dino ka sankalp nishchit corona dafnayegi." Talking about the present situation of the country, the actor further wrote: "the stillness resounds .. sounds unheard heard , the birds and other .. a silent country .. now for another 21 days , isolated , in the homes, in the confines of room .. family discussion debate .. face timed in all , often within the stipulated metre distance from the CvD19 regulations .. for another 21 days be stipulated , with hope and prayer that it diminishes and dissolves away." [March 25, 2020] Monty D'Ambrosio joins Unissant as Senior Vice President, Growth HERNDON, Va., March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monty DAmbrosio joins Unissant as Senior Vice President, Growth, bringing his 20+ years experience supporting the federal government to the company with a focus on developing and expanding relationships within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Were very glad to bring Monty on board, says Unissant President Ken Bonner. He has a lot of experience overseeing delivery of mission critical programs across CMS, making him the perfect addition to our team. Prior to joining Unissant, Monty led delivery of SRAs HHS accountan organization of 350 people with a portfolio value of over 90 million dollars spanning multiple Operating Divisions. Hes also worked at several small businesses successfully driving businss growth within HHS. A U.S. Navy veteran, Monty spent four years on the USS Theodore Roosevelt as a nuclear reactor operator. He holds a Master of Science in Information Systems from the Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Maryland. About Unissant Inc. Unissant is an advanced data analytics and business transformation services provider with expertise in healthcare and health IT, finance, national security, and energy. The company delivers innovative solutions to assist government agencies and private sector businesses in tackling their biggest challenges. Founded in 2006, Unissant is a prime contractor on various government vehicles such as CIO-SP3, GSA PSS, GSA Health IT SIN, and GSA 8(a) STARS II and is a CMMI Level 3, ISO 9001 & 27001 certified company headquartered in Herndon, Virginia with a satellite office in San Antonio, Texas. In March 2017, Unissant received the Government Project of the Year award by Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum (SECAF). Contact Information: John Meagher + 1 703-889-8500 x135 [email protected] Sixteen months ago, my wife and I traveled to Italy to see a concert and enjoy the sights. While in Genova, we got horribly lost twice. The final time occurred on a long nighttime walk to the apartment we rented. We had to climb a building-lined rock stairway up a hillside that split into multiple directions. Then, once we found the apartment, we couldnt get inside, since the automatic lock had to be tripped via a cell phone, and our phones didnt work in Italy. As we sat outside in the dark, trying to solve our dilemma, Annalisa Barla and Andrea Vian walked down the steps (they teach at the university, farther up the hill) and offered to help. With one of their cell phones, we tripped the lock and got inside. The next day, we met the two for a delightful lunch. They even paid! I mention this because I contacted my new Italian friends, concerned about how they were weathering Italys COVID-19 pandemic. The response I received from Andrea was so powerful, I asked for his permission to share it with you. As you read what he wrote, keep in mind that at this moment Donald Trump and his Republican allies are failing to take COVID-19 seriously and are even contemplating a rapid return to normal activities, for the sake of the economy. We must not let COVID-19 become like global warming, where one political party ignores the consequences for political and financial gain: Hi Marty! Hi Deb! Thank you so much for thinking of us. We are fine, but the situation around us is frightening. In a large part of northern Italy, the national health system has been overwhelmed. Doctors and nurses, friends of ours, are working in 14-16 hours shifts in hospitals so full of sick people that they are overflowing into neighboring cities. They are exhausted, physically and mentally. Without rest, they sweat hours and hours, every day, stuck in their protective equipment, far from their families. There, 12% of the infected people are doctors and nurses. In many cities, we have reached the ICU capacity, and they are already performing war-like triage: people over 55 dont get access to the ICU. It seems we dont have enough testing capacity. So we fight in hospitals, trying to stop an exponential phenomenon instead of tracking and preventing it on the ground. So many people of all ages even kids in their twenties are getting badly sick. Many, many are dying every day, even younger than Annalisa and me. Much more than the official numbers tell: people are dying alone, at home, as hospitals cannot accommodate them anymore. They are not tested, so officially they didnt die because of COVID-19. In hospitals, the situation is tragic and poignant: infected people, often elderly, are isolated. Nobody can visit. So they die alone. No goodbye; no funeral. Marina, an aunt of mine in her seventies, so strong and healthy, just passed away. She has been brought to a hospital far from her hometown and far from her loved ones. Its even difficult finding news about your friend, your father, your wife, your son, once theyve been hospitalized, if unable to call or text by themselves. In the Lombardia region, theres a one million people city called Bergamo, severely affected. The day before yesterday, the local paper had 13 pages full of obituaries. Theres a surreal landscape, made of empty streets and ghastly silences, broken just by ambulances rushing in and the army carrying away the corpses. "Our politicians have underestimated the emergency, and they have wasted so much precious time before taking stringent measures. It seemed like China was so far, so different. Does this virus, does any virus, care about boundaries or distances? For once, were all the same. I beg all my American friends to learn from our suffering and our mistakes: act now! "Love, Andrea Marty Essen is a college speaker and award-winning author of five politically humorous books. He is currently practicing social distancing, sequestered in his writing room, working on book six. Second-level students want to involved in the decision-making around the Leaving Cert and Junior cycle exams, in the face of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. The Irish Second-Level Students Union (ISSU) said there was an immense feeling of uncertainty and anxiety as students await clarification on the exams. The Government still hoping the written exams will go ahead on schedule, starting on June 3, but it depends on how the public health emergency plays out. The ISSU is asking Education Minister Joe McHugh Minister to include the student voice in finalising the exam contingency plans. It is calling for immediate clarity and wants to be involved in setting a deadline for when decisions about the exams will be disseminated to the public. In a statement today, the ISSU said it wanted to assist in providing clear steps to be taken to ensure fairness and quality for all students and stakeholders involved. Read More ISSU president Ciara Fanning said it was a hugely difficult and confusing time for everyone, but particularly for students who are due to sit State Exams in June. Having built up to these exams this year and previous school years there is huge pressure to perform well, and students are now unsure when they will be sitting the exams or if they will happen at all. This makes it incredibly difficult to focus on study and preparation for the exams. We need clarity immediately to put students at ease and reduce the immense stress and confusion they are already feeling at this time. She said student welfare was paramount at this difficult time and reinforced the need to receive clarification as soon as possible on proposed plans that will impact the students' futures. The ISSU said it would continue to advocate that students, as key stakeholders in their education, were consulted and included in any decisions to be made regarding their education in the coming weeks and months. Meanwhile, the National Parents Council Post Primary (NPCPP) is asking all young people to play their part to protect their community by taking physical distancing seriously. The best way to protect your family and friends from being struck down by this horrible disease is to physically keep your distance from each other and to practice good personal hygiene wash your hands thoroughly and often, it urged. Kim Heung Soo, chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry What are the prospects of capital inflows from South Korea to Vietnam this year? South Korea has pumped $67.7 billion into Vietnam from 1988 until last year, making it top of the list of 135 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, at 18.7 per cent of total foreign investment. Vietnam has continued its economic growth in recent years, and after achieving a GDP growth rate of 7.08 per cent in 2018, it continuously achieved a growth rate of 7.02 per cent in 2019, exceeding the initial target of the government. It is also attracting much attention as a promising foreign direct investment (FDI) destination from investors around the world. The rapid development and growth of Vietnams economy is expected to recover after the second half of the year when the coronavirus crisis is hopefully resolved here, and South Korean companies investment is also expected to recover gradually. Previously that investment in Vietnam was traditionally concentrated on the manufacturing industry such as garments, bags, and footwear. However, recently South Korean investment in Vietnam has also diversified into high value-added high-tech industries such as electronics, IT, automobiles, construction equipment and parts, distribution, and the service sectors. And this trend is expected to be continued in 2020. How does the COVID-19 outbreak affect the investment and merger and acquisition (M&A) activities among South Korean investors in Vietnam? As Vietnams domestic market has grown steadily over the past few years, investors have been interested in equity funding and acquisition of Vietnamese companies through M&A activities to acquire distribution networks as well as existing networks of Vietnamese companies. For example, Hanwha Group invested $400 million in Vingroup JSC in August 2018, while SK Group signed a $1 billion equity investment contract with Vingroup JSC. We believe that South Korean companies are actively investing in Vietnamese companies in more various fields through M&A activities, such as the food delivery group Woowa Brothers Corporation taking over Vietnammm in 2019. In particular, through M&A activities, South Korean companies would like to consider investing in Vietnamese companies to enter into the specific market where it is difficult to acquire new licenses such as finance and energy. However, as the recent outbreak of global COVID-19 shows, many economists expect that global economic development and investment in this year would lead to a slowdown overall. We are also concerned that many Korean companies and investors will hesitate to pour money in and carry out M&A activities abroad, including in Vietnam. In light of that issue, and the trend of the China Plus One strategy, do you expect a surge in manufacturing relocation among South Korean companies from China to Vietnam? Recently, many foreign investors have cited Vietnam as an alternative to China, or as part of China Plus One, and South Korean investors are also looking to relocate their manufacturing facilities in China and even in South Korea to Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam. At the same time, they are also considering many other locations such as India, Eastern Europe, or Africa. In particular, after the coronavirus outbreak, the opacity of Chinas economic system and various social problems were raised. As a result, groups such as Google and Microsoft are considering moving their manufacturing facilities from China to other countries such as Vietnam. However, as investments into Vietnam from various countries and companies have been increasing recently, many foreign-invested companies are currently struggling with rising labour costs due to shortages and also are suffering from higher factory site costs. Therefore, the attractiveness of investing in Vietnam is decreasing gradually. So what can make Vietnam an ideal investment destination for South Koreans? It is necessary that the government should have willingness to reform and improve the investment environment in Vietnam continuously. In particular, the unnecessary costs due to administrative processing should be reduced through increasing transparency in administrative procedures It should also refrain from a sharp rise in wages compared to other countries nearby, such as China and other Southeast Asia countries. Due to the sharp rise in real estate prices recently, it is also urgent to prepare measures for the increase in initial investment costs, such as an increase in the cost of entering the industrial complex for factories. In addition, the government should make efforts continuously to suppress the rising consumer price index and stabilise the macro-economy. Finally, it must accelerate the equitisation of state-owned enterprises and promote research and development investment and a long-term technical manpower programme. ANN ARBOR, MI - A man alleged to have shot his roommate last week during an argument about coronavirus concerns is no longer in custody, but the case continues to be investigated, police said. Ann Arbor police have released the shooter, who is claiming self-defense, until the investigation determines if there are any charges to file against him, said Lt. Bonnie Theil. We are doing our due diligence to determine the facts surrounding the individuals death, Theil said. Officers responded to a shots fired call in the 1700 block of Weldon Boulevard in the Dicken neighborhood of Ann Arbor, at 9:12 p.m., Thursday, March 19, Ann Arbor Police Chief Michael Cox said in an email. The officers found two men, including a 50-year-old who was found unresponsive and shot multiple times, police said. Paramedics with Huron Valley Ambulance pronounced the man at the scene, police said. The names of the slain man and of the shooter have not been released by police. Coronavirus argument ends in shooting death, police say The shooter told police that his roommate lunged at him with a crowbar right before he started firing, police said. The gunman notified officers of the incident, police said. Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus 7 more hospitalized for coronavirus in Washtenaw County, officials say PREVENTION TIPS Michigans State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips: What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases: For statewide and national information on the virus, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus. More from The Ann Arbor News: Trio of burglars break into Saline-area house under construction $500 in watches, jewelry, cash grabbed from unlocked cars near Ford Lake Enraged man kicks hole in wall before leaving Chelsea business From the Sweetwater County Historical Museum The Sweetwater County Historical Museum in Green River announced Saturday that its new YouTube channel is now up and running. In accordance with the Sweetwater County Board of Commissioners resolution of March 17, the museum is temporarily closed to the public, but the staff is continuing to handle research requests via telephone and email, prepare and maintain exhibits, and foster its ongoing outreach programs and strategies. With many Sweetwater County residents staying home and all the schools in the county closed, the Museum is purs... Gatchalian wants payment reprieve for loans, credit card purchase, home rental amid lockdown Senator Win Gatchalian has proposed that all banks, including quasi-banks, financing companies, lending companies, and other financial institutions, both public and private, including the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS) and Pag-IBIG Fund, to implement a minimum of 30-day grace period for loan payments within the period of the enhanced community quarantine. Gatchalian suggested to include this provision as the senators deliberated, amended and approved the third and final reading of Senate Bill (SB) No. 1418, which is a substitute bill of SB 1413 and was adopted by the House of Representatives, and now known as the "Bayanihan To Heal As One Act." This gives the President several special powers to act on the COVID-19 pandemic. Gatchalian specified that the payment reprieve covers, but is not limited to, salary, personal housing, and motor vehicle loans, as well as payment for credit card purchase. He said they should not incur interests, penalties, fees, or other charges. Persons with multiple loans shall likewise be given minimum of 30-day grace period for every loan. The senator also proposed a minimum of 30-day reprieve on residential rents within the period of the enhanced community quarantine, without incurring interests, penalties and other fees and charges. "Sa diwa ng bayanihan, kailangan ng kooperasyon ng lahat. Ito ang panahong dapat nagkakaisa tayo sa ating mga mithiin at hangarin na tulungan ang isa't isa lalo na't maraming nawalan ng trabaho. Dahil sa lockdown, marami ang nangangamba kung may babalikan pa silang trabaho. Alam naman po natin ang pinaka prayoridad sa ngayon ay pagkain, tubig, gamot at iba pang pangunahing pangangailangan sa bahay", said Gatchalian. Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has earlier made available a grant of regulatory relief to some concerned banks and quasi-banks that may be affected by defaults from struggling borrowers due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. CALGARY, Alberta, March 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd. (TSX-V: FLY) (OTCQX: FLYLF) (the Company or FLYHT) is sharing details of the actions the Company is taking to protect the health of its employees and fortify its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. To safeguard its employees during this pandemic, FLYHT has instituted a company-wide travel ban and is isolating all employees who recently travelled internationally. Many of the Companys employees are continuing their work remotely, which not only mitigates the risk of potential exposure to the virus but ensures all FLYHTs systems and services continue to function seamlessly for customers. While most industries have felt the effects of COVID-19, the pandemic has substantially impacted commercial aviation. Since early January, daily departures from major airports have declined 28% to 91% depending upon the country. International travel has been severely curtailed, and airlines are taking extraordinary measures to preserve cash. Industry layoffs and furloughs have been accelerating, accounts payable have been pushed out, and capital equipment orders have been delayed or restructured. Due to the equity raise in November 2019, which improved the Companys working capital, and the operational progress made throughout 2019, FLYHT entered 2020 with a relatively robust cash position. However, the Company anticipates reduced revenues in the near-term as a result of customers rescheduling orders and decreases in air traffic, which will impact the Companys corresponding SaaS revenues. Despite current headwinds, FLYHT does expect to continue receiving uninterrupted revenues from other sources during this challenging period. Additionally, the Company is discussing with customers the possibility of accelerating installations on aircraft that have been or will be grounded. To preserve FLYHTs liquidity through this period of commercial aviation uncertainty, the Company is undertaking the following measures: Instituting a company-wide travel ban to protect employees and reduce associated costs Postponing new hires (with minimal exceptions) Initiating internal cost cutting measures Pursuing small business disaster loan assistance in the United States Pursuing business credit programs through Export Development Canada (EDC) and/or the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) Pursuing work-share programs from the government of Canada and the state of Colorado Engaging suppliers for extended payment terms FLYHT will continue to monitor the industry conditions and implement these measures, as well as consider additional cash saving efforts, as the current situation dictates. About FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd. FLYHT improves aviation safety, efficiency and profitability by providing airlines, leasing companies, owners, operators and original equipment manufacturers with real-time insights into how their aircraft are performing. The companys products include AFIRS (Automated Flight Information Reporting System), a satellite communications (Satcom) aircraft interface device (AID) which enables real-time streaming of flight information, aircraft tracking and health monitoring, fuel management, and black box data streaming, as well as TAMDAR (Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Reporting), which aggregates and streams airborne weather data in real-time. FLYHT is headquartered in Calgary, Canada with an office in Littleton, Colorado and is an AS9100 Quality registered company. For more information, visit www.flyht.com . Contact Information: FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd. Alana Forbes Chief Financial Officer 403-291-7437 aforbes@flyht.com Canada Investor Relations: Adelaide Capital Markets Inc. Deborah Honig 647-203-8793 deborah@adelaidecapital.ca U.S. Investor Relations: Gateway Investor Relations Matt Glover or Charlie Schumacher 949-574-3860 FLY@gatewayir.com Join us on social media! www.twitter.com/flyhtcorp www.facebook.com/flyht www.slideshare.net/flyhtcorp www.youtube.com/flyhtcorp www.flyht.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts, estimates, believes, an or intends or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results may or could, would, might or will be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to anticipated revenues and financial results of the Company. This forward-looking information reflects the Companys current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to the anticipated effects of COVID-19 on the aviation industry and the world as a whole. Forward looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the global pandemic related to COVID-19, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market price for securities; and the delay or failure to receive board, shareholder, court or regulatory approvals (as applicable). Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made, by third parties in respect of the matters discussed above. NEW YORK, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Claroty, the global leader in industrial cybersecurity, today released research into the state of industrial cybersecurity worldwide, which found that 74% of IT security professionals globally are more concerned about a cyberattack on critical infrastructure than an enterprise data breach. An independent survey of 1,000 full-time IT security professionals was carried out in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Australia to determine the attitudes and concerns of IT security professionals related to operational technology (OT) security. According to the data, more than half of industry practitioners in the U.S. (51%) believe that today's industrial networks are not properly safeguarded and need more protection, while another 55% believe that U.S. critical infrastructure is vulnerable to a cyberattack. While IT security professionals are typically tasked with protecting enterprise networks, they are notably more concerned about a cyberattack on critical infrastructure (65%) compared to an enterprise data breach (35%). In addition, a strong majority (67%) believe that a cyberattack on critical infrastructure has the potential to inflict more damage than an enterprise data breach. In regard to timing and urgency, 63% of U.S. IT security professionals expect a major cyberattack to be successfully carried out on national infrastructure within the next five years. However, 10% say that we will not ever see one, despite ample evidence of attacks targeting energy and other related sectors. The global perspective In contrast to the lack of confidence in the U.S., global IT security professionals (including those in the U.K., Germany, France, and Australia) have a more positive-leaning outlook. A majority of all global respondents (62%) believe that industrial networks are properly safeguarded. Those in Australia (93%) and Germany (96%) are by far the most confident in the overall safety of industrial networks. Threats and potential targets When asked which type of cyberattack on industrial networks would be most prevalent in 2020, a majority of U.S. IT security professionals (56%) put hacking at the top of the list, followed by ransomware (21%) and sabotage (12%). There is also a strong consensus among U.S. practitioners that electric power is the most vulnerable sector of critical infrastructure (46%), followed by oil and gas (18%) and transportation (13%). Additional key stats and contributing factors: An overwhelming majority of U.S. IT security professionals (87%) believe that the government is responsible for properly protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. This indicates how crucial it is for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and IT teams to understand the importance of OT security and how it falls within their purview, as every company in the world relies on industrial networks. IT and OT security practices are converging at a rapid rate due to digital transformation and the evolving threat landscape, which presents new challenges and opportunities for CISOs. Demonstrating this, a majority in the U.S. (66%) have been trained in the differences between IT and OT networks and 65% believe they have the skills and experience required to properly manage OT network cybersecurity. While clearly acknowledging the urgency surrounding critical infrastructure, most U.S. respondents express little desire to work in industrial cybersecurity. A strong majority (71%) say they would rather work in IT enterprise cybersecurity than focus on industrial networks, while another 57% say they would rather work for an organization that experiences a massive data breach instead of one that suffers a critical infrastructure-related cyberattack. "While IT and OT convergence unlocks business value in terms of operations efficiency, performance, and quality of services, it can now be detrimental because threats, both targeted and non-targeted, have the freedom to maneuver from IT to OT environments and vice versa," said Dave Weinstein, Chief Security Officer of Claroty. "Our mission is to help security practitioners to bridge the gap between IT and OT cybersecurity, ensuring that all bases are protected from cyberattack. This is even more critical in this new normal of largely remote workforces, which create additional burden on CISOs to remotely secure their production environments." Claroty improves the availability, safety, and reliability of OT assets and networks within industrial enterprises and critical infrastructure. The Claroty Platform provides comprehensive OT asset and network visibility, segmentation, vulnerability management, threat detection, risk assessment, and Secure Remote Access capabilities (SRA) all within a single, agentless solution. Unique to Claroty, SRA provides a single, secure, and clientless interface through which all external users connect prior to performing software upgrades, periodic maintenance, and other support activities on assets within OT networks. This is all enriched by the company's award-winning OT security research department. For in-depth analysis into the findings, along with full U.S. and global survey data, The Global State of Industrial Cybersecurity report is available here. About Claroty Claroty bridges the industrial cybersecurity gap between information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) environments. Organizations with highly automated production sites and factories that face significant security and financial risk especially need to bridge this gap. Armed with Claroty's converged IT/OT solutions, these enterprises and critical infrastructure operators can leverage their existing IT security processes and technologies to improve the availability, safety, and reliability of their OT assets and networks seamlessly and without requiring downtime or dedicated teams. The result is more uptime and greater efficiency across business and production operations. Backed and adopted by leading industrial automation vendors, Claroty is deployed on all seven continents globally. The company is headquartered in New York City and has received $100 million in funding since being launched by the famed Team8 foundry in 2015. For more information, visit www.claroty.com. Media contacts: SHIFT Communications for Claroty Email: [email protected] SOURCE Claroty Related Links http://www.claroty.com Unprecedented measures announced last night by the Government mean the economy is now being laid Sleeping Beauty-like into a glass coffin. It is a monumental bet that preserving as much of the economic fabric in suspended animation as possible will mean a faster and less expensive recovery. As of last night, much of the economy was being placed in what's effectively an induced coma. Taxpayers like you and me will pick up the tab to keep potentially hundreds of thousands of workers idle, but crucially still connected to their employer. We don't know how big the bill is going to get or how long this will go on. It's now entirely plausible that one-in-five jobs will be lost in a matter of weeks as Covid-19 ravages the economy. A swathe of the Irish tax base will evaporate too - at least in the short term. Nothing like this has ever happened. In the last crash it took five years from stirrings of the US sub-prime crisis in early 2007 to the bottom of the Irish jobs crisis in 2012. There were more than two years between the bank guarantee in 2008 and the EU/IMF bailout in the bleak winter of 2010. The same scale of economic turmoil is now playing out over weeks and days. The raw wounds from that crisis make great teachers for this one. We know now that hoping the storm passes - as regulators and policy makers did in 2008 - is not an option. Half measures are not an option. And we know we don't have time to waste on pointless arguments about moral hazard for households, business and banks. This time around everyone needs a bailout, on a vast scale, fast. So the State - our own and the wider European Union - must act as spender, lender and borrower of last resort. There are alternatives. One is to let the economy wither entirely and hope that such destruction will spark a revival - a prospect so far-fetched and nihilistic that no sane government could contemplate it. We could try half measures to support some sectors or all sectors a bit less. But less sweeping supports for workers and firms will hurt the medical priority of containing the outbreak, because people will feel under pressure to keep going to work when they shouldn't. That leaves the most radical economic decision in the history of the State: an unprecedented transfer of financial support from the Exchequer to all kinds of employers - across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors of the economy. Bad employers will be supported along with the good. Care workers, bank tellers, bookies, builders and video game designers, and their employers, will get the same support. That's how it needs to be until either the threat recedes or a vaccine arrives. When the dust settles there will be a debate about companies that have previously pocketed big profits but came up short when they need a cushion, about who pays the bill, about the fairness of these current measures and about our economic system generally. Fine. In the meantime we'll hunker down, do our best by each other and wait. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, March 25, 2020 11:24 658 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206d4ecf5 1 National COVID-19,mask,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,West-Java,coronavirus,hospital,medical-equipment,coronavirus-mask-rush,medical-practitioners,pandemic Free A total of 470 boxes of surgical masks have reportedly been stolen from Pagelaran General Hospital in Cianjur, West Java. When we checked the supply [of masks] for January to March, we found that 470 boxes were gone, 200 of which were supplies for February, director of the hospital Awie Darwizar said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara News Agency. He said the masks had been prepared for medical workers at the hospital to treat COVID-19 patients. Awie added that the facility currently had 60 boxes left, which would be enough for the next several days. The financial loss caused by the theft is said to be around Rp 100 million (US$ 6,100). Read also: COVID-19: Government to distribute 100,000 protective equipment to medical workers Cianjur Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Juang Andi Priyanto said his team was currently investigating the matter. We have questioned a number of witnesses, including hospital workers, security guards and parking attendants. We hope to solve the case as soon as possible, he said. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a massive strain on Indonesias healthcare system, with increasing reports of inadequate medical supplies and the deaths of hospital workers as patient numbers continue to surge. (aly)